Dungeon Master (Karma System)

Max focused on using both of his Earth based magical abilities at once. He was digging a tunnel through the ground while his newest spell provided light.

Fairy Lights let him summon small orbs of light around him. They would automatically stay near him unless he directed them elsewhere. It was much better than carrying a torch.

Max concentrated on the dirt in front of him. Dirt and stone was floating towards him in a constant stream. When it neared him, the dirt and stone was broken down into dust and then compressed into bricks that were used to line the tunnel and prevent it from collapsing.

He slowly walked forward while simultaneously digging and building. It was a good workout and better practice.

A short gnome in a white doctor’s coat popped in behind him. ”Boss, we have something that needs your attention.”

Max stopped excavating and turned to the gnome while the remaining floating dirt was turned into bricks and placed along the walls, floor, and ceiling.

”What’s up?”

”There is a situation with a patient. He isn’t waking up.”

That alarmed Max, there shouldn’t be any issue with the revival buff.

”Let’s go.” He said. Then the gnome and dungeon master appeared in the hospital.

The gnome led him into a room. Entering he saw a man who was probably in his late 40s laying on a bed. His robes were torn to shreds and were barely covering his body. Even if they hadn’t been so damaged, the robes had been patched so many times he didn’t think they had much life left.

”What is the situation?” Max asked the automaton who was beside the man’s bed.

”The patient was transported to the hospital just after 2 a.m. Nothing abnormal was found in my scans. I left him to wake on his own. 6 hours later and he had still not left the room. I returned and found that he was still asleep. I performed a deep scan and found that he is in a drug induced coma.” The automaton reported.

Max nodded. While some would think it was strange to ignore a patient for 6 hours, Max had it setup up that if new patients didn’t need the rooms, those recovering could stay as long as they like. He did this with newbies in mind. Dying in a dungeon could be very traumatic to a first timer. Already a few had woken up in the hospital, panicked, passed out and then slept off their hysteria. They woke up rested and thinking clear and then were ready to move on.

”How did the drug get into his system?” Max asked.

”Unknown.” The Automaton repeated.

”DC?” Max asked.

A moment later a screen appeared in front of him and a video started to play. The man in the video was the same man in front of him.

He entered the first layer of the dungeon already covered in wounds. His eyes looked vacant as he stumbled up the path. He made it a few paces before he fell forward and the revival buff sent him to the hospital.

”It looks like it may have nothing to do with the dungeon.” Max said. ”He was dying as he came in and then... well he is here now. Did he have anything with him when he arrived in the hospital?” Max asked.

The automaton nodded and then passed him a sword that looked like a katana. Max wasn’t knowledge enough to know the difference between all the types of Japanese swords so he just called it a katana.

It was after Lord Titters new recruits went into the dungeon for the first time that they began disarming patients in the hospital. Those new recruits woke up frightened and swinging.

DC went crazy the moment he grabbed the sword.

[DANGER]

[DANGER]

[Cursed sword: able to seal the souls of those its slain into its blade.]

Max’s eyes widen. This thing was dangerous. Even more so for his dungeon. If this sword killed an adventurer, they wouldn’t be able to revive. If it killed a creature... that would be the end of his employee.

[It is advised to sacrifice the cursed sword to the dungeon. You will be able to gain several souls that will be able to be employed.]

Max shook his head. While a cursed sword didn’t make him look highly upon the man, he wasn’t going to steal his only possession.

”Do you have a way to seal the sword while he is in the dungeon?” Max asked.

[Sealing talisman powered by dungeon: 200DP. Once the seal is half a kilometer away from the dungeon it will lose its source of power and become ineffective.]

”Perfect. Give me one.”

A red and white talisman appeared in his hand. Max carefully placed it over the area where the sword pulled from the sheath. He then activated it and handed it back to the automaton.

”How long till he recovers?”

”Unknown.” The machine answered. ”His body is constantly breaking down the toxins. As he does so, his body shuts down from poisoning, dies, and then revives. I estimate that the poison has diminished by 4% since his initial death.”

Max nodded. ”Okay, move him to the secure holding area. With a sword like that, who knows what he is capable of. I want him treated well but secure until I can talk to him.”

The automaton nodded and then began the procedures to move the poisoned swordsman.

Max walked out of the hospital thinking about their new guest. The man in the coma was strong, that was for sure. His level was higher than any who had entered so far. The issue was the man’s repeated deaths.

It was unknown how many times the man would have to die and revive before his body would recover. That would get a bit pricey. He needed to make sure than man was willing to stay around for a while after he woke up. He needed to recoup his cost.

There was also the fact that somebody was able to poison such a strong man. Max wasn’t worried since he was in his dungeon, but it was something he needed to keep mindful of.

Later he would set aside some time to think of ideas to entice the man. It wasn’t an issue that needed to be dealt with now. He was sure it would be a bit before the man woke up.

Sighing to himself, he wondered if things would be easier if he was cruel. He could throw the man into an unescapable prison and then collect passive DP. But even if he was cruel, there was a problem with that idea. If it was truly unescapable, he would earn a much smaller portion of passive DP.

One of the golden rules of dungeons was that they must be able to be completed. He had to provide a way out. DC explained that is was one of the natural laws of the world that governed dungeon cores.

Max started thinking about the passive DP that he was gathering again. There was something that wasn’t adding up.

”DC, it doesn’t make sense. If an adventurer spends 16 hours in the dungeon it is equivalent to 1 death. Surely the others dungeon masters know this. Why are they so determined to kill off their guests when its easy to earn DP?”

[16 hours of passive gathering is equivalent to a single death. But that is only a portion of the DP they are gathering.]

”What do you mean?”

[After death, the dungeon will absorb the body and gain power from it as it decomposes. In lower level adventurers this power is equal to 3-5 deaths depending on the adventurers circumstances. Higher level adventures with more mana or stronger bodies can easily give the equivalent of 10 deaths or more.]

”Ah... I see. That would make a difference.”

[There is also the mana and power that can be drawn from their weapons, equipment and gear.]

Max nodded. With that, he could understand why other dungeon master’s would kill those who entered. Monster spawners weren’t cheap to rent, and breeding programs took both time and money. The longer an adventurer stayed, the higher that dungeons cost would be.

The fact that the revival system worked on the creature souls he purchased made it much less expensive to run the dungeon once you got passed the high initial cost. If he had gone the breeding or generator route, his daily upkeep would be much more expensive.