Chapter Summaries

Ruger read about Lord Benson's attempt to eat his own desires, then brought out the delicacies prepared by Aisijin and the others. As he ate, the silent visitor appeared, followed by a beautiful woman who gestured for him to keep quiet.

• Ruger read that Lord Benson tried to consume his purest desire and found that desire returned despite his efforts to erase it.
• Ruger brought out the chefs' dishes, including an Insect Shell Stew that reminded him of his first meal with Aisijin and Big Silly Hum.
• Ruger ate the insect shell along with the stew until the crunching stopped and the surroundings fell silent.
• A figure with indistinct features appeared beside Ruger and silently watched him.
• A beautiful woman appeared behind the figure, smiled, and gestured for Ruger to remain silent.

Ruger waited through the disorienting encounter with his teacher’s teacher, then woke to find her gone and a gray Wizard Robe left behind. After an underground tremor, her figure briefly reappeared and pointed to his Identity Badge, leaving Ruger unsure what had happened.

• Ruger chose to avoid eye contact and let his past self handle the agreements while he waited through the confusion.
• A sharp clack woke Ruger, who found himself alone with a gray Wizard Robe on the floor.
• Ruger stored the robe, checked his Demon Hunter Wizards Identity Badge, and found no gift on it.
• The area shook violently, then quickly settled without spilling the wine on Ruger’s table.
• A faint figure of the lady reappeared and pointed at Ruger’s Identity Badge before vanishing again.

Ruger found that the warm Identity Badge left by his teacher’s teacher showed no visible change, and he speculated that the gift was connected to a mysterious woman and an agreement. Lord Soldrich then delivered a sealed box as arranged, leaving Ruger with another unexplained gift.

• Ruger examined his Identity Badge after his teacher’s teacher left, but his mental power detected nothing despite its unusual warmth.
• Ruger guessed that a mysterious woman had once made an agreement with a bold kobold and that the gift included her payment.
• Ruger checked his Summons Scroll, which still showed no response, and waited for his rest period to end.
• Soldrich visited looking haggard and said his notebook recorded an agreement to check whether Ruger was alive after the great figure’s arrival.
• Soldrich gave Ruger a small box without opening it, and Ruger put it away.

Ruger opened the box Lord Soldrich had delivered, triggering a sweep of light that brought an elderly wizard to his room. The wizard said the Holy Tribunal had altered Ruger’s and other wizards’ memories, promised him a reward for his role in the affair, and left Ruger wondering whether the woman had truly escaped.

• Ruger debated leaving the box unopened, then opened it and triggered a flash that swept through the Spell Practice Area.
• An elderly wizard appeared, scanned the room with the box, and confirmed that the woman had left no trace.
• The old wizard told Ruger that the Holy Tribunal had changed his memories and those of the other Divine Object Art wizards.
• The wizard praised Ruger for reporting his agreement with the woman, said the Holy Tribunal would reward him and accept his proposed terms, then vanished.
• Ruger wondered whether the woman had really escaped and what had happened during the memories he had lost.

Ruger settled into a peaceful routine of rest and study while waiting for the next stage of the Holy Tribunal’s summons. When the Wizards gathered again underground, he received a changed slate and entered the darkness alone, with Green gone and the next trial awaiting him.

• Ruger read Lord Benson’s Reverie and observed Benson redirecting some of his desire instead of trying to suppress it entirely.
• Ruger resumed cultivating spirit furs and planned time for meditation, spell practice, and modifying Shadow Servant.
• After the Summons Scroll changed three days earlier, Ruger joined the Wizards and saw that fewer than two thousand of the original twenty-four hundred remained.
• The Wizards gathered underground, where the Old Wizard stood with two other figures and handed out slates, including a three-toned one for Ruger.
• Ruger entered the darkness alone, without Green, and walked on until only his own footsteps remained.

Ruger endured repeated Divine Object Art Summonings that left large gaps in his memory, until the special summoning officially ended and a one-year observation period began. He found his teacher waiting in the Bedroom Space and told him it was over.

