《The New Dungeon Master》 Prologue It was Friday and a good night for a date. The refreshing air after a light mid-day rain shower made the park in front of the theater we just exited have a nostalgic earthy scent. Being guided by a nice but cool breeze, I placed my arm around a beautiful woman who was walking beside me to reel her in closer to me, as we crossed the street. She, Eva, has been with me for the past two wonderful years, going from co-worker to friend and finally to being my girlfriend. Laughing while recalling the many funny moments the movie we just finished watching had, we entered the lush green area of the park to relax, as we did so every time we finished a good flick. ¡°So, do you want the usual ice cream in this cold? Or should we head for a coffee shop nearby?¡± I asked while staring at her side profile, which displayed a small but lovely pointed nose, large light green eyes that stood out even more with the light makeup she had on, but in a good way, and finally, her small red luscious lips that went well with the shoulder-length dark red hair that was tucked behind the ear that was facing me. ¡°It depends¡­ are you going to keep your arm around me until I finish it?¡± She lifted one brow up looking very attractive with a devious but also very sexy grin, which would always pluck the strings in my heart. We continued with our usual pink bubbly atmosphere until reaching our usual seats that were around a fountain, which was hidden just enough for someone to have a private conversation comfortably. Leaving her seated, I went to get the promised sweets at a nearby stand we always frequent, and of course, it would be usually crowded at this hour. Upon reaching said destination it was not what I was expecting as only four others were in line, probably due to the rains, so thankfully I wouldn¡¯t have to wait so long. Looking through the menu while still standing behind three others, there were todays sweets written in a whiteboard and to our luck, not only did they have ice cream but also some heated items for sale this evening. Thinking about what I would order, the line moved fairly quickly until finally, it was my turn. ¡°Two strawberry ice cream crepes, a latte, and milk tea please.¡± It only took a few seconds for my order to be made and with all the new stuff i was carrying I had to walk back carefully. The fountain was at least forty steps from the busy stands but the silence there was worth the extra distance, so I didn¡¯t mind it much.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Nearing the corner where the hedge ended two shots were heard in succession. My immediate thoughts discarded fireworks as its source since there shouldn¡¯t be any important events today, this made me anxious, causing me to not care too much if the cups spilled just a little. But the closer I got to the fountain the more my negative thoughts ran through my head. ¡°No¡­ it can¡¯t be¡­ please¡­¡± Passing the corner, Eva was on the ground, while another individual was nearby searching through her purse. I dropped the food immediately and ran towards her not caring for the assailant, especially when there was liquid dying the floor around her red. Hearing my loud footsteps, the suspicious figure got up and ran towards the bathroom area, yet I ignored him and focus on Eva who was gasping for air. ¡°No..no, no, no¡­no, Eva look at me, please don¡¯t close your eyes, just look at me!¡± I crouched down using my hand to cover where blood was gushing out as she was breathing hard while trying to mumble words. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t want to di..e.. please help¡­¡± I reached for my phone, which was still turned off from the date in the theaters so it was taking its time to boot up which made me desperate. With each second Eva was getting colder as blood kept rapidly oozing from her chest. ¡°Somebody help! Help me please!¡± I screamed at the top of my lungs while hoping for a miracle to happen. No one was around, and her consciousness was fading by the second. ¡°I¡¯ll do anything, so please help her¡­¡± I could only yell out while in a powerless state. Suddenly a voice called out. [Anything¡­?] A cold chill ran through my spine as the voice that called out to me came from the front where nobody was standing, but I couldn¡¯t let this chance pass me by. I hardened my heart and responded. ¡°Yes! Anything but please hurry!¡± Time stopped as soon as my words were spoken, no noise was heard only an ear-splitting silence that caused me dizziness. Then a crack appeared, distorting the space around it which caused me to flinch, almost crushing Eva who I was still hugging. A humanoid figure appeared after, it looked like a cloaked man with a hidden face, hovering before me while looking down at me with an oppressive aura, almost like a Reaper. ¡°Well then let¡¯s get down to business, I shall revive the lass, but because her soul won¡¯t handle the wounds on her body it won¡¯t be in that same one.¡± It didn¡¯t seem to care how scared I was of it spoke out its intentions. ¡°Yes that, anything but let her live, please.¡± I cried out not fully understand his words, with huge tears pouring out from each eye. ¡°Silence, just listen for now! Nothing can be understood in that condition, and what I need is for you to accept knowingly. Now then, you will be placed in a trial to see if you can be of use to me, as for the girl, she will be fully revived, it won¡¯t be in this world but in another, are you up to it? ¡± I was wary, could this be a devil who is said to give splendidly, only to take back with trickery, but this was the only way. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it.