Chapter Summaries

The Professor used a one-use key to lead Aaron and the others into the Fallen City of Diat, where time and space were distorted and pollution threatened them. As they advanced, Aaron questioned the Professor about the Tower path’s methods for resisting madness and learned that it balanced one mental influence against another, though the approach was unstable and risky.

• The Professor explained that the key came from ruins of the Ethereal Sect and that he hoped to find its source in Diat and prove the Spirit of Void existed.
• The Professor shattered the key, and it drew him, Aaron, Rose, Langley, and Alexander into the Great Wetlands before they arrived at the Fallen City of Diat.
• Aaron used Purification talismans to clear the polluted surroundings as the group crossed Diat’s shadow-covered outskirts, where their sense of time seemed distorted.
• Aaron asked the Professor about the Tower path and learned that he was still at the Scholar stage and pursued knowledge despite his own mental afflictions.
• The Professor explained that his school countered madness by introducing opposing mental influences, but warned Aaron that the resulting balance was fragile and could create worse problems.

Aaron and the professor discussed how balancing conflicting pathways might help Beyonders resist contamination and madness. Their purification attempt in the City of Fallen awakened grotesque incarnations of the group’s dark emotions, and Rose’s derivatives multiplied after she attacked hers.

• Aaron asked the professor where a Beyonder could find contamination of passion, and the professor described the school’s research into contaminated books and art.
• The professor explained his theory that balancing different pathways could counter flaws and madness, and Aaron questioned how Mother Nature fit the theory.
• After the professor checked his pocket watch, Aaron used a purification talisman, revealing monstrous incarnations of Alexander, Langley, and Rose.
• Aaron and the professor shot the incarnations of Alexander and Langley, while Rose attacked her own fallen form with flames.
• Rose’s flames extinguished and several more derivatives appeared, so the professor brought out an oil painting of Fetid Fly to try to neutralize her obsession with beauty.

Aaron and his companions crossed the contaminated outskirts of Diat, where the Professor’s treatment weakened Rose’s fixation but left her showing an unsettling interest in Alexander. A Dark Beast attacked them, and after Aaron apparently destroyed it, it emerged from the Professor’s shadow and stabbed him in the chest.

• The Professor treated Rose’s obsession with beauty, weakening the contaminated entities that had formed from it, and the group destroyed them.
• The Professor warned the group that Diat’s contamination could worsen in its inner areas, so they continued through the city while Aaron maintained a protective layer of radiance.
• Aaron suspected the city’s destruction was connected to Fallen Corona and noticed Rose staring at Alexander after her treatment.
• Alexander sensed that something was watching them, and Aaron hurled light into the darkness, revealing a Dark Beast with a woman’s head and black flames.
• The Professor used a pocket watch to slow the Dark Beast, and Aaron shot it apart, but the beast reappeared from the Professor’s shadow and drove its claws into his chest.

Aaron joined the battle against Dark Beast, using specialized bullets, magic items, and his hidden abilities to wound it while keeping his identity as the Craftsman concealed. Dark Beast invoked the Fallen Corona’s power, deepening the darkness and slowing Aaron as Langley and the others watched in despair.

• Aaron fired a special contamination bullet that drove Dark Beast away from the professor and drew its attention to him.
• Alexander and Rose attacked Dark Beast, but Rose’s flames failed against its Unburning trait, and its curse trapped the Transcendents in darkness and Degeneration.
• Aaron released Demon Beetles and summoned pure radiance, cutting through Dark Beast’s darkness as Langley and Rose realized Green was a powerful Craftsman.
• Dark Beast used Shadow Transfer and a duplicate to attack Aaron, but Aaron avoided its strikes and shot its head with an Evil Spirit Curse Bullet.
• Aaron charged Dark Beast with the Crying Blade, but it invoked the Fallen Corona’s power, deepening the darkness and slowing his advance.

Aaron defeated the Dark Beast in Diat and escaped with his companions, taking a purified remnant of the Fourth Primordial of 'Darkness.' Later, at the Hunter Bar, William intervened when Harris threatened Isabet, and Harris put a gun to William's forehead.

