Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ivette remains calm despite Doniel, Reese, and Cromwell’s concerns about her plan to confront the traffickers directly. She promises to retreat if necessary.
• Cromwell volunteers to accompany her upstairs and demonstrates his Water Ripple Flame technique. Ivette recognizes it as an inexpensive, mana-efficient beginner spell, but one with limited destructive power.
• Ivette agrees to his help on the condition that he stay several meters behind her and approach only when instructed.
• Doniel and Reese remain on the current floor, searching rooms and freeing captives with keys taken from defeated cyborg guards.
• Ivette examines the traffickers’ Anti-Magic Cuffs, recognizing them as advanced Spirit Vine Company technology based on material from the nearly impossible-to-reproduce Origin Source Tree.
• Ivette and Cromwell ascend the stairs but are detected by a physically wired surveillance camera. Because the stronghold is isolated from the internet, Ivette cannot hack into its security system.
• Two traffickers confront them, but Ivette instantly defeats them with lightning and destroys the camera.
• She revives one thug long enough to interrogate him about the stronghold. He reveals that the boss and senior traffickers occupy the top floors, while ordinary underlings live below and guard the exits.
• Cromwell identifies the two strongest figures as Dead Eye Bryce, the boss, and Black Sword Okasi, his second-in-command.
• Ivette deliberately moves slowly and remains visible to the cameras, intending to draw the traffickers toward her while keeping attention away from Doniel and Reese.
• By the end of the chapter, roughly ten armed underlings and several powerful cyborgs gather on the seventh floor, apparently preparing to confront her.

Character Developments

• Ivette / Miss Nameless: Displays extreme confidence, tactical intelligence, and overwhelming mastery of combat magic. She quickly assesses the strengths and weaknesses of spells and technology, defeats enemies effortlessly, and deliberately controls the enemy’s movements through deception.
• Cromwell: Reveals that he has combat training and intelligence-gathering experience from his undercover journalism. Although proud of his abilities and eager to prove himself useful to Ivette, he becomes increasingly frightened by her reckless-looking strategy and doubts his decision to accompany her.
• Doniel and Reese: Act as the support team, searching the floor and freeing prisoners while trusting Ivette’s leadership.
• The traffickers: Initially underestimate Ivette because of her appearance, sending only lightly armed underlings against her. Their confidence begins to shift once their guards disappear and surveillance is destroyed.

Significant Themes

• Confidence versus recklessness: Ivette’s calm certainty contrasts sharply with the others’ fear, leaving them unsure whether she is brilliantly confident or dangerously overconfident.
• Power and expertise: The chapter emphasizes the difference between basic, efficient magic and Ivette’s highly optimized combat techniques. Her technical knowledge allows her to judge spells and magical technology precisely.
• Strategy and misdirection: Ivette intentionally exposes herself to lure enemies out and protect the rescue operation, showing that her apparent carelessness is actually calculated.
• Technological control and vulnerability: The Anti-Magic Cuffs and surveillance network demonstrate the traffickers’ technological advantages, while the isolated, physical camera system also prevents them from being hacked remotely.
• Courage under pressure: Cromwell tries to act bravely, but the rapidly escalating danger exposes the limits of his confidence.

Character Interactions

• Doniel, Reese, and Cromwell challenge Ivette’s plan but ultimately defer to her authority as leader.
• Cromwell offers his assistance and seeks Ivette’s approval, hoping to earn her respect despite his limited combat power.
• Ivette gives Cromwell strict instructions to remain behind her, balancing his desire to help with her awareness of his limitations.
• Ivette interrogates a captured trafficker, using both intimidation and temporary healing to obtain information before killing him.
• Cromwell supplies intelligence about Bryce and Okasi, complementing Ivette’s magical skill with his prior investigative knowledge.
• As enemies converge, Cromwell’s growing panic contrasts with Ivette’s deliberate calm, setting up the impending confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “Black Sword” Okasi

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ivette enters a human-trafficking transfer center with Cromwell, disguising him among the traffickers so he will not be recognized.
• The traffickers surround Ivette, attracted by her beauty and unaware of her true strength. Their leader, “Black Sword” Okasi, appears with four heavily armed cyborgs.
• Okasi identifies himself and orders his men to capture Ivette, intending to sell her as a valuable mage—or possibly keep her for himself.
• Ivette unleashes a devastating spell combining lightning, fire, and wind. It kills all the surrounding lackeys instantly while Okasi and the cyborgs survive behind defensive barriers.
• The cyborgs attack with powerful fire-element weapons and spells, but Ivette remains completely unharmed after taking the attack directly with her Scarlet Armor.
• Although she appears calm and invincible, Ivette privately regrets wasting magic power by refusing to dodge merely to maintain an impressive, confident appearance.
• She summons an elemental lightning blade, intending to fight at close range to avoid damaging the building and harming the captives.
• Terrified by her overwhelming power, Okasi and the four cyborgs abandon the fight and flee toward the upper floors.
• Meanwhile, “Dead Eye” Bryce, the transfer center’s supervisor, remains in his office, assuming Okasi has easily defeated the intruder. He is unaware that the approaching footsteps are those of his panicked deputy and men.
• Bryce is introduced as an executive of the Ghost Hand Society, a powerful trafficking and criminal organization connected to regional governments and the Holy Spirit Cult.

Character Developments

• Ivette demonstrates overwhelming magical power, tactical restraint, and confidence in both ranged magic and close combat. However, she also recognizes her own recklessness and vanity after wasting magic power by deliberately enduring an attack.
• Cromwell becomes increasingly terrified of Ivette’s plan and strength. He expects her to be overwhelmed but is stunned when she effortlessly destroys the attackers.
• Okasi is initially arrogant and predatory, relying on his Bio-Armor, cyborg allies, and numerical advantage. Ivette’s attacks shatter his confidence, revealing that his apparent bravery is limited when faced with a superior opponent.
• Bryce is characterized as complacent, lecherous, and overconfident. He trusts Okasi’s reputation for caution and deception, completely misreading the situation.
• Dead Eye Bryce and Black Sword Okasi are established as important figures within the Ghost Hand Society, though both remain below the organization’s mysterious leader, the General.

Significant Themes

• Power versus arrogance: The traffickers mistake Ivette’s beauty and apparent lack of equipment for weakness, only to be destroyed instantly.
• Predation and exploitation: The traffickers view Ivette as merchandise, emphasizing the brutality and corruption of the trafficking operation.
• Appearance versus reality: Ivette looks vulnerable but is overwhelmingly powerful; Okasi appears formidable but flees when confronted with genuine danger.
• Confidence and self-awareness: Ivette’s victory is nearly effortless, but her internal criticism shows that she is aware of the danger of overconfidence and showmanship.
• Criminal power structures: The chapter broadens the setting by revealing the Ghost Hand Society’s extensive influence and connections to governments and religious forces.

Character Interactions

• Ivette silently directs Cromwell to keep his distance and remain disguised.
• The traffickers verbally objectify and threaten Ivette, treating her as a valuable captive rather than a person.
• Okasi confronts Ivette, attempts to capture her, and then orders an attack when she refuses to submit.
• Ivette responds first with overwhelming area magic and later with the threat of close combat, forcing Okasi and his allies to retreat.
• Bryce’s imagined interaction with Ivette is entirely one-sided: he assumes she will be delivered to him as a captive, highlighting his lust and ignorance of the unfolding crisis.

Chapter Summary: “Dead Eye” Bryce

Key Plot Points and Events

• Okasi retreats from Ivette after realizing he has less than a twenty percent chance of defeating her Lightning Blade and powerful defensive magic.
• He sends orders for the traffickers throughout the building to intercept her, but Ivette effortlessly kills them as she advances upstairs.
• Okasi reaches the top floor and warns his brother, “Dead Eye” Bryce, that Ivette possesses at least an A-rank defensive spell and a devastating area attack.
• Bryce activates the floor’s hidden defenses: automated casting units, gun-like weapons, defensive systems, and armed shuttlecraft equipped with invisible lasers.
• Confident in his technological and magical protections, Bryce waits for Ivette and attempts to question her identity and motives.
• Ivette confirms that he is “Dead Eye” Bryce, then immediately attacks. Her Lightning Blade shatters his expensive defensive force field, forcing his AI combat system to take control and narrowly evade her follow-up strikes.
• Bryce orders his forces to open fire. A concentrated barrage of bullets and magic temporarily pushes Ivette backward, though her Scarlet Armor prevents serious injury.
• Ivette responds by summoning numerous Rune Rings and unleashing a massive combination of fire, wind, lightning, frost, rock, and pulse-infused attacks.
• Her counterattack overwhelms the traffickers, destroys their inferior defensive equipment, kills several minor bosses, and turns Bryce’s supposedly impregnable fortress into a deathtrap.
• Bryce becomes frightened and confused, unable to understand how a single mage can produce firepower comparable to an entire assault squad.

Character Developments

• Okasi is revealed to be cautious rather than reckless. Recognizing Ivette’s overwhelming strength, he retreats and seeks reinforcements instead of fighting a battle he expects to lose.
• Dead Eye Bryce begins as a calculating and confident criminal leader who relies on defensive technology, cybernetics, and an AI combat system. His confidence collapses once Ivette destroys his defenses and overwhelms his forces.
• Ivette demonstrates overwhelming combat ability, combining powerful defensive magic, the Lightning Blade, physical enhancement through Muscle Unlimit, Scarlet Armor, and large-scale multi-element spellcasting. Her calm, almost casual advance contrasts sharply with the panic of her enemies.

