Department of Dungeon Studies (Book 3 stubs on the 26th)

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Books 1 and 2 are strubbed and can only be found onAmazon/Kindle Unlimited.

Greatness isn't bred. Its molded in trials of fire and depths of desperation.

Nox is an alchemist by trade, but he dreams of magehood. Fate dealt him unfavorable cards but he has learnt to compensate for his shortcomings with scholarly pursuits, tenacity, and sheer grit. Fortunately, for him Woodson University and their scouts are always seeking individuals with his work ethic.

The Department of Dungeon Studies sees the value of the mind and its ability to overcome all limitations. After all, they stripped the divine of their titles. The department turned gods into Dungeon Lords and their domains into Dungeons. The department will teach Nox how to use divinity to stand strong in a broken world. It will give him the tools to achieve his ambitions and his limitations will push him to the forefront of arcane discovery.

Unfortunately, more immediate challenges await Nox, too. He lacks the means to pay the university’s ridiculous tuition. Only alchemy and smart business deals will earn him the hundreds of gold coins he needs.

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Why should you read this story?

—Magic university setting with a mature cast in their twenties—Protagonist with questionable morals—Unique magic system which involves cultivating a solar system in one's core—Unique MC powerset involving magical research, versatile spell work, alchemy, arcane archery (no spellblades or fireballs!)—Detailed spell crafting and alchemy—Dungeon diving—Journey from novice to archmage—5 chapters a week (Monday - Friday)

Information

Status
Ongoing
Year
2023
Author
JPwrites

Tags

LITRPGACTIONFANTASYADVENTUREMAGICANTI-HERO LEADDRAMASCHOOL LIFEMALE LEADHIGH FANTASYMYTHOSCULTIVATIONPROGRESSIONATTRACTIVE LEAD

Royal Road Stats

Rating
4.6/ 5.0
Followers
2,165
Views
141,360

Chapters(15 total)

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(10)

