Nyahh~ I'm having the best of times… Going to sleep early… Waking up feeling absolutely ready to take on my night… This is what I need. I need more of this in my life. Now~ If only I could take some time to relax, not declare any wars, and get to make everlasting memories with my Companions… This would be perfect. I enjoy to sit down with the gang, but I've been so busy lately… Trying to save the continent is a big job. It can't be taken lightly.
I was thinking such things as I got dressed and began to fly into the Throne Room, towards the Foyer… Only to be brutally stopped by a freaking Lich. Excuse me, sir… Has anyone ever told you that you're not especially what one wants to see first thing in the evening before they go off to eat their delectable and seductively alluring meal? No? Well, now someone has. The Witch of War said so. I'm absolutely certain that you did not mishear these words of honesty. Oh? There's method to your madness? Someone is… Waiting for me in Halloween? Excuse me? I'm quite certain that the Hallowed Gate is closed, sir… Sir! Fine! [Hallowed Gate]!
Floating through the gate as I rolled my eyes in utter disbelief… I brought my eyes down to notice that… He wasn't wrong. There's somebody here. This person… This person kind of creeps me out. It's a freaking doll. A life sized doll. She's kind of creepy, though. She has long black and ratty hair, porcelain skin, and a tattered old wedding dress. As soon as she came into view, her neck slowly twisted back 180 degrees to face me; to reveal her flaming orange eyes… And twisted smile. As her neck turned, creaking noises were heard. After she finished turning her neck, her entire body turned in an instant and caught up with the face. She seems dangerous. Why do all the females in my life seem dangerous?! This is becoming absurd, my people. She's now excitedly skipping up close to me. I'm going to die!
"Well, nice to meet you! You must be Nero~" [Creepy Doll] sang as she danced along the town circle to meet the Halloween Cat before extending a hand to shake.
"U-Uhmm… Yeah, I'm Nero... And you are?" [Nero] stammered before returning to reality and greeting the Doll as he accepted her hand.
"Oh, me?" [Creepy Doll] laughed before continuing as she began to lead Nero through the Halloween Town.
"That's not important… But, you see... What matters is that today, is your third birthday! Can you believe it?! You're already three years old!" [Creepy Doll] exclaimed in a carefree tone as she walked the Halloween Cat through his own Town.
"Oh… Really? Are you sure that you're not going to introduce yourself?" [Nero] replied while appearing dumbfounded before begging the question.
"Ahahaha~" [Creepy Doll] laughed hysterically for a short moment before continuing to speak excessively quickly and quietly.
"Well if you absolutely must know, then I am Allwessistant Dott 333 Dash 541 Series B006. I will be your registered case worker here to help you through your journey as a True Allwe Halloween Cat until the day that your soul disintegrates into pure nothingness likely due to the alleged 'funnel' theory of energy currently plaguing all of Halloween." [Allwessistant Dott 333 Dash 541 Series B006] explained without missing a beat before winking as she continued on in a much louder voice than before.
"ANYWAYS~ I'm sure that you have plenty of questions, and I'm here to answer them for you. First thing's first, ever since you turned three… You have gained the ability to make use of this very special piece of hardware..." [Allwessistant Dott 333 Dash 541 Series B006] declared as she began to point to a pedestal of bones now sitting on the northern edge of the Halloween Town.
The pedestal… It definitely wasn't there before. It reminds me of the pedestal in the Throne Room. It looks the exact same. It even has the same orange glowing ball thing. I don't understand what benefit there could possibly be to the Halloween Town suddenly gaining a kill switch… So I guess that I'd do well to take her up on that offer and ask her just about anything.
"Why would I want this thing?" [Nero] bluntly begged the question as he pointed to the ball of light.
"Well… You can use it to Evolve your Clansmen without needing to sacrifice anything aside from your own Time... You can use it to relinquish ownership of your Clansmen… More features come to it as your Tier increases, honestly it would appear that you're only Tier 6… What a shame." [Allwessistant Dott 333 Dash 541 Series B006] explained while seeming somewhat uninterested.
"What do you mean… More features?" [Nero] asked while furrowing his eyebrows.
"When you reach Tier 10… You can use it to contact your designated Hoen… Or restart your life in order to increase your life expectancy… But doing so is an irreversible decision. Choosing to restart your life for a longer lifespan as a Halloween Cat will result in you being incapable of ever becoming a different race. In the event that you perish, you will certainly be forced to stay here within Halloween." [Allwessistant Dott 333 Dash 541 Series B006] replied as if the entire topic was natural.
"Wait… What happens if I choose to stay at Tier 10?" [Nero] asked the Doll while raising an eyebrow.
"Nothing. You can still gain power after reaching Tier 10, but there's nothing else waiting for you in terms of features for the Hallowed Orb." [Allwessistant Dott 333 Dash 541 Series B006] answered the question as she shrugged her shoulders and began to lean up against the fence bordering the Town.
"Okay… What did you mean by my Hoen?" [Nero] begged the question.
"You're a True Allwe Halloween Cat. For every True Allwe Halloween Cat, there is a True Hoen Halloween Cat. You were both born at the same time, and you'll likely both perish around the same time." [Allwessistant Dott 333 Dash 541 Series B006] answered while beginning to look into the sky.
"...What do you mean by that?" [Nero] asked with eyes wide.
"Which part?" [Allwessistant Dott 33 Dash 541 Series B006] stubbornly shot back.
"Likely both perish? LIKELY? Around the same time? How do you figure?! Just how far apart will we die?!" [Nero] shot back exasperatedly.
"The longest that any True Allwe Halloween Cat has ever outlived their designated True Hoen Halloween Cat was approximately 95 hours, 45 minutes, 31..." [Allwessistant Dott 33 Dash 541 Series B006] began to exclaim before being brutally cut off by the broken birthday Cat.
"How long for a True Hoen Halloween Cat outliving a True Allwe Halloween Cat?!" [Nero] slammed back, cutting off the Doll.
"The longest that any True Hoen Halloween Cat has ever outlived their designated True Allwe Halloween Cat was approximately 3940 hours, 51 minutes, 12 seconds, and 50 milliseconds. The second longest that any True Hoen Halloween Cat has ever outlived their designated True Allwe Halloween Cat was approximately 1041 hours, 21 minutes, 6 seconds, and 15 milliseconds. Will this be adequate data to suit your needs?" [Allwessistant Dott 33 Dash 541 Series B006] declared calculatingly before begging the question with a twisted smile.
