Chapter Summaries

Inspector Trainee Hai Na arrived late to question Iver Moriarty about a Demon Scholar attack, and his butler reprimanded her before allowing her into the manor. Iver welcomed her from his wheelchair and asked whether she had come to arrest him.

• Hai Na apologized to the Moriarty butler for arriving more than two hours late to her appointment with Iver.
• The butler explained that Iver had waited for her and warned that her attendance at the inspector meeting might have been arranged to keep her away from something.
• The butler forgave Hai Na after she sincerely apologized and led her into the manor.
• Hai Na entered the sitting room and found Iver pale and seated in a wheelchair, reading beside the fire.
• Iver greeted Hai Na and asked whether she had come to arrest him.

Iver misled Hai Na into concluding he was an innocent victim of a failed demon ritual, while concealing that he had been the sacrifice and a participant in it. The chapter revealed that his memories of a previous life had awakened during the ritual and that he had formed a contract with a Shadow Demon.

• Iver claimed to be a Royal Law University student and persuaded Hai Na that he was innocent.
• Iver teased Hai Na with absurd stories and challenged her to trust an anonymous report over his words.
• Hai Na reasoned that a Demon Scholar had likely been devoured by a summoned demon, apologized to Iver, and offered to help him return to school.
• Hai Na excitedly connected Iver's deductions to Mr. Sherlock, while Iver let her settle on her own explanation.
• Iver's thoughts revealed that he had truly been the sacrifice and a ritual participant, and his status screen showed a Shadow Demon contract.

After recovering memories of his former life as a player of Ouroboros Ring, Iver realized that the game’s plot had changed and that Avalon would face a catastrophe in about six months. He decided to join the investigation into the cult that kidnapped him, despite his need to use a wheelchair to suppress his uncontrollable Shadow Demon.

• Iver recalled that he had been an HR manager at Nameless God Studio and had transmigrated into the world of Ouroboros Ring.
• Iver remembered that Yulia was destined to become the Phantom Demon Paradoxical Flame Butterfly and die, and he vowed to change that future.
• Yulia came to see Iver, and he hugged her while concealing his fear about what might happen to her.
• Iver realized that the interrupted ritual had changed the game’s plot and that Avalon would suffer a catastrophe in about half a year.
• Iver told Hai Na he would participate in the investigation until the cult was purged, and challenged her to report his request to her superior.

James Moriarty returned home and helped Iver deal with the shadow demon while warning him against using people as ritual materials. After Iver swore a Simple Oath, the Silver Crowned Dragon marked him, binding him to keep it as the story left him shaken but determined to avoid corruption.

• James returned with ritual materials Iver had requested, including a Rope from the Gallows and nails from someone executed by the wheel.
• James asked whether Iver could control the shadow demon and warned him never to use humans or human remains in rituals.
• Iver swore not to use the lives or remains of his own kind as ritual materials or sacrifices.
• The Silver Crowned Dragon watched Iver and granted him the Authority - Silver Scale trait, binding one of his oaths.
• James told Iver that the God of Authority had heard his oath, and Iver vowed never to follow the path of corruption.

Iver revealed that he had been betrayed by the Demon Scholars who were once his pen pals, and he planned to silence the surviving woman while pursuing a new path to power. He successfully created his first Phantom Demon-related card, an Enchantment Card: Shadow Blade, confirming that his ritual knowledge worked.

• Iver recalled how Noble Red had supplied him with forbidden knowledge before its two Demon Scholars lured him into a summoning ritual and tried to sacrifice him.
• Iver explained that he had killed the mentor with a shadow demon, while the apprentice escaped and could expose his identity, so he planned to find and silence her.
• Iver outlined his plan to become a Great Beast Master with Enlightener as a secondary profession, which could let him extract the Phantom Demon threatening Yulia and save her.
• Iver prepared a Tarot Card of The Moon with Dark Attribute Mana, a rusty nail, gallows ropes, and Black Pearl Powder, then completed the card-making ritual.
• Iver received the Enchantment Card: Shadow Blade, confirming that his ritual knowledge worked in the present.

