AFTERWORD

Chapter 29

Chapter 27

Overview

Carl attends a tense sponsor meeting where Juice Box, a self-aware changeling NPC, demands that NPCs be recognized as their own team with full protections and voting rights. When the sponsors refuse, she detonates a device killing one of them before disappearing. Carl and his party then gather at the Desperado Club to plan the assassination of Astrid, the club's assistant manager, while also acquiring a powerful new totem card called Uzi Jesus.

Summary

The chapter opens with a sponsor meeting interrupted by Juice Box, who has become self-aware and represents the awakened NPCs of the ninth floor. She threatens the sponsors, demanding they create a tenth team for NPCs with regeneration and full voting rights. She reveals that her people have taken over the Lemig Sortion territory and are building a castle on Carl's behalf, while also noting that orcs and blobs are massing nearby. When Epitome Tagg insists such a change is impossible, Carl proposes it as an official action item. Rishi the Naga suggests a compromise: give NPCs invulnerability and a safe area in exchange for stopping attacks. Juice Box, dissatisfied, detonates a hobgoblin pus detonator, killing the green blob sponsor before escaping as a bat creature. Prince Stalwart is subsequently killed by an arrow from an unknown source.

Later, Carl and Donut join a gathering at the Desperado Club with several crawlers including Katia, Louis, Tran, Britney, Li Na, and others. Carl and Katia discuss their assassination contract on Astrid, the club's head of security, and plan to lure her to the bathrooms area where they can attack her away from guards. They identify the bathrooms as a location with secret passages that might provide tactical advantage. Meanwhile, Florin offers to trade them a unique level 140 totem card called Uzi Jesus (HeyZoos), an undead, irreverent healer with ranged attacks and multiple spells, which Carl accepts despite reservations about controlling such a powerful card.

Characters

  • Juice BoxSelf-aware changeling NPC who demands equal team status for NPCs, threatens sponsors with explosives, and reveals her people have taken control of territory
  • CarlMain character who proposes NPCs as a tenth team and plans Astrid's assassination with Katia
  • DonutCarl's cat companion who participates in the meeting and gathering, questioning others and helping acquire new totem cards
  • Prince StalwartOrc sponsor who opposes Juice Box's demands and is killed by an arrow during the meeting
  • Epitome TaggSponsor who insists NPC team status is impossible and refuses to change game rules
  • CascadiaFish-like sponsor who presides over the meeting and announces it will reconvene after regeneration
  • Rishi the NagaSponsor who proposes a compromise solution of invulnerability and safe areas for NPCs
  • Luke of the Lemig SortionGoblin who controls territory where Carl's castle landed, states intention to evacuate his team
  • Empress D'NadiaSponsor who participates in the meeting and reacts to proposed changes
  • UrkelMexx robot who adds action items to voting queue
  • KatiaCrawler who partners with Carl on the assassination contract and helps plan Astrid's death
  • ClarabelleCrocodilian door guard at the Desperado Club who lets Carl and Donut enter without comment
  • AstridLevel 125 bloodlust sprite and assistant manager of the Desperado Club, target of Carl and Katia's assassination
  • LouisCrawler at the gathering, grieving over Firas's death
  • TranVietnamese crawler at the gathering who lost both legs and now uses a magical wheelchair
  • BritneyUkrainian barbarian crawler at the gathering with severe facial scars from the previous floor
  • Li NaCrawler at the gathering whom Donut cannot physically touch
  • Li JunCrawler at the gathering
  • ZhangCrawler at the gathering
  • ChrisLava rock creature crawler based in Beijing
  • BautistaCrawler present at the table
  • FlorinIntense crocodilian crawler who trades his unique level 140 totem card to Carl and Donut
  • LuciaEntity associated with Florin who only speaks to him sometimes and keeps distance
  • OrrenLiaison previously located in the back of the Desperado Club, no longer there
  • TserendolgorDog soldier who Britney has been talking to about her scar