Chapter Summaries

Ron killed the fourth Time Hound using the Dice of Paradox, but the backlash badly damaged his consciousness and the surviving Hounds reported him to the Hound King. As Ron assessed his injuries and the ominous changes to the dice, the Hound King awoke and became curious about the young Wizard who had slain four of his kin.

• The fourth Time Hound pierced Ron's arm and nearly killed him, but the Surrogate Puppet took a fatal strike meant for his head.
• Ron activated the Dice of Paradox to divert the Hound's attack, then destroyed it with Mind Blast and Sonic Oscillation Corrosion State.
• Ron intimidated the three remaining Hounds into retreat, but their leader released pheromones carrying a battle report to the Hound King.
• Ron examined his damaged consciousness, found that the Dice of Paradox's faces had changed to blood-red infinity symbols, and realized his time traces could still be tracked.
• The Hound King received the report, learned that a Monday-Level Wizard had killed four Hounds, and grew curious about Ron.

The Hound King traced Ron’s history and recognized the silver pocket watch as a relic of Erika, recalling how she had trapped and slaughtered the Time Hound elites. Terrified, he withdrew into the deepest River of Time, while Ron divined that the Hound King would avoid him for now but lesser Time Hounds might keep hunting him.

• The Hound King used the time network to investigate Ron and discovered the silver pocket watch connected to Erika.
• The Hound King recalled how Erika had lured the Time Hound elites into a trap, killed them, and turned their time essence into the pocket watch.
• Fearing Erika’s relic and the possibility of another trap, the Hound King abandoned his hunt and sank into deep hibernation in the River of Time.
• Ron recovered from his battle with the Time Hound and reasoned that the Dice of Paradox released accumulated power either when he activated it or unpredictably on its own.
• Ron performed a divination and concluded that the Hound King would not attack in the short term, though younger Time Hounds could continue pursuing him.
• The divination revealed that Erika’s pocket watch had frightened the higher-level Time Hounds into retreating.

After divining that Time Hounds would target him when he explored history alone, Ron recovered from the battle and discovered that his Pocket Watch had awakened the powerful Predation ability through a dangerous fusion with Whispers of the Star Eater. He put the watch and Dice of Paradox away, uncertain what using the new power would cost, and resolved to consult Professor Uter and Archwizard Gould.

• Ron interpreted the divination as a warning that Time Hounds would besiege him during a future solo historical expedition, and looked forward to being strong enough to hunt them in return.
• Ron drank Eve's spiritual Restoration Potion to ease the pain from the cracks in his consciousness space, then planned his bloodline breakthrough, Historian class change, and visit to Nari.
• The silver Pocket Watch unlocked Pheromone Mark after absorbing the essence of four Time Hounds, while its charge reached 33/80.
• The Pocket Watch began reacting to Ron's Whispers of the Star Eater; Ron used the Dice of Paradox to regulate their fusion, awakening the Predation ability.
• Ron feared Predation could make him more greedy and accelerate his transformation, so he sealed the Pocket Watch and Dice of Paradox and decided to seek advice from Professor Uter and Archwizard Gould.

After overusing his mental power, Ron resisted an externally amplified urge to devour Ailan and Dail, then recovered after an unusual dream featuring a growing black sphere. He woke refreshed with the Pocket Watch’s hunger gone, but suspected the dream had only temporarily eased the underlying problem.

• Ron tried to examine the Encyclopedia of Transcendence but stopped when his mental overload caused severe pain.
• Ailan and Dail came to check on Ron, and a predation analysis revealed them as potential targets for the Pocket Watch’s devouring ability.
• Ron recognized that the urge to devour them had been amplified by the Whispers of the Star Eater and the Pocket Watch, then rejected it to preserve his trust and moral principles.
• Ron rested in his rune-protected sleep pod and dreamed of a black sphere forming in a void as his devouring impulse subsided.
• Ron woke after six hours with his mental fatigue and hunger gone, then reassured Ailan and Dail over breakfast while recognizing that the relief might be temporary.

Ron read the Encyclopedia of Transcendence and learned about the universe’s scale, the Wizard Civilization’s status, and the primordial Dominators that threatened cross-quadrant travel. The chapter ended as he began reading about how wizards established bases to spread and preserve their civilization.

• Ron used Extraordinary Identification to examine the Encyclopedia of Transcendence and found that Apocalypse and End of Death had helped compile it.
• Ron studied the Star Chart, which showed forty-nine known quadrants and described Transcendents and the Wizard Civilization’s place among other civilizations.
• Ron read that Dominators inhabited the isolation belts, devastated a coalition’s attempt to expel them, and were later contained through an agreement or balance with the Transcendents.
• Ron speculated that Cassandra might have used Whispers of the Star Eater to communicate with the Dominators and protect her Expeditionary Force, but he had no evidence.
• Ron turned to the Wizard Civilization’s inheritance system and read that wizards established bases in other worlds as seeds for civilization’s continued growth.

