Maliq returned to Springtown the following afternoon, atop Xue Ying.

  The eyes of dozens turning upwards towards the familiar-looking Memento Source Item, soaring across the skies over their Safe Zone. The enormous boat-structure moved through with near-perfect silence, nothing but the soft thrumming of its Void Mana Core engine alluding to its presence.

  Gazing up towards the vehicle-type summoned construct, many felt pangs of envy bloom within their hearts, seeing the magnificent and awe-inspiring image of the Piercing-Void Ship. Although the Dimensional Dungeon Shadow and Boundless Heaven Gate were equally as useful and valuable, there was something about Maliq’s Memento Source Item that seemed so much-.

  “Cooler in person.” Miyoung muttered, gripping onto the metallic railing of Xue Ying. Despite knowing that she would be able to survive the drop from several hundred metres up, there was something slightly off-putting about looking straight down.

  Even after attaining Knighthood, fears did not just magically disappear. Their presence could be suppressed through the manipulation of a Fragment Of Mind, or even a Fragment Of Spirit, depending on what Mana Core it was integrated into, but continued to exist, nonetheless.

  … Jon was the exception, although managed to transform the inherent structure of his fears rather than just remove them outright. There were a handful of others within Springtown that had managed to do the same, although without requiring to form their own fragment pathway.

  The Archon Of Reigning Dragons observed the enormous Safe Zone below her, feeling Sariel stand several feet away from her, eyes slightly puffy and wearing a smile that did not quite reach her eyes. Miyoung just stepped closer towards her, hearing the blue-skinned satanas laugh at her quivering knees.

  “C’mon,” Sariel said, allowing the human woman to hold onto her arm as though it were a lifeline, “I’ll introduce you to Jon and Avahni after we arrive. If it was not for the System-generated Lord, I’d look to get you some form of identification. But for the time being, I’ll get Wilheim to house you within the Wonderous Citadel Dwelling.”

  “Wonderous… Citadel Dwelling?” Miyoung asked, not understanding what she meant.

  The blue-skinned woman felt her smile grow, almost a fraction of an inch. Pointing towards the western sections of the Safe Zone, Sariel gestured towards the enormous, fifty-thousand square foot castle placed three hundred metres from the Boundless Heaven Gate.

  Miyoung felt her eyes widen, feeling her mouth drop at the sight of Harcourt.

  She was someone that through virtue of her occupation and career, had travelled all over the world. Despite her age and youthfulness, Miyoung had seen sights and wonders across the globe that most people could only dream of seeing.

  She had seen the Palace Of Versailles in the Yvelines Department of France. And Warwick Castle during her visit to Warwick Castle in Warwickshire, England. The Forbidden City in Beijing and Neuschwanstein Castle in southern-most Germany.

  But Harcourt… was still one of the most impressive sights she had ever seen.

  The Knight-Ranked summoned construct stood at more than fifty-meters tall; the walls surrounding the outrageously large keep close to thirty-metres in height. Stone-wood formed the foundations for its construction, creating battlements and ramparts for ranged spellcasters to launch their offensive abilities from.

  Three towers were placed in pentagonal-like intervals around the outskirts of the Wonderous Citadel Dwelling. Walls connecting each of them stretched around the Fragment Of Manor preventing anyone from senselessly charging up to the castle-esque structure. The faintest emanations of a castle-natured spiritual shield shimmering around the external structure of building.

  “You- you live there!?” Miyoung exclaimed, unconsciously leaning forward to better observe the Fragment Of Manor. Her Fragment Of Piercing-Iris [Predator Spell Eyes] activated as she surged mana through her hunt spiritual vein.

  The most basic structure of an effect description appearing before her eyes.

  [Fragment Of Manor]

  [Harcourt; Wondrous Citadel Dwelling]

  (Castle, Manor, Summon, Ability, Spell, Defensive, Shield, Buff)

  (Citadel)

  The effects of her dual-fragment pathway able to reveal certain weaknesses in the structure of the summoned construct. Specific points of entry and faults in the spiritual shield that enveloped Harcourt grew more and more apparent as time passed.

  [Predator Spell Eyes] was the Spell that she was most adept with.

  Far exceeding her mastery over her Reckless Strength Palace or Innana-Graceful Smile. Or even her Tiamat-Duality Hearts or Dirga-Desire Spirit. Her Fragment Of Piercing-Iris observed further and further beneath the layers of spiritual defences and physical resistances that enveloped the Fragment Of Manor.

  In doing so allowing Miyoung to perceive the internal structure of Harcourt. The dozens upon dozens of rooms that stretched across five floors and two sub-levels. The rooms chockfull of spiritual materials, spiritual items, potions, fragments, Mana Cores and even-.

