Chapter Summaries

Richard spent several days organizing Black Spirit Empire knowledge and materials taken from the Supreme Order Divine Assembly while worrying about Pandora’s deep sleep. When the ship bound for the Main Continent arrived at Ya Lin Port, Sherlock took Richard to see it, where Richard learned about the powerful Magic-armored Knights aboard.

• Richard recorded and studied knowledge from the Black Spirit King's treasure dungeon and sorted the belongings and documents taken from the Supreme Order Divine Assembly.
• Richard monitored Pandora, who remained asleep after absorbing Purple Mist and transforming into a giant dragon.
• Three days later, Sherlock told Richard that the ship for the Main Continent had docked, and Richard went with him to the port.
• Richard inspected the immense ship and learned from Sherlock that it sailed from the Main Continent’s north, followed a route around the East Coast, and would eventually return to the Main Continent.
• Richard noticed two armored men on the deck, and Sherlock explained that they were Three-rune Magic-armored Knights equipped with spell tools that enhanced their defense, speed, and strength.

Sherlock explained the ranks, battlefield role, and drawbacks of Magic-armored Knights to Richard, who found the force intriguing. Sherlock then told Richard that their ship would depart that afternoon, though bringing his cherished goods aboard would cost a great deal.

• Sherlock explained that Magic-armored Knights ranged from Three-rune Knights to Nine-rune Saints and could threaten Wizards in battle.
• Sherlock described their high casualties, physical strain, need for Wizard support, and the importance of Magic Rune Masters.
• Richard compared Magic-armored Knights to tanks and considered the Main Continent fascinating.
• Sherlock told Richard that the ship would depart in the afternoon and that tickets cost at least three High-grade Crystal Coins per person.
• Richard suggested Sherlock discard his excess goods and buy replacements, but Sherlock insisted that their sentimental value made them impossible to abandon.

Richard sailed aboard the Victoria Queen from the East Coast into the Main Continent waters, where he discovered a sharp increase in Wandering Energy Elements. While exploring in his consciousness-body state, he encountered a small blue creature he identified as a fairy.

• Richard boarded the Victoria Queen, learned that the ship was captained by the powerful Victoria Eliza, and settled into his cabin.
• The Victoria Queen sailed south, stopped at a port on the East Coast, and continued into the Main Continent waters.
• More than a month after leaving Ya Lin Port, Richard struggled to sleep and entered a meditative consciousness-body state.
• Richard discovered that Wandering Energy Elements were far denser beyond a distinct boundary in the sea, and connected their abundance to the Main Continent's richer resources.
• Richard chased a small blue, hamster-like creature across the deck and recognized it as a fairy.

Richard’s consciousness body pursued the Blue Fairy through the ship and discovered its connection to Sherlock. After the Blue Fairy merged into Sherlock and vanished, Richard returned to his cabin, leaving Sherlock awake and silently threatening to cook it.

• Richard saw the Blue Fairy notice his consciousness body, chased it across the deck, and watched it pass through the floor into the cabin below.
• Richard followed the Blue Fairy through the cabins as it fled from him and disturbed the sleeping passengers.
• The Blue Fairy merged into Sherlock, who woke up cursing it and revealed a burning scar on his wrist.
• Richard inferred that the Blue Fairy was tied to Sherlock’s childhood ritual and decided not to interfere, then returned to his own cabin.
• Sherlock soothed the waking maid Lucia and resumed silently threatening to cook the Blue Fairy.

Richard met a destitute Novelist on the ship’s deck, heard how he had fled his family to pursue writing and exploration, and offered him a gold coin to keep him alive. After Richard took the coin back and started to leave, the Novelist called after him.

• Unable to sleep, Richard went onto the deck and encountered a poorly dressed man watching the sea.
• The Novelist told Richard he had run away from his noble family to explore the world and write stories, but his novels had failed and he had spent all his money on passage to the Main Continent.
• The Novelist admitted he had gone without food since leaving Rockdan Port and prepared to jump into the sea.
• Richard dropped a gold coin at the Novelist’s feet and said it could keep him from starving before they reached the Main Continent.
• The Novelist refused the coin on principle, but Richard took it back and began to leave.
• Seeing Richard walk away, the Novelist regretted refusing the help and called for him to wait.

