Chapter Summaries

Rhein learned that the Budding Cult posed a hidden threat to the Southern Region and agreed to contact Sky Mechanical City's leaders. Angel connected through the signal tower, but only Muse appeared, explaining that Rosen was away inspecting Yirong Kingdom for Budding remnants.

• Rhein realized he could not mediate with the secretive Budding Cult and warned that its spread could endanger the Southern Region.
• Rhein asked Angel to use the mini signal tower to contact Rosen and Muse, and Angel reached Signal Tower No. 1 attendant Amy.
• While Amy contacted them, Angel tried to discuss modern communicators with Rhein, who enthusiastically lectured him about crystal balls instead.
• Muse appeared on the screen and said Rosen was inspecting Yirong Kingdom while he managed the city’s affairs with Antonio.
• Muse tried to recruit Angel to take charge of the Research Institute, but Angel refused and then stepped aside so Muse and Rhein could discuss the Budding Cult.

Muse and Rhein discussed the Budding’s threat and how the major wizard organizations should respond, while Angel recognized the limits of his experience. Rhein arranged for Maya to assess the danger to Angel on Stargazing Day and advised him to avoid remaining in Savage Cave for long; afterward, Rhein began probing Angel’s views about the organization.

• Muse revealed the latest intelligence about the Budding, and he and Rhein discussed its risks and plans to contain it.
• Rhein advised Muse to avoid contacting Imagan’s faction, to involve the Extreme Sect, and to relay new information through Horus if the signal tower could not reach him.
• Rhein said Savage Cave would arrange a prophecy wizard for Angel on Stargazing Day, and promised that Maya would predict whether the Budding intended him harm.
• Rhein explained that Angel might be safer away from Savage Cave because the Budding’s followers could target him, and said he would temporarily seal news of Angel’s return.
• After they finished discussing the Budding, Rhein asked Angel questions to gauge his beliefs and thoughts about Savage Cave.

Rhein confirmed Angel's loyalty to Savage Cave and discussed Angel's plan to introduce something that could alter the Wizarding World's balance of power. Angel left without revealing what it was, but agreed that Sanders would inform Rhein when the time came.

• Rhein concluded that Angel's strong ties to Demon Illusion Island made him unlikely to betray Savage Cave and considered using his Research Institute status to train alchemy apprentices in Ashilia.
• Rhein invited Angel to ask him anything, and Angel asked whether he should pursue an action that might affect the entire Wizarding World.
• Angel told Rhein the plan carried risks but could benefit many people and change the balance of power, likely in the Wizarding World.
• Angel identified external dangers and people's distrust as the plan's main risks, and Rhein inferred that Angel intended to introduce an alchemical creation.
• Rhein advised Angel to assess the consequences, choose the right moment, and tell him so Savage Cave could cooperate; Angel said Sanders would inform Rhein when the time came.

Angel asked Rhein about the ruin occupied by Nightmare Realm creatures and learned that divination could not penetrate it, so he would visit with Sanders after the situation settled. Rhein also gave Angel advice about his future and granted him Level Two access to the Cloud Library before proposing two additional tasks.

• Rhein told Angel that the ruin's interior remained difficult to investigate and that Deep Sea Song would likely arrange for prophecy wizards to study it on Stargazing Day.
• Angel agreed to interpret the Nightmare Realm creatures' emotions for clues about why they had gathered at the ruin, then agreed to visit it with Sanders once conditions improved.
• Rhein advised Angel about the Frost Moon Alliance, Black Castle, the Abyss, and whether to claim his reward at the Frost Moon Alliance headquarters.
• Angel said he planned to cultivate quietly and study alchemy, and Rhein granted him Level Two access to the Cloud Library through his Bone Card.
• Rhein told Angel that he had two additional matters for him to try.

Angel rode the Vine Bus from Highland Station while disguised, and the Tree Spirit appeared to discuss the Budding and Rhein’s requests. The Tree Spirit offered to help Angel work discreetly and suggested he seek advice from Book Elder, while Angel remained uninterested in one of Rhein’s two matters.

