Chapter 46 - Night 48

"What are you doing?!" [Cetilla] angrily screamed at me after storming into my Treasure Room.

I'm awake. Jeez. I'm tired. Rei needs me right now though, so I should probably just get up already. She's right. It's a lot, though. I know that when I get up, people are going to die. I don't know which ones, though. I'm also extremely hungry.

"Sorry. I think it's time to go save her. I'm going to need your help, but I'm also starving right now. Can we please just eat a little bit first?" [Nero] apologized before asking.

"Why is he laying out there like that?!" [Cetilla] barked.

"I don't know what to do with him yet... I want Rei to choose." [Nero] admit.

"Why did you stop me?!" [Cetilla] yelled.

"Because your tornado wasn't going to save her!" [Nero] gave up and lashed back.

"..." [Cetilla & Nero]

"Look, I want to help Rei. I do. I need to, but I can't do it without at least one Fish to hold me over. I'm not getting into my Human form with you still standing in the room, either. You're wasting time that we could be using to save her by standing here right now. If you want to fight and try to help me save her, you're more than welcome to. Be that as it may, if the tornado causes our allies to be incapable of fighting; it just doesn't seem worth it." [Nero] said in a determined voice.

"Fine. Get dressed." [Cetilla] said as she left.

I feel bad. I didn't want to blow up on her, especially her; but we can't just storm into that Castle as it is now. Rei is most likely captured and imprisoned within it. I'll need a lot of Candy, I'll need all of my Clansmen present as well. I'm hesitant about involving the Monster Knights though. They could die if faced against TempCat. I'll need Cetilla's help with holding my Candy as we travel. If I use the original form of [Barrier], I might be able to fit her inside of it. I should probably use [10 Minute Makeover] to buff my [Barrier] to levels far beyond what I normally wear.

If I use that, eat a ton of Candy before storming into the Castle and summoning all of my Clansmen, we should be able to buy ourselves a full 9 minutes to get in, save Rei, and get out. Cetilla and I will be on my Broom. Conrad, the Crowli can be our bodyguard on account of his ludicrous speed. We'll have the Banshee, Benji (Tier 5 Bat), Wendel (Tier 6 Weeping Angel), Mr and Mrs Scarecrow joined by their lesser companions as a means of distraction. Their primary goal will be to wreak havoc within the Castle. If they die while doing so, that's totally fine. I'll revive them afterwards. I'm depending on the [Hallowed Gate] for this mission to be a success. I don't need to carry all of my Candy, I just need enough to fully regenerate my MP two or three times.

If I fully spent all of my MP on [10 Minute Makeover], I should be able to accumulate clothing at level 244. Even if the costume doesn't have hidden extra pieces and it's relatively basic, that's still a whole of stats. Even 10 Minute Makeover can be a dud, if you think about it. There's a chance that I'll be given a one piece suit, shoes, and a hat for example. It might be a seriously intricate costume with a dozen pieces, or it might just be a couple. After spending my MP on 10 Minute Makeover and refilling it once through Candy, I can drop a huge [Pumpkin Bomb] to start the madness and refill it again. I might end up losing an extra minute of time due to it, but if I do it before sending my Clansmen down, it just might be really helpful. I can rely on Cetilla to direct me on where to go for Rei and fly extremely fast in order to reach her quickly. After reaching Rei, I can consume more Candy and then find a location suitable for me to summon a [Hallowed Gate] with high MP that would also gain the resistances of my [10 Minute Makeover]. To fully regenerate my MP three times, it would probably take 7 to 8 buckets... Give or take. That's all we need. I could probably manage with carrying it myself, but it might be a pain to alternate between buckets while flying. I don't actually need to wait for us to find Rei before I start eating Candy.

I was thinking such things as I got dressed and made my way over to the Dining Hall. On arrival, I found that everyone else had gathered. I mean… Everyone. It's probably Cetilla's doing. I think everyone else already ate, but there's a nice little plate of three Fish served at my seat. Cetilla's standing by it with an irritated expression that can only mean one thing. Hurry up and eat this damn Fish that I just specially prepared for your tardy self, and then get on with saving my friend for I have already gathered anyone whom you're likely to ask for help in doing so. Yep. She's got that look. Nervously taking my seat, I began to eat. After finishing two of my Fish, I started to explain.

