Chapter 82 - Day 82 & Night 82

After finally making a decision while devouring the remainder of my Cotton Candy… I noticed that the battle of the Wailing Keep had finally come to an end. By that, I mean… The Wailing Keep was destroyed. It's clearly showing that I have a 24 hour cool-down before I can cast it again. It's a shame… It stood strong, for so many nights… But the time to move it has come. Watch out… It's Forsaken Isles season, ladies and gentlemen~ This Cat's going on vacation, to raise an army and civilization. An army of varying Monsters… And a civilization of Goblins… Still surrounded by a savage, yet weak ecosystem… But that's just how we do things around here. From the Wailing Keep War which I was certainly not present for… I attained quite a decent number of levels. You are meow looking at, a Tier 10 True Allwe Halloween Cat at a total level of 9000… Just kidding~ I'm level 1587. Close, though… Right? So swoll~

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: 1587

HP: 7935/7935

MP: 32986/32986(+1246)

SP: 81/100

FP: 78/100

P. DEF: 820

M. DEF: 712

STR: 6384

INT: 16454(+548)

DEX: 4761

LUK: 1587

AGI: 9846(+324)

Titles:

[True Allwe Halloween Cat+6], [From Another World], [Fish Mongerer+3], [Master of Disguise+4], [Mana Guzzler+4], [Candy Mongerer+2], [Master of Time+1], [Witch of War+4]

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+4], [Daily Candy+4], [Claw Fishing+4], [Disguise+5], [Recovery by Sleep+3], [Enhanced Meditating+4], [Swim+3], [10 Minute Makeover+2], [Pumpkin Bomb+3], [Bonus Mana+3], [Time Skip], [War Meow+2], [Mana Claws], [Flame Paws]

Yes… It hath finally happened. I have gained new abilities! It's been awhile, in my opinion. My [True Halloween Cat] title not only increased in proficiency, it Evolved to become the [True Allwe Halloween Cat]. Even my Class is meow clearly showing that I am of Allwe. [Mana Guzzler] and [Witch of War] both also increased in proficiency… And with them, my [Wailing Keep] was enhanced… My [Barrier] was enhanced… And I got two new abilities. The [Mana Claws], and the [Flame Paws]. My paws have actually been on fire for a little while now, especially in my larger forms… But it's showing, loud and proud at this point. Every form, except my Human form. I can't turn the ability off, so I'm stuck with it. After checking it out myself, I found that small flame footprints are left in the ground behind me. I suppose the size of the print depends on my designated form. It might even become an intense little feature down the line. Moving on to [Mana Claws]… I'm apparently meow capable of stealing MP from losers who I happen to cut down. It doesn't say how much MP I can steal… But it's apparently worth noting, as I've developed a genuine ability out of it. Wailing Keep Sama is meow a Tier 5 Ability, ranking it as the current record breaker, tied only to Disguise Sama. I can't help but wonder who will win the race to ascend up to Tier 6. Oh… On second thought… It might not happen, as I'll probably Prestige some time after we slay the Sphinx… And neither of them are likely to be used before then. It's a tie which they will need to settle during my second life as a Halloween Cat. Anyways… Wailing Keep Sama apparently learned how to not only elevate my Throne even higher… But he also learned how to install a stage before it… So that guests will watch a show, while also seeing me sitting behind it, looking down upon them all… Wailing Keep Sama chooses the strangest things to enhance; especially considering that he just had a freaking war and died. Wouldn't you think that he might choose to beef up his defenses? No, we clearly need more ways to display our absolute rule... Obviously~ Barrier Sama has learned its third form. I am meow capable of launching my Barrier to protect a space which is not my own. I have no idea why I would possibly desire to do that, but I can. It's an option. After testing it out, I can cast it as far as the eye can see, I think. It's either that, or somewhere longer than half the distance of this Circus. Nyah~

Feeling like an absolute atrocity, I strut my 32000 MP lookin ass on down toward the stage… Meeting back up with the Cat Crew. They were watching a Woman tightrope dancing along to claps of the crowd as she juggled swords and profusely spat fire for an increased dramatic effect… Which was absolutely unnecessary, because this is already beyond the point of intense. There are genuinely large and terrifying spikes on the floor, she WILL be skewered on failure. Also, there are two little Pumpkinkins running around near the ground… Throwing stones at her from below. She's been dodging them, but it's pretty close. It's absolutely, a mesmerizing performance. She keeps pretending to almost fall, but she's got it under control. She's a professional. The main attraction. She has long blond hair, and is dressed in full bodied, black spandex… Stopping at her neck, to reveal her hair and orange eyes. She's a beauty, radiating amidst this Hallowed Hangout. It's surprising that she's of Halloween, but then again… Halloween totally has plenty of creatures which don't immediately show their terror. Myself included, unless perhaps while I'm in my largest form… Which is meow, a 'Halloween Cat XXXL (Seven-Tailed)'. Apparently, I'm not getting any more tails. We've maxed out at Seven. I don't know if anything else has changed aside from size, but I also don't feel like testing it out in this particular environment. Too many witnesses. I doubt they would care, as we're all of Halloween… But I'm just not sure. No need to risk it~

"Do you think she'll survive?" [Cetilla] muttered under her breath with eyes wide as she avidly glared on at the show.

"Only time will tell…" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] declared with a similarly captivated expression.

"That's why I'm asking… Nero has returned." [Cetilla] explained while not taking her eyes away from the spectacle.

"If she falls, it will be due to the Pumpkinkins..." [Master of Time] enlightened the group with a nonchalant attitude.

"...But what about the slime?!" [Cetilla] begged the question with a frantic expression as she continued to watch on.

