Chapter Summaries

Shien and Lide continued into the cave after deciding it might hold several Legendary-tier demon-refined creatures used as sacrifices. At the cave’s depths, a woman emerged from a pool, realized an intruder had destroyed one of the creatures, and looked forward to seeing Sophie again.

• Lide reasoned that Legendary-tier demon-refined creatures could flee instead of devouring one another, so several might still inhabit the ritual site.
• Shien and Lide continued deeper into the cave to destroy the creatures and hinder the Primal Demons’ plan to create the Seventh Demonoid.
• Lide explained that using enough power to defeat a Legendary-tier enemy could devastate the cave and the surrounding Taiger Forest, so she left the fighting to Shien.
• A woman rose from a pool at the cave’s depths and determined that an intruder had eliminated one of the demon-refined creatures.
• The woman put on a black robe and said she looked forward to seeing Sophie again.

Shien and Lyd searched the ritual site, where Shien swiftly killed three Legendary-tier alchemic monsters using powerful magic. They decided to continue looking for the Demonoid Larva, but an unidentified speaker interrupted them.

• Shien killed a Legendary-tier alchemic monster in less than ten seconds by inflicting conditions on it and crushing it with Starry Arrays.
• Lyd marveled at Shien's strength and seemingly inexhaustible magic power, and Shien explained that his Unique Skills let him cast powerful spells freely.
• Shien and Lyd noted that they had encountered only three large alchemic monsters in two hours and suspected the Primal Demon had fed most of them to the Demonoid Larva.
• Shien agreed to keep searching for the Demonoid Larva and said he disliked the monsters, prompting an unseen speaker to say they were cute.

Shien and Lide confronted Maki, an Apostle of the Primal Demon, who tried to provoke Shien by targeting the Elf girl with him. Maki fled when her mind-influencing power failed, but Shien cut down the three Legendary-tier Demon Refining creatures blocking his way.

• A hooded woman emerged from a passage, identified herself as Maki, and confirmed she was an Apostle of the Primal Demon’s Old Demon Faction.
• Maki explained the Primal Demon’s hierarchy and revealed that her Great Apostle had ordered her to watch Shien and take an interest in the Elf girl beside him.
• Maki deliberately provoked Shien, then tried to influence his feelings with her voice, but his Inner Fate of Heaven neutralized her power.
• Maki ran into the passage, and three Legendary-tier Demon Refining creatures charged out to attack Shien.
• Shien endured their breath attacks and destroyed all three creatures with a single Holy Sword strike.

Shien pursued Maki through the cavern complex after she lured him away, determined to retaliate for the threat against those close to him. He found her and fought her, learning she was a level 98 Primal Demon apostle before she unleashed another spell.

• A huge figure devoured the three dead demon refiners and disappeared before Shien arrived at the cavern.
• Shien told Lid he would not tolerate attacks on the people around him, then used Outer Perception of Heaven to track Maki's aura.
• Shien teleported to a cavern with a crystal-clear pool and confronted Maki as she ran toward it.
• Maki tried to seduce Shien, but he resisted her mental influence and attacked with Flying Star.
• Maki blocked the attack with Black Curtain, and Shien discovered she had level-nine Darkness, Spirit, and Gravity magic and was level 98.
• Lid urged Shien not to let Maki escape, and Maki raised her staff and cast Vengeful Flash Thunder.

Shien confronted Maki, a powerful Primal Demon apostle whose magic rivaled the Elf Queen’s, and she unleashed a deadly storm of cursed lightning against him. Maki believed the attack had killed Shien, while Lyd was left bewildered after he tossed her aside.

• Maki revealed magic power comparable to the Elf Queen’s, and Shien answered with a massive surge of his own.
• Maki recalled investigating Shien and choosing to focus on Merika after Danas warned her that Shien was an unpredictable threat.
• Maki’s black lightning spell was dispersed by Shien’s Enchantment Magic, so she hindered his magic with Obstruction Field and summoned an Enmity Thunderstorm.
• Lyd prepared to intervene when the storm threatened her, but Shien grabbed her and threw her into the rock wall.
• Maki’s cursed lightning storm engulfed Shien, and she celebrated, believing he was dead.

