Chapter Summaries

He Shenyan rescued Clint and trapped Morlun in a cycle of brutal deaths and resurrections. In Chthon's dimension, Chthon watched the events and wondered what his old friend intended by allowing Morlun and the spiders to arrive.

• Bucky's bullets failed to hurt Morlun, and Morlun threatened to eat him after attacking Rhodey.
• Hawkeye's arrow gave Spider-Man time to pull Rhodey out of danger, but Morlun struck Clint and sent him falling.
• He Shenyan stopped Clint's fall and forced Morlun to kneel before transporting him to an empty rooftop.
• He Shenyan repeatedly killed and resurrected Morlun, gradually breaking down his mind.
• Chthon watched through the Darkhold and speculated that his old friend had deliberately allowed Morlun and the spiders into this world.

He Shenyan returned from the Mirror Dimension with Morlun defeated, reunited with his friends, and questioned the spider-people who had entered his world. He discovered that no one named Peter Parker existed in this world.

• He Shenyan brought the broken Morlun back to the real world, where only two minutes had passed, and transported everyone to the Sanctum Sanctorum.
• He Shenyan greeted Steve, Rhodey, Hawkeye, Sam, and Bucky, answered their questions, and sent them away to rest.
• He Shenyan asked the spider-people which of them were Peter Parker and revealed that the webbed Spider-Man's soul did not belong to Peter Parker.
• He Shenyan explained that Morlun's family, the Inheritors, hunted Spider-Men across parallel universes, and told the group they had endangered his world by bringing Morlun there.
• He Shenyan used a spell to search for the name Peter Parker and found that no such person existed in his world.

He Shenyan tried to use a photograph to find May Parker but could not restore Webhead’s missing family. After the Spider-people described their worlds, He Shenyan revealed that Spider-Man’s body held Doctor Otto Gunther Octavius’s soul.

• Spider-Man asked whether Peter Parker and Spider-Man had been erased from existence or merely forgotten, and He Shenyan said only three spells could cause such a worldwide effect.
• Webhead offered a photograph of his deceased uncle and Aunt May to help locate May Parker, but He Shenyan’s search spell failed.
• The Spider-people described their parallel worlds, including the shadow’s dark, less advanced world and Webhead’s world with few superheroes.
• Spider-Man described his world as similar to He Shenyan’s and confirmed that the Avengers existed.
• He Shenyan asked why Doctor Otto Gunther Octavius’s soul was inside Peter Parker’s body, and Spider-Man’s expression changed.

He Shenyan exposed Otto Octavius, restored Peter Parker to his own body, and prevented Peter from killing Otto. Peter explained that he had watched Otto’s actions while asleep and insisted that sparing him was part of his principles.

• He Shenyan revealed that Metal Legs was Otto Octavius and separated Otto’s soul from Peter Parker’s body.
• He Shenyan summoned Peter Parker’s sleeping soul and returned it to his own body.
• Otto urged Peter to kill him and protested when Peter refused.
• Spider-Gwen, Peni Parker, and the dark figure watched the tense exchange, which Peni compared to a soap opera.
• Peter told Otto that he would not kill him and acknowledged that Otto had handled Spider-Man’s life and work well.

Peter Parker tried to persuade Otto to live and praised his work as Spider-Man, while He Shenyan reviewed Otto’s painful past and his redemption after taking Peter’s body. Otto accepted that he should die, but Peter pointed out that He Shenyan—not Peter—would have to carry out his wish.

• Peter told Otto he would not kill him, praised his Mechanical Spider, and urged him to use his abilities for good.
• He Shenyan examined Otto’s memories of his abusive childhood, scientific achievements, accident, cancer, and attempt to take Peter’s body.
• Otto’s memories showed how Peter’s example led him to regret his crimes and become a better Spider-Man who drove villains from New York City.
• Otto asked Peter to kill him and admitted that becoming Spider-Man had taught him how difficult Peter’s restraint was.
• Peter refused to carry out Otto’s request and pointed out that He Shenyan was the mage who could decide what to do.

