Jon frowned hearing Eis' words.

"A Knight?" He could not help but ask.

His fears were confirmed as Schwarz Eis gestured towards Ru Luan Di. The little ginseng king could not even muster the strength to resist the effects of the debuffs wreaking havoc within his internal organs. The strength and potency behind the debilitating effects exceeded the limitations of what he could cleanse from his body.

This was coming from the Liver Of The Ginseng King.

Ru Luan Di was someone who could cleanse the afflictions that the Malum Hobgoblin had inflicted upon him yet could not manage to focus to cleanse himself let alone other people.

It was then that Jon noticed Archetype Avarice.

Or the distinct lack thereof of his Fragment Of Avaritia.

He had not even realized that his Archetype Avarice had been annihilated through the effects that had been inflicted onto him. Whether it was on purpose or accidental, whoever had taken Avahni did not realize Jon possessed another incarnation.

Archetype Green remained strong and vibrant. Enhanced through the effects of his Yaochi-Jade Prana.

"There is no way that a Mortal would have been able to sneak past myself and Ortlinde without notice. All the while managing to afflict all of us with a sleeping debuff and damaging affliction powerful enough to prevent even Xochitl from waking up." Eis said, watching as Jon's gaze turned southward.

There was also the unspoken realization that the human and winter demon spirit had come to. Given that no-one else other than Avahni had been taken, there was a high likelihood that the individual that had taken her was not some random wandering Knight that resided near the Graceful Waters Of Yog.

As much as Jon did not want it to be true, chances were that another sapient lifeform had observed their group unbeknownst to him or the others. Following them. Watching them. And waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

This level of forethought and planning did not match the level of intellect that Jon had seen in System generated Knights. The Malum Hobgoblin seemed to be influenced by the Mana Cores it had integrated, while both the Horse-Tortoise Chimera and Venomous-Sand Hydra possessed about as much intelligence as a half-eaten potato.

Which left but one other possibility.

One that had not crossed Jon's mind in quite some time.

"You think someone could have obtained Knighthood even before I did?" Jon asked, a hint of envy evident within his tone.

As in, another participant in the System Introduction.

Schwarz Eis nodded.

"Depending on the circumstances yes, I do." Eis answered honesty.

Jon scrunched up his face in displeasure, grunting softly as his gaze continued to linger southward. Despite his annoyance at Eis' response, Jon knew that it was possible for someone as equally as determined as he was.

Someone that had figured out internal spiritual energy manipulation and even going so far as to dip their toes into external mana manipulation. Someone that had spawned within the System Introduction within the vicinity of a Wonder. Someone who had just managed to luck out with fragments or those who were able to complete task rewards early.

Over a million people were placed within this small realm.

Although Jon considered himself special or above average in most regards, he knew that he was by no means the best.

Taking a deep breath, Jon nodded his head, manifesting Glaucus on his shoulders.

"I'm taking Ru Luan Di with me and following after them. He is the only one that I can carry while running full throttle without worrying about spiritual energy expenditure." Jon said.

Eis narrowed her eyes at him, glancing around at the rest of his writhing companions. Wilheim, Sariel and Shamael were all in no state to get up and move around, while Titus Claudius, Lucia Zenobia and Annwn Boann all remained asleep and unmoveable, numerous instances of [Cursed Blood Lull] coursing through their veins.

"Then I'm coming with you," she responded, prompting Jon to open his mouth and retort her words.

"No. I need someone to stay behind and watch over Wilheim and the others. There is no-one other than you who can-." Jon found himself being interrupted as Eis vanished into tiny motes of ice natured spiritual energy.

"Jon. You are about to fight another Knight while still remaining a Mortal. If you think that your companions will be in less danger, you are sorely wrong," said Eis from within his Sea Of Knowledge. Despite wanting to argue further Jon knew that the clock was racing against him.

With every passing moment Avahni was being carried further and further away from his current location. Assuming that the one who took her was also travelling by foot, it meant that their movements would be hindered, having Avahni as additional weight to factor in.

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At the very least, Ru Luan Di should be able to sense the direction that she was being taken in, so in that regard, Jon did not have to worry about sprinting in the complete opposite direction.

Gritting his teeth Jon nodded at the White Lady Of The Winter Castle, glancing once last time at Sariel and the others softly groaning on the ground. Jon did not possess a method of cleansing afflictions or debuffs, something that he hoped to remedy upon becoming a Knight.

"Ortlinde. I know you can hear me. Leave Avahni to me, I'll get her back," Jon muttered, noticing the lightning fey slightly nod in his direction.

Cradling Ru Luan Di in one arm, Jon took a deep breath before focusing on the concepts contained within his Mana Cores. His spiritual energy surging, as if waves crashing against a cliff, as he activated numerous abilities all at once, reciting the chant for both his Fragment Of War and Fragment Of Avarice.

[Lamentations Of A Frozen Affection].

[Ours Is The Blood That Births Winter And Ice]

[Eyes Through The Looking Glass].

[Monstrous Intuition].

In addition to both-.

[Cometh Thy Red Horse Awaits].

And [With Thou In Hand, Even War Will Be Dyed Yellow].

