Chapter 26

Carl's group enters the borough boss chamber to face the Ball of Swine, a rolling mass of 30+ Tuskling aristocrats fused together. Using a hastily constructed fortress made from goblin tables and equipment, they attempt to wedge the rolling monster in place so they can attack it from within their defensive structure.

Carl, Brandon, Chris, Yolanda, Imani, and Donut enter the boss arena, joined unexpectedly by Agatha with her shopping cart. The chamber features a round tunnel with walls that shift and reconfigure. The Ball of Swine—a massive, rolling creature made of fused Tuskling bodies covered in cloth and sequins—circles through the arena at high speed. Carl drops spike strips as they flee deeper into the arena, searching for a suitable flat area to position their defense. They find a 15-by-15-foot platform and rapidly assemble a pre-constructed redoubt: a low, angled fortress made from bolted goblin tables, weight equipment, and bars, designed to wedge the ball between it and the ceiling. The structure is topped with bracing poles and covered in ninja shuriken embedded in the wooden surface. The ball crashes into their fortress with tremendous force, crushing the ceiling braces and collapsing the structure, but in the process the impact ruptures the ball itself, killing many of the fused Tusklings. The arena expands, revealing a wide field with a stairwell at the center surrounded by a red forcefield. The surviving Tuskling Knights and Courtesans emerge confused, disoriented, and weaponless. Carl and his group systematically kill the remaining Tusklings, who are low-level (4-5) and unprepared for combat. Yolanda's health is dangerously low from the battle's violence.