Chapter Summaries

Li Ran awakened in Luther Rondal’s body on a sacrificial altar, discovered that Sirius Arapis had murdered him and abducted his sister Cecilia, and survived after his fatal wound healed. He freed Cecilia after knocking Sirius down, but heavy footsteps approached from behind.

• Li Ran awakened on an altar in a locked room and recognized the chanting old man as Sirius Arapis.
• Li Ran recovered Luther Rondal’s memories and learned that Sirius had bound Cecilia Rondal and stabbed Luther through the heart.
• Li Ran saw his heart and chest wound heal, then struck Sirius repeatedly with a metal candlestick until he fell.
• Li Ran disarmed Sirius, cut Cecilia free, and removed her gag.
• Cecilia awakened and warned Li Ran as heavy footsteps sounded behind him.

Li Ran was attacked by Sirius Arepi, whose touch triggered a terrifying vision of an upside-down giant and an ancient hymn. He escaped Sirius’s transformed attack by shooting him dead, leaving himself and Cecilia alive but shaken.

• Sirius Arepi struck Li Ran and then grabbed him, triggering unbearable pain and visions of an inverted cross and a giant hanging upside down.
• Sirius Arepi transformed into a monstrous creature and choked Li Ran while declaring that the Lord was present.
• Cecilia stabbed Sirius Arepi with a dagger, forcing him to release Li Ran, but he then attacked her.
• Li Ran found a revolver, drew Sirius Arepi’s attention away from Cecilia, and shot him until a bullet struck his head and killed him.
• Li Ran saw that Cecilia was unharmed and struggled to reassure her after killing someone on his first day since transmigrating.

After killing Sirius Arepi, Li Ran accepted that he had awakened in Luther Rondal’s body and discovered a letter revealing Sirius’s plan to sacrifice him for a mysterious Lord. Sirius then rose from the dead and pinned Luther down, forcing a strange black-and-red sphere into his mouth.

• Li Ran examined his new face in a mirror, accepted that he was now Luther, and told Cecilia to call the police after neighbors heard the gunshots.
• Luther reloaded his revolver and found a letter addressed to Ms. M that described his connection to the Lord and Sirius’s plan to sacrifice him on his eighteenth birthday.
• Luther realized Sirius’s letter suggested a secret organization had targeted his body and that the world contained supernatural dangers.
• Sirius’s corpse suddenly attacked Luther, and Luther fired repeatedly into its ruined head without stopping it.
• Sirius summoned a floating black-and-red sphere from a mark in his palm and forced it into Luther’s mouth.

After Sirius forced Luther to swallow a strange pellet, Luther endured a vision of a giant in the darkness before an illusory sea protected him. He awoke with strange new perceptions, concealed what had happened from the police, and was asked to speak privately with a gray-eyed officer.

• Sirius forced a strange pellet into Luther's mouth, and Luther saw a giant watching him in the darkness as the pellet's influence spread through his body.
• Illusory tides shielded Luther from the giant and its whispers, and he returned to his body when Cecilia called to him.
• Luther awoke, noticed bizarre sights around Sirius's corpse, and silently agreed with Cecilia to discuss what had happened later.
• Luther found part of Sirius's letter charred in the ashes, then recounted a misleading version of events to the gray-eyed officer.
• The brown-eyed officer examined a yellow crystal pendant and quietly reported his findings to the gray-eyed officer, who asked Luther to speak with him privately.

Nighthawk Dunn Smith interrogated Luther about his visions and his fight with Sirius, then revealed that Luther had become a Beyonder after consuming something Sirius secreted. Dunn cleared Luther of serving an evil god but said the Nighthawks would take him and his family into protective custody because Sirius belonged to the Aurora Order and had an accomplice.

• Dunn questioned Luther about his visions, faith, and how he defeated Sirius, then explained that the Nighthawks handled supernatural incidents for the Goddess Church.
• Dunn pulled Luther into a dream and revealed that consuming Sirius's secretion had made Luther a Beyonder, frightening him with a vision of Sirius's corpse.
• A young officer told Dunn that Klein had used Spirit Channeling to identify Sirius's accomplice as Hynas Vanster, a well-known Divination Club colleague.
• Dunn explained that he was a Sleepless Sequence Beyonder who could enter dreams, and said he had confirmed Luther was not an evil-god believer.
• Dunn told Luther that Sirius belonged to the Aurora Order and that the Nighthawks would take Luther and his family into protective custody.

