Chapter Summaries

He Xi and his companions escaped the Hag after Slag distracted her, then examined the Blue Stone aboard their boat. The stone proved to be the Heart of the Swamp, a powerful curio with water- and acid-spell amplification and a suffocating mud attack.

• Aunt Jing Shui attacked Slag with acid and control spells, but his agility and undead immunity rendered them ineffective.
• Slag abruptly fled into the woods, prompting Aunt Jing Shui to abandon the chase and rush back to her hut when she spotted firelight.
• He Xi and Bruce ran toward the hidden boat while He Xi tried to persuade Bruce to learn to row.
• Jin Bi welcomed He Xi and Bruce aboard and rowed them away from shore.
• He Xi appraised the Blue Stone and identified it as the Heart of the Swamp, which amplified water and acid spells and granted the Suffocating Muck skill.

He Xi used a disguise and a staged confrontation at the Adventurer Guild to expose Elton’s ties to the Hag before the merchants and adventurers. The crowd turned against Elton and pursued He Xi’s disguised figure as he left the hall.

• He Xi appraised the Hag’s stolen loot, then returned to Trout Town and ate fish stew with Bruce.
• He Xi told Healy that Elton had been involved with the Hag and explained his plan to expose him publicly.
• Healy agreed to have Mister Hughes contact the Stone Crow Marauders and notify the merchants.
• At the Adventurer Guild in Fish Town, He Xi disguised himself as the Hag and grabbed Elton by the throat, making him appear to have colluded with her.
• The crowd suspected Elton of working with the Hag, and He Xi threatened them before tossing Elton down and heading for the exit.
• The Stone Crow Marauders and Healy’s group stirred the crowd to chase the disguised He Xi, while two armored dwarves charged forward.

He Xi and his companions celebrated receiving the recovered commission payment before preparing to part ways. As He Xi planned to return to Rose Town alone, Antoine hired him to escort a merchant shipment there for three Gold Shields.

• Healy returned with the 70 Gold Shields recovered from the trade association, and He Xi insisted the group split the payment evenly.
• He Xi toasted with his companions as they discussed their plans: Fletcher would go home, while Healy, Mister Hughes, and Kane's group would travel north.
• Antoine, the steward of the Golden Wheel Merchant Team, asked He Xi to escort a shipment to Rose Town.
• After He Xi's companions praised his abilities, Antoine offered three Gold Shields for the escort job, and He Xi accepted.

After returning to Rose Town, He Xi reunited with Zoya and learned she was taking on commissions to save for a Trickster skill scroll. He joined her in the snowy countryside, where her delight in his gifts and growing closeness left them setting out together.

• He Xi woke from his long rest when Zoya returned to Rose Town, and he gave her the clothes and scarf he had bought for her.
• Zoya explained that she needed a Spirit Replication Skill Scroll to awaken as a Trickster and had taken several commissions to earn the money.
• When He Xi learned Zoya had three commissions due that day and six unfinished overall, he offered to accompany her.
• Zoya changed into her new outfit and happily showed it off to Bruce while He Xi followed her through the snow.
• He Xi slipped on a stone hidden under the snow, and Zoya offered him her hand and told him she would watch the path for him.

Zoya gathered Silver Leaf Holly and captured creatures that had been stealing wine at a brewery, then joined He Xi and Bruce for dinner. At the Beastman and Lute restaurant, Grimm served a stew he called the Knocking Visitor and told its suggestive origin story.

• Zoya carefully harvested one Silver Leaf Holly for her commission while He Xi helped and Bruce played in the snow.
• Zoya captured four small creatures in the brewery cellar and obtained the owner's signature on her commission.
• Zoya told He Xi she planned to infiltrate the Night Thorn Baron's home that night, and he urged her to be careful.
• He Xi recounted his adventures in Trout Town to Zoya, whose favorability toward him increased.
• He Xi, Zoya, and Bruce went to the Beastman and Lute restaurant, where Grimm described the stew of Earth Root and Thunder Lizard tail as the Knocking Visitor.

He Xi visited the tavern and learned that Laegon and Barin had left together before bringing treats to Teacher Fivik. There, he met Fivik’s friend Flora, a legendary mage who studied illusions and mental magic, and Flora sensed that He Xi carried mixed traces.