Significant Themes

• Overconfidence versus overwhelming power: Bryce believes preparation and technology can compensate for any opponent, but Ivette’s abilities exceed his calculations.
• Technology and magic: Bryce combines cybernetic enhancements, AI, force fields, and automated weapons, while Ivette’s spellcasting proves more adaptable and destructive.
• Fear and misjudgment: Okasi correctly recognizes the danger, while Bryce initially dismisses Ivette as an inexperienced-looking girl. Her appearance sharply contrasts with her terrifying strength.
• The illusion of defensive security: Bryce’s heavily fortified headquarters offers no real protection once confronted by an opponent capable of breaking through its central defenses.
• The power of versatility: Ivette’s ability to shift from close combat to large-scale elemental attacks allows her to overcome the enemy’s concentrated fire and reverse the battle.

Character Interactions

• Okasi reports Ivette’s abilities to Bryce and persuades him to mobilize the entire defensive system.
• Bryce questions Ivette before the battle, but she answers only by confirming his identity and attacking without warning.
• Bryce’s forces coordinate their guns, magic, and automated weapons against Ivette, temporarily suppressing her movement.
• Ivette counters by unleashing a barrage that devastates the traffickers, leaving Bryce to watch in growing terror as his allies and defenses are destroyed.

Chapter Summary: “Ghost Claws”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ivette, revealed as an overwhelmingly powerful mage, survives and wins the battle that devastates the building’s top floor. The destruction is so extensive that the twelve-story building is effectively reduced to eleven stories.
• Dead Eye Bryce, badly injured and attempting to feign death, realizes Ivette was the only person responsible for defeating the traffickers. He is terrified by the discovery that she is likely the mysterious “Nameless” figure known for challenging the powerful corporation Scale Shedding Organism.
• Bryce tries to intimidate Ivette by invoking the authority of the Ghost Hand Society’s leader, the General. Ivette counters by explaining that she previously damaged Scale Shedding Organism and forced its founder, Old Selles, to apologize publicly—making clear that she has no reason to fear the General.
• Before Bryce can plead for legal protection or surrender, Ivette kills him with lightning. She then patrols the ruined floor and executes the remaining high-ranking traffickers who failed to escape.
• Several traffickers attempt to jump from the building, but Ivette secretly accelerates their falls with wind magic, ensuring that they die on impact.
• Ivette reunites with Cromwell, who is relieved to find her unharmed. Curious and acting on his reporter’s instincts, Cromwell explores the upper floor and is stunned to discover that the entire level has been destroyed.
• As Ivette and Cromwell descend to join Doniel, Reese, and the others, the stairwell suddenly transforms into a supernatural nightmare. Bloodshot eyes emerge from the walls, while countless translucent hands reach from the stairs and shadows to seize Ivette.
• Cromwell becomes paralyzed by fear and finds his spellcasting unnaturally sluggish. The ghostly hands appear to drag Ivette downward, but she continues walking effortlessly, demonstrating that they cannot overpower her.
• Ivette finally detects the hidden source of the phenomenon, snaps her fingers, and attacks it with lightning and fire. The distorted scene cracks apart like glass, ending the chapter on a mysterious supernatural threat.

Character Developments

• Ivette/Nameless: Her identity and reputation become clearer. She is not merely a skilled fighter but an immensely powerful, fearless mage capable of destroying an entire floor, defeating numerous armed cyborg traffickers, and resisting supernatural forces with ease. She also displays a ruthless approach to criminals, killing rather than permitting them to escape or surrender.
• Dead Eye Bryce: His confidence collapses as he recognizes that Ivette is far beyond the level of threat he initially imagined. His attempts to rely on the General’s reputation and on legal protection both fail, ending in his execution.
• Cromwell: His admiration and trust in Ivette deepen. He remains courageous enough to investigate the battlefield, but the supernatural ambush exposes his vulnerability and helplessness compared with Ivette’s overwhelming strength. His reporter instincts also remain central to his character.
• The General and Ghost Hand Society: Though the General never appears, Bryce’s fear of him establishes him as an important future antagonist. Ivette’s dismissal of his power suggests that the General may be influential but still far below the forces Ivette has already confronted.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming power and shattered assumptions: Bryce’s belief that one person cannot defeat an organized criminal force is destroyed by Ivette’s abilities. The ruined building physically reflects the collapse of his worldview.
• Justice versus mercy: Ivette presents herself as a righteous figure but shows little interest in due process, executing Bryce and other traffickers immediately. Her justice is direct, violent, and uncompromising.
• Fear of the unknown: The supernatural attack introduces a threat that even Cromwell cannot understand. The ghostly eyes and claws create a contrast between ordinary criminal violence and a far more mysterious danger.
• Public legend and hidden identity: Ivette’s connection to the name “Nameless” and her past confrontation with Scale Shedding Organism emphasize the growing gap between her outward appearance and her extraordinary reputation.
• Human helplessness versus absolute strength: Cromwell’s inability to act during the ambush highlights Ivette’s exceptional power, as the supposedly terrifying ghost claws cannot even slow her down.

Character Interactions

• Ivette and Bryce: Their confrontation is dominated by Bryce’s fear and Ivette’s calm interrogation. She dismantles his threats by comparing the General with the vastly more powerful Scale Shedding Organism, then kills him before he can bargain.
• Ivette and Cromwell: Cromwell is relieved and impressed by her victory, while Ivette remains composed and cooperative, allowing him to inspect the destruction. During the supernatural attack, he tries—though unsuccessfully—to warn and assist her.
• Ivette and the traffickers: Ivette treats the surviving criminals as threats to be eliminated, pursuing and killing those who remain while ensuring that fleeing jumpers do not survive.
• Cromwell and the supernatural force: Cromwell becomes the frightened observer of the ghostly assault, unable to speak or cast spells effectively, while Ivette remains unaffected and ultimately destroys the phenomenon.

Chapter Summary: “Inspiration”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Cromwell and Ivette survive an attack by a terrifying undead spirit. Cromwell experiences the entity as a horrifying apparition filled with eyes and ghostly hands, while Ivette perceives it only as vague, crude shapes.
• Ivette identifies the spirit’s true location and drives it away with spells. She explains that it was likely being controlled by someone rather than acting as a wandering undead.
• The spirit escapes because Ivette lacks specialized Soul or Light magic capable of quickly destroying spiritual entities. Fire and lightning can harm it, but only slowly.
• Cromwell worries that the Holy Spirit Cult will arrest them for encountering undead. Ivette explains that, in the Rustbone Free State, the cult is a legal and influential orthodox religion, so it is unlikely to cause trouble over the destruction of a human-trafficking operation.
• Cromwell asks how Ivette saw through the spirit’s illusions. Ivette realizes that her unusually powerful mental strength—developed through her “diligent sleeping”—makes soul-based attacks almost harmless to her.
• The pair reaches the prisoners’ quarters, where they reunite with Doniel, Reese, Doniel’s girlfriend, and the other rescued captives.
• Ivette counts eighteen rescued victims and immediately calculates that their rescue has earned her 1.8 million.
• She learns that another trafficking compound lies about a kilometer away and decides to eliminate it as well, both to rescue more victims and to earn more money.

Character Developments

• Ivette: Gains confidence in her resistance to mental and soul attacks. She realizes that her immense spiritual durability compensates for her lack of specialized Soul Magic knowledge. Her practical, reward-oriented attitude remains evident as she immediately calculates her payment and treats the second compound as another profitable mission.
• Cromwell: Becomes more grateful and admiring toward Ivette after she saves him. He is still frightened by supernatural threats and remains impressed by her seemingly effortless ability to detect the undead spirit.
• Doniel and Reese: Serve as organizers among the survivors and help reunite the rescued victims. Their relief and trust in Ivette deepen when she returns safely.
• The rescued victims: Shift from fearful tension to cautious joy and hope upon seeing Ivette and realizing they are free.

Significant Themes

• Perception and mental strength: The same supernatural attack appears vastly different to Cromwell and Ivette, emphasizing that spiritual resilience shapes how reality is experienced.
• Hidden power beneath ordinary behavior: Ivette’s sleep-centered lifestyle conceals extraordinary mental strength, allowing her to withstand attacks that would overwhelm others.
• Moral hypocrisy and political perspective: The Holy Spirit Cult is condemned as a cult internationally but regarded as righteous and legitimate within Rustbone, highlighting how “truth” and reputation depend on political context.
• Rescue mixed with self-interest: Ivette genuinely helps the captives, but she also views the mission through the practical lens of compensation and profit.
• Escalation and determination: Rather than stopping after one successful rescue, Ivette immediately commits to attacking the second compound.

