The Record of Unusual Creatures

Gregowen and Hasse would handle the candidate selection for the “study-sightseeing tour group.” Hao Ren only had to give them the size of the group and the deadline. When he got to his feet to leave, he saw that Rollie was still snoring in front of the fireplace. Her furry ears flickered slightly, facing the fire. Her tail swayed slowly, and she seemed completely asleep unlike her excited, restless self when she just arrived.

The warm fireplace and soft blanket was such an addictive combination for a cat. With a bit of catnip thrown into the mix, the cat girl would immediately get herself sworn into the ranks of the demon hunters without hesitation.

“Rollie,” Hao Ren called out as he stepped forward and pulled the cat girl by her tail. “We’re leaving.”

“Big Boss Cat…” The cat girl wriggled like a sleeping worm. Her voice sounded like it was echoing out from her dream. “I’ve decided to make up for my morning, evening, and night naps.”

“Not now.” Hao Ren knitted his brows together. “Let’s go. We can go catch the codfish now.”

Rollie looked up with one eye, her voice sounding ethereal. “What’s a codfish? I don’t want it anymore.”

Hearing Rollie’s reply, Hao Ren choked and coughed. “You were so excited about catching the fish before we came. Why doesn’t it matter anymore all of a sudden?”

Nangong Sanba patted Hao Ren on the shoulder and said, “Mr. Landlord, I tell you what; cats are fickle creatures just like women. When the two species combine, the individual could change her mind 72 times in a day.”

Hao Ren thought for a moment. Since there would not be any animal rights and women’s rights organizations in the Arctic, he bent down, grabbed Rollie by the waist belt, and picked her up. Hao Ren ignored Rollie’s protests and flung her over his shoulder. “We have to hurry to Athens. After we finish business with the Shadow Council, we have to go to Holletta immediately. Today’s schedule is tight, and I have no time to reason with a cat.”

Before Rollie knew it, she felt the world spin around her. Then, the fireplace, where she was enjoying herself, left her. Rollie kicked her four limbs, trying to break loose. “Put me down! Put me down! Big Boss Cat, you’re in trouble! You’re in big trouble! I want a fireplace! I want the—”

Before the dumb cat could finish yelling, her voice was muted by a flash of bright teleportation light.

Gregowen and Hasse looked at each other with forced smiles before they shook their heads. “This ancestor has never come without troubling news.”

“It’s also a good thing,” Hasse said. “Hao Ren has been working on this matter the entire time. Perhaps just as you said the last time, the days of a stable Plane of Dreams will someday come. Those of us who do not belong to this world will have to return to our homeworld sooner or later. At least, some will choose to do so. This planet, where humans rule, is not suitable for us. We may survive here and even do well here, but we will never become an independent civilization or a kingdom, which I have been thinking about lately. I am going to join the visit to the Plane of Dreams.”

White Flame took out a game console from her pocket. “I want to go and see it too, but I don’t think I’ll leave this place in the future. The Plane of Dreams may be our place of origin, but I don’t belong there.”

Gregowen’s stiff facial muscles seemed to relax a little. “Ah, there still appears to be young people like White Flame who are content with life here. We will have a successor to take over our legacy on this planet in the future.”

The old demon hunter was more concerned with their thousand-year legacy on Earth.

White Flame, still on her game console, said, “I heard that there’s no wifi there.”

Gregory was dumbstruck.

Meanwhile, Hao Ren and his men had arrived at the sanctuary in Athens’ Shadowy Divide. Just like Coldpath, the Shadow Council had received news of their arrival ahead of time. With Vivian’s substantial influence in the Shadow Council, she had informed the council of the purpose of her visit through her spokesperson, Hessiana. When Hao Ren arrived, all he had to do was verify the arrangement.

Unlike the demon hunters who needed to participate in a series of tests, the otherworldlings were only required to come up with a list of their delegation.

To save time, Vivian had also set a standard for the candidate selection and asked Hessiana to pass it down. There were only three requirements.