Steve Rogers told Tony Stark why he would no longer be Captain America, revealing that the government had once abandoned him rather than risk his opposition to its wartime plans. He left Tony with a red booklet and declared he would fight those abusing America’s name, while Tony considered the consequences.

• Tony Stark asked Steve Rogers why he did not intend to remain Captain America, and Steve said America had changed beyond recognition.
• Steve revealed that Hydra had shown him a military briefing stating that the government chose not to rescue him during World War II because he might oppose its plans for air strikes.
• Steve said Jack Reacher’s death led him to investigate the country and conclude that Captain America had been turned into a political tool.
• Steve told Tony he would drive out those committing crimes in America’s name, even if the government branded him a traitor.
• Steve handed Tony a small red booklet and went to join the party, leaving Tony alone to examine it.

He Shenyan retrieved Frank from hell and temporarily silenced the voices of the dead haunting him, while leaving the soul inside him untouched at Frank’s request. He returned Frank to the human world with a warning to contact Strange if the voices came back, then took out the Darkhold.

• He Shenyan left the five Spider-Men waiting while he went to retrieve Frank from hell.
• He found Frank slaughtering demons and brought him back to the human world despite Frank’s reluctance to leave.
• He Shenyan temporarily shielded Frank from the voices of the dead but did not remove the soul inside him.
• Frank chose to keep the soul, and He Shenyan warned him to ask Strange to block the voices if they returned.
• He Shenyan sent Frank back and took out the Darkhold.

He Shenyan confiscated the Darkhold and returned to the Sanctum Sanctorum, where he questioned Strange about the Spider-Men and the spells that brought them to Earth. He left to investigate the spiders, while Strange remained to recover and pass on his goodbye to Steve and the others.

• He Shenyan refused Chthon's plea to keep the Darkhold and magically threw the book into outer space.
• He Shenyan returned to the Sanctum Sanctorum and found the five Spider-Men waiting, with Peni Parker and the metal-legged Parker listening to music together.
• He Shenyan woke Strange, confirmed that his business was settled, and said he would eventually kill either Ancient One or die himself when they met again.
• Strange said he did not know Peter Parker or Spider-Man, and He Shenyan explained how the Spider-Men had arrived.
• He Shenyan suspected Ancient One had cast the spells that brought the spiders across worlds, then left to investigate with them and asked Strange to say goodbye to Steve and the others.

He Shenyan joined Miguel O'Hara and the Spider-Men in a ruined world and learned that Miguel planned to gather an army to fight the Inheritors. After warning that their cloning and consciousness-uploading technology made the plan futile, He Shenyan revealed that he had found a way to torment Morlun by trapping his soul in his body and killing him repeatedly.

• He Shenyan emerged from the portal with Peter Parker, Gwen, and the others, then tossed the unconscious Morlun into the ruins.
• Miguel O'Hara introduced himself as Spider-Man from Earth-616 and explained his research into parallel worlds.
• Miguel proposed gathering a large number of Spider-Men to defeat the Inheritors, but He Shenyan warned that they could revive after death.
• He Shenyan said he had imprisoned Morlun's soul in his body and repeatedly killed and revived him until Morlun's reason collapsed.

He Shenyan learned that the teenage Peter Parker had met another version of him, one who wore sandalwood beads, and abruptly abandoned his deal with Miguel to hunt the Inheritors. He left with Morlun, promising to kill every Inheritor, while Gwen recognized him as the He Shenyan she knew.

• He Shenyan explained that Morlun could be revived only as a mindless idiot and offered to kill the Inheritors in exchange for Miguel's help finding someone.
• A teenage Peter Parker and Mechanical Spider-Man arrived, and He Shenyan instantly repaired the robot.
• The teenage Peter Parker told Miguel that an Inheritor stronger than Morlun had killed three Spider-people, while he and Mechanical Spider-Man barely escaped.
• The teenage Peter Parker recognized He Shenyan and said that a version of him had opened the door that began his world-hopping.
• He Shenyan learned that the other He Shenyan wore sandalwood beads, canceled his deal with Miguel, and left through a portal with Morlun to hunt the Inheritors.
• The teenage Peter Parker called He Shenyan a different person, but Gwen said he was the one she knew.

