Chapter Summaries

He Xi arrived in Rose Town with Annis, accepted his payment, and set off to find the Adventurer Guild. Annis learned that her father had arranged for her to marry the missing heir of the Atmesia Family and vowed to escape and become an adventurer.

• Annis ordered Ford to clear the road, and the carriage entered Rose Town without obstruction.
• He Xi admired Rose Town, accepted the Gold Shield from Annis, and left the carriage with Bruce.
• Ford told Annis that her father, President Raymond, wanted her to learn to manage shops while they searched for the Atmesia Family heir.
• Annis recalled her father's failed search for the heir and his plans for her marriage, then resolved to escape and become an adventurer.
• He Xi asked a roadside peddler for directions to the Adventurer Guild, and the peddler pointed him west along Rose Avenue.

He Xi and Bruce explored Rose Town and stopped for spicy Rock Sheep skewers, while a woman in an alley noticed He Xi and decided to lure him. The chapter ended as she pretended to stumble into him.

• A peddler tried to sell He Xi a town guide, but Bruce warned him off and they continued west without buying it.
• On Rose Avenue, Bruce smelled barbecue and led He Xi to a stall advertising Yaxixi's Dragon's Breath Roast.
• The vendor explained that the skewers were Rock Sheep Kid meat seasoned with fiery Red Dragon's Wrath chili powder, and He Xi bought two for thirty copper nails.
• He Xi gave Bruce the unseasoned skewer and ate the spicy one himself as they filled their stomachs.
• A scantily clad woman spotted He Xi, assumed he had money, and pretended to stumble into him as he passed the alley.

He Xi reached Rose Town’s Adventurer Guild after rejecting a woman’s flirtatious invitation and learned about the guild’s origins. Inside, he surveyed the adventurers and felt out of place among their equipment and imposing presence.

• He Xi steadied a flirtatious woman but left without following her into an alley after receiving no Favorability prompt.
• He Xi found the Adventurer Guild and read how Viran Ironcrown I founded the Hearthstone Stronghold during the Endless Winter.
• He Xi entered the crowded guild hall with Bruce and assessed the adventurers’ strength and gear.
• He Xi noticed a towering figure in dark plate armor whose presence made him feel pressured.

He Xi registered as an adventurer under the name Galen, choosing Mage as his occupational focus and taking the lowest rank without an assessment. With Bruce, he then looked over the Black Iron commissions and found several local jobs.

• He Xi watched Zander leave the guild, then went to the reception counter to register as an adventurer.
• He Xi paid one Silver Scale to skip the strength assessment and registered under the name Galen with Mage as his occupational focus.
• Clara used a rune-engraved stone slab to make He Xi a Black Iron Rank V adventurer's badge.
• He Xi fastened on his badge and went with Bruce to inspect the commission board.
• He Xi read the Black Iron listings for a missing cat, an ale escort, stonemason's work, and a barn roof repair.

He Xi found no suitable contracts at the guild and went outside to seek a temporary party. After revealing his earth magic, he drew several groups’ interest and began discussing a possible partnership with the experienced knight Hulk.

• He Xi rejected the low-paying clearance contracts because he wanted to kill monsters and gain potential traits.
• He Xi went to the square outside the guild, where adventurers gathered to form temporary parties.
• Gold Beard dismissed He Xi as a rogue until He Xi used Earth Spike to reveal he was a mage.
• Several parties tried to recruit He Xi, and Hulk approached with an offer to discuss joining his group.
• He Xi introduced himself to Hulk as Galen and asked what contracts his party usually took.

He Xi, introducing himself as Galen, joined Hulk's party and impressed its members with his wandless Earth Spike Technique. After Bruce revealed he could speak, Hulk explained that his party, Dragon Fang, had access to more lucrative, privately recommended monster-clearing requests.

