Recaps

Shien and Aiyi fought off the strangely frenzied monsters in Arutol Canyon and suspected that the half-man, half-centipede monster had driven them to desperation. Aiyi agreed to deal with the source of the abnormality, but as she and Shien prepared to argue, they sensed a disturbance and a surge of magic power.

• Shien killed the charging werewolves with his Holy Sword and an explosion enchantment, while Aiyi vaporized the monsters attacking her with Dragon Breath.
• Shien and Aiyi noticed that the werewolves ignored their own deaths and kept attacking, and Aiyi said they were terrified and driven into a corner.
• Shien suspected the half-man, half-centipede monster was responsible, and Aiyi said she would resolve the source of the abnormality but leave the rest to him.
• Shien teased Aiyi for acting like a willful child, and they stopped to glare at each other before their argument could become a duel.
• Shien and Aiyi sensed a faint disturbance, stopped fooling around, and felt magic power surge forth.

As magic surged through Arutol Canyon and the monsters cried out in terror, Aiyi explained that a thousand-year plot to create a Seventh Demonoid had reached its final stage. She revealed that the ritual underway, Demon Refining, sacrificed demons and monsters to help complete the Demonoid, leaving Shien aware of the danger but without a stated plan to stop it.

• Shien and Aiyi sensed strange magic gathering in Arutol Canyon and realized a ritual had begun.
• Shien pressed Aiyi to explain the ritual, and she identified the half-human, half-centipede creature he had encountered as a Demonoid.
• Aiyi explained that some demons had spent a thousand years trying to create a Seventh Demonoid after the Demon King’s defeat.
• Aiyi said the Seventh Demonoid’s larva used a ritual to drive nearby demons and monsters into a frenzy, making them slaughter and absorb one another.
• Aiyi described how the surviving creature would be devoured by the larva, helping it become part of the Seventh Demonoid’s main body.

Shien learned that the Primal Demon was overseeing the Demon Lord creation plan and that House Galuoli had likely joined forces with the Old Demon Faction to host the ritual. After deciding to retaliate because they had endangered people close to him, Shien and Aiyi headed deeper into the gorge.

• Shien questioned why Nien had summoned a Hero for a Demon Lord whose creation was uncertain and wondered whether she was hiding something from him.
• Aiyi identified the force overseeing the Demon Lord and Demon King creation plans as the Primal Demon, and explained that the Slayer Faction was a separate Old Demon Faction.
• Aiyi warned Shien that the Primal Demon likely supplied Demonoid Larvae to other groups, and that a human force—probably House Galuoli—had hosted the ritual.
• Shien decided House Galuoli would pay for dragging people close to him into the ritual, and declared that he would kill them all.
• Shien and Aiyi moved deeper into the gorge as powerful magic surged around them.

Shien and Aiyi advanced through Arutol Canyon as the Demon Refining Ritual turned monsters into increasingly powerful abominations. At the canyon’s deepest point, a group led by a hostile old man worked to create a perfect sacrifice while struggling to kill House Elbain’s sinner.

• The Demon Refining Ritual drove the canyon’s monsters to kill and devour one another, transforming them into stronger, grotesque creatures.
• Aiyi crushed monsters that attacked her and told Shien the ritual could not affect her because she was a complete specimen.
• Shien continued deeper with Aiyi, privately deciding he would still want to pet her even if he knew how dangerous she was.
• At a lake, nobles watched a gigantic monster resist becoming Demon Refined as it fought off the abominations attacking it.
• The old man ordered knights to lure more monsters to the creature and learned that House Elbain’s sinner was hard to kill because the kingdom’s guardian deity protected her.

Vasco ordered Georido to pursue Tier and kill her, driven by his desire to avenge his dead wife and child. Meanwhile, Shien and Aiyi advanced into Arutol Canyon’s inner region to find Vivian and the others, but hostile forces attacked them.

• Vasco recalled how House Galuoli and allied nobles had joined the Demon Refining plan to kill Tier, whom they blamed for their past losses.
• Vasco ordered Georido to take more men after Tier, kill the women, and show no mercy to the royal envoy.
• Shien and Aiyi entered the inner region of Arutol Canyon and sensed that they were nearing the ritual’s center.
• Aiyi told Shien that Vivian and the others were moving near the canyon’s depths, so Shien prepared to hurry toward them.
• Hostile mana entered Shien’s perception, and Aiyi called the attackers insolent ants as Shien raised Jacinta’s wand.
• The attackers unleashed countless spells at Shien and Aiyi.

Shien and Aiyi were attacked by spellcasters and Black Knights, but Shien fought off the assault while a hidden figure killed the commanders and mages. The chapter left the enemy force decimated, with Shien still standing.

