Chapter 565: Mercenaries and Ability Ascension

When Luo De arrived at the Cat Spirit Park via the Jade Tree's Spatial Treeform

Just then, from atop Witch Peak, he could see a small patch of forest in front of the Cat Spirit Palace reduced to ashes

He spotted remnants of battle

Craters from fireballs, cuts and slashes from swords and blades

The battle had already ended

The Royal Knights, led by Pudding, were extinguishing the mountain fire

Far off, a tricolor witch cat in a black mage robe stared angrily at the ruined battlefield

Behind her

Were the headless knight sisters Mimi and Tata

Both knights bore wounds; their black, grotesque negative-energy armors had been torn open by spells or blades

Blood-red wounds were visible inside—some charred, others flayed and curled

The witch cat seemed to notice Luo De's gaze and suddenly froze

She turned her head, locking eyes with him across the distance

Then she offered a bitter, helpless smile and waved her fluffy cat paw in greeting

Luo De smiled back, but inside he was already displeased

Soon

He arrived near the battlefield

"Lord Luo De."

The witch cat bowed

Luo De waved his hand: "Are you alright?"

Only now, up close, did he see she was filthy too—her shirt's abdomen burned away, revealing charred fur and scars

He went over and picked her up, cradling her in one arm

The Plague Domain's 【Saprophytic Unity】 and the Grass Domain's 【Green Vines Mutual Healing】

"Meow!"

The witch cat shrieked in alarm

Her left ear trembled repeatedly

Luo De felt her entire body stiffen

Cat Spirits were small—standing, they were about one meter tall; even the half-elf Lily towered over them by a head

Their weight was even lighter—no more than twenty kilograms

There existed on the continent a race called Spotted Catfolk

Externally, they resembled Cat Spirits—humanoid and furred

But they were much larger, typically over 1. meters tall, with superior physical conditioning and exceptional agility

Of course, Spotted Catfolk lacked the Cat Spirits' manifestation ability

"I'm healing you—don't squirm."

Noticing the witch cat's restless wriggling, her body slippery and hard to hold

He said so

The witch cat was obedient—her bright eyes darted nervously, then finally settled

"Oh"

Nearby, Tally glanced at the witch cat, then at the two lone headless knights behind

The succubus, her belly full, rolled her eyes

"Master, they're both injured too—you should heal them."

Mimi and Tata froze

Tata, lacking a head, couldn't speak—she frantically waved her hands to decline

Mimi, her head tucked at her waist, spoke muffled through her mask: "No need! Lord Luo De, heal Witch Cat Lady! We're fine!"

The witch cat hurriedly said: "What do you mean no? You're worse off than me—come here!"

Luo De nodded: "Yes, remove your armor."

The sisters exchanged a silent glance—dared not defy their master, nor his master

So they dissolved their negative-energy armor, revealing black one-piece shorts and sleeveless suits

Both were spiritual warriors

And as elite battlefield fighters in life, their muscles flowed naturally—hips and thighs full and firm

The tight suits accentuated their slender waists

And hinted at faint abdominal definition

Luo De chuckled, sat down on the spot, placed the witch cat on his thighs, and wrapped one arm around each sister's slender waist

The headless knight sisters were already tense—when Luo De began subtly caressing their firm abdomens and hips, they grew even more rigid

Elder sister Tata trembled with shyness

Younger sister Mimi shot him a furious, furtive glare

Neither dared openly object

Pudding, the British Shorthair Cat Spirit, spotted Luo De from afar

Didn't approach to disturb

Secretly gave him a thumbs-up in respect

"Tell me what happened."

The witch cat sat on Luo De's thighs, feeling the warmth from the dual domains

She paused, then pointed to a nearby pile of corpses

"These were adventurers hired by Bahadur Magic Academy—I found their mission scroll in their spell gear. The change in the Magical Sky Curtain caused the labyrinth's entrance to ripple, so they found the location."

Saying this

She handed him a bloodstained mission scroll

Luo De glanced—it bore Bahadur Magic Academy's seal

The witch cat said nervously: "I used the 【Memory Wish Stone】. Bahadur Magic Academy somehow learned the labyrinth's entrance was near Olive Town—this was just one group."

"Do they all know the labyrinth's location?"

"Only this group sensed the entrance's ripple. They wanted to claim the glory alone and didn't report it."

"Still, thanks to them for revealing others' positions to me."

The witch cat worried: "Will Lord Luo De kill them? But won't that mean Olive Town really has a problem?"

Luo De sneered

Pointed to his own face

"Anyone connected to Bahadur Magic Academy—my face is reason enough."

His feud with Bahadur had gone beyond one or two incidents

After last time's failed reconciliation, his meaning was already clear enough

Anyone tied to Bahadur—I kill them one by one

The witch cat gripped Luo De's collar tightly, moved yet reluctant

"But that means Lord Luo De bears all the hatred alone? That's not why I called you here. Maybe we can use the Memory Wish Stone to alter their memories!"

Even Mimi and Tata turned toward him

Clearly hadn't expected this guy who'd been sneaking touches to their hips and waists to be so noble

"They're merely proxies—the real culprits stay hidden. Altering these people's memories only exposes the truth."

"Oh right!"

Luo De grinned and scratched under her chin: "Worried? I'm the Dragon God's emissary—what can these nobodies do to me?"

The witch cat instantly relaxed under the scratching, eyes half-lidded

Purred lazily, snuggling tight against Luo De's chest

They say cats are liquid—turns out it's true

【Witch Cat's obedience +8, current obedience: 55】

【Obedience surpassed 55—unlocked shared skill with Witch Cat】

【Beginning random draw...】

【Draw successful】

【Shared Skill: Ability Ascension】

【Details: Makes the user more likely to break through personal limits, raising the level cap and effectiveness of other skills.】

【Available upgrade points: 1】

Luo De blinked slightly

He glanced at the other shared skills on his panel

Found a "+" symbol appended after each name

Can I spend points now?

Moreover, each skill now had a progress bar

It goes without saying that maxing it out will grant +1 to the skill.

His eyes lit up!

He picked up the witch cat and gave her a loud smacking kiss.

(End of chapter)