Chapter Summaries

Qier led Steel Country into a Holy Spirit match against Frost Country, but Sophina Kalhilov and her skilled teammates overwhelmed them in the first game. As Steel Country prepared for the second game, Joshua offered Prince Chaos the chance to join as a substitute before the third game began.

• Qier warned General Fred that Frost Country was a dangerous opponent because Sophina Kalhilov was on its team.
• Qier tried to carry Steel Country through the match, but Frost Country's superior teamwork and skill won the first game 23–11.
• Empress Yekana questioned why Omnipotent One Enkels seemed so weak, and Joshua explained that the hero's commander was unable to use his many skills effectively.
• Steel Country chose Omnipotent One again for the second game, and Joshua told Prince Chaos he could substitute before the third game began.

Prince Chaos tried to avoid Empress Yekana’s wrath after the Steel Country lost another match, while a Dark Elf reporter’s recording sparked a confrontation in the tavern. The Frost Country paused the next match, and Sophina Karlsilov confronted Chaos about their unfinished contest.

• Prince Chaos refused to help Qier, and the Steel Country suffered a crushing defeat against the Frost Country.
• Empress Yekana attacked the Dark Elf reporter’s recording device, but the reporter blocked the attack and Joshua warned Yekana that she had violated the tavern’s rules.
• The Dark Elf identified herself as a member of the Black Pigeon News Agency and defended its coverage of the Steel Country’s losses.
• Joshua announced the Frost Country’s victory, and the Dark Elf photographed Empress Yekana as the Queen restrained her anger.
• The Frost Country paused the next match, and Sophina Karlsilov challenged Chaos for avoiding her after beating her once.

Joshua turned the tense confrontation between Prince Chaos, Empress Yekana, and Sophina into a public Holy Spirit tournament spectacle. He urged Steel Country to send Chaos in as its substitute against Frost Country, leaving Yekana facing the choice of letting him play or risking a humiliating defeat.

• Sophina accused Prince Chaos of killing her five times in a Holy Spirit match, and Empress Yekana confronted him about playing games before the Sage Trial.
• I Nuo tried to defend Chaos, prompting Yekana to demand that he explain his relationship with the succubus.
• Joshua took the amplification Inscription Stone and announced that Frost Country had beaten Steel Country twice, while one Steel Country player had lost as Craftsman Master Bazuli thirty-seven times.
• Joshua declared that Chaos was Steel Country's best chance to turn the tournament around, citing his seventy-two percent win rate, as the Dark Elf photographed him and Yekana.

Prince Chaos joined Steel Country’s match against Frost Country and led his team to two consecutive victories, but Frost Country turned the final game around. Steel Country’s last-ditch attack nearly destroyed the enemy Energy Crystal, and Chaos was left facing defeat.

• Empress Yekana asked Prince Chaos to prove his account, and he replaced the attendant in Steel Country’s mid lane.
• Chaos chose Craftsman Master Bazuli and led Steel Country into an early jungle fight, then secured First Blood by predicting Trembler’s landing spot with his turret.
• After Steel Country won two rounds, Empress Yekana questioned I Nuo about his work and schooling while Chaos prepared for the final match.
• Frost Country wiped out Steel Country in a late-game fight, but Chaos ordered his team to use Buyback and launched a desperate counterattack.
• Chaos sent Qier’s Swordbreaker Gemail to delay Frost Country’s revived heroes while Craftsman Master attacked their Energy Nexus.
• Bishop Ciri blocked Craftsman Master’s final explosion, leaving the enemy Energy Crystal at 270 health and Chaos devastated by the coming defeat.

Frost Country defeated Steel Country in the competition, leaving Prince Chaos devastated and Empress Yekana furious. Joshua awarded Frost Country the prize and explained that the tournament was meant to draw nations into competitive MagiNet gaming, while the Dark Elf worried about the diplomatic fallout.

• Empress Yekana watched Prince Chaos lose a nearly won match and told him he had failed for the second time.
• Empress Yekana left the tavern, and General Fred led Steel Country’s team out after Frost Country’s Fox-like Man called to them.
• Joshua gave I Nuo a letter for Prince Chaos and awarded the World Tree crystal to Frost Country’s champion.
• The Fox-like Man offered to establish trade relations between Frost Country and the Demon Realm, and Joshua confirmed there would be a second competition.
• The Dark Elf warned Joshua that Steel Country’s defeat could damage relations, while Ciri argued that losing might motivate the Queen to keep playing.
• Joshua explained that the competition aimed to make nations take MagiNet gaming seriously and build a professional system.

