Dungeon 42

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Things go awry when the forces of chaos recruit a new Dungeon Master. From underpaid pseudo taxi driver to underground murder labyrinth builder, one young ladies' life is getting flip turned upside down! I guess being a Dungeon is better than doing rideshare for a living? -The MC Extra BAD! -50 stars! -Not the Authors Ex Two thumbs up? I don't really"read"but she gave me a bag of chips so I reviewed it. -Unpaid Anonymous review Updates Sunday Chat with mediscord!

Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2021
Author: esjackson

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.5/ 5.0
Followers: 2,933
Views: 2,623,863

What readers say about Dungeon 42

“This is a well-written story, with lots of nice character interactions and -development. Anyone looking for a dungeon core story with rapid-fire level/monster designs, detailed maps (or descriptions), and dungeon dives will be disappointed however - level d…”
SyndicRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“I'm so excited there are more chapters! I've been binge-reading portal fantasies for the last few days and this is one of the best active stories I've come across. The main character is witty and the so-called divine admins are actually characters instead o…”
nami_amagawaRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

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Community Reviews(10)

SyndicRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is a well-written story, with lots of nice character interactions and -development.
Anyone looking for a dungeon core story with rapid-fire level/monster designs, detailed maps (or descriptions), and dungeon dives will be disappointed however - level design is described as more of a general overview, and aside from the initial group of bandits (and soldiers chasing them) the notification about the first group of adventurers diving into the dungeon comes at the end of chapter 68.
For anyone who enjoys stories for the characters in them, the worldbuilding, or the sense of discovery as plots and plans get uncovered bit by bit though, this story is a real treat. The dungeon monsters have fascinating personalities and, weird as that may sound, even backstories. The characters outside the dungeon develop more and more as the story goes on, and the office intrigue between the alignment representatives responsible for the whole thing is just amazing. Romances bloom here and there too, and none of them feel forced. Surprising and unexpected at times, sure, but not "oh, we need a romance subplot" forced. The ones seen so far all make sense for the characters involved.
There is a system with levels and such, but so far is use has been light. It is a fact of the world and a measure of power, but not the focus of the story as it would be in a LitRPG.
Breakdown by category:
- Overall: very enjoyable read, as long as one does not expect a typical "one level design or dive per chapter" dungeon core novel. As those usually burn out or get repetetive and boring after a while, I see this as a good sign.
- Style: Nothing to complain about, reading fully immerses me with nothing breaking me out of it. Full score.
- Grammar: I took half a star off for the occasional typo or such, since those can startle the reader out of the flow when they happen. There's nothing really bad though, an editor would probably need the red pen only once every two or three chapters (at least for stuff I
nami_amagawaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I'm so excited there are more chapters! I've been binge-reading portal fantasies for the last few days and this is one of the best active stories I've come across. The main character is witty and the so-called divine admins are actually characters instead of a convenient way for an author to advance the plot. I'm super curious about the interoffice dynamic up in adminville, and I think you captured the essence of Evil PERFECTLY. Excellent job!
This is so much more chaotic than other dungeon-building stories I've read and I love it! Keep up the good work! I can't wait for more!
NightbulbRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Story: So much better than I expected- though I'll admit, it's an unconventional path for a dungeon core story. It takes some 70 chapters for the first adventuring party to engage the dungeon, and I'm nearing the end of the currently published chapters while it engages with the second.
Despite this, the story is riveting. Though our protagonist clearly expected to spend as much of her story fending off adventurers as I expected her to, the narritive is happy to take it's sweet time getting there, and I can't find it in me to mind. There's plenty of conflict to be found before adventurers get involved, and even without it I've been enthralled by the effect of placing a well-socialized 'good-aligned' individual in a role literally manually balanced for incompetently sadistic NEETs. The protag's mistake placement causes her to be immidiately far more proficient at her task than the sort of people supposed to get her role, even with her reluctance to do what she must to survive. Dungeon 42 is the 'Task failed successfully' of dungeon core stories.
Outside the System admin rearplot, I'm loving the protag's exploration of architecture. More dungeon core stories need to hand the reins to someone artistically inclined; I'm getting very invested in her experiments in interior design.
Character: Simply phenomenal. The protagonist is good enough on her own (I do love me an artistic protag), but I did not expect such strong side-character game from a dungeon core story! I'm invested in everyone- discounting the personalities carefully written so that I immidiately wish to see them die in a hole.
Grammar: Infrequent (but definitely recurring) typos, forgotten words, and one specific case of a name that was definitely changed with a find-and-replace that missed a few spots. Doesn't significantly detract from the experience, though; The author clearly knows what good grammar is supposed to look like, so the text remains entirely coherent. It just needs an editor.
