WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.359 --> 00:00:08.400 This is an Unspoiled Network podcast. This is spoil Me 2 00:00:09.640 --> 00:00:22.160 covering Dungeon Crawler Carl Book five, The Butcher's Masquerade, chapters one, two, three, 3 00:00:22.399 --> 00:00:28.399 and four. In these chapters, we're starting out on a 4 00:00:28.440 --> 00:00:33.799 new floor. We've got new specializations that we have to 5 00:00:33.840 --> 00:00:38.960 add to our classes. But mostly, of course, what I'm 6 00:00:39.000 --> 00:01:04.120 interested in is the lawyer. Welcome to spoil Me. Welcome 7 00:01:04.159 --> 00:01:08.040 to the show everyone. I am Natasha. Thank you very 8 00:01:08.120 --> 00:01:11.959 much to Jackie for commissioning this episode. I think this 9 00:01:12.040 --> 00:01:16.120 is the first of uh Dungeon Crawler Carl that wasn't 10 00:01:16.120 --> 00:01:21.840 commissioned by Michael, so appreciate it, Jackie. Uh and welcome. 11 00:01:21.840 --> 00:01:23.519 I don't feel like i've seen you in the chats 12 00:01:23.519 --> 00:01:28.959 before either, so delighted to have you. I don't know 13 00:01:28.959 --> 00:01:30.480 where to start, guys, And I know I have to 14 00:01:30.480 --> 00:01:34.719 start at the beginning link technically, but I kind of 15 00:01:34.959 --> 00:01:37.159 just don't want to. I kind of just want to 16 00:01:37.239 --> 00:01:40.680 start where I want to start. I'm going to restrain myself, 17 00:01:41.359 --> 00:01:52.079 all right, let's let's begin at the beginning. So well, no, well, okay, 18 00:01:52.640 --> 00:01:57.000 you know what I'm going to do a general sort 19 00:01:57.040 --> 00:02:00.920 of like overview of what's going going on. Before I 20 00:02:01.000 --> 00:02:03.959 go into this, because there's like a fair amount to 21 00:02:04.120 --> 00:02:08.319 cover in these first four chapters, because we go from 22 00:02:08.360 --> 00:02:12.960 some pretty like intricate stuff that's happening legally, and then 23 00:02:13.080 --> 00:02:17.080 we have to deal with the floor itself and what's 24 00:02:17.120 --> 00:02:20.120 going on there, and the adjustment of some of the 25 00:02:20.159 --> 00:02:23.240 new ways that playing is going to shake out, because 26 00:02:25.360 --> 00:02:29.000 there turns out to be a combination of some factors 27 00:02:29.639 --> 00:02:33.680 that will make things look pretty different. I think this 28 00:02:33.800 --> 00:02:39.680 floor as compared to previous So the way that I 29 00:02:39.719 --> 00:02:45.800 want to kind of divide this up is legal battle 30 00:02:46.159 --> 00:02:51.639 versus dungeon battle, and the legal battle thing. I should 31 00:02:51.639 --> 00:02:56.319 have seen it coming that the first thing we were 32 00:02:56.319 --> 00:02:58.800 going to have to deal with would be the repercussions 33 00:02:58.879 --> 00:03:06.319 to the flooding that Carl caused. I for some reason, 34 00:03:06.719 --> 00:03:08.719 I didn't expect him to have to deal with the 35 00:03:08.719 --> 00:03:11.520 same guy. I thought that this was going to turn 36 00:03:11.520 --> 00:03:13.520 out to be a big enough of a deal that 37 00:03:13.560 --> 00:03:17.439 it would have been escalated to somebody else. But it 38 00:03:17.599 --> 00:03:22.960 turns out he is still having to face off with 39 00:03:23.120 --> 00:03:28.360 the same dude. And it's such a weird scene because 40 00:03:28.800 --> 00:03:34.800 Carl consens there's something weird about the setup here. The 41 00:03:35.360 --> 00:03:40.240 gate itself is very close to the edge of the 42 00:03:40.319 --> 00:03:49.120 desk and is just apparently sitting there unguarded, very temptingly, 43 00:03:50.759 --> 00:03:54.599 to the point where he's like, Okay, obviously, you guys 44 00:03:54.639 --> 00:03:57.400 are tempting me with this, Like this is not you know. 45 00:03:58.520 --> 00:04:02.520 And what we find out late is that the item 46 00:04:04.199 --> 00:04:07.960 it is basically in this limbo at this point because 47 00:04:08.000 --> 00:04:14.800 they're still figuring out the the legal ramifications and outcome 48 00:04:14.840 --> 00:04:19.399 of this. So because it's in this limbo, if Carl 49 00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:23.519 were to touch it, the item would delete itself and 50 00:04:23.560 --> 00:04:29.279 simply not exist, and thus erase