Prince Chaos and Qier arrived at the Steel Country Embassy, where Empress Yekana punished a Magic Web player for betraying the country. She spared the defeated players, but left the accused attendant crushed and barely alive.

• Qier feared Empress Yekana would execute him for losing the Holy Spirit match and asked Prince Chaos to help with his Last Will.
• Prince Chaos reached the embassy and felt a powerful magical outburst as Empress Yekana vented her fury, then promised Qier he would try to keep her from executing him.
• Empress Yekana summoned Prince Chaos, Qier, and the other players to the dining hall, where she accused the former Omnipotent One player of treason.
• The attendant tried to flee and defended himself, but Empress Yekana used gravity runes to crush him after declaring that the match had involved the country's honor and that she would not forgive traitors bought by the Karlsilov Family.
• Empress Yekana turned her attention back to Qier and the others, leaving Qier terrified of what she might do next.

Empress Yekana purged suspected spies at the Steel Country Embassy and appointed General Fred to build a guild for the next Holy Spirit Tournament. She made Qier a Holy Spirit Knight and ordered Prince Chaos to return to Steel Country, leaving him unsure how to answer I Nuo's message.

• Empress Yekana had three embassy servants taken away as traitors, then rebuked General Fred for lax management.
• Empress Yekana announced plans to form a guild and recruit players to defeat the Karlsilov Family in future tournaments.
• Prince Chaos told Empress Yekana that Joshua Anoroth had scheduled the next tournament for three months later, with a World Tree Crystal as its prize.
• Empress Yekana praised Qier's tournament performance, knighted him, and threatened his family if he lost so badly again.
• Empress Yekana ordered Prince Chaos to pack for their return to Steel Country, and he found a message from I Nuo asking where he was.

Joshua helped I Nuo reach Prince Chaos at Nolan’s Teleportation Portal, where the prince stopped to help her after she was shoved down. As Joshua’s sudden soul pain returned, the Frost Elf World Tree’s white cat told him to go to Aserkelo, the High Elves’ floating city.

• Joshua learned Prince Chaos was at Nolan’s Teleportation Portal and drove there with Ciri and I Nuo.
• Joshua revealed that I Nuo carried a World Tree’s Leaf for Chaos as an investment in goodwill.
• I Nuo approached Chaos’s entourage, and Chaos left the Teleportation Array to help her after guards shoved her down.
• Joshua developed a stabbing pain in his mind, and the white cat appeared and pressed a paw against his nose.
• The white cat sent Joshua the message, “Go to Aserkelo!”

Agatha crossed the Frost Plains toward Frost Fortress and was attacked by a cavalry troop she suspected were Corpse Thieves in disguise. Nogs appeared in time to save her, leaving her uncertain about what would happen next.

• Agatha paused beside the frozen skeleton known as Smiling Johnna and posted updates to her Spellcaster Camp as she traveled.
• Agatha spotted a cavalry troop and called out her name, but the riders fired arrows at her.
• Agatha took cover behind a tree and tried to defend herself as the cavalrymen attacked.
• Nogs appeared, caught an arrow aimed at Agatha, and killed a charging cavalryman with his longsword.
• Agatha told her Spellcaster Camp that she thought she had summoned the Great Prince of the Demons.

Joshua tried to recruit Catalina for voice acting, but she refused to stop watching the Bronze Dragon’s talk show. He planned to visit Aserkelo with Catalina’s help and hoped the High Elves would receive him peacefully.

• Joshua asked Catalina to record voice lines, but she ignored him to watch her favorite program.
• Joshua told Tylinn he planned to visit Aserkelo after finishing the voice work, and she worried about his long journey.
• Catalina agreed to help Joshua travel but warned that she could not break through Aserkelo’s barrier, which might be vulnerable to Chaos Demons’ magic.
• Joshua showed Tylinn the High Elves’ World Tree crystal and hoped his visit to Aserkelo would be peaceful.

After teaching a crowded Programming Class, Joshua helped Purple-robed One prepare to visit Bone Duke as she considered becoming undead. Back at the Hearthstone tavern, he extended Holy Spirit’s testing period and prepared to leave with Ciri, who had packed enough supplies for a wilderness expedition.

