Chapter Summaries

Tang Zheng fought the Ancient Red Dragon after it demanded a magic item, but their battle drew the wounded dragon and Tang Zheng into conflict with the Sun Anglerfish near the Magma Sea. As the Sun Anglerfish’s suction pulled Tang Zheng toward the lava again, he grabbed a small fish monster that had emerged from it.

• The Ancient Red Dragon demanded Tang Zheng hand over a magic item, and Tang Zheng attacked it with his Magic Greatsword.
• Tang Zheng blocked the dragon’s Flame Breath with Unclean Impact Shield and struck its chest, severely wounding it but cracking his sword and leaving himself injured.
• The Ancient Red Dragon fell toward the Magma Sea, and Tang Zheng fled because he was wounded and out of mana.
• The dragon’s roar triggered a powerful suction that pulled Tang Zheng toward the Magma Sea, but he used Unclean Impact Shield and threw a Purifying Throwing Spear to escape.
• The Sun Anglerfish emerged and attacked Tang Zheng, who used Soul of the Heroic Spirit to block its tentacle before the spirit was dragged into the lava.
• A second suction force pulled Tang Zheng off the ground, and he grabbed a small Sun Anglerfish-like monster as he was drawn toward the lava.

The Theocracy abandoned Quaiesse’s rescue as its leaders suspected her death and possible resurrection were part of an enemy plot. Five days later, the Sunlight Scripture found traces of her killers in the Lava Zone, where a Fire Dragon attacked them; elsewhere, Tang Zheng emerged from a volcanic river in an unknown land.

• Thousand Miles Astrologer left the conference hall after the Cardinals decided not to send the Black Scripture to rescue Quaiesse, and Ninth Seat: Windstride followed her to ask how her brother died.
• The black-haired youth met the black-and-silver-haired girl outside the temple and challenged her to a fight, which she accepted.
• Five days later, the Sunlight Scripture searched Quaiesse’s disappearance site and found signs of a Divine System Magic Caster, a Warrior, and a gigantic creature.
• A Fire Dragon erupted from the Lava Sea and attacked the Sunlight Scripture, dragging members into the lava and setting others ablaze.
• Tang Zheng transformed from a red fish in a volcanic river and flew into the air, cursing the Red Dragon and Sun Anglerfish and wondering where he was.

After escaping the Lava Zone through a natural Gate, Tang Zheng found himself in a vast, unfamiliar Gobi and chose to explore it with the Barghest before returning. On the third day, he encountered and killed five Desert Scorpions, confirming that the region held life.

• Tang Zheng emerged from the magma in an unknown Gobi, realized he could no longer sense the Magic Marks on the Twin Witches, and considered whether to return or explore.
• Tang Zheng revived the Barghest, reconnected with it using Partner Contract I, and sent it scouting before deciding to explore for at most one month.
• Tang Zheng and the Barghest traveled away from the volcanic region for several days without finding any living creatures.
• On the evening of the third day, Desert Scorpions erupted from the sand and attacked Tang Zheng and the Barghest.
• Tang Zheng severed the scorpions' tails and killed all five with his iron sword, estimating they were around Level 11 or 12.

Tang Zheng found a Rock Giant in the Gobi Desert, defeated it, and collected its Stone Man's Heart. The Barghest then led him toward five sturdy figures hauling ore, whose conversation revealed a nearby Oasis, Shadow Valley, and a kingdom they hoped to rebuild.

• On his seventh day in the Gobi Desert, Tang Zheng marked a rock and awakened a Rock Giant that attacked him.
• Tang Zheng failed to charm the Rock Giant or communicate with it, then cut through its charge and destroyed it.
• Tang Zheng appraised and collected the Rock Giant's Stone Man's Heart, a magical material that could give rise to another Rock Giant.
• The Barghest returned as Tang Zheng sensed five figures pulling an ore-laden cart about five kilometers away.
• The five figures discussed a war at Oasis, their enemies outside Shadow Valley, and their wish to rebuild their Kingdom before one of them mentioned an ancient legend.

Tang Zheng learned that humans in Despair Valley were close to extinction and rode toward their oasis after killing four Grey Dwarves and interrogating the survivor. The chapter ended as the Grey Dwarves surrounded a human force led by the Hero’s granddaughter and she ordered them to fight.

• Tang Zheng encountered five Grey Dwarves, who tried to capture him to trade for wine, and he killed four of them instantly.
• Tang Zheng used Charm Species: All to question the surviving Grey Dwarf, who explained that his people had fled to Despair Valley after losing a war fifty years earlier.
• Tang Zheng learned that the Grey Dwarves planned to seize the humans’ oasis after the human Hero died of old age, then killed the survivor and rode toward the humans.
• Five hundred Grey Dwarves surrounded about one hundred humans, including the silver-haired granddaughter of the deceased human Hero.
• The Grey Dwarf general threatened the humans, and the silver-haired girl raised her lance and ordered her people to attack.

