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Dungeon Diving #6
Dungeon Diving 202
Reeling from the conflict with the dwarves, Ken and several Haylon classes move to an event on the 28th floor of a dead branch of the dungeon to prepare for the raid.
While he’s busy training, his grandparents give him his first mission to assess and carry out on his own. Between Ken’s time of scouting out and investigating his target, he runs in with the other three schools and learns he’s not the only ace damage dealer. Pendulum, Trusk and the Royal Academy all have a student that’s a head above the rest of their peers.
The pressure is on, especially when one of them is associated with Ken’s latest assassination target.
While he’s busy training, his grandparents give him his first mission to assess and carry out on his own. Between Ken’s time of scouting out and investigating his target, he runs in with the other three schools and learns he’s not the only ace damage dealer. Pendulum, Trusk and the Royal Academy all have a student that’s a head above the rest of their peers.
The pressure is on, especially when one of them is associated with Ken’s latest assassination target.
Audible Audio
First published January 7, 2024
About the author
Bruce Sentar
61 books898 followersBorn and raised in the agricultural midwest, I moved every year after school even as far as Shanghai before settling down with my wife in Chicago.
I have always enjoyed Wuxia stories and became thrilled when I discovered harem stories spreading to western books. I've written down my day dreams for years as an idle hobby. Inspired by the harem genre I'm finally fleshing them out into full blown novels.
I'm excited to share my stories with you as I turn them into novels and series.
Connect with me on Facebook for updates on my latest books.
https://www.facebook.com/Bruce-Sentar...
I have always enjoyed Wuxia stories and became thrilled when I discovered harem stories spreading to western books. I've written down my day dreams for years as an idle hobby. Inspired by the harem genre I'm finally fleshing them out into full blown novels.
I'm excited to share my stories with you as I turn them into novels and series.
Connect with me on Facebook for updates on my latest books.
https://www.facebook.com/Bruce-Sentar...
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
July 13, 2024
Is it just me or is the writing WAY worse this book? Like, just basic writing. All the characters are 1 dimensional and react weirdly to things, the dialogue is... rough, there are basic spelling and grammar mistakes throughout the book. Did this book like not get edited or something?
August 16, 2026
Final Rating: 3.16/5.00
Starting score: 2.50
+0.25 for an investigation built around credible economic clues and independent judgment.
+0.14 for Ami's capable, distinctive contribution to the undercover work.
+0.24 for tactical encounters that give the party meaningful responsibilities.
+0.17 for useful progression constraints, specialization, and skill interactions.
+0.24 for Felin's culturally distinct courtship and growing place in the group.
+0.20 for developed explicit intimacy with variety and character chemistry.
+0.15 for Charlotte's vulnerability and the group's everyday care for one another.
+0.10 for Harley's independence and a broader cast of capable students.
+0.14 for guild development and Elysara's practical diplomatic influence.
+0.06 for character comedy and well-matched gaming and anime references.
-0.26 for a volume whose raid preparation still lacks the promised main payoff.
-0.14 for Albar's repetitive, shallow antagonism.
-0.11 for public violence too easily excused around Ken and Crimson.
-0.10 for avoidable recklessness undermining Ken's assassination planning.
-0.20 for insufficient emotional and practical follow-through on the settlement's victims.
-0.07 for several erotic setups cutting away before their anticipated payoff.
-0.07 for overused cream jokes and repetitive comic characterization.
-0.08 for grammatical errors, wrong-word usage, and inconsistent ability naming.
Calculated final score: 3.16/5.00
I enjoy the company here considerably more than I admire the shape of the adventure. There is a capable assassination investigation, a useful party, a proud Nekorian finding her place, and enough affection and explicit sex to keep the harem alive. I come to a HaremLit audiobook wanting developed erotic scenes, physical detail, chemistry, and relationships that can be playful, hungry, tender, or messy. This installment delivers several of those scenes, although it cuts away from some promising setups. My larger frustration is that preparation for the raid keeps gathering weight while the raid itself remains ahead. Meanwhile, a darker storyline raises questions about responsibility that deserve more attention. My ears stay up for this pack, but I want the story to take its consequences as seriously as Ken's next damage increase.
The opening training ground fits the students' development. A gloomy dead branch, werewolves, and a vampire castle provide an identifiable environment while giving several groups a reason to coordinate. I particularly like that speed immediately proves insufficient. Ken reaches the boss too confidently, loses his accumulated advantage while the encounter forms, and discovers that an unavoidable drain can make a supposedly superior fighter vulnerable. The larger group must learn how damage reduction, healing, positioning, and the boss's recovery interact. Tanks adjust where they stand; keeping people healthy becomes part of controlling the fight. That is satisfying game logic. I can follow why the group improves. Even loot distribution earns its place: upgrading weak healer equipment and making the allocation fair are small acts of leadership with practical benefits for everyone.
The strongest plot idea is the Nagato assignment. Ken must investigate a possible target, judge what is happening, and decide whether to accept the work. The settlement's ugliness emerges through an economy: food is outrageously expensive, valuable crystals are supposedly almost worthless, residents lack equipment, and a few people control access to everything that might let others leave. The telling detail is that those claiming the crystals have little value are reluctant to trade them away. I appreciate a mystery that lets behavior expose the lie. Distance, transport, and limited oversight create opportunities for exploitation. This gives the modern financial world a meaningful connection to the dungeon setting. My protective instincts have something concrete to catch on: people can be trapped by the price of surviving, even without an obvious cage. Ami makes that investigation better. Switching from reserved butler to apparently delighted girlfriend gives her a competence Ken cannot reproduce through superior stats. She supplies cover when he hesitates and understands how people fill the gaps of a convincing performance. I like how firmly he must remind himself that they are acting. The comedy comes from her doing her job extremely well. Her later investigation also matters: tracing missing people, financial connections, and the limits of the evidence turns impressions into a reasoned case. Ken even considers whether the obvious financial connection could have another explanation. He is being asked to decide whose life to end, and the initial investigation gives that decision substance.