Ron studied Wizard Civilization’s history and cultivation systems, then used the Core of Contradiction to begin mana compression training. As he prepared to leave for the Sand Sea School to pursue a bloodline breakthrough, Cassandra told him her plan was advancing and that she would need his help when he returned.

• Ron learned how Wizard Civilization’s colonies supplied new wizards, read about humanoid bloodlines and the limits of wizard cultivation, and speculated that humans and their civilization might have come from another world.
• Ron examined the Core of Contradiction, used it during mana compression training, and estimated that he could reach twofold compression in about half a year.
• Ron taught his final advanced Potions lecture at the Crystal Spire before applying for a two-week academic visit to the Sand Sea School.
• Cassandra told Ron that her plan’s technical team and preliminary design were underway, and asked him to return within two weeks to help direct the project.
• Ron prioritized his bloodline breakthrough and looked toward his upcoming trip to the Land of Quicksand.

Ron studied the racial inheritance systems of Ailan and Dail, then prepared training plans for them before leaving for the Land of Quicksand. During the voyage, he witnessed the region’s elemental convergence storm and learned it had been created by an ancient experiment combining pieces of several planes.

• Ron found that most foreign racial classes were incompatible with human wizards, then identified Nature Priest and Tide Singer as suitable paths for Ailan and Dail.
• Ron explained the stages and risks of their bloodline awakenings and gave Ailan and Dail training plans to follow while he was away.
• Ailan and Dail, along with Eve, saw Ron off as he departed for the Land of Quicksand with emergency communication crystals from Eve.
• Ron met Samuel Morningwind aboard the airship and watched enormous ice-fire tornadoes form in the Land of Quicksand’s elemental convergence storm.
• Samuel told Ron that the Land of Elemental Frenzy had resulted from Second Era Wizard Kings splicing landmasses from more than four planes together.

Ron traveled toward the Sand Sea School, witnessed the Land of Quicksand’s strange elemental phenomena, and studied the forbidden discipline of Necromancy aboard the airship. He arrived at the school, which was built on the back of the living Leviathan Ramses.

• Samuel showed Ron inverted islands, crystal forests, and the sky-spanning Web of Melody, then warned him that some dunes stared back at people at night.
• Ron used a divination tool to assess the risks of reading Necromancy and studied the Encyclopedia of Transcendence’s account of its theories and the undying.
• Ron learned that becoming an Undead required Archwizard-level mental power and a Soul Backup Ritual, but decided to focus on his more urgent goals instead.
• After two more days of flight, Ron and Samuel reached the Sand Sea School, built atop the ancient Leviathan Ramses.
• Samuel explained that Ramses let the school use his back in exchange for treating his wounds and removing parasites.

Ron arrived at the Sand Sea School, where Hayek and Yuni showed him the school’s living coral buildings, elemental research, and the diverse communities around Leviathan. He learned about Yuni’s advances in elemental convergence and met Magnus, then ended the day at a welcoming dinner featuring local food and an Elemental Dance.

• Ron arrived at the Sand Sea School aboard an airship and reunited with Hayek and Yuni, whose health and research had improved in the desert environment.
• Hayek and Yuni showed Ron his residence, the Elemental Watchtower, and nearby settlements of Crystal-scaled People, Sandwalkers, and Manyface.
• Yuni demonstrated how her Phoenix Breath could shift between fire, ice, and lightning forms, and she proposed finding the shared essence of different elements.
• Hayek led Ron to Magnus, who showed him how active sand medicinal materials changed color in response to his emotions.
• Hayek, Yuni, Holt, and the others welcomed Ron with local food and an Elemental Dance performed by Snake-men.

Ron learned how the Dragon Bone Network created elemental convergence points and explored ways to use one for Bloodline Activation. After gathering intelligence from Sarah, he witnessed how Ramses’s breathing stirred the network and awakened the elements at dawn.

• Hayek, Yuni, and Magnus mapped the elemental projections and explained the major factions and the Dragon Bone Network’s convergence points to Ron.
• Ron learned that the convergence points were mostly claimed, and that they could be accessed through challenges, exchanges, or special events such as the Night of Elements.
• Sarah told Ron about several possible convergence points, their controllers, and the Night of Elements scheduled for about two weeks later; Ron asked her to learn the participation requirements.
• At dawn, Magnus showed Ron the Dragon Breath Detector and explained how Ramses’s breathing resonated through the Dragon Bone Network, energizing its convergence points.
• Ron listened to the Elemental Morning Song and felt it stir the power in his bloodline.

Ron accepted Xina’s invitation to visit the Spring of Vitality after divining that she intended to capture and study him rather than kill him immediately. He arrived at her research base with Salamander’s mechanical vehicle and found an oasis filled with unnaturally modified plants.