One, the delegates had to be moderate in their views. It was a joint operation with the demon hunters, and the destination was filled with different otherworldlings who roamed the earth openly. To the otherworldlings who had been at war with each other for 10,000 years on Earth, enemies were everywhere. Even though the Mythological War had ended, old habits died hard. The werewolves would fight first and talk later when they saw the vampires, while the shadelings would hide the moment they bumped into the werewolves. So it was imperative that the delegates of the tour be of the moderate view.

Two, the delegates had to be influential in their respective races. The study trip was not a sightseeing tour. For the otherworldlings, it was an opportunity to find out the truth that the different races in the Plane of Dreams did not have a conflict with each other in the beginning. It would also let them have a better understanding of what it meant by the otherworldlings coming from the Otherworld.

Three, the delegates had to be tough. Vivian pointed out that when the otherworldlings and the demon hunters—the sworn enemy—met, things might get really chaotic and ugly. Failure to obey instruction, violence, and leaving the group without authorization would bound to happen. When such situations arose, the use of force to maintain order by the Countess of the Crimson Moon, Vivian, would be unavoidable. So the delegates were required to be physically tough.

All members of the Shadow Council seemed to support the countess’ arrangement. They submitted a list of names, whom they did not like, trying to fudge on the matter.

The Shadow Council had no intention to cooperate with Hao Ren. Perhaps these people did not understand the meaning of this call.

Anyway, Hessiana had anticipated the Shadow Council members would try to fudge it and given Vivian a heads-up. Vivian turned down the list and ordered for a new one.

Those council guys returned with a new list very quickly within half an hour. Allegedly the families and representatives from other sanctuaries had come up with this new list after some emergency meeting. But any discerning person would have known that the so-called new name list was actually preprepared. The families knew that it was not easy to fool Vivian, the living ancestor. They knew the Countess well; except when she would turn violent during her hibernating cycle, Vivian was an easy-going and good-natured person. As long as they could show their willingness to cooperate in time, they would be safe from her beating.

In the Shadow Council headquarters, Vivian quickly browsed through the list in front of her and then looked up at the faces in the meeting room. Mimir—his head, the speaker of the council, was placed in the front of the conference table, surrounded by the patriarch of different families, leaders, and representatives from other sanctuaries. Of course, Hessiana was among them.

Except for Mimir who had an always-on smile, and Hessiana who was trying to get as close as possible to Vivian, most of the council members looked awkward and nervous, and a hint of cluelessness. They seemed to have not fully understood the cause and effect of this Plane of Dreams visit. Used to giving instructions instead of being instructed, these old guys seemed to be a little uncomfortable.

“I just came back from Coldpath,” Vivian said. The atmosphere became less awkward but also a little more strange after she opened her mouth. “You know what; it’s more pleasant to deal with the demon hunters than to talk with you guys.”

A senior vampire said awkwardly, “Your Honorable Countess, you are saying that—”

“They are a single race, while there are seventeen races here. They have only one who speaks, while you have at least eight factions in your family that contradict each other. I might be a sage in name only among them, but my word counts. Here, my position is equal to the assembly speaker, but you guys dare to fudge on the name lists!” Vivian threw the name list on the table. “Do you really think I’m clueless of what happened here? Do you think I don’t know who you are and the names on the lists?”

Most of the members of Shadow Council, who came up with the first name list, were silent. The Lucas family patriarch, Zeon Lucas, bowed slightly as a sign of respect. He always had an eternal elegant smile on his face. “Countess, this list…”

Vivian paused for a moment, and then the voice of Hessiana came into her mind via a vampire-communication magic spell. “Vivian, this list is okay!”

Vivian’s face remained stolid while giving those family representatives a nod of approval. “This one looks better. I hope no one will try to fool me again. Please remember, I don’t have to be physically present, but I know everything that happens in the council. I know everything about every one of you.”

While saying, her eyes swept across the conference room and paused a moment on the faces that she did not like. How cares? She did not even know them! She thought.

Lily poked Hao Ren’s arm and whispered, “Battie is such a good bluffer.”

Hao Ren and the Nangong siblings nodded in unison. “She is.”

Rollie was lying on the table, seemingly losing her purpose of living. “I want the fireplace. I want to sleep. I want to eat fish.”