The end of mobs

After a year of constantly going down the school dungeon, it became obvious that mobs could not get you past the 4th floor even when level up and paying extra mp to upgrade mobs. these Mobs i am describing are simple the starcraft created robots.

If it where not for the fact that the more adventurous teams often had a bodyguard shadowing them or even directly part of a team. Students would have been lost…

What was made abundantly clear is that while strategy improved with the students mobs in general are too slow to attack the higher level monsters in a dungeon… we needed a new strategy.

So far we had made a rule not to get past level four with mobs. With AI help we even were able to restrict them from going down to the fifth floor they simply stopped moving forward.

I did however get an accommodation from the school for making it easier and safer for their students to get experience and increase their stats a side effect was that when playing strategy games planning and thinking ahead of time often there int and wisdom would increase…

I needed another way to make money… mobs had paid for themselves several times over… talking to my beneficiary the dungeon i had often sent with my request. I explained the problem.. There were solutions.. However in the end the problem was mobs were programed…

The next viable step was to add ai to each mob instead of simple programing. This actually was not a cheap upgrade…

i went ahead and paid for the initial upgrade program but we both knew this would not even get me to the mid range…

low grade AIs would simple cost to much with how fast the mobs died… there was a reason why. Dungeon ships cloned and built biological mob warriors..

The Low grade Ai upgrade cost additional mana points at the barracks... one or two bots with a lowgrade ai... still die easy.

just not as easy as a programmed bot. example basic marine bot from the starcraft barrack kills 10 dungeon mobs... that marine bot absorbs from the kills a fraction of the mana points. he goes back to the barrack gets a upgrade.

30 kills he gets a promotion.. he is now a sergent bot... a little faster a little bigger then the basic marine bots. his gun rounds are a little bigger. shoot a little harder and possible have special munitions... all rounds are physical so he can only carry so many. before going back to the barrack to get more rounds this is often when he is upgraded.

not like in rpgs where upgrades happen in the wild he has to go back to start point. finally after the marine bot has got the prerequsites. of being a sergent and a few other things and then carries enough mana he goes back to the barracks to upgrade to ai.. this will be the most expensive upgrade.

however bots are mobs even with all these upgrades... his stats will probally still be below a warrior.. his damage below a mage or a magic archer... as a ai he can think a little better use cover better. but he still has to follow commands from the student who has the tablet. 

this is super time intensive and unrealistic it is possible to get a army of ai capatable drones that can help you get past the 4th floor to the fifth... the only reason  my mobs work as well as they do is because the barrack is collecting mana from the invaded dungeon rather then my own dungeon.

The reason so many ships grow there own clones. is...

They had more potential. The biologicals could adapt to conditions faster. Could change tactics faster. Cost less initially to be made.

I however did not have a ship...this was starting to become a tedious disability for a dungeon.

I actually tried to figure out if i could maybe use a holder and make a land train. Like link all the busses together.

The answer was yes… there was a major problem however.

The holder if installed into a land train. Or a series of linked busses. (busses are cheap call me a scruge) Would give me the benefits of a dungeon..the way the holder worked was when upgrading the holder sent wires of mana or physical wires at this point it does not matter which. Through the walls and simple add them to the next upgrade…think  magic filements its still not correct its runic magic with a mana signature and and a physical form. 

I would have to be broken out of the land train each and every time. Each time i left the land train. The dungeon location would be broken up. .....the maisma or ambient dungeon mana... loseing the point of having a dungeon in a landtrain.

The thing karen was talking about in the ship so i could leave each time was a specialized holder that would be incredible expensive and would need to be invented for me even if there are other dungeons like me. No one is talking about it so if it was already invented it would need to be reinvented.

Again i dont store mana in my crystal above 5000mps  above that they have to be stored in mana banks and crystals... which a ship would be able to store better then a bus or a land train. landtrains are not air tight. to make them airtight would be ineffiecent. when i could just get a ship and fly to different worlds.

Since the whole point of the land train was to give me time to save money for a ship… obviously i'm not going to put that much money into it.

I needed a solution..

I needed something that was cheaper than my current upgrades to make mobs viable for a few more dungeon floors..

I needed some way to protect the students as they gained skills and leveled while trying to attract attention of an adventure group..(not sure when this became a goal...did pretending to be a nice guy distract me... ill figure out how to tie this into the story later. lets say im building a reputation...saint sama in training?)

I needed bodyguards for the other students..without the students realizing they are being bodyguards so they don't take even more risks.

For many days i would have an absent expression at school while running around in my hoverchair.

No i was not an invalid. But in a school of adventures. Me not having extra body strength. Or inner magic offensive power. Even an accident could be deadly i was no stronger then a man on earth. Of course i wouldn't die… my core would be safe.

But i needed to guard this body like it was the real thing.

I went to my economics classes. I went to my adventure classes.

