Ugh… I feel like I was hit by a truck. Ah… It was the Allwessistant Dott. Lianix didn't bother me all night though… She was busy hanging out with Clara. Yeah… Apparently Catlings who are near Lianix can also have their dreams invaded. Now that I'm looking around, it would appear that Roah just casually fell asleep with us in Halloween. He's such a saint… But we need more coverage on the Beach. Conrad, please go ensure that the Tides are being quelled if you find that the Monster Knights or better yet; our resident Elven Councilman are being lazy~ Thanks.

Okay… I really SHOULD go to the Forsaken Isles and get my vacay started, but it feels reckless. I just need to… Be here. I need to understand what's going on at all times. I can't help myself! I'm a control freak! Also, Clara is SOOO cute… Oh Lilith, thank you for this blessing~ She's adorable!~ She can't open her eyes yet, so she's just rolling around on the ground and oh my GOSH! STOP! Conrad! Please have a Crowliphista ensure that she doesn't get lost. Also, Wendel; please sing to her. Sweet songs. Innocent ones. Yosh!~ She'll need more Fish, too… Nothing but the best for my daughter!~ Robert, please see to it that it's done.

In the meanwhile, I'm going to relish in my sweet; innocent daughter's company. She's SO cute~ She keeps playing with her [Return to Shadows] and [Shadow Flight] abilities as she rolls around… She's like, falling into the ground, and then popping back up a few inches away; and I can't get enough of it. Every time she does it, I see a shadow depicting a teensy-weensy Kitten rolling around; and it's just TOO MUCH TO HANDLE!

"Who's a widdle Kitten?! You are~" [Nero] gushed while poking Clara with his paw.

"Mwero..." [Clara] uttered after poking her head back up through the shadows.

"Nyah!~" [Nero] gushed as he begun to jump from side to side while facing the Catling.

"This is adorable." [Roah] sighed while casually laying on his side, glaring at the two from a slight distance away.

"Here's your Fish~" [Robert] called out before dropping three Common Fish down for the Cats and continuing off on his merry way; off to places that only the Chosen One could possibly go… Probably.

The meal was delicious. Clara could only manage eating one Common Fish, but I scarfed down two. After she had her fill, I was shocked to find that she'd learned how to open her eyes. It was a magical moment, and let me tell ya… They, were… Dazzling. I've witnessed quite the fair share of mesmerizing eyes in my time; okay? Some of these creatures round these parts got some damn good eyes; ALRIGHT?! But none of their eyes… Not a single pair; could EVER hope to come ANYWHERE close to how immaculate Clara's eyes are! Take note! Clara's eyes are the DEFINITION of perfection! THOSE are what desirable eyes look like; people!~ The perfect shade of orange... The deep, moody shade that could only ever be attained via one wicked sunset… With pupils taking up over half the eyes at times… Delicate embers floating out of the sides, as if they were tears… You can tell that she brings the heat, but she's not overbearing with it; you know? It's the whole package. I think she's got us all beat, I'll admit. I'm not ashamed to say that her eyes are nicer than mine; they just might be.

Anyways, now that Clara knows how to open her eyes; she's far better at playing games. We've decided to play tag, but I'm always it; and I never catch her. I get close, and I might get a paw on her for a slight moment or two, but it's just to get her heart goin'. I'm having fun with it~ Sometimes, she gets ballsy and thinks she can be the one to chase me; but then she gets afraid again as soon as she lays a paw on me… She runs right back away, and starts jumping back and forth into the shadows. She wants me to keep chasing her, and it's fine. I honestly can't think of a more enjoyable means to spend my time. This is a nice stress reliever~

As Clara and I played our little games, Wendel sang a variety of songs to us. When Clara finally tuckered herself out, she fell asleep while watching Wendel sing. It was a beautiful moment… But come to think of it… She wasn't even awake for a solid hour? She's probably going to wake up like every single hour or something… This is inconvenient. Maybe I should just bring her with me? I can probably fit her into an empty Candy bucket… Conrad, could you bring one to me; please? Also, can you fly me… Clara, Lianix, and my Lantern around with a few of your Crowliphistae? I don't feel like trying to fly right now if I'm being honest. I feel like I'll probably just wipe out and drop my newborn Catling. No thanks!

Technically… If I lay down on top of a Crowliphista, then I'm not sitting down. I won't be progressing my Time Magic, and I'll still be moving at a decent speed. You've become the perfect Broom, Conrad. TempBroom. Just until my wounds fully heal… I think I want to rely on Luna to see to it, but I don't want to force her into leaving the Beach. The thing is… If I leave my Broom right meow, I'll die. I'll literally die. I've taken more damage than a level 1 Halloween Cat can possibly sustain. Without my Broom, I'll lose all of my bonus MP… And those wounds will become fatal. I need to be directly beside her, if not touching her at all times. I can feel the effects coming on if I get too far away from her… It's like the further I am away, the less of her stats I can make use of. I think it has something to do with having completed the Soul Fusion after Prestiging. Originally, I needed to touch Lianix for her stats; but that's not the case any longer. It might be somewhat similar to that network radius thing that I've got going with my Clansmen.

Well… We're in the Throne Room now… But honestly, what the fuck am I even supposed to do at this point? We've got the Mummy Mansion coming in like two nights… And we've made no real progress. What's the progress on the Festival? Like… How much did we even earn from that event? Have the Nobles paid up yet at all? Are we getting materials imported to help us rapidly build defensive structures around the Mummy Mansion?

