Chapter Summary: "Fierce Battle"

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Ackerman commands Moonshadow City's defense, trusting the gates made of Golden-Scaled Sky Iron and sealed by Orc priest spells. He believes the enemy lacks arcane cannons, otherwise they would have used them.
• A Sunflower Person slave (from the Plant Elf World) rushes to the gate, plants a high-explosive cube, and barely escapes with severe internal injuries. The explosion creates a small crater on the supposedly invulnerable gate, shocking the Orcs.
• Ackerman orders concentrated fire to stop any slave from reaching the gates.
• Kobold Reed deploys hundreds of Bat People as aerial support. They use destructive sound waves to kill Orcs on the wall, reducing pressure on ground slaves.
• Slave creatures repeatedly bomb the gate, causing multiple craters and shaking the wall. Ackerman desperately rotates defenders and tries to hold the line.
• A Bat Person attempts to assassinate Ackerman, but he deliberately waits for the right moment, throws a controlled longsword, and kills it instantly. The other Bat People keep their distance afterward.

2. Character Developments

• Ackerman: Reveals himself as a Level 1 Lifeform with sharp tactical awareness. He uses a hidden energy-rope technique to control his thrown longsword, showing both cunning and combat prowess.
• Sunflower Person: Displays remarkable resilience and experience—though gravely wounded, he survives and expresses relief, indicating a life used to near-death missions.
• Kobold Reed: Shown as a calculating commander who deploys slave troops (Bat People) strategically, prioritizing their use based on enemy anti-air capabilities.

3. Significant Themes

• Cruelty and indifference of wizards: They detonate the bomb immediately regardless of the slave's survival, valuing only tactical efficiency.
• Expendability of slave creatures: Slave legion soldiers are treated as disposable, sent on suicide missions without concern for casualties.
• Strength vs. adaptability: Strong fortifications can be eroded by relentless, unconventional assaults; Ackerman’s confidence in static defense is shaken.
• Decisive leadership under pressure: Ackerman’s personal skill and command presence maintain morale despite mounting damage.

4. Character Interactions

• Ackerman directs Orc defenders, shifting troops and coordinating anti-air fire; he personally eliminates a threatening Bat Person.
• Kobold Reed gives orders to the Bat Person commander, timing the deployment to support the slave ground assault.
• Bat People communicate via sound waves, adjusting tactics to avoid Ackerman after witnessing his kill.
• The Sunflower Person interacts with the gate itself (mission-focused), then suffers the consequences of the wizards’ remote detonation—an interaction marked by manipulation and disregard.

Summary: "City Falls"

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ackerman kills a Bat Person but feels no relief, as the situation remains dire. Explosions rock the city walls and gates throughout the day.
• The Slave Creature Legion (fueled by the Blood of War, feeling no pain or fatigue) assaults Moonshadow City from noon until night, showing no mercy.
• Two hours before the gate falls, invisible lizardmen ambush the city walls, causing heavy Orc losses before Ackerman repels them.
• Late at night, the city gate falls. Street-to-street fighting erupts, becoming a "meat grinder" that devours lives on both sides.
• Moonshadow City is completely overrun in less than a single day. The Slave Creatures slaughter indiscriminately, including Orc civilians — a deliberate strategy, since Orc corpses can be cultivated to produce more Orc seeds afterward.
• Ackerman and Ross retreat to the City Lord's Manor fortress.
• Ross reveals a pre-prepared teleportation array and sacrifices himself — detonating his own body's energy to fuel it — allowing Ackerman to escape.

Character Developments

• Ackerman: A young, highly capable Orc warrior (Level 1 Lifeform). He fights fiercely throughout the battle but is ultimately forced into retreat. He initially refuses to flee, valuing honor over survival.
• Ross: Elderly Orc priest and city lord (also Level 1 Lifeform). He is realistic about the inevitable defeat and had secretly prepared a teleportation array in advance. His final act is one of deliberate, selfless sacrifice to save the younger generation.
• The Orcs: Exhausted and overwhelmed by an endless, replenishing enemy; their will is broken as the city falls in under a day.

Significant Themes

• War as a meat grinder: The battle is depicted as senseless, brutal carnage — a machine that consumes lives without meaning.
• Self-sacrifice vs. needless death: Ross argues that courage without purpose is worthless; dying for a cause greater than oneself (the survival of the Orc race) is the only meaningful death.
• Overwhelming numbers and cold strategy: The enemy's tactics rely on expendable, drugged soldiers and calculated cruelty (slaughtering civilians to farm Orc seeds). The Orcs' individual valor cannot overcome the sheer disparity in resources.
• Mentorship and legacy: Ross's sacrifice ensures Ackerman survives to carry on the fight, embodying the hope that the Orc race will rally again.

