Dungeon Master (Karma System)

Mira was waiting outside the guest house before Max arrived the next morning.

She wore a clean blue dress Anna had sent over, along with a gray cloak that concealed most of the marks beneath her skin. Garrick stood behind her carrying a satchel large enough for a week-long journey.

”What is in the bag?” Max asked.

”Medicine, water, bandages, blankets, food, a change of clothes, and several emergency charms,” Garrick answered.

Mira glanced over her shoulder. ”He packed less when we crossed the Blackstone Mountains.”

”We were traveling with a wagon then.”

”The hospital is fifty steps away.”

”Fifty-seven.” Garrick corrected.

Max looked at Anna. ”Did he count?”

”Several times.”

Garrick did not appear embarrassed. ”If she collapses, I need to know the fastest route.”

The old man’s concern was understandable. Knowing the curse could no longer permanently take Mira from him did not erase five years of habits in one night.

Max did attempt to sooth the older man. ”You will not have to carry her. If her condition becomes critical, alert the hospital through the dungeon menu. A portal can be opened directly to her.”

Garrick stared at his own menu. Anna showed him how to place the hospital contact at the top of his message list. He practiced sending a request twice before he was satisfied.

Mira waited with more patience than Max expected.

”Where do you want to go first?” he asked her.

”The lake.”

”Not the Skyyard?”

”If we start there, Grandfather will spend the rest of the day carrying me.”

Garrick looked as if he might deny it. Then he adjusted the enormous satchel and remained silent. Max opened a portal to the lakeshore.

Mira stared at the opening. ”Can I use those?”

”The public portals have fixed destinations. I can open one wherever I want because its my dungeon.”

She stepped through before Garrick could insist on going first.

The western lake reflected the false sunlight above the Sanctuary. Small fishing boats moved across the water. A family of hybsils stood knee-deep near the shore gathering long reeds, while a group of children threw crumbs to silver fish.

Mira walked to the water and removed her shoes.

Garrick hurried after her. ”The water may be cold.”

”Then my feet will be cold.”

”You could become ill.”

”I am already ill.”

She stepped into the shallows. The water reached her ankles and for a moment, she simply stood there with her eyes closed.

Max had expected her to be fascinated by portals, magic trainers, or the more unusual creatures living inside the dungeon. Instead, she spent several minutes moving her feet through the mud.

”I have never been in a lake.” She explained when Anna joined her. ”I was allowed to look at one from a carriage once.”

Anna removed her shoes and stepped into the water beside her.

Garrick watched both of them with an expression that shifted between alarm and reluctant happiness.

Max sat on a nearby rock. He had no intention of getting his feet muddy, that sounded gross.

After the lake, Mira wanted food. Garrick presented several packages from his satchel, all containing bland mixtures prescribed by healers.

Mira looked toward the food stalls in the square.

”No.” Garrick said.

”The curse cannot kill me permanently here.”

”That does not mean you should poison yourself.”

”I want one of those.” She pointed toward a dwarven stall selling fried dough covered in sugar and crushed nuts.

Max bought four. Garrick refused his until Mira took a bite and failed to collapse.

She closed her eyes while chewing. ”I have wasted fourteen years.”

”It is fried dough.” Garrick said.

”Exactly.”

Anna let out a laugh when she heard the teenage girl snap back.

They visited the library next. Mira moved slowly between the shelves and pulled out books about creatures, distant kingdoms, and magical professions. She had been educated at home but had never attended a school or trained for a class.

”Can I learn skills here?” she asked Max.

”The class trainers can teach anyone who meets a skill’s requirements.”

”I do not have a class.”

”Then you would need to choose one first.”

Garrick immediately stiffened. ”She is not becoming an adventurer.”

His granddaughter wasn’t deterred. ”I did not say I wanted to fight monsters. There are classes that do other things.”

Max nodded. ”Crafters, healers, scholars, merchants, and several other professions have classes. There is no reason to choose today.”

Mira returned the book she was holding and selected another. ”Good. I want to see what all of them do first.”

The answer pleased Max. Most people selected a class as soon as the system allowed it, then spent years regretting a decision they had made without understanding the alternatives. Having access to fully unlocked trainers meant Mira could explore options few people knew existed.

Anna helped her carry several books to a reading table. One described healer classes. Another covered scribes, archivists, and magical researchers. Mira placed a book about merchants at the bottom of the stack after reading only the title.

”Not interested?” Max asked.

”I have spent five years listening to healers discuss how much grandfather could pay before telling us they failed. I would like to learn about something else.”

”Reasonable.”

Anna opened the book about archivists. ”This class is less common, but it has several useful memory and organization skills.”

Mira read the first page quickly. ”Did you have a class before becoming part of the dungeon?”

”Something similar.”

”What did you choose?”

”I served a church.”

Mira glanced at the gray marks on her wrist. ”Did you cure people?”

”Sometimes. More often, I stayed with them when I could not.”

