Chapter Summaries

Sno gave Kaspars an arrowhead that granted Stand abilities and tasked him with distributing five sealed Stand earrings. Kaspars awakened a Stand that could fight and take on his injuries and aging, then agreed to move the earrings while continuing to meditate.

• Sno explained that the arrowhead could awaken a Stand and offered it to Kaspars in exchange for spreading five sealed Stand earrings.
• Kaspars accepted the arrowhead and stabbed it into his palm, then meditated through the pain as it melted into his body.
• Kaspars summoned a pirate-like Stand whose gun and cutlass were powerful and which could take his injuries and signs of aging.
• Kaspars briefly regained a youthful body before the aging transferred back, and Sno warned him about the risks of relying on his Stand.
• Kaspars put away the five earrings and promised to move them, while Sno urged him to stay safe and keep meditating.

Klein attended a crowded Beyonder gathering hosted by Old Master of the Eye of Wisdom, where a mysterious earring was appraised as a powerful Extraordinary Item. Klein recognized its inscription as “Judgment” and suspected it was one of the artifacts made by Ancestor Perrdax.

• Klein arrived at Old Master of the Eye of Wisdom’s gathering and noticed that attendance had grown unusually large.
• The fat Apothecary asked to buy Supernatural Creatures and was mocked by the other attendees.
• A masked man offered an earring for appraisal, claiming it could summon a powerful ghost.
• Old Master of the Eye of Wisdom used ring 2-081 to identify the earring as an item that summoned a controllable Sequence Seven evil spirit, then offered two thousand pounds for it.
• Klein recognized the inscription as “Judgment” and connected the earring to Ancestor Perrdax’s artifacts, but decided he could not afford to buy it.

At The Tarot Club, Klein exchanged for a Sun Domain Mysterious Item and learned more about the Perrdax family and the disappearances Sno was investigating. The meeting then turned to Derrick, who began to describe a mission he had been assigned.

• Klein read diary pages from Audrey and Sno, learning that a woman from the Aurora Society had preached to Perrdax's son and driven Perrdax to flee.
• Klein, speaking as Mr. World, arranged to obtain Sno's Sun Domain Mysterious Item by completing a commission and paying an additional thousand pounds.
• Hanged Man reported that indigenous people and slaves had been mysteriously taken from the Southern Continent, plantations, and islands.
• Sno offered Hanged Man payment for the investigation, while Hanged Man declined to explain his reasons without five thousand pounds.
• Derrick raised his hand and began to tell the club about a mission he had been assigned.

After the Tarot Club meeting, Klein visited Sno and reported three Eastern District groups suspected of following the True Creator. Sno showed him a Sun Pathway item, and Klein mentioned seeing a similar one at another gathering.

• After Mr. Hangman taught The Little Sun to feign partial Loss of Control, the Tarot Club held a free-chat segment until Mr. Fool's spirituality ran out.
• Sno gave Lily a dried fish, left Heavenly Punishment at Mr. A's residence to listen to music, and returned home to prepare for Klein's visit.
• Klein gave Sno his investigation results on a workers' group, the gang Passion, and wandering Aurora Society priests in the Eastern District.
• Sno asked Klein to report the wandering priests and offered him a Sun Pathway earring for one thousand pounds.
• Sno demonstrated the earring's golden Sun Avatar, and Klein said he wanted to consult a divination before buying it.
• Klein told Sno that he had seen a similar item at another Beyonder gathering.

Klein considered buying Sno's family heirloom earring, while Sno discussed the scattered Mysterious Items and watched for the earring's next owner. At a Backlund ball, Audrey met Sno, who teased her about her future as a Hypnotist.

• Sno told Klein the Perrdax family heirlooms had been scattered and offered to make him an identical item if he obtained a solar Beyonder Characteristic.
• Klein said he would decide whether to buy the earring within two days and left Sno's mansion.
• Sno learned from Heavenly Punishment that the Priestess earring had changed owners again and asked to be notified if many earrings gathered together.
• Audrey attended Viscount Grellint's ball, where Grelint warned her about rumors and then forgot what he had been thinking.
• Audrey observed Sno's improved attire, and Sno teased her about becoming a Sequence Six Hypnotist.

Sno gave Audrey a doll that reflected its owner's mental state and warned her to use it to detect psychological manipulation. Audrey left with the doll, then reassured Grelint that she had only been learning piano when he hurried over to check on her.