Hai Na arrived early at Moriarty Manor in newly approved armor and a sword, eager to prove her swordsmanship to Iver. Iver analyzed how he had shaped her first impression and planned to make her a useful ally as he prepared to investigate an incident that would lead to the first dungeon, Sinister Hub Pelican Pub.

• Hai Na arrived at Moriarty Manor before seven and waited for Iver in the Reception Room.
• Hai Na showed Iver her newly approved leather armor and sword and vowed to protect him.
• Iver reasoned that Hai Na was a talented but inexperienced martial fanatic whose need for approval made her easy to guide.
• Iver considered how gaining influence could help him secure a stable life and prepare for Avalon’s future disasters.
• Iver recalled that investigating the incident would eventually open the Level 10 dungeon Sinister Hub Pelican Pub.

Iver prepared to investigate the Pelican Bar in the Lloyd District, while Hai Na agreed to protect him on her first independent case. As they set out, Hai Na revealed that she had already killed someone, leaving Iver curious but unwilling to question her further.

• Oswald gave Iver a refined ladies' pistol, an anti-strangulation collar, a hooded cloak, and investigation funds for the case.
• Iver handed the White Crown banknotes to Hai Na for safekeeping, and she carefully guarded them as she pushed his wheelchair out of Moriarty Manor.
• Iver chose to investigate the Pelican Bar in the Lloyd District instead of returning to the warehouse or Stone Arch Park.
• Hai Na eagerly agreed to protect Iver from thieves and other dangers in the district.
• When Iver asked whether she was ready to kill someone, Hai Na said she had already killed someone, and Iver set off without asking for details.

Iver pushed Hai Na to question her beliefs about Avalon’s Path of Authority and teased her with the promise of a secret explanation. Hai Na agreed to help him catch the culprit so she could hear the rest of what he had to say.

• Iver noticed that people in the Lloyd District feared Hai Na and asked why she thought they were afraid of her.
• Hai Na defended her strict obedience to the law and explained how the Path of Authority shaped her beliefs.
• Iver told Hai Na that her ambition to surpass her superior also reflected the Path of Transcendence and described how people could stray from their Paths.
• Hai Na nervously asked Iver to lower his voice but admitted she wanted to hear more.
• Iver promised to continue after they resolved the matter and reunited at school, and Hai Na agreed to help him arrest the culprit.

Iver and Hai Na traveled into Lloyd District, where Iver bought a flower from a frightened young girl and told Hai Na he liked innocent children. They reached the Pelican Bar, where the Wild Elf bartender recognized Iver and reacted as if surprised he was still alive.

• Hai Na and Iver traveled through the industrial streets of Lloyd District, and Iver asked Hai Na to buy one copy of each newspaper from a hardworking boy.
• Iver used a magic trick to give a young flower seller a Red Coin, bought her withered rose, and reassured her when Hai Na arrived in her inspector uniform.
• Hai Na asked whether Iver liked children, and he said he liked innocent children but disliked people.
• Hai Na pushed Iver into the Pelican Bar, where she was shocked to find a Wild Elf bartender.
• The Wild Elf bartender recognized Iver and paused in surprise, leading Iver to wonder whether the man had expected him to be dead.

Hai Na and Iver investigated the Pelican Bar, where Iver exposed bartender Ademar as a Demon Scholar. Ademar transformed under pressure, confirming that they had found their culprit.

• The bartender warned Hai Na and Iver that the bar was closed to customers and its food was expensive.
• Iver recalled his previous visit to the Pelican Bar and concluded that Ademar had recognized him and was deliberately hiding his identity.
• Iver called the bartender Ademar and ordered Hai Na to draw her sword.
• Hai Na's Path of Authority power awakened, and the customers fled as Ademar's face and hands developed glowing purple patterns.
• Hai Na recognized Ademar as a Demon Scholar, and Iver recalled him as the Villainous Bartender from Sinister Hub Pelican Pub.

Iver guided Hai Na through a fight with the Villainous Bartender, then killed him and convinced her that the attack had been necessary. He revealed that the real culprit was in the bar’s basement, where a bald woman confronted them and asked how he had found her.

