Chapter Summaries

Richard consigned an unusual gray powder at a shop to draw a knowledgeable buyer to him without raising suspicions. Wizard Xiaman examined the material and recognized its cold, sinister energy, but its purpose remained unknown.

• Richard and Bobobo Wei Qi visited a shop and left the gray powder on consignment with instructions to record the buyer's information.
• Ha Si took the consigned powder to Xiaman and explained what Richard had asked the shop to do.
• Xiaman examined the powder and sensed that it was an extraordinary Spellcasting Material with cold, sinister energy.

Xiaman abandoned his plans to meet Caroline and appraised the black powder Ha Si had brought, discovering that it was spellcasting material for Undead Spells. Suspecting a connection to rumors involving Galan City, he decided to meet the consignors and ordered Ha Si to contact them.

• Xiaman chose to stay and study the materials instead of visiting Caroline, then entered his private laboratory with Ha Si.
• Xiaman had Ha Si prepare the appraisal tools and tested portions of the black powder through a series of reactions.
• Xiaman added a drop of golden liquid to the final sample, observed it turn dark red, and consulted his notes identifying the powder as material for Undead Spells.
• Xiaman learned that the consignors said the goods came from a small city to the south and suspected they might be connected to Galan City.
• Xiaman told Ha Si to contact the consignors so he could arrange a meeting with them.

Xiaman met Richard and Bobobo Wei Qi to discuss their rare Undead Spellcasting Materials, and Richard showed him a higher-grade sample in exchange for his help finding buyers. After the meeting, Xiaman prepared to pursue the deal, while Shaer secretly pocketed one gold coin from the money he was told to deliver to Caroline.

• Xiaman asked Richard why he and Bobobo Wei Qi had consigned rare Undead Spellcasting Materials, and Richard said they had found them in a cave near Galan City.
• Richard explained that they had only consigned a low-grade material so far and showed Xiaman a mid-grade sample of black crystalline powder.
• Xiaman accepted Richard's payment and promised to find buyers within three days, then escorted Richard and Bobobo Wei Qi from his residence.
• Xiaman gave Shaer a pouch of gold and silver coins to deliver to Caroline and told her to wait for his visit.
• Shaer slipped one gold coin from the pouch into his pocket before continuing on his way.

Xiaman discovered that the spellcasting material Richard had provided was beyond his appraisal skill and brought it to Yuesefu, who identified it as Devil Horn Powder. Yuesefu suspected the material was connected to the escaped Undead Wizard from Galan City and decided to meet the two Wizards who had brought it in.

• Xiaman found that his tests produced results that made no sense for ordinary reef, and concluded the material exceeded his appraisal ability.
• Xiaman took the samples to Yuesefu, who identified the material as Devil Horn Powder and explained its special effects for Wizards proficient in Undead Spells.
• Yuesefu connected the material’s Galan City origin to the escaped Undead Wizard and the deaths of the organization’s agents.
• Xiaman recounted how the two Wizards had obtained and consigned the materials, and Yuesefu suspected the Undead Wizard had been aided by a teacher or relative.
• Yuesefu decided to meet the two Wizards as soon as possible, and Xiaman offered to arrange it.

Yuesefu discussed Richard and Bobobo Wei’s concealed strength and the possibility of inviting them into the organization to learn about the materials and the mysterious person connected to the Undead Wizard. He began appraising the black-and-white powder they had given him, but its black component remained stubbornly undissolved as he heated it.

• Yuesefu told Xiaman that his meeting with Richard and Bobobo Wei had gone better than expected and that both Wizards seemed unusually capable.
• Yuesefu said he was considering inviting the pair into the organization, though the decision required approval and their claims needed verification.
• Yuesefu explained that Richard and Bobobo Wei had given him a material they claimed was better than Devil Horn Powder, raising concerns about the mysterious person who helped the Undead Wizard escape Galan City.
• Yuesefu opened the crystal box and tested the black-and-white powder in water, observing that the white part dissolved quickly while the black part did not.
• Yuesefu heated the glass bottle after concluding that the black powder was dissolving too slowly to observe.

Yuesefu failed to identify the unfamiliar black powder despite extensive tests and concluded it was a powerful spellcasting material from Galan City. He decided to report his findings and invite the two Wizards from Galan City into the organization, while Xiaman left focused on claiming his reward.

