Chapter Summaries

Xia Lin arranged for poison to be added to the Faceless One’s water before Sera faced him in the arena. Sera defeated the Stone Monk Variant and secured the team’s third consecutive victory, while a hidden spectator took interest in the match.

• Xia Lin bribed an attendant to add an invigorating spice to a waterskin for Sera’s opponent.
• Marcus introduced Sera and the Faceless One, whom Xia Lin identified as a magic-resistant Earth Giantkin monk.
• The Faceless One charged Sera, but she used a quickened Eldritch Blast to propel herself clear of his attack.
• The poison took effect as the Faceless One attacked, allowing Sera to strike him three times with Eldritch Blasts and knock him out.
• The crowd erupted after Sera won, and Xia Lin’s team became the first in recent memory to win three consecutive Deadfire Arena matches.
• A mysterious figure watching from a curtained box became interested in the match.

After Sera won her arena bout through deception, Xia Lin accepted the Champion Challenge Match despite Marcus’s warning, hoping it would help him find Zane. A mysterious message caused the match to be moved from tomorrow night to thirty minutes from now.

• Marcus announced Sera as the winner, while angry gamblers were driven back by gang enforcers and lucky bettors celebrated.
• Kade questioned Sera’s dishonorable methods, but Xia Lin urged her to focus on the Champion Challenge Match.
• Marcus awarded the trio twenty gold coins and a pair of Mouse Leap boots, then warned Xia Lin that their next opponent was exceptionally dangerous.
• Xia Lin told Marcus he had come to find Zane, and Marcus stopped trying to persuade him to give up.
• Marcus announced that the Champion Challenge Match would take place tomorrow night, but a young attendant delivered a message that made him move it to thirty minutes later.

Xia Lin, Kade, and Sera learned about the Crimson Blades and prepared for the Champion Challenge Match under a rule that allowed weapons and items but forbade pre-fight potions and spells. They left the lounge to face the arena champion team, with Xia Lin planning to confront its unknown captain.

• Marcus announced that the Champion Challenge Match would begin in thirty minutes and that fighters could bring weapons and items but could not use potions or spells on themselves before the fight.
• A young attendant secretly gave Xia Lin a note identifying the Crimson Blades as Giant Spirit, the alchemist Little Ding, and the unknown Red-robed Priestess.
• Xia Lin assigned Kade to hold off Giant Spirit, Sera to target Little Ding, and himself to face the Red-robed Priestess.
• Kade prepared a Bull Strength Potion and a Blessing Weapon scroll, Sera set out Black Wax Blocks and drew runes, and Xia Lin readied alchemical bottles and poisoned crossbow bolts.
• Xia Lin, Kade, and Sera walked out of the lounge as the arena crowd roared.

Xia Lin and his team faced Crimson Blades in Deadfire Arena, but Little Ding’s stimulant smoke disrupted their plan and empowered Giant Spirit. Xia Lin spotted Little Ding through the haze and charged toward her as the Red-robed Priestess stalked him unseen.

• Xia Lin ordered Kade to engage Giant Spirit, Sera to target Little Ding, and himself to occupy the Red-robed Priestess.
• Little Ding released pink smoke that impaired Xia Lin and Kade, intensified Giant Spirit’s strength, and concealed the Red-robed Priestess.
• Sera escaped the smoke with Misty Step but lost sight of the fight, while Giant Spirit pinned Kade under a barrage of anchor-chain attacks.
• Xia Lin used Light Spell to glimpse Little Ding behind a toppled weapon rack, then rushed toward her through the smoke.
• An unseen killing intent locked onto Xia Lin from another direction as he charged into the haze.

Xia Lin broke through Little Ding’s pink fog with Alchemist’s Fire, but the Red-robed Priestess intercepted his attack and trapped him. Sera’s Eldritch Blast disrupted the fog, and the priestess charged at Sera while Xia Lin rushed toward Little Ding.

• Xia Lin used Alchemist’s Fire to burn away the pink fog and reveal Little Ding.
• The Red-robed Priestess blocked Xia Lin’s strike with her Serrated Knives and pinned his sword while Little Ding attacked with Alchemy Bombs.
• Xia Lin used Arcane Precision and threw more Alchemist’s Fire toward Little Ding, allowing Sera to hit her with an Eldritch Blast.
• Little Ding’s shield blocked Sera’s blast, but the impact broke her concentration and caused the pink fog to dissipate.
• The Red-robed Priestess charged at Sera as Xia Lin rushed toward Little Ding.