Character Interactions

• Ackerman and Ross: Their relationship is that of mentor and protégé — Ross had promoted Ackerman step by step. In the end, Ross commands Ackerman to run and gather stronger forces, believing the Orc King (never defeated) and the wider Orc race can still win the war.
• Ackerman refuses to abandon his post, but Ross overrides him through his sacrifice, forcing Ackerman to accept survival whether he wills it or not.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ross's teleportation array transports around a thousand Orcs, but he dies from the effort.
• Black Sail's Slave Legion captures Moonshadow City, killing or capturing the remaining Orcs.
• Captured Orcs are turned into slave creatures and sent to the Space Fortress.
• Duke grinds his Quick Healing Potion to max level (LV5) and gains a new trait, 'Accelerated Healing'.
• Duke and Merrick are assigned to Moonshadow City with Master Rand to study Golden-Scaled Sky Iron and garrison the area.

Character Developments

• Duke: Grinds his potion-making skill to max level, gains a new trait, and learns about his next assignment.
• Ross: Sacrifices himself to save a thousand Orcs.
• Orcs: Many are killed, captured, or turned into slave creatures.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice: Ross's sacrifice to save his people.
• Consequences of War: Orcs becoming slave creatures and potentially fighting against their own kin.
• Growth: Duke's skill improvement and new assignment.

Character Interactions

• Duke and Merrick: Travel together to Moonshadow City with Master Rand.
• Duke and Black Sail: Duke receives materials and contribution points for brewing potions.
• Ross and the Orcs: Ross's sacrifice for his people.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Duke and Merrick travel through a rift into the Orc Plane aboard a Space Airship.
• Duke experiences the Planar Will's suppression, reducing his magical power's effectiveness by about four points.
• The Space Airship lands near Moonshadow City, where Duke and Merrick find evidence of a recent battle.
• They are to reside in Moonshadow City and will investigate nearby mines the next day.

Character Developments

• Duke experiences another plane's Planar Will for the first time, learning about its effects on outsiders.
• Merrick reveals his knowledge about Planar Wills and Plane Children.

Significant Themes

• The influence of Planar Wills on outsiders, limiting their power.
• The potential opportunities and growth that Planar Wills offer to Plane Children.
• The contrast between the Orc Plane and the Wizard Plane, highlighting differences in environment, culture, and resources.

Character Interactions

• Duke and Merrick discuss the Orc Plane's Planar Will and its effects on them.
• Merrick shares his thoughts on the living conditions and potential dangers in Moonshadow City.
• Duke and Merrick are assigned adjacent houses, fostering a sense of camaraderie.

Summary: Golden-Scaled Sky Iron (Chapter)

Key Plot Points

• Duke needs vast quantities of magic metal to feed his Yellow Sand Crystal, which devours metals to improve the quality of his yellow sand. His basic combat needs require at least five tons of magic metal, costing 200,000 First-Level Magic Stones — far beyond his current means.
• Duke sees the Orc Plane as his solution, hoping to obtain abundant mineral resources cheaply.
• Duke's group travels to a mine outside Moonshadow City on the Orc Plane. The mine has ceased operations due to war, but equipment and raw ore remain.
• Master Rand examines the Golden-Scaled Sky Iron ore and begins discussing alchemical applications with his colleagues.
• Duke secretly takes a sample of ore for later absorption, while other apprentices openly hoard rocks into their Spatial Rings.
• Master Rand decides to explore deeper underground for geological research but deems it too dangerous for the apprentices. He assigns them a task: investigate the surrounding area for other mineral veins, taking the slave creatures for protection. Finding a vein would earn them contribution points.

Character Developments

• Duke: Resourceful and patient; he discreetly stores ore samples to avoid drawing attention to the Yellow Sand Crystal's abilities. He fantasizes about stripping the entire plane of ore, showing his long-term ambitions. His need for massive quantities of metal drives his motivation for this expedition.
• Master Rand: A Third-Level Arcanist with high status, both knowledgeable and generous. He deliberately creates an opportunity for the younger wizards to earn contribution points by scouting for mineral veins.
• Colin (Orc slave): Branded with a Slave Mark that forcibly suppresses his hatred toward wizards, leaving him deeply conflicted — he knows he should hate them but cannot.

