Chapter Summaries

Richard considered how Magic Rune Masters were becoming increasingly important on the Main Continent as Magic-armored Knights spread, then followed Peggy as she assigned the apprentices to work. He and Brando were sent to serve Annie, the Pombo Family’s exceptionally talented young heir, and were told to wait quietly until she woke.

• Richard concluded that the Pombo Family had spared the short Wizard Apprentice because it needed potential Magic Rune Masters, whose importance on the Main Continent was growing.
• Peggy split the apprentices among several work assignments, leaving Richard, Brando, Fording, and a blue-clothed male apprentice with her.
• Peggy left Fording and the blue-clothed apprentice at the final location and instructed Richard and Brando to wait at a pavilion.
• A burly Male Wizard led Richard and Brando to a courtyard and told them to stay by Miss Annie’s side after she woke.
• Brando recognized Annie as the Pombo Family’s exceptionally talented prospective heir, and the burly Wizard warned him not to disturb her while she slept.

Brando and Richard waited to meet Annie Pombo, but Brando repeatedly mistook her maids for her and introduced himself to each one. When Annie finally appeared, Brando learned he had mistaken her for a maid and made a disastrous first impression.

• A burly wizard warned Brando to avoid angering Annie and satisfy her requests if he wanted to keep his position.
• While waiting with Richard, Brando boasted that he could easily win Annie over with his strength and elegance.
• Brando mistook Annie’s second-class maid, First-Class Maid, and Personal Maid for Annie and introduced himself to each.
• Brando asked the exhausted-looking girl in gray if she was one of Annie’s maids, and she revealed that she was Annie Pombo herself.
• Annie said she was unhappy to see Brando after he awkwardly introduced himself as her new guard.

Annie Pombo met with Claire of the Snow Family, who asked her to lower his family’s tax rate. Annie refused, citing the Snow Family’s wealth and insisting that its tax would rise to forty percent next year.

• Annie ate gingerbread in a restaurant while Richard stood nearby and Brando worried about restoring his image with her.
• Claire entered and called himself Annie’s friend, while Brando challenged him before stepping aside at Annie’s signal.
• Claire asked Annie to reduce the Snow Family’s tax from thirty percent to twenty percent because of poor profits and recent misfortunes.
• Annie said the Dumen Family had earned its twenty-percent rate by agreeing to a three-year term and transferring twelve iron mines.
• Annie rejected Claire’s offer to transfer two iron mines, pointed out the Snow Family’s other assets, and said its tax would rise to forty percent next year.
• Claire protested that Annie was treating him unfairly despite their friendship.

Annie rejected Claire’s attempt to befriend her and reflected on why the Pombo Family relied on fear to survive. That night, she brought Richard and Brando to a secluded manor, then entered alone after an explosion sounded nearby.

• Annie told Claire that the Pombo Family had no friends, only enemies and potential enemies, and Claire hurried away.
• Annie explained that the family had to act harshly to avoid being overpowered, and Richard said the strong devoured the weak.
• Annie ordered Brando to get another meal, then packed the fresh dishes into a food box instead of eating them.
• Annie, Brando, and Richard traveled by carriage to a large, dilapidated manor outside Saint Louis City.
• An explosion flashed nearby, and Annie said it came from the Pombo Family’s Magic-armored Knight Camp training beside the manor.
• Annie told Brando and Richard to stay with the carriage, then entered the manor alone.

Richard suspected that Annie had delivered food and received a scroll from Arun Pombo, a powerful family elder who might know where the Book of the Void was kept. After returning to the Pombo Family grounds, Richard settled into his room and sent his consciousness out to investigate the clue.

• Annie refused to tell Brando what she had done at the manor, and Richard inferred that she had delivered food to someone and returned with a likely scroll.
• Richard suspected that the recipient was Arun Pombo and that he might possess the Book of the Void or know where it was kept.
• Annie told Richard and Brando to rest near her courtyard while she attended a family banquet, then left with the food box.
• Richard and Brando found their rooms, and Richard shut himself away rather than chat with Brando.
• With one of his three days already gone, Richard cast warning spells and entered deep meditation, sending his consciousness out of his body.