I went to lunch and sat in gloom.

I could not think of a solution.

Then i saw something wonderful…

Well for me it was wonderful. For that clan heir it was probably embarrassing.

I walked into a school fight.  

Now this is my last year of highschool. I am a senior so i should stop the fight. Instead i walked up closer then sat there and watched as one heir and bodyguards beat the living shit out of another heir and bodyguards,

i do not know why they were fighting but with healing magic as long as no one dies i won't have to do paperwork. Having shouted that to the winning heir she looked at me with disgust.

Quickly enough i ask the girl out for lunch saying i have a few questions if you will allow me to ask i will pay for you and your bodyguards lunch in celebration of your victory of showing how elite bodyguards can beat riffraff like that…

What will you ask she says still not happy with me. But probably thinking i will cause problems for her if she does not let me buy her lunch. Oh just some questions really about your bodyguards… to be honest lunch with you is a bonus for the company. I really interested in them… with a face of worry.. She looks at them and says we have a contract.(she thinks im headhunting)

(mc) i see… at least at lunch tell me about it.

Turning to one of my guards a wolf women i say to her… make sure these cretins get healed then have them over for dinner.. Make sure they come.

Everywhere i go i travel with 1/3rd of my bodyguards… even if others find it uncomfortable. I refuse to leave something i paid for alone. When i am in class two stand in the back of the room or take classes with me. The rest stand outside in the hall. 3 are always visible..

It seems i am flaunting my wealth… however there are others with more wealth… however my guards never make trouble. And i am already paying for them. I never start fights.

in fact i will do a lot to stay out of fights part of that is always having goons near me.

Some say it is to make me have more self confidence.. It actually started when i was having trouble in my first year turning down girls… the guards help head that off. We eat alone as much as possible. Together with my guards. Unless a cousin shows up then they eat with me. Which at school happens frequently.

I actually spent a lot on the guards clothing for public appearance.. Each guard equipment has had a makeover. I done everything i could to make them look more similar… not exact like troops however

after all each guard fights differently and has different needs.

the armors outer skin has been dressed up to look nicer and in the family's colors.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Now back to the topic this young heiress name xena the barbarian warrior…. Okay it was shelly.

While having lunch i asked the bodyguards there background. Their family how much training they had had. How much they get paid how much they expect to increase their funds. How long do they have a contract. Have they had contracts before. How did they start.

Compiling this information. I simple asked shelly what her family did and how was her family able to afford bodyguards… her family was wealthy and it was easy to afford bodyguards..

Thanking her for her time i asked for tea from my own bodyguard. After taking a sip of tea. I thanked shelly and her bodyguards for their time. Please finish your lunch first.

 see i am nice... i told her i was done talking to her... and she ate a free meal..

I never did find out what shelly and that boy were fighting for.

Not that i really cared.

Sitting at lunch i was informed that cretin and his thugs had finished healing. immediately i informed the wolf women that i still had time at lunch. please inform them that lunch would be on me.

Within 5 minutes my bodyguard wandered in with the poor boys arm trapped in hers. His guards trailing behind him.

Without asking him or his guards what they wish to eat. Some of the most expensive food was placed in the center table in front of them.

Sitting at the table. With 12 of my 17 bodyguards and my two maids plus a few loose cousin we all sat there as they sat down. Wolfgirl went about serving herself once she sat down. As the boy looked around.

ahh don't worry, we have already eaten.

12 where did twelve come from... he said earlier he travels with a 3rd... its lunch time next shift joins them.

As the boy reached for the food. With a grin i interrupted him.

Oh by the way. your bodyguards  tell me about them. directly asking the young male heir... keeping him from eating like it was a game. more questions where asked by me. 

A few times a guard tried to answer. 

i waved them away and hurried them to eat.

Draining the boy of the little information he had…

one at a time  each of the 8 bodyguards informed me about them themselves. 

allowing me to finish up this interview.

The seventh one had the info truly desired.

It was rather funny because when i stopped questioning the boy he thought he would get to eat.

However the girls thought this was fun so they started asking him questions. About really inane things.

In all honesty some of the questions were not that inane. It probably seemed that way to the boy.

The last one was a grizzled older man.. He probably had somewhat of a ideal what i wanted since getting the information out of him was much quicker.

at the end of the few questions i had for him. He informed me his contract would be up this summer.

Smiling in satisfaction. I thank him for the information just as the bell rings… i smoothly got up. As does everyone else.

Tipping our regular waitress here at school cafeteria..

The boy tried his best to gobble down food but already people were racing to their classes.

Wondering in at the last bell i went straight to the front of the class and sat right in front of the teachers desk.

When i first came to this class. The class rep wanted that seat.. I talked her into sitting next to me… the excuse. She had higher stats. So she could see better i had base stats. The argument could have been kept going but it was the start of school and she did not want to come across as disagreeable. So i moved my hoverchair right into my customary spot and she sat next to me.

