Chapter Summaries

Rayne and his allies confronted a trap built around a Rune Array that was preparing a Thundercloud Storm. While the Extreme Warriors routed the Armored Knights, Rayne and Emilith destroyed the building containing the array, leaving the enemy spellcasting effort in ruins.

• Rayne arrived on a nearby rooftop and identified the Storm Priestess, three Legendary Transcendents, and the Rune Array preparing Thundercloud Storm.
• A Legendary Demon Hunter attacked Rayne, but Astan blocked him while Emilith and the others emerged through Any Door.
• The Armored Knights used a Mass Fear scroll against the charging Extreme Warriors, but the spell failed to stop the Makragge barbarian, and the thirteen warriors overwhelmed the knights.
• Rayne hurled Rune Book fireballs into the building to disrupt the Storm Priestess, while Emilith used a Dragon Roar to knock Marquis Jiliu from the air.
• Rayne launched all nine available fireballs as Emilith cast Flame Explosion, collapsing half the building and destroying the protective shield and Rune Array.

Rayne helped Astan kill the Cat School Demon Hunter, then fought Marquis Jiliu as the Storm Priestess returned and attacked with powerful lightning spells. Rayne escaped a Lightning Burst Orb by leaping through a hole in the wall, while the battle remained unresolved.

• Rayne used a Rainbow Ray to freeze the Cat School Demon Hunter, allowing Astan to pierce his skull and kill him.
• Rayne absorbed the Demon Hunter's soul and transferred excess Soul Power to his symbiotes.
• Marquis Jiliu arrived, saw Gaitan's corpse, and activated Berserk, Gigantification, and Blood Rage before attacking Rayne and his allies.
• The Storm Priestess returned and struck the group with a Thunder Spell, but Rayne smashed through the floor to evade Marquis Jiliu's attack.
• Rayne wounded and petrified Marquis Jiliu with a Rainbow Ray, but the Marquis broke free and blocked Rayne's warhammer.
• The Storm Priestess launched a Lightning Burst Orb, and Rayne activated Thorn Lightning Armor and Rapid Sprint before leaping through a hole in the wall as it exploded behind him.

Rayne fought Marquis Jiliu while Astan attacked the Storm Priestess, and he discovered that her magical orbs contained a lightning Demon Soul with Lightning Affinity. Rayne’s Swiftness advanced to Level Seven, letting him overwhelm Marquis Jiliu until the marquis trapped himself in an Ice Barrier; Rayne then rushed toward the Storm Priestess.

• Rayne evaded Marquis Jiliu’s attacks and used speed, spells, and hit-and-run tactics to wear down the Berserker’s strength.
• Astan attacked the Storm Priestess as she fell, but she escaped with Lightning Flash cast through one of her magical orbs.
• Rayne identified the lightning Demon Soul among the Storm Priestess’s orbs and resolved to obtain it because it contained Lightning Affinity.
• Electricity from the slain Demon Hunter advanced Rayne’s Swiftness to Level Seven, sharply increasing his speed.
• Rayne struck Marquis Jiliu with a powerful attack, but the marquis crushed a crystal and encased himself in an Ice Barrier.
• Rayne left Marquis Jiliu trapped in the barrier and rushed toward the Storm Priestess.

Rayne and Emilith overwhelmed the Storm Priestess with gunfire and fire magic, but an unknown caster teleported her away before Rayne could finish her. The same rescue magic extracted Marquis Jiliu, revealing that a powerful enemy was involved, while Rayne claimed the Storm Priestess’s Lightning-element Soul Orb.

• Rayne chased the Storm Priestess, but her Static Force Field and Lightning Flash kept him from reaching her as Emilith attacked from a rooftop.
• The Storm Priestess summoned Nagas through a Gate of Another World, and Rayne slaughtered them with Rambo’s Gun before pursuing her into the sky.
• Rayne and Emilith wore down the Storm Priestess’s Water Shield and Wind Armor until bullets riddled her with wounds.
• An unknown caster used Point Teleportation to rescue the unconscious Storm Priestess, but Rayne shot her Soul Orb out of the teleportation field and kept it.
• The same rescue magic took away the wounded Marquis Jiliu, and Rayne inferred that a powerful enemy aboard a steamship had been behind the trap.
• Rayne picked up the Storm Priestess’s pale-blue orb and saw that it held a Lightning-related Demon Soul with seven Element Runes.

Reed secured Hybridge Harbor for House Augustus, then examined the Storm Priestess’s orb and identified the Demon Soul inside as a Lightning Rat. He ended the chapter preparing to extract and fuse the creature’s soul.

