#old core

Their name is Old Core (they/them)

An overgrown, rusty, hulking machine that provided power to the Underground of yesterday. Here, you’ll deal with things like giant rotating gears, pushing batteries into their appropriate slots, and a whole slew of monsters!

Story

After making your way through a tunnel, you enter the Old Core, and soon after meet Florescent and Sans at the very beginning during a show Florescent is putting on, which also conveniently serves as the tutorial. After that and a chat with Sans, you’re left to your own devices. You have four paths to choose from, in any order you want to go. After completing the puzzles in each one, you will be able to activate the lift. But don’t get too comfortable, ‘cause here comes Undyne!

Once you wake up, you’ll be able to put the pieces of the elevator back together, except for one. Time to go searching through the spooky basement for it… Undyne will be stalking you throughout the Old Core’s basement level, and not only that, but there’ll be puzzles and minor monsters to deal with, as well. Once you manage to unlock the room where the part you need is located, she’ll drop in for one last surprise attack!

This universe’s Undyne is more equipped to find clues than fight her enemies, but don’t underestimate her tenacity! Dodge her spear attacks and do the right things to calm her down, and you’ll collect that vital component and finally be on your way back up.

Sans is not nearly as good of a caretaker as Toriel; he wants you dead after all, and does just enough to help you get started on your way. After years of being partially responsible for the reason his brother has never directly dealt with a human, he’s exhausted. He just wants to end this quickly. After he takes Swappy to his “house” (a repurposed janitor’s closet) and gives Swappy a place to rest, he tries to kill them in their sleep. He can’t bring himself to do it, but Swappy wakes up and panics nonetheless, running away, deeper into the Old Core. Sans just shortcuts his way to them once they reach the deepest part. Time for a fight.

While throwing weak bone attacks and mysterious Gaster Blasters at you, he begs you to give up your soul, so the underground can finally be happy, and reach the surface. Later, he warns you that outside the Core is a hellhole. If Swappy were to swipe at Sans enough times, he would eventually slip up in his dodging, and fall into the Core. Say the right things, however, and he’ll begrudgingly let you go.

Swappy will take the elevator up to the exit of the Core, and be surprised to learn that it’s actually omni-directional. You’ll be able to take a close look at the abandoned city of monsterkind that surrounded the Old Core, as you take a joyride out of there!

Next up, put on your pith helmet, because it’s time to journey into the Megalithic Mines!

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