Chapter Summaries

Xia Nan learned [Ember Echo], discovered that Secret Realms could charge the [Dreamweaver Corridor], and found that the Flame Crystal had transformed a silver ingot into a forging material. As he headed deeper into the ruins to retrieve hidden loot, Vior sensed that the world line had changed by another 0.03%.

• Xia Nan absorbed the Flame Crystal’s information and learned the name and likely status-type nature of [Ember Echo].
• Xia Nan charged the [Dreamweaver Corridor] with energy from the Flame Crystal, raising its remaining energy from 0% to 2%.
• Xia Nan identified his transformed silver ingot as a [Molten Ash Silver Ingot] and planned to ask "Rock Hammer" Barn about using it to repair the Beheading Longsword.
• Xia Nan picked up the intact wooden grip of [Instructor Yu's Staff] and headed deeper into the ruins to retrieve the hidden [Iron Stomach Flail].
• Vior sensed that the world line had changed by another 0.03% and wondered why.

Abi and a four-person Adventurer squad reached a Goblin Nest, where a powerful black-haired Professional emerged after killing a fleeing Goblin. The youth recognized Abi, revealing himself to be Grey Sword.

• The squad captain led Abi and two other Adventurers through Thin Mist Forest toward a small Goblin Nest, while Abi reassured their nervous newcomer.
• At the cave entrance, the squad heard a terrified Goblin rushing toward them, and a bloodstained hand seized it and dragged it back into the darkness.
• A black-haired youth emerged from the cave, covered in blood and carrying weapons, and the captain realized he was facing a powerful Professional.
• Abi recognized the youth, who greeted him and asked whether he was on a mission.
• The captain connected the youth to rumors about Abi, Adeline, and the Green Blood squad, realizing he was Grey Sword.

Xia Nan returned to River Valley Town after his escort mission and visited Barn at the Rock Hammer Blacksmith Shop to replace his armor and collect his upgraded arm shield. He received the completed rare [Dark Scale Bulwark], while his other equipment repairs and purchases remained to be handled.

• Xia Nan passed through River Valley Town and reflected on his recent Goblin Nest battles and his progress learning [Ember Echo].
• Xia Nan planned to sort out his spoils and equipment, then visited Barn at the Rock Hammer Blacksmith Shop.
• Xia Nan told Barn that his Plate Chain Composite Armor had been destroyed, but praised its performance during the mission.
• Barn showed Xia Nan the finished arm shield, which he had upgraded using materials including the Secret Realm snake scale and Corrosion-Etched Steel.
• Xia Nan inspected the completed [Dark Scale Bulwark] and learned that it was a rare arm shield with toughness, corrosion resistance, poison resistance, and advantages in certain Charisma checks.

Xia Nan collected the finished Dark Scale Bulwark and bought a set of ordinary Plate Chain Composite Armor from Barn. He then asked Barn to test Molten Ash Silver and the remains of an Ember Instructor Staff as materials for reforging his damaged Beheading Longsword, leaving the weapon and materials with him for three days of testing.

• Barn demonstrated that the Dark Scale Bulwark could withstand a Great Axe strike, and Xia Nan accepted the arm shield.
• Xia Nan bought a set of Common Steel Plate Chain Composite Armor after Barn explained that his better Malan Pattern Steel stock had sold out.
• Xia Nan showed Barn the Molten Ash Silver Ingot and asked him to assess its forging properties.
• Barn examined the corroded Beheading Longsword and proposed reforging it rather than simply repairing its damaged blade; Xia Nan agreed.
• Xia Nan gave Barn the silver ingot, the longsword, and the shaft of an Ember Instructor Staff for testing, and Barn asked for three days.

Xia Nan reunited with Adeline, learned she had become a Professional, and offered to help with her promotion mission, though she declined. Meanwhile, after losing his reward gambling, Abi found two murdered Dwarves in an alley and heard a strange voice calling him closer.

• Xia Nan savored Adeline’s cooking and noticed that she had gained a Profession Level.
• Adeline hesitated to ask Xia Nan for help with her Association promotion mission, and Xia Nan accepted her decision before they chatted about Goblins.
• Xia Nan reviewed his finances and planned to rest before paying to reforge his Beheading Longsword.
• Abi gambled away his mission reward instead of sending it to his family, then rushed into an alley with a stomachache.
• Abi found the corpses of two Dwarves, began searching them, and heard a mysterious voice tell him to come closer.

