Chapter 34

Carl and Donut receive grooming from Jamal while the party prepares for their next moves. A three-person mercenary squad called Helix—consisting of Olga the Grulke, Quemada the fire fairy, and Finley the Porsuk—arrives at the house. Quemada, a worshipper of Emberus who spots the shrine, attempts to renegotiate her fee upward, and Carl agrees to her demand for triple the original price.

Carl and Donut are being groomed by Jamal, who practices with his new grabber-equipped front legs. Samantha sits nearby and discusses experimental skincare products involving animal blood, which Carl dismisses after the recent NPC overdose incident. Gluteus recovers on the couch from his overdose with Splash Zone's care. Dong expresses frustration at being excluded from an upcoming mission; Donut indicates they need to convince the other Corcunda first. The plan is to visit a Chicken and Waffles place and then return to the Lollipop karaoke bar to locate the entertainers' guild entrance. Tipid and Rosetta arrive with three mercenaries: Olga, a level 75 Grulke frog; Quemada, a level 96 fire fairy; and Finley, a level 81 Porsuk. Olga mentions a previous race where a demonic opponent cheated and killed one of their team members, Helado. Samantha flirts aggressively with Finley, and Donut clarifies that Samantha now occupies Carl's former room with new decorations. Quemada notices the Emberus shrine in the house and suddenly demands triple the previously negotiated pay, citing her status as a worshipper. After Rosetta objects, Carl agrees to the higher price.