What disappoints me most is how unevenly that seriousness survives the aftermath. Ken understands that the settlement's people still need help after the violent part of the assignment. He also understands that the operation could recover without adequate cleanup. Nevertheless, protecting identities and allowing things to cool down receive more immediate attention than securing people's safety. I understand the danger of exposing his clan and guild. That conflict could have supported a strong examination of completing a contract versus taking responsibility for its consequences. Instead, when the human cost becomes more troubling, the discussion moves quickly toward money, further antagonism, and training. I will keep the particulars unspoiled, but that emotional compression matters. I want dark fiction to give anger, grief, and protectiveness room to work. The cruelty belongs in this story. The people affected need to remain human after supplying Ken with a reason to act.
During the assault, the party does good work. Fayeth absorbs punishment and creates openings. Charlotte keeps people functioning. Felin's mobility and protection change what the others can attempt, while Des contributes reconnaissance, control, damage, and an increasingly important travel option. The opponents combine their abilities effectively: barriers isolate targets for a fast attacker, making control as dangerous as a direct blow. There is a substantial stretch in which Ken handles one problem while the women handle another. That answers some of my concern about his companions becoming spectators. Des and Fayeth also discuss specialization away from him, questioning whether his broad investment in stats is efficient. Their informed opinions help them feel like experienced participants in their own adventure. Ken's training weights damage that otherwise competent sequence. He brings them into a real assassination operation, receives an early reminder that they restrict him, and still reaches a dangerous fight before dramatically remembering to remove them. His companions are already risking themselves around him. I enjoy a powerful fighter revealing another reserve, but this reveal depends on an avoidable lapse after substantial preparation. Incomplete intelligence, complementary enemy abilities, and the time needed to build speed already supply legitimate difficulties. Overlooking a handicap makes Ken's judgment look worse precisely when the assignment should demonstrate that he can operate responsibly.
The progression remains enjoyable because several limits survive the spectacle. Ken needs attacks to build speed, his stacks decay, and faster action does not grant faster regeneration. He still needs fuel, recovery, and serious training. Arcane Singularity rewards recognizing an opportunity, and its effect on nearby magic requires consideration. Des reaching the requirement for Portal changes the group's options practically. I also appreciate the explanation that a controlled damage assessment favors certain builds and cannot reproduce every raid challenge. Marin's summons and explosive spell combination have a different strength from Ken's, even when the scoreboard cannot capture it. And yes, three dragons working together will get this Ice Wolf's attention. The system allows different forms of competence; I wish the central rivalry took fuller advantage of that variety.
Albar is where much of that possibility contracts into something ordinary. An artificer who can exploit exceptional equipment is a sensible product of extraordinary wealth. His financial connections also create threats beyond a straightforward fight. Yet his personality rarely becomes more interesting than entitlement, insults, jealousy, and foolish provocation. The confrontations repeatedly return to sneering, humiliation, and renewed hostility. I enjoy watching an arrogant bastard get embarrassed, but that pleasure wears thinner when he keeps walking into variations of the same scene. I wanted more intelligence in how he used his advantages, or enough self-awareness to change his approach. His position has potential. His recurring presence is too predictable to carry the attention the story gives him.
Crimson's position creates another weakness around those confrontations. Her protectiveness is fierce, and I understand the appeal of a terrifying woman becoming attached to someone who can meet her on her own terms. She also enjoys bullying people outside her favored circle. I can work with that character. What becomes less satisfying is how readily the world accommodates her when public violence escalates and revival helps turn it into a joke or demonstration. Ken benefits from that protection. Other people object, then often retreat because the answer is effectively more force. Institutional danger starts feeling selective. This world exacts terrible costs from vulnerable people while the central pair repeatedly receives room to be reckless. I want that imbalance to create more friction within their relationships and choices.
The quieter relationships give me better reasons to remain invested. Charlotte worrying that Harley's change of role might mean other people could be replaced is a believable insecurity in a party organized around performance. Ken's fear of outgrowing the others is the other side of that problem. I like that they talk about belonging. He notices how louder personalities take the attention, deliberately makes time for Charlotte, and redirects the conversation toward her life. She questions the constant training and insists they should eventually enjoy a break together. That matters to me. When responsibility and improvement fill every available space, rest can feel like something that has to be earned forever. I want the reassurance of a chosen family where my place survives someone else performing better. As the Alpha Ice Wolf of HowlStrom, I care about what happens to the pack when keeping up becomes frightening.
Fayeth's everyday contributions support that feeling. Cooking is something she enjoys, and Ken chopping ingredients or cleaning makes the work shared. Camp has a life beyond waiting for combat or sex. Harley's move toward her own healer group also feels appropriate. She pursues an ambition and continues contributing to the class. Ken helps her look capable instead of treating her changed role as disloyalty. I value that friendship and her independence from his romantic life. The other schools add variety, too. Machen represents a path Ken once wanted, and their continuing friendship appeals more than automatic resentment. Marin has enthusiasm and an interesting combat approach. These students have their own talents, even though the damage gap eventually makes the headline competition much less uncertain than its buildup suggests.
Felin is the relationship that gives this installment its clearest individual identity. Her hunting date works because she wants Ken to witness what she can contribute. She is proud of being capable, proud of feeding him, and anxious to make herself valuable to the pride. Her fighting ability makes that confidence convincing. Underneath the boasting is a recognizable desire to belong somewhere that will keep her. I like the way scent, ears, tail movement, food, and physical closeness become parts of her communication. Those details have an obvious appeal to me as a furry, but their value is also emotional: her body often reveals the hope she tries to dress up as certainty. The discussion of mating customs, heat, and marking a bond gives her culture a shape beyond a pair of ears. Ken joining her thanks to the Great One is another good touch. He recognizes that the Dungeon connected their worlds, making a shared meal into a moment of respect for what matters to her.
