"...Oh? Nero, darling… You never mentioned having a peculiarity related to Time itself…" [Melania] muttered with a sly expression.
...It's day. [Daily Candy]!
"He's considered to be the current Master of Time… He's also quite gifted in the arts of manifesting objects." [Grescilda] explained with a smile.
"How peculiar… To master Time itself is practically unheard of for a Witch. I suppose it just goes to show why we were all called upon to watch his trial~" [Violet haired Witch wearing a red Kimono] remarked while raising a fan to hide her expression.
"Sherenah… It's a pleasure to see you once more... How have things been?" [Old hag wearing a raggedy old cloak] asked with eyes wide.
"Oh, you know me… My life's amazing at every twist and turn... Seems like someone's aging terribly though… Perhaps you should consult with the Master of Time, Elloise~" [Sherenah] confessed before winking.
"I see you haven't changed in the slightest… But don't come for MY age, Sherenah… I'll see to it that you wake up appearing even older~" [Elloise] sneered.
"Atta girl, Elloise! Way to stand up for yourself~ Don't let that whore beat YOU down!~" [Red haired Witch wearing a frilly yellow dress] chimed in with a wide grin.
"No… Let her beat you down~ I can't wait to see her in a twisted state!" [Brunnette wearing glasses and a black trilby] laughed hysterically.
"Don't get cocky, Amber and Penelope. You two wouldn't last 10 seconds against me." [Sherenah] shot back with a terrifying expression.
"Ohh!~ I'm like, SO scared! Save me from that mean troll, Melania!~ Call a new one!" [Penelope] screamed dramatically before taking Melania's hands as she plead.
"Agreed… Sherenah's a total no-go~ Let's find someone with a more SISTERLY disposition!" [Amber] chimed in while glaring across the room at Melania with a smug expression.
"That's enough! You five Witches... Friends or not, you five will be responsible for the evaluation of Nero Miki's trial." [Grescilda] beckoned while clearly growing impatient.
"Oh, scary~" [Penelope] shuddered before taking a seat.
"Yeah, she's WAY too serious…" [Amber] muttered before taking a seat.
"You two think THAT'S bad… You should meet her mother!" [Elloise] laughed before taking a seat.
"...That bitch…" [Sherenah] shuddered with eyes wide, likely recalling Grescilda's mother for a split moment before taking her seat.
"Now that we're all settled… It's time to begin." [Grescilda] remarked with a determined expression.
"Uhmm… Is it too late for me to use the lavatory?" [Telliphi] asked with eyes wide.
"Telliphi… Do as you please, you're not going to the Catacombs either way~" [Grescilda] shot back with a confused expression before continuing…
"As I'm sure that you can tell, and might have heard about from Melania's call… All of the other Councilwomen are currently occupied with overseeing to other trials within the Catacombs. You WILL encounter them… But none of them will be expecting you there. If things go wrong and they misinterpret Nero as an intruder… You have my permission to retaliate before explaining the situation. Now, you all know how this trial goes… You've all passed it multiple times yourselves. I'll leave this all to you..." [Grescilda] explained before gesturing for the group to depart immediately.
"Thank you for the explanation, love~" [Treya] sighed before taking a stand.
"Yes, yes… Quite well said~ Come boy, we've got a trial to begin!" [Elloise] chimed in with an excited expression.
"I've got goosebumps just THINKING about it!~ Watching the trial of a male Witch?! It's absolutely unheard of!" [Amber] confessed with a wry smile.
"Quite scandalous, I'll give you that one…" [Sherenah] muttered before taking a deep breath and taking a stand.
"Oh? So she DOES play nice!~" [Penelope] mocked before winking.
"Shut your dirty mouth before I make you." [Sherenah] shot back while side-eyeing the small Witch.
And so… We eventually left the top of the Tower, taking the elevator… And enjoyed an exceedingly peaceful trip down to the Catacombs~ NOT! They didn't stop... They were relentless! Treya's taken a liking to me, and has even begun contemplating on staying to teach the Elite Course this year if I succeed on the preliminary test. Elloise began to nag at Treya for playing favorites… Not to mention, Amber and Penelope seem to exist solely for the purpose of bothering Sherenah. All five of them are first rate Witches, but only Elloise, Treya, and Sherenah have actually been Councilwomen. Amber and Penelope had just been past enrollments to the Elite Course, so there's a very clear hierarchy going on here… I just don't understand why the two of them can't help themselves from testing it is all~ They're either brave, or STUPID!
After commending Sherenah's self control… I jinxed myself. She totally wound up sending them to the hospital with her Fire magic… And by hospital, I mean Treya's insane Thorn magic. She's like... Healing them, by letting them rest in a floating bundle of thorns, sprouting directly from her Broom… It's strange. One might have expected the thorns to hurt those that it captured… But such is not the case. They seem to be at peace, and are still conscious… But much more quiet. That's two capable guards down in the event that I'm assaulted by other Witches whom haven't been updated on the situation… But it'll be fine, right?! I'm feeling an overwhelming sense of regret… Is it too late to cancel and postpone the trial for more reliable judges…? I'm honestly too afraid to ask...
On entry into the Catacombs… I was proven correct. This place is freaky! The walls are made of skulls, the floor is made of varying bones, and some of the skulls have flame eyes to light the way. Unlike my flames, these flames are green. There are numerous paths that one can take, and I can't help but feel frightened of losing my way. Sticking to rule number one of dungeoneering… I chose to continue flying along the right side. The others needed to stay a decent distance behind me, to ensure that they didn't end up helping me… But Treya promised to step up if the enemy were other Witches. After around half an hour of travelling without encountering another soul… We found a spiral staircase leading downward. It too, consisted of bones… It's honestly quite the large staircase. It's much more wide than the towers of the Wailing Keep… When we were nearing the bottom, I spotted it.
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There's currently a Cerberus resting at the bottom, guarding the next doorway. This is it... My first trial. Mustering as much resolve as I possibly could… I requested a Crowliphista to hold my Broom, Lantern, and bucket close to me, tossed down 5 Pumpkin Bombs worth 2000 MP each before handing the Crowliphista my belongings and assuming my smallest form before leaping off the stairwell and into the darkness. As I fell, I assumed the very first form with 7 tails… T'was the 'Halloween Cat XXL (Seven-Tailed)'~ By the time that I had landed, effortlessly; might I add… The room was surrounded in flames, and the Cerberus was wide awake. Turning to face it, we met in battle promptly. It tried to spew green flames from all three heads… But I barely felt a thing.
