Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• King Velin’s adviser, Lucas, reports a dangerous treasure site discovered at sea a year earlier. Velin orders preparations for an expedition in half a month.
• Putting off his paperwork, Velin disguises himself as a third-rank inspector and visits the Royal Capital’s Sixth District to see how ordinary people live.
• The district is lively and commercial, with street vendors, entertainment, and training businesses. Velin buys a bean cake and questions its seller about her family and finances.
• He learns the woman’s retired army-officer husband works at the Audit Office, while she sells food because she dislikes sitting idle. Her family’s benefits exempt her from stall fees and certain taxes, making the work modestly profitable.
• After Velin’s probing questions attract suspicion, guards arrest him for allegedly impersonating an inspector. He willingly goes along, curious to observe the constabulary.
• At the station, a young official challenges his identity. Velin’s badge reveals that he is a genuine inspector, but the verification device cannot identify his superior—suggesting someone of exceptionally high rank. The chapter ends with the official alarmed by the result.

Character developments

• Velin is curious, playful, and hands-on as a ruler: he prefers to inspect conditions personally, even posing as a minor official. His willingness to be arrested reflects his confidence and interest in seeing how the system works.
• Lucas is shown as a trusted source of valuable intelligence, bringing Velin news of a potentially enormous treasure.
• The bean-cake seller comes across as candid and industrious, working for independence and activity rather than financial necessity.
• The young constabulary official shifts from suspicious and assertive to frightened once the badge’s hidden implications become clear.

Significant themes

• Responsible rule and firsthand observation: Velin seeks to understand daily life beyond the palace.
• Social mobility and public benefits: Military service, official employment, and tax or fee exemptions shape the seller’s family’s circumstances.
• Appearance versus authority: Velin looks like an ordinary inspector, but his royal identity and powerful connections make him far more influential than the badge first suggests.
• Bureaucracy and accountability: Velin’s questions about officials and the constabulary’s response introduce the chapter’s concern with oversight and proper conduct.

Character interactions

• Velin and Lucas discuss the dangerous sea treasure, with Velin quickly committing to an expedition.
• Velin questions the seller, initially provoking her suspicion by suggesting her husband might be unfaithful, then reassures her by presenting his inspector identity.
• Guards and constabulary staff treat Velin as a suspect until his badge is authenticated; the verification result reverses the power dynamic and leaves the young official apprehensive.

Key plot points and events

• Velin confronts Galia, a security captain who had acted arrogantly, and suspects him of misconduct. Galia quickly becomes respectful and cooperates, though Velin finds no sign of serious wrongdoing.
• Velin learns that Galia is related to Lord Raymond and questions the station chief about him. After speaking with the chief, Velin leaves with pastries offered by the officers.
• Velin summons Raymond and recounts the incident. Raymond agrees that Galia’s behavior—courting superiors while mistreating subordinates—has no place in the Security Headquarters.
• Raymond promises to discipline his family. That night, he gathers his descendants and physically punishes his children before laying down a strict rule against bullying those beneath them or flattering those above them. Galia watches, frightened.

Character developments

• Velin uses his authority to correct Galia’s conduct and prompts Raymond to address the wider family problem.
• Galia shifts from apparent confidence to deference when confronted, then ends the chapter fearful of his grandfather’s punishment.
• Raymond accepts responsibility for his family’s behavior and responds with severe discipline, though Velin leaves the details to him.
• The station chief recognizes the likely consequences for Galia and advises him to visit his father.

Significant themes

• Abuse of status and hypocrisy: The chapter condemns people who bully those below them while currying favor with those above.
• Accountability and family responsibility: Raymond treats his descendants’ conduct as a reflection of his own failure to guide them.
• Power and hierarchy: Velin’s authority changes Galia’s attitude immediately, while Raymond enforces discipline within his family.

Character interactions

• Velin confronts Galia, questions the station chief, and later discusses Galia’s behavior with Raymond.
• Raymond acknowledges Velin’s criticism and turns it into a family-wide reprimand.
• Raymond’s children submit to his punishment, while Galia observes the consequences and trembles.

Key plot points and events

• Raymond punishes his adult children for failing to guide their own offspring, ordering them to kneel through the night and leave at daybreak. His wife treats the injured with potions, while the siblings and their spouses reflect on the cause of his anger.
• The incident spreads through the Royal Capital’s upper circles, prompting senior families to check whether their younger members have been abusing their status.
• At the Belder estate, Isufiel and her husband, Ilsuen Cassius, ask Belder to provide updated weapons for the 1,775 constables Ilsuen will oversee in a remote bureau in Ten Thousand Winds Province.
• Belder initially suspects Ilsuen’s father is sidelining him in favor of a younger son. He threatens to confront the powerful patriarch, but Isufiel and Ilsuen quickly reassure him that there is no succession dispute.
• Belder agrees to arrange the weapons and warns Ilsuen to lead responsibly, citing Raymond’s punishment as a reminder that powerful families must set a good example.
• A month later, the Lightwing Fleet departs north from Okra Province. Velin’s plan is to retrieve a treasure and then return to the Xenops Subcontinent.

