Worthy Core

Xenia claps her hands together. "Alright, so first off - slimes! Let's see...you've got your own magic, so as far as the dungeon system is concerned, you've always been a basic-ass generic slime. No judgment, Lolly Pop."

The basic-ass slime in question harrumphs. "Just because dungeons don't recognize my magical genius. They should really add a mage-type slime."

Her boss doesn't respond right away, instead narrowing her eyes at her monster info panels. "...We, uh. Might actually want to get around to changing your type."

"Eh? Why? What's wrong!?" Lollyp presses against Xenia's desk, attempting to peer at the screen herself.

"Well, your S-tier 'special ability unlock' is...Enhanced Slime Vore." Xenia winces. "If you can get eighty percent of a person's body submerged within you, you start digesting them at a five-times increased rate."

"...Oh, right. Basic-ass slimes are, uh...mostly designed around dissolving their enemies to death." Lollyp grimaces at the reminder of her current form.

Trush pats her gently on the shoulder. "Ah, cheer up! I bet you could zap someone even better while they're in your stomach, too!"

"But it's gross!" Lollyp shivers, sending ripples through her surface. "Besides, I do my best work at long range. If a Challenger is that close to me I'm probably in trouble. So uh...you said something about other slime types?"

"Oh yeah. There's more than just upgrades at S-tier, there's some new options too. Like...oh, hey, you remember those elemental slimes we used as a temporary boss on Floor Seven way back?"

The Floor Two guardian nods. "I thought about trying one of those out, but it sounded like they would only be good at one element. I'd be locking myself in to whichever type I was wearing at the time, and I like being flexible."

"Well, check this out!" Xenia flips Guy's sub-screen in her direction. "The Quint Slime! Good at fire, earth, air, ice, and lightning magic! Special ability: Quintball, a projectile possessing all five elements at once!"

"The name sounds, uh...kind of dumb. And some of those elements might be a little counter-productive in a single attack...but it still sounds good! Sign me up!" Lollyp raises her hands in a cheer as Xenia chuckles.

"Will do! I'll start on making new bodies after we're done here. Next up, lagomorphs." The reincarnator frowns as a thought occurs to her. "Wish BB wasn't basically stuck right now. I can set up a new body for him, but he'll still die as soon as he respawns regardless."

Pizola raises a hand. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but he doesn't have to respawn on Floor One, yes? I know I wasn't on Floor Ten when you were granting me my new body for the first time."

Xenia nods. "I can spend some of my mana reserves to make you a new body wherever I like, yeah, but the automatic respawns always put you back on your floor, and having him on another floor for combat just isn't worth the expense. If you're not a wandering boss you guys are weaker, which doesn't come up much when partying on Floor Five but matters a fair bit if you get into a fight."

"Perhaps just this once?" Trush offers a suggestion. "It'll give him a chance to adapt to an upgrade, and if he's not respawning automatically then we can reserve him for our next ambush on Floor One, whenever that may be."

"Fair enough. Clear a space!" As everyone steps aside, Xenia gestures towards the center of the rather-crowded office. A moment later BB appears, and for a moment it looks as if he's going to start fighting immediately.

"I'll get at least one of you - ! ...Oh. Uh. This isn't Floor One?"

Xenia grins. "Nope! And I already put you into your new S-tier Rabbit Rogue body, so congratulations, you've got a new special ability!"

It takes a little longer for BB to relax and actually remove his paw-like hands from the hilts of his blades, but eventually the man settles down enough to give a smile. "...Oh! That's good, right? What is it?"

"Rabbit Reproduction!" Xenia gives him a bright smile before blinking and looking back at the screen, realizing what she just said. "Wait, what? They couldn't call it Shadow Clone, or Split Hares, or some shit like that?"

"Um." BB too blinks along, as does much of the room. "Exactly...how should I use this to defeat the Domain?"

"It's not like that!" The dungeon master begins reading off of the screen. "'The Rogue may tap into the ancient arts of distraction and lagomorph illusions to create up to four copies of themselves'. The more you make, the shorter they last and the weaker they are, but they can do actual damage or take a few hits. So that's...good?"

"...Would actually be really good if I can pop it off before they kill me. They're still camped out up there, I assume?"

"Yeah, they're campers alright." Xenia moves on. "Trush!"

"Me?"

"As an S-tier Rabbit Knight, you get...oh, come on. 'Thump and Hump'."

Trush narrows his eyes at her.

"Don't blame me! I didn't name them! Ask Guy!" Xenia gestures towards the floating screen, who immediately betrays her.

"Actually, quite a few of the minor details of things like dungeon creations and achievements are subtlety altered to fit the personality and skills of the dungeon master in question. It's all to encourage a more coherent - "

"Agh, fine, forget the name!" Xenia shakes her head and continues. "It says you deal increased damage to an opponent you're grappling with. Oh, there's more! As an S-tier wandering boss, your squires all get a boost while they're near you, too."

"...I don't usually get into fist fights, but I suppose it's good to have. What's...I fear to ask this...what do we have in store for Deylia, then?"

The priestess quickly perks up at the sound of her name, but with a worried look. "Oh, uh, we don't really have to discuss it right now, I'm sure. It's probably nothing - "

"Aroused Rabbit Spirit."

Deylia slumps, her ears practically folding in on themselves. "Wonderful."

Xenia continues reading. "The healing spells the Rabbit Priestess casts all now include a one-day bonus effect of increased speed, strength, and...endurance of all types."

"...Very useful."

