Chapter Summaries

Richard approved research on the captured High Spirit, insisting that the Ninth Research Project be completed despite Emerson’s objections. He agreed to visit Xia Ya within a month to discuss the Judgment Tribunal with the Alliance Emperor, then ordered Institute 362 to cooperate with rival Institute 361 on the Ninth Project.

• Richard told Emerson and the experimental team to study the High Spirit carefully, avoid provoking him, and complete the planned research, especially the Ninth Research Project.
• Molly told Richard that the Honorary Duke wanted him to travel to Xia Ya and explain the Judgment Tribunal to the Alliance Emperor; Richard agreed to go within a month.
• Richard reflected on returning to Xia Ya after more than three years and reclaiming what he had not obtained before.
• Richard ordered Emerson to hand the Ninth Research Project’s results to Institute 361 and cooperate with them, offering a funding wager between the rival institutes.
• Emerson proposed raising the wager to seventy-three point five percent of next quarter’s funding, and Richard agreed.

Nikola Tycho completed Institute 361’s star observations and received the results of the Ninth Research Project from Emerson. The two rivals agreed their wager had ended in a draw, but Emerson insisted Institute 361 would eventually become part of Institute 362.

• Tycho studied the night sky from Institute 361’s underground observatory and examined the resulting star chart.
• A Wizard Apprentice told Tycho that Emerson had been waiting to deliver materials from the Ninth Research Project.
• Tycho criticized Emerson’s attempt to claim most of the next quarter’s funding through their wager, then agreed to meet him.
• Emerson arrived angrily and said he had only come to inspect a future branch of Institute 362.
• Emerson gave Tycho a Crystal Ball containing information about dozens of ancient High Spirits in the void, then left.

Tycho combined the Star Chart and High Spirit Chart into a new device called the Star Spirit Mirror, which could precisely determine locations using the stars and ancient High Spirits. After explaining its purpose and importance to an apprentice, he prepared to contact the Ninth Institute so specialists could test it.

• Tycho merged the contents of Emerson’s crystal ball and the recorded Star Chart, then formed them into a diamond-shaped Star Spirit Mirror.
• Tycho explained to a Wizard Apprentice how the Star Spirit Mirror used stars and High Spirits to determine positions with great precision.
• Tycho described positioning as the second step and hinted that the device would enable an extremely important third step.
• Tycho told the apprentice to fetch a Communication Crystal Ball so he could contact the Ninth Institute about testing the Star Spirit Mirror.

At Black Sun Castle, the Ninth Institute prepared to test a Black Sun Weapon as the Star Spirit Mirror neared completion. The test succeeded, and Richard approached Xia Ya to meet the Alliance Emperor and seek more time for Shalin.

• John Fermi received word that the Star Spirit Mirror at Institute 361 was nearing completion and hurried to the Ninth Institute’s conference room.
• Arthur Osheimer told the Black Sun Members to prepare for Lord Richard’s task, and Bi Bi provided the final password needed to open the armory.
• Black Sun Members launched a Black Sun Weapon from beneath the wilderness, and it destroyed an uninhabited island in the Northern Wastes.
• Richard received confirmation that the first test succeeded as his carriage neared Xia Ya, where he planned to meet the Alliance Emperor before the one-month deadline.

Richard arrived in Xia Ya and prepared to meet the Alliance Emperor, then followed a supposed messenger of Dragon Tree to a courtyard, where a blood-red ray pierced his heart. The chapter ended with Richard motionless on the ground as the two robed figures wondered whether he was dead.

• Richard observed that Xia Ya had grown more neglected and impoverished since his previous visit, then settled into his old courtyard at the reception hall.
• Cyril Sack told Richard that the Alliance Emperor wanted to meet him within three days and warned him to remain at the reception hall because Rebel Party members might cause trouble.
• Richard said he was not afraid of the rebels, and Cyril Sack left after advising him to be careful.
• After nightfall, Richard left the reception hall and followed a gray-robed figure to a courtyard, where a green-robed person claimed to serve Dragon Tree and offered him a small box.
• The green-robed person shattered the box, and a blood-red ray pierced Richard's heart; the two robed figures then wondered whether he was dead.

