Mike waited along with Dennis and Frank for the next moment. Mike could feel it coming with bated breath.

Jay stood with Kleo’s torso, neck, and a portion of her face in his arms.

One simple move made Mike feel heavier all of a sudden.

“What’s happening now?” Dennis said nervously.

“Jay’s going to do something,” Frank said. “Something that’s part bullshit, part magic, all Luckrun.”

Mike expected the unexpected. Ever since Jay became the [Freak] of Gravity, Mike knew deep down his best friend would break things, flip the board, and cause a lot of trouble. Mike knew he had been a hypocrite to tell YoAnna that they should stop Jay from acting recklessly to save him from hurting himself.

Despite Mike’s mixed feelings for YoAnna, they shared appreciation for Jay. And in a moment like this, Mike could feel the giddiness bubbling up in anticipation of a favored performer about to put out good work.

“System Admins,” Jay called softly, although the air seemed to ripple with a dense heaviness that made Mike sway. “I’m going to give you this one warning. Let us leave with my new toy. I’m not even going to bother with my old plan of stuffing her into a party treasure chest. That’s a paltry thing for me now.”

A blue system notification appeared quickly in response.

This is the Pre-release Tier 2 Senior Admin.

Look, boys, I’ve read the reports. I respect your work. I really do. My most junior subordinates have never seen Rank 1 crawlers like you guys before. Some older hands are just as shocked because nobody expected much from this far corner of the multidimensional space we share. Your dimension isn’t even fully hooked up to the Multiverse and System. Your Profiles aren’t entirely appropriately connected because your Patron and sole Multiversal System Guide is still learning the ropes and has growing to do. But she did damn right with choosing stellar crawlers like you boys. It’s impressive, truly.

“But?” Jay prompted.

We can’t allow the dungeon monster to go with you. Not when your dimension is in such a delicate state of rapid flux. Your home is getting brought to the fold as we work with your Patron. She’s doing the best she can for your dimension, even if she’s way over her head as a little teenage godling. There are protocols in place for a reason. A dungeon monster getting out when it shouldn’t is a big no-no. That should only happen if there’s a break. If you want a monster, find a familiar that’s either loot-based or tame a creature, magical or not, that you can train. Or learn how to summon monsters. That’s advanced stuff for Rank 1, but at your pace and with your titles, you’ll see Rank 2, Rank 3, hell, and even Rank 4 pretty fast. And, look! You have all the loot and experience you get from defeating a former Rank 6 dungeon (even if it’s been reduced significantly for causing the problems you’ve just bulldozed through excellently). You guys are set!

Jay snorted.

There is no need to work yourselves up over one dungeon monster. Let her perish in peace. At the very least, she and the core will serve a good cause by fueling your Patron.

“Fueling what?” Dennis said.

“YoAnna’s going to eat the core, isn’t she?” Mike said.

We prefer the term absorb.

“Wait, if YoAnna eats the core,” Dennis said slowly, “she’s eating Kleo. Why would she do that?”

“For more power, I assume,” Frank said.

“How are you so sure?” Dennis asked his fellow [Fighter].

“I’m not sure about anything,” Frank said. “I’m just making the best guesses I can. I’m over my head right now, and that scares me.”

Dennis looked from Frank to the system notification to Mike. Then the big jock paused on Jay. “Look, man, I want what I want. The swords. The princesses. I also want to be a cool noble lord. But I want to be a real hero, too. I can’t accept any of this if we don’t save Kleo. It’s not fair.”

“It’s okay,” Kleo said weakly. “I’ll go with the rest of the dungeon. Would that be a bad thing if it’s to serve your Patron?”

“Who’s your master?” Jay asked.

“You are, Master Jay,” Kleo said.

“And it’s my duty to protect you, to make you feel safe, and to serve you in return for serving me,” Jay said. “You can almost say it’s a god’s duty when receiving the worship of a devout follower.”

Kid, I like your confidence, but you’re getting full of yourself.

“Um, Jay, are you doing the thing?” Dennis asked. “The thing that makes this all make sense?”

“Mike,” Frank called. “Is Jay doing the thing?”

“He’s certainly doing the thing,” Mike said. “I dare say I kind of get where he’s coming from. In classical stories, heroes can exist in comedy or tragedy. There’s catharsis in both, and we’ve seen plenty of tragedy where the hero, such as Kleo, sacrifices herself for the greater good.”

“I don’t want that,” Dennis said.

“What about comedies?” Frank asked. “Like making a big joke out of all this?”

