Chapter Summaries

Hughberlian led the Protos Royal Magic Academy students through the gate to Helrom Prison’s Negative Fourth Floor, where she lost consciousness. She awoke in Ikelite in Sun Calendar 1795, believing the prison and her life there had been a dream.

• Hughberlian warned Poet of Great Love to stay close as they prepared to enter the Negative Fourth Floor.
• Lanchi shifted his attention to Poet of Great Love while continuing to chat with Warden Bakas at the academy.
• Hughberlian led the students through the Void Gate and entered the Negative Fourth Floor.
• Hughberlian saw the floor’s instructions on her Student Bracelet, but she and the others had no chance to read them before she lost consciousness.
• Hughberlian awoke as a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old beside a canal in Ikelite and dismissed her prison memories as a dream.

Hughberlian relived a dream of walking through Ikelite with Vivian, who reassured her that her demonic features were accepted and gave her a birthday gift. In Helrom Prison, Warden Selena watched Hughberlian trapped in the dream, and Hughberlian later awoke to encounter a woman identical to her mother’s portrait and an unfamiliar man.

• Hughberlian met Vivian in Ikelite, and Vivian complained that her brother had chosen to visit Duke Migaiya instead of going to an art exhibition with Sophia.
• Hughberlian worried that people overlooked her Half-Demon Race identity because of her father, but Vivian told her that unusual traits were accepted in Ikelite.
• Vivian gave Hughberlian a birthday gift as they walked across a bridge.
• Warden Selena observed Hughberlian and the others immobilized by the Negative Fourth Floor's Barrier Magic Power, then remarked that she wanted to peel back Hughberlian's scars.
• Hughberlian left the dream and walked home past a pastry shop, where a silver-haired woman identical to her mother's portrait and a handsome man called out to her.

Prison Warden Selena watched Hughberlian’s dream and saw how deeply the illusion had trapped her in a vision of her parents. As Selena prepared to probe the masked girl’s unusually powerful dream, the Ice Witch worried that Hughberlian would not escape.

• Selena explained that the illusions on Negative Fourth Floor exposed prisoners’ deepest regrets and weaknesses, which she used to torment them.
• In Hughberlian’s illusion, Ifatia and Mi Gaiya brought her a birthday cake and offered to take her to the sea, and Hughberlian tearfully embraced them.
• The Ice Witch observed that Hughberlian showed no sign of waking and recalled that the Great Demon Race Trial required crossing 131 illusion-triggering steps alone.
• Selena watched the five wardens and noticed that the black-haired, green-eyed masked girl’s dream was drawing on the prison’s magic power to sustain itself.
• Selena approached the masked girl to find out what she was dreaming about.

Warden Selena entered the Poet of Great Love’s dream and found a beautiful, peaceful world centered on a black-haired boy painting. She tried to uncover his deepest trauma by questioning him, but his calm answers left her frustrated and no closer to understanding him.

• Selena entered the Poet of Great Love’s dream and found herself in a serene, fantastical city.
• Selena became a maid in a manor and approached a black-haired boy painting on a balcony.
• Selena tried to tempt the boy into summoning important women, but he said they were busy and declined her offer.
• The boy said Selena would not be able to find the man she asked about, then told her he hoped for world peace.
• Selena left the room to shout in frustration, composed herself, and returned to her role as a maid.

Selena tried to probe Lanchi’s desires in the Fallen Gentle Land, but his sincere concern for her unsettled and enraged her. Lanchi recognized the place as a flawed dream and prepared to return to reality, leaving Selena questioning what he really was.

• Selena asked Lanchi what he would wish for, and he said he already had everything he wanted before asking whether she was happy.
• Lanchi told Selena that her concern for others suggested she was unhappy and offered to help her.
• Selena rejected his pity and shouted at him, then realized the dream world had not collapsed.
• Lanchi said he had known the world was a dream, called it an impossible ideal, and finished painting as if ready to return to reality.
• Selena questioned what Lanchi was after realizing he might have been playing along with her and the Fallen Gentle Land.

The Poet of Great Love woke from Fallen Gentle Land before anyone else, astonishing the Ice Witch, while Warden Selena emerged shaken by their encounter in the dream. The Poet of Great Love refused to exploit Selena’s vulnerability, but Selena challenged her sincerity and questioned whether she could understand her suffering.

