Nine irresistible vajra-spears pierced through the outer layer of the Hive-Womb Capital, penetrating through layer after layer of woven-biomass and swarm natured spiritual energy. Each one descending with a force capable of destroying an armoured vehicle, striking their indestructible vajra-spear counterparts and producing an explosion that seemed to rock the foundations of the Memento Source Item.

  Illusory spears shattered after piercing through nine-to-eleven layers. For a split second, the Hive-Womb Capital appeared as though a pin cushion, before his vajra-spears continued shooting downwards.

  The exact moment the nine pairs of vajra-spears collided against one another, did the Voracious Swarm Mother halt its continuous aggression against Jon and focus solely on a more defensive posturing.

  Wind natured spiritual energy manifesting disruptive gales of protection, hoping to halt his Fragment Of Eradication.

  Flesh natured spiritual energy creating illusory mouth-shields, capable of devouring heat, spiritual energy and even the flesh of those that dared to touch them.

  Swarm natured spiritual energy expended to create additional layers of biomass inside the Hive-Womb Capital. Hoping to halt the destruction caused by Jon’s imperial spear art.

  Jon on the other hand, once again activated his wood spiritual vein, enveloping himself in a wood natured spiritual shield as he overloaded his Yaochi-Mudra Prana. Towering tree barriers manifesting in the space around him, coiling around his figure as though a protective layer of roots and bark. Heat resistant leaves, such as those with high-moisture contents providing an additional layer of protection.

  The world around him trembling, even causing his Fragment Of Barrier to crack and fracture under the combined effects of his Fragment Of Eradication and Fragment Of Ira. The Shapeless Mask Of Thieving Lies enhancing the effectiveness of all his abilities with the Wood Trait, War Trait, Lies Trait or Self Trait.

  Fragment Of Draconian Shadow and Fragment Of Shapeless-Carcosa both slithering away under the cover of darkness. His shadow-mutation and fear-mutation travelling together in blended unison swimming across the floors and walls of the Hive-Womb Capital in perfect silence.

  Jon on the other hand, observed the damage he had managed to inflict upon the Memento Source Item. Light piercing through the numerous holes he had managed to plunge his vajra-spears through causing him to grin before extending one hand into his Fragment Of Library.

  [Red Archives Of Mars Quirinus].

  Pulling out six more Knight Ranked spiritual items, temporarily swapping out all of his once equipped spiritual items. Knowledge Talisman, Spirit Protection Shirt, Abundant-Heart Glyph, Space-Blink Greaves, Bountiful-Spirit Rune and Metal-Threaded Pants turning inert as he held up six abnormally shaped vials in two hands.

  Weave Mana Core extending a small thread of spiritual energy into the six spiritual items, activating them in perfect unison in the blink of an eye. Although perhaps both an extraordinary display of wealth and expenditure of valuable resources, Jon willingly activated six Knight Ranked one-time-usage spiritual items.

  As opposed to the regenerative effects of Knight Ranked Life-Will Potions or Life-Thought Potions, these spiritual items were all capable of inflicting various damaging effects, born from a dozen different kinds of fragments.

  [1]: [Knight Ranked Timeless-Rot Poison].

  [2]: [Knight Ranked Arsine-Death Vapour].

  [3]: [Knight Ranked Tumorous-Life Fire].

  [4]: [Knight Ranked Blood-Congealing Toxin].

  [5]: [Knight Ranked Mutagenic-Fungal Growth].

  [6]: [Knight Ranked Flesh-Devouring Spores].

  Jon hurled each of the vials down the gaping hole his vajra-spears had punched into the Hive-Womb Capital. Purposefully throwing down different tunnels or sections of the Memento Source Item in an attempt at causing as much havoc as he possibly could.

  The Timeless-Rot Poison causing a fast acting necrosis to set in around the point of impact. Enhanced through the integration of a Fragment Of Time, the Rot-Poison was amongst some of the fastest and most dangerous of spiritual items within Springtown.

  Without a method of cleansing, refining or transferring its effects away a Knight would be killed within the day if consumed. The effects tested out on several willing summoned companions.

  The Tumorous-Life Fire engulfing a particularly deep tunnel in ghostly, pale-white flames. Originally a Mortal Ranked Life Fire capable of cleaning debilitating effects from a target, upon the integration of a Fragment Of Tumour, the spiritual item became capable of warping flesh and bone, tumorous growths appearing whatever living material the flames came into contact with.

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  Arsine-Death Vapour causing the biological death of biomass and bacteria within a matter of moments. Anyone who breathed in the vapour receiving instances of [Arsine Poisoning], [Death Poisoning], [Vapour Poisoning] and [Broken Lungs] with each breath taken.

  It was one of the few effects that possessed a “multiplicative effect” rather than an additive one.

  Blood-Congealing Toxin capable of causing biological functions to halt, turning blood, organs, viscera and even bone marrow into a thick, gloopy sludge. While it took the longest to kill his intended target, Blood-Congealing Toxins tended to have the widest area-of-effect, affecting all living beings within a five-hundred square radius.

  And… perhaps the crème de la crème of the Creationist Guild…

  Mutagenic-Fungal Growth and Flesh-Devouring Spores.

