Carl finishes warning Bomo not to tamper with the massive bomb while it waits in the saferoom, then leaves the ruined bugbear town with Donut and Mongo. A bugbear council member named Goiter initially challenges them, but becomes friendly when Carl says they are hunting the same enemies. On the road south, the jungle is strangely empty of mobs, Carl plants a few hunter-triggered mines, Donut keeps practicing her spells, and Carl receives two odd notifications showing Emberus briefly entering and then leaving the realm.

Carl and Donut reach the broad river and the intact covered bridge leading into a large ursine settlement, one of the few remaining choke points before the hunters are released. Inside, Carl notes the orderly, prosperous town, a nearby Temple of Hellik, and several unusual map markers, including likely quest-givers. When Carl and Donut try to enter, silent funeral bell guards block them because town rules specifically ban dinosaurs, along with many other behaviors and creatures.

Donut loudly objects until the guards summon Mayor Elmer, an older ursine. Elmer refuses to bend the rules, insults Donut as a monkey, and even offers to have Donut and Mongo executed for a fee. Realizing Donut has successfully brought the mayor to the bridge entrance, Carl backs just outside the town limits and prepares a trick based on their old combat routine.

When Elmer steps close to take Carl's gold, Donut casts Astral Paw and shoves him off the slope beside the bridge. Carl expects to finish the attack himself, but Elmer dies from the fall as he smashes into rocks on the way down. A red creature that appears to be a full-blooded naiad erupts from the river, snatches Elmer's corpse, and disappears. Donut receives kill credit, confirming the death counted, and Carl and Donut rush past the confused guards into a nearby saferoom as the settlement brands them troublemakers.

Inside the saferoom, Carl hurriedly prepares to deploy Bomo's wheeled bomb and tells Donut she should soon receive a control box for the settlement. Before they can execute the plan, Carl notices a note pinned outside the personal-space door with a knife. The message is from Vrah, who warns that all hunters are now protected from further explosions, meaning Carl's bomb would only kill NPCs, and says she has ordered the town guards to worship Emberus, making them dangerous for Carl to attack because of his god's restrictions.

Vrah's message also promises that the Hive is coming for Carl personally and threatens a brutal death. Donut dryly comments on Vrah's manners, and Carl scribbles a taunt in reply before tossing the note away. At that moment, the system announces that the gates are down and the hunters have been released, forcing Carl and Donut to abandon their explosive ambush and face the next phase of the hunt.