Senseless
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Chapter 98 Various Task Completions
🕑 Added 2025-07-29 11:00:12 +0000 UTCIt was the sixth unidentified Mana Core that the Malum Hobgoblin had integrated. Although the name appeared somewhat out of place amidst the Spear Mana Core and War Mana Core that Jon had integrated previously, the Weave Mana Core possessed a degree of attraction towards Jon that he had only felt a handful of other times beforehand.
Emanating a whiteish-indigo coloured spiritual energy, the Weave Mana Core did not produce a fine mist of spiritual energy in the same manner that his Wood Mana Core and Ice Mana Core did.
It instead produced patches of long cloud-shaped weave natured spiritual energy, without proper form or physical substance.
Although it resembled the fine near-transparent mist that his other Mana Cores produced, Jon could see that regardless of how far he stretched his weave natured spiritual energy it did not crumble and be absorbed by the ambient spiritual energy around himself.
It remained under his control, until the point where Jon realized he had not figured out a method of recalling this extended spiritual energy back into himself, allowing the construct to fragment and dissipate without Jon’s willpower to keep it together.
Although Jon’s selection of integrated Mana Cores did not seem to have some sort of unifying theme to them, as Wilheim had with his environmental-type Mana Cores, and Avahni did with her pure elemental-type Mana Cores, Jon did not hesitate for a moment to integrate the Weave Mana Core.
‘Actually, I did hesitate for a few moments but was convinced by Rana and Ru Luan Di to integrate it.’
The Weave Mana Core possessed several interesting connotations, although none that Jon had quite yet explored at the moment. The Liver Of The Ginseng King had informed him that Weave Mana Cores, possessed a similar conceptual weight to his Knowledge Mana Core and War Mana Core although did not allude to anything further beyond just a couple of sentences.
Jon could not help but curiously glance towards the little ginseng king, staring at it for a few moments before letting out a small sigh, shaking his head and returning to his position at the base of his enormous bodhi tree summon.
The brown-haired young man leaned against Ashvattha Rana, frowning as he brushed a few flecks of white-tinted hair of his brow. Some of his hair had lost its colour after his battle with the Malum Hobgoblin, giving the now nineteen-year-old a somewhat aged appearance despite his youthful countenance.
“Are you ready yet Jon?” Ashvattha Rana asked him through their spiritual connection.
Jon did not give the Earthen Treasury Womb a verbal confirmation, just nodding as he raised his index finger manifesting all the System notifications that he had ignored over the past few days.
Mortal Title Fragment “Bastion”: Increases resistances towards all abilities with the Aura Trait.
Mortal Title Fragment “Thracian”: Increases the effectiveness of all abilities by an infinitesimal degree when fighting enemies whose Rank exceeds your own. This effect does not stack with itself.
The Title Fragments “Bastion” and “Thracian” were rewards Jon had obtained after Ler Setanta defeated the Knight Ranked hobgoblin. Bastion was given to Jon through his capacity to resist the fear natured Aura of the Malum Hobgoblin, while Thracian was awarded to him due to the fact that he could hold his own against the beast for a short duration.
While the former did not appeal to Jon quite that much, Thracian on the other hand, was on Jon’s ever-growing shortlist of Mortal Title Fragments that he wanted to use to form the Title he would carry into Knighthood.
“I have seen individuals who have been awarded with the Title Fragment Thracian before. Most of them excelled in combat in one way or another. I would recommend saving Thracian for the formation of a second Title, perhaps one used in tandem with Killer and Invictus?” Ashvattha Rana could not help but suggest.
Jon nodded in response to the words of his bodhi tree summon.
Although Jon could possess but a single complete Title upon his ascension towards Knighthood, the additional complete Titles he would accumulate would not go to waste in the event that he could obtain either a Memento Source Fragment or Wonder Fragment within the small realm.
Jon knew what a Memento Source Fragment was through Schwarz Eis. At its core, it was an additional ability manifested through a single externally integrated Mana Core. In order to form one, Jon would require another complete Title independent of the one he wanted to take to Knighthood.