Xia Nan learned that the Molten Ash Silver could strengthen his Beheading Longsword only if he found an inert Water Elemental material to buffer its conflict with Gray Steel. He accepted a quest to hunt a Petrification Lizard for its mucus and prepare for a possible rematch, then spotted Abi outside the tavern.

• Barn finished examining Xia Nan’s Molten Ash Silver and explained that it was a powerful forging material but might crack the Beheading Longsword if fused with its Gray Steel.
• Barn proposed using an inert Water Elemental Auxiliary Material to resolve the metals’ conflict and found a quest that could provide Petrification Lizard mucus.
• Xia Nan recognized the Petrification Lizard quest as a chance to confront the creature he had encountered early in his adventures and judged that he could likely defeat it.
• Xia Nan accepted the quest, bought two bottles of Petrification Resistance Potion, and gathered information about the lizard’s activity range.
• Xia Nan spotted Abi at the entrance of the tavern across from the Adventurers Association.

Abi’s winnings and growing greed drew him deeper under the influence of a mysterious voice concealed in an object beneath his shirt. Xia Nan noticed Abi’s suspicious behavior but chose not to investigate, while the voice warned Abi to stay away from him; Xia Nan continued to Rock Hammer’s Blacksmith Shop to prepare for his Petrification Lizard mission.

• Abi celebrated earning five hundred Gold Coins through gambling and, encouraged by the voice in his mind, headed toward another casino.
• The voice urged Abi to gamble in Newm, but it abruptly fell silent when Abi began asking about the city.
• Xia Nan approached Abi, questioned his muttering, and advised him to deposit his winnings; Abi nervously claimed he had merely won money at the casino.
• After Xia Nan left, the voice returned and told Abi to stay away from Xia Nan, whom Abi identified as Grey Sword, a well-known Adventurer with a Profession Level.
• Xia Nan decided not to pry into Abi’s secret and went to Rock Hammer’s Blacksmith Shop to replace his damaged longsword before the Petrification Lizard mission.

Saloyan, a Devil Baron, used Abi as an unwitting vessel to investigate a destroyed Goblin tribe and its divine artifacts, while avoiding the suspicious Xia Nan. After Abi was robbed, Saloyan manipulated him into gambling away the money he had meant to send to his parents.

• Saloyan recognized a strange, dangerous aura around Xia Nan and chose to keep his distance.
• Saloyan planned to send Abi to the destroyed Goblin lair in Thin Mist Forest to find artifacts that might interest Dispater.
• Saloyan decided to hurry his plan after encountering Xia Nan and extended his magic to search for a suitable target.
• Abi won two hundred Gold Coins at the casino and planned to sleep before traveling to Newm City.
• Half-Orcs ambushed Abi, knocked him unconscious, and stole his Crystal Card and winnings.
• Saloyan urged Abi to use the money meant for his parents to gamble again, and Abi hurried back to a casino.

Xia Nan searched Thin Mist Forest for the Petrification Lizard after preparing for the hunt and drinking a Petrification Resistance Potion. He spotted signs of the creature deeper in the forest and raced through the treetops toward it.

• Xia Nan reflected on his training with [Ember Echo] and prepared to continue his mission in Thin Mist Forest.
• Xia Nan considered the value of artifacts left behind by Secret Realms and wondered whether the Gray Valley ruins could provide income.
• Xia Nan drank a [Petrification Resistance Potion] after finding the marker for a Petrification Lizard's territory.
• Xia Nan searched for the lizard's tracks and climbed an oak tree to scout the area.
• Xia Nan saw trees breaking and birds scattering in the distance, then hurried through the branches toward the disturbance.

Adeline and her two temporary teammates watched a Petrification Lizard’s nest, hoping to collect Gray Paste Scale Fungus without confronting the dangerous creature. When the furious lizard unexpectedly charged them, Adeline’s warning and potion-taking left her protected, but the other two were caught by its Petrifying Gaze.

• Adeline and her two Professional Warrior teammates observed the Petrification Lizard’s irregular routines for three days but found no safe opportunity to enter its nest.
• The bald teammate suggested splitting up to track the lizard and gather fungus, but Adeline rejected the plan as too dangerous.
• The thin teammate warned that the Petrification Lizard was leaving its cave, and Adeline ordered the group to retreat.
• The furious lizard broke out of its cave, sensed the squad, and fixed its gaze on them as they fled.
• Adeline shouted for her teammates to drink their Petrification Resistance Potions and swallowed hers first.
• The lizard charged within range of its Petrifying Gaze; Adeline’s potion took effect, the bald man briefly stiffened, and the thin man slowed as stone-colored patches appeared on his body.