• Reed ordered the harbor sealed, brought the Port Authority under his authority, and let officials with ties to the Marquis Jiliu leave.
• Reed assigned Fabian and the Port Authority manager, Reed, to restore harbor operations and repair battle damage, then left Astan and guards to hold the port.
• Reed rode the surviving Dragon Horn Warhorse back to the castle and considered finding mounts for the Extreme Warriors.
• Reed studied the orb and discovered that its Demon Soul contained Lightning Affinity and six powerful Arcane Elements.
• Reed searched his Personal Library and identified the Demon Soul as a Lightning Rat.

Rayne learned that Ruin Anseram had secretly intervened in the Demon Capital and escaped a confrontation with Ansiwodoss, leaving the nobles’ plans unexplained. Osiria identified Rayne’s orb as the Sea God’s Orb and offered to teach him how to remove the Lightning Rat’s Demon Soul.

• Rayne studied the rare Lightning Rat sealed inside the orb and realized its seven elements marked it as exceptionally talented.
• Osiria apologized for not helping Rayne, explaining that a Legendary Wizard had been spying on him, then identified the wizard as Ruin Anseram.
• Osiria revealed that Ansiwodoss had pursued and confronted Ruin after he rescued Marquis Jiliu and Priscilla, but Ruin escaped.
• Rayne asked why Ansiwodoss would not question Marquis Jiliu, and Osiria explained that her teacher refused to violate his principles or his authority.
• Osiria identified the orb as the Sea God’s Orb, an item usable only by a High Tier Priest of the Sea God, and offered to teach Rayne how to remove the Demon Soul inside.

Rayne learned how to extract the Lightning Rat's Demon Soul from Priscilla's Sea God's Orb, then merged it into his soul and gained several lightning spells and a second Lightning Affinity. After testing his new abilities, he headed to the training room to practice.

• Osiria explained how to dismantle the Sea God's Orb, and Rayne learned that Priscilla belonged to the Pumor Family.
• Rayne and Osiria erased the orb's runes together, discussing magic and other knowledge as the Demon Soul weakened.
• Rayne used the Soul Stone given by Lady of Long Hair to capture the Lightning Rat's Demon Soul after the orb became a Giant Clam Pearl.
• Rayne restored his Soul Power, merged with the Lightning Rat's Demon Soul, and added its seven elements to his World Tree.
• Rayne discovered that he had two Lightning Affinities and gained several lightning spells, then entered the castle's training room to practice.

Rayne received Marquis Jiliu’s invitation to negotiate peace at Yangshui Port and learned that Master Anxi had agreed, provided Rayne continued investigating the Demon Capital nobles. At the port, Rayne confronted the assembled nobles and opened the meeting by asking whether they had come to pay him compensation.

• Sikarius delivered Marquis Jiliu’s letter inviting Rayne to peace negotiations at Yangshui Port, and Rayne suspected the nobles had learned of his connection to Master Anxi.
• Osiria concluded that the nobles’ sudden change in attitude likely came from learning that Master Anxi had tracked Ruin Antheram, and she contacted her teacher.
• Osiria returned with Master Anxi’s approval for the negotiations, along with his demand that Rayne continue investigating the nobles before he would publicly accept him as a student.
• Rayne gathered his forces, traveled to Yangshui Port, and sent Osiria ahead to check that the port was safe.
• Rayne met Marquis Jiliu, Countess Kailin, Pirino Aiden, and the other nobles at the dock, then asked whether they had come to pay him compensation.

Rayne negotiated with the nobles of Demon Capital, securing the return of Glamorgan Territory’s land and assets, half the equity in their businesses, and a tax settlement. After the nobles paid the first installment and left, Rayne turned to face someone with purple eyes.

• Rayne rejected the nobles’ prepared terms and demanded they withdraw their forces, return his land and assets, and surrender half the equity in their factories and shops.
• Sonas agreed to give Rayne half the equity, and Rayne demanded one million Gold Shields in back taxes, payable over five years with an initial payment of two hundred thousand.
• Rayne and the nobles signed an agreement, and the nobles delivered the first payment before leaving Yangshui Port.
• Kaelin Pumor bought the Sea God’s Tear from Rayne for thirty thousand Gold Shields and departed with the other nobles.
• Rayne watched the nobles’ steamship leave, then turned and found himself facing a pair of purple eyes.

Rayne toured his newly acquired territory, expanded the Dragonstone Mercenary Group, and inspected Bloodhoof Ranch, where he considered buying Kodo Beast mounts for the Extreme Warriors. The chapter left him weighing Habu Bloodhoof’s offer to purchase the mounts.