Novelist borrowed a gold coin from Richard and left his book of novels as collateral, while the Victoria Queen’s voyage was delayed by damage before two pirate ships caught up and began boarding.

• Novelist pawned his book of novels to Richard for one gold coin and rushed to find food.
• Richard stored the book in his Space Iron Ring and rested after adapting to the Main Continent’s Wandering Energy Elements.
• The Victoria Queen’s mast snapped and its hull struck an uncharted reef, extending the voyage by two days.
• Richard spotted two pirate ships pursuing the Victoria Queen, and Victoria Eliza ordered the crew to wait until they caught up.
• The faster pirate ship drew alongside the Victoria Queen, and its pirates threw grappling hooks onto the deck.

Brown-haired Moke led pirates in boarding the Victoria Queen, but Victoria’s Magic-armored Knights slaughtered them without suffering casualties. As the surviving pirates tried to flee, Five-rune Elite Magic-armored Knights leaped toward a second ship and landed on hardened water, leaving the pirates stunned.

• Brown-haired Moke led pirates aboard the Victoria Queen and demanded its valuables, but a Fine Steel Javelin pierced him.
• The Magic-armored Knights killed the boarding pirates with javelins, greatswords, and rapiers without taking casualties.
• The Knights leaped onto the first pirate ship and massacred the pirates who had stayed aboard.
• A second pirate ship retreated, but Five-rune Elite Magic-armored Knights ran from the Victoria Queen and leaped toward it.
• The Elite Knights touched the sea without sinking because the water hardened beneath their feet.

The Five-rune Elite Magic-armored Knights destroyed the pirate ships, and Richard watched their strength with growing interest. A huge fish then appeared beside the Victoria Queen, leaving Richard and Victoria Eliza facing a new threat at sea.

• The Five-rune Elite Magic-armored Knights boarded the second pirate ship, killed the pirates, and sank both pirate ships.
• Richard reflected on the Magic-armored Knights’ strength while sailors cleared the deck and threw pirate corpses into the sea.
• The Black-haired Sailor noticed that one corpse had disappeared, then saw an enormous fish leap up and swallow another corpse.
• The Black-haired Sailor warned the crew about a Sea Monster, and Victoria Eliza ordered the Magic-armored Knights to the port side.
• A massive, log-shaped fish emerged from the water beside the Victoria Queen as Richard watched.

Richard and Victoria Eliza’s crew fought a pod of Giant Sperm Whales attacking the Victoria Queen. Magic Rune Javelins killed two whales and drove off the others, leaving the ship victorious but the survivors still at large.

• A Giant Sperm Whale drenched the deck with a powerful spray, and Victoria Eliza ordered the Magic-armored Knights to attack it with Fine Steel Javelins.
• The wounded whale returned with five or six companions, and the pod rammed the Victoria Queen and fired jets of water at the crew.
• Victoria Eliza ordered the Magic-armored Knights to use their Magic Rune Javelins against the submerged whales.
• The Magic Rune Javelins pierced the whales underwater and exploded, killing two of them.
• The surviving Giant Sperm Whales fled into the distance.

Richard watched the Victoria Queen fend off giant Sea Snakes as Captain Victoria Eliza explained that the ship had been targeted by a conspiracy. Victoria then spotted a fleet approaching, suggesting the people behind the attacks had finally arrived.

• Several giant Sea Snakes attacked the Victoria Queen and swallowed sailors.
• Captain Victoria Eliza ordered the Magic-armored Knights to kill the Sea Snakes with Magic Rune Javelins, but one knight died and another was badly injured.
• A Five-rune Elite Magic-armored Knight asked why Victoria had not fought, and she explained that she was preserving her strength for a likely greater threat.
• Victoria said the damaged mast, grounding, pirates, Overturning Boat Fish, and Sea Snakes were probably part of a plot to delay and intercept the Victoria Queen.
• Victoria spotted a vast fleet on the distant sea, and Richard also looked toward the approaching ships.

