As I marched towards the Elevator. I got hit with my Exp notice and the expected Challenge notice.

[ You have survived a Challenge.

You get 3 GC, 3 MC and 3000 credits ]

[ You gain 56000 Exp ]

[ MC has reached Lifetime Threshold

New Meta Options have been unlocked ]

Had it really been less than a day? This place fucked with your sense of time.

New Meta Options were nice, but I needed to save those coins for my Base.

The exp was a welcome addition. I looked over my character sheet while keeping an ear out for Xenos.

I saw it then. A solution to the problem, at least for here, for now.

Hahaha

"I'm such a fucking moron." A jab of pain, I growled "What's the best way to deal with insects?" Okay, I know they are not insects, but certain aspects of their behaviors are similar.

I thought it out. I rolled it around. I argued with myself. I really, really didn't want to do this.

I slumped in defeat, my greed and rage where a potent combination.

I turned around and tromped my happy ass back to the Market.

"Back Already? What's going on?" The guard looked at me with suspicion.

"I had an idea, see if Captain Theo is willing to hear it. It might be able to help a little. I'll be shopping for some ingredients in the stalls." I marched through. Looking for the things I needed.

While I was shopping I notice the eyes of some Corp goons following me. Not much to do about it in the moment. I knew I would start attracting attention, I needed to outpace that scrutiny with personal growth, or hide from it with isolation. It was too late for stealth.

It didn't take too long to find everything. So I was inhaling some Hot Dogs, when the Guards found me.

I trudged over to Theo's office.

"Sorry for the return, but I had a thought. Bare with me." I paused ordering my thoughts, "If yall can build some kill rooms, I can produce an attractant. Classic Roach trap gimmick. I'd even be willing to set the trail myself, for some compensation." I got right to it, before I lost my nerve.

Captain Theo chewed on that for a couple of minutes. His eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"

Push that Charisma. Let's try to get some long term issues taken care of as quickly as possible.

"A couple of Guard Bots, A swarmer drone with napalm swarmers, some incendiary ammo and mags for my Kraken, grenades also incendiary. I'll keep the Bots and drone after I've set the trail." I brace myself for the next part.

"I'll hunt for the nest and Queen if there is one. If I find and bring you her head. I want a couple of pallet drones, loaded with 6 auto-turrets on each. One set for ground defense and one set for air coverage. I'll handle ammo for those later." I rattled them off while grimacing.

This would solve some of my problems. Loyal Bots, I'd install selfmade V.I.s in later. In the meantime, Meowser can guide them. His growth even without direct input was marvelous. We could even grab 12 turrets to guard my future base. It might just be worth it.

No. In the end, it's really not much for risking one's life and worse, but that's why they'd probably accept it.

"That's...a surprising list. No slagging money? No slagging discount? Crack it, no hand of my firstborn daughter?" Cpt. Theo chuckled while looking amused.

He had a daughter? Huh. Didn't seem the type to have a family.

"We both know bots and drones can get pricy and I want good ones, not your rusting scrap. And for the turrets we also know, I don't have the standard clearances for that kind of Fire." It was a whole bag of screaming cats I didn't want to get into. Getting clearances for the really good stuff, was a trail and would mean a whole month of observation by an Arbiter's adjutant.

I extend a hand, "I'll even help design the kill rooms, people get shocked by what the Xenos can squeeze, or tear through." Yeah, eventually they get out of any confinement, that's why capturing them alive was one of the dumbest things maybe in the History of Stupidity.

He grasped my hand, "Alright, the Council might get pissy about it, and UnderCorp will stick their nose into it. But one of our main side cranks is bot alteration and smuggling, so we have lots of stock on hand. I was already in the process of commandeering them for defense against these monsters." He had a big grin on his face, he knew this was a good deal.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

I had a feeling they had already had an inkling of the Xenos' presence. His acceptance of the situation, and agreement to my term was way too fast. Yeah, they knew and had known.

Perhaps, UnderCorp had brought the fuckers here in the first place? Hmm. Now, here I am to clean up their mess.

Had I just been played? Would it matter if I got what I wanted out of it? I mentally shrugged it off. I could live with it. I wasn't strong enough to tangle with the Corps. Yet.

A spent the next two hours going over designs with him.

We decided to use nine intersections. Everything leading to these sections would be welded off. Except the entry point They would be forced to split to right and left going around the welded off central hall to meet back around on the other side, to get to the ninth section with the bait. Turrets would line the halls along with Bots in sealed up bunkers so only small firing slits were open. If or when they made it to the bait room, it will have been converted into an incinerator. A Flambé of Xenos would ensue.