Character developments and interactions

• The blond son is embarrassed by his father’s punishment and by his history of taking lovers. His sister remains resentful, while the Fourth Son privately condemns his conduct and vows to discipline his own children if they imitate him.
• Isufiel speaks warmly but frankly to her father, and she and Ilsuen work together to calm his suspicions. Belder’s protectiveness is clear, though his eagerness to defend his daughter and son-in-law risks escalating a family misunderstanding.
• Belder’s warning to Ilsuen connects private family discipline to public responsibility: status must not be used to bully others.

Significant themes

• Generational responsibility: Parents are accountable for teaching their children how to behave.
• Power and accountability: Abuse of influence can bring consequences not only for individuals but for entire families.
• Family loyalty and protection: Belder’s fierce support for Isufiel and Ilsuen is affectionate but can become overzealous.
• Duty and service: Ilsuen’s new post and the need to equip his constables emphasize the practical responsibilities that come with authority.

Plot points

• Seven days after locating the island, the Lightwing Fleet arrives. Lucas uses his Fate Law Domain to find a hidden passage into an Interstitial Space.
• A half-demon inside helps open the passage, eager to escape after thirty thousand years in confinement. He plans revenge on those who ruined his attempt to become an Abyssal Lord.
• The half-demon emerges to find Velin and a large force of Legendary Seraphs waiting. He pretends to be an innocent victim of Abyssal corruption, but Celeste identifies him as Rahab, an arcane mage who sacrificed fifteen million people in his bid for power.
• Cornered, Rahab burns his soul to strengthen himself. The God of Dawn’s power descends through Celeste and erases him, splitting the sea without harming its creatures.
• Kyle enters the Interstitial Space to investigate. He finds a desolate, Abyss-corrupted land littered with bones, a throne atop a bone mountain, and nine enormous heaps of Magic Crystals.

Character developments and interactions

• Lucas demonstrates the value of his Fate Law abilities by locating the hidden passage, then wisely retreats behind Velin when danger appears.
• Velin remains confident and curious about the supposed treasure, but Rahab’s power briefly makes him cautious. He witnesses the scale of the God of Dawn’s might.
• Celeste confronts Rahab, exposes his history, and acts as the conduit for the Dawn God’s decisive intervention.
• Rahab shifts from triumphant escapee to desperate deceiver, then openly embraces his old hatred when recognized. With no escape possible, he chooses a final attack.
• Kyle follows Velin’s instruction to enter the passage and continues the treasure search.

Significant themes

• Ambition and betrayal: Rahab’s pursuit of godlike power led to mass sacrifice and betrayal, ultimately leaving him imprisoned for millennia.
• Power and divine authority: Rahab’s desperate surge is insignificant against the God of Dawn’s overwhelming force.
• The cost of survival and corruption: Rahab claims the Abyss forced him to consume demons, while the ruined realm suggests the devastation caused by his long captivity.
• Treasure and danger: The apparent reward is real, but it lies within a place shaped by violence and corruption.

Chapter Summary: “Immense Wealth”

Key plot points and events

• Kyle discovers nine mountains of Magic Crystals and creates Soul Intent clones to sort them. While inspecting the Adamantine throne atop White Bone Mountain, he is attacked by black mist that splits into nine fleeing streaks. Kyle avoids possession and memorizes their directions, suspecting the throne’s former occupant has prepared an escape plan.
• Velin, Celeste, and Rafelia enter the Interstitial Space to find Kyle. They encounter the violent Abyssal aura and follow Celeste’s purified path to the Magic Crystal mountains. Kyle is away searching, so they wait for him.
• In the Desolate Land, Kyle finds three enormous Elemental Crystal pyramids and calculates their combined contents at roughly 720 million High-grade Magic Crystals’ worth. He also discovers 137 smaller pyramids over the following half-month. All are tainted by Abyssal Power and will need purification before use.
• After the clones finish sorting the nine Magic Crystal mountains, the total is equivalent to about 62.1 million High-grade Magic Crystals. Velin calculates that his available resources could reach about 107.2 million—still short of the 180 million he needs. He plans to gather more through Lucas, mining, and possibly selling a World Origin Crystal.
• Kyle returns to White Bone Mountain and calls out to Velin.

