Chapter Summaries

Evan opened the bronze box and witnessed a vision of fleeing wizards battling five Silver Knights of the Dawn Church at sea. When the vision ended, he connected the sword scar across the island to the Rock Giant and realized the island itself was the giant.

• Evan opened the bronze box, and its spiritual light replaced the cave with a stormy sea and a group of wizards fleeing across it.
• Captain Yefuer and four Silver Knights riding pegasi caught up with the wizards and attacked them in the name of the Dawn Church.
• The Snake Witch, the Element School wizard, the Rock Giant, and the Curse School wizard fought back, and both sides suffered heavy blows.
• Yefuer unleashed a sacred sword strike at the Rock Giant as the battle neared the Outer Sea.
• Evan returned to the cave, recalled the canyon-like sword scar, and realized that the island was the Rock Giant.

A Black Sail Pirates ship sought shelter on the island, where first mate Duncan discovered a Faletis Navy outpost. Duncan infiltrated the outpost and abducted an unconscious person, leaving with them into the jungle.

• The Big Thumb anchored near the island during a storm, while captured Navy Soldiers waited below deck under guard.
• Captain Officer John told a fellow prisoner to wait until the pirates went ashore before attempting anything.
• The Pirate Captain and his executives took shelter in a cave, and Duncan left to look for prey.
• Duncan spotted the Navy buildings, counted their sentries, and decided the Navy presence threatened his safety.
• Duncan infiltrated a wooden hut, abducted an unconscious figure, and vanished into the jungle with them.

Evan opened the Bronze Box and read a notebook left by Hiber Crete, a Great Wizard of the Tree of Life School. He learned that the school had endured for ages despite schisms and failed attempts to materialize its legendary Source of Mysticism, the Tree of Life.

• Evan opened the Bronze Box and found two leather scrolls, a pendant, a pouch, and a notebook.
• Evan read that Hiber Crete had been a Great Wizard of the Most Ancient School, the Tree of Life School.
• Evan learned that ancient wizard schools created Sources of Mysticism to develop shared spells, advancement rituals, and Runelogy.
• Evan read that the Tree of Life School split because materializing its vast Source of Mysticism seemed impossible and its members would not devote their lives to an uncertain goal.
• Evan learned that some members settled for the lesser Crown of Miracles, while Hiber Crete could not confirm whether anyone had ever materialized it.

Evan learned that the island was the fallen Mountain Giant, a colossal golem piloted by Hiber Crete, the last inheritor of the Tree of Life School. He discovered the School’s inheritance scrolls and became fascinated by the Overall Activation Art, which he imagined using to create a living battleship.

• Evan concluded that Hiber Crete had fled Church persecution with fellow wizards before the Mountain Giant fell in the sea, and that the island had grown around the golem over centuries.
• Evan read Hiber’s notes, which lamented the Tree of Life School’s threatened extinction and hoped that a qualified successor would find its inheritance.
• Evan identified the Yellow Gem Pendant as the Mountain Giant’s control core and found two inheritance scrolls titled “Sacrifice of Flesh and Blood.”
• Evan studied the scrolls’ spells and advancement system, including the Flesh and Blood Activation Art and its branches.
• Evan learned about the Overall Activation Art and renamed it Animated Ship Spirit Art, imagining it could animate an entire battleship.
• Evan also read about Animated Dead Object, a sorcery that could give golems and other artificial creations temporary life.

Evan chose to convert to the Tree of Life School while keeping his Alchemy School connections, hoping to rebuild the ancient school and become its School Chief. He explored the Magic Pocket and used the Yellow Gem Pendant to survey the island, where he spotted pirates.

• Evan decided the Tree of Life School’s meditation method could complement his Potionology knowledge, and planned to revive the school while retaining his ties to the Alchemy School.
• Evan opened the Magic Pocket, found it held only supplies, books, and seeds, then stored the Bronze Box and wore the Yellow Gem Pendant.
• Evan used the pendant to sense the island, discovering its extensive underground passages, strange creatures, and empty halls that once held the school’s treasures.
• Evan recognized the Mist Silver Lamp as the Tree of Life School’s lost Oceanic Secret Treasure and learned Hiberkrite’s notes could help him manage Gary’s mutation.
• Evan surveyed the harbor and the soldiers’ posts, then spotted pirates from above.

