Recaps

He Xi followed Bruce's scouting to Rocknor's Stone House to sell his crystal core and bought protective cloth armor along the way. Rocknor identified the core and paid He Xi 12 Gold Shields, leaving him relieved that he had avoided a low offer from a dishonest shop.

• He Xi promised Bruce a Cracked Hoof Bull rib to persuade him to scout Copper Nail Alley.
• He Xi bought layered cloth armor for 23 Silver Scales and waited for Bruce to return.
• Bruce led He Xi to Rocknor's Stone House, where adventurers quickly traded magical ores and crystal cores.
• Rocknor identified He Xi's crystal core as a Spined Boar core with the [Berserk] effect and explained its value.
• He Xi accepted Rocknor's offer of 12 Gold Shields and completed the sale.

He Xi bought Appraisal Spell and Labeling Spell scrolls at Four Seas General Goods, where he learned the shop had stopped selling magic staffs. As he left, Manager Ford hurried after him, mistaking him for Mage Galen.

• He Xi sold the Spined Boar's crystal core and counted his new fortune, then visited Four Seas General Goods to buy legitimate Skill Scrolls.
• A saleswoman led He Xi upstairs, where he paid 3 Gold Shields for an Appraisal Spell scroll and 2 Gold Shields and 80 Silver Scales for a Labeling Spell scroll.
• He Xi learned that Four Seas General Goods had stopped selling magic staffs after repeated returns, including one staff with a sticky Staff Head.
• He Xi saw Zander shopping for a Battle Axe while his companion warned him against returning to a cave where Lily and others were trapped.
• As He Xi left with Bruce, Manager Ford rushed after him and called him Mage Galen.

He Xi accepted Ford’s private commission to find Anise for fifty Gold Shields, though he did not promise to succeed. He then reached the Heartwood Inn to look for the room Zoya had named, Starlight’s Rest.

• Ford asked He Xi whether he knew where Anise was, explaining that she had disappeared in Rose Town.
• He Xi said he had not seen Anise since their chance meeting on the road, when she hired him as an escort.
• Ford offered He Xi fifty Gold Shields to find Anise, and He Xi accepted while making no guarantee.
• Ford sent a letter to President Raymond after He Xi left, hoping to show that he was handling Anise’s disappearance.
• He Xi reasoned that Ford might be paying for the commission himself and that the verbal agreement carried little risk.
• He Xi arrived at the Heartwood Inn and found the room name Starlight’s Rest from Zoya’s directions.

He Xi and Zoya went to view a rental in Scarlet Waterfall Alley after He Xi questioned whether outside influence had altered his feelings about protecting her. They liked Cassandra’s clean, quiet rooms, but the chapter ended before they decided whether to rent them.

• He Xi suspected Salamachis or Zoya had influenced his emotions, but decided to keep his promise and use Zoya’s favorability while remaining wary.
• Zoya hurriedly hid her romance novel, Mage, Your Wand Is Poking Me!, in her backpack before leaving with He Xi and Bruce to find a house.
• He Xi and Zoya searched the rental listings and chose a two-room listing in Scarlet Waterfall Alley.
• Cassandra welcomed them and Bruce into her well-kept home, then showed them the two adjoining rooms upstairs.
• He Xi liked the rooms, and Zoya said she liked the roses in the alley as Cassandra explained how rainwater and petals had inspired its name.

He Xi and Zoya settled into their new rooms, where He Xi used Skill Scrolls to learn Appraisal Spell and Labeling Spell. He planned to train Earth Spike Technique the next day and look for traits for Bruce, then discovered Bruce had been happily eating with Ms. Cassandra downstairs.

• He Xi paid Ms. Cassandra 10 Silver Scales for two rooms, and she welcomed him, Zoya, and Bruce to their new home.
• He Xi used Skill Scrolls to learn Appraisal Spell and Labeling Spell, then checked his attributes and skills.
• He Xi considered training Earth Spike Technique to Lv.3 so he could gain strength and try learning Grease Spell and Acid Splash.
• He Xi realized Bruce was missing and found him eating a meat patty beside Ms. Cassandra.

