Chapter Summaries

After awakening memories of his life as a Game Player, Linsey realized Harvest Day might be his only chance to become an Awakened One and considered seeking help from the Village Chief or a visiting Law Knight. Sent to deliver food to the mill, he met a mysterious blonde girl there.

• Linsey regained memories of Earth and realized he had been reincarnated in Anville Village on the eve of Harvest Day.
• He recalled that Awakened Ones were rare and considered asking the Village Chief or impressing the visiting Law Knight to gain a chance at awakening.
• Children told Linsey that a Law Knight from the Royal Capital had arrived in the village.
• A woman tasked Linsey with carrying food to the guest at the mill after his numb legs kept him from escaping.
• Linsey entered the mill and found a blonde girl, who greeted him and asked whether he had brought her dinner.

Linsey delivered dinner to a beautiful prisoner in the mill, who revealed that he had awakened and explained how Essence and techniques worked. After learning she was accused of plotting to overthrow the dynasty, Linsey left as the Law Knight arrived in the village.

• Linsey brought food to the blonde girl in the mill and learned she was being secretly confined by the Law Knight Bargett.
• The girl demonstrated that a golden Law bound her to the mill and revealed that Linsey had already awakened on his own.
• The girl explained that awakening granted access to Essence, while learning techniques required training, and warned Linsey to leave before Bargett found him.
• The girl said she would not escape by draining Linsey's Essence because that could put the village in danger, and admitted she was accused of intending to overthrow the dynasty.
• Linsey spotted the Thorned Law Sword emblem on the girl's armor, then returned to the village and saw a knight standing on the fallen straw elk.

Law Knight Bargett arrived in Anville Village to enforce a law against burning the straw elk, while Linsey kept his new status as an Awakened secret. Bargett went to investigate the mill, and Linsey ended the festival acting like an ordinary child.

• Law Knight Bargett confronted the village chief over the festival’s straw elk, and Master Bai Lin persuaded the village chief to let Bargett enforce the law.
• Bargett commanded the straw elk to sink into the earth, then said he sensed the Law of Laws had been disturbed and headed to the mill.
• Linsey worried that delivering food to the prisoner might have broken a law, but decided to avoid Bargett and learn from the village chief instead.
• Linsey hid what he knew from the other children and spent the rest of the festival behaving like an ordinary child.
• Bargett went to the village chief’s home to rest after visiting the mill.

Linsey delivered food to the granary before the Village Chief and the Law Knight clashed over Alvitte, setting Anville Village ablaze. He reached the untouched mill through the fire and smoke, where the girl he had come to save lifted him and promised to help.

• Linsey's mother gave him dried meat and asked him to take food to his uncle at the granary.
• Linsey returned to Anville Village and heard the Village Chief and others argue over the Law Knight's attempt to take Alvitte.
• Bargett unleashed Law Flame, surrounding the village and setting its houses ablaze as Villagers fled.
• Linsey decided to run north toward the mill and endured burns and smoke as he crossed the burning streets.
• Linsey reached the mill, where a girl picked him up and promised to take his hand after he begged for help.

Linsey recovered after Alvitte saved him, then watched her battle the Law Knight Bargett to protect Anville Village. As Bargett marked Linsey as a criminal, Alvitte used the Law Codex to send him to safety and prepared to face Bargett alone.

• Alvitte revived Linsey and urged him to help save his hometown, but the injured Village Chief crashed through the mill wall as Bargett confronted them.
• Alvitte attacked Bargett with a powerful sword strike that extinguished his Law Flame and destroyed the mill, though the effort weakened her.
• Alvitte and Bargett fought fiercely, and she protected Linsey from the destruction while both suffered grievous injuries.
• Bargett discovered Alvitte had weakened herself to heal Linsey and marked him as a target of the City of Law.
• Alvitte invoked Human Wisdom and used the Law Codex to send Linsey to an absolutely safe place, then challenged Bargett to continue fighting.