• Angel took the Vine Bus toward Demon Illusion Island instead of flying, then encountered the Tree Spirit in the empty carriage.
• The Tree Spirit said he had heard Angel and Rhein’s conversation and agreed to discreetly keep outsiders from disturbing Angel while he dealt with the Budding.
• The Tree Spirit offered to contact Book Elder and told Angel he could use his Level Two access to the Cloud Library to look for him.
• Angel told the Tree Spirit he was not very interested in the two matters Rhein had proposed, though he might consider one if he had time.
• Angel recalled that Rhein had relayed Wallace’s request for him to open a column in Mirror, where newly advanced formal wizards shared their reasoning and ways of thinking.

Angel discussed taking apprentices with the Tree Spirit, who explained that ordinary mentorship required teaching but not taking responsibility for students’ futures. Angel agreed to consider it but postponed the decision, then listened to the Tree Spirit complain about Liana’s upcoming tea party at the Eternal Tree.

• Angel recalled Rhein suggesting that he take apprentices and told the Tree Spirit he had been unwilling because he was not ready to be responsible for someone else’s future.
• The Tree Spirit explained the difference between Golden Mentor Invitations and ordinary white invitations, saying apprentices were generally students who learned from a mentor without receiving personal guidance like Angel had from Sanders.
• Angel reconsidered his assumptions about mentorship but said he would only consider taking apprentices, since he wanted to focus on his own studies and lacked time to teach.
• The Tree Spirit told Angel about recent events in Savage Cave and complained that Liana’s demanding plans for her tea party required extensive preparations at the Eternal Tree.
• Angel warned that canceling the tea party would provoke complaints, while the Tree Spirit wished it could be held somewhere other than the Mirror World.

The Tree Spirit told Angel about the task quota expected of official wizards, then left him at Fallen Cloud Leaf Platform. Angel recognized Abruie and Gu Yina together and wondered why they had become close, while Gu Yina found Angel’s aura familiar.

• The Tree Spirit explained that official wizards were expected to accept tasks, though Angel could take them through him without registering at the task hall.
• After the Tree Spirit departed, Angel saw Abruie trip while arguing with the talking basket she carried.
• Angel recognized the voice in the basket as Gu Yina, whom he had brought back from Hailan Kingdom, and recalled her ruthless nature.
• Angel suspected Gu Yina might be scheming against kind-hearted Abruie, but decided their relationship was not his concern.
• As Abruie and Gu Yina left, Gu Yina said Angel’s aura felt familiar.

Angel returned to Demon Illusion Island and learned that Dodolo had recognized him through a prophetic vision. At the manor, Angel gave Huibidon offerings for the Roundstone Ritual and went inside with Dodolo to discuss their matters.

• Angel crossed the Sky Bridge toward Demon Illusion Island, where Dodolo stopped him and said he had been waiting for him.
• Angel asked how Dodolo had recognized his transformed appearance, and Dodolo explained that he had seen a vision of Angel crossing the bridge.
• Angel concluded that the Origin-Worshiping Clan's prophetic visions could bypass his protection against prophecy.
• Angel returned to the manor, greeted Butler Gude and Huibidon, and learned that Gloria was at the Magic Cottage with Barbie and Azaz.
• Angel gave Huibidon several roundstones for the Roundstone Ritual, then entered the reception hall with Dodolo.

Angel gave Dodolo an Illusion Canvas so he could manifest the images he had seen, and Dodolo immediately revealed a vision of a devastated world beneath a giant eye. Angel could not identify the place or explain how it related to him, so he decided to ask others for help.

• Angel used Nightmare Illusion aura to give Dodolo an Illusion Canvas and explained how to control it.
• Dodolo instantly manifested an image of Angel crossing the Sky Bridge toward Demon Illusion Island, impressing Angel with his talent.
• Dodolo replaced the image with a vision of cracked earth, withered life, a blood-red sky, and a gigantic eye.
• Dodolo said the vision was related to Angel, though he did not know where it took place.
• Angel considered possible meanings for the vision but could not identify its setting, so he decided to consult Sanders or others knowledgeable about geography.

Dodolo warned Angel about a vision of a Doomsday Sky Eye, and Angel asked him to look for threats at Stargazing Day and interpret another seer’s scene. After Dodolo spoke with Sparrow Sparrow, Angel learned that Anada had been secretly helping Huibidon recover.