Character developments and interactions

• Kyle remains cautious and capable: he escapes the black mist’s attack rather than confronting it recklessly, and methodically records where it fled. He also surveys the Elemental Crystal deposits and recognizes both their value and the challenge of purifying them.
• Velin is delighted by the Magic Crystal haul but anxious about the work it implies. He reflects that he must honor a bet he made, even though he would rather avoid its consequences, and begins planning how to meet his financial target.
• Celeste eagerly joins the search and uses his power to purify Abyssal-tainted space, enabling Velin to follow safely. He notes that Kyle is not with the gathered crystals.
• Rafelia offers to accompany Velin, joining the group’s expedition into the Interstitial Space.
• The chapter highlights the group’s practical cooperation: Kyle’s clones sort the crystals, Celeste clears the way, and Velin assesses how the resources can support his plans.

Significant themes

• Wealth and responsibility: The discoveries represent extraordinary riches, but Velin’s calculations show that even vast resources may fall short of ambitious obligations.
• Caution amid danger: Kyle’s response to the black mist emphasizes vigilance and preparation over impulsive pursuit.
• The cost of opportunity: Elemental Crystals are immensely valuable, yet Abyssal contamination makes them difficult and time-consuming to use.
• Integrity: Velin chooses to honor his bet rather than evade a commitment, despite wishing he had not made it.

Key plot points and events

• Kyle returns from searching 10,000 kilometers west and reports that the region is mostly desert, but he has found numerous Elemental Crystal pyramids.
• Their combined value exceeds 1.2 billion high-grade magic crystals. However, the crystals are tainted by Abyssal energy and must be purified before use.
• Celeste refuses to purify them, even when Velin offers him a fifth of the treasure, saying the workload would be like fifty years of forced labor.
• Rafelia offers an alternative: the Lightwing Fleet’s Purifying Light Array can cleanse the crystals, but the process will destroy 30–45 percent of them. Velin accepts the costly option.
• Velin assigns Celeste and Kyle to move the pyramids, asks Rafelia to prepare the array and summon Lucas, then plans to explore east.
• When Lucas arrives, Velin promises him a tenth of any new treasures they find. The two set out to investigate.

Character developments and interactions

• Velin is astonished by the scale of the discovered wealth but must weigh a huge purification loss against leaving the crystals unusable. He respects Celeste’s refusal and settles on Rafelia’s solution.
• Rafelia remains composed despite the fortune, viewing it as modest beside the resources of her fleet. She explains the array’s cost and agrees to help.
• Celeste firmly resists Velin’s attempts to persuade him, even dismissing the possibility that his own lord could change his mind.
• Kyle reports his findings and leaves the decision to Velin.
• Lucas is grateful for the promised share and is eager to put his abilities to use. His past close calls have taught him not to claim treasure without the power to protect it.

Significant themes

• Wealth versus practical value: The crystals are enormously valuable, but contamination makes them unusable without sacrifice.
• Power and resource disparity: The sum is immense to an individual yet comparatively small to the Lightwing Fleet.
• Leadership and consent: Velin makes the final decision but does not force Celeste into exhausting labor.
• Caution and loyalty: Lucas prioritizes survival and trusts Velin’s authority over any personal claim to the treasure.

Plot points and events

• Velin and Lucas explore east of White Bone Mountain but find little. When Lucas senses treasure, Velin suspects a trap.
• Lucas uses the Fate Law and sees that going farther means certain death. They heed the warning and turn back.
• The treasure is bait set by Black Miasma, who decides not to pursue them after they escape.
• Elsewhere, Kyle and Celeste track down another Black Miasma fragment. Celeste captures it, despite being struck by lightning after taunting the unseen power behind it.
• Kyle searches the fragment’s soul and learns that Black Miasma has numerous ways to survive: nine Soul Incarnations, hidden Soul Power and consciousness, and a mortal incarnation living in an illusion.
• The search triggers several backups to relocate, leaving only eight other Soul Incarnations where they were. Kyle and Celeste abandon the attempt to eliminate every trace of Black Miasma and return to their main task: destroying the passage and restoring the region as a prison.

Character developments and interactions

• Velin trusts his caution over the promise of treasure and protects Lucas by turning back.
• Lucas relies on the Fate Law, confirms the danger, and promptly follows Velin’s decision.
• Black Miasma is patient and survival-focused: he chooses to wait rather than risk capture, and his many contingencies show how desperately he clings to life.
• Kyle and Celeste work together to catch and interrogate Black Miasma. Celeste’s confidence is tempered by the lightning strike, while Kyle’s findings force both to accept that fully destroying their enemy is beyond reach for now.

Significant themes

• Caution and survival: apparent opportunity can conceal fatal danger.
• Persistence and the fear of death: Black Miasma’s many backups make him extraordinarily difficult to destroy.
• Limits of power: even capable opponents must settle for containment when total victory is impossible.
• Humor amid danger: Celeste’s boastful remarks—and the lightning that follows—provide a comic counterpoint to the serious threat.