Linsey awakened his game-based Gift in a snowy forest and used its RPG Data Panel while searching for shelter. He spotted a magical beast that attacked him with Ice Cones and fled through the woods.

• Linsey found himself stranded in a snow-covered forest after Alvitte's Super Support sent him somewhere safe.
• Linsey climbed a tree, spotted smoke to the west, and unlocked his Game Player Gift's RPG Data Panel.
• Linsey set out through the forest toward the smoke, using his footprints and the trees to keep his direction.
• A blue Ice Cone narrowly missed Linsey and embedded itself in a nearby tree.
• A magical beast with brownish-gray fur chased Linsey, repeatedly forming Ice Cones above its head and firing them at him.

Linsey escaped a magical beast by impaling it with a makeshift spear, then struggled through the snow toward a town. He collapsed at a church, where an old nun came out of the cemetery and opened the door to help him.

• Linsey conserved his stamina and used rocks and turns to evade the magical beast’s Ice Cones while planning to fight back.
• Linsey lured the beast down a slippery boulder and impaled it with a sharpened branch as it slid toward him.
• Linsey found cloudberries in the bushes, ate some, and limped west through the snow as his strength and body temperature fell.
• Linsey reached a town and collapsed at the door of a small church, suffering from frostbite.
• An old woman in a nun’s habit emerged from the cemetery, opened the church door, and reached out to Linsey.

The Old Nun recorded the church’s supplies during the snowstorm and added reserves for repairs and food. Linsey woke in the church, discovered his RPG Module had gained the Experience Bar, and told the Old Nun how he had reached the church; she let him rest.

• The Old Nun noted the snow damage and added wooden planks, nails, food, a blanket, and boots to the church’s supply reserves.
• Linsey woke in the church with a cold and saw that his RPG Module had upgraded to level 2 and gained the Experience Bar skill.
• The Old Nun asked Linsey where he came from, and he honestly recounted his flight from Anville Village and his encounter with the Law Knight.
• The Old Nun told the exhausted Linsey to keep resting, then left and closed the door against the cold.

Linsey recovered enough to leave his bed and spoke with the elderly Nun about returning to Anville Village. He learned that he was in a distant outer world cut off from the rest of the universe by a terrifying Dragon Beast.

• Linsey ate the bread and berries the elderly Nun had left for him, changed into her spare clothes, and went outside.
• Linsey saw the elderly Nun perform a funeral ritual over a coffin in the chapel and waited until she was free to speak.
• Linsey asked to stay until his fever passed, explaining that the Law Knights were hunting him and that he hoped to return home.
• The elderly Nun told Linsey that he was in the outermost world of the known universe, far from the City of Law.
• The elderly Nun explained that a Dragon Beast and its kin had isolated the neighboring world of Black Mountain, leaving no way back.

Linsey learned that the Hidden Borderlands had been cut off from other worlds and resolved to grow stronger and find a way home. When town guards came to take him to Lord Anrui because he was Awakened, the nun claimed him as her godson and a member of the School of Death.

• Linsey learned how the Hidden Borderlands became isolated and decided to seek strength and a route back to other Civilizations.
• Linsey observed the funeral, then examined the chapel while the burial took place.
• Two guards recognized Linsey as an Awakened and ordered him to come see Lord Anrui.
• The nun returned and declared Linsey her godson and a member of the School of Death.
• The guards accepted the nun's command, bowed, and left without Linsey.

Linsey became Red Moon’s godson and joined her school, which revered death while protecting life. After she discovered he possessed both Life and Willpower Essence, she began teaching him to read, and Linsey realized his Attribute Panel tracked his progress in Common Language.

