Chapter Summaries

After the squad investigated a burning, supposedly cursed residence, Kraun returned to the tavern and trained his Fire Seed Cube until it advanced to Tier 2. He purified the Cube’s Evil Thoughts, discovered new metal recipes and abilities, and ended the chapter testing its new Mind Control power.

• Elias told the squad the burning residence was the site they had planned to investigate and recounted the story of the mistress who had hanged herself there.
• Jason accused Elias of hoping the squad would destroy the Evil Spirit so he could claim the property, and Nick postponed further work until morning.
• Kraun observed how York Town used church-made lamps to keep the Gray Fog at bay and wondered whether people outside the central districts were being exposed to it deliberately.
• While practicing Armor Condensation, Kraun’s Fire Seed Cube gained a new translucent layer and appeared to advance to Tier 2.
• Kraun used the Golden Light Incantation to burn away the Cube’s Evil Thoughts, then learned it could devour more metals and make Bronze and an Iron-lead Alloy.
• Kraun tested the Cube’s new Mind Control ability by releasing a small sphere of Iron Essence into his palm.

Kraun tested his new metal-shaping ability and planned to strengthen his defenses, while the Golden Light Incantation neared its next tier. In York Town, Peter accepted the Grey-Robed Man’s offer and became Derby Anglu, as they prepared to deceive the church and deal with its newcomers.

• Kraun shaped swallowed metal essence at a distance, considered the resources needed for Alloy Battle Armor, and decided to focus on advancing the Golden Light Incantation.
• Kraun discovered that the Tier 2 Fire Seed Cube attacked his consciousness and planned to limit his use of the Time Hourglass until his protective skill advanced.
• Peter met the Grey-Robed Man in the church and agreed to serve Shub-Niggurath, asking that his former identity die with dignity.
• The Grey-Robed Man revealed a replica of Peter and helped Derby transfer part of his spirit into it, creating a convincing replacement.
• The Grey-Robed Man killed the replica and said church members had arrived in town, so they needed to prepare their graves.

After a night of grisly killings sent the town into panic, Kraun and the investigation team searched for the intelligent enemy behind them. Kraun detected a trail of rot at Roger’s home and led the team toward it.

• Kraun practiced the Golden Light Incantation, inscribed bullets with talismans, and joined his teammates for breakfast before they went to the Patrol Squad.
• Elias reported that Father Peter had died and that Roger’s wife and children and the Leighton family had been found skinned, leaving the town in terror.
• Roger warned Nick that everyone would die, then bled from his face and collapsed dead in the holding cell.
• Nick sent the team to investigate Roger’s home and later the fire scene, while Elias stayed behind to handle the funerals and notify Father Peter’s family.
• At Roger’s home, Kraun smelled rot mixed with blood and followed its trail, telling the team he had found clues.

Kraun tracked the monsters from the attacked homes back to the estate where the team had previously fought an Evil Spirit and a flesh Monster. After a reconnaissance Dragonfly revealed two deformed hounds in the tunnel, the team killed them, and Kraun dissected one as Nick warned that the images showed trouble.

• Kraun followed the monsters’ tracks to another attacked home, where James showed the team four human skins.
• Kraun tracked the scent back to the estate and found a concealed tunnel beneath a tree in the back garden.
• Nick sent a reconnaissance Metal Dragonfly into the tunnel, and Kraun sensed creatures approaching underground.
• Two deformed, two-headed hounds emerged from the tunnel, and Nick and Kraun killed them while the others prepared for battle.
• Kraun dissected one of the hounds and found an unusual skeleton, no brain matter, and a pot-sized heart that kept beating after removal.
• Nick finished receiving the Dragonfly’s images and told the team that things did not look good.

Kraun’s group tried to force the tunnel’s hidden monsters out by filling it with smoke, while Kraun salvaged metal from the house. The plan drove monsters into town, and the investigators set out to locate the tunnel’s other exits.

• Nick reported that the Curio had explored 1,200 meters of tunnel before detecting a threat, and the group ruled out searching hundreds of homes.
• Kraun proposed pumping smoke into the tunnel, and Nick ordered James to bring the sheriff and patrol officers to prepare the plan.
• Kraun devoured iron and copper from the house while the group searched it, finding that the monsters’ bodies and the attic’s human skins had vanished.
• Elias and the patrol officers packed Red Phosphorus, oil, wet wood, and gunpowder into the tunnel, sealed the entrance, and used a Blower to push smoke inside.
• James returned with an Aberrant Two-Headed Hound behind him; Nick struck it with his shield, and Jason killed it with a sword strike.
• James reported that monsters were attacking people in town and that white smoke came from three locations, so Nick led the group to find the other exits.