the problem entirely and 51 00:04:29.600 --> 00:04:36.519 deprive Carl of a very valuable weapon and resource. And 52 00:04:37.800 --> 00:04:41.360 I just keep thinking, you guys, about the fact that 53 00:04:41.439 --> 00:04:46.399 the Gate of the Faral Gods is already available this 54 00:04:46.639 --> 00:04:48.800 early in the game when it's not supposed to be. 55 00:04:49.759 --> 00:04:53.600 And I know that we are already aware the AI 56 00:04:54.079 --> 00:04:58.839 is accelerating things a lot. I know that it's like 57 00:04:59.439 --> 00:05:04.800 part of what we are already seeing going on, But 58 00:05:04.920 --> 00:05:09.319 I can't help but feel like there's something more happening 59 00:05:10.160 --> 00:05:16.680 beyond just it's the accelerated game. It feels like it's 60 00:05:16.759 --> 00:05:24.720 such a specific at advantage. It's not just something like 61 00:05:24.839 --> 00:05:27.680 has existed in the game that shouldn't yet, you know 62 00:05:27.720 --> 00:05:31.240 what I mean. It feels more like I am going 63 00:05:31.399 --> 00:05:35.920 to give you, in particular, something that will be super 64 00:05:36.040 --> 00:05:40.399 useful because of what you want to accomplish in the game. 65 00:05:41.360 --> 00:05:48.240 And that's just I think probably I'm reading into it 66 00:05:48.439 --> 00:05:54.199 more than I should. But it just seems so perfect 67 00:05:54.560 --> 00:05:58.240 for the way that Carl operates and would want to, 68 00:05:59.639 --> 00:06:03.399 like the way that he would want to rescue other people, 69 00:06:04.240 --> 00:06:07.399 that I just can't help but feel like there's something 70 00:06:07.519 --> 00:06:12.639 more here. And I don't know it's especially you know, 71 00:06:12.680 --> 00:06:14.639 the end of the last book, somebody said that the 72 00:06:14.720 --> 00:06:18.199 AI is going primal, and I don't know exactly what 73 00:06:18.240 --> 00:06:21.480 that means. I know that that's the race that Carl shows, 74 00:06:21.920 --> 00:06:26.959 and I know that, like historically speaking, they are significant, 75 00:06:27.680 --> 00:06:31.040 and I know that this will eventually result in his 76 00:06:33.560 --> 00:06:39.720 the type of power he has being really amplified, but 77 00:06:39.839 --> 00:06:42.480 that it's like gonna take some time for that to 78 00:06:42.639 --> 00:06:45.240 become a parent and in the meantime he's gonna have 79 00:06:45.279 --> 00:06:49.279 to grind and be patient. I get all of that, 80 00:06:49.319 --> 00:06:51.439 but I just don't really understand what that looks like 81 00:06:51.519 --> 00:06:57.120 when it comes to the AI, you know, So it 82 00:06:57.279 --> 00:07:01.480 just I don't. I'm not going so far as to 83 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:05.759 say the AI is on Carl's side and is helping him, 84 00:07:05.800 --> 00:07:08.160 because I think it's pretty clear that's not fucking the case. 85 00:07:09.240 --> 00:07:12.519 But there is just something specific about the gate itself 86 00:07:13.199 --> 00:07:15.800 and the way that it can be useful to Carl 87 00:07:16.000 --> 00:07:21.319 with his desire to help everybody that it may just 88 00:07:21.399 --> 00:07:24.240 be it feels that way because it is specific to 89 00:07:24.279 --> 00:07:26.639 the way that Carl works, because the book is written 90 00:07:26.680 --> 00:07:29.040 so that Carl gets a really great thing to use 91 00:07:29.120 --> 00:07:32.399 to save people. It just maybe, you know, but there's 92 00:07:32.439 --> 00:07:34.680 a part of me that feels like, ah, there's I 93 00:07:34.720 --> 00:07:37.000 don't know, maybe there's a little bit more in there. 94 00:07:39.560 --> 00:07:43.959 So you know, he's in the office or in his 95 00:07:44.040 --> 00:07:48.399 sitting there and he is still able to communicate with 96 00:07:48.639 --> 00:07:56.680 Donut via chat and she is still left in that 97 00:07:56.879 --> 00:08:01.399 like sort of like arena. Everybody is waiting in line, 98 00:08:01.680 --> 00:08:05.720 but Katcha is in the room when he is drawn in, 99 00:08:06.759 --> 00:08:11.480 and uh, basically the reason she was here was because 100 00:08:11.480 --> 00:08:17.120 she actually was in possession of the gate. But now 101 00:08:17.480 --> 00:08:22.439 that she has said, it's really Carl's there, which I 102 00:08:22.480 --> 