Ow… I'm feeling hungover. My head hurts, and I'm dehydrated. According to my Coin pouch, I have a whole 4 Gold Coins remaining. I might have gone overboard with my trip to the Savage Lands… Tomorrow, I have my next shipment with Clive… But, I want to leave preparing it as a task for tomorrow. I have a lot of Candy, but I don't want to be caught off guard for any attacks by spending them all too soon… You never know when an army might march through the place that you're trying to protect. It's difficult, being a responsible leader. I should really go and have a talk with that Apple farmer, though. The one in the Human Kingdom. I need to figure out if there are any special methods for planting Apples, and exactly what time of year I should be doing so. Yosh!

I was thinking such things as I got dressed, and began to make my way into the Dining Hall. On arrival, I was blessed with the presence of the whole gang. No one likes to miss out on the meet and feast, these nights… It's far too important of an event. Luna and the Vampire Knights were all performing a song when I entered the room, but I think it was an original song. I didn't recognize it, anyways. Procuring myself two common Fish and taking a seat, I began to enjoy my meal. As I ate, a particular Goatman was telling me about how the two troublesome Rifa were still wreaking havoc… But it couldn't be helped. I don't want to kill them, I want them to Evolve. Nyah~ I decided to recklessly kidnap the two Rifa before genuinely bringing them to Rita. I can let them join in the Orc Mountains party, I suppose. Rita can deal with them, I'm almost certain of it.

Finished with my delectable meal, I thanked Mary and Cindy for their hard work at preparing it, before setting off on my Broom. We're going to deal with those Rifa, one way or another. They shall fall in line to the Rifaleesi or they shall die in a foreign ecosystem. It's happening. Vroom vroom~ My first stop, was the waterfall. I conjured a new Hallowed Gate, and was met with Cosmo and Wanda, joined alongside by a rare Tier 1 Bat and two Tier 1 Skeletons. It appears as though the Tier 1 Clansmen have been getting closer, as they all chose to protect the gate together. It's a group effort, these nights. Conjuring the second gate in the Demon Kingdom ended up having the very same effect. Two Tier 2 Skeletons, Vivian, Edward, Fred, Daphne, Connor, and a Tier 3 Skeleton all appeared. Stepping through the gate quickly, Mr and Mrs Scarecrow… Alongside the Tier 5 Skeleton appeared. Did someone talk to the Skeletons and convince them to help out more around here or something? Honestly… Vivian and Edward were supposed to be off scouting the Lost Kingdom, but it seems that Halloween hath decided that the Hallowed Gates were more important.

My only spare Clansmen meow… Are the Vampires, Benji, Wendel, White Beef Lady, Christina, Penny, Molag Dregora, the Banshees, and the Phantasms… But the Banshees and Phantasms are preoccupied with the lochness monster. I feel as though almost all of my more powerful Clansmen are female… Mr and Mrs Scarecrow may have names insinuating genders… But I've recently became aware to the fact that none of my Scarecrows will ever procreate without having first achieved becoming genuine catastrophes… Which reminds me, there should be some new Scarecrows lurking around the Forest of Witches. I should place a priority on them, above the Rifa. No offense, Rifa… You're just exceedingly quick moving and difficult to capture. You're not necessarily a real problem.

Flying to the Forest of Witches, I ended up passing directly over Reygid. The Castle seemed to be making progress, but I wasn't able to decipher very many details as I decided to fly high. I'm very high up, it's somewhat difficult to breath… I'm hoping that I might attain a new ability from stressing my body out a little more than usual… But I also just wanted to be capable of potentially gaining a better view of my distant surroundings. The Elven Forest seemed more impressive than usual, there were glowing sparkles of light slowly emitting upwards from their precious Vanheim. Strange. As I continued to fly… It happened. A massive [Barrier] of light began to engulf Vanheim… Stemming from those glowing sparkles of light. Incredible, but like… Why? Why decide to bunker down, meow of all times?! Flying toward the [Barrier], I decided to try and touch it. The result? 118 HP lost, and a very hot hand. It's… The wrong kind of Fire. It's Holy Fire, not Hell Fire. I can't deal with it, whatsoever. Talk about lame~ Continuing on my journey, I began to fly through the Forest of Witches… To later decide that Mr and Mrs Scarecrow would be extremely suitable for this project. Come forth~ Help me find and gather your lost brethren!

Moments later, the most powerful pair of Scarecrows that I have ever met appeared from within the depths of my Lantern. On arrival, they let out a [Terror Shout]... Causing a whole lot of birds to leave their trees… Right before they split up and started to scour the Forests. I'm still going to look around, though~ Let's see… Mr Scarecrow seems to have decided to search the prairie fields toward the southern edge of the territory, which is where I can actually already see several Scarecrows… While Mrs Scarecrow seems to have decided to search the genuine Forests towards the northern edge of the territory. I'll take the fair maiden's choice, thanks. Prairie fields can't exactly impress me at this point. I want to see something new!~ Actually, Molag… Go ahead and bring Jon to me. I have a feeling that he would like to venture through the Forest of Witches as well. Nyah~ I started with the Lake to the eastern side of the territory, and began to make my way through the Forest north of it… Trying to move west as I cleared the Forest.

