If Jon was being perfectly honest, parasitising willing individuals was much easier than parasitising unwilling participants. Although one might think that finding people willing to let him steal away their mana regenerations might be difficult, those with Creation Mana Cores and even Dungeon Mana Cores could not display the full effects of their abilities during combat.

  With a maximum of ten Worms Of Envy increasing the regenerations of his various Mana Cores, he had effectively doubled his spiritual energy regeneration rate.

  The thunderous sound of his indestructible vajra-spear piercing through the side of the Hive-Womb Capital rumbled in the skies above Springtown. A sixty-metre-long construct penetrating through several layers of waxen-biomass and spiritual energy, killing several dozen Mortal-level insects in a single strike.

  Jon landing across the top of the Memento Source Item with a tremendous crash. Murmur-Arhat Marrow trembling in response to the force applied upon it, [Green Is The Flesh, As Red Is The Blood] swiftly regenerating any microfractures or muscle tears within a matter of moments.

  His gaze glancing in the direction of the Graceful Dragon Of Treasured Beauty and Threaded-Heart Of Terminus Est, mentally communicating with his summoned companion.

  “Ninety seconds!” His voice roared throughout his Three Seas Of Knowledge, knowing that Song would understand his meaning.

  Hades-Draconian Shadow and Carcosa-Form Horrors shifting beneath him, surging off in some random direction.

  Minerva-Infiltration Eyes and [Bestial Intuition] alerting him to the subtle shifting of biomass beneath his feet, focusing his gaze on the manifestation of several honeycomb-shaped tunnels in a circular pattern around him.

  The corners of his mouth curving upwards as Jon bared his teeth beneath Lethe and Glaucus.

  The sound of skittering legs and high-pitched cries echoing across the surface of the Hive-Womb Capital, causing him to twirl Assail in one hand, before tapping the hardened-wax beneath him twice with one foot.

  Wood spiritual vein surging within his flesh and spirit, connecting to the fragment which it was born from.

  [Imperial Wood Art; Towering Tree Barrier].

  Wood natured spiritual energy rushing to manifest a towering tree construct beneath him. The faintest inkling of a sapling forming in several positions around him before being swiftly intercepted by a disruptive wave of wind natured and swarm natured spiritual energy.

  Jon’s Sea Of Knowledge expecting the backlash; waves buffering against glacier-shaped core memories as he suppressed a grimace, fully imagining such an occurrence. Both Amadeus and Delila were capable of similar things with Flavius Imperialis and Porta, so it would make sense that the Voracious Swarm Mother was capable of something similar.

  Spear natured spiritual energy surged from the spear half-embedded into the side of the Hive Womb Capital, prompting Jon to start sprinting across its surface, allowing his mutations to overflow with spiritual energy.

  One Lord-level armoured-flesh beetle emerging from the floating hive, snarling at Jon before charging straight at him. The Spear Of Cedarwood Transformations piercing through its exposed mouth, transforming into a halberd and penetrating its malformed brain.

  Shrinking back to its original size within a matter of seconds.

  Each footstep Jon made across the surface caused more entrances to appear across the surface of the hive. Lord-level insects spilling out from said entrances, crawling along the external structure of the Hive-Womb Capital.

  Ants born with thirteen eyes and six mouths launched volleys of acidic saliva in the direction of the running human. Beetles the size of two-story houses released horrifying screeches that seemed to target the mind and spirit. Grasshoppers with the upper bodies of a human launched themselves through the air, shooting sticky webs from their enlarged abdomens in the direction where Jon was running towards.

  Monstrous abominations of hornets and centipedes skittered across the hive. Horrifying combinations of termites and butterflies flapped their wings, taking to the skies. Their enormous, malformed wings producing hallucinogenic scale powder capable of inflicting half-a-dozen different debilitating effects.

  All of them rushing towards Jon as he sprinted across the surface of the Hive-Womb Capital.

  ‘Almost there. Just a few more seconds…’

  His hand sliding across the surface of the Memento Source Item, setting down all of his stored spear detonations in the span of single breath. His eyes not bothering to turn back and watch as several armoured-flesh beetles and piercing-needle centipedes were impaled upon said constructs, injuring them but not severely impacting their movements.

  The physical characteristics of a Lord exceeded that of a Knight.

  Even if these flesh constructs lacked the abilities of someone that had attained Lordship, the lifeforce and spiritual energy that formed their flesh still exceeded that of the average Knight.

  Fortunately for Jon, he was anything but average.

