Recaps

Maki fled through Taiger Forest after Shien disrupted her plans, but Aiyi, Lyd, and Milu cornered her. Aiyi attacked with Dragon Breath, leaving Maki horribly wounded as the chapter ended.

• Maki escaped toward the outskirts of Taiger Forest while vowing to resume her game with Shien later.
• Aiyi, Lyd, and Milu appeared before Maki, and Lyd explained that they would stop her to restore peace to the forest.
• Aiyi refused to let Maki surrender and unleashed a devastating Dragon Breath that destroyed the mountain.
• Maki fled the blast, but it melted both her feet and one hand, and she screamed in agony.

Aiyi, Milu, and Lyd cornered Maki in Taiger Forest, thwarting her attempts to escape and destroying her forbidden gravity magic. Lyd swallowed Maki whole, then the three Demon Lords flew back toward Elven Village as the ruined forest began to settle.

• Aiyi's Dragon Breath vaporized Maki's feet and one hand, but Maki used Dark Cover to disappear into the shadows.
• Milu chased Maki underground and struck her through her defenses, while Lyd warned that Maki could not escape a ghost.
• Maki unleashed Celestial Collapse, creating a destructive gravity vortex, but Aiyi destroyed it with Dragon Breath.
• Lyd enlarged herself and used her immense suction to drag Maki from the shadows and swallow her whole.
• Aiyi, Milu, and Lyd flew toward Elven Village, leaving the devastated forest as its monsters began to recover.

After the battle in Taiger Forest, Shien’s group captured the Demon Spirit Maki and brought her before Sophie, Leia, and Nia. Maki’s betrayal centuries ago had left Sophie cursed and unable to use her Unique Skill or Blessing, and the chapter ended with Carol explaining that no Heroes remained who could fully cure her.

• Lidas spat the wounded Maki onto the plaza in Elven Village, where Shien and the others surrounded her.
• Maki mocked Sophie for choosing to protect the Elves instead of hunting her down, and Sophie struggled to contain her anger.
• Carol revealed that Maki had disguised herself as one of Sophie’s friends for a century before killing several companions and gravely injuring Sophie, Leia, and Nia.
• Carol explained that Sophie had sealed the Land of Despair’s curses inside herself to purify it, leaving her unable to use her Unique Skill or Blessing.
• Carol said that neither Goddess of Fate Lidas nor past Heroes such as Mitra had been able to remove Sophie’s curse completely, and no Heroes remained to try.

Shien refused to grant Maki an easy death, healing her even as Lilith and the others restrained her. Maki made a final attempt to kill them both with a collapsing-space spell, but Shien remained unfazed as a terrifying power rose from him.

• Shien ignored Maki's taunts and used Celestial Breathe to heal her body and restore her soul from Lilith's evil aura.
• Maki's magic surged, but Aiyi burned it away, Lyd threw her into a pillar, Milu restrained her, and Lilith resumed eroding her will.
• Sophie asked Shien to release Maki, but he refused to show mercy to someone who had tried to harm those around him.
• After Lilith and Milu released her, Maki transformed into a shadow, grabbed Shien, and unleashed Celestial Collapse by burning her magic and life force.
• The collapsing space devoured the plaza as Maki vowed to take Shien with her, but Shien mocked her predictable attack and unleashed a terrifying power.

Shien activated Cycle of Fate and doubled his strength, briefly reaching toward the Transcendent Class. He killed Maki with the Holy Sword as she tried to transform into Merika, and the black hole swallowed her remains and vanished.

• Shien judged that his normal strength might not be enough to stop Maki from escaping, so he activated Cycle of Fate.
• Shien’s radiant flames shook the collapsing space, and Roxie, Sophie, Lid, and the others sensed him reaching beyond Limit-tier.
• Maki realized she had provoked an opponent beyond her ability to escape, but Shien broke free from her embrace and drew the Holy Sword.
• Maki tried to use Faceless Transformation to become Merika, but Shien cut her in two before she could finish transforming.
• The black hole swallowed Maki’s remains and the fragments of the collapsing space before disappearing.

