Chapter Summaries

Hunter and Grisha planned to sneak onto a train bound for the front lines, while Zoe finally went to Theus to confess that she had gained supernatural powers. The chapter ended as Zoe revealed she could connect with other people, and Theus reacted with surprise.

• Grisha told Hunter that he had come to help Gwen and described how oceanic ship souls had helped him sneak onto the train.
• Hunter asked Grisha to take him to the front lines so he could see the Dragon Breath Cannon fire, and Grisha agreed to try.
• Nini and Monica watched Zoe hesitate outside Theus's office and discussed the Expeditionary Force's search for Count Bazel and Duke Alvaray's surrender.
• Zoe entered Theus's office, locked the door, and said she had come to turn herself in for something serious.
• Zoe told Theus that she seemed to have gained supernatural powers and could connect with other people.

Theus listened as Zoe revealed her strange mind link and her ability to bite through metal, leaving him baffled about how she had gained Transcendent powers. Gaia then privately told him that she, too, had become a Transcendent without undergoing an advancement ritual.

• Zoe told Theus about her link with strangers and asked to keep their identities private, and he promised to protect the information.
• Zoe admitted she could bite through a silver plate, prompting Theus to wonder how she had gained Transcendent abilities.
• Gaia arrived to report something privately, but Theus told her Zoe was trustworthy.
• Gaia told Theus she had somehow become a Transcendent without an advancement ritual.

Theus learned that Gaia and Zoe had become transcendent without rituals and ordered Richard to investigate them and search the island discreetly. Meanwhile, Hunter, Grisha, and Nora escaped the military camp and rode north toward the Canary Mountains to witness the Northern Territory’s final battle.

• Theus told Richard that Gaia and Zoe had become transcendent without rituals, and Richard began investigating them and the island with the Banshee’s help.
• Theus received an urgent report about white mist and a white-haired girl in the Northern Territory.
• Hunter persuaded Nora to join him and Grisha in escaping the military camp to see the front lines.
• Grisha explained how he rode a horse with prosthetic legs by letting the horse adjust to his balance.
• Hunter said the trio was heading to the Canary Mountains to witness the Northern Territory’s final battle.

Nora, Hunter, and Grisha tried to flee north after spotting a cavalry group that appeared to follow them. As the pursuers caught up, Nora recognized a holy emblem associated with the Silent Temple.

• Nora spotted at least fifty cavalry riders to the south, and Hunter considered whether they belonged to Duke Alvaray, bandits, or Bazel's Winter Wolves.
• Nora and Hunter speculated that Duke Alvaray might have secretly joined forces with Bazel, but Hunter doubted Bazel could ambush the Expeditionary Force's fortified camp successfully.
• Hunter and Grisha rode north, then changed direction twice after Nora noticed the cavalry following them.
• The exhausted travelers slowed and prepared to confront their pursuers as Nora saw that the group had carriages and possibly heavy equipment.
• Nora recognized a holy emblem among the approaching group and wondered if they belonged to the Silent Temple.

Nora encountered nearly a hundred Buriers from the Silent Temple, including her former companion Ignati, who arrived with glacial heavy armor. After confronting him, Nora ordered Grisha and Hunter to escort the Temple delegation to the Resistance Army's camp, leaving Hunter uneasy about betraying Castel.

• Nora recognized the Burier insignias and realized the Silent Temple had deployed nearly all its Transcendents.
• Ignati recognized Nora and asked to be taken to the Expeditionary Force's camp, but Nora challenged him over the armor and his apparent preparations for war.
• Ignati threatened the group with his flail, and Nora's head leaped into his frost mist before returning to Hunter's backpack.
• Nora ordered Hunter and Grisha to take the Silent Temple delegation to the Resistance Army's camp.
• Hunter questioned whether they should endanger Castel, while Grisha said he trusted Nora's judgment and would follow her orders.

Gwen marveled at the Expeditionary Force’s fortress and began to believe Castel might be able to resist the White Calamity. At the train platform, a host of armored Banshees arrived with Theus, revealing that Castel had sent its leader to the Northern Territory.

