Chapter Summaries

Lu Yuan arrived at the training grounds for the new students’ matches, where the knights explained the rules and announced the pairings. The first match, between Harvey and Dean, began with Harvey trying to close in while Dean attacked with silver threads.

• Lu Yuan followed the path to the training grounds and joined the other six new students.
• The Lantern Knight explained the match rules and drew the pairings: Harvey versus Dean, Eli versus Lu Yuan, and Lia versus Leon.
• Blanca received a bye and was assigned to fight Roland, a student from the previous class.
• Harvey and Dean exchanged formal bows before the Blue Knight started their match.
• Harvey rushed toward Dean with ash-black feathers, while Dean unleashed silver threads to intercept him.
• Harvey covered himself in feathers, transformed into a half-bird form, and spread his wings in midair.

Harvey and Dean battled on the platform, with Harvey’s Night Owl abilities clashing against Dean’s silver armor and trap. Dean finally caught Harvey by covering the platform in silver metal, leaving Harvey sealed inside a rigid silver bird.

• Harvey knocked Dean unconscious with a sonic attack and stabbed at his back, but Dean’s silver armor stopped the blade.
• Harvey transformed into the Night Owl’s true form and attacked Dean with silent feathers and stronger sonic waves.
• Dean’s armor resisted Harvey’s repeated strikes, and Dean used a feigned daze to lure Harvey into grabbing him.
• Dean revealed that silver metal covered the platform and trapped Harvey, preventing him from turning incorporeal.
• Dean encased Harvey in silver and patted the rigid silver bird he had become.

Lu Yuan fought Eli in a duel, using Time Bestower and his revolver to overwhelm Eli’s word-based abilities. The fight ended with Eli still standing but under heavy pressure from Lu Yuan’s attacks.

• Dean defeated Harvey, and the knights praised Harvey’s skill and potential.
• Lu Yuan and Eli began their duel, and Lu Yuan recognized that Eli’s path was tied to words.
• Lu Yuan used Time Bestower to freeze time, then fired ten shots at Eli before Eli could complete his attacks.
• Eli used the Gulai Book of Light to manifest defensive words that blocked Lu Yuan’s bullets.
• Lu Yuan fired a powerful Sanity Bullet, but Eli distorted space with the word “Twist” and redirected it into the platform.
• The spectators and knights reacted to Lu Yuan’s overwhelming weapon as Eli faced his bombardment.

Lu Yuan tested his strength against Eli, countering Eli’s word-based attacks with Sanity Bullets and Time Bestower before overpowering him in close combat. Eli rose after being thrown into a guardrail and decided he had to use his reserved trump cards to have any chance of winning.

• Lu Yuan fired Sanity Bullets and incendiary bombs as Eli used Gulai words to twist and block the shots, then vanished when the bullets broke through.
• Eli tried to slow and imprison Lu Yuan, but Time Bestower let Lu Yuan break free and charge through the dust Eli summoned.
• Eli enhanced himself with words from the Book of Light and met Lu Yuan’s punch, which sent him flying despite the strength of his enhancements.
• Lu Yuan dragged Eli into a guardrail, then stopped fighting and feigned exhaustion instead of breaking Eli’s shield.
• Eli got back up, judged he could not defeat Lu Yuan with his current strength, and resolved to use his reserved trump cards.

Lu Yuan and Eli sparred, and Eli was declared the winner after his prepared “Kill” characters engulfed Lu Yuan, though Lu Yuan was secretly unharmed. Afterward, they discussed Eli’s character abilities and Lu Yuan’s Extraordinary weapons.

• Lu Yuan and Eli exchanged blows as Lu Yuan used the Time Bestower to accelerate and Eli matched his speed.
• Eli grabbed Lu Yuan and unleashed prepared “Kill” characters that engulfed him, while Lu Yuan’s passive ability left him unharmed.
• Lu Yuan pretended to collapse, and Eli stopped the attack once Lu Yuan’s shield disappeared.
• The Blue Knight declared Eli the winner, while the spectators and knights questioned the strange outcome.
• Lu Yuan asked Eli about healing characters, and Eli explained that his written characters consumed sanity and varied in strength and duration.
• Eli asked about Lu Yuan’s speed and Knowledge Path, and Lu Yuan explained that his acceleration came from an Extraordinary weapon.

Lia faced Leon in the third match and used her heraldry to create an emblem copying the Knight Academy’s insignia. Pinning it to her chest caused her power to surge, leaving the Blue Knight to wonder what Lia intended to do with it.