Character Interactions

• Cromwell and Ivette discuss the undead attack, with Cromwell expressing gratitude and fear while Ivette offers a calm, analytical explanation.
• Cromwell admires Ivette’s ability to detect the spirit, though her vague answer leaves him unconvinced.
• Ivette reunites with Doniel and Reese, who introduce her to the rescued survivors and confirm that all eighteen victims are safe.
• The survivors react with excitement and relief upon meeting the mysterious “Miss Nameless.”
• Doniel, Reese, and the others are astonished—and slightly intimidated—when they realize Ivette intends to destroy another trafficking compound immediately.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Doniel asks Ivette (“Miss Nameless”) and Cromwell what happened during their confrontation with the traffickers upstairs. Ivette simply says that everyone was dealt with, while Cromwell cryptically describes the battle as “extremely perverse.”
• Outside the building, the survivors discover the grotesquely mangled remains of a cyborg. They initially assume Ivette threw him from the upper floor, but Cromwell reveals that the cyborg was so frightened by Ivette’s strength that he jumped to his death. This explains his description of the fight and leaves the survivors shocked by Ivette’s overwhelming power.
• Ivette leads the eighteen rescued victims toward another Light Security industrial park nearby. She hides them outside before entering the facility alone.
• The second industrial park is mysteriously deserted. Its lights, defense systems, coffee machines, and other signs of recent activity remain, but all personnel have vanished. The surveillance equipment and recording modules are also missing.
• Ivette enters the building, frees thirteen imprisoned victims, and gathers them in the central plaza. When questioned, most know nothing about the disappearance of the traffickers.
• One terrified young man claims that the traffickers may have transformed into monsters. He describes seeing a creature with multiple eyes, worm-like hair, and a face that opened into a huge, tooth-filled mouth.
• Ivette recognizes these features as resembling First Stage humanoid Mutants. She also notices that two supposedly imprisoned girls under ten are absent, leading her to suspect that they may actually be the creatures responsible for the disappearances.

Character Developments

• Ivette/Miss Nameless: Her calm, restrained demeanor contrasts sharply with her terrifying combat ability. Her strength is so intimidating that a cyborg supposedly kills himself by jumping from the building. She also demonstrates efficiency and compassion by rescuing additional victims and freeing them from restraints.
• Cromwell: He remains evasive and cryptic, frustrating the other survivors, but his explanation reveals how extraordinary and psychologically overwhelming Ivette’s victory was.
• Doniel and the survivors: Their initial concern for Ivette and Cromwell turns into awe and fear after seeing the cyborg’s remains. They begin to understand how dangerous and powerful Ivette truly is.
• The young male victim: Though traumatized and uncertain whether his memory was real, he provides the first major clue about the fate of the missing traffickers.
• The two “little girls”: Their unexplained absence becomes suspicious, and Ivette begins to suspect that they are actually Mutants rather than human victims.

Significant Themes

• The contrast between appearance and reality: Ivette looks like a gentle young woman, yet possesses terrifying combat power. The “children” may likewise be hiding monstrous identities.
• Fear as a weapon: Ivette’s strength causes the cyborg to panic and flee to his death, showing that terror can defeat an enemy before physical combat is even necessary.
• Humanity versus monstrosity: The chapter blurs the boundary between victims, traffickers, and monsters, raising questions about who is truly dangerous.
• Mystery and uncertainty: The empty facility, missing recordings, vanished traffickers, and the witness’s possibly dreamlike account all create uncertainty about what really happened.
• Rescue amid horror: Even in a grotesque and violent setting, Ivette’s actions protect the victims and offer them a chance at freedom.

Character Interactions

• Doniel questions Ivette and Cromwell about the earlier battle, while the other survivors look to Cromwell for an explanation.
• Cromwell’s vague answers irritate the group, but his revelation about the cyborg’s suicide leaves them speechless.
• Ivette separates from the eighteen survivors to investigate the second facility, then reunites with them after freeing thirteen more victims.
• Ivette interrogates the rescued prisoners about the missing traffickers, and the frightened young man describes the apparent Mutant.
• After hearing the description, Ivette silently connects the creature to the missing “little girls,” suggesting that the chapter’s apparent victims may have been the true monsters.

Chapter Summary: “Aftermath”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ivette reflects on the existence of the Witch of Finale and begins taking the apocalypse, the “Divine Molt,” and the “Corrosion Seed” much more seriously. She suspects that No. 0 and No. 1 may be connected to the Mutant outbreak and wonders whether No. 1 possesses the ability to create or control Mutants.
• She considers several frightening possibilities regarding her connection to the Witch of Finale: that she may have borrowed the witch’s power, received an evil god’s blessing, become an evil god herself, or serve as a vessel for its future descent.
• Ivette recalls information from Black Tower Pharmaceuticals’ imperial granddaughter, Aetherine Omega, who claimed that the Divine Molt had not escaped from Abyss Base and that the mutation originated in the sea. The escape of No. 0 and No. 1, along with other suspected Mutants, makes that claim appear potentially fraudulent.
• She reasons that the apocalypse may still be decades away, since it did not occur during the twenty-one years following the original owner’s involvement in the Metamorphosis Project. She also considers the possibility that No. 0 and No. 1 were later recaptured.
• Ivette leads the thirteen rescued victims out of the industrial park and gathers the eighteen people waiting outside, rescuing thirty-one people in total. The operation earns her a reward of 3.1 million credit points.
• The group travels by night to the New Eden Commonwealth border. At the border agency, Ivette meets Director Charlison Edward, who personally takes her statement because of the scale and importance of her actions.
• Ivette gives a heavily simplified account of the battle, claiming she used spells to eliminate traffickers who resisted. Charlison initially finds the story exaggerated but accepts it without probing into the source of her powers.
• After more than three hours of questioning, Ivette receives a passport with Charlison’s help and leaves immediately, returning toward the Fos River because she fears No. 0 and No. 1 may still be nearby.
• Later, officials review Cromwell’s footage and discover that Ivette’s understated account concealed an extremely violent and one-sided battle. She survived a Flame Cannon attack and destroyed the traffickers’ strongholds with overwhelming force, making the incident closer to an anti-terrorism operation than a normal rescue.
• Official reports and Cromwell’s footage spread throughout the New Eden Commonwealth. Ivette becomes widely known as the woman who destroyed two human-trafficking camps and rescued thirty-one victims.

Character Development

• Ivette becomes increasingly anxious and self-aware about her possible relationship to the Witch of Finale, the apocalypse, and the Mutant phenomenon. Despite these concerns, she remains practical, preparing herself for every possible outcome.
• Her calculating and opportunistic side is also shown when she looks at the rescued survivors as “walking stacks of cash,” focusing on the substantial reward from the mission.
• Ivette continues to protect her identity and abilities by giving officials a deliberately incomplete version of events and refusing publicity or photographs.
• Director Charlison is impressed by Ivette’s heroism and treats her with unusual respect, personally handling her statement and helping her obtain a passport.
• Cromwell’s recordings reveal the true magnitude of Ivette’s strength, correcting the officials’ initial underestimation of her.
• Miss Irene realizes that Ivette’s year-long disappearance was not personal avoidance but part of a carefully planned infiltration. She is amazed and relieved.
• Kaster is proud of Ivette but worries that her newfound fame and reputation may make his role as her intermediary unnecessary.
• The rescued victims, including Doniel and Reese, gain a clearer understanding of how extraordinary Ivette’s actions were after viewing the footage.

Significant Themes

• Hidden truth versus public narrative: Ivette’s modest statement contrasts sharply with the footage, showing how official accounts can conceal the real scale of events.
• Identity and secrecy: Ivette avoids fame, photos, and detailed explanations, preserving the mystery surrounding “Nameless” and protecting the secrets of her powers.
• Apocalyptic uncertainty: The chapter deepens questions about the origin of the apocalypse, the Divine Molt, the Mutants, and Ivette’s possible role in future catastrophe.
• Heroism and exploitation: Ivette performs an extraordinary rescue but also views the reward in financial terms, blending genuine effectiveness with mercenary pragmatism.
• Reputation as power: In the mercenary world, fame directly determines perceived strength and access to future work. Ivette’s reputation rises sharply despite her low official mercenary ranking.
• The limits of evidence: Without Cromwell’s recordings, authorities would have accepted a much smaller and less accurate version of the battle.

Character Interactions

• Ivette cooperates with Director Charlison during the official investigation while carefully concealing the truth about her combat abilities.
• Charlison admires Ivette’s accomplishments and attempts to encourage her to remain for media attention, but she refuses.
• Officials and agents react with shock when footage shows Ivette surviving devastating attacks and annihilating the traffickers.
• Doniel, Reese, and the other survivors come to appreciate the danger and scale of Ivette’s rescue.
• Irene reinterprets Ivette’s disappearance with admiration rather than hurt.
• Kaster worries that Ivette’s rising fame will reduce his importance in her career.
• The public and mercenary community elevate Nameless into a presumed top-tier mage, even though her actual abilities and identity remain unknown.

