Chapter Summaries

Ithil spent Parr’s money on supplies for the orphaned children before giving them her own coins and explaining that she was leaving Azure Stone City to train as a Church Knight. After Ithil departed for the Wind Wolf Capital, John began teaching Parr combat, and Parr’s fighting skills improved through their rough sparring.

• Ithil borrowed eighteen of Parr’s twenty Wind Wolf Gold Coins to buy supplies, then gave her own coins to Big Green for the children’s meals.
• Ithil told Big Green and the children she was leaving Azure Stone City to become a Church Knight at the Main Cathedral in the Wind Wolf Capital.
• Ithil explained to Parr that she had feared he would refuse to help the orphans, and she later gave him an IOU before leaving with the Knight Captain.
• Parr returned to the Kunna Merchant Guild, where John teased him about Ithil leaving and then began sparring with him.
• John corrected Parr’s fighting stance and trained him through repeated sparring, then began teaching him the unarmed combat Skill Charge Punch.

Parr learned Charge Punch through the Status Panel and mastered it under John’s instruction. Just as John and Parr tried to leave Kunna’s compound, Kunna stopped them and asked John to investigate bandits who had occupied one of her Lapis Lazuli mines.

• John taught Parr the technique and posture for Charge Punch, then wrote down detailed instructions for him.
• Parr used the Status Panel to learn Charge Punch from the written guide and later surprised John by performing it successfully.
• Parr practiced Charge Punch through the afternoon until he had mastered it, and John prepared for them to resume their journey.
• John and Parr tried to slip out of the Kunna Merchant Guild compound at night, but Kunna caught them at the back entrance.
• Kunna told John that a bandit gang had occupied her southern Lapis Lazuli mine and that the Patrol Team Leader she had hired had not reported back.
• John agreed to investigate the mine and hurried away with Parr.

John and Parr mailed a letter to Old Man Jack, then traveled to a Lapis Lazuli Mine occupied by a suspicious Adventurer Team. After discovering the Patrol Team Leader and his men dead and suspecting a traitor in the Patrol Team, John decided to confront the occupiers himself.

• John took Parr to the Adventurers' Association, where Parr mailed a letter and enclosed a Gold Coin for Old Man Jack.
• John and Parr left Azure Stone City at dawn and hired a carriage toward the Lapis Lazuli Mine, but the driver stopped when bandits blocked the route.
• John and Parr approached the Mine and saw miners forced to work by armed men, along with the corpses of the Patrol Team Leader and his subordinates.
• John identified the occupiers as a Small Adventurer Team and noticed that three of them were Bronze-level Knights.
• John reasoned that a traitor in the Patrol Team had concealed the deaths and refused to return to seek help.
• John decided to attack the Adventurer Team, confident that his Advanced Bronze Knight strength would prevail.

John and Parr watched an adventuring party force miners to dig while a Fat Woman Magician controlled and drained a young miner. After discovering the danger and seeing two patrolmen’s corpses, John and Parr attacked her cabin, but her spells began to turn the fight against them.

• John and Parr observed the Overseer Adventurer whip the miners and saw the Fat Woman Magician select a handsome young miner, mark him with a Magic Array, and control him.
• The controlled young man dragged two drained Azure Stone City Patrol Team corpses from the cabin, prompting John to decide they could wait no longer.
• John put on light armor, gave Parr the Church's Honorary Knight Badge, and planned for Parr to attack the Magician after John broke her shield.
• John and Parr sneaked to the cabin window and saw the Fat Woman atop the young man, who had regained his senses but was too weak to resist.
• John leaped through the window and attacked with Blood Moon Slash, but the Fat Woman's barrier blocked him, and she cast Vinewood Ropes and Air Quagmire.

Parr broke free of the Fat Woman’s Mental Cage by upgrading his Magic Apprentice realm, helping John kill her and her men. John then attacked the remaining adventure group members as they dug toward the Magic Empire’s Ruins, while Parr waited for a chance to join the fight.

• The Fat Woman restrained John with spells, but Parr’s Church Honorary Knight Badge blocked her first mental attack.
• The Fat Woman trapped Parr in a Mental Cage, so Parr spent 10 Mental Energy Points to become an Intermediate Magic Apprentice and break free.
• Parr struck the Fat Woman three times, and John pierced her heart after her barrier faltered.
• John killed an adventurer who approached the hut, and Parr finished the wounded man off.
• John confronted the remaining adventure group members at the Mine Pit and attacked them with Shadow Split as Parr hoped to finish off the wounded.

