Chapter Summaries

After losing his bearings at sea, Gagnor was attacked by Naga Sirens and fled toward a ship that rescued him. He discovered the ship was the famous Nemesis and met its third mate, Ivan.

• Gagnor sailed north from the island but became unable to determine his direction after night fell.
• A group of Naga Sirens attacked Gagnor, and he killed one before fleeing across the water with Blood-fueled Dash.
• Two Naga Sirens pursued Gagnor until he spotted a large red ship and ran toward it.
• The ship’s tentacles seized and killed the two pursuing Naga Sirens, then a column of water carried Gagnor onto its deck.
• Ivan introduced himself as the Nemesis’s third mate and asked Gagnor for his name.

Gagnor arrived at Okarigan Island aboard the Nemesis and learned more about its giant squid, Orod, and its formidable navigation. Hoping to fulfill Erinyes's oracle by avenging Tom, he set off toward South Sea Town but first posted a bounty for information about Lucius, whom he identified as the only High Elf in Falaro.

• Gagnor learned that Orod pulled the Nemesis at great speed, killed powerful Naga Siren, and produced the valuable ink sold as Orod Ink.
• The Nemesis docked at Okarigan Island, where its crew fed Orod cows and collected the ink it produced.
• Gagnor asked Ivan about Tom and realized that avenging Tom by finding his wife Mary might fulfill Erinyes's oracle.
• Gagnor bought passage to South Sea Town and visited Okarigan's Black Market to post a hundred-gold bounty for information about Lucius.
• A gnome thief recalled that someone matching Lucius's appearance had visited Okarigan about two months earlier to see Master Vivier, and gave Gagnor a bounty badge.

Gagnor found Phoenix’s hidden altar with Cassandra’s corpse and began the resurrection ritual, which transformed her body into a golden-red egg amid flames. Outside the sealed sanctuary, followers of Nidhogg arrived intending to interrupt the resurrection.

• Gagnor returned to South Sea Town, learned that Loha and Niels’s disappearances had raised no suspicions, and traveled to the Kiso Mountains.
• Gagnor followed the changing red glow around Cassandra’s corpse to a buried stone door, which opened when he pressed her body against it.
• Gagnor discovered Phoenix’s statue and ancient nest-like altar, then laid Cassandra’s corpse in its center.
• Gagnor recited Cassandra’s Holy Name, summoning a golden-red spirit that entered her corpse and triggered the resurrection ritual.
• Cassandra’s corpse melted into a giant golden-red egg as flames engulfed the altar and the stone door shut.
• A group of black-clad men reached the area, revealed that Nidhogg had sent them to stop the resurrection, and hoped to earn his favor.

Black Dragon Cultists used a Lawbreaker Lantern to suppress the phoenix altar’s defenses and broke through the stone door, while Gagnor tried to delay them until Cassandra’s resurrection ritual was complete. Gagnor fought the intruders and killed their axeman, but a Curse of Pain affected both him and its caster.

• A Black Dragon Cultist was burned to ash after touching the protected stone door, so the leader used a Lawbreaker Lantern and Blessed Hoard lamp oil to suppress its magic.
• The Black Dragon Cultists attacked the sealed door with a great axe, while Gagnor reinforced it with ice and earth magic as Cassandra’s resurrection ritual neared completion.
• Gagnor received Sunderland’s Thunderfury blessing and a divine revelation to kill a level-six or higher earth-element creature, then hid near Cassandra as the attackers broke through.
• Gagnor charged the intruders with Earthskin and Blood-fueled Dash, slowed them with Thunderfury, and used arrows and Lesser Wind Orbs to disrupt their assault.
• Gagnor decapitated the axeman, then a Black Dragon Cultist cast Curse of Pain, which affected both Gagnor and the caster, though Gagnor’s Ring of Pain Suppression reduced its effect.

