Chapter Summaries

Key plot points

• Steel, the transformed soul of a former illusion wizard, summons Dago to meet Tower Master Undine.
• Undine has examined Dago’s blood but cannot identify the mysterious Old One power linked to his bloodline and mental space.
• Because the Silver Tower has little expertise in ice magic, Undine sends Dago to Ice Fortress, a family-run faction where ice wizards can train in suitable surroundings.
• Dago is expected to represent the Ring of Law in the Mirror Forest expedition, which begins in four months. Undine warns that other factions’ prodigies may outmatch him and stresses that he needs more experience and a stronger foundation.
• She gives Dago a sealed introduction to Avery Huntington, a Third-Ring Wizard, along with a well-stocked spatial pouch. Dago will depart in three days aboard an airship, spend no more than two and a half months at Ice Fortress, and return in time for the expedition.

Character developments and interactions

• Dago learns more about the strange power within him but remains unable to explain it; he accepts that he must focus on training rather than unraveling its origins.
• Undine acts as both a mentor and a careful benefactor: she gives Dago practical guidance, resources, and a route to further instruction, while expressing concern about his lack of experience.
• Dago responds respectfully and resolves not to disappoint her. Seeing how generously she prepared for his journey, he feels touched by her care.
• Steel serves as Undine’s cheerful messenger, escorting Dago to the meeting.

Significant themes

• Preparation and growth: Dago has talent, but must develop the experience and foundation needed to compete with elite wizards.
• Mentorship and institutional loyalty: Undine invests in Dago as a way to support both his future and the Silver Tower’s standing.
• Mystery and the limits of knowledge: Even Undine cannot identify the Old One power connected to Dago, leaving its nature unresolved.
• Magic shaped by environment: Ice wizards’ abilities and temperaments are linked to their element and surroundings, making Ice Fortress an especially suitable training ground.

Key plot points and events

• Dago returns to Bernal’s secret base. Bernal initially confronts him about keeping secrets, but quickly softens and welcomes him back.
• Dago tells Bernal about the recommendation to travel to Ice Fortress. Bernal endorses the plan, explaining that the fortress is home to powerful wizard families and may have ties to Ice Prison Palace, one of the Wizard Alliance’s seven seats.
• Since Dago will be away for at least two months, Bernal advises him to bring the God-Prison Blood Tree sapling, which is at an important stage of growth. He promises Dago a surprise before he leaves.
• Three days later, Dago boards a Starveil Whale spellcraft airship bound for Ice Fortress. He observes the respect and caution other passengers show toward the powerful Ring of Law wizards, and reflects on how far he has risen from his former position as a wandering wizard.
• Dago is given a high-class cabin, apparently paid for by Undine. With the many Magic Stones she supplied, he installs a protective array that shields him from spells and magical detection.
• He opens the chest Bernal gave him, revealing the God-Prison Blood Tree sapling.

Character developments and interactions

• Dago and Bernal: Their reunion begins with mild tension over Dago’s secrets, but their friendship is reaffirmed. Bernal supports Dago’s next step and prepares the sapling for his journey.
• Dago: He recognizes his growth in status and power, comparing his present self with the wandering wizard he once was. He also takes practical steps to protect his privacy and safety during travel.
• Undine: Though absent, her generosity is evident in the costly cabin and nearly a thousand High-Grade Magic Stones she provides.
• Other passengers’ wary reactions to the Ring of Law group highlight the organization’s influence and the group’s formidable standing.

Significant themes

• Growth and changing status: Dago has become the kind of powerful wizard he once admired.
• Trust and friendship: Bernal’s brief reproach gives way to warmth and practical support.
• Preparation and security: Dago’s journey involves careful planning, resources, and protection.
• Power and reputation: The Ring of Law’s presence shapes how others behave aboard the airship.

Chapter Summary: “Changes in Cultivation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Dago brings out the God-Prison Blood Tree, a sapling he has raised with Flax’s heart blood. The tree is closely attached to him, but it has begun starving after the heart blood ran out.
• Following Bernal’s advice, Dago enters his Blackened State and feeds the sapling his own High-Energy Blood, which contains power derived from the Sea of Despair and the Pillar of the Old Ones.
• The process heavily strains Dago, but the sapling absorbs the blood successfully. It grows taller, develops black veins, and begins producing an eighth leaf, while its bond with Dago grows stronger.
• During the airship’s ten-day journey to the Ice Fortress, Dago follows a strict cultivation routine: meditating, feeding the sapling, studying rune legacies, and resting only when necessary.
• His Grey Sun Meditation Method unexpectedly evolves beyond the limit shown on his system panel. His Soul Body contracts and becomes denser as the remaining traces of the system’s power flow into the Grey Sun.
• The Grey Sun grows larger and colder, suggesting it is transforming into a new and more powerful form. Dago realizes his mental power may eventually surpass that of ordinary Early Second-Circle Wizards.
• A bottle of silvery Mental Potion, once useful to him, is refined almost instantly and has little effect, confirming the dramatic improvement in his cultivation efficiency.
• Three days before reaching the Ice Fortress, the chapter shifts to another Second-Ring Wizard aboard the airship. The man notices Dago emerging from his room and is struck by Dago’s unnaturally cold, emotionless blue eyes.

Character Developments

• Dago: Becomes increasingly powerful and disciplined. He willingly sacrifices his own blood to nurture the God-Prison Blood Tree and demonstrates greater control over the Blackened State. His meditation method breaks through an apparent system-imposed limit, hinting that his true potential exceeds what the system can measure.
• God-Prison Blood Tree: Evolves from a seven-leaf sapling into a stronger, darker form with an eighth leaf beginning to grow. Its affection for Dago remains strong, reinforcing their unusual bond.
• Bernal: Though absent from the immediate events, his practical guidance proves crucial; his rune-protected wooden box and suggestion about feeding the tree High-Energy Blood directly support Dago’s progress.
• The middle-aged Second-Ring Wizard: Introduced as a powerful and intimidating figure who has authority over weaker wizards and has previously forced another Second-Ring Wizard to retreat. His attention is drawn to Dago after sensing that Dago’s power is unusual.

Significant Themes

• Cultivation beyond limits: Dago’s meditation method improves even after the system declares it complete, suggesting that genuine growth can surpass artificial measurements and predetermined boundaries.
• Power through sacrifice: Dago must spend his own blood and endure physical strain to strengthen the sapling, emphasizing the cost behind advancement.
• Transformation and evolution: Both Dago and the Blood Tree undergo dark, mysterious changes, reflecting the broader theme of power reshaping the body, soul, and surrounding forces.
• The limits of external aid: Mental Potions become nearly useless as Dago’s own cultivation improves, showing his growing independence from conventional resources.
• Hidden potential and danger: Dago’s unusual aura, Blackened State, and emotionless gaze make him appear increasingly alien and threatening, foreshadowing conflict or scrutiny at the Ice Fortress.

