Chapter Summaries

Frod decided to try merging with a new Authority so Dream Realm residents could find resources and develop beyond Firstheart City. Angel and Sanders prepared to help him, but Sanders warned that the Dream Wilderness’s plant system might differ unpredictably from reality; the chapter ended as Frod prepared to take on the Authority.

• Frod decided to pursue the Authority so Dream Realm residents could explore the wilderness and develop freely.
• Angel and Sanders traveled to the main body of the Nightmare Domain, where Angel had concealed it beneath Mirage mist created with Celestial Change.
• Sanders warned Angel that Frod’s success depended on whether the Dream Wilderness’s plant system matched the model from reality.
• Frod returned to the Dream Wilderness, and Angel cautioned him to give up if he could not bear the Authority and reassured him that failure would not prevent him from trying another.

Angel used the Lucky Scroll to extract a plant-related Authority from the main body of the Nightmare Domain for Frod to fuse with, but Frod suffered an extreme reaction and had to give it up. The Authority dissipated, and Sanders wanted to identify what had gone wrong.

• Angel summoned the Nightmare Domain’s main body and prepared to extract an Authority for Frod.
• Angel activated the Lucky Scroll, pictured the Dream Wilderness covered in vegetation, and stripped a speck of light dust from the Domain.
• Angel fused the light dust into Frod, but Frod’s body rapidly reddened, convulsed, and swelled.
• Angel told Frod to give up, and Frod immediately released the Authority, which vanished before Angel could claim it.
• Angel comforted the disappointed Frod, while Sanders urged them to examine the dissipated Authority and determine what the unknown variable had changed.

Angel activated the newly dispersed Authority and witnessed an enormous tree burst from the center of the Dream Wilderness, shaking the earth and reaching the Box Garden’s boundaries. He returned to his mental space as an earthquake continued outside, leaving Sanders wary of the Authority’s true nature.

• Angel examined the Authority Tree and watched a new point of light brighten and activate.
• Angel received the Authority’s information and saw the Box Garden from a god’s-eye view before being drawn to its center.
• The earth split open, and an immense tree erupted from the ground, piercing the top of the Box Garden and sending roots to its edges.
• Angel returned to his mental space, where six Authorities glowed on the Authority Tree.
• Sanders and Frod felt an earthquake while waiting for Angel, and Sanders warned that the Authority’s apparent connection to plants might be misleading.

Angel identified the Authority that dissipated as Tree Civilization and explained that it involved both a colossal tree growing through the Dream Wilderness and the beginning of civilization. He brought Sanders and Frod back into the Dream Wilderness to show them, but they found themselves in green-speckled mist instead.

• After the earthquake, Angel awakened and named the new Authority Tree Civilization, alarming Sanders and Frod with its implications.
• Angel clarified that Tree Civilization was not a core Authority for the Dream Wilderness, but said it was personally important because it was a tree that ushered in civilization.
• Angel explained that a colossal tree had broken through the earth and grown toward the boundary of the Dream Wilderness, likely causing the earthquake.
• Angel hid the Nightmare Domain's main body in the mist, then Sanders and Frod logged back into the Dream Wilderness to see the tree.
• Frod found himself surrounded by unfamiliar mist, and Sanders noticed that it contained tiny green particles.

Angel brought Frod and Sanders above the fog, where they witnessed the Tree Civilization’s authority manifest as a colossal tree and rapidly spread greenery across Dream Wilderness. The chapter ended with Angel noticing faintly glowing seeds among the green fog.

• Angel swept Frod and Sanders through the fog in a tornado and explained that the green particles were seeds native to Dream Wilderness.
• Frod saw the enormous tree holding up the heavens and realized the surrounding green fog consisted of countless seeds.
• Seeds fell around the tree and rapidly sprouted into a vast forest, transforming the barren land into fertile wilderness.
• Angel told Frod to keep watching and focused on faintly glowing seeds drifting among the green fog.

Angel, Frod, and Sanders watched seeds in the green mist awaken and transform into a vine demoness, a fairy created by the Tree Civilization. As countless more seeds began to glow, Angel said they would likely become fairies too.