Key plot points and events

• Velin, Kyle, Celeste, and Lucas return from the Interstitial Space. Velin apologizes to Lucas, who destroys the writing that sustained the passage, sealing the space again.
• On a leveled island, Kyle and Celeste unload 131 Elemental Crystal pyramids. Twelve Astral Warships activate their Purifying Light Arrays, using Rafelia’s Law Power to help purify the Abyssal Power.
• The process takes twelve hours and consumes far more crystal than expected—about 450 million High-grade Magic Crystals’ worth. Velin and Rafelia agree to split the purified crystal two-thirds to Velin’s party and one-third to the Lightwing Fleet.
• After the crystal is divided, the fleet searches the surrounding waters to ensure the remarkably resilient Half-demon cannot return, then sets sail.
• Three months later, a vast aerial fleet reaches the Xenops Subcontinent. A small coastal patrol sees it approach but can do little beyond continue its route. Ships along the coast halt, and many raise white flags as the fleet advances inland.

Character developments and interactions

• Velin recognizes the Half-demon’s extraordinary survival and the value of checking one’s fate before dangerous expeditions. Though he normally gives away a generous share of treasure, financial pressures lead him to negotiate a smaller contribution.
• Lucas is shaken by what he learns and resolves to investigate his own fate during future expeditions. He remains dutiful, accepting Velin’s apology and sealing the passage.
• Rafelia initially declines payment, citing the Lightwing Fleet’s official duty, but accepts a share when Velin frames it as dividing the spoils of a shared treasure hunt.
• Kyle and Celeste handle the crystal, with both helping break it down; Celeste is eager to return to the fleet’s Demiplane for chess.
• The coastal commander maintains outward composure despite being helpless before the aerial force, calming his sailors by emphasizing that the threat is beyond their control.

Significant themes

• Survival and fate: The Half-demon’s tenacity changes how Velin and Lucas think about death and preparation.
• Cost and value: Purification makes the crystals useful, but at an enormous material cost; Velin judges the expense worthwhile.
• Duty and fairness: Velin and Rafelia negotiate the treasure share, balancing formal service with a sense of shared participation.
• Powerlessness before overwhelming force: The coastal defenders can only watch as the enormous fleet crosses the border, while civilians and sailors turn to prayer and surrender.

Key plot points and events

• Velin’s Lightwing Fleet crosses the Xenops Subcontinent and heads directly for the Ilia Kingdom’s Royal Capital. Its immense size—two thousand Astral Ships, each larger than a thousand meters—causes awe and alarm wherever it passes.
• The Ilian king, Valient, orders the capital secured: troops enter the city, gates are sealed, and teleportation access is restricted. With the kingdom’s comparatively small fleet unable to resist, he goes to the city wall to meet the approaching force.
• There, Calix Silvis and Duke Moravia consider the possibility that the Heaven Realm has come to destroy the kingdom, recalling an ancient invasion that wiped out the Zesita Kingdom. Moravia hopes the fleet is only passing through.
• Moravia promises to help Valient escape if fighting begins, while Calix resolves to remain and defend his homeland.
• At the Bacio embassy, Heloise Bacio and her husband watch the fleet’s approach. They recognize that if it comes in peace, Bacio may have to abandon its plans to pressure Ilia over the approaching end of an armistice.
• The fleet stops ten kilometers from the capital. Velin prepares to make his entrance, eager to see his grandfather’s reaction. A scan has identified Calix and Moravia as the two Legendary figures on the wall.

Character developments and interactions

• Velin appears amused by people praying as the fleet passes, privately doubting their sincerity. He remains confident and anticipates meeting his grandfather.
• Valient faces the crisis with limited military options and relies on his advisers, including the Soul Knight who carries him to the city wall.
• Calix takes a protective stance toward Valient and is ready to face the threat for Ilia.
• Duke Moravia balances loyalty to his homeland with concern for Valient, promising to help the king flee if necessary.
• Heloise Bacio and her husband share their anxiety about the kingdom’s fate. Heloise recalls her former military rivalry with the Dawn Knight—now a ruler—and reflects on how dramatically their fortunes have changed.

Significant themes

• Power and vulnerability: The overwhelming fleet exposes the gap between Ilia’s defenses and the forces approaching it.
• Loyalty and sacrifice: Calix and Moravia are prepared to risk themselves for their homeland and king.
• Reversal of fortune: Heloise’s memories contrast her former power with her diminished position, while her old rival has risen to rule.
• Uncertainty and political calculation: The fleet’s intentions remain unknown, forcing Ilia and Bacio to prepare for both war and diplomacy.