Richard secretly explored Arun Pombo’s manor and found an underground hall where Arun was studying and writing. As Richard continued searching for the Book of the Void, Feiqi arrived, and Arun asked what he thought about Annie urging him to return to the family grounds.

• Richard flew to the manor outside Saint Louis City and searched beneath its stone buildings for a hidden passage.
• Richard passed through a massive black metal door and found Arun Pombo writing in an underground hall filled with books and scrolls.
• Richard searched the shelves for the Book of the Void but found nothing after more than half an hour.
• Feiqi opened the metal door after it verified his blood and entered carrying a basket to collect Arun’s dishes.
• Arun asked Feiqi whether Annie had left, and Feiqi said she had urged him to return to the family grounds to retire.
• Arun asked Feiqi what he thought about Annie’s suggestion.

Arun Pombo discussed the Pombo Family’s vulnerability and Saint Louis City’s unrest with Feiqi, while Richard secretly tried to investigate the Book of the Void. Arun Pombo sensed Richard’s presence, forcing him to flee back to his body, and was left unsure whether an intruder had truly appeared.

• Feiqi told Arun Pombo that the Snow Family and other forces might oppose the Pombo Family, and Arun worried that its younger generation was not strong enough to secure its rule.
• Arun Pombo asked Feiqi to bring books from the Red Bookshelf, and Richard spotted the Book of the Void among them.
• After Arun Pombo returned the books to the shelf, Richard approached the Book of the Void and touched it, triggering a faint electric arc.
• Arun Pombo sensed Richard nearby and attacked with a destructive sphere of lightning, but Richard escaped through the connection to his physical body.
• Arun Pombo lost track of the unfamiliar aura and then collapsed to one knee coughing, unsure whether he had imagined the intruder.

Richard considered how to obtain the Book of the Void from the Pombo Family, then found the family residence under unusual security. After leaving to investigate, he remained convinced that a major event had occurred beyond his knowledge.

• Richard weighed stealing the Book of the Void, bargaining with the Pombo Family, or taking it by force, but saw serious risks in each approach.
• A squad of Red-armored Soldiers deployed throughout the Pombo Family Residence and warned Richard not to ask about their actions.
• Richard noticed the residence had grown unusually silent and heavily guarded, and suspected either his exploration of the estate or turmoil in Saint Louis City had triggered the alert.
• At the gate, a Red-armored Soldier captain verified Richard's identity as Miss Annie's attendant and allowed him to leave, while advising him to return soon.
• Richard walked away from the residence still uncertain what had happened and convinced that something major had changed.

Richard learned that Fording had assassinated Donas Pombo, leaving the Pombo Family’s leader gravely injured and Saint Louis City on the verge of upheaval. After gathering Gao Wen’s plans and returning to the Pombo Family Residence, Richard saw security tighten and a squad of armored guards enter Annie’s courtyard.

• The gaunt old man told Richard that Fording had attacked Donas Pombo and been killed by the Pombo Family’s guards, while Donas’s condition remained secret.
• Richard learned that Gao Wen supported joining other factions against the Pombo Family and considered how the resulting chaos might help him obtain the Book of the Void.
• The gaunt old man explained that Gao Wen’s allies planned to confirm Donas’s condition before deciding whether to act, and Richard memorized their plans.
• Richard returned to the Pombo Family Residence, passed a stricter inspection, and saw its guards increase as the atmosphere grew more oppressive.
• Richard heard heavy footsteps and saw a squad of guards in black iron armor enter the courtyard where Annie lived.

Annie and her guards prepared for an unexplained threat at the Pombo Family Residence, while Richard and Brando were kept in the dark. The chapter ended after an explosion sounded outside and Xide ordered the soldiers to prepare for battle.

• Black-armored Soldiers summoned Annie, who told Richard and Brando that something had happened at home and left to discuss it.
• Annie returned with a large force of soldiers and Magic-armored Knights, and Xide took command of her security.
• Annie ordered Richard and Brando to follow Xide's orders and told them to wait until after that night for answers.
• The Pombo Family Residence filled with armed guards as Annie, Richard, Brando, and Xide waited in her room.
• A distant explosion sounded, and Xide ordered the soldiers to stay alert and prepare for battle.

