The night sky was dark, filled with visible wisps of gray mist.
The red moon hung high, casting an ominous crimson radiance that relentlessly stained the entire land, gradually demonizing and corrupting it.
Beneath this crimson moon, to the north of the Water Marsh Base City, terrifying colossal silhouettes tens of meters tall streaked forward, resembling giants that had surrounded the base city by the thousands.
Taller than the city walls, ferociously and terrifyingly.
They charged continuously, their bodies exploding from time to time, annihilated by brilliant azure light.
Yet, besides the soldiers fighting on the front lines, few paid attention to this battle, one that would be etched into history. All eyes gazed further into the distance.
A figure in light red was engaged in a back-and-forth struggle with a Bull Demon myth.
Their clashes produced thunderous roars.
A flesh-and-blood giant a thousand meters tall was locked in a standoff with an 'mortal legion.'
He was stunned, he was shocked, he no longer dared to view this black-armored legion as ants.
For this legion possessed the power to injure... or even slay his divine avatar!
At this moment, the Flesh King finally understood why the Scarlet Emperor had prepared so much and invited the three of them.
It wasn't out of fear of death, but out of caution.
And such caution was undoubtedly... correct.
...
But many envoys and high-ranking officials from the Great Oases did not understand, why could a mortal body rival a god?
"Because of numbers?"
The vice-mayor of Wave City shook his head.
"In the face of a myth, whether one is a first-awakened or a sixth-awakened, they are merely mortals, mere ants. Numbers are meaningless."
"Even a multitude of sixth-awakened individuals would struggle to shake the might of a myth."
"Just like before, were the tens of thousands of Calamity-level Anomalies not terrifying enough? Yet, given enough time, that seven-star nest-type Anomaly could hatch tens of thousands, or even more, Calamity, Hell, or Cataclysm-level Anomalies."
"Moreover..."
This vice-mayor, who existed in a form of water manifestation, stared unblinkingly into the distance, his focus fixed on the black legion.
In his opinion, this legion could be called elite, very rare, but... not strong!
Yes, apart from the black-clothed powerhouse leading them, none among them deserved to be called strong. There were even... very few above the Four-Awakened tier, let alone transcending the human form. It was less like hundreds of black-armored soldiers rivaling gods, and more like the black-clothed powerhouse wielding a great saber alone could single-handedly fight against a god!
He was the true mortal who could rival a myth!
This was even more astonishing than the appearance of the light-red puppet previously, which had annihilated a seven-star Anomaly.
The six-awakened, the King of Humanity, was there truly a sliver of a possibility of comparing to a myth?
Under countless gazes, the Flesh King began his second round of assault.
Flesh buds rapidly grew from his severed limb, and in a short time, his entire arm was restored to normal. However, upon closer inspection, one could still notice that the thousand-meter-tall giant's physique had shrunk slightly.
The Flesh King had become serious.
He threw punches, he attacked, flesh buds spread like tentacles... he employed various methods, yet the black-armored legion before him acted like rubber, constantly shifting, deflecting force, attacking, and occasionally unleashing crimson saber-light that made him inwardly tremble.
After dozens of rounds of combat, he still hadn't defeated this 'mortal legion.' The Flesh King was losing face.
Unlike the Bull Demon.
The Bull Demon's opponent was a war automaton from the ancient Kandra Empire, which was not to be underestimated from the start.
But his opponent? Just a six-awakened leading a swarm of ants.
If he couldn't defeat them soon, he would likely be unable to hold his head up in front of the other myths.
With this thought, the Flesh King swiftly changed his strategy.
His thousand-meter-tall body became intensely red, as if it were a scorching iron, constantly steaming. The entire giant's body melted in an instant, leaving only a figure tens of meters tall, which shot out from the billowing mist at extreme speed, like a red lightning bolt.
He instantly circled around, bypassed the six-awakened in black who were acting as the spearhead, and appeared behind the legion.
"Die—"
"Formation, shift!"
The rear ranks moved to the front. The entire black-armored legion seemed to sprout hands from its back, firmly resisting the Flesh God's sneak attack.
Time and time again.
The entire process appeared extremely perilous. Under the ferocious assault of the Flesh God, the black-armored legion seemed on the verge of annihilation at any moment, barely holding on each time, dancing on the edge of a blade.