Evan discovered that the Big Thumb pirates had captured Navy prisoners and were forcing them to choose between becoming pirates or dying. As the pirates prepared to mutilate Lieutenant John, Evan intervened and confronted them.

• Evan identified the Big Thumb pirate ship, whose crew had taken part in the White Whale Port Massacre, near the island.
• The pirates whipped a captured young Navy sailor and brought their other Navy prisoners to the cave, where the Captain ordered them to stab the sailor or join the pirates.
• Lieutenant John urged the prisoners to remain loyal, so the Pirate Captain had him dragged out to be dismembered as an example.
• A fast-moving stone severed the pirate's raised arm before he could strike John.
• Evan's voice rang through the rain as he offered the pirates a choice between death and death.

Evan ambushed the pirates with the ruin’s Mutated Roots, then faced Duncan, an assassin using Mirage Swordsmanship who tried to kill him after Evan recognized his origins. Evan trapped Duncan before his lethal strike could land, leaving him to question whether his growing reliance on varied abilities would prevent him from following the pure Knight’s Path.

• Evan summoned the Mutated Roots to overwhelm the pirates and protect the Naval Officer at the cave entrance.
• Duncan, hidden by his abilities, attacked Evan with a short sword, but Evan dodged and countered.
• Duncan revealed himself and attacked with Mirage Swordsmanship, forcing Evan onto the defensive.
• After Evan identified Duncan as a Vulture Nest assassin, Duncan unleashed his life-or-death technique and launched Esoteric Truth Shadow Cut.
• Evan used the Mutated Roots to bind Duncan before the attack could kill him.
• Evan reflected on whether his reliance on different abilities would keep him from becoming a pure Grand Knight.

Evan rescued Baldwin and Captain John’s surviving crew after defeating the pirates, then hid his use of magic from the former Reef Ship sailors. He executed the captured pirates and killed Duncan after the assassin refused to join him.

• Evan freed Baldwin and reassured him that he would not be punished for being captured.
• Captain John explained how Duncan had disabled the Reef Ship, killed its captain, and captured its surviving sailors; Evan offered to take them back to Gabreid aboard the Conch.
• Evan used a potion to make the Reef Ship sailors forget the Mutated Roots, then sent Milan to seize the pirate ship and ordered Bogg to handle the pirates according to the rules.
• Evan offered Duncan a chance to become his subordinate, but Duncan refused.
• Evan killed Duncan, ordered his body burned after the weather cleared, and dismissed the Mutated Roots.

Evan claimed an Extraordinary sword staff from the Big Thumb’s spoils and, after the storm, converted his meditation method to the Tree of Life School. The conversion awakened a vast emerald tree in his Mental World and opened a new level of perception, marking a major step on his Wizard’s Path.

• Milan brought Evan aboard the Big Thumb and showed him the treasure taken from the pirate ship.
• Milan gave Evan an Extraordinary sword staff that concealed a Swift Sword, and Evan found it suited his White Sail Swordsmanship.
• Evan, Milan, Bogg, and the crew inventoried the Big Thumb’s loot and valued it at about 8,300 Gold Lions, then divided the spoils according to naval convention.
• During three days of storm-bound rest, Evan prepared to convert his Basic Meditation to the Tree of Life Meditation and reviewed his progress toward becoming a Formal Wizard.
• Evan completed the Kingdom Prime Matter in his Mental World, where a colossal emerald tree appeared and connected him with nature’s collective consciousness.
• Evan’s perception of the world grew dramatically as the storm began to clear, signaling a rebirth in his Wizard’s Path.

Evan completed the transformation of the Tree of Life Meditation and became the Tree of Life School’s School Chief, then tested his new Animated Plant sorcery and destroyed his house. As he prepared to leave the island, he gave Gary a potion intended to cure the Deep Blue Orb’s side effects while preserving his berserk ability.

• Evan became the official School Chief of the Tree of Life School and decided to keep a low profile until he grew stronger.
• Evan merged the first and third volumes of the Inheritance Secret Scroll into the red book Sacrifice of Flesh and Blood.
• Evan used Animated Plant for the first time, unleashing powerful vines that tore apart his house before he escaped.
• Evan told the navy soldiers to prepare supplies and set sail once the weather allowed.
• Evan gave Gary a potion that could clear the Deep Blue Orb’s side effects and help him control his berserk ability.

