Chapter Summaries

George listened with his fellow factory workers as the Kingdom Morning News brought them news, jokes, and tales of citizens rewarded for reporting spies. After a long shift, he returned to his cramped basement lodging, still hoping that one day he might have a family and a home of his own in North Wind Fortress.

• Howard called George away from his station to listen to the newspaper being read aloud outside Da Tou's office.
• The workers heard reports about the kingdom and learned that two citizens had received Gold Coins, a home, and a dragonblood blessing for reporting Bosque Duchy spies.
• The workers laughed at a joke about a demon and a Rackman Dynasty priest, while George tried to follow the story closely.
• After working until night, George walked back to his crowded basement lodging and reflected on his difficult past and his hopes for a home and family.

Olivia, disguised in a robe, questioned George about life in North Wind Fortress while searching for information about Anher and the Red Dragon Keosius. George described how his life had improved under Keosius’s rule, leaving Olivia unsure how to oppose a ruler the people seemed to accept.

• Olivia stopped George in an alley, paid him Silver Coins, and asked about North Wind Fortress.
• George told Olivia that he had been a starving serf but now worked at a food processing plant and could eat his fill.
• George explained that the kingdom produced filling paste with magic and that workers had not starved the previous winter.
• George said Keosius was rumored to be sleeping and had not eaten anyone, then recited praise for the king from the Kingdom Daily News.
• Olivia reflected that Keosius’s rule had improved the serfs’ lives and asked George whether anyone was resisting him.

Olivia questioned George about surviving rebels and the hidden dungeon Talmor, while George mistook her for a spy and hurried to claim the bounty. As he reported finding a spy, a Nocturne agent appeared behind him and demanded to know what he had found.

• George suspected Olivia was a spy and imagined the rewards he could earn by reporting her.
• Olivia asked George about surviving rebels, and he told her that opponents of the kingdom were sent to the unknown dungeon Talmor.
• Olivia left the alley, determined to uncover what Anher had left behind and fulfill Anher's final wish.
• George went to a street bulletin board, activated the Blood-red Rune on a bounty notice, and reported that he had found a spy.
• A Nocturne agent appeared behind George and asked what he had found, and George stammered that he had found a spy.

Olivia was ambushed by Nocturne Vampires in a domain that suppressed magic and sealed teleportation. Wounded and exhausted, she escaped invisibly toward the outskirts of the city while more enemies closed in.

• Olivia sensed that the Weave was suppressed and space was sealed, then suspected that the human she had met might have alerted the evil dragons.
• Olivia used See Invisibility and Darkvision to reveal more than a dozen Vampires waiting in ambush.
• Olivia trapped some Vampires with Wall of Good and an ice wall, then blocked poisoned arrows with her enchanted robe.
• Olivia saw Hobgoblin Line Infantry, Ogres, and Wyverns approaching, but could not teleport out of the domain.
• Olivia bound and burned Vampires with Glitterdust Web, but one slipped through her defenses and stabbed her in the back.
• Olivia blasted the attacker away and fled invisibly toward the city's outskirts, bleeding from her wound.

Olivia escaped North Wind Fortress after the city’s defenses exposed her, then spotted Anher’s signal coming from the Iron Dragon Wing Palace. Though the signal suggested Anher might still be alive, she resolved to go there and honor her promise despite the danger of facing the Red Dragon.

• Lang Pu’s citywide lockdown forced Olivia to hide from patrols while treating her wounds and suppressing the Poison Mist.
• Olivia used Greater Invisibility to slip toward the south gate, but magical alarms exposed her and Hobgoblins and Wyverns attacked.
• Olivia transformed into a Silver Dragon, scattered her attackers with the force of her wings, and flew away from North Wind Fortress.
• After landing outside the city and returning to human form, Olivia saw a golden signal coming from the Iron Dragon Wing Palace and recognized it as the message Anher had promised.
• Olivia considered the danger of approaching the Red Dragon, then resolved to see her promise through and declared that she was not fighting alone.

