Chapter Summaries

Lidona led Anya and Lexi out of the Shattered Outpost and chose the eastern route toward White Heron Ferry to conserve their strength while pursuing a high score. Meanwhile, Cyril unleashed a swarm of Emberwing Mosquitoes on the Red Fang camp, opening a path to its supplies, prisoners, and treasure chests, and Reese vowed to reclaim his lost dignity and rewards.

• Lidona used Lexi’s illusion and her own sound magic to distract two orcs, then led Anya and Lexi through a tunnel to safety.
• General Valen told the three mages to withdraw to White Heron Ferry and let them choose two soldiers to accompany them.
• Lidona reviewed the scoring rules and chose the eastern Old Mine Road over the more dangerous southern route.
• Reese questioned Cyril’s decision to approach the Red Fang camp by the southern route, but Cyril began chanting instead of answering him.
• Cyril commanded his Blood Mosquitoes to awaken a swarm of Emberwing Mosquitoes and send it toward the orc camp.
• As the orcs and direwolves fled the swarm, Cyril pointed out that the team could reach supplies, prisoners, and treasure chests, and Reese vowed to claim them.

Cyril’s group used a mosquito swarm to drive the orcs from their camp, letting scouts mark crates for looting while they planned to rescue prisoners and burn supplies for points. He Xi secretly collected the marked loot ahead of Reese and left the story heading toward the pass.

• Cyril’s mosquito swarm forced the orcs to abandon their camp, and scouts searched and marked crates while the group hid nearby.
• Cyril explained that they would loot the camp, rescue Lorne’s captured soldiers at a pass, and burn the orcs’ rear supplies to earn enough points.
• Reese and Cyril searched the marked crates together while He Xi refused Reese’s offer of [Dark Vision] and went to loot alone.
• Reese found seven marked crates empty and blamed He Xi for somehow reaching them first.
• He Xi, already carrying a load of valuables, took another turquoise from a marked box, pointed its scratch marks toward Reese, and headed for the pass.

He Xi and his companions ambushed the orcs guarding a camp, while Reese underestimated He Xi’s magic. He Xi revealed overwhelming lightning power and destroyed the orc squad, leaving Reese stunned.

• He Xi spotted four orcs guarding captured soldiers and discovered a hidden tent where the rest of the squad was resting.
• He Xi gave Reese three extra stones, and the group planned to lure the guards into an ambush with Cyril’s familiar.
• Cyril and He Xi struck the approaching orcs with crossbow bolts and Magic Missiles, while He Xi used [Lightning Guidance] to finish one.
• Reese prepared [Dagger Cloud] as the orc squad charged, but He Xi unleashed a devastating [Lightning Bolt] that left the squad leader badly wounded and the other orcs charred.
• He Xi cast another massive lightning bolt, killing the squad leader and the remaining orcs as Reese watched in shock.

Reese suspected that He Xi was connected to the mysterious headmaster, but chose to focus on earning points by freeing captives. He Xi decided to skip burning the orc supplies and lead the group directly to White Heron Ferry, leaving Reese worried about their chances against its powerful defenders.

• Reese recognized He Xi's extraordinary abilities, speculated that he might be tied to the headmaster, and decided not to pry into the secret.
• Reese took the orc centurion's keys and freed the Lorne captives to earn points and improve his ranking.
• Cyril explained that burning the orc supplies would bring General Red Fang's cavalry and estimated that the direct route to White Heron Ferry would be faster.
• He Xi weighed the risk of losing his entry credits against the chance to explore the next illusion and proposed that the group attack the ferry instead of burning supplies.
• He Xi told Reese about the new plan, and Reese worried that their team lacked enough fighters to face the ferry's ambushers.

He Xi and Reese reached White Heron Ferry, where they had to hold off an ambush while the raised bridge lowered. The attackers included a two-headed ogre that He Xi recognized from the Heather Wasteland valley.

• Reese worried that He Xi would run out of mana, but He Xi insisted they proceed and asked Reese about his spells and tactics.
• Cyril explained that the bridge would take ten minutes to lower and the ambushers would arrive in the third minute, leaving them to hold out for seven minutes or kill their attackers.
• As the bridge began descending, He Xi had Reese cast [Longstrider] on him when he spotted an approaching figure.
• A two-headed ogre suddenly teleported into the crossing and blasted Reese away with a powerful attack.
• He Xi recognized the ogre as the same creature he had encountered in the Heather Wasteland valley.