"The income from the Festival has been counted. Each Noble and Vassal Family has sent their delivery of Gold Coins. Some have also sent heirs in order to join the assault team. Rudou has begun an Importing Mission within Monastazia with the main goal of obtaining various forms of Lumber; he has the hope that Morris may make use of it… But he is also attempting to procure more ingredients for the Candy Man. The Harpies have already begun flying Miners from Reygid down into the Chasms. Some of the Noble family Coin has been spent hiring Adventurers to help protect the Miners by scaring off rogue Chasm beasts… But each party is being accompanied by at least 3 Harpies. They should all be capable of avoiding confrontation with the beasts of the Chasms if they listen to their guides. The Harpies are all being paid for their work with food purchased from the markets of Reygid; as well as donated by a few different Noble families." [Conrad] explained while holding his beak high.

"...Impressive. What did we earn from the festival, anyways?" [Nero] begged the question while tilting his head to the side.

"49,457 Gold Coins and 900 Silver Coins were earned from the Festival with a total budget of 1,718 Gold Coins." [Conrad] confessed.

...That's… That's like 3000 percent profit! This must be highway robbery or something!

"4000 Stone Lanterns were made, each costing a mere 50 Silver Coins to produce. They were sold for 1 Gold Coin each. They sold out entirely to earn 4,000,000 Silver Coins with a budget of 200,000 Silver Coins. 1800 Fish Sticks were purchased for 140 Silver Coins each… And Cindy demanded 10 Silver Coins to cook each of them. It cost us a total of 270,000 Silver Coins to produce them; each attempt to purchase one during the Festival cost 100 Silver Coins… But they earned us a total of 738,300 Silver Coins. 350,000 Silver Coins were given to Mary to feed the festival… She earned a total of 28,253,600 Silver Coins. 20000 Bottles of Alcohol were purchased from the Kingdom of Nidallia for 4,000,000 Silver Coins, and they sold for 500 Silver Coins each… They earned us 9,205,500 Silver Coins. Clive sold a total of 1206 Bath Towels for 803,000 Silver Coins; earning you 401,500 Silver Coins… 5,043,000 Silver Coins were earned from the Dice games… And 1,816,000 Silver Coins were earned from the Safari Card games." [Conrad] explained masterfully, without needing a single page of ledgers.

Yep… Highway robbery. Also, Conrad's a certifiable genius.

"Research indicates that the economy of Reygid has taken a large boom since the last festival. More creatures are capable of accepting the idea of spending Coins not only because they need to… But because they want to. Hence, we were able to bolster our prices without feeling a hit to our total sales." [Conrad] explained with a sharp expression.

Huh… Makes sense, I guess. The Noble families have all been forced into paying their workers fairly for quite some time meow… Some of these workers might have been able to begin saving their Coins for rainy days; and apparently the festival counts. Clearly, the festival counts. This night alone was more valuable to me than literally 49 weeks of working with Clive… IF my last week with Clive ends up being my stable profit; which is unlikely. I always seem to have a booming profit from Clive, but maybe this has something to do with it? Back in the day, I was basically just relying on the Coin Purses of Nobles and Adventurers… Meow, I can rely on Farmers and Housekeepers; too!~

But come to think of it, if the economy has taken such a large boom… Isn't it time that we increase the costs of clothing? Listen… High stake pieces have probably become quite impractical for me to conjure. I may have earned an MP reset when I Prestiged, but I lost all proficiency for [Disguise]. The higher levels of [Disguise] begin to offer a better chance for a perfect roll than a dud roll. They effectively made it more like a pyramid of chances than a VERY steep spike of chances. I honestly don't want to even try conjuring high level clothing until the proficiency's back up. It's too risky. Be that as it may, if I'm trying to target commoners right now with my price markup; I don't need ridiculously high level clothing. While I'm at it, I might as well think about expanding our little Cat's Costumery. We need another store's endorsement.

I want a place with novice Adventurers, Farmers, and just generally… Commoners. If there's a nearby Dungeon that is actually weaker than the Mummy Mansion, and according to Conrad; there are a few weaker ones... Then we can can offer to rent our Crowliphistae as saviors for novice Adventurers trying to challenge the Dungeon, so not only will we wring more Silver out of them… But they'll be genuinely grateful to us. We can literally get paid to save weaklings when they get too bold, limiting the rate that the Dungeon will grow, helping Conrad grow, helping the Adventurers grow and increase their profit rates alongside survivability, in turn helping the store sell more of our clothing as more people muster up the courage to challenge the Dungeons with OUR help. We win. By all accounts, we win. In fact, we might as well offer the service in Reygid as well. We simply need to know if Conrad's Crowliphistae may enter Dungeons without him needing to be nearby.

"They can, that's how I managed to scout all of the Dungeons so quickly. I gauged the difficulty of each Dungeon depending on how long it took for each Crowliphista to perish whilst attempting to evade all attacks and delve deeper. This tactic proved immensely helpful in learning the general atmosphere of each Dungeon, and the types of monsters residing within them." [Conrad] explained while stretching his wings.

"...Where's your main body?" [Nero] asked with eyes wide.

"It is safely guarding the heart of our humble abode, the Wailing Keep." [Conrad] confessed while bowing his head.

