Chapter Summaries

Angel paused his intense work on Jon’s problems after nearly half a month of strain and relaxed in his cabin aboard the Bauhinia. A costumed seabird arrived at his window, and Angel mistook its attempts to communicate for hunger as he fed it flatbread.

• Angel stopped solving problems after experiencing tinnitus and blackouts, with only ten questions left.
• Angel reflected on his family, his wish to become a wizard, and the memories he carried from Pat Manor.
• Angel brewed Morning Dew After Rain and enjoyed the sea breeze from his cabin window.
• A strangely dressed seabird with a bulging satchel perched on the windowsill and chirped at Angel.
• Angel teased the seabird, failed to understand what it wanted, and offered it pieces of flatbread.

Angel befriended a seabird by sharing his Morning Dew After Rain tea, and it left him a golden card before flying away. After reading about the deaths of ancient gods and going to dinner aboard the Bauhinia, Angel spotted the famous royal heir Dev Silver Heron entering the restaurant.

• Angel discovered that the seabird wanted his Morning Dew After Rain tea, and he gave it several cups until it ate the tea leaves.
• The seabird thanked Angel by leaving him a golden card bearing the image from its bib and satchel, then flew away.
• Angel read Thoughts of Antiquity and concluded that its myths described the deaths of ancient deities, who might have been powerful wizards.
• Angel went to the White Hibiscus Restaurant for dinner and reflected on his life aboard the Bauhinia.
• Angel saw Dev Silver Heron, the third heir to the Silver Heron Royal Family, enter the restaurant.

Angel witnessed Isley, a poor gifted youth, reveal himself after stabbing Dev, the Central Empire’s Third Prince. Lady Meline ignored the dying Dev and recognized Isley’s talent, while Angel left with a sharper sense of the Wizarding World’s dangers.

• Dev entered the restaurant alone and Angel wondered why he had heard the door sound twice.
• An invisible attacker stabbed Dev in the neck, and Dev exposed the attacker by splashing him with wine.
• The attacker revealed himself as Isley, a defiant youth who watched Dev bleed while the onlookers refused to help.
• Lady Meline examined Isley, discovered his innate spiritual power was 23, and ordered him to move to the top floor as an Elementary Wizard Apprentice.
• Dev died without anyone intervening, and Isley left without being challenged.
• Angel left the restaurant and resolved to keep a low profile until he could protect himself.

Angel continued studying aboard the Bauhinia as it crossed the Devil Sea, where Irene confided her frustration over failing to sense spiritual power. The ship encountered a gigantic Cloud Whale, and its first mate asked the wizard escorts to help activate a Mirror Spell.

• Angel learned that Isley had killed all of Dev's followers, leaving Angel wary of Isley despite understanding his grudge against Dev.
• The Bauhinia entered the Devil Sea and, halfway across, Irene visited Angel and tearfully described her lack of progress in meditation.
• A violent wave shook the ship, then footsteps rushed across the ceiling and Irene and Angel went outside to investigate.
• On deck, Angel saw a colossal Cloud Whale floating above the ship, while the sailors watched it with curiosity rather than fear.
• The Bauhinia's first mate asked Lady Meline, Lord Kormoen, and Lord Florent to help activate the Mirror Spell, and Irene spotted Moro and Alan behind Lord Florent.

Lady Meline used the Nightmare Stone to conceal the Bauhinia from the Cloud Whale, but the arrival of Flora, the Blood Witch, and signs that the whale belonged to a far more powerful wizard left the apprentices terrified. The chapter ended with the ship’s defenders fearing that even Lord Sabo might be unable to withstand an attack.

• Lady Meline activated the Nightmare Stone and cast a Mirror Spell over the Bauhinia to keep the Cloud Whale from noticing it.
• Kormoen admired the Cloud Whale as a potential mount, while Lady Meline and Florent dismissed the idea as too dangerous.
• The crew spotted a woman in red descending toward the ship beneath an ornate umbrella, and Florent identified her as Flora, the Blood Witch.
• Moro ushered Angel, Irene, and Alan into the lookout tower and warned them to stay hidden from the Formal Wizard.
• Lady Meline and the others saw Falcon Demons circling the Cloud Whale and feared it was the mount of a powerful wizard who could threaten the Bauhinia.

