Chapter Summaries

Russell rewarded the serfs of Magic Potion Tunic for planting trees after his Mushroom Bugs evolved into Mushroom Birds. The serfs eagerly signed up to plant saplings, and Charles praised Russell’s plan to establish the Magic Potion Field cheaply.

• Red-nosed Rudy announced that Russell’s Mushroom Bugs had evolved into Mushroom Birds and told the serfs that Russell would reward them.
• The serfs complained when they learned the reward was saplings and tree planting rather than copper coins.
• Red-nosed Rudy explained that each household would receive one copper coin for every tree planted, prompting the serfs to eagerly request saplings.
• Red-nosed Rudy told the serfs that saplings would arrive the next day and that they could plant only during their free time.
• Charles reported the serfs’ enthusiasm to Russell and praised his plan, while Russell said he would have paid them directly if he were not in a hurry.

After the banquet, the Wildcat Sisters returned to their rented home, where Katie resolved to reforge her Battle Aura. Across the manor, serfs worked late planting trees for copper rewards, while their overseers supervised the work.

• Charles watched the Wildcat Sisters leave, and Kevin escorted them to their wooden house before returning to Eric's home.
• Catherine and Katie reflected on their new life in the sunlight, and Katie warned Catherine not to pursue Russell or interfere with other families.
• Katie began cultivating to reforge her Battle Aura, despite Catherine's doubts that she could become a knight.
• Serfs across Magic Potion Tunic planted trees late into the evening and received copper coins for their work.
• Old Hans and Mrs. Sharby supervised tree planting and discussed Russell's generosity, the dragon's favor, and the Mushroom Bug's evolution.

Russell planned to plant trees across Wuyou Snake Manor and renovate the manor annex, then inspected a successful batch of slag bricks. He decided to build a Brick Kiln Factory.

• Russell ordered Charles to make tree planting across the manor a long-term task, with serfs earning one copper coin for every ten trees.
• Russell toured the manor annex with Morris, Ram, and Old Hans, and asked Old Hans to repair the lawn and Morris to assess Old Blind Walker as a possible Horse Herder.
• Little William brought Russell slag bricks fired by his father, Wai Maozi William, at the Pottery Kiln Factory.
• Russell tested the bricks and found them exceptionally hard, with a faint trace of magic power.
• Russell praised the slag bricks and decided to build a Brick Kiln Factory.

Russell funded Little William’s plan to build a brick kiln factory and permitted Toothy Miller to open a general store in Small Market Town. The factory was named, while Miller’s request for tax concessions remained for Charles to discuss with him.

• Little William proposed building a Brick Kiln Factory beside the Pottery Kiln Factory and explained how it could share workers and receive coal from Fluorite Castle.
• Russell promised thirty Gold Coins for construction and coal, set a schedule for production, and named the factory the Wuyou Snake Brick Kiln Factory.
• Little William left with three Gold Coins in startup capital, while Russell planned to send the remaining funds and an overseer once construction began.
• Charles brought Toothy Miller to meet Russell and explained that Miller wanted to open a General Store in Small Market Town.
• Russell permitted Miller to open the shop without tax concessions and told him to discuss the details with Charles after dinner.

Russell hosted merchant Toothy Miller, prepared for another snowfield expedition, and attended Baron Roman’s meeting on reopening the Shanhe Trade Route. The meeting ended with the knight lords tasked with clearing the route to the oasis so Thunder Beasts could resume hauling carts.

• Russell praised Toothy Miller’s enjoyment of Mrs. Moore’s cooking and ordered Charles to give him tax concessions.
• Toothy Miller opened a General Store in Small Market Town, and Russell offered him discounted building materials and land if his family settled in the manor.
• Little Dream Dragon returned, and Russell flew around Wuyou Snake Manor without finding any new magical lights.
• Raphael summoned Russell to Fluorite Castle, where Russell made arrangements for the coming snowfield mission and traveled there with the Red-eyed Rat King.
• At the trade route meeting, Baron Roman pointed out the Shanhe Trade Route and announced that the knight lords would clear the road to the oasis and restore Thunder Beast cart traffic.

Russell prepared his knights for travel across the snowfields while Rosie spent the day exploring the manor grounds. Rosie visited her Worm Grass and the Bear Bee yard, then returned safely to Russell.