While i wouldn't classify her as a friend. I would say she was now a close acquaintance.

4 years she has sat next to me through the majority of my classes...she was also a heir. 

Think of her as a b minor princess. Small kingdom…(LN tradition girl who talks to mc is a princess if she is smart and rich. or the heir of some big name buisness)

Also because this is a light novel all women in light novels are beautiful and automatically attracted to the mc… in this case the dungeon core named mike being hosted inside a sunelf body. With blond hair and blue eyes.. Surrounded by a horde of bodyguards. Who are young looking and very fit. Not to mention elves look frail. And mike is always in a hoverchair…

It is the standard op good looks plus a harem setting.

(Just to be different… the female protagonist in this case is the class rep who sits besides him in class for the majority of classes the last 4 years.)

(We are going to make the clan's family a beardless dwarf race… i simple can't stand the thought of a little women with facial hair being attractive. Because she is a dwarf she a little wider in the hips then most women. Being young she is petite for a dwarf. Boom a small women with hips and boobs… i have fulfilled a lot of men's fantasies right here with this women.)

(Add a silverish blue hued hair. Fantasy complete.)

This is my class rep. Named taylor vern. Western style. Eastern style would be vern taylor.

Now does the class rep actually look like that, who cares i am telling the story. It's your job to imagine her, how you think she should look. with me only adding a little discription.

Blinking a few times i notice taylor leaning in close with a worried expression on her face.

You okay mike.

I'm fine i reply was just thinking about something. Oh what were you thinking about she asked.

Oh if i were to write you as a character in a novel how i would describe you.

Oh with a bit of a pause i explain my thoughts… with a giggle she replies that pretty funny.

(fmc)….mmmm .  I need to set up a meeting with karen she says.

 (mc).. Melody find out when karen has time…

(fmc) i need karen to come to my families house.

(mc) Oh … okay.

Taylors family and my family has been setting up small contracts every once in awhile. It worked out pretty well for both of us. So while it not abnormal it is a little abnormal to call Karen to her house.

(mc)Is there a problem… pausing she thinks about it for a bit… yes there a little problem.

(mc)Oh okay.. I'll tell karen then. She will figure it out.

I was not worried about it. I know the majority of our contracts are fulfilled if there was a minor problem a little negotiations would fix the problem.

Prattling on a group was formed in class and the assignment finished ahead of time.

2 days later me and karen showed up at an expansive mansion.

Inside we had dinner with the family… we talked about all kinds of things that did not include business after dinner we wandered into a formal office.

There we all took seats.

The clan head turned to karen. Then said we want an exclusive contract...Karen quirked her eyebrow...(karen)my understanding was we had a small problem not that you wanted an exclusive contract… also we (ding royal We maybe royal we should be wii lol) have never been interested in an exclusive contract. It is in fact, how I set up are family and business plan for the future.

There was clear disappointment on the old dwarfs face. he looked at taylor she looked depressed..i wonder why…

Looking at taylor then Karen…(mc) Karen, Taylor here is my friend she obviously wants to make her first big deal… can we help her… obviously exclusive contract is out of the question. But maybe we can give some preferential treatment to friends of this family.

Karen looked at me then taylor… then the old man, karen and old man both had a smirk..

However (Karen) while i don't mind a minor contract… we specifically set you up to be a very long lasting elf…

Taylor with hope in her eyes… soon had a haggered puppy dog face that just been told no…

(mc)Whispering out loud Taylor..so everyone heard it… you're among friends… so you will get something out of this deal. Stop showing your emotions each time the old folks haggle.

(mc)Oh by the way what are we haggling about i loudly ask… we don't even know what they wanted with an exclusive contract… Taylor blushed hard. And squirmed around a lot. I want to go with you when you go adventuring. And a few more concessions… she whispered so lightly.

 (like television commersials where they constantly change the volume. this coversation is unnatural. they should be talking over each other not taking turns)

(mc) your an idiot all you had to do was get permission from your dad.

(mc)I would of let you go adventuring with me… you did not need to try and set up a contract…

(in a real conversation someone would have already talked over the mc. this is a light novel however. so that stuff does not happen. lucky us fist pump)

(fmc)micheal your the idiot, i knew i did not need a contract to go adventuring with you….

(mc)So arguing back what did you need a contract for… with curiosity…(duh he is curious why did i type that...lets leave it there so other can laugh at me also.)

(Karen)  taylor don't answer that. negotiations are not complete.

(karen)Michael just sit there and wait. The adults are talking.

After that Karen and the old man… argued the contract… back and forth it would no longer be an exclusive… instead they made more options for instance every 50 years as long as my clan was in power… an addition from his side would be added to the contract. At 250 years two additions would be added. However never more than two would be added to the contract. While my clan was in contract as long as we did not grow smaller this would be upheld even if there side got smaller due to war. The purpose was to increase both clans standing.

