Chapter Summaries

Surviving the Fourth Calamity
2432 summaries

Ch. 21Preparing to Be a Boss

Chapter Summary: “Preparing to Be a Boss”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • The Undead girls enter the city after arguing with the guards, complaining that they were treated rudely because of their revealing clothing. Vander reprimands both the guards and the Undead, forcing the girls into the city while trying to maintain order.
  • Falan and Hill discuss how poorly the city’s authorities understand the Undead and their unfamiliar values. Hill predicts that the players will cause even greater trouble in the outer city, especially by staying in cheap inns, attacking criminal groups, and justifying their actions as purging evil or gaining rewards.
  • The Undead tour the city’s temples, openly comparing their appearances, colors, and designs. Their comments deeply offend the paladins and priests, particularly when they criticize the Love Temple’s dark-purple color and mock it as outdated.
  • Falan, Adrian, and Hill flee the temple district in an Alchemical Golem Horse carriage. They learn that William’s captain of the guard is heading toward the disorder, likely to deal with the Undead.
  • Concerned about the players’ increasing presence, Falan orders Adrian to seal the road between the square and the magus tower, using powerful golems to protect the area.
  • The group discusses the economic opportunities created by the Undead. Hill suggests selling unused magical goods to them, especially because players collect unfamiliar objects and possess storage bags capable of holding enormous quantities.
  • Hill decides to remain in the capital and operate a shop rather than stay at his house. He worries that the Perast family may seek his help if they are exiled, but promises to repay the money Count Perast previously gave him if the family is expelled.
  • Falan and Adrian leave Hill at a newly acquired shop on Maple Leaf Street. They provide him with alchemical goods and supplies to sell, including items that were considered too unimportant to store in the magus tower.
  • Hill prepares the shop by stocking shelves with elemental ores, medicines, and miscellaneous magical products. He activates the shop’s magical displays, defenses, and cleaning systems, intending to attract players while keeping the upper floor as a warehouse.

Character Developments

  • Hill demonstrates growing awareness of the players’ behavior and values. Rather than merely fearing their chaos, he recognizes their potential as customers and begins thinking like a merchant. His decision to open a shop marks a shift toward becoming an active economic participant in the capital.
  • Falan acts as a practical authority figure, trying to manage the consequences of the Undead’s arrival. He establishes defensive measures and supports Hill’s business venture while maintaining a skeptical, sometimes teasing attitude toward him.
  • Adrian remains a dutiful and capable apprentice, carrying out Falan’s orders and assisting Hill. His humorous reactions to the banter between Hill and Falan reveal his familiarity with both of them.
  • Vander shows the burden of managing the Undead. He understands that their behavior is driven by ignorance rather than deliberate malice, but must still restrain them and prevent conflict with ordinary citizens.
  • The Undead players are portrayed as outspoken, irreverent, and culturally incompatible with the city. Their unfamiliar clothing, casual treatment of sacred spaces, and focus on screenshots and appearances create both comedy and social tension.
  • Hill’s attitude toward the Perast family becomes clearer. He wants to avoid involvement but still intends to honor his past financial obligations and his father’s promise regarding the family’s money and dowry.

Significant Themes

  • Cultural misunderstanding: The chapter emphasizes the enormous gap between the Undead players’ modern, game-influenced values and the traditional society of the magical world.
  • Chaos and social disruption: The players unintentionally challenge established ideas about clothing, religion, public order, and class. Their sheer numbers threaten to overwhelm existing institutions.
  • Adaptation and opportunism: While many authorities focus on containing the Undead, Hill recognizes that their presence creates commercial opportunities. He adapts instead of resisting them outright.
  • Religion and commercialization: The players treat temples as tourist attractions, judging them by appearance and personal taste rather than reverence. This highlights how sacred institutions can be misunderstood and commodified.
  • Power and governance: Falan and the city’s officials attempt to maintain order through barriers, golems, and strict supervision, but the chapter suggests that traditional methods will not be enough to control the players.
  • Family responsibility and repayment: Hill’s concern over the Perast family reflects his continuing connection to his father’s promises, even though he wishes to avoid becoming involved in their troubles.

