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Ysenia volunteers as tribute in place for her brother for a military draft. After a tearful goodbye and lots of hugging with her family, she leaves. Gurag reveals in a somewhat comforting way that, oh boy oh boy, he will be joining the military as well.

Pickled gets sent to rehab and escapes because hes paranoid that everyone is hitting on him. He goes to an Orc's bar which hes technically banned from and tries to eat a rat that crawled over his foot. Unfortunately, the rat was smarter than Pickled and escapes to taunted Pickled with the rest of his rat homies. Instinctively, Pickled goes to sniff the ass of someone in a tall chair because he has a height fetish, only to realize its one of his rehab managers and flee. Out of alcohol and hungry as fuck, Pickled tries to make alcohol out of grass only for him to get hit by a "juicy thicc horse with a fat-ass dump truck" knocking him into the ocean because physics was not invented yet.

Alastair realizes that he isn't gifted and is somewhat disappointing that his sister gets to go to school but not him. He mistakes his mother for his father as she explains why school isn't meant for him. While accompanying his sister to school, he encounters Johnny and his rich girlfriend, which mock and taunt him. Staying true to his morals, Alastair does not fight back until he is knocked to the ground by Johnny. However, Alastair is able to get back up, giving Johnny a bloody nose and becoming a symbol of resistance among the other poor children on the academy. One day, his rooster leaves him after years of unfaithful service and he is instead woken up by Dream. Alastair parent's inform him that the best way to support the family now that her sister is gone is to find a job. He obliges to this and set out on the trail that would usually go to his sister's school but ends up getting lost. He notices a broken down shack and stumbles upon Lewis Barthrock, whom he tips in exchange for a postcard and information on where to find a military recruitment center. Alastair believes that the recruitment center will give him opportunities for employment. Initially, he runs in the opposite direction of the recruitment center but soon Lewis corrects and rebukes him for his actions. In order to get a job, he decides to swim across the ocean and passes out.

Aetheus realizes that he's kinda fucked since he has been framed by Serliana for treason via murder of his father. In attempts to escape such a fate, he investigates and questions the loyalty of his last remaining concubine, Len, who, in order to prove his loyalty, throws his lavish robes into the fire. This act of loyalty is enough to convince Aetheus of his allignment, but prompts further question of what he plans to do. Len explains how he has a plan to save Aetheus. Reaching into the fire and pulling out a bottle from his now burnt clothes, Len reveals that the bottle has the correct dose of an anesthetic which will knock Aetheus out for a long enough time to sake his death. Furthermore, Len casts a spell on Aetheus which will change his face after he "dies." Out of the corner of his eye, Aetheus sees a nurse who seems to be cleaning up Aetheus's belongings. Curious of someone else in the room, Aetheus approaches the nurse who promptly stabs him. Aetheus falls to the floor; yet, instead of landing on it, he phases through it and ends up in the Void. In the distance, he sees the silhouette of a child holding a brick. The child reveals that they are exist to cause chaos in reality. After the child snaps, Aetheus wakes up, naked, in Hot Topic. A surprised worker, Mark, yells to his boss of the random man lying naked in the changing room. His boss nonchalantly replies that this is a frequent occurrence and offers Aetheus a set of clothes and a job. The boss reveals that his name is Cody and that the Hot Topic is actually a front for a drug operation the store is running. Cody gestures to the front door, revealing a group of youthful looking vampire, who all look to be smoking hand-rolled cigars of some sort. That moment, a vampire with purple side-swept hair wearing a "My Clerical Romance" shirt walks in. Instinctively, Aetheus goes to flirt with this stranger but soon, due to the awkwardness between them, decides to stop.

Dino and Haku have decided that Loki's lifespan is ephemeral compared to theirs unanimously agree that it would be best for him to go on his own journey than to stay with them any longer. This topic is brought up over a meal of human and livestock flesh provided by Dino. Loki realizes that this is probably true; after all he has grown up so much yet his dragon guardians have shown no sign of aging. Dino and Haku soon leave the den, flying beyond the horizon into some wilderness leaving Loki alone and unable to chase them down, even if he wanted to. Loki decides to visit Aventus, the man whom he treats as a boss and a close friend. Aventus tells Loki of a threat that looms over the forest in which he resides: the destruction of nature and land in order to produce drugs. He then points to two tattered pictures of individuals he believes to behind this drug operation, secured to the wall with knives. Unable to leave the forest due to his curse, Aventus tells Loki of the hit job he wants to carry out. Loki complies out of respect for his master, but also shows interest regarding the drugs. Aventus is reluctant to tell him more and instead gives him a bag which he is instructed to open later. Loki, thinking the bag is full of drugs, is satisfied with this response and heads out. In the nearest village, Loki enters a store run by Ysenia Barthrock and smiles aggressively at her. This is quick to give away the fact that Loki is not from the region, nor is he well acquainted with society. Nevertheless, Ysenia tells Loki about her failing business and relationship with her husband. Loki, unable to buy anything from her because his lack of money, apologizes for wasting her time. Before he leaves, Ysenia reaches into a bin of crumpled divorce papers and takes out one of her husband's post cards, giving it to Loki in case it might aid him in his travels. Loki arrives late to the harbor where he was supposed to meet Aventus's acquaintance, Atreus. Atreus is visibly pissed due to Loki's late time of arrival but understands because "crime is never something that arrives when you expect it to." Atreus tells Loki that the users of the drugs are mainly vampires but he doesn't know much else; he hints that there may be a base of operation on an island with a Hot Topic on it.

Before the sun rises, Parth is woken up by the sheep and rushes to the Manor in order to make morning preparations for Zayan. After cleaning much of his quarters and preparing his clothes, she enters Zayan's room to ask him what he would like for breakfast. Expecting Zayan to start screaming when she enters, she is instead met with Zayan solemnly looking out the window. When he notices Parth in the door way, he demands to know "where the fuck [his] squid ink pasta" before throwing an empty beer bottle at her. Parth flees the scene heading for the kitchen but then remembering the manor was out of squid ink. While looking for squid ink, Parth overhears two maids talking about the upcoming party tonight which will set off Zayan's new business plans. She ignores this and continues to look for squid ink and then prepare the dish before serving it serving it to a now berating Zayan. The night of the party finally arrives, and piques Parth's interest enough for her to snoop through the man. Among the crowd of guests, two noblemen are chatting about how Zayan's recent business ventures have all flunked and doubt if he can turn it around especially since Kraiyasa is nowhere to be seen. Parth notices a shadow flicker in the end of a dimly lit hallway and decides to investigate. Turning the corner, she doesn't see anyone but instead finds a rudimentary bomb on the ground. She flees out of self-preservation and barely manages to escape the manor before it bursts into flames. She turns to the sheep shed, which is now empty except for Tyrone, who appears to be staring into the flames and waiting for her. She escapes on Tyrone, sneaking onto a boat and which is headed towards the mainland. She hid with Tyrone in a cabbage storage compartment, where she learns that the military can offer a new life via two luggage movers. Without any other options, Parth gets off the boat and decides to maybe give this military thing a shot.

Novem fails to sell drugs and is called into a meeting by a drug lord who is only refereed to as "Seven." Suprisingly, his sister figure, Septav, is also there and offers a way to make up for Novem's actions. Seven reveals that in a recent exchange, the post cards he ordered to keep track of deals were actual postcards with no codes on it whatsoever. In order to allow Novem to make up for his deeds, Seven sends him to Hot Topic to make sure the drugs are moved safely.