Chapter Summaries

Hao Ren sheltered Veronica and her exhausted knights in an ancient temple, where he pretended to have awakened with no memories of the outside world. Veronica and Morian explained that the seventh year of the Chaos War had driven Order’s borders back to the Wall of Dusk, leaving Hao Ren wondering what Chaos was.

• Hao Ren led Veronica and her knights into the ancient temple, where they found safety from the Chaos Mist and rested.
• Veronica introduced herself as the eldest daughter of the King of the Kingdom of Taros and thanked Hao Ren for helping them.
• Hao Ren claimed he had awakened in the temple with little memory, and Veronica assumed he was an ancient survivor of the Holy War.
• Hao Ren asked about the outside world, and Morian said Chaos had invaded every century and the current war was the fiercest yet.
• Veronica said the seventh year of the Chaos War had pushed Order’s borders back to the Wall of Dusk and left half the lands beyond it corrupted.
• Hao Ren compared the Chaos monsters with threats he had encountered in the Dream Plane and questioned whether they were connected.

Hao Ren considered the mysteries surrounding Kolo and learned that Veronica’s group had found no usable holy relics in the temple. He went down the mountain to test whether items connected to Raven 12345 could withstand the chaos outside, leaving Veronica and the knights waiting above.

• Hao Ren reasoned that Kolo’s history and its position over the Great Rift in the Wall of Reality suggested the world’s condition was not a natural occurrence.
• Veronica explained that the temple could only shelter the group temporarily because its holy relics were gone and their order talismans and Golden Battle Flag had run out of power.
• Veronica described her plan to return through the Shadow Jungle toward Tarus, where outposts and fires could weaken the chaos.
• Hao Ren decided to leave the temple and run an ancient test, while Veronica stopped the knights from following him.
• Hao Ren placed items connected to Raven 12345, including his contract papers, a pen tip, and strands of her hair, into the thin mist to test them.

Hao Ren used Raven 12345’s divine artifacts to clear a safe route through the Chaos, then led Veronica and her knights out of the ancient temple and across the Barren Wilderness. As they traveled, Veronica began telling Hao Ren about the world he believed he had left a thousand years earlier.

• Hao Ren tested several divine artifacts, found that even a plastic plate could create a broad safe zone, and persuaded Veronica and Morian to stop questioning him.
• Veronica ordered the knights to leave their armor and heavy equipment behind, keeping only essentials and taking two days of supplies.
• Hao Ren led the lightly equipped knights out of the temple with a divine artifact that dispersed the fog and Chaos along their path.
• Veronica described how the Barren Wilderness had once been fertile land and explained that Chaos and Order had fought over territory for ages.
• Hao Ren asked Veronica to tell him about the world, and she agreed as they continued their journey.

Hao Ren learned how chaos and Order shaped Kolo World as he led Veronica and the wounded knights across the Desolate Wilderness toward a ruin and the Hill of Nameless Warriors. His extraordinary vision let him spot the ruin long before the others, and the group approached it cautiously, wary of Corrupted Monsters.

• Veronica explained that chaos corrupted Kolo World through varied domains and monsters, while the Light of Order protected its inhabitants in a war that had lasted ten thousand years.
• Veronica used an amulet to guide the group toward a ruin before they continued to the Hill of Nameless Warriors and the battle in the kingdom’s western territories.
• Veronica insisted she would rejoin the fight despite her knights’ injuries, while Morian rebuked her for suggesting that her companions had fulfilled their mission and could stop.
• Hao Ren spotted the distant ruin through the Chaos Mist, surprising Veronica, who explained that the mist normally obscured everything beyond a fixed visual limit.
• After another hour, the ruin entered Veronica and Morian’s view, and Morian warned the knights that Corrupted Monsters might have been drawn there by their earlier hearthfire.

Hao Ren and Veronica entered an ancient town ruin with the Tarus Royal Knights, learning that the relic’s light repelled Chaos Minions but attracted Corrupted Monsters. They found the central plaza packed with far more Corrupted Monsters than expected, leaving the cause of their gathering unclear.

