Chapter Summaries

After surviving an assassination in the Floating City, Rayne disguised himself and went to a Mechanical Workshop to prepare a weapon. He began selecting a firearm design, determined to answer the Demon Capital’s nobles with the craft he knew best.

• Rayne survived the red-haired witch’s attack and learned that she had escaped using a costly scroll containing three spells.
• Kadeja arrived, heard Rayne’s account, and promised to investigate the witch while acknowledging how bold the attackers were.
• Back at the Magic Hotel, Rayne borrowed Osiria’s Shape-shifting Ring and disguised himself before heading to the Mechanical Workshop.
• Rayne rented a workshop from its goblin owner, Gaviz, and gathered metal supplies and prepared components.
• Rayne opened his firearm-design game and chose a powerful weapon to build.

Rayne finished building a heavily modified M60 machine gun and began preparing ammunition for it. Osiria left after giving him three more days to complete his work and explain his absence to Master Anxi.

• Gaviz delivered two thousand brass cartridge cases to Rayne, who paid him and promised that more orders might follow.
• Osiria visited Rayne at the workshop and, after reminding him that Master Anxi had summoned her, agreed to give him three more days.
• Rayne assembled his completed M60 machine gun and explained why its rapid suppressive fire suited Aerenus better than a sniper rifle.
• Rayne described the gun's heavy Fine Gold construction and his plans for propellant, primers, armor-piercing bullets, and ammunition belts.
• Rayne began loading the cartridge cases by hand, expecting to finish the ammunition in three days.

Rayne set out to reclaim Clearwater High Fort and revealed his machine gun when its guards ignored his ultimatum. After cutting down the guards on the walls, he faced a larger force charging from the castle as Legendary Wizard Maitir watched cautiously.

• Rayne gathered the Silver Armor Knights and Secret Fire Guard, then drove toward Clearwater High Fort with Osiria accompanying him invisibly.
• Rayne told the Silver Armor Knights and Secret Fire Guard to stay back while he approached the fort alone and demanded that its occupants surrender or swear allegiance within five minutes.
• When the fort's guards and steward ignored him, Rayne retrieved his machine gun and killed the guards on the walls with a burst of gunfire.
• Rayne used Blink to reach the wall as more guards charged downhill and Legendary Wizard Maitir emerged from the castle.
• Rayne waited until the advancing guards neared the gate, then opened fire.

Rayne used Rambo's Gun to slaughter the guards outside Maitir's castle, then fought the Legendary Wizard with gunfire, spells, and help from a hidden ally. He broke Maitir's shield and sent him falling from the sky.

• Rayne gunned down the guards who charged from the castle and ordered Pansir and the knights to seal the exits.
• Rayne attacked the castle with gunfire and fireballs until Maitir emerged and tried to cast spells behind protective barriers.
• Rayne survived Maitir's Air Blast, saw through the mist, and destroyed the two wind elementals Maitir summoned.
• Maitir used an Any Door to approach Rayne, but Rayne trapped him in a Ring of Imprisonment and opened fire at close range.
• An unseen ally countered Maitir's Air Blast as Rayne's bullets exhausted his Soul Power and shattered his shield, sending him falling from the sky.

Rayne killed Maitir with Osiria’s help, then took control of Clearwater High Fort and absorbed the souls of its defenders. After his Soul Power filled his charge, he prepared to become a Fifth Tier Wizard by fusing with a demon soul.

• Rayne absorbed Maitir’s soul, reinforced his elements, and collected the dead wizard’s staff and rings.
• Rayne ordered Pansir and the Silver Armor Knights to surround Clearwater High Fort after its guards watched him kill Maitir.
• Fabian, a Wind Elf deputy tax officer, surrendered and swore loyalty to Rayne, who accepted him and ordered the other prisoners to await judgment.
• Rayne and Fabian swept through the castle, capturing or defeating its defenders and locating the steward and four other Transcendents in the training ground.
• Rayne blasted the five Transcendents with his remaining Fireballs, absorbed their souls, and filled his charge as Maitir’s soul conversion finished.
• Rayne realized that fusing with a demon soul would make him a Fifth Tier Wizard.

Rayne strengthened his battle technique elements, took control of Clearwater High Fort, and decided how to handle its prisoners and the battle’s aftermath. Maitir’s students retrieved his body and threatened Rayne, who began examining two Enchanting Rings.

