Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Subtraction”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng proposes modifying Thorn Flower’s powerful, citywide defensive magic array rather than creating a new one. He reasons that Hui Dun City only needs a Platinum-Rank defense, not the original Epic-Rank protection designed for the much larger Royal Capital.
• His method, which he calls “subtraction,” involves removing every spatial-magic component that Pembez and Adolf cannot understand. The remaining, simpler sections should still be strong enough to defend Hui Dun City.
• Chen Cheng plans to use his Variable Magic to reconnect the shortened sections and maintain the flow of magical energy. Because the array has already been tested over time, he believes it will be safer and easier to maintain than an entirely new design.
• Adolf and Pembez initially struggle to accept the idea but recognize its practicality and begin streamlining the array.
• Meanwhile, Komo Huidun orders Tofis to conscript the city’s men, distribute bows and arrows, and move supplies from the storehouses to the academy. The entire academy is mobilized:
  • Senior students and instructors help inscribe the defensive runes.
  • Middle-year students support the city walls as auxiliary mages and medical personnel.
  • Younger students prepare Mithril and transport Magic Crystals.
• An enormous undead army emerges from the forest and surrounds Hui Dun City. The city’s defenders initially panic, and some civilians attempt to flee.
• Torey, Wisdom Shield’s knight commander, executes the deserters to prevent mass panic and force the remaining civilians to hold their positions.
• The undead begin spreading around both sides of the city, clearly attempting a complete encirclement.
• Torey and the Church of Light’s knight commander order the mages to attack first. Combined elemental and Light Magic destroys large numbers of skeletons, followed by a massive volley of Mithril-tipped arrows.
• Although these attacks boost the defenders’ morale and create gaps in the undead ranks, the army’s overwhelming numbers make the losses insignificant.
• The alchemist, observing from the cliff above the city, orders the Undead Knights to launch the real assault after seeing that his psychological pressure has been weakened.
• The undead retaliate with a vast barrage of skeletal arrows. The defenders form shield walls while Light priests cast Holy Light Illumination to prevent the undead power from corroding the city walls.
• The bombardment continues relentlessly, draining the priests’ mana and placing Hui Dun City under increasing pressure.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates his unconventional but highly practical intelligence. Though he lacks Adolf and Pembez’s specialized magical knowledge, he applies a research-based method—discarding incomprehensible components—to simplify the defensive array.
• Adolf and Pembez show intellectual flexibility. They initially doubt Chen Cheng’s approach but quickly recognize its logic and cooperate with him.
• Komo Huidun takes decisive leadership by organizing the city’s resources and population for war.
• Tofis acts as the city’s executor of orders, immediately beginning the emergency mobilization.
• Torey reveals himself as a ruthless but determined commander. He kills fleeing civilians to prevent the defense from collapsing, yet privately acknowledges how desperate the situation is and resolves to die fighting if necessary.
• The alchemist appears calculating and psychologically perceptive. He deliberately uses the size of his undead army to frighten the defenders, then adapts when their morale recovers.

Significant Themes

• Practical knowledge versus formal expertise: Chen Cheng’s broader reasoning and research experience allow him to solve a problem that surpasses the specialized understanding of the local mages.
• Subtraction and simplification: The chapter presents removal—not addition—as the key to making a powerful but overly complex system usable.
• Leadership under crisis: The defenders must make harsh decisions, organize every available resource, and maintain morale while facing overwhelming odds.
• Fear and morale: The undead army’s greatest initial weapon is psychological. The defenders begin to recover only after successfully striking back.
• Sacrifice and authoritarian control: Torey’s execution of deserters shows the brutal measures leaders may use when survival depends on unity and discipline.
• Overwhelming numbers versus coordinated defense: The city’s magic, archery, and Light Magic are effective, but the seemingly endless undead army continues to threaten eventual defeat.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng explains the subtraction method directly to Adolf and Pembez, who accept his guidance despite his lesser formal magical knowledge.
• Tofis witnesses Adolf and the others following a slave’s advice and is confused, but Wisdom Shield has no time to explain.
• Komo Huidun’s orders send Tofis into action and mobilize the city.
• Adolf coordinates with the academy’s students and instructors to complete the defensive array.
• Torey and the Church of Light’s knight commander cooperate instinctively, ordering the first magical strike together.
• Torey’s harsh treatment of deserters contrasts with his later determination to stand and fight alongside the defenders.
• The alchemist observes the battle from above and directs the Undead Knights, treating the siege as both a military and psychological operation.

Chapter Summary: “Gathering Emotions”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Hui Dun City’s defenses begin to fail as the priests’ magic power is rapidly depleted and skeletal arrows weaken the walls and shields.
• Bishop Jamir arrives and casts Holy Light Illumination, creating a second sun above the city. The spell destroys the arrows, reinforces the defenses, and annihilates many Undead Skeletons, restoring the defenders’ morale.
• Jamir replenishes the priests’ magic power before launching Holy Light Judgment against the undead army.
• The Undead Knight counters Jamir’s attack with dark demonic energy. His darkness revives skeletons from bone dust, causing an endless cycle of destruction and resurrection.
• The Undead Knight unleashes a devastating Soul Roar. Jamir protects the mages and priests with his Light Domain and bears most of the attack’s force, though the defenders are left weakened.
• Torey and the other warriors discover that the Undead Knight’s demonic aura contains countless tormented souls. These souls revive fallen skeletons and are absorbed whenever undead creatures die, allowing the knight’s army—and his own power—to grow continuously.
• Fear spreads throughout Hui Dun City. An alchemist observing from a cliff uses an orb to collect the emotional energy, particularly fear, released by the soldiers and citizens.
• Within the city, a Headless Knight terrorizes civilians by knocking on doors and slaughtering those who open them. The corpses are gathered into a horrifying procession, intensifying the city’s panic.
• Adolf leaves the academy to investigate the dark presence in the residential district, while Pembez and Chen Cheng continue dismantling and redeploying the city’s magic array.
• Chen Cheng works on inscribing Variable Magic into magical items supplied by the academy. Coles watches him with growing resentment, furious that a slave is receiving the respect and attention of the academy’s leaders.

Character Developments

• Bishop Jamir demonstrates immense power and self-sacrifice. His arrival revives the defenders’ morale, and he personally absorbs most of the Undead Knight’s Soul Roar to protect the exhausted priests and mages.
• Knight Commander Sgert is shown struggling to preserve the city’s defenses and considering desperate measures, such as having the Knights of Light ignite their battle aura.
• Wisdom Shield remains in the academy rather than fighting on the walls because his Chaos Magic is essential to supplying and testing the city’s massive magic array. His unique connection to natural Magic Energy makes him indispensable.
• Torey and the other defenders gain a clearer understanding of the Undead Knight’s true ability and realize that conventional attacks cannot win the battle unless the knight himself is defeated.
• Adolf takes responsibility for protecting the civilians by leaving the academy to hunt the dark intruders inside the city.
• Chen Cheng continues to prove his technical and magical value, earning the trust of powerful figures despite his status as a slave.
• Coles becomes consumed by jealousy and class resentment. His inability to accept Chen Cheng’s rising importance threatens to cloud his judgment.
• Adam and his family embody the terror gripping ordinary civilians. Their caution saves them from the Headless Knight, though they remain deeply traumatized.

Significant Themes

• Fear as a source of power: The alchemist harvests the emotions of the city’s inhabitants, suggesting that terror is not merely a consequence of the attack but a deliberate resource for the enemy.
• Endless death and corruption: The Undead Knight turns death into a mechanism for strengthening himself and regenerating his army, presenting an enemy that grows more powerful through every battle.
• Hope versus despair: Jamir’s arrival restores hope, but the Undead Knight’s ability to revive the dead quickly undermines that confidence.
• Sacrifice and leadership: Jamir protects weaker defenders by taking the brunt of the Soul Roar, while Adolf leaves the academy to defend civilians.
• Class prejudice and recognition: Chen Cheng’s competence earns him respect from the academy’s leaders, but Coles cannot accept a slave being valued above established nobles and scholars.
• The limits of conventional strength: Even powerful holy magic is insufficient while the Undead Knight remains active, emphasizing the need to identify and attack the true source of the undead army.