"I like the way you think, Conrad. Keep at least 5 Crowliphistae near it at all times in case of an emergency, and if the emergency becomes too much for them to handle; return all of the other Crowliphistae to your main body so that you can properly fight… Except leave me with one or two of them to help protect Clara." [Nero] beckoned with a sharp expression.

"Very well, where shall we begin?" [Conrad] begged the question.

"The Adventurer's Guild." [Nero] declared. To which, the Crowliphista took flight once more and carried the two Cats out of the Wailing Keep. Moments later, an additional Crowliphista appeared from the top of one of the Wailing Keep's towers; only to begin flying alongside the trio.

...Huh. I guess Conrad keeps some of them stationed up there, as well.

"They're all spread out across the Kingdom, perching on various rooftops or alongside the Kingdom walls. One of them also accompanies each Fishing party which leaves the Kingdom. Be that as it may; around 10 are kept on the Wailing Keep grounds at all times." [Conrad] explained as he continued flying.

...Is it really a smart call to begin renting off the Crowliphistae in an attempt to have him gain more power? They've become intertwined with our own security as a Kingdom. We don't even need Kingdom Knights because of them… But if we had Kingdom Knights, we would have the opportunity to allocate some Crowliphistae to the Adventurer's Guild Members. It's a tough call… We're honestly not hurting for funds at this point, either. Perhaps… All we can do is save our power for the upcoming fight? I'll be worthless in it, but Conrad wont. Lex Jeruke, the Leader of our infamous Never Rest is a Tier 17 Martial Artist Jester. His motley of 7 companions are all capable of rivaling the top 3 of the Dawn Raiders. Their Leader; Vance Rorek was Tier 15… So all of Never Rest is probably at least Tier 13. Conrad's a Tier 18 Aerial Reaper King. Let that sink in... Conrad could potentially be twice as powerful as Lex Jeruke… He's at the same Tier as the freaking Twisted Treant Prince, Grollicus. They're our best cards, and they'll be being supported by the Tier 17 Unholy Priestess; Luna Pratz. I'm honestly optimistic.

"We have arrived… Shall we turn back?" [Conrad] begged the question.

...We're soaring above the Adventurer's Guild. Nah, just send a Crowliphista inside to grab the Guild Master's attention… Also, carefully open the upstairs window so that we can get inside without being noticed by too many pedestrians. Operation: Secret Visit has commenced. Nyah!~

At most, for now… I'm thinking maybe around 20 Crowliphistae. If the situation demands it. I mean, most Adventurers don't take on quests solo. How many people really want to rent a Tier 11 familiar, anyways? That's essentially what a Crowliphista is at this point… Conrad's entire power gets split into 100. He's over level 262,144. It's ridiculous… So if his Crowliphista is 1 percent of his strength, that's still at least a level 2,621 Crow which frankly… Can't die. It would disappear when it actually perished, but it's replaceable for us; not so much for a group of Adventurers in a Dungeon. Each of these Crowliphistae are as powerful as Roah, or Gluttatosk. Two of them could probably take down Cetilla. It's ludicrous.

"Welcome to our Guild, I wish I could say that it was always a pleasure to meet with you… But what the fuck is this?" [Trilby Rona, Head of the Adventurer's Guild] begged the question while raising an eyebrow as he opened his window to allow the Crowliphistae carrying two Cats access.

"Things have changed." [Nero] confessed as he leapt off of Conrad's back and landed onto the round table.

"I-I can see that… Why are you so small?" [Trilby Rona] begged the question with eyes wide immediately after shutting the window and beginning to take his seat.

"As promised, I have lost a considerable portion of my power. It's been redirected to all of my Clansmen, and I have been reborn once more with new abilities at my disposal." [Nero] explained. To which, a small Catling could be noticed poking it's head out from the Candy Bucket.

"...Care to explain a little better? There aren't many details passed down about your type. This is all very new to us." [Trilby Rona] muttered while seeming at a loss. To which, one of the Crowliphistae placed Nero's Lantern down onto the table.

"...I believe it may be easier for me to show you. Robert, and Luna… Please show yourselves." [Nero] beckoned while placing a paw onto the Lantern. Moments later, it erupt into a sea of orange flames; engulfing the room for a split second before evaporating to reveal the two Clans(wo)men seated at the table.

"Robert here was merely a Tier 1 Bat with no special abilities before I was reborn. Admittedly, he's a special case but he's now a Tier 7 Batsuoko Phantom Earl. All of my other Clans(wo)men are now at least Tier 7… Some Evolved to Tier 8, but apart from that… Every one of them gained the [Basked In Night] Title to some degree… And they all earned the [Nero Miki's Beneficiary] Title as well. Luna Pratz here, is also a very special case. I chose to divert power particularly to these two individuals as well as to Conrad, the Crowliphistador Aerial Reaper King. Not only did all three of these individuals gain exceedingly unique abilities, but Conrad and Luna have both gained immense power… As I chose to divert more of mine to them than I did with Robert." [Nero] explained while seeming quite tired.

"I can see that… She's certainly impressive. If she weren't a support type, she could probably face Lex Jeruke in a head on battle." [Trilby Rona] remarked while glaring at Luna who was casually fiddling with her Spellbook before he continued…

"But what about Conrad? I only ever see these little guys…" [Trilby Rona] begged the question while beginning to carefully poke a nearby Crowliphista.

