"CAWWW! CAWWW!" [Con the Crow] squawked.
"[Daily Candy]!" [Nero] screamed as he desperately flung himself from the bed.
Okay... I need to stay awake. I have a Candy Man to go and visit. It's early in the morning… But he's just going to need to deal with it. It's not my fault that he refuses to work nights. I need a nightly Candy Man. Preferably, a high level one. Oh? Suddenly, I heard thunder. Is it… Raining? Like… Bad? Oh well~ Getting up, I made my way to the Kitchen via Broom before ripping my hat off and smacking that tap on. Washing my hair as I kept track of the drain, I probably spent around half an hour bent up against that sink. I'm excited to finally have bathtubs. I'll have one by the time that I return. If I return, that is. I'm going on an adventure. I'm bringing some of my favorite people, and we're going on a life or death journey through a genuinely haunted house. It's going to be fun.
"Hoho~ Nero's awake…?" [Kendra the Kistune] laughed as she jump scared a particular True Halloween Cat.
"Nyah!" [Nero] screamed before turning his head and meeting eyes with the Kitsune.
"Kendra…" [Nero] sighed.
"Nero…" [Kendra] sighed, mockingly as she raised a tail to meet her mouth.
"How do you do that?" [Nero] begged the question.
"...Do what?" [Kendra] asked with a hint of curiosity.
"Bend your tails how you wish." [Nero] replied bluntly as he began to carefully remove his own tails from the depths of his pants, showing that they seemed to do whatever they wished.
"Oh… You need to train them." [Kendra] replied as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"...But how?" [Nero] asked with eyes wide.
"…It's easiest when you're relaxed. If you spend enough time relaxing, and trying to move them one at a time… You'll slowly begin to learn how to move more of them as you desire." [Kendra the Four Tailed Kitsune] explained with a tone of indifference. To which, the Catkin sighed.
"Anyways~ I wanted to ask something of you." [Kendra] continued on to mention with a smile.
"Oh? And what would that be?" [Nero] asked with a flat look.
"What's your story?" [Kendra] begged the question, as she glared at the Witch of War.
"U-Uhm…" [Nero] let out with eyes wide, only to be brutally interrupted.
"I was wondering where you went off to, Kendra… Harassing the Halloween Cat, are we?" [Lillian the Leshi] chimed in as she entered through the door.
"Oh, Lillian..." [Kendra] sighed before continuing.
"You came at the perfect time~" [Kendra] laughed before turning to face the Halloween Cat once more.
"For what, I wonder…" [Lillian] sighed with a tone of indifference as she took a stand near the ovens.
"...I had a dream... I was but an ordinary event planner with a knack for clothing. I held parties, and provided a space for others to share in happiness. I did it all, with the help of my friend… When I woke, I was met with a man who had asked me to do it all over again… But with more friends, more clothing, and more events..." [Nero] explained with a weak smile.
"This is getting good. I can feel it." [Kendra] chimed in as she slowly munched on a raw Fish.
"In order to spread the most happiness… It appears that I'll need to become a hero of sorts… And have a child to carry on my legacy. To become a hero, I'll explore every end of this realm, saving them from catastrophe… I, or my kin will be the most influential Halloween Cat to have ever lived… And we will do it through kindness." [Nero] explained as he went to fetch his thrown pilot cap.
"Interesting…" [Lillian] remarked before she sipped on a glass of water.
"I mean… Kind of. I wish there was more love and grit involved in the story." [Kendra] exclaimed as she flailed around a Fish bone with a tone of indifference.
"I'm sorry?! Would you have preferred that I lied?!" [Nero] shouted, exasperated.
"Honestly? Yes." [Kendra] sighed.
"Whatever… I have a Candy Man to go and visit. I'll see you in a week." [Nero] groaned as he waved off to the two creatures, leaving the room.
"Good luck." [Lillian] replied with a smile.
"Die and leave Cetilla to rule us! It will probably be a better story by then~" [Kendra] sneered.
Yikes… Kendra is totally rooting for the Days of the Dutchess. Guys… Cetilla isn't that competant, I swear! She has no Windy Keep to shelter you! Then again, she's still one of the two most powerful individuals here… She might even surpass the Cheetahkin Woman due to this adventure. Cetilla would probably win in the Tournament of Night… She could genuinely be the next hero, but she's… She's totally unreliable. She just wants to go off on adventures right meow. She totally leaves all the hard stuff to me. Adventuring is easy, right?! Mummy Mansion? More like Dummy Dancin'. Simpleton stuff. Easy, breezy… Beautiful, experience points. Absolutely, free of charge. Almost. There's one catch. If I enter, I can't freaking leave for a whole 7 days. On the dot. That's ridiculous. Could you imagine walking into a game's Dungeon and then being told that you can't log out for a whole week just because you showed up?! Wild. I was thinking such things as I returned to my Treasure Room, and obtained the empty candy bags. One of them holds my Gold Coins, while the other is entirely empty. Remembering that some of my Coins were also in the Coin Pouch, I decided to throw the pouch into the larger bag. I want a new bag, but one that matches my aesthetic. Violet or black, please. I won't be caught dead carrying a massive orange bag around with me. That would be ridiculous. The current ones are a green. It's not a bright green, it's pretty dark… But it's still just not the right hue. I need violet.
As I was mulling over the color of my bag, I began to make my way for Reygid. Entering the Foyer, I was surprised to see that a whole lot of the children decided to see me off. They're not outside right meow on account of the weather, it would seem. Some wished me luck, while others informed me that they would never forgive me if I didn't return. Huh… The children hath spoken. I can not die on this journey. It's too risky. They need me and stuff, or something. Frankly, I think they just need a great Fishery, a Kitchen, proper bedding, clothing, and Mary… But okay. I guess I'm here. Technically, I genuinely did provide all of the clothing for these children… But someone totally paid me for some of their clothes. They all came here while wearing Cats Costumery Clothing, but I've been giving them some extra pieces… Here and there. I can tell, because the children seem to be dressed differently each time that I see them. It's not a big difference, but they generally come around with different accessories each time. Is there some type of massive clothes bartering system going on that I'm unaware of? Whatever~ After seeing them off, I finally set out.
Ascending on my Broom, I sped through the rain as quickly as I possibly could. Many of the Lost Kingdom monsters seemed to be skipping today as well. I say that, but the Deer were totally still outside. I was surprised to see them near the Rabbit Holes, but it's probably not a very big deal. Reaching the Candy Store took me around 3 minutes, total. I wasn't going too fast, but I wasn't relaxing; either. The rain was intense. Flying through it was not fun. Each cold drop smacking me in the face as I flew quickly actually ended up dealing damage… So I started to fly slowly enough for my resistances to block the damage. It was a stressful scenario, which cost me a total of 2972 MP. Rain is dangerous. Slamming open the doors to the Candy Store as I desperately threw my drenched self through them… I came face to face with a particular Koalakin holding a nervous expression.
"I'm sorry… The order has not yet been completed." [Koalakin Candy Man] apologized sincerely as he lowered his head.
"That's fine…" [Nero] sighed before continuing.
"Tonight, I have come for a different order. I need as much Candy as I can possibly attain. I need both of these bags filled, or as much as I can afford. I'll accept different types of Candy for this order… But I would prefer to choose the least expensive pieces first. I have brought 101 Gold Coins with me, and am absolutely willing to spend it all right here and meow." [Nero] declared with a determined expression as he slammed the bags down.
"...Are you serious?" [Koalakin Candy Man] naively begged the question of the Candy Mongerer.
"Absolutely." [Nero] replied bluntly with a grin.
"O-Of course." [Koalakin Candy Man] stammered as he began to pick up the bags, and emptied the Coins onto the counter before beginning to fill the bags with varying Candies.
And so, I left the Candy Store with a total of 15 Gold Coins in my Coin Pouch, and two massive bags of Candy. I probably wiped clean over half of his store, but it's fine. He thanked me, and everything. Returning to the Rain, I quickly realized that I did not desire for my Candy to get wet… So I cancelled the Lost Kingdom gate and replaced it with a safe exit strategy. Placing the Candy down in my Treasure Room, I closed the gate before painfully returning to the waterfall to replace it. I was surprised to see that the Leopardkin family was handling the Fishing for this morning. The twin boys, their mother, and their father. It was a touching scene, but I still quickly ditched them to deal with the rain themselves. I'm going back to sleep. Wake me in time for the nightly meet and feast, Con~ Returning to my Treasure Room, I quickly took on my largest form before leaping into bed and returning to my slumber.
************
"CAWWW! CAWWW! CAWWW!" [Con the Crow] squawked loudly, awakening the sleeping Halloween Cat.
"Nyaaaaaaaaaah~" [Nero] yawned as he stretched out on his bed.
Okay. Thank you, Con. You're a blessing. It's time for Fish. Getting up, I happily began to skip along my way through the Throne Room and into the Foyer. The rain seems to have stopped, thank Janus. Turning to enter the Dining Hall, I was met with the whole gang. I don't think a single individual is missing… Wait. That Elf Woman totally left with Lemmispire. It's fine… But I'll totally be discovered as the reason for the Elven Prince's original disappearance. If he didn't gain enough power to gain the recognition of his people, I might be incapable of getting involved further without being noticed. I'll be the main suspect! With adequate reasoning!