00:08:24.800 think they all already knew, but they had to like 103 00:08:25.000 --> 00:08:26.800 handle her because she was the one who had it. 104 00:08:28.199 --> 00:08:34.200 She's dismissed and obviously feels kind of guilty over the 105 00:08:34.240 --> 00:08:39.200 fact that she put Carl in their crosshairs. I like, 106 00:08:39.519 --> 00:08:41.279 this is one of those things where I have very 107 00:08:41.320 --> 00:08:45.799 mixed feelings because I understand why she has this sensation 108 00:08:46.120 --> 00:08:48.360 of like, I threw you under the bus, But they 109 00:08:48.360 --> 00:08:50.960 have watched the whole thing. They know good and goddamn 110 00:08:51.000 --> 00:08:55.720 well that this was like Carl's idea, and I can't 111 00:08:56.320 --> 00:09:00.759 blame her for just fucking telling the truth in this regard. 112 00:09:00.919 --> 00:09:04.000 You know, I don't think Lyne was would have fooled 113 00:09:04.039 --> 00:09:10.559 anybody or would have done any good frankly so, So, uh, 114 00:09:11.399 --> 00:09:15.080 this conversation, like I said, there's just a strange sensation 115 00:09:15.240 --> 00:09:22.039 here because the overall vibe is meant to be We're 116 00:09:22.039 --> 00:09:24.399 going to have this real convo, But what's also actually 117 00:09:24.440 --> 00:09:26.600 happening is this temptation right in front of you that 118 00:09:26.639 --> 00:09:33.320 I'm not going to acknowledge. And finally he says, Okay, 119 00:09:33.559 --> 00:09:39.840 you've got three choices. I could create an order that 120 00:09:39.879 --> 00:09:42.279 would encase the first floor in a protection spell, that 121 00:09:42.320 --> 00:09:46.519 would remove all crawler access to portals, that would remove 122 00:09:46.679 --> 00:09:52.240 all access to personal spaces and clubs, and break thousands 123 00:09:52.240 --> 00:09:55.639 of other little things. Teleport scrolls would cease to work, 124 00:09:55.960 --> 00:09:58.960 certain movements, spells wouldn't work, your pet's carrier would no 125 00:09:59.000 --> 00:10:04.559 longer function. It would be chaos, and it would kill thousands. 126 00:10:05.200 --> 00:10:08.159 And I'm real curious about that it would kill thousands, 127 00:10:08.200 --> 00:10:12.519 part because I am assuming it's just what he means 128 00:10:12.600 --> 00:10:18.720 is sort of like, as a result of doing this, 129 00:10:18.879 --> 00:10:23.320 it's going to cause people to not be able to 130 00:10:23.679 --> 00:10:26.879 go to safe spaces, and that will result in their deaths. 131 00:10:27.440 --> 00:10:29.600 But I wasn't sure if it was something more direct 132 00:10:29.679 --> 00:10:33.559 than that, where like it will remove personal spaces and 133 00:10:33.600 --> 00:10:36.519 if there are people in them when I do that, 134 00:10:36.840 --> 00:10:39.759 they will die or you know what I mean, I 135 00:10:39.799 --> 00:10:45.559 don't know. Two, we accelerate you, which will result in 136 00:10:45.600 --> 00:10:48.080 your death along with the death of anyone near you. 137 00:10:48.840 --> 00:10:52.519 Or three you turn the winding box in, I give 138 00:10:52.519 --> 00:10:55.480 you a receipt and you get it back the moment 139 00:10:55.519 --> 00:11:01.879 you reach the ninth floor. And Carl buys some time 140 00:11:02.120 --> 00:11:06.080 by first asking there was somebody helping Maggie cheat? What 141 00:11:06.200 --> 00:11:09.480 was that about? She was getting censored? I want to 142 00:11:09.519 --> 00:11:15.559 know what the fuck was happening there, and Orn just says, well, 143 00:11:16.039 --> 00:11:18.360 I mean, I know the answer, but I can't tell you. 144 00:11:19.879 --> 00:11:25.159 I'm glad you asked because it's an important lesson. Exploits 145 00:11:25.240 --> 00:11:29.159 can work both ways. The forces working against you have 146 00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:31.039 had a lot more time to learn how to manipulate 147 00:11:31.039 --> 00:11:35.120 the system, rest assured that particular issue has been dealt 148 00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:37.320 with in the same manner and swiftness as the one 149 00:11:37.360 --> 00:11:43.240 before us now And I love that of like, exploitations 150 00:11:43.279 --> 00:11:46.840 can work both ways because it just is a perfect 151 00:11:46.879 --> 00:11:52.279 opening for Carl to say, I want a lawyer. Guys, 152 00:11:53.360 --> 00:11:56.600 this is one of those things that is such a 153 00:11:56.960 --> 00:12:05.039 fundamental if you ever get arrested for any reason, honestly, 154 00:12:05.720 --> 00:12:08.320 even if you're just brought in for questioning on something, 155 00:12:09.120 --> 00:12:14.360 request a lawyer. There is a lot of propaganda out 156 00:12:14.360 --> 00:12:17.600 there that makes it seem like requesting a lawyer makes 157 00:12:17.600 --> 00:12:22.919 you look guilty. It doesn't. It makes you look smart. 