Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Plot Points and Events

• Isaac offers the tiger-skin-clad youth a Virtual Divine Spark, warning that accepting it will make him no longer human and consume his life.
• The youth agrees, determined to gain enough power to protect his family and friends. However, he asks Isaac to kill him if the power ever causes him to betray his ideals.
• Isaac accepts this condition, and the youth takes hold of the blazing longsword.
• The sword transforms him into a golden-red armored warrior and fuses him with the divine power. He reveals his new name: Blade of Blazing Sun Mephisto.
• Mephisto immediately recognizes Isaac’s overwhelming strength and kneels before him in respect.
• Isaac assigns Mephisto a location where he must establish a stronghold, build a city, gather his people, and develop followers.
• After Isaac leaves to find another person suitable for the God of Strife divine spark, Mephisto demonstrates his new power by melting a huge boulder into lava.
• His companions celebrate, realizing that their hope of resisting monsters and cultists may have finally arrived.
• Mephisto explains that he can grant them supernatural power as well, but warns that they must surrender their humanity and devote their lives to fighting for humanity’s survival.
• His companions accept the apparent cost without much hesitation, believing that protecting their families is worth sacrificing their human status.
• The deeper consequences of becoming divine followers—including extended life, resurrection, dependence on their god, and eventual submission to the god’s will—remain unclear to both Mephisto and the others.

Character Development

• Mephisto demonstrates courage, self-awareness, and moral caution by asking Isaac to kill him if he becomes corrupted. After receiving divine power, he becomes more humble rather than arrogant.
• His transformation gives him confidence and responsibility, as he immediately begins thinking about protecting and empowering his companions.
• Isaac appears pragmatic and authoritative. He grants Mephisto power, accepts his request, and gives him a practical mission, treating the creation of new divine leaders as part of a larger plan.
• Mephisto’s companions shift from desperate survivors to hopeful potential followers, though they do not yet understand the full price of their choice.

Significant Themes

• Power and corruption: Divine power may save humanity, but it risks changing or enslaving those who wield it.
• Sacrifice for survival: The characters are willing to abandon their humanity in exchange for the strength to protect their loved ones.
• Trust and moral responsibility: Mephisto’s request that Isaac kill him if he falls shows his fear of becoming like the corrupted figures he has witnessed.
• Faith and dependence: The followers may gain immortality or resurrection, but their lives and wills will ultimately depend on the god they serve.
• Hope amid despair: Mephisto’s transformation gives the survivors a renewed sense of purpose and the possibility of resisting their enemies.

Character Interactions

• Mephisto and Isaac’s exchange establishes a relationship based on conditional trust, obedience, and mutual recognition.
• Mephisto’s companions react emotionally to his transformation, celebrating him as the symbol of their newfound hope.
• Mephisto assumes a leadership role by explaining the cost of divine power and preparing his companions to become followers.
• The group’s willingness to accept the transformation reflects their shared loyalty to one another and their desperate commitment to humanity’s survival.

Chapter Summary: “God of Strife Takes the Stage!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Mephisto discovers that Isaac gave him a True God’s Virtual Divine Spark, not an Evil God’s. As a result, he cannot create servants without limits; candidates must meet strict requirements or complete trials.
• Out of roughly one hundred people, only nine qualify as Mephisto’s servants. Three are children and cannot yet fight, leaving only six combat-capable servants.
• True God servants are vastly superior to Evil God servants in combat ability, vitality, potential, and resistance to corruption, but their powers generally develop gradually rather than appearing instantly.
• Mephisto spends three days training and adapting to his new authority before leading his followers toward Isaac’s designated location.
• Isaac then finds a new host for the weaker [God of Strife] Divine Spark. He gives it to Ecks, one of four leaders among a Wilderness human group of over two hundred people.
• Ecks quickly suppresses the other leaders and establishes himself as the group’s undisputed ruler. He creates thirty-six servants, including thirty-four capable fighters—far more than Mephisto can produce.
• The God of Strife’s servants are individually weaker than Mephisto’s, possessing mainly physical enhancements and one divine combat skill, without the weapons or magical versatility of Mephisto’s followers. However, their larger numbers give Ecks greater strategic flexibility.
• Ecks divides his forces: he and ten weaker servants escort the remaining civilians to Isaac’s designated area, while the others search for additional human settlements and recruit more people.
• Isaac explains that the Divine Spark subtly reshapes its host’s thoughts and behavior. Ecks, once motivated largely by personal power and profit, quickly develops a sincere desire to protect humanity.
• This moral transformation is intentional: Isaac built a psychological “firewall” into the Virtual Divine Sparks, causing their holders to unconsciously follow the Spark’s inherent divinity.
• Isaac also reveals a major danger: when a Divine Spark changes hosts, the previous host is completely devoured. This process is so powerful that even the immortality of Dimensional Apostles might not resist it.

Character Developments

• Mephisto demonstrates caution and discipline, refusing to rush into action despite possessing enough power to overwhelm nearby monsters. He prioritizes training and adaptation.
• Ecks rises from an ordinary Wilderness leader to the God of Strife. He proves decisive and politically capable by immediately consolidating control and efficiently organizing his people.
• Ecks also undergoes a rapid ideological transformation. The Divine Spark suppresses his former self-interested tendencies and instills a selfless commitment to humanity’s survival.
• Isaac continues treating the Divine Sparks as experimental tools for building a human power base. He is pragmatic and confident, but also aware of the risks and limitations of his creations.

Significant Themes

• Quality versus quantity: Mephisto’s servants are few but powerful and versatile, while Ecks commands many weaker servants whose numbers provide greater strategic value.
• The cost of divine power: True God servants gain superior abilities but must meet demanding conditions and develop their strength slowly.
• Identity and divine influence: Becoming a god does not merely grant power; the Divine Spark gradually imposes its own values and reshapes the host’s personality.
• Population as power: In this world, human numbers are the foundation of military and divine growth because more people allow more servants to be created.
• Control and mortality: Virtual Divine Sparks offer immense power but can consume their hosts, emphasizing the danger of changing or mishandling divine authority.
• Isaac’s experimentation: The chapter highlights Isaac’s systematic effort to use Divine Sparks to organize and protect humanity while expanding his influence.

Important Character Interactions

• Isaac and Mephisto: Isaac grants Mephisto the True God’s Divine Spark and assigns him a destination, while Mephisto responds by carefully training his new followers rather than acting recklessly.
• Isaac and Ecks: Isaac selects Ecks as the host of [God of Strife] because of compatibility, without needing extensive deliberation due to the Spark’s replaceability.
• Ecks and the other leaders: Ecks uses his new divine authority to defeat the rivalry among the group’s four leaders and establish complete control.
• Ecks and his servants: After creating thirty-six servants, Ecks organizes them into separate forces, demonstrating trust in their abilities and an understanding of the need for expansion.
• The Divine Sparks and their hosts: The Sparks influence their hosts’ thoughts and morality, turning ordinary humans into figures who unconsciously embody the principles of their respective divine authorities.

Chapter Summary: “Demon God Arms Race!?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Over three months, Dungeon City expands dramatically from 300 to 3,000 residents, with more than 1,000 divine dependents.
• Expansion stops because Isaac and the two Virtual Deities have already gathered most nearby humans, while the city lacks the administrative capacity and infrastructure to support further growth.
• Dungeon City shifts its focus from recruitment to:
  • Consolidating its population
  • Developing infrastructure
  • Improving management
  • Raiding the seven nearby Wilderness Dungeons for resources
• The city can sustain itself through dungeon resources, especially food and construction materials. The two Virtual Deities are powerful enough to dominate most dungeon first levels, while ordinary dependents can handle them cautiously.
• Progress stalls when dungeon resistance suddenly becomes much stronger. The Virtual Deities stop exploring deeper levels and instead focus on strengthening their followers.
• Isaac mysteriously disappears after the city exceeds 2,000 people, leaving Mephisto and the God of Strife unable to ask him about the increased resistance.

Character Developments

• Isaac has successfully transformed Dungeon City into a functioning settlement but withdraws once it becomes relatively self-sufficient, suggesting he is pursuing another objective or avoiding interference.
• Mephisto and the God of Strife evolve from former leaders of small groups into administrators responsible for thousands of people. Their authority rests on both their overwhelming strength and their growing ability to organize the city, though the scale begins to strain their management skills.
• The two Virtual Deities are revealed to be severely weakened True Gods who have voluntarily reduced themselves to the Fourth Tier. Their divine power and ability to recover have been drastically compromised, and even their normally reliable [Eternity] traits appear unstable.
• The Dimensional Demon Gods become increasingly interested in Dungeon City. Their initial confusion turns into suspicion and then greed when they realize the two weakened deities may have entered the world in pursuit of an extraordinary secret.