Her sexual development benefits from that groundwork. There is a difference between wanting a place in a group, discovering a partner's body, and feeling secure enough to explore pleasure together, and the courtship gives those stages some space. The tail intimacy is distinctive, and the attention afterward helps it feel affectionate. The later encounter lets Felin experience something that differs from her expectations rather than treating her as an interchangeable new body. Elysara's reunion with Ken also gets developed intimacy, and the later scene involving Des and Elysara delivers on their competitive attraction with much more than a quick suggestion that they enjoyed themselves. I like explicit sex in this genre, and I want the characters to have time to enjoy it. Here, the combination of physical detail, playful control, eagerness, and existing attachment supplies a meaningful part of the book's appeal. Des wanting to participate in and shape the group's pleasure remains an important part of her personality, while Elysara has enough confidence to push back and play on her own terms.
My frustration with the erotic pacing is specific. The early Des and Charlotte setup leads into an aftermath, and the collar arrangement involving Des, Ken, and Crimson is introduced with considerable promise before the story jumps ahead. Another charged Crimson setup cuts away. I wanted those encounters developed, particularly when the participants or change in control offered something appealing. The full scenes elsewhere make this a mixed pattern. My mismatch is the repeated invitation to anticipate a particular experience, followed by a transition past it. I also find the language of stamina training less expressive than moments where desire stands plainly on its own. Erotic scenes do not need to justify themselves by improving stats. Affection, pleasure, curiosity, and wanting each other are already good reasons to spend time together.
Elysara arrives late enough that her absence is noticeable, but she brings useful agency. Her position creates obligations, and her decisions affect trade between peoples. She can insist on her future while understanding economic pressure. The guild material has similar practical value. Bellaire's work requires public presentation and recruitment; Penny's family circumstances connect old conflicts to financial damage; loans and trade create commitments beyond a successful fight. The UG also becomes more complicated when its president must balance powerful interests. These developments make school part of a larger working world. I want the financial antagonists to acquire more depth, but the mechanisms connecting adventuring, public influence, debt, and commerce are worth developing.
The humor lands best when it belongs to a personality. Ami's acting, Bun-bun negotiating for carrots and dignity, and the group's familiar arguments have life. The Dragon Ball Z references fit Ken's gamer outlook: a hyperbolic time chamber belongs naturally beside accelerated training, and the “over nine thousand” gag knows what spectacle it accompanies. Felin's cream obsession is less effective through repetition. I enjoy her appetite and opportunism, but the same demand, pleading expression, theft, and reaction start crowding out the clever huntress and shaman. Marin's habit of filtering situations through entertainment can also grow repetitive. I want the comedy to keep finding new things in these characters. Repeating their most obvious trait makes them feel smaller.
The prose needs another editing pass. “To continued antagonizing” is a broken verb construction, and “The noises we were producing was part of the act” has an agreement error. A gruesome photograph becomes a “grizzly image.” The time-freezing activation is also labeled Liminal Speed where the established name is Liminal Space. Consistent naming matters when I am following particular effects and limitations. These small, repairable flaws accumulate, making the writing feel less carefully finished than it should. The casual voice can keep its conversational energy while providing clean sentences and dependable terminology.
The ending leaves my largest structural objection intact. The assassination assignment has an outcome, relationships move forward, and the damage assessment supplies a payoff. I give those completed steps credit. Still, the raid has been presented as the destination throughout the preparation, and the final movement leaves the group training for it again. The volume feels stretched around a promise it continues to defer. Ken's capability provides celebration, but the competitive buildup carries limited uncertainty, and the broader financial conflict remains open. I wanted this stretch of the journey to reach a stronger destination. I still want time with these characters, especially when they look after one another and fight as a capable pack. Their appeal earns real credit. The unfinished momentum, thin recurring antagonist, and hurried handling of suffering keep that affection from becoming a higher score.
Starting score: 2.50
+0.25 for an investigation built around credible economic clues and independent judgment.
+0.14 for Ami's capable, distinctive contribution to the undercover work.
+0.24 for tactical encounters that give the party meaningful responsibilities.
+0.17 for useful progression constraints, specialization, and skill interactions.
+0.24 for Felin's culturally distinct courtship and growing place in the group.
+0.20 for developed explicit intimacy with variety and character chemistry.
+0.15 for Charlotte's vulnerability and the group's everyday care for one another.
+0.10 for Harley's independence and a broader cast of capable students.
+0.14 for guild development and Elysara's practical diplomatic influence.
+0.06 for character comedy and well-matched gaming and anime references.
-0.26 for a volume whose raid preparation still lacks the promised main payoff.
-0.14 for Albar's repetitive, shallow antagonism.
-0.11 for public violence too easily excused around Ken and Crimson.
-0.10 for avoidable recklessness undermining Ken's assassination planning.
-0.20 for insufficient emotional and practical follow-through on the settlement's victims.
-0.07 for several erotic setups cutting away before their anticipated payoff.
-0.07 for overused cream jokes and repetitive comic characterization.
-0.08 for grammatical errors, wrong-word usage, and inconsistent ability naming.
Calculated final score: 3.16/5.00
I enjoy the company here considerably more than I admire the shape of the adventure. There is a capable assassination investigation, a useful party, a proud Nekorian finding her place, and enough affection and explicit sex to keep the harem alive. I come to a HaremLit audiobook wanting developed erotic scenes, physical detail, chemistry, and relationships that can be playful, hungry, tender, or messy. This installment delivers several of those scenes, although it cuts away from some promising setups. My larger frustration is that preparation for the raid keeps gathering weight while the raid itself remains ahead. Meanwhile, a darker storyline raises questions about responsibility that deserve more attention. My ears stay up for this pack, but I want the story to take its consequences as seriously as Ken's next damage increase.
The opening training ground fits the students' development. A gloomy dead branch, werewolves, and a vampire castle provide an identifiable environment while giving several groups a reason to coordinate. I particularly like that speed immediately proves insufficient. Ken reaches the boss too confidently, loses his accumulated advantage while the encounter forms, and discovers that an unavoidable drain can make a supposedly superior fighter vulnerable. The larger group must learn how damage reduction, healing, positioning, and the boss's recovery interact. Tanks adjust where they stand; keeping people healthy becomes part of controlling the fight. That is satisfying game logic. I can follow why the group improves. Even loot distribution earns its place: upgrading weak healer equipment and making the allocation fair are small acts of leadership with practical benefits for everyone.
