Chapter 57

Carl meets Li Jun and Zhang en route to the saferoom, discussing his loot and achievements from the Club Vanquisher raid. They detour to the brig complex, where Carl learns that nearly all prisoners have been released—leaving only one, deliberately left alone at Carl's request.

Carl encounters Li Jun and Zhang walking toward the saferoom entrance. Li Jun wears his new Engine of Tomorrow eye, a clockwork device that allows him to perceive muscle tension and slow his reaction time. When Li Jun presses Carl about his wellbeing, Carl admits to feeling overwhelmed by the aftermath of Club Vanquisher: he received 32 loot boxes, over 50 achievements, and multiple new quests from Emberus.

Carl catalogs his major achievements: Varg Vikernes, which permanently bans him from most temples but names him friend of several churches including Grull and Apito; Liquified, granting a Lucky Bitch Box with a controversial four-leaf clover patch that could redirect fatal blows to party members; You in my house now, boy for battling Khepri in his own temple; Celestial Orgy of Chaos for surviving a gathering of multiple gods; and Hey Larry, can I borrow your chainsaw for using a borrowed skill in combat. Emberus has issued him a new quest to kill 100 worshipers of Hellik before floor 11 collapses, but also sent a cryptic, troubling message expressing conflicted feelings about killing his own brother and threatening Carl with divine retribution if Carl succeeds.

The group approaches the brig building at the base of Li Na's clock tower. Zhang mentions that one prisoner remains—deliberately left at Carl's request—while all other off-world mercenaries have been released. Carl realizes Donut's earlier insistence that he give Li Na the Ring of Divine Suffering was related to this situation. They enter the building to confront the remaining prisoner.