Dungeon Core Academy: Books 1-7 (A LitRPG Series) by Alex Oakchest (book suggestions txt) 📕

“Jelly,” I said. “I’ve had other things on my mind lately, so I haven’t given you a name. I apologize for the oversight. Your moniker is Gore.”

“Thank you, good core,” said Gore, wobbling with every word.

Peaches, swaying in midair beside his jelly brethren, frowned. “Thank you, good core,” he said, in a mocking voice. “Give me a break.”

“Don’t be like that, my friend,” said Gore to his jelly compatriot.

“Don’t be like that. Pathetic!”

I sighed. “Now now, Peaches. None of your negativity today, thank you. This is a special occasion; we have slaughter to celebrate. Where’s Shadow?”

“Saw her heading to the surface,” said a voice. It was Gulliver, who had just entered the room. “I said hello, and she told me to go sit naked on a porcupine.”

I thought about Shadow and her close-call in the poison chamber, and how she hadn’t responded to my orders.

“Leave her be for a while,” I said. 

Finally, Tomlin joined us. He wore his cultivator gloves, which he had insisted that I buy him. They looked like oven mitts.

“And here’s our essence cultivator,” I said. “You missed the battle, Tomlin. I bet you’re so disappointed.”

“Devasted, Dark Lord,” he answered with a grin.

My entire clan was gathered before me, minus my hivemind shroom boss monster who was currently taking residence on the ceiling of the essence growing room, where it liked to get some peace and quiet. 

I couldn’t help but feel proud of my clan.

“Gentlemen, kobolds, jellies, leech-troll-spider hybrids with delightful personalities. I once started this dungeon with nothing, and now my brood is growing. Not just in number, but skill. Look at yourselves. Look at each other. I want to pat yourselves on the back.”

The loot room filled with a cacophony of sounds; kobolds slapping jelly, leech legs squelching on kobolds’ backs, beetles struggling vainly to reach their pincers high enough for their actions to count as a slap on the back.

“Okay, okay,” I said when the noise became grating.

The sounds died down.

“I am proud of you all,” I continued. “Together, we murdered some heroes today. And not just any old heroes, but werewolves. Yes, there were some mistakes. Some mishaps. And even a rogue shaman putting himself in danger, but nevertheless, I wanted to express to you all how great a job you did. Let’s have a round of applause. I have no hands and cannot participate in it, but I will be giving you applause of the mind.”

Almost immediately I regretted it, since the sound of leeches and kobolds and beetles trying to clap is exactly the same as them patting each other’s backs.

I watched them as they all applauded each other. I enjoyed the smiles on their faces, the way their eyes lit up. Just to think that killing heroes could have that effect! It was as wholesome a moment as I have ever experienced.

“Now,” I said. “Let’s discuss your improvements. Feast your collective eyes – and that includes any four-eyed west-sands crustaceans listening – on this.”

I projected my post-combat notifications so that the herd could see them.

Gary [Troll-Leech-Spider Melded-Monster] has leveled up to 6!

- Leech teeth strengthened

- Stone skin thickened

- Spider eyesight increased

Rusty [Kobold, Shaman] has leveled up to 6!

- Mana increased

- Totem learned: Ooze: Fires armor-eating goo at nearby opponents, chewing through their defenses.

Shadow [Kobold, Scout] has leveled up to 8!

- Tippy-toes sneak skill upgraded to Feather Toes

[An advanced form of sneaking available to a scout. Allows them to pass by people, animals, mana-sentries, and totems. Less effective against higher-level enemy rogues and scouts.] 

The loot room crowd broke into a medley of chatter and questions and congratulations. Wylie leaped into the air, punching his fist as high as he could.

“Well done Rusty, Gary, Shadow! Dungeon is stronger now!”

Gary bowed as low as his stone spider torso would allow him to. “It was really nothing. A trifling matter. When you stick a sword in flesh, there really is no other outcome than death. Besides, our friend Rusty saved Shadow and pinned the wolves back with his totem.”

“Yip yip,” said Rusty. “Much appreciated. But I didn’t kill anything.”

“Doesn’t matter,” I told him. “Your totems damaged the wolves, which gave you involvement in the battle. That means you earned a share of experience. But please, Rusty, don’t endanger yourself again. This is my dungeon, and I have your safety to think about.”

“Shadow was so brave,” said Tomlin. “Killing a werewolf by herself.”

“Brave,” agreed Wylie.

I pictured Shadow, pressed against the wall and scared. I decided not to tell the others that I had used core control to kill the werewolf, wielding Shadow’s body like a weapon. It would be better for morale if she received the praise.

“Speaking of Shadow,” I said, “I have an announcement to make. It didn’t escape my notice that in the poison room, part of the stone ceiling dislodged for no apparent reason, drawing the wolves’ attention to Shadow and endangering her. As much as I do think you all whine a little too much, I concede that conditions need to be improved. We can’t keep mining in a way that makes the place unstructurally sound. This is a dungeon, not a death trap.”

“Structurally unsound, I think you wanted to say,” said Gulliver. “Unstructurally sound doesn’t mean anything.”

“Scribes should be seen and not heard. You know that by entering my dungeon voluntarily, you technically satisfy the definition requirements of a hero?” I said.

Gulliver puffed his chest. “Never been called a hero before.”

“That was a threat, not a compliment.”

“Oh Beno, you scamp.”

Karson and Tarius, who had looked bored up to now, got to their feet. “What are you saying, Dark Lord?” asked Tarius.

“That I will requisition some wooden beams and iron rods from