Yalar led the desperate human survivors in an attack on the Grey Dwarf army, but the armored general’s Rune Armor thwarted her attempt to defeat him. As the humans faced encirclement, a giant eagle and a mysterious figure in gray armor suddenly attacked the Grey Dwarves.

• Yalar charged into the Grey Dwarf ranks and fought the general while the humans battled the much larger enemy force.
• The Grey Dwarf general offered to spare the humans if Yalar surrendered, but she rejected his offer and attacked him.
• Yalar’s spear barrage pierced the general’s defenses but was stopped by his Rune Armor, and Grey Dwarves surrounded her.
• A giant black eagle swooped into the battlefield, knocking down and carrying off Grey Dwarf soldiers.
• A mysterious gray-armored figure wielding a greatsword appeared and cut through the Grey Dwarves, overwhelming them with each swing.

Tang Zheng rescued Yaluer and her human clansmen by slaughtering the Grey Dwarves who had attacked them. After revealing that he was human and agreeing to help, he gave the injured survivors alchemical potions and asked Yaluer to explain their situation.

• Tang Zheng cut down the Grey Dwarf general and pursued the fleeing soldiers, killing them all while Yaluer and her injured clansmen watched.
• Yaluer asked Tang Zheng why he had helped them, and he removed his armor and said he needed no reason to help his own kind.
• Yaluer and the other humans doubted that Tang Zheng was human, but he explained that he was a traveler who had appeared there after encountering unknown magic.
• Yaluer asked Tang Zheng to save them, and he agreed before learning about their situation.
• Tang Zheng gave the wounded humans alchemical potions to mix with water and treat their injuries, then handed Yaluer another bottle to drink.

Tang Zheng learned that only five thousand humans remained and rushed with Yaluer to defend their Oasis from a Grey Dwarf army. As the humans began to retreat, Tang Zheng’s arrival caused chaos behind the Grey Dwarves, and the clan chief spotted Yaluer amid the fighting.

• Yaluer drank Tang Zheng’s Alchemical Potion, recovered from her injuries, and told him that only five thousand humans remained against roughly five thousand Grey Dwarves.
• Tang Zheng realized the Grey Dwarves had taken another route toward the human Oasis, then sent Blackie to guard the weapons while he and Yaluer hurried back.
• The Grey Dwarf commander led his legion in an attack on the Oasis, where the human clan chief and the other residents prepared to resist.
• The Grey Dwarves overwhelmed the humans, forcing them to retreat until a disturbance erupted behind the legion.
• The human clan chief spotted Yaluer in the chaos at the rear of the Grey Dwarf army.

Tang Zheng led Yaluer and a squad of humans into battle, destroying the Grey Dwarf legion and killing its commander. As the survivors hailed him as the Gray Armored Knight, he gained the Unique Basic Class [Gray Armored Knight (Unique)].

• Tang Zheng and Yaluer's squad broke through the Grey Dwarves and joined the besieged humans, while Tang Zheng killed Oron with one strike.
• Tang Zheng charged into the Grey Dwarf ranks as Yaluer and her father rallied the humans to support him.
• Tang Zheng used Mana Slash: Wind to cut through the soldiers and reached the Grey Dwarves' commander-in-chief, whom he killed.
• The commander-in-chief's death sent the Grey Dwarf legion into a rout, and the humans pursued the fleeing soldiers until the battle ended.
• Yaluer and the survivors cheered Tang Zheng as the Gray Armored Knight, triggering his acquisition of the Unique Basic Class [Gray Armored Knight (Unique)].

Tang Zheng celebrated his victory over the Grey Dwarves with the human tribe and learned that his battle had earned him a Unique class and more than 600,000 experience points. Chief Dielong said the surviving Grey Dwarves would not invade for at least ten years, though their larger population still left the tribe’s future uncertain.

• Tang Zheng discovered he had acquired the Unique class Gray Armored Knight, which [Genius] absorbed as a Basic Class, leaving him unsure what abilities it granted.
• Tang Zheng declared victory, and Yal and the tribe celebrated around a bonfire while Chief Dielong served him local food.
• Tang Zheng asked about the Grey Dwarves and learned his defeat of their 5,000 soldiers had earned him more than 600,000 experience points, while the Grey Dwarves had a population of around 20,000.
• Chief Dielong and the tribespeople knelt and wept in gratitude, but Tang Zheng rebuked them and told them to get up and dance.
• Chief Dielong said the Grey Dwarves had lost the troops they could send and would not invade again for at least ten years.

