After opening the door to the final Hallway… We were met with a frightening surprise. Absolutely terrifying, if you ask me. Every single door. They've all been opened. Absolutely filling the hall, is a massive horde of varying monsters. As always… They're angry. They all have red eyes, and seem bloodthirsty. They want our bodies, and souls. It's like that. Honestly though… Whoever did this, clearly did not comprehend the fact at hand. Whoever opened all of these doors, they didn't know. They didn't understand that they simply lined up all of the monsters for Cetilla. We no longer need to spend time checking each room, suffice to say… These creatures have helped us, by leaving their rooms in this way. Normally, this might have been a huge issue; but Cetilla's freaking ridiculous. They underestimated the Dutchess of Doom, that's for sure. She's giving me the largest grin that I have ever witnessed. She's content, and she knows what to do. Gather round children, it's Tornado time~
Moments later… The smell of Pumpkin Spice Wind grew unquestionably more strong, as gusts of Wind began to form, and engulf the area. Cetilla's Tornadoes have windup times. It's pretty intense, watching all of the Wind gather around her finger, which she is meow pointing out to the naïve masses. It's safe to say… Cetilla will ascend far greater than I will have from this Dungeon. She was already over level 5600, it's no doubt that she will reach 6000. Potentially, even higher… Because it's not just one monster for each room. Someone definitely came through here, after we did… Meaning there are at least 2 monsters for each room. It's strange, because we didn't run into whoever opened the doors. They might have came back already, making 3 monsters for each room. It's hard to say, because all of the monsters are currently being manhandled by the now sadistically laughing Cetilla and her critically acclaimed Pumpkin Spice Tornado.
The Jack in the Boxes totally lost their Boxes under the pressure of Cetilla. The Dolls are being tossed around like hot potatoes, slamming into everything else while still seeming somewhat fine. The Zombies are losing limbs, quite frequently… As are the Mummies, Mummydogs, and Pharoahs. The Clowns lost their smiles one by one, as they were repeatedly attacked by their own comrades' lost limbs. The Arachne tried to dig their legs into the flooring... Potentially even in some webbing, but they too eventually gave way, slipping over as if standing on ice. Quite comically, if I might add. The One Eyed Slimes are being splattered across the walls, and their eyes can't open under the intense pressure of the Wind. The Banshees lost themselves, seeming to be flying all over the place as if they were simply pieces of crumpled old paper… Letting the Wind take them wherever it was that they needed to be. The other side of the Hallway, to be precise. The assault continued, for several minutes as we slowly made our way through the Hallway. Hobgoblin Samurai Punk and I made certain to check each individual room as we passed them, but genuinely… The rooms were empty. Just a whole lot of empty bedrooms with varying styles, until they weren't.
Roughly halfway through the Hallway… I was met with yet another frightening surprise. Opening one of the very few closed doors, presumably closed due to Cetilla's Wind… It was horrible! I almost broke out into tears, right then and there… Standing to face me, in an absolute maniacal pose… It's a very large, beefy looking man! Exactly what I wasn't hoping for! His eyes are orange, and if I had to say… Frankenstein. He has green skin, making him appear similar to the Zombies… But he's all of WAY too beefy, and there are definitely bolts sticking out of his head! He glared at me, for a solid five seconds… Before very audibly and visually exhaling. I could literally see smoke emerge from his mouth as he exhaled! Also, he didn't use his freaking nose! What's the point in having one?!
Contrary to appearances… This guy is holding a Rifle. It's very clearly a gun, except after he shot it at me… A bullet was not what came. It was a bright, orange glowing net. Huh?! I've… I've been captured? This dude didn't even introduce himself, OR take me to dinner! Talk about rude… You know, it's quite distressing. I'm actually stuck in this damned net. I can't break free, I can't scratch it open… I can't grow larger to destroy it, because after assuming a larger form… The net totally grew with me! Troublesome. I even tried assuming a much smaller form, but it didn't help either. The net shrank to meet its demands~ I've been captured. This must be the Poacher... After trying a Pumpkin Bomb, I was graced with the appearance of a Pumpkimplosion Bomb. Fantastic. It reeks of Pumpkins, and not in the good way. The damned Poacher didn't even seem fazed! He's just glaring at me… With this evil look in his eyes. I think… He wants to defile me… [Pumpkin Bomb]! [Pumpkin Bomb]! [Pumpkin Bomb]! [War Meow]! Conrad! Leoric! I need HELP!