• The Ice Witch watched the black-haired, green-eyed girl wake from Fallen Gentle Land with no visible distress and wondered about her strange abilities and possible connection to Talia.
• As the dream world collapsed, Warden Selena wrestled with the black-haired boy’s words and feared losing herself to the illusion again.
• Selena woke on Helrom Prison’s negative fourth floor and found the black-haired, green-eyed girl kneeling beside her.
• The Poet of Great Love promised not to look into dreams Selena wanted to keep private and said she sincerely hoped Selena could find happiness.
• Selena rejected the girl’s kindness as possibly pity or a threat, then challenged her to understand happiness, misfortune, and the pain of her past.

The Poet of Great Love spoke with Selena about happiness, misfortune, and Selena’s present feelings, gradually easing her distrust. She left Selena an invitation to meet at Protos Royal Magic Academy, and Selena departed after warning her about a dangerous trial on the Negative Fifth Floor.

• The Poet of Great Love asked whether Selena truly wanted answers to her questions and explained that happiness and misfortune had no simple, definite answers.
• Selena challenged the Poet of Great Love, but the Poet gently observed her wariness and explained that she wanted to understand Selena as she was now rather than investigate her past.
• Selena began to want the conversation to continue, but the Poet of Great Love ended the visit and invited her to make an appointment at Protos Royal Magic Academy.
• Selena warned the Poet of Great Love not to activate the Great Demon Race Trial on the Negative Fifth Floor because it would bring an eighth-tier enemy, then left for her office.

After rescuing the priests, the Poet of Great Love helped Hughberlian escape the Fallen Gentle Land by guiding her out of a comforting dream. She awoke in Helrom Prison to learn that Lanchi had secured their Passage Permit and that the Great Demon Race on this floor was the Guardian of Antanas she sought.

• The Poet of Great Love let Selena leave, awakened the three priests, and reassured them after they apologized.
• The Poet of Great Love stayed beside Hughberlian while she remained immersed in the spell, allowing her to dream of traveling with her family.
• Lanchi appeared in Hughberlian's dream and urged her to leave, and she finally awoke in Helrom Prison.
• Hughberlian thanked Lanchi for finding her and asked where Selena was.
• Lanchi told Hughberlian that Selena would give them an exceptional rating and that the Great Demon Race was the Guardian of Antanas she was seeking.

Lanqi repeatedly crossed Negative Fourth Floor’s illusion-filled passage and received a Fallen Mark, a Great Demon Race Mark recognized by Fallen Kali Yella. After returning to consciousness as the Poet of Great Love, Lanqi learned the mark had taken up Soul Space and increased his resistance to illusion magic.

• Lanqi cleared the path to Negative Fourth Floor’s Exit Teleportation Hall by repeatedly escaping Fallen Gentle Land’s illusions.
• The hall’s magic enveloped the Poet of Great Love and bestowed the Fallen Mark, which granted resistance to illusion magic.
• At Protos Royal Magic Academy, Lanqi returned to himself in the Redmond Building’s Reception Room and declined Warden Bakas’s offer to contact Selena.
• Hughberlian caught the Poet of Great Love as Lanqi regained control and recognized that she had obtained a Great Demon Race Mark.
• Lanqi discovered that the Fallen Mark occupied Soul Space and had ejected a bound Tier 1 Purple Rare Magic Card.

Lanchi, Hughberlian, and the Poet of Great Love reached Antanas’s cell on Negative Fourth Floor, where Hughberlian revealed her identity as Talia’s niece and asked for help. Antanas softened at the revelation, but the chapter ended before she answered Hughberlian’s request.

• Lanchi confirmed that Guardian of Antanas was the Great Demon Race member they sought, and Hughberlian insisted that she would speak to Antanas herself.
• The group followed the Poet of Great Love through Negative Fourth Floor to Antanas’s heavily secured cell, paying 4,000 Service Points to open it.
• Hughberlian and the Poet of Great Love entered while the three Ba Tian Priests stayed outside to guard them.
• Antanas told Hughberlian to leave before Hughberlian explained that she was Talia’s niece and asked for help.
• Hughberlian removed her Disguise Magic, and Antanas stared at her half-demon appearance before her expression softened.

Lanchi and Hughberlian met Antanas in Helrom Prison and revealed that they would help free her and find Talia. Antanas refused, believing Talia was likely dead, so Lanchi bluntly claimed he had hidden Talia and guaranteed Antanas would never see her again if she passed up the chance.