Key plot points and events

• Velin returns to the Royal Capital with a fleet of two thousand Astral Ships. Duke Moravia and Karix, who feared the fleet might signal an attack, realize the crisis has passed. Martial law is lifted, troops withdraw, the city’s restaurants reopen, and the Royal Capital’s protective shield is lowered.
• Velin explains that the fleet belongs to a Crown of the Heaven Realm, whom he visited after signing the treaty allocating the Star-Prayer Kingdom’s six teleportation arrays. He confirms that he intends to relocate all of Qixing Territory.
• Velin introduces the fleet’s seraph commanders—Rafelia, Lena, Lucille, and Anzel—to Duke Moravia and Karix. They agree to a sparring match in the Shadow Space three days later.
• Karix reveals that the Ilia Kingdom has scraped together 180 million high-grade magic crystals for the Islington Astral Sea Port, using royal, overseas-duchy, family, and borrowed wealth. He is still short of funds for the next installment.
• Velin offers to lend Karix 20 million cubic meters of elemental crystals, equivalent to 100 million high-grade magic crystals. Unlike Karix’s proposed loan terms, Velin offers no interest and delays repayment until the port is complete.
• When Karix asks what Velin wants in return, Velin says he needs the Ilia Kingdom to become his “steadfast ally.”

Character developments and interactions

• Velin returns with greater resources and influence, but approaches the kingdom as a partner rather than a conqueror. His offer is generous, yet he is clear that he wants a lasting political commitment.
• Duke Moravia admits he was afraid of the overwhelming force outside the capital, while teasing Velin about his habitual idleness. Their banter shows their familiar, affectionate relationship.
• Karix is cautious and practical: he recognizes Velin’s plan to move Qixing Territory and insists on clarifying the terms of a major loan so money will not damage their personal ties.
• Velin, Karix, Moravia, and the seraphs quickly establish cordial relations, including plans for a friendly sparring match.

Significant themes

• Trust and alliance: Velin’s offer shifts the discussion from debt to political loyalty, making clear that friendship and mutual support are central to the arrangement.
• Power and reassurance: The fleet initially appears threatening, but Velin’s explanation and the kingdom’s decision to stand down turn a potential confrontation into cooperation.
• Responsibility and resourcefulness: The Ilia Kingdom’s leaders exhaust multiple sources of wealth to fund the port, while Velin’s unexpected fortune gives them a path forward.

Key plot points and events

• Karix asks how powerful the Ilia Kingdom must become for Velin’s plans. Velin says that, within a hundred years, he will need the kingdom able to supply 300,000 Silver Rank Transcendents whenever he calls.
• The kingdom can assemble that force from its Standing Army, the Royal Direct Territory, academies, royal descendants, nobles, and the Overseas Duchies—but doing so will be difficult. The Ilia Kingdom has about 3.6 million Silver Rank Transcendents, yet only around 180,000 reached Silver before age thirty, and access to advancement is heavily skewed toward royal and noble families.
• Current resource limits cap the kingdom at roughly six million Silver Rank Transcendents. Velin’s new resource source, the Islington Astral Sea Port, is expected to transform the kingdom’s strength once it begins producing after sixty years, potentially raising the total beyond ten million.
• Karix agrees to join Velin’s coming war, trusting that Velin will ensure the kingdom benefits. Velin promises to return after handling business in Qixing Territory to discuss the details.
• The conversation shifts to Valient’s wedding. Velin offers to notify Valient’s parents on the New Continent and bring the Lightwing Fleet to make the wedding memorable.
• Velin leaves the Royal Capital for Qixing Territory. Valient publicly announces his return, stirring the kingdom: Velin has become a legendary figure, celebrated in a popular fictionalized storybook.
• In Fire Beacon Territory, Risis’s eldest son excitedly tells him that Velin is back. Risis recalls feeling excluded from an earlier war, but recognizes he had been too weak to join. Since then, he has expanded his territory substantially and built up his forces.

Character developments and interactions

• Velin remains focused on long-term military preparations, while showing loyalty to Valient and a willingness to support his family’s wedding.
• Karix moves from questioning Velin’s requirements to accepting the alliance, and takes practical steps to support the wedding arrangements.
• Risis has grown from an overlooked, relatively weak relative into a more powerful lord. His expansion suggests he hopes to be better prepared for future events.
• Valient helps spread news of Velin’s return, demonstrating the importance of Velin’s reputation across the kingdom.

Significant themes

• Power and preparation: Velin’s plans demand enormous military resources and decades of organization.
• Inequality: Advancement opportunities favor royal and noble families, while commoners have far fewer paths to early power.
• Resources shape national strength: Political compromises set limits, but new resource supplies could radically change the kingdom’s future.
• Legacy and reputation: Velin’s past deeds have become legend, influencing both public opinion and the kingdom’s political landscape.

