“I proclaim this battle to warrant the writhing-green sin of envy. Let thou flesh and spirit relish in the sweet taste of worms and jealousy. Thou shalt fall before the fanged-mouths of the envious, sacrificed upon mine heretical altar. The thieving baptism that shall birth mine Worms Of Envy will devour the truth of the innocent and the virtues of the faithful!”

  [Writhing Worms Beneath Flesh And Spirit].

  Jon felt his brows twitch as he sacrificed more than thirty percent of his current lifeforce in order to manifest three Worms Of Envy. War natured spiritual energy flowed into the palm of his free hand, forming three, inch-long worms within a matter of seconds.

  Minerva-Infiltration Eyes observing the approaching Dungeon Guardian, analysing its movements and the flow of spiritual energy throughout its limbs and lava-shaped flesh.

  The Dungeon Guardian of the Fire Necropolis Of Jel was always some kind of golem.

  This time, Jon was forced to fight against a Mountain-Lava Golem. A thirty-foot tall monstrosity formed from molten earth and lava-tainted blood. Its enormous size and fearsome height forced it to hunch forward, giving him the impression of a gorilla with its knuckles pressed against the ground.

  It was relatively slow in the scheme of things, but possessed powerful environmental-type abilities, capable of transforming the air around it into poisonous gas and the ground beneath it into pools of bubbling magma.

  Still, Jon remained impassive, Lethe giving him a somewhat of a blasé expression.

  Beneath the Mask Of Jade Lies, the corners of his mouth curved upwards as he “dropped” two of the Worms Of Envy in his hand onto the ground, activating two of his physical enhancements at the exact same time.

  [Cometh Thy Red Horse Awaits].

  [Frosted Requiem Of The White Spellstar].

  Spiritual energy hummed from within his Knowledge Mana Core, filling his flesh and muscles with the unrelenting strength of war and conquest. The corners of his vision gaining a subtle red tint to them, allowing him to more deeply understand ideas and concepts relating to “war,” “violence,” and “combat.”

  His senses grew sharper and his veined glowed as ice natured spiritual energy flooded his organs and arteries. The [Stance Of The White Spellstar] suffusing its knowledge and experience into his posture, allowing him to remain relaxed, even in the face of a charging Sixth-Veined Knight.

  The connections he had with each Worm Of Envy allowed him to feel their presence even without visually observing them. Jon did not concern himself with their movements or actions, knowing that the two of them would know the exact moment when to strike.

  Instead, lifting the single remaining war natured construct in his hand, taking a deep breath before muttering a single-lined chant.

  “I sacrifice this Worm Of Envy upon mine heretical altar!”

  Jon crushed the worm-shaped construct with one hand before gesturing towards the Mountain-Lava Golem with the other. An intangible wave of war natured spiritual energy rippling out from his current location, crashing into the approaching Dungeon Guardian without even so much as a whimper.

  Individual instances of [Branded Envy], [Flesh Parasite], [Invidia Maledictum] and [Thieving Spirit] pervaded the flesh and spirit of the Mountain-Lava Golem, causing it to activate what limited number of cleansing-type fragments it had integrated.

  Jon could quite clearly feel concepts relating to “purity” and “pressure” both cleanse and refine the debuffs he had inflicted onto the Dungeon Guardian, causing him to raise an eyebrow before dodging a barrage of yoga-ball sized lava projectiles.

  His figure blurred across the underground mountain depths, little more than flickering phantom, dancing left and right across ponds of lava or pools of molten magma. Geysers of flame and noxious gas burst out from the volcano beneath him, causing Jon to frown, before activating his Yaochi-Mudra Prana.

  After becoming a Knight, the effects of his once Yaochi-Jade Prana had expanded immensely after having a Fragment Of Mudra integrated into it. Although he was somewhat sceptical in the beginning, instead wanting to choose a Fragment Of Emptiness or a Fragment Of Nirvana, he decided on waiting until Lordship, instead trusting in the recommendation of his summoned companion.

  The Earth Reincarnation Womb, to be more exact.

  [Fragment Of Prana]

  [Green Shall Become The Ode To Eternity]

  (Wood, Prana, Mutation, Ability, Passive, Enhancement, Buff)

  (Mudra)

  Effect (Knight): Elevates the Yaochi-Jade Prana into Yaochi-Mudra Prana. The Yaochi-Mudra Prana now contains within it the conceptual understandings of “seals,” “meditation” and the “physical-self.”

  The Yaochi-Jade Prana manifest itself through the usage of various hand signs and hand gestures. Wood natured spiritual energy flows in accordance with a specific pattern made through on such hand sign, producing different effects depending on the number of fingers used.

  [Naraka Avici]: Quiets the flesh. One-fingered hand sign. Increases resistances towards desire-related damages, afflictions and debuffs. Increases the effectiveness of abilities with the Mind Trait.