He Xi and Zoya settled into their new home with Ms. Cassandra, and He Xi tested his Appraisal Spell before meeting her son Thomas. Thomas dismissed He Xi as a weak adventurer until he saw their guild badges, leaving him awestruck by Zoya’s Silver rank.

• He Xi accepted Ms. Cassandra’s offer to share meals, paid for himself and Zoya, and let Bruce eat without charge.
• He Xi used Appraisal Spell on Zoya and saw that she was level 16, then arranged for Zoya to tell Captain Hulk about their move and collect their shares.
• Ms. Cassandra introduced He Xi and Zoya to her son Thomas at dinner and warned him to treat the new tenants politely.
• Thomas questioned He Xi’s class and rank, then admired his Black Iron III badge when He Xi showed it to him.
• Zoya showed Thomas her silver-white badge, and Thomas gaped at her Silver rank while He Xi nearly choked on his food.

He Xi learned that Silver rank was the highest adventurer rank in Rose Town and arranged to visit the town’s training grounds. There, he paid to practice magic, while considering learning melee combat later.

• Thomas admired Zoya’s Silver-rank badge and peppered her with questions until her cold reply silenced him.
• He Xi asked Thomas about the town’s training grounds, and Thomas agreed to take him there the next morning.
• He Xi and Thomas went to the training grounds near the north gate, where Thomas directed He Xi to its owner, Jonathan.
• He Xi paid Jonathan 50 copper nails for a straw target and declined weapons training so he could focus on improving [Earth Spike Technique].

He Xi struggled to advance his Earth Spike Technique, then discovered how to split his mana into five spikes and reached Lv.3, gaining two Wisdom. After leaving the training grounds, he learned Thomas had gone home, and Jonathan asked whether he had been drinking mana potions.

• He Xi spent the day repeatedly casting the Earth Spike Technique at straw dummies but could not gain the final proficiency point for Lv.2.
• After resting and recalling how he had improved the spell before, He Xi tried dividing his mana into multiple parts.
• He Xi successfully cast five earth spikes at once, destroyed a straw dummy, and advanced the Earth Spike Technique to Lv.3.
• He Xi gained two Wisdom and saw that Lv.4 required 40 proficiency points.
• At the training grounds' entrance, He Xi learned Jonathan had sent Thomas home, and Jonathan asked if He Xi had been chugging mana potions.

He Xi encouraged Thomas to take his training with Jonathan seriously and later discovered Bruce teaching Zoya to speak. The chapter ended with Zoya welcoming him home as “Mistress” and Bruce correcting her to say “He Xi.”

• Thomas told He Xi that he had bragged to Blair about the adventurers staying at his home.
• He Xi encouraged Thomas to train seriously under Jonathan instead of measuring himself against Zoya.
• He Xi returned to his room and realized Bruce was missing, then went to ask Zoya about him.
• He Xi overheard Bruce teaching Zoya to speak and found them practicing together in her room.
• Zoya greeted He Xi as “Mistress,” and Bruce corrected her to use He Xi’s name.

He Xi collected the party’s payment for the Spined Boar materials and made Zoya keep most of her share while insisting she and Bruce earn their keep. That night, he learned Grease Spell and practiced until dawn, then heard a faint noise coming from the kitchen as he neared home.

• Zoya gave He Xi her share of the Spined Boar earnings because she wanted to be his pet, but he kept only 11 Silver Scales for her rent and food and returned the rest.
• He Xi warned Bruce that he might have to take commissions, then learned the party would discuss their next commission at the Oak Tavern tomorrow night.
• He Xi studied the notes for Grease Spell and practiced casting it in a drainage channel in Scarlet Waterfall Alley.
• On his seventh attempt, He Xi learned Grease Spell Lv.1 and continued practicing until he had raised its proficiency to 3/5 by dawn.
• He Xi headed back to the courtyard and heard a faint sound coming from the kitchen.