• Dodolo told Angel that his vision of the Doomsday Sky Eye was the only significant prophecy he had seen, but Angel said the future could still change.
• Angel asked Dodolo to attend Stargazing Day and check whether anyone bearing the Budding emblem planned to target him.
• Angel connected Sparrow Sparrow with Dodolo through the miniature signal tower so Dodolo could ask about her precognitive scene.
• Butler Gude asked whether Anada had made the round stones Angel gave Huibidon, and Angel confirmed it.
• Angel explained that Anada avoided Huibidon because she did not dare face him, while Huibidon’s potions were helping restore her life force.
• After Sparrow Sparrow and Dodolo’s conversation ended, Angel returned to the hall.

Angel and Dodolo discussed Sparrow Sparrow’s vision of Angel walking along a starlit road, which Dodolo judged unlikely to be dangerous. Dodolo then spoke privately with Bobota and condemned him, while Angel explained why he was considering saving Bobota before his lifespan ran out.

• Angel asked Dodolo to interpret the vision Sparrow Sparrow had described, and Dodolo concluded that the scene itself was probably safe and insignificant.
• Dodolo asked to see Bobota, so Angel brought him out and gave them privacy in a Mist Illusion.
• After about twenty minutes, Dodolo ended the conversation and left Bobota looking dejected.
• Dodolo said Bobota deserved his approaching death and did not merit rescue.
• Angel told Dodolo that he was considering saving Bobota partly for Sparrow Sparrow and partly to keep a demon god from learning certain things Bobota had experienced.

Angel spoke with Dodolo about his beliefs, lost memories, and cultivation, then asked him to investigate the missing Irene and watch for the Budding's emblem. Dodolo left Demon Illusion Island at dawn, while Angel kept the silver bowl safe for him.

• Angel discussed Dodolo's worldview and learned that he remained indifferent to outsiders, had no interest in recovering his past, and had advanced to the early-to-mid stage of a Level 3 apprentice.
• Dodolo said he still wanted to learn the silver bowl's origins but feared losing it, so he entrusted it to Angel for safekeeping.
• Angel and Dodolo considered whether Dodolo's anxiety about the bowl came from his forgotten past, but Dodolo had no clues about its significance.
• After spending the night on Demon Illusion Island, Dodolo prepared to leave at dawn.
• Angel asked Dodolo to search for the missing Irene and look for the Budding's emblem, and Dodolo agreed to keep watch.

Angel recreated Dodolo’s vision of the Doomsday Sky Eye and sent glass beads carrying the image to Gloria, Tree Spirit, and Sanders for help identifying it. None knew its location, but Gloria noticed several hidden clues in the scene.

• Angel learned that Demon Illusion Island’s authority had allowed Butler Gude to recognize him despite his changed appearance.
• Angel searched books on the Prosperous Continent for the location in Dodolo’s vision, but found no useful information.
• Angel made three glass beads containing the Doomsday Sky Eye image and sent them to Gloria, Tree Spirit, and Sanders.
• Tree Spirit and Sanders replied that they did not know where the scene was.
• Gloria visited Angel and said she also did not know the location, but had noticed several hidden clues in the image.

Angel and Gloria examined the Doomsday Sky Eye painting for hidden clues, identifying a possible Witch's Soup pot and other details without finding a clear lead. Gloria then pointed out an anomalous patch of scarlet along the horizon, and Angel began to trace its shape.

• Gloria showed Angel a semicircular object in a ravine and identified it as a possible pot for brewing Witch's Soup.
• Angel considered the women he knew but could not identify anyone who was clearly proficient in Witch's Soup.
• Gloria pointed out an antiquated bloodstained boot, a fallen long-nosed animal, and human bones among the painting's rubble.
• Gloria drew Angel's attention to a bright scarlet patch along the dark-red horizon.
• Angel studied the patch and began outlining its shape in his mind.

Angel and Gloria examined the abnormal red shape in the sky and suspected it resembled Zorn’s scarf. Angel connected the image to the Casket of the Undead's Reincarnation and realized it might depict a place he could encounter through the Reincarnation Box, but he resolved not to seek it out.

• Angel traced the red shape in the sky, and he and Gloria decided it looked like a fluttering scarf.
• Angel identified Zorn, a mysterious hunter from the Order Guild whose red scarf was a half-out-of-control mysterious item, as a possible owner of the scarf in the image.
• Angel recalled that Zorn and Frost had gone to reclaim the Casket of the Undead's Reincarnation and reasoned that they might still be trapped inside it.
• Angel considered whether the image showed a place inside the Reincarnation Box and wondered if Dodolo’s warning meant he would enter it in the future.
• Angel told Gloria he knew where the image’s place was, but he did not reveal it and agreed to avoid going there.

