Chapter Summaries

Arro agreed to investigate a demonic tree tainted by Abyss Power after White Deer said it was still weak. As she led him through the forest, White Deer revealed that her companion White Cat had died and asked Arro to help her bear fruit after their task.

• White Deer told Arro that rampaging Abyss Monsters had driven creatures, including the Harpies, from their homes.
• Arro asked whether Abyss Power had tainted the demonic tree, and White Deer said it was young and weak enough for an Intermediate Wizard Apprentice to destroy.
• White Deer explained that a leopard had repeatedly stolen meat from the demonic tree, convincing Arro that it was not fully mature.
• Arro agreed to scout the demonic tree, and White Deer led him along a forest path toward it.
• White Deer told Arro that White Cat had died from Abyss Power after they sought the forest's help, then asked him to help her bear fruit.

Arro and White Deer discovered that a Demon Tree had grown into a huge predator by luring animals with Abyss-corrupted sprites. After assessing the tree and its surroundings, Arro left without attacking it.

• White Deer asked Arro to help save her kin, but he refused and led her toward the source of the Abyss Power.
• White Deer guided Arro to a rocky area beside the Demon Tree, where they could observe it from a distance.
• Arro and White Deer saw the enormous tree devouring animals and leaving their bones scattered across the ground.
• White Deer said the tree had grown dramatically in only two days, and Arro suspected it used another way to lure prey.
• White Deer spotted Abyss-corrupted sprites and explained that they bewitched nearby animals, providing the tree with enough nourishment to grow.
• Arro judged that few beasts remained nearby, compared the tree's size, and decided to leave.

Arro delayed his plan to destroy the Demon Tree, guided White Deer to the forest’s edge, and set out toward a human settlement. While resting at an abandoned Logging Camp, he defeated a Shadow Black Hand but nearly burned away the remains.

• Arro told White Deer he needed time to recover and prepare before destroying the Demon Tree, and warned her to stay hidden and keep animals away from it.
• White Deer guided Arro toward a human Gathering Place, then reluctantly returned to the forest after he left her at its edge.
• Arro reached an abandoned Logging Camp at dusk, found the surrounding terrain blocked by mountains, and decided to rest beside a boulder.
• A Shadow Black Hand reached out from Arro’s shadow, but Arro caught it and struck it with Solar Fist.
• Arro attempted a Fireball Spell, accidentally ignited his animal hide, and then extinguished the flames on the creature, leaving only a small lump of black gelatinous matter.
• Arro kept the burned remains, considering whether he could turn them into an artwork and sell them.

Arro found Peran Manor after surviving an encounter with a powerful Shadow Mosquito and approached it seeking shelter. Baron Claire accepted him as a traveler, and Arro entered the manor while recognizing that its young master was a Formal Knight.

• Arro suspected that a Shadow Mosquito had killed the workers at the abandoned Logging Camp and wondered whether a Shadow Realm exit had appeared nearby.
• Arro spotted a huge fire in the distance, made a torch, and followed the fields and dirt road to Peran Manor.
• The manor guards raised bows against Arro, who hid in the shadows and offered to leave until they called for Baron Claire.
• Baron Claire ordered the guards to lower their bows and open the gates, then stepped outside to meet Arro.
• Arro recognized Baron Claire as a Formal Knight and approached him, keeping his leopard-skin bundle and hidden Cross Longsword close.
• Arro explained that he had been lost in the forest for months, and Baron Claire invited him inside after noticing his noble's salute.

Arro arrived at Peran Manor and claimed he had killed a shadow, angering the Guards who had lost people to the monsters. Baron Claire challenged Arro to prove his strength, and launched an elbow strike at him.

• Arro entered Peran Manor and met its owner, Baron Claire, who offered ten Gold Coins for information about how to guard against the shadows.
• Arro said he had killed a shadow, prompting a furious Horse-Faced Man to accuse him of insulting the dead from the Logging Camp.
• Arro questioned why the Guards were angry with him, and Claire stepped in to challenge him to prove his strength.
• Arro refused to take out a weapon and warned Claire that he might hurt him.
• Claire activated the Knight's Breathing Technique and charged at Arro with a powerful elbow strike.