Significant Themes

• Growth versus sustainability: Rapid expansion is not automatically beneficial; Dungeon City must stabilize its population before growing further.
• Power and sacrifice: The Virtual Deities’ self-severance demonstrates the enormous cost of lowering one’s power level, including the loss of authority, faith, advancement potential, and possibly immortality.
• Resource competition and escalation: The Demon Gods’ decision to strengthen the Wilderness Dungeons creates an arms race, increasing the danger faced by Dungeon City.
• Mystery and hidden treasures: The Demon Gods suspect that the world contains a secret or relic valuable enough to justify the Virtual Deities’ extreme sacrifice.
• The fragility of immortality: The weakening of the deities’ [Eternity] traits shows that even beings normally considered nearly impossible to kill may possess exploitable vulnerabilities.

Important Character Interactions

• Isaac and the Virtual Deities: Isaac works with Mephisto and the God of Strife to build Dungeon City, but eventually leaves them to manage it independently.
• Mephisto and the God of Strife with the human population: They struggle to govern a settlement that has grown far beyond their previous leadership experience, relying on absolute strength and the administrative skills of recruited humans.
• Virtual Deities and the Wilderness Dungeons: Their increasingly difficult dungeon raids force them to abandon deeper exploration and concentrate on developing their dependents.
• Dimensional Demon Gods observing the Virtual Deities: The Demon Gods analyze their weakened state, infer that they may have suffered catastrophic consequences from self-severance, and become determined to uncover the secret that motivated them.
• The Demon Gods as a group: One faction’s increased investment in the Wilderness Dungeons prompts the others to follow, collectively intensifying the dangers confronting Dungeon City.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After leaving Dungeon City, Isaac learns about the Demon Gods’ ongoing arms race but remains unconcerned because they have not yet targeted him directly.
• He investigates the eight Virtual Divine Sparks he scattered three years earlier to determine how well his [Miracle] can still control the resulting Virtual Deities.
• Only three Virtual Deities remain: Lord of Blood, Master of Wicked Thoughts, and the Staff of Aberration. Three Sparks naturally expired, while two were destroyed by unknown parties.
• Isaac locates Master of Wicked Thoughts, a Stone Dwarf who has created a cult but is severely injured and consuming followers to survive. Isaac discovers that his control over the Virtual Divine Spark remains strong within a thousand miles.
• Instead of reclaiming the Spark, Isaac decides to use the situation to collect combat data and observe a group ambushing the Stone Dwarf.
• The ambushers are Prince Noens and his party, including Remington Noens, now revived as a Construct.
• Isaac secretly alerts the Stone Dwarf by striking Remington’s helmet with a pebble, prompting Master of Wicked Thoughts to attack.
• The Stone Dwarf unleashes Wicked Thought Explosion, a Divine Power that either causes victims’ suppressed wicked thoughts to erupt or delivers a devastating psychic shockwave to those who resist.
• The attackers fall into chaos, attacking one another or behaving violently. Only Prince Noens largely resists the attack because of the Miracle-grade defensive item Guardian of the Serene Goddess, though the item is nearly destroyed.
• Noens cuts off the Stone Dwarf’s head and kills it, but the defensive gemstone shatters in the process.
• The cultists dissolve into black smoke, and the surviving attackers regain control. However, the dungeon trial’s progress does not increase, meaning the cult’s destruction does not count toward the required objective.
• Isaac finally reveals himself, sarcastically applauding Noens’s “performance.” He then causes the Stone Dwarf’s corpse to disappear and extracts a gray, brain-like remnant, apparently reclaiming or harvesting its remaining essence.
• Noens realizes that Isaac had treated the Stone Dwarf as a test subject and becomes deeply uneasy about Isaac’s growing power and madness.

Character Developments

• Isaac remains detached, calculating, and experimental. He treats the Virtual Deities, their deaths, and even the battle as opportunities for research. His playful mockery hides his willingness to manipulate events purely to gather data.
• Master of Wicked Thoughts has evolved from a potentially loyal Virtual Deity into an independent, savage being determined to control its own will. Although it recognizes Isaac, it no longer seeks to serve him.
• Prince Noens demonstrates courage and combat skill, personally cutting through the cultists and killing the Stone Dwarf. However, the battle exposes the limits of his preparations, destroys one of his strongest defensive items, and leaves him frustrated when the victory fails to advance the dungeon trial.
• Remington Noens, resurrected as a Construct, becomes part of Isaac’s psychological provocation and the ambush party’s defensive formation.
• The Chengdu natives and other members of Noens’s group are humiliated by the effects of Wicked Thought Explosion, especially after attacking their own allies while mentally compromised.

Significant Themes

• Control versus independence: Isaac’s experiment reveals that his influence over the Virtual Deities depends heavily on distance, but the surviving Deities can still develop wills of their own.
• The danger of divine power: Even a weakened Fourth Tier Virtual Deity can overwhelm well-prepared opponents, showing the enormous gap between divine powers and ordinary divine spells.
• Power as experimentation: Isaac views battles and living beings as test materials, emphasizing his increasingly amoral and “mad” approach to magic.
• Victory without recognition: Noens achieves a costly victory, yet it has no effect on the dungeon’s official progress, highlighting the difference between actual power and the rules governing the trial.
• Reputation and ambition: Noens is motivated by the prospect of earning the title of God Slayer, which would bring him prestige and power, while Isaac’s reputation as the Mad Witch makes everyone wary of confronting him.
• Unstable alliances and hidden threats: Isaac’s presence transforms what should have been a straightforward cult eradication into a trap and experiment, leaving Noens unsure of how much of the battle Isaac engineered.

Character Interactions

• Isaac observes Master of Wicked Thoughts from hiding and deliberately provokes the ambush party by striking Remington’s helmet.
• Master of Wicked Thoughts recognizes Isaac as its creator but chooses rebellion rather than renewed loyalty, attacking both its enemies and the circumstances controlling it.
• Prince Noens fights the Stone Dwarf while relying on a powerful psychic-defense artifact, then kills it at great personal and strategic cost.
• After the battle, Noens confronts Isaac and accuses him of manipulating events. Isaac denies direct responsibility while admitting that the Stone Dwarf had been his test subject.
• Isaac’s mockery of the affected Chengdu natives intensifies their anger, but fear of his power prevents them from retaliating.
• Noens leaves the encounter disturbed, questioning whether allowing Isaac to continue growing is wise.

Chapter Summary: “Miracle Domination? Dominating Gods!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Prince Noens realizes that Isaac has acquired a Godhood and may be capable of creating or controlling gods. Recognizing that his group cannot defeat Isaac directly, Noens immediately activates Saint Ivanas’s Spatial Teleportation, a one-use legendary item.
• The teleportation array removes Noens and his allies from the Wilderness Dungeon and sends them to another Fourth Tier world within the Boundless Tower. Although this abandons part of Noens’s trial mission, he considers escape the safest and most practical choice.
• The Boundless Tower responds to Noens’s illegal interworld crossing by offering Isaac an emergency mission: track him down and return him to the Wilderness Dungeon. Isaac refuses, despite his curiosity and the promised reward, because accepting could expose him to the dangerous principles behind interworld travel and violate the Great Wizard’s apparent restrictions.
• Three days later, Isaac returns to the Blood Pool and examines the goblin fused with the Lord of Blood Godhood. He is surprised that the weak goblin has adapted to the Virtual Divine Spark more successfully than the stronger and more intelligent Stone Dwarves.
• The goblin, Gabriel, has been trying to increase its divine power by constructing Blood Pools. Unable to improve the quality of its power through faith or sacrifice, it attempts to increase its quantity.
• Isaac secretly alters Gabriel’s thoughts through the Godhood, causing its original ambitions—such as resisting Isaac and controlling its own fate—to fade. Gabriel becomes increasingly obsessed with constructing Blood Pools.
• Isaac reveals that this manipulation is partly the natural effect of Divinity overwhelming Humanity within an artificially created god, and partly the result of his new spell, Miracle Domination.
• Miracle Domination is Isaac’s attempt to gain direct control over Virtual Deities once their Divinity has completely replaced their original personalities. If successful, it will solve a major weakness in Isaac’s God-Sealing technique and allow him to dominate the gods created through his Virtual Divine Sparks.

Character Developments

• Isaac becomes more cautious and strategically mature. Although he is eager to investigate interworld travel, he suppresses his curiosity and refuses the Tower’s mission to avoid provoking the Great Wizard’s rules or being distracted by forbidden research.
• Isaac also advances his research into controlling Virtual Deities. He moves from merely controlling their Godhoods to developing a method for controlling the gods themselves.
• Prince Noens demonstrates strong judgment and decisiveness. Rather than risk a battle against Isaac and a potential newly created god, he abandons the trial mission and escapes. His actions show that he views retreat as a calculated strategy rather than an admission of defeat.
• Gabriel, the goblin-turned-Lord of Blood, continues to struggle with the instability of his artificial divinity. His desire for independence is gradually replaced by Divinity-driven compulsions, leaving him vulnerable to Isaac’s control.
• The contrast between Gabriel and the Stone Dwarves suggests that compatibility with a Virtual Divine Spark depends on more than intelligence, strength, or mental ability.

