Chapter Summaries

Gwen defeated Godfrey, then confronted the Golden Tree’s forces and the Elden Beast after shattering the Two Fingers’ suppression. The Elden Beast revealed a compassionate cosmic figure, whom Gwen recognized as the source of the events and called an abomination and Demon Bow’s lackey.

• Trina and Godfrey realized that the sun had returned, and Godfrey charged at Gwen’s descending golden light.
• Gwen defeated Godfrey, who prepared to fight on until Gwen offered him a choice between dying there and seeking stronger foes beyond the Lands Between.
• Gwen killed the Omenkillers threatening Ranni’s path, then defeated Radagon and left a golden brand on his gauntlet.
• The Elden Beast appeared with several pairs of Two Fingers attached to its hands, and Gwen lifted and shattered the Golden Tree’s suppression with one punch.
• Gwen seized the Elden Beast and hurled it beyond Leyndell, where it transformed the battlefield into a starry void.
• The Elden Beast showed Gwen a compassionate figure amid the darkness, and Gwen identified the figure as an abomination and Demon Bow’s lackey.

Gwen exposed the Golden Tree’s exploitation of the Lands Between and resisted an Abundant faction’s attempt to brainwash the armies. After destroying its summoned attackers, he turned to burn the Golden Tree, which raised a barrier around itself.

• Gwen shattered the Compassionate Medicine King’s illusion, disrupting its influence over Leyndell and the allied army.
• He accused the Golden Tree of treating the Lands Between’s people as livestock and showed a vision of it stealing the world’s light and warmth.
• Morgott asked Gwen for proof, and Gwen pointed out a Starfall Beast descending from the sky as evidence of the enemy’s attack.
• The Starfall Beast struck the battlefield, and a living warship released attackers whose strength the Golden Tree replenished with blessings.
• Gwen controlled the attackers with a reconstructed illusion technique, learned what he needed from them, and annihilated them with the Dragon Slayer Spear.
• Gwen prepared to burn the Golden Tree, but it raised a golden barrier around itself.

Gwen burned through the Golden Tree’s defenses and fought the Buli Ren while the Monarch Alliance and its allies rallied against the invading forces. As Gwen began taking control of the tree, the Xianzhou noticed the disturbance, and Fu Xuan faced the approaching crisis at Fanghu without knowing where the Grand Observation Array’s predicted chance of victory lay.

• Gwen used the First Flame and a Light Speed Punch to break the Golden Tree’s barrier, then began burning the tree and disrupting the Buli Ren’s systems.
• The Buli Ren Overseer ordered an arriving fleet to destroy Gwen before the Xianzhou detected the hidden planet, but Gwen gathered and burned attacking ships with gravity and flame.
• The Golden Tree’s blessing strengthened the embattled Monarch Alliance, while Trina supported the fighters and Morgott led the Night Riders against the Buli Ren.
• Lanssanxus arrived with Ancient Dragons and Hiryuu to attack the enemy aircraft, and Gwen strengthened the allied forces as the battle continued.
• Fu Xuan’s divinations warned that an all-out Xianzhou attack would end disastrously, but the worsening battle at Fanghu made Luofu and Yuque’s intervention inevitable.

Fu Xuan’s divination revealed that the Lands Between offered the Xianzhou a chance to change the war, prompting Jing Yuan and Yuque to mobilize. Gwen destroyed the Abundant People forces guarding the Golden Tree, while Radahn, Trina, Morgott, and the others watched new fleets arrive and wondered whether they were fighting the Greater Will or one another.

• Fu Xuan used the Cloud-Gazing Mirror’s anomaly in her calculations and reported a possible opportunity to the Divine Strategy Bureau.
• Jing Yuan ordered the Luofu to race toward the Lands Between, while Xianzhou Yuque ordered full support for Fanghu.
• The Abundant People Allied Forces redirected fleets to intercept the Luofu and reinforce the colony, but Gwen killed the four fighters surrounding him and crushed the fleet with a Quasi-Black Hole.
• Radahn, Trina, Morgott, and the other defenders watched the remaining Buli Ren forces perish and saw more fleets arrive above the Lands Between.
• Trina guessed that the new arrivals might be fighting the Greater Will, while Radahn said Gwen would decide what they did next.

