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

that the people below had diets anything like Dullbright’s. Shadow presumed that the poorer you were, the less padded your bed was, the closer you slept to the ground. Many of the people of Hogsfeate would sleep just inches above the cockroaches that scuttled over their wooden floors. Dullbright, on the other hand, needed a grappling hook to get out of his bed in the morning.

She could think of many things cruel jibes to make about Core Beno, she could conjure many criticisms that would rile the others up against him. One thing she could never say was that he acted like Dullbright. Core Beno didn’t seem to care much about status or his possessions or things like that. He didn’t confer advantages to one dungeon mate and not the other. Beno lived in the dungeon just like every one of his creatures.

The dungeon, as much as she had always been annoyed there, was her home. The other kobolds, the fire beetles, Gary, they were all her family. They looked out for one another, and Core Beno at least tried his best. Could the citizens of Hogsfeate say the same about their town and their governor?

“Core Beno will be wondering what has happened,” said Mimic Dullbright.

“We better talk to him, then.”

Three sharp knocks sounded on the bedroom door.

“Sir Dullbright?” said a muffled voice. “The fire is almost under control. We don’t know the damage yet. I expect we won’t know until it’s all cooled completely.”

Shadow nodded at Mimic Dullbright. The mimic spoke in a groaning voice. “Very well. Thank you for the update.”

“Everything okay, sir?”

“I feel unwell, and I am going to take bed rest for a while. See that I am not disturbed. In fact, I want the house cleared of everyone. I need my peace and quiet.”

“You are sure, sir?”

“I think I am safe in my own home. What, do you think someone is going to sneak in here, or something? Give me some peace!”

CHAPTER 15

It surprised me how chaotic Chief Galatee’s chambers were. There were books littered everywhere so that the ground was almost a bed of them. Some were half-open, others had pieces of paper sticking out of various pages at all angles. There were ceramic bowls left in all kinds of odd places, most empty but some covered in different colored fuzz that might one day have resembled food.

I didn’t know why Galatee had sent a messenger to my dungeon asking for me to go to her chambers. I could only presume it was a threat of some kind. That was usually the reason the chiefs wanted to have a chat.

The problem was, I just didn’t have much leverage on Galatee to counter any threats. A part of me wondered if I might deal with her the same way I was dealing with Dullbright. A mimicked Galatee could be very useful.

But no. Galatee wasn’t a bigot like Dullbright. She had told me many times that she valued having a dungeon near Yondersun, and I knew events beyond her control were forcing her into opposition against me.

Besides, Galatee was always seen around town. Checking in with her people, visiting tradesmen, overseeing Jahn’s construction. With poor Dolos gone, I didn’t have any mimics that were a high enough level to stay in Galatee’s form for long enough, and if she suddenly started being absent, it would look suspicious. Whereas with Dullbright, I already knew that the portly governor was work shy, seemed to loathe his people, and often spent days holed up in his palace.

No, whatever threats Galatee was going to lay on me, I’d have to think of a way out of it on the spot. The first thing to do was to act my normal self. My normal, arsey self.

“Been doing lots of reading, Galatee?” I said.

“Is that a quip about the mess? From someone who lives in a dungeon?”

“It doesn’t escape my sight that you live underground too. The rest of the clan have gone to live up top, haven’t they?”

“Most of them. Once Core Jahn built enough houses for everyone, I gave them all the choice. They could either continue to stay in their chambers in our underground cavern, or they could live up top. It seems the novelty of not living under tons of rock has tempted most of my clan. Personally, I can’t stand it. The town is nice, don’t get me wrong, but that bloody sun…”

“It’s an absolute arse, isn’t it? Sitting up there, shining down all day as though it is so special and its rays are the greatest thing in Xynnar. So arrogant.”

“I wasn’t going to go that far. I just burn all too easily if I spend too long in it, despite the ointments that Cynthia makes for me. I noticed that one of your…creatures…is spending a lot of time with her, by the way.”

“Maginhart? He’s Cynthia’s new apprentice.”

“How…uh...lovely of her, to take pity on him.”

“Pity? He isn’t stupid, Galatee. He’s becoming an excellent student.”

“Of course.”

“Why did you want to see me?”

Galatee’s expression made her look like she had just chewed into a rotten apple. “I wanted to…thank you.”

“For what?”

“It doesn’t take a great mind to conclude that the papers distributed around town, ones full of well-written propaganda, were the work of a scribe. There is only one scribe staying in Yondersun that I am aware of, and he happens to be your best friend. Now, since you clearly were never going to get along with the No-Cores, it doesn’t take a great leap to connect recent events to you.”

“You do me too much credit. Sounds like a rather elaborate scheme for a dumb stone like me.”

“Modesty is only a virtue in those silly adventure books that you are so obsessed with, Beno. A leader should own their merits and accept their