Chapter Summaries

An Qi'er went looking for Richard, but he knocked her unconscious and took her to a hidden chamber to keep his address secret. After questioning her, Richard learned that her teacher wanted to kill him.

• An Qi'er wandered through the dark streets trying to find Richard's courtyard, and Richard knocked her unconscious with Low Temperature Dizziness.
• Richard brought An Qi'er to a spell-testing chamber beneath the Main Laboratory and questioned her about how she had found his address.
• An Qi'er explained that a small blond student from White Stone Tower had given her Richard's address after she asked around.
• Richard asked An Qi'er why she had come, and she revealed that her teacher wanted to kill him.

An Qi'er warned Richard that her teacher, Yiwa, planned to kill him for speaking with her, and revealed that Yiwa had also killed a White Stone Tower Academy teacher to steal a book. Richard connected Yiwa’s search for books and treasure to the Black Spirit King secret and asked An Qi'er where Yiwa was staying.

• An Qi'er told Richard that Yiwa wanted to kill him because she had seen them talking, and showed him scars from Yiwa’s punishments.
• An Qi'er warned that Yiwa had killed people before, including a teacher from White Stone Tower Academy, then revealed Yiwa was hunting books to uncover a secret and obtain a great treasure.
• Richard connected Yiwa’s search to the secret of White Stone Tower and the Black Spirit King and considered acting against her despite her being a Level 1 Wizard.
• Richard asked An Qi'er whether she wanted to kill Yiwa, then asked where Yiwa was staying.

Richard broke into Yi Wa’s courtyard, stole her books, and poisoned her tea before hiding nearby. Yi Wa discovered the theft and detected an intruder, while Somen and a disguised woman appeared in the courtyard.

• Richard entered Yi Wa’s courtyard and found five books marked with the Black Spirit Empire emblem.
• Richard took the books and added potassium cyanide to the water in Yi Wa’s wooden cup.
• Yi Wa returned with blood on her hands, prepared flower-petal tea, and noticed that her books were missing.
• Yi Wa raised the cup to drink, then sensed someone nearby and hurled it toward the doorway.
• A black-robed man caught the cup as he appeared, and a disguised woman called him Somen and reminded him he had lost their bet.

Yi Wa fought Somen after Mu Keni revealed they had come to kill her for investigating a forbidden secret. Somen and Yi Wa exchanged increasingly powerful spells while Mu Keni stayed out of the duel, leaving Yi Wa to defend against Somen’s Scorching Flame Waterfall.

• Mu Keni told Yi Wa that she and Somen had come to kill her because she was uncovering a secret she should not investigate.
• Yi Wa attacked Somen with Fist of Fury, but Somen blocked it with Flame Guard and countered with Emerald Burn.
• Yi Wa restrained and dispersed Somen’s Emerald Burn with Grip of the Gale Giant, then considered escaping.
• Mu Keni warned Yi Wa that she and Somen would attack together if Yi Wa tried to flee, and claimed she would not join the fight unless Somen was defeated.
• Yi Wa struck at Somen with Battering Ram, but Somen’s Tear of the Fire Servant shattered the air stake.
• Somen unleashed Scorching Flame Waterfall, and Yi Wa raised Aura Cloak of the Breeze Goddess to defend herself.

Richard watched Yi Wa and Somen fight and judged that Yi Wa had the advantage, but she could not defeat Somen quickly enough to face Mu Keni afterward. When Yi Wa tried to escape by flying, Mu Keni’s preparations brought her down, leaving Yi Wa trapped between the two Wizards.

• Richard compared Wizard battles with combat on Modern Earth and concluded that Wizard combat favored defense over offense.
• Yi Wa unleashed Wind Fury Dance and forced Somen to retreat behind his Flame Shield.
• Yi Wa abandoned her attack and tried to flee by flying out of the courtyard.
• Yi Wa struck a defensive barrier, fell into the courtyard, and climbed out of the pit injured.
• Mu Keni revealed that she had prepared against Yi Wa escaping, calling for help, or attracting attention, while Somen remained expressionless.