• Yuesefu heated the black powder until the bottle exploded, but Xiaman warned him in time to contain the dangerous fragments and boiling contents.
• Yuesefu praised Xiaman’s experience and told him to assist with the investigation and point out anything suspicious.
• After several hours of testing, Yuesefu admitted that the powder had simple but unknown properties that exceeded his appraisal abilities.
• Yuesefu concluded the powder was more advanced than Devil Horn Powder and said the organization should invite the two Wizards from Galan City.
• Xiaman asked whether he would receive a reward for first contacting them, and Yuesefu assured him the organization would pay him.
• Yuesefu left to report the discovery to Canon Supervisor, while Xiaman returned home and Yuesefu hoped the Galan City Wizards would be less self-serving.

Yuesefu met with Canon in an underground chamber, where Canon studied a map of the Main Continent. The chapter outlined the continent’s major powers and tensions, leaving a looming war between the Soma Alliance and the Sika Kingdom as the central threat.

• Yuesefu appeared in an underground chamber where Canon was examining a map of the Main Continent.
• The chapter described the Southern Free Federation and the Soma Alliance, whose rulers focused on holding together their recently conquered territories.
• The Soma Alliance maintained blockades around the Icy Sea Snowfield, Chaos Mountain Range, and Blackwater Swamp from its four capitals.
• The Soma Alliance fortified Gray Stone Fortress against the Sika Kingdom, whose rivalry with the Alliance made a great war seem inevitable.
• The chapter described the sparsely populated Northern Wastes as a barren region largely ignored by the rest of the continent.

Yuesefu persuaded Canon to consider admitting Richard and Bobobo Wei Qi into the Truth Society, while Richard explained how his unusual materials were intended to draw the organization in. The chapter ended with Bobobo Wei Qi sent out to order dinner as Richard prepared for their meeting and tests.

• Yuesefu recommended Richard and Bobobo Wei Qi to Canon, citing their abilities and the Truth Society’s need to expand in Galan City.
• Canon agreed to meet the two Wizards in three days and ordered Yuesefu to investigate their backgrounds and test their strength before placing them in the outer ranks.
• Richard watched Yuesefu return to town and told Bobobo Wei Qi that their plan to join the Truth Society was proceeding as expected.
• Richard explained that he had created a new substance that the Truth Society would struggle to understand, making it easier to draw them into inviting the pair.
• Bobobo Wei Qi asked whether he could help with anything, and Richard sent him to order dinner while warning him to have the food thoroughly cooked.

Oscar, a Black-Faced Old Man, sent Zong Hu to investigate Richard, whom Yuesefu intended to recommend to the Truth Society. When Oscar later appeared in Richard and Bobobo Wei Qi’s rented house to propose cooperation, Richard struck him and exposed him as an illusion, leaving behind a written note.

• Oscar watched Yuesefu leave Delan and ordered Zong Hu to investigate the person Yuesefu planned to recommend to the Truth Society.
• Zong Hu agreed to investigate Richard, while Oscar urged him to act discreetly and offered Xide’s help.
• Richard and Bobobo Wei Qi spent two days checking on their consigned goods as they waited to meet the Truth Society’s higher-ups.
• Richard and Bobobo Wei Qi returned to their rented house and found Oscar waiting in the living room.
• Oscar proposed cooperation but withheld its details, and Richard slapped him.
• Oscar vanished like smoke, leaving a sheet of paper with several lines of writing.

Richard and Bobobo Wei Qi followed a letter’s directions to Little Rosse Lake, a cemetery north of Delan City, to meet the people who had contacted them. They reached a Gravekeeper’s hut, where a voice welcomed them from inside.

• Richard found the letter and told Bobobo Wei Qi that it named Little Rosse Lake as their meeting place.
• Richard insisted they go because the sender knew something about them and their meeting could affect their joining the Truth Society.
• Bobobo Wei Qi gathered extra medicine and other supplies before accompanying Richard to Little Rosse Lake.
• At the dried lake, Richard examined a broken tombstone while Bobobo Wei Qi searched anxiously for their contact.
• Richard spotted a light and identified the nearby wooden building as a Gravekeeper’s hut, possibly where their contact waited.
• Richard opened the hut’s door, and a hoarse voice welcomed them.

