Nightmares Paradise [LITRPG System Integration]

A few hours after Wilheim returned from his expedition out into the forest allowed the rest of the group to digest the information that the floresiensis had given them. The five of them gathered around their campfire, several summoned companions laying scattered about, most lazing around listening to the conversations had by their summoners.

Ru Luan Di sat idly between Jon and Avahni, allowing himself to be warmed by the crackling placed in front of him.

Ashvattha Rana remained almost motionless, except for a gradual sway of her leaves and branches, allowing herself to match the movement of natural trees.

Despoina, a relatively new addition to the group, curled up in the centre of the campfire, softly cooing as though the natural heat of the flames were nothing more than a slightly warm bath.

Ahuatzi placed herself near the Earthen Treasury Womb, another new addition, although one who did not have the same mental faculties as Ashvattha Rana or Ru Luan Di. A youthful imperial mountain rafflesia who had not even become a Lord before accepting the notification to become a summoned companion.

All of them, in addition to several of Avahni's other summoned companions, listened intently to the description that Wilheim was giving. The shorter man used the ability manifested from his Fragment Of Shape, [Architect Of Earth And Stone, Rock And Sand] to recreate the image of the Dungeon entrance from his mind.

"It was an enormous arched door, crafted from some material that was neither metal nor stone. Various symbols and glyphs had been inscribed upon its surface, none of which I was able to understand. There was, however, a small groove in the centre of the arched door, one that matches the size of a Mana Core."

"I thought about pushing open the entrance, but refrained from doing so, wondering if I would still be able to leave even after entering the Dungeon. None of us have encountered one thus far so I decided to return before doing anything stupid," Wilheim said, cradling the Dungeon Mana Core he had obtained in his free hand, using his other one to hold his comically-large sized piece of meat.

Wilheim had ran several kilometres without stopping, overloading several abilities to push his physical capabilities even further beyond their preternatural limits. In hindsight such a thing was not required, but Wilheim wanted to tell the others as quickly as possible so did so without reservation.

The floresiensis had not eaten anything since this morning, so it was only natural that he would work up an appetite after such intense physical activity.

Although given how large his meal was in comparison to the rest of his body, Jon did wonder just where he thought Wilheim was going to put all of that food.

Jon noticed Ru Luan Di tap Avahni on her leg, communicating something through their mental connection. Jon and the others watched as Avahni locked eyes with her little ginseng king, before nodding, turning towards the group and speaking in Pluntian.

"Ru Luan Di wanted to know whether or not this Dungeon entrance manifested a System prompt when you approached it?" Avahni conveyed the question towards Wilheim, causing him to shake his head in response.

Wilheim replied in Nain.

"There was nothing of the sort. I got within arm's reach of the Dungeon entrance, trying to understand the symbols carved into the doors. Although I did not touch it, I still got up-close and personal," Wilheim responded.

Ru Luan Di nodded his head pausing for a few moments. The Liver Of The Ginseng King glanced towards the Twelve-Coloured Cloud Hive for a second before moving his attention towards Despoina, relishing the crackling warmth of the campfire.

The Salvation Of White Beginnings stirred from within the flames, Sariel informing her white salvation phoenix that everyone was looking at her. Without even opening her eyes, or even moving from her place within the campfire, Despoina addressed the little ginseng king sitting several feel away.

"You desire for me to investigate the area do you Liver Of The Ginseng King?" said the white salvation phoenix, her tone somewhat dismissive.

Sariel blanched, her cheeks turning a darker shade of green. Although Despoina was respectful towards her and Shamael, the white salvation phoenix tended to be quite blunt when interacting with some of the other summoned companions.

Other than Ahuatzi, who was her brother's summon, Despoina was often… quite indifferent to the presence of Ru Luan Di, Ashvattha Rana, Huo Liyu and even Titus Claudius.

Lifting her long, almost swan-like neck the Salvation Of White Beginnings turned towards the Live Of The Ginseng King, narrowing her eyes in Ru Luan Di's direction. Although Sariel was focusing on trying to calm her phoenix summon down, Jon and Wilheim could not help but glance towards each other, sharing a conversation using nothing but their facial expressions.

"Do they know each other or something?" Jon wiggled his eyebrows, tilting his in the direction of the white salvation phoenix.

Wilheim lifted his shoulders almost imperceptibly, tilting his head towards Ru Luan Di.

"Maybe? Perhaps they had heard of each other before becoming summoned companions?" Wilheim replied, watching the awkward atmosphere around the campfire grow more tense as time passed.