• Veronica explained that Corrupted Monsters were Order beings polluted by Chaos and could resist the relic’s light enough to be drawn toward it.
• Hao Ren sensed danger in the ruined town and followed Veronica beyond the relic’s protected area as she used an Amulet of Order to scout.
• Hao Ren entered the Chaos without an amulet, and Veronica assumed his ability to do so came from his strength as an Ancient Guardian.
• Hao Ren and Veronica reached the town’s central plaza and found it packed with beasts and former warriors transformed into Corrupted Monsters.
• Veronica wondered how so many monsters had gathered after the furnace embers went out, and Hao Ren suspected something was wrong.

Hao Ren and Veronica discovered that thousands of Corrupted Monsters had gathered around an extinguished Hearth Device in the ruins, an abnormal sight in the depths of Chaos. Veronica asked Hao Ren to help investigate by drawing the monsters away while she relit the hearth, and he agreed.

• Veronica explained that Corrupted Monsters were rare in the Chaos hinterland, making the enormous gathering around them highly unusual.
• Hao Ren and Veronica saw the monsters silently surrounding a strange, extinguished Hearth Device and wondered why they remained after its fire had gone out.
• Veronica asked Hao Ren to investigate the abnormal gathering and the hearth, and he agreed despite the danger.
• Veronica proposed that Hao Ren lure the monsters away while she relit the hearth, then agreed to bring her knights to help.

Veronica and her knights launched a desperate assault on the Tower of Hearthfire while Hao Ren drew most of the Corrupted Monsters away. Veronica reached the tower and began the ritual to ignite it as a huge explosion lit the town behind her.

• Hao Ren attacked the monsters near the square’s opening, enraging them and drawing more than ninety percent away from the Hearthfire.
• Veronica led the knights over the wall and charged toward the tower, fighting through the Corrupted Monsters that remained.
• Morian ordered the knights to form a defensive formation and protect Veronica as they pushed through the monster horde.
• A vast sphere of light rose beyond the town and shattered into a mushroom cloud, followed by a deafening explosion.
• Veronica cut her hand, cast her blood onto the Tower of Hearthfire, and recited the ancient oath to ignite it.

Hao Ren tested his power against a horde of Corrupted Monsters, then joined Veronica and her knights as the Tower of Hearthfire drew the creatures into its Light of Order. The tower briefly restored the ruins to a safe land of Order, but Veronica warned that its bloodline-fueled fire would last only two hours.

• Hao Ren survived a massive explosion, examined the fading remains of Corrupted Monsters, and prepared to face the surviving horde as it surrounded him.
• The Tower of Hearthfire activated, casting a barrier of Order over the ruins and attracting the Corrupted Monsters, which charged toward its light.
• Hao Ren chased the monsters back to the town, where he and Veronica’s knights destroyed the few that survived the burning approach.
• Veronica explained that the monsters’ lingering yearning for Order drew them into the Hearthfire’s light, though they were beyond saving.
• Veronica told Hao Ren that the Hearthfire had exhausted its reserves and could burn for at most two hours without a source of Order.

Veronica learned that the Tower of Hearthfire's runes showed chaos and order merging, and set out to report the discovery. Meanwhile, an alpha wolf forced the demi-humans of a floating island to build hot-air balloons for a journey to the human continent.

• Morris found that chaotic magic and order had left traces on the Tower of Hearthfire's rune slabs with an unusually narrow boundary between them.
• Veronica decided to report the discovery to her Father King and the Royal Scholars, while Morian urged that the Order State be notified too.
• Hao Ren tried to contact the Data Terminal and Giant Turtle Rock Platform as Veronica and the knights departed through the Chaos Mist.
• Glu Glu and the other demi-humans built hot-air balloons after the alpha wolf killed a Blue Demon Whale and ordered them to travel to the human continent.

Hao Ren and Veronica traveled through the Chaos-tainted wilderness toward the Shadow Jungle, discussing ancient myths before reaching the Hill of Nameless Warriors. Veronica explained that the statue there was believed to be the Elf King of Suohoma, who died defending his capital, while Hao Ren questioned why the hill was named for nameless warriors.

• Hao Ren traveled with Veronica and the knights under the protection of the holy relic, while learning about Kolo's history and legends.
• Veronica told Hao Ren the myth that Lockmadon shattered the ancient continent and described the Sky Rivers scattered through the Void.
• Hao Ren spotted the Hill of Nameless Warriors, and the group approached its hilltop statue.
• Veronica recounted how the Elf Empire of Suohoma fell to a devastating Chaos Tide six thousand years earlier.
• Veronica said the statue was believed to be the Elf King, who vowed to stand watching his kingdom until it rose again.
• Hao Ren suggested the place should be called Hill of the Nameless King, but Veronica explained it was named for the king dying as a warrior.

