Chapter Summaries

Simon sought shelter with Jesse after a woman’s attack left his neck and shoulders numb, and the two discovered that Bohan had wrongly credited Simon with several powerful attacks. Their conversation about the mysterious woman was cut short when someone opened Jesse’s protective barrier.

• Simon asked Jesse to let him stay for half a month, and Jesse agreed in return for the favor Simon owed him.
• Jesse and Simon compared what they had heard about the flood, the prolonged darkness, and attacks on Third Order Professionals, realizing the city mistakenly believed Simon had caused them.
• Jesse suggested that the woman who attacked Simon might also be behind the earlier incidents and noted that she had joined Elias and Rory’s alliance against Simon.
• Simon worried the woman might have placed a tracking mark on him, and Jesse reassured him that his Magic Barrier could withstand Third Order attacks.
• A barrier passage opened, and a woman’s voice announced herself with a smile.

Lai broke into Jesse’s house by exploiting a flaw in the magic barrier and confronted him and Simon. After their first attacks failed to stop her, she began taking control of the fire elements in the house, leaving the fight unresolved.

• Lai discovered that Jesse had poorly installed the Construct School barrier, activated its inscriptions, and entered through a hole in it.
• Jesse questioned how Lai had breached the barrier, then offered to help Simon escape if they could weaken her within a minute.
• Lai noticed the black stone slab on Simon’s chest and sensed its crude attraction, recognizing it as the holy artifact sought by the Elephant of Mountains Sect.
• Jesse filled the house with fire while Simon charged Lai with his blood-coated greatsword, but Lai used “Black Phantom swings its claws” to evade their attacks.
• Lai began drawing the fire elements away from Jesse’s control, prompting him to urge Simon to attack her.

Lai used elemental conversion to overwhelm Jesse and strike Simon with a powerful Pyroblast before escaping Bohan. Boao and the priests arrived afterward, found traces of the sect’s holy artifact, and prepared to pursue Simon during the next attack.

• Lai converted the fire elements into violent wind, disrupting Jesse’s defenses and throwing Simon off course as Jesse urged him to flee.
• Jesse raised a wall of fire and shielded himself while Simon hesitated, then tried to use Jesse as cover to escape.
• When Jesse dodged aside, Lai exposed Simon and struck him with Elemental Regression and Pyroblast, leaving the house in ruins before she departed.
• Boao and the priests searched the wreckage, found black blood and powder from the Elephant of Mountains’ holy artifact, and concluded Simon had escaped.
• Boao assigned the priests to spread out and watch for the next attack, while identifying Lai as the formidable attacker who had outmatched a Flame School mage.

Fran led the Ocean Affairs Department's Territory Mage Working Group into the Magic Duel round-robin, where they faced the favored Ocean Management Department group. She sent First Order Mage Willow against Third Order Mage Olean Cross, and Willow surrendered after her spell failed to affect him.

• The Territory Mage Working Groups began drawing contestants for their duels, and Eleanor was selected as the Ocean Affairs Department group's Third Order Mage.
• Eleanor told Fran that their first opponents were backed by the Elemental School and fielded award-winning researcher Olean Cross.
• Olean entered the arena to fight first, but Fran stopped Eleanor and sent Willow, a First Order Mage, to face him instead.
• Willow's spell barely affected Olean's shield, so she surrendered, giving Olean the match victory.
• Olean looked grim after winning, while Willow returned to cheers from her relieved teammates.

Fran used a weaker-against-stronger strategy to help the Ocean Affairs Department win several duels and secure second place. After the other departments learned her tactic, her team struggled in later matches, and Fran chose a plot of land far from White Dragon Port’s coast.

• Aolain sent a Second Order mage against Fran’s Battle Mage, who won and left the Ocean Management Department under pressure to choose its next fighter.
• Fran’s team lost the third duel, but Eleanor won the fourth after Aolain sent a First Order mage against her Second Order.
• Brandon expected Eleanor to send out a Third Order mage, but Eleanor chose Willow, and Fran later won the second match herself using [Steam Concerto].
• Fran’s team used the same tactic to win three matches against the next working group, but other departments copied it, leaving Fran’s team unable to fight back in the final two major duels.
• The Ocean Affairs Department placed second after defeating the Ocean Management Department, and Fran chose an area far from the coast when Eleanor asked where they wanted land.

