Chapter Summaries

Margaret investigated Jia Xiu’s spell patents and found his research genuine, then visited him to assess his work and urged him to accept the Excellent Young Spellcaster Award. Jia Xiu initially refused because of the political risks, but changed his mind when Margaret offered academy recommendations, laboratory access, and funding.

• Margaret reviewed Creekwood Town’s candidates and dismissed Jack and Hannas over misconduct and suspected fraud, while investigating Jia Xiu’s thirty Basic Healing Spell patents.
• Jia Xiu completed a study on using the Basic Healing Spell to grow toenails, then drank a Perception Potion and discovered a new way to modify the spell.
• Margaret visited Jia Xiu at Susan’s Tailor Shop, questioned his Warlock status, and inspected his cramped room and research drafts, confirming that he had done the work himself.
• Margaret declared Jia Xiu should win the award and offered to support his application to Saint Dero Academy, provide an association laboratory, and fund him with a thousand Kroner.
• Jia Xiu first declined the award because he feared antagonizing the lord’s son, but called Margaret back after hearing her offers.

Jia Xiu accepted Margaret’s support and competed against Hannas for the Outstanding Young Spellcaster Award. After they tied in the vote, they agreed to a spell duel, and Margaret left Jia Xiu a rare ring that could cast Dominate Human Spell.

• Jia Xiu agreed to pursue the award after Margaret offered him a recommendation letter, a laboratory, and sponsorship, and Aunt Susan helped prepare his outfit.
• At the Caster Association’s selection, Jia Xiu and Hannas each received twenty-five votes, prompting the host to offer a spell duel to break the tie.
• Hannas eagerly agreed to the duel, and Jia Xiu calmly agreed as well, partly because he wanted to win and partly because he needed a test subject for his research.
• Margaret warned Jia Xiu that the Baron’s servants had brought potions for Hannas, then left Jia Xiu a rare ring capable of casting Dominate Human Spell.

Jia Xiu defeated Hannas in a public magical duel by using healing spells to worsen his ingrown toenails until he fainted. Jia Xiu won the award, while the Caster Association remained unsure how his Basic Healing Spell had caused such pain.

• Hannas drank Intelligence, Agility, and Spell Resistance Potions before entering the dueling platform, confident he could beat Jia Xiu.
• When the duel began, Jia Xiu cast a spell from a distance, and Hannas developed severe pain in both big toes as he tried to prepare a Freezing Ray.
• Jia Xiu used another healing spell to make Hannas's embedded toenails grow longer, leaving him screaming and unable to retaliate.
• Hannas refused to surrender and called Jia Xiu dishonorable, so Jia Xiu stomped on his big toe and knocked him unconscious.
• Jia Xiu won the award, and Margaret told an apprentice that he had seemingly used a Basic Healing Spell to make Hannas suffer.

Jia Xiu explored the laboratory Margaret gave him and submitted his research on using the Basic Healing Spell to cause harm. The study earned him experience and raised him to Warlock LV.3, where he gained new spells and had to choose a Demonic Pact's Blessing.

• Margaret gave Jia Xiu the laboratory key, introduced him to its equipment and guidebook, and explained how spell standardization had improved magical research.
• Margaret let Jia Xiu keep the rare ring and teleported away; he deposited one thousand Kroner in the Association's vault before beginning work in the laboratory.
• Jia Xiu recorded his results from the paronychia version of the Basic Healing Spell and submitted the study for evaluation.
• The study earned Jia Xiu 70 experience points despite a sarcastic evaluation, and he advanced from Warlock LV.2 to LV.3.
• Jia Xiu gained two attribute points, the Detection Spell, and Teleportation Anchor, then received a choice between the Pact of Chains, Pact of Blades, and Book Pact.

Jia Xiu chose a magic grimoire that could autocomplete and debug rune formations, then borrowed a stack of spells to study. Meanwhile, after enduring treatment for his ingrown toenail, Hannas ordered cultists to kidnap and kill Jia Xiu.

• Jia Xiu selected the Book Pact and discovered that its grimoire could autocomplete incomplete runes and flag mistakes.
• Jia Xiu raised his Perception and Constitution, unlocking the Energetic talent, which let him function on four hours of sleep.
• Jia Xiu borrowed several spellbooks from the Creekwood Town Spellcasters' Association library to study in his laboratory.
• A hunter removed the ingrown parts of Hannas's toenail, and Hannas fainted from the pain.
• Hannas ordered his servant to contact cultists outside town and have them kidnap and kill Jia Xiu.

