The grand hall of the Academy of Dark Arts pulsed with a silent energy, a tangible hum of anticipation. Every available space, from the plush velvet seats lining the tiered balconies to the rough-hewn rafters overhead, was occupied. The air, thick with the scent of old parchment and nervous sweat, crackled with unspoken questions.

  Some students, their eyes glazed with fatigue, had been present since the morning's tedious incantations and potion brewing, while others, their faces flushed with excitement, had surged in after whispers of an unscheduled, extraordinary lecture spread like wildfire through the academy's shadowy corridors.

  At the front, bathed in the dim, flickering light of enchanted braziers, stood Marie. No longer the shadowy figure lurking in alleyways, she radiated a newfound authority. Her silver hair, usually pulled back in a severe bun, was slightly disheveled, a testament to her passionate delivery. The lines etched on her face, the map of a life lived in the shadows, softened as she smiled at a student who tentatively raised her hand.

  "Miss?" the young woman began, her voice barely a whisper in the vast hall.

  "Please," Marie corrected gently, her voice resonating with a surprising warmth, "Call me Professor." A flicker of genuine amusement danced in her eyes. She found an unexpected thrill in the title, a validation she hadn't known she craved.

  "Yes, Professor," the student stammered, her cheeks reddening. "I... I still don't understand the difference between portals and teleportation. They seem so similar, but why do we need both?"

  Marie's smile widened. "An excellent question," she began, her voice gaining strength, drawing every eye in the hall. "While both seem to offer instantaneous travel, their applications and limitations are vastly different. Teleportation, as many of you know, allows for the swift movement of individuals or small groups. Think of it as a personal shortcut, a way to instantly traverse distances you've already experienced. The cost, however, scales dramatically with distance and the number of people transported. A simple hop across the room might be negligible, but a journey across the continent would drain even a seasoned mage."

  She paused, allowing her words to sink in. "Portals, or gates as they're sometimes called, are a different beast entirely. They manipulate the very fabric of reality, creating a persistent bridge between two locations. The initial mana cost is significant, a monumental undertaking that requires precise calculations and a deep understanding of spatial magic. Once stabilized, however, they require only a trickle of energy for upkeep, allowing for the passage of countless individuals. Imagine a bustling marketplace, where goods and people flow freely between distant cities – that's the power of a well-maintained gate."

  Marie moved, her hands gesturing as if shaping the very air before her. "The difference goes beyond mana expenditure. Teleportation is instantaneous, a blink-and-you're-there affair. Gates, on the other hand, require physical transit. People must walk through them, a process that takes time and exposes them to potential dangers. A gate is a visible doorway, a point of vulnerability that requires constant vigilance. Teleportation, by contrast, is a clandestine maneuver, a silent whisper in the weave of magic."

  Her voice dropped, a hint of steel entering her tone. "There is also the mass teleportation spell, capable of moving entire armies in a single instant. But it's a fool's errand for most. The mana required is astronomical, a torrent that would drown even the most powerful mage. Attempting such a feat alone is akin to suicide, a reckless gamble that would leave you drained and vulnerable. Learn from the mistakes of those who came before," she warned, her eyes scanning the rapt faces before her. "A mana-depleted Space Mage is a liability, a burden to be carried, unless they're running for their own lives."

  The hall was utterly silent, the only sound the scratching of quills on parchment as students frantically scribbled notes. Marie's gaze drifted to the back of the hall, her expression hardening. "I know many of you have heard about the portal that appeared in the forest, the breach that brought those... Demons. That was no ordinary gate. It was a tear in reality, a gateway to another realm, a feat of magic I've never encountered in all my years. The runes used in its creation were utterly alien, a language I couldn't decipher, and that," she confessed, her voice laced with a hint of unease, "disturbs me greatly."

  A shiver ran through the hall. The mention of demons, the creatures that had dared to invade their world, hung heavy in the air. The whispers and rumors that had circulated after the incident had painted a terrifying picture, a world where the impossible had almost become reality.