Gagnor fought to protect Cassandra’s resurrection ritual as Andrew Novak betrayed the Black Dragon Cultists, absorbed their corpses, and transformed into a powerful dragonkin. Gagnor struck Andrew with a Fireball Orb, and as Andrew attacked him with black flames, Cassandra’s egg shattered and she emerged to kick Andrew into the wall.

• Gagnor killed a caster and stopped the Black Dragon Cultists from interrupting Cassandra’s nearly completed resurrection ritual.
• Andrew Novak killed his companions and absorbed their corpses, transforming into a powerful Black Dragon dragonkin.
• Andrew badly injured Gagnor and turned toward the altar, but Gagnor used a black-steel arrow to detonate his Fireball Orb against him.
• Andrew survived the blast and attacked Gagnor with black flames as Cassandra’s egg cracked and shattered.
• Cassandra emerged from the flames and kicked Andrew into the rock wall.

Cassandra resurrected with greatly increased strength, killed Andrew, and left to fulfill Phoenix's oracle after becoming closer to Gagnor. Gagnor collected the cultists' belongings and returned to South Sea Town, where he told Little Black he had come to speak with it.

• Cassandra trampled Andrew to death after her resurrection, and Gagnor realized the altar sacrifice had likely empowered her.
• Gagnor and Cassandra became intimate, exchanged their complete Holy Names, and discussed their relationship and her duty to fulfill Phoenix's oracle.
• Cassandra left, promising to find Gagnor after completing the oracle and mentioning the Titan Elixir.
• Gagnor searched the ruins, found a level-nine Lawbreaker Lantern and half a bottle of Law-Breaking Oil, then returned to South Sea Town.
• Gagnor fed Little Black, cast Animal Speech, and heard the bear ask what business he had with it.

Gagnor told Little Black that Hicks had died and learned Hicks had a friend named Old Scar in Sentinel Stone Town in the Asul Duchy. As Gagnor prepared to leave South Sea Town for Akes City, he agreed to help Dalis fulfill an oracle that could earn her a Gnome Transformation Mask, and learned their destination was the South Asul Desert.

• Gagnor showed Little Black Hicks's collar, and Little Black grieved before sharing his memories of Hicks and Old Scar in Sentinel Stone Town.
• Gagnor decided Sentinel Stone Town was in the Asul Duchy but chose not to take Little Black there, then returned home and began packing to leave for Akes City.
• Dalis asked Gagnor to help fulfill the oracle in Sindragosa's Oracle Chest, explaining that it required awakening an undead and would take roughly two thousand gold coins.
• Dalis revealed that the oracle's reward was a Gnome Transformation Mask that could let her pass as a living being, and Gagnor agreed to help.
• Dalis told Gagnor they would awaken the undead in the South Asul Desert.

Gagnor secretly took Little Black from South Sea Town and traveled north with Dalis and Little Gu, searching Black Markets for Undead Awakening Potions. After buying enough supplies and a demonology book in Raven Town, they crossed into the Asul Duchy and rode through the desert toward Sentinel Stone Town.

• Gagnor decided to bring Little Black along and secretly led the bear out of town to avoid exposing the blood sacrifice case.
• Little Black became upset about leaving Hicks, then carried Gagnor away while crying and attracting the attention of nearby guards.
• Gagnor, Dalis, Little Black, and Little Gu traveled north, with Little Black and Little Gu chatting despite not understanding each other.
• Over several months, Gagnor searched Black Markets and bought four Undead Awakening Potions, their formula, contraband, and Elementary Demonology in Raven Town.
• Gagnor entered the Asul Duchy and crossed its desert with his companions toward Sentinel Stone Town.
• A camel caravan passed Gagnor, and he asked its leader how much farther Sentinel Stone Town was.

Gagnor and Dalis reached Sentinel Stone Town, where they learned about the Fourth Reservoir ruins and obtained a map from archaeologist Aidan. They left the next day with Little Black and Little Gu to explore the ruins and seek undead for Dalis to awaken.