• Rayne paid Emilith the Dragonstone Mercenary Group’s share of the back taxes and asked her to expand the group to five hundred people, including human mercenaries.
• Emilith agreed to recruit more mercenaries, though they would not reach the Demon Capital for half a month.
• Rayne took control of Yangshui Port, left fifty Centaurs to secure it, and continued surveying Glamorgan Territory.
• Rayne visited Bloodhoof Ranch and met Habu Bloodhoof, its powerful Minotaur owner, who showed him the ranch’s many Magical Beasts.
• Rayne examined a Kodo Beast as a possible mount for the Extreme Warriors, and Habu offered to sell them for eight hundred Gold Shields each.

Rayne bought thirteen kodo beasts from Habu for six hundred gold shields each, then searched Bloodhoof Ranch for demon souls with Lightning Affinity. He found none among the ranch’s lightning-related creatures, but his Soul Eye revealed a slime with a Superb Element.

• Rayne bargained Habu down to six hundred gold shields per kodo beast and secured saddles with the purchase.
• The Extreme Warriors tested the thirteen kodo beasts and quickly learned to ride them.
• Rayne paid Habu seven thousand eight hundred gold shields and asked whether the ranch had demon souls with Lightning Affinity.
• Habu showed Rayne thunder elephants and several other lightning-related species, but Rayne found no Lightning Affinity among them.
• Rayne examined a pit of thunder lizards and then scanned the slimes in the adjoining section.
• Rayne spotted a slime whose demon soul contained a Superb Element.

Rayne visited Habu’s slime ranch and bought an unremarkable slime after sensing that it possessed an unknown Superb Element. After destroying it and extracting its Demon Soul, Rayne identified the Element as Living Metal.

• Rayne learned that Habu had raised nearly one hundred slimes and that giant slimes could rarely develop the Superb Elements Limb Regeneration or Rubber Physique.
• Habu described selling a slime with Limb Regeneration and seeing another with Rubber Physique, while Rayne noticed a silver-gray slime that Habu had appraised as having Poison Resistance.
• Rayne insisted on buying the silver-gray slime and warned Habu that he could investigate the ranch’s tax records if Habu refused.
• Habu sold Rayne the slime for five thousand Gold Shields, and Rayne destroyed it with a Lightning Burst Orb.
• Rayne extracted the slime’s Demon Soul into a Purple Origin Soul Crystal and identified its unknown Superb Element as Living Metal.

Rayne left the Bloodhoof Ranch with a clue about Storm Giants and learned that the Slime Monster’s Demon Soul contained the Superb Element Living Metal. After returning to Glamorgan Territory to a celebratory welcome, he examined invitations from Demon Capital and asked Fabian about Lady Shalanwe.

• Habu charged Rayne five hundred Gold Shields for information about Storm Giants living on Mount Karl, which could yield a Lightning Affinity Element.
• Emilith examined the Soul Stone and recognized Poison Resistance and an unidentified Superb Element; Rayne revealed that the element was Living Metal and planned to fuse it after reaching the Sixth Tier.
• Rayne returned to the castle with his entourage, where Fabian and the gathered residents congratulated him on reclaiming his territory.
• Fabian gave Rayne congratulatory cards, business cards, and invitations from Demon Capital, and Rayne asked whether Fabian knew Lady Shalanwe.

Rayne accepted an invitation from the wealthy Shalanwe Rose and ordered an investigation into Demon Capital’s nobles after discovering their shipping records had been destroyed. He kept his discovery that Count Pirino Aiden served the Lord of Death secret and prepared to investigate alone.

• Rayne learned from Fabian that Shalanwe Rose was a mysterious, immensely wealthy Wizard and accepted her invitation to a trade fair.
• Rayne instructed Fabian to decline his other invitations while inviting their senders to a castle banquet, then ordered newspaper advertisements to recruit clerical staff.
• Rayne requested several years of records from the two ports to investigate why the seven nobles could not pay their taxes, but Fabian reported that the records had been destroyed.
• Rayne explained to Osiria that he suspected the nobles had moved their funds through the ports, then privately recalled seeing Count Pirino Aiden pledged to the Lord of Death.
• Rayne asked Osiria, calling her Xiliya, for her Shape-shifting Ring and Invisibility Spell scrolls so he could investigate alone; she agreed to provide them the next day.

Rayne used an Invisibility Spell to investigate Pirino Aiden’s manor but found it protected by a powerful warning array. At a nearby clock tower, he encountered a Shadow Assassin, who attacked and vanished after failing to pierce Rayne’s defenses.

