Chapter Summaries

Zhao Xu reached level 7 after experiencing Antinoa’s memories of the former Weave and copying hundreds of Fourth Circle Spells. After inspecting his new class abilities, he set out with Antinoa and Vivian by carriage toward the Alliance capital, where Antinoa promised him an adventure along the way.

• Zhao Xu broke through to the Fourth Circle and level 7 after encountering the former Weave in Antinoa’s memory palace, gaining hundreds of Fourth Circle Spells.
• Antinoa explained that the costly materials for Zhao Xu’s spell copying had been paid for by her Legendary Spell.
• Zhao Xu checked his Character Card and gained a new Metamagic Feat choice and the Spell Guardian ability Arcane Sight.
• Zhao Xu used Arcane Sight on Antinoa and discovered she had both legendary arcane and divine spellcasting abilities.
• Antinoa restored her Mind Shield and told Zhao Xu she would accompany him and Vivian by carriage to the Alliance capital.

Zhao Xu, Antinoa, and Vivian were confronted by Starfall Town guards who accused them of impersonating Mage Association officials, but Antinoa used a powerful spell to immobilize the force and they left town. On the road, Antinoa advised Zhao Xu about the power of high-ring spells and asked whether he knew a fourth-ring spell that could increase a Spellcaster’s Caster Level by half.

• A crowd of guards and a Third-ring Mage confronted Zhao Xu, Antinoa, and Vivian over suspicions that they were impersonating Mage Association staff.
• Antinoa refused to explain themselves, and the trio boarded their carriage despite the encirclement.
• After the Third-ring Mage ordered the guards to attack, Antinoa immobilized the guards and their warhorses with a ninth-ring Hold Monster.
• Zhao Xu drove the carriage out of Starfall Town while Antinoa explained that powerful spells could silence opposition more effectively than proof.
• Antinoa approved Zhao Xu’s choice of the Distant Spell Feat and asked whether he knew a fourth-ring spell that could increase Caster Level by half.

Zhao Xu received Antinoa’s plan and a Legendary Staff that let him use Field of Decay before reaching the required divine spell level. Antinoa also revealed that Tang De had betrayed Arthur by colluding with Graz’zt, and she left Zhao Xu to expose him as they prepared to travel beneath Falling Star Lake.

• Zhao Xu questioned how he could use Field of Decay without slaughtering many creatures, and Antinoa gave him a Dimensional Pouch containing over a hundred thousand suspended Tiny Variant Spiders.
• Antinoa explained that she had advanced into Archmage after learning all the spells from the school she chose to oppose, then gave Zhao Xu a Legendary Staff with charges for Field of Decay and Divine Power Technique.
• Antinoa told Zhao Xu to reach Level 8 quickly and use May’s notebook to break through to Level 9, while refusing to reward him with another notebook.
• Zhao Xu learned that Antinoa had discovered Tang De’s betrayal of Arthur and that the notebook Tang De possessed was in Graz’zt’s hands; Antinoa assigned Zhao Xu the task of exposing him.
• Antinoa told Zhao Xu to sleep, prepare his new Fourth Circle arcane spell, and then accompany her underground beneath Falling Star Lake.

After Zhao Xu restored his spells using Howard's Enhanced Bedding, Antinoa helped him stack temporary Caster Level bonuses and cast Field of Decay. He ended with a Caster Level of 27 for twenty-four hours, then realized Antinoa's claim of exceeding Level 70 might be true.

• Antinoa had Zhao Xu sleep in Howard's Enhanced Bedding, which let him regain the benefits of eight hours of rest in one hour.
• Zhao Xu spent three hours restoring and preparing his arcane and divine spells, then Antinoa said he needed to demonstrate his abilities for their underground expedition.
• Antinoa helped Zhao Xu raise his Caster Level with Restoration, Energy Protection, three spells, and the Ascension Cross, while Zhao Xu added a Mana Bead and a Holy Symbol.
• Zhao Xu cast Field of Decay through his staff at a temporary Caster Level of 42, gaining Strength and temporary hit points.
• The temporary bonuses faded, but Field of Decay left Zhao Xu with a Caster Level of 27 for twenty-four hours, and he reconsidered Antinoa's claim that her Caster Level exceeded 70.

Zhao Xu learned that he was the Secret Keeper tasked with preserving Arthur’s magical civilization if the world fell, then joined Antinoa and Vivian to enter an underwater temple tied to the ancient deity Muzelin. Meanwhile, Wang Ningwei accepted an appointment as Vice President of the Starfall Town Mage Association alongside Midsummer.

