“All right, on the off chance that Ingrid really does bring an army, we need to be ready for it,” I said as I brought up the menu and tabbed over to my mobs.

[Stray Cat]

>Level 2

>Common mob

>Size: Small

>Durability: (-)

>Stealth: (+)

>Scan Lvl 1

- Reveals the approximate threat level of a creature or object

- can be used in other situations

>All other attributes within expected parameters for a common feline

My first mob. How much had happened in the past four, no three months? There had been enough excitement that my arrival to Harmony City had felt like a lifetime ago.

I metaphorically shook my head and scrolled down to the next mob.

[Lucky Cat]

>Level 1

>Uncommon cat mob

>Size: Small

>Stealth (+)

>Bend luck (passive)

- Certain situations will resolve in your favor more often

- This effect stacks, but has diminishing returns

>All other attributes within expected parameters for a common feline

I had more or less forgotten about the [lucky cats] for a while, but their main point wasn't their utility as a scout or their combat ability, but their passive.

It didn't feel like it sometimes, but thinking back there were a lot of situations that could have gone much differently.

For one, if Rex hadn't decided to split his group then Carmen and Midnight would have had a much harder time dealing with all four of them rather than just Red and Lilly.

As far as I could tell, I hadn't turned anyone who came to the casino into a gambling addict. Granted, there were a few regulars, but nobody seemed to be spending more than they could afford to lose.

I scrolled down to the next mob after reflecting on my good fortune.

[Stalker]

LVL 3

>Rare cat mob

>Size: Medium

>Invisibility Lvl 1

- Mob will appear as a shimmering mirage if observed closely

- Mob can only maintain invisibility while moving at a slow pace

- Mob can only maintain invisibility when not attacking or interacting with an object

>Preternatural stealth Lvl 1

- invaders with an ability to sense danger outside of their normal senses will have a harder time detecting this mob.

- Active only while invisible.

>All other attributes within expected parameters for a medium feline

“Let's go ahead and upgrade their stealth and spawn a few more,” I muttered.

! Stalker, special ability: invisibility Lvl up !

>Invisibility Lvl 2

-Stalker will appear as a shimmering mirage while in motion

-Mirage effect will become less pronounced if stalker remains motionless

-Stalker can only maintain invisibility at half running speed

“Worth every point of mana,” I nodded as I moved on to the next mob.

[Tom]

>Lvl 4 Core Guardian

>Size: Large

>Second Wind Lvl 2

- restores 20% of health when dealt a fatal blow (120 minute cooldown)

>Last Hit Lvl 2

- 20% chance to survive a fatal hit with one Health Point (activates while Second Wind is on cooldown)

>Durability: (+++)

>Strength(++)

>Stealth: (-)

>All other attributes within expected parameters for a large feline

My first and strongest mob. What had started out as a normal sized gray [stray cat] had now grown so large that he could look down on most of the various people living in Harmony City.

I think the average troll might have him beat as long as he didn't stand on his hind legs.

It's a good thing he never got the zoomies.

I debated trying to upgrade his level or any of his skills, but everything was so expensive and I had some other things I was planning on doing, so that would need to wait.

[Cat-kin]

>Level (various)

>Beastfolk, Humanoid Feline

>Size: Small

>Denizen

- special mob type

- will spawn as many mobs when space is comfortably available without dungeon input

- can be assigned to perform tasks

- skills and experience will be awarded on an individual basis

>Quality of Life

- bonus EXP for skills scales on level of living conditions

>See individual Cat-kin for skills

>All other attributes within expected parameters for a humanoid feline

Personally I was hesitant to try and train these guys up into a fighting force. With Selina’s help, I could have the [Cat-kin] that didn’t have any skills trained into a fighting force that would likely be better than the city guards within a week.

My [stalkers] had “died” in the past and had been regenerated, but I wasn’t really keen on testing that out with any of the [Cat-kin] considering that they were a unique mob.

Maybe Selina could tell me if they would regenerate as themselves or not. She seemed to have a bit of uncanny knowledge regarding the systems in place that governed what I could and couldn’t do as a dungeon.

“Speaking of,” I muttered as I scrolled down to the next character card.