Significant Themes

• Pragmatism versus pride: Noens chooses survival over confrontation, while Isaac refuses a tempting opportunity because the risks are too great.
• The dangers of power without foundations: Virtual Deities gain immense power instantly but lack the soul strength necessary to resist Divinity’s influence.
• Humanity versus Divinity: The chapter explores how divine power gradually erodes individuality, desires, and free will.
• Control and autonomy: Isaac’s research seeks to eliminate the danger of independent gods, but his solution involves dominating their minds and identities.
• Rules imposed by higher powers: The Boundless Tower and its Great Wizard regulate interworld travel, emphasizing that even powerful Fourth Tier beings operate within greater systems of authority.
• Experimentation and unintended consequences: Isaac treats the goblin as a test subject for a dangerous new spell, showing both his scientific curiosity and his willingness to manipulate others for research.

Important Character Interactions

• Isaac and Prince Noens: Their confrontation never becomes a direct battle. Isaac reveals the Evil Eye and prepares to act, but Noens immediately teleports away after recognizing the threat posed by Isaac’s Godhood.
• Isaac and the Boundless Tower: The Tower offers Isaac authority and a reward in exchange for enforcing its rules. Isaac rejects the mission, demonstrating caution toward the Great Wizard’s hidden intentions.
• Isaac and Gabriel: Isaac secretly influences Gabriel through the Virtual Divine Spark, redirecting its thoughts and using it to test Miracle Domination.
• Gabriel and its own divinity: Gabriel believes it is pursuing independence and greater power, but its goals are gradually being reshaped by the Divinity inside the Godhood. The chapter ends with Gabriel becoming increasingly transformed into the true Lord of Blood.

Key plot points and events

• After three days of preparation, Gabriel’s Blood Pool becomes a true divine artifact. In the process, Divinity completely replaces his Humanity, transforming him into the Lord of Blood.
• Isaac’s experiment succeeds in letting him control a Virtual Deity through their connection to the Virtual Divine Spark. The Lord of Blood is now utterly obedient—but has lost the ability to think independently.
• The Lord of Blood can store the Blood Pool and then take the form of a ruby ring on Isaac’s finger, ready to reappear for combat.
• Isaac studies the Blood Pool and discovers traces of the Authorities [Gestation] and [Enhancement], making it unusually valuable for research. The Lord of Blood has only one month left to live, and Isaac decides to preserve the artifact rather than try to save the deity, since he has found no way to extend a Virtual Deity’s fixed lifespan.
• Isaac also plans to make future Virtual Deities look radiant and righteous, partly for the conceptual advantages of [Mystery] and [Legend]. He overlooks the irony that controlling gods by sinister means may make him seem evil.
• Isaac reaches a magical city where the Staff of Aberration is held. Its current human owner is the third wielder and apparently killed the previous Fourth Tier holder. The city’s attributes—[Mutation] and [Esper Ability]—seem suspiciously advantageous. Isaac summons the Lord of Blood, and together they form two enormous magic circles over the city.

Character developments and interactions

• Isaac confirms that he can command the Lord of Blood completely, but recognizes the cost: obedience and independent thought do not coexist here. He treats the deity as a dependable combat asset and valuable research subject, while prioritizing the Blood Pool’s survival.
• The Lord of Blood (formerly Gabriel) has lost his identity and capacity for thought. His humanlike appearance reflects his instinctive deference to Isaac, and he obeys without hesitation.
• Isaac and the Lord of Blood work in close coordination: the deity helps Isaac analyze the Blood Pool, then joins him in preparing a spell over the city.

Significant themes

• Power versus selfhood: Gabriel’s transformation grants greater divine power but erases his humanity and individuality.
• Control versus freedom: Isaac gains absolute loyalty at the cost of independent thought, exposing the tension between obedience and genuine agency.
• Pragmatism and sacrifice: Isaac chooses to preserve a useful artifact rather than attempt an impossible rescue of its dying deity.
• Appearance and moral perception: Isaac’s plans to project righteousness reveal how image can shape supernatural concepts—and highlight the contradiction between his desired image and his enslavement of gods.
• Mystery and suspicious coincidence: The city’s unusually favorable attributes and the Staff’s succession history suggest that Isaac’s final target conceals a larger scheme.

Key plot points and events

• Powerful magical and divine arrays appear over Magic City, incapacitating its residents. A mysterious wizard destroys both arrays and raises a protective barrier over the city.
• Isaac identifies the newcomer’s movement as Mystic Concealment, a Mystery-based technique that can bypass ordinary spatial barriers. Its user is Jormungand Nois, a wizard whose mastery makes him exceptionally difficult to oppose.
• Isaac explains that he is looking for the Staff of Aberration, a divine being whose Divine Spark is held by a local human. Jormungand reveals the man: he has gained near-total control of the Spark’s power without becoming a god.
• Isaac asks how Jormungand accomplished this. Jormungand declines to share details, offering only that he used Mystery.
• Isaac’s Analysis Authority alarms the Staff of Aberration, who responds by trapping Isaac’s consciousness in the Sea of Mystery, an unfamiliar realm containing the Staff’s Divinity.
• Isaac recognizes the trap, judges that he can escape by using a stronger Mystery, and chooses to explore the realm instead.

Character developments

• Isaac is shown to be both courteous and calculating: he avoids provoking Jormungand, but remains intensely curious about the human’s altered Divine Spark and how it might improve his own Virtual Divine Sparks. His reputation as a dangerously reckless, old-era Mad Witch makes even powerful wizards wary of him.
• Jormungand is revealed as a capable Fourth Tier wizard who has touched Mystery. He is proud of his experiment but cautious, refusing to risk an academic exchange with Isaac or violate the pact against unauthorized god-making research.
• The Staff of Aberration demonstrates an unexpected ability to manipulate Mystery and resist the Virtual Divine Spark’s assimilation. Fearful of Isaac’s analysis, he uses that ability to trap Isaac’s consciousness.
• The Lord of Blood remains at Isaac’s side, serving as a formidable safeguard and reinforcing the danger Isaac represents.

Significant themes

• Mystery as power: Mastery of Mystery can surpass ordinary spatial magic and determine which abilities prevail.
• Ambition versus caution: Isaac pursues dangerous knowledge despite having ample advantages, while Jormungand deliberately chooses a safer path.
• Knowledge and control: The chapter explores competing ways to harness divine power—creating or dominating gods, modifying a Divine Spark’s bearer, and potentially equipping others with Virtual Divine Sparks.
• Reputation and fear: Isaac’s Mad Witch identity shapes how others judge him before he acts.

Character interactions

• Isaac and Jormungand approach each other warily, each aware of the other’s dangerous capabilities; Isaac adopts a polite tone, while Jormungand remains guarded.
• Jormungand’s pride in his experiment briefly surfaces when Isaac is surprised, but he refuses to explain his method.
• Isaac’s attempt to analyze the Staff of Aberration provokes the Staff into using the Sea of Mystery. Isaac treats the apparent attack as an opportunity to study Mystery rather than a crisis.

Plot points and events

• Isaac searches the Sea of Mystery while Jormungand prevents the Staff of Aberration from attacking him. Jormungand argues that Isaac can break free of the Staff’s restraint and that the Lord of Blood protects him.
• The Staff of Aberration, frightened by Isaac’s overwhelming power, still wants him dead. Jormungand restrains him and reassures him that Isaac poses no immediate threat.
• Isaac explores the Sea’s outer reaches. He learns that it may contain a shortcut to Mystery, but the price is unknowable and potentially immense. He hopes instead to gain a stronger grasp of Mystery, though his disembodied consciousness cannot leave a trace.
• He investigates whether Esper Abilities connect to the Sea. Though he finds no answer, he discovers the Staff of Aberration’s Divinity sealed in a “puddle.” The method provides control by suppressing Divinity, but Isaac judges it temporary, risky, and unsuitable for most uses.
• Isaac returns to the Real World after three days. Jormungand notices his increased command of Mystery. Isaac gives him a bag of exceptionally pure Artificial Divinity Fragments, which might be developed into genuine Divine Sparks.
• Isaac warns that suppressing Divinity through the Sea is not foolproof. He explains that the Staff of Aberration—and Isaac himself—have only months to live, since they are not True Gods and have limited lifespans.

