Chapter Summaries

After improving his sword skills and learning new spells, Xia Lin was interrupted by Russ, who begged him to rescue their friend Kyle from execution in Luoye Town. Xia Lin agreed to investigate Kyle’s alleged curse and decide how to proceed, taking Russ’s magical ring as payment.

• Xia Lin trained with his longsword, reviewed his growing abilities, and noted that he had nearly reached Magic Warrior Arts level three.
• Russ burst into Xia Lin’s cottage, bruised and distressed, and asked him to save Kyle from being burned as a supposed curse-wielder.
• Russ explained that Baron Valen had fallen ill with symptoms like those Kyle’s mother had suffered, and that a paladin planned to execute Kyle.
• Russ offered Xia Lin a +1 Deflection Ring, and Xia Lin recognized its value before agreeing to investigate Kyle’s innocence.
• Xia Lin told Russ that he would decide whether and how they fought, and Russ reluctantly accepted the terms.

Xia Lin, Sera, and Russ reached Luoye Town and learned that Kyle had been blamed for Baron Valen’s illness after his mother, Mara, recovered from the same disease. Russ erupted at Kyle’s parents, revealing an intense anger that left Xia Lin and Sera puzzled.

• Xia Lin bought supplies, claimed a Minor Restoration Potion, and left Orlando with Sera and Russ for Luoye Town.
• Sera warned Xia Lin to stay alert about Russ’s promised ring, while an unseen observer watched them through a spyglass.
• The group reached Luoye Town, where residents reacted with hostility to Russ’s Tiefling horns.
• Kyle’s father welcomed them, and Mara explained that she had recovered from the Wasting Disease before Baron Valen fell ill with the same symptoms.
• Russ angrily blamed Kyle’s parents for bringing him to Luoye Town, leaving Xia Lin and Sera confused by his reaction.

Xia Lin, Sera, and Russ investigated Kyle’s connection to a devilish contract after learning the town planned to purify him at noon. They found a burned contract fragment in the woods, then searched Kyle’s room, where a furious man’s arrival interrupted them.

• Kyle’s adoptive parents told Xia Lin that Kyle was due to be purified in the town square the next day and that he had often visited the large oak in the woods.
• Russ spotted that the obvious trail’s footprints had been tampered with and led Xia Lin and Sera along a concealed path to the oak.
• Xia Lin found a burned parchment fragment buried near the oak, and Sera identified it as an Infernal contract concerning a cure, with its price and terms missing.
• Sera questioned why the Baron had suffered if Kyle had made the wish, and Xia Lin decided to search Kyle’s room for more clues.
• Xia Lin found an empty animal cage in Kyle’s room before an angry man shouted downstairs, calling someone a devil spawn.

Xia Lin and his companions confronted Duke and the paladin Sailun Iron Fist, who accused Kyle's mother and her allies of causing Baron Valen's illness and threatened to purify them. As a fight seemed imminent, an unknown figure used a smoke bomb to help them escape through a window.

• Xia Lin, Sera, and Russ went downstairs and found Duke, Sailun Iron Fist, and armed town guards waiting in Kyle's cabin.
• Duke accused Kyle's mother of causing Baron Valen's illness and ordered Xia Lin to leave town.
• Sailun condemned Russ and Sera for their infernal blood and threatened to burn them, while Xia Lin challenged his prejudice.
• Sera attacked Sailun with Dissonant Whispers, but his holy symbol helped him resist the spell, and he ordered the guards to seize them.
• Russ drew his dagger as Xia Lin prepared to fight, but an unknown figure filled the room with smoke and led them out through a window.

Xia Lin and Sera intervened when Hill came to retrieve Russ and the stolen ring for the Thieves' Descendants, buying a day to resolve the dispute. Meanwhile, Lord Sailun prepared to burn Kyle as a supposed cure for the Baron, and Duke Valen discovered his pet squirrel had vanished.

• Hill introduced himself as a member of the Thieves' Descendants and demanded that Russ return a stolen ring and come back with him.
• Russ refused, saying he had found the ring and needed to save his friend Kyle from being burned, while Hill called his actions foolish.
• Sera stepped in and asked Xia Lin to help; Xia Lin offered Hill Freya's rapier as collateral for the ring and secured one day to settle the matter.
• Xia Lin persuaded Hill to join them, arguing that his help could resolve the problem sooner and keep them from escaping with the ring.
• At the Baron's manor, Lord Sailun told Duke Valen that Kyle would be burned at noon the next day to end the curse afflicting the Baron.
• Duke Valen reached for the pet squirrel on his shoulder and found that it had disappeared.