• Baron Roman and his lords planned to restore their thunder beast carts and seek Red Castle's permission to trade for serfs.
• Russell added extra Battle Aura and martial arts practice to prepare his knights for the snowfield journey.
• Rosie visited her Worm Grass in Magic Potion Tunic, then followed a Bear Bee to its yard and played among the swarm.
• Big Beard Kenny and his wife recognized Rosie and bowed to her, while Kenny warned his wife not to covet the magical bird.
• Rosie flew back to Russell, who told her to stay nearby, and she chirped in reply.

Russell accompanied the Knight Order across the snowfields, gathering Hail Beads for Little Dream Dragon while continuing to hone the Radiant Sword Technique. The expedition reached the flower-filled Four Seasons Flower Sea, where Baron Roman’s orders protected the flowers and insects.

• Russell accepted his support role and helped kill scattered Snow Ghosts, collecting six Hail Beads on the first day.
• Eric advised Russell to focus on perfecting the Radiant Sword Technique rather than learning other sword techniques before he could project Battle Aura.
• Russell found no Snow Ghosts during his nighttime rides or over the next two days, and fed Little Dream Dragon the few Hail Beads he had earned.
• Russell followed the Knight Order to the Four Seasons Flower Sea, a warm Cold Spring Point filled with flowers and sunlight.
• A messenger knight relayed Baron Roman’s orders forbidding anyone from damaging the flowers or killing insects as the Knight Order entered the camping area.

Russell encountered a Quail-like Dragon in the Four Seasons Flower Sea and learned that the primordial beasts were believed to protect the flowerbeds’ warmth. After Baron Roman warned him not to harm them or pry into the Shadowflame Dragon’s secrets, Russell returned to dine with his subordinates.

• Russell and Roland spotted a tiny, colorful creature in the tulip beds, and Roland identified it as a Quail-like Dragon.
• Russell asked whether Quail-like Dragons were pseudo-dragons’ descendants, and he compared them to the Bear Bees he had discovered.
• Roland explained that Quail-like Dragons could not be raised elsewhere and that eating them had once caused the Four Seasons Flower Sea to freeze.
• Russell asked Baron Roman about the creatures, and the baron confirmed their close connection to the Four Seasons Flower Sea and warned Russell not to harm them.
• Russell declined Baron Roman’s offer of wine and chose to eat with his subordinates instead.

Russell explored the Quail-like Dragons in the Dark Dreamscape but found no clues about their origins. He then led Little Dream Dragon across the snowfield, where they devoured several groups of Snow Ghosts and cautiously approached a Snow Demon.

• Russell wondered whether the Quail-like Dragons descended from false dragons and decided to study them using Little Dream Dragon’s dreams.
• Russell and Little Dream Dragon searched the flowerbeds but found nothing unusual about the Quail-like Dragons.
• Russell guided Little Dream Dragon onto the snowfield, where they found and devoured eight Snow Ghosts.
• Russell spotted more groups of Snow Ghosts and urged Little Dream Dragon to eat quickly as they moved from group to group.
• Russell noticed a Snow Demon and cautiously tested whether it could detect them in the Dark Dreamscape.
• Russell confirmed the Snow Demon did not react and gave Little Dream Dragon permission to eat it.

Russell and Little Dream Dragon hunted Snow Demons in the Dark Dreamscape, while the Knight Order traveled through the frozen trade routes toward Glimmering Market. Roland explained the family’s ceramic smuggling business and promised to introduce Russell to noble ladies at the market.

• Little Dream Dragon overcame a Snow Demon’s resistance, devoured its two Ice Soul Beads, and left Russell delighted by the valuable haul.
• The next morning, Russell departed with the Knight Order, and Little Dream Dragon stayed away for several days while digesting the Ice Soul Beads.
• After the Knight Order cleared the Shanhe Trade Route, Roland told Russell that their family tolerated smuggling through Ceramic Cave and expected Russell to learn the business from Uncle Rosen.
• The Knight Order passed through Ceramic Cave, where Cave Freemen sold goods and some knights left the formation to approach women by the roadside.
• Roland told Russell that Glimmering Market lay ahead and offered to introduce him to several noble ladies.

Russell explored Glimmering Market with the Red-eyed Rat King after refusing Roland’s offer to spend the night with him and Bar. The M-shaped mark of Little Dream Dragon grew hot near the Stubborn Stone stonemason’s shop, alerting Russell that Snowflake had found something there.