Jia Xiu prepared to focus on the Saint Dero entrance exams and headed out for breakfast, where he realized two cultists were following him. Just as he prepared to deal with them, Detection Spell revealed that one of them might be a valuable research target connected to the Cult of Deceit and Curses.

• Jia Xiu developed Basic Hair-Growth Healing and reviewed the materials Mentor Margaret sent for the Saint Dero entrance exams.
• Jia Xiu decided to take a break from studying and walked to a barbecue restaurant at dawn.
• Jia Xiu noticed two suspicious people following him and used Insight to identify them as weak cultists carrying a kidnapping down payment.
• Jia Xiu began to cast Basic Healing Spell, but Detection Spell alerted him that a follower might be a high-value research target linked to the Cult of Deceit and Curses.

Jia Xiu let Hannas’s cultists kidnap him so he could investigate their high-value ritual target, an Undead summoned by the God of Deceit and Curses. After discovering flaws in the ritual, he began forming a plan and asked the cult leader about the cult’s previous sacrifices.

• Jia Xiu allowed two cultists to kidnap him, trusting that he could escape with his Teleportation Anchor if needed.
• The cultists carried Jia Xiu to their cave hideout and prepared to sacrifice him.
• Jia Xiu saw an Undead forming above the ritual circle and used Insight to identify it as his high-value research target.
• Jia Xiu studied the ritual, found that its materials were arranged incorrectly, and learned that faith could replace sacrifice.
• As the cult leader approached with an Obsidian Dagger, Jia Xiu asked how many sacrifices the cult had made and then asked about yesterday.

Jia Xiu bluffed Billy into treating him as a senior cultist, corrected the cult’s ritual, and discovered that its supposed Undead-summoning spell was fake even though an Undead named Bubu was awakening nearby. He proposed turning the cult’s cave into a tourist experience that would generate faith, and left Billy questioning whether deceiving their god was acceptable.

• Billy recalled how the God of Deceit and Curses had answered his childhood hatred and how his small cult had struggled for over twenty years.
• Jia Xiu convinced Billy that he was a senior believer and corrected the cult’s ritual circle, causing the candles’ green flames to burn higher.
• Jia Xiu persuaded the cultists to keep Hannas’s payment and assured them that Hannas would not risk involving his father, the lord.
• After examining the ritual, Jia Xiu discovered that the god had given its followers a fake spell, while their sacrifices were awakening a real Undead named Bubu.
• Jia Xiu proposed an escape-room experience that would have Creekwood Town’s tourists pray to generate faith, then told Billy that deceiving the God of Deception was part of being a qualified believer.

Jia Xiu developed a cult escape tourism project and sought local businesses and the Church of Light as partners. Karl could not afford Jia Xiu’s proposed fee, so he offered a rare amulet instead, which Jia Xiu eagerly accepted.

• Jia Xiu returned to Creekwood Town, ate at the association cafeteria, and asked Margaret how to control a powerful Undead.
• Jia Xiu pitched his cult escape project to Peggy, and she agreed to promote it at her inn for a commission of 2 Hel per tourist.
• Jia Xiu approached the Church of Light to arrange for tourists to pray there after the escape experience.
• Karl said the Church could not pay Jia Xiu’s proposed 5 Hel per person and offered him a Sacred Dream Amulet instead.
• Jia Xiu accepted the amulet and claimed he wanted more people to receive the Holy Light.

Jia Xiu used a stolen amulet and Margaret’s ring to prepare a terrifying dream for Hannas, then outfitted the Cult of the God of Deceit and Curses’ hideout as a tourist attraction. He recruited Jack to play the cult leader, leaving the attraction nearly ready to open.

• Jia Xiu studied Cleric Karl’s amulet and realized Dominate Humans could make targets accept its dream enchantment, so he planned to use it on Hannas.
• Jia Xiu built and tested several horror dreams, settling on one so disturbing that he could not endure it himself, then stored it for Hannas.
• Jia Xiu spent 50 Kroner decorating the cult hideout with fake magical items, eerie props, and rune stones, while cultists prepared to act as attraction NPCs.
• Jia Xiu decided the attraction needed a more sinister-looking cult leader and approached Jack at the Caster Association.
• Jia Xiu offered Jack 10 Hel per day to play the cult leader, and Jack accepted after Jia Xiu told him to tone down his usual behavior.