Evan sailed the Conch and the captured Big Thumb to Saint Martin Island Naval Base for repairs and supplies, where he learned he had taken first place in the pirate-hunting merits. After restoring the ships, he resumed the hunt with Milan, heading north toward Atlan.

• Evan assigned Milan command of the Big Thumb, transferred sailors to it, and sailed with the Conch to Saint Martin Island Naval Base.
• Anthony completed his practical analysis of Siren's Song using Evan's latest combat data and prepared to submit the results to Principal Princeton.
• Evan used his Iron Cross Medal to ease resupply negotiations, and a colonel informed him that his pirate-hunting total of 5,500 Gold Lions put him in first place.
• Evan reviewed the standings and saw Thomas Gregory in second place with 4,200 Gold Lions and Bertram Solomon in third with 3,500.
• Evan's ships completed resupply, sail replacement, and maintenance, then set out north toward Atlan after Milan's divination predicted another likely gain.

Navy ships hunted pirates across the Black Sea, but notorious pirate Mallory turned the tables on two warships and escaped with one. The chase continued as pirate ships belonging to the Pirate Kings remained mysteriously absent.

• Alik ordered the Demon Monkey’s crew to throw supplies, liquor, and cannons overboard as the Royal Guard pursued them.
• Aboard the Royal Guard, its captain studied Solomon’s Golden Book while the battleship closed in on the Demon Monkey.
• Two Sessaly Kingdom warships surrounded Butcher Mallory’s damaged ship and tried to capture it intact.
• Mallory leapt aboard a warship and fought its two Navy Captains, then used Blood Ignition to overcome them.
• Mallory escaped aboard an intact warship with a blood-red foresail and planned to lie low in the New Continent.
• The navy-pirate chase intensified, while ships belonging to every Pirate King remained uncaught and seemed to have vanished.

Iron Bone William’s ship was attacked by Great Pirate Bassem’s corpse monsters, while Evan’s Conch continued its pirate-hunting mission with a disappointing haul. With one month left to secure first place and the Golden Compass, Evan chose Milan Snyder to help find a major target.

• William complained about the Navy’s sweeps and considered where the Iron Bone could hide next.
• Bassem’s golden-blue beetles attacked the Iron Bone, killing pirates and chewing through the ship as William recognized the Dry Bone Tomb and its captain.
• Evan’s crew sank a small pirate ship and reported that their bounty total stood at 6,800 Gold Lions, leaving them in third place.
• Evan worried that the Conch might lose its place among the top six before the mission deadline and chose Milan Snyder to bring in a major target.

Evan and Milan used a prophecy to identify a dangerous opportunity at sea, then spotted Bassem pursuing William and decided to intervene. Evan ordered the Conch and Big Thumb into battle, leaving the crew to close on the two pirate ships.

• Milan performed a prophecy that revealed images of treasure, death, and a spinning windmill, which he interpreted as an imminent opportunity accompanied by danger for himself and Evan.
• Beth’s calls interrupted Milan’s reading, and Evan and Milan used Seagull’s Vision to spot two black-sailed ships in pursuit of one another.
• Milan identified the ships as Bassem’s Dry Bone Tomb and William’s Iron Bone, and explained that Bassem was a powerful pirate seeking to drain William’s life and fate to advance as a Fate Trickster Wizard.
• Evan decided to attack Bassem despite the risks, while Milan urged him on because Bassem’s advancement threatened the Prophecy School.
• Evan ordered Level Three battle readiness and directed the Conch and Big Thumb to sail toward the two pirate ships for an engagement in about an hour.

Bassem pursued Iron Bone William with the Dry Bone Tomb, driving William and his crew to the brink. Evan concealed the Conch and Big Thumb in sea fog, then sent William a message urging him to counterattack, leaving the two sides poised for a desperate battle.

• Bassem attacked the Iron Bone with bug balls while revealing his plan to turn William into material for a Corpse Bone Altar.
• Evan ordered the Conch and Big Thumb to hide in the fog, allowing Bassem and William to pass without noticing them.
• A White Gull landed on the Iron Bone and spoke to William through Mind Connection, urging him to fight Bassem rather than wait for his crew to be captured.
• Evan told Milan that William would be more likely to fight if he knew reinforcements were nearby, though they could not rely on him to follow a complicated plan.