Xia Lin and Sera searched the town dungeon for Kyle, only to find his parents imprisoned and learn how Russ had joined the Thieves' Descendants. A child’s drawings led Xia Lin to suspect that the squirrel connected to Kyle and Baron Karen was a devil behind the town’s troubles, leaving them determined to uncover its unfinished plan.

• Xia Lin, Sera, and Hill went to the dungeon, where Hill silently knocked out the guards and opened the door while Russ stayed outside.
• Xia Lin and Sera found Kyle’s parents bound in a cell and learned that Kyle had been taken away.
• Mara and the old carpenter explained that Russ had been abandoned as a child, adopted by them, and later joined the Thieves' Descendants, prompting them to move away from Orlando with Kyle.
• Sera sent Kyle’s parents to wait at the abandoned warehouse while she and Xia Lin searched the dungeon for clues.
• Xia Lin found Kyle’s drawings about Little Nut, a magical squirrel that promised to cure his mother in exchange for a payment.
• Xia Lin and Sera connected Little Nut to the squirrel seen in Kyle’s room and on Baron Karen, and suspected it was a devil behind the Baron’s coma and the ongoing scheme.

Xia Lin and his companions escaped the dungeon and planned to expose the truth about Kyle’s imprisonment at the execution site the next day. As they rested at an abandoned waystation, Xia Lin learned more about Guram’s controversial church and began considering how to use its political standing.

• Xia Lin found Russ waiting outside the dungeon and told him that Kyle was still captive but his parents had escaped safely.
• Hill returned from scouting and reported that the town guards were poorly trained, while Xia Lin shared what he had learned in the dungeon about a devil.
• Xia Lin led Sera, Russ, and Hill to an abandoned waystation, where they rested and Hill took the first watch.
• Sera admitted to Xia Lin that she had lost control earlier, and Xia Lin chose not to press her for an explanation.
• Hill explained Guram’s harsh doctrine and how the church had gained permission to operate in Orlando, and Xia Lin hinted that he would use this information in the coming events.

Xia Lin exposed the supposed cleansing of Kyle as a sham and turned Luoye Town against Sailun, while Hill rescued the boy from the paladin’s attack. Sera then recognized the squirrel on Duke Valen’s shoulder as the devil Little Nut.

• Xia Lin interrupted Kyle’s execution and showed the crowd an incomplete devil’s contract, arguing that Kyle had not caused Baron Valen’s illness.
• Xia Lin warned the townspeople that Sailun was usurping authority and might threaten them next, turning public opinion against the paladin.
• Sailun threw his torch and attacked Kyle with his greatsword, ignoring Duke’s order to stop.
• Hill knocked Sailun’s weapon aside, cut Kyle free, and pulled him out of danger as the crowd saw the paladin’s intent.
• Sera addressed the squirrel on Duke Valen’s shoulder as the devil Little Nut.

A lesser imp revealed that it had disguised itself as Duke Valen’s pet squirrel and manipulated the town square while Sailun attacked it. Xia Lin learned Kyle had made no wish, and the imp revealed that the staged wish-and-price story was meant for someone else just as Russ collapsed.

• The squirrel revealed its true nature to the townsfolk and taunted Duke Valen and Paladin Sailun for helping its scheme.
• Sailun struck the squirrel with Evil Banishing Slash, exposing it as a lesser imp and sending the crowd fleeing in panic.
• Xia Lin woke Kyle and learned that Kyle had never made a wish to the imp, despite the apparent transfer of his mother’s illness to the baron.
• The lesser imp announced that its carefully staged story about wishes and prices had never been meant for Kyle.
• Russ screamed, collapsed, and lost consciousness behind Xia Lin.

Claw summoned two Mud Imps to distract Xia Lin and the others while Sera entered Russ’s mind to fight for his soul. As Claw attacked Sera from behind, Xia Lin blocked its poisoned tail with a shield spell.