• A glowing seed flew to a leaf of the giant tree and called it Mother, then asked to stay.
• The tree wrapped the seed in green energy, and it sprouted into a spiked vine cocoon that hatched into a vine demoness.
• The vine demoness reacted with suspicion toward Frod, while Angel explained that she was a product of the Tree Civilization and that he could guide, but not fully control, the fairies.
• Frod spotted countless more glowing points in the mist, and Angel said they would probably all become fairies.

As countless cocoons on the towering tree produced a vast and varied population of plant-linked fairies, Frod feared they would threaten Firstheart City. The tree then poured life force into the newborn fairies, causing their life essences to evolve and their power to surge.

• The glowing motes gathered around the towering tree, formed cocoons, and began hatching as the tree nourished them with life force.
• Frod watched hundreds of thousands of different fairies emerge and noticed that many regarded humans with coldness and disgust.
• Frod worried that the fairies would endanger Firstheart City, while Angel and Sanders watched the tree release another surge of green energy.
• The green energy empowered the already-born fairies, especially the Vine Demoness, the silver-skinned treant with a golden fruit, and the flower-haired youth, prompting Sanders to recognize an evolution of life's essence.

The fairies grew stronger as they absorbed energy from the great tree, alarming Frod and Sanders for different reasons. Sanders used his “Energy-Level Restriction” authority to suppress the fairies before the vine demoness could advance further.

• The vine demoness and the other fairies evolved rapidly as they absorbed the tree's energy, with the vine demoness approaching the strength of a third-level apprentice.
• Frod worried that the fairies could become a threat to Firstheart City and blamed himself for being unable to bear the authority.
• A Domain Field suppressed the fairies and the tree's energy, and Frod saw that Sanders—not Angel—had caused it.
• Sanders activated his “Energy-Level Restriction” authority, which could govern the strength levels of creatures in the Dream Wilderness.
• Sanders imposed energy restraints on the fairy race before the vine demoness could advance to the next tier.

The Mother Tree explained that the Dream Plant Fairies were outsiders in the Barren Realm and instructed them to maintain balance with its inhabitants, especially humans, before entering dormancy. The Vine Banshee led the fairies in deciding to learn about the realm, but the humans they hoped to question had disappeared.

• The Energy-Level Restriction slowed the fairies’ absorption, and the Vine Banshee asked the Mother Tree why they could no longer absorb energy freely.
• The Mother Tree answered “balance, wait,” then revealed that it had spent its energy and origin essence creating the Dream Plant Fairies and would enter dormancy.
• The Mother Tree told the fairies to make the Barren Realm verdant, maintain balance with its living beings, and avoid human territory unless necessary.
• The Vine Banshee asked how the fairies should respond to humans or other creatures entering their territory, and the Mother Tree told them to decide where balance lay.
• The Vine Banshee proposed speaking with the humans to learn about the realm, but the three humans had vanished; she told the other fairies to keep absorbing energy and wondered if balance with humanity was possible.

Angel explained that the mother tree would not reclaim control of the Dream Plant Fairies, easing Sanders’s and Frod’s concerns about the new species. The group then considered how Tree Civilization might affect the humans in the Dream Wilderness, leaving Frod troubled by the possibility of conflict between the fairies and Firstheart City.

• Angel confirmed to Sanders that he had spoken the mother tree’s final words to guide the Dream Plant Fairies.
• Angel explained that the mother tree was a vessel for Tree Civilization and would not interfere with the fairies’ future choices.
• Sanders concluded that the mother tree would not reclaim the right to speak, and Frod became less concerned about the fairies’ threat to the Dream Wilderness.
• Angel explained that Dream Plant Fairies was his translation of the civilization’s name and that the mother tree’s true name was Civilization Mother Tree.
• Frod blamed himself for choosing plant-related authority, while Angel recognized that Frod had not caused the problem and had only acted at the right time.
• Sanders warned that Tree Civilization could affect the humans of Firstheart City, since civilizations might clash or invade one another.

Sanders reassured Angel and Frod that humanity could withstand the Dream Plant Fairies because the Wizard Civilization was far stronger than their newly formed civilization. He then turned his attention to Tree Civilization, which he believed showed the Dream Wilderness could develop into something like a real world.

