Chapter Summaries

Tang Zheng brought Zesshi Zetsumei to Lainas's estate and appointed Lainas to guide her training. After Zesshi overwhelmed Lainas with her aura, Tang Zheng set the two to sparring, and Lainas began attacking Zesshi with her full strength.

• Lainas trained at her estate and reflected on reaching the Hero Realm while wondering where Tang Zheng and the Half-Elf had gone.
• Tang Zheng arrived with Zesshi Zetsumei and told her that Lainas would guide her first.
• Zesshi Zetsumei threatened Lainas, whose body froze under Zesshi's terrifying aura until Tang Zheng intervened.
• Tang Zheng ordered Lainas to attack Zesshi with everything she had and forbade Zesshi from dodging or counterattacking.
• Lainas struck Zesshi with Dark Wave and her lance, making Zesshi stagger and leaving a red mark on her chest.
• Tang Zheng told Lainas to continue, and she picked up another weapon and resumed her attacks.

Tang Zheng had Lainas expose Zesshi Zetsumei to Curse Power in hopes of awakening her [Cursed Knight] class, then a Blue Sky Dragon Lord flew over E-Rantel and the Royal Capital, throwing the Kingdom into panic. As the Dragon Lord approached the Royal City, Tang Zheng sent Lainas back to Princess Renner and set out to learn why it had come.

• Lainas attacked Zesshi Zetsumei until Tang Zheng told her to focus her blows on one spot, and Zesshi's attempt to retaliate was stopped by Tang Zheng's Sand Field spell.
• Tang Zheng showed Zesshi a cursed wound that Minor Healing could not mend and explained that he wanted her to awaken [Cursed Knight] through exposure to Curse Power.
• Over the following days, Lainas continued creating cursed wounds on Zesshi, but Zesshi's high level and resistances limited their effect.
• The Blue Sky Dragon Lord, Suveria Myronsilk, flew over E-Rantel and the Royal Capital, causing widespread panic as it headed toward the Royal City.
• Zesshi offered to kill the Dragon Lord, but Tang Zheng stayed calm and told Lainas to return to Princess Renner so he could investigate the Dragon Lord's arrival.

Lainas renewed her oath to Tang Zheng, longing to stand beside him as an equal, while the Blue Sky Dragon Lord arrived at the Re-Estize Kingdom and demanded it wage a war of subjugation against the Empire. Princess Renner suspected the Council State was making the demand because it had suffered a defeat, and she reflected on how mysterious Tang Zheng’s identity had become.

• Lainas thanked Tang Zheng, swore her knightly allegiance again, and privately wished she could truly stand by his side.
• The Blue Sky Dragon Lord Suveria Myronsilk landed violently in the Royal City and demanded to see the king.
• Ramposa III gathered Zanac, Gazef, Renner, Lakyus, and the nobles to meet the Dragon Lord.
• Suveria asked when the Kingdom would launch its war of subjugation against the Empire, and Ramposa III denied that any such plan existed.
• Ramposa III offered Suveria magical gemstones as compensation, but Suveria declared the demand nonnegotiable.
• Renner suspected the Council State had suffered a loss and recalled Tang Zheng’s intelligence about its covert clash with the Slane Theocracy.

The Blue Sky Dragon Lord forced Ramposa III to prepare for war against the Baharuth Empire, while Tang Zheng took Zesshi Zetsumei to the cursed Abyss to trigger her [Cursed Knight] class. Zesshi remained badly wounded and enduring the curse as Tang Zheng watched for signs of her sensing its power.

• The Blue Sky Dragon Lord demanded that Ramposa III attack the Baharuth Empire, threatened the Kingdom, and gave it one month to prepare.
• Evileye watched the Dragon Lord depart and concluded that the Kingdom and Empire were in trouble; Tang Zheng learned what had happened but continued training Zesshi Zetsumei.
• Tang Zheng teleported Zesshi Zetsumei to the Abyss in the Baharuth Empire, bound her with Sand Field, and kicked her into the cursed valley before striking her with Hurricane Knight Spear.
• Tang Zheng found Zesshi alive at the valley floor and refused to heal her, telling her to sense the Curse Power in her wounds to obtain the [Cursed Knight] class.
• As Zesshi's cursed wounds spread and rotted, Tang Zheng kept her alive and fed her cursed lizard meat while she complained but remained in his care.

