I've been looking for a good Dungeon Lord themed novel on this site, something similar to 'My House of Horrors'. I finally found one! Thanks for your hard work, dear author!
I've never imagined the dungeon lord trope being crossed with the magic shop trope, so this is an incredibly awesome find for me. What's more is that the MC is not an asocial asshole, haha!
What makes this different from the average cultivator-system novel? Several things, I imagine. To me, one of its outstanding features is the adoption of mini-arcs for the minor characters. As far as I know, minor character arcs are nearly exclusive to Japanese light novels. Western novels use the technique too but they don't give the same treatment.
So, the character development of minor characters in this story is excellent! Even the dungeon monsters have backstories.
The dear author may be an otaku, haha! There are a number of references to Japanese fandoms and comparatively fewer to the Chinese side of things. Dear author, Ranma may be the Best but even he will acknowledge the sheer Awesomeness that is Ip Man!
Another cool thing: cultivators in NODS are not immortal gods. there are in fact legal and traditional precedents that allow cultivators and non-cultivators to live in open harmony, which includes the fact that everyone in the world is capable of cultivating. Some people just choose not too. I'd almost say this was a way to nerf the traditional cultivator model if the resurrection system had not been included.
Yet another cool thing: the NODS shop uses the latest trends in communications like QR codes and NFC protocols. There are a lot of stories that talk about 'latest technology' and yet the most advanced tech they show is WiFi and phone apps. What the hell, right?
The NODS shop also talks about store credits, in-store apps, personalized shop rewards and promos, streaming and pay-per-view services...insidious things. No one does consumerism like America! There were even a couple of chapters when the in-store rewards and promos discussion took over the story from the dungeons. Seriously. Maybe not so much description about the shop mechanics and more about the people.
Despite shop-filler chapters, the story manages to a modicum of momentum past a hundred chapters, where it again picks up.
Ahh, why is the level of tech in this shop not standard worldwide? If this level of functionality can be done with my phone, I will happily never leave my bed again.
The initial premise of the story means there's something for every one: monster capturing, system leveling, some food critiquing, some romance, party and raid battling, cultivation, business management, dungeon creation, infinite world theory, etc. The shop logistics is influenced by other store- theme novels here but it manages to exude its own charm. The use of pocket dimensions to expand and include shop services is great!
You know, this is the first MC I've read to be smacked down verbally for blindly following missions instead of actively participating in his own life by the shard of his mother's soul animated by the System into being an interface navigation assistant.
A hundred and thirty chapters in and no revenge schemes and blood feuds (yet, anyway), which is kind of refreshing. The customers and the dungeon monsters are starting to shine even more. I think some minor characters have more fans than the MC at this point.
Definitely a recommended read.