After defeating the adventurers, Parr discovered that his Black Short Sword could absorb Life Energy Points from corpses and found a Fireball Spell booklet in the mage’s cabin. John rescued the miners and began investigating the Magic Empire’s Ruins, while Parr learned the spell.

• Parr absorbed Life Energy Points from a corpse and realized the Black Short Sword could harvest them, though it gained no Mental Energy Points and yielded less from the dead.
• John and Parr collected the adventurers’ spoils, and John reassured the rescued miners that he would lead them out the next morning.
• John explained the history and value of the Magic Empire’s Ruins, then searched the cabin with Parr for information about them.
• Parr found a booklet containing Fireball Spell and spent 50 Mental Energy Points to learn it.

Parr found and learned a Fireball Spell booklet, then discovered that the Fat Woman and Viscountess Mary were connected to the secretive Tian Xing Society. After learning Mary might come after them, he and John entered the Mine Pit Ruins to investigate.

• Parr showed John the Fireball Spell booklet and told him about Abel recognizing his magical Talent, and John encouraged him to study patiently.
• John and Parr found records identifying the Tian Xing Society and learned that Viscountess Mary was secretly known as Mary Tian Xing.
• John warned Parr that Tian Xing Society members could be dangerous, and the two decided to explore the Ruins and leave Azure Stone Viscount Territory quickly.
• John and Parr reached the Mine Pit entrance, cleared away rubble, and descended into the dark passageway with John leading and Parr following cautiously.

John and Parr explored a hidden mage laboratory, gathering valuable materials and discovering its former owner’s belongings. They found a white metal fragment that John identified as part of the Holy Sword.

• John used Blood Moon Slash to disable the damaged defensive Magic Array on the Azure Gold-covered door, then peeled off the valuable metal and gave it to Parr.
• John opened the door, and he and Parr found a room filled with Slimes that began dying after the sealed chamber’s elemental energy dispersed.
• John and Parr collected depleted Magic Crystals and searched the room, where John found an illustrated book and hid it after recognizing its contents.
• John examined the stone table and discovered a well-preserved box made of Millennial Ironwood, then opened it with his sword.
• Parr saw a white metal fragment inside the box, and John identified it as a fragment of the Holy Sword.

John explained the history of the Holy Swords to Parr after they found a fragment, then helped him bind it to a weapon. The fragment rejected Parr’s Black Short Sword but fused with his standard one-handed sword, granting it a powerful healing Skill that John saw as useful against cultists.

• John told Parr that the Seven Savior Holy Knights had wielded Holy Swords, and that the Lightning Chasing Swift Hawk Holy Knight later destroyed five of them and scattered their fragments.
• John revealed that his Dark Knight One-Handed Sword contained a Holy Sword Fragment whose Skill created a phantom, and explained that fragments could grant Skills to weapons.
• Parr tried to fuse the white fragment with his Black Short Sword, but the fragment was knocked away; John concluded that it did not suit the weapon.
• Parr placed the fragment on his Standard One-Handed Sword, and it fused successfully, granting the sword a healing Skill stronger than the Church’s Radiance Healing Art.
• John said the healing Skill could help them survive in the wilderness and be used against enemies, including cultists.

John and Parr rescued Eric Azure Stone, who claimed his stepmother had seized control of the Azure Stone Viscount Territory, and agreed to escort him to loyal knights. At dawn, they left the mine with the miners and ran into George's Patrol Team at the edge of the Deep Forest.

• Parr named his healing sword White Light, and John decided they had gathered enough loot to leave the mine.
• John interrogated the surviving Overseer Adventurer, but he knew nothing about the excavation's purpose; the newly awakened young man then identified himself as Eric Azure Stone, the current viscount.
• Eric said his father had died, his stepmother and George had tried to imprison him, and he had escaped through a secret passage before getting lost and being captured at the mine.
• Parr told John that Eric's account seemed partly false, but John agreed to escort Eric to a nearby knight territory in exchange for payment.
• Parr secretly killed the Overseer Adventurer, and at dawn John, Parr, Eric, and the miners left the mine and encountered George's Patrol Team after exiting the Deep Forest.