"...How long did the second True Allwe Halloween Cat outlive their designated True Hoen Halloween Cat?" [Nero] asked after a considerable pause while blankly looking ahead, into the wilderness of Halloween.
"The second longest that any True Allwe Halloween Cat has ever outlived their designated True Hoen Halloween Cat was approximately 5 seconds, and 666 milliseconds." [Allwessistant Dott 33 Dash 541 Series B006] stated happily.
"Okay… So… How long does my life expectancy raise to if I choose to… Restart my life?" [Nero] asked after regaining his composure.
"Every Halloween Cat gets 7 years to live~ You need to restart if you want to live up to 77 years. Restart a second time to reach 777 years, but you'll need to be at least a Tier 33 Halloween Cat before they let you do that." [Allwessistant Dott 33 Dash 541 Series B006] explained as she twirled her hair and giggled.
"If I restart, do I get a new world or time period to live in? Also, do I need to find new Clansmen?" [Nero] asked while rubbing his chin.
"You get to keep the same world that your [Wailing Keep] is connected to at the time you choose to restart. You'll still need to recapture your Clansmen, but you'll be in the same time period… All you'll need to do is go find them, wherever you left them… Or wherever they went off to after you left them. It's just your level, Tier, and abilities that get reset. You lose any abilities that you didn't start off with the first time, but you should know how to get them back. As a bonus, your Wailing Keep will remain summoned until you leave Halloween Town." [Allwessistant Dott 33 Dash 541 Series B006] stated calculatingly.
"This is exceedingly useful information… So, why did you wait until I turned three to show up?!" [Nero] mumbled before screaming at the Doll.
"Halloween Law states that Halloween Kittens, True or not… Are not to be involved with official laws relative to Allwe and Hoen Cats… There's too much politics between those favoring Allwe and those favoring Hoen for children to be unnecessarily involved... Unless they have already achieved Tier 10. That is the one exception. The legal age for Halloween Kittens to become Cats is three soul years in the Realm of Halloween. I am an Allwessistant Dott, so I can not be involved with minors. It would be a grave crime." [Allwessistant Dott 33 Dash 541 Series B006] cited the laws as she dramatically looked off into the distance, hair flowing in the wind.
"Wait… If I restart… Do my soul years get reset? I'm confused… Is it soul years that I only have 7 of, or is it my regular years?" [Nero] began to stammer on.
"Oh… I must apologize, I was not clear enough. Your soul years get reset. You only have 7 soul years… Well, you have four." [Allwessistant Dott 33 Dash 541 Series B006] explained with a snide tone.
"..." [Nero]
"..." [Allwessistant Dott 33 Dash 541 Series B006]
"So if I reach Tier 10, I get to restart my soul years and essentially get 11 times more the next time around?" [Nero] asked with a determined face.
"That is, if you survive long enough to make use of all those years." [Allwessistant Dott 33 Dash 541 Series B006] laughed sadistically.
"So what's the drama between Allwe and Hoen?" [Nero] sat down on the grass and begged the question.
"Well, Hoen has always been consisting of Halloween Cats that do nothing but cause trouble. After a Hoen Halloween Cat dies, their Clansmen often times follow in their footsteps; unleashing even further destruction… Ultimately causing major losses for the Halloween Clan populace within the given realm. The tales of terror spun by Hoen Halloween Cats ruin our image across the entire realm, they're simply THAT terrifying… It usually results in whatever good that the Allwe achieved being completely ignored in the hunt for Halloween… All the Halloween Clansmen are massacred without question or thought, regardless of whether they're the ones supporting Hoen or Allwe." [Allwessistant Dott 33 Dash 541 Series B006] sat down as she explained to the Halloween Cat with a tone of indifference.
"This all seems like a massive misunderstanding. If I make sure that Allwe and Hoen are viewed as two entirely different Clans, then perhaps the entire image of Halloween won't be ruined?" [Nero] optimistically replied with a smile of uncertainty.
"Perhaps… But at most, you'd only be changing our name throughout one realm..." [Allwessistant Dott 33 Dash 541 Series B006] muttered under her breath.
"It's a start. Why don't you go off and ask other Allwe Halloween Cats to try and do the same?" [Nero] replied with a grin before begging the question.
"I'm just one Allwessistant Dott… I don't have enough clients to spur any real change." [Allwessistant Dott 33 Dash 541 Series B006] replied with a suddenly irritated tone of voice.
"Oh… I'm sure that you'll make it big some day~" [Nero] mocked the Doll.
"Yeah, right when you reach Tier 33~" [Allwessistant Dott 33 Dash 541 Series B006] shot back ruthlessly.
"Whew~ Cold… So tell me more about the differences between Hoen and Allwe Halloween Cats?" [Nero] sighed before asking.
"Allwe Halloween Cats are proficient in the Fire and Dark Elements. Hoen Halloween Cats are proficient in the Wind and Dark Elements. You both have the same abilities, but the more destructive abilities tend to be of more use to Hoen Halloween Cats while the more supportive abilities tend to be of more use to Allwe Halloween Cats. Blood is better for Hoen Halloween Cats, while Candy is better for Allwe Halloween Cats. You can both use either, but you have your own proficiency. Your Clansmen take on that proficiency as well, which may lead to your Wind Element Clansmen not being as effective as they otherwise might have been." [Allwessistant Dott 33 Dash 541 Series B006] explained calculatingly before asking.
"Do you have any further questions?" [Allwessistant Dott 33 Dash 541 Series B006] asked in a monotone voice.
"...Do you know who my designated True Hoen Halloween Cat is... Or where they are?" [Nero] asked while tilting his head to the side.
"I wouldn't have the slightest clue." [Allwessistant Dott 33 Dash 541 Series B006] shrugged as she laughed.
"Then I have but one question… Will I be able to always find you here?" [Nero] asked as he began to stand up and sit on his Broom.
"No… If you touch the Hallowed Orb, then you can call for me. I'll show up relatively soon. It all depends on how busy I am." [Allwessistant Dott 33 Dash 541 Series B006] replied in a snide tone of voice.
"Kay~ See ya!" [Nero] called out as he flew away.