He Xi faced a Two-Headed Ogre that combined devastating melee attacks with dangerous magic, while Reese overcame his fear and tried to help. The chapter ended with He Xi drawing the ogre’s attention again and preparing to fight it without retreating.

• He Xi dodged the Two-Headed Ogre’s hammer while fighting off two wolf riders, and Reese watched in terror.
• Reese steeled himself, spotted the ogre’s right head maintaining a spell, and crept closer to interrupt it.
• The ogre cast [Silence Spell], preventing Reese from chanting, then turned toward him and prepared a fireball.
• An earth spike knocked the ogre’s hand off course, and He Xi’s lightning struck its right arm, saving Reese.
• He Xi drew the ogre’s attention back to himself and recalled how difficult it had been to defeat during their previous encounter.

He Xi fought the Two-Headed Ogre while protecting Cyril and Reese, then drew the monster and approaching pursuers away so his teammates could escape across the ferry bridge. Cyril and Reese returned to the Tower of Illusions believing He Xi was dead, but his name remained on the live roster with points pending settlement.

• He Xi killed a wolf rider and Dire Wolf with a lightning bolt that also struck the Two-Headed Ogre, while Cyril and Reese fought the other wolf rider.
• The Two-Headed Ogre feinted toward Cyril and teleported above He Xi, but Earth Spikes impaled it and [Final Sanctuary] shielded He Xi from its club.
• He Xi and Reese attacked the Two-Headed Ogre, which entered [Berserk] and charged Reese as the Redfang General's personal guard approached.
• He Xi repeatedly struck the ogre with lightning and told Cyril and Reese to retreat while he drew away their pursuers and the monster.
• Cyril and Reese crossed the lowered ferry bridge, entered the teleportation curtain, and returned to the Tower of Illusions lobby.
• Reese searched for He Xi and saw his live roster entry listing Alser's Steps, First Step—Red Fang War Camp, with points pending settlement.

He Xi survived the collapse at White Heron Ferry by recovering beneath the rubble and using the Two-Headed Ogre’s decaying life force to heal. After finding the ferry bridge clear, he chose the dark red portal instead of returning to the hall, leaving his next destination uncertain.

• Redfang General Groot abandoned the search for He Xi and ordered his remaining soldiers to return to Ashpine Valley.
• Anya and Lexi emerged from the illusion realm, and Reese and Cyril realized the Two-Headed Ogre appeared in challengers’ scenarios at random.
• Reese told Margot and Ravenwood that He Xi was fighting the Two-Headed Ogre, then refused to leave the hall before He Xi returned.
• The Two-Headed Ogre’s corpse withered beneath the rubble, and its life force healed He Xi’s crushed body.
• He Xi emerged from the soil, crossed the lowered ferry bridge, and entered the dark red portal.

He Xi entered the second floor of the Tower of Illusions, woke in a strange mist-covered forest, and agreed to escort the injured Rowan to Balvey Town. Meanwhile, Lidona secured enough points to qualify and decided to guide He Xi after confronting Cyril, who she mistakenly believed was carrying him through the trials.

• He Xi woke in a bleak forest with a pale sun, severe dizziness, and only some of his magic power restored.
• He Xi met the injured Rowan, learned the forest was in Valoshia, and saw his Appraisal Spell produce unreadable symbols when used on the man.
• He Xi agreed to escort Rowan toward Balvey Town and walked with him into the fog.
• Lidona settled 330 points and reached rank 42, while Anya and Lexi urged her to rest after her difficult trial.
• Lidona saw He Xi was still inside the Tower of Illusions and went to warn Cyril not to involve him in deals for points.
• Cyril said He Xi did not need his help, but Lidona announced she would take He Xi on challenges and teach him how to handle danger and cast spells.

He Xi returned from the illusion challenge ranked seventeenth and revealed that Rowan had killed him after a curse drained his stamina and magic. He left the hall planning to seek advice about the curse, while Lidona resolved to investigate the second stage and Reese gained new teammates.

• Reese revealed that He Xi had mastered Lightning Bolt, and the rankings showed He Xi in seventeenth place with 480 points.
• He Xi invited Lidona to explore the second stage with him, but she fled in embarrassment and decided to seek her mother's help investigating the illusion.
• Reese described how challengers died in the second stage, and He Xi recounted receiving a quest from Rowan before discovering Vladislav von Karnstein's Curse was draining him.
• Rowan attacked He Xi, whose wristband's holy light injured Rowan, but He Xi's magic failed and Rowan killed him.
• He Xi shared the second-stage information with the students, thanked Reese for helping against the two-headed ogre, and saw other teams recruit Reese.
• He Xi declined to challenge the illusion again immediately and planned to ask his teacher and Flora about the curse and the strange effects on his magic.

