Hat Kid groans in exhaustion as she wakes up in the darkness of Nosk's lair. "Note to self, try not to use more than one nail art at a time."
"Welcome back to a world of pain, cur." Zote says.
Hat Kid and Snappy, along with Zote, continue their perilous journey to find the stag station of Deepnest.
"We got way too sidetracked, Zote, let's make a plan to go straight towards the distant village."
"Whatever you say, cur."
They take a long journey that is interrupted by many weavers but eventually make it to their destination.
"It appears we've made it to the distant village, Zote. The sign says the station is far above."
The climb to the top is a bit treacherous with so little platform. Hat Kid has to save Zote from falling over a few times. Once they make it to the station they have to pay to ring the bell.
"You can pay it, Zote, right?" She says making her signature smug face.
"Well of course I can, I am Zote the Mighty and geo is never an issue." He says as he puts some geo into the machine.
The bell pops up and he rings it, waiting a few minutes till the last stag comes running in from the tunnels.
"You called me from all the way down here? Why would you come so far down?"
"I didn't mean to but I'm here anyway so take me back to the place where you found me and Myla."
"Very well, kid." They hop on and Zote starts rambling. Hat Kid covers his mouth. "Just keep quiet and enjoy the ride, ok?" He grumbles but accepts.
They arrive at the resting grounds and Zote takes off on his own. Hat Kid sighs, "Always on the move."
Hat Kid drags herself over to Seer and drops the gleaming nail in front of her and she speaks, "I knew you would be back, what is it you desire to know, or do you want the full story from the beginning?"
"I don't have time for all that, just tell what this nail does."
"Such an impatient one. Very well, you are not too experienced with a nail so I think we can modify it to suit you better."
"Who said I wasn't good with a nail huh?"
"I did, child. I see you have that mask there, what does it do?"
"Nothing, literally nothing except limit my vision."
"What if we could expand your vision with a bit of magic."
"I'm not trying to become a magical witch, alright? When I acted like a witch with a hat, it was specifically chemical potions. So keep your real witchcraft away from me."
"You are so picky aren't you? And you talk a lot too."
"I used to not be very talkative when I was really young, so you get talkative kid now, alright."
Seer scoffs, "Just put the nail and mask in front of me please."
Hat Kid throws them in front of Seer with attitude. Seer gives her a look of patience.
"The things I do to atone for my crimes. Stand back, child." Seer begins chanting loudly and bright lights appear, forcing Hat Kid to cover her eyes. "Melemoo....Aaahh naaaaaaaaahs!" Once the magic lights dim down; Hat Kid asks Seer if she's done.
"Hmmm, yes... I am."
Hat Kid takes and inspects the nail and mask. "Soooo, whatcha do to them, Seer."
"As you may notice, the nail is gleaming very lowly now, I transferred some of the essence from the nail into the mask since it fits your style more."
"Right right... what did it do originally?" Hat Kid asks with concern.
"That's for you to discover... now leave!" Seer demands. "But do come back eventually, kid."
Hat Kid is completely fine with the demand and takes the stag back to Dirtmouth. She and Snappy stroll to her ship and pass Elderbug on the way; who thanks her for the cookies. "Your welcome, gramps."
Hat Kid and Snappy teleport back to the ship and have a bite to eat. "Have I just never really noticed you when you're sleeping or are you just able to stay awake for days on end like me?" Hat Kid asks with her mouth full of food.
"Scyaaaa."
"Still don't understand ya, kid."
Once they're done she goes over to her workbench. She attaches a high-grade magnet into her parasol and the back of her coat. "There, now I don't have to carry it everywhere." She tests it, putting it on and off on her back. "Why am I such a late thinker, Snappy?" Hat Kid and Snappy go over to the main teleporter to decide where they should go next. "The only place I know of that exists and we haven't been to yet is the capital city. There's gotta be timepieces there right? Hope these coordinates are right for greenpath, we'll journey from there and look for the city."
Hat Kid and Snappy teleport to the howling cliffs above a floor and fall hitting it.
"Why can't I get anything right?" Hat Kid complains.
Mato perks his head up "Hey, kid, welcome back, glad you came to visit."
"I didn't even mean to teleport here, Mato, I was going to the greenpath and from there I was going to look for the capital city."
"Oh..." Mato lowers his head.
Hat Kid gets up. "B-but I'm glad I did, I was planning on giving you a cookie for a long time. Here." She pulls a wrapped cookie out of her hat and hands it to Mato.
He perks up again. "Oh." He begins to eat it in silence.
Hat Kid pulls out her mask and tries it on. "Hey, Mato, what do you think of my mask?... Mato?"
"She teleported in, could she be with the creeps from the soul sanctum?"
"E-excuse me, you talking to me."
"Um... no." He darts his eyes back and forth.
Hat Kid stares at him with suspicion, her eyes glowing through the mask.
Mato sighs, "Marx... why?"
"Marx?" Hat Kid questions.
Mato perks his head up again. "Okay, kid... who are you!" He shouts; drawing his nail.
Hat Kid gets a surprised look on her face which is only conveyed through the eyes of her mask.
