The day had gone to hell and there was nothing that Jeffrey could do about it. That blasted [Scout] had ruined everything. If only he hadn't been so observant, he wouldn't have found the key. If only he thought it was useless, it wouldn't have been stolen. If only, if only, if only so many things!
However, 'ifs' weren't going to get him anywhere. No, now was the time to take action and fix everything that his stupid Manager had done. What happened in the past would stay in the past. It was time to plan for the future.
His first act of business? [Reviving] the idiot that had gotten them in this mess in the first place.
Rolling over to his supercomputer in his newly imagined desk chair, he called for Rupert, his amazingly helpful system assistant. <Rupert, buddy, how much time is left before I dissolve into a nasty pile of Jeffrey goo?>
{57 minutes and 36 seconds, sir,} Rupert replied.
<Crikey,> he muttered, booting up the computer. <So, uh, how many points are needed to [Revive} the Tower Manager?>
{725 Tower Points, sir. Alas, you currently only have 28. It's recommended that you achieve that level of currency as soon as possible.}
Jeffrey grimaced and started clicking away at his screen. He talked as he opened up the current file for the Tower Layout. <That's a double crikey, Rupert, isn't it?>
{Indeed, sir.}
He checked over the first-floor layout, flicking through the descriptions and prices of each item located on the floor. Some quick mental math told him that he'd be about 128 points shy of his goal. There was no way he could get that much currency in such a short time frame. He sighed. It's better than nothing, I guess. <Rupert, revert the first floor back to its original state.>
{Reverting the first floor back to its original state...there are currently purchased items and flooring on this floor. Would you like to return these items to the store?}
Jeffrey hit yes and watched the floor before him slowly change back into the large, circular room it had been before.
<Okay, Rupert. Considering the current time constraints, tell me the easiest ways to get tower points.>
{Your current options are assigning a mob to Scout external resources, discovering new materials, or designing a new mob.}
<Open up my available mob templates.>
{Your available templates are: Level 1 Goblin; Level 1 Kobold; Level 1 Acid Spitter; Level 1 Laser Snail. Keep in mind you only have 100 Bio Points to spend, sir.}
<Select one Level 1 Goblin please.>
{Two Bio Points have been deducted from your total balance; ninety-eight remaining. Adding selected mobs to Design Template...Good luck designing, sir.}
Jeffrey entrapped the Goblin in his essence and slowly turned it around, studying its hideously deformed body. How to make this disgusting little creature better?
Kangaroos, he thought. Kangaroos are where it’s at.
The first thing he did to turn the little monster into the wonderful beasts known as kangaroos was fixing its feet. They were very narrow and crooked which, obviously, would not stand with Jeffrey.
He straightened out its feet before pulling the front part forward so the feet were about 12 inches long. The toes and claws were fixed next; he pinched the digits together until they formed three, with the one in the middle being the longest and biggest. He stretched the claws out a bit, as well, before he was finally satisfied and moved on.
As kangaroos were known for their muscular legs, he increased the leg strength of the goblin while also making sure the legs were straight enough so they wouldn’t break after each jump. He added a tail to help with balance and, after remembering that kangaroos sat back on their tails to give them extra kicking power, made sure to make the Goblin’s tail extra thick but just enough so the little guy wouldn’t be overbalanced by it.
Next came the abdomen. Jeffrey made sure to make its spine extra flexible for easy bending and the like. He added the customary pouch, of course. That was the best thing about kangaroos, second only to their wicked hopping power.
The arms, though, stumped him. In the end, he decided them double-jointed and made the hands more human-like, to give them a better grip.
For the head, he decided to prioritize sight and smell, since Goblins had a remarkably high hearing already. He enlarged the eyes and decided to go the bug route for this one, making them convex to give them the insane wraparound vision flies were known for.
A quick moment of inspiration drove him to give the Goblin an elephant trunk. The things could detect water sources from 12 miles away!
For once, he was proud of the countless hours he’d spent on Wikipedia before he died, absorbing all that random knowledge. His mother had always told him that was wasting his time, that it wouldn’t get him anywhere in life. If only she’d known this is where he’d be in life.
The smile slowly faded from his face as he thought of his mother. They hadn’t had the closest relationship, as both of them preferred to stay in their own space when they could but there were rare moments when she showed more than the average level of affection. He’d gotten so annoyed when that happened but now...Now he’d give anything just to feel her kiss his forehead or give him a backrub.
No one ever told him how lonely being reincarnated as a dungeon core would be. It was always the promise of unlimited power to do what you wanted, infinite mobs at your disposal, and the ability to create anything that got people hooked. But the truth was, he missed home. Even if he didn’t have many friends and was largely ignored by other people, he missed it.
But he didn’t have time to reminisce. His life was at stake.
Wiping away a stray tear, he refocused himself. He considered the modified Goblin to be a success and clicked the confirm button.
{What would you like to name the modified Goblin, sir?}
<’Scouter Gob’, Rupert.>
{Affirmative. Adding ‘Scouter Gob’ to your mob template…. ‘Scouter Gob’ has been added. Each summoning will henceforth cost 4 Bio Points. You have been granted 15 Tower Points for designing your first mob! Congratulations on designing a new mob, sir! You have been granted 10 tower points for designing an F-rated mob!}
<Could’ve been better,> Jeffrey muttered. <My time, Rupert?>
{32 minutes and 56 seconds, sir.}
Jeffrey groaned. He’d gotten too carried designing! <Rupert, summon ten Scouter Gobs and designate them as my Gatherers, please.>
{40 Bio Points have been used to summon ten Scouter Gobs. Designating them as Gatherers...Designation confirmed. Have you any instructions to impart onto your Gatherers, sir?}
<Tell them to gather as much stuff as possible and come back in 20 minutes. Make sure they collect as many unique resources as possible!>
{Affirmative. Sending out Gatherers now.}
He watched his Goblins race out of the Tower from the screens set up in his orb. When they disappeared from his sight, he told Rupert to alert him when they returned and went to his couch to wait.
His eyes closed soon after and he dreamed of home.
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