Character Interactions

• Dago interacts affectionately with the God-Prison Blood Tree, whose leaves sway toward him and whose emotional attachment is clearly conveyed.
• Bernal’s earlier support continues to influence Dago’s actions through the protective box and cultivation advice.
• Dago briefly plays with Gugu in his Mental Space before returning to meditation.
• The middle-aged wizard and his crewman have a hierarchical exchange, with the crewman answering cautiously and respectfully.
• The chapter ends with the middle-aged wizard locking eyes with Dago. He is visibly unsettled by Dago’s icy, emotionless gaze, establishing tension and anticipation before their likely interaction at the Ice Fortress.

Chapter Summary

Plot points and events

• A middle-aged Second-Ring Wizard briefly meets Dago’s gaze and is overwhelmed by the chill of Dago’s Mental Force Field. Alarmed, he retreats to his room.
• Dago spends the next three days meditating and preparing as the airship approaches the Ice Fortress.
• The airship lands in a large, snowbound valley. The settlement includes a circular town, excavated slopes, and a castle high on a mountain. Roughly 60,000–70,000 people live there.
• Dago hires a local guide, a struggling family man, and pays him generously to find lodging. The guide explains the town’s layout and the wizard families’ territories.
• Dago stays at the Ice Toad Tavern, a neutral venue popular with visiting wizards and a source of local information. He pays for three months and asks its broker to investigate matters connected to his purpose for coming.
• Five days later, the broker reports that the Huntington Family has left the Ice Fortress. Its Third-Ring Wizard has been missing for nearly a century, and enemies eventually drove the family away. Dago, expecting to find them, sees this as an unexpected dead end.

Character developments and interactions

• Dago is increasingly formidable: even a brief leak of his mental power frightens an experienced wizard. He remains composed and patient, continuing to meditate and investigate rather than rushing.
• The guide is frank about his poverty and the burdens placed on his family. Dago’s generous payment gives them enough to face the winter more comfortably.
• The broker is intimidated when Dago challenges his report, but explains the Huntington Family’s disappearance and suggests that local elders can confirm it.
• The frightened Second-Ring Wizard’s reaction shows how strongly Dago’s presence affects other wizards, while Dago’s dealings with the guide reveal a more considerate side.

Significant themes

• Power and fear: Dago’s presence alone can unsettle a seasoned wizard.
• Exploitation and inequality: Wizard families dominate local life, and ordinary people bear the economic pressure of their rivalries. Dago contrasts this harshness with Aina Town.
• Patience and uncertainty: Dago takes a measured approach to his goals, but his investigation immediately complicates his plans.
• Generosity amid hardship: Dago’s payment offers practical relief to the guide’s family in a place where survival is difficult.

Plot points and events

• Dago seeks a way to restrain the dangerous power he draws from the Pillar of the Old Ones, which could corrupt him. Undine’s letter of introduction proves useless, so he must find another solution.
• A broker, Quinn Peter, tells him the Ice Fortress offers Bloodline Transformation: transplanted magical-beast bloodlines can counter Old One power, though the process is costly and can contaminate both mental power and the soul.
• Quinn lists the Peter Family’s limited options. Dago rejects the available First-Circle beasts as too weak and the Blue-Clawed Griffin because its combined ice-and-wind ability does not suit his needs.
• Dago pays Quinn to search among other families and independent wizards, whose collections may offer better choices.
• A month passes without Quinn’s answer. In the meantime, Dago observes other wizards undergo transformations; some fail, while successful candidates show stronger icy auras. Several Ring of Law wizards depart after completing the procedure.

Character developments and interactions

• Dago is cautious but pragmatic: despite concerns about the procedure’s side effects, he decides a temporary increase in strength could help him in the approaching Mirror Forest secret realm.
• He demonstrates confidence and impatience by paying Quinn to widen the search, while Quinn is eager to earn his business and promises to help.
• Dago’s companions undergo transformations, but he remains uncommitted and continues waiting for a suitable bloodline.

Significant themes

• Power and risk: Bloodline Transformation may help contain a greater danger, but it brings its own costs and contamination.
• Pragmatism under pressure: The approaching secret realm makes even a limited, temporary boost worthwhile.
• Uncertainty and dependence: Dago’s strength rests on a perilous source, and finding a safe countermeasure depends on information and expertise he does not control.

Key plot points and events

• After a month of intensive practice in the mountains, Dago pushes the Gray Sun Meditation Method and Elemental Resonance Art beyond their limits, gaining the unique traits Winter’s Stillness and Iceberg Resonance.
• His mental power grows to about three times that of an ordinary Early Second-Circle Wizard, with recovery more than five times faster. His force field also gives him an imposing presence.
• Dago tests his ice abilities by summoning an enormous iceberg and combining it with the Winter Star’s power to create an Absolute Ice-Sealing Domain. The resulting blizzard is immense, but the three ice skills do not fully merge. He believes a balanced combination may still work.
• Quinn brings Dago information about three Bloodline Transformation options: the Kofdal Family, Bingtin Valley, and Ice Thorn Manor. Dago chooses Lady Dairen’s Ice Thorn Manor, despite reports that people disappear there and that a mysterious monster may be responsible.
• Dago suspects the disappearances could involve human experimentation. He is also anxious to finish his business and return in time for the opening of the Mirror Forest secret realm, as Undine gave him only two and a half months.

Character developments

• Dago has become far more powerful and controlled, able to wield devastating ice magic. He remains analytical: after his attempted skill fusion falls short, he calmly considers how to improve it.
• His ambition and impatience are increasingly evident. He wants to pursue Bloodline Transformation, but also cannot afford to miss the secret realm’s opening.
• Quinn acts as Dago’s information broker, offering a careful comparison of the available options and warning him about Ice Thorn Manor. He remains deferential and attentive to Dago’s interests.

Significant themes

• Growth through discipline: Dago’s new traits and heightened abilities arise from relentless practice.
• Power and experimentation: The pursuit of stronger abilities, including Bloodline Transformation, carries risks and uncertain costs.
• Mystery and danger: The disappearances at Ice Thorn Manor introduce a threat whose nature and strength remain unknown.
• Ambition under time pressure: Dago must balance his pursuit of power with the approaching secret-realm expedition.

Character interactions

• Dago asks Quinn to assess the three transformation options. Quinn warns him about the Kofdal Family’s unusually high failure rate, Herasga’s erratic behavior at Bingtin Valley, and the disappearances near Ice Thorn Manor.
• Dago probes Quinn about the suspected monster and local authorities, then chooses Ice Thorn Manor and orders Quinn to contact Lady Dairen.