• Xina invited Ron to the Spring of Vitality to discuss their research, and Ron used divination to learn that she wanted him as a research subject.
• Ron accepted Xina’s invitation, while Salamander arranged for him to travel in the Sand Sea School’s powerful Wings of Wind and Sand.
• Ron and Xina flew toward the Spring of Vitality, and Ron kept control of his vehicle through a gravity inversion zone and an elemental storm.
• Xina’s assessment of Ron’s research value rose as he navigated the storm and discussed its protective membrane and airflow patterns.
• Ron arrived at the Spring of Vitality and noticed its plants and ground bore disturbing signs of artificial modification.

Ron experienced the Land of Quicksand’s harmonious cultivation environment, then met Dean Salamander and learned about the Dragon Bone Network and the region’s fragile political balance. At a gathering with Elder Xina and the Sand Sea School’s leaders, Ron displayed his alchemical skill and recognized how far his strength lagged behind theirs.

• Ron felt Elemental Morning Song guide his mana and heard Magnus explain how the Land of Quicksand’s natural harmony aided cultivation.
• Ron questioned Sarah about unusual elemental changes, and she described subdued life energy in the northwest and conspicuous flames among the Scaleburn Clan in the northeast.
• Hayek brought Ron to meet Dean Salamander, who warned him not to disrupt the Land of Quicksand’s balance and explained how dragon-bone memories created elemental convergence points.
• Hayek took Ron on a tour before Elder Xina met him at Flowing Light Hall with Salamander and the Sand Sea School’s vice deans.
• Xina, Orlando, and Carol demonstrated their abilities, and Ron transformed his Magic Sword into a harp whose music soothed the gathering.
• Ron sensed the overwhelming power of Salamander and Xina and reconsidered his estimate of his own strength.

Ron accepted Xina’s invitation to visit the Spring of Vitality after divining that she intended to capture and study him rather than kill him. He arrived at the eerie, artificially modified oasis, where Xina welcomed him to the site of her research.

• Xina invited Ron to the Spring of Vitality for academic exchange, and Ron excused himself to divine her intentions.
• Ron’s divination showed a beautiful garden concealing a web of traps and revealed that Xina wanted to capture and research him, so he decided to accept the invitation.
• Ron agreed to accompany Xina, and Salamander arranged for him to travel in the heavily armored Wings of Wind and Sand.
• Ron piloted the mechanical vehicle through a gravity inversion zone and an elemental storm, keeping pace with Xina’s living Flying Leaf Boat and impressing her with his skill.
• Ron and Xina reached the Spring of Vitality, where Ron saw plants and soil bearing unsettling signs of artificial modification.

Ron visited Xina’s Spring of Vitality, where she tried to win his Abyss Simulation Device technology by offering help with his bloodline awakening. After witnessing her secret symbiotic evolution ritual, Ron realized she had deliberately exposed him to its consciousness-eroding influence, and Xina revealed that she knew he had watched.

• Xina showed Ron the Spring of Vitality’s plant network, which collected information on visitors and could coordinate the plants’ life energy.
• At sunset, the spring reflected a vision that stirred the light and fire aspects of Ron’s dragon bloodline, and Xina offered him activation sites in exchange for his technology.
• Xina persuaded Ron to stay overnight in a guest cabin whose plants monitored his movements.
• During the night, Ron watched Xina and the residents perform rituals with flesh-and-blood vines that transformed them and spread consciousness-eroding energy.
• Ron resisted the ritual’s mental influence with his protections and recognized Xina’s transformation as an experiment in creating a new form of life.
• After the ritual, Xina looked directly at Ron’s window and smiled, showing that she had known he was watching.

Ron resisted Xina’s mental erosion by reframing her ritual as absurd biological research, then suspected the School of the Tree of Life was concealing Necromancy. After contacting powerful allies and announcing his departure, he left Xina anxious and looking for a way to keep him from leaving.

• Ron used dark humor to overcome the mental effects of Xina’s ritual and suspected her plant research concealed forbidden Necromancy.
• Ron contacted Cassandra, Professor Uter, and Archwizard Vinard, who each warned him about danger or urged him to leave the Land of Quicksand.
• Xina questioned Ron about the previous night, but he pretended to have noticed only the plants’ ordinary effects and hinted that three Archwizards supported him.
• Ron presented his itinerary and said he had to return to the Sand Sea School that day, preventing Xina from openly insisting he stay.
• Xina agreed to prepare farewell gifts, then went to her study and decided she could not let Ron leave.

Xina tried to draw Ron Ralph into forbidden Necromancy by giving him a disguised book, but Ron recognized the trap and returned to the Sand Sea School. After its wizards cleared him of contamination, Salamander entered him in the Night of Elements Carnival competition, where success could earn him access to an elemental convergence point for his bloodline breakthrough.