"Rei was most likely captured by Reygid City's Kingdom Knights in lieu of my efforts at saving the Scarecrows. Also, Milton died for that very same reason. I'll be going back there tonight to storm their Castle and save Rei. I have a plan, but it's quite risky... Especially for those of whom are not my Clansmen. It was my choice to save the Scarecrows, and it was that choice which caused this. Because of that and the fact that my plan is risky for mortals, I will be asking that none of you take part aside from Cetilla. Cetilla bared witness to me saving the Scarecrows, Rei is her best friend, Cetilla is competent in battle, and might even know the layout to the Castle considering that she's a noble. I can only keep one safe at a time for this plan, so it makes sense to bring her. This is a job for Halloween." [Nero] proclaimed before beginning to eat his Fish once more.

"I know the place." [Cetilla] giggled.

"I liked Milton. Why can't I join?" [Ben the Bear] asked.

"You're not fast enough to keep up with me on my Broom." [Nero] replied harshly.

"Hmph." [Ben]

"I'm fast!" [Rita the Rifaleesi] declared happily.

"You're heavily susceptible to damage, the enemy that we're facing is far faster than you, and he isn't even susceptible to damage. If you really want to help, you can always just kill the King. I think something like that might be possible for you, but I still don't know if you would make it back to me in time for my [Hallowed Gate] to appear." [Nero] shot the Rifaleesi down.

"Is the enemy truly that strong?" [Lillian the Leshi] asked.

"Make no mistake. I am unsure if I possess the capability to defeat this enemy as it stands. My plan is not to destroy him, but to avert his attention and escape along with Rei amidst the confusion. My entire plan is bent on me having 10 minutes in order to complete it. From the moment that I fly on those Castle grounds, there will only be 8 or 9 minutes left to act." [Nero] replied calculatingly.

"Please. Explain the plan." [Goddin Village Neith Sama] asked.

"Very well. Cetilla will be riding with me on my Broom, helping me carry buckets of Candy. I'll be flying to Reygid slowly in order to conserve MP. I won't be spending any until I have arrived above the Castle. While flying above, I'll cast my [10 Minute Makeover] at the highest possible cost, before refilling my MP completely with some of the Candy that we had brought with us. After finishing to refill it, I will drop a [Pumpkin Bomb] on the Castle courtyard for the highest possible cost of MP before refilling my MP completely once more. Having refilled it, I will summon all of my Clansmen to invade the Castle and wreak havoc. I'll keep Conrad and Cetilla by my side as Cetilla directs me towards where she expects Rei to be held captive. After finding Rei, we will continue eating more Candy before finding a suitable location to cast a [Hallowed Gate] and escape back into the [Wailing Keep]. The main enemy of tonight is someone I like to call TempCat. He's a brown furred, green eyed Catkin Templar worshipped by the Beastkin Kingdom Knights. He's quite skilled and may surpass even Tier 6 or 7 monster. I'm unsure as to his current strength. Goblin Funk, did you catch a glimpse of him?" [Nero] explained before asking.

"I did. He was a level 173, Tier 7 Catkin. He had numerous abilities, but we only bore witness to one. It was [Holy Rush]. He had a lot of light based abilities and is classified as a Valentine Clansmen." [Goblin Funk] stated as if recalling a terrifying experience.

"...Eh? Level 173?! Wait a second! Lillian, what level are you?!" [Nero] turned in terror at the Tier 7 Leshi.

"I'm level 128." [Lillian the Leshi Sama] confessed as if embarrassed.

"EH?! What level does it require for each Evolution, again?" [Nero] asked while still dumbfounded.

"Tier 1 requires a monster to reach level 2. Most monsters are born at level 2 and their status eventually grows into their parent's as they age. Tier 2 requires a monster to reach level 4. Tier 3 requires a monster to reach level 8, while Tier 4 is level 16, Tier 5 is level 32, Tier 6 is level 64, Tier 7 is level 128, Tier 8 is level 256, Tier 9 is level 512, and Tier 10 is level 1024." [Goddin Village Neith Sama] replied as if confused about the question.

"...What about Tier 11?" [Nero] asked while looking skeptical.