  Fragments Of Fungus and Fragments Of Spores integrated into Knight-level spiritual materials. As a result, the natural propagation rate of the fungi and spores had dramatically improved, growing larger and larger so long as their was a fresh source of biomass to parasitize and spiritual energy to consume.

  Hundreds, if not thousands of minute-sized mushrooms sprouting within a handful of seconds. Fungi encroaching upon the regenerating walls of the Hive-Womb Capital, while spores devoured the very foundations of the Memento Source Item itself, consuming it to propagate itself further.

  A twisted and horrifying combination of poisons, toxins, death-filled vapours and abominable fungi. Inspiring partly from the first ever Knight that Jon had encountered within the System Introduction.

  However-.

  Jon reached down into his Red Archives, pulling out additional vials, each containing surplus copies of the one-time-use spiritual items. Flowing spiritual energy into each of them, Jon activated them all without a second thought, throwing them down further into the depths of the Hive-Womb Capital.

  Anessa Casia becoming a literal breeding ground for insects, tumours, rot, and fungus.

  ‘That should keep her busy for a little while,’ Jon thought to himself, noticing that the number of insects the Voracious Swarm Mother had at her disposal drop significantly, only about two-dozen charging at him in an unorganized swarm.

  Luin and Assail making swift work of the charging insects, allowing Jon to progress deeper into the Hive-Womb Capital, sprinting through corridors and tunnels while allowing his senses to merge with his Hades-Draconian Shadow.

  Knowledge obtained by the Hades-Draconian Shadow shall become your own. Buffs obtained by the Hades-Draconian Shadow shall become your own. Debuffs obtained by the Hades-Draconian Shadow shall become your own. Damage received by the Hades-Draconian Shadow shall become your own.

  For the first time since entering the hive, Jon switched his activated technique, cancelling the effects of [Inverted Fool, Advancing Against Life And Death] and opting to use [Frosted Requiem Of The White Spellstar]. His physical strength enhanced even further allowing him to sprint through the insides of the Memento Source Item at an even greater pace.

  The occasional activation of the Thulian Rainspear whenever he came across another breeding chamber filled to the brim with flesh clones of the Voracious Swarm Mother. Honeycomb-shaped pods containing larvae or false-wombs destroyed with a single swing of his summoned weapon.

  Jon moved from chamber to chamber, taking no longer than thirty-seconds to travel between one location to the next. Repeating the process again and again, preventing more flesh constructs from developing into full-fledged, living war machines.

  Although… after exiting the sixth breeding chamber that he had come across, Jon furrowed his brows, looking downwards with a befuddled expression. His Sea Of Knowledge growing turbulent, numerous thoughts bubbling to the surface, appearing in a disordered and chaotic fashion.

  ‘Something is wrong.’

  ‘That was the fourth one in a row that lacked guards of any sort. Not even a single Mortal-level armoured-flesh beetle or hungry-maw termite. If the Voracious Swarm Mother was lacking soldiers, then why not look to protect these larvae, or at least the flesh clones that can produce additional cannon fodder?’

  ‘I refuse to believe that it could not create additional Lord-level flesh constructs to slow me down. I am literally the only threat to it right this moment. The rest of Springtown is still fighting against its land-based swarm or regrouping after the descent of the Hive-Womb Capital.’

  ‘Am I missing something? My thoughts feel… unorganized. Disordered. As though someone had taken a film reel and cut out a section in the middle. Is the Voracious Swarm Mother capable of interfering with my thoughts? Some sort of flesh-natured mental effect?’

  Jon felt something beneath his feet shift as the dull sound of an explosion rang out several floors below him. [Bestial Intuition] enhancing his senses to their absolute maximum, eyes widening as he felt the familiar presence of hydra natured spiritual energy brush past his extended senses.

  Lust natured spiritual energy and wolf natured spiritual energy alongside it.

  “What?” Jon muttered, his feet moving before his thoughts could catch up.

  ‘There are others within the Hive-Womb Capital? And this spiritual energy… and these concepts… It can’t be. The three of them were stationed at the Southern Gate. How in the world did they get here so fast and without me noticing?’

  Jon descending down a wide mineshaft-esque tunnel, thrusting Assail into the vertical wall beside him, using it to slow down his descent. Reaching the bottom of the tunnel, he felt another tremor ripple through the hardened biomass around him, taking note that it was closer in appearance and structure to the external walls of Anessa Casia.

  Additional bursts of rot natured, wrath natured, light natured and wood natured mana flashing in the distance, accompanied by bright bursts of multi-coloured light. Jon walked forward undaunted at the possibility, furrowing his brows beneath Lethe as he stood before the innermost chamber of the Hive-Womb Capital.

  Shadows and fears surging behind him as his mouth dropped beneath his expressionless mask.

  The familiar-looking face of a blonde-haired man grinning at him from atop the half-dead figure of the Grandmaster Of Wind And Flesh and High Priestess Of The Swarm. The corners of his mouth curving upwards as he watched Jon enter, opening his arms as though to embrace him.

  “Long time no see… Jonathan.”