 (...okay rereading this. MC not really that dense. he just has a preconsieved notion)

Our side of the deal.

During war are clan was to carry supplies and aid directly to the city if possible. Also to provide safe escape for young...above all else except my own clan.

(mc)Reading the terms outloud… I say you know this kinda sounds like a political marriage… kinda funny how contracts and marriages are so similar… the old man cracked up. Karen laughed.. Taylor blushed…

Laughing at taylor(mc)

(mc)taylor why are you blushing you got yourself a good long term contract… for your clan… this will increase the wealth and most of all safety of our clans, good job.

Laughing at her Karen speaks up. You know with the joining in are clans resources we should have a ceremony for something this nice..

Nodding that sounds good but i still am really busy at school can we plan it for this summer when classes are out… we can go ahead and start the contract but do the ceremony later.

Karen laughed nah let start everything officially after the ceremony no reason to rush plus we can make sure everything fits together… michael the contracts will be signed then. Until then go back to your dorm. Take taylor to her room and then make sure to get to bed early…

So me and Taylor headed off. I dropped her off at her room said a light good bye…

Then i headed to my dorm and bed.

Now i am sure you are wondering about that build up earlier i was doing. Between that girl and that boy i teased at lunch.

What i was trying to figure out is how much mercenaries cost the cheapest you could go and how they got their training.

That night for only a few hours i had melody(that is the AI from my original ship) and some of my bodyguards teach me some of the things about starting a mercenary company versus growing house troops..

In are city there is a lot of unemployment… however there not a lot of starving poor. This is because the first level is open to everyone… so if you needs something you go there to get basic ingredients in the dungeon  to cook with a very low risk to your health. If you carry a shaved treebranch you should be fine.

However between the abilities and skills and paying for more than the basics is a huge difference… this is one of those moments when you realize the rich are rich and the poor are poor.. Basically anything you kill on the first two levels will not be enough to get ahead.

There just enough to survive

When you go to level 3 it suddenly gets harder… a lot of newbies get killed here. If you form big teams you have a higher chance of survival. However it hard to keep big groups active because level 3 the money you get back from there just barely more. Level 4 is hard for newbies… large group of dungeon mobs wander around… here you need to have your own mobs or have decent skills.

Finally level 5 is where those with resources shine.. This is also where i found out my mobs die to quickly it no longer became cost effective.

The local dungeon is a training dungeon however if you do not have resources it is hard to get ahead or even to make a middle income as an adventure. Even at level 5 you're still not going to get ahead. It’s considered substenance living.

I as a heir have not broken through level five… if i hired a c level adventure group. I could do so. However it still would not be within my power on my own. Many of the heirs with me have not  also. At least when they were not playing with my mobs. On their own maybe. But really most of us don't need to be adventures… i want to do it because being a manager will get old quickly.

However i wish to play strategy games… not bash my way through dungeons.

I want to play general. Or in some cases admiral once i have my own starship.

I will need peons people i'm okay with as casualties… people who will waste away their talent. And their lives.

I also need a way for them to get more combat experience without dying. And i need to increase their stats

I starting looking at drug therapies. The solution was actually very simple..

I go down to the disillusioned hire them with a magical binding oath. A long term contract.

Make them second tier household troops.. These guys are the guys i'll sink money into.

Get a warehouse load it with medcapsules. Pay a little extra for subscription to some combat games and trainers. They spend 3 hours a day. In the capsules training mandatory. Every weekend they do a dungeon dive… after they hit a certain stats it become once every two weeks.

Setting my plan to paper… i then have melody figure out what we can afford…

Unexpected medcapsules are not cheap. Or i should say as expected… but this is a future with magic…

Thinking back i was yelled at for that prank and it cost me 15 years of allowance.

This plan might not be realistic… but there are all those people sitting in the city with no jobs… there to low skill to be useful right now. But still those people could become c rank adventures with the right training and motivating force….

I want them to replace or supplement my mobs for beyond level 5.

The path to greatness was unexpectedly easy… affording greatness… i need a new scheme….this is costing more than a ship i could just clone monsters if i had a ship..

Pondering what i should do… i get ready for bed.. I also sound off my ideals and the issues with my bodyguards… that are awake. Alexis is a great help here… she often keeps me company in these late hours as i bounce ideas off of her.

She often pokes holes in any plans i have… even if we can not come up with a solution to a problem.. It is good to know that problem is there since i was not aware of it.

Still at the end of the day i have not come up with a solution…

Just at the end of the night as i am about to sleep. What if you purchased one. And set a crew to cycle through it until you could afford more… use that plot of land near the wild dungeon.

You know we might even find that. Old ship...we lost awhile back. With a much more simple plan i fell asleep