Chapter Summaries

Russell guarded a newly hatched Spirit Worm, contracted it as a Birch Worm, and celebrated the blessing. He planned to return to Fluorite Castle to ask the Baron Lord about the birch grove and its plants.

• Charles celebrated the Spirit Worm’s birth as a sign of Dragon’s Gaze, while Russell remained concerned about Little Dream Dragon.
• Russell had Eric and the Knight Retainers guard the birch grove against outsiders, especially freemen from Xiangshui River Cave.
• At dawn, Russell caught the newly hatched Birch Worm, fed it Jade Powder, and formed an Elf Contract with it using his blood.
• Russell announced a banquet and planned to leave for Fluorite Castle after lunch to ask the Baron Lord whether Fluorite Mushrooms could grow alongside the grove’s magical material.
• Charles hoped to drink Black Pearl Wine, but Russell told Butler Morris to lock the wine cellar that night.

Russell traveled to Fluorite Castle, where Lord Ross’s reckless greeting frightened his party and injured no one. He presented his newly discovered Birch Worm to Baron Roman and Meryl, then learned it could safely grow alongside Fluorite Mushrooms.

• Russell refused to have the manor annex’s wine cellar locked and set out for Fluorite Castle with four Knight Retainers and manservant Ram.
• Lord Ross swooped toward Russell before abruptly pulling away, scattering dust and frightening Ram’s horse; Russell ordered a short rest before the party continued.
• At Fluorite Castle, Russell exchanged greetings with Knight Captain Chris, who was leading a patrol to reinforce Baron Roman’s rule.
• Russell showed Baron Roman and Meryl the wild Birch Worm he had found while settling the Fluorite Mushroom Bugs, delighting them with his discovery.
• Russell asked whether Fluorite Mushrooms could grow in the birch grove alongside the Birch Worm, and Baron Roman explained that the mushrooms and tree could benefit one another.

Baron Roman and Meryl discussed Russell’s prospects, Lord Ross’s hostility, and the family succession before Russell returned to the Dark Dreamscape and reunited with Little Dream Dragon. Russell woke in high spirits the next morning, preparing to return to his manor with supplies from Meryl.

• Baron Roman and Meryl discussed Russell’s Birch Worm, his slim chance of riding Lord Ross, and their confidence in Roland as the family’s dragon rider.
• Meryl raised concerns about Old Madam Ingrid favoring Rosen’s sons and offered to give Russell supplies for his shabby manor annex.
• Russell entered the Dark Dreamscape and joyfully reunited with Little Dream Dragon, then rode him around Fluorite Castle until he grew tired.
• Russell woke refreshed and happily asked Carter what was for breakfast, though he found himself missing Chinese food.

Russell returned to Wuyou Snake Manor with supplies from his parents and prepared to develop his territory, but heavy rain prevented him from searching for Spirit Worms. In the Dark Dreamscape, he discovered an Armored Knight sneaking into the manor's secondary residence, then lost Little Dream Dragon's help as the dream began to collapse.

• Russell thanked his parents for three carts of supplies, promised to govern Wuyou Snake Manor and fight Snow Demons, then rode back to his territory.
• Russell and Charles discussed buying timber from Lord Ertlas at Red Falcon Manor for Windmill Mill, while Eric set out to patrol the borders despite the rain.
• Heavy rain kept Russell from camping to search for Spirit Worms, so he flew with Little Dream Dragon in the Dark Dreamscape instead.
• Russell spotted an incomplete glowing figure sneaking toward the manor's secondary residence and identified him as an Armored Knight.
• Russell asked Little Dream Dragon to wake him because the intruder might be plotting against him, but Little Dream Dragon left and Russell shouted for himself to wake as the Dark Dreamscape collapsed.

Russell woke from a struggle in the Dark Dreamscape and realized an assassin was prowling the manor annex. With Eric’s help, he captured the female wanderer, who claimed she had come to bring him information, and forced her to reveal her name: Catherine.

• Russell reflected on the stages of knight cultivation and recognized that Eric’s complete outline in the Dark Dreamscape marked him as a Great Knight.
• Russell woke, spotted a small figure investigating the annex rooms, and fetched Eric to help capture the intruder.
• Eric identified the intruder as a burrow wanderer, and he and Russell waited beside the master bedroom window.
• Russell and Eric dragged the woman inside and tied her hands while the attendant knight downstairs remained unaware.
• The woman claimed she had come to deliver information, but Russell slapped her twice and demanded her identity.
• The woman gave her name as Catherine.

