Chapter 7 - Night 5_Diaries of Nero the Halloween Cat

Regaining my consciousness, I woke to the smell of Fish. The smell is appalling, yet the first thought that comes to mind is to eat this raw Fish. Being a Cat is strange. Just a nibble. Uwahhh~ I'm losing my humanity... I can feel it. Goblin Chief noticed me getting up and hastily turned around so that he could not see me while I transformed. How kind.

After a few short moments, I have sloppily gotten dressed and noticed that it's indeed night time. I must have only slept for 5 hours at most after having arrived back in the Village. I'm still a little sleepy, but I feel the need to commit to my newly found sleeping schedule. I'll do my best to stay awake until dawn! Goblin Chief may find it strange that I have suddenly become a night Cat, but these kinds of things happen on adventures. Kay? Yeah. Now that I think about it, I was really only gone for like two days.

It just goes to show how terrifying the Demon Kingdom truly is. It was horrific enough to scare away the embodiment of Halloween in just two days. There were far too many flying monsters and not enough ground monsters. There were brutal torture compounds, homes complex enough to be considered labyrinths, and to top it all off... Lily the Loli was there. I very well might never return. Sensing my inner turmoil, Goblin Chief begins to speak.

"...That bad, huh?" [Goblin Chief] questioned Nero.

"...Yeah." [Nero] said, truly defeated.

"Sigh… well, I'm glad that you made it back safe and sound. If you choose to share your tales, I'm all ears." [Goblin Chief]

"It was horrible. I honestly don't know where to begin. I definitely know that I won't be capable of finding any Skeletons, Zombies, or Vampires in the Demon Kingdom until I'm much stronger. I might head over to the Beastkin Kingdom, but I think I'm going to stay here for a few days and recover first." [Nero]

"As you wish, you are more than welcome to stay here. I'm sure the Beastkin Kingdom will be more promising. Hey, I've got a few Fish left that we can cook up~" [Village Chief] offered, trying to lighten the mood.

"Okay. I have a ton of Fish too, feel free to eat your fill. If nothing else, I found plenty of new Fish down south." [Nero] perked up a bit at the thought of cooked Fish, and remembered that he had been saving the large, multi-color Fish for this moment.

Like that, the Goblin Village Chief and I, joined by Cloaked Hunk #1 and Cloaked Hunk #2 had a truly splendid feast that night. Cloaked Hunk #2 shockingly had alcohol, and while my body is that of a child... I was not letting the opportunity slip me by! We all got drunk around the fire and had a merry ol' time. It's great to be back in the Goblin Village.

If you forget about the fact that everyone aside from these 3 people are basically strangers to me, this place seems swell. Even if the other Villagers avoid me like the plague, we don't actually have a bad relationship. I don't constantly live in fear about whether or not I'll be shanked when walking these streets, because no one in these streets is avidly seeking trouble. With no aspect of currency around here, and no real need to gain any aspect of currency around here, everyone is just simply living. Is the Lost Kingdom somehow really safe? To be fair, I was never actually feeling like I was in danger when i was walking the streets of Orpia, until after having escaped the Temple. There were so many slaves held in that one area that I can only imagine they were abducted from the streets of that very city.

A few hours into drinking with the boys, everyone was pretty hammered... So Goblin Chief went to sleep and sent off his guards for the night. I say that, but Cloaked Hunk #1 is totally sleeping while sitting up next to the hut door. Do they not actually leave their posts? When they decided to go to sleep, I decided to drunkenly wander the Village. Cloaked Hunk #2 seemed shockingly friendly tonight... Probably due to the alcohol, but he joined me on my stroll. We were walking around aimlessly while looking up at the stars and talking about our aspirations and past. No, seriously. It was one of those nights, I guess. Looking up, I noticed that my two Crows were actually flying above us. Are they keeping an eye out for danger, or just enjoying the night sky? One of them is definitely bigger than the other. It's probably the Tier 2 Crow.