Tang Zheng helped Zesshi Zetsumei awaken a trace of Curse Power and began planning to reset her levels so he could rebuild her class system around [Valkyrie]. He then appeared in Fluder Paradyne’s carriage, introduced himself as the leader of Zurrernorn, and left Fluder confronting an unexpected intruder.

• Tang Zheng focused the valley’s Curse Power on Zesshi Zetsumei, who nearly died before her [Valkyrie] power awakened and she gained a trace of Curse Power.
• Zesshi Zetsumei attacked Tang Zheng after recovering, then learned he intended to begin a second training step involving level loss.
• Tang Zheng planned to remove levels from Zesshi Zetsumei’s [Rogue], [Assassin], and [Executioner] classes to rebuild her system around [Valkyrie].
• Fluder Paradyne left the Imperial Magic Ministry, brooding over his failed attempt to control a Death Knight and his longing to reach the Abyss of Magic.
• Tang Zheng appeared inside Fluder’s carriage without triggering the guards or magical detection and introduced himself as the leader of Zurrernorn.

Tang Zheng visited Fluder to learn his Immortality Ritual and exchanged knowledge with him while sharing information about creating a Death Knight. As Zesshi Zetsumei completed her class reset and returned to the Slane Theocracy, she delivered a New Year’s gift from Tang Zheng to the God-kin Captain.

• Tang Zheng entered Fluder’s carriage and asked to learn the Immortality Ritual, but Fluder explained its demanding requirements and initially told him he could not learn it.
• Tang Zheng demonstrated his power by placing a heavy Death Knight shield in the carriage and offered Fluder information about how the Death Knight had been created; Fluder agreed to teach him.
• Tang Zheng studied the complicated ritual with Fluder and periodically checked on Zesshi Zetsumei, whose class reset lowered her from Level 88 to Level 82.
• Zesshi Zetsumei returned to the underground palace in the Theocracy Capital, where the God-kin Captain noticed her weakened presence.
• Zesshi Zetsumei gave the God-kin Captain a gift box from Tang Zheng and relayed his Happy New Year greeting.

On New Year’s Day, Tang Zheng reunited Lainas with Imina at New Moon Lake and shared a meal with them. At midnight, he examined his newly acquired [Immortal] class and received New Year’s gifts from both women.

• Lainas watched the Royal Capital’s revelers after the court banquet and reflected on Imina’s absence and the Kingdom’s looming conflict with the Council State.
• Tang Zheng teleported to the Guest House, then took Lainas to New Moon Lake to visit Imina, who had become Chief Speaker of the Elf Kingdom’s parliament.
• Tang Zheng, Lainas, and Imina prepared and ate a crescent-shaped dish that Tang Zheng named “Crescent Moon’s Secret Box.”
• At midnight, Tang Zheng inspected the [Immortal] class and its Immortal Arts abilities, which he suspected were connected to Fluder’s immortality.
• Lainas and Imina wished Tang Zheng a happy New Year and presented him with gifts.

Jircniv feared that the Council State’s intervention would drag the Empire into war with the Dragon Lords, so he welcomed news that the Slane Theocracy had sent merchants and goods. Meanwhile, Tang Zheng completed a Longevity Magic Ritual and raised his level to 85, gaining Immortality resistance and leaving his lifespan greatly extended.

• Jircniv weighed the Empire’s military losses and the danger posed by the Blue Sky Dragon Lord, concluding that the Kingdom might be forced into war with the Council State.
• Jircniv learned that merchants from the Slane Theocracy had arrived with goods and ordered preparations to meet them.
• Tang Zheng set up the Longevity Magic Ritual in a valley and considered the Platinum Dragon Lord’s intentions and the unknown enemy linked to the Floating City.
• Tang Zheng raised his Overall Level from 81 to 85, suppressed the resulting surge of three auras, and activated the ritual.
• Tang Zheng gained an Immortality passive without degradation and concluded that he could live for at least several hundred years.

Tang Zheng learned from the Elf King’s intelligence that the Floating City had only three true Guardians and was constrained by limited resources and distrust. As the Hundred-Year Aftershock approached, the Platinum Dragon Lord met an old human friend, who confronted him about the Blue Sky Dragon Lord and the forced war between the Kingdom and the Empire.