Character developments and interactions

• Isaac gains considerable Mystery despite feeling that his exploration failed. He remains cautious about shortcuts and rejects the Divinity-suppression method as an unreliable fix.
• Jormungand protects the Staff of Aberration but is curious about Isaac’s unusual mastery of Divinity. He appreciates Isaac’s gift, then becomes alarmed by the warning about the Staff’s lifespan.
• The Staff of Aberration is humbled by the gap between himself and the wizards. His desire to become a wizard grows, while his fear of Isaac remains.
• The Lord of Blood serves as Isaac’s powerful guardian, embodying the strength gained when Divinity completely overtakes Humanity.

Significant themes

• Power and identity: The contrast between the Staff’s dominant Humanity and the Lord of Blood’s dominant Divinity shows the strengths and dangers of each.
• The cost of shortcuts: The Sea of Mystery offers immense possibilities, but its price may be unbearable; even a seemingly useful workaround carries future risks.
• Knowledge and limits: Isaac gains insight without finding the answers he seeks, while his temporary, bodiless presence restricts what he can accomplish.
• Mortality: Even godlike beings can die, whether through violence or the exhaustion of a finite lifespan.

Summary

• Isaac leaves the Staff of Aberration with Jormungand. Although he would have tried to save his old ally if the staff’s power could be safely mastered, he judges its hidden risks too great and decides helping Jormungand is better than pursuing it. He also hopes the favor will build a useful connection with the veteran wizard, since his rapid rise has left him isolated.
• Back in Dungeon City, Isaac plans his next priorities: create another Divine Familiar and eventually establish gods connected to Gestation and Growth. He believes humanity reproduces unusually poorly, and that Dungeon City will need a sustainable way to expand rather than relying only on recruiting people from outside.
• Isaac also wants to introduce the Real World’s Godhood Ritual into this world as a Miracle, so its inhabitants can learn to create Virtual Divine Sparks themselves.
• For now, he tests a new method of producing Divinity Fragments. His improved process is efficient but still depends heavily on his Golden Finger, so he hopes his subordinate gods can handle production instead.
• The Lord of Blood successfully makes a fragment—but it immediately turns into blood-red light and merges into him. Repeated attempts produce the same result, even when Isaac tries to prevent it. Isaac suspects the Lord’s blood-related Authority or the demonic flesh used as material may be involved, and decides to test another god.
• Mephisto, meanwhile, is concerned that his followers are too weak to venture deep into the dungeons. He and the God of Strife cannot keep clearing every level themselves, and their reserves for strengthening followers are exhausted. Faith Power replenishes slowly, while Dungeon City cannot yet take in more people.
• Isaac arrives and asks Mephisto to make a Divinity Fragment. Mephisto quickly learns the method, but his fragment also merges into him as soon as it forms. Unlike the Lord of Blood, Mephisto appears pleased by the result.

Character developments and interactions

• Isaac shows pragmatism and strategic thinking: he forgoes a risky artifact, values alliances, and seeks systems that reduce his own workload. His plans increasingly focus on Dungeon City’s long-term population and institutional growth.
• Jormungand remains an important potential ally, though his refusal to discuss research frustrates Isaac.
• The Lord of Blood follows Isaac’s orders and undergoes repeated tests, but the fragments’ unexplained absorption complicates Isaac’s attempt to delegate production.
• Mephisto is anxious about his followers’ limits and the slow recovery of Faith Power. He is respectful toward Isaac and readily carries out his request, but his positive reaction to absorbing the fragment suggests the process may benefit him.

Significant themes

• Power versus connection: Isaac recognizes that strength alone is not enough; alliances matter while he is still vulnerable.
• Sustainable growth: Dungeon City must develop ways to reproduce, strengthen its people, and manage its own expansion.
• Delegation and unintended consequences: Isaac tries to turn a labor-intensive magical process into a production system, but the fragments behave unexpectedly when made by gods.
• Faith and dependence: The gods need believers to restore the power required to empower their followers, tying divine strength to population and belief.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Isaac’s first experiment with creating a divinity fragment fails to produce the result he wanted, but Mephisto discovers that absorbing the fragment replenishes his faith power. This gives the fragments an unexpected practical use: they can help virtual deities convert and strengthen followers.
• Isaac estimates that about ten thousand fragments could convert one first-tier follower. Since fragments can be made from ordinary demonic-creature blood meat, the process appears relatively economical.
• Isaac realizes the experiment’s flaw was using divine power. He gives Mephisto Evil Eye, a virtual divine spark, and has him try again using its power instead. This successfully produces a divinity fragment.
• Isaac tells Mephisto to teach the God of Strife the process so they can manufacture fragments together. He also sets a date, two months later, for them to help test the dungeon’s lowest floor.
• While Mephisto and the God of Strife make fragments, Isaac researches how to establish a miracle in this world. He has copied the ritual for Investiture of the Gods, but still needs to determine how to create suitable rewards and connect the miracle to the world’s source.
• Two months pass. Isaac has accumulated enough fragments to create another virtual divine spark, and Mephisto and the God of Strife assemble with their strongest followers for the planned expedition.
• Isaac sends the followers back to Dungeon City, judging them too weak to survive the lowest floor. He and the two gods proceed with the test.

Character developments and interactions

• Mephisto initially interprets the fragments’ effect as a sign that Isaac designed them for his followers. When he learns they merely happen to be useful, he is embarrassed but accepts the truth without resentment. He remains devoted to Isaac and trusts that Isaac will not let him die.
• Isaac treats the failed experiment as useful information, adjusts his method, and successfully identifies how to make fragments with a virtual divine spark. He continues pursuing both the “deity assembly line” and his research into miracle magic.
• The God of Strife works alongside Mephisto to produce fragments and strengthen select followers. The pair concentrate resources on a few third-tier fighters rather than improving their entire follower armies, since the deeper dungeon demands stronger combatants.
• Mephisto and the God of Strife are disappointed when Isaac dismisses their followers, having brought them in hopes of helping him. Isaac is surprised by their concern and devotion, but postpones investigating their unusual humanity and focuses on the dungeon expedition.

Significant themes

• Experimentation and progress: A failed test can still reveal useful information and lead to a better method.
• Faith, divinity, and humanity: Divinity fragments can empower followers, while the erosion of humanity remains a difficult, unresolved consequence of godhood.
• Duty and sacrifice: Mephisto and the God of Strife accept a dangerous mission because they believe it serves Dungeon City and humanity, not merely themselves.
• Pragmatic preparation: The characters prioritize a small number of powerful fighters over broad but shallow improvements, reflecting the demands of the dungeon’s deepest level.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Isaac arrives at Howling Dungeon with Mephisto and the God of Strife. The dungeon is strategically important to Dungeon City because its wolf-type monsters are numerous, relatively weak, edible after preparation, and a major source of materials for Divinity Fragments.
• Isaac summons the Lord of Blood from his ruby ring and assigns it to accompany the two gods. He orders Mephisto and the God of Strife to retreat immediately if danger arises, with the Lord of Blood covering them.
• Isaac remains outside the dungeon to avoid alerting its Demon God creator. Instead, he sends a fragment of his consciousness into the Lord of Blood to observe events.
• The three gods quickly travel through the dungeon’s six floors, passing its grasslands, forests, deserts, hills, and mountains. The dungeon’s confusing spatial structure is navigated using routes previously mapped by expendable, resurrectable followers.
• On the lowest floor, Howling Abyss, they encounter Abyssal Werewolves: numerous fourth-tier demons with immense physical strength, vitality, and regenerative abilities. Thirteen are visible, while four stronger and more intelligent werewolves approach from concealed positions.
• Mephisto and the God of Strife initially dominate the battle, using divine power and sword energy to injure the werewolves. The Lord of Blood stays behind them and absorbs blood from their wounds, greatly assisting the fight.
• Although the three gods have the advantage, defeating the werewolves would require prolonged attrition because the creatures can regenerate even severed heads. Isaac also senses the dungeon’s Demon God observing the battle and preparing to interfere by potentially empowering a werewolf to the fifth tier.
• Recognizing the danger, Isaac orders Mephisto and the God of Strife to retreat immediately.
• The two righteous gods abandon the Lord of Blood and flee toward the exit. Instead of following them, the Lord of Blood charges the werewolves and self-destructs in a massive blood-red explosion, covering their retreat.
• The Demon God is completely bewildered by the scene: two righteous gods have effectively “sold out” their evil teammate, while the evil Lord of Blood sacrifices itself to protect them. The Demon God even begins to suspect that the Lord of Blood may be controlled by a wizard—possibly Isaac.