Catherine of the Wildcat Sisters warned Russell that Lone Wolf Lisbon planned to lure Snow Ghosts into attacking Wuyou Snake Manor, and Russell prepared to request reinforcements. He also considered bringing Xiangshui River Cave under his control, with the aim of resolving its situation completely.

• Catherine told Russell that Lisbon was preparing to lure Snow Ghosts toward Wuyou Snake Manor, and she showed him a warning letter from her sister, Little Wildcat.
• Russell let Catherine leave through the front gate, then agreed with Eric and Charles that the manor needed help to withstand a Snow Ghost attack.
• Russell ordered Knight Retainers Tom and John to ride to Fluorite Castle and urgently summon Knight Captain Kendall.
• While waiting for a reply, Russell and the others played chess, and Russell admitted he was considering taking control of Xiangshui River Cave.
• Charles cautioned Russell to distinguish those with blood on their hands, and Russell said he wanted to resolve Xiangshui River Cave completely.

Russell discussed the danger posed by Xiangshui River Cave and welcomed Chris, who had been sent to support the manor. In the Dark Dreamscape, Russell examined Chris and his Nightmare Ghost Horse and wondered whether it could produce a foal with his father's horse.

• Russell agreed with Charles and Eric that Xiangshui River Cave had to be brought under control before its cave freemen could threaten the territory.
• Morris brought milk tea to Russell, Charles, and Eric, and Russell promised Morris and Mrs. Moore an extra pudding each.
• Chris arrived at the manor annex on his Nightmare Ghost Horse to support Russell while Kendall remained away so Lone Wolf Lisbon would not be deterred from acting.
• Russell asked Chris about Battle Aura cultivation, and Chris explained how Russell could develop Battle Qi Penetration and progress toward Battle Qi Projection.
• In the Dark Dreamscape, Russell observed the magical light surrounding Chris and his Nightmare Ghost Horse, then imagined the horse producing a foal with his father's female Nightmare Ghost Horse.

Russell and Chris rode to the southeastern boundary of Wuyou Snake Manor after Snow Ghosts invaded, where Eric and three Knight Retainers were fighting them. Russell joined the battle and, as the knights rallied around Eric, charged with them against the Great Snow Ghost.

• Russell finished practicing the Radiant Sword Technique and sparred with Charles while Chris gave him pointers.
• Jack reported that Snow Ghosts had invaded and that Eric was holding them off, so Russell armored up and rode out with Chris, Charles, and Jack.
• Russell, Charles, and Jack joined Eric and the Knight Retainers, who formed a squad to fight the twelve Snow Ghosts.
• Eric ordered the knights to focus their attacks on the Great Snow Ghost, but repeated charges only wounded its undead body.
• The knights' Battle Aura resonated as Russell and the others charged together at the Great Snow Ghost.

Eric led the knight squad in defeating a Great Snow Ghost and eleven Snow Ghosts, while Knight Captain Chris recovered an upper-grade Hail Bead from the Great Snow Ghost. After the hunt, Russell ordered a monument to be erected in memory of the twelve humans whose corpses had become Snow Ghosts.

• Eric concentrated the squad’s Battle Aura into a sword strike that severed the Great Snow Ghost’s neck, and Russell rescued Charles when Snow Ghosts brought down his horse.
• The six remaining riders charged through the Snow Ghost horde again while Chris held the line; Chris later severed the Great Snow Ghost’s limbs and crushed its head with the Nightmare Ghost Horse.
• The Snow Ghosts’ bodies decayed into foul powder, leaving Hail Beads, and the hunt ended with eleven ordinary beads recovered.
• Chris praised Russell’s performance and gave Charles the Great Snow Ghost’s upper-grade Hail Bead, but Russell told Charles to return it to Chris as his spoil.
• Russell invited everyone to lunch at the manor’s annex and ordered Charles to arrange a stone monument mourning the return of twelve humans.

After a Snow Ghost invasion, Russell and his companions discussed the creatures and the valuable Hail Beads they left behind. Russell turned his attention to Lone Wolf Lisbon, who had lured the Snow Ghosts to the territory.

• In the kitchen, Ram told the servants about Snow Ghosts, while Mrs. Moore corrected his claims and explained that Hail Beads could be valuable and were rumored to help create an immortal Magic Potion.
• Russell, Charles, Eric, and Knight Captain Chris discussed how Snow Ghosts revived and joked about what might happen if a corpse found a replacement head.
• Russell examined the high-grade Hail Bead and considered how Snow Ghosts' Battle Aura became hail and condensed into beads when they were killed.
• Russell asked whether alchemy could use Hail Beads to grant long life, and Chris doubted that the beads could provide the Snow Demons' true power.
• Russell set the bead aside as a valuable currency and asked how they should deal with Lone Wolf Lisbon for luring the Snow Ghosts to them.

