Chapter Summaries

Durontan tried to persuade the other races to reject peace with humanity and seize the chance to destroy it, but their leaders favored a truce so their weakened peoples could recover. The races voted to sign a peace agreement, and Durontan reluctantly agreed on behalf of the Beastkin Empire.

• Durontan argued that humanity's losses and the death of Pope Rodriguez gave the races a rare opportunity to wipe out humanity, but the other leaders warned that victory would come at too great a cost.
• Tomgark challenged Durontan to lead an assault on the human empires, while Seraphina and Kronos discussed using Legendary experts to strengthen the peace agreement.
• Kronos, Seraphina, Dain the Undying Fortress, and other leaders supported peace, while Durontan warned that humanity would break the agreement once it recovered.
• Durontan and Dain argued over whether the Beastkin Empire had protected the other races, until Seraphina intervened and offered to help the beastkin reclaim the Northern Great Plains after thirty years.
• The leaders voted to approve the peace agreement, and Durontan reluctantly said the Beastkin Empire would sign as well.

Roland toured the newly acquired Eastern Four Provinces, clashed verbally with Terra Kingdom commander Zod at the border, and arranged the region’s defenses and development. After surveying the provinces, he learned their rich mineral resources would greatly increase his territory’s income.

• Roland landed with his forces in the Eastern Four Provinces while Leslie attended a welcoming banquet in his place.
• At the border with Kuchi Province, Zod tried to provoke Roland into violating the Human Alliance’s Truce Order, but Roland restrained O'Neal and said he wanted Zod’s head someday.
• Roland appointed Ulysses the Eastern Four Provinces’ highest commander and assigned O'Neal to help explore the Sea of Hope.
• Roland toured Morando, Palau, and Arian with Leslie and officials to assess the provinces and prepare development plans.
• Roland learned that the provinces’ mines and agricultural revenue could add more than thirty million gold coins to his territory’s annual income, strengthening his resolve to keep the land.

As Roland returned to Double Gate Island, Terra allied with Cardina and Ribela and entered the Sacred Alliance Empire’s sphere, leaving Roland’s plan to annex Terra in jeopardy. He ordered his officials to produce a practical plan within three years, then arrived at Double Gate Island to a grand welcome from Elizabeth and the territory’s leaders.

• Roland left James and Ulysses in charge of the Eastern Four Provinces and sailed back toward Double Gate Island aboard the Dawn.
• Terra announced Princess Doris’s marriage to Kendrick of the Arkmund Family and formed a strategic alliance with Cardina and Ribela.
• The Human Alliance and seven non-human races signed a thirty-year peace treaty and a joint plan to fight the demons, limiting the Beastkin Empire’s ability to aid Roland.
• Roland asked his officials how to overcome Terra’s alliances, and Leslie urged him to wait for a better opportunity.
• Roland ordered the Military Affairs Department to present a practical plan within three years and ended the meeting.
• Three days later, Elizabeth and the territory’s leaders welcomed Roland as the Dawn arrived at Double Gate Island.

Roland returned to his territory and welcomed his family and followers with extravagant gifts, displaying his immense wealth to attract powerful professionals. The harbor erupted with excitement as his subordinates learned that rewards would depend on their contributions.

• Roland arrived at the harbor to a huge welcome and reunited with Caesar, Ares, and Eve, giving Eve the Ancient Vine Chain of the Forest Spirit.
• Roland learned from Olivia that Kao had pledged loyalty and was bound by restrictions planted in his core.
• Roland ordered more than a hundred chests opened, revealing high-level magical equipment and hundreds of Saint Domain Potions worth over a hundred million gold coins.
• Onlookers and workers from nearby factions clamored to join Roland, while he focused on attracting high-level professionals.
• Roland told his followers that their gifts would be awarded according to their contributions, prompting cheers throughout the harbor.

After returning to Black Fortress, Roland reunited with Elizabeth, who confronted him about giving Alice and Yulia valuable equipment but not her. He gave her a brooch, and after spending the day together, he returned to work and approved plans to appoint governors in four more sea regions.

• Roland returned to Black Fortress and tried to embrace Elizabeth, but she dodged him and scolded him for not giving her a gift.
• Roland gave Elizabeth a gemstone brooch and explained that Alice and Yulia’s equipment had been for their service, after which he and Elizabeth spent the day together.
• Roland woke the next afternoon, ate a meal Elizabeth brought him, and went to his study to meet Leslie and Reff.
• Leslie recommended appointing governors in the Emerald, Cloudwave, Spirittide, and Boya Sea Regions after the Glazed Sea Region pilot program improved development.
• Roland approved establishing governors in the four sea regions.

