Chapter Summaries

Hobart and Xue broke into Aputon's villa to question him, but a spirit and Aputon's unexpected strength complicated the fight. A door opened onto the Spirit World, and a dangerous humanoid monster emerged.

• Hobart, Xue, and Fors watched Aputon's villa until nightfall, then approached under cover of darkness.
• Hobart and Xue entered Aputon's room, where Hobart spotted a spirit and drove it away with fire from a broken oil lamp.
• Aputon sprang from hiding and attacked Hobart, who fought back until Xue joined him and overwhelmed Aputon.
• Aputon accused them of being sent by the Tamara Family, and a door appeared that opened onto the Spirit World.
• A humanoid monster with long arms and a long tongue emerged from the Spirit World, making Hobart and Xue sense immediate danger.

Hobart used saliva and water to defeat the spirit summoned by Aputon, then disarmed and interrogated him. Aputon revealed that he belonged to the Tamara Family, whose High Sequence members seemed tainted by hidden contamination.

• Hobart discovered that the Long Arm Spirit feared water and used saliva to hold it back until Xue spat at it and he splashed it with water, making it vanish.
• Hobart aimed his gun at Aputon while Xue removed the starlit hair Sealed Artifact from him using gloves.
• Hobart threatened Aputon with Spirit Communication and used a simple divination to check whether Aputon was telling the truth.
• Aputon explained that the Astrologer's Hair Strand could sense danger and open a door to the Spirit World, but could trap its wearer there and attract dangerous attention.
• Aputon told Hobart that he was a member of the Tamara Family and that his father had tried to leave because the family's High Sequence powerhouses seemed tainted by hidden contamination.

Hobart and Xue learned that Aputon was a fugitive from the Tamara Family, whose pursuers would soon find him. Aputon offered Potion Recipes in exchange for help, and Hobart left to ask whether his elder would intervene.

• Hobart asked Aputon about the Tamara Family’s contamination, but his spirituality warned him not to continue the subject.
• Aputon explained that his father and mother had died while fleeing the Tamara Family, leaving him injured and at risk of losing control if he advanced further.
• Aputon said the family would soon track him down, and Xue and Hobart urged him to run rather than stay and die.
• Aputon asked Hobart and Xue for help defeating the expected pursuers, offering the Astrologer's Hair Strand and several Potion Recipes in return.
• Hobart said he would return if his elder agreed to help, then he and Xue left through the window.

Hobart reflected on his risky encounter with Aputon, realized how to use rules as a Lawyer, and rapidly Digested nearly a third of his Potion. In the Southern Continent, the Balk Family’s elders gathered to consider taking advantage of a power vacuum in General Anthony’s territory.

• Hobart warned Aputon and the Tamara Family before leaving, then told Xue he would notify her if he decided to help Aputon.
• Xue told Fors and Hobart that they had found a lead on the Trick Master Potion Recipe, and Hobart reflected that he needed to investigate more carefully before acting against a Beyonder Family.
• Hobart considered how the Extraordinary Characteristics Aggregation Law had brought him opportunities as well as dangers, and resolved to use rules and laws to his advantage.
• Hobart’s Lawyer Potion Digested by nearly a third after he recognized that a Lawyer must understand how to work with rules.
• The eight elders of the Balk Family gathered to discuss whether to fill part of the power vacuum left by the ambush on the Fosac Empire’s Beyonders in General Anthony’s territory.

The Balk Family debated whether to help the Fosac Empire in exchange for colonial benefits, while Calvin urged them to take risks and investigate Elliot cautiously. Meanwhile, Hobart visited the Henry family and found two decomposed bodies, raising the question of who had spoken to him two days earlier.

• Calvin told the Balk Family elders about Elliot's unusual luck and argued that their growing strength made it time to abandon conservative strategies.
• Fors and Xue discussed Hobart's Beyonder knowledge and suspected he had access to multiple Mystical Items.
• Hobart decided to visit the Henry family despite the risks, believing that confronting them could turn the danger into an opportunity.
• Hobart passed through Mr. Polly's backyard and entered the Henry family's yard as Polly and Erlie watched.
• Hobart sensed death inside the Henry house, kicked open the door, and found two heavily decomposed corpses that appeared to have been dead for over a week.

Hobart discovered that Henry and his wife had died during a Mysticism ritual and that a contaminated Giant Dog had escaped from a connected basement. After killing the dog and arranging for the authorities to be notified, he searched Henry’s house for information about the Sealed Artifact, but a ramming sound came from upstairs.