Gao Wen arrived at the courtyard to evacuate Miss Annie, but revealed himself as a traitor to the Pombo Family and attacked Xide. He explained that the Pombo Family had destroyed his village and killed his family, leaving Xide and the others stunned.

• Xide sent one Black Armor Soldier and then three Blue Armor Soldiers to investigate an approaching sound, but none returned.
• Gao Wen arrived with battered Magic-armored Knights and told Xide that the southern defense had fallen, traitors were among them, and he had come to escort Miss Annie outside the city.
• Gao Wen suddenly attacked Xide with a Short Blade, but Xide blocked the strike with his dagger.
• Gao Wen admitted that he had betrayed the Pombo Family because he believed its rule brought suffering and should end.
• Gao Wen told Xide that the Pombo Family had massacred his mountain village and that he had been the seven-year-old survivor from the story Xide had heard.

Gao Wen revealed his role in the attack on the Pombo Family, but Xide refused to surrender and led Annie and the survivors in a costly breakout. The group headed for Manor Number Six in search of help, while Xide ordered Richard and Brando to stay behind.

• Gao Wen confessed that he had arranged attacks against the Pombo Family and urged Xide to stand down, but Xide charged him and called for everyone to break out.
• Xide's fighters clashed with Gao Wen's forces, and Xide killed the disguised Wizard Tuo Lu Ke with a thrown runic dagger.
• Richard fought discreetly during the battle, and Xide's group escaped the encirclement after more than half their number were lost.
• Xide told Annie that Blackstone Camp was likely controlled by Gao Wen, so Annie directed the survivors to seek help at Manor Number Six.
• Richard realized Annie meant to find Arun Pombo and the Book of the Void, but Xide ordered Richard and Brando to stay behind.

Xide suspected Brando of being a spy and ordered him and Richard to stay behind with the wounded, disrupting Richard’s plan to follow the group. When Brando ran after Xide to prove his innocence, Xide threw a broken sword into him.

• Brando challenged Xide’s order to stay behind, and Xide accused him of being a spy based on his behavior and lack of injuries.
• Xide explained that he was leaving Richard with Brando to guard against him, then led Miss Annie and the able-bodied group away to seek reinforcements.
• Richard considered going directly to Manor Number Six and finding a way into its underground chamber to meet Arun Pombo.
• Brando decided he could prove his innocence and ran after Xide’s departing group.
• Xide stopped and hurled a broken magic-patterned longsword into Brando, leaving him staring at Xide in disbelief.

Richard revealed to Xide that he was the one who had infiltrated the Pombo Family and asked to take Annie away, prompting Xide to attack him. Richard stopped Xide’s javelin with a Blazing Gold Holy Shield, leaving their confrontation unresolved.

• Xide stabbed Brando in the shoulder to stop him from following, despite Brando insisting he had evidence of his innocence.
• Richard froze Brando’s wound, then told him that Brando was innocent but he was not.
• Richard confessed to Xide that he had infiltrated the Pombo Family and wanted Annie to come with him.
• Xide defended Annie and hurled a blood-lit javelin at Richard.
• Richard raised a Blazing Gold Holy Shield to block the javelin.

Richard revealed his strength to Xide and tried to take Annie, but Xide and his troops refused to cooperate and attacked him. Richard unleashed a blinding light that left them dazed, then disappeared with Annie.

• Richard stopped Xide’s javelin with his shield and confirmed that he was a high-level Wizard.
• Xide refused to hand over Annie and charged Richard, who caught his attacks and hurled him into a tree.
• Annie attacked Richard with a fireball, but he extinguished it and disrupted her next spell.
• Xide ordered his soldiers and Magic-armored Knights to attack Richard as he prepared to risk his life.
• Richard released a brilliant white light that immobilized the group, then vanished with Annie.

After Xide failed to stop Richard from taking Annie, he vowed to find and kill the Spy Wizard and rescue her. Richard brought Annie to Manor Number Six and exposed her claims that she knew nothing about the hidden figure living there.

