I met with Lianix again… But this time, she bestowed me with some knowledge. Lianix is 100 percent willing to try and at least meet the Legendary Lantern of Light… But she doesn't want me to forge any pacts with him until she approves. Also, she was quite pleased with the results of her fight against Gallsciu… But she warned me of tonight's battle. Even Lianix, it would appear… Is growing concern for my worsening disposition. To make matters seem even more convincingly bad… I woke up in a pool of my own sweat. I'm laying on the floor of the Wailing Keep Dining Hall… Everything around me seems fine, except I'm still on fire. I'm still on fire…

I'm still on fire. Excuse me, Lilith? What the absolute fuck is going on over here?! Ow… My head hurts. My lips feel dry… I'm actually quite dizzy, now that I try to get up… Oh my god… I'm literally going to die. WAR NYATER! Ugh... Conrad, send a Crowliphista… I won't make it. Get one with booze, and another with me to the Beach; and into the water...

************

HOLY FUCK IT'S COLD! I think I'm going into shock… I guess, I passed out again… But I'm in the Ocean, meow… The water around me is boiling. Steam is making me woozy… I'm going to let myself sink a little, so it won't be in my face. It's still boiling, though… I'm just going to close my eyes… It almost feels nice… The bubbles, flowing across my skin… They're getting less dramatic the more hard my nipples feel… But I'm also losing feeling in my fingers. Is this how I go out? Required hypothermia? Will I need to manually cool myself down after every hard battle from now on or risk literally burning out?

Gotta say… I never imagined life as a Cat being so difficult… Lilith, will you ever speak to me the way that Janus does? Wait… Do you have the capacity to? Probably not… Janus is the one with the keys to Melchiodore, after all~ I want to meet her… That way, I could at least maybe understand what battles she'd be more willing to help me win. Because right now, it almost seems like she's trying to punish me for using her power to kill Gallsciu… Which I really hope isn't the case. It'd be bad to piss off your new Goddess like four nights in, right before a big night. Also, we're totally fucked.

Luna was able to heal SOME of the Clansmen as I slept, but bottom line… She isn't fast enough. It's tough, because I lack Candy; and Unholy Priestesses are incredibly freaking rare. I suppose I could always try and seduce a Nun in Nidallia, have one of Luna's lackeys bite her… And then force the issue… But how would I live with myself when simply kidnapping some squeamish Cleric would do the job far faster?

Yep… It's settled. We need healers. Also, I need to vacate the water before I die. The water's barely even steaming any longer… And I'm absolutely frozen. Conrad, hate to do this to you... Feeling SO pathetic… But I might actually need help getting out if I'm being honest… Thanks. You're a peach… I could cry.

Now that things are settled… Wow. I dried off almost instantly. Talk about a life hack… You want to know how I learned to control the heat..? The truth is… I'm ALWAYS hot... Heh~ Okay. Time to check up on my status a little more and assess the damage better left known as the Scorched Vampire Loli. Also, it's high time that I take on a Cat form again… Yikes. [Shapeshift]!

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: 84021

HP: 420105/420105

MP: 1532613/1814460(+134040)

SP: 85/100

FP: 36/100

P. DEF: 0

M. DEF: 0

STR: 336084 +4/Level

INT: 907230(+67020) +10/Level

DEX: 252063 +3/Level

LUK: 84021 +1/Level

AGI: 544338(+40212) +6/Level

Titles:

[True Allwe Halloween Cat+6], [From Another World], [Fused Soul Curse: Chaos Liannas String Dark Phoenix Claw Broom - Lianix+1], [Allwescension Bestower+21], [Clansmen Collector+4], [High Curse: Satan's Concubine, Mother of Demons - Lilith+2], [Master of Disguise+3], [Witch of War+3], [Quadruple Flame Witch]

Abilities Learned:

[Flying Broom+4], [Soul Merge], [Clansmen Capture], [Hallowed Gate+3], [This is Halloween], [Wailing Keep+3], [Language Comprehension], [Shapeshift+4], [Barrier+5], [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+1], [Pumpkin Bomb+2], [War Meow+1], [Flame Paws], [Mother's Scorn], [Searing Claws], [Conjure Fire], [Furious Four Flames]

...Fuck. I'm hotter than ever before. [True Allwe Halloween Cat] jumped up two whole levels. [High Curse: Satan's Concubine, Mother of Demons - Lilith] leveled up again… [Master of Disguise] leveled up… [Witch of War] jumped two levels as well, and I obtained the [Quadruple Flame Witch] title. Spooky. As far as abilities go… [Shapeshift] was improved by 1 level; granting me the brand new form of 'Halloween Catkin M (Cat)'!~ It's brilliant work. My list of Cat forms is getting exceedingly confusing… [Shapeshift: Halloween Cat XXS (Basic), Halloween Catkin S (Human), Halloween Catkin S (Cat), Halloween Catkin M (Human), Halloween Catkin M (Cat), Halloween Cat XS (Two-Tailed), Halloween Cat S (Three-Tailed), Halloween Cat M (Four-Tailed), Halloween Cat L (Five-Tailed), Halloween Cat XL (Six-Tailed), Halloween Cat XXL (Seven-Tailed), Halloween Cat XXXL (Seven-Tailed), Halloween Cat YL (Seven-Tailed), Halloween Cat YXL (Seven-Tailed), Halloween Cat YXXL (Seven-Tailed), Halloween Cat YXXXL (Seven-Tailed), Halloween Cat ZL (Seven-Tailed), Halloween Cat ZXL (Seven-Tailed)].

[Barrier] reaching the fifth level allotted me with the capacity to better use my P./M. DEF resistances when withstanding damage using a [Barrier]... It failed to mention how much better it would now be. Epic~ We're back to this, huh? [10 Minute Makeover] reached level 1, so it meow claims that it will be hilariously unlikely that I will continue to get duds from him… But it's still a possibility. He won't rule anything out, so he's actually kind of smart. [Pumpkin Bomb] rose to level 2, and decided that his flames would last twice as long… Oh, how I missed the early ability enhancements~ [War Meow] reached level 1, AH! Yes; that's right… Level 1 grants 25% louder meowing; can't move on without THAT feature… Ah! [Flame Paws] decided to make a choice appearance, and has rejoined our roster of abilities! Glad to have you back, champ~ Honestly didn't even feel like you left…

[Mother's Scorn] also decided to show up unannounced; that's new… Woah. Okay, so [Mother's Scorn] is apparently a passive ability; neat. Whenever I encounter someone deserving of my Scorn, I will allegedly deal 50% more damage to them… And will be incapable of taking my mind off of them, until they are delivered adequate punishment. Woah… I'm… What? Lilith?! In other news… Fuck my life, [Searing Claws] are meow a genuine ability. That glowing redness to my Claws? Yeah, it's apparently not going away any time in the near future. [Conjure Fire] is a little bit interesting… It comes with four forms, right off the bat. First thing's first, we have the [Conjure Flame: Allweiian]... The [Conjure Flame: Chaos Liannas]... The [Conjure Flame: Dark Phoenix]... And the [Conjure Flame: Satan's Concubine, Mother of Demons - Lilith]. [Furious Four Flames], the combination of all four… Is apparently my final combo move. It's VERY hot! Don't touch~ Tsss… Oouh. HOT.