Key plot points and events

• Dago reiterates that he plans to visit Ice Thorn Manor only for a bloodline transformation and will return to Kletam City within fifteen days if possible. He regards the transformation as optional; his main goal is restraining the Sea of Despair in his mind.
• While tending the God-Prison Blood Tree, he discovers fine, dark tendrils beneath its leaves. Bernal tells him these indicate that the tree may be able to refine bloodlines and urges him to test it and record the process.
• Dago obtains a Snow Grouse and gently communicates his intentions to the tree. Its tendrils envelop the bird, drain it until it is barely alive, then produce a thick tube from a blood sac at the tree’s crown.
• Following the tree’s signal, Dago returns the tube to the bird. The tree releases it transformed: the grouse is nearly twice as large, stronger and faster, and begins drawing in ambient energy. Dago stops its sudden attack and records the results.
• Dago concludes that the tree can purify bloodlines: the ordinary grouse has gained several times its former strength and may be developing into a Tier-Zero Magical Beast. The exhausted tree droops, and Dago comforts it.

Character developments

• Dago remains practical about his own transformation plans, but the successful experiment makes him visibly excited about the blood tree’s potential. His gentle care for it is also clear.
• The God-Prison Blood Tree demonstrates intelligence, trust, and a powerful but taxing ability to refine another creature’s bloodline.
• Bernal shows unusual urgency and excitement about the discovery, despite admitting he does not know exactly how the process works.

Significant themes

• Power and transformation: Bloodline refinement can dramatically enhance a creature, potentially changing its magical prospects.
• Experimentation and responsibility: Dago observes, records, and controls the test, while also recognizing the physical cost to the tree.
• Trust and connection: The tree responds readily to Dago, apparently strengthened by the blood he has fed it and the bond they share.

Character interactions

• Dago asks Bernal for guidance; Bernal directs him to communicate with the tree and document the experiment.
• Dago treats the tree with affection and patience, while the tree responds to his intentions through consciousness-like signals.
• After the transformation, Dago restrains the aggressive grouse and then reassures the weakened tree.

Chapter Summary: “Lady Dairen”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Dago enters the Blackened State of the Iceflame Blue Demon Body and feeds his vital blood to the Blood Tree sapling. The sapling rapidly recovers, grows new red leaves, and develops faintly mysterious patterns.
• He plans to return to Kletam City, have Bernal analyze his bloodline, and then use the Blood Tree to purify and refine its valuable traits.
• Three days later, Dago travels to Ice Thorn Manor to undergo a Bloodline Transformation. Despite the manor’s declining condition, its representatives insist he use their formal carriage service.
• The manor is located on a snow-covered mountain near the Ice Fortress. Its grounds are desolate and frostbound, surrounded by frozen thornbushes and a large white castle.
• Dago discovers that several other wizards have arrived for the same transformation procedure. He is one of four customers, alongside a Second-Ring Wizard and three Late First-Ring Wizards.
• Lady Dairen, a charming Mid-Second-Ring Wizard, welcomes Dago and explains that the details of the transformation will be handled individually. She takes another client, Benson, into a side hall first, leaving Dago and the others to wait.
• While waiting, Dago examines the castle and notices portraits of women from the Ice Thorn family. The portraits are magically animated, making the otherwise cold and deserted manor feel eerie.
• Dago speculates that Ice Thorn Manor is a matriarchal family in which only women inherit, while powerful men may be valued mainly for contributing their bloodlines to the family’s descendants.

Character Developments

• Dago: Demonstrates careful planning by preparing the Blood Tree for future bloodline purification. He remains observant, skeptical, and emotionally detached, judging the manor’s etiquette, declining state, and unusual family customs. His physical strength also draws Lady Dairen’s attention.
• Lady Dairen: Is introduced as a powerful but unusually warm and flirtatious wizard. Rather than behaving with the aloofness expected of a Mid-Second-Ring Wizard, she treats Dago with personal intimacy and commercial friendliness, suggesting a practical and possibly opportunistic personality.
• Benson: The strongest customer besides Dairen, he is portrayed as thin, cold, and sharp-eyed. His transformation begins before Dago’s.
• Ice Thorn Manor: The family is revealed to be prestigious but visibly declining, clinging to aristocratic traditions despite its ruined surroundings and diminishing talents.

Significant Themes

• Decline beneath outward dignity: The manor preserves formal etiquette and aristocratic appearances even as its land, vegetation, and family influence deteriorate.
• Bloodlines and inheritance: Bloodline transformation, purification, and reproduction are central concerns, linking magical power to family survival and heredity.
• Tradition versus practicality: The manor’s elaborate carriage protocol contrasts with its impoverished condition, while Dairen’s intimate behavior suggests that maintaining the family line may require abandoning conventional restraint.
• Observation and suspicion: Dago constantly analyzes his surroundings and the people around him, revealing a pragmatic mindset and distrust of appearances.
• Death and preservation: The animated portraits symbolize the family’s fixation on preserving its female lineage and past glory, even beyond death.

Character Interactions

• Dago interacts briefly with the carriage driver, learning that several other clients have already arrived.
• Lady Dairen greets Dago warmly, links arms with him, compliments his powerful physique, and teases him physically, making him uncomfortable.
• She introduces Dago to the other prospective clients, though their responses are distant and indifferent.
• Dairen organizes the guests’ waiting period, provides refreshments, and selects Benson to undergo the transformation first.
• Dago does not meaningfully converse with the other wizards, instead observing them and the manor while privately forming theories about the Ice Thorn family.

Chapter Summary: “Soul Contract”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lady Dairen and Second-Ring Wizard Benson return to the castle hall after a private procedure. Benson has advanced from the Early Second Circle to the unstable Mid-Second Circle, apparently through the Bloodline Transformation ritual.
• Benson’s physical condition has also improved: he appears stronger, healthier, and more vital. His formerly arrogant attitude toward Lady Dairen changes into genuine respect and subtle ingratiation.
• Lady Dairen reminds Benson that he must remain at the manor for two months, after which he is escorted away.
• Other waiting wizards undergo Bloodline Transformation one by one. Some return to the hall, while others leave the manor immediately after their procedures.
• When it is Dago’s turn, he follows Lady Dairen to a private room. He continues to suspect that Ice Thorn Manor conceals secrets connected to disappearances and monsters near the estate, though he believes the manor’s activities may involve mutually understood benefits rather than simple murder.
• Dago selects the bloodline of a Second-Circle Great Ice Serpent, hoping to gain stronger ice-element affinity and the innate defensive spell [Ice-Scale Armor].
• Lady Dairen claims that the last portion of Great Ice Serpent bloodline was just used on another wizard and attempts to persuade Dago to consider alternative choices.
• Before revealing the manor’s true secret, Lady Dairen insists that they sign a confidentiality oath. The two form a Soul Contract under the witness of the Balance Oath God, creating a binding agreement and a subtle spiritual connection between them.