• Gwen inspected the massive star fort and learned from Hodge that Castel’s fortresses were even larger and that this one had no name.
• Gwen reflected on her lifelong belief that the White Calamity could only be fled, but wondered whether Castel could bring hope to the Northern Territory.
• A messenger summoned Hodge and Gwen to the train platform at Alexei’s request.
• Dozens of armored Banshees disembarked, and Hodge realized they could remain away from Theus without losing their vitality only if he had come with them.
• Theus stepped from the train, and everyone at the station bowed to him.

Theus arrived at the Northern Territory fortress with over a hundred Banshees to reinforce the Expeditionary Force against the White Calamity. He learned that supplies were plentiful and the White Calamity was expected to reach the designated battlefield within half a day.

• Theus arrived at the fortress with the Banshees, surprising Hodge and Gwen.
• Theus greeted Gwen, then shook hands with Hodge and the other soldiers before heading into the fortress with Alexei.
• Gwen wondered why the Banshees seemed to be watching her and noticed the warmth left by her handshake with Theus.
• Theus told Alexei that the Banshees could now fight at full strength and would not prevent an evacuation by train if needed.
• Alexei reported that supplies were sufficient and the White Calamity was less than a hundred kilometers away, expected to reach the designated battlefield within half a day.

Theus and Alexei prepared the fortress for the approaching White Calamity after discovering that only the pollution-based Dragon Breath Cannon could harm it. Theus returned to his secured room to consult information, leaving Alexei in command and Ash to follow the contingency plan.

• Theus learned that bones within the White Calamity had pursued the train and seemed to be targeting the Expeditionary Force.
• Alexei recounted Gwen’s past, and Theus questioned why the Silent Temple had abandoned its refugees and settled in the Northern Territory.
• Theus and Alexei prepared the fortress, assigned the Banshees, and positioned an airship to observe the approaching fog.
• A Banshee reported that bombs and machine-gun fire damaged the bones but not the fog, while the Dragon Breath Cannon affected both.
• Theus ordered solid pollution brought in for testing, then left Alexei directing the defense and returned to his secured room.
• Theus told Ash to follow the contingency plan if trouble arose, lay on the bed, and selected [Return].

Theus discovered that he could connect to Gwen inside the White Calamity while she and the Expeditionary Force fought the advancing bone swarm. As Alexei prepared to withdraw from the fortress, an unseen speaker ordered the troops to hold their position.

• Theus entered the White Calamity and successfully established a connection with Gwen after the other threads remained unresponsive.
• Gwen prayed to herself and her new friend, then fired a heavy machine gun with extraordinary force as the bone swarm approached the fortress.
• A soldier imitated Gwen’s prayer and claimed he could feel the Machine Soul, prompting other soldiers to add gestures to their fighting.
• Nini reported that the defenses were stopping the bone swarm and slowing the mist, but the mist continued advancing and remained unaffected by bullets.
• Alexei ordered the reserves prepared and explained that the Expeditionary Force would have to retreat, but a voice behind him declared that they would hold the fortress and forbid retreat.

Ash used his appointment as supreme commander to overrule evacuation and ordered the Expeditionary Force to defend the fortress as the White Calamity approached. The Dragon Breath Cannons slowed the mist, while Theus and little Gwen worked through the threads to weaken Bazel’s will and seize control from him.

• Ash showed Alexei the appointment letter and ordered the army to hold the fortress, while leaving Alexei in charge of deployments.
• The white mist advanced as the bones recovered inside it, and Banshees arrived to reinforce the soldiers.
• Hodge ordered the Dragon Breath Cannons to fire when the mist entered range, staining the mist red and slowing its advance.
• Theus contacted Ash through the Mind Link and ordered the fortress to keep firing at the mist and skeletons.
• Theus switched to Worker Theus’s shell and learned from little Gwen that she was close to weakening Bazel’s will enough to take control.

Theus learned that Gwen needed him to kill White Bones and delay the mist so she could wrest control of the White Bone Sanctuary from Bazel. As the Expeditionary Force’s fortress defense neared collapse, the mist retreated, and Ash ordered a counterattack.