Tang Zheng learned about Despair Valley’s three oases, its dangerous route through Shadow Valley, and the Stone Giant Hearts collected by the Grey Dwarves and Orcs. Examining the spoils from the battle, he discovered that the Grey Dwarves had mastered Rune Technology.

• Chief Dielong explained that humans, Grey Dwarves, and Orcs occupied Despair Valley’s three largest oases, between northern mountains and southern volcanoes.
• Chief Dielong warned Tang Zheng that Shadow Valley was the only route out and that Orcs occupied a fortress there.
• Chief Dielong identified Tang Zheng’s Stone Giant Heart and said Grey Dwarves and Orcs collected the valuable cores.
• Yal brought Tang Zheng the Grey Dwarf commander’s horn and armor after treating the tribe’s wounded with diluted Healing Potion.
• Tang Zheng used Item Appraisal on the horn and armor and discovered that both were Runecraft Items.

Tang Zheng learned how many fighters the human tribe could muster and decided to wait for their wounded to recover before leading an assault to wipe out the Grey Dwarves. At night, he raised his level to 41 and realized he needed a way to conceal his growing strength.

• Tang Zheng explained the two magical items to Yal and let her keep them, while Chief Dielong asked whether he was a traveler.
• Yal and Chief Dielong told Tang Zheng they could gather two thousand fighters after allowing time for the wounded to recover.
• Tang Zheng announced that they would eliminate the Grey Dwarves completely, shocking Chief Dielong and Yal.
• At night, Tang Zheng raised his Overall Level from 37 to 41, advancing his Mad Wizard class to level 5.
• Tang Zheng noted that his aura was growing stronger and considered finding a way to hide his level and power.

Tang Zheng assessed Yaluer’s abilities after she asked him to teach her, and discovered that her three Classes gave her exceptional potential. He told her she had the talent to become strong, though reaching the Hero level would depend on her effort and opportunities.

• Tang Zheng drank from the Oasis pool and learned from Yaluer that the clan was recovering thanks to his potions and training with the Grey Dwarves’ weapons.
• Yaluer asked Tang Zheng to teach her how to become stronger and demonstrated her strongest lance techniques.
• Tang Zheng examined Yaluer’s Attribute Panel and found that she had the Basic Classes Warrior and Knight, along with the Mid-tier Class Earth Knight.
• Tang Zheng praised Yaluer’s ability and told her she had the talent to reach great strength, while noting that becoming a Hero would depend on her effort and opportunities.

Tang Zheng demonstrated sword techniques to Yaluer while the Grey Dwarves panicked over the destruction of their elite army and prepared to approach the humans with an apology. With three thousand humans ready to march against them, Tang Zheng promised Chief Dielong he would bring everyone back and led the force out.

• Tang Zheng showed Yaluer Fourfold Slash of Light and its Breakthrough variation, explaining that Martial Arts could serve as a reference for Precise Control.
• The Grey Dwarves learned that their commander and all five thousand elite soldiers had been lost, and their king and ministers debated how to respond to the mysterious Hero Realm powerhouse.
• The Grey Dwarf ministers proposed investigating Tang Zheng and offering weapons as an apology, while the king objected and was reminded that their kingdom no longer had a Hero Realm protector.
• The next morning, ten Grey Dwarves departed with a cart of weapons, while Yaluer rallied three thousand humans armed with warhammers and shields for the coming battle.
• Tang Zheng joined Yaluer and Chief Dielong, promised to bring everyone back, and ordered the human force to move out.

Tang Zheng led three thousand humans across the desert to Grey Dwarf Oasis and learned that the Grey Dwarves’ Minister of Forging still knew Rune Technology. After resting near the oasis, Tang Zheng began his noon assault by summoning a Sandstorm Elemental Spirit.

• Tang Zheng ordered the humans to rest by day and travel by night, and they reached the area near Grey Dwarf Oasis late on the third night.
• Yaluer and Tang Zheng ambushed a Grey Dwarf squad carrying weapons, and Tang Zheng used Charm to learn that the Minister of Forging still possessed knowledge of Rune Technology.
• Tang Zheng had the exhausted humans rest near the oasis until noon, explaining that the Grey Dwarves lived underground and that attacking then would be easier.
• Tang Zheng sent the Barghest into the air to watch the oasis and used Composite Elemental Summoning to summon a Sandstorm Elemental Spirit.

Tang Zheng attacked the Grey Dwarf Oasis with summoned Sandstorm Elemental Spirits, then personally confronted the Grey Dwarves after their Gargoyle destroyed his first summon. He shattered the Gargoyle and pressed toward the underground caves while the Grey Dwarves tried to stop him.