"He's currently indisposed… It takes a lot out of him to control 100 different bodies spread out across the Kingdom. See, that's what I wanted to get into. Each of these Crowliphistae are as strong as Tier 11 Crows in their own right; perhaps stronger. If we wanted to rent these Crowliphistae to parties hoping to set out on adventures, how much do you believe that we should we be charging these parties? And exactly how many parties do you expect to try renting them at a given time?" [Nero] asked while glaring at the Boarkin.

"Tier 11? I don't know if it's a question about how many parties, so much as it's about how many Crowliphistae they'll be wanting each time that they set out." [Trilby Rona] muttered while rolling his eyes.

"Nope. Not happening… The goal here isn't to rent out 100 Crowliphistae to lead entire parties through Dungeons. The goal is to rent out SOME Crowliphistae to save parties under extreme duress. One Crowliphista for each party." [Nero] explained.

"One Crowliphista for each party… What's to stop a party from splitting up and then renting two, only to meet back up later?" [Trilby Rona] begged the question while furrowing his eyebrows.

"...Let me make this absolutely clear. All 100 Crowliphistae are one entity. If Conrad even senses that two of his Crowliphistae are protecting the same area, he can send one back immediately. The Crowliphistae won't be in the epicenter of each battle. They'll be hanging back, above the battles; watching them unfold. If a Crowliphista notices that the battle is leaning toward the enemies, they will take action until it sways back into their favor. They'll only fight if it's to save the lives of the party. If the Crowliphista deems that the area is too dangerous, he will advise the party to fall back and try a different route. Conrad's an insanely intelligent Crow. He'll know when they're in over their heads." [Nero] explained before beginning to stretch.

"Alright… Well, if you're only offering one Crowliphista for each party… Then low grade adventuring parties will be all that you can cater to. High grade parties won't have a need for one mere Tier 11 familiar; they'd want at least 10… But they'd pay top prices for them. Low grade parties won't be able to pay top prices for them, but there will be more parties to work with. Sadly… There aren't very many low grade parties based in Reygid. I'll need to redirect you to another Adventurer's Guild Branch. The Dungeons here are too dangerous, so most of them venture out into the Orc Mountains, the Savage Lands, the Dwarven Kingdom, or the Dragon Mountains… There are starter Dungeons in each of those regions, but the easiest one in the Savage Lands is located quite deep into the region. It's still a dangerous trip for many parties simply trying to arrive there due to the extremely low temperatures… Mainly only Wind, Water, or Ice type rookies go there. The same goes for the Dwarven Kingdom's starter Dungeon; it's located pretty deep into the region, and is difficult to reach due to the darkness of the caves. Light and Earth types tend to prefer it. The Dragon Mountains are simply hot… They scare off most rookie adventurers; but some fire types group up together to take on their starter Dungeon. The Orc Mountains are a challenge to scale, but hold the easiest starter Dungeon to reach from Reygid; so around half of the rookie parties starting up around here head to the Orcs. That said, there are rookie parties starting up all across the continent. You don't need to focus on pinpointing where the Beastkin go~" [Trilby Rona] explained with a casual expression as he began to lean back into his chair.

"That sounds perfect… So there's an Adventurer's Guild inside of the Orc Mountains?" [Nero] asked while tilting his head to the side.

"Of course. There's a Guild in any settlement that's worth it's salt! But if you ask me, the Adventurer's Guild in Reygid is by far; the best!" [Trilby Rona] shot back instantaneously with a glimmer in his eyes.

"Uh-huh… And why's that?" [Nero] shot back with a laugh.

"Uhhh… Have you SEEN Karen?! She's a genuine beauty, and no other Guild has one like her. The Orcs have COMPLETE brutes for staff! We keep the Adventurers comin' back with our good BOOZE and our good FLOOZE!" [Trilby Rona] declared with a brazened expression as he shot straight up out of his chair and slammed both hooves down onto the table.

...Oh. Karen's a Pigkin… And Trilby's a Boarkin… It's beginning to make sense meow, why she's forced to wear that ridiculous outfit; and why they keep her around and let her in on all the important meetings… Trilby's just got the freakin' hots for her, and it's bad. It's workplace violation BAD!~ HOLY CRAP! How did I not see this before?! She has absolutely no idea! She thinks it's about seniority or some shit! Oh my lord...

"Listen up… I'm only going to say this one time. Just between you and me, cuz' we're bros. One Boar to a Cat, Karen's got the goods. Last night, I saw her bend over to reach for the lowest rack of Beer and the button on her blouse popped straight off. It knocked a Tier 8 Lionkin out for 16 hours… It was absolutely glorious~ Her voice demands respect, and the way her tits jiggle when she talks; she earns it." [Trilby Rona] whispered with a hysterical look in his eyes as he shielded his mouth with one hoof away from Clara.

...WHAT?!

"It popped… They jiggle?" [Nero] shot back as one eye began to twitch.

"Tier 8… Every syllable." [Trilby Rona] slammed back before puffing smoke out of his snout.

"...You know Veronica Vellisroi?" [Nero] shot back with eyes wide.

"Everyone knows Veronica Vellisroi." [Trilby Rona] squealed before giddily getting back into his seat and leaning in.