Okay, so… I was able to manifest every type of Pumpkin Bomb… But the Pumpkin Spice Bombs are seriously intense. Pumpkin Bomb Sama wasn't lying, when he said that these things were dangerous. My eyes are burning, and I've been forced to close them. I'm even taking damage. It's ridiculous. My own abilities, CHOOSING to hurt me. The AUDACITY! Thankfully, before closing my eyes… I was able to confirm the fact at hand. Poacher Sama can't handle the Pumpkin Spice Bomb either. Also, this entire room is probably engulfed in flames by meow. I spent a whole lot of MP on each Bomb. 5000 to be precise… These things will be going off for quite the long while. I currently have roughly 33000 MP remaining, and it's dropping relatively quickly. A rate of 70 MP each second, is what I am losing due to my own ability. Ridiculous. I hope the Clansmen can figure a way to deal with this problem while I'm rendered basically useless… Oh? I heard something! It… I think it's Leoric or Conrad? They're probably stabbing at the Poacher, relentlessly. All that I can hear is a whole lot of swiping sounds, as if something were flying through the ridiculously small room at incredible speeds. It's probably Leoric's Shadow Dagger cutting through the air, slashing at the Poacher. It's difficult to say for certain, but the Poacher is groaning under what one might assume to be each strike~
He's totally taking damage, and may or may not be loudly fumbling around the room as he attempts to blindly retaliate against the Dark Elf and potentially; the Crowli. Hahhh~ We're winning this battle, I think. Things continued on in this fashion, until he finally roared. I… I can't lie, I felt terror in that moment. I felt it. It reminded me of the time that I encountered that mysterious yellow gem cave… But it wasn't as terrifying. It was close, maybe… But I wasn't cold sweating. My heart was beating, and I may have had goosebumps for a few moments… But I didn't sweat. It's not the same. He's not as powerful, I think. The sad thing, is that after his roar… The entire room fell silent, aside from the distant sounds of Cetilla laughing maniacally; or the sounds of my flames continuing to burn. It would appear, that I am one of the few which could remain relatively unaffected by his horror. My Clansmen, are nowhere to be heard. On second thought… It might have something to do with the fact that I just lost 4000 MP. His roar dealt damage… It all makes sense, meow… Glancing at the statuses, Leoric and Conrad have definitely both perished.
I'm down to 26000 MP, and it's still dropping due to my own damned ability. I still can't open my eyes, for fear of immense pain… But I'm also afraid of requesting any more Clansmen to help. The others can't stop this dude… Not if Leoric and Conrad failed. It won't happen… We need Hobgoblin Samurai Punk, or Cetilla. It's better to wait until Cetilla finished with the Hallway, rather than force her to fight two fronts. Luna, please inform the others of my current predicament; and ensure that they do not come to my aide until everything else has perished. We can't afford any more mishaps. For now… It's just you, and I… Poacher. Who do you think is going to last longer? I'm the Master of Time, bro… Oh?! I just thought of an incredible idea! What if I try to use [Time Skip] on the Poacher while he's being marauded by my attack?! It's kind of a costly ability… But perhaps it might actually benefit me in this moment? This one, excessively particular moment? It's worth a shot… I guess?
Time Skip costs me 6 MP each second if I desire to Skip Time for an individual by a rate of 60. I can make each moment equate to a whole minute, for a measly 6 MP. I'm already taking 70 freaking damage each moment, so 6 MP is practically child's play. I think I can actually make use of this ability… For the first time. It can be a combat ability! There's one catch… I need to be capable of viewing my target. I need to open my eyes… I might take more damage after I do, or I might just feel as though I'm in more pain. Here goes~ Opening my eyes… I was met with a disturbing sight. Also, my eyes hurt... The entire room was in tatters. Wallpaper was ripped from its respective walls, claw markings sunk into the wood… Every single piece of furniture was destroyed, in pieces laying around the room… Which was still on fire. Actually, the flames are reaching so high… That it's probably reaching the ceiling. My eyes are burning… It's quite disorienting to be in all of these flames, but I've been able to locate him. He's curled up into a corner of the room, glaring at me with a look of utter hate as he profusely scratches at his own head… Clawing off his actual face. Okay… Wow! [Time Skip]!
It was different, this time… Whenever I used [Time Skip] in the past, very little change could be noted… But this time, I got to watch. I got a chance to watch as he writhed in agony, very quickly. The pain is excruciating, for us both… But he's definitely getting the short end of the straw. After having clawed his whole face off, and writhed around on the ground for what was three seconds for me… He roared for probably half a second, before getting to his knees and crawling his way on over to me. He's meow frantically attempting to untie the knot on my Net… And it's frightening, to view the remains of his face at such a close distance. I couldn't help but shirk a little, as I watched him desperately try to free me. The thing is… Even if I allow him a chance to survive this encounter… He probably won't be able to heal from this level of damage. Think about it… If a Zombie deteriorates, they normally become Skeletons… But if they don't finish the deterioration process due to staying in this Mansion, they generally become Ghouls. His fate has been sealed. He has no hope when it comes to returning to his original form, if he chooses to remain within this Dungeon. Also… I think he might have even gone too far, to become a Ghoul. He's in this messed up, halfway type of state which should probably lead to him becoming a Skeleton... But he's way too far along in the process to be a Ghoul. I don't even know what would become of him... Watching his skin slowly melt away under the heat as he utterly failed at freeing me, I almost began to feel sorry for him.
Almost. He's not a good guy, okay? He's sadistic on his best days, according to Melissa. He's not even being affected by the Clock, so his only plausible... Viable excuse is the fact that he's following orders given to him by the Sphinx, but would the Sphinx actually request him to incite affairs between the inhabitants of this Mansion? I'm not so sure. To be fair, the relationship between the Father and Mother of the Triplets was already questionable at best. The Father totally has sick and twisted affairs with the Maids… Before coming back to do the deed with the Mother. Is it really so bad if the Mother casually also has an affair with the Pharoahdin? I'm conflicted, but then again… We totally killed the Pharoahdin. The forced affair hath ended. It's over. For you, and for the Mother's secretive sex-life. Yep... I was thinking such things as I watched the Poacher melt into nothing more than a pile of bones. Thankfully, his bones are not moving. He did not transition into a Skeleton. I quickly realized, that he had actually succeeded in freeing me. I totally took his gesture of peace, and let him die regardless… I'm definitely not a Hero. The Lionkin King was correct. I'm not the one, but at least… I'm here.