• Tang Zheng summoned a Sandstorm Elemental Spirit to scout the Grey Dwarf Oasis, where it killed patrol soldiers and found an underground cave entrance before being destroyed by an unknown force.
• Tang Zheng summoned another Sandstorm Elemental Spirit and kept it aboveground, provoking the Forging Minister to emerge and command a Gargoyle to attack it.
• A Grey Dwarf messenger warned the Forging Minister that the elemental spirit was an enemy's attack, just as Tang Zheng arrived and cut down Grey Dwarf soldiers.
• The Forging Minister rang an alarm bell and ordered the Gargoyle to kill Tang Zheng, but Tang Zheng shattered it with one sword strike.
• Tang Zheng summoned another Sandstorm Elemental Spirit into an underground cave and charged the Grey Dwarves, cutting through those who tried to defend the Forging Minister.

Tang Zheng slaughtered the Grey Dwarves while the Grey Dwarf King and his ministers pinned their hopes on Astor and a treasury weapon. Astor fired at Tang Zheng’s legs, but the shot struck the Magic Greatsword instead, revealing the weapon to be a gun.

• Tang Zheng captured and charmed the Master Forger, while Yaluer’s human forces surrounded the Oasis and hunted fleeing Grey Dwarves.
• The Grey Dwarf King fled through the collapsing underground passages until the Chief Minister persuaded him to stop running and fight back.
• The Chief Minister introduced Astor and the treasury weapon, then asked the King for his magical ring; the King gave it to Astor and agreed to assist him.
• Tang Zheng continued cutting down the Grey Dwarves as they organized a counterattack, and he noticed the Sandstorm Elemental Spirit had been restrained.
• Astor used the weapon to aim at Tang Zheng’s legs and fired, but Tang Zheng blocked the shot with his Magic Greatsword and recognized the weapon as a gun.

Tang Zheng fought the Grey Dwarves and discovered that Astor was using a YGGDRASIL Magic Gun: Sniper Rifle. After Astor escaped with Dimensional Move, Tang Zheng learned the spell, while more attackers closed in on him.

• Tang Zheng blocked Astor’s first two sniper shots and deduced that the Grey Dwarf was using a powerful gun with a firing delay.
• Astor fired a strengthened shot with Wrong Shot, but Tang Zheng dodged it, pinpointed his position, and attacked with Fourfold Slash of Light: Mana Slash: Wind.
• Tang Zheng charged Astor, parried his rapid shots from Overloaded Muzzle, and recognized the weapon as a Magic Gun: Sniper Rifle.
• Astor escaped Tang Zheng’s sword strike by activating a magic ring and casting Dimensional Move, which Tang Zheng learned by spending one Skill Point.
• The Barghest swooped at Astor, who dodged with Evasion Instinct, while black shadows approached Tang Zheng from both sides.

Tang Zheng defeated the Grey Dwarves, killed their leader Astor, and gained more than one million experience points. He gave Yal the Grey Dwarves’ Dimensional Transfer ring, left craftsmen alive for her tribe, and searched the Grey Dwarf treasury, which contained little of value.

• Tang Zheng killed Astor and routed the Grey Dwarf forces, slaughtering them through the day as Yal and her clansmen pursued fleeing survivors.
• Yal entered the Oasis and found Tang Zheng alive; his experience total had surpassed one million.
• Tang Zheng gave Yal the Dimensional Transfer ring and told her to guard the surviving Grey Dwarf craftsmen for their forging skills.
• Tang Zheng awakened the Minister of Forging and made him lead the way to the Grey Dwarf treasury.
• Tang Zheng broke into the treasury and found mostly alcohol, food, damaged weapons, and ore, leaving him disappointed.

Tang Zheng examined the Grey Dwarf treasury and learned how its legendary Magic Gun had been repaired and made usable. The weapon’s origin raised the possibility that another Player had appeared in the region more than two hundred years ago, leaving Tang Zheng with a mystery to investigate.

• Tang Zheng told Yal to evacuate the treasury’s food and wine and dispose of the Grey Dwarf corpses before they contaminated the underground water.
• Tang Zheng considered the dangers facing Lainas and Imina, then inspected the treasury’s ores, ruined equipment, and Magic Gun.
• Tang Zheng learned that the Magic Gun was a damaged Top Tier weapon passed down from the second Grey Dwarf king and considered several possible origins, including another Player’s arrival in the region.
• The forging minister explained that he had used Mithril and Blue Steel to make a replacement magazine, then crafted iron bullets with Runes so the Magic Gun could be used again.