• Hobart found Henry and his wife dead beside their ritual materials and had Polly notify the police and send a telegram to Lawyer Barton.
• A contaminated Giant Dog burst out of Erlie’s basement and charged at Erlie, so Hobart shot it dead.
• Hobart learned that the Henry family believed in the Goddess of the Night and left Erlie to guard the courtyard while he investigated the basement and house.
• Hobart found signs that a Sealed Artifact was still operating and began searching Henry’s notes after confirming the couple were dead.
• Hobart heard something ram into a door on the second floor.

Hobart discovered that the Henry family descended from the Solomon Family and learned that their notebook contained valuable Beyonder knowledge and references to a Sealed Artifact. As Officer Daniel arrived to investigate, repeated noises from upstairs led Daniel and Hobart to go check on the gravely ill Little Henry.

• Hobart read the notebook and learned the Henry family descended from the Solomon Family, whose scattered survivors had hidden after Solomon's downfall.
• Hobart found that the notebook contained Beyonder knowledge, mentioned a Solomon Family Sealed Artifact, and included Ritual notes that suggested the Henry couple had died during a God of Death Ritual.
• Officer Daniel arrived with another policeman, requested special support, and asked Hobart to help guard the scene.
• When banging sounded upstairs again, Daniel decided to check on Little Henry, and Hobart joined him after suspecting the Sealed Artifact was drawing him toward it.
• Daniel and Hobart checked their weapons and went upstairs together.

Hobart and Daniel found and killed Little Henry, a Living Corpse, then Hobart deduced how Henry and his wife’s Ritual had led to their deaths and the Sealed Artifact’s escape. Daly and her scar-faced companion arrived to investigate, and Hobart concluded that the unsealed Sealed Artifact was likely in the basement.

• Hobart and Daniel entered Little Henry’s room, where Hobart struck the Living Corpse and then shot it dead when it attacked again.
• Hobart inspected the boarded-up room and deduced that Henry and his wife had tried to revive their dead son, died during a later Ritual, and left a Sealed Artifact unsealed in the basement.
• Hobart told Polly and Erlie that a bird had caused the banging, while Daniel backed up his explanation.
• Daly and a scar-faced Official Extraordinary arrived, and Hobart warned them that he would resist arrest before explaining his deductions about the case.
• Daly concluded that the missing Sealed Artifact was probably still in the basement.

Hobart, Daly, and Scarface discovered that Henry and his wife’s corpses were being controlled by a terrifying power connected to Little Henry. They lured the entities into the basement, where the Sealed Artifact’s influence began to take effect.

• Daly learned from nearby Natural Spirits that Henry and his wife often carried burning Sunflowers into the basement, then a terrifying power descended through the altar.
• Henry and his wife’s corpses rose and attacked, while Hobart spotted black tubes connecting them to the position where Little Henry’s body was likely located.
• A child’s song weakened Hobart and Scarface, but strengthened Daly enough to regain partial control of the corpses as Little Henry came downstairs.
• Daly admitted she could not defeat Little Henry, so Hobart directed the group to lure it into the basement.
• Daly lit the Sunflowers, Scarface drew Little Henry’s attention with gunfire, and Hobart swept the flowers into the basement as the group retreated inside.
• Hobart’s stiffness began to fade as they descended the stairs, revealing that they had entered the Sealed Artifact’s range.

Hobart discovered that the basement’s Sealed Artifact came from the Country of Disorder and was suited to the Lawyer Pathway. He used it to defeat Little Henry and the Living Corpses, then learned that the Henry parents’ rituals had made Little Henry attract powerful entities from the God of Death Pathway.

• The burning sunflower revealed the basement and its stone statue, while the Sealed Artifact randomly shifted everyone’s positions and kept them from approaching the platform.
• Hobart reached the statue without being displaced, touched it, and recognized its connection to the Country of Disorder.
• Hobart picked up the Sealed Artifact and learned its powers, dangers, and sealing method, which required a Lawyer Pathway or Arbiter Beyonder.
• Hobart used the artifact to trap the two Living Corpses and distort Little Henry’s intentions and power until he collapsed.
• Daly explained that Spirit Communication had changed Little Henry’s corpse and that his parents’ rituals had made it attract the gaze and power of God of Death Pathway entities.