The first thing that I noticed, was the excessive amount of mushrooms and berries within these woods. There are other plants, but I don't know what they are… At all. They're heavily varied, some plants seem to be over-sized flowers… Which may or may not be of the 'man eating' variety. Some of them, actually spit acid… Which is nice. My [Barrier] only takes a whopping 72 damage each freaking time. This forest… It's dangerous. Even without having encountered any real monsters… I can already tell. If the freaking plants can deal 72 damage to me in surprise attacks, then low level Scarecrows are extremely unlikely to venture into these woods. I might be wasting my time. They could honestly all just be out in the prairie fields, but I want this. I want to see something new. Please… Janus. Anything, at this point. I'll take it. Oho~ A furry creature hath appeared! Mongoosekin that appear more Mongoose than Human. Fun. It seemed intelligent enough. It spoke, and everything… It said something about being late… Right before it gasped and turned around to attempt at fleeing. I followed~

As it turns out, there's a whole pack of these little creatures. They inhabit the woods roughly northwest of the Hag's Hollow. Quite literally on the edge of the woods. They inhabit a hole, but I was able to fit inside even with my Human form. It's more like a burrow, or something. There are probably somewhere around 40 or 50 of these things… They can all speak, and they all seem to have a horrible disdain for the Cobras that live within these woods. So, as it would turn out… Cobras also inhabit these woods. According to the frightened and hateful Mongoosekin, the Cobras have been causing them trouble for decades. They live toward the northeast, and they come in the day… Terrorizing the Mongoosekin. Also, according to the Mongoosekin… They were all originally males of varying races, but were brutally Cursed by the Witches for having been male…

Well, there's technically one female Mongoosekin among them. According to legend, this one female Mongoosekin was a genuine Mongoosekin… Who had been rescued by the Witches and promised to be given a suitable mate. Rather than just one, the Witches decided to give their favorite Mongoosekin dozens of mates… Yet, she still only chose one; leaving all of these men to live a forever twisted life. They can't break the Curse, nor can they show their faces amidst their previous lives. One of them tried, but came back with terrifying tales of how his family decided to leave him. He's never been the same, so the others all fervently decided to tough things out. Another Mongoosekin tried to flee to the Beastkin Kingdom, but never returned. He honestly might have been enslaved… Or be absolutely fine. Regardless, those are the two cautionary tales that these Cursed Mongoosekin have decided to live by. Those events actually happened towards the beginning of this whole ordeal, when there were only 5 Mongoosekin. The tales are told according to the remaining 2 original male Mongoosekin. There should have been 3, but one of them has been turned into a sex doll by the genuine… Female, Mongoosekin. The one who was driven insane doesn't speak any longer. He just sits facing a corner, muttering to himself.

During the night, the Mongoosekin usually take turns fetching Berries and Mushrooms to feed the pack. During the day, they fight against the Cobras; trying to attain as much Cobra meat and experience points as possible. It's tough, because the Mongoosekin can't rely on sustainable reinforcements. The Witches only seem to Curse new men every month or two. Even then, it's not usually very many Mongoosekin. They're lucky if they can get even just three new men in a given month. On the other hand, the Cobras are able to procreate with ease. The Mongoosekin are only able to rely on their Tier to hold off the Cobras, while the Cobras can rely on both Tier and numbers. Also, lately… The Scarecrows have returned. According to the Mongoosekin in charge, some Scarecrows seem to enjoy abducting stray Mongoosekin while they're busy gathering in the night. He mourns the day that new Scarecrows are introduced to the territory thanks to those Witches, and yearns for the day when they suddenly disappear. According to him, Scarecrows never last longer than a week in this territory. They're always poached. Even so, due to their mischievous ways at devouring the Mongoosekin… That week has been forever dubbed… Hell Week. According to him, if the Scarecrows somehow manage to avoid being poached… And gain enough power to remain that way, then the Witches seem to enjoy recapturing the Scarecrows to use them as pets or bodyguards.

The Mongoosekin are welcome to visit the Town of Witches, thanks to their new forms… But they don't enjoy being there. The Witches just treat them as pets, and laugh at the idea of breaking their Curse. They claim that becoming a Mongoosekin was the only way that the Witches would ever consider allowing them to stay here. The Witches literally Cursed male Tourists, because they couldn't stand to look at them in their original form. I'm thankful that I didn't stay, but then again… Apparently… Curses can be troublesome to get working on me. They could have tried, yet failed… Which would be why I was able to come and go as I pleased. The Mongoosekin are looking to me, a fellow male… A Witch baring a Broom, no less... To save them from this hilarious predicament. Well, I declared that Hell Week would officially be ending tonight. Then, I declared that I would seriously lower the current population of Cobras within the Forest… So that they might stand a better chance against them each morning. They were thrilled, but they wanted more. Obviously, they want to become men again. It's troublesome. Some of these people… Have been away from their lives for literally decades. They might have nothing to return to… And they might have become too powerful as Mongoosekin to return to their former state. It's difficult to say. I explained as such, and many of them began to weep. I'm assuming that they're the older of the few. Still, there were plenty who held onto their hopeful gaze. I explained that I personally did not possess the ability to break Curses, but that I would see what I could do on the matter… And that even if I were a Witch, I'm still not highly liked by the Council currently leading this territory.

They kept their hopeful looks in the end, and it seems that I am meow a Hero to Mongoosekin everywhere. It's the least I could do. Mongoosekin are technically a form of feline. They're like my long, lost cousins… Thanks to the Curse that they want broken. If I manage to break their Curses, they might just rescind their right to be called my cousins… But at the very least, they'll be forever indebted to me. I'll finally have worshipers in the more pesky of domains… Like the Human Kingdom. Yosh! Vroom vroom~ I'm going to the prairie fields. On arrival, Mrs Scarecrow seems to have joined up with Mr Scarecrow. Before me, are around 30 Scarecrows. I guess… There were roughly 30 Witches to take the Exam? Maybe more, if a few of them were already slain… Oh well~

"Hear me, Scarecrows! I am called Nero, the one True Allwe Halloween Cat! Accept my call, represent Allwe… Rally Halloween, and be fed until the day that I die! [Clansmen Capture]!" [Nero] beckoned as he raised his Lantern out to face the Scarecrows.