• Joshua taught a Programming Class at Lu'ersike Advanced Magic Academy and suggested that Gray Robe arrange introductory lessons for Spellcasters.
• Purple-robed One told Joshua she planned to visit the Demon Realm and had decided to stop being human, and Joshua gave her a letter marked with Bone Duke’s sign.
• Ciri showed Joshua that Holy Spirit players were pleading for the test to continue, so Joshua extended the testing period.
• Ciri showed Joshua the large pile of food and luggage she had packed for their trip, and Joshua tried to reassure her they would not be camping.

Joshua and Ciri traveled through the night on Catalina’s back while he watched a High Elf’s Warcraft video and learned that Catalina remembered the High Elves’ hostility toward Chaos Demons after an ancient catastrophe. Elsewhere, the Black-robed One found a spreading threat in Deep Green Basin, then returned to Aserkelo, where the High Elves condemned him as a traitor and sent him to a forbidden ancient city.

• Joshua rode Catalina through the night with Ciri asleep beside him and watched a Warcraft video by Genius Arl on Magic Web Vision.
• Catalina said surviving High Elves deeply rejected Chaos Demons, but refused to explain further when Joshua asked about an ancient catastrophe.
• The Black-robed One found faint gray threads spreading through the poisonous marsh in Deep Green Basin and warned that time was running short.
• The Black-robed One teleported to Aserkelo, where High Elves led by Elder Enya accused him of being a traitor who had violated a taboo.
• Elder Enya’s magic disintegrated the Black-robed One and sent his particles toward Aserkelo’s forbidden ancient city.

Joshua and Ciri used the World Tree’s token to reach Aserkelo, where the High Elves’ Council of Elders rejected them and treated Joshua as an enemy. Rather than leave or start a war, Joshua explored the Forgotten Land and decided to open a tavern branch there.

• Catalina carried Joshua and Ciri to the Deep Green Basin, where they activated the World Tree’s token and teleported to Aserkelo.
• Joshua and Ciri found the ruined city and met the masked Black-robed One, who said the Council of Elders had rejected them and warned them to leave.
• Joshua refused to retreat, overpowered the Black-robed One’s magic, and tested the abandoned Teleportation Array, discovering that it led to Frost Axe’s home.
• After the World Tree’s bird stopped Joshua from escalating toward war, Ciri suggested they stay in the Forgotten Land for a while.
• Joshua inspected the abandoned buildings and told the Black-robed One that he planned to open a branch of his Nolan tavern there.

Joshua established a Hearthstone tavern branch in the ruined Sky City Aserkelo, while the Black-robed One watched humans prepare to occupy the city. Elder Sindonal arrived and asked Joshua for Aserkelo's Way of Redemption.

• Joshua brought Madam Ma Linna to a ruined building in Aserkelo and asked her to prepare it as a Hearthstone tavern branch.
• Madam Ma Linna inspected the building, agreed to arrange reliable staff and repairs, then returned to Nolan.
• The Black-robed One watched human workers and supplies enter Aserkelo while Joshua's chaotic magic kept him from resisting.
• The Black-robed One approached Elder Sindonal for help, but Sindonal went straight to Joshua instead.
• Elder Sindonal greeted Joshua on behalf of the Sacred Tree and said he had come seeking Aserkelo's Way of Redemption.

Joshua discussed Aserkelo’s crisis with Elder Sindonal and a Black-robed High Elf, learning that the World Tree wanted to meet him but the divided Council of Elders had sealed off its dwelling. Joshua planned to introduce his shop to the young High Elves, while the Black-robed One remained doubtful about trusting him.

• Elder Sindonal and the Black-robed One argued over whether to follow the World Tree’s guidance or uphold the High Elves’ ban on trusting Profaners.
• The Black-robed One ordered iced ale and cake, explaining that after twenty years away from Aserkelo he had grown accustomed to hunger and human food.
• Joshua learned from Elder Sindonal that the Council of Elders was divided and that Elder Enya had confined Arl to the Meditation Chamber for a year.
• Joshua proposed introducing his shop to the young High Elves as a first step toward contact with the outside world.
• Joshua revealed the white cat, Black Cat, and white bird on his shoulders and said he had already saved the Blackwood Elves and Frost Elves.