The investigation team tracked the poisonous smoke through the tunnels and found a stone door beneath the burned mansion, while the Grey-Robed Man and Derby Anglu prepared stronger Blood Beasts and plotted an ambush. The chapter ended as Del struck the hidden door with a sledgehammer.

• James led the investigators through town, and Kraun killed a Deformed Two-Headed Dog that ambushed him.
• The team found three smoke vents, killed around thirty monsters, and returned to the church to help manage the wounded.
• Kraun suggested sending the Dragonfly Curio back into the tunnels, and Nick used it to locate a stone door beneath the burned mansion.
• The Grey-Robed Man sacrificed two children to the Blood Pool, while Derby Anglu warned that the investigators were closing in and the pair escaped through a hidden passage.
• Nick sent Del to investigate the stone door, but the soil around it resisted digging, so Del swung a sledgehammer at the door.

Kraun, Nick, and Jason entered the underground shrine and fought the monsters that emerged from its Blood Pool. Outside, Acrylic and Derby attacked the patrol officers, leaving the sheriff and many others dead as Toris arrived to warn the team.

• Kraun smashed through the stone door, and Nick, Jason, and Kraun found a Bone Altar and an evil-god statue inside the chamber.
• Jason warned Nick and Kraun about the danger of viewing the statue, but five green monsters leaped from the Blood Pool before they could leave.
• Derby revealed himself to Elias, killed the sheriff, and slaughtered the patrol officers while Acrylic summoned a flock of crows.
• Kraun killed the monsters attacking him, then helped Nick defeat the remaining creatures and tend to Jason's poisoned wounds.
• Toris rushed into the tunnel and told Nick, Jason, and Kraun that the sheriff and patrol officers had all been killed.

Kraun and his squad fought two cultists and stopped an Evil God’s descent by melting the statue that served as its medium. After the church detained them for investigation, Kraun learned his soul was contaminated and would need a higher-grade Purification Ritual, while his Golden Light Incantation had unexpectedly progressed faster.

• Acrylic and Derby attacked the squad, but Kraun killed Derby and Nick killed Acrylic after Kraun’s Solar Flame Art disrupted him.
• Acrylic completed a sacrifice before dying, trapping the squad underground as bones began forming into a terrifying entity.
• Kraun melted a hole in the Evil God Statue with Sunfire Liquid, stopping the bones from fusing and freeing the squad to escape.
• The church detained the squad, and Kraun discovered that his Golden Light Incantation had gained progress at more than twice its previous rate.
• A soul purity test revealed deep contamination in Kraun, so the church placed him in advanced detention until they could obtain materials for a higher-grade Purification Ritual from the Spirit Ruins.

Kraun endured worsening Spiritual Pollution while imprisoned, then perfected his Golden Light Incantation visualization and triggered a powerful change in his body. He awakened a new Tier 2 effect, but its final ability remained undisclosed.

• Kraun continued practicing in the holding cell as recurring dreams and strange whispers revealed that the Spiritual Pollution was worsening.
• Nick visited Kraun and explained that he and Jason were training to enter the Spirit Ruins and find materials for another purification ritual.
• After twenty-one days in confinement, Kraun revised his visualization method and finally advanced the Golden Light Incantation, filling the corridor with golden light.
• Kraun woke ravenously hungry and ate several portions of food after Archbishop Fland arrived to investigate the strange light.
• Kraun checked the Gold Wall and saw that the Golden Light Incantation had reached Tier 2, gaining Heavy Strike, Lightning Reflexes, and Super Endurance, with another effect left blank.

Kraun discovered the new powers of his Tier 2 Golden Light Incantation and slept as it purified his Spiritual Pollution. After proving he could forge Transcendental Equipment, he persuaded Archbishop Fland to let him try his skills in the Church’s underground forge.

• Kraun read about his Golden Light Incantation’s new abilities, including passive physical boosts, protection from Spiritual Pollution, and new Talisman skills.
• Kraun dreamed of golden lightning and rain driving back a black cloud and withering its tendrils, then slept for a full day and night.
• Fland tested Kraun’s soul and found that his Soul Shadow had shrunk and faded, but still ordered him back to the holding room.
• Kraun argued that his skills as a Senior Blacksmith and apothecary would be more useful outside, and asked for an unlimited supply of Fire Potions if he proved his worth.
• Fland brought Kraun to the underground forge, where he asked Bru to prepare a weapon blueprint and materials for Kraun to test his forging ability.

Kraun proved his forging skill by making three enchanted swords quickly and with greater precision than Bru, earning Fland’s confidence and a Senior Blacksmith assignment. On the way back, Fland offered Kraun twelve Fire Potions a month, but Kraun felt the amount was still insufficient.