During his childhood, he said that he had always been scavenging for kindling and straw with the other children. They used to play games in the nearby fields while gathering the straw, seeing who could avoid the Slimes longer. This sounds dangerous… Are the Slimes in the Prairies actually not a big deal? Nope. Apparently whoever got nabbed by a Slime first would end up being beaten with sticks until the Slime died, leaving the loser covered in slimey gunk and bruises. Cloaked Hunk #2 began to boast about his track record of having only ever been 'slimed' four different times.

Cloaked Hunk #2 is a muscle head, who has been training ever since he was young in hopes that one day he might get strong enough to avenge his Kingdom against the Demon Kingdom. This was kind of expected, given the situation that is the current Lost Kingdom. Actually, it seems that many Goblins share this aspiration. Perhaps this is why I even saw some Goblins being tortured in the Temple? Did they sneak into the Demon Kingdom, hailing from this very Village? I'd rather not think about it.

He told me that most of the Villagers were too afraid to fight back, and have submitted to their current life. I guess it's hard to stay vigilant considering that everyone here was born into this way of life. The Lost Kingdom became this way like 300 years ago, after all. Most people accept their state, while some choose to try and change it for their peers. I considerably raised my evaluation of Cloaked Hunk #2. He has the will to try and change his Village for the better. He wants to keep the hopeless Villagers safe, and in turn... Give the Villagers hope. It's touching. He has the courage to keep persevering, even though most of his comrades have given in.

Given how Cloaked Hunk #2 has already gone on quite the tangent about himself, I feel obligated to share some things about myself as well. It's only fair. I told him about how even if I'm a Cat Beastkin, I actually don't have any relatives alive, nor are there any other Cat Beastkin of the same race as me. He seemed kind of confused, because how else would I have even been born; right? Yeah, I had to tell him that my father died while I was still in the womb and that my mother died while giving birth. On my own, I needed to survive in the Lost Kingdom from birth. I lived off of fish in the Rivers for my entire life. It's a tragic tale, and it's only half false at this point. I feel horrible. I can't just tell him that I was summoned into this world randomly...Can I? Goblin Chief probably already knows, as he has [Appraisal]; but there's no reason to assume Cloaked Hunk #2 knows! I'll need to apologize if he ever learns. I'm sorry.

Well, even I don't have very much of an aspiration yet. I'm searching for Candy and war potential without reason. It's shocking, but I'm actually only doing all of it as an attempt to survive. As a Halloween Cat, I'm morbidly terrified of the day time. There's no telling just who might try to murder me in my sleep, and I can't protect myself against it! The thought sends shivers down my spine, and that alone has been driving my willpower up to this point. I need friends to keep me safe while I sleep because I'll never be able to do it myself! Even after I get the [Wailing Keep] unlocked, I'll still not be able to protect it whatsoever. It might as well be a huge beacon saying that there's someone over here! The [Hallowed Gate] is probably the same, quite frankly.

Reading the information for the [Wailing Keep], I learn that it's essentially a huge Castle with tall towers. There are jack-o-lanterns adorning it, alongside creepy vines reaching around the Castle-like walls. That's not all. The description goes into great detail about the layout of the Keep itself. There's a Foyer on first entry, with stairs on both sides leading upwards to the Castle Towers. Between the two staircases, there's a grand door leading to the Throne Room. After the Throne Room, is a Treasure Room for me to store my Candy. It's convenient. If we look back into the Foyer, there are two additional doors on both sides of the room. One of them leads to a Kitchen while the other leads to a Dining Hall. Attached to the Dining Hall is a door leading to the Basement. The Basement is essentially a freaking Inn. There are 50 Bedrooms each fitted with a double bed. The top of the Castle Towers seem to just be meant for defenses.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Getting back on track, I decided to be vague when discussing my aspirations... As I lack them. I told Cloaked Hunk #2 that I'm simply hoping to make friends in my travels as a travelling Cat and that I want to explore the world as I make those friends. It's honestly not false. I genuinely do want friends, and I also want to explore this world. I need friends to give me a peace of mind while I sleep, and I need to explore the world in order to find my Clansmen. But that's not all. I feel like I'll need to experience each and every Kingdom in this world if I hope to find one suitable for me to actually live in. The Goblin Village is fine and all, I genuinely enjoy spending time with the Goblin Chief but this Kingdom itself is far from suitable. I could try with all my might to change that, but I don't have nearly enough might yet. Should I rip a page from good ol' Cloaked Hunk #2's book and just tough it out here forever?