"...The slime?" [Nero] asked while furrowing his eyebrows, only to immediately learn the answer…

Oh… My… God… Janus! Who gave this performance a green light?! This is ridiculous! Every three minutes, white goo rains on down from the ceiling… Absolutely dousing the performer as she CONTINUES to struggle through the already perilous death game! The idiotically courageous, busty blonde in a full body suit of spandex juggling swords as she dances on tightrope in jeopardy of being slimed acted promiscuous about it, almost dropping all three swords before spitting fire to regain her balance… Only to almost slip all over again, but she successfully wrapped her knee around the rope and swung once more… White slime dripping all over the place as her ridiculously sized breasts flailed in a similar fashion… All over the place. She later moaned extensively when it appeared that she might be impaled to death yet again… But she saved the day with more flames by wrapping only her toe around the rope this time… Her hair? Flowing along through the wind as she did so. It continued on in ridiculously close call situations until she finally regained her footing… And lost all of the slime which had been plaguing her. One might think that the slime would cover the spikes… But it seems that they had a plumbing solution installed… So that the slime would slowly disappear from the spikes. I'm upset to say, that I got turned on from the spectacle. After quickly adjusting my pants… I looked to my right… And Hobgoblin Samurai Punk doesn't seem to be doing too well, either… He's got a strange expression on his face… And he's done absolutely nothing to hide his nether regions! What the hell, man?! Calm down that freaking horse! Turning to my left… Cetilla seems excited. She's absolutely in-love with this twisted game… But it might be for a different reason. I suppose that I'll never know. I'd prefer not to.

"Nero… I think I'm sold on this Mansion. Can we stay?" [Cetilla] begged the question with a grin on her face without even turning to face him.

"It's definitely different… But we're needed elsewhere." [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] declared with determination as he forced himself to look away from the performance… STILL doing absolutely nothing about his indecency!~

"...I'm with Hobgoblin Samurai Punk on this one…" [Nero] exclaimed with a sigh before turning to face the Sorceress as he continued…

"There are a great many appealing aspects to this Mansion… But at the very root of it all… Is not the Mansion itself, but the inhabitants within it. The Sphinx simply must be stopped. These people are enjoying themselves… But they're still having their souls brutally attacked constantly." [Nero] explained his opinions on the matter with a conflicted expression.

"So if we save the people, we can enjoy these things without having needed to be within the Mansion at all... But what about your age problem?" [Cetilla] nonchalantly begged the question as her hair slowly flowed along.

"It's true… Like the Great Grandfather… I too, am benefiting from this particular environment. Even so, I doubt that this will be the only Dungeon we encounter which manipulates time in my favor. I guess… We'll just need to find a less harmful Dungeon which also stops time." [Nero] confessed with an optimistic expression.

"Choosing not to take advantage of this place may cause you great pain in the future." [Cetilla] declared with a solemn look as she finally took her eyes away from the performance to meet Nero's.

"Choosing to take advantage of this place is causing me great pain in the present." [Nero] shot back with an equally cold look.

"Our friends…" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] muttered dejectedly.

"...So, who do you think attacked the Wailing Keep?" [Cetilla] sighed as if she had given up.

"It's unclear. The battle lasted far too long for it to have been a small party of powerful individuals... It was more like an army. I gained around 600 levels, and the battle finally ended a little while ago. We lost… But we should have given the others time to escape. It went on long enough, anyway…" [Nero] explained the situation with a look of uncertainty.

"...Well, that's good. At least we'll have a little more strength to use when facing the Sphinx." [Cetilla] replied with a smile.

"Yeah… I'd offer the idea of inviting these guys to join us… But they seem relatively happy as is. They might not take too kindly to a crusade." [Nero] sighed.

"For the most part, they're pretty weak." [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] muttered quietly with a knowing look.

"Which ones are strongest?" [Cetilla] whispered with a grin. To which, the Hobgoblin gestured for the others to follow him back toward the Clansmen before continuing…

"The dame on stage… Her name is Justine. She's a Tier 6 La Ciguapa Sword Dancer. The Woman giving out Cotton Candy is named Clenna. She's a Tier 7 Jackal Scarecrow Candy Woman. The Man selling sausages is named Oscar. He's a Tier 5 Mummy Chef. The two Pumpkinkins tossing stones at Justine are named Troy and Trey. They're Tier 5 Stone Throwers. There are three individuals on stage performing music... And they're named Francis, Lloyd, and Claire. Francis and Lloyd are both Tier 6 Zombie Bards… But Claire is a Tier 9 Ghoul Idol…" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] explained calculatingly after having taken his seat before continuing…

"Making her the second most powerful individual of the room before we entered. There's a Tier 11 Marionoette Fencer named Von sitting right over there… Staring directly at us." [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] exclaimed with a nervous expression as he gestured toward the Marionoette dressed in a black suit.

...So, Stone Throwers and Idols are genuine Classes. That happened. Also, Candy Woman is a confirmed Class. Apparently, my favorite Koalakin isn't as rare as I had originally assumed. Candy is a real thing, in-which many desire; apparently. I'm not the only one, but I'm probably consuming more of it than very many other individuals. Or, anyone in Melchiadore at all; for that matter. It's unclear. We need a Most Candy Consumed in all of Melchiadore Leaderboard... Have it be a stat updated weekly in a Candy Store near you, or something. That Von guy, though… He's dressed well. He has a top hat, adorned in an orange velvet sash tied into a ribbon. He's got a monocle… Made of gold. His suit is adorned with an orange bow-tie, and I think I might need to copy this look. Minus the monocle, although I DO live for a monocle moment… I think I'd prefer to let my eyes shine through if I were trying to appear wealthy and powerful. He was originally a Marionette… But he's a Marionoette meow. His body does not appear to be made of wood or plastic like the Marionettes that I've encountered... This guy… He looks alive. He has this pompous air about him, as he continues to blow rings of smoke out from an expensive looking pipe. The entire time, he's been glaring at us dramatically. I like this guy already~