I heard her begin to make some kind of remark, but I'm leaving. I'm freaking hungry, and she totally just blew through my morning schedule. I have my shipment with Clive tomorrow! I can't be off on precarious adventures into Halloween at a time like this! I learned so much from that weird Doll, though… It's like a whole new world of possibilities just opened up to me… I'm no longer dying, guys! My life is apparently almost half way over, but I can renew and bulk up on extra lives if I go with the bundle deal. I simply need to go off and commit a massacre or five, achieve Tier 10… Give away almost all of my remaining time to a Clans(wo)man of my choice… And then sign the Hallowed Orb Sama's contract… To eternally grant my soul to Halloween. Fun.
What would it even be like… To live in Halloween? Permanently? Damn! I'm not even back to the Foyer and I'm already debating on turning around to barrage that Doll with more questions! I totally also forgot to ask her what happens to my Clansmen after I finally perish?! Also, there's some funnel theory plaguing Halloween. I might not even want to actually live there for all of eternity?! I don't even know what to even at this point! I totally saw the flaws in the Halloween Cat system, they're probably what is currently plaguing Halloween. Those game breaking holes of power that seemingly go nowhere? Yeah, those. So… Even the upper echelons of Halloween don't exactly understand what's going on with all of that?! Excuse me! Hunky Beefcake! You freaking slammed me into a broken class!
"Fix it." [???????]
Turning around, there's no one there. I hate that guy… I'm going to get Fish. Wait a second! If I restart, all of my experience just simply vanishes… There's another freaking funnel, right there! Actually… Perhaps the whole immortality quest was only added as a new means to combat the leaking energy problem? Steal a Halloween Cat's power, grant them limited immortality which they'll essentially just burn through regardless, then force them into facing immeasurably harder challenges time and time again until there's simply not enough left for them to gain? Oh no… This whole system… It's vicious. It's treacherous! It's essentially a massive power grab. Halloween is trying to get as much energy from the mortal realms as they possibly can, by using Halloween Cats with Time Magic deficiencies. I've fallen into the pyramid scheme...
I wonder if the other Holiday Clans are also in similarly precarious scenarios, desperately trying to steal as much energy from mortal realms as they can? Wait… Are we casually going to war with each other or something? Why do we need all of this energy?! Is this some big corporate war, where we're trying to compete with yearly energy intakes or something? Which company's bar graph can stretch higher?! How do I even go about fixing the Halloween Clan if I'm literally at the third lowest level in the chain of command… I'm probably below the freaking Allwessistant Dott! I'm a step above normal Halloween Cats, as I'm a True Halloween Cat… But, dude! I'm basically just the pizza delivery guy or something right now! Maybe I'm actually the chef in this scenario? Hmmm…
I was thinking such things as I finally had my chance at the nightly meet and feast. I'm definitely competing with the True Hoen Halloween Cat, but I don't really understand why? We're practically destined to die near the same time or something, so it would probably make sense to stick together… Or did the others all die relatively near the same time because they stuck together? Oh… I have so many questions. According to the Allwessistant Dott, Hoen is just a whole lot more brutal than Allwe. It might even be a pain to deal with a True Hoen Halloween Cat… But I could also have genuine Halloween Cat children with the Hoen Halloween Cat… If it's a female. Then again, given how power hungry Halloween Cats are turning out to be… Would I really want to submit my child to such a life? Yikes… Some people, and in this case… I, am better off not having children? Is that how it is? Hunky Beefcake? Just know that I hate your guts!
I was unable to fully enjoy my meal, on account of how heavily flooded my mind was. I went to the waterfall and cast a new [Hallowed Gate] after cancelling the previous one. My lesser Scarecrows appeared to be in joyous moods… They wished me a happy birth night. Thanks, everyone… I'm conflicted on how to feel with the information that I obtained earlier tonight, to be honest. It's kind of intense. I'm no longer chronically dying, if I choose to become a seriously wicked Witch… I kind of already am the Witch of War… So... Thing is, I'm supposed to be the good Halloween Cat… I'm Allwe… But… If even I'm a Witch of War, then just how freaking bad is my designated Hoen?! I can't help but shudder at the thought. I may be loved or revered as a Hero by some… But that's just it. Some. I already feel as though I walk a very grey line between good and evil… I'm likely feared by more than I am liked… So my designated True Hoen Halloween Cat is probably an actual demon at this point. I probably couldn't stop whoever it were, hold them back, or change their ways… If being the good guy up to this point is the reason as to why the Hoen is more powerful than me, and ends up being the cause for my undoing… Then I'll die with a very spiteful soul.
It's not fair! I have no doubt in my mind that my designated Hoen is ridiculously stronger than me at this point. It's absolutely unfair. It's clear why Hoen tramps down Allwe in the memorable scale every single time. For whatever reason, we're both spawned in extremely different locations. For whatever reason, neither of us learn of the other's existence until we reach the age of three soul years. For whatever reason, we're both inherently different individuals; one with a vibe for happiness and another with a vibe for killing. It's a freaking game world, where killing others rewards you with power. Clearly, one of the two is going to come out on top when both are pitted against each other. It's no coincidence that the Allwe Halloween Cats historically speaking, die before the Hoen Halloween Cats. My guess? Hoen Halloween Cats have an inherent desire to slay their designated Allwe Halloween Cat. For whatever reason, potentially entirely unrelated… Hoen Halloween Cats don't seem to survive very long without their Allwe Halloween Cats within the same realm. I don't know what the cause of that is, but I do know one thing. I will probably die before my designated Hoen Halloween Cat does. If I can actually convince the Hoen Halloween Cat to not kill me, or even to fall in love with me and swear to always protect me... Then perhaps… I can even outlive the Hoen. You never know.
I was thinking such things as I returned to the Wailing Keep and began to sit outside near the fireplace. As I sat down, I made some new pieces of clothing from time to time. I asked Steve, Mick, and Andy for helping me with bringing the clothing to the Throne Room; but they didn't really need to do all of too much very often. I was making pieces while aiming for level 20. I decided to sit like this for the vast majority of my night. I was enjoying the company of those nearby, joining in their conversations. It was Cyclozard, Goddin Village Neith Sama, the Elderly Tigerkin Man, Lora, Boris, Wilson, White Beef Lady, Christina, Penny, and all of my other Clansmen… Aside from the Banshees, Phantasms, Crowli, Dark Elf, and lesser Scarecrows. Well, some of the lesser Scarecrows popped in and out for moments, but they were just taking breaks. Actually, most of my Clansmen were popping in and out to check up on the rest of the Lost Kingdom. It would appear that a majority of the residents have begun to have regular sleeping schedules. They aren't nocturnal anymore! There are only 7 individuals who require sleep and also are nocturnal!
