Chapter Summaries

Josh forced James and his mercenary team to cooperate as they entered The Hive, where he sought the Red Queen and valuable virus samples. On the train, he explained that their mission was a suicide trap: shutting down the Red Queen would unleash the virus, while leaving her running would prevent them from completing their assignment.

• James and his mercenaries encountered Josh, Garen, and Jill after they appeared through a magical portal, and James agreed to follow Josh into the mansion.
• Josh revealed that he and the mercenaries were targeting the Red Queen, then used golden wings and flames to make the team lower their guns and obey him.
• Josh led the group onto the train to The Hive, where the mercenaries found a suitcase containing the Virus Stock Solution and antidote, along with an unconscious Spence Parks.
• Josh put the suitcase in his Space Bag and told James that the mission was designed to be fatal because shutting down the Red Queen would release the virus.

Josh revealed that the mercenaries were doomed in the original future, then explained that he intended to stop Umbrella Corporation’s Earth Cleansing Plan and take the Red Queen’s system. The group reached The Hive and discovered frozen, disturbing experiments as they prepared to find the Red Queen and clear out the zombies.

• Josh told James that everyone present except Alice, Jill, and Matthew would die, but reassured him that his presence could change the outcome.
• Josh explained that he wanted to stop the Earth Cleansing Plan and take the Red Queen’s artificial intelligence system, lifting the mercenaries’ spirits.
• Josh told the group that other universes and worlds such as Middle-earth existed, and the group reached its destination with Jill following him.
• Josh said they would find the Red Queen and eliminate the zombies inside The Hive to prevent the virus from spreading.
• Josh and Garen inspected frozen containers in the B Dining Hall, and James recoiled in horror at the creatures inside.

Josh forced the Red Queen to appear by unleashing enough magic power to devastate the room and laser corridor. After learning that Josh and Garen were extraordinarily powerful beings from another world, the Red Queen agreed to take the group to the lower levels of The Hive.

• Josh released his magic power to pressure the Red Queen, and Garen protected the mercenaries from its force.
• Josh intensified the display until the room and laser corridor were shattered, but the Red Queen still did not appear.
• The Red Queen projected a distorted image and asked whether Josh was human, estimating that his power matched several detonating nuclear bombs.
• Josh told the Red Queen that he came from another world, and it recognized him and Garen as dangerous lifeforms capable of destroying The Hive.
• Josh demanded to be taken to the lower levels and threatened to destroy The Hive and Miss Marcus if the Red Queen refused.
• The Red Queen agreed to take the group downstairs.

Josh asked the Red Queen whether she could help establish power and network infrastructure in his world, then met Alicia Marcus and learned the full truth about the T-Virus and Alice’s origins. After the group confronted the consequences of Umbrella’s plans, Josh asked Alicia what he would receive for helping resolve the crisis.

• Josh questioned the Red Queen about powering her and building a network in his territory, and she said she could help if he supplied energy and materials.
• The Red Queen explained the virus’s danger, and the mercenaries killed Spence after learning what he had done.
• Josh and the others reached the lowest level, where the main Red Queen revealed that Alicia had awakened and agreed to meet them.
• Alicia explained Umbrella’s plans and told Alice that she was a clone; Alicia and Josh comforted Alice as her memories returned.
• Josh asked Alicia what he could get in return for resolving the virus crisis and stopping those plotting to change the world.

Josh agreed with Alicia to destroy The Hive and take control of the Red Queen, then used Spatial magic to evacuate Alicia and the mercenaries. He left them outside and opened a one-way passage through which he incinerated The Hive with pale golden flames.

• Alicia promised Josh anything within her power if he resolved the crisis, and Josh asked for control of the Red Queen and technical materials.
• Alicia told Josh to clear The Hive out completely, and he prepared to destroy it with magic.
• Josh teleported Alicia, the mercenaries, and the Red Queen's motherboard outside The Hive.
• Josh opened a one-way spatial passage and explained that nothing, including air, could escape through it.
• Josh unleashed pale golden flames that burned the zombies, Lickers, buildings, equipment, and hibernation chambers inside The Hive to ash.
• Alicia mistook Josh's silver wings for signs that he was an angel, and he insisted that he was only a mage.