He's kind of like… The strongest one among them all. He's not even being affected by the Clock. He's just… Here. Hanging out, having a good time. Justine, the Tier 6 La Ciguapa Sword Dancer is also not being affected by the Clock… But he's at such a level of power, that he could theoretically become problematic for even Cetilla to deal with. All three of us together could most likely manage beating him, especially with the help of my Clansmen… But I would definitely prefer having him join us. He's far more valuable to us as an ally than as a corpse. If we can convince this guy… Then in good conscience, I can ignore even asking any of the others in this room... This guy is simply that far ahead. Well… On second thought, the Tier 9 Ghoul Idol named Claire could also be quite helpful. It would be nice to recruit both of them to our cause. The people living upstairs are different from these people. The people upstairs are actually pretty strong. Each of them… They're all being treated as Bosses to this Dungeon in their own right. They're basically the main attraction, to get people invested in spending their time facing this Dungeon. Well… The Father's Gold is actually the main attraction… But whatever~ This whole situation down here… This feels different. As Cetilla previously said, this entire situation does not happen in the other time-slots. It's only during this one moment of the Dungeon. I don't think Von and Claire are stationed here to be Bosses… I don't even think any of the individuals here have been informed to fight invaders. This is like a safety zone or something, and all of these people simply gathered here over time… Taking part in the never-ending fun facade.

The facade that this is genuinely never-ending… When infact, it is. Eventually, their souls will reach a limit… And these individuals will perish into nothingness. As time goes on… These individuals lose their power, and get weaker… Until eventually, they have no power left to lose… And they die. Theoretically, they could simply just keep getting more powerful… By slaying other monsters of the Dungeon… Or otherwise known, as their own replicas… But each time they open a new hallway… Their soul is potentially sliced away at once more. It's a vicious cycle, inwhich if you even try to fight… You will essentially just be killing everyone else around you. None can survive this. Not forever, anyways. It's just not possible. I think that the Clock may have a limit. It can't support replicating as many individuals as there are Halloween Monsters within this Dungeon. The more powerful the monster, the more of a demand it may require to replicate… Which would explain why some of these creatures are not being attacked by it. It's that… Or these few unaffected creatures… Are genuinely… The Sphinx's Clansmen. Can the Sphinx have Clansmen? Is the Sphinx Dungeon Master essentially just a lesser form of Holiday Clan Leader? I'm confused~ To ask, or not to ask… Is the question at paw. Do I talk to Von, or leave him alone?!

"I'm at an impasse." [Nero] confessed with a flat tone of voice as he glared back towards the Marionoette still glancing directly at the group.

"...Do I need to ask?" [Cetilla] sighed.

"He may be one of the Sphinx's followers… But he could make an incredible ally if he weren't. I'm uncertain whether or not we should greet him or continue on our way." [Nero] explained while not breaking eye-contact with the Marionoette.

"Kill?" [Cetilla] asked with a nonchalant voice.

"Well… If he ends up being one of the Sphinx's followers… Then we'll probably need to kill him either way. The problem is… I don't want to get all of these other creatures involved by fighting him here..." [Nero] groaned.

"Then let's just do this, and ask him later?" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] offered as he made a gesture for the Fencer to follow him before beginning to make his way toward the Furnace Room.

And like that… Before we could even add any opinions on the idea… The new (Hob)Goblin King hath decided for us. One can't argue with his decision, because Von is already following him… And by that, I mean… Closing in on us. Clansmen! Grab the things! My statue, my Beartru, and my Candy! Nyah! I was thinking such things as I quickly began making my way to follow the Hobgoblin as well. Von is walking behind Cetilla and I… Who are walking behind King Samurai Punk. It's considerably nerve-wracking… If I must say. Von is too powerful to comfortably have hanging behind your back… Especially when your Candy is even further behind you. It's like that. While we walked, Cetilla held the most wicked grin that I had ever witnessed coming from her mouth… And that's how I knew. I knew, that we were in for absolute hell. It became painfully obvious when Claire, the Tier 9 Idol got up from her post at the band's stage… Grabbed a Microphone… And started walking toward the Furnace Room as well. That's it... We're dead. Who knows what's going to be awaiting us to support them in their attempts at killing us within the Furnace Room?!

By the time that we opened the doors to follow Hobgoblin Samurai Punk… We were met with yet another Hallway. This one is in the basement theme… Otherwise known, as immensely more dilapidated… And bloodied. Every single light bulb in the hallways of the basement seems to struggle with staying lit. Not only that, but the lights aren't genuinely attached to the ceiling… They swing a little, as if we're in an old-fashioned ship at sea. The walls are made of stone, and are cracking all over the place. From within the cracks… Blood seeps out, into the halls. The flooring is also made of stone… But the cracks in the stone on the flooring give off a different effect. It collects the blood, and burns it… Releasing steam for us to fully experience the gore. It's dark… But I can still see the (Hob)Goblin King… He's ahead of us, avidly slaying Mummies. After walking for around half a minute… Cetilla and I finally turned to face him once more. We should have given enough space for him to arrive, as well as my Clansmen behind him… Which is correct. They are indeed seemingly all here. There's no telling where Claire is in our sparse horde, however.

"What is your opinion on the Sphinx?" [Nero] begged the question with a look of determination. To which, the Marionoette took another haul from his pipe before exclaiming...

"The Sphinx is our savior." [Von the Marionoette Fencer] declared brazenly with a cold expression.

"Then what is your relation to it?" [Nero] restated the question with eyes wide.

"I am one of its guardians." [Von the Marionoette Fencer] said with a grin.

"But a mere instrument to its success..." [Claire the Ghoul Idol] chimed in with a smirk after emerging from the crowd of Clansmen.

"Shall we end their pathetic lives?" [Cetilla] begged the question with a laugh.

"I dare you to try." [Von] exclaimed with a sigh after taking yet another haul from his pipe.

"Your wish is my command..." [Cetilla] shot back with a look of excitement. To which, Von unsheathed his Sabre.

"In the name of Halloween… I, Nero… The one True Allwe Halloween Cat of Melchiadore beckon you to lay down your weapons… Put aside your current faiths… And commit your lives to representing Allwe by serving me… Know that you will never grow hungry, grow tired, age, nor shall your soul be ruthlessly attacked… Be my Clansmen and bring honor to Halloween alongside those you see surrounding yourselves… Or perish at my command!" [Nero] beckoned after assuming his largest form.