Yi Wa attacked Somen with powerful wind spells, but he revealed his true strength and unleashed a transformation spell. Somen killed Yi Wa, leaving Mu Keni as the only other person present.

• Yi Wa battered Somen's Flame Energy Shield with Air Whips and trapped him in a tornado of wind blades, wounding him.
• Mu Keni taunted Somen, and Somen revealed that he had been holding back before crushing the tornado and healing his wounds with Purple Flame.
• Somen swallowed the Purple Flame, surpassed the limits of a Level 1 Wizard, and used a Flame Greatsword to destroy Yi Wa's wind spells.
• Yi Wa formed a massive wall of air, but Somen transformed into golden flame, pierced through it, and struck through her head with Body as Fire Offering.
• Yi Wa fell dead as Somen reformed nearby.

Somen and Mu Keni killed Yi Wa but failed to find her books about the Black Spirit King’s secret. Richard stayed hidden as three black-robed intruders searched the courtyard, and Somen and Mu Keni returned to confront them, with Mu Keni insisting on fighting alone.

• Somen and Mu Keni searched Yi Wa’s room and body but found none of the books, so they left the courtyard.
• Richard watched from hiding as three black-robed figures entered and searched the house for books about the secret.
• The black-robed figures found the house already searched and tried to withdraw, but Somen and Mu Keni returned and blocked their exit.
• Mu Keni threatened the three intruders and stopped Somen from stepping forward, saying she would handle them herself.

Mu Keni and Somen killed three Black-Robed Men who had come seeking books connected to the Black Spirit King's secret, then appeared to leave. Richard realized the corpses might be bait and stopped himself from stepping out of hiding just as they returned to the courtyard.

• Mu Keni used mental spells to question Henry, but the leading Black-Robed Man silenced him before he could reveal much.
• Mu Keni defeated the remaining Black-Robed Men with Wail of the Dead and Terrifying Behemoth, killing both.
• Somen guessed the men belonged to a small hidden organization seeking books about the Black Spirit King's secret and said they should continue to their next mission.
• Somen and Mu Keni left the courtyard, while Richard waited in Stealth Technique before deciding to leave.
• Richard grew wary of the corpses when he recalled Somen's mention of fishing and bait, and withdrew his step.
• Somen and Mu Keni suddenly returned to the courtyard.

Richard returned to the Spell Laboratory after Somen and Mu Keni left, then took the unconscious An Qi'er to a graveyard and told her that Yi Wa had been killed by someone else. He told An Qi'er to keep their connection secret and return to White Stone Tower Academy, but she stopped as if she wanted to say something.

• Somen and Mu Keni left the courtyard with the three corpses, and Richard waited until after midnight before leaving too.
• Richard returned to the Spell Laboratory, found An Qi'er still unconscious, and considered what he had learned about Somen and Mu Keni and the other group seeking the Black Spirit Empire's books.
• An Qi'er woke in a graveyard outside White Stone City and saw Richard watching her.
• Richard told An Qi'er that Yi Wa was dead but that someone else had killed her before his own plan could take effect.
• Richard told An Qi'er not to seek him out or reveal their connection, and instructed her to return to White Stone Tower Academy without discussing Yi Wa's death.
• An Qi'er began to leave, then stopped and looked at Richard, hesitating to speak.

Richard gave An Qi'er directions back to White Stone Tower Academy, then found Alex visiting a grave and heard his story about a legendary ancestor. An Qi'er got lost and returned to the graveyard, where Richard discovered she had misremembered his directions.

• An Qi'er admitted she did not know the way back to White Stone Tower Academy, so Richard gave her a route and sent her off.
• Richard found Alex crouching at a tombstone, and Alex claimed he had come to pay respects to his legendary captain ancestor.
• Richard questioned why Alex was visiting the grave at night, and Alex said he had come to the wrong grave while missing his parents.
• Richard saw An Qi'er approaching the graveyard again and stopped her after realizing she had taken a huge detour.
• An Qi'er repeated Richard's directions incorrectly, revealing that she had confused the third left turn with a right turn.