• The Lantern Knight and Silent Knight suspected Lu Yuan had come seeking the Rock Grand Knight Commander, while the Astrologer Grand Knight Commander remained silent.
• Lia warned Leon that she lacked offensive methods and asked him to give her time; Leon agreed and waited for her to prepare.
• Leon surrounded himself with an uncanny Flame that made his figure appear to split into shifting duplicates.
• Lia spent several minutes inscribing a blank emblem, then recited an incantation beginning, “In the name of the Knight Academy.”
• Lia pinned the glowing Academy emblem to her chest, causing her aura to surge and resemble the Blue Knight’s presence; the Blue Knight recognized the effect as temporary heraldic power.

Lia used inscription badges to challenge Leon, but his Illusory Sun Path overwhelmed her attack and he won. Lia conceded, while the students recognized her rare skill in inscription studies and remained uncertain about the source of Leon’s Path.

• Lia activated a badge that gave her the Blue Knight’s sword and charged Leon, whose phantoms confused her and affected the spectators’ sanity.
• Lia used another badge to shrink the arena, forcing Leon’s illusions into a smaller space and preparing for a direct clash.
• Leon met Lia’s gaze, froze her with his ability, and summoned a blazing sun bearing his own face.
• Lia charged through the sun’s effects, but her badge shattered before her sword could strike, and Leon emerged unharmed.
• Lia conceded defeat, and the Blue Knight declared Leon the winner.
• The students recognized Lia as a rare practitioner of inscription studies, while many remained unsure which Eerie entity Leon’s Path was connected to.

Blanca faced Roland in a battle that revealed her Divine-Chosen Transcendent power and his skill as a Flesh Transcendent swordsman. After Blanca sent Roland flying with a powerful kick, he recovered and drew his sword, setting up their next exchange.

• The Lantern Knight praised Lia's attempt to imitate another person's emblem and noted its potential for supporting an army.
• Blanca and Roland entered the stage, and the Blue Knight began their match.
• Blanca released a savage, ancient aura and vanished with speed comparable to the Blue Knight's.
• Gray-White Text identified Blanca as a Divine-Chosen Transcendent chosen by the consciousness awakened in a horn stained with Immortality's blood.
• Blanca kicked Roland and sent him flying, but he landed while dispersing the force; Gray-White Text identified him as an Alienated Transcendent who tempered his flesh.
• Roland drew his ornate sword and revealed his refined swordsmanship, while Blanca raised an eyebrow at his ability to withstand her attack.

Blanca defeated Roland in the arena by using the Desolate Horn to overwhelm him with fear and throw him out of bounds. After the match, she approached Lu Yuan and told him she knew he had not gone all out.

• Blanca sounded the Desolate Horn, and its call filled Roland with a fear he could not control.
• Roland shut off his senses and charged Blanca, but she broke his sword and threw him outside the training ground.
• The Blue Knight announced Blanca as the winner, while the spectators discussed the freshmen’s impressive matches.
• The Lantern Knight announced that the academy would issue recommendations based on each student's performance.
• Roland tried to invite Blanca to dinner, but she ignored him and then approached Lu Yuan to say he had not used his full strength.

Lu Yuan reviewed the Knight Academy’s tailored course recommendations and planned his studies around strengthening his body, managing his sanity, and advancing his knowledge and potion-making skills. The recommendations revealed that Rock Grand Knight Commander controlled Time Bestower, leaving Lu Yuan intent on seeking his guidance while he settled on his course priorities.

• Blue Knight distributed course lists jointly prepared by the Astrologer Grand Knight Commander and three knights, and explained the course-point system.
• Lu Yuan read recommendations identifying his Eerie Knowledge Transcendent abilities, praising his abundant sanity, and advising him to study Knight Body Arts Fundamentals, Eerie Ecology, and Pathway Stabilization and Convergence.
• Lu Yuan learned that Rock Grand Knight Commander controlled Time Bestower and considered asking him how the item might develop further.
• Lu Yuan checked his Sanity and Guard progress, noting that Guard II was approaching its limit while Sanity IV had not advanced for a long time.
• Lu Yuan decided to prioritize Knight Body Arts Fundamentals, Sanity Management and Restraint, ancient languages, alchemy and Pharmacology, and Eerie Ecology, while considering Inscription Fundamentals and sitting in on other courses.

