Dungeon Devotee
J.P. Valentine
Through all of Linaria, no dungeon holds such a grip on the dreams of men as the Eternal Depths. Hundreds throw themselves against its trials each day — dozens survive, walking away with power and wealth beyond their wildest dreams, until they go back for more. One way or another, they all eventually feed the Depths. Edmund Montgomery Ahab has sworn to destroy it. Underleveled, undertrained and underprepared, he steps into the maw of the world's greatest predator, a sword in his hand and vengeance on his mind. At first his task seems impossible, but with every level he earns, every piece of loot that drops, every secret he uncovers, and especially every bit of power he can squeeze from his mysterious connection to the Aspect of Madness, Edmund crawls closer to accomplishing that insurmountable feat. With nothing else to lose, Edmund has already given the Depths his life. All that remains is whether he takes the dungeon's right back.
Progression: Dungeon-floor LitRPG progression is central and explicit, verified via Goodreads series 368466 and book description. Mechanics: (1) Eternal Depths floors — each chapter details a single floor of Edmund's journey through the vast dungeon; floors escalate in difficulty, loot and secrets (Royal Road blurb: 'Each chapter details a single floor with all the levels and loot'). (2) Levels — protagonist starts 'Underleveled, undertrained, and underprepared' then 'with every level he earns' he grows stronger; numerical Levels grant power/stats. (3) Loot drops — 'every piece of loot that drops' is a core advancement loop, with wealth and gear from surviving trials. (4) Aspect of Madness — mysterious connection grants squeezable power that evolves with depth. Every volume quantifies growth via Levels earned, loot, floors cleared and Depths secrets; progression never peripheral.
Royal Road
Goodreads