Roland approved rules for selecting governors and announced preparations to establish a nation, inviting proposals for its name and founding date. After the territory erupted in celebration, he visited Olivia and confessed his feelings, leaving her flustered and unwilling to let him reveal their relationship.

• Roland told Leslie that governors must have served the territory for over ten years and earned major contributions, and Leslie agreed to compile qualified candidates.
• Roland told Leslie and Reff that it was time to found a nation, and they supported beginning preparations.
• Roland invited the people to propose a national name and founding date, prompting thousands of suggestions that he assigned the Administrative Department to organize.
• Roland visited Olivia at her Mage Tower, kissed her despite her protests, and confessed that he had loved her since they first met.
• Olivia asked Roland not to tell anyone about their relationship and fled the Mage Tower, while Roland watched her leave with a pleased smile.

Roland visited Luisa, whom he had imprisoned for nearly six years, and rejected her attempts to bargain for her freedom. As he prepared to leave her to die, Luisa offered intelligence about Hell’s Third Layer to persuade him to spare her.

• Roland entered the lowest level of Olivia Mage Tower and found Luisa bound in dark flames, weakened by years without food, water, or elemental energy.
• Luisa begged Roland to release her and offered to submit, but Roland explained that Borkan was dead and he no longer needed her.
• Luisa offered her soul and a Law Contract Scroll, but Roland refused to trust a succubus or pay millions of gold for her.
• Luisa invoked her mother’s authority and offered to help raise a succubus army, but Roland said his own kingdom would soon rise from the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands.
• As Roland turned to leave, Luisa offered detailed intelligence about the Third Layer of Hell and its Legion Commanders to convince him to spare her.

Roland forced Luisa to reveal intelligence about the Third Layer of Hell, learning about its rulers, military strength, and the danger of unified demon legions. He spared her and ordered her to record everything she knew, but left her bound in the sea of fire.

• Roland stopped Luisa from pleading and demanded that she explain the Third Layer of Hell before he would consider sparing her.
• Luisa described the Void Lord, his immense forces, and his ongoing war with a god from the Dwarf Pantheon, which made an attack on Saint Nor Continent unlikely for at least a thousand years.
• Luisa outlined the other six Demon Lords and the overwhelming strength of the Third Layer, while admitting she did not know how Stuart and Axel had personally descended upon Saint Nor Continent.
• Luisa explained that demon legions mixed races to prevent betrayal, recalling how the Flame Sovereign's all-Balrog legion rebelled and helped bring about his downfall.
• Roland decided to spare Luisa and ordered her to write down all her intelligence about Hell, then left without freeing her as she shouted after him.

After Olivia drove Roland from the Mage Tower, he checked his progress and learned he could attempt a breakthrough to Level 18 Saint Domain in a month. Nuwa calculated that Cassius would have a 98.8 percent chance of breaking through alongside him, but Roland punished Cassius for demanding excessive resources.

• Roland found Olivia had covered the Mage Tower’s top floor in magical restrictions, and she sent Flame Hounds after him when he continued to tease her.
• Roland fled to Black Fortress and used Nuwa to check his attributes and estimate that he could attempt a Level 18 breakthrough in one month.
• Roland asked Cassius whether he had enough stored energy to break through after Roland advanced, and Cassius demanded a huge supply of potions, crystals, and fire gems.
• Nuwa calculated that Cassius would have a 98.8 percent chance of breaking through after Roland reached Level 18, exceeding Roland’s own odds.
• Roland slapped Cassius’s manifested form apart and cut off his Saint Domain Potions for three months.

As Roland prepared to found his nation, he exposed widespread corruption among his officials and confronted the leaders responsible for failing to stop it. Old Nob’s investigation began laying out the guilty officials’ crimes, leaving Leslie and James facing the fallout as the purge continued.

• Roland rebuked officials for coveting governor positions and announced that Old Nob would reveal the contents of a stack of investigation documents.
• Old Nob detailed twelve cases of bribery and embezzlement by Casimir, whose corruption had cost the territory nearly eight million gold coins.
• Roland demanded an explanation from Leslie and James, who each accepted responsibility for Casimir’s rise and crimes.
• Old Nob accused Rost of abusing slaves, misusing territorial funds, and colluding with the Mastin Family to smuggle goods and evade taxes.
• Rost begged Leslie to save him, but Leslie ordered him to confess and told Old Nob to continue the investigation.

Roland confronted widespread corruption among the territory’s officials, executing those named in Old Nob’s evidence and ordering the families of embezzlers enslaved for ten generations. He gave the remaining guilty officials ten days to confess, then met privately with Leslie and Reff to discuss the evidence.