• Zhao Xu cast Divine Power, raising his combat abilities and bringing his total HP to 125.
• Antinoa told Zhao Xu that his role as Secret Keeper was to carry Arthur’s magical civilization onward if Arthur were destroyed.
• Antinoa explained that the lake concealed Muzelin’s burial site and warned that unstable magic inside could bring about an apocalypse.
• Antinoa, Zhao Xu, and Vivian used Water Breathing and entered the lake to retrieve a piece of the truth from the past.
• President Oath offered Wang Ningwei the Starfall Town Mage Association vice presidency, and Wang Ningwei accepted after learning she would assist Midsummer.

Zhao Xu, Vivian, and Antinoa entered Muzelin’s hidden tomb beneath Falling Star Lake, where Antinoa warned that she could not intervene freely. When a Giant Worm Nightshade attacked, Zhao Xu killed it instantly with a metamagic-enhanced Axiom Hammer.

• Antinoa led Zhao Xu and Vivian through the lakebed and more than ten kilometers of stone to Muzelin’s tomb, explaining that its defenses recognized her and threatened to destroy the tomb if she interfered.
• Antinoa gave Zhao Xu Mana Restoration Pearls, then used Sol’s Stone-Walking to bring all three into the mausoleum through a weak point in its defenses.
• Antinoa told them to ignore the side passages unless monsters emerged, and warned that she had previously seen the tomb’s monsters kneel in fear before Ernest.
• Antinoa detected a Giant Worm Nightshade forty meters ahead and identified its weaknesses, telling Zhao Xu to kill it instantly.
• Zhao Xu cast a quickened, empowered, twinned Axiom Hammer and dealt 432 damage, killing the Giant Worm Nightshade before it could attack.

Zhao Xu, Antinoa, and Vivian reached the passage to the ancient Fire Elemental deity’s main burial ground, where Antinoa explained that Muzelin had been the first Fire Elemental and had killed itself after Ernest warned it that Arthur would be destroyed. The chapter left them stunned by the revelation that Muzelin planned to resurrect after the World-Ending Secret passed, even though Ernest himself had not been sure the catastrophe would happen.

• Zhao Xu killed the Giant Worm Nightshade with Axiom Hammer, and Antinoa warned him that the monster was only a weak relic of the past.
• Antinoa and Vivian exchanged remarks about Antinoa’s former mentor, and the three continued through the tomb without encountering another monster.
• The three flew up the monumental staircase to a purple-curtained platform that led to the main burial ground.
• Antinoa explained that some deities built vast tombs as bases for rituals that could resurrect them, and revealed that Muzelin was the first Fire Elemental whose will still sustained the Fire Elemental Plane.
• Antinoa told Zhao Xu and Vivian that Ernest had warned Muzelin that Arthur would eventually be destroyed, prompting Muzelin to kill itself and plan to rise again after the World-Ending Secret passed.
• Antinoa revealed that Ernest had not truly known whether the world’s destruction would occur, leaving Zhao Xu and Vivian shocked.

Zhao Xu learned how Ernest’s visit to Moszlin’s tomb had involved a failed attempt to resurrect a dead angel, then entered the tomb’s dreamlike trial. There, he met Moszlin, who asked him for a promise.

• Antinoa explained that Moszlin had killed himself after misunderstanding Ernest’s prediction of world destruction, and that Ernest later entered the tomb seeking Moszlin’s chance at resurrection.
• Antinoa revealed that Ernest had brought the succubus Paladin Ailothisia into the tomb to seek a way to place her dead angel lover in Moszlin’s divine body, but the tomb’s spirit thwarted them.
• The group reached a platform with seven colored lanterns, and Antinoa told Zhao Xu to gaze at one to enter the tomb’s main chamber through a dreamlike trial.
• Zhao Xu stared at the red lantern and found himself in a dark void where his spells failed to illuminate the surroundings.
• Moszlin appeared before Zhao Xu and said he wanted to ask him for a promise.

Zhao Xu learned from Moszlin that Earthlings’ arrival in Arthur marked the beginning of “birth,” one half of a cycle tied to Arthur’s eventual destruction. After Moszlin vanished, Antinoa warned Zhao Xu about future upheavals and left with Vivian, while Zhao Xu reflected on the uncertain fate of the Earthlings.

• Moszlin granted Zhao Xu powerful enhancements to his Fire spells and asked him to promise a favor in the future.
• Moszlin told Zhao Xu that Earth’s humans crossing into Arthur signified “birth,” which was linked to the world’s eventual destruction and reset.
• Moszlin vanished, and Zhao Xu found himself with Antinoa and Vivian on Falling Star Lake; he relayed what he had learned behind Antinoa’s protective sphere.
• Antinoa said Moszlin knew less than she did, explained that the Advent of Saints would make the gods lose their divine power, and warned Zhao Xu about the coming Era of Turmoil.
• Antinoa and Vivian left to visit May, and Zhao Xu wondered how many Earthlings celebrating New Year’s Eve would still meet again in Arthur four months later.