Although neither the Earthen Treasury Womb nor the White Lady Of The Winter Castle had informed him on the unique nature of Wonder Fragments, Jon did suspect that whatever they were, would similarly require another Title in order to be successfully integrated.
“The addition of both Bastion and Thracian gives me thirteen different Mortal Title Fragments. The formation of a complete Title should be the focus of my attention before integrating anymore fragments,” said Jon, watching as Rana nodded in response.
“I concur. With so many different Mortal Title Fragments at your disposal Jon, whatever Title you desire on creating should encompass a wide variety of different effects. Although I cannot tell you the effects of my own Title Earthen Treasury Womb, I can tell you that when I was still a Mortal, I did not possess even one of the Mortal Title Fragments currently in your possession,” the bodhi tree admitted, causing Jon to raise an eyebrow at her words.
Ashvattha Rana had told him that there were perhaps more Title Fragments than their existed actual fragments throughout the integrated universes. Words that sometimes carried inconsequential meanings could be gifted to Mortals or Knights or Lords, that when pieced together could form powerful and never-before-seen Titles that possessed an assortment of different abilities.
Titles possessed a total of six different effects. Not surprisingly, of course considering how the System limited the capacity of fragments and Mana Cores to the same number.
‘I wonder if Titles manifest differently depending on the order of integrated Title Fragments. If so then I have several thousand different possibilities to consider before forming my Title.’
Avahni had told him that she had obtained four Mortal Title Fragments from the battle against the Malum Hobgoblin. None of which were either Bastion or Thracian.
Wilheim had similarly obtained two Mortal Title Fragments, as did Sariel and Shamael.
Jon suspected that the System classified Avahni as the one who had felled the hobgoblin due to Ler Setanta being the one who killed the Knight. Jon did want to know what manner of Title Fragments that Avahni had received from the System but refrained from asking out of fear that it might hurt his chances to obtain the same Titles in the future.
Taking a deep breath Jon glanced towards the next batch of System notifications.
Tasks required before completion of System Introduction.
[4]: Develop a methodology for the manipulation and mastery over form. Individuals will receive a series of rewards based on the ability to push their physical constraints to their absolute limits. Combat and abilities will be considered when measuring the level of rewards for this task.
[6]: Understand the difference between an Ability, Technique, Enhancement, and Spell. Individuals will receive set rewards upon the completion of this task.
Tasks not required before completion of System Introduction.
[15]: Survive a total of more than one hundred days outside of a System generated Safe Zone. Individuals shall receive a reward of their choice upon the completion of this task.
[23]: Defeat an enemy whose Tier is three stages higher than your own. Individuals shall receive a reward of their choice upon the completion of this task.
[24]: Defeat an enemy whose Tier is four stages higher than your own. Individuals shall receive a reward of their choice upon the completion of this task.
[29]: Assist in the defeat of an enemy whose Rank is higher than your own. Individuals shall receive a reward of their choice upon the completion of this task.
[51]: Obtain a degree of mastery in six abilities which exceeds the limit of your current Rank. Individuals shall receive a reward of their choice upon the completion of this task.
Jon gazed towards the numerous glowing text boxes before his eyes. Over half-a-dozen different task rewards were available for Jon to claim, almost all of which rewarded Jon with a fragment of his choice.
The completion of the twenty-third and twenty-fourth optional tasks was not that outlandish in Jon’s mind. Even the twenty-ninth task, which required Jon to “assist” in the defeat of an enemy whose Rank was higher than his own was not something surprising considering how repetitive some of the previous task descriptions were.
The fact that Jon over one hundred days had passed within the System Introduction caused Jon to pause, glancing towards the remaining time left on the countdown at the bottom of the page in front of him.
Time remaining: 897 days 3 hours 4 minutes 9 seconds…
His eyes widening seeing that more than one tenth of the System Introduction had passed. Jon had broken his watch after his second encounter with the fire-breathing duck, leaving nothing but the System generated timer placed at the bottom of the task page.