Angel considered Dodolo’s precognitive vision and decided to let events unfold naturally when the Void Illusion Gate became ready to use. He then spent a quiet period on Demon Illusion Island studying his abilities and beginning to integrate them into his own system.

• Angel examined the Void Illusion Gate and found that its special energy had reached nearly sixty percent, with another activation possible in about a month and a half or two months.
• Angel weighed whether to enter the Reincarnation Box through the gate, then decided to let nature take its course because the next journey might not lead there.
• Angel set aside the prophecy and focused on his work while the Void Illusion Gate recharged.
• Rhein kept Angel’s return secret, leaving him undisturbed on Demon Illusion Island.
• Angel began analyzing his right eye, right hand, and Green Pattern’s abilities so he could understand and integrate them.

Angel devoted himself to studying the Green Pattern System connected to his Projected Bloodline and spent three days documenting his right hand’s abilities and deciphering its Green Patterns. He discovered a new pattern that compressed Nightmare Realm aura and concluded that further research could reveal more abilities.

• Angel planned to record his abilities, analyze how they worked, and then decipher the Green Patterns.
• Angel spent three days studying his right hand and organizing detailed records of the Projected Bloodline and its Green Patterns.
• Angel confirmed that the Projected Bloodline enhanced his body modestly, was compatible with his main body, and enabled body parts to bear Green Patterns.
• Angel reviewed a previously deciphered Green Pattern that let him release Nightmare Realm aura without a Nightmare Stone.
• Angel deciphered a new Green Pattern—compression, passage, and gate—that compressed up to three cubic meters of Nightmare Realm aura into a dense cluster.
• Angel summarized his right-hand Green Pattern abilities as containment, release, binding, and compression, and planned to continue researching them.

Angel paused his Green Pattern research when Midora told him Lydia had returned to the Falwens Family and offered to arrange a signal-tower meeting. Angel informed Gloria, who prepared to meet Lydia about Houston by taking on an illusion of her former appearance, just as the signal tower rang again.

• Angel stopped his difficult research into unfamiliar Green Patterns and began examining his right forearm.
• Midora contacted Angel and said Lydia had returned to the Falwens Family, then offered to arrange a signal-tower meeting.
• Angel told Gloria that Lydia had returned, and Gloria hurried to his study to hear the details.
• Gloria transformed herself with illusion magic into her former, mountain-of-flesh appearance so she could discuss Houston with Lydia.
• The miniature signal tower rang again as Gloria finished preparing.

Angel arranged a signal-tower connection between Gloria and Lydia so they could discuss Eyeless Man Houston, while Gloria and Lydia tried to outdo each other with extravagant appearances. Gloria dismissed Lydia’s rumor that she had lost her physical body, and their conversation remained unresolved.

• Gloria created a Black Spade Throne, and Angel transformed his study into a dark church to match it.
• Angel contacted Midora, who relayed that the Falwens Family was preparing a signal-tower connection and that Madam Yeliya and Tuya were with him.
• The connection showed Lydia reclining in a lavish Red Lotus Garden, and Gloria asked Angel to step aside so she could speak with Lydia herself.
• Angel explained that Gloria would handle the matter of Eyeless Man Houston, then Lydia brought up the rumor that Gloria had lost her physical body.
• Gloria said her appearance did not matter to her wizard path or her methods, and she denied using a deliberately manufactured appearance.

Angel watched Gloria and Lydia engage in a tense verbal duel before retreating to the Magic Cottage, where the Tree Spirit warned him that rumors of his return could reveal his location to the Budding. Angel agreed to hide in a secluded abandoned laboratory recommended by Rhein.

• Angel listened as Gloria and Lydia traded pointed remarks and rumors, then left them to their contest.
• Angel went to the Magic Cottage, where Toby waited eagerly for Azaz to finish making dried fish.
• The Tree Spirit contacted Angel through a glowing leaf and warned that many wizards were speculating about his whereabouts after Sanders returned.
• The Tree Spirit advised Angel to move somewhere unfamiliar so the Budding could not locate him through the rumors.
• Angel accepted the suggestion to hide in a confidential abandoned laboratory with usable experimental equipment, recommended by Rhein.