Reporter Reed, desperate for a fresh story, joined Creekwood Town’s new Cult Escape attraction and was terrified by its convincing cave and actors. After waking outside, he decided to write a glowing article and asked to interview the boss.

• Reed struggled to find a new subject for his annual Creekwood Town article until innkeeper Peggy advertised a one-of-a-kind Cult Escape experience.
• Reed joined a group of tourists, bragged about his imaginary adventures, and promised to protect the young woman traveling with them.
• At the cave entrance, Jia Xiu barred children and high-level professionals, collected the visitors’ weapons, and handed them light-enchanted canes.
• Inside the cave, Reed panicked at the eerie displays while the young woman led the group in searching for ritual items.
• When the tourists returned to complete the ritual, a ghastly face appeared before Reed and he fainted.
• Reed woke beside a Cleric, prayed fervently, and asked the boss for an interview so he could write a good article about the attraction.

Jia Xiu paid the cultists with the tourism project’s earnings, checked the undead summoning, and received Margaret’s instructions for binding an undead. As Jia Xiu searched for the identity of Bubu, Margaret recognized his tourism venture in a newspaper and realized he was risking his exam preparations to capture an undead.

• Jia Xiu distributed the first day’s tourism income to the cultists and estimated that prayers could summon the undead within one or two months.
• Jia Xiu studied the altar with Rune Eye and promised the cultists their dream would come true within sixty days, while Billy secretly planned to kill him afterward.
• Margaret sent Jia Xiu a book, a contract scroll, and a letter explaining that he needed to learn Bubu’s type, fulfill its final wish, and release its resentment before attempting a contract.
• Jia Xiu went to the lord’s library to research Creekwood Town’s history and identify Bubu.
• Margaret met Princess Emilia in Larven, then recognized Jia Xiu in a newspaper article about Cult Escape and angrily confronted him through her magical message.

Jia Xiu discovered that the nursery rhyme Poor Bubu contained clues to the resentful Undead’s wish and began preparing possible answers to test. Meanwhile, Hannas persuaded the Baron to raid the cultists running Cult Escape, but the Baron’s force arrived to find Your Highness Emilia at the cave.

• Jia Xiu read Poor Bubu, learned that the Fairy had been falsely accused of stealing the Treasure Knight Sword, and found questions about how to free its Undead from resentment.
• Jia Xiu decided to enumerate possible wishes to test when Bubu was between awakening and sleep, then stayed up all night making a list.
• Hannas discovered that the cultists had gone into business with Jia Xiu and devised a plan to expose them to the Church of Light.
• Hannas convinced the Baron that raiding the cultists would earn the Church’s gratitude, and the Baron led more than a dozen Knights toward their cave.
• Hannas spotted Jia Xiu selling tickets and began to threaten him, but the Baron slapped Hannas and bowed to Your Highness Emilia.

Emilia visited Jia Xiu’s attraction, then unexpectedly knighted him and secured his status as an Irisfolk noble. She stayed in Creekwood Town to watch Jia Xiu and the powerful Undead beneath the cave, while Hannas remained determined to expose him.

• Emilia and her guard visited Jia Xiu’s attraction, and the guard questioned Jia Xiu about being a Warlock.
• Emilia offered Jia Xiu a business partnership, then decided to knight him as the Baron arrived with Knights to confront him.
• The Baron bowed to Emilia and presented Jia Xiu with a reward, while Emilia completed a hasty knighting ceremony and explained that Jia Xiu’s black hair and eyes revealed his ancient noble blood.
• Hannas resolved to expose Jia Xiu as a cultist after the confrontation ended with Jia Xiu becoming a Knight.
• Emilia stayed in Creekwood Town and told her guard she had knighted Jia Xiu to give the gifted drifter a legal Irisfolk identity and keep him from rival royals.
• Emilia learned that the Undead in the cave was about to awaken and chose to wait and see what Jia Xiu and his mysterious Sect Master would do.

Hannas summoned the Church's Punitive Knights and prepared to accuse Jia Xiu of being a cultist, then ambushed him and demanded another duel. Jia Xiu charmed Hannas and sent him into a dream, leaving the promised confrontation unresolved.

• Hannas offered his soul to the Holy Light and received a talisman to summon the Punitive Knights once he found proof against Jia Xiu.
• Hannas prepared potions and magical items, then sneaked out to stake out the cultists' cave.
• Jia Xiu used a ritual to test Bubu's unfulfilled wishes and discovered the wish it most wanted fulfilled.
• Jia Xiu left the cave and encountered Hannas, who announced that the Punitive Knights were coming and challenged him to another duel.
• Jia Xiu used Dominate Humans and Dream Talisman to charm Hannas and send him into a dream.

