Chapter 32

Carl's team prepares to infiltrate the sunken submarine Akula to turn off its pump, which is draining the Necropolis of Anser. Carl, Tran, Vadim, and Katia descend 500 meters underwater in a diving bell while Donut remains above. Upon entering the submarine's flooded corridors, they discover that the supposedly dead pterodactyl boss Quetzalcoatlus is present and actively hunting, forcing an emergency evacuation.

Carl coordinates multiple operations: the tomb raider team advances toward the water line in the necropolis, Mordecai searches for supplies to kill a parasite, and preparations are made to handle the creature in Chris and Maggie's tomb. The main mission requires turning off the submarine's pump by accessing its control room. At The Death Stalker tavern in Pandinus, Carl meets two survivors of the water quadrant—Britney Proskurina, a level-27 Pit Fighter, and Vadim Zbar, a level-28 Kuhli Gut Rearranger who is a real-world cosmetic surgeon. Britney refuses to return but Vadim volunteers, knowing the pump's location. Carl learns that pregnant women cannot enter the dungeon and that women who enter cannot conceive until their crawl is complete. The team uses the airborne house with Donut to position over the submarine. Chum bombs filled with corpses and hob-lobbers are detonated to distract the concierge sharks. Katia transforms into a massive diving bell to transport Carl, Tran, and Vadim 500 meters down to the Akula. After reading water-breathing scrolls, the three enter the flooded submarine through its destroyed superstructure. They navigate past floating debris and pass through corridors, eventually reaching an airlock chamber. After draining the water from the sealed compartment and recovering from the disorienting transition, they discover the neighborhood boss map in a hidden corpse beneath a grate—revealing the entire submarine's layout. However, the map also shows a red dot moving inside the submarine that shouldn't exist: a ghost. Before Carl can identify it, a piercing screech erupts as a glowing green pterodactyl head emerges from the bulkhead. The creature is Quetzalcoatlus, dealt massive damage with an aural attack that critically wounds Vadim. As the pterodactyl retreats and resurfaces outside, Katia warns that an enormous creature is approaching the submarine from below, accompanied by unfamiliar music. Carl orders immediate evacuation.