158 00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:25.600 They make you want think that it's going to make 159 00:12:25.600 --> 00:12:27.799 you look guilty to scare you into not doing it. 160 00:12:28.440 --> 00:12:33.120 But the way that you can completely fuck yourself without 161 00:12:33.240 --> 00:12:35.759 having legal representation to tell you to shut the fuck 162 00:12:35.840 --> 00:12:39.879 up at certain points, I cannot overstate I mean, I 163 00:12:40.120 --> 00:12:44.000 am I have a very hard time keeping my mouth shut, 164 00:12:44.360 --> 00:12:50.399 and I know that I would have a really really 165 00:12:50.440 --> 00:12:54.600 difficult time keeping my mouth shut in front of a 166 00:12:54.679 --> 00:12:58.480 cop who is trying to like bait me with questions 167 00:12:58.519 --> 00:13:01.960 that are very like suggest are provocative about like oh 168 00:13:02.000 --> 00:13:04.519 so was so and so doing that, Like I would 169 00:13:05.240 --> 00:13:08.440 have to bite my tongue so hard because I fancy 170 00:13:08.559 --> 00:13:12.080 myself a smart person, and I would think, and I know, 171 00:13:12.679 --> 00:13:15.559 I know I would wind up saying some shit that 172 00:13:15.600 --> 00:13:19.600 would fuck me over. I just would because I don't 173 00:13:19.720 --> 00:13:22.600 understand the full implications of everything I'm saying in the moment. 174 00:13:22.639 --> 00:13:24.600 I just can't because I don't have all the information 175 00:13:24.639 --> 00:13:28.399 that they're working with. So this is something that's like 176 00:13:28.480 --> 00:13:32.919 apparently not usual for this early in the game, but 177 00:13:33.039 --> 00:13:38.159 because of the special circumstances of everything, this is exactly allowed. 178 00:13:38.360 --> 00:13:43.320 And this guy apparently predicted that this was how Karl 179 00:13:43.440 --> 00:13:48.799 was going to respond. He grunted with amusement. I could tell, 180 00:13:48.840 --> 00:13:52.440 despite his mostly serious demeanor, he was enjoying this exchange. 181 00:13:52.960 --> 00:13:55.039 He looked back over his own shoulder to peer at 182 00:13:55.039 --> 00:13:57.840 the blank wall. I told you, what did I say? 183 00:13:58.240 --> 00:14:01.360 He returned his fish bowl head, and mind direction, you 184 00:14:01.519 --> 00:14:06.480 just said the magic words crawler. And it is just 185 00:14:06.720 --> 00:14:13.000 so honestly, guys, especially in the year of our Beyonce 186 00:14:13.159 --> 00:14:18.799 twenty twenty five, where Ice is out here just pulling 187 00:14:18.840 --> 00:14:21.279 people out of their fucking homes in the middle of 188 00:14:21.320 --> 00:14:25.879 the night, in unmarked vehicles without license plates and masks on. 189 00:14:27.960 --> 00:14:32.840 We are not living in a world where justice prevails, 190 00:14:34.200 --> 00:14:38.960 and you cannot rely on the goodwill or common sense 191 00:14:39.720 --> 00:14:44.480 of anybody. Use the system as much as you can. 192 00:14:44.759 --> 00:14:49.000 It's your only protection. And it may feel slimy, probably 193 00:14:49.039 --> 00:14:52.759 at times, but like, oh, well, you know, it is slimy. 