Character Interactions

• Jamir and Sgert: Jamir’s arrival relieves the pressure on Sgert and the city’s defenders, restoring morale and stabilizing the walls.
• Jamir and the priests: He replenishes their magic power and uses their spiritual strength through his Light Domain to form a shared mental defense.
• Jamir and the Undead Knight: Their clash reveals the opposing forces of holy light and soul-consuming darkness. Jamir’s attack destroys undead forces, but the knight’s regeneration and Soul Roar turn the confrontation against him.
• Wisdom Shield and Chen Cheng: Chen Cheng keeps Wisdom Shield at the academy because his Chaos Magic is needed to test and operate the magic array, demonstrating their practical dependence on one another.
• Adolf and Pembez: Adolf goes to confront the threat inside the city, while Pembez reassures the worried Pembez/Chen Cheng team and urges them to complete the array.
• Chen Cheng and the academy leadership: The academy’s senior figures rely heavily on Chen Cheng’s expertise and treat him with unusual respect.
• Coles and Chen Cheng: Though they do not directly confront one another, Coles’s jealousy is centered on Chen Cheng’s success and the recognition he receives from others.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Coles, jealous and angry, flees the academy after an attempt by Melinda to comfort him.
• Isabel chases after Coles, while Melinda stays to help with the magic array.
• Coles, consumed by rage and class-based resentment, wants to confront Hui Dun, Pempes, and the academy's admirers of Chen Cheng.
• The Alchemist senses Coles' pure anger and investigates its source, discovering Chen Cheng and the Sword of Kings.
• Chen Cheng senses danger from the sword at his waist while discussing magic with Professor Pempes.

Character Developments

• Coles: His jealousy and class-based pride drive him to the brink of madness.
• The Alchemist: He discovers the Sword of Kings and plans to corrupt it with emotional power.
• Chen Cheng: He shows maturity and focus, prioritizing the magic array's completion despite sensing danger.

Significant Themes

• Class and status: Coles' actions and thoughts revolve around his noble status and resentment towards Chen Cheng, a slave.
• Power and jealousy: Coles' jealousy of Chen Cheng's treatment and abilities leads to his rage and flight.
• Divine artifacts: The Sword of Kings is revealed, and the Alchemist seeks to corrupt it.

Character Interactions

• Melinda and Coles: Melinda tries to comfort Coles, but her words backfire, causing him to flee.
• Isabel and Melinda: Isabel chases after Coles while Melinda stays to help with the magic array.
• Chen Cheng and Professor Pempes: They discuss Variable Magic, with Chen Cheng showing concern for the sword's trembling.

“Seeing Through” — Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng works with Professor Pembez to complete a massive defensive Magic Array for Hui Dun City while the city is under attack. Under intense pressure, Chen rapidly develops a new form of Variable Magic capable of activating the array.
• Pembez distributes Chen’s newly created Magic Runes to the instructors, who inscribe them onto high-grade Mithril carriers and arrange them in the academy plaza. The completed array is intended to help the city survive the crisis.
• Pembez remains at the academy to maintain its protective barrier, while other instructors are sent to support the city walls.
• An unknown alchemist on a cliff uses his own blood and emotional magic to place a tracking spell on Coles. He interferes when Isabel pursues Coles, concealing the boy’s trail and attacking Isabel with mental force.
• Isabel detects the danger through her Battle Aura, counters the attack, and protects herself with mental defenses. The alchemist recognizes her as a powerful magic-and-martial dual cultivator but chooses not to fight her directly.
• Principal Adolf investigates the dark presence in the city and finds hundreds of living corpses. He destroys them to prevent the spread of corpse poison and plague.
• Adolf locates the Headless Knight, which is strangely knocking on houses rather than immediately killing the inhabitants. Using the Eye of Delusion, Adolf sees emotional threads throughout the city and realizes the alchemist is harvesting fear and terror from the populace.
• Adolf attacks the Headless Knight with wind magic, severing its arm. However, the creature regenerates almost instantly. To avoid destroying the surrounding buildings and endangering civilians, Adolf uses Wind Control to carry the Headless Knight and many corpses away from the street.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates exceptional intelligence and adaptability. The crisis pushes him into a highly focused research state, allowing him to combine his accumulated magical knowledge with Pembez’s rune teachings and invent a crucial new technique.
• Pembez shows trust in Chen’s abilities and prioritizes protecting him and the academy. His decision to remain behind reflects his sense of responsibility and strategic judgment.
• Isabel proves herself highly alert and combat-capable. Despite having a missing leg that limits her Battle Aura circulation, she successfully withstands the alchemist’s mental assault and recognizes that Coles’s disappearance is connected to a larger conspiracy.
• The alchemist is revealed to be calculating, observant, and extremely dangerous. He avoids unnecessary confrontations, manipulates Coles’s trail, and treats fear as a resource to be harvested.
• Adolf acts decisively to protect the city, but he also displays caution and analytical skill. Rather than attacking blindly, he investigates the Headless Knight’s abnormal behavior and uncovers the alchemist’s method.

Significant Themes

• Ingenuity under pressure: Chen’s best breakthrough occurs when he is forced to concentrate under urgent, life-threatening circumstances.
• Seeing beyond appearances: Adolf’s Eye of Delusion reveals the hidden emotional threads behind the Headless Knight’s seemingly polite behavior, allowing him to understand the alchemist’s true plan.
• Fear as a weapon: The alchemist turns the city’s terror into a source of power, suggesting that psychological suffering is as important to the enemy as physical destruction.
• Protection versus destruction: Adolf must balance eliminating monsters with preserving the city and its civilians, while Pembez and Chen work to create a larger defensive solution.
• Hidden weakness and resilience: Isabel’s injury limits her potential, yet she remains formidable; the Headless Knight’s severed arm regenerates, emphasizing the difficulty of defeating supernatural enemies permanently.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and Pembez: Pembez teaches Chen about Magic Runes, while Chen transforms that knowledge into a practical array system. Their cooperation forms the basis of the academy’s defensive response.
• The alchemist and Isabel: The alchemist attacks Isabel indirectly to prevent her from finding Coles, but withdraws after recognizing that she is too dangerous to eliminate casually.
• The alchemist and Coles: Coles appears to be emotionally important to the alchemist and may unknowingly be connected to his plans. The alchemist uses Coles as a target of tracking and protection.
• Adolf and the Headless Knight: Adolf uncovers the creature’s role in the alchemist’s scheme and begins fighting it, but its regeneration forces him to relocate the battle away from civilians.
• Adolf and the city’s victims: Adolf destroys the living corpses to stop the spread of poison and infection, reinforcing his role as the city’s primary protector.

Chapter Summary: “All-Out Assault”

Key Plot Points and Events

• From a cliff overlooking the battle, the alchemist observes that events are unfolding according to his plan. The undead have spread through the city, generating fear and emotional power for him. The Headless Knight has also successfully tied down Adolf, while an unexplained barrier prevents the alchemist from seeing what is happening inside Huidun Academy.
• The alchemist cuts Coles’s exceptionally powerful emotional thread from the Magic Crystal, gathers the rage and savagery within it, and begins combining it with various bottles and jars in his carriage.
• On the city wall, Bishop Jamir notices that both sides have been fighting with unusual restraint. The undead should have launched a reckless assault already, but instead they have waited, apparently preparing for a larger attack.
• Because the defenders are running low on effective arrows, magical support, and morale, Gold Rank warriors Torey and Sgert ask Jamir to help them break through the undead army and kill the Undead Knight.
• Jamir uses powerful holy magic to erase a massive volley of bone arrows and trap the Undead Knight inside a Holy Light Cage. Torey and Sgert then charge the trapped enemy from opposite sides.
• The Undead Knight fights back with his great axe and a whip made from resentful souls. Although he is only around Gold Rank in personal strength, his connection to the entire undead army allows him to draw upon their power and resist the two warriors.
• Jamir uses Sacred Radiance Purification, creating a sphere of holy light that restores Torey and Sgert while steadily destroying the Undead Knight’s soul and demonic energy.
• Just as the Undead Knight is close to death, the alchemist activates the next stage of his plan. The entire undead army launches a massive assault on the city wall.
• The advancing skeletons gradually weaken the Holy Light Cage, while the Soul Power of slain undead flows back into the Undead Knight, restoring his strength. Jamir realizes that the defenders have lost their momentum and can no longer finish him.
• Torey and Sgert abandon the attempt to kill the Undead Knight and instead charge into the undead army, slaughtering skeletons and creating openings in the enemy ranks.

Character Developments

• The Alchemist: Reveals greater control over the battle, using fear, emotional power, and Coles’s rage to prepare an unknown weapon or experiment. His timing shows that the undead assault is carefully coordinated.
• Jamir: Demonstrates immense holy power and growing battlefield judgment. Though initially uncertain about military strategy, he recognizes the need to support Torey and Sgert and successfully restrains and weakens the Undead Knight.
• Torey: Despite having lost an arm, he refuses to be treated as weak. He intensifies his Battle Aura and directly confronts the Undead Knight, proving his resilience and courage.
• Sgert: Works effectively with Torey, attacking from behind and helping maintain pressure on the Undead Knight.
• The Undead Knight: Shows tactical intelligence rather than simply acting as a mindless undead creature. He exploits his connection to the skeleton army and uses a weapon made from resentful souls to hold off two Gold Rank opponents.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and hidden strategy: The battle is only one part of the alchemist’s larger plan, with the undead’s earlier restraint serving as preparation for a decisive assault.
• Power through collective forces: The Undead Knight’s strength comes not only from himself but from the souls and power of the entire undead army.
• Endurance and sacrifice: Torey fights despite severe injury, while the defenders continue resisting even as supplies, magic, and morale decline.
• Momentum in war: The chapter emphasizes that battlefield success depends on timing. Although the Undead Knight is nearly defeated, the mass assault reverses the situation and prevents the defenders from capitalizing on their advantage.
• Light versus darkness: Jamir’s holy magic is especially effective against the undead, symbolizing purification and life opposing demonic energy and death.