Sighing as I took my seat, the others seemed to be talking about their excitement for the adventure. Well… It feels like they're actually boasting about having the chance to go, while the others are all stuck playing defense. Is Cetilla… TRYING to piss off the Tier 11 Cheetahkin?! Molag! Don't assist her in this madness! Oh? Cetilla's using the fan hack on me… Oh… Wendel is singing opera… The Fish… It's calling for me… That steamy smell of roasted Fish… It's devouring my senses… The way it glistens, under the mystery seasoning… Suddenly, the spice shaker was nudged in front of me by a particular Lich… It's happening. Grabbing it, I added a dash more spice, and watched as it sizzled into those hot… Steamy, slabs of meat… Bringing my knife down to meet the top of a slab… I began to slowly cut the cake into pieces… The berry? I had special intentions for that sucker… I made sure to squash it with my knife, masterfully… As I had witnessed a particular Leshi doing so the night before. After squashing the berry, its juices spread around the plate… Creating a puddle of goodness, changing the scent of my meal indefinitely… Replacing it with a much sweeter smell. Stabbing a piece of that juicy, well cooked Fish, I separated it from the pack before rubbing it around in the puddle and finally bringing it to my mouth. The first taste… It engulfed my mouth, my tongue… It tingled as I chewed the delicacy for a solid minute, swashing around the juices and relishing in the flavor before finally swallowing... Doki~ Doki~
Moving in for the second bite, I took a piece that was originally closer to the middle of the Fish. I repeated my measures of swashing around the piece in the puddle… And slowly brought it to my mouth as I glared at it. The juices, slowly dripped down from the piece until I finally devoured it whole… And allowed the piece to melt in my mouth without even chewing… It broke apart on its own, and as it did so… The berry infected each new piece of untouched Fish, and I was bestowed with the blessing of experiencing it all with my tongue. If the big bang's impact on existence had a taste, it would be this berry's impact on this common Fish. It's too much. It's everything that I never knew I needed… And more. If it weren't for that glorious Chef Catkin, Mary… I would never have had the chance to experience this occasion. Giving her a thumbs up for a short moment as I swallowed my second bite… I returned to my meal, taking another scent… How did it come down to this? I could never leave you… Common Fish. No one else could ever love you the way I love you… It's something only a Fish Mongerer could do, my dearest… Taking the next piece, I brought it to my mouth and relished in every moment of it. Wendel's performance was exceptional. Almost as exceptional as the Fish itself. Cetilla's display of being willing to share in her happiness with a friend was commendable. I'm so thankful, for this moment right meow.
NYEOW~ Where were we?! Oh, yes… That's right, you… How could I forget? I love the way you lay there, waiting for me… Effortlessly, giving off the most seductive pheromones known to Cat… It's not even possible, the way you do the things that you do when you do them to me that way… It might as well be illegal, the way you walk right into my life and sweep me off my feet… Every... Single... Time… You do things to me that no one else can do, common Fish… I was thinking such things as I chewed on the crispy edge pieces of my meal… Attempting to earn my way into the inner depths of her perfection. The taste, was relentless. Challenging me, every step I took… Pleading of me, to give it my full attention and begging me the question of my aspiration in life. It was a good question. That beautiful Fish of mine, always asking the hard hitting questions as I devour her… Bit by bit. Piece by piece, she disappeared into the depths of lips… Until I was left with a sobering moment. She's gone. She's left me… Oh~ Never mind, she'll always be with me. In here. She'll stay with me all week, as I won't be sleeping or eating anything aside from Candy. Thank you, for the meal. I will cherish you, always. My only hope, is that the taste of your body has not left my tongue by the time that midnight comes.
Regaining my senses, it would appear that mostly everyone has left the Dining Hall… Except the Catkin, the Weeping Angel, and the participants to a very heated discussion that has apparently continued on throughout my entire meal. The Cheetahkin and Cetilla are still going at it, while Molag is totally relishing in the moment. That guy… After trying to break up the fight, I was brutally slammed across the table by a particularly heavy gust of wind, before a particular piece of the chandelier began to fall on me… I panicked.
************
Opening my eyes… It would appear that I've been ditched in the Dining Hall. I'm laying on my back, on the table… And there's no one else even here. Ouch. Getting back up, I found my Broom, Lantern, and made my way outside to find that it's the dead of night. The night crew have commandeered the fireplace, and it seems as though everyone's getting along. The Cheetahkin and Cetilla still aren't looking at each other, but they aren't avidly fighting each other any longer. It all worked out, but to my own detriment? Whatever… It's probably just about time to go, anyways. Taking the three desired individuals aside, I began to lead them to the Treasure Room. Hobgoblin Samurai Punk, Budget Shark, and Cetilla Vellisroi. It's time to go. After leading the party to my room, I informed them that I could easily carry the two larger bags to Reygid… But that I would need help carrying the 49 buckets. Budget Shark is getting a free pass, on account of not possessing arms any longer… But Cetilla and Hobgoblin Samurai Punk are totally carrying 24 buckets each. Hobgoblin Samurai Punk is awkwardly riding Budget Shark, while Cetilla is sitting behind me on my Broom. We took our time reaching Reygid, we probably spent around twenty minutes just getting to the Beastkin Kingdom. The gates were actually occupied this time by Kingdom Knights… But they were too frightened to deal with us. The Witch of Night and the Dutchess of Doom have arrived. It's a thing. We both have names meow, I heard it. After asking her about it, I learned that she had always been called that. It's something that she's been called long before having met me. Cetilla has quite the reputation, it would appear.
On arrival to the Mummy Mansion, I found that it was seriously out of place and kind of hated myself for not having noticed it sooner. It looks as though it may have been cut and pasted directly from my Halloween Town, but it's more extravagant of a home than any of the homes within my Town. It's a suspiciously small building, but it totally appears to be a mansion. It's unsettling. The door to it is regularly sized, but the rest of it does not appear that way. At the top of the Mansion is a suspiciously large clock, and it would appear that we're roughly two hours early. The Mansion is built of a mix between bricks, that are all black… And wood that seems quite weathered. The windows are glass, but appear shattered. There are cobwebs surrounding the edges of the building, and the grass nearby it is definitely dead. There is genuinely toilet paper in strands across the black shingled roof… And this entire Mansion is basically just down the street from the Candy Store. I could cry.
Well~ With two hours to spare, we decided to drop in at the Adventurer Guild. We came for alcohol. I'll be damned if we're stepping into that horror without at least being slightly buzzed. We need to take the edge off. We're currently at a table with Rudou and a particular Foxwoman, joined by some Pigkin who I had never encountered. They're all wealthy, and we're all looking for a good time tonight. While we were there, we spent our time going over a number of topics. We started with introductions, obviously. That led to Cetilla and the Foxwoman going off on their own topics of discussion. They were talking about the Vellisroi family at first, but continued on to talk about the beautiful Diamond Ring adorning Cetilla's finger… While Hobgoblin Samurai Punk and Budget Shark both took the Pigkin's time. They were talking about the Mummy Mansion and what one might expect. Apparently, the Pigkin spent time as an adventurer back in his prime, before settling down. He had some things to say on the matter, but I was more or less just talking to Rudou. I was asking him all about trading overseas, and requesting that he put more of a priority on attaining sugary ingredients for the Koalakin Candy Man to purchase. He informed me that he had already been in the process with helping the Koalakin Candy Man with procuring his ingredients. There's absolutely nothing I can do, as Rudou is limited by the amount of cargo he can bring to and from this continent with his current means of safe travel. I think that I might be able to help with all of that, but it's not something that I can do unless I survive the Mummy Mansion. It is what it is. I'll leave negotiations for another night. It's not as though I can afford much more Candy right meow regardless~
Ditching the business mood, I decided to relax and make the most of my current moment. Looking around, everyone else is having a good time… So I might as well. They seem to have ditched the topic of the Mummy Mansion and are meow talking about Dragons. Yep. A wonderfully random change of pace. Budget Shark is feeling somewhat regretful for ditching his Dragon side, and turning towards Sharks… And it's comical to witness him drinking. He delicately lifts his glass with his razer sharp teeth, before throwing his head back so fast that the alcohol does not leak before it all slams down into his mouth. He's been forced into a shot taking mentality, regardless of how large his glass is. The Pigkin thinks he might be jealous, and was saying something about feeling as though his arms had been being just wasted space lately… He wants to essentially be a trash disposal in which food endlessly is barraged into his mouth as well… Budget Shark is totally already a trash disposal. He's living the life that this Pigkin yearns for. I… I don't even know which one of these individuals I find to be more idiotic.
Looking around the establishment… Hobgoblin Samurai Punk seems to have went off to the bar, probably to get us more drinks. I can see him talking to the Bartender. I'll go and help. Oi… Wait a second! I recognize this Bartender! He's that one blue feathered Birdman who I met the first time that I came here! We've come full circle… That was so long ago, it seems. So much has happened since then~ He recognized me and everything! I'm famous around these parts meow, I'll have you know. Hobgoblin Samurai Punk doesn't seem to be looking very happy, though… Is he getting the pre-battle jitters? It's okay to back down, you know...