  His movements coming to a complete and utter halt as his irresistible vajra-spear jolted awake. The secondary spear-construct forming more than two hundred metres up in the air, shooting itself downwards at an incredible speed. A bright, neon-green streak of light carving through the air, avoiding both insects and summoned companion as it crashed into its indestructible counterpart.

  Resulting in-.

  ‘Now!’

  The resulting explosion almost caused him to lose his balance, winds brushing up against him and dozens of entrances continuing to manifest all across the surface of the Memento Source Item. More and more insects spilling over by the second rushing towards him with a reckless abandon.

  Jon felt one of his eardrums burst, eye twitching as the Hive-Womb Capital trembled in the wake of his Fragment Of Eradication. Several insects similarly loosing their grip and sliding off the side of the floating hive.

  Pieces of the Hive-Womb Capital shattered and sent flying into the air. The explosion causing the deaths of hundreds more Mortal-level insects and larvae.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Despite the verdant-coloured flames which burned the Memento Source Item, Jon rushed towards the point of impact, activating the Mortal-Ranked effects of his Fragment Of Superbia.

  [Helel] was his most powerful buffing ability but possessed one effect which he almost never found himself using.

  [Light Bringer]: Manifest golden lance constructs of spear natured spiritual energy capable of being launched as projectiles or wielded as a weapon.

  Dozens of metre-long lance constructs manifesting in the space around him. Spear natured spiritual energy was expended without a second thought of running out, continuing to produce more and more lances with every passing second.

  The seven-pointed halo atop his head expanding in unison. His Helel-Star Pride surging within his chest, filling him with an untold confidence and arrogance. The [Morning Star] and [Evening Star] beside him growing in both luminosity and size, improving the regeneration rates of his other Mana Cores.

  All of the lances aimed towards where his two vajra-spears collided. Through the verdant flames and cracking spear mana. One of his fingers twitching almost imperceptibly, allowing the dozens of constructs to move in accordance with his will and pride.

  “Fall.”

  Golden mana-lances fell from the skies as though it was an act of the divine. His Fragment Of Superbia humming with a tremendous amount of spiritual energy as it continued to produce more and more spears even after launching his preexisting ones.

  Their piercing tips penetrating through Mortal-level flesh and Knight-level bones, embedding themselves deep within wax-crafted walls and swarm-natured corridors. Some punching through hastily formed defences, revealing layers haphazardly concealed after feeling Jon activate his Fragment Of Eradication once more.

  Forcing the Voracious Swarm Mother to activate her two defensive abilities.

  [Threefold Wind Art; Disruptive Gale Of Protection].

  [Gluttonous Flesh Art; Spiritual Mouth Shields].

  In addition to-.

  [Imperial Insect Art; Ravenous Flesh Amalgamation].

  The Sixth-Honoured Lord commanding almost a dozen different Lord-level insects to crash into one another. Flesh turning fluid and bone turning a thick, viscous liquid as they all merged together under her dutiful nurturing.

  Their movements grew jagged and rough, surging towards Jon without any consideration for the body parts and liquified organs left behind. Several dozen mouths opening mandible-fangs and flesh-warped teeth while thrusting themselves in the direction of the lone human.

  His breath hitching, seeing the flesh-amalgamation rushing at him, [Bestial Intuition] urging him to flow spiritual energy from his Lie Mana Core into-.

  The Threaded-Heart Of Terminus Est crashing into said abomination, with all the wrath and fury of a true-blooded dragon. The Seir-Terminus Heart within his chest pounding, glowing a bright silverish-purple as his scales and claws were saturated with weave natured spiritual energy.

  “You think you can touch him!? I don’t care if you were a fucking Angel in your previous life!”

  Song Lian Yu chomping down on the liquid flesh construct, tearing off pieces of liver and bone.

  “You are nothing but insect! An insignificant, insipid, irreverent, inferior lifeform that can be crushed beneath my heel!”

  The epoch-heart dragon lifting his head back, allowing weave natured spiritual energy to flow from his Seir-Terminus Heart up his throat and into the shadow behind his gaping maw. Several of his scales bloodied and half-littering the grounds atop the Hive-Womb Capital.

  It was then that Jon realized…

  Song had long since retracted his [Threaded End] Aura.

  “Relish in the fire that announces the end of time.”

  Song Lian Yu holding town the ravenous flesh construct within its four-clawed limbs and unleashing a violent torrent of purplish-silver flames. Weave natured spiritual energy transformed into a woven-fire. One that seemed to burn time itself rather than physical objects.