Olivia entered the Red Dragon's palace to follow Anher's recorded message, hoping to fulfill his request. The message cut off before revealing its purpose, and an enormous, possibly ancient Red Dragon appeared and blocked her escape.

• Olivia entered the palace despite the oppressive danger and her weakened ability to cast spells.
• She followed Anher's recorded voice through a ruined corridor to a protected hall and found a red dragon scale.
• A Magic Image of Anher appeared and warned Olivia that this might be their last chance, but the recording abruptly ended.
• A massive Red Dragon with a blazing crystal embedded in its chest appeared behind Olivia and blocked the passage.
• The Red Dragon told Olivia it had been waiting for her.

Keosius defeated Olivia’s attempt to escape and trapped her in a magical binding array, demanding that she submit. As Olivia condemned his rule as evil, Keosius defended his conquest by claiming he had freed the North’s people from oppression.

• Olivia transformed into a silver dragon and challenged Keosius, who approached her despite her defiance.
• Olivia used enchanted runes and Crown of Stars to attack Keosius and flee, but he dispelled her magic and blocked her escape.
• Keosius seized Olivia, threw her aside, then pinned her down and bound her with the Wagnerd Dragon Binding Array.
• Olivia refused to submit, invoked her grandfather Oszedro, and demanded to know what Keosius had done to Anher.
• Keosius taunted Olivia by threatening her with the fate of the golden dragon, making her weep and curse him.
• Olivia accused Keosius of conquering and oppressing the North, while he argued that he had freed serfs, defeated vampires, and dismantled the old order.

Keosius challenged Olivia’s belief in justice and decided to keep her alive rather than reveal his identity and manipulate her. Tinia recognized Keosius in his red-dragon form and, jealous of Olivia, realized she wanted to suffer at her master’s hands herself.

• Olivia struggled to defend the dragon hunters, while Keosius argued that their leaders had enabled atrocities and that he had ended them.
• Olivia tearfully defended Anher and rejected Keosius’s claims, unaware that Keosius was the Golden Dragon she admired.
• Keosius abandoned his plan to reveal his identity and mentally control Olivia, deciding instead to keep her imprisoned unless she changed her attitude.
• Tinia entered the palace, recognized Keosius by their contract and his sulfur scent, and saw the injured Olivia bound at his feet.
• Tinia felt jealous of Olivia and decided that she wanted to be the one Keosius personally punished.

Keosius kept Olivia trapped in the Dragon Binding Array and urged her to serve the kingdom, while Tinia threatened her. As her strength dwindled, Olivia questioned whether Keosius was right and struggled with what that would mean for Anher’s death and her own convictions.

• Tinia entered the palace and praised Keosius, then tried to attack Olivia after Olivia insulted her.
• Keosius restrained Tinia and ordered her to obey him, leaving her to glare at Olivia from behind him.
• Keosius told Olivia that surrendering and using her magic for the kingdom would be more useful than fighting, but Olivia refused.
• Keosius left Olivia trapped in the array, which drained her Life Force while keeping her alive and unable to move.
• Olivia reconsidered Keosius’s arguments and wondered whether he was sincere, but feared that accepting his reasoning would erase the meaning of Anher’s death.
• Olivia questioned what she should do and closed her exhausted eyes.

Olivia remained trapped in the Iron Dragon Wing Palace until Anher appeared and explained how the Red Dragon had used his Dragon Binding Array to ensnare her. Anher promised to gather the resources needed to rescue her, leaving Olivia with renewed hope and resolve.

• Olivia heard someone approach and saw Anher enter the palace.
• Olivia questioned Anher about his disappearance and why she had been trapped, then recognized him as real when he apologized.
• Anher explained that the Red Dragon had discovered his plan, killed his allies, and turned the Dragon Binding Array into a trap for Olivia.
• Anher promised to rescue Olivia after gathering more resources, including money, Spell Scrolls, and help from Metallic Dragons.
• Olivia trusted Anher and shared her knowledge with him as they talked until the palace fell quiet again.