• Red Moon explained that Anrui, the town administrator, needed to know about Linsey, then asked him to become her godson, and Linsey agreed.
• Red Moon gave Linsey a Bloodstone, which used the healing power of death to cure his cold, and explained the school’s reverence for death.
• Red Moon examined Linsey’s Essence and discovered he had both Life and Willpower Essence, advising him that he would need to choose which to cultivate.
• Red Moon brought Linsey to her room and began teaching him letters, then left to attend to matters at the cemetery.
• As Linsey practiced writing his name, he saw progress in the Common Language experience bar on his Attribute Panel.

Linsey rapidly learned to read and write Common Language by using his experience-based ability, while Red Moon explained the Bloodstone, the Death Ring, and how Linsey could cultivate his Life Source Material. Linsey declared that he intended to return to his hometown despite the hardships ahead.

• Linsey practiced writing, filled the Common Language Experience Bar, and advanced the ability to Beginner, allowing him to read unfamiliar words in Red Moon's dossier.
• Red Moon returned from the cemetery with a brighter Bloodstone and explained that gravekeepers extracted the concept of death from burial sites to restore it.
• Red Moon tested Linsey's reading and writing, then learned that his awakened ability prevented him from learning the School of Death's skill.
• Red Moon told Linsey to cultivate his Life Source Material by maintaining a healthy routine of sleep, meals, and exercise.
• Red Moon asked about Linsey's future plans, and Linsey vowed to return to his hometown and overcome whatever difficulties he encountered.

Linsey began cultivating Life Source Material and went to town alone to buy winter supplies, while Red Moon met with Anrui, Dan, and Finn to discuss who would train him. Red Moon proposed that each of them teach Linsey separately and let him choose his own path, leaving the three Awakened to consider her offer.

• Linsey saw that an Experience Bar had appeared for Life Source Material and left for town with copper coins to buy supplies.
• Red Moon stayed outside the chapel after Linsey left and waited for Anrui, Dan, and Finn to arrive.
• Anrui argued that Linsey should study War Arts, while Dan and Finn asked for him to learn hunting and botany.
• Red Moon refused to assign Linsey to War Arts, warning that introducing him to weapons too young could affect his character.
• Red Moon proposed that Anrui, Dan, and Finn each teach Linsey separately and let him choose his own path.

Linsey returned to the church after his errands, confirmed that his Constitution had increased, and learned more from Red Moon about Life Source Material and Willpower Source Material. After they repaired the graveyard fence and ate dinner, Red Moon sent him to play in town for an hour before dark.

• Linsey's stamina experience filled during his trip, raising his Constitution from 3 to 4, and he tested his improved stamina by jogging to the church.
• Linsey found Red Moon repairing the graveyard fence and took over hammering the planks into place.
• Red Moon explained that Life Source Material could improve Constitution, healing, and aging but would leave its user severely weakened if exhausted, while Basic Essence recovered slowly but was safer to deplete.
• Red Moon told Linsey that Willpower Source Material was rare, tied to a person's heart, and cultivated through immense pain or joy; Linsey remembered the flames of Anville Village.
• Linsey and Red Moon finished repairing the fence, carried in his supplies, and shared dinner, with Red Moon insisting he eat the dried meat because he was growing.
• Red Moon told Linsey to go play with children in town and return within an hour after dark, saying that work, recreation, study, meals, and rest all mattered to growth.

Linsey explored Hidden Borderlands, learned that its Clock Tower also served as a lighthouse facing the Great Hollow, and grew curious about the lost world beyond it. Back at the church, Red Moon told him he would begin training at Lord Anrui’s manor the next day.

• Linsey jogged to town, increased his Agility from 3 to 4, and returned the Carpenter’s handcart.
• The Carpenter invited Linsey to dinner and regretted not repairing the cemetery fence himself, but Linsey declined and continued exploring town.
• Linsey saw a statue of the Great Explorer Polo Weil and visited the Clock Tower, where guards explained that its western side guided returning figures toward Hidden Borderlands.
• The guards complained that they could not return home and discussed the awakened ones who had gone beyond the Great Hollow 120 years earlier, prompting Linsey to wonder what lay beyond it.
• Linsey returned to the church, and Red Moon told him he would go to Lord Anrui’s manor after his writing lesson to learn useful skills and begin training for war.