The Blood Sail Pirate Group and two other powerful forces surrounded the Victoria Queen and demanded a treasure aboard, threatening Captain Victoria when she refused. Just as Victoria prepared to face their three mid-stage Level 3 Wizards, a sudden storm plunged the sea into darkness.

• Alafah and the Blood Sail Pirate Group blocked the Victoria Queen and demanded to borrow its treasure.
• Xiaman's two black warships and Taktah's five white ships arrived, joining Alafah in surrounding the passenger ship and demanding the same item.
• Victoria warned the three leaders that they would make enemies of the Blue Oriole Alliance, but they insisted they would take the treasure if she refused.
• Alafah, Xiaman, and Taktah revealed their mid-stage Level 3 Wizard auras, while Victoria unleashed her peak Level 3 aura to confront them.
• Thunder, lightning, violent winds, and dark clouds suddenly transformed the clear day into a stormy night.

Xize arrived on a giant turtle and demanded the valuable item hidden aboard the Victoria Queen, claiming its owner had stolen it. Victoria refused to let him search the ship and agreed to his challenge to withstand three exchanges, but she attacked before he was ready.

• A giant turtle surfaced near the Victoria Queen with Xize standing on its back, and his aura alarmed Alafah, Xiaman, Taktah, and Victoria.
• Xize told Victoria that he and the other men had come for an item carried by one of her passengers and asked to search the ship.
• Victoria refused, insisting she would protect the passenger until the Victoria Queen reached its destination.
• Xize proposed a match: if Victoria endured three exchanges, he would withdraw; if she lost, she would let him search the ship.
• Victoria accepted, then attacked before Xize finished saying they could begin.

Victoria fought Xize through three rounds and won his promise not to interfere in the matter aboard the Victoria Queen. Xize then forced Alafah and the other factions to abandon their attempt to seize the item, leaving the sea clear.

• Victoria endured Xize's Golden Arrow attack and struck him, completing all three rounds of their contest.
• Xize admitted defeat and promised Victoria he would no longer interfere in the matter.
• When Alafah asked whether his faction could attack the Victoria Queen, Xize warned that the matter was over and threatened him with a storm.
• Alafah ordered his fleet to retreat, and the other two factions followed, leaving the sea empty.

Xize protected the Victoria Queen until the ship neared the Main Continent, while Richard learned that the coveted treasure aboard was a book. In his cabin, Richard discovered that the book left as collateral by the down-and-out Novelist revealed hidden writing when exposed to his energy, then saw the Novelist waiting outside his door.

• Xize gave Victoria a healing potion, chatted with Sherlock, and stayed aboard the Victoria Queen to protect it until the final day of the voyage.
• After Xize departed, Sherlock told Richard that the ship's hidden treasure was a book containing forbidden content, and Richard realized it might be the book he held as collateral.
• That night, Richard infused the book with energy, causing its messy handwriting to vanish and new, orderly text to appear.
• The down-and-out Novelist knocked at Richard's door, and Richard used Gaze of the Eye to identify him before preparing to answer.

Richard confronted the Novelist when he came to reclaim his book, revealing that he knew the Novelist had a hidden identity and planned to kill him. The Novelist admitted his scheme and began explaining why he had entrusted Richard with the book.

• The Novelist returned Richard's gold coin and asked for his book, and Richard agreed to return it.
• Richard stopped the Novelist from taking the book and accused him of planning to kill him, citing the ill will he sensed and the Novelist's clothes, which he had seen on two pickpockets in Ya Lin Port.
• The Novelist confessed that he had boarded the ship under a hidden identity with a precious treasure, and admitted he intended to kill Richard to keep the book's existence secret.
• Richard asked why the Novelist had given him the book, and the Novelist explained that Richard was a safer custodian because powerful people were searching for it and could expose the Novelist's identity.

