Recaps

He Xi and his companions traveled through the fog to Mist Town, searching for Zachary Oss and signs of the mycelium-related illness. At the Song of the Wind tavern, He Xi noticed a wary, gray-skinned figure with red eyes and silver hair, whom he suspected was a Drow.

• He Xi discovered that the dragon egg was an Ancient Brass Dragon named Kozmioko and that extracting a trait from it required 728 Parsing Points.
• Bruce warned the group about Goblins during their southbound journey, and the party repeatedly cleared roadside ambushes.
• The group reached the fog-shrouded Mist Town, where their carriage became stuck and they continued on foot.
• He Xi and Grot found grayish-white filaments around pine roots, and He Xi tested them with Mage Hand without provoking a reaction.
• He Xi asked an old townsman about Zachary Oss, then followed his directions to the Song of the Wind tavern.
• He Xi spotted a cloaked figure with gray skin, silver hair, and crimson eyes and suspected she was a Drow.

He Xi's party investigated reports of Zachary Oss and an infected couple in Mist Town, uncovering conflicting descriptions of Zachary and signs that he had experimented with the town's strange mycelia. The chapter left them questioning who had lied and wary of the apparently unstable apothecary.

• Kai told He Xi's party that Zachary Oss was a short, brown-haired man with a thick beard who had left his cabin in the eastern woods, while the inn's ogre waiter Friday showed off a magic headband that had made him smarter.
• Katzke invited the party to hunt valuable running mushrooms, but they declined; the next morning, Weijia discovered his spell notes missing, and Friday said he had heard a noise by the storeroom wall.
• At the blacksmith's shop, Harold confirmed that Glen and Martha had developed grayish-white skin patches and left town to seek treatment, after an apothecary had promised to cure them.
• Harold described the apothecary as tall and thin, with blond hair and a monocle, and said he had talked to mushrooms near a cabin in the eastern woods.
• He Xi's party realized Harold's description contradicted Kai's account, and Kazmir urged them to return to Fernandez because Zachary might be an insane apothecary.

He Xi’s group investigated conflicting reports about Zachary and concluded that he had used disguises to appear differently to townsfolk. Back at the inn, they found a confrontation over a missing spellbook ending with Siluo'er holding a blade to Weijia’s throat.

• He Xi persuaded Grot and the others to continue investigating Zachary while keeping a path open to retreat.
• He Xi’s group questioned local shopkeepers, who described Zachary as a tall blond man with a monocle, while Bessa described him as a short, plump, bald man in a dark green robe.
• Kazmir confirmed with [Detect Thoughts] that the shopkeepers were telling the truth, and He Xi suspected Zachary had used [Disguise] and decided to speak with the innkeeper Kai.
• The group returned to Song of the Wind and found Weijia accusing Siluo'er of stealing his spellbook while Kai defended her and refused to let him enter her room.
• Weijia fired a Magic Missile as a gray shadow struck; Siluo'er slipped past his [Shield] and held her ghostly blue sword against his throat.

After Siluo'er left the inn, He Xi learned that the town's apothecary had appeared under conflicting descriptions and heard Weijia's account of a dangerous encounter near town. Weijia asked the party to recover his spellbook, and Kazmir and Ulag agreed to help in exchange for access to its spells, including [Leomund's Tiny Hut].

• Siluo'er stopped Weijia from casting, then left the inn after throwing down two Gold Shields for her lodging fee.
• He Xi told Kai that townspeople described the apothecary Zachary Oss as two different people, and Kai hurried off to discuss precautions with Jiali.
• Weijia asked He Xi's party to recover his spellbook, explaining that it contained his teacher's notes on [Leomund's Tiny Hut] and that his adventuring companions had died in a cave near Mist Town.
• Weijia offered to let the party study the notes, and Kazmir demanded that he write out his teacher's spell models before they returned the book.
• Ulag backed Kazmir's terms, and Weijia reluctantly agreed as He Xi recognized that his companions had accepted the trouble for his sake.