One leap and a few dozen swipes of my paws made short work of my first trial. I couldn't help but feel happy to have done it on my own without problems… I could hear Treya cheering me on from the sidelines, so that probably didn't help with quelling my rapidly inflating ego~ I like Treya. I think we're going to be quite the pair of friends in the future… I'm beginning to feel glad that I came. She's good people... Now! Let's move on!~ I wound up needing to assume a smaller form in order to leave the room, but was met with a massively open area. After entering, I earnestly assumed my largest form to find that it was quite the ideal area for one such as myself~ The size of this room is so grand, that even I shouldn't struggle moving around or even fighting to my heart's content in it. After walking through the room for around a minute, it began to happen…
Skeletons are rising from the bones of the ground that I step. They're latching on to my paws, and beginning to climb up my body... It's absolutely terrifying. I never imagined that I, a Halloween Cat… Would find myself literally standing in a pool of Skeletons, without even having the chance to capture them… Truly, the letdown of a lifetime. I began to try and shake the Skeletons off, by jerking myself back and forth as I ran around the room… But eventually, I was completely surrounded; and STILL covered in Skeletons. Letting out a deep breath, I conjured another 5 Pumpkin Bombs… This time, worth 5000 MP a piece. Take that, you brainless piles of bones! That'll teach them~ They were foolish to not submit to I, the True Allwe Halloween Cat~ MWAhaHaHaHAAA!
Rolling over to ensure that every Skeleton encountered my flames at least five times… I found that I could literally squash the Skeletons under my weight. Feeling a renewed sense of purpose in battle by the idea, I began to have the time of my life; running around and stomping on every single Skeleton that I could find. Some may call this brutal, me? I call it stress relief~ It was as though each of my problems were being represented as physical manifestations in the forms of brittle bone monsters! Eventually, the busted bones began to form larger creatures with varying shapes… But that didn't stop me!~ I found that stomping on them didn't really work, so I just started swiping my claws at them. To be honest? Worked like a charm. They practically exploded into dust under the weight of each swipe, before ACTUALLY exploding as the dust clouds caught fire; admittedly making this all the more enjoyable. They were like fireworks… Dazzling!~
After around an hour of slaying abnormal Skeletons… I realized that I was no longer gaining experience. I was having such a good time… That I didn't really check. I had definitely levelled up a total of 508 times, making me a level 22,382 Tier 14 Allwe Halloween Cat… But that could have just been the Cerberus, no? I don't know… I've grown too powerful to really have a proper grip on these sort of things… It's difficult to understand just how powerful my enemies are if I smack them down in less than a minute~ I didn't overly mind the lack of experience, but it still baffled me; nonetheless. In an attempt to get things over with, I began to use the third form of the [Barrier]; causing it to substantially grow in size. After slaying every Skeleton within the Barrier, I chose to try and get a better idea of my surroundings. Something's causing these Skeletons to get back up, and I want to know what it is. If I need to destroy every single Skeleton to the point of absolute rubble, I'll be here all day. Rather, I think I'll just wait for my flames to dissipate. I've got the feeling that they're hiding something from me.
By the time that my flames had dispersed within the Barrier… The Barrier itself was covered in the abnormal Skeletons. All that I can really see, are the Barrier itself; and a complete mess of bones. Having an idea, I decided to try and roll over while in the Barrier… And it worked beautifully~ Throughout this entire ordeal… The amount of damage that I've actually taken is laughable at best. I'm beginning to feel like I'm in the best possible place to hold a trial attempting to depict my strength. Before too many of the bones began to get back up… I noticed a few strange objects in the distance. On closer inspection… There's a small circular area of actual stone flooring, slightly elevated to ensure that it remains above the pool of bones. On it, there are 3 pedestals of bones; not unlike the ones for my Hallowed Orb or the Wailing Keep's heart. The largest difference, is that these orbs are green. There's are faint lines of green flames connecting the ground beneath each pedestal… Forming a magic circle… Or in other words, a Rune. I can't believe it… I discovered an example of Rune magic in use outside of Monastazia before a SINGLE Mousekin ever could, and to top it all off… It's in a Dungeon.
It's strange, this Rune circle isn't placed on any one object… It's on the ground, and is being powered by the flames of three different objects. Even if the objects are of the same kind, this is still different from any other Rune that I've witnessed. It's far more sophisticated… It's a shame that I'll need to destroy these orbs… Truly, I'm feeling conflicted. This is incredible technology, okay?! Is joining the Elite Course truly worth destroying such a relic?! An important historical artifact destroyed for the possibility of learning different knowledge?! NYAAAAAH!!!!