But as they danced more and more, the powerhouses from various oases suddenly realized...
Perhaps, possibly, probably, perhaps it wasn't that dangerous after all?
Was it dangerous? Yes.
Was it a standard operation? A standard operation.
Initially, Fang You also felt a pang of fear. He was well aware of the inner workings of the black-armored legion and knew that the legion currently possessed the ability to contend with a myth, but after all... not enough to contend!
Much more fragile than a divine avatar. If even one attack couldn't be blocked, the entire legion might collapse.
However,
Upon closer thought about the combat style of that old brother with the black saber, when had he ever not danced on the edge of a blade? And when had he ever been injured? It seemed not.
This was truly a standard operation, perfectly fitting the old brother with the black saber's micro-management fighting style.
Seemingly perilous, but in reality, steady.
...
"They blocked it! They actually blocked it!"
"This time, we're definitely safe!"
Mei Tisha's highly strung heart finally relaxed, and she collapsed onto the ground.
The ups and downs of this scene made the hearts of Presidents Rose and Song of War ache.
From the current perspective, both summoned gods had been blocked. The Evil God faction's strategy this time seemed destined for failure.
Blue Star had held its ground.
Next, as long as Blue Star could quickly retreat into the vast Anomaly Realm, their civilization could be preserved and continue.
As for whether Blue Star could survive in the Anomaly Realm, or find an oasis? That was certain!
Ordinary worlds paid a tremendous price at this stage, with less than one-tenth, less than one percent, or even less than one ten-thousandth of their civilization's essence surviving the migration.
In the past, the ancestors of their Sword Flower City had fought a brutal battle to escort a seed of civilization to their current oasis.
It was only through generations of continuous reproduction and development that Sword Flower City came to be today.
Blue Star was different from them in the past.
With the strength displayed by Blue Star, with dual myth-level combat power, and many other equally formidable experts, it would be incredibly easy for Blue Star to navigate the Anomaly Realm.
They would have the ability to escort a large population to an oasis and preserve most of their civilization's essence.
However,
Would Blue Star choose to abandon its world and flee into the Anomaly Realm?
President Rose suddenly felt uneasy.
If it were them, if any leader of a Great Oasis were to make this choice, they would choose to abandon it. Severing a limb was necessary for survival because they deeply understood the terror of the Evil Gods.
But Blue Star was merely a nascent world, and it had repeatedly gained the advantage in wars against the Evil God faction. They probably didn't understand this.
President Rose's thoughts were complex.
President Song of War sighed deeply.
Suddenly, his expression changed drastically, "No way..."
His pupils widened, staring at the end of the horizon, a place shrouded by the red moon and dark clouds.
He murmured, with a tremor in his voice.
"There's still a myth?"
...
"There's still a myth!"
Someone murmured, with excitement.
It was Xitina.
Golden flames blazed deep within her eyes, "Mentor, let me handle this one. I want to witness the power of this myth."
The girl's excitement made Fang You reluctant, but he still refused.
"Your power is very important. It's for the finale, you understand?"
"You need to face a stronger enemy."
A stronger enemy... huh?
Xitina suppressed her eagerness, her eyes still fixed on the distance, on the place where the third mythical aura was rising.
A third myth!
Fang You's expression also gradually became solemn.
So far, a seven-star Anomaly, a Bull Demon myth, a Flesh King myth, and a third myth... a total of four mythical-level combat forces had appeared!
If the light red one hadn't been so effective against large-bodied Anomalies and had severely injured that 'Fallen Cloud Mica' in the initial burst, the situation would be much more troublesome now.
After all,
"Three summoned myths are definitely not all."
"Because... the Scarlet Emperor from that day hasn't even descended yet."
"Does he have more cards, or do I?"
Fang You clenched his fist, gazing at the sky.
There, a phantom with wings spanning hundreds of meters appeared, obscuring the sun.
The Black-Winged Myth!
His opponent is...
It's decided then, An Jianyou!
...
...
North of Water Marsh Base City, in front of the defense line, thick vines and wood grew out, some forming giant vine walls to block the charging Calamity-level behemoths, while others climbed up the behemoths' legs, continuously binding and entangling them, firmly restraining those Calamity-level Anomalies.