Yukong and Caiyi encountered Gwen as the Xianzhou Alliance fought the Abundant People in the Lands Between, and Gwen formed a wartime alliance with Jing Yuan. He told Trina and Radahn that the Lands Between could not join the space battle, leaving them to protect survivors and wait while he alone could aid the Xianzhou.

• Yukong and Caiyi fought Beasts of Burden in their Star Rail, and Caiyi reported Gwen’s immense energy signature to Xianzhou headquarters.
• Gwen destroyed a missile threatening Caiyi’s Star Rail, then contacted the pilots through telepathy and explained the situation in the Lands Between.
• Jing Yuan spoke with Gwen, asked him to defend the planet and support the Xianzhou forces where possible, and promised the Luofu would reward him after the fighting.
• Gwen offered Yukong and Caiyi protection for their warships and returned to Trina, Radahn, and the others on the ground.
• Gwen explained that the Lands Between could not participate in the interstellar war, and Trina concluded that they should stabilize the people, find survivors, and wait for the battle to end.
• Trina recognized that Gwen was the only one among them capable of helping the Xianzhou, and she felt frustrated by their inability to intervene.

Gwen protected the Lands Between with a barrier while the Xianzhou Alliance fought the Abundant People Allied Forces. The battle turned into a crisis for Fanghu when Jidu Mirage suddenly charged toward it, leaving the Xianzhou ships unable to stop the attack.

• Trina and the others joined a discussion about their next steps, while Morgott accepted Gwen's mercy and went with them.
• Gwen raised a planetary barrier around the Lands Between and told Jing Yuan it could help stop the Abundant People from reclaiming the Golden Tree.
• The Buli Ren's forces faltered as their attack on Fanghu stalled, but Anqin and Lisha prepared a feint to draw Xianzhou forces toward the Golden Tree.
• Jidu Mirage abruptly changed course and accelerated toward Fanghu, while the Xianzhou ships wounded it but failed to halt its advance.
• The Xianzhou Alliance struggled to defend Fanghu because its forces were occupied elsewhere and Jing Yuan was restrained by an enemy combatant.

As the Xianzhou Alliance debated how to save Fanghu from Jidu Mirage, Fu Xuan proposed summoning the Emperor Bow, while Jing Yuan sought another way. Gwen agreed to confront Jidu Mirage himself, leaving Alicia to maintain the barrier as he prepared to head for Fanghu.

• Fu Xuan proposed using the Cloud-Gazing Mirror to seek the Emperor Bow’s aid, then realized Jing Yuan’s plan would require her master, Yuque’s Grand Diviner, to operate it.
• Gwen and Alicia watched the battle among the stars and discussed why Gwen believed strength was necessary to protect what he cared about.
• Yukong informed Gwen that the Abundant People were driving Jidu Mirage toward Fanghu to devour it and asked whether he could extend his barrier around the Luofu.
• Gwen asked how many Emanator-level enemies the Xianzhou could hold off, then offered to fight Jidu Mirage himself if Jing Yuan protected the Lands Between during the battle.
• Jing Yuan agreed to keep the Abundant People’s powerful fighters occupied, and Gwen arranged a coordinated countdown with Yukong before transferring the barrier to Alicia.
• Gwen handed Alicia control of the barrier and Golden Tree, announced that he would reach Fanghu in three seconds, and Yukong began the countdown.

Gwen stopped the Abundant People’s assault on Xianzhou Fanghu, destroyed Jidu Mirage with Galactic Explosion, and helped turn the battle into an Abundant People retreat. Afterward, he maintained a protective barrier over the Lands Between and went to find Trina, where Xianzhou search-and-rescue efforts were underway for pilots who had fallen onto the planet.

