Chapter Summaries

Ruger studied the scarlet symbiotic fur on the ugly fish and began developing a cultivation method while continuing his meditation and reading. He learned that Varin had advanced to Formal Wizard and returned toward Kurt's island, where he discussed the Little Fairy's chances of becoming a wizard with Mahama.

• Ruger discovered that the scarlet fur formed a ball from which many branches spread, and named his planned technique the Ball-Forming Symbiotic Fur Cultivation Method.
• Ruger fed the ugly fish ordinary food and magic stones, observing how the symbiotic fur drew nutrients from the fish to grow.
• Ruger finished his borrowed books and set off for Kurt's island with Mahama, who told him Varin had advanced to Formal Wizard after a mishap.
• Mahama gave Ruger the Eye of the Mind meditation method, mistakenly believing Ruger had asked for it for the Little Fairy.
• Ruger asked Mahama whether fairies could become wizards, and Mahama explained that ordinary fairy wizards appeared unpredictably.

Varin celebrated becoming a Formal Wizard despite suffering severe damage after breaking the contract her family had imposed on her. After the gathering, Ruger arranged for Kurt to buy magical plants and returned to the White Mouse Inn to continue his experiments.

• Varin told Ruger and Mahama that Jillian had found a potion to help her recover from her missing arm and disfigured right side.
• Varin explained that her injuries were the price of breaking free from her family's contract with a Fairy King, a fate she had gladly rejected.
• Ruger joined Varin, Jillian, Mona, and the others for a lavish meal celebrating her advancement to Formal Wizard.
• Ruger returned his borrowed books to Kurt and asked him to buy common magical plants from Mr. Tali on Trade Island.
• Ruger watched Mahama race across the sea to a neighboring island, then entered the Bedroom Space and went to the White Mouse Inn.

Ruger brought Little Fairy the Eye of the Mind Meditation Method, hoping it would help her become a Wizard. After reading the runes, she began meditating on her own, and a faint fluctuation of mental power appeared.

• Ruger returned to the Inn, greeted Monster Wolf, and found Tuzel drunk and reminiscing about his Wizard father.
• Serious Mouse told Ruger that Little Fairy was working in the wine cellar and said she looked forward to his visits.
• Little Fairy arrived delighted to see Ruger, and he gave her the meditation method.
• Ruger explained that the book could help her become a Wizard, but Little Fairy quickly focused on its meditation runes.
• Little Fairy began her first meditation, and Ruger detected a faint fluctuation of mental power.

Little Fairy completed her first meditation and mastered five meditation runes, though she had not yet become a wizard apprentice. Ruger explained what she needed to do next and let her choose a zero-ring spell, leaving him hesitant when she picked Drunkard's Miserliness.

• Ruger watched Little Fairy meditate while he drank wine and asked Serious Mouse whether he wanted to try the meditation method, but Serious Mouse shook his head.
• Little Fairy finished meditating, then told Ruger she had mastered five runes before growing too tired to continue.
• Ruger explained that Little Fairy was not yet a wizard apprentice and described how she would need to prepare a zero-ring spell.
• Ruger laid out his zero-ring spellbooks and notes, and Little Fairy chose the worn notebook containing Drunkard's Miserliness.

Ruger gave the Little Fairy a chance to learn the Miserly Spell and watched it steadily progress in meditation and spell practice. After returning to his island and continuing his studies, he encountered a hooded figure he had mistaken for Kurt: Wizard Jillian.

• Ruger lent the Little Fairy his battered notebook on Drunkard's Miserliness and warned it to return the book.
• Ruger resumed his routine and chose to study Flesh Seed while planning to use ball-forming symbiotic fur as a possible cultivation material.
• The Little Fairy practiced meditation and studied the Miserly Spell, eventually learning to manage its drinking without Ruger's help.
• Ruger meditated, flew over the sea with the Weighty Book, and occasionally crossed into Mahama's territory, earning the nickname Sea-Striker Ruger.
• Ruger spotted an expected visitor in the darkness, approached with the Demon Dice in hand, and discovered that the hooded figure was Wizard Jillian rather than Kurt.

