The chapter opens with crawler notes from earlier editions. Priestly describes being conscripted into Faction Wars, expecting death against the Skull Empire’s orcs and bugbears, and concluding that the gods only notice bloodshed inside the dungeon while remaining absent from real suffering. Drakea warns later readers not to read Priestly’s final entry after Priestly sees what happened to Larracos.

Back in Cuba, Elle messages Carl and urges Carl not to let Imani sacrifice herself, because Elle believes Imani has a martyr complex and is too valuable to lose. Carl, Donut, Mongo, and Samantha move slowly through the rainy darkness toward Sister Ines’s exit. Carl notes that Ines is still alive but missing, while Imani remains in the saferoom after disabling Quan’s traps near the doorway.

Donut hears distant singing and sees many red dots and corpses ahead, so Carl sends Samantha on reconnaissance with the xistera. Samantha reports a grotesque scene on the beach: a giant freshwater sea snake has washed up in a coil, zombie baby seals, crabs, fish, and seagulls crawl around it, living seals sing, crabs dance, corpses cover the area, and the ocean is red and frothing. Samantha then spots a cat woman on the snake’s head, and Carl realizes Sister Ines is there, apparently reciting poetry rather than fighting a card battle.

The Chowder War quest abruptly fails and is replaced by a new quest, Hell Comes to Crawler Town. The system explains that the seal-crab war has caused so much death that gods and demons are paying attention far earlier than usual, while the zombie infection dumped into the connected ocean has created bodies demons can use. A Demon Eviction event begins in Cuba: demons are being forced up from Sheol, can possess weakened or recently dead bodies, and can return only by dragging another soul down with them.

Mordecai explains that this kind of event normally belongs near the end of the ninth floor and is part of the setup for later Ascendency conflicts. He warns Carl and Donut to destroy or remove corpses, stay away from weak undead, and avoid being grappled because a demon can open a portal to Sheol and kill its victim instantly. Most urgently, Mordecai says Carl must reach Ines before a demon does, because if Ines is dragged into hell, her body will explode and her key will be lost.

Carl immediately prepares for a forced confrontation. Carl throws traps around the area, tells Donut to prepare for a card battle, and has Donut cast Clockwork Triplicate on Mongo while Carl uses Wisp Armor to guard against charm magic. Carl orders Samantha to bite Ines so Carl can recall Samantha and pull Ines away from danger; Samantha succeeds, Carl recalls her, and the chapter ends as Carl jumps back but realizes he has not given himself enough distance.