Chapter Summary

Plot Points and Events

• Ivette settles into a newly rented villa in downtown Fos River and hires cleaners rather than using wind magic to remove the accumulated dust.
• She checks the news and her messages, finding continued contact from Miss Irene, Kaster, and the mysterious Firekeeper of the Civilization Preservation Society.
• Ivette asks the Firekeeper about the Kuks Underground Base. For 100,000 credits, she learns that it was a joint federal government–Scale Shedding Organism research facility.
• The base housed the Sky Whale Project, an attempt to revive Ancient Giant Whales from the High-Magic Era and develop them as biological weapons against the Black Tide Federation’s Sea Demon Plan, which sought to revive Ancient Giant Squids.
• Both projects were abandoned after researchers concluded that creatures adapted to the ancient high-magic environment could not survive in the modern world. The Kuks facility was sealed, and the information was suppressed.
• Ivette discovers that the Sky Whale Project did produce frozen embryos of imitation organisms, though they were considered nearly impossible to hatch. This explains how the Mountain Whales connected to the Purple Commander may have originated.
• She asks about No. 0 and No. 1. The Firekeeper believes they went to Rustbone and hints that Ivette may already have discovered clues about them in Fos River.
• Ivette prioritizes finding the two girls over immediately seeking necromantic knowledge from the Holy Spirit Cult because they may hold answers about her own past and identity.
• She buries multiple time capsules in elevated, geologically stable areas around Fos River, anticipating that the city will be flooded after the apocalypse.
• Unable to locate No. 0 and No. 1 through Rune Hacker methods because of Fos River’s poor infrastructure, Ivette goes to Soulfire Church, the Holy Spirit Cult’s local headquarters, to gather information.
• Outside the church, she notices a familiar translucent face hovering above it. She concludes that the evil spirit from the human traffickers’ compound was connected to the Holy Spirit Cult.

Character Development

• Ivette becomes more proactive and strategic. She spends money on practical preparations, gathers classified intelligence, and plans for the post-apocalyptic future by hiding time capsules.
• Her investigation becomes increasingly personal: finding No. 0 and No. 1 is no longer merely an objective but a way to understand her own origin and identity.
• Ivette demonstrates growing awareness of the wider political and military history surrounding the Ancient Giant creatures, connecting the Sky Whale Project to the Mountain Whales she has encountered.
• The Firekeeper is established as a reliable but enigmatic information broker. His knowledge is extensive, while his cryptic comments suggest he is carefully observing Ivette and her discoveries.

Significant Themes

• Identity and self-knowledge: Ivette reflects on who she is, where she came from, and where she should go, emphasizing her unresolved past.
• The consequences of human ambition: The Sky Whale and Sea Demon projects represent governments’ reckless attempts to weaponize ancient creatures without understanding environmental limits.
• Suppressed history and hidden knowledge: Important information is sealed, censored, or accessible only through foreign networks, reinforcing the world’s atmosphere of secrecy.
• Preparation for catastrophe: Ivette’s time capsules and geological planning show the importance of preserving knowledge and resources against the coming apocalypse.
• The boundary between science and magic: Ancient monsters, biological experiments, Rune Hacking, and necromancy all suggest that modern civilization is trying to reproduce powers it only partially understands.

Character Interactions

• Ivette exchanges messages with the Firekeeper, bargaining for information about the Kuks base and the Sky Whale Project.
• The Firekeeper is surprised that Ivette knows about the embryos and subtly probes how much she has discovered.
• Their conversation confirms Ivette’s suspicions about the origin of the Mountain Whales and hints that No. 0 and No. 1 may be somewhere in Rustbone.
• Ivette’s final encounter is indirect: the translucent spirit above Soulfire Church links the Holy Spirit Cult to the earlier trafficking-compound incident and sets up her next investigation.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ivette visits Soulfire Church in Rustbone to gather intelligence about Necromancy and the Holy Spirit Cult.
• She studies the church’s layout, observes a mass, and identifies the presiding bishop as likely being a Soul Requiem Priest.
• The chapter explains the Holy Spirit Cult’s hierarchy, from deacons and priests to Soul Requiem Priests, Cycle Master Priests, Holy Envoys, and the Venerable Pontiff. The upper ranks are rumored to possess near-immortality and overwhelming Necromantic power.
• Ivette suspects the Soul Requiem Priest, Hoyle Corth, may have summoned the evil spirit she previously encountered. Since legitimate access to Necromancy seems impossible, she plans to infiltrate or rob the church during the final half month before leaving the dream.
• Before she can leave, a deacon stops her and invites her to meet Corth.
• Corth reveals that he wants to hire Ivette to investigate the mysterious “General,” leader of the Ghost Hand Society, a criminal organization connected to the human-trafficking gangs she recently destroyed.
• He offers one million digital coins for identifying the General and five million for killing him.
• Ivette questions Corth about the evil spirits. He denies involvement but admits he cannot prove his innocence.
• Corth then confesses that he suspects someone within the church—including possibly Soulfire Church itself—is secretly collaborating with the Ghost Hand Society. He warns Ivette to trust no one, even him.

Character Developments

• Ivette remains cautious, observant, and strategically minded. She carefully memorizes the church’s structure while hiding her true purpose and considers increasingly drastic methods of acquiring Necromantic knowledge.
• Her suspicion of Hoyle initially deepens because of his position and the evil spirit sightings, but his apparent sincerity and willingness to include himself among those she should distrust complicate her judgment.
• Hoyle Corth is introduced as an enthusiastic and apparently benevolent Soul Requiem Priest. He expresses gratitude for Ivette’s destruction of the trafficking bases and presents himself as too weak to handle the criminal threat alone.
• Corth’s admission that corruption may exist within his own church makes him appear both more honest and more suspicious, leaving his true allegiance uncertain.

Significant Themes

• Trust and deception: Ivette must determine whether Corth is genuinely seeking help or manipulating her to conceal his own involvement.
• Moral ambiguity: The Holy Spirit Cult is associated with terrifying Necromancers, yet Corth claims to oppose criminal exploitation and seeks justice against the Ghost Hand Society.
• Power and hierarchy: The detailed clerical structure emphasizes the vast difference between ordinary clergy and the near-mythical leaders of the cult.
• Intelligence and survival: Ivette relies on observation, planning, and controlled risk rather than direct confrontation, aware that attracting the attention of the cult’s highest authorities could be fatal.
• Hidden corruption: The possibility that the church itself has been infiltrated reflects the chapter’s atmosphere of uncertainty and concealed alliances.

Character Interactions

• A deacon politely interrupts Ivette’s departure and brings her to Corth.
• Corth greets Ivette warmly and praises her reputation, while Ivette responds with suspicion rather than friendliness.
• Their conversation shifts from misunderstanding over the earlier evil-spirit incident to Corth’s commission against the Ghost Hand Society.
• Ivette repeatedly tests Corth by asking about the spirits and demanding proof of his innocence.
• Corth’s final warning—that Ivette should distrust everyone, including him—establishes a tense, unresolved relationship between them.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ivette accepts Soul Requiem Priest Hoyle Corth’s commission to investigate the Ghost Hand Society and its mysterious leader, the “General,” who may be connected to human trafficking. The reward is five million, and Hoyle gives her two years to complete the task.
• Rather than investigate directly, Ivette hires several detective agencies to search the areas around two trafficking-related industrial parks while she conducts her own inquiry.
• In Dodan Town, locals refuse to discuss the Ghost Hand Society, but an elderly woman reveals that two strange young girls recently stayed there. During their visit, two local young men disappeared.
• Ivette concludes that the girls—identified as No. 0 and No. 1—have probably gone to neighboring Shalin Town.
• To observe them without altering the dream’s timeline, Ivette decides to disguise herself as No. 0’s long-lost older sister rather than reveal that she is No. 0 from the future.
• The narrative then shifts to Shalin Town during torrential rains. Liana Rene waits in an alley until Ivette returns by emerging from the mouth of a huge underground worm-like monster.
• Ivette reveals that she has killed people who insulted or mistreated Liana, including two young men in Dodan Town and a child in Shalin Town, feeding their bodies to the monsters.
• Liana confronts Ivette about her increasingly ruthless behavior and warns that she is losing herself in power. Their argument is interrupted when Ivette notices a visitor: the older-looking version of herself, whom she playfully presents to Liana as a “guest.”

Character Developments

• Ivette: She demonstrates patience and strategic thinking in accepting the commission, outsourcing part of the investigation, and carefully considering how to enter No. 0 and No. 1’s lives without corrupting the dream. At the same time, her actions reveal a disturbing moral decline: she kills casually and views such deaths as insignificant compared with the world’s population.
• Liana Rene: Liana is compassionate and morally grounded. Although she depends on Ivette and cares deeply for her, she is increasingly frightened by Ivette’s violence and attempts to persuade her to use their power for constructive purposes.
• No. 0/young Ivette: The younger version of Ivette appears affectionate toward Liana but cruel toward anyone she believes has harmed or insulted her. Her protective love has become possessive and violent.
• The older Ivette: By planning to pose as No. 0’s sister, she adopts the role of an observer who hopes to uncover the original Ivette’s true personality and history without influencing them.

Significant Themes

• Power and moral corruption: Ivette’s immense power has weakened her sense of the value of individual lives, while Liana fears that power is turning her into something monstrous.
• Protection versus violence: Ivette justifies murder as protection for Liana, creating tension between benevolent intentions and horrifying methods.
• The danger of altering the past: Ivette recognizes that revealing her true identity could change No. 0’s decisions and destroy the authenticity of the dream.
• Identity and self-observation: The older Ivette seeks to understand her own origins by observing a younger self from outside, blurring the boundaries between investigator, sister, and subject.
• Love and moral disagreement: Ivette and Liana clearly share deep affection, but their conflicting values threaten their relationship.