Significant Themes

• Exploitation and colonization: Wizards treat the Orc Plane as a resource to be strip-mined; even the "free" sample-taking by apprentices reflects entitlement over conquered territory.
• Economic constraints of power: Duke's strength is directly limited by capital — a recurring tension between his potential and his poverty.
• Slavery and control: The Slave Mark is shown as a tool of total domination, overriding even emotions and free will.

Character Interactions

• Duke's group composition: Master Rand leads, with six Formal Wizards, five Wizard Apprentices, and a slave legion of sixty-plus creatures for protection.
• The strongest slave, a First-Level Peak kobold named Reed, and the others exist mainly to guard the apprentices.
• Colin serves as a guide to the mine despite his internal conflict.
• Master Rand engages his alchemist colleagues in discussion, treating the ore as material for improving alchemical constructs.
• The apprentices all compete subtly to take ore samples, with Duke being the most discreet.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Duke and the other Wizard Apprentices return to the surface with slave creatures for protection.
• Duke decides to search for mineral veins himself, aiming to absorb them using the Yellow Sand Crystal for personal gain instead of reporting them for contribution points.
• Duke, accompanied by Reed and other slave creatures, finds a small, abandoned Orc mining site in a valley.

Character Developments

• Duke demonstrates his resourcefulness and determination to gain power, even if it means taking risks and keeping secrets from his companions.
• Reed shows loyalty and honesty, following orders without initiative but also being cautious about potential dangers.

Significant Themes

• Ambition and Risk: Duke's ambition for power drives him to take risks, such as entering the mine alone.
• Trust and Deception: Duke's decision to keep his actions secret highlights the lack of trust among the group and the potential for deception.

Character Interactions

• Duke and Reed: Duke initially considers Reed's protection optional, but later acknowledges his strength and utility. Reed, however, remains loyal and dutiful to his orders.
• Duke and the Slave Creatures: Duke views the slave creatures as temporary protectors rather than allies, keeping secrets from them and not fully trusting them.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Duke uses the Yellow Sand Crystal to absorb Golden-Scaled Sky Iron ore, achieving 100% absorption efficiency.
• He discovers a large ore storage area with eight or nine tons of ore, yielding only 8 jin of Golden-Scaled Sky Iron.
• Duke reaches the mining area and finds abundant ore veins. He absorbs over two tons of Golden-Scaled Sky Iron in an hour.
• He hears movement in the mine tunnel, indicating the presence of people and raising concerns about structural stability.

Character Developments

• Duke demonstrates his resourcefulness and caution in absorbing ore without causing a collapse.
• He shows determination and focus in his task, spending an hour absorbing ore.

Significant Themes

• Efficiency: The Yellow Sand Crystal's 100% absorption efficiency contrasts with traditional refining methods.
• Abundance vs. Scarcity: The ore's low Golden-Scaled Sky Iron content highlights the rarity of magical metals.
• Risk and Caution: Duke's awareness of potential mine collapse due to his actions emphasizes the need for careful decision-making.

Character Interactions

• None in this chapter, as Duke is alone in the mine.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Duke absorbs a mineral vein, causing cave-ins elsewhere, forcing a group of six Green-skinned Orcs to flee from their hiding spot.
• The Orcs, recognizing Duke as an invader, attack him out of fury and hatred.
• Duke uses his enhanced Gravity Sand to easily defeat and kill the Orcs, demonstrating the power of his new ability.

Character Developments

• Duke shows no fear or hesitation in facing the Orcs, displaying confidence in his newfound power.
• The Orcs, despite their initial bravado, quickly realize they are no match for Duke and resort to desperate measures.

Significant Themes

• The power of Duke's Gravity Sand is enhanced after absorbing Golden-Scaled Sky Iron, demonstrating the theme of growth and improvement through absorption of powerful materials.
• The Orcs' hatred and desire for revenge highlight the theme of the consequences of war and invasion.

Character Interactions

• Duke and the Orcs engage in a one-sided battle, with Duke using his power to subdue and kill the Orcs without taking any damage himself.
• The Orcs' attempts to flee and their eventual deaths at Duke's hands emphasize their helplessness against his power.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Duke absorbs three tons of Golden-Scaled Sky Iron in a mine, causing a large-scale collapse.
• He escapes just in time and returns to the mining site with his slave creatures.
• Duke and Merrick discover new mineral veins and receive contribution rewards.
• They spend a day exploring and recording mineral vein locations before Black Sail sends mining teams.
• Duke begins studying alchemy under Master Rand's guidance.

