Chapter Summaries

Roel and Ang met Elder Rum and Ciri among the ruins, where Roel learned that the Guanda people outside the forest descended from Darita Tribe members who had chosen to leave rather than betray their people. Elder Rum pointed Roel toward a stone monument deeper in the forest and began explaining Guanda totem runes to Ang.

• Roel was exposed after Elder Rum scattered irritating powder into his hiding place, then explained that he was a Guanda person from Monag County seeking his people's history.
• Elder Rum told Roel that those who left the Darita Tribe had chosen a different path, not betrayed their people, and questioned why Roel had traveled so far into the forest.
• Ang emerged from hiding and reassured Elder Rum that he had come with Roel as a traveler, while Ciri reacted warily to seeing an Imperial person.
• Elder Rum accepted that Roel sought his people's past and directed him to find a stone monument deeper in the forest that recorded Darita Tribe history.
• Ang asked Elder Rum to teach him about Guanda totem runes, and Elder Rum agreed to explain their meanings, powers, and connection to ancestral faith and nature.

Ang and Elder Rum exchanged knowledge about Guanda and Imperial runes, and Ang discovered that a Darita Space Rune could stabilize space. As Ang and Roel prepared to leave for Monag County, Rum gave Roel an ancient Rune Pendant and asked them to carry Darita’s story beyond the forest.

• Elder Rum agreed to teach Ang basic Guanda runes after Ang promised to respect the tribe’s beliefs and use the knowledge responsibly.
• Ang and Elder Rum shared their rune systems, and Ang recognized that a Darita Space Rune could stabilize spatial passages.
• Over several days, Ang studied runes with Rum while Roel described life among the Guanda people in Monag County.
• Rum learned that Roel descended from a branch of the Darita Tribe that had migrated beyond the forest and gave him an ancient Rune Pendant for protection.
• As Ang and Roel prepared to return to Monag County, Rum blessed them and asked them to carry Darita’s story to distant lands.

Ang and Roel returned from Elder Rum and Ciri with a new understanding of Guanda traditions, while Roel resolved to help his people reclaim Andalutin Forest as a resource rather than fear it as cursed. Meanwhile, Keineg survived the loss of his hunting party and vowed revenge on Ang.

• Ang studied the Guanda people's runes and totem enchantments, recognizing their value and their potential to hinder advanced cultivation.
• Elder Rum hoped Roel would carry Darita's legacy forward, and Roel began imagining a safer, more stable future for the Guanda people.
• Ang and Roel said farewell to Rum and Ciri, and Roel resolved to tell his people that Andalutin Forest was a gift rather than a curse.
• Keineg was rescued after surviving a magical beast attack that apparently killed his hunting party.
• Keineg blamed Ang for his men's deaths and swore to track him down and take revenge.

Ang and Roel traveled to a lake near the Green Bear Tribe so Ang could collect Soul Stones, while Keineg rallied Guanda warriors to pursue Ang and triggered rising tensions with Monag County. The chapter ended with Ang finishing a Water Control Staff and preparing to enter the lake.

• Ang declined to visit the Green Bear Tribe but agreed to accompany Ang to the nearby lake in search of Soul Stones.
• Ang and Roel hunted ordinary magical beasts along the way, giving Roel combat practice while Ang collected their blood.
• Keineg reported Ang to the tribal elders, who sent him and a force of Guanda warriors after Ang, prompting attacks on Imperial merchants and a military response from Monag County.
• Ang and Roel reached the lake after several days, and Roel took on scouting duties while Ang crafted a staff for diving.
• Ang combined Guanda and Imperial runes to make a Water Control Staff with underwater breathing space, defensive protection, and water-based attacks.
• Ang stood by the lake with the finished staff, ready to descend and gather Soul Stones.

Ang and Roel observed magical beasts gathering peacefully at the lake at night, then Ang tested the Water Control Staff and explored the lakebed. After finding two Soul Stone veins in the shallows, Ang prepared to mine them using a second staff to create a safe, waterless work area.

• Ang explained to Roel that land-dwelling magical beasts treated the lake as a truce zone to replenish water elements, while warning that creatures beneath the lake might attack intruders.
• Ang tested the Water Control Staff and determined how long it could operate and how quickly it consumed Magic Crystals.
• Ang used runes and the staff to descend underwater, where he located two shallow Soul Stone veins and avoided enormous creatures lurking in deeper waters.
• Ang defended himself from aquatic magical beasts with water techniques and Dragon Spike, retreating when enemies were too large.
• Ang prepared mining tools and spare Magic Crystals, crafted a second Water Control Staff, and planned to create a waterless space to mine the Soul Stones safely.