After Shien used the Holy Sword to display power that touched the Transcendent Class realm, everyone reassessed his standing. Shien explained that he had not truly entered that realm, while Lide recognized his potential and Aiyi led her away, leaving the group in a tense silence.

• Shien's display of power stunned Lide, Milu, Aiyi, Roxie, and the Elves, changing how they regarded him.
• Shien put away the Holy Sword and told Lide that he had not truly entered the Transcendent Class realm, but had used his Unique Skill to briefly touch its power.
• Shien explained that he was only Level Seventy-Eight and still had a long way to go before surpassing the limits of life.
• Lide said Shien's ability to threaten beings in that realm proved he had the potential to enter it, then looked at him with conflicted hope and wariness.
• Aiyi stepped between Lide and Shien and told Lide they should return, while Roxie watched the group fall into uneasy silence.

Danas completed four Limit-tier Combat Mages by fusing them with Demonoid Larvae, then discussed his plans and Moro’s schemes in the Ragna Empire. Both agreed they were staking everything on securing a place in the future.

• Danas emerged from the ruins with four black-robed figures and used a spell to turn a Limit-tier Demonoid Larva into a crystal.
• Danas fused the crystal into one of his Combat Mages, raising it to the Limit-tier and completing his four Limit-tier puppets.
• Moro appeared and confronted Danas about using the organization’s Demonoid Larvae, while Danas said he had his father’s permission.
• Danas revealed that he had arranged for Shien to kill Maki, whom he considered disloyal and too dangerous to control.
• Moro said she had been trying to capture a wary little girl and had left the Empire to lure her out as her plan neared its final stage.
• Danas and Moro agreed they had to stake everything to secure a place for themselves in the future.

After the Taiger Forest crisis, Sophie resumed her duties and concealed Shien’s role in causing the disturbance while preparing for the Festival of Peace. Shien enjoyed several quiet days in Elven Village, but the chapter ended when bad news came looking for him.

• Sophie emerged from Queen's Palace and told visiting envoys that an apostle of the Primal Demon had caused the Taiger Forest anomaly, while hiding details about Maki and Shien's involvement.
• Sophie and Lid agreed to present Shien as an assistant who helped capture the apostle so the Kingdom would avoid condemnation.
• Shien spent his free days in Elven Village with Roxie, Lilith, Lasha, Milu, and others, browsing the Festival of Peace stalls and selling dragon goods to Elven mages.
• Aiyi told Shien that Yulin was close to shedding her dragon body and that Dragons who took human form awakened the Dragon Transformation Unique Skill.
• Shien asked whether Aiyi could transform into a dragon and plotted to ride her, prompting Aiyi to refuse angrily and storm off.
• After several peaceful days, bad news came looking for Shien.

Shien learned that Nadula had stopped Merika’s power from rising further and planned to help her withstand it through enlightenment in the Inner Sanctum. Nadula also revealed that Anima had chosen a new Blessing Bearer and that Merika had been targeted with Mental Magic, though the hidden danger was removed.

• Nadula told Shien that her blessing had caused Merika’s power to surge and warned that the strain could overwhelm her.
• Nadula explained that Merika could enter the Inner Sanctum through a door in the Divine Realm and undergo enlightenment to strengthen herself.
• Shien told Nadula to reassure Merika and bring her back safely after she had completed her training.
• Nadula revealed that Anima had chosen a follower affected by the incident in Cosmos as her Blessing Bearer, and Shien suspected who it was.
• Nadula told Shien that Merika had shown signs of being brainwashed by Mental Magic, but the danger had already been eliminated.

Shien and Nadula discussed how Maki’s plot against them had failed after Merika was taken to the Divine Realm. Nadula decided she needed someone to monitor Shien while she dealt with Merika, and Shien was left uneasy by the trouble he sensed approaching.

• Shien realized Maki had prepared to control Merika as a contingency, but the Three Great Goddesses had erased the mental power she left behind.
• Nadula told Shien she would bring Merika back to the Human Realm once her condition stabilized, and Shien accepted the delay.
• Nadula considered who could replace her in monitoring Shien and managing the Demon Lords, then settled on asking the Three Goddesses of Time and Space despite fearing they would mishandle the mission.
• Nadula ended her revelation with Shien and began handling her affairs, while Shien shivered and sensed that he was about to face terrible trouble.

