Cat Core, Chapter 10.

Chapter 10.

The time the adventurers had spent in her home resulted in a nice bit of cash, despite what she had paid out for rewards. Florence spent $32 to replace her babies and reset Doug’s crossbow trap. She didn’t like it one bit that them adventurers just blew past her defenders. No, she was going to have to build things up. It was time to generate some more kitties.

“Hey Doug, we need more defenders and there was something mentioned about a champion. What’s the story on that?” Florence asked.

“Ah, yes. While we need to improve the total number of defenders, having a champion will greatly improve our chance at survival,” Doug replied.

“Well, what is a champion and how do we make one?” Florence asked, annoyed at Doug’s lack of explanation.

“You’ll see the option to make one in your interface. There might be a few options to peruse. Costs are typically much higher for a champion, and until we attain higher levels, our core energy can only support one summoning of a champion,” Doug answered. Florence took a look at her options.

Champion Menu. You can create a champion from the following options. Please note that options will be somewhat limited based on the restrictive nature of your dungeon. Note that your dungeon can only support 1 champion in its current form. A champion for your dungeon requires $25. The cost for a champion increases as your home levels.

1. Stealth attacker. Your champion will be an upgraded version of your normal defenders, while possessing the ability to turn invisible. Once your champion attacks, they will become visible until the cooldown on this ability runs out. The first attack made from stealth generates an automatic critical hit and will have additional effects that will scale with your level.

2. Stalwart defender. The stalwart defender champion has improved natural armor, resistance to many schools of magic, and a robust constitution. While lacking the damage output of other champion choices, the stalwart defender can stay in fight for a long time, wearing down foes and causing them to expend resources to defeat it.

3. Longclaw champion. The longclaw champion can attack from a distance, using magical abilities to project it’s attacks up to 100 feet. Use the champion to snipe adventurers from a protected position, but beware, the longclaw champion is only as durable as your normal dungeon defenders.

4. Matched pair. The matched pair will generate two defenders that work in concert to defeat your foes. While not as powerful individually, the pair will have complementary abilities that allow them to threaten more powerful foes.

It weren’t really no choice at all. If you had the option of one powerful kitty champion or a pair of powerful kitty champions, why, you always go for more kitties, right? Florence selected the matched pair, receiving an error that she was short $3.78. With a sigh of frustration, Florence waited as the money trickled in.

“We’re just a bit short of funds Doug, I guess we’ll have to wait on the champion,” Florence said, disappointed she wouldn’t be able to meet her new kitties right away.

“Why don’t you just reprocess the crossbow trap? That will give us enough to build the champion and it is much less critical to our defense,” Doug replied

“I can do that? Well, of course I’m going to repossess my crossbow,” Florence said. With a bit of concentration, she could feel her connection to the trap and will it to dissolve, the funds used in its construction flowing back to her core.

“It’s reprocessed not repossess. Nevertheless, you seem to have accomplished your task. I admit that I am a bit curious as to how our champion will turn out,” Doug said. They both waited for the last of the funds to trickle in, the two-dollar trap wasn’t enough to cover the whole thing. Eventually, they had sufficient funds and Florence summoned her new champions. Light and cash flew from her core and coalesced into two glowing balls of light on the floor. Like before, the balls of light winked out, revealing two adorable kitties.

The two champion kitties were very different for something called a matched pair. One was double the size of her other cats, and not in the muscular and powerful way, nope, this one was a bit overweight, a genuine big orange buttterball of a champion. The other cat looked like he belonged in the old folk’s home. It had one ear that had been partially cut off and while it was cute tabby, the poor old guy looked a bit tired.

“Not the most impressive pair I must say but looks can be deceiving when we’re dealing with champion creatures. What will you name them?” Doug asked. From the way he asked about naming them, Florence could tell he was angling to name one himself. Well, might as well let him, so long as he doesn’t name it something stupid like the last one.

“Since they’re our champions and all that, maybe we should see what they can do before we name them?” Florence suggested.

“That would be wise,” Doug agreed. Not sure how to do it, Florence took a direct approach.

“Hey, you two cute little fluffballs, show momma what you got,” she ordered.

In response, the fat one curled up in a ball and somehow launched himself across the room. When he hit the wall, the room shook from the impact. After hitting, he unrolled himself and began to slash about and bite, like the other cats did, his larger claws and teeth would do horrible things to the adventurers, so she hoped. The old man looking kitty merely stood there, Florence thought he looked very regal. A blue glow appeared in his eyes and small magical bolts flew across the room to impact the wall where the big guy had hit. Scorch marks were left behind, and the cat gave a smug grin as it began to groom himself.