  “Hmm?” Miyoung hummed, observing something move within the boundaries of the Wonderous Citadel Dwelling. She was unable to observe its appearance, other than just the shadowed outline of a humanoid walking through its halls.

  Miyoung allowed her gaze to linger on this shadowy human for but a single moment, watching as the existence paused its stride down the third-floor hallway and-.

  Her Reckless Strength Palace was enveloped in slithering mass of shapeless tentacles and formless tendrils. Her breath hitching as she felt an overwhelming amount of fear bloom within the depths of her Fragment Of Mind, myriad horrors beyond imagination rampaging throughout her imaginary mental construct.

  Whispers of obscured truths and long-forgotten meanings burrowed deep within her mind. The sound of worms writhing and squirming while being crushed underfoot caused her hands to tremble and the foul-stench of rot and decay filled her nostrils, causing the corner of her vision to fill with numerous system notifications.

  [Carcosa-Kingdom Corruption]: Reduces resistances towards weave-related damages, afflictions and debuffs. Reduces resistances towards spirit-related damages, afflictions and debuffs. Additional stacks have an additive effect.

  [Yellow-Horror Corruption]: Inflicts a continuous weave-natured damage over time effect. Weave natured spiritual energy. Threads of yellow spiritual energy coil around the mind, corrupting the memories, emotions and desires contained within. Additional stacks have an additive effect.

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Miyoung did not even realize that she had become inflicted with debuffs, trembling in fear at the presence of some unknown horror. Sariel beside her had long since noticed her afflictions, but it was the voices of the Carnelian Devil Of Rose Sin, Graceful Dragon Of Treasured Beauty and the Scent Of Draconian Plum-Wine that snapped her out of her trance.

  ““Miyoung!”” Shouted Rosenrot, Long Shen Xi and Jiu Mei Lan. Their combined presence removing the expanding horrors from the mind of their master and summoner. Vibrant rose natured spiritual energy surged through her Fragment Of Devil, manifesting flowers to halt the encroachment of weave natured spiritual energy.

  Lustrous beauty natured spiritual energy overwhelmed the rampart horrors and terrifying whispers that echoed throughout her Fragment Of Mind. The Graceful Dragon Of Treasured Beauty snarling as she tore apart shapeless tentacles and formless tendrils, preventing them from damaging Miyoung any further.

  Domineering dragon natured spiritual energy attempted to launch a counterattack through the connection that Miyoung had inadvertently formed through her Fragment Of Piercing-Iris. Wisps of blueish-red spiritual energy shooting towards the source of the shapeless horrors manifested by the Scent Of Draconian Plum-Wine.

  Causing the corners of a mouth to curve upwards, smiling softly in response to the retaliation.

  “If it is a fight that you want…”

  Carcosa-Form Horrors surging in response.

  “Then it is a fight that you’ll-.”

  “Jonathan Randall Guilliman! What the hell do you think you are doing!?”

  The surging horrors and weave natured spiritual energy halting its growing advance, hearing the familiar voice of a certain blue-skinned woman. Miyoung, for what seemed as though the first time in hours, snapped out of her horrified trance, clothes soaked in a cold sweat, feeling the soothing presence of life natured spiritual energy flow into her mind and spirit.

  Cleansing her of the [Carcosa-Kingdom Corruption] and [Yellow-Horror Corruption].

  The Archon Of Reigning Dragons lifted her head, feeling her shadow connected with Sariel’s. Somehow, through some combination of abilities, the Adeptus Sanctus Medicus was able to communicate directly with her Fragment Of Mind, her voice echoing towards the existence that she had inadvertently come into contact with.

  A masculine-sounding voice chuckled somewhere within the depths of her Reckless Strength Palace. Tentacles, horrors, worms and shadows gathering into but a single point, forming the image of a man. Whose face was obscured beneath an expressionless mask.

  “Sariel. What a… pleasant surprise. Is this your friend?” The man asked, voice blasé and mannerisms nonchalant.

  Miyoung could feel her three summoned companions snarl at him, emotions such as anger and fury overflowing from their respective fragments.

  Despite their rage, Sariel continued to speak, communicating with the man, using her Rahu-Ocean Shadow as a conduit to connect with his Fragment Of Mind. Her Fragment Of Swamp, improving upon the inherent effects contained with her Fragment Of Tether and Fragment Of Invidia.

  [Fragment Of Tether]

  [Merciful Shadow Art; Graceful Mind Shadow]

  (Shadow, Tether, Spell, Ability, Recovery, Buff)

  (Mind)

  [Fragment Of Swamp]

  [Lightless Shadow Of Overflowing Swamp]

  (Shadow, Swamp, Mutation, Ability, Enhancement, Construct, Buff)

  (Ocean)

  [Fragment Of Invidia]

  [Envious Shadow Art; Sinful Thieving Shadow]

  (Shadow, Invidia, Spell, Technique, Buff, Debuff)

  (Sin)

  “Yes Jonathan. This woman, Miyoung, is a friend that Wilheim and I have made during our most recent trip to Saltstream Town. She will be staying with us within Harcourt until the System-generated Lord has been dealt with.”