  "That's probably the true power of gates," Marie continued, her voice regaining its strength. "They could allow us to explore the unknown, to venture into realms beyond our wildest dreams. Teleportation, on the other hand, is confined to the familiar, to places we've already mapped in our minds. To create a portal, you need more than just the gate spell. You need the knowledge of runic travel formations, ancient symbols etched into the very fabric of magic. These formations can be found on dormant gates scattered across the land."

  Her eyes gleamed with a predatory light. "And let me tell you, tracking someone through portals is far easier than chasing a teleporter. A teleporter leaves behind only faint mana signatures, tiny traces that vanish like smoke in the wind. It's like searching for invisible breadcrumbs, a task that requires patience, skill, and a touch of luck."

  Marie's lecture continued, weaving tales of ancient gates, forgotten realms, and the intricate dance of spatial magic. As the sun began to set, casting long, dancing shadows across the hall, the crowd swelled, drawn by the allure of her words. She found herself enjoying the attention, the power that came with imparting knowledge. The thrill of holding an audience captive, of shaping their understanding of the world, was intoxicating.

  Yet, beneath the surface, a deeper desire simmered. Marie yearned for the shadows, for the thrill of the hunt, for the silent precision of an assassin. She dreamed of reaching level 100, of mastering the art of stealth and deception. The Syndicate was her goal, but it was merely a stepping stone. She craved the title of Assassin, a master of shadows, a whisper in the night. If Abi knew, she would likely attribute it to Marie's enduring kleptomania, a desire to acquire and possess, even if it was only the fleeting power of a shadow's embrace.

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  Yet, there was something about a crowd of people hanging on her every word that she found intoxicating, and she liked it.

  Marie the Space Mage Professor

  Dungeon Stories Volume 4

  I haven't made any progress at all.

  Zero.

  None.

  Blip.

  Ishda is still a far-sighted dream due to my constant spending and every day there's something else that I need, or want, to spend points on. Whoever said having more DP would make life easier was a fool. Although, that might have been me. If anyone calls me out on it, I'll just pretend I never said it.

  I remember the days when I only had 20DP. Spending my points in a matter of seconds and lazing around living the life of impoverished bliss while waiting for the next refill. Ok, I know, that's not how it went down. Then again, if I swap out 'bliss' for complaining and crying then it isn't too far from the truth.

  Instead of making my way towards another valuable farm of DP, I've been replenishing Assassins, upgrading features, dealing with unforeseen problems and coaching the triplets. For some reason, they seem to be laying the blame on me, none of the girls want to use their transformation skill. I don't wanna force them to change, but as humans... They kinda suck. Like... Really suck.

  They're still level 1 for Core's sake.

  Bear is level 18!

  The triplets just aren't strong enough to beat a Golem in human form. They don't have the stats for it. If only they'd grab a few levels as Dragons, then they wouldn't do so bad in their other form. At this rate though, Bear's going to end up being their protector and guardian.

  Then there's the whole "dealing with problems" thing. The Tune tourists are back home, hopefully with less trauma and more souvenirs. And we've got a fresh batch of souls, all sporting that delightful shade of "needs serious intervention."

  We're running a soul spa, basically. "Welcome to the Tironia Soul Rejuvenation Center, where we replace your toxic orange with a soothing grey." It's slow, sure, but it beats the alternative: me turning into a genocidal maniac on Sis's advice. Sixteen years of waiting for people to "grow out of it?" Please. That's like waiting for a houseplant to solve world hunger.

  The old system was a joke. Reincarnation into the same fire? No wonder the system wasn't working properly. Sending souls through the cycle of reincarnation, only for them to be born again into the same shitty world is not a problem solving solution. The equivalent is sweeping dust under the rug. It might be out of sight for a while, but the problem is still there. It's better to mop the floor instead. Although in this case, Tironia is the floor and it's pretty fucking big.