Mary and George confronted John and Parr on the road to the Mine, and a fight broke out after George mistook them for bandits. Parr used his upgraded Danger Prediction to survive the Patrol Team’s charge, but Mary discovered John had entered the ruins and demanded their loot, prompting John to make a sudden move to escape with Parr.

• Mary learned that John and Parr had reached the Mine and led George and the Patrol Team toward the Deep Forest.
• George ordered the Patrol Team to charge John and Parr, and John crippled several horses while strange limbs in his red aura helped him evade attacks.
• Parr upgraded Danger Prediction to LV3 and dodged the Patrol Team members’ attacks as they charged past him.
• John fought George, then offered to leave with Parr, but Mary returned with a controlled Eric and a miner who revealed that John and Parr had entered the ruins.
• Mary demanded that John surrender what he had taken from the ruins, so John tossed Wind Wolf Copper Coins to distract her and George before activating Charge toward Parr.

John and Parr fought George, Mary, and the Patrol Team after George and Mary trapped them behind a Positioning Barrier. John unleashed a dangerous transformation to battle George while Parr killed the injured Patrol Team members, and the chapter left John still fighting George as their duel neared its end.

• John grabbed Parr and ran toward the Deep Forest, but a Positioning Barrier bounced them back and trapped them with George and Mary.
• John transformed and fought George while Mary’s direct spells failed to affect him, until she used Air Chains to give George an advantage.
• John summoned shadowy figures to break the Air Chains and resumed his fierce battle with George.
• Parr used Danger Prediction and his swordsmanship to kill the injured Patrol Team members, relying on his breathing technique to restore stamina during the fight.
• Parr allowed a dagger to graze his arm, killed the attacker, staged the appearance of a hard-fought battle, and finished off the unconscious survivor.
• Parr turned back to see John still fighting George as the duel approached its conclusion.

John defeated George in a final sword duel, while Mary escaped only to be captured by Abel and taken away. Parr collected energy from the defeated enemies and investigated why his Black Short Sword had grown sharper; John recovered from his Talent’s side effects and called Parr over about his sword.

• John caught George’s sword with his bare hand and killed him, then realized Mary had disappeared.
• Abel captured Mary and took her away in a carriage, explaining that he had left the Adventurers’ Association and would bring her back to the City of Freedom.
• Parr finished off the wounded enemies and absorbed 510 Life Energy Points and 50 Mental Energy Points, deciding to save his energy rather than upgrade.
• Parr tested the Black Short Sword on several Ironwood trees and concluded that it had become sharper, though he could not determine why.
• John recovered from the side effects of his Talent, said he expected to recover fully in about a week, and beckoned Parr over for his sword.

John and Parr returned Viscount Eric to Azure Stone City, where Eric rewarded John but secretly resolved to kill him for witnessing his humiliation. John and Parr left with the gold and carriage, and John explained the costs of Parr’s advancement before stopping at Kunna’s Merchant Guild, where Kunna invited them to stay the night.

• Parr used the White Light Sword to heal John and himself, and John woke Viscount Eric and explained how he had rescued him.
• John and Parr brought Eric back to Azure Stone City, where Eric reclaimed control of the fortress and ordered a guard who had tried to kill him executed.
• Eric paid John five thousand Wind Wolf Gold Coins, offered him the vacant Patrol Team captain position, and secretly vowed to have John and Parr killed.
• John refused the position and left the city with Parr, explaining that advancing Parr would require an expensive potion and information about powerful Magic Beasts.
• John stopped at the Kunna Merchant Guild and told Kunna what had happened; she invited him to stay overnight, but he silently refused.

John told Parr that he hunted cultists to avenge his wife and pursue Red Robe, then explained their route toward the Western Fortress Cluster. As Parr traveled on, a masked man arranged to have John and Parr killed.

• John revealed that Red Robe had masterminded the Wind Wolf Capital massacre, which killed John's wife and his mentor, and vowed to hunt him down.
• John explained that he and Parr needed to reach Fluorescent City before the Month of Bitter Winter blocked river travel, outlining their route through Clear River Town.
• Parr dreamed again of a pale cyan-white giant wolf, woke at dawn, and drove the carriage while John slept.
• A masked man entered a secret meeting place in Azure Stone City and offered a thousand and fifty gold coins to have John and Parr killed.
• An unseen assassin accepted the contract to target John and Parr.

