17. Trolling for Treasure

Bill participates in a dungeon campaign in the Pits of Paebak with other Gamers, facing trolls, demon hounds, and zombies. Kevin, revealed to have orchestrated the campaign as revenge for Bill's earlier success, summons a golem to kill Bill, but Tim—playing a thief—steals the control scroll and uses the golem against Kevin instead. After the campaign, Bill reflects with Gandalf on drift among Bob replicants and the value of diversity in gameplay.

Bill's dungeon party—including Kevin (resurrected), Tim (as a first-level thief), Verne, Pete, and Gandalf—progresses through the Pits of Paebak, defeating a troll and demon hounds, though Pete is killed and cannot be resurrected. They discover a hidden tunnel that leads to a dead end, which Gandalf's True Seeing spell cannot penetrate. Tim detects a draft and they break through a false wall, revealing a large subterranean hall filled with zombies and a twenty-foot statue. As they fight the zombies, Gandalf uses a wand to eliminate them efficiently. A huge hand suddenly grabs Bill—it belongs to a clay golem controlled by Kevin, who reveals he orchestrated the entire campaign as revenge for Bill surpassing him in the previous campaign and taking his staff. Kevin planned to have the golem kill Bill, but Tim, using his thief skills, steals the golem control scroll from Kevin's pocket. Tim activates the golem, which crushes Kevin's head. Later, Bill visits Gandalf's VR and learns that Kevin is a twenty-fourth generation descendant who has drifted significantly from Bob-like behavior. Gandalf explains that drift has actually improved the Gamers' experience by introducing unpredictability and variety, and that Kevin will face social consequences for his failed betrayal rather than being permanently excluded.