"So, this one time; Veronica Vellisroi totally grabbed my junk like at least 3 times inside of a Clothing Store while half a dozen employees gave me a group hug. Another time, I watched her gift wrap a cherry with the stem without even scratching the cherry." [Nero] whispered with a hysterical expression.

"You need to get with her and break that marriage. Roy's old news." [Trilby Rona] declared with eyes wide while nodding his head profusely.

"But she wants me to marry Cetilla…" [Nero] sighed.

"...Too young." [Trilby Rona] grumbled while reaching into a nearby desk.

"That's what I said! I'm positive that Cetilla will mature into an incredibly seductive woman, but she just needs a few more years; you know?" [Nero] remarked while twirling his claw around in a glass of Beer on the table.

"Yeah, let's hope the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree~" [Trilby Rona] laughed before lighting a blunt from the desk with a nearby candle.

"...Where do you get them?" [Nero] begged the question before beginning to lick his beer. To which, Trilby Rona nodded his head slightly with a knowing expression as he continued to inhale.

What a beautiful cloud of smoke… I remember smoking in my previous life. Helped reduce stress, feels like a decent time to get back into it.

"There's a place down the street from Vigi's Forge. It's a small stall, opens up in the afternoons and runs until the wee hours of morning. Run by a Cobrakin. Stand up guy, but he talks funny and has a thing for fire types. Goes by the name of Clause, whisper that the bacon had sizzled; he'll pull out the good stuff." [Trilby Rona] explained with a quiet voice before taking another puff from his blunt.

"...How do you hold things with hooves?" [Nero] muttered with a dazed expression.

"There's a trick to it. If I just wedge it in deep enough, it works out. Eventually, I learned the [Sticky Hooves] ability. Helps me grab things quickly, and quietly with my Hooves." [Trilby Rona] confessed with a smug expression as he kicked his legs up onto the table.

"Fun… Can you disable it when the embers get too close to your hooves or does it even matter?" [Nero] begged the question while tilting his head to the side.

"I can cancel the ability, but a little heat can't hurt every once in awhile~" [Trilby Rona] laughed.

"Fair enough… So, who's the Guild Head over in the Orc Mountains?" [Nero] begged the question while tilting his head to the side.

"You want to get in there discretely, am I correct?" [Trilby Rona] asked before taking a puff out of his blunt.

"Well, yeah. It'd be nice to not announce my recent rebirth to the entire continent~" [Nero] nervously laughed.

"As I thought… I've got a suggestion regarding the route that you take when you travel there. You see, when most people venture into the Orc Mountains; they do so from the ground level. They'll find a crevice large enough to fit them somewhere alongside the lower sides of the Mountains… But YOU can fly, so why not enter from the top?" [Trilby Rona] suggested before putting out his blunt with an ashtray.

"...Are there many entrances or something?" [Nero] asked while tilting his head to the side.

"Countless… But most people enter from toward the bottom of the Mountains, so the lower side always tends to be the most populated place. You'll find most of the Merchants down there, clinging to Adventurers like moths to flames~" [Trilby Rona] explained.

"...But where exactly is the Adventurer's Guild located?" [Nero] asked with eyes wide.

"It's near the bottom, but if you were seated toward the top; you could enter without being noticed. Conrad, or perhaps another one of your followers could probably figure out how to pinpoint the Guild; and at that point… You could always just deliver a letter, explaining your situation. I can sign the letter to provide authenticity, but you'll need to promise not to assassinate any Adventurer's Guild officials whilst you're using my signature." [Trilby Rona] exclaimed before raising an eyebrow and squinting at the Halloween Cat.

"...Do I need to write the letter in the blood of a Unicornkin for them to know it's me?" [Nero] laughed.

"Uhh… What?" [Trilby Rona] let out with a confused expression.

"Never mind~ I swear to behave!" [Nero] pledged while bowing his head.

*********

And so, after a few drinks; Trilby, one of my favorite Boarkin… Signed my letter demanding an absolutely discrete and secure meeting with the Adventurer's Guild Head of the Orc Mountains. It's a pretty big deal. Basically as soon as I make contact, I'll be trusted. Hopefully, trusted enough to strike a deal to help rent out some of Conrad's Crow power~

You know… Mescarga totally devoured a ton of Scarecrows, just like Conrad did back in the day. [Soul Merge] things. Mescarga can probably also attain ridiculous abilities capable of allowing her to manipulate dozens of Scarecrows; just like Conrad can with his Crows~ I'd need to invest an Allweiian Fiesta into her or something, more than likely~ Then again, Conrad began displaying the potential to do strange things a long time ago, when he unlocked the [Complete MP Funnel] ability, more commonly known as [Flock Storm].

"Do you have another destination in mind, or would you prefer to continue poking fun at my abilities?" [Conrad] begged the question while carrying the two Cats about under the snowy night sky.

"...Let's go and see how Leoric is faring." [Nero] grumbled while furrowing his eyebrows.

"I'd like to advise caution against visiting Vanheim." [Conrad] shot back immediately.

"...Did something happen?" [Nero] begged the question while tilting his head to the side.

"I've been detecting exceedingly high levels of haki there, similar to the time that they had raised their barrier… But no such barrier has been raised." [Conrad] explained with a careless attitude.

"...These are the type of things that I'd like to be informed about..." [Nero] shot back with a groan.