Getting to my feet, I quickly evacuated the burning room and made my way back to the Hallway. As it turns out, my flames engulfed a considerable portion of the Hallway as well… The others are actually standing in it, seemingly fine. Is there… A combo effect between the Pumpkin Spice Bomb and the Pumpkin Lantern Bomb?! The Pumpkin Spice Bomb seemed to be relatively close ranged, as I stopped taking damage as soon as I left the room… But the Pumpkin Lantern Bomb is excessively widespread, and doesn't seem to deal ANY damage. Even so… How does that explain the Poacher melting to death?! There's definitely a hidden combo effect in there, somewhere… I'll need to experiment more. Another time!~ We've got surviving to do. Catching up with the others only took me a few moments, but on arrival… Wendel seemed quite distraught. She wanted me to die back there, I think. Glancing at my status… I've gained a whole lot of power from the Poacher's demise. He could have been utterly problematic, had he not chosen to try and outlast me. It was his greatest mistake, by far. Outlasting the Master of Time?! Preposterous!
Name: Nero Miki
Race: Cat (Halloween)
Weapon: Lantern (Delhn Glass, Siberite Tourmaline Lantern)
Mount: Broom (Cerberus String Emberwood Broom)
Class: Allwe Halloween Cat (Sub Class: Witch/Tamer)
Level: 7140
HP: 35700/35700
MP: 95819/144446(+1646)
SP: 81/100
FP: 78/100
P. DEF: 820
M. DEF: 712
STR: 28560
INT: 71948(+548)
DEX: 21420
LUK: 7140
AGI: 43164(+324)
Titles:
[True Allwe Halloween Cat+7], [From Another World], [Fish Mongerer+3], [Master of Disguise+4], [Mana Guzzler+6], [Candy Mongerer+3], [Master of Time+2], [Witch of War+6]
Abilities Learned:
[Flying Broom+3], [Soul Merge], [Clansmen Capture+2], [Hallowed Gate+4], [This is Halloween+2], [Wailing Keep+5], [Language Comprehension+1], [Shapeshift+3], [Barrier+5], [Daily Candy+5], [Claw Fishing+4], [Disguise+5], [Recovery by Sleep+3], [Enhanced Meditating+4], [Swim+3], [10 Minute Makeover+2], [Pumpkin Bomb+5], [Bonus Mana+5], [Time Skip+1], [War Meow+2], [Mana Claws], [Flame Paws], [Enhanced Smell]
Well… It happened. I can officially, smell a whole lot more. I Evolved, so nyah~ My Mana Guzzler, Witch of War, Master of Time, and True Allwe Halloween Cat titles all seem to have been enhanced. With them, [Bonus Mana] learned how to bestow me with an additional 200 MP. Because obviously, 200 MP is a big deal for me. [Pumpkin Bomb] Sama decided that we needed to increase the radius for the Pumpkin Spice Bombs. He neglected to mention just how much further their scent would engulf. The [Barrier] also decided to neglect giving any particular details, but he claims that he can make even greater use of my P./M DEF. Fantastic. [Time Skip]… Oh boy… Time Skip claims that he had enhanced his visual effect. He's being vague... After testing it out on a particular Stoned Land Shark, I found that bright lines of orange magic began to spiral around the statue… Wonderful. Seriously… Not a single ability made any meaningful advance, as far as I can tell. I've got a new form, though… It's the 'Halloween Cat YXL (Seven-Tailed)'. I wonder how much larger I am meow, than your regular Cat. It will need to wait until we've escaped this Budget Wailing Keep.
It's the Budget version, but it's still excessively larger than my Wailing Keep. It wins in certain aspects, to say the least. No offense to Wailing Keep Sama, but he has some stepping up to do; if he truly hopes to become a Keep worth mentioning. Cetilla made short work of all the monsters in the Hallway, and we've meow made it back to the Foyer. The empty Foyer, with a safe; welcoming atmosphere. We've made it. We have escaped the Mummy Mansion at Midnight, on a Monday. It's only a matter of time, now~ We need only wait. Thanks to my encounter with the Poacher, it is safe to assume that I have finally ascended past Cetilla's level. I'm the toughest Cat in this Crew, meow~ It's truly too bad, that I'll be enticed toward selling my soul and giving all of my power to Halloween. Halloween drives a hard bargain… I'd be a fool to decline it, but I'd be a good hearted fool. If someone else were to slay me, they might actually be able to make more of a difference for Melchiadore than I could. It's horribly depressing to think about, but I have way too many limiters. I guess… Rather than give my life… I should just try my best? Be optimistic and pray that I can actually make a difference for the better? Ugh… It's just so hard, when you're given such a critical role~
When I chose Halloween Cat, I expected to be more of a Summoner or a Tamer type Class. What I did not expect, was that the list of potential followers would end up being like… An eighth of the entire populace. I didn't expect for it to become a Ruler type Class. It kind of just… Happened. I blame Janus. He probably tampered with the Menu Sama in attempts at tricking me. All of this responsibility, is ridiculous. I just want to… Live. Why is that so difficult?! I've been handed the obligation card, and meow it's up to me to lead these foolish and often times... Questionably sadistic creatures. All of them. It would be better, if I could have all of them captured by me; so that I could ensure that they all outlived me… But some of them are simply beyond my help, like the freaking Flesh Golem that could destroy an entire Castle! It's dangerous trying to bolster the entire Halloween Clan, but it's practically my only choice if I hope to garner Janus' undying fealty! I need Janus to swear fealty to me, if I hope to not live within an Underworld. Janus can save me, if I die before selling my soul to Halloween… But he's probably just going to send me off on an even more difficult quest in some other Realm which he doesn't even own! I'll end up being tossed around from God to God, and they'll probably all have me tied up into some hellish questline; considering my past with Janus!