• Grimm told He Xi that Laegon had left with Barin to explore the resonance of their souls.
• He Xi rejected the unfamiliar Knocker stew, while Bruce showed interest in it.
• He Xi brought cakes and tarts to the Magic Staff Shop and found Fivik talking with an elven woman.
• Fivik introduced her friend Flora, who examined He Xi and remarked that he had fine talent but carried mixed traces.
• He Xi recognized Flora as the legendary mage known as the Dream Weaver.

He Xi visited Fivik with Flora and asked them to appraise items he had taken from a hag. His Heart of the Swamp was set to become a water-enhancing wand for Flora’s daughter, and Flora revealed that she was widowed.

• Flora teased He Xi about being single, while Fivik scolded her for flirting with her young student.
• He Xi described sneaking into a hag’s cottage and stealing a coven handbook, which Fivik dismissed as useless.
• He Xi explained how he had disguised himself as Administrator Elton and framed someone, earning approval from Fivik and Flora.
• Fivik identified He Xi’s blue gemstone as a Heart of the Swamp, suited for a water-element wand, and He Xi offered it for the shop to sell.
• Flora asked to trade for the gemstone so Fivik could make a wand for her daughter Lidona, and Fivik agreed to charge her for the materials and work.
• After Fivik called Flora a mother, Flora told He Xi that her husband had been dead for nearly sixty years.

He Xi had the Mirror of Whispers of Elysium appraised and learned how it could manipulate minds and steal souls. He agreed to join Flora and Fivik on an expedition into the Misty Forest cave, which Flora planned to register as her first adventure.

• Flora recognized the mirror as one of Bedalin's possessions, and Fivik appraised its dangerous powers, including soul draining, hypnosis, and possession.
• Flora advised He Xi to learn the Second Circle spell Calm Emotions to protect himself from the mirror, offering to teach him while she stayed in Rose Town.
• Fivik explained that Flora had come to investigate the cave in the Misty Forest and said they would enter its Dungeon in a few days.
• He Xi asked to bring Zoya and Bruce along, and Flora enthusiastically agreed, hoping to add another companion who could serve as a punching bag.
• Flora decided to register with the Adventurer Guild, and Fivik told He Xi to take her there.

He Xi asked Fivik about Fletcher’s Wild Magic and unusual access to the Feywild, while Flora hoped to join them when Fletcher arrived. After returning home, He Xi found Ms. Cassandra bringing Jonathan to visit Thomas and grew suspicious of their coincidental meeting.

• He Xi told Fivik about Fletcher’s Wild Magic and childhood trips through a valley he suspected was an entrance to the Feywild, and Fivik agreed to investigate when Fletcher arrived.
• Flora asked Fivik to contact her so she could join their trip, then she and Fivik argued over nicknames and Fivik’s temper.
• He Xi left the Magic Staff Shop, bought mille-feuille, and returned home to sort his items while waiting for lunch.
• Ms. Cassandra arrived with Jonathan, who said he wanted to see where Thomas lived, and He Xi felt that their meeting seemed suspicious.

He Xi visited Cassandra and Jonathan, then tried to sell his potion and equipment in Rose Town. At Four Seas General Goods, Manager Ford told him that the search for Annis had been handed over to Gold-rank adventurers after rumors placed her in an ancient Dungeon in Gray Mist Forest.

• He Xi shared an awkward lunch with Cassandra and Jonathan, then left with Bruce.
• He Xi failed to find suitable buyers for his blue-quality sword, Petrified Lizard's Eyeball, and Witch Potions in Copper Nail Alley.
• He Xi took his goods to Four Seas General Goods, where a clerk recognized the sword's unusual quality and summoned Manager Ford.
• Ford told He Xi that the merchant association had canceled his private search commission and hired Gold-rank adventurers to look for Annis.
• Ford said he had heard Annis might have entered an undiscovered ancient Dungeon in Gray Mist Forest, where a strange fog stopped the Gold-rank team.