• He Xi met Hulk's teammates Belt, Laila, and Zoya, who questioned whether an eighth-level mage could contribute.
• He Xi demonstrated that he could cast Earth Spike Technique instantly without a wand, surprising the party.
• He Xi introduced his contracted dog Bruce, who waved and announced that he liked females, leaving Hulk's teammates astonished.
• Hulk explained that his party was called Dragon Fang and that the guild privately recommended better-paying, more troublesome requests to capable parties.

He Xi agreed to join the Dragon Fang Squad on a commission to clear Spined Boars near Stone Creek Village, and Hulk explained how team rewards and adventurer rank advancement worked. The squad prepared to register He Xi and set out the next morning, with Hulk insisting everyone carry their own emergency supplies.

• Hulk explained that team captains proposed reward shares, which the guild recorded toward each adventurer's rank advancement.
• Hulk told He Xi that the squad had accepted a commission to clear five to eight Spined Boars from Stone Creek Village's water source, and He Xi agreed to join.
• Hulk revealed that the squad's previous Demonic Wolf mission had left Belt and Laila injured and used up a Healing Potion, so he wanted He Xi's magic to help control groups of enemies.
• Hulk told the squad to bring emergency supplies for the next mission, and Zoya left to buy some while Belt and Laila went to shop.
• Hulk invited He Xi to return to the guild and register his adventurer's badge under the Dragon Fang Squad before they departed for Stone Creek Village the next morning.

After registering his party, He Xi searched for dinner and lodging before tomorrow's mission and chose the Orcs and Lutes tavern. He ordered Orcish Liquor and roasted Cracked Hoof Bull ribs, and Grimm's favorability toward him increased.

• He Xi abandoned his plan to explore Rose Town and headed into an alley to find food and a place to stay.
• He Xi entered the Orcs and Lutes tavern and met its scarred Half-Orc owner, Grimm.
• He Xi ordered a glass of Orcish Liquor and a serving of roasted Cracked Hoof Bull ribs, asking for extra bones for Bruce.
• He Xi spotted the tavern's rules and asked Grimm how much the food and drink would cost.
• Grimm's favorability toward He Xi increased, granting him five Parsing Points.

He Xi learned why Grimm named his tavern Orcs and the Lute, uncovering the story of Grimm’s mother and the bard she loved. As He Xi enjoyed Grimm’s cooking, Grimm’s favorability toward him rose, bringing him closer to the points needed to extract a trait.

• He Xi paid Grimm for homebrew and ribs, checked his Parsing Points, and asked how the tavern got its name.
• Grimm told He Xi that his orc warrior mother had saved a human bard, become involved with him, and named Grimm after he left her; after her death, Grimm opened the tavern to honor her memory.
• Grimm explained that he had beaten a bard for flirting with his waitress, but the two had later been seen walking together, and he wondered whether to change one of his tavern rules.
• Grimm served He Xi roasted Cracked Hoof Bull ribs with bread and sauce, and He Xi praised the meal as Grimm’s favorability toward him increased.

Hoxi left Grimm's tavern after convincing him to keep his staff-protection rule, then extracted the Primal Feast trait and discovered it could grant him a temporary boost from monster meat. He ended the chapter with increased Constitution and Strength, while his bloodline power was still due to be extracted in two days.

• Hoxi enjoyed Grimm's Cracked Hoof Bull ribs, earned more of Grimm's favor, and packed the leftovers for the road.
• Hoxi persuaded Grimm not to remove the tavern's staff-protection rule, though he suggested Grimm be gentler with troublemakers.
• Hoxi found a cheap inn, bathed, and used his 21 Parsing Points to extract Primal Feast from Grimm.
• Hoxi equipped Primal Feast with Adamantine Stomach, triggering a beneficial effect from the Cracked Hoof Bull meat he had eaten.
• Hoxi checked his status and found his Constitution and Strength boosted by two for nearly six hours.

