“So is this everybody,” Peter said, studying the group. Headquarters had expanded twice over from the year before.

  “It would have been nice if we had a few more spots, but I suppose this will do,” Khan said looking over the contingent of dark elves gathered with him. With him were the four other B tier dark elves. Khan and Delilah being the only ones that he had technically invited, but Khan had insisted on the other deans. N’terin, dean of the college of dungeon ecology, N’torra, the dean of crafting, and N’tuma the so called dean of combat.

  Peter did not really regret adding them to headquarters. If anything he regretted, allowing the other deans to name themselves. The C and D tier’s naming themselves was not as big a deal since he did not really deal with them often enough to be expected to remember, but why did they have to have such a weird naming convention? Every single one of their names started with the N’ta sound.

  As far as the deans. N’terin was perhaps the most fitting for his college of ecology since his unit title was domestication specialist. N’torra the dean of college of crafting’s unit title was harpist. Peter still was not sure why he had allowed Khan to bully him into choosing her, but at least she had proven pretty handy leading the craft college. Shaping and fletching arrows, working raw materials, making weapon hilts… the list went on. At least she was capable enough.

  N’tuma though he was just a sword duelist. Working together with N’terrin, the duelist had proven that beasts could become better trained on how to react to various attacks. Perhaps it would not mean much of a difference, but Peter guessed that every little difference mattered.

  Khan led the college of herbology himself. He worked with herbs and plants and would eventually make potions, poisons…and so on. Eventually being the key word, Khan insisted on cataloging and studying plants one by one. Peter had looked over the notes that would wind up in various compendiums someday. They were indeed impressive including pictures, diagrams, and a detailed analysis on potential benefits or disadvantages for use. He also had started multiple indexes so that researchers would be able to readily find what they were looking for, but it was slow going since there were thousands of plants native to the dark wood alone.

  Thankfully, one of the few lower tier dark elves that could stand being under and around the guy had developed a crude potion that should stabilize and slowly heal units. It was far from a game changer since it would not really make them battle ready, but it could potentially keep the unit alive for future battles. Peter had at least enough doses gathered and spread around to help hopefully save B tiers and up.

  The deans and other dark elves were now in the headquarters to help aid the clockwork staff and to provide their unique input. Peter had at least made it so that only Borris his aid and Delilah could talk to him while he was at the banquet. Last thing he wanted was the old gramps in his ear. Delilah would help filter what should be conveyed to him.

  A minute later Peter was on the second deck studying the open room. Other cores were already posting up and claiming their self-claimed sections. After last year, Peter had a general idea where various groups and even whole factions liked to gather. Now he actually felt like a part of the congregation instead of a timid little dungeon core trying to still figure things out.

  “Ohhhh, is that my rival,” a sultry voice said within his mind. Peter caught a look at who Delilah indicated. The half red demoness half bovine female was confidently headed his way.

  “Nah, you have nothing to worry about. What would I even do? Not like there are too many corners where I could sneak off with her to.” Peter did not have to worry about other units overhearing her or his banter to one another. His connection with Borris and Delilah were separate. Although Borris probably would not care one way or the other, he might say something not understanding the concept of embarrassment.

  “Well you certainly talk about her enough,” Delilah hmmph’d.

  “I’ve mentioned her a couple of times,” Peter defended himself. Delilah did not have time for another retort. Elyra was there.

  “Peter, hope things are well. I have decided to extend an invitation to my group. Helen says it's the year baby birds must leave their nest,” Elyra said in a tone that suggested she was doing him a great favor.

  “Does that mean we can start making 1 for 1 trades,” Peter replied.

  “Haven’t we been over this? My ‘cards’ are clearly worth more than yours, 2 for 1 is already me being quite generous.”

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  “What a bitch,” Delilah snuck in.

  Peter ignored her. “I don’t know my cards are quite good themselves, as I’m sure you have seen. You aren’t the only ticket into the alternate dimension. Even my card can get me there 3 times more often than most type cards.”

  Elyra scowled, but she did not reply. She was clearly talking to someone in her head as well, but she was far less subtle about it than anybody else he had seen. Her eyes were both pointed up and to the corner like she was trying to look at whomever was talking in her ear. She sighed frustradely. “Fine, as a part of the agreement of joining the group.”

  [Elyra is offering 1 A Tier Phase card for 1 A tier Design card. (100,000 essence will be converted.)]

  “Just one?” Peter replied, doubling the offer. Two type cards seemed to be the standard that most cores defaulted to. He might as well grab two A tier phase type cards while she was in such a generous mood. She made a sour face but accepted. “Can I invite Gabriel, the fallen core?”