Character Developments

• Benson: Gains power and vitality through Bloodline Transformation. His attitude shifts dramatically from arrogance to respectful submission toward Lady Dairen, suggesting that the ritual granted him major benefits or placed him under some influence.
• Dago: Remains calm and observant, carefully analyzing Benson’s transformation and Lady Dairen’s behavior. His suspicions about Ice Thorn Manor deepen, but he deliberately cooperates in order to uncover its hidden secret. He also demonstrates strategic judgment by choosing a defensive bloodline suited to his existing abilities.
• Lady Dairen: Reveals greater authority and influence over the participating wizards. Her friendly demeanor masks a calculating nature, as she redirects Dago’s choice and requires a magical confidentiality contract before speaking openly.

Significant Themes

• Power and transformation: Bloodline Transformation can enhance not only magical strength but also physical vitality and possibly a wizard’s social behavior.
• Trust and hidden bargains: The wizards accept uncertain risks in exchange for valuable power, while the manor’s secrets are protected through mutually binding agreements.
• Knowledge and secrecy: Dago’s curiosity brings him closer to the truth, but access to that knowledge requires surrendering some freedom through the Soul Contract.
• Calculated choices: Dago evaluates his own strengths and weaknesses rather than simply choosing the most powerful bloodline.

Character Interactions

• Benson’s changed behavior toward Lady Dairen highlights her power and the benefits—or possible consequences—of her ritual.
• Lady Dairen probes Dago’s background by asking whether he comes from a powerful wizard family, while Dago gives a guarded answer.
• During the private meeting, Dago and Lady Dairen engage in a subtle negotiation over his bloodline choice. Their conversation shifts from ordinary business to a secret arrangement once Dairen proposes the Soul Contract.
• The contract establishes a closer spiritual bond between them and marks Dago’s entry into the deeper secrets of Ice Thorn Manor.

Plot points and events

• Lady Dairen offers Dago three free Bloodline Transformations if he stays at Ice Thorn Manor for a year and helps her. He rejects the offer as too costly and worries about missing the Mirror Forest trial.
• She then claims to possess a nearly permanent form of Bloodline Transformation. She cites Benson, who has received a powerful Ice Storm Bear bloodline, but also explains that the technique is experimental and carries risks.
• Dago realizes Ice Thorn Manor may have been conducting human trials for some time, possibly involving people who disappeared nearby. He considers whether he could use his God-Prison Blood Tree to refine a transplanted bloodline.
• Dairen offers the same benefits without conditions if Dago helps House Ice Thorn produce an heir. She makes a romantic advance, but Dago rejects her and returns to the original, limited deal.
• Dairen becomes cold and reveals that she knows Dago has been searching for the Huntington Family, catching him off guard.

Character developments and interactions

• Dago is tempted by the promise of lasting power, but his caution wins out: he doubts the technology’s reliability and suspects hidden costs. He remains focused on his goals and firmly rejects Dairen’s personal offer.
• Lady Dairen shifts from a persuasive negotiator to an intimate seductress, then to a resentful and guarded figure after Dago refuses her. Her knowledge of his search suggests she has leverage beyond the bloodline deal.
• Their conversation moves from business negotiation to a test of Dago’s ambition and boundaries, ending with Dairen redirecting the discussion toward the Huntington Family.

Significant themes

• Power versus risk: Extraordinary strength may require dangerous experimentation and physical change.
• Ambition and restraint: Dago recognizes the appeal of greater power but resists a deal he distrusts.
• The body as a means to power: The chapter presents bloodline alteration as a sacrifice some wizards accept for stronger abilities.
• Manipulation and leverage: Dairen uses promises, intimacy, and finally personal information to influence Dago.

Summary: “Fate and Bloodline”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Madam Deren sends Dago into a dark painting room to meet Lord Avery Huntington, warning him not to deceive the powerful wizard.
• The room’s darkness suppresses Dago’s spiritual perception until a light reveals Avery seated before a magical painting of a young violet-eyed girl.
• The girl emerges from the painting and aggressively questions Dago, but an unseen force pulls her back inside. Dago recognizes her as a young Undine.
• Avery turns toward Dago and overwhelms him with the spiritual pressure of a Third-Ring Wizard. Dago resists using the [Winter Star] Soul Imprint and his Absolute Ice-Cold Domain.
• Dago explains that Undine sent him and delivers her letter. Avery initially criticizes Undine for sending a messenger instead of coming herself, revealing their strained relationship.
• As Avery reads the letter, both he and the painted Undine become emotional. The girl weeps inside the painting, while ice-like tears fall from Avery’s eyes.
• After finishing the letter, Avery’s mood improves. He tells Dago that “fate and bloodline” are forces no one can resist and reveals that the Huntington Family descends from Mappel’s bloodline.
• Because Dago possesses Mappel’s [Winter Star] Soul Imprint, Avery considers him a member of the Huntington Family. He invites Dago to call him “Grandpa.”
• Avery further explains that powerful wizard bloodlines are inherited through rune-like Soul Imprints, whose wills can persist in the Spirit World.
• He examines Dago and discovers that Dago carries traces of all Four Pillars of the Old Ones, though Dago does not know which specific entity is responsible.

Character Developments

• Dago demonstrates courage and composure under the pressure of a Third-Ring Wizard. He learns that his [Winter Star] Soul Imprint is far more significant than he previously understood.
• Dago’s status changes dramatically: he is no longer merely Undine’s student or messenger but is symbolically recognized as part of the Huntington bloodline.
• Avery Huntington shifts from an intimidating, overwhelming presence to a warm and affectionate elder. His reaction to Undine’s letter reveals deep regret, sorrow, and enduring love.
• Undine is shown in a new light through her younger self in the painting. Her childhood image is lively, inquisitive, and overbearing, while her letter suggests unresolved pain and a meaningful connection with Avery.
• Dago begins to understand the importance of his lineage, Soul Imprint, and possible connection to the broader history of the Wizarding World.

Significant Themes

• Fate and bloodline: The chapter emphasizes that inherited power and destiny shape individuals across generations.
• Immortality through spiritual inheritance: Powerful wizard families preserve their identities and wills through Soul Imprints rather than ordinary biological descent alone.
• Reconciliation and family: Avery’s emotional response suggests that Undine’s letter may begin healing their estranged relationship.
• Hidden identity and belonging: Dago discovers that his powers connect him to a powerful family, forcing him to reconsider who he is and where he belongs.
• The vastness of the world: Avery hints that the far south is only a small part of the Wizarding World and that greater civilizations and mysteries exist beyond it.

