Chapter Summaries

Olivia defused the confrontation between Keosius and Jennycis, and Keosius branded Jennycis with a mark that let him punish her if she betrayed his trust. Jennycis then finalized an alliance between the Empire and Mellward, leaving the Red Dragon’s court eager to end the meeting.

• Olivia apologized to Keosius on behalf of the Melvord Clan and explained that Jennycis had acted on her own.
• Jennycis accepted responsibility, and Keosius branded her and warned that he could burn her heart if she betrayed their cooperation.
• Olivia steered the discussion toward the alliance, and Jennycis offered three prime Silver Dragons, twelve adult Silver Dragons, and knowledge for fighting demons.
• Keosius approved the agreement and signed it with his full name, and Jennycis accepted the cooperation respectfully.

Keosius attended the Senate after awakening and heard the Empire’s leaders debate how to respond to Abyssal Devil attacks. He announced that a full-scale invasion of Anzeta would begin in one month and declared a new war.

• Lang Pu told the Senate that Keosius had awakened and summoned its members to hear about the Empire’s situation.
• Keosius arrived with Olivia and asked the Senate to discuss the Abyssal Devils, prompting Dolo to denounce their attacks and Lang Pu’s restrained policies.
• Misha warned that an invasion of the Abyss would be futile, while Lang Pu said the Empire should gather intelligence on Jezal Slack and prepare to fight.
• Keosius showed the Senate a prophecy depicting demons pouring through a rift at Mount Thierry and said they would invade Anzeta in one month.
• Keosius declared a new war, and the Senate members pledged, “For the Empire.”

As the Empire prepared for war against the demons, its citizens greeted the invasion with excitement, and Adroville Mellward was astonished by their enthusiasm. The chapter ended with soldiers heading to a military parade before deployment to the southern front.

• The Empire's newspapers announced Keosius's awakening, mobilization against the demons, and an upcoming military parade in Istaria City.
• Conquest Party members marched through the streets singing about killing demons, while Adroville Mellward marveled at the citizens' lack of fear.
• Jennycis silenced Adroville after he questioned whether Keosius was a god, then urged him to attend the parade.
• George prayed to Keosius for victory and military merit, then prepared to travel with his soldiers to the parade and their later deployment in southern Anzeta.

The Empire held a military parade to display its strength in the coming war against the demons, revealing its wyvern legion, armored Dragon Beasts, and newly built Steam Tanks. The spectacle culminated in Keosius’s arrival, leaving Adelovel awed and Jennycis visibly shaken as she watched the Red Dragon.

• Adelovel assessed the Bloodline Concentration and strength of Smaug and the Wyvern Legion as they flew over the parade field.
• The Terrestrial Dragon Beast Legion and twelve Steam Tanks named the Old Pal Class entered the field, astonishing the spectators.
• Adelovel recognized that the Empire’s forces rivaled the Holy Fadlan of old, while Jennycis anxiously awaited the Emperor’s appearance.
• The Ogre Artillery fired Firework Shells that formed a fiery path across the sky.
• Keosius appeared above the field, and the crowd praised him as Adelovel and Jennycis stared in awe.

Keosius proclaimed war on the Abyss and rallied the Empire’s vast forces and allies from across multiple planes. As the assembled armies gathered for the campaign, he prepared to take revenge on Jezal Slack.

• Keosius arrived atop the platform and declared that the Empire was going to war against the demons of the Abyss.
• Keosius’s speech stirred hundreds of thousands of Imperial citizens to cheer for the Empire and vow to kill demons.
• Legions from the Empire’s elemental, Underdark, and Beastlands colonies emerged through portals to join the campaign.
• Jennycis transformed into a Silver Dragon and flew to Keosius, while Adelovel and ten other Silver Dragons followed.
• Blue Dragons, Silver Dragons, beasts, undead, and other forces filled the assembly as Keosius wondered whether Jezal Slack was ready for his revenge.

