Chapter Summaries

Locke witnessed Sith accuse Esther of betraying Golden Crown Mountain and manipulating Zalan Bailey, while Lana revealed that Esther had been Rose Witch’s planted disciple for centuries. The chapter ended with Witch Catherine and Rose Witch confronting each other as their Throne-class magic clashed over Esther.

• Lana demanded that Sith let Esther leave for the Rose Council, but Sith accused Esther of sabotaging Golden Crown Mountain and turning Zalan Bailey against Locke.
• Lana revealed Esther’s history as Rose Witch’s disciple, explaining that Rose Witch had sent her to Golden Crown Mountain to infiltrate Witch Catherine’s circle.
• Esther declared her loyalty to the Rose Council and disclosed that Rose Witch had placed her inside Golden Crown Mountain to advance their rival Ten-Person Plan project.
• Esther said the new Energy-Locking Structures from Group 2 could benefit both Witch Catherine and Rose Witch, leaving Locke uncertain about the true nature of the schemes.
• Third-Ring Magic Pressure appeared, and Esther feared that Witch Catherine had discovered her betrayal.
• A Dragon-Viewing Peach King descended to suppress Esther and the Rose Council Wizards, but Rose Witch’s magic met Witch Catherine’s as the two Thrones confronted each other.

During the clash between Witch Catherine and the Rose Witch, the World's End-level magic pressure triggered Locke’s incomplete Demon Dragon Bloodline to devour his Sun-Herding Dragon Bloodline, but the transformation stalled just short of reaching the Second Ring. Team Leader Celt then attacked the weakened Locke, and his vetiver sword began piercing toward Locke’s dragon heart.

• Peach Mountain and Rose Wind collided, creating immense magic pressure that Locke recognized as a clash of Plane Principles between two Third-Ring spells.
• The World's End aura stirred Locke’s incomplete Demon Dragon Bloodline, which began devouring his Sun-Herding Dragon Bloodline and transforming him into a World-Destroying Demon Dragon.
• The Rose Witch commented on Locke’s unusual bloodline and mocked Esther, while Witch Catherine stayed silent to conceal Locke’s identity and let his transformation continue.
• Locke realized his Demon Dragon Bloodline was still short of Second-Ring completion and considered using nearby dragons as fuel, but judged the Wyverns too weak.
• Team Leader Celt approached Locke to avenge his humiliation and hunt the dragon, using Woodland Divine Soldiers to stab through Locke’s scales and toward his heart.

Locke’s incomplete Demon Dragon Bloodline triggered a Vortex Wind shackle that began destroying his body and magic, but he diverted the wind into Team Leader Celt’s Great Magic and found a chance to survive. When the Death God Dragon approached, Locke realized it meant to eat him and fought back by burrowing into its body.

• Locke’s body was torn apart by Vortex Wind, and he discovered that a bloodline shackle in his Sea of Consciousness was attacking his Demon Dragon Bloodline and Spell Model.
• Witch Catherine refused to spare Esther, while the Rose Witch tried to persuade Esther to leave with her and revealed her interest in Esther’s Tree-Ring Studies expertise.
• Witch Lana identified Locke’s black wind as Vortex Wind, and Wizard Sith realized that Celt had been caught in it.
• Locke clung to Team Leader Celt and redirected much of the Vortex Wind into Celt’s Serene Grassland, where Celt converted it into Condensed Spiritual Breath Soil.
• The Death God Dragon flew toward Locke, but Locke realized it intended to eat him, used Burning to Ashes to regain strength, and burrowed into its tail.

Locke completed his evolution into a Second-Ring World-Destroying Demon Dragon by devouring the Death God Dragon and its parasites, but the Black Sun Tower’s prophecy tried to sever his path. He broke the prophecy by summoning wizards from the past through Historical Reenactment, though Black Wizards decided he must eventually be eliminated.

• Locke devoured the Death God Dragon’s flesh and parasites while Captain Celt fought the creatures attacking them inside its body.
• Locke swallowed Captain Celt’s Dragon-Nurturing Grass and completed his evolution into a Second-Ring World-Destroying Demon Dragon.
• The Black Sun Tower activated a hidden failsafe that began reversing Locke’s bloodline evolution and presented him with a severed path.
• Locke used Historical Reenactment to summon wizards from the past, fulfilling the prophecy’s remaining condition and restoring the path.
• Black Wizards beneath the black sun noticed Locke’s breakthrough and resolved to eliminate him, though they chose to let him live for now.