• Tang Zheng used the Elf King’s report about the Frostborn Banshee to assess the Floating City’s surveillance and resources.
• The Elf King revealed that he remained in Eryuentiu, had not been admitted to the Floating City’s Guild, and had obtained intelligence by approaching a Harpie named Ara.
• Tang Zheng combined the Elf King’s findings with Dragonman Ladon’s account and concluded that the Floating City had thirty Guardians, including three level 100 true Guardians, and four areas.
• Tang Zheng realized the Floating City relied on Mercenary Monsters because its resources and manpower were limited and its leaders distrusted outsiders.
• As the Blue Sky Dragon Lord’s one-month deadline neared, the Platinum Dragon Lord met an elderly human woman in his underground palace.
• The woman asked the Platinum Dragon Lord why the Blue Sky Dragon Lord had appeared in the Kingdom and forced the Royal Family to wage war against the Empire.

Rigrit confronted the Platinum Dragon Lord about his role in provoking a war between the Kingdom and the Empire, then agreed to consider his request to infiltrate the Slane Theocracy. Meanwhile, the Blue Sky Dragon Lord forced Ramposa III to mobilize the Kingdom's army, and nearly one hundred thousand troops marched toward E-Rantel.

• Rigrit challenged the Platinum Dragon Lord over his manipulation of the war, and he asked her to investigate the Slane Theocracy as the Hundred-Year Aftershock approached.
• The Platinum Dragon Lord confirmed that Surshana, the God of Death, had died, and Rigrit left the hall.
• The Blue Sky Dragon Lord attacked the royal palace and used Dragon Fear to force Ramposa III and the Kingdom's leaders to hear his demand for an immediate invasion of the Empire.
• Lakyus objected to the Dragon Lord's coercion, but Ramposa III ordered her to stand down and agreed to let the Dragon Lords handle the Empire.
• Ramposa III issued a conscription order to the six great nobles, and nearly one hundred thousand troops marched toward E-Rantel on February 2.

Tang Zheng restored Zesshi Zetsumei’s strength by guiding Curse energy into her, and she challenged him to a rematch with the Wind God’s equipment. As their fight began, Tang Zheng suspected she had been concealing knowledge of the Chosen Knight’s finishing move.

• Tang Zheng monitored the Blue Sky Dragon Lord’s slow-moving army and questioned why the Kingdom had sent so few troops.
• After nearly a month of Curse energy infusion, Zesshi Zetsumei’s strength surged, and Tang Zheng wondered how the Thirteen Heroes had died.
• Zesshi Zetsumei thanked Tang Zheng for helping her grow stronger, then demanded a rematch to prove her improvement.
• Zesshi Zetsumei equipped Heavenly Radiance, Light of Dawn, the Radiant Sacred Gold Sword, and the Dawn Wall Gold Shield before attacking Tang Zheng.
• Zesshi Zetsumei deflected Cerberus with Threefold Paradise, but Tang Zheng teleported away and suspected she knew the Chosen Knight’s finishing move.

Tang Zheng battled Zesshi Zetsumei, testing elemental spell combinations against her powerful Divine Tier equipment and discovering both their limits and strengths. Zesshi unleashed her equipment’s damage-reflecting skill, but Tang Zheng survived by converting the damage into mana loss.

• Tang Zheng observed Zesshi Zetsumei’s rotating shields and used elemental spells, but learned that converting Vermilion Nova into other elements weakened it.
• Tang Zheng used Elemental Conversion with Trumpeter spells to overwhelm Zesshi, while she endured the attacks with her equipment and resistances.
• Zesshi Zetsumei struck at Tang Zheng, but he swapped positions with Cerberus using Hilmi's Messenger and followed with a powerful combined attack.
• Zesshi used Dawn Judgment to delay Tang Zheng’s teleportation, then activated Judgment Reflection to return the magic damage he had taken.
• Tang Zheng remained standing in the crater, having used Translocation Damage to convert the returned damage into a loss of nearly 200 mana points.

Tang Zheng and Zesshi Zetsumei continued their battle, each revealing powerful skills and summons. Zesshi’s final trump card failed to turn the fight around, and she ended the chapter defeated as Tang Zheng asked what it had done.

