Chapter Summaries

Caroso obtained Azure Lamp Powder after spending heavily, then admitted to Bai that it came from an unstable machine Krumen had replicated rather than Azure Wolf Province. Elsewhere, Celica investigated a deadly attack on the Blade of Dawn and suspected someone was exploiting the turmoil around the Free City.

• Caroso ordered Krumen to produce more materials, then discovered the machine was outputting far more than he had received and realized his luck had been unusually bad.
• Bai examined the warm Azure Lamp Powder, and Caroso admitted that his second brother had intercepted the original machine and materials while Krumen replicated an unstable version.
• Celica learned that sixteen Blade of Dawn members had vanished and sixty-two guards, including two seventh-rank paladins, had been killed in an attack.
• Celica considered the Church of the Lord of Eternal Life, Sophia, Nimel, and other possible culprits, then vowed to find whoever had attacked the Goddess of Dawn Church.

Celica moved Caroso, Nimel, Sophia, and their companions from Free City, hoping to draw out whoever was targeting the girls. Minette ambushed them on the road and clashed with Celica, while Caroso’s viewers identified Minette as a powerful thief from the game.

• Caroso reunited with Nimel, and Jenny reunited with Sophia before Celica ordered everyone into the vehicles.
• Caroso saw the devastation in Free City as the group drove toward another church branch.
• Celica sensed an attacker and stopped the car after a dagger flew toward her.
• Celica confronted Minette and ordered the paladins to protect the others without interfering.
• Minette vanished and attacked Celica at close range, surprising her with her speed and strength.
• Caroso watched the fight as the viewers identified Minette as a top-tier thief and leader of a Dark Elf organization.

Celica and Minette fought an intense duel while the others watched, with both eighth-tier experts exhausting their cards and magic power. The chapter ended with the battle turning into a humiliating hair-pulling and slapping match.

• A paladin boosted Celica with King's Blessing, but Minette killed him for interfering and Celica ordered the others to stay out of the duel.
• Minette revealed that she could contend with Celica, then used traps and Abyssal Star Prison to wound her before Celica discovered that Minette was a Dark Elf.
• Celica and Minette traded attacks with sword techniques, clones, and showers of blades as their magic power dwindled and both became badly wounded.
• Celica warned her allies not to interfere, and Minette charged her again as their weapons clashed in the air.
• Minette slapped Celica, and Celica grabbed Minette's hair and bit her face as the duel descended into a brawl.

Celica and Minette fought to exhaustion over their opposing losses, while Caroso stopped the knights from interfering. Minette escaped, and Celica explained that their duel had been a tacit understanding because neither side knew the strength of the other's hidden allies.

• Minette and Celica fought brutally until their weapons broke and they fell to the ground, where they continued grappling.
• Caroso warned the knights not to approach, and the knight commander obeyed Celica's orders rather than risk an ambush.
• Exhausted, Minette limped away after saying she would kill Celica next time, while Celica demanded to know who she was.
• The knights healed Celica, who rebuked the commander for considering intervention and explained that neither side had known how many allies the other had brought.

While Celica recovered from her wounds, Grand Duke Osiris turned the Church of the God of Wisdom into an ally and began planning to rescue Nimel. He then confronted Minette, who had returned after saving her compatriots, and offered her protection in exchange for loyalty.

• Celica delayed her trip to the Pander Empire while she recovered and helped the Goddess of Dawn Church handle the ritual’s aftermath.
• A Mage Association mage confessed his involvement to Grand Duke Osiris and agreed to take the blame, while the pope of the Church of the God of Wisdom pledged support for Nimel’s rescue.
• Grand Duke Osiris gave the pope his rescue plan, and the pope offered the church’s strategists to help improve it.
• Minette returned to Kolia Manor after rescuing her compatriots and held a dagger to Grand Duke Osiris’s throat.
• Grand Duke Osiris argued that Minette needed protection for her rescued compatriots and offered to shelter them if she swore loyalty to him.

Celica failed to capture Minette and prepared to escort substitutes to Knight's Country while investigating the Perus Kingdom church. Bai negotiated with the Nature Mage Association to protect Nimel Kolia in exchange for the production methods behind three powerful cards, and Drandos agreed to support her for six years.