In all seriousness… I think it might actually be necessary for me to get that Flame Witch Teacher right about meow or whatever… Cuz I'm burnin' up out here~ OWHHhh… Okay. I'm done. I need help. I lost my clothes. Conrad, have you seen any of them? My real clothes. The good outfit that I spent far too much mana trying to conjure? Yeah. Where is it? Thanks.

After getting dressed… I had a nice little chat with our resident Elven Councilman. I pronged him for information, mainly with the one question remaining as whether or not he was ACTUALLY a Laurence Reinhart in disguise. He swore on his life that he had never encountered a Laurence, I almost killed him in an attempt at trying to draw his hidden powers out… But then I realized that all the power I was seeing… Completely matched up. It's leg power, he's almost useless once you get him by the cusp of his neck. It's possible that Laurence is also simply just some souped up Runner with an ego… But I doubt it. This guy's neck bled and burned under the pressure of my Claws, he didn't seem intent on resisting at all. He was simply… Frightened. I'm sold. He's not Laurence, I'll cry if he is. He's not Laurence.

Gallsciu Clemenz fell far too easily. I know that we gave it our all and everything… We really did our best, but that wasn't it. She wasn't trying. There was something incredibly off about the entire night, if you ask me. Why did she keel so quickly and let us in on who she was? Why didn't she try harder to kill Roah, Cetilla, or myself for that matter? AGH! I just realized… Roah and Cetilla are totally still my Clans(wo)men… This won't do. No offense, I don't appreciate you guys being in my mind for so damn long any more than you appreciate being in here~! It's weird… I know you guys too well meow. Most of the other Clans(wo)men don't share their personal lives with me to the same extent. I'm releasing you right this instant until midnight!

"I really don't see the point… Midnight's almost here anyways. I'm perfectly content with using this temporary immortality to help me assist with the last minute fortifications around the Dungeon…" [Roah] confessed after appearing through the fire and flames of the nearby Lantern.

"Yeah… I'm also taking advantage of the temporary immortality in my own way, so if you could stop mindlessly droning on to yourself for a few hours and let us think… That might actually help~" [Cetilla] sighed with a wry smile after appearing on the Beach.

"...What are you up to?" [Nero] shot back with a skeptical expression.

"Girl stuff. I'll be at the Vellisroi Estate with Rei and my Mom until things go sideways." [Cetilla] shot back with eyes wide before disappearing once more.

"...Girl stuff." [Nero] muttered while furrowing his eyebrows.

...Waxing? Tanning? What? Do girls do their nails in this era? Oh, who am I kidding… Obviously, girls like Cetilla and VERONICA... They do. I just don't understand where the immortality part becomes required...?! Isn't the Vellisroi Estate actually quite safe? The fuck?

"Nero, I'm going to go finish up some manual labor down near the Mansion, you coming?" [Roah] begged the question with a goofy smile.

"Mreh… Okay." [Nero] sighed while rolling his eyes.

"We're fixing up some stone walls on all sides of the entrance. Craftsmen are going around putting up wooden walls behind them, for the ranged attackers to stand on and rain their attacks down from above." [Roah] explained the situation as the two began approaching the Mummy Mansion.

"It's something… But is there anything else we can do?" [Nero] begged the question with a nervous expression.

"Not really… Most of the people are currently boarding up their homes, trying to move all their valuables into cellars or are fleeing to Vanheim as we speak. Help still isn't exactly… Forthcoming." [Roah] confessed while averting eye contact.

...This wont do. I need to secure our Gate. I'll meet you back here after, we'll want strong Gates defending our path to the Forsaken Isles… It's not as though I'm seriously about to send everyone into the Chasms… If we fail here, we go to the Isles. If that happens, once we close the Gate to Reygid… We'll secure the Chasms. Two step plan. They'll simply need to hold out for 15 minutes or something. I don't think it's going to be a close call if I'm being honest. It'll work.

After flying to the Forsaken Isles and casting [Hallowed Gate] at the maximum capacity… A tall Gate worth a whole 1500 MP was formed in the new nicely coming along Goblin Town. It's more like a Town than a Village meow, because there are genuine Houses here, among the Huts. Nyah. Can't have it all, I guess~ It doesn't really matter though, because there are plenty of real Houses in Halloween AND Reygid; and those are meow just a small walk away~

Okay… After walking back into Halloween, I was greeted by a vast majority of my Clansmen. They're not all back up to shape, so they're huddled around a tireless Luna Pratz; currently perched at the top of the Fountain.

"Hey Nero… If you can get all those Civilians into these Houses… I could help defend the streets." [Grollicus] remarked while gazing around the Town.

"I think it'd be easier to defend people if we didn't let the enemy enter Halloween to begin with… But I definitely like the idea of having someone capable in here should any slip by. Thanks for the help." [Nero] thanked with a smile before bowing his head.

"Nero… When midnight arrives and the doors open… All of Halloween will be better off fighting this battle from within Halloween. That includes you. It'll be day time out there, after all~" [Wolrietta] chimed in with a wicked smile.

"...Fuck." [Nero] muttered with eyes wide.

How... How have we not planned for this? And also, how do we lure the entire Dungeon into the Wailing Keep?! The two buildings aren't exactly facing one another and I don't own two freaking Gates, guys!

Oh god… No one has any ideas?!

"I can cast [Bring Night] to help buy some time." [Robert] offered with eyes wide.

...That's right. Robert can bestow us with Night for an additional 30 Minutes; in which we will be able to have Conrad slaughter a LOT of weak enemies… But it doesn't solve the issue of Bosses, or One Eyed Slimes. I don't see another way around it, I'm going to have to show everyone Halloween in order to buy myself enough time to cancel the Wailing Keep and relocate it directly in front of the Mummy Mansion. Who knows what buildings will be destroyed in the process? We'll certainly have to fucking pay for it… But do we really NEED to? We're already saving the joint… But we killed their King, so we owe them at least a little… Ugh.