Character Interactions

• Jamir cooperates with Torey and Sgert after recognizing their concerns about the defenders’ worsening position.
• Torey and the Undead Knight clash directly, with the knight targeting Torey’s missing arm as the apparently weaker opponent.
• Sgert attacks the Undead Knight from behind, forcing him to defend against both warriors simultaneously.
• Jamir supports the two fighters by enclosing the Undead Knight in holy barriers and using purification magic to weaken him while restoring their stamina.
• The alchemist remains distant from the battlefield but manipulates events indirectly, timing the undead army’s attack to rescue the Undead Knight and destroy the defenders’ advantage.

Chapter Summary: “The Next Step”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Adolf brings the severely wounded Headless Knight into Hui Dun City, while the undead army launches a full-scale assault on the city walls.
• Concerned that the defenders are overwhelmed, Adolf quickly engages the Headless Knight. He unleashes powerful, unrestrained magic and eventually slices the knight into pieces.
• Because the Headless Knight can regenerate, Adolf uses the Wind Demon Prison to teleport and suppress each piece in separate forests around the city. He then grinds the remaining flesh into scraps before flying to reinforce the walls.
• The alchemist observes the Headless Knight’s defeat but remains unconcerned, knowing that the undead army is keeping Hui Dun City’s strongest fighters occupied.
• Inside the academy, the rune inscriptions for the city’s defensive formation are nearly complete. Pembez orders Melinda to lead the instructors and senior students to the walls.
• Wisdom Shield asks to join the defenders. Pembez agrees, recognizing both Wisdom Shield’s need to protect his people and the political importance of allowing him to gain public gratitude and avoid being overshadowed—or potentially eliminated—by Jamir.
• The alchemist begins the next phase of his plan once the academy’s forces leave. He prepares a red pill and leaves his hiding place to set his scheme in motion.
• Elsewhere, Coles has fled the academy in anger after resenting the attention Chen Cheng receives. He encounters the alchemist in a deserted noble district.
• Coles’s large companion protects him. The alchemist identifies the companion as a weak-blooded Titan descendant and decides he would make an excellent killing monster.
• Exploiting Coles’s resentment toward Chen Cheng, the alchemist tempts him with a red pill that supposedly will remove the source of his anger—if Coles forces the slave to consume it.

Character Developments

• Adolf demonstrates overwhelming combat ability and tactical efficiency, defeating and containing the Headless Knight despite its regenerative nature. His priorities shift immediately from personal combat to defending the city.
• Pembez acts as both strategist and mentor. He balances the academy’s urgent defensive needs with Wisdom Shield’s political and personal interests, showing a pragmatic willingness to make calculated decisions.
• Wisdom Shield becomes more determined to prove himself and protect his territory. His shame at remaining behind during the crisis motivates him to join the battle.
• Melinda is entrusted with leading the academy’s forces, reflecting her status as its strongest remaining magical authority after Pembez.
• The alchemist reveals himself as patient, manipulative, and opportunistic. He views the city’s chaos as part of a larger experiment and intends to use both the undead army and vulnerable individuals to complete his plan.
• Coles remains consumed by jealousy and class resentment. Although he briefly recognizes the danger facing the city, his hatred of Chen Cheng quickly overwhelms his common sense.
• The large slave/Titan-blooded companion displays loyalty and protective instinct by shielding Coles and urging him to escape, even though the alchemist sees him merely as a potential weapon.

Significant Themes

• Crisis and divided priorities: The characters must choose between completing the academy’s defensive formation, defending the city walls, and pursuing the alchemist.
• Political calculation versus moral duty: Pembez’s decision regarding Wisdom Shield shows how survival and reputation are intertwined with military action.
• Manipulation and temptation: The alchemist exploits Coles’s anger, offering a seemingly convenient solution while clearly intending to corrupt or weaponize him.
• Prejudice and social hierarchy: Coles’s resentment stems from Chen Cheng’s origins as a slave, while the alchemist reduces the Titan-blooded companion to his usefulness as a monster.
• Regeneration and containment: The Headless Knight’s survival highlights that defeating an enemy is not always the same as killing it; Adolf must rely on restraint and suppression.
• Hidden plans beneath open warfare: The undead assault serves not only as a military attack but also as a distraction enabling the alchemist to carry out his more dangerous “next step.”

Important Character Interactions

• Adolf and the Headless Knight: Their battle showcases a direct clash between high-level magic and blood-energy combat, ending with Adolf dismembering and imprisoning the knight.
• Pembez and Wisdom Shield: Pembez gives Wisdom Shield permission to fight, combining mentorship, strategic trust, and political awareness.
• Melinda and the academy’s defenders: Melinda receives command of the instructors and senior students, leading them to reinforce the besieged walls.
• The alchemist and Coles: The alchemist identifies Coles’s emotional weakness and attempts to manipulate him into using the red pill against Chen Cheng.
• Coles and his companion: Despite Coles’s self-centered anger, the companion remains loyal and instinctively protects him from the alchemist.
• The alchemist and the Titan-blooded companion: The alchemist evaluates the companion as a possible experimental weapon, emphasizing his cold, exploitative nature.

Chapter Summary: The Big Guy’s Bloodline Refinement

Key Plot Points and Events

• An alchemist traps Coles by appearing both in front of and behind him, preventing escape and forcing him to confront an unknown red pill.
• When Coles refuses to take the pill, the alchemist immobilizes the big guy and forcibly feeds it to him instead.
• The alchemist reveals that the pill will transform the big guy into Coles’s slave, compelled to hunt anyone Coles hates. He then disappears.
• The big guy undergoes a horrifying transformation:
  • His body expands to nearly ten meters tall.
  • His muscles, bones, fangs, and hair become monstrous and armor-like.
  • His Slave Collar is destroyed by his growth.
  • His Battle Aura and blood vitality surge to an extraordinary level.
• The transformed giant immediately focuses on Chen Cheng at the academy and begins advancing toward it, destroying buildings along the way.
• Isabel arrives after sensing the giant’s immense vitality. She rescues the frightened Coles and leaves him in a safe place before confronting the big guy herself.
• Isabel attacks with magic, Battle Aura, and twin blades. She burns and cuts into the giant’s back, but he retaliates with astonishing speed and strength.
• The big guy avoids a lethal strike to his head, injures Isabel’s attack arm, and lands a devastating Battle Aura-enhanced punch that sends her through several houses.
• Isabel survives but is gravely wounded. She concludes that the big guy is at least as powerful as a Platinum Rank warrior, even though he has not yet displayed a domain.

Character Developments

• Coles: His confidence and ambition collapse into terror. He realizes he cannot control the situation and is horrified as the big guy is transformed. Although he wants Isabel to spare his companion, fear prevents him from speaking up. His earlier jealousy and schemes are exposed: he had secretly taught the big guy Battle Aura so they could rise socially after replacing Fini and Chen Cheng.
• The Big Guy: He changes from Coles’s powerful but loyal companion into a monstrous, rage-driven slave. His latent Battle Aura becomes fully revealed, and the pill dramatically refines or mutates his bloodline, granting him enormous strength, speed, durability, and vitality. His hatred of Chen Cheng becomes his primary motivation.
• Isabel: She demonstrates confidence, combat skill, and tactical awareness by confronting the giant alone. However, the big guy’s strength exceeds her expectations, leaving her seriously injured. She recognizes the possible threat he poses to the entire city.
• The Alchemist: He is portrayed as cruel, mysterious, and overwhelmingly powerful. He treats both Coles and the big guy as experimental subjects, forcibly transforming the latter for his own purposes.

Significant Themes

• Power without control: The big guy’s newfound strength is immense, but it is driven by imposed rage and enslavement rather than conscious choice.
• Ambition and jealousy: Coles’s envy of Chen Cheng motivates his secret plans, but those ambitions ultimately contribute to a disaster he cannot manage.
• Transformation and loss of humanity: The pill turns the big guy into a monstrous weapon, symbolizing the destruction of identity through forced power enhancement.
• The dangers of unchecked experimentation: The alchemist’s pill produces a being powerful enough to threaten Hui Dun City, emphasizing the consequences of manipulating bloodlines and bodies.
• Limits of rank and conventional judgment: Although the big guy is not confirmed to possess a domain, his physical abilities rival those of a Platinum Rank warrior, suggesting that raw power can challenge established classifications.

