Chapter Summaries

Anxi sent Roxie to House Poztut to control the human dignitaries gathered over Shafna, while Shien and Shafna were interrupted by a commotion outside. At House Poztut, a convoy of powerful figures arrived and cleared the plaza, leaving the confrontation poised to begin.

• Anxi decided Roxie should go to House Poztut because asking Shafna to intervene risked offending her, and Roxie agreed.
• Shien and Shafna teased each other until Shien lunged at her, but a disturbance outside interrupted them.
• Shafna sensed that humans had gathered to provoke Shien and criticized their lack of reverence for the strong.
• Shien left Shafna and headed outside, while Shafna watched from the window, expecting a spectacle.
• King Misji, Yose, Pope Yule, and other influential figures arrived at House Poztut with armed escorts and cleared the plaza.

Powerful leaders and Legendary-tier experts gathered at House Poztut, where Misgi reunited with the retired Sword Saint of Wind, Yose. Their contest for Shafna’s attention remained unresolved as the gathering turned toward Pope Yule, the legendary wielder of Holy Magic and Recovery Magic.

• Misgi arrived with Meldo Bishiush, and Nobu greeted the King of Lalabay among the gathered competitors.
• Yose greeted Misgi, and Misgi welcomed the former Lalabay knight while Meldo showed lingering hostility toward him.
• Yose recalled that defeat by the previous head of House Elbain had prompted his retirement, and he came with his disciples after learning Shafna had arrived.
• Nobu challenged Yose to a spar, but Yose declined to fight at the gathering.
• Misgi, Meldo, Yose, and Nobu respectfully greeted Pope Yule, the Temple’s representative and a renowned Legendary-tier expert.

Yule and the other powerful figures gathered outside House Poztut, each hoping to meet Shafna first. Their rivalry nearly turned into a confrontation before a cold voice declared that none of them would be allowed inside.

• Yule arrived at House Poztut because Shafna's early appearance concerned the Goddesses, though he privately admitted his long-standing admiration for her.
• Misgi, Yose, Nobu, Meldo, and other prominent visitors competed to decide who would enter first and meet Shafna.
• Excluded nobles, knights, warriors, and commoners shouted to be allowed inside, but the guards kept them out.
• Misgi, Nobu, Yose, Yule, and Meldo argued over the order of entry, and Meldo suggested they settle the matter among themselves.
• As battle intent rose among the visitors, an unknown speaker coldly announced that none of them would get in.

Yulin confronted the human leaders gathered outside House Poztut and rejected their claim that they had come merely to visit. Shien appeared at the gate as their standoff threatened to escalate.

• Meldo cast Explosive Flame Spear at the unseen source of pressure, but Yulin swatted the spell aside.
• Yulin appeared above House Poztut's gate, warned the crowd not to threaten her master, and asked whether Yose could defeat her; Yose admitted he could not.
• Yule recognized Yulin and praised her transformation, but she rebuked the leaders for gathering to force a visit and for ignoring Shien's wishes.
• Yule, Misgi, Nobu, and Meldo claimed the crowd had come to visit and argued that the other people should be dispersed so they could meet Shien.
• Yulin's anger grew as the crowd demanded entry, but Shien appeared at the gate and remarked that they seemed eager to see him.

Shien confronted the powerful figures who had gathered at House Poztut to demand information about Shafna, then answered their pressure with overwhelming force. He left them crushed beneath his half-step Transcendent Class aura while Shafna watched with approval.

• Shien appeared before the assembled leaders and experts, and Yulin tried to explain their actions before he stopped her.
• When a Legendary-tier expert demanded to know where Shien had taken Shafna, Shien struck him down with a rapid punch.
• Shien told the gathering that they had caused trouble on his territory, and Meldo threatened to treat his words as a provocation against Lalabay.
• Shien said he did not mind provoking Lalabay and warned that the crowd was provoking him, then unleashed his half-step Transcendent Class magic power.
• Misgi, Nobu, Yose, Meldo, Yule, and many others were forced to the ground by Shien's aura as Shafna watched and praised him.