"Among the establishments that you frequent… Only two are within the nearby vicinity of the Mummy Mansion." [Conrad] explained with a nervous expression.

"...Which two?" [Nero] asked with eyes wide.

"...Vigi's Forge, and the Candy Store." [Conrad] muttered quietly with a dejected expression.

"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!" [Nero] screamed to the skies as he fell to his knees and tears began to fall from his eyes; only to be hidden by a swelling burst of fire erupting from all around him; exploding up into the skies… Dying out and dispersing only when he lowered his head in defeat.

...Reygid is lost if the Candy Man can't operate without a working store. There's only one back up store in the freaking continent and the King of the region ALREADY tried to bait me into a trap!~ We're… Going to venture Melchiodore, aren't we? I'll truly be a travelling Cat, once and for all. Vigi, sorry… You're like; 3rd or 4th on the list of requirements to stay on this continent. Easily replaceable. Candy takes precedence. Always. So in other words… Tonight will be Halloween. Or, tomorrow will be Halloween. This is Gate night~

I'd best get on with it and clear out the Candy Store… Conrad! Come here with your main character energy and carry me so I shall not fly and progress my Time Magic!~ Also, send warning to Vigi and all the other nearby civilians. They need to bring any important belongings and enter Halloween, then continue on to the Forsaken Isles. If they're Artisans and need to have specific items brought along with them, have help arranged to ensure all necessary tools and materials are following their rightful owners. I can't have this evacuation end up messing with our economy later on. ALL VALUABLES MUST GO! We won't be having some band of thieves propping up here later and looting our Nation~ Autocrows! MOVE OUT!

Okay… After arriving at the Candy Store; it would appear as though the Koalakin had already thoroughly prepared for this event. He's got three Horse drawn carriages outside of his establishment, nearly all fully loaded in goods.

"Ahhh, Nero! If it isn't my favorite customer~ What brings you here today?" [Candy Man] begged the question with a smile, completely disregarding the Crowliphistae and Scarecrows shouting at everyone in the nearby vicinity.

"...I uhm… I came to make sure you had time to get all this stuff out of here." [Nero] confessed with eyes wide.

"Well, I knew how close the Mansion was… I figured that I'd need to move my things someplace in the distance if I wanted to avoid losses. Everything's moving in a timely manner if I must say, I'd reckon all this stuff will be out of here long before midnight~" [Candy Man] confessed with a shrug.

"Makes sense. Please, feel welcome to request for further aide from my Clansmen or the Monster Knights in moving all this stuff if any problems arise. You'll be fine to bring all this stuff to the Forsaken Isles; by first going into the Wailing Keep and straight ahead to the massive magical orange and purple Gate." [Nero] instructed with a smile.

"Thank you, I'll be sure to." [Candy Man] thanked before bowing his head for a split moment before raising it.

"Actually… I have some merchandise in the first two carriages that I wouldn't mind parting with. I have a… Feeling that you might want it~ I'll send the bill to Conrad if you'd be so kind as to take the carriages off my paws." [Candy Man] remarked with a wink.

And so… That is how I came to find myself with two full carriages of Candy. He's outdone himself. Seriously! I feel like I just asked him for Candy a little while ago, I figured almost nothing new would be ready but THIS MAN! I can't even believe my eyes… The bill is sure to be incredibly painful as well, the sleuth… Throwing in all those big pricy pieces knowing FULL WELL that I don't care for them!~

Ah well, beggars cant be choosers! But… Am I even a beggar? He said it himself. I'm his best customer. Or his favorite… Now I'm just confused and feeling a little bit hurt. He could've been more clear. Who the fuck is buying more Candy than me, anyways?! Also… What am I going to do with four Horses? The fuck? Horses can't fight! Take the Horses back! I'll be damned if I'm caught letting a Horse onto this battle field! They'd make me out to be a monster, sending those poor things in there like Lambs to the slaughter!

...Welp… I'm meow guiding 4 Scarecrows back to the Wailing Keep as they attempt to ride 4 Horses. There's something about Scarecrows riding Horses… It's hilarious. The Horse can barely feel the stalks when they're kicking to try and make the Horses start moving… Rather than move, they begin to try and eat the hay… But one can't eat what is on one's back. Priceless. Four of them at a time is pure magical mayhem. Maybe I CAN bring these things into battle…

"Luna… Try to inflict these Horses with Vampirism, will you?" [Nero] begged the question with a wry smile as he held his Lantern high.

"I'm starting to feel like your ultimate tool…" [Luna] muttered while rolling her eyes before beginning to bite the Horses one by one.

"You sort of are… WAIT! Save those two… I want a Skeleton, Zombie, and Wraith as well." [Nero] declared while glaring at the Horses.

Okay… The White and Red Horses are already Vampires, so it's too late to choose between those ones. I guess that makes… The Black or the Brown. I'm picking Black for Zombie, because if I'm being honest… I have a feeling that the Zombie Horse is going to be cooler than the Skeleton Horse because it will still have patches of hair. Black's my color, yo. Brown doesn't fit with my aesthetic.

"I leave you alone for like an hour and suddenly you're choosing future Clansmen colors..." [Cetilla] grumbled with a sour expression.

"What… Jealous?" [Nero] shot back with a wry smile.

"Nope! The Red Vampire Horse will suit me wondrously as I ride off into the sunset~" [Cetilla] shot back with a haughty, overdramatic laugh.

"That's good… Because the Banshee Horse is DEFINITELY mine!~" [Rei] exclaimed with a huge smile.

"You heard the ladies!~ MOLAG DREGORA!" [Nero] laughed before exclaiming with a bold, flamboyant expression as he raised his Lantern high.

"At your command..." [Molag Dregora] muttered with a sadistic expression before snapping his finger bones. To which, an ensemble of Skeleton creatures appeared before the group… And began mercilessly slaughtering the Black and Brown Horses.

"Welp… That's one way to do it~" [Cetilla] sighed.

"Please… You love it." [Nero] shot back while glaring at the meow grinning Dutchess of Doom.

"Okay… Yeah. I'll admit… Watching a Horse kick a Skeleton's head clean off was always on my bucket list. Can you really blame me, though?" [Cetilla] confessed while withholding her laugh.

"It wasn't on mine, but I'd pay my fortune of 22 Gold Coins to see it again~" [Rei] laughed.

"...You've found a way to earn Coins as a Banshee?" [Nero] begged the question while raising an eyebrow.

"Well, during the Festival when everyone was given a small allowance… I managed to win it big a few times in the Tournament… And have been steadily trying to raise my total in the Casino since then. The trick is to do a LOT of small games." [Rei] confessed while seeming quite serious.