Character Interactions

• The alchemist intimidates and dominates Coles, then forcibly feeds the pill to the big guy when Coles refuses it.
• The big guy attempts to protect Coles by attacking the alchemist, but is effortlessly restrained and transformed.
• After transforming, the big guy ignores both Coles and Isabel, concentrating solely on reaching Chen Cheng.
• Isabel protects Coles by removing him from danger, then confronts the giant to stop him.
• Isabel and the big guy engage in a fierce battle: she wounds him with fire and blades, but he overwhelms her with superior physical power and Battle Aura.

Chapter Summary: “Last Chance”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Isabel survives a devastating blow from the hulking monster and uses healing magic to stabilize her internal injuries. Realizing the creature has reached Platinum Rank strength and is being directed toward the academy, she avoids a direct rematch and instead focuses on rescuing civilians from the homes the monster destroys.
• The alchemist observes the battle and recognizes the monster’s immense power, while also revealing his admiration for Coles’s exceptional alchemy talent.
• Coles watches helplessly as his former companion becomes an uncontrollable killing machine. His dreams of using the creature to elevate himself and the William Family collapse, leaving him consumed by guilt, anger, and powerlessness.
• At the academy, Chen Cheng and Professor Pempes complete the final Magic Rune of a massive defensive array. The Magic Crystals powering it are rapidly consumed, and a gigantic beam of magic creates a shield over all of Hui Dun City.
• The shield halts the undead army outside the city, causing soldiers and civilians to celebrate. Jamir and Wisdom Shield realize the city’s immediate crisis appears to have been resolved.
• However, the academy is left dangerously understaffed because its instructors and senior students are defending the city walls. The alchemist recognizes this as his final opportunity to destroy the array’s core, seize the divine sword, or escape.
• He summons the walking corpses throughout the city to attack the academy and sends the temporarily Platinum Rank hulking figure against it. Pembez intercepts the monster to prevent it from damaging the fragile Magic Array.
• Chen Cheng, Fini, and the remaining junior students organize a defense at the academy gates. Students with basic magic attack the corpses, while warrior students prepare to fight if the magical defenses fail.
• Fire magic proves effective against the corpses, while Fini’s wind arrows destroy them by piercing their skulls. Nevertheless, the students rapidly exhaust their magic power, and Chen Cheng realizes they cannot withstand the endless assault for long.

Character Development

• Isabel demonstrates tactical maturity by abandoning a suicidal fight against the empowered monster and prioritizing civilian protection. Her injuries also emphasize the limits of her strength despite her powerful Titan Bloodline.
• The alchemist shifts from confident control to desperation. The citywide shield disrupts his carefully prepared plan, forcing him to make a reckless final assault.
• Coles experiences a major emotional collapse. He recognizes that his ambitions and belief in controlling the hulking figure were illusions, confronting his own weakness and responsibility.
• Professor Pempes proves the depth of his preparation and magical expertise by activating the powerful citywide defensive array. He also takes personal responsibility for stopping the monster at the academy.
• Chen Cheng emerges as a leader among the junior students, rallying them to defend the academy despite knowing their chances are poor.
• Fini acts decisively and encourages the frightened students to fight, using her wind magic with deadly precision.

Significant Themes

• Desperation and last chances: The defensive shield appears to end the crisis, but the alchemist’s final attack creates an even more dangerous threat within the city.
• Power versus control: Coles’s inability to control the hulking figure contrasts with the alchemist’s manipulation of it and demonstrates the danger of power without mastery.
• Sacrifice and responsibility: Isabel protects civilians despite her injuries, Pempes risks himself to preserve the array, and the students defend the academy despite lacking sufficient power.
• Hope amid crisis: The city’s shield inspires widespread celebration, but the continuing attack shows that apparent victories can be fragile.
• Youth facing overwhelming danger: The inexperienced students are forced to replace the absent instructors and senior fighters, revealing both their courage and their limitations.

Character Interactions

• Isabel confronts the hulking figure but chooses not to continue fighting it directly after assessing its new Platinum Rank strength.
• The alchemist watches Isabel and studies Coles’s emotional reaction, recognizing Coles’s talent and considering whether to abandon his larger plan to recruit or save him.
• Jamir observes the completed shield and acknowledges Pembez’s hidden strength, while postponing his rivalry with Adolf and Wisdom Shield.
• Chen Cheng and Fini coordinate the academy’s student defense, motivating the frightened apprentices to use their limited magic collectively.
• Pembez directly intercepts the hulking figure, preventing it from reaching the academy and destabilizing the Magic Array.
• The students work together against the walking corpses, but their cooperation is undermined by rapidly depleting magical reserves.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Alchemist attacks Pembez, preventing him from aiding Chen Cheng and the others.
• Chen Cheng's magic power depletes, and he resorts to using his Iron Sword against the zombies.
• Isabel intervenes, killing the zombies surrounding Chen Cheng.
• The Alchemist attempts to seize the Divine Sword from Chen Cheng but is stopped by a mysterious magical item on Chen Cheng's chest.
• Isabel kicks the Alchemist away, and Coles is revealed to be sitting on the Alchemist's body, having stabbed him with a wooden stake.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates his physical strength and resilience by fighting off zombies with his sword.
• Isabel shows her concern for Chen Cheng, despite her cold demeanor, as she intervenes to save him.
• The Alchemist's true intentions are revealed, showing his ambition and ruthlessness.
• Coles proves to be resourceful and brave, playing a crucial role in stopping the Alchemist.

Significant Themes

• The power of divine artifacts and their potential to protect their chosen master.
• The consequences of underestimating one's opponents.
• The importance of teamwork and unity in the face of adversity.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and Isabel: Despite Isabel's coldness towards Chen Cheng, she ultimately saves him, showing a level of care and concern.
• The Alchemist and Chen Cheng: The Alchemist underestimates Chen Cheng, leading to his downfall.
• Coles and the Alchemist: Coles' unexpected action against the Alchemist highlights the element of surprise and the potential for even the smallest characters to make a significant impact.

Chapter Summary: “Someone Behind the Scenes”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Coles discovers the alchemist’s body and, enraged over the death of his “big guy,” kills him by stabbing him repeatedly with a broken wooden stump. The ease of the alchemist’s death makes everyone suspect that this may not have been the real alchemist.
• Isabel removes Coles from the scene and sends him back toward the academy, blaming him for allowing his creature to be transformed into a murderous monster.
• Pembez realizes that the giant monster has lost its previous controlled obsession and is now acting purely on instinct, suggesting that its controller has died or abandoned control.
• Adolf joins Pembez, and the two combine their magical domains. Their unprecedented resonance allows them to cast Space Storm, which instantly grinds the ten-meter-tall monster into dust.
• Adolf and Pembez examine the alchemist’s corpse and determine that it is actually an extraordinarily sophisticated puppet, despite appearing to possess real flesh and having the properties of a dead body.
• Using the puppet and remnants of the giant monster as tracking mediums, they discover that the trail points back to the puppet itself. This frightens them, implying that the true mastermind may be an ancient and overwhelmingly powerful entity.
• To conceal the truth, Adolf and Pembez pretend to have destroyed the alchemist in the mountains. In reality, they only dispose of the Headless Knight’s remains and secretly keep the puppet for further study.
• Outside the city, the now-uncontrolled Undead Knight becomes more dangerous, attacking both the city’s shield and his own undead forces to absorb their souls.
• Bishop Jamir unleashes his full power, destroying the undead army and using Holy Light Flowing Clouds to devastate the Undead Knight and the surrounding skeletons.

Character Developments

• Coles reveals intense grief and attachment to his “big guy,” but his actions also show recklessness and possible hidden awareness of the larger situation. His strange smile at the end suggests he may know more than he appears to.
• Isabel acts protectively toward Coles but remains stern, holding him responsible for the disaster caused by his decision to leave the academy.
• Adolf and Pembez demonstrate exceptional cooperation by successfully fusing their magic domains, a feat considered nearly impossible even for Legendary Mages. Their later fear shows that they recognize the threat behind the puppet is far beyond the apparent crisis.
• Jamir is freed from his defensive duties and demonstrates the full destructive power of a high-level holy mage.
• The Undead Knight becomes more independent and dangerous after losing the alchemist’s control, suggesting that it may possess its own ambitions and methods of growth.

Significant Themes

• Hidden manipulation: The visible alchemist may only be a puppet, emphasizing that the true enemy remains concealed.
• The limits and dangers of power: Domain fusion is extraordinarily powerful but nearly impossible because of the mental and spiritual risks involved.
• Grief and responsibility: Coles’s mourning contrasts with Isabel’s insistence that he accept responsibility for the destruction caused by his creature.
• Appearance versus reality: The corpse looks human but is a puppet, while the supposed victory over the alchemist is merely a deception.
• Escalating supernatural threats: The crisis appears resolved, but the discovery of the puppet suggests that a much older and more dangerous force may be involved.