Angel witnessed Flora break the Bauhinia’s Mirror Spell barrier and confront a wizard from Sky Mechanical City, then noticed an itch where the Queen of Cards had scratched him during his talent test. On the Cloud Whale, Sanders ordered Sabo to search for the Barbie Restaurant and sensed a fleeting aura from the Nightmare Realm.

• Flora broke the Mirror Spell barrier around the Bauhinia, frightening the mortals aboard, and argued with a wizard from Sky Mechanical City over the Nightmare Stone.
• Angel stayed with Irene and Alan until Moro returned and led the siblings away, then noticed an itch at the spot where the Queen of Cards had scratched him in the illusion.
• Sanders, the Second-Level Wizard known as the Phantom Demon Master, told Sabo to have the Bauhinia search for the Barbie Restaurant and Lady Gloria.
• After Sabo left, Sanders sensed an aura from the Nightmare Realm, but it vanished before he could investigate it.

Sanders and Flora discussed the Nightmare Realm and the Savage Cave’s brutal apprentice recruitment, while Angel continued struggling with the pressure of his journey and Mentor Jon’s puzzle. The chapter left Angel exhausted and determined not to ease his strain until he solved the mystery.

• Sanders dismissed the strange aura of the Nightmare Realm as a likely coincidence after considering whether it had connected to a similar Nightmare Stone.
• Flora told Sanders that Baruba had won the blood battle in the fourth cabin, and Sanders ordered that the half-blood be watched and potentially turned into a substitute puppet.
• Flora reported that only eight other talented recruits had survived the remaining cabins, and Sanders defended Savage Cave’s deadly selection method.
• After a stormy night at sea, Angel woke and reflected on the Outer Eye pendant, his distant family, and his five-year deadline.
• A week later, Angel saw how badly exhaustion had changed his appearance and chose to keep working on Mentor Jon’s puzzle rather than relax.

Angel completed Jon's final puzzle, which used his birthday as the password to unlock the smart chip, and read a farewell letter from his mentor. He saved the letter and opened the folder containing Jon's final gift.

• Angel noticed that the Bauhinia had repeatedly passed the same reef and inferred that a wizard was directing the ship to circle the Devil Sea.
• On the 167th day since leaving Gelu Town, Angel solved Jon's hundredth puzzle and entered his birthday to unlock the smart chip.
• Angel opened Jon's letter, which recalled Jon's life, urged Angel to explore the wizarding world, and asked him to write a thesis capturing its essence.
• Angel saved a copy of the letter and opened the folder Jon had left on the desktop.

After receiving Jon’s stored knowledge on the Holographic Tablet, Angel spent a week digitizing his books and exploring Earth’s data while the Bauhinia sailed. A shipwide lockdown trapped him in his cabin amid dense fog, and the chapter ended as something suddenly changed.

• Angel discovered that Jon had transferred the data from his brain chip into the Holographic Tablet and treasured the gift.
• Angel scanned and organized his books on the tablet, then explored scientific papers, music, and novels from Earth.
• Angel heard the Bauhinia’s lockdown signal and returned to his cabin as other gifted individuals speculated about the cause.
• Angel looked through his cabin window and saw dense fog outside, then waited as the lockdown continued through the afternoon.
• Just as everything seemed unchanged, a sudden change erupted.

Angel escaped the food illusion after an unexplained itch overwhelmed his appetite, then connected the recurring sensation to the scratch from his talent test and resolved to tell Moro. Meanwhile, Sanders and Flora confronted Sabo and the other guides near Gloria’s restaurant, whose invitation-only rule left Flora anticipating their disappointment.

• Angel’s sudden, intense itching overcame the food illusion and stopped him from mistaking lamp wax for roast chicken.
• Angel suspected that the recurring itch came from the scratch in the strange world during his talent test and decided to seek Moro’s help if he survived the dangers ahead.
• Sanders, Flora, and the others reached the Bauhinia aboard an enormous falcon demon near the source of the fragrant illusion.
• Flora teased Sabo for bringing a group of youngsters, while Sabo claimed they had come to broaden their horizons.
• Flora recalled that Gloria’s restaurant admitted only invitation holders and that Sanders had paid dearly for a bronze-grade card.