"She must be in that cult at the Soul Sanctum... but am I really going to k-kill a kid."
"Y-you're going to kill me because of some cult I know nothing about?" Hat Kid say's scared.
Mato lowers the nail. "Hold on a minute, kid, may I see that mask of yours." Hat Kid puts it on the floor and back's up. Mato grabs it and puts it over his face looking at Hat Kid.
Hat Kid's mouth doesn't move but Mato can hear her words, "Jeez, that was almost as scary as the time I took those timepieces from the Empress."
"Kid! Do you know what this mask can do?"
"Uhhh... no."
"Kid... you can read people's thoughts, and maybe even more! It's all in the power of this mask... where did you get it?"
"To put it shortly, some weird guy and old moth lady. By the way, who is Marx?"
"Oh... it's quite personal, I'll explain it all when the time is right, kid."
"Very well, Mato."
"Hey, you said you were going to the capital city, I know a way to get in there. I have some loose ends I need to tie over there, shall we travel there together?"
"We Shall Mato, we shall..."
They journey to the Fungal Wastes through Fog Canyon; slaying husks and bugs.
"Don't hit the jellyfish, kid."
"Why?"
"Just trust me alright. So how have you been faring with the cyclone slash I taught you?"
"Pretty well." She says cutting up a husk. "I stopped a ritual with it, oh and also cut up some mimicking creature in the depths below."
"Sounds like it's been useful, and you've certainly been having quite the adventure."
"Do adventures involve me being scared for my life every few hours?"
"Yes, I would say they do."
"Oh..." Hat Kid says disappointed.
They come across a dead mantis warrior. Mato pays respect to the fallen warrior. "Honorable creatures. Wonder what took this one down?"
"I don't know, but those claws of there's look good for climbing." Hat Kid says as she starts cutting it's claws off. Mato looks at her with disgust but says nothing.
They stop at a metal bridge that is currently out of service.
"The city is just beyond here, huh, last I was here it was up."
"And when was that?"
"I-I have no idea... weird."
"I've got this Mato, I'll find a way to fix the bridge." She takes a mantis claw in each hand and starts climbing on the pillars above with some struggle; having to maneuver around large thorns.
"Be careful up there, kid."
"Yeah, don't distract me; thank you!"
She pricks the side of her hand. "Ah!, I blame you for that one, Mato."
She reaches a checkpoint and pulls a lever, summoning the bridge up to let Mato across a bit. A red figure floats up from behind Mato. "Look out Mato!" She jumps over him and shanks the blob to the ground causing it to poof into a red mist. Snappy examines the lantern of fire it dropped. He starts trying to bite the fire it's producing.
"Hey, kid, what's your little pet doing?"
"Hey; he is not a pet, he's a companion... and I have no idea. Hey, Snappy, whatcha doin?"
Snappy stops biting and starts flapping his little wings. The flame burns out and the essence of it absorbs into him.
"Well now that; that's over, we can continue." Hat Kid parkours the rest of the way and brings up all the bridge parts.
They come to a blocked off entrance and statue. Hat Kid inspects it closely. "Ah, how could I forget this guy who tried to flatten me with a mace. So how do you suggest we get through here Mato."
"I remember the knight who wore this armor had some kind of crest he used to open it."
"Oh!" Hat Kid takes her hat off and starts rummaging through it. "I do believe- aha!" She pulls out a crest she took off the armor of the false knight. "This should be it."
"You're quite the scavenger to have found something like that."
The pillar blocking the entrance raises with resistance but opens up.
They enter the dark blue and grey capital city with water pouring above.
"It's raining? How is that possible; we're underground, right, Mato?"
"Yes, we are, if my memory serves me correctly; there's a lake above the city; it must be leaking through."
Mato points to the top of the second tallest tower. "That there is the Soul Sanctum. Where I'm willing to bet HE resides. Ugh, this rain sucks, kid."
"But I like the rain." Hat Kid starts walking around in the rain. Her mouth gives a tranquil smile that she hasn't had in a while.
"Scyaaaa." Snappy is not happy with this rain, he hides under her hat for cover. Hat Kid gives a joyful laugh.
"What's so jolly about the rain, kid?"
"I don't know, just me I guess."
They enter the Soul Sanctum and ascend on an elevator to an elegant door. "Sorry, kid, doesn't seem like this door will- hold on... I sense different kinds of magic beyond here. Let's check outside for a way in."
They go back outside and see the glass on the top. Mato looks over at Hat Kid. "Think I could give you a boost and you climb in through there." Hat Kid nods and Mato picks Hat Kid up and tosses her as high as he can.
She mantis claws some railing. "These are basically organic climbing picks, evolution at its finest." She gets to the top and enters through a broken skyroof. "Interesting place." She goes to the elegant door and opens it for Mato. She stands in front of him with a proud look. A figure teleports in and dashes at Hat Kid with nail in hand from behind. Mato pushes Hat Kid out of the way and instantly locks nails with it. It's flimsy needle is no match for Mato's strength as he pushes him back. The warrior teleports away. Hat Kid readies herself.
Mato growls, "It knows the dash slash, kid, be on high alert." They get in a back to back formation.