• Audrey praised Sno's piano playing, and he credited his Sequence abilities before declining to explain what a Sequence Six Hypnotist could do.
• Sno gave Audrey a doll resembling her; it briefly changed its expression, and he explained that it mirrored her mental state and could help reveal Psychological Suggestion.
• Audrey accepted the doll, and Annie took the gift box to bring it to Audrey's room.
• Grelint hurried over, complained about Sno and the difficulty of obtaining Apothecary materials, and searched Audrey for signs of what had happened.
• Audrey realized what Grelint was checking for and solemnly told him she had only been teaching piano.

Klein met Mike Joseph about a detective commission, then received a note arranging a meeting behind the Brave Man Bar. He joined Sharron and Marich in an ambush against the Indulgence Faction, but as the battle began, a terrifying voice challenged Sharron about her trump cards.

• Klein fastened the Sun Earring, met Mike Joseph, and told him to return the next day about the commission.
• Klein found a note telling him to meet behind the Brave Man Bar at ten that night.
• Klein met Sharron and Marich, discussed their plan, and set traps at the ambush site while Sharron and Marich drew out their target.
• Marich led his pursuers toward the open ground, where his zombies and Sharron joined the fight against Tiel, Jason, and Steve.
• Sharron revealed her Bronze Door trump card as Klein triggered explosives and summoned the Sun Avatar, but a terrifying voice asked whether that was all her trump cards.

Klein and his allies fought to keep the Scarlet Lunar Corona from Zatwin, but Sno unexpectedly seized it and isolated Zatwin in a separate battlefield. With the crimson moon's curse still active, Sharron and Marich continued battling the remaining enemies as Sno confronted the demigod.

• Zatwin arrived in the clearing while Sharron and Marich were weakened by the Scarlet Lunar Corona's curse.
• Sharron and Marich used charms to break free of their madness, and Klein sent his Sun Avatar to attack while firing at Jason.
• Zatwin animated the surroundings to hold off the three and advanced toward the Scarlet Lunar Corona.
• Sno appeared unexpectedly, took the Scarlet Lunar Corona, and provoked Zatwin into transforming into a puppet linked to him.
• Sno used “Within Reach, Yet Miles Apart” to remove himself and Zatwin from the others' sight, then summoned an Angel Phantom with thirty-six wings.

Sno used Flying Arrow Motionless and the Baron of Corruption’s power to evade Zatwin’s attacks and erode his sanity. Zatwin possessed Sno, only to discover he had taken control of one cell while being surrounded by Sno’s countless consciousnesses.

• Zatwin found that the Scarlet Lunar Corona had corrupted the objects he controlled and fired a silver lightning arrow at Sno.
• Sno used Flying Arrow Motionless to evade the arrow and let Chaos Aura and corruption intensify Zatwin’s negative emotions.
• Zatwin concluded that Sno’s angelic substitute, Medz, was only a trick and turned ethereal to possess Sno.
• Zatwin possessed Sno without resistance but failed to make him strangle himself.
• Sno’s many consciousnesses surrounded Zatwin and taunted him for controlling only one cell.

Sno defeated Zatwin by revealing a Sacred Artifact tied to the True Creator and using Heavenly Punishment to annihilate him. After collecting Zatwin’s remaining items, Sno pocketed the Scarlet Lunar Corona and wondered whether Klein’s side had finished.

• Zatwin escaped Sno’s grasp, stole the Scarlet Lunar Corona, and used lightning to stabilize his mind while attacking Sno.
• Sno resisted the electrocution and slowed Zatwin with a made-up phrase before revealing a thorn-covered Inverse Cross.
• Zatwin recognized the Inverse Cross as a God-bearing Sacred Artifact and tried to flee, but Sno struck him with Heavenly Punishment and killed him completely.
• Sno collected Zatwin’s Beyonder Characteristic, black glove, and the Scarlet Lunar Corona, then learned that the glove could fire lightning and steal visible items at a cost.
• Sno fed the black glove to Heavenly Punishment, kept the Scarlet Lunar Corona, and wondered whether Klein’s side had finished.

Sno defeated Zatwin, distributed the recovered Beyonder Characteristics under agreed terms, and left Klein regretting the cost of his rescue. After escaping, Klein reviewed the battle in Lever Church and wondered whether Sno advanced so quickly because he prayed to Klein every day.