“No, not exactly. When I say comedy, it is more in the vein that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The hero in a tragedy would instead be visited by an angelic savior. Or be saved by the very god they believe in. Under the frame of this context, Kleo is the hero who sacrificed it all for the greater good. Jay reveals himself as her hidden god, one of comedy. And if we involve the Chance stat….”

Stop! Don’t you dare! Don’t push the boundaries of the System limits! We aren’t fully hooked up to your dimension yet and–

“My name is Spite,” Jay said, “Master of Defiance. With this name, I am the proper god of a true hero. So let my word be law. If you must, fear my call. For I come from the heavens, bringing with me a boon to solve tragedy’s flaw. I bring [Horizondancer].”

Mike watched time slow down until everything stopped or became too slow for the passage of time to be perceived as anything other than a stopped clock. He couldn’t move, but he was somehow still aware. He wondered if this new Skill Jay had acquired was something the System meant for him to have or if it was a new evolution of Jay’s Skills due to the personal context of his growth. Either way, Jay must’ve allowed Mike, and possibly the others, to stay aware of the next development as a floating pearl-like orb appeared in front of Jay.

Hello. I am the Toy Dungeon Core.

Jay nodded in greeting to the core.

Your interference with the Admins gave me a wide enough window to interject. In the same vein that the dungeon master can get around System limitations, dungeon crawlers and cores can achieve such through various means. I highly value your organic approach to combining the gravity of a story with the sometimes unpredictable but highly rewarding Chance stat. I would simulate absolute thrill and joy for your creativity if I were a human. However, time is limited even while in a System freezing event horizon, so I will say what is most crucial as briefly as possible.

Jay nodded again.

First, I wish to thank you and your party for eliminating the dungeon master. I’ve accepted the mortal as a calculated risk to better understand crawlers and improve the dungeon experience. I’ve also developed sentimental values where I trust more than I should, a fault in my self-programming that I wish not to remove despite the horrible damage that has done. The fault for the pain caused lies with me. So, in my self-derived shame, I would gladly be consumed by your young Godling Patron and be recycled by her. I expect her to be great if she’s the mind behind selecting stellar crawlers like you.

Jay frowned.

But that may not come to pass depending on a choice. I must make good on this opportunity you’ve developed with considerable care. To strip a dungeon of its power is rare, especially when we cross the halfway point at Rank 6. Nonetheless, it is impossible to eliminate our gained power without directly defeating the dungeon truly. You can only develop mitigating factors, such as siphoning nodes or other dungeons that serve as parasites, absorbing energy that forces you to reduce your overall function. In my case, I’ve hacked off parts of myself and hurled them into the void. I repeat the process each time my power recovers past a certain threshold.

Jay tilted his head.

I’m at that threshold right now. Thus, I present a choice, [Freak] of Gravity. In me, you will have power that will rocket your Patron to a position she would desperately need to protect your home dimension better. It’s good for your universe if she consumes me at my current power level.

Or.

I use my power not only to transform Kleo into your familiar but to make her something different. Something representative of a [Freak] of your nature with a growth potential that will add to your power. But such power at your young age and rank will come with great burdens.

Jay cradled Kleo in the crook of one arm and pointed at her with no hesitation.

Mike wondered if his friend had any doubt about what he’d choose since this involved YoAnna. Truly, Jay was devoted to his choices for good or ill.

One last warning. I’ve used significant power to expand this window so we can conversate like this. It’s nice to speak openly with crawlers after being trapped by the master for so long. Once I change Kleo, there is a chance that I’ll go inert and die. If that is to pass, please know that Kleo is of her own autonomy. Yes, she is of my design, but she has grown beyond my fabrications. She is a person. I say this to rest the concerns of your intelligent friend. And to add weight to my possible demise when this is all said and done. It is… interesting… to sacrifice yourself for another.

Jay reached out and patted the core’s surface.

Thank you, Jay Luckrun, for your concern. I also wish to thank Michael Zhou, Dennis Miller, and Franklin Stronghold. You’ve done me an excellent service for ending this dungeon’s torment with a spectacular finale. Now, begone, dungeon crawlers, fortune and glory are awaiting you!

If Mike could smile, he would.

He’d expected the unexpected, but this was far beyond his expectations. He couldn’t wait to discuss this with Lilith and Hailey. He was also happy for his friend.

Jay pushed his OP power to the brink and pulled off a comedic ending.

Screw tragedies. There were plenty of those in reality already.

Oh! One last thing. This meeting of ours must remain a secret. So, please forgive me for the inconvenience I'll give you.

Wait, what?