He Xi rested after practicing through the night, then waited at the Oak Tavern for Belt and the others. Belt recounted their confrontation with a merchant over unfair prices, and the group settled in as the busy tavern filled around them.

• He Xi ate breakfast prepared by Ms. Cassandra and asked her to let Zoya know he would sleep through lunch.
• He Xi waited hungry at the Oak Tavern for his teammates to arrive.
• Belt, Bruce, Laila, and Hulk arrived, and the tavern briefly quieted when patrons recognized Hulk.
• Belt told He Xi that he had confronted a merchant who offered other adventurers higher prices for Demonic Wolf pelts.
• Laila explained that Hulk's arrival made the merchant pay them the difference and offer a better price for their Spined Boar materials.
• A burly female goblin scolded Patchy for ignoring the customers and ordered him to serve He Xi's group.

He Xi, Belt, and their companions shared a meal at the Oak Tavern while discussing new Adventurer Guild commissions. Hulk showed them a special kobold-extermination job from a client named Brave Tryst, offering three gold shields and the lair’s treasure and remains.

• Belt ordered food and drinks for the group, and He Xi added the tavern’s expensive creamy mushroom soup to the order.
• Patchy teased Belt about fearing Laila, while Belt complained about Patchy’s habit of shortchanging customers.
• He Xi asked Hulk about new guild commissions, and Hulk described the dwindling jobs available as the weather turned colder.
• Hulk revealed that Karin had saved a special extermination commission for his party.
• The group read Brave Tryst’s offer to eliminate about twenty kobolds in a nearby cave for three gold shields, plus the treasure and most of the kobolds’ remains.

He Xi and his companions accepted commissions to clear a goblin nest and deal with kobolds, then shared a lavish meal at the tavern. The chapter ended with Belt hinting that the delicious mushroom soup was no ordinary dish.

• He Xi and his companions agreed to take both commissions: a goblin nest estimated to hold forty goblins and a distant kobold job near the Twilight River basin.
• The group enjoyed ale, skewers, Flame Pheasant with Berry Sauce, and Delicious Creamy Mushroom Soup while Bruce ate meat Zoya set aside for him.
• He Xi praised the mushroom soup and asked what kind of mushrooms it contained.
• Belt laughed and told He Xi that the soup was not ordinary mushroom soup.

He Xi discovered that Pooji soup temporarily boosted his Physique and Wisdom, and learned that the monster came from the Sunken Lair. Morris reunited with Belt at the tavern, but Laila confronted him over his debt and refused his usual deal.

• Hulk explained that Pooji were elusive monsters whose meat made delicious soup, and He Xi felt the soup clear his mind.
• He Xi saw that the soup boosted his Physique and Wisdom for four hours, and realized the Sunken Lair might hold many valuable Pooji.
• Morris returned from the Blackwater Swamp, joined Belt's table, and ordered drinks on Belt's tab.
• Morris joked about Laila, then turned to find her standing behind him and tried to leave when she demanded payment.
• Laila made Morris pay for the table and reminded him he owed her eighty Silver Scales, while Morris proposed their usual deal.
• Laila refused the usual deal, saying she did not want to drink much and Belt needed to recover.

He Xi challenged Morris to a drinking contest, wagering that Morris would pay the tavern bill and repay Laila’s debt if he lost. The contest continued with both men keeping pace, while Belt cheered and Laila scolded him for risking his neck wound.

• He Xi offered to pay the bill if he lost and challenged Morris to repay Laila’s debt if he lost the contest.
• Morris accepted and ordered a keg of strong Blazing Fire Black Beer, drawing curious patrons to watch.
• He Xi finished his first horn steadily, surprising Morris, who quickly downed his own.
• He Xi and Morris drank cup for cup as the crowd grew and Belt cheered them on.
• Laila smiled at He Xi’s progress, then scolded Belt for standing on a chair and aggravating his neck wound.