Hobart negotiated with the Official Beyonders after helping contain the incident at Henry’s house, seeking control of the stone statue and a cooperative relationship with the church. Captain Thomas agreed to let Hobart use the Sealed Artifact if he became their External Staff.

• Hobart insisted that the Official Beyonders treat him as the Commodore’s son, keep their investigation at the church, and let him claim the stone statue as his share of the spoils.
• Hobart used the Sealed Artifact to retrieve Henry and his wife’s bodies, and he and the Official Beyonders transported the bodies and artifacts back to the church while changing the statue’s holder every twenty minutes.
• Daly proposed that Hobart become an informant, and Hobart offered three conditions for a cooperative relationship, including assistance, a share of battle spoils, and official recognition when dealing with other Beyonders.
• Daly kept Hobart in a separate room at the church while Borgia guarded him, and Hobart waited for Christine to learn of his situation.
• Captain Thomas met Hobart and agreed that he could use the Sealed Artifact as long as it remained in the church’s custody and Hobart became their External Staff.

Hobart negotiated with the Nighthawks to keep the Stone Statue, then learned that it resonated with the Country of Disorder. The chapter ended with a gigantic figure appearing beyond the Country of Disorder’s sky as Hobart saw more of the Stone Statue’s recorded information.

• Hobart chose the Sealed Artifact over the Extraordinary Characteristics and asked the Nighthawks to reserve the Characteristics for a future exchange.
• Thomas agreed to give Hobart informant credentials and consider him for External Staff after an assessment, while Hobart designated Daly as his contact.
• Hobart told Christine about his recent operations and asked whether she could help him deal with the Tamara Family’s pursuers; Christine said he should complete Rex’s trial himself but offered help if he could not manage.
• Hobart collected the Stone Statue, designated 2-355, from Daly and carried it to his rented residence in a Stone Box.
• Hobart brought 2-355 to the Country of Disorder, where the Stone Statue resonated with the realm and revealed a gigantic figure beyond its sky.

Hobart learned how Sealed Artifact 2-355 originated and returned it to Daly, then used the Henry case to secure compensation for the Polly family. The chapter ended with Mr. Robin and his cousin waiting outside Hobart’s law firm.

• Hobart saw 2-355’s memories of the City of Calamity colliding with the Country of Disorder and learned how the stone became a Sealed Artifact.
• Hobart brought 2-355 out of the Country of Disorder and returned it to Daly at the Obsidian Bar, telling her what he had discovered.
• Hobart obtained 20 pounds from Henry’s family through the police and gave 10 pounds to Polly as compensation while keeping the rest as his fee.
• Hobart’s Potion loosened after he completed the commission, and he saw Mr. Robin and his cousin waiting at the law firm on Saturday morning.

Hobart accepted a difficult workplace injury case after discovering that the law offered little protection to injured workers. He also closed Mr. Polly’s case, received support toward his lawyer qualification, and planned to use future cases to advance his Potion digestion.

• David asked Hobart to represent a coworker who had lost a leg and a hand in a factory accident and was seeking 300 pounds in compensation.
• Hobart found that the law provided only vague guidance on workplace injuries, decided to take the case, and began planning an approach.
• Hobart reported the details of Mr. Polly’s case to Barton, who officially closed it and offered to recommend Hobart for the Lawyer Qualification Certificate exam.
• Hobart reflected on how he should handle future cooperation with Official Extraordinary and divide any spoils in advance.
• Hobart concluded that handling his remaining case and applying the Extraordinary Characteristics Aggregation Law would help digest his Lawyer Potion faster.

Hobart accepted Bob’s compensation case, while in the Southern Continent he planned to build Elliot into his representative in the Balk Family. At a Sunday gathering, Hobart recognized himself in Kast’s sketch of a powerful figure and kept his identity secret.

• Hobart told Bob the compensation case would be difficult, then had him sign a Letter of Authorization for an 18% commission if they won.
• Elliot accompanied Elder Calvin and other Balk Family members to Crowlier City, prayed to the Creator about his suspicions, and saw a majestic throne and towering figure before his journey continued.
• Hobart decided to support Elliot’s rise in the Balk Family and waited for Calvin to test him.
• At the Mercenary Club gathering, Hobart found little to buy and heard Kast describe a possible power vacuum in General Anthony’s territory.
• Kast showed a sketch of a throne-seated figure and offered a reward for information; Hobart recognized himself in it and stayed silent.

