Chapter Summaries

The Black-Robed Mage stopped Pavetta’s outburst, exposed Calanthe’s plot, and helped Pavetta and Dony reunite. After lifting Dony’s curse, he claimed the Law of Surprise, leaving Dony to realize Pavetta was only fifteen.

• Pavetta’s scream unleashed destructive magic across the banquet hall, and the Black-Robed Mage calmed her and silenced the crowd.
• Pavetta embraced Urcheon, whose curse lifted enough to reveal his true form as Dony.
• Dony explained that he had been cursed since birth and had met Roegner while seeking a way to break the curse.
• The Black-Robed Mage teleported himself, Geralt, Calanthe, Dony, and Pavetta away from the hall.
• The Black-Robed Mage cured Dony’s curse and asked him to repay the favor through the Law of Surprise.
• Dony realized the Law of Surprise involved Pavetta, and the mage reminded him that she was only fifteen.

He Shenyan returned to his Mage Tower after leaving Cintra and tested Francesca’s magical skills. After she pushed herself too far, he demonstrated how to control and refine a spell, leaving her to recover and learn from it.

• Geralt asked He Shenyan whether anything had happened between him and Calanthe, and He Shenyan admitted he had used a spell to make her fond of him.
• After more than a month away from Cintra, He Shenyan returned to his Mage Tower while Geralt went to Vengerberg.
• He Shenyan checked Francesca’s studies and encouraged her to demonstrate her magic without relying on her Oak Wand.
• Francesca created a sphere containing water, frost, fire, and lightning, then collapsed as she lost control of it.
• He Shenyan took control of the sphere, showed Francesca how to turn it into a healing spell, and told her to watch and learn.

He Shenyan waited for Pavetta and Dony’s child to be born, then learned from Seyani that the world she wanted him to save faced destruction if its people descended into madness. Seyani told him he did not need to fight its creator, only to follow his heart.

• He Shenyan watched for the birth of Pavetta and Dony’s child, hoping the infant would be the Swallow he needed.
• On May 1, 1251, He Shenyan secretly visited the palace, healed Pavetta, and saw the newborn girl, whom Seyani identified as Ciri.
• He Shenyan met Seyani at the lake, where she described a world of superheroes threatened by its creator goddess.
• Seyani explained that the world’s people might become mad like their creator, giving her a reason to destroy them.
• Seyani told He Shenyan to do what he wanted and follow his heart.

He Shenyan arrived in Gotham and entered Old Gotham, where he used strange powers to attack a gang of skinheads. Batman investigated the aftermath with Detective Harvey, who reported that one gang member had been left alive with his body twisted beyond medical explanation.

• He Shenyan drove into Gotham and made his way to Old Gotham, seeking to change the city by starting in its most violent district.
• A bald gang member, identified as Zsasz, threatened He Shenyan, but He Shenyan severed his hand and twisted his bones without killing him.
• He Shenyan confronted Victor Pacilio and the other gang members, merging a knife with one attacker’s arm and separating another man’s soul from his body before killing him again.
• Batman arrived at the secured scene and asked Detective Harvey what had happened to the sole surviving gang member.
• Harvey told Batman that the survivor’s bones, blood vessels, and organs had twisted while he remained alive, leaving him shaped like a basketball.

Batman questioned a battered man in Room 205 and learned who had attacked him. Meanwhile, He Shenyan confronted Alfred in the Batcave, claimed he had come to save him, and showed evidence of killing the people at Arkham Asylum, leaving Alfred promising to secure him a private room there.

• Batman entered Room 205 and questioned the injured man about who had attacked him.
• Alfred found He Shenyan sitting at the Batcomputer and tried to keep him there while summoning Batman.
• He Shenyan appeared behind Alfred and said he had come to save him.
• He Shenyan revealed that he had just returned from Arkham Asylum and tossed Alfred a bloodstained playing card.
• He Shenyan said he had killed everyone at Arkham, and Alfred promised to fight for a private room for him.

He Shenyan confronted Batman over his ineffective efforts to save Gotham and forced him to face Jason’s death and his own failures. After berating him and outlining reforms, He Shenyan used mental control to make Batman remove his mask and go upstairs.

• Batman returned in armored suit and tried to attack He Shenyan, but He Shenyan stopped the armor and told Batman he had not harmed Alfred.
• He Shenyan accused Batman of failing to improve Gotham and exposed Jason’s bloodied Robin suit, provoking Batman’s anger.
• He Shenyan summoned Jason’s soul, and Batman briefly broke free of the restraints before He Shenyan sent the soul away.
• He Shenyan criticized Bruce Wayne for using his wealth to support vigilantism instead of addressing poverty, unemployment, and crime through public reforms.
• He Shenyan ordered Batman to fund orphanages and welfare facilities, create jobs, and fight drug trafficking and other crimes through legal means.
• After He Shenyan controlled his mind, Batman removed his mask and walked upstairs.

He Shenyan used mind control to get Bruce Wayne to announce sweeping reforms for Gotham, including new schools, welfare institutions, and demolition of abandoned buildings. Alfred watched the broadcast and hoped Bruce’s new path would finally end the danger and despair that had defined his life.

