Dear Diary,

The Director has officially stated, with no room for argument, that inter-dungeon communication is no longer allowed.

So yeah. No more talking to anyone from our old dungeons.

It just… It sucks that there’s nothing we can do about it. There’s no way of getting around it.

A part of me wants to message the Director and tell her she’s being mean, but I’m kinda afraid that she’d reply by doing something really really mean.

So I'm just gonna not say anything. We’re on Floor 30, and I made a special dinner for the Sams. Not dessert, because this isn't the time for dessert. They’re still pretty upset, and don't know what to do. Aya says she’s just glad the Director jumped us forward six cycles, so there’s only eleven cycles before they get to see their sister again instead of seventeen.

Other than that, we’ve finally pulled ahead of Admin 4’s group! Admin 5’s group is still ahead of us, but only by like six floors. I think. We can catch up to them!

If we can't, second place is good, too. And either way, we’ll have done our best.

Goodnight, Dungeon!

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“She was supposed to come up with a better plan, not leave us to do shoddy work and then let a group of insane people take the blame,” Admin 2 said.

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Admin 3 shook his head. “We aren’t doing shoddy work. We’re figuring things out.”

“Yes, because we’ve asked for help,” Admin 2 pointed out. “We were allotted two hours to come up with a temporary plan. Dungeons are tried and true methods of keeping souls alive and occupied for short periods of time. Not the years it’s taken us to finish the world. Your dungeon broke down more than any of ours, you know the plan has flaws.”

“Still, telling the players ‘hi, building cities was never in our job descriptions, so the place you’re being sent to is probably going to fall apart within the month. We chose you to be rulers because you’re insane enough people will immediately blame you when it all goes to hell, not noticing everything was flawed to begin with!’ isn’t something I’m willing to do,” 3 said.

“Because they’d get mad?” 2 guessed.

“Because that’s admitting we’re not completely omnipotent.”

Admin 2 took a deep breath. “Look. If they reject the prize, we can suggest good people to take charge. People who are doing a decent job of commanding mob groups. Players who are smart instead of bloodthirsty. Give the world a little more of a fighting chance. After all, if you win, you’ll be in charge of the damned place.”

Admin 3 looked unconvinced. “Sure, but what do we ask them to say? Just ‘no thanks’ when the Director asks what city they want?”

“No,” 2 said, glancing around at the Void. “Ask them to put the world’s allotment of bad fortune onto animals. Like how it is on Earth.”

Admin 3 opened his mouth. Then closed it. He looked away. Then back at 2. “She’ll never accept that.”

“She won’t have a choice.”

“She will, she can just declare the winners to be losers and move on to the next group… Which is why you’re getting me on board when my players are fourth in the rankings.” Admin 3 paced back and forth, thinking. “Fine. I’ll do it. Cycle 29?”

“28. Give them time to realize their choices are agree or become unknowing martyrs in our names.”

3 nodded, then shrugged. “Vive la révolution.”