Recaps

Elina Cassius met Velin at the Mage Academy, where he deceived her about his past and current whereabouts. Later, Cassius also concealed the truth about Velin, and Elina left believing her father’s explanation as he began selecting Bronze Warriors for Kyle’s honor.

• Velin told Elina Cassius that he had served in Zeferus Territory, and she accepted his explanation after chatting with him at the Mage Academy.
• Velin left the academy, dispelled his disguise, and returned to Star Moon Fort with his guards.
• Elina returned home, learned that Cassius was meeting Lord Kyle, and visited her mother before going to her father’s study.
• Cassius reviewed the Star Prayer Camp rosters and prepared to select one hundred Bronze Warriors for the required contingent.
• Elina asked Cassius about Velin, and he claimed that their lord had transferred Velin to a secret mission in an unknown location.
• After Elina left, Cassius recalled that she looked like her mother and resumed selecting eligible Bronze Warriors.

Velin learned that a Barnsterpol Crystal would fall in Qixing Territory and discovered it could restore or preserve consciousness. After Xuemiyya warned him about the crystal’s dangerous spirit and lent him a protective ring, Velin went to tell O'dor about it.

• Velin heard that a Barnsterpol Crystal would fall at coordinates in Qixing Territory three days later and asked Xuemiyya what it was.
• Xuemiyya explained the crystal’s powers and warned Velin that its awakened spirit could attack the souls of anyone nearby.
• Xuemiyya gave Velin her Semi-Epic Mind Protection Ring and urged him to stay safe.
• Velin went to the Manor to find O'dor, while Theo alerted his teacher to Velin’s arrival.
• Velin told O'dor about the Barnsterpol Crystal, and O'dor briefly showed a trace of shock.

Velin visited Kyle's training ground, then joined Kyle and O'dor to enter the Shadow World and wait for the Barnsterpol Crystal to fall. The three fled toward the mountains after an Outer God tried to force its way through a rift in the sky.

• Velin agreed to give O'dor a piece of Barnsterpol Crystal, then left to meet Kyle.
• Velin praised the Bronze Warriors' training and encouraged Lyanna as she learned to command them.
• Lyanna ordered the three hundred Bronze Warriors to carry heavy boulders and run thirty kilometers as Kyle and Velin discussed their plans.
• The next morning, O'dor opened a passage to the Shadow World, and Velin and Kyle followed him through.
• A rift opened above them under terrifying pressure, but a streak of light repaired it before anything emerged.
• Kyle identified the rift as an Outer God's attempt to enter their world, and O'dor led the group toward the mountains to hide and await the Barnsterpol Crystal.

Velin, O'dor, and Kyle prepared in a concealed cave to collect a Barnsterpol Crystal, learning about its accompanying spirit and the dangers of competing treasure hunters. Their preparations ended when a Barnsterpol Crystal progenitor appeared in the sky outside.

• O'dor led Velin and Kyle into a hidden cavern beneath a mountain and sealed it against outside scrutiny.
• O'dor explained the Barnsterpol Crystal progenitor, the Wo'ayaskaba Worm that fed on its accompanying spirits, and warned them to avoid other creatures after collecting crystals.
• Velin gave O'dor an incomplete statue from Cowell to study, then settled down while Kyle worked on new spells.
• A tremendous noise reached the cave, and O'dor projected an image of an enormous Barnsterpol Crystal progenitor emerging from a hollow in the sky.

Velin, O'dor, and Kyle watched the Barnsterpol Crystal matrix fall in the Shadow World while fending off a Greed Cult attacker and waiting for a chance to gather its crystals. As Wo'ayaskaba Worms began hunting the crystal spirits, one approached Velin, shed its skin, and disappeared.

• O'dor and Kyle stopped a Greed Cult woman who had affected the trio with greed, and O'dor arranged for Velin to hand her over to the Church of Life.
• The Barnsterpol Crystal matrix broke through the Shadow World's laws and crashed to the ground as powerful beings gathered above it and waited.
• Velin spotted his grandfather, the Duke of Moravia, but chose to stick to the plan to collect crystals and return to Qixing Territory.
• Hundreds of Wo'ayaskaba Worms emerged through flowing light passages and began hunting the Spirits of Companionship among the crystal fragments.
• A Wo'ayaskaba Worm ate a Spirit of Companionship near Velin, circled him, shed its outer skin, and vanished into space.

Velin and his companions searched for Barnsterpol Crystals after the Wo'ayaskaba Worms departed, while Legendary Experts fought over the scattered crystals. Velin returned to the agreed meeting place and used healing skills to treat Kyle inside Cecilia's Demiplane.

