Core Controller [Dungeon, Isekai, Progression]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

He has the rarest class in the world, but there’s no one who can teach him how to use it.

Tom Weaver must stumble through his skills, but unknown to everyone involved, his education has a time limit!

He has awoken the Ultra-Rare Class of Controller, allowing him to control the Core Stones of Dungeons in a society where tamed Dungeon Cores are as important as electricity is to Earth. This is not entirely a good thing, as he is soon to find out.

Through unavoidable challenges, he puts his village at risk. Only the timely intervention of Antoine Durand, a Hero from Earth, saves his friends and family from being overrun by hoards of high-leveled monsters.

When Antoine informs Tom that he is being conscripted into the Royal Knighthood due to his possession of a restricted class, Tom has no choice but to go along with the high level knight.

But while the king wants him to continue to maintain the Cores of the nation as others have before him, the world faces an existential threat that only a Controller like Tom can face.

The World Core is dying.

~~~~~~~~

This story is a slow-burn progression with multiple POV's.  It focuses heavily on world-building and exploration.

This story is semi-reader interactive; the author pays close attention to comments, and there have been sporadic polls which have influenced the plot.  These polls have been infrequent but significant, although they may stop at some point in the future.

Chapters 1-64 are considered book 1.  An edited and improved version of book 1 is also available onKindle

This story is participating in the April 2024 writathon.

Information

Status
Hiatus
Year
2024
Author
A. Stargazer

Tags

LITRPGACTIONFANTASYADVENTUREMAGICSTRONG LEADMULTIPLE LEAD CHARACTERSREADER INTERACTIVEPORTAL FANTASY / ISEKAIHIGH FANTASYPROGRESSIONDUNGEON CORE

Royal Road Stats

Rating
4.5/ 5.0
Followers
765
Views
357,166

Chapters(122 total)

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Community Reviews(10)

  • Black LegionRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    It's still super early in the story, only give chapters in, but I feel like this story deserves some attention so here we go. The world feels well thought out so far, classes have their place and the insights we've gained into the weirder bits in the world make sense and open the doors to a lot of possibilities. The writing is clear and things are moving along at a fairly decent pace.
    My favorite thing about this story though is how real the character interactions are. Our MC has parents that feel real and so far all the characters we've met have real concerns and motivations, even if we've only been shown the surface level. I'm excited to follow this story.
  • Eli'sPencilRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    After just a handful of chapters, I can assure you that this story may become one of the greats on Royal Road.
    I’ll start with my only negative, however, it’s a personal preference more than anything.
    Style: Although the style is clean and consistent, never randomly switching between tenses, this is one of those litRPGs that has big stats sheets/charts in the middle of chapters. This is just my personal preference, really. I just find them intrusive and distracting. Other than that I have no complaints. Considering most of the big dogs on here do their stats in that way, people must like it.
    Grammar: Spotless. Absolutely perfect. It’s akin to what you’d seen in a published novel so I have no complaints.
    Story: This is what does it for me. Without spoiling, it’s not your every day litRPG slop that’s copy and pasted. It’s wholly unique, especially the concepts used for the dungeons of this novel’s world. The pacing is good and I can see where the author is sprinkling important information that will be used later. I like that.
    Characters: it’s hard to judge characters for me when a story is incomplete because we haven’t seen their arcs yet but so far they’re pretty good. I find the contrast between the protagonist and the antagonist compelling and I’m curious about where it’ll go from here. Some people might not like the maturity level of the MC but the MC is a child so… yeah they act their age.
  • EllakeRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    This story gets straight into the thick of it. We're instantly introduced to the System and our MC Tom is off to Unlock his first Class that isn't 'Child'. I loved that there was no slow build up as I instantly had something to look forward too.
    From a style perspective this story uses mpov which isn't normally what I go for but it was done well and more importantly, each of the different pov's had a different voice.
    For grammar it's an easy 5 stars. There was a single spelling mistake I noticed and the grammar seemed good and consistent.
    The story was best part for me. Without putting spoilers in, it's clear that we're going to get into the action very quickly given some of the responses from the external POVs. The 'Dungeon Core' concept used here was the first time I had encountered it so that was a new and interesting take for me.
    I kind of covered it earlier but the characters (and there are a few of them) all felt distinct to me. The MC is only 14yrs old so was a bit impulsive, which you'd expect, but was also a bit clinical and while in other genres that might be a bit out of the ordinary it's pretty spot on for the Isekai genre.
    In summary, if you like Dungeon Core or Progression fantasy I would definitely give this story a go.
  • GlassSpidersRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    So far the story is really good. We have a nice handful of characters who have a variety of blatant and hidden motives. Our main character Tom is neither completely naive nor is he ultra savvy. So far he seems to be fairly clever within the decisions he has had the power to make. The world building and plot seem to be introduced gradually and are moving along nicely. Overall there is a nice bit of mystery and tension to the story with no characters that make me hate them and some that I want to cheer for.
  • J. AdskiyRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    Overall: I like where this story is going and I'm a big fan of accidental overpowered characters.
    The author sticks to 3rd person and is consistent with tense. Easy to follow and not disorienting to read. In general it follows the main character, and any time it shifts it's clear.
    Good style overall
    The plot and the main characters potential is revealed early on, leaving questions and wanting to learn more.
    Plot has an incredible amount of potential with the direction already solid within the first six chapters. Information is revealed in a moderate way, where nothing feels too rushed or forced. Motivations for the main character and the (apparent) antagonist feel natural.
    I really like where this plot can go.
    Grammar seems fine, I noticed a few odd bits here and there, but nothing that would break immersion. Use of vocabulary doesn't limit the story in any way.
    Main character has a well thought out personality and acts in the way one would expect. Something I find entertaining is how the interactions with parents/friends come off light hearted in contrast to how the potential antagonist views the main character's existence.
