Chapter Summaries

Doctor Aaron’s nightmares about Briel Rose and the fate of his family led him to visit Alice and ask about Will Auceptin. Alice wondered whether Will had guided Aaron to her, then invited him in and served him bitter coffee.

• Aaron received intelligence about Briel Rose and dreamed that she foretold catastrophe for his family, then saw his wife dead beside a golden-haired girl with a bloodied scalpel.
• Aaron recognized the girl in his nightmare as Briel Rose and went to visit Alice, asking her about Will Auceptin.
• Alice asked who had sent Aaron, and he insisted he had come on his own.
• Alice invited Aaron inside, opened a Spirituality Barrier, and served him coffee without sugar.

Aaron told Alice about his dream of two white serpents and Velma lying in a pool of blood, and recognized Alice as the girl who had warned him about the child. Alice asked him to choose between Will Auceptin and her, then offered to answer his questions.

• Aaron asked Alice whether true mysticism existed and described his dream of a dark spire, two white serpents, and Velma in a pool of blood.
• Alice suspected the serpents were the Snake of Mercury and Ouroboros, and connected the dream’s hidden corner to the Goddess’s Authority of Concealment.
• Aaron described the young girl in his dream, and Alice revealed herself as the golden-haired girl he had seen.
• Alice said her earlier warning about the child was probably now a threat and asked Aaron to choose between Will Auceptin and her.
• Aaron argued that Will had taken his child’s identity, and Alice invited him to ask whatever he wanted to know.

Aaron visited Alice to learn about Will Auceptin and discovered that gods and Beyonders were real, and that Will was a Sequence 1 rival of Alice. Alice warned Aaron to keep Will from noticing anything unusual and sent him away, leaving Aaron committed to his choice to seek her help rather than approach Ouroboros.

• Aaron asked Alice whether the child was Will Auceptin, and she confirmed it.
• Alice explained that gods existed, described Beyonders and their Sequences, and revealed that Will Auceptin was a Sequence 1 of her pathway.
• Alice warned Aaron that the bad luck he had experienced came from accidentally brushing against Doom and described how Doom could kill someone through seemingly harmless misfortune.
• Alice told Aaron not to let Will Auceptin notice anything unusual and said she would not be the one to die if a fight began.
• Aaron left Alice’s home, having chosen her over Will Auceptin and deciding he could not seek out Ouroboros.

Klein told Alice about the Twilight Hermit Order and its suspected role in Duke Negan’s assassination, while Alice connected the organization’s aim to awaken the true Creator with Amon’s revelations about Adam and the Writer pathway. The chapter left Alice questioning whether the world’s history had been shaped by someone writing stories into reality.

• Alice told Klein that Aaron had dreamed of Will Auceptin and that he had changed his commission to find people with abnormal luck.
• Klein warned Alice to keep Aaron from exposing himself to Will, while Alice hinted at a dangerous idea she could not carry out until Will was nearly born.
• Klein described the tomb he and Sharron had found, but Alice refused to visit because she might encounter Amon there.
• Klein told Alice about the Twilight Hermit Order and the events surrounding Duke Negan’s assassination.
• Alice recalled that Amon had described Adam as a Sequence 1 Writer who could make written stories come true, and connected this to the Twilight Hermit Order’s goal and the world’s history.

Klein and Alice discussed Adam, the Twilight Hermit Order, and the possibility of a world war, while Audrey learned that Duke Negan had been assassinated. The chapter ended with the Fool confirming that his Blessed was investigating the group behind the attack.

• Alice warned Klein not to mention Adam or the Twilight Hermit Order in the real world and admitted she had asked Amon whether Adam was a woman.
• Klein asked Alice what the era’s tide might be, and she guessed that a world war would follow the Industrial Revolution.
• Audrey sent Susie to eavesdrop and learned that Duke Negan had been killed by a Sequence 5 Devil, whom the Hero Bandit Black Emperor had silenced.
• Audrey prayed to the Fool and asked whether his Blessed had been at the scene.
• The Fool confirmed that his Blessed was investigating the organization that had ordered the Desire Apostle.

Audrey learned that a mysterious organization was planning an operation against Duke Negan and resolved to advance her Sequence to protect her family. At the Tarot Club meeting, she offered the reward for her Roselle’s Diary pages to Mr. Fool in thanks for Miss Fate’s warning, prompting Alice to object.