• Kraun studied the sword blueprints, tested his strength, and adjusted to the effects of the Golden Light Incantation before forging.
• Kraun forged three swords in two and a half hours, impressing Bru with his speed, strength, and precise magic-array work.
• Fland tested Kraun’s swords and Bru’s weapon, found Kraun’s arrays more responsive, and asked Bru to discuss equipment production with Andrea.
• Bru welcomed Kraun as a fellow Senior Blacksmith and offered him a cigar, which Kraun accepted.
• Kraun asked Fland about Fire Potions, and Fland promised him twelve a month while explaining that shortages and transport difficulties limited the supply.

Kraun negotiated for more Fire Potions and discovered that advancing his Golden Light Incantation improved both purification and his training efficiency. As Full Moon Night arrived, the Church prepared to purify him, and Nick announced that the materials for the Advanced Purification Array had been gathered.

• Kraun learned his Senior Blacksmith quota and negotiated with Fland, who promised six Fire Potions for each quota he completed if he survived Full Moon Night.
• Kraun found that his Tier 2 Golden Light Incantation automatically purified his Spirit Familiars and boosted his Flame Breath and Rock Breathing Technique progress.
• Kraun met Master Andrea at the workshop, completed his assignments quickly, and agreed with Bru to keep a share of materials marked as wasted.
• As Full Moon Night approached, Kraun’s soul corruption dwindled, though the interference made visualization difficult.
• Nick visited Kraun the next day and announced that the materials for the Advanced Purification Array had been gathered.

After passing Fland’s purity test, Kraun returned to his friends, prepared to work at the Forging Workshop, and visited his family. Rodney revealed that Kraun’s Talisman Water had eliminated his mutations, leaving Kraun worried that the secret had reached others.

• Fland performed a soul-purity test on Kraun, declared him free to leave, and assigned him to the Forging Workshop the next day.
• Kraun met Nick and Jason, learned about a mission involving spirit monsters, and offered to forge Jason a sword to test his new weapon against spirits.
• Kraun practiced his techniques, ordered regular deliveries of Refined Iron Ingots from Chaxi, and brought gifts to Tiffany, Julia, and Martin.
• Rodney told Kraun that Talisman Water had eliminated his mutations and let him use his Spirit Familiar abilities without restraint.
• Kraun asked Rodney whether he had told anyone about drinking Talisman Water.

Kraun warned Rodney and Tiffany to stop using his potions and talismans after the Warlock Brotherhood began investigating Rodney’s unusual resistance. He moved to the Holy Fire Cathedral for safety and training, while learning of evil-god sacrifices and preparing to reach Tier 3.

• Rodney told Kraun that the Brotherhood was investigating his unusual Spirit Familiar, and Kraun told him to stop using the potions and pretend he knew nothing.
• Kraun told Tiffany to stop practicing the Meditation technique and said he would stay at the Holy Fire Cathedral for a while.
• Del told Kraun that controlled people at outskirts Settlement Points were murdering families, making sacrifices, and mutating into monsters; Kraun gave Del enchanted bullets and asked him to look for Cold Jade.
• Kraun warned Del to stay safe, learned Janice would train at the church as a prospective priest, and asked Del to accept Chaxi’s Refined Iron Ingots and halt further deliveries.
• Kraun asked Fland for permission to stay at the cathedral, then collected his mission reward and monthly supplies, including forty-eight Fire Potions, and obtained a guest room from Abel McGuire.

Kraun settled into a better room at the church and arranged a business partnership with Abel for Fire Potions and low-quality Spirit Coins. He tested a Star Steel Sword for harming spirits and found that Fire Potions increased his Flame Breath training speed.

• Abel offered Kraun a bishop's resting room and proposed supplying him with Fire Potions and low-quality Spirit Coins.
• Kraun bought Star Iron from Bru, forged a Star Steel Sword with Evil Extermination Talisman patterns, and asked Jason to test it against spirits.
• Kraun used a Fire Potion while practicing Flame Breath and increased his proficiency by forty-five points in two hours.
• Kraun told Abel he could refine fifty Grey Spirit Coins a month and ordered fifty Fire Potions for forty-six Gold Spirit Coins.
• Abel agreed to the price and arranged to bring Kraun the Grey Spirit Coins the next day.

Fekat used Memory Peering on Rodney and discovered that Kraun Moya might know about a potion that could affect or purify Evil Spirits, but he failed to find Kraun. Kraun advanced Flame Breath to Tier 3, then continued training and prepared to meet Abel about a new partnership.