• Sanders told Frod that humans were stronger than the Dream Plant Fairies in individual power and civilization, and that time favored humanity.
• Sanders and Frod watched Dream Plant Flower Fairies use their songs and colored light to make seeds and shoots grow, quickly transforming the barren valley into a lush landscape.
• Sanders said Frod’s latest failed attempt to bear an authority had provided useful data and revealed a conjecture that could raise Frod’s next success rate to ninety percent.
• Sanders said he needed about three days to process the data and recalculate his formula before testing his conjecture.
• Sanders told Angel that Tree Civilization concerned him more than the Dream Plant Fairies because its birth suggested the Dream Wilderness could develop like a real world.

Angel and Frod assessed the green mist spreading from the mother tree and returned to Firstheart City to check the damage from the earthquake. Frod postponed some repairs and learned that Frafiel had fainted during the tremor, while Meng Lu waited for an explanation about its cause.

• Angel brought Frod to observe the green mist, and Frod estimated it could reach Firstheart City by the following night.
• Angel agreed to explain the Dream Plant Fairies to Frod as they returned to Firstheart City.
• Frod entered Firstheart City from Skyvault Tower and saw cracked buildings and crowds gathered near the plaza.
• Meng Lu gave Frod a damage report and warned that the city was running out of timber for repairs.
• Meng Lu told Frod that Frafiel had fainted during the tremor, leaving Angel curious about what had happened.
• Frod told Meng Lu he would explain the tremor later and sent her to handle other matters.

Angel explained the Dream Plant Fairies’ nature and abilities to Frod, who weighed how Firstheart City should deal with them. They also suspected that Frafiel’s fainting during the earthquake was connected to her compatibility with Tree Civilization’s authority.

• Frod told Angel he planned to warn Firstheart City about the Dream Plant Fairies and favor distance, vigilance, and stronger defenses.
• Angel described the Dream Plant Fairies’ varied forms, inherited knowledge, cooperative society, and powerful abilities, leaving Frod concerned about the gap between them and ordinary humans.
• Frod took comfort in Angel’s control of the Mother Tree and the Dream Plant Fairies’ commitment to balance, and considered how to discuss them with City Lord Meng Lu.
• Angel asked about Frafiel fainting during the earthquake, and Frod and Angel concluded that it might have been caused by her compatibility with Tree Civilization’s authority.

Angel considered whether Frafiel could inherit Tree Civilization’s authority, but decided that granting one person unchecked power was too risky. After finding Frod’s affinity too low, Angel shared information about the Dream Plant Fairies with Jon and watched them build their city and spread toward Firstheart City.

• Angel rejected testing Frafiel for affinity because he would not entrust Tree Civilization’s authority to her alone, but suggested that a trustworthy person with high affinity might inherit part of it.
• Angel tested Frod and found his affinity with Tree Civilization was below thirty percent, too low for inheritance.
• Angel told Jon about the Dream Plant Fairies and left him to consider their implications for Firstheart City’s future.
• Angel observed the Vine Demoness and other Dream Plant Fairies building a city near the Mother Tree while others guarded unhatched cocoons or spread greenery into the wilderness.
• Angel watched Dream Plant Fairies reach a lake near Firstheart City and sing and plant flowers along its shore, then confirmed they posed little immediate risk.

Angel considered how Tree Civilization could help the Dream Wilderness grow into a complete world, then returned to his studies of the Green Patterns. After discovering a connection that amplified patterns shared by his right hand and forearm, he prepared to cautiously investigate the special patterns in his right eye.

• Angel concluded that Tree Civilization marked the Dream Wilderness’s transformation toward becoming a complete world and wondered whether connecting multiple Dream Wildernesses could form a true world.
• Angel spent the night considering whether constructing a complete world could bring him closer to the Great Truth, then resumed his recovery and self-reflection.
• Angel finished studying the Green Patterns on his right forearm and discovered that a bridge between matching patterns on his hand and forearm amplified their effects.
• Angel chose to study the Green Patterns in his right eye, whose abilities and risks remained uncertain, and proceeded with exceptional caution.