• Mr. Fool warned Audrey not to speak the name of an organization whose members learned whatever was spoken about it.
• Audrey reflected on Duke Negan’s assassination and resolved to advance quickly so she could protect her parents and brothers.
• Alice spent a peaceful weekend and examined the unruly Chibi Amon created by her Extraordinary Item.
• At the Tarot Club meeting, Audrey offered the reward for her three new pages of Roselle’s Diary to Mr. Fool as thanks for Miss Fate’s warning.
• Alice objected to Audrey giving her reward to Mr. Fool, and Audrey explained that she had thought it was an appropriate way to thank Miss Fate.

At a Tarot Club meeting, the members discussed transactions and sought materials for their advancement. Alice asked about the Writer Sequence and revealed that Amon had told her Writers could make their stories real, leaving Audrey curious about the Magic Paintbrush she mentioned.

• Alger told the World that the Werewolf Beyonder Characteristic had sold for 1,200 pounds and offered to obtain five strands of Deep Sea Naga hair for 500 pounds.
• Alger asked Alice whether he could conceal the Fortune Accessory's full negative effects when selling it, and Alice agreed as long as he found a buyer.
• Derrick reported that his patrols had been uneventful and said he would complete the ritual soon, while Audrey requested Mirror Dragon materials and an Elder Tree fruit.
• Alice asked whether anyone knew a Sequence 1 called Writer, then joked that the Fool's Sequence 4 was Circus Master.
• The World corrected Alice and asked her to explain Writer's abilities, so she said Amon had told her Writers could make their stories real.
• Audrey asked Alice what the Magic Paintbrush was and whether it was an Extraordinary Item.

At the Tarot Club, Alice connected a magical paintbrush fairy tale to an ancient civilization and warned Audrey about the Spectator pathway and a secret organization. She revealed that the organization sought to awaken the true Creator and might be steering history toward a World War, but left its name and further details undisclosed.

• Alice described a fairy tale about a magical paintbrush, and Fors asked her to tell it in detail.
• Alice warned that a Demigod searching Backlund for stories related to Mr. Fool might target anyone who knew the tale.
• Derrick said City of Silver records described Angeweid, the Dragon of Imagination, as making imagined things and declared futures real.
• Alice cautioned Audrey that Dragons belonged to the Spectator pathway and that the organization's leader seemed to be a Writer who could influence lower-sequence Beyonders.
• Alice told the group that an ancient secret organization sought the true Creator's awakening and secretly shaped history, possibly toward a World War.
• Alger questioned why the organization needed a World War, but Alice declined to explain further.

Fors asked how to deal with excess Beyonder Characteristics, and the Tarot Club discussed inheritance as an impractical alternative to acting. Derrick reported another mission to the Half-Ruined Temple of the Fallen Creator, leaving Alger to warn him about its dangers.

• Fors asked the Tarot Club how to get rid of excess Beyonder Characteristics, and Alice suggested having children while Alger explained how Characteristics could be inherited.
• Alice joked that a child of hers might be a naturally born “Monster,” shocking Audrey, Alger, and the silent World.
• Derrick told the Tarot Club that he would explore the Half-Ruined Temple of the Fallen Creator again under the Chief’s leadership.
• Alger said the mission could serve as the final test of whether Derrick was free from Amon’s influence.
• Mr. Fool warned Derrick about “Flesh and blood. Murmurs,” and Alger advised him not to look at, listen to, eat, or touch anything he should not.

At the Tarot Club, Alice and the others discussed the danger of war and the political fallout from Duke Negan’s death. Later, Alice read Roselle’s diary, which raised questions about Amon, the Hidden Sage, and Florent’s transformation.

• Alger advised Derrick to follow the Chief’s instructions inside the temple and avoid making decisions on his own.
• Audrey reported that Duke Negan’s death had divided the Upper House and stalled several bills, while government examinations and the air pollution investigation continued.
• Alice considered whether the Goddess should be represented by The Star and wondered about the Moon pathway and the Primordial Moon.
• Alice read Roselle’s account of the five great noble families of the Tudor Dynasty and joked that Amon seemed as numerous as cockroaches.
• Alice read Roselle’s description of Florent as a spiritual Stitched Monster after noticing how drastically he had changed.