Character Interactions

• Madam Deren gives Dago a warning that establishes Avery’s authority and danger.
• The young painted Undine confronts Dago with childish curiosity and aggression before Avery restrains her.
• Avery tests Dago through overwhelming spiritual pressure, while Dago responds respectfully but refuses to collapse.
• Dago and Avery discuss Undine, the Huntington name, and Dago’s role as her student.
• Avery’s reading of Undine’s letter creates an emotional connection between the estranged elder and his descendant.
• Avery adopts Dago as family, asking him to call him “Grandpa,” and begins examining his supernatural heritage.

Key plot points

• Dago explains that his solitary apprenticeship may have led him to offend powerful beings in the Spirit World. Avery reassures him that he is safe, but warns him never to sacrifice his soul to one.
• Avery accepts Dago as a blood relative and offers him a place at Ice Thorn Manor. Dago plans to leave for an upcoming ancient secret-realm trial and visit again afterward.
• Avery equips Dago with more than a dozen Second-Ring ice-attribute magical artifacts and reminds him that his inherited mission pits him against the Ice Prison Palace. Because Dago bears the Soul Imprint Winter Star, that enemy may eventually come for him.
• Hearing that Dago wants to undergo Bloodline Transformation, Avery offers to obtain blood essence from a Third-Circle Great Ice Serpent with a trace of Elder Winter Dragon bloodline. He also gives Dago a box containing the Huntington family’s research on the technique.
• Avery declares that Dago is now “half an owner” of Ice Thorn Manor, and orders its residents to obey him while Avery is away.

Character developments and interactions

• Dago grows more comfortable with Avery’s grandfatherly affection, but remains surprised and uneasy at receiving so much help. He accepts the artifacts and research, while recognizing that his new family connection comes with serious obligations.
• Avery shifts from questioning Dago to treating him warmly as family. He both supports Dago’s independence and prepares him for danger, using his wealth and influence to strengthen him.
• Lady Dairen, previously confident as mistress of the manor, appears fearful and restrained around Avery. His sudden elevation of Dago leaves her visibly shocked.

Significant themes

• Family and inheritance: Dago gains protection and status through his Huntington connection, but also inherits Mappel’s mission and its enemies.
• Strength through trial, aided by privilege: Avery praises Dago’s hard-earned toughness while furnishing him with powerful resources and connections.
• Power and responsibility: Dago’s new authority at the manor is an abrupt change, carrying expectations as well as benefits.
• Memory and loss: Avery’s nostalgia for Undine and the closing of the studio suggest that old grief and memories remain sealed away with the room.

Key plot points and events

• Dago studies the Huntington family’s Bloodline Transformation research, including the Frost Element Flesh Imprint: a temporary safeguard that uses an ice-beast’s blood and soul to protect body and soul from the Spirit World’s emotional influence. Repeated use, however, leaves impurities that can damage the soul.
• The Huntington method stores a magical beast’s bloodline in the body as runes and releases it when activated. Earlier experiments often caused physical monstrosity and loss of reason as the beast’s instincts took over.
• The family’s past research, including experiments on its own members, contributed to its decline. Under Avery, the process became more cautious: the bloodline is released gradually, and volunteers—not family members or abducted subjects—serve as test subjects.
• Avery’s revised approach requires pure blood, a strong body, and strong will. Dago believes his Iceflame Blue Demon Body and determination may make him a promising candidate for the rare Elder Winter Dragon bloodline.
• Dago considers accepting the dangerous experiment. He hopes the divine tree could help refine his bloodline repeatedly, but first Avery must obtain the dragon blood. Dago puts the research away and turns to the magical tools Avery gave him.

Character developments and interactions

• Dago approaches the research analytically, criticizing the Huntington family’s earlier methods as guesswork. Though aware of the risks, he is tempted by the potential power and sees the transformation as possibly necessary to restrain the Despair Force within himself.
• Avery emerges as a more responsible and innovative researcher. He improved the procedure, recruited willing volunteers through Lady Dairen, and asked for Dago’s consent rather than assuming he would participate.
• Dago and Avery are connected by both opportunity and obligation: Avery holds the key to obtaining the rare blood, while Dago may be the strongest candidate so far. Avery’s responsibility to Mappel’s mission appears to weigh on him, and Dago recognizes the pressure behind his request.

Significant themes

• Power versus bodily and spiritual cost: Bloodline transformation promises immense strength but risks corruption, deformity, and loss of identity.
• Ethics in experimentation: Avery’s reforms mark a shift away from coercion and family sacrifice toward informed volunteers and controlled trials.
• Knowledge versus uncertainty: Better methods reduce risk but cannot eliminate it, especially when the bloodline is exceptionally rare and poorly understood.
• Control and responsibility: Dago’s possible transformation is not only a path to power; it may also help prevent the Despair Force from turning him into a threat to the wizarding world.

Chapter Summary: Hunting the Great Ice Serpent

Key Plot Points and Events

• Dago examines the Blue Diamond Earring, discovering that it contains an entire six-piece ice-element magical artifact set: the breastplate, shoulder guards, bracers, belt, boots, and headband.
• The set, apparently named “Eternal Night Frostmark,” consists entirely of Second Circle artifacts. Its pieces are connected but can also function independently.
• Dago activates the shoulder guards and experiences a major increase in his perception and control of ice-element energy. He realizes that wearing the complete set could potentially multiply the power of his ice spells by two or three times, with possible additional effects from assembling the full set.
• He stores the artifacts again and enters the Dream Realm through the Dream-Reflecting Phantomglass Orb to continue his magical comprehension.
• Avery returns to the manor and takes Dago with him the following day, carrying him deep into the primal snow forest beyond the Ice Fortress.
• Avery explains that several powerful wizard families have sealed off the area with a runic formation to prevent a Third Circle Great Ice Serpent from escaping. He intends to obtain the serpent’s blood for Dago’s bloodline transplant.
• Avery orders Dago to remain at a safe distance and avoid interfering, emphasizing that the serpent has awakened a trace of Elder Winter Dragon bloodline and is exceptionally dangerous.
• Dago observes the wizard families guarding the hunting area. Though several young Second-Ring Wizards appear highly talented, Avery dismisses them as ordinary by his far higher standards.
• The hunt begins, producing massive explosions, powerful spells, and violent tremors throughout the forest.
• Dago hears the serpent’s terrifying roar and glimpses its enormous, crystal-scaled body. He then realizes that there may be more than one Great Ice Serpent, raising immediate concerns about Avery’s safety.

Character Developments

• Dago gains access to powerful equipment that may dramatically transform his combat strength. He is becoming increasingly aware that elite wizards rely not only on talent and magical ability, but also on exceptional artifacts and equipment.
• His confidence and ambition continue to grow, as he recognizes that he is gradually becoming the powerful wizard he is meant to be.
• Dago also demonstrates caution and maturity by following Avery’s instructions, observing the battle from a distance, and immediately worrying about Avery when the situation appears more dangerous than expected.
• Avery shows deep concern for Dago’s safety and takes extensive precautions to ensure the blood transplant can be performed successfully. His knowledge of the magical beast and the seriousness of his warnings reveal both experience and respect for the serpent’s power.
• Avery’s extremely high standards are highlighted when he regards talented young Second-Ring Wizards as insignificant despite their obvious abilities.

