Chapter Summaries

Roy learned that Winsbell was a Suitable Candidate who could activate the Rose Holy Emblem through a soul contract, though she was a nun devoted to the Lord of Radiance. Two months later, Roy completed the physical emblem, and Shelby contacted him with a lead on the Soul Painting.

• Planje mocked Roy for tempting Winsbell, and Roy questioned the Proto-Apostle about the Rose Holy Emblem’s reaction to her.
• The Proto-Apostle identified Winsbell as a Suitable Candidate whose soul could form the core of a contract with the Rose Holy Emblem.
• Roy realized that contracting with Winsbell could make her his apostle or angel, but he chose to observe before acting.
• Two months later, Roy completed the physical Rose Holy Emblem in his alchemy room.
• Shelby contacted Roy with a lead on the Soul Painting he had asked her to investigate.

Roy visited Pink Mary to question Mutrick about Soul Paintings after learning that the painter might be connected to them. Mutrick confirmed she had once possessed a Soul Painting containing clues to supernatural power, but Duke Tulip had taken it.

• Shelby told Roy that the source of the Soul Painting might be the painter Mutrick, who had been transformed into a woman and was working at Pink Mary to repay her debts.
• Roy considered the newly completed physical Holy Emblem and left to investigate Mutrick.
• Roy disguised himself as the young nobleman Yilor and traveled to Pink Mary with Athedia, the Proto-Apostle, and Planje.
• Roy paid the madam to see Mutrick and asked whether she knew about Soul Paintings.
• Mutrick revealed that she had possessed a Soul Painting with clues left by her ancestor, but Duke Tulip had taken it.

Roy questioned Mutrick about his family’s Soul Paintings and learned that their ancestor may have been a Mysterious Person who left behind a collection. Roy took Mutrick to investigate the ancestor’s abandoned castle, where hidden marks from earlier visitors suggested the ruins had already been thoroughly explored.

• Roy showed Mutrick a Soul Painting and learned that his family’s ancestor may have been a Mysterious Person who once owned a whole set of paintings.
• Roy decided to visit Mutrick’s ancestral home, believing Hermes' Eye could reveal things other Supernatural beings had missed.
• Roy used a Mimic Mushroom substitute to get Mutrick out of Pink Mary and brought him west by flying carriage.
• Roy and Mutrick reached an abandoned castle in the former Snow Country, and Roy found old messages left by Wizard Morandi, Mage Wenli, and Wizard Andrew.

Roy and Mutrick discovered a hidden boudoir in the ancient castle, where Roy uncovered Huierte Wizard’s portrait and learned how he had tried to preserve his dying wife through research into the soul. The portrait revealed Alchemy Source Material that granted Roy the ability to recover materials after failed low-level alchemy, and he suspected the Soul Painting had gathered the power left by generations of visitors.

• Roy led Mutrick through the castle to a concealed room that had been preserved for centuries by a magical formation.
• Roy found a portrait of Huierte Wizard and his wife, whose Secret Rune described Huierte’s love for her and his attempt to uncover the mysteries of the soul.
• Roy connected Huierte’s research to Soul Painting, a method of leaving one’s spirit within artwork, and recognized the Soul Pigment he had obtained earlier.
• Roy detected Alchemy Source Material hidden in the portrait and gained the Black Iron Rank talent Recycle Materials, which recovered at least 35% of materials from failed level-zero items.
• Roy realized that emotional impressions and the Soul Painting’s influence had likely caused power to accumulate in the boudoir and condense into Source Material.

Roy discovered that Wizard Huierte’s pursuit of spiritual immortality had left behind a trace of source quality, then explored the castle’s notes on Soul Painting with Mutrick. He promised to help Mutrick escape Pink Mary, rebuild his life and noble status, in exchange for becoming a Great Painter and creating enduring classics.

• Roy confirmed that Wizard Huierte’s work had accumulated a small amount of source quality and found incomplete Soul Pigment records and Soul Painting notes in the castle.
• Roy explained to Mutrick that the castle’s brushes and drafts were ordinary items, and learned that Mutrick’s family had passed down painting for generations.
• On the way back to Applaney City, Roy offered Mutrick a choice between starting a safe new life under another identity or pursuing revenge through art after his release and physical restoration.
• Roy promised to help restore Mutrick’s ancestor’s title and make him a noble, then asked him to become a Great Painter and create classics as repayment.
• Mutrick agreed to Roy’s pledge.