Ang collected Soul Stones from the lakebed, then expanded his waterless mining area to obtain larger stones for an altar. He killed a third-tier Serrated Tiger Fish and returned to shore with its valuable remains and his haul of Soul Stones.

• Ang mined Soul Stones while driving off smaller magical beasts, then escaped the lake as a massive creature approached.
• After finding that his first haul was too small for an altar, Ang prepared three additional Water Control Staffs for a larger mining area.
• Ang used four Water Control Staffs to clear a broad waterless dome around the vein and collected large Soul Stones for the altar.
• Ang spotted a Serrated Tiger Fish and lured it toward the shrinking water-control barrier, but his Water Arrow Technique could not pierce its scales.
• Ang struck the fish in both eyes with Dragon Thorn Spears, forced its head into the waterless area, and killed it.
• Ang collected the Serrated Tiger Fish's valuable materials and dragged its corpse back to shore with his Soul Stones.

Ang and Roel returned to camp after defeating the Serrated Tiger Fish, and Ang salvaged its valuable parts before the pair waited out the night. Ang reached the peak of the magic apprentice realm, failed to carve a rune altar, and prepared to leave with Roel after they recovered.

• Ang collected the Serrated Tiger Fish's soul aura, magic core, heart, eyeballs, meat, bones, and fangs, then left the remaining carcass as nearby magical beasts approached.
• On the way back to camp, Ang explained that he had exploited the fish's weakness away from water and used his Water Control Staff to restrict its movement.
• Ang meditated at camp while Roel set traps and kept watch through the night, and the magical beasts dispersed at dawn.
• Ang recovered more than half his stamina and mana, then reached the peak of the magic apprentice realm during meditation.
• Ang tried to carve runes for a three-tiered Soul Stone altar but ruined more than ten small Soul Stones and decided to continue studying in the city.
• Ang cooked Serrated Tiger Fish for lunch, and after they ate, he told Roel they would set out once Roel was ready.

Ang told Roel that Elder Rum hoped he would help grant him Totem Power, and Roel resolved to pursue a suitable totem. In Andalutin Forest, they chose a Long-horned Black Ox for its balanced strength and resilience, and defeated one together.

• Ang explained that Elder Rum had taught him about totems in the hope that he would help Roel gain Totem Power.
• Ang described the three main kinds of totems and said they would watch for an outstanding Level 2 Magical Beast suitable for Roel.
• Roel studied magical beasts as they traveled, while Ang gathered herbs and learned from Roel about ordinary medicinal plants.
• Ang identified the Long-horned Black Ox as a suitable totem for Roel because its earth-and-wind attributes could improve his endurance, power, and speed.
• Roel agreed to try the Long-horned Black Ox totem, and he and Ang ambushed and defeated an older ox from the herd.

Ang and Roel escaped the Long-horned Black Ox herd after killing one, then Ang salvaged materials from the predators the herd killed and dismantled the ox for Roel’s planned Totem Ritual. They had gathered most of the necessary materials, but still needed a suitable altar, and Ang’s attempts to design one remained difficult.

• Ang drew the Long-horned Black Ox's soul into the Soul Stone, hid its corpse, and fled with Roel as the herd searched for them.
• The enraged herd killed a Blazing Leopard and a Sabertooth Tiger while Ang and Roel watched from a safe distance.
• Ang returned to collect the predators’ magical cores and the Sabertooth Tiger's Sharp Fangs, then led Roel away from the herd.
• At a concealed spot, Ang dismantled the Long-horned Black Ox and stored its hide, blood, magical core, Soul Stone, and other materials for crafting and the Totem Ritual.
• Ang told Roel that most ritual materials were ready but they still lacked a suitable altar, whose unstable Rune Array he was struggling to design.

Ang and Roel tried to leave the Andalutin Forest while Keineg’s forces hunted them, but Keineg confronted them with an elite party. Ang killed Keineg in the battle, and the surviving Guanda warriors fled as Ang and Roel continued onward.

• Roel told Ang that he hoped to organize the Guanda people and help them gain a place within the Empire, and Ang warned him that the path would be difficult.
• Ang and Roel repeatedly evaded Guanda hunting parties before one surrounded them; they fought back, defeated the group without killing anyone, and Ang warned its captain to tell Keineg not to provoke him again.
• Keineg assembled an elite hunting party and pursued Ang and Roel, while Roel asked Ang not to hold back if the Guanda warriors attacked them again.
• Keineg’s party surrounded Ang and Roel, rejected Roel’s attempt to negotiate, and attacked; Ang killed the charging warriors and then pierced Keineg’s heart with his spear.
• The remaining Guanda warriors fled, and Ang chose not to pursue them before telling Roel they could continue their journey.