Character Interactions

• Isabel physically restrains and reprimands Coles before sending him back to the academy.
• Adolf and Pembez coordinate perfectly in battle, merging their domains and casting Space Storm as one.
• Isabel presents the corpse to Adolf and Pembez, prompting their discovery that it is a puppet.
• Adolf and Pembez conceal the truth from the others to prevent panic or retaliation from the unknown mastermind.
• Jamir fights independently at the city’s front lines, countering the Undead Knight’s rampage with overwhelming holy magic.

Chapter Summary: “Political Instinct”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the undead attack, Jamir reflects uneasily on Adolf and Pembez’s apparent “domain fusion.” He realizes their public discord was likely an act intended to deceive outsiders—probably including him.
• Jamir notes that the Church’s standardized cultivation of Divine Authority makes domain fusion unusually easy, but such fusion is forbidden by Church doctrine because it involves profound mutual exposure of consciousness.
• At the Consecration Institute in Kolmo’s capital, Legendary Mage Mekas erupts in anger after recalling her past failure involving Samlet. Her mental outburst alarms the Royal Capital guards, though she dismisses it as harmless.
• Mekas’s anger is connected to the damage inflicted on her soul through her puppet. Chen Cheng’s mysterious power destroyed the puppet’s soul-containing magic array, leaving Mekas weakened and causing strands of white hair to appear.
• Mekas has confirmed the location of the divine sword and now suspects that the glowing object on Chen Cheng’s body is an ancient divine artifact that previously concealed it. However, fear of Chen Cheng’s unexplained power prevents her from confronting him directly. She goes to the Royal Academy to investigate.
• Holmes, another Legendary expert, notices Mekas’s suspicious behavior and worries that she is concealing a dangerous plan. However, because the commandant ordered him not to interfere, he reluctantly lets her leave.
• In Hui Dun City, the defensive Magic Array has exhausted its energy. The city and academy are badly damaged, outside troops have been wiped out, and many civilians have died during the undead crisis. Wisdom Shield now faces enormous repair and compensation costs.
• Wisdom Shield writes a report to the King emphasizing his own courage and achievements while minimizing the disaster’s severity. He hopes to strengthen his political position and appear capable despite his insecurity about the succession struggle.
• Chen Cheng tears up the report and warns Wisdom Shield that exaggerating his success could make him a target. Publicizing his accomplishments would draw the attention of the King and rival princes, who might see him as a political threat.
• Chen Cheng points out that Wisdom Shield has almost no reliable allies or political foundation. Adolf is uninterested in his affairs, Pembez supports him only indirectly as his mentor, and Torey is physically weakened. Wisdom Shield is forced to confront how vulnerable he truly is.

Character Developments

• Jamir: Becomes more suspicious and uneasy about Adolf and Pembez, recognizing that their relationship is more calculated than it appears. His concern also reflects his discomfort with the forbidden intimacy of domain fusion.
• Mekas: Suffers serious spiritual damage and develops fear toward Chen Cheng’s unknown abilities. Although she remains ambitious and vengeful, caution now restrains her from seeking the divine sword personally.
• Holmes: Reveals a more observant and cautious side. He distrusts Mekas’s secrecy and senses an approaching crisis but chooses obedience over investigation.
• Wisdom Shield: His political insecurity becomes clear. He tries to compensate for his weak position by exaggerating his achievements, but Chen Cheng forces him to recognize that success without a power base can be fatal.
• Chen Cheng: Demonstrates strong political insight and a willingness to confront Wisdom Shield harshly. He acts less like a subordinate and more like a blunt strategist protecting Wisdom Shield from self-destructive decisions.

Significant Themes

• Political survival versus personal achievement: Wisdom Shield learns that merit can be dangerous when it attracts the attention of powerful rivals.
• The danger of appearing powerful: In a royal succession struggle, visibility can make a vulnerable person a target rather than earn protection.
• Hidden alliances and deception: Adolf and Pembez’s false hostility, Mekas’s secret investigation, and Wisdom Shield’s embellished report all show how appearances conceal political motives.
• Fear of the unknown: Mekas, despite her immense power, is unsettled by Chen Cheng’s inexplicable abilities, emphasizing that even Legendary figures must fear forces beyond their understanding.
• Reality versus self-deception: Wisdom Shield’s report represents his attempt to reassure himself, while Chen Cheng forces him to face his isolation and lack of resources.

Important Character Interactions

• Jamir and Adolf/Pembez: Jamir interprets their domain fusion as proof that their apparent conflict is a deliberate performance.
• Mekas and the Royal Guards: Her uncontrolled mental power terrifies the guards, revealing the enormous gap between Legendary experts and ordinary officials.
• Mekas and Holmes: Their exchange is hostile and teasing, but Holmes’s concern shows that he recognizes the danger behind Mekas’s behavior.
• Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield: Their confrontation forms the chapter’s central interaction. Chen Cheng destroys Wisdom Shield’s flattering report and systematically explains why it could lead to his death, leaving Wisdom Shield frightened and politically disillusioned.

Chapter Summary: “Opportunity Amid Crisis”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng confronts Count Wisdom Shield about the political danger created by the alchemist crisis. If Wisdom Shield mishandles the aftermath, he and the minor nobles under his protection—such as the Kekebor family—could be purged.
• Although the crisis places Wisdom Shield in grave danger, Chen Cheng argues that it also offers an opportunity. He tests whether Wisdom Shield is willing to commit himself fully to a difficult political path.
• Wisdom Shield, inspired by Chen Cheng’s confidence and his own desire to overcome his status as a royal scandal, resolves to rise to the throne. He asks Chen Cheng for guidance, effectively accepting him as a military and political adviser.
• Chen Cheng proposes two immediate strategies:
  1. Surrender credit: Wisdom Shield should emphasize the contributions of Bishop Jamir, the Como Legion, the Western Territory’s governor, and even the King, while keeping credit away from himself and his allies.
  2. Cry poverty: He should document the territory’s enormous losses and send a carefully worded personal letter to the Grand Princess to encourage financial aid and reconstruction funds.
• Chen Cheng hints that Wisdom Shield’s long-term development will depend on “borrowing” power and resources, though he deliberately withholds the exact plan until circumstances become clearer.
• Wisdom Shield enthusiastically begins drafting the necessary documents. Chen Cheng admits privately that he was partly bluffing about the “borrowing” strategy and believes waiting is wiser for now.
• At the academy, instructors and students repair the damage caused by the crisis. Chen Cheng reflects on the destructive potential of lawless mages and recognizes serious limitations and defects in his Variable Magic.
• Chen Cheng reunites with Fini and Melinda. Fini is angry that Coles is receiving praise despite Chen Cheng and others doing much of the real work during the defense.
• Isabel provokes a confrontation by implying that Fini has romantic feelings for Chen Cheng. Fini becomes deeply embarrassed, while Chen Cheng and Melinda are angered by Isabel’s cruel remark.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng: Becomes more firmly established as Wisdom Shield’s strategic adviser. He demonstrates political insight, caution, and a willingness to manipulate events indirectly. He also learns from the crisis that his Variable Magic is powerful but unreliable, especially when applied to unfamiliar magical systems.
• Wisdom Shield: Transitions from despair to determination. He embraces the goal of becoming king, not merely for personal ambition but to prove that no one is inherently lowborn or disposable. He also begins trusting Chen Cheng as a genuine adviser.
• Fini: Shows fierce loyalty and protectiveness toward Chen Cheng. Her anger at Coles’s undeserved praise and her embarrassment over Isabel’s accusation reveal her strong emotional attachment to him.
• Melinda: Continues to care for Chen Cheng and examines his injuries despite his reassurance. Her concern suggests growing feelings, which Isabel recognizes and which Melinda herself is attempting to suppress.
• Isabel: Reveals jealousy and emotional discomfort through sarcasm. Though she previously helped Chen Cheng, she now lashes out at Fini and indirectly exposes the complicated feelings among the group.

Significant Themes

• Crisis as opportunity: Political disaster can create openings for those capable of managing public perception and distributing credit strategically.
• Power, status, and social hierarchy: Wisdom Shield’s resolve centers on rejecting the belief that birth determines worth. His vision of becoming king while elevating Chen Cheng reflects a challenge to the world’s rigid class system.
• Political manipulation and image-building: Chen Cheng emphasizes modesty, flattering the King, assigning credit to others, and presenting controlled narratives to gain approval and resources.
• Trust and leadership: Chen Cheng tests whether Wisdom Shield can think and act independently rather than simply obeying advice. He wants a future ruler with judgment, not a puppet.
• The dangers of unchecked magic: The devastation caused by the alchemist and the instability of Variable Magic highlight the destructive consequences of power without sufficient control or understanding.
• Jealousy and emotional tension: The interactions among Fini, Melinda, Isabel, and Chen Cheng introduce romantic uncertainty and show how personal feelings complicate their alliances.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield: Chen Cheng challenges Wisdom Shield to choose his path, then offers him a practical political strategy. Wisdom Shield responds by pledging himself to the goal of becoming king.
• Chen Cheng and Fini: Fini’s concern over Chen Cheng’s injuries and anger on his behalf strengthen their affectionate bond.
• Chen Cheng and Melinda: Melinda carefully checks Chen Cheng’s injuries, revealing her concern despite his attempts to dismiss the danger.
• Fini and Isabel: Fini angrily defends Chen Cheng and blames Isabel’s injuries on Coles’s actions. Isabel retaliates by suggesting Fini is romantically interested in Chen Cheng.
• Melinda and Isabel: Isabel’s remark appears partly motivated by jealousy and an attempt to deflect attention from her own feelings toward Chen Cheng, while Melinda is upset that Isabel hurts Fini to protect herself.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fini reveals she sees Chen Cheng as a younger brother, causing a stir.
• Melinda panics about her growing feelings for Chen Cheng, fearing she's a pervert.
• Isabel mocks Melinda for her feelings, but Melinda stands firm.
• Fini, upset by Isabel's behavior, cries on Chen Cheng's shoulder.
• Chen Cheng decides to teach Fini the essence of Variable Magic.