• Rayne raised Dragon Strength Technique and Thorn Lightning Armor to the Third Circle, improved Swiftness and Rapid Sprint, and decided to seek a Demon Soul with battle technique elements.
• Rayne pardoned the prisoners and let them choose whether to leave or remain; most departed, while a little over thirty stayed, and he appointed Fabian acting steward.
• Rayne and the Silver Armor Knights recovered every spent shell casing, identified the dead locals, and burned the remaining corpses.
• Rayne learned that Speaker Modra had sent two High Tier Wizards, Maitir’s students, to retrieve their teacher’s body.
• Maitir’s students took his corpse and threatened Rayne, who dismissed the threat and began examining two Enchanting Rings.

Rayne identified and claimed Maitir’s powerful Hurricane Staff, Soul Accumulating Ring, and Dimensional Ring, then discovered the castle’s capable deputy tax officer Fabian had pledged his loyalty. Fabian advised Rayne that securing the territory would require more forces and suggested hiring Transcendents and mercenaries from the Demon Capital’s talent market.

• Rayne identified the Hurricane Staff as Supreme Tier equipment and put on Maitir’s Soul Accumulating Ring and Dimensional Ring, finding a fortune and many personal belongings inside.
• Rayne experimented with the Dimensional Ring and stored Rambo’s Gun inside it.
• Fabian brought Rayne dinner and a detailed report of Clearwater High Fort’s assets, earning his praise.
• Rayne reassured Fabian that he valued ability over race, and Fabian swore an oath of loyalty to Count Glamorgan.
• Fabian warned Rayne that controlling the territory required more manpower and proposed hiring Transcendents, foreign experts, adventurers, and mercenaries from the Demon Capital’s talent market.

Rayne arranged to hire a mercenary group to protect Glamorgan, then spent the night studying the earldom’s records. The next day, he visited the Giant Hammer Arena, where he watched the crowd cheer for the towering fighter Sikarius.

• Rayne accepted Fabian’s proposal to hire a large mercenary group using taxes held in the treasury, and Fabian left to contact his connections.
• Rayne spent the night reviewing the territory’s records and found no enemies infiltrating Clearwater High Fort.
• Osiria asked Rayne about the Soul Gun, and he called it Rambo’s Gun and kept its workings secret.
• Fabian returned at noon with the results of his inquiries, and Rayne set out with him while Pansir stayed behind to guard the castle.
• Rayne arrived at the Giant Hammer Arena and watched the crowd roar for Sikarius, a huge fighter standing among the bodies of his fallen opponents.

Rayne watched Sikarius dominate a Dire Wolf hunt at the Giant Hammer Arena and discovered that the Makragge gladiator possessed a rare element that copied part of a similar-shaped target’s physical attributes. After enjoying several more fights, Rayne met the arena’s owner, Tosedrin.

• Rayne examined Sikarius’s soul and identified his many trained abilities and an unknown element that granted him some of a similar-shaped target’s physical attributes.
• Fabian told Rayne that Sikarius was a Makragge from the Thane Plateau who had won the Giant Hammer Arena’s annual championship three years in a row.
• Sikarius killed ten Dire Wolves with javelins and a Whirlwind Slash, then left the arena undefeated.
• Rayne watched several gladiator battles, praised the fighters, and tossed Gold Shields into the arena as rewards.
• Tosedrin, the Wood Elf owner of the Giant Hammer Arena, entered Rayne’s box and introduced himself.

Rayne met three mercenary leaders in Demon Capital and asked them to help him reclaim his territory. Gollana refused, Graham hesitated, and Emilith accepted the mission.

• Prince Tosedrin welcomed Rayne and summoned the leaders of several mercenary groups to meet him.
• Rayne identified Graham as a level-nine Half-orc Tyrant and recognized Emilith as a Legendary figure with dragon-related abilities.
• Tosedrin introduced Graham, Gollana of the Green Flame Hand, and Emilith, head of the Dragonstone Mercenary Group, to Rayne.
• Rayne asked the mercenary leaders to help him reclaim Glamorgan Territory and promised satisfactory compensation.
• Gollana refused the commission and left, Graham hesitated, and Emilith agreed to take the mission.