Okay… I've destroyed all three orbs, and I managed to hold the tears back. It's worth it… It MUST be worth it! Turning around, I was proven correct. All of the abnormal Skeletons crumbled back into bones. Trying my best to keep a brave face, I continued on my way through the massive room, destroying more and more bones with each step. After a while of feeling the crunchiness beneath my paws… I decided to begin flying. Yesh… In my largest form, I am currently being lifted by one mere Crowliphista; desperately struggling to keep hold of both myself… And my trusted Lianix. Conrad, thank you for your hard work and dedication… Oh? He probably felt it too difficult, so he's called on reinforcements. We need 8 different Crowliphistae to make this Cat fly, but I promise… I'm not fat, I'm just big boned~
By the time that we had reached the end of the room, we found that there were 5 different paths to take. Obviously, I went through the furthest path to my right side. At this point, I needed to assume a smaller form. I chose the 'Halloween Cat M (Four-Tailed)'. This path was pretty much the exact same as all of the other paths… But there was one major difference. It was covered in webs, and there were no skulls with green flame eyes. It was completely dark, aside from myself and the few Crowliphistae choosing to watch the events unfold as they carried my belongings. We all sort of… Have this orange glow that emits from us. We can't help it, we have flame eyes. This Dungeon is definitely of Halloween… But it's a twisted Halloween. I mean, GREEN flames?! Gross. I couldn't WAIT to rid myself of that green path, it was messing with my vibes and the Crowliphistae were all DEFINITELY feeling insecure about the brightness of their flames… I couldn't just stand back and watch as they dealt with their shame, I… As the brightest of all orange and black creatures… I must light the way for my brethren!~
I've gotta say though… This Dungeon has been strange. Supposedly, a vast majority of the Academy is down here with me… And I understand that this place is a TON of twists and turns… But it's strange that I haven't encountered anyone, and that I've also encountered monsters… Seeming as how the others arrived far sooner than I did, perhaps… They all enjoy living life on the edge and choosing random paths? The fact that I encountered the Cerberus at all, means that no one has probably even come across the Skeletons. Either that, or they dealt with it in another way… Like Sleep magic. The Cerberus was asleep before I arrived, so it adds up. But even so, does that mean that whoever came first completely ignored the Skeletons and carried on? I get it… It could have easily taken me hours to figure it out had I cast a stronger set of Pumpkin Bombs~ But honestly, I rather enjoyed it. I don't care if I wasted an hour doing it, that was an hour well spent. The amount of stress that I feel wiped off my shoulders right meow is SURREAL! I never realized how much of a maniac I was, until I was enjoying the sight of exploding Skeletons… And I literally have Skeletons as my followers. Honestly… I'm not so certain that I'm right in the head any longer~ I think that becoming the Witch of War may have warped me… Or it might just be that I'm getting used to this world… Or I've developed a taste for death. Either way, I wasn't always like this… I SWEAR! SKELDORAGORA!~ I LOVE YOU AND ALL THE OTHER SKELETONS!~
Anyways, moving along… This webbing is fun. It keeps rapidly burning as I walk on it, catching fire as I pass… It's sort of slow spreading, but behind my back… It's just a constant mess of orange flames for around 7 meters before COMPLETE and total darkness. The flames are messing with my night vision, I think… It's pretty beautiful, though~ ACK!~ What the?! YOSH! I KNEW IT!~ It's another Arachne! I'm getting good at facing Halloween Dungeons… I know almost ALL the tricks~ WAIT! Does this mean that Rune magic is a trait only found within Halloween Dungeons? I mean… I suppose that it's ALMOST possible… Maybe? It's stretching. The Mousekin have Runes on their freaking dam, okay?! I doubt that Monastazia as an entirety, INCLUDING the dam is a Dungeon… It's almost… Wait a second. What if it is? What if the dam and City were intended to lure in an unsuspecting race… To face a Dungeon?! The Island of Monastazia itself… It's just a mechanical object, really~ All of it is relatively high tech for an era like this, or at least an era on our seemingly decent continent… I mean, it doesn't come close the Wailing Keep Kitchen… But it's good stuff, you know?! It's not just, living out of a freaking hollowed out and overgrown Mushroom that you somewhat refurbished into being livable!
It's possible. It truly is. I just don't understand why the Dungeon would be that way, and not… I don't know? Try to branch out and invade Melchiadore like all of the others seemingly do? Anyways~ Currently, I'm not using a Barrier. I'm letting the Arachne bite me profusely on my right arm. It hurts, a little… But not really. Her Poison just isn't strong enough to really affect me all too much… My HP is actually pretty high now. I practically never let myself get damaged, so it's not as though I was starting off with a harmed self… My maximum HP by the way, it's sitting a few thousand above 100,000. My physical defense is at 820 and my magical defense is at 712… I'm really only being damaged by 1 HP each second by the poison… But the Arachne is also trying to stab me with four of her legs. She has long green hair, and green glowing eyes… And I want her to not look like that. It bothers me… Something happened to these Halloween creatures to make them have this green nature… It's not natural. I don't think that these are genuine Monsuta, which are supposed to be savage beasts… I believe these are supposed to be Yokai, like Mescarga or Benji… These creatures have or HAD souls, but something isn't right with them. The reason why I'm letting her attack me, is not only because I was curious about just how deadly Poison could be… But also because there's a possibility of me Evolving from this event, and I want to know if I can gain a resistance to Poison damage if at all possible… It's unlikely that I'll Evolve, but it's possible. I shan't rule anything out!
The other Witches are probably baffled by my current stance… Perhaps, they've been talkin' smack this whole damn time… I mean, I totally derped out in the Skeleton rooms… And acted like a brute, the entire way through. Perhaps… I should tone it back on the Cat thing and start getting serious? Try to show more of my cards to impress them? Like, I've shown my power… But what else? Okay. Let's do it. [Shapeshift]! Thank you, my dearest Crowliphistae for helping me with my baggage… But I'm ready to be a big Cat meow~ Okay! [10 Minute Makeover]! Nyahahahahah!~ Now, the attacks aren't dealing ANY damage! I spent 40000 MP to make this outfit, and I'm currently dressed up as… No clue~ I'm just wearing a purple tux, basically~ I mean… I have a green tie, and all of a sudden; I want to throw up. This is the LAST thing that I wanted to see coming from you, 10 Minute Makeover Sama! Try again! [10 Minute Makeover]!
Okay… I've regained my composure~ My new outfit is a black Bull mascot outfit… It's just a two piece and a red scarf… So it's kind of a dud, but I don't mind. It's better than last time… Green is simply not my color any longer… This is really quite bothersome, but I think that I'm just going to grab the Arachne and begin carrying it. Nyah. I don't want to kill innocent creatures, and I definitely don't want her coming back as some abnormal mesh of flesh if I slay her. It's too dangerous… What if, being resurrected one mere time is what finishes the blow to one's soul; condemning them to be bound to the Rune for eternity?! It's been eating away at me… I can't let this Arachne fall right meow. I need to learn more about this strange, nearly perfect necromancy ability. It's not perfect if it's only happening because of a nearby object… But it's also not too bad. If you can imbed that Rune onto something more feasible… Like a Necklace or Weapon… It could become an invaluable object. Never again would we feel the need to rely on Molag Dregora's questionable abilities. A better future, where one can be reliant upon their own self… But also, if it's proven to negatively affect the mind before one additional death… It's probably no good. This Arachne seems to have already lost it… So she might have already perished once before, but there are too many variables. This is science meow…
Even if I don't get accepted into the Elite Course… There are things that I can learn about down here. Admittedly, Rune magic is quite the turn of events for this morning… But my plans are malleable to change. Take the Dwarven Kingdom for example… I've wanted to visit them since practically day one, and have utterly failed to. I'm lazy or something. I've gone like, everywhere else… Except there, the Fae Forest, and almost every single Dungeon… But on the SURFACE level… The Dwarven Kingdom is practically my final frontier for this continent. I don't want to sour relations with the woman who is feeding my entire army... So we should probably just avoid the Fae. It's like that. I'm beholden to the Fae, and I wouldn't dare do anything to jeopardize the partnership that we have… They feed us, and we leave her alone. It's simple, AND elegant! Quite ingenious, that shrewd Queen; yesh… I dare say~ Honestly… I don't know how she does it. She must have QUITE the agriculture if she's capable of feeding all of the Monster Knights while protecting and feeding her own from the end game Dungeons plaguing her region… WHILE having absolutely NO trade relations. Period.