Richard and Bobobo Wei Qi met Oscar, who asked them to inform on the Truth Society. Richard tested Oscar by suggesting that the pair might be bait, then claimed they were enemies of the Society; Oscar remained unsure whether to believe him.

• Richard and Bobobo Wei Qi entered Oscar’s cottage and waited while Oscar ate.
• Oscar said he wanted them to gather information about the Truth Society for him.
• Bobobo Wei Qi hesitated, and Richard asked Oscar to prove he was not a Society member.
• Richard suggested that the Truth Society might have sent them as bait to lure Oscar.
• Oscar realized Richard was testing him, and Richard claimed they both opposed the Society because it had harmed people close to them.
• Oscar asked Richard to confirm whether his story was true.

Richard confirmed that the Black-Faced Old Man was not deceiving him and negotiated terms for working together against the Truth Society. The old man agreed to provide false identities and future support, establishing a cooperative relationship with Richard and his companion.

• Richard used the Feather of Judgement’s reactions to confirm that the Black-Faced Old Man’s identity was genuine.
• Richard explained that he had tested the old man because he was the weaker party, and the old man accepted his caution.
• Richard asked for false identities, future resources and information, and help if the Truth Society retaliated.
• The Black-Faced Old Man agreed to all of Richard’s terms, describing future assistance as an exchange for intelligence.
• Richard and the Black-Faced Old Man agreed that their cooperation would continue on friendly terms.

Richard and the Black-Faced Old Man agreed to cooperate using Star-Pattern Paper to communicate while Richard infiltrated the Truth Society. After Richard left, the old man arranged to return north with his guard, planning a cautious detour past Pompey.

• The Black-Faced Old Man gave Richard Star-Pattern Paper and Starry Sky Ink, explaining that writing on either matching sheet would appear on the other.
• Richard warned that their messages might be intercepted and privately resolved to study the communication magic.
• The Black-Faced Old Man promised to arrange false identities for Richard and Bobobo Wei Qi so they could infiltrate the Truth Society and report back.
• After Richard and Bobobo Wei Qi departed, the Black-Faced Old Man told his guard that their talks had gone smoothly and that others would prepare the false identities.
• The Black-Faced Old Man persuaded his wary guard to accompany him on a detour past Pompey, the Truth Society's core in the Southern Free Federation.

Zong Hu reflected on the unreachable ranks above Level 4 Wizard while accompanying the black-faced old man from the Gravekeeper's hut. Hours later, a sleeping man woke outside and found his black bread gone but a silver coin left behind.

• Zong Hu considered how Level 4 Wizards could survive without food and how higher ranks were said to reshape their bodies and extend their lives.
• Zong Hu wondered whether Wizards above Level 4 existed, since none appeared on the Main Continent, and feared losing his goal if Level 4 was the limit.
• The black-faced old man finished his bread, left a silver coin beside the tableware, and told Zong Hu to go with him.
• Hours later, a scruffy man woke under a tree, mistook his sleepwalking for possession by an evil spirit, and returned to the Gravekeeper's hut.
• The man found his black bread missing and discovered a silver coin on the cabinet, which he guessed the evil spirit had left behind.

Richard and Bobobo Wei Qi received forged identities from Black-Faced Old Man Oscar, hidden inside a breakfast delivery, and memorized them before destroying the documents. Yuesefu then took them to meet the Truth Society’s leader and settle their entry into the organization.

• A deliveryman brought Bobobo Wei Qi a food box from Rusko Tavern, though neither he nor Richard had ordered breakfast.
• Richard discovered that the food box concealed documents and proof for false identities Oscar had prepared for him and Bobobo Wei Qi.
• Richard learned that his forged identity placed him in the Pro Society, while Bobobo Wei Qi’s placed him in No Man's Land, both in the northern Soma Alliance.
• Richard and Bobobo Wei Qi memorized their identities, burned the documents, and destroyed the ashes in nitric acid.
• Yuesefu arrived by carriage and took Richard and Bobobo Wei Qi toward West City to meet the Truth Society’s leader and discuss their joining the organization.

Richard and Bobobo Wei Qi met Canon, the Truth Society’s supervisor, who explained the organization’s purpose and required them to complete a mission before joining. Yuesefu took them northwest from Delan toward the mission site and began to explain the assignment on the way.