Character Developments

• Duke demonstrates courage and resourcefulness by absorbing the metal and escaping the collapsing mine.
• He shows interest in alchemy and starts learning from Master Rand and his group.
• Merrick shares alchemy knowledge with Duke, giving him a book on the basics of alchemy.

Significant Themes

• Risk and Reward: Duke's alchemy attempt carries risks (mine collapse) but also rewards (discovering mineral veins and learning alchemy).
• Knowledge Acquisition: Duke's eagerness to learn alchemy highlights the theme of gaining knowledge and skills.

Character Interactions

• Duke and Merrick work together to explore and record mineral vein locations.
• Duke learns alchemy from Master Rand and his group, showing the importance of mentorship and shared knowledge.
• Duke's relationship with his slave creatures, Reed the Kobold, is one of command and dependency, with Reed anxious for Duke's safety.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Duke begins learning alchemy, focusing on mastering Will Runes.
• He spends three hours engraving one basic Will Rune and the entire day to engrave three.
• Duke forges a ring using Earthglow Iron and engraves the Stone Skin spell and Will Runes onto it, creating a Petrification Ring.
• He calculates the cost and potential sales of the ring, considering the challenges of selling Enchanted Items.

Character Developments

• Duke demonstrates persistence and determination in learning alchemy, despite his average talent.
• Merrick is shown to have exceptional talent, having mastered the Will Runes in just ten minutes.
• Duke's self-reliance grows as he decides to forge the ring himself instead of asking others for help.

Significant Themes

• The importance of talent and persistence in learning alchemy.
• The high investment and potential returns of alchemy.
• The challenges of selling Enchanted Items.

Character Interactions

• Duke interacts with Merrick, learning about his past and comparing their talents.
• Duke receives guidance from a Kobold blacksmith while forging the ring.

Key Plot Points and Events

• McKinney, once Reynolds's challenger, becomes his disciple and manages the Wild Continent for thousands of years.
• Orcs face the Wizard invasion, consolidating forces around Wild City after suffering heavy losses.
• Orcs adapt their strategy to ambush Wizards, seizing and learning to use advanced weapons and equipment.
• Orcs successfully use a Spatial Distortion Bomb, revealing their unique 'Mind Will' ability.
• Wizards discover and understand Orcs' Mind Will, tightening controls on weapons and equipment.

Character Developments

• McKinney: From Reynolds's challenger to his right-hand man, managing the Wild Continent.
• Reynolds: Revealed to be far stronger than other Legendary Warriors, close to becoming a Level 4 Lifeform.

Significant Themes

• The power of adaptation and learning in the face of adversity (Orcs' use of seized weapons).
• The limits and potential of innate abilities (Orcs' Mind Will).
• The consequences of underestimating opponents (Wizards' initial shock at Orcs' capabilities).

Character Interactions

• McKinney and Reynolds: Their relationship evolves from rivalry to mentor-disciple bond.
• Orcs and Wizards: Both sides adapt their strategies based on the other's actions, leading to a stalemate around Wild City.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The war intensifies with Black Sail's Slave Creature Legion (1 million) against the Orc Legion (300,000).
• Black Sail deploys Floating Fortresses, causing significant Orc casualties.
• Wild City's defensive perimeter shrinks, leaving only the city itself.
• McKinney challenges Arnold (Black Sail's Seventh Legion commander) to a duel in the ocean to secure the Orcs' safe passage.

Character Developments

• Ackerman: Leads Orcs in retreat to Wild City, understands the severity of the situation.
• McKinney: Realizes the inevitable defeat of the Wild Continent, challenges Arnold to save the remaining Orcs.
• Arnold (Black Sail): Revealed as a Demigod Rank powerhouse, fights McKinney in the ocean.

Significant Themes

• Inevitable Defeat: The Orcs' struggle against the Wizards' overwhelming power.
• Sacrifice: McKinney's decision to fight Arnold to secure the Orcs' safety.
• Unfair Odds: The Orcs' inability to match the Wizards' technological and magical advancements.

Character Interactions

• Ackerman and Orc Legion: United in retreat, facing grim prospects together.
• McKinney and Arnold: Engage in a high-stakes duel, with McKinney fighting for the Orcs' survival.
• Reynolds and McKinney (implied): Reynolds strengthens defenses on the Greenwild Continent, aware of the Wizards' threat but unwilling to send reinforcements across the sea.