He Shenyan slaughtered Morlun’s family and raised the murdered Spider-Men as vengeful spirits to torment the Inheritors. He returned to the White Tower Council and confronted Ancient One, ready to kill her over her deception.

• He Shenyan used Morlun’s memories to find the Inheritors’ home and summoned the souls of their victims from the ground.
• He Shenyan killed several members of Morlun’s family and left the remaining Inheritors to be hunted by vengeful spirits.
• He Shenyan returned to the White Tower Council and found Ancient One waiting in his room.
• He Shenyan asked Ancient One why she had deceived him and appeared before him, then threatened to kill her.

The Ancient One revealed that she had repeatedly tried to save the universe and that He Shenyan had to kill her and take her place. When Earth vanished, He Shenyan was forced to kill her, beginning a mysterious transaction as a cosmic eye opened above the universe.

• The Ancient One showed He Shenyan visions of failed timelines in which Earth and its people were destroyed, explaining that she had tried many ways to prevent the catastrophe.
• The Ancient One said He Shenyan had to travel between worlds to find Swallow, then kill her and take over her position as Sorcerer Supreme.
• The Ancient One sensed that the future had changed and transported He Shenyan to the moon, where Earth had disappeared entirely.
• The Ancient One compelled He Shenyan to crush her heart, then vanished as an unseen being declared that the transaction had begun.
• A cosmic eye opened above the universe, and He Shenyan saw visions of worlds being born and destroyed as strange power overwhelmed his mind.

He Shenyan witnessed Earth being recreated over 4.6 billion years in a single hour, then heard Ancient One’s final message urging him to save their world and himself. At the White Tower, Mr. -- mourned Ancient One and worried that her death could leave the organization vulnerable to conflict.

• It reshaped Earth from nothing, compressing the planet’s history into an hour while He Shenyan watched.
• Ancient One’s recorded message revealed that she had made a deal and urged He Shenyan to take responsibility for the world’s future and save himself.
• After the transaction ended, He Shenyan remained alone above the moon, staring silently at Earth.
• In the White Tower, Mr. -- looked at a portrait of his lost companions and remembered how his Origin World had been destroyed.
• Mr. -- read the White Tower announcement of Ancient One’s death and posted a tribute praising her as an outstanding mage.
• Mr. -- considered how Ancient One’s death might weaken the White Tower and lead other organizations to start a war.

At Kaer Morhen, Geralt helped Vesemir train Anderson, the boy he had brought to the castle as an infant, and reflected on Anderson’s mother, Vilya. The chapter ended with an author’s note that Shani was born that year.

• Vesemir watched Anderson train on wooden stakes and scolded him for being distracted.
• Geralt interrupted Vesemir, then went to teach Anderson after Vesemir complained about his drinking.
• Vesemir remembered raising Anderson and how the boy had survived the Trial of the Grasses.
• Geralt tested Anderson’s swordsmanship and praised his steady footwork and practical attacks.
• Geralt recalled his travels with Anderson’s mother, Vilya, and noted that she had become a famous scholar.
• Vesemir called Geralt and Anderson in for a meal, and the author noted that Shani was born that year.

Geralt left Vesemir’s castle and traveled south, earning money by killing drowners. In a town, a tavern owner hired him to rescue his daughter from a Mage in a nearby tower, and Geralt paused when he learned the Mage was an easterner.

• Geralt put on the Dragonhide Armor, took his swords, and rode away from Vesemir’s castle on his new mare.
• Geralt traveled toward Cintra, deciding that hunting drowners was safe and profitable.
• Geralt paid ten Crowns for black beer at a tavern, but the owner insulted him and refused to let him sit inside.
• The tavern owner secretly approached Geralt and asked him to rescue his daughter from a Mage in a black tower.
• Geralt asked where the Mage lived and learned he was a handsome easterner, then turned to discuss his payment.