"I am merely requesting a favour on behalf of my master, Salvation Of White Beginnings. It is ultimately up to the desires of your master whether you investigate the Dungeon entrance or not," Jon heard Ru Luan Di say, causing the human to quietly munch on his piece of meat observing the interactions between the phoenix and ginseng.

Jon watched as Sariel tried to mutter something in Vaayli towards Despoina but was ignored as the white salvation phoenix stepped out of the campfire and closer towards the ginseng king.

Titus Claudius stirred behind Avahni and Huo Liyu who was once laying atop Avahni's head now hovered above Despoina, narrowing its small, black eyes towards the phoenix.

"Oh really? The tyrannical Primeval Jade Throne dares to ask me of all people for a favour on behalf of their master?!" Despoina started to raise her voice, the lustrous white plume of feathers behind her igniting as life spiritual energy manifested itself in the form of pale colourless white flames.

Ru Luan Di could not help but twitch, glancing towards Avahni before shaking his head from side to side.

"Despoina, things are different now. The Immortal Ginseng Dynasty does not exist anymore. I helped burn it down to the ground myself. The things that we… that I did are unforgiveable, but I was given a chance for atonement."

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"I was allowed to discard my Title and accept the request to become a summoned companion. I understand now that the things I did to you, and your summons were unacceptable. Wanderlich and Fua Long were both- ", the little ginseng king found his words being cut off as the Salvation Of White Beginnings extended her wings, releasing a hot gust of life natured spiritual energy from them.

Her expression morphed into one of pure rage and unfiltered hatred.

Even Sariel, through her mental connection to Despoina, could not help but go slightly pale, feeling the feedback from her Fragment Of Phoenix. Her Throne Of Distortion, born from her Fragment Of Mind twisted and inverted itself in ways that Sariel could not even imagine as powerful feelings of hatred and anger filled her mental construct.

Through the connection between their Sources, Shamael too could feel the emotions that his sister was experiencing right now.

The blue-skinned satanas frowned, raising a hand to clutch his temples as he turned towards Wilheim, muttering something beneath his breath. His Throne Of Mycelium was able to somewhat resist the emotions but was not able to stop them from flowing into his mind.

"You dare."

Jon was not able to understate the sheer malice dripping from Despoina's tone. The amount of anger that was placed within two words was unfathomable. Although somewhat hard to read, Jon and Wilheim could both see the white salvation phoenix almost snarl at the little ginseng king, not at all noticing the presence of a vast shadow above her head.

"You dare to mention their names."

Despoina took one step closer, her form saturated with beautiful, white-coloured flames. Despite inherent nature of the flame, Wilheim and Shamael could not help but retreat back several feet, the warmth that once emanated from the white salvation phoenix was now a roaring blaze of heat and light, capable of burning those that strayed too close.

Ru Luan Di just sat their motionlessly, watching as the Salvation Of White Beginnings edged closer and closer towards him.

Although he wanted to glance upwards towards a certain Fragment Of Ichthyosaur above him, Ru Luan Di just continued to stare at Despoina.

"You who tore them from me."

"You who annihilated tens of thousands of summoned companions, on the basis of freedom and righteousness! Whose Immortal Ginseng Dynasty forced the hand of the Grand Powers themselves!"

"And yet you have the gall. The arrogance to speak on behalf of masters!?"

"You make me sick Ru Luan Di."

Despoina spat at Ru Luan Di, the Liver Of The Ginseng King remaining unmoving despite the saliva marring his face. Whatever enjoyment Jon and Wilheim had gotten out of his interaction had turned sour within their minds, forcing the former to stand up, raising his hands placatingly towards the Salvation Of White Beginnings.

Jon spoke in Common, knowing that both the ginseng and phoenix could understand him.

"I think that is enough Despoina. I think Ru Luan Di understands what you are trying to convey."

The white salvation phoenix glanced towards Jon, pausing for a moment before raising her head and noticing the presence of the Incarnation Of The Hunt above her. The four-golden eyes of Ler Setanta gleamed with an unhidden amusement, watching the interaction in front of him with a malicious grin stretched across his bestial face.

"Oh do not stop on my account. Anyone who desires to slander the Primeval Jade Throne is someone that I cannot help but respect. Please continue."

Jon lifted his head, narrowing his eyes at the enormous thirty-metre long indomitus shastasaurus. Although he had not seen Ler Setanta since the battle against the Malum Hobgoblin, he had noticed the presence of his Ink Shadow Incarnation multiple times gazing at him from a distance.

