Chapter Summaries

Ron watched the contestants attack the Manticore while keeping Dail back, knowing the monster had not fully awakened. After it suddenly devoured two Battle Slaves and grew dangerous, Ron sent Dail to harass it from the outskirts, where she revealed her Water-form Wings.

• Ron warned Dail to keep her distance and observe the Manticore as Hayek began the finals.
• The contestants attacked the seemingly sluggish Manticore, while Ron stayed back and warned Trish not to approach; Trish kept Li Yue at a distance.
• The Manticore abruptly bit a Scorpion-man in half and devoured him, then impaled and ate the Six-Armed Monster, leaving both masters incapacitated.
• Ron ordered Dail to harass the Manticore from the outskirts and make it expend energy without drawing its attention.
• Dail formed Water-form Wings and glided above the battlefield, surprising the spectators with her mobility.

Ron recognized that the Manticore’s awakened power was temporary and coordinated with Dail to wear it down, while the battle turned deadly for the participants. As Holt helped distract the creature, Ron concealed himself and began absorbing soul energy from the corpses on the battlefield.

• Ron used Mental Interference and Sonic Oscillation to harass the Manticore, while Dail attacked it with Water Elemental Projectiles.
• After the Manticore swallowed its prey, it fully awakened, killed a Battle Slave and its owner, tore apart a many-legged creature, and poisoned Li Yue.
• The Manticore smashed Holt’s Earth Elemental Colossus, but Ron noticed its burst of strength was fading and told Dail to wait for his signal.
• Holt rammed the Manticore to save a female apprentice, giving Ron and Dail an opening to attack its eyes.
• Ron activated the Skin of the Shapeshifter and secretly absorbed lingering soul energy from the scattered corpses.

Ron led the contestants to defeat the Manticore, charged the Skin of the Shapeshifter to 100%, and won first place in the Bloody Gladiator Tournament. He left the arena with Dail, planning to claim the Surrogate Puppet and pursue the next steps toward his Furnace Conception.

• Ron coordinated the contestants’ ranged attacks until the Manticore weakened, then directed Dail and Holt to help deliver the final blows.
• Ron absorbed the Manticore’s remaining soul energy, fully charging the Skin of the Shapeshifter and making it ready to advance into Phantom of Thousand Changes.
• Hayek announced Ron as the tournament’s first-place winner, awarding him the Surrogate Puppet, eight Magic Stones, and a choice from the School’s precious collection catalog.
• Holt congratulated Ron, and Trish asked how he had understood the Manticore’s weaknesses before leaving with Li Yue.
• Ron praised Dail for her performance and headed to the workshop with her, expecting to collect his reward the next day.

After Ron won the Bloody Gladiator Tournament, he returned to the workshop and celebrated with Dail and Lillia. The group discussed the battle and Ailan’s approaching Transformation, while the chapter ended with Dail asking Lillia why she had breasts and Dail did not.

• Hayek examined the Manticore’s rapidly fading soul energy, restored the arena, and preserved its corpse for the next day’s Dissection Guidance.
• Ron returned to the workshop with Dail, and Lillia learned that he had become the tournament champion.
• During dinner, Dail recounted Ron’s battle against the Manticore, and Ron explained how dangerous the creature had been and discussed Trish’s injured Li Yue.
• Ron told Dail and Lillia that Ailan would likely complete her Transformation within a couple of days.
• After Ron left to handle private matters, Dail and Lillia went to bathe, where Dail asked why she did not have breasts like Lillia.

Ron advanced the Skin of the Shapeshifter into the Glorious Legacy Phantom of Thousand Changes, gaining new abilities and testing its improved transformations. He began considering how to use its Record ability to build an arsenal of copied spells.

• Dail teased Lillia about her feelings for Ron, and Lillia said she wanted to support her teacher and help with his daily needs.
• Ron sealed the laboratory with Isolation Arrays and began the Skin of the Shapeshifter's advancement ritual.
• The ritual fused the relic more closely with Ron and transformed it into the Phantom of Thousand Changes.
• Ron learned that the relic could isolate energy, simulate appearances and partial abilities, and record moves within its rank limit for later release.
• Ron tested the relic's precise material and Manticore-claw transformations, then considered recording spells from official wizards during consultations.

Ron received the Surrogate Puppet, a key component of his Soul Splitting Project, after winning the Bloody Gladiator Tournament. He recognized its hidden potential despite Hayek's warning about its limitations, leaving him ready to advance his plan.