He Xi sold a Short Sword, a Petrified Lizard's Eyeball, and two enhanced potions at Four Seas General Goods, earning 26 Gold Shields and 80 Silver Scales. After considering whether to give his teacher more money, he headed toward Nettle and Catnip Apothecary, which was temporarily closed.

• Manager Ford offered He Xi 18 Gold Shields for the Short Sword and 5 Gold Shields for the Petrified Lizard's Eyeball.
• Manager Ford examined He Xi's [Water Breathing Potion] and [Speed Potion], found their effects unusually strong, and offered 80 Silver Scales and 3 Gold Shields for them.
• Mandy escorted He Xi to the accounting office, where he collected 26 Gold Shields and 80 Silver Scales.
• Mandy hesitated to start a conversation with He Xi and regretted not even telling him to come again after he left with Bruce.
• He Xi counted his total savings as 64 Gold Shields and 133 Silver Scales, thought about buying his teacher more tasty food, and arrived at the temporarily closed Nettle and Catnip Apothecary.

He Xi visited Wilson and the Shadowless Squad to review their investigation into Lady Serena and Annis. Wilson revealed that the squad had found a portrait of Annis in Jared's room, but her whereabouts remained unknown.

• He Xi arrived at the Shadowless Squad's herbal shop, and Wilson hurriedly welcomed him inside.
• He Xi reviewed the squad's scattered notes about Lady Serena's movements, habits, strength, and underwear.
• Wilson explained that Jared had been watching the laundress Gerty and that one of Lady Serena's undergarments had gone missing from the laundry.
• Wilson told He Xi that the squad had not found Annis's whereabouts but had discovered a hand-drawn portrait of her in Jared's room.

After learning that Lady Rose was secretly searching for Annis, He Xi considered her possible connection to the Tidal Trade Union and decided to focus on becoming stronger. He learned the Shared Eye skill and tested it on Bruce, who sensed a strange warmth inside him.

• Wilson told He Xi that Lady Rose's aide Jared had been searching for Annis, the daughter of Tidal Trade Union president Raymond, and guessed that Rose wanted to capture her for ransom.
• He Xi paid Wilson a Gold Shield and told him to watch Lady Rose for clues about her investigation into Annis.
• He Xi wondered whether Lady Rose and Annis had a hostile history, then set aside his questions and headed home with Bruce.
• He Xi studied the Shared Eye Skill Scroll, learned the spell, and gained one Wisdom point.
• He Xi cast Shared Eye on Bruce, who felt a strange warmth moving inside his body and began asking He Xi about it.

He Xi tested a spell that let him see through another person's eyes, accidentally sending his thoughts to Zoya while using it on her. The next morning, he took Flora to register at the Adventurer Guild, where her teasing behavior left Clara flustered, and Flora began hinting that she had more to reveal.

• He Xi used his new spell on Bruce and learned he could watch Bruce's point of view while keeping his own in sight.
• He Xi tried the spell on Zoya, whose favorability toward him rose as she accepted the magic; he accidentally connected their thoughts and glimpsed her room.
• Zoya blushed and asked He Xi what spell he had used, while He Xi later regretted his poor control of Telepathic Communication.
• Flora asked He Xi to meet her at the alley entrance, and he took her to the Adventurer Guild to register.
• Flora clung to He Xi and reminded him that he had promised to protect her, making Clara's smile freeze.
• When Clara asked about her professional certification, Flora said she had none, then signaled He Xi to stay quiet.

He Xi registered Flora as an adventurer and learned that his contributions had raised him to Bronze I, qualifying him to apply for a Silver promotion commission. After Clara warned him that Flora would be a burden in Gray Mist Forest, Flora teased He Xi about returning to the inn, and he hurriedly led her away.

• Clara registered Flora as a Black Iron adventurer after asking her name, age, and class.
• He Xi asked Clara to raise his rank, and she found his contribution total was 27 Gold Shields and 67 Silver Scales.
• Clara promoted He Xi to Bronze I and explained that she would submit his application for a Silver-rank commission through the Dusk City branch.
• Flora teased He Xi about cheering him on at the inn, and he grabbed her wrist and hurried away from Clara.