Lu Yuan weighed his Academy plans against the need to use the Stonefire Bug Hide before its preservation failed, while Oden urged him to investigate Blanca's Horn. The chapter left Lu Yuan preparing to turn the hide into something useful within two days.

• Lu Yuan declined Dean's invitation to explore the Academy so he could deal with the Stonefire Bug Hide, which would spoil once its Fire-veined Stone ran out.
• Oden told Lu Yuan that Blanca's Horn carried an aura of Immortality and traces of a Horn he remembered, and asked him to get closer to Blanca and see the original.
• Oden explained that the Horn might have a hidden backdoor and advised Lu Yuan to learn the Four Knights Society's Knight Body Technique.
• Lu Yuan recalled seeing a complete Silver Combat Studies entry and wondered whether the Silver Empire's inheritance still existed.
• Lu Yuan opened the sealed box, saw that the Fire-veined Stone was nearly spent, and laid out his heat-related materials to work on the hide.

Lu Yuan planned to turn Stonefire Bug Hide into heat-proof pouches, but Oden warned that cutting it could trigger an explosion and taught him how to prepare a Fire-Suppressing Potion. After the Blue Knight reported that Eli had been chosen by the Astrologer Grand Knight Commander, Oden recommended that Lu Yuan first use half the hide to make a powerful Fire Talisman.

• Lu Yuan decided to use Stonefire Bug Hide to make storage pouches and asked Oden for advice before cutting it.
• Oden warned that breaking the hide’s surface would release its stored fire and could destroy Lu Yuan’s house, then listed ingredients for a Fire-Suppressing Potion.
• Lu Yuan requested the ingredients from the Blue Knight, who delivered them and reported that the Astrologer Grand Knight Commander had chosen Eli alone.
• Lu Yuan summoned the Worm of Knowledge to watch the materials while Oden passed along instructions for brewing the potion and carving inscriptions.
• Oden advised Lu Yuan to refine half the hide into an Eerie material and make a Fire Talisman that could attack, help him escape, or delay powerful opponents.

Lu Yuan followed Oden’s instructions to make Fire-Suppressing Potion and prepare Stonefire Bug Hide for Fire Talismans. After successfully coating the hide, he began learning the engraving process, leaving the crucial cutting work still ahead.

• Oden advised Lu Yuan to use the remaining hide to make a glove and logged off.
• Lu Yuan used the Worm of Knowledge’s guidance to compound Fire-Suppressing Potion, gaining Pharmacology experience.
• Lu Yuan evenly coated the Stonefire Bug Hide with the salve to suppress its fire nature before cutting it.
• Lu Yuan reviewed the three Fire Talisman techniques and prepared to make two talismans, beginning with Pattern Setting and Line Tracing.

Lu Yuan crafted four Fire Talismans from Stonefire Bug Hide, including three of Excellent quality, and gained progress in Eerie Inscription Studies. He showed the results to Oden and asked for help turning the remaining hide into gloves.

• Lu Yuan used the Worm of Knowledge and the Gray-White Text to set patterns on the hide, then ruined several pieces while learning to trace the inscriptions.
• Lu Yuan completed four Fire Talismans, one Ordinary and three Excellent, and raised his Eerie Inscription Studies progress to 47/50.
• Lu Yuan showed the talismans to Oden, who was surprised by his success rate and praised his talent.
• Lu Yuan told Oden he wanted to make gloves from the remaining hide but did not know how to proceed.

Lu Yuan crafted an excellent Stonefire Gauntlet and pouch, advancing his Eerie Inscription Studies. At the tavern, Eli announced that the Astrologer Grand Knight Commander had accepted him as a student.

• Oden taught Lu Yuan how to make a gauntlet by setting patterns into Stonefire Bug Hide and stabilizing its fire elements.
• Lu Yuan chose a wrist guard-style template and used the Worm of Knowledge to set forty-seven patterns into the hide.
• Lu Yuan crafted an excellent Stonefire Gauntlet and an excellent pouch for storing fire-element materials, bringing his Eerie Inscription Studies to 48/50.
• Lu Yuan went to a tavern, where Dean brought him to join Eli, Harvey, Leon, Lia, and Blanca.
• Eli announced that the Astrologer Grand Knight Commander had accepted him as a student, and everyone congratulated him.