Roy agreed to give Mutrick Beauty and Skin Rejuvenation instead of restoring his male body after Mutrick admitted he had adjusted to being a woman. Roy then set out to help Mutrick become a Great Painter, while his experiments to make new Soul Pigments from Holy Relic Residue stalled for months.

• Roy gave Mutrick proof of his noble ancestry and secured him the title of Count of Monte Cristo.
• Roy explained the risks of trying to restore Mutrick's male body, and Mutrick asked him to provide Beauty and Skin Rejuvenation instead.
• Roy agreed to Mutrick's revised request and told Planje he would help Mutrick become a Great Painter.
• Roy made a Camera Obscura and considered using Huierte the wizard's Soul Pigment to aid Mutrick's painting.
• Roy used Holy Relic Residue to experiment with making Soul Pigments, but several months of work produced no results.

Roy’s repeated attempts to refine colored Soul Pigments yielded another batch of dangerous Black Pigment, which he turned into a sellable mental toxin. He had Domi clean the Alchemy Room with a shared Animate spell, then returned to reading about casting bronze statues.

• Roy’s failed pigment experiment triggered Recycle Materials, then Luck’s Favor, producing black Soul Pigment.
• Roy identified the pigment’s risks and mixed it with animal fat to make bottles of Special Mental Toxin for sale.
• Domi praised Roy, but Roy gave her a broom and ordered her to clean the Alchemy Room.
• Roy shared his Animate spell with Domi, and enchanted tools began cleaning while Domi soon went outside to chase butterflies.
• Roy continued reading Bronze Statue Casting and considered using metals instead of stone to make statues.

Roy gathered the materials needed to transmute Fire Copper into Zabir Magic Gold and prepared to begin his golem project. Meanwhile, Fudi visited an orphanage and chose Oliver, revealing a connection to the boy’s family tragedy and the Black Fog Incident.

• Roy concluded that his talents and materials made creating a powerful metal golem possible, then planned to use Scarlet Flame Stone, Enchanted Fire Copper, and Core Lava.
• Roy sent Planje to find Core Lava and promised to reward her with armor and equipment for completing the task.
• More than three months later, Planje returned with the Core Lava, and Roy praised her and considered transmuting the Fire Copper.
• Fudi visited a Lower City orphanage, examined the children, and chose Oliver, whose father had died during the Black Fog Incident.
• Oliver recognized Fudi as the evil-god believer who had once followed Lailebuli and arranged rituals.

Roy refined Fire Copper, tested its strength and self-repair, and used it as a specialized material for his planned Bronze Statue Casting. He considered asking the organization for rare materials but held off, then gave Sister Winsbell a holy emblem as a donation.

• Roy refined Zabir Magic Gold into Fire Copper and tested its strength, heat retention, and self-repair properties.
• Roy planned to use Fire Copper for the Bronze Statue Casting’s witchcraft pathways, joints, and enchanted weapons, while using Star Iron for its outer covering.
• Roy considered asking the organization to reimburse him for rare materials but decided not to approach them yet.
• Sister Winsbell told Roy about the hardships facing common people and the City Hall’s effort to provide work for refugees.
• Roy gave Sister Winsbell the holy emblem he had crafted the previous year.

Roy gave Nun Winsbell the Rose Holy Emblem to secretly collect and transform her spiritual power, hoping to compete with a god for her soul and eventually make her an angel. While he worked on the Proto-Apostle and studied soul contracts, Fudi trained Oliver and other boys in the Lower City for the Lord of the Black Fog.

• Winsbell initially refused Roy's valuable-looking gift, but he pressed the Rose Holy Emblem into her hand, leaving her overwhelmed and guilty about accepting it.
• Roy revealed that the emblem could collect Winsbell's spiritual power and contained spores and potions intended to alter her body over time.
• Over the next two months, Winsbell did not return, while Roy modified the Proto-Apostle and considered how to complete a contract that could make it an Angel Rank existence.
• In mid-August, Fudi trained Oliver and other boys with swords at a secluded Lower City manor and demanded devotion to the Lord of the Black Fog.
• Fudi released a blast of Mental Strength that knocked more than a dozen boys down, while Oliver bled from the nose and struggled to remain standing.