At this moment, on the battlefield, Fang You stood on the half-constructed city wall, hands behind his back. With a slight raise of his hand, a flash of lightning would strike, and a Cataclysm-level or Hell-level Anomaly known for its defense would be pierced through its body and perish in the distance.
Amidst the roaring explosions of battle, his actions were almost unnoticed.
Even if they were noticed, he was merely the calm and collected Mentor Fang.
The other powerful Anomalies were being dealt with by Xing Jinglei, Pei Hongjing, Black Pupil, Yiluoxi, and others. However, due to the scarcity of experts above the Transcendent Human tier, they were far from enough to intercept the surging behemoths.
They could only let them crash against the base city wall... or rather, the vine-and-wood giant wall in front of it.
The city walls would not withstand continuous impact from Calamity-level Anomalies. Even the giant vine-and-wood wall, at the level of the previous Water Marsh Base City defense battle, would have been far from sufficient.
But today, Liu Shang, holding the legendary Anomaly Artifact 'Shroloka's Leaf,' spread a green grassland outwards, transforming the surrounding earth and stones into soft, nutrient-rich soil, from which rapidly grew thick, dark green thorny vines.
This was managed by Liu Ji, Liu Ru, and Liu Meng.
Still the same combination.
But that day, the Liu siblings group were merely Four-Awakened Transcendent Humans. Today, after benefiting from ten waves of siege, not only Liu Shang but also Liu Ji and her sisters had all advanced to the Six-Awakened Throne – some of them had failed their awakenings, more than one, consuming half of their mystical accumulation. Yet, Liu Ji and the others still advanced to Six-Awakened before Xing Jinglei and Yiluoxi.
Four Six-Awakened individuals.
The Vine Wood Array.
It firmly held the defense line, allowing the Calamity-level Anomalies to charge continuously, yet it still tenaciously entangled these behemoths, creating significant opportunities for the other defenders.
The defenders attacked fiercely.
Towards the weak points of the Calamity-level Anomalies...
*Swish—*
A silver light shot out, piercing a colossal head, collapsing, and then suddenly exploding.
*Boom—*
That Calamity-level Anomaly fell.
"The 25th. I didn't expect I could kill Calamity-level Anomalies like cutting melons and vegetables."
The silver-haired woman muttered, her curved saber once again gathering silver light, and she slashed out fiercely.
She was naturally Yiyueluoxi.
During this period on Blue Star, she had been eating for free every day, being treated by An Jianyou every day, and her grandmother's life had finally been extended... Although it was a transaction, she felt somewhat indebted, so she volunteered to come to the defense line and take down one large Anomaly with one saber.
She was different from President Rose and President Song of War.
Although this body was a manifestation, it... possessed the same combat power as her main body.
This was her unique talent.
One body remained in the oasis, one body went to cultivate, and one body ate, drank, and played... *cough*, explored the world, seeking transactions.
Her actions on Blue Star were quite free. She herself was a high-ranking official of the Black Stone Alliance, and she didn't need to report to anyone. At this moment, she stood on the city wall, unleashing saber-light to slay Anomalies.
Somewhat trembling, somewhat... numb.
As she continuously swung her saber, her gaze drifted to the distance, towards the first battlefield, and then to the second battlefield.
The Mythical Battleground!
Wasn't this Blue Star a new world that had only recently descended and was still mysterious? Why could it fight toe-to-toe with myths?
Yiyueluoxi was somewhat bewildered.
At this moment,
Another terrifying divine might reawakened, and another sky-obscuring silhouette appeared at the end of the firmament.
Yiyueluoxi was again and again...
Shocked, numb, terrified.
"What bad karma has your Blue Star incurred to have so many high-ranking beings from the Evil God faction arrive!"
Even she, who feared nothing, was starting to get scared.
The first myth was blocked by that light-red puppet.
The second myth, with the power of Blue Star's army, rivaled a god.
But now, the third one?
A single myth could easily erase all resistance here.
In the distance, many oasis envoys had already lit candles again, activating the reverse descent ritual.
"Blue Star is definitely finished this time!"
"To be annihilated by the combined might of three myths would be glorious enough, to be etched into history like 'Xuye Zhixiang'."
"Hurry, hurry, hurry, activate this crappy ritual!"
Yiyueluoxi was even hesitant.
She was assisting Blue Star in defending the city to repay her debts, not to be buried along with them.
