Chapter 27

After defeating the Tuskling boss and clearing the arena, Carl and Donut discover they've been selected for a live interview on a popular show. The chapter culminates in a shocking reveal: their dungeon crawl is being broadcast as entertainment, and they're about to meet a producer from the program "Dungeon Crawler After Hours with Odette."

The boss battle concludes with the final Tuskling Dominatrix crushed under Brandon's hammer. The party survives relatively unscathed and begins looting. Carl obtains the Borough Field Guild, which reveals adjacent quadrants on the map and shows mob types in unexplored areas. An elderly man named Randall approaches the bloody arena, and Yolanda escorts him back. Brandon mentions his guildmaster's explanation that the Syndicate seeded worlds with culture and people to ease integration. Carl collects loot including a ruby necklace and a pig harness, while Imani finds a disturbing item that Donut takes. The party discusses strategy: Donut convinces Carl they should establish safe zones for the elderly refugees rather than abandon them, citing his softer nature. They plan to scout the next floor and find a safe room before bringing the others down. After setting up this arrangement with Brandon, Carl and Donut descend a ramp instead of stairs. At the bottom, passing through a door triggers a teleportation that deposits them in an ornate, boat-like room with blue velvet furniture, their status bars mysteriously disappeared. A woman named Lexis, who is human but with unusual proportions and blonde hair in a bun, enters via an iris door. She introduces herself as an associate producer for "Dungeon Crawler After Hours with Odette" and congratulates them on making the second floor, revealing the dungeon crawl is being filmed as a television program. Donut reacts with unbridled excitement at this revelation.