Chapter Summaries

Azterlan tried to reach Punk after White Stone City was devastated, but Kane intercepted him and mocked him to provoke a fight. Azterlan attacked with a defensive spell while Kane charged, and their Legendary battle began.

• Kane intercepted Azterlan as he flew toward Punk, determined to stop him from disrupting Breaking the Cage.
• Kane mocked White Stone City’s destruction, while Azterlan pointed to the injured and dead citizens and demanded to know why they had to suffer.
• Azterlan prepared a spell and ordered Kane to move aside, but Kane insulted him and launched a Legendary Charge at his head.
• Azterlan entered combat and cast the Legendary Summoning Spell Triple Arcane Wall to block Kane’s attack.
• Kane’s charge struck the three enormous walls, and the collision marked the start of their Legendary battle.

Azterlan tried to stop Punk from dismantling the Magic Lock while Kane kept him occupied and Smile attacked his summoned cavalry. The chapter ended with Smile beginning to exploit the giants’ weakness as they charged toward Punk.

• Kane broke through Azterlan’s first defensive wall, forcing the mage to evade rather than reinforce his defenses.
• Azterlan summoned a giant cavalry corps with Heroic Soul March to make Punk stop dismantling the Magic Lock.
• Punk ignored the charging army and told Smile that the spell models sustaining the cavalry were hidden in the war elephants’ foreheads.
• Smile cut through a war elephant’s forehead, severing its spell model and causing its giant rider to vanish.
• Smile dodged the giants’ axe strikes and prepared to continue attacking their formation.

Smile slaughtered Azterlan’s summoned giant cavalry while threatening to destroy White Stone City if he interfered with Punk’s attempt to crack the Magic Lock. As the Magic Lock neared collapse, Azterlan began a spell to grievously wound her, but Kane arrived to attack him.

• Smile darted through the giant cavalry, killing nearly half the soldiers with precisely placed strikes.
• Smile taunted Azterlan and threatened to use Divine Power Impact against White Stone City if he tried to stop Punk.
• Azterlan abandoned his attempt to disrupt Punk and decided to attack Smile as the Magic Lock’s second layer began to fall apart.
• Azterlan began casting the Legendary Summoning Spell Pale Souls against Smile.
• Kane charged in to protect Smile and launched his Legendary Battle Skill Instant Flash Thorn at Azterlan.

Kane struck Azterlan with the Legendary Battle Skill Instant Flash Thorn while Punk finished cracking the Magic Lock, leaving the White-robed Mage unable to stop its destruction. As the lock collapsed, Punk waited for the treasure hidden inside to emerge.

• Kane ambushed Azterlan with Instant Flash Thorn, forcing him to choose between continuing his attack on Smile and evading the Legendary Battle Skill.
• Azterlan realized he could not stop Punk from completing the Magic Lock’s destruction and cried out in despair.
• The Magic Lock’s final shield vanished, and its runic structures and enclosed space began to break apart.
• Punk watched the Magic Lock collapse and waited for the treasure he sought to be released.

Punk and the other Legendary fighters escaped the shattered Magic Lock into the Astral Plane, where Punk discovered the ruined rear half of Kariuske's Mage Tower and deduced how it had used space Law to trap intruders. As Punk surveyed the spoils, Kane called on him to help fight Azterlan.

• The Magic Lock prison collapsed, releasing Punk, Kane, and the other Legendary powerhouses into the Astral Plane.
• Punk sensed scattered Legendary materials and treasures, along with a damaged half of Kariuske's Mage Tower.
• Punk deduced that Kariuske had split his Mage Tower between a Minor Plane and the Astral Plane, using the Magic Lock as a spatial transfer station and trap.
• Punk reflected that he had escaped because the Magic Lock was not independently custom-made and began considering the surviving Mage Tower as spoils.
• Kane shouted for Punk to help him fight Azterlan instead of lingering over the loot.

Punk seized the Magic Lock’s energy core while Kane fought Azterlan, then tried to claim more loot from the wrecked magic tower. Kane broke off the fight in anger, leaving Azterlan free to unleash a powerful summoning spell against Punk.

• Punk stored the Magic Lock’s energy core in his ring and turned toward the drifting half of the magic tower for more loot.
• Kane realized Punk intended to take the spoils for himself and used Legendary Battle Skill—Charge to move away from Azterlan.
• Azterlan, badly wounded but no longer held back by Kane, focused his fury on Punk.
• Azterlan cast Legendary Summoning Spell—Pale Souls, filling the Astral Plane around him with tens of thousands of ghosts.

Azterlan unleashed his full power, splitting his ghost swarm to attack Punk and Kane while the half magic tower drifted away. Punk and Kane prepared to fight together, and Kane’s Spear Blade Dance met the ghosts before Punk could warn him.