Fran chose Wall District instead of the wealthier districts, aiming to win over its merchants and artisans for The Alliance. Aolain then chose Withered Flow District, the port district controlled by the Church of the Goddess of Ocean Currents, leaving the other mages baffled.

• Fran rejected Dragon Wing District and chose Wall District, surprising the host and the other mages.
• The host explained that Wall District would not be ready for handover until the day after tomorrow, forcing the Command Council to speed up its plans.
• Fran had chosen Wall District because its merchants and artisans were likely to welcome The Alliance and support its territorial Profession.
• Fran tried to leave with Eleanor, but Eleanor hesitated while the district selection continued.
• Aolain chose Withered Flow District, the church-controlled port district, prompting surprise from Fran and the other mages.

Percival received the Command Council’s order to attack White Dragon Port and prepared to seize the Withered Flow District while minimizing political objections from the Territory Mage Working Group. Meanwhile, Lai cornered the exhausted Simon in Bohan, but a representative of the Elephant of Mountains Sect asked her to spare him so the Sect could punish him publicly.

• Percival opened the sealed order and learned that the Command Council had approved an attack on White Dragon Port, with the Withered Flow District to be taken by the day after tomorrow.
• Percival ordered aerial units to seal off the Withered Flow District with binding spells and target its apprentices and stronger fighters.
• Percival ordered Flame Bomb Type Three strikes on every district selected by the Territory Mage Working Group so they would suffer roughly equal damage.
• Percival’s subordinate relayed the orders as the Tower Battle Mage Corps prepared for battle, while Percival hoped to use the victory to lead his corps to the Lohan Archipelago.
• After three days of pursuit, Lai found the wounded and exhausted Simon in Bohan’s Outer City.
• A representative of the Elephant of Mountains Sect asked Lai to spare Simon so the Sect could take him back and punish him before its believers.

Lai refused to let Boao take Simon and attacked while Simon and Boao hesitated, using her abilities to kill Simon and bind Boao. With the Black Stone Slab in hand and other tier-3 professionals approaching, Lai flew away.

• Lai attacked Simon, but he dodged her first blow as an earthquake disrupted all three of them.
• Lai cast [Wide-Area Vibrating Adhesive Wave], slowing Simon and Boao, then struck Simon down with her club.
• Lai used two Secret Words to wound Boao and trap him in quicksand.
• Lai pressed her hand to Simon's head and killed him in ten seconds while Boao remained bound.
• Lai took the Black Stone Slab from Simon's chest and flew away as nearby tier-3 professionals approached.

After Lai took the Black Stone Slab from Simon’s corpse, Rory prevented the city’s Third Order Professionals from clashing with Boao and the Elephant of Mountains Sect. Boao then questioned Mage Jesse and learned that Lai was an Elemental School mage acting under the Alliance’s instruction, leaving him puzzled about her magic.

• Rory asked Boao whether the Elephant of Mountains Sect had recovered its holy relic, and Boao said a powerful woman had taken it.
• Rory identified the woman as the one who had joined his side, injured Elias, and attacked Simon, then offered Boao assistance, which Boao refused.
• Rory abruptly departed, and Boao’s priests followed, while the remaining Third Order Professionals speculated that Rory might have taken the relic.
• Boao told his priests to stay together and led them to Mage Jesse’s residence to question him about the woman who had attacked him.
• Jesse confirmed that the attacker was a mage acting on the Alliance’s instruction and belonged to the Elemental School.
• Boao wondered why Lai’s magic seemed to indicate the Alchemy School despite Jesse’s identification.

Timothy prepared to secure Simon’s suspicious corpse while he and Gareth planned to restart the academic exchange. Boao’s search for Lai ended when she revealed she was an applicant in Gareth’s program, leaving the Elephant of Mountains Priests unsure whether The Alliance had authorized her actions and Boao planning to seek guidance from the Deity.

• Timothy had Simon’s corpse moved to the Tranquil Hotel basement so he could make sure Simon was truly dead.
• Timothy and Gareth discussed resuming the academic exchange and arranging activities for the visiting Mages.
• Boao asked Gareth and Timothy whether they had seen a third-tier female Mage who had taken the Elephant of Mountains Sect’s sacred artifact, and Gareth denied knowing her.
• Boao and the Priests encountered Lai outside the hotel, where she identified herself as an applicant who had listed her rank as a second-tier Mage.
• Boao concluded that Lai might have The Alliance’s authorization and decided to seek the Deity’s guidance before acting.

