Dungeon Master (Karma System)

The next morning, Max and Anna arrived at the meeting room a few minutes before their guests. Neither of them knew exactly what Lady Winters or the Academy of Magic wanted, but the questions the visiting mages had been asking around the dungeon made one thing obvious. If this went well, this would be profitable.

Lady Winters arrived a few minutes later with her daughter and three people Max had never met. All three wore expensive robes and carried themselves with the confidence of people accustomed to being treated with respect. That confidence faded slightly once they entered the room.

Lady Winters stepped forward first. "Max, Anna, thank you for agreeing to meet with us."

"No problem." Max gestured toward the chairs around the table. "Have a seat."

The oldest visitor introduced himself as Master Halvern, one of the Academy’s senior instructors. The other two were instructors named Varlan and Amelia. Max didn’t pay much attention to their titles beyond that.

He was more interested in how carefully they watched him. They were polite, but they weren’t comfortable. Varlan glanced toward the exit before taking his seat. Amelia openly studied Max for several seconds before apparently realizing he had noticed and turning her attention elsewhere.

Max didn’t blame them. He understood better than them that he was a Dungeon Master. Under normal circumstances, everyone sitting across from him would consider Max an enemy of civilization. His dungeon only enjoyed a different relationship with the people of this world because killing everyone who entered was bad for business.

Lady Winters began the conversation. "I don’t know if you are aware, but Lana was originally supposed to leave for the Academy some time ago."

Lana sank slightly in her seat. "Mom." She whined.

Lady Winters ignored her. "She convinced me to allow her to remain here because of the opportunities available inside the dungeon. I agreed temporarily, but I still wanted her to have access to the Academy. That was why I contacted Master Halvern."

Max nodded. "Makes sense." A practical education without a theoretical one to back it up could cause problems down the line.

Lana looked vaguely betrayed that he wasn’t immediately taking her side. Max liked the girl, but whether she went to school was between Lana and her mother. He wasn’t stupid enough to insert himself in that situation.

Master Halvern folded his hands and placed them on the table before he spoke. "Lady Winters’ request introduced us to your dungeon. Once we began investigating what was actually available here, our interest expanded considerably."

Anna reached for her clipboard and prepared to take notes. She was interested in what the Academy really wanted.

"We understand Lord Titters maintains a permanent training facility within your safe zone." Master Halvern said.

"He leases the land from us," Max confirmed. "My gnomes constructed most of it, and he also leases several automatons."

"Are similar arrangements available to other organizations?"

"They can be."

Anna spoke before Max could continue. "We have actually begun expanding the portions of the safe zone available for private development. Demand has increased considerably."

Master Halvern nodded. "We would be interested in something similar, although our interest isn’t primarily the land."

Max leaned back. "What do you want?"

"Your trainers."

That answer got Max’s attention, but when he considered it, that made sense.

Master Halvern continued. "We initially believed some of the reports were exaggerated. After speaking with several adventurers yesterday, I am no longer certain they were."

Amelia leaned forward. "One young mage told us she learned how to begin developing three spells she had never previously known were available to her class."

"That’s normal here," Max said.

The three Academy representatives exchanged looks. Apparently, it wasn’t normal anywhere else, but Max had already learned that when he found how few people had their full skills and abilities unlocked.

Master Halvern slowly shook his head. "Well... outside of your dungeon it most certainly is not. The average adventurer knows only a fraction of the abilities potentially available to their class. Many never discover more than a handful. Even extremely accomplished mages may spend decades searching for instruction on a specific spell."

"How small a fraction?" Anna asked.

"It varies considerably, but for many adventurers. Less than five percent."

Max raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t realized the number was that bad.

Amelia seemed unable to contain her curiosity. "Your trainers supposedly know all of them."

"They do."

"Every spell?"

"If it’s available to the class."

"Every ability?"

"Same answer."

"And skills?"

Max nodded again.

Amelia leaned back in her chair. For the first time since entering the room, she looked less nervous about sitting across from a Dungeon Master and more like she wanted to dissect his entire dungeon to discover how it worked.

Master Halvern quickly clarified. "We understand your trainers cannot simply grant those abilities."

"No." Max shook his head. "They teach you the basics. Once you understand enough to get started, the System recognizes what you’re trying to learn and begins tracking your progress."

"And after that?"

"You practice."

Master Halvern was quiet for several seconds. That simple service had become so ordinary inside Max’s dungeon that he sometimes forgot what it actually meant. An adventurer could walk into the dungeon, pay a trainer, spend a relatively short amount of time learning the foundation of an unfamiliar skill, and leave with their System actively helping track their progress toward mastering it.

Outside his dungeon, that same adventurer might never even learn the skill existed. It was only once they fully learned the skill would their system update and let them know they could now use it.

Master Halvern finally spoke. "That alone would justify establishing a permanent Academy presence here."

Max smiled. Now that sounded promising.

The class trainers were clearly the Academy’s greatest interest, but they weren’t the only thing Max had that they wanted.

Master Halvern continued. "Our Academy can teach theory. We have libraries, laboratories, experienced instructors, and centuries of accumulated magical research. What is considerably more difficult to provide is genuine experience."

Amelia nodded. "A student can cast a fire spell against a stationary target a thousand times. That does not mean they will cast it correctly when a monster is charging toward them."

Max understood that easily enough. "That’s what the dungeon is for."

"Precisely."

