Chapter 83

With one hour remaining before Team Retribution takes the Dream castle, Carl and his group race to save Louis, who is dying because Tagg's presence controls his heart and lungs. After exploring impossible negotiations with Tagg and discovering he secretly planned to become post-physical, Samantha offers a desperate solution: transplanting organs from the flesh golem body of Princess Lunette to replace Tagg's organs in Louis's chest.

Edgar convenes an emergency meeting to address Louis's critical condition. Juice Box confirms that Tagg's presence is symbiotic with Louis's heart and lungs—removing them would kill Louis instantly. Victory and Fopsy arrive from a Syndicate Council meeting, revealing political upheaval: a No Confidence vote has been called against Glory, and there are accusations that Dream leadership are secretly Reavers. Victory explains that Tagg, who has been moving toward post-physical transformation, likely kept this connection hidden to avoid exposing an alliance between Dream (food manufacturers) and Reavers (builders). The rules are clear: Louis cannot leave the dungeon floor as the warlord, he cannot abdicate, and Tagg will die when Team Retribution takes the castle in about an hour. Carl attempts negotiation with Tagg, who proposes reaching the 18th Floor to grow new bodies and swap organs—but Carl reveals he knows Tagg's plan involving the Zerzura spell and Larracos is now impossible (the castle has been nuked). Desperate, Carl asks if Tagg can be knocked unconscious to prevent him from killing Louis, but Mordecai explains this won't work because disabled Tagg would stop Louis's organs. Samantha, devastated by the apparent loss of her daughter in the acid and feeling guilty, suddenly presents a solution: use the flesh golem body of Princess Lunette, which Edgar created as a tattoo, to harvest functioning heart and lungs for Louis. Juice Box transforms into a Fleshmancer form to perform the procedure, and Donut provides a healing potion. Samantha sacrifices her chance at regaining her body to save Louis. Carl reflects on cryptic connections—War Mage mentioned taking the Scavenger's Daughter, and Samantha called herself the Scavenger—but prioritizes the immediate surgery. As the scene ends, Emberus enters the realm.