And so, that vibrantly flashy orange flaming gust of light came forth… Engulfing all of the varying sized Scarecrows before me. Moments later, the light disappeared to reveal that I had successfully captured them all. It was quick, too… I don't think that they even required 10 seconds to accept… I love Scarecrows. These guys are the best~ According to the notification, I received a whole 21 Tier 1 Scarecrows, 8 Tier 2 Scarecrows, and 3 Tier 3 Scarecrows... Totaling at 32 new Scarecrows joining my ranks. They're all quite hurt, and were probably on the verge of starvation. They really didn't have much to live off of in this territory. They were doomed from the start… Given that the Mongoosekin have been fighting for a very long time, and likely have several among them at higher Tiers than freaking 3. I'm hoping that the Cobras aren't too powerful, but we shall see~

Flying north… To the most northern edge of the territory, I descended and began to scout around. I asked Mr and Mrs Scarecrow to help with finding the Cobras, and thankfully, we managed to locate them in only a minute. They were just east of where I descended, hidden in a small Cave system. I guess, all Snakes adore Caves? They're in a bundle… Slithering around all over the place. It was at this point, when Molag Dregora appeared while carrying a certain Catkin Swashbuckler. Apparently, he's a Snake lover. He's fascinated by the sheer number of types appearing in the bundle. It's a shame, that half of them are about to die at my paws. I decided to call on Wendel, White Beef Lady, Christina, Penny, the Tier 5 Skeleton, and the Vampires. They can all handle half of these Cobras with the help of Molag and the two Tier 5 Scarecrows.

After the Clansmen all appeared, which was roughly two minutes later… The battle commenced. The Snakes were previously trying to avoid me, by venturing deeper into the Cave… But that won't work. I threw down a [Pumpkin Bomb] just to make sure. I spent 1000 MP on it. I also shouted out a [War Meow]~ It echoed, as I yelled it. Also, for whatever reason… I totally had a monster voice when I shouted it. I was frightening myself for a second there~ As it turns out, this Cave is a lot larger than I previously assumed. I was slowly floating through the fire... My Clansmen are ahead of me, but I already know that Wendel used [Weeping Scream]. I also know that the Scarecrows used [Terror Shout], and that Penny is currently singing a [Song of Time Slow] mixed with chords to a [Song of Confusion]. I'm getting dizzy, and the flames are burning slowly. I can hear them. When the Confusion chords are brought into play, the flames regain their usual speed… As do I, but it's only for split moments… Which only adds to the confusion. She's singing it over a song that I know, actually. It was originally Vana's song, but she's performing 'I Want C*ndy'.

When I finally gained a clear view of what was going on, I found that Mr and Mrs Scarecrow were thrashing as good as ever. Their stalks of hay truly consume a very large portion of my view. It certainly does not help that Wendel, Molag Dregora, and Luna are all standing behind them… Molag seems to actually be using his [Shadow Ball] ability, only making it more difficult for me to see anything… Luna cast a [Malice Aura] and an [Unholy Unblessing], though. I saw that~ The Skeleton was closer to the front line, and so were the Vampire Knights and the Werewolf… But I don't see them doing very much. They're probably just on guard incase anything happens. Oh? It seems that the Cobras are still retreating further into the Cave. This Cave… It's all leading one way. There are no side paths, it's giving me a bad feeling. If I didn't know any better, and I don't… I'd think this is a Dungeon. I think it's a Dungeon… Which would explain the sheer number of Cobras. Are they endlessly being summoned in here or something, and then leaking out into the Forest? Oh no… What if there's a boss?!

On second thought, this place isn't very impressive… It's just a whole ton of Cobras, and it's not even as though the walls are interesting. It's genuinely just a Cave. An obnoxiously long Cave. I don't even pick up on any disastrous haki… It's nothing like that yellow gem place I previously encountered beneath the rocky clearing in the Lizardmen territory. Maybe it's safe? Checking my status… I've already gained 16 levels. Impressive. I decided to sneak ahead of the pack. I'm going to scout this place out… I'm the most sturdy individual among us, and it's not as though I'm slow at moving. It makes sense for me to go~ Flying through the Shadow Orb, I continued on my way and regained my vision… To find that this horde of Cobras is no joke... It went on for roughly another 200 metres, before I finally encountered a large room… With only one path to take after entering it. Comias are scattered around, guarding the path. I made up the name on the spot, but they looked similar to the Python… They're just more like Lamias. I tried to introduce myself, but their eyes turned green before they attempted to slay me. I was utterly thrown off guard, but I decided to turn back. I narrowly dodged their acid breath, but a couple Harpoons managed to hit me. They dealt 18 damage to my MP each time, and I believe that my Clansmen might be able to handle it. I also believe that this is certainly a freaking Dungeon. Normal monsters don't behave like that.

