Chapter 22

Carl and Donut attempt to meet with Magistrate Featherfall at the administrative building to discuss murders in town, but the receptionist Miss Quill refuses to let them see him, claiming he only comes out at night. After Carl strategically reveals the corpse to the town guards (who had previously authorized his possession of it), they escape. Later, while searching for mobs to level up before an scheduled interview, Carl's party is ambushed by a group of Shambling Berserkers in supernatural darkness. The ensuing battle results in Carl being knocked unconscious and launched onto a rooftop after the corpse of a boss monster explodes.

Carl and Donut travel to the administrative building in the skyfowl-controlled town to meet Magistrate Featherfall, arriving via Donut's improved Puddle Jumper spell. They navigate through a high-end shopping mall on the third floor where non-eagle workers are treated poorly by skyfowl customers. Miss Quill, the elderly skyfowl receptionist and gatekeeper, refuses to grant them access, revealing that Featherfall only comes out at night and that he won't care about murders unless the victims are skyfowl. Carl strategically places the corpse on her desk, causing her distress and upsetting her collection of Beanie Baby-like stuffed creatures. When she calls for guards, Carl's earlier interaction with them—where he showed them a Gate Pass from the magistrate while in possession of the body—prevents them from acting against him. Miss Quill orders them to leave, and Carl and Donut depart, planning to return that night. They spend the next two hours hunting mobs west of the city to gain experience before their evening interview. While exploring an abandoned YMCA-like building with a rotting boss corpse, they are suddenly attacked by a dozen Shambling Berserkers in supernatural darkness. Carl fights back with hob-lobbers and goblin dynamite, but after throwing dynamite in both directions, he jumps into the empty pool and lands on the bloated corpse of the boss monster. The detonation from his thrown dynamite, combined with the impact of his landing, causes the corpse to explode violently, sending Carl flying onto a nearby rooftop where he loses consciousness. Donut manages the rest of the battle, killing the remaining monsters with Magic Missiles and Mongo's help while keeping Carl alive with a heal scroll. Carl awakens after three minutes, having leveled up to 19, and discovers Donut is covered in gore from the carnage. They agree to return to the building soon to complete their battles and then prepare for the evening interview with Featherfall.