At this moment, she saw An Jianyou summon a four-star Hundred-Eyed Flying Fish and fly towards the distance.
Towards the direction of the Black-Winged behemoth!
"Miss Youyou!"
She couldn't help but shout, "That's a myth!"
"But I am a powerhouse of Blue Star."
The Hundred-Eyed Flying Fish spread its wings and soared into the wind.
Everything around seemed to drift away leisurely, sounds faded, sights receded, and the dazzling lights vanished, leaving only that terrifying figure, radiating overwhelming divine might, continuously expanding in her azure eyes.
An Jianyou pursed her lips, clenched her fist, sweat trickling down her forehead.
That was a myth!
An invincible myth, superior to mortals, a very, very, very terrifying myth!
She could see the shadows of Anomalies that rivaled myths, and she had always been sensitive to terrifying things.
But,
"If I can just hold off this myth, I can... slightly lessen the burden on Mentor, right?"
The wind lifted her hair.
The fearful maiden was now resolute and fearless.
Her slender, fragile back resembled a warrior about to sacrifice herself to a demon.
Many defending soldiers couldn't help themselves.
"With so many of us, how can we let a young girl face it alone!"
"Isn't it just a myth! Watch me shoot him!"
"Me too!"
"Wait, brothers, don't get excited. Although she's delicate, this is Miss An! Miss An, the Lord of the Underworld!"
At first glance, An Jianyou appeared to be just an ordinary, fragile girl, like a typical college student.
Let alone a powerhouse, compared to many of the defending soldiers present, she was far inferior.
She also didn't often show herself.
Or rather, the face shown was not her own, and few people recognized her.
But when it came to "Miss An, the Lord of the Underworld," it wasn't household knowledge, but at least, more than half of the defenders on the front line had heard of her.
One who controls Anomalies.
The controller of the Cataclysm-level Anomaly 'Furnace Golem.'
Could it be that she was such an ordinary girl?
"The controller of Anomalies, the Blue Star powerhouse who manipulates the 'Furnace Golem'?"
President Rose gazed.
"The Furnace Golem is known for its defense even among Cataclysm-level Anomalies. Furthermore, this Blue Star powerhouse seems to be able to augment the Furnace Golem through some ritual or ability, giving the Furnace Golem battle power that crushes its peers."
"However, even so, it's far from enough to stop a descended myth."
"Could it be that this Blue Star girl also possesses the ability to rival a myth?"
She said, then chuckled and shook her head.
How could that be possible?
To rival a god with a mortal body, how incredible was that? Even an envoy from Starfall City would widen their eyes and exclaim, "Holy shit."
To have one such anomaly was a miracle, how could there be...
"Huh?"
President Rose was stunned. Looking at the red-clothed figure that suddenly appeared in the distance, capable of piercing the heavens and earth, she could no longer maintain her composure.
"Holy shit!"
President Song of War followed closely,
"Holy shit!"
Mei Tisha looked at the two presidents and her mouth slightly parted, "Holy shit."
...
Water Marsh Base City, Northern Battlefield.
After flying a certain distance, An Jianyou saw the rapidly approaching phantom with wings spanning hundreds of meters, obscuring the sky. She decisively dispersed her Underworld Domain.
No profound ritualistic patterns.
No flashy ritualistic steps.
This time, she revealed her hand. In an instant, she summoned her trump card—the seven-star Anomaly 'Crimson Attire'!
Clad in crimson, of unparalleled beauty.
Floating under the night sky, three thousand red silks cascaded down.
In the cold wind, her crimson attire fluttered, and before the tide, her sleeves danced.
Her form seemed capable of piercing the heavens and earth, and when compared to the sky-obscuring phantom in the distance, she did not appear small at all.
*Swish—*
The red silks, like blood, fluttered out, instantly transforming into a colossal red wall, sweeping towards the true form of the Black-Winged Myth beneath the colossal phantom.
"A seven-star Anomaly?"
The Black-Winged Myth's eyes narrowed. "I thought this trip would be easy money. I didn't expect this. Well..."
He was no longer so surprised.
Kandra's combat automaton, humanity's army capable of rivaling myths, and now another appearance—a Blue Star human wielding a seven-star Anomaly with a mortal body. He wouldn't be surprised by any of it anymore... or so he thought! (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻!
Simply earning some extra money was vastly different from fighting at the risk of one's life.