• Aaron evaded the Dark Beast's attack, split it with the 'Crying Blade,' and purified its flames before collecting its black eye as a trophy.
• The professor agreed to end the expedition, and Aaron led the group toward Diat's boundary while Dark Beasts emerged from the fog.
• Aaron escaped to the mortal world with the others and later reflected that his next exploration would have to be in the Dream Realm.
• At the Hunter Bar, Harris grabbed Isabet and tried to molest her while the patrons jeered.
• William pulled Isabet away and shoved Harris, who pressed his revolver against William's forehead.

After Harris threatened Isabet and William, Aaron learned of the incident and chose to let events unfold. When Harris turned up dead, Aaron hired Carl to investigate William, then entered the mysterious passage from the restroom.

• Harris threatened William and Isabet at Hunter Bar, but Balkin forced him to leave at gunpoint.
• Aaron heard what had happened and refused Balkin's offer to warn or deal with Harris.
• Isabet and William offered to resign or take the blame, but Aaron ordered them back to work.
• A bounty hunter reported that Harris had drowned in a shallow ditch, and William seemed uneasy about his death.
• Aaron hired Carl to follow William and investigate his background for a deposit of forty pounds.
• Aaron entered the mysterious passage through the restroom and wondered about the entrance's rules.

At Halsey's Moving Castle, Aaron traded six doses of Radiant Healing for Alexander's book about the twelve Age Controllers. Back home, he began reading it to learn more about the powerful beings who governed the months.

• Aaron attended the gathering and learned that the professor was recuperating after the City of Fallen expedition.
• A merchant offered 9,000 pounds for Kebo Phil's head, while Alexander asked for help treating a friend's curse and contamination.
• Aaron offered Alexander six doses of Radiant Healing in exchange for ancient secrets, and Alexander gave him The Secret of the Age Controllers.
• Aaron returned to No. 27 Phoenix Street, opened the book, and read its introduction to the twelve Age Controllers.

Aaron read about the Twelve Age Controllers and speculated about ancient conflicts among them, then encountered scandalous reports about King Arthur VI and learned more about the Sodoma Royal Family’s history from Balkin. The chapter left Aaron listening as Balkin recounted the royal family’s past scandals.

• Aaron studied The Secret of the Age Controllers and wondered how the Fate-Ruling Gods and their descendants had retained their status.
• Aaron connected a passage in Dreamwalking Notes to a possible war among the Age Controllers and wondered which beings the Fallen Corona, the Lord of Corpse Collection, and others had destroyed.
• Aaron read a Prophet Daily article alleging that King Arthur VI favored handsome men and that his relationship with the Queen had suffered.
• Aaron asked Balkin at Hunter Bar whether Plymouth’s reporters were unusually bold, and Balkin described scandals involving several Sodoma rulers.

Carl gave Aaron an investigation report claiming William Charles was a dangerous Beyonder connected to a mysterious organization, but Aaron refused to act on Carl’s suspicions. Balkin offered to kill William, leaving Aaron to decide what to do about his employee.

• Balkin told Aaron that Carl had completed an investigation into William and would deliver the report that night.
• At the Hunter Bar, Carl reported that William’s family deaths might have been murders and that William had fled Lane County while possibly knowing the truth.
• Carl said William had searched for the Black Queen District, frequented the Blood Robe Club, and showed signs of Beyonder abilities and cult recruitment.
• Carl accused William of killing Harris and possibly using sorcery against Aaron, then offered to kill him for extra pay.
• Aaron refused to act on Carl’s suspicions, calling William a good child, and sent Carl away.
• Balkin emerged from hiding and offered to shoot William, saying the inexperienced man would likely die.

Aaron interrogated William with the Crying Blade and discovered that William had come to Plymouth seeking mystical power but had no hidden knowledge about his parents’ deaths. Aaron freed him and offered him a choice: leave or stay at Hunter Bar as bait.

• William woke tied up in the cellar and feared that Balkin had drugged him for a dark ritual.
• Aaron confronted William with his Secret Lore and used the Crying Blade’s pain to force him to answer questions.
• William admitted that he had come to Plymouth to pursue the mysterious and gain powers, but knew no hidden details about his family’s decline.
• Aaron asked whether William had planned to use sorcery against him, and William denied it.
• Aaron freed William, revealed that Hunter Bar was an entrance to the Black Queen District, and offered him the choice of leaving or staying as bait.