Richard defeated Novelist, then examined the stolen book and reflected on the cost of using the Gloves of Extinction. At dawn, he spotted the Main Continent on the horizon.

• Richard offered to let Novelist leave with the book, but Novelist refused and threatened to kill him.
• Richard used the Gloves of Extinction to overwhelm Novelist, whose black mist dissipated before he fell dead.
• Richard suffered severe pain from exhausting his power, recovered with the Energy Storage Short Staff, and collected Novelist’s corpse and the aura-isolating White Jade Slabs.
• Richard studied Novelist’s book and concluded that using the Gloves of Extinction without the Black Spirit King Mask was extremely costly.
• At dawn, Richard saw the Main Continent appear on the horizon.

Three women entered Toke City, where Hai Di gave a silver coin to the battered beggar Jia Lie. Jia Lie refused to surrender it to the Iron Blood Society, was beaten again, and wondered whether he was destined to fail.

• Nellide and Hai Di noticed a severely injured beggar as they walked through Toke City with their teacher.
• Hai Di asked her teacher for a silver coin and gave it to the beggar, Jia Lie.
• Jia Lie felt hopeful that the coin might help him turn his fortunes around.
• The Iron Blood Society's leader confronted Jia Lie and demanded half of the coin as payment for begging in their territory.
• Jia Lie refused, so the pickpockets beat him and took the coin.
• Jia Lie crawled up afterward and despairingly questioned whether he could accomplish anything.

Circe returned to the Main Continent with Nellide and Hai Di and arranged to travel north after learning that bandits had made the west dangerous. Meanwhile, Jia Lie left Toke City, and Nancy and Gelo arrived there, where Nancy caught a purse thief claiming to be Lord Jia Lie.

• Circe reunited with Yi Li Fu, who offered to arrange her journey north and invited her and her students to stay for a few days.
• Circe agreed to meet some old friends while Yi Li Fu prepared the travel arrangements.
• Jia Lie limped out of Toke City, reflecting on his terrible luck and the misery he had endured.
• As the Mans Four-Color Flowers bloomed red, Nancy and Gelo arrived in Toke City by carriage.
• Nancy caught a battered man trying to steal her purse, and he warned her to release Lord Jia Lie.

Nancy beat Jia Lie after he challenged her, then continued on with Gelo. A merchant caravan leader asked them to escort his goods to a western city, and Nancy stopped him as he prepared to leave.

• Nancy released Jia Lie and defeated him in a fight, leaving him bruised and unable to stand until he eventually staggered away.
• Nancy told Gelo she had held back to avoid causing trouble, while Gelo privately thought she had been far too vicious.
• A middle-aged merchant caravan leader called out to Nancy and Gelo, prompting Nancy to ready her Short Staff and question him cautiously.
• The caravan leader explained that the road west was unsafe and asked Nancy and Gelo to escort his goods to a western city.
• Nancy told the leader to wait, and he turned back, surprised and uncertain that she might accept.

Nancy and Gelo agreed to escort a merchant caravan carrying the Kana Family’s returned dowry to Loringdan, where they also planned to deliver Macbeth’s deceased apprentice’s pendant. The caravan’s destination connected to Sherlock Melros, who appeared at the end as the cause of the broken engagement and faced a robbery attempt led by Jia Lie.

• Nancy questioned a merchant about his cargo and learned it was the Kana Family’s dowry, being returned after the Melrose Family broke off their planned marriage alliance.
• The merchant said the caravan was taking the dowry to Loringdan in the Teda Kingdom, the same city named on Macbeth’s note for his apprentice’s family.
• Nancy and Gelo agreed to accompany the caravan for twelve and a half High-grade Crystal Coins, with Nancy negotiating the fee and Gelo feeling undervalued.
• The merchant said he had heard that a direct-line descendant named Sherlock Melros had recently returned and was connected to the broken engagement.
• Sherlock organized a large convoy to transport goods inland, but Jia Lie and forty-seven men ambushed it and demanded the goods, declaring that he would not fail a second time.