Surrounded by six level-15 Mold Lions on the rooftops, Carl realizes Tsarina Signet is stalling instead of helping. With no escape route and Donut’s mobility spell already spent, Carl improvises a plan he has not yet taught Donut: Donut casts Confusing Fog as the lions pounce, and Carl activates Protective Shell to make the attacks rebound. One lion becomes trapped between the shield and a wall, giving Carl an opening to beat it to death with his gauntlet while Mongo tears into it.

After killing the first lion, Carl has Donut use Second Chance to raise it as a zombie. The undead lion and its copied versions turn the confused pack against itself while Donut manages her mana with a potion and more spells. Carl and Donut kill the remaining lions, Mongo grows to level six, and both crawlers reach level 14. When the fight ends, Signet casually admits her summoning failed because her blood magic requires a chosen sacrifice to die first.

As they retreat from the circus, Carl questions Signet and learns the truth: she intended Carl to be cut down so his blood would animate her battle squad, and she cannot directly kill the sacrifice herself. Signet explains that stronger blood makes stronger summons and invites Carl and Donut to her home to hear the story behind her feud with Grimaldi. Carl refuses the invitation but arranges to meet her again the next night after she has already summoned her forces, hoping to learn more without becoming the sacrifice.

Back at the Belly-Rubbed Pug saferoom, Mordecai angrily rebukes Carl and Donut for taking the circus quest and getting involved with an elite. He explains that elites are specially created storyline NPCs whose scripted dramas continue across floors and are protected by writers, producers, and looser dungeon rules. Because of that, harming or derailing an elite’s plot can bring deadly consequences, and Mordecai urges them to ignore the quest and focus on surviving the floor.

While watching the recap program, Carl and Donut see other crawlers’ race and class choices, including Hekla’s Amazonian Shieldmaiden build and Lucia Mar’s frightening Lajabless race with a Black Inquisitor General class. Carl also sees an example of an earlier Primal crawler fighting a massive twelfth-floor boss, which drives home how far he and Donut still have to go. After a general dungeon announcement and more discussion about plant-based monsters, Mordecai sends them to bed and promises that tomorrow will be the first day they finally follow his instructions.