Key plot points

• Risis, now an old and accomplished High-rank Gold Knight, decides to travel to Qixing Territory. He plans to pass leadership of Fire Beacon Territory to his son Galein and tells him to inform his aunt, Olthea.
• Galein visits Olthea, who is practicing sword forms in the rain. He tells her that Velin has returned and that his father will soon depart. Olthea asks to be notified when they leave, then requests wine.
• On December 25, 9822, Velin arrives in Star Prayer City after many years away. The people greet him with respect and anticipation.
• Velin listens as a ninety-nine-year-old former soldier recalls serving under him and witnessing Qixing Territory’s growth. The old man dies peacefully while speaking with Velin, who mourns him and offers a blessing.

Character developments and interactions

• Risis reflects on his long service and accomplishments, recognizing that it is time to hand over responsibility to Galein.
• Olthea appears calmer and more at peace than in the past. Her response to Velin’s return reveals lingering emotion and a complicated history tied to the Seven Stars Organization and her family.
• Galein respects his father’s judgment and follows his instructions, though he remains conflicted about Olthea because of her past.
• Velin demonstrates compassion by listening patiently to the old veteran and acknowledging the people’s sacrifices. His return is met with deep affection from the citizens.

Significant themes

• Time, age, and legacy: Risis considers succession, while the old man’s death underscores the different pace of life between ordinary people and transcendent figures.
• Loyalty and gratitude: The people honor Velin, and Velin recognizes the sacrifices made in service to his territory.
• Peace and reconciliation: Olthea’s quiet sword practice and her father’s decision to let her leave suggest a possible resolution to past family troubles.
• Leadership and responsibility: Velin’s modest taxation, support for advancement, and personal kindness are presented as foundations of Qixing Territory’s prosperity.

Plot points and events

• Velin returns to Star Prayer City and is welcomed by its officials. He learns that Archon Cyril is away investigating the murders of several counts’ sons and asks Cyril to visit him at Star Moon Fort when he returns.
• Velin inspects the city and returns to his castle, where head maids Katarina and Bing greet him. The fort’s defenses and garrison have been reduced during his absence.
• His companions arrive and explore the castle. Celeste jokes about the marks left by Velin’s old lounge chair, prompting shared amusement.
• Velin and Kyle visit the Underground Treasury. Velin reflects on the four Element Knight puppets and considers asking his uncle to upgrade them; Kyle is allowed to decide which now-outdated books should be removed.
• At a private banquet, Velin briefly becomes intoxicated, but his law power quickly restores his clarity. Celeste jokes with Kyle about using wine against Velin in a fight, then invites him to play chess.
• Velin tells Viriu he will show him the Gray Mist Space the next day so Viriu can determine how to proceed.

Character developments and interactions

• Velin appears more powerful and composed than before, and his former possessions and defenses now seem modest by comparison. Despite his authority, he is warm with the castle staff and relaxed among friends.
• Katarina and Bing greet Velin affectionately and flatter his imposing presence; he responds with humor and directs them to prepare for guests.
• Celeste’s teasing about Velin’s lounge chair and his immunity to drunkenness creates a playful atmosphere. Kyle responds calmly to her tactical joke, and the two arrange a chess game.
• Viriu reflects that he feels safe and content in the Star-Prayer Kingdom. Though he wonders why Velin rescued him, he chooses not to pursue the question, valuing his new freedom from family schemes and other dangers.

Significant themes

• Homecoming and continuity: Star Moon Fort remains familiar, even as its defenses and Velin’s circumstances have changed.
• Power and change: Once-impressive treasures and guardians now seem outdated beside Velin’s current strength.
• Trust and freedom: Viriu accepts uncertainty about his rescue because he trusts Velin and prizes his peaceful new life.
• Warmth beneath authority: Formal greetings and royal duties coexist with teasing, friendship, and domestic familiarity.

Key plot points and events

• Forty years after Pink Lake came under Qixing Territory’s control, the black dragon Cosmo still guards the area with the kobold army.
• Cosmo has spent years building up his wealth by selling shed scales, dragon dung, and—at considerable personal risk—his blood. He has also grown stronger, reaching Gold Low-tier.
• Learning that his master, Velin, has returned, Cosmo rushes to greet him but is briefly seized by Viriu’s dream-magic before Kyle explains who he is.
• Velin raises Cosmo’s annual pay to 3,000 gold coins and tells him to pack for a move in a few days. Cosmo responds with extravagant praise until Velin magically silences him.
• As Velin heads toward the bottom of Pink Lake with Kyle and Viriu, Kyle asks about Cosmo’s old salary. Velin had originally set it at just 10 gold coins, despite claiming it was 100; he jokingly presents Cosmo’s unquestioning acceptance as proof of loyalty.
• Velin asks after Kyle’s red dragon. Kyle finds it secretly eating the elemental crystal pyramid while supposed to be working, and uses a magical whip to make it resume.