This is great~ I'll be able to increase my closeness with these 6 other individuals by immense amounts because we'll have this much more time to spend together, uninterrupted by the immense amount of individuals meow residing in the Wailing Keep! These 6 individuals will meow have increased likelihoods of becoming some of my closest of friends! Looking around… Goddin Village Neith Sama was already my very first friend when coming to this world… He's a great guy and all, but he's totally not very helpful… He didn't tell me about my soul age, he didn't tell me about my Tier for the longest time, he didn't tell me about my haki for the longest time, he didn't tell me that he taught Goblin Funk or Cloaked Monk about [Appraisal] for the longest time… He's just not very reliable. At all. Goblin Kings are no bueno. I would prefer a Goblin Funk, thank you. Next!
Cyclozard… He's a One Eyed Lizard that I met in the Chasms, and made into a gladiator. He's a pretty weird guy, if I must say. He gets along well with all of the girls, and I know what you're thinking… He swings for the other team, right? Wrong! Cyclozard is a first rate pervert! He goes for the women! He's a ridiculously cunning liar, being able to get away with it for as long as he has… He's bashful and acts timid when he needs to, it always gets the girls. I could learn a thing or two from him, but it's probably far too late for me to try and act softhearted. Cyclozard isn't very tall. When he stands, he's generally… Just below waist level to the girls that he surrounds himself with. Okay… Look. He's staring at their chests, people! I don't know how else to put it! He's incorrigible! I can't decide if it's worth trying to befriend him because I can't decide if he's going to end up bringing me down with him when he finally gets caught. He's got a day of reckoning, I'd say. Next!
The Elderly Tigerkin Man… He was an Earl in the Beastkin Kingdom. He sits pretty close to me at the table, so he's probably a pretty high Tier. His grand daughter is apparently being trapped somewhere within the Reygid Castle… Oops. I-I-I did a thing. Should I… Check on it? Uhmmmm?! It's probably dead, right?! It's definitely dead… Right?! Okay, fine… I'll go… Ugh! It seems that I am destined to go without a peaceful night once more~ Heading through the Throne Room and into the Treasure Room, I procured three buckets of Candy for myself. I don't intend on causing a scene, but I will if I must! I just probably won't do very much personally… But these three buckets of Candy are for the event that I do! I'm a prepared Cat~
Reaching the Beastkin Kingdom was easy for yours truly. As I traveled, I witnessed several of my Clansmen below me scouting the Kingdom. It brought a tear to my eye… Seeing that Scarecrow frolicking along through the forests… And that Crow flying above… Working in harmony… To see it all from such a far distance away… Ugh~ Farmers would never understand! This is why I do the things that I do! It's moments like these, people! Take it all in! Bask in this moment! These moments matter! I was thinking such things as I wiped the stream of tears from my face… Getting a clear view of the Castle within Reygid.
The Castle is far away right meow, but I can see it clearly. It's very clearly in flames. It's crumbled, at many locations… It's what one might expect after a freaking air strike. I'm serious. The entire Castle… It's no longer a Castle. It's something~ But it's no Castle. The vines that had previously adorned it are burnt to cinders, and some of them bravely hold on to their original shape… But one can tell that they are frail enough to crumble before the slightest of touches. The stone that consisted of most the Castle had been broken at several places, causing collapses. The wooden interiors or ladders around the Castle all burned, or are currently still burning. As I was inspecting the damages from above, I heard it. It was a dastardly sound. It was a roar. It seemed intense, but heavily muted. Is it… Trapped or something? The thing lives on?!
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
To have caused this much damage… If that Flesh Golem is still alive, and trapped… Then it's probably too strong for the Beastkin to slay at the current moment. If it gained immense power, then it might actually be intelligent enough to follow me now? It might just be a Hoen Clansmen who will never listen to me… Even if it doesn't listen, I can now release him from my binds with the help of the Hallowed Orb Sama… So it's worth a shot? I don't know… It seems risky. I doubt that they would want to simply let me through and lead me to wherever the beast had been contained… But what if their little cage can't hold it forever? Are they prepared to have first rate Adventurers posted outside the cage forever?! Oh~ Do they intend to hire first rate Adventurers, and send them all in the cage to face the beast?! All of a sudden, this is way too freaking interesting. I simply must know what the King intends to do with that thing! I mean, sorry for dropping him on you; but if you want… I'll take him away now? Free of charge? It's your fault for posting too many guards at the Vellisroi Estate? So many that you could not properly contain the Tier 2 Flesh Golem? Yosh!
Clansmen! I may very well need you. Quite soon. Judge for yourself whether you are needed by my side, and come as you wish. I'm about to do something reckless. I was thinking such things as I descended to the grounds of the broken Castle. After I did so, I was quickly circled by several Kingdom Knights… Only to have a certain Lich, Werewolf, Large Skeleton, Pixie, Weeping Angel, Corocdae, Unholy Priestess, three Unholy Knights, an overgrown Bat, and two very large Scarecrows appear surrounding me. As that happened, I called out to the bewildered Kingdom Knights…
"Take me to the Flesh Golem this instant or I'll have all of your heads!" [Nero] beckoned as he laughed.
"I would listen…" [Molag Dregora] sneered to a Knight that had fallen down. Moments later, the Scarecrows used [Terror Shout]...
And the Knights either fled and were momentarily executed in various ways… Or they led the Cat to the Flesh Golem and lived to tell the tale. As we traveled, I assumed my largest form. There's no use hiding it any longer. I'm a Cat god, meow. Kidding~ I'm actually just your average energy delivery driver working for ravenous gods, mam. As we traveled, some of the other Kingdom Knights dared to try and stop me, but they didn't have the luxury of having met me first. I'm sorry, but what… Do you expect me to make a speech every single time that a new person meets me? No! It's not my fault that they're too incompetent to recognize a Hero when they see one. I just have a thing about touching. All of these weirdos always try to raise their weapons at me for no particular reason, and I'll have none of that; thank you very much! Stab someone else, I have bodyguards; idiots!