Arro deftly turned aside Claire’s armored charge, leaving the Baron eager to prove himself in a fair fight. Claire offered Arro ten Gold Coins if he defeated him, and Arro reconsidered his reluctance to draw his hidden sword.

• Claire charged Arro with a powerful elbow strike as the Guards cheered.
• Arro used the leopard skin to deflect the blow, then kicked Claire’s lower back and redirected his momentum until Claire stumbled to a stop.
• The Guards fell silent as Arro’s skillful evasion revealed that he had outmaneuvered Claire without Knight Training.
• Claire apologized for Bard’s disrespect and asked Arro to fight him fairly, having sensed the longsword hidden in the leopard skin.
• Claire promised Arro ten Gold Coins if he defeated him, and Arro was tempted by the reward.

Arro and Claire agreed to a duel over ten Gold Coins, with Claire losing if Arro struck his back armor three times and Arro losing if Claire’s weapon touched him. Arro left Claire blinded, then used two Trip Spells to knock him down, ending the clash with a Blazing Sword Technique attack.

• Arro revealed his Cross Longsword and asked Claire to define what counted as defeat.
• Arro and Claire agreed on conditions for the duel, then drew their weapons and faced off.
• Claire charged with his Black Iron Greatsword while Arro unleashed Solar Fist, blinding the onlookers and Claire.
• Arro used Body Flickering Technique to rush toward Claire as Claire swung wildly to defend himself.
• Arro cast two Trip Spells beneath Claire, causing him to fall and lose his grip on the greatsword.
• Arro used Blazing Sword Technique—Assassinate against Claire.

Arro defeated Baron Claire in a duel, revealed his wizard powers, and earned Claire’s respect and hospitality. After a restful night, Arro joined Claire for breakfast, where Claire began asking about Arro’s magic.

• Arro introduced himself as a wizard after defeating Claire, then demonstrated wind, fire, water, and earth magic to the manor’s Guards.
• Several Guards knelt before Arro, while Claire recognized his power and formally greeted him as a wizard.
• Claire invited Arro into the manor, where Arro slept soundly and woke to find clothes the Baron had tailored for him.
• A maid brought Arro to breakfast with Claire, who explained that his son Bevan had left after an argument.
• After breakfast, Claire began asking Arro about the magic he had displayed.

Arrow showed Claire the remains of a Shadow he had killed near the Logging Camp and offered to sell the worthless residue. When Claire hesitated over its price, Arrow offered to stay in the baron's territory and clear all the Shadows in exchange, and Claire accepted.

• Arrow told Claire he had killed only one Shadow near the Logging Camp and showed him its remains.
• Claire examined the black gel but admitted he had only three Gold Coins available in the manor.
• Arrow agreed to sell the residue and asked Claire for a place to stay in return for clearing all the Shadows.
• Claire accepted Arrow's offer.

Arro discussed Claire’s request to clear the Shadow Monsters from Peran Castle in exchange for using it as a residence. He agreed to inspect the castle, leaving Claire hopeful and Arro intent on judging the danger before committing further.

• Claire showed Arro a worn map of Peran Territory and explained that Peran Manor was not marked because it was not his original castle.
• Claire told Arro that Shadow Monsters had appeared in his former castle two years earlier, prompting Countess Ilinda to transfer him to Viscount Corey’s territory.
• Claire explained that he wanted to return and help Countess Ilinda before Saint Fernando invaded in the spring, and offered Arro the castle as a residence if he cleared its monsters.
• Arro weighed the risks and benefits, deciding that he could inspect the castle and pursue its Experience Points if the danger was manageable.
• Arro agreed to give Claire’s request a try, and Claire thanked him with relief.

Arro set out with Bard to scout the castle at Peran Territory, hoping to clear it and move in, but soldiers at a checkpoint seized their Scale-Horned Horses and revealed the danger facing the surrounding people. As a soldier prepared to kill a badly injured captive, Arro watched without yet intervening.