Shien and Roxie explored the Festival of Peace, where the Elves and visiting women treated Shien as a celebrated hero and Roxie teased him about his popularity. Carol interrupted their public play-fighting, and Shien noticed a familiar Elven girl watching him with a complicated expression.

• Shien walked through the decorated Elven Village with Roxie and drew attention as the only man among the festival crowds.
• Roxie explained the Festival of Peace’s daytime market, evening feast and performances, and the Queen’s closing speech.
• Roxie teased Shien about receiving friendship wreaths, so he pinched her cheeks and demanded that she call him hubby and master.
• Carol arrived with a group of Elves, stopped Shien and Roxie’s disturbance, and reflected on how Shien’s actions had changed his standing among the Elves.
• Shien noticed a familiar Elven girl behind Carol looking at him with a complicated expression.

Shien teased Geno, who had joined the Elf Division as a trainee and was striving to grow stronger after Merika became the Goddess of Nature's Blessing Bearer. Geno accepted that Merika could not return yet, but vowed to oppose her relationship with Shien and eventually defeat him.

• Shien provoked Geno, and Carol explained that Geno had joined the Elf Division as a trainee member and was patrolling during the Festival of Peace.
• Geno asked whether Merika would return, and Shien told her that Merika could not come back yet.
• Geno said Merika would seek out Shien first when she returned, then declared that she opposed their relationship because romances between Elves and men of other races ended in tragedy.
• Geno vowed to improve herself, persuade Merika, and challenge Shien again before leaving with Carol and the other Elves.
• Roxie asked Shien what he would do, and he joked that he would spank Geno if she challenged him before leaving as the Festival of Peace continued.

Shien enjoyed the Festival of Peace in the Elven Village with his household, while Lasha’s shop became an unexpected sensation. As the festival neared its end, Shien prepared to travel to the Empire to find Tier and investigate Moro, and planned to seek Nien in the Divine Realm.

• Shien took Roxie, Lilith, Yulin, Lasha, Aiyi, Lyd, and Milu on festival outings, easing Roxie’s jealousy and making the household happy.
• Lasha opened a shop selling food and handmade accessories, quickly earning a fortune and drawing offers from nobles that she rejected.
• Milu nearly caused a bloody storm when people tried to poach Lasha, so Shien began accompanying the maid at her shop.
• Shien reflected on the Old Demon Faction apostle’s appearance, while Lyd planned to return to the Demon Realm and Sophie prepared to contact human leaders.
• With Tier still missing as her one-month deadline approached, Shien decided to go to the Empire and investigate Moro.
• Shien also planned to visit the Divine Realm to find Nien and learn about the First Generation Hero and his own summoning.

After the Festival of Peace ended, Shien learned that Aiyi and Roxie would not accompany him to the Empire. He accepted their departures and prepared to travel with Lilith and Lasha to bring Tier back.

• The Festival of Peace concluded, and Shien planned to leave the Elven Village for the Empire the next morning.
• Aiyi told Shien she would return to the Demon Realm with Lid and Milu to report the Primal Demon's emergence and take part in discussions.
• Aiyi struggled with leaving Shien but agreed to go after Lid explained that the demons needed her help and Shien could protect himself.
• Roxie announced she would return to the royal capital instead of entering the rival Ragna Empire, where her visit could cause political trouble.
• Roxie urged Shien to take Lilith and Lasha with him and bring Tier back, while Aiyi promised to reunite with him after handling her duties.

As Aiyi prepared to leave, Shien lay awake on a treehouse roof, surprised by how much he cared about her. Aiyi joined him, and their talk about Heroes and demons eased her worries, leaving her certain that Shien would have drawn her to him even in another time.