• O'dor hid the Wo'ayaskaba Worm's shed skin and warned Velin and Kyle to keep it secret.
• After the worms left, Legendary Experts searched the central area while Velin, O'dor, and Kyle searched elsewhere; Velin collected twenty-eight Barnsterpol Crystals.
• Velin followed his grandfather's warning not to go west, avoiding a Shadow Assassin who had just killed an elven ranger.
• Velin encountered a red-haired girl, but both left without fighting; the girl's brother then took her underground after reporting a clash among Legendary Experts.
• Velin abandoned his search amid signs of fighting, returned to the cave, and brought O'dor and the injured Kyle into Cecilia's Demiplane.
• Velin used Healing—Life and Healing—Spirit with Seven-Colored Crystals to treat Kyle beside the Tree of Life.

Velin and Odor healed Kyle after the shadow assassin’s attack, while shadow beings connected to the assassin died across several worlds. After recovering, Kyle resolved to become stronger, and the three later counted their barnsterpol crystals, which Velin kept after Odor took ten.

• Velin and Odor dissolved the black miasma attacking Kyle’s soul, and it mysteriously vanished when it reached Velin’s Soul Ring.
• A high-tier Soul Intent shadow assassin and several other shadow beings across different worlds disintegrated, causing the Empty Island to be engulfed by a gray storm.
• Three months later, Kyle woke after healing and covered the sleeping Velin with a blanket.
• Kyle vowed to kill the shadow assassin if they met again, then entered the Mercier Demiplane to hunt a magical beast.
• After sharing a meal, Kyle, Velin, and Odor pooled their 337 barnsterpol crystals, and Odor took ten while Velin claimed the rest.

Velin returned from the Shadow World with Kyle and told Xuemiyya about the battle over the Barnsterpol Crystals and his encounter with her grandfather. After resuming his duties at Star Moon Fort, he flew toward Blue Gauze City as night fell.

• O'dor led Velin and Kyle out of the devastated underground cave and opened a passage from the Shadow World back to the real world.
• Velin ordered Kyle to recover and offered him anything he needed from the Treasure Vault, while O'dor returned to Star Moon Fort's Inner City District.
• Velin returned to the castle and told Xuemiyya that at least thirty Legends had fought over the Barnsterpol Crystals, leaving the area devastated.
• Velin recounted meeting Xuemiyya's grandfather in the Shadow World and suspected her Semi-Epic Mind Protection Ring had helped him destroy a mass of black mist.
• Xuemiyya left Velin to handle the castle's official documents, and he decided to count the Wo'ayaskaba Worm's shed skin as payment to O'dor.
• As night approached, Velin left Star Moon Fort and flew toward Blue Gauze City.

Velin visited Priest Lavia at the Priest Academy and asked about the recent appearances of Black Moon Werewolves in Qixing Territory. After learning that the Greed Cult was behind the danger, he ordered a territory-wide search for the creatures and their infected servants, while Lavia promised to report the cult to the church.

• Velin arrived at the Priest Academy and waited for Lavia, speaking with Lavia’s student Yaden about his difficult path to becoming a priest.
• Lavia returned from Galoda Village and told Yaden he had killed two Black Moon Werewolves and cured several villagers infected by the Black Moon Virus.
• Velin asked Lavia whether Black Moon Werewolves had appeared frequently, and Lavia explained the danger posed by the virus and its Black Moon Servants.
• Velin ordered governors across Qixing Territory to help Lavia identify and drive away or exterminate the Black Moon creatures.
• Velin explained the Greed Cult’s involvement, and Lavia said he would report the cult to the church.

Great Priest Aldric and Regis Aldric launched a holy war against the Black Asia Orcs’ human-allied kin, dividing the United Kingdom of Kols’ army to attack three neighboring states. The three forces set out for the Kingdom of Belfas, the Duchy of Morning Light, and the Holy Kingdom of Shia.

• Great Priest Aldric rallied more than three hundred thousand Black Asia Orc troops and declared the holy war against the traitors who had sought refuge with humanity.
• Great Priest Aldric appointed King Aiseya and King Carolien to lead the Northern Army toward the Kingdom of Belfas, with Bartley, Labfa, and Reloya as marshals.
• Great Priest Aldric appointed King Zevikado, King Kelin, and King Heshenai Mountain to lead the Eastern Army against the Duchy of Morning Light.
• Regis Aldric took command of the Southern Army, assigning King Bermas and King Avas as deputies and ordering an attack on the Holy Kingdom of Shia.
• Great Priest Aldric cast Beast Soul Protection on the legion warriors, and Regis Aldric divided the army into three forces that marched toward their targets.

