Chapter 544 White Knight, Black Panda
After his hopefully final meeting of the day, Jin returned mentally exhausted to the Dungeon Maker. Not wanting to go out to somehow ending up in yet another lengthy discussion with anybody else, he checked up on the status of the experiment he placed his cultivators in.
"How are the visors working for them?" Jin asked as he brought up personal monitors on all of the cultivators in that region. The System was busy analysing all the meaningful information they were gathering via this method, so it took a bit longer for it to answer Jin's question.
After calculating the amount of resources gained by killing the rats, his customers were currently inflicting more kills than his dark templars.
"That shouldn't be too much of a surprise. Normally, those Dark Templars could possibly take down the Demon Rats in a ratio of 1:6 based on their estimated stats. For them to hit and run around the clock, as well as the surviving these quick strikes, I am more than happy that it works out." Jin said while running the statistics for the predicted number of kills required for his new Dark Templars to increase their abilities or 'levels' as the System dubbed them.
Jin simply referred them as Grades since he was able to relate to that better. At the moment, the Dark Templars were averaging around Grade 2 with their leader being at Grade 2 Peak, reaching towards Grade 3. Having gained a strong base followers as his foundation with the aid of Dark Templar Commander Zieg, Lord Wolte's current power level reached to Grade 5.
If not for subordinating Baphomet, Lord Wolte would never have attained Grade 5 this easily. And with an increase in power, it seemed that he had another form which he had yet to use when the Metal Slug Tank was fighting against the Demon Rats.
The Dungeon Supplier knew about it since the monster's stats and abilities were all detailed within Jin's Monster App on his phone. Jin just did not have time to read it properly and only recently found it useful to go through the nearly non exhaustive list of his ever increasing and evolving monster base.
There were not only combat details but surprisingly there was a fondness level in it as well. The System stated that the more time Jin spent with particular monsters and granted their desires, the better their abilities could be strengthened too.
However, when the dungeon supplier asked how exactly it was being strengthened, the System was unable to answer it. He did not know whether it was a work in progress feature by the System or something it just couldn't or wouldn't explain in detail.
But one thing was for sure, he believed it was hilarious. "Something like the power of Friendship? Did you forget that we kind of chained them up and made them work for us? If anything wouldn't Stockholm-Syndrome be the more appropriate term?" Jin asked the System, and the almighty entity did not reply immediately.
"Regardless, it is imperative for User to study more about his monsters, so you have the chance to utilise your monsters in a fight with higher efficiency." The System countered as Jin was gearing himself for the instance portal jump.
Instead of using the Squad feature he introduced to the customers, JIn decided to experiment with the Black Goo matter he had accumulated within these few weeks and shaped them into Pandas. Besides, Jin had no need for Squad mates for he already has an army worth of monsters under his command. (Thankfully, he was not some evil dungeon master, or his world could possibly be in some serious trouble down the line.)
The System also informed Jin that his phone was now able to create a temporary dimensional instance after the System had made a few impromptu tweaks.
"The radius of the phone generated Dimensional Instance is considered inadequate, approximately 200 metres at most. However, the instance is mobile, and you are able to move around with the dimensional instance. User should be able to make use of monsters' clones in the future wherever he goes. An additional increase to the range requires the Living Brain of the Mechanical Titan in the Mecha World." The System replied with emphasis on the Living Brain and Jin nodded his head with a little annoyance.
Once Jin was ready, the System called on Yun to open a portal, allowing him to enter and meet her on the far end of the grasslands where they were hundreds of metres away from the main fight. Jin could see that his cultivators were already getting tired from the constant fighting.
If not for their squadmates, it was very likely that they would have been defeated a long time ago.
"Xiong Da's team have totalled 250+ kills while Luo Bo's team have yet to rea- Correction Cultivator Shi Zuo has just killed the 200th Demon Rat. Both groups were initially hunting apart from each other, but with time and fatigue setting in, all teams gradually started to fall back and stick together near each other." Yun reported to Jin as she yawned a little from all the observing.
"How about Yang Ling?" Jin was concerned that the Tiger Princess was nowhere to be seen.
"She retreated not too long ago. I don't believe she really cares about the competition for the plushie. Instead, she's been fighting solo. After an amazing display of skills at the start, she took a bad hit which nearly got her killed."
"I took the liberty of controlling her squadmates and managed to rescue her at the last moment. (Without her knowing of course.) The state of the Gearbox has been deteriorating ever since, and it looks like a mess now. " Yun complained as she took her phone out, projecting a hologram that showed video of what the System had recorded on her.
"I doubt the princess can push it any further. Still considering she was fighting by herself, her kill score was topping close to 170 kills. After her near death experience, she showcased great talent and utilised her squad better than the other four, even switching their weapons on the go." Yun gave her observation to Jin.
"Thank you for your actions, you spared her the embarrassment of getting killed first. Then I guess it's up to me now to help the tiger princess a little." Jin smiled as he climbed on top of one of his Black Sludge Pandas.
Surprisingly, they were not sticky. If anything, it had already been moulded into a Panda. It's breathing, the feel of its fur, everything was nearly the same except for its colour.
With a group of Pandas running behind him, Jin suddenly thought of deploying mounts in the future but wondered how hard it would be to accommodate every single cultivator. Unless they used their 'mini' pets that were floating with them in the Store Instance.
"Oh, hmm. That could actually be quite useful. If I remember correctly Qiu Yue's report mentioned that the hamster prince's Totem of Atem could also enlarge himself. If we use that method on the pets, it shouldn't cost us that much." Jin thought to himself and then realised he could also ask Octofussy to create a temporary inscription charm to enlarge the pets.
"Then I can put a price on a permanent enlargement inscription charm and shrinking inscription charm. Or perhaps made them into a card! Oh!! Racing Service Instance! Why did I not think of that sooner?!" Jin suddenly had the urge to jump back to the Dungeon Maker yet when he saw from afar the poor condition Yang Ling was in defending herself against a skilled Demon Rats with Steam Tech Gauntlets he couldn't leave her there.
"The White Knight on a Black …Panda coming forth!" Jin shouted loudly, attracting the attention of the Demon Rats as well as the Tiger Princess and her squad.