Locke completed his Second-Ring Demon Dragon transformation, survived Black Sun Tower’s hidden bloodline curse, and watched Witch Catherine kill Witch Esther. Rose Witch then turned Locke into a flower, leaving his fate uncertain.

• Locke realized Black Sun Tower had sealed the Demon Dragon Bloodline at several points and resolved to investigate its secrets despite the dangers.
• Death God Dragon sensed Locke’s True Dragon might, flung Locke and Team Leader Celt from its tail, and fled.
• Locke discovered that black insects were devouring his Demon Dragon Bloodline, but believed they could destroy only his dragon body, not his soul or Spell Models.
• Witch Catherine used [Return to Youth] to reduce Witch Esther to a powerless little girl, then killed her with a slash to the throat.
• Rose Witch appeared before Locke and used [Turning People into Flowers], transforming his dragon body into a blood-red Demon Dragon Rose.

After Esther Witch died in the Giant Dragon Mountains, Witch Catherine gave Locke the Demon Dragon Rose, which let him use the abilities of his dragon form. She revealed that Esther had been a spy sent by the Rose Witch, then explained that Locke’s wizard-shoe business was already entangled in the conflict between their factions.

• The Rose Witch took Esther Witch’s body to the Rose Council and gave the Demon Dragon Rose to Sith Wizard, while Witch Catherine demanded compensation and arranged for Esther to be honored as a Golden Crown Mountain martyr.
• Bolikeli Wizard left to report Esther’s death, and he realized Witch Catherine’s funeral decision would protect Esther’s student faction and grant it influence.
• Witch Catherine told Sith Wizard to address the damage in the Dune Plane, then met Locke and gave him the Demon Dragon Rose.
• Locke bonded with the Demon Dragon Rose, wore it as armor, and demonstrated that it could grant him Demon Dragon breath and flight.
• Witch Catherine told Locke that Esther had been a spy for the Rose Witch, leaving him confused about Esther’s death and his teacher’s hidden dealings.
• Witch Catherine explained that Locke’s wizard-shoe rivals belonged to the Rose Witch’s faction and that, as a Second-Ring Wizard, he would be drawn into academic faction struggles.

Witch Catherine explained why Second-Ring Wizards needed to prove their research was original and offered Locke a subproject tied to her Wedding Ring project. She revealed her dispute with the Rose Witch over what Wedding Rings should do, then asked Locke to complete two tasks and help test whether the rings could turn his two forms of Great Magic into an advantage.

• Witch Catherine explained that Second-Ring Wizards had to prove their work was original and that Locke would need to compete for Special-Grade Funding.
• Locke realized that taking a subproject under Witch Catherine’s Key Individual Project Plan would involve him in her academic dispute with the Rose Witch, and Witch Catherine agreed to consider him for one.
• Witch Catherine showed Locke a peach-wood ring that connected their Great Magic before it burned, then explained her Wedding Ring research and her disagreement with the Rose Witch over the rings’ purpose and definition.
• Witch Catherine offered Locke the subproject if he created at least three popular second-ring Wizard’s Shoe designs, built his Shop Alliance into a second-tier Wizard Shoes Shop Alliance, and helped test two Wedding Ring prototypes.
• Witch Catherine said the experiment might let Locke develop both of his Great Magic forms at once, and Locke agreed to help.

After becoming a Second-Ring Wizard, Locke received new tasks from Witch Catherine and learned about avatar magic, the heavy Wizard Council tax, and the benefits and labor-service options available to Second-Ring Wizards. He considered returning to his hometown and advancing his career, while planning to complete his current projects and investigate plane development.

• Witch Catherine gave Locke two Test Rings and asked him to use them with the Peachheart Curse and Demon Dragon Bloodline to help develop Magic Wedding Rings.
• Locke returned to the carriage, realized how slowly mana improved at the Second-Ring Stage, and learned from Wizard Chad about avatar magic and its costs and uses.
• Locke considered returning to Corfu Island World, reviewed recruitment offers from Wizard Universities, and decided to wait for better opportunities while continuing his work at Golden Crown Mountain Truth Institute.
• Locke discovered that Second-Ring Wizards owed three million Magic Stones in annual Wizard Tax and could substitute labor service if they could not pay.
• Locke reviewed the Wizard Council's benefits, including an annual mana potion, access to the Forbidden Library, and patent protection, and considered joining the Plane Development Plan.