• Gwen told Theus that Bazel controlled the White Bone Sanctuary and that killing White Bones and slowing the mist would weaken him.
• Theus decided the Expeditionary Force had to hold the Northern Territory fortress to inflict heavy losses on the White Bones.
• As the mist entered the fortress and combat sectors fell, Ash urged the soldiers to hold on while they fought beside her.
• The Expeditionary Force resisted fiercely, and the white fog stopped advancing and withdrew from the fortress.
• Ash received a message through the Mind Link and ordered the soldiers to attack the remaining skeleton horde.

The Expeditionary Force trapped the white bone horde inside the fortress and began destroying it while Kyle was tasked with recovering intact bones. Meanwhile, Ignati explained the Forgotten’s origins and revealed that the Silent Temple planned to sacrifice itself to bury the White Calamity, leaving Hunter and Nora to face the priests’ decision.

• Theus’s command rallied the Expeditionary Force, and Ash and the Banshees attacked the white bone horde as soldiers charged forward.
• Alexei ordered Kyle to collect intact white bones for experiments, and Kyle reluctantly went to find brooms and help.
• Ignati told Nora, Hunter, and Grisha that traitors of the Silent Temple had created the White Calamity by opening a passage to the Sea of Unconsciousness.
• Ignati revealed that the Silent Temple had lost the Bone White Crow and intended to use the White Bone Sanctuary and a final burial ritual to destroy the White Calamity, even if it condemned their souls.
• Nora asked whether the Buriers had all chosen to die, and they confirmed that they had; Ignati then explained that the Forgotten had abandoned their humanity and become immortal, mindless skeletons.

Theus assessed the aftermath of the White Calamity’s retreat, contained the bone horde, and began planning the Expeditionary Force’s withdrawal. The Silent Temple arrived claiming it could stop the White Calamity, leaving Theus to face an unexpected offer of help.

• Ignati and the Silent Temple Buriers spotted what might be the White Calamity and hurried toward the Expeditionary Force’s camp.
• Theus emerged after Gwen stopped answering and found the battle inside the fortress nearly over.
• Theus pulled Banshees away from the warehouse where they were grinding the regenerating bone horde and ordered the bones secured.
• Theus learned the White Calamity had damaged the northern railway but left it usable, and he ordered a gradual withdrawal while the force assessed losses.
• A messenger told Theus that Ignati, Nora, Grisha, Hunter, and about a hundred Silent Temple Transcendents had arrived, offering to stop the White Calamity.

The Silent Temple learned that the White Calamity had reached the Northern Territory and prepared to confront it without the White Bone Sanctuary. As Theus realized the danger had not been driven away, Ignati led the armored Buriers in a charge into the white fog.

• Ignati told the Buriers that they could no longer reach the Canary Mountains and would have to face the White Calamity without the White Bone Sanctuary.
• Theus met Ignati at the military camp, but the Silent Temple declined his help and left for the north to fight the White Calamity.
• Nora explained that the Silent Temple had come to greet Theus and borrow a road, but changed course after finding the White Calamity near the camp.
• Ignati rallied the Silent Temple priests, who donned their heavy armor and charged toward the white fog.

Gwen subdued the Silent Temple's Buriers after they rushed into the white fog, and Theus arranged to have them taken to Castel. As Nora reunited with Gwen and checked on the injured Buriers, Monica recommended sending them to Castel for examination.

• Gwen told Theus that the Buriers had charged into the white fog and that she was trying to separate Bazel from the white bones.
• Theus arranged a convoy, and the white fog spat out the unconscious, injured Buriers, whom the soldiers and Banshees loaded onto carriages.
• Hodge told Hunter, Nora, and Grisha that the White Calamity had been dealt with and that the white bones were in the warehouse.
• Nora went to check on the Buriers, and Gwen happily hugged her and talked about their reunion.
• Monica examined the Buriers, found fractures and unexplained unconsciousness, and recommended sending them to Castel for further examination.

Theus directed the Expeditionary Force’s response to White Calamity’s aftermath and the former nobles and gangs in the Northern Territory. When Alexei asked how to govern the vast territory, Theus rejected traditional enfeoffment and imperial rule, leaving his choice between possible paths open.