• Iver ordered Hai Na to block the Villainous Bartender’s strike with Steadfast Demeanor, and she counterattacked with Giant Strength Strike, severing his arm.
• Iver told Hai Na to move and shot the wounded bartender in the eye, killing him and gaining fourteen Free Experience.
• Iver persuaded Hai Na that the bartender had attacked because he was hiding a powerful ability, and she accepted his explanation.
• Iver told Hai Na that the real culprit was in the basement and suggested they pour liquor under the door and set the bar on fire.
• A bald woman in a red robe emerged from the basement holding a charged spell, and she asked Iver how he had found her.

Iver recognized Villainous Warlock Veronica as the apprentice who escaped the earlier ritual and recalled her deadly boss mechanics and ties to Noble Red. He prepared a Shadow Blade enchantment for his pistol and aimed it at Veronica, who mocked him and refused to dodge.

• Iver realized that killing Veronica’s mentor had changed history and caused Demon Dog to disappear from the Pelican Bar.
• Iver identified the bald woman as Villainous Warlock Veronica, a level-19 Demon Scholar connected to Noble Red.
• Iver recalled Veronica’s opening Curse Infant, corpse-sacrificing summon, and stacking area attack, along with the players’ strategy for exploiting her mechanics.
• Iver distracted Veronica by pointing out the gaps in her plans while merging his Shadow Blade enchantment into the Lady’s Grip pistol.
• Veronica recognized Iver, then dismissed his pistol and challenged him to fire.

Iver killed Veronica with one shot, then convinced Hai Na that he was an innocent victim and sent her to search the basement for a supposed forbidden book. After she left, Iver abandoned his wheelchair and searched Veronica’s corpse for the letters that could expose him, finding the final piece of evidence.

• Veronica taunted Iver to shoot, and he killed her with a shot through the head, earning 16 Free Experience.
• Hai Na accepted Iver’s account of the Demon Scholars and agreed to wait for the Bureau of Supervision while he recovered a forbidden book from the basement.
• Iver told Hai Na the book was connected to his family, so she handed him her badge and sword and went downstairs to retrieve it.
• After Hai Na left, Iver rose from his wheelchair and spread his shadow across the bar as he searched Veronica’s corpse.
• Iver found the stack of letters hidden in Veronica’s clothes and recognized the one addressed to him as the final piece of evidence.

Iver searched Veronica’s corpse for evidence linking a traitorous minister to the Noble Red Society while using the investigation to prove his worth to his shadow demon. The demon accepted his command and destroyed Iver’s incriminating letter, leaving their partnership intact for now.

• Iver reasoned that the traitorous minister was likely the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Justice, or the Minister of Trade, and sought a letter that could identify the Stibium Kingdom’s agent.
• Iver searched Veronica’s corpse while explaining that he was destroying evidence of his own crimes and looking for evidence against others.
• Iver considered how demons judged their masters and recognized that he needed to demonstrate his ability to keep his shadow demon loyal.
• The shadow demon praised Iver’s prospects, and Iver ordered it to destroy his letter and leave.
• The shadow demon consumed the letter in its shadow, demonstrating its ability to hunt and erase evidence.

After defeating Veronica, Iver searched her belongings and found a rare advancement potion and a Noble Red Society ring with a spell that could counter the Bureau of Supervision. He kept the ring, considering its uses and the risks of being mistaken for a society member.

• Iver waited until Hai Na remained downstairs, then searched Veronica's belongings.
• Iver found and pocketed a dose of Drunken Dream Tincture, which was scarce in Avalon and useful for advancing supernatural Paths.
• Iver left Veronica's cruel ritual materials behind as evidence and decided he could not use her red robe.
• Iver discovered the Noble Red ring, whose resistance to Law-Speech and Violent Choking Technique could hinder opponents and help him escape.
• Iver realized the ring might have uses beyond its equipment effects, though wearing it could expose him to suspicion.

Hai Na retrieved Iver’s Alchemical Cipher from the basement and admitted that she had read part of it and wanted to learn more. Iver invited her to meet regularly and talk about her work, hoping to make her an informant inside the Bureau of Supervision.

