Chapter Summaries

Fors handled Helen’s probing, then settled into life as Baroness on Hobart’s territory and discovered that her performance was helping digest her Trick Master Potion. Meanwhile, Hobart’s food-for-registration drive revealed a large presence of the Gnostic Society, prompting Helen to realize she needed to report the matter.

• Fors warned Helen that she was the mistress of the territory, and Hobart later praised her convincing performance.
• Hobart arranged two female servants for Fors, who enjoyed the manor’s comforts and decided to continue acting as Baroness.
• Fors realized that her ongoing performance was digesting her Trick Master Potion because she was deceiving people who watched her.
• Fors found Hobart registering residents by distributing food and praised the method for drawing people in voluntarily.
• Helen noticed that many residents listed their faith as spirituality and knowledge, recognized the Gnostic Society’s influence, and decided to report it upward.

Hobart set limits on the Gnostic Society’s activities in his territory while explaining that he tolerated faiths that did not harm his subjects or threaten his rule. Monica, impressed by his outlook, arranged to meet him and spoke with him over lunch.

• Monica asked Helen whether Hobart knew that many townspeople belonged to the Gnostic Society, then told her to report his response.
• Fors admired Full Moon Lake and viewed Hobart’s territory before joining him and Helen for dinner.
• Hobart told Helen the Gnostic Society could remain as long as it avoided extremists, blood sacrifices, forced conversions, and opposition to the Lord’s Manor.
• Helen reported Hobart’s conditions and explanation to Monica, who asked to meet him.
• Monica visited the Lord’s Manor, where Hobart explained that he believed Witches could use their powers without harming ordinary people.

Hobart urged Monica to reshape the Gnostic Society into a church that served ordinary people rather than focusing on the apocalypse, and she left to consider his proposal. Back at the manor, Hobart distributed surplus food, continued household registration, and made preparations connected to the funeral of Wright Viscount and his family.

• Hobart told Monica and Helen that the Gnostic Society could win believers by bringing relief and pleasure to ordinary people while leaving the world's end to the gods and the Demoness Church.
• Monica left without eating and instructed Helen to keep the conversation secret and watch Hobart closely.
• Hobart had Philip distribute leftover food to villagers who had not eaten.
• Hobart noticed two villagers whose expressions and clothing seemed unusual, then ordered the workers to attend the funeral of Wright Viscount and his family.
• The household registration work nearly finished, and Hobart spent the afternoon sensing his Potion's Digestion progress.

After completing household registration, Hobart appointed Conrad as Household Knight and prepared for an attack by Backlund mercenaries. Two mercenaries broke into his room, where Hobart killed one and faced the Corrupted Baron.

• Hobart reviewed the registration report, counted 3,367 people in his territory, and estimated that he could mobilize up to 1,200 able-bodied adults and 300 women for labor and support.
• Hobart appointed Conrad as Household Knight and made the female teacher principal, while reprimanding the other male teacher and allowing him to continue teaching.
• Hobart warned his household that guests might arrive, told Fors to return to Backlund, and gave her a Revolver with a disorienting effect and maddening whispers as a negative effect.
• Hobart waited in his darkened room with his Tang Sword, and two mercenaries in Loen-style Knight Suits broke in and attacked.
• The mural distracted the mercenaries, and the monster appeared; the Corrupted Baron used Distortion to redirect its Curse before the mercenaries shot the monster dead.
• Hobart attacked the mercenaries, froze one with his ability, and cut off his head before the Corrupted Baron could use Distortion.

Hobart fought a mercenary team led by a Punishment Knight, using Mystical Items and stolen abilities to incapacitate several enemies. After realizing Bribe’s Arrogance had clouded his judgment, he escaped the Punishment Knight’s grip with a Paper Doll Substitute, leaving the battle unresolved.

• Hobart charged into the courtyard, weakened the mercenaries, and struck several with Holy Light while the Punishment Knight tried to prohibit his abilities.
• Hobart killed one Sequence 8, then used Loss of Control and stolen abilities to disrupt the Punishment Knight, Corrupted Baron, and Pyromaniac.
• The Punishment Knight kicked Hobart away as Hobart paused to extract the dead Sequence 8’s Extraordinary Characteristics, breaking one of his ribs.
• Hobart recognized that Bribe’s Arrogance had made him choose poorly and used Flash and a Paper Doll Substitute to escape the Punishment Knight’s attack and interrupt his prohibition again.

Hobart fought off a mercenary squad’s surprise attack, but the Punishment Knight and Corrupted Baron escaped with two teammates. After Fors and Xue defeated another enemy, Hobart settled the spoils with them and invited Fors to stay the night.