• Russell declined Roland’s invitation to stay with him and Bar, then took the Red-eyed Rat King to look around Glimmering Market.
• Russell fed the Red-eyed Rat King grilled ribs and continued through the busy market.
• Russell passed a stonemason’s shop called Stubborn Stone, where Little Dream Dragon’s mark began to burn.
• Russell realized Snowflake was warning him about something at the shop.

Russell followed Little Dream Dragon’s signal to a boulder and discovered an Amber Bug sealed inside it. After contracting with the seedlike creature, he watched it sprout into a tiny thornbush and gain a Thorn Mark on his palm.

• Russell searched the Stubborn Stone Masonry for the stone favored by Little Dream Dragon’s M-shaped Mark.
• Russell bought the marked boulder and had the Red-eyed Rat King bite it apart, revealing a translucent orange-yellow amber.
• Russell found a shriveled seedlike creature inside the amber and contracted with it using two drops of blood.
• The seed absorbed the amber, took root in Russell’s palm, and grew into a tiny thornbush that communicated thoughts of sunlight and happiness.
• Russell named the creature the Thorn Amber Bug, and its Thorn Mark appeared beside the Sword Butterfly Mark on his palm.

Russell explored the Thorn Amber Bug’s ability and discovered he could summon and control a durable, regenerating thorn whip with a range of five meters. He considered how the ability might develop and wondered why Little Dream Dragon liked Ice Soul Beads despite disliking Snow Demon Power.

• Russell probed the Thorn Mark and learned that the Thorn Amber Bug could produce a controllable thorn whip.
• Russell summoned a five-meter whip, tested its strength by smashing a stone, and found it could shrink and regenerate using his Battle Aura.
• Russell had the Red-eyed Rat King bite the whip, and it broke through only by using its full strength.
• Russell judged the whip useful against ordinary foes but weak against powerful knights and Phantom Beasts, while hoping the Thorn Amber Bug could grow stronger.
• Russell wondered whether the Thorn Amber Bug could expand his Dark Dreamscape avatar’s range and questioned why Little Dream Dragon liked Ice Soul Beads.
• Russell left the dirt slope with the Thorn Amber Bug contracted.

Russell returned to the Knight Order's camp, then joined Baron Roman's force in clearing Snow Ghosts along the Shanhe Trade Route. After a week, the knights reached the Red Bat Cave, while Russell worried over Little Dream Dragon's long sleep and the expense of feeding it.

• Russell and Eric ate dinner at the Knight Order's camp and discussed the cooking at Green Leaf Tavern, Wuyou Snake Manor, and Fluorite Castle.
• Baron Roman returned from Glimmering Market, received Kendall's report, and ordered the knights to clear Snow Ghosts within fifty miles of the Shanhe Trade Route.
• Russell fought alongside the Knight Order, using Battle Aura resonance carefully while his squad collected Hail Beads from defeated Snow Ghosts.
• After a week, the Knight Order cleared the route and returned to the Red Bat Cave with four superior Hail Beads and sixty-one ordinary Hail Beads.
• Russell worried that Little Dream Dragon had slept for eleven days and considered asking his mother to invest because he had little money left to raise it.

At Fluorite Castle, Russell received Mel Monochoria’s invitation to stay at Bluebird Castle and learned that his grandfather had retired and returned to Sancha River Mouth. He proposed that Baron Roman and Madam Meryl invest in Wuyou Snake Manor, leaving the family ready to consider the offer.

• Old Butler Carter delivered a letter from Bluebird Castle to Russell and brought Baron Roman the court bulletin announcing Earl Merlin Monochoria’s retirement and return to his territory.
• Roland asked to go to Red Castle to seek opportunities under Grand Duke Kunsitan, while Madam Meryl planned a family visit to her father at Sancha River Mouth.
• Russell read Mel Monochoria’s invitation to stay at Bluebird Castle for a month and agreed to settle his territorial affairs before going.
• Russell proposed that his parents invest in Wuyou Snake Manor’s fifteen hundred acres of Fluorite Mushroom Potion Fields, and Roland urged them to discuss the investment.

Russell returned to Wuyou Snake Manor after arranging an investment from Fluorite Castle and prepared his territory for an extended trip to visit his grandfather. That night, Little Dream Dragon finally appeared in the Dark Dreamscape after twelve days, and Russell examined it for changes.

