Chapter 8

Carl meets his new lawyer, Quasar the Nullian, who advises him on the artifact situation and proposes using the mercenaries as collateral. Carl negotiates to keep the Gate of the Feral Gods until the ninth floor while receiving four mercenary NPCs and special spells as compensation. Back at camp, the group discovers Katia has leveled significantly and Carl learns about the Sledge's powerful new Zerzura spell.

Carl requests a lawyer and is surprised when Quasar, a Nullian advocate, arrives immediately despite lawyers typically not appearing until the tenth floor. Quasar explains that Carl's situation is unusual due to liaison involvement and the sub-minister of the Native Species Agency's interest. He advises Carl never to touch items under administrative hold and reveals the administrators actually want Carl to keep the artifact despite him 'fucking them over.' Quasar warns Carl that becoming a tenth-floor citizen means the Syndicate will exploit him, but promises to act as protection. When asked about bribery, Quasar acknowledges nothing stops it but notes he has pride after twenty cycles of study. He explains the Syndicate's bureaucratic machine runs on blood, tears, taxes, and lawyers. Carl proposes using collateral instead of giving up the gate, and Quasar approves this approach. The deal results in four mercenary NPCs—Bomo and the Sledge stay in quarters, while Clay-ton and Very Sullen accompany Chris and Katia on adventures. Two mercenaries receive special teleportation spells: Bomo gains Teleport to Stairwell with a twenty-five-day cooldown, and the Sledge receives Zerzura, a spell Quasar credits with legendary potential based on Remex the Grand's history. Back at camp, Carl discovers Katia has leveled from 44 to 52 and gained Steely Skin. Katia received items including a Platinum Asshole's Box with a gambling chip and Find Crawler upgrade. Mordecai discusses purchasing room upgrades after the guild system recap. Carl plans to buy an advanced bomber's studio and magic studio, funded by their approximately one million combined gold. Carl must also pay 5% of looted gold to his shrine daily. Katia prepares to meet other crawler teams before hunters are unleashed. Donut has gained singing-based spells and works on her Standing Ovation spell's melody.