At dinner, Lu Yuan and the others discussed their plans for the Knight Academy’s courses, and Blanca became drunk after showing interest in his Eerie Inscription work. After returning to his cottage, Lu Yuan resolved to gain more experience so he could survive in this world and perhaps find a way home.

• Blanca congratulated Eli and suggested he seek guidance from the Astrologer Grand Knight Commander, then the group discussed the courses they planned to take.
• Lu Yuan said he wanted to study martial arts and Sanity Management and Restraint, and showed Dean the Stonefire Gauntlets he had made.
• Blanca recognized the gauntlet as an Eerie Inscription item and asked Lu Yuan to make things for her from materials she owned; he agreed to take a look.
• After the group left the tavern, Lia helped the heavily drunk Blanca home while the others parted ways.
• Lu Yuan returned to his cottage, tidied his Inscription tools, and decided he needed to gain more experience to survive and preserve the possibility of going home.

Lu Yuan and Dean found the Knight Body Technique rooms, where Lu Yuan joined Dean, Harvey, and Leon for class. The Morning Bell Knight introduced himself as their instructor and began with a basic affinity test, explaining the value and origins of the Knight Body Technique.

• Lu Yuan woke after recovering 15 Sanity and learned from Dean where the body arts class was held.
• Lu Yuan and Dean reached the training grounds, where Lu Yuan saw old students practicing and learned that returning beginners could attend the course too.
• Harvey and Leon joined Lu Yuan and Dean at the training grounds.
• The Morning Bell Knight arrived and introduced himself as the instructor for the next three months of Knight Body Arts Fundamentals.
• The Morning Bell Knight announced a basic affinity test and explained that mastering the Knight Body Technique could ease progress along a Pathway up to the Fourth Order.

The Morning Bell Knight explained how Knight Body Techniques helped Transcendents resist calamities and stabilize their Pathways, then tested the students’ affinities for four Advanced Body Technique directions. Lu Yuan’s test ended with high affinity for Peace, Abundance, and Life, while Health showed no lasting result.

• The Morning Bell Knight explained that body techniques strengthened the body against curses, contamination, disease, and Pathway instability, and said affinity only modestly affected cultivation speed.
• Harvey’s test showed six beads for Peace, three for Abundance, two for Life, and one for Health, and the Morning Bell Knight recommended Peace Breathing Technique.
• Dean’s test showed six beads for Abundance, five for Health, and two each for Peace and Life.
• Leon’s test showed six beads for Peace and one for Abundance, with none for Life or Health, and the Morning Bell Knight advised him to take a course on Pathway restraint and stabilization.
• Lu Yuan’s test showed six beads for Peace and five each for Abundance and Life, while the Health statue’s beads flickered before going dark.

Lu Yuan received the Knight Fundamentals Manual and learned how beginners cultivated Peace Breath through vows and controlled breathing. As the Morning Bell Knight activated the training ground’s interference inscription, Lu Yuan remained unaffected by its disturbing sensations and focused on his breath.

• Lu Yuan completed the affinity assessment, where an older student unexpectedly lit all seven beads on two statues.
• The Morning Bell Knight distributed the Knight Fundamentals Manual and explained that all beginners had to start with Peace Breath.
• The Morning Bell Knight demonstrated the Peace Breath stance and showed how a dense white mist marked its successful cultivation.
• The Morning Bell Knight struck a Copper bell to activate the interference inscription, which filled the training ground with disturbing sounds and a bloody stench.
• Lu Yuan felt the bell’s echo sharpen his awareness of his breath, while the interference passed around him without affecting him.

Lu Yuan learned the first stage of the Knight Body Technique and met Caesar, another beginner whose believer pathway made the technique less useful to him. After class, Lu Yuan spoke with 10, who planned to study astrology under the Astrologer Grand Knight Commander.

• Lu Yuan repeated the Knight Body Technique’s initiation until he condensed the Peace Breath and advanced his technique progress to 0.3/10.
• The Morning Bell Knight announced that lessons would begin the next day, ordered students to use the medicated bathhouse, and invited Lu Yuan and Caesar to seek private guidance if they mastered all four breaths within a month.
• Lu Yuan’s text identified Caesar as a Believer Transcendent devoted to the Sky Spirit, and Caesar introduced himself as a member of the Aquila Family.
• Caesar told Lu Yuan that his pathway made the Knight Body Technique less useful to him, then departed.
• Lu Yuan met 10, who said she was studying other subjects before taking the Knight Body Technique class and might later learn astrology from the Astrologer Grand Knight Commander.