Hao Ren and Veronica’s group crossed the Shadow Jungle toward a Hearthfire Outpost, while Morian questioned why the Order State had withdrawn from the war. The outpost’s light suggested order still held there, but Hao Ren smelled blood as they approached.

• Hao Ren reflected on Kolo’s endless wars and resolved to uncover what was wrong with the world.
• Morian asked Hao Ren why the Order State had withdrawn from the Shadow Jungle, and Veronica pressed him for an explanation.
• Hao Ren speculated that something beyond the forces of chaos might have gone wrong inside the Order State, leaving the group silent.
• Veronica led the group into the corrupted Shadow Jungle, where they made their way through its shifting plants and unstable ground.
• The group approached a Hearthfire Outpost, where Veronica felt reassured by its light, but Hao Ren detected a faint smell of blood.

Hao Ren and Veronica reached a Tarus Hearth Device outpost and discovered that its soldiers had died in a mysterious mass suicide. The commander’s final message revealed that something had entered their dreams and emerged from their hearts.

• Hao Ren detected a faint smell of blood coming from the outpost, so Veronica ordered the group to approach cautiously.
• Veronica and Hao Ren found the outpost dark and its Hearth Device dim, with the gate barred from inside.
• Hao Ren tore down the gate and found the outpost soldiers dead, many having apparently torn open their own chests.
• Veronica and Morian examined the bodies and concluded that the soldiers had died in terror, while the commander had apparently fought an unseen enemy before killing himself.
• Veronica found the commander’s blood-written final words: “There's something in the dream. It came out of our hearts...”

Hao Ren, Veronica, and Morian found successive watchposts in the Shadow Jungle wiped out by an unseen force that had driven their defenders mad. They reached the edge of the forest and saw that the Western Fortress still stood beneath a powerful pillar of Light of Order.

• Hao Ren asked whether Chaos monsters could attack minds, and Veronica and Morian suspected a new kind of Chaos creature had emerged.
• Veronica led the group along Thorn Road, where they found the second watchpost filled with corpses whose deaths resembled those at the first.
• Morian discovered a wizard at the third watchpost who had used defensive runes and sacrificed his Grimoire before dying by his own magic.
• Veronica lost her temper and struck an ancient tree, which briefly awakened and attacked her before she forced it back to sleep.
• The group found the fourth watchpost lifeless and concluded that the kingdom's western jungle watchposts had likely all been destroyed.
• Hao Ren and the others emerged from the Shadow Jungle and saw the Western Fortress still shining beneath the Light of Order.

Hao Ren rested with Veronica's knights near the Western Fortress while trying to reconnect with the outside world. He briefly contacted the Data Terminal, learned that Lily was safe, and lost the unstable connection before he could finish speaking.

• Veronica ordered the knights to camp outside the Shadow Jungle and recover before approaching the Western Fortress.
• Hao Ren adjusted the mental communication signal while resting, and Lavinia approached him to ask about his origins and plans.
• Hao Ren told Lavinia that he was searching for a friend who had been separated from his team.
• The Data Terminal reestablished contact and told Hao Ren that the team was safe and that Lily's life signs were normal.
• The connection faltered, and Vivian urged Hao Ren to take care of himself before the communication was severed.

Hao Ren and Veronica’s knights reached the Western Fortress and found it under a massive assault by Chaos monsters. Veronica prepared to lead a flank attack to help the defenders, and Hao Ren agreed to support her with his explosive magic.

• Lavinia offered to ask her brother’s network to help Hao Ren find his old friend, and then she was called away.
• Veronica led Hao Ren and the knights toward the Western Fortress after they recovered their strength.
• Near the fortress, Hao Ren and Veronica sensed Chaos and saw thousands of monsters attacking its walls and protective barrier.
• Veronica ordered the knights to prepare for battle and proposed striking the monsters’ flank while Hao Ren disrupted the Chaos aura.
• Hao Ren agreed to the plan, and Veronica and the knights declared that the barriers would not fall that day.