• Brando left the forest, and Xide collapsed from the damage caused by repeatedly using his life force to activate magical runes.
• Xide blamed the Spy Wizard and vowed to find him, rescue Miss Annie, and kill him.
• Richard revealed that he had taken Annie to Manor Number Six, where he intended to meet the important figure living in seclusion.
• Annie insisted that the manor was abandoned and that she knew nothing, but Richard led her to a Stone Tower and uncovered a secret passage beneath it.
• Richard identified the Old Servant as Feiqi, who cared for the hidden figure, and invited him to follow them down the passage.

Richard entered Arun Pombo’s hidden chamber and explained that he wanted the Book of the Void, offering compensation in exchange. After learning that Richard had secretly entered the chamber the previous day, Arun asked why he had waited until the Pombo Family was in crisis to negotiate with him.

• Richard had Annie open the secret chamber’s Magic Rune Metal Gate, then entered with Annie and Feiqi following.
• Richard told Arun Pombo that the Pombo Family faced destruction, and Annie confirmed that Donas had been assassinated and Gao Wen had joined the attackers.
• Richard admitted that he had disguised himself and infiltrated the estate to find the Book of the Void, which Arun had hidden in his sleeve.
• Richard offered to trade gold, crystal coins, artifacts, or another Wizard Book for the Book of the Void.
• Arun agreed that Richard’s proposed terms were fair but asked why he had not negotiated earlier with the family’s head.

Richard explained that he wanted Arun Pombo’s trust so he could complete a confidential deal quickly, but Arun accused him of working with the factions attacking the Pombo Family and attacked. Richard fought back, and Arun’s strange spells and weapons revealed formidable defenses and power before Richard launched another deadly attack.

• Richard told Arun Pombo that he had staged events to earn Arun’s trust and asked whether Arun trusted him.
• Arun refused to trust Richard, accused him of spying for the Pombo Family’s enemies, and attacked him with black vapor.
• Richard’s Achilles Armor blocked the black strands, and he counterattacked with the One-Hit Kill Staff, blasting a hole through Arun’s chest.
• Arun spoke the spell “Da Ran,” turned transparent, and reappeared with his wound and clothes restored.
• Arun fired a green beam from a crystal in his hand, badly cracking Richard’s Amesley’s Shield.
• Richard activated the Gloves of Extinction and fired Death Finger at Arun.

Richard fought Arun Pombo over access to the Book of the Void, but Arun's attempt to unleash his full power suddenly failed. Richard offered him another chance to negotiate, while warning that he would use other methods if necessary.

• Richard's Death Finger pierced Arun Pombo, who vanished and then reappeared unharmed.
• Arun Pombo claimed he could nullify Richard's attacks and began summoning a powerful Lightning Spear.
• Arun Pombo collapsed before he could attack, reverting to his frail, dying appearance.
• Miss Annie and Feiqi helped Arun Pombo recover, and Arun asked Richard why he had not attacked.
• Richard explained that he wanted the Book of the Void and had spared Arun to leave room for negotiation, but warned he could threaten Annie if forced.
• Arun Pombo stepped in front of Annie after Richard's threatening glance made her sense mortal danger.

Richard and Arun Pombo discussed a deal for the Book of the Void, and Arun asked Richard to escort Annie to safety while he confronted the Pombo Family’s enemies. Arun explained why he believed the family had to abandon Saint Louis City, while Annie proposed rebuilding its power around Magic-armored Knights.

• Arun Pombo apologized to Richard and explained that his ability to evade attacks came from his long study of the Book of the Void, which had also left him chronically afflicted.
• Arun offered Richard his research notebook along with access to the book’s contents in exchange for safely taking Annie out of Saint Louis City.
• Arun revealed that he planned to make the Pombo Family’s enemies pay, but believed the family could no longer hold the city and needed to preserve Annie as its future hope.
• Annie urged Arun to let her stay and fight, but he explained that the family’s power depended on its blood-bound Wizards and would collapse after losing them.
• Annie proposed rebuilding the Pombo Family’s strength by controlling Magic-armored Knights instead of relying on Wizards.