[Selina ]

>Level 1 Voice of the Dungeon

>Size: Medium

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

>Intelligence (+)

>Speech

- speaks the common language and allows you to communicate with other sapient races

>Vox Populi

- Powers of speech can be shared among Denizen mob type

>Leadership LVL 2

- Denizens’ skill based EXP is increased by 14% while under the direction of the voice

>All other attributes are within expected parameters for a humanoid

She was definitely geared to be more of a leader or administrator with her skill set. Combining her abilities with the [Cat-kin’s] allowed for some absurd skill gain.

Mitten’s alchemy skill was almost to level four and had apparently hit the ceiling as far as the things he could make without more exotic ingredients.

“I should probably issue quests for some of those once this tax situation gets resolved,” I thought as I scrolled down to the last character card.

[Carmen, Midnight]

>Level 3 Twin Scion

>Stealth (+)

>Magic (+)

>Intelligence (++)

>Twinned soul Lvl 3

- two bodies, one soul, magical effects applied to one body effect both

- mana and health can be shared between scions

- other minor effects apply

>Fortune magnet Lvl 2

- certain situations cause treasure generation

- Gemstones will now begin generating as well as currency

>Copy Cat LVL 1

- magic spells can be learned as skills

- Complexity of magic able to be learned scales with level of Copy Cat and on other known magical skills

>Telekinesis Lvl 4

>Copied Spells

- Lvl 2 Teleportation

- Lvl 1 Force barrier

- Lvl 1 Stone Missile

>All other attributes within expected parameters for a common feline

My scions. Probably the most powerful out of all of my mobs.

Stat wise, Tom was the most powerful, but telekinesis was such a versatile skill that my scions were probably punching well above their weight class.

I could also see the Copy Cat skill turning both of them into absolute powerhouses in the future as long as they kept fighting mages.

An idea began to percolate in the back of my mind as I looked over their skills and abilities.

In the meantime, however…

“Hey Midnight, Carmen, I’m going to need your help in a minute,” I called out.

“Yes, Mr. House,” Carmen replied as she hopped down from the card table.

“Be there shortly,” Midnight sighed as he slowly got up and stretched.

“Oh come on, Midnight. I promise this will be fun,” I said.

“Somehow, I doubt that,” Midnight said flatly.

“Well if you don’t feel like blowing up test walls to see what I can reinforce the casino with, I guess Carmen will need to pull double duty,” I sighed dramatically.

“That actually does sound like fun,” Midnight said as he ran over with a bit of a pep in his step.

Forty minutes, several prototypes, and drawing on fuzzy memories of seeing city overpasses being constructed, I had come up with a design that I had dubbed fantasy rebar.

It was essentially stone blocks with the same iron and silver gates that I had used for the security gates.

Thanks to my dungeon crafting abilities, the stone formed around the gates perfectly just as if I had poured cement around the bars.

THUMP!

“Hey Mr. House…” Selina called out pensively over the telepathic bond.

THUMP!

“Yes Selina?” I replied.

THUMP!

“What’s that noise?” asked Selina.

THUMP!

“Just testing out some designs to reinforce the walls,” I replied as Carmen and Midnight stopped launching cannonballs at the test wall I had set up.

“Okay, just try not to break anything important,” Selina said before returning to her work.

“I don't suppose we could use something besides iron,” Midnight said tiredly, “perhaps gold? That was easy to throw.”

“I think we're the only ones around here who could even make a cannonball out of gold, much less use one,” I replied before letting out a thoughtful “hmm,” sound.

“Copper for your thoughts, Mr. House,” Carmen prodded as she took a moment to rest.

“Just wondering what the difference between throwing something with telekinesis and using stone missile is,” I wondered out loud.

“Ah that spell the runt used against us,” Midnight nodded, his magic returning to him quickly thanks to the global effect provided by the dais.

“Shal I try it out or do you want to?” Carmen asked.

“Go ahead, sister,” Midnight replied.

Carmen took a stance and concentrated.

Suddenly dust began to collect into a pebble and quickly grew into a rock the size of a baseball.

Just like Odez had done, the rock glowed with energy before being launched at the test wall.

The impact felt different somehow.

“Well it doesn't look any more effective than just throwing something,” Carmen replied with a tilt of her head.

“Maybe not, take a closer look,” I said.

The cannonballs had managed to dent the rock and the rebar evenly, while stone missile had broken through the rock with ease, but left the rebar mostly unscathed.

“I suppose the silver and iron managed to dissipate the magic of the stone missile spell,” Midnight guessed, “it’s not like dispelling telekinesis stops the object from moving.”