• Gagnor learned that Joyfort was the former Asul City, now a prison whose Yemen Holy Soil the church planned to purify.
• Gagnor arrived in Sentinel Stone Town with Dalis and Little Black, and Lila recognized the bear and offered to lodge it at the Hunter's Inn.
• Dalis met archaeologist Aidan and asked about the Fourth Reservoir, while Gagnor stayed quiet to avoid revealing his occult knowledge.
• Aidan offered them a copy of the Fourth Reservoir blueprint in exchange for examining any written relics they found, and they swore an oath in Mosa's name.
• Gagnor and Dalis rested, then set out for the Fourth Reservoir ruins with Little Black and Little Gu.

Gagnor, Dalis, and their companions entered the Fourth Reservoir ruins to fulfill Sindragosa’s oracle and awakened a dead spellcaster with an Undead Awakening Potion. The newly undead James learned that Sindragosa had become his Name-Giver, then worried about where he could go and how he could hide his nature.

• Gagnor and the others found the Fourth Reservoir’s buried entrance and forced open its stone door after Gagnor drank a cursed Greater Darkvision Potion.
• Gagnor and his companions explored the cool ruins, found several groups of skeletons, and discovered spellcasters whose remains were suitable for awakening.
• Dalis used an Undead Awakening Potion and a prepared magic circle to awaken one of the spellcaster skeletons.
• The awakened undead attacked in confusion, then realized that Gagnor and Dalis were not Heretics and learned that he had become a Second-Born Soul named by Sindragosa.
• Dalis told the undead, who introduced himself as James, that he was free to leave, but James worried that no one would accept him and that magic detection would expose him.

Gagnor and Dalis awakened Pierce and several other intelligent undead in the water cistern ruins, while James chose to remain there. The group ventured deeper to find one more undead for Sindragosa’s oracle and discovered a large building and signs of other undead, ending as they watched an intelligent undead torment a mindless one.

• James chose to stay in the cistern ruins and agreed to help Gagnor and Dalis awaken more undead.
• James led Gagnor and Dalis through the maze-like ruins, where they found Pierce and transformed him into an intelligent undead.
• Pierce said evidence that Asul was the first country to adopt Mosaism was in his missing Storage Ring, then joined James and the others as they awakened four intelligent undead in total.
• The undead noticed that many corpses were missing and concluded that some may have awakened spontaneously with twisted minds; Dalis urged the group onward to fulfill Sindragosa’s oracle and face them together.
• Little Gu spotted a large building, many skeletons, and two approaching undead, so Gagnor’s group hid behind a boulder while Dalis disguised Little Black as one.
• The group watched an intelligent undead carrying a longsword mock a mindless, armored undead and make him admit that he was the stupider one.

Gagnor and his companions captured two undead in the cistern and learned from Oren that Set’s followers were building a church and a facility to transform undead on a large scale. They left the encounter knowing they had to stop the Desert Bishop, a level-eight leader with twenty-six followers, before his plans advanced.

• Little Black fell asleep and snored, alerting the two undead as they approached the group’s hiding place.
• Gagnor’s companions silenced the undead; the armored one surrendered to arrows coated in Lesser Holy Oil, while Gagnor defeated and subdued the sword-wielding one.
• The armored undead revealed that his name was Oren, and James recognized him from a gathering of mages in Mosaroye City.
• Oren explained that he had prayed to his Name-Givers for decades and that Sindragosa had guided the group to rescue him.
• Oren told the group that the Desert Bishop had seized control of the undead and was building a church, an altar, and a palace for Set.
• Oren warned that the Desert Bishop had twenty-six followers and was building a magical facility to transform undead on a large scale.

Gagnor enslaved several of the Desert Bishop’s undead followers and prepared a plan to weaken their forces with holy oil before confronting the bishop. Disguised as a captured adventurer, he entered the Set Church and came face-to-face with the Desert Bishop.