Character Developments

• Isaac: Demonstrates caution, strategic foresight, and a willingness to use unconventional tactics. He avoids personally entering the dungeon to prevent attracting the attention of a potentially familiar Demon God. He also proves capable of sacrificing or detonating his own powerful creation when necessary.
• Mephisto and the God of Strife: Show absolute trust in Isaac. Despite not understanding his retreat order, they immediately obey and abandon the battlefield without hesitation.
• Lord of Blood: Its role changes from a sinister combat familiar into a loyal sacrificial protector. Despite being an evil entity, it willingly detonates itself to ensure the two righteous gods escape.
• The Demon God: Begins as a curious observer preparing to intervene but becomes shocked and confused by the bizarre tactical reversal. Its suspicion that a wizard controls the Lord of Blood introduces a new threat and hints that Isaac’s identity may be exposed.

Significant Themes

• Appearances versus morality: The “evil” Lord of Blood behaves more selflessly than the righteous gods, reversing conventional expectations about good and evil.
• Loyalty and obedience: Mephisto and the God of Strife obey Isaac instantly, showing that trust in their Divine Lord outweighs confusion or personal judgment.
• Strategic sacrifice: Isaac values survival and mission success over preserving a powerful subordinate. The Lord of Blood’s destruction becomes a calculated means of escape.
• Cunning versus brute force: The werewolves rely on physical strength, numbers, and regeneration, while the gods and Isaac rely on coordination, endurance, and tactical judgment.
• The danger of divine observation: Entering a Demon God’s dungeon risks attracting its attention. Isaac’s caution reflects the larger conflict between hidden powers and the need to conceal his true nature.
• Absurdity as a weapon: The strange behavior of the three gods disrupts the Demon God’s expectations, creating psychological confusion and preventing it from responding normally.

Character Interactions

• Isaac warns Mephisto and the God of Strife to prioritize escape and rely on the Lord of Blood as their rear guard.
• Mephisto and the God of Strife initially react warily to the Lord of Blood because of its overwhelming evil aura, but accept it as Isaac’s familiar.
• During battle, the two gods attack and suppress the werewolves while the Lord of Blood harvests blood from their wounds, forming an effective combat combination.
• Isaac secretly monitors the fight and communicates directly with the two gods, ordering their withdrawal once the Demon God begins preparing to intervene.
• The two gods pass the Lord of Blood and leave it behind, apparently sacrificing it.
• The Lord of Blood reverses expectations by sacrificing itself for them, leaving the observing Demon God stunned and suspicious of Isaac’s control over the situation.

Chapter Summary: “The Prejudice in People’s Hearts Is a Mountain!”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• The Demon God witnesses the Lord of Blood self-destructing to help Mephisto and the God of Strife escape. It briefly wonders whether the Lord of Blood had been controlled by Isaac, but rejects the idea because it seems too absurd and fears considering the implications.
• Isaac realizes that the operation has failed. His plan to use Dungeon City’s forces to complete the dungeon trial is no longer viable, especially because the Demon Gods will unleash their strongest attacks as soon as they encounter Mephisto and the others.
• Isaac concludes that he may need six powerful fourth-rank gods to defeat a weak fifth-rank opponent in a final-floor dungeon. Since such dungeons have strict entry limits, such as the Howling Dungeon’s six-person limit, success remains highly uncertain.
• He recognizes that his trial is uniquely difficult. Other fourth-rank participants generally face normal dungeons, while Isaac’s unusual status causes Demon Gods to create fifth-rank monsters and destroy their own dungeons to stop him.
• Mephisto and the God of Strife return and apologize for failing the mission and losing the Lord of Blood. Isaac reassures them that it was only an experiment and that failure was expected.
• Motivated by their perceived weakness, the two gods return to Dungeon City to organize its affairs and strengthen themselves by creating divine artifacts.
• Isaac begins gathering divine power to create another Virtual Divine Spark:
  • He obtains a strand of power from the compassionate Mother Goddess, who recognizes him but immediately leaves without speaking.
  • He summons the God of Evil Bones, cuts off its introduction, and takes its divine power before dismissing it.
  • He does the same with the God of True Spirits, another deeply corrupt evil god.
• Isaac combines the Mother Goddess’s orderly divine power with the two evil gods’ chaotic power. Through his miracle magic, Apotheosis, he successfully creates a new Virtual Divine Spark.
• The resulting Divine Spark is named Mother Goddess, with the powers Gestation, Growth, and Time, and the authority of Fertility.
• Isaac presents the new goddess to Mephisto as a companion and orders the women of Dungeon City to welcome her. Mephisto reacts with immediate enthusiasm, causing Isaac to wonder whether its humanity and unusual “lack of divine purity” have prevented it from being fully eroded by divinity.

2. Character Developments

• Isaac becomes increasingly aware of the disadvantages of being a “mad wizard.” His unconventional nature has made his dungeon trial far more difficult than those faced by others. Nevertheless, he remains inventive and continues experimenting rather than abandoning his goals.
• Isaac’s skill with Apotheosis improves significantly. Instead of randomly producing Divine Sparks, he can now deliberately combine divine powers to create one suited to his needs.
• Isaac also displays strong prejudice against evil gods. Although he criticizes the Mother Goddess for judging him as a wizard, he immediately assumes that evil gods are irredeemably corrupt and refuses to hear them out.
• Mephisto and the God of Strife respond to their failure by resolving to become stronger. They plan to develop divine artifacts, suggesting increased dedication to Isaac and a growing sense of responsibility.
• Mephisto shows an unexpectedly enthusiastic and almost human reaction to receiving a new companion. Its eagerness also suggests that its personality may not be entirely dominated by divine nature.
• The Demon God is shown to be cautious and fearful beneath its confidence. The possibility that Isaac controlled the Lord of Blood is so disturbing that it deliberately refuses to investigate it further.
• The Mother Goddess demonstrates extreme distrust of Isaac because of his reputation as a mad wizard. Her refusal to communicate reflects the chapter’s central idea that prejudice can exist even among gods.

3. Significant Themes

• Prejudice and reputation: The chapter humorously reverses the usual idea that only humans are prejudiced. The Mother Goddess rejects Isaac because he is a mad wizard, while Isaac dismisses evil gods as inherently irredeemable.
• The burden of being exceptional: Isaac’s uniqueness gives him extraordinary abilities but also makes his challenges much harder. His exceptional status causes the Demon Gods to employ extreme measures against him.
• Order versus chaos: The fusion of righteous and evil divine powers explores the fundamental differences between orderly gods and chaotic Outer Gods. Isaac’s success in combining them is presented as highly abnormal and potentially revolutionary.
• Innovation through experimentation: Failure does not discourage Isaac. He treats both the ruined dungeon mission and the loss of the Lord of Blood as experiments that provide useful information.
• Divinity versus humanity: Mephisto’s behavior raises questions about whether divine beings can retain human qualities. Isaac suspects that Mephisto’s imperfect alignment with “pure” divinity may actually preserve its individuality.
• Power and support over direct combat: Isaac’s new Mother Goddess is not a powerful fighter, but its support-oriented abilities are exactly what he needs. The chapter emphasizes that suitability and utility can matter more than raw strength.

4. Character Interactions

• The Demon God observes the Lord of Blood’s sacrifice and internally debates whether Isaac had controlled it, but fear causes it to dismiss the possibility.
• Isaac comforts Mephisto and the God of Strife after their failed mission, maintaining his role as their leader while privately reassessing his plans.
• The Mother Goddess refuses meaningful interaction with Isaac, leaving only a strand of divine power because of her distrust of him.
• The God of Evil Bones and the God of True Spirits attempt to speak with Isaac, but he interrupts both immediately, reflecting his distrust and contempt for evil gods.
• Isaac directs Mephisto to welcome the newly created Mother Goddess. Mephisto’s delighted response surprises Isaac and reveals a more personal, almost possessive or emotionally invested side to the god.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Isaac evaluates Mephisto’s potential and concludes that Mephisto may have the makings of a God King, although the Virtual Divine Spark limits him to roughly Fourth Tier power.
• Isaac observes that Mephisto’s loyalty to the humans of Wilderness Dungeon City is his greatest virtue. He doubts Mephisto would abandon them to accompany him, even if escape from the world became possible.
• The city’s remaining human women gather to be considered as hosts for a new Virtual Divine Spark. Their number is worryingly small, highlighting Wilderness Dungeon City’s demographic crisis.
• Isaac activates a powerful multicolored crystal containing the Virtual Divine Spark and allows it to select a host automatically. This is an experiment to compare Divine Spark-selected hosts with those chosen casually.
• A middle-aged woman from Great Thunderclap Temple is selected. The fusion rapidly transforms her into the Mother Goddess, Meixiukante.
• Isaac discovers that a highly compatible host begins at a stronger level, but is also more vulnerable to being consumed by [Divinity]. Her Humanity is likely to erode faster.
• Meixiukante immediately submits to Isaac and is granted the Virtual Divine Spark known as Evil Eye. Isaac orders her to produce Divinity Fragments and later assist with his revised plans for creating divine familiars.
• Isaac leaves to reconsider his experimental strategy. Meixiukante remains with Mephisto and the God of Strife, requesting only lodging and Demonic Creature Blood Meat so she can carry out Isaac’s orders.