After the Snow Ghost attack, Russell planned to kill Lone Wolf Lisbon without relying on his father and waited for the Wildcat Sisters to approach him. In the Dark Dreamscape, Little Dream Dragon swallowed the Hail Bead, and Russell noticed the dreamscape had expanded.

• Russell told Charles, Eric, and Knight Captain Chris that Lisbon had to die, but refused to ask the Baron for help.
• After Knight Captain Chris left, Russell rejected Eric’s offer to infiltrate Xiangshui River Cave and decided to wait for the Wildcat Sisters.
• Russell met Little Dream Dragon in the Dark Dreamscape and saw the Hail Bead glowing in his bedside drawer.
• Little Dream Dragon swallowed the Hail Bead, while Russell found he and the dragon could not touch the Green Ceramic Sword there.
• Russell rode Little Dream Dragon around the Dark Dreamscape and noticed more of a tree had entered it than before.

Russell confirmed that Little Dream Dragon had swallowed the Hail Beads and expanded the Dark Dreamscape, then traveled to Fluorite Castle after Baron Roman summoned him. Their awkward father-son talk focused on Russell’s first Snow Ghost hunt, and they left the study for lunch.

• Russell checked that the Hail Beads were gone and concluded that Little Dream Dragon had truly swallowed them and expanded the Dark Dreamscape.
• Russell received Baron Roman’s invitation to dine at Fluorite Castle and returned there with Knight Raphael.
• Baron Roman praised Russell for handling the Snow Ghost hunt well, while Madam Meryl worried that he had taken too much risk.
• Baron Roman and Russell spoke privately in the study about the hunt and Russell’s adjustment to independent life.
• A manservant announced that lunch was ready, and Baron Roman and Russell left the study together.

Russell returned to Wuyou Snake Manor and hosted Lord Ertlas, who delivered lumber and shared stories about Snow Ghosts, Snow Demons, and Russell’s grandfather. After Ertlas left, Russell reviewed the manor’s finances with Morris and confirmed they could afford to build a Windmill Mill.

• Russell returned to Wuyou Snake Manor and learned that Lord Ertlas had personally brought a convoy of lumber from Red Falcon Manor.
• Russell talked with Ertlas about the unexplained origins of Snow Ghosts and heard how Snow Demons and Snow Beasts threatened the snowfields.
• Ertlas recalled how Russell’s grandfather Rhode Fluorite died fighting a Snow Giant alongside the Grand Duke, and urged Russell to grow strong and pursue an earl’s title.
• Ertlas finished the lumber handover, dined at the manor annex, and departed with his convoy after dark.
• Russell met with Morris in the study, reviewed the accounts, and learned the manor had enough money to build a Windmill Mill.

Russell met Katie, who apologized for her sister Catherine’s behavior and asked him to treat a Half Ghost Beast that had been the Wildcat Sisters’ companion since childhood. He agreed to try, and Katie promised to bring the beast to the underground river entrance later that night.

• Russell pondered how to help Snowcake grow before Morris told him that Katie had come to visit.
• Katie apologized for Catherine’s discourtesy, and Russell urged her to speak plainly about her purpose.
• Katie explained that the Wildcat Sisters wanted Russell to treat their beloved Half Ghost Beast, while Charles argued that it would be better to kill it.
• Russell promised to do everything he could, and Katie said the Wildcat Sisters would owe him a favor if he tried and serve him if he succeeded.
• After Katie left, Russell ordered Eric to have the retainer knights wait at the underground river entrance.

Russell examined the dying Half Ghost Beast Wolfhound sent by the Wildcat Sisters, then entered the Dark Dreamscape to test whether Little Dream Dragon could remove the Snow Demon's interference. The chapter left Russell preparing to attempt the cure, while Katie and Catherine waited to learn whether he would save Kevin.

• Charles explained that Half Ghost Beasts were difficult to save, but Russell insisted on seeing the wolfhound before deciding what to do.
• Eric returned with the wolfhound, and Russell and Eric sensed Earth Power clashing with the Snow Demon's interference inside it; they could find no treatment and settled it in an abandoned kennel.
• Russell let the servants sleep an hour later, while Katie told Catherine that Kevin's fate would determine whether the Wildcat Sisters trusted Russell or joined Lone Wolf.
• Katie and Catherine discussed Lone Wolf Lisbon's growing arrogance and the possibility that he had found a Mushroom Bug before going to sleep.
• Russell entered the Dark Dreamscape with Little Dream Dragon, saw the blue Snow Demon power entwined with the wolfhound's white Earth Power, and asked Little Dream Dragon to draw out the blue light.