It's practically unfathomable, I wonder if they even use Coins over there? It's probably like how the Lost Kingdom was, where everything was on a barter system. It still is, but it's meow the Forsaken Kingdom. Let it be known! Either that, or the Kingdom of Night… But that's too chuniibyu, right? I mean… I'm literally only capable of waging a proper war during the Night, so it's kind of warranted… But the Kingdom won't be like that if I pass away… I'm what makes it the Night. Without me, the Clans(wo)men could just live alongside them, and perhaps; have some varying methods of doing so… But they'd probably figure it out. The Vampires and Bats would probably be the only ones remaining in the night afterwards by nature alone… Perhaps Gluttatosk's eyesight might not be too sharp… But I really don't know. He's kind of like an apex predator meow… Anything could happen~ If anything, Cyclozard's probably sensitive to light. Yep. Sun's too bright for a bulbous eye like that, he'll need a giant monocle.
After a considerable distance of walking… The Arachne suddenly went limp, and stopped thrashing at me… Immediately panicking, I threw her down onto the ground and raised my Lantern high. Molag Dregora and Luna Pratz! You are needed at once! See if you can save this creature and restore her to as pure a state as you can… If Luna can not, then we shall leave it in Molag's capable hands… Taking a step back… The orange light began to rush forth from within my Lantern, and separated into two masses on opposite ends of the Arachne's cold corpse. She was dead all along… Luna Pratz tried, but nothing happened. She didn't come back… It was far too late. She would have needed to have been freshly killed, an hour ago; at most… Even an hour would be pushing it, but now it's time for Molag to make his attempt… Luna, it's not your fault. Don't apologize. She's disappeared into the depths of Halloween…
"Banshee, Flesh Golem, or Zombie?" [Molag Dregora] asked with a sinister voice.
"...Let's try a Zombie this time." [Nero] sighed.
"Your wish is my command…" [Molag Dregora] promised before bowing next to the Arachne, and casting his ability…
Molag Dregora conjured a Staff. Then, Orange light surrounded the corpse, emitting straight from the tip of it. It wrapped around the corpse, slowly… Until moments later; it was all that you could see. It… Sparkled bright and tiny lights, as if it were coated in dust… And then it faded for a split moment, before a large orange wave shot forth on all sides from the Arachne... And her eyes opened, revealing a dazed expression… Almost as if she had gone blind. I could see the slightest amount of orange remaining in her eyes, but it was dim. She couldn't light up a room if she tried with eyes like those… But I'm glad that she's okay. She's safe now, with us; where she belongs. Had I known that there was another option sooner, I would have taken it. I'm sorry, to all of the Skeletons who I ruthlessly murdered… You will not be forgotten. A few seconds later, the Arachne's dirty green hair began to slowly fall out, while new violet strands grew in their place.
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"[Capture Clansman]!" [Nero] screamed as tears began to fall from his eyes.
Moments later, she was mine… She had no intent of fighting me, she simply submit herself into my loving arms. Welcome, my dear one… Have no fear, for you are no longer alone… Return to Halloween, and rest easy knowing that you will never be alone again! Checking over the Clansmen menu… It appears that several of the Crowliphistae were swapping out earlier in order to carry my things, and it was actually no small feat to keep the task going as it's been day this entire time… 54 Crowliphistae are nearly dead… I'll eat some Candy later, I'm sorry.
Name: Unnamed Monster
Race: Zombie (Arachne) (Halloween)
Class: Skald
Tier: 6
MP: 532/2560
P. DEF: 320
M. DEF: 192(+144)
STR: 64
INT: 256
DEX: 128
LUK: 192
AGI: 144(-144)
Titles:
[Skald+3], [Stalker+1], [Predator+1], [Soul Shackled], [One Who Returns], [Liberated], [Undead], [Immortal], [Zombification], [Halloween Clansmen]
Abilities Learned:
[Zombie Poison Fangs+2], [Zombie Claw Swipe+1], [Wall Run], [Enhanced Eyesight+1], [Rune Magic: Soul Shackle], [Won't Die], [Free Willed], [Fleshlust], [Decay by Day], [Recovery by Flesh], [Curse (Zombification)], [Sluggish], [Enhanced Blood Circulation by Brains], [Return to Halloween]
It's strange… She managed to maintain a Tier of 6 even after death. Multiple deaths. Also, she seems to have gained a substantial number of abilities thanks to becoming a Zombie… Just like how Luna and all of the other Vampires did. The two Curses almost seem… Identical. Rather than Blood, they require Flesh… And if they're lucky, they get Brains. Thankfully, she won't die… And she's free willed… Can turn enemies into Zombies simply by attacking them, in her only two methods of genuine attack; might I add. Wonderful. She's definitely not a catastrophe waiting to happen… Not at all. She had her Soul shackled by that Rune for so long… That she literally learned how to replicate it. Just like that. Mystery solved. In order to figure out the roots of Rune magic, one must attempt to be directly inflicted by Rune magic. I'm sure that over time, she'll develop a genuine affinity with Rune magic… And may perhaps learn how to use it for other abilities that she possesses. If I had to say… All three of the most common theories of Rune magic were completely off base. The Miki's theorem is meow the closest one to the truth. Send word to the scholars tomorrow night, me thinks we've cracked the case~
Sadly, the first ability that we're going to need to repeatedly use hundreds of times in order to potentially prove our theory… Will be us eternally damning other creatures to the lives of being Zombies, Skeletons, Banshees, or Phantasms. These are sad times indeed… No offense to Molag, your abilities are wondrous… They're simply incredibly power-hungry, is all. All of them. They all require a ridiculous amount of sustenance to keep going, and without me… It could very easily cause the collapse of entire civilizations under the weight of the sudden need for imminent death! We NEED a method to stop time in order to keep up with it, and as far as I know… I'm the most suited for the job. I gained the role incredibly quickly. There's no one better, or even HALF as good at manipulating it as I am. Being a Master is different from being a Mongerer. Mongerers are the best at eating. Masters are the best, period. I can stop it, and I can speed it up… To such an extent, that it's my greatest flaw as a being. With Molag and Luna's help… I can even slightly reverse it for individuals, whilst manipulating those individuals greatly; might I add~
We're practically the dream team out here... Or maybe, the nightmare team. The fact of the matter is that any of the Undead Clans(wo)men probably shouldn't be left to roam the realms without a contract to Halloween. Some creatures are able to get away with it, but some creatures are uncontainable. If a Zombie fails, and doesn't entirely devour who they're feeding off of… Then it becomes two Zombies. Pretty soon, you've got an entire nation of starving Zombies who can use MAGIC! This should be illegal! Also, they have a strange ability that inherently nerfs their speed while buffing their magical resistance…? Why? I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that Zombies were spell shields! I always got the impression that they BURNED when lit… But I guess these are different times, and different Zombies. Their worst enemy is the daylight… But other than that, they'll outlive us all so long as they can trick some unsuspecting prey into feeding them their entirety. It's probably too devious to turn their prey into Skeletons after...