Richard captured two Spider Web members who had betrayed the organization and learned from Dragon Tree and Zong Hu that the Truth Society had taken control of Xia Ya and most of the Spider Web. He left to meet the Alliance Emperor, while Dragon Tree and Zong Hu considered bringing their remaining loyal personnel to Shalin.

• Richard defeated the blue-robed man and watched as an unseen force hurled the fleeing gray-robed man back into the courtyard twice.
• Zong Hu and Dragon Tree arrived, and Zong Hu killed the mortally wounded gray-robed man when he tried to escape again.
• Dragon Tree admitted that the two men had been Spider Web members who betrayed them and revealed that more than half of the Spider Web branches were out of control.
• Dragon Tree explained that the Truth Society had infiltrated and possibly controlled Xia Ya and might have influenced the Alliance Emperor and his orders.
• Richard said he would accept an agreement with the Alliance Emperor if its terms were acceptable, then urged Dragon Tree and Zong Hu to consider moving to Shalin with their remaining personnel.
• After Richard left, Dragon Tree and Zong Hu decided to wait for the outcome of his meeting, and Zong Hu beheaded the captured gray-robed man.

Richard returned to the reception quarters and waited until Honorary Duke Cyril Sack escorted him to meet the new Alliance Emperor. He entered the palace and saw Bailun Romanov, whose unexpected rise to the throne had ended the struggle among the princes.

• Cyril Sack told Richard that the Emperor had scheduled their meeting for the morning after tomorrow, and Richard agreed to stay in the reception quarters until then.
• Richard joined Cyril Sack in a carriage and traveled to the Imperial Palace, where he observed the repairs and changes made during the years of conflict.
• Richard joked that he could reach the Emperor before Cyril Sack could keep up, then crossed the square with him and entered the palace.
• Richard saw Bailun Romanov on the throne as the Court Officials turned to watch him.
• Richard reflected on how the princes’ factions had defeated one another before the unremarkable Tenth Prince, Bailun Romanov, became Emperor.

Richard believed the Truth Society had helped the Tenth Prince seize the throne and had hoped to negotiate a temporary peace with its remaining members. At his meeting with Alliance Emperor Bailun Romanov, the emperor abruptly accused him of a crime, revealing that the meeting might be a trap.

• Richard concluded that the Truth Society had caused much of Xia Ya's turmoil and supported the Tenth Prince's rise to power.
• Richard considered making a temporary agreement with the Truth Society so he could focus on his research.
• Richard greeted Alliance Emperor Bailun Romanov at the palace, expecting a discussion about the Judgment Tribunal and their interests.
• Bailun Romanov accused Richard of a crime, and the palace doors slammed shut.
• Richard noticed that the Court Officials, including Cyril Sack, appeared surprised by the accusation, then asked the emperor what crime he had committed.

The Alliance Emperor accused Richard of treason and tried to subdue him with sixteen Level 4 Wizards wielding black crystals. Richard revealed that he could deploy many bodies at once, leaving the Emperor stunned as sixty-four Richards filled the palace.

• The Alliance Emperor listed Richard’s alleged crimes and offered to spare his life if he submitted to the law.
• The Emperor summoned sixteen Level 4 Wizards, many apparently strengthened with potions, and ordered them to attack Richard.
• The Wizards crushed black crystals that released mist, weighing Richard down and rendering him unable to move.
• Richard told the Emperor that sixteen Wizards were far from enough to defeat him.
• Sixty-four versions of Richard entered the palace in formation, and the shaken Emperor demanded to know what kind of monster he was.

Richard’s multiple selves killed the sixteen Level 4 Wizards, then he approached the Alliance Emperor and appeared to be killed by Red Moon. Richard revealed himself unharmed and claimed he had solved the limits of using Substitute Spells and Void Spells, leaving Red Moon unable to respond.

• Richard’s four-person groups attacked the sixteen Level 4 Wizards, sacrificing members to restrain each target before killing them.
• The surviving Richards merged into one, and Richard walked toward the Alliance Emperor.
• Richard collapsed after a bloody hole appeared in his chest, and Red Moon emerged and told the emperor he was unsure whether Richard was truly dead.
• Red Moon detected Richard hiding nearby and attacked, but Richard blocked the strike with Gold Light and revealed himself.
• Richard explained that he had overcome the energy costs and bodily erosion associated with his spells, leaving Red Moon speechless.