It was an unnerving thought.

Knowing that such a creature was watching him.

Jon considered resummoning Schwarz Eis the first time he noticed it, but refrained from doing so, knowing that whatever interaction the Incarnation Of The Hunt and White Lady Of The Winter Castle would have would be a negative one.

"If you do not have anything helpful to say Ler Setanta, then please remain quiet," said Jon, causing the enormous floating dinosaur to grin, eyeing the human with an unknowable expression on his face.

"Primate. If you knew the things that Ru Luan Di has done, you would not defend his honour. A barbaric bloodthirsty savage I may be, but half the monster of Ru Luan Di, I am not."

Ru Luan Di lifted his head towards Ler Setanta, momentarily glancing towards Avahni. Not once had Jon ever managed to discern an expression from the face of the Liver Of The Ginseng King.

Nor could he in this moment.

Jon opened his mouth to speak but found himself to slow watching as Avahni stood up, placing one hand on her hip while pointing the other towards the Incarnation Of The Hunt. Ru Luan Di twitched once more but went unnoticed as Avahni furrowed her brows at Ler Setanta.

"I thought I told you to play nice with the others Setanta. Are you breaking the promise you made to me?" said Avahni, her tone pointed and her expression disapproving. Ler Setanta opened his mouth to retort her words, but paused, seeing her place an additional hand on her hip, while mouthing something towards him.

Recalling what manner of abilities she manifested from her two newest fragments, the indomitus shastasaurus just groaned, rolling his four-golden eyes in annoyance.

There were few things in the integrated universes that could threaten him, even while he was currently constrained by his Mortal limitations.

Although he had been surprised to see that his summoner possessed such an interesting Source, it had come as an actual shock to the Incarnation Of The Hunt to see another familiar face manifested by the little elfin creature he called a "master".

'Three familiar faces technically…' Ler Setanta thought to himself.

Letting out a small tsk, the thirty-metre-long dinosaur turned towards the little ginseng and phoenix, narrowing his eyes at the former.

"Setanta?!" said Avahni, her tone alluding to more of a question rather than an actual statement. The green-haired lutin stomped her foot for good measure, still hanging the thread of one of her other summons over the head of the indomitus shastasaurus.

"I know what I agreed to woman," Ler Setanta huffed, floating upwards and further away from the Liver Of The Ginseng King and Salvation Of White Beginnings. The Incarnation Of The Hunt glanced one last time towards Jon, before flying away, vanishing over the distant treetops.

Despoina watched as Ler Setanta's enormous form grew smaller and smaller until she could no longer see it. The second she could no longer see the Incarnation Of The Hunt was the exact moment she opened up her wings, taking to the skies.

The white salvation phoenix flapped her wings, while looking down upon the minute figure of the little ginseng king, her expression still morphed into one of hatred and disgust.

"Although we may be allies Ru Luan Di, know this."

"The day that your master is no longer allied with my own, will mark the anniversary of your death."

"I will kill you."

Both Sariel and Avahni could not help but frown hearing the words of the Salvation Of White Beginnings. Despite Let Setanta's interruption, Despoina had not let go of her hatred.

"As certain as night follows day, I will be the one to end you. I swear it upon the names Wanderlich and Fua Long, my summoned companions that you once annihilated."

Ru Luan Di just nodded, not seeming offended by the statement.

"Then I will do everything within my power to assure that the friendship of our master's is both long and prosperous."

Despoina narrowed her eyes at the ginseng, before flying off in the direction of the Dungeon entrance. The white salvation phoenix allowing her concealed tail feathers to extend themselves, beautiful white feather-shaped flames following behind the Salvation Of White Beginnings as she flew off into the distance.

Jon could not help but glance towards Wilheim, hoping to communicate something with his purple-blooded friend.

'I wonder what manner of ability Avahni managed to manifest that can even deter someone as strong as the Incarnation Of The Hunt?'

Imagine Jon's surprise as he turned towards Wilheim, seeing the hazelnut-skinned man devouring the final piece of meat on his abnormally large bone. The brown-haired human could do nothing but observe his friend softly pat his stomach, ignoring the obvious tension that had formed across the riverbank.

The sound of Jon sighing broke the silence that stretched across the camp, shaking his head in exasperation at the actions of his alien friend.

'Hopefully this Dungeon contains something worth all this trouble.'