He Xi won the drinking bet against Morris, who paid the Oak Tavern bill but could not repay Laila’s eighty Silver Scales. As Morris tried to gather his leftover coins, Patchy demanded thirty Copper Nails for his smile.

• Morris collapsed during the drinking contest, and He Xi finished his seventh cup to win.
• Laila demanded that Morris pay the tavern bill and the eighty Silver Scales he owed her.
• Morris paid Patchy ten Silver Scales for the bill, leaving too little to repay Laila, who let him pay her back later.
• He Xi and the others left the Oak Tavern, and Morris began collecting his remaining Copper Nails.
• Patchy returned and insisted that Morris pay thirty Copper Nails for his sincere smile.

He Xi arranged to meet Belt and Laila the next morning to look for a magic staff, then fled two dwarves trying to recruit him into their drinking association because he urgently needed to pee. Nearby, Zoya crossed out her note that he liked drinking.

• Hulk set the group's next outing for three days later, and He Xi asked to look for a magic staff the next morning.
• He Xi explained that he had sold the Spined Boar crystal core for twelve Gold Shields, and Belt regretted not buying it for its [Berserk] effect.
• Belt suggested asking the Apprentice Mage Hai En where to buy a staff, and the group agreed to meet at ten the next morning.
• Thorin and Kolding praised He Xi's drinking and invited him to join the Beard Goblet Association, but he activated [Wild Charge] and raced away.
• Bruce wondered whether Mistress had forgotten them, while Zoya crossed out her note that He Xi liked drinking.

He Xi met Belt’s contact Hai En to learn where to buy a magic staff in Rose Town. Hai En gave him directions to a hidden shop near the clock tower and told him to use the Imperial Tutor’s name.

• He Xi waited for Belt, and the two went to Hai En’s shared rental building.
• He Xi and Belt overheard Hai En boasting to a woman before he let them into his room.
• Hai En insisted that He Xi call him the Imperial Tutor and claimed Emperor Sorson had once invited him to serve as tutor.
• Hai En explained that Rose Town’s usual shops no longer sold magic staffs and named a hidden shop called The Goblin's Head That Jumps.
• Hai En told He Xi how to reveal the shop entrance and advised him to say that the Imperial Tutor Hai En had sent him.
• Belt hurried He Xi away while Hai En called after them to remember his title and offered discounted lessons.

He Xi found the hidden shop near the clock tower and entered, where a female halfling was trying to communicate with a captive Goblin using a book. The book proved to be a fraud and burned to ash, leaving the halfling furious but determined not to use magic on the Goddess's day of rest.

• He Xi followed Hai En's directions to a hidden, magically warded shop near Scarlet Waterfall Alley.
• He Xi entered the shop, which was packed with magical items and books, and found a female halfling inside.
• The halfling used Interspecies Communication Studies to try to teach a bound Goblin to understand her.
• The Goblin ignored her instructions, then excitedly repeated a celebratory phrase from the book.
• The halfling realized the book had tricked her and burned it to ash.
• The halfling resisted using Lightning Arrow on the Goblin because it was the Goddess's appointed day of rest.

He Xi visited Fivik Kvais to buy a magic staff, but learned that his eight Gold Shields were not enough. Fivik offered him a chance to earn a piece of staff material by completing a job.

• Fivik Kvais knocked out a Goblin with a piece of ebony staff material after her experiment went wrong.
• He Xi introduced himself as Galen, an Apprentice Mage, and said he had come to buy a magic staff.
• He Xi mentioned Hai En and his title of Imperial Tutor, making Fivik laugh at the idea that they were close friends.
• Fivik explained that magic staffs consisted of staff material and a Staff Head, and that the Staff Head usually cost more.
• Fivik told He Xi that eight Gold Shields could not buy even the cheapest staff material.
• Fivik offered He Xi a piece of staff material for free if he completed a job for her.

He Xi agreed to test Fivik Kvais’s Pain Shield spell in exchange for staff wood and personal magical guidance. He returned home to find Bruce worried about Zoya, who had left earlier and still had not come back.