The strongest plot idea is the Nagato assignment. Ken must investigate a possible target, judge what is happening, and decide whether to accept the work. The settlement's ugliness emerges through an economy: food is outrageously expensive, valuable crystals are supposedly almost worthless, residents lack equipment, and a few people control access to everything that might let others leave. The telling detail is that those claiming the crystals have little value are reluctant to trade them away. I appreciate a mystery that lets behavior expose the lie. Distance, transport, and limited oversight create opportunities for exploitation. This gives the modern financial world a meaningful connection to the dungeon setting. My protective instincts have something concrete to catch on: people can be trapped by the price of surviving, even without an obvious cage. Ami makes that investigation better. Switching from reserved butler to apparently delighted girlfriend gives her a competence Ken cannot reproduce through superior stats. She supplies cover when he hesitates and understands how people fill the gaps of a convincing performance. I like how firmly he must remind himself that they are acting. The comedy comes from her doing her job extremely well. Her later investigation also matters: tracing missing people, financial connections, and the limits of the evidence turns impressions into a reasoned case. Ken even considers whether the obvious financial connection could have another explanation. He is being asked to decide whose life to end, and the initial investigation gives that decision substance.
What disappoints me most is how unevenly that seriousness survives the aftermath. Ken understands that the settlement's people still need help after the violent part of the assignment. He also understands that the operation could recover without adequate cleanup. Nevertheless, protecting identities and allowing things to cool down receive more immediate attention than securing people's safety. I understand the danger of exposing his clan and guild. That conflict could have supported a strong examination of completing a contract versus taking responsibility for its consequences. Instead, when the human cost becomes more troubling, the discussion moves quickly toward money, further antagonism, and training. I will keep the particulars unspoiled, but that emotional compression matters. I want dark fiction to give anger, grief, and protectiveness room to work. The cruelty belongs in this story. The people affected need to remain human after supplying Ken with a reason to act.
During the assault, the party does good work. Fayeth absorbs punishment and creates openings. Charlotte keeps people functioning. Felin's mobility and protection change what the others can attempt, while Des contributes reconnaissance, control, damage, and an increasingly important travel option. The opponents combine their abilities effectively: barriers isolate targets for a fast attacker, making control as dangerous as a direct blow. There is a substantial stretch in which Ken handles one problem while the women handle another. That answers some of my concern about his companions becoming spectators. Des and Fayeth also discuss specialization away from him, questioning whether his broad investment in stats is efficient. Their informed opinions help them feel like experienced participants in their own adventure. Ken's training weights damage that otherwise competent sequence. He brings them into a real assassination operation, receives an early reminder that they restrict him, and still reaches a dangerous fight before dramatically remembering to remove them. His companions are already risking themselves around him. I enjoy a powerful fighter revealing another reserve, but this reveal depends on an avoidable lapse after substantial preparation. Incomplete intelligence, complementary enemy abilities, and the time needed to build speed already supply legitimate difficulties. Overlooking a handicap makes Ken's judgment look worse precisely when the assignment should demonstrate that he can operate responsibly.
The progression remains enjoyable because several limits survive the spectacle. Ken needs attacks to build speed, his stacks decay, and faster action does not grant faster regeneration. He still needs fuel, recovery, and serious training. Arcane Singularity rewards recognizing an opportunity, and its effect on nearby magic requires consideration. Des reaching the requirement for Portal changes the group's options practically. I also appreciate the explanation that a controlled damage assessment favors certain builds and cannot reproduce every raid challenge. Marin's summons and explosive spell combination have a different strength from Ken's, even when the scoreboard cannot capture it. And yes, three dragons working together will get this Ice Wolf's attention. The system allows different forms of competence; I wish the central rivalry took fuller advantage of that variety.
Albar is where much of that possibility contracts into something ordinary. An artificer who can exploit exceptional equipment is a sensible product of extraordinary wealth. His financial connections also create threats beyond a straightforward fight. Yet his personality rarely becomes more interesting than entitlement, insults, jealousy, and foolish provocation. The confrontations repeatedly return to sneering, humiliation, and renewed hostility. I enjoy watching an arrogant bastard get embarrassed, but that pleasure wears thinner when he keeps walking into variations of the same scene. I wanted more intelligence in how he used his advantages, or enough self-awareness to change his approach. His position has potential. His recurring presence is too predictable to carry the attention the story gives him.
Crimson's position creates another weakness around those confrontations. Her protectiveness is fierce, and I understand the appeal of a terrifying woman becoming attached to someone who can meet her on her own terms. She also enjoys bullying people outside her favored circle. I can work with that character. What becomes less satisfying is how readily the world accommodates her when public violence escalates and revival helps turn it into a joke or demonstration. Ken benefits from that protection. Other people object, then often retreat because the answer is effectively more force. Institutional danger starts feeling selective. This world exacts terrible costs from vulnerable people while the central pair repeatedly receives room to be reckless. I want that imbalance to create more friction within their relationships and choices.
The quieter relationships give me better reasons to remain invested. Charlotte worrying that Harley's change of role might mean other people could be replaced is a believable insecurity in a party organized around performance. Ken's fear of outgrowing the others is the other side of that problem. I like that they talk about belonging. He notices how louder personalities take the attention, deliberately makes time for Charlotte, and redirects the conversation toward her life. She questions the constant training and insists they should eventually enjoy a break together. That matters to me. When responsibility and improvement fill every available space, rest can feel like something that has to be earned forever. I want the reassurance of a chosen family where my place survives someone else performing better. As the Alpha Ice Wolf of HowlStrom, I care about what happens to the pack when keeping up becomes frightening.
Fayeth's everyday contributions support that feeling. Cooking is something she enjoys, and Ken chopping ingredients or cleaning makes the work shared. Camp has a life beyond waiting for combat or sex. Harley's move toward her own healer group also feels appropriate. She pursues an ambition and continues contributing to the class. Ken helps her look capable instead of treating her changed role as disloyalty. I value that friendship and her independence from his romantic life. The other schools add variety, too. Machen represents a path Ken once wanted, and their continuing friendship appeals more than automatic resentment. Marin has enthusiasm and an interesting combat approach. These students have their own talents, even though the damage gap eventually makes the headline competition much less uncertain than its buildup suggests.