I've already proven the fact that I can handle this, at least to a certain extent… But Melchiadore isn't the only realm which Halloween Cats may appear. I highly doubt that Janus is the only God whom hath found themselves bent up about the inconsistencies of Halloween affecting their realms. They'll all want me to try and find a way to claim dominion over Halloween, more than likely. I can see it now… I won't even be given a choice on my race if I fail before Prestiging. If I fail after Prestiging, I'll be damned to an Underworld. It's as though I've been forced into winning the grand priz of some death race that could only ever appear in movies. I'm screwed...
"Here, try to break it." [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] beckoned as he tossed the Clock over to a particular Halloween Cat.
...Oh, great. The Clock of Countless Coincidences. It should be called the Clock of Countless Conflicts, if you ask me. Well… Here goes~ Slamming a paw down on the Clock, I found that nothing happened. I guess this might take a while? I totally ended up slamming down on the Clock like an ape for several different songs to no avail. It's no use. I'll never destroy this Clock. I must murder the Sphinx... It's the only way. That, or I need to find one seriously good Tinkerer. Wendel, Luna Pratz, and Molag Dregora are the only remaining Clansmen. They've been performing valiantly since we arrived, but it's not the same without ample percussion. Wendel has been stomping her feet and clapping her hands, as her own method of replacing the Scarecrows and Skeletons. Molag Dregora has been running his bone fingers down his ribcage, which is a whole mood if you ask me~ Luna has been snapping her fingers, as if this were a jazz band… But they're all singing while doing so. Currently, they're singing a very dramatic rendition of 'Sweet Dr*ams'. I guess I'll just go take a seat with Cetilla and Hobgoblin Samurai Punk. They're watching the performance while leaning up against a wall, looking quite sly. It's only 11 at night, so we have an hour to spare. We honestly cut it pretty close... If we chose to wait it out in the Toy Room, we might not have even made it. I should raise my evaluation of Cetilla a little bit.
"So, no luck?" [Cetilla] begged the question with a smirk.
"Nope… We're stuck here for another hour~" [Nero] sighed as he started to lean up against the wall alongside the others. To which, a long silence erupted before the Hobgoblin spoke up...
"Well, there those cards; right?" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] asked while tilting his head to the side. To which, all three of the individuals took a glance at the Bandsmen.
"Actually… I think they were being held by the Skeletons…" [Molag Dregora] groaned before beginning to sing once more. To which, all three of the individuals sighed.
"Well… At least we saved Ivand." [Nero] sighed.
"5000 Gold Coins, huh?" [Cetilla] exclaimed with a tired expression.
"5000..." [Nero] declared while glaring at the three surviving Bandsmen.
"Is 5000 going to be a lot?" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] begged the question while tilting his head to the side.
"We'll be able to do a lot with it." [Nero] exclaimed while nodding his head.
"What do you think we should do with it first?" [Cetilla] asked with a grin.
"Well, I know what I'm doing with mine… I'm going to get Luna a very nice Spellbook, and potentially some form of weapon for White Beef Lady as well." [Nero] declared with a smile as he glanced at the now giddy Unholy Priestess.
"I'd like to help speed up the process of housing all the Goblins." [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] declared while puffing his chest out.
"What else?" [Cetilla] asked while holding her grin.
"We can do more?" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] asked with eyes wide.
"Much more~" [Cetilla] declared with a slight giggle.
"Well… I can try and get myself some armor, I guess?" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] exclaimed while seeming uncertain.
"I'll get myself a new Broom and Lantern. I'll also be purchasing vast amounts of Candy, my long awaited Camping Equipment, and we'll be holding the grandest festival that any Goblin has ever witnessed." [Nero] declared with a smug expression.
"That's more like it!" [Wendel] chimed in excitedly from across the room, completely ignoring the song for a split moment. To which, a certain Sorceress could be witnessed nodding her head with a smirk.
"Maybe… I can also get myself a Castle!" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] declared with a look of excitement.
"I wouldn't push it." [Cetilla] shot back with a calculating expression as her hair suddenly stopped flowing.
"Then what will you do, Cetilla?" [Nero] begged the question with a grin.
"Well… My Ring is already fantastic, and the clothing that you bestow me with is fine... I'll probably double down on your crazed Candy addiction, and force you to get me even nicer clothing." [Cetilla] declared while visibly pondering.
"What else?" [Nero] asked with a smirk.
"You know what would be great?" [Cetilla] asked as her hair began to flow again.
"Spit it out!" [Molag Dregora] snapped from across the room.
"What if I invested into an airship?" [Cetilla] asked with a grin.
"We can… We can do that?" [Nero] asked with eyes wide.
"How do you think Rudou has his Trading Company?!" [Cetilla] shot back with an exasperated expression.
"How much will it cost?" [Nero] asked with a determined look.