• Old Nob read evidence of officials who had taken bribes, embezzled funds, and betrayed the territory, including Herbert Morton’s sale of military supplies and secrets to the Terra Kingdom.
• Reff moved to kill Herbert, but Dylan Fikernando appeared and decapitated him after Herbert invoked his past ties to Elizabeth and the Black Knight Pirates.
• Roland stopped Old Nob from reading further names, then ordered O'Neal to execute everyone already named.
• Roland ordered the families of officials who had embezzled funds enslaved for ten generations and gave all other guilty officials ten days to confess to the Supervision Department or be killed.
• Roland adjourned the meeting and told the directors of the Three Departments to join him; in Leslie’s office, he showed Leslie and Reff evidence against 230 Administrative Department officials and 78 Military Affairs Department officials.

Roland reviewed proposals for the name and founding date of his coming kingdom after confronting corruption among his officials. He narrowed the choice to Ten Thousand Islands Kingdom and Sacred Co-Prosperity Kingdom and called for a vote.

• Leslie and Reff offered to resign over the corruption scandal, but Roland refused and ordered Leslie to remove the embezzlers.
• Roland returned to the conference hall and asked for suggestions on the kingdom's name and founding date.
• Leslie presented proposals from powerful figures, including Black Knight Kingdom, Sea God Kingdom, Ice Snow Kingdom, and Ten Thousand Islands Kingdom.
• Roland praised Chopper's proposal of Sacred Co-Prosperity Kingdom, which commemorated the day Roland arrived at Rising Light Island.
• Roland put Ten Thousand Islands Kingdom and Sacred Co-Prosperity Kingdom before the gathering, and the attendees prepared to vote.

The Sacred Co-Prosperity Kingdom won the naming vote, and Roland promised equal rights before announcing the kingdom’s founding date and a new gubernatorial system. His appointment of Felicia to govern the Glazed Sea Region provoked widespread opposition from human officials, and he defended the decision by citing her role in developing the Sea of Hope.

• The Sacred Co-Prosperity Kingdom won the vote, and Roland pledged equality for all races and set the kingdom’s founding for December 15.
• Roland announced the launch of the gubernatorial system and explained that corrupt officials would be replaced gradually rather than purged at once.
• Roland appointed Felicia regional governor of the Glazed Sea Region and transferred Winston to govern the Cloudy Waves Sea Region.
• Winston objected to Felicia’s appointment, and James, Fayez, and most high-ranking human officials joined the opposition.
• Felicia held back her anger as Roland defended his decision by pointing to her familiarity with the Sea of Hope and her strength.

Roland appointed Felicia governor of the Glazed Sea Region after winning support for his plan to attract more than a million merfolk, while accepting her resignation as commander of the Water Tide Mage Regiment and the appointment of a deputy governor. He reassigned four other officials as governors and gave the Three Departments half a month to submit candidates for the vacancies.

• Roland revealed privately to Leslie that appointing Felicia could help win over more than a million merfolk in the Elf Empire, prompting Leslie to support her publicly.
• Winston objected that Felicia had too many responsibilities, and Felicia agreed to relinquish command of the Water Tide Mage Regiment and accept an experienced deputy governor.
• Roland appointed Felicia governor of the Glazed Sea Region and transferred Winston to govern the Cloudy Waves Sea Region.
• Roland appointed Dru governor of the Emerald Sea Region, Raymond governor of the Mystic Tide Sea Region, and Rodham governor of the Boya Sea Region.
• Roland ordered the new governors to complete their handovers within half a month and report to their regions within a month.
• Roland directed the Three Departments to screen candidates for the vacant positions and submit a list within half a month.

Junot learned that Gweniel was alive and heading to the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands, so he prepared to reunite with her and Roland. Meanwhile, the Hidden Valley Clan faced demands from the Beastkin Empire to surrender much of its wealth and territory, and Sanita secretly proposed a plan to the elders.

• Ain confirmed that Gweniel was alive, had been seen with the Medici Family, and had gone to the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands under guard.
• Junot broke through to Legendary, learned that Roland had saved Gweniel, and ordered all the Undying to gather for the journey to the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands.
• The Deep Tower Clan and Nuxue Clan demanded compensation and land from the Hidden Valley Clan, and Orc Emperor Durontan ordered the clan to comply.
• Salite, Lola, Sanita, and the other elders debated whether the Hidden Valley Clan could resist the orders, while Sanita warned that the Behemoth Royal Family's interests were involved.
• Sanita secretly revealed a plan to the elders, leaving Salite, Lola, and the others shocked.