Alice pondered whether she was truly human while reading Roselle’s diary, then went looking for Allen. After Allen fled home when Velma’s behavior unsettled him, his carriage broke apart, and Alice found him at the scene of the accident.

• Alice remembered that Allen had said she alone remained human in his dream, but set aside her doubts and continued reading Roselle’s diary.
• Alice learned from Roselle’s diary that the Primordial Witch had been named Chick and wondered how he had once played the Joyful Witch.
• Allen returned home and froze when Velma asked whether anything unusual had happened, then fled without his coat or shoes.
• Alice ate dinner in Hillston District while Allen sought her out, fearing that Will Onsetin had noticed his behavior.
• Allen’s carriage fell apart, and Alice joined the crowd, where she urged him to handle the immediate situation first.
• After Allen managed the accident, Alice whispered that Will Onsetin might simply want to see her.

Aaron brought Alice to his home to meet Will Onsetin, whom she found speaking through a full-length mirror while Velma slept. Alice revealed that she remembered Will from the past and ended their conversation by offering to cut him out of Velma's stomach.

• Aaron told Alice that God had only wanted to see her, and Alice persuaded him to let her meet God first.
• Aaron brought Alice home, where she sensed Will Onsetin in a bedroom and ordered Aaron to stay outside.
• Alice found Velma asleep and spoke with Will through the mirror, revealing that she remembered him from before.
• Alice identified Ouroboros as Will's pursuer and discussed their hostile relationship and Will's failure to become a god.
• Alice pulled out a dagger and offered to cut Will out of Velma's stomach so he could be born early.

Alice confronted Will in the mirror while he remained in amniotic fluid, and she persuaded him to reveal the appearance and effects of the Dice of Probability. She told him Aaron had dreamed of two white Great Serpents facing each other and that she was the only one who still looked human, leaving Will questioning whether she was human at all.

• Alice refused to let Will recover peacefully, arguing that Fate wanted them to fight and that she might not defeat him after he was born.
• Alice told Will she had informed Amon that she might be an ingredient for Will’s Sequence 0, prompting Will to accuse her of causing trouble.
• Alice challenged Will’s claim to safety and asked what he knew about the Uniqueness of the Wheel of Fortune.
• Will described the off-white, red-pipped Dice of Probability and explained how its six results affected favorable and unfavorable probabilities.
• Alice told Will about Aaron’s dream of two white Great Serpents facing each other and said she was the only one who still looked human.
• Will scoffed and asked Alice whether she was human.

After Alice confronted Will through the Full-Length Mirror, she returned home and tested whether her Fortune Accessory could respond to her. That night, she witnessed a vision of Backlund’s people dying in poisonous fog and a priest who looked directly at her, provoking her spirituality to scream.

• Will mocked Alice, and the Full-Length Mirror exploded, scattering shards around her and striking her Fortune Accessory.
• Alice left Aaron’s home without explaining what had happened, and Aaron found the broken mirror and cleaned up the shards.
• Alice examined her Fortune Accessory at home, tried speaking to it and making it move, then shut it in a drawer.
• Alice saw a vision of Backlund under black fog, where ordinary people coughed up blood and fell dead.
• A plain priest appeared in the vision, opened his eyes, and looked directly at Alice, causing her spirituality to scream.

After a prophetic dream suggested Adam might be connected to a plague in Backlund’s East District, Alice realized she could experience a “particularly lucky moment” beyond her usual good fortune. She suspected it would coincide with the plague and hesitated to tell Klein, knowing he might try to stop it.

• Alice woke from a dream of a plague in Backlund’s East District and recognized the priest who drew every gaze as possibly Adam.
• Alice received Klein’s message that the Hanged Man had found a buyer for her Fortune Accessory and that her auxiliary ingredients were ready.
• Alice sold the Fortune Accessory, then wondered why she had not exchanged it for the Ritual of Bestowal.
• Alice recalled winning twelve consecutive rounds of Mahjong during the New Year and realized that her usual “sufficiently lucky moment” could become a “particularly lucky moment.”
• Alice suspected the unusually lucky moment was tied to the plague and wondered whether to tell Klein, since he might try to stop it.