• The Punishment Knight ordered a retreat, and Hobart traded blows with him as the Corrupted Baron carried off two injured teammates.
• Hobart pursued the fleeing mercenaries, but the Punishment Knight used a scroll to block Hobart’s Lightning Strike and prevent him from flying.
• Hobart returned to Fors’s room, where he found Fors and Xue alive beside their defeated enemy, and gathered the corpses’ Extraordinary Characteristics.
• Hobart offered to buy the Barbarian Extraordinary Characteristic and Xue considered buying the Revolver from him for 1,400 pounds.
• Philip and Shier arrived with the Male Servants, and Hobart ordered them to bury the corpses and repair the courtyard.
• Fors said she was going back to Backlund, but Hobart invited her to share his bed.

After surviving an ambush, Hobart held a funeral for the Wright Viscount family and used his eulogy to earn the territory’s trust and strengthen his legitimacy as its Lord. He then planned to keep rebuilding the territory, while Fors agreed to gather material for a book about his policies.

• Hobart reflected on the Cold Night Squad’s failed attack and resolved to take the initiative against the mercenaries, confident he had not revealed his full strength.
• Hobart and Fors attended the Wright Viscount family’s funeral, where Philip presided and Hobart delivered a tearful eulogy promising a better future for the territory.
• Helen watched Hobart’s emotional performance and decided to report his words and actions to Monica.
• The funeral shifted the people’s feelings from fear to reverence, and Hobart felt his Potion digest considerably as he established himself as the territory’s legitimate Lord.
• Fors proposed writing a book about Hobart’s transformation of the territory, and Hobart asked her to stay beside him and learn about his policies.
• Hobart summoned Philip and ordered him to begin repairing the mountaintop church without interrupting construction.

Hobart issued decrees to organize security, trade, and property registration while planning to invest in and develop his territory. In the Southern Continent, Elder Calvin visited Hodges Copper Mine and privately told Elliot that the family needed the Creator’s help.

• Hobart rewarded Shier with a sword, appointed him Captain of the Guard, and ordered him to warn residents about bandits.
• Hobart assigned Wayne to sell dried fruit and purchase construction materials, then ordered Conrad to register shops, homes, and land and require official approval for land transactions.
• Hobart told Fors that the decrees would let him assert control over territory land and that he planned to reopen or renovate shops to encourage prosperity and tourism.
• Elder Calvin arrived at Hodges Copper Mine, inspected it with Elliot and the family, and later told Elliot that they needed the Creator’s help.

Elliot sought the Creator’s help against the Rose School, then asked about obtaining a Corrupted Baron Potion after digesting his Bribor Potion. Hobart offered a Corrupted Baron Extraordinary Characteristic for sale, but Lafite’s prayer about a treasure buried beneath Backlund interrupted the transaction.

• Elliot relayed Calvin’s request for the Creator’s help with the Balk Family’s planned ambush against the Rose School, and Hobart agreed to help only his Blessed and believers.
• Elliot told Calvin that the Creator expected sincere belief and proper courtesy, while Calvin offered mine spoils and later arranged for Elliot to use mine funds to buy a Corrupted Baron Potion ingredient or Extraordinary Characteristic.
• Elliot explained that the Creator’s reminder had helped him keep the Hodges Copper Mine’s slaves healthy, unlike the family’s other operations.
• Hobart heard Elliot ask whether another Blessed had a Corrupted Baron Potion or Extraordinary Characteristic for sale and decided to offer his own characteristic for 800 ounces of gold.
• When Hobart returned to the Country of Disorder to make the offer, Lafite prayed about a treasure buried beneath Backlund that had caused his family’s decline.

Hobart agreed to help Lafite enter the ruin where Medici lingered, hoping to claim the Extraordinary Characteristics hidden there while keeping himself safe. After sending Lafite into the ruin, Hobart revealed that he recognized Medici, and the shadow stopped as Lafite faced it.

• Hobart decided that Lafite could lead him to the ruin and asked him to describe the evil spirit in detail.
• Hobart sent Lafite a Black Crystal mask and ordered him to lead the way to the treasure.
• Hobart prepared the skullcap of the Wumo Golden Horn Evil Monster in the Country of Disorder as a possible aid against Medici.
• Lafite reached the abandoned chapel, and Hobart used the Teleport Stone Statue to send him into the ancient ruin.
• Lafite approached the bloodstained double doors, felt a shadow drawing near, and Hobart called out to Medici, making the shadow stop.

Lafite summoned Hobart’s power in the ruins, where the Creator confronted the fused spirits of Medici, Einhorn, and Sauron. When Sauron guessed that the Creator was Emperor Rosell, the Creator split the fused spirit into three.

