Story so far
Katia takes Li Na to the buried Eva while keeping Daniel away from the execution. Her thoughts reveal an increasing dependence on blitz sticks that show false realities involving her lost baby Annie or alternate versions of past failures.
Li Na casts Preserve Injury. Katia cuts off the hand bearing Eva's escape ring and removes the poisonous rapier before allowing her to wake. After hearing Eva apologize and admit fear, Katia drives the Left Fang of the Green Sultan through her armor and heart.
Eva uses a lower hand during her death to pull the hidden Crown of the Sepsis Whore from her armor onto Katia's bare head. The crown merges invisibly into Katia's form. Its rule means only Katia or Donut may advance from the ninth to the tenth floor.
Appearance
A grim transformed woman holding a bloodied sword as an unseen cursed crown melds into her bare head.
Role
Katia completes her revenge but inherits a curse designed to pit her survival against Donut's.
Relationships
Eva — She executes Eva after preventing healing and escape.
Daniel — She keeps him away while affirming their love.
Li Na — Li Na assists with Preserve Injury and urges the kill.
Princess Donut — The transferred crown makes their future ascension mutually exclusive.
Earlier in this series
Also appears in books you've already read — spoiler-safe to their endings:
Sources — 23 recorded facts, by chapter
Chapter 1
- Carl's ally, hauled into the liaison's office for carrying the gate, who takes the HAZMAT endorsement for her Monster Truck Driver class.
Chapter 2
- Keeps her head during the weasel ambush, ordering Carl dragged into the safe room and warning that more hunters will come.
Chapter 3
- Changeling-skilled crawler who jumped to level 52 after the Larracos flood and prepares to leave Carl's party.
Chapter 4
- Crawler who leaves the safe room by caravan with her escort, warning Carl not to do anything stupid.
Chapter 7
- Carl's teammate, back at the personal space and visibly furious that he broke his promise not to do anything stupid.
Chapter 8
- Carl's friend, silently planning around the clock and coldly certain Eva Sigrid won't stay ranked long.
Chapter 9
- Crawler cartographer who mapped the ninth floor and agrees to organize the destruction of every bridge but one.
Chapter 10
- Absent teammate whose crossbow finish gives the Yankee Doodle maneuver its name, and whose part Carl improvises.
Chapter 11
- Leading the second group away from Point Mongo, sorting out guild logistics and clashing personalities.
Chapter 12
- Absent from the party, and named by Donut as proof that everybody always leaves her.
Chapter 15
- Claimed by the Skull Empire and now saddled with bodyguarding the one crawler an elf faction wants dead.
Chapter 17
- One of three crawlers forced out of the saferoom by Samantha's screaming.
Chapter 19
- Fellow crawler credited on air with helping Carl drown an entire town, and next up in Odette's booking queue.
Chapter 20
- Off building the guild while Carl is away, and now asking to borrow money for a manager's headquarters.
Chapter 21
- Exhausted, haggard, and finally cutting the cord — the friend who leaves the party for real.
Chapter 34
- Katia reaches a remote guildhall and rapidly reshapes a stuffed mouser into a crude Donut decoy.
Chapter 48
- Katia estimates some new Creepers may exceed level 150 and recommends trusted groups attack from a distance.
Chapter 50
- Now level 54, Katia reports that Gwen has two Creepers cornered in Eva's occupied bush-elf village and pushes for an immediate herbicide strike.
Chapter 52
- Katia blocks Carl's impulsive early descent, reminds him of the changeling and Masquerade obligations, and asks for private advice after the immediate crisis.
Chapter 57
- Katia's previously quiet romantic relationship with Bautista becomes openly known to Carl and Donut.
Chapter 65
- Katia nearly breaks the peace by attacking Eva but regains control through Carl, Donut, Bautista, and the knowledge that her potion cache remains hidden in metal flesh.
Chapter 75
- Katia locates and executes the buried Eva, earns a second golden player-killer skull, and withdraws in the emotional aftermath.
Chapter 76
- Katia executes Eva after securing her escape ring, but Eva's final act attaches the Crown of the Sepsis Whore and forces a future death contest with Donut.