Richard defeated Red Moon with a close-range punch, but Red Moon resurrected and summoned a metal armor containing a blood-red dagger. Red Moon then charged Richard in the armor, beginning another close-range attack.

• Red Moon bombarded Richard with a blood-red beam and dozens of smaller energy beams, but Richard endured the attacks and suddenly grabbed him.
• Richard punched through Red Moon's body, leaving only his head, and watched as Red Moon resurrected by reassembling his body.
• Richard criticized Red Moon's flashy, weak ranged attacks and urged him to fight at close range.
• A black metal box fell through the palace ceiling, and Red Moon transformed it into armor around himself, revealing a blood-red dagger inside.
• Red Moon grabbed the dagger, charged Richard, and thrust it at him.

Richard killed Red Moon’s armored body, but Red Moon revived in a powerful energy form and began overwhelming Richard in their battle inside the palace. Red Moon claimed Richard would not survive the God-Given State, leaving Richard badly injured as the fight continued.

• Richard seized Red Moon’s dagger, pierced his armor and heart, and killed him.
• Red Moon’s body released blood-red energy that gathered into a younger, character-covered form.
• Red Moon attacked Richard with flying characters, one of which cut his face despite missing him.
• Richard and Red Moon exchanged powerful punches that shook and damaged the palace.
• Red Moon remained unharmed while Richard suffered severe injuries, and Red Moon declared that Richard had no chance of surviving the God-Given State.

Richard defeated Red Moon’s meteor attack, and Red Moon’s energy body shattered without reviving. Richard then confronted the Alliance Emperor about his rebellion, but the Emperor’s hidden Shadow intervened and cut Richard’s body open.

• Red Moon launched his strongest attack at Richard, who countered with a void-charged punch and destroyed much of the Imperial Palace in their collision.
• Richard’s follow-up strike filled Red Moon’s body with void energy, causing him to explode into fragments and disappear.
• Richard waited ten minutes for Red Moon to revive, then confirmed that Red Moon’s aura was gone and concluded that he was dead.
• Richard approached the Alliance Emperor and asked why he had rebelled, but the Emperor accused Richard of being the rebel.
• A short, thin man wielding a broken blade suddenly appeared and cut through Richard’s abdomen and chest; Richard recognized him as the Emperor’s Shadow.

Richard freed the High Spirit, which devoured the shadow and vanished, then confronted Alliance Emperor Bailun over the failed attempt to kill him. Rejecting Bailun’s offers and deciding the Soma Alliance was a threat he could not leave intact, Richard killed him and told the Court Officials to spread the news before disappearing.

• Richard released the High Spirit, which seized the shadow and carried it back to the void.
• Richard demanded that Bailun confess who had arranged the trap, but rejected his offers of peace, territory, and even the Alliance.
• Richard explained that his contract with Peter Romanov entitled him to the Alliance, but he chose to destroy it rather than inherit its burdens and the Truth Society’s influence.
• Richard announced that ending the Alliance began with killing Bailun, then pressed a hand to the Emperor’s head and killed him.
• Richard told the surviving Court Officials to publicize that he had killed the Emperor and invite anyone seeking revenge to find him in Sha Lin.
• Richard warned the Court Officials to remember the sky, then disappeared, leaving them beside Bailun’s corpse.

Several days after the King Killing incident, Frank Dice prepared his squad for an impending Alliance offensive against Shalin. Despite the forces’ overwhelming advantage, his history of surviving disasters left him fearing that bad luck would strike again.

• Frank Dice watched the chaotic camp in Grey Rock Territory as soldiers prepared for war.
• Frank recalled surviving the destruction of his outpost and regiment, then earning a squad leader position after leading Sika forces into an Alliance ambush.
• A letter told Frank that Nosa had married someone else, so he stayed in the army and eventually became a squad leader in the Silver Cross Mixed Regiment.
• After hearing that Sha Lin Lord had assassinated the emperor, Frank questioned the news and thought bitterly about battalion commander Hayman.
• Frank told a squad member that the regiment would join the coming war and ordered the squad to assemble and prepare to leave camp.
• Frank worried that his misfortune would bring an unexpected disaster to the Alliance’s planned encircling offensive against Shalin, and silently prayed for victory.

