Chapter Summaries

Kang De prepared to investigate the disappearance of the dragons at Qilin Cape while Dragon Island gave Goth six days to find the culprit. He led a support force toward Azure Waves Province, where the search was about to begin.

• The Phoenix King's support for Kang De and Goth stopped Dragon Island from immediately declaring war, while Goth rejected the dragons' demands for an apology and access to its territory.
• Tina organized an investigation force and prepared logistical support as Kang De reviewed reports identifying Qilin Cape in Azure Waves Province as the place where the dragon delegation had disappeared.
• Lily told Kang De that Dragon Island had given Goth six days to investigate before a dragon legion stationed near Talak Island would act.
• Kang De, Lily, and A Xing agreed to work together, and Hong San asked to bring his newly formed personal guard along with the investigation force.
• Kang De approved Hong San's request, and the investigation force departed for Azure Waves Province with support from Goth's troops and elven patrols.

Kang De joined Stella and Goth’s organized aerial search for the missing dragon delegation and discovered Goth’s hot-air balloons and enchanted hang gliders. He offered to help the Thermodynamics School develop an armed airship, then reassured Stella that he remained committed to Tina and Goth before the reconnaissance teams began searching.

• Kang De observed Goth’s Eye of Lucius hot-air balloons coordinating a search across the rugged terrain and learned how the spellcasters operated them.
• Kang De proposed turning a larger spindle-shaped balloon into an armed warship, and Mage Ge Feier explained that the Thermodynamics School lacked funding and research data for the project.
• Kang De offered to help provide airship designs and data, while Stella said he would need to persuade her father and urged Mage Ge Feier to focus on the search.
• Stella asked Kang De whether he would side with the Phoenix King, and Kang De affirmed his plans to strengthen the people of the land and his stable relationship with Tina.
• Stella ordered the observation teams and reconnaissance units to begin, and enchanted hang-glider mages launched to search the ground for traces of the dragons.

Two mages on a search-and-rescue mission discovered that birds in a forest had mutated and attacked them, but Kang De arrived in powered armor and rescued them. As Kang De unleashed devastating weapons against the threat, the mages realized that his power would bring a new era to Goth.

• Two mages used gliders and walkie-talkies to search for missing dragons, while the wine-red-haired mage speculated about Kang De’s origins and the impact of his technology.
• The mages spotted an unusually quiet forest near a canyon and startled flocks of birds with a noise spell.
• The birds emerged with purple mutations and pursued the mages, who sent a distress call and abandoned their gliders as they fought to escape.
• Kang De arrived in powered armor, destroyed much of the attacking flock, and sent a white dragon to carry the two mages to safety.
• Kang De opened a dark portal and unleashed explosive weapons on the forest, prompting the wine-red-haired mage to agree that a new era was coming.

Kang De joined a heavily protected investigation of the corrupted forest he had bombarded, while Stella teased him and sent him to watch over the team. The investigators found evidence that the forest’s other creatures had fled the attack, suggesting an underground nest, and Kang De began searching for its location.

• Stella criticized Kang De for using excessive force, then explained that trained specialists with extensive protective equipment would investigate the corruption.
• Stella praised Kang De’s character and urged him to watch over the investigators; A Xing invited him to fly with her and Lily.
• Kang De descended to oversee the five-person team as they collected samples and found mutated bird remains but no traces of other forest animals.
• The team concluded that the missing creatures had likely avoided the bombardment and identified an underground nest as the probable source, since they had ruled out an extradimensional rift.
• Kang De searched the area with Phoenix Eye and asked Stella to question the two rescued mages about where they had encountered the flock.

Kang De and the investigation team uncovered a concealed cavern beneath the devastated forest, where purple corruption and hostile creatures emerged. As Kang De and Lily fought to contain the threat, they decided the dragons responsible should be made to clean up the disaster and pay compensation.

• Kang De escorted the investigation team through the ruined forest, but their search found no traces of an underground nest until one investigator realized the undisturbed ground was suspicious.
• Kang De used his power to expose altered soil, and Lily identified a buried cavern that a green dragon had filled and concealed with magic.
• Lily broke open the cavern, releasing a purple aura and revealing a powerful threat; the investigators evacuated by deploying balloons from their armor and were carried away by alchemical eagles.
• Kang De and Lily fought the purple-lit creatures pouring from the cavern, and Kang De urged Lily to seal the opening and make the dragons responsible pay for the damage.

Kang De used a spatial gate to flood the alien-creature breach with seawater, giving Lily time to seal it with a reinforced mountain plug. The breach was contained, but the dragons who entered the cave remained missing, and Kang De and Lily suspected a mysterious aura had lured them inside.

