Carl's Doomsday Scenario

“The Primals are the progenitors, the first known species to conquer the universe. They are the boogeymen of the cosmos. Nobody knows what they looked like or anything about them other than that they spread across the galaxy, and then one day, they just vanished. There was a great war that spanned all corners of the galaxy. We can see remnants of the battles. If they were fighting a species other than themselves, we don’t know who they were.”

Carl chooses a race called Primals, which comes with several useful skills and benefits while also allowing him to keep his physical appearance the same. As Mordecai explains, because no one knows what the Primals looked like, those who choose that race in the dungeons simply keep their own appearance. This is important to Carl, who does not want to relinquish his connection to his personal identity and humanity.

“Oh, they’re very real. They are living biological creatures similar to some of the mobs. Most have been engineered by the Borant Corporation. […] Their minds are altered every time they are regenerated. The next time this floor is formed on some distant planet, these NPCs will wake up like it is just another day. But they will have also been changed, planted with false memories.”

The setting of the third floor introduces NPCs for the first time, and Mordecai explains how they work. Unlike the mobs on the previous levels, who had minimal personality or context, these NPCs are more fully realized characters within the narrative of the dungeon floor, which adds to the increasingly blurred boundaries between the fictional entertainment of the dungeon and the reality Carl faces. This description emphasizes The Blurred Line Between Entertainment and Reality, as Carl begins to view these NPCs as sentient beings, blurring the ethical boundary between player and character.

“‘I need to make a good example for my child, Carl.’

‘He’s not your child, Donut. He’s a pet. We don’t put our lives in danger for our pets.’

I regretted it the moment the words came out of my mouth. Donut looked as if I’d slapped her. I suddenly felt like an enormous asshole.”

This exchange between Carl and Donut highlights the shift in Carl’s views of and relationship with Donut. In making this distinction between the value of a person’s life versus a pet’s life, he accidentally hurts Donut’s feelings because she was, initially, merely a pet to him. However, he now sees her as an equal, relying on her as a friend and partner.

“She was an extra-thin humanoid creature with long, pointed elf ears, short horns jutting from her forehead, and sharpened fangs. She had a malevolent, horrifying look about her.

Her skin gave off a mild luminescence, and in this glow, I could see the tattoos. From her toes to her face, she was covered in thick-lined old-school tattoos of monsters. Most of the creatures were Asian themed or nautical themed, like Japanese oni and small Chinese dragons and dozens of other monstrosities like sharks and octopuses. Like Donut said, these tattoos were alive. They moved about her body, twirling around each other, rippling her skin.”

The introduction of the elite NPC Signet is significant in the novel because it is Carl and Donut’s first experience with a dungeon quest, which is a new element on the third floor. Furthermore, the function of elite NPCs illustrates The Blurred Line Between Entertainment and Reality, in which the manufactured and fictional lives of these NPCs impact Carl and Donut in real and detrimental ways.

“There are AI-controlled rules to keep the dungeon ‘fair’ for the crawlers, but those rules are much looser when it comes to elites. If it comes down to saving the life of a single crawler or blowing an entire drama that’s been building for weeks, what do you think is going to happen? I’ve seen it a dozen times. A hot-shit crawler comes across an elite, and instead of trying to solve the quest, he decides to go all murder hobo and kill the NPC. Something always happens. Something bad. Most of these elites have very thick plot armor, and in those stories, you’re the extra. The red shirt.”

The structure of separate dramas, like Signet’s, crucially highlights the way the dungeon system has made meaningless the distinction between fiction made for entertainment and the genuine, life-threatening reality of the dungeon. Additionally, the motif of guest stars reinforces this blurred boundary, particularly as it relates to Carl and Donut’s experiences as side characters within the narrative. This quote combines both The Blurred Line Between Entertainment and Reality and the motif of guest stars to illustrate how Carl’s fate is determined not by his actions, but by the narrative demands of an elite NPC’s story.

“The bear let out a howl, mournful and afraid. She sat down and lowered herself painfully to the ground. The last of the boiling custard sizzled away. The bear looked at me, all of the fight out of her. This was Heather, the real Heather, free of the parasites that’d been controlling her. She looked at me with her newly formed eyes.

End it, those bitter eyes said. I should never have lived this long. She made a quick, pained whimper, and her eyes closed.”

