Part of Dungeon Crawler Carl, book 8
First published 2026
Carl and Donut arrive at the tenth floor to find themselves trapped in what appears to be a straightforward competition. Race from start to finish. Don't place last. Upgrade your vehicle after each round as the tracks grow more deadly. The format feels suspiciously ordinary for a dungeon that thrives on chaos. Strange glitches ripple through the system with growing intensity. Whispers circulate about the eleventh floor, something the AI cryptically names A Parade of Horribles. The showrunners themselves don't understand what awaits above. Meanwhile, outside the dungeon, Faction Wars have triggered mass panic and disorder. Carl despises how the racing rules strip away his control and force compliance. He begins crafting a plan so reckless that he cannot share it with anyone, knowing the AI monitors everything. The scheme could destroy him and Donut if it fails. But Carl refuses to play by the system's terms any longer, even when the consequences threaten far more than their own survival.
Genres: science-fiction, dystopia, adventure, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
704 pages · Hardcover · Ace