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

Create unit. 

Name: Anti-Seekers.

Leader: Brecht [Bard]

And there I had it! My first dedicated offense team. Now, rather than having random creatures roaming my dungeon, I had a team of bards, warriors, barbarian, and ranger kobolds who could seek out a fight when any hapless Seekers tried to invade.

“Go to the inventory room and get tooled up,” I told them. “There are some looted weapons from the last Seekers to die here, and I created a few basic swords and stuff. I’ll get you better equipment when I have the chance.”

The Anti-Seeker unit left, and I felt like my dungeon was five times stronger. No, I’m being too modest. It was at least five and a half times stronger.

But I wasn’t done there. It was time for a trip to the melding room.

CHAPTER 18

There are lots of beautiful things a core can build in his dungeon. Some cores like a rot room, where corpse are piled so high they look like little hills of death. Others like a Hall of Screams, where heroes’ heads are placed in alcoves on the walls, and then reanimated using mana. Splendid. That’s the thing with art; you’re only limited by your imagination.

One of my favorite places was the melding room. I floated there now, up high on my pedestal. It didn’t look like much, really. Just a bare room with three markings on the ground. Over by the north wall was a rectangular pit that looked like a coal forge, except it would fill with essence, not coals.

I heard footsteps behind me.

“Ah, Shadow,” I said, making sure to sound mystical.

Here’s a tip; if you want people to think you’re psychic, just guess stuff. Half the time you’ll be right.

“This leaf hopes he isn’t intruding,” said a voice.

Damn, it was Warrane. I should have just used my core vision, but I enjoyed the guessing game.

“What can this core do for this leaf?” I asked.

“He wonders what Core Beno is doing. If he is to supervise kobolds, this leaf must learn more about the dungeon.”

“Are you enjoying being a leader?”

A smile crossed his face now. It was nice to see. “He feels he has a lot to learn, but the thousandth step cannot happen without the first.”

“You’re a good leader, Warrane. It’s a shame about the leaf system and about your parents.”

“This leaf would like to turn the conversation to a different topic.”

“Fair enough. This is the melding room, Warrane. A dungeon core needs to have a boss monster waiting for heroes who make it to the end of his dungeon. It’s a final test; it makes sure the heroes don’t get loot without having to earn it, and gives the core one last chance to defeat them.”

“Gary is your boss monster, no?”

“Touchy subject. He used to be. Wait, I haven’t told anyone else about that yet! Has Gary been gossiping?”

“Well…this leaf would like to bring a complaint to Core Beno’s attention.”

This was a problem the overseers had warned us about; the larger your dungeon population, the more chance of discontent. This was why many cores ruled by tyranny.

“Let’s hear it. Never let it be said I don’t listen to my clanmates.”

“This leaf has told his workers to avoid passing through the room near the surface door. Gary waits there, and he is a distraction to anyone who goes by. He is a gossiper, if Core Beno doesn’t mind me saying.”

“He’s just smarting over a talk we had, but he’ll get over it. To answer your question, I felt I needed a boss monster better suited to the Seeker threat.”

“How does Core Beno get a boss monster?”

“A few ways,” I said. “The laziest, and most expensive, is to buy one from a monster breeder on the surface. But that means hiring a surface liaison, then having them trade loot for gold, and procuring a monster. Breeders always charge way more than their monsters are worth. Besides, I don’t agree with it.”

“You do not agree with breeders?”

“With certain breeders,” I said. “Some of them mistreat their monsters. They are so concerned with profit they cut corners. Call me soft-hearted, but I would only trade with a breeder committed to monster welfare. That means paying way, way too much.”

“But Core Beno has a different way?”

“The melding room. See the three marks on the floor? I need to have three different creatures stand there, and the melding room will turn them into a boss monster.”

“Ah. The monsters are ingredients.”

“And the melding room makes the stew. Let me tell you, the melding room is a horrible, horrible cook. You’ve seen Gary, yes? Delightful personality, but his looks would make even the Great Tree of Ugliness rot away.”

“Core Beno is mean to Gary.”

“Mean? I didn’t mean it to sound that way. Ugly is great, Warrane! Ugly is special, especially to me. I don’t know if you have ever seen a hero party, but they all look the same. Perfect hair that they combed back and conditioned with oils and Aloe Vera. Fancy leather cuirasses, braids in their beard, makeup around their eyes. Sometimes, the only way to tell them alike is by looking to see if they have a sword or a staff. No, Warrane. Ugly is great. Flaws are perfect. Give me a kobold with a cleft palate any day.”

“What boss monster will you make?”

“That’s the question. Something suited to the Seekers. Let me think.”

The first step was to see which monsters I could choose from. I brought up my list now to check.

Monsters

Spider [Cost 15]

Leech [Cost 15]

Fire beetle [Cost 20]

Kobold [Cost 35]

Angry Elemental Jelly Cube [Cost 75]

Sinister Owl [Cost 120]

Stone Dwarf Troll [Cost 180]

Bogbadug [Cost 200]

*New* Bone Guy [Cost 250]

*New* Hivemind Shrooms [Cost 375]

*New* Mimic [Cost