"More than 5000, that's for damn sure~" [Cetilla] sighed.
"Hmmm… We'll need to make a habit of lucrative Questing after I recover my strength." [Nero] groaned.
"While you struggle at regaining a modicum of strength, would it be too much to ask for us to go explore more of the world?" [Cetilla] asked with a smirk.
"Woah… Harsh." [Nero] shot back while rolling his eyes.
"But can we?" [Cetilla] asked with eyes wide.
"He didn't decline…" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] exclaimed while beginning to squint his eyes as he glared at a particular Witch of War.
"Well… The Lost Kingdom inhabitants come first. After we get the survivors all settled in the Forsaken Isles, and ensure that they'll be fine without our constant presence… It wouldn't be such a bad idea. You two are more than powerful enough to keep me safe, even while I regain my strength." [Nero] exclaimed while rubbing his chin.
"So then, after you catch back up to us… We'll be able to reclaim the Monster Kingdom?" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] asked with eyes wide.
"Quite frankly… I need to know more about the rest of the continent. I need to know how powerful all of the other Rulers are. I wouldn't want to declare that we're on their level prematurely." [Nero] explained before taking off his aviators.
"It WOULD be pretty obnoxious of us to assume that we're ahead of everyone else..." [Cetilla] agreed while glaring at the Bandsmen.
"Precisely..." [Nero] sighed.
"But then again, it could be more fun that way~" [Cetilla] sighed with a sadistic expression without taking her eyes away from the Bandsmen.
"You're still incorrigible." [Nero] shot back while rolling his eyes.
"We could have beaten the Sphinx!" [Cetilla] screamed frantically.
"We'll come back!" [Nero] shot back exasperatedly.
"I for one, believe that escaping was a good call." [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] exclaimed while puffing out his chest.
"Who asked you?!" [Cetilla] slammed back hysterically.
"He's in the Cat Crew too, you know?!" [Nero] retorted with a mocking expression.
"He's not even a Cat!" [Cetilla] shot back with vigor.
"Sometimes… There just aren't enough competent Cats..." [Nero] groaned while recalling the event of Milton being impaled.
"Milton's death was a tragedy. Admittedly, Rei might have not been the best Catkin for the job." [Cetilla] sighed with a pained expression while nodding her head as she glanced at the Bandsmen.
"She's a fantastic Catkin, and I know you two are close… But the route that I'm on is far too perilous to have just about any Cat follow..." [Nero] said while patting the Sorceress' back.
"I know… I just... I wanted her to become a force to be reckoned with…" [Cetilla] said dejectedly.
"And she will~ But she'll be doing it as a Banshee." [Nero] exclaimed with a look of optimism.
"We never should have gotten Milton involved..." [Cetilla] exclaimed while squinting her eyes. To which, a particular Hobgoblin could be witnessed shirking away from the group.
"Is Milton really the problem here?" [Nero] asked while tilting his head.
"Uhm… Yes?" [Cetilla] shot back with an exasperated expression.
"That's strange… I could have sworn that it was due to Rei tragically falling in love with him prematurely, and giving her life in order to be with him; eternally." [Nero] exclaimed while rubbing his chin.
"Well… If Milton weren't there, she wouldn't have fallen for him~" [Cetilla] explained while twirling her hair.
"What… So we're supposed to dissuade young love?" [Nero] begged the question with a tired look.
"If necessary." [Cetila] declared while glancing off into the distance.
"We can't do that!" [Nero] shot back exasperatedly.
"Why not?! YOU don't go off and fall all over the place for random damsels!' [Cetilla] slammed back with a look of anger.
"Well… I personally, have way too much responsibility." [Nero] sighed.
"Being in the Cat Crew SHOULD be way too much responsibility, if you ask me." [Cetilla] retorted while raising an eyebrow.
"Oh? Am I hearing that you want to rule Reygid, not even just as a face of power?" [Nero] asked with a grin while tilting his head to the side.
"Hard pass." [Cetilla] shot back instantaneously with a dead look in her eyes.
"You said being in the Cat Crew meant more responsibility, though?" [Nero] exclaimed with a smirk.
"Reygid's boring, though." [Cetilla] declared nonchalantly, as if the entire matter were beneath her.
"Reygid is practically your birthright if you can ascend further than that King." [Nero] retorted while raising an eyebrow.
"I don't care~" [Cetilla] sighed while twirling a strand of her hair.
"So… Choosing to live a life without love is the one and only responsibility that you would force on the entire Cat Crew?" [Nero] asked while tilting his head to the side.
"You can have love… But you both need to be powerful first, so that you don't tragically die all over the place every single time that you're facing a serious opponent." [Cetilla] explained while rubbing her chin.
"So… Only Gods may have love?" [Nero] asked while raising an eyebrow.
"IF they want to be in the Cat Crew~" [Cetilla] declared with a smirk.
"I think you may be overhyping the Cat Crew, just a little bit." [Nero] sighed.
"I wouldn't choose to align myself with just about ANY organization, you know~" [Cetilla] exclaimed with a smug expression.
"Fine… But Milton and Rei can be together. They've already given up their lives, there's not much that I can do about it. It's their choice, at the end of the day~" [Nero] explained while rolling his eyes.
"Yeah, their ship has sailed." [Cetilla] groaned while glancing at the Bandsmen.