2. Character Developments

• Isaac: Becomes more analytical and cautious about the consequences of his experiments. He recognizes that host compatibility is both beneficial and dangerous, forcing him to reconsider his plans involving Divine Familiars and resistance to [Divinity]. He is also intrigued by Meixiukante’s unusual name and suspects it may reflect a deeper mystical connection rather than coincidence.
• Mephisto: Continues to demonstrate deep concern for ordinary humans. His hope that the Mother Goddess will improve fertility shows that his priorities center on humanity’s long-term survival rather than personal power or status.
• God of Strife: Develops a strong sense of insecurity over the arrival of a third god. He fears losing his position and importance within the city, especially since Meixiukante’s authority may place her above him.
• Meixiukante: Is born with immense reverence toward Isaac and appears already heavily influenced by [Divinity]. Her maternal, loving aura affects everyone around her, while her detached and commanding behavior after ascension resembles the terrifying presence of the former Lord of Blood. She immediately accepts Isaac’s authority and focuses on completing his orders.

3. Significant Themes

• Humanity versus Divinity: The chapter emphasizes that becoming a god grants power at the cost of individuality. Even virtuous figures such as Mephisto may eventually be consumed by [Divinity], while Meixiukante’s rapid submission demonstrates the danger more clearly.
• The price of compatibility: A better-matched host can produce a stronger and more efficient god, but that same compatibility allows [Divinity] to erode the host more quickly.
• Survival and reproduction: Wilderness Dungeon City’s prosperity is revealed to be temporary because many residents are divine familiars who cannot reproduce, while the human population contains too few women. The Mother Goddess represents a possible solution to humanity’s demographic decline.
• Power and hierarchy: The arrival of a new god threatens existing political relationships. The God of Strife fears being displaced, while Mephisto’s privileged relationship with Isaac remains secure because of his strength and loyalty.
• Mystery and fate: Isaac’s suspicion about Meixiukante’s name reflects the chapter’s suggestion that apparent coincidences may conceal connections within the higher mystical order.

4. Character Interactions

• Isaac and Mephisto share an unspoken contrast: Isaac admires Mephisto’s selfless devotion to humanity, while Mephisto looks upon Isaac with near-worshipful gratitude for solving the city’s reproductive crisis.
• The God of Strife silently worries that Meixiukante will outrank him, revealing tension beneath the city’s cooperative leadership.
• The chosen woman addresses Isaac with excitement and reverence before transforming, while Meixiukante kneels before him and formally acknowledges his grace after ascension.
• Isaac gives Meixiukante Evil Eye and specific instructions, establishing her as a subordinate agent rather than an independent political leader.
• After Isaac departs, Meixiukante’s intimidating presence unsettles both Mephisto and the God of Strife, who briefly fear that she may possess motives similar to the destructive Lord of Blood. Mephisto ultimately trusts Isaac’s judgment, and the God of Strife restrains herself because she knows she cannot oppose Isaac or safely challenge his allies.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Isaac sits in his laboratory and reviews three major research projects:
  1. Automating Miracle: God Sealing, which would allow him to mass-produce Virtual Divine Sparks and potentially make him a Great Wizard.
  2. Creating the Divine Tome, a powerful artifact capable of forming contracts with gods, borrowing their power, and even controlling other gods.
  3. Investigating whether Mystic Treasures/Treasured Artifacts can be popularized within wizard civilization.
• Isaac recognizes that the Divine Tome is much more difficult to create than a Virtual Divine Spark. It requires at least ten strands of divine power from different gods, along with specialized materials.
• His possession of the Soul Mirror solves the material problem: it can create souls, whose destruction produces the Soul Crystals needed for the Divine Tome.
• Isaac’s interest in Mystic Treasures is rekindled by the Miracle associated with “Investiture of the Gods.” Although he expected the Miracle to grant Virtual Divine Sparks and Divine Tomes, its deeper reward was the potential to create powerful Treasured Artifacts.
• He theorizes that reviving and developing Treasured Artifacts could constitute a new Great Path, similar to the creation of the Endless Wilderness or Endless Sea.
• Isaac concludes that wizard civilization’s neglect of magical artifacts resulted from its growing preference for mastering spells directly. He considers challenging this established mindset, though he knows that merely beginning the movement may not earn him lasting credit.

Character Development

• Isaac is shown as ambitious but cautious. Despite his reputation as a mad wizard, he prefers reliable and controllable methods, particularly virtual gods, over risky contracts with real deities.
• His understanding of what constitutes a Great Path has matured. He now sees it as creating something that preserves knowledge, benefits society, and brings long-term peace and prosperity.
• He becomes increasingly interested in civilization-wide influence rather than merely personal strength. Popularizing Treasured Artifacts could transform the direction of wizard society and establish his own historic legacy.
• Isaac also demonstrates practical foresight by choosing the Soul Mirror partly because it could provide a lasting supply of Soul Crystals.

Significant Themes

• Innovation versus tradition: Isaac wants to challenge the wizard world’s entrenched reliance on individual spellcasting.
• Tools versus personal mastery: Wizards have increasingly abandoned magical tools in favor of learning spells themselves, causing artifact development to stagnate.
• Legacy and recognition: Isaac is concerned that others might complete his ideas and receive the credit, so his initial breakthrough must be extraordinary.
• Greatness through contribution: The chapter defines true greatness not simply as power, but as creating systems or resources that benefit an entire civilization.
• Safety and control: Isaac’s preference for virtual gods reflects his belief that stable, predictable power is preferable to dangerous bargains with real gods.

Character Interactions

• There are no direct conversations in the chapter. Isaac’s interactions are primarily conceptual:
  • He considers the danger of contracting with gods, especially given his hostile reputation.
  • He reflects on the Soul Mirror, a treasure received from the Terra Royal Family, and its value to his research.
  • He recalls giving his former growth-type Treasured Artifact to the Three-Eyed Goblin.
  • He contrasts his own developing ideas with the established practices and assumptions of the wider wizard civilization.

Chapter Summary: “Divine Tome: Ten Gods!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Isaac evaluates his future plans and expects a 90% chance of failing the Boundless Tower’s trial mission.
• Regardless of the trial’s outcome, he decides to consolidate his foundation at the Fourth Tier and prepare thoroughly for advancement through the Fourth and Fifth Tiers.
• The chapter explains the danger awaiting Mad Wizards at the Sixth Tier: the protection of the Legendary Gate will disappear, forcing them to confront every Outer God they have angered through past dealings.
• Unlike other modern Mad Wizards, who limit their transactions with Outer Gods to reduce future grudges, Isaac continues taking shortcuts. His relationship with the Outer Gods is especially hostile because he effectively “picks up” their power and has repeatedly targeted particular gods.
• With the main quest no longer pressing him, Isaac gains more freedom and decides on the order of his research:

Weave a Divine Tome

2. Research

Mystic Treasures

• Isaac begins preparing his first Divine Tome, choosing the lowest-grade version, the Book of Ten Gods, which requires ten strands of divine power.
• He currently possesses five strands of divine power: four from Virtual Divine Sparks and one recovered from the Lord of Blood’s divine artifact, the Blood Pool.
• To obtain the remaining power, Isaac performs a quick five-pull draw for evil gods and begins studying the material ratios needed to create the tome.
• The Miracle spell Deification can guarantee successful production with the aid of Isaac’s Golden Finger, but its exact results and principles remain unknown. Isaac treats the first Book of Ten Gods primarily as an experiment for gathering data.

Character Development

• Isaac demonstrates his characteristic pragmatism, efficiency, and willingness to take risks. He accepts the likely failure of the trial mission without allowing it to disrupt his long-term plans.
• He becomes more deliberate about strengthening his foundation rather than rushing toward higher ranks.
• Isaac’s confidence in his own research grows; he believes his advancement may eventually rival or even surpass the Boundless Tower’s “perfect” advancement.
• His relationship with the Outer Gods is revealed to be unusually antagonistic and irreparable. Unlike other wizards, he cannot simply reduce or renegotiate his past grudges.
• He continues developing as an experimental researcher, using the first Divine Tome to test theories rather than pursuing immediate practical power.

Significant Themes

• Preparation versus advancement: Reaching a higher tier is less important than building a foundation capable of surviving future challenges.
• The cost of power: Deals with Outer Gods may provide advantages, but they create lasting enemies and consequences.
• Knowledge through experimentation: Isaac approaches unknown magic scientifically, accepting uncertainty and using controlled trials to gather data.
• Perfection as an ideal: The chapter argues that absolute perfection does not exist; only results that approach it infinitely closely are possible.
• Individual methods versus tradition: Isaac’s methods differ from those of ordinary wizards, particularly in his reliance on shortcuts, virtual divine power, and production-oriented Miracle magic.