  • levitee20Royal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    Overall I like this story so far. Characters are likeable, story is good and fight scenes are decently written. Overall I'm giving 5 stars, because i thoroughly enjoyed it, I think this is a professional and talented writer and I can't wait to see what happens next in the story.
    All right, let's get into it. The story is very interesting and has really good pacing, Like some others said before, the only negative thing is that the magic system is a little hard to understand especially if there is a big description and you haven’t read the story in a few weeks or even days. Posting is also not as consistent as i would like, but that isn't something to cry about because being an author is hard and putting out consistent work (especially when life happens) is difficult, so i didn't deduct any stars for that. Its just a wish of mine lol.
    Grammar could be improved, as this does sort of feel like I'm reading through a draft, but other than that I haven't noticed anything too glaring. Characters are good, story is good, and I like the style, though i do think there could be some improvement there.
  • UnDeadPuffRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    There are at times spelling or grammatical errors and mistakes, but other commenters are kind enough to suggest fixes and improvements to some areas that require such. Overall I am quite enjoying this story and hope to see more of it, as well as see if my assumption about Lilin's desire to enjoy being human proves true in the end.
  • gennirvanaRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    The story is very interesting and has good pacing, characters and fights are good too. The only negative thing is that the magic system is a little hard to understand specially if there is a big description and you haven’t read the story in a while.
    I would recommend the author a more consistent schedule and I recommend any reader to read it.
  • ElkirahcRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    This is a very nice and different take on a high fantasy story. The magic system is different and varied and the world building is in many cases implied through the story and the interractions, instead of being dumped in big exposition paragraphs.
    Really enjoying this read and curious to see where the story is taking us.
  • CannonbalrogRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    This is a very solid story overall. Both the setting and the magic system are rather interesting spins on more conventional approaches. At the same time, it seems to be well-thought out and with a great deal of room for further exploration.
    The characters are believable and well-written. I've seen no grammar mistakes throughout the entire story, and the prose is solid as well.
    My only critiques are rather subjective, and I'd recommend this story regardless - I've seen stories with far worse issues that were much more popular.
    1. Some portion of the conflict in the story thus far comes from the use of the arrogant but stupid nobility who hate the MC's guts. While not neccessarily a bad thing, they do come off as a bit 1-dimensional.
    2. Somewhat spoilery, but one of the characters has a secret that got revealed relatively recently. However, the build-up to the reveal is a bit... lackluster, causing the reveal to be a "oh, that makes sense, alright then" situation. I have absolutely no idea how it would be changed to improve it, but as of now it lacks any real dramatic tension.
    That being said, these are relatively minor things. Overall would recommend.
  • MooshieDRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    This was fun because of good characters, writing, and surprising unexpected twists.
    also super enjoying the system differences that I've not seen before in other stories.
    plus the age and maturity seem to match for once. I'm enjoying not reading forced teenage angst and other stuff.
    unmm.. more words and words for review count?  Kinda a bit lazy at the moment, but do think this story is deserving of good reviews for sure and I'm looking forward to more!
  • Chatto12345Royal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    This is a bit of a hidden gem and a pleasure to read. Reminds me of Sarah Lin's weirkey books in the richness of the magic system, which I enjoyed a lot. Great worldbuilding, largely believable characters, minimal reliance on old tropes to move the plot forward. And it gets better as it goes on. Things came a little too easily to the MC at some points, but overall excellent.
  • Stbrn348Royal Road
    ★★★★★ 4.5
    It's a rare thing to review much less with first releases as today's.
    The surprise was more than hopeful where the story hits so many high marks.
    Ceremonies starting with Challenges met, won and lost without readers involvement seemed off-putting at first.
    The Empire soliciting from all walks helped defray the confusion as the descriptions of those battles were explained albeit minimally.
    The mystery of competitors, masked to avoid the Nepotism and Shenanigans so often found in Royalty, whether Martial, Inherited or Political, was surprising.
    With the reveal boding well for future, not simply political intrigue, but Familial animosity amongst an actual disenfranchised and disinherited once Royal member due to clouded reasons yet to be unravelled.
    While three of the four competitiors being sons of the reigning Queen isn't a shock, the challenges being won to become one of the finalists by two not favored by the crown helps add to the possibilities for future subterfuge beyond palace intrigue.
    An interesting balance with catcalls from the invitee/attendees added a nice touch leading to the questions brought about the MC's questionable history.
    A recognized voice adding to palpable anxieties from The Royal Family during the ceremonies where the story began is the first step towards the humour yet to come.
    An MC developing with not only unusual skillsets for such a martial competition is expanded by the forthcoming challenges between the final four with the Witty Repartee and not OP talents developed since the ousting of the once Heir to Empire.
    It's unclear when the first interaction between once siblings in royalty step forth in the competition to snipe and challenge especially from the still recognized son are public or private.
    The typical headgames end with the final words a wager beyond mere cash but all associated rewards won in this very competition.
    Witnessed and attested to by a supposed independent Referee with additional guarantees by the competitors and Mag
  • GabryelRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 4.5
    So far I am really enjoying the story. This is my favorite academy litrpg on Royal Road so far. My favorite things about it are the world building and the characters. I especially like the idea of how dungeons came to be and the relationship between Nox and Lillin. I find all characters so far enjoyable. Their motiviations and how they interact with one another is relatable. The dialogue is well written. The magic system is truly unique but is the only thing that I personally do not like that much. But that is very much a personal opinion. It just does not vibe with me. Otherwise it is good integrated into the story and how it progresses.
    There may be grammar mistakes but as I am not a native speaker so I most likely do not notice them.
    The story also updates quite regular, which is often easily overlooked in reviews.
    So go just ahead and give it a try.
  • ArchadiusRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 4.5
    The story hits the ground running and pulls you in almost immediately. The battles are gripping and the magic is unique. The Mc's magic in particular without getting into spoilers is what I would best describe as complex and simple in its ingenuity. The story does slow down at times and there are a few grammatical errors. Humans will human. Definitely worth a read though.