As we were led, we ended up going down a set of stairs that was previously pretty deep into the Castle… But it's now absolutely exposed to the outside. This is the same path that we took to rescue Rei… Did the Flesh Golem really make it into the freaking Dungeons of the Castle, or did they manage to lure it there?! It seems as though that Flesh Golem went on quite the tangent in its thirst for power. It would probably get along famously with my employers. I can still hear it roaring, occasionally. It's growing louder, so I have little reason to believe that it's not genuinely in the Dungeons. After we descended the stairs, we were stopped by another group of Kingdom Knights; and my Clansmen needed to work again to slay them.
This group was different, though. They seemed stronger… By far. It's almost as though the minimal power requirement for Kingdom Knights is Tier 3… Yet these guys are probably Tier 6 to Tier 7. It's not as though there aren't the few among them of way higher Tiers… But they're sparse. I suppose now that I've saw to the deaths of so many Kingdom Knights… I'm finally starting to see the top dogs? They're finally being called in for work? Too light on manpower, needed to step out of retirement? There's a Rhinoceroskin that appears more Rhinoceros than Human, and he's pretty intense. He's very lore-like. I have a nose for these things. He's wearing full heavy armor, it's kind of impressive. He's wielding a large Hammer, which is probably where a whole lot of his wealth has gone. His armor was nice, but his Hammer was next level. It's got gold trim, I think a Ruby or two embedded within it… And the whole thing is made of some sort of black metal. It's a beauty. The Rhinoceroskin is always using defensive type abilities to support his team. Ugh!
There's a Hyenakin woman, who seems more Hyena than Human. She's wielding a Rod, which is made of some sort of wood. It's got leaves on the edge, so it appears more like a branch than a Rod, but it's short… It was obviously still tampered with by a Woodworker! She's wearing a Cat's Costumery Clothing Brand outfit! She's dressed as a cheerleader! She's using Healing magic. It's annoying. There's this other guy, who's a Foxman appearing more Human than Fox. He's got orange hair and brown eyes... And is wearing a park ranger costume with short shorts. Sir… I'm not entirely sure that those were intended for you… Oh? Okay, no; apparently they were. According to him! Ahem~ Moving along… He's wielding some Axes but he doesn't seem to be very fond of holding onto them for long periods of time. He's also quite fast at moving. Very agile.
There's one more person. It's a Woman, she's some sort of something… But I don't know what her race is. She appears more Human than whatever else she is… She's got brown hair, tan skin, and brown eyes. She's wielding a Whip, and she's got a whole lot of skin showing. She's wearing a naughty cop costume. Fish nets and everything. She's bad. I'm starting to believe that these people are not Kingdom Knights, but are instead just Adventurers who happened to make a move amidst the chaos. Perhaps, looters in hopes of taking something from the weakened Monarch? Or… The Monarch simply hired these people to stand guard here? I'd say that it's irrelevant… But my Clansmen seem to be troubled with defeating them. Returning to my Human Form… I may need Conrad and Leoric for this one… Bring on the Banshees and Phantasms! No~ Bring on, them all!
Moments later, more light began to erupt from my Lantern… The Kingdom Knights that were previously leading the way were now huddled in a corner, sobbing… Probably unsure of what I might do them once this is all said and through. I decided to stand near them, as I watched the battle ensue. The Scarecrows were thrashing as well as ever, the Pixie was driving everyone nearby absolutely mad… It definitely limited both sides, and made the battle draw out even longer… But I'd like to think that all of my Clansmen can slowly learn [Oblivious] through this torture. We should do this more often. Conrad seemed highly capable with ignoring her horrific voice. The Phantasms, Banshees, and Phantasms did as well. I believe I may have been correct. Corrupted Clansmen can fare better against mind games. They have more mental capacity to spare than normal, it isn't even adequately displayed in the status. This might also have something to do with the funnel problem.
Around a minute into the battle, all of the Beastkin present were writhing in agony… Many of my Clansmen were as well… But my more corrupted of Clansmen outlived the Beastkin, which is all that mattered. Now, Conrad was slowly flying around as he slew each of the Beastkin… Aside from the Kingdom Knights. We stayed there for a few minutes, as they returned to their senses. After around 10 minutes, they were more or less fine. They're meow frantically attempting to show us the way. They're stumbling all over the place, so they're kind of moving pretty slowly… But we're following along.
As we did so, we ended up slaying around another 20 Kingdom Knights, but none of them were very notable… It ended up taking us around half an hour to reach the location that the Flesh Golem had been contained. On arrival, it's literally a freaking arena… Underneath the former Castle. It's as though they locked off a considerable portion of the Dungeon in order to keep that thing from spreading its destruction any further. Due to how this intersection is locked off, no one can pass through to the other side of the Dungeon. If they open just one of the doors, all three other doors will automatically open as well. We're going to need to step in, and they're going to need to close the doors on us after we do; so that it doesn't escape. It's like that, but it totally isn't because screw these guys; they are absolutely NOT about to lock me in there! That Flesh Golem may not be able to break those gates, but I sure as hell can! I'll be damned if I die in this dusty, old Dungeon!
I made sure to inform those Knights of just how this situation was about to play out, and of how they were absolutely not going to leave me locked in there; as it would only result in a particular Crowli hunting them down promptly. And with that, I'm stepping into the ring. It's time! On one side, we have the undefeated Flesh Golem of unknown Tier responsible for stomping the Reygid Castle to actual rubble… And on the other, we have the Witch of War himself! The one, the only… The Witch of Night! The Master of Time! The Mongerer of Candy and Fish! The Master of Disguise! The fabled righteous and terrifying, True Allwe Halloween Cat… Nero! And his notoriously talented Clansmen, of course… Obviously~
The gates are lifting, and I am ducking underneath them like a deviant. I don't wait on no gates! Clansmen! Let's show this fool our power! Make it submit to Allwe! Nyah! [War Meow]! [Pumpkin Bomb]! Matching my tempo, Penny let out a [Song of Time Slow]... Fetch me my Candy! I'm already holding it?! Preposterous! Oh… There it is… Strange? I wonder who placed it there in my hands… Hunky Beefcake, I'm sick and tired of your meddling. Looking at the Flesh Golem, that thing is a whole bundle of NOPE! It's terrifying. It's huge, bulky, bumpy, and it has three eyes. I don't want to think about the third eye. Don't ask me about the third eye! The flesh is bumpy… And mutating almost constantly. It's as though every breath he takes, causes his flesh to mutate spontaneously. The thing is probably twice the size of my current largest form… It's wild. It's covered in blood, and there is also blood everywhere; splattered across the floors… Walls… And ceilings… I believe that we aren't the first to challenge this thing down here. Its roars are deafening… The gates are meow falling. My Clansmen are standing with me in a line facing the monstrosity. It feels as though some epic battle is about to occur and as though there should probably be some camera that slowly slides down our line of challengers before cutting to another scene; of the Flesh Golem. It's like that. We're all in a fighting position, there are flames behind us from the Pumpkin Bomb that I spontaneously threw down after entering through the gates, the beast even locked gazes with us... Except I'm kind of just sitting on a Broom while slowly devouring Candy.