He Xi gathered the inn’s guests and promised to recover their stolen belongings, using Beilu’s magical appearance to convince them that help was on the way. A hidden cultist decided to postpone his plans, wary of He Xi’s party and a terrifying presence in their second-floor room.

• He Xi briefed Beilu and his companions on a plan to expose the thief, while Ulag and Grot struggled to understand their roles.
• He Xi told the inn’s guests that a friend in Valheim could track their stolen items and asked them to register detailed descriptions.
• Beilu emerged through a magical portal and claimed she had delivered He Xi’s message, persuading the guests that his story was credible.
• He Xi promised full compensation if the party failed to recover the registered belongings, and Ulag and Grot worried over the extravagant claims on the list.
• A hidden cultist recognized He Xi’s party as a threat to his plans to awaken the Mother’s incarnation and postponed acting because of the dangerous presence he sensed upstairs.

He Xi exposed Katzke as the servant of Zuggtmoy’s fungal avatar and destroyed the creature beneath the Song of the Wind Inn, but Katzke escaped and realized the fungus lived on within him. As Katzke fled through the rain, a silver-haired figure emerged and cut his neck.

• Katzke visited the fungal avatar beneath the inn and tried to move it before tracking magic could locate it.
• He Xi and Bruce drew Katzke’s attention, allowing He Xi to strike the avatar with lightning and destroy it despite its rapid regeneration.
• Katzke released spores that animated the remains and spread toward the inn, while Ulag, Kazmir, Kai, Zoya, Grot, and the others fought to contain them.
• He Xi searched the underground passage for Weijia’s notebook, but found only the charred remains and scattered valuables; Katzke had escaped.
• Katzke realized Zuggtmoy’s true seed had taken root inside him, then a silver-haired figure appeared in the rain and slashed his neck.

Siluo'er killed Katzke and joined He Xi's group after they clashed with a Drow squad in the woods. Once He Xi helped her speak Surface Common Tongue, she invited him to worship a mysterious Underdark being.

• Siluo'er dodged Katzke's spores and thorn cage, then killed him and dissolved his mycelium with alchemical powder.
• He Xi chose the Fragrance of Decay entry and led Ulag, Bruce, and Zoya toward the woods, where they encountered Drow crossbowmen.
• He Xi evaded the ambush and killed the Drow captain with lightning despite his Spider Web spell.
• Siluo'er confirmed that she had killed Katzke and returned Weijia's stolen notes, though she had dissolved the body He Xi wanted to search.
• He Xi cast a language spell on Siluo'er, who introduced herself and explained that she had taken only the notebook.
• Siluo'er asked He Xi to join her in worshipping a mysterious being from the Underdark.

Hoxi Atmesia's status was listed as a level 28 human Mage, alongside his accumulated skills, traits, and equipment. The entry catalogued his abilities and magical items without advancing the story.

• Hoxi Atmesia's status listed his attributes, spells, and Elemental Harmonizer talent.
• Hoxi Atmesia's traits included elemental affinity, bloodline effects, enhanced movement, creature communication, and healing abilities.
• Hoxi Atmesia's equipment included Spindle-Speaker's Arthropod Cloak, Elysium's Mirror of Whispers (2/7), and Penitent's Vigil.
• Hoxi Atmesia's remaining items included Personal Monster Quick Reference Manual, Dimensional Bag Type 2, and Amethyst Willowwood Staff.

He Xi and Zoya learned that Siluo'er followed Eilistraee, the Mother of Hope, and Siluo'er invited them to celebrate a successful hunt with a moonlit ritual. He Xi accepted, while Zoya agreed to keep watch as Siluo'er danced unclothed, leaving He Xi facing Zoya’s loaded crossbow.

• He Xi misunderstood Siluo'er's faith, then learned she worshipped Eilistraee and that the dead Drow had followed Lolth.
• Siluo'er recognized Zoya's connection to the Silver Holy Mother and explained that she wanted to celebrate killing the powerful spore mutant.
• He Xi accepted Siluo'er's invitation to a celebration and agreed to help buy wine, while Zoya agreed to guard the ritual.
• Siluo'er revealed that she would shed her clothes to dance in the moonlight, and Zoya agreed to keep watch with a hand crossbow.
• Ulag offered to join the ritual, but Siluo'er dismissed him and said a dwarf could not master moonlit dancing.