• Loren recognized Hughberlian after she removed her disguise and feared the situation would repeat the Yarolan Kingdom delegation incident.
• Lanchi realized Talia was Hughberlian’s aunt and pieced together what each of them knew about their identities and relationship.
• Antanas recognized Hughberlian as Ifatia’s daughter and asked whether Ifatia had sent her to find her.
• Hughberlian explained that Ice Witch Almirs wanted Antanas’s help for the Aetherland Kingdom and promised to restore her freedom and help search for Talia.
• Antanas said the Protos Empire had told her Talia was dead and refused Almirs’s offer because she was tired of hoping.
• Lanchi told Antanas he had hidden Talia and guaranteed she would never see her again if she missed the opportunity, while Hughberlian worried he was deceiving a Great Demon.

Lanchi, posing as the Poet of Great Love, claimed to know Talia and confronted the Guardian of Antanas in prison. After revealing her face, she made Antanas believe she had seen Talia and persuaded her to talk, leaving Hughberlian stunned by the reversal.

• Antanas challenged the Poet of Great Love to prove she knew Talia and threatened to kill her if she was lying.
• The Poet of Great Love calmly asked whether Antanas would leave with her if she proved she knew Talia’s whereabouts.
• Lanchi removed the Poet of Great Love’s mask, revealing a face that closely resembled Talia’s.
• Antanas’s killing intent vanished, and she anxiously asked the Poet of Great Love about her relationship with Talia.
• The Poet of Great Love asked Antanas to hear her out, and Antanas agreed while Hughberlian watched in disbelief.

Hughberlian negotiated with Antanas, who agreed to help if they confirmed Talia’s whereabouts. After seeing Lanchi’s true appearance, Antanas mistook her for Talia’s daughter, while Hughberlian began to suspect that Miss Tata was Talia’s sister.

• Hughberlian asked Antanas to state her condition for leaving the cell, and Antanas requested confirmation of Talia’s whereabouts.
• Antanas asked to see the Poet of Great Love’s original appearance, and Lanchi dispelled her human transformation.
• Antanas recognized the Poet of Great Love’s resemblance to Talia and asked whether Talia was well.
• Lanchi explained that the Poet of Great Love was a summoned creature, but Antanas rejected the explanation and assumed she was Talia’s descendant.
• Antanas asked about Talia’s husband, and Lanchi told her that Talia was not married.
• Hughberlian wondered whether Miss Tata was Talia’s sister and her own biological mother’s sibling.

Hughberlian realized the Poet of Great Love was the daughter of Ifatia and Talia, while Antanas mistakenly believed Lanchi was Talia’s daughter. Antanas agreed to help them against an enemy in the Protos Empire, as Loren and the Ice Witch separately recognized Lanchi’s connection to the summoned creature and worried about the growing misunderstanding.

• Hughberlian realized that the Poet of Great Love was Talia’s daughter and felt grateful to Lanchi for bringing her closer to the mother she had long dreamed of.
• Lanchi denied being related to Talia and insisted that his employment contract with Antanas was genuine, but Antanas remained convinced he was Talia’s daughter.
• Antanas asked Hughberlian whether the Poet of Great Love had Demon Royalty blood and had been born from Talia, and Hughberlian confirmed that she had.
• The Poet of Great Love asked Antanas to help them defeat an enemy in the Protos Empire, and Antanas promised to punish anyone who harmed them.
• Loren realized Lanchi was controlling the summoned creature and suspected he had led Hughberlian toward the Rebirth Church, while the Ice Witch recognized the creature from Hughberlian’s earlier account.
• The Ice Witch pieced together the connection between Lanchi, Talia, and the Poet of Great Love, and worried that Antanas’s mistaken belief could spread among the Great Demon Races and eventually reach Talia.

The Poet of Great Love reached an agreement with Antanas to help her escape Helrom Prison in exchange for her Guardian Mark. After securing her cooperation, he revealed his intention to persuade Law-Breaking Sinora and Truth-Seeking Planai to leave prison as well.

• The Poet of Great Love promised to free Antanas, protect her, and take her to the Southern Continent to find Talia, while Antanas agreed to assist him without a Slave Contract.
• Antanas warned that escaping would alert the prison warden and the Protos Empire, but the Poet of Great Love explained that identity-changing Transformation Arts would let them conceal her escape.
• A female Ba Tian Priest transformed into Antanas, while Antanas took the priest's appearance, and Antanas bestowed her Guardian Mark on the Poet of Great Love.
• The Poet of Great Love asked Antanas about Law-Breaking Sinora and Truth-Seeking Planai and said he planned to persuade them to leave prison too.
• Antanas warned that the two Great Demon Race members might not cooperate, but the Poet of Great Love judged that their status outweighed the value of Tier 8 power and resolved to pursue them.

