Chapter 24

Carl and Donut enter a gym boss arena and face The Juicer, a level 9 neighborhood boss—a grotesquely muscular troglodyte hybrid who hurls flaming weights as attacks. With support from three Virtuoso troglodytes and six Basher troglodytes, the battle is brutal; Donut is critically injured saving Carl's life by severing the Juicer's neck artery, but both survive and claim victory.

Carl and Donut enter a high-ceilinged gym receptionist area where a level two troglodyte greets them. Donut destroys it with a magic missile as the boss battle triggers. They round a corner to face The Juicer—a level 9 neighborhood boss combining troglodyte and bodybuilder traits, standing shredded and massive in the gym. The Juicer immediately throws a flaming disc-weight at Carl's head; Carl activates his Confusing Fog scroll to blind all enemies. During the fog, Carl methodically defeats the six Basher troglodytes while Donut launches magic missiles at the boss. The fog clears and the Juicer begins hurling weights that explode on impact. Carl uses his second fog scroll against the three Virtuoso troglodytes, tearing through them in brutal melee combat and getting trapped with a Virtuoso's teeth embedded in his wrist. With his final fog scroll deployed and health plummeting from shrapnel, Carl fashions a makeshift mace from a barbell and pounds the Juicer while blinded. The boss nearly kills Carl by crushing his neck, but Donut intervenes, flying at the Juicer's shoulder and biting through a major neck vein, causing catastrophic blood loss. The spray sends Donut rocketing into a wall where she suffers a broken leg and critical injuries. Carl defeats the weakened Juicer with a final blow. Carl fears for Donut's life but discovers she will heal naturally; she theatrically dramatizes her "death" before revealing she used her own healing potion. Carl begins looting the gym.