Significant Themes

• Power and preparation: Dago’s new artifact set emphasizes that strength depends not only on innate talent and cultivation, but also on equipment, resources, and preparation.
• Mentorship and protection: Avery acts as both guide and guardian, preparing Dago for advancement while strictly shielding him from unnecessary danger.
• The unknown and hidden potential: The Great Ice Serpent’s unexplained bloodline awakening suggests undiscovered forces, ancient power, or secrets that may yield unexpected rewards.
• The scale of the magical world: Dago is reminded that exceptional young wizards are widespread, while the presence of beings with ancient bloodlines reveals how far beyond ordinary magic the world extends.
• Danger exceeding expectations: The apparent existence of multiple Great Ice Serpents transforms the hunt from a carefully planned operation into a potentially disastrous encounter.

Character Interactions

• Dago reflects on Avery’s generosity when he receives the powerful artifact set, though he also notes that activating all six Second Circle components would be difficult for an ordinary Second-Ring Wizard.
• Avery explains the purpose of the hunt and gives Dago strict instructions to remain nearby but out of danger. Dago respectfully accepts his guidance.
• Avery dismisses the assembled wizard families as mediocre, contrasting his judgment with Dago’s recognition of their considerable talent.
• During the battle, Dago remains an observer rather than a participant, but the sudden appearance of multiple serpents causes him to break from passive curiosity and fear for Avery’s survival.

Chapter Summary: “Black-Robed Assault”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The gathered young heirs discuss the Huntington Family’s unexpected strength, particularly Avery, a powerful Mid-Third Circle wizard. They speculate that Dago, a mysterious Huntington heir favored by Avery, may eventually become influential within the family.
• While the group initially assumes the hunt for the Third-Circle Great Ice Serpent is nearly over, a family wizard warns them that dozens of unidentified Black-Robed Wizards have infiltrated the Rune Magic Array.
• The young heirs argue over whether to reinforce the family wizards defending the perimeter. Their debate reflects both personal interests—especially the desire for the Elder Winter Dragon’s talent—and their obligations under the alliance oath between Ice Fortress’s major families.
• A warning signal sounds, followed by the sudden appearance of the Black-Robed Wizards. One investigating wizard is instantly killed by a black energy attack.
• The Black-Robed Wizards launch a coordinated assault across the area. Their dark-element spells overwhelm the ice wizards, forcing them into retreat.
• A Mid-Second Circle Black-Robed Wizard, nearly at the Late Second Circle, attacks the young heirs’ group and effortlessly destroys their combined spells. The group is terrified and begins considering escape.
• Dago observes the invasion from nearby. Recognizing that the Black-Robed Wizards are highly trained, numerous, and far stronger than the Ice Fortress wizards, he chooses not to intervene and retreats cautiously.
• Dago wonders whether the attackers are targeting the Ice Fortress families or the Great Ice Serpent, and considers warning Avery or moving closer to the main battle.

Character Developments

• Dago: Demonstrates caution and pragmatism. Rather than rushing into an unknown battle, he evaluates the attackers’ strength and withdraws, showing that he prioritizes survival and information over reckless heroism.
• Avery: Although absent from the immediate scene, his reputation and power dominate the young heirs’ discussion. His support of Dago makes Dago a potential political asset.
• The young heirs: Their confidence and relaxed interest in Dago vanish once the Black-Robed Wizards appear. They become divided between self-preservation, family duty, and the pursuit of the Great Ice Serpent’s bloodline.
• The purple-haired girl, Kardashian: Initially portrayed as proud and socially confident, she becomes visibly frightened when confronted by the overwhelming Mid-Second Circle enemy.
• The round-faced silver-haired leader: Tries to organize the group and use his magic tool effectively, but his authority is weakened by the crisis and internal disagreement.
• The Black-Robed Wizards: Revealed as disciplined, mysterious, and overwhelmingly powerful. Their lack of insignia leaves their identity and motives unknown.

Significant Themes

• Sudden disruption of confidence: The characters’ certainty that the hunt is under control collapses when a hidden enemy launches an unexpected assault.
• Pragmatism versus duty: The young heirs struggle over whether to honor their alliance responsibilities or protect themselves and preserve their chance to obtain the Elder Winter Dragon’s talent.
• Power and reputation: Avery’s influence gives Dago political importance even before his abilities are fully understood.
• Hidden threats and uncertainty: The Black-Robed Wizards’ unexplained presence and unknown allegiance create a larger mystery surrounding the hunt.
• Survival in a dangerous world: The chapter emphasizes that even carefully planned magical operations can become lethal without warning.

Character Interactions

• The young heirs analyze Dago’s background and debate whether Kardashian should approach him and recruit him into their social circle.
• Their discussion changes from gossip and matchmaking to urgent strategic disagreement after learning of the Black-Robed invasion.
• The group’s attempted cooperation against the Mid-Second Circle Black-Robed Wizard fails, highlighting the enemy’s superior strength.
• Some members criticize the Huntington Family for retreating, revealing tensions between the allied families.
• Dago remains separate from the group, observing events independently and weighing whether to contact Avery or reposition himself near the central battle.

Chapter Summary: “Battle Situation and Rekindling”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Dago is intercepted by a powerful late-stage Mid-Second Circle Black-Robed Wizard, who identifies him as a priority target on his lord’s orders.
• The enemy unleashes a massive dark-element spell in the form of a shadowy tide. Dago responds with an Animated Ice Crystal technique, creating a huge silver-white crescent blade wreathed in ghostly blue flames.
• Dago’s blade cuts through the dark spell and the wizard’s defensive shields. When the blade begins to destabilize, the Black-Robed Wizard protects himself with black crystal barriers, but Dago follows up immediately.
• Combining two frost-based spell domains—a rotating ice sphere and a razor-sharp ice blade—Dago freezes the Black-Robed Wizard inside an enormous block of ice. The confrontation lasts only two exchanges.
• Dago continues along his original path without slowing, leaving the battlefield stunned. The Ice Fortress family wizards and Black-Robed Wizards alike are shocked by how effortlessly he defeats such a powerful opponent.
• Elsewhere, red-haired Rebecca and the pale, green-haired Ulia observe a major Third Circle battle involving two giant ice snakes, several Third-Ring Wizards, and a Third Circle magical beast.
• Rebecca informs Ulia that the substance he wanted has already been consumed by the ice snakes. Since extracting it would require fighting several Third-Ring Wizards, Ulia abandons the attempt and orders their forces to withdraw.
• Ulia then learns that the young wizard who previously disrupted the Duskblood Council’s plans—and nearly destroyed the Blood Mother while she was an embryo—is present in the area. He recognizes Dago as an intriguing potential opponent and expresses anticipation at seeing the Blood Mother confront him.
• Rebecca reminds Ulia of the danger of overconfidence by invoking Macaulay, an older and more powerful figure. Ulia remains amused and looks forward to the opening of the Mirror Forest, hoping it will provide the challenge he craves.