Maki celebrated killing a human hero, but Shien ambushed her and survived her magic. After Maki revealed her face, Lyd identified her as the last Demon Spirit in the world.

• Maki reveled in the suffering that the hero's death would cause and laughed over her victory.
• Shien attacked Maki from behind, cutting through her dark curtain and destroying her robe, then struck her with Flying Star.
• Maki recovered and questioned how Shien had survived her Enmity Thunderstorm; he explained that his Inner Fate of Heaven protected him from the attack.
• Maki cleaned herself with magic and revealed her face, prompting Shien to notice her pointed ears.
• Lyd identified Maki as a Demon Spirit, and Maki confirmed that she was the last one in the world.

Lyd explained that Maki was a Demon Spirit, a malicious being thought to have been exterminated thousands of years ago, and warned Shien that she was dangerous. When Shien tried to kill Maki, she transformed into Merika and escaped after making him hesitate, leaving Shien furious and determined to remember her.

• Lyd explained to Shien that Demon Spirits were evil beings born from curses and baleful energy, and that their war with the Elves had ended with both their race and their birthplace supposedly destroyed.
• Maki revealed that she had survived the ancient war and joined the Primal Demon as an Apostle, then described how Demon Spirits killed the men they chose to love.
• After Maki announced that she would return, Lyd urged Shien to stop her, and Shien teleported in and attacked with his Holy Sword.
• Maki transformed into Merika, causing Shien to instinctively divert his fatal strike, and then vanished into the darkness.
• Shien's fury caused a cliff in Taiger Forest to explode, and he vowed to remember Maki.

After Maki escaped, Shien refused to let the Demon Spirit get away and returned to Elven Village determined to draw her out. He ordered Lilith to spread malicious energy through Taiger Forest, setting a major confrontation in motion.

• Shien flew through Taiger Forest, killed a level seventy pterosaur-like monster, and told Lyd he intended to hunt down Maki.
• Shien reasoned that Maki was still somewhere in Taiger Forest because she had targeted him and Elven Village, then teleported away despite Lyd's warning.
• Roxie and the others discussed Merika becoming Nadula's Blessing Bearer while waiting in the treehouse.
• Lilith sensed Shien's return, and Aiyi recognized that something had upset him.
• Shien arrived, gave Lyd to Milu, and ordered Lilith to fill all of Taiger Forest with malicious energy so he could turn the place upside down.

Sophie sensed Lilith’s furious awakening and rushed to stop her, but Lilith unleashed her power over Taiger Forest, turning its monsters into evil creatures and directing them to attack Maki. Maki was caught in the advancing torrent of evil energy as she prepared to target Merika and Count Poztut.

• Sophie sensed danger in Elven Village and hurried out of the Queen’s Palace with Leia and Nia.
• Lilith rose into the sky with twelve black wings and poured evil energy over Taiger Forest, while Milu sent her beyond the village barrier.
• Lilith’s power drove the forest’s monsters mad and transformed them into evil creatures, which she commanded to find and attack Maki.
• Maki planned to control Merika, approach Count Poztut, and murder his fiancée, then noticed the black torrent approaching.
• Maki cast Black Curtain, but the torrent of evil energy swallowed her and the cliff.

Shien flooded Taiger Forest with Lilith's evil aura to force the last Demon Spirit, Maki, out of hiding. Sophie recognized the threat as tied to her past and ordered the Elves to prepare for battle, while Maki struggled to escape the forest under attack.

• Shien told Sophie, Leia, and Nia that a Demon Spirit was in Taiger Forest and warned them to keep the Elves inside the village barrier.
• Shien explained that the Demon Spirit was the last survivor of a battle from several thousand years earlier, and Sophie realized he meant Maki.
• Sophie ordered the Elves to remain behind the barrier and told Carol to have the Elf Division stand by, declaring that they would join the battle.
• Maki fought off crazed monsters with pitch-black lightning but found that the evil aura was eroding her defenses and driving her toward madness.
• Maki tried to leave Taiger Forest, recognized that Shien had set the trap to target her, and admitted that she had underestimated him.

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.