• As the Xianzhou prepared to attack, Gwen manifested a vast phantom and used a star-sea barrier to halt Jidu Mirage and the Abundant People fleet.
• Gwen burned his Cosmo and destroyed Jidu Mirage with Galactic Explosion while Jing Yuan and two other generals held off three Abundant People powerhouses.
• Gwen healed Xianzhou Fanghu, returned to the Golden Tree, and reassured Alicia that he was unharmed; neither Alicia nor Mysterious sensed an awakened Path.
• After Jidu Mirage’s destruction shattered their morale, the Abundant People Allied Forces retreated with heavy losses before Xianzhou Yaoqing arrived.
• Gwen left the Golden Tree after its energy took over maintaining the Lands Between’s barrier, then found Trina working amid the search for Xianzhou pilots who had fallen onto the planet.

After the war, Gwen accepted gifts from Yu Nie and the Xianzhou Alliance as thanks for protecting them. Jing Yuan then asked how Gwen planned to handle the Golden Tree, and Gwen began explaining why he had intended to burn it down.

• Gwen healed the wounded in Leyndell and urged Trina to rest after she had developed and used a new healing prayer.
• The Interstellar Peace Company and other groups dispatched teams to investigate the Lands Between and the mysterious phantom, but Jing Yuan arrived first.
• Yu Nie thanked Gwen on Fanghu’s behalf and offered him a personal gift and a list of gifts he could choose from; Jing Yuan also gave him the Luofu and Yuque’s gift list.
• Jing Yuan discussed the Lands Between’s potential with Gwen, then asked what he intended to do about the Golden Tree and its connection to Abundance.
• Gwen said he had originally planned to burn down the Golden Tree because it damaged the Lands Between’s ecosystem by blocking starlight and disrupting the circulation of energy.

Gwen and Jing Yuan discussed how to dismantle the Golden Tree’s influence while preparing the Lands Between for contact with the wider universe. After the new rulers planned their internal policies, Gwen warned them that the Golden Tree could attract outside powers and that the Hunt might eventually act against it.

• Gwen explained to Jing Yuan that he would gradually expose the Golden Dynasty’s crimes and justify the burning of the Golden Tree rather than simply eradicate its fanatics.
• Messengers spread news of the Golden Dynasty’s fall, while a dragon army led by an Ancient Dragon suppressed potential rebels.
• Gwen convened Trina, Radahn, Rykard, Ranni, Malenia, and Melina at the Roundtable Hold to discuss threats inside the Lands Between.
• Gwen proposed offering rival peoples goodwill, testing them for Abundant People genetic modifications, and restoring them where possible; Radahn supported force against those who resisted unification.
• Gwen warned that the Abundant People could publicize the Golden Tree’s supposed immortality-giving power and draw covetous forces to the Lands Between.
• Gwen said the Xianzhou Alliance expected the Golden Tree to be destroyed or restricted, and warned that the Hunt Aeon might eventually strike if it remained active.

Gwen and the others decided to turn the dying Lands Between into a Planet Warship while seeking help from the Xianzhou Alliance without joining it. After the meeting, Gwen examined Malenia and investigated the Scarlet Rot, then watched Leyndell recover as Alicia and Mysterious discussed his sense of responsibility.

• Gwen explained that the Golden Tree had left the Lands Between terminally ill and offered transforming the planet into a Planet Warship as an alternative to restoring it.
• Trina, Radahn, Rykard, Ranni, and Malenia agreed to pursue the transformation while maintaining independence and drawing closer to the Xianzhou Alliance.
• Gwen kept Malenia behind for an examination and promised to address the others’ problems, including Radahn’s condition, Rykard’s mental state, and Ranni’s body.
• Gwen investigated the Scarlet Rot, found evidence that the Abundant People had used it as a biological weapon, and incinerated the Lake of Rot.
• The royal coalition restored basic order in Leyndell and told the crowds the truth about the Golden Dynasty as Gwen watched from the city walls with Alicia and Mysterious.

Gwen proposed reviving the preserved heroes in the Lands Between and brought Vill-V back to life so she could help with the world's technological development. After Gwen left the chamber, Vill-V's core personality panicked over how embarrassing it had been to let him construct her new body.

