Chapter Summaries

He Xi accepted Fivik’s offer of an ebony staff and agreed to return the next morning to learn [Mage Hand]. After leaving Fivik’s shop, he faced Bruce and Zoya’s confused questions about whether her spell had made him comfortable.

• Fivik explained that ebony suited He Xi’s magic, and He Xi left the unwieldy staff at her shop.
• Fivik criticized He Xi for not knowing [Mage Hand] and offered to teach it to him the next morning.
• Fivik summoned Nimo, a fairy messenger, and sent her with a letter addressed to Ace Cullum.
• He Xi left the shop and found Bruce and Zoya waiting by the door after eavesdropping.
• Zoya asked whether the spell had hurt, while Bruce mistakenly assumed it concerned something pleasurable.
• Zoya rephrased her question and asked He Xi whether he had been comfortable.

He Xi visited Fivik Kvais to learn Mage Hand and read a practical guide to dungeon ingredients while waiting for her. Fivik taught him the spell’s uses and fundamentals, and He Xi’s praise increased her favorability as he grew more certain she had a connection to Fernandez's Magic Academy.

• He Xi ate breakfast at Ms. Cassandra’s home and left while Thomas complained about being woken early.
• He Xi found Fivik’s shop open, read books from her shelf, and studied a guide to preparing dungeon creatures as food.
• Fivik emerged from the back room, let He Xi keep the ingredient guide, and began teaching him Mage Hand.
• Fivik demonstrated the spell and explained its uses, including retrieving objects and handling dangerous mechanisms from a distance.
• He Xi praised Fivik’s teaching, raising her favorability and strengthening his suspicion that she was connected to Fernandez's Magic Academy.

He Xi learned [Mage Hand] from Fivik Kvais and mastered the spell, then tried to spin the Ebony Staff Material for fun. His spell went out of control, smashed into Fivik's door, and left him suffering mana backlash as he feared her reaction.

• Fivik taught He Xi how to imagine, guide, and release mana to cast [Mage Hand], and warned him about losing focus, overexerting himself, and touching dangerous magical objects.
• He Xi cast [Mage Hand] on his first try, then practiced until he could lift and steady a cup, mastering [Mage Hand] Lv.1 and gaining Wisdom +1.
• He Xi practiced holding the cup despite distractions, then used [Mage Hand] to lift the Ebony Staff Material and found it manageable.
• He Xi tried to spin the Ebony Staff Material faster, but it shot into Fivik's door and caused a severe mana backlash that made his vision go black.

He Xi prepared for the journey into Gray Mist Forest, received warm clothing from Zoya, and met up with Hulk’s group at the entrance to Rose Town. As they set out, Lady Rose’s carriage passed them, and Hulk warned Belt that Serina Nightthorn was no ordinary noble.

• Fivik recommended that He Xi use a Goblin Shaman’s skull as the head for his staff.
• He Xi returned home, where Bruce teased him and he found wool-lined clothing Zoya had brought for him.
• Belt and Laila collected their bread from Martin and hurried to the meeting place beneath the town’s big tree.
• He Xi told Laila and Belt that he had learned [Grease Spell] and [Mage Hand], then Hulk arrived with two Land Birds and led the group out of Rose Town.
• The group made way for Lady Rose’s carriage, and Hulk cautioned Belt not to judge Serina Nightthorn by her carriage.

He Xi connected the attempts on his life to Lady Serina Nightthorn and resolved to investigate her after his commission. In her carriage, Serina ordered her servant to locate Annis and summon the Adventurer Guild representative to discuss taxes.

• Bruce recognized a distinctive smell from Plint's cottage and told He Xi it had appeared while He Xi was unconscious.
• He Xi recalled the suspicious medicine linked to his predecessor's death and suspected the Night Thorn Family had arranged both assassination attempts.
• He Xi connected Serina's marriage to Count Holt and the history of Atmesia County to a possible motive, and decided to investigate her strength and role.
• Serina asked whether the Kareen Cult's claims were reliable, and her servant said Jared had confirmed the adventurers seemed to have lost the relevant memories.
• Serina ordered her servant to find Annis and summon Rose Town's Adventurer Guild representative to discuss adventurer taxes.