Character Interactions

  • Vander scolds the Undead girls for provoking the guards while also criticizing the guards for mishandling people they do not understand.
  • Falan and Hill exchange cynical observations about the city’s inability to control the players. Hill’s insight into player behavior contrasts with Falan’s more conventional approach.
  • Falan orders Adrian to secure the area around the magus tower, showing their hierarchical but cooperative relationship.
  • Hill jokes with Falan and Adrian about being a “poor” Archmage supported by wealthy patrons, while they tease him about his expensive tower and new business.
  • Hill, Falan, and Adrian discuss the Perast family, revealing their differing concerns: Hill wants distance, while Falan and Adrian point out that the family may still seek assistance.
  • Adrian and Falan each give Hill magical goods and financial support for the shop, treating him affectionately while Hill insists that he does not need to be patronized.
  • By the chapter’s end, Hill is left independently managing the shop, ready to profit from the players’ arrival and the upheaval they are causing.
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Ch. 22Dealing with Players, Day One (Part 1)

Summary: “The First Day Dealing with Players, Part 1”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Hill prepares and opens his temporary alchemy shop in the capital, arranging furniture from his Alchemy Hut in a three-floor apartment.
  • He observes the growing influence of players, including their new fashion items and unusual outfits, and expects them to quickly discover his shop.
  • A guild led by the bald man and Xiao Liuliu becomes the first major group of customers. They are especially interested in Hill’s alchemical jewelry and potions.
  • Xiao Liuliu prioritizes buying medicine for the guild’s supplies, while the bald man worries that Hill’s shop is only open temporarily and urges the guild to purchase everything before it disappears.
  • Hill reveals that his shop’s products will not normally be available in the capital, making them limited-time goods. The guild immediately begins mobilizing its members.
  • Hill introduces alchemical puppets controlled by a low-grade magic-tower core. He explains how the core works, its limitations, and its high operating cost.
  • As more players arrive, Hill offers item appraisals and purchases of miscellaneous goods. He explains that alchemists can identify materials and uses more accurately than ordinary adventurers.
  • The guild organizes itself efficiently, controlling the entrance, managing the queue, recording items, and photographing Hill’s explanations.
  • Hill begins appraising Monster Cores, explaining their uses in potion-making and meditation. He clarifies that priests do not need them because they cultivate divine grace through churches.

Character Developments

  • Hill adapts to operating a shop and dealing directly with players. Although he finds their behavior chaotic and embarrassing, he becomes increasingly interested in their social dynamics and commercial habits.
  • Hill’s need to interact with ordinary people reflects his effort to preserve his human side and resist becoming detached or “beastly” through his Sorcerer nature.
  • A Deer demonstrates practical intelligence by recognizing the value of Hill’s potions and contacting her guild members. She also remains outspoken and irreverent.
  • The bald guild leader is impulsive, enthusiastic, and focused on obtaining rare goods before other guilds can buy them. His tendency to swear repeatedly causes problems because of the game’s penalties.
  • Xiao Liuliu acts as the guild’s responsible financial manager. She prioritizes medicine and guild necessities over luxury items, while also keeping her husband under control.
  • The guild members show strong teamwork, though their competition over the queue reveals the intense rivalry and individualism among players.

Significant Themes

  • Humanity versus inhumanity: Hill’s daily chores and social interactions are presented as important safeguards against losing his human emotions and becoming too detached.
  • Commerce and scarcity: The temporary nature of Hill’s shop creates urgency, encouraging players to buy in bulk and conceal the opportunity from rival guilds.
  • Player behavior and game mentality: Players treat the fantasy world as a game, focusing on optimization, guild resources, rare items, fashion, and exploiting limited-time opportunities.
  • Knowledge and expertise: Hill’s alchemical understanding gives him authority and economic value, while players rely on him to interpret unfamiliar items and systems.
  • Love and companionship: Hill’s observation of the bald man and Xiao Liuliu’s bickering relationship evokes nostalgia. Their ordinary affection contrasts with Hill’s belief that his own heightened sensitivity and nature make romance unlikely.
  • Competition and cooperation: The players coordinate effectively as a guild but also compete among themselves and worry about rival groups such as Doomsday’s Tingfeng.

Character Interactions

  • Hill awkwardly handles the female players’ flirtatious comments and attempts to pair him romantically with others, maintaining a stern and professional appearance.
  • He explains the shop’s crystals, jewelry, potions, puppets, and magic core to the players, establishing himself as both merchant and instructor.
  • The bald man and Xiao Liuliu argue over spending priorities, mounts, guild finances, and the man’s repeated swearing, revealing their familiar marital dynamic.
  • The bald man questions Hill about the shop’s puppets and magic core, while Hill provides a detailed explanation of their function and cost.
  • Players ask Hill about appraisal, Monster Cores, meditation, and priestly advancement. His answers expand their understanding of the world’s magical systems.
  • The guild members cooperate to buy goods, record Hill’s explanations, protect the entrance, and ensure absent members receive the information later.
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Ch. 23The First Day of Dealing with Players, Part Two

