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

“Now,” I commanded Vile.

The skeletal ox charged with surprising speed, covering the full length of the arena within seconds. It reminded me of a curious fact about bears. Despite their size, they could run faster than a man. It seemed that Vile had inherited this part of his bear side, as well as the claws.

 Aethos reacted quickly, using his essence to create pockets of boiling tar in Vile’s path. The black goo churned, and smoke rose from it before dispersing into the air. An oily stench began to fill the arena, forcing spectators to cover their mouths with their sleeves and tie handkerchiefs around their faces.

I had already realized that Vile wouldn’t have the agility to change his course. He had the speed of the bear but also had the cumbersome agility to match. He was like a rolling boulder, and his momentum would not let him make sharp movements.

Across the arena, my spirit archers fired at the pegasus as it swept through the air. Despite my use of Essential Overload to boost their starting skills, they struggled to hit the flying horse.

They weren’t going to be able to take it down. I needed to help them out, but I had to be careful with my essence. The amount stored in my core would have to last me for the full fight.

Desperate for something to slow the pegasus down, I evaluated all the traps available to me.

I settled on one, gathering essence into my core and pulsing it out. Combined with the image I had settled on in my mind, the essence formed a trap.

It was a simple trick. But then, the best ones always are.

A net appeared in the air above my half of the arena. The pegasus flew straight into it, neighing and wheezing as the net wrapped around its wings, forcing them against its side.

It plummeted to the ground, smashing its head into the stone.

The archers wasted no time, lacing the pegasus with arrows as it desperately tried to escape the net.

On the other side of the arena, Vile charged through the pits of burning tar. Black goop clung to his legs and splashed onto his bony body. I watched with alarm as his hitpoints began to fall.

The only thing that reassured me was the band of metal on Vile’s right front leg. The Bracelet of Stored Agony allowed Vile to charge through the tar without feeling pain.

This made all the difference.

The pain would have made him stop. All it would take was a second of pause, and the pits of tar would claim him completely.

The bracelet allowed him to charge through. After he cleared them, his hitpoints fell a little more, and then stopped as the tar cooled on his body.

The priestess, seeing a hideous beast made from bone charging at her, frantically shouted the words of a spell.

She spat out just a few syllables before a bear claw swung at her, tearing through her neck. She collapsed on the ground, her body limp. The arena magic would revive her after the fight, of course, but that didn’t make it any less of a gruesome display.

Parts of the crowd screamed. Some got to their feet, their faces radiating delight at the show of violence. Others turned away, pale-faced, while parents put their hands over children’s eyes.

It served them right for bringing their kids to a core battle. What did they expect? That we’d settle it with a peaceful debate?

My archers fired a final few arrows into the pegasus until it stopped struggling under the net and was still.

The announcer waddled into the arena, a surprised look on his face.

“The winner of round one is… Beno and Jahn’s Dungeon Core Academy.”

He sounded like he couldn’t believe his own words. I struggled with it myself. I had hoped I could match Aethos, but I didn’t think I would win the first round.

Before floating towards the port door to go back to the dungeon and prepare for round two, I made sure to look at Overseer Tarnbuckle.

His face was pure thunder. He stared back at me. I was sure that if it was possible, he would have cheerfully crossed the arena and destroyed me with his bare hands.

But I should have known not to be so optimistic that early in the fight.

Driven by his defeat in round one, Aethos began the second round by using something I knew well.

There, on his side of the arena, was an obelisk.

This wasn’t an obelisk made of flesh, like the one I had seen the Academy of the Infernal Obelisk use. That was a secret that they would never share with another academy.

Instead, this obelisk wasn’t even a living thing. It was a trap. A tall, thin column of stone with a pointed top. The surface was covered in rune symbols. So many that barely an inch of stone was bare.

After my lesson with Gill, I knew what this meant. Right now, Aethos would have five different types of essence sitting in his Mid-Foundation core. Throughout the fight, he would send different types of essence into the obelisk.

The question was, what would the obelisk do with the essence?

I soon got my answer. After winning round one in such style, I headed into the second round with the undead spirit archers and Vile.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That was something people said. A rule that con-artist carriage mechanics often broke.

I figured I could win round two using the archers and Vile. Even if I didn’t, I still had two creatures to use for around three. Aethos would already be weakened because he’d have lost two creatures in the first round, and his second-round monsters would take a battering trying to kill a