He Xi’s party entered the mist-covered Gray Mist Forest and made camp at Giant Stone Camp before planning to approach a nearby goblin nest. Around the campfire, Hulk told He Xi about a former spellcaster companion who left adventuring to save money and marry.

• Hulk explained that the Gray Mist carried a strange, harmless magic, though monsters in the forest remained dangerous.
• He Xi’s party reached Giant Stone Camp, where Hulk pointed out old markings for water and edible berries and warned them not to trust the markings completely.
• Hulk checked the map and said the goblin nest was about a two-hour walk away, so the party would rest and approach it after the mist cleared.
• Belt volunteered to make a fire and boil water, then went to sleep early before taking his watch shift.
• Hulk told He Xi that his former companion, an Apprentice Mage, had quit adventuring to earn enough money to go home and marry, while Laila listened pensively.

He Xi and the party lured the goblins out of the ruins in waves and killed the first group. A horde led by a Giant Goblin emerged, and the chapter left the party facing the larger fight.

• Laila scouted the ruins and reported twenty-two ordinary goblins in sight, two guards at the entrance, and a likely leader inside.
• Hulk planned to lure the goblins out in groups while Zoya ambushed them and Belt drew their attention.
• Belt killed one guard and crippled the other, then drew seven or eight goblins into the forest.
• Zoya and Belt killed the first wave and let one goblin escape to alert the others.
• More than twenty goblins poured out of the ruins with a Giant Goblin, which turned its attention from Belt to a graceful, dark figure.

He Xi and his teammates defeated the Goblins at the ruins’ entrance and hunted down the survivors inside. They found Silver Scales and copper nails among the Goblins’ belongings.

• He Xi used [Grease Spell] to send the charging Goblins tumbling, while Hulk, Belt, and Laila attacked them.
• He Xi killed the Giant Goblin leader with [Earth Spike Technique], shocking Hulk and sending the remaining Goblins fleeing.
• Hulk ordered the team to stop the Goblins from escaping into the forest, and they killed the fleeing enemies with arrows, earth spikes, and swords.
• Belt posed alone after the fight while the others entered the ruins, then hurried after them with Bruce.
• Laila pointed out that the Goblins had copied human gestures of begging for mercy, and the team killed those still hiding inside.
• The team found scattered Silver Scales and copper nails among the Goblins’ belongings.

He Xi’s party finished clearing the Goblin ruins, where he found a magical bracelet and fitted it around Bruce’s neck. As they traveled deeper into Gray Mist Forest, they came across an adventurer party losing a fight against a Scotus Hunter.

• Belt found a Gold Shield while shaking out a pile of Goblin clothes, and the group collected Goblin ears for their commission.
• Hulk sent He Xi and Bruce to search the ruins, where Bruce found a bracelet on the Giant Goblin’s severed arm and He Xi identified it with Appraisal Spell.
• He Xi claimed the Sleepy Knight’s Bracelet and fitted it around Bruce’s neck, while Hulk kept the rusty longsword for appraisal and sale.
• The group returned to their Land Birds and continued deeper into Gray Mist Forest after a short rest.
• Laila spotted an adventurer party fighting a Scotus Hunter, and Hulk led his group over to offer help.
• The Gold Beard warrior struggled against the beast and shouted for Novell to stop hiding and attack it with his spear.

After the Scotus Hunter was killed, He Xi chose the Shadow Dodge trait and gave it to Bruce, who demonstrated how effectively he could disappear in the shade. The group continued preparing the beast’s pelt while Bruce startled Belt by suddenly appearing behind him.

• Novell stepped out from hiding, and the Scotus Hunter lunged at him before Laila’s arrow and an Earth Spike brought the beast down.
• Gold Beard accused Laila and the others of stealing the kill, but backed down and gave up the Scotus Hunter after recognizing Hulk.
• He Xi chose Shadow Dodge from the beast’s available traits and decided Bruce would make good use of it.
• Bruce entered the shade and became nearly impossible to see, then reappeared beside Belt and frightened him.