Keosius extracted a trove of treasure locations from Olivia and heard Lang Pu’s report on the Embers of the Burned Kingdom’s progress during his three-year sleep. He reviewed the kingdom’s planned merit-based noble system and prepared to move toward its award ceremony.

• Keosius dictated Olivia’s intelligence about hidden treasures to Lang Pu, including their locations and exact quantities.
• Lang Pu reported that the kingdom had grown to 470,000 citizens and developed factories, trade, and laws while suppressing rebellion.
• Keosius praised Lang Pu for advancing the kingdom and asked about the military merit nobility system and its award ceremony.
• Lang Pu presented the prepared ceremony plans, and Keosius’s system linked earned titles to stronger Dragon Vein ranks and rewards from the Red Dragon.

North Wind Fortress held an Awarding Ceremony as Keosius arrived with a vast dragon formation, overwhelming the gathered residents with his power and inspiring awe among his kin. Hidden resistance informant Faro Trischde watched in despair as Keosius proved far stronger than he had imagined.

• A newsboy announced that Keosius would personally bestow rewards at Central Square, drawing nearly twenty thousand residents to the ceremony.
• Tiefling Guards enclosed the altar while residents crowded together and argued as they waited for Keosius.
• Keosius arrived with Wyverns, Chimeras, and Tinia, then landed on the altar and released a powerful ripple that made the crowd bow.
• Dragon Vein Kin cheered Keosius, while humans watched with awe and unease.
• Faro Trischde recognized Keosius among the crowd and despaired at the Red Dragon's immense power.

At the Awarding Ceremony, Keosius used the kingdom’s new ranks to promote unity between monster kin and humans. The duke seats went to Lang Pu, Mezhuolash, and Dolo, while Darena’s appointment as a marchioness drew cheers from humans and angry challenges from monster kin.

• Keosius announced that anyone who contributed to the kingdom, regardless of origin, race, or alignment, could join the Great Blueprint and gain power and long life.
• Keosius raised stone platforms and awarded the three ducal seats to Lang Pu, Mezhuolash, and Dolo.
• Lang Pu read the list of marquises, naming Alger, Chimera, Gold Tooth, Smaug, and Darena among the candidates.
• Humans celebrated Darena’s appointment as a marchioness, while monster kin jeered and challenged her because they believed strength should determine rank.
• Darena accepted the position with a smile and privately regarded the angry monster kin as fools who failed to understand that Keosius’s will ruled the kingdom.

At the Awarding Ceremony, Keosius and Lang Pu recognized humans and monsters for their service to the Kingdom, granting noble titles and a new civic honor. George received First-Class Citizen status for reporting spies and, as the ceremony ended, felt devoted to the Kingdom and His Majesty.

• Guillermo Hagen received a title for his contributions to magical research and technology, while Keosius's presence kept the monsters' protests from becoming a disturbance.
• The ceremony awarded titles to commanders, officials, scholars, and craftsmen, including Anthony and Gilmore Sparrow, with humans and monsters sharing the honors.
• Lang Pu announced the new First-Class Citizen honor for citizens who had helped protect the Kingdom's security.
• George and the other people who had reported spies emerged under Tiefling Guards' protection, and George was recognized by former coworkers and lifted onto the platform.
• George clutched his medal, steadied himself, and looked forward to his new life with loyalty to the Kingdom and His Majesty.

Keosius bestowed the Progenitor Dragon’s bloodline power on the kingdom’s nobles, transforming them and strengthening their ranks in a public display of his authority. As the ceremony ended, the crowd seized on Faro Trischde’s panicked reaction and accused him of being a spy.

• Lang Pu reminded Keosius that the gift could begin, and Keosius released his dragon’s power before the assembled crowd.
• Keosius’s bloodline gift elevated the three dukes, raising Dolo to Level 12, Mezhuolash to Level 13, and Lang Pu to Level 15.
• Keosius extended the gift to seven marquises and twelve counts, causing recipients without dragon blood to undergo painful transformations and gain draconic features.
• The crowd witnessed the ceremony as a miracle, while Faro Trischde panicked at the display and wondered how it could be defeated.
• Several onlookers recognized Faro Trischde as a Harpers infiltrator, shouted for his capture, and hoped to earn First-Class Citizen status.