"And… Bring along enough friends to rig the match and try to secretly count cards~" [Cetilla] chimed in with a wry smile.

"Wait, what now?" [Nero] shot back while side-eyeing the Banshee.

"Yeah… Being a Wraith has its perks. If I purposely lower my toes beneath the floorboards… Then Milton can flail his arms through them… I can faintly feel it, and count how many times he flails his arms through. If he flails four times through my left foot, then I know that Betty has a four. Afterwards, he flails an extra one to four times on my right foot to let me know if if's a Heart, or a Spade… Whatever. Then… He starts flailing my left foot's toes once more to tell me of her next Card… And it just keeps going. It's not a perfect system because it takes time to get it all figured out, between me telling Milton what Cards I have… Milton discussing with Becky about Betty's Cards… And then him informing me while Becky informs Betty… It's all immensely stressful. We've been limited to smaller games for now because we're still trying to perfect our strategy, and because we need time to earn up the amounts required for larger bidding games to begin with. With how long it takes us to fully understand our hands right now and make calculated decisions based on the information we gain… We end up stalling the games quite considerably, continuing to raise bids while we try to cheat it. We couldn't afford to keep stalling and raising bids if it were a high stakes game… So this is our only option." [Rei] explained with a calculated look in her eyes.

...Woah. So this is seriously something that's been going on behind the scenes. We've raised con artists. I wouldn't even say it's a good con… It's just… Woah. All that effort… For… What, really? In the end, even if you keep raising your bets… It's still just a crap game. Conrad, give these four a budget before they get caught trying to cheat small games. If we're cheating and we've found a working method, I want a win. A real win. Not some small one off that gets ended without any major reward having been in the scenario. I don't know… 200 Gold Coins. At least. I want all 200 Gold Coins returned to me before the Mummy Mansion attack in an hour or so… So; go hit that Casino up before the night's done and have some fun with it~ No pressure.

Rei seemed happy… Cetilla seems like… Well, she just had her best friend stolen from her for the night; so she's doing about as best as can be expected.

"UGHHH! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" [Cetilla] screamed hysterically in defeat.

"I believe you mean… My head~" [Nero] whispered with a wide grin.

...Where are my Coins, anyways?

"The Miki fortune is currently being hidden at varying positions across our domain of power, having been separated into specially marked Candy buckets in obscure locations of the Forsaken Isles, the lower tunnels of Reygid, the Vellisroi Estate, the Chasm's Tunnels, the Chasm's Chasm, the Caterpillar Colony, and the Delhn Lake." [Conrad] confessed with a head held high.

...Oh Lilith. He's become too powerful… In the wake of potential tragedy, Conrad took it upon himself to split up and secure my fortune in all the places that I, or my followers… Would be most likely to end up searching. It's brilliant. We have emergency funds hidden. I like it. Thanks for the added effort, Conrad.

"It was no trouble." [Conrad's Crowliphista] declared while bowing his head.

...Wait. Are the Caterpillar Colony and Delhn Lake truly within our domain of power…? It's not like we have anyone over in either of those locations… But I guess; we also know that no one else is likely there… So it's fine?

"Actually… That information is false. Several Wraiths still venture out to the Delhn Lake each night to widdle down the Cyworctus' insurmountable vitality. In addition, Rita sometimes enjoys bringing Ri, Ta, Rustle, and the children of the Wailing Keep down into the Caterpillar Colony to play games." [Conrad's Crowliphista] explained while seeming completely at ease with the situation.

"They do what, now?!" [Nero] shot back with eyes wide.

"Is there an issue, Master?" [Conrad] begged the question while tilting his head to the side.

"...Those tunnels intersect with the Chasm tunnels. A child could potentially roam off and slip into the Chasm; falling to their death." [Nero] grumbled while rolling his eyes.

"It's to my understanding that when playing Hide and Seek or other games of the sort, Rita, Ri, Ta, and Rustle are the only players who ever end up being it. Rita, Ri, and Ta; are all somewhat capable of tracking their prey down. They can pick up on the scents of the children, and bring them back if the game has taken too long. It's a very long walk from the entrance of the tunnels all the way to the Chasms." [Conrad] shot back while seeming somewhat tired.

...So, the kids aren't fast enough to clear that kind of distance?

"I'd be impressed if they were." [Conrad] explained.

"Fair enough. I suppose they can continue playing down there… But… What about the Caterpillars? That Goblin guy managed to Evolve several times over fighting the few forsaken Caterpillars left while being trapped down there… Have the kids never encountered any or something?" [Nero] begged the question while furrowing his eyebrows.

"Rita mentioned having found a couple of them… But they were rescued and returned to their colony on the Forsaken Isles. I don't believe any of the children ended up facing battle down there." [Conrad] muttered with a look of uncertainty.

"Okay… We should bring them all to the Forsaken Isles for the night. Let them go play in the Goblin Village, but restrict them from the other Islands. Unfortunately, I'd prefer it if Rita played a role in the war tonight. We can't afford to have one of our Queens on the side lines. The children will be safe on the Forsaken Isles, and I believe there are a few relatively higher Tier ones among them who hopefully have enough sense to keep the rest out of danger for one night to begin with." [Nero] declared while visibly thinking to himself.

"...And to keep the peace on the Forsaken Isles? Refugees of Reygid have already began flowing into the Wailing Keep; heading to the Isles. Things will begin getting crowded there very shortly." [Conrad] explained with an uneasy look in his eyes.

...Crap. We knew that space would be a concern… But this soon into things and we're already in the red?! How bad is it?!

"By my estimates… If we continue jamming more and more civilians into the Forsaken Isles without telling any to remain idle within Halloween or the Throne Room… We will reach a point where civilians are forced to stand in the water within 15 minutes." [Conrad] explained effortlessly.

...THAT BAD?! How many people are pouring in through the Gates as we speak?!

"On the average second, 7 Beastkin enter through the Hallowed Gate of the Throne Room." [Conrad's Crowliphista] remarked while suddenly glancing up at the sky; as if glaring at a monitor.

...Holy fuck. What about Vanheim?! I thought people were also going to Vanheim!

"Vanheim is currently receiving roughly 10 Beastkin each second. The rate at which evacuees have began to leave their homes rose dramatically ever since we began to warn civilians residing near the Mansion. I believe that the patrolling Scarecrows and Crowliphista going door to door caused a much larger population to panic than what was initially anticipated." [Conrad] explained.