  “Now… what the hell were you doing attacking her and how the hell were you able to do it from so far away?” Sariel’s voice muttered angrily, as if speaking through gritted teeth. Miyoung had known the Adeptus Sanctus Medicus for but two days and had not seen her raise her voice once, despite having just lost two of her friends.

  This encounter with “Jonathan” allowing her withheld overabundance of emotions to flow in her, and by extension towards this horrifying existence that she had somehow come into contact with.

  Although his expressions were obscured beneath a mask, Miyoung was sure that “Jon” was smiling, if his tone and attitude was anything to go by.

  “I could ask her the same thing. Her Fragment Of Piercing-Iris managed to penetrate through the spiritual shield that envelops Harcourt. She tried observing me from… wait-.” Jon paused for a moment, momentarily shifting his attention towards the Piercing-Void Ship over eight-hundred metres up in the air, nodding his head and showing a somewhat impressed expression.

  “She tried observing me from atop Xue Ying, which, to be fair is an achievement in of itself. Unfortunately, she stepped on a few mental defences which I had set up. My Carcosa-Form Horrors retaliating in response and well…” Jon’s voice trailed off towards the end, gesturing towards Miyoung’s unstable mental image of herself.

  Causing Sariel to let out a small sigh, but not before Rosenrot snarled her daemonic fangs at Jon, emanating a wrathful rose natured spiritual energy.

  “If you had gone any further, you could have caused permanent damage to Miyoung! You were in complete control over your abilities the entire time! You’re a Fourth-Veined Knight, using their entire strength to kill a Second-Veined Knight! Where is your honour, human!” The carnelian rose devil retorted, backed up by the two draconic-summoned companions behind her.

  The Graceful Dragon Of Treasured Beauty and Scent Of Draconian Plum-Wine snorting alongside their devilish companion, nodding their head in response to her words.

  Watching as Jon’s figure paused, shadows and worms churning at the base of his manifested mental image. Wisps of lie natured spiritual energy coursed through his imaginary form, as a smile manifested on the face of his mask.

  “Oh? You think I was actively trying to kill her?”

  Jon extended his hand forward, chuckling as he activated his Shapeless Mask Of Thieving Lies. His hand clenching around the imaginary form of the Carnelian Devil Of Rose Sin, laughing all the while.

  Miyoung felt her eyes widen as a tremendous burst of lie natured spiritual energy erupted from his form, engulfing Rosenrot beside her. The connection between Rose Mana Core and Fragment Of Devil interrupted as the aforementioned fragment suddenly lost all of its light and lustre.

  Leaving the Archon Of Reigning Dragons unable to hear the voice or even feel the presence of her carnelian rose devil. Her summoned companion… stolen away, as though a child who had just had one of their toys taken off them.

  Both Long Shen Xi and Jiu Mei Lan trembling in response to the presence of a Memento Source Item. Lingering concepts of theft and truth emanating from the figure of this masked man.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll give her back in a few hours.” Jon said, turning around while giving Sariel and Miyoung a small wave. His figure collapsing into an amalgamation of tentacles, shadows, worms and tendrils, slithering away back towards his Sea Of Knowledge.

  “I’m not going to apologise for retaliating after you tried to break into someone else’s home. I’m not sure where your from or what laws you have on your home planet, but here in Springtown, intruding upon the minds of others is considered a crime.”

  “As I’ve been recently reminded, I’m the one who wrote that annoying law.”

  Sariel letting out a small sigh, slapping her forehead in response to Jon’s words. Her expression somehow both annoyed and relieved all at the same time. Watching as Jon’s spiritual energy retreated from Miyoung’s Reckless Strength Palace, the blue-skinned woman pulled her friend out from her imaginary mental construct and back onto the deck of the Piercing-Void Ship.

  The cloaked human woman blinking and realizing that she was still a few hundred metres up in the air. The lingering pain that once caused through Jon’s retaliation gone. Feeling nothing but Sariel’s on her shoulder, channelling [Tenderness Is The Gentle Hand Of Spring].

  Her expression sheepish, obvious even with the Fragment Of Mantle obscuring her face.

  “Um… Am I in trouble?” Was all Miyoung could say.

  Sariel slapping her forehead for the second time in five minutes.

  The blue-skinned woman letting out yet another sigh, watching as Maliq finished landing the Piercing-Void Ship. Sariel staring at her new “friend”, patting her on the shoulder before gesturing towards the Creationist Guild headquarters.

  “Let’s take you to visit Avahni first, shall we?”