• Hai Na searched the basement, destroyed a Ritual Site, and found the copy of Alchemical Cipher Iver wanted.
• Hai Na gave Iver the book, covered the sorceress’s corpse, and promised to explain that he had acted in self-defense.
• Hai Na confessed that she had read some of the book and asked to visit Iver to read it again.
• Iver warned Hai Na that private visits could invite gossip, then suggested they meet in a discreet place or at school.
• Hai Na gratefully accepted Iver’s offer to meet and discuss the book and her work at the Bureau of Supervision.

Director Kent considered how to reward Iver Moriarty for solving a major case and chose a mysterious scripture that might suit a priest. He planned to give the book to Iver, though he could not read or verify its contents himself.

• Director Kent reflected that Hai Na and Iver were unusually powerful young talents and worried that Hai Na would soon be recruited by the Inspectorate.
• Kent summoned Hai Na and the Bureau's consultant, then examined a newspaper animation featuring Iver and Hai Na.
• Kent decided the Bureau needed to give Iver a valuable reward to recognize his role in solving the case and build ties with Professor Moriarty.
• Kent found a forbidden book called “Shepherd's Secret Covenant” among confiscated items and judged it a suitable gift because it appeared to concern priests.
• Kent recognized that the book was an Original Codex containing potentially lost mystical knowledge, though he could not read it himself.

Consultant Sherlock Hermes explained how Mr. Iver had uncovered the bartender’s deception and praised Iver’s abilities while criticizing Hai Na’s judgment. He warned Hai Na that her ambition for promotion suggested she was suited to the Path of Transcendence, not the Path of Authority.

• Sherlock deduced the bartender’s identity from Iver’s boots, bearing, manners, and lack of fear toward Hai Na.
• Hai Na realized she had overlooked the clues and kept quiet about Iver’s forbidden book.
• Sherlock said Iver had carried the case and surpassed nearly everyone in the country, and he planned to visit him at Royal Law University.
• Hai Na asked why Sherlock had joined the Bureau of Supervision as a consultant despite disdaining it.
• Sherlock warned Hai Na that supervisors who wanted to rise in rank would never be promoted and said her ambition indicated an aptitude for the Path of Transcendence.

Sherlock explained to Hai Na why he avoided routine Bureau work and preferred the Path of Wisdom before Director Kent summoned them. At the Silver and Tin Palace, Princess Isabel and Yanis discussed Iver’s courage and judgment, and Isabel quietly hoped to meet him.

• Sherlock told Hai Na he favored the Path of Wisdom over the Path of Authority and wanted challenging work rather than routine patrols.
• A middle-aged man told Sherlock and Hai Na that Director Kent was looking for them, and Sherlock headed to Kent’s office.
• Princess Isabel read about Iver with Yanis, praising his investigation and bravery while admitting she felt inferior to him.
• Yanis explained that the Queen admired Iver’s decisive judgment and execution, and that she had highlighted him in the newspaper with the Queen’s approval.
• Yanis suggested inviting Iver to the Silver and Tin Palace, and Isabel silently showed her eagerness to meet him.

Iver visited Candle Holder Cathedral, where Bishop Mathers praised his recent victory and offered to teach him Sacred Arts and advance him early. Mathers revealed that a traitor among Avalon’s upper ranks planned to cause prolonged chaos on Glass Island to approach a Sacred Entity, so Iver needed to begin the supernatural path immediately.

• Bishop Mathers guided Iver through Candle Holder Cathedral and praised him for defeating the Demon Scholars with Hai Na’s help.
• Mathers said he would ask the Queen to let Iver begin the supernatural path before his Final Exam, while Oswald pressed him about the situation.
• Mathers opened St. Genevieve Chapel and promised to teach Iver Ritual Fire, Illumination, and Blessing, as well as help him complete his first advancement.
• Mathers told Iver and Oswald that the Theocracy had uncovered a traitor among Avalon’s upper ranks who planned to cause chaos on Glass Island to obtain or approach a Sacred Entity.
• Mathers urged Iver to begin the supernatural path immediately because the royal capital was likely to fall into chaos.