• Fivik offered He Xi a staff-making commission as a Pain Shield test subject and promised to prepare a Healing Potion and take care to protect him.
• He Xi used Appraisal Spell and saw that Fivik had exceptionally powerful magical ability.
• He Xi accepted Fivik’s offer and agreed to return to her shop at seven the next morning.
• He Xi returned to Scarlet Waterfall Alley and found Bruce waiting for him.
• Bruce asked where Zoya was, and He Xi guessed she might have taken a solo commission or had personal business.
• He Xi went to bed without investigating Zoya’s absence.

He Xi went to meet Fivik Kvais at the hidden magic shop while Zoya secretly followed, hoping to buy him a magic staff with stolen Gold Shields. Bruce followed Zoya to keep watch, and Fivik opened the door to find two people pressed against the wall behind He Xi.

• He Xi ate breakfast at Ms. Cassandra's boarding house and left for the magic shop, followed first by Zoya and then by Bruce.
• Zoya planned to buy He Xi a magic staff with Gold Shields she had taken from a large house, while Bruce tailed her to watch over his self-appointed disciple.
• He Xi received a notice that Zoya's favorability toward him had increased, then entered the hidden passage and knocked on Fivik Kvais's door.
• Fivik Kvais opened the door, spotted two people pressed against the wall behind He Xi, and asked if they were with him.

He Xi submitted to Fivik’s Pain Shield experiment in exchange for a magic wand, while Bruce and Zoya followed him into the hidden room and waited outside the test area. The spell reduced the pain from a needle prick by about 70%, and Fivik began timing how long its effect lasted.

• He Xi found Bruce and Zoya pressed against the magical barrier, and Fivik let them enter before He Xi explained why he was there.
• He Xi told Bruce and Zoya about the experiment, and they agreed to wait by the door while he followed Fivik to the table.
• Fivik described the experiment’s three stages and began by testing He Xi’s response to a silver needle.
• He Xi realized [Thick Skin] prevented the needle from piercing his right fingertip, so he removed the trait and let Fivik prick his left hand.
• Fivik cast Pain Shield and pricked another finger; He Xi estimated that the spell reduced the pain by about 70%.
• Fivik began timing the spell’s duration and asked He Xi to tell her when the pain returned to normal.

He Xi helped Fivik test the duration and effects of her Pain Shield spell, while Bruce and Zoya misinterpreted the sounds from inside the shop. After testing its effect on fatigue, Fivik began a cold-sensitivity experiment that left He Xi in pain.

• He Xi reported that Pain Shield lasted exactly five minutes, earning Fivik’s approval and three Parsing Points.
• Bruce mistook the experiment’s noises for something intimate and stopped Zoya from entering, telling her to trust He Xi.
• Fivik made He Xi carry heavy staff wood repeatedly, then found that Pain Shield reduced his muscle fatigue by roughly half.
• Fivik began testing the spell against extreme cold by immersing He Xi’s hands in basins and lowering one basin’s temperature.
• He Xi reacted sharply as the freezing water aggravated the unhealed needle marks on his fingertips, and Fivik stopped cooling the basin.

After finishing Fivik’s tests, He Xi examined the staff materials in her shop and learned an improved appraisal spell from her. He found that ebony connected with his magic far more strongly than the other staffs, leaving him to consider the uncanny sensation of it becoming part of his body.

• Fivik finished testing He Xi’s resistance to cold and recorded that [Pain Shield] blocked about seventy percent of the sensation.
• Fivik presented He Xi with several novice staff materials, and he used [Labeling Spell] to read the notes customers had left on them.
• Fivik taught He Xi her improved [Fivik Appraisal Spell], which combined [Labeling Spell] and [Appraisal Spell].
• He Xi tested the staffs and found that most resisted his magic, while willow allowed it to flow through with some resistance.
• He Xi channeled magic into the ebony staff and felt it flow effortlessly, as if the staff had become an extra, paralyzed arm.