• Ron confirmed that Perfect Isolation could block energy, spirit, and soul fluctuations, and recorded his theories about epic professions in the Library of Consciousness.
• Ron reviewed how the Phantom of Thousand Changes, Surrogate Puppet, and Master Sword would work together in his Furnace Project.
• At the reward ceremony, Trish Lind exchanged her prize options for a nature-affinity potion formula and arranged for Ron to brew six potions.
• Holt Elvin chose the Heart of the Earth and five complete Magic Stones as his second-place reward.
• Ron claimed first place and received the Surrogate Puppet, eight complete Magic Stones, and the right to choose a book from the School's precious collection catalog.
• Hayek warned Ron that the Surrogate Puppet's double had limited range and strength, but Ron recognized its true value through his panel and Extraordinary Identification.

Ron received the Surrogate Puppet and gained the Insight trait after Hayek’s dissection lesson helped him advance his Supernatural Biology skill. He purchased rare Manticore samples for his research, then sensed an almost imperceptible gaze on his back as he left.

• Ron accepted the Surrogate Puppet, eight complete Magic Stones, and a badge granting him access to choose a Treasury Zone book within a month.
• Hayek dissected the Manticore and explained its unusual organs and adaptations while Ron studied the specimen and asked insightful questions.
• Ron advanced Supernatural Biology from Beginner to Skilled and gained the Insight trait, which complemented Trace Tracking.
• Ron paid forty Magic Stone Fragments for the Manticore’s Second Heart, part of its Venom Gland, and other tissue samples.
• Trish and Holt applied for Manticore samples, while several other apprentices showed interest in tissues for biological modification.
• As Ron turned to leave after confirming delivery arrangements, he sensed an almost imperceptible gaze on his back.

Ron activated and tested the Surrogate Puppet, discovering its limits and potential, then began a dangerous meditation breakthrough toward becoming a High-level Apprentice. During the triggered inspiration, an enormous eye opened in the cosmic darkness and looked at him with apparent confusion.

• Ron returned to the workshop with the Surrogate Puppet and told Lillia and Dail about his rewards, then sealed the puppet in the laboratory's Isolation Array.
• Ron bound the Surrogate Puppet with his blood and a portion of his consciousness, learning that it could imitate his abilities but could not yet transmit experience back to him.
• Ron concluded that the puppet's Deep Binding function might enable joint training once it reached 50% charge, and that advancing his Meditation Method would improve his control.
• Ron prepared with mental potions and began meditating on "Whispers of the Star Eater" to pursue a breakthrough to High-level Apprentice.
• Ron triggered the Meditation Method's Instill trait, and a colossal eye opened in the darkness and stared at him with apparent confusion.

Ron faced a regenerating Tentacle Monster in the mental trial triggered by the Instill characteristic and struggled against its attacks and mind-disrupting Babble. As the battle turned against him, he realized the Babble might be the source of the monster’s power and considered using Phantom of Thousand Changes to break the deadlock.

• Ron was overwhelmed by the knowledge transmitted through the enormous eye and was cast into a dying starry mental space, where a Tentacle Monster attacked him.
• Ron used Ring of Radiance, his Crimson Blood Wyvern bloodline, and his Ironwood Sword to repel the monster and sever many of its tentacles.
• The monster regenerated stronger tentacles, fired a storm of poisonous spines, and trapped Ron in a pincer attack; Ron used Mental Interference to create an opening but was wounded.
• The monster’s Babble disrupted Ron’s thoughts and collapsed his Spell Model while its tentacles and acid continued to injure him.
• Ron realized the Babble seemed to fuel the monster’s regeneration and strength, then recalled Phantom of Thousand Changes and formed a plan.

Ron defeated the Babble creature in his meditation, reached the High-level Apprentice threshold, and gained a new recorded ability, Whispers. After returning to the laboratory, he suffered severe mental contamination from the experience and used the Time Guardian's Pocket Watch to reset it.

• Ron recorded and released the creature's babble, creating destructive interference that disrupted its energy field.
• Ron broke free, struck the core inside the creature's mouth with Dawn Cross Overlimit, and destroyed it.
• Ron gained the Whispers ability, increased his Spirit to 4.0, and advanced from Intermediate Apprentice to High-level Apprentice.
• Ron considered the meaning of the Star Eater's gaze and wondered whether the meditation method led toward becoming like the ancient beings.
• Ron drank a Lucidity potion to suppress severe mental contamination, then used the Time Guardian's Pocket Watch to reset it at a cost of 10 energy.

After advancing to High-level Apprentice, Ron explored his new magical perception and Alchemist abilities, began designing a personal spell and the Sword of the Furnace, and brewed an unusually pure Nature Affinity potion for Trish. He left Lillia to check on the courtyard’s ancient tree, which he expected Ailan to wake from within a few days.

