Chapter 44

After returning from the disastrous interview on the Maestro's show, Carl and Donut rest and watch a recap episode that showcases other crawlers' progress. The System AI announces rule changes regarding the Brindled Vespas and reveals a new creator's fee system for Carl's "Jug O' Boom." Admin Zev arrives to debrief them, explaining the complicated politics surrounding their recent interview and revealing that a mysterious, explicit fan-made video depicting Carl and the Maestro has gone viral, dramatically increasing Carl's followers and appearance fees.

Carl and Donut return to the safe room after the interview. Donut processes the show's events, particularly the interview subject Yvette's death, while Carl performs foot care. They sleep, and upon waking, watch the recap episode showing other crawler progress, including Le Mouvement's death to a Jell-O-like blob boss and Lucia Mar's use of a magical shield. The recap of their own performance dominates the final ten minutes. Carl notes the rage elemental's suspicious vulnerability and suspects an intentional trap. The ticker of followers drops below one million, affecting Carl emotionally. The System AI announces modifications to the Brindled Vespa spawn rates and damage, and introduces a new "Accounts" tab showing Carl's creator's fee of one gold coin per kill with a steep 25% deposit fee. Admin Zev appears and debriefs them. She explains she was temporarily censured for warning them about the elemental but was later cleared upon appeal. She clarifies that while the Maestro's production technically comes from a rival faction's prince, Borant must respect Syndicate fair-dealing rules regarding sponsors. Zev reveals the Maestro and his brother Crown Prince Stalwart are from the Skull Empire, a massive orcish government distinct from the tusklings' Orcish Supremacy. When Carl asks about the ninth floor, Zev explains that floors three, six, nine, twelve, fifteen, and eighteen are connected thematically and exist simultaneously, functioning as "a game within the game" where crawlers are not the main focus initially. She advises them to level up over the next couple of days and avoid being boring before the next story arc. She then reveals that a high-quality fan-made video called a "snick" (fan fiction video) depicting Carl and the Maestro in an explicit sexual encounter has gone viral just hours after the interview. The video's origin is unknown, but its flawless quality and rapid spread suggest it may be mistaken for real footage. Zev notes the Skull Empire likely won't find it amusing as it portrays their prince humiliatingly. However, the incident has doubled Carl's appearance fee and made him equal to Lucia Mar in value. Carl's followers have increased dramatically. Donut finds the situation amusing, while Carl worries about the Skull Empire's potential retaliation.