Roughly sixty years ago, the dungeon had long been quiet—its shifting halls sealed off from most of the world, with only whispers of danger or ancient magic to keep it in rumor.

That changed when a small monster appeared near the surface. It was spotted near the outer chamber of the dungeon’s entrance—weak, but unmistakably not from this world.

The King of Gildcairn, alarmed by the sighting, immediately dispatched a battalion to investigate and eliminate the threat. The monster was swiftly slain, but what happened next would alter the course of history.

The creature’s body vanished into dust—but in its place, a single object remained: an Iron Shield, impossibly durable and unlike anything forged by the kingdom’s smiths. Word spread quickly. Scholars examined it. Merchants appraised it. The shield alone was worth a fortune.

Soon, another unsettling truth was confirmed: monsters drop items when they die. How or why—no one could explain. But the implications were clear.

A New Economy Awakens

The people once hesitated to disturb the dungeon’s depths, now saw opportunity. If monsters carried treasure, then the dungeon itself was no longer just a prison—it was a resource. A goldmine. A new frontier.

Within a decade, the continent saw the rise of Dungeon Startups—companies and collectives built for one purpose: to explore, fight, extract, and profit.

Armed with scrolls, gear, and just enough courage, they ventured floor by floor, always hunting for the next drop, the next rare item, the next legendary artifact.

The dungeon had become more than a seal.

It had become an industry.

Echoes of the Architect

Still, some remembered the warnings of the past.

The Architect had built the dungeon to trap evil—not to farm it.

And beneath every expedition, behind every startup, a question lingered:

What happens if we push too far?

P.S. The ideas and story are mine, but I used AI to help shape the writing into full paragraphs.

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Here’s the second weekly update for my game project, Dungeon Merchant!

This week, I focused mainly on building core systems from adding tooltips to making item placement feel much smoother and more intuitive.

I also started preparing some basic furniture and world-building elements, getting ready for when the first customers arrive in the shop.

Summary of what's new this week

- Added dynamic Tooltip system for better UI feedback

- Introduced Wall Torches to light up dungeon spaces

- Improved Item Placement with rotation functionality

- Added basic Furnitures (beds, tables) to prepare for customers

- Implemented Repositioning to move furnitures freely after placement

It’s still early in development, but seeing the systems come together like this is super motivating!

Thanks for following along with my journey.

If you’re interested in more updates like this, you can check out my personal blog.
And don’t forget to subscribe!

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See you next week!

*I didn’t have much time to work on writing… If I have any chance, I’ll try to rewrite the whole thing or at least review them thoroughly. They are heavily AI-generated.

I’ve just uploaded a short video sharing my latest progress on the summoning system. You can check out how it currently works in action!

At first glance, it might look like a standard inventory system where you place items into the world. Technically, it is, but the theme I’m building around is a little different.

In Dungeon Merchant, items aren’t just placed. They’re summoned into existence, and eventually unsummoned back into your inventory. It adds a slightly magical layer to what’s otherwise a typical placement mechanic.

I haven’t implemented unsummoning feature just yet, but I’m pretty happy with how it’s coming along so far.

Thanks for following along more updates coming soon!

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Roughly 200 years ago, in a vast and divided continent, a terrifying event changed the course of history. Deep within the forested no-man’s-land that separated the seven kingdoms, a gate to hell tore open—a chaotic rift through which demonic forces poured into the world.

In response, a legendary magician—known today only as The Architect—rose to confront the crisis. Using ancient spells and unmatched arcane knowledge, he didn’t destroy the gate. Instead, he sealed it by constructing a sprawling dungeon beneath the earth. This dungeon now acts as a living, shifting prison—a maze designed to trap demons deep within its ever-changing chambers.

The Kingdom of Gildcairn

The Architect was loyal to the Kingdom of Gildcairn, a realm of towering mountains and deep river valleys. Its capital city, Goldmere, rests beside a vast river that cuts through the heart of the kingdom, fed by streams from the mineral-rich peaks above.

The name Gildcairn, meaning “gold is trapped,” reflects the land’s abundance of precious metals hidden in the stone. Goldmere—named for the silver and gold once found glittering in the shallows—quickly rose to become a hub of commerce, alchemy, and metallurgy. Gildcairn’s wealth fueled not only its prosperity but its influence across the continent.

The Legend of the Hidden Chamber

But the Architect knew that evil was never truly vanquished—it only waits, adapts, and returns stronger. He feared that the world, lulled into a false sense of peace, would grow complacent. What if another gate opened elsewhere? What if this was just the beginning?

To keep the world alert—and moving—he deliberately spread word of a legendary chamber hidden deep within the dungeon. He claimed it was filled with unimaginable wealth: gold, relics, and magical treasures powerful enough to make a kingdom rise or fall.

Whether the chamber truly existed didn’t matter. What mattered was that people believed it did.

The world, hungry for riches and glory, answered the call. Adventurers began to descend into the dungeon. Kingdoms funded expeditions. Traders, mercenaries, scholars, and thieves joined the rush.
Curiosity became obsession. Greed turned to ambition.
And so, while the demons remained sealed below, a new battle began above:
The Great War.

The War for the Spellbook

As exploration increased, fear followed. The other six kingdoms demanded access to the Architect’s spellbook, hoping to replicate his magic and secure themselves against future threats.

These kingdoms were:

• Navareth – an island nation with an elite navy and capital built on volcanic cliffs

• Ferradin – a mining kingdom like Gildcairn, but known for its rich iron deposits and steel craftsmanship

• Technor – a city-state of innovation, where magic intertwines with machines and alchemical tech

• Caldurra – a wild plains kingdom with the most formidable cavalry force on the continent

• Sylvara – an ancient forest realm whose people live in harmony with colossal life-giving trees, born strong yet disinterested in war

Though diverse in culture and strength, all six were united by fear:
What if Gildcairn held the only means to control the dungeon—or worse, unleash it?

But the Architect refused. He feared the spellbook, if misused, could undo the seal. Or worse: someone might learn to open a gate rather than close it.

Tensions rose. Diplomacy failed. And so began the Spellbook War.

For thirty bitter years, kingdoms turned against one another. Armies marched. Borders collapsed. The world above suffered even as the demons remained trapped below. The war, born from fear and greed, consumed an entire generation.

Some say the Architect vanished in the final year. Others believe he sealed himself deep within the dungeon, guarding the legendary room with his life.
To this day, no one knows the truth.