• Ron examined his new Thought Network and considered combining the Sea Urchin Monster’s Babble with Sonic Oscillation to create a personal spell.
• Ron tested Material Transmutation, designed the Soul Steel Sword of the Furnace, and planned to pursue High-level Apprentice and Bloodline Modulator certifications before the quarterly review.
• Lillia brought Ron materials for Trish’s Nature Affinity potion and found Star Crystal Sand at a new shop, negotiating its price down by thirty percent.
• Ron used Material Transmutation to brew a Nature Affinity potion that was purer and more stable than the formula’s usual result.
• Lillia returned with the purchased materials, and Ron told her to check the courtyard’s ancient tree because he expected Ailan to wake in a few days.

Ron used his tournament reward to enter the Treasury Zone and chose Selwyn Aldrich’s Abyssal Creature Compendium, despite warnings about its dangers. He began studying its account of the Abyss and its creatures in his isolated laboratory, but became dizzy just as he reached the section on Abyssal substances and rare treasures.

• Ron presented his special access badge and entered the Treasury Zone under the old guard’s instructions not to heed the whispers or break the rules.
• Ron used the thought-responsive index to find the Abyssal Creature Compendium and selected it over other ancient texts.
• The Guardian Golems registered Ron’s choice, and the old guard warned him that Aldrich might never have truly left the Abyss.
• Ron took the book to his hidden laboratory, activated Isolation Arrays, and read its descriptions of the Abyss’s layers, curses, and creatures.
• Ron reached the section on Abyssal substances and rare treasures, then suddenly felt dizzy and braced himself against the table.

Ron advanced to Bloodline Modulator and gained Bloodline Shaping, transforming his ability to perceive and modify living tissue. He began the Abyss Fusion Project to preserve the useful traits of abyssal creatures while removing their curse, but his seventh experiment remained uncertain.

• Ron stopped reading the Abyssal Creature Compendium when its mental strain overwhelmed him and secured it in a lockbox.
• Ron met the requirements to become a Bloodline Modulator and used his Career Panel to change careers, gaining stronger attributes and new bloodline-related bonuses.
• Ron’s skills fused into Bloodline Shaping, which let him intuitively analyze and alter Manticore tissue.
• Ron reactivated the Manticore’s Venom Gland and considered transferring its information into the Chimera Core, then recorded a cautious plan called the Abyss Fusion Project.
• Ron began a seventh experiment to separate the Manticore heart tissue’s useful adaptability from its abyssal curse, and the tissue appeared purified before his success was undermined.

Ron’s experiments with Abyssal tissue failed, so he set the research aside and focused on Dail’s bloodline training, which showed strong progress. The chapter leaves off as Ailan began to awaken from her long sleep and a golden-green human-shaped outline formed in her tree’s crown.

• Ron’s first three attempts to fuse purified Abyssal tissue with Autophagic Slimes ended in violent failure, and he concluded that basic slimes could not safely carry Abyssal bloodlines.
• Ron sealed the contaminated samples, cleaned the laboratory, and decided to order advanced Autophagic Slimes before resuming his research.
• Ron gave Dail Deep Sea Essence and trained her to control a crystal ball and navigate obstacles with Water Element; he said she might reach the Gold Ring threshold before the Bloodline Altar.
• Ron and Dail sensed Ailan’s life force surge and hurried to the courtyard, where Ailan’s transformation began beneath a pale green glow.
• Lillia joined Ron and Dail as a golden-green light gathered inside Ailan’s crown and slowly took human form.

Ailan completed her transformation into an Ancient Tree Fairy and reunited with Ron, Dail, and Lillia at the workshop. They celebrated together, while Ron set aside his looming research and plans for one peaceful evening.

• Ailan awoke in a new form, embraced Dail, and welcomed Lillia after sensing how they had cared for the workshop during her sleep.
• Ron used Extraordinary Identification and learned that Ailan had strong potential, new plant abilities, and energy that had not yet stabilized.
• Ailan demonstrated her control over plants and explained that she could sense abnormal energy, improving the workshop’s security.
• Lillia suggested a celebration dinner, and Ailan, Dail, and Lillia helped decorate and prepare food for the gathering.
• The group shared Ailan’s Petal Candy and juice, Lillia’s roasted meat, and Dail’s detailed ice sculpture before raising a toast to the workshop.
• Ron enjoyed the evening with his companions and put aside thoughts of the Abyss project, Dail’s Bloodline Purification, and the trip to the Bloodline Altar.

After becoming a Bloodline Modulator, Ron examined Ailan and helped stabilize her newly transformed body, while identifying a path for her to evolve toward the Golden Oak Queen. He later used Trish's violin to develop a preliminary Erosion Movement technique, leaving the research promising but dangerous and far from complete.

