The Dungeon Master

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

“Hey. Wanna buy a dungeon?”

Kai looked up at the human salesman. He looked down at himself. At the salesman. At himself. At the salesman. In a tone that clearly asked, ‘Are you stupid?, he stated, “I’m a gremlin.”

“Don’t you worry, sir. This here is a contract for purchase with payments deferred, with annual sums owing as a percentage of revenue. A starter plan for the discerning gentleman dungeon master.”

Torn from a boring and unfulfilling human life on Earth, Kai Ise was mysteriously sent to a new world and transformed into a gremlin for…reasons. When a super shady salesman appears out of nowhere, offering to sell him a magical dungeon core with no down payment and no money upfront, he becomes the proud new owner of a dungeon. Well, the start of one. He’s gonna have to level the puck out of it. If he gets it to 100 floors, the gods will grant any wish.

WHAT TO EXPECT- gamelit skill system- Some dark humour- Bad guys getting what’s coming to them- Left-wing, community values- the power of friendship!

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2025
Author: Timothy Baril

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.2/ 5.0
Followers: 453
Views: 50,678

What readers say about The Dungeon Master

“Overall a great start to this story. The writing is colorful and detailed, showing the mindset and angst of the main character, while giving a good reason to move on. Although even I regret the loss of the hamburger. The story itself is as plausible as any…”
Bromboor13Royal Road5.0 / 5
“Not many stories I have read in the recent past have been so vibrant and witty yet warm as this one. The setting is great, it allows for opportunities and flexibility as well as having the MC rely on his inginuity. And, most often, hail mary's fired in blin…”
JdWRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(3)

Bromboor13Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Overall a great start to this story. The writing is colorful and detailed, showing the mindset and angst of the main character, while giving a good reason to move on. Although even I regret the loss of the hamburger.
The story itself is as plausible as any other take from this genre and different. It's nice to see some creativity and gremlin is an interesting choice. All in all, you've gotten a follower.
JdWRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Not many stories I have read in the recent past have been so vibrant and witty yet warm as this one.
The setting is great, it allows for opportunities and flexibility as well as having the MC rely on his inginuity. And, most often, hail mary's fired in blind panic with hilarious yet positive outcomes. For the MC that is.
It's not often I laugh out loud when reading, but Timothy managed to make me several times in the first 10 chapters alone. The humour is an irresistable mix of dark, slapstick and pop culture. It might not work for everyone, it does get very dark at times, but it hit just the right notes for me.
Lest I forget to mention, it's very craftily written, the story is told with an effortness from genuine storytelling skill, allowing the reader to get immersed without distractions.
I am amused by the antics, but I also care for the characters. There's a lot of heart in this story.
I am invested, and can't wait to see what happens next.
Pope PugRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
It’s not really my kind of story, but I can see why it’ll appeal to a lot of people. It has that classic LitRPG/dungeon-core vibe with a smooth flow and a main character who’s gradually figuring things out.
The writing is clean and easy to follow, and the pacing feels consistent throughout the early chapters. There aren’t any awkward info-dumps or clunky exposition moments; instead, the worldbuilding unfolds at a steady pace that keeps things moving. The narration has a light, slightly self-aware tone that gives the story some personality, with just enough humor sprinkled in to make it engaging without undercutting the more serious beats.
That said, I didn’t find myself deeply invested in the premise or the stakes by chapter 10. But to be fair, that’s more about my personal tastes than the story itself. I tend to prefer heavier character drama or stories with darker themes, so a lighter dungeon-builder setup doesn’t grab me as strongly.
That said, if you enjoy dungeon-building mechanics, management systems, and seeing a protagonist grow into their role, this will probably land really well for you.
Other than a difference in stylization preference, there’s nothing off about the writing here. The prose flows smoothly, transitions feel natural, and it’s clear the author has a good sense of where they’re going. It’s easy to imagine many readers binging through the early chapters and wanting more.
Overall, even though it’s not for me, I think fans of steady progression and dungeon building/management will find plenty to enjoy here.