A bit too raucously, while I take stock of results.

Despite exhaustion-returning triumphant puts moods through the roof. There are some disgruntled whispers-some less savory ones had really been hoping they'd get to sack the place to make up for the farms surely not in the best of shape without their attendance. Those, however, are drowned out by ones who were glad the business was over with-and they'd be home soon enough! Reserves of the normal weak **** that formed much of their drink are replaced by open usage of more potent stuff that came from stockpiles of previously-hidden still setups, and there was much raucous noise and drinking, and tales of battlefield exploits told in stories. Heck, I assume some of them were even true!

Me? I didn't have much interest in that. Despite my part in this, I was never one for celebrating my achievements. Frankly, a life time ago, it was only familial obligation that made me show up to any of my graduations. I was also a bit ill from all the casting from my life when I was mass-reanimating-needed to root myself down somewhere nice and moist to get back in top condition. Fortunately, I had just the place to go to do so-with much of the people caught up in the celebrations, or just packing up in anticipation of moving out, my corner was quieter than normal-a perfect place to return to. Ah-good to have my roots back somewhere with fresh water-helps get the odd feeling of the more blood-laced ground out of them.

And most importantly, time for some focus and self-reflection let me take stock of all the improvements I'd gotten. The first few levels came from merely screwing around with some peasants, and now a major battle had been won with considerable help from me. Fighting against diminishing returns, I still had a good haul. Two levels in each monstrous class, and one in my priestly one. Anticipation at the Evolution for my mystic nature made me a bit giddy, but it seemed that it was not forthcoming yet. I probably hadn't moved enough in any direction for a choice to be made.

The two levels in Animate Dead added ghouls and ghasts to the skeletons and zombies that skill could raise. A useful upgrade, if not the one I would have gone for. Something to make that kind of mass-animation cheaper would be preferred. Ah well, always next skill.

Much more excitably to me was the new stuff I had gained. While I'd need to practice up my casting a bit before my next set of synergies and whatever my next magic bonus would be, I still had a pair of new skills from going over level 6 from my more monstrous side-seemed hard to raise those two out of sync with each other.

Consume(Living Wall)(Level 1)-Make an endurance-based attack to damage any Assimilated target from the inside, bypassing many forms of protection against external attacks.

Compost(Assassin Vine)(Level 1)-Rapidly consume a corpse with your roots, breaking it down into HP and MP, leaving only small pile of worthless dust behind.

My assassin vine skills continue to appear to think I'm some sort of stealthy creature, while my living wall skills continue to let me use normally defensive stats for attacks-letting my take advantage of of my sheer resilience. One good hit, and now not only are they grabbed, but they're open up for an armor-piercing attack. Trying to not look the gift horse too in the mouth here, but I definitely know which seems more handy.