"Fat chance." [Von] shot back mercilessly.

"I'll take Von's word on this one." [Claire] chimed in with an unimpressed expression after taking one glance at the Clansmen behind her.

"[War Meow]! [Pumpkin Bomb]!" [Nero] roared valiantly while a particular Sorceress began hurling blades of wind upon toward the two naysayers… As a Hallowed Howl took place, commencing the battle.

White Beef Lady immediately gave her life to the cause… Among many others, as they pounced forth toward those two. Claire seems capable of using abilities in a very similar fashion to Penny. Those two are like rivals, or something… Competing for the loudest sound… Which sadly, happens to be Claire. Her song is sensational~ I'm very upset that she's not among the Bandsmen. Not happy. Each intense chord that she hit… Ruthlessly assaulted the senses of those unlucky enough to be within arms reach of her. She's practically impregnable from close range, but it's not as though she isn't dealing damage from a much further distance… It just seems to be way more effective of an attack from up close, is all. Von is cutting down Clansmen one by one… Aiming his sights on the strongest in his immediate vicinity. He effortlessly slayed Mr and Mrs Scarecrow within only a matter of moments. Benji perished while trying to bite Claire… It was brutal. He was absolutely obliterated, into dust… Before erupting into flames and returning to my Lantern… Which I am meow holding once more. I returned to my Human form~

The lesser Banshees and Phantasms died relatively quickly… But the stronger few are holding out while keeping a safe distance away from Claire. Von just slew Christina, who had attempted at charging him… And meow… He's moving on to the Skeletons. No one else is going after Claire at this point… Except for Cetilla and the Wraiths. Everyone else is focused on Von. Cetilla seems to be trying to produce a Wind Sphere around Claire, in attempts at muffling her song. It's a good idea. Color me impressed~ Cetilla's good at this. The Skeletons have all perished to the Marionoette. The Vampire Knights are his next target… Before he will probably try going for the more difficult of Clansmen… Like Conrad, Leoric Eldinheim, Molag Dregora, and Penny… At this point… They're the only ones remaining. These two… They really did just slay almost all of my Clansmen within only a matter of like one freaking minute. My Candy is behind them, so I've genuinely just been watching as it happened. My flames have devoured this entire Hallway… Except for Claire's locale. Claire's sound-waves were actually enough to repel my flames… But meow that Cetilla has succeeded in trapping her… My flames have engulfed the Wind Sphere.

Conrad was quick, and definitely capable of dealing damage to the Fencer… But after the Vampire Knights perished, he did not last very long. Penny was definitely confusing and harming his abilities… But she too, did not last very long after he had finally laid his sights down upon her. He wasn't taking them very seriously, but he was still smart enough to take out the weaker of the strongest ones first… Even meow… He's only focusing on the ones which give him opportunities to strike. Leoric has been playing it safe. He only ever attacks the Marionoette immediately after stepping out of his shadows… Directly before stepping back into them. Hands down… This one move, which he has been mercilessly repeating; has definitely been the most influential attack that my Clansmen have used during this excessively short yet intense battle. The Marionoette does not seem fast enough to keep up with Leoric's madness. Leoric isn't very fast… He has an AGI of 1280, but he makes use of it perfectly through his [Shadow Step], [Low Prescence], [Double Step], [Silent Step], [Shadow Dagger] combo. It's an incredible combo, which all of his abilities come together in perfect harmony in order to achieve. It's not an understatement to say that Leoric, the Dark Elf Shadowdancer was born for this method of attack. His high LUK stat ensures that he deals incredible damage from his [Shadow Dagger] move, and he has a considerably high MP total to ensure that he can use it indefinitely.

I was thinking such things as I glared at the battle, heavily debating on whether or not I would even be useful… Until it happened. That damned Marionoette used a new ability. Orange flames engulfed his Sabre… And he used them to light his pipe while ignoring the Dark Elf's attacks… As if to say that they meant nothing to him. Ridiculous. I'm fed up. He's done it meow… He's called for it. The Witch of War shall put an end to his mockery! At once! Nyah! Stepping forth… Cetilla seemed stunned for a split moment, but then shrugged it off after taking a glance at the Dark Elf hysterically attempting to harm the nonchalant Marionoette. Molag Dregora seemed content… This guy… He's basically been doing nothing, this entire time. Luna's been healing individuals… But it's not very effective considering that she can only heal one person at a time. After reaching the Marionoette, Leoric backed off while appearing embarrassed… Right before I raised one paw and slammed it into the side of a particular Marionoette while using [Mana Claws] and [Flame Paws]... To find a wonderful mix of visual effects, and a Marionoette sent flying into the side of the stone walls covered in blood. He's gasping for air, and clearly… He's underestimated us.

Sadly… I underestimated him as well. I was hoping for him to perish, right then and there… But that would have been too easy, huh? Fine~ As he regained his composure, I took no break… I continued on to swipe my paw at him… From the left, to the right… I was treating the Fencer as though he were but a mere toy intended to flick. As he learned to regret his mistakes… I remembered the joys of slapping a joystick at an Arcade from left to right… Watching him, as I ruthlessly bitch slapped the hell out of his face… I continued on until the foolish Marionoette appeared as though he were nothing more than a few bent up pieces of metal laying in some scrapyard… He definitely doesn't appear to be real any longer. There were springs and screws which totally popped out of varying spots in his body during my onslaught. He's nothing meow… I probably spent a good twenty minutes converting him into waste. He was a brilliant display of technological advances, but he messed with the wrong Dictator. Allwe will no longer stand idly by while ungrateful Puppet types mock their rulers. It's not happening. He's gotten away with it one too many times, I'd say. It shant happen again!