"I have never heard a tale of any monsters Evolving to Tier 11, but it may be possible; I don't see why not…" [Goddin Village Neith Sama] explained while rubbing his chin.

"Wait... What level are you?" [Nero] asked.

"23." [Goddin Village Neith Sama] replied with a dejected look.

"...Please go slay prairie Slime monsters." [Nero] answered flatly.

"The Village needs me." [Goddin Village Neith Sama] said while looking off into the distance.

"Nyuggghh!" [Nero] groaned while holding his head in his hands, having given up.

"...Enough! I'm going to save Rei. If any of you desire to help in the event that anything ridiculous happens, go to the Throne Room in 20 minutes and wait until the Hallowed Gate appears. If it appears, there's a chance that an enemy might walk into it as well, invading our home as we retreat." [Nero] declared while slamming his fists on the table and looking at Cetilla before gesturing that it's time to leave.

We made our way into the Treasure Room and grabbed 8 buckets. Cetilla is holding 7, while I'm holding 1. She's just going to pass me a new one every time that I run out, and I'll pass her an old one. I need my extra hand to eat. Flying to the Castle was boring, but horribly nerve wracking. Cetilla was telling me stories about Rei and her childhood as we traveled. Rei and her used to go off into the Elven forest as kids to play with the Turtles. Cute. They would also sometimes go sit by the Lake in Reygid, or even try to sneak out after dark to go and play in the farm fields with other Farmer's children. Finishing her story, I remembered to ask her about dabbling in other forms of magic. Apparently, it's something that Cetilla can do by using an ability called [Elemental Facade]. Normally, you can't use abilities unrelated to your Elements, nor can you use abilities that you don't know. Each race has abilities of which they may eventually learn, and their choice of class can even influence that. Individuals can even be taught the abilities capable of eventually being learned earlier than usual if they have a Master capable of using them as well. Huh? Goddin Village Neith Sama taught Goblin Funk and Cloaked Monk [Appraisal], but he's not even classified as a Master due to him only being a Tier 4 monster. I don't understand. I need to have a word with him later. After we had arrived above the Castle, we began.

"Banshee, Crows, Crowli, and Bats; please come forth and protect me for now. [10 Minute Makeover]!" [Nero] beckoned as he held his Lantern high in the sky before beginning to eat his Candy. A moment later, his costume changed to a police uniform. After consuming a little over 2 buckets, Nero continued.

"[Pumpkin Bomb]! All of my Clansmen aside from Crowli, please come forth and wreak havoc within or around that Castle!" [Nero] declared as he raised his Lantern once more, before beginning to eat his Candy again. After his 5th bucket was a third empty, he continued.

"[Barrier]! Crowli, stay with us and keep us safe from enemies. Cetilla, point me the way." [Nero] yelled below instructing.

"There!" [Cetilla] laughed as she pointed.

Following her lead, we went forth. The Pumpkin Bomb from before burned brightly. It had fallen on the courtyard of the entrance into the Castle, and the lands around it are still on fire. The burning flames on the ground seem to spread even if the land itself shouldn't be burning. It's continued on into the Castle, and overlooking my status... It would appear as though it does not harm my Clansmen at all. The flames are orange, so I guess they're special Halloween flames or something. The Kingdom Knights have their hands full with the sudden appearance of hellfire and hellspawn appearing in their Castle, so I guess it's all going according to plan. They're retreating from the fire, but that only leaves them with around half the Castle to protect. Due to the fire, one might say that this has divulged into a trench type of warfare. My Clansmen remain in the flames, slowly making their way to the enemies who continue to protect the non-scorched earth. Thinking back to the ability description for Pumpkin Bomb, the flames should expire after a certain amount of time. Until then, I suppose this is what is intended to happen.

We flew high along the ceiling as we went, so I don't think very many people noticed us. The ones that did ended up screaming on account of the Crowli, though. So, nyah. We were definitely caught, but we just kept flying. I was able to hear the Scarecrows' [Terror Shout], and Wendel's [Weeping Scream] in the distance. The battle must be pretty intense for them to be busting those moves out. Moving along, we passed over a lot of different hallways until we finally reached a basement. It's a dungeon. Not the type that you explore, but more along the type that you imprison a lot of people who may actually end up dying while imprisoned. That kind of dungeon. They're probably awaiting death sentences. It's kind of big, even larger than Victor's torture area. Maybe killing the King would actually be a good thing.