Carl’s confrontation with Heather the bear reveals several important elements. First, rather than over-the-top caricatures of Earth stereotypes, the bosses on the third floor have complex personalities. Heather displays genuine emotional depth here, which also highlights The Blurred Line Between Reality and Fiction in the backstories implanted in NPCs. This moment also underscores Carl’s compassion and mercy, as he pities Heather and wishes to release her from her torment.

“My four-year-old mind couldn’t possibly register it at the time, but it was the scent of happiness, of joy, or being a kid, of not being afraid. Over the years I’d catch similar scents in places such as the county fair, or carnivals, or whenever I visited a place with livestock. But this was a different, oddly specific aroma that had been indelibly imprinted on me as a four-year-old, a scent I’d sometimes remember as the path I could’ve taken, the world I could’ve lived had my father not found us and taken us back. It was a scent I’d been chasing all of my adult life.”

Carl enters Grimaldi’s circus and the scent triggers memories of his mother. Throughout the book, the narrative reveals Carl’s childhood and life before the dungeons in small, carefully placed moments, slowly building a fuller picture of Carl’s life and personality. At various points, pieces of his past contribute to his understanding of a present circumstance, as is the case here.

“Please, Grimaldi. Listen to her. Look, if you truly know my memories, then you know why I’m here. I went into that fucked-up circus tent because I was trying to protect my family. When I killed that bear and freed her from this, I saw it in her eyes. She was grateful. And you know it. Every time those clowns eat someone, their soul is dying just a little bit more. This entire world is nothing but death and hopelessness, and I am starting to lose it, man. Signet says you used to be kind. I need—we all need—some of that kindness right now.”

Rather than kill Grimaldi when he has the chance, Carl chooses a more peaceful and merciful approach by facilitating a reconciliation between Grimaldi and Signet. He does so not only because he realizes that he would die if he tried to kill Grimaldi, but also because of his personal drive to help others and find a compassionate and peaceful solution wherever possible. This is yet another example of Carl choosing not to compromise his morality, though in this case it aligns with his need to survive. His comment that he is “starting to lose it” (136) however, indicates that the dungeon is beginning to weaken his resolve to be kind. His words here reflect The Balance Between Survival and Morality, as he pleads not only for his own safety, but for the dignity and humanity of all those trapped in the dungeon’s cruelty.

“All it takes is a little seed, my mom had said that day as we planted the trees. Just little seeds here and there, and soon enough you have a forest.

[…]

I felt a slight pang that I’d missed out on my chance to solo-kill a city boss, but I was also certain I wouldn’t have survived the experience. Besides, I’d done something much more productive.

The seeds were planted. The roots were already beginning to dig.”

This is the first appearance of the symbol of seeds, which begins as a metaphor Carl makes that connects the saplings he planted with his mother to his idea of using small acts of hope to defy the dungeon’s efforts to break his resolve. Carl imagines that his small acts are like seeds planted that will grow into larger moments of hope not only for himself but for all the crawlers, and possibly the viewers as well.

“I found myself thinking about my mother, my father, and Bea. Of my few friends from before, like Billy Maloney and Sam. Of my coworkers at the boatyard. They were all gone. All I had left in this world was right here.

Mongo soon started to snore. I could feel Donut’s warmth against the back of my neck. She breathed softly, oblivious of all that had occurred tonight.

This, I thought, this is my family.”

Having rescued Donut from the street urchins following the end of the circus quest, Carl reflects on his relationship with Donut. This moment reveals Carl’s character growth and the depth and significance of his friendship with Donut, whom he now sees as family. This scene reinforces the theme of The Value of Friendship in Survival Situations, as Carl’s emotional tether to Donut becomes a source of resilience and purpose.

“That attitude—that we had to wear a mask, even toward our family—it was one I could never understand. A lot of people, men and women, thought like that, and I didn’t get it. And now I was afraid Donut had inherited that same attitude directly from Bea and her mom.”

Donut has proven to be intelligent and clever on many occasions, using her growing understanding of people to accurately analyze situations and strategically plan. This is one example of her growth and character development over the first two books. However, as Carl notices, she reveals her childlike naivety in several ways, including this belief she has adopted from Beatrice that she must hide her intelligence and perform a role in order to be liked.