Jia Xiu trapped Hannas in a dream where a miserable marriage, a cheating spouse, and the loss of his bride price drove him to rage. As the Punishment Paladins arrived, Jia Xiu staged Hannas as a cultist attacking him, but the dream ended just then.

• Under the Sacred Dream Amulet, Hannas believed he was a blacksmith struggling to afford marriage and family life.
• Hannas married a woman after paying 2,888 crowns, worked harder to support their household, and gave up his wish to buy a fishing rod.
• Hannas suspected his child was not his, took the child to a druid for a test, and learned the child was not biologically his.
• Hannas sought a divorce and demanded his bride price back, but the priest ruled it was a voluntary gift, prompting Hannas to reach for a hammer in rage.
• Outside the dream, Jia Xiu painted cultist runes on Hannas, put Billy's obsidian dagger in his hand, and posed as his victim as the Punishment Paladins arrived.
• The dream ended as the Punishment Paladins appeared.

The Punitive Knights arrived after Hannas’s letter summoned them, only to find him chasing Jia Xiu in a deranged state. The captain concluded that Jia Xiu had been trying to save his friend and, as Hannas was taken into custody, the deputy proposed an idea for what to do next.

• The Punitive Knights arrived and found Hannas pursuing Jia Xiu with a knife.
• Hannas tripped, and a knight broke his limbs before the squad identified him as a cultist devoted to an evil god.
• Hannas mistook the knights for clergymen from his nightmare and threatened to kill them, prompting the deputy to call for severe punishment.
• The captain questioned Jia Xiu, who said he had tried to help Hannas with healing and a dream talisman; the squad confirmed his account.
• The captain decided Jia Xiu was a kindhearted friend trying to save Hannas, while the deputy came up with an idea about Hannas’s fate.

Jia Xiu watched the Punitive Knights purify Hannas by drilling into his brain, leaving the baron’s son alive but severely incapacitated. After testing spells on him and realizing he could not take him home by teleportation, Jia Xiu led Hannas back to Creekwood Town, where the baron saw his son chasing bread on a stick.

• The Punitive Knights decided to use the Brain Purification Technique on Hannas and drilled through his eye socket to remove the part of his brain they believed was tainted.
• The captain declared the purification successful, and the second-in-command healed Hannas’s limbs before the Punitive Knights teleported away.
• Jia Xiu tested charm-related spells on Hannas and found that Hannas no longer responded to Dominate Human Spell, giving him ideas for research topics.
• Jia Xiu failed to communicate with Hannas and brought him toward the lord’s manor on foot, guiding him with a rope and bread.
• The baron learned Hannas had been found and saw Jia Xiu leading his vacant, bread-chasing son into the manor grounds.

Jia Xiu counted his earnings, continued preparing for his written exam, and joined Billy for the final step of summoning the fairy undead, Bubu. Outside the cave, Emilia and her armored guard braced for the powerful undead, but after the magic gathered and vanished, nothing appeared.

• Jia Xiu stored the 120 crowns from the baron and reflected on the town’s revised story about Hannas and the profits from the cave attraction.
• Jia Xiu submitted more papers on the Brain Purification Technique, gained experience, and impressed Margaret with his exam skills during a live test.
• Jia Xiu went to the cult’s hideout with Billy and the cultists as they prepared to summon Bubu.
• Billy performed the final ritual step, cutting his palm and chanting to summon a vengeful spirit of curses and destruction.
• Emilia and her heavily armored, blessed guard waited outside the cave as magic gathered, then vanished without an undead appearing.

Emilia waited outside the cave while Jia Xiu and the cultists discovered that the summoned undead was the tiny fairy Bubu, who killed Billy when he insisted on destroying Creekwood Town. Jia Xiu recruited Bubu as his squire, offering a path toward its long-held wish to become a knight.

• Emilia and her guard waited outside the cave, unsure whether Jia Xiu had already controlled the undead.
• Bubu appeared on the altar, introduced itself as an evil fairy, and hid awkwardly behind the statue.
• Billy realized the God of Deceit and Curses had not intended to summon a powerful undead and vowed to destroy Creekwood Town.
• Bubu asked Billy whether he truly wanted to destroy the town, then made his head burst into colorful sparks when he affirmed it.
• Jia Xiu offered to train Bubu as his squire and help it become a knight.