After what seemed to be a whole lot of searching, we finally found Rei. They both cried while embracing each other after Cetilla busted open her cell with a seriously buffed up wind punch. While they were having their reunion, I was eating Candy and Conrad, the Crowli was slaying Kingdom Knights as they approached. We ended up having our own little standoff in the dungeon against the fewer Kingdom Knights who had realized the farce. Cetilla got in on it, busting down a few of them herself. After I had finished recovering my MP, I took Rei on my Broom and asked Conrad to carry Cetilla. We never did encounter TempCat that night, but he might have been off protecting their King. Arriving back near the entrance of the Castle, I learned that the [Pumpkin Bomb] flames had dispersed greatly and were only a mere shadow of their previous selves. Casting [Hallowed Gate] for 500 MP, we returned to the Wailing Keep with Rei in tow. Cancelling my gate, I asked for my Clansmen to return.

I had ended up consuming a total of 6 buckets of Candy by the end of it, but I had also gained a total of 28 levels from the ordeal. We probably killed a considerable number of Kingdom Knights. I'm meow a whopping level 70 Halloween Cat. I Evolved. I'm now apparently a low level Tier 6 monster. Almost all of my lower Tier monsters have temporarily died from the battle, but there's still a Tier 1 Bat holding strong. It's Robert. He's a trooper. He's the guy who almost killed the Tier 5 Drake who I like to call Budget Dragon in a climbing competition. Everyone else is standing around here, waiting for me to make an announcement; but I really don't know what to say. We saved Rei, but Milton is definitely dead. It's not really a win, but it's something. Turning to Rei, I decided to ask her what she wanted.

"...Rei. Milton passed away, but according to the Banshee; he can return as a Phantasm. Would you like for Milton to return as one of my Clansmen, or would you prefer that we lay him to rest permanently?" [Nero] asked with a hesitant tone of voice while pointing to the now deceased Milton laying rather nearby.

"..." [Everyone]

"...If Milton becomes a Phantasm, then I wish to become a Banshee." [Rei] proclaimed while staring at him.

"Banshee, what do you think?" [Nero] asked.

"If we can find the Forsaken Isles, you may be able to capture the Lich and have it be done… But it would work better if they both spent a considerable amount of time dead." [Banshee] explained.

"...The Lich is still there?!" [Nero] yelled in confusion.

"Of course... The Lich wouldn't leave without its precious Skeletons." [Banshee] remarks as if recalling a troublesome matter.

"Alright. I want all of my flying Clansmen helping the Banshee to find the Forsaken Isles. In the meantime, if this is really what you want; Rei… It would be best for you to rest with Milton until the time comes that we can resurrect you." [Nero] states with newfound resolve while looking sympathetic for the ideal.

"...Understood." [Rei] said with a look of determination.

"Rei!" [Cetilla] screamed in disbelief.

"Cetilla, it's fine... I'll be with you again soon." [Rei] said with a tear falling from her eye.

"No!" [Cetilla] screamed as she ran up to Rei and embraced her once more, now sobbing yet again.

"It's okay… I'll always be your big sister." [Rei] said gently while running her paws through Cetilla's hair.

"...But I don't want to say goodbye!" [Cetilla] cried. All of a sudden, Nero's [10 Minute Makeover] ran out and he returned to his regular apparel.

"Then don't. Say that you'll see me soon." [Rei] replied with a weak laugh.

"But what if Nero dies before he can find the Lich?! What if the Lich isn't there any longer?!" [Cetilla] screamed in dismay.

"...Then you'll just need to keep Nero alive until he can find the Lich or bring rise to a new one. I love you. I'll never leave you, either." [Rei] said before kissing Cetilla on the forehead and turning to Nero.

"But we just got you back!" [Cetilla] bellowed while dropping to her knees and trying to keep Rei close by latching on to her legs.

"And you'll get me back again, I'm sure." [Rei] said while seeming calm, and at peace as she put a hand on Cetilla's shoulder before breaking free from the girl's grasp and walking towards the Crowli.