Key Plot Points and Events

• McKinney, a Level 3 Lifeform, loses his left arm in battle with Arnold, causing his blood to attract and kill nearby sea creatures.
• Arnold easily defeats McKinney two hours later, finding him unworthy of a challenging fight.
• McKinney, on the brink of death, undergoes a rapid power surge, reaching Demigod Rank and approaching a realm beyond.
• A Precision Stellar Orbital Cannon strike from the Space Fortress melts McKinney and vaporizes the surrounding seawater, ending his life.
• Arnold confronts Swain about the interference, leading Swain to explain his strategic reasoning.

Character Developments

• McKinney, initially confident and powerful, experiences a rapid growth spurt before his untimely demise.
• Arnold, despite his strength, feels frustrated by McKinney's sudden end, revealing his desire for a worthy challenge.
• Swain demonstrates his strategic mindset, prioritizing stability and eliminating potential threats, even at the cost of disrupting his original plan.

Significant Themes

• The struggle for power and the consequences of unchecked growth.
• The tension between individual desires (Arnold's thirst for challenge) and strategic necessity (Swain's prioritization of stability).
• The destructive power of advanced technology and the rules governing it.

Character Interactions

• Arnold and McKinney's battle highlights the power gap between them.
• Arnold's confrontation with Swain reveals their differing priorities and perspectives.
• McKinney's final thoughts show his selflessness and concern for his people.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Black Sail launches an assault on Wild City, capturing it swiftly due to McKinney's delay tactic.
• Orcs flee to the Greenwild Continent, leaving the Wild Continent under Black Sail's control.
• Black Sail begins resource development and infrastructure construction on the Wild Continent.
• Duke, a Wizard Apprentice, spends three months on the Orc Plane, grinding Alchemy proficiency in an Enchanted Item factory.

Character Developments

• Duke raises his Deep Blue Tidal Meditation Method to level 6 and grinds four Enchanted Items to maximum level, gaining four Free Attribute Points and four Will Runes.
• Merrick, another Apprentice, returns to the Wizard Plane with his teacher, Rand, after completing his three-month term.

Significant Themes

• War strategy and tactics, as seen in McKinney's delay tactic and Black Sail's resource development.
• The value of slave creatures in warfare and the high cost of large-scale war weapons.
• The grind for skill proficiency and the rewards of mastering skills, as experienced by Duke.

Character Interactions

• Duke and Merrick, as Apprentices, have different goals and methods on the Orc Plane. Duke chooses to stay longer to grind skills, while Merrick returns with his teacher.
• Duke interacts with the Alchemy Factory staff, who accommodate his request to switch assembly lines.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Duke remains in the Alchemy Factory after Master Rand's departure.
• Black Sail Legion prepares for war on the Greenwild Continent, reducing forces in Moonshadow City.
• Orcs raid the Alchemy Factory's warehouse, stealing materials and equipment.
• Orcs attack Moonshadow City, targeting the City Lord's Manor.

Character Developments

• Duke increases his mental power to 44.6, nearing the threshold for a Formal Wizard.
• Duke masters the refinement of the Animated Spirit Bird Enchanted Item.

Significant Themes

• The ongoing conflict between Black Sail and the Orcs.
• The importance of mental power for Wizards.
• The strategic value of resources and equipment in the war.

Character Interactions

• Duke interacts with the Black Sail Badge for information.
• Duke and other Wizards in the Alchemy Factory are targeted by Orcs but remain safe in their workshop.
• Duke and other Wizards in Moonshadow City are threatened by the Orc attack on the City Lord's Manor.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Duke, a Level 1 Wizard, is assigned to a scouting unit to investigate Orc activity near Moonshadow City.
• The unit encounters an Orc ambush, and a Spatial Distortion Bomb is detonated, wiping out most of the unit.
• Duke survives by rolling down a cliff and evades the Orcs pursuing the survivors.
• He finds a nearby abandoned mine and hides within its labyrinthine tunnels to avoid the Orcs.

Character Developments

• Duke demonstrates quick thinking and reflexes, saving himself from the Spatial Distortion Bomb's attack.
• He shows resourcefulness in finding a hiding spot and using Animated Spirit Birds to scout the surface.
• Lucas, the Level 2 Wizard, is revealed to remember Duke and deliberately placed him in a relatively safe unit.

Significant Themes

• The Orcs' intelligence network and audacity in attacking Moonshadow City.
• The destructive power of advanced weapons like the Spatial Distortion Bomb.
• The importance of quick thinking and adaptability in survival situations.