• Ruger met a smiling woman in a black-and-white room, then returned from the darkness of Divine Object Art with a rune pattern imprinted on his three-colored stone tablet.
• Ruger repeatedly found himself outside his quarters with fragmented memories, and he wrote himself a warning not to make friends carelessly or lend out merit stones.
• Ruger read a notice saying the special summoning had concluded and that the Wizards could rest during a one-year observation period before leaving of their own accord.
• Ruger went to the Bedroom Space and found his teacher reading beside a new bookcase filled with leisure books.
• Ruger answered that the summoning was over, and his teacher looked at him in surprise.

Ruger received a note from his past self instructing him to visit the Divine Temple after everything was truly over, then spent his Observation Period recovering and improving his Mental Power. When the period ended, he left the Holy Tribunal with an additional reward for a contribution he could no longer remember.

• Immanuel gave Ruger a folded note written in Ruger's own hand, and Tuzel ate it after Ruger passed it to him.
• Ruger realized the note told him to visit the Divine Temple only after everything was truly over and listed Tuzel, Immanuel, and Little Regna as possible recipients.
• Immanuel carried Ruger to rest and fed him, while Ruger drifted into sleep with his memories muddled.
• Ruger completed a peaceful year-long Observation Period, during which meditation helped his Mental Power progress despite his missing memories.
• Ruger stayed two extra days after Green, Soldrich, and most of the Wizards departed, received an additional reward for a forgotten contribution, and left through the Teleportation Array.

Ruger returned to the Endless Sea, intending to resume his quiet life before visiting the small Divine Temple in his Bedroom Space. At his island, he found Mona waiting and showed her his special Demon Hunter Wizard Badge, but her reaction was unexpectedly confused.

• Ruger left the island by Alchemical Skiff, bringing Tuzel along to steer toward the island where the Little Cabin stood.
• Tuzel revealed that the Old Wizard had given him the ability to find his way, and Ruger decided to add a flight spell to his shopping list.
• Ruger reached his island and found Mona at the Hut, where she explained that she visited occasionally to check on the place and had recently advanced to a Two-Ring Wizard.
• Ruger showed Mona his Demon Hunter Wizard Badge and explained that it let him become a Free Demon Hunter Wizard while keeping the usual privileges and resources.
• Mona appeared surprised by the badge but soon looked more confused than impressed, leaving Ruger curious about her reaction.

Ruger and Mona left the wooden house after Mona experienced a frightening prophetic impression that Ruger suspected might be connected to the Demon Wizard. On the way to Kurt’s island, Ruger gave Mona a wine cup made from a One-Ring Demon Heart, then prepared gifts for the others as they arrived.

• Mona felt a sudden terror after the door creaked, but said Prophecy Wizards had to restrain their curiosity and not pursue frightening impressions.
• Ruger remembered Mona’s previous fear and suspected her perception was connected to the Demon Wizard and their badges.
• Ruger and Mona boarded his Alchemical Skiff and headed toward Kurt’s island, where Mona praised Ruger’s growing mental power.
• Ruger gave Mona a wine cup made from a One-Ring Demon Heart to celebrate her advancement, and she happily accepted it.
• Ruger smelled insect meat on the island and inferred that Kurt had made progress breeding the meat insects from Moonworm City.
• As they approached the outpost courtyard, Ruger chose a fire-related Flight Spell and selected a fiery red Third Ring wine cup for Wizard Zorn.

Ruger returned to the courtyard and gave Zorn and Mahama magical drinking cups with Sour Mushroom Wine, leaving both absorbed by their effects. As the celebratory dinner began, he offered cups to the others, anticipating that the gathering would continue late into the night.

• Ruger returned to the courtyard, where Varin welcomed him and Zorn asked whether he had considered becoming an independent demon hunter.
• Ruger presented Zorn with a Third Ring drinking cup and premium Sour Mushroom Wine, and Zorn recognized the cup's remarkable properties after a sip.
• Ruger gave Mahama a One-Ring cup and wine, and Mahama squeezed his eyes shut after drinking a large gulp.
• Ruger helped Varin prepare the meal while Zorn and Mahama sat motionless with their eyes closed.
• Ruger set cups and Sour Mushroom Wine before Mona, Varin, and Jillian, who were curious but hesitant to try them.