¡± I cleared my face with my sleeve with a feeling of resolution and although I was far from thinking straight, this had to be an answer to my pleas. As for the man, he disappeared and then time ran normally again. Eva who was in my arms was now pale and cold as I hugged her while sobbing, at that moment another shot sounded, causing me to be instantly pushed forward. A cool and yet burning feeling came from the back of my head, as my mind started shutting down. Chapter 1 – A New World I regained my conscious with the radiance from an unknown light which hit my eyes, this of course caused me to struggled to open them. Rubbing them with the palms of my hands for some seconds I was able to see what was around me, which was a small room with only a lonely torch held on by one of the four walls surrounding me. The room was comparable to the size of a small living room, only enough for one person to live comfortably in. Without anything special besides the torch to look at, I rubbed the back of my head where a bullet hole should have been. Basing my observation only by pure touch, I noticed there was no hair to be found. This ment that for the first time in my life I was bald. Slumping my shoulders i continued to check the rest of my body which seemed to be the same, well except that I felt better than I ever did in my life and that I was completely naked, and hairless. Muscles, although not bulky, were well defined all over this new body. From my arms being a few inches bigger to some well-toned abs that I ran my fingers through, had me surprised, as only a small bump was present there before from being in the office all day. My thoughts were scrambled all over the place, but the most important one that lingered was the location of Eva who should have been with me. Trying to get up, even though I was still in an out-of-bed daze like feeling, was met with a futile effort, as the rest of my body didn¡¯t respond well to the orders given. [Seems your awake, guess my visit today was fortunate! ] A familiar voice spoke out to me making me reposition my way of sitting in a hurry, so i could cover my privates. If I recall correctly it was the same tone of voice as the person or being I last spoke to, the one that said it would bring us to a new world. [I¡¯m wondering though, is that body to your liking?] ¡°Yes¡­ Tha..nks for that¡­but¡­¡± [It¡¯s perfect, right? I reconstructed you at what would be the best condition in your previous life¡­ but don¡¯t get me wrong it wasn¡¯t an easy task to get all the right anthropometric measurements correct, there was a need to use¡­] Not caring for my input, the voice kept on talking about my body as if it was a piece of art, which made me feel embarrassed. ¡°About¡­Eva?¡± Although scared of what his reaction would be, I needed to interrupt him during his self-centered speech to ask about my most important inquiry. He finally stopped, then like before the space around me distorted creating a crack, only this time he didn¡¯t appear in rags but in a totally new appearance. Standing in front of me was a man who was the epitome of a Greek God, donned in ivory-colored silk made garment that draped from his shoulders to his feet, a handsome face that was carved to perfection that left you stun, just by looking at him. Golden curled hair and long eyelashes that worked together with piercing amber eyes, all of which radiated an aura of power and might, Zeus! ¡°Guess you didn¡¯t need the details¡­¡± He sighed in dejection before he continued, but now speaking normally, with a pleasant raspy voice instead of using the previous telepathic voice. ¡°I am named Gregory, the one who brought you forth from the planet Earth. But before we speak about that, let me first tell you about your current situation.¡± While standing he placed one hand forward and as if grasping thin air, a small marble-sized ball formed, it was slowly getting bigger until it reached the size of a bowling ball. Hovering just a few inches from his outstretched hand it had a white glow that went from weak to strong and at its peak, it was blinding, almost like looking at the sun, which had me covering my eyes with my elbow. That lasted only a minute before the room which was filled with white began to dye itself in a reddish color, as the orb lost most of its glow making it now visible to the naked eye. ¡°Nice, seems that I was correct in choosing you.¡± Happy with the result, he left the glowing orb in the air and placed both of his hands in front of him just under the orb as if commending something from the ground. A light earthquake was felt as a pillar was beginning to form, raising from the ground until it was about three inches from the ball of red light. Still focused, Gregory put more power into his hands while cracking his neck. ¡°Alright let¡¯s make this beautiful now.¡± The pillar which was solid rock began to morph into a black pedestal with a gothic style to it, as it ended up looking like claws were holding on to the orb.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°This is the most important thing you will have in this world¡­ Let me explain it in a way that you will understand the meaning and the significance behind those words... This here is your soul, yes, that part of you which gives your body life.¡± He looked at me as if expecting some sort of reaction only to be disappointed at my confused and probably stoic stare. ¡°Hmm, you know that part which keeps your body ticking?... Just how dumb are these mortals¡­¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I understood the soul part, but why is it not inside this body.¡± He smiled after my question while rubbing his hands together, like a child getting ready to tell his most prized secret. ¡°Well, that¡¯s because you¡¯re now a Dungeon Master, and this core is also a part of you.