• Rayne took five Fourth Circle Invisibility Spell scrolls from Osiria and secretly left his castle that night.
• Rayne crossed into Count Atlante's territory and searched for a way into Pirino Aiden’s manor, but a warning array covered the entire estate.
• Rayne climbed a nearby clock tower and discovered a translucent figure watching the manor.
• The figure saw through Rayne’s invisibility, jumped from the tower, and disappeared into the Shadow Plane; Rayne recognized him as a Shadow Assassin.
• The Shadow Assassin ambushed Rayne and stabbed through his Thorn Lightning Armor, but his blade could not pierce Rayne’s skin.
• Rayne grabbed the attacker’s wrist, but the Shadow Assassin escaped with Shadow Shuttle, leaving Rayne unable to find him.

Rayne met the Shadow Assassin Isou while investigating Pirino's estate, and Isou invited him to meet at the Pink Colt. The next night, Rayne disguised himself and entered the brothel, where a madam led him upstairs to find Isou.

• Rayne sensed the Shadow Assassin hiding in the Shadow Plane and tried to negotiate with him.
• The assassin revealed himself, learned Rayne was the Count of Glamorgan, and told him to meet at the Pink Colt; he gave his name as Isou.
• Rayne searched Pirino's estate from the bell tower, found nothing, and returned to the castle.
• Rayne asked Fabian about the Pink Colt and learned it was a prestigious brothel in the Six Deep Corners commercial district.
• Rayne disguised himself, drove to the Pink Colt, and asked a female Elf madam to take him to Isou.

Rayne met Isou, a Shadow Assassin seeking revenge on Pirino for murdering his family, and recruited him to investigate a conspiracy threatening the Wezelan Floating City. Isou agreed to inspect ships at Jungong Port, while Rayne returned to the castle and found Xiliya and Lady Emilith waiting in his study.

• Rayne visited Isou at the Pink Colt and learned that Pirino had killed Isou's family and survived Isou's previous assassination attempt with help from a powerful Legendary Wizard.
• Isou explained that he had returned from the New Continent to avenge his family, while Rayne suspected Pirino's allies were connected to a fallen faith.
• Rayne told Isou that Pirino and the Demon Capital's nobles were involved in a conspiracy threatening the Wezelan Floating City and offered him a chance to destroy the Aiden Family.
• Isou agreed to investigate ships at Jungong Port, especially those belonging to the Pumor Family, and report anything suspicious to Rayne.
• Rayne left the Pink Colt, returned to the castle, and found Xiliya and Lady Emilith waiting in his study.

Rayne secured control of Glamorgan Territory and settled into his duties as its lord, though he longed for a quieter life. As he relaxed on his balcony with Osiria, Isou appeared, and Rayne stopped Osiria from attacking him.

• Rayne gave Emilith and Osiria a vague answer about his recent personal business and the matter involving Demon Capital nobles.
• Rayne interviewed officials, took control of Glamorgan's remaining territory, and organized mercenaries and Centaurs to protect its roads, port, and settlements.
• Within a month, Rayne had secured his position as Count of Glamorgan and won the Demon Capital nobles' public acknowledgment.
• After ten days of intense work, Rayne relaxed on his balcony and considered how wealth from the territory could help him gain power.
• Isou appeared on the balcony, and Rayne stopped Osiria from casting a spell by telling her that Isou was one of them.

Rayne, Osiria, and Isou traveled to a hidden island where the Pumor Family was secretly moving cargo. Infiltrating the island’s underground cavern, Rayne discovered a Legendary Wizard using an Astral Crystal Pillar to open a portal, and he approached the array with the workers.

• Isou reported that a Pumor Family cargo ship had visited a concealed dock on a deserted island, and Rayne decided to investigate with Osiria.
• Isou summoned Senu, his Chado Black Eagle, and flew Rayne and Osiria across the sea toward the island.
• Rayne spotted a cargo ship at night and guided the group ahead of it to the island, where they found a hidden dock protected by a Rune Array and concealed guards.
• Rayne and Osiria entered the island by clinging to the cargo ship, then followed workers carrying crates into a vast underground cavern.
• Rayne saw a Legendary Wizard activate a massive Rune Array with an Astral Crystal Pillar, opening a dazzling portal, and moved closer while disguised among the workers.

Rayne and Osiria infiltrated a cavernous mithril-alloy operation, where Isou and Rayne killed the Legendary Wizard and his reinforcements. As Osiria tried to shut down the portal, Ruin Anseram emerged from it.

• Rayne and Osiria withdrew from the Rune Array but were exposed when a worker dropped a crate of mithril alloy and the Legendary Wizard killed him.
• Isou ambushed the Legendary Wizard, then Rayne trapped him and killed him with a warhammer blow, absorbing his soul.
• Rayne and Isou fought the arriving guards, wizard, and gunners, killing them while the cargo ship fled from the docks.
• Osiria tried to shut down the portal, but Ruin Anseram walked through it.