"Hoping for more details on fellow Catkin?" [Birdman Bartender] asked with a smile.
"Nah~ I have a list meow. It's nice to see you. Can I get another round for my friend and I here?" [Nero] replied with a smile as he took a seat beside the Hobgoblin.
"Sure. Got any preferences?" [Birdman Bartender] replied with a grin. To which, the Catkin simply shook his head with a smile before turning to face the Hobgoblin.
"You feeling okay?" [Nero] begged the question as he removed his aviators and placed them on the counter. To which, the Hobgoblin returned a surprised glance.
"...Yeah." [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] sighed with a cracking voice as he regained his composure.
"Do you want to talk about it?" [Nero] asked with a smile as he accepted the two cups from the Birdman and nudged one towards the Hobgoblin before taking a sip of his own.
"...Don't die, okay?" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] slowly said with a smile as he lift his own cup to drink from it.
"I won't. Also, if you feel frightened of the quest… Please do not hesitate to back down and return to the Wailing Keep. You won't might not get another chance to turn back from it, so..." [Nero] replied with a look of uncertainty before being interrupted.
"I'm staying. If you die here, there won't even be a Wailing Keep to return to. The others are all counting on us to keep you alive." [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] declared with a look of determination.
"I think the Kitsune might actually be hoping that I perish and leave Cetilla to manage things." [Nero] burst out laughing.
"...Please don't." [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] muttered as if he had already faced too much trauma from his encounter with having her lead him through the Orc Mountains.
"Very well~" [Nero] sighed as he nonchalantly shrugged with a smile.
"Nero… What if I die before ever encountering another Hobgoblin?" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] begged the question as he held a dejected expression.
"You brought it upon yourself by choosing to Evolve into a Hobgoblin... What can I say? Also, you may be capable of mating with Goblins…" [Nero] replied before taking another swig of his cup. To which, the Hobgoblin only sighed as he shook his head while glaring down at his own cup.
"Relax~ I'm sure that it will work out fine. You have [Appraisal], the godlike ability to be capable of viewing anyone's race. If there are other Hobgoblins out there, you'll find them. Stick with me, and I'll show you the world if we don't die in that dastardly appealing Mansion." [Nero] continued on with a carefree attitude as he swung around his cup dramatically.
"...If we don't die in that dastardly appealing Mansion, he says…" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] quoted the Halloween Cat while groaning and rolling his eyes.
"What?" [Nero] let out, flabbergasted.
"You would live there?!" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] shot back with an exasperated look on his face.
"Uhm… Hello? Have you witnessed the Wailing Keep? Who knows?! Maybe it will be exceeding extravagant when we get in there. Honestly… Worst case scenario, that place just needs a good spring cleaning. Genuinely, if time stops while we're in there… It might even be the most safe place for me to spend my time. I'm slowly dying due to Time Magic, after all. It's literally impregnable unless someone happens to enter at the same time as I do. I could theoretically claim dominion over a certain time slot within that Dungeon, clean it up… And live there." [Nero] casually explained while he ordered another round from the Bartender. To which, the Hobgoblin only returned an astonished look.
"...But… Many of the residents currently within the Wailing Keep would never survive there… Even if you cleaned it up, it would still have high level monsters arriving all the time trying to kill everyone." [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] shot back after a long moment of silence.
"...Meh." [Nero] shrugged before taking a sip of his new cup.
"If I choose the right time slot, then the monsters might not be challenging enough to actually harm the residents. On the other hand, I still totally desire to build a Village or two within the Lost Kingdom. But think about it this way… If the actual Goblin Villagers go into the Dungeon at the weakest possible time slot… We could potentially grant them all a relatively safe means to not be starving… And to be training. It's fine to have Monster Knights, but there's absolutely no reason for the general populace of Harpies and Goblins to have such a low Tier. We need them to be stronger if we hope for the Monster Kingdom to ever truly happen again. We need a Kingdom, not a Militia." [Nero] explained while whispering to the Hobgoblin.
"Why do the Villagers even need to be stronger if they have the Monster Knights, though?" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] begged the question with a stupefied look.
"Look... When the Orcs invaded us, we were lucky. It was a festival, and most of the Goblins were already safe within our grasp. On top of that, the Orcs were mostly aiming for the Wailing Keep, which made it far easier to defend. If an army comes and we happen to not even notice it until it's closing in on us… And we aren't currently holding a festival… It's going to become very challenging to save all of the Goblins. Especially if the attack is aimed at the Village rather than the Keep. What if I'm not even there when it happens? You'll have no Hallowed Gates to help evacuate the Goblins, so if you fail in battle… There's no means of escape for the Goblins who you happened to save. They will literally all fall right into the enemy's hands immediately, because none of them can protect themselves whatsoever. What's to happen then? Do you think that they will spare the innocent Goblin populace? Those Goblins need a higher Tier so that they can at least defend themselves in the event that we don't make it on time. As do the Harpies. Some of them might even be capable of becoming Monster Knights if they try hard enough in the Dungeon… Don't you think that we owe it the civilians to give them a means of training to become a Monster Knight? Also, if it's just one time per week or even longer depending on how long they choose to stay within the Dungeon… Before sending them off, we can afford to feed them. They won't be struggling for food, for an entire week. They won't even age. All that they need to do is learn how to combat the monsters within the Dungeon. They don't even need to do it alone, they can go in very large groups if they desire. We can even send Monster Knights to help them throughout their entire adventure." [Nero] explained after lowering his aviators and taking another swig of his drink.
"...Fine. If you can talk Goddin Village Neith Sama into it, then I have no quarrels with the idea. In any case, I think it may be time for us to get going… Wouldn't you agree?" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] exclaimed with a smile after he took one final chug of his cup.
"I would. Let's go find Cetilla and Budget Shark. Don't forget those buckets below your feet~" [Nero] replied with a smile as he began to reference the absurd amount of Candy that the two of them brought to the counter… Currently blocking several other people from sitting or walking near them.
"Ahh… How could I possibly forget?" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] sighed as he began to pick up his buckets one by one. To which, the Candy Mongerer only laughed.
And so, we obtained our two lost companions momentarily… As we were walking away, the two of them spontaneously joined us in our walking at both of our sides. As it turns out, Cetilla didn't forget her absurd amount of buckets, either. Her hair is doing that thing again... We've come with our minds in sync. We're all invested in this. There's no turning back meow~ Budget Dragon totally came while carrying a whole damned keg in his mouth, as he nonchalantly walked alongside us as though we were in a movie. I was skipping along my way with a grin on my face and my aviators atop my hat, to reveal my spectacular flame eyes. I think that a Pixie and Weeping Angel may have leapt from my Lantern at one point to initiate a [Song of Time Slow] to the chorus of 'Heads Will R*ll', which truly added to the effect as we walked up on out of that place. It was topped off by two Tier 5 Scarecrows and a Tier 5 Skeleton helping out with percussion. There was definitely a few Banshees helping to sing acapella versions of the keyboard and guitar. They were all posted near the exit, calling out to us as we made our way forth through the crowd which was instantaneously separating after noticing us as we made our way. A certain Crowli, Lich, Dark Elf, Werewolf, Corocdae, Bat, and several Vampires could be noticed sitting around a table while seemingly having the conversation of their lives. No one dared to stop us, but many slowly turned their heads to gaze in awe as we effortlessly made the most intense exit known to Beast kind. You know me, always willing to go that extra mile. Thanks, everyone. As always, a masterful performance. Right on cue. I can only imagine the sudden skyrocket in haki that we all emit by working together like that. Definitely the perfect way to announce our departure.
After leaving the building, time returned to normal and the song abruptly ended. It was intense. I noticed a light of orange flames on mass proportions returning to my Lantern as we walked. They all literally returned to Halloween as soon as we shut the doors behind us. Intense. That wasn't the only thing, though. Apparently all of my lower Tier Clansmen all came out as well, but they were outside. It's a whole lot of Scarecrows. Many people noticed the occurrence, and likely now figured it out. I was the cause of the Scarecrows disappearing. It's all in the air meow. It is known. Before, it was all rumors. Nyow? It's a frickin fact! Everyone knows… Or they will soon. The monsters were all kneeling before me after I exited the establishment, and there was a clear path forward for me to walk through… Between their ranks. You guys… You know that we have a Throne Room for this, right? Whatever… It's fine. We need an audience or the Throne Room is a waste, anyways. We should do it the next time that we hold a Festival. Yosh~
After arriving at the Mummy Mansion, we found that we were literally five minutes early. What a gamble. We almost missed it, you guys… We're reckless. We're problematic. We're brave. Relentless. We're the Cat Crew. Original cast only. No offense Rei and Milton, you're too weak right meow. Even so, those of us who actually managed to survive the first ark are comin' at you, Mummy Mansion. This is our tale. We're going to freaking win this thing, save an undeserving but stupidly wealthy Noble, and I'm going to reach Tier 10 or even higher. It's happening. I don't mind over leveling on a Dungeon, because I can literally just use the added strength against the current Monarch who is utterly failing at abolishing slavery. Even in death, he's of no use to me. Even after I gave him immortality, he still sees no use in having me around. He's ridiculous. He clearly does not understand that I'm actually the good Halloween Cat… And that he's in the wrong on the entire thing. I gave him 60 days. Its not that difficult. Roy can turn a profit even if he pays his workers, I'm sure that all of the other Farmers can as well. It's time for Farming to not be exceedingly lucrative. It doesn't even make sense how it's turning them such a profit… Given how a large portion of the populace isn't being properly fed or paid at all.