Parker suddenly becomes very aware of the fact that, although he generally fights in the body of a mimic, he's currently wearing the form of a Rabbit Patriarch. "Oh, uh, we don't have to cover mine, I'm sure."

"...Yeah, this one I'll save for just you and Laeniel." Xenia gives the man a wink, to a rather...mixed reaction on the man's part. "But since we're already talking about you, let's talk mimics."

"I'm only part mimic, right? Hybrids don't tier up at the same rate as their base types, if I'm not mistaken?"

Xenia waggles a hand. "It's sort of an average of the two parent monster tiers, though not exactly. Except, your 'Fear Mimic' type was made by hybridizing mimics with Em's mirror, which is double S-tier. Mimics were the lower end of the pairing. Which means your hybrid class is also now solidly in the S-tier."

"Ah, wonderful!" Parker gives a relieved sigh. "So how does being a hybrid affect abilities?"

"It looks like...huh." Xenia taps her fingers upon her desk. "Weird one. 'Reflected Mental Mimicry'. Instead of taking the form of someone's fear, you can choose to copy a target...but it also 'entwines the thoughts of the mimic and the mortal'. If I'm getting this right, you'll start thinking like them, but they'll also start thinking they're you. If their mental discipline isn't strong enough, they might get confused enough to start attacking their own allies."

The giant rabbit-man frowns. "And likewise, I might start trying to defend them? That doesn't sound ideal."

"I think you should have some resistance to your own power. Failing that, I could maybe slip some enchanted gear in there that improves mental resistance." The reincarnator thinks to herself for a moment. "...I should probably invest in some smokescreens or flashing lights in that arena. If I can distract people while you're taking form, you might be able to get mixed in so that they don't know which of you is real, either."

"Sounds effective. Here's just hoping I don't have to absorb any thoughts that are...too disturbing..."

"And speaking of disturbing - arachnids!" Sevastion and Yulia both grow more alert at the change of topic, although Pizola narrows her eyes at the manner of the segue.

"Yes, grandmother? How might I become more deadly in your name?" Sevastion clasps his hands together, although his mood deflates as he sees the look on his grandmother's face.

"Sorry, but your hybrid class didn't hit it. Cavern Horrors are an insectoid type, and I'm not sure if I want to spend enough to boost them up to S, too. You could go pure Arachne though, if you want? You'll lose the mandibles and maybe some of the other spiky bits."

The man, currently in his incubus form, considers the offer. "What is the special ability of an Arachne, grandmother?"

"Well, for the basic Arachne, it looks like 'Tapestry of Death'. You get web-spinning, but not for combat. You can, uh...weave an image of a person dying in a certain way, and then they actually become weaker to it? Guy, how's that work, exactly?"

The guide clarifies. "Ah, very interesting indeed - this is a rare curse-type magic! For example, should you weave an image of someone being crushed by falling rocks, their ability to dodge falling objects will be decreased, as will their strength when it comes to deflecting objects or digging themselves out. The curse is limited, however. It does not take effect until the target or targets see the tapestry in question, and the effect wears off once they leave the current floor or slay the Arachne who created it."

Sevastion spends some time thinking it over. "It sounds...complex, but potentially rewarding. I shall give it a try, grandmother."

"And Floor Eight just got even creepier." Xenia chuckles. "Oh, and you get the same wandering boss boost as Trush, so we might see about getting you some little spiderling minions or something, yeah?" She claps her hands. "Now! Yulia, you're not a basic-ass Arachne, you're an Arachne Queen. Well...not at the moment, obviously. Bit big for the office and all that."

The current succubus nods. "Is the ability different, grandmother?"

"Because you're set up in an arena, it looks like it's designed to make use of that. 'Tapestries of Traps'. You can weave images of stuff like...I guess flying swords, or fireballs, or stuff like that, and it summons the actual thing as a weapon. Each tapestry is single-use and disintegrates after you summon something from it."

"Something I can spend time beforehand preparing though, yes?" Yulia grins a toothy grin. "I shall spend much time practicing my craft!"

"Always good to have a hobby. Annnnd Pizola! Since Brightsky isn't a dungeon monster, that makes you last but definitely not least."

The performer chuckles. "I'm shivering in my boots with anticipation, dungeon master. How has my ability to murder my enemies grown today, hrmm?"

Xenia taps through her screens. "Let's see, you're a mage-type Arachnos Champion, so that means...'Webs of Wonder'! Generic name aside, while the Arachne make stuff out of physical webs, it sounds like you get to make them out of magic. Way faster, since it's a spell, plus its strengths and weaknesses are different compared to normal webs. Weaker to magic, but stronger against fire and swords and stuff."

"Hrmm, I suppose I'll have to test the extent of the stuff, but mixing things up like that could definitely put a fellow off his step." Pizola smirks. "And mine doesn't even come with a double entendre. I don't know whether to be relieved or disappointed."

"How you want to use your magic webs on your own time is your own business." Taking a deep breath, Xenia turns to focus on her guardians as a group. "So! S-tier bodies are not cheap, so I'll have to swap you all over during the next few days. Lollyp and Trush first, then working our way down. Once you're upgraded, take some time in Floor Four's forest or the training rooms, and get used to how everything works now. If there's any issues or something isn't as cool as it sounded like it would be, let me know and we can pick another option."

"Will do." Taly nods, already eager to begin training with her fellow coworkers. "There's still a lot of souls left to spend though, right? Keeping those in reserve, still?"

"Some, probably. But maybe I should do something nice for the mortals here, too..."