¡± I gulped after he said that, picking myself from the floor to inspect what was just made, with each step that got me closer a feeling of a connection between this body and that light was becoming apparent. Positioned a foot from the orb I tried holding on to the light which gave me a sense of safety, warmth and most of all a feeling of self, almost like I could distinguish myself from all the surroundings. It was truly an unexplainable moment for me but I had to come back to reality and try knowing more about all this, but before I could ask anything, more information was given by Gregory. ¡°About the red light, that¡¯s your soul''s normal color, each person has its own, but red huh, guess you¡¯re a lustful man... But never mind that for now¡­ you are now responsible for this area, this room is the start of the trial I tasked of you before coming here, and so you will need to add one hundred floors to this dungeon.¡± ¡°But what about Eva?¡± I almost grabbed him by the collar only stopping myself in the nick of time. ¡°Easy there, the one hundred floors are your assignment, finish it and you will be able to see her again I promise.¡± He looked at me with his piercing gaze that left me no doubt that he was only speaking the truth. ¡°Well, you see¡­ a dungeon is merely a place to maintain the flow of mana in this world, by having a larger one¡­ you will be able to not only maintain your body which is a product of magic¡­ but also that lass as well.¡± ¡°Is that to say there is too much of that so-called mana in this world?¡± ¡°Yes and no, but the correct answer to that is more complicated, you see I have lived for almost ten thousand years and I want to finally rest, as I too am a Dungeon Master and the original one mind you! When I am gone all the mana in my dungeon will flow back into the world.¡± ¡°So am I your replacement?¡± ¡°A replacement? For me, hahaha no, no, you should know my dungeon has over six thousand floors so you won¡¯t make a dent in the worlds mana after I am gone, or at least for a few hundred years.¡± He continued to chuckle before creating two seats and a table from the ground and gestured for me to use one, after being seated a fine jug of red wine with two golden goblets appeared from out of nowhere. Shocked by the sudden appearance of the items I suppressed what questions I had and got up to pour both goblets and passed him one as calmly as i could. Closing his eyes, my new drinking buddy inhaled the fragrance from the wine before taking a large sip, so I followed suit and did the same, breathing in the sweet aroma from the vintage wine with a heavy scent of alcohol that permeated my lungs and helped sooth my nerves. As for the taste, it was comparable to the most expensive liquor of the same type, one I had a year ago, during one of the first dates with Eva. ¡°No matter what world you¡¯re from, a good cup of wine eases the mind, right?¡± ¡°So, what exactly was I brought for?¡± ¡°In three years, I plan to go from this or any other world, to finally rest as any mortal should have and for that, I needed someone to not replace me, but to fix this world for my leave.¡± Taking a few more sips, we both kept enjoying the strong but very well flavored liquor. ¡°You know Euman¡¯s are this worlds version of you guys from Earth, but there are also beastmen, the so-called demons, elves, dwarves, well you get it, more races then just normal humans.¡± ¡°So, in short just like any fantasy world in our literature?¡± ¡°Yes, just like those I introduced in your world''s literature, but as you know conflict is to arise with such a variety of races.¡± Gesturing for a refill I quickly gulped what was left of mine then poured another on both goblets, weirdly I didn¡¯t get drunk even with the very strong reek of alcohol this drink produced. ¡°You know in your world power comes from the economy, right? The more money the stronger a man becomes, even if he is but a small individual. Well here mana makes the man, but the difference is that one person in this world can have the power of a nuclear weapon at any time.¡± He changed his position and sat facing the side with both feet stretched out one crossed over the other. ¡°Of course, these mages are rare, but imagine amplifying that power with all the mana my dungeon is going to release when I am gone.¡± Noticing that I still did not get my role, Gregory leaned forth while pointing at me. ¡°You will cause events to happen, these are already underway, there is no stopping them now that you are here. My advice is to go with the flow maybe listen to me to make things go smoother, but in the end, whether you make that choice or not will not change much.¡± Tilting his cup towards me as to make a toast, he raised it and let the red liquid fall into his mouth, finally shaking the goblet to get any remaining drops. ¡°In the end, everything is for the best, you get your woman back, this world will reach an era of peace for a good long time and finally I will rest.¡± With the insurance that I will have Eva back while doing some good to this world, I brought my goblet up and finish the heavy talk. In a fraction of a second Gregory cleared the table and seats and snapped his finger to create a book. ¡°I am no teacher or like spending time doing such a chore¡­ and as I want you to get more hands-on experience, this book will be your aid and inform you of that which you seek.¡± He passed me the book that was thin and small which gave me little confidence in providing much of the information I would be needing, but opening it to any page, words would shine then they would be replaced with new ones as soon as I finished reaching the bottom of a page. ¡°Well that would be it for today, just read and practice, and try getting a hang of using magic before you step outside, oh and... sorry I should have given you this earlier.¡± Handing me a cloth just like his own, and with a wink, Gregory left the Dungeon just as he came. Chapter 2 – Magic 101 Alone in the room with my soul that light the place in a vermillion tone, I rested my back against the gothic pedestal, the only furniture the room had. Opening the book which was the only other item besides the now useless torch in the room, its words lit as I opened the first page to start reading.