Around the sides and back tunnels of the Trap Maze, the sections would be fortified and heavily defended, all to drive the Xenos back toward the entrance to the north.

Heavy Defenses Welded Shut Welded Shut Entry Point Welded Shut Welded Shut Heavy Defenses Welded Shut Bunkers Turrets Bunkers Welded Shut Heavy Defenses Welded Shut Turrets Welded Shut Turrets Welded Shut Heavy Defenses Welded Shut Bunkers Bait - Incinerator Bunkers Welded Shut Heavy Defenses Welded Shut Welded Shut Welded Shut Welded Shut Welded Shut Heavy Defenses

(AN :I know it looks goofy, I wanted to try to show yall this without having to scan in my maps. Each cell represents an intersection each is 20' x 20' the halls are 100 yards long between intersections. Welded shut means all ways into that section are welded with thick metal sheets. Nothing complicated here.)

The Strength of this design is its simplicity. Its weakness is the Bait, but I'm handling that.

We nailed down the details and I had work to do.

I head out to get more food while Theo start ordering his Botters to setup the Construction Drones for this. To be sure they are going to set three of these traps up in the Wilds one in each cardinal direction a few intersection from where their territory starts. Bots will guard the drones while each trap is put together. I told him to make sure the entry points faced away from the Market the bait might affect humans too.

I found a place that served a meatloaf that was pretty tasty. I had a few of those along with loaded Mashed potatoes and corn on the cob slathered in butter. Where does it all go? Is my stomach an interdimensional space?

Eh, I'd figure it out later. Still, No wonder Giants and their kin always run about eating everyone.

While I chowed down, I used my Exp stores to bring my ace in the hole up to rank V. Yup. A Drop of Honey dangerous to everyone, including me.

I felt it alter into a more potent formation. However, as a welcome surprise I felt I could control the attraction more. I could tailor it to specific targets, from specie wide to the individuals. That was a relief.

I bumped Regeneration up to V. In the thought that it would help me survive problems. My stomach growled. Feed me, it said, I'm so hungry. What the hell?

Even as much food as I had stuffed into my belly today wasn't enough for this glutton of an ability. I needed higher calorie sources of food.

Now, that out of the way, I decided to try something new. A had a suspicion there'd be a catch. I spent 10000 exp to raise the Rating of my Dex to A.

[ You are attempting to raise the Rating of a attribute.

Dexterity

Please choose one of the following tests.

Perform one hundred acrobatic maneuver at the highest difficulty of which you are capable.

Hit a target with the same speed as you one hundred times. ]

Oh I picked the first one. It be hard to find something as fast as me, that I'd want to use for target practice.

Hmm, I asked a passing guard where to find an empty hall inside the Market, and followed their instructions.

Looked around. Yup empty.

I bounced, I can tap the 20' ceiling no problem. Next, I tried bouncing off one wall to the other. No worries there.

Then I starting hopping back and forth between the walls about half way up the walls, without hitting my head. I did this down the length of the Hall. Not easy, but not too hard.

So this time I jumped off the wall and half way to the other wall, I twisted planted my feet on the ceiling and bounced back to me original jumping point. I used that to leap to the other wall. Bounced off that wall repeating the ceiling trick. I traveled the length of the hall many times without touching the floor and at some point the Guide chimed in.

[ You have completed the Test.

Dexterity is now Rated A rank. ]

I was tempted to push for S rank Dex but I'd probably have to do something fuckballs crazy to get it. I'll wait till my life ain't hanging in the balance for that.

I did decide to push Int though.

Why?

I wanted that inhuman intelligence and processing speed. It would help my mind keep up with my body. It would help me get Meowser to the next level. So many other benefits.

This time the Guide offered the choice between a Logic puzzle and a Mental Reaction Speed test. I took the later.

It turned out the Guide gave this test. I had to categorize flashing colored lights. Twenty different colors flashed at once, then vanished. I sorted them as quickly as I could. I just barely made the time. This was apparently also a memory test. Sneaky Guide. Again and again with me squeaking by each time.

Then the test changed, Hit the red light, out of fifty different colored lights. Hit the green light, and so on. These flashed much faster, but was simpler in scope. I had less problems here.

Finally, I passed.

[ You have completed the Test.

Intelligence in now Rated B rank. ]

Synapses fired up. New connections being made. Nice!

I rented a room for a while cleaned up my armor, washed myself, even with the Elven ridiculousness I had started to smell a bit off.

I went over all my gear, my life might well depend on it.