He Xi brought Flora to the Adventurer Guild to experience ordinary quests and discovered that teaching her about adventuring increased her Favorability. He challenged her to solve a mine mystery without using magic, and Flora eagerly accepted.

• Martha took over Clara's shift, and Clara hurried away after Martha assumed she was going on a date with her mage partner.
• Flora excitedly browsed Black Iron quests while He Xi explained that Fivik had reported the mysterious cave and that the guild would post a special Dungeon exploration quest.
• He Xi learned that Flora's Favorability increased when he taught her about ordinary adventuring, earning Parsing Points as he encouraged her to value information and investigation.
• He Xi challenged Flora to solve the Bronze-ranked Roaring Ghost mystery using clues and deduction instead of unconventional magic.
• Flora accepted the quest about the mine carts vanishing, while He Xi suspected dwarves were racing carts underground and hoped the investigation would raise her Favorability.

He Xi learned the basics of [Calm Emotions] from Flora, but an invisible demon’s enchantment caused him to grab her before she expelled the demon with [Mind Scream]. He woke near dusk and pretended not to know what had happened, leaving Flora to question him.

• He Xi and Flora returned to Fivik's Magic Staff Shop to practice [Calm Emotions].
• Flora guided He Xi through the spell by making him experience emotions, and he successfully cast its rudiments.
• A female demon’s enchantment overwhelmed Flora’s control, and He Xi suddenly grabbed her.
• Flora used [Mind Scream] to force the demon out of hiding, injuring it and driving it away in green smoke.
• Flora knocked He Xi unconscious, then remembered a person from her past as she waited for dusk.
• He Xi woke and pretended he had passed out during the lesson, asking Flora what had happened.

He Xi told Flora about Salamachis’s influence, then practiced the Calm Emotions spell and learned about Sea Elf society. When he asked about the Moon Pupil Elves, Flora stopped and demanded to know where he had heard of them.

• He Xi explained his Bloodline Contract with Salamachis, and Flora promised to settle the score with the demon before urging him to rely on his willpower.
• He Xi cast Calm Emotions on Flora and acquired the spell, gaining two Wisdom.
• On the way to the old mine, Flora explained the shared origins and customs of the High Elves, Wood Elves, Sea Elves, and Drow.
• Flora described Sea Elf communities, her life as a wandering mage, and their worship of Deep-Sea Sashela.
• He Xi asked about the Moon Pupil Elves, and Flora stopped to ask where he had heard of them.

He Xi asked Flora about the Moon Pupil Elves and learned that she admired their magical talent but believed a mage’s success depended on hard work as well as natural gifts. After hearing more about their recent upheaval, He Xi brought Flora to the mine entrance, where she acted frightened until he reminded her she could cast Light Spell.

• He Xi asked Flora about the Moon Pupil Elves’ magical abilities, and she recalled traveling with a gifted Moon Pupil Elf mage.
• Flora explained that talent gave mages an advantage but that study, practice, and persistence determined how far they went.
• He Xi learned that Flora had lost contact with her Moon Pupil Elf friend and had heard his people recently suffered an upheaval.
• He Xi considered whether Zoya could come to the cave beneath Gray Mist Forest, while worrying about explaining the Shared Eye spell to her.
• Flora and He Xi reached the mine entrance, where Flora pretended to fear evil spirits before lighting the way with Light Spell.

He Xi guided Flora through the old mine, where they deduced that the supposed Roaring Ghost was likely dwarves racing minecarts and drinking. After joking that Flora would get none of the reward, he apologized and invited her to the Oak Tavern.

• He Xi and Flora found fresh minecart tracks, wine stains, a broken barrel, and scrape marks inside the mine.
• Flora deduced that the Roaring Ghost was probably dwarves racing minecarts and cheering, and He Xi agreed.
• He Xi guessed that a previous adventurer had been knocked over by a speeding cart, then suggested the dwarves belonged to the Beard Goblet Association.
• He Xi told Flora that guild rules meant she could not share the bronze-rank reward, and Flora angrily headed for the entrance.
• He Xi caught Flora and admitted he was joking, and Flora forgave him.
• He Xi invited Flora to celebrate her first completed request with a drink at the Oak Tavern.