• Theus ordered White Calamity monitored, refugees sheltered or relocated, and Duke Alvaray’s assets reviewed by the tribunal.
• Theus ordered Dragonfang’s and other nobles’ lands reclaimed, and told Alexei to offer bandits and gang members work before using force against those who refused.
• Theus approved sending the injured Buriers of the Silent Temple to Castel for treatment despite his concern that they might suffer Castel Syndrome.
• Alexei described options for governing the Northern Territory through enfeoffment, a centralized civil service, or Castel-style industrial development.
• Theus dismissed Alexei’s first two suggestions and heard his proposal to build schools, factories, and military production across the Northern Territory.

Theus watched the Expeditionary Force’s settlement grow into a school and future city, then encouraged Alexei to turn the Northern Territory into a homeland for its people. With construction beginning and several people staying behind, transport capacity opened up for Duke Alvaray to be sent to tribunal for judgment.

• Theus and Alexei observed refugees and soldiers studying the Holy Scripture and imagined the Northern Territory growing into a prosperous homeland.
• Theus urged Alexei to build the land into a home for everyone, and Alexei chose to help shape the Northern Territory’s future.
• Theus stayed in the Northern Territory to oversee the Silent Temple prisoners and wait for news of Gwen, while Nora and Big Gwen also remained.
• Alexei and many Expeditionary Force soldiers stayed to help construct the Northern Territory, and trains began carrying more building materials north.
• Duke Alvaray was sent toward the tribunal to answer for his crimes despite having surrendered quickly.

Duke Alvaray traveled with Hunter to face the Tribunal, convinced that prompt, humble surrender would protect his standing. Along the way, he discovered how much more educated Castel’s ordinary soldiers were than he had expected.

• Alvaray told Hunter that their ancestors had gained power by surrendering to Great Sage Bruno, and praised Hunter for abandoning his family’s cause.
• Alvaray explained that he had come alone and answered the summons immediately so Castel would have little reason to punish him.
• Alvaray defended his decision not to feed outsiders, arguing that the Northern Territory had too little grain and that surrendering to Castel was easier.
• Alvaray marveled at the train and asked Hunter how it worked, while Hunter admitted he knew little about its construction.
• Hunter asked an Expeditionary Force soldier to read Alvaray’s Tribunal letter, and the soldier read it fluently before pointing out a spelling error and a grammatical issue.

On the train to Blood Port, Hunter revealed to Alvarez that the Expeditionary Force was filled with literate soldiers and people who could discuss calculus, leaving Alvarez stunned by Castel’s resources. When they arrived at Blood Port Station, Alvarez saw the brilliantly illuminated city and froze in amazement.

• Hunter corrected a misspelled word on Alvarez’s parchment and explained that he taught calculus to the Expeditionary Force.
• Alvarez noticed that the soldiers carried well-used books and concluded that the Expeditionary Force had an extraordinary number of literate people.
• Hunter told Alvarez that at least ten soldiers in their carriage could discuss calculus and reassured him that he could find work in Castel.
• Alvarez considered earning merit by helping the powers of the Northern Territory, while Hunter explained how he had gained favorable treatment by selling out his family.
• The train arrived at Blood Port Station after dark, and Alvarez stared in shock at the city’s countless bright lights.

Alvaray was brought to Blood Port to face trial and marveled at the city’s illuminated streets. After he tried to bribe guards at the Tribunal, they arrested him, where he met two men with opposing ties to his rule.

• Alvaray was astonished by Blood Port’s bright, busy nighttime streets as Hunter led him from the station.
• Alvaray registered his case at the Tribunal and learned he could move freely in Blood Port until his trial in three days.
• Alvaray offered two guards pouches of money as thanks, and they arrested him on an additional bribery charge.
• Hunter left to find lodging while Alvaray was taken to a holding cell with two Northern Territory men.
• One cellmate said he had fought for Alvaray, while the other said he had rebelled against Alvaray’s surrender; both asked Alvaray how he had ended up there.