A few moments later, Conrad stepped forward and placed one finger to Rei's throat below slicing it open. In response, Cetilla began to weep loudly but was being consoled by Lillian, Kendra, Rita, and the eternally weeping Wendel. I personally had no room to try and console her. I'm the one who's at fault for the matter. I feel immensely guilty about it, and I think I'm just going to spend a few days doing nothing but Fishing in order to make up for it. After giving my Clansmen the go ahead to recommence with searching for the Forsaken Isles, I made my way to the waterfall. I'm not going to be making clothes this time. I'm just going to use my regenerating MP in order to heal my Clansmen. I'll be placing priority towards flying types so that they can work better at searching. Summoning my [Hallowed Gate] in front of me, I sat on my Broom and watched as Fish fell from the waterfall and into the gate.

I'm glad that Rei decided to become a Banshee and allow Milton a chance at resurrection. I'm sad to know that I won't be able to see either of them for a while, but it's for their own good. If they wait longer after death to resurrect, they will be stronger when they finally do. I won't feel obligated to use [Soul Merge] on them if that's the case. Actually, I don't think that I would use [Soul Merge] on them regardless.

Milton and Rei are far too important to me. I think I should give the Banshees and Phantasms of the Forsaken Isles their own choice about whether or not to merge their souls together, but I don't think I should include Rei or Milton in that situation at all. The Banshees and Phantasms of the Forsaken Isles at one point were Villagers living together. Even in death, they chose to live together. They might even choose to become one or two superior beings if it means that they get to live together forever. Rei and Milton aren't like that. They're completely unrelated to those other Banshees and Phantasms.

If my theory on how [Soul Merge] works is correct, then when your soul is merged, you lose 33 percent of your memories while taking on two different individuals's similarly lessened memories. If the Villagers all lived together and had similar lifestyles or desires, then they might appear to be impacted less from the [Soul Merge] than one might appear if they randomly had some total stranger thrown into the mix. It's like you CAN make a total abomination by using the ability, or you can choose to use it and make a slight abomination. Nyah. Either way, I probably shouldn't use [Soul Merge] on Tier 1 monsters in order to gain a monster of Tier 7. It's way too risky. With how things currently work, I would require a total of 729 Tier 1 monsters just to attain a Tier 7. That's a whole lot of souls being merged. It's a wonder how even just the Tier 6 Crowli is not extremely twisted in the head, considering he potentially makes up an upwards of 243 monsters.

The Weeping Angel, Banshee, and Werewolf are my most pure of monsters. They got to where they are on their own. All of my Tier 1 monsters, and some of my Tier 2 monsters are the same; but they aren't as impressive. I shouldn't be merging Tier 1 monsters indefinitely like that. They have way too much to lose. I was thinking such things as I oversaw the Fishing hack until I remembered that I had Evolved. I suppose that I should just look at my status~

Name: Unnamed Monster (Nero Miki)

Race: Cat (Halloween)

Weapon: Lantern (Poor Iron Lantern)

Mount: Broom (Cerberus String Emberwood Broom)

Class: Halloween Cat (Sub Class: Witch/Tamer)

Level: 70

HP: 350/350

MP: 1830/1830(+430)

SP: 46/100

FP: 72/100

P. DEF: 259

M. DEF: 227

STR: 280

INT: 890(+190)

DEX: 210

LUK: 70

AGI: 528(+108)

Titles:

[True Halloween Cat+2], [From Another World], [Fish Mongerer+2], [Master of Disguise+2], [Mana Guzzler], [Candy Mongerer], [Master of Time], [Witch of War]

Abilities Learned:

[Flying Broom+2], [Soul Merge], [Clansmen Capture+1], [Hallowed Gate+2], [This is Halloween+1], [Wailing Keep+1], [Language Comprehension+1], [Shapeshift+2], [Barrier+2], [Daily Candy+2], [Claw Fishing+3], [Disguise+4], [Recovery by Sleep+2], [Enhanced Meditating+3], [Swim+2], [10 Minute Makeover], [Pumpkin Bomb+1], [Bonus Mana], [Time Skip], [War Meow]

Woah. Okay, hold on! Hold! What?! Not only did [True Halloween Cat], [Fish Mongerer], and [Master of Disguise] all increase in proficiency, but I attained a whopping four new titles. I have so many identifiers now, but I still lack an actual name. Jeez. Looking at the abilities which were enhanced, it would appear as though [Flying Broom], [Hallowed Gate], [This is Halloween], [Wailing Keep], [Barrier], [Daily Candy], [Claw Fishing], [Disguise], [Recovery by Sleep], [Enhanced Meditating], [Swim], and [Pumpkin Bomb] all increased. What's more? I attained three brand new abilities. [Bonus Mana], [Time Skip], and [War Meow].