2. Character Developments

• Dago demonstrates overwhelming combat ability, composure, and precision. He does not alter his course or show fear despite facing a stronger-ranked opponent, treating the battle as a minor interruption.
• His mastery of frost magic has advanced significantly: he can merge multiple spell domains and produce attacks powerful enough to bypass layered defenses and instantly immobilize a Mid-Second Circle wizard.
• The Black-Robed Wizard, initially confident and threatening, quickly becomes alarmed when his spells and defenses are destroyed. His shock and disbelief at the moment of death emphasize the gap between his expectations and Dago’s actual strength.
• Ulia is portrayed as powerful, arrogant, and deeply bored by the lack of worthy challenges. His interest in Dago rekindles his curiosity and suggests that Dago may soon attract the attention of major enemies.
• Rebecca acts as Ulia’s pragmatic counterpart. She provides tactical information, restrains his recklessness, and reminds him that greater powers still exist above him.
• The young members of the Huntington family gain a new perception of Dago, no longer seeing him as merely a newcomer but as an extraordinary combatant.

3. Significant Themes

• Overwhelming strength and hidden potential: Dago’s effortless victory reveals that his apparent status as a newcomer greatly understates his true capabilities.
• Calmness versus intimidation: The Black-Robed Wizard attempts to dominate the encounter through fear and overwhelming pressure, while Dago remains completely focused and emotionally unmoved.
• The danger of underestimating others: The enemy expects Dago to be an ordinary target, but his strength renders the attack meaningless.
• Renewed conflict and destiny: Ulia’s discovery of Dago suggests that past actions are producing new consequences, reconnecting Dago to the Duskblood Council and the Blood Mother.
• Boredom and the search for worthy opponents: Ulia’s dissatisfaction with his current environment contrasts with Dago’s steady progression, establishing the possibility of a future rivalry.
• Power hierarchy: References to Third-Ring Wizards, Macaulay, the Blood Mother, and the Mirror Forest emphasize that, despite Dago’s victory, far greater forces remain in the world.

4. Character Interactions

• Dago and the Black-Robed Wizard engage in a brief but decisive confrontation in which the wizard’s threats and attacks are answered by Dago’s silent, direct violence.
• The nearby young Huntington wizards witness the fight and react with disbelief, their view of Dago changing dramatically.
• Rebecca and Ulia discuss the failed search for the substance inside the giant ice snakes. Their exchange highlights Rebecca’s practicality and Ulia’s willingness to abandon a goal when the cost becomes excessive.
• Ulia shares his excitement about Dago with Rebecca, treating the possibility of the Blood Mother attacking Dago as entertainment. Rebecca counters his arrogance by warning him about stronger figures.
• Their final discussion about the Mirror Forest reinforces Ulia’s desire for danger and meaningful opposition, while also foreshadowing future conflicts involving Dago, the Blood Mother, and the wider magical factions.

Key plot points and events

• Avery returns from the Great Ice Serpent hunt with blood essence for Dago’s Bloodline Transformation. The serpents were already badly weakened when the wizards found them, so their blood essence is poorer than expected. The hunting party kills one and captures two.
• Dago wonders whether the serpents’ condition was connected to the Black-Robed Wizards he encountered. Avery dismisses the idea, saying those wizards from the Dark Crystal Highlands only watched the hunt.
• At Ice Thorn Manor, Avery begins the transformation using nested Rune Magic Arrays and specially prepared serpent blood essence.
• Dago endures intense pain as the runes enter his body and the blood essence travels to his mental space. He condenses it into a [Frost Element] Flesh Imprint and brands it onto his heart, then drinks a stabilizing potion.
• The transformation succeeds spectacularly. Dago gains a blood essence crystal, sharper insight into ice magic, and a powerful aura. His despair-tinged and icy domain auras briefly intertwine, astonishing Avery.

Character developments

• Dago completes his Bloodline Transformation and emerges far more powerful. He senses ice energy more intimately and believes his old ice spells will now be dramatically stronger.
• Avery demonstrates both technical expertise and protective care. His secret method of preparing the blood essence reduces the harm to Dago’s mind and soul; Dago’s unusual breakthrough fills him with pride and joy.

Significant themes

• Transformation and hidden costs: Bloodline magic grants great power but normally risks severe mental and spiritual contamination; Avery’s family technique mitigates that danger.
• Potential and exceptional talent: Dago’s domains nearly merging marks him as an unusually gifted wizard.
• Secrets and uncertainty: The weakened serpents and the Black-Robed Wizards’ presence hint at larger events, while Dago keeps his encounter with them to himself.

Character interactions

• Dago shares his suspicions about the hunt with Avery, who rejects the connection to the Black-Robed Wizards.
• Avery guides Dago through the dangerous transformation and controls the surge of force it produces.
• Afterward, Avery looks at Dago with newfound admiration and affection, while Dago respectfully addresses him as “Grandpa Avery.”

Plot points and events

• After completing his transformation, Dago prepares to leave Ice Fortress for Kletam City, where he must arrive before Mirror Forest opens.
• Avery asks him to stay three more days and teaches him ice-casting techniques and how to wield the Winter Star domain. He also gives Dago a Great Ice Serpent as a magical pet, so Dago can later use its blood essence to maintain his Frost Element Flesh Imprint.
• Dago reflects on the value of learning from the Huntington family’s inherited expertise, especially as he considers how to find the connection between domains for Domain Fusion.
• Back in Kletam City, Bernal has been repairing the unstable Miniature Secret Realm with runes. He receives Dago’s message and leaves to meet him.
• Dago arrives riding the Great Ice Serpent, which has grown rapidly to nearly thirty meters and is approaching Late Second Circle strength. He restrains it with ice-crystal chains and his domains, then forces it down toward the valley. He has sent Bernal instructions about the Huntington bloodline-transformation technique and intends to draw blood from the serpent.

Character developments and interactions

• Dago gains practical instruction and a greater appreciation for inherited knowledge. He is becoming more capable, but controlling the powerful, ancient-blooded serpent remains a struggle.
• Avery acts as mentor and benefactor, passing on family techniques and entrusting Dago with a rare magical beast.
• Bernal continues his work on the secret realm and responds promptly to Dago’s communication, though he is wary of the serpent damaging the fragile space.
• Dago and the serpent have an antagonistic bond: he has spent weeks restraining and provoking it, while it fiercely resents him and looks for chances to retaliate.