Fudi discovered that Muwis was investigating the mysterious person known as Yilor, while Roy learned that Mutrick had become famous for his realistic paintings. Roy also faced delays to materials needed for his work because railway strikes disrupted deliveries.

• Fudi trained Oliver through the morning, then noticed Muwis among the people meeting with Duke Tulip.
• Duke Tulip explained that his investigation of Mutrick had uncovered signs of a Mysterious Person and that the person might be using the alias Yilor on King's Street.
• Roy read newspaper reports about Mutrick's successful art exhibition and discussed the Camera Obscura technique with Athedia.
• Roy considered the difficulty of making Soul Pigment and his ongoing Bronze Statue Casting assessment mission.
• Shelby informed Roy that strikes and paralyzed railway lines would delay Gem Dust and iron ore deliveries by at least half a year.
• Roy's expression paused as he and Athedia seemed to hear something.

Roy uncovered spies watching his home, then learned of the Moon Country’s assault on the Duchy of Morris and joined Muvis to investigate a planned sacrifice by the Mosang River. After Roy defeated an ambush, Muvis departed unharmed, leaving Roy determined to deal with the devil who coveted him.

• Roy used his Spiritual Power and garden mushrooms to discover that two spies had entered his home and planted a listening device.
• Roy read that the Moon Country had broken its peace treaty and attacked the Duchy of Morris with guns and modified Demon Cannons.
• Muvis told Roy that followers of the Lord of the Black Fog planned to sacrifice living beings to the Evil God U'ar near the Mosang River, and Roy agreed to go with him.
• Fudi and the Duke Tulip’s men ambushed Roy, but Roy animated dolls that attacked them before they could act.
• Muvis invoked his non-aggression treaty and left, while Roy reflected on the Soul Contract and hurled a javelin after the departing devil.

Roy tested the peaceful coexistence agreement by attacking Muvir and discovered that Hell’s Will inflicted a heavier backlash on him. He used a spear filled with Blackening Potion to transform Muvir, who fled into the sky as Roy declared his willingness to overturn the situation.

• Roy threw spears at Muvir despite the agreement, and one pierced Muvir’s shoulder while inflicting greater damage on Roy.
• Roy struck Muvir and was hurled backward by the agreement’s punishing backlash, then analyzed how its force favored Muvir.
• Roy tossed another spear, which changed course and pierced Muvir after carrying Blackening Potion into his body.
• Muvir began transforming as Roy declared his resolve to flip the table, and Muvir spread batlike wings and fled into the sky.

Roy pursued the mortally wounded Muvis after the devil’s contract and Hell’s Will thwarted every attempt to exploit its rules. Roy demanded Muvis’s True Name, but Muvis transformed and began to confess while begging for his life.

• Muvis fled while the Blackening Potion dissolved his organs, and Roy caught up with him.
• Muvis invoked his contract and the Four-Family Alliance peace treaty, but Roy pierced his heart with Black Mamba.
• Hell’s Will cracked the Life Energy Crystal that had replaced Roy’s heart, and Domi’s attacks on Muvis also injured Roy.
• Roy grabbed Muvis and demanded his True Name, but Muvis first gave a false name while disguised as his older sister.
• Muvis returned to his original form and began to reveal his True Name as he begged Roy not to kill him.

Roy forced Muwis to reveal his True Name and transformed the devil into an oil lamp, but the attack’s rule-based backlash shattered Roy’s Life Energy Crystal and injured him. After replacing his heart and beginning repairs, Roy contacted Shelby while considering how to explain the incident despite the families’ peace agreement.

• Roy dismissed Muwis’s pleas and used Spiritual Power Manifestation to turn him into a battered oil lamp.
• Roy realized the attack had drained his life force, and Domi helped him return to the temporary residence at 66 King Street.
• Roy replaced his shattered Life Energy Crystal with his original heart and drank a Recovery Potion to restore his life force.
• Roy examined the rule-based damage and considered turning the Life Energy Crystal into a Holy Relic or similar spiritualized object.
• Roy weighed how to publicly explain his dealings with Muwis and contacted Shelby through the Communication Crystal.