Velin decided to answer the Church’s call for an expedition against the Black Asia Orcs and prepared to send one hundred people. After arranging Qixing Territory’s affairs and gathering his Guardian Knights, he reflected on their long years of loyalty.

• Velin reviewed the expedition decree and told Kyle he would join the campaign to seek glory and surpass his father.
• Velin ordered a selection contest for one hundred Silver Knights, dividing the slots between Qixing Territory and Zeferus Territory and barring senior officials from competing.
• Velin arranged for Lord Tadius to protect the territory while he was away, assigned Belder, Andrew, and Cassius to oversee civil and military affairs, and set policies for stability.
• Ten days later, Velin gathered his fifteen Guardian Knights and recalled the people and events that had shaped Qixing Territory.
• Velin called each Guardian Knight by name and reminded them of when they had sworn loyalty to him, ending with Kyle as his last Guardian Knight.

Velin bid farewell to his trusted retainers before leaving Qixing Territory, while Xuemiyya assigned Climea demanding magical research in her absence. In early October 9772, Velin received the hundred selected warriors who would join the expedition, leaving the story poised for the campaign.

• Velin thanked his fifteen trusted people, entrusted Qixing Territory to them, and shared a farewell banquet where nearly everyone drank themselves unconscious.
• Velin and Kyle discussed who had fallen asleep first and last, and Kyle revealed that angels could avoid getting drunk if they wished.
• At Star Prayer Mage Academy, Xuemiyya caught Climea celebrating her departure and ordered her to analyze thirty Soul Intent grade Mind Spells, threatening to hang her from a flagpole for each failure.
• In early October 9772, Velin received one hundred selected warriors at Star Moon Fort, including two Low-Gold professionals from the Zeferus Legion, for the expedition.

Velin arrived at Palano Main Camp to join the Church of Life’s expedition and learned how the army was organized as a Temple Knight escorted him to his assigned camp. The chapter ended with Velin settling in the north-central camp district, beside the Inquisitor Knights and near the Expeditionary Army’s command center.

• Two months earlier, Priest Lavia had decided not to join the expedition, keeping the Subordinate Diocese’s slots unused so she could serve Qixing Territory.
• Velin traveled with Kyle to Palano Main Camp, where a Temple Knight recognized his official documents and assigned him a camp by order of the Saintess.
• Velin asked his escort about the army’s standardized weapons and armor, then learned the locations of several camps and military facilities.
• Velin tried to thank the Temple Knight Conlif with Glowing Wine, but Conlif refused the gift and Velin remembered his name.
• Knight Noens led Velin to his assigned grounds and explained that the Inquisitor Knights were north of it, Logistics Camp Number Three lay east, Bishop Kaden’s camp lay west, and the command center lay south.

Velin registered his troops, received standardized weapons and equipment, and learned how the Church of Dawn would award Merit Points to powerful fighters. He reunited with his old friend Krell, whose sudden arrival from the Floating Fleet left Velin sensing that something was wrong.

• Velin registered his force as one hundred and two Silver professionals, four Gold professionals, and four Soul Intent professionals, including Little Red and another Red Dragon.
• Velin assigned Kyle to manage the camp, then rested in the barracks while Xuemiyya read beside him.
• Kyle told Velin that Temple Knights had brought standardized equipment for his troops, and Velin went to receive it.
• A Temple Knight issued Velin eighteen Excellent Grade sets of Knight Equipment, eighty Fine Grade sets of warrior equipment, and confirmation of three hundred and twenty Merit Points for himself.
• Velin reunited with Krell, who said he had left the Floating Fleet to join the Expeditionary Army, and invited him to gather that evening.

Velin used an Illusionary Realm to discover why Krell had joined the Expeditionary Army: he hoped to awaken his wife, Italia, from her self-imposed isolation. The illusion revealed that Krell intended to seek a potion from the Church of Dawn, and Velin was left troubled by his friend’s refusal to ask for help.

• Velin and Kyle got Krell drunk, then Velin put him into a deep sleep with druid magic.
• Xuemiyya created an Illusionary Realm so Velin and Kyle could observe Krell’s memories.
• In the illusion, Krell told Alva that Italia’s consciousness had retreated into self-imposed isolation after a Church examination and a painful encounter with her father.
• Krell refused Alva’s suggestion to ask Velin for help and said he would rely on his own strength and seek a potion from the Church of Dawn to awaken Italia.
• Xuemiyya erased Krell’s memory of the illusion, and Velin opened his eyes with a complicated expression.