• Tang Zheng endured Zesshi Zetsumei’s attack, then resumed his elemental assault as she overcame her fear and used Unclean Impact Shield to cancel his water magic.
• Zesshi tricked Tang Zheng into discussing his magic before striking him with Purifying Throwing Spear, wounding him for the first time.
• Tang Zheng summoned a Judgment Throne Angel and a Blizzard Elemental Spirit, then used a tempest, teleportation, and lightning magic to suppress Zesshi.
• Zesshi activated her innate talent, Sacrifice Is the Bridge to Redemption, dispelling the tempest and summons, but Tang Zheng remained unharmed.
• Tang Zheng defeated Zesshi and asked about her trump card, and she weakly explained that it was Negation.

Tang Zheng deduced that Zesshi Zetsumei’s trump card, “Sacrifice Is the Bridge to Redemption,” forcibly dismissed skills and spells, then sent her back to the Theocracy. As the Kingdom and Empire faced each other for battle, Renner and Raeven weighed the consequences while the Kingdom’s nobles grew greedy for the spoils of victory.

• Tang Zheng defeated Zesshi Zetsumei, carried her from the ruins, and teleported her back to the Theocracy.
• Tang Zheng reasoned that Zesshi Zetsumei’s trump card was Forced Dismissal, which could make enemy skills and spells dismiss themselves.
• Renner asked Tang Zheng about the looming war and predicted that the Kingdom’s nobles would submit to the Dragon Lord in hopes of gaining from the Empire’s defeat.
• The Empire’s generals noted that the Kingdom had sent no envoy and discussed waiting for the Kingdom to attack.
• The Kingdom’s nobles crowded into its camp expecting riches from victory, while Raeven worried that the Kingdom might lose its independence after the Empire fell.
• Gazef entered the Kingdom’s camp, and Raeven silenced the nobles as they demanded to know when the Dragon Lord would destroy the Empire.

The Kingdom launched an attack on the Empire under pressure from the Blue Sky Dragon Lord, while Marquis Raeven set a three-day limit. Princess Renner explained the larger political contest to Tang Zheng and asked for a Prayer Day gift, leaving him hinting that he might give her one.

• Marquis Raeven ordered the Kingdom's forces to advance, and the Empire's archers and magic units inflicted heavy casualties on the Left Wing Corps.
• Gazef warned Marquis Raeven that the spear formation was ill-suited for attacking, but Raeven said the Kingdom had to keep attacking and set a three-day deadline.
• Princess Renner told Tang Zheng that the war was a test between the Council State and the Slane Theocracy, with the Kingdom serving as a barrier between them.
• Tang Zheng learned of the three-day deadline from Lainas and recognized a flaw in Princess Renner's understanding of the Platinum Dragon Lord's role.
• Princess Renner pointed out that Tang Zheng had given Lainas a Prayer Day gift but not her, and Tang Zheng hinted that she might receive an extra gift.

Princess Renner warned Tang Zheng that the Council State might be testing other forces, while the Kingdom kept attacking the Empire to create enough casualties to request the Blue Sky Dragon Lord’s help. Fluder intervened first, unleashing magic and undead against the Kingdom’s troops, and Lainas survived his lightning attack thanks to her protective item.

• Renner suggested to Tang Zheng that the Council State’s war might conceal tests or operations aimed at unknown forces.
• Marquis Raeven decided that the Kingdom’s casualties were sufficient and ordered Gazef and Lainas to confront the Empire’s Guardian God while he sought the Blue Sky Dragon Lord’s help.
• Fluder entered the battlefield with two disciples, who attacked the Kingdom’s soldiers with magic while he summoned two Heavy Skeleton Warriors.
• Gazef and Lainas charged into battle against the undead, and Lainas drove one Heavy Skeleton Warrior back with rapid lance strikes.
• Fluder struck Lainas with Dragon Lightning, but her Mane of Fierce Thorns barrier protected her from the attack.

The Blue Sky Dragon Lord appeared over the battlefield and attacked after Fluder struck first, but the Slane Theocracy’s two Principalities arrived and wounded it with Extreme Holy Strikes. The Dragon Lord recovered and fought back against the Angels, leaving the battle still raging.