Locke welcomed Williams after she became a Formal Wizard, gave her a Jadewater Peach, and discussed her upcoming teaching post at Magic-Communion Peach Garden Academy. Meanwhile, the Rose Witch revived Esther and revealed the plan to restore much of her power before assigning her granddaughter a task involving the Wizard's Shoe.

• Locke returned to Golden Crown Mountain and congratulated Williams on becoming a Formal Wizard, while revealing that he had advanced to Second-Ring Wizard.
• Williams gave Locke a wand, and Locke celebrated her achievement by giving her a Jadewater Peach and adding her as a friend in the Water Gourd System.
• Williams told Locke she would leave in about a week to teach at Magic-Communion Peach Garden Academy, and Locke encouraged her.
• The Rose Witch summoned Esther back to life and explained how Esther’s Treant incarnation could restore most of her lost power.
• The Rose Witch asked her granddaughter what she thought of Witch Catherine and said she had a task for her involving the Wizard's Shoe.

Rose Tacitus received the Rose Witch’s assignment to curb Locke Augustine’s wizard-shoe alliance, while the Rose Witch prepared to attend Locke’s Second-Ring celebration at Golden Crown Mountain. Locke celebrated his advancement with Wizard Daniel, who discussed his ambitions to study breeding at Magdeburg and offered a spiritual mist component for Locke’s wizard shoes.

• The Rose Witch tasked Rose Tacitus with uniting Solas Barefoot and Meraki Magicstep and keeping Locke Augustine’s shop alliance and Augustus Wizard Shoes at third-rate status.
• The Rose Witch had Witch Esther force-ripen a Silver-Ring Tribulation Peach and planned to visit Golden Crown Mountain for the banquet celebrating Witch Catherine’s closing disciple.
• Locke met Wizard Daniel in his dormitory after advancing to the Second Ring, and they celebrated with Wizard Wine.
• Wizard Daniel said he hoped to attend Magdeburg, the leading breeder university in the Thunder Marsh Lowland, rather than pursue the Starfield Sea.
• Wizard Daniel showed Locke a spiritual mist that could improve the Great Snowpeak Wizard Shoes and offered to help him find a part-time job.

After earning sixteen million Magic Stones from his Silent Grail victory, Locke weighed his growing expenses and rejected a persistent investor before accepting Witch Georgina’s friend request. He learned about New Weaving’s way of borrowing Second-Ring power, noticed its hidden risks, and considered Boniface University’s offer to commission Magic Plants that produced specialized fibers.

• Locke found that expanded sales territories had boosted his wizard-shoe and Magic Plant earnings to sixteen million Magic Stones, while his Wizard Taxes and future planar development would remain costly.
• Locke researched Sherry Owen, rejected his offer to invest in the Shop Alliance, and blacklisted him because he did not understand the business and considered Sherry’s affiliations sensitive.
• Locke accepted Witch Georgina’s friend request and learned that she and Wizard Edgar had become Second-Ring Wizards after the Silent Grail Competition.
• Georgina explained that New Weaving could simulate Second-Ring power through the Heavenly Garment Rainbow Hunt Spell, and Locke sensed that the technique could distort Great Magic and leave hidden dangers.
• Georgina conveyed Boniface University’s offer to commission Locke to develop Magic Plants producing fibers for New Weaving, and Locke asked to see the Sun-Ring laboratory director’s proposal.

Locke accepted Boniface University's offer to improve the Black Swan Pineapple for fibers that could resist the Styx River, while New Weaving planned to build a partnership with him. As Solas Barefoot struggled with the damage to its business and share price, its Moon-Ring supervisor tried to shift blame for the failed plot against Locke onto his subordinates.