“‘She left already,’ Mordecai said after I returned from the restroom, having pretended I used it. ‘Look, kid. Let me give you some advice. I want this to sink deep into your thick skull. You can’t save them all. The people running this, they know who you are. They will always be baiting you. Worry about yourself first. If you truly want to help others, your best bet is to get as strong and deep as possible.’”

GumGum the orc NPC attempts to recruit Carl into a second quest, but Mordecai chases her off. But Carl, stuck by the NPC’s crying, tries to find her later to offer his assistance. This exchange between Carl and Mordecai demonstrates that Carl’s friends (including Donut) understand his personal drive to help others to his own detriment and can now anticipate his actions. Mordecai’s warning also confirms that those in charge of the dungeon also know this and will use it against him in their continuing efforts to break him down. This tension speaks directly to The Balance Between Survival and Morality, as Carl is warned that his compassion will continue to be exploited by the dungeon system.

“I kept coming back to my first question. Why was he upset about being chosen as a manager, then? And why did Odette know he was going to be pissed? I was missing something, something important, but I could tell he would broach no more discussion on the matter. Not now.”

Carl is still trying to understand Mordecai’s objection to being made Donut’s manager. He is glad that Mordecai does not object because he does not like Carl and Donut, thus demonstrating his continued reliance on Mordecai’s friendship, which is paramount for their survival. But Carl’s suspicion that he is missing something about the situation hints at foreshadowing of a future problem, either between Mordecai and Odette, or with Mordecai’s manager role.

“‘She was a nice lady, for an orc,’ Donut said. ‘She was doing the right thing. We have to finish the quest now.’

‘Why?’ I asked.

‘Because they killed her. And they probably killed her because we got that quest,’ Donut said. ‘If we hadn’t, she’d probably be in the bar right now waiting to ask someone else to help her.’

Goddamn it, Donut. She was right. Of course she was right.”

In the first book, Carl was the primary voice of moral reason, making decisions to help others that Donut often objected to. Now, Donut makes the decision to help others at least as often as Carl does, both here and later when they add Katia to their party. This demonstrates her growth as a character and their shared efforts to uphold a personal moral code as they attempt to survive the dungeon. This moment also contributes to The Value of Friendship in Survival Situations, as Donut now acts as Carl’s moral mirror and teammate, reinforcing their shared code.

“I was expecting it to bother me. It didn’t, I realized. That felt important, almost monumental. At the time, I’d been upset. I told myself I didn’t like drama, and I dumped her. Which was the right thing to do. But I was still upset. Of course I’d been upset, and I lied to myself about how upset I was. But that was gone now. Really gone. After all that had happened, how could it possibly not be gone? And the realization was like a weight that I didn’t even know was there lifting off my shoulders.”

Donut’s fan box contains a photo of Beatrice, which reveals the cruel, mocking attitude of some of their followers while also symbolizing Donut’s childlike naivety, particularly in her inability to see Beatrice’s flaws or understand Carl’s hurt feelings. However, this moment also demonstrates Carl’s significant character growth. He expects the photograph to upset him and is surprised to realize that it does not, proving that he has let go of the past and no longer cares about Beatrice’s betrayal.

“‘Is that how it is in this town, then?’ I asked. ‘As long as the victims aren’t skyfowl, they can just go screw themselves?’

She looked at me as if I were something she’d just regurgitated. ‘Do you want the short answer or the long answer to that?’

‘The long answer,’ I said.

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘That’s how it is in this town.’”

Mordecai previously warned Carl that skyfowl are prejudiced against non-flying races. Now he sees this prejudice in action. None of the skyfowl, neither the magistrate nor the townsfolk, care about crime and murder if the victims are not skyfowl. However, this exchange with Miss Quill proves crucial for another reason later, when Carl realizes that Quill is responsible for the murders. This exchange also exemplifies The Blurred Line Between Entertainment and Reality, in which the social systems and prejudices of the NPCs mirror real-world injustices.

“We’re supposed to be making the world…the universe…a better place for our children. If it’s not better, if you’re dealing with cruelty, with neglect, then you should do something about it. So yeah. Fuck ’em. Fuck King Rust and his asshole child. If you’re unhappy with your government, then kick them out and set up your own, one that represents the people’s best interests.”

Carl takes a huge risk during his appearance on Ripper Wonton’s show by explicitly encouraging rebellion against the Skull Empire and King Rust, antagonizing an enemy he has already made because he believes it is the right thing to do. Once again, he has refused to compromise his morality, though it puts him in significant danger, as seen just moments later with the assassination attempt. This moment underscores both The Balance Between Survival and Morality and Carl’s commitment to planting symbolic seeds of change, even when it puts him in grave danger.