Aaron told William that his family descended from an ancient Beyonder bloodline and had been hunted, then persuaded him to stay and fight. The next morning, Aaron used coffee divination to confirm that William was a descendant of the Sothoth Family and warned him to keep his faction discreet.

• Aaron told William that a dark force had likely caused his parents' deaths and that he planned to use William as bait; William chose to stay and fight.
• Aaron ordered William to work overtime at the Hunter Bar, where William made him coffee and learned how to perform coffee divination.
• Aaron interpreted the coffee grounds as confirmation that William descended from the Sothoth Family.
• William asked who his enemies were, but Aaron dismissed the question and ordered him back to work.
• William asked about Isabet, and Aaron warned him to keep his faction quiet to avoid the Investigation Bureau.

Aaron brought William into the Black Queen District and assigned him to represent the bar’s Beyonder business, then met with Gantis to discuss magical-item forging. The chapter ended with Gantis recognizing Aaron as a master Craftsman.

• Balkin told William that Aaron wanted to see him after work, and Aaron led him through a hidden entrance to the Black Queen District.
• Aaron promoted William to handle the bar’s Beyonder business and gave him potions to deliver to Alexander or Langley Tannis.
• Gantis recognized Aaron as the Craftsman behind the magical items and invited him to discuss forging.
• Aaron left William in the market and followed Gantis to the castle’s third floor.
• Aaron and Gantis exchanged forging knowledge, and Gantis praised Aaron as a master Craftsman.

Aaron met Halsey Quinn Enzos, the castle’s owner, who asked him to craft a magical item using strange Spirit Realm materials. Halsey revealed that he wanted an item that could teleport objects over a great distance, and Aaron examined the materials before agreeing to consider the challenge.

• Gantis told Aaron that Halsey wanted to meet him, and Halsey arrived to speak with him.
• Halsey asked about Aaron’s craftsmanship, the destruction of Vulture, and his willingness to accept magical-item commissions; Aaron revealed his face as Green Potter.
• Halsey vanished because of one of the castle’s negative effects, then returned after Aaron and Gantis waited and drank tea.
• Halsey described finding the castle and a Spirit Realm coordinate, then explained that he had captured Stephink Essence to use in a teleportation item.
• Gantis demonstrated how the Essence’s smaller eyes teleported back to the vicinity of the main eye.
• Halsey clarified that he wanted the item to teleport objects, not people, and asked for the greatest possible range.

Aaron agreed to try crafting mystical items from Stephink Essence for Halsey's plan to build a logistics network across Plymouth. Before leaving, Aaron asked about the Blood Robe Club, and Halsey warned him about its dangerous Gourmet Association members; afterward, Halsey and Gantis confirmed Aaron had not reached the Fourth Primordial and discussed cooperating with him.

• Halsey asked Aaron to craft items that could transmit goods through the Spirit Realm, explaining that he wanted to establish a logistics network across Plymouth.
• Gantis explained that his teacher had died and his conflict with the Craftsman Brotherhood had strained Halsey's ties with the organization.
• Aaron accepted Stephink Essence from Halsey and agreed to attempt the crafting without guaranteeing success.
• Aaron asked Halsey about the Blood Robe Club, and Halsey warned that its gourmets might serve dark cuisine made from Spirit Realm creatures.
• After Aaron left, Halsey determined that Aaron had not reached the Fourth Primordial, and he and Gantis agreed that he would be a valuable partner.

Aaron forged two pairs of Exchange Drawers, keeping the better pair and planning to deliver downgraded versions to Mr. Halsey after delaying a week. In Green Forest City, Lilliat received word that a letter from Mr. 'Yasuo' had arrived at her safehouse.

• Aaron examined the Stephink Essence Eyeball and other materials, then forged four Exchange Drawers overnight.
• Aaron explained that his pair could transport ordinary items and spiritual materials between Plymouth and Green Forest City, while the pair for Mr. Halsey had shorter range and harsher side effects.
• Aaron decided to delay delivering Mr. Halsey's cabinets by a week so no one would learn how quickly he could forge them.
• Lilliat found Green Forest City quiet after Divine Envoy Yasuo and Mr. Rapier had left, and she detoured toward a bakery.
• The spirits told Lilliat that a letter from Mr. 'Yasuo' had arrived at her safehouse, and she planned to retrieve it that evening.