Character Interactions

• Ivette and Hoyle Corth: Their relationship begins as a professional arrangement. Ivette remains wary of Hoyle’s possible connection to the trafficking conspiracy but is persuaded by his apparent sincerity and generous reward.
• Ivette and the townspeople: Locals in Dodan Town remain silent about the trafficking network, but one elderly woman unintentionally provides Ivette with the clue leading her to Shalin Town.
• Ivette and Liana: Their reunion is physically affectionate, but it quickly turns into a moral confrontation. Liana condemns Ivette’s killings, while Ivette dismisses the deaths and promises only to spare people Liana personally believes should live.
• Young Ivette and the newly arrived older Ivette: Their first encounter ends the chapter on a note of playful tension and anticipation, as the younger Ivette immediately notices their resemblance and seems intrigued rather than alarmed.

Chapter Summary: “0 and 1”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ivette arrives at the courtyard where Liana Rene and No. 0 are staying. Because the two young girls live without adult supervision, their presence has attracted attention in Shalin Town.
• Ivette confirms Liana’s identity and recognizes the silver-haired girl as No. 0, though No. 0 refuses to acknowledge her.
• No. 0 suddenly attacks Ivette, assuming she is a pursuer from Black Tower Pharmaceuticals or a clone-related threat.
• Ivette blocks the attack with her Scarlet Armor but is shocked when No. 0’s fingers nearly penetrate it. She then restrains No. 0 by using her silver hair to form a cocoon around her.
• Liana attempts to rescue No. 0 with three Shadow Tendrils. Ivette counters with dozens of Pure White Tendrils, overwhelming and binding Liana’s attack.
• The confrontation reaches a stalemate until Ivette insists that she did not come to fight. Liana agrees to calm the situation if Ivette releases No. 0.
• No. 0 claims Ivette resembles a clone created from her genes and justifies attacking first. Liana criticizes her for acting without asking questions.
• Ivette releases No. 0 and introduces herself as “Rosaline Lochvia,” claiming to be Ivette’s older sister. Liana immediately believes the explanation, while No. 0 remains visibly skeptical.

Character Developments

• Ivette: Demonstrates strong defensive and binding abilities, including Scarlet Armor and Pure White Tendrils. She is startled by No. 0’s power and briefly questions whether she herself might be a clone. However, she rejects the idea because it conflicts with her memories and understanding of her identity. Ivette also adopts the false identity of Rosaline to conceal the truth.
• No. 0: Reveals herself to be extremely powerful, aggressive, suspicious, and quick to attack perceived threats. Despite being restrained, she remains confident and amused, suggesting she may possess additional hidden abilities. Her hostility appears connected to her history of being hunted by Black Tower Pharmaceuticals.
• Liana Rene: Acts as No. 0’s protector and mediator. Although frightened by Ivette’s strength, she still intervenes on No. 0’s behalf. Her concern for No. 0 prevents the conflict from escalating, and she shows a more reasonable and trusting personality than her companion.

Significant Themes

• Identity and individuality: Ivette’s resemblance to No. 0 raises questions about cloning, genetic experimentation, and whether physical similarity determines identity.
• Trust and suspicion: No. 0 assumes Ivette is an enemy, while Liana is more willing to listen and seek an explanation. The characters’ differing responses show how persecution has shaped No. 0’s worldview.
• Protection and loyalty: Liana immediately risks herself to defend No. 0, despite the overwhelming difference in strength. Their relationship is defined by mutual dependence and loyalty.
• Appearances versus truth: Ivette’s invented identity as Rosaline is accepted by Liana but not by No. 0, emphasizing the gap between outward explanations and hidden realities.
• Power and restraint: The battle showcases the extraordinary abilities of both pairs, but the conflict ends through negotiation rather than destruction.

Character Interactions

• Ivette and No. 0 begin with hostility: No. 0 attacks without warning, while Ivette responds defensively and restrains her.
• Liana confronts Ivette to protect No. 0, leading to a clash between their Shadow Tendrils and Pure White Tendrils.
• Ivette and Liana eventually communicate directly, with Liana demanding No. 0’s release and Ivette requiring reassurance that No. 0 will not attack again.
• No. 0 mocks Ivette’s explanation and remains suspicious, while Liana accepts Ivette’s claim that she is Ivette’s older sister. This leaves the immediate conflict settled but the underlying question of Ivette’s identity unresolved.

Chapter Summary: “Sisters”

Key Plot Points and Events

• No. 0 warns Liana not to trust Ivette simply because she resembles her, pointing out that advanced technology and abilities can alter appearances. She also suspects Ivette may be connected to one of the major companies.
• A Mechanical Puppet arrives with lunch. It is revealed to be Firefly, the main control AI of Abyss Base and a companion of No. 0 and Liana.
• Liana introduces Ivette to Firefly and tentatively accepts her as a sister, though No. 0 remains suspicious.
• Firefly investigates Ivette’s claim that she is Liana and No. 1’s biological older sister. By checking surveillance records, Firefly confirms that Ivette already had her current appearance six years earlier, making it highly unlikely that she is a clone or recent impersonator.
• Ivette explains that her ability came from Scale Shedding Organism’s “Corrosion Seed” and claims to be a professional mercenary investigating human trafficking operations.
• Firefly realizes that Ivette is actually the famous mercenary “Nameless,” who destroyed two human-trafficking industrial parks, including one connected to Liana and No. 1.
• Ivette invites the group to stay at her villa in Fos River, though she doubts No. 0 will accept immediately. She leaves after the rain stops, reflecting on what she has learned about the sisters and their abilities.

Character Developments

• Ivette: Presents carefully prepared evidence and a plausible cover story to earn the group’s trust. She confirms her identity as Nameless and reveals her connection to the trafficking-park attacks. Although she remains composed, she recognizes that No. 0 does not trust her and understands that family ties alone cannot establish loyalty.
• Liana: Initially becomes uncertain after hearing No. 0’s warnings, but quickly returns to trusting Ivette once Firefly verifies her history. Her kindness is shown when she offers Ivette food and eagerly accepts her as a sister.
• No. 0: Remains highly protective and distrustful of Ivette. She tests Ivette indirectly and reacts possessively when Liana offers her food, even replacing Liana’s portion with her own. By the end, she grudgingly accepts that Ivette may truly be their sister but continues to conceal her thoughts.
• Firefly: Provides comic relief through her mechanical appearance and expressive screen. She also serves as the group’s technical authority, verifying Ivette’s identity and identifying her as Nameless.
• No. 1: Does not appear directly, but Ivette learns that No. 1’s ability may resemble her own.

Significant Themes

• Trust versus appearance: The chapter emphasizes that physical resemblance is unreliable in a world of cloning, surgery, disguise, and biological experimentation.
• Family and uncertainty: Ivette’s claim to be the sisters’ older sibling creates an emotional connection, but shared blood does not immediately overcome suspicion or past trauma.
• Identity and deception: Ivette must construct a believable explanation for her abilities and history, while the others remain aware that identities can be fabricated.
• Protection and possessiveness: No. 0’s hostility toward Ivette partly reflects her desire to protect Liana and control access to their small family unit.
• Freedom from oppressive organizations: Ivette’s life as Nameless contrasts with the sisters’ constant need to hide from powerful companies, making her appear to Liana as an ideal of independence.

Character Interactions

• No. 0 challenges Liana’s faith in Ivette, causing Liana to briefly reconsider her trust.
• Liana warmly welcomes Ivette and asks to call her “Sister,” beginning the process of accepting her into the group.
• Firefly questions Ivette and verifies her story, transforming suspicion into cautious acceptance.
• Liana offers Ivette half her meal, prompting No. 0 to intervene and give Ivette her own partially eaten portion—a humorous but revealing display of jealousy and possessiveness.
• Firefly’s discovery that Ivette is Nameless greatly impresses Liana and strengthens her admiration for Ivette.
• Ivette offers the group a place to live, leaving open the possibility of a deeper relationship while acknowledging that No. 0 may not yet trust her.

Chapter Summary: “Mage Rank”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ivette confirms the identities and locations of No. 0 and No. 1 in the dream world and exchanges contact information with them. This reassures her that she has identified the dream’s “protagonist” and can continue following the story in future visits.
• She reflects humorously on the situation as resembling a dating simulation because the protagonist dislikes her, leaving their relationship with negative “favorability.”
• Back in the real world, every detective agency Ivette contacted refuses to investigate the Ghost Hand Society, recognizing the danger associated with the request. This confirms how powerful and feared the organization is in Fos River.
• Ivette visits Soulfire Church and asks Hoyle for information about the Ghost Hand Society. He agrees to compile and send her what limited intelligence he possesses.
• Ivette asks Hoyle about his Mage Rank. He reveals that he is a third-rank mage and explains the ranking system:
  • Beginner and first through fifth-rank mages are judged by the spell specifications they can use proficiently.
  • Sixth-rank mages can handle extremely powerful 160,000-specification spells and are exceedingly rare, functioning as strategic weapons.
  • Ivette estimates herself to be around fifth rank, though she lacks the experience required for sixth-rank certification.
• Using Hoyle’s intelligence, Ivette identifies several Ghost Hand Society casinos in Shalin Town. These businesses lure tourists into gambling debts before sending them to an industrial park.
• When Ivette arrives, she finds that No. 0 has already eliminated everyone at several casinos. The absence of survivors frustrates Ivette because she hoped to interrogate them for information.
• By hacking the casinos’ still-operational terminals, Ivette discovers that the area is controlled by a regional supervisor known as “Fire Ghost” Corby.
• Corby is a powerful local figure who manages casinos, scam operations, a nightclub, bars, and a transit center. Unlike “Dead Eye” Bryce, who relies on personal combat strength and cybernetic enhancements, Corby builds businesses and alliances while leaving protection to bodyguards.
• Ivette concludes that defeating or capturing Corby could lead her to information about the Ghost Hand Society’s higher-ranking “general,” possibly allowing her to draw the mastermind out.

