Recaps

Luther found Emperor Roselle’s Chinese diary and learned that potions could be digested through acting according to their names. He realized that praying to hidden existences might help him digest his Secrets Suppliant potion, then left Leonard’s probing questions unanswered.

• Luther searched the Nighthawks’ files and found three manuscripts written in Chinese by Emperor Roselle, revealing Roselle’s transmigration and his contact with mysterious figures.
• Luther read Roselle’s note that potions were digested through acting and that a potion’s name provided the key.
• Luther recalled that praying to the True Creator and studying mysticism had seemed to stabilize him, and considered whether praying to other hidden existences could also help digest his potion.
• Leonard questioned Luther about the Aurora Order’s interest in him and Sirius’s sudden madness, but Luther replied that he had been insane and left.
• Luther wondered whether Klein’s divinations reflected knowledge of potion digestion and thought about the unusual members of the Nighthawks team.

Luther remembered he needed a psychiatric evaluation certificate and went to Greenhill Mental Sanatorium with Cecilia. Dr. Wilder found him mentally healthy but required him to stay overnight for observation before issuing the certificate, leaving Luther to decide whether to remain or return later.

• Rozanne reminded Luther to obtain his psychiatric evaluation certificate before the newcomers’ welcome banquet, and he declined her suggestion to invest in a mining company.
• Luther visited Greenhill Mental Sanatorium with Cecilia, whose fear of the asylum eased as he led her inside.
• Dr. Chris Wilder examined Luther and found that all his indicators were normal.
• Luther explained that an accident had coincided with his recovery and asked Dr. Wilder for a certificate.
• Dr. Wilder required Luther to stay overnight for observation or return the day after tomorrow to see another doctor, leaving Luther uncertain what to do.

Luther spent the night in the asylum to obtain a certificate of mental recovery, but his roommate Hood Eugen used a strange silver bell to hypnotize him. He recognized the visitor Lanevus and learned that the iron mine investment was a fraud, while Lanevus hinted at Hood Eugen’s own crimes.

• Luther chose to stay overnight at the asylum, and Cecilia reluctantly returned home without him.
• Dr. Wilder placed Luther in a shared room with Hood Eugen and promised to sign his recovery certificate if Luther remained stable through the night.
• A young man entered the ward after dark, and Hood Eugen rang a silver bell that briefly overwhelmed Luther’s senses.
• Lanevus confronted Hood Eugen, who asked why Lanevus had come while preparing to leave Tingen after completing his fraud.
• Lanevus exposed Hood Eugen’s role in framing a companion and taking his Beyonder artifact, while Luther secretly listened and wondered about Lanevus’s purpose.

Luther overheard Lanevus persuade Hood Eugen to help perform an Aurora Order ritual that would let the True Creator’s offspring descend into the world. Lanevus brought his unconscious fiancée to the asylum and chose Luther as a living sacrifice, leaving Luther preparing to fight back.

• Luther secretly listened as Lanevus and Hood Eugen discussed their Beyonder abilities and their plans.
• Lanevus offered Hood Eugen a chance to advance in exchange for helping with a ritual to conceive a god’s offspring, and Hood Eugen reluctantly agreed.
• Lanevus revealed that Hood Eugen would hypnotize a woman for the ritual, then decided to use Luther as a living sacrifice.
• Lanevus carried his unconscious golden-haired fiancée from a waiting carriage and placed her on a stone table.
• Luther clenched his fist in the darkness and resolved to act against Lanevus.

Lanevus and Hood Eugen performed a ritual to implant the True Creator’s Divinity in Megose, while Luther pretended to cooperate. Luther secretly altered the ritual array, causing Lanevus to swallow the Divinity instead.

• Lanevus killed an asylum guard and used his blood to prepare the ritual altar.
• Hood Eugen hypnotized Megose while Lanevus drew the summoning array and pretended to comfort her.
• Lanevus summoned a phantom of the True Creator using resentment gathered from the slums.
• The True Creator’s Divinity drifted toward Megose as Lanevus eagerly watched.
• Luther altered the ritual array, redirecting the Divinity into Lanevus’s mouth, where Lanevus swallowed it.