According to the ability info, [Bonus Mana] gives me a cool, free 50 maximum MP. It's kind of nice. I would like to see it having a high proficiency, but seeing as how I failed to attain it until becoming a Tier 6 monster, it might just not progress at all. [Time Skip] is terrifying. It allows me to select an object or individual, and rapidly make time progress faster for that one object or individual. I can choose a rate at how fast I want to progress time for the individual, but it costs me 1 MP per second to progress time by a rate of 10 for the target. It would cost me 2 MP per second to progress time by a rate of 20 for the target. That's 6 MP just to make a minute of time go by for an individual in one second, or 360 MP to progress time by an hour for the individual in one second. It's high maintenance. Sadly, I can't use it on myself.

Also, I can't use it on my Clansmen because their time is inherently stopped due to being my Clansmen. If it increases in proficiency, I might learn how to affect an area instead, so long as the area is unrelated to me. I can think of evil ways to use this, as well as good hearted ways to use it. I think I'm in love with the ability. It would also be nice to gain a [Time Stop] ability, though. The one that's built in with my [Clansmen Capture] is nice and all, but it's just not good enough. [War Meow] apparently allows me to let out a terrifyingly loud 'meow' which enhances the damage dealt by all individuals who were capable of hearing it. It has a modifier of 50 percent bonus damage, and costs 50 MP for every 3 minutes that I want it to last. I can choose to spend additional MP if I want the effect to last longer.

Looking back over the enhanced abilities, it would appear as though [Flying Broom] now has a reduced cost of MP for flight. [Hallowed Gate] now has a maximum MP of 1500, though I can currently only summon one for a maximum of 1464 MP due to [Wailing Keep] being active. Wailing Keep Sama is now casually locking away 366 of my MP. According to his ability information, what improved was his Kitchen. Not kidding. Wailing Keep Sama thought it a good idea to improve his magic stove appliance's efficiency when heating food quickly. [This is Halloween] apparently now can improve the fighting effectiveness of my Clansmen much more when they are fighting during Halloween's night. It didn't claim just how much it would improve, though. [Barrier] is now capable of me protecting a somewhat larger area should I choose to. I'm excited for that. [Daily Candy] leveling up has ensured that each Candy I consume is now worth an eye catching 6 MP. [Claw Fishing] says that I'll have increased damage against Fish. It also neglects to inform me of the specifics. [Disguise] apparently has better chances for perfect rolls now, [Recovery by Sleep] and [Enhanced Meditating] claim to be more effective as well. [Swim] seems to think that I will magically swim faster for the cost of less SP, but I'm not so sure. [Pumpkin Bomb] is much more calculating than many of my more unreliable abilities, and claims that his flames will now last twice as long. Wonderful. He's twice as effective. You heard that, [Daily Candy]? Daily Candy likes to increase effectiveness by 25 percent of his original value repeatedly. I don't think he's really trying that hard to improve.

Eventually, dawn was arriving and so I decided to use [Daily Candy] before returning to Halloween and requesting help from the Scarecrows with carrying the Fish back into the Kitchen. We got a good haul, at least… I wish I could wake up from these last two nights, and just try again with that shipment to Clive. I suppose what's done is done. I'll miss seeing your faces, though. I promise to find the Forsaken Isles soon. I won't let you rest for too long. I can just skip your time after finding the Lich, and help your souls gain strength faster. I say that, but it's probably going to be a massive pain and hindrance to my Candy supplies. I'll do it, though. They deserve that much. I was thinking such things as I got undressed and into bed after switching back to my smaller Cat form. Checking, apparently I have a larger form now. Nice. It's called the Halloween Cat M (Four-Tailed). Fun. It should be twice as big as a regular sized Cheetah. Good morning...