Alice told Klein that a terrible plague was about to spread through Backlund and admitted she felt no guilt about the people who would die, leaving Klein to consider how he could reduce the losses. In the City of Silver, Colin Iliad led Derrick and their team out on an expedition.

• Alice worried that she felt no guilt for the ordinary people who had died in the plague.
• Derrick prepared to leave the City of Silver with his team, carrying the Axe of Hurricane, and Colin Iliad ordered them to light their lamps and move out.
• Klein summoned Alice Above the Gray Fog and told her he thought he had become entangled in another coincidence.
• Alice told Klein that Adam had greeted her in a dream and asked what he would do if a catastrophe threatened countless innocent people.
• Klein said he would try to stop the catastrophe or reduce its losses and protect those important to him.
• Alice revealed that a plague would spread through Backlund from the East District and suspected a Demoness was the apparent instigator and Adam the true manipulator.

Alice and Klein dealt with the timing and storage of Alice’s Fate advancement ritual while Klein struggled to find a way to reduce the coming plague’s damage. Klein successfully advanced to Faceless, and Alice suggested his Sequence 4 should be called Circus instead of Circus Master.

• Alice told Klein that Adam’s greeting had disrupted her sense of the ritual’s timing, and Klein sealed the Winner Beyonder Characteristic behind a Spirituality Barrier for her.
• Klein paced through the East District, unable to divine the plague or persuade people to heed a warning, and decided to send a tip-off letter to the Church of Evernight.
• On Friday night, Klein carefully concocted the Faceless potion and used Pendulum Divination to confirm its danger was slight.
• Klein drank the potion and endured his face melting as he fought through the advancement.
• After Klein met Alice Above the Gray Fog and explained his new abilities, Alice said Sequence 4 should be called Circus rather than Circus Master.

Klein reflected on his identity and changed his appearance back to Sherlock Moriarty. Alice talked with Evelyn about celebrating the New Year together and shared how people in her hometown made dumplings, including the tradition of hiding coins inside them.

• Klein asked Alice whether she had fully digested her Calamity Priest potion, and she said she had repeatedly brought calamity and preached.
• Alice joked that Leonard could use a Faceless disguise to fulfill his wish to wear a dress, and Klein sent her down from the Gray Fog.
• Klein changed his appearance to Zhou Mingrui, then returned to looking like Sherlock Moriarty.
• Evelyn invited Alice to spend the New Year with her family, and Alice accepted by suggesting they make food from her hometown.
• Alice explained how to make dumplings and told Evelyn that adults hid coin-filled dumplings for children on New Year's.

Evelyn planned to ask her mother about making jiaozi while the City of Silver’s Exploration Team entered the ruins of a fallen city. At the temple, the team encountered a child who called for help and identified himself as Jack, before the exploration appeared to loop back to its beginning.

• Evelyn decided to ask her mother about jiaozi and said they could recreate it by making filling and wrappers.
• Derrick and the Exploration Team reached the ruined city and headed toward its central temple under Colin Iliad’s leadership.
• The team’s lanterns went out, and Derrick heard a child cry for help before he and the others restored the light.
• Derrick and Joshua found a blond child behind the altar, and Colin asked his name.
• The child said his name was Jack, and the scene returned to Derrick observing the city walls as the exploration began again.

Evelyn reported Briel’s jiaozi instructions to the Greenland family, while Derrick’s Exploration Team encountered supernatural dangers beneath the temple and found a boy named Jack. Jack’s account of seeking the Lord’s Sanctuary turned alarming when he became ravenously hungry and attacked the team’s attention.

• Evelyn told Mrs. Greenland and Mr. Greenland what Briel had said about making jiaozi, including the coin tradition and chopsticks.
• Derrick’s team encountered alluring mushroom-like growths that were actually rotting flesh and hairy scalps, and Joshua destroyed them with fire.
• Derrick woke at the camp, and Colin said the team would set out after fifty lightning strikes.
• Behind the altar, Jack told Colin that he had sailed with his father in search of the Lord’s Sanctuary and had been caught in a huge storm.
• When Colin asked about Jack’s companions, Jack froze, complained of hunger, and opened his mouth unnaturally wide as Derrick raised the Axe of Hurricane.