Moments later, Mr and Mrs Scarecrow let out their [Terror Shouts]... Wendel let out a [Weeping Scream]... Benji let out a [Paralyzing Shriek]... Luna let out an [Aura of Malice], and an [Unholy Blessing]... Conrad began to charge in, at the same time that Leoric decided to… They're both traveling in very different methods, but they're going roughly the same speed. Strange. I think Leoric Eldinheim is slightly faster. After those two had already closed half the distance, White Beef Lady and the Scarecrows began to chase after them. The Skeletons all began to create their Weapons and Armor, before heading into battle alongside the Unholy Knights, and Corocdae as well. The Bats, Crows, Phantasms, and Banshees began to fly overhead, while Luna… Me… Wendel… Molag Dregora… and Penny all slowly made our way forward. If we have the time to reach that battle, then the Flesh Golem has no hope. We're the crazy mage types. Wendel is currently singing opera.
As we slowly moved forth, I watched as the battle played out. Conrad was soaring around the Flesh Golem as he slowly sliced at him. I say slowly, but it was happening quite quickly. Me being able to enjoy this level of detail is all thanks to Penny. She's one of a kind, that Pixie. Leoric is repeatedly throwing [Shadow Dagger]s at the Flesh Golem before shadow stepping out to a new angle. It's wild. That went on for several moments before the Phantasms and Banshees finally got within range. They began to use [Soul Siphon], and I believe that the Banshees also attempted [Gale Caller]... But it wasn't very effective down here. Due to that, a whole lot of their abilities became not very feasible. It's challenging for a one trick pony in a precarious situation. The Bats were the next ones to arrive, they came in fast… And they came in strong. They lunged onto different places of the Flesh Golem and began to use [Leech Bite]. Benji stayed slightly back, so that he could continue to use [Paralyzing Shriek]. He's a trooper.
The Crows caught up next, and joined in with Conrad in his quest for slicing. No less than a thousand cuts per minute, my dear Crows! Every cut counts! After they had arrived, the Corocdae made a quick entrance. She was using [Instant Charge]. I have a nose for these things. After she reached the foot of the Flesh Golem, she chomped her freaking Crocodile jaw down on one of its legs. It was comical, but the thing seemed to react heavily. The Flesh Golem was previously just flailing around arms to try and swat away the Crowli and Dark Elf… As well as any of the other aerial Clansmen… But now the part of its leg directly above where Christina bit… It's spontaneously growing in size. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that sucker was about to explode. Seriously. That's how it looks.
Oh… It exploded, into a whole lot of blood. Moments later, it began to magically recollect itself; without the piece that the Corocdae now had in her mouth. It literally just ignored the previous flesh and continued in its wrath with slightly less flesh than before… Well, if it needed to do that… In order to stave us off… Then I probably convinced it of our power? [Capture Clansmen]! And so, the flaming orange lights emit from my Lantern… At an impeccably slow pace. It was mesmerizing. The way that the flames gently danced along as the light radiated forward, carrying those dancing flames on down to ruthlessly engulf that waking nightmare… I must hand it to my abilities. They really know how to set the mood. I watched it like that, for what seemed to be several minutes… Before it finally finished engulfing the Flesh Golem.
After what seemed to be an eternity, the light finally dissipated… To reveal, that this thing was still on. W-What?! You lost limb before all of my Clansmen even got to you, what more could you possibly want?! Finally locating the Clansmen Capture icon… [Clansmen Capture Low Success Rate, convince the Monster to join you in order to raise Success Rate]. Bro! Look at me! I'm a freaking Four Tailed True Halloween Cat! I have like twenty freaking Clansmen here backing me up, ready to tear you apart; limb by limb! One Corocdae chomp at a time! What more do you want?! Clansmen! Resume the torture!
Where were we?! Being brutally interrupted by TempCat, apparently… I'd recognize that armor anywhere! He's looking as wealthy as ever, strutting into the arena with all that armor, and all those Kingdom Knights. Jeez. He's always coming around at the worst of times. Who, me?! I'm just stealing the catastrophe that I may or may not have dropped on you! I'm the True Allwe Halloween Cat, I'll have you know. I'm apparently supposed to be the hunkiest and most heroic Halloween Cat of this generation, sir... GYAH! He's raising swords! He raised the swords first! You saw that, right?! Guys?! Kingdom Knights handling the gate mechanism?! You saw me dealing damage to the monster and being a good Cat, right?!
Moments later, the TempCat quickly began to magically dash forward… Even though Time is currently being stalled way back within this arena, he's moving relatively quickly. He's heading straight for the large beast. I'm apparently not the prime concern. He probably realized how my Clansmen are still currently attacking the Flesh Golem. Okay, I guess we're on a timeout for our prior issues. There are bigger Fish to fry. I'm the Fish Mongerer. I always know where the Fish need frying. I have a nose for these things. Haaaah?! A thought just flashed through my mind… What if this whole situation where we all fight together on the same side causes for us to finish the battle and be the bestest of friends?! A whole lot of cliched 'Oh, yeah; I loved the way you did _____ and _____ to _____ that terror!' and 'The way that you _____ all over the _____ while I _____ the _____ was incredible!' moments… I can already see it happening. There's only one problem. My Clansmen are too terrifying for these normies to get along with.
