Chapter 10

The party explores Banshee Station 116 on the Yellow Line, a transit hub filled with Red Cornet monsters. After learning the cornets are drug-addicted NPCs being transported between stations, Carl discovers a mysterious control sigil and a warehouse containing two dormant Dwarven Industrial Automatons, which he destroys for scrap materials. Meanwhile, Carl receives word from Bautista that Imani is alive and needs to contact him urgently about Brandon and Chris.

The group arrives at Banshee Station 116, a large platform with multiple exits and periodic waves of Red Cornet monsters boarding trains every ten minutes. Katia uses her map to identify the station layout: multiple tunnels, four large rooms, and no safe rooms. They retreat to a side cave to avoid the monsters. While waiting, Zev contacts Carl via message chat to criticize Katia's appeal to viewers, suggesting she make herself "more vibrant" or be replaced. Carl reluctantly relays this feedback, causing tension. The party encounters a Red Cornet and learns its aural attack inflicts the Queasy debuff, causing violent nausea. They spend hours grinding against multiple cornets in the tunnel system, eventually gaining Queasy Resistance. Donut, Mongo, and Katia all level up during training. Carl discovers a blue control sigil visible only to him near the boss room's entrance; Mordecai explains it's a secondary program tool used for gating. Inside the supposed boss room, they find only an empty Wire Cage Materials Cart and two inactive Dwarven Industrial Light-Duty Automatons (not true boss-level threats). Katia reports similar robot rooms have been discovered in other warrens. The party clears all remaining cornets from the station, discovering empty drug vials throughout the creature dens—evidence the cornets are addicted NPCs being transported to obtain and use narcotics. Carl destroys both robots using hobgoblin dynamite, collecting substantial scrap metal and damaged dwarven batteries. While collecting materials, Donut pressures Katia into adopting a mohawk and black bodysuit to appear more interesting to viewers; Katia reluctantly complies though visibly uncomfortable. Bautista messages Carl that Imani is alive and needs to meet at the Desperado Club each night after the recap to discuss Brandon and Chris's situation. Bautista also warns that bounty hunters are targeting leaderboard players and reveals transfer stations ending in 1 have Desperado Clubs while those ending in 9 have Club Vanquisher. Carl decides to travel to station 131 to meet Imani and open their fan boxes.