194 00:14:52.879 --> 00:14:54.840 All of it is slimy. That's kind of part of 195 00:14:54.879 --> 00:14:57.799 the nature of it. Is like the way the system 196 00:14:57.879 --> 00:15:01.799 is built is it's an a just two people who 197 00:15:01.840 --> 00:15:06.000 are willing to compromise ethically all the time, and you 198 00:15:06.120 --> 00:15:07.840 just have to be at a point where you're okay 199 00:15:07.879 --> 00:15:11.080 with doing that to protect yourself. And it sucks because like, 200 00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:14.000 that's not my instinct. I want to do things, like, 201 00:15:14.759 --> 00:15:20.159 you know, in a moral and upright way, and that's 202 00:15:20.440 --> 00:15:27.799 just a pipe dream at this point. So then he 203 00:15:27.840 --> 00:15:31.440 goes into the staging area, and he had expected that 204 00:15:31.480 --> 00:15:33.720 he was going to see Mordecai and be put in 205 00:15:33.759 --> 00:15:35.720 his personal space, but he gets sent to the spot 206 00:15:35.720 --> 00:15:39.159 where there's a line, and he says, from what I gathered, 207 00:15:39.200 --> 00:15:41.480 everyone had to go through the line, even those whose 208 00:15:41.519 --> 00:15:46.399 classes didn't have the option to specialize. I just it's 209 00:15:46.440 --> 00:15:48.559 a very small throwaway line, but I just wanted to 210 00:15:48.600 --> 00:15:51.480 mention what bullshit that is. How pissed I would be 211 00:15:51.519 --> 00:15:53.360 at having to just stand in a line for no 212 00:15:53.519 --> 00:15:57.240 fucking reason. If it turned out I couldn't specialize. I 213 00:15:57.279 --> 00:16:00.600 would be livid at just the waste of time and 214 00:16:00.679 --> 00:16:03.679 just standing around. I be so mad. I hate that 215 00:16:03.799 --> 00:16:12.879 so much. And he, while he's like waiting, chats with 216 00:16:13.000 --> 00:16:16.159 Katya and Donut a little bit, and we find out 217 00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:23.279 that Katya no sorry, that Donut has a new class 218 00:16:23.639 --> 00:16:32.200 and she is a bard. I. It's so perfect, it's 219 00:16:32.200 --> 00:16:40.600 so good, it's so great. I absolutely have no problem 220 00:16:40.679 --> 00:16:42.600 with this in light of the fact that she can't 221 00:16:42.679 --> 00:16:45.159 use half her spells because she is so out of tune. 222 00:16:45.679 --> 00:16:50.039 Even better, it's so funny. This is one of my 223 00:16:50.120 --> 00:16:53.200 favorite jokes of this series, is that she chooses this 224 00:16:53.320 --> 00:16:59.360 class and then she can't fucking sing. I mean, I 225 00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:02.840 love it. I cannot tell you, guys. This is and 226 00:17:02.840 --> 00:17:05.559 and and the way that it works as well, where 227 00:17:05.559 --> 00:17:08.720 it's like the you just have to put it to 228 00:17:09.599 --> 00:17:16.400 whatever melody you pick is weird, which I also like 229 00:17:16.519 --> 00:17:19.440 because now she can just pick some like she chooses 230 00:17:19.559 --> 00:17:23.960 the A team theme song at one point for a 231 00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:26.599 spell that I think she says like a standing ovation 232 00:17:26.839 --> 00:17:31.400 or encore something like that, I my god, you guys, 233 00:17:31.440 --> 00:17:35.839 that's so fucking great. There is this this I don't 234 00:17:35.880 --> 00:17:37.960 know if it's a filter. I guess you would call 235 00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:41.920 it a filter. There are various things on TikTok that 236 00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:45.720 are sensitive to sound that you can use as a 237 00:17:45.920 --> 00:17:49.799 like overlays on your videos. And one of the things 238 00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:54.279 is a ball that it's like an a A what's 239 00:17:54.319 --> 00:17:58.240 the word I want? It's an animation while you are 240 00:17:58.279 --> 00:18:02.440 taking video of yourself of a ball that is hovering 241 00:18:03.039 --> 00:18:10.200 and you have to sing in scale, you know, like oh, 242 00:18:10.240 --> 00:18:13.960 and the ball every time you change noe it lifts 243 00:18:14.079 --> 00:18:17.160 a little bit. And there are boards coming toward it 244 00:18:17.200 --> 00:18:18.839 that each have a hole in it, and if you 245 00:18:18.880 --> 00:18:21.880 are on key, the ball will be in the right 246 00:18:21.920 --> 00:18:27.319 place and it will pass through that board. And there 247 00:18:27.359 --> 00:18:29.839 are a lot of people who are like professional singers 248 00:18:29.880 --> 00:18:32.839 that posted their videos of being able to get the 249 00:18:32.839 --> 00:18:35.640 ball through every hole on every board. On the first try, 250 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:39.279 I thought I was going to be able to do