But at this moment, he had to act.
Not for the Scarlet Emperor, but for...
"For Mother Goddess."
"Praise the Great Crimson Moon!"
His wings trembled, and he shot out of the red silk's embrace as if teleporting.
He was the fastest among the three mythical beings. Even with a low-tier mythical body, he could unleash a speed far exceeding the other two.
The Black-Winged Myth bypassed the Crimson Attire Anomaly.
His wings obscured the sky, enveloping... enveloping... where is she?
An Jianyou had already disappeared.
The world was dark and vast, with nothing. Only the Crimson Attire Anomaly, with its three thousand cascading red silks, was completely enraged.
The two sides engaged in fierce combat.
The Crimson Attire Anomaly had only recently entered the seven-star tier, and its various techniques were still immature. However, the Black-Winged Myth was merely a divine avatar, a mere wisp of divine nature. His various standards barely reached seven-Awakened, and his overall level was lower than Crimson Attire's.
After sustaining several wounds, the Crimson Attire Anomaly, and the secretly commanding An Jianyou, were gradually getting the hang of fighting a myth.
From an even match, they gradually improved, and it began to suppress the enemy.
This was the first advantage Blue Star had gained since the battle began.
The light-red puppet had been taking hits, merely holding on with its robust defense.
While the black-armored legion danced on the edge of a blade, it was clearly at a disadvantage.
Only here,
The seven-star Anomaly Crimson Attire was enveloped in thick black mist. Its crimson attire dripped blood, beautiful and ferocious. Red silks spread across the heavens and earth, gradually restricting the Black-Winged Myth, firmly maintaining the advantage.
This,
Stunned the onlookers from the Great Oases.
They had been stunned many times today, yet they still couldn't help but gasp.
The most stunned and incredulous was a silver-haired woman standing on the city wall. She had forgotten to wield her saber, simply staring blankly at the crimson attire in the distance.
Bewilderment.
Confusion.
She remembered when she first met Miss Youyou a few months ago, she was still very weak and immature, a tender and adorable newbie. At that time, An Jianyou knew very little about the Anomaly Realm and many other things.
Later, through repeated transactions, Yiyueluoxi provided Blue Star with some common-sense intelligence, and each time, she witnessed An Jianyou gradually grow stronger.
Becoming more and more composed.
Gradually, she also found her hard to see through.
However, it wasn't this exaggerated!
"I thought you were a newbie, but you turned out to be a big shot!"
"Wuwuwuwu—"
She was both shocked and extremely embarrassed.
Her cheeks flushed red, and her toes curled up involuntarily.
She couldn't help but think,
"In a few months, Miss Youyou has progressed from a newbie to being able to rival a myth. She must have paid unimaginable effort and price. Am I too lazy?"
"Yiyueluoxi, Yiyueluoxi, you need to work harder. You can't be surpassed by a newbie like Miss Youyou... by too much."
"Starting tomorrow, both clones will cultivate together!"
"Hey, hey, hey, why isn't the main body cultivating?"
...
An Jianyou did not have extensive combat experience.
Despite holding honors such as 'Anomaly Sovereign,' 'Anomaly Slayer,' and 'Gold Medal Worker of the Organization,' her battles had always involved fighting a multitude against a few, or a strong against a weak.
Like this evenly matched fight...
Red silks fluttered, sweeping past the constantly dodging Black-Winged Myth, carrying off black feathers, making the Black-Winged Myth look somewhat disheveled.
An Jianyou rarely encountered a battle of this evenly matched intensity.
Let alone this high-stakes battle today, one that concerned the fate of Blue Star.
She couldn't afford to lose.
She couldn't help but feel nervous.
However, she was already wearing the 'Senluo Mask' and was outputting at full power, augmenting Crimson Attire with her own abilities.
Continuously augmenting!
Yet, limited by An Jianyou's own level, the augmentation effect was not immediate, and it remained an evenly matched fight.
She glanced at the other two battlefields, and at the Fallen Cloud Mica, which was slowly crawling out of a giant pit.
"Dangerous, dangerous, dangerous..."
"Blue Star is too dangerous right now!"
"We can't continue like this, An Jianyou!"
She gritted her teeth, her body trembling.
She took a step out of the Underworld Domain, out of the rift between reality and the space beneath reality.
Her domain expanded.