After Sirius’s death, Luther and Cecilia went with Dunn and the Nighthawks for protection. During the carriage ride, Dunn explained Beyonder basics and revealed that Luther had inherited a Beyonder Characteristic by swallowing the sphere from Sirius’s body, then named its Sequence 9 potion.

• Dunn told Cecilia and Luther they had to accompany the Nighthawks because dangerous people were still at large, and Cecilia agreed after Luther explained.
• Luther and Cecilia rode to the Nighthawks’ headquarters in separate carriages, where the Evernight Goddess’s emblem tested Luther and detected nothing unusual.
• Luther asked Dunn to explain Beyonders, potions, Sequence pathways, and their abilities, and Dunn gave him an overview.
• Dunn asked whether Luther had touched anything that emerged from Sirius’s body, and Luther admitted swallowing a little black sphere.
• Dunn explained that Luther had inherited a Beyonder Characteristic from Sirius and said Klein had divined what happened.
• Dunn identified the Sequence 9 potion in Sirius’s pathway as Secrets Suppliant.

Luther learned that his Secrets Suppliant Potion carried knowledge of sacrifice and Ritual Magic, but delving too deeply nearly made him invoke the True Creator’s Honorific Name. Dunn and Leonard explained the danger and brought him to the Blackthorn Security Company, where Dunn reassured Luther that he did not mind his younger sister’s earlier disrespect.

• Dunn explained that Secrets Suppliants could sense mysterious beings, perform sacrifices and limited Ritual Magic, and were prone to losing control.
• Leonard Mitchell advised Luther to meditate to uncover the knowledge imprinted by his Potion, and Luther discovered disturbing sacrificial practices and rituals.
• Luther continued meditating against his will and began chanting the True Creator’s Honorific Name before Dunn’s shout jolted him awake.
• Dunn and Leonard warned Luther that completing the chant could have turned him into a lunatic like Sirius, and Dunn identified the Hanged Giant as the True Creator’s iconic image.
• At the Blackthorn Security Company, Luther apologized for his younger sister’s behavior, and Dunn said he understood that she had been protecting and caring for him.

Luther and Cecilia arrived at the Blackthorn Security Company, where Dunn arranged for the Nighthawks to protect them while he pursued Sirius’s accomplices. The siblings were left in a lounge with Royale and Klein as Cecilia grew sleepy beside Luther.

• Luther realized that Cecilia had trimmed his nails and hair, and he resolved to treat her well if they could remain together.
• Klein inspected Cecilia with a candle, then Dunn led the group into the Blackthorn Security Company and told Rozanne to prepare tea.
• Dunn assigned Klein and Leonard to return the Sealed Artifacts, then changed his mind and left them in his office until daylight.
• Dunn said the Nighthawks would protect Luther and Cecilia while he, Leonard, and Frye went to arrest Sirius’s accomplices.
• Royale led Luther and Cecilia to a lounge, where Klein rested and Cecilia eventually grew sleepy beside Luther.

Luther awoke alone in the lounge as a horrifying presence stopped outside the door, while the Nighthawks found Hanass and his family missing and uncovered evidence of a ritual in his basement. The chapter left Luther facing an unknown visitor and Dunn realizing the scene at Hanass's home was alarming.

• Royale told Luther that Sleepless did not need to sleep, and Luther went to rest while Cecilia slept nearby.
• Dunn, Leonard, and Frye discussed investigating Hanass and potentially allowing Luther to join the Nighthawks rather than remain under constant surveillance.
• The Nighthawks entered Hanass's home and found that he, his wife, and his child had disappeared.
• Luther awoke alone with a worsening headache and heard cries and the sound of something dragging itself toward the lounge.
• A heavy presence stopped outside the lounge door as Dunn's team found traces of a disturbing ritual in Hanass's basement.

Luther sensed danger before Hanass appeared at Blackthorn Security Company in a blood-soaked, mutated state. Klein and Royale struggled to stop him, and Royale prepared to fire Demon-Hunting Bullets while Hanass slept under the effect of Klein’s Sleep Charm.