While playing Magic Web games during her confinement, Arl collapsed from a sudden, widespread hunger affecting the High Elves, which Zhi Ye suspected was connected to the Sacred Tree’s energy. When a message announced a Hearthstone tavern in the forbidden Forgotten Land, Arl dragged Zhi Ye out to find food.

• Arl played Holy Spirit with Foya, Flower of Falosi, and Dorothy, and celebrated after their team won a match.
• Zhi Ye found Arl unconscious from hunger and gave her fruit, but Arl remained hungry after eating it.
• Zhi Ye told Arl that other High Elves were experiencing the same hunger, possibly because of a problem with the Sacred Tree’s energy.
• A Magic Web message announced the opening of a Hearthstone tavern in the Forgotten Land, and Arl persuaded herself that it might be real.
• Arl forcibly dragged Zhi Ye out of the Hall of Contemplation to visit the tavern despite her confinement.

Zhi Ye and Arl became lost and weakened by hunger while trying to reach the Forgotten Land, where they found a human girl selling free baked goods. After the High Elf Patrol Team discovered them, Arl carried Zhi Ye deeper into the Forgotten Land to escape.

• Zhi Ye led an exhausted Arl through the forest, but they became lost and Arl collapsed from hunger.
• Zhi Ye carried Arl deeper into the forest until she collapsed on a slope, where the scent of food roused Arl.
• Arl spotted a cart near the Forgotten Land, carried Zhi Ye through its defensive barrier, and bought cake and cookies from the human girl Nuo.
• Arl ate the cake and offered Zhi Ye cookies, but the High Elf Patrol Team arrived before Zhi Ye could try one.
• Arl picked up Zhi Ye and carried her into the Forgotten Land despite Zhi Ye's protests.

Joshua used the World Tree’s Energy Saving Mode to make the High Elves hungry, then lured them toward the Forgotten Land with a cart of cakes. Arl escaped into the land with a box of cakes after blocking Aurelian’s arrow, and Aurelian sent Wen Naen to inform the elders.

• Joshua explained to Elder Sindonal that he had temporarily stopped the World Tree from supplying the High Elves with energy, so they would need food to survive.
• I Nuo led Arl and Zhi Ye into the Forgotten Land while Aurelian’s Patrol Team hurried to the outskirts.
• Arl returned to the cart for more cakes as Aurelian confronted her and declared her under arrest.
• Aurelian shot a binding arrow at Arl, but Arl blocked it with a Magic Barrier and ran into the Forgotten Land with the cakes.
• Aurelian told Wen Naen to inform the elders about Arl’s actions.

Aurelian investigated a human-made cart in Aserkelo, while Arl and Zhi Ye ate at Joshua’s Hearthstone tavern. The Council of Elders authorized a cautious search for Arl, and Joshua showed the World Tree that human faith gathering around Arl could help it recover.

• Aurelian inspected a fragrant wooden cart and watched an Enya Clan High Elf eat its cakes after confirming they were not poisonous.
• A Patroller returned with Elder Sindonal’s order allowing Aurelian’s team to enter the Forgotten Land and search for Arl, retreating if they encountered danger.
• Arl and Zhi Ye arrived at Joshua’s tavern and ate an enormous meal, with Arl ordering more food even after Zhi Ye became full.
• Joshua explained that High Elves needed food to sustain their powerful bodies without the World Tree’s energy, while Ciri wondered how the city could support their appetites.
• Joshua pointed out the human faith gathering around Arl to the white bird and promised he could help the World Tree escape its weakened state.

Aurelian led a Patrol Team into the Forgotten Land, following strange sounds and footprints to a clean building where they found Arl eating at Joshua Anoroth’s Hearthstone tavern. Aurelian attacked Joshua after learning he was human, but his companions froze her and her team in place.

• Aurelian followed Arl’s footprints and the sounds of chewing through the Forgotten Land with four Patrollers.
• Aurelian opened the clean building’s door and found Arl eating inside a warmly lit tavern.
• Joshua Anoroth introduced himself as the tavern’s human owner and said the Sacred Tree had invited him.
• Aurelian warned Joshua to leave and fired an arrow, but a companion’s mind-affecting magic made her miss.
• Joshua called Aurelian rude, and a silver-haired Frost Elf froze her and the other Patrollers in ice.