Lai examined the Black Stone Slab while planning to capture the City Lord’s third son that night and use the information he knew to pursue Richard. She discovered that the slab bore Abyssal Script and resolved to seek help deciphering it at the Alliance.

• Lai reasoned that her apparent Alliance backing would discourage Boao and the Elephant of Mountains Sect’s followers from attacking her.
• Lai decided to visit the City Lord’s third son at a secluded property that night, hoping to learn about the City Lord and satisfy her Sword Saint condition by defeating Second Order opponents.
• Lai studied the Black Stone Slab and found that it could grant blood-control abilities without the usual prerequisites of Blood Law Sword Art.
• Lai found hidden writing on the slab, recognized it as the same script as the Abyss Contract, and identified the slab’s aura as coming from the Abyss.
• Lai wrapped the slab and planned to ask the Alliance for a way to decipher its Abyssal Script.

Lai found Kyle, the City Lord’s Third Young Master, at a small house and attacked after learning he planned to profit by restricting food supplies during Bohan’s unrest. She defeated his three Second Order guards and left Kyle at her mercy with her bat against his head.

• Lai located the house near the City Lord’s Mansion and used her Divine Power to identify Kyle and his three Second Order guards inside.
• Lai overheard Kyle discuss tightening food inspections to drive up prices and profit from the city’s food shortages.
• Lai entered the house and deflected a guard’s flying knives before facing the three guards.
• Lai used her blood-controlling power to cripple the first guard and then smashed through the other two guards’ formation with Sky Strike.
• Kyle fell through the broken floor, and Lai pressed her bat against his skull.

Lai forced Kyle to reveal Richard’s locations and learned that the Elephant of Mountains followers were searching for the Black Stone Slab. After Kyle disclosed a chance to attack Richard, Lai killed him and framed Elias for the murder, hoping Elias would flee before the City Lord caught him.

• Lai killed Kyle’s Second Order guard and demanded information about Richard’s whereabouts and security.
• Kyle revealed Richard’s locations and offered to investigate the Elephant of Mountains followers in exchange for his life.
• Kyle told Lai that Richard would be at the City Lord’s Mansion that night while the City Lord was occupied, and they signed an All-Spirit Contract.
• Lai searched the City Lord’s Mansion with her mental power, found no Third Order Professionals there, and went to confront Richard.
• Richard tried to bargain by threatening to reveal Elias’s whereabouts, but Lai killed him with a core move from the Blood Law Sword Art to make Elias appear responsible.

The City Lord learned that Elias had killed Richard and ordered Rory to block Elias and have him killed if found. Meanwhile, The Alliance attacked White Dragon Port, where Nolan tried to flee but became trapped with his Wyvern in the cathedral.

• Rory identified Richard’s fatal wound as a core move of the Blood Law Sword Art and named Elias as the likely killer.
• The City Lord ordered Rory to block Elias and told the third-tier Professional guarding the city to kill him on sight.
• The Alliance attacked White Dragon Port by surprise, setting off fire bombs as its residents realized the assault had begun.
• Nolan flew to the Church of the Goddess of Ocean Currents and demanded that Cesar help him escape, but found only a communications device and learned Cesar had already left.
• The Alliance’s fire bomb shattered the cathedral dome, and a transparent force immobilized Nolan’s Wyvern.

Percival secured White Dragon Port and prepared to purge the Drywater District when Yaken asked him to delay the handover. Yaken explained that the Command Council wanted to use faith as a strategy and planned to bring in a third-rank mage who believed in the Goddess of Magic.

• Percival heard that his forces had taken the port, sunk hostile ships, and eliminated organized third-rank resistance, then ordered the Drywater District cleared of everyone with Apprentice-level combat ability or above.
• Percival received an unexpected call from Yaken, a former teammate who asked him to delay handing over the district until four days later.
• Yaken said the Command Council had approved a plan based on methods discovered in Antir, where the author of a Territory Mage paper had used an unnamed, symbolic faith among civilians.
• Yaken told Percival that the Council had chosen to revive the Alliance's former legal faith in the Goddess of Magic rather than invent a new deity.
• Yaken revealed that a third-rank mage who still believed in the Goddess of Magic would arrive in a few days to guide the operation, leaving Percival stunned.