After Keineg’s death, the Guanda elders abandoned plans to pursue Ang and began seeking a stable buffer zone in Andalutin Forest. When Monag County ordered the tribes to withdraw within a month, the Guanda alliance chose to retreat deeper into the forest while keeping warriors in the central region.

• Keineg’s death convinced the Guanda elders that pursuing Ang could provoke greater danger, so they shifted toward expanding into the forest’s central region while avoiding direct conflict with the Empire.
• Monag County’s council decided to avoid a full war but sent an Elite Infantry Regiment to the forest’s edge and dispatched a mage envoy with an imperial decree.
• The mage delivered the council’s warning that the Guanda people must return to their original location within one month or face imperial action.
• Guanda chieftains and warriors argued over whether to resist the decree or withdraw, and the alliance elders urged them to avoid an all-out confrontation while the tribes remained divided.
• The Guanda elders agreed to retreat deeper into the forest within a month but leave warriors in the central forest to retain control of its resources.

Ang and Roel left the forest, where Imperial forces and growing trade reflected the tense standoff with the Guanda people, and returned to Monag County City. There, Roel reunited with Bubuta and learned that she was healthy and adjusting well to life at the inn.

• Ang and Roel traveled through the forest without further clashes, as the Guanda people avoided Ang after Keineg's death and the destruction of his tribe's elite warriors.
• They emerged to find Imperial soldiers guarding the forest outskirts, recovered their horses, and rode toward Monag County amid growing border trade and military preparations.
• A merchant told Ang and Roel that his caravan was delivering basic supplies to the Imperial garrison, while Roel worried about his sister and the danger facing the Guanda people.
• After two days, Ang and Roel returned to Monag County City and found Bubuta working at the inn; she embraced Roel and told him she had been treated well and was adapting to her new life.
• Ang examined Bubuta and found her health had improved, while Roel felt relieved to see his sister safe and thriving.

After buying a home for himself and Bubuta with his earnings, Roel received a Long-horned Black Ox totem from Ang in a ceremony witnessed by Guanda people. Ang watched over Roel through three dangerous days of instability until the Totem Power fully took shape, leaving Roel stronger and responsible for mastering it.

• Ang paid Roel his agreed reward and share of the herbs, and Roel used twelve magic crystals to buy a home for himself and Bubuta.
• Ang designed a new altar combining Guanda and Imperial runes, while Roel invited Guanda people in Monag County to witness his totem ceremony.
• At the warehouse, Ang performed the ritual and infused Roel with the soul and magic core of a Long-horned Black Ox as the gathered Guanda people prayed.
• Ang stabilized the new totem with a mixture of bones, blood, and potion, then took Roel home and monitored him through three days of painful changes.
• Roel's Totem Power finally stabilized, and Ang warned him to use it carefully because the totem could also become a shackle.

Roel trained to control the Long-horned Black Ox's Totem Power while Clan Elder Habby urged him to lead the Guanda people, but Roel refused. After Roel explained how he had gained his totem, Habby began selecting clansmen for a Totem Ritual and asked Ang to help awaken their powers.

• Ang tested Roel's strength, agility, endurance, and combat ability, finding that Totem Power could raise Roel's fighting strength but left him weakened after use.
• Ang explained that Roel's Long-horned Black Ox totem enhanced his attacks and inflicted soul impact, and he trained Roel to control its intensity.
• Clan Elder Habby visited Roel and asked him to become a leader for the Guanda people, but Roel declined because he feared losing his freedom and direction.
• Roel told Habby how he had obtained Totem Power, and Habby began contacting Guanda clansmen across Monag County to select candidates for a Totem Ritual.
• As Ang prepared to leave Monag County, a Guanda clansman brought him to meet Habby, who asked Ang to guide selected warriors in awakening their totems.

Ang helped the Guanda people conduct a Totem Ritual, which gave four clansmen Totem Power but killed two others. After teaching the new warriors about their abilities, Ang left Monag County, giving Roel a chance to test his Power Armor and a Snoopy Spear before departing.