It's probably exports held through individuals like Rudou, or even just to other Kingdoms in this continent. Just… How successful is Rudou, anyways?! I'm curious. I could literally steal his entire business if I figure out where he's selling. I could utterly destroy whatever he's doing by being more convenient if I used Hallowed Gates. It's shameful, but I could get a cut into very many exporting deals… And start another genuinely lucrative business apart from the Cat's Costumery. The thing about this business, is that I could do it with ease. I could literally do it in my sleep, and it wouldn't be an issue. Wealthy Beastkin would suddenly decide to make shipment trips into the Lost Kingdom in search of a particular Wailing Keep, where they could pay a fee to bring their goods to foreign lands to sell their products. Hmmm… I kind of like it. Honestly though, it doesn't even need to be the same place as Rudou's current business. I intend to explore the realm. It can be anywhere. It can be the most troublesome locale to get to from this place, it doesn't matter. If it's a bustling City filled with commerce and free trade agreements, with very little discrimination… Then it's fine. I just need to find the perfect locale. I already know one place, it's Lorimaki Island. Those adventurers need to be fed, right? Mwuahaha~
I'm going to be stealing someone's business either way, if I start my own. That's just how it is. Even so, this particular business venture… It's so lucrative while also being so utterly simple… That I'd feel bad to take gains from it. I'll probably hand off the profits towards getting the Monster Knights better Weapons or Armor... Which is literally every single Coin as this will be effortless for yours truly. I need three Hallowed Gates, though… That��s my largest problem. Also, I won't be able to do it for awhile if I Prestige… It's tough. It's a tough scenario. I don't desire to steal the business of someone I know and have no issues with. Rudou's fine. I don't need to get his cuts, he's literally already overworked and can't take all of the requests that he's getting. It's clear that someone else is necessary. Either for imports, or exports. This continent… It's not in a good state right meow. All of the Kingdoms are desperately trying to hold off the catastrophes that have been raging for ages because for whatever reason… Not a single freaking Holiday Leader has appeared in this continent for centuries. Janus… I don't know if I should blame you, or if it's a collective thing… But I feel like you're at fault in some way for this. Why was I suddenly spawned here, of all places… On the unconquerable continent? You're mad. To top it all off, you turned around and told me that it was somehow my fault that I'm not super swoll right meow?! Absolutely twisted… Oh? It's time. Let's go~
Approaching together, we cranked open the door and were met with a bright orange light… Engulfed in it, and suddenly… We're all inside. It's a Foyer, but it's not as snazzy as mine. It happens to have more ways to leave it, though… It seems that there are 6 methods of entering this Foyer aside from the one we just came through, and there's a large Clock within here. The lights are on, and this gives off the vibes of a safe zone. It's the one place, where you may have respite... Probably. After asking Cetilla, apparently… No. It's not safe here either, but the Mansion likes to play games with you… So they start off slow. They have seven whole nights to torture us now, trying to slay and frighten the living hell out of us as they do so… Apparently. I don't mean to brag, or boast… But I'm totally a True Halloween Cat and they aren't going to terrify me. Even if it's apparently due to royal haki or something... I think my resistance to haki may be largely dependent on that… I'm too spooky or something. That's it. Must be. I was thinking such things as all of my Clansmen appeared while performing a song. I just realized… I totally forgot to release my Clansmen. They won't be getting stronger, but it's fine. I'm in a good mood, and it's going to stay that way. Let's go find us a Bearkin~ Dead or alive, I want that Bearkin. Find him! Clansmen~ Roll out!
Stay together. Find the Bearkin and save it. That is the plan. We're going. Hobgoblin Samurai Punk is riding Budget Shark as he holds my buckets, Cetilla is riding my Broom as she does as well… I'm obviously holding two very large sacs of Candy and a Lantern. We're following behind my Clansmen as they all stepped into the front door. It's like that. The front door, on the lower level of the Foyer. We're brave. We're stupid, and we're gutsy. We walked through the most intimidating door that we could find. If the Bearkin came to win, then he probably went this way to start with. We're going to try and retrace his steps. Conrad, I'll permit you going ahead of us to scout the area or find the Bearkin if you can sense him. We'll be slowly making our way. On entry into the first room, we were met with a very long hallway. It's ridiculous. The walls are dark green, and there are numerous portraits hanging along them. They're all in black and white, and they're all eerie. It's always a family or something, in their yard… With something disturbing in the background… Or, sometimes it's just something disturbing. My personal favorite? When it's a self portrait but the eyes were burned out. They bring a real vibe, those ones. I like them. There are also doors on the sides of the hallways, and it's kind of a hassle. We open them, and every single time… It's a new monster of sorts trying to slay us all in a mad rush of angst. After what seemed to be around 20 doors, I had distinguished 10 very clearly different monsters. I also decided that the monsters in the second set of 10 doors were slightly more powerful than the last.
At first, it was a haunted, over-sized Jack in the Box… It had horrifying eyes, and it's head actually jumped quite far when it originally exit its box… It totally tried to devour the Tier 1 Scarecrow. Okay… So I was kind of having Tier 1 Scarecrows do the honors of opening each door, but that's beside the point. They're cheap to revive, and it's not a big deal. Mr and Mrs Scarecrow kind of just went in that room, and started to endlessly thrash at the poor toy… Strangely enough, this Mansion also seems to have the ability to decrease the size of creatures… Is this… Genuinely… A Halloween Clan Dungeon? A Halloween Clansmen Dungeon Master?! Oh my… The possibilities… They're endless. The second monster that we encountered, was a small Doll carrying a knife, with a neck capable of twisting 360 degrees… And legs capable of running backwards to carry the Doll up to stab the Tier 1 Scarecrow. What happened, was the Scarecrow died. One hit. Thankfully, a particular Dark Elf carrying a [Shadow Dagger] was far faster than the shanking Doll… So we won that encounter with ease. The third monster, was a Zombie. It was the Vampire Knights who ended up dealing with it. The fourth monster, surprised me greatly. It was a massive Slime monster… It reminded me of the the swampland ones… But potentially a few Tiers higher? It had one eye… So Cyclozard could probably become one if he tried hard enough… Maybe. I guess I need to raise Slimes, after all… It's a shame. They're so troublesome. They're ruthless. I don't even think they would avoid me, they're brutal. Even just one damage per second could be fatal if I end up being incapable of getting it off of me. Imagine hundreds… Swaming me… I wouldn't last very long. It's depressing. Slimes are overwhelming.
I might be able to deal with it if it were a swamp Slime, though… I just need something to feed it. Something that is certain to perish to one of those things… The One Eyed Slime monster totally petrified one of my Scarecrows, before engulfing it and having it evaporate within itself. The most disturbing aspect, was that the eye kept looking at us as it devoured my Scarecrow… Who ended up exploding into flames after a few moments… Returning to my Lantern, and instantly slaying the monster. Woah… Don't try and devour my Clansmen if you're susceptible to very weak flames… I'm almost certain that my flames aren't actually too hot, but it's hard to say. According to a number of sources, I'm highly proficient with Fire. It's my main identifier, except it was cleverly neglected to be mentioned in my race description... Among almost every other thing that I have learned about myself since arriving. Halloween Law is ridiculous. Even so, I don't think that's the reason as to why that information was neglected… I think that information was neglected due to the Menu Sama being genuinely generic. Many races seem to be capable of spanning across multiple Clans… Which means that they most likely possess different elements. My Clansmen, for the most part… All seem to fall under the categories or Fire, Wind, Dark, or my other varied magical affinities... So is the reason why it's not mentioned… Because it's normally possible to change your own element if you try hard enough through the process of Evolution? I don't think that I can… But I guess it's whatever. I wonder if I were to suddenly become more wrathful, or less kind than my designated Hoen… Would we switch? It's a dangerous thought. If I switch sides, I could lose contact with my Allwessistant Dott… Meaning that I could lose my ability to earn companions within Halloween after I perish. Hoen Halloween Cats probably aren't as friendly as Allwe Halloween Cats. They might not decide to befriend me, and might prefer to try and slay me. It's like that. Also, apparently… Candy isn't as useful to me if I become a Hoen. That would not be helpful considering that my entire business is currently hellbent on Candy.
We decided to take a break for a little while as we waited for them to all finish their battles, but we're back on for meow! The next monster, was a Mummy. It wasn't worthy of the name, and was promptly slain by Mick, the Tier 5 Vampire Knight. The monster after that, was a Pharoah. It was slightly stronger than the Mummy, but it still died quite quickly. After it, we had encountered a Banshee. It was fun to see two Banshees going at it together, but we ended up cutting the battle short with the help of a particular Catkin Sorceress. She slammed the Banshee back with a gust of wind before stepping inside of the room… Still, carrying my Candy. It's fine, I guess. The next monster was a Clown of sorts. It was creepy. He had black diamond makeup on, and a twisted smile that began to emit strange fog as he hysterically laughed and awaited one of us to challenge him. Wraiths~ Go do your thing! The next door, we were met with an Arachne… I sent Leoric to deal with her. I say that, but he instantly jumped in to handle it. He made short work of it, stabbing the wretch only once. The final monster that we had encountered, was a Mummy Dog. It was cute, but it held a nasty bite. Slew the Scarecrow instantaneously. The Mummy Dog was fast, but Leoric was faster. By far.