Welcome newcomer, to the world of Ethra, a planet just a bit bigger than your own. Due to certain aliments in this world, which is located in a double solar system helped produced an excess of stellar energy that created a new form of energy called mana. This with many other factors created the habitable world that we now live in and... I lost you right, seems like a small mind like yours need simpler sentences¡­
I stopped and slapped the book which thankfully changed some of the wording.
Ehem... leaving the harder concepts and theories behind, I will only finish by stating that the mana we now use is just like petroleum, meaning that it''s a by-product of the great magical beast that once ruled these lands, such as Dragons. As mana was dispersed all throughout the world after their death, the beings that thrived hereafter have grown with the ability to absorb it through special organs and use it in a telepathic manner, causing a variety of effects. From creating various elements to producing what you know as magic. In your specific case, mana is being absorbed directly into your blood making it so that you can use magic right off the bat, and with great potency. (There are side effects in doing this, but you will achieve your goals faster, so all is good right?) Now before we continue, I want you to check your body again. That''s right, caress every part carefully making sure not to leave any nook or cranny. (Then on the next page write with your blood about how¡­
I slapped the book before slamming it on the floor, hoping it would hurt in whatever way it could and then proceeded to check my body as the part about side effects got me a bit restless. Getting up to do some Jumping Jack¡¯s to examine my physical strength, I could easily handle over two hundred without sweating or being out of breath. The only thing I was left with was to hope that no negative traits of having this body would interfere with reviving Eva. I started on where I left off, hoping to finally use this so-called mana and produce magic.
Ehem¡­Magic 101... Right well let¡¯s begin, this lesson now that the intro has been given. First off, this will require constant practice until you finally achieve to grasp the use of mana stored inside of your body. Let¡¯s go with the traditional method, where you sit down, close your eyes and meditate. Have your mind be one with your body and all that... To make this easier let me explain what you will look for. Since you have lived for some time now, you should know if there is a difference between the one you are now and the one you were back on Earth. Find that and then focus, so that you learn what mana is. It should feel like the faint pulses you finally sense before you are about to sleep. Anyways, close your eyes, sit near the orb which is the real you. Your back should be resting near the pedestal and concentrate. (Warning, do not doze off!!!)
As nothing else was written on any other page, I did what was instructed and positioned myself beside the pedestal. At first, it was difficult to clear my mind, as worries, questions and everything that has happened clouded my thinking for a decent amount of time until it all began to quiet down. As a person who easily enters sleep, I began with my normal process, which was to focus on my breathing, inhaling, holding it in for three to five seconds then exhaling. I repeated the process a good number of times before I was able to clear up any remaining thoughts and it was then that I started sensing the pulse of my heart, the tiny buzz in my ears and the loud sounds of air going in and out of my nose every now and then.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Finally, I understood, as a warm like feeling circulated through my veins, the more I noticed it, the more it resembled heat. It began in my chest with my heart, then it moved towards my left hand, my feet then finally to my head where it made its way back to my heart. At the end of the first session, I felt sweat dripping down from my forehead, so I decided to take a nap on the floor which became soft, almost as if it was reading my intentions. A few hours passed before I woke up and raised myself, noticing that I haven¡¯t felt hunger since I arrived here. Opening the book to see if there was anything else written or any change from before was a success, as new words appeared.
