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

2) Essence vines overseen by an F-class cultivator.

3) One overseer trained at the Overseers’ Academy, with a valid overseer license.

This presented me with quite a few problems. Namely, I didn’t know any cores who hadn’t been to an academy already, so I didn’t know who I could recruit as a student.

I also didn’t have any F-class cultivators working for me, and the only overseer I had any dealings with was currently waiting outside the office, drunk, and smoking on a pipe. Bolton had given up his overseer license, and I doubted he was in any fit state to pass a test to get a new one.

“As you can see,” said the goblin, “the requirements for opening a dungeon core academy are quite strict. As they should be. The education of young minds is an important task. The education of young core minds is also a dangerous one. You would be advised to give up on any silly notions of opening a new academy, especially when there are already established and well-respected ones all across the land.”

If there was one thing I hated more than people doubting me, it was when they had good reason to. Throw the goblin’s condescension into the mix, and the only thing I would enjoy more than proving this chump wrong was allowing him to experience the various traps in my dungeon. And none of them would involve an iron rod with a shovel on the end. I would show him some of my more lethal inventions.

“If I satisfy these requirements, can I come back and get a license?” I said.

The goblin rolled his eyes but nodded. “Registrations for dungeon core academies are only available for one month per year. That happens to be this month, so you appear to have luck on your side.”

“There are only two weeks left in this month.”

“As I said, you have luck on your side. But I’m not sure which kind it is.”

When I left the office, I was surprised to find Overseer Bolton in conversation with someone I recognized. Someone - the second person today – who I would quite gladly have led into a trap. Preferably one involving a pool of water, a blood bag, and a dozen hungry sharks.

Bolton noticed me and spread his arms out. “Look who it is, Beno! It’s Reg Tarnbuckle.”

“So it is,” I said. “If you were missing me, overseer, you only had to say. You didn’t have to follow us out here.”

Tarnbuckle looked like he was chewing on a nettle made of glass. “Just taking care of some academy business. I find it strange to see you here. As far as I know, this permit office only deals with…bloody hell. You cannot be serious, Failed Graduate Beno.”

I saw no reason to hide anything from him. “After touring the Dungeon Core Academy, I figured that this whole academy business is easier than you make it seem. I thought, why not open my own academy? Maybe I’ll get some stupid robes and a ridiculously heavy necklace.”

“You’re making a big mistake, core.”

“Whoever became great without doing so?”

Tarnbuckle glared at me. “Your core has the purity of muck. To even talk of greatness is ridiculous, and an insult to anyone great. If you ever, from years of hard work, achieve even mild competence, there will be parties thrown all over Xynnar.”

“Pleased to see so many people are following my career.”

Tarnbuckle huffed and then went into the office, leaving Bolton and me alone. As we walked away, Bolton chuckled. “You made an enemy there, Beno. Tarnbuckle was always the most pathetic of overseers. Only now, he has the power to back it up. They say elephants never forget. Well, Tarnbuckle is like an elephant with a grudge, backed up by the Dungeon Core Academy.”

“He already got his way. Aethos is being sponsored for the Battle of the Five Stars, not me. Why would he care if I open an academy?”

“Think about it, Beno. It isn’t just the Dungeon Core Academy who are using the core quality tests. Apparently every Academy is. It’s all the rage. If you open your own academy, word will get out. Along with that, word will get out that not only did you used to attend the Dungeon Core Academy, but your core quality was the lowest it is possible to be without being a mollusk. You will shame them by association. That wouldn’t be much of a problem if you were just in a dungeon underground, where nobody but heroes ever meet you. But if you open academy…and if we managed to get to the tournament…”

“This could reflect badly on poor old Tarnbuckle and the academy.”

Bolton nodded. “And there’s nothing Tarnbuckle values more than respect and status.”

“All the more reason to go ahead,” I said.

Chapter 8

Finding a qualified Dungeon Core Academy overseer who would be willing to commit to a new academy - one that wasn’t even licensed yet - would be the toughest thing.

Luckily for me, I had an academy overseer hanging around my dungeon twenty-four hours a day. Sure, he had a new penchant for getting drunk and wearing horrible shirts, but he was still one of the most esteemed overseers around.

So, that evening, I sent my kobolds, Wylie and Klok, to Hogsfeate with a big bag of gold. There, I instructed them to find the best restaurant in town. When they returned, I lit the best mana lamps in my core chamber, the ones I saved for special occasions, and I treated Bolton to a lovely meal.

He sat at the table, adorned this evening in a smoking jacket with his pajamas underneath, completed by fluffy slippers.

“Is there any reason you didn’t bother to get dressed today?” I asked.

“Try everything once. I never spent all day wearing pajamas. I have to say, I’ve quite enjoyed it.”