System Reboot: Dungeon Architect

The world didn't end with a bang. It was redesigned. Elias was an architect of steel and glass, a man who understood the logic of foundations and the grace of a skyline. But after a catastrophic accident leaves him hovering between life and death, he wakes up in a reality governed by a cold, celestial calculus. He is no longer a builder of cities; he is the Dungeon Architect, a captive soul forced to design a sprawling, lethal spire intended to harvest the essence of humanity. Trapped within an obsidian fortress of his own making, Elias must navigate a ruthless "System" that views human suffering as a mere energetic currency. As he constructs increasingly complex levels from the Hall of Mirrors to the Cathedral of Stagnation, he secretly sabotages his own masterpieces to save the desperate survivors wandering into his traps. But in a world of perfect geometry, there is no room for error. As the line between his mind and the machine begins to blur, Elias faces a terrifying choice: remain a ghost in the machine fighting for a dying race, or embrace his role as the master mason of a new, eternal order. System Reboot: Dungeon Architect is a dark, psychological LitRPG that explores the thin veil between reality and simulation. Perfect for fans of dark fantasy, dystopian cyberpunk, and stories where the cost of survival is the loss of one's soul. Approximate Length: 12,500 words.