Sera and Xia Lin's trap took Little Ding out of the fight, but the Red-robed Priestess wounded Sera and left Xia Lin struggling against her control. The chapter ended with Sera unconscious and bleeding while the Priestess turned her attention to Xia Lin.

• The Red-robed Priestess struck Sera's illusion and then used Hold Person to restrain Xia Lin as Little Ding escaped his attack.
• Sera teleported behind Little Ding and knocked her unconscious with an empowered Eldritch Blast, but Little Ding covered the arena with Entangling Oil.
• The Red-robed Priestess attacked Sera with her Serrated Knives, leaving her badly wounded and unconscious.
• Xia Lin appraised Sera and saw that she was losing vitality but was not yet in mortal danger.

Xia Lin gambled on taking a deep wound to trap the Red Mantis Fanatic and open a path for Kade. After defeating Giant Spirit, Kade charged toward the pinned priestess to deliver a decisive blow.

• The Red-robed Priestess overwhelmed Xia Lin with her speed and knife attacks, leaving him badly wounded.
• Xia Lin baited the priestess into stabbing his shoulder, then clamped her arms to hold her in place and called for Kade.
• After hearing that Sera had fallen, Kade drank a Bull Strength Potion and let Giant Spirit's Chain Flail strike his shoulder.
• Kade used Smite Evil to smash Giant Spirit's jaw, then struck again and killed him.
• Kade healed himself with Lay on Hands, saw Xia Lin pinning the priestess, and charged toward them.

After Giant Spirit fell, Xia Lin and Kade faced Lily in the arena’s deadly trap-filled purgatory mode. Kade and Giant Spirit knocked each other unconscious, leaving Xia Lin to study Lily’s movements and suspect she was protecting Sera and Little Ding.

• Lily kicked Xia Lin away as Giant Spirit crashed down, and Xia Lin and Kade stood together against her.
• Host Marcus activated Dead Fire Purgatory Mode, filling the arena with scalding steam and poisoned darts.
• Lily used her familiarity with the traps to harass Xia Lin and Kade, while Kade struggled in his heavy armor.
• Kade charged Lily after a steam blast injured her, but Giant Spirit grabbed his ankle and struck him with a club; Kade hit Giant Spirit with his mace before both collapsed.
• Xia Lin avoided the traps and noticed that Lily’s routes circled around Sera and Little Ding’s unconscious bodies.

Xia Lin outmaneuvered Lily in the arena and stopped just short of killing her, condemning the gang leaders who treated them as pawns. Lily surrendered, leaving the Misty Hand’s spectacle unresolved.

• The Misty Hand’s leader ordered Lily to give the spectators one final dance as the arena fight continued.
• Xia Lin lured Lily into a steam trap, then used a Web Spell scroll to slow her down.
• Lily broke free with Blood Swiftness, but Xia Lin used Anticipate Foe and Arcane Precision to pin her shoulder with his sword.
• Xia Lin halted his lightning attack before it struck Lily and said she had not tried to kill Sera.
• Lily dropped her Serrated Knives and surrendered.

Xia Lin defeated Lily in the arena but stopped his final strike after realizing she had not tried to kill Sera and that they were both being used by Misty Hand. Lily dropped her weapons and surrendered, leaving the gang leaders watching from the VIP box.

• Misty Hand’s leader ordered the arena’s champion to enter Inferno mode as the wagers rose.
• Xia Lin lured Lily toward a malfunctioning steam vent, then used its blast to disperse her phantoms and trap her in a Web Spell.
• Lily used Blood Swiftness to tear free, but Xia Lin’s Anticipate Foe let him predict her movements and stab her right shoulder.
• Xia Lin prepared a lightning-charged finishing attack, then stopped when he said Lily had not tried to kill Sera and condemned the gang leaders for treating them like chess pieces.
• Lily dropped her Serrated Knives and surrendered.

After Xia Lin and his companions won the arena fight, the crowd celebrated him, but he condemned them for enjoying the violence. The Misty Hand’s leaders offered the three fighters work, and Xia Lin asked whether they knew where Zane was, freezing the leader’s smile.