• Sno returned with Zatwin's Mummy Arm and urged Sharron, Marich, and Klein to collect the battlefield spoils before the official Beyonders arrived.
• Sno gave Sharron the Marionettist and Wraith Characteristics in exchange for fifty thousand pounds and a future favor, with Sharron and Marich securing the agreement through a notarized oath.
• Sno teased Klein about spending a thousand pounds and losing his chance to request a free Extraordinary Item, then left after warning Sharron to seek his help if needed.
• Sharron told Klein that the Book of Secrets was in his guest room, and Klein escaped using his planned route before heading to Lever Church.
• Klein reflected on his improved Magician potion digestion and wondered if Sno's rapid advancement came from praying to him daily.

Klein and Mike investigated the East Borough with Old Kohler, who showed them how Passion had improved one neighborhood through workshops, food carts, and a cafeteria. The chapter left them learning that joining Passion required changing one’s faith and could be dangerous, but it remained a last resort for many poor residents.

• Klein caught a cold after a sleepless night, but took Mike to investigate the East Borough for money.
• Klein, Mike, and Old Kohler crossed into a neighborhood that seemed better off than the streets they had visited.
• Old Kohler explained that Passion had taken the territory from the Zimang Party and organized unemployed skilled workers into workshops and a cafeteria.
• Old Kohler described how Passion’s cheap goods and food carts helped workers and vendors earn more while the gang protected them from extortion.
• Old Kohler revealed that joining Passion required changing one’s faith and could leave recruits unconscious, though the gang paid compensation and cared for those without family.

Klein and Mike witnessed the East Borough’s dire poverty, prompting Klein to reconsider Passion’s role and the kingdom’s failure to help the poor. After paying Mike and Old Kohler, Klein decided to speak privately with Mr. Devil about what he had learned.

• Klein, Mike, and Old Kohler toured the East Borough, docks, and factory district, where Mike recorded the overcrowded and impoverished living conditions.
• Mike asked whether the authorities could govern the East Borough like Passion, but Old Kohler and Klein explained why the authorities would not protect the poor and why gangs could do so where the police would not.
• Klein realized Passion left commoners with unusually ample living expenses and concluded that Mr. Sno’s investigation task aimed to protect Passion and the Worker's Movement from the Aurora Society’s disruptive preaching.
• Mike paid Klein ten pounds and six soli, and Klein gave Old Kohler one pound to continue gathering information about the Sizzling Oil Cult missionaries.
• Klein returned to Minsk Street and decided to meet Mr. Devil privately, since the matter was unsuitable for discussion at the next Tarot Club gathering.

Klein asked Sno why the Aurora Society’s believers included the Worker’s Movement and the gang group Passion, and Sno explained how faith could affect a god’s condition. Sno revealed that he was trying to transform the True Creator by changing what its believers believed about it.

• Klein visited Sno as a Fool’s Follower and asked whether the Worker’s Movement and Passion were Sno’s subordinates and why he had spread the Aurora Society’s faith.
• Sno sealed the living room with spirituality and explained that the True Creator had once been an orthodox god before losing its anchors and descending into madness.
• Sno told Klein that mortal faith could influence a god’s nature, while abstract symbols filtered out impurities at the cost of reducing the amount of faith.
• Sno revealed that he was transforming deities by encouraging the True Creator’s believers to see it as merciful, kind, and great.

At a Tarot Club meeting, Klein read Perrdax's diary and learned that the Elf Race originated from the hidden Western Continent, while the diary hinted at a possible way home. After Klein opened trading among the members, Fors sought several Extraordinary materials, but Sno said he had already used the Deep Sea Marlin blood she wanted.

• Klein accepted Perrdax's Diary from Mr. Devil, who asked to accumulate contributions instead of requesting an immediate reward.
• Klein read Perrdax's entries about an elf woman named Sonia Wilson and learned that the Elf Race originated from the Western Continent, whose location Perrdax had begun investigating.
• Klein invited the Tarot Club members to trade among themselves.
• Fors asked to buy four Extraordinary materials and planned to pay in gold pounds.
• Mr. Hangman told Fors that Sno had bought Deep Sea Marlin blood from him, but Sno said he had already used it and would keep looking for more.