Luther altered the ritual so the Divine Scion entered Lanevus, then killed Hood Eugen and shot Lanevus. The ritual’s remaining force revived Lanevus, leaving Luther retreating and firing as the wounds healed.

• Luther changed the ritual array, causing the Divine Scion to enter Lanevus instead of Megose.
• Luther struck Hood Eugen, silenced him with a threat, then shot and killed him.
• Luther shot Lanevus as the Divine Scion began to take hold of his body.
• A black silhouette appeared behind Luther, and he scattered it with a blow.
• The resulting mist flowed into Lanevus, whose body healed and revived as Luther retreated and fired again.

Luther fought Lanevus at the asylum, using a mystical bell to hold him back until Lanevus fled. Lanevus escaped into the darkness, leaving behind a large pile of stolen banknotes, while Luther waited for the police and asked Dr. Wilder for a certificate proving he was mentally sound.

• Lanevus resurrected after enduring the Demon-Hunting Bullets and attacked Luther, who used a bell to repeatedly control him and create distance.
• As Luther’s spirituality ran low, Lanevus began losing control again, and the awakened asylum residents drew his attention.
• Lanevus ran to the altar, retrieved his handbag, and fled after Luther’s shots spilled its banknotes across the ground.
• Luther reloaded his revolver and went to the money as the gunshots woke the asylum and Dr. Wilder approached with guards.
• Dr. Wilder said he had called the police, and Luther told him he was not sick and asked for a certificate proving his mental soundness.

After Luther and the Nighthawks dealt with the ritual site and recovered Hood Eugen’s Beyonder characteristic, they launched a citywide hunt for Lanevus, who escaped. Luther secretly kept and investigated a hypnotic bell, naming it Servant’s Bell.

• Luther told Dunn that Lanevus had escaped after attempting an evil ritual and urged an immediate pursuit.
• Dunn and the others watched Hood Eugen’s Beyonder characteristic emerge from his corpse and secured the golden, corrupted eyeball.
• Luther collected the cash from the ritual site while Frye took Hood Eugen’s body and the unconscious Megose back to the Blackthorn Security Company.
• Dunn coordinated the search with the police and Tingen’s other official Beyonder groups, but Lanevus evaded capture and was publicly declared wanted after forty-eight hours.
• Luther privately tested the hypnotic bell, learned how it affected ordinary people and Beyonders, and named it Servant’s Bell.

Luther gave half of his reward for stopping Lanevus to the dead guard’s family, and Dunn counted the incident as his independent mission. He began combat training with Klein under Gawain and attended the squad’s welcome dinner exhausted from the workout.

• Dunn gave Luther one hundred pounds from Lanevus’s victims, and Luther asked him to give half to the family of the dead guard.
• Dunn told Luther to train in close-quarters combat and counted the Lanevus incident as his independent mission.
• Klein took Luther to meet combat instructor Gawain, who tested him with a hypothetical attack before ordering him to train.
• Luther spent three hours doing strength training with Klein’s guidance.
• The Blackthorn Security Company gathered at Old Verne’s Restaurant to welcome Luther and toast his contribution.

Luther attended a farewell banquet with his colleagues and continued his regular training, while Klein hinted that acting according to a potion’s name could reduce its harmful effects. The chapter ended with Luther recognizing that Klein was sharing the Acting Method with him.

• Luther explained that drinking made him mentally unstable, but reassured his colleagues and joined their toast at the banquet.
• Dunn told Luther that Old Neil felt at ease working at the Goddess's church and had been sleeping well.
• After waking with severe muscle soreness, Luther received a massage from Cecilia and continued his mysticism, shooting, and combat training.
• Klein took Luther to an underground mysticism market and said he would teach him to make a Sleep Charm.
• Klein told Luther that acting according to a potion’s name seemed to make it more compatible with the body, and Luther realized Klein was hinting at the Acting Method.