Velin chose to respect Krell’s wish to awaken Italia by himself, while planning to help him discreetly after the reorganization. Meanwhile, Third Prince Faelis Silvis struggled with losing his claim to the throne, and Velin waited to meet him at Baernal Palace.

• Velin told Kyle and Xuemiyya to respect Krell’s choice, then privately said he would find a way to help his friend later.
• Xuemiyya revealed that she had controlled Aval in Krell’s illusion, and Velin asked her to create an illusion for him.
• Velin woke Krell at noon, but Krell hurried away after claiming his father was coming to see him.
• At Baernal Palace, Tilia confronted her drunken husband, Third Prince Faelis Silvis, and urged him either to fight for the throne or accept life without his princely status.
• Velin waited in a reception room for Faelis, while a nervous Low-Gold Knight apologized for the delay.

Velin visited Third Prince Felis to discuss Viscount Clever’s departure and found Felis willing to let him go without seeking revenge. After several days in the royal capital, Velin attended the Expeditionary Army’s first high-level conference, where Saint Albo Tasman opened proceedings.

• Velin met Felis at Baernal Palace and asked about Viscount Clever, but Felis said he knew about the royal-heir matter and would not stop Clever from leaving or take revenge.
• Felis told Velin that the visit had helped him, though Velin could not work out how, then ended their meeting.
• Velin explored the royal capital with Xuemiyya until Kyle notified him that the Expeditionary Army’s conference was about to begin.
• On November 4th, Radiant Calendar 9772, Velin arrived at Palano Main Camp and took his assigned seat in the conference’s first row.
• Saint Albo Tasman opened the conference, stating its aims were to resist the Black Asia Orcs, aid the Church of Dawn, and safeguard the Order faction.

Velin attended a meeting about the expeditionary army, learned his proposed command assignment, and saw Xuemiyya and Kyle’s posts. After the meeting, he received orders to report to the Human Allied Forces Command Department in Yason Province as soon as possible.

• A Soul Intent High-level Life Priest explained the expeditionary army’s numbers, recruitment plans, and options for volunteers who were not selected.
• Saint Albo Tasman announced the Church of Life’s leadership assignments, and Velin discovered he was proposed as Legion Marshal of the Ninth Legion.
• Velin found Kyle assigned as an Army Commander and Xuemiyya as Deputy Head of Logistics, then spotted Krell’s deputy command post.
• The meeting ended the next morning, and Velin joked with Xuemiyya and Kyle about their assignments.
• A cardinal delivered Saint Alpo Tasman’s order for Velin to report to the Human Allied Forces Command Department in Yason Province as soon as possible.

Velin learned that the Black Asia Orcs were expected to attack the Kingdom of Belfas early next year and traveled to the Human Allied Forces Command Department to assume command of the Ninth Legion. Archbishop Gerard explained the legion’s forces and the limits on Velin’s authority, leaving Velin prepared to lead the army while the Command Department retained the right to redeploy its Assault Legion.

• A cardinal told Velin that the Black Asia Orcs had begun small clashes and that he would take one hundred guards to the Human Allied Forces Command Department; Velin asked that Archbishop Saint Albo Tasman be told he would report promptly.
• Velin and Xuemiyya estimated the war would last at least ten years and decided to double the books they had left for Climea.
• On November 13th, 9772, Velin, Xuemiyya, and Kyle arrived at the Human Allied Forces Command Department in a Floating City near Yason City and met Archbishop Gerard.
• Velin learned that he would command the 250,000-strong Ninth Legion, with three Deputy Legion Marshals, two Legendaries, and forces including three armies, knight orders, a Floating Fleet, a Mage Corps, and two Cities of War.
• Archbishop Gerard explained that the Ninth Legion’s Twenty-seventh Army was an Assault Legion that the Command Department could transfer without Velin’s approval; Velin accepted the arrangement and Gerard praised his past command experience.

Velin arrived at Kixilin Main Camp to assume command of the Ninth Legion and held an introductory meeting with its deputy marshals, his wife, and Kyle. The meeting began with Selena briefing him on a recent battle between the Thirty-first Legion and the Black Asia Orcs.

• Velin traveled by floating ship to Kixilin Main Camp, reflecting on the war’s possible causes before relaxing during the journey.
• The Ninth Legion’s three thousand knights and more than a hundred officers welcomed Velin as their Supreme Commander.
• Velin dismissed most of the assembled troops and officers, then invited deputy marshals Leonas, Selena, and Pragorn to an informal meeting in his Demiplane.
• Velin introduced Xuemiyya Ex as deputy director of logistics and Kyle as commander of the Twenty-fifth Legion.
• Selena reported that a battalion of the Thirty-first Legion fought eight thousand Black Asia Orcs on the Jiadu Plain, suffering more than fifteen hundred losses while the orcs lost over a thousand.