Linsey rapidly learned Woodland Language and the School of Death Cipher before setting off to study combat with Lord Anrui. Anrui welcomed him to the manor and prepared to get him suitable training clothes before their lessons began.

• Red Moon taught Linsey Woodland Language and the School of Death Cipher, and he reached beginner level in both after three hours of practice.
• Red Moon told Linsey to visit Anrui's manor for combat training and invited him to return for dinner and reading lessons before dark.
• Linsey traveled north through Borderlands Town and reached the Lord's Manor.
• Anrui welcomed Linsey, asked him to call him Uncle Anrui, and promised to teach him combat techniques.
• After Linsey asked whether they could train indoors, Anrui explained that combat required proper preparation and said they needed to get him a change of clothes.

Anrui began teaching Linsey the basics of combat and introduced him to his own martial lineage, shaping a heavy wooden blade for him to practice with. After Anrui left, Linsey quickly grasped the lesson and told Alan he was ready to learn more.

• Anrui brought Linsey to the training grounds and asked what weapon he wanted to learn.
• Anrui explained advancement and his Advantage Strike lineage, then demonstrated his strength by cutting down a Beech Tree.
• Anrui carved a weighted Wooden Sword for Linsey and taught him basic grips, defense, movement, and weapon handling.
• Anrui left for town and asked his apprentice Alan to guide Linsey.
• Alan watched Linsey practice before Linsey said he understood the basics and asked what else he needed to learn.

Linsey trained in Basic Swordsmanship under Alan, who corrected his technique and explained his own skill ascension and the War School’s headquarters, Nal Kebandek. Their lunch was interrupted when a girl arrived in tears and asked why her beech tree had fallen over.

• Linsey demonstrated his swordsmanship to Alan, who was baffled by his strong individual moves and clumsy transitions.
• Alan corrected Linsey’s technique, and Linsey raised Basic Swordsmanship’s Experience Bar to one-tenth by noon.
• Linsey and Alan ate lunch beside the fallen beech tree and discussed Alan’s skill ascension and his desire to visit Nal Kebandek.
• A tearful young girl hurried to the clearing and asked Alan why her beech tree had fallen over.

Linsey met Anna after Lord Anrui accidentally destroyed the Beech Tree she had planned to use for a pet house, and her anger left Anrui scrambling to make things right. After a day of martial training, Anrui asked Linsey to invite Finn to save the tree, explaining that he would investigate reports of magical beasts that night.

• Anna confronted Alan about the fallen Beech Tree, and Linsey told her that Lord Anrui had accidentally destroyed it while demonstrating the power of the War School.
• Alan explained that Anna had long planned to use the tree to build a house for her pet, and Anrui endured her furious accusations and tears.
• Linsey trained with Alan until his Basic Footwork reached the beginner level, his Basic Swordsmanship experience bar reached one-fifth, and his Strength rose from 2 to 3.
• Anrui asked Linsey to invite Finn the next day to save the Beech Tree, then said he would investigate reports of magical beasts near the town.

Linsey studied under Finn the botanist, who showed him his greenhouse and listened as Linsey explained Anrui’s request for help. Finn laughed at Anrui’s accidental felling of a beech tree cherished by his daughter, then set out with Linsey to see the damage.

• Linsey advanced his Common Language skill to Proficient and traveled to Finn’s home for a day of botanical instruction.
• Finn welcomed Linsey into his cottage and finished transplanting a seedling in his greenhouse before beginning the lesson.
• Linsey told Finn that Anrui had accidentally cut down a beech tree cherished by his daughter and wanted Finn’s help.
• Finn laughed at Anrui’s carelessness, then went with Linsey to Anrui’s home.