The warrior teleports in from above and slashes Mato in the back. "AHG!" Mato shouts.
The warrior shoots a sphere of infected soul at Hat Kid. She dash cloak dodges and counter strikes, clashing with the warrior while Mato recovers. The warrior is too quick for her and dash slashes, stabbing Hat Kid in the shoulder. "Peck!"
Mato grabs the warrior's arm but he teleports away. Mato pulls out a blue orb and crushes it in his hand. "Come at me, creep!"
The warrior pops in and dash slashes at Mato who by luck is able to grab his arm as he dashes by. The warrior doesn't seem to care much as Mato blocks his strike but quickly panics soon after he realizes he can't teleport. Mato gives him a menacing smile before impaling him through the throat.
Hat Kid stares in awe. "Brutal, dude."
Mato removes his nail, letting the warrior die on the floor. He kicks the body, "Unworthy, beast, you should have no knowledge of the dash slash!"
Hat Kid stands kinda awkwardly. "Soooo... I saw you had a blue orb, I've seen it before... what exactly is it?"
Mato shakes the blue liquid off his hand. "Lifeblood, it cuts off soul power and heals the body, I doubt any of these creeps know that, all they study is soul power."
Mato takes notice to Hat Kid's wound. "Your shoulder is bleeding, kid, here, take a lifeblood seed and rub it's liquid on... your already blue blood? Say... you're not made of lifeblood are you?"
"No, I don't think so." She says rubbing the lifeblood over her wound. "That's actually very soothing."
They continue to find a chained up snail who seems dead. "Mato, we should release them."
"I ain't touching magic dead folks, all you, kid."
She starts to release the snail but it screeches and its eyes light up white. It disintegrates into a black liquid and moves up Hat Kid's body. "Ew ew ew!" It disappears and Hat Kid seems breathless.
"Don't even tell me about it, kid, I don't want to know."
They ascend higher, fighting off mistakes and other lesser soul casters till they reach the top.
They walk onto a roof in the pouring rain and find a bug meditating. The floating bug looks dead at Mato "Oh... it's you," the bug says with scorn.
Mato lowers his head "My brothers and I swore to guard the weak. When we took you in, we had hoped you would help us in that sworn duty as a nail master. I never taught you the cyclone slash because you were never truly ready, and I know you spite me for that."
Hat Kid whispers to Snappy, "That must be Marx."
"Scyaaaa."
Marx smirks. "That's why Oro was my favorite over you."
Mato lowers his blade. "Oro taught you so he could be done with you. I... I actually cared about you, Marx."
"That name no longer has any meaning!"
"You've abandoned the way of the nail after you shamelessly taught that undeserving warrior a minor version of Oro's dash slash technique."
"Heh, some others I taught even left me for the colosseum. They have become more powerful than any nail master... even the great nail sage."
"That remains to be seen, and what about you, SoUl MaStEr." He mocks. "Are you more powerful than ME!-" Mato lunges at the Soul Master; who with a white flash of soul, teleports; coming down above him in the air ready to pounce right back.
Hat Kid reaches her arm out yelling; trying to warn Mato. For a split second her entire-being goes black as void and her eyes white as soul. A large black wraith spews from her and torpedoes at the Soul Master, knocking him out of Mato's vicinity.
Hat Kid holds her chest gasping as if she can't breathe. "W-what did I just do?!" She says as she looks at her trembling hands.
Mato looks at Hat Kid in question. "Shaman craft!" he yells.
The soul master also questions what Hat Kid just did. "By the plague... void! That shaman died under torture, how did you gain his power which we tried so hard to take, nevermind; it doesn't matter now. All that matters is that you join him!" He charges at Hat Kid who cloaks dashes away.
He starts flying around and spewing infected souls at Mato who disposes of them with a cyclone slash. "Just keep dodging, kid." Mato yells.
Hat Kid dashes around while Mato takes cover. "Way to leave me, Mato! Snappy, help me out by giving him another target."
"Scyaaaa." Snappy starts flying around while spewing some fire at the Soul Master.
Hat Kid tries a few times to to hit him but he teleports away before she can truly make a mark.
"You barely glaze me, kid, you can't touch me for long enough to actually do anything."
"So what, we're just going to dance around, because you can't seem to hit me either." Hat Kid says smugly as the Soul Master watches her carefully.
"This ends now!" He yells.
Mato runs up from behind. "Yes, it does." The soul Master goes to teleport as Mato's blade touches him in the back but Mato impales the Soul Master swiftly.
"Huh, why w-why didn't I teleport, AHG!"
"Lifeblood you, fool, your counter... goodbye, fallen friend." He pushes his lifeblood laced nail in deeper. The soul master's orange eyes go black with death and his soul is sucked out of him into the open rain.
Hat Kid sees the soul floating. "Yeah I learned my lesson, not going to touch that creepy magic."
Mato takes a moment to rest beside his fallen apprentice. "So, Hat Kid... is this considered an adventure where your life is in danger every few hours?"
"Ha funny." She says a little sarcastically.
Mato starts walking back inside. "We're going to talk about that void Marx mentioned later."