Saloyan manipulated Abi into the Thin Mist Forest to reach a ruined Goblin Nest, but found a Petrification Lizard guarding the cave. After spotting Adeline’s party nearby, Saloyan used a summoned Lemure to provoke the lizard and direct its rage toward the Adventurers, leaving Abi free to enter the cave.

• Saloyan guided Abi through the forest toward a Goblin Nest while using magic and persuasion to keep him compliant.
• At the cave, Saloyan sensed a Petrification Lizard and realized Abi could not safely withstand its gaze.
• Abi recognized Adeline among three Adventurers, but Saloyan turned his resentment toward her and told him to wait quietly.
• Saloyan summoned a Lemure and sent it to break the Petrification Lizard’s eggs, provoking the monster into a furious charge.
• Saloyan marked Adeline’s party with a faint sulfurous scent so the lizard would target them, then told Abi to enter the cave.

Adeline fled a charging Petrification Lizard after one teammate ran off and was killed, while her fire bombs only bought her a brief escape. A black-haired youth suddenly intervened, saved her, and killed the lizard.

• Adeline and the bald Adventurer prepared to fight the Petrification Lizard together, but their thin teammate fled into the forest.
• The lizard chased the fleeing teammate, killed him, and then pursued Adeline as she ran in another direction.
• Adeline threw five Fire Oil Bombs at the lizard and used the flames to gain distance, but it quickly caught up to her.
• A black-haired youth appeared and blocked the lizard’s attack with a dark arm shield, then severed its forelimbs with swift strikes.
• The youth transformed into a huge Black Wolf and tore the Petrification Lizard’s head from its neck, saving Adeline.

Xia Nan killed a Petrification Lizard that had attacked Adeline, then gathered valuable materials from its corpse while she agreed to help carry them. As they prepared to salvage the bones, a shrill scream sounded from the direction they had come from.

• Xia Nan leveled up [Gravity Etching], raising his Perception, after using a combat proficiency bonus to finish its training.
• Xia Nan rescued Adeline from a Petrification Lizard by boosting her speed with [Gravity Control] and resisting the monster’s petrifying gaze before killing it with his sword.
• Adeline explained that she had been gathering Gray Paste Scale Fungus for a mission when the lizard unexpectedly found her group.
• Xia Nan asked Adeline to help carry materials from the corpse so he could earn money toward reforging his sword, and she agreed.
• Xia Nan removed the Petrification Gland, heart, and stomach sac, then prepared to salvage the skeleton when a scream rang out nearby.

Xia Nan and Adeline investigated the Petrification Lizard’s cave and found a dead adventurer, destroyed eggs, and evidence of a dangerous being linked to the Abyss or Baator. They withdrew with mission samples, while Abi admitted to Saloyan that he had killed the adventurer and was persuaded to believe he could become a Professional.

• After hearing a scream, Xia Nan and Adeline returned to the lizard’s lair and found tracks leading into the cave.
• Inside, Adeline recognized the dead adventurer Morrison as her former teammate, and Xia Nan noticed his fatal wound bore scorch marks and smelled of sulfur.
• Xia Nan and Adeline found destroyed lizard eggs and signs of a dangerous supernatural intruder, so they took Gray Paste Scale Fungus and left the cave.
• Abi told Saloyan that he feared being discovered after killing Morrison, and Saloyan reassured him and encouraged his hopes of becoming a Professional.

After returning to River Valley Town, Xia Nan sold materials from the Petrification Lizard and delivered its gland to Barn for reforging the Beheading Longsword. Barn proposed using costly Luminous Iron Dust to improve a new longsword’s quality, and Xia Nan agreed to pay for it, even if he had to earn more gold by hunting Goblins.

• Xia Nan sold the Petrification Lizard’s heart, stomach sac, and bones to The Lady Edwina for 583 Gold Coins.
• Xia Nan gave Barn the intact Petrification Gland, and Barn confirmed it was suitable for reforging the Beheading Longsword.
• Barn showed Xia Nan the revised blueprint for a custom longsword and explained that Luminous Iron Dust could improve its toughness, heat conductivity, and grade.
• Barn warned Xia Nan that Luminous Iron Dust would exceed their agreed budget and offered Molten Ember Ash as a cheaper alternative.
• Xia Nan chose Luminous Iron Dust and told Barn to name his price, deciding he could earn more gold by hunting Goblins if necessary.

