In this chapter, the Underground Man explains that he has lost his arms. He is terribly sorry, but he is certain that he searched every place where he could find them. He says that he is not used to dealing with a team, and that he does not know what he has done wrong before. He does not want to worry about it, and says that it will work out. The Underground Man says that the only thing he has to do is surrender to the ocean. He then tells the story of the ancient life, which forms in the ocean, and then is changed to inorganic forms. Then, after wandering in the earth for millions of centuries, the lustrous become born. It is extremely rare for a lustrous to become a member of the human race. Most of them never reach full crystallization, and the lucky few become who they are now. He explains that gold and platinum, which are soft and malleable, are heavy, and cannot be used. He wants to let go of them now, but the body rejects it.