Chapter 7

Carl and his party explore their newly upgraded level-five communal base within the Royal Palace of Princess Donut, learning how personal spaces work and receiving their first day's schedule. While settling in, Carl discovers that Brandon, a friend from earlier floors, died on floor three and left him a farewell message requesting he find Brandon's brother Chris and convey his apologies and love.

The chapter opens with Carl, Donut, Katia, and Mordecai inspecting their upgraded communal space—a massive hangar-like structure. Mordecai explains the personal space system: level-one spaces are small single rooms, with each level adding size and features. Level two adds kitchen upgrades, level three allows conversion to communal spaces, and level five (their current level) grants Mordecai his own manager's quarters. Donut customizes the common areas, placing individual rooms for herself, Carl, and Katia, plus a communal kitchen, living area, enhanced crafting studio, and training room. Katia explores her new room. Carl applies his coupon to enhance the crafting studio. Mordecai expresses concern about Katia potentially leaving the party, warning that if she or Carl dies, the group loses upgrades and communal space access. After brief sleep in Donut's room, Carl wakes refreshed and gains the "Well-Rested" achievement, granting a 10% buff to stats and experience for 30 hours. The group eats breakfast provided by Wendita. During the recap show, which includes content about trains and is partially redacted regarding level mechanics, they learn the Daughters party is at station 83 on the Orange and Indigo lines. Mordecai suggests charting out the level's geography. The top-10 leaderboard is now public with bounty rewards for killing ranking crawlers. Stairwells will only open six hours before floor collapse, and early descent is forbidden this level. As Carl checks his messages, he discovers Brandon sent a message before dying on floor three. Brandon's message reveals he's holding the line against Shade Gremlins while others escape, expresses regret over a fight with his brother Chris, and asks Carl to find Chris and tell him Brandon loves him and was sorry. The message ends with the note that the crawler is deceased. Carl is devastated by the loss. He dismisses Mordecai's reminder to apply buffs and enters the training room to work, determined to not be broken by the deaths around him.