Klein brought Luther to the Evil Dragon Bar, where they met its owner, Swain, and entered a hidden market to buy ritual tools. After Luther sensed a disturbing aura around a woman, he saw Mr. Azik and abruptly lost consciousness.

• Klein and Luther met Swain, who questioned Luther about saving Old Neil and his status as a Secrets Suppliant.
• Swain let Klein and Luther into a hidden market behind the bar.
• Luther bought a silver dagger while Klein bargained for silver sheets.
• Luther bumped into a woman and sensed a faint aura of corruption around her, but it disappeared when she moved away.
• Klein greeted Mr. Azik, and Luther saw a death-like color before losing consciousness.

Luther woke from a strange dream and discovered that Azik’s presence had knocked him unconscious, while Azik sensed an unusual aura and discordant Fate around him. Luther and Klein agreed to investigate the coincidences affecting them together and returned to Blackthorn Security Company, where Luther planned to make a Sleep Charm.

• Luther dreamed of a gigantic serpent with a human face, then woke in the Evil Dragon Bar and recognized Azik as the figure from his dream.
• Luther drew his revolver while keeping his eyes shut, but Azik explained that he meant no harm and had withdrawn his aura.
• Azik sensed a familiar aura and discordant Fate around Luther, asked about his coincidences, and invited him to meet privately through Klein.
• Klein told Luther that his own coincidences were linked to a house with a red chimney, which he had hired a Detective to locate.
• Luther agreed to help Klein investigate and to keep the matter from the captain for now, and they returned to Blackthorn Security Company.

Luther failed to receive the Evernight Goddess’s response while making a Sleep Charm, so he went to Saint Selena Cathedral to pray and formed a connection with a hidden existence. Afterward, he successfully completed the charm, while the reason for his unusual experience remained unclear.

• Luther followed Klein’s instructions to perform the Sleep Charm ritual, but the Evernight Goddess did not respond to his prayer.
• Luther and Klein tried the ritual several more times and found that Klein could complete it, while Luther could not.
• Luther suspected his lack of genuine faith was the cause and hurried to Saint Selena Cathedral to pray to the Goddess.
• Luther apologized for his doubts and asked the Goddess for a chance to wield Her authority, then sensed a connection with a hidden existence and felt much of his Potion digest.
• Luther returned to the Armory and successfully carved the divine power into a silver Sleep Charm.

Luther realized that his Potion digested rapidly when the Goddess responded to his prayer, and he hoped he could advance by listening to her instead of the True Creator. At Blackthorn Security Company, Mrs. Pound hired the team to catch her supposedly cheating husband, citing his reduced appetite as evidence.

• Luther concluded that connecting with a hidden existence and receiving its response had accelerated his Potion's digestion, and he considered making the Goddess the focus of his Listening.
• Luther told Rozanne and Leonard that he was happy about taking his sister to the theater, then realized he should buy her a proper dress for the occasion.
• Mrs. Pound arrived at Blackthorn Security Company seeking capable people, and Leonard offered the team's services.
• Mrs. Pound explained that she suspected her husband of cheating because he came home late, treated her poorly, and had been eating less at home.
• Frye spat out his tea when he understood Mrs. Pound's evidence.

Leonard recruited Luther to use Ritual Magic to investigate Mrs. Pound’s husband, while Klein sought information about the Aurora Order at the Tarot Club. The discussion ended with Alger identifying rare Secrets Suppliants who gained extensive Ritual Magic from a Potion as Blessed.

• Leonard explained Blackthorn Security Company’s rules for private jobs, and Mrs. Pound hired the team to investigate her husband for a 10-pound reward.
• Leonard asked Luther to use Ritual Magic to discover where Mrs. Pound’s husband was having affairs, and they planned to visit his company that night.
• At the Tarot Club, Klein asked Alger for information about the Aurora Order in exchange for two pages of Roselle’s Diary.
• Alger described the Aurora Order’s Saints, Oracles, and Secrets Suppliant members, prompting Klein to mention Luther’s unusual mastery of Ritual Magic.
• Alger recalled ancient records and said that rare Secrets Suppliants who gained extensive Ritual Magic after drinking a Potion were called Blessed.

