Chapter 26 of 26 · Book 2, Carl's Doomsday Scenario

Epilogue — Epilogue: the leaderboard

Book: Carl's Doomsday Scenario · Previous: Chapter 25 — Carl's Doomsday Scenario · Floor: Floor 3 — The Over City · Series: the series

Opening

“It looks like we now have definitive proof that sex tape with the late Maestro was indeed

Summary

Epilogue on Odette's couch in a toilet-paper loincloth: the snick is definitively a snick. Katia is on the show in her own face: 'This is the real me, Donut.' The last-second detonation, Odette explains, released the swordsmen's soul crystals and tempered the blast, saving thousands — and triggered a double upgrade to 83 Celestial boxes, which Borant killed with its one veto per season after Quan Ch opened his. No prizes; but the experience for the explosion stands: Donut 26, Carl 27, Katia 21.

The leaderboard: Lucia Mar, Hekla, Prepotente, Florin, Miriam Dom, Carl, Donut, Ifechi, Li Jun, and Elle McGib, Frost Maiden Blizzardmancer, level 13. Off air: Carl's gauntlet can summon the war god Grull if used against his celebrants, who will start appearing on the coming floor; King Rust has bought a deity sponsorship, probably Grull, and Mordecai has 'a lot of experience in the subject, unfortunately'; Hekla wants Donut in her party for the permanent manager who comes with her; Carl doubts Donut would ever leave him, and Odette agrees: 'Not as long as you're still alive.' Odette paid almost nothing for their contract. The numbers at the end of each leaderboard name are bounties. 'Fuck,' Carl says to the empty room.

Characters

• Odette — The Celestial explanation; the leaderboard; the warnings.
• Katia Grim — Her real face; on the couch.
• Carl — Loincloth; 'Fuck.'
• Princess Donut — 'This is an outrage!' Blocked Quan Ch from the quest chat: 'You need to rule with an iron paw.'
• Quan Ch — The one Celestial box.
• Hekla — Wants Donut, and Mordecai.
• Elle McGibbons — Tenth on the leaderboard as a Blizzardmancer.
• Prepotente — Third.
• Florin — Fourth.
• Miriam Dom — Fifth.
• Li Jun and Zhang — Li Jun ninth, a Street Monk.
• Lucia Mar — First, with a bounty of 1,000,000.

Locations

• Production trailers — Odette's boat, third visit.

Motifs

• The leaderboard — Revealed, with bounties.
• The gods — A deity sponsorship, probably Grull.
• Borant — The veto and the tax on Celestials.
• The Blood Sultanate — Odette's history lesson on the naga season.