Mira studied Anna for a moment before returning to the book. The answer appeared to satisfy her more than a promise that another forgotten miracle might remove the curse.

Max noticed that Mira spoke to Anna differently than she spoke to most adults. She did not become defensive when Anna suggested resting, and Anna never addressed her as if she were too young to understand her own condition.

By midday, her steps had slowed. Garrick offered to carry her. She refused. Anna suggested they stop for lunch, allowing Mira to rest without admitting that she needed to.

Their final destination was the Skyyard.

Crews filled every training floor. One party attempted to cross a moving bridge while carrying a barrel between them. The bridge shifted. Three people fell and vanished before striking the lower platform. They reappeared at the beginning while their remaining companions shouted advice.

Mira laughed until the effort made her cough. Garrick’s hand tightened around the strap of his satchel.

”I am fine.” She said after catching her breath.

They took the lift to the observation deck. Mini-airships circled the Sanctuary’s outer edge. Some moved smoothly between the glowing checkpoints. Others drifted sideways or lost altitude until the recovery system returned them to the docks.

Captain Brakka recognized Max and walked over.

”Back for another attempt?” The dwarf asked.

”Not today.”

”Good. We only repaired the ship this morning.”

Mira looked from the dwarf to Max. ”Did you crash?”

”We landed.”

”Against three different parts of the dock.” Anna added.

Brakka nodded. ”A very thorough landing.”

Mira moved to the railing. The entire Sanctuary stretched beneath them. The village occupied the center, surrounded by wooded land, low hills, and the lake. The entrances to the dungeon levels stood together in the square. Farther away, roads ended against the distant boundary of Max’s territory.

”It is bigger than Bellford,” Mira said.

”The Sanctuary has grown several times. And will likely to continue growing for a long time.” Max replied.

”Can the ships go anywhere?”

”They have to remain inside the sanctuary course.”

”Could I ride one?”

Brakka leaned on the railing beside her. ”Any crew of five can use a training vessel. If you do not want to work, we also offer demonstration flights. A dwarven crew handles the ship while passengers enjoy the view.”

”Tomorrow.” Mira decided.

Brakka removed a small practice map from his coat and unfolded it across the railing. Colored rings marked the current course. Arrows showed the winds above the forest and lake.

”Every crew needs a navigator.” he said. ”A navigator does not need strong arms or fast legs. They need to notice what everyone else misses.”

Mira studied the map. ”The third and seventh checkpoints use the same wind.”

Brakka looked down. ”They do.”

”Then a ship that climbs after the third could remain high and descend through the next three. It would not need to climb again before the seventh.”

The dwarf looked toward Max. ”Has she flown before?”

”She saw an airship for the first time yesterday.”

Brakka handed Mira the map. ”Keep that.”

Garrick watched the exchange with a complicated expression. He was proud of her. He was also already imagining everything that could go wrong aboard a ship.

While Mira questioned Brakka about the course, Garrick moved closer to Max.

”Can one of these vessels cross the dungeon boundary?” he asked quietly.

”Nope, to do that you would have to fly the airship through the portal in the square that leads to the outside world. I am sure you noticed that the portal is people sized not ship sized.”

Garrick nodded. ”Good. I only wanted to make sure she could not leave by accident.”

He returned to Mira before Max could reply. The question had been sensible, but Garrick had looked beyond the boundary while asking it rather than toward the training ships.

”Perhaps after you rest.” Garrick said when Mira wanted to watch a party try to complete the practice course.

Mira looked ready to argue. Then her face lost what little color it had.

Anna caught her arm before she fell.

Garrick dropped the satchel and knelt beside her. ”Mira?”

”Just tired.” she whispered.

Max opened a portal directly to the guest house. Mira allowed her grandfather to carry her through this time.

Anna remained with them while Max returned to the manor. The girl had pushed herself too far, but he could not blame her. She had been handed more freedom in a single day than she had possessed in years.

That evening, Anna came home after Mira fell asleep.

”She enjoyed herself.” Anna said while sitting beside Max.

”Garrick looked terrified the entire time.”

”He has spent years believing that one mistake could kill her.”

They had barely finished dinner when a red notification appeared before Max.

[Protected resident Mira Vale has entered a critical state.]

Max was already opening a portal when a second message appeared.

[Protected resident Mira Vale has died.]

[Resurrection in progress.]

He and Anna stepped into the guest house.

Garrick sat beside the bed holding his granddaughter’s hand. The gray lines had spread across Mira’s face. Her chest no longer moved.

The old man looked up at Max. ”You said she would return.”

”She will.” Max checked the notification. ”The hospital is preparing her body now.”

Mira began dissolving into pale light. Garrick tried to hold on, but her fingers slipped through his as the last of her disappeared.

A portal opened beside the bed. Max placed one hand on the old man’s shoulder. ”Come on.”

Garrick stared at the empty blankets for one more second before following Max into the hospital.