Turning to face Cetilla… She seemed… Woah. She seemed to be turned on or something~ Cetilla's got a wild side which can't be tamed, and I totally just stroked it. She's literally beside herself right meow… Walking directly past the rubble and further through the flames… I began to obtain and devour my Candy as I glared toward Cetilla's Wind Sphere. Everything was fine and dandy, until my Candy bag began to disintegrate under the heat of my flames… Oh no… No… No~ NO!!! [Barrier]! Oh my gosh… Oh my gosh… I'm hysterically blowing on the bag, but the flames won't disappear… Returning to my Human form… I picked up the bag and quite literally began pouring it into my mouth. We're doing it. It's meow or never. The other bag is practically empty, so this one is what I'm worried about more than anything else.

I find it strange how I've never had this problem before… But perhaps, all this time… My bags were slowly taking damage? And now… It's just too much to bare?! I'll probably lose if I think about it… But one thing's certain, these bags aren't long for this world. Before I could even stuff half of it down my seemingly bottomless throat… The bag gave way… Releasing all of the Candy to fall directly into my hands, my face, or my mouth… It went places, that's for sure. Some of it got caught in my hair, or clothing. Some of it got caught in my mouth when I choked… Some of it even got caught in my eyes, or aviators… And other pieces simply stuck to my skin. It's… Sticky, and hot. I'm not taking damage, but I can tell… These Candies are melting on my skin, and clothing. Quickly. Oh no… It's ruined! It's all ruined and I want to go home! Nyah! All that I have left now are the Candies in the buckets… And even that, isn't very optimal. It was mostly in this bag, and I want to cry. I quite literally bought out half of a Candy Store in order to attain this. Who knows when the Candy Man will have enough product for me to do so again?! Oh… My Coins… My 15 Gold Coins are also laying on the ground. The Coin Pouch also did not survive the fire, it would seem. Fine...

Gathering my buckets, I bit the bullet and began to pour the Gold Coins into one of the empty buckets… Right before beginning to bitterly devour my remaining Candy in attempts at resurrecting my Clansmen. The goal was to resurrect each of them… Just barely, before having Luna fully heal them one by one… While I slowly recovered Luna's MP through the use of my very limited Candy reserves. It works out better this way. We did the math, Luna Pratz is able to heal my Clansmen at a rate of almost thirty percent better than I can… For each piece of Candy, I regain 12 MP. Which is fine… But Luna can convert 12 of her MP into 15 MP for another creature of Halloween. It's not a huge difference, and it certainly takes more time… But every bit counts right meow. These are dire straits. The Wraiths which lived, went on to help the (Hob)Goblin King with checking each room to the Hallway, while Cetilla continued on to sadistically trap the Ghoul. As we sat and relished in the moment of our victory, White Beef Lady performed a beautifully sad rendition of 'F*nhouse'... And it was at this moment, when I decided that White Beef Lady would be the lead singer to 'F*nhouse' on our official concert track-list. Yep. She seems happy.

It wasn't very long after her song ended, until another Clansmen bumped in to sing their own song… And eventually, it just became an old fashioned concert. Rather than performing the previous songs how we always do… Everyone stepped in, and helped support whoever started singing first… By creating the sounds for the beat, or adding in beautiful twists to the tunes at opportune moments… It almost became a competition, but in the end... They held firm in their team atmosphere. Strong enough to produce wondrous music, anyways… Like that, we hopped around from song to song… And if I'm being honest, some of these songs… I think I prefer them with these new twists. We should do this again for our next concert. We can still have the Scaraoke machine monster helping out, but perhaps we can turn the volume down a little bit to ensure that the Bandsmen are heard more rather than the instrumental? We'll see. I've never tried to turn down the volume on the Scaraoke machine monster, but the television beside it might hold the answer~

After around ten minutes, Cetilla finally let up with her Wind Sphere, releasing the Ghoul from her clutches… Revealing that the battle had long been over, to the Tier 9 Idol who meow held a look of disbelief… Probably mixed with frustration. She was ruthlessly countered, but I wouldn't blame her. Cetilla's stupid in that regard. She seems heavily versatile for a great many situations. Cetilla can't be stopped. She's a force of nature, at this point. One simply shan't attempt to dissuade her, without standing on even footing with her. I've been able to get away with it up until now, because I'm one of the two Halloween Clan Leaders currently in Melchiadore. I'm basically one of 16 up and coming big-shots. The biggest shots, in the realm. If I survive long enough, anyways~ There's always the chance that a Holiday Clan Leader could end up perishing before becoming too big of a deal. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest, if of the 8 Clans, only half of the 16 Leaders summoned survived longer than a year. This realm is just that dangerous~ This is assuming that all 16 of us were summoned at the same time, anyways~ Who knows?! Perhaps Janus got lazy, and only summoned Halloween Cats this time around. Do you have anything to say for yourself, Janus?!

"It's impossible to summon new Holiday Clan Leaders into the realm before the last generation perishes or disappears from Melchiadore entirely… Including their kin. At the same time, it's also impossible to only summon 2. It's not called the Clan War for nothing, Nero." [Janus] explained with a groan.

"...So you're just casually rooting for me? Or do we all have access to speak with you?" [Nero] begged the question with a look of skepticism.

"Normally, I don't get very involved… But I'm trying to see if my involvement will actually help an Allwe Halloween Cat win… Besides, you know of the energy problem… And seem somewhat against it." [Janus] confessed with a conflicted expression.

"So… Allwe Halloween Cats don't win?" [Nero] shot back while furrowing his eyebrows.

"Historically… Only one has ever won a Clan War held in Melchiadore." [Janus] sighed.

"...How did they do it?" [Nero] begged the question while titling his head to the side.

"She had a child, which she protected with her very life… And it paid off." [Janus] exclaimed with a look of indifference.

"But… What do the winners even gain from being the last Holiday Clan Leader standing within Melchiadore?" [Nero] asked while raising an eyebrow.

"The power to decide which civilizations thrive, and which perish... The fame to be worshiped or feared by all in Melchiadore… The wealth to afford practically anything of which you could possibly fathom…" [Janus] exclaimed dramatically before continuing…

"And let's not forget, if you manage to bestow the rights to Halloween's Reincarnation System to me… Then I swear to aide you in your own process of reincarnation once more~" [Janus] finished with a smile while holding a thumb high, as if trying to sell the idea.

