Chapter Summaries

Shien provoked Bedo before the gathered allies and enemies, then revealed that Kilian was acting as a spy and had Kilian stab Bedo. Bedo killed Kilian in a rage and ordered the Old Demon Faction to attack, leaving Shien and the others facing an imminent battle.

• Shien taunted Bedo by pretending not to know who he was and mocked his threat to display their heads at the royal capital's gates.
• Bedo ordered the Old Demon Faction members to kill Shien and the others, and Shien gave a matching order.
• Kilian stabbed Bedo from behind after Shien's command, shocking everyone present.
• At Shien's prompting, Kilian muttered that he was a spy who wanted to be a good person, revealing that Shien had broken him down over several hours.
• Bedo erupted in rage, tore Kilian's head off, and ordered the Old Demon Faction members to kill everyone.

Vivian protected Shien and the others from Bedo’s charging Old Demon Faction, while Tier attacked the demons with her Dual Blades. Shien then called for everyone to use the Magic Item they had been given.

• The Old Demon Faction charged the knights and adventurers, and Shien reassured Lumya and Merika that help had arrived.
• Vivian descended and used Decoy to draw the demons’ attacks toward herself, then blocked their concentrated assault with Resist.
• Bedo recognized Vivian and watched her with killing intent as she ordered everyone to stay behind her.
• Tier rushed into the demons and used Magic Sword to kill and wound several Old Demon Race members.
• Shien shouted for Vivian and Tier to return and told everyone it was time to use the Magic Item they had been given.

Shien tricked Bedo and the Old Demon Faction into dropping their defenses by making them believe the humans’ supposed magic items were a bluff. He then unleashed a concealed fire spell that annihilated the attackers, leaving Bedo’s fate unresolved.

• Bedo considered retreating when Beren and the others raised their supposed magic items, but he ordered his forces to stay alert.
• Beren, Lyon, Eudice, and the others shouted ridiculous chants, and the apparent lack of magic made Bedo realize he had been fooled and order an attack.
• Shien held Vivian back as the Old Demons charged, while Lyon and Eudice repeated their chants to draw the attackers closer.
• Shien cast “Kindle,” and a wave of flames engulfed the clustered Old Demons, burning them all to charcoal.

Shien and the others celebrated after the Magic Items burned the Old Demon Faction’s lackeys, but Bedo drank a powerful potion and unleashed a devastating attack. As black flames engulfed the camp, a fierce wind suddenly swept through the blaze.

• Lyon, Eudice, Beren, and the others rejoiced as the Old Demon Faction’s lackeys burned in the flames.
• Bedo drank a magic potion that healed his wounds and greatly increased his power.
• Shien acquired Appraisal, raised it to its maximum level, and discovered that Bedo was level 84 with several powerful skills.
• Bedo cast Hellfire, and Shien struck his shoulder with a thrown stone before the potion rapidly healed the injury.
• Bedo unleashed black flames that engulfed the camp, killing several knights and adventurers and badly injuring others.
• A fierce wind suddenly blew through the sea of black flames.

Shien protected the knights and adventurers from Bedo’s dark magic, then took Beren’s treasured sword and charged at him. Bedo decided to fight Shien seriously, beginning a showdown between the level twenty-four Hero and the level eighty-four leader of the Old Demon Faction.

• Shien’s powerful gust scattered Bedo’s Hellfire and freed the knights and adventurers trapped inside it.
• Shien hurled stones at Bedo, who blocked them with Black Curtain before striking Shien with Vengeful Flash Thunder.
• Shien endured Bedo’s lightning unharmed, but his own Lightning spell failed to penetrate Black Curtain.
• Tier tossed Shien a treasured sword belonging to Beren, and Shien channeled magic power through it to form a crimson Magic Sword.
• Shien activated Evolve and charged at Bedo, who resolved to kill him and prepared to fight with all his strength.

Shien fought Bedo in the camp, resisted his Mental Magic, and overpowered him with his swordsmanship, cutting off both of Bedo’s hands. Bedo regenerated them with a magic potion and attacked with fire, but Shien walked through the flames and struck him again.

• Bedo used Mental Impact on Shien, but Shien resisted it and closed in to attack.
• Shien deflected Bedo’s claw strikes and cut off the claws on both hands.
• Shien cut off Bedo’s hands, stunning Beren, Aris, Lyon, Eudice, Lumya, Merika, Vivian, and Tier.
• Bedo regenerated his hands with a magic potion and hurled a powerful fire spell at Shien.
• Shien walked through Bedo’s flames and slashed at him again.

Shien brutally overwhelmed Bedo, whose magic and healing potion could not protect him from Shien’s attacks. As the battle neared its end, the onlookers realized Shien had staged the Magic Item deception, while Vivian began considering how to help him establish himself without revealing his identity.