If this is a Dungeon, why don't the Witches regulate it? They're very clearly leaving it to the Mongoosekin who choose not to submit into becoming their pets. It's a pain. Is that it? Having a Dungeon to look after is a pain? Strange… Because I would love to have one. It might be that this is a new Dungeon and has gone unnoticed by the Witches? It's unlikely that they're on such a level of incompetency to have an entire Dungeon go under their noses for decades… But I'll need to go and fetch some Candy, if I hope to make any serious progress into this Dungeon in one night. I want to know what's behind that larger room. If this Dungeon is actually a problem or not, is what I need to know. The Dungeon in the Orc Mountains was left untouched for too long, and it ended up turning their entire territory into a quest. The Orcs lucked out, as their territory is guarded by Mountains that they could hide in… And their Dungeon lacked flying monsters, so those Mountains meow act as walls. The Forest of Witches is not impossible to escape. After these forests, lies a complete and open border leading into the Savage Lands… The Elven Forest can't be very difficult to reach on foot from the Forest of Witches, either… But they also now have a [Barrier]... But who knows how long they intend on keeping it up? It could be a routine check or something, either that… or the Elves had a situation occur in Vanheim, and it's gotten to the point where Vanheim may be considered as lost… And their [Barrier] was their one final stand, to ensure that whatever they failed at stopping did not escape. It's a frightening thought, that the Elves may have lost in their struggle against the Catastrophes. On the other hand, they may have decided to play things out how the Fae Queen does. On their own. Sadly, their Prince is sort of still outside… Thanks to me. Ugh…

I was mulling over such topics as I left the Dungeon and made my way back to the Wailing Keep. On arrival, I quickly made my way into the Treasure Room, where I procured the sac of Candy from the Candy Man. Rather than dig into my buckets, I'm going to dip into my bag. I was lugging it out next to my Throne, where I took a seat and began to overlook my Clansmen's statuses. They were faring fine, but they probably haven't even encountered the alleged Comias. I began to eat Candy regardless, just to ensure everyone was in tip top shape. After around 10 or so minutes, my Clansmen seemed to have encountered the Comias. It was a nightmare, just judging by the rate that their MP was decreasing. Freaking both of the Tier 4 Vampires… Steve and Andy… Perished in a matter of minutes. They're dejectedly bowing to me in the Throne Room meow, as I continue to ravenously devour Candy and glare at the MP totals of all my Clansmen.

Surprisingly, Conrad and Leoric also seem to be in battle… But their battle is probably in the Orc Mountains. I guess, Cetilla decided to fight at night this time..? Oh well~ More experience for me, I suppose. After another 5 minutes of devouring Candy, the Tier 4 Skeleton perished… Joining the two Vampires in their self-loathing party. According to the Skeleton, they're actually called Cobrias; and that Molag wanted to let me know. Because obviously, Molag Dregora; the freaking Baron of Bones is a knowledgeable individual on many monsters. Also, it has something to do with how he turned one of the Cobrias into a Zombria; and he found out in that way. Huh… According to him, even after becoming a Zombria… It still wanted to fight them. It was ravenous for the invaders of the Dungeon, even after becoming a member of the Undead. Terrifying. Molag Dregora, no more conjuring legions of Undead within Dungeons... It's too risky.

The battle is obviously intense. I can't seem to heal any of my Clansmen fast enough to keep them in the game. The attacks that slayed the Vampires and Skeleton only required around 3 seconds to take their life. It's intense. It must be the acid spit from the Cobrias. Andy confirmed my allegations. It's true. Only my most resistant of Clansmen might be capable of staving it off. I was thinking such things, as it happened. Mr Scarecrow perished. Oh no… It's began to slay my Tier 5 Clansmen… Who's next?! Oh, it's Mrs Scarecrow. She's back, rubbing the back of her head as she lowered it. I spent another 4 minutes eating my Candy, until Benji perished. According to him they've met a boss. Well, he actually described it as more of a massive Cobra monster; with its own room and everything. There's a door after the room, but the Cobra guards it. It's not a very large room, it's essentially the perfect size for the Cobra monster to thrive… I was being informed of such things, when all of a sudden… Christina perished. She proudly claimed that Penny's voice was too much to handle, so she gave her life in a suicide charge. Brave. Noble, even.

Those left standing in the battle, are Wendel, Penny, White Beef Lady, Molag Dregora, Luna Pratz, Mick, and a nameless Tier 5 Skeleton. It's a strong party, but it's not a prepared party. Penny has probably been wreaking havoc on all of their minds for far too long… Penny, try to make use of [Pixie Powder] and [Song of Time Slow] rather than [Song of Confusion] and [Song of Space Distortion]. If she slows time over there, it wont reach me. The damage that they take will be dealt slower, and I'll be able to heal through more of it. Luna, make sure to be using [Unholy Healing] and [Unholy Blessing] as well. Okay~ Let's go. I've already devoured a fairly large portion of this sac of Candy. I should go and check in on how the battle is progressing first hand. Too many of my Clansmen have already perished. I need to actually be there, so that they may return after healing.

I was thinking such things, as I began to carry the bag alongside my Lantern while flying out of the Wailing Keep. On entry into the Foyer, I was pleasantly surprised; by the doors opening for me. On the other side, was a small group of individuals who I had not witnessed in quite awhile. Cetilla and her party have returned. Rita… She's not a Rifaleesi any longer. She appears way more Human. The only aspects of her that still remain the same… Are a white and yellow Squirrel tail… And beast ears. Also, her legs seemed to be on the thicker side. She had yellow eyes, and white long hair. She's more like a… Rifaleesikin meow? One that appears more Rifaleesi than Human? Her signifying color from before was blue, but it seems that she's moved on to yellow. It's probably from her lightning magic growing stronger. Nyah~ Ben's body… It's was way more Humanesque than it was before. He's genuinely got a human body, much larger than my own. He has a random Bear head, with green eyes. His hands were suspiciously still Bear paws. Goblin Funk… He's seriously bulky, and tall… He might not be a Goblin anymore. He's not wearing any pants, but he has swim shorts… And his shirt seems fine, but it's way too tight to be matching the original style. His afro is still intact, and his shoes still fit, but he seems dirty in general. Budget Dragon… He's… Woah. He's… He's a Shark meow. He has transcended beyond Dragons and Drakes… To become a Shrake. He's a Shrake, meow. The truest, of all land sharks. He still has legs, they're quite muscular. He also has a freaking shark head, and a serious hunch back. Also, he's a Halloween Clansman. Obviously. Because I clearly needed land sharks added to my roster, Budget Dragon took it upon himself to become a Shrake. Cetilla still looked the same, except her hair was casually always floating around in mystifying manners… As if she were under water. Her eyes… They're grey meow, with only the slightest tint of sapphire. He hair seems to be more red than before… And her jawline seems sharper. She totally had plastic surgery, got colored eye contacts, drowned her hair in dye, and found a better way to use the fan hack. Lemmispire appears to be more of a badass than before, but aside from his attitude… Nothing's really changed. I gave him an awesome costume, and I'm thankful that he's wearing it well. Taking a moment to recollect myself, it seems that they too were shocked to see me. Aha~ That's right, I've got new muscles and stuff meow! Take a peek~ I was thinking such things as I twirled and posed before exclaiming…