Steamed Bun discovered that Erezege had announced Version 2.0, opening the entire Fei An Suo Continent, and watched its trailer. The trailer showed the fall of the Holy Fadlan Empire and the devastation that followed, ending with the Three Emperors' War underway.

• Steamed Bun saw the official announcement that Version 2.0 would unlock the Fei An Suo Continent and 314 Respawn Points.
• Steamed Bun watched a trailer depicting Aragon I attempting to replace the Sun God and destroying the Eternal Sun God Tower.
• The narrator declared that Aragon I's actions ended the Holy Fadlan Empire.
• The trailer showed the ruined Holy City and described the Three Emperors' War, as Thrace and Kassand fought over the Empire's legacy.

A promotional trailer introduced the warring factions and races of the Feanso Continent, then revealed demons invading the Anzeta Great Wasteland and the Empire’s forces gathering to fight them. Fired up by the spectacle, Steamed Bun entered the game when his pod’s button lit up.

• The trailer showed the collapse of Holy Fadlan and the conflicts among kingdoms, Divine Descendants, and other races across Feanso.
• It depicted the northern empire of Istaria, the fallen Mind Flayer empire, Tiamat’s Dragon Worship Cult, and demons emerging from the Abyss to invade Anzeta.
• At Istaria’s Military Exercise Field, the Empire assembled humans, other kin, elemental forces, undead, beasts, and dragons for a display of military power.
• Red declared that the Empire would bring fear to the demons and called for them to be crushed as the trailer announced Erezege—Clash of Kings.
• Steamed Bun was swept up in the crowd’s excitement, and he climbed into his game pod when the Enter Game button lit up.

Steamed Bun returned to Erezege as the Empire welcomed a huge influx of players, and he reunited with his Wyvern, Noodles. Keosius realized that roughly two million players had joined the Empire and ordered Mezhuolash to manage them and teach them the rules.

• Steamed Bun arrived at the Empire’s parade grounds, joined the players in cheering for Keosius, and greeted his Wyvern, Noodles.
• Steamed Bun mounted Noodles and flew over the newcomers, who mistook his mount’s name for a command they could use.
• More than one hundred thousand players filled the grounds, behaving chaotically as imperial citizens watched.
• Keosius estimated that around two million players would join the Empire and worried about the strain they would place on its society.
• Keosius summoned Mezhuolash and ordered him to manage the Starfallers and teach them the Empire’s rules.

The Imperial Senate discussed how to repel the Abyssal Devils, and Lang Pu revealed the Empire’s Imperial Wall and a plan to deploy two million Starfallers in the south. In Leo Village, Old White refused evacuation and watched the Starfallers arrive, leaving him stunned by their unruly behavior.

• Adelovel explained that demons were an endless, unnatural threat that could only be resisted by closing their portals and stopping their invasions.
• Lang Pu argued that the Empire’s firepower and Imperial Wall would counter the demons, then presented a plan to send two million Starfallers south.
• Keosius approved Lang Pu’s plan and looked toward the Anstika Archipelago with anticipation.
• Old White refused the Empire’s evacuation order and stayed in his home in Leo Village with his hunting firearm.
• Hundreds of Starfallers rushed into the village, and Old White was astonished by their strange appearance and behavior.

Lonely as Snow and the newly arrived players prepared to fight the demon invasion while players ransacked Leo Village and Old White unknowingly encountered a Vrock in the forest. Old White lured the demon back to the village, where hundreds of players opened fire, and he died as the battle began.

• Lonely as Snow reviewed the demon-killing quest rewards and decided the danger was worth the contribution and money.
• Players looted Leo Village and then eagerly accepted chores from Old White, believing he was a hidden master giving out quests.
• Old White hunted in the forest, where he found corrupted crows and encountered a Vrock that chased him toward the village.
• Old White reached Leo Village and warned the players, who rushed out to fight the Vrock for its rewards.
• The players fired a barrage at the Vrock as Old White died, beginning the battle between the players and the demon.