• Ang agreed to guide Clan Elder Habby and explained the Totem Ritual's risks, requirements, and materials.
• The Guanda people captured six magical beasts, and Ang selected six compatible volunteers from ten clansmen for the ritual.
• Four Guanda people gained totems, while two participants died from severe soul conflicts.
• Ang observed the new warriors' abilities, helped stabilize their Totem Power, and advised them to integrate their totems through cultivation.
• Ang collected his payment and left the Guanda settlement after Habby said the clan could not capture more magical beasts.
• Ang showed Roel how to channel Totem Power into Power Armor, gave him a Snoopy Spear, and departed through the Monag County teleportation array.

Ang arrived in Guanda City, hired Beta as his guide, and explored the city before settling into an inn. The next day, Beta helped him sell unneeded beast materials and buy supplies, while Ang discovered that rare materials and finished potions were costly and scarce.

• Ang hired Beta to find him an inn and show him around Guanda City, learning about her background and her work as a guide.
• Beta led Ang through the city and helped him choose a well-located inn, where he enjoyed an expensive dinner and settled in.
• Ang asked Beta to take him to magic materials shops the next morning, and she guided him to stores with suitable goods and prices.
• Ang sold his unneeded magical beast materials and used the money to buy supplies, but found many rare materials beyond his budget.
• Ang observed that the markets offered mostly raw materials, while finished Magic Potions were scarce and far more expensive than their ingredients.

Ang explored Guanda City's rune and potion markets, learned that the Apothecary Association controlled potion sales, and cautiously sold his Holy Light-enhanced Healing Potions through the Philip Merchant Guild. The deal earned him enough magic crystals to buy the rare materials he needed for Enchanted Armament.

• Ang learned from Beta that the Apothecary Association controlled most finished potion sales in Guanda City, making potions scarce and expensive.
• Ang visited the rune market with Beta, selected several Rune Tablets, and found rare magical materials he could not afford with his current magic crystals.
• Ang asked Beta for a merchant willing to buy potions outside the association's channels, and she took him to the Philip Chain Store.
• Ang met the manager privately and explained that he had made Healing Potions himself, with no ties to the Apothecary Association.
• The guild's appraiser confirmed that Ang's potion contained Holy Light Power and was more effective than ordinary Healing Potions.
• Ang agreed to sell a limited batch at a favorable price, received enough magic crystals to buy the materials he wanted, and left without revealing much about himself.

Ang attended a viscount’s ball in Guanda City after receiving an invitation to discuss a major business deal. He agreed to discuss a possible long-term Healing Potion partnership, while insisting he would only make the potions.

• Ang received an invitation from a viscount who wanted to discuss a major business deal and decided to attend the ball.
• Ang arrived at the viscount’s manor and noticed that the nobles’ black rings seemed to prevent outsiders from overhearing their conversations.
• The viscount opened the ball with a speech, and Ang watched the guests dance from a quiet corner.
• The viscount asked Ang about the Healing Potions, and Ang said he had made them himself.
• Ang offered to make potions using the viscount’s materials, but set the condition that he would not handle anything beyond their production.

Ang was taken to the viscount’s concealed mountain camp to produce Healing Potions, where he set up an assembly line and completed a batch of sixteen hundred bottles. As more materials were prepared for a second batch, he explored the camp and suspected it was a secret base for cultivating magical power.

• An elderly butler and an old mage led Ang through a teleportation array to a concealed camp in the mountains.
• A middle-aged guard showed Ang the camp’s premium herbs and arranged a warehouse, tools, magic crystals, and potion bottles for his work.
• Ang set up an assembly line and requested more bottles and Glow Crystal, which arrived within two days.
• Ang produced sixteen hundred Healing Potions over four days and packed them into Demon Sealing Boxes.
• The guard arranged another batch of materials, and Ang agreed to stay while they were delivered.
• Ang explored the busy camp and suspected the viscount was secretly cultivating magical power there.

Ang studied the camp’s potion work, replicated its improved antidote, and spent ten days producing 5,000 Healing Potions for the Josh Family. After delivering the finished order and earning a large payment, he left the manor with the Josh Family’s friendship and began planning his return to Akreli.

• Ang observed the camp’s workshops and concluded that the site focused on mass production and transferring goods rather than advanced research.
• Ang analyzed the workshop’s antidote, discovered its improved formula, and successfully reproduced it.
• Ang set aside the antidote ingredients and continued producing Healing Potions, reaching 5,000 bottles in ten days and surpassing 10,000 potions made in his life.
• Ang collected nearly 100 highly concentrated Healing Potions and 1,000 magic crystals in payment for his work.
• Ang delivered six crates of Demon Sealing Boxes, learned that the viscount was Garde Josh, and left the manor using a Magic Teleportation Array arranged for his return journey.
• Ang set out for Akreli with three days remaining until the Winter Tour holiday.