• Xina concluded that Ron had resisted her contamination and devised a plan to tempt him with forbidden Necromancy hidden in an ancient botanical book.
• Xina gave Ron the disguised book and a Communication Crystal, while Ron noticed the book’s unusual protections and recognized that she wanted him to uncover its secrets.
• Ron returned to the Sand Sea School, where Salamander and the other wizards subjected him to a Purification Protocol and found no sign of contamination or tampering.
• Salamander told Ron that he had entered him in the Night of Elements Carnival competition, where a strong performance could earn him one to two days’ use of a medium-sized or large elemental convergence point.

Ron used astrolabe divination to uncover that Xina’s disguised book contained forbidden Necromancy knowledge and that the Pocket Watch’s Predation ability could safely obtain it. After discovering that Predation consumed his life essence when a target’s value was too low, he devoured the book and learned it was Barnabas’s Introduction to the Boundary Between Life and Death.

• Ron performed a deep divination and saw that the book was a trap concealing necromantic mushrooms, while a silver bird symbolizing time devoured them unharmed.
• Ron realized the silver bird pointed to the Pocket Watch’s Predation ability and considered using it on the book.
• Ron tested Predation on a quill, but the Pocket Watch consumed some of his life essence because the target was too low in value.
• Ron used Grace to repair the lost essence and concluded that Predation required valuable targets to avoid a costly loss.
• Ron activated Predation on Xina’s book, which the Pocket Watch devoured without draining his source power.
• Ron learned the book’s true title was Introduction to the Boundary Between Life and Death, written by the executed necromancer Barnabas.

Ron gained Spirit Realm Perception from the Pocket Watch after studying the knowledge Xina had offered as bait, then used it to locate and devour the Time Hounds’ tracking mark. After Holt’s challenge ended in a humiliating defeat, the Sand Sea School began a special internal test attended by Dean Salamander.

• Ron learned that Xina’s necromancy knowledge was incomplete bait, but the Pocket Watch digested the book and granted him the beginner skill Spirit Realm Perception.
• Ron combined his perceptions with the Pocket Watch’s Predation to find and devour the Time Hounds’ soul-level tracking mark, temporarily escaping their pursuit.
• The Pocket Watch analyzed the mark and extended Pheromone Mark into Covert Brand, allowing Ron to place nearly undetectable tracking marks.
• Holt asked Ron to spar before the Night of Elements competition, but Hayek demonstrated the gap between their strength by pinning Holt with Gravity Collapse.
• Magnus and Hayek explained why Holt was unprepared, and Holt apologized before leaving, while Ron felt sympathy for him.
• The next morning, Dean Salamander attended a special internal test at the Sand Sea School with three of its most outstanding young Wizards.

Ron underwent a combat test with Edwin, Laku, and Patri in Ramses's Third Ventricle, where Salamander created a hazardous arena and made Edwin fight all three at once. Ron dodged Edwin's opening attacks and countered with enhanced light arrows, but Edwin began preparing a powerful Lava Eruption as the test reached its climax.

• Salamander introduced Edwin Upton, Laku Sandscale, and Patri Laria, then led them with Ron into Ramses's Third Ventricle for a dangerous combat test.
• Salamander reshaped the ventricle into a lava arena and set a four-person free-for-all, with Edwin facing Ron, Laku, and Patri together.
• Edwin transformed into a towering lava fighter and attacked all three with Lava Rain, sending Laku flying and injuring Patri's wings while Ron dodged with precise movements.
• Salamander flooded the arena with shifting lava channels, and Laku, Patri, and Edwin adapted as the battle continued across unstable platforms.
• Ron fired twelve enhanced light arrows at Edwin, scorching his back, and Edwin gathered energy for Lava Eruption just as an unexpected event interrupted him.

Ron used Elemental Disturbance to interrupt Edwin’s Lava Eruption, but Edwin’s uncontrolled Lava Catastrophe triggered a catastrophic reaction in Ramses and the Sand Sea. Salamander evacuated Ron, Laku, and Patri as the desert began to suffer massive geological and magical disasters.

• Ron detonated the twelve light marks on Edwin’s Lava Armor, disrupting Edwin’s energy circulation and interrupting his Lava Eruption.
• Laku, Patri, and Ron attacked the weakened Edwin together, but Edwin unleashed his unstable Lava Catastrophe and flooded the arena with magma and heat.
• Edwin’s rampaging power resonated with Ron’s earlier elemental disturbance, causing Ramses pain and triggering a chain reaction beneath the arena.
• Salamander activated an emergency teleportation array and sent Ron, Laku, and Patri to safety on the surface.
• Ramses’s agony caused violent tremors, uncontrolled magma eruptions, fire tornadoes, and magical auroras across the Sand Sea.