The next day, the wind rose.

Only when Huai Shi pushed open the stone doors of the Temple did he realize the mournful wail of the wind outside was no illusion. It roared like a passing hurricane, yet lacked the suffocating force of a storm. Streaks of grey-black wind pierced the air, swirling wantonly, countless tendrils spreading between heaven and earth. They were like drops of ink in a vat of water, refusing to disperse. Only when those grey-black wisps of wind landed on Huai Shi's shell did he feel a bone-chilling cold and hear a sharp clang, like the clash of an axe against a blade.

Sparks flew. This was the Stagnant Tide.

It was exactly as described in the internal documents of the Astronomical Society, listed alongside phenomena like the Burning Wind, Grey Rain, and Flameless Fire as one of Hell's meteorological events.

There was no doubt the Depth here had increased significantly, even faster than anticipated. Otherwise, such a celestial phenomenon, caused by an excessive density of Abyssal sediment, would not have formed.

When Huai Shi reached the top of the city wall, he could not help but gasp. In the rift valley below, crimson flowers had bloomed at some unknown point, covering the ground.

Countless thorny vines, like writhing reptiles, grew from the mud. They coiled around the corpses, stirring restlessly as if overcome by an insatiable hunger. The flowers, known to Scholars as Abyss Lilies, were in vibrant full bloom, their cloyingly sweet and nauseating fragrance diffusing through the air.

Huai Shi held his breath and stepped back slightly. He no longer possessed that poison-resistant body; without the Mountain Ghost Stigma, it was best to stay as far away from such a potent hallucinogen as possible.

Alerted by Huai Shi, the Great Spirits of the Lizard Men naturally understood the danger. However, some other Giant Beasts, oblivious to the peril, had already had the misfortune of falling into the chasm. Before long, the thorns had sucked them dry, reducing them to withered husks.

Countless patches of dark green moss, resembling twisted faces, crept up from the mud, slowly scaling the edge of the city wall. Huai Shi spat towards them, and a sizzling, mournful sound came from the molten iron he'd expectorated. The moss recoiled like a living creature and did not venture closer.

What the hell?

Huai Shi surveyed the grim scene, his eyes widening in disbelief.

Overnight, the Depth of the Witch's Night had officially plunged to the average level of the surface layers of Hell—specifically, [Depth 1]. This place was no longer a Domain where ordinary Current Circumstances Creatures could survive. It had become an even more bizarre and perilous realm of torment.

By the looks of it, today's struggle would likely be even fiercer than anticipated. Huai Shi certainly couldn't spot many Giant Beasts capable of strolling around unscathed down below. It's like starting in a poison zone, taking damage the moment you enter. How are we supposed to fight?

Amidst the silence, however, Huai Shi heard furtive footsteps carried on the wind.

From behind a tower on the city wall, out of shadows unseen from the outside, two figures slowly emerged. One was a hunched, elderly man, his face bearing beastly features, with long, pointed ears. It was hard to tell if he was an Elf or some kind of donkey-man creature. The other was Emperor Penguin Twin Moon.

"Wait." Perceiving the unfriendly gazes of the other Giant Beasts, Twin Moon was the first to raise his short flippers. "We've come to negotiate!"

"Sorry, but we don't make a habit of negotiating with kidnappers here." Ignoring the fact that the opposing party didn't even have hostages, Huai Shi subconsciously inhaled sharply, just as a torrent of words erupted from Twin Moon's beak.

"Hold on! At least let me finish. Haven't you noticed the Depth is increasing a bit too quickly? Or have Jonathan and Antowan not sensed anything amiss?"

Antowan was also a Scholar of the Astronomical Society. He was the Giant Bird with whom Huai Shi was at least vaguely acquainted—the one with an entire tree growing from its back, making the bird look thoroughly green and, for some reason, exceptionally pitiful.

Hearing this, Jonathan and Antowan exchanged a glance. Jonathan gestured to Huai Shi, the meaning clear: Wait a moment, let him finish before you blast him...

Reluctantly, Huai Shi held his breath. Only a single, searing hot metallic spark escaped from between his clenched teeth.

"What are you trying to say?" Giant Bird Antowan asked.

"We're falling behind," Twin Moon stated bluntly. "I've calculated that, given the current pace of the Eternal War and our rate of Metamorphosis, we simply cannot keep up with this speed of Depth increase. One slow step means every subsequent step will also be slow. If we don't evolve to a level where we can survive in Hell before then, the coming disasters will only become increasingly difficult to endure. Don't rush to object. I've uploaded all the arguments and data to the forum group for everyone to see. You can verify for yourselves whether I'm mistaken."

He took a step back, raising his two short flippers to show he had no intention of attacking, and waited for their response.

Matters of scholarship were beyond Huai Shi's concern. While they reviewed Twin Moon's paper, he simply sat down to await the outcome.

Then, he saw the expressions on Jonathan and the others grow increasingly grim. Clearly, there was merit to what Twin Moon had said. The situation had grown so dire it was beyond their control. Moreover, the Abyssal transformation occurring here was plain for all to see.