...Makes sense. In the meantime, move all the valuables into houses within Halloween... If families or business owners would prefer to remain by their valuables; then they may try to squeeze into their respective houses. Only refugees may enter through the gates, all personal belongings other than immediate food rations or weapons and armor being worn by the individuals passing through the gates will need to remain within Halloween to help make way for more people.

"In addition, no clear statement has been made by you regarding the unfolding of this night… Speculation seems to be rising within the streets regarding whether or not there is a plan of action to face this looming threat. Some of the populace has begun to rumor about your capacity to rule them." [Conrad] continued to explain.

...They want a show, huh? Alright~ I'm super swoll, I have no need to be shy~ Molag, finish up turning those freakin' Horses already… Conrad, bring them to the Mummy Mansion. In fact… EVERYONE! Stop whatever it is that you're doing and meet me at the Mummy Mansion. Do the [Spook]!

Grabbing hold of Lianix and the two carriages filled with Candy… It's time to fly! NYAH!~

********

After I arrived, I noticed the army of Allwe surrounding me… And then I heard their roar. It was brilliant, violent… And most importantly, loud as all hell. Surprisingly, there were two or three families still residing BASICALLY BESIDE THE FREAKING MANSION! Even though we specifically told them to get the hell out of dodge, they're like… Dying with this house or something. Ahh… Monster Knights have begun to emerge from the alleyways and nearby roads. Adventurers… Nobles… The infamous Goblin who lived is surrounded by a couple of decently strong looking Goblins who are all probably quite weak… The Lunar Llamas… Struggling Merchants still possessing far too many goods… Miller Jolfstadt, Trilby Rona, freakin' Karen's out here; wearin' her skimpy pink set of war maiden armor... Lookin' like she's about to make a name for herself in the books of legend; on god Karen came to slay!~ Former Kingdom Knights wearing their old stripes… A few Priests and Nuns… Chiffona-Cya-Macaroon… Chartreuse, Prussian; and a modestly sized group of hunky Harpies… Vigi and some other burly lookin guys beside him… Veronica, Roy, and several of their house staff… Clive… Gustav; that old Catkin Shield Master who I had drinks with that one time at the Adventurer's Guild… Gluttatosk is coming in alongside… What the fuck are those? Are those actually… The Potamin Crabs that ascended to royalty... Poy and Mina?! They're FREAKIN HUGE! A few of the Witches seem to have decided to return a favor... Only around a dozen or so; but I appreciate it. I recognize Grescilda Ollivander among them, as well Sherenah and Treya. AH! Neverest has returned alongside a carriage filled with Candy~ I have three meow!~ The Flamingokin Knight is back and ready for battle… Oh, wow… Pixia and a band of Pixies are being dragged along by Penelope; the potential Clanswoman Pixie who usually just hides in Halloween with Grollicus or something… A band of FREAKING TWISTED TREANTS ARE FOLLOWING BEHIND THEM! WOAH! DUDE! THANK YOU! THANK YOU SO MUCH! AGH!~ I'm so glad we're friends with you guys… Our most capable allies~

"Thank you all for gathering… Discord and rumors among the people of this nation have begun to circulate, mainly focusing on the possibility that we fail here tonight; and are forced to flee from either this particular location; or this continent in general…" [Nero] began to call out with a serious expression before continuing as murmurs began to rise amid the crowd…

"I'm calling you all here right now to put all these rumors to rest. Though many of those spreading them may not be present, if I'm being completely honest… Those are nothing more than the words of sheep; too cowardly to stand for their own survival… Too cowardly to even just sit in silence as the few lions among them do their best to ensure them a future. No… They would rather run or hide than be here with us in this current moment, listening to these very words… So don't allow their vain existence to bother you. You are standing here, because you believed in something. You believed in me, or you believed in your home, or you believed in your nation, your people, I don't care… Because whatever you believed in, was important enough to place you on the streets of this war. None of you are safe, I guarantee absolutely NONE of you your lives should you fight this battle alongside us… But simply know, that if you fall here… Then you will most likely get back up as one of my undead legion, and you will keep fighting alongside us until the day that I die. If we fail this battle, we will fight another. Until all of Melchiodore has been saved, so help me Lilith!" [Nero] beckoned before raising his Lantern and glaring at the clock…

We've got 25 more minutes… Rei, you win anything or did I interrupt you?

"No games were being played on account of the whole tragedy thing… There were a lot of people drinking in there, though…" [Rei] muttered before shrugging her shoulders.

...Figures. Give Conrad back the Coins, okay?

"...He still has it anyways, the plan was that he was going to meet me there… But after I figured out that it was a no-go, I gave up~" [Rei] grumbled while rolling her eyes.

Alright. The crowd seems revved up… But this one dude has been quite persistent in trying to get my attention; he keeps flailing his spear around in the air as if it's an extension of his arm and this is a classroom or something… His face almost looks constipated… But then again, that just might be his face. He's a Pugkin. It's difficult to tell with their faces being all scrunched up… I might as well listen~

"What's up?" [Nero] shot back while slowly descending to speak with the plump looking Warrior.

"So… What's the plan of battle? I used to fight in that Mansion all the time… I don't expect anything big to come of it, but we'd best be prepared~" [Pugkin] begged the question with a confident expression as he puffed out his chest.

"Good question…" [Nero] replied with a smile before ascending from his Broom once more.

Everyone, please do the [Spook] again. Silence the crowd. Ah… It's like music to my ears… Especially that part about some Lady performing a scream as if she's being chased down by a killer… Oh. That was Veronica being wildly extra as always… Why is that so totally Veronica?! Cetilla, get her some water!

"WHEW~ That SCARED me!~" [Veronica Vellisroi] gasped with eyes wide while raising a hand to shield her mouth as a particular Housemaid began to considerately fan her off and dozens of male gazes landed on her.

"Okay… For our plan of battle… I want everyone to separate themselves into four groups. Ranged attackers should go up there on top of the barricades and on top of the nearby houses or in the windows… Supporters should be a small distance away from the barricades, behind them and sticking together as a group; so that everyone on the battlefield knows where they need to go if they need assistance… Close ranged attackers should be spread out surrounding the barricades and slightly behind them should any enemies break through… And defenders with high resistances should be right in the front of it all near the doors or protecting the supporters if they lose their ground! If the ranged attackers on the barricades lose ground, they are to rendezvous with the others on top of or within the nearby houses. If we ALL continue to lose ground, at the sound of the Hallowed Howl which led you all here... We are to slowly lure the enemies toward the Wailing Keep while continuing to try our best at fighting them off! If absolutely necessary, the battle will end within the Wailing Keep, or within the Town Circle of Halloween itself! Under no circumstances will this battle leak out into the streets, houses, or other Gate of Halloween!" [Nero] explained while pointing to various locations around him. To which, everyone began to split up… Everyone except for the Pugkin.