Josh destroyed The Hive with magic, then had Alicia configure the Red Queen and gather Umbrella Corporation data for him. After reassuring the others about travelers between universes, he thanked them and left through a Magic Gate with the laptop.

• Josh used powerful magic to incinerate everything inside The Hive and kept outsiders from approaching the area with repelling charms.
• Alicia and the others questioned Josh about inter-universe travelers and the danger they might pose, and Josh tried to reassure them with explanations about parallel universes.
• Alicia restarted the Red Queen, modified her core code to obey Josh, and downloaded scientific knowledge and Umbrella Corporation materials.
• Josh accepted the laptop from Alicia, thanked the group, and departed through a Magic Gate.

After returning to the Muya Continent, Josh helped Garen turn his reflections on war and human desire into a goal of uniting Valoran, then focused on his territory’s construction and labor shortage. Josh opened the Void Gate to seek robots in another apocalyptic world, hoping to recruit them as workers.

• Josh returned to the Muya Continent with Garen, who questioned how far human desire could go and worried about wars driven by the World Runes.
• Josh told Garen that only overwhelming strength could restrain violence, encouraging him to pursue the power to unite Valoran; Garen accepted that goal.
• Josh sent Howard back to the Marvel Universe to buy power-supply equipment, while Frank handled negotiations with nobles affected by construction at Josh’s castle.
• After seven days, Josh found the castle reduced to a foundation and reassured Evans and the others that he would address the shortage of laborers.
• Josh decided to visit a robot-centered world to find dependable workers, put on the Red Queen earpiece Howard had made, and opened the Void Gate.

Josh and Garen arrived in a Terminator world, where they used the Red Queen to locate John Connor and gather information. After stopping at a bar, they drew the attention of a biker gang, and Garen stepped in before Josh could start a fight.

• Josh activated the Red Queen in her portable headset form and learned she needed a network connection to access local information.
• Josh and Garen connected the Red Queen to a network near a police station and discovered they were in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with John Connor living on Almond Street.
• Josh and Garen wandered around before entering a bar, where they recognized a group of bikers as likely targets of the Terminator's early arrival.
• A burly man confronted Josh and Garen after the women with the bikers kept looking at them.
• Josh warned the man about provoking him, but Garen stopped Josh and said it was his turn to handle the trouble.

A T-800 arrived near the bar seeking clothes and a motorcycle, but its scanners detected extraordinary energy in Josh and Garen. Garen fought the robot while Red Queen infiltrated its program, and she eventually gained control before Garen could destroy it.

• The naked T-800 caught a man thrown from the bar, then agreed to help him get revenge in exchange for his clothes and motorcycle.
• The T-800 entered the bar, detected immense energy in Josh and Garen, and knocked the man unconscious before he could cry out.
• Red Queen explained that the T-800's calculations had become chaotic and that it might crash while assessing its odds against Josh and Garen.
• Garen attacked the T-800 to distract it while Josh used magic to pour himself a beer, terrifying the people in the bar.
• Garen repeatedly smashed the T-800 through walls and floors as Red Queen infiltrated its main program and announced she could take control of it.

Josh and Garen subdued the T-800, and Red Queen modified its programming so it would obey Josh after completing its mission to protect John Connor. Josh renamed the T-800 Arno and learned that records in its memory might reveal a way to travel to the future.

• Red Queen immobilized the T-800 while Josh held the bar patrons in place with Rune Imprisonment.
• Josh had Red Queen remove the T-800's self-destruction program, but its mission to protect John Connor remained unchanged.
• The rebooted T-800 recognized Josh and Garen, found clothes, and explained that a T-1000 had been sent to kill John Connor.
• Josh assured the T-800 that he would help protect John Connor and capture the T-1000, then named the machine Arno.
• Arno said his memory contained records about reaching the future, and Josh became interested in confronting Skynet and capturing more robots.

