Carl survives the explosion but wakes deaf, blind, badly burned, internally bleeding, and with broken legs. The Taint effect still prevents immediate healing, so Donut drags Carl out of the burning boss room by his cloak and prepares a healing scroll before Carl passes out.

Carl awakens as Donut's scroll and Carl's own healing spell repair his body. Carl realizes Donut saved him again, and Donut privately notes that their viewer numbers surged. Carl also deduces that the magical pedicure kit likely saved his feet from being severed, turning a fatal injury into broken legs.

After the fire dies, Carl and Donut inspect the boss chamber. Carl discovers that the alchemy table used as part of their improvised shield is undamaged and suspects an exploitable dungeon bug involving indestructible workshop tables. In Krakaren's lair, they find the dead octopus-like boss, burned clurichauns, dead brindle grubs, a smaller-than-expected moonshine still, and the neighborhood map.

The newly revealed map shows at least fifty slow-moving brindle grubs converging nearby. Since the tutorial guild is only a few hundred meters away, Carl decides they should go speak with Mordecai rather than linger in the area.

At the guild, Mordecai has shapeshifted into a Bugaboo and reacts furiously when Carl reports Odette's offer. Mordecai warns that Odette is clever, useful, and entirely self-interested, but still advises Carl and Donut to appear on her show if invited. He also explains that viewers can see Carl and Donut in the guild room but usually cannot see or hear Mordecai unless they have press credentials.

Carl questions Mordecai about the shortened floor timer, Damien, Agatha being edited out, monster design, and the Desperado Club tattoo, but Mordecai is limited in what he can reveal. Carl opens reward boxes, gains the Dungeonpreneur achievement for inventing Carl's Jug O' Boom, receives supplies and scrolls, and equips Enchanted BigBoi Boxers that grant constitution and a Protective Shell spell. Before Mordecai can explain the spell's secondary use, an admin warning sounds and a kua-tin, presumably Zev, appears in the room.