There were training grounds where students could fight monsters of varying strengths. The dungeon had class trainers who could expose students to abilities they might otherwise never find. And if someone made a fatal mistake, Max’s dungeon could revive them. There was still danger. Pain was real. Injuries were real. Students could fail. But failure didn’t necessarily end with a dead student and an Academy instructor having to explain the situation to grieving parents.

Varlan, who had remained mostly quiet, finally spoke. "There is still a significant issue."

Master Halvern sighed. "Varlan."

"No, it should be said." The younger instructor looked directly at Max. "We are discussing establishing a permanent Academy facility inside the territory of a Dungeon Master."

The room fell silent.

Max shrugged. "Then don’t."

Varlan blinked.

Max continued calmly. "I’m not asking you to build anything here. You came to me. Would I like for you to set up here? Yes. But even if you don’t, someone else will."

Anna’s lips twitched upward.

Varlan started to answer, but Master Halvern raised one hand. "He’s correct."

The older mage turned back toward Max. "We are not suggesting that the Academy suddenly considers Dungeon Masters harmless. Your existence simply presents an unusual situation."

"That’s fine with me." Max wasn’t trying to improve the reputation of Dungeon Masters. Most Dungeon Masters probably deserved whatever reputation they had. He wanted people inside his dungeon because people generated DP. If the Academy wanted to pay him while sending dozens or eventually hundreds of students into his dungeon for training, Max wasn’t going to complain because they remained suspicious of him. Suspicious customers still paid.

Lana remained surprisingly quiet throughout most of the conversation. Eventually she could no longer contain herself. "If the Academy opens something here, does that mean I don’t have to leave?" Her eyes went toward Max first.

Max immediately pointed at Lady Winters. "Wrong person."

Lana redirected her attention.

Lady Winters sighed. "That was the reason I contacted the Academy in the first place."

"So I can stay?"

"If this arrangement works and you can receive instruction from Academy teachers here, then yes."

Lana’s face lit up. "Really?"

"Really."

She nearly jumped out of her chair.

With that matter apparently settled, Max turned back toward Master Halvern. "So what exactly are you looking to build?"

"Nothing comparable to the main Academy," Halvern said. "That would be unnecessary. A smaller training annex would be sufficient initially. Several classrooms, offices for instructors, equipment storage, and temporary accommodations for students staying for extended training sessions."

"We would also need direct access to your trainers," Amelia added.

"That would be negotiated separately from the land."

Amelia paused. "Separately?"

"You’re paying to lease property. That doesn’t give every student unlimited access to dungeon services." Anna said with a smile.

Master Halvern chuckled. "I assumed as much."

They discussed the topic for several more minutes.

Most students would remain based at the main Academy. Groups could rotate through the dungeon for practical training, perhaps staying for several days or weeks depending on what they were studying. They could receive instruction from Academy teachers during part of the day, then use Max’s facilities for practical experience.

The Academy instructors were particularly interested in allowing students to meet the class trainers. Amelia was already speculating about what would happen if an entire class of young mages could be introduced to spells matching their individual affinities instead of being limited to whatever their instructors happened to know.

Max stopped her before she could turn the meeting into an hour-long discussion. "Start small."

Everyone looked toward him. "Lease enough land for the first group. Build what you need. Try it for a while. If it works, expand."

Master Halvern considered the suggestion. "That would substantially reduce the Academy’s initial commitment."

"And you get to see if this is actually useful before spending a fortune."

"Considering what we’ve learned about your trainers, I have little doubt it will be useful."

Max liked hearing that. It was always nice when people praised his work.

Halvern continued. "Before discussing exact terms, however, I would like to see what land is available."

"That’s easy." Max stood and opened a portal.

Lady Winters and Lana walked through without hesitation. The Academy representatives were slower. Varlan stared into the portal before finally stepping through after Master Halvern. The group emerged in an undeveloped portion of the safe zone. In the distance, gnomes were already marking future streets and plots near the commercial area Max and Anna had planned the day before.This section, however, remained mostly empty. Grass, scattered trees, and a large amount of open space stretched before them.

Master Halvern slowly turned. "How much of this is available?"

Max looked across his safe zone. "How much do you need?"

The old mage smiled. "I suppose that answers the question."

Amelia was already walking toward one side of the property. "If the classrooms were placed there, the students could reach the main training areas without crossing through the commercial district."

Master Halvern followed her gaze. "Temporary dormitories could be placed farther back."

Varlan looked around. "You could build an entire Academy here."

"I could build several." Max replied.

The younger mage stared at him. Max wasn’t bragging. It was simply his dungeon. Space was one of the few things he wasn’t particularly worried about running out of. The three Academy representatives walked away and began quietly discussing what a first-stage facility might require.

Lana followed them, eagerly listening while Lady Winters watched her daughter with obvious relief.

Anna stepped beside Max. "What are you thinking?"

Max watched Amelia gesturing excitedly while explaining something to Master Halvern. Yesterday, this had been empty land. Now one of the most prestigious magical organizations in the region was discussing building a permanent training facility on it. More importantly, those instructors would bring students. The students would stay for days or weeks.

They would eat and sleep here. Buy supplies here. Use the dungeon, fight monsters, and perhaps most importantly, pay his trainers to unlock the paths toward spells and abilities they might never have discovered anywhere else.

Max smiled. "I’m thinking Lady Winters brought us a very good customer."