After a day of training, Luther shared dinner with Cecilia and agreed to buy her a dress before leaving with Leonard for the docks. The pair broke into the William Transport Company at night to investigate Mr. Pound’s office, where Leonard triggered a thin white thread as they entered.

• Luther and Klein finished their combat practice with Gawain, and Luther told Klein that his potion-digestion method was working.
• Luther cooked mutton soup with Cecilia and promised to buy her a dress for the theater.
• Leonard arrived to take Luther to the dock district, where they traveled to the William Transport Company.
• Leonard incapacitated the guards by reciting poetry and picked the lock on the manager's office.
• Leonard entered the office and snapped a thin white thread stretched across his path, and Luther followed him inside.

Luther and Leonard investigated Mr. Pound’s office and used a Spirit-Summoning Ritual to learn where he had his affairs. The spirit traced Mr. Pound’s route to an abandoned dock beside the Tussock River.

• Luther and Leonard noticed that Mr. Pound’s office furniture was unusually expensive and recently purchased, despite poor business at the docks.
• Luther summoned a Spirit World creature with a ritual, and it confirmed that it knew Mr. Pound and his affair partner.
• When the spirit could not identify the partner, Luther asked it to locate where Mr. Pound had his affairs.
• Luther used his blood as a medium, and the spirit traced a route from the office to an abandoned dock by the Tussock River.

After a ritual at the abandoned dock, Luther was stabbed by a hooded attacker who escaped Leonard. Luther’s Flesh rapidly healed, and the two hurried toward the dock, suspecting it concealed a secret.

• Leonard and Luther finished cleaning up after the ritual and decided to investigate the abandoned dock.
• A hooded Assassin stabbed Luther as he opened a door, then fled after evading Leonard’s attacks and gunfire.
• Luther’s Flesh healed his internal organs and began repairing his other wounds while Leonard rushed back to help him.
• Leonard and Luther realized the attacker was a Beyonder who had targeted them for entering the manager’s office.
• The pair ran toward the abandoned dock, and Luther collected the attacker’s blood in a vial.

Luther and Leonard discovered that the hidden ship was carrying trafficked people, and Luther stayed behind to curse the hooded attacker. Meanwhile, the attacker reported to Madam Sharon that Nighthawks had found the ship, then showed signs of terror.

• Leonard and Luther found a concealed cargo ship and discovered its crew had been slaughtered and its hold filled with people from the Southern Continent.
• Leonard left to report the discovery while Luther stayed behind, intending to retaliate against the hooded man who had stabbed him.
• Luther performed a ritual invoking the True Creator and used the attacker’s blood to curse him, but someone resisted the curse.
• At a ball in Tingen City, the hooded Assassin told Madam Sharon that Nighthawks had found the ship and that he had silenced everyone aboard.
• The Assassin suddenly looked extremely terrified before he could finish speaking.

Madam Sharon and Trissy were caught in a deadly curse that killed a hooded man and badly disfigured Sharon. The next day, Luther learned that the Military had taken over the William Shipping Company investigation, then resolved to seek Azik’s help.

• A curse struck the hooded man, and Madam Sharon’s barrier failed to save him from a fatal blast of blood-red energy.
• Madam Sharon was injured by the curse and blamed the Aurora Order, while Trissy escaped harm.
• Dunn told Luther that the Military had arrested Mr. Pound and other William Shipping Company executives and taken the case from the Nighthawks.
• Leonard questioned Luther about his rapid healing, and Luther asked him to keep it secret from his sister.
• Luther considered his nearly digested Secrets Suppliant Potion and decided to ask Klein for Azik’s address so he could visit him.