Gazi enjoyed his ruby mine and dismissed reports of Trist, the scaleless intruder, while Trist waited for adventurers to help him kill the kobold sorcerer. After Trist left to prepare, a giant spider followed him from the treetops.

• Gazi savored his rubies and grub in his cave, convinced that he was a dragon among ordinary kobolds.
• A kobold reported that Trist was outside again, but Gazi scolded him and went to inspect the mine instead of confronting the intruder.
• Trist waited in the thicket, eager to kill Gazi and eat him before the adventurers arrived.
• Trist headed to his cabin to make preparations for the adventurers’ arrival.
• A giant spider stirred in its web and followed Trist through the forest.

The Dragon Fang Squad reached the cabin in the Gray Mist Forest, where He Xi improved his Mage Hand skill while they waited for their client. A gaunt, armed man then emerged from the mist and approached them.

• He Xi watched Bruce’s strength and stealth improve, and wondered whether he could form a ranger’s pact with him.
• Laila recalled the giant spider she had once raised and released because she could not afford to feed it.
• Hulk guided the squad through the thickening mist by following moss on the trees.
• The squad reached the cabin and rested while Hulk inspected the herb garden and Belt dozed.
• He Xi practiced Mage Hand until he reached level 2 and gained one Wisdom point.
• A gaunt middle-aged man in a worn green cloak emerged from the mist and approached the cabin.

Hulk’s squad learned that Trist wanted the corpse of a dragon-blooded kobold shaman, while Bruce and Zoya captured Trist’s giant spider, Little Pearl. After the group discovered their strength, Laila and He Xi negotiated extra payment for the shaman’s remains.

• Trist told Hulk that he wanted to hunt a kobold shaman with an awakened dragon bloodline and claimed he could handle it himself.
• Bruce lured Little Pearl into its web while Zoya cut its supports, trapping the giant spider.
• Trist’s calls for Little Pearl went unanswered, and Hulk’s group went outside to investigate.
• Bruce announced that he and Zoya had captured Little Pearl, surprising Trist and revealing that the squad was stronger than he expected.
• Trist agreed to pay extra for the kobold shaman’s corpse, and He Xi negotiated two Gold Shields plus the kobold’s skull.

As Dragon Fang Squad planned an attack on the kobolds with Trist, they learned about the cave, its shaman, and the history of Gray Mist Forest. Trist also revealed that armed men had recently been capturing goblins, leaving the group with a new mystery.

• Trist served goblin stew, which Laila gagged at and Bruce barked at, while he explained that the squad would attack the kobold cave after the fog lifted.
• Trist said the kobolds had dwindled from around fifty, described their sentries, and recounted encountering a red kobold shaman two months earlier.
• Belt suggested baiting the kobold sentries with Gold Shields, but Laila rejected the idea and proposed that she and Zoya quietly take them out.
• He Xi suggested using Grease Spell and fire to smoke the kobolds out, and Hulk chose the plan over charging into the cave.
• Trist told He Xi that the fog had begun appearing about twenty years earlier, prompting nearby villagers to leave, and said he had recently seen armed men capturing goblins in an iron cage.

He Xi and his party attacked the kobold cave, but the kobold spellcaster emerged already wounded and was killed by He Xi. The party realized something inside the cave had injured it and waited for the fire and smoke to clear before investigating.

• Hulk found one of Trist’s tripwire traps as the party approached the kobold cave.
• Laila and Zoya killed the two kobold sentries while He Xi covered the cave entrance with [Grease Spell] and Zoya ignited it with alchemist’s fire.
• A bloodied kobold spellcaster burst from the cave, and He Xi killed it with [Earth Spike], choosing the [Weak Red Dragon Bloodline] trait it yielded.
• Hulk examined the corpse and found fresh axe-like wounds, leading He Xi to conclude that something inside the cave had chased the spellcaster out.
• The party waited for the fire and smoke to clear so they could enter the cave and investigate.