• Shien used his staff to dispel a barrage of spells aimed at him and Aiyi.
• The attackers redirected their magic to collapse the canyon, burying Aiyi as Shien retreated clear of the destruction.
• Black Knights surrounded Shien, while hidden mages shielded them from his explosive magic.
• Shien used the Holy Sword to evade the Black Knights and cut down dozens of them with Magic Sword-enhanced slashes.
• A petite figure appeared before the two commanders on the cliff and killed them by suppressing them with her aura.

After Shien and Aiyi defeated the Black Knights, they discovered that Kifgus and Katli had led the attack and that House Galuoli was tied to the Demon Refining Ritual. Shien flew above the canyon and unleashed a meteor shower on the camp outside it, leaving the camp in chaos as the meteorites struck.

• Shien found that Aiyi had killed the remaining Black Knights and brought back the corpses of Kifgus and Katli.
• Shien identified the two men as the masterminds and suspected House Galuoli was connected to the Primal Demons and the Demon Refining Ritual.
• Shien used Float and Far Sight to locate the camp outside Arutol Canyon, where the knights had not yet discovered the canyon’s abnormality.
• Shien cast Auroras Meteoric and sent a shower of meteorites toward the camp.
• The knights panicked and tried to flee, but the meteorites crashed into the camp.

A meteor shower devastated the canyon camp, killing Falpiweng, Lana, Rysseg, and much of House Galuoli’s fighting force. As Falpiweng died, he realized Shien had caused the disaster in revenge for the people they had harmed.

• Meteors struck the camp, crushing knights and destroying the grounds as Falpiweng watched in despair.
• A meteorite killed Lana, and falling rock crushed Rysseg as he tried to flee.
• Falpiweng recalled his ambition to seize control of the Royal Knights with the Primal Demon’s help and marry Rysseg to Princess Roxielusty.
• A mocking voice identified itself as Shien, and Falpiweng realized the disaster was revenge for crossing him.
• A massive meteorite struck Falpiweng and became his tombstone.

Shien destroyed House Galuoli’s camp with advanced Celestial Magic, then explained to Aiyi why he expected to avoid repercussions. The chapter ended with Shien heading down to deal with the remaining enemies while Aiyi chased him through the air.

• Shien watched Falpiweng die beneath his meteor shower as Aiyi appeared beside him and praised his advanced Celestial Magic.
• Aiyi warned that killing Kingdom Knights and influential nobles could bring consequences, and Shien gave three reasons he expected to remain safe.
• Shien explained that he had spared the knights and adventurers at the canyon entrance so they could report suspicious details about House Galuoli.
• Shien joked that Aiyi should protect him or he would attack the Demon Realm with Celestial Magic, then pinched her cheek.
• Shien descended to clear out the remaining enemies, and Aiyi chased him through the air above the ruined canyon.

After Tier and Vivian’s squad escaped a three-day pursuit and took shelter in a cave, Tier worried that her companions had suffered because of her. Vivian vowed to protect everyone and said the Hero would come, leaving Tier determined to hold out until he arrived.

• Tier woke in a cave beside the exhausted Vivian, Lumya, and Merika and remembered that nobles had trapped them in Arutol Canyon.
• Tier blamed herself for putting her companions in danger, but Vivian insisted they faced the danger together and comforted her.
• Tier thanked Vivian for protecting the squad through three days of fighting and urged her to leave Tier behind if necessary.
• Vivian refused to abandon Tier and vowed to bring the squad safely back to the royal capital.
• Vivian said the Hero would come, and Tier resolved to hold on until he arrived, even if she had to use “that move.”

Shien and Aiyi fought their way through the demon-refined creatures in Arutol Canyon but avoided destroying it because Vivian's Squad was still inside. They encountered Jacinta and his twin demons Jess and Lis, who had come to stop the ritual, and the chapter ended with Jacinta recognizing Aiyi.

• Shien and Aiyi killed and burned the demon-refined creatures as they advanced deeper into Arutol Canyon.
• Aiyi suggested destroying the canyon, but Shien refused because Vivian and the others might be harmed.
• Shien sensed someone approaching and led Aiyi toward them.
• Jacinta arrived with Jess and Lis, intending to destroy the ritual's source before it grew stronger.
• Shien greeted Jess and Lis around a corner while Jacinta stared at Aiyi in surprise.

Shien reunited with Jacinta, Jess, and Lis while holding Aiyi, whose powerful identity stunned the demons. Jacinta realized Aiyi was deeply attached to Shien and decided he could not afford to offend him.

• Jacinta, Jess, and Lis froze in shock when they saw Aiyi holding Shien's hand, revealing that they knew her true identity.
• Shien released Aiyi's hand, then picked her up, leaving the demons horrified and Aiyi astonished.
• Shien asked Jacinta why he was there and whether he had been searching for something.
• Aiyi ordered Jacinta to answer Shien, and Jacinta concluded that he could not afford to offend Shien.