Luther visited Azik, who asked him to help recover his lost memories by drawing out an aura he sensed around him. Azik summoned a strange undead creature, and as it touched Luther’s forehead, visions of Feathered Serpents and other beings began to appear.

• Luther visited Azik at his home and saw a Wraith serve tea by carrying a floating tray.
• Azik explained that he had no memories of his life before university and asked Luther to help uncover his past.
• Luther agreed to cooperate, and Azik promised him a reward regardless of the result.
• Azik used a Bone Flute and his blood to summon a strange undead creature through a bronze door.
• The creature touched Luther’s forehead, and visions of Feathered Serpents and other strange beings formed before him.

Azik’s attempt to draw out the True Creator’s aura from Luther revealed visions of the past but failed to restore Azik’s memories fully. Luther asked for help advancing without falling under the True Creator’s influence, and Azik offered risky possibilities that left Luther without an immediate solution.

• Azik’s ritual showed Luther scenes of ancient tombs and a Mythological Era battlefield before the Bronze Gate vanished and Azik recovered.
• Azik told Luther that he had recalled many scenes but still could not make sense of them, then offered to repay Luther for his help.
• Luther asked Azik how to advance without being mentally controlled by the True Creator.
• Azik suggested consuming the Sequence 8 and Sequence 7 Potions together to skip Sequence 8, provided a High Sequence Beyonder assisted him.
• Azik said Luther’s idea of listening to the Evernight Goddess could work in theory, but would require the Goddess to personally deliver Her gospel, an opportunity likely limited to church leaders or Her blessed.

Luther received Azik's White Bone Flute and collected his first weekly wages as a Nighthawk. After Mrs. Pound reported that her husband had died in prison, Dunn revealed that other company officials had also died and asked Luther to join a business trip.

• Azik gave Luther the White Bone Flute and explained that it could summon an undead creature, with his blood enabling three free uses.
• Luther returned to Blackthorn Security Company, collected six pounds in wages from Mrs. Orianna, and reflected on his finances.
• Mrs. Pound visited the company, paid Leonard the remainder of his commission and a generous tip, and said her husband had hanged himself in prison.
• Leonard and Luther suspected Mr. Pound had been silenced, and Dunn confirmed that other senior company officials had also died that night.
• Dunn asked Luther whether he was interested in going on a business trip.

Luther learned that the Enmat Harbor slave-ship case involved Flesh Bombs and agreed to assist the local Nighthawks with Leonard and Klein. As he prepared to leave, he told Cecilia he would miss their performance again and stopped by Klein’s home, where he met Benson Moretti.

• Dunn told Luther, Leonard, and Klein that Senior Deacon Crestet Cecimir had requested Luther’s help investigating the Enmat Harbor case, where victims had exploded into Flesh Bombs.
• Luther agreed to travel with Leonard and Klein, and they arranged to take the steam train the next morning.
• Klein reminded Luther that he had promised to attend a performance with Cecilia, and Luther realized he would have to break that promise again.
• Cecilia accepted Luther’s absence and offered to pack his luggage, saying they could watch the performance after he returned.
• Luther visited Klein’s home and encountered Klein’s elder brother, Benson Moretti, at the door.

Before his business trip, Luther arranged for Benson to look after Cecilia and bought luggage for them. That night, Dunn visited Luther’s dream to warn him about Lanevus, but Luther attacked the imagined Lanevus until the dream ended.

• Luther asked Benson to keep an eye on Cecilia while he was away, and Benson asked Luther to look after Klein on their trip.
• Luther bought suitcases for himself and Cecilia, packed, left her money, and went to bed.
• Luther realized he was dreaming and found Dunn waiting in his rented apartment.
• Dunn warned Luther to stay safe on the trip and beware of Lanevus, then conjured Lanevus behind him.
• Luther smashed the imagined Lanevus with a teapot and cane, drew his revolver, and watched as a black mist swept Dunn and Lanevus away.