• Lainas escaped Fluder’s attack, but Fluder interrupted his attempt to pursue her when the Blue Sky Dragon Lord appeared over the Kingdom’s troops.
• Fluder cast Triple Destruction at the Dragon Lord, which answered with Verdant Breath and dispersed the spell.
• Two Principalities arrived through Teleportation, and their Extreme Holy Strikes knocked the Blue Sky Dragon Lord from the sky and wounded it.
• Huanque and his companion revealed themselves as members of the Black Scripture, while the Dragon Lord rose again and vowed to kill everyone.
• The Principalities fought the Dragon Lord: one blocked its breath while the other attacked, and the Dragon Lord seized one Angel and knocked the other aside with its tail.
• A Principality rammed the Dragon Lord, whose scales and armor were damaged in the ongoing clash.

The Slane Theocracy’s Principalities and Fluder held off the Blue Sky Dragon Lord, leaving the battle between the Kingdom and Empire at a stalemate. In the Theocracy Capital, Tang Zheng considered the confrontation while a Doppelgänger disguised as Old Priest Paul hesitated to carry out a mission near the Theocracy’s core area.

• The Blue Sky Dragon Lord fought two Principalities until Fluder joined the battle with defensive and mental magic, helping them hold the dragon at bay.
• The Blue Sky Dragon Lord retreated and threatened the humans, while the Principalities remained in place for hours without disappearing, stunning Fluder and the others.
• Tang Zheng concluded that the Principalities and Fluder could keep the Blue Sky Dragon Lord occupied, then considered why the Theocracy had no known long-lasting undead created from corpses.
• Tang Zheng ordered the God-kin Captain, Thousand Miles Astrologer, and the Black Scripture to search the Theocracy Capital, but they found nothing as the border battle remained stalled.
• The Doppelgänger disguised as Old Priest Paul met two level-80 Hanzo in his home and refused to approach the Theocracy Capital, fearing its Guardian and possible World Item.

The Floating City planned to lure the Slane Theocracy’s Divine Scion out, while the Platinum Dragon Lord reassessed the Theocracy and dispatched someone to increase pressure on it. After returning from the Great Forest of Evasha, Marshal Gael sought a private meeting with Zesshi Zetsumei, who attacked him when she suspected his story about the Elf King was false; Rigrit recognized Zesshi as the Godkin she had been sent to investigate.

• Doppelgänger concluded that the Divine Scion was hidden in the Theocracy’s capital and proposed luring the scion out when the army returned from the Great Forest of Evasha.
• After learning of the Theocracy’s Angel monsters, the Platinum Dragon Lord decided to send a child to put more pressure on it.
• The Theocracy’s army returned from the Great Forest of Evasha, and Cardinal of Water Zinedine welcomed Marshal Gael and his troops at Talls Town.
• Marshal Gael told Zinedine that he wanted to thank Zesshi Zetsumei and report a possible clue to the Elf King’s whereabouts, so Zinedine agreed to pass on his request.
• After receiving a reaction from the Magic Mark, Tang Zheng cast Information; later, Zesshi confronted Marshal Gael at a gathering and pressed her Cross-Spear War Scythe to his throat.
• Rigrit watched from the shadows and recognized Zesshi Zetsumei as the Godkin the Platinum Dragon Lord had tasked her with investigating.

Doppelgänger and two Monster Hanzos ambushed Zesshi Zetsumei, stopped time, and captured her before escaping. Tang Zheng pursued them while maintaining Dimensional Lock, and he aimed to learn more about the Floating City’s plans before they reached the Dolor Desert.

• Zesshi Zetsumei confronted Marshal Gael, but Monster Hanzos attacked her from the shadows and shattered her throat.
• Doppelgänger used a single-use Time Stop ring, and the Monster Hanzos knocked Zesshi unconscious as the spell ended.
• Doppelgänger tried to teleport away with Zesshi, but Dimensional Lock blocked the spell, forcing the group to flee on foot.
• Tang Zheng and the God-kin Captain emerged from hiding and pursued the fleeing captors after Tang Zheng recognized the Monster Hanzos as agents of the Floating City.
• Doppelgänger realized the pursuers were maintaining Dimensional Lock, while Tang Zheng followed from above and planned to intercept them before they reached the Dolor Desert.