Character developments and interactions

• Cosmo remains servile and eager to please, while also being ambitious about his strength and money. His rehearsed flattery and readiness to accept Velin’s version of events underscore his loyalty—or at least his determination to appear loyal.
• Velin rewards Cosmo’s devotion with a substantial raise and a new assignment, while teasingly reframing his own past stinginess as a loyalty test.
• Kyle observes the exchange with dry skepticism and keeps his red dragon on task through magical discipline.
• Viriu initially restrains Cosmo with dream-power, then releases and soothes him once Kyle identifies him.
• Orphus, Cosmo’s kobold subordinate, quietly records Cosmo’s behavior for Qixing Territory, showing that Cosmo is still monitored despite his position.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and power: Cosmo’s status as Velin’s “lackey” shapes his behavior, and even a powerful dragon is deferential to his master.
• Greed, ambition, and reward: Cosmo’s careful accumulation of wealth and desire for greater pay contrast with the modest salary Velin had actually assigned.
• Comedy through exaggeration: Cosmo’s lavish praise, Velin’s dubious explanation, and the red dragon’s secret snacking provide much of the chapter’s humor.
• Control beneath affection: Velin gives Cosmo more money but also orders his relocation; the dragons’ lives remain subject to their masters’ authority.

Key plot points and events

• Velin, Kyle, and Viriu enter a pink spring at the bottom of a lake and emerge in a gray-mist realm. The mist distorts perception but shows no obvious corruption.
• They reach an open-air platform overlooking the Gray Mist Fortress. Viriu observes its defenses: Bronze Warriors use Triple-Bed Crossbows against gray creatures, then retrieve and carefully process the bodies.
• With Velin’s permission, Viriu explores east. He finds increasingly sparse outposts, then an apparently lifeless wilderness.
• A swarm of more than a thousand powerful gray creatures attacks him. Viriu uses dream law to make them turn on one another, killing them within minutes.
• He discovers that the ground consumes the creatures’ bodies and souls. Their Gray Crystals store soul power, but absorbing it exposes him to a destructive thought urging failure.
• Viriu infers that the realm may be a Terrifying One’s dream made into a world, with gray creatures serving as mobile mineral deposits. He realizes the passage is anchored to Velin and suspects hidden beings are manipulating events.
• A mysterious watcher seems to threaten him for approaching the truth. Viriu erases his real conjectures and creates false memories; the watcher’s presence then vanishes, and he collapses.
• Twenty hours later, Velin grows concerned and sends someone to search for him. Meanwhile, Viriu is recording invented explanations that he comes to believe. He concludes he can move the entrance by drawing the passage into his soul and releasing it at his destination.

Character developments and interactions

• Viriu shifts from curious observer to investigator, demonstrating formidable power and caution. When he senses that knowledge itself puts him at risk, he protects himself by altering his memories and deliberately constructing a false account.
• Velin trusts Viriu’s judgment and grants permission for his exploration, but becomes anxious when he does not return and arranges a search.
• Kyle accompanies Velin into the spring but has no further role in the chapter.
• Viriu’s interactions with the gray creatures are hostile and experimental: he defeats them, studies their remains, and tests a Gray Crystal before rejecting its corrupting influence.

Significant themes

• Falsehood as protection: Viriu survives by replacing dangerous truth with a convincing lie.
• Reality and perception: The mist, dream law, and the realm’s possible dreamlike origin blur the boundary between what is real and what is believed.
• Hidden control and dangerous knowledge: The unseen watcher suggests that powerful forces shape events and punish those who uncover too much.
• Corruption and resource use: Gray Crystals offer usable soul power, but at the cost of exposure to destructive influence.

Key plot points and events

• Viriu tells Kyle he has figured out how to move the pink spring. Velin praises him and orders the fortress guards to seal it off until further notice.
• At the spring beneath Pink Lake, Viriu uses his dream law to layer barriers around it. After nine layers, the spring vanishes from Reality Space.
• Viriu’s body and soul turn ethereal, revealing his true anchor: a twelve-sided Dream Crystal. The crystal absorbs the spring, then sinks deep underground under its immense weight.
• Velin and Kyle descend through a passage made with Velin’s wood law. Kyle discovers that creation law can affect Viriu’s ethereal body, allowing them to follow the crystal.
• The crystal returns to Viriu, restoring him, but the spring’s weight leaves him barely able to move. Velin places him in the Cecilia Demiplane to recover until they reach the New Continent.
• With the Gray Mist Space passage secured, Velin turns to the next task: relocating Qixing Territory.