Fivik confronted Cross over the proceeds from her wand and hag-material sales, then discovered she had spent more than the money she earned at Cross Auction House. After Cross balked at her costly materials list, Fivik left without paying her debt, and Nimo arrived to say her disciple was looking for her.

• Fivik accused Cross of withholding nearly eighty thousand Gold Shield in auction proceeds and threatened him with lightning.
• Fivik checked the ledgers and learned that her material purchases had left her owing Cross 9,023 Gold Shield and 70 Silver Scale.
• Fivik asked Cross to supply another costly list of materials, but he balked at extending her credit without collateral.
• Fivik left the auction house without consigning her scroll or paying her debt and wondered where she could get money.
• Nimo appeared beside Fivik and told her that her disciple was looking for her.

He Xi discussed the spell failures in Alser's Steps with Fivik, who explained how its illusion differed from a true demiplane and required him to solve its restrictions. Fivik set winning the rankings as a condition before He Xi could pursue the dragon egg, then gave him spell materials and urged him to learn practical magic.

• Fivik explained that the illusion in Alser's Steps was a trial built within a hidden demiplane, and He Xi inferred that its restrictions were meant to be overcome.
• Fivik required He Xi to take first place in Alser's Steps before he could follow clues to the dragon's lair, and He Xi agreed.
• Fivik gave He Xi a restored [Leomund's Tiny Hut] scroll and notebook, and told him to sell the scroll and split the money with Flora.
• He Xi deduced that Fivik was avoiding the nearby auction house because she owed them money, and Fivik struck him for figuring it out.
• He Xi studied the complicated spell notes, and Fivik warned him not to learn Flora's improved casting method.
• Fivik urged He Xi to learn practical spells while challenging the Illusory Realm, and He Xi asked which low-level spells to prioritize.

Fivik Kvais planned He Xi’s spell and physical training, then revealed that Flora had tested him through the dream and urged him to seek her help with curses. At the Observer’s Tower, He Xi described the curse and Rowan’s attack, prompting Flora to recognize the word “Vistani” and lead him to her private library.

• Fivik Kvais recommended practical spells and close-quarters training to help He Xi prepare for dangerous terrain, monsters, and nearby attackers.
• Fivik Kvais explained that Flora had tested He Xi through the dream, while He Xi misunderstood her comments and tried to hide his thoughts about Flora.
• Fivik Kvais reassured He Xi, told him to get along with Flora, and sent him to ask her about unknown curses.
• He Xi told Flora about the stamina- and magic-draining curse on the second tier of Alser’s Steps and described Rowan’s sudden attack.
• Flora recognized the word “Vistani,” then took He Xi toward her private library.

He Xi learned that Flora wanted him to use [Detect Magic] to investigate the curse from his dream, then confronted her about knowing what he had experienced. After they agreed not to lie to each other, He Xi imagined an unusual outfit for Flora, and she sent him outside to try creating it with [Shape Garment].

• Flora explained how [Detect Magic] could help He Xi infer the source of a curse from its aura.
• He Xi asked Flora whether she knew about his dream, and she admitted that she did.
• Flora saw through He Xi's excuse about his teacher, and he blurted out an unfamiliar expletive before changing the subject.
• He Xi complimented Flora's outfit, increasing her favorability, and they agreed that whoever lied would have to grant the other one request.
• Flora used [Shape Garment] to inspect He Xi's imagined clothing design, then told him to wait outside while she tried it.

Lidona rejected Kalan’s offer to team up and headed to the Observer’s Tower, while He Xi helped Flora try on an outfit that left her flustered. When Lidona arrived and called Flora “Mother,” Flora hid He Xi and hurried to answer the door, leaving him listening in.

• Anya, Lexi, and Lidona discussed their training and the difficulty of clearing Alser’s Steps’ second stage.
• Kalan asked Lidona to help his team, but she refused; he then pressured Anya to persuade Lidona by mentioning her father’s cooperation with the Jaxos Family.
• Anya told Lexi she would pretend Kalan had threatened her and planned to get Rowan to team up with Lidona.
• Lidona recalled her distrust of Veron Jaxos and hurried toward the Observer’s Tower.
• He Xi saw Flora wearing the secretary outfit he had designed, and Flora teased him before the golem announced Nana’s arrival.
• Flora hid He Xi as Lidona approached and called her “Mother,” then opened the door before He Xi could warn her that her clothes were disarranged.