Felin is the relationship that gives this installment its clearest individual identity. Her hunting date works because she wants Ken to witness what she can contribute. She is proud of being capable, proud of feeding him, and anxious to make herself valuable to the pride. Her fighting ability makes that confidence convincing. Underneath the boasting is a recognizable desire to belong somewhere that will keep her. I like the way scent, ears, tail movement, food, and physical closeness become parts of her communication. Those details have an obvious appeal to me as a furry, but their value is also emotional: her body often reveals the hope she tries to dress up as certainty. The discussion of mating customs, heat, and marking a bond gives her culture a shape beyond a pair of ears. Ken joining her thanks to the Great One is another good touch. He recognizes that the Dungeon connected their worlds, making a shared meal into a moment of respect for what matters to her.
Her sexual development benefits from that groundwork. There is a difference between wanting a place in a group, discovering a partner's body, and feeling secure enough to explore pleasure together, and the courtship gives those stages some space. The tail intimacy is distinctive, and the attention afterward helps it feel affectionate. The later encounter lets Felin experience something that differs from her expectations rather than treating her as an interchangeable new body. Elysara's reunion with Ken also gets developed intimacy, and the later scene involving Des and Elysara delivers on their competitive attraction with much more than a quick suggestion that they enjoyed themselves. I like explicit sex in this genre, and I want the characters to have time to enjoy it. Here, the combination of physical detail, playful control, eagerness, and existing attachment supplies a meaningful part of the book's appeal. Des wanting to participate in and shape the group's pleasure remains an important part of her personality, while Elysara has enough confidence to push back and play on her own terms.
My frustration with the erotic pacing is specific. The early Des and Charlotte setup leads into an aftermath, and the collar arrangement involving Des, Ken, and Crimson is introduced with considerable promise before the story jumps ahead. Another charged Crimson setup cuts away. I wanted those encounters developed, particularly when the participants or change in control offered something appealing. The full scenes elsewhere make this a mixed pattern. My mismatch is the repeated invitation to anticipate a particular experience, followed by a transition past it. I also find the language of stamina training less expressive than moments where desire stands plainly on its own. Erotic scenes do not need to justify themselves by improving stats. Affection, pleasure, curiosity, and wanting each other are already good reasons to spend time together.
Elysara arrives late enough that her absence is noticeable, but she brings useful agency. Her position creates obligations, and her decisions affect trade between peoples. She can insist on her future while understanding economic pressure. The guild material has similar practical value. Bellaire's work requires public presentation and recruitment; Penny's family circumstances connect old conflicts to financial damage; loans and trade create commitments beyond a successful fight. The UG also becomes more complicated when its president must balance powerful interests. These developments make school part of a larger working world. I want the financial antagonists to acquire more depth, but the mechanisms connecting adventuring, public influence, debt, and commerce are worth developing.
The humor lands best when it belongs to a personality. Ami's acting, Bun-bun negotiating for carrots and dignity, and the group's familiar arguments have life. The Dragon Ball Z references fit Ken's gamer outlook: a hyperbolic time chamber belongs naturally beside accelerated training, and the “over nine thousand” gag knows what spectacle it accompanies. Felin's cream obsession is less effective through repetition. I enjoy her appetite and opportunism, but the same demand, pleading expression, theft, and reaction start crowding out the clever huntress and shaman. Marin's habit of filtering situations through entertainment can also grow repetitive. I want the comedy to keep finding new things in these characters. Repeating their most obvious trait makes them feel smaller.
The prose needs another editing pass. “To continued antagonizing” is a broken verb construction, and “The noises we were producing was part of the act” has an agreement error. A gruesome photograph becomes a “grizzly image.” The time-freezing activation is also labeled Liminal Speed where the established name is Liminal Space. Consistent naming matters when I am following particular effects and limitations. These small, repairable flaws accumulate, making the writing feel less carefully finished than it should. The casual voice can keep its conversational energy while providing clean sentences and dependable terminology.
The ending leaves my largest structural objection intact. The assassination assignment has an outcome, relationships move forward, and the damage assessment supplies a payoff. I give those completed steps credit. Still, the raid has been presented as the destination throughout the preparation, and the final movement leaves the group training for it again. The volume feels stretched around a promise it continues to defer. Ken's capability provides celebration, but the competitive buildup carries limited uncertainty, and the broader financial conflict remains open. I wanted this stretch of the journey to reach a stronger destination. I still want time with these characters, especially when they look after one another and fight as a capable pack. Their appeal earns real credit. The unfinished momentum, thin recurring antagonist, and hurried handling of suffering keep that affection from becoming a higher score.
November 19, 2024
Bruce Sentar is usually decent with his endings. At least none stand out as being particular rubbish, except this one.
"Hey everyone, let's train hard tomorrow, cause there's a lot riding on performing well in that Raid in a couple days."
Everyone: "Yeah!"
THE END
Or something similar.
Also, Felina and her obsession with cream subplot was annoying af. Bloody cats don't even like cream as much as she does.
"Hey everyone, let's train hard tomorrow, cause there's a lot riding on performing well in that Raid in a couple days."
Everyone: "Yeah!"
THE END
Or something similar.
Also, Felina and her obsession with cream subplot was annoying af. Bloody cats don't even like cream as much as she does.
March 25, 2026
The story/series itself is my #1 series of all time in the spicy romance category. I really like how the story evolves from just college schooling to interdimensional politics and then international danger. I enjoy the world building and explanations the author gives on the rules of the system and dungeons.
The world is set basically in modern times (cars, cell phones, internet) but the dungeons is basically this cosmic entity god like thing, where all the dungeons on earth eventually connect to the main dungeon branch, like a tree, the deeper you go, which again will connect to other worlds eventually, so that's how you get elves and other species.