He Xi set out from Rose Town with Hulk, Belt, Laila, Zoya, and Bruce, heading toward Stone Creek Village for their mission near the Gray Mist Forest. Along the way, Belt asked how many times He Xi could cast Earth Spike, leaving He Xi to consider how to describe his unusual mana reserves.

• He Xi discovered that eating Cracked Hoof Bull meat had temporarily increased his physique and strength by 2 points each, bringing him close to Level 10.
• He Xi met Hulk and the others in the morning, and Hulk arrived with a rented Land Bird to carry the party’s packs.
• He Xi, Bruce, Hulk, Belt, Laila, and Zoya set out west from Rose Town toward Stone Creek Village.
• As the group traveled, He Xi noticed Zoya repeatedly glancing toward his lower half, though he found nothing unusual about his clothes.
• Belt asked He Xi how many times he could continuously cast Earth Spike, and He Xi decided to give a conservative estimate of his mana reserves.

He Xi and Hulk’s party traveled to Stone Creek Village to deal with Spined Boars, while He Xi planned to use Earth Spike Technique to land the final blows. They arrived near dusk and learned that the boars were threatening the village, with villagers divided over whether to send the weary adventurers out immediately.

• He Xi told the party he could cast Earth Spike Technique around twenty times in a row, and planned to use it to finish off the Spined Boars.
• Belt teased Laila about failing to become a mage, and she grew angry and kneed him after he tried to make peace with dried venison.
• Hulk called a rest by a stream, while Laila warned Belt against drinking unboiled water and he ran off to refill his canteen.
• The party traveled safely through the woods and reached the sign for Stone Creek Village near dusk.
• A villager hurried ahead to alert the village chief, and He Xi’s party found villagers arguing about the boars’ destruction and whether the adventurers should act that night.

Hulk’s team discussed whether to confront the Spined Boars at night after learning the beasts had taken over Stone Creek Village’s water source and damaged its crops. He Xi advised against a rushed attack, and Zoya added that the boars slept during the day and foraged at night.

• Village chief Oliver told Hulk and his team that the Spined Boars had seized the stream, ravaged fields, and left several families trapped in their homes.
• Hulk led He Xi, Belt, Laila, and Zoya aside to discuss whether to act that night or wait until daylight.
• Laila urged the team to wait, while Belt argued they should rescue the villagers immediately.
• He Xi demonstrated his Light Spell, then explained that darkness would make it hard to locate the boars and could put villagers at risk.
• Zoya quietly said that the boars slept during the day and foraged at night.

Captain Hulk’s party planned to attack the Spined Boars during daylight and camp near the stream overnight, while Zoya scouted the herd. The group reached the water source, where Zoya slipped into the shadows to begin her reconnaissance.

• Hulk agreed with the party that the Spined Boars’ keen smell made nighttime action too risky and arranged for Zoya to scout their numbers, distribution, and any trapped villagers.
• Hulk told Village Chief Oliver and the villagers that the party would purge the herd during the day and guard the village overnight, drawing complaints from the crowd.
• Laila silenced a villager who complained about his potato field by threatening to drive the boars there if he kept shouting.
• Oliver provided Tom to guide the party toward the stream and offered village youths to help with the operation the next day.
• Tom led He Xi’s group to the stream, where Zoya moved ahead and blended into the darkness.

After Zoya scouted the Spined Boars and found the villagers safe, Hulk organized the party’s watches and prepared them for the coming fight. On the last watch, He Xi woke and found Zoya reading a horror novel, leaving them sharing a brief, awkward conversation about it.

• Zoya returned with a map showing seven Spined Boars feeding in the fields, away from the village houses.
• Hulk sent Tom back to reassure the villagers, then arranged the night watch and laid out a plan in case a boar approached the houses.
• At dawn, Bruce woke He Xi by licking his cheek while Zoya kept watch beside the campfire.
• He Xi noticed Zoya reading The Skin Peeler in the Woods and decided not to startle her.
• He Xi asked whether Zoya was reading a novel, and she told him that it was good.