"Right. Please leave." [Nero] shot back flatly.

"Rude~" [Janus] slammed back while disappearing into thin air.

And so, I turned to face the scene of Cetilla ruthlessly leaving the screaming Ghoul to suffer from within one of her illustrious Pumpkin Spice Tornadoes. She has a twisted look on her face. She's satisfied. By the time that Samurai Punk and the Bettys finished with their sweep of the rooms, we were still not done healing all of the Clansmen… But all of the lesser Clansmen had been fully healed… All the way up to Tier 5. Also, the Ghoul died. It wasn't a pretty death. She was mangled, absolutely ripped apart by Cetilla's wrath. It's only the more powerful of Clansmen who require healing at this point, but we really don't have the time to waste. We need to be in the Furnace Room before midnight, not after. We were supposed to be waiting for the others from within the Furnace Room, and the deadline itself is actually theirs… So, nyah. We've wasted far too much time… We're moving. The lesser Scarecrows are valiantly carrying a vast majority of my Candy, while the larger Scarecrows carry the Stone Land Shark and Bruised Beartru. After opening the doors to the Furnace Room… We were met with a particularly warm, and dark atmosphere. There are pipes all over the place, spewing out steam. On the walls… I can see furnaces lined up… And they seem… Capable of burning bodies whole, while also capable of being locked from the outside. There are burnt stains, presumably from blood on the bar doors locking each furnace. Intense. There are puddles on the grounds further from the furnaces… And I would honestly prefer not to know what they're from. It seems like a safety hazard, no matter how I put it.

After a while of walking, it found us. It's a dog. It's a large, snarling dog... And it's actually a Mummydog. According to the (Hob)Goblin King, it's the Mummydog King… The one guarding the Candy Man's Bakery and the Toy Factory, apparently. It has bright red flaming eyes, it's fully enraged beyond belief. The first move it made was to charge directly at us, before ripping the head of a nearby lesser Scarecrow clean off… Causing the Scarecrow to erupt into flames and return to Halloween yet again. Oi! I just saved that guy! Oh? The immaculately muscular King of our party stepped up bravely and swung his esteemed Hallowed Hammer, consisting of bones down into the skull of the less intelligent, and handsome King… Releasing a whole lot of powder… Is that… Dust or ashes?! I'm confused?! Oh… Samurai Punk learned how to heat the edges of his ridiculously sized Hammer, allowing it to have… A brandishing effect. In-fact, that's the name of the ability. [Bone Brandish]. Samurai Punk totally turned to face us, and explained posthaste with a beaming smile and a thumb held high before calmly turning back to face his battle.

The Mummydog King was intense. It let out powerfully loud barks, almost destroying my eardrums. Also, sometimes… It would let out toilet paper attacks. Yeah. The paper would shoot out from the depths of its body, and attempt to grapple onto the Hobgoblin Berserker. It worked. Every single time. The (Hob)Goblin King isn't very good at dodging, but he's chiseled enough to dramatically rip through the paper and continue forth on his way toward the Mummydog King. The Mummydog likes to try biting… And at one point, the Hobgoblin even tried leaping into its mouth… Only to display the fact at hand… This Hobgoblin is harder than rock. The Mummydog literally broke bone while trying to bite into him, before letting out a yelp… But it was too late. The Hobgoblin was inside, and he was not backing down. I could tell, because more and more powder continued to bounce off of the Mummydog which was now writhing on the ground in agony… Until finally, a very muscular Hobgoblin emerged from the depths of a cracked rib… And the Mummydog continued on to fall apart into nothing more than a pile of bones, ashes, and toilet paper. The end.

Once again, we are posted up while consuming Candy and slowly healing Clansmen. Many of us are sitting on top of the pipes, in attempts at avoiding the wet ground. Wendel and Samurai Punk kept accidentally breaking pipes with their hard asses, so we've needed to veto against their participation. They need to stand. I'm sorry, okay?! It's not my fault that you two are heavier than the rest of us. Wendel's meow performing 'Det*ntion'... And Leoric is totally venting to Conrad about his battle with Von. He's upset that he wasn't powerful enough… And it's a very relatable decision. No one was able to handle him, aside from myself or possibly Cetilla and Samurai Punk. Even then… I might have struggled had I not been leveling up throughout the course of my stay in this Dungeon. He was apparently a Tier 11 Mariononette, but he just got it handed to him by a Tier 10 Halloween Cat. Perhaps it's true that Halloween Cats are genuinely just better for their Tiers? We're a high rate race, I suppose. From the slaying of just Von… I've more than doubled my original level. I literally Evolved, all over again. Wild.

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: 3407

HP: 17035/17035

MP: 69586/69586(+1446)

SP: 81/100

FP: 78/100

P. DEF: 820

M. DEF: 712

STR: 13628

INT: 34618(+548)

DEX: 10221

LUK: 3407

AGI: 20766(+324)

Titles:

[True Allwe Halloween Cat+6], [From Another World], [Fish Mongerer+3], [Master of Disguise+4], [Mana Guzzler+5], [Candy Mongerer+3], [Master of Time+1], [Witch of War+5]

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+4], [Daily Candy+5], [Claw Fishing+4], [Disguise+5], [Recovery by Sleep+3], [Enhanced Meditating+4], [Swim+3], [10 Minute Makeover+2], [Pumpkin Bomb+4], [Bonus Mana+4], [Time Skip], [War Meow+2], [Mana Claws], [Flame Paws]