• Shien went to the roof after the festival and realized he felt melancholy about Aiyi leaving.
• Aiyi arrived with a pillow and told Shien she could not sleep, recalling how she had felt when the Demon King who was like a mother to her died.
• Shien invited Aiyi into his arms, and they watched the Elven Village together as their unease about parting faded.
• Aiyi reflected that Heroes and demons had been enemies, and wondered whether she and Shien could have become close before the war ended.
• Shien said he would have thrown down the Holy Sword and surrendered rather than fight the demons, making Aiyi laugh and reassuring her that he would have drawn her to him regardless.

Aiyi realized she had fallen in love with Shien and impulsively kissed him, leading to a heated exchange before he was blasted off the treehouse. Lyd saw the pair together, while Shien later slipped into Roxie’s bed to vent his frustration.

• Aiyi remembered her mother’s words about love and recognized that she had fallen in love with Shien.
• Aiyi kissed Shien, and Shien kissed her back before she blasted him hundreds of meters away after he got handsy.
• Shien returned to Aiyi, teased her about the kiss and her attack, and agreed to settle the matter after she came back.
• Lyd watched Aiyi in Shien’s arms and concluded that her little sister had fallen for a human.
• Shien slipped into Roxie’s bed while she slept and silenced her when she woke.

Shien's group left Elven Village after Sophie welcomed them back whenever they wished and gave them a map of safe routes. On the way through Taiger Forest, Aiyi gave Shien her crest, a token that could open an entrance to the Demon Realm.

• Sophie and the Elves bid Shien's group farewell, and Sophie gave Shien a map marking safe routes to Elven Village.
• Yulin carried the group through the unusually quiet Taiger Forest without encountering hostile monsters.
• Lyd said she, Aiyi, and the other Demon Lords would part ways and fly to a nearby entrance to the Demon Realm.
• Lyd explained that demon crests could open entrances to the Demon Realm when brought near certain ancient Magic Power Sources.
• Aiyi tossed Shien her black dragon crest and told him to use it if he wanted to visit the Demon Realm.

Shien accepted a token from Aiyi that could let him act with a Demon’s authority, and Aiyi and the other Demons departed. Shien chose to return Roxie to the royal capital before traveling to the Empire, while unseen forces began acting against him as he left the Elven Village.

• Shien accepted Aiyi’s token despite joking that he could use it to bully people, and Aiyi warned him to flee if he encountered danger.
• Aiyi entrusted Shien’s protection to Lilith, then left with Lide and Milu; Yulin mourned their departure.
• Shien decided to take Roxie back to the royal capital before setting out for the Empire with Lilith and Lasha.
• Shien rode Yulin out of the Elven Village with Roxie, and hidden arrangements targeting him began to unfold.

Nadula received the Three Goddesses of Time and Space, Nolde, Welter, and Shiltee, and tried to correct their childish behavior. Despite doubting they could handle a mission to monitor Shien in the Human Realm, she had no one else to send and prepared to explain the task.

• Nolde, Welter, and Shiltee arrived at Nadula's temple after bickering and forgot to greet her properly.
• Nadula reminded the three High Gods to show respect and urged them to act as fitting examples for the Divine Realm.
• Nadula explained that the sisters governed past, present, and future and possessed immense power despite being only two thousand years old.
• Shiltee rushed to feed the fish in Nadula's pool, and Nolde and Welter followed, abandoning the etiquette lesson.
• Nadula wondered whether the playful sisters could monitor Shien in the Human Realm, then called them over to explain what she needed.

Nadula asked Lourdes, Welter, and Shiltee to monitor a man whose existence could affect the world, despite his being accompanied by a Demon Lord and Lilith the Evil God. The three sisters accepted the daunting mission, leaving Nadula unsure whether she could trust them to handle it.

• The chapter explained that the God Race's hierarchy allowed Nadula to command gods who did not belong to her, unlike the Demon Race's territorial system.
• Nadula's three sisters eagerly offered to take on her assignment, though Lourdes doubted their ability to work independently.
• Nadula revealed that the assignment was to monitor an important man with a great secret who was accompanied by a Demon Lord and Lilith the Evil God.
• The sisters privately debated whether to accept the dangerous mission, then agreed to try it together.
• The sisters confirmed their acceptance to Nadula, who worried that things might go wrong.