Character Interactions

• Isaac’s most important “interaction” is with the Outer Gods, whose power he appropriates and whose grudges he knowingly accumulates.
• His connection to the Lord of Blood provides one of the five divine-power strands needed for the Book of Ten Gods.
• The Golden Finger assists Isaac by identifying viable directions and guaranteeing the success of Deification, but it cannot perform the research itself; Isaac must calculate the processes and material ratios.
• Isaac also implicitly contrasts himself with other Mad Wizards and the teachings of his sect, rejecting their cautious approach and their preference for combat-oriented Miracles in favor of experimental production magic.

Chapter Summary: Miracle Ritual: Apotheosis Battle!

Key Plot Points and Events

• Isaac deciphers the material formula for the Book of Ten Gods using the Golden Finger and [Analysis]. He discovers that it requires mostly third-tier materials, with a few fourth-tier materials, but in enormous quantities.
• He confirms that the Divine Tome restrains gods through complex contracts and conceptual binding rather than overwhelming power.
• Having abandoned the Boundless Tower trial and the conquest of the Wilderness Dungeon, Isaac decides to use the manpower in Dungeon City to gather the Book of Ten Gods’ materials. He assigns Mephisto to handle the collection.
• Isaac begins experimenting with the Miracle Ritual: Investiture of the Gods, intending to create Mystic Treasures. Since the ritual can elevate a basic Magic Item into a powerful Mystic Treasure, he chooses to start with the relatively simple and practical Wind-Fire Wheels, which provide flight.
• Isaac successfully creates prototype golden wheels using a magical crucible, anti-gravity runes, and other materials.
• While waiting for the Divine Tome materials and the Mother Goddess’s Divinity Fragment to be completed, Isaac travels to a wilderness filled with demon-god-enhanced Ogres.
• He establishes the Miracle Ritual: Investiture of the Gods Battlefield, using a bloody heart and the Wilderness Dungeon as the ritual’s boundaries. A hemispherical barrier traps many Ogres outside the dungeon.
• The Ogres initially panic and attack the barrier, but the ritual forcibly implants information in their minds: a war has begun, and victory will bring rewards. The chapter ends as the battlefield is prepared for combat.

Character Developments

• Isaac becomes more pragmatic and relaxed after abandoning the Boundless Tower trial. With more time and available manpower, he shifts his focus toward large-scale preparations, experimentation, and resource gathering.
• He demonstrates continued growth as a ritualist and researcher, efficiently decoding the Divine Tome’s formula and constructing a battlefield-scale Miracle Ritual.
• Isaac also reveals his increasingly production-oriented mindset, viewing the future Mother Goddess clones and other beings as workers in a larger “production line.”
• Mephisto is entrusted with gathering the enormous quantity of materials needed for the Divine Tome, showing Isaac’s reliance on his organization and manpower.
• The Ogres are shown to possess limited intelligence. Though enhanced by demon-god power, they remain largely instinctive creatures, capable of understanding the ritual’s imposed instructions but not its deeper significance.

Significant Themes

• Binding over brute force: The Book of Ten Gods represents power through contracts, entanglement, and enforced rules rather than direct domination.
• Preparation and resource management: Isaac’s plans depend on gathering vast quantities of materials, coordinating manpower, and building infrastructure.
• Ritual as transformation: The Miracle Ritual can elevate ordinary crafted objects into powerful Mystic Treasures, emphasizing the conversion of preparation into extraordinary results.
• Efficiency and industrialization: Isaac treats magic, labor, and even divine beings as components of a scalable production system.
• Manipulation and forced conflict: The Ogres are placed into battle without meaningful consent, their minds compelled to recognize the war and its rewards.

Character Interactions

• Isaac delegates the Book of Ten Gods material-gathering task to Mephisto.
• Isaac works directly with magical materials and ritual techniques, relying on his Golden Finger and research abilities.
• The Ogres interact primarily with the ritual itself: they attack the barrier, panic at the emergence of dungeon forces, and receive the battlefield’s instructions directly in their minds.
• The chapter sets up an impending confrontation between the Ogres outside the Wilderness Dungeon and the forces emerging from within it.

Chapter Summary: “The Mindless Blood Battle!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Ogre war begins, with the corrupted Ogres charging Isaac’s summoned heart purely to fight and kill.
• Isaac activates a remodeled Flesh Lair, enhanced by the stolen divine artifact known as the Blood Pool. Its crimson magic forms a gigantic heart and summons a Bloodflame Knight.
• Unlike the former “pseudo-Third Tier” creatures, the upgraded Flesh Lair can create a true Third Tier creature with Authority—in this case, the relatively weak but useful [Blood Avatar] Authority.
• The Bloodflame Knight immediately attacks, killing Ogres with powerful sword strikes. It faces nine Third Tier Ogres, including a Two-Headed Ogre Wizard, but its speed and agility allow it to evade their powerful Magic Cannons.
• After slaughtering nearly a third of the army, the knight uses [Blood Avatar] to gather the battlefield’s scattered flesh and blood, creating a massive Blood-Colored Divine General.
• The Divine General establishes a suppressive domain: weaker Ogres are drastically reduced in power or melted into blood, while its own strength is greatly enhanced.
• However, the nine Third Tier Ogres retain their Authorities despite the suppression. They bombard the Divine General with consecutive volleys of purple-black Magic Cannons, turning it into an easy target and heavily weakening it.
• Isaac realizes the battle’s outcome has effectively been decided, though the chapter ends before the final result is shown.

Character Developments

• Isaac demonstrates his continued experimentation and innovation. He has transformed the Flesh Lair into a much more powerful creation by combining it with the Blood Pool’s properties.
• His new creation represents a major technological and magical advancement: producing beings with genuine Authority rather than merely Third Tier physical strength.
• Isaac also reveals a pragmatic, analytical attitude. Although impressed by the Bloodflame Knight’s power, he becomes frustrated by its poor judgment and the Ogres’ mindlessness.
• The Bloodflame Knight proves highly effective in direct combat, displaying extreme speed, strength, and endurance. However, it lacks tactical intelligence and wastes its powerful Divine General form by exposing it to the Ogres’ attacks.
• The Ogres are shown to be almost entirely consumed by their battle instincts. Even when unable to win, they continue charging instead of changing tactics.

Significant Themes

• Power versus intelligence: Raw strength and powerful Authorities are undermined by poor judgment. Both the Ogres and the Bloodflame Knight possess great combat abilities but make predictable tactical choices.
• Experimentation and transformation: Isaac’s fusion of the Flesh Lair and Blood Pool illustrates his pursuit of increasingly advanced magical lifeforms.
• The importance of Authority: The chapter emphasizes that possessing even a weak Authority creates a fundamental difference from creatures without one.
• Weaponization of flesh and blood: Bodies, blood, and battlefield remains are treated as resources that can be transformed into magical power.
• Limits of artificial power: Despite the Bloodflame Knight’s impressive abilities, it remains dependent on the Flesh Lair for energy and survival, making the structure both its source of power and its critical weakness.

Character Interactions

• Isaac observes the Ogres’ charge with detached curiosity before responding with his summoned heart.
• The Bloodflame Knight provokes the Ogres with its roar, intensifying their aggression and drawing them into battle.
• The knight dominates the ordinary Ogres and clashes with the nine Third Tier Ogres, particularly avoiding the Two-Headed Ogre Wizard’s Magic Cannons.
• The Ogres’ surviving Third Tier combatants eventually exploit the Divine General’s lack of mobility, coordinating their magical bombardment against it.
• Isaac watches from above, recognizing that the knight’s battlefield performance has shifted from overwhelming offense to a losing defensive position.

Chapter Summary: “The Beginning of a Great Undertaking?!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Bloodflame Knight uses [Blood Avatar] to summon the powerful Divine General, but the ogres’ Magic Cannons prove far more effective than ordinary attacks. Because their authority-based, corrosive magic can penetrate the Divine General’s defenses, the Bloodflame Knight is quickly destroyed.
• The destruction of the Bloodflame Knight also causes the Flesh Lair to lose the Miracle battlefield, confirming that the true conflict is between Isaac and the Rampaging Dungeon, not merely between the knight and the ogres.
• Having finished observing the battle, Isaac intervenes personally. He summons the Demonic Claw, whose Evil Eye releases Flesh Mutation.
• The mutation transforms weaker ogres into masses of flesh that attack one another. Even the higher-ranking ogres, protected by the demon god’s authority and [Magic Enhancement], are eventually overwhelmed when Isaac’s [Analysis] helps the mutation penetrate their defenses.
• With the ogres defeated, the Miracle Ritual: Apotheosis changes state. A mystical net gathers Miracle-related magic power and channels it into two golden wheels, causing their runes to evolve and pale golden flames to appear.
• By observing this transformation, Isaac begins to understand how the Miracle Ritual functions and how its results might be “harvested” to benefit himself.