Zhao Xu met his high school friends for New Year’s Eve morning tea and reflected on how Arthur’s shortened timeline could change their futures. The reunion was interrupted when his mother called to say Antinoa had arrived at his home looking for him.

• Zhao Xu left home to meet Liu Feng, Hong Qiwei, and Hou Tiansheng at a tea house.
• Hou Tiansheng discussed making money by farming gold in Arthur, and Zhao Xu urged him to invest in becoming stronger.
• Zhao Xu realized that Arthur’s impending transmigration would arrive sooner than in his previous life, especially disrupting the overseas server schedule.
• Zhao Xu offered to help Liu Feng get an account and play on the domestic server from abroad.
• His friends recognized Vivian from a game poster, and Zhao Xu said that she worked under him.
• Zhao Xu’s mother called to report that Antinoa had come to his home, so he hurried back.

Zhao Xu returned home to find Antinoa visiting in disguise, where she wished him a happy New Year before revealing that the material Energy Channel between Earth and Arthur had become abnormal again.

• Zhao Xu left his friends after learning that someone had come looking for him at home, while Liu Feng and the others speculated about his changed demeanor and argued over Arthur players.
• Zhao Xu found Antinoa at home with his mother and Nan Xiao Wei, who quickly became fascinated with her.
• Antinoa used a spell to put Nan Xiao Wei to sleep after Nan Xiao Wei shared an embarrassing childhood story about magic with Zhao Xu.
• Zhao Xu asked Antinoa why she had come, and she wished him a happy New Year before reporting that the material Energy Channel between Earth and Arthur had become abnormal again.

Antinoa warned Zhao Xu that Arthur’s material-energy passage might collapse early because powerful forces were overloading it, and that other enhanced players could be hiding in Arthur. She confirmed the crossing was still four months away but urged Zhao Xu to prepare for unexpected danger and stay strong.

• Antinoa explained that traffic from powerful beings was wearing down the passage between Earth and Arthur, and that a sudden influx of players could cause it to collapse.
• Antinoa told Zhao Xu that hidden players might have been reborn as powerful races like Vivian, while the Leapfrog Clause prevented their strength from being revealed.
• Antinoa warned Zhao Xu that divine power could leave traces on him and that Arthur’s powerful beings might target him on Earth, so he abandoned plans to reveal his identity to nearby friends.
• Antinoa confirmed the crossing was still expected in four months, placed warning spells in Zhao Xu’s dormitory and home, and reminded him to keep going even if he suffered setbacks.

Zhao Xu returned to Arthur amid heavy snow and drove a magically summoned, floating carriage across the snowfield. He narrowly avoided a mysterious figure who effortlessly stopped his attack and the carriage, then introduced themself as a Legendary Mage.

• Zhao Xu returned to Falling Star Lake and realized that his Fimbulwinter spell had made the winter more dangerous for the poor.
• Zhao Xu summoned a Phantom Steed and considered using Levitate to make the carriage fly, then set off at high speed across the snowy plain.
• A Rogue and a hunter spotted the carriage racing over the snow without leaving tracks.
• Zhao Xu used Rapid Surge and cast Bigby's Striking Fist when a snow-covered figure suddenly appeared in the carriage's path.
• The figure deflected Zhao Xu's spell, stopped the carriage, and introduced themself as a Legendary Mage.

Zhao Xu met Ying Ergou, a Legendary Mage who helped found the Eastern Land Empire, after Antinoa attacked him with Mage Disjunction. Ying Ergou invited Antinoa to recommend exchange students for the empire’s planned Starry Sky Academy, leaving Zhao Xu intrigued by the academy and its promise of Nine Swords training.

• Antinoa cast Mage Disjunction at the mysterious man, who survived by raising a barrier of snow behind himself.
• The man revealed that he was Ying Ergou, a Legendary Mage who had helped found the Eastern Land Empire and once studied in Mystra.
• Zhao Xu recognized Ying Ergou as the secretive figure behind the empire’s founding and recalled his fearsome reputation.
• Ying Ergou explained that the Eastern Land Empire was preparing a comprehensive academy for the heirs of major powers, with vocational education and Nine Swords training.
• Ying Ergou asked Antinoa to recommend exchange students from the Final Scroll and floated an invitation letter toward them.

Zhao Xu and Antinoa negotiated with Legendary Mage Ying Ergou for Zhao Xu to learn parts of the Nine Swords system at Starry Sky Academy. Ying Ergou agreed to consider Antinoa’s list, but refused to teach the Ying Clan’s White Raven Tactics unless Zhao Xu married into the clan.