Klein considered how feedback and faith might aid potion digestion, then decided to test proactive Magician acting by investigating the vampire family at No. 48 Riverbay Avenue. He found their home abandoned and recognized a familiar doll in Emlyn White’s bedroom, though he struggled to recall her name.

• Klein connected applause for a Magician’s performance with the feedback he had received as a Seer, and hypothesized that believers’ faith served as feedback for Gods acting as Gods.
• Klein remembered Mr. Devil’s mention of the True Creator losing his anchors and resolved to analyze the specialized terms Mr. Devil used.
• Klein deduced that a Magician should proactively win an audience’s applause by challenging fate, then chose the vampire imprisoned in the church basement as a safe test.
• Klein investigated the neighbors at No. 48 Riverbay Avenue and learned that the vampire family had treated illnesses while obtaining blood under the guise of bloodletting therapy.
• Klein entered the vampires’ abandoned home and found a doll in Emlyn White’s bedroom, recognizing her as Mercury Lamp.

Sno forged a Sealed Artifact that could record and teach Beyonder abilities, then used music to make Heavenly Punishment help test his plan for sharing spells with believers. After the performance was interrupted, Emlyn White confronted Sno over the dolls he had taken, and Sno’s sunny smile suggested Emlyn was in for trouble.

• Sno forged a Sealed Artifact that analyzed recorded Beyonder abilities and forced its readers to study them until they mastered one.
• Sno played piano for Heavenly Punishment to persuade it to help record and process spells for White Horse is Not a Horse’s shared spell pool.
• Sno’s abrupt pause provoked Heavenly Punishment to curse, and he shielded Lily from its ravings before receiving word of unfriendly visitors.
• Emlyn White pounded on Sno’s door with Klein, demanding the return of his dolls, and Sno appeared beside them without being noticed.
• Sno led Emlyn and Klein inside, reassured Emlyn that he was keeping the dolls, and turned with a sunny smile.

Emlyn traded access to Dorothy for a commission from Sno, agreeing to bring the doll to Sanguine gatherings so it could absorb arrogance. The chapter then explained how the Spellbook taught Beyonder abilities and how the protagonist intended to share them through White Horse is Not a Horse and the Prayer Cloud platform.

• Sno led Emlyn and Klein to a guest room filled with dolls, where Emlyn eagerly tried to reclaim his stored treasures.
• Sno reminded Emlyn that Dorothy was collateral and offered him a custom-made doll if he accepted a commission.
• Sno asked Emlyn to bring Dorothy to Sanguine gatherings so she could absorb their emotions of arrogance.
• Emlyn accepted the commission after requiring a contract that promised no harm to the Sanguine.
• The author explained that the Spellbook analyzed Beyonder abilities for Readers and that the protagonist planned to share learned abilities through the Prayer Cloud platform.

After Emlyn agreed to Sno’s contract for custom dolls, Klein learned their value and was asked to lend Emlyn money for a carriage. Sno used the deal to advance his potion digestion, then went to Mr. A’s home, while an unidentified attacker tortured an elderly man in Backlund’s Bridge District.

• Emlyn explained that he accepted Sno’s contract because Sno was a demigod and planned to have a Sanguine elder inspect the dolls.
• Emlyn said a high-quality doll could sell for fifteen thousand pounds or more, then asked Klein to lend him carriage money.
• Sno crafted dolls for Emlyn, reasoning that exploiting Emlyn’s pride and love of dolls had helped digest his potion.
• Sno headed to Mr. A’s home, believing he needed to please a God to obtain divine power.
• An intruder pulled a scarred elderly man from bed, injured him, and demanded answers.

Kaspars was tortured by a Zombie Beyonder seeking information about Sharron and Marich, then fought back with his double and a mysterious power. His double transformed into an armored knight and killed the Zombie, leaving Kaspars with Sno’s address and a question about the remains.

• The Zombie Beyonder crushed Kaspars’s limbs while demanding to know where Sharron and Marich were and what had happened on October 25.
• Kaspars shot the Zombie in the eye, escaped toward a window, and drew the attacker’s attention with his double and another unseen shooter.
• The Zombie froze Kaspars’s legs and charged as Kaspars recited an incantation, but his protective talisman stopped the Zombie’s claws.
• A strange power restored Kaspars’s vitality, transferred his injuries back to him, and transformed his double into a black-armored knight.
• Kaspars’s double struck down the Zombie, and Kaspars received Sno’s home address and wondered whether the corpse had dropped items.