Arachnae are pretty intelligent creatures, though. That much is clear. She was able to analyze the ability that was tormenting her mind to the point of learning how to replicate it after returning to a modicum of sanity. She literally gained an ability just to specify that she had an immense free will. I'm like… Jealous, or something. She's been liberated, and she'll likely never take orders from another again… Without proper payment. She now believes in fate, and destiny and all that stuff~ So now, she might actually follow someone if they literally save her from an eternity of insanity from the green flames. It's a shame… It truly is. But I need to put an end to this, and it might ruin the trials for a number of Witches to come after my time. After this course, on another night… We're rounding up every single creature in this mess, and we're taking them to their rightful place; by our sides. The Witches can't get away with this. I'm not entirely certain that it's the Dungeon at fault, it could simply be… The Witches. They conjure Scarecrows. It's not unlikely to say that they might be capable of conjuring Runic Artifacts. One of them, I mean… They have Witches beholden to them from across all of Melchiodore. I can't put it past them, for just ONE of them to have been directly affected by this ability over the years while exploring… Literally, all that they'd need is bad luck and a wandering Lich. Admittedly, quite the strong Lich... But a Lich, and there happen to be at least a few out there who are better than him. He's just a Baron in title and not even Class, after all~ I wonder what the story is on all of that…
Ah! We've finally reached the end of the tunnel. Another open room? Oh… It's a long draw bridge, leading to yet another dark tunnel… The ceiling is ripe with stalagmite, but off to my left, there's a waterfall… And a massive ravine to my right. I wonder where it's going… And coming from, for that matter. Sadly… Water isn't really my strong suit. Then again… Maybe challenging myself is what I need right meow for the trial! Riding on my Broom, I began to investigate up the stream of the water. The Witches behind me seem to understand what's happening right meow. We're going for a dip. Yep… After a while of following it… The river becomes nothing more than a small tunnel, absolutely GUSHING with water~ It's going to get wet. I'd better get a good breath before heading in~
And so, I began trying to fly as fast as I could through the tunnel, and eventually arrived at a massive lake, with a shore of bones… Yeeeesh~ Enough with the bones already, we get it! People died! This is ridiculous, though! The sheer DEPTH of this freaking Dungeon that is absolutely drenched in corpses is absolutely horrifying! Never mind Melchiadore… THIS is the REAL hell!~ I pray that these bodies are not all real… Please… Let some of the Bones be props! After getting out of the water and flying a bit higher, I tried to get a better view of my surroundings. This is another huge room, and it also has stalagmite… But there are numerous tunnels leading here. In fact, I see not 1… Not even 2, but 3 rogue Witches joined by an additional spectator. Wait… What? The other Witches take this thing on in TEAMS so that they can limit the number of Witches required to observe?! Dude… I've been doing this all by myself, but they seem to be struggling… I guess that this is what it means to be truly adequate for the scenario. Below me, fighting those 3 Witches… Is none other, than two freaking Land Sharks... I'm beginning to feel queasy…
Gluttatosk is great and all… But 3 Gluttatosks…? At once…? Two… ZOMBIE Gluttatosks?! Hard pass. Nope. They simply can not be saved with that method. Let's try for Wraiths and Skeletons instead. Turning around, it seems that my observers have caught up. Perfect timing~ The Witches below seem like they just might fail… One of them literally tripped over backwards, and a Land Shark is rapidly approaching… I can't even comprehend why she got off her Broom. It seems so simple. The main attack strategy of a Land Shark, is their incredible jaw and legs… They leap off of the ground, or run excessively fast… They can also swim at a great speed, so they're relatively versatile. Be that as it may, you can ALWAYS hear one coming… Or, you can hear Gluttatosk coming; anyways~ He has special sound effects. Back on topic, they probably can't jump TOO high, so there's really no need to stand with the Broom even IF you wanted to get in close… One can simply fly, and… [Barrier]~! I've meow conjured the stage 4 Barrier on the three Witches who wound up backed into a corner while trying to protect each other.
Making a swift entry, I promptly grabbed both of the sharks by their dorsal fins, and began carrying them away… Down into yet another tunnel. This one also had green lights… But it wasn't because I'd forgiven the color green… I simply wanted to see if these tunnels would have more creatures than the dark ones. After a little while of flying with NO hands, the Land Sharks went limp… And perished. Return to me, Molag Dregora… This is your moment. We should make them Wraiths and Skeletons… Moments later, the friendly Lich reappeared before me… Conjured his Staff, and began casting the spell to undo this treachery with the least risk of inciting a plague… Or a massacre, for that matter. Shark Banshees. I want to see how they look as well~ [Capture Clansmen]!