Shien confronted the human leaders gathered at House Poztut and challenged them to cross a line he had cut into the ground if they wanted to see Shafna. Meldo accepted the challenge, and Shien faced the proud Legendary-tier Archmage.

• Shien explained that the human factions knew little of how strong he had become since entering the Inner Sanctum.
• Shien slashed a ravine before the gates of House Poztut with a blade of magic power.
• Shien gave the gathered leaders one hour to cross the line and warned them against actions he disliked.
• The crowd realized that backing down would make them a laughingstock, and Meldo volunteered to fight.
• Shien recognized Meldo as a level 97 Archmage and beckoned him forward, humiliating him.
• Meldo cast Explosive Flame Spear without hesitation.

Shien effortlessly dispersed Meldo’s powerful magic before knocking him down, then faced Yose as the Sword Saint attacked with a storm of sword lights. Yose’s blades failed to pierce Shien’s body, and Shien countered with a punch.

• Meldo enhanced his staff with Artifact Mastery and unleashed powerful spells at Shien, who dispersed them all with Enchantment: Disperse.
• Shien teleported in front of Meldo and struck him in the abdomen, knocking him down.
• Yose drew his sword and attacked Shien using Wind Spirit Surround and a storm of sword lights.
• Yose’s sword lights bounced off Shien, who taunted him and swung a fist toward his face.

Shien defeated Yose, Nobu, and the other challengers while Yulin prevented the experts from crossing the line at House Poztut. The entire attacking force was annihilated, with Yule and Misgi surrendering.

• Shien struck Yose down with a single punch, then met Nobu's charge and traded blows with the Tigerfolk chief using raw strength.
• As Shien and Nobu fought, the Legendary-tier experts realized the challenge was to cross the line at House Poztut and rushed toward its gates.
• Yulin landed before the gates and blasted the charging experts and faction leaders away with Dragon Breath.
• Shien defeated Nobu and found Meldo, Yose, and the other challengers incapacitated.
• Shien asked Yule and Misgi if they wanted to fight, and both raised their hands in surrender.

Shien defeated the Human Realm powerhouses who demanded to see Shafna and told them to leave, while explaining that Shafna had never cared about them. When Meldo accused Shien of wanting Shafna for himself, a magical attack struck Meldo, and Shafna appeared at the gates of House Poztut.

• Shien ordered the gathered powerhouses to leave and rejected Misgi's plea to see Shafna.
• Shien told the admirers that Shafna had never wanted to see them, leaving them silent and sorrowful.
• Meldo accused Shien of trying to monopolize Shafna, and a blast of magic shot from House Poztut and struck him down.
• Shafna's captivating voice rang out as she emerged through the gates of House Poztut.

Shafna emerged from House Poztut to punish Meldo after he accused Shien of usurping her. She cursed Meldo so he would never have a partner, leaving him unconscious as the plaza fell silent.

• Shafna came out of House Poztut and told Shien she would handle the people who had caused trouble.
• Shafna dismissed the crowd and confronted Meldo for claiming Shien had usurped her.
• Shafna argued that she did not belong to Meldo or anyone else and did not need anyone's approval to choose whom she loved.
• Shafna cursed Meldo to never have a partner and struck him with magic, leaving him unconscious.
• The people in the plaza watched in silence.

Shafna rejected the people who had gathered to see her, then returned to Shien, leaving the crowd to depart and Yule to accept that his affection had been wishful thinking. Shien returned to his room, where Shafna seduced him again, and he decided to go along with it.

• Shafna left the square after telling everyone she did not care about them and that Shien’s feelings mattered more to her.
• Misgi, Yose, Nobu, and the other visitors departed, while Yule told Shien he was grateful to Shafna for letting him experience affection.
• Shien explained to Yulin that Shafna’s blunt rejection might help the visitors reclaim the lives they had given up for their obsession with her.
• Yulin transformed into a black dragon and stood guard outside House Poztut, while Roxie watched from afar and planned to teach Shien a lesson.
• Shien returned to his room and found Shafna waiting on the bed; after she invited him to continue, he closed the door and strode toward her.