Character Developments

• Fini: Starts to see Chen Cheng as a younger brother, feels betrayed by Isabel.
• Melinda: Struggles with her feelings for Chen Cheng, stands up for him against Isabel.
• Chen Cheng: Decides to teach Fini the true essence of magic, showing maturity and consideration.

Significant Themes

• Age and maturity vs. physical appearance.
• The true essence of magic and knowledge.
• Betrayal of expectations (Isabel's behavior towards Fini).

Character Interactions

• Fini and Chen Cheng: Their relationship evolves as Fini sees Chen Cheng as a younger brother, and Chen Cheng decides to teach her.
• Melinda and Chen Cheng: Melinda struggles with her feelings for Chen Cheng, but stands up for him.
• Isabel and Fini: Isabel's behavior towards Fini causes the latter to lose respect for her.

Chapter Summary: “Schemes Within Schemes”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng helps Fini reconsider her understanding of magic. He argues that magic is not an untouchable divine power, but a practical tool made by arranging Magic Runes into different patterns.
• He compares magic to silk threads being woven into different products, explaining that different rune combinations can produce different magical effects.
• Fini quickly grasps the central idea: magic can be modified and created through the correct arrangement of patterns, rather than merely received from the gods through the Sea of Magic.
• Chen Cheng realizes he has already challenged Fini’s worldview significantly, so he stops pressing the issue and prepares to teach her how to inscribe Variable Magic.
• Meanwhile, the Church of Light is crowded with citizens praying after the disaster that devastated Huidun Territory. The Church and Jamir receive public attention because of their role in defending the city.
• Bishop Jamir is deeply shaken by the power displayed by Huidun Academy, especially Adolf’s strength, the citywide Platinum Rank defensive array, and the fusion of Adolf and Pembez’s domains.
• Sgert reassures Jamir that Adolf and Pembez themselves are not the greatest threat. Instead, he suggests that an unknown master of magic arrays helped them create the defensive formation.
• Sgert’s reasoning restores Jamir’s confidence. Jamir then decides to exploit the disaster politically by writing a report that praises Wisdom Shield extravagantly while secretly preparing to use the praise against him.
• The chapter ends with Jamir pleased by his own eloquent report and mocking Wisdom Shield, revealing that his apparent support is part of a larger scheme.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng acts as a teacher and ideological reformer. He seeks to free Fini from restrictive religious assumptions and encourage her to approach magic rationally and creatively.
• Fini experiences an important intellectual breakthrough. Though initially shocked and uncertain, she proves her intelligence by immediately understanding that magic is based on rune combinations.
• Jamir shifts from discouragement to renewed confidence. After realizing that the defensive array may have been created by a hidden expert, he begins thinking strategically about how to benefit the Church and damage Wisdom Shield.
• Sgert demonstrates the Church’s analytical ability and intelligence network. His explanation also shows that he is deliberately mixing truth with misinformation to shape Jamir’s judgment.
• Wisdom Shield, though mostly absent from the chapter, becomes the focus of political maneuvering. His achievements and likely ambitions make him both a valuable figure to praise and a target for manipulation.

Significant Themes

• Breaking ideological limitations: Progress begins when people question supposedly sacred or unquestionable beliefs.
• Magic as technology: Chen Cheng presents magic as a system that can be studied, reorganized, and improved rather than as divine authority.
• The danger of shattered worldviews: Chen recognizes that overturning Fini’s beliefs too quickly could destabilize her, emphasizing the need for gradual guidance.
• Knowledge and power: Understanding the structure of magic can open new possibilities and threaten established institutions.
• Political manipulation and hidden motives: Jamir’s lavish praise is not genuine admiration but a calculated attempt to control the narrative and undermine Wisdom Shield.
• Perception versus reality: The chapter repeatedly contrasts appearances—sacred magic, public praise, supposed alliances—with the underlying truth.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and Fini: Their teacher-student exchange centers on redefining magic. Chen explains his theory through familiar examples, while Fini actively reasons through it and reaches the conclusion herself.
• Jamir and Sgert: Sgert analyzes the recent battle and helps Jamir recover from his fear. Their conversation reveals both the Church’s intelligence operations and its tendency to manipulate information.
• Jamir and Wisdom Shield: Although they do not meet directly, Jamir constructs a false public alliance by praising Wisdom Shield in his report while privately planning to exploit and discredit him.
• Adolf, Pembez, and Wisdom Shield: Their cooperation during the crisis has altered the political balance. Their combined power and Academy Alliance connections make them more influential, alarming the Church.

Key Plot Points and Events

• A humanoid puppet, previously discarded, is found in the academy's safe house, coated in mithril and secret magic.
• Adolf and another person analyze the puppet using detection magic, suspecting a Legendary Mage is behind its creation.
• They discover the puppet is deactivated, with all traces of human intervention erased, suggesting the mastermind is an Alchemist.
• Chen Cheng returns to his room, reflecting on the mysterious crystal pendant that neutralized the puppet.
• Baron William's mansion is bustling with nobles praising Coles' bravery, while Coles secretly keeps the magical items he took from the puppet.

Character Developments

• Adolf and the other person exhibit caution and thoroughness in their investigation.
• Chen Cheng shows maturity and understanding in handling the mysterious crystal, not rushing to study it.
• Coles demonstrates cunning and opportunism in seizing the magical items from the puppet.

Significant Themes

• The power and mystery of Legendary Mages and Alchemists.
• The importance of caution and thoroughness in investigation.
• The theme of protection and its significance, as seen through Chen Cheng's crystal pendant.

Character Interactions

• Adolf and the other person work together to analyze the puppet.
• Chen Cheng reflects on his mother's protection, strengthening his resolve.
• Coles' interaction with the nobles is marked by deceit and opportunism, contrasting with their genuine praise of him.

Chapter Summary: The King’s Decision

Key Plot Points and Events

• Baron William confronts his son Coles after the destruction caused by Chen Cheng, the slave who had grown up beside him. He criticizes Coles for grieving over a slave and urges him to regain the dignity expected of the William family.
• Baron William reveals that Chen Cheng was deliberately placed beside Coles as a coming-of-age test. Coles would eventually have been expected to kill him himself, demonstrating his loyalty to the family’s ruthless values.
• The Baron declares Coles an adult because he “finished off” Chen Cheng and orders him to prepare to restore the William lineage. He intends to obtain an Elf slave for Coles, while threatening him with severe punishment if he forms an inappropriate relationship with her.
• Inside his room, Coles’s blood activates the crystal sphere he is holding. The sphere releases powerful energy that destroys his former Small Fireball Magic Runes and replaces them with mysterious, seemingly forbidden runes.
• These new runes generate flames fueled by Coles’s anger. The fire does not damage objects, and it subsides when his rage fades. Coles realizes that the sphere contains immense power and believes it may allow him to escape being looked down upon.
• Meanwhile, King Moss XIII reviews reports about the crisis in Huidun Territory. He recognizes that Huidun has matured politically: Huidun’s official report avoids exaggeration, conceals sensitive information, and gives credit to others while quietly securing practical benefits.
• The King burns Governor Modornik’s report—not because he distrusts Modornik, but because he wants to conceal evidence of Huidun’s political growth and protect his son from attracting unwanted attention.
• Grand Princess Fipsa enters the King’s study in distress, fearing for Huidun’s safety and asking that he be recalled from the dangerous frontier.
• The King refuses, explaining that recalling Huidun would destroy his opportunity to compete politically and might expose him to even greater danger from enemies within the royal family.
• After reading Huidun’s personal letter, Fipsa and the King understand the difficult situation he faces. Fipsa praises Huidun’s filial modesty and persuades the King to provide financial support.
• The King sends Huidun’s official report to Chancellor Homis and Archbishop Quse, arranging for the Administrative Council and the Church to recognize the achievements in Huidun Territory—especially those of Bishop Jamir.