"Also, the (Hob)Goblin King can remain in the Cat Crew. There's nothing more prestigious than an actual King." [Nero] declared.
"You're right… I just hate how he always agrees with you." [Cetilla] confessed with a shrug.
"Well, if it's any consolation… I hate how you always want to kill everything." [Nero] shot back with a smirk.
"Our problems would cease to exist." [Cetilla] slammed back while side-eyeing a particular Halloween Cat. To which, a loud bell sounded… And the doors to the Mansion finally opened.
"Time to go everyone~ Pack my things, we've still got a ways to go." [Nero] called out to the others while glancing at the door.
"Yes, Master~" [Wendel] groaned.
And so… After painfully obtaining all of my buckets, a particular Statue, and masked Beartru… We fumbled our way out into the streets of Reygid once more. The Marquis is nowhere to be seen, so perhaps… He's probably off drowning in his sorrows, afraid of the thought that we might not return? It's almost surreal, to be viewing the actual night sky once again. The weather seems colder than before, but I might just be an idiot. Whatever the case, I'm glad to be out of that Mansion~ The streets are kind of crowded, but I honestly don't think anyone was expecting for us to pop in like this. Anyone nearby all immediately recognized our presence, probably due to haki. Many seem truly frightened, while others generally just seem happy to see us. It's like that. When I arrive, cool things happen. People get a chance to view wondrous magic, but sadly… Tonight, will not be one of those nights. My Wailing Keep is down, so there's nowhere for my gates to lead aside from Halloween itself. Taking a break in Halloween definitely wouldn't be the brightest of all moves, so we're meow walking the path of shame… On over to a particular Church. Hostage in tow, we definitely don't appear to be the good guys in this scenario… But what can you do? This Beartru is worth 5000 Gold Coins to me. I'm not letting him escape my clutches, nor am I about to bring him to the Marquis before I'm at full strength. I won't allow myself to be swindled out of 5000 Gold Coins. I'll need to strike absolute fear into that Marquis' eyes if I hope for him to pay full price for a Beartru after requesting a Bearkin.
And so… We made our way to the Church, which is quite close to the now ruined Castle, and the Casino. As we walked, more and more individuals cleared the way. It's like… We're a truck, or something. A very slowly moving truck. Is this what power feels like? It's a shame that I'll lose it soon… But I guess Cetilla and Hobgoblin Samurai Punk will fill in for my missing haki. We'll always be a big deal, I suppose. I'm just salty about being given such a short lifespan, is all. On arrival to the Church, we were met with some rather pompous appearing Rabbitkin Nuns… But they quickly realized the state of our beloved Land Shark… And began leading us to their High Priest. He ended up being a very old Foxman. He demanded 20 Gold Coins of me, but I'm flat broke right meow. 15 Gold Coins, to be specific. I ended up haggling him through use of intimidation. It wasn't pretty, but with the help of Molag Dregora and Cetilla… We managed to drop the price down to 15 Gold Coins. Now… I am flat broke. Officially.
Budget Shark was exceedingly confused, to find that we were no longer in his favorite Dungeon… But Luna and Hobgoblin Samurai Punk were filling him in on all the details as we walked. We're going home~ The Land Shark ended up being exceptionally dejected about having lost his right to a cut in the Gold Coins awarded from the Quest, but Hobgoblin Samurai Punk promised to spare some of his Coins to afford the gluttonous Land Shark with a few luxurious meals… And, he has now learned of the equally luxurious festival that I will be holding when we've returned. He's content, for meow… Ah… By the time that we had traveled around halfway through Reygid, he learned about the attack against the Wailing Keep… And he almost lost his sanity. He's particularly concerned about those two Potamin Crabs that he's been caring for. Oh? He's also concerned about Mary and Cindy. The Chefs. The Chefs, and the Crabs… Above all else, those are what matter to our beloved Land Shark. Unbelievable~
After a long walk, filled with his ramblings about what he wanted to eat first… We had finally arrived at the gates to leave the Beastkin Kingdom. They're actually guarded, this time. Lightly, but guarded. Unsurprisingly, the Kingdom Knights have absolutely no desire to face us. We're passing through for free. We're already notorious for utterly massacring them whenever they stand in our way, so it's like that. We meow rule by fear. Oops… I swear, I didn't mean to! I was only trying to help! It's no use... We're feared. Several of them fell to their knees, shaking in terror. Others fled, instantly. I have no idea where they're running to… But they're running~ One Penguinkin in particular, tried to fly from atop the gatehouse… And brutally fell flat near my feet, before beginning to grovel for his very life… As if I'm about to bust down the whole wall, or something. The heck?! Who hurt you?! What makes you feel as though you need to risk your own life in attempts at groveling sooner?! You know... There are stairs for a reason! I didn't do this, okay?! There's no way that everything I've done has brought about THIS level of terror from these Kingdom Knights… Right?! Oh Janus… What have I done?!
"Spare me, please! I beg of you!" [Penguinkin Kingdom Knight] pleaded at a particular Cat's feet.
"You fool! He will cut you down with the flick of a claw!" [Weaslekin Kingdom Knight] screamed hysterically as he fled.
"Please… Have mercy upon our souls…" [Turtlekin Kingdom Knight] begged while assuming a Dogeza.
"Beg harder..." [Dutchess of Doom] beckoned with a smug expression as she held her head high.
"I have a family!" [Sealkin Kingdom Knight] cried hysterically.
