Chapter 565: Mercenaries and Ability Sublimation

When Rod arrived at the Cat Fae Paradise via the Emerald Tree's 【Spatial Arborescence】.

It happened that, looking down from the Witch Peak, he could see a small patch of forest in front of the Cat Fae Palace burned away by flames.

He could see quite a few aftershocks of battle.

Craters blasted out by fireballs, gashes cut by blades, and so on.

By now the fighting had already ended.

The Royal Knights, led by Pudding, were busy putting out the wildfire.

In the distance he saw a calico witch-cat in a black mage robe glaring furiously at the ravaged battlefield.

Behind her.

Stood the Headless Knight sisters Mimi and Tata.

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

Inside, bloody wounds could be seen—some scorched, some with flesh peeled back.

The witch-cat seemed to notice Rod's gaze and suddenly froze.

She turned her head, meeting his eyes across the distance.

Then she forced a bitter, helpless smile and waved a fluffy cat paw in greeting.

Though Rod also smiled, he was already a little displeased inside.

Soon.

He arrived near the battlefield.

"Lord Rod."

The witch-cat bowed and said.

Rod waved a hand: "Are you all right?"

Only now, up close, did he notice the witch-cat was also filthy; the shirt over her belly had been burned away by flames, exposing singed fur and scars.

So he went over and picked her up, supporting her with one arm.

【Symbiotic Decay】 from the Plague Domain and 【Mutual Verdant Healing】 from the Grass Domain.

"Myaow!"

The witch-cat cried out in panic.

Her left ear on top of her head trembled several times in a row.

Rod could feel her whole body go rigid.

Cat Fae bodies were very small—standing up they were probably only about one meter tall; even a halfling like Lily was a head taller than them.

Their weight was even lighter, topping out at around 20 kg.

On the continent there was a race called the Tabaxi.

In appearance they were similar to Cat Fae—both humanoid and covered in fur.

But they were much larger, generally over 1.8 meters tall, with far greater physical conditioning and great agility.

Of course, Tabaxi did not possess the Cat Fae's ability to manifest.

"I'm healing you, don't squirm."

Sensing the witch-cat's uneasy wriggling, her body flowing like water with nowhere to grip, he was gradually having trouble holding on.

So he said as much.

The witch-cat was obedient; her bright, big eyes darted about, and at last she settled down.

"Oh."

Tally, off to the side, looked at the witch-cat, then at the two lonely Headless Knights standing behind.

The succubus, her belly full, rolled her eyes.

"Master, those two are hurt too. They should get some healing."

Mimi and Tata froze.

Tata, having lost her head, couldn't speak and hurriedly waved both hands to say it wasn't necessary.

Mimi, whose head was tucked at her waist, spoke through her visor, her voice muffled: "N-no need! Lord Rod just needs to heal Lady Witch-Cat! We're fine!"

The witch-cat said urgently: "What do you mean, no need? You two are hurt worse than me—get over here!"

Rod nodded: "Right, take off your armor and come here."

The two sisters exchanged a glance through empty air, not daring to disobey their master, nor their master's master.

So they could only dismiss the negative-energy armor on their bodies, revealing black unitards with short sleeves and shorts.

Both were Spirit Warriors.

And before their deaths they had been elite battlefield warriors, so their bodies had smooth, natural muscle lines, with firm, fleshy hips and thighs.

The tight unitards accentuated their slender waists.

And also revealed hints of abdominal muscles.

Rod chuckled, sat down on the spot, placed the witch-cat on his lap, and held each sister by her slim waist.

The Headless Knight sisters were already a bit reserved, and became even more so when Rod began surreptitiously stroking their firm bellies and hips.

As the elder, Tata trembled with shyness.

The younger, Mimi, shot him a shy, angry glare.

Neither dared openly protest.

Pudding, the British Shorthair Cat Fae putting out the fire up ahead, spotted Rod.

She didn't come over to disturb him.

She covertly gave him a thumbs-up to show her respect.

"Tell me, what happened?"

The Witch Cat sat on Rod's lap, feeling the warmth radiating from the dual realms.

She paused, then pointed toward a small mountain of corpses not far away.

"They are adventurers hired by the Bahadur Magic Academy. I found the commission scroll in their spell satchels. The alteration of the Magic Sky caused fluctuations at the dungeon entrance, which led them to the location."

As she spoke,

she handed him a blood-stained commission scroll.

Rod glanced at it and saw the seal of the Bahadur Magic Academy was indeed stamped upon it.

The Witch Cat spoke with slight tension: "I used the 【Memory Wish Stone】. For some reason, the Bahadur Magic Academy learned that the dungeon entrance is near Olive Town. This is just one batch."

"They all know the dungeon's location?"

"Only this batch sensed the fluctuations at the dungeon entrance. They wanted to claim the credit alone and did not notify others."

"I should thank them for revealing the locations of the others to me."

The Witch Cat looked worried: "My Lord, will you kill them? But doesn't that mean there is indeed something wrong with Olive Town?"

Rod sneered coldly.

He pointed to his own face.

"For anyone connected to the Bahadur Magic Academy, this face is reason enough."

His grudge against Bahadur had not been a one-time or two-time affair.

After the failed reconciliation last time, it went without saying; his meaning had been clear enough.

Anyone associated with Bahadur: I kill one, I kill one.

The Witch Cat nervously grabbed Rod's collar, moved yet reluctant:

"But doesn't that mean My Lord must bear all the hatred alone? This is not why I asked you to come. Perhaps we could use the Memory Wish Stone to alter their memories!"

Even Mimi and Tatta turned toward him.

Clearly, they had not expected the fellow who had been secretly groping waists and hips to be so noble.

"After all, they are merely agents. The ones behind them do not show their faces. Altering these people's memories will only expose us."

"Oh, right!"

Rod smiled and scratched her chin: "What are you worried about? I am the Dragon God's Envoy. What harm can these watered-down fools do to me?"

The Witch Cat was easily soothed by the scratching, her eyes narrowing in pleasure.

Purring lazily, she leaned against Rod's chest, pressing herself tightly.

They say cats are liquid, and indeed, it is true.

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

【Obedience broke through to 55, unlocking the Shared Skill with Witch Cat】

【Starting random draw.】

【Chou Qu Cheng Gong】

【Shared Skill: Ability Sublimation】

【Details: Makes the owner more likely to break through their own limits, increasing the level cap and effects of other skills.】

【Available upgrade points: 1】

Rod was slightly stunned.

He scanned the other shared skills on the panel.

He discovered that a '+' symbol had appeared after each of the subsequent names.

Could he add points now?

Moreover, a progress bar had appeared after each skill.

It went without saying that pulling it to the max would grant the skill +1.

His eyes lit up!

He picked up the Witch Cat and gave her a fierce horse-riding kiss.

(End of Chapter)