• Azterlan commanded his ghosts to attack Punk and Kane, revealing the strength of a level-thirty-five caster.
• Punk used seventeen layers of Defensive Spells and realized Azterlan was attacking both enemies rather than focusing on him alone.
• Punk warned Kane that they had to cooperate to avoid being picked off, and Kane retorted while insisting he would fight loyally.
• Kane swung his lance and unleashed the Legendary Battle Skill Spear Blade Dance against the incoming ghosts before Punk could warn him.

Azterlan used the Pale Souls spell to overwhelm Kane and keep Punk on the defensive. As the swarm grew, Azterlan split off more ghosts to pursue Punk through the Astral Plane.

• Azterlan unleashed Pale Souls, whose ghosts clung to enemies, slowed them, and detonated in coordinated waves.
• Punk recognized the spell and evaded by abandoning shields once ghosts latched on, then creating new ones as he fled.
• Kane attacked the first ghosts with his lance, triggering an explosion that disrupted his strike and let the swarm engulf him.
• Azterlan's successive explosions wounded Kane and prevented him from escaping or using his Legendary Battle Skills.
• Azterlan increased the number of ghosts and sent some to intercept Punk, leaving both opponents under relentless pressure.

Azterlan gambled everything on killing Kane and Punk before Smile could strike, but his attacks failed to finish either of them. Smile prepared her Legendary Divine Spell and appeared behind him, leaving Azterlan to abandon his spell as the battle turned against him.

• Azterlan decided to unleash his full strength and kill Kane and Punk before Smile could land a devastating blow.
• Azterlan flooded the battlefield with Pale Souls, trapping Kane in relentless attacks while pursuing the mobile Punk.
• Kane endured the ghosts with his battle aura and toughness, while Punk dodged and protected himself with layers of shields.
• Smile prepared her Legendary Divine Spell and appeared behind Azterlan before he had defeated either opponent.
• Azterlan stopped casting Pale Souls, allowing Kane and Punk to escape the ghosts as his strategy failed.

Smile interrupted Azterlan’s attack on Punk and Kane, forcing him to defend himself with the Bright Moon spell Power Pause. The spell protected Azterlan but left him immobile, as Punk, Kane, and Smile gathered around him with killing moves prepared.

• Smile appeared behind Azterlan and attacked him with Divine Power Impact, making him abandon his assault on Punk and Kane.
• Azterlan activated Power Pause from his Bright Moon staff to survive Smile’s attack.
• Power Pause protected Azterlan but prevented him from moving or attacking until the spell expired.
• Punk and Kane joined Smile around the immobilized Azterlan, and all three prepared Legendary attacks to strike when Power Pause ended.

Punk, Kane, and Smile tried to kill Azterlan, but the White-robed Mage repeatedly survived by using Power Pause from the Pale Scepter. The trio prepared another full-force attack as Punk warned that Azterlan might have only one use of the spell left.

• Kane complained to Punk and tried to negotiate for priority in choosing the spoils while keeping his lance aimed at Azterlan.
• When Power Pause began to end, Punk, Kane, and Smile prepared their legendary attacks as Azterlan emerged and cursed them.
• The three adventurers struck Azterlan with Collapse Singularity, Instant Flash Thorn, and Divine Power Impact, but he activated Power Pause again and survived.
• Smile angrily lamented the waste of her Transcendent Divine Power, while Kane eyed Azterlan's staff greedily.
• Punk explained that the staff might allow three uses of Power Pause and ordered the others to prepare another full-force attack.

After Azterlan died, Kane and Punk raced to claim the Pale Scepter, and Kane attacked Punk when he seemed poised to seize it first. The chapter ended with Kane betting that Punk would dodge and leave the staff within his reach.

• Azterlan died after the three powerhouses' attacks destroyed him, leaving the Pale Scepter as his sole remaining relic.
• Kane tried to grab the Pale Scepter with Charge while claiming that the spoils should be fairly divided.
• Punk used Flash from the Ruby Necklace to reach the staff ahead of Kane.
• Kane recognized a repeat of his earlier failure to claim the Ruby Necklace and grew enraged.
• Kane attacked Punk with his lance, hoping to force him to dodge and abandon the Pale Scepter.

Punk claimed the Bright Moon Staff by stopping Kane’s charge with Time Stasis and escaping with the staff using his Ruby Necklace. Kane threatened to join forces with Smile, but Punk stood ready to fight, and Smile refused to take Kane’s side.

• Punk cast Time Stasis to halt Kane’s charge long enough to take the Bright Moon Staff with Mage Hand.
• Kane broke through the spell, but Punk teleported away with the staff using his Ruby Necklace.
• Kane threatened Punk and moved toward Smile, claiming they could outnumber him.
• Punk rejected Kane’s threat and declared he was willing to fight them both.
• Smile distanced herself from the conflict, refused to join Kane, and mocked him for failing to seize the staff.

Kane abandoned his attempt to use Smile against Punk over the Pale Scepter and proposed dividing the magic tower’s remaining spoils. He assigned himself and Punk forty percent each, leaving Smile only twenty percent, setting her up as the biggest loser.

