Chapter 15

Carl and his team locate Chris (a former caretaker now transformed into an Igneous race member) while dealing with an urgent crisis: the gnomes plan to bomb Hump Town in approximately 75 minutes. Henrik, a changeling dromedarian, reveals how the gnomes verify their hostage Wynne is alive through a mirrored pocket watch system that exchanges coded hand signals. Carl gathers forty children (mostly young dromedarians and some changelings) into his personal space for shelter and learns that Juice Box, a changeling prostitute, is connected to something called the Hunting Grounds—the sixth floor—and seeks to return there. A new platinum quest timer activates, demanding Carl save the town from bombardment.

Carl and Katia return to Hump Town after looting a giant buzzsaw and a dwarfish battery from wreckage, discovering new Night Fright enemies in the area. Through messages with Imani, Carl learns that Chris has become dangerously unpredictable after taking an Igneous race form—he killed Frank Q without provocation and refuses all contact with his former team. Carl sends Imani a message to inform Chris of their location but expresses concern about his volatility.

At the collapsed town hall, Carl interrogates Henrik, the elderly dromedarian changeling leader. Henrik reveals the gnomes' verification system: a mirrored pocket watch exchanges coded hand gestures between Henrik and Commandant Kane. Wynne, the imprisoned ghost-priest, provides the time code by interpreting the hand signals, which Henrik then sets on his watch. The system proves Wynne is alive once daily. Henrik admits they've been dosing Wynne with mushrooms to force cooperation, but he's building tolerance. Henrik also mentions an ambassador named Leon the Commissar who periodically inspects the collateral using a spell to verify it's not a changeling.

Meanwhile, Morris reports a critical problem: the necropolis is filling with water after Chris conquered the underwater castle, and all exits have sealed. Morris and Bobby are urged to return to the Desperado with their water-breathing scrolls, and safer locations are sought.

Carl gathers approximately forty children (mostly young dromedarians, with six human-form changelings) from the Toe bar into his personal space. He notices one changeling child, Ruby, suffers from Compression Sickness and is severely deformed. Juice Box, revealed as a high-temperature changeling, helps manage the children. Inside the personal space, Donut discovers Mordecai has downloaded movies from Earth; she becomes distracted watching Toy Story while Carl prepares rapid-construction missiles.

Juice Box privately questions Carl about whether his personal space connects to the Hunting Grounds (the sixth floor), expressing desperate hope to return home. When Carl mentions the Gate of the Feral Gods, she becomes guarded but admits her people seek something else related to a ghost queen called Quetzalcoatlus. She promises to reveal more if Carl saves the town. Shortly after, a platinum quest timer appears: Carl must prevent the gnomes' bombardment in approximately 75 minutes or fail to save both the town and the changelings within it.