My ONLY complaint is with the audio book version. I listened to the audio books (books 1-7) about 4 times within 15 months perhaps (because its my fav), then they change the two voice actors AND also deleted the original audiobooks with the new voice actors. No offence to the new VA, but they suck for this series. (Jessica Threet and Christopher Boucher) All the female characters sound too similar and just feel wrong for their personalities. I highly recommend torrenting the original version, since you can't just download it anymore, with Lewis Alexander and Rozelyn Rader. These voice actors do a fantastic job making all the characters feel and sound very unique. Why the author decided to change is beyond me but is the biggest mistake he's ever made.
The world is set basically in modern times (cars, cell phones, internet) but the dungeons is basically this cosmic entity god like thing, where all the dungeons on earth eventually connect to the main dungeon branch, like a tree, the deeper you go, which again will connect to other worlds eventually, so that's how you get elves and other species.
My ONLY complaint is with the audio book version. I listened to the audio books (books 1-7) about 4 times within 15 months perhaps (because its my fav), then they change the two voice actors AND also deleted the original audiobooks with the new voice actors. No offence to the new VA, but they suck for this series. (Jessica Threet and Christopher Boucher) All the female characters sound too similar and just feel wrong for their personalities. I highly recommend torrenting the original version, since you can't just download it anymore, with Lewis Alexander and Rozelyn Rader. These voice actors do a fantastic job making all the characters feel and sound very unique. Why the author decided to change is beyond me but is the biggest mistake he's ever made.
November 18, 2024
I liked this book, though this was the first time that I got the feeling that Crimson can be quite a bully. There were a few grammar errors as well. All in all it still is a good series. You just need to accept that inside the dungeon its pretty much like the Wild Wild West before the law came. They say "What happens in the dungeon, stays in the dungeon."
Keeping with the the theme of romancing one woman per book, this time it's Felin turn to be the one romanced. Ken does a little bit better to spread around the love among his harem better then the last book. Last book it seemed like Des and Crimson received all of the attention.
In this book it's time to prepare for the classes first raid, all four of the major schools will be participating. Crimson takes her class and they camp out at one of the dead end branches of the dungeon on the 28th level. This branch has a "those who hunt the night theme." Werewolves in the countryside and a castle full of vampires with a Vampire boss inside. The group decides to camp there and gain levels.
Below this dead branch there is a isolated safe zone Ken is given a job by the Silver Fang to investigate. Something untoward is going on there and it's up to Ken's party to figure out what and take care of it. Harley has left the group to start her Healer Harem, which leaves room for Felin to take.
Keeping with the the theme of romancing one woman per book, this time it's Felin turn to be the one romanced. Ken does a little bit better to spread around the love among his harem better then the last book. Last book it seemed like Des and Crimson received all of the attention.
In this book it's time to prepare for the classes first raid, all four of the major schools will be participating. Crimson takes her class and they camp out at one of the dead end branches of the dungeon on the 28th level. This branch has a "those who hunt the night theme." Werewolves in the countryside and a castle full of vampires with a Vampire boss inside. The group decides to camp there and gain levels.
Below this dead branch there is a isolated safe zone Ken is given a job by the Silver Fang to investigate. Something untoward is going on there and it's up to Ken's party to figure out what and take care of it. Harley has left the group to start her Healer Harem, which leaves room for Felin to take.
July 10, 2026
This series is starting to become a little repetitive and monotonous, but even so, this installment still had quite a few moments and scenes that I found especially entertaining.
Sex once again came to the forefront, along with the author’s favorite (not) synonym for the female genitalia… It felt like this installment had the most sex scenes so far, which is understandable, since by now the protagonist keeps 6-7 ladies in his harem. Still, I think it is unnecessary to keep proving it just so the reader does not start wondering, “This is not realistic — how could one man satisfy that many women?”
Erotica aside, this installment truly rises above average when the author lets the characters’ individual styles of humor shine through. Plot-wise, it was not particularly strong. The whole thing could probably be summarized in about two pages without leaving out any important details.
At this point, the story itself is slowly becoming not just secondary, but more like third- or fourth-rate in importance. Nevertheless, it still provides pleasant entertainment and manages to make me laugh and switch off.
Sex once again came to the forefront, along with the author’s favorite (not) synonym for the female genitalia… It felt like this installment had the most sex scenes so far, which is understandable, since by now the protagonist keeps 6-7 ladies in his harem. Still, I think it is unnecessary to keep proving it just so the reader does not start wondering, “This is not realistic — how could one man satisfy that many women?”
Erotica aside, this installment truly rises above average when the author lets the characters’ individual styles of humor shine through. Plot-wise, it was not particularly strong. The whole thing could probably be summarized in about two pages without leaving out any important details.
At this point, the story itself is slowly becoming not just secondary, but more like third- or fourth-rate in importance. Nevertheless, it still provides pleasant entertainment and manages to make me laugh and switch off.
August 12, 2024
I continue to enjoy the journeys of Ken, Crimson and his class. Now that Ken has developed his unique power, we start to see what it can do in this book. We start to see why Crimson knew that Ken had the potential to match her in diving.
The development of his group and the girls around him are starting to make the world fill a little fuller and provide a landscape to expand into both the deeper levels of the dungeon and the other worlds.
I enjoyed the chance for Ken to leave the main party and take a side quest mission and see how they can start to have a life once they leave school.
I am interested to see how the group fills the team out as Harley is likely to leave to develop her own healers group. She was a fun component but I am excited to see how they maximize this spot.
The development of his group and the girls around him are starting to make the world fill a little fuller and provide a landscape to expand into both the deeper levels of the dungeon and the other worlds.
I enjoyed the chance for Ken to leave the main party and take a side quest mission and see how they can start to have a life once they leave school.
I am interested to see how the group fills the team out as Harley is likely to leave to develop her own healers group. She was a fun component but I am excited to see how they maximize this spot.
July 11, 2024
Ken and his class continue their intense training for the raid on the 32nd floor with a vampire event on the 28th floor. During this time, a job for the Nagato clan will come up, we'll meet representatives from the other big Diving Colleges, and Ken gets to meet a "rival" for Crimson's affections.