• Yuesefu brought Richard and Bobobo Wei Qi to a courtyard in West City, where Richard noticed that the Truth Society used properties belonging to ordinary members.
• Canon introduced the Truth Society as a vast organization devoted to discovering the world’s truth and preventing a catastrophe like the one that destroyed the Ancient Wizard Civilization.
• Canon said Richard and Bobobo Wei Qi had to prove their abilities by completing an internal mission, with Yuesefu accompanying them.
• Canon ended the meeting, and Bobobo Wei Qi joked with Yuesefu about Canon’s stern manner.
• Yuesefu led Richard and Bobobo Wei Qi out of Delan toward the mission site, promising to explain the assignment on the way.

Canon received word that Pompey had left Delan City and considered what action to take, while Yuesefu explained the danger level and objective of the Ancient Ruins mission to Richard and Bobobo Wei Qi. The carriage continued northwest toward the ruins.

• Canon returned to his office in the Underground Palace, where a magically altered white rabbit helped him relax before a report arrived.
• A blue-robed Wizard told Canon that someone from the northern Soma Alliance had left Delan and was heading northwest; Canon identified him as Pompey and said he would decide on a course of action.
• Yuesefu explained that the Ancient Ruins mission was rated Level 7, though the team would treat it as Level 8, and that they sought a box left by the Ancient Wizard Civilization.
• Bobobo Wei Qi asked how Yuesefu knew about the box, but Yuesefu said he would explain after Bobobo Wei Qi joined the Truth Society.
• Richard considered the information as the carriage carried him, Bobobo Wei Qi, and Yuesefu northwest.

Richard, Bobobo Wei Qi, and Yuesefu entered a dangerous underground ruin and encountered Demonized Lizards whose exploding tails released poisonous blood mist. After Richard and Yuesefu killed approaching lizards, Bobobo Wei Qi spotted another and prepared to claim the next kill.

• Yuesefu broke open the hidden entrance to the ruin and warned Richard and Bobobo Wei Qi about its explosive-tailed Demonized Lizards.
• A Demonized Lizard escaped from beneath Bobobo Wei Qi and exploded its tail, causing Bobobo Wei Qi to inhale poisonous mist and vomit.
• Richard killed three approaching Demonized Lizards with precise ice spikes.
• Yuesefu killed two more Demonized Lizards with flaming energy daggers, leaving Bobobo Wei Qi unable to demonstrate his strength.
• Bobobo Wei Qi spotted a Demonized Lizard near a distant rock and marked its location with a blue light, insisting that the others not steal his kill.

Bobobo Wei Qi killed four Demonized Lizards with Energy Arrows but missed a fifth, which fled and led nearly a hundred more back from their nest. Yuesefu cast Firestorm to strike down the pursuing horde.

• Bobobo Wei Qi fired four Energy Arrows and killed four Demonized Lizards hidden behind a rock.
• Yuesefu pointed out that Bobobo Wei Qi had missed the fifth lizard, which turned and fled into the darkness.
• Bobobo Wei Qi chased the lizard but soon raced back with nearly a hundred Demonized Lizards pursuing him.
• Yuesefu warned Bobobo Wei Qi to duck and cast the Firestorm spell at the horde.
• Firestorm burst into a rain of sparks that burned the Demonized Lizards to ash.

Bobobo Wei Qi drank numerous potions and cleared out more than a hundred Demonized Spiders, but an Evolved Spider overwhelmed him. He drank a powerful wild potion to face it, and the battle remained unresolved.

• After Yuesefu praised Bobobo Wei Qi for drawing the Demonized Lizards into the fire spell, Bobobo Wei Qi volunteered to scout ahead.
• Bobobo Wei Qi drank more than ten potions and fought through waves of Demonized Spiders until Richard and Yuesefu caught up with him.
• Bobobo Wei Qi defeated the last ordinary Demonized Spider with an Energy Missile, then a much stronger, pale-gold Evolved Spider emerged.
• Bobobo Wei Qi refused Yuesefu's offer of help, but the Evolved Spider's tough body and corrosive acid soon put him at a disadvantage.
• Bobobo Wei Qi drank a deep-green wild potion, unleashing a surge of magical power.