"Oh? Well, then research also indicates that the floating waterfalls above the Fae Forest are also currently flowing in reverse. Orpia may or may not be in flames as we speak. The epic flurry in the Savage Lands beholding the Frost Cyclops Giant is quickly approaching the borders to the Forest of the Witches." [Conrad] explained while continuing to hold his carefree attitude.

...What?! Everything is popping off all of a sudden?! What fresh hell is this?! Lilith?! Care to explain?!

"It would appear that the Witches have devised a combat formation to face the Frost Cyclops Giant should it continue marching toward them. Would you like to send assistance?" [Conrad's spare Crowliphistae] offered while casually flying upside down and staring back up at the two Cats.

"...Send all of the Clans(wo)men... And as many Crowliphistae as you can manage to support them without compromising the safety of Reygid." [Nero] beckoned while reaching a paw upwards to meet his Lantern.

And so… Moments later, my Lantern erupted into a sea of orange flames… They reached all the way down to the ground beneath me; and within a few seconds, they revealed the army of my faithful family; who began to march or fly northeast at varying speeds.

"Will they make it in time?" [Nero] begged the question with a nervous expression.

"It would be prudent to use a [Hallowed Gate] instead." [Conrad] sighed.

"True." [Nero] sighed while glancing at the 38 Tier 7 Scarecrows possessing 96 AGI. To which, Conrad's Crowliphistae began flying as quickly as they could.

And so, when we arrived… A few of the Witches possessed baffled expressions; but I recognized a particular Councilwomen~ It was Grescilda Ollivander. She's not acting anywhere NEAR as pretentious as usual, so they must not be understaffed this time around. Looking around, there's like… At least 400 Witches floating around out here while making up 6 horizontal lines. Most are very obviously just grunts; they float closer to the ground; making up the two longest lines. Then, there are two other lines somewhat above them and closer to the Forest. These are probably the Elite Witches. Beyond them, is one somewhat long line; where Grescilda's flying. Probably all Elven Councilwomen, past or present. And then on the absolute highest line; is the best of the best. 10 Witches are floating up there. It's wild.

The level of importance that the Witches of this Forest seem to place on their ranking is beyond impressive. Even during extreme duress, when these girls band together; they do so in FORMATION! Only the HOTTEST, most WEALTHIEST and INFLUENTIAL of all these broads will do for the position with the best lighting!~ OKAY?! I'm here for it. All the way. 100 percent. [Hallowed Gate]! You know what to do, ladies and gentle freaks!~ Get out there and show them how you literally can't die!~

Mwuahahahahaa!~ Oh fuck. I forgot. I wanted to like… Not speed level. Yet here I am? Inserting my followers as the vanguard to a battle with literally hundreds of Witches on the scene? Lianix and Janus would be SO proud of me… But this feels wrong. I haven't prepared! At all! Okay… New plan! I'll prepare, while the battle takes place. Yep. Speed preparations. From now until the battle ends, I shall be mindlessly conjuring level 1 pieces of clothing, cancelling and re-conjuring my [Hallowed Gate], cancelling and re-conjuring my [Barrier], cancelling and re-casting my [Shapeshift], while flying around in VERY small circles on Lianix… Yes! I'm going to ability spam on the ground in the midst of a battlefield! Conrad! Don't let me or Clara die! Emphasize Clara! Luna, I want you close to me at all times as well~

**********

The battle was waged for hours. In the time that it took for the Frost Cyclops Giant to fall, at least 100 Witches died. They were probably all grunts, but tears were shed; okay? I wasn't sure that these caddy bitches had it in them, but apparently; they too… Feel. A few of the Witches made sure to thank us for our aide, but honestly…? I feel like we went hilariously underappreciated. Granted, I didn't really pay attention to a whole lot of the battle… But I saw things. There was this one moment, in particular; when a MASSIVE shard of ice was about to fly at mach speed into a particular Councilwomen, certainly impaling her… But a suicidal Crowliphista stopped it. Gave its life to alter the trajectory of the shard by a slight degree, saving another life who wound up delivering a few rather important blows to the Frost Cyclops Giant later on. I'd say that we were influential, but they'd never admit it.

From the entire ordeal… I have reached Tier 13. It's ludicrous. I could cry. I spent all that time mentally preparing for the potential of following a different route for my ability proficiencies… Yet here I am, having rushed myself almost immediately. The first opportunity that presented itself, really… I'm disappointed in myself. Everything seemed so serious… I needed to help, you know? Now it just feels like I failed myself!

Name: Nero Miki

Race: Cat (Halloween)

Weapon: Lantern (Delhn Glass, Siberite Tourmaline Lantern)

Mount: Broom (Chaos Liannas String Dark Phoenix Claw Broom)

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

Level: 9056

HP: 45280/45280

MP: 213910/315160(+134040)

SP: 73/100

FP: 64/100

P. DEF: 0

M. DEF: 0

STR: 36224

INT: 157580(+67020)

DEX: 27168

LUK: 9056

AGI: 94548(+40212)

Titles:

[True Allwe Halloween Cat+4], [From Another World], [Fused Soul Curse: Chaos Liannas String Dark Phoenix Claw Broom - Lianix], [Allwescension Bestower+21], [Clansmen Collector+4], [High Curse: Satan's Concubine, Mother of Demons - Lilith+1], [Master of Disguise+2], [Witch of War+1]

Abilities Learned:

[Flying Broom+4], [Soul Merge], [Clansmen Capture], [Hallowed Gate+3], [This is Halloween], [Wailing Keep+2], [Language Comprehension], [Shapeshift+3], [Barrier+4], [Daily Candy+1], [Claw Fishing], [Disguise+5], [Recovery by Sleep], [Enhanced Meditating+1], [Track Lianix], [Track Beneficiary+21], [Collect Allweiian Samples+4], [Seduce Hoeni], [Hellspawn+1], [10 Minute Makeover], [Pumpkin Bomb+1], [War Meow]

So… After actually taking a hard glance at everything going on… I can't be THAT mad. I was reimbursed with three of my long lost favored abilities. The best part? I was almost able to dodge the whole Time Magic thing, too. It's really just a shame that [Daily Candy] wasn't improved more~ But seriously… I didn't expect it to work this well.