• Celica learned that Minette had escaped with help from a large organization and ordered the search for her to continue.
• Celica decided to take the substitutes to Knight's Country with two Black Gloves and investigate the Perus Kingdom church.
• Bai offered Drandos the production methods for three cards in exchange for twenty billion and the Nature Mage Association's protection of Nimel Kolia.
• Drandos agreed to protect Nimel for six years and help the Church of the God of Wisdom pass its review.

Caroso boarded the gambling ship Johanna Smith with Celica and the others, where Alita taught him the rules of card battles. After Caroso entered a card competition, he discovered that his first opponent was Kare Quint.

• Alita joined Caroso and the others at the harbor, and they boarded the Johanna Smith.
• Alita gave Caroso a deck of cards and explained the rules of card battles to him.
• Krumen dressed in expensive clothes and asked Caroso for leave to do business, and he advised her to borrow jewelry from Nimel.
• Caroso and Alita went to the gambling hall, where the ship announced a card competition with a one-million-Bronze-Coin entry fee.
• Caroso entered the competition and found that his first opponent was Kare Quint, who had also come aboard the ship.

Caroso and Karei began a Hunter-versus-Mage card match aboard the ship, with five million added to the wager. Caroso’s quick Beast strategy badly damaged Karei, who realized he might not survive long enough to play his powerful cards.

• Karei challenged Caroso to a card match, and Alita revealed she was traveling as Caroso’s private tutor.
• Caroso and Karei chose Hunter and Mage, agreed to a five-million wager, and began the first round with Karei going first.
• Caroso summoned Forest Wolves and tigers, while Karei used Fireball to destroy a wolf.
• Caroso’s tigers attacked Karei, and Caroso later used Kill Command to deal five damage.
• Karei realized Caroso’s fast attacks might end the match before he could summon his eight-star powerhouse.

Caroso won two card matches against Karei, who tried to provoke him over Elena before rushing off after learning Caroso’s brother might be in the tournament. Caroso then discovered that Saya Kolia was his next opponent and came face to face with his living second brother, who introduced him to the Presia Empire’s Second Prince, Isli Alexeyevna.

• Caroso beat Karei with an aggressive Hunter deck, then defeated him again after switching to Rogue while Karei played Mage.
• Karei claimed Elena was on the ship with him and threatened to show her holding his hand, but Caroso said he had no interest in her.
• Karei left to find the tournament organizers after Caroso mentioned his brother might enter the tournament.
• A waiter announced Saya Kolia as Caroso’s next opponent, and Caroso wondered why Saya was on the ship.
• Saya approached Caroso, taunted him for skipping school to gamble, and introduced him to Isli Alexeyevna, the Second Prince of the Presia Empire.

Caroso faced his brother Saya in a public card match while Isli watched, and used an explosive Rogue strategy to defeat him. The win left Caroso advancing to the next round as onlookers marveled at his unfamiliar deck.

• Caroso greeted Isli and discussed Saya’s plans concerning Azure Wolf Province before Saya challenged him to a card game.
• Caroso and Saya began their match, with Saya using a Mage deck and gaining the early advantage as Caroso’s health fell.
• Caroso played Brann Bronzebeard, Fair Merman, and Rogue spells to assemble his combo while Saya burned cards and prepared to finish him.
• Caroso triggered Evasion to survive Saya’s Fireball, then repeatedly copied and replayed Fair Mermen to draw through Saya’s deck and make him lose health.
• Saya lost the match, the crowd reacted to Caroso’s explosive Rogue strategy, and the attendant declared Caroso the victor advancing to the next round.

Alita defended her Rogue Card research and sided with Caroso as he faced Saya. Caroso defeated Saya again with a Kingslayer Rogue deck, while Isli began reconsidering whether Saya was useful to his plans.

