Dungeon Hunter

Glitched stats. Ultra luck. Regression foreknowledge. A god's blessing. Dual minds. Lee Castillo has none of these. He does, however, have panic attacks. When every human around the world is registered as a "player," Lee is sitting across from his ex-best friend and flatmate, Axel, mentally practicing how to break it to him that he wanted to move out. ~System Loaded. Dungeons Active~ Now, Axel's personality has flipped on its head, all comms are down, and there's a foreign desire compelling Lee to enter the Dungeons despite his lacklustre system stats. As he delves into the secrets of the Dungeons alongside his increasingly bizarre party, Lee must confront both his past and future to divine what he truly wants. What to expect: -First-person perspective with an overthinking MC-Diverse, queer cast-Slow MM ace/allo romance—explored as a core story element-Silly, inane conversations, and sensitive, mature topics-Low-crunch system apocalypse-Gradual progression; system mechanics woven into story-3k~ chapter parts released Tues & Fri [Inspired by ORV, The S-Classes I Raised, SSS-Class Suicide Hunter, Survival of a Sword King, and Dungeon Reset, Dungeon Hunter is basically my response to other MCs and their ride-or-die besties never canonically falling for each other. There is a Sexual Content tag for a reason, but, again, the core relationship is slow moving.]  [Act I and II have been edited and published. They're purchasable on multiple platforms. This version is the original and may contain typos as well as consistency errors, as subsequent Acts are based on the published versions. Once I finish Act IV, I will be stubbing Act I.] ACT II (SPOILERS): A nihilistic gym-junkie weeb. A tough-as-nails romantic. A devoted but broken partyer. A mysterious ageless savant. An occasionally sailor-mouthed orphan. And then there’s their party leader, Lee—he forgot how to want. While his team, Just Friends, might be bizarre, it’s one he's realised he wants to protect. In order to stay alive, Just Friends must grind through Dungeons and reach LVL 10 before the Deities orchestrating this system apocalypse grow bored and cull Earth. As Lee navigates equally challenging problems, from courtship to multiple deaths, one thing has become clear: Levelling up has never been so important. ACT III (SPOILERS) Existential loneliness. Ignorant devotion. Abandonment issues. A saviour complex. Imposter syndrome. Just Friends is going through it, but they’ve finally hit the ground running. Plans are advancing, as are their levels, and party leader Lee is starting to unravel Axel’s secrets. But a countdown has begun—one with an inescapable cost. Humanity's fate hangs on the whim of uncaring gods, and as Just Friends entertains the heartless Deities watching their every move, Lee is forced to question things that once were fact and wrestle with pasts come to haunt his loved ones. Time is running out. Who will survive until the Culling? ACT IV (SPOILERS) Self-Worth. Closure. Absolution. Forgiveness. Tribute. The goals of Just Friends seem so far now. Worn and torn from the blows of the Event and a staggering loss, Lee and his party can barely find it in themselves to put on a performance anymore. But they must, to achieve their wish. With the Culling on the horizon, Lee must juggle the value of life, love, and infinity, as he struggles through the gauntlet of challenges in and outside of Dungeons. The fate of humanity is on the line. But is it possible for Lee to maintain his own? Cross-posted to AO3 & ScribbleHub. Discord server available!