Dungeon Crawler Carl, #6
The Eye of the Bedlam Bride
by Matt Dinniman
Contents
Chapter 30
Overview
Carl and Donut refine their deck strategy through practice, concluding that rushing enemy deckmasters may be their best way to survive and preserve valuable cards. At the Desperado Club, Katia’s collapse is revealed as the result of multiple drug addictions that have damaged her stats and threaten her usefulness and stability.
Mordecai warns Carl that saving Katia may come at the cost of Donut’s safety, but Carl refuses to abandon her. Despite Katia’s weakened condition and objections from the group, Carl pushes her to help complete the urgent plan involving Astrid, the orchid, and Huanxin before Phase Two changes the rules.
Summary
With six hours left before Phase Two, Zev warns Carl and Donut that they must return soon for Odette’s show and then go directly to onboarding, with Harbinger observing virtually. Carl and Donut enter the Desperado Club while discussing how most decks rely on themes and combos, unlike their current eclectic deck, and Donut notes the unfairness of enemies spending consumable cards in single-use fights.
Carl reviews their recent practice matches. A muddy blob opponent used tank monsters and snare cards to neutralize Shi Maria, freeze Raul and Asojano, and defeat Donut once her totems were gone. In the next fight, Carl immediately killed The Luau, her piglet musician, and her Mo’o with a hob-lobber, deciding that fast deckmaster kills could preserve enemy decks for looting when real fights begin.
Inside the Desperado Club dining room, Carl and Donut find Katia awake, sobbing, and violently vomiting while Imani, Bautista, Elle, and Louis look after her. Mordecai explains privately that Katia is addicted to four drugs, including blitz sticks and Glory Bound, and that the first cure is causing the vomiting. The drugs have damaged Katia’s stats, left her vulnerable to addictive magic, and may have cost her spells or skills.
Mordecai details the remaining cures, especially Glory Bound, whose cure will force Katia to relive one of her worst memories. Carl realizes the timing is disastrous because Katia is needed immediately to help kill Astrid, open the box, obtain the orchid, and secure Huanxin’s help before Carl and Donut go to Odette. Mordecai then raises the brutal alternative: helping Katia may endanger Donut because of the unresolved Crown of the Sepsis Whore problem, but Carl refuses to abandon Katia.
Carl tells Katia to take the blitz patch, pull herself together, and help him with Samantha because they have only about three hours. Bautista objects and storms out, Imani warns that Katia still has many debuffs but agrees to stabilize her, and Donut follows Katia and Imani to the bathroom. Elle warns Carl that if Katia is harmed, Bautista may break as well, but Carl insists Phase Two may change everything and that the dangerous plan must happen now.
Who Appears
- CarlPushes deck strategy, absorbs Katia’s crisis, and insists on completing the urgent Astrid plan.
- DonutDiscusses deck tactics, worries over Katia, and follows her during treatment.
- KatiaAwakens sick from addiction cures, weakened by drug damage, but agrees to help Carl.
- MordecaiExplains Katia’s addictions, cures, stat damage, and warns Carl of the hard strategic choice.
- ImaniTreats Katia with cures and buffs, while warning that Katia remains heavily debuffed.
- BautistaProtectively objects to Carl pushing Katia and storms out in anger.
- ElleChallenges Carl’s decision, warns about Bautista, and discusses Phase Two team concerns.
- LouisHelps manage Katia’s vomiting and gains an achievement for storing the bucket.
- ZevMessages Carl and Donut about Odette’s show, onboarding, and Harbinger’s virtual observation.
- Shi MariaPowerful totem neutralized in practice by a snare card and evasive mud-ball tank.