Is it perhaps… Easier to regain proficiency that I've already lost due to being reborn, or is it just because that Frost Cyclops Giant was ridiculously intense? The Permafrost debuff that it inflicted was cold enough to effectively petrify Ice type Witches; making Fire types the supreme method to face it. That's the only reason why we were as effective as we were. I genuinely think that we've been facing this whole thing wrong. Fire types should go to the Savage Lands. Ice types should go to the Dragon Mountains. Probably. I don't know... Maybe I'm stupid and we weren't as helpful as I think~ AGH! Grescilda's coming this way! [10 Minute Makeover]!

"Glad you came… I was pleased to have a chance to truly witness your followers in battle." [Grescilda Ollivander] exclaimed with a smile after descending to meet the recently re-titled Witch of War.

"...You say that as if you were present for my trials~" [Nero] sighed with a wry smile as he wore a Policeman costume.

"While I wasn't there in person, I can't lie that I may have had an opportunity to watch as it unfolded~" [Grescilda] giggled while shielding her mouth.

"Grescilda… How powerful was that thing?" [Nero] asked with eyes wide.

"That thing was known as Rioden. It was a Tier 23 Frost Cyclops Giant that was likely hailing from the Frost Giant's Blizzard located on the southeast side of the Savage Lands." [Grescilda] explains with a serious expression.

"...It had a name?" [Nero] shot back with a baffled expression.

"Indeed… Rioden has been known to sleep and only wake during the most opportune moments to sow disaster. Now that he's been vanquished, his essence will return to the north and he won't rise again for quite some time. If he does, he'll be quite a fair bit weaker. I'm truly grateful for your assistance." [Grescilda] thanked before bowing her head.

"Interesting… So, Rioden was effectively that entire Dungeon?" [Nero] asked while tilting his head to the side.

"Not exactly. Rioden is one of the three Frost Giants of the Blizzard. That's why when he came, we only experienced a flurry… Not a full blown blizzard. Rioden's two brothers are known as Merdicht and Rhodren. As the legends go, the three brothers are only related by the blood of their father; Uldricthendren. Henceforth, each are distinctively different Frost Giants. While Rioden was a Frost Cyclops Giant, Merdicht is a Frost Golem Giant, and Rhodren is a mystery." [Grescilda] explained with a worried expression.

"...No one knows anything about Rhodren, except that he exists?" [Nero] shot back as one of his eyes began to twitch.

"Precisely… The last known recount of Rhodren's appearance was before the times of Sophia, and unfortunately… The name of his race was smudged off of our records. We do however know that he carried the coldest flurry of the three; and that he brought an army of the Winter about with him." [Grescilda] explained while seeming somewhat embarrassed.

...Yeah, this is bad. The freaking Witches, priding themselves on their academic advancements… Had scrubbed records of catastrophe class monsters. Can't a Cat catch a break around here?! JEEZ!

"Wait… Rioden comes when times are bad, but when will Rhodren and Merdicht arrive?" [Nero] asked with a tired expression.

"Merdicht has been known to sleep and only wake during the most opportune moments to sow fear, while Rhodren has been known to sow despair. Together, they are the brothers of disaster, fear, and despair." [Grescilda] explained with a saddened expression.

"So you truly believe that Rioden's appearance marks the inevitable arrival of Merdicht?" [Nero] asked before yawning.

"Nero… 548 Witches were rallied to this fight, and your followers also lent their aide. 138 Witches died tonight. If the other two brothers head this way, or may the gods forbid that their father deemed it necessary to show up and sow madness… The Witches could be forced to flee from the continent and abandon everything that we've built here." [Grescilda] explained the situation before beginning to glance up toward the stars.

"...We'd be forced to find a new home somewhere out there… Who knows how many of us would survive the journey, or if we'd even be able to relocate all of us to the same place? Classes could take decades to return to their former pace if we lost all of our artifacts. It would be the end of our society as we know it." [Grescilda] continued as a tear fell from her eye.

"We won't let the Witches fall. It'd make things too difficult for us later on~" [Nero] laughed with a weak smile as he placed a hand on Grescilda's shoulder.

"...I find it particularly unnerving to have you touch me while appearing so young…" [Grescilda] muttered with a look of disgust before letting out a slight laugh.

"Ahhh~ Make way, for I have been reborn anew! All of my followers have been bestowed with a portion of my former power, some more than others… And I have gained a collection of brilliantly new unique and almighty abilities to save us from these crises~ Hail Lilith!" [Nero] declared with a wry smile as he flamboyantly danced around the Witch; performing a great many poses, causing her to laugh even more.

