Carl updates Katia on his secret meeting in a dark room with an unseen, naga-voiced figure. Carl refuses a “family” job and denies any plan to kill Katia for a prize, but asks for information instead; spiders swarm Carl and the figure expands Carl’s map with the Desperado Club’s hidden passageways, tunnels, secret rooms, a middle-floor potion market, and multiple “drug dens.” Carl promises Katia a written list and a plan to isolate their assassination target after Carl returns from rescuing Samantha.

Katia asks if Princess Donut knows about Damascus Steel, and Carl explains Donut wandered the club, danced with Gluteus Maxx, and was watched by Li Na at Katia’s request. Carl describes being forced by Damascus to limp out of a back cubicle to sell a cover story, which leads to an awkward encounter with Rosemarie, who gives Carl a “Certified pole dancer” button; Katia admits Damascus made her play along too. Katia also notes Donut is excited about a new jewel for her tiara.

On the road, Carl observes Donut proudly using a new tiara they commissioned: the Enchanted Tiara of the Inebriated Dragonfly. The item grants a 50% potion cooldown reduction, +10 intelligence, protection from poisoning, immunity to an inebriation dexterity debuff, and a limited Hover skill (five uses per day, short duration, low altitude, and safe descent while falling). Donut repeatedly hovers just to “practice,” and Carl warns her to conserve charges.

As they near the island’s southern coast, Carl and Donut encounter a massive car pile-up and hear an approaching swarm. Going stealth with invisibility and stowing Mongo, they round a bend and find an enormous migration of pig-sized land crabs crossing the road toward the ocean, chittering and trampling each other in a relentless stream.

Carl spots a lone, meditating crab apart from the main mass—Raul, a high-level “Sun-Kissed Cloud Rank Warrior”—chanting to himself while glowing with power. A quest update announces “The Chowder War,” forcing a choice between aiding the crabs’ assault on monk seals or defending the seals. Though pressed for time, Carl decides to try to “flag” a crab for their deck, and he and Donut prepare to improvise a trap to tag Raul without alerting the rest of the swarm.