Ruger explained his Inverted Cup spell to Wizard Zorn and exchanged its secrets for a contract and two fire spells. He began studying the spells, intrigued by how they could be combined to let him fly at high speed.

• Ruger recalled the dinner where Varin fell beneath the table after drinking from the cup, while Zorn had remained composed and asked to use one for several days.
• Zorn visited Ruger and asked whether the wine cups had been created by a spell, so Ruger explained Inverted Cup and its casting requirements.
• Ruger gave Zorn a notebook containing the spell in exchange for a fire-related flight spell, with a contract forbidding Zorn from sharing it or revealing it to the Knowledge Temple.
• Zorn signed the contract and gave Ruger two spellbooks: Scorching Wings and Zan Zemanla's Flame Torrent.
• Ruger discovered that the spells could be combined into a powerful high-speed flight technique and decided to study Scorching Wings first.

Mahama told Ruger he was leaving to become a Free Demon Hunter, and they discussed the paths that would take them away from the island. Their farewell ended with talk of Kurt’s loss and Mahama’s plans to travel after departure.

• Mahama told Ruger he planned to leave and become a Free Demon Hunter after reflecting on his path and gathering resources to advance.
• Ruger and Mahama discussed Wizard Jillian, Zorn’s unusual status, and the possibility that recent events might change Zorn’s path.
• Ruger and Mahama learned that Kurt had gone to Trade Island to settle the affairs of his shopkeeper friend Tali, who had died.
• Ruger decided to visit Kurt with a gift, while Mahama described choosing a demon-hunting commission at random as the start of his travels.

Ruger mastered the Scorching Wings spell before visiting the Spirit Furs’ Divine Temple in the Bedroom Space. There, he touched a strange sleeping creature whose intense faith connected it to him, and heard laughter at the moment of contact.

• Ruger studied Scorching Wings until he had nearly mastered the spell, while his companions spent time by the sea.
• Ruger entered the Bedroom Space and found the Spirit Furs staging a mock battle before they rushed to greet him.
• Stray Hair One led Ruger to the Divine Temple, where a group of Spirit Furs prayed around a peculiar sleeping creature.
• Stray Hair One explained that the creature was not one of their kind but held astonishingly pure faith in the God of Spirit Fur.
• Ruger touched the creature, and he seemed to hear a burst of laughter.

Ruger met a woman who revealed she had been born from a seed left by a being that formed inside the preserved heart of the world's first Nine-Ring Wizard. She had come to the Divine Temple to enlist Ruger's help in escaping, leaving him to realize that the plan could make him a target of the Holy Tribunal.

• A mysterious woman appeared before Ruger, and he gave her a gray robe after she asked for it.
• The woman explained that she was neither the first Nine-Ring Wizard nor its preserved heart, but a part of a being born within it.
• She said that Wizards had driven the being from its hidden space, but it left behind a seed from which she was born.
• Ruger inferred that the woman was connected to the anomalies he remembered and asked if she had come to the Divine Temple.
• The woman said she had come to cooperate with Ruger on an escape plan and warned that the Holy Tribunal could hunt him if they were exposed.

Ruger questioned the woman about the summoning, her sacrifice, and why she had trusted him, learning that she had used losses and hidden seeds to disguise her plans. He realized she had likely escaped through a route he had arranged as cover and wondered whether his Demon Hunter Badge held any trace of the vanished part of her.

• The woman told Ruger that the Holy Tribunal’s Wizards had induced people to reveal profound memories and that she had trusted him because he was an unusual variable who made her feel at ease.
• Ruger asked whether he had done something wrong during the summoning, and the woman said his performance had been good while explaining that she had sacrificed part of herself and left seeds behind.
• The woman suggested the Holy Tribunal might have sensed something, but said Ruger’s efforts had concealed her intentions and that a different version of her would handle the situation there.
• The woman revealed that Ruger had told her to answer questions about another way of leaving with the words “Wait, follow, leave,” and Ruger connected this to the Merciless Taskmaster’s change.
• Ruger examined his Demon Hunter Badge with his Mental Power but found nothing inside it.