• Smile refused to join Kane and Punk’s dispute over the staff, saying it could never belong to her.
• Punk inspected the Pale Scepter while remaining wary of Kane and Smile, and the three Legends stood in silence.
• Kane set aside the staff dispute and brought up dividing the valuable contents behind the Magic Lock in Kariuske’s magic tower.
• Kane proposed giving himself and Punk forty percent of the spoils each and Smile the remaining twenty percent, claiming she had contributed the least.

Cain proposed dividing the spoils from the ruin, giving Smile only a small share, and Punk backed him when Smile objected. Facing the threat of Punk taking the resources by force, Smile accepted the distribution, though she remained furious.

• Cain proposed splitting the spoils 40:40:20 between Punk, himself, and Smile, leaving Smile with the smallest share.
• Smile challenged Cain's distribution, arguing that she had discovered the ruin and helped save them from Azterlan.
• Cain dismissed Smile's contributions and asked Punk to confirm that the deal was fair.
• Punk agreed with Cain because the arrangement secured the resources he expected.
• Smile judged that resisting could leave her with nothing and accepted the distribution while angrily vowing to remember it.

On his years-long flight back to Faerun, Punk reflected on his recent adventure and realized that his growing arrogance had made him underestimate the dangers posed by Kane and Smile. He corrected his mindset and continued home, determined to put risk before profit on future adventures.

• Punk chose to fly back to Faerun instead of opening a portal, partly to avoid Smile tracking him and partly to reflect on his adventure.
• Punk recognized that his success and rising power had made him arrogant about his chances against Kane and Smile.
• Punk considered how their hidden abilities could turn an apparently even fight into a deadly one and acknowledged that they could kill him if they joined forces.
• Punk conjured a mirror, warned himself to be cautious as a newly promoted Legendary, then crushed the mirror and resumed his flight.
• Punk concluded that reflection had restored the careful mindset he needed for future adventures.

Punk reviewed the spoils from Kariuske’s ruined magic tower and found that most of its materials had decayed over 1.6 billion years. He examined the Pale Scepter he had taken from Azterlan, identifying its spells and abilities.

• Punk inspected his share of the Legendary materials and found that much of it had become unusable after 1.6 billion years.
• Punk, Kane, and Smile spent several months salvaging what they could from the ruined warehouse before leaving with their shares.
• Punk discarded further scraps after discovering that at least one-fifth of his materials were useless.
• Punk decided that the Pale Scepter he had taken from Azterlan was his most valuable gain and examined its properties.
• Punk identified the Pale Scepter’s five solidified spells, including Bright Moon-level defenses and a curse usable only by Lawful Evil professionals.

Punk assessed the Pale Scepter’s powerful but heavily restricted spells and considered seeking help from Peak Heavy Hammer to modify it. With that prospect uncertain, he returned toward Faerun carrying his spoils so he could resume researching Whisper of Destruction.

• Punk examined the Pale Scepter and judged its uncontrollable Power Pause spell impractical in battle, while its alignment-restricted Curse Seal was unusable to him.
• Punk realized Peak Heavy Hammer might be able to remove the Pale Scepter’s restrictions and perhaps restore Haitzita’s magic casket, but doubted he could secure such a service.
• Punk put the Pale Scepter on his back and continued through the Astral Plane until Faerun appeared ahead.
• Punk headed back to his magic tower with his spoils, ready to resume his Whisper of Destruction experiments.

Punk returned to his Mage Tower and found that the magical materials from his adventure were far too scarce to sustain his research. Faced with the failure of both farming and adventuring as paths to growth, he decided he no longer had reason to hesitate over joining the Silent Alliance’s Execution Group.

• Punk returned unnoticed to his Mage Tower, where the butler golem reported that everything had run properly in his absence.
• Punk entered his treasury and dumped out the magical materials he had brought back from Kariuske's Mage Tower ruins.
• Punk realized his supplies would not support high-frequency experiments for long and worried that a lack of resources would trap him in a cycle of stagnation.
• Punk concluded that farming was vulnerable to the River of Fate's Interference Mechanism and that adventuring had yielded too few resources.
• Punk reconsidered the Silent Alliance Guild Leader's proposal and decided his empty treasury left him nothing to hesitate over.

Punk began preparing for the Silent Alliance’s future Executor plan by deciding to craft Legendary magic equipment and improve his alchemy skills. He chose a Legendary beast hide for a robe and headed to his laboratory, leaving Vector motionless in the storeroom.

• Punk planned to study advanced alchemy and make Legendary magic equipment before the Chairman contacted him.
• Punk examined a piece of Legendary metal from Kariuske’s magic tower and studied the alchemy techniques he discovered on it.
• Punk chose a flexible, energy-resistant Legendary beast hide as the material for a robe and possibly gloves.
• Punk noticed Vector huddled motionless in the storeroom and considered erasing its artificial soul to use it as an extra in a future trade.
• Punk put the hide away and entered a portal to his laboratory.