Ruger met Jillian on a cliff overlooking the Endless Sea, where she explained that she had deliberately kept the Discordant Power affecting her. Jillian revealed she wanted to join the Fluffy Enthusiasts Association and proposed a deal, then took an object from a box to adjust her request.

• Ruger approached Jillian and asked whether her curse had returned.
• Jillian explained that a Void Demon’s Discordant Power caused her unusual behavior, and that she had chosen to keep it.
• Jillian told Ruger about the mysterious Fluffy Enthusiasts Association and admitted she wanted to join it.
• Jillian asked Ruger to recommend her for membership, but Ruger said he could not find the association for her.
• Jillian produced a small box containing inherited knowledge and took out an object to propose a different deal.

Ruger and Jillian tested an ancient Association membership method using hair, and a Spirit Fur caused the Metal Vessel to vanish, apparently succeeding. After Jillian left, Ruger checked on his believers and learned the Spirit Fur had traveled far away while its faith remained intact.

• Jillian offered Ruger a chance to test the Metal Vessel in exchange for his promise to recommend her if he joined the Association, and Ruger asked to borrow her books.
• Ruger and Jillian tried Ruger's chest hair and Jillian's hair, but neither attempt succeeded.
• Ruger sent a spiritually rich old Spirit Fur into the Metal Vessel, which vanished as they watched.
• Jillian said the Association would likely contact qualified applicants, promised to send Ruger the books, and left on her Flying Device.
• Ruger asked Stray Hair One to check the believers and learned that three were far away, including the Spirit Fur that had just left the Bedroom Space.

Ruger waited for Wizard Jillian’s payment and the Fluffy Enthusiasts Association, but neither appeared. Kurt arrived with the requested magic plants and seeds, and after sharing a meal with Kurt and Mahama, Ruger went to the Inn, where Aisijin told him Tuzel was there but wasn’t seeing anyone.

• Ruger continued his usual routine while waiting for Wizard Jillian’s payment and the Fluffy Enthusiasts Association, but neither contacted him.
• Kurt arrived on the island with magic plants and seeds, and Ruger welcomed him with food and wine.
• Ruger checked Kurt’s Storage Pocket and was pleased that its contents matched his requirements.
• Mahama joined Ruger and Kurt, and the three shared a meal and conversation.
• Ruger visited the Little Inn and helped Aisijin record ratings and comments on the new dishes.
• Aisijin told Ruger that Tuzel was at the Inn but was not seeing anyone that day.

Ruger soothed Tuzel’s frustration and encouraged Little Fairy to keep pursuing her goal of becoming a Wizard. He gave her three days to prepare for advancing and presented her with a potion and a spell scroll.

• Tuzel complained to Ruger about babysitting and left with a Storage Pocket for the magical plants and magic stones.
• Ruger learned that Little Fairy had been staying at the Inn and was discouraged by her difficulty mastering the Miserly Spell.
• Little Fairy told Ruger she still wanted to become a Wizard despite doubting her abilities.
• Ruger gave Little Fairy three days to prepare and offered her a Meditation Awakening Potion and an Inheritance Scroll for Arcane Imprint.
• Little Fairy eagerly accepted the gifts and regained confidence in her chances of advancing.

Ruger helped prepare Aisijin’s magic-plant areas, mastered Flesh Seed, and then attended the Little Fairy’s advancement at the Inn. The Little Fairy became a rare fairy Wizard Apprentice, and the potion’s effects began to cause violent fluctuations in his mental power.

• Ruger joined Tuzel and the kobolds in tending the magic plants, then returned to his experiments and used spirit furs as extra hands.
• Three days later, Ruger had mastered Flesh Seed, though Wizard Jillian’s payment still had not arrived.
• Ruger went to the Inn, where the Little Fairy was ready to advance and had not used the Arcane Imprint Inheritance Scroll.
• The Little Fairy began his meditation inside a large mug, drank the Meditation Awakening Potion, and became a rare fairy Wizard Apprentice.
• The Little Fairy’s mental power began fluctuating violently as the potion took effect.

Little Fairy endured the dangerous process of building the Miserly Spell model and succeeded, becoming a wizard apprentice. It revealed that its name was Nisote and celebrated with Ruger and Serious Mouse.

