AFTERWORD

Chapter 37

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Overview

Carl and Donut return to Bubble 543 after completing Phase Two of their bubble-escape operation, saving approximately 1,500 additional crawlers. Katia announces her decision to leave the party on the sixth floor to protect the former daughters and pursue Eva, while the team prepares for Phase Four: summoning a feral god outside a bubble to send to the ninth floor against the Skull Empire.

Summary

The chapter opens with Priestly's note admiring the city of Larracos on the ninth floor—a beautiful, inverted funnel of museums and galleries built by the Semeru dwarves. Priestly reflects on how the city will be destroyed when the armies converge, and worries about his mental state witnessing this. The narrative shifts to Phase Two of the gate operation, which successfully opens fifteen additional worlds and saves about 1,500 crawlers, bringing the total survivor count below 100,000. Several feral gods and regular gods are summoned; a massive turkey emerges and grows to level 150 after consuming another god's remains. The announcement from the System reveals they've blocked some secondary summonings to prevent extinction-level events, and announces the guild system and third-party hunters coming to the sixth floor. Carl and Donut traverse the dark, foul lacuna to retrieve Louis and Firas, returning to Bubble 543 where Florin, a crocodilian who was saved in Phase One, thanks Carl emotionally before descending the stairs. At the Desperado Club, Katia reveals she must leave the party on the sixth floor to gather and protect the former daughters from Eva, who has been recruiting them and getting them killed. Despite Donut's protests, Katia explains she needs independence and will lead her own large party including Louis, Firas, Gwen, Daniel, Bautista, and Florin. Carl gives her the Left Fang of the Green Sultan to return to Eva. Phase Three begins with the Twister and changelings traveling to Imani and Elle's bubble to open a portal to the sixth floor, allowing the changelings passage while Louis and Firas take the regular stairwell. When Imani and Elle return with the gate pieces, Katia hugs Carl and Donut goodbye as Phase Four officially begins.

Characters

  • CarlMain character who completes Phase Two of the bubble-escape operation, retrieves Louis and Firas from the lacuna, receives Katia's departure announcement, and prepares for Phase Four
  • DonutCarl's cat companion who expresses concern about the plan's anticlimactic ending, jokes about Florin, and reacts emotionally to Katia's departure announcement
  • KatiaCarl's party member who announces her decision to leave the party on the sixth floor to gather and protect the former daughters and confront Eva
  • FlorinCrocodilian survivor who was rescued in Phase One, thanks Carl emotionally for saving him, and agrees to help Katia on the next floor
  • Juice BoxSpeaks to Carl about his tense demeanor and shares a story about her brother to offer advice
  • MordecaiObserver who comments on the crafting room, explains the portal mechanics, and discusses the System's decisions
  • Donut (mentioned separately)Mongo's companion who is glued to the social media board and occasionally complains about mean comments
  • MongoReferenced as spending alone time with Donut in their room
  • Priestly (historical note)Previous crawler whose journal entries are referenced; broke mentally witnessing Larracos's destruction
  • ElleParty member who investigates a neighboring bubble with gore, helps rescue Florin, and assists with Phase Three by opening a portal from her bubble
  • ImaniParty member who opens the portal to the sixth floor in Phase Three and directs Elle and others with business-like efficiency
  • LouisCrawler who braved the lacuna to find the proper world for the Phase Three portal and agrees to help Katia on the next floor
  • FirasCrawler who braved the lacuna with Louis and welcomes Carl and Donut back to Bubble 543; agrees to help Katia
  • Li JunSurvivor who battles a crab monster to defeat their final castle and communicates with Carl about descending the stairs
  • Li NaLi Jun's sibling who helps monitor the neighboring bubble with a tentacle monster
  • GwenTeam member who ventures into the subterranean level and loots tomb remains; agrees to help Katia on the next floor
  • TranTeam member with Gwen who ventures into the subterranean level
  • Miriam DomVampire shepherd who helps Prepotente kill the giant turkey and strokes his hair afterward
  • PrepotenteCrawler who successfully kills the giant turkey and gains eight levels, becoming the highest level in the dungeon
  • SilfaFormer bakery owner and healer with two daughters who was killed by Eva
  • EvaReferenced as recruiting and getting former daughters killed; possesses the Right Fang of the Green Sultan that Katia is tasked with returning
  • LangleyRepairs the chariot for Carl and Donut's journey across the lacuna
  • Katia (as party leader for new group)Will lead Louis, Firas, Gwen, Daniel, Bautista, and Florin as a new party on the sixth floor
  • DanielAgreed to help Katia on the next floor with some of his friends
  • BautistaRescued on the Iron Tangle; agreed to help Katia because he is lost and needs purpose
  • BritneySole surviving member of the water quadrant who latched onto Firas and is sent through the portal with the changelings
  • AgathaWoman with shopping cart who appears at level 12 and descends the stairs before the six hour mark
  • SkarnKid pilot of the Twister who is charging other children gold coins to fly it
  • BonnieGnome kid who wants to install upgrades on the Twister
  • The SledgeStands unnecessarily nearby at the Desperado Club