“Impressive. Will I have the opportunity to name one of our new champions?” Doug asked.

“Fine, but I’ll name the first one. The big orange guy there will be Chubbs. Now don’t name your champion something stupid, Doug, no destroyers or slashers and renders this time,” Florence advised.

“Oh dear, I shall endeavor to name this champion something that encapsulates the majesty of our home. I hope I can come up with something as classy and elegant as ‘Chubbs’,” Doug replied. He was being sarcastic again, at least Florence thought so.

“Let’s see, I shall pull a name from myth and legend, Earth’s myth and legend, this time. Hmm, Zork I think will do for his name, yes, Zork it is,” Doug told her.

“Kind of weird, but not as strange as Bhargath the Foe Render,” Florence replied.

“Not a fan of the classic’s I see. Well, let’s get them settled into their new home,” Doug said.

After letting them give her another kitty hug, Florence had Doug lead the pair of champions to their new room. The pair spent a lot of time rummaging about, smelling everything, and generally making themselves at home. Zork buried himself inside the mound of pillows on the bed, while Chubbs just curled up at the foot of the bed and proceeded to take a nap. While they didn’t look like much, Florence had a feeling these two would do just fine.

Congratulations, with the creation of your first champion, you have gained enough experience to attain Level 1.

Florence felt herself change, her core stone became a bit brighter and blemishes she had never noticed before disappeared. She felt stronger, and the connection to her home was more complete. The information thingy popped up in her vision again, showing her improvement and asking more questions.

Florence Valentine

Cat Core Level, 1.

Experience: 3/250.

Funds: $25.23/$125.

Defender Limit: $55/125.

You have unlocked an upgrade for your defenders. Choose one of the following.

1. Hearty defenders. This upgrade improves your defenders, granting additional health and improved resistance to elemental effects.

2. Efficient defenders. This upgrade reduces the Defender expense by $1 for each defender or champion in your dungeon.

3. Deadly attackers. This upgrade improves the attack abilities of your defenders, adding damage and unlocking debuffs for your foes.

4. Individuality. This upgrade allows your defenders to develop new abilities based on their individual preferences.

You have unlocked a new upgrade for your dungeon. Choose one of the following.

1. Easy expansion. This upgrade reduces the time and cost of adding rooms and adjusting the position of your dungeon.

2. Environmental assault. This upgrade allows you to create hazards based on the elements, unlocking new traps and dungeon layout options.

3. Summoner. This upgrade allows you to spawn temporary defenders once every 24 hours. The spawned units will be generic defenders without any special abilities.

“Florence Valentine is moving up in the world!” She proclaimed with pride.

“Don’t overdo it, hitting level one is surely an accomplishment, but we have a long way to go,” Doug said, trying to put a damper on her enthusiasm, no doubt. “Do you wish to discuss your new options?” He asked.

“I most certainly do not, especially with you being such a downer. I’ll decide these things on my own, thank you,” Florence said, a bit ticked off at her kitten advisor. Thinking about her babies and the new defender upgrades, all four of the offered upgrades could be fine, but she would go with Individuality. After all, that’s what makes cats so special. Every little critter has its own personality, after all.

For her home, she was torn. Easy expansion would be nice, but she didn’t know how much bigger she planned to make her home, she weren’t no pretentious show off. Not at all like that Phyllis Shaw that lives downtown and built that second story addon to her house. Old Phyllis kept on and on about her new addition and put on all sorts of highfalutin airs at the senior center, not at all humble like Florence was. Why, everyone in town knew Florence Valentine was a humble woman. Feeling better after her brief reminiscing, Florence pushed her attention back to the task at hand. Creating more traps was boring, Doug could do that on his own. She would go with that summoner thingy, making more cats was never a bad thing.

You have chosen the defender upgrade, Individuality.

You have chosen the dungeon upgrade, Summoner.

“By all means, make more rash decisions just because your feelings were hurt. Don’t even think of consulting your advisor, you know, the one right over here with lifetimes of experience. Why do I even bother,” Doug said before wandering off. He sulked his way into the hallway and shut himself up in one of the hidden compartments, pouting like a baby, Florence thought.

Her upgraded maximum savings balance had increased by $25 and the crazy system that ran things deposited the increased balance into her account, a good thing since she was down to a handful of change in the account after creating her champions. The new balance allowed her to make two more babies, something she got started on right away.