No. What he's doing by continuing to keep this place safe is fine, and it's working right now. However, he will not get strong enough to change the state of this Kingdom just by sitting around here and waiting for something to happen. That's right. What if an unbeatable enemy arrives one day and wipes them all out? He should take initiative to venture out and gain strength at a faster rate so that he can stop that unbeatable enemy when it arrives. It's not a matter of 'if'. It's a matter of 'when'. Someday, a Kingdom... Or many Kingdoms will try to take the Lost Kingdom in a land grab. When that happens, it's probably 'Death to the Goblin savages!'. I tried to explain my concerns to him regarding this.

His response was that he simply couldn't help it, what with being one of the Village Chief's trusted guards and all. I understand that frame of thinking. Totally, but like... Couldn't he just choose a third guard? Also, there are more than a few Tier 2 Goblins in this joint. Why dont they just send those Goblins to go train in the nearby forested areas? The Village Chief could actually join and prevent them from dying. It's not as if this Village is under constant attack or anything. With that frame of mind, I continued to poke his resolve.

Ahhh... They're too paranoid. They think that the reason why most monsters stay away from the Village is because of the haki being released by the several Tier 2 Goblins as well as the Tier 3 Goblin Chief. That must be the reason why the only attack I've noticed was committed by a Tier 4 Scarecrow. Does this mean that I have an advantage while hunting monsters? I don't have a Tier, so rogue monsters are unsure of whether or not I'm strong? They might be onto something here... It's starting to make sense why the Village Chief's hut is flat out in the middle of the Village. I didn't notice at first, until I was flying back on my Broom and found it somewhat peculiar.

Due to his strong resolve, I decided to let him be right. Hey. If monsters can be scared away by mere presence, I'm cool with that. My problem is that I seem to not have any presence... At all. 5 Tier 1 Crows tried to devour me in my sleep! They might have been drawn by the smell of sugar, but who knows if they would have stopped at just that?! This kitty does not taste good! I also reek of Fish. With that in mind, I decided to tough it out and head towards the Lake for a dip. Cloaked Hunk #2 decided to join me, and that's kind of making me uncomfortable but I'll choose to ignore it. You lose if you think about it.

It took about 40 minutes to walk to the Lake, and I feel like we were travelling pretty slowly. We're staggering. About halfway through, I summoned Mr Scarecrow to carry me. I don't want to focus on flying in this state. Thankfully, Mr Scarecrow does not seem to mind. Cloaked Hunk #2 is acting quite shocked though. Didn't you know that I captured this guy? I'm pretty sure you were standing right there as it happened? Whatever~

After we arrived at the Lake, and removed our clothes... No peeking! We hopped right on in. The water? Cold. It's very cold. It's probably the coldest that it's ever been, considering it's night time. I'm somehow able to manage it though? Who knew that alcohol could allow you to feel brave against temperatures that you'd normally shirk from? I actually managed to survive, albeit narrowly. After 20 minutes of swimming in the water and having splash fights with Cloaked Hunk #2 and amusingly, Mr Scarecrow... I managed to sober up a little bit and immediately found myself too cold to manage.

When getting out of the water, I had Mr Scarecrow masterfully block Cloaked Hunk #2's vision while I got dressed. This Cat doesn't show! Thank you Mr Scarecrow. You're a legend. The most valuable player, by far. Once Cloaked Hunk #2 vacated the water, we continued to chat on the beach until it was dawn. At which point, Cloaked Hunk #2 totally crashed. After Mr Scarecrow returned to Halloween, I had to carry Cloaked Hunk #2s basically dead body via Broom and walked beside the Broom as it flew him. It only took about 20 minutes to return back to the Village, and another 10 to reach the Village Chief's hut. I actually don't know where this guy lives, because I only ever see him outside Village Chief's hut.