Three years after the Awarding Ceremony, Keosius prepared to unify the North before the Great Collapse, while Alger discovered demons in the Anstica Mountains. The chapter left Alger entering their cavern with his Dragon Vein Giant Eagle.

• Keosius publicized the Red Dragon’s awakening and planned to establish a new order and unify the North before the Great Collapse.
• Alger mapped another region of the Anstica Mountains during a routine patrol with Iger.
• Alger heard demonic cries and whispers in Zone 328, and his Demon Seeking scroll began to glow.
• Alger spotted Vrocks flying through the mountains and followed them to a cavern.
• Alger entered the cavern with his Eternally Burning Greatsword as the Demon Seeking scroll flashed and the giant eagle trembled.

Alger and Iger infiltrated Anstica's Mouth to gather intelligence, but demons discovered them and they barely escaped. In the cave, Koman Everfrost accepted more Abyssal power from Jezal Slack and vowed revenge on Keosius.

• Alger used Spell Scrolls to conceal himself and Iger as they entered Anstica's Mouth and found a cave filled with demons.
• Koman spotted the intruders, roused the demons, and threatened revenge on the Red Dragon.
• Alger and Iger dodged the demons and escaped the cave just before the Abyssal power caught them.
• Koman met with Jezal Slack through a prism and accepted the demon's power, which transformed his body.
• Koman's past was revealed: after the Red Dragon destroyed his tribe, he sought power in the Anstica Mountains and made a pact with Jezal Slack to prepare for revenge.

Keosius led an assault on the demon nest in Anstica’s Mouth, slaughtering hundreds of demons before confronting the Fallen Giant Koman. After Koman declared his revenge, Keosius did not recognize him, leaving Koman furious and humiliated.

• Keosius learned from Alger that a demon nest had formed in southwestern Anstica and ordered Lang Pu to prepare a Giant Dimensional Door.
• Koman accepted Jezal Slack’s encouragement and rallied the demons, vowing to destroy Keosius and everything he had.
• Keosius reached Anstica’s Mouth and blasted the cavern with fire and volcanic ash, driving out and killing its demons.
• Keosius charged into the fleeing horde and easily slaughtered hundreds of demons, including Glabrezus and Bargura Devils.
• Koman leaped at Keosius with his black spear, but Keosius evaded him and Koman’s attack struck the ground.
• Koman proclaimed his identity and revenge, but Keosius asked who he was, enraging Koman.

Koman attacked Keosius with the Abyss-powered Spear of Revenge, but the Red Dragon destroyed it and overwhelmed him. Just as Keosius was about to kill Koman, Lord Jezal Slack rescued the giant and restored him at a distance.

• Koman hurled the tracking Spear of Revenge at Keosius, who evaded it before turning himself into fire to let it pass.
• Keosius used an antimagic ray to shatter the spear and then tore open space to appear behind Koman.
• Keosius crushed Koman into the ground and prepared to finish him with blazing breath.
• Koman pleaded with Lord Jezal Slack, who teleported him away and restored his body before Keosius's attack could hit.
• Keosius noticed the rescue and restoration with surprise and interest.

Koman transformed into a newborn Balor and challenged Keosius, but the Red Dragon easily overpowered him. Keosius escaped into an Alternate Dimension before the Balor’s death triggered a massive explosion across the Anstica Mountains.

• Koman sacrificed his Frost Giant body to the Abyss and became a Balor seeking revenge on Keosius.
• Keosius seized the Balor’s flaming whip, absorbed his lightning, and repeatedly slammed him into the ground.
• The Balor tried to unleash Soul Drain, but Keosius’s Tiamat’s Terrifying Illusion wounded him and disrupted his attack.
• Keosius pierced the Balor’s chest with Maximized Flame Breath, destroying his heart.
• Keosius escaped into an Alternate Dimension as the dying Balor exploded, leveling half the hillside and spreading Abyssal fire.