• Luther woke from a dream with a strong feeling that danger was approaching, and Royale armed herself while Klein offered to divine its source.
• Rozanne screamed in the hall, so Royale and Klein rushed out and found Hanass standing over her, drenched in blood and praising his Lord.
• Hanass advanced toward the lounge despite Royale’s warnings, and Royale and Klein shot him, but his wounds sprouted tumors that forced out the bullets and let him hurl corrosive flesh at them.
• Royale asked Klein to buy her time to load Demon-Hunting Bullets, and Klein used his Sleep Charm to put Hanass to sleep.
• Royale loaded silver bullets marked with exorcism patterns and the Evernight Goddess’s emblem, then aimed at the sleeping Hanass.

Klein and Royale attacked Hanass, but his blasphemous prayers healed him and left Royale unconscious. Luther intervened and beat Hanass, resisting the prayers with the Illusory Sea's protection, though that power was fading.

• Royale shot the sleeping Hanass with Demon-Hunting Bullets, but his two hidden faces chanted and healed his wounds.
• Hanass's prayers knocked Royale unconscious and left Klein struggling to move as Hanass prepared to eat her.
• Luther threw a teapot at Hanass and beat him with his cane, ignoring the burns from Hanass's blood.
• Hanass's chanting struck Luther, but Luther resisted it and kicked Hanass between the legs.
• Klein learned that Luther had hidden Cecilia and watched from behind a partition, while the Illusory Sea's protection against the chanting began to fade.

Luther used a ritual to strip Hanass of the True Creator’s corrupt aura, defeating him while surviving the corruption himself. Dunn’s group arrived afterward, and Dunn revealed that Hanass had sacrificed his family at home before coming to Blackthorn Security Company.

• Luther identified the Cathedral Descent ritual as the source of Hanass’s strength and used the True Creator’s emblem to draw its corrupt aura into himself.
• Hanass melted into a puddle of Flesh, while Luther’s illusory tide consumed the aura and stopped his body from mutating.
• Dunn’s group arrived to find Luther and Klein injured and Hanass dead, and Luther complained that they had taken so long.
• Luther explained how he had defeated Hanass, and Dunn examined the remains before sending Leonard to summon Inspector Tolle.
• Dunn confirmed that he had found Hanass’s home as a blood-sacrifice scene and wondered why Hanass had awakened, sacrificed his family, and gone to Blackthorn Security Company.

Luther woke in the Blackthorn Security Company break room after surviving the Aurora Order’s attack and consuming the Secrets Suppliant potion. As Cecilia recovered their few belongings, Luther remembered her years of caring for him and felt warmth and guilt at seeing her smile.

• In a notebook, Ince Zangwill recorded that Luther had survived Hynas’s ritual and lamented that Luther had disrupted his plans again.
• Luther woke in the break room and recalled killing Sirius and Hynas, then consuming the Secrets Suppliant potion left behind by Hynas.
• Cecilia sorted through the siblings’ battered suitcase and rejoiced when she found the small brush she used to paste matchboxes.
• Luther remembered Cecilia’s hard work and care for him, then felt warmth and guilt when she turned and smiled at him.

Luther realized Roselle had already copied many of the works and inventions he had hoped to use to earn a living, then shared breakfast with Cecilia while they waited for Dunn. Dunn told them the Aurora Order had been cleared from Tingen and offered Luther and Cecilia two choices, ending with his recommendation that Luther join the Nighthawks.

• Luther reassured Cecilia that he was no longer experiencing the madness that had once overtaken him.
• Luther learned from his memories that Roselle Gustav had already introduced many inventions and published works he had hoped to use to support himself.
• Leonard brought Luther and Cecilia breakfast, and Luther encouraged his sister to eat.
• Dunn told Luther and Cecilia that the Aurora Order's forces in Tingen had been cleared and the incident was considered over.
• Dunn offered them the choice of leaving under the organization's protection or having Luther join the Nighthawks, leaving Luther stunned.

Luther accepted Dunn's invitation to join the Nighthawks after weighing the risks against the pay and freedom the job offered. Two days later, he had settled into a rented house, arranged for Cecilia to return to school, and prepared to report to the team.

