Chapter 48

Carl's team arrives at the starting line for Satan's Water Park race with Olga's resurrected corpse as their driver. They discuss the track layout, which features multiple waterslide paths and a boss arena guarded by an invulnerable kaiju-sized hedgehog named Satan, while Donut processes her historical grudge against hedgehogs from a pet show years ago.

Carl, Donut, and Dorota reach the starting line with one minute remaining, having left Hedy and Jamal in the garage and Mongo in inventory. Olga, a resurrected toad corpse with a caved-in head, serves as their driver—a risky strategy that relies on voice commands. Donut's Second Chance spell is at level 12 (with Brain Trust) and can sustain Olga for fifteen minutes total; she has been resurrected for five minutes already. Florin left forty minutes prior and is providing real-time updates on the track while pursuing Dwight and Lucienne. Osvaldo also moved ahead. The track, Satan's Water Park, features multiple waterslide paths similar to the Iron Tangle but with clearer navigation. The boss is Satan, a country-level, invulnerable kaiju-sized hedgehog who lounges near the exit offering commentary. Taking incorrect paths leads into the boss's body. The first half of the track consists of tubes dominated by slides; the second half offers ground-level challenges including the toddler splash pad, wave pool, and a massive loop-de-loop. Carl's team chose the River of Sloth path, a lazy river that is the slowest route but has a ginger base camp halfway through. A tow truck from Florin's heat pulls up next to them; its female troll driver reacts with shock to Olga's grotesque appearance. Donut expresses fury about the hedgehog boss, revealing a long-held grudge stemming from losing a pet show competition years ago to an adorable baby hedgehog named Jezebel. Carl reassures her nervously. Dr. Metcalf warns that Olga's corpse will not last long, but Donut plans to cast Clockwork Triplicate to extend Olga's animation by twenty minutes. The updated quest still requires finding and killing Maurice; Elle and Imani pursue another Maurice variant called the Red Menace of Tinker Town in the eternal slum. As the race begins, Satan's booming British-accented voice greets the departing tow truck, triggering Donut's irritation.