Richard escorted the directionless An Qi'er back to White Stone Tower Academy, then studied five Black Spirit Empire books and tested his theory that their palindrome numbers formed a book cipher. The extracted characters produced an incomplete message, leaving Richard on the verge of discovering what the books concealed.

• Richard realized An Qi'er could not follow her own directions and escorted her to White Stone Tower Academy.
• Richard returned to his laboratory and examined the final pages of five newly acquired Black Spirit Empire books, identifying four new books and one duplicate.
• Richard counted eight of the eleven expected palindrome-numbered books among his collection and suspected the numbers were connected to the hidden secret.
• Richard proposed that the numbers indicated character positions in each book and extracted characters from the available volumes, skipping three missing books.
• Richard assembled the extracted characters into an incomplete result and stopped before revealing the final message.

Richard struggled to decipher the words “Ke Guo Li...Gu” and “Du...Er Meng,” while a series of nighttime incidents deepened the mystery surrounding the books and a hidden organization. At dawn, Macbeth and Armstrong examined a burned courtyard and worried that an unknown group was provoking White Stone City during the East Coast Joint Exchange Meeting.

• Richard repeatedly considered what the strange words meant but could not decipher them.
• Alex returned home and found Madam Amanda waiting for him; he pretended to miss his ancestors to avoid her advances.
• Ken told Su La Di that Vik, Harry, and Henry had vanished after investigating a target’s residence, where investigators found signs of a Wizard-level battle, blood, and missing books.
• Su La Di ordered his followers to investigate the missing men and the earlier leak about the organization, suspecting both incidents involved the same group.
• Somen and Mu Keni left a courtyard before dawn as flames burned inside it.
• Macbeth and Armstrong inspected the burned ruins and discussed whether a hidden Wizard organization was behind the incidents.

Richard completed two engineered potions: Blood of the Gods (Primary), which could raise him to the peak of Viscount-level strength, and Life Potion (Primary), which rapidly repaired injuries and restored the body. He stored both in his Space Iron Ring and continued cultivating and screening the colonies.

• Richard examined the cultivated colonies and found that two kinds now produced enough functional fluid for testing.
• Richard collected the golden fluid and labeled it Blood of the Gods (Primary), judging that it could bring him close to Earl-level strength.
• Richard reviewed the six ranks of Bloodline Seeds and considered how stronger versions of Blood of the Gods might compare with Formal Wizards.
• Richard collected the red fluid from the second colony type and named it Life Potion (Primary) for its powerful healing effects.
• Richard stored both potions in his Space Iron Ring, then separated, nourished, and screened the remaining colonies.

Richard added new spells to his two rings and continued studying the Crystal Skull, strengthening his mental fortitude. He trained with the skull until dawn as dust began blowing in from afar.

• Richard inscribed the Baiting Blood-Boiling Spell onto Ring No.1 and the Minor Dehydration Spell onto Ring No.2, bringing each ring to five magic patterns.
• Richard considered improving the Minor Dehydration Spell by adding other ways to dehydrate enemies, but had not yet found a method.
• Richard adjusted the details of his rings, then tried to cover the sleeping Pandora with a blanket until she tore a hole in it with her leg.
• Richard used the Crystal Skull to expand and refine its Mental Shock and Mental Strength field functions, continuing to train his mind.
• Richard placed the Crystal Skull against his chest and trained until dawn, as dust blew in from afar.

Richard learned that the Steel Brotherhood had found the last book he needed to investigate the Black Spirit King's secret, and arranged to receive it in three days. Meanwhile, Somen revealed that he had deliberately allowed the book to travel toward White Stone City so he could track down and kill everyone seeking the secret, despite Silver Ring ordering it destroyed.