• Locke reviewed Boniface University's contract and agreed to meet Witch Georgina at the Witch's Kitchen to sign it after Witch Catherine confirmed that the cooperation would not bypass his Academy.
• Witch Georgina told Heraclitus that Locke had agreed, and Heraclitus explained that New Weaving wanted long-term partnerships with Breeders as it prepared to compete for the lower-level market.
• Locke saw that the share prices of Solas Barefoot and Meraki Magicstep had fallen, then decided to look for a clone spell at Golden Crown Mountain's library.
• At Solas Barefoot's technical seminar, the Moon-Ring supervisor blamed the Crisis Preprocessing Department for failing to anticipate Locke's rise and the damage to the Shop Alliance.
• The Moon-Ring supervisor turned his attention to the production supervision chief, who had helped order Witch Jessie to kill Locke, while the other wizards remained silent or supported the blame-shifting.

Locke explored the Second-Ring free area of the Golden Crown Mountain Library and met Troll Wizard Ackerman, whose memories revealed the ancient origin of Corfu Island and raised questions about the suppression of Archaeology in White Wizard society. After Ackerman recommended several books, Locke found Treant-based doppelgänger spells and a potion formula that could create a powerful, memory-sharing duplicate.

• Locke entered the Second-Ring free area and met Ackerman, a Second-Ring General Studies Wizard from Troll World.
• Ackerman used his Memory City spell to recall that Corfu Island had formed during an ancient battle against a Third-Ring extraterrestrial life-form in the Pureblood Human Era.
• Locke wondered whether a hidden force was suppressing Archaeology in White Wizard society after Ackerman remarked on the field’s scarcity.
• Ackerman gave Locke a list of recommended doppelgänger books, and Locke found two Treant-based spells and a Doppelgänger Potion formula.
• Locke learned that the potion required fresh Reincarnation Blood from a Third-Ring Wizard and created a Second-Ring-strength duplicate that shared its user’s memories and experience.

Locke failed three times to refine the Second-Ring Doppelgänger Potion and realized that advancing as a Potion Master would require further practice and investigation. He instead completed the Ancient Tree Fruit Clone Method, creating a clone to return to the Southeastern Corner Region.

• Locke became a guest researcher at Boniface University's New Weaving Academy and obtained Antoine's blood to attempt the Doppelgänger Potion.
• Locke's first two potion attempts produced poisonous black paste, and he used the Reverse Refinement Method to recover Antoine's blood from the waste.
• After a third failure, Locke decided to practice with cheap materials and research the process, while Antoine suspected he had reached the Second-Ring Potion bottleneck.
• Locke fed potion waste to the Obelisk Stone Demon, which grew stronger, and used Elemental Offering to support his Second-Ring Life Ancient Tree and fragile demiplane.
• Locke performed the Ancient Tree Fruit Clone Method over several weeks, and a fruit from the Life Ancient Tree produced a clone resembling him.

Locke created an Ancient Tree Fruit Doppelgänger and examined Pinellia, the powerful Second-Ring magic plant the Silent Witch had given him. After weighing the costs of his plans, he contacted Sophia Witch about her unstable Magic Pressure and learned she had gone to take the grand examination.

• Locke created an Ancient Tree Fruit Doppelgänger and used the No-Thought state to confirm that both bodies shared his identity.
• Locke opened the Silent Witch’s magic box, discovered the Second-Ring magic plant Pinellia, and tested its scorching Summer Magic.
• Locke considered learning Pinellia’s specialized spell and expanding his half-plane, but decided to focus first on earning money by selling more Wizard Shoes.
• Locke contacted Sophia Witch after noticing her Clover Ring’s unstable Magic Pressure, but her senior apprentice-brother answered and said she had gone to take the grand examination.

Locke learned about the Starfield Sea Examination and received materials for an abandoned Evolutionary Science project from Witch Sophia’s senior. As his Ancient Tree Fruit clone traveled toward the Southeastern Corner Region, it discovered Black Wizards aboard the airship, including Zoe, an old acquaintance.

• A Second-Ring Wizard from the Starfield Sea explained the examination, its entry requirements, and the political dispute over First-Ring Wizards’ tax exemption to Locke.
• Locke learned Witch Sophia had gone to take the examination and that her senior had passed along his congratulations on Locke becoming a Second-Ring Wizard.
• Sophia’s senior sent Locke materials for their abandoned project to use Magic Plants to reverse-evolve Golden Dogtail Grass and Green Dogtail Grass into Golden Tassel Wheat.
• Locke reviewed the project and considered how his research and publications could help him qualify for the Starfield Sea Examination.
• Locke’s Ancient Tree Fruit clone boarded an airship to the Southeastern Corner Region, where it detected Black Wizards and recognized Zoe among them.