Rayne hired Emilith’s Dragonstone Mercenary Group to guard and police Glamorgan Territory after negotiating its tax share down to one-tenth. After signing the contract, he asked Tosedrin whether he could meet the gladiator Sikarius.

• Emilith offered the Dragonstone Mercenary Group’s 150 centaurs, 60 Iron Guard, several Transcendents, and a Legendary Swordsman for a long-term share of Rayne’s taxes.
• Rayne rejected Emilith’s demand for one-fifth of the taxes, and Graham offered Blood and Sand’s services for 12,000 Gold Shields a month.
• Emilith lowered her demand to one-tenth of the taxes and promised to expand her force to 300 people, including herself; Rayne accepted despite suspecting she had another motive.
• Graham left after Rayne chose Emilith, and Rayne and Emilith signed the contract with Tosedrin as their intermediary.
• Rayne chatted with Tosedrin and Emilith, then asked whether he could meet Sikarius, the gladiator whose combat skills had impressed him.

Rayne visited the Giant Hammer Arena to meet Sikarius and investigate whether the unusual element he possessed was unique or a Makragge racial talent. He found two other Makragge gladiators with the elements he was seeking, leaving the question of their significance unresolved.

• Tosedrin tried to put off Rayne's request to meet Sikarius, but Rayne insisted on visiting the gladiator during his training.
• Emilith joined Rayne, and Astan, Bigbel, and Dinglaji accompanied them through the arena to the training grounds.
• Rayne saw Sikarius lifting two five-thousand-pound iron blocks, while Astan judged that Sikarius had at least a Level Five Strength Element.
• Rayne examined the souls of two other Makragge gladiators and found the two elements he had been anticipating.

Rayne challenged Sikarius and his two Makragge kinsmen to Mak'gora duels, offering them money if they won and three years of work if they lost. After revealing his extraordinary physique and lifting a massive warhammer with ease, Rayne launched his first strike at Sikarius.

• Rayne learned that the Makragge people's racial talent let them borrow a consenting host's physical attributes, but bound them closely to that host.
• Rayne bluntly asked Sikarius and his two kinsmen to work for him, but Sikarius refused until Rayne offered to pay twice his arena earnings.
• Sikarius's kinsmen explained that Rayne would have to defeat them in Mak'gora duels to earn their recognition, so Rayne challenged all three.
• Rayne offered each Makragge man ten thousand Gold Shields for victory and required three years of work from them if he won; Sikarius accepted.
• Rayne removed his shirt, revealed his powerful physique, and lifted a five-hundred-pound warhammer before attacking Sikarius.

Rayne defeated Sikarius in a duel, demonstrating overwhelming strength, speed, and defense to the Makragge spectators. After healing Sikarius, Rayne turned to Tosedrin to discuss contracts for the three Makragge people.

• Sikarius attacked Rayne with Shadow Stab, but Rayne blocked the strike and overpowered him with the warhammer.
• Rayne chased Sikarius, struck him into the training room wall, and caught and threw back the javelins Sikarius hurled at him.
• Rayne knocked Sikarius down with repeated hammer blows, then let Sikarius's Cleave hit him to reveal that it barely scratched his skin.
• Rayne beat Sikarius until the barbarian conceded, then used a healing scroll to treat him.
• Rayne asked Tosedrin to discuss contracts for the three Makragge people.

Rayne defeated Sikarius and secured the freedom of three Makragge gladiators, while Tosedrin waived their contract buyout fees. After learning that Emilith was a Dragonkin Apostle with ties to Kongator’s displaced royal family, Rayne discussed magic with Osiria and received Sikarius’s offer of allegiance.

• Tosedrin praised Rayne’s strength and tore up the contracts of Sikarius and the other two gladiators, freeing them without a buyout fee.
• Rayne left the arena and returned to Clearwater High Fort, while Emilith gathered the Dragonstone Mercenary Group to join him later.
• Osiria warned Rayne that Emilith’s group likely came from Kongator, and Rayne recognized Emilith as a descendant of the Zhuogengbao Family and a Dragonkin Apostle.
• Rayne asked Osiria how to shorten Rainbow Ray’s casting time, and she began explaining its rune structure.
• Sikarius arrived at Rayne’s study and declared that he was willing to swear allegiance to him.