So, I captured 4 more Clansmen. They made sure to thank me for saving their souls. As it turned out, the Wraiths… Looked awesome. Shark heads in a slightly transparent form, top notch if I say so myself~ The legs were a little strange… But I guess I'm used to it. They will forever be, Land Sharks… They have special abilities, and have forced my Clansmen Menu Sama to Evolve drastically. He hath meow acknowledged three distinctly different variations among my Wraiths. Also, these two new Land Sharks? Both Women. We could've had a mate for Gluttatosk… But he'd need to become a Zombie, or in this case… A Phantasm. He'd be the King of Drarke Phantsasms, but he might wind up losing a lot of his strength… Or, all of it.
Name: Unnamed Monster (x2)
Race: Drarke Skeleton (Halloween)
Class: Street Fighter
Tier: 1
MP: 6/35, 2/35
P. DEF: 8, 8
M. DEF: 4, 4
STR: 32
INT: 1
DEX: 1
LUK: 1
AGI: 10
Titles:
[Undying Street Fighter], [Undead], [Severed Soul], [Halloween Clansmen]
Abilities Learned:
[Boot Creation], [Chomp Stomp], [Brittle Bones], [Return to Halloween]
Name: Unnamed Monster (x2)
Race: Drarke Banshee (Halloween)
Class: Wraith
Tier: 1
MP: 12/50, 15/50
P. DEF: 15, 15
M. DEF: 10, 10
STR: 4
INT: 65
DEX: 26
LUK: 8
AGI: 35
Titles:
[Wraith], [Soul Shackled], [One Who Returns], [Liberated], [Halloween Clansmen]
Abilities Learned:
[Soul Siphon], [Rune Magic: Soul Shackle], [Won't Die], [Free Willed], [Return to Halloween]
Name: Milton
Race: Catkin Phantasm (Halloween)
Class: Wraith
Tier: 1
MP: 63/80
P. DEF: 10
M. DEF: 6
STR: 4
INT: 64
DEX: 16
LUK: 8
AGI: 24
Titles:
[Wraith], [Halloween Clansmen]
Abilities Learned:
[Soul Siphon], [Return to Halloween]
Name: Rei
Race: Catkin Banshee (Halloween)
Class: Wraith
Tier: 1
MP: 60/60
P. DEF: 8
M. DEF: 1
STR: 2
INT: 24
DEX: 6
LUK: 4
AGI: 8
Titles:
[Wraith], [Halloween Clansmen]
Abilities Learned:
[Soul Siphon], [Return to Halloween]
It doesn't make much sense for Rei and Milton to have gained their own Clans(wo)men sections on Menu Sama, seeing as how they both possess the exact same stats as all of the other Banshees and Phantasms whom originated from the Human race… But I suppose that the Menu Sama truly HAS Evolved!~ The Drarke Skeletons forced it to happen. Unlike every other Skeleton captured, these two dames are bonafide Street Fighters~ Along with their different Class, they also come equipped with altered stats… Even their Banshee counterparts carry different stats! And you know what? I have a sneaking suspicion that the Banshees will infact… Learn different abilities from the other Banshees. They've already learned how to use Rune Magic… But strangely enough, their Skeleton counterparts did not. Also... I guess that learning the [Free Willed] thing wasn't that big of a deal. It came free of charge for having been [Liberated], just kind of sucks that the Skeleton counterparts didn't get access to it. Still, I'm excited. I'm genuinely excited… About Banshees. For the first time in a long time, I can't wait to see what a Banshee will become if it's given a ridiculous sum of experience... No offense to all of the Banshees, you haven't been very much use so far. Really… The Cyworctus is your saving grace, and killing that… It's been taking weeks, and although some of the fault rests on my own shoulders… At the root of it all, it's the fact that Wraiths don't deal very much damage. These two fair maidens might change that fact. I'm optimistic~
"Excuse me?! Just who in the world do you think YOU are, jumping in like that?!" [Nameless Challenger Witch #1] screamed in disgust as she rode her Broom into the depths of the tunnel.
"I apologize… It seemed that you might fail, and so… I made an effort to showcase my abilities to the observers." [Nero] confessed with a wry smile.
"...Fail?! I'll have you know that we had them right where we wanted them! They were all within range of my traps~" [Nameless Challenger Witch #2] explained while pointing a finger toward the Halloween Cat.
"Alright, if you insist… Then I'd like to apologize once more. Perhaps, we can go get a few drinks after this and chalk it all up to one big ol' misunderstanding?" [Nero] shot back with an innocent expression.
"You still haven't even answered our question! Who are you and why are you in this Dungeon?!" [Nameless Challenger Witch #1] shot back while clearly growing frustrated.
"Ugh… I'm Nero Miki. I'm taking the trial as well~" [Nero] yawned while rolling his eyes.
"Hmph! A man… Taking THIS trial? Don't be absolutely ludicrous." [Nameless Challenger Witch #3] chimed in with a bold expression as she calmly walked to the scene.
"Haha~ I know, right?~" [Nameless Challenger Witch #2] giggled.
"He must be some wannabe Witch… Invading the Dungeon without following the proper channels, and DESPERATELY trying to show his strength by stealing kills from ACTUAL Witches." [Nameless Challenger Witch #1] remarked before lowering the lower lid of her right eye as she cheekily stuck out her tongue.
"YO! Sherenah! Can I kill them?" [Nero] called out with a smile while waving to the ensemble of observers near the entrance of the tunnel.
"Certainly!" [Sherenah] called back while innocently waving to the Witch of War. To which, her head was instantly acquainted with the handle of Treya's Broom.
"AH! Absolutely not, dear!~ You may duel them, though you must ensure that none perish!" [Treya] called back with an equally innocent expression.
"Okay!~ What about Curses? Can I Curse them?!" [Nero] happily called back. To which, the observers all began to discuss with each other for a few moments.
"...Can you dispel the Curse afterwards?" [Treya] called back while tilting her head to the side.
"...Not really? They'll be alive… But they'll be changed forevermore!" [Nero] called back with a dejected expression.