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Welcome back, to my wondrous home; the Wailing Keep!~" [Nero] greeted the party with a grin as he swung the large sac of Candy over his shoulders and began to turn his Broom around.

"Who said that you could grow up all of a sudden?!" [Cetilla Vellisroi] snapped on entry into the Wailing Keep. As she did so, a particular Vampire duo gasped.

"Oh, you didn't hear? Halloween Cats with [Shapeshift+3] gain access to a larger Human form." [Nero] frivolously sneered as he began to lead the group through the Wailing Keep. To which, the Sorceress seemed heavily dejected.

"You… Evolved again?" [Goblin Funk] begged the question while squinting his eyes and following the Cat.

"Indeed, and yourselves?" [Nero] sighed.

"Obviously. Just look at us~" [Budget Dragon] chimed in while raising his head high as he gallantly roamed through the Throne Room.

"I'm a Tier 7 Bearoleph." [Ben] grumbled before turning to leave.

"Can I go play with the kids now?" [Rita] excitedly begged the question.

"Actually… I have something that only you can do. Travel to your old home, and find the two Rifa who are stronger than the rest… Please convince them to join the Monster Knights." [Nero] instructed the Rifaleesi with a smile.

"Oh~ My family is stronger now? I'll go see!" [Rita] squealed as she turned to run away.

"You really prepared to have more of those running around the Wailing Keep?" [Cetilla] asked while watching the running Rifaleesi with the corner of her eyes.

"We have more rooms meow, and a lot of new faces have joined us. Are you hungry?" [Nero] explained while ignoring the remark. As he said so, a particular Werewolf appeared; complaining something about a lack of Candy.

"I could eat~" [Cetilla] grinned.

"How about you, Goblin Funk, and Lemmispire?" [Nero] asked with a smile.

"Yeah, sure." [Goblin Funk] happily accepted the invitation.

"I'm so sick of Fish…" [Lemmispire] groaned.

"What about me?!" [Budget Dragon] complained.

"I heard that your room downstairs smells. You should go take care of whatever you forgot to eat first." [Nero] shot back at the Shrake. To which, it seemed surprised before it began to happily skip along back to the the basement.

As we traveled to the Kitchen, we watched as Budget Dragon frolicked away… Defying gravity at every step. His legs are way too muscular. He seems to have ditched his wings from before, and he also seems to have ditches his arms entirely. He doesn't have them any longer. He just has that massive mouth and those busty legs. Also, a whole lot of teeth. He sacrificed arms and wings for more teeth and a larger mouth. I can't help but wonder how he intends to play Safari Cards meow… Not a moment later, I heard it. A Shrake's cry as he noticed the Cards on the table and probably figured it out. He's made a mistake. It was a deafening sound, not for the faint of heart. I'd bet, that anyone in the Wailing Keep heard it. Then again, I don't know just how strong those soundproof walls are downstairs…

Turning to the others, I asked what Tier Rita and Budget Dragon had ascended to. As it turns out, Rita is meow a Tier 8 Rifaleesigal. Budget Dragon is a Tier 9 Land Shrake. I was exactly correct, on the name. Incredible. Okay… Fine~ He might actually be called a Drarke… But it's irrelevant. Land Shrake. At this point, I noticed that a particular Tier 5 Skeleton and Mick both perished. The party's going down. It can't be helped. While we began to prepare some food, I learned that Goblin Funk has become a Hobgoblin Berserker. Woah~ He's the same class as Mr and Mrs Scarecrow meow! He's Tier 9. Impressive. Very impressive. He's certainly surpassed his rival and best friend; Cloaked Monk joined by his partner, Grenda. Shortly after learning that fact, Luna and Wendel both joined in the graveyard. It's just Penny and Molag Dregora remaining. As we continued to cook, I learned that the Scoreceress who I intend on having lead Reygid… Is none other, than a Tier 11 Catkin. Incredible. Stop. One second, I'm throwing up into the sink. While I gagged, I stared at my own level. I'm level 203. If those two succeed in defeating that boss… I should ascend to Tier 8. Maybe. Most likely. Still, though… Cetilla's like… Cetilla's over level 2000. She's ridiculous. Also, she needed to have Evolved at some point during this quest for her to look as different right now as she does. Which means, that she gained an upwards of 1000 levels from this endeavor. She was probably already nearing level 2000. She's been here, this entire time… As a very serious nightmare. Cetilla has the full right to be called a Dutchess. Cetilla's insane. Lemmispire is Tier 10 now. Not too shabby, it's a whole lot better than me; anyways. Also, he's carrying a Scorpion's stinger as his trophy.