• Arro decided to use the clear weather to scout the castle, but Claire declined to guide him and sent Bard with two Scale-Horned Horses instead.
• On the journey, Arro learned from Bard that Scale-Horned Horses were costly war mounts and that ordinary horses had died during trouble in Peran Territory.
• Viscount Corey's soldiers stopped Arro and Bard at a checkpoint, accused them of carrying wartime contraband, and confiscated the horses.
• Arro inferred that Baron Claire wanted to reach his former territory, but monsters in a castle along the only route had blocked the way.
• A captive cried that the soldiers had killed his village, and the guards beat him while Arro stayed silent.
• A soldier reported that the injured captive was useless to bring back, and the checkpoint leader ordered him chopped up as another soldier raised his blade.

Arrow intervened when a logistics squad attacked a group of commoners, killing the soldiers and their Captain. After tending to an injured child, Arrow let the surviving commoners leave despite Bard’s warning that they might reveal what happened.

• Arrow broke a soldier’s arm and identified himself as a passerby, while the Captain decided to kill him and seize his possessions.
• Bard warned Arrow of an ambush, and Arrow killed the attacking soldier with a single sword strike.
• Arrow swiftly defeated the remaining soldiers as Bard fought and subdued the Captain.
• Arrow ordered Bard to kill the Captain, who claimed to be Viscount Corey’s lover, then Arrow confirmed his passerby identity.
• Arrow checked the injured child and allowed the commoners to leave, while Bard warned that they could spread news of the killings.

Arro decided to stop cooperating with Claire and told a soldier to inform Viscount Corey that a wizard had killed the men at the checkpoint and would now live at Peran Castle. After treating an injured child, Arro set out for Peran with Bard and learned the road passed around a Bottomless Pit.

• Arro had Bard set the injured child's bones and summoned the soldier he had injured earlier.
• Arro burned the dead soldiers' bodies with a fireball and told the soldier to tell Viscount Corey that a wizard had done it and would be living at Peran Castle.
• Arro ordered Bard to bring the child along as they continued toward Peran Territory.
• Bard explained that a Bottomless Pit and mountain ranges forced travelers to take a winding road to Peran Manor.
• Arro wondered whether he should visit the Bottomless Pit when he had time.

Arrow and Bard reached Peyran Town to investigate the Bottomless Pit, finding the ruined settlement and the still-standing Peran Castle. Meanwhile, Bosco outlined Owl Wizard Academy’s reforms and began preparing to escape the Power Core, intending to visit Jungle Home for Arrow.

• Arrow considered hunting Demonic Beasts near the Bottomless Pit while pursuing his goal of dealing with the Demon Tree.
• Bosco presented Owl Wizard Academy’s new six-grade system, Anomaly Space training rules, and plans to manage the academy’s resources.
• Bosco told the seven Formal Wizards that the academy had found enough Magic Stones to last twenty years and urged them to help restore its standing.
• Bosco told Lord Tides that he was wearing away the Magic Array and planned to visit Jungle Home once free, hoping he could still reach Arrow in time.
• Arrow and Bard rode through the burned ruins of Peyran Town and arrived at Peran Castle, whose damaged gates bore fresh marks likely left by Claire.

Arrow investigated the dangerous Peran Castle, discovered that Shadow Creatures had spread through its shadows, and entered the castle alone. Inside, he found an Anomaly Space Crevice and destroyed dozens of Shadow Creatures that were imitating him, then continued toward the staircase.

• Arrow used a Light Sphere to reveal and dissolve hidden Shadow Creatures beneath himself and Bard, then warned Bard to avoid shadows.
• Arrow sent Bard back to Peran Manor with the child and both Scale-Horned Horses before entering the castle alone.
• The castle dimmed and transformed as Arrow crossed inside, where he recognized an Anomaly Space Crevice and headed toward the staircase.
• A Shadow Monster began imitating Arrow and adapting to his Life Fluctuation, so Arrow struck back with Solar Fist.
• Arrow destroyed roughly fifty or sixty Shadow Creatures with Solar Fist and continued up the stairs.

Arro discovered that the staircase was filled with corpses turned into Shadow Puppets, then used his Blazing Greatsword to fight them. He ended the chapter charging into the horde with a powerful fire attack.