Locke exposed Witch Zoe’s escape schemes aboard the Void Battleship and demanded payment instead of arresting her. Zoe gave him sealing materials, spell books, and a map to a Pureblood Era wizard treasure in the Mortal Archipelago, then planned to pursue her own hidden goal.

• Witch Zoe realized Locke had detected her curse and escape plan, while Locke confronted her and Aini aboard the Void Battleship.
• Locke saw through Aini’s enchanted gecko and stopped the witches’ final attempt to escape.
• Witch Zoe offered Locke sealing spells and a useful magical item in exchange for permission to leave, and she gave him sealing materials and Purple Exile Path spell books.
• Witch Zoe gave Locke a map to a Second-Ring wizard’s treasure from the Pureblood Human Era, located in the Mortal Archipelago.
• Locke left with the treasure map, while Witch Zoe and Aini discussed finding the thing Zoe had been seeking.

Locke discovered that Root Realms support Second-Ring Wizards’ Great Magic and learned from Victoria Witch how they shape academic lineages and regional power. He asked her how to raise the plane level of the half-plane in his Cosmic Light Contact Lens so it could sustain a Second-Ring Magic Plant, and she agreed to consider a solution.

• Locke opened the Second-Ring Wizard treasure map and found that touching it revealed a single route, then stored it in his Cosmic Light Contact Lens.
• After Locke’s doppelgänger entered the Second Sky, its Botanical Magic lost about a fifth of its power, leading Locke to identify a Root Realm beneath his Great Magic.
• Victoria Witch explained that Root Realms form through the resonance of Second-Ring Wizards’ Great Magic and support matching magic, and Locke connected them to conflicts over academic resources and New Weaving’s bid to become a secondary discipline.
• Locke reasoned that the Root Realms helped drive the different development strategies and integration of Cloud Marsh Wetland, Thunder Marsh Lowland, and Rain-Marsh.
• Victoria Witch warned that a Second-Ring Magic Plant could drain a half-plane’s Imaginary Sea and collapse its Present World, then lent Locke a history book about the practice.
• Locke asked how to raise his half-plane’s level, and Victoria Witch said she would think of a solution.

Locke consulted Witch Victoria about the treasure map and how to upgrade his half-plane to grow Second-Ring Magic Plants. He chose a low-cost Elemental Conversion Pool installation over a permanent space-folding solution, and learned that Witch Catherine was holding a banquet to celebrate his advancement.

• Witch Victoria examined Locke's treasure map, explained its Pureblood Human Era origins, and advised him to verify its targets or seek help from a prophet or oathbreaker.
• Witch Victoria offered to fold Locke's half-plane using the Thousand-Fold Refinement Formation, but Locke judged the thirty-million-Magic-Stone project too costly.
• Witch Victoria proposed a cheaper Elemental Conversion Pool that could strengthen Locke's half-plane for ten years, and Locke accepted the plan.
• Locke gave Witch Victoria the contact lens linked to his half-plane so her Constructor crew could install the pool while concealing his information.
• Witch Victoria gave Locke an invitation to Witch Catherine's celebration banquet for his advancement to Second-Ring Wizard, scheduled for the following Wednesday.

Locke used his cultivation methods and the Synthesis Cube’s data to create Black Giant Hummingbird Pineapple Wizard Shoes that outperformed his previous design. Scarlett prepared to launch presales as Locke left to attend a banquet, while his lack of assistants continued to limit future designs.

• Locke cultivated and tested one hundred Giant Hummingbird Pineapples, then used the strongest Plant Factors to create the black version of the Wizard Shoes.
• Scarlett tested the shoes and found their performance about ten percent better than the Demon Realm Pineapple Wizard Shoes, making them potentially the best First-Ring shoes in the Cloud Marsh Wetland.
• Locke explained how his Moon Cultivation Method and Mana Resonance Cultivation Method let him identify strong Plant Factors quickly without assistants.
• Scarlett proposed launching the shoes through Arthas stores and opening presales, while urging Locke to apply for the Augustus Shop Alliance.
• Locke said he could not yet produce the Great Bloodwave Wizard Shoes because of the Imaginary Root’s cost and lacked students capable of designing other shoes.
• Scarlett agreed to arrange presales, and Locke left for the day’s banquet.