• Gagnor used the Bloodcall Sword to activate Enslavement Mark on the sword-wielding undead, John, then worked with Oren to enslave five of Set’s followers.
• When Gagnor enslaved Peter, he felt the strain of controlling six undead and discovered that Laugus, a level-seven Wraith, remained linked to him; he decided to keep the connection and stopped adding followers.
• Gagnor gave his allies a plan to gather the Desert Bishop’s followers for an explosion of Wind Orbs and holy oil, while he and Little Black would confront the bishop.
• Gagnor disguised himself as a captured adventurer and, with the enslaved Roden, approached the Set Church; Little Black remained outside with an undead guard.
• Roden led Gagnor inside, where the Desert Bishop finished praying and reacted with surprise upon seeing a living person.

Gagnor and his allies launched a coordinated ambush on the Desert Bishop and his undead followers, using holy oil, controlled undead, and Little Black to overwhelm them. After killing the undead attendant and Roden, Gagnor turned to face the still-shielded Desert Bishop as the battles outside continued.

• The Desert Bishop demanded that Gagnor prove his worth, but Roden smashed a bottle of holy oil over the bishop and his attendant, exposing their skeletal forms and burning them.
• Gagnor summoned Little Black, broke free with Earthskin, and used the Ring of Fabian's Insignia to keep undead reinforcements from entering the church.
• Gagnor's controlled undead detonated holy oil among the gathered followers of Set, while Little Gu dropped more bottles from above and wounded many of them.
• Four controlled undead ambushed the remaining followers near the church entrance, and Dalis, Oren, and their allies joined the fight with Ice Arrows and wind blades.
• Inside the church, Little Black rammed the Desert Bishop while Gagnor killed the undead attendant and Roden with his holy-oil-coated Bloodcall Sword.
• Gagnor attacked the Desert Bishop, who remained protected by a strong Magic Shield despite his severe burns.

Gagnor and Little Black fought the Desert Bishop amid magical sand and decoys, eventually killing his body and discovering that his soul had possessed a Sand Scorpion. The chapter ended with Gagnor catching the fleeing scorpion and taunting the disguised Bishop.

• The Desert Bishop filled the chamber with quicksand and Sand Scorpions, then created multiple copies of himself to attack Gagnor and Little Black.
• Gagnor used Mental Protection and enchanted arrows to destroy the Bishop’s copies while preparing to withstand Mind Blast.
• The Desert Bishop targeted Little Black with Mind Blast, and Gagnor identified and struck the real Bishop with a swift arrow.
• Gagnor overwhelmed the exposed Bishop with Holy Oil and repeated sword strikes, killing him and learning he was an eighth-level mindless undead.
• Gagnor noticed a Sand Scorpion react to the Ring of Fabian's Insignia, realized the Bishop had possessed it, and caught it as it tried to escape.

Gagnor killed the Desert Bishop, defeated the Set-worshiping undead, and searched the church’s treasure room with the others. He recovered Pierce’s ancient possessions and bought an Ancient Gold Coin from him in exchange for promising to report on the Shackleton Family, then found a mithril dagger with summoning enchantments.

• Gagnor crushed the Desert Bishop’s Sand Scorpion form with lesser Holy Oil, then discovered that Little Black had died.
• Gagnor announced the Desert Bishop’s death, chased down the fleeing Set-worshiping undead with Little Gu’s help, and defeated them.
• Gagnor collected the Desert Bishop’s equipment and used the Desert Bottle to draw the room’s yellow sand back inside.
• Gagnor and the others found the church’s treasure room, where Dalis failed to dispel the chest’s Fragile Bone Curse and Gagnor removed it with the Curse of Equity.
• Pierce recovered his Storage Ring and identified several ancient belongings, including an Ancient Gold Coin that he sold to Gagnor for one hundred gold coins in exchange for news about the Shackleton Family.
• Gagnor shared the remaining treasure with the undead and examined a mithril Summoner’s Blade.

Gagnor and Dalis used the last three bottles of Undead Awakening Potion to turn Little Black into an undead, completing Sindragosa’s oracle. They prepared to leave for Akes City, leaving Little Black with the Sindragosa undead and lending Pierce an Elemental Clock.