He Xi and his companions caught Walking Mushrooms in the woods and helped Innkeeper Kai recover compensation from guests who had invented lost valuables. After leaving Mist Town with their catch and Siluo'er, He Xi planned to give mushrooms to Mentor Mirabelle and his senior sister.

• Jiji and Gugu enjoyed the surface world until He Xi's enormous magical web trapped them and the other Walking Mushrooms.
• He Xi, Zoya, and Siluo'er collected eleven Pujis, then left some behind so the creatures could keep breeding.
• Kazmir and Ulag confronted guests who had falsely claimed lost valuables, while Grot's forced smile frightened one merchant into offering five Gold Shields.
• Ulag spotted another guest trying to escape and called him out over his fabricated claim of a Mithril Short Sword from the Elven Royal Court.
• He Xi and the others departed Mist Town carrying six Walking Mushrooms, with another tied to Bruce's back.
• He Xi considered giving two mushrooms to Mentor Mirabelle and one to his senior sister.

Lidona defeated Senior Alex with a powerful Lightning Bolt and pushed Lionel through more training while denying that she was competing with He Xi. Meanwhile, He Xi joined Siluo'er in a moonlit ritual outside Dalt, then resumed studying until Siluo'er approached him unclothed, leaving him flustered.

• Lidona broke Alex's shield with Lightning Bolt and won their duel, drawing attention to her rapid progress and relentless training.
• Lionel delivered Lidona's dinner and tried to persuade her not to compare herself with He Xi, but she criticized He Xi for skipping classes to adventure.
• Lionel defended He Xi's diligence and privately dismissed Lidona's suspicion that he was fooling around with a woman in the wilderness.
• Siluo'er invited He Xi and Zoya to a secluded moonlit celebration outside Dalt, then danced with He Xi as part of her devotion to Midalin.
• After the ritual, He Xi studied notes on Leomund's Tiny Hut while Siluo'er approached him unclothed, prompting him to tell her to put on clothes.

He Xi agreed to send Siluo'er annotated instructions for [Leomund's Tiny Hut] once he understood the spell, then received a letter saying Instructor Fivik would visit within a week. Meanwhile, Tata sensed she was being followed on her way home, and a strange bird watched her from a rooftop near 46 Sea Breeze Street.

• Bruce reported that the area around He Xi and Siluo'er was safe while keeping watch over Zoya.
• Siluo'er explained why she wanted to learn [Leomund's Tiny Hut], and He Xi offered to send her annotations and an address once he worked out the spell.
• Nimo delivered Fivik's letter, saw Siluoer's disheveled clothes, and hurried away after throwing the envelope at He Xi.
• He Xi read that Fivik had returned from another plane and planned to visit within a week.
• Tata sensed a follower as she walked home, then felt a frightening presence near 46 Sea Breeze Street.
• Tata spotted an unfamiliar grayish-brown bird watching the street from a rooftop.

Harvey, a druid sent to find the human chosen by the dragon egg, watched Sea Breeze Street and suspected shadowy creatures were targeting the egg’s holder. After he investigated a giant skeleton in an alley, neighbors discussed the incident the next morning, and Alvin joined the Watchers’ investigation to keep the situation from escalating.

• The Chief told Harvey that the Guiding Dragon had chosen the dragon egg’s holder and instructed him to find that person in Fernandez and help hatch the egg.
• Harvey watched 46 Sea Breeze Street, sensed an evil aura, and searched the house in rat form, but found no undead presence inside.
• Harvey noticed the evil aura grow stronger, suspected hidden creatures were targeting the dragon egg, and began patrolling the street as an owl.
• Harvey tracked the sound of clattering bones to a dark alley, where a giant skeleton was seen by residents that night.
• The next morning, Alvin warned the neighbors and Watcher Huo'er about the owl, and Huo'er agreed to investigate the street.
• Alvin offered to accompany the Watchers on their door-to-door search so he could monitor events and protect the neighborhood’s reputation.

