Dungeon Crawler Carl, #7
This Inevitable Ruin
by Matt Dinniman
Contents
Chapter 72
Overview
Carl's conscription of Lucia initially gives Carl control, but Diah's emergence reveals that Lucia's mind may contain trapped children and that the dogs are tied to which personality is in control. The crisis escalates outside the Nest when Gustavo 3 nearly kills Mongo, forcing Carl to rely on Rend to destroy the dog while Donut remains trapped and helpless above.
Li Na's successful conscription of Harpocrates shifts the battlefield as the god attacks Yarilo, but the chapter ends with a darker reversal: Lucia claims the Eulogist has gained an ally and that killing Lucia would doom Earth's children. Carl is left with Mongo barely alive and Lucia more dangerous than ever.
Summary
The copied Conscription potion works on Lucia, placing Lucia under Carl's orders. Carl sends Raul to help Donut, then forces Lucia to cancel any hostile spells and remove her protections. Lucia's malice confirms that Lucia had been pretending to be helpless, but the conscription prevents Lucia from directly harming Carl.
Donut reports that Gustavo 3 is trapped in the stairwell near the Nest, still trying to attack with lightning while Donut prepares Mongo and clockwork duplicates. Carl orders Lucia to call Gustavo back and asks about the net trapping Donut. Lucia explains that the effect is on Donut, not the tower, and that Donut will explode if Donut tries to teleport until the effect expires.
A warlord message reveals that Harpocrates has been conscripted into the Princess Posse, meaning Li Na successfully used the potion on the god. Carl prepares to mark and kill Lucia because Lucia remains a threat and the conscription will end with the floor, but another personality, Diah, surfaces. Diah says Lucia is with Alexandro and only returns when the dogs are close; Diah describes other trapped children existing in darkness and pain inside Lucia's mind.
Before Carl can learn more, the group from the tower chute crashes into Carl and knocks Carl outside with Gustavo 3, Raul, and three Mongos. Harpocrates, under Li Na's control, strides through the city and uses the god-ball to fight Yarilo. Donut, still trapped above, cannot get a clear shot and panics over Mongo.
Gustavo 3 fights savagely, destroying clockwork Mongos, impaling the real Mongo with Porcupine Defense, electrifying the quills, and nearly ripping out Mongo's throat. Raul is badly wounded and disappears in a puff of smoke. Carl is repeatedly battered by the gale tower and nearly crippled while trying to intervene, but Carl summons Rend with Wrecking Ball, and Rend rolls through Gustavo 3, killing the dog.
Lucia, in hag form, sobs and uses a pet healing potion to keep Mongo barely alive, then another personality or influence returns. Lucia tells Carl that Carl should have killed Lucia while the dog connection remained. Lucia claims the Eulogist now has another ally in the dungeon and that Carl cannot kill Lucia without causing all the children of Earth to die, then walks away.
Who Appears
- CarlConscripts Lucia, investigates her mind, and struggles to save Mongo under gale tower fire.
- Lucia MarConscripted enemy crawler whose dog-linked personalities and Eulogist connection become more dangerous.
- DiahPersonality inside Lucia who says children are trapped in darkness within Lucia's mind.
- DonutTrapped in the Nest by a binding effect and panics as Mongo fights below.
- MongoAttacks Gustavo 3, is brutally injured, and survives only through emergency healing.
- Gustavo 3Lucia's rottweiler, nearly kills Mongo with quills and lightning before Rend destroys him.
- RendGigantic summoned ally whose Wrecking Ball charge kills Gustavo 3 and shields Carl.
- RaulRushes to help Donut, is severely wounded by Gustavo's lightning, and disappears.
- Li NaSuccessfully conscripts Harpocrates and directs the god against Yarilo.
- HarpocratesConscripted god under Li Na's control who attacks Yarilo with the god-ball.
- YariloWar Mage-aligned god who enters range and is struck by Harpocrates.