Chapter 28

Carl uses an intelligence-boosting potion to locate the elf hunters attacking the town, then launches Samantha (the sex doll head equipped with seeking missiles) at their position. He kills one hunter and captures the second, Akland, an accountant from The Dream faction. During interrogation, Akland reveals he was hired to find Louis, a human who dishonored Epitome Tagg's mother, and that he came from a fantasy hunter camp where real danger wasn't expected.

Carl and his group endure artillery bombardment from elf hunters using a catapult that fires poison gas-filled rocks. Samantha, immune to the poison, serves as Carl's weapon platform with attached seeking missiles. After the first launch goes awry, Carl drinks a Major Charlie potion to boost his intelligence, increasing his Ping spell range to three kilometers. Using levitation, he ascends above the town and locates two hunters northeast in a clearing. He launches Samantha at them; she detonates over the clearing, killing one hunter and retrieving the second, Akland, who clamped onto the elf's ankle. Carl interrogates the captured Akland, learning he is an accountant from The Dream faction hired alongside others to hunt in the dungeon. Akland reveals the hunters weren't after Carl's group specifically—both the Dark Hive and Skull Empire claim the territory—but were ordered by Epitome Tagg to find Louis, who allegedly dishonored Tagg's mother. Akland claims he was unprepared for real danger, having come from a fantasy hunter camp where employees play for entertainment. Carl reflects on his transformation from a boat repairman to a dungeon crawler, marking Akland for some unspecified purpose.