• Zhao Xu reflected on his need for Nine Swords techniques and the future threat of Purgatory.
• Antinoa dismissed Ying Ergou’s exchange-student invitation and had Zhao Xu introduce himself as Midsummer, Secret Keeper of the Final Scroll.
• Ying Ergou recognized Zhao Xu’s status and offered him a faculty invitation, while Antinoa demanded access to Nine Swords techniques.
• Ying Ergou explained White Raven’s charging techniques and warned that the Ying Clan guarded its key arts, including White Raven Tactics.
• Antinoa handed Ying Ergou her written list of requested techniques, and he proposed that Zhao Xu marry an eligible princess to gain access to White Raven Tactics.

Legendary Mage Ying Ergou tried to recruit Vivian to help investigate demonic rituals in the Eastern Land Empire, but she refused because her mission served Ernest. Before vanishing, Ying Ergou apologized by leaving Zhao Xu a newly developed School of Swords longsword, and Antinoa explained its power while recalling Ernest’s rule over Arthur.

• Ying Ergou tried to interest Zhao Xu in a future marriage alliance with Yue, but Antinoa and Vivian rebuked him.
• Ying Ergou recognized Vivian’s transformed nature and tried to recruit her to investigate demonic rituals in the Northern Asia Province, but Vivian refused and declared Ernest her lord.
• Ying Ergou apologized to Vivian and left a longsword before disappearing.
• Antinoa identified the weapon as a +1 School of Swords longsword and explained how its enchantment could greatly increase attacks when paired with Nine Swords techniques and stances.
• Antinoa said Ying Ergou was merely trying to imitate Ernest, whose Magic Empire had once united Arthur and constrained the gods.

Zhao Xu and Antinoa traveled through a blizzard toward Orlu, where they found a merchant caravan under attack by Winter Wolves. Antinoa revealed that a young white dragon was hiding nearby and told Zhao Xu to bring it down.

• Zhao Xu continued driving the carriage while Antinoa taught him advanced spellcasting and discussed his responsibilities as a Mage Association branch president.
• As the New Year holiday ended, Zhao Xu and Antinoa approached Orlu through a severe blizzard.
• Zhao Xu heard a wolf howl, and Antinoa used her skills and Eagle Eye Spell to locate a caravan besieged by more than thirty Winter Wolves.
• Zhao Xu arrived at the fight, where the surviving guards mistook his ordinary-looking carriage for reinforcements and then despaired at its apparent lack of fighting power.
• Antinoa ordered Zhao Xu to kill the Winter Wolves, then revealed a young white dragon was hiding nearby and told him to bring down the dragon instead.

Zhao Xu annihilated a Winter Wolf pack with an empowered, twinned Fireball, then spotted a White Dragon fleeing into the snowstorm and took off after it. He left the rescued caravan behind as the pursuit began.

• A Winter Wolf pack overwhelmed Freyll’s guards, killing one with its freezing breath and driving the survivors to despair.
• Freyll invoked his brother-in-law Tang De, while Zhao Xu recognized Freyll as a possible opening into the capital’s affairs.
• Antinoa cast Energy Protection on Zhao Xu, who empowered and twinned a Fireball, killing the Winter Wolves in a single blast.
• Fred and the surviving guards stared in disbelief at Zhao Xu’s overwhelming magic, while Zhao Xu noticed a White Dragon taking flight in the distance.
• Zhao Xu activated his flight ability and chased after the fleeing White Dragon.

Zhao Xu, Antinoa, and Vivian chased an Adult White Dragon through a blizzard, and Zhao Xu used Misty Step to intercept it. Just as he prepared to attack and imagined selling its parts, the dragon surrendered and introduced itself as Cyrus.

• Zhao Xu identified the fleeing creature as an Adult White Dragon and discussed its likely abilities with Antinoa and Vivian.
• As the dragon outpaced them, Antinoa told Zhao Xu to use Misty Step to get ahead of it, mentioning that it might have a valuable hoard.
• Zhao Xu cast Misty Step, taking Antinoa and Vivian with him as he teleported several hundred meters ahead of the dragon.
• Zhao Xu raised his scepter and considered dismantling the dragon for its valuable parts.
• The white dragon sprawled submissively on the ground and pleaded with Zhao Xu to spare it, identifying itself as Cyrus.

Zhao Xu and his companions cornered the white dragon Cerus, who tried to buy his freedom with counterfeit treasure before offering to serve them. Antinoa demanded that Cerus swear to kill Tiamat, leaving him facing the hardest choice of his life.

• Cerus fled from Zhao Xu, Vivian, and Antinoa, but they caught up with him and blocked his path.
• Cerus pleaded for mercy and offered a pouch containing copper coins and fake gemstones, which the group exposed as worthless.
• Vivian threatened Cerus with her Holy Avenger, and Antinoa prepared to use powerful magic when he refused to repent.
• Zhao Xu rejected Cerus's story about caring for dragon eggs and considered making him Vivian's mount after Cerus offered to serve them.
• Antinoa approached Cerus and ordered him to swear that he would kill Tiamat, the God of Evil Dragons.