• Alicia and Mysterious reassured Gwen and teased him before he led them to the soul-storage devices in his small world.
• Gwen proposed reviving the preserved heroes in the Lands Between and discussed recruiting Vill-V to help develop its technology.
• Mysterious suggested using her forms to create a modern engineering team, while Gwen contacted Vill-V and secured her agreement to return.
• Gwen tested that the Lands Between could support the revival, then constructed Vill-V a body in a secret chamber.
• Vill-V tested her new body and spoke with Gwen before he left; alone afterward, she wrapped herself in the bedcovers and agonized over the embarrassment of him seeing her body during its construction.

Extreme Evil urged Vill-V to consider an honest relationship with Gwen, and Vill-V emerged from the hidden chamber after being resurrected. Gwen explained the Shadow Summoner’s resurrection system and planned to restore its key so he could contact Earth, but their conversation was interrupted by a young girl.

• Extreme Evil persuaded Vill-V to consider a relationship with Gwen, then fell silent and left Vill-V to get dressed.
• Gwen considered improving his resurrection technique and decided to ask Vill-V for help.
• Vill-V emerged from the hidden passage in noble attire and discussed the Elysian Realm data stored in the Shadow Summoner.
• Gwen explained that the Summoner could resurrect people from their Gene Codes and erase them permanently if those codes were deleted.
• Vill-V asked to borrow the Summoner, but Gwen said he needed it while he tried to restore its missing key and contact Earth.
• A young girl's voice interrupted Gwen and Vill-V, asking whether they had finished so quickly.

After reviving Vill-V, Gwen arranged for her to study Xianzhou technology and secured equipment from Jing Yuan while preparing to contact Earth. He finally completed the Shadow Summoner and activated the Flying Shadow Armor.

• Vill-V reunited with Alicia and agreed to study Xianzhou technology after adapting to her new body.
• Gwen asked Jing Yuan for exchange students, technical assistance, and devices that could strengthen mental power, and Jing Yuan approved his requests.
• Gwen sent Vill-V and the first group of trainees to the Xianzhou Alliance, while Alicia used observation instruments to search the stars for Earth.
• Gwen used Prometheus's analysis and the Herrscher of Reason's authority to overcome the Shadow Summoner's genetic and hardware requirements.
• The Shadow Summoner completed its transformation, and Gwen activated it by calling, “Flying Shadow Armor—Combine!”

Gwen and Alicia transformed into Wingless Noah and unleashed a pillar of light to trace Gwen’s marks through the Star Rail toward Earth. The radiance reached Eden, whose intuition told her it was connected to Gwen, renewing hope among the girls as they watched for signs of his return.

• Gwen tested the Swift Lightning Flying Shadow armor and decided to use his marks to locate Earth with Alicia.
• Gwen and Alicia combined their powers as Wingless Noah, then added the fused Cloth and Shield of Paraj as golden armor.
• Gwen fired Core Final from the Golden Tree, sending a pillar of light through the Star Rail as he followed its paths toward his destination.
• Jing Yuan, Fu Xuan, Vill-V, and others across the starry regions noticed the extraordinary light, while Gwen continued his journey through the sea of stars.
• Eden sensed that the light was connected to Gwen, shared her sighting in the group chat, and Kiana arrived to examine it.
• Choukai, Anna, and Rita discussed the possibility that the light came from Gwen, while Mobius reassured them that the marks indicated he was stable and sent Kiana to retrieve a sample in North America.

Gwen and Alicia struggled to push their fading power through the Imaginary Energy Tidal Belt surrounding the Solar System, while Earth’s defenders discovered a way to help through Yolandale. The chapter ended as Yolandale began receiving the gathered Psionic Energy of the others to support Gwen.

• Eden observed the approaching light, while Gwen and Alicia reached the edge of the Star Rail and prepared to pierce the energy tide around the Solar System.
• Schicksal’s leaders identified the light as carrying Gwen’s power, and Yorktown detected a faint streak of Psionic Energy sent from Yolandale.
• Gwen burned his Cosmo to force his power partway through the energy tide, but it began to dissolve before reaching Earth.
• Yorktown traced the streak of energy to Yolandale and proposed that everyone combine their Psionic Energy to help Gwen.
• Kiana brought the others to Yolandale, who agreed to help, and the group formed a linked transfer with Yolandale at its center.