Geralt reunited with the Mage in his tower, where they discussed the Witchers’ new apprentice and the girl Andrea, whom the Mage was teaching. The Mage revealed Andrea had paid three hundred Crowns to learn magic and insisted she would not pursue a place at court.

• Geralt walked through the muddy town to the Mage’s tower and reunited with the Mage over wine.
• The Mage confirmed he was teaching Andrea to read after Geralt saw her flee from the stairs.
• Geralt praised Anderson, a sixteen-year-old apprentice whose memory and swordsmanship gave him hope for the Witchers’ future.
• The Mage explained that Andrea had turned fifteen Crowns into three hundred and brought the money to learn basic spells.
• The Mage said Andrea would not seek influence at court, but gave Geralt no explanation for his certainty.

Geralt stayed with He Shenyan and met Andrea, the Mage’s student, who refused to return to her father and be sold to an abusive merchant. He Shenyan helped Andrea meditate with an Energy Gathering Spell, then gave Geralt a room that opened onto a starry sky.

• Geralt and He Shenyan talked and drank wine until Geralt asked for somewhere to sleep.
• He Shenyan summoned Andrea and introduced her to Geralt as his student.
• Andrea firmly refused to return to her father, who planned to sell her to a merchant who had beaten three wives to death.
• He Shenyan helped Andrea meditate, and a glowing pattern appeared on her forehead as Geralt felt his pendant react.
• After Andrea went upstairs, He Shenyan called the spell an Energy Gathering Spell and changed the hall into a bedroom for Geralt.
• He Shenyan left through a door opening onto a starry sky, and Geralt chose not to follow him.

Geralt woke at the Mage Tower and told Andrea’s father that he would not complete the commission to retrieve her. When the father led an angry crowd to the tower and accused the mage of taking Andrea, the mage appeared and confronted him.

• Geralt woke after a peaceful night and found Andrea reading an ancient tome while she ate breakfast.
• Geralt told Andrea he would leave and stay at an inn, then heard villagers shouting outside the tower.
• Geralt found Andrea’s father leading a crowd that accused the mage of killing a Witcher and taking his daughter.
• Geralt refused to complete the commission, rejected the father’s offer of two hundred Crown, and warned him to disperse the crowd.
• Andrea’s father insisted that the mage had bewitched his daughter, and the mage appeared as the villagers fell silent.
• The mage made the filthy material thrown at the tower fly back toward the crowd and magically forced Andrea’s father to face him.

The Mage explained to Geralt why hardship drove peasants to desperation and said people had to lead themselves rather than depend on a ruler. Back at the tower, he helped Andrea take her first instinctive steps in spellcasting and assigned her to meditate alone that night.

• The Mage spared the filthy villager and sent him away, then told Geralt that poverty and hunger shaped the peasants' behavior.
• The Mage said he could rule the world but could not ensure it stayed happy after he left, and told Geralt that people had to lead themselves.
• Geralt left to retrieve his horse while the Mage returned to the tower and found Andrea studying before she had finished breakfast.
• The Mage transformed a plate into a wand and guided Andrea as she used it to create a small ball of water.
• The Mage took back the wand, told Andrea to finish her milk, and instructed her to meditate without his help that night.

He Shenyan visited Kaer Morhen with Geralt and reunited with Vesemir and apprentice Anderson. The group gathered for a meal, while He Shenyan considered how soon he could leave after finishing his training of the girl.

• Geralt told He Shenyan that he had hitched Roach outside, and they discussed their plans and the limits of portal travel.
• He Shenyan opened a portal to Kaer Morhen, and he and Geralt returned to the restored castle.
• Geralt introduced He Shenyan to Anderson, who was practicing with a training sword.
• Vesemir warmly thanked He Shenyan for restoring Kaer Morhen and welcomed him as the School of the Wolf's honored guest.
• Geralt and Anderson brought Vesemir's soup to the hall, where Vesemir told Geralt to stop complaining and try it.