"What's up?" [Nero] begged the question with a knowing expression as he slowly began to descend to the Pugkin's eye level.

"Where will you be fighting from?" [Pugkin] begged the question while seeming somewhat skeptical.

"...Everywhere." [Nero] confessed with eyes wide as he tilted his head to the side.

"...Eh?" [Pugkin] let out with a baffled expression.

...Let's get started. I'll be placing a [Barrier] right over THERE!~ Woah… I'm surprised that the whole charge-up thing worked… It's almost like I was holding down the [Barrier] button with my mind, and then releasing it when I chose the spot… Oh! I'm getting goosebumps~ Okay! It's placed directly over the group of supporters huddling around a very displeased Luna Pratz. Sorry, honey… You're the focal point of their first line of defense. The way I see it, this road leads almost straight to the Wailing Keep; and the way you're standing… The Wailing Keep is behind you. It only makes sense that if we fall back, we all group up around the supporters who can keep us alive; or bring us back from the dead. That's why… All Vampires, you are meow classified as situational supporters. If things go sideways and you see one of our allies dead on the ground, or dying… Pick them up; bring them to the supporters and bite them if they've already died. The thing is… I doubt the supporters will be able to save THAT many people from life threatening wounds. If we go to the healers ourselves before we reach that point; they can help. If we wait, then they'll get overburdened VERY quickly… And we'll all be forced to evacuate sooner rather than later. It's a whole thing. We'll need to be extra careful about it, so if any of you notice someone else not check in for light healing every now and again… Remind them to go back for a brief moment because this WILL matter!

Okay… Clive. What the hell are you doing here?!

"Clive… What's up?" [Nero] begged the question while nonchalantly laying on his Broom.

"I spent a few nights training at the Beach… I'm ready to fight for our nation." [Clive] declared with a sharp expression as he lifted his Wand.

...Why am I NOT convinced?! A few… NIGHTS?! THAT'S IT?! GO HOME! I NEED YOU! CONRAD!

"Eh… Hey! What's going on?!" [Clive] called out while being flown away by a nearby Crowliphista as a particular Halloween Cat waved him farewell.

Actually… While you're there… You mind picking me up a Barrel or two? I forgot my other one at the Beach, I think... Oh… That reminds me~ I wonder if I can pick up any of Gallsciu's remains using the [Collect Allweiian Samples] ability? It's worth a shot… But there's always the chance of her having been of Hoen. But… If she gave her life, truly feeding me… There's no way that she's of Hoen. I just can't believe it. I don't believe that she died without choosing to, so I can't believe that she was of Hoen. I simply can't.

After glaring at her body… Damn. She's hella burnt. Her face is peeling off like a freaking dorito… Is this even usable?! It's slimy… OH! I think I'm going to throw up...

"[Collect Allweiian Samples]!" [Nero] screamed while averting eye contact before peeking through his other hand.

It's bright… It's very bright… It literally just burned in my hands… And now it's gone. The exact same thing happened to the rest of her body... That's it? Oh! A notification popped up~

[Allweiian Sample Collection Complete! A Sample from the Individual: Gallsciu Clemenz (Tier 21 Greater Vampire Explorationist) has been obtained! NOTICE! A large portion of the Individual's energy has already been lost due to numerous circumstances… A total Collection Rate of 111462 was capable of being collected]

...That sounds good? Tier 21?! The ability was right… A large portion of energy must've been lost, because I certainly didn't gain the experience of a Tier 21 Greater Vampire. I'm Tier 16, okay? 16. To put it into perspective… I'm like… Less than a TENTH of her power! Nothing is making sense right meow… I didn't kill her. There's no way. There's absolutely no way that Gallsciu Clemenz, in her entirety… Is dead. That must've just been a piece of her, or something… A Vampire that can split her body into multiple forms, similar to Conrad… Except; Conrad can recover his lost bodies over time… If I gained experience points, AND Collection Rate; then she's not recovering this. She was genuinely, one hundred percent… Split... And I burned off one of her fingers. Welp… I doubt that's the last we'll be seeing of her, and when we DO cross paths again… I'll be certain to have Mary whip up one HELL of a nice meal~

Back to business… I'd like to conjure a Clans(wo)man with my newfound Collection Rate… Should I conjure one, or more than one? Judging by the ability menu… I don't get a list of potential Clansmen… I simply get to invest and pray to Lilith for a good one, I guess… The absolute lowest amount that I can select is 10… Which means that I'll probably get a Tier 1 Clans(wo)man from 10 points… So if I invest double that, for 20 I might get a Tier 2… Or for 40 I might get a Tier 3… 80 is Tier 4… 160 is Tier 5… 320 is Tier 6… 640 is Tier 7… 1280 is Tier 8… 2560 is Tier 9… 5120 is Tier 10… 10240 is Tier 11… 20480 is Tier 12… 40960 is Tier 13… 81920 is Tier 14… And that's all I can afford. So… Yeesh. Tier 14 is pretty darn good and all, but it's not as though it will MAKE or BREAK us… I'm conflicted.

"Get the strong one." [Cetilla] chimed in with a serious expression.

"Nah, he should get 5 Tier 12 ones, and then as many Tier 9 ones as he can." [Roah] remarked while puffing out his chest.

"Choose thousands of weak ones to shield us from the One Eyed Slimes." [Gluttatosk] declared with a smile.

...Well THAT'S a choice… Whew!~ Can you imagine? I could fill this City with more monsters than the Mansion! Thinking back to that moment when Gallsciu exploded several Haunted Knights and Scarecrows with the flick of her wrist, though… Makes it a little bit less appetizing of an idea. That shit was brutal… For the One Eyed Slimes, though? Definitely do-able even if I follow Cetilla OR Roah's idea… Actually; I think I can probably manage a means of compromising with all three. I'll get a Tier 13 for 40960 points… Leaving me with 70502 points… I can then get 4 Tier 11 ones, leaving me with… 29542 points… Then, I can snag 11 Tier 9 ones… Leaving me with 1382 points leftover to spend on conjuring a whole… 345 Tier 1 Clans(wo)men… Sound good?

Welp… Everyone seems relatively fine with it. Let's just hope that this is genuinely how the system works, and that is isn't actually a lottery~ [Collect Allweiian Samples: Produce Clansman x1 for 40960 Collection Rate]!