Character developments and interactions

• Viriu demonstrates his skill and willingness to take on a difficult task, but the spring’s weight leaves him physically restricted and dependent on Velin’s help.
• Velin trusts Viriu’s expertise, takes precautions around the spring, and personally helps him after the experiment. He also reflects on Dream Creatures’ unusual nature—and whimsically considers bringing one back as a gift for Xuemiyya.
• Kyle explains the difference between ordinary souls and Dream Creatures’ dream essence, then tests several laws before discovering that creation law can reach Viriu’s ethereal form.
• Velin and Kyle work closely together to follow the crystal, while Viriu remains cooperative and accepts the need to stay in the Demiplane.

Significant themes

• Reality and illusion: Dream Creatures are anchored to reality by dream essence, which is both distinct from and equivalent to a soul.
• Limits of power and control: Even powerful rulers cannot readily affect ethereal beings or overcome the spring’s extraordinary weight.
• Trust and cooperation: Solving the problem depends on Viriu’s expertise, Kyle’s knowledge, and Velin’s resourcefulness.
• Curiosity and discovery: The experiment reveals new truths about Dream Creatures and the mysterious Gray Mist Space.

Velin arranged for the Lightwing Fleet to relocate Qixing Territory and thanked Rafelia for choosing a plan that spared him from moving its population. He and Kyle set out to discuss selling the territory’s assets with Aljerta, who was awaiting a dragon egg’s hatching.

• Velin asked Anzel to preserve the West Wind County Teleportation Array and the entrance to the Underground World in Qixing County during the relocation of Qixing Territory.
• Anzel presented two relocation plans, and Rafelia chose the slower option that would not require moving the population; the work was scheduled to begin in seven days.
• Velin promised compensation for the angels involved and asked Rafelia to help distribute it, while Kyle explained why Velin did not want to pressure her through the Crowns’ authority.
• Velin and Kyle decided to meet Aljerta before choosing who would buy the Teleportation Array, and Velin considered giving the Underground World to his niece as her dowry.
• At Aljerta’s castle, Aljerta and Laxia discussed their dragon egg hatching in three hours and argued over whether its greeting gift would be ten or a hundred gold coins.

Velin visited Aljerta and Laxia in time to witness their daughter hatch, and he gave the family a large congratulatory gift. After the hatchling, Veselantia, fell asleep, Aljerta and Laxia decided to keep her gold safe for her.

• Aljerta and Laxia agreed to split a large congratulatory gift between themselves, while their egg rocked unnoticed nearby.
• Velin reunited with Aljerta, offered to give his niece two million gold coins, and agreed to bring Aljerta to the New Continent to open Adventurer's Taverns.
• The dragon egg cracked, and the hatchling recited her true name, Veselantia Salnarda Norianthir... Merrill, before eating her shell and falling asleep.
• Velin gave Aljerta and Laxia a little over one million one hundred thousand gold coins, then left with Kyle.
• Aljerta and Laxia agreed to keep their daughter's gold safe until she was older.

Velin arranged the transfer of several territories and the resettlement of soldiers and families before overseeing the relocation of Qixing Territory. The landmass rose eight thousand meters into the sky, leaving a vast pit that began filling with river water.

• Velin assigned an island to the Black Asia Orcs and planned land grants and resettlement protections for the returning Morning Bay soldiers and their families.
• Velin arranged for Zeferus Territory’s residents to relocate to the Star-Prayer Kingdom or receive a hundred years of tax exemption, then entered a Demiplane to train.
• After two months, Velin authorized Anzel to begin relocating Qixing Territory with twelve Abaddon V-class Floating Battleships.
• The battleships lifted Qixing Territory into the sky as legendary beings and Risis’s family watched in astonishment.
• Qixing Territory reached an altitude of eight thousand meters, and river water began flowing into the enormous pit beneath it.

Velin relocated Qixing Territory into a Demiplane, then set out for the Ilia Kingdom's Royal Capital to attend Valient's wedding. On the way, Risis warned Olthea that Velin would decide her marriage, while Valient weighed how to respond to the Kingdom of Bacio amid the Ilia Kingdom's financial crisis.

• Kyle opened a Demiplane passage, and Velin used it with the twelve Abaddon Type V Floating Battleships to move Qixing Territory inside.
• Velin chose not to fill the resulting hollow with nearby moisture, then departed for the Royal Capital with the Lightwing Fleet.
• Risis changed course for the Royal Capital and warned Olthea to approach Velin about her marriage before he arranged it for political advantage.
• Risis's wife showed Risis and Olthea illustrated books of Qixing Territory's sights after its relocation.
• Valient delayed answering the Kingdom of Bacio's conciliatory letter until after his wedding, hoping to gain more for the nearly bankrupt Ilia Kingdom.