Chapter 18

Carl and his companions return to Hump Town after the Wasteland collapses, only to discover that the System AI has become hostile due to Carl's refusal to kill creatures in a specific manner. Thousands of frenzied gerbils—released from ammunition balls during the battle—swarm the town in what appears to be a punishment, forcing an intense defensive battle. After Carl finally complies by squishing the creatures with his feet, the AI's "Acceleration" threat is lifted and normal relations are restored. The group then opens their reward boxes and prepares for the next phase of their quest.

Carl, Donut, and Mongo limp back to Hump Town after the catastrophic Wasteland collapse. They observe gnomish airships landing and fleeing the bowl-shaped valley. Donut worries about Zev but cannot discuss it openly. As they approach the town, they loot fallen gnome corpses and discover the corpses contain Live Ammo Balls—spherical grenades filled with frenzied gerbils. Donut deduces that the System AI is suffering from "blue balls," having wanted Carl to kill gerbils in a specific manner (by stepping on them) during previous encounters. When Carl refuses to accommodate the AI's preference, thousands of gerbils—either from wreckage or newly generated—suddenly swarm Hump Town. The defenders are overwhelmed until Carl finally relents and steps on fifty gerbils, after which the attack mysteriously stops. The System AI grants a new achievement indicating the conflict is resolved.

Lounis group continues searching the Bactrian ruins while the main party returns to The Toe's personal space. They discover that all fallen camel defenders were true dromedarians; the changeling principals, including Henrik, have disappeared. The children inside are watching Toy Story 3. The party opens their reward boxes: Carl receives Half Splat potions, a Coffee Shop Author Kit (magical paper for scroll writing), a Platinum Sharpening Stone for his gauntlet, and 5,000 gold coins. Katia receives Half Splat potions and a special armor-piercing crossbow bolt. Donut opens a Veriluxx RealPet benefactor box containing a malfunctioning robot toy replica of herself that mixes her characteristics with Garfield; Mongo destroys it. Donut also receives fang caps and a skill potion that boost Mongo's stats. After the children leave, a blue-dotted figure named Chris—a rock monster with boss kills and player-killer skulls—appears and greets Carl.