    If you're looking for a story to dabble in, definitely give Core Controller a try!
  • OskiRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    I did a short review for this story at chapter 3 because I saw a lot of promise with it. I still do, it has been a fantastic read so far. I enjoy learning about the main characters class with him. I am interested in seeing where all of the politics take him. The world is a bit different too, and I am enjoying learning more and more about it as well. This story has kept me excited to see more, and I look forward to reading more.
  • psuedocodeRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    The story is a fun read. The story is primed to go in a few different possible directions, and it has already deviated wildly from what I expected going into it. Each of those possible paths are interesting, so I'm excited to see where it will lead.
    The possible paths so far are kingdom building, dungeon building, class fight 'em, political maneuvering, summoner (intelligent monster), summoner (heroes from Earth), take over the world, or to save the world from imminent collapse.
    Each of these paths is a possible direction that the story has dabbled in so far.
    This is not a spoiler, but just to reach the 200 word minimum. This is my first advanced review, so this took me a bit by surprise. This is not a spoiler, but just to reach the 200 word minimum. This is my first advanced review, so this took me a bit by surprise. This is not a spoiler, but just to reach the 200 word minimum. This is my first advanced review, so this took me a bit by surprise. This is not a spoiler, but just to reach the 200 word minimum. This is my first advanced review, so this took me a bit by surprise.
  • LemonSqueezedRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    This is a refreshing story that I have enjoyed reading all the way through. It is well written, with great grammar overall, and enjoyable pacing.
    Without going into detail about this plot, "Core Controller" takes everything I like about standard or stereotypical "dungeon core" stories and enriches it with real characters and extremely interesting set pieces without leaning on "human forms" or "dungeon avatars", which I find usually detracts from a story and brings it down. I think the premise is interesting, and quite well executed.
    Overall, the style of writing flows well, doesn't drag its heels, and feels engaging and fun to read. I was a little skeptical coming into the story, as the first couple of chapters seemed run-of-the-mill fantasy, but I found myself quickly enamored and pulled in to the surprisingly deep and well-written world.
    I think the general plot is remarkably well constructed, especially as it has been devised as the story progresses. It is deeply interesting, and written with careful consideration that clearly shows in the rich worldbuilding that, frankly, blows a lot of the competition out of the water. Overall, the direction the story has taken is quite unique, and I look forward to reading where things progress further.
    The grammar of the story I would say is perfect. Sentences flow smoothly and I have never felt as if things have dragged on for too long. The Author is excellent at showing and not telling, and it works extremely well in the setting they have created. Descriptions are rich and vivid, but do not overstay their welcome. Spelling is very nearly perfect, but there are the odd issues - everyone is human after all. Not more often than one word every 10-15 chapters or so.
    The cast of characters I find work very well in favour of the story. The main character, Tom, starts out as just a kid. It's very interesting to watch his character grow as he matures into the giant-sized shoes into which he has been thrust. The supporting characters
  • TheEarlofBronzeRoyal Road
    ★★★★ 4.0
    I want to start by saying I really, genuinely, liked your stories setting and premise. It's a wonderfully interesting twist on the Isekai/Dungeon Core setting. I write this in the hope you take it for what it is, constructive criticism with the goal of helping you see how some of your readers are experiencing the story, and why it may not be working great.
    Unfortunately, I have found your characters, particularly the main character, dull and uninteresting... with the ONLY exception being Antoine.
    Just to be transparent here, I genuinely forgot Tom's name between finishing the last chapter I read and starting writing this review... I had to go back and check. That is a REALLY bad sign.
    A handful of other factors that built up frustration in me while reading this include:
    Bad Pacing - This is usually something I have no problem with, however this story suffers from a lot of wasted time.
    No Goal - This is, I suspect, the cause of the Bad Pacing. Whether or not you have a clear outline of this story, I as the reader have absolutely no clue where the story is going, and this links back into the bad characters issue.
    Bad Characters - Your protagonist is (currently, and has been for 40+ chapters) effectively a non-entity and a plot device. He has no desires, no goals and (often) no brain. This is not only unenjoyable to read, it's also a bit unbelievable. What 14 year old kid doesn't dream? Have fantasies? The lads just woken up with godlike powers and all he cares about is making sure his dungeon core feels content... after 40 chapters...? Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying have a character who is unsure as to what direction to take is a bad thing, it's not, but events still need to be happening, and all people have desires. Tom displays none of this. Tom, after the first few chapters, has mostly been regulated to a plot-device. The Main-characters feel much more like the King and Antoine.
    Additionally, the 'summoned' characters (while awesome in concept) are infinitely m
  • K4m30Royal Road
    ★★★ 2.5
    Unfortunately, I can't recommend this one. Maybe the first book is worth reading, but having finished the second, I can't say it's worth the time.
    What started as an interesting concept was let down by poor characters, mediocre storytelling, and an overabundance of softening. Nothing matters, anyone who is introduced will be a Lawful good cutout with little growth. The main character stumbles from plotpoint to plot point, and hasn't grown or developed since his introduction. Any time he makes a mistake or faces difficulty it is immediately resolved and he is assured that he had no choice, did the right thing, or is not really at fault. Characters immediately set out to introduce modern ideals to a shallow world that welcomes them with open arms.
    The villians are cartoonishly incompetent, and nicely wait to attack one at a time so there isn't any risk of the MC being overwhelmed. And when they are defeated they are quickly forgotten and the reader can laugh at their silly antics.
    The language is simple, and easy to follow, and that's to a fault. Prose is repetitive and uninspired, maybe this is intentional so the story can be read by children, but to me it's just bland. No issues with grammar, spelling mistakes or incorrect tense.