• Dunn invited Luther to join the Nighthawks, explaining that Luther's abilities were useful and that the team wanted to repay him for helping them.
• Luther asked about the work and pay, then accepted the offer after learning he would serve as a support member earning around six pounds a week.
• Dunn arranged an advance on Luther's wages, and Luther used the next two days to rent a house and buy clothes and supplies for himself and Cecilia.
• Luther restored Cecilia's student status through Dunn's connections and encouraged her to return to school.
• Cecilia left for her first day back at school, and Luther prepared to report to the Nighthawks.

Luther reported to Dunn at Blackthorn Security Company, where the Church had approved his application to join the Nighthawks. After signing the team-entry contract, Luther became an official member, but Dunn warned him never to seek advancement.

• Luther and Klein walked to Blackthorn Security Company, where Rozanne recognized Luther and recalled that he had killed Hanass.
• Dunn told Luther that the Church had approved his application, provided Dunn kept a close eye on him.
• Dunn suggested Luther's hallucinations had stopped because consuming the Secrets Suppliant potion stabilized his spirituality.
• Luther read and signed the team-entry contract, and Dunn declared him an official Nighthawk.
• Dunn began outlining important rules and told Luther that he must never seek advancement.

Luther learned why advancing along the Secrets Suppliant Pathway was dangerous, then began his Nighthawk training and met Old Neil. The chapter ended with Luther suffering a violent reaction when he saw the floating eyes behind Neil.

• Dunn explained that Listeners had to advance within five years and were inevitably driven insane into worshipping the True Creator, and Luther promised not to advance.
• Dunn told Luther to submit a psychiatric recovery certificate, study mysticism with Old Neil alongside Klein, and collect a revolver and practice bullets.
• Luther asked Rozanne to guide him to the underground Armory, where mysticism lessons were underway.
• Luther entered the Armory, saw Klein and Old Neil, and immediately suffered a bloody nose and a thunderous sensation in his head at the sight of the floating eyes behind Neil.

Luther began studying mysticism with Old Neil and noticed a sinister eye attached to him, which seemed connected to an evil God. After enduring the lesson, Luther went to Dunn and warned him that something was wrong with Old Neil.

• Luther saw a terrifying eye behind Old Neil and felt its influence, but hid his reaction.
• Old Neil welcomed Luther as a student and assigned Klein to teach him Hermes.
• Old Neil gave Luther introductory lessons in mysticism and warned him not to pray to mysterious entities outside the Seven Gods.
• Luther declined to try Spirit Vision and endured the lesson with the Illusory Sea's protection.
• Luther went to Dunn's office and told him that something seemed wrong with Old Neil.

Luther practiced shooting and endured the strain of pretending not to notice the evil presence behind Old Neil while waiting for Dunn to act. Dunn summoned Luther and Royale to Tingen City Railway Station, where a senior deacon had arrived.

• Luther practiced with his revolver at the Nighthawks' underground shooting range and recalled Dunn telling him to act normally around Old Neil.
• Luther collected dinner for Cecilia and told her he had to stay overnight at the company.
• Luther returned to Blackthorn Security Company and spoke with Rozanne and Royale, who thanked him for saving her.
• Dunn arrived and ordered Luther and Royale to accompany him to Tingen City Railway Station because a senior deacon had arrived.

Luther accompanied Dunn and Royale to meet senior deacon Crestet Cesimir, who arrived in Tingen with Miss Daly. On the way to Old Neil’s residence, Dunn revealed that Old Neil showed signs of corruption by an evil god, and Luther suggested that he might still be saved.

• Dunn told Luther and Royale that Crestet Cesimir, the Goddess’s Sword, was arriving in Tingen.
• Crestet arrived by train carrying a mysterious metal suitcase and brought Miss Daly with him.
• Daly confronted Dunn for not telling her that something had happened to her former teammate, Old Neil.
• Dunn told Royale and Daly that a Sealed Artifact had revealed signs of evil-god corruption on Old Neil.
• As the group rode to Old Neil’s residence, Luther said that Old Neil might still be saved, drawing everyone’s attention.