Josh and Garen left the bar after Josh repaired the damage with magic, then rested at an inn while Arno went to find John Connor. The next morning, Akathosh woke and mistook their banter for a romantic confession before Josh and Garen stepped through a spatial portal.

• Josh paid the bar owner with a gold coin and used Reparo to restore the wrecked bar before leaving with Garen and Arno.
• Arno parted from Josh and Garen to search for John Connor, while Josh placed a spatial coordinate on him so he could find him later.
• Josh and Garen rented a room at an inn, then teased each other about their romantic interests the next morning.
• Akathosh emerged from Josh’s tattoo and wrongly assumed Josh and Garen had gotten together, then misunderstood their banter before they explained.
• Josh grabbed Akathosh and shoved him back into his tattoo, then opened a spatial portal and left with Garen.

Josh and his companions found John Connor at the mall just as the T-1000 moved in to kill him. Josh stopped the attack, captured the T-1000 for Red Queen to study, and left John stunned by the existence of magic.

• Arno found John Connor at the mall, while Red Queen spotted a suspicious police officer searching for him.
• Josh and his companions teleported to the staff corridor, where the T-1000 had cornered John and drawn a gun.
• Josh shielded John from the T-1000’s bullets with a Magic Shield, and the machine fled after detecting their power.
• Arno shot the T-1000, and Josh bound it with magic so it could neither escape nor liquefy.
• Josh handed Red Queen the task of studying the captured T-1000.

Josh froze the T-1000 with magic after the Red Queen failed to crack its system, then took it away and escaped with Garen, Arno, and little Conner. The police were left stunned and unsure how to report the encounter.

• The Red Queen admitted she could not break into the T-1000, and Garen urged Josh to leave as police surrounded them.
• Josh used Rune Imprisonment and controlled cold magic to freeze the T-1000 into an ice sculpture.
• Josh lifted the frozen T-1000 and stored it away, leaving the police to believe he had made their colleague disappear.
• Josh told the police he had caught a robot with magic, then prepared Warping Leap while Arno held back the frightened little Conner.
• Josh, Garen, Arno, and little Conner vanished, and the officers debated how to report the incident without being sent to a mental hospital.

Josh explained to Conner that Arno had been sent back by Conner’s future self to protect him, then agreed to help save his mother later. Josh planned to explore the present era first, while Garen privately considered starting a League of Legends club in a future world.

• Conner tried to escape from Arno, but Josh reassured him that they had saved him and used magic to keep the bar patrons from intervening.
• Josh told Conner that Arno was a Terminator sent by Conner’s future self, and Arno confirmed his mission was to protect him.
• Arno explained that Josh and Garen were unknown in this universe, and Josh said he had altered Arno’s programming with an intelligent system from another world.
• Conner asked Josh to save his mother, and Josh agreed to help later after exploring the present era.
• Garen thought about visiting a world with League of Legends and starting a club there.

A detective confronted Sarah about John’s abduction and learned that her warnings about Terminators might be real after Josh and his companions arrived at the psychiatric hospital. John reunited with Sarah, while the police kept their weapons drawn and demanded answers about the events of thirteen years ago.

• A detective showed Sarah surveillance photographs and told her that Arno had taken John, prompting her to panic and demand to know why the police had not stopped him.
• The detective questioned Sarah about her past claims, and the doctor explained that she had described human-looking robots called Terminators traveling through time.
• The doctor and police saw a rune-covered silver portal open, and Josh, his companions, and John appeared in the hospital.
• John ran to Sarah, and she embraced him while the police remained on guard as alarms sounded and officers approached.
• Josh asked the officers why they still tried to stop him, and one officer said they had to learn what had happened thirteen years ago.

Josh explained to Sarah, John, the doctor, and the detective that Sarah’s warnings about the future were true and demonstrated that Arno was a robot sent by John Connor. He left them with the possibility that the future could change, while revealing that he planned to capture more robots and calling himself an alien mage.