it, 251 00:18:39.519 --> 00:18:44.079 and I got every board except for the very last one, 252 00:18:44.119 --> 00:18:47.000 and no matter what I did, I couldn't get it. 253 00:18:47.160 --> 00:18:50.720 I couldn't get it. I don't know why. It was infuriating, 254 00:18:52.319 --> 00:18:53.720 but it was just one of those things that I 255 00:18:53.720 --> 00:18:55.720 couldn't even be like, well, then the game is wrong 256 00:18:55.799 --> 00:18:58.079 because a bunch of other people had done it. You know, 257 00:18:58.200 --> 00:19:01.599 it's obviously me. It's a me problem, but it made 258 00:19:01.640 --> 00:19:06.880 me really wonder, like, how effective would I be with 259 00:19:06.960 --> 00:19:11.720 this kind of ability if I think I'm on key. 260 00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:17.200 It appears Dona is aware that she's not on key. 261 00:19:17.599 --> 00:19:20.680 It doesn't feel like she's so much under the impression 262 00:19:20.720 --> 00:19:24.000 that she's a good singer so much as she just 263 00:19:24.200 --> 00:19:26.319 loves to do it and she doesn't care that she's 264 00:19:26.359 --> 00:19:30.119 not good at it, which I just cannot help but 265 00:19:30.200 --> 00:19:34.400 admire that attitude. That's just you know, I wish that 266 00:19:34.440 --> 00:19:36.240 I were more like that of just like it's just 267 00:19:36.319 --> 00:19:39.359 fun and yeah, maybe I suck, but oh well, I 268 00:19:39.440 --> 00:19:42.960 just like it. I'm kind of that way when it 269 00:19:42.960 --> 00:19:46.400 comes to dancing. But I can still get very much 270 00:19:46.400 --> 00:19:48.319 in my feelings about the fact that I'm not good 271 00:19:48.319 --> 00:19:49.759 at it. It's sort of you know what I mean, 272 00:19:49.799 --> 00:19:54.480 it's like dependent on moods and whatnot. But yeah, I 273 00:19:54.559 --> 00:19:59.519 just And also the way the audiobook narrator delivers the 274 00:19:59.559 --> 00:20:04.000 line and she tells him what class I'm aboard, there 275 00:20:04.079 --> 00:20:09.319 was just something about it that was so just ideal. 276 00:20:10.279 --> 00:20:14.519 I feel like the audiobook narrator is pulling out some 277 00:20:14.680 --> 00:20:20.000 stops already at the beginning of this book, and I'm 278 00:20:20.160 --> 00:20:29.799 going to be keeping my eye on him. So this 279 00:20:29.960 --> 00:20:32.599 is when he gets to the front of the line. 280 00:20:32.640 --> 00:20:35.599 He's the last crawler and he's about to go into 281 00:20:35.720 --> 00:20:39.039 one of these little cubicles, which he says is like 282 00:20:39.519 --> 00:20:44.039 one of those cubicles from porno theaters or whatever, not 283 00:20:44.160 --> 00:20:48.160 porn theaters, but like sex shops. And once he goes in, 284 00:20:48.240 --> 00:20:50.359 he's like, oh, yeah, that's exactly what it is. But 285 00:20:50.480 --> 00:20:54.200 before he goes in, he gets the announcement. And when 286 00:20:54.240 --> 00:20:58.200 I'm talking about the narrator like pulling out some stops, 287 00:21:01.039 --> 00:21:05.240 this voice, I mean, every time that he does the 288 00:21:05.319 --> 00:21:10.319 voice Hello Crawlers, like it's it's very much like I'm 289 00:21:10.559 --> 00:21:14.079 smiling too much the whole time, and I'm too excited. 290 00:21:14.440 --> 00:21:18.200 That's the energy that's always put into the voice no 291 00:21:18.240 --> 00:21:26.200 matter what right. But in this book there's also this 292 00:21:27.119 --> 00:21:34.440 like breathless quality added that is so over the top 293 00:21:34.519 --> 00:21:38.119 that it's almost uncomfortable to listen to. I'm just gonna 294 00:21:38.119 --> 00:21:39.839 I'm gonna do my best to imitate it, just in 295 00:21:39.880 --> 00:21:41.839 your if you're not listening to the audiobook, just to 296 00:21:41.839 --> 00:21:49.480 give you an example. Hello crawlers, welcome to the sixth floor. 297 00:21:50.160 --> 00:21:54.279 We are so happy to have you here. Like the 298 00:21:54.359 --> 00:21:59.680 third floor, this sixth floor is a dungeon crawler world tradition. 299 00:22:00.599 --> 00:22:07.799 It's the hunting grounds like that, it's so much it's 300 00:22:07.880 --> 00:22:13.720 a significant chunk of text also so keeping that kind 301 00:22:13.799 --> 00:22:18.000 of energy up for the whole thing. It's really something. 