Character Developments

• Coles: His grief over Chen Cheng reveals that, despite his upbringing, he retained genuine affection and some moral innocence. His father’s revelation traumatizes him, but his humiliation and anger awaken a mysterious, taboo power. His emotional rage becomes both a source of strength and a potential danger.
• Baron William: He is shown to be calculating, cruel, and entirely committed to family power. He treats Chen Cheng as a disposable tool and views Coles’s emotions as weakness, seeking to reshape him into a ruthless heir.
• Huidun: Though mostly absent, he is portrayed as politically perceptive and increasingly mature. He understands how to hide his abilities, avoid claiming credit, and obtain real advantages without provoking his rivals.
• King Moss XIII: Behind his seemingly foolish public image, he demonstrates sharp political judgment and paternal concern. He protects Huidun by suppressing evidence of his growth while still rewarding him indirectly.
• Grand Princess Fipsa: Her maternal anxiety shows her deep concern for Huidun, but her political awareness allows her to understand why he must remain in the frontier. She skillfully uses affection and praise to secure financial support for him.
• Governor Modornik: His loyalty and competence are reinforced through the King’s trust, particularly in handling the Huidun Territory disaster.
• Bishop Jamir: Although he does not appear directly, the King recognizes his contribution and ensures the Church receives appropriate credit.

Significant Themes

• Parental cruelty versus genuine family affection: Baron William uses his son as a political instrument, while Moss XIII protects Huidun through subtle and indirect decisions.
• The corruption of innocence: Coles’s affection for Chen Cheng conflicts with the ideology imposed on him by his family. His trauma pushes him toward a forbidden power rooted in anger.
• Power and political concealment: Huidun’s success comes not from openly claiming glory but from concealing his capabilities and allowing others to receive public credit.
• Class oppression and dehumanization: The treatment of Chen Cheng and the planned acquisition of an Elf slave reveal the society’s institutionalized view of slaves as property.
• Dangerous emotional power: Coles’s new magic responds directly to rage, suggesting that his emotional suffering may become both a weapon and a threat.
• Protection through manipulation: The King burns reports, distributes credit strategically, and refuses Fipsa’s request to recall Huidun in order to preserve Huidun’s long-term prospects.

Important Character Interactions

• Coles and Baron William: Their confrontation exposes the Baron’s ruthless expectations and Coles’s growing resentment. The father’s revelation about Chen Cheng deeply destabilizes Coles.
• Coles and Chen Cheng: Though Chen Cheng is absent, their long relationship is central to Coles’s grief and marks the conflict between his remaining humanity and his family’s ideology.
• Moss XIII and Fipsa: Their exchange combines marital affection, political calculation, and shared concern for Huidun. The King reassures her while firmly explaining why Huidun cannot return.
• Moss XIII and Huidun: The King recognizes Huidun’s political evolution and quietly protects him, showing a complicated but genuine paternal bond.
• Moss XIII and the Church/Administrative Council: By forwarding Huidun’s report and distributing credit, the King turns the crisis into a political advantage for Huidun and strengthens cooperation among powerful institutions.

Summary of “Political Means”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chancellor Homis receives a report about an unprecedented alchemist appearing in the territory of the exiled Prince Wisdom Shield. The prince reportedly survives the crisis and kills the alchemist.
• Recognizing the political importance of the news, Homis convenes the full Administrative Council Parliament.
• Homis intimidates Jimmy, an official recommended by Prince Tum, reminding him that careless words could endanger him. Jimmy is then ordered to help prepare the parliamentary meeting.
• Jimmy secretly glimpses the report and is shocked by the alchemist’s appearance and Wisdom Shield’s victory. Although afraid of Homis, he sends the information to Prince Tum because political advantage outweighs his fear.
• Homis knowingly allows Jimmy to leak the news. He wants the other princes to become aware of Wisdom Shield and prevent the exiled prince from gaining too much influence or upsetting the kingdom’s political balance.
• The Parliament approves financial aid and a construction-relief plan for Huidun Territory, largely because of the Treasury representative’s support.
• Homis ensures that the supposedly secret proposal is distributed to all the princes before its official announcement.
• At the Royal Palace, King Moss XIII signs the provisions immediately, demonstrating his trust in Homis. However, he also warns that the Administrative Council must remain “pure and selfless.”
• Homis leaves the meeting shaken, realizing that the King has subtly reaffirmed the distinction between ruler and minister and reminded him that his power exists only at the King’s discretion.

Character Developments

• Homis is revealed as a highly calculating and politically experienced Chancellor. He manipulates events, controls information, and preserves the kingdom’s balance without openly opposing any faction. Although outwardly confident, he is deeply wary of the King’s authority.
• Jimmy shifts from arrogance to fear and obedience after Homis threatens him indirectly. Despite his fear, he remains politically opportunistic and secretly reports the alchemist news to Prince Tum.
• Prince Wisdom Shield does not appear directly, but his reputation changes dramatically. Surviving and killing an alchemist makes him appear far more powerful and significant than the other princes may have believed.
• King Moss XIII appears relaxed and trusting, but his actions reveal a shrewd and authoritarian ruler. By signing the document without reviewing it, then warning Homis about governmental purity, he demonstrates both confidence in and control over his Chancellor.
• Prince Tum is shown to be involved in the political struggle for succession through his connection to Jimmy and his likely interest in the news about Wisdom Shield.

Significant Themes

• Political manipulation and information control: Homis uses both the council meeting and the controlled leak of confidential information to shape the princes’ responses.
• The balance of power: Homis’s primary goal is to keep the political factions balanced so that no prince becomes dominant and threatens his own position.
• Appearance versus reality: The King seems pleasure-loving and careless, yet Homis recognizes the ruthless intelligence beneath that surface. Similarly, Homis’s respectful submission conceals his political calculations.
• Fear beneath authority: Although Homis is one of the kingdom’s most powerful officials, he remains vulnerable to the King. His outward confidence masks constant anxiety about losing his position.
• Trust and obedience: The King’s trust empowers Homis, but that trust also carries an implicit demand for loyalty and purity. Authority is shown to depend on carefully maintained boundaries between ruler and servant.

Character Interactions

• Homis and the palace guard: Homis bribes the guard with a Mithril pendant, showing how easily official business is influenced by gifts and informal power.
• Homis and Jimmy: Homis intimidates Jimmy into obedience, then deliberately permits him to leak information because the leak serves Homis’s political strategy.
• Homis and the Administrative Council: He directs the council toward approving aid for Huidun Territory while using the proceedings to publicize Wisdom Shield’s importance.
• Homis and King Moss XIII: Their meeting is outwardly respectful but psychologically tense. The King shows trust by signing Homis’s proposal, then reasserts his superiority through a warning about the Council’s integrity. Homis responds with exaggerated humility, recognizing the danger of overstepping his authority.

Chapter Summary: “The Church’s Movements”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jamir’s letter reaches the Church, warning that Wisdom Shield still seeks the throne and asking the Archbishop to pressure him politically.
• The Cardinal Archbishop burns the original letter, since the Church officially cannot interfere in a kingdom’s internal politics. However, he preserves its contents and replaces it with an altered report.
• The Church views Wisdom Shield as a major threat because of his illegitimate birth, ambition, resentment toward the gods, and possible intention to expel the clergy from Moss.
• The Archbishop learns that King Moss XIII still values Wisdom Shield, meaning an openly hostile report could benefit rather than harm him.
• Instead, the Archbishop uses Her, his devout guard knight, as a political weapon. He sends her and one thousand Church knights westward under the pretext of spreading divine blessings and defending the kingdom against dark mages.
• Homis exploits the situation to issue military orders concerning Huidun Territory. Since the region’s military strength was destroyed by the alchemist, Governor Modornik is ordered to prepare its defenses and expansion into Nanmu Forest.
• The Military Department approves the order, and Moss XIII quickly gives his authorization.
• Moss XIII also dispatches a unit of Imperial Knights to protect Wisdom Shield in Huidun Territory—an unusual privilege previously denied to him because of his status.
• The Church’s troop deployment and the King’s support for Wisdom Shield alarm the princes, who recognize that Wisdom Shield may still be politically important.
• The princes decide not to assassinate him immediately. Instead, they plan to suppress his territory while focusing on the upcoming exploration of the Ancient Ruins, believing the treasures they gain there will give them a decisive advantage in the succession struggle.

Character Developments

• Wisdom Shield: Although absent from the chapter, his political importance grows. The Church considers him dangerous, while the King’s continued support suggests he has not been discarded.
• Cardinal Archbishop: Becomes more calculating and politically aggressive. He abandons Jamir’s proposed strategy and chooses to manipulate events indirectly, using religious authority and Church forces against Wisdom Shield.
• Her: Demonstrates complete devotion to the Archbishop and the Church. She accepts the mission to the western territories without questioning it, unaware that she is also being used as a political instrument.
• Homis: Shows his hostility toward the Church and his determination to preserve governmental control. He uses the military situation to expand the kingdom’s influence and protect the interests of the official administration.
• Moss XIII: Reveals continued support for Wisdom Shield by sending him Imperial Knights. He also skillfully allows the Church and the kingdom’s political factions to oppose each other.
• The Princes: Initially reassured that Wisdom Shield is weakened, they nevertheless become alarmed by the King’s support. They choose political suppression over immediate murder while preparing for the Ancient Ruins expedition.