...Talk about dramatic! There's a bright orange light emitting from my Lantern, and is meow flashing on and off; getting brighter with each flash… And faster… AH! WHO'S THAT CLANSMON?! They need warnings on this ability for seizures… Okay, after the light show ended… I was left with a disaster. Just kidding~ He's actually not that bad. I'm not entirely certain that he's a dude, but I think he's a dude. For better or worse, he's a Pumpkin head. Yep. Pumpkin head. He's got a Pumpkin for a head, and it's got a Candle lit inside and everything; his face… Magically contorts and twists as he speaks, and he IS quite the gentleman; when he speaks. He's wearing a fanciful long black coat with a faded red tie and is incredibly thin; I'd think he were a Scarecrow if not for the actually nice attire; AND rooted disposition. That's right; his skin? Roots. He's got the ROOT MAGIC, BABY!~ YES! THIS is what I've been waiting for!~

"He's a Rooted Pumpkinkin Siren… Tier 13." [Roah] explained with a smirk. To which, everyone present seemed quite pleased.

It works~ Okay! Everyone, meet Paul. He's a good guy. [Collect Allweiian Samples: Produce Clansman x4 for 40960 Collection Rate]!

This time, I shielded my eyes. I'm intelligent. After giving it about 15 seconds, I learned that I wasn't intelligent enough… I ended up removing my hands before one final JOKE of a freakin blasting light that suddenly appeared WILDLY delayed~ Ah… What do we have here? After giving my eyes some time to readjust… We've got a guy… A girl… A thing… And another thing… Turning to Roah…

"All are Tier 11, as expected. Starting from your own inner dialogue's perspective…" [Roah] muttered with a joking smile before continuing…

"He's a Gargoyle Hunter, She's a Human Dagger Wielder named Misty Cottingham… He's an Inferno Hellhound Wind Walker named Eduardo… And he's a Flame Spirit Barrager named Firaesun." [Roah] explained with a nervous expression particularly around the later three.

It's strange for an individual to be born with a name… This isn't a birth. This is a summoning.

"Where are you from?" [Nero] begged the question.

"...A land of fire… I have grown weak since coming here… What is the meaning of this?" [Firaesun] muttered in a voice which demanded respect.

Sounds serious~

"...This isn't New Jersey…" [Misty Cottingham] exclaimed with eyes wide while glancing around the crowd of creatures.

...EARTH?!

"I… I protected." [Gargoyle Hunter] exclaimed while staring down at his hands.

...Okay, this guy's weird...

"Lilith sent me to tell you that she can't speak in this realm yet… Your bond to the Mother is still too weak for her to make any considerable changes… But she can see and hear through your eyes; especially when you've spoken her name… Or thought of her recently. Pray to the Mother more often, and construct Shrines dedicated to her greatness if you seek to help strengthen your bond to the Mother." [Eduardo] confessed before taking a seat.

"...You're from hell?" [Nero] begged the question with eyes wide.

"Yes… I acted as one of the Mother's house servants. Her greatness expresses utmost regret that she felt the need to send such a lowly servant; however she did not want to waste a stronger one as you weren't trying to conjure any with a high Tier, and figured that she should save the manpower for when you've gotten more Collection Rate… I will be under your command from here on out." [Eduardo] explained before lowering his head.

So Lilith intends to send me some reinforcements via the [Collect Allweiian Samples] ability, huh? Interesting... A horde from hell, all beholden to the great Mother… And she also wants me to build a statue or two to help my followers and I worship her more. Back on track, Misty's from freaking New Jersey!

"Roah, can you confirm that Misty is [From Another World]?" [Nero] begged the question with eyes wide.

"Confirmed." [Roah] acknowledged with a nod.

"Misty… I'm from Earth as well, no worries… Also; Janus… What the fuck are you doing?" [Nero] exclaimed with a smile.

"She had died at a similar moment to when you used your ability… She was in a queue for the reincarnation process… The amount of power she had accumulated on Earth had already correlated closely to the power she would have been given from being added into your little gang… She showed adequate capacity for Allwe… The conditions were met, and so I accepted the proposal and let her pass through while retaining her memories so that she might better… Help you." [Janus] explained with a wry smile before disappearing.

"What's going on? I'm dead?! That man just disappeared into thin air!" [Misty] let out with eyes wide while pointing toward the empty space currently lacking a Janus.

"The amount of power she had accumulated on Earth…?! WHAT?!" [Nero] shot back with a hysterical expression.

"...Ask her about it." [Janus] whispered without even appearing.

"...Misty? Did you… Kill anyone?" [Nero] asked with a nervous smile.

"Who, me?" [Misty] shot back with a wink.

"No, the other Misty~" [Cetilla] shot back with a twisted grin.

"Her hair moves a lot… Am I on film?" [Misty] asked while tilting her head to the side before beginning to glance around once more, presumably searching for cameras.

"...Misty, you a serial killer or somethin' like that?" [Nero] begged the question as his eyes began to incessantly flutter.

"Who's asking? You the feds or somethin' like that?" [Misty] begged the question as her eyes began to incessantly flutter back.

"Weapon of choice? We're about to fight a war." [Nero] confessed while shrugging his shoulders.

"...Like, the final battle of narn*a or some shit like that? I'm seeing a lot of talking animals around me~" [Misty] scoffed.

"Yeah pretty much, but like… Halloween themed. And I'm like… The Halloween Hero or something like that. Tons of magic, tons of death, everyone can talk or so it seems, they all have hearts and stuff, there are doomsday scenarios, we drink a lot of beer, there's good music, we do karaoke, gamble, and throw parties in our spare time. We also all dress quite well, as you can see… It's Halloween all the time around here." [Nero] explained with a casual expression.

"Oh, okay… So… This is actually real, I very well might die again… And you're our best hope?" [Misty] shot back with a tired expression.

"That about sums it up, yep." [Nero] replied with an equally tired expression.

"Okay, yeah. I killed people. I did it, so what now?" [Misty] confessed while shrugging her shoulders.

"As far as I can see… You got away with it, and now you're going to get to kill a whole lot more; but this time… Fight monsters that we aim you at, okay?" [Nero] replied with a smile.

"Ugh… Can't I just go and live my new life or something?" [Misty] shot back while raising an eyebrow.

"Nope, this entire continent seems like it's going to shit soon… If we seem like we'll be failing this battle tonight, we'll pack it up and fly as far away as we can in a short time period before setting up camp again and going on a journey searching for other civilizations that we can trade with. Whether you like it or not, the civilization that you were just reincarnated into is on the brink of becoming a travelling caravan merchant to avoid the looming catastrophes propping up all around us… OR, we're fighting a ridiculous battle or 200. It's that bad. This entire world might as well be in a constant state of will they, won't they have a whole ass apocalypse." [Nero] explained with a serious expression.