The Ragna Empire faced mounting unrest as rumors targeted Rocket Bigusle, Prince Harvis, and the missing Capeline, while a Phantom Thief's disappearance faded from public attention. In an alley, Laini and her guards were ambushed, and a mysterious figure appeared just as an arrow was about to kill her.

• Rumors spread that Rocket Bigusle had colluded with the Kingdom and that House Renitra was trying to replace him as commander of the Empire Knights.
• People speculated that Prince Harvis had ties to the Kingdom and questioned his role in House Laifirut's losses.
• The Imperial Capital grew anxious over the Phantom Thief, Bigusle's investigation, Harvis's suspicions, and Capeline's disappearance.
• Laini fled through an alley with her guards as archers pursued them and killed the guards one by one.
• An arrow flew toward Laini's brow, but a figure suddenly appeared before it could strike her.

After Yulin reached Limit-tier, Shien brought her, Lilith, and Lasha to the Ragna Empire’s Imperial Capital. Shien and his companions descended toward the city as a black-robed figure watched them from the shadows.

• Yulin flew above the Imperial Capital, and Shien warned her not to attack the city despite her new Limit-tier strength.
• Lasha explained that the Empire Knights vastly outnumbered and outmatched the Kingdom Knights, while the Empire’s Royal Knights served mainly as the royal family’s private force.
• Shien joked about testing his strength against the Empire Knights, and Yulin roared in agreement.
• Shien told Yulin to remain in the sky while he, Lilith, and Lasha jumped from her back toward the Imperial Capital.
• A black-robed figure in a dark corner of the Imperial Capital looked up at the descending group.

Shien entered the Imperial Capital disguised as a low-ranked adventurer, then concealed his group’s attention-drawing looks with cloaks. After hearing rumors of unrest, he headed with Lasha and Lilith to House Bigusle to meet Rocket and learn what had happened.

• Shien used his adventurer identity to enter the Imperial Capital with Lasha and Lilith, but their beauty drew attention and led onlookers to mistake him for a spoiled young master.
• Shien bought cloaks for himself, Lasha, and Lilith so they could hide their appearances and avoid standing out.
• Shien heard rumors about a Phantom Thief, House Bigusle, treason, and the Knight Commander stepping down, but chose not to investigate because he expected Harvis to explain matters.
• Shien decided to go to House Bigusle and meet Rocket, while Lasha said Laisha would find them when she discovered their presence.

Shien found House Bigusle under close surveillance and discovered that Rocket was confronting several powerful people inside, including another Legendary-tier expert. He left Lasha and Lilith hidden outside and teleported into the manor to investigate, where he sensed a serious dispute unfolding.

• Shien noticed that Knights were patrolling the Imperial Capital's noble district with unusual vigilance and that hidden watchers were monitoring House Bigusle.
• Shien suspected that Harvis and Rocket had run into trouble after returning to the Empire, possibly because of their conflict with Imperial Consort Moro.
• Shien left Lilith and Lasha concealed near the manor and teleported into House Bigusle to inspect the situation.
• Shien sensed Rocket arguing with several powerful magical presences, including an expert whose strength was close to Rocket's and who might be the Empire's second greatest Knight.
• Shien decided to go closer and investigate the confrontation.

Rocket and Tilly faced Salilo Renitra’s attempt to force Rocket to resign as Knight Commander and surrender House Bigusle’s standing. Rocket refused to yield, and the reception hall ended in a tense standoff.

• Salilo demanded that Rocket resign as Knight Commander, warning that House Bigusle would be ruined if Rocket were convicted of treason.
• Rocket denied betraying the Empire, while Tilly accused Salilo of using the rumors to seize the position for himself and House Renitra.
• Salilo admitted that he wanted to replace Rocket and House Bigusle, arguing that only the strongest and first-placed were remembered.
• Salilo dismissed Rocket’s innocence as irrelevant because the suspicion of treason gave him an opportunity to act.
• Rocket rejected Salilo’s pressure and declared that he would not resign while innocent, leaving the hall’s atmosphere grim.