"We all have families." [(Hob)Goblin King] declared stoically. To which, several nearby Kingdom Knights began to weep profusely.
I think… I think Reygid might be the cause of the attack against my Wailing Keep. These Kingdom Knights… They're guilty.
"Listen to me, and listen good. Any lies will not be tolerated, but should you be honest… I will spare your lives." [Nero] exclaimed while removing his aviators. To which, a particular Penguinkin audibly swallowed his saliva.
"Did you play any part whatsoever in the attack against my Keep?" [Nero] begged the question with eyes wide.
"..." [Kingdom Knights]
"Answer." [Nero] beckoned with a terrifying expression.
"...We had no choice!" [Turtlekin Kingdom Knight] exclaimed hysterically.
"The King would have had our heads if we refused!" [Komoto Dragonkin Kingdom Knight] explained frantically, with a look of sheer desperation.
"And that, settles it~" [Cetilla Vellisroi] chimed in with a sadistic expression.
"...It was Reygid?" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] muttered with eyes wide and a shaky voice.
"Thank you for your candor." [Nero] thanked with a blank expression before continuing…
"As promised, you are all free to leave." [Nero] exclaimed with a wry smile. To which, many of the nearby Kingdom Knights sighed.
"T-That's all?" [Penguinkin Kingdom Knight] asked while still appearing terrified.
"Hmmmm~ Just one more thing… Don't show up at the Castle for about a week." [Nero] exclaimed with a twisted smile.
"...But what do we do in the meantime?!" [Sealkin Kingdom Knight] asked with a look of desperation.
"...Hide." [Nero] beckoned with a low tone of voice, and a blank expression before continuing on his way… And breaking down the gate which had previously blocked his path.
"What are we going to do?" [Cetilla] asked with a smirk after the group had entered the Lost Kingdom once more.
"I'm conflicted… I want to execute that King, more than anything… But I know that we can't do so without replacing his haki with another… Perhaps, it's time to meet his kin… To decide if there is a more capable and trustworthy candidate." [Nero] explained with an uneasy expression.
"I've only met with them a few times… But the Princess seemed generally decent." [Cetilla] shrugged.
"We'll just need to wait and see..." [Nero] sighed.
"All I know, is that I'm mentally exhausted." [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] groaned.
"Agreed~ Let's hurry up and get home~" [Budget Shark] exclaimed as though he had not essentially just slept through a vast majority of the Quest.
"When will you free me?!" [Ivand Bernardi, the Beartru] screamed exasperatedly.
"Sometime after we settle down and gather our companions?" [Nero] shot back with a condescending tone of voice. To which, the masked Beartru only groaned.
And so, we made our way back to the Lost Kingdom… Slowly, and calmly. As we travelled, we tried to get our minds off of what may have been awaiting us… We spent our time, choosing to sing along to several songs. I participated and everything~ We almost made our way through the entire concert track-list, and by the time that we had reached the 'Werewolves of L*ndon'... We had finally arrived at what should have been my Wailing Keep. The grass where it had previously been located, had turned to nothing more than dirt. Not even… Bones, or corpses… It's just… Vacant. Venturing out into the Goblin Village, we found that the entire place was nothing more than a ghost town. Not a soul in sight of the entire Village. We checked… Every single home. Not a single corpse, or set of bones to be found… At this point, we skeptically went to check up on the Delhn Lake. To absolutely no one's surprise… Rei and Milton stayed at the Lake, throughout the course of everything. At least a dozen or so Potamin Crabs are also visible in the distance. Milton and Rei have been here… Slowly feasting upon the Cyworctus, as if nothing had even happened. Cetilla and Rei totally had a moment after being reunited, but I need answers.
"Rei… What happened to the Goblins?" [Nero] begged the question, ignoring the touching reunion between the two childhood friends.
"Eh?" [Rei] replied while tilting her head.
...Figures. They literally did not even notice. Wraiths are incorrigible.
"Milton?" [Nero] turned to face the Phantasm… Who merely shrugged.
...That's it! I'm going to the Chasms! If they aren't there… We've probably lost them. All of them. Surprisingly, it would appear that Milton and Rei have decided to ditch the Cyworctus, and join us in our pursuit of the lost. Two Level 1 Wraiths hath joined the party! We ended up singing the Monster M*sh while we travelled. It was one of the fewer songs which Milton and Rei remembered from our previous Festivals~ Reaching the Chasms took great difficulty. It was startling, to suddenly be reminded of just how fast I am meow accustomed to traveling. I had totally forgotten, that when I first started out… And made this trek while attempting to reach the Demon Kingdom, it genuinely did take quite the portion of my night. Due to carrying the Buckets, and trying to keep a pace which the two Wraiths could match… It's like we're going to back that. Honestly? It's kind of refreshing.
After a little while of singing, Cetilla and Rei went off into their own conversation somewhat behind us. They're catching up~ While they were off having their little chat, the rest of us tried to get Milton to spill some tea. According to him, he wasn't too sure about his eternal relationship with Rei at first… But they've been hitting it off together for awhile now. I suppose it was destined to happen, what with those two spending so much time together and all~ We ended up spending some time to explain everything that's been happening, and he was shocked… But he got over it relatively quickly. He's… Quick to adjust. I'll give him that much~ We totally ended up continuing to sing throughout the rest of our journey. Meow… At the crack of dawn, we are finally at the foot of the Chasm. No offense to everyone else, but I'm freaking dying with anticipation over here. Given the fact that everyone else is carrying buckets, aside from the Wraiths and Beartru… I decided to fly on ahead by myself.