Frank’s regiment marched toward Shalin and was ambushed by the Black Riders inside Grey Rock Territory. The Silver Cross Mixed Regiment was routed, and Frank fled toward Reef Rock Fortress.

• Hayman scolded Frank for lagging behind as the Silver Cross Mixed Regiment marched north.
• The Alliance staff officer told Soren Bonaparte that garrisons were closing in on Shalin, and Soren reacted with a soft laugh.
• Five hundred Black Riders attacked the Silver Cross Mixed Regiment before it reached Shalin’s border.
• The Black Riders killed the regiment commander with javelins and shattered the regiment’s formation in their first charge.
• Frank fled east toward Reef Rock Fortress as the Silver Cross Mixed Regiment broke apart.

Soren weighed the dangers of attacking Shalin against his loyalty to the Alliance, then rejected Shalin's appeal and ordered Reef Rock Fortress to sound the horns. The routed allied forces faced pursuit as Soren prepared to confront the man who killed Emperor Bailun.

• A staff officer reported that Shalin's counterattack shattered the first encirclement and inflicted heavy casualties on the Nast and Bam garrisons, while the Grey Rock Territory garrison's fate remained unknown.
• Soren remained silent as his officers asked whether Reef Rock Fortress should aid the retreating troops, and Yu Le arrived with a letter from Shalin.
• Soren explained that he recognized Shalin's strength, feared Xika might exploit a weakened border, and doubted Emperor Bailun's rule had benefited the Alliance.
• Soren declared that killing Emperor Bailun was an attack on the Alliance and that he would destroy the killer to defend the nation.
• Soren tore up Shalin's unread letter and ordered Yu Le to sound the horns.

Mario’s Red Maple Cavalry Regiment marched toward Shalin, where they encountered routed Alliance soldiers fleeing the Black Knights. Mario recognized Frank Dice and learned that the pursuing force was close, leaving the vanguard facing an imminent attack.

• The regiment commander ordered the Red Maple Cavalry Regiment to prepare for a long campaign and depart for Shalin.
• Two days into the march, Mario led his battalion as the vanguard and worried about the dangers of attacking Shalin.
• Mario’s soldiers stopped a group of routed Alliance troops, and Mario recognized Frank Dice from their past encounter.
• Frank told Mario that Shalin’s Black Knights had routed his Silver Cross Mixed Regiment and were pursuing them.
• Mario drew his sword as the Black Knights appeared less than two li away.

Mario’s cavalry encountered Shalin’s black knights, who fought Reef Rock Fortress’s Blue Armor Magic-armored Knights to the last man. At the field headquarters, Soren prepared to handle the growing number of routed soldiers and assessed Xika’s cautious response to the conflict.

• Mario assembled his cavalry to face the charging black knights, but they veered aside to engage Reef Rock Fortress’s Blue Armor Magic-armored Knights instead.
• The Blue Armor Magic-armored Knights fought two clashes with the black knights, killing nearly all of them and losing more men in the first clash.
• The last black knight charged despite an offer to surrender, wounded one opponent, and died; Mario was shaken by the knights’ fearlessness.
• Soren ordered routed soldiers sent to auxiliary work and told his staff to spare them food until supplies arrived.
• Soren learned that Xika had mobilized only a small defensive force and reasoned that it might wait until both sides had suffered heavy losses before acting.

Soren ordered Reef Rock Fortress to split nearly all its forces into three columns and launch a rapid assault on Shalin. Meanwhile, Black Knights staged an infiltration raid that drew off defenders and blew up the Alliance’s temporary food stores before they were killed.

• Soren planned a three-pronged attack on southern, eastern, and southeastern Shalin, leading the central force toward Withered Stone City.
• Mario spotted more than thirty Black Knights charging toward his patrol and the unfinished camp.
• Blue Armor Magic-armored Knights engaged the attackers while Mario intercepted a Black Knight who broke away toward the camp.
• A second Black Knight slipped into the camp and headed for the wounded soldiers’ tent, but guards from the temporary grain depot blocked him.
• The food stores exploded, and the Black Knights were killed, leaving the Alliance’s soldiers facing a shortage of food.