• Lily surrendered, and the arena crowd erupted in cheers for Xia Lin.
• Xia Lin denounced the spectators, then healed Kade and Sera and led them from the arena.
• Sera woke in the lounge, and Kade noticed her relief and unease about what might have happened.
• A servant escorted Xia Lin, Kade, and Sera to meet the Misty Hand’s leaders, who offered them positions in the arena.
• Kade and Sera rejected the offer, and Xia Lin asked the leader about Zane and the missing second-in-command.

Xia Lin recovered in the Misty Hand’s underground palace and accepted its lavish hospitality, then learned that the arena’s boss wanted him to betray the old leader over the Misty Seed. He agreed to the boss’s offer in exchange for more money, a Magic Longsword, and information about Zane, but privately remained contemptuous.

• A Priest treated Xia Lin, Kade, and Sera’s wounds in the temple, and the Misty Hand provided them with luxurious rooms and meals.
• Xia Lin accepted a bath and massage, then recognized that Master Xu was a dangerous Martial Artist despite his gentle work.
• The fat boss asked Xia Lin to bring him the Misty Seed instead of delivering it to the old leader, offering him 150 gold coins.
• The boss warned Xia Lin that Zane had secrets and that Sesti was his employer, while Xia Lin demanded a Magic Longsword and all the boss’s information about Zane.
• Xia Lin agreed to the deal, then washed his hand repeatedly after the boss left.

Xia Lin attended the Berardi Family’s service, where Vito Berardi sent him to retrieve the [Misty Seed] from Valerius’s secret base. Lily led Xia Lin, Kade, and Sera to a safehouse, leaving Sera’s question about why Lily spared her unanswered.

• Xia Lin found Zane’s information hidden in his new coat and burned the accompanying note.
• Vito Berardi led the Berardi Family’s service, praising their god Kaiden Kailian and declaring their devotion to freedom.
• Vito identified Valerius’s southern secret base as the likeliest place to find the [Misty Seed] and tasked Xia Lin with retrieving it.
• Vito told Xia Lin that Bazi was his cousin and the family’s greediest, most cowardly member.
• Lily met Xia Lin, Kade, and Sera aboveground and guided them toward a safehouse.
• Lily thanked Xia Lin for sparing her, described Valerius as a respected and methodical family member, and left Sera’s question about why she had spared her unanswered.

Xia Lin and his companions searched Valerius's villa and uncovered evidence of a plot against Vito, along with a hidden workshop and clues pointing toward Anvil Mine. The chapter left Xia Lin holding a secret note directing him to the mine, while a faint grassy scent lingered nearby.

• Lily led Xia Lin, Kade, and Sera to Valerius's villa, where they searched his documents and found coded plans to assassinate Vito Berardi.
• Sera recognized familiar vine-like symbols in a notebook, while Xia Lin discovered that a bookcase concealed a trapped secret-room entrance.
• Xia Lin and Kade moved the bookcase, released the pressure mechanism, and opened Valerius's hidden workshop.
• Lily found notes explaining how Zane had opened the safe containing the [Misty Seed], while Xia Lin secretly read a letter signed "AJ" ordering a meeting at the usual place.
• Sera found a contract showing Valerius had purchased Anvil Mine shortly before Vito's attack, and Xia Lin discovered a note that said, "Go to Anvil Mine."
• Xia Lin noticed a faint grassy fragrance as he held the note.

Xia Lin and his companions followed clues to Anvil Mine, where they discovered Valerius’s men had seized the mine and forced its workers into a sealed, supposedly haunted excavation. The mine owner pleaded with them to rescue the miners, offering his private mithril ore as payment.

• Xia Lin connected Valerius’s mine purchase and the secret letter to Anvil Mine, recalling that he had once accepted a delivery job there.
• As the group left Restov, Xia Lin noticed Lily’s disgust at a Hookah Lounge, while Kade said Lily’s soul seemed clean and Sera warned that everyone had secrets.
• The four reached Anvil Mine at dusk and found the empty, silent complex guarded by three of Valerius’s men.
• Lily silently incapacitated the guards, and the group found the bound mine owner in his office.
• The mine owner told Xia Lin that Valerius’s men had seized the mine, forced the workers into an abandoned excavation, and left them unheard from for three days; he offered his private mithril ore for their rescue.