When arriving, Village Chief is still K/O'd. That's fine. I whipped down my lab coat, and rested Cloaked Hunk #2 on top. He can have my prime blanket for now. I'm getting new ones. Making sure to use [Daily Candy], I now have 2 and two thirds of buckets filled with Candy. After that, I decided to use [Disguise] a plethora of times. First, I checked my status to see how much MP I have these days.

Name: Unnamed Monster (Nero Miki)

Race: Cat (Halloween)

Weapon: Lantern (Poor Iron Lantern)

Mount: Broom (Common Wooden Broom)

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

Level: 5

HP: 25/25

MP: 100/104(+4)

SP: 44/100

FP: 73/100

P. DEF: 5

M. DEF: 5

STR: 20

INT: 52(+2)

DEX: 15

LUK: 5

AGI: 30

Titles:

[True Halloween Cat], [From Another World]

Abilities Learned:

[Flying Broom], [Soul Merge], [Clansmen Capture], [Hallowed Gate], [This is Halloween], [Wailing Keep], [Language Comprehension], [Shapeshift], [Barrier], [Daily Candy], [Claw Fishing], [Disguise], [Recovery by Sleep], [Enhanced Meditating]

Okay. So, the worst level of [Disguise] costs 4 MP each use. I can potentially up another level for an additional 4 MP each use. I intend to stay here for at least a few days, so I can probably try to aim for some decent clothes. Yosh! I'm going to aim for level 5 clothes at the cost of 20 MP each. I can cast it 5 times now, and then I'll be drained and require sleep. Seems fair. [Disguise]~

Bright light appeared, and faded away to reveal new clothes and accessories at my feet. I see black sunglasses, knee high black leather 3 inch heels, an actually dark purple trench coat, zebra print leather pants, and a yellow scarf. What the?! Aren't the items given by [Disguise] totally conspicuous?! Also, why are they all modern world clothes? Isn't this a fantasy world or something? Well, I suppose I'll compare the stats of wearing these as opposed to my original clothes. The lab coat was definitely in need of a replacement, that's for sure. Hey... Didn't I just place my drunk friend to sleep on top of that Fishy mess of a lab coat?! I AM SOOO SORRY! Dear friend, I hope you wake up to the same desire of eating Fish after literally sleeping in Fish as I do.

Ignoring the heels and just trying on the other clothes... It seems that the sunglasses were a dud. They give 1/1 P./M. DEF., the same as my other usual clothes. Before, I was wearing black shorts, a straw hat, light green tee shirt, lab coat, and sandals. They're all worth 1/1 P./M. DEF.. The same as the sunglasses. Luckily, the sunglasses actually are a brand new equipment slot; so to speak. I didn't have anything else to wear over my eyes, so it's a bonus regardless. It seems that the dark purple trench coat is a level 3 piece of equipment. It gives me 3/3 P./M. DEF.. Not bad. The zebra print leather pants are a shocking level 5 piece of equipment. They give 5/5 P./M. DEF.. However, the yellow scarf is unique among the other pieces of equipment. It's also a brand new equipment slot so it would have been seen as a bonus regardless. But, this bad boy gives off a cool 10 M. DEF. while ignoring P. DEF.. She must be a level 5 piece, but she's not intended for a balanced build. I find that exceptionally helpful because I'm deathly afraid of taking magical attacks! Mr Scarecrow is a physical attack dealer, and he's close range. My Crows are also physical attack dealers, who are close range. My only way to currently stop magic attacks is with my Barrier, and that relies on my own stats. The Barrier can stand if I have MP, and it reduces damage taken based on my DEF stats. With these new fine clothes, my status is as shown~

Name: Unnamed Monster (Nero Miki)

Race: Cat (Halloween)

Weapon: Lantern (Poor Iron Lantern)

Mount: Broom (Common Wooden Broom)

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

Level: 5

HP: 25/25

MP: 0/104(+4)

SP: 42/100

FP: 70/100

P. DEF: 12

M. DEF: 22