Evan and the Conch’s crew watched Iron Bone William lead a desperate boarding assault against Bassem’s Dry Bone Tomb, whose corpse monsters overwhelmed the pirates. Evan prepared to intervene with reinforcements, leaving the battle poised for the Conch’s attack.

• William slowed the Iron Bone and opened fire on the Dry Bone Tomb before ordering his crew to board it.
• William fought his way toward Bassem but was stopped by the missing pirate Roonk, while Tempas attacked him from behind.
• Bassem revealed that Roonk and Tempas had been turned into corpse monsters, and hundreds of more thoroughly corrupted monsters surged onto the deck.
• Bogg questioned whether Evan should save William, but Evan explained that his plan depended on William helping kill Bassem in a boarding battle.
• Evan sent White Gulls carrying military supplies from the Saint Martin Island Naval Base to the battling ships as William’s reinforcements arrived.

Evan used Holy Water No. 3 to weaken the corpse monsters aboard the Dry Bone Tomb, allowing the Conch, Big Thumb, and Iron Bone crews to board and fight back. As Evan, Milan, and Gary approached Bassem, the Great Pirate recognized Milan as ideal material for his advancement ritual.

• Evan had White Gulls spread Holy Water No. 3 across the Dry Bone Tomb, injuring its corpse monsters and restoring the Iron Bone pirates.
• Evan’s warships surrounded the battleship, and their crews boarded together while William warned them that Bassem had turned other Extraordinary people into corpse monsters.
• Evan assigned William to hold off Roonk the “Leopard Cat” and led Milan and Gary to confront Bassem.
• Bassem recognized Milan as a Formal-level Prophet and decided that Milan would complete the Corpse Bone Altar needed for his advancement.
• Milan’s intelligence explained that Bassem sought to become a third-rank Fate Trickster Wizard, whose powers included Life Substitution.

Evan and his allies battled Bassem’s enforcers and confronted the pirate captain, whose strength and resilience challenged Evan despite the latter’s growing abilities. Evan landed a pair of deep cuts, but realized Bassem’s body was far tougher than expected.

• Bassem attacked while Roonk and Tempas joined the fight, with William drawing Roonk away and Gary meeting Tempas head-on.
• Evan charged Bassem as Milan blinded him with an Enhanced Flash Spell, but Bassem countered by striking accurately despite his closed eyes.
• Evan’s Data Vision revealed Bassem was a Peak Second-Order Tomb Guardian, while Evan’s own attributes had risen substantially after consuming sea monster essence.
• Evan used his agility and swordsmanship to evade Bassem’s staff and cut both sides of his torso, but the blows met unexpectedly tough flesh.

Evan and Milan fought Bassem, using a surprise musket attack and Doom Curse to cripple him. Bassem survived and revealed that he had grafted part of a wizard onto himself, exposing a human face in his torso.

• Evan realized Bassem's rune bandages provided powerful defense, while Milan deduced that Bassem saw through the corpse monsters he controlled.
• Bassem charged toward Milan, but Evan intercepted him and switched from his rapier to Thorned Gold Rose at close range, shooting off Bassem's arm.
• Bassem attacked Evan with a Rotten Blood Arrow, but Milan's Doom Curse struck him and Evan shot him through the chest.
• Evan shot Bassem's remaining arm and leg, then fired at his head, but Bassem blocked the bullet with a Sorcery Shield.
• Bassem rose and his bandages split apart, revealing extensive scars and a human face grafted into his torso.

Evan countered Bassem’s Quicksand Coffin sorcery with Hiberkrite’s rampaging vines, then broke Bassem’s shield and killed him aboard the isolated Dry Bone Tomb. Milan received fate’s gift for helping slay an enemy of destiny.

• Bassem cut the ships loose and unleashed Quicksand Coffin, flooding the Dry Bone Tomb with yellow sand and grave soil.
• Evan ordered his soldiers to jump overboard and summoned Hiberkrite’s seeds, whose vines overwhelmed the sand and destroyed Bassem’s corpse monster army.
• Evan repeatedly shot Bassem’s Sorcery Shield while Bassem’s corpse monsters carried him across the deck.
• Evan shattered Bassem’s shield and killed him with gunfire, then claimed the Ghost Cloak as Roonk and Tempas regained themselves and saluted him.
• Milan heard distant clock chimes and felt fate’s immense power fill him as a reward for slaying an enemy of destiny.