He Xi and the party explored the kobold cave, finding thirteen rubies and a chamber full of dead kobolds beside a mysterious hole filled with deep fog. They recognized the wounded figure in the chamber as Zander, Rose Town’s famed warrior, and discovered he was an orc as Trist ominously speculated about cooking him.

• He Xi led the party through the dark, narrowing cave passages with a [Light Spell] as Bruce followed the scent of blood.
• The party found thirteen red gems spilled beside the kobold sorcerer’s stone throne, and Belt collected them.
• Bruce tracked the blood scent into a cramped passage, where the party discovered at least twenty dead kobolds and a badly wounded armored figure beside a hole filled with deep fog.
• Hulk, Belt, and Laila removed the figure’s armor and exposed a deep wound across his chest and abdomen.
• Belt identified the unconscious warrior as Zander, a famous adventurer in Rose Town, and He Xi realized Zander was an orc.
• Trist eyed the unconscious Zander and wondered aloud whether orc meat would need to stew for a long time.

Dragon Fang Squad rescued the badly wounded orc Zander and treated him at Trist’s cabin, where He Xi noticed a suspicious parchment written in an unfamiliar language. Hulk decided to carry Zander to Rose Town for treatment, and the team agreed to make the risky seven-day journey.

• Hulk confirmed Zander was alive, but a black vapor disrupted the Healing Potion’s effect on his worst wound, so the squad carried him to Trist’s cabin.
• Trist treated Zander with Purple Pearl Leaf while He Xi spotted a parchment in an unfamiliar script; Trist snatched it away and claimed it was his diary.
• Hulk told He Xi that Zander had helped other adventurers by leaving directions and protecting them from monsters.
• Hulk proposed taking Zander to Rose Town, and He Xi, Belt, and Laila agreed to the journey despite the risks.

The Dragon Fang Squad returned to Rose Town after their commission, bringing the unconscious Orc Zander with them. Hulk, He Xi, and Zoya took Zander to the Church of Nephthidia, while Belt and Laila headed home.

• He Xi and the others secured Orc Zander and packed the kobold warlock's skull before setting out for Rose Town.
• He Xi noticed Zoya had carved a wooden likeness of Bruce and found a similar small carving attached to the dagger he had given her.
• After the squad departed, Trist tested his skin-like mask and reread a parchment describing how he had let go of hatred and begun to feel the world for himself.
• Seven days later, the squad arrived in Rose Town after a cold, uneventful return journey.
• Hulk sent Belt and the unwell Laila home, then He Xi and Zoya accompanied him as he took Zander toward the Church of Nephthidia.

He Xi and Hulk brought the injured Zander to the church, where Ms. Castien healed him and revealed that his amnesia was a protective gift from the Goddess of Night. Zander remained at the church to recover, while He Xi left after receiving a private offer of shelter from the Goddess.

• He Xi and Hulk took Zander into the church, where Ms. Castien purified the strange black mist from his wound.
• After resting in the courtyard, He Xi and Hulk returned to find Zander healed but unable to remember what had happened.
• Zander recalled Lily and the cave, but Ms. Castien put him back to sleep and explained that forgetting sheltered him from painful memories.
• Ms. Castien declined to explain the cave and asked He Xi and Hulk to leave Zander in the church to recover.
• As He Xi left, the Goddess of Night spoke to him privately and promised that the church would offer him shelter whenever he needed it.

After returning from the church, He Xi went home with Zoya and Bruce, shared a meal with Mrs. Cardassana and Thomas, and settled back into familiar routines. The evening ended with Bruce eyeing the leftover roasted meat pies.

• Hulk asked He Xi to help handle the collected materials the next afternoon at the stone house in Rocknor.
• He Xi found Zoya waiting by the cemetery and invited her home; she happily agreed.
• He Xi thanked Zoya for buying his coat lining, and she abruptly ran ahead, leaving Bruce to complain that she had cheated in their race.
• Mrs. Cardassana welcomed He Xi, Zoya, and Bruce with roasted meat pies, while Thomas excitedly told He Xi about his news.
• Mrs. Cardassana sent Thomas back to bed, and Bruce barked eagerly when he saw the remaining meat pies.