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

Eric spread his shirt on the ground, lay on it, and closed his eyes. “Twenty minutes,” he said. “Then we’ll set off again. Need to get to Hogsfeate by nightfall tonight, otherwise we gotta wait until nightfall tomorrow, and that means skulking around to pass the time. And that, my whiskered friend, means trouble. My Da always said that trouble is an unwanted visitor. Invite it in and you’ll regret it, so best to close the curtains and pretend you’re not home.”

“That doesn’t sound very barbarian of you.”

“I’m in a line of work where making gold and living and staying alive aren’t mutually ‘sclusive. Now, have a rest and then we’ll set out.”

“Sounds good. And thank you again for the tent.”

“No problem, little wolf.”

“Let me ask you a question, Eric.”

“I’m, all ears,” he said, flicking his right ear that had a piece missing.

“What is it like having no master to serve?”

“In my line of work, you mean? Just because nobody gives me orders, doesn’t mean I don’t have a master. Finding the means of existence is my master. By the axe, I have more masters than most people. I need to eat, to drink, to sleep somewhere safe just like the rest of you. Except, if I don’t find a job, or if I get commissioned to kill some ugly monster and I fail, then I don’t get paid. I don’t have some master who might keep me fed when I fail and just tell me to work harder tomorrow.”

“Seems like you have freedom.”

“It’s got its perks, little wolf. Once, I killed a giant silver basilisk and earned more gold than I could spend. Had so much saved up that I took a little time for meself. Spent the best part of a year climbing the Windblast mountain range. Reached the peak, looked out on the best view in all of Xynnar, a sight few have seen. An’ if I had a master, I doubt I could do that. One day, I’ll kill a gold basilisk an’ get enough gold to put my axe down for good. Buy a nice tavern or a farm, or learn how to bake and set me up a nice little bakery. Who knows? Mebbe even in Yondersun, unless I wear out my welcome there like everywhere else. Why do you ask?”

Shadow thought about the dungeon and Core Beno. She thought Tomlin, all the other monsters who were part of the dungeon clan who served their master.

“No reason,” she said. “Hearing you prattle on breaks the tedium.”

“Being alone is nice in dollops,” said Eric. “I’ve been part of a group, and I’ve spent time alone. When you’re in a group, you’ve got people to watch yer back. People to tell yer feelings to. Let me tell you, I’ve spent nights alone under canvas, in the middle of a forest with wolves and bugger-knows-what-else howling, and I wished to all the heavens I had someone with me. There’s a lot to be said for being part of a group.”

Shadow found it difficult to imagine how being alone could be anything but brilliant. The sense of freedom, the power to go anywhere you wanted, do anything. No orders from grouchy dungeon cores…

Then again, she’d never had freedom, had she? Why should she suppose it was any better than what she had now? It was like that damned scribe always said; a person always looks over their neighbor’s fence and gets jealous that they have a bigger dragon.

“How are you feeling about tonight, little wolf?” said Eric.

“I can’t say I have any emotions about it either way.”

“Not scared?”

Shadow scoffed. “I’m no coward.”

Eric sat up now, skin glistening. “Nothing brave about hiding your fear. The brave thing is doing what you need to do even when you feel like you’re gonna piss yourself. An’ trust me; I’ve done that. By the axe, have I done that. The silver basilisk that I killed? Did it with a soaking wet loincloth. Embarrassing as buggery, it was, but being brave on its own gets you killed. Bravery with a nice dollop of fear encourages you to use some sense.”

Shadow laughed. Eric the barbarian really was a ridiculous oaf, but he had a habit of saying things like that, and she usually found herself laughing against her will. Not at him, either, like she did with some of her dungeon mates. But with him.

He had this disarmingly simple manner to him. Honest, earnest, perhaps too much so. Shadow would never have been so blunt with someone about her emotions. Then again, Eric seemed so much happier than her, so perhaps there was something to it.

“I feel a little…nervous, I suppose.”

“Well, you’re going to kill the leader of a town. Only right that you should have moths in your belly. Even the most loathsome of folks deserves their assassin to feel apprehensive about it. The core must trust you a lot to send you to do it.”

“I don’t think he trusts me. I think he has no choice. Nobody else has my…uh…abilities.”

“He could choose not to do this at all. The fact he went ahead with it and sent you, shows he trusts you.”

Shadow hadn’t thought about it like that. Beno trusted her, huh?

When the sun finally set, she supposed she would get the chance to repay that.

“Fire! Fire!”

Shadow heard the cries of panic coming from the other side of town. Even far away from the flames, hugging the shadows of the town walls to pass through Hogsfeate unseen, she could smell the fire in the air. Glancing to her right, she could saw flames towering above the town walls, waving in the wind like giant fiery hands. Townsfolk were rushing from houses and shops with buckets, pans, and even wheelbarrows filled with water.

The town guards were caught between grabbing a bucket