Character Interactions

• Duke's unit works together to scout the area, but their cohesion is disrupted by the Spatial Distortion Bomb attack.
• Duke and the Kobold Reed are the only survivors from his immediate vicinity.
• Ackerman, the Orc leader, underestimates the Wizards' strength and struggles to capture them.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Orcs led by Ackerman retreat after a stalemate, pursued by Lucas.
• Duke, hidden in mine tunnels, encounters an Orc fleeing with a Spatial Ring containing stolen supplies.
• Duke kills the Orc, retrieves the ring, and absorbs twenty tons of Golden-Scaled Sky Iron.
• Duke returns to Moonshadow City, hands over the ring to Lucas, and resumes crafting Enchanted Items.
• Black Sail Legion begins war on Greenwild Continent; Duke decides to return to the Wizard Plane.

Character Developments

• Duke demonstrates strategic thinking, patience, and resourcefulness in dealing with the Orc.
• Lucas shows understanding and tolerance towards Duke's potential personal gain from the situation.

Significant Themes

• War and its consequences: The Orcs' desperate fight, the Wizards' strategic planning, and the aftermath of battle.
• Greed and opportunism: Duke's decision to keep some of the recovered supplies for himself, reflecting the moral ambiguity of war and survival.

Character Interactions

• Duke and the Orc: A one-sided conflict where Duke outsmarts and overpowers the Orc.
• Duke and Lucas: A professional exchange where Lucas acknowledges Duke's contribution and turns a blind eye to his personal gain.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Duke returns to the Wizard Plane due to the unstable situation on the Orc Plane.
• He adds Free Attribute Points to his mental power, reaching 51.6, surpassing most Wizard Apprentices.
• Duke undergoes inspections at the Space Fortress to ensure he doesn't carry Orc Spores.
• He settles his Contribution Points (1,352) and gains access to view the Black Sail Vault.
• Duke returns to Academy Island via the Elizabeth.

Character Developments

• Duke's mental power increases, bringing him closer to advancing to Formal Wizard.
• Duke feels more at ease upon returning to the Wizard Plane, away from the Planar Will's suppression on the Orc Plane.

Significant Themes

• The Planar Will's influence and suppression on different planes.
• The value and treatment of Orcs as slaves in the Wizard Plane.

Character Interactions

• Duke communicates with Vivian, Simon, and others via his Wizard Mark upon returning.
• Vivian informs Duke about Black Sail selling Orc slaves to other Wizard organizations.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Duke learns about Black Sail's slave trade involving Green-skinned Orcs.
• He decides to advance to a Formal Wizard and begins preparations.
• Duke purchases a set of materials, <Analysis of the Principles of Automatic Spell Defense and Counterattack>, from the Black Sail Vault to aid in creating a new Level 1 Spell.

Character Developments

• Duke demonstrates strategic thinking and resourcefulness in preparing for his advancement.
• He shows initiative and innovation by deciding to create his own Level 1 Spell instead of choosing an existing one.

Significant Themes

• Preparation and Planning: Duke meticulously prepares for his advancement, highlighting the importance of thorough planning.
• Innovation and Creativity: Duke's decision to create his own spell showcases the value of original thinking and innovation.

Character Interactions

• Duke interacts with Lady Hela, who provides information about Ed Mason and the materials he's interested in.
• He also interacts with an elderly-looking Wizard on an island to obtain the Memory Crystal containing the purchased materials.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Duke focuses on spell research for half a month, creating 'Sand Guardian', a defensive and counterattack system.
• He consults Selene, spending 100 contribution points initially, then three more times for free.
• Duke prepares for advancement to Formal Wizard, using Yasu Water and other potions.
• During the advancement process, he experiences a vivid, unexpected memory from his past life.

Character Developments

• Duke demonstrates dedication and patience in perfecting his spell.
• Selene shows expertise and willingness to help Duke, despite his dislike for war.
• Duke remains undeterred by his average aptitude, continuing his advancement process steadily.

Significant Themes

• Persistence: Duke's determination to improve his spell and advance, despite his average aptitude.
• Mentorship: Selene's guidance and support, highlighting the importance of learning from experienced Wizards.
• Change and Adaptation: Duke's experience during advancement, showing his ability to adapt to new situations.

Character Interactions

• Duke and Selene: Their interaction shows Selene's respect for Duke's efforts and willingness to help, while Duke values Selene's expertise.
• Duke and the office workers: A brief interaction in Duke's memory, showing his past life and the stark contrast to his current situation.