He Xi and his companions sold their Drow loot in Dalt Town and continued north toward Fernandez, while Ryan calculated how many Goblins he would need to kill to recover his losses. The chapter ended with Ryan fainting and falling from the carriage as Edlin called for it to stop.

• At the Broken Antler Tavern, He Xi overheard adventurers recount how a red-haired lone professional had driven off a Wyvern, and he suspected the tale concerned Edlin and his companions.
• He Xi appraised the Drow equipment and found that the poisoned bolts, concealment armor, and scimitar had useful features, then agreed to let Ulag buy the scimitar for 80 Gold Shields.
• Kazmir, Ulag, and Grot sold the equipment at Hogen's General Store while He Xi and Zoya browsed a book stall and bought three books.
• The group left Dalt Town for Fernandez, and Ulag complained that Hogen had offered to sell He Xi's old crystal ball for 35 Gold Shields after buying it for 25.
• In another carriage, Ryan calculated that he needed to kill thousands of Goblins to break even, then fell out of the carriage as Edlin shouted for it to stop.

He Xi read the unsigned prologue of The Picky Gourmet, which revealed a disgraced warrior’s transformation into a being ruled by hunger and his fragile friendship with a kind person. Meanwhile, Huo’er’s investigation on Sea Breeze Street led him to Tata’s house, where a giant skeleton and an owl-headed Demonic Beast appeared as he called for reinforcements.

• He Xi read the book’s account of a warrior who lost his family, honor, and home before becoming a vessel for an insatiable hunger.
• The warrior learned to cook to disguise his monstrous appetite and treasured the friendship of a kind person who welcomed him.
• Huo’er refused Alvin’s offer of dinner and insisted on questioning the tenant at the last house on Sea Breeze Street.
• Huo’er entered the house despite Tata’s protests and threatened Alvin with being investigated as an accomplice if contraband was found.
• A giant skeleton crashed into the street, and Huo’er called for reinforcements before an owl-headed Demonic Beast landed nearby.

Hall encountered a powerful owlbear and a two-meter-tall skeleton on Sea Breeze Street, where the skeleton seized him and fled before Griffin riders arrived. Harvey stayed behind to guard He Xi’s house from a suspected lurking threat, while Trist watched the street from a tavern and waited for He Xi’s return.

• Hall recognized the owlbear as a level-30-or-higher threat and raised his hands in surrender as the skeleton approached.
• The skeleton grabbed Hall and sprinted away, and the owlbear vanished before Alvin could explain the scene to Ulysses and the Griffin riders.
• Ulysses examined the impact marks, called for help intercepting the skeleton, and led the Griffin riders after Hall.
• Harvey, disguised as an owl, stayed near house number 46, believing the incident was meant to draw guards away while an enemy targeted the house.
• Trist ate crab at the Drunken Sailor Tavern, recalled his surveillance of He Xi’s house, and trusted the Gnoll skeleton he had assigned to watch it.

Huo'er was thrown onto Dragon Throat Avenue by Trist’s skeleton and was ordered to serve as bait when the Griffin riders went after it. Trist rushed toward He Xi’s residence, where a sudden flash and two Dire Wolves confronted him, and he vanished into silver mist as they attacked.

• Trist’s skeleton carried Huo’er down Sea Breeze Street and threw him onto the road, where Huo’er identified himself as a Watcher and alerted the passing crowd.
• A Griffin rider arrived, declared the street hazardous, and learned that a skeleton had abducted and then discarded Huo’er.
• After hearing that the skeleton had fled into an alley, the rider forced Huo’er onto the Griffin to act as bait for the pursuit.
• Trist noticed Griffin riders near He Xi’s residence, found no response from his Gnoll skeleton, and feared someone had tried to break into the house.
• A sudden burst of brilliant light blinded Trist and the riders as two Dire Wolves appeared in the street.
• The Dire Wolves lunged at the hooded Trist, who was swallowed by silver mist; Captain Ulysses saw the mist scatter but could not find him.