• Alita argued that the law prohibited Rogues, not research into Rogue Cards, and credited her research with producing zero-star cards and Star Level reduction.
• Caroso rebuked Saya for questioning Alita, and the crowd shifted from criticizing Caroso to praising Alita.
• Saya demanded another match, and Isli decided that Saya was a poor ally and considered approaching Caroso instead.
• Caroso switched decks and attacked Saya directly with Kingslayer Rogue, overwhelming him with dagger attacks and Blade Dance.
• Saya asked why Caroso had stopped using explosive cards, and Caroso reminded him that his first deck had been aggro.

Caroso advanced through a card tournament while Elizabeth watched, and his encounter with her drew attention from Alita and Isli. He reached the quarterfinals and revealed his Nature Mage trump card, Emperor Gufu.

• Saya apologized to Isli after losing to Caroso, then stayed to watch at Isli's invitation.
• Elizabeth arrived at the card tournament and was surprised to find Caroso aboard the ship; Caroso explained he was traveling with Bishop Celica and offered Elizabeth a discount on his Rogue deck.
• Alita pulled Caroso away from Elizabeth and reminded him that they still had business to handle.
• Caroso used Explosive Card Rogue, T7 Hunter, and Kingslayer Rogue to reach the quarterfinals, while Elizabeth stayed to watch because she wanted his cards.
• Caroso revealed Emperor Gufu, his Golden Legendary Nature Mage hero card, when he reached five Mana Crystals.

Caroso revealed Emperor Gufu, a Golden Legendary Nature Mage card that doubled maximum mana, stunning the tournament crowd and raising fears that it could transform the balance of power. After collecting payment from wealthy spectators to show its prototype, he claimed it was created by his card-making team in Azure Wolf Province.

• Caroso played Emperor Gufu in his quarterfinal match, and spectators accused him of cheating when they saw its mana-doubling effect.
• The tournament manager confirmed that Caroso had not cheated, while the crowd demanded to inspect the card's prototype.
• Caroso demanded one hundred million for the prototype, and wealthy Nature Mages and other passengers pooled money to meet his price.
• Caroso showed the Emperor Gufu prototype, whose description doubled maximum mana, restored mana, and let its user draw a card every five minutes.
• Nature Mages surrounded Caroso, and he avoided implicating Alita before claiming that his card-making team in Azure Wolf Province had created the card.

Caroso revealed that Azure Wolf Province had developed Emperor Gufu and said it was selling the card’s intellectual property to the Nature Mage Association. After the casino returned the money it had collected, Caroso resumed his match, leaving the other players wondering how anyone could beat Emperor Gufu.

• Caroso said Emperor Gufu had emerged from Azure Wolf Province’s card-draw research, making Isli reconsider his plans and the province’s strength.
• Nature Mages pressed Caroso to sell the card, and he explained that S++ card maker Bai was negotiating with their association over the intellectual property.
• The old Nature Mage praised Azure Wolf Province and defended Caroso’s hundred million, while Caroso kept the money and treated the matter as business.
• The Deep Sea Industry manager admitted the casino had broken its rules and returned everyone’s money.
• Caroso returned to his match for the thirty-million prize, and the card players wondered who could stand against Emperor Gufu in future casino games.

Caroso won the card tournament with his Gufu deck, alarming gamblers and prompting factions to seek out Nature Mages. After Russell asked him to look after Elizabeth, Caroso met with Isli, who began probing him over dinner and suggested he seemed more like a warrior than a politician.

• Caroso took first place in the tournament, won thirty million Bronze Coins, and said he would not compete again the next day.
• Isli encouraged Saya to approach Elena and use her marriage prospects to hurt Caroso, while Saya privately doubted the plan and considered what benefits it might bring.
• Karei and Elena grew closer on deck, unaware of the tournament news, while Saya watched them and reflected that Elena was unlikely to marry Caroso.
• Russell confronted Caroso about losing one hundred million, traded childish threats with him, and then asked him to look after Elizabeth, which Caroso agreed to do.
• Isli invited Caroso to dinner, spoke with him about Teresa, and told him that he seemed more like a warrior than a politician.

Caroso told Isli that he wanted to pursue strength rather than inherit Azure Wolf Province, while Isli encouraged him and offered the Empire's support. As Isli prepared to leave over the Emperor Gufu card's potential impact, Merlin asked Celica to see Sophia, but Celica refused until the church completed its examination.

