Chapter 16 of Dungeon Crawler Carl follows Carl and Princess Donut during the acquisition of the copper chopper portion of the Earth crawl. The chapter advances the immediate survival plot while introducing rules and relationships that continue beyond the First Floor. The goblin bargain has produced a vehicle, but Carl must determine whether the unreliable machine is usable and collect supplies before the clan leaves for war. The workshop still contains a boss chamber, valuable explosives, and machinery that may become inaccessible once the goblins return. Carl examines the human-sized Copper Chopper, its steam engine, coal hopper, permacube water supply, and sidecar for Donut. The handlebars fall off during the explanation, confirming the vehicle's instability. Rory provides a bag of dynamite, grenades, and small bombs. The shamankas order the workshop into motion, and murder dozers, Bomb Bards, engineers, and other choppers depart to attack the llamas. Carl and Donut remain alone amid engineering tables, wire, cogs, black powder, alchemical fluids, wheels, carts, and coal. Carl accepts the dangerous vehicle because it can be stored in inventory and dramatically increases travel speed. Once the workshop empties, he decides to loot everything he can lift rather than leave resources to be destroyed in the war. Donut argues for killing the chieftain to obtain another boss box. Carl recognizes that attacking after receiving goblin help is morally questionable and tactically unnecessary, but he ultimately agrees, prioritizing loot and a map over reciprocity. Contraptions are dungeon vehicles with named descriptions, operating requirements, and pilot skills. The Chopper's permacube supplies water indefinitely, while coal controls the steam engine. Inventory storage depends on Carl being able to lift an object, even briefly. Bomb Bards use sparking helmets to ignite explosives. Neutral relationships created through Charisma do not remove boss status from the chieftain or prevent the party from initiating a separate encounter. The goblin army departs, leaving Carl and Donut in possession of the Chopper and an almost unguarded workshop. They begin a systematic salvage operation and prepare to assault the boss chamber. The decision converts a successful negotiation into a planned betrayal of the community that supplied their transport. Workshop materials form the foundation of Carl's explosive inventory, Sapper development, and later engineering. The Chopper becomes their means of reaching the Meadow Lark stairwell region before the collapse. The planned boss attack leads to the deaths of the chieftain's family and noncombatants, producing the You Monster and War Criminal achievements and permanently shaping Carl's view of production manipulation. Carl, Princess Donut, Rory, Lorelai, goblin engineers, Bomb Bards, the mobilized goblin clan, and the unseen Goblin Chieftain appear. The Copper Chopper and permacube are described.
- Dungeon Crawler Carl
- Carl
- Princess Donut
- First Floor
- Crawler and Party Mechanics
- Dungeon Crawler World Broadcast Feed
- Previous: Dungeon Crawler Carl Chapter 15
- Next: Dungeon Crawler Carl Chapter 17
- Novel: Dungeon Crawler Carl
- Chapter index: Book 1 Dungeon Crawler Carl