Chapter 9

Carl meets with Juice Box and the NPC team to discuss defensive preparations and intelligence about the other outworld teams. Meanwhile, Louis and Juice Box publicly declare their love and commit to marriage to strengthen the bond between their factions, while Juice Box reveals crucial information about the mysterious Shanty Town, Ferdinand's control of city defenses, and the presence of diggers controlled by dwarven automatons.

Carl examines Juice Box in her human form, noting new scars and that her level appears different from before (now 35, previously 17), a quirk of high-level changelings. Juice Box reveals she has deliberately withheld some documents from Carl's team, signaling they are independent allies. She explains that instead of achieving their original goal of universal regeneration protection, they chose to focus on gaining the ability to kill the invaders. The documents contain maps, troop strengths, and resupply schedules. Juice Box discusses the mysterious Shanty Town that appeared after the flooding outside Larracos—a large settlement with new markets and NPCs that shouldn't exist under the original rules, likely created through an Emergency Action Item. She reveals that Ferdinand, Donut's self-proclaimed fiancé, now controls the city defense system and currently serves as mayor of Shanty Town (having defeated the previous gnoll mayor Theora through cheating). Drick, an infected elf adjutant, acts as their liaison; he appears solid but cannot be harmed, bearing a Valtay worm in his brain. Juice Box notes the rules prevent them from killing Ferdinand or interfering with certain NPCs. Louis, initially terrified and silent, is encouraged by Donut through chat to publicly express his love for Juice Box. He proposes immediate marriage to strengthen their houses' bonds, which Juice Box accepts enthusiastically by shifting into an alternate human form and kissing him. The chapter ends with Britney asking about the size of 'diggers,' prompting Juice Box to mention dwarven automatons.