“I meant what I said to Donut. I knew a random dude from the crawl spouting off about revolution wasn’t going to spark some great intergalactic crisis. Still, seeds. Mordecai had his plans. I had my own.”

Carl tells Donut that he does not believe his statement will have any real effect. He says there is no reason to believe that the citizens of a powerful galactic empire will listen to him. Yet, he does not entirely believe that, as evidenced by his return to the symbolism of seeds. His voice may be just one small seed, but he knows from experience that seeds can grow into huge trees, and small acts of defiance can grow into full rebellion.

“They’re still trying to end as early as possible. But they need money, so you high performers are going to be treated differently. […] Most loot boxes are controlled by the system AI, and it appears the system is attempting to compensate for the shorter time limits. Borant controls the mobs and the experience earned, for the most part, but the System AI is still the ultimate arbiter and is using that strength to even out the odds.”

In the first book, Mordecai warned Carl and Donut that the Borant Corporation is trying to make the dungeon move more quickly than it usually does. They need to end it quickly because of complex political and financial issues. However, it now appears that the system AI has its own agenda, working to counterbalance Borant’s efforts by helping crawlers get stronger, faster. This could indicate a clash between the system AI and the Borant in charge sometime in the future.

“But if Quill was the mastermind, why hadn’t the quest ended? I reread what we were supposed to do, focusing on the last line.

Nobody knows who they are or where they come from. Find out why.

The quest didn’t tell us to save the women. Or to kill who was responsible. We just needed to find out what was going on.”

Carl has been treating this second quest much as he did the first, by looking for a primary bad guy or boss he must defeat in order to complete the task. However, he now understands that the quest is more like a puzzle to be solved. He does not necessarily need to stop whoever is behind the murders, he needs only to learn why. This proves easier than anticipated, though with unforeseen consequences.

“Bautista continued. ‘He died the next day. My cousin, I mean. He’d given up. I’m all that’s left of my entire family. I had four brothers and sisters. Fifteen cousins.’ He looked off into the distance. ‘I don’t know why I go on. I wish I hadn’t chosen this body. I should’ve remained true to myself. We all die anyway. How can we make it to heaven if god doesn’t recognize us?’”

Carl encounters Daniel Baustista 2, another crawler and the last surviving family member of the group Carl and Donut found in the ruins days before. Bautista regrets his decision not to hold on to his human identity—a decision that Carl also previously wrestled with. He has also lost hope, believing they will all simply die eventually. Thus Bautista becomes a foil to Carl, someone who has let go of his identity and been broken in the process.

“‘Donut, we have a choice. Save ourselves. Or we try to save Katia and those other 80 people. I have an idea, but it probably won’t work. We need to decide. Quick.’

‘I, uh, I don’t know,’ Donut said, looking about. She seemed to deflate on my shoulder. ‘We should try to save the others. It’s the right thing to do.’

I didn’t answer. I just reached up and scratched her.”

At the climax of the novel, Carl and Donut elect to stop the soul crystal explosion, risk their own lives in the hopes that they might save the other crawlers. This is a culmination of their continued efforts to uphold their personal moral code at the expense of guaranteed survival. Again, Donut demonstrates her growing maturity by agreeing with Carl that it is the right decision. Carl and Donut’s joint decision here is a culmination of both The Value of Friendship in Survival Situations and The Balance Between Survival and Morality, as they prioritize saving others over self-preservation.

“Holy shit, I thought. Our last few hours on the third floor had gone by quickly and unexpectedly. And now that I had a moment to breathe, my heart couldn’t stop pounding. I found myself sitting on the bathroom floor, my hand to my chest. How is this real? How is this my life?

I knew this respite would be short-lived. After we were done here, we’d move onto the fourth floor, and it would start all over again.”

Carl maintains a sense of determination and fortitude through most of the novel. Now, however, he is momentarily overwhelmed, revealing a small crack in his defiance, in his vow to not let the dungeon break him. Crucially, however, Donut enters the bathroom to comfort him. Carl’s emotional reaction, and Donut’s comforting presence, illustrates The Value of Friendship in Survival Situations, showing that emotional strength is as vital as physical survival.