• Gagnor considered summoning an evil eye but put the plan aside because he needed to reach Akes City for the Akes Magic Academy entrance examination.
• Dalis chose to use the remaining Undead Awakening Potion to revive Little Black, and Gagnor removed Set’s statue and helped modify the altar for Sindragosa’s ritual.
• The first two attempts to awaken Little Black failed, but Dalis used the final potion for a third attempt after Little Gu encouraged her to keep trying.
• Little Black awoke as an undead but had forgotten Hicks, and its successful transformation completed Sindragosa’s oracle.
• Gagnor and Dalis kept the Oracle Chest secret, bid farewell to the Sindragosa undead, and left Little Black with them as Gagnor prepared to travel to Akes City.
• Gagnor lent Pierce an Elemental Clock, and Pierce wished Sindragosa’s blessing on him.

Gagnor and Dalis sealed the reservoir ruins, then opened Sindragosa’s Oracle Chest and found a Gnome Transformation Mask that gave Dalis a living gnome body. After returning to Sentinel Stone Town, Gagnor offered Aidan an ancient coin for two thousand gold coins, and Aidan revealed he could only pay part of the price in cash.

• Gagnor and Dalis buried and concealed the reservoir entrances, and Gagnor wondered whether other ruins might hide ambitious undead before deciding he could not investigate them all.
• Dalis opened Sindragosa’s Oracle Chest and received a Gnome Transformation Mask, which gave her a genuine gnome body and the ability to eat and relieve herself.
• Dalis learned that she was a Level Six Anointed, Sindragosa’s Favored One, and had received the Extreme Cold Blizzard blessing; Gagnor suggested she take the Aks Magic Academy entrance examination with him.
• Gagnor and Dalis returned to Sentinel Stone Town and told Aidan they had found nothing in the Fourth Reservoir, then showed him an ancient coin they had found in the desert.
• Aidan recognized the coin as one minted by Roland II bearing the Mosa Triangle and agreed to Gagnor’s price of two thousand gold coins, but said he had only about six hundred gold coins and a bottle of lesser Elixir of Enlightenment.

Gagnor accepted a lesser Elixir of Enlightenment and an IOU from Aidan, discovered that the elixir granted experience, and drank it to gain 900 experience. After Aidan’s fervent worship unnerved him, Gagnor was interrupted while preparing for his academy entrance exam by Old Scar, who repaid Hicks’s debt.

• Aidan paid Gagnor 500 gold coins and gave him a 500-gold-coin IOU for the lesser Elixir of Enlightenment, then revealed that he had expelled the Holy Name “Odinson.”
• Aidan became absorbed in worshipping the Ancient Gold Coin, so Dalis and Gagnor returned to their room, where Gagnor considered selling Aidan’s IOU to avoid further contact.
• Gagnor examined the elixir, identified its effect as granting experience, and drank the bottle, gaining 900 experience.
• Gagnor began preparing for the Akes Magic Academy entrance exam, but Old Scar arrived and repaid the 100 gold coins he owed Hicks.
• Old Scar asked about Hicks’s Black Bear, and Gagnor explained that he had sent Little Black out of the desert before Old Scar left.

Gagnor arrived in Akes City, bought a house in the Mage District, and went to the Bainauh Hall Opera House to deliver Amairo’s letter to Hibel. The attendant identified Hibel as an illusionist and agreed to take Gagnor to see her.

• Gagnor reached Akes City with Dalis and his guard owl, then traveled from the Lower East Gate to the Mage District.
• Gagnor decided to settle in Akes City and bought a secluded house near the eastern city wall for eight hundred gold coins.
• Gagnor went to the Bainauh Hall Opera House to deliver the letter Amairo had entrusted to him.
• An attendant identified Hibel as an illusionist and questioned Gagnor about the letter and Amairo.
• Gagnor explained that Amairo was dead and swore the story was true, so the attendant took him to see Hibel.