• Caroso told Isli he wanted to become ninth rank rather than take on the burden of ruling Azure Wolf Province.
• Isli welcomed Caroso's ambition, offered help with his cultivation, and urged him to live for himself.
• Isli said the Emperor Gufu card could shift wealthy users toward the Nature Mage Association and bring pressure from the Mage Association onto Azure Wolf Province.
• Isli announced he had arranged a helicopter to leave early, and Caroso accepted his offer of assistance.
• Merlin asked Celica to let her see Sophia, but Celica forbade anyone from having an in-depth conversation with Sophia or Nimel until the church finished its examination.

Merlin and Celica sensed the magical particles weakening as powerful magic gathered near Sophia and Nimel, while Caroso and Saya encountered a strange fog at sea after Isli departed. The comments suggested that several powerful figures were missing from the expected plot, leaving the cause and scale of the event uncertain.

• Merlin and Celica noticed the magical particles weakening, and Celica suspected Merlin of trying to abduct Sophia before sending her priest and knight to investigate.
• Merlin and Celica sensed powerful magic gathering near the room where Sophia and Nimel were staying.
• Caroso watched Isli leave for the Presia Empire, then argued with Saya about Isli's motives and their loyalty to Azure Wolf Province.
• Caroso revealed that he had discovered and sealed Saya's tunnels near the manor, and Saya resolved to keep trying to undermine him.
• Caroso and Saya noticed the magical particles decrease as thick fog spread across the sea, and Caroso wondered whether the event marked the start of the plot mentioned in the comments.

Caroso and the passengers found their ship surrounded by wreckage and strange fog near the Sea of Taboo, where magic and communication were suppressed. Russell took control of the panicking passengers, while Caroso and Saya discovered signs that the ship and its occupants might have been altered or displaced in time.

• Caroso and Saya recognized that the ship had entered waters resembling the edge of the Sea of Taboo, and they agreed to a temporary truce.
• Russell appeared and persuaded the passengers to return to their cabins while he investigated the fog and the likely hidden enemy.
• Caroso pointed out that the corpses and wreckage suggested they were in an unfamiliar sea region, and Russell confirmed that the clothing showed subtle differences.
• Caroso and Russell noticed Saya's butler outfit had changed, though each remembered seeing it differently, and Saya and Caroso concealed their weapons from each other.
• Russell described an account of a ship that vanished and returned a century later with its passengers unchanged, prompting Caroso to worry that their ship had suffered a similar displacement.

Rayne and the others faced a fog-shrouded sea filled with corpses, while thinning magical particles weakened powerful mages and an enormous tentacle attacked the ship. As Minette watched from the shadows, she realized the ship seemed to have entered the Sea of Taboo and wondered what Celica had provoked.

• A seventh-tier warrior told Rayne that the thinning magical particles would make high-tier experts recover mana very slowly, and urged him to return to the cabin.
• Elena and Karei joined Rayne, and they noticed that their clothes appeared differently to the seventh-tier warrior than they did to themselves.
• Russell announced that he owned the ship and Deep Sea Industry, and the passengers and sailors began heading for the cabins.
• An enormous tentacle struck the seventh-tier warrior's shield and splattered viscous fluid on Elena, while the sailors fired Demon-Breaking Rounds at it.
• Minette watched from the shadows and suspected that the ship had entered the Sea of Taboo after Celica provoked something.

Thin tentacles invaded the ship, killing passengers and overwhelming its defenses as a knight from the Goddess of Dawn Church fought to protect the civilians. Celica found Sophia and Nimel trapped in cocoons, and Merlin identified their attacker as a monster from the Sea of Taboo.

• Tentacles entered the ship’s third-class cabins, swallowed passengers, and revealed that the submerged hull had turned to wood.
• A knight from the Goddess of Dawn Church cut through the tentacles and ordered civilians to flee, then threw his sword to save a boy and was wounded.
• Celica entered her room and found Sophia and Nimel trapped in transparent cocoons while tentacles channeled magic into them.
• Merlin recognized the creature as a monster from the Sea of Taboo and questioned how it had appeared there.