"Then you have your answer! No Curses!" [Treya] called back with a thumb held high.
Agh… All of a sudden, fighting these three Witches seems to be somewhat of a hassle… I'm already quite certain that I'm out of their league… There's no telling if I even have it in me to hold back from killing them if I start to fight… Maybe I can just leave it to some of the Clans(wo)men to deal with? It's daytime… So whoever I call on won't be able to help for very long… But it's better than killing them, right?
Oh… On second thought, it doesn't appear as if any of them desire to face me any longer… Did they finally notice my super gross haki, or was it the casual chat regarding Curses…? I suppose it doesn't really matter, I'm leaving. If they want to risk ending their lineages… They can do so JUST like everyone else does, it's actually rather simple. Try following me, you'll see what I mean. It comes rather naturally, as far as I can tell. Ask Goddin Village Neith Sama~ His lineage stood the test of time, but two months with THIS Halloween Cat… Even he, stood no chance. The Goblins are meow ruled by a Hobgoblin… And they've forsaken their homeland for an already forsaken Island. They're still starving, only half their original population remain in the lands the living… But NOW, they have a few decently built homes, they're fully clothed in terribly poor quality Halloween Costumes, and they have several dozen varyingly strong; albeit mostly weak creatures sworn to protect them. It's a mixed bag. We're doing OKAY… I can't really complain. No one said that this would be an easy task… It's just taking me a very long time to accomplish it, and I'm feeling somewhat restless. I'm only one person… But after having spent a decent portion of my last life as an event planner, organizing similarly complex scenarios… I feel as though I should probably have a better handle on things, and I don't. That's how it is. I'm feeling inadequate, and I don't know why.
Oh… It just hit me. As an event planner, I was never alone. I had Anna by my side, every step of the way. I shouldn't just go about trying to suddenly manage it all solo… I need a right hand man to help fill in where I'm lacking. Maybe then, we can finally begin to focus on improving the décor of our highly anticipated festivals!~ That's right, we need festivity decorations to liven things up in Halloween Town during our festivities. Also, we should try to liven up the first floor to the Wailing Keep as well. It'd be nice if we could expand the size of our venue to fit the entirety of the Dining Hall… Having people go there when they desire to grab a bite to eat or drink in a more calm setting… Or even to participate in our tournaments~
The thing is, I want the Clans(wo)men to be participating in both the performances… As well as the tournaments. We're going to need to downsize things. We can't do JUST one grandiose match. We'll need dozens of matches playing out through the night, so that everyone has a chance to try it out; at least for a little while. Also, Wendel… I'm putting you incharge of training the new Clanswomen on how to perform our most sought after songs. They simply MUST be given their own placements in 'This is H*lloween'. I'll leave it in your capable wings, Wendel…
This hallway totally wound up being empty… And a dead end. It's painful… I probably spent half an hour just flying through this thing, simply because it wasn't a straight path. It bent, and twisted… Making me adjust my flying patterns… And now, it all makes sense. It was a trap path, designed solely to waste my time. Turning around, I began to fly back… Only to find that the trap was JUST beginning. After turning a corner, I was no longer in a green flame-lit tunnel covered in bones… Rather, I was now in an apocalyptic wasteland; and there was no green path behind me. I've been… What is this?! Illusion magic?! Teleportation?! I can't even decide… But after glancing at my abilities… I can't cancel, or conjure new Hallowed Gates. I'm stuck. Fun… How are the observers supposed to deal with issues like this? Can they even still see me, or am I like… Absolutely gone?!
"Have no fear, dear… For what seems gone, is always somewhere near~" [Seductive Female Voice] mocked before stifling a giggle.
...Eh?! Turning around once more… I'm getting disoriented. There's meow a small puddle of polluted water in the middle of the wasteland… And strangely peaking out from beneath it, as if it were as deep as the ocean itself… Is a girl with white hair and green eyes… And suddenly, I think I'm feeling the effects of haki again. I think I might be shaking, and throat's feeling somewhat dry. Also, my Barrier is totally vibrating. It's like… Getting distorted, as if it's constantly being pushed back by some unwavering force… To the point that it's actually struggling to maintain a perfect form. She's got a wry smile on her face… And she seems entirely nude. Her tits are ginormous, and half covered by the puddle. Her skin… It's twisted. She almost seems to be made of plastic… But not REAL plastic, it's just like… She had work done, you know? Also… She has green eyes, but is not avidly trying to kill me. It's a strange scenario, I'll give her that much.
"Who are you?" [Nero] asked while tilting his head to the side.
"Straight to business… How admirable…" [Twisted Girl] remarked coyly.
"Yeah… That sort of happens, when you rip someone out of existence." [Nero] shot back while squinting.
"Ahahaha!~ My… You're a fun one, Nero." [Twisted Girl] laughed hysterically before wiping a tear away from her eye with the flick of a finger. To which, the tear flew dramatically far before exploding into a large pool of acid, beginning to melt the ground itself.
"I don't recall giving you my name." [Nero] shot back with a serious expression as he began to clutch his Broom.
"I don't recall giving you permission to take my things." [Twisted Girl] shot back with an unnerving voice that seemed to almost be doubled in sound while green flames began to radiate from her eyes and mouth.
"...The Arachne and Drarkes?" [Nero] muttered with eyes wide.
"Precisely… Although I must admit, I was quite intrigued to find that you possessed the powers to free them… I don't appreciate it. You see, I was beginning to enjoy using those toys… They were saving me quite the deal of trouble when facing those lowly wretches…" [Twisted Girl] remarked as the puddle around her began to boil while the flames from her face grew outward… Expanding around the area.
"...The Witches?" [Nero] asked while furrowing his eyebrows.
"Yes... Take another one of my things, and I'll see that you NEVER find the surface again!" [Twisted Girl] beckoned as her voice became more and more distorted… Until the point that the entire area was covered in green flames, blocking my vision.
When the flames dispersed… I was back in the tunnel… At the same dead end. I still have goosebumps, but at least my Barrier isn't quaking any longer... Turning around, this time… I was met with my three cognitive observers, whispering amid themselves.
"Nero, dear… What just happened?" [Treya] begged the question with a hesitant expression.
"I… I'm not exactly sure, but I definitely feel threatened?" [Nero] confessed with eyes wide.