• Ron discovered that his new class synergies increased his bloodline activity and decided to examine Ailan after her Transformation.
• Ron examined Ailan's unusual Ancient Tree Fairy anatomy, found unstable energy connections, and learned about her Life Core.
• Ron prepared Stabilizers and recommended a Nature Affinity Potion, telling Ailan she could potentially evolve into a Golden Oak Queen.
• Ailan thanked Ron, reaffirmed her desire to help the workshop, and asked to maintain a connection to the ancient tree; Ron agreed.
• Ron struggled to reproduce Babble's effects until he used Trish's violin to transmit its frequencies through music.
• Ron developed a basic Erosion Movement technique that could covertly interfere with a target's mind, but recorded that it was dangerous and still needed further research.

Ron earned official Bloodline Modulator and High-level Apprentice certifications, demonstrating exceptional skill in both fields. After Master Maxim and Solon warned him about the dangers of abyssal research and the Bloodline Altar, Ron left with new qualifications and greater caution as he prepared for the Sequence evaluation.

• Ron brought his Autophagic Slime samples to Master Maxim, who examined them and certified him as a Bloodline Modulator.
• Master Maxim revealed the lasting mutations caused by his abyssal expedition, warned Ron about the Abyssal Curse, and gave him a potion to test for early signs of it.
• Ron demonstrated his mental power and spell control before Solon Griffith, Marianna Hall, and Drake Anson, who certified him as a High-level Apprentice.
• Drake Anson questioned Ron about the light-and-fire fusion in his Ring of Radiance, and Ron explained that he had developed it through experimentation.
• Solon told Ron that his achievements gave him a strong chance of ranking in the Sequence's top ten and qualifying for the Bloodline Altar, while warning him of its risks.
• Ron left with both certification documents, reflecting on the warnings as he prepared for the upcoming Sequence evaluation.

Lillia delivered Ron’s collected materials to Mrs. Allen and received a sealed box, a protected letter, and a Gem-Grade Meditation Method for him to return with. At the quarterly Sequence meeting, Ron rose to sixth place and won a Bloodline Altar slot, then Vice Dean Hayek privately offered him a Spell Model.

• Lillia crossed the Candidate Apprentice district, where former peers treated her with respect, and delivered the rare materials Ron had gathered to Mrs. Allen.
• Mrs. Allen gave Lillia a sealed box and protected letter for Ron, warned him against attempting the final stage of Whispers of the Star Eater unprepared, and gave Lillia a Gem-Grade Meditation Method.
• Lillia encountered Og Keynes in the market, and he greeted her respectfully because of Ron’s rising reputation.
• At the quarterly meeting, Vice Dean Hayek announced Ron’s promotion from fourteenth to sixth place and assigned him one of the five Bloodline Altar slots.
• After the meeting, Hayek privately showed Ron a Spell Model that he said might suit him.

Ron chose Hayek’s Flowing Barrier spell and learned that the Bloodline Altar was a fragment of a conquered world tainted by the Abyss. After arranging to help Trish investigate Li Yue’s bloodline, he returned to the workshop, received the final stage of Mrs. Allen’s Meditation Method, and headed to his secret chamber to begin preparing for his research.

• Hayek showed Ron the Mixed Element Missile and Flowing Barrier Spell Models, and Ron chose Flowing Barrier for its defensive versatility.
• Hayek explained that the Bloodline Altar was a remnant of a world forcibly merged with theirs and warned Ron about abyssal corruption, vengeful spirits, and Dimensional Turbulence.
• Holt told Ron that his Earth Elemental Colossus had grown stronger, and Trish asked Ron to help investigate Li Yue’s resistance to Manticore toxin and possible hidden bloodline.
• Ron agreed to meet Trish the next day, then returned to the workshop and received Mrs. Allen’s sealed box and warning about the dangerous final stage of Whispers of the Star Eater.
• Lillia reported that the workshop was running smoothly and that High-level Apprentices wanted to buy Ron’s improved Lucidity potion; Ron limited sales and went to his secret chamber.

Ron studied the Abyssal Creature Compendium to prepare for the Bloodline Altar and found that its descriptions of Soul Anchoring and Contamination Conversion closely matched his Furnace Conception. After reading a warning from S. Aldrich that the abyss knew of him, Ron opened Mrs. Allen’s sealed letter and learned she had left the School and wanted to meet him at the Herb Shop after his trial.

• Ron read about the Bloodline Altar’s stages and the dangers of entering while mentally contaminated.
• Ron studied abyssal substances and learned that the Abyss Eye sought to fuse the abyss with the material world.
• Ron discovered that Archwizards used Soul Anchoring and Contamination Conversion, techniques resembling his Furnace Conception.
• Ron read S. Aldrich’s warning that the abyss was studying him and locked the compendium away.
• Ron opened Mrs. Allen’s letter, which said she had left the School and would meet him at the Herb Shop after he returned from the Bloodline Altar.