• Lily and A Xing fought the creatures emerging from the breach while Kang De rejected Lily's plan to enter the cave and hold them back.
• Kang De opened a spatial gate and poured a massive column of seawater into the breach, sweeping the creatures away from its entrance.
• Lily sealed the opening with a chunk of mountain and reinforced it with runes and mana.
• Lily mistook Kang De's ability to transport seawater for proof of his extraordinary spatial mastery, then teased him about his interest in other races.
• Kang De and Lily concluded that dragons had entered the cave seeking something and concealed their tracks, and they agreed Goth had no duty to rescue them.
• Lily said she would report the discovery to Dragon Island and might blame the conservative dragons involved, while Kang De regretted not flooding the cave with Zhuerban's sewage instead.

Kang De and Stella briefed Goth’s officers about the corrupted monsters and debated whether dragons should be sent into the cave, but Stella argued Goth had to handle the disaster itself. The dragons entered Goth and then abruptly fled after witnessing Kang De’s seawater attack, though one later asked him to explain what had happened to their missing kin.

• Kang De showed the officers footage of monsters in the cave being killed, and Stella warned that the creatures showed signs of negative energy infection.
• Stella ordered Goth to establish underground observation facilities, strengthen defenses, request reinforcements, and prepare for a possible cave expedition.
• Kang De proposed sending dragons into the cave, but Stella explained they would focus on rescuing their kin rather than protecting Goth or containing the corruption.
• Lily revealed that dragons could sense the seal being disturbed, and Stella learned that dragons had entered Goth before turning back out of its territory.
• Stella concluded that the dragons fled after seeing Kang De pour seawater into the cave, and a dragon later sent a message asking him to explain the whereabouts of their missing kin.

Kang De and Stella agreed to have Lily explain the investigation to the dragons while he prepared Goth’s forces for drills. Lily then warned the dragon commander that the elders’ demands would leave him as a scapegoat, and asked whether he wanted to hear a second option.

• Kang De asked Lily whether she cared if he humiliated the dragons, and she said she had no interest in defending dragon pride.
• Kang De and Stella agreed that Lily would brief the dragons, while Hong San interrupted Stella’s questions about Kang De’s rumored romantic pursuits.
• Kang De took Hong San away and ordered training for the Valentan Guards and Greenskin Musket Corps.
• Lily reasoned that the old dragons had provoked Goth to restore their pride, while the Dragon Emperor was trapped between their demands and the risk of war with the elves.
• Lily told the dragon commander that the elders’ orders could get him killed and blamed for a conflict they would not fight, then offered to explain a second option.

Lily reported her negotiations with the Dragon Emperor, while Kang De explained how they could use public opinion to pressure the conservative dragons into accepting his harsh terms. As Stella outlined how to investigate the underground erosion energy, a panicked shout interrupted them.

• Lily told Kang De and Stella that she had worked with the Dragon Emperor to undermine the conservative elders and had delivered Kang De’s notice demanding dragons join Goth’s cave investigation under strict conditions.
• Kang De explained that the Dragon Emperor could use public opinion to pressure the elders into ordering their frontline dragons to accept his terms, driving the commander to consider joining the Dragon Emperor’s faction.
• Kang De told Lily to inform the Dragon Emperor that the plan was a gift and an apology for the Dragon’s Covenant, leaving Lily and Stella to wonder how much he had understood.
• Stella asked what would happen after the dragon commander switched sides, and Kang De said he would still have to help explore the underground cave, though Goth would treat him more gently as an ally.
• Stella proposed using the Arcane Council’s life department to identify the erosion energy, then a panicked voice called for Her Highness from outside the tent.

Kang De and Stella learned that the creatures from the underground cave had been corrupted by a previously unknown energy that amplified magic as well as mutating living things. They left the sealed laboratory with the decision still unresolved, while Kang De teased Stella about her earlier prediction and A Xing interrupted them.

• Ferndit and the researchers reported that the underground monsters and mutated birds carried a new foreign energy that corrupted creatures and reinforced their bodies.
• Kang De and Stella saw the energy amplify a Light Spell, and Ferndit warned that it could become a powerful magical resource as well as a dangerous poison.
• Stella asked Ferndit for advice, and he recommended reporting the energy to the Arcane Council while warning that national interests might undermine containment.
• Stella said she needed time to consider what Goth should do, and she and Kang De completed decontamination before leaving the laboratory.
• Kang De jokingly reminded Stella of her earlier prediction about the energy, and A Xing leapt onto him before Stella could finish her retort.