Aaron met Lilliat in the Spirit Realm and gave her an Exchange Drawer, then tasked her with gathering intelligence on the blood descendants targeting her. Meanwhile, William visited the Blood Robe Club, where a disturbing suspicion arose as Quentin presented a young girl onstage.

• Aaron gave Lilliat an Exchange Drawer and warned her that the Spirit Realm was dangerous because of its inherent contamination.
• Aaron asked Lilliat to collect information on the rebellious blood descendants targeting her, and she resolved to complete the task perfectly.
• William went to the Blood Robe Club in the Black Gold District to speak with Quentin.
• Quentin told William to watch a special attraction, then led a young girl onto the stage, prompting William to suspect something dreadful.

William escaped the Blood Robe Club after discovering that Quentin had marked him as an ingredient for a future meal. The next day, Aaron identified the mark as a sign of sacrifice and prey, then began divining why William had been drawn into the club.

• The Old Count used Wonira Salibato as an assistant to grow a pomegranate tree through invisible arts, while William realized the club’s members were preparing people as food.
• Quentin revealed that he had marked William as an ingredient for a future soup course, and William punched him before fleeing the club.
• Quentin told the other gourmets that William could not escape his curse mark and that Blood of Decay had selected him as a sacrifice because of his Sothoth bloodline.
• The next day, William showed Aaron the red mark on his neck and begged for help after recounting his escape from the Blood Robe Club.
• Aaron explained that the mark identified William as prey and suspected an outside force had influenced him, then asked him to interpret a divination.

William’s divination revealed that he faced a likely death within a week, while Aaron received intelligence about the Blood of Decay, a secret cult hunting Sothoth descendants. Aaron suspected the cult’s patron was the Mother Tree of Flesh and considered whether its members could provide materials for his advancement to Furnace.

• William divined darkness and a symbol for a week, and Aaron explained that William would likely die in a dim alley three nights later.
• Aaron told William to keep working while he watched him, and William returned to the bar in a daze.
• On the third day, Aaron collected a letter and documents about the Blood of Decay from the Exchange Drawer.
• Aaron learned that the Blood of Decay worshipped the Mother of Night, hunted Sothoth descendants, and had multiple Non-Human Existences, including Bokin Soren and Lofman Soren.
• Aaron suspected the Mother of Night was the Mother Tree of Flesh and considered whether a Blood of Decay ruin could supply the Crimson remains he needed to advance to Furnace.

Quentin ambushed William to harvest the spirituality of his Sothos bloodline, but Aaron possessed William and turned the tables on him. After learning who had framed William, Aaron left the alley with Quentin as food for Roberts's Magic Insect Box.

• Quentin attacked William in an alley, wounded him, and planned to extract his Tower spirituality for the Blood Robe Club.
• William stood up as Aaron possessed him, and his wounds healed as his eyes shone purple.
• Quentin fled but found the alley exit blocked by insects, which restrained and overwhelmed him.
• Aaron questioned Quentin, who named Raphael Soren of Blood of Decay's hunting squad and identified its leader as Lofman Soren.
• Aaron pressed a deathly hand to Quentin's head, then left the alley while possessing William.

Aaron learned that Blood of Decay had hired the Blood Robe Club to hunt Sothos's direct descendants, and he used Raphael's testimony to track the hunting party's leader, Lofman Soren. On his way to Lofman's manor, Aaron witnessed Magician Kebo Phil escape a jewelry company with a powerful mystical item but continued toward his target.

• Aaron concluded that Blood of Decay had used the Blood Robe Club to pursue Sothos's direct bloodline, including Xia Ya's nearly extinct branch.
• Aaron possessed William's body back in the rented room, then sent Auclair to find Lofman through Raphael.
• Raphael planned to leave Plymouth after Xia Ya's last surviving descendant was killed, but Auclair's presence forced him to flee the streetwalkers and kill himself in an alley.
• Using Raphael's testimony, Aaron headed for Lofman Soren's hiding place in an aristocratic manor outside Plymouth, intending to attack before the hunting party could relocate.
• Aaron saw Kebo Phil escape Jinfeiler Jewelry Company using a cane that nullified Beyonder abilities, but ignored the fugitive and continued toward the outskirts.