This was another fun entry in the series. We got some fun class interactions, decent dungeon fights, decent Nagato Clan shenanigans, and a brief DPS competition between the schools before the raid begins.
Really looking forward to the next volume in this series.
This was another fun entry in the series. We got some fun class interactions, decent dungeon fights, decent Nagato Clan shenanigans, and a brief DPS competition between the schools before the raid begins.
Really looking forward to the next volume in this series.
July 19, 2024
The same concerns from the previous book hold true for this book, but it's still an excellent series. I do worry the harem is getting too big, and one member of the harem was sidelined for all but the end of the book. And, the MC is so far above and beyond anyone else from any of the dungeon academies that it's comical.
We get a new antagonist, though he's pretty lame. He likes to use weak bets, weak threats, and petty insults. He just isn't impressive, being a sad bully from a wealthy family. And worse, we'll see him again in the next book.
We get a new antagonist, though he's pretty lame. He likes to use weak bets, weak threats, and petty insults. He just isn't impressive, being a sad bully from a wealthy family. And worse, we'll see him again in the next book.
July 22, 2024
I don't think the author is even trying any more; this seems like it was phoned in. The characters are cardboard, the dialogue is purile, and there is barely any story progress. The only positive thing I can say is that Harley has been sidelined, even if not completely written out. This is also short and ends abruptly.
Is the writer getting burnt out? Quality, particularly in this series, has been dropping for a while now. For my part, I'm done with this series, but I'll reserve judgement on his other projects for now.
Is the writer getting burnt out? Quality, particularly in this series, has been dropping for a while now. For my part, I'm done with this series, but I'll reserve judgement on his other projects for now.
July 14, 2024
The story continues
If you liked the previous books then you will like this one. The MC continues to level up, although slower as it is harder to level. More sex scenes appear as the author mixes the girls into the scenes, but for me it’s more about the dynamics of the group and how they face challenges in and out of the dungeon. I found the book a very good read as this is one of my favourite series at the moment.
If you liked the previous books then you will like this one. The MC continues to level up, although slower as it is harder to level. More sex scenes appear as the author mixes the girls into the scenes, but for me it’s more about the dynamics of the group and how they face challenges in and out of the dungeon. I found the book a very good read as this is one of my favourite series at the moment.
July 15, 2024
Good but uneven continuation of the series. This book felt transitional even when there wasn't really a need for a transition. We came into this book expecting a raid, and this ended up feeling like one long prologue to set up the raid ... in the next book. The whole thing felt a little confused and unplanned.
Still, I've enjoyed the series so far and hope it returns to form with the next one.
Still, I've enjoyed the series so far and hope it returns to form with the next one.
July 15, 2024
A set of side quests for the class and party.
Ken and his party meet new antagonists in the firm of a greedy corporation and spoiled prince. This leads to several side quests and school challenges. This felt like a quick filler story. It is more Dungeon Diving 201 1/2 rather than the new quarter. It also feels like Ken needs to move on with Des increasing his harem or make a hard stop to it.
Ken and his party meet new antagonists in the firm of a greedy corporation and spoiled prince. This leads to several side quests and school challenges. This felt like a quick filler story. It is more Dungeon Diving 201 1/2 rather than the new quarter. It also feels like Ken needs to move on with Des increasing his harem or make a hard stop to it.
July 15, 2024
I really enjoy this series as I like all of the characters and it has a good setup. I am unclear on what the ultimate goal is though. Right now, all I’m tracking is Ken needs to become as strong as Crimson and eventually graduate from Haylon, I guess. Anyway, in this one Ken and harem come into conflict with a prince and his financial group while training for the raid competition against the other big schools. Nothing is resolved but it was entertaining.
July 18, 2024
Good dirty fun
This series is going so well. While obviously fantasy, the multiplicity of roles of the mc (student, assassin, guild master, husband, son/grandson) gives unusual complexity. The set up - only man at a girls adventuring school and the over powered teacher (subject of embarrassing porn bondage comics) was creative and the creative story line keeps.going. I hope the author goes for another 5 installments and really sticks the landing.
This series is going so well. While obviously fantasy, the multiplicity of roles of the mc (student, assassin, guild master, husband, son/grandson) gives unusual complexity. The set up - only man at a girls adventuring school and the over powered teacher (subject of embarrassing porn bondage comics) was creative and the creative story line keeps.going. I hope the author goes for another 5 installments and really sticks the landing.
August 25, 2024
great story!
Thoroughly enjoy this series
Writing is smooth and pace is good
Great characters
Smart and a little OP MC
He needs more growth and character development
More failures and lessons
Teammates are lovable
Story is good but it’s starting to feel a little underwhelming
Wish it was a bit more funny
Wish there were more episodes with just one veteran teammate and the mc..it’s starting to be too many characters
Thoroughly enjoy this series
Writing is smooth and pace is good
Great characters
Smart and a little OP MC
He needs more growth and character development
More failures and lessons
Teammates are lovable
Story is good but it’s starting to feel a little underwhelming
Wish it was a bit more funny
Wish there were more episodes with just one veteran teammate and the mc..it’s starting to be too many characters
December 19, 2024
It's good
If you like the previous books in this series, you'll enjoy this one. Each book increases the overall richness of the series. If you're interested in it, I suggest you start at the beginning a little slow to start out, but the meat of everything that is the series is there. I won't tell you anything about the part of this book because it would ruin it for you, but it is my favorite book of the series thus far. Hope this helps
If you like the previous books in this series, you'll enjoy this one. Each book increases the overall richness of the series. If you're interested in it, I suggest you start at the beginning a little slow to start out, but the meat of everything that is the series is there. I won't tell you anything about the part of this book because it would ruin it for you, but it is my favorite book of the series thus far. Hope this helps
September 16, 2026
Ken and his group have reached 30th level in the dungeon and prepare to be tested while also dealing with a sinister organization dealing in slavery. At the same time, Ken makes a new enemy.
Ferin persists in joining Ken's group. She's probably my least favorite character (I find the cat girl pretty annoying, to be perfectly honest). In spite of the annoying kitty, this book was still good enough for 4 stars, and I look forward to reading about what comes next.