Conrad, Leoric… Join Penny and Molag in their quest against the Dungeon on the northern edge of the Forest of Witches. Go together, arrive together. Be quick. Don't allow them to have perished before you arrive. Cetilla's bad news. Cetilla's so freaking strong, that I couldn't possibly ask any favors of her. She's literally already blessing me with her presence and aide. I can't ask her to lead Reygid. She obviously does not want to. I'll ask her how she feels about it, but if she's against it in any way… I can't stop that. She's beyond me. As we began our meal, I asked the others how their journey was. Wendel was bitterly performing "Z*mbie". According to them, they absolutely massacred all of the beasts roaming the lands of the Orc Mountains… But they didn't have time to go about actually stepping into the Dungeon which had started it all. They ran out of food. With Budget Dragon's Evolution, they were able to Fish in the Ocean for a little while… But he quickly got overwhelmed at one point, almost lost his life… And so they decided to stop and head home after he had fully recovered. Also, they were able to eat the dead Rams… But their meat was rough… And furry. It was difficult to get all of the wool off of the meat… Leading to particularly annoying meals.

After I finished asking them of their journey, they asked me of what I'd been up to. I told them about the Dungeon and Mongoosekin first… As I began to eat some Candy from the bag that I had been carrying around. Luna and White Beef Lady were glaring at me angrily when I did, as I totally let them die earlier when I began seeing to Cetilla and the others. I was eating in between each sentence that I said. After finally explaining that whole situation, I explained about how the Witch Academy still ended up producing more Scarecrows… So I captured them, and that was my reasoning for venturing there in the first place. Cetilla seemed shocked, as she didn't remember there being a Dungeon there. It may be a secret Dungeon, after all… The plot! It thickens…

After that, I explained how the Elven forest seemed to have brought up a [Barrier] earlier in the evening… And that I noticed it while traveling to the Forest of Witches. I also explained my own thoughts on the matter. Lemmispire was able to clarify that there was indeed a catastrophe plaguing Vanheim. It was on the northern edge of the territory… And that it was said to be near a meadow. Beneath the surface of the meadow, is a fair maiden. She's untouchable… You can only see her if you're also beneath the surface of the water… But you can hear her sing every night, alluring any men which happen to hear her... Back to her, coercing them into laying themselves down within the water… When beneath the water, they gain vision of her; and she wraps her arms around them… Pulling them in deeper, as her hair engulfs them… After it happens, the man and woman both disappear… Presumably, to a place where the two finally have their battle. Only one may challenge this deadly maiden each night. One man. No women allowed. If she goes unchallenged for too long, she calls upon the spirits of those she's slain… And resurrects them for a night of torment against Vanheim, the land where cowards too weak to challenge her reign. It's a scenario that happens quite often in Vanheim, and it usually results in the [Barrier] being raised. It's a thing. It happens. It's known.

By the time that Lemmispire had finished his explanation, I believe that Conrad and Leoric arrived at the battle. Their MP started to decrease... Conrad's, at an incredible rate. Conrad! Stop using [Flock Storm]! It's too wasteful~ Moments later, his MP began to stabilize. Jeez… If I need to tell him for every single battle that we wage, I'm going to be wasting a whole lot of MP. That ability just doesn't seem to work very well for us. Oh? Molag Dregora is taking a whole lot more damage than the others, perhaps due to not possessing clothing. He's got a lot of MP, so it's pretty difficult for him to lose all of too much in one attack… But he's quite certainly the least proficient at dodging attacks amidst his peers. He just… Takes it. Head on. Nothing can move him, probably. Regaining my senses, I began to explain the Harpy Matriarch and Lionkin King's present state. They're both Vampires, meow. Neither of them are following my rule. I also explained that in order to persuade the Elven Council that our fight against Reygid was justifiable… We would lead Reygid through it's turmoil, and that I would establish a new sect of the Cat Crew in order to manage it. I explained that Cetilla, being a rightful Dutchess was a highly desirable candidate to be the face of such a group… But that I wasn't expecting Cetilla to actually lead Reygid or anything, as I doubted that she had any intention of doing so. She confirmed such a thought, and so I concluded with the fact that Rei and Milton were resurrected as Banshees and Phantasms… And that obviously, I had found the Forsaken Isles and rescued all of the Banshees, Phantasms, Skeletons, and a certain Crab race which can meow be normally found roaming the distant side of the Delhn Beach.

They were absolutely floored with how much I had achieved in their absence, but honestly… I'm more impressed with how they're all at least 1 Tier higher than me. Even… Budget Dragon and Rita are both higher Tiers than me. Ben settled with being even with me, and stopped trying as hard when he achieved Tier 7. But I'm meow nearing Tier 8~ I was thinking such things as Cetilla ran off to go and see Rei near the Lake. I wished her luck, and also quickly informed them that the Lochness monster would likely be dying soon… But it's unclear of whether Cetilla heard me or not. Goblin Funk did, though.

"So, you've been keeping busy?" [Goblin Funk] begged the question while finally finishing his meal.

"Yeah… I learned about Dungeons, and how this entire continent is in peril due to them. It's apparently my job to solve them, but I don't think I'm strong enough yet. Even this previously unheard of Dungeon is proving to be quite the strain on my Clansmen." [Nero] confessed with a sigh and a dejected expression.

"Well, that's why you sent us out to the Orc Mountains; right?" [Goblin Funk] replied with a casual laugh.

"I guess you're right. Oh~" [Nero] agreed before suddenly remembering...

"In case you haven't checked… I turned three. I can now release Clansmen if I want to… Which should allow me to send them off to train themselves as well. The only thing, is that I need to find them again afterwards… And there's always the chance that they'll refuse to serve me a second time. Also, if I reach Tier 10… I can give away my power to bestow myself with a longer lifespan." [Nero] happily explained to the Hobgoblin.

"That's amazing news! Does this mean that you know how long you have left now?" [Goblin Funk] exclaimed with relief.