After Muvis attacked Roy and Roy sealed him, a joint investigation cleared Roy, who spent the next three months recovering and studying spiritual materialization. Muvis’s elder sister Phoenix contacted Roy to ransom him, and Roy negotiated a payment and protections before the deal was settled.

• Roy told Shelbert that Muvis had joined forces with mortals to attack him, and Shelbert said a joint investigation would determine what happened.
• A team of wizards, mages, and devils investigated in Applaney, confirmed Roy’s account, and left him in control of Muvis; Conrad advised Roy to keep Muvis alive for ransom.
• Roy spent more than three months recovering and studying sanctification and spiritual materialization.
• Phoenix appeared to Roy through a dreamlike projection, identified herself as Muvis’s elder sister, and formally requested his ransom under the Holy Alliance peace treaty.
• Roy asked Phoenix for one million magic stones, spiritual materialization techniques, and related alchemical items, then added conditions including Muvis swearing not to harass him again.

Roy secured Muvis’s agreement to pay a ransom after learning about his powerful family, then received the promised gems from Phoenix. With Applaney City growing unstable and the Bronze Statue Casting nearing a critical stage, Roy decided to return to Snow Castle and lie low.

• Roy released Muvis after securing a ransom contract, and Muvis revealed that his sister Phoenix was an administrator of Lust Hell and their parents were powerful devils.
• Roy discussed Phoenix’s influence with Black Cat Domi and realized she could become another troublesome person in his life.
• A few days later, Phoenix sent Roy one hundred flawless diamonds and Elemental Gems as the ransom.
• Shelby contacted Roy after detecting a devil at his residence, and Roy assured him everything was fine.
• Roy summoned Athedia and Planje and announced that they would return to Snow Castle.

Roy returned to Snow Castle and applied to the Witch Tower for a large allocation of souls to support his bronze statue project. After demonstrating the Proto-Apostle and winning Aliftia’s approval to try, he noticed Yolanda’s child and asked her name and age.

• Roy decided not to tell the nun before leaving and drafted a funding application during his carriage ride to Snow Castle.
• After reaching Snow Castle, Roy submitted his application to Aliftia, requesting large quantities of Divinity, Humanity, and Bestiality.
• Roy offered Galindis’s soul for Aliftia to examine and argued that he could create a high-end masterpiece.
• Roy demonstrated the Proto-Apostle, convincing Aliftia to give him a chance to receive funding.
• Roy encountered Yolanda with her child, noticed the child’s unusually strong Spiritual Power, and asked for her name and age.

Roy rewarded Yolanda for her work after she extracted Gem Dust from Tumor Demon Source, and agreed to take her daughter Furia into his care and give her a chance to enter the supernatural world. Three months later, Roy began refining the Gem Dust into potions, then learned that his application had been approved and Aliftia had secured valuable materials for his entrance examination.

• Roy praised Yolanda's contributions, promised to teach Furia and Yolanda mystical knowledge, and offered Yolanda a reward.
• Yolanda revealed that she had extracted Gem Dust from Tumor Demon Source, and Roy recognized its potential as a valuable crop.
• Yolanda asked Roy to take Furia with him, and he agreed to give her a chance to become his follower and enter the supernatural world.
• Three months later, Roy's alchemical items refined the Gem Dust into ingredients for Cold Resistance and Ice Elemental enhancement potions.
• Athedia alerted Roy to a cross-dimensional communication, and Aliftia told him his application had been approved and she had obtained Holy Relic Residue and Soul Stone Fragments for his entrance examination.

Roy met Aliftia at Snow Castle, showed her his advanced crafting research and a powerful Centaur Golem, and received the soul materials needed for his project. He continued refining the Bronze Statue Casting, which neared completion two and a half years later.

• Roy welcomed Aliftia to Snow Castle and showed her his Shop Mark, including gemstones and Sanctified Items from his research.
• Roy traded gemstones and Sanctified Items with Aliftia and asked her to bring him assorted metal materials.
• Roy showed Aliftia a Bronze Centaur Golem modeled after Bloodhoof Kailon, and she praised its Level 2 energy.
• Aliftia supplied Roy with spirituality, Holy Relic Residues, and Soul Stone Fragments in exchange for Galindis's captured soul, then warned him to prove his value.
• Roy returned to his Alchemy Room and continued the Bronze Statue Casting until it neared completion two and a half years later.