• He Shenyan explained that his light mind control had not freed Batman because Bruce had already recognized the absurdity of his actions.
• Bruce Wayne announced that Wayne Enterprises would build more than seventy orphanages and welfare institutions, establish free public schools, and recruit teachers with generous pay and security.
• Bruce said Gotham would begin demolishing old-district buildings and abandoned factories under a city government resolution, with the work expected to take five years.
• Bruce urged Gotham’s residents not to give up hope, acknowledged their distrust, and promised that his actions would prove the city could change.
• Alfred told He Shenyan that Thomas Wayne and Martha Wayne would have been proud, and reflected that Bruce’s dangerous patrols might finally end.

He Shenyan brought Jason Todd back from the dead, and Jason returned to Wayne Manor unaware of the trauma that had led to his death. Alfred welcomed him and fell asleep after He Shenyan cast a spell, while Jason went to bed and Bruce remained away.

• Alfred heard someone knocking at Wayne Manor and opened the door after He Shenyan urged him to trust the visitor.
• Jason Todd appeared in the suit he had been buried in, and Alfred covered him with his jacket and welcomed him inside.
• Jason met He Shenyan in the inner hall and, made drowsy by a spell, went to take a shower and sleep.
• He Shenyan told Alfred he had brought Jason back after seeing the injustice Jason suffered in Joker's memories.
• Alfred recalled Jason's kidnapping, abuse, and death, and He Shenyan cast a spell that put him to sleep.

Bruce Wayne continued directing Wayne Enterprises’ efforts to improve Gotham while grappling with the influence that had pushed him to act. Superman visited to congratulate him and ask about the mysterious man, but Bruce warned that the man was dangerous.

• Bruce Wayne worked through orders and documents to build orphanages and social welfare institutions and create jobs in Gotham.
• Superman arrived at Wayne Tower and congratulated Bruce on his televised press conference, offering help with the trouble Bruce’s “fans” might cause.
• Bruce told Superman that those fans were already dead and admitted he was grateful that someone had killed them.
• Bruce explained that he had long wanted Joker dead for what he did to Jason, and that the mysterious man’s actions had eased his guilt.
• When Superman asked to meet the man, Bruce refused and warned that the man had influenced him, though he believed the man was good.

He Shenyan met Superman and quickly befriended him, while Bruce Wayne struggled to keep working through their conversation. In outer space, He Shenyan told Superman he came from beyond a parallel universe and asked whether he knew Seyani, then began to explain why he had come.

• He Shenyan emerged from a portal, confirmed to Superman that he was a Mage, and introduced himself as He Shenyan.
• Superman and He Shenyan chatted for an hour until Bruce Wayne yelled at them to leave his office.
• He Shenyan magically refreshed Bruce, said he had handled the city hall approvals, and urged him to keep working.
• He Shenyan took Superman through a portal into outer space and told him he was not from Superman's world.
• He Shenyan asked Superman whether he knew Seyani, then asked if he was curious about why He Shenyan had come.

He Shenyan explained to Superman that he had come to save their world in exchange for important information, then left, uncertain about what doing the right thing meant when all he wanted was to go home. Over the next month, Gotham’s reforms dismantled its criminal underworld, and Bruce Wayne smiled as the captured Falcone faced execution.

• He Shenyan told Superman that a deal had brought him to their world to save them, and Superman praised him for using his power to do good.
• He Shenyan opened a portal and left Superman, then wondered whether his actions were truly right as he looked back at Earth.
• Over the following month, Gotham passed new crime laws, shut down Arkham Asylum, and arrested or killed thousands of drug dealers.
• GCPD and Wayne Enterprises helped drive out Gotham’s gangs, and Gordon personally captured Black Mask Falcone.
• Gotham denied Falcone bail under its new law and sentenced him to death, while Bruce Wayne smiled at reporters.

Gotham’s first free public school drew a huge enrollment crowd, while reporter Connolly was beaten after insulting the city’s residents during a live broadcast. The school filled all its places on opening day, marking the start of Bruce Wayne’s effort to change Gotham.

• The government made no public response as news spread that Gotham was changing and its first free public school was opening enrollment.
• Reporter Connolly mocked Gotham residents and interviewed a single mother, who cursed him for his history of insulting the city online.
• Connolly insulted the Gothamites on air, and several men attacked him while people in line threw their shoes at him.
• The broadcast director kept the live feed running as the incident drove ratings upward.
• The school, offering classes from elementary through high school, filled all its places on the first day of enrollment.

He Shenyan investigated the state of magic in the world and questioned Anubis about why its spellcasters relied on weak, costly systems. Anubis linked the problem to Seyani’s departure, leaving He Shenyan to consider how the world’s magic had changed.

• He Shenyan explored an Egyptian pyramid and used magic to light its interior.
• Anubis appeared and recognized Seyani’s scent on He Shenyan.
• He Shenyan showed Anubis a white flower, and Anubis knelt, believing Seyani had sent it as a sign.
• He Shenyan asked Anubis about the world’s chaotic spells and magical power, and Anubis attributed them to Seyani’s departure.
• He Shenyan concluded that spellcasters had turned to costly, complicated sources of power after losing Seyani’s influence.