News of Shien’s strength and promotion to Marquis Poztut spread across the Human Realm, while the Ragna Empire’s new Emperor Harvis arrived in the royal capital with Capeline. Elsewhere, Cosmos’s Beastfolk, led by the Saintess, set out for the capital to meet Shien.

• Reports confirmed that Shien had defeated top Legendary-tier experts, Yulin had reached Limit-tier, and Shafna had moved into House Poztut.
• Aridia admitted that he was inferior to Shien, and the royal palace elevated Count Poztut to Marquis Poztut.
• Harvis arrived at the royal capital with Capeline, who planned to settle things with Roxielusty, and announced that they would visit Shien after meeting King Anxi.
• A group of Beastfolk recognized the news about Shien, their savior and the Hero, as they traveled toward the royal capital with their Saintess.
• The Saintess, whose fox ears twitched beneath her hood, declared that she was coming to the royal capital too.

Sophie led the Elves’ elite toward the Kingdom of Mithra to protect peace and support Shien at the Three Races conference, while Carol explained to Geno that Merika loved Shien for who he was, not because he was a Hero. At House Poztut, Ryley buckled under a flood of congratulatory letters as Shien sparred with Tier, whose growing power caught Shafna’s attention.

• Sophie gathered the Elven elite and set out for the Kingdom of Mithra to preserve peace and support Shien at the conference.
• Carol told Geno that Merika loved Shien for his own qualities, not because he was a Hero, and confirmed Merika would attend with Nadula.
• Ryley struggled to process House Poztut’s many congratulatory letters while Vivian explained why they had to maintain relations with the nobles and other factions.
• Lumya brought in another enormous batch of letters, and Ryley collapsed onto her desk.
• Shien fought Tier in the garden as her power grew strong enough to slightly injure him through his Inner Fate of Heaven.
• Shafna watched Tier’s battle and wondered at her power’s resemblance to Milu’s.

Shien trained Tier to prepare her for a decisive challenge against Aridia Elbain, but warned that her newly regrown horn made Oni Transformation slow and physically taxing. Shafna suggested that Miru Pesh could teach Tier to control the ghost within her, and Tier agreed to try; Shafna then learned that Tier was Lidas's Blessing Bearer.

• Shien defeated Tier in their training bout and warned her that Oni Transformation strained her body and took too long to reach its full power.
• Tier insisted she would still challenge Aridia Elbain despite the drawbacks of her newly regrown horn.
• Shafna explained that Tier's Oni Transformation resembled Miru Pesh's Ghost Seed and suggested Miru could help her control the ghost within her.
• Tier agreed to seek Miru's help, saying she needed an unconventional method to defeat her opponent.
• Tier said she had Lidas's blessing and protection of fate, prompting Shafna to realize she was Lidas's Blessing Bearer.

Tier rejected Shafna’s invitation to join the Demon Realm but agreed to train with Milu before her duel with Aridia. Shafna reflected that Shien’s arrival had ushered in a special era, and resolved that the Demon Race would not let the God Race claim him alone.

• Shafna discovered Tier’s Unique Skill and Lidas’s blessing, then invited her to the Demon Realm.
• Tier refused, but wavered when Shafna offered to arrange training with Milu.
• Shien stopped Shafna from poaching Tier and agreed to speak with Milu before the Three Races conference.
• Shien reminded Tier that her duel with Aridia would follow the conference and that she had little time to grow.
• Shafna remarked that the era had produced many unprecedented talents and privately suspected Shien’s return had caused it.
• Shafna decided that the Demon Race would keep its claim on Shien, even as the God Race supported him.

Shien tried to visit Roxie, unaware that she had manipulated fate to keep him from seeing her and punish him for flirting around. His misdirected Teleportation sent him into a bath where Ria and Shana were naked, and he escaped after Shana nearly discovered him.