  It's going to take a long time to clean, but it's not like I have to do it all on my own. Sacha, the Deputy Mayor of Varona, is amazing when it comes to finding the right people for the right job. Hence when she told me that Raff - one of the City Council dudes - would be the best person for the job, I immediately put him in charge of reformation. Just chucked him the mop and said "Clean!"

  Delegation at its finest.

  My responsibilities on the matter are now more laid back. Hana and Mira watch over the yellow souls undergoing reformation that, instead of me, Raff sends their way. Samantula and her Spiders are still on orange duty which takes much longer to cleanse.

  Other variables that I hadn't considered before and another reason why I'm still nowhere near Ishda, were the current problems in the cities I already control. Orad wasn't that bad to be fair and only took the better part of a day for me to sort out.

  After having an awkward conversation with Mayor Baldur about the fact that I'm a Dungeon Core, which he took a lot better than I thought he would, I created buildings for the homeless and built livestock-producing features to ensure everyone would be fed.

  I also made an orphanage and staffed it with a few Assassins to look after and teach the little delinquents. Usually it's hard to find people to care for those who haven't had the best hand in life. But since I can rely on my ever-expanding family, I don't have to worry about that problem.

  Mayor Baldur is quite young for his position. Roughly in his forties, has dark brown hair, is cleanly shaven and wears a nice tunic that you would expect your everyday city Mayor to be dressed in. He's also as straight faced as they come. After joining me me as I constructed the buildings, he didn't seem startled in the least, nor did he say a word.

  It was beginning to throw me off my game with how casual he was acting m no and I was starting to question whether he might be a demon too. But when his facade finally broke, I felt much better. People should be freaked out about me being a Dungeon Core, right?

  Mayor Baldur's jaw dropped after we left the city. Outside the walls, a small hill was emerging from the ground. It kept rising up, getting higher and higher until a door rose into view embedded in the miniature mountain. Soil fell from the featureless frame as it stopped rising and settled into position, held by the firm grip of Tironia. Mayor Baldur almost deafened me, screaming like a lunatic as the door creaked opened, "What the hell?"

  Did he not listen to me? Did he think I was just a super powerful Magus or something? I told him in detail what we were going to be doing of course, but he must not have believed me. Well... That was unlucky because the dungeon is there now and adventurers are ready to level up on good, old-fashioned, ugly and smelly Goblins.

  Dungeons that are free to enter are unheard of around here and any treasure they find, which I did add to incentivize dungeon diving, is theirs to keep. Not to mention that they can level quite well on my Goblins.

  They'll grow and get stronger, becoming happier and higher level in the process. Improving their lives and inspiring others to do the same. Not to mention I'll earn more DP as they level and the farm grows.

  I explain to Baldur that the monsters inside this dungeon are not capable of leaving and that there will always be a couple of guards on duty to ease his mind. Not that they would exit the dungeon anyway. Everyone I summon is loyal to the dungeon. To me. Still, it makes Baldur feel better.

  Dungeon B is only 20 floors deep and consists solely of Goblins. A Hobgoblin is set as the Dungeon's Boss and shouldn't be too hard for a group of seasoned adventurers to take down. A comfortable room where the Assassins standing guard can relax and alternate is after the Boss. In the room behind that, defended from any would-be dungeon destroyers, is Core B.

  Nothing will happen to me if it's destroyed, it's just a Dummy Core after all, and I shaped the dungeon around it myself using my own dungeon's powers. To be honest, the Core is actually irrelevant and unneeded. Now that the land is mine, I can keep purchasing and create dungeons out of nothing. Still, having a Dummy Core there makes me feel better for some reason and it looks legit.

  That was about the extent of Orad's problems. Not many at all as the city runs rather well. I can't fault Baldur. He's a good guy with a good soul to match. I like him.

  Tune and its Mayor, on the other hand, are pretty fucked.