Chapter 86

A massive ambush of mimics erupts throughout the casino, revealing that Mitch, the casino owner, is an Adolescent Shadow Mimic serving as an Enforcer for unknown forces. The chapter includes an extended lore exposition about the six major factions vying for control of the dungeon, followed by an intense combat sequence where the crawlers and guards fight and defeat the mimics.

The entire casino suddenly transforms as tables, chairs, slot machines, NPCs, and chandeliers reveal themselves as mimics ranging from level 25 to 120. Donut immediately reacts by flipping backward and casting Clockwork Triplicate to create duplicates of Mongo. The narrator discovers that Mitch, the casino owner, is actually a level 120 Adolescent Shadow Mimic—an Enforcer sent to harm Hamed. Carl receives an extended explanation from the dungeon itself about the nature of Shadow Mimics (self-aware entities that grow in intelligence and strength indefinitely) and is given a breakdown of the six major factions competing for control: the Crawlers, standard NPCs, the Gods, sapient mobs (including Shadow Mimics), demons in Sheol, and an unnamed sixth group. The battle erupts in chaotic fashion with various crawlers using their abilities: Donut fires magic missiles, Lucia uses a portal-lasso weapon, Imani casts stupefying blasts, Elle uses ice bolts, and Florin fires his shotgun. The mimics are revealed to be ambush predators who lose effectiveness once surprise is lost. Most are quickly defeated and turn into gray humanoid forms with tentacle-like protuberances upon death. Mitch attempts to surrender and reveals they needed some crawlers to control the Cabaret and the dungeon back door, mentioning the War Mages, the Ogre Imperium, and someone called Cock-A-Doodle-Doo. When questioned about Li Na, he claims ignorance. When Mitch lunges to attack Carl, Carl reflexively opens the Eye of the Bedlam Bride on his forehead, freezing Mitch in place and causing him excruciating pain before Donut kills him with a full-strength Magic Missile. Mongo desecrates the corpse by bouncing on it.