I know I made the 9000 joke… But it's actually seeming plausible meow. It's like that, when faced against multiple enemies above or near Tier 10, I suppose. This time around, my Mana Guzzler, Candy Mongerer, and Witch of War titles all seemed to increase. With them, I gained three enhancements to my abilities. Bonus Mana meow declared that I would gain an additional 200 MP. He has doubled down, allotting me with a total of 400 Bonus Mana. Daily Candy meow claims to bestow me with 14 MP for each individual Candy. He's consistent, as always. A real stand up guy, that Daily Candy Sama. Pumpkin Bomb Sama is not the same. He's decided that for his fourth enhancement, he would enjoy adding not one, but two new types of Pumpkin Bombs to his repertoire. He has learned how to manifest Pumpkimplosion Bombs, as well as Pumpkin Spice Bombs. Pumpkimplosion Bombs are horrid. They exist only to trouble me, it seems. Rather than be lethal, they are suicidal. They do not explode, they implode…Leaving rotting Pumpkins in their wake, dealing no damage. Pumpkin Spice Bombs are interesting, however. They apparently carry a lethal dose of spices. One mustn't put too much spice in their meal, or they risk irritated skin and eyes. I have obtained a blinding bomb, of sorts. It's apparently quite deadly, but the Pumpkimplosion Bombs are essentially a dud. Also, apparently… My original Pumpkin Bombs were actually called Pumpkin Lantern Bombs. It's a real thing, but I had absolutely no way of knowing beforehand. I have no choice in which bomb I manifest. It's like that. Last but not least… I have my new form. It's the 'Halloween Cat YL (Seven-Tailed)'.

Assuming my new largest form, I noticed that just about nothing has changed. I'm larger. That's it. I'm probably twice as large, but I really don't fit in this building to begin with. I'm constantly being shrunken down. That, right there… Is one feature of the Wailing Keep that this Mummy Mansion got right. It feels as though the Mummy Mansion is a cheap replica of the Wailing Keep, but then someone made a whole ton of renovations to add more and more rooms. It's almost as though the Clock of Coincidences is but a mere knock-off of a Halloween Cat, as well… This entire Dungeon, really... I see the validity in it. I genuinely do. I don't want to reset it, but I feel the need to. A vast majority of these creatures don't appear to be in very dire straits… But the Torture Chambers… The Furnace Room… And the few monsters which seem to have lost their minds entirely, like the Mummydog King and Pharoahdin… There are problems, okay?! The Torture Chambers and Furnace Room have been pulled out of first rate horror movies. The Mummydog King and Pharoahdin have been here for a considerable time period, and so they naturally lost their sanity from the Clock. It's strange… They didn't have issues with others who were being attacked by the Clock… But those of us who remain unscathed are their targets. The madness which the Clock instills, is simply diabolical. The treacheries which the Poacher is committing in attempts at aiding the Sphinx are also quite ludicrous. Some of them, seem to be simply for the Poacher's own enjoyment… While others seem wholeheartedly aimed at benefiting the Sphinx and his Cursed Clock.

After thinking of such things, I decided that it would be best to inform the others of my decision. Yesh... Our move to the Forsaken Isles~ It will happen, people! We're getting an Island or six! I'll be damned if we're hit by another freaking army… Though I'm already quite literally damned. Regardless~ The music is loud, the Clansmen are having a great time, aside from Wendel who is bitterly singing along regardless… And I'm in a mood. I'm excited. This is good. As much as I love the Lost Kingdom, change is good. We could do for a change of scenery. The Forsaken Isles seems like the right place. The only problem there is a shortage on space to properly farm, but there are already farms there. They're overgrown, and in desperate need of attention… But they're there. Those farms should help alleviate some of the mass starvation plaguing the Goblins. We'll still gather the berries in the Lost Kingdom, so it's all good. Yep. I'm excited. We'll be on the coast, enjoying a breathtaking view as the sun appears and disappears from our line of sight… The smell of salt will fill our airways, and we'll quite literally be in the tropics. A very cheap and underdeveloped set of Islands has just surfaced on the market, and we're grabbing it before anyone else can. That's what is happening. Yes. I've thought it over quite a lot, we're doing it. Executive decision.

"So..." [Nero] started, only to be brutally interrupted.

"What is it this time?" [Cetilla] sighed.

"Oh, you're going to LOVE this…" [Christina] chimed in while in an extremely precarious position atop a distant pipe.

"It's going to be fun!" [Penny] exclaimed excitedly.

"I for one, am dreading it..." [White Beef Lady] confessed with a bitter expression.

"It's a pretty great place." [Conrad] explained, while swooping on by.

"Why do we need to go back there again?" [Betty] begged the question with a disgusted expression after floating through a nearby pipe to reveal herself.

"You know why." [Molag Dregora] shot back with a snide look in his flame eyes.

"Well… I guess Nero might make it better…" [Betty]

"What is it?!" [Cetilla] screamed hysterically. To which, a nearby Hobgoblin could be seen nodding profusely.

"When we get back… I would like to gather all of the survivors, and creatures inhabiting the surface of the Lost Kingdom… Before taking them to the Forsaken Isles for their own protection." [Nero] declared bluntly while in his smallest form, sitting atop a nearby pipe.

"Wh-What?!" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] let out, clearly angered.

"This is an amazing plan~" [Cetilla] shot back with a smile, toward the Hobgoblin.

"What could possibly be so amazing about leaving behind our homeland?! We've been fighting so that we could keep it!" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] begged the question with a frustrated expression.

"We don't need to leave the Lost Kingdom behind. We don't need to leave it forever… We just need to leave it for now. Winter is coming, the people are starving… A massive death-toll will come as the snow does… Considering that the Berries will no longer grow. We have absolutely no means of combating this situation. Even the Fish which we catch… We can't catch during the winter. The water will freeze over, and we'll all die. I don't understand how you've all even survived as long as you have off of berries alone. It doesn't make sense… It's an absolute miracle… How did you do it?" [Nero] explained with a look of determination and a strong voice before returning to his larger Human form.

"The cold weather is a challenge… But we normally hunt Caterpillars during that time of year." [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] explained with a nonchalant expression.

...So they've been killing the Caterpillars every single winter… But they've also been working to help keep the Lost Kingdom's ecosystem in balance. I suppose you can't get a perfect win in an underdeveloped nation. To be fair, they starve themselves during the summer while acting as though it's fine; as a means of declaring that they only feast upon the ecosystem when absolutely necessary. Oh well… I'm glad I got THAT question out of the way... It's been eating at me for a while meow in all of my darkest nightmares. I kept imagining the worst possible thing, and I've honestly lost sleep over it.