Harvey’s fight with Trist ended when Harvey fled, but Trist’s undead ally captured Huo'er and escaped with him. Later, He Xi returned to Sea Breeze Street and found the road home sealed off by guards amid extensive damage.

• Harvey attacked Trist in owlbear form, but Trist evaded his blows and cut him with twin blades.
• Huo'er identified Harvey as a suspected thief allied with the undead, and the mounted guards prepared to help Trist.
• Harvey fled rather than continue fighting, while Trist remained behind with the guards.
• A Gnoll skeleton seized Huo'er, and Trist teleported to it before taking Huo'er away; Ulysses ordered his guards not to pursue and contacted the commander.
• He Xi traveled with Grot, Kazmir, Ulag, Zoya, and Bruce toward Sea Breeze Street after seeing the ruined clock tower near Kazmir’s residence.
• He Xi reached the street corner and found guards blocking the road, where deep pits and cracks had damaged the way home.

Ulysses investigated the destruction and kept Huo'er as bait while He Xi, Zoya, and Bruce returned to their home and learned that an owl-like bear and a strange skeleton had attacked. When a dread wolf drew the guards away, Huo'er begged to shelter with them, and He Xi questioned Tata about whether a dark-skinned elf had visited.

• Ulysses ordered Huo'er to remain outside Number 46 as bait and promised him rewards for helping lure out the undead.
• Ulysses learned that He Xi and Zoya had returned to Number 46 and ordered the Adventurer Guild's records checked.
• He Xi and Zoya reached their home, where Tata described an owl-like bear appearing alongside a skeleton with black bones and a large head.
• A dread wolf appeared, drawing the patrol guards away, and Huo'er asked He Xi to let him shelter inside.
• He Xi shut the door on Huo'er and asked Tata whether a tall, thin, dark-skinned elf had visited; a small creature squeaked from the corner.

Tata tried to capture a rat that transformed into the druid Harvey Gilbert, who came seeking the dragon egg He Xi had taken from Velsadorn’s lair. The egg reacted fiercely to Harvey but treated He Xi gently, and Harvey began explaining its fate before a knock interrupted them.

• Tata pounced on a small rat, which suddenly grew enormous and knocked her unconscious; Harvey Gilbert revealed himself and revived her with natural magic.
• He Xi introduced himself and learned that Harvey had infiltrated the house to find the dragon egg from Velsadorn’s lair.
• He Xi recalled finding the egg beside an ogre and picking it up after killing the ogre with [Lightning Bolt], then showed it to Harvey.
• The dragon egg recoiled from Harvey’s touch and burned his palms, but it remained cool and calm in He Xi’s hands.
• Harvey concluded that Kozmioko had chosen He Xi and began explaining the dragon egg’s fate, but someone knocked hurriedly at the front door.

He Xi tried to conceal Harvey and Trist from the guards investigating the disturbances on Sea Breeze Street, but a sudden show of overwhelming magic interrupted the standoff. A figure revealed herself as the academy teacher accused of being a third-rate Undead Mage, leaving He Xi stunned.

• Harvey hid with the dragon egg after He Xi calmed it and opened the door to the guards, while Bruce's fire breath distracted them from searching the house.
• He Xi refused entry, but a noise from the stairs and residual natural magic outside led the guards to summon Captain Ulysses.
• Harvey and Trist met on the second floor, and He Xi urged them to escape as guards surrounded the house.
• Trist offered to take the blame and said his Drow skin was explanation enough, while Harvey questioned how that would protect He Xi.
• A huge magical blast knocked down the guards and Griffins outside, and a woman hovered before a blazing fireball, challenging them to prove she was a third-rate Undead Mage.
• He Xi recognized the woman as his teacher.

Ulysses ended the lockdown after He Xi and Fivik persuaded him they were harmless, and Fivik reunited with He Xi, Zoya, Harvey, and a drow at the house. Harvey explained that the ancient dragon Kozmioko’s egg needed the power of different dragon nests to awaken, leaving Fivik skeptical of the dangerous plan.