Character Developments

• Ivette: Becomes more confident in navigating both the dream world and the Ghost Hand Society investigation. She evaluates her own magical abilities as roughly fifth rank and begins forming a concrete plan to target Corby.
• No. 0: Demonstrates extreme efficiency and ruthlessness by wiping out the Ghost Hand Society’s casino personnel before Ivette can question them. Her actions reinforce her dangerous and impulsive nature.
• Hoyle: Is shown to be a devout and hardworking Soul Requiem Priest despite holding a relatively modest third-rank mage status. He remains cooperative and willing to assist Ivette.
• Corby: Emerges as a more sophisticated and influential criminal than Bryce. His strength lies in organization, business management, and alliances rather than direct combat.
• Liana and No. 0: Their presence in Shalin Town raises concerns because their unusual circumstances could attract the Ghost Hand Society’s attention, though No. 0 clearly handles threats before they become a problem.

Significant Themes

• Power and hierarchy: Mage Rank provides a formal structure for measuring magical ability, while the Ghost Hand Society has its own criminal hierarchy of supervisors and generals.
• Knowledge as power: Ivette relies on information gathering, hacking, and strategic investigation rather than brute force.
• Different forms of strength: Bryce represents individual combat power, while Corby represents influence, organization, and networking. The chapter suggests that social and economic power can be more effective than personal strength.
• Order versus criminal control: Origin Civilization is generally lawful, yet organizations like the Ghost Hand Society operate powerful underground empires that challenge official authority.
• Following a predetermined narrative: Ivette’s dream-world experiences resemble a dating or role-playing game, highlighting her self-aware and humorous perspective on her strange circumstances.

Character Interactions

• Ivette and No. 0/No. 1: They establish contact in the dream world, though Ivette’s relationship with the protagonist remains strained.
• Ivette and Hoyle: Ivette questions Hoyle about the Ghost Hand Society and his Mage Rank. Hoyle responds openly and offers intelligence, while Ivette learns more about the Holy Spirit Cult’s magical hierarchy.
• Ivette and the Ghost Hand Society: Her investigation identifies their casinos and operational structure, but No. 0’s massacre removes the opportunity for direct questioning.
• Ivette and Corby: They do not meet directly, but Ivette begins positioning herself to confront him, viewing him as the best route to the organization’s higher leadership.

Chapter Summary: Neon Nightmare

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fire Ghost Corby, a wealthy supervisor in Fos River’s Ghost Hand Society, plans two operations: assassinating Ivette, known publicly as the silver-haired mercenary Nameless, and capturing the two mysterious girls sought by Black Tower Pharmaceuticals.
• Rather than fighting personally, Corby intends to hire Neon Nightmare, a prestigious assassin organization, to eliminate Ivette. He also plans to use his wealth and criminal connections to mobilize local gangs against the girls.
• Corby believes the girls’ main strength is their ability to escape, not their combat power. He plans to overwhelm them with numbers and prevent any possible retreat.
• Corby’s absence prevents Ivette from arresting him. Instead, Ivette visits Shalin Town several times and speaks with Liana.
• Liana expresses a strong desire to become a mercenary or hero who protects the weak. Both Ivette and No. 0 discourage her, though for different reasons.
• While returning to the city on a rainy night, Ivette is ambushed on a remote road. A concealed assassin fires a magically enhanced spike at her head.
• Ivette effortlessly catches the projectile, activates the dangerous red runes on her body, and confronts her attacker.
• The assassin identifies her as Nameless and reveals that he belongs to Neon Nightmare, claiming to be close to becoming a Gold-ranked Killer. He assumes Ivette is frightened, but she genuinely does not know what Neon Nightmare is, frustrating his attempt to intimidate her.

Character Developments

• Fire Ghost Corby: Revealed as calculating, wealthy, and reliant on influence rather than personal strength. He views the missions as business opportunities and intends to exploit money, gangs, and professional assassins.
• Ivette/Nameless: Demonstrates caution, composure, and overwhelming magical ability during the ambush. She refuses to be provoked and focuses on identifying who hired the assassin.
• Liana: Shows growing idealism and a desire to become a heroic protector. Despite Ivette’s discouragement, her disappointment suggests she will likely pursue this path regardless.
• No. 0: Displays a cynical worldview, believing the world is not worth saving and that Liana’s idealism will only lead to her death.
• The Neon Nightmare assassin: Is arrogant and emotionally invested in his reputation. He enjoys announcing his affiliation and status to prey before killing them, mistaking Ivette’s genuine ignorance for concealed fear.

Significant Themes

• Power and reputation: Corby and the assassin both rely heavily on reputation—Corby on his connections and Neon Nightmare on its fame—while Ivette remains unimpressed by both.
• Idealism versus cynicism: Liana’s wish to help others conflicts with No. 0’s nihilism and Ivette’s pragmatic, plot-focused concerns.
• Manipulation and misjudgment: The assassin attempts to frighten Ivette through psychological games but completely misreads her reaction.
• Preparation versus personal strength: Corby trusts overwhelming numbers and planning, while the ambush highlights the contrast between elaborate preparation and Ivette’s superior individual ability.
• Fate and timeline interference: Ivette worries that Liana becoming a hero could alter the timeline and disrupt her own plans.

Character Interactions

• Corby and his associates: Corby uses the General’s orders and his own wealth to organize separate attacks against Ivette and the two girls.
• Ivette and Liana: Their conversations reveal Liana’s heroic ambitions. Ivette gently but dishonestly discourages her, while sensing that Liana may ignore the warning.
• Ivette and No. 0: They agree that Liana should not pursue the mercenary path, but Ivette’s concern is protecting the timeline, whereas No. 0’s is rooted in pessimism.
• Ivette and the assassin: Their confrontation is defined by the assassin’s arrogance and Ivette’s calm skepticism. His attempt to intimidate her by invoking Neon Nightmare fails because she does not recognize the organization.

Chapter Summary: “Spell Hijacking”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Death Chisel, a Silver-ranked, second-tier assassin and genuine Fourth-Level Mage, ambushes the silver-haired mercenary known as “Nameless,” later identified as Ivette.
• His signature spell, Chisel Technique, launches specially made iron chisels with extreme speed and piercing power. Although the first attack is blocked, he launches a larger assault.
• Ivette withstands the barrage using multiple layers of her powerful defensive spell, Scarlet Armor. Death Chisel destroys three layers but exhausts most of his chisels without injuring her.
• Realizing the attack has failed, Death Chisel attempts to flee using Light and Shadow Magic. Ivette locates him by tracking the magical traces from his chisel manipulation.
• When he tries to counterattack, his rusty combat skills leave him vulnerable. Ivette restrains him, then sends him crashing into a tree with a seemingly effortless, wind-enhanced kick.
• Death Chisel pleads for his life and claims he does not know who hired him, explaining that Neon Nightmare keeps employers’ identities confidential.
• He offers increasingly large sums of money to buy his freedom, eventually agreeing to pay two million. Secretly, however, he prepares a hidden iron chisel capable of piercing even a Fifth-Level Mage’s defenses.
• Ivette silently hijacks his spell, causing the concealed chisel to pierce Death Chisel’s own heart.
• Realizing that Ivette has taken control of his magic without his awareness, Death Chisel dies in shock, wondering whether she might be a Fifth- or even Sixth-Level Mage.

Character Developments

• Ivette/Nameless: Demonstrates extraordinary defensive endurance, precise magical perception, physical strength, spell control, and composure. Rather than simply blocking the attack, she deliberately allows the chisels to strike her defenses so she can trace Death Chisel’s position. Her ability to hijack a Fourth-Level Mage’s spell suggests power and technical mastery far beyond what she openly displays.
• Death Chisel: Initially confident in his reputation and assassination technique, he becomes increasingly alarmed as Ivette survives his attacks. His dependence on a single specialized spell is exposed when he struggles in direct combat. His attempted deception and hidden weapon reveal his ruthlessness and survival instincts, but neither is enough to overcome Ivette.

Significant Themes

• Superior mastery versus specialized power: Death Chisel’s highly optimized Chisel Technique is formidable but narrow, while Ivette’s broader magical control allows her to counter and ultimately dominate him.
• Deception and hidden intentions: Both characters conceal information and plans. Death Chisel hides his true location and final weapon, while Ivette conceals her method of tracking him and her ability to hijack spells.
• Professional ruthlessness: Neon Nightmare treats assassins as expendable, and Death Chisel is willing to betray or bargain with anyone to survive. The chapter portrays assassination as a cold, profit-driven business.
• Mystery surrounding Ivette’s identity: Her abilities appear to exceed those of ordinary high-level mages, deepening the mystery of who she really is and what her true level may be.