• Ruger watched as Little Fairy endured the soul-hunger and strain of constructing the Miserly Spell model.
• Little Fairy trembled as its mental power space neared its limit, and Ruger sensed an aura of the soul forming around it.
• Little Fairy broke the potion bottle, then stopped trembling and lay motionless in the wineglass.
• Serious Mouse confirmed Little Fairy was alive, and Little Fairy woke and announced its success to Ruger and Serious Mouse.
• Ruger praised Little Fairy, which cast Drunkard's Miserliness on itself and demanded to be called Lord Wizard.
• Little Fairy reminded Serious Mouse that its name was Nisote, and Serious Mouse nodded.

Ruger welcomed Wizard Varin to his island, where she explained why she was delaying treatment for her condition and delivered books from herself and Jillian. He examined the books and a separate wooden box, while Varin recalled that his past intervention had helped her.

• The Little Fairy fell asleep in Serious Mouse’s apron pocket while Ruger enjoyed a quiet evening at the inn.
• Ruger noticed a visitor arriving on a Flying Device made of combs and prepared tea and a chair for Wizard Varin.
• Varin told Ruger that she had delayed treatment so she could experience her condition and said she believed its effects might continue to influence her family as long as she remained alive.
• Varin delivered two Storage Pockets containing books from herself and Jillian, and Ruger eagerly accepted them.
• Ruger scanned the pockets, finding roughly two hundred books from Jillian, over eighty from Varin, and a separate wooden box in Jillian’s pocket.
• Varin thanked Ruger for helping her in the past, and Ruger remembered intervening against two men who had tried to take her away.

After Varin left, Ruger opened Jillian’s package and found an extra Spellbook containing the one-ring spell Shadow Servant. He continued his studies and experiments, finishing Varin’s books and recording a third, still-incomplete cultivation method for ball-forming symbiotic fur.

• Varin said goodbye to Ruger and left the island, while the Combs grew restless around him.
• Ruger opened Jillian’s wooden box and found a battered Spellbook with a note saying he did not need to return it.
• Ruger read about Shadow Servant, a spell that awakened a humanoid creature in the caster’s shadow, and decided to keep the Spellbook.
• Ruger rotated between meditation, spell study, reading, and work on a cultivation method for ball-forming symbiotic fur.
• Ruger finished Varin’s eighty-odd books, gained knowledge of alchemy, and recorded a third incomplete cultivation method in his notebook.

Ruger studied spells and alchemy while developing his Spirit Fur Cultivation Method, deciding to treat the ugly fish only as a backup. He shared books and a spell with Little Fairy, while Serious Mouse and Tuzel settled into helping tend Aisijin’s magic plants and trading drinks for mushrooms.

• Ruger gained a preliminary grasp of Blood of Loyalty and devoted more time to reading and researching the Ball-Forming Symbiotic Fur Cultivation Method.
• Ruger considered using the ugly fish as a backup but continued pursuing a reliable cultivation method without uncertain factors.
• Ruger read Varin’s and Wizard Jillian’s books, especially benefiting from their alchemy and magic array design knowledge.
• Ruger lent Little Fairy two introductory books and his Freezing Ray Spellbook, ending his need to restock the Inn’s ice cellar himself.
• Serious Mouse began helping Tuzel tend Aisijin’s magic plants, while Tuzel repaid his drink debts with cultivated mushrooms and guarded one patch as his own.

Ruger spent an extended period meditating, experimenting, and quietly observing the island while his cultivation methods and magical practice advanced. After a breakthrough in the Experiment Corner, he prepared five exceptional spirit furs to undergo a dangerous transformation and received their affectionate blessing.

• Ruger recorded incomplete versions of his Ball-Forming Symbiotic Fur Cultivation Method, went out to sea, and kept Little Regna company.
• Aisijin and Little Regna entered a long sleep together, while Ruger walked around the island and used Spirit-Sucker Fur to search for watchers and visitors.
• Ruger continued developing his Spirit Fur Cultivation Method and Meditation Method as time passed, and the magic plants he needed grew successfully.
• Ruger celebrated a breakthrough in the Experiment Corner and ordered Stray Hair One to choose the five strongest spirit furs for a dangerous transformation.
• The five spirit furs embraced Ruger's chin to receive his blessing as the gathered spirit furs spread faith power around the bubbling potion and the prepared fish.