And so, it kept on… With those 10 different monsters inhabiting each and every single room… And they kept getting stronger, each and every single time… We had slowly, painstakingly ventured into a whole 300 rooms without encountering any trace of a Bearkin before finally reaching the last room of the hallway… Which was a door finally leading out of it. On entry, we were met with a Dining Hall… Except the Food appeared to be haunted. It's trying to slay us, and we're desperately fighting back. Shadow Balls are flying everywhere, monsters are screaming all over the place, Food is flying as we defeat them, Scarecrows are dying everywhere I look, and I'm devouring Candy as fast as I can. It's a tragic encounter. At the end of the Dinner table… I noticed… A Pharoah. He seems like bad news. There are also Mummies seated at the table, but that Pharoah… He's bigger than before. He might not be like Boss level big or anything… But he's a Mini Boss or something. They're all glaring at us, and their eyes are glowing red. Scratch that, they're all glaring at me. It's a problem. Suddenly, I heard a bark… Looked off to my right, and saw a horde of Mummy Dogs steamrolling in from the side of the room. Ridiculous. Looking to my left, there are even more of them closing in from that direction as well… Facing forward… It only got worse as the Mummies began to stand, one by one. [War Meow]! Conrad! Get back here this instant if you can't sense the Bearkin!
And so, it's begun. My Clansmen are holding a defensive line to protect us, Goblin Funk and Cetilla both set down their Candy… And are preparing to wage battle. Budget Shark just finished throwing away his god damned keg. We're all ready. I'm devouring Candy, but I can still cast some abilities. [Barrier]! [Pumpkin Bomb]! After changing my Barrier to engulf a larger radius… I continued on to throw the Bomb off toward the Mummies. It was wonderful. They burned spectacularly, but it was a slow effect. By the time that they had reached us, they were already just simple strikes for the Vampire Knight trio. Luna was standing near me, casting buffs and healing magic on our less holy of allies. Penny was soaring around haphazardly while casting [Pixie Powder] on Mummy Dogs. She's brave, sometimes. Thank you, for not wreaking havoc on our minds… We're in this for the long haul… And some of us are already intoxicated. Hobgoblin Samurai Punk was mercilessly slamming down Mummy Dogs with a freaking Hammer. It was huge. It was made of Bones. I loved watching every moment of it. Cetilla was conjuring a Tornado on the other side, making use of the Pixie's Powder. Brilliant. Joining the Hobgoblin, the Scarecrows moved forward slowly.
Wendel was staying behind and singing, but she screamed so it's fine. Blood is spilling everywhere, so she's done brilliant work. Oh… Is she actually helping with the Wind manipulation or something? Perhaps that's it. The Banshees and Phantasms are only attacking any that get close to me, while the Bats are sitting around me… Waiting for something to happen, I guess. Conrad's in the thick of it, fighting the Pharoah who was still near his seat… And Leoric is alongside him. They're taking their time with the Pharoah, or he's actually kind of strong. It's hard to tell. Their battle is happening too quickly… Damn it, Penny… No! That is not what I meant! Keep Pixie Powdering Mummies or something! White Beef Lady was in Wolf form, and jump kicking several Mummies amidst the flames. The Corocdae was standing guard near me… While also singing. Ridiculous. The remaining food monsters were being handled by Budget Shark. He's ravenous, that guy. Also, why does he seem so happy?! It's terrifying, every time that he stops ferociously devouring a new piece, he begins cheerfully frolicking to the next victim. He'll be the True Mongerer one night, I can feel it.
If I'm being honest, not too many deaths occurred on our side. It was pretty simple. By the time that we had cleared the Dining Hall, I had gained a whole 34 levels. I can't help but feel as though experience rewards in the Dungeon are smaller than normal, but then again… It's only the first night. According to Cetilla, it gets more and more challenging as time goes on. Attached to this room, were three exits. One on each side, and one in front of us. At this point, I asked her to sit down with us at the table and accurately explain just what exactly was going to happen. She's been here before. I highly doubt that locations will change depending on the time of day, it's probably just the strength and quantity of the monsters.
Her response was strange. According to her, if one normally seeks glory… Then they aim for the Father. He lives on the second floor of the Mansion, and usually spends most of his time there. He's one of the important figures of the house. He can be found almost anywhere, but he normally sticks to his routine. Honestly, though… It's not the Father that you're after. It's his set of Keys. The Father has full access to the western wing of the second floor… Which is where the Treasure Room is. If there's a Treasure Room there, then perhaps the Dungeon Master will be in the Treasure Room? I totally sleep in my Treasure Room… So can they? Also, according to Cetilla… That Pharoah we just slayed was also an important figure to the house… But he doesn't matter very much. He has a Key to his own set of rooms, so it's a thing… But his rooms are mostly in the basement… Which we can actually go to, if we turn left and head down a hall apparently… But according to Cetilla, the basement is lame and carries little to no treasure. Strange. I thought the basement might actually be important, though?
Anyways… Ahead of us should be a Ballroom which if we fly through, we can reach a balcony on the second floor. It's a cheat. We can skip directly to the Father's wing… And wait for him to appear. There's one catch. Keys only last 24 hours. At that time, they evaporate and return to the then revived and strengthened Pharoah. It's intense. We would need to kill the same bosses at most, 6 times. Not only that, but apparently more and more of the regular types of monsters come all the time. If we take their Boss' Key, then they can't follow after us for a day… Unless we use the Key. Most Bosses who have Keys also have followers. The Pharoahdin has Mummies and Mummydogs. The Father has Maids, Jackal Scarecrows, and the freaking Grandfather. The Mother has Arachnae, Banshees, and the freaking Grandma. The triplets have Mimes, Dolls, Clowns, and their freaking Nanny. The Chef has a Key to the Ballroom, and to a separate staircase up… Which should actually lead us to the Mother. The Chef also has a Key to the Banshees, but we don't need to cross that way. It's irrelevant to us right meow. We just need the Key to the Ballroom. The Chef can do that for us. He's located directly to our right… But we need to wait for him to come out of his damned Kitchen. And so, we're sitting around the table in the Dining Hall and waiting for something to happen. As we spent our time, we were talking it over about more of the layout to this building… Essentially the route that we would be embarking on. I say that… But I haven't actually mentioned it yet. Here goes~
"So, give me the details. What is the route that we need to take in order to get to the Treasure Room… And which other routes will we pass by on the way?" [Nero] begged the question with a smile.
"You're a hassle..." [Cetilla] groaned as she ate one of the few pieces of Food not already devoured by the Budget Shark.
"If we were to go up the stairs that the Chef on our right gave us access to, we would be going to find the Mother. She would grant access to the Father's room… And to a Balcony which grants access to a Slime Pool which no one ever uses aside from the Maids or Butler. If we took on the Butler, we could theoretically get into the Father's wing… But he's no joke. If the Maids were in the Slime Pool, it's not a coincidence. It's because the Father and the Butler are both also there, enjoying the view. It's increasingly dangerous to take all three of them on at once. The Mother, though… She's important. It's probably better to avoid her, and just aim for the Father… Which may take longer, but it will be much easier. Which is why, we take the Chef's Key and go to the Ballroom, fly up to the Balcony and wait for the Father to leave the western wing and return to bed… To meet up with the Mother. At this point, we might even need to deal with the Mother if she arrives before the Father… But it's a fifty percent chance that she doesn't. She's usually up late, talking to the Grandmother… Whereas the Father is usually drinking or boning the Maids… He usually wears himself out faster than the Mother, and because he's usually intoxicated… He's easier to deal with. Not to mention, he holds the Key to the Treasure Room if we can get past all of his minions. It's important to note that the Father and Mother don't actually go to sleep in their bedroom. They perform lude activities together, and it becomes quite challenging to attack them while they're in the heat of the moment. In the Ballroom, there's one other wing that could prove to be a problem. It's the Triplets. They ridiculously hold a Key that grants access to the entire eastern wing of the first floor… And they can even get into the second floor. The problem with them, is that only one of them holds the Key… And it's impossible to know which one. You could end up facing all three of them, or even worse… Their Nanny could also be present when it happens. They have boat loads of staff to protect them depending on where they are and what they're doing… But I find that the best time to strike them is when they're making their way to their Classroom. They step directly through the Foyer, and they usually come alone… One by one. The thing about the southwestern wing of the first floor, is that it's actually managed by the Teacher. He holds the Key… And he only ever opens his door to the sound of one of his students knocking. It's tedious, but if you want to get into the southwestern wing on this floor, you need to take a triplet and their Teacher on at the same time. It's no coincidence that we came through the doors leading here… Or that we checked each and every door in that hallway. The thing about those hallways, is if you don't check the doors… Then they'll follow you out of their rooms, and ambush you. Each time you enter one of those hallways, they all come back. If you get split up, it's best to never open a door if it could potentially be leading to a hallway. Since none of you know the way, if you get caught astray, just wait where you are." [Cetilla Vellisroi, the Dutchess of Doom] explained with an air of wisdom.