Yolandale gathered the marked girls’ light and sent it across the Imaginary Energy Tidal Belt to aid Gwen, who broke through the barrier and advanced to the Eighth Sense and late Fourth Tier. Gwen’s power reached Earth through the Abyss and merged with Yorktown, while the girls learned that his consciousness had fallen asleep and that his awakening time was uncertain.

• Yolandale recalled Gwen’s words, recognized her own light, and gathered the marked girls’ power into a brilliant streak aimed at the stars.
• The light reached Gwen as he struggled against the Imaginary Energy Tidal Belt, and he broke through the barrier and his original limits, reaching the Eighth Sense and late Fourth Tier.
• Gwen and Alicia confirmed their success and fell asleep together after Alicia checked his heartbeat.
• Gwen’s power crossed the blockade and the Abyss toward Earth, prompting the watcher to recognize the name Abyss and look at Earth again.
• Yolandale and the girls watched the returned light arrive above the training room, where it merged with Yorktown instead of Yolandale, Mei, or Kiana.
• Yorktown explained that Gwen’s consciousness had fallen asleep and that their Commander-shipgirl spiritual connection had drawn the light to her; she could not say when he would wake.

Raiden Mei reassured the girls that Gwen was safe, while the Interstellar Peace Company sent an advance team to investigate the Lands Between and its Golden Tree. As Trina worried about the Company’s power and Gwen’s absence, Gwen awoke beside Alicia after a major breakthrough in his abilities.

• Raiden Mei explained that Gwen’s message proved he had returned to the present world and was safe, and Mobius and Eden urged the girls to stop worrying.
• The Company’s advance team arrived on the Xianzhou to make contact with the Lands Between and assess its reconstruction, while Yukong cautiously shared limited information with them.
• Yukong informed Trina that the Company had arrived, and Trina assigned Finlay to receive the team and observe its intentions.
• After Finlay reported, Trina worried that the Company’s attention to the Golden Tree left the Lands Between at a severe disadvantage without Gwen.
• Gwen woke inside the Golden Tree beside Alicia and reflected on how his Cosmo breakthrough had strengthened his powers and advanced his Gene Lock.
• Alicia awoke, told Gwen she could look at him for a lifetime, and kissed him.

After Gwen and Alicia discovered that an unknown whisper may have driven them to risk his life during his breakthrough, Gwen said his new power would protect him from outside interference. The story then returned to the Lands Between, where Trina woke to find Gwen had returned.

• Gwen told Alicia that whispers had urged him to continue burning his Cosmo, and Alicia realized she had heard similar whispers urging her to help him.
• Gwen suspected the Last King of the End might be behind the whispers and explained that his new Eighth Sense gave him strong resistance to outside interference.
• Trina woke beside her desk, found Gwen's coat, and realized he had returned after losing contact the previous day.
• Gwen teased Trina about touching her hair, and Alicia interrupted to carry Trina off to freshen up before breakfast.

After Gwen returned from Trina’s space, he met the Interstellar Peace Company’s team and befriended newcomer Yelena, recognizing her as the future Topaz. Half a month after the cosmic disturbance, Gwen reached cooperation agreements with Diamond and wondered whether he had briefly stood on the threshold of becoming an Aeon.

• Gwen learned from Oga that less than a day had passed while he was away, then met Debiski’s advance team and recognized Yelena and her Trotter, Numby, as the future Topaz.
• Gwen and Yelena’s group discussed trade, and Yelena secured several promising deals while Gwen learned about the company’s products and ways to earn credits.
• Debiski warned Yelena that Gwen seemed especially interested in her, but Yelena dismissed the teasing and considered the fair prices she had offered him a repayment for his opportunity.
• Gwen searched the company’s catalog for valuable goods he could manufacture to support the Lands Between’s trade and economic independence.
• Half a month after the disturbance, Gwen met Diamond, the company’s official representative, and agreed on a series of cooperative arrangements.
• Gwen reflected that the Noah phantom might have drawn him close to opening a Path and becoming an Aeon, but he believed his powers would eventually reach comparable heights.