Although Jon did admit to consistently looking at the timer during his first few days within the System Introduction, after meeting both Avahni and Wilheim, Jon found most of his waking hours consumed with learning different languages or hunting foot for himself and his two other companions to eat.
What attracted Jon’s focus the most was the fact that he completed his fourth and sixth mandatory tasks. While his understanding of the differences between Abilities, Techniques, Spells and Enhancements had taken a little longer than what he would have liked, the answer was not that outrageously complex.
Enhancements were the simplest to understand.
An ability with the Enhancement Trait increased a specific quality of oneself beyond what their biological, physiological, or neurological limitations suggested. [Monstrous Intuition] and [Green Shall Become The Ode To Eternity] effected his instincts and his natural lifeforce.
Both of them increased qualities that Jon already possessed, spiritual energy elevating them towards heights that uninitiated mortals could not dare to reach.
Spells were similarly quite easy to grasp.
An ability with the Spell Trait possessed a “chant” or associated invocation that was verbally required in order to be activated. Jon did not know if it was the chant that shaped the Spell, or the fragment which shaped chant, but abilities with the Spell Trait did not require some preexisting quality or characteristic for Jon to influence.
[Thou Art The Monarch Of Spears And Truth] manifested invisible and intangible lance-shaped constructs of spear natured spiritual energy for Jon to launch towards his enemies.
[Envious Is The Beast Which Lurks Within] cursed a target with a debilitating war natured spiritual energy, latching onto their most recently used fragment and preventing them from activating the ability manifested from said fragment.
Techniques were slightly more difficult to understand.
Abilities with the Technique Trait were similar to abilities with the Spell Trait, in that they required a series of movements in accordance with the notions and rules born from the fragment.
[Requiem Of The White Star] required Jon to assume the “horrendous strength of a white star”. His movements possessed an overwhelming amount of force behind them. Each step that Jon took was done in order to more efficiently make use of his physical strength and each thrust of his spear or punch with his fists was done so with the stance required of such horrendous strength.
[Wrath Is The Paradise Whispered On Thou Lips] on the other hand, did possess both the Spell Trait and Technique Trait. It possessed a chant in order to be activated, but also saturated Jon with the crimson-red sin of wrath, filling him with the blasphemous might of his Fragment Of Ira.
Jon suspected that there might be more to [Decadent Spear Blessing] than what he first thought, his gradual understanding of each type of Trait only proved his hypothesis to be more and more true.
‘The Ability Trait on the other hand…’
That was more difficult to explain in comparison to the other three.
Abilities with the Ability Trait encompassed the “creation” of something, albeit technically.
Abilities that possessed the Mutation Trait similarly possessed the Ability Trait. It even included permanent mutations or transformations within physical or spiritual characteristics of oneself. Both his Fragment Of Incarnation and Fragment Of Avaritia possessed the Ability Trait.
[Lamentations Of A Frozen Affection] and [Ours Is The Blood That Births Winter And Ice] possessed the Ability Trait.
However, [Behold Thy Luminous Spear, Clad In Green Radiance] and [Imperial Spear Art; Divine Spear Extinction] both possessed the Ability Trait. The former manifested in the form of a Assail; Spear Of Verdant Cedar, while the latter constructed an enormous pseudo-physical construct capable of shattering spiritual shields and piercing through tangible barriers.
It created something from spiritual energy.
‘It should have been called something else… how the hell was the answer in front of me for so long and only now did I realize the difference,’ Jon let out a small sigh before gazing towards the other task reward that he had yet to claim.
[4]: Develop a methodology for the manipulation and mastery over form. Individuals will receive a series of rewards based on the ability to push their physical constraints to their absolute limits. Combat and abilities will be considered when measuring the level of rewards for this task.
Taking another deep breath Jon slowed his beating Seir-Glacial Heart, feeling the faint traces of ice natured spiritual energy flow through his veins. The brown-haired young man hesitated for a few seconds, before accepting his rewards for the completion of the fourth mandatory task.