Lidona visited Flora after reaching the second step of Alser's Steps, while He Xi hid in Flora's room and bargained for a favor. Flora arranged for He Xi to team up with Lidona, but only if he defeated her during their challenge of the illusion realm; He Xi had not yet agreed.

• Lidona visited Flora and was startled to find her mother standing in the doorway with her clothes in disarray, while chaotic magic came from inside the room.
• Flora claimed she was testing a golem as He Xi secretly practiced magic inside, and she agreed to owe him a favor when Lidona approached the door.
• Lidona described the mist-filled second step of Alser's Steps, and Flora explained that the challenge allowed teams of three.
• Flora told Lidona she would find her a teammate, an apprentice of Aunt Fivik, and Lidona agreed to meet him.
• After Lidona left, Flora tricked He Xi, immobilized him, and captured a magical image of him with his eyes closed beside her bed.
• Flora offered to honor He Xi's request if he teamed up with Lidona and decisively defeated her during the illusion-realm exploration.

Fivik prepared He Xi and Bruce to travel to the Blackwater Swamp while teaching He Xi Misty Step. At Wanderer’s Haven, the skeleton returned to Aunt Jing Shui with a bizarre declaration of love, but she suspected a trap and summoned her allies.

• Fivik fed Bruce steak and told him that a quasit she had kept as a pet had likely been lost in a spatial rift.
• Fivik taught He Xi how to use Misty Step and ordered the Drow to bring the skeleton so they could depart for the swamp.
• Aunt Jing Shui tempted the mayor’s wife with a potion that would make her husband obedient, then heard a knock at the door.
• The skeleton knelt before Aunt Jing Shui and praised her true appearance, asking her to walk with him beneath the moonlight.
• Aunt Jing Shui suspected the skeleton was distracting her while the thief who stole her Heart of the Swamp was nearby, so she summoned Mud Teeth and Poison Toad.

Fivik and her companions lured Aunt Jing Shui into gathering two other hags, then attacked the coven at its meeting place. Fivik killed Aunt Sanae and countered another hag’s spell, leaving Trist and He Xi to fight the remaining hags.

• Fivik explained to He Xi how hag covens worked and why Aunt Jing Shui would summon allies, while the group waited nearby.
• Aunt Jing Shui disguised herself as a helpless young woman and planned to lure the intruders into a trap, while Aunt Sanae and Withered Vine Mod arrived to help.
• Aunt Sanae mistook the halfling for an easy target and began casting a spell, but Fivik killed her with a spatial attack.
• Fivik used Counterspell against another hag and urged Trist and He Xi to fight as the house erupted in magic and splintering wood.

He Xi and Trist fought Aunt Jing Shui and Withered Vine Mod while Fivik tested the hags by promising a place in her coven. He Xi survived Aunt Jing Shui’s immobilizing spell and poisoned mist, killed her, and asked Trist to let him finish the wounded Withered Vine Mod.

• Withered Vine Mod learned that Fivik’s promised carnival was a deadly test and attacked He Xi, hoping to earn a place in Fivik’s coven.
• He Xi used Detect Magic and Lightning Bolt to expose and injure Withered Vine Mod, while Aunt Jing Shui intervened with poisonous mist and illusions.
• Aunt Jing Shui and Withered Vine Mod switched appearances, allowing Aunt Jing Shui to immobilize He Xi and approach him through the poison mist.
• He Xi’s cloak consumed the poison, and he escaped Aunt Jing Shui’s grasp before using Tasha’s Hideous Laughter and Lightning Bolt to kill her.
• Withered Vine Mod, badly wounded by Trist, stopped fighting, and He Xi asked Trist to let him deliver the final blow.

After killing Withered Vine Mod, He Xi chose the Weird Magic (Illusion) trait and joined Fivik and Trist in sorting through the hags’ spoils. He Xi then revealed a hidden box containing a young woman, leaving Fivik suspiciously eyeing him.

• He Xi killed Withered Vine Mod with Earth Spike Technique, and Fivik began organizing the loot.
• He Xi chose Weird Magic (Illusion), gaining Wisdom and Will, while Fivik explained the value of Green Hag scalp and gave him two potions.
• Fivik gave Trist the Slayer's Sipping Longbow and told him to help protect He Xi.
• He Xi offered the sale proceeds to Fivik, increasing her Favorability toward him, and persuaded her to postpone making him a staff.
• He Xi opened a hidden transparent box and revealed a young woman inside, prompting Trist to leave and Fivik to question He Xi.