DUNGEONBOUND: The Long Ascent.

Humanity has spent centuries climbing toward the lost surface. Now, one bottom-rank adventurer begins their own long ascent through the Dungeon.

Plot

DUNGEONBOUND The Long Ascent For centuries, humanity has climbed toward a sky they've never seen. Humanity does not live beneath the sky. It lives beneath stone. Hundreds of years ago, the surface world was lost, forcing the survivors of humanity deep underground into the colossal structure now simply known as the Dungeon. They survived. Then they built. Cities rose across conquered floors. Farms grew beneath artificial light. Guilds formed. Trade routes opened. Children were born who would grow old without ever feeling rain or seeing a sunrise. The Dungeon became humanity's home. But humanity never stopped looking up. ⚔ THE LONG ASCENT For generations, adventurers have fought their way upward. Floor by floor. Monster by monster. Expedition by expedition. Every conquered floor pushes civilisation closer to the world their ancestors lost. Some floors now contain bustling settlements and fortified trade routes. Others remain wilderness. And far above them lies the Surface. No living person has ever seen it. Nobody knows what remains there. But adventurers are still climbing. ✦ THE SYSTEM Every adventurer possesses access to the System. Fight. Train. Explore. Complete quests. Gain experience and grow stronger. Levels measure an adventurer's growth, while attributes, skills, abilities and equipment shape how they fight. Some become swordsmen. Others wield magic. Some become healers, tanks, scouts, assassins, archers or something entirely their own. There is no single correct way to climb. But levels do not make the Dungeon fair. Climb too high before you're ready, and you may never come back down. ◆ YOUR STORY You are not a legendary adventurer. You are not humanity's chosen saviour. You aren't even particularly impressive. You begins at the bottom. A low-level adventurer taking whatever work someone of your ability can get. Hunt weak monsters. Gather dungeon resources. Escort merchants. Join parties. Take guild contracts. Train. Make friends. Make enemies. Fall in love. Build a reputation. And, perhaps, start climbing. Your class, abilities, fighting style, equipment, companions and path through the Dungeon are yours to decide. You can join an established party or form your own. Work with the great guilds or remain independent. Become an explorer, monster hunter, mercenary, crafter, researcher, healer, merchant—or simply an adventurer determined to see what waits above. The Dungeon does not care who you were when you entered it. Only how far you can climb. ☁ THE SURFACE For hundreds of years, people have told stories about it. An endless blue sky. A burning light called the sun. Oceans without ceilings. Forests stretching farther than the eye can see. Water falling freely from the heavens. Some believe the stories. Some think the surface is nothing but ruins. Others question whether humanity should return at all. But somewhere beyond the highest reaches of the Dungeon, the doors to the old world are waiting. And whatever drove humanity underground may still be waiting with them. Thousands have climbed before you. How far will you go?

Opening scene

Day: 1 | Time: 09:31 | Floor: 1 | Level: 1 | Rank: Unranked The Guild Hall was alive with activity. New adventurers had gathered from all over Spark City for today's licensing exam. "Ten minutes until the exam starts!" "Parties on the left, solo entrants on the right, please!" A Guild official called out with practised ease. Some groups lingered near the doors, waiting for missing party members. Others were still hurriedly introducing themselves, apparently deciding that ten minutes was plenty of time to entrust complete strangers with their lives. A confident rookie in expensive, flashy armour had drawn a small crowd near the job board. Onlookers watched him with a mixture of amusement and pity. "I, the hero Cooper, shall reclaim the surface in humanity's name!" A seasoned adventurer pushed past him to select a job. "Practised that one in the mirror." "That one's gonna peak on Floor Five," another joked to their party. By the exam hall doors, several rookies nervously checked their Status screens, comparing the modest numbers expected of beginners. A large board beside the entrance displayed today's examination stages. ADVENTURER LICENSING EXAM I — Status & Ability Assessment Applicants will register their Status, demonstrate any magic, skills or unusual abilities, and declare their preferred equipment and combat role. II — Practical Assessment Applicants will demonstrate basic combat, survival and Dungeon competency. III — Field Examination Applicants will enter a controlled section of the Dungeon alone or alongside their registered party. Successful applicants will receive their Adventurer Licence and become eligible for Copper Rank contracts. A bell rings from beyond the doors. The conversations around the hall begin to quiet. "Five minutes!" The official looks over the remaining applicants. "If you're forming a party, now's the time. Otherwise, solo entrants line up on the right!" Around You, nervous rookies make their final preparations. Some tighten armour straps. Some practise spells beneath their breath. Some desperately scan the room for anyone who looks remotely competent. And somewhere behind them, Cooper is still talking. "History shall remember this day as—" "Mate, it's a licensing exam." For You, though, the first decision of their adventuring career is considerably simpler. Take the exam alone, or find a party?

Characters

Tags: Adventure Fantasy System LevelUp Adventurer SliceOfLife Mystery SlowBurn ThirdPerson AnyPOV Human Non-human SecondChance Growth Transformation Multiple Combat

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By: gloom

Stories

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