Ruger questioned the woman about the Nine-Ring Wizard and watched her return to the Divine Temple, then resumed his usual routine. He successfully learned Scorching Wings and took his first flight above the ground.

• Ruger asked the woman whether she was a Wizard and what she knew about the Nine-Ring Wizard’s death, but she said she did not know the secrets.
• The woman folded her gray robe, returned to the Divine Temple, and explained that she was still in a seed state and had only emerged to honor their agreement.
• Ruger sent the spirit furs back to their usual prayers, left the Bedroom Space, and prepared to construct the spell model for Scorching Wings.
• Ruger combined Scorching Wings with his Nightmare Wings, causing fiery feathers to form across them.
• Ruger cast Scorching Wings, rose above his recliner, and flew off successfully on his first attempt.

Ruger practiced flying with Scorching Wings over the Endless Sea and returned to Small Island, where his companions prepared a cooking competition. A messenger delivered a letter from Green, Bran, and Sanderson, who thanked Ruger for persuading him to leave before the special conscription ended.

• Ruger flew over the Endless Sea, first using his Nightmare Wings with Scorching Wings and then practicing the spell without them.
• Ruger passed Mahama’s island, returned to Small Island, and landed before his companions.
• Little Fairy teased Ruger about whether she still needed to learn Scorching Wings, while Tuzel laughed at him.
• Ruger found his teacher Immanuel seated with the others, ready to judge a cooking competition among the chefs.
• A messenger delivered Ruger a letter from Green, Bran, and Sanderson, thanking him for advising him to leave before the special conscription ended.

Ruger watched his teacher briefly slip into a dazed state, then heard him promise to keep existing until he fulfilled his promise. He turned to studying Zan Zemanla's Flame Torrent and considered the many unresolved possibilities in his path.

• Ruger visited his teacher and Strange Hand as they played chess, noting that the neighboring Small Island remained silent.
• His teacher briefly became dazed, then told Ruger he would try to keep existing until he fulfilled his promise.
• Ruger asked whether he could help, but his teacher advised him to follow his own path.
• Ruger returned to his Old Recliner and opened the Spellbook to study Zan Zemanla's Flame Torrent.
• Ruger read that the spell could be combined with perception spells to strike targets from a great distance.

Ruger read Zan Zemanla's Flame Torrent Spellbook, learning about its creator’s long-range perception magic and the Wizard’s growth from cautious spellcaster to master of spatial power. After closing the Spatial Gate and checking on his companions, Ruger flew toward the sea and saw someone drifting toward him.

• Ruger studied Zan Zemanla's Flame Torrent and reflected on its creator’s use of perception magic, arrays, and long-range attacks.
• Ruger read the Spellbook twice, enjoying its spell guidance and stories about the Wizard’s ideals and development.
• Ruger sensed that Tuzel and the others had returned to the Bedroom Space and were working in the Cultivation Area.
• Ruger checked the Tree Stump Divine Temple, found everything normal, and closed the Spatial Gate.
• Ruger used Word of Flame to take flight, then saw a figure drifting gracefully toward him as he plunged toward the sea.

Ruger watched a wounded rider flee past his island while two pursuers chased them, and he accepted the rider’s payment without getting involved. The chase ended on Mahama’s island, where the rider crashed and the pursuers destroyed the remains of Mahama’s house as Ruger pondered the nature of his power.

• Ruger moved aside as a fleeing rider and two pursuers approached, refusing to help either side.
• The fleeing rider tossed Ruger a pouch of payment, then used potions to boost the flying familiar’s speed.
• The rider fell from the sky and crashed into Mahama’s island, crushing half of the wooden house.
• The two pursuers sped past Ruger and unleashed violent spell power on the neighboring island, destroying the rest of Mahama’s house.
• Ruger wondered whether he wielded malice itself or only the Stench of Malice.