• Shien repeatedly slashed and dismembered Bedo, and Bedo’s potion gradually lost its effectiveness as his magic power dwindled.
• Aris and the other witnesses grew afraid of Shien, while Beren realized Shien had staged the Magic Item story and that competing for credit had been a mistake.
• Lyon questioned how a newcomer supposedly at level ten could be so strong, and Eudice asked Vivian what she had been hiding.
• Vivian stayed silent, deciding to discuss Shien’s strength and identity with him later as the battle began to draw to a close.

Shien defeated Bedo and tormented him until the Old Demon begged for death. When Shien told Bedo to attack the Dragon Demon, Bedo killed himself, leaving the witnesses terrified of Shien.

• Bedo lay gravely wounded after Shien’s brutal torture and begged Shien to kill him.
• Shien joked about stuffing bugs into Bedo’s wounds, frightening the watching knights, adventurers, and his companions.
• Bedo explained that he wanted to die like Kilian, who had let Bedo tear off his head rather than resist.
• Shien told Bedo to find the Dragon Demon and try stabbing her, since Bedo had known Kilian, who served under her.
• Bedo smashed his head against the ground and died, while Shien dodged the splatter and the onlookers vowed never to cross him.

After the escort squad’s battle with the Old Demon Faction, Beren reviewed the devastating losses and faced blame for the failed mission. When Beren asked about Shien’s true strength, Vivian urged him to reveal part of it, and Shien agreed to stop dodging the question.

• Beren reported that 84 of the 117 people in the escort squad had died, including Magray, and confirmed that the Old Demon Faction had been wiped out.
• Lyon and Eudice grieved Magray’s death, while Beren, Lyon, and Eudice worried about the consequences of the disastrous mission.
• Beren, Lyon, and Eudice silently blamed Shien’s plan to wipe out the Old Demon Faction, but Shien reminded them that their greed had driven the operation.
• Beren asked Shien who he really was and what level he had reached, and Vivian told Shien that revealing some of his strength could help him survive.
• Shien agreed to reveal his strength instead of passing the blame.

Shien explained away the mismatch between his apparent level and his strength by claiming he possessed a Unique Skill that could adjust his level and skills under certain conditions. The others accepted his explanation, leaving Shien with a cover for future displays of power without revealing that he was the Hero.

• Shien decided to explain the Magic Test results by claiming his Unique Skill could adjust his level and skills.
• Beren, Lyon, and the others reacted with shock as Shien said the skill had restrictions and conditions he would not disclose.
• Beren accepted that a Unique Skill could account for Shien defeating Bedo, while Eudice and Lyon recognized how powerful the ability could be.
• Shien considered the explanation a useful compromise that would let him conceal his identity and avoid attracting excessive attention.

After Shien and the others accepted the mission’s outcome, they resumed their journey to the royal capital to report what had happened. Laisha watched them leave, reflected on her hatred of Bedo and interest in Shien, then froze when an unseen speaker asked her to explain who Shien was.

• Beren and the others accepted Shien’s explanation after Vivian’s Squad vouched for him, and everyone agreed to continue to the royal capital.
• Shien and the others cleaned up the battlefield, rested briefly, and set off to report the mission’s events.
• Laisha appeared at the ruined camp after the group had left and admitted that Shien had noticed her.
• Laisha looked at Bedo’s corpse and recalled her hatred of him and her reasons for wanting to destroy the Old Demon Faction.
• As Laisha prepared to leave, an unseen voice asked her to tell them about Shien, and she stopped in surprise.

Laisha encountered a powerful demon girl who had come to investigate Bedo’s capture, and feared her presence could threaten the Kingdom of Mithra. After sensing familiar magic and recognizing the object Shien carried, the girl made Laisha reveal everything she knew about him, then pondered where he had gone.

• Laisha heard a familiar voice and turned to find a sleepy-looking girl had appeared in the camp.
• The girl told Laisha she had come to investigate the captured traitor and clean house, alarming Laisha with the possibility that she might use her power in the Human Realm.
• The girl assured Laisha she would not use her power carelessly, then asked who had defeated Bedo.
• Laisha hesitated to disclose Shien’s identity, but the girl said she had sensed familiar magic and the object he carried.
• Laisha told the girl everything she knew about Shien, and the girl looked toward the direction he had left and fell into thought.

Aiyi reassured Laisha that the God and Demon Races had left her alone because their six leaders had protected her, though the human race might still seek the object she carried. Aiyi then decided to watch Shien and uncover his intentions and the God Race’s plans.

• Aiyi introduced herself and told Laisha she could call her by name.
• Aiyi revealed that the six leaders had agreed to let Laisha remain independent and had restrained the God Race from pursuing her for ten years.
• Aiyi explained that Laisha could remain free as long as she did not use the object, though the human race might still try to reclaim it.
• Laisha assured Aiyi that she had never intended to use the object.
• Aiyi decided to observe Shien and investigate what he intended to do and what the God Race was plotting.

Shien and his companions arrived at the Royal Capital, where he learned about its powerful defenses and the elite Royal Knights. As Beren went to speak with the gate guards, Shien suspected that a mole among the capital’s nobles had helped the Old Demon Faction carry out its assassinations.