"Nero… A few moments ago, you weren't here. We were following you, as per the rules… But you suddenly vanished, and we weren't sure what to do… So, we waited. You've now re-emerged in a pool of flames not befitting to your own element. What happened?" [Elloise] asked as if growing impatient.
"I was brought somewhere else, probably much deeper in the Dungeon… And I think I met with the Dungeon Master. She was incredibly strong, and showed the abilities necessary to likely obliterate me. She doesn't want me to take any more of her toys, and she called you all Wretches." [Nero] explained while shrugging his shoulders. To which, Elloise and Treya glanced at each other for a split moment.
"...Wretches?" [Sherenah] shot back as an eye began to twitch.
"Did she share a name?" [Elloise] asked with a serious expression.
"...No." [Nero] replied while shaking his head.
"Can you describe her?" [Treya] asked while squinting.
"...Yes." [Nero] replied while nodding his head with a smile. To which, Treya and Elloise seemed quite relieved.
"You'd fucking better... Take me to her. I'd like to see just who in here's this Dungeon's REAL Master…" [Sherenah] muttered with a terrifying expression.
"Sherenah… As much as I loathe to admit it… We aren't her match. We must report our findings back to the CURRENT Council. We have no right to meddle in these affairs without her." [Elloise] shot back while raising an eyebrow.
"Ugh… But WHY?!" [Sherena] hysterically begged while taking to her knees.
"With just the three of us? We'd stand no chance against it." [Treya] remarked while nervously glancing at the two useless observers currently straddled to her thorns.
"Yes, best not to endanger the others... Besides, we have a higher calling tonight. We're to protect this young Witch, be he a male or not. He's been in here, what… Three hours? He's ALREADY been targeted by that… THING… We can't let this go on any longer or press the matter any further, he's in grave danger." [Elloise] agreed while crossing her arms.
"...Does this mean that I pass?" [Nero] asked while tilting his head to the side. To which, all three Witches nervously glanced at the Halloween Cat before walking away and beginning to discuss the topic.
...Wow. Rude. Okay… Uhm? What do I even do meow…? I'm literally backed into a corner over here, and am surrounded by bones. Wait a second… Molag Dregora… Is it possible for you to use these bones and conjure more Skeletons? Try it out for me, please and thank you!~
...Okay. He can't do it. These bones apparently lack sufficient mana. According to Molag, they've already been drained of every last ounce they had possessed. This is probably the reason why only some of the Bones seemed to be actively working under the influence of the green flames. The flames will inevitably take too much energy from the bones, and stop working entirely. Fresh bones required for Soul Shackle, and for Skeletons. Got it.
"So… Nero, we've come to a decision." [Treya] explained while returning to meet the two creatures. To which, Molag Dregora calmly returned to Halloween.
"You're an incredibly gifted young Witch, with a promising future… You've shown exceptional strength, and mastery of your abilities. If I'm reading things right… There's probably even more that you've yet to show us." [Elloise] remarked with a smile.
"Be that as it may, your abilities are extremely unique. Put simply… There's not another Witch in Melchiodore who could possibly teach you to be the best that you can be. We could damn well try our best, and we might even see some results… But a full, year-long course in the Elite Class seems almost without merit for you." [Sherenah] chimed in with the final shot, ready and willing to deny entry to the course with a smile.
"...Other Witches would be able to make better use of the chair?" [Nero] muttered while rolling his eyes.
"Sorry, honey… I really wanted you to be in the Class, too!~" [Treya] muttered while seeming heavily upset.
"...So I'm too exceptional for the course?" [Nero] asked once more while furrowing his eyebrows.
"...Too… Different." [Sherenah] shot back, correcting the Halloween Cat.
"Okay, but can I request a personal tutor for a shorter period of time than a full year?" [Nero] asked while tilting his head to the side.
"Uhm… I suppose that would be up to the Council to decide, but I don't see why that would be such a bad thing… What did you have in mind?" [Elloise] asked while shrugging her shoulders.
"I'd like to learn from a Witch specializing in Fire, Space, Time, Cat, or Creation magic." [Nero] explained with a wry smile. To which, Sherenah grumbled something.
"...Cat magic?" [Treya] laughed.
"It's a fine magic, I'll have you know~" [Nero] laughed.
And so, we left the Chaos Catacombs. We left as a group, and ditched the whole 'Trial' thing… We worked together to escape, but really… This Dungeon is freaking barren. I'm not entirely sure if it's because there are so many Witches challenging it in a short period of time, or if the upper floors of the Dungeon are just vacant of all life… But this Dungeon has been incredibly underwhelming as far as encounters have gone. It's absolutely NOTHING like the Mummy Mansion!~ We didn't even see the Cerberus, and I tried to take the same path... It was lame.
After we returned to the Council, a few more Councilwomen had returned… And they helped finalize the healing for Amber and Penelope. They're both up and running again, tormenting Sherenah with spirits unbefitting of individuals recently thornridden. After the two more elderly of observers explained the findings of my trial, and my own request… The few Councilwomen present decided that it was a suitable conclusion to my circumstances. Also, they weren't pleased that a decision warranting my attempt in the trial had actually been made during their absence… So they more or less were just happy that I wouldn't actually find myself enrolling in their prestigious Class, because that meant I was less likely to become the first ever Councilman in the future.
And so, I explained the description of the alleged Dungeon Master to the best of my abilities… And they were able to confirm the accuracy of my report. It matched all previous reports, although I managed to garner a few new details. The alleged magics... [Compressed Acid Tear Cannon], and [Submerge Into Puddle] are entirely new findings. [Radioactive Shockwave Haki], and [Through The Fire] were already both known from previous encounters. She was indeed, the Dungeon Master… And I've found a way to piss her off and skip RIGHT to the final battle. Whenever I please~ Also, a Councilwomen with an exceptional affinity for Flame magic is certain to come and visit me some time in the near future… So that's cool. It might be Sherenah, but it's to be decided. There are other candidates.
After taking my leave and returning to Reygid, I realized that Roah had taken over for me. He's sleeping at the Beach, beside Gluttatosk. Placing my bucket, Broom, and Lantern down… I assumed my largest form, and began to lay next to them. I'll definitely want to sleep in tonight… Good morning~