Character Development

• Isaac demonstrates that he is not merely studying the ritual passively; he is conducting a controlled experiment, allowing the Bloodflame Knight and ogres to fight so he can collect data.
• He confirms that spells can be combined with divine power, opening a possible new direction for the wizard system—perhaps even a deity-based wizard path.
• Isaac recognizes that creating or perfecting a major system is not enough to guarantee personal advancement. Since such achievements depend on the efforts of many wizards, credit and benefits may be distributed among them.
• He therefore begins considering rituals as a method of securing personal gains from a collective undertaking.
• Isaac is disturbed by the grotesque appearance of Flesh Mutation and jokingly decides that the Evil Eye is too villainous to become a familiar, revealing his continuing concern with presenting a more righteous or aesthetically acceptable image.

Significant Themes

• Experimentation and observation: Isaac prioritizes gathering information over immediate victory, treating the battle as a scientific test.
• The fusion of magic and divinity: The chapter establishes that divine power and spellcraft can be integrated, potentially creating an entirely new wizard path.
• Individual credit versus collective achievement: Isaac worries that contributing to a grand advancement of wizardry may not make him a Great Wizard unless he finds a way to claim the resulting benefits.
• Ritual as a means of power: The Miracle Ritual may not only produce extraordinary effects but also provide a mechanism for directing the rewards of a collective endeavor toward a chosen individual.
• Appearance versus morality: Isaac dislikes the sinister appearance of his mutation spell, even though his plans and methods remain highly pragmatic and morally questionable.

Character Interactions

• Isaac and the Bloodflame Knight: Isaac treats the knight as an experimental component rather than a treasured subordinate, allowing it to fight until its defeat provides useful data.
• Isaac and the ogres: He initially observes their abilities, then personally annihilates them with Flesh Mutation once they have fulfilled their purpose in the experiment.
• Isaac and the Rampaging Dungeon: Their conflict is revealed to be the true foundation of the Miracle Ritual, with the battlefield’s outcome directly affecting the ritual’s development.
• Isaac and the wider wizard tradition: His thoughts turn toward the achievements of past wizards and the Great Wizard behind the Truth Association, prompting him to search for a way to ensure that his own contributions yield comparable advancement.

Chapter Summary: “An Unconventional Familiar”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Isaac completes the Miracle ritual, causing the Wind-Fire Wheels to manifest as two golden, flaming wheels.
• Once the battlefield barrier disappears, the surrounding ogres immediately attack Isaac with stones and Magic Cannons. His Authority Spell: Arrogant Turtle stops every attack before it can reach him.
• Isaac tests the Wind-Fire Wheels against the ogres. Their golden flames annihilate all ogres below the third tier and severely injure the stronger ones.
• The high-ranking ogres survive because their [Magic Enhancement] Authority accelerates their regeneration, fire resistance, and even evolutionary adaptation. Isaac calculates that they could eventually overcome the flames, so he kills them before that happens.
• Having gathered sufficient data on the Miracle ritual and the Wind-Fire Wheels, Isaac leaves the battlefield.
• During his flight, he tests the wheels’ speed. They can match a third-tier flying creature at low energy consumption and reach approximately Mach 10—three kilometers per second—at full speed.
• Isaac discovers corrupted elves, dwarves, and orcs that he considers suitable familiars. Rather than forming traditional contracts, he knocks out one of each race and takes them away, intending to use the Virtual Divine Spark’s divinity to purify or control them.

Character Development

• Isaac becomes increasingly intrigued by the Wind-Fire Wheels because even his powerful [Analysis] Authority cannot examine or replicate them. This rare limitation deepens his respect for Miracle and its creators.
• He shifts further away from pursuing the Boundless Tower’s “perfect advancement.” Isaac begins valuing the process of discovery, experimentation, and experiencing the development of magic more than simply acquiring predetermined wizard abilities.
• His practical and unconventional nature is emphasized through his method of acquiring familiars: he dismisses contracts and affection in favor of forcibly subduing them through divine power.
• Isaac also displays a broader vision for wizard civilization. Though he cannot reproduce the Wind-Fire Wheels directly, he believes merely exposing wizards to advanced magical concepts could inspire better Magic Items and expand their understanding.

Significant Themes

• Limits of knowledge and analysis: The Wind-Fire Wheels represent a mystery beyond even Isaac’s analytical abilities, suggesting that some magical technologies cannot be reduced to data or replicated through science alone.
• Progress through inspiration: Isaac believes civilization advances not only by reproducing inventions but also by seeing what is possible and being inspired to pursue better creations.
• Experience versus instant perfection: The chapter questions whether obtaining advanced power immediately is truly ideal. Isaac sees value in witnessing and understanding the stages of magical development.
• Evolution and adaptation: The ogres’ enhanced regeneration and fire resistance demonstrate how magical power can accelerate natural evolution, turning a temporary disadvantage into a potential long-term advantage.
• Power and unconventional morality: Isaac treats living beings as resources for experimentation and control, reflecting his detached, pragmatic approach to magic and divine authority.

Character Interactions

• Isaac largely dominates his interactions with the ogres. Their attacks fail against his defensive Authority, and he effortlessly destroys them with the Wind-Fire Wheels.
• The ogres’ enhanced abilities provide the only meaningful resistance, forcing Isaac to recognize that their adaptation could eventually surpass the wheels’ flames.
• Isaac has no consensual interaction with the elf, dwarf, and orc candidates. He simply selects them based on appearance and usefulness, incapacitates them, and claims them as familiars through divine means.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Isaac returns to Dungeon City via spatial teleportation much faster than before, but discovers that the materials for the Ten Divine Tomes are still incomplete.
• During his travels, he visited several major and minor magic cities and arranged potential trades for the remaining materials.
• To facilitate long-distance trade, Isaac constructs a teleportation array and modifies a First Tier divine art that protects against the mysterious attributes of other magic cities.
• He discovers that the dependents of virtual gods do not inherit their gods’ high mysterious attributes, since those attributes are essentially artificial and lose effectiveness when separated from the virtual gods.
• Once the other magic cities learn that Isaac—a notorious Mad Witch—is secretly behind Dungeon City, they refuse to allow personnel from either side to travel freely between the cities.
• The magic cities fear that Isaac has somehow manipulated or coerced the two self-severed True Gods associated with Dungeon City. They view him as especially dangerous because Mad Witches are naturally hostile toward gods.
• A compromise is reached: trade continues through a merchant association based in Dungeon City, while the other magic cities conduct transactions through golems and forbid living beings from participating directly.
• As compensation for the inconvenience, the magic cities offer discounts on most goods and materials, though no discount is given for rare Fourth Tier materials.
• Isaac reluctantly accepts the arrangement. Six months later, all materials for the Ten Divine Tomes and the Divinity Fragments needed for the Virtual Divine Spark have been gathered, allowing his Divine Tome experiments to officially begin.

Character Developments

• Isaac demonstrates increasing power and versatility. He can construct teleportation arrays, modify divine arts, and manage large-scale magical trade with relative ease.
• He also shows strategic flexibility, pursuing both magical resistance and economic solutions simultaneously rather than relying on a single method.
• Isaac becomes aware of how severely his reputation as a Mad Witch affects his relationships with gods and other Transcendents.
• Although outwardly composed, he is irritated by being treated as dangerous and excluded from normal trade. This strengthens his determination to create a Divine Familiar and improve his public image.
• The virtual gods are indirectly characterized as possessing “artificial” mysterious attributes, revealing a limitation in their divine systems.

Significant Themes

• Prejudice and reputation: Isaac is judged not solely by his actions but by the fear surrounding Mad Witches and his personal reputation.
• Fear of unconventional power: The magic cities are alarmed by the possibility that Isaac has gained control over True Gods, showing how threatening Mad Witches are perceived to be.
• Pragmatism over principle: Although the cities distrust and fear Isaac, they do not sever trade completely. Mutual benefit forces them to negotiate.
• Power and isolation: Greater strength does not necessarily bring acceptance; Isaac’s status makes ordinary cooperation more difficult.
• Preparation and persistence: Isaac methodically solves logistical, magical, and political obstacles until his resources are finally ready for the next stage of experimentation.

Character Interactions

• Isaac communicates with the great and smaller magic cities to arrange material exchanges.
• The magic cities collectively reject direct travel and interaction with Dungeon City after learning of Isaac’s involvement.
• Their representatives negotiate a compromise with Isaac, creating a merchant association and golem-mediated trade system.
• The cities’ fear of Isaac contrasts with their continued willingness to cooperate, reflecting both suspicion and respect for his power.
• Isaac’s internal response to their discrimination is to resolve to reshape his image through the creation of the Divine Familiar and the Divine Tome.