"...What if you're in a hallway, and someone else enters the same hallway?" [Budget Shark] asked with eyes wide.
"Twice the monsters." [Cetilla] shot back with a grin.
"Don't say that with a smile!" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] shot back with an angered tone.
"Any more questions?" [Cetilla] asked with a smirk.
"What's in the basement?" [Nero] asked with a tired expression as he referenced the Mummy Key. To which, the Hobgoblin nodded, but the Shrake groaned.
"Well… First, we would face the Mummy Halls infested by Mummydogs… Then, we would face the Mummies… We could choose to face the Cerberus and cut the power… But that doesn't help us. They'll do it for us eventually, regardless. At that point, we'll be capable of entering the Boiler Room… And will be challenged by the Janitor. If we kill him, we can get access to the entire western side of the basement. The thing about the Janitor, is that sometimes… When he's actually in the Boiler Room, he goes off and decides to visit with the Engineer, in the eastern side of the Boiler Room… Which is actually separated behind lock and Key. The Engineer is the only one with the Key for the western side, and he can get us all the way to the Furnace Room… Which is the end. There's absolutely no reason to get to the Furnace Room… But there's one other way to get to the Engineer, either way… If we get the triplet's Key, we can go through the Theater to get into the basement on the northeastern side of the building. We'll need to face the Mimes… But they aren't that bad." [Cetilla] explained with a dry expression.
"Uhm… Excuse me? Don't you think that the Torture Chambers might actually be where the Bearkin is?" [Nero] begged the question with a flat tone of voice.
"He's probably dead… But we can still gain treasure if we play our cards right." [Cetilla] declared with a smile.
"How much are we talking?" [Nero] asked as he removed his aviators.
"Normally, when I went in… I came out with no less than 1000 Gold Coins to split between the party. We're challenging this on Monday at Midnight, so it's probably higher." [Cetilla] replied with a giggle.
"Woah… Don't forget, the Bearkin's worth 5000 Gold Coins… Even if dead. We need his corpse." [Nero] slammed back at the Catkin Sorceress.
"Well… If it's a corpse… He might be in the Furnace Room if he hasn't already burned… But if he's still alive, then he's probably in the Torture Chambers or roaming around somewhere trying to hide within the Father's wing. If he took too long with his Key, then he could have gotten trapped within any of the wings. Its easier to enter a wing than it is to escape." [Cetilla] explained dramatically as her hair flew wildly in the nonexistent Wind.
"So let me get this straight… There are a Pharoahdin, a Father, a Mother, Triplets, a Butler, a Teacher, a Janitor, and an Engineer who have Keys? Is that all?" [Nero] asked with a perplexed look on his face.
"Well… No. There's also a Scientist, but he's pretty irrelevant. He has a Laboratory, and the Showers, the Wine Cellar, and access to the Foyer… But he rarely ever uses any of them. You could be stuck down there, for days… Without him ever appearing." [Cetilla] groaned.
"I honestly… Don't understand why this place is called the Mummy Mansion." [Nero] sighed.
"As time goes on, you'll find more and more Mummies roaming the halls and rooms. They become a staple type monster in this Mansion. You should keep in mind, that this is the legendary moment that we're challenging this Dungeon on. Things could be different than normal." [Cetilla] shrugged.
"The interesting thing, is that most Dungeons get more powerful over time… This one seems to limit itself based on when the most recent individuals entered? It doesn't even appear to leak out into the realm as a catastrophe? Don't you find that strange?" [Nero] asked with a look of uncertainty.
"Each minute of the day, of each week… It means something for this Dungeon. If a monster survives a full day in one place of this moment to the Dungeon… Then they are duplicated into the next day in that same place of this moment to the Dungeon. Two of them will then exist. If they survive a full week, then those monsters are all transported to the next minute in time… For another party or individual to deal with when they challenge the Mummy Mansion. 59 minutes after 11 at night on a Sunday is actually considered the front line in the defense against the Mummy Mansion. It can be intense at times, as any creature to have made it all the way through all of the time slots can leak out into that final minute. Many adventurers stay in that moment for months on end… Relentlessly persisting on to ensure that nothing escapes. The monsters during that time frame like to hide, and the doors to all the wings are strangely open constantly. The monsters lurk around, waiting for adventurers to challenge them… Or they all come pouring out at once near the time to escape. It's brutal." [Cetilla] explained with a sigh.
"If that's the case… Then shouldn't this moment technically be the easiest moment to deal with… Considering that it's the birthplace of all the monsters, and it's constantly pouring them out to the next moment?" [Nero] begged the question while rubbing his chin.
"I… I don't know. One would think so, but… No one has ever escaped from this moment." [Cetilla] replied with a smile as she shrugged.
"Right… Well, I think that the Engineer and Mechanic might actually be the better targets than the family. If we can save the Bearkin, we can think about challenging the Father… But I wouldn't want to be struggling for my life in the Basement while carrying Candy and Coins… The Bearkin might actually be a somewhat competent ally to have, regardless." [Nero] declared.
"Ugh… Fine." [Cetilla] groaned as she began to get up from her seat and carry the buckets once more.
And so, we're off to visit the Mummies and their ravenous Dogs. Walking through the Mummy Hallway, I was refreshed to find that it did not have hundreds of doors on each side. There was only one door, on the left… And one door ahead of us. Ahead of us was apparently the stairs to the Basement, while the left was the Pharoahdin's bedroom. We can raid each of their rooms to see if they have things, which is kind of interesting… But the Father is by far, the most wealthy… While the others are just kind of… There. On further inspection into the Pharoahdin's room, I found an Egyptian themed coffin… And a Treasure Chest. He's a simple, yet extravagant guy. His Treasure Chest… Was filled with Toilet Paper. I could scream. I'm leaving. Let's go. Making our way down the stairs, we were met with another hallway… But this one had an open door on the right, and it was leaking Mummydogs. They're heading straight for us. Clansmen! Do the thing!
Hobgoblin Samurai Punk immediately put down his Candy and rushed forward to support the Scarecrows making up our front line. The lesser Scarecrows were dropping like flies, but Mr and Mrs Scarecrow held strong enough to support them. The Wraiths, Crows, Bats, Pixie, and Crowli all flew overhead to assault the Mummydogs in the distance. Wendel was screaming, Luna was beside me… Helping me heal them… And the Vampire Knights were handling anyone that got through. Cetilla was only capable of throwing off wind punches in this moment, so she was helping the Vampires keep me safe. Leoric and Christina probably went off to slay them on the front lines or something, but I didn't see them. White Beef Lady's on the front lines, though. I can see her flames. [War Meow]! Scarecrows! Let me hear your roars! Luna, throw down that [Malice Aura]! Molag Dregora was right beside me, using the Bones of the fallen Mummydogs to create a barrier of bones protecting himself, Luna, Wendel, and I… It was strange. I felt a little claustrophobic, but I was devouring Candy… And couldn't really complain. It was that hectic. The Mummydogs were actually breaking through our freaking defenses. They were pouring in all over the place, and would have been moments away from attacking me. I can see through the Bones, and several Mummydogs are already trying to break through them… I think my Barrier is just beneath the bones, as I'm not taking any damage.
Looking outside at the madness, Cetilla began to make a Wind Barrier around herself, and it's absolutely shredding the Mummydogs that would dare to assault her… I can barely see her at all, but I can tell. Her hair is violently flowing along, as always. She looks like she's flying, too… So that's new. Turning around… Budget Shark, Hobgoblin Samurai Punk, Leoric, and Conrad are all standing back to back in a diamond… Slamming down on Mummydogs relentlessly. Budget Shark… How do you eat so quickly?! Freaking bones?! Are you kidding me?! This guy can eat BONES?! Wendel might actually be helping Molag Dregora keep up the Bone Barrier, now that I look closer... I can see Pebbles amidst the masses of Bones. Bone Pebbles. White Beef Lady was absolutely surrounded, kicking around at dozens upon dozens of Mummydogs, and no Scarecrows could be seen. They had all perished. I could still see Pixie Powder being thrown around, which was nice… It blocked my vision even further, but at least the Pixie is still fine. What would we do without her? My Clansmen list is so long these nights, that I can't actually view all of their MP at once. It takes a minute. The struggle is real.
To further depress me, Mummies began to stream in from the door laying ahead of us… They have backup. They're overwhelming us, and they have backup. Fantastic. Nothing about this Dungeon makes any sense. Why are there so freaking many of them?! They're absolutely everywhere! The Vampire Knights perished, and were eaten alive… But disintegrated into orange flaming light before it got too dirty. They're in Halloween meow… It was only absolutely terrifying to watch as they were overwhelmed and trampled on… Disappearing into a sea of ravenous Mummydogs. That very sea, is meow completely blocking my vision. I can only rely on the bars of MP. This won't do. I've never tried it before… But now's as good a time as any. I have the MP to take their attacks for at least thirty seconds. Long enough for the Cat Crew to get under this much smaller Barrier which we're going to need to get rid of for a moment. Guys… Wish me luck~ [Shapeshift]!