• Shien suspected Shafna wanted to seduce him, but fled when she glared at him furiously.
• Shien Teleported to Roxie's quarters to confront her for avoiding him, while Roxie used fate manipulation to ensure he could not see her and would suffer bad luck when attempting anything improper.
• Shien's Teleportation sent him to Ria's bath, where she complained to Shana about the work caused by Shien and planned to visit House Poztut.
• Ria and Shana left the bath without noticing the concealed Shien, who blurted out a remark about what he had seen.
• Shana heard Shien's voice and turned toward his hiding place, but Shien Teleported away before she could find him.

Shien’s teleportation repeatedly sent him into private bathing and changing areas instead of Roxie’s room, so he walked toward her residence. After punishing a noble who insulted him, he took a shortcut through bushes and found two naked young girls there.

• Shien repeatedly failed to teleport to Roxie’s room and appeared in private areas around the palace, leaving him to suspect that Nien, Roxie, Shafna, Laisha, or another powerful being was interfering.
• Shien gave up on teleporting and decided to walk to Roxie’s residence, joking that he would thank Heaven if he encountered another naked woman along the way.
• Officials, nobles, and knights saluted Shien as he crossed the palace, while some onlookers regarded him with jealousy and hatred.
• A young noble insulted Shien under his breath and was struck by an invisible impact that blasted him to the ground.
• Shien cut through bushes as a shortcut and found two completely naked young girls staring at him.

Shien caught Capeline and Tilly changing into Kingdom court attire in the palace gardens, then learned they were disguised because they planned to see Roxielusty without permission. He openly sided with his fiancée, leaving Capeline furious and the group at odds.

• Shien came across Capeline and Tilly changing clothes in a patch of grass, and Capeline attacked him before he caught her sword tip.
• Capeline and Tilly dressed and explained that they had been disguising themselves as Kingdom nobles.
• Shien suspected they were plotting something, so Tilly and Capeline explained that they wanted to see Roxielusty.
• Tilly said Anxi and Harvis had forbidden Capeline from confronting Roxielusty during the Three Races conference.
• Shien mocked Capeline's plan and declared that he would take Roxielusty's side because she was his wife, enraging Capeline.

Capeline gave up on challenging Roxie after Shien warned her how powerful Roxie had become, but she secretly decided to try to win Shien over instead. Shien agreed to show Capeline and Tilly around, while Roxie unexpectedly sensed she had suffered a loss.

• Capeline confronted Shien about meeting Roxie, and Shien warned her that Roxie’s power made a challenge hopeless.
• Capeline agreed not to challenge Roxie, while secretly resolving to seduce Shien and take him from her.
• Shien praised Capeline for being reasonable and agreed to show her around, with Tilly accompanying them.
• Capeline told Tilly she might be needed later, and the three left together.
• Roxie sneezed in her bedchamber and wondered why she felt as if she had suffered a huge loss.

Shien and Capeline discussed the Empire’s recovery and plans to reconcile with the Kingdom, with Shien advising Capeline to negotiate through Ria. Their palace walk turned increasingly awkward as Capeline openly flirted with Shien and pulled Tilly into the spectacle, until someone called him a bastard.

• Shien and Capeline discussed Harvis’s purge of his opponents, the Empire’s reforms, and its growing stability.
• Capeline told Shien that Harvis hoped to end the Empire’s long hostility with the Kingdom and negotiate cooperation.
• Shien explained that Anxi wanted Ria to lead the reconciliation talks so she could gain political achievements and build support for her ascension; Capeline agreed to tell Harvis.
• Capeline invited Shien to visit her new territory and said she had prepared measures against the Streim Family.
• Capeline asked Shien increasingly personal questions about marriage and children, then made Tilly hug his other arm as they walked around the palace.
• Onlookers whispered about Shien between Capeline and Tilly until a delighted voice called him a bastard.