Character Interactions

• Death Chisel taunts and judges Ivette as an apparently naive “Nameless,” while she calmly denies knowing Neon Nightmare.
• Ivette turns his attack into a means of locating him, then confronts him directly.
• Death Chisel attempts negotiation, first invoking the organization’s secrecy and later offering money, but Ivette remains distrustful and unmoved.
• His final hidden attack is turned against him when Ivette hijacks the spell, making their last interaction a decisive demonstration of her overwhelming superiority.

Chapter Summary: “Playing Ghost”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ivette examines the corpse of Death Chisel, the Silver-ranked assassin from Neon Nightmare whom she defeated with ease.
• She finds several iron chisels and an 80,000-spec Magic Guide Terminal containing:
  • Information and creation records for Chisel Magic.
  • Several packaged spells, including Shadow Escape, a Light-and-Shadow spell that conceals its user in darkness.
• Ivette decides to keep the terminal because Shadow Escape may be useful, while planning to sell the Chisel Magic information later. Although she recognizes Death Chisel’s technique as an impressive personal achievement, she considers it impractical compared with her own Wind Magic.
• Meanwhile, Fire Ghost Corby’s forces launch an assault on Shalin Town to capture two girls and investigate the disappearance of casino workers Eric and Eugene.
• More than eighty gang members surround the town, using shuttles and armed patrols to seal off all exits. Balk, Corby’s powerful subordinate, commands the operation.
• Balk learns that the casino employees disappeared without signs of violence, though the money remains untouched. Before the gang can complete its search, one of their men screams over the communicator and vanishes.
• Balk sends a group to investigate the casino. They soon reappear as seemingly lifeless figures with glowing red eyes. One of them, Eric, grotesquely transforms: his head splits open into a flower-like mass of flesh with a central mouth.
• Balk and his deputy destroy the creature, but more transformed gangsters emerge. Terrified, Balk concludes that Shalin Town is haunted or controlled by a cult and flees while warning Corby.
• On the main road, Balk encounters a silver-haired little girl standing on a streetlamp. Believing her to be responsible, he attacks her.
• The girl appears amused as Balk suddenly transforms into a huge flesh monster in midair. His deputy, Light, is then captured and devoured by another monster.
• The chapter ends with the girl yawning sleepily, emphasizing how effortless and casual the slaughter is.

Character Developments

• Ivette remains calm, analytical, and pragmatic. She evaluates the assassin’s abilities objectively, respects his dedication to Chisel Magic, but refuses to adopt a technique she considers inefficient.
• Ivette also demonstrates growing resourcefulness by preserving useful abilities such as Shadow Escape and considering the commercial value of magical knowledge.
• Balk is introduced as a physically powerful and feared gang leader, but his confidence collapses when faced with the supernatural horrors in Shalin Town. His progression from commander to panicked fugitive highlights his limited mental courage.
• Corby remains focused on the success of his two operations and is initially unable to understand Balk’s warnings, showing how detached he is from the unfolding danger.
• The silver-haired girl is presented as mysterious, cruel, and overwhelmingly powerful. Her playful smile and bored yawn contrast sharply with the grotesque violence surrounding her.

Significant Themes

• Power and perspective: Ivette sees a Silver-ranked assassin’s signature ability as awkward and commercially useful rather than threatening, demonstrating the gap between reputation and actual strength.
• The value of knowledge: Magical techniques are treated as intellectual property that can be studied, preserved, and sold, blending combat with economics.
• Horror and helplessness: The gang members’ grotesque transformations and sudden deaths turn a routine raid into a nightmare.
• False confidence: Balk’s reputation and physical strength mean little against forces he cannot understand.
• Predator and prey: The gang arrives expecting to hunt vulnerable targets, only to become victims themselves.
• Playful cruelty: The silver-haired girl treats the massacre as entertainment, making the violence seem even more disturbing.

Character Interactions

• Ivette interacts primarily with Death Chisel’s remains and magical terminal, reconstructing his history and judging his technique after his death.
• Balk commands his subordinates, questions them about the missing casino workers, and attempts to maintain control as the situation deteriorates.
• Balk communicates with Corby, but Corby dismisses or fails to comprehend his warnings about the “haunting.”
• Balk and his deputy Light face the transformed gang members together, though both are quickly overwhelmed.
• Balk confronts the silver-haired girl and attacks her, only to be instantly defeated. Light then encounters the resulting monster and is consumed while the girl watches indifferently.

Chapter Summary: “Necromancer”

Key Plot Points and Events

• In the rain-soaked Shalin Town, No. 0 gathers and consumes her Mutants through a giant worm, using them as nourishment for its evolution.
• A necromancer from the Holy Spirit Cult approaches her, offering the Cult’s protection in exchange for access to the secret she carries—something highly valuable to Black Tower Pharmaceuticals.
• No. 0 responds by revealing that she has transformed the entire town’s residents, including the Cult’s followers, into grotesque Mutants. She unleashes them against the necromancer.
• The necromancer destroys many Mutants with soulfire and attempts to attack No. 0 using a remotely controlled skeleton warrior. However, No. 0 defeats him with Soul Magic, extinguishing the skeleton’s soulfire and seriously injuring the necromancer’s true body from afar.
• After the battle, No. 0 restores the Mutants to human form, though the townspeople remain mentally dulled and zombie-like. Her use of such overwhelming power leaves her visibly exhausted.
• Elsewhere, Ivette returns to Rustbone and infiltrates the Red Pepper nightclub, Fire Ghost Corby’s major business. She suspects Corby’s Ghost Hand Society connections are behind the assassination attempt against her.
• Using Shadow Escape, Ivette bypasses the nightclub’s security and enters Corby’s office. She directly demands information about “the General,” the hidden ruler of Rustbone’s western border region.
• Although Corby’s gang members dismiss Ivette as naïve and harmless, Corby recognizes the danger she poses and immediately agrees to cooperate, shocking his subordinates.

Character Developments

• No. 0 is portrayed as terrifyingly powerful, morally unrestrained, and increasingly alienated from ordinary humanity. She casually sacrifices or transforms civilians and displays sadistic amusement toward the necromancer. Her mastery of Soul Magic marks a major escalation in her abilities, though using her powers causes severe fatigue.
• The Holy Spirit Cult’s necromancer is confident at first, believing the Cult can negotiate with or overpower No. 0. His confidence collapses when she defeats his skeleton remotely and attacks his soul directly. He becomes frightened and retreats.
• Ivette demonstrates greater confidence and tactical sophistication. Her new Shadow Escape ability allows her to infiltrate heavily guarded areas with ease. Rather than cautiously gathering information, she confronts Corby directly and relies on her reputation and strength to intimidate him.
• Fire Ghost Corby is revealed to be far more informed than his subordinates. He immediately recognizes Ivette as a serious threat, likely connecting her to the failed assassination attempt, and abandons his attempt to deceive her.
• Corby’s gang members underestimate Ivette because of her youthful appearance, highlighting the gap between outward appearance and actual power.

Significant Themes

• Monstrous morality and the loss of humanity: No. 0’s treatment of the townspeople challenges the distinction between human and monster, especially when even a member of an evil cult is horrified by her actions.
• Power beyond conventional control: No. 0’s Soul Magic allows her to defeat an opponent without direct physical combat, while Ivette’s Shadow Escape makes conventional security nearly irrelevant.
• Fear as a weapon: Both No. 0 and Ivette dominate their encounters through intimidation. No. 0’s terrifying presence forces the necromancer to flee, while Ivette’s reputation causes Corby to surrender information almost immediately.
• Hidden factions and political conflict: Black Tower Pharmaceuticals, the Holy Spirit Cult, the Ghost Hand Society, Neon Nightmare, and the mysterious General all represent competing powers operating behind the scenes.
• Appearance versus reality: No. 0 appears as a small, tired girl but is extraordinarily dangerous; Ivette is mistaken for harmless entertainment despite being a capable infiltrator and combatant.

Character Interactions

• No. 0 and the necromancer: Their attempted negotiation quickly turns into violence. The necromancer offers protection, but No. 0 answers by attacking his followers and ultimately defeating him through Soul Magic.
• No. 0 and the townspeople: She uses the residents as Mutants, then restores them to human form, though they remain psychologically damaged and detached.
• Ivette and Corby: Ivette refuses to negotiate politely and demands the General’s location under a strict time limit. Corby immediately submits, indicating that he knows far more about her capabilities than his men do.
• Ivette and Corby’s subordinates: They initially mockingly underestimate her, but their confidence contrasts sharply with Corby’s fear and willingness to cooperate.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ivette, posing as “Miss Nameless,” interrogates Corby, the local Ghost Hand Society manager, at the Red Pepper nightclub.
• Corby reveals that the General is seeking two young girls in Fos River and will attend an operations meeting in two days. He deliberately withholds the General’s order to kill Ivette and conceals that he has a private means of contacting the General.
• Ivette spares Corby and his subordinates from immediate execution, instead imposing suspended death sentences because she may still use them to gain information about the Ghost Hand Society.
• After Ivette leaves, Corby admits that she is Nameless, the mercenary who killed Dead Eye Bryce. He mocks her mercy and secretly plans to lure her into a trap with the General.
• Corby travels through a hidden entrance in Soulfire Church and contacts the General through a concealed confessional. He reports that Ivette survived the Neon Nightmare assassination attempt and may attend the upcoming meeting.
• As Corby exits the confessional, Ivette ambushes and decapitates him.
• Ivette destroys the partition and discovers that the General is controlling the body of Soul Requiem Priest Hoyle Corth.
• She identifies the General as Linde Benedict, a Cycle Master Priest and Hoyle’s superior, likely a powerful necromancer or soul mage.
• Linde confirms her deduction and threatens to kill her. The chapter ends as skeletal arms erupt from the church grounds, signaling his attack.