• Erlai told Richard that the Steel Brotherhood had bought the book numbered 39 and would deliver it in three days.
• Richard agreed to prepare the remaining payment and asked Erlai to keep the book safe during transport.
• Mu Keni confronted Somen about ignoring Silver Ring's order to intercept and destroy the book.
• Somen explained that he had let the book head toward White Stone City so he could identify and kill everyone pursuing the Black Spirit King's secret.
• Mu Keni warned Somen that the new Silver Ring might punish him for defying the order.

Somen and Mu Keni agreed to clear targets before acting on their plan, while Great Scholar Su La Di gave the Council three days to identify Vik’s killers. In White Stone City, Macbeth and Armstrong investigated another deadly fire and worried that a larger attack was approaching.

• Somen persuaded Mu Keni to join him in acting once the books arrived, and they set out to clear Target Number Eight.
• Great Scholar Su La Di reprimanded the Council for spending a month only confirming his theory and demanded that they identify Vik’s killers within three days.
• Macbeth extinguished a fire in a White Stone City courtyard and confirmed that there were no survivors.
• Macbeth and Armstrong discussed the repeated incidents and their concern that the danger could escalate, then left as darkness gathered.

Richard arrived at Frank Tavern to deliver the Black Spirit Empire's final book to the Steel Brotherhood, but found the tavern silent and smelled blood. Earlier that night, Fei Er had arranged for Jiro to test Richard's strength during the transaction, and the chapter ended as the tavern door opened.

• Richard approached Frank Tavern, the Steel Brotherhood's stronghold, and noticed the unusual silence and scent of blood inside.
• Inside the tavern earlier that night, Baji described Richard to Fei Er and explained that little was known about him.
• Fei Er suspected Richard might be hiding his strength and told Jiro to test him carefully during the transaction.
• Fei Er asked Erlai what Richard had said, then waited with the others for his arrival.
• The tavern door creaked open.

Somen and Mu Keni entered the Steel Brotherhood’s private tavern to ask about a mysterious book, but Fei Er ordered his men to attack them. Somen killed most of the gang and left one man alive to answer his questions about the book.

• Somen asked Fei Er who the Steel Brotherhood planned to give the book to and where it was now.
• Fei Er ordered the Steel Brotherhood members to attack Somen and Mu Keni.
• Somen extinguished the tavern’s lights and used blazing crimson blades to cut down the gang members.
• Somen relit the tavern and found most of the Steel Brotherhood dead or gravely wounded.
• Somen questioned a surviving thug about the book and promised to spare him if he answered.

Somen and Mu Keni tried to force the Steel Brotherhood to reveal where they had hidden a book, but the captured men stubbornly mocked them instead. After Mu Keni’s Mental Spell failed against Fei Er, Somen realized they would have to find another way to get the answer.

• Somen killed several Steel Brotherhood members when they refused to tell him where the book was, while Mu Keni laughed at their repeated taunts.
• Baji mocked Somen, Erlai was killed, and Jiro attacked Somen with Baronet-level Bloodline Power before Somen froze him and destroyed him.
• Somen threatened Fei Er, then had Mu Keni use her Mental Spell to question him.
• Fei Er briefly appeared to yield but again taunted them, and Mu Keni killed him when the spell failed to overcome his willpower.
• Mu Keni explained that Mental Spells were unreliable against strong opponents, and Somen and Mu Keni agreed to try another approach.

Richard found the Steel Brotherhood massacred at Frank Tavern and learned that two attackers had come seeking the books he had entrusted them with. After recovering the book from the dying Baji, Richard left the tavern and realized he had walked into a trap as a powerful danger approached.

• Richard found Baji barely alive among the bodies at Frank Tavern and used a Life Potion to revive him briefly.
• Baji told Richard that a man and a woman had attacked the Steel Brotherhood and demanded the books, but the group had refused to reveal their location.
• Baji retrieved the book from a Muscle Pocket cut into his back, and Richard took it and stored it in his Space Iron Ring.
• Baji died, and Richard closed his eyes before leaving the tavern.
• Richard sensed a powerful danger approaching on the silent street and realized he had entered a trap.