• After nearly half a month of travel, Beren led Shien and the others to the Royal Capital.
• Shien used Appraisal and Mana Perception to notice the high levels of the adventurers and guards, the city's barriers and weapons, and the powerful mana within its walls.
• Vivian and Tier explained that the Royal Knights were an elite order of seventy-seven members led by a Level Ninety-Eight knight of House Elbain.
• Shien asked how Bedo and Kilian had managed to kill people in the capital, and Vivian explained that they had relied on assassination.
• Shien suspected that a mole or troublesome nobles had helped the Old Demon Faction infiltrate the capital.
• Beren rode toward the gates to speak with the guards while the others waited.

Lumya and Merika learned how Vivian’s Squad had formed while Shien reflected on how his brutal treatment of Bedo had frightened their traveling companions. Merika then nervously asked Shien where he was from.

• Tier explained how she, Vivian, Lumya, and Merika had joined together in Vivian’s Squad.
• Shien realized the knights and adventurers traveling with him feared him because of how he had killed Bedo.
• Shien kept his distance from Lumya and Merika, uncertain whether they were afraid of him too.
• Merika hesitantly asked Shien where he was from.

Shien deflected questions about his origins by inventing a story about the sea of stars. After Beren announced that the group would split up in the royal capital, Vivian invited her companions to stay at House Razahad, Ryley's noble family, and they entered the city together.

• Shien claimed he came from the sea of stars and invented a description that left Merika, Lumya, and Tier discussing it.
• Beren returned and told the group that the Knights would accompany him while the adventurers made their own arrangements until an audience with the royal palace was confirmed.
• Eudice invited Lyon to visit magic item shops, while Aris chose to visit the Adventurer's Guild headquarters.
• Vivian asked Tier whether she wanted to return to her family home, and Tier refused because she had become an adventurer to escape it.
• Vivian explained that Ryley's family, House Razahad, had founded the Adventurer's Guild and welcomed the group to stay at their home.
• Vivian's Squad accepted her invitation and entered the royal capital.

After arriving in the royal capital, Shien and his companions admired the city, settled into House Razahad, and prepared to explore. Vivian also told Shien to get ready to meet someone she had mentioned earlier, leaving him wondering who it would be.

• Shien marveled at the royal capital’s prosperous streets, organized districts, and high-quality equipment.
• Vivian promised to show the group around after they put down their luggage and washed up.
• Shien confronted men who were staring at his companions, but Vivian and Merika stopped him before he could drag them into an alley.
• Vivian led Shien and the others to House Razahad, where a butler welcomed them and showed them their arranged rooms.
• After everyone cleaned up, Vivian invited the group to explore and told Shien to prepare to meet someone.

Vivian showed Shien, Lumya, and Merika around the royal capital and explained its districts while Shien thought about finding a suitable Magic Weapon. The group then headed to see the Kingdom's Treasure and the capital's most important daily ritual, whose nature remained unexplained.

• Vivian explained the royal capital's eight districts as she led Shien, Lumya, and Merika around the city.
• Lumya and Merika agreed to postpone visiting the commercial districts because they were tired from traveling.
• Shien reflected on how Beren's Magic Weapon had helped him use Magic Sword and on why the Holy Sword was too powerful and dangerous to use casually.
• Shien said he wanted to look at Magic Weapons, and Vivian watched him thoughtfully.
• Vivian announced that the group could visit the Kingdom's Treasure and the capital's most important daily ritual, and Tier asked whether they could see it now.

Vivian explained why the island containing Chalk Castle and the kingdom’s central temple opened to the public for three hours each day. She revealed that the Kingdom’s Treasure was the royal heir, a young woman whose public appearances reassured the people, just as a commotion began outside the palace.

• Lumya, Merika, and Shien crossed the bridge with Vivian and admired Chalk Castle on the island.
• Vivian explained that the island opened at noon so worshippers could visit the kingdom’s central temple and its gate to the Divine Realm.
• Vivian told Shien that the island had also opened so people could see the Kingdom’s Treasure and know she was safe.
• Vivian described the royal heir’s exceptional talent, her blessing from the Goddess of Fate, and her training under the Legendary Knight Commander.
• Vivian and the group arrived at the palace as a commotion broke out.

Shien and the others watched Roxie Lusti Mitra appear before a vast crowd, and Shien recognized her as a powerful Princess whose beauty rivaled Nien’s. As Roxie returned to the palace, Shien noticed the ordinary-looking sword at her waist and was stunned by its appraisal.

• Shien, Lumya, and Merika saw tens of thousands of people gathered before the royal castle while Vivian and Tier discussed the Princess.
• Roxie Lusti Mitra appeared on the castle platform, and the crowd erupted into cheers at her beauty.
• Shien appraised Roxie and discovered that she was level seventy, carried a sealed Holy Sword, and possessed powerful skills.
• Vivian identified Roxie as the kingdom’s second Princess, whose beauty rivaled the Goddess and whose talent rivaled the Hero.
• Shien noticed the sword at Roxie’s waist as she returned to the palace and reacted with shock when its appraisal appeared.