Demonic Po*nstar System Chapter 781: Investing Strat

Kaiden leaned forward on his throne, unfurling the complete interface across the dais. It stretched out as a translucent expanse, wide enough for all the girls to see clearly from their positions. The roster was displayed on the left side. In the upper corner, the DMP balance glowed a steady [18,100] against the darkness.

His gaze was drawn to the 3D rendering in the upper right quadrant. Two Champion markers were depicted moving southward through the Verdant Expanse at a rapid pace - one pink dot and a blazing red one - angling directly towards the entrance of the magma spiral.

His spectacular space goddess was escorting the Flame Monarch to rendezvous with Melty. A subtle smile touched the corner of Kaiden’s mouth. That encounter promised to be quite the moment.

He then turned his attention to the others. "Alright. Let's hear your thoughts, ladies."

Luna pushed off the wall, her strategic gamer instincts already kicking into high gear as she surveyed the array of abyssal monster rosters now available to them. "Hear me out. We need to conserve DMP where possible." She climbed halfway onto the armrest beside him, one leg tucked beneath her, and pointed a finger at the Maulfiend evolution tree. "The Quakelord is an Area of Effect specialist. Every impact cracks the ground in a vast radius; the ground itself inflicts the damage. Does his stat block truly matter if the shockwaves are determined by geometry? Perhaps some can remain at level ninety-nine, and we can allocate the eight hundred per unit into assets that genuinely require enhancement."

"Some of them, certainly."

Luna's eyes brightened. "But he's a melee combatant. The Monolith serves as the tank while the Quakelord moves in behind. If he's too fragile when the Claimant’s monsters engage him, his subsequent attack will never land."

Luna frowned, acknowledging the point, and immediately pivoted without missing a beat. She was operating in full efficiency mode, seeking the most optimal strategies to game the system and preserve DMP whenever feasible.

"Okay, but what about the Pyremother?"

Kaiden's thumb paused its scrolling motion. "She’s a brood queen." Luna's grin had already returned. "She resides within the magma; she never directly attacks, her entire function is to birth little offspring. Why does she require one hundred and twenty when she is essentially a spawning structure? Keep her cost low. Reallocate the savings into something that actually deals damage."

Kaiden opened the Pyremother's entry, scrolling past the alternative artwork and behavioral notes, down to the system's precise specifications.

[Spawn rate, spawn level, and maximum concurrent spawn count scale with host level.]

He tilted the display slightly so Luna could get a better view. Luna stared at the information.

"...Fuck."

"Indeed. She's too potent to underinvest in conventionally," Kaiden stated. "But the DMP-saving approach still holds, just in a modified manner. I propose we focus on acquiring only one 'birthing mommy' for the current phase."

Luna's gaze instinctively flickered towards Vespera, checking for any reaction to her boyfriend uttering "birthing mommy" within earshot of his own mother. She found none.

Vespera was across the chamber, one hand resting on the intricately carved edge of a lava cascade, her head tilted as she calmly appraised the exquisite craftsmanship. Calypso had glided close beside her, her tail twitching, gesturing expansively at the vaulted walls with the enthusiasm of a homeowner showcasing a recent renovation. "These conduits serve a purpose beyond mere aesthetics, Shadow Mommy. The gradient is engineered so the flow never stagnates at the base..." The Infernal Matriarch was always delighted to elaborate on the intricacies of her palace to anyone who inquired. Well, to her darling's palace now. The pride in the craftsmanship remained hers, and the Shadow Monarch's quiet attention had evidently unlocked the full architectural discourse.

Luna observed for a brief moment before returning her attention to Kaiden. Aria's silver hair brushed his shoulder as she leaned in, her fingers still intertwined with his. "I concur with your assessment, yet I also believe Luna's initial idea has merit. We should indeed be judicious with our DMP expenditures where possible. The Nightclaws have proven effective with their levels distributed across the pack; some at ninety-nine, others lower, enabling the stronger units to eliminate priority targets while the rest maintain swarm pressure."

Bastet chimed in, her thoughts aligning perfectly with Aria's. "I suspect the same strategy will apply to the Basalt Gunners. We can upgrade the heavy units to one hundred and twenty for substantial targets, while maintaining a proportion at level ninety-nine for lesser monsters. When the battlefield presents multiple targets simultaneously, they will divide the workload. Assuming they possess sufficient tactical awareness..."

Luna was already nodding emphatically before Aria had finished speaking, her grin fully restored. "Yep, precisely. The Yandere Princess and Choco Kitty have grasped it perfectly."

"..." Both women directed their gaze towards Luna, their eyes unnervingly analytical.

Kaiden gave a single, decisive nod. "Then that shall be our framework."

Luna let out a satisfied huff and clambered the rest of the way onto the armrest, finally content. Kaiden brought the roster closer, and the girls gathered around the dais.

...

Following an hour dedicated to meticulously strategizing the precise distribution, Kaiden gave his final confirmation for the purchases.

As the confirmations for his purchases continued to flicker in Kaiden’s peripheral vision, the interface shimmered, indicating an incoming message.

[Direct Message: Kira Vaughn]

He opened it with a thought.

Kira: Boss, are you seeing this? Things are getting sketchy.

Kira: [Awakened Combat Stream: LIVE]

Kaiden selected the link, and a feed materialized in the air above the dais. It was translucent and vast, the cathedral’s firelight slightly dimming to accommodate the display.

The perspective was from a considerable telephoto distance, the camera affixed to an aerial drone hovering safely outside the zone of danger. Even from afar, the Claimant dominated the frame.

It stood poised over a dungeon gate, but this was not the one Luna had revealed to him mere hours ago. A new dungeon had appeared, presenting a fresh opportunity for consumption.

The previous one was already depleted. This one was next in line.

A beam of light ascended from the maw of the new dungeon, linking directly into the Claimant’s own form, unwavering and continuous—the same feeding posture observed previously on Luna’s phone.

However, the Claimant’s physical form was now engaged in movement.

Its flank, composed of stone slabs, and its ridged shoulders rippled, convulsing with slow, peristaltic motions. From openings along its hide, creatures began to emerge, oozing forth.

“It can spawn them from more than just the mouth…?” Kaiden muttered. “Is it growing even more powerful with the dungeons it consumes?”

The newly spawned monsters hit the ground already standing, ready to attack, and charged towards the outer ring of awakened fighters. These fighters had formed a broad perimeter around the feeding area, attempting to subdue the colossal entity.

The ring of fighters was giving their absolute all. Arcs of lightning, fire, and chilling white magic crisscrossed the air around the Claimant’s legs. The Association’s tactical overlay at the base of the feed displayed S-tier and high A-tier power signatures. Defenders charged forward, mages unleashed barrages, and artifacts pulsed with energy.

The Claimant appeared largely unfazed by their efforts.

Its armored body absorbed the onslaught, channeling it across its surface as mere visual light effects. Where spells should have etched its skin, the abyssal-dark plating regenerated instantaneously, preventing the energy from taking hold. When the defenders managed to strike the oozed monsters, those monsters dissolved into wisps of energy, which then drifted back towards the Claimant, rejoining its form to be reborn once more.

Defeat one, and another would emerge from the same opening. Eliminate ten, and twelve more would push forth.

The kill count displayed at the bottom of the feed had already reached four digits, yet the number of monsters on the field remained consistently high.

Aria’s grip on his arm tightened, leaving visible imprints.

"They can’t possibly stop it..." Bastet murmured softly.

Kaiden let out a breath and shifted his attention to another channel.