  [Naraka Padma]: Quiets the mind. Two-fingered hand sign. Increases resistances towards emotion-related damages, afflictions and debuffs. Increases the effectiveness of abilities with the Spirit Trait.

  [Naraka Raurava]: Quiets the spirit. Three-fingered hand-sign. Increases resistances towards spirit-related damages, afflictions and debuffs. Increases the effectiveness of abilities with the Self Trait.

  [Naraka Sanjiva]: Quiets the self. Four-fingered hand sign. Increase resistances towards desire-related, emotion-related and spirit-related damages, afflictions and debuffs.

  [Naraka Kalasutra]: Reveals the non-self. Five-fingered hand sign. Manifests a self-regenerating spiritual shield formed from wood natured spiritual energy.

  Using one of his free hands, Jon formed the mudra for [Naraka Padma], increasing the effectiveness of his abilities which possessed the Spirit Trait. Extending his other hand forward once more, his Longinus-Rune Spirit surged, manifesting in the form of a runic-glyph on his open palm.

  Spear natured spiritual energy flowed unhindered, manifesting in the form of more than a dozen invisible lance-constructs all around him. No longer constrained by the need to chant, Jon flashed a grin and launched the fifteen lances forward, continuing to remain unfazed at the Mountain-Lava Golem that continued to charge towards him.

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  Spear natured spiritual energy struck molten flesh and bloodied lava, crashing into the Dungeon Guardian without a single shred of remorse. The damage that his Longinus-Rune Spirit inflicted was both spiritual and mental, resulting in whatever mental construct it had formed to crack and fragment under such an immense barrage of invisible spears.

  The creature bellowed, both deep and painful.

  For the first time since the battle begun, it had halted its growing advance, trying to prevent its thoughts from disappearing through the holes that Jon had formed in its mind. In the process, causing more and more debuffs to stack upon the Mountain-Lava Golem, debilitating it even further.

  [Tainted Spear Curse]: Reduces the effectiveness of all Recovery Trait abilities on the Self. Additional stacks have an additive effect. [15].

  [Runic Spear Curse]: Reduces physical strength and endurance. Additional stacks have an additive effect. [15].

  [Longinus Rune]: Reduces resistances towards spear-related damages, afflictions and debuffs. Additional stacks have an additive effect. [15].

  His brows twitching almost imperceptibly, feeling his two Worms Of Envy latch onto the spirit of the Mountain-Lava Golem. Due to the physical nature of the Dungeon Guardian, latching onto its flesh was impossible, but with its weakened mental state, his Fragment Of Thieving Envy was able to worm itself into its non-existence spirit mutation, gnawing on whatever it could lay its fanged teeth into.

  [Invidia Maledictum]: Prevents the usage of the most recent ability for a short duration. War natured spiritual energy whispers horrifying jealousies and suspicions towards the mind and spirit, corrupting them with the green taint of envy. Additional stacks have an additive effect. [2].

  [Thieving Spirit]: Inflicts a minute-mana drain over time effect. War natured spiritual energy parasitises one random Mana Core, transferring its spiritual energy regeneration to oneself. Additional stacks have an additive effect up to a maximum threshold. [2].

  The regeneration of his War Mana Core increased by several minute ticks per minute through the effects of [Thieving Spirit]. His eyes flashing with knowledge natured spiritual energy as his Minerva-Sagacity Eyes pierced through what meagre defences the Dungeon Guardian could muster.

  The flow of its spiritual energy was heavily disrupted.

  Whatever imaginary mental construct its Fragment Of Mind had birthed from its conscious and subconscious minds laid half-broken, unable to regenerate its former effects within a short period of time. Its physical structure slumped downwards into the pools of lava and ponds of magma that it created, struggling to heal itself through the absorption of ambient spiritual energy.

  Jon was sure that it would be unable to even release the guttural sounds of chant from its lips, thanking Rana for idea to integrate a Fragment Of Rune into [Thou Art The Monarch Of Spears And Truth]. Without the need to cast, the flexibility and versatility of his Fragment Of Spirit had greatly expanded upon his ascension to Knighthood.

  [Fragment Of Spirit]

  [Thou Art The Monarch Of Spears And Truth]

  (Spear, Spirit, Mutation, Ability, Spell, Curse, Debuff)

  (Rune)

  Effect (Knight): Elevates the Longinus-Lancea Spirit into a Longinus-Rune Spirit. The Longinus-Rune Spirit now contains within it the conceptual qualities of spears, words and truth.

  The Longinus-Rune Spirit now manifests itself physically in the form of a runic-spear glyph. While active, all physical strikes and blows will deal minute instances of spear-natured damage inflicting instances of [Runic Spear Curse] and [Longinus Rune].