“Makes sense,” I agreed before getting struck with inspiration, “do you think you could combine the spells?”

My scions looked at each other.

“Possibly,” replied Carmen.

“We won't know until we try,” shrugged Midnight.

“I'll cast stone missile and you use telekinesis,” Carmen said as she focused at the wall once again.

Just like before, a small pebble formed before growing to the size of a baseball.

Unlike before, the stone began spiraling in place as Midnight joined in.

The twins counted down in unison, “three, two, one.”

The stone shot forward and struck the wall with an explosion and a scattering of rock shards.

“Damn, it's a good thing that I didn't have anything behind the test wall,” I swore.

The wall had a large dent and a small hole where some of the rock shards had punctured through.

Selina came running from the opposite side of the casino.

“What the hell was that!?” she exclaimed.

“Oh just testing out some spellcraft,” Carmen replied casually.

“That was exhilarating,” Midnight said excitedly, “what do you think would happen if we used a piece of gold?”

“Midnight, that is reckless and dangerous thinking. Give me a minute to make a thicker wall,” I said before assimilating the very damaged test wall.

“Do you suppose that this next one will go through the new wall or not?” Carmen asked mischievously.

“I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t exit the casino,” Midnight added.

“Oh no,” Selina whispered before taking shelter behind a coin pusher.

My scions seemed bound and determined to give this next shot their all, so I decided to add an iron plate behind the new test wall before deploying it.

“All right, there’s the wall and here’s your ammo,” I said before dropping a small gold sphere in front of Carmen and Midnight.

My scions looked at each other and grinned cheshire grins.

Carmen began casting as the golden ball levitated in the air, growing in size and developing a crystalline pattern over the surface.

A high pitched hum filled the room as Midnight contributed his own telekinesis.

I had a brief moment of concern as I wondered what would happen if the spell broke out of the casino and especially what effect the spacial warping properties would have on the gold missile.

Fortunately, I didn’t have to wait long as it shot forward with a bassy “whumph” noise immediately followed by the sound of the projectile shattering the test wall and the shrieking of iron.

Dust shot out in every direction.

“Holy shit! Is everyone okay?” I exclaimed as I observed things with my dungeon sense.

Carmen and Midnight were both coughing up a storm, but were otherwise unharmed.

Selina had curled herself up smaller than I thought was possible, however she seemed physically unharmed at least.

*Cough* *Cough* “That was amazing!” exclaimed Midnight between coughing fits.

*Cough* “Let’s go ahead and-” *Cough* “take care off all of this dust,” Carmen wheezed before she pushed away the dust with her telekinesis.

“Please tell me that’s the last test you are running today,” Selina pleaded as she slowly uncurled and took a look at what was left of the test wall.

There was a neat circle in the middle where the golden telekinetically enhanced missile had punched through the rock and rebar like styrofoam and crumpled the iron plate like tissue paper.

“Yeah I think I’m calling it for today,” I replied before assimilating the rubble and as much dust as I could select.

“Well I can’t wait to try that out on Ingrid and then Rex,” Midnight said.

“Yeah, I’m not giving you two any more ammo for that unless we need something atomized,” I countered.

“But what if I really want to?” asked Midnight.

“You concern me, brother,” Carmen said with a deadpan expression.

Things mostly settled down after I started on the reinforcements, but I would occasionally catch Midnight staring at the gold coins in the coin pushers.

“I’ve really got to make sure he doesn’t start shooting off gold coins the next time Ingrid comes by,” I sighed internally as I continued to reinforce the walls.

***

It was late.

So, so very late.

“I should have been home by now,” Amanda groaned as she massaged her temples, “Maybe I should call it a day and pick this back up in the morning.”

As if on cue, a letter teleported above her desk and landed with a loud “whap” that demanded that Amanda drop what she was doing and turn her attention to the offending parchment.

“It’s got the noble seal of house Raynard,” Amanda thought as she examined the letter.

Anyone who could teleport a letter into her office would obviously be someone of some renown or power, but a letter from house Raynard at this time of the night was pretty far down on the list of names that she would have expected.

Tension giving way to curiosity, Amanda sliced open the letter and began to skim over the contents.

“Dear Amanda, it has come to my attention that…” Amanda mumbled, skipping several lines, “...is planning on taking a platoon of solders and EVICTING MR. HOUSE!”

Amanda took a steadying breath.

Whoever this bureaucrat was, Amanda would have their head on a pike before they could even try.