Rayne learned about the Makragge racial talent Primarch Symbiosis and agreed to become Sikarius's primarch. Their first symbiosis began, causing a dramatic transformation in Sikarius.

• Sikarius chose to swear loyalty to Rayne, who cautioned him to consider the oath carefully before accepting.
• After clearing the study of others, Sikarius explained Primarch Symbiosis, its limits, its risks to the primarch, and the Makragge's belief that Gileman bestowed the talent.
• Rayne agreed to become the primarch of Sikarius and his tribesmen, while asking Sikarius to call him Boss.
• Sikarius brought in Gron and Kiwat, then began the ritual by swearing a blood oath to Rayne under Gileman's witness.
• Rayne accepted the oath, and a new branch appeared on his World Tree as Sikarius underwent a violent transformation.

Rayne tested Primarch Symbiosis, transforming Sikarius and then Gron and Kiwat while discovering he could use his Mutated Cellphone to strengthen their elements. After sending Sikarius to recruit the thirteen other Makraggeans in the Demon Capital, Rayne took him to the training ground and beat him in a sparring match.

• Sikarius swore the Loyalty Blood Oath, and Primarch Symbiosis greatly increased his strength, speed, defenses, and resistance to mental attacks.
• Rayne used the Mutated Cellphone to inspect the three Makraggeans' Soul Lists and discovered he could spend electricity to strengthen their elements and avatars.
• Gron and Kiwat swore their oaths and gained several levels, while Rayne's World Tree grew two leaves.
• Rayne learned that thirteen other Makraggeans lived in the Demon Capital and gave Sikarius ten thousand Gold Shields to recruit them.
• Sikarius challenged Rayne, who took him to the training ground and left him bruised and swollen.

Rayne welcomed Emilith and the Dragonstone Mercenary Group to his castle, then used Gron to punish the hostile centaur leader Zao and establish his authority. With the newcomers settled and the castle defenses organized, Rayne planned to reclaim Glamorgan Territory once Sikarius returned.

• Emilith arrived at Rayne's castle with 150 centaurs and the Dragonstone Mercenary Group, and the assembled force greeted Rayne.
• Zao insulted Rayne, so Rayne ordered Gron to teach him a lesson; Gron defeated Zao in a brutal fight and frightened the other centaurs into submission.
• Emilith arranged for the centaurs to camp outside the castle and for the Iron Guards to take over the Silver Armor Knights' wall posts.
• Rayne listened to the mercenary leaders discuss the defenses, then checked a map of Glamorgan Territory and resolved to drive out the remaining enemies when Sikarius returned.

Sikarius returned to Clearwater High Fort with ten Makragge, and Rayne accepted them as his symbionts, bringing his total to thirteen. He named their force the Extreme Legion, promised them high salaries, and had to replenish his dwindling treasury.

• Sikarius brought ten Makragge to the castle, where Rayne welcomed them and hosted a lavish meal.
• Rayne led the Makragge to the training ground, where Otto and the others swore loyalty and became his symbionts.
• Rayne ended the two-hour process with thirteen Makragge bound to him and declared them his loyal companions and brothers.
• At Sikarius's prompting, Rayne named their force the Extreme Legion and its members Extreme Warriors.
• Rayne promised the Extreme Warriors generous salaries and prepaid three months of wages, then gathered more money from his territory to refill the treasury.

Rayne led his forces to seize Hybridge Port, where House Jiliu’s Armored Knights guarded the entrance. When a hidden caster prepared a Seventh Ring Thundercloud Storm, Rayne ordered a charge and teleported toward the caster’s position.

• Rayne sent scouts to investigate the two ports, and Randi reported that more than fifty Armored Knights guarded Hybridge Port.
• Rayne chose to attack Hybridge Port and led the Dragonstone Mercenary Group, the Extreme Legion, the Silver Armor Knights, and the Secret Fire Guard there.
• Rayne’s forces arrived at the port, where the Armored Knights blocked the gate and prepared to fight.
• Rayne sensed a Seventh Ring Thundercloud Storm forming and realized the Armored Knights had lured his forces into a trap.
• Rayne found the hidden Spellcaster on a rooftop, ordered his troops and the Extreme Warriors to charge, and stepped through an Any Door toward the caster.