"Yes. I should be able to live up to 7 years long in my current state. After I give away all my power, I can live for 77 years." [Nero] explained while removing his aviators and eating more Candy.

"77, huh? It's not very long… Given how quickly you seem to spend your years… Is there a means of increasing it even further?" [Goblin Funk] asked while squinting.

"Yes. If I reach the 33rd Tier on my second try, then I can give away my power once more to raise my lifespan up to 777 years. I believe I can keep going further after, but I didn't bother asking about the details." [Nero] explained with a grin.

"Asking?" [Goblin Funk] let out, while tilting his head.

"There's a girl who appeared in my Halloween Town to congratulate my for my birthday. She's my Allwessistant Dott, and she's basically just a wealth of information regarding Halloween Cats. According to her, I'm an Allwe Halloween Cat. I'm leaning more towards kindness than wrath, or something. Also, there's currently a different Halloween Cat in this realm; a Hoen Halloween Cat… Who is leaning more towards wrath than kindness. It's a whole issue, and I'm apparently destined to die before the Hoen Halloween Cat." [Nero] explained dejectedly.

"Rough…" [Goblin Funk] sighed.

"To top it all off, a God decided to ask me to ensure that a new set of Halloween Cats are born after me in this realm… After I attain as much power as I possibly can, so that my child may continue my line… And gain even more power than I did, so that he or she may eventually claim dominion over the Halloween Realm… So that I may reincarnate in this realm once more, as a different Halloween race. Preferably, one that isn't dying to Time Magic. In order to make it happen, after my child is born… I would be best off to leave around half of my Clansmen behind to support the child, before taking my own life alongside the other half of my Clansmen within Halloween. That way, they would all remain with me after I began to spend eternity within Halloween… Rallying other Halloween Cats of Allwe to also, support my later dead child who had immeasurably more time to gain experience than we did before having also died... So that we can all stand together against the current King of Halloween… So that when I and my Clansmen finally perish within Halloween, we can return here in this realm. The same goes for my child, and his or her Clansmen." [Nero] ranted, still dejected.

"Anything else?!" [Goblin Funk] screamed exasperatedly.

"I need to prepare my unborn child for a war against a God… And in order to make the most of our time, I can't be there to help raise the child." [Nero] declared with a distant gaze, off to Wendel… Who was still singing.

"Why can't you be there?" [Goblin Funk] asked with a dead look in his eyes.

"I'll need all the time that I can get to find as many other Allwe Halloween Cats that may help us as I can... Also, I'm capable of converting my lifespan into experience points; bestowing it to any of my Clansmen. If I finally achieve having a child, they would be better off to be left with a more capable Clansman... One who accepted my life energy and took it on as their own strength, to use when raising my child." [Nero] sighed.

"Why not just keep the strongest Clansman for yourself, to use when preparing yourself in Halloween?" [Goblin Funk] asked with a laugh.

"I'm unsure of whether I can achieve Tier 33, but I'm going to need it if I'm to stop Hoen. With the knowledge of one of my strongest Clansmen to keep the child safe... The child will never make my mistakes, they'll be born with the Tier I held before death; and they'll have numerous Clansmen, businesses, and companions to help them on their journey to save this world as well as Halloween. If they can't save this world, saving Halloween is the next best option. Save Halloween, and you guarantee that Halloween can save this realm with adequate time." [Nero] mumbled.

"...So why do you seem so upset about it all?" [Goblin Funk] begged the question.

"It's going to be practically impossible. If we succeed, I'll be pleasantly surprised. I'm staking it all on the naive idea that no Halloween Cat has ever been able to achieve, and still thrive after attaining the lifespan of 777 years. If we don't succeed, I'll never have the chance to meet any of the individuals that I worked desperately to help ever again... And most or all of my most powerful Clansmen will also be kept from that luxury." [Nero] explained while looking up at the chandeliers.

"Oh… I wouldn't worry about that. I joined Halloween when I became a Hobgoblin, and it's not as though the others can't also do similar things before your battle against Halloween begins. You'll win." [Goblin Funk] declared while holding a thumb up high.

"Eh? Oh… I didn't see it before, but your icon is hidden between your abs." [Nero] said flatly after turning to check out the Hobgoblin a second time.

"My… Icon?" [Goblin Funk] furrowed his eyebrows once more while sighing.

"It doesn't matter." [Nero] groaned.

"What of the lochness monster?" [Goblin Funk] begged the question.

"Oh… It will probably die soon, but can you [Appraise] it and let me know how much HP it has left?" [Nero] asked while tilting his head.

"Sure. I'll come and let you know as soon as possible. Don't forget to heal your Clansmen~" [Goblin Funk] accepted the deal with a wink as he pointed to a Pixie appearing out of Nero's Lantern.

"Where was the Candy?! I finally got hit by that thing, but YOU didn't heal me at all!" [Penny] hysterically shouted while pointing at the Cat. To which, she received a groan.

Picking up my bag once more, I began to eat more Candy… With Penny out of the game, at least the battle might progress faster…

"Hey!" [Penny] shot back, fully enraged before crossing her arms and joining the group of other Clansmen who feel betrayed by Nero's incompetence.

Well, I'm still eating Candy. It would appear that many of the Clansmen are upset with my being brutally interrupted in the middle of literally the only thing that I need to be giving my all… As it meow means that Molag Dregora, Leoric Eldinheim, and Conrad the Crowli will be taking all the glory for this fight. It's terribly unfair, given that they might have also had a few other Clansmen there to share in the fame had I not taken a few breaks from feeding them. It's absolutely my fault. Even so, I fail to see how it matters. If the beast dies, the beast dies. Sometimes… Things come up at the office, and the guy in your ear gets preoccupied mid operation. It's not anyone's fault, but it's definitely not fair to whoever is on the field and gets to suffer the consequences of a team that isn't fully coordinated. I'm sorry, everyone~ I'm sure that you all would have fared much better with my help.