302 00:22:18.200 --> 00:22:23.839 It's really something. And there's a mention of like that. 303 00:22:23.839 --> 00:22:26.680 The hunters have been here for weeks and they have 304 00:22:26.839 --> 00:22:29.480 set traps up so and some of you have already 305 00:22:29.519 --> 00:22:33.160 found this out the hard way. Traditionally, all hunters start 306 00:22:33.200 --> 00:22:35.799 out at level thirty and are able to train themselves 307 00:22:35.880 --> 00:22:38.079 up as you make your way through the lower floors. 308 00:22:38.720 --> 00:22:42.119 It's no secret you're here sooner than usual. In the 309 00:22:42.160 --> 00:22:45.480 spirit of fairness and as an incentive to gain more 310 00:22:45.559 --> 00:22:49.640 last minute participants, we have given all hunters a bump 311 00:22:49.759 --> 00:22:57.240 of twenty levels. I am so sorry. That's insane. That's 312 00:22:57.279 --> 00:23:02.640 insane behavior, especially because in the very next paragraph she's like, 313 00:23:03.680 --> 00:23:06.200 there's less a few than we expected. We lost more 314 00:23:06.200 --> 00:23:08.160 of you on the previous floor than we really thought. 315 00:23:08.440 --> 00:23:11.759 I understand that all of the crawlers are higher in 316 00:23:11.880 --> 00:23:14.440 levels than they normally are at this point. I know 317 00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:18.039 that I don't think that they are like that far 318 00:23:18.119 --> 00:23:21.640 ahead twenty levels. That's not the impression I was getting. 319 00:23:21.680 --> 00:23:29.119 And maybe I'm wrong about that, but that's bananas. And 320 00:23:29.960 --> 00:23:33.480 let's see, there is at least one unguarded exit in 321 00:23:33.519 --> 00:23:36.920 the city of Zuccau, along with more in the valley beyond. 322 00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:40.039 In addition, some city boss and larger mobs will have 323 00:23:40.039 --> 00:23:43.000 an exit nearby. The rest are hidden but should be 324 00:23:43.039 --> 00:23:46.720 easy to find. And there's also the mention of, like, 325 00:23:48.599 --> 00:23:50.880 you know here it is, we did lose a few 326 00:23:50.880 --> 00:23:53.279 more crawlers than we anticipated. We will all have to 327 00:23:53.319 --> 00:24:02.200 work together to make sure your incompetence doesn't continue. Are incompetence? 328 00:24:02.839 --> 00:24:08.920 You guys are litigating NonStop this game. That's your incompetence, 329 00:24:09.039 --> 00:24:11.680 y'all are the fuck ups? Try to make it. It's 330 00:24:11.720 --> 00:24:17.160 the crawler's fault disgusting. I hate you so much. So 331 00:24:17.240 --> 00:24:22.200 this is when Carl runs into Ian a bush Elf 332 00:24:22.359 --> 00:24:26.920 NPC who we find out is actually a former crawler 333 00:24:28.319 --> 00:24:31.680 and normally he has a different job, but they're being 334 00:24:31.720 --> 00:24:34.559 pulled in to do this thing, and he even mentions 335 00:24:34.559 --> 00:24:36.839 when they're talking that this is like the smallest group 336 00:24:36.839 --> 00:24:40.400 he's ever seen come through at this point, and he 337 00:24:40.680 --> 00:24:45.039 knows Carl by name and is like, oh, they said 338 00:24:45.079 --> 00:24:46.240 that you were going to do such and such, and 339 00:24:46.279 --> 00:24:48.119 Carl's like, yeah, well they took the thing away and 340 00:24:48.160 --> 00:24:53.319 he's like, yeah, they really like to do that. And 341 00:24:53.359 --> 00:24:56.000 he says stay away from the city of Zacau even 342 00:24:56.039 --> 00:24:58.880 after the countdown is done. It's all the way to 343 00:24:58.920 --> 00:25:01.880 the north. That's where they aliens are. They don't fight fair, 344 00:25:02.039 --> 00:25:05.480 so be careful. Last Hunting season, one of them killed 345 00:25:05.519 --> 00:25:08.839 my brother for no reason, was working a food stand, 346 00:25:09.240 --> 00:25:12.160 ripped his head right off, and since the guards didn't 347 00:25:12.200 --> 00:25:16.680 see it, they did nothing. You remember the previous season, 348 00:25:17.039 --> 00:25:20.839 I asked, suddenly intrigued. I was a human like you. 349 00:25:21.359 --> 00:25:25.039 I was a crawler a very long time ago. I 350 00:25:25.160 --> 00:25:27.519 hate this every time we run into somebody, like when 351 00:25:27.720 --> 00:25:29.680 they always just say something about how like it was 352 00:25:29.720 --> 00:25:34.000 a while ago. Now we don't get like dates, and 353 00:25:35.440 --> 00:25:38.000 how long has this dude been forced to be an NPC. 354 00:25:38.599 --> 00:25:40.799 And he's not supposed to say this stuff. He's supposed 355 00:25:40.799 --> 00:25:42.880 to stay in character. So we have this awful moment 356 00:25:42.920 --> 00:25:44.920 at the end of the convo where he gets snapped. 