Kang De brought Malegith a sample of the purple substance found in the White Mist World, and she identified its energy-amplifying properties and infectious danger. She told him the substance was a devil’s gift tied to his arrival and left him to decide how Goethe should handle it, warning that war had begun.

• Parrot ignored Kang De while playing a demon-slaying game, then discussed exploiting the elves and teased him about his ideals and romantic entanglements.
• Kang De asked Malegith about the purple substance that mutated living creatures and amplified magic, and she requested a sample from the White Mist World.
• Kang De brought out a monster corpse sealed in glass, and Malegith dissected it with Phoenix Fire and extracted a purple droplet.
• Malegith explained that the substance purified elemental power into Magic Power but also corroded and assimilated matter, while Kang De could safely extract and process it with the Power of the Fire Thief.
• Malegith advised Kang De to consider using the substance rather than immediately destroying it, and warned that its arrival was connected to him and that war had begun.

Kang De and Horus discovered that the mysterious energy intelligently enhanced weapons and technology, and Kang De ordered cautious experiments while deciding to keep it from others. After warning the grand duke and Tina, he joined Tina in deciding Goth must control the energy and prevent the dragons from spreading the news.

• Horus explained how the mysterious energy strengthened ammunition and amplified enchantments, while Kang De worried that its convenient effects might conceal a danger.
• Kang De ordered Horus to test the energy conservatively in the White Mist World and gave him samples extracted from the monsters.
• Kang De told Malegith he intended to control the substance and prevent the dragons from taking or revealing it, then returned to Goth to inform Tina and the grand duke.
• The grand duke considered handing the underground caves to foreign powers, but Tina argued that Goth had to protect its independence and take control of the energy.
• Kang De agreed with Tina that Goth needed to act quickly and keep others from coveting the mysterious energy.

After Tina and her father clashed over how Goth should respond to the mysterious underground energy, Tina chose to pursue it and prepare Goth for the dangers that might follow. Kang De then trusted Lily with the secret, and she agreed to help him while putting the dragons’ interests last.

• Tina argued with Grand Duke Reknos over whether Goth should seize and develop the underground energy, and he reluctantly agreed to explore the mine while keeping the discovery secret.
• After Grand Duke Reknos left, Tina cried with Kang De, then decided to stand beside him and prepare for diplomatic pressure and war if the secret leaked.
• Tina considered how Goth might break a worldwide blockade and wrote down Twilight Moon and the Empire as possible partners.
• Kang De returned to the Survey Corps camp with Horus, and Horus urged him to tell Lily the truth about the underground energy.
• Kang De asked whether Lily would put his interests above the dragons’, and Lily explained her lack of loyalty to them before agreeing to hear his secret.
• Kang De explained the mysterious Element to Lily, who deduced why the dragons had entered the mine and asked how she could help.

Stella confronted Kang De for revealing Goth’s secret to Lily, then admitted her fear for her country and asked him not to leave. After calming Stella and discussing the danger beneath Goth with Hong San, Kang De proposed building a mob farm to gather corpses and strengthen ammunition before venturing underground.

• Stella angrily accused Kang De of telling Lily about Goth’s secret, and Lily provoked her before insisting her bond with Kang De was not romantic.
• Kang De explained that he trusted Lily because of their past connection, and Stella revealed her fears for Goth and asked him to stay.
• Kang De reassured Stella that she did not need to prove her feelings, then left to speak privately with Hong San.
• Kang De told Hong San about the mysterious energy and stressed that Goth had to keep the discovery secret while finding the dragons trapped underground.
• Kang De proposed reducing the underground monsters’ numbers and using their corpses to strengthen ammunition, then announced that they would build a mob farm.

Kang De built a sealed steel fortress around the cave and activated the Tool Person Perpetual Motion System, using automated weapons to kill monsters and conveyor belts to deliver their remains for extracting mysterious Elements. As Horus controlled the defenses and Kang De processed materials inside, Lily watched and smiled at how different this generation’s Fire Thief was.

• Kang De and Horus finished the brightly lit fortress and set up layered defenses with Stella, Hong San, Lily, and A Xing.
• Kang De explained that his weapons and the fortress were the primary defenses, while Lily and A Xing would handle any monsters that slipped through.
• Lily broke the dragon seal with one punch and hurried back as steel gates closed off the passage.
• Horus started the Tool Person System, and machine guns, rotating floors, and conveyor belts turned the monsters into materials for Kang De to process.
• Kang De extracted mysterious Elements from the monster remains and enchanted ammunition, while Horus continually directed the weapons against the incoming monsters.
• Lily watched Kang De work behind the protective barriers and smiled as she saw his eyes roll with happiness.