Hobart passed the lawyer qualification examination and took on Sean’s urgent promissory-note case, which was set for trial the next day. At the Tarot Club, Alger asked Hobart for information about the Elven Race, and Hobart shared a few details about their food and utensils.

• Hobart passed the Ministry of Justice’s lawyer qualification examination with help from Barton’s recommendation.
• Hugh brought Sean to Hobart, who explained that the three-year limit on promissory notes threatened Sean’s claim and agreed to represent him at the hearing.
• Sean signed Hobart’s Letter of Authorization, and Hobart charged him a 12% commission fee.
• Hobart went to Blanca Street 192 and joined the Tarot Club, where Alger asked him for information about the Elven Race.
• Hobart warned Alger that information about the Second Epoch was valuable, then told the gathering that the Elven Race ate processed animal blood and used two small wooden sticks as utensils.

Hobart identified Alger’s ruins as elven and advised him on how to explore them, while Alger agreed to share his findings and pay him. Alger later followed Hobart’s suggestion at the ruins and triggered a white glow beneath the pool.

• Hobart identified the patterns Alger recreated as elven, then told him the ruins might contain materials from Alger’s pathway and suggested using his abilities to find clues.
• Alger agreed to give Hobart his exploration results and pay 1,000 pounds or something of equal value.
• Audrey asked about the Lawyer pathway, and Hobart mentioned a battle in which Loen mercenaries killed two Sequence 5 Beyonders from the Fosac Empire.
• After the gathering, Hobart returned to his apartment to work on Mr. Sean’s and Bob’s cases.
• Alger returned alone to the ruins on an unnamed island and used his Extraordinary Ability to create a whirlpool, revealing a white glow at the bottom of the pool.

Alger explored an underwater ruin, discovered a mural revealing where three High Elves had fallen, and obtained a powerful scepter tied to the Sailor pathway. Meanwhile, Hobart used a legal loophole to secure Sean's claim for repayment, leaving the defendant three weeks to pay.

• Alger created a whirlpool, dived into the pool, and found a hidden cave marked by glowing crystals.
• Alger examined a skeleton and a mural that revealed the last three High Elves' resting places and suggested the skeleton had preserved the secret for a reason.
• Alger picked up a crystal scepter and gained the ability to wield storms, giant waves, and communicate with sea monsters.
• Hobart waived the promissory note's right to win and reframed Sean's lawsuit as a claim that the defendant had borrowed 300 pounds and refused to repay it.
• The defendant admitted borrowing the money after Hobart threatened compulsory enforcement, and the Judge gave him three weeks to repay Sean.

Hobart won a loan lawsuit by exploiting a loophole, realized that finding loopholes helped digest his Lawyer Potion, and collected his Lawyer Qualification Certificate. The next day, he began Bob’s difficult compensation case by demanding at least 1,000 pounds, far more than the defendant’s proposed payment.

• The Judge ordered the defendant in Sean’s case to repay the loan within three weeks, and Hobart realized that exploiting a regulatory loophole had helped digest his Potion.
• Sean praised Hobart’s courtroom performance, and Fors said the defense inspired her to consider writing a novel about a Lawyer.
• Hobart collected his Lawyer Qualification Certificate and prepared for Bob’s case, which he warned could make them enemies and turn the Judge against them.
• Bob arrived at the Magistrate Court, trusted Hobart’s strategy, and sat beside him as David, Robin, Bob’s coworkers, and Fors watched.
• Hobart demanded at least 1,000 pounds in compensation for Bob’s factory injury, and the Defendant Lawyer mocked the request.

Hobart withdrew Bob’s compensation claim and accused Arnold of intentional injury, sending the case toward the Formal Court. After the hearing, he sought shelter for Bob and rejected a settlement offer from Arnold’s lawyer.

• Hobart withdrew the claim for 1,000 pounds and accused Arnold of causing Bob’s disability through inaction, prompting the judge to direct him to transfer the case to the Formal Court.
• The judge adjourned the hearing, and Hobart sensed that his Potion was being digested faster than expected.
• Bob thanked Hobart and said that seeing Beck furious at the defendant’s table had made the case worthwhile.
• Hobart learned that Bob had no fixed home and planned to send him to the Poorhouse, telling him to claim faith in the Goddess of the Night if asked about his religion.
• Defendant Lawyer followed Hobart and Bob in a carriage to negotiate, then offered 150 pounds, which Hobart rejected as an insult to human dignity.