Ten dollars flowed from her core and soon, an adorable new kitty was sitting there looking up at her, waiting for its name. The cat was a tiger stripped brown, white, and gold tabby with short hair. It kind of reminded her of a cat she once had, the old guy had lived longer than any other cat she had the honor of caring for. Yep, this one would be called Buddy. The newly named Buddy meowed with approval at his name and sauntered off to find a spot to defend. Old Doug was still sulking and while she was also mad, it was time for a peace offering.

“Hey Doug, you want to name another one?” Florence asked as she funneled the cash needed to create the next kitty.

“Fine, I suppose it is my duty to see that at least some of our defenders are named appropriately,” Doug said as he scurried back into the core room. The glowing ball resolved and a black cat with a white bib and belly appeared.

“Hmm, Obiluxnerance fits well, don’t you think? It’s the name of a minor god of death from a world called Chixtura,” Doug said with confidence.

“Nope, oh no,” Florence lamented as the cat’s name was imprinted. She should have never let Doug have a crack at this while he was still pouting.

“Hmm, maybe there’s something we can do for the little guy. That name will get him made fun of by the other kitties. Since I can’t change his crazy name, how about a nickname little guy?” Florence offered. The cat looked up at her a gave a quiet little meow of approval. She tried several different nicknames, the stupid system rejecting them all. As a last effort, she simply tried to shorten his name, and it worked!

“All right, Obi, you can run off to find you place little guy,” Florence said. Obiluxnerance now showed as “Obi” in her interface, but when she pulled up detailed information on the kitty it still showed the ridiculously long name.

“Doug, we’ve still got just over five bucks left in the account, do you want to reset your crossbow mailbox thingy?” Florence asked.

“Certainly, and I’ll also set up another in the living room if you don’t object. The fireplace just begs for a flame burst trap,” Doug offered, perking up now he had named a cat and could place some traps.

“Whatever, just don’t burn up all my things in there,” Florence said, worried that all her work would be wiped out by a careless kitten.

“No worries, my dear, each of the rooms you’ve created will automatically repair any damage, that was part of the cost of creating it and the décor in the first place,” Doug advised. It was a pleasant surprise, and one she could see would be handy based on the damage a party of adventurers could dish out. In fact, the few scuffs and gouges caused by errant weapons strikes were even now mostly gone.

“You also might want to think about assigning our defenders to specific rooms. With the options you’ve so rashly chosen for our home, the cats will likely adapt to the rooms over time and become more effective at defending them,” Doug said.

“Good idea. Hmm, let’s keep Tater, Bhargath, and Midnight in the living room. Obi can stay on the front porch and lawn; he does kind of look like a sneaky one if you ask me. As for Buddy, he can ambush from the hallway. When we get more money, we can give him a friend to work with and then some defenders for the kitchen.

“Good enough, I approve. You know, it’s been just over a week since we set our reward levels. Perhaps you could consider upping them a tad? These first adventurers were nice enough, but even they were rather disappointed. Oh, and I’m required to disclose that the champions will always drop rewards of the next higher tier. Traps are less challenging and drop loot a tier below the set percentage,” Doug said. He was kind of right, much as she hated to admit it, them there adventurers were a bit disappointed with the lovely doily’s that had appeared as loot. That brought up another question she had wanted to ask earlier but forgot about when Doug became all moody and angry and stuff.

“Hey Doug, how are the rewards chosen anyhow? I know how we pay fer em, but how does the system decide on what exactly to give?” Florence asked.

“Ah, I see that was more of the information you so rashly pushed from your mind along with the feelings you didn’t want. Well, rewards are in essence chosen by you. What I mean is that the system scours your knowledge, memory, and desires, creating what it feels is appropriate to the challenge. There are some baseline rewards in the mix so not every reward will be the same or match something from your background. Sadly, the system was still figuring you out and somehow rolled up only the doilies and teacup for our guests, not surprising given the limited resources the system had to work with. As things progress, you’ll see more suitable rewards produced, including cash and magical items. Of course, you’ll need to up the ante, as they say on your world, if we want to keep the adventurers happy,” Doug told her, again pushing for more rewards.

“Fine, I’ll bump the rewards up to poor, but how can someone say that ten percent is only poor?” She argued, not entirely happy, but she agreed that she didn’t want angry adventurers doing anything horrible to her core. Doing the math, and Florence Valentine was always good at math, she figured the rewards would cost her a dollar for a normal defender, two and a half for her precious champions, and a twenty cents for the traps.

While funds continued to trickle slowly in, Florence spent her time watching the kitties as they got to know their new homes. Watching them was something she could do all day.