Continuation of Magic Training (By the way, you snoozed off on training, loser!) First things first, congratulations on getting a hold of what mana is. (Not that it was too hard to notice that ocean-like mana you currently possess!) So, to motivate you here is your next lesson.
  • System: Creation Magic
  • Type: Unique
  • Class: Organic
  • Sub-Class: Food Production
  • Name: Saganaki
Put your hand out and chant the following: ¡°So that I may live another day, I seek to create a dish that doesn¡¯t taste like clay, so I beg for its creation, a meal that will leave my tongue with a tingling sensation.¡± (Make sure to twirl your finger in front of you while you chant, for a better and tastier meal!)
I slapped the book really hard for a third time, not knowing if it is having any effect, but this time the words did not change. Now I wasn¡¯t hungry enough to make a fool out of myself and thought it was a waste to have my first magical spell be food related, especially with such a lousy one at that. It would mark me for life, so I waited it out for a few hours, and yet nothing changed, not a single word, even when I tortured the book by burning one of the edges with the flames of the lonely torch. I had given up and went along with the joke, as for the book it recovered its burnt parts instantly, leaving me with a sense of defeat. ¡°So that I may live another day¡­ I seek to create a dish that doesn¡¯t taste like clay, so I beg for its creation¡­ a meal that will leave my tongue with a tingling sensation. Saga¡­naki?¡± I ended it with a lifeless tone, not caring if it would taste good or bad, I just wanted the damn book to move on to the next lesson. Finishing my chant in a lifeless tone, not caring if it would taste good or bad, a feeling of heat coursed through my body until it felt like it exploded in my hand where a piece similar to burnt toast appeared. It sadly fell flat on the floor, giving off a smell of cheese and bread that seemed to be similar to the item I was trying to create. Being that it was not on a plate, it didn¡¯t really appeal to me so now I was stuck with trying to figure out how to get rid of it, in a room with no windows or doors. The room seemed to have noticed my thoughts though as the Saganaki was removed in a weird way, the floor opened a hole under it and closed on it as if taking a bite out of it, almost like a mouth appearing out of nowhere. Being intrigued by it I tried commanding the floor to take the useless torch that was overshadowed by the light of the orb, and that too was taken away in a similar fashion. Alright, this meant that I could create things and this living floor would handle removing them in case I didn¡¯t learn how to make them disappear. Before I let myself run wild with trying the chant again, I went back to looking through the book.
Did you learn something from this? I hope you did¡­ like how you need to make a damn plate before you create food! (Idiot) Ehem, do you recall how the mana flow was directed towards your hands after the chant? That is the basic way of manipulating mana, as for the chant, you will need to learn how to properly make one and with time, you will learn to make it shorter, more concise and direct until you finally can do without it. For your next chant, you will be creating a dish for the next time you try making a meal. To chant it should be very simple for someone of your level of education. First off, think of the product or the effect you wish to create, this will go last in the structure of your chant, but it will be the most important part of the whole process, so it has to be the first thing you need to think about. Next is the reason for its creation, this will actually go first in your sentence, followed by defining what it is that you want to produce with clear characteristics. Finally, you will call out the name of the creation or effect. Reason, Description, and Product for short. Let¡¯s try making the plate you so badly needed so you can try the prior chant again. ¡°So that I won¡¯t eat off the floor, I need to produce a plate like those found in any store, so grant me this wish, a nice round and silver dish. Come to me, a grand Salver! (Remember to work those fingers)
¡°Son of¡­a¡± I was fuming while slamming the useless book on the wall, breathing hard while scratching my bare scalp. It was an hour before I finished creating the most delicious item I have ever made, or as the chant called it, Grand Salver. It was basically fried cheese that I was finally able to create on my fifth attempt. It was worth the wait as each time I attempted to make it I added a few more ingredients while using my imagination as the main tool. What at first seemed like burnt toast later turned into soft toast with the addition of pasteurized milk, during my third attempt the toast was actually more cheese then bread which was the correct way of making it, only this time I thought about it being crisped by using olive oil. The fourth time included adding in some brandy and having it flaming during its creation, sadly the fire was too much and it ended with another burnt product. The final product was a slab of the finest cheese this world has ever had, with a thin layer of flour mixed with eggs and milk crisped to gold by flames that ignited the brandy and olive oil which would only last five seconds after its creation and last but not least parsley leaves and a slice of lemon on the side. All of which would be in an exquisite silver platter and the best part about it was that I never touched the food to make it, everything just happened in front of me. That day ended with me dreaming of ways to torture the demonic book while wondering if my poor floor would get indigestion.