Velin studied the border legions and the Ninth Legion’s records as he settled into command, then received a crystal ball that Lester had entrusted to Leonas. Lester had begun the Dawn Paladin trial a year earlier, and Velin summoned Kyle to hear what the crystal ball contained.

• Pragorn explained the four legions stationed along the Kingdom of Belfas border and their strengths, while Leonas identified the legions rated Upper-Upper.
• Velin returned to the Floating Fleet port, took charge of the central camp, and spent three days reviewing the Ninth Legion’s documents.
• Velin assessed which forces he should command carefully, planned to meet Gaddonfu and the Knight Orders, and decided to seek Yalinauron Belfas’s help watching over Krell.
• Leonas told Velin that Lester had begun the Dawn Paladin trial a year earlier and handed over the crystal ball Lester had entrusted to him.
• Velin summoned Kyle and ordered his guards to address him as Marshal in the army.

Velin and Kyle watched Lester’s recorded message about the Dawn Paladin trial and his promise to return within a hundred years. The message ended with Lester’s farewell, leaving his fate uncertain.

• Kyle defeated a series of challengers in the Twenty-fifth Army camp arena and fought Boke Ya, knocking him unconscious after more than a hundred exchanges.
• Kyle learned Boke Ya was the Ninth Battalion’s Deputy Battalion Commander and asked him to visit once he woke.
• A Low-level Silver Knight told Kyle that the marshal had requested his presence, and Kyle went to Velin’s tent.
• Velin explained that Leonas had delivered Lester’s crystal ball and invited Kyle to hear the message with him.
• Lester said he had joined the Dawn Paladin trial, teased Kyle about being competitive, and promised to meet Velin and Kyle again within a hundred years if he survived.

Velin asked Kyle to investigate Gadonf and then summoned Pragorn Mumus for a private conversation about their roles in the Ninth Legion. After revealing that he knew Pragorn’s connection to Great Priest Adams, Velin demanded that Pragorn obey orders once they were issued.

• Velin gave Kyle Lester’s crystal ball and ordered him to investigate Gadonf, commander of the Twenty-sixth Legion.
• Velin instructed Kyle to take over the Twenty-fifth Legion and handle anyone who defied his orders.
• Velin decided to speak privately with Pragorn Mumus and considered seeking Life Priests for the Ninth Legion.
• Pragorn met with Velin, who raised a Magic Shield and silently revealed the identity of an important figure he had encountered with the Dawn Pontiff.
• Pragorn recognized the figure as a Saint and addressed Velin as the Eternal Dawn Knight.
• Velin asked Pragorn to admit his connection to Great Priest Adams and ordered him to carry out decisions unconditionally once orders had been issued.

Kyle began disciplining the Twenty-fifth Legion by ordering its officers to return missing soldiers to camp within three days. He chose the Ninth Battalion as his first target, while Hester tried to curry favor with Boke Ya after realizing his own position was in danger.

• Kyle heard reports that the Twenty-fifth Legion had 73,588 soldiers on its rolls, then ordered battalion commanders to bring back all missing men within three days or face consequences.
• Kyle told Lyanna he had chosen the Ninth Battalion because Boke Ya had been mistreated, and Lyanna guessed he intended to remove Hurst Rocken and promote Boke Ya.
• The next morning, Boke Ya struck Hester, sending the Ninth Battalion commander flying into a stable, and Hester warned the soldiers who found him to keep quiet.
• Hester, fearing severe punishment from Kyle, visited Boke Ya and acted warmly toward him while Boke Ya and Bowen wondered about his sudden change in attitude.

After awakening, Boke Ya went to meet army commander Kyle, while Hester asked him to speak in his favor. Kyle welcomed Boke Ya warmly and asked about his martial arts training.

• Hester asked Boke Ya to put in a good word for him with the army commander, and Boke Ya agreed to help.
• Boke Ya told Bowen he supported Hester because the Ninth Battalion had once accepted them and because Kyle might respect his impartiality.
• Boke Ya and Bowen reached the Twenty-fifth Army’s main camp, where Kyle received Boke Ya in his tent.
• Kyle chatted with Boke Ya about Maple Province and the Maple Martial Arts Tournament, then asked who had taught him to fight.
• Boke Ya said his future father-in-law had taught him and that he had developed some methods himself, and Kyle urged him to relax.