• Russell signed a contract for Fluorite Castle to invest one thousand Gold Coins in exchange for half the output of his fifteen hundred acres of Magic Potion Fields at a discount, and he refused Roland's offer to invest more.
• Russell left Fluorite Castle and returned to Wuyou Snake Manor, where he distributed Gold Coin rewards to his retainers and entrusted the remaining money to Butler Morris.
• Russell told Charles that he would meet with the territory's officials the next day and explained that he would soon travel with his family to visit Earl Merlin Monochoria at Sancha River Mouth.
• Russell spent the afternoon resting and testing whether the Thorn Amber Bug could grow in sunlight, but he noticed no change.
• Little Dream Dragon appeared in the Dark Dreamscape after twelve days, and Russell examined it to see whether digesting two Ice Soul Beads had changed it.

Russell confirmed that Little Dream Dragon was growing after his horns forked, and discovered that Thorn bloomed when placed on one of the dragon’s horns. He explored the expanded Dark Dreamscape and decided to pursue Snow Demons for more Ice Soul Beads, while Little Dream Dragon objected to giving up Hail Beads.

• Russell noticed Little Dream Dragon’s thicker legs, larger head, changing scale patterns, and newly forked horns, confirming that he was growing.
• The Sword Butterfly delivered Thorn as a tiny thorn plant, and Russell found that Thorn rooted around Little Dream Dragon’s horn and grew a pinkish-white flower.
• Russell rode Little Dream Dragon through the Dark Dreamscape and found that its radius had expanded by about seventy-five meters, increasing its area by roughly one hundred mu.
• Russell decided they would keep hunting Snow Demons for Ice Soul Beads and told Little Dream Dragon to stop eating Hail Beads, prompting the dragon to protest.

Russell celebrated expanding the Dark Dreamscape's light radius and opening the main meridians in both arms. He also learned that some clams implanted with crushed shells or clay residue had survived and might be forming pearls, then began arranging the estate's development during his coming absence.

• Russell found no new magical lights around the manor, but the Sword Butterfly and Thorn Amber Bug expanded the illuminated radius in the Dark Dreamscape to three meters.
• Russell opened the main meridians in both arms after months of sword training and proudly announced his breakthrough to Eric and the Knight Retainers.
• Ribs Jimmy told Russell that clams implanted with crushed shells or clay residue had survived better than those given gemstone chips or Jade Powder, and that several had small bumps where the nuclei were placed.
• Russell ordered Ribs Jimmy to return the clams to the ponds, gather another batch, and stock all the ponds with clams implanted with crushed shells and clay residue.
• Russell invited Charles and several officials to a meeting to plan the estate's development during his absence of more than a month.

Russell left Wuyou Snake Manor in the care of his staff and traveled to Fluorite Castle with Ram and Red-eye to join his family for a journey to Bluebird Castle. The family expected to arrive in time for his grandfather’s birthday, though Madam Meryl worried about delays on the road.

• Russell entrusted Wuyou Snake Manor to Charles, Eric, and Old Hans, and promised not to return alone without an escort if Bluebird Castle sent no one.
• Russell rode to Fluorite Castle with Ram and Red-eye, carrying a Jade Box with Rosie and his six other Spirit Worms for the spirit gathering.
• Russell encouraged Ram’s riding and sword practice and reassured him that Snow Ghosts did not cover the trade routes.
• Russell joined Baron Roman, Madam Meryl, and Roland for dinner at Fluorite Castle before their planned departure the next day.
• Madam Meryl worried that the family might be delayed before reaching Bluebird Castle for her father’s birthday on September 9th.
• Roland teased that noble ladies had fought over his grandfather at balls, and Madam Meryl praised her father’s lifelong charm.

Russell chose to make cigars as a thoughtful, inexpensive birthday gift for Count Merlin, then traveled with his family from Fluorite Castle. On the road, Roland explained that the Glow Scorpion was difficult to contract because of its erratic mind.

• Madam Meryl urged Russell to prepare a thoughtful gift for Count Merlin, while Roland revealed that he had found the original manuscript of Snowflake Rhapsody for him.
• Russell decided to give Count Merlin cigars, a novel way of smoking, and hoped the unusual gift would earn his grandfather's appreciation.
• Little Dream Dragon tried to reach the Ice Soul Beads in Fluorite Castle's treasury, but Russell warned it that taking them could draw the Shadowflame Dragon's attention.
• Russell's family departed Fluorite Castle in a convoy escorted by knights and six Phantom Beasts.
• Russell asked Roland about the Glow Scorpion, and Roland said its erratic mind made it difficult to form a contract with.