The increase in Depth only seemed to be accelerating. In the end, no one knew what kind of hellish place this would become. Regardless, it was certainly no Paradise for nurturing life; rather, it was a Hell fit for Evil Spirits.

Once Jonathan and Antowan finished their calculations and verified his observational data, Emperor Penguin Twin Moon spoke again.

"Barring any further incidents, based on the original number of Great Spirits, we should have had at least five Explorers advance to the point of being able to use a Divine Body. However, after yesterday's whale attack, at least forty Explorers were swallowed whole. Our potential count has plummeted from 5.4 to 3.7."

In other words, there are too many wolves and not enough meat. Even for a deadly free-for-all meant to leave only the strongest, you need raw materials. With dwindling numbers, as the PVP continues, fewer will get their 'chicken dinner.' The once ample numbers have suffered a huge blow after a single, casual attack by the Doomsday Whale. Meanwhile, the environment continues to deteriorate at an accelerating pace, and this winter seems far longer than anticipated.

The Great Spirits of the Lizard Men exchanged glances. Huai Shi was the first to ask, "You've come to negotiate. What about?"

"Time is short, so let's be direct," Emperor Penguin Twin Moon proposed. "Our two sides should ally, concentrate our Firepower, and move quickly to eliminate the Dog-headed Man's kingdom first. They currently have the fewest remaining Great Spirits—only fourteen. You can have all the kills; we only want the Divine Body."

Huai Shi snorted derisively and rolled his eyes. "You're dreaming."

"We can even split the kills and the Divine Body fifty-fifty; the specific distribution is up to you. However, regardless of the division, our share cannot be less than fifty percent." Emperor Penguin Twin Moon laid out his bottom line clearly from the start. "If it's not a win-win, then mutual destruction is still advantageous for us. Please consider that carefully."

"Enough talk. In the end, it'll come down to who's more capable." Huai Shi casually spat a glob of molten iron over the city wall and sneered, "You want an Alliance? Fine. But who's to say you won't betray us?"

Ultimately, it's an issue of trust. But problems are good; problems can be solved. The real fear is having nothing to negotiate. Clearly, they wouldn't have dared to approach without some confidence.

Emperor Penguin Twin Moon glanced behind him. The stooped elder at his back retrieved two items from his sleeve: a silk scroll and a box.

"This is a contract from the Dean of our Ancient Spirit Monastery, and a token of our sincerity," Emperor Penguin Twin Moon said, stepping back. "Our Monastery's representative wishes an audience with your King."

"In your dreams!" The High Priest finally lost his composure, glaring at them with wide eyes. "Tolerating you Heretics breathing the sacred air of our capital is already an immense sacrilege! How dare you—"

But before the High Priest could finish, cracks spiderwebbed across the flagstones of the city wall. From the earth beneath the stones, a Flesh Flower sprouted. The grotesque Flesh Flower snapped open, writhed, and swallowed the box from the elder's hand. It then swiftly closed and retracted into the ground, as if nothing at all had occurred.

Soon, a hoarse yet familiar voice resonated in everyone's ears. "I agree."

It was the King's voice.

Such a swift agreement was completely unexpected by Huai Shi. An Alliance like this, from what I recall, should take at least half a month of meetings just to reach a preliminary conclusion, shouldn't it? But desperate times called for desperate measures, and things had moved too quickly for Huai Shi to even react.

"Then, under the witness of the Nameless Lord and your God," the elder beside Emperor Penguin Twin Moon stepped forward and declared, drawing a necklace from beneath his collar—it bore a strange and eerie Holy Badge, "let our two sides temporarily lay down our arms and jointly resist external enemies. We hope that in this crucible of Doomsday, this fragile thread of life and faith may endure."

The Lizard Man High Priest fell silent for a moment, then slowly raised the Banner in his hand. As he did, the symbols of both parties seemed to connect.

Instantly, an inexplicable understanding bloomed in the hearts of the Lizard Men's Great Spirits. It was as if they could now distinguish friend from foe, able to differentiate allies within the Alliance from other Giant Beasts, even those they had never met. However, this understanding carried no binding force. In other words, adherence was entirely voluntary.

"I advise you all not to even think about backstabbing; it's not worth it." Emperor Penguin Twin Moon glanced at them, his gaze lingering on Huai Shi. "Among us, only a select few can survive alone without banding together. But if this Alliance is broken, for the vast majority, it would be tantamount to treading a path to ruin. You are all either Scholars of the Astronomical Society or invited Explorers; your experience is beyond question. I trust you all understand the stakes."

He paused, his expression turning strange and resigned. "You must understand, in these times, we aren't the only ones who know how to form alliances…"

Before his words had fully faded, the roars of countless Giant Beasts erupted from the walls of a distant city. A blood-red light soared into the sky, descending upon dozens of Great Spirits. The Blessing and empowerment from a Divine Body rained down upon them generously. Instantly, the cries of Metamorphosis echoed, rising and falling. The evolution concluded in a moment.

And these Giant Beasts, having collectively undergone another Metamorphosis thanks to this unstinting support, turned their gaze towards Huai Shi and his companions, their eyes filled with a thirst for blood.

The war had begun anew.