Russell extracted the Snow Demon's disruptive power from the Half-Ghost Beast Wolfhound, Kevin, with Little Dream Dragon's help, but learned that the power made her sick and did not expand Dark Dreamscape. The next morning Kevin had recovered and might still evolve into a Phantom Beast, so Russell offered Eric the chance to become its rider in exchange for his loyalty.

• Russell had Little Dream Dragon absorb the Snow Demon's power from Kevin, and she reacted with disgust.
• Russell realized Hail Beads contained Earth Power, unlike the Snow Demon Power inside Kevin, and decided not to make Little Dream Dragon eat that power again.
• The next morning, Russell found Kevin's swellings had shrunk and the wolfhound had regained enough strength to stand.
• Eric reported that Kevin's Snow Demon's power had receded while its Earth Power seemed to be changing toward Phantom Beast primal power.
• Russell asked Eric to pledge loyalty in exchange for the chance to ride Kevin, and Eric immediately knelt and agreed.

Russell soothed Kevin long enough for Eric to form a contract with the wolfhound, whose healing and evolution transformed it into a Phantom Beast. The newly created Phantom Beast Knight and Kevin displayed their power as Charles arrived in shock.

• Kevin resisted Eric's attempt to contract with him, and Eric refused to regret swearing fealty to Russell.
• Russell calmed Kevin and helped Eric resume the contracting attempt before Kevin's Earth Power faded.
• Eric guided Kevin's Earth Power until its tumors disappeared and its body began transforming.
• Kevin bit Eric, and their powers fused into Essence Breath as the contract formed.
• Kevin evolved into a large Phantom Beast with gold-and-silver eyes, and Charles arrived at the courtyard entrance, startled by the scene.

Eric became a Phantom Beast Knight after Kevin the wolfhound evolved into a Phantom Beast, strengthening Russell’s security. Russell kept the news secret while preparing to deal with Lone Wolf Lisbon and waited for the Wildcat Sisters to seek him out.

• Charles envied Eric’s advancement, and Russell joked that a dragon might have healed Kevin under its watchful gaze.
• Eric and Kevin returned to Wuyou Snake Manor, where Russell and the household welcomed them as a newly formed Phantom Beast Knight and Contract Partner.
• Eric asked Russell to conceal his advancement until they dealt with Lone Wolf Lisbon, and Russell ordered everyone to keep it secret while holding a sober celebratory feast.
• Russell inspected the territory with Eric and learned that Origin Breath felt like a natural part of the body, unlike Battle Aura, which required guidance.
• Russell criticized the territory’s backward farming and declined to seek out the Wildcat Sisters, deciding to wait for Katie and Catherine to approach him.

Russell went night fishing for Blind Dragons while searching the Dark Dreamscape for Spirit Worms, then met Katie and Catherine by the river. After confirming Kevin was alive and contracted to Eric, he accepted the Wildcat Sisters’ pledge of loyalty.

• Russell camped by the Glimmering River and searched the Dark Dreamscape with Little Dream Dragon but found no Spirit Worms.
• Russell went night fishing again the next night, catching ordinary fish but no Blind Dragons.
• Eric brought Katie and Catherine to Russell, and they joyfully reunited with Kevin, who had contracted with Eric.
• Russell explained Kevin’s contract and asked what the sisters planned to do now that Kevin could not return to them.
• Russell warned the sisters he would not shelter fugitives and explained the rules and loss of freedom that came with becoming his followers.
• Katie and Catherine pledged loyalty to Russell, and he accepted them as his eyes and ears probing the night.

After accepting the Wildcat Sisters’ allegiance, Russell explained his plan to seize Xiangshui River Cave and recruit its freemen. The sisters agreed to help draw out Lone Wolf Lisbon, and a rumor that Lisbon possessed a Mushroom Bug gave Russell another reason to capture him.

• Tom reported that the Wildcat Sisters had no known criminal records, reassuring Russell about their background.
• Russell told Katie and Catherine that he wanted to eliminate Lone Wolf Lisbon and claim all of Xiangshui River Cave and its freemen.
• Katie offered to pretend to defect to Lisbon and lure him out, while Russell agreed not to judge the sisters for killing in self-defense.
• Katie and Catherine revealed a rumor that Lisbon had used a Mushroom Bug to obtain the resources needed to become a Great Ranger.
• Russell ordered the sisters to gather more information about the Mushroom Bug and arranged for Kevin and Eric to support them.