• Lafite recalled how the Pound Family’s attempts to defeat the cunning evil spirit had ended in disaster and recognized the Creator’s power.
• Hobart projected his image into the ruins, appearing on a throne of Sharp Swords as the evil spirit emerged and bowed.
• Medici, Einhorn, and Sauron revealed themselves through the phantom’s three voices and tried to identify the Creator.
• After Lafite named Him the Creator, Sauron asked whether He was Emperor Rosell.
• The Creator twisted the fused spirit into three separate spirits and asked who had made the guess.

Hobart used his authority as the “Creator” to subdue Medici, Einhorn, and Sauron, promising to twist Alesuhod’s Quill and revealing clues about their future. Lafite recovered the Tudor Family’s belongings, while Hobart later noticed a curse on the offerings and ordered Lafite to prepare a Bestowal Ritual.

• Hobart overwhelmed Sauron with his Chaos Power, and Medici, Einhorn, and Sauron stopped testing him and handed Lafite their Red Priest Card.
• Hobart promised to use Alesuhod’s Quill to bring someone the evil spirits could possess, and foretold that they would regain humanity and become entangled with Amon and Sequence 1.
• Hobart sent Lafite into the Stone Chamber, where Lafite collected Extraordinary Characteristics and five Sealed Artifacts and Mystical Items but found no treasure.
• After Lafite left, Medici, Einhorn, and Sauron argued for hours over giving away their valuable card.
• Hobart arranged to sell Elliot a Corrupted Baron Extraordinary Characteristic, then saw black threads of a curse around Lafite’s offerings through True Sight.
• Hobart ordered Lafite to offer all his gains and prepare a Bestowal Ritual the next morning, while showing him the curse.

Hobart examined the spoils Lafite sacrificed, including powerful Extraordinary Characteristics, a Red Priest Blasphemy Slate, and several Sealed Artifacts. After returning to the real world, he heard that a monster from the lake had come ashore.

• Lafite sacrificed his gains to the Creator and prepared a Bestowal Ritual after learning the Extraordinary Characteristics were entangled with black threads.
• Hobart cleansed the sacrificed Characteristics, divided a Chaos Mentor Characteristic, and set aside a Corrupted Baron and a Chaos Mentor Characteristic for Lafite.
• Hobart examined the Red Priest Blasphemy Slate, learned the Sequence 0 ritual, and placed it beside the Black Emperor card.
• Hobart inspected a Sequence 4 black iron scepter, found its abilities and drawbacks, and realized he could not seal it effectively yet.
• Hobart left the Country of Disorder and heard the town residents shout that the lake monster had come ashore.

Hobart organized the town’s evacuation and fought off the lake monsters, then repelled a second ambush by the Cold Night Squad. After returning to observe the monsters, he discovered they were communicating tactically and that a human figure was among them.

• Hobart sent Shier, Philip, and Conrad to evacuate the townsfolk and prepare them to shelter near the Lord's Manor while he went to fight.
• Hobart illuminated the manor with his sword to guide the townsfolk, rescued a family from a monster, and surveyed the town from the Clock Tower.
• Hobart used the Ocean Pendant's abilities to attack groups of organized monsters until the Punishment Knight, the Corrupted Baron, and the Pyromaniac ambushed him.
• Hobart summoned the Underworld Gate and counterattacked the Cold Night Squad, wounding the Pyromaniac before the group retreated.
• Hobart returned to the Clock Tower and noticed that the monsters were communicating and that a human figure was among them.

Hobart killed dozens of monsters during an attack on the town and defeated their intelligent leader at Full Moon Lake. After returning safely to the Lord's Manor, he prepared to use the Faceless Man Necklace to locate the Cold Night Squad for a surprise attack.

• Shier and Philip led more than a hundred armed young men through town, where they found dozens of monsters Hobart had killed and followed the trail toward the Reed Marsh.
• The searchers found Hobart's blood-soaked, torn garment and feared he had been bitten, but they discovered him alive by Full Moon Lake beside a slain Monster Leader.
• Hobart claimed the Reed Marsh for the Lord's Manor, ordered the monster corpses collected, and said the lake's monsters would not attack for a month or two.
• Hobart used travel to return to his courtyard, reassured Fors, then bathed and went to sleep.
• At around four in the morning, Hobart woke and activated the Faceless Man Necklace to find the Cold Night Squad before launching a surprise attack.

Hobart launched repeated surprise attacks on the Cold Night Squad, killing the Corrupted Baron, the Pyromaniac, and the Sequence 8 before pursuing the Punishment Knight. After the Punishment Knight escaped one attack, Hobart tracked him down again and stabbed him through the heart.