  She once again listened to the voices in her head. “Do what you want… When you’re done making your rounds you and all your prospective cores can join us over at that table.” she indicated a now completely empty table. With that she stormed off.

  “Nevermind she's a bit childish even for you,” Delilah said, laughing. Peter rolled his eyes and started looking around. “Maybe it's because she is from a demon race. She is probably used to getting her way, and weaker beings not talking back.”

  “I’m a not weaker being… we’re both cores.”

  “Oh common, she would kick your ass,” Delilah said laughing.

  “Target of interest, moon elf, is approaching the food table,” Borris cut her off. Peter had set his voice channel to override hers, since he knew if Borris was talking he would want to hear. His channel opened back up to Delilah’s just in time to hear her stop laughing.

  Peter was already headed toward the banquet table. He tried to do so in such a manner that it looked like he was just going for some food, but he also had to head there judiciously since the moon elf might only be there for a quick drink or something. He did not fool Delilah who had seen him shift that direction with purpose.

  “Ahhhhh, you’re really going to try to summon some moon elves,” She said with disgust. “I hope you’re not planning on going after a moon elf girl.”

  “Why are you worried,” Peter asked mischievously. “Who can say what will happen in the future.”

  “Nothing will happen in the future with one of them. They are a bunch of prudes. You think dark elf courtship is a long ordeal. I’ve heard some of theirs are measured in centuries,” Delilah stated smuggly, warding him off the idea.

  “Thennnn again… I hear they dance naked during every full moon or something… is your speed increasing. It was a joke… Probably… Damn you think Khan is contentious now. Wait till he has one more thing to bitch on.”

  “Good, I’ll find a nice old moon elf and the two of them can squabble and try to outdo each other,” Peter said joyously.

  “I don’t think that is how it works,” Delilah said, but Peter was now focused.

  He kept willing the trade and as soon as he got within a handful of steps. He saw the male moon elf jump with a start. They guy had standard elven features, but his white skin glowed with an inner illuminescence. He watched for a second as the male elf looked forward before a smile overtook his smooth features. It disappeared just as quickly.

  [Petrus is offering 10 A Tier Phase cards for 5 A tier Design cards. (500,000 essence will be converted.)]

  Peter thought about it for a second, before rejecting it, and sending another counter offer. His first offer had been 4 for each design card he offered. He had left room to drop down to 3 for 1 which he did now. Petrus, moon elf, 892, was one of the oldest non millennial dungeon cores in existence. He was also on the blacklist. Which meant that he should be more desperate than Peter was. If the deal fell through it would not be a big loss to him, but if he could get a 3 for 1 trade to go through it would be like tripling his money.

  Of course it came with the stipulation that he had to hide their existence since the moon elf was blacklisted. Peter also did not have to worry about Petrus seeking revenge someday. More likely than not he would be culled by a millennial before Peter hit a century and became targetable.

  With another smile Petrus accepted the offer. Peter retreated the opposite direction with a plate of greens he wouldn’t likely actually eat. Now that his diet hardly mattered he would not be caught dead eating something he did not enjoy. He made sure not to smile, and provide any hint of his illicit deal.

  Just like that, Peter made his rounds. He traded 10 more A tier’s in even trades. He got 2 apes from Fellette, 2 embers from Emma, 2 tiger types from Garrett, and 2 fallen from Gabrielle. The latter, he also invited to join the forming group with him. Finally, he was able to link up with the gnome type core. He had talked to him briefly last year, but only now did he have the A tier cards the other wanted. The gnome core offered to trade for more, but Peter had to limit the trade to just 2 cards. Already his essence was dwindling down toward 4 million. He had set that as his hard limit until after the battle. Perhaps it was not smart, but he fully intended to battle once again.

  Normal convention would have him pick someone with not much of an alternate dimensional presence since Peter would have a pretty substantial presence there for a year 2 dungeon, but Peter was thinking a different way. Instead he wanted to pick on a weakling that would some day become a future powerhouse on top of securing a powerful type card he would likely not be able to obtain in another way.

  It would piss off the undead faction, but Peter figured that it was bound to happen sooner or later anyways if things went according to plan. Either he pissed them off and caused them to target him, or they eventually targeted him otherwise. The reality was not lost on him, the millennial faction cores targeted others well prior to turning on one another. Few cores made it far enough where the millennials became the main threat, especially those from the weaker factions, he might as well do what he wanted