Significant themes

• Inherited knowledge versus individual effort: Dago recognizes the value of techniques refined across generations.
• The attraction and danger of ancient power: The serpent’s bloodline offers extraordinary growth and potential, illustrating why wizards pursue ancient inheritances.
• Power and control: Dago’s strength is evident, but keeping the serpent in check requires constant effort—and may carry risks.

Plot points and events

• Dago drives the Great Ice Serpent into a secluded valley, where its natural cold freezes the waterfall and brings on sudden winter. He expects its brief calm to precede another surge in strength.
• Bernal begins preparing a rune array to extract the serpent’s bloodline. Dago brings out the growing God-Prison Blood Tree, hoping it can refine at least a trace of the serpent’s ancient bloodline.
• The serpent fixes its attention on the Blood Tree. Bernal warns that the tree is too fragile to be near such a dangerous creature and suggests Dago tame the serpent with a Master-Servant Pact.
• Before Dago can reply, the serpent breaks free of its crystalline chains and powers up. Dago knocks it away from Bernal’s valley to keep the secret base and bloodline array safe.
• Dago equips half of the Eternal Night Frostmark, greatly boosting his senses and ice magic. The serpent also grows stronger, its rage bringing it into closer harmony with its elder winter dragon bloodline.
• The serpent attacks with blue lightning. Dago counters with his sword, an Ice-Core Cruise Missile, and his Absolute Ice-Cold Domain, but the serpent’s scales and ice resistance withstand nearly everything.
• Dago enters the winter’s-stillness state from his Gray Sun Meditation Method and charges into close combat, using spear and sword techniques. The chapter ends as the two clash, with Dago’s recent progress—especially his improved frost-element Flesh Imprint—set against the serpent’s growing power.

Character developments and interactions

• Dago remains determined to obtain the serpent’s bloodline, but he is careful to protect Bernal’s base and the Blood Tree. He relies on equipment, domain power, physical strength, and close combat rather than ineffective ordinary ice spells.
• Bernal is shocked by the serpent and curious about Dago’s recent discoveries, including the bloodline-transformation technique, but prioritizes setting up the array and warns Dago about the Blood Tree’s vulnerability.
• The Great Ice Serpent shifts from temporary calm to renewed fury and a major power surge. It appears to recognize the Blood Tree as extraordinary and attacks Dago with escalating force.
• Their relationship remains one of violent struggle: Dago tries to subdue the serpent through repeated beatings, while the serpent resists and seeks to devour him.

Significant themes

• Escalation through adversity: Both Dago and the serpent have grown stronger during their prolonged struggle.
• Power has limits: Dago’s specialty in ice magic is largely neutralized by the serpent’s inherited resistance, forcing him to adapt.
• Control versus ferocity: Dago’s attempt to tame and exploit the serpent’s bloodline clashes with the creature’s instinctive resistance.
• Risk and protection: The bloodline experiment offers a valuable opportunity, but the fragile Blood Tree and Bernal’s base make restraint as important as strength.

Chapter Summary: “Master-Servant Recognition”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Dago achieves a breakthrough in fusing his Despair, Ice-Cold, and Sword Domains. The combined domains become denser and more powerful, allowing his ice sword to cut through the Great Ice Serpent’s defenses and inflict serious wounds.
• He repeatedly attacks the serpent with the fused domain power and Mental Force Field, forcing it to retreat. The serpent begins to fear him, realizing that Dago had previously been holding back rather than lacking the power to injure it.
• When Dago demands its submission, the serpent instead unleashes its ancient ferocious nature and prepares to attack. Dago freezes it inside a massive block of ice using Crystal Ice Art combined with his Absolute Ice-Cold Domain.
• Dago collects some of the serpent’s blood for Bernal, who needs it for a purpose not fully explained here. Bernal notes that the blood is ordinary rather than essence blood and is only barely sufficient.
• The serpent suddenly breaks free, emerging stronger and attacking Dago at tremendous speed. Dago is blasted into a mountainside but survives by entering his Despair Blackened State.
• In this transformed state, Dago overwhelms the enhanced serpent physically. He strikes it down, pins it beneath one hand, and repeatedly swings and slams its enormous body into the surrounding forest until it is exhausted and barely capable of resisting.
• After forcing the serpent into submission through sheer violence, Dago performs the Master-Servant Recognition Brand Ritual. However, the contract rune is rejected by the serpent’s pride and explodes. Despite its near-death state, the Great Ice Serpent refuses to acknowledge Dago as its master.

Character Developments

• Dago: Demonstrates a major advancement in his domain fusion, gaining a terrifying new offensive ability. He also reveals the immense physical strength of his Despair Blackened State. His calm, emotionless attitude remains unchanged even while brutally overpowering the serpent. Although he seeks to tame it, his method is domination rather than persuasion.
• Great Ice Serpent: Evolves from a confident, untouchable ancient beast into a wounded but still fiercely proud opponent. It experiences fear and hesitation for the first time, yet its innate dignity and resistance remain intact. Even when nearly beaten to death, it refuses to surrender its identity or submit spiritually.
• Bernal: Acts as an observer and adviser. He recognizes the difficulty of subduing an ancient bloodline and appears shocked by the full extent of Dago’s power, realizing that he has never truly understood his companion.
• Avery: Though absent, Avery’s earlier instruction makes the contract ritual possible, linking this event to Dago’s broader efforts to establish control over the serpent.

Significant Themes

• Power versus submission: Physical superiority can force an opponent to stop resisting, but it cannot necessarily compel genuine loyalty or spiritual submission.
• Pride and ancient bloodlines: The serpent’s refusal emphasizes the dignity, stubbornness, and independence associated with ancient creatures.
• Unrevealed strength: Dago had been capable of injuring the serpent from the beginning but deliberately restrained himself, revealing that his true power is far greater than others understood.
• Companionship and mystery: Bernal’s reaction highlights the distance between fighting alongside Dago and truly knowing him.
• The limits of domination: Dago succeeds in defeating the serpent but fails to complete the contract, suggesting that mastery requires more than overwhelming force.

Character Interactions

• Dago and Bernal discuss the serpent’s difficulty in being tamed, with Bernal warning that greater strength may be needed for complete submission.
• Dago gives Bernal the serpent’s blood, showing cooperation between the two companions despite their differing roles in the battle.
• Dago directly challenges the serpent several times, first asking it to submit and later demanding confirmation after defeating it.
• The serpent answers Dago’s final question with a weak hiss and a touch of its tongue, apparently acknowledging defeat, but its spirit still rejects the formal master-servant contract.
• Bernal watches Dago’s transformation and battle with astonishment, gaining a deeper—though still incomplete—understanding of Dago’s frightening abilities.