Besides, it's not as though the King is going to give up his slavery laws. He's too rigid or something. New Blood! New Blood! New Blood! I was imagining that there were individuals chanting for a new Monarch within Reygid until a certain Dark Elf appeared before me and thoroughly gazed into my eyes. Is he… Trying to figure out if I'm serious? Sir, you do understand that everything I do is for the good of the vast majority… Correct? Everything aside from recklessly dropping a Flesh Golem into this Castle's Courtyard on a whim? He's nodding along, but his eyes are telling a different story. It's almost as if he's thinking about it. Anyways~ The King totally deserves death. Also, we should take some time to look around these Dungeons and find the captured little Tigerkin girl. She would certainly appreciate our help. Tier 3 and under Clansmen! Find the captured Tigerkin girl and free her from the depths of these Dungeons! Actually, free anyone that you can! Nyah~ That should handle the PR nightmare. Okay! Getting back on track, our little back line has finally finished approaching the Flesh Golem.
"It's now or never, Flesh Golem! I am Nero, the One True Allwe Halloween Cat! I will keep you fed until the day that I die! Submit to my will... Serve me or die here and now! [Capture Clansmen]!" [Nero] beckoned as he raised his Lantern one final time.
And so, the orange light consumed the Flesh Golem once more. As it did so, the Flesh Golem let out a terrifying roar. I don't think this is going to work. I have a bad feeling about this. The TempCat is giving me a hate glare that can only mean one thing. He will slay me if I don't slay this atrocity. He can try. I'm not going down so easily, TempCat. If he tries anything sketchy, Clansmen… You know what to do. Don't let him kill this Kitty! It's my birth night or something! It's probably already past my birth night because of how freaking quickly I'm living… But it's my birth night. Don't ruin this for me. Moments later, I swear that I heard something similar to a Hallowed Howl. It didn't include my weaker of Clansmen, but the stronger ones all let out their sounds. I love you guys~
I'm getting all teary and stuff! Enough! The light dissipated, but the Flesh Golem still wouldn't serve me. He's impossible. We're killing him, everyone. If you believe that TempCat intends to kill me at any moment, swat him down quickly. I'm going to get a distance away and watch as the battle progresses. After I got a reasonable distance away and turned around, I was utterly dismayed to find that the Flesh Golem had just fallen. It's a mess of blood and guts, but it's dead. It's not moving any longer. It's… It's… It's gone... I missed it! I could weep right now… But I'm dramatically wailing from atop my Broom instead! Woe is me! I'm so woe~ Laying on my back from atop my Broom with three empty Buckets and a Lantern dangling from a finger… As I audibly wailed for the loss of a Flesh Golem that died a few moments too soon… I began to overlook my status.
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Name: Unnamed Monster (Nero Miki)
Race: Cat (Halloween)
Weapon: Lantern (Delhn Glass, Siberite Tourmaline Lantern)
Mount: Broom (Cerberus String Emberwood Broom)
Class: Halloween Cat (Sub Class: Witch/Tamer)
Level: 149
HP: 745/745
MP: 4176/4176(+1196)
SP: 81/100
FP: 78/100
P. DEF: 820
M. DEF: 752
STR: 596
INT: 2038(+548)
DEX: 447
LUK: 149
AGI: 1218(+324)
Titles:
[True Halloween Cat+3], [From Another World], [Fish Mongerer+3], [Master of Disguise+3], [Mana Guzzler+1], [Candy Mongerer+1], [Master of Time+1], [Witch of War+1]
Abilities Learned:
[Flying Broom+2], [Soul Merge], [Clansmen Capture+2], [Hallowed Gate+3], [This is Halloween+1], [Wailing Keep+2], [Language Comprehension+1], [Shapeshift+3], [Barrier+3], [Daily Candy+3], [Claw Fishing+4], [Disguise+5], [Recovery by Sleep+3], [Enhanced Meditating+4], [Swim+3], [10 Minute Makeover+1], [Pumpkin Bomb+2], [Bonus Mana+1], [Time Skip], [War Meow]
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Okay… So I've got a whole lot more MP than before… Many of my titles increased in proficiency… Including my Time related one… Ugh~ [Clansmen Capture] apparently now works better. It's more likely to succeed, according to the information… [Hallowed Gate] can now be summoned twice! It's exciting. This opens up a whole new world of possibilities for me! I may never need to give up on fishing, ever again! I could potentially fish in two different locales as well~ The Cat's Fishery just got a whole lot more impressive~ It's been a very slow rising business, but it's on its way. I can feel it.
The [Wailing Keep] Sama now claims to have more rooms in the basement. A whole new 50 bedrooms. They all come with a double sized bed, so that's nice. It's great to know that he's thinking about us. The [Barrier] now claims to be capable of making better use of my P./M. DEF. stats. No clue how much better~ [Daily Candy] now claims that each piece will allot me with a whopping 8 MP. Impressive! Atta boy, Daily Candy! You'll make it big one day, I'm sure of it! [Claw Fishing] now claims to be highly proficient in more than just Fishing. It's about the cutting, and throwing as well meow… [Disguise] says that he's going to be better at giving me perfect stat pieces. He neglects to claim a percentage. [Recovery by Sleep] and [Enhanced Meditation] are both vague, but that's expected of abilities that are avidly trying to kill me. [Swim] deems that I'll be able to do intense maneuvers in the water. [10 Minute Makeover] claims that I'll be hilariously unlikely to get duds from him… But it's still possible. Ridiculous.
[Pumpkin Bomb] is saying something about how his flames will burn immaculately brighter, now with the help of his much needed upgrade. Brilliant… Now, it appears that we're aiming for aesthetics above all else. [Bonus Mana] claims to now be giving me an additional 50 MP. He's bringing cold, hard… Facts to the table. He deserves a round of applause. Ladies and Gentlemen, take a good hard look at [Bonus Mana] and [Daily Candy]. They are abilities to aspire to. They serve evidence. They serve all the necessary details. [Wailing Keep] Sama didn't do too bad this time around, either. Now~ If you'll excuse me… TempCat… I have places to be! Clansmen~ Let's go!
I was thinking such things until he brazenly rushed ahead of me, as if by magic. The gates are lifting, but he's trying to block my path. Excuse me, I'm not about to just… Get stuck down here! That would never happen, you see! I'm floating over him. Above and beyond, for I have far more important and pressing matters to attend to. He keeps freaking rushing back in front of me, but I'm still flying above ground level… Nyah~ By the time that we finally got out of the Arena, I decided it might be worth it to tell him off.
"I'll be leaving this wretched place now, if you wouldn't mind getting out of my way…" [Nero] remarked in a dry and cracking voice with a grin.
"...Please! You must help the King!" [TempCat] bravely commanded of the Witch of War.
"Oh? I must do what, now?" [Nero] replied with a laugh.