Jacinta explained that the Demonoid Larva was the core of the Demon Refining Ritual and that killing it was the only way to stop the ritual. He asked Shien what he intended to do, and Shien said he was on Aiyi’s side.

• Shien and Aiyi learned that Jacinta and his companions had been tracking the Demonoid Larva to stop the Demon Refining Ritual.
• Jacinta explained that the Larva could shift between reality and illusion, making it difficult to detect and kill before it devoured the final sacrifice.
• Jacinta realized that Aiyi was leaving the decisions to Shien and began treating him as someone to take seriously.
• Jacinta asked Shien what he planned to do about the ritual and the secrets of demonkind.
• Shien told Jacinta he was on Aiyi’s side and patted her head, prompting Jacinta to silently wish he would be gentler.

Shien and Aiyi left Jacinta to handle the Demonoid Larva while they pursued their own matters and searched for those responsible for the incident. Jacinta decided to notify Lady Sera about Aiyi’s unusual closeness to Shien, while Shien and Aiyi left together, playfully bickering.

• Shien told Jacinta he and Aiyi would split up from the demons and investigate House Galuoli’s role in the canyon incident.
• Aiyi agreed to act with Shien and told Jacinta to handle the Demonoid Larva.
• Jacinta accepted responsibility for the larva and watched Shien and Aiyi leave with Jess and Lis.
• Jacinta decided to notify Lady Sera about Aiyi’s trust in Shien.
• Shien teased Aiyi as they walked, then backed down when she glared at him.

Vasco and the nobles pursued the powerful monster after it escaped their Demon Refining Ritual, while Vivian’s group tried to find a way out of Arutol Canyon. Georido confronted Vivian’s Squad, and Shien and Aiyi rushed toward them after sensing they were in danger.

• The monster broke free from the Demon Refining creatures and flew away despite Vasco’s group attacking it.
• Vasco ordered the nobles to pursue the monster, and they agreed after he reminded them they had no way back.
• Vivian, Tier, Lumya, and Merika prepared to escape the canyon, while Tier and Merika sensed that its magic power was behaving strangely.
• Georido arrived with nobles and knights and blocked Vivian’s Squad from leaving.
• Aiyi sensed that the girls were in danger, and Shien sped toward them with her.

Vivian and her companions fought Georido’s forces as Merika’s defensive magic and Tier’s swordsmanship helped hold them off. With Vivian and Merika exhausted and Lumya occupied, Georido shot Tier with an arrow, leaving her wounded as the battle continued.

• Vivian led Tier, Lumya, and Merika out of the cave, where Georido’s forces blocked their escape with flames and charged them.
• Vivian used Decoy and Resist to draw the knights’ attacks onto her while Georido ordered his mages to fire from beyond Decoy’s range.
• Merika cast Freeze Whirlpools and blocked the barrage, then collapsed from exhaustion as Georido ordered the knights to target her.
• Lumya engaged two knights to protect Merika, while Tier cut through the remaining attackers with her Magic Sword.
• Georido shot Tier in the side with an arrow, and Vivian, Merika, and Lumya cried out as Tier coughed up blood.

Tier was struck down by Georido’s cursed poison arrow, and as her companions faced defeat, she surrendered control to the power within her and asked it to protect them. Just as Georido ordered his men to seize the women, Shien arrived with an overwhelming surge of mana.

• Georido’s Arrow of Swift Poison hit Tier, leaving her unable to move as the curse and poison spread through her body.
• Tier saw Merika rush to her, Lumya fall wounded, and Vivian face encirclement, then called on the power within her to protect her companions.
• Georido celebrated Tier’s apparent defeat and ordered his men to take the women, intending to keep Vivian alive and claim Merika and Lumya for himself.
• A violent surge of mana swept across the battlefield and froze the nobles and knights as Shien descended before them.
• Vivian and Merika recognized Shien and reacted with delight at his arrival.

Shien unleashed his full magic power and used Celestial Breathe to heal Vivian's Squad, including Tier. He then slaughtered Georido's nobles and knights with Magic Power Detonation, leaving Georido alive and begging for mercy as Shien continued to glare at him.

• Shien released an overwhelming storm of magic power, stunning Georido's group and drawing Aiyi's attention.
• Shien cast Celestial Breathe, healing Vivian's Squad and removing Tier's curse and lethal poison.
• Shien killed a fleeing noble by detonating the magic power in his body, then learned and maximized Magic Power Detonation.
• Shien used Magic Power Detonation to kill the fleeing nobles and knights, sparing only Georido.
• Georido vomited amid the carnage and begged Shien not to kill him, while Shien stared at him with undiminished killing intent.

Shien killed Georido after crushing his limbs and chest, then went to check on Vivian's Squad. Tier remained unconscious, burning with chaotic, sinister magic until a black horn emerged from her forehead and she attacked Shien.