Xia Nan arranged to have his Beheading Longsword reforged with costly Luminous Iron Dust and reported signs of a possible Demon or Devil near the Petrification Lizard nest to the Adventurers Association. After accepting more quests to earn the remaining money, he learned that adventurers had asked about buying his consigned Flail.

• Barn and Xia Nan settled on a 3,000-gold cost to reforge the Beheading Longsword, and Barn accepted a 1,000-gold deposit with the balance due later.
• Xia Nan turned in his Petrification Lizard mission and converted its Points quota into Gold Coins, which the Association would issue within three days.
• Xia Nan reported evidence of a possible Demon or Devil in the Petrification Lizard nest, and Molly promised to forward the report for investigation.
• Xia Nan asked Molly for suitable quick-paying quests and began reviewing the Association's quest booklets.
• Molly told Xia Nan that adventurers had asked about the price of his consigned Flail.

Xia Nan met the dwarf adventurer Solding at the Adventurers Association and sold him the Iron Stomach Flail for 155 gold. After the association fee, Xia Nan still needed to earn more than 400 gold to reforge his longsword, so he went to look for a mission.

• Xia Nan waited in a private trading room for the buyer interested in his Iron Stomach Flail.
• Solding arrived, examined the flail, and offered 125 gold before Xia Nan countered with 155 gold.
• Solding accepted Xia Nan’s price and explained he was buying the flail for his nephew, who had just come of age.
• Xia Nan received the payment and, after accounting for the association fee, headed to the counter to search for a suitable mission.

Margaret led the Oathkeeper Blackwood party through their final preparations for an investigation mission in Thin Mist Forest, settling an argument between Shajin and Solding and reminding everyone to avoid combat with any powerful demon or Devil noble. Meanwhile, Xia Nan reviewed three promising River Valley Town commissions to earn Gold Coins for his reforging fees.

• Solding arrived late after buying a flail, and Shajin mocked him for making the party wait to buy a gift for his nephew.
• Margaret silenced Shajin and Solding, reprimanded them, and checked that Joshua had prepared the spells she had assigned.
• Margaret reminded the party that their mission was an investigation with a strict time limit, ordered them to retreat if they encountered a high-level demon or Devil noble, and led them out.
• Xia Nan identified three suitable commissions: mapping a basin, investigating missing adventurers near Rotten Root Swamp, and eliminating a Hobgoblin-led Goblin group.

Xia Nan chose a goblin-bounty quest after ruling out a dangerous investigation and a demanding mapping commission. Meanwhile, Abi and Saloyan reached the Underdark, where Saloyan secretly hoped to find a mysterious artifact linked to a vanished goblin settlement.

• Xia Nan weighed three commissions and rejected the Rotten Root Swamp investigation because its danger was uncertain and its reward seemed inadequate.
• Xia Nan ruled out the basin exploration quest because he lacked cartography skills and expected the work to take too long.
• Molly told Xia Nan she could not access restricted information about the destroyed goblin settlement, but said the current goblins likely had no direct connection to it.
• Xia Nan accepted the bounty to eliminate a goblin community led by a hobgoblin.
• Abi emerged from the tunnels into the Underdark after driving off Giant Bats with Saloyan's temporary power.
• Saloyan reassured Abi while privately hoping to find a mysterious goblin-made creation and earn favor from Grand Duke Dis.

Margaret’s adventuring team killed a Woodland Brown Bear in Thin Mist Forest, with Joshua’s [Chill Touch] helping Margaret land the finishing blow. As the team prepared to continue toward a dead Petrification Lizard’s nest, Joshua noticed their route passed through a place marked “Rotten Root Swamp.”

• Solding held off the Woodland Brown Bear with his shield while Shajin wounded it and Joshua’s [Chill Touch] briefly froze it.
• Margaret pierced the bear’s heart and killed it, then ordered the team to strip useful materials and leave within ten minutes.
• Shajin rebuked Solding for failing to use his Combat Skill, and Solding admitted he had held back to save stamina.
• Margaret reassured the anxious Joshua and told him to rest while the others worked on the carcass.
• Joshua studied the map to the Petrification Lizard’s nest and noticed the planned route crossed the Rotten Root Swamp.