• Warren told Fekat that Rodney had shown no unusual signs, and Fekat ordered Rodney brought in for questioning.
• Fekat used Memory Peering on Rodney and found a memory identifying Kraun Moya and his address, but Rodney's consciousness remained unharmed.
• Fekat went to Kraun's address to abduct him, then learned Kraun was staying at the Holy Fire Cathedral and sent people to watch for him.
• Jason returned the Evil Extermination Sword and told Kraun it had helped him defeat monsters and collect Spirit Essence, then commissioned a Valyrian Steel weapon.
• Kraun advanced Flame Breath to Tier 3 after reaching the final point of proficiency, and decided to keep his advancement quiet while training his other Breathing Techniques.
• Kraun forged Jason's sword blank, gained Rock Breathing Technique proficiency, and left to discuss a new partnership with Abel.

Kraun advanced to Tier 3 and demonstrated his strength to Fland and Cavendi in a sparring match. Fland recognized him as a future bishop and said he would introduce him at a Bishop Conference after the trip to the Spirit Ruins.

• Kraun asked Abel to buy as many low-grade Spirit Coins as he could and prepare auxiliary potions for two Breathing Techniques.
• Kraun raised the Giant Bear Breathing Technique and Rock Breathing Technique to Tier 3, gaining strength and damage-resistance bonuses.
• Kraun spent several days producing Gold Spirit Coins and Refined Iron Ingots, saving more than four hundred Gold Spirit Coins.
• Kraun revealed to Fland that he had become a Tier 3 Flame Fighter, and Fland took him to the Underground Training Ground for a test.
• Kraun fought Cavendi and kept him on the defensive, eventually matching him even after Cavendi used Fire Spirit Transformation.
• Fland congratulated Kraun, promised to introduce him at a Bishop Conference after the Spirit Ruins trip, and told him Tier 3 status would grant him access to every book in the Library.

Kraun told Fland and Cavendi that his Bloodline let him make Talisman Water that protected people and purged spiritual contamination, revealing an ability of strategic importance to the church. After learning the ability may have been exposed, Fland planned to investigate and bait anyone spying on Kraun while Cavendi began teaching him the Armor of Life Source Stream.

• Cavendi advised Kraun to focus on perfecting his Breathing Technique and learn the Armor of Life Source Stream and Fire Spirit Transformation, while Fland said the third-stage technique would have to wait until Kraun became a bishop.
• Kraun showed Fland silver and golden Talisman Water and explained how it had helped Del, Alan, and Rodney, including purging contamination from Evil Spirits.
• Fland offered Kraun twenty Gold Spirit Coins each month to test the water and proposed faking Rodney's death, but Kraun admitted the ability might already have been exposed.
• Fland told Cavendi to teach Kraun the Armor of Life Source Stream and planned to have Kraun return to his lodgings after the Full Moon Night to draw out whoever was watching him.
• After Kraun left, Cavendi said he could likely withstand Kraun in armor, and Fland revealed that he was close to reaching the Glory Silver realm.

Kraun delivered the Evil Extermination Sword to Jason and agreed to make weapons for Nick, then refined Moon Dew into Moon Radiance and discovered that it strengthened his soul and improved his Golden Light Incantation. He left the chapter with a new method for advancing his cultivation, though it consumed Moon Dew.

• Fland criticized Osman’s efforts to suppress the Brotherhood, and he and Cavendi discussed Kraun’s possible appointment.
• Kraun prepared to deliver the Evil Extermination Sword to Jason, but Nick and Jason arrived at his lodgings first.
• Nick tested the sword, learned that its formation purified Spirit Essence, and ordered a shield and sword from Kraun for forty Gold Spirit Coins.
• Kraun studied the Golden Light Incantation’s Refining skill and spent four hours refining Moon Dew into a drop of Moon Radiance.
• The Moon Radiance disappeared into Kraun’s soul, increasing his Golden Light Incantation proficiency by 200 points and revealing a new way to improve it.

Kraun condensed Source Armor, tested how it combined with his other defenses, and planned how to further improve his strength. The next morning, he returned to the Forging Workshop and apologized to Andrea for skipping work.

• Kraun accelerated his Life Source Stream and condensed Source Armor, then tested its defenses against sword strikes and elemental attacks.
• Kraun found that his combined defenses could withstand attacks from powerful Tier 3 opponents, though Source Armor consumed considerable stamina.
• Kraun decided to fight with a hammer in his left hand and a sword in his right, and planned to seek stronger Breathing Techniques and training methods.
• After visualizing the Golden Light Incantation the next morning, Kraun headed to the dining hall and considered his future training and plans to buy a home.
• Andrea reminded Kraun about skipping work, and Kraun apologized and promised to keep it in mind.