Significant Themes

• Religion versus royal authority: The Church and the kingdom compete for political influence, with Wisdom Shield becoming a point of conflict between them.
• Political manipulation and indirect warfare: Both sides avoid openly declaring their intentions, instead using reports, military orders, religious missions, and administrative procedures to attack or protect their rivals.
• Power concealed behind institutions: Official systems such as Church inspections and military approvals appear neutral but are used to advance factional interests.
• The danger of political miscalculation: Jamir assumes Wisdom Shield has been abandoned, but the Archbishop discovers that the King still favors him, forcing the Church to change strategies.
• Family and succession rivalry: The princes treat Wisdom Shield as a competitor even while publicly maintaining the appearance of brotherly affection.
• The decline of imperial unity: The Church’s growing power is linked to the collapse of the Thornflower Empire, which allowed religious institutions to survive wars and become stronger than many individual kingdoms.

Character Interactions

• Jamir and the Archbishop: Jamir attempts to use the Church against Wisdom Shield, but the Archbishop redirects his plan for the Church’s own purposes.
• The Archbishop and Her: He invokes divine duty to persuade Her to lead Church knights westward, presenting a political maneuver as a sacred mission.
• Homis and the Military Department: Homis uses standard military procedures to advance his policy while relying on the King’s eventual approval.
• Homis and Moss XIII: Their actions reveal an unspoken understanding: Homis challenges the Church through administration, while the King supports Wisdom Shield without openly confronting the Church.
• The Church and the royal government: Their long-standing rivalry intensifies, with Wisdom Shield serving as the immediate battleground in their struggle for authority.
• The Princes and Wisdom Shield: Though they consider him weakened, they recognize that the King’s protection makes him a continuing threat and plan to undermine him rather than eliminate him outright.

Chapter Summary: “Testing the Royal Capital’s Intentions”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Royal Capital orders support for Huidun Territory, and Governor Modornik carries it out. Restoration of Hui Dun City resumes after receiving materials, while commercial restrictions are lifted.
• Rare Magic Beast products and stored extermination spoils are sold quickly, bringing Huidun Territory substantial income and initially exciting Wisdom Shield.
• Blustro, the kingdom’s leading merchant, visits Wisdom Shield. He warns that Huidun’s current prosperity is temporary: its Magic Beast goods will eventually lose their market advantage, while dependence on imported necessities will create a dangerous trade imbalance.
• Blustro presents a commercial letter of intent proposing future cooperation with Huidun Territory. He explains that Chen Cheng—known publicly as the legendary “Brown”—persuaded him to invest.
• Wisdom Shield brings the document to Chen Cheng, who explains that Blustro’s visit was not merely a business proposal but a test of the Royal Capital’s attitude toward Wisdom Shield.
• Chen Cheng concludes that the King is not completely hostile or ungrateful, since official support and commercial opportunities have been allowed. However, he believes the King will offer only fair treatment, not special protection.
• Chen Cheng identifies the Grand Princess as Wisdom Shield’s strongest potential ally, though her distance from Huidun limits her influence. The other princes are unlikely to destroy Wisdom Shield outright but will probably continue suppressing him.
• The chapter ends with Wisdom Shield reflecting on his father’s past cruelty and exile. Despite the uncertainty, he takes comfort in the fact that his efforts have produced results and trusts Chen Cheng to find a solution.

Character Developments

• Wisdom Shield: Demonstrates composure despite severe internal anxiety. His hopes rise with Huidun’s economic recovery, collapse after Blustro’s warning, and revive when presented with the partnership proposal. He becomes more aware that royal support may be conditional and limited.
• Blustro: Reveals himself as a blunt, highly pragmatic merchant who values profit above status or personal loyalty. He respects Wisdom Shield’s ability to remain calm under pressure and openly credits Chen Cheng with teaching him new business concepts.
• Chen Cheng/Brown: Shows strategic foresight by using Blustro’s commercial interest to test the Royal Capital’s policies. He remains emotionally detached, balancing Wisdom Shield’s optimism with realistic warnings. His hidden identity continues to influence events.
• Isabel: Continues to criticize and obstruct Chen Cheng’s academic recognition, though the narration reveals that her behavior is intended to protect his identity rather than express jealousy.
• The King and Grand Princess: The King appears less hostile than feared but not especially supportive. The Grand Princess is presented as Wisdom Shield’s most important possible source of aid.

Significant Themes

• Political support as a test of intentions: Economic assistance and permission to trade reveal the Royal Capital’s broader attitude toward Wisdom Shield.
• Temporary prosperity and economic sustainability: A territory cannot rely indefinitely on rare resources or one profitable export; balanced trade and long-term planning are essential.
• Pragmatism over loyalty: Blustro’s cooperation is based on profit, while royal actions are judged according to political advantage rather than family feeling.
• Trust and hidden identities: Chen Cheng’s secret identity and unseen influence shape both commercial and political developments.
• Uncertainty within family and power structures: Wisdom Shield must navigate a father who once abandoned him, rival princes, and distant allies whose support may be limited.

Important Character Interactions

• Wisdom Shield and Blustro: Their courteous meeting develops into a frank discussion of Huidun’s economic future. Blustro warns him of impending decline but offers a path toward sustainable commerce.
• Wisdom Shield and Chen Cheng: Wisdom Shield confronts Chen Cheng with the letter of intent, seeking an explanation. Chen Cheng reframes the document as evidence that their political test has produced a cautiously favorable result.
• Chen Cheng and Blustro: Though not shown directly, Chen Cheng’s earlier influence convinces Blustro to invest in Huidun and adopt new commercial strategies.
• Chen Cheng and Isabel: Their classroom exchanges remain sarcastic and antagonistic on the surface, but Isabel’s behavior secretly serves to shield Chen Cheng from attention and exposure.

Chapter Summary: “Oath of Alliance”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng explains to Count Wisdom Shield that the foundation of a state is not merely population, land, or military strength, but wealth and the exchange of benefits.
• He describes how citizens exchange taxes and loyalty for protection and rights, while soldiers exchange service for pay, compensation, and family support. In this way, benefit connects the people, army, laws, and ruling institutions.
• Chen Cheng argues that the highest political power is the ability to distribute benefits. The king rules because he controls this distribution, and the princes are ultimately competing for the same authority—the power to become a “king without a crown.”
• When Wisdom Shield asks how merchants fit into this theory, Chen Cheng explains that merchants enable the circulation of currency and wealth. By forming commercial alliances, Wisdom Shield can build a faction of merchants, nobles, and powerful Lineages whose interests depend on his success.
• Chen Cheng proposes using merchants to counter the merchants supporting rival princes: “use merchants to restrain merchants.” Their shared commercial interests would create political allies and help break the pressure surrounding Huidun Territory.
• Wisdom Shield promises that if Chen Cheng helps him ascend the throne, he will grant Chen Cheng any one request.
• The two men clasp hands and formally swear an alliance based on mutual trust and shared interests.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates his political and economic insight, presenting commerce as the practical foundation for building political power. He also reveals that his true goal is freedom from the insecurity and limitations imposed by his identity as a slave and descendant of a fallen royal line.
• Wisdom Shield shifts from confusion and political exhaustion to clarity and enthusiasm. He realizes that the throne is not merely a distant symbol but control over the distribution of wealth and power. His willingness to accept Chen Cheng’s commercial strategy shows growing trust in him.
• Both men recognize that their seemingly different positions conceal a similar vulnerability: neither truly controls his own fate, and both could be destroyed because of their identities.

Significant Themes

• Wealth as the foundation of political order: Society and government function through the circulation and exchange of benefits.
• Politics as an exchange of interests: Loyalty, taxation, military service, law, and authority are all sustained by mutually recognized advantages.
• Commerce as a tool of power: Merchants are not merely economic actors but the links connecting wealth, noble factions, and political influence.
• Shared interests versus coercion: Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield believe an alliance based on mutual benefit may be more reliable than magical contracts or forced obedience.
• The desire for self-determination: Both characters seek to overcome the dangers imposed by their backgrounds and gain control over their own lives.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng initially challenges Wisdom Shield with a series of questions, guiding him toward the idea that wealth is the core force sustaining a state.
• Wisdom Shield struggles with Chen Cheng’s indirect explanations but gradually understands the argument and applies it to problems in his own administration.
• Their discussion evolves from political theory into a concrete strategy for survival and advancement.
• Wisdom Shield’s promise of a future reward and their handshake transform their working relationship into a personal and political alliance founded on mutual dependence and trust.