He Xi and Zoya talked about novels during an early-morning walk, and he learned from a system notification that Zoya was an elf. After the party woke, Hulk outlined a plan to deal with the Spined Boars in the fields.

• He Xi and Zoya checked that the Spined Boars were staying in the fields, then discussed horror, romance, and adventure novels.
• Zoya recommended Golden Goblet Inn Oddities and complained that the author of The Skin Peeler in the Woods had stopped writing.
• He Xi offered to tell Zoya the plots of frightening stories, increasing her favorability and earning a notification identifying her as Moon-Eyed Elf Zoya Selene.
• Hulk told He Xi that Zoya and his partner had kept watch so he could rest, while Belt and Laila woke up and the party prepared to move.
• Hulk put on his armor and described the boars’ positions, noting that four were resting in a haystack and three were still wandering outside.

Hulk led the party in a planned attack on the Spined Boars, using a prepared battlefield to protect the villagers and farmland. The first fight began successfully, but He Xi discovered that even the boars’ bellies resisted his Earth Spike Technique.

• Hulk assigned the party their roles and explained how to handle the boars and protect themselves from Spine Barrage.
• The group dug ditches and piled earth in the clearing near Gray Mist Forest to slow the boars and create a safer battlefield.
• Hulk engaged two boars while Belt fought another, and Laila shot Belt’s target in the eye, giving him a chance to wound it badly.
• The scream roused four boars from their nest, and He Xi struck their charge with three Earth Spikes.
• He Xi stopped the lead boar and knocked two others onto their sides, but their tough bellies were only lightly scraped.

He Xi used Earth Spike Technique to kill one Spined Boar and badly wound the giant boar king while Hulk, Belt, and Zoya fought the rest. Just as the group began to gain the upper hand, Bruce warned them that six more Spined Boars were charging from the Gray Mist Forest.

• He Xi killed a charging Spined Boar by striking its throat with an Earth Spike.
• Zoya killed a boar with a strike to the neck while Hulk and Belt fought the others.
• He Xi wounded the giant boar king, and Hulk shielded him from its Spine Barrage.
• Bruce warned the group that many fast-moving creatures were approaching from the Gray Mist Forest.
• Six more Spined Boars charged out of the forest, led by a massive sow.

He Xi and the others were surrounded by ten Spined Boars until Quick-Legs Tom and several villagers disrupted the beasts with eggs. He Xi killed two smaller boars and wounded their leader with his Earth Spike Technique, while Hulk went to help Belt and Zoya.

• A Spined Boar struck Belt with [Spine Barrage], leaving him wounded while He Xi and Hulk remained pinned down by two smaller boars and their leader.
• Quick-Legs Tom and several villagers threw eggs at the boars, disrupting their vision and sense of smell.
• He Xi told Hulk to help Belt and Zoya, and Hulk charged toward them after knocking a boar aside with his shield.
• He Xi hit the boar leader with [Enhanced Earth Spike Technique], sending it tumbling across the ground.
• He Xi killed one smaller boar with a triangular formation of earth spikes and gained the Savage Charge trait.
• He Xi used another triangular formation to kill the last smaller boar.

He Xi killed the Spined Boar leader by using Bruce to distract it, then chose its Thick Skin trait. He turned to help his teammates, who were still fighting the remaining boars, and charged toward the boar battling Belt.

• The Spined Boar leader charged through He Xi's earth spikes, but the spikes finally stopped it and left it briefly unconscious.
• He Xi ordered Bruce to draw the boar leader's attention, then charged in and stabbed its exposed neck with his dagger, killing it.
• He Xi chose the Thick Skin trait from the two traits extracted from the boar leader and gained two points of Physique.
• He Xi saw that Hulk was holding off the Sow Leader, Belt was fighting another boar, Zoya was evading four boars, and Laila was firing arrows from a tree.
• After recovering enough magic to cast ordinary Earth Spike Technique, He Xi charged toward the boar fighting Belt.