Durontan justified accepting Roland’s supplies and signing peace with humanity because he believed humanity would eventually target the Elf Empire, giving the Beastkin Empire time to recover. In June, Roland arranged more support for Sea God Island before receiving a rare personal visit from Salite and Sanita, whose arrival suggested the Hidden Valley Clan faced serious trouble.

• Durontan told Grommash that the Hidden Valley Clan had submitted and would deliver supplies, and he defended accepting Roland’s strategic goods despite the clan’s smuggling.
• Durontan predicted that humanity would break the peace agreement and attack the Elf Empire, so he insisted the Beastkin Empire needed time and supplies to rebuild.
• As the Demon Disaster subsided in June, Roland’s territory expanded its forces and production while he struggled with the workload of preparing to establish a nation.
• Roland agreed to transfer fifty thousand workers from the shipyard and Weapons and Equipment Workshop to support Felicia’s rebuilding of Sea God Island.
• Salite and Sanita requested an audience with Roland, and Roland and Leslie suspected the Hidden Valley Clan had encountered serious trouble.

Roland received Hidden Valley Clan elders Salit and Sanita, who sought his help against the Behemoth Royal Family’s exploitation. Sanita offered to expand their smuggling trade more than tenfold if Roland helped Salit break through to Legendary, leaving Roland stunned by the scale of the proposal.

• Sanita explained that the Behemoth Royal Family and other major clans were targeting the Hidden Valley Clan and demanding enormous compensation.
• Sanita asked Roland to help the Hidden Valley Clan resist the Behemoth Royal Family, though she admitted they could not defeat it in a direct confrontation.
• Sanita asked Roland to help Great Elder Salit advance from Half-step Legendary to Legendary.
• Roland resisted the request because training Salit would be costly and he needed Legendary experts for his own forces.
• Sanita offered to increase the Hidden Valley Clan’s smuggling trade with Roland by more than tenfold, shocking him with the prospect of a hundred million gold coins in goods each month.

Junot arrived in the Azure Sea Region without notifying Roland’s Department of Diplomacy and was treated as a suspicious intruder by the sea patrol. After Dylan Fikernando recognized him as Roland’s father, Junot was escorted away while Ain and the other experts were arrested.

• Junot ordered his ships to speed toward Double Gate Island, but Ruer’s patrol fleet intercepted them and demanded travel documents.
• Ruer grew suspicious of the heavily armed visitors, sent up a warning firework, and threatened Junot’s party after Junot identified himself as Roland’s father.
• Ain nearly confronted Ruer, but Junot stopped him as Minos and then Dylan Fikernando arrived with numerous powerful experts.
• Dylan recognized Junot, questioned his failure to report the visit, and ordered him to surrender his weapons and accompany him.
• Junot requested treatment as a noble and was escorted away, while Ruer bound Ain and the other experts and carried them onto a warship.

Sanita asked Roland to increase smuggling with the Beastkin Empire tenfold and offered the Hidden Valley Clan’s service for thirty years if he helped Salit reach the Legendary realm. Roland recognized the risks but did not accept immediately, leaving the clan’s future alliance undecided.

• Sanita explained that the Behemoth Royal Family was profiting from the Hidden Valley Clan’s smuggling and claimed the trade could expand with royal backing.
• Roland rejected a tenfold increase, saying it would provoke the Human Alliance and strengthen the Beastkin Empire.
• Sanita offered the Hidden Valley Clan’s service for thirty years and promised to help Roland fight the Behemoth Royal Family if needed.
• Sanita said the clan trusted Roland to protect them, even if the Human Alliance would not.
• Roland acknowledged the clan’s sincerity but asked for time to consider helping Salit reach the Legendary realm.

Roland and his advisers devised a plan to involve the two human empires in trade with the Beastkin Empire, while Roland also urged Elizabeth to resume cultivating. After three busy days, Roland finally summoned his father Junot to Black Fortress.

• Reff opposed Sanita's proposal, but Leslie argued that the two human empires might support trade with the Beastkin Empire to stabilize it before confronting the Elf Empire.
• Roland assigned Leslie and Reff to develop the trade plan in secret, then promised Elizabeth he would make sure she advanced her cultivation within three years.
• After clearing urgent work over three days, Roland wondered what he had forgotten.
• Junot confronted Monk for leaving him waiting, but Monk refused to reveal Roland's affairs or intervene on Junot's behalf.
• Monk told Junot that Roland had requested to see him, and Junot hurried after him to Black Fortress.