Assuming my largest form, my Barrier began to spontaneously grow in flames, and the much smaller Barriers were knocked away by the sheer strength of it all. Cetilla may or may not have caught fire for a split moment, but she blew it away with an irritated expression. After I grew, many of the Mummy Dogs were still in our midst, but I was at least blocking out any new ones from entering… At the cost of my own MP and capability to consume Candy. They're attacking me, but it's not dealing very much damage. They're truly only on their first night. They'll probably deal more damage on their later nights. It's a frightening thought, that my [Barrier] may be the only thing capable of dealing with their absurd numbers. Banshees, take advantage of Cetilla… And call on a Gale. Rather than protect me, everyone protect the mortals. I was thinking such things as I watched my MP. By the time that I had reached half my MP, they had cleared out all of the Mummydogs within the vicinity of my Barrier without taking any deaths. It was fantastic, but I only learned of the matter because Conrad flew in front of my face and declared as such. It's a hassle, the Mummydogs and Mummies outside my Barrier have already engulfed it as though they were a Zombie plague… And I was the final wall itself. Looking down, The mortals have all gathered near my buckets. It's directly where I should be positioned when I return to my larger Human form. Wendel, Luna, and Molag Dregora are all there as well. It's ready. Round two. Let's go~ Clansmen, I'm sorry… But you're going to need to deal with this. Conrad, Leoric, Benji, Banshees, Phantasms, Penny, I'm looking at you. You're the only ones seemingly capable of actually surviving this onslaught… And protecting the mortals is dangerous for you, you're better off running rampant on the Dungeon Monsters. We can keep these guys safe if it's like this. [Shapeshift]!
Okay… Recommencing with the feast, I quickly began to try and recoup my expenses. [War Meow]! We're back in our bubble. We were almost immediately engulfed all over again. It's ridiculous, but the Mummydogs are slowly dying as they try to invade our Bone Barrier. Cetilla's meow helping out with the Bone Barrier… And oddly enough, it was at this point… That I learned of Cetilla's change. She had decided to become a Halloween Catkin. She's technically of Hoen, but it's fine. I respect her nonetheless. Luna was able to heal her, but my Candy seemed to fail. I guess… Candy only works for the Halloween Cat? Everyone else is left to deal with [Unholy Healing] or Blood? Strange…
Cetilla's only clear visual indicators of going Spook were her no longer having blue eyes… But grey eyes, and her orange hair now appearing more genuinely red. It's not a huge change, but that's all it took… It would seem. She gained a few new abilities, but they're mostly all just related to Wind. One of them in particular stuck out to me, though. It was a Pumpkin Spice Wind. It adds the scent of Pumpkin Spice to the Wind that she manipulates, causing anyone to smell it… To get more hungry. It's strange. Budget Shark was talking to me about his new ability, the [Super Chomp] which allowed him to deal incredible damage with his teeth. Nyah. He also gained the [Stealth Swim] ability. Apparently, the only way anyone will notice him coming is if if they notice his dorsal fin or if they hear the damned suspenseful music being emit from his gills… Only getting louder as he approaches. He's become a full on movie trope… With stupidly well built legs. He's at least a B-Pex Predator. As the group sat and told me about their abilities while also slaying dozens of enemies each moment… I was devouring Candy at a senseless rate. It was a good time. Hobgoblin Samurai Punk told me that he had a new ability, called the [Fright Smash]. It allowed him to Smash his super large Hammer down really quickly, like a whack-a-mole game. It makes very loud noises, especially when it busts someone's face in. The sounds of their screams are echoed by the shape of his [Hallowed Hammer]. It's a Hallowed Hammer. Made of Bones.
By the time that we had finished learning of the Hobgoblin's new favored abilities, the noise stopped. We no longer heard any bones grinding against the Barrier… So we lift it to find that the hallway was empty. Some of my other Clansmen were awaiting us outside of the Barrier, but that's all she wrote. I'm meow level 440. It's a big deal. The others picked up the Candy, and we slowly began travelling through the hallway. I made sure to ask my Clansmen to check the rooms for Ivand, but nothing came of it. We moved on to where the Mummies were supposed to be, but it was vacant. The Cerberus was supposed to be in the Hall ahead of us, but we turned left while aiming for the Boiler Room. We were surprised to find that there was an additional door on the right side of the room, which Cetilla had never mentioned. On further inspection, it was… A hallway. This hallway didn't have any monsters, and seemed to be entirely vacant. It was strange. We checked every room. They were all empty. Turning back, as the hallway led nowhere… We returned on our way for the Boiler Room… To be met with yet another surprise.
Rather than a Boiler Room, we were met with a modern… Underground Nightclub type of room. I say that, but it was laid out to be in preference of a concert instead of a club. There's barely a dance floor, but there are plenty of seats. It could easily be sorted if we removed the chairs. There's Punch Fountain toward the entrance of the room, as well. The walls are black, and there are lights glowing in different colors all over the place. The stage has a freaking Scaraoke Machine monster off to the side… And Microphones. There's a door behind the stage, and on attempt… It was locked. There was a door to our right and a door to our left when we first entered as well. The one on our left is probably the Janitor, and the one on our right is probably the Engineer… But who's in the freaking back of the stage?! Cetilla had never encountered this scenario. We're going to wait around and see what happens as I continue to eat Candy to resurrect my fallen Clansmen.
Sitting in the Chairs, we continued on to talk about who we thought might be behind the door. My bet was that it was the Dungeon Master. Cetilla thought it might be some strange Mime Boss or something. Fair enough, there's a Mime locale directly after the Engineer, so that's fine. Hobgoblin Samurai Punk thought it might be an Idol. Ahh… Yes… Of course. What else?! Budget Shark thinks that it's going to be the Food Boss. Actually, I'm pretty sure that would have been the Chef, sorry… We even moved on to what else might be different about this time as opposed to the other times. Perhaps, on this time… Each monster type has a Boss? That was my idea, anyways… Hobgoblin Samurai Punk agreed, but Cetilla thought it would be ludicrous. I have adequate reasoning, however. According to my Allwessistant Dott, many Halloween races do not gain the ability to procreate until after they attain a higher Tier. If this is the birthplace moment, the one of legend… The one that starts it all, then there would need to be higher Tier Halloween monsters to be creating all of these children. You can blame it on a Dungeon Master, or you can blame it on an excessively high Tier Halloween Clansmen… But given how this entire Dungeon seems to be Halloween themed… It's not unlikely that it has some correlations to how Halloween itself works. I mean… A Dungeon with a weird Time rule, and a Scaraoke machine monster? Come on… What else is lurking beneath your shadows on the legendary moment, Mummy Mansion?!
"Oh… Well~ It would appear that I have visitors…" [Old Man Voice] declared with a flamboyant expression.
Looking up, I came face to face with a very close Man dressed in black, who appeared quite old. He had red eyes, as do all of the other creatures in this Mansion… But this Man… He spoke. He's not like the other creatures. He has a Clansmen Capture icon and everything! Also… He's very close to me. Peering into my eyes. It's kind of nerve-wracking.
"Indeed you do~" [Nero] replied with a smile. To which, all of his Clansmen immediately flocked to surround the Man.
"And who might you be? It's been so long..." [Old Man] begged the question with a grin as he continued to lean closer and ignore the Clansmen.
"I'm Nero, the current True Allwe Halloween Cat of Melchiadore. I've come in search of a lost Bearkin, who happened to enter this Dungeon a week ago. I'm hoping to retrieve him for a large sum of Gold Coins… " [Nero] declared with a grin before assuming his largest form, absolutely laying waste to many of the chairs nearby him before continuing.
"It's something to help Halloween, you see. As you inhabit a Halloween Dungeon and are of the Halloween Clan, wouldn't you say that it may be in your best interest to help me find this lost boy… Dead or alive? We're all of Halloween, and you could even join us to return to Melchiadore if you desired." [Nero] explained with a loud, monstrous voice.
"Well… I'll have you know that I only hold the Key to my own room… Which I doubt will grant you any aide in finding the boy... I live behind this Stage. You may call me the Great Grandfather of this household. I gave up on Melchiadore a long time ago, when my beloved passed… I spend my nights singing along to the songs of this wondrous creature now… As my one way to remember her greatness." [Great Grandfather Sama] declared as she referenced the Scaraoke machine monster. To which, the Halloween Cat immediately returned to his original form and took his seat once more.
"Very well. You're of no harm to me, and I'm of no harm to you. We can spend our time together, I don't mind. Even so, do the Janitor or Engineer ever come through here?" [Nero] replied with a casual attitude. To which, the Great Grandfather Sama rolled his eyes and groaned before taking a seat beside the Witch of War and putting an arm behind his back as he pulled out a red solo cup filled with Punch from seemingly nowhere and began to drink from it before responding...
"Those guys? They usually come in the morning to drink their coffee as they listen to music, or they come in the evening to drink Punch... They're loud, they never stop talking, but they never like to talk to me. I find them incredibly rude~" [Great Grandfather Sama] explained nonchalantly before taking another sip of his Punch and exhaling dramatically after taking it.
