This Inevitable Ruin

They call it Faction Wars. The ninth floor: nine armies led by wealthy alien elites, all battling to seize the central castle. Strategy, alliances, treachery—it’s perfect television. After all, none of these powerful aliens really die when they’re playing war. But not this season. Winner takes all, and the fallen stay dead. With the AI collapsing, Carl and his team seize the chaos and join the war as one of the nine factions—just as a tenth army rises: NPCs, who have become fully self-aware and formed a team of their own. And for Donut and Katia, only one can leave this level. If they all want to survive, they’re going to need a little help from a veteran or two. This. Is. War.