Chapter 67

Carl and his team prepare for a coordinated raid against hunters occupying a town before the Butcher's Masquerade begins in 60 hours. With tensions high over potential Emberus worshippers among the hunters and mounting concern about restricted gear limiting their tactical options, Carl orchestrates an attack using newly acquired automaton spiders as the primary weapon to avoid triggering divine retribution.

Carl has obtained an Automaton table with recipes for spider-based robots, securing the required parts from the Desperado Club. The team learns that word of hunter vulnerability is spreading across crawler networks, and killing as many as possible before the masquerade is now critical since all participants will be teleported together. Zev reveals that lawsuits against the AI have triggered a council ruling and subsequent legal challenges, though this drama has been kept off recap episodes. The chapter shifts to 10 hours before the masquerade, where Donut reports costume issues with various creatures. Carl's team coordinates a scout report on a town with approximately ten visible hunters, including a level 63 hunter in magical plate armor and at least five more in a pub called Cold Stone Creamery. Li Na detects that one hunter carries a god-mark, likely Emberus. Carl recalls that killing an Emberus worshipper weeks earlier resulted in divine penitence and doubled tithing requirements. The hunters possess increasingly sophisticated gear including anti-air guns and pulse rifles—weapons that proved devastating in recent encounters, though they can be countered with shield spells. Carl recognizes the hunters are receiving sponsor support from their families, explaining their improved equipment despite unchanged levels. Most gear remains restricted to its original wielder. Carl deploys his newly programmed automaton spiders, assigning Donut to activate them to avoid him receiving credit for any kills against Emberus worshippers. As the raid commences, Elle's voice crackles over comms expressing enthusiasm.