Oh? Hobgoblin Samurai Punk promptly ditched his buckets before leaping into the skies, and hoisting himself up onto my Broom. Cetilla also ditched her buckets, and is meow flying on her own. Rei and Milton aren't stopping at the foot of the Chasm either, so I guess this leaves the Beartru, Luna Pratz, Wendel, Molag Dregora, and Budget Shark alone to watch the buckets… No? Okay… Molag Dregora is floating while carrying both Budget Shark AND Ivand, Wendel hastily threw all of my buckets over the ledge… Luna returned to Halloween, and Wendel joined her after seeming quite proud of herself. Honestly, break my buckets and I will break your life. You better PRAY that those buckets are fine, Wendel~ I didn't gain the Candy Mongerer title for nothing... This stuff matters to me. Those are my prized possessions! The evidence of my reign! Nyah!
Well… Here goes~ We slowly descended, to keep the pace of Rei and Milton… But we're near. We're so near, that I can practically taste the Fish. Jeez… I think I might actually be siding with Budget Shark on this one. If we lost Mary, I don't know if I'd ever get over it. No one cooks Fish like Mary, bro. We can't lose her! Cat Crewoman Number 6 for life! I suppose, if she perished and left behind Cindy… Cindy might eventually learn how to cook just as good as her mother? It would probably take years, and I would need to deal with poorly cooked Fish once more… Nyah! Feeling forced into slowly descending on Rei and Milton's behalf is absolute torture! I need the knowledge! It's not as though Milton and Rei have been desperately awaiting these answers as we have, they genuinely didn't even know until earlier tonight! I'm speeding up, that's it. Hold on, Hobgoblin Samurai Punk~ We're going meow! Turns out, my buckets are seriously sturdy. Nothing could break these bad boys...
Whew~ The Harpy Village seems pretty much unscathed, apart from the masses of Goblins currently inhabiting it. That's right~ We were correct. They did, indeed escape to the Chasms. Looking around, some of the Monster Knights are also alive. They're not all grouped up like normal, so it's difficult to figure out just who made it out on time… But the children all seem to have survived. They're off playing in the distance with some of the younger Harpies and Goblins. It would appear, that the worst is behind us… Watching them like this, it's bringing tears to my eyes~ Glancing at Samurai Punk, he also seems quite emotional. Thank you, Janus.
Many of the Villagers have begun to crowd around us, and the others have finally caught up. Mary's alive. Vana and Hugo are fine. Ben is wounded. Kendra seems upset, but she's here. Lora is here, but I don't see Boris. On second thought… I don't see Lillian, either. Wilson is alive, but barely. According to Vana and Hugo, they've been trying to heal him… But they're failing. They don't believe Wilson will survive very much longer… I wonder how White Beef Lady will take the news? Cyclozard seems fine. Grenda survived, but she appears just about as bad as anyone might expect... She's grieving. Jon's here, but he seems quite frustrated. He probably didn't fight, because he's still lacking in the weapon's department. I decided to pull Vana aside, to get the bad news. I can't deal with this… I can't keep looking around, and trying to decipher it myself. It's becoming very clear that this battle was not a victory.
According to Vana… The losses were catastrophic. The Tier 11 Cheetahkin Martial Artist Woman from Lorimaki Island gave her life trying to hold the enemies outside of the Wailing Keep, alongside many others. Trignam Firemane, the elderly Tier 7 Tigerkin Earl… The Tier 7 Humon Woman who wished to help me with my business… Lillian, the Tier 7 Leshi… Lisa, the Tier 7 Minotaur… The elderly Tier 6 Koalakin Man who desired to go to Lorimaki Island… Boris, the Tier 6 Bandoral Boamia… The Tier 6 Golden Retrieverkin man who also wanted to go to Lorimaki Island… The Tier 5 Chihuahuakin guy who desired to be a Monster Knight… Cloaked Monk… Goddin Village Neith Sama… Frank, the Tier 4 Frogman… And both of the Tier 3 Snow Leopardkin parents who desired to help with the Lost Kingdom businesses… All perished. With Wilson on his deathbed, it's practically as though all of the most powerful Monster Knights gave their lives to protect the Wailing Keep… While the others aimed at getting the citizens to safety. Of all those still alive, Rita and the Goatman are the most powerful. Seriously… They were lucky that no one chased them down into the Chasms. They wouldn't have stood a chance.
It would appear that the Wailing Keep did not protect itself until after everyone else had escaped. Even then… Apparently, only around half of the Goblin Villagers were even rescued. Everyone else perished, and sadly… Someone took their damned bodies. The King must have known that I would resurrect them if I returned. This whole situation is foul. Conjuring a new [Wailing Keep]... I decided to wait until tomorrow to make my announcement. For now… Let's just get some much needed rest. My SP isn't empty, but I feel spent. We'll work on this tomorrow. My Clansmen can't return until after I've recovered my own MP, so waiting is quite literally all that I can do right now. Luna, please turn Wilson into a Vampire before you return to Halloween for the night. I have a feeling that White Beef Lady would never forgive me if he perished AFTER we returned… I was thinking such things as I exhaustedly made my way into the Wailing Keep, and directly into my Treasure Room. Goodnight...