"Don't you find it strange how everyone else is always coming across to other time slots but you're stuck over here?" [Nero] asked with a perplexed look on his face.
"Ahh… That's because everyone else likes to get rid of a lot of their power, to create duplicates of themselves… In a desperate attempt to help the almighty Dungeon Master... It's an intensive process, and it costs one their sanity. I don't do it, so I'm totally fine… My kin are for the most part, still fine as well… But they've only been doing it for around a hundred years. It's not that big of a deal yet… But I'm sure that they'll feel the toll soon." [Great Grandfather Sama] explained with an unbothered expression.
"Why does the Dungeon have such a strange concept over time, to allow monsters within it to do such things?" [Nero] asked with a smile.
"It's the Clock of Countless Coincidences. Hanging in the Foyer, that Clock… It's a Legendary Artifact, practically indestructible… It grants the option to Halloween monsters within the building… Every night, at Midnight. It also manipulates time for us strangely, and allows many to live freely… If they restrain themselves from serving the Clock… The Clock which the Dungeon Master decided to conjure. Stop that Sphinx, and you might be able to stop the Clock and save my kin if you reset this Dungeon for 10 years." [Great Grandfather Sama] declared with a solemn expression.
"How long have you been here?" [Nero] begged the question with a look of uncertainty.
"I haven't the slightest idea… It was merely 6 years after my Grandchildren were born… We all came here, but things were different then… I wasn't confined to such a small location back then, and none of them were being restrained by the Clock at that point. We came here seeking a safe place to wait for a new Halloween Cat to arrive… We roamed Melchiadore in search of a Halloween Dungeon, and this is what we found. It was safe, at first… But the very reason why was what ended up becoming the cause of our dangers. I can't stop the Sphinx. I've been saving my power this entire time, but I'm still no match for it. I don't even know where it is. I only ever met it during Dinner time, but it stopped showing up shortly before I was sent down here." [Great Grandfather Sama] explained with a dejected expression.
"Here we go..." [Cetilla] replied with a grin.
"We'll do our best." [Nero] exclaimed with a smile. To which, the Hobgoblin gave a thumbs up to the Elder. To which, the Man gave a worried look before exclaiming…
"Ahh.. Would you like to do a performance on the stage?" [Great Grandfather Sama] begged the question while straining his eyes to gesture that someone else had entered the room.
"...Of course~ I'll go and pick a song right meow…" [Nero] declared with an uneasy smile.
And so, I picked… Something simple. Something that we've done before. No big deal, it's just the 'Time W*rp'… After taking a stand on the stage, I noticed it… It's the two Men. The Engineer and the Janitor. They both appear to be Zombies. They're casually… Drinking Punch, just like the script detailed they would be… It's strange. It's almost as if the main cast are all just rogue creatures who happen to be being duplicated every night… And in return, are bestowed with a Key. It's almost as if the Dungeon Master is selling the rights to an area of the Mansion in exchange for a a brutal nightly soul sucking. It's quite the strange artifact, that Clock of Countless Coincidences… It probably cost the Dungeon Master quite the boatload. Also… Call me prejudice, but I would have thought that a Sphinx Dungeon Master might have a Pyramid, rather than a Haunted House… It's even more strange that the Lizardmen of all people have a Pyramid. All this talk about a Pyramid, and meow I'm starting to want one myself… I was thinking such things as we effortlessly performed one of our most challenging songs, while being hilariously short on staff. It was flawless. I took part. They needed me. After we had finished the song, we gained an epic applause by my lesser Scarecrows who were just hanging out in the audience… And I realized how utterly pointless the entire thing was. It's fine. We were brilliant. One can't complain about style before making their way to brutally murder two crazed Zombies. Clansmen! Go! Kill those two casually sipping coffee and ignoring our epic performance! We shan't have poor guests... Off with her necks! [War Meow]! I was thinking such things before I took a seat and began to consume Candy.
We're doing fine, thanks. Those guys are seriously weak in the soul department… Just like the Pharoahdin… They probably all entered the Dungeon around the same time… And no one else has really been tricked into falling for the Clock since then… It might have a limit to the number of creatures that it can replicate on a nightly basis? The Great Grandpa simply… Lucked out? I guess it doesn't matter, because it's clear to see that my Clansmen are winning this battle. The Zombies are slow. Not too big of a deal, if you ask me. As we were having our fight, the Great Grandpa Sama was nonchalantly complaining to me about how his Grandson never invites him to come bone the Maids in the Slime Pool anymore… And I had to take a moment to think before regaining my composure and beginning to eat my Candy once more. That guy… He's fed up about some of the strangest things. He's freaking ancient, and he wants in on the Maid action?! Dis...GUSTING~ Literally no one needed to know about that, bro! At least Goddin Village Neith Sama is sly about it! Taking your Dad and his Dad with you to bone Maids in Slime monsters… Stop. I don't... I don't need this knowledge! That Father needs to die or something! Wait… Should I be saving these individuals? Yeesh… I thought they were Dungeon Monsters… But it turns out that the minions might be the only true Dungeon Monsters… The others could just so happen to be here… Then again, Zombies… Do I really need Zombies? They're kind of strong… I guess? They're going to be resurrected probably due to how strong their curse is… Right? I didn't just haphazardly slay the Pharoahdin forever, did I?!
Calling all Clansmen! Try to steal their Keys without slaying them. They were cognitive enough to not immediately attack us before we did, so maybe they can be reasoned with after all… Jeez. Sometimes, I don't know about me. I'm too much. It's not my fault that my Clansmen can read my own thoughts. Moments later, my favorite Dark Elf managed to steal the favored Key! According to him, it's for the Boiler Room to our west. It should lead the way for us to enter the Torture Room and look around for Ivand~ We didn't manage to steal the other Key, but we happily ran away under the cover of countless Scarecrows towards the western Boiler Room while singing along to 'Time W*rp' as if it were still playing. We're going~ We're making progress… After turning the corner and slamming the door shut on the Concert… We heard banging on the outside, we're in a large room… And turned to our right only to face them… There were a whole lot of Zombies. Too many Zombies… They're the minion kind, Clansmen… Slay them if you desire. I'll try to save the more cognitive ones that do not immediately attempt to slay me. These are not those type. These are definitely trying to devour us. Assuming my largest form, I bent over for the others and gestured for them to get on. Budget Shark totally bit into a piece of my fur… But he's on. The other mortals all joined me, but the Halloween Clansmen are here to stay and fight. I gave the Key to Cetilla, and each of them also meow carry one of my bags… And my Lantern or my Broom. They're both complaining, but we're running through a massive horde of Zombies so how can you really complain? That's how it is.
"CETILLA! Which way to go to the Torture Chambers?!" [Nero] screamed frantically as he stomped down dozens of Zombies with his Barrier and had several beginning to try and climb him.
"Straight ahead and on your left!" [Cetilla] screamed
And so, I kept running. As fast as I could. I began to throw down [Pumpkin Bomb]s as I went, leaving a path of flames in my wake… I think it might have helped to deal with the Zombies, but it's hard to say. Eventually, Conrad and Leoric caught up to us… To begin swiping some of them off of me. It was hell. After we had actually escaped, we were met with a hallway. Brutal. We sat there for around 10 minutes just getting rid of the invading Zombies which had latched onto my Barrier… Which was absolutely maddening if I must say. This hallway was different. It was… Dark, and gloomy… Everything about it screamed to run away… But all of the monsters were more or less, the same. There ended up being 150 rooms, and I'm at a loss for time. After exiting it, we were met with a very dark and disgusting Torture Chamber. Blood on the walls, body parts all over the place… Cells with individuals screaming in agony… But there's something peculiar about this… Many of the individuals… They appear as though they might be becoming Halloween Clansmen due to their prolonged time spent here… It's strange. I'm quite certain that they were not always like this… One of them very clearly had a Human face, but then also had half the body of a giant mosquito monster. It was terrifying. There are dark, and twisted things going on down here… As I watched each and every individual locked up in strange devices or cells… I looked for a Bearkin.
After searching for around half an hour, I finally found him… Beaten to a pulp, strung up on a device… Blood dripping everywhere, and an unrecognizable face. He was completely nude, and I decided that it simply would not do… So I conjured him an outfit. It was up to level 60 pieces, and I chose the pieces. We weren't being picky, it was literally the first thing I could make which fit him. He ended up wearing black pants, orange clown shoes, a white tee shirt, a black cop shirt, badge and everything… And a brown paper bag with two holes to cover his sorry excuse of a face. Yep… He's all good to go, meow… Sadly… The other victims, for the most part seemed far too hysterical to save without destroying the Clock. They're loopy, trying to break out of their cages and I honestly think they might try and kill me. Some of them are slowly walking around in small circles, or just banging their heads against the bars while screaming. Others are profusely vomiting… With no end in sight. It's disgusting. They form massive pools of vomit all around them, which seep out of the cells and into some mysterious drains. This place could definitely use some spring cleaning. Janitor~ What exactly were you even doing down here?! The Bearkin is so hurt, that he can't even walk... So I'm carrying him. It's fine.