"Seriously..? Reborn anew?" [Grescilda] laughed.

"I'm like a Phoenix, only hotter!~" [Nero] screamed admirably as he snapped his fingers.

"I'll take your word for it when you've returned to your former self!" [Grescilda] giggled.

...Ah! Now that I think about it… I've literally re-unlocked the 'Halloween Catkin M (Human)' form. In one go. It's fine. I can be a manly man again! It wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be~ [Shapeshift]!

"Oh… Been fooling with me all along, have you?" [Grescilda] shot back with a wry smile.

"Nah… I truly did lose the capability to use this form, but Rioden was so powerful that I somehow managed to regain it. Thanks for reminding me, though~" [Nero] laughed.

"It's marvelous how your clothing magically reshaped itself to your new size…" [Grescilda] muttered while tilting her head to the side as she eyed up the newly made Halloween Cat.

"...How do I look? Any different from last time?" [Nero] asked while doing a slow twirl for the Witch.

"Yeah… Your jaw. It's more defined. Your eyes… You have embers floating out of the sides… And there are vertical lines of fire sewn across the skin surrounding your eyes. It's beginning to feel as though I'm speaking to a Flame Spirit of some kind. You're visibly smoking. There's smoke coming off of your body. Did you always have this many tails? Your hair is dark orange at the tips… And your claws… They're bright red. They're hot enough to brand someone." [Grescilda] muttered with eyes wide as she continued to size the Halloween Cat up.

...Woah. My nails truly ARE bright red… I can definitely deal some damage with these bad boys. That whole vertical line thing needs to be re-examined… But I understand where she's coming from with the smoke thing, and if I glance upwards… I can see the embers floating up from my eyes. She's not wrong. I'm also interested to see the hair thing up close. This calls for a mirror trip. That's right!~ I need to venture back into the basement of the Wailing Keep. It's going to be treacherous...

"Thanks for the update, Grescilda. What are you going to do now that the battle's been won?" [Nero] begged the question with eyes wide.

"The Council will be meeting shortly to discuss our next moves. I'd offer you to come, but I'm not sure if it would be appropriate." [Grescilda] confessed with an uneasy expression.

"...Nah. Screw that~ I helped protect their nation. The least they could do is fill me in on what they plan to do about the other two abominations~ Besides, I have it on good authority that things are going sideways in Vanheim, Orpia, and the Forest of the Fae as we speak. Reygid may or may not go up in flames within a matter of days as well. I need as much information as I can get if I'm going to plan my means of defending this continent. I'm the only Holiday Clan Leader that you have." [Nero] shot back before getting up onto his Broom and gesturing for Grescilda to lead the way.

"Very well~ But I won't be the one convincing them…" [Grescilda] sighed before beginning to fly back to the Forest.

And so, that was how I managed to weasel my way onto the Council of Witches~! Mwuahahahaha! It's going to be awesome! I'm going to get a chance to see all of the most powerful Witches working together to coagulate a plan of defense against a doomsday scenario!

*********

It's been at least three hours. I needed to use [Daily Candy] at some point. Turns out, my hair changes to dark purple at the edges when night ends. Nyah~ But basically, this has been the MOST boring meeting that I've ever been a part of since entering this realm. It's even more dull than when all the nobles sat around and decided how we'd spend their taxes. We didn't even get food to sit through this! It's all doomsday and stuff, people are talking about packing their bags and simply ditching the continent to avoid cutting losses… Other people are talking about fleeing to live with the Elves. Others are talking about holding their ground, but are being treated like fools for it… While a few even offered the idea of requesting aid from or fleeing to the dark sisterhood or whatever... Yeah. Those evil Witches who practice black magic on the other side of the freaking world? It's not off the table~

Frighteningly enough, some are blaming my arrival for the recent upscaling in the whole tragedy department across the continent. Can't lie… The thought has crossed my mind. The Clan Wars are basically a means of forcing an upshift in power across the creatures of Melchiodore. Sure, they inevitably face each other; but not before they're supposed to put an end to the dungeons. It'd make sense if the Dungeon Masters could sense the beginning of the Clan War, or at least when Clan Leaders are somewhat nearby and gaining power. Maybe this is their means of trying to stomp me out before I become too much of a problem? Can the Dungeons… Get strategic like that? I was under the impression that they were all following set rules for themselves, like simple games; each unique yet similar? I suppose that if some of the simple games have rules that are broad enough to be made into 'sowing disaster'... Then maybe things can get strategic like this?

One way or another, I tried to explain that the Elves, Fae, and Demons were all currently dealing with their own problems; and that we would also have ours coming up soon… But they didn't really care to listen to me. It would appear that I still don't have any respect around here. A few Witches were impressed by my daughter, Clara; though… But I think it's more about them enjoying the company of a cute mysterious Phantom/Witch half-blood that I was able to conceive and give birth to in the span of a literal night. They're just... Analyzing my power and capabilities; not admiring my daughter. Either that, or they're just as bored as I am; and Clara's cute. It's unclear.

Eventually, it was decided that they would reconvene in a night, but would pack as many bags as they could for the possible need to evacuate the Forest. Yep, they shaved hours off my night only to decide that they weren't sure yet. Such a pain… By the time I got back to the Beach, I wanted nothing but to fall asleep; and so I did. Right beside my perfect daughter; Clara~