Style: A thorough
RARE_METALRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
as of right now 13 the latest chapter and i have to say that it has a good hook especially if you're into dungeon core stories.
the few characters we met so far are good, the worldbuilding is steady and the plot somewhat funny,the story is still fresh but il sit by and watch it develop .
i recommend reading this.
Candied_CheesesticksRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
A well thought out story with character depth and a thick meaty world, (read alittle narrow but not a cardboard prop for power fantasy) has some… interesting… moments with alternative characters/plot lines where it kinda goes off the rails outa right field but its not *vital* to the story, the fun stuff for me starts happening when they get their homebase set up and doing some world building like Wispers of a Dead Empire but with less unexpected love interests and more interaction from people in the world, its fun to see how the plot develops and the people of the world interact with the MC and their magic whilst easing in world building that builds upon the existing understanding and previous knowledge of the world
callmesteveRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Honestly, I was quite a bit put off by the intro. She's a driver of a ride-share vehicle, picks up a creepy guy, starts fantasizing about how to get rid of him and seemingly gets a quest to kill someone, then suddenly crashes the vehicle by accident and gets rewarded to be either a demon lord or a dungeon master (mistress?).
Fortunately, the story doesn't end there, and I have to assume that part was not her normal personality, as while she indeed has to build a dungeon and kill people, she's not actually happy about it.
Since then, she's created a dungeon out of enlightened self-interest and collected a number of friendly but admittedly somewhat bloodthirsty monsters. She'll still kill adventurers, but only if they're stupid about it and reach beyond their grasp - or go for the core. It's taken some work, but she actually has a few human friends as well.
I really like that part, actually. It gives us a view of the outside and more importantly gives her agents. She's being aggressively nice to everyone she can manage and seems to be doing her hardest to bring the fundamental rights to the inhabitants of this feudal world.
The view of the gods as office workers and the utter bizarreness going on with her system are also fascinating. It really provides a sense of mystery and larger workings going on, and I can't wait to learn more about the world.
CannonFodderKell1Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
It was a very enjoyable read. Big fan of community building. I really like it when the dungeon isn’t stingy about helping those in need. The way the story switches to following other characters and not just the main character, has really made the world feel lived in.
I only wish there was more of it to read at this point.
NasnariethRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Ridiculously wholesome and surprisingly addictive, largely because of 42’s positive personality and gleefully logical approach. I come back to this piece over and over again.
42 is a chaotic evil dungeon core. However, due to a glitch, she's actually super kind and wholesome. She's a good boss who takes care of her monsters and assorted humans. She agonises over aesthetic details and takes pleasure in crafting an exciting experience for her victims.
She is charmingly socially awkward and minor misunderstandings abound and are corrected. Every monster is a character, from the overexcited lava hounds, to the full on high-energy ADHD street kid skeleton Chris, to Henry, with a dashing heart full of poetry.
The gradual acquisition of characterful monsters with varying tragic backstories is legitimately charming. Watching 42 gradually gain control of her interface and the genuine delight she experiences upon finding a new section is extremely engaging. We have whole chapters of her decorating skeletons with Microsoft Paint. If this sounds boring, it's not. It's all done with such care and charm, it carries you along with it.
The backstory with Law, Good, Evil, and Neutrality as cubicle workers sneaking USB sticks into each other's machines and generally being unethical is fun, especially given the direct impact it has on 42 as she is moved between servers, blocked, upgraded, downgraded, etc.
As others have mentioned, the actual fighting is a side show. The adventurers that enter the dungeon usually have complex motivations and issues are often resolved with conversations and snacks.
- Grammar - no glaring issues.
- Style - all of it's own
- Story - it's a wholesome story about an immortal dungeon core decorating skeletons with MS Paint. What more do you want?
- Character - all about the character.
This novel is suitable for small doses or weekend binges. I keep coming back to it; it is comfort food for the soul.
Mr Alex666Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
A dungeon with a heart not just your average murder hole killing folks because he (it?) isn't punished for it. I liked the original version too, and I think the author has learned a lot from his earlier attempt.
The novel is bit light on dungeon-building (probably you could do more of that) and bit heavy on the interpersonal realtionship between her and her "monsters".
Also, the "contractee"-angle has been a bit pushed back, I for my part would like him to be included more - you could make him more meaningfull. At now we only know him in passing, and it's just hinted, he sends "stuff" (and a few idiotic, brainwashed heroes) back. The preovious version had him included more.
But, I do like the story!
Thanks and keep it up!
Dun3eeRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
It has a unique take on the dungeon transmigration genre that is very enjoyable to read. I like the spin of having the higher organization that places the individuals and the helpdesk personnel. Having the interoffice politics and especially that the good are not always good people is an enjoyable add to the plot.