Character Developments

• Ivette/Nameless: Demonstrates strategic intelligence, restraint, and confidence. She manipulates Corby for information, follows him to discover the General’s identity, and successfully turns his planned trap against him. Her ability to infer Linde’s identity shows her growing investigative skill.
• Corby: Shifts from terrified submission to arrogant malice once Ivette leaves. His confidence in his secret connection to the General leads him to betray her and arrange a trap, but his deception fails and costs him his life.
• Linde Benedict/The General: Revealed as a powerful, ruthless religious leader who operates the Ghost Hand Society from within Soulfire Church. He is calm, secretive, and utterly unconcerned by Corby’s death, believing that anyone who learns his identity can simply be eliminated.
• Hoyle Corth: His body is revealed to be under Linde’s control, explaining why he could not uncover the Church’s collaboration with the Ghost Hand Society.

Significant Themes

• Deception and hidden identities: Nearly every major character conceals information, while Ivette succeeds by exposing the lies of others.
• Power and manipulation: Linde controls Hoyle’s body and the Ghost Hand Society, while Ivette manipulates Corby and uses his plans against him.
• Mercy versus ruthlessness: Ivette’s decision to spare the gang members contrasts with Corby’s desire to kill her and Linde’s casual willingness to eliminate witnesses.
• Corruption within institutions: The General’s alliance with or control over Soulfire Church reveals deep corruption within an organization expected to represent religious authority.
• Overconfidence and reversal: Corby believes Ivette’s mercy makes her weak, but that assumption leads him into a fatal trap.

Important Character Interactions

• Ivette and Corby engage in a tense interrogation, with Corby carefully practicing selective disclosure while Ivette extracts useful information.
• Corby reports to Linde through the confessional, unaware that Ivette has followed him.
• Ivette kills Corby immediately after his conversation with the General.
• Ivette confronts Linde and correctly identifies his real name and position. Their verbal exchange escalates into a direct magical confrontation as Linde summons undead forces around the church.

Chapter Summary: “Skeleton Legion”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ivette confirms that the “general” is not physically present. He is possessing Hoyle, the Soul Requiem Priest, creating a dilemma: killing him would mean killing an apparently innocent host and could prevent her from receiving payment for her mercenary contract.
• She decides to leave Soulfire Church and later investigate the Fos River police station’s surveillance footage to locate the necromancer and mastermind, Linde Benedict.
• Before she can escape by air, the general activates a powerful city-scale No-Fly Zone, which disrupts wind magic and suppresses levitation. Ivette becomes trapped on the ground.
• The church and its surrounding grounds have been overrun by undead. The priests appear unconscious or absent, leaving Ivette alone among the undead forces.
• Skeleton soldiers flood the church corridors. Ivette uses a Lightning Blade transformed into a long Lightning Whip, exploiting lightning’s effectiveness against undead while conserving mana.
• The skeletons prove unusually durable and powerful. Their iron-hard bones resist lightning, requiring multiple strikes to destroy their soul flames, and their physical strength is enough to pressure Ivette even through four layers of Scarlet Armor.
• Ivette fights her way to the church’s back exit, then uses an earth-based force spell to collapse the door and surrounding wall, crushing or immobilizing many skeletons.
• Outside, she discovers a massive Skeleton Legion numbering at least two or three thousand and stretching into the nearby civic park.
• Rather than fight the entire army, Ivette activates Scarlet Armor, Muscle Unlimit, and Pure White Tendrils, breaks through a weak point in the encirclement, and charges into the park.
• She notices that the outdoor skeletons appear weaker and have rough yellowish bones instead of the tougher jade-white bones inside the church, but assumes this difference may be deceptive because she lacks knowledge of necromancy.

Character Developments

• Ivette remains pragmatic and cautious. She avoids killing Hoyle because of both moral concerns and the practical problem of losing her employer’s payment.
• Her broad mastery of elemental magic is emphasized, along with her exceptional mana, physical strength, and spiritual reserves.
• Despite these advantages, she recognizes the danger of fighting an enemy who understands her abilities better than she understands necromancy.
• Her usual mobility is compromised by the No-Fly Zone, forcing her to fight and move on foot. This frustrates her and exposes her dependence on aerial movement.
• Ivette demonstrates tactical discipline by using efficient lightning attacks, identifying a weak point in the undead formation, and prioritizing escape over pointless attrition.

Significant Themes

• Strategy versus overwhelming force: Ivette cannot simply overpower the Skeleton Legion; she must conserve resources and find a route out.
• The limits of knowledge: Her lack of familiarity with necromancy creates uncertainty, making her wary even when the enemy appears weaker.
• Moral and practical conflict: Ivette’s refusal to kill Hoyle reflects both ethical restraint and concern for the consequences of completing her contract.
• Home-ground advantage: The general’s control of Soulfire Church, his remote position, and his familiarity with Ivette’s magic give him a major tactical edge.
• Entrapment and reversal of power: The No-Fly Zone neutralizes Ivette’s preferred method of movement, temporarily turning a highly mobile mage into a fighter forced into close combat.

Character Interactions

• Ivette and the general engage in a tense confrontation marked by mutual awareness and indirect hostility. He taunts her while using the No-Fly Zone and undead forces to restrict her options.
• The general remains safely hidden or remotely represented through Hoyle, while Ivette is forced to confront the dangers directly.
• Ivette does not directly fight Hoyle, showing that their relationship is complicated by his role as the general’s host.
• The undead function as the general’s agents, surrounding and attacking Ivette while he observes from the shadows. Ivette ultimately looks back at him before breaking through the Skeleton Legion, signaling defiance and a temporary escape rather than a victory.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After escaping into the woods, Ivette leaves the general furious. His anger stems from the destruction of more than half of his specially cultivated Elite skeletons, which had required enormous resources to create.
• The general realizes that Ivette and No. 0 are likely sisters and allies whose power far exceeds his expectations. Since he cannot defeat them alone, he decides to abandon his covert approach and enlist the police, military, and Guardian Order.
• Police forces raid Ivette’s villa in Fos River, but she has already escaped and hides nearby using Shadow Escape. From the officers’ conversation, she learns that she has been blamed for numerous crimes, including illegal drug sales, robbery, murder, and stealing sect secrets.
• Ivette recognizes that she cannot withstand the full resources of the Rustbone government indefinitely. She also cannot easily locate or kill Linde Benedict, the necromancer responsible for the crisis, because he operates through undead servants and remains extremely cautious.
• Disguising herself, Ivette steals a car and travels to Shalin Town, where she reunites with Liana and Firefly.
• Ivette learns that No. 0 and No. 1 have also been declared her accomplices. Realizing that the three are now being forced into cooperation, she decides they must act proactively rather than remain hidden.
• No. 0 is found sleeping unusually deeply. When Ivette tries to wake her, No. 0 briefly reacts with a frightening, animal-like hostility before returning to sleep.
• Liana explains that No. 0 has been sleeping far more than usual since arriving in Fos River, leading Ivette to suspect that sleep may be helping No. 0 cultivate or strengthen her spirit body.

Character Developments

• The General: His confidence is shaken after suffering a mental attack from No. 0 and losing most of his Elite skeletons to Ivette. Rather than continue acting alone, he pragmatically changes tactics and plans to mobilize the state’s full power.
• Ivette: She shifts from trying to minimize her influence on future events to accepting that open cooperation with No. 0 and No. 1 is unavoidable. She becomes more strategic and proactive while remaining wary of the government and the larger consequences of the conflict.
• No. 0: Her mysterious nature deepens. Though she appears harmless and sleeps like a child, she retains an instinctive, frightening defensive response even while barely awake. Her excessive sleep may indicate a unique method of spiritual cultivation.
• Liana and Firefly: They provide Ivette refuge in Shalin Town. Their ordinary morning routine contrasts with the growing danger surrounding them.

Significant Themes

• Adaptation and strategy: The general’s decision to call upon the government and Ivette’s decision to form an alliance both emphasize the need to change tactics when circumstances shift.
• Individual power versus state power: Ivette recognizes that even powerful mages are disadvantaged against the immense manpower, technology, and resources of an organized government.
• Identity and persecution: Official accusations transform Ivette, No. 0, and No. 1 into hunted fugitives, forcing them to reconsider their relationships and goals.
• Hidden strength beneath innocence: No. 0’s cute, sleepy appearance contrasts sharply with her terrifying power and instincts.
• Cause and effect: Ivette’s effort to avoid altering the future becomes impossible, showing how events continue to draw her into the larger conflict.

Character Interactions

• The general mentally connects Ivette and No. 0 as allies and responds by planning a broader operation against them.
• Ivette listens to the police raid from concealment, learning how the authorities have framed her.
• At the Shalin Town villa, Liana and Firefly question Ivette’s fugitive-like appearance, while Ivette prepares them for the serious situation.
• Ivette and Liana attempt to wake No. 0, revealing No. 0’s unsettling reflexive hostility and prompting Ivette to investigate the reason for her abnormal sleep.