After leaving Egypt, He Shenyan met Kratos in Norway and learned that Kratos had killed the Greek and Norse gods. When a demonic invasion struck a village, Kratos helped He Shenyan defeat the demons and agreed to accompany him as Seyani’s envoy.

• He Shenyan traveled to Norway, where Kratos attacked him before the white flower made Kratos kneel and give his name.
• Kratos told He Shenyan that he had killed the gods of Olympus and the Norse gods, while most Egyptian gods slept awaiting Seyani’s return.
• He Shenyan explained that Seyani had asked him to save them and asked Kratos to hold off a demonic invasion.
• Kratos fought the demons in a village while He Shenyan protected the civilians and then destroyed the remaining demons.
• Kratos agreed to accompany He Shenyan, who repaired the village and returned its unaware civilians to their homes.

He Shenyan and Kratos went to Hell to exterminate its demons, while Clark Kent learned that He Shenyan had disappeared. The chapter left He Shenyan and Kratos entering Hell and Clark considering whether he had argued with Bruce.

• He Shenyan explained that demons could be eradicated in this world, and Kratos insisted they destroy them that day.
• He Shenyan and Kratos found demon worshipers, killed most of them, and forced the last survivor to reveal how to open a portal to Hell.
• He Shenyan used the worshipers’ bodies to create a summoning array and turn it into a portal.
• A demon emerged through the portal, and Kratos tore off its head before jumping into Hell with He Shenyan following.
• Clark Kent called Bruce, learned He Shenyan was missing, and spoke with Martha Kent about the news.

He Shenyan and Kratos finished slaughtering hell’s demons, and He Shenyan erased hell itself. He sent Kratos through a portal to ask a goddess whether she could be brought back and entrusted him with protecting a child.

• He Shenyan killed a giant demon while Kratos slaughtered the remaining demons across hell.
• After five days of fighting, He Shenyan destroyed hell and collected a small fragment of its remains.
• Kratos asked He Shenyan whether there was a way to bring the goddess back.
• He Shenyan opened a portal to the goddess and asked Kratos to help protect a child until she came of age.
• Kratos entered the portal, and He Shenyan wondered whether Seyani had left things out.

He Shenyan returned to the mortal world and reunited with Superman, who was panicking over missed calls from his mother and trouble with Lois. He Shenyan advised Clark to apologize and reveal that he was Superman, and Clark flew off to try to fix things.

• He Shenyan appeared atop a city skyscraper, where Superman found him by recognizing his heartbeat.
• Superman introduced his cousin Kara Kent, who told him Martha had called several times and expected him home for dinner.
• Clark discovered that he had missed Martha's calls and learned that she also wanted him to bring Lois home for dinner.
• Superman told He Shenyan that Lois was angry because he had repeatedly arrived late for their dates and asked how to make things right.
• He Shenyan advised Clark to apologize to Lois and tell her that he was Superman, and Clark flew off to do so.

He Shenyan found a girl whose soul was filled with powerful demonic magic and brought her to Wayne Manor. Unable to kill her, he decided to restore her health and teach her magic.

• He Shenyan sensed a powerful demonic presence and left Wayne Manor to investigate it in the rain.
• He found a powerless girl in an alley and knocked her unconscious after examining her soul.
• At Wayne Manor, He Shenyan revealed the girl's demonic form to Alfred, then concealed it again.
• He Shenyan said the girl could not be killed and decided to teach her to control her magic.
• He Shenyan restored the girl's missing right hand and eased her pain, then told Alfred she would study magic with him.

He Shenyan healed Raven and agreed to teach her magic after learning about her tragic past and Trigon’s plans for her. Raven came to meet him in the yard, where he began her first lesson.

• He Shenyan healed Raven, introduced himself as her teacher, and asked her to meet him downstairs at ten thirty.
• Raven accepted He Shenyan’s offer to teach her despite doubting his qualifications.
• He Shenyan read Raven’s memories and learned how Trigon had fathered her and used her as part of his plan to invade dimensions.
• He Shenyan dismissed Trigon as a threat and waited in the yard for Raven.
• Raven came outside in a black robe, and He Shenyan asked how she felt.

He Shenyan gave Raven a crown that let her use his magic and would warn him if Trigon began invading her. Meanwhile, Clark Kent decided to meet Lois as Superman and tell her his secret, then flew to their rescheduled dinner.

• He Shenyan told Raven that her inherited magic was uncontrollable and placed an insurance lock on her power.
• He Shenyan gave Raven a scarlet crown that granted her access to his magic and would alert him if Trigon invaded her.
• Clark Kent left Lois Lane a voicemail asking her to call him about their relationship and a dinner reservation.
• After learning the newsroom was closing early, Clark moved the reservation to that evening and decided to meet Lois as Superman.
• Clark changed into Superman and flew out to go to dinner with Lois.