"...So the apocalypse in this world is caused by evil monsters?" [Misty] shot back with a look of disbelief.

"Precisely. All around the world, there are strange things… Like that Haunted House right there. It's called the Mummy Mansion. Despite its appearance and idiotic positioning within this City… It's a Dungeon currently plaguing this continent. Dungeons basically manifest evil monsters that seek only to kill and can't really think for themselves… Seemingly, their only thought process is acknowledging enemies and allies… They never attack each other, only those of us who can actually think. If we kill them, we get stronger. Same goes for them, probably… Dungeons overall also get stronger over time if left unvanquished, and then they pour out into the open world and attack… That is what we're now about to experience coming out of those doors. No matter where you run to, the monsters of a Dungeon will eventually find you." [Nero] explained with a serious expression.

"...Got it. I guess I'm stuck here until I die, so I'll try my best to figure it out quickly~" [Misty] laughed.

"Cetilla… Fill them all in on how to use their status please~" [Nero] requested with a smile.

Oh, and… [Clansmen Capture]! Moments later, bright lights of orange and flames stemmed from my Lantern, surrounding the five individuals for several moments… Before finally, dispersing to reveal that familiar notification~

[Clansmen Capture Success! Rooted Pumpkinkin (Paul) T13x1, Gargoyle T11x1, Human (Misty Cottingham) T11x1, Inferno Hellhound (Eduardo) T11x1, Flame Spirit (Firaesun) T11x1 Gained]

...The Gargoyle's new name is Gary. It's Gary. [Collect Allweiian Samples: Produce Clansman x11 for 28160 Collection Rate]!

Moments later, I physically turned around. Try to blind me now, SUCKA!~ Hahahahahahaha FUCK THIS ABILITY SUCKS! RADIUS WIDE FLASH?!

Okay… What do we have here? Girl… Girl… Guy… Thing… Thing… Guy… Girl… Baby... Thing… Girl… Boy. Roah?

"She's an Apparition Teddy Bear Shapeshifter Story Teller named Sara… Next is a female Ghoul Oracle named Olivia… He's an Incubus Acrobat named Hex… That thing is a female Levitating Hand Mystic named Handy Mandie… The next thing is a male Centurion Caster named Ulago… He's a Human Reaper Farmer named Josh Murdoch… She's a Dark Elf Doctor named Sharpé… The baby's actually just a male Gremblin Druid named Aondrac… That thing is a female Oculothorax, and she's a Flyer named Grave Watcher… She's a Harpy Inquisitor… And the boy's an Apparition Oak Puppet Rifleman named Rodger." [Roah] explained while pointing to each individual.

...An Incubus Acrobat named Hex? That's hilarious, he actually almost tops the Dark Elf Doctor named Sharpé~ That Oculothorax definitely didn't choose her own name… That's the kind of name one gets right before a group of terrified people gang up on an Oculothorax because WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT THING?! It's a floating eye with a mouth… And it has teeth. That's it. That wooden boy reminds of me of pinocch*o… But he's holding a toy rifle. Sara, the Apparition Teddy Bear Story Teller is such a cliché, though… Like I'm casually going to let a Teddy Bear tell ME the story before I go to sleep~ Actually; Sara can chill with Clara. I just hope Clara doesn't try to play too roughly… Ulago straight up looks like an alien. He has tentacles dripping out of his mouth, and his skin is red. His eyes are almond shaped, and pitch black. He has 6 of them; forming two horizontal lines above his mess of a tentacle mouth; and he has a protruding forehead that almost leads me to believe he's hiding a brick in there. He's got a hunch back, and seems kind of old... He's wearing robes, and they're fancy. Fancy black with gold trims, inscription symbols written on the gold. Aondrac is like... A greml*n. But he has skin, instead... And it's orange. He's almost like a baby Goblin, but he's orange and allegedly fully grown; yet appears like a toddler. A very stubby toddler. Okay! So, if someone could please explain how to use the status to all these noobies; I'll move on to conjuring more~ Thanks.

[Collect Allweiian Samples: Produce Clansman x345 for 1382 Collection Rate]

...The final bright flash. I'll simply sit through it this time. I've learned. I know better than to try and hide from this terror~ Temporary blindness is inevitable… Just… Deal with it. NYAH!~

Okay… Taking a hard glance at Roah… It would appear that he's decided to refuse. He's not appraising 345 individuals now, or ever. It simply won't happen. Whatever… I'm not bothered. [Clansman Capture]!

Okay… It was mostly a success. I captured 259 of them simply out of the fact that I was obviously the being who summoned them to the world. The rest need convincing…

"If I just summoned you into this realm, join me… Or you'll likely die… In 5 minutes. Nyah. You have 5 minutes, or death. That door will open in 5 minutes, and when it does… All sorts of madness will emerge from within it. That madness will be hellbent on killing all of us. I'm the strongest, if not one of the strongest people here… I just summoned like 350 creatures into this world… And you are all the weakest of those creatures. Join me, and if I survive this night… I can guarantee that you will also have survived this night; as I grant immortality to my followers until I perish or free them. Leave me, and if I survive this night… I can guarantee that you will also have died during this night; as my main man Conrad, the Crowliphistador King over there can single handedly slaughter 100 of you at a time… And he has every corner of this city under his watchful gaze. You'll be… Cut down if you try to flee, and then I'll devour your corpse and try to summon someone else in your place. That is, if you're someone who I just summoned~ Everyone else is free to desert at any time, I couldn't give a damn… But since I just paid to have you here with us, your participation in this event will be mandatory. For the night, at the very least. It's up to you after that~" [Nero] explained with a terrifying smile.

[Capture Clansman]!

Ah… 79 more have been captured!~ That leaves… 18 more. Tiresome… Let's open up my map… I can technically view any creatures within sign who are potential Clansmen Candidates on there… And I can even view any that have been regarded as a potential enemy~ For such a useful ability… It's strange how this is my first time whipping it out… Ah. Found them. I needed to set the sorting function on to simply aim for candidates, because when it was showing me everything… It was too much. Conrad, you able to see this? I know you can hear my thoughts… But can you visualize them?

"With greater difficulty when you're speaking to me at the same time, but yes; if I try very hard… I can focus on what you're seeing. I've captured two of them so far, and am currently chasing three others. I'll have them all found before the Mansion opens if you keep glancing at the map." [Conrad's Crowliphista] explained while lifting up a barrel of Alcohol.

Excellent work, I suppose I'll just sit by and let you think while I enjoy this and glare at a dull map consisting simply of circular dots~