357 00:25:45.279 --> 00:25:48.880 Obviously there's some kind of like mechanism by which they 358 00:25:48.880 --> 00:25:53.039 can punish him for speaking out of turn, and you know, ugh, 359 00:25:54.240 --> 00:25:56.839 and Carl asks like, do you know who killed your brother? 360 00:25:57.440 --> 00:26:01.559 And her name is Vrah and she's Mantis. There's a 361 00:26:01.640 --> 00:26:05.079 core group of about twenty regulars who are here every season. 362 00:26:05.759 --> 00:26:08.799 Rot takes the heads of those she kills and wears 363 00:26:08.880 --> 00:26:13.759 them upon her body. Her death count is in the thousands, 364 00:26:14.559 --> 00:26:17.480 wears them upon her body. She must be pretty big 365 00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:20.160 if she could just be wearing people's heads like their 366 00:26:20.200 --> 00:26:25.640 fucking pearls on a necklace, Like she must be big, yikes, 367 00:26:26.680 --> 00:26:28.680 or else she doesn't mind them being in the way, 368 00:26:28.839 --> 00:26:37.480 I suppose. So Karl has to choose a specialty. And 369 00:26:37.559 --> 00:26:41.960 I'm not going to go into all the options in detail. 370 00:26:42.319 --> 00:26:48.359 There are three revolutionary gorilla agent provocateur and Mordecai wanted 371 00:26:48.400 --> 00:26:50.920 him to choose something that was like had an advantage 372 00:26:50.960 --> 00:26:55.720 in melee. But as soon as Agent Provocateur says something 373 00:26:55.759 --> 00:26:59.880 about you like to blow things up, I was like, oh, well, obvious. 374 00:27:00.839 --> 00:27:05.200 If there's anything that Carl is like doing, it is 375 00:27:05.920 --> 00:27:10.960 provoking them. So yeah, that sounds right. And it also 376 00:27:11.119 --> 00:27:17.079 allows access to the advanced bomb maker's workshop, and that's 377 00:27:17.200 --> 00:27:19.799 really the thing that he wants, so he goes for 378 00:27:19.880 --> 00:27:24.960 that one. As he steps out of that room, he 379 00:27:25.039 --> 00:27:31.319 winds up in this jungle and he gets attacked almost immediately. 380 00:27:31.400 --> 00:27:35.960 It's like really really soon. And I don't know if 381 00:27:36.000 --> 00:27:38.680 this is a result of a trap going off or 382 00:27:38.720 --> 00:27:41.079 if somebody knew where he was going to come through. 383 00:27:41.640 --> 00:27:48.000 I genuinely don't know, but this is like the way 384 00:27:48.039 --> 00:27:50.720 that this goes down. There are guards here who are 385 00:27:50.720 --> 00:27:54.200 our little mushroom guys. I say little. They're pretty tall, 386 00:27:54.240 --> 00:27:59.599 I think, actually, but they are level ninety five and 387 00:27:59.640 --> 00:28:06.359 they get paralyzed really quickly, and Carl gets attacked and 388 00:28:07.119 --> 00:28:11.720 is like unable to see his adversary. So he has 389 00:28:11.799 --> 00:28:16.720 protective shell up for a minute. But he does something 390 00:28:16.720 --> 00:28:19.440 that I really liked, which is he uses gunpowder and 391 00:28:19.480 --> 00:28:21.599 he throws it out there to make this sort of 392 00:28:21.640 --> 00:28:24.559 like haze, so that it will get stuck on whoever 393 00:28:24.640 --> 00:28:28.119 and make their shape a little bit more distinctive. And 394 00:28:28.640 --> 00:28:32.759 they are all they are able to shake a lot 395 00:28:32.799 --> 00:28:37.799 of it off, but he's still seeing the outline of it. 396 00:28:37.799 --> 00:28:39.960 It doesn't help, though, because there's more than one of 397 00:28:39.960 --> 00:28:44.920 these things, and we wind up finding out that these 398 00:28:44.960 --> 00:28:51.240 are night weasels and they are the pets of a 399 00:28:51.359 --> 00:28:57.279 hunter who like the way that these things work is 400 00:28:57.839 --> 00:29:03.559 the pack hunting, and the paralyzing is there, you know, 401 00:29:03.599 --> 00:29:08.279