Six abilities across three different Mana Cores activated in close succession. Spiritual energy started flowing through his heart and marrow, extending into his eyes before saturating his flesh and blood.

Jon felt his eye twitch as half of his current lifeforce was expended to manifest another Archetype Avarice. The temporary weakening effect caused his hand to tremble for half a second before the weakness is his body was overpowered by the thought of his mind.

The soft earth beneath his feet sinking under the immense strength contained within his calves and thighs before his figure burst forward, the sound of his footsteps crashing through the quiet forest as Jon sprinted in the direction where Ortlinde could feel Avahni.

Jon unhesitatingly allowed his spiritual energy to flow into his physical enhancements. He was little more than a blur of chalk-white armour and ice-white hair as he ignored the sleeping Mortal creatures that resided within the forest.

His thoughts were running amok thinking of all the things that might happen to Avahni.

'But why take her of all people? Is it her physical appearance? It certainly is the most striking amongst the five of us. Does that mean that the one who took her was another lutin? Or something else…' Jon thought to himself.

Jon did not even know why he was running so fast as to catch up with her kidnapper. His previous self, the one that had walked amongst the alien flora and fought against goat-things on his first day within the System Introduction would not recognize the person that he had become.

He thought himself a pragmatist but found himself thinking more and more on his ideals and the person he wanted to be.

His first encounter with an alien species had not gone the way that he had thought, producing an unlikely friendship between a youthful-looking elf and a young adult human. Jon had known Avahni all of six months and yet was willing to risk his life in order to find her.

Jon gritted his teeth, almost cutting himself on a particularly thorny White-Silk Tree he did not notice amidst the darkness and shrubbery. The brown-haired man almost lost his footing, but reacted fast enough to stabilize himself, skidding several feet before breaking off into another full-blown sprint.

'Shit! Where the fuck is that overgrown fish when you need him!' Jon cursed the Incarnation Of The Hunt and his carefree attitude.

His thoughts were anything but rational.

His emotions and feelings bleeding into his decision-making process.

The thought of something happening to Avahni did not cause any pain within his heart but felt Jon would an unbelievably sour taste in his mouth.

Avahni was his friend.

A statement that he did not disagree with.

Before being inducted into the System Introduction, Jon had but two people in the world that he would call a "friend." The two people who he thought would have his back regardless of the time or place, who were always willing to help him, consequences be damned.

Self-sufficiency was something for which he had always strived. Something that had been ingrained in the very fibre of his being, a sense of purpose that drove Jon to certain actions and specific outcomes.

It was the driving force behind his selection of abilities. It was the driving force which pushed him to integrate Fragments Of Regeneration, Fragments Of Incarnation, Fragments Of Annihilation and even Fragments Of Summon.

"The only person in the world that you can truly count on, is oneself," his father always used to say.

That was what the old Jon thought of himself. Those were words that the old Jon lived by. This was the philosophy which shaped the old Jon's mind.

'Why the hell am I getting so emotional now!? Talking about myself in the third person!? Shit, maybe I am starting to go crazy,' Jon would have chuckled but was too busy panting, looking down at Ru Luan Di for directions.

He did not notice the familiar ding of a System notification appear in the corner of his vision. The formation of something metaphysical manifest within himself. A nascent amalgamation of concepts and ideas that existed outside of his Source or Title Fragments.

"Where am I going!?" he shouted, watching as the little ginseng king lifted one of his limbs and started pointing in an easterly direction. Jon might as well have been a ghost, a pale-white existence amongst a pitch-black night.

Jon did not know why he was thinking such thoughts, right in this specific moment.

Perhaps it was the idea of having one of his friends die and that not a single one of his preternatural abilities could do anything about it. Perhaps it was the similar feeling of losing control over his life, the same feelings that kept him awake at night during the beginning of the System Introduction.

Perhaps it was just the feeling of loneliness that lurked within the back of his mind.

'Perhaps it is just a little bit of everything,' Jon felt his Fragment Of Horror whisper back to him.

Jon furrowed his brows, coming to a halt before looking down at Ru Luan Di once more. After a few moments, Jon sprinted off in another direction, keeping both his [Monstrous Intuition] and Minerva-Sagacity Eyes activated, sensing for presence of any movement.

The nineteen-year-old felt his eye twitch before lifting his head and glancing upwards, noticing the presence of an enormous creature flying above him. Jon overloaded his Fragment Of Eyes, hoping to pierce through the leaves and darkness and observe the creature above him.

Knowledge natured spiritual energy clumped before him, forming into a misshapen-lance before shooting forward towards his intended target. The speed at which [Eyes Through The Looking Glass] obtained information was equal to the speed at which light was reflected off an object and then perceived through his eye mutation.

In other words, in an instant.

Jon felt his breath hitch, seeing a familiar page appear in front of him.

[Fragment Of Bat] [Itsumade; Quiet Death Of Light And Virtue] (Summon, Blood, Bat, Memento-)

Before receiving the backlash of having his Spell effect shattered against the impenetrable mental barrier of a Knight Ranked summoned companion. The eyeless face of the Quiet Death Of Light And Virtue staring back at him before grinning and disappearing in the blink of an eye.

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