Angel learned that Dodolo had warned Huahua to avoid Bobota after his soul returned to the abyss, since her presence might awaken an obsession and draw the Demon God's attention. Huahua then described a vision in which she met Bobota beneath a starry sky, leaving Angel curious about the vast shadow behind them.

• Angel received Huahua's call and learned she would not visit Bobota before his soul returned to the abyss.
• Huahua explained that Dodolo had warned her that seeing Bobota could stir his lingering obsession and alert the Demon God.
• Angel realized Dodolo had likely met Bobota to settle his obsessions and protect Angel's secret, and decided to reward him when he returned.
• Huahua told Angel she had seen a vision of herself with Bobota and thanked him for saving her brother.
• Huahua described the vision's dark, starry setting and the enormous shadow behind the high ground where she and Bobota stood.

Angel considered Sparrow Sparrow’s vision of Bobota and monitored Bobota as his body deteriorated while he finished his research. In the Dream Wilderness, Angel watched green mist carrying Dream Plant Fairies approach Firstheart City, but a roaring airship arrived before he could meet Jon.

• Angel examined Sparrow Sparrow’s vision and wondered whether it showed a possible future near the Mother Tree.
• Angel watched Bobota cough blood and fragments of organs while he continued recording his research, and decided to bring him into the Dream Wilderness the next morning.
• Angel entered the Dream Wilderness and saw green mist carrying Dream Plant Fairies moving toward Firstheart City.
• Angel estimated the green mist would reach the city in about twenty minutes and prepared to visit Jon.
• A roaring airship appeared over Firstheart City, drawing residents outside to look up.

The Sin-Hunting Group arrived in Firstheart City and took up positions on the watchtowers to defend the city as unfamiliar foreign beings approached. Afterward, Angel approved Frod’s decision to mobilize them, saying the encounter would broaden their horizons and might prepare them for future missions.

• Knight Sabel leaped from the airship, used his glowing tentacles to reach a watchtower, and drew attention from the people of Firstheart City.
• The rest of the Sin-Hunting Group flew from the airship and took positions on watchtowers around the city, where they prepared to welcome or fight the approaching foreign beings.
• The Sin Hunters recalled that Young Master Tisen and City Lord Meng Lu had told them they would encounter an intelligent civilization whose intentions were unknown.
• The airship reached Skyvault Tower, where Frod and Meng Lu disembarked and joined Angel.
• Angel confirmed that Frod had summoned the Sin-Hunting Group and said their deployment was appropriate, as they might one day need to enter the foreign beings’ territory.

Frod and Meng Lu discussed the foreign races and the Vine Demoness as a vast green mist approached Firstheart City. The demon hunters prepared to defend the city, while Dream Plant Fairies inside the mist cultivated the barren land and spotted what appeared to be a city wall.

• Meng Lu asked whether Angel planned to send the Sin-Hunting Group beyond the city, and Frod explained that the Vine Demoness was building a city near the Mother Tree.
• Meng Lu wondered whether Firstheart City should stop the foreign races from carrying news back, but Frod said they would meet the foreign races eventually and he did not know how the Vine Demoness would respond.
• Angel and Frod spotted green on the northern horizon, and the rapidly approaching mist alarmed Meng Lu and the demon hunters.
• The demon hunters prepared to defend Firstheart City, but as the mist drew near, they saw no creatures charging within it.
• Dream Plant Fairies worked inside the green mist to enrich the soil, plant seeds, and grow fields, until one spotted what looked like a city wall.

Green mist swept into Firstheart City, causing panic as it transformed the barren land into a forest. While Angel and Frod confirmed that Dream Plant Fairies had entered the city, Little Curly prepared to attack the humans on his own.

• Sabel used the Sin Demon's power to see shadows like a forest behind the green mist before the mist flooded Firstheart City.
• Meng Lu worried that the mist would harm the city, but Frod assured her it was beneficial and asked Angel whether the Dream Plant Fairies had arrived.
• Angel used the Eye of God and saw that a few Dream Plant Fairies had entered the city, while the Sin-Hunting Group had not yet clashed with them.
• Sabel enhanced his vision and saw a lush forest beyond the moat, then spotted Little Curly flying out from behind a tree.
• Little Curly judged humans weak, rejected the Mother Tree's call for balance, and decided to attack the city on his own.