Players battled a Vrock that terrorized their village with its shrieks, poisonous spores, and swarms of corrupted birds. Lonely as Snow trapped the demon with a Dragon Vein Chain and killed it with a 40mm shotgun, leaving the players to claim their rewards.

• Players fired at the Vrock, but its shriek stunned many and it tore apart and devoured Lao Wang.
• The players reacted to Lao Wang’s death with jokes and photos, then resumed shooting the Vrock.
• The Vrock flew into the sky, spread poisonous mist, summoned corrupted birds, and dove toward a player who had wounded it.
• Lonely as Snow revealed he had resisted the Vrock’s control, trapped it with a Dragon Vein Chain, and blocked its attack with his armor.
• Lonely as Snow blasted the Vrock with his shotgun, dispersing the poison and killing the corrupted birds as players celebrated or lamented missing the reward.

Players across the Empire fought off invading demons, while Duke Mezhuolash confronted a Kyton attacking North Wind Fortress. He killed the demon after it slaughtered Tiefling Guards and terrorized civilians.

• Players surrounded and killed a Bargura Devil near Ander Village, while demons fell to players in other parts of the Empire.
• More than two million players formed a defensive line against the Abyssal Devil vanguard on the Savedra Plain, and players killed demons infiltrating towns and cities.
• A Kyton revealed itself in North Wind Fortress, mentally controlled the Tiefling Guards into killing themselves, and trapped hundreds of civilians in fear.
• Duke Mezhuolash arrived and resisted the Kyton's mental power with his Aura of Abhorrence.
• Mezhuolash weakened the Kyton with Oathbreaker spells, then killed it by driving his longsword through its heart.

Keosius saved passengers from a Bat-Winged Spider Devil as demons attacked across the Empire, while Lang Pu warned that the attacks were cover for a larger invasion. At Mount Thierry, Leo Bosk led a vast demon army into the North and vowed to destroy the Empire.

• A Bat-Winged Spider Devil derailed a train near Istaria City and began devouring its passengers.
• Keosius opened a Space Rift and crushed the demon with his giant claw, saving the survivors.
• Lang Pu reported that Imperial forces had nearly cleared the demons and suspected the attacks were meant to distract the Empire before an invasion.
• Keosius concluded that Jierlazarax had blocked his prophecies and anticipated the coming war.
• A vast demon army poured through a vortex above Mount Thierry, where Leo Bosk declared his return and vowed to destroy the North and the Empire.

As the Abyss Legion advanced on the Imperial Wall, Colonel George and the Empire’s defenders prepared for an unprecedented battle. George watched the enormous demon army approach and affirmed that the Empire would win.

• Imperial Marshal Dolo urged the troops to fight for victory as the Empire faced a series of demon attacks.
• George received a coded warning that his position might be among the first to face the demon onslaught and ordered his soldiers to remain vigilant.
• An adjutant reported that nearly all Starfaller outposts had fallen overnight and that the Abyss Legion was expected to reach the Imperial Wall imminently.
• George and the bunker’s soldiers saw a vast horde of demons advancing across the wilderness and blotting out the sky.
• Despite the soldiers’ doubts, George declared that the Empire would achieve victory as it always had.

At Dragon Scale Fortress, Dolo rejected Adelovel’s suggestion to retreat and ordered immediate saturation artillery fire against the Abyss Legion. As Leo Bosk led the demons north, the Empire’s shells tore through their ranks, and Leo realized the artillery could hurt even higher-ranking demons.

• Dolo surveyed the vast demonic army with Adelovel and refused to retreat or wait for reinforcements.
• Dolo rallied the officers’ loyalty to the Empire and ordered the messenger to begin saturation Fire Coverage.
• Leo Bosk led hundreds of thousands of demons northward, vowing to destroy the Imperial defenses and take revenge.
• Imperial artillery shells exploded among the demons, killing more than a hundred Quasits and engulfing the plain in fire.
• Leo trembled as he realized the artillery could affect higher-ranking demons.