Her arms spread open.
One giant silhouette after another emerged behind her.
Furnace Golem, Three-Headed Hellhound, Mocking Laughter Puppet, White Silk, Evil King's Demon Eye...
When the Black-Winged Myth's gaze fell upon her, she fiercely bit her molars.
"Non-Human Form, activate!"
Time seemed to stop, and space seemed to freeze.
In this instant, her awakened abilities linked to the Anomalies. These Anomaly babies successively transformed into black shadows and merged into An Jianyou's petite, fragile, and slender body.
The red figure was the last to merge.
Instantly,
"Buzz—"
It was as if a demon god had awakened.
A third eye grew on An Jianyou's forehead, a large, bizarre eyeball embedded in her forehead.
At the same time,
"Pfft—"
Like the sound of tearing cloth, thick black arms, each two to three meters long, grew out from behind An Jianyou. Four arms were arranged on each side. These black arms were covered with patterns, with energy flowing between them. The palms of the newly grown black arms also split open with large eyeballs.
Deep blue flames ignited around her body.
Her soft black hair instantly turned white, like strands of white silk.
She was then clad in a red wedding dress, her skirt cascading down like a waterfall from the heavens, flowing from hundreds of meters high to the ground, like a red carpet, like a red river, like a sea of blood!
A phantom, illusory crown woven from various colors appeared and slowly descended.
An Jianyou—Non-Human Form—Nine Anomalies Combined Complete...
Myriad Illusions of the Underworld, An Jianyou!
A bloody tear mole appeared on her cheek. She let out a light laugh, her laughter like the cold wind blowing from the deepest pits of hell, blowing out the ultimate fear in people's hearts.
Even the Black-Winged Myth felt a trace of fear at this moment.
Fused Anomalies, and fused with a seven-star Anomaly?
Even they, the servants of the Mother Goddess, dared not attempt such a feat.
As this thought arose, the Black-Winged Myth had no time to ponder further. The alluring and terrifying Blue Star woman had already appeared before him, her red silks shooting out like lightning.
He dodged.
White hair like silk.
He dodged.
Terrible幽光 shot out from the black arms.
He dodged again.
Black arms shot through the air, bombarding him.
He dodged, dodged, dodged... he couldn't dodge anymore!
A black fist struck a black wing that had no time to dodge, *boom*, shattering dozens of black feathers, causing the Black-Winged Myth's entire form to falter.
In an instant, An Jianyou, who had merged with the combat instincts of nine Anomalies, seized the opportunity.
Her red silks wrapped around the Black-Winged Myth's left leg.
She yanked it back.
The Black-Winged Myth fought fiercely, desperately, but at this moment, An Jianyou was even fiercer. She completely disregarded her own injuries, or rather, she exchanged injuries with her 'inhuman body' in its non-human form.
She seized the opportunity.
Fist after fist, *Ora Ora*! Her fists ignited with deep blue flames, the red silk like satin dripping blood, the blood seeping in.
The battle ensued dozens of rounds in an instant.
An Jianyou pummeled the Black-Winged Myth dozens of times!
The audience outside the battlefield could not discern all the details. They could only see a giant ball of red silk suspended in mid-air. The red silk spun, and within it, thunderous roars could be heard.
After a while,
No, it was only a blink of an eye at most.
The giant ball of red silk plummeted down, a true meteorite hitting the Earth, crashing at the horizon far from the base city, even plunging into the Anomaly Realm hidden beneath reality.
Pulling back and forth.
Crashing down repeatedly!
The earth shook incessantly, and streaks of red silk were raised.
A girl with giant hands, monstrous eyes, an alluring red attire, and white hair stood on the broken body of the Black-Winged Myth, sticking out her tongue... licking the bloodstains from the corner of her mouth.
"Hohohohoho..."
Looking at the struggling, blood-covered Black-Winged Myth, the girl let out a cruel smile.
Red silks and white ribbons wrapped around her giant hands, and she struck down.
*Boom—*
Golden-red blood sprayed out, like a torrential downpour, drenching the girl.
She smiled.
Bathed in the crimson moonlight, standing amidst a field of wreckage, she was not a mortal challenging a myth, but...
The only demon tonight!
---
(Author's note: A two-in-one chapter of over seven thousand characters. Requesting votes at the beginning of the month! ~!)