Rudolf III discussed the Kingdom’s failing western defense and political threats with General Groen and Grand Duke Rune, while Princess Anya reported strange changes beyond the Chaos Boundary. The chapter ended as Anya began revealing reports of new energy flows, organized magical beasts, and a rumored “pack leader.”

• General Groen angrily condemned the nobles for profiting from White City’s sacred-white laws.
• Rudolf III explained that rival nations were preparing to intervene if the Kingdom collapsed after its western defeat.
• Groen blamed Grand Duke Rune for Veronica’s deployment, and Rudolf III rebuked them for arguing about his daughter’s death.
• Princess Anya told Rudolf III that scholars and border reports described unusual changes within the Chaos and along the Kingdom’s southern border.

Princess Anya briefed Rudolf III on ominous changes linked to the Chaos Tide, including a shadow vortex, new attacks in the Shadow Jungle, and demi-races uniting under a leader called Head Wolf. Rudolf ordered General Groen to strengthen the southern border defenses, then wondered what was happening to the world as he looked toward the darkened horizon.

• Anya reported that astrologers had observed a vast shadow vortex forming along the Dark Boundary, despite expectations that the Chaos Tide would soon weaken.
• Anya explained that the Shadow Jungle’s sentry posts had gone silent and new monsters were attacking the Western Fortress, while she defended the Western General Magus from blame.
• Anya said that demi-race tribes on the southern floating islands had united, were building a large device, and might be connected to the disappearance of a Blue Demon Whale.
• Anya revealed that a soul seized by the witches had shown fear and reverence for a leader titled Head Wolf, prompting Grand Duke Rune to urge precautions.
• Rudolf ordered Groen to increase defenses in cities along the southern border without diverting too many troops from the western war.
• After Rune and Groen left, Rudolf asked Anya to open the window and wondered what was happening to the world as he saw the dark ring at the horizon.

High-ranking cleric Kalasios traveled aboard the Sacred Hammer to the Ansu Continent as the world’s Chaos spread, and reflected on the decline of civilization. He discovered that magical beasts had built flying vessels and ordered his crew not to attack them.

• Kalasios sailed toward the Ansu Continent aboard the Sacred Hammer, which activated the Light of Order against the region’s rampant Chaos.
• Kalasios told a servant that Kolo’s greatest weapons had not advanced in centuries, while past civilizations had built far more powerful aerial fortresses.
• Kalasios spotted a logging camp and crude structures on a floating island, along with blue, bound spheres arranged beside the camp.
• The blue spheres expanded and rose into the air as flying balloons, with magical beasts moving around them.
• A soldier asked Kalasios whether the Sacred Hammer should attack the balloons, and Kalasios ordered the crew to go around them instead.

Lily led the forest monsters aboard six newly built airships toward the Ansu Continent, confident she could find the Landlord there. After spotting a magic-powered warship, she saw the Chaos Tide erupt across the sky and engulf the floating island in flames.

• Grugrugu flew with young demon apes and imps aboard Lily’s airship, trying to reassure them as it climbed into the sky.
• Lily ordered the Jackalmen to have the Fire Foxes steady the heat while the bear monsters powered the airship’s propellers.
• Lily reflected that the forest races had helped her build six airships quickly and planned to search the human kingdoms for the Landlord.
• Lily spotted a sophisticated magic-powered warship emerging from the clouds and heading toward Lunir.
• The airship shook as darkness and mist surged over the edge of Ansu Continent, and Lily watched the Chaos Tide ignite the floating island and its volcano.

As the Chaos Tide devastated the skies, Kalasios struggled to keep the Holy Light Hammer alive while Lily led the hot-air balloons toward the continent. Lily unexpectedly began radiating the Light of Order, stabilizing the airships and driving back the chaos.

• The Chaos Tide tore apart floating islands and attacked the Holy Light Hammer, forcing Kalasios to order the crew to discard equipment and defend the ship.
• Kalasios searched the storm for Lily's balloons but assumed they had been destroyed.
• Lily saw her island collapsing and ordered Grugru and the other balloon crews to accelerate toward the continent.
• Grugru pointed out that Lily was glowing, and her expanding light calmed the storm and stabilized the nearby airships.
• Lily realized she was shining and muttered, "I'm really bright."