Xia Lin and his companions found the abandoned excavation site, rescued the mind-controlled miners, and captured the Misty Hand gang guarding an ancient Stone Gate. They learned that Valerius and his allies had entered through the activated lock and had not returned.

• Xia Lin agreed to investigate the mine and followed its map with Kade, Sera, and Lily toward the source of the wailing.
• The group found miners being forced to excavate an Ancient Stone Gate while more than twenty Misty Hand gang members stood guard.
• Xia Lin learned that Valerius, Zane, and several trusted men had entered the Stone Gate after solving its puzzle.
• Lily ambushed Captain Marco, Sera killed him with an Eldritch Blast, and Kade drove the remaining gang members to surrender.
• Xia Lin freed the miners, questioned the gang members, and appraised the Ancient Stone Gate as an activated Elemental Sequence Lock.

Xia Lin and his companions deciphered the elemental lock’s sequence and activated its symbols with elemental energy. Lily supplied the final water essence, and the stone gate opened.

• Xia Lin examined the stone gate and identified its four elemental symbols, while Lily found murals showing the order: fire, earth, wind, and water.
• Xia Lin poured Blazing Fire Gel onto the flame symbol, then used Acid Splash on the leaf symbol for earth.
• Xia Lin used Arc Lightning to activate the whirlwind symbol for wind.
• Xia Lin’s drinking water failed to activate the water symbol, so Lily cast Water Creation and filled it with elemental water.
• All four symbols glowed, and the stone gate opened inward.

Xia Lin and his companions bypassed Valerius's cave-in and entered an ancient crystal mine where warped energy transformed creatures into crystal. After fighting crystal-armored Burrowing Spiders, Xia Lin recognized the energy as the same kind that had mutated the rat in the Changhe City sewers.

• Xia Lin's group found Valerius's collapse blocking the passage, but Lily discovered a hidden prospecting tunnel they could use.
• The group entered an ancient cavern filled with glowing crystals and found mining marks made by an unknown intelligent species.
• Xia Lin collected a crystal shard, while Sera warned that the crystals were unnaturally fusing with living things after spotting a crystal-covered moth.
• Seven or eight crystal-armored Burrowing Spiders attacked, and Xia Lin, Lily, Kade, and Sera defeated them together.
• Xia Lin appraised a spider's corpse and recognized its warped energy as the same energy that had mutated the rat in the Changhe City sewers.

Xia Lin and his companions ventured deeper into the mine and encountered a gigantic, crystal-corrupted Cave Bear guarding the only route forward. After a dangerous battle, they killed it by driving Xia Lin’s sword into its brain, leaving the party beside the refining pool.

• Xia Lin warned his companions that the mine’s blue crystal corruption resembled the energy of the Mutated Giant Rat and might conceal something more dangerous.
• The party followed the ancient rail into a vast cavern and found a fifteen-foot Crystallized Giant Bear blocking their path beside an ore refining pool.
• Lily blessed the party, and they enhanced their weapons before Kade charged the bear while Xia Lin and the others attacked.
• The bear’s mental shockwave and crystal stream endangered Xia Lin and Lily, but Kade’s Aura of Courage protected them and Xia Lin pulled Lily from the rubble.
• Kade, Sera, and Lily coordinated their attacks to stagger the bear, allowing Xia Lin to leap onto it and stab through its throat into its brain.
• The Crystallized Giant Bear died and collapsed beside the refining pool as Xia Lin rolled clear of its falling body.

After defeating the crystallized Cave Bear, Xia Lin and his companions camped in its lair and discovered a restorative hot spring. While Xia Lin and Kade kept watch, Sera and Lily bathed and began to grow closer.

• Xia Lin appraised the Cave Bear’s corpse, found it had no usable materials, and noticed his combat proficiency had risen sharply.
• Xia Lin, Kade, Lily, and Sera made camp, and Kade cooked a meal from glowing mushrooms and fern roots.
• Xia Lin discovered a hot spring that granted a 24-hour bonus against fatigue and exhaustion, then let Sera and Lily bathe first.
• In the hot spring, Sera asked why Lily had spared her in the arena, and Lily said Sera had already been defeated.
• Sera gave Lily a bar of soap, and Lily tried to eat it before Sera explained what it was for.
• As Sera and Lily laughed together, Xia Lin and Kade heard them from outside and concluded that they were getting along.