  The “time” of the ravenous flesh construct was ignited. Enveloped within searing-strings of threaded-fire. Weave natured spiritual energy taking the form of a flame, burning anything that it touched, weaving ‘burns’ and ‘wounds’ into the Source of his opponent.

  Or in this case-.

  The Voracious Swarm Mother screeched painfully, feeling its connection with its ravenous flesh amalgamation incinerated. The unexpected backlash from having its ability cancelled caused it Fragment Of Mindless-Hunger to tremble, losing some of its gained rationality in the process.

  Jon felt his breath hitch, watching as Song Lian Yu discarded the flesh construct, throwing it off the side of the Hive-Womb Capital. The Threaded-Heart Of Terminus Est grinning before expanding his wings, eyes maniacal and emotions overflowing.

  “For the first time since my rebirth, I am elated!”

  “I, the seventh-born son of the Angel Of Endings, have finally found meaning in this shell of an existence! To think that I would one day find myself pleased with servitude!”

  His eyes turning towards Jon, laughter causing his draconic whiskers to shake. The sound of his footfalls crashing against the Hive-Womb Capital caused the lone human to look at him in confusion, thrusting out with Assail towards an approaching Knight-level insect.

  Killing it within a single blow.

  “Song!” Jon shouted, “What are you doing?!”

  The epoch-heart dragon laughing even harder, approaching where his two vajra-spears had collided.

  “The Graceful Dragon Of Treasured Beauty will assist you down Jonathan! As your companion, it is my duty to make all your wishes come true! If you desire to see the Voracious Swarm Mother-.”

  “Then I shall engulf this floating construct in a sea of purplish flames!”

  The fifty-metre-long dragon looking down at the lingering, verdant flames before steeling his heart-mutation and diving in. Jon letting out an uncharacteristic gasp watching as Song Lian Yu drew upon more and more weave natured spiritual energy.

  The sound of a dragon rampaging amongst Mortal-insects echoing throughout the skies. The dozens upon dozens of layered tunnels within the Hive-Womb Capital large enough for even a dragon of his size to wander freely through.

  Gusts of searing flame emanating from various honeycomb shaped entrances across its surface, before being interrupted by spiritual mouth shields and disruptive winds of protection.

  Song Lian Yu ignoring the myriad poisons coursing through his flesh and heart. Nor the miniscule Lord-level blood-sucking ants and fiendish-marrow termites that crawled up the length of his scaled spine. He tore through walls of biomass and wax alike, searching through the internal structure of the hive for traces of the Voracious Swarm Mother.

  The corners of his mouth curling upwards, revealing rows of bloodstained draconic teeth.

  “I’ve found you!”

  The epoch-heart dragon ignoring the Lord-level triple-piercing hornet that thrust its poison-tipped stingers into his Seir-Terminus Heart, grinning as it tore down another layer of biomass. His golden-silver eyes observing the enormous form of the Sixth-Honoured Knight, grinning as it conveyed its location towards Jon.

  Who then in turn conveyed its location towards-.

  The Archon Of Reigning Dragons steeling her gaze, activating almost half-a-dozen different abilities all at once. Her [Predator Spell Eyes] observing Long Shen Xi approach Jon on the side of the Hive-Womb Capital, nodding her head before pulling back the strings of her Memento Source Item.

  Fragment Of Draconic-Metamorphosis. [Half-Dragon Transformation; Azure-Scaled Tyrant].

  Fragment Of Transcendence. [That Which Is Born Through Strength].

  Fragment Of Eradication. [Imperial Bow Art; Divine Bow Rapture]

  Fragment Of Destruction. [Rapture Of The Wrathful Moon]

  Fragment Of Mirror. [Mirroring Beauty Art; Ravishing Mimic Reflection]

  Fragment Of Mark. [False Hunt Art; Multiple Branded Curse]

  Fragment Of Heart. [Tears Of The Dragon King].

  Fragment Of Superbia. [Azure Dragon Of Subjugation].

  A thirty-metre long arrow saturated with bow natured and dragon natured spiritual energy forming across the length of her Seven-Stringed Reignbow. The effects of her Title; Archon Of Reigning Dragons enhancing all of her abilities that possessed either the Dragon Trait or Memento Trait.

  Her Innana-Graceful Smile twisting into a wrathful sort of a beauty as she lined up her eye with the target several hundred metres beneath her. Her grip over Lenecia released the moment she found her aim to be true. Her ravishing mimic reflection mimicking the activation of the aforementioned abilities.

  Allowing two, silver stars of eradication to come shooting down from the heavens above.