  [Thou Art The Monarch Of Spears And Truth] can now be cast using this runic-spear glyph as a conduit instead of reciting the chant born from this Spell.

  [Runic Spear Curse]: Reduces physical strength and endurance. Additional stacks have an additive effect.

  [Longinus Rune]: Reduces resistances towards spear-related damages, afflictions and debuffs. Additional stacks have an additive effect.

  Seeing the Knight Ranked Mountain-Lava Golem strain its mind to even muster the thought of it standing upright, Jon released a small sigh, not wanting to let it suffer needlessly under the combined effects of his Fragment Of Spirit and Fragment Of Thieving Envy.

  He had already won, there was no point in prolonging its pain, regardless of whether it whether it was an animal, plant or object that had gained sapience. He was the victor, and the Mountain-Lava Golem the vanquished.

  Extending one of his hands forward, Jon muttered another chant.

  Although he might have felt it was somewhat overkill for just a single target, Jon was anything if not thorough during combat. Ice natured spiritual energy gathering into a chaotic sphere within the palm of his hand, condensing further and further as he recited its associated invocation.

  The pools of magma and the ponds of lava around him lost their subtle glow, turning inert as the world around him cooled to below zero. His breath, which was cold as is, became visible. Puffs of warm, white-coloured air escaping from his lips.

  With a flourish of his hand, Jon launched the spherical object, now the size of horse.

  The sheer amount of ice natured spiritual energy within this one Spell effect was more than twenty-five percent of all the spiritual energy within his Ice Mana Core.

  [Frozen End Art; Ice Mountain Annihilation, White Sea Cataclysm].

  The moment that the Fragment Of Annihilation crashed into the Dungeon Guardian, the “boss room” of the Fire Necropolis of Jel was dyed and pure and untainted white. A violent explosion of piercing ice and freezing snow billowed out from the point of impact, enveloping the Mountain-Lava Golem beneath a glacial prison of frozen annihilation.

  The spherical orb of chaotic ice natured spiritual energy collided against the superheated form of the Dungeon Guardian, chilling its molten exterior and allowing its pervasive cold to breach whatever magma heart was contained within its chest. The collision of ice and magma producing a secondary explosion of superheated steam, which then triggered the secondary effects of his Fragment Of Annihilation.

  [Glacial Revelation]: Disrupts active abilities with the Spell Trait and Technique Trait. This effect cannot be resisted.

  [Ice Mountain Curse]: Reduces resistances towards ice-related damages, afflictions, and debuffs. Additional stacks have an additive effect.

  [Frozen End Curse]: Inflicts a continuous ice-natured damage over time effect. Ice natured spiritual energy clings to the mind and spirit, gradually freezing them over time. Additional stacks have an additive effect.

  [White Sea Curse]: Inflicts a continuous ice-natured damage over time effect. Ice natured spiritual energy flows into imaginary mental constructs, encroaching upon their transient nature. Additional stacks have an additive effect.

  Expansive shards of growing ice rose up as though tides crashing against a stone cliffside.

  Snow blanketed the surface of the Fire Necropolis Of Jel, soothing the raging flames of the Dungeon around him.

  Jon took but a single step forward, allowing both ice and snow to softly crunch under the heel of his boots. The corpse of the Mountain-Lava Golem encased within his frozen end art, as cold and lifeless as the world around him.

  His eyes gazing at the dead Dungeon Guardian without a trace of emotion behind them. The youthful innocence that once lurked behind his expression had long since vanished, replaced with a detached sense of strength. Almost two years within the System Introduction had long since dulled the childlike feeling of wonder within his heart, leaving nothing behind but the unfiltered truth of what his reality had now become.

  Strength. Power. Might. Skill. Martial prowess. Regardless of the preferred name for it, the end result was all the same. The ability to overcome and defeat the opponent that stood before oneself was all that mattered.

  It was the blunt but honest truth of what his world had become.

  Strength is what allowed him to defeat that mutated-goat mere hours into the System Introduction.

  Strength is what allowed him to kill the fire-breathing duck, even at the cost of his own limbs.

  Strength is what Ler Setanta had shown him, defeating the Malum Hobgoblin with naught but his Memento Source Item.

  His own strength is what prevented Theodore from kidnapping Avahni.

  It was a sad reality but not one to which he was blind.

  ‘If I was weaker than this creature, then it would have killed me, plain and simple. Perhaps not even out of malice or anger, but just out of a desire to survive… That much I can respect at least.’

  The sound of his footfalls echoed throughout the Localized Mortal Dungeon Of “Fire.” The ambient fire natured spiritual energy starting to turn some of the snow around him into puddles of lukewarm water.

  Manifesting both the Spear Of Cedarwood Transformations and the Thulian Rainspear in both hands, Jon let out a small sigh as tapped his forehead.

  “Damn… now it’s going to take me forever to get the rewards out of this thing.”