• Claw tore Russ’s soul from his body and summoned two Mud Imps to guard the plaza while it went invisible.
• Sera entered Russ’s mind to wrest his soul from the devil, and Xia Lin, Hill, and Sailun Iron Fist took positions to protect them.
• The rogue destroyed one Mud Imp by striking its core, and Xia Lin destroyed the other with Electric Claw.
• Claw taunted the group and offered Xia Lin power in exchange for killing Sera, but Xia Lin refused to be drawn out.
• Claw crept behind Sera and struck at her with its poisoned tail, but Xia Lin shielded her from the attack.

Claw tried to trap Russ in jealousy and despair, but Sera confronted him with the truth and shared her own painful past. Russ began to break free of the imp’s influence as a faint light blossomed from his spirit.

• A week earlier, Russ begged a supposed forest fairy to save Kyle's dying mother, and Claw revealed itself as an imp seeking to exploit Russ’s desperation.
• Inside Russ’s mental world, Claw magnified his jealousy of Kyle and his guilt over hiding the truth.
• Sera challenged Claw’s lies about Hill and argued that Russ’s actions showed he cared more for Kyle than he resented him.
• Sera told Russ about her own childhood rejection and how accepting a devil’s offer had trapped her in a colder cage.
• Sera embraced Russ, cracking the cage around his heart, and a faint, unwavering light began to shine from him.

Xia Lin and the others fought Claw while Russ confronted her influence in his mental world. They defeated and banished the devil, and the chapter ended as Russ woke and bells announced that the Baron had been cured.

• Claw pinned Sailun Iron Fist with Mud Imps and paralyzed Hill, leaving Xia Lin to face her alone.
• Xia Lin used Blazing Fire Gel to reveal Claw’s position in the haze, then interrupted her Infernal Bolt with a Pommel Strike.
• In his mental world, Russ rejected Claw’s gift and broke the invisible contract between them, causing her to suffer a backlash.
• Xia Lin, Sailun Iron Fist, and the guards attacked the weakened Claw and banished her to the Eighth Hell.
• The Mud Imps collapsed into puddles, Russ woke, and bells rang from the Baron’s estate to announce that the Baron had been cured.

Xia Lin and Sera helped save Kyle and Baron Valen from the curse, and Valen rewarded them before expelling Sailun Iron Fist from Luoye Town. Sera revealed that the soul battle had granted her new power that made her feel sick, while Xia Lin comforted her; she privately wished she had once had someone like him.

• Sera told Xia Lin that she had only opened a crack in the cage built in the imp’s mind, leaving it to him to escape.
• Xia Lin gave Hill an Antitoxin, and Russ apologized for his selfishness before Kyle forgave him.
• Baron Valen ordered Sailun Iron Fist out of Luoye Town and demanded compensation for the harm done to Kyle and his family; Sailun left forty silver coins and departed.
• Baron Valen cleared Kyle and his family, gave Xia Lin five gold coins, and presented Sera with a Scholar’s Robe.
• Sera told Xia Lin that the soul battle had earned her new power from the entity, but that it made her feel sick.
• Xia Lin reassured Sera by saying she had looked cool saving the boy, and she privately wished she had once had someone like him.

Xia Lin and Sera left Luoye Town after helping Hill and Russ escape with the stolen ring and saving Kyle. On the road back to Orlando, Xia Lin and Sera reached level three, and Xia Lin considered how to strengthen himself for future adventures.

• Hill thanked Xia Lin and Sera, then hurried Russ back to Orlando with the ring before his Big Sister discovered the theft.
• Hill warned Kyle’s family that Luoye Town’s prejudice would persist, and Kyle’s father agreed to move them back to Orlando.
• Baron Valen hosted Xia Lin and Sera for dinner, and Xia Lin told him that Duke Allendale had given him Freya’s sword as a reward.
• Xia Lin and Sera declined the baron’s offer to stay and set off for Orlando the next morning.
• Xia Lin checked his status on the road and discovered that he and Sera had both reached level three.
• Xia Lin planned to seek combat training from Hill and find second-level spell scrolls at the Mage Tower once he returned to Orlando.

Xia Lin completed Hill’s intensive training and gained [Combat Reflexes], then celebrated with a cheap meal. On the way home, Russ asked Sera if she regretted making a promise to the voice, and she said she had once regretted it but no longer did.