Ruger used his blood and Ugly Fish’s symbiotic nature to begin cultivating five spirit furs, then placed them in a cultivation potion. He watched them awaken and form balls, succeeding in creating the first seeds of his ball-forming symbiotic fur.

• Ruger cut his palm and soaked five spirit furs in his blood to improve their chances of success.
• Ruger used Flesh Seed to plant the five spirit furs at points where Ugly Fish and its bright red fur balls were joined.
• Ruger prepared cultivation potion and waited until the five spirit furs changed color and detached from Ugly Fish.
• Ruger sent the five spirit furs into the potion, while Stray Hair One enveloped the vial in faith power.
• Ruger watched the spirit furs awaken, branch, turn bright red, and form balls as the potion became clear.

Ruger successfully transformed five Spirit Furs into Ball-Forming Symbiotic Fur and designated one as a seed to cultivate more. After Stray Hair One reported that the five had sensed and ignored a distant call during their transformation, Ruger considered the call a possible opportunity and planned to dispose of the ugly fish once the seed proved usable.

• Ruger confirmed that all five Spirit Furs had completed their transformation into Ball-Forming Symbiotic Fur, which provided slightly more Faith Power.
• Ruger chose the largest ball of fur to remain as a seed and sent it to bond with a prepared little fish.
• Stray Hair One told Ruger that all five newly transformed Spirit Furs had sensed a distant call during their final transformation but had not answered it.
• Ruger suspected the call might come from a special place and decided to remove the ugly fish once he confirmed the seed could support further cultivation.
• Ruger left the Experiment Corner and planned to drink Mind Purification with plenty of ice.

Ruger continued his peaceful island retreat, maintaining his bloodline-enhancing abilities while his companions feasted and stocked supplies. Zhizhi awakened larger and stronger, then went hunting in the surrounding sea as the group prepared for continued life at the Inn.

• Ruger kept the Hourglass of Impermanence inverted and the Blood Curse Doll's curseflame burning while his bloodline developed.
• Zhizhi molted, grew larger, and became familiar with the residents of the Bedroom Space.
• Ruger let Zhizhi hunt in the sea, and it began devouring creatures that would aid its growth before hauling other prey ashore.
• Aisijin, Tuzel, and Big Silly Hum replenished their food stores while Ruger read, meditated, and enjoyed his retreat.
• Tuzel told Ruger that Serious Mouse had expanded the Inn's ice cellar after Nisote learned a new spell, and Ruger joined the others in hauling supplies.

Ruger prepared for the uncertain future of his Faith Wizard path while developing a new batch of ball-forming symbiotic spirit furs. After the new furs sensed the same mysterious call as the previous batch, he destroyed the eerie fish and fur and resumed meditating.

• Ruger considered how Stray Hair One might advance from a false god to a demigod and possibly a lesser god, strengthening its bond with him and the spirit furs.
• Ruger's improved ball-forming symbiotic spirit fur seed cooperated in planting five furs into a fish, and he confirmed he could use it to direct the fish's movements.
• Ruger completed the new batch and removed Ugly Fish and its pool from the Bedroom Space.
• Stray Hair One reported that the new furs sensed the faint call at the final moment of cultivation, then stopped sensing it afterward, just like the previous batch.
• Ruger burned Ugly Fish and the eerie fur to ashes, then meditated as the symbol in the Black Book appeared to enter his mental power space.

Ruger finished Wizard Jillian’s books and settled into a new routine on the island. At the Little Inn, Little Fairy asked him to help her stay there and join an outing with Ms. Aisijin and Boss Fat Mouse.

• Ruger finished his borrowed books, including works about anomalous worlds and the nature of life, and adjusted his daily schedule.
• Ruger visited the Little Inn, where Serious Mouse explained that Zhizhi was being fed a special failed wine mixture made by Tuzel.
• Ruger noticed Little Fairy meditating and waited until she approached him with a request.
• Little Fairy told Ruger she wanted to stay at the Inn and asked for his help because she did not want to be left behind when Ms. Aisijin invited her and Boss Fat Mouse to taste grilled fish fillets.