Dungeon Heart

The Emperor of the Forge, Sage of Stones — meaningless titles in the face of death. After more than seven hundred years, he was expecting a peaceful and lonely end to his long life. That, however, was not meant to be. A single choice changed his fate, and his soul was forced to live again as a dungeon. Reborn but shackled to the heart of a mountain, this old soul has lost everything — and more. In a world of gods and demons, there is no room for a weak newborn dungeon. Now with a new name, Smit and his creations will have to carve out their own place. The path may be long and dangerous, but with a soul hardier than stone and a will stronger than iron, will he be able to forge his own destiny?

Adventurers are coming, and they will do anything to steal the dungeon's power. Since awakening to his new life, Smit has hardly had a moment of rest. Goblins, ogres, and adventurers all seem to be attracted to him like flies to honey. Now that his existence has been revealed to humanity, every noble in the kingdom has hired adventurers to secure his core. This time, he cannot run from the encroaching greedy nobles and ambitious men — his new family depends on him. Can Smit grow his power fast enough, or will he and his children be enslaved forever?

In the high-stakes world of dungeon keeping, the price of success is the avarice of your peers. Smit has defeated those who would take over his home, and all he wants is a bit of peace with his family. But fate has other plans. A demonic lord from the deepest pits of the underworld is ready to unleash every corrupted spirit and demon at her disposal to capture him. Forced to fight an ancient entity that weaves plans within plans, Smit must use all his inventiveness and cunning to lure the demonic horde into a trap — or face an eternity of darkness and servitude.

Smit thought slaying a demon would be enough to buy him a moment's peace, but the gods themselves have taken an interest in his dungeon. The new divines and their minions scour the surface, coveting his power. Drawing on the knowledge, artifacts, and alliances he's made until now, Smit starts gathering energy beneath the ground. When he unleashes his plans, it won't just be common adventurers in the line of fire. People always aspire to reach the heavens — but they forget that heaven rests on the shoulders of mountains.

With the gods now aware of his existence, a desperate Smit finds a sliver of hope — a long-forgotten entity more ancient than the Ascended themselves. Yet searching for it sends him closer to the abyss and the demons that wait within. Gathering his allies, Smit must dive into an unknown dungeon and guide his creatures against his own kin. If he fails in this dangerous gamble, he will be subdued forevermore as a slave to the new gods. If he succeeds, he'll be one step closer to ascending to godhood himself.