More messages came in, but I was struck with how manyweren’there.
Twenty-three crawlers. I sighed.
So many had died, but by this point, thousands had taken deals. And hundreds were at the Pineapple Cabaret working on their escape.
At least the tenth floor was done. What a goddamned shit show that had been.
Donut: THESE ARE ALL OVER-THE-TOP. SOUL-STRUCK FLESH RIPPER SOUNDS REALLY SCARY, BUT IT ISN’T REALLY GROUNDED. I NEED SOMETHING THE POSSE WILL CONNECT WITH. ALL THE ONES IN THE SECOND TAB ARE THE SAME AS LAST TIME. THAT’S NO FUN.
She gasped.
Donut: MORDECAI! LOOK AT THIS! COMEBACK KID! IT SAYS IT COMES WITH A MOVIE DEAL IF I GET OUT OF THE DUNGEON. IT’S A BARD AND MAGE COMBO!
Mordecai: I see it. Let me read it.
I moved to the truck. The Donut pedal system remained installed in the driver’s seat.
“Dr. Metcalf,” I called as I moved into the back, “are you still with us?”
“I’m here, Carl,” she responded. But when she talked, she simply talked. It didn’t pop up in my interface like an AI notification.
I opened one of the cabinets containing pots and pans.
Warning: Your vehicle’s rule set from the tenth floor is no longer active. Consumables will no longer be magically refreshed. All damage must be manually repaired.
“Good,” I said out loud. I moved to the freezer, and I removed all the frozen bags of French fries and tater tots. I also removed the buns from the cabinets, as they had potatoes in the ingredients list. I waited a moment, and they didn’t return.
I felt a quick pang of guilt, suddenly thinking of the beer car bomb.
Mordecai: Okay, so it’s pretty good. Basically, you get all the skills of all your previous iterations butleveled up significantly. The catch is, you get the negative effects as well.
Carl: Absolutely not. Her Glass Cannon class alone makes this a bad idea. Wouldn’t that jack her constitution?
Mordecai: Maybe. I’d have to research it, and we don’t have time. How about this one? Elite Gurkha Warrior. Warrior-melee focus with a Perpetual Tank subclass.
Donut: THAT SOUNDS LIKE A TYPE OF PICKLE.
“The Gurkhas were some of the most badass warriors in history,” I said out loud to Donut. “They’re from Nepal.”
Mordecai: It comes with extra skills for all pets and hired mercenaries. Mongo would get a pretty impressive upgrade for his claws. Your melee skills would take a big boost, and your Cockroach skill would be boosted to level 15.
Carl: She’s going to pick that one.
Donut: YOU’RE JUST LIKE YOUR WIFE. I DECIDE, NOT YOU. ESPECIALLY IF YOU’RE INSISTING ON LEAVING THE PARTY.
Mordecai: You might not need to if you pick this class.
Donut looked at me with a hopeful expression.
I sighed. That reminded me. I needed to sew that patch onto my jacket.
Carl: I’m still leaving the party.
She harrumphed.
Donut: OKAY, I’M CHOOSING THE PICKLE CLASS ANYWAY, EVEN IF CARL IS BEING STUBBORN.
I stepped from the truck, and I pulled Rend from my inventory.