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

was about to carry on working on the Soul Bard story I’d been plotting in my head when a message appeared in front of me.

Attention, Core Beno.

 

Overseer Bolton has completed your evaluation. 

 

He commends you for your progress in creating three dungeon rooms so early, and he was impressed that you have already satisfied requirement four concerning dungeon blueprints. This places you in the top 10% of the recently graduated cores.

 

However. 

 

After deliberation, he has decided that the means you employed to make such progress were reckless and could set a bad example to other cores. Core safety is paramount to the academy, as you know.

 

As such, he has no choice but to issue an evaluation condemnation. Henceforth, all items in your crafting list will cost 2x the essence to create.

What?

Bolton, you’re killing me!

I knew that he hadn’t been happy with me splitting a part of my core, but I’d hoped that the results would speak for themselves. Turned out I was wrong.

I mean, I couldn’t blame Bolton too much. I knew it was a risky thing to do, and sure, it wouldn’t be great if other cores copied me. Knowing how competitive cores were, it wouldn’t surprise me if some of them learned about my technique and then split 10, 15, or even 20% of their cores just to get ahead.

Bolton was only looking after the interests of the academy cores, as was his duty.

Still, if stuff cost twice the essence to make, it’d set me back a hell of a lot. So much so that the next time an overseer came, I’d probably be waaaay behind everyone else. What would they do then? They’d give me another condemnation, this time for being too slow!

Luckily, as part of my incessant reading in the academy, I knew that there were rules to an evaluation.

“I wish to appeal against Overseer Bolton’s evaluation,” I said.

It might have seemed like I was speaking to an empty room, but I knew the overseers were listening. I knew that every core had a right to appeal his judgment.

A face appeared in my core room now. It was hazy, and it floated in the air. As was protocol in an appeal, their face was covered so that I couldn’t see who it was. I knew it wouldn’t be Bolton, however.

My only hope was that Bolton didn’t take offense to this. Just like he was looking after the academy’s interests, I was only looking after my own.

“Core Beno,” said a curt voice. “You wish to appeal the judgment of a learned overseer?”

“In the nicest way possible, yes. I understand Overseer Bolton’s reasoning, and I do not cast any doubt on his motives or honor. But I feel the judgment was harsh.”

“Fine. You may give a reason. Only one reason, as is the standard for an appeal.”

Yup, I expected this kind of attitude. The overseers would bow down to protocol, but that didn’t mean they liked it. I’d probably ruffled a feather or two by doing this.

They only had to grant me one chance to state my case, so I knew I better make a good job of it.

Let’s see. What was the best argument to make? Appeal to their emotions?

Nah. Overseers were like dried old prunes.

Appeal to their sense of competition?

Not a good idea. This anonymous overseer might be even more prudish than Bolton.

Okay. I think I had a way of making my case. I just needed to say it in the right way, a way that didn’t upset them.

In other words, don’t say it in my usual jackass manner.

“Overseer,” I began. “I’d like to thank you for hearing my appeal. Now, Overseer Bolton has issued me a condemnation on the grounds that using the core splitting technique may give a bad example to academy cores, thus endangering them.”

“You do not need to state our own judgments back to us, Core Beno.”

“No probs. I mean…very well. My argument is this. I learned the core splitting technique on academy grounds. In the academy library, in fact, where all students have the right to access the books on its shelves. As the library is maintained by the overseer librarian, it stands to reason that part of his job is to vet the resources, and make sure they are all suitable for core students to read.”

“Go on…” said the overseer. I noticed a slight change in their tone now.

“Secondly, as a core student visiting the library, I should be able to presume that I will not be exposed to any teaching inside it that may harm me. You know, given that it is paramount for the academy to protect me. Therefore, by allowing me access to a book with dangerous techniques, the academy actually placed me in danger.”

There was a pause now.

I knew what I had said was right, I just hoped I hadn’t gone too far… and that I hadn’t phrased it like a jackass. No use making enemies just to be right.

“I’m going to kill that damn librarian,” said the overseer. They tried to mutter it under their breath, but I heard it. I knew that I had won. It was lucky that core gems couldn’t smile because the overseer would have been pissed if they saw me grinning.

I waited patiently for them to speak again. I might not have known much, but I knew when it was wise not to push my luck.

“Very well,” they said. “We find that your appeal has merit, Core Beno. The overseer panel reverses Overseer Bolton’s decision. Furthermore, we will now reduce the cost of crafting all level one items by 50%.”

I would have been beaming now. You know, if I had a mouth. I tried my best to sound magnanimous. “Thank you, overseer, for your careful-”

“Let this be