Ferin persists in joining Ken's group. She's probably my least favorite character (I find the cat girl pretty annoying, to be perfectly honest). In spite of the annoying kitty, this book was still good enough for 4 stars, and I look forward to reading about what comes next.
July 9, 2024
another great one
Honestly at this point if your reading this review I can’t really say much more than what’s been said before by others. Bruce is a freaking fantastic writer and delivers a crazy good book every time. For me it’s got just the right amount of everything; plot & story, action, spice, world building. Just a solid all round writing style.
Honestly at this point if your reading this review I can’t really say much more than what’s been said before by others. Bruce is a freaking fantastic writer and delivers a crazy good book every time. For me it’s got just the right amount of everything; plot & story, action, spice, world building. Just a solid all round writing style.
July 10, 2024
Finished super fast and can’t wait for the next one
If harem books are your jam, then you’ll love 202. Bruce did a great job on moving the story and introducing the next wave of antagonists. People you really love to watch get kicked down. Not to mention some more world building talking about the other schools. Looking forward to the next one!
If harem books are your jam, then you’ll love 202. Bruce did a great job on moving the story and introducing the next wave of antagonists. People you really love to watch get kicked down. Not to mention some more world building talking about the other schools. Looking forward to the next one!
July 11, 2024
More Felin?
I was expecting more outings and sexy times with Ken and Felin. But other than that this book was great. I loved the betting with the stupid prince. And yes, he was stupid. Stupidly arrogant and arrogantly stupid! Those are two different things and the prince was very STUPIDLY good at both. Obviously, somebody wasn't doing their princely homework!
I was expecting more outings and sexy times with Ken and Felin. But other than that this book was great. I loved the betting with the stupid prince. And yes, he was stupid. Stupidly arrogant and arrogantly stupid! Those are two different things and the prince was very STUPIDLY good at both. Obviously, somebody wasn't doing their princely homework!
July 11, 2024
Transition
This book felt like a middle book in a series that’s transitioning it’s characters. A lot happened yet nothing happened at the same time. The plot didn’t really go far except a couple levels of the dungeon and their stats. I’m looking forward to the next book pushing the series farther
This book felt like a middle book in a series that’s transitioning it’s characters. A lot happened yet nothing happened at the same time. The plot didn’t really go far except a couple levels of the dungeon and their stats. I’m looking forward to the next book pushing the series farther
July 14, 2024
Another Semester Begins
Another volume of Dungeon Diving. The storyline continues with more challenges for Ken and his friends. After the Naga attack, standards are being raised for students and if they can’t reach the new minimum, they will not graduate. Training is being accelerated and new villains are rising to cause problems. Five stars is not enough for this volume.
Another volume of Dungeon Diving. The storyline continues with more challenges for Ken and his friends. After the Naga attack, standards are being raised for students and if they can’t reach the new minimum, they will not graduate. Training is being accelerated and new villains are rising to cause problems. Five stars is not enough for this volume.
July 15, 2024
Great progress and fun
Love this series! It definitely feels like we are moving in the right direction filling out the team. A great lead up to the Raid with a lot of character work. So happy to see progress with Felin. Can’t wait to see what happens with the raid and all the new kids from the other schools.
Love this series! It definitely feels like we are moving in the right direction filling out the team. A great lead up to the Raid with a lot of character work. So happy to see progress with Felin. Can’t wait to see what happens with the raid and all the new kids from the other schools.
July 18, 2024
This is a great series
This is one of my favorite authors as I hav. e enjoyed several of his series. This book just continues the tread of awesome books and I hope this series continues for awhile. I do hope some of the other girls get a shot once the raid starts but I do understand party first mentality. Keep up the good work.
This is one of my favorite authors as I hav. e enjoyed several of his series. This book just continues the tread of awesome books and I hope this series continues for awhile. I do hope some of the other girls get a shot once the raid starts but I do understand party first mentality. Keep up the good work.
July 19, 2024
One of my favorite stories
Can't help but rate this 5 stars. It's a great story with great characters and I can't put it down. This is such a fun story that I've read it twice already. The characters are all wonderful and the world is very interesting. I can't wait to read the next installment in this series.
Can't help but rate this 5 stars. It's a great story with great characters and I can't put it down. This is such a fun story that I've read it twice already. The characters are all wonderful and the world is very interesting. I can't wait to read the next installment in this series.
July 25, 2024
Levelling and advancing in power felt well timed in this volume. Additional races/species made for some good intruige and expanded the scope of what’s been presented so far.
The newest addition to the MC’s roster was definitely different to the others and felt fleshed out enough to not be one-dimensional.
The newest addition to the MC’s roster was definitely different to the others and felt fleshed out enough to not be one-dimensional.
July 26, 2024
Well done
The book places it firmly back in the school territory while still staying interesting. I feel like the effort of the whole class is being overlooked a bit but all of the characters show growth. I do enjoy seeing Kens works get more and more complicated to see it then get super simple as we see a quick tournament. I am excited to see where the raid takes them.
The book places it firmly back in the school territory while still staying interesting. I feel like the effort of the whole class is being overlooked a bit but all of the characters show growth. I do enjoy seeing Kens works get more and more complicated to see it then get super simple as we see a quick tournament. I am excited to see where the raid takes them.
August 6, 2024
Another get installment
This series is a real attention grabber. Every time a new book comes out, it feels like I just fly through the pages. I finished most of the books in a single day each time. If you haven't, I recommend giving this series and any other series by Mr. Sentar a chance. You won't regret it.
This series is a real attention grabber. Every time a new book comes out, it feels like I just fly through the pages. I finished most of the books in a single day each time. If you haven't, I recommend giving this series and any other series by Mr. Sentar a chance. You won't regret it.
August 21, 2024
Much like the Dragons Justice series, this one is starting to feel lackluster. I really enjoy the concept and the characters started to feel very well put rather in the previous book and all of that fell apart I this book. Lots of “fade to black” and general glazing over a lot. It feels rushed. I hope it helps author is t losing interest in their own story
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