• Xia Lin faced Hill in the final bout of their free training, using instinct to avoid Hill’s feint and land a controlled sword strike.
• Hill congratulated Xia Lin on graduating, and Xia Lin gained [Combat Reflexes].
• Xia Lin treated Hill, Sera, and Russ to dinner at the shabby Dwarf Stew Pot, proud of his money-saving choice.
• Russ asked Sera whether she regretted making her promise to the voice, and Sera admitted she had regretted it before but no longer did.

Xia Lin learned several new spells and decided to travel to the Brevor Free Alliance to seek guidance from a retired Magic Warrior master, with Sera joining him. After preparing supplies and taking a delivery commission, they set out from Orlando.

• Xia Lin paid Emily Toremo for a spellbook and learned several cantrips, first-circle spells, and Mirror Image.
• Xia Lin told Sera he planned to visit a retired Magic Warrior at Craggy Wind Fortress, and she agreed to accompany him.
• Xia Lin accepted a guild commission to deliver a letter to Anvil Mine and learned he was close to qualifying for Black Iron rank.
• Xia Lin and Sera bought supplies and prepared for their long journey.
• Xia Lin and Sera left Orlando and headed toward the Brevor Alliance.

Xia Lin and Sera traveled toward the Brevor Alliance, where the settlements and people grew more rugged and wary. When they had to camp in the hills, Xia Lin and Sera failed to make an edible stew, leaving Xia Lin to consider learning wilderness skills or recruiting a support specialist.

• Xia Lin and Sera left the main trade road and traveled along a remote border path toward Brevor, noticing the region's harsher customs and armed settlements.
• On the fifth night, Xia Lin struggled to pitch their tent and light a campfire while Sera gathered firewood.
• Xia Lin cooked mushrooms, greens, and salt-cured meat into a stew, but the taste was so bad he could barely swallow it.
• Sera added purple spice to the stew, tasted it, and poured the entire pot onto the ground.
• Xia Lin and Sera ate hard rations, and Xia Lin considered taking a wilderness survival course or recruiting a teammate skilled at support tasks.

Xia Lin and Sera were attacked by a pack of starving wolves on the Cracked Stone Path and fought them off together. After the battle, Xia Lin noticed a serious problem but had not yet explained what it was.

• Xia Lin and Sera traveled through a misty forest toward the Brevor Alliance and heard a pack of wolves approaching.
• Xia Lin raised a Shield Spell as the wolves attacked, while Sera blasted the pack leader and another wolf with Eldritch Blasts.
• Sera used Misty Step to reach a fallen tree and attacked the wolves from above as Xia Lin drew their attention and dodged their attacks.
• Xia Lin and Sera killed the remaining wolves, leaving Xia Lin exhausted and Sera with a torn robe after she fell from the tree.
• Xia Lin told Sera through the Mental Link that he had noticed a serious problem.

Xia Lin and Sera left the battlefield after defeating a Dire Wolf pack and reached the strangely silent Longstone Town. The tavern keeper thanked them for killing the wolves, then revealed that the townspeople and the wolves were both victims.

• Xia Lin and Sera abandoned their attempt to salvage the wolves and took the Dire Wolf King's head as proof of their victory.
• Xia Lin and Sera traveled toward the Brevor Alliance and arrived at Longstone Town shortly before nightfall.
• Xia Lin and Sera noticed the town's deserted streets and entered the Traveler's Home tavern to get food and rest.
• The tavern keeper reacted with surprise and resignation when Xia Lin said they had killed the wolves, then told them that the wolves and townspeople were both victims.

Xia Lin and Sera learned that harpies were terrorizing the town but planned to leave rather than take the dangerous bounty. Before they departed, they discovered a paladin whose cooking drew Xia Lin’s interest in recruiting him.

• The tavern keeper told Xia Lin and Sera that harpies had settled in an abandoned quarry and were abducting people, and showed them the bounty notice.
• Xia Lin and Sera decided not to take the harpy job and planned to stock up before continuing their journey.
• At the market, Xia Lin inspected a kind, well-equipped paladin who stopped to help an old woman gather her firewood.
• Xia Lin and Sera prepared to leave town, but a tempting aroma led them to the paladin cooking stew for hungry children and vagrants.
• Xia Lin told Sera through their Mental Link that he wanted to recruit the paladin so they would not have to eat his cooking.