• Fivik appeared above Sea Breeze Street and used a powerful fire spell to bring down the Griffins, convincing Ulysses to hear her out.
• He Xi explained that he had registered with the Adventurer Guild as Galen, and Fivik introduced herself as Lux, his adventuring friend.
• Ulysses lifted the lockdown, ordered his guards back to normal patrols, and left Huo'er behind as bait.
• Fivik entered the house and learned that the druid Harvey, the drow, and the dragon egg were not the threats the guards had been searching for.
• Harvey explained that Kozmioko, an ancient brass dragon and guardian of Emerald Grove, had entrusted her egg to his teacher and said fate would lead it to the right person.
• Harvey said his teacher had learned that the egg needed to absorb power from different dragon nests to awaken, and Fivik challenged the idea.

Fivik explained the dangers of dragon lairs as Harvey revealed that awakening the ancient dragon egg required power from nine different dragon lairs, including chromatic dragons. He Xi considered helping, tempted by the chance to extract a valuable entry, while Harvey planned to search for a gold dragon’s lair and await his answer.

• Fivik described dragon lairs as magical domains filled with altered terrain, dangerous creatures, and the dragon’s followers, while Bruce joked about wanting a lair of his own.
• Harvey explained that Velsadorn’s valley was only a temporary refuge and that his teacher had tested the egg at a bronze dragon’s lair, where it absorbed only one-tenth of the power needed to hatch.
• Fivik realized the egg needed power from different dragon species, meaning the group would have to risk entering chromatic dragons’ lairs, and challenged Harvey over why He Xi should take that danger on.
• Harvey revealed that the egg was a rebirth cocoon containing Lord Kozmioko, and Fivik left the decision to He Xi after warning him of the risks.
• He Xi considered joining because the egg’s growth might let him extract a valuable entry, while Harvey said he would search for a suspected gold dragon’s lair and return for He Xi’s answer within two weeks.
• Harvey asked about other spellcasters in the ogre valley, then pulled out a shriveled head that He Xi recognized as Pig Knuckle Peggy.

He Xi received the damaged Hag-head staff back, while Harvey grew suspicious of Trist and secretly followed him. Harvey discovered Trist and his undead companion repairing a chimney, then joined in using magic to fix the street, leaving Huo'er stunned by the strange nighttime work.

• Fivik examined He Xi's Hag-head staff and found its core circuitry too badly damaged to repair.
• Harvey questioned Trist about his Sect Master and his reasons for befriending He Xi, but Trist refused to answer.
• Harvey followed Trist and saw him use magic to lift a sack onto a roof while an undead skeleton mixed mortar below.
• Harvey realized Trist and the skeleton were rebuilding a broken chimney, then secretly took mortar to cast [Stone Shape Spell] and repair the damaged street.
• Huo'er woke and stared in disbelief at the undead skeleton working as a mason before he hurried away.

He Xi discussed the damaged [Leomund's Tiny Hut] spell with Fivik, who planned to seek help from Flora at the Observer's Tower. After delivering Pooji to Mirabelle, He Xi learned about the upcoming Alser's Steps trial and left to investigate its rules and find a team.

• Fivik examined Weijia's notes and said the spell could only be reconstructed with other magical models by Leomund, so she arranged for He Xi to visit Flora at the Observer's Tower.
• Fivik noticed Zoya's interest in He Xi's interactions with other women and decided Flora should talk some sense into him.
• He Xi visited Mirabelle at the Tower of Strength and gave her two Pooji, asking her to pass one on to Lidona.
• Mirabelle told He Xi that Alser's Steps would open in two days and explained its credit costs, monthly rankings, and scoring factors.
• Mirabelle explained that she had hoped Lidona would team up with He Xi, but Lidona had already joined another team, and advised him to look for recruits at the Tower of Illusions.
• He Xi recognized Cyril as the unusually successful apprentice Mirabelle mentioned and left to learn more about Alser's Steps.