• Shien crushed Georido's limbs and chest, killing him as the rest of his hunting party lay dead.
• Shien checked on Vivian, Lumya, and Merika, and Merika embraced him in relief.
• Lumya noticed Tier had not awakened, and Shien found her body feverishly hot as dark magic spilled from her.
• Aiyi warned everyone to get away as Tier's hood slipped back, revealing a black horn and crimson eyes.
• Tier grabbed Shien, and blood sprayed into the air.

Tier pierced Shien’s shoulder, then absorbed magic through her horn and rapidly grew stronger. As Tier charged the group, Aiyi intercepted her and fought her in a destructive midair clash while Shien healed his wound and asked Vivian what was happening.

• Tier pierced Shien’s shoulder, breaking through his resistance, and Shien kicked her away.
• Tier rose with her body twisting, absorbed magic through her horn, and roared as her level climbed past ninety.
• Tier charged Vivian and the others, but Aiyi intercepted her and caught her attack.
• Aiyi and Tier exchanged powerful blows that shook the canyon, while Aiyi deflected Tier’s attacks with one hand.
• Shien used Celestial Breathe to heal his shoulder, then asked Vivian what was happening.

Vivian explained that Tier’s horn was the manifestation of a Unique Skill that made her stronger by absorbing mana but drove her into a destructive berserk state. As Tier rampaged in the arena, Vivian said the only way to stop the skill was to cut off the horn.

• Lumya, Merika, and Shien asked Vivian why Tier had become so terrifying as she fought Aiyi.
• Vivian revealed that Tier’s horn activated her Unique Skill, which absorbed nearby mana and continually increased her strength.
• Vivian explained that the skill also made Tier lose her reason, and that one of her past rampages had fatally injured her grandfather.
• Vivian described how House Elbain concealed Tier’s ability and treated her as a dangerous outcast, leaving her isolated through much of her childhood.
• Shien asked how Tier could be stopped, and Vivian answered that they had to cut off her horn.

Shien rushed in to stop Tier as her horn absorbed magic power and made her increasingly strong. After unsealing his Holy Sword and binding Tier with layered enchantments, he cut off her horn, leaving her fate unresolved.

• Shien charged at Tier while Aiyi withdrew from the fight.
• Tier overwhelmed Shien with her strength, forcing him to evade her attacks with Instantaneous Movement.
• Shien unsealed the Holy Sword, and its radiance drew the attention of Vivian, Lumya, Merika, and Aiyi.
• Shien bound Tier with several enchantments before her growing strength could break her free.
• Shien struck Tier's horn with the Holy Sword, and the horn broke off and fell.

Shien stopped Tier’s rampage by catching the horn that had fallen from her head, and she lost consciousness as her power subsided. After everyone confirmed she was safe, they noticed the Holy Sword Shien had briefly unsealed, while Aiyi grew interested in both Tier’s potential and Shien’s strength.

• Shien caught Tier’s fallen horn, ending her transformation and causing her power to fall back to level sixty.
• Shien caught the unconscious Tier and reassured Vivian, Lumya, and Merika that she would recover.
• Vivian thanked Aiyi for helping restrain Tier, and Aiyi said Tier’s Unique Skill and potential intrigued her.
• Aiyi sensed that Shien’s Holy Sword still held greater power and judged his potential to surpass every Hero in history.
• Lumya and Merika recognized the Holy Sword, but Shien resealed it and discouraged them from asking about it.
• Merika gazed at Shien with growing interest, and Shien focused on dealing with Tier’s situation.

Tier woke after Shien and Aiyi stopped her berserk transformation, and she realized the danger to Vivian's Squad had passed. Shien led the exhausted group toward the royal capital, unaware that a massive black shadow was approaching.

• Tier woke in Shien's arms and learned that Shien and Aiyi had stopped her berserk rampage.
• Tier recognized Aiyi's power and silently showed Shien her gratitude for saving her and Vivian's Squad.
• Shien told everyone to return to the royal capital while he and Aiyi dealt with the canyon's ritual later.
• Merika worried about the strange magic in the canyon, but Shien reassured her that the group could leave.
• The group set out for the canyon's outskirts as a massive black shadow flew toward them from far away.

Shien made a guarded campsite in Arutol Canyon so Vivian's Squad could rest, then bathed in a nearby pool while Aiyi went to search for a cave. Tier joined him in the water and began to tell him a story.

• Shien decided Vivian's Squad could not return to the royal capital that night and set up camp in the canyon.
• Shien used four Enchantment Magic traits to conceal and protect the campsite, then made the air warmer so the exhausted girls could sleep.
• Aiyi complained about the rough campsite and left to find a nearby cave.
• Shien heated the pool with Enchantment Magic and reflected on the magic he had learned.
• Tier slipped into the pool opposite Shien, then quietly began telling him a story.