Parr and John traveled for three rainy days from the Azure Stone Viscount Territory into the Mist Viscount Territory, where they encountered corrupt toll collectors. After John paid the proper toll, one soldier secretly sent an Ink Bird into the forest.

• A masked man left the Assassin's Association after the old man questioned him about a commission involving the new Azure Stone Viscount.
• Parr roasted Stupid Rabbits with Secret Spicy Slime Powder, and John ate half of one before Parr could try his own batch.
• Parr and John traveled through the rain, and John’s Talent aftereffects eased again at night.
• Parr spotted the boundary sign, and John told him the Mist Viscount Territory lay ahead.
• Mist Territory soldiers demanded ten gold coins at a checkpoint, but John intimidated them into accepting two Copper Coins.
• After the carriage entered the Mist Viscount Territory, one soldier slipped into the Deep Forest and sent an Ink Bird flying away.

John and Parr were ambushed by two assassins in the fog, with John fighting one while the other attacked Parr in the carriage. Parr upgraded his Charge Punch to its maximum level and landed an uppercut on the Assassin Boy, leaving the fight unresolved.

• A cloaked man and his apprentice prepared to ambush John and Parr, assigning the Assassin Boy to kill Parr.
• John and Parr stopped overnight in the rain, and Parr learned that Slimes were common and inexpensive.
• The next morning, an assassin attacked John from the fog, but John blocked the strikes with Battle Qi and tried to reach the carriage to protect Parr.
• The Assassin Boy entered the carriage and attacked Parr, who dodged his strikes and resisted his attempts to reach the Black Short Sword.
• Parr spent Life Energy Points to upgrade Charge Punch to MAX, then ducked the Assassin Boy's attack and struck him with an uppercut.

Parr defeated an assassin and discovered that the White Light Sword could heal severe injuries when stabbed into the wounded person, though it consumed his Stamina. After Parr healed John, they investigated their attackers and suspected the Assassin's Association.

• The Assassin Boy attacked Parr in the carriage, but Parr dodged his punches and knocked him unconscious with Charge Punches.
• Parr stabbed the wounded Assassin Boy with the White Light Sword and discovered its white light rapidly repaired internal injuries and broken bones at a steep Stamina cost.
• John dragged a second assassin to the carriage after revealing he had baited the ambush and beaten the attacker despite being stabbed in the shoulder.
• Parr demonstrated the sword's healing effect to John, then used it to heal John's shoulder, internal injuries, and Talent aftereffects.
• John and Parr searched the two assassins, found no identifying items, and John suspected they belonged to the Assassin's Association.

John and Parr left Azure Stone Fortress after surviving an assassination attempt, and John warned that the Assassin's Association could send two more assassins. They reached Mist City, where John sold their loot and bought Parr protective armor, while an Association agent prepared to report the first attempt's failure.

• John suspected Viscount Eric might have ordered the attack, but told Parr they lacked evidence and should continue toward Mist City.
• John explained that the Assassin's Association would make up to two more attempts after the first assassin failed; Parr absorbed the two assassins' energy and disposed of their bodies.
• A soldier who secretly worked for the Assassin's Association found the dead assassins and rode back to Mist City to arrange a second attempt.
• John and Parr entered Mist City, paid the entrance fee, and headed for the Adventurers' Association.
• John sold their adventuring-party loot for about 200 gold coins and bought Parr Black Leather Armor made from Bronze-level Magic Beast hide.

John and Parr took a Church mission to investigate a plague in Red Leaf Village, but an adventurer team ambushed them on the road. The attack ended with John and Parr missing from their carriage and a fireball striking the attackers’ leader.

• John exchanged five thousand gold coins for an Adventurers' Association voucher and found a Church mission to escort a physician to plague-stricken Red Leaf Village.
• John realized the Church’s shortage of manpower suggested simultaneous outbreaks, so he and Parr accepted the mission and left Mist City that night.
• A Small Adventurer Team decided to rob John and Parr after receiving information about their valuable haul.
• The team severed the draft horse’s harness with arrows and bombarded the carriage, then discovered John and Parr were gone.
• A fireball flew from the roadside grass and struck the leader’s mount, injuring his foot and throwing several adventurers from their horses.