After Carl asks for a lawyer, a holographic Nullian advocate named Quasar appears and immediately clashes with Orren over privacy. Quasar quickly tells Carl that asking for counsel was the right move, because Orren was trying to trick Carl into touching the Gate of the Feral Gods while it was under administrative hold, which would have deleted the artifact. Quasar also warns Carl never to speak freely to liaisons again and to wait for legal help before agreeing to anything.

Quasar explains that the Syndicate does not want Carl to keep using the gate to destabilize the game, but it also cannot simply take the artifact away without violating rules. Because Carl is valuable as both entertainment and a sponsored crawler, Quasar says Carl has leverage. Carl refuses to sell or permanently surrender the gate and instead insists on collateral if the artifact is only being borrowed. Quasar approves of that strategy, and Carl secures a deal in which the gate will be returned on the ninth floor.

Back in the safe room, the deal's collateral arrives as four mercenaries: Bomo, the Sledge, Clay-ton, and Very Sullen. Carl explains that they will remain available on floors six through eight, and if they die they will not regenerate until the next floor, so he wants the most valuable ones protected. As part of the arrangement, Bomo receives Teleport to Stairwell, a long-cooldown spell that can send the group to any listed stairwell on the floor, and the Sledge receives Zerzura, a much more dangerous teleportation spell that Quasar specifically recommended because it historically leads to massive carnage. Katia also reveals that the chaos on the previous floor pushed her to level 52 and unlocked Steely Skin after her constitution passed 100.

After a short sleep, Carl rejoins Mordecai, Chris, and the mercenaries in the common room. Mordecai wants to wait until the recap before making major housing decisions because the guild system may be changing again, but Carl decides they should at least buy an advanced bomber's studio and a magic studio. Katia prepares to leave with Chris and her assigned mercenary to meet allied crawlers at a southern settlement before the hunters are released, though she will stay in the party until the guild situation is clearer. Donut, energized by her new bard powers, rejoins the group as Carl moves from emergency negotiations into preparation for the next phase of the floor.