Kang De and his allies finished fighting a horde of monsters and discussed how his technological use of the Fire Thief’s power differed from the previous Fire Thief’s combat-focused path. After warning their allies and preparing for danger, Kang De, Lily, and A Xing entered the underground cave to investigate.

• Kang De and his allies killed more than 14,000 monsters, and Horus warned that more might remain underground.
• Kang De learned from Lily that the previous Fire Thief had strengthened herself by plundering powerful enemies’ abilities, while Lily came to believe Kang De’s alchemy-and-technology path might be right.
• Horus revealed that he had secretly captured Lily’s smile in high-definition photos, then reminded Kang De to notify Stella and Hong San that the dungeon was about to open.
• Kang De told Stella and Hong San to stay vigilant, and they returned to their posts after wishing him caution.
• Kang De, Lily, and A Xing entered the damp underground cave, with Lily leading and A Xing bringing up the rear.

Kang De, Lily, and A Xing descended into a vast underground ecosystem where the nameless monsters had slaughtered most of the wildlife. They found rich crystal deposits and continued downstream to search for the missing dragons and the source of the monsters, while A Xing sensed a vague familiarity with the place.

• Kang De, Lily, and A Xing reached a luminous underground cavern nearly 1,900 meters below the surface and confirmed its air was safe to breathe.
• Kang De noticed the scarcity of animals, and Lily concluded that the nameless monsters had hunted and eaten most of the region’s wildlife.
• Lily found a rich crystal deposit, and Kang De promised her a five percent share if Goth secured exclusive rights to develop the area.
• Lily flew Kang De and A Xing around the cavern, where they saw abundant crystals, luminous plants, and surviving small creatures before continuing downstream.
• Kang De wondered about the underground region’s origins, mysterious energy, and possible intelligent life, while A Xing looked at the scenery with a vague sense of familiarity.

Kang De and Lily devised a way to contact the missing dragons underground by using the Dragon Ballad, with Kang De impersonating a young female dragon. After Lily helped him disguise his soul and he sent out a dragon’s roar, an answer came from somewhere in the underground world.

• Kang De and Lily concluded that searching every passage was impractical and that the missing dragons were likely seeking the mysterious power that drew them underground.
• Lily proposed using the Dragon Ballad to contact the dragons, since her soul fluctuations would expose her if she called out herself.
• Lily persuaded Kang De to impersonate a beautiful young female dragon and use the Dragon Ballad to lure the missing dragons into revealing what happened.
• Lily used their Dragon’s Covenant to disguise Kang De’s soul and supplied the secret-technique authentication password she had obtained from her friend.
• Kang De chanted the Dragon Language and sent a dragon’s roar through the underground passages, and a reply came.

Kang De used the Dragon's Covenant to contact a deranged dragon, provoked it into coming to their location, and prepared to fight it. As the dragon approached, A Xing began acting strangely and seemed frightened by the underground passage, leaving Kang De concerned about her unknown past.

• Kang De established a mental link with a dragon, which sent Grandis crude advances and explicit messages.
• Kang De insulted the dragon through the link until it became furious and set out for the underground passage.
• Kang De dismissed Lily's teasing about his insults and ignored Horus's pleas to repeat what he had said.
• A Xing admitted that she felt strange and scared; Kang De comforted her before the approaching dragon interrupted them.
• Lily sensed the dragon approaching from the southeast, and Kang De summoned a heavily armed firepower platform to prepare for battle.
• Kang De told A Xing they would protect each other, and she steadied herself as the dragon's cry echoed through the passage.

Kang De and Horus used Zaun No. 1, a heavily armed weapons platform, to intercept a corrupted red dragon underground. After A Xing and Lily helped break its shield and defeat it, Kang De stopped them from killing the dragon and said he wanted to try something.

• Kang De and Horus prepared Zaun No. 1 as a corrupted dragon approached through the underground passage.
• The red dragon charged and raised a mysterious-energy shield that blocked Zaun No. 1's high-explosive shell.
• A Xing and Lily fought the dragon while Zaun No. 1's autocannons battered its shield.
• Kang De ordered the guns to stop as Lily struck a weak point in the shield, allowing an enchanted armor-piercing round to pierce it.
• A Xing, Lily, and Zaun No. 1 battered the unprotected dragon until it was barely alive.
• Lily said the dragon had gone mad and could not be communicated with, but Kang De asked them to wait so he could try something.