I was thinking such things as I continued to eat my Candy. After around 10 minutes, I finally finished eating all of the Candy in my bag. Sorry, everyone. If you can't beat that thing before it deals enough damage to kill you again… That's it. We'll come back another time, but it's over for meow. I'm not dipping into my buckets. Moments later, Goblin Funk returned with a smile. According to him, the lochness monster only has roughly half of its HP left. It apparently has a maximum HP of nearly 2 million. Ridiculous. He spent some time talking to Goddin Village Neith Sama, and it would appear that each night… My Clansmen deal roughly 100 thousand damage to the beast. We can expect it to die in 7 to 9 more nights. Ridiculous. If I starve the beast, I can likely force it into dying a whole lot sooner… I remember taking constant damage when I had low FP and SP, so it might work with just low FP. It's been decided. I will starve the beast by day, and starve it as I have it killed by night. That thing shall fall!

Goblin Funk and I decided to spend the remainder of our night by the fire. As we did so, we partook in the conversations stirred along by the night crew… And we properly introduced Goblin Funk to the newer arrivals. They got along famously. At some point, Goddin Village Neith Sama was bickering about how a Hobgoblin could never be the Goblin King… And to my surprise, Goblin Funk only sighed and declared that he no longer desired to be the next Goblin King. What?! Excuse me?! He's just letting his claim to the Throne slip?! After all that? I'm exasperated… Ben also declared that he no longer held any desire to be a Monster Knight. He wants to go off and become a famous Adventurer in the Orc Mountain Dungeon, the very moment that we find a new Bear to take his place. Wild. At some point, Budget Dragon rejoined us, so that he could declare that he desired to join in the killing of the lochness monster. Something about wanting to test his mettle against the beast. He wants to be the strongest Land Shrake(Drarke) that ever lived… And he wants to claim the Delhn Lake as his domain after he does so. I can't help but scratch my head in awe at his brazen attitude. He wouldn't stand a chance in hell against that thing…

I was thinking such things, as Molag Dregora appeared before me; having failed. Only moments later, was I corrected. He did not fail. He succeeded. Conrad and Leoric appeared moments later, declaring as such. They slew the beast. We have absolutely no idea what lies waiting for us beyond that door, but the beast guarding it has fallen. I'm a little pissed about how they neglected to actually check it out for me… But I guess it will just need to wait for tomorrow. Dawn is approaching, as is Cetilla from the Delhn Lake. She claimed that her meetup with Rei was amazing, and she even hugged me as she did so. Patting her back, I smiled as I told her…

"Don't worry about Rei and Milton. I'll never capture them as my Clansmen, so they'll never need to deal with having their minds tampered with." [Nero] exclaimed with a soft voice.

"I'll be the face of Reygid… But I won't spend my time actually leading them." [Cetilla] replied while laughing with a sorry expression.

"I couldn't ask of anything more." [Nero] declared with a grin.

And then, we spent the remainder of our night congratulating the Clansmen who fought so bravely this evening. Looking at my status, I'm meow level 344. A Tier 8 Halloween Cat~ I can finally have a name, and officially name my Clansmen… I'm Nero Miki! Moments later, an orange and purple mist spiraled all round me, and dissipated several seconds later to show that it worked! I'm named! The others seemed shocked, but quickly got over it. Tough crowd… They've seen it all before~

Name: 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: 344

HP: 1720/1720

MP: 8126/8126(+1246)

SP: 52/100

FP: 97/100

P. DEF: 820

M. DEF: 712

STR: 1376

INT: 3988(+548)

DEX: 1032

LUK: 344

AGI: 2388(+324)

Titles:

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

Abilities Learned:

[Flying Broom+2], [Soul Merge], [Clansmen Capture+2], [Hallowed Gate+3], [This is Halloween+1], [Wailing Keep+3], [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+2], [Pumpkin Bomb+2], [Bonus Mana+2], [Time Skip], [War Meow+1]

Alright… It would appear that my [True Halloween Cat], [Master of Disguise], [Mana Guzzler], and my [Witch of War] titles all increased in proficiency. Due to that, I would appear to have gained a better version of [Bonus Mana], [10 Minute Makeover], [War Meow], and [Wailing Keep]. Bonus Mana claims to be granting me an additional 50 MP, once more. 10 Minute Makeover seems to think that he's going to grant me higher level outfits. War Meow wants to say that he's going to be a whole lot more loud meow. 25% louder, infact. He prepared and came with numbers. Wailing Keep Sama believes that I'll be happy to learn of the newly added… Orange or purple flames that will casually always adorn the Throne Room. That is correct. My Throne Room is meow always on fire, according to him. Splendid… Because who DIDN'T ask for that?!

I decided to try out my newest form, the [Shapeshift: Halloween Cat XL (Six-Tailed)], after moving a considerable distance away from the others… Only to find that I have flame paws! They're an unofficial ability, and they may or may not be just for looks… But I'd like to think that they deal flame damage. I was mesmerized by them, up until dawn approached and they turned to the color purple. I'd better return to bed~ Bidding the others farewell, I continued on my way through the meow burning Throne Room and into the Treasure Room. It's strange… I didn't need to change my form one time while walking through the Wailing Keep. I probably don't even need to change my form as I sleep. Stepping onto the bed… It worked. It's fine. I spontaneously changed sizes as soon as my paw touched the bed. I can sleep in my largest form. [Daily Candy]~ Good morning…