"Please… The King has fallen gravely ill… I've seen what you're might is like… On the battlefield, time and time again… Your followers never fall… If they do, we see them the very next time alive and well. You're healing them, correct?! You of all people must be capable of saving his Majesty!" [TempCat] begged of the Cat as he fell to his knees and began to grovel. To which, silence fell upon the tunnel as the Cat stopped.
Wait… If the King has fallen gravely ill, then my best solution is to turn him into a Vampire. They're literally asking for my help. I can provide that help, but it will inevitably lead to their King becoming my Clansmen… Or becoming a monster, which their people end up desperately needing my assistance in order to stop. Oh gosh… This is good. This is devious. Once upon a time, a great True Allwe Halloween Cat thought to itself… That they would need to dance with the devil himself if they hoped to keep this thing of theirs going long after they had perished. I believe now, above all other times… May be the time for that particular decision to be brought up. Well, I started to laugh by accident. It wasn't a particularly evil laugh, but I definitely laughed a little bit.
"I'll accept this request. Take me to your King." [Nero] replied with a smirk.
And so, the TempCat began to hastily show me to his so called Majesty. Wondrous. Simply, wondrous. I'm about to meet a Lionkin King! I'm excited. He's on his deathbed, and he'll be bent into my submission more likely than not… I also particularly don't like him or what he stands behind… But he's a Lionkin. I'm conflicted on how to feel. I'm leaning towards excitement, but I'm conflicted. I was mulling over such things as we made our way to the King. As it turns out, he's in one of the very few locations of this Castle that remains unscathed. Lucky, or unbelievable? I'm conflicted on many fronts. Leoric is also conflicted, as he doesn't know whether to stop me or not. I don't think that we came anywhere near this location when we came to rescue Rei. It's really nicely adorned, if you ignore the fact that the edges surrounding it are crumbling and in flames or smoke.
Opening the door, we found a rather prim and proper bedroom. There's an old Lion seemingly dying in the bed. It must be the King. He's like… Ancient. It's strange how he has such a young son. He's one of those Kings, huh? Well… Luna, turn him into a Vampire. Watching her, she stepped closer to the King… Bit his neck, and sliced her own wrist before bringing her blood to drip into his newfound wound. Interesting. The blood that dripped from her was glowing red… And after it reached his neck, the veins around it became black… It was kind of difficult to see on account of his hair, but I think they were glowing or something. After the alleged black vein glow made its way throughout his entire body, the body spasmed… And the glow disappeared. His body immediately stopped seizing, and appeared dead. This went on for around twenty minutes, as the TempCat and numerous servants hysterically assaulted me with questions. I just stood there, staring at the King and ignored them all. I don't have the energy to deal with their ignorance.
When the King rose, he immediately grabbed one of the nearest servants and snapped his neck before biting into it. He was thirsty, I guess… But this is kind of a nightmare already. It's my time to shine or whatever~
"Greetings. I am the One True Allwe Halloween Cat. You may call me Nero. I represent a portion of the Halloween Clan, leading over and protecting as many of them as I possibly can. After we slayed the Flesh Golem… Your precious Templar here, requested that I saved your life… So I did. You are now a Vampire, one of the Halloween Clan races… You will require Blood constantly, unless you submit to my will and join me as one of my Clansmen. If you do so, I will still see to it that slavery is abolished within your Kingdom… But I'll be able to do so much sooner than before. You will be able to remain on the Throne, but you will only be capable of doing so at night. If you don't do so, I will just wait until the already set time… Or until you start devouring your citizens in attempts for Blood… Which I expect to be rather quickly, given that you have already devoured one of your servants…" [Nero] introduced himself with a smile and a lighthearted tone of voice.
"U-U-Uh… You fool! Why did you send for this wretch?!" [Lionkin King] grumbled before turning to the TempCat and begging the question.
"Despite his sporadic attacks against the Kingdom, he has proven quite effective in the arts of healing… I was unaware that he intended to turn you into a Vampire. Perhaps we can reverse the Curse?" [TempCat] confessed while groaning.
"It was the most effective method, by far. But, I suppose that you can always attempt to reverse the Curse… If you do that, he will likely be on his deathbed once more… But at the very least… You'll now have more time to properly prepare for that. Find a more suitable healer or something? Better yet, find about 20. Also, there's the chance that the Curse may be too effective. I would like to apologize for that in advance, but Luna here… She seemed to be incapable of removing her Curse before having met me… Even after visiting with the Church of Lilica. I don't fully understand how these Curses work, but it might be more difficult to remove if delivered by her… I wish you luck with that~" [Nero] explained his reasoning before bidding the flabbergasted group farewell.
I'm going home. Dawn is nearly here, and I need sleep! I have a shipment to do tomorrow~ Flying out, I quickly conjured a new [Hallowed Gate] and stepped in. It would appear that the Gates are now positioned in a triangle around the Town circle. This place is disorienting… As it turned out, the gate on my right was the one which led to the Wailing Keep. I'm getting frightening thoughts about the future of my Halloween Town if I continue to restart my life… How confusing can my Halloween Town become?! I could probably set up my portals to be in a line, allowing me to endlessly warp through realms. Only then… Might I increase my proficiency for [From Another World]? It seems logical enough. I probably just haven't gone through enough portals yet... Yosh!
Moving along, I closed the portals and told my Clansmen that they could have the remainder of the night off. It's practically dawn, regardless. Entering the Treasure Room, I changed to my smallest form. Looking at my Shapeshift ability, it appears that I have finally done it. [Shapeshift+3] unlocked the 'Halloween Catkin M (Human)' form… I also gained access to the 'Halloween Cat L (Five-Tailed)' form… But that's irrelevant. The 'Halloween Catkin M (Human)' form has been what I have been waiting for… All my life. I've desperately been needing this. I can't feel like a true adult without this! [Shapeshift]!
Ohohoho~ I'm probably an early adult meow. I'm kind of buff… But not really. It's fine, I suppose. I have five tails, which is interesting. I have Cat ears, and I probably still have orange eyes. My hair seems somewhat longer… I'll need something to tie it up. Trying on my clothes… They all frighteningly fit me just fine… Except for the shorts. The shorts don't fit, whatsoever. I need new shorts. Maybe I've moved beyond shorts, meow. I need pants meow. I'll handle this tomorrow, I'm returning to my smallest form and getting into bed~ [Daily Candy]! Good morning…