Poet of Great Love arranged a genuine Protos Empire identity and future work for Antanas, who gratefully accepted the chance to live openly while seeking Talia. The group passed through the Negative Fourth Floor and prepared to enter the unstable Negative Fifth Floor, where they might be separated.

• Poet of Great Love gave Antanas a student bracelet and explained that her Protos Empire identity and records were genuine, with a future position at the academy and church.
• Antanas thanked Poet of Great Love and Hughberlian, delighted that she could live safely in the empire and continue toward Talia.
• Lanchi led Antanas, Hughberlian, and the two priests out of the special cell and triggered the Fallen Gentle Land passage without hesitation.
• The group crossed the Negative Fourth Floor and reached the exit teleportation hall, where the gate activated for their bracelets.
• Poet of Great Love warned everyone that the Negative Fifth Floor's unstable space could scatter them, and told them to regroup in the exit hall if separated.

Lanchi entered the Negative Fifth Floor as the Poet of Great Love and learned that he had to survive a labyrinth while dealing with a stronger phantom of himself. He set out to find the Warden's Office, planning to confront the phantom by fighting the Poet of Great Love.

• The Poet of Great Love arrived alone in the Negative Fifth Floor's entrance hall after the others were scattered across the prison.
• Lanchi read the assignment to clear phantoms and learned that each phantom replicated its target and grew stronger with battle intent.
• Lanchi recalled how Hopeless Sadia's Great Demon Race Trial created powerful replicas that hunted their originals.
• Lanchi stepped into the labyrinth and used his bracelet's map to search for the Warden's Office while his phantom began hunting him.
• Lanchi reasoned that the phantom replicated the Poet of Great Love's body rather than his consciousness and planned to defeat it by beating her up.

Lanchi reached Warden Melissa’s office on the Negative Fifth Floor and received clearance to pass. After learning he was separated from his companions, Melissa offered to escort him to the Exit Teleportation Hall.

• Lanchi navigated the shifting maze toward the Exit Teleportation Hall and found the Warden’s Office.
• Lanchi met the wounded Warden Melissa, who said she would give him an evaluation after he cleared the phantoms.
• Melissa asked where Lanchi’s companions were and offered to escort him to the Exit Teleportation Hall.
• Lanchi accepted Melissa’s help and followed her out of the office.

The Poet of Great Love accompanied Warden Melissa through the Negative Fifth Floor, where she fought illusions while ignoring her worsening injuries. After she collapsed again, he began to suspect her relentless insistence that she was fine concealed a deeper problem.

• Warden Melissa led the Poet of Great Love through the labyrinthine Negative Fifth Floor and defeated the phantom prison guards they encountered.
• Warden Melissa's wounds worsened as she fought recklessly, but she refused the Poet of Great Love's offers to rest or turn back.
• After Warden Melissa defeated a Tier 6 illusion and collapsed, the Poet of Great Love warned that they were beyond the medical staff's safe range and asked her to stop.
• Warden Melissa insisted she would not die and struggled onward until the Poet of Great Love called to her, causing her to stumble and fall again.
• The Poet of Great Love questioned whether Warden Melissa was truly fine, but she stubbornly tried to finish insisting that she was.

The Poet of Great Love realized Warden Melissa was not seriously injured but was aroused by his voice, and she urged him to strengthen his Battle Intent to draw out his phantom. Melissa ended the chapter on the verge of losing control, demanding that he summon the phantom so she could fight it.

• The Poet of Great Love deduced that Melissa was an extreme masochist whose repeated collapses followed his voice rather than serious injuries.
• Melissa asked whether he had figured her out, and he reassured her that he was only relieved she would not die.
• Melissa offered to help defeat his phantom, but the Poet of Great Love explained that it was hiding and that he needed to find and eliminate it himself.
• Melissa suggested raising his Battle Intent to lure the phantom out, even if that made it Tier 8.
• The Poet of Great Love worried that Melissa's emotional state was dangerous, but she begged him to summon the phantom and threatened to attack him if he delayed.