Flora tried to recruit the spiritually gifted Isley for Savage Cave, but Hurricane Tower’s Jeral intervened by pointing out that Isley had learned its Guidance Method. Flora withdrew, leaving Isley with Hurricane Tower while he concealed his anger at Jeral’s treatment.

• Flora recognized Isley’s spiritual talent and used her charms to persuade him to join Savage Cave, hoping to earn a reward from a wizard colleague.
• Isley agreed while entranced by Flora, but Jeral arrived with Heloline and warned Flora that taking Isley could provoke Hurricane Tower.
• Jeral reminded Flora that Isley had learned Hurricane Tower’s Nirvana Hexagram Guidance Method, and Flora inspected it before dismissing it as worthless and returning to Sanders.
• Jeral ordered Isley to get to the back, and Isley obeyed while hiding a trace of gloom and clenching his fist inside his sleeve.

Jeral and Heloline arrived aboard the Bauhinia, where Heloline asked about the newly recruited gifted individuals and learned that one might have a rare astrological talent. She decided to personally examine the recruits once the current matter was settled.

• Jeral frightened Isley by blasting a hole in the deck, then withdrew his oppressive presence without harming anyone.
• Heloline told Sabo that Gravity Forest’s Poku had stopped on an island to transplant magical plants.
• Heloline recognized Moro as a former student of her mentor and asked Florent about the recruits’ talents.
• Florent described a Spirit Island recruit who had seen stars during a starless-night talent test, and Heloline recalled a similar case linked to astrological divination.
• Moro said his grandson and granddaughter had ordinary talents and dismissed Angel’s talent as unremarkable.
• Heloline asked Florent and Moro to bring all the recruits to her for personal testing after the current matters were settled.

The fog cleared to reveal Barbie Restaurant, where its eccentric guard Soup Weasel welcomed the arriving transcendents. Sanders and Flora entered, but the toy soldiers blocked Sabo and his group from following, leaving Sabo demanding an explanation.

• The fog dispersed, waking the Bauhinia’s passengers from the hunger illusion and revealing the injuries they had inflicted on themselves and one another.
• Barbie Restaurant appeared through the mist, and Sanders recognized the whimsical structure as Gloria’s restaurant.
• Soup Weasel greeted the guests with an elaborate performance and welcomed them inside as the restaurant’s strange appetite-inducing scent drifted out.
• Sabo followed Sanders and Flora through the doors, but Flora smiled at him before the toy soldiers blocked Sabo and the others.
• Sabo confronted Soup Weasel and demanded to know why he had been stopped.

Sabo and the others were denied entry to Barbie Restaurant because they lacked invitation cards, and Sabo decided not to risk a confrontation. Soup Weasel then discovered a gold card holder aboard the Bauhinia and greeted the astonished youth with extraordinary courtesy.

• Soup Weasel explained that Sanders's bronze invitation card allowed him to bring two guests, while the others could not enter without cards.
• Flora revealed that Gloria sometimes tossed invitation cards away at random, then went inside with Sanders.
• Sabo weighed the risks of forcing entry and chose to leave with the others rather than provoke Barbie Restaurant or encounter Sanders.
• Soup Weasel announced that a gold card holder was aboard the Bauhinia, and Jeral confirmed that it was not Poku.
• Soup Weasel transformed into a gentlemanly attendant, introduced himself as Soup Weasel Yiyou, and welcomed the baffled youth to Barbie Restaurant.

Angel entered the Barbie Restaurant with the extraordinary beings aboard the Bauhinia after they learned his card was a Gold Card VIP pass. Inside, Moro asked where the card came from, and Soup Weasel explained that it paid for one free meal before disappearing when Angel left.

• After the fog cleared, Angel was pushed toward the cabin door and greeted by Tang Youyiyou, who welcomed him to the Barbie Restaurant as a Gold Card holder.
• Angel led the extraordinary beings aboard the Bauhinia into the restaurant, where they studied its dark, gothic decor and wondered how he had acquired the card.
• Moro thanked Angel for getting them inside, and Angel tried to ask him about the strange itching he had felt after his talent test.
• Moro interrupted Angel to ask about the Gold Card, so Angel showed it to the group.
• Soup Weasel explained that the card gave Angel one free meal and would disappear when he left the restaurant.

