Carl, Princess Donut, and Mongo arrive on the third floor in a golden hallway with a fake night sky overhead. Carl confirms the sky is an illusion, and the group follows a red carpet to a guildhall door where Mordecai greets them in a new incubus form. Inside, Mordecai explains that public viewers cannot see what happens in the room and bluntly reveals that the first two floors were effectively training levels.

Mordecai begins the race-selection process with Donut. Donut refuses to consider any alternative and immediately chooses to remain a cat. Mordecai confirms that this means no visible change, but Donut still gains racial benefits, including a constitution increase, which slightly improves her survivability.

Mordecai then presents Donut’s class options, which are unusually limited because of her stats, her tiara, and the Desperado pass. The system’s three recommended classes are Artist Alley Mogul, NecroBard, and Former Child Actor. Carl and Mordecai carefully review them because Carl wants a durable, useful class and is also following earlier strategic advice. Artist Alley Mogul offers major defensive and utility benefits, especially the Pathfinder skill and store discounts. NecroBard offers strong support and damage potential through music-based necromancy. Former Child Actor grants poison and disease immunity, the Cockroach survival skill, and a changing floor-by-floor specialty through the Character Actor skill, but it is unpredictable.

As they continue reviewing other classes, Carl and Mordecai conclude that Artist Alley Mogul is the safest and most balanced option for Donut. Donut appears to agree and acts as though she will obey. However, Carl privately tells Donut to go through with their hidden plan, which came from Odette’s advice. The real goal is to secure the mysterious Manager Benefit attached to Former Child Actor, because Carl believes having Mordecai close as a long-term resource will outweigh the class’s weaker immediate advantages.

Donut then tricks Mordecai by pretending to choose Artist Alley Mogul while actually selecting Former Child Actor and setting Artist Alley Mogul as her third-floor specialty. Mordecai realizes the truth too late and explodes in anger. He explains that the Manager Benefit means he is now permanently tied to them: he will be teleported to any saferoom they enter, lose his planned transfer to a magic guild, lose access to his guild resources and codex, and be forced to spend his downtime with them. Donut celebrates, Carl feels guilty but accepts the decision, and Mordecai bitterly announces Donut’s new class before turning to Carl for his own selection.