• Hobart used divination to locate the Cold Night Squad, then surprised them with the Oil Painting and Holy Light.
• Hobart killed the Corrupted Baron and Pyromaniac, while the Sequence 8 died from Holy Light and the Punishment Knight fled.
• Hobart tracked down the exhausted Punishment Knight and attacked with gunfire, Lightning Strike, Holy Light, and Underworld Gate, but the knight escaped using scrolls.
• Hobart recovered his spirituality, divined the Punishment Knight's location, and attacked him again before he could use Exile.
• Hobart struck the Punishment Knight with Death and stabbed him through the heart with the Tang Sword.

Hobart killed Erwin, the Sequence 5 captain of the Cold Night Squad, then returned to the Lord’s Manor and learned his Potion was nearly digested. News of his victory reached a Backlund mercenary gathering, where the survivors recognized that Hobart was far stronger than their intelligence had suggested.

• Hobart killed Erwin, took his Extraordinary Characteristics and Mystical Item, and escaped as members of the Blizzard Squad approached.
• Hobart returned to the Lord’s Manor, rested, and discovered that the townspeople’s support had brought his Potion close to complete Digestion.
• Fors returned from sketching the monsters, and Hobart decided to write to Bishop Simpson to learn about their Spirit Materials and build ties with the Earth Mother Church and Feneport Kingdom.
• At a Backlund gathering, a messenger reported that Hobart had killed Erwin and wiped out the Cold Night Squad, prompting the attendees to laugh at Victor’s plan to pursue the bounty with the Prairie Wolf Squad.
• Harvey Hayden realized that Hobart had survived and reflected that he might have inherited Christine’s ability to create miracles.

Hobart organized new livestock and poultry services, planned a territorial army, and offered Shier a path to become an Extraordinary. After receiving Bishop Simpson’s advice about the monsters and Full Moon Lake, Hobart prepared to harvest valuable monster materials and examined newly acquired Mystical Items, then remembered two new stars he had yet to observe.

• Hobart established plans for a Poultry and Livestock Management Office and ordered Philip and Conrad to prepare it, renovate a hotel and restaurant, and ready workers to repair the large dock.
• Hobart offered Shier a choice of Potions, recommended the Hunter pathway, and ordered him to recruit fifty young people for military training.
• Fors asked why Full Moon Lake held so many monsters, and Hobart suspected a Sealed Artifact had contaminated the fish and planned to explore the lake.
• Bishop Simpson identified the Fish-Head Crocodile-Body Beast and listed valuable uses and prices for its organs; Hobart had Roy gather the requested materials.
• Hobart examined a bracelet and other Mystical Items in the Country of Disorder, then decided to observe the owners of two newly appeared stars.

Hobart observed Alice and Edessak, then Aishel, before preparing Shier for the Hunter Potion and leading the townspeople to hunt monsters at Full Moon Lake. After killing eight Fish-Head Crocodile-Body Beasts, Hobart entered the lake when no more creatures appeared.

• Hobart watched Alice and Edessak talk about Edessak’s love for Triss and learned more about Princess Blanche’s poor reputation.
• Hobart observed Major General Aishel leading a silent group of military elites on a mission in the mountains.
• Hobart asked Fors to buy Hunter Potion ingredients and planned to request restorative potions from Viscount Glynt and Bishop Simpson.
• Hobart prepared a Hunter Potion for Shier, who drank it, adapted successfully, and learned about his new abilities and the dangers of the Beyonder World.
• Hobart led Shier, Fors, and more than a hundred townspeople to Full Moon Lake, where they lured out and carried away eight monsters.
• After waiting for more monsters to arrive, Hobart put away his blade and stepped into the lake.

Hobart explored Full Moon Lake and discovered an underwater forest, a powerful intelligent beast, and a crystal linked to an Outer Deity. After escaping the lake’s contamination and reaching the Country of Disorder, he learned how to seal the crystal and realized he could prepare a sealing formation with the Order Wood and Order Crystal.

• Viscount Teuton watched Hobart enter Full Moon Lake and wondered whether the lake’s dangers would contaminate him.
• Hobart explored an immense underwater forest, killed a Fish-Head Crocodile-Body Beast, and narrowly escaped a giant intelligent beast that attacked him.
• Hobart found a crystal inside a bubble at the center of a clearing, glimpsed a mysterious woman, and suffered signs of Loss of Control and mutation.
• Hobart used the Order Crystal, Ocean Pendant, Traveler's Knife, and Flash to escape the beast, then flew back to shore as it leapt from the lake after him.
• Hobart traveled with Fors to the Lord's Manor, entered the Country of Disorder, and learned that the crystal was connected to an Outer Deity projecting power into the atmosphere.
• Hobart learned a method for sealing the crystal and concluded that he could use the Order Wood and Order Crystal while asking Bishop Simpson for the required Beyonder blood.