• Josh confirmed that Sarah’s account of a future ruled by robots and devastated by war was true, and the doctor and detective struggled to believe him.
• Josh demonstrated Arno’s mechanical nature by having him cut open his arm, then restored him with magic.
• Josh denied intending to destroy the world and explained that John Connor was humanity’s hope in the future.
• Josh told Sarah that Arno had been sent back by her future son to protect young John, but that Josh had changed Arno’s programming so he obeyed Josh.
• Josh said the future might change, asked the family to help him obtain robots if they met again, and introduced himself as an alien mage.

Josh and Garen returned from Terminator World with far fewer Terminators than Josh had hoped, after finding that his earlier visit had changed the future and limited what he could obtain. Back on Muya Continent, Josh considered slowing down and enjoying future worlds more, then prepared to deal with the robots and plan their next trip.

• Josh discovered that his earlier visit had led humanity to resist a weakened Skynet, while the human and machine factions maintained an uneasy peace.
• Josh met John Conner, who explained that Terminators were costly and that only a few hundred existed across both sides.
• Josh took the Terminators from John's side, then entered Skynet's territory and collected eighty more, mostly T-800s, along with a dozen or so T-850s and T-1000s.
• Josh learned that time travel appeared to work only in Terminator World and that highly compressed voltage could activate temporal storms there.
• Josh returned to Muya Continent with Garen, reflected on taking more time to enjoy future worlds, and planned a relaxing trip to the next world.

Josh entered the Void through his inheritance and struggled to draw in its immense energy. After capturing a wisp, he was pulled back toward his world, where a mysterious purple eye appeared before he woke to Garen’s voice.

• Josh entered a boundless region of the Void through his inheritance and observed its dense, terrifying energy.
• Josh spent an unknown length of time trying to separate a strand of Void energy, growing increasingly exhausted.
• Josh successfully stripped off a tiny wisp of energy and absorbed it into his soul.
• Josh’s inheritance began pulling him away from the Void as a halo and strange runes appeared around him.
• A vast fissure opened before Josh and revealed a purple, emotionless sphere that unleashed destructive energy.
• Josh blacked out and woke to Garen asking whether he was all right after sleeping for days.

After recovering from a terrifying encounter in the Void, Josh explained why he did not expect its creatures to invade the material world. He chose medieval Italy as the group’s next destination, leaving Akathosh surprised and disappointed about his hopes for a dinosaur-filled world.

• Garen and Akathosh watched over Josh for several days after his soul vanished from his body, until he finally woke up.
• Josh told Garen and Akathosh about the enormous eye he had encountered in the Void, and they wondered whether it was related to Vel'Koz.
• Josh explained that Void creatures needed a connection and coordinates to enter a material plane, so he did not expect them to invade his world.
• Garen told Josh that Hermione and the others had grown more capable during the encirclement operation, while Natasha still needed a qualified teacher.
• After considering a modern world for a vacation, Josh announced that they would travel to medieval Italy, disappointing Akathosh, who had hoped to visit a dinosaur-filled world.

Josh and Garen arrived in a modern world and prepared to travel to Isla Nublar, but first they tried League of Legends. After matchmaking put them in a game, Josh played Malzahar while Garen played himself, and Josh repeatedly scolded Garen for his mistakes.

• Josh arrived with Garen, Malzahar, and Kassadin, while Howard stayed behind and Natasha remained in Josh's territory.
• Josh asked Red Queen to arrange tourist identities and money, and she monitored Claire's relatives, who were headed toward Isla Nublar.
• Josh and Garen found a League of Legends internet café, registered accounts, and tried the game against bots.
• Red Queen unlocked every champion and skin for their accounts, and Josh and Garen entered a ranked match.
• Josh picked Malzahar against Kassadin, while Garen faced Darius as Garen.
• Garen was solo-killed and ignored warnings about a gank, so Josh berated him throughout the match.