"The Forsaken Isles are in a location which I doubt will ever possess snow. We can even have a Hallowed Gate leading back to the Lost Kingdom… It doesn't matter. The Forsaken Isles also have small amounts of farmland. It's old, it hasn't been tended to in a very long time… But with enough work, it should be capable of producing a harvest. It probably won't produce very much food in the near future, and I wouldn't feel comfortable relying solely on it… So we'll probably just need to buy food. With the rescue of that Beartru, we can afford to feed the Villagers… But I would much prefer thinking in the long-term. We can't feed them all forever. It's unlikely that we will find enough quests of such a lucrative nature as our current one." [Nero] explained with an uneasy expression after removing his aviators.

"But the Lost Kingdom is our home..." [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] dejectedly muttered.

"No… Our family is our home… But like you previously stated, we're out here fighting so that we can protect our home. The remainder of the Lost Kingdom also needs to be fighting so that they can protect their home, don't you think?" [Nero] exclaimed before tilting his head to the side with a smile.

"...Yeah?" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] said as if uncertain.

"Well… They're taking too long to gain power, and I don't feel absolutely certain that we can protect them yet. We're sitting around here talking about whether or not we can even feed them for over a year… And to be frank… I don't think we can. Not currently. We certainly can't properly shelter them yet, either. We need to do a little bit more work, and so do they. We need to keep them safe while everyone works… But we can't do it within the Lost Kingdom yet. The Lost Kingdom is simply too dangerous. It's honestly not in a very good location for war, and if you haven't noticed… I'm the Witch of War. If I'm to continue trying to help the inhabitants of the Lost Kingdom, there will likely be war if we remain in that location." [Nero] explained while acting as though it were a matter beneath him.

"...Fine..." [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] agreed with a pained expression.

And so, the celebrations began. Almost all of us are pumped to the max, but Betty, White Beef Lady, and the (Hob)Goblin King are all unappreciative of our foolproof plan… Which just attained the blessing of the current (Hob)Goblin King, so it's not as though any of the surviving Villagers will choose to stay. It's just… The Monster Knights who are meow an unknown variable. Many of those who survived may decide that it's too dangerous, and return to their original locales. It's possible, but I'm optimistic about the hardiness of my Wailing Keep's residents. They're good people, I think~ We probably spent a few hours celebrating, but I have no idea because time hath become irrelevant to me. I've placed a taboo on time. I don't know her. No, I'm not returning her calls… Because I still don't know her. Nope! We were celebrating, all the way up until it happened… We heard it. The bell. It's midnight, and our allies have not rallied their forces. We're alone. It's just us down here… I have a bad feeling, but Samurai Punk keeps telling me to have faith. Alright… Fine. I'll give them another hour or so. Nyah.

We waited. We waited while trying to pretend that we weren't waiting, but we were waiting. Cetilla was practicing her magical hair flips while dramatically doing 180 degree turns as she floated in the air. Hobgoblin Samurai Punk was spending time with Leoric, Conrad, and Molag Dregora… Talking about ideas for how to use their abilities in tandem. Wendel and Luna were practicing their high-notes. White Beef Lady was practicing with jumping on and off walls before going off to soar through the air. The Scarecrows were trying to attach themselves in various ways to create the 'Seriously Large Scarecrow'... Their ultimate form, according to Molag Dregora who casually chimed in from afar… The Vampire Knights were practice-sparring. The Bats, Banshees, Phantasms, Crows, and Penny were all soaring around the Furnace Room for fun. I think they were playing some sort of game, but I never bothered to ask. The Skeletons were all casually playing a game of Safari Cards… But I don't know where they obtained them. Probably Cetilla. Christina was with me, literally counting in my ear so that I knew just how late my newfound friends were to arrive… Like a maniac… While I, on the other hand… Was sitting there, in silence as I painstakingly agonized over every potential thing which might have gone wrong.

What if the Poacher got to them too soon, and they died? What if the Poacher caught them, but did not kill them immediately? What if he's not even done with them, and he's on his way to drop them off in the furnaces?! What if no one else wanted to help us, so they gave up in their search? What if the Father made the executive decision that helping the Cat would be too dangerous to his family, and so they aren't coming? What if Melissa simply lied to us, and was only aiming to have us enter the basement so that we might die sooner? What if there is no Sphinx, and this was all just some elaborate farce to take my eyes off of the real prize?! What if the Sphinx actually exists, but he's not even the real Dungeon Master and he's simply hiding a fake ceiling, like the Cobra Caves?! What if I could literally spend decades in this Dungeon without having ever cleared it?! I've already come so far! I don't even think I could turn back at this point… I don't have the Candy, and there's no telling when Cetilla will run out of MP. She's secretive, in that way. She never shares… And I don't want to need to ask Samurai Punk. She's my first Cat Crewoman. She'll tell me when she's ready. Those were some of the more probable outcomes which I had narrowed my list down to… But at the end of the night… I decided to sit there and wait it out… Desperately. And so, I did. I waited. I waited for such a long time, that Christina gave up with her tangents… Which, by the way; required a total of 6 hours. She was resilient, and to be honest… She was winning, but even she had mercy in her heart to allow me a moment to recollect my composure.

She was trying to drive me mad, I think. Either that, or build upon the fright that I was already experiencing. There's a very thin line between the two possibilities. I'm at an impasse. Deciding that we would depart from this place on our way back shortly… I requested one final song from the Bandsmen. It's the 'M*nster Mash'. It caught on in a flash… It was a graveyard smash~ It's been good, ladies and gentlemen. We have fought hard, and we've fought well… But this may very well be our final song. This quest… It may have been our undoing. I took a gamble on trying to face the Sphinx, and I apologize… But I may have bit more than we could handle this time. I don't even know if we can make it out alive~ It's been great knowing you all! I was thinking such things as we danced and sang our way through the night in one utterly horrifying and disgusting Furnace Room.