Fran and Eleanor entered White Dragon Port after Percival’s delay ended with the Tower Battle Mage Corps being disbanded and its Battle Mages placed under the Territory Mage Working Groups. Fran led her group to the Wall District to begin administering it, where they announced The Alliance’s authority and raised its flag.

• Percival explained that the groups were kept outside because Nolan the “Dragon Tamer” was still missing and dangerous dragon-type creatures remained in the city.
• Under pressure from the other groups and their sponsors, Percival allowed them into White Dragon Port on the fourth day.
• Fran learned that the Tower Battle Mage Corps had been disbanded and that the city’s Battle Mages would report directly to the Territory Mage Working Groups.
• Fran led her group away from the harbor toward the remote Wall District, while the Ocean War Department’s group stayed behind.
• Fran ordered the mages to gather the Wall District residents and tell them that The Alliance had appointed the group as administrators.
• Eleanor planted her commissioned flag bearing The Alliance’s emblem beside the Wall District walls.

Fran organized the Wall District’s residents and planned a wall-dismantling project to put them to work in exchange for food and shelter. She also ordered Eleanor to bring in the mage converting to a Territory Mage, while Aolain prepared a deception at a cathedral in another territory.

• Fran addressed the Wall District residents, declared herself The Alliance’s administrator, and told them to obey her orders and prepare to clear the ruins.
• Fran asked the merchants and Artisans to count residents, casualties, and able-bodied workers, and they eagerly offered to help.
• Fran explained to Eleanor that the wall-dismantling project would give residents work in exchange for supplies and help establish order.
• Fran ordered Eleanor to bring the mage undergoing Territory Mage conversion to the Wall District as soon as possible under the pretext of experiments.
• Aolain inspected the cathedral of the Goddess of Ocean Currents and told his assistant to prepare for them to pose as Church believers defecting to The Alliance.

Aolain chose the Withered Flow District and planned to impersonate believers of the Goddess of Ocean Currents, using secret records about how faith had established order in Antir to pursue an unconventional advantage. Meanwhile, Iris arrived to help spread the Goddess of Magic’s faith and made clear that she considered conversion meaningful only among mages.

• Aolain told his assistant that ordinary research would not help them win the assessment, so he had chosen the risky strategy of impersonating believers in the Withered Flow District.
• Aolain showed his assistant the Elemental School’s secret interrogation records about the faith-based order established in Antir and ordered him to explain the plan to their group.
• On the third day after the Alliance occupied White Dragon Port, Yaken welcomed Iris, a mage and believer in the Goddess of Magic, aboard the Ocean War Department ship.
• Iris told Yaken that spreading the Goddess of Magic’s faith to people without magical talent was meaningless, then cooperated with the group’s discussion.
• Iris answered questions and enthusiastically praised the Goddess of Magic because spreading the faith among mages mattered to her.

Brandon worried that his working group was falling behind in the Dragon Wing District, while Fran organized the Wall District and prepared to convert more mages into Territory Mages. The chapter left Fran expecting six Territory Mages soon and planning to request ten more afterward.

• Brandon heard Galle's reports on the other working groups, dismissed the limited progress he learned about, and ordered weekly intelligence updates.
• On Fran's fourth day of work, a mage authorized to convert into a Territory Mage arrived, and Fran gave him a lengthy task manual and assigned him to oversee an unrepaired wall gap.
• Fran urged Eleanor to bring at least five more mages to the Wall District, saying the first mage's conversion would be completed within five days.
• Eleanor agreed to have the additional mages arrive within about ten days, and Fran asked her to send ten more roughly twenty days later.

Willow and Erwin learned that their struggling working group had produced its first true Territory Mage, whose Profession had already been converted. They joined the others at the square, where mages examined the newcomer and found signs confirming his transformation.

• Willow finished printing a batch of distribution tickets while worrying that her group would be eliminated and she would lose her chance to become an Investigator.
• Erwin and Willow discussed which group members might be transferred to the final Territory Mage Department and speculated about the Special Adviser Fran's connections.
• A mage told Willow and Erwin that someone in their group had become a Territory Mage after his Profession was converted.
• Willow, Erwin, and the other mage went to the square, where senior mages examined the new Territory Mage.
• The mages detected that the newcomer's school specialty had disappeared, his mental power had increased, and the Territory Destroyer's device had registered Territory Resonance.