Da Tou’s artillery legion slaughtered the advancing demons with experimental shells, but Leo sent Glabrezus to break through the bombardment. The demons who reached the defensive line ran into the Empire’s massive minefield.

• Da Tou ordered his artillerymen to bombard the demon legion with conventional and experimental shells, killing demons by the thousands.
• Leo threatened the Quasits and drove them forward despite the artillery fire.
• Leo ordered the Glabrezu legion to charge, and its armored fighters pushed through the bombardment.
• The advancing Glabrezus and Quasits triggered mines across the Empire’s vast minefield, suffering explosions and heavy casualties.

The Empire held its defenses against Leo Bosk’s demon legion with relentless artillery, Holy Water shells, and minefields, inflicting heavy losses without allowing the demons to advance. As night fell, Leo treated the battle as a way to exhaust the Empire’s ammunition and vowed to destroy Keosius.

• The Empire’s artillery fired Holy Water ammunition at the Glabrezus, killing many and forcing the survivors to retreat into the Magic Tide.
• Leo Bosk ordered the Quasits to charge, but artillery and mines killed wave after wave of demons as they crossed the battlefield.
• Iron Cavalry Devils attempted to charge through the defenses, but a tripwire triggered mines that destroyed the commander and the riders behind him.
• The Quasits tried to fly over the Imperial Wall’s defenses, but anti-aircraft guns shot them from the sky.
• The Empire’s bombardment continued through the day, while Leo used expendable demons to wear down its ammunition and vowed that Keosius would share the Empire’s fate.

As Shadow Demons infiltrated the Imperial Wall and possessed soldiers, Ingrid used her legendary light magic to destroy them and raise a radiant barrier against the approaching demons. She set aside her doubts about the Empire and prepared to defend the world from the Abyss.

• Shadow Demons slipped past the mines and reached the Imperial Wall, where some soldiers began showing signs of possession.
• Adelovel identified the demons and warned Dolo that they could possess soldiers and commanders.
• Ingrid arrived to assist under the Emperor's decree and used a burst of light to purify the possessed soldiers and destroy the Shadow Demons.
• Ingrid reflected on the Empire's rule and chose to focus on resisting the Abyss's invasion.
• Ingrid cast Wall of Light, forming a golden barrier that burned demons trying to cross it.

The demons battered the Imperial Wall with endless waves of expendable lesser demons, while George ordered his garrison to hold fire until the horde came within range. The machine guns drove the demons back, but a terrifying roar from afar left George expecting a larger threat.

• The Abyss Legion sent Primordial Devils and Quasits through artillery fire and minefields, advancing toward the Imperial Wall at enormous cost.
• George ordered the artillery to keep firing but held the machine-gun teams in reserve as the demons closed in.
• At six hundred meters, George commanded the soldiers to open fire, and machine guns cut down the front ranks of the Magic Tide.
• The demons retreated after the machine guns and artillery killed thousands, and the soldiers cheered for the Empire and His Majesty Keosius.
• George remained wary, and a powerful roar sounded from the distance.

A Slaughter Devil named Carl joined the demon legion’s assault on the Empire’s defensive line and proved nearly impervious to its weapons. George rallied the surviving defenders and players, but Carl tore through the troops and ended by discovering that the players it devoured had no souls.

• The Slaughter Devil emerged from the Spatial Rift, and the Kyton told Carl that Lord Jierlazarax needed its help.
• Carl charged toward the Imperial Wall with Gorebull Devils and the demon legion while Goat Devil Sorcerers covered the attackers in blood-red magic.
• Imperial guns battered Carl, but it deflected a cannon shell, leaped through the bombardment, and survived the explosions before using Blasphemous Words to overwhelm the soldiers with fear.
• George ordered the defenders to fire and sent the Ogre Shieldbearers forward, while players rushed out to attack Carl.
• Carl killed Ogre Shieldbearers and Wyverns with its claws, blades, and hooked tail, then impaled Dawei Tianlong and slaughtered players and soldiers.
• Carl swallowed several players and realized that its prey had no souls.