23. Dancing with Dragons

Bill participates in a dungeon raid in a VR game where his party fights a red dragon named Gargh. Using creative tactics, Bill defeats the dragon and earns significant rewards. After the game, Bill meets with Gandalf in a private VR space to discuss concerns about the expedition team's commitment to the research project.

Bill's gaming party encounters Gargh the Destroyer, a red dragon, in a dungeon. Two party members are killed early in the battle. Bill, starting with minimal equipment, observes the dragon's anatomy and realizes it is vulnerable internally. When the dragon attempts to bite Verne, Bill seizes the opportunity to jam a staff of fireballs—looted from the corpse of Kevin the Wise—into the dragon's rear end and activates it. The blast freezes the scene while the disembodied voice and Verne argue over whether a saving throw applies. The party gathers around the defeated dragon, with Pete crediting Bill with the kill. Bill is awarded full credit and half the dragon's hoard, plus experience points to advance three levels. After the dungeon concludes, Bill enters Gandalf's private VR space, which resembles Orthanc furnished with recliners. Bill expresses concern that the expedition team has abandoned the project prematurely, listing incomplete surveys and mapping tasks. Gandalf clarifies that the team views their contribution as finished and were only volunteering while the work remained interesting. He indicates the team will answer specific questions but will not continue broader research unless presented with an interesting puzzle. Bill accepts this, asking Gandalf to place his character on reserves.