Angel explained that his gold invitation card came from Toby after he served him Morning Dew After Rain, while the wizards considered whether Angel’s luck and talent might make him worth watching. In Barbie Restaurant’s bronze-card banquet room, Gloria prepared Twisted Baworm for Sanders before Greasy Bird arrived.

• Angel told Moro and the others how a strange seabird named Toby had given him the gold card after drinking Morning Dew After Rain, and Moro regretted not using his tea himself.
• Soup Weasel identified Toby as the master’s favored magical pet, while Heloline considered observing Angel if his talent proved decent.
• Sanders met Gloria in Barbie Restaurant’s banquet room, drank her Black Goblin Brain Flower, and asked her to prepare Twisted Baworm.
• Gloria began cooking the Twisted Baworm, but Greasy Bird entered, prompting Flora to move closer to Sanders with visible wariness.

Gloria explained that Angel’s Gold Card entitled him to a level-3 customized dish for everyone in the banquet hall, prompting the Wizard Apprentices to hope for improved talent or spiritual power. Before Angel made his choice, Jeral asked whether Barbie Restaurant had a Fragment Mayfly.

• Outside the banquet hall, Gloria considered forcing her way in, but Sanders warned that its defenses were formidable and refused to help unless she wanted Barbie Restaurant destroyed.
• Gloria told Angel he could request cuisine to improve his talent or spiritual power, then explained that his Gold Card would provide eight servings for everyone present.
• The Wizard Apprentices grew excited at the prospect of sharing the dish, while Moro regretted not having treated Angel better and Isley hoped Angel would choose improved talent.
• As Angel hesitated between the two benefits, Jeral asked Gloria whether the restaurant had a Fragment Mayfly.

Jeral pressured Angel to choose a Fragment Mayfly for him, but Angel agreed only after asking Gloria about his mentor Jon’s mysterious decline. The wizards misdiagnosed Jon’s condition as a curse, and Angel ended the chapter by raising a separate concern about an itch on his shoulder.

• Jeral asked Gloria for Fragment Mayflies, and she revealed that she made them along with other magical dishes.
• Jeral offered Angel a Frostnight Potion if Angel chose a Fragment Mayfly and gave his share to him.
• Angel agreed to choose a Fragment Mayfly but asked Gloria about Jon’s deteriorating body.
• Gloria and the other wizards speculated that Jon was being rejected by the World Consciousness or afflicted by an otherworldly curse.
• Angel kept quiet about the real cause of Jon’s decline and then asked Gloria about an itch on his shoulder.

Angel told the wizards about the strange visions and back itch that had helped him escape Mirage, leading them to suspect he possessed a special talent. Heloline prepared to test him for White Coral Floating Island Academy, but a violent crash interrupted the examination.

• Angel recounted how touching the Eye of Abyras had made the world change and described the stitched-face woman who scratched his back.
• Angel explained that the itching on his back had helped him break free from the food illusion aboard the Bauhinia.
• Heloline and the other wizards examined Angel's back, but even Gloria's Truthbreaker spell revealed no wound or abnormality.
• Heloline announced that she would formally test Angel and emphasized that he was to become a student of White Coral Floating Island Academy.
• A violent crash shook the hall just as Heloline was about to begin Angel's talent test.

Sanders attacked Barbie Restaurant to reach Angel, leading Gloria to suspect Angel had entered the Nightmare Realm. After weighing the consequences, Gloria lowered the banquet hall’s restrictions and let Sanders approach Angel.

• Sanders’s assault shook Barbie Restaurant and nearly overwhelmed its protective arrays, while Soup Weasel steadied Angel with witchcraft.
• Gloria recognized Sanders’s voice and wondered why he would risk angering her to confirm something about Angel.
• Gloria connected Angel’s strange experience during his talent test to the Nightmare Realm and suspected Sanders had attacked because of it.
• Gloria ordered Greasy Bird to lift the banquet hall’s restrictions, choosing to let Sanders in despite the consequences.
• Sanders entered the hall, walked up to the bare-backed Angel, and greeted him as the guests watched in fear and confusion.