• Arro climbed the dark staircase with a Light Sphere and realized that the stairs themselves were likely being manipulated.
• He struck a step with his Blazing Greatsword, found a corpse hidden inside it, and fought off a hand that reached up from beneath his feet.
• Corpses began emerging from the steps, and Arro recognized them as Shadow Puppets whose weakness was Fire Element in the brain.
• Arro identified the puppets as victims of the same ferocious beast and rushed to cut them down with his flaming sword.
• Arro activated Charged Fire Blazing and unleashed the Blazing Greatsword’s flames against the advancing puppets.

Arro fought his way up the collapsing stairs, where he discovered an Adult Shadow Wolf and the undead Madam Peyran behind the Shadow Puppets. He killed them both and revealed that he was only a passing wizard, leaving the mystery of the Pendant and Madam Peyran’s death unresolved.

• Arro climbed the stairs while killing Shadow Puppets, then paused to recover after a wolf howl stopped the creatures and made the stairs retreat.
• Arro encountered an Adult Shadow Wolf and an undead woman who called him a divine emissary and identified the wolf as Death God Naye.
• Arro recognized the undead woman as likely Madam Peyran and learned that she considered the victims outside offerings arranged by the God of Destiny.
• Arro attacked without warning, tripped the Shadow Wolf as it tried to dodge, and cut off its head with his charged Blazing Greatsword.
• Madam Peyran tried to revive the Shadow Wolf, but Arro stabbed her and explained that he was a passing wizard and the supposed god was only a Shadow Wolf.

Arro watched the Undead Noblewoman’s Sacred Spirit Transformation end as swarming faces consumed her, then searched the castle for threats and valuables. He found no gold in the room Claire had reached, but discovered infantry armor that he could modify to restore much of his fighting strength.

• The Undead Noblewoman began Sacred Spirit Transformation, but soul fragments overwhelmed and devoured her while Arro dismantled the Shadow Wolves.
• Arro collected the damaged Wolf Head Pendant as the Shadow Different Dimension shattered, exposing surviving Shadow Creatures hiding in the castle’s shadows.
• Arro searched the second floor, finding mostly empty rooms, books with blank pages, and no monsters that threatened him.
• Arro followed Claire’s footsteps toward what he hoped was the treasury and found an armory instead.
• Arro realized he could modify the heavy infantry armor into a suit that would let him use Magic Strike Technique and regain much of his former strength.

Arro searched Peran Castle’s master bedroom, destroyed two Shadow Puppet bodies, and found money and Madam Peyran’s diary. The diary connected Viscount Corey to the Wolf Head Pendant and left Arro worried that the Viscount might come after him, so he decided to prepare by smelting the heavy armor.

• Arro found two incomplete Shadow Puppet bodies in the master bedroom and burned them with the Blazing Sword Technique, gaining experience.
• Arro searched the luxurious, freshly cleaned room and found bags of Silver Coins and damaged Gold Fragments, which he decided to keep.
• Arro discovered Madam Peyran’s diary and read about her resentment toward Claire and her fascination with Viscountess Corey.
• Arro connected the diary to Viscount Corey and worried that the Viscount might come to confront him after their earlier encounter.
• Arro decided not to flee or interfere in the Viscount’s affairs and began preparing to smelt the heavy armor.

Bard reported the checkpoint and the monsters around Peran Castle to Baron Claire, who decided to ride out and help Arro. Meanwhile, Arro began modifying Soldier Heavy Armor with the Fire Melting Stones from his spare Blazing Greatsword, prioritizing easier wear and heat dissipation.

• Bard told Baron Claire that Wizard Arro had rescued an injured child and that they had fought Viscount Corey's logistics team at a checkpoint.
• Baron Claire questioned why the logistics team had established the checkpoint, and Bard began to suspect its captain had lied about being the viscount's lover.
• Bard reported that monsters still surrounded Peran Castle and that Arro had entered the area to confront them.
• Baron Claire ordered Bard to prepare his armor and a horse so he could go help Arro and leave Viscount Corey's territory as soon as possible.
• Arro dismantled the Fire Melting Stones from his spare Blazing Greatsword to fuel his work modifying Soldier Heavy Armor.
• Arro planned to leave the armor's limbs and chest intact, redesign its torso for quicker solo wear, and add heat dissipation.