Chapter Summary: The First Day of Dealing with Players, Part Two

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Hill realizes that the visitors are members of the Undead player faction and continues serving them despite his surprise.
  • He explains the uses and values of various materials, including crystal cores and ores, while a golem calculates purchase prices.
  • The players discover that they have been selling goods cheaply because they misunderstood how the different shops operate:
    • The general store buys all types of materials.
    • The weapon shop only buys materials it can use.
    • Military equipment is more expensive because of production and labor costs.
  • Demon Sword insults the army’s quartermaster and is immediately struck by divine lightning. The others explain that this is punishment from the Lord of Time and Space.
  • A Deer reveals that two ores she casually mined are Golden Glimmerstone, an extremely valuable resource found near the capital. Hill urges her to report the location to William’s captain of the guard rather than mine it herself, hoping she will gain political merit and avoid danger.
  • Hill purchases large quantities of clothing from Dream Awake, Don’t See You, insisting on black-and-white outfits. The players cooperate by dividing the purchases among themselves.
  • The players spend the entire morning buying goods and eventually nearly empty Hill’s shop. After they leave, Hill discovers that they had secretly changed the shop sign to “Closed” to prevent other players from entering while they monopolized the store.
  • More players arrive in the afternoon, while Hill rests and allows them to photograph him.
  • At night, Hill restocks potions, jewelry, tents, and other goods. He adds luxury items such as Alchemy Huts, ornate alchemical carriages, campfire cooking racks, and an alchemical refrigerator, realizing that players may buy items simply because they enjoy them, regardless of practicality or cost.

Character Developments

  • Hill becomes increasingly aware that the players are unpredictable, commercially motivated, and poorly informed about the local world. Although overwhelmed by them, he begins adapting his shop to their preferences.
  • A Deer is shown to be an enthusiastic but careless miner. She possesses valuable Golden Glimmerstone without realizing its importance, highlighting the players’ unusual luck and lack of common knowledge.
  • Dream Awake, Don’t See You demonstrates fashion sense, business ability, and loyalty to his group. He quickly negotiates the clothing sale and coordinates with the others to fulfill Hill’s large order.
  • Demon Sword remains reckless and vulgar, provoking divine punishment. His gaudy red clothing also contrasts with Hill’s preference for understated black and white.
  • Xiao Liuliu acts as a polite representative of the group but also participates in their clever trick of keeping the shop closed to outsiders.
  • The bald man appears responsible and diplomatic, promising to report the Golden Glimmerstone discovery to the proper authorities.

Significant Themes

  • Cultural and economic misunderstanding: The players misunderstand the shop system, prices, military supply chains, and the value of resources, while Hill struggles to interpret their behavior.
  • Player consumerism and commercial opportunity: The Undead purchase goods based on preference, vanity, novelty, and convenience rather than conventional practicality. Hill begins recognizing the enormous market they represent.
  • Knowledge as power: Hill understands the importance of Golden Glimmerstone, while A Deer and the others do not. Their lack of local knowledge creates both opportunities and dangers.
  • Adaptation and improvisation: Hill must rapidly change his business strategy, stocking luxury and unusual products that he once believed would never sell.
  • Outsider perspectives: Both Hill and the players view each other as strange. The players treat the fantasy world like a game, while Hill tries to understand their systems, tablets, divine punishments, and purchasing habits.
  • Hidden cleverness: Though the players often seem ignorant, they are resourceful, as shown by their manipulation of the shop sign and coordinated buying strategy.

Character Interactions

  • Hill patiently instructs the players about material prices and shop functions, correcting their mistaken assumptions.
  • He questions Demon Sword about military equipment, leading to the lightning punishment and an awkward explanation from the bald man.
  • Hill advises A Deer and the bald man about reporting the Golden Glimmerstone deposit to William.
  • He negotiates with Dream Awake, Don't See You for clothing and encourages him to supply multiple black-and-white outfits.
  • Xiao Liuliu thanks Hill for his help and asks whether new goods will arrive, while the bald man promises to contact the captain of the guard.
  • After the players leave, Hill recognizes how they outmaneuvered him by quietly controlling access to the store, prompting him to reconsider how carefully he must deal with them.
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Ch. 24The Second Day of Dealing with Players

Chapter Summary: “The Second Day of Dealing with Players”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

  • Hill wakes refreshed after an unusually deep sleep, but his mood collapses when he sees a massive queue outside his shop. Word of the shop’s valuable goods has spread among the players.
  • To control the crowds, Hill changes the Shop Core’s rules: only thirty people may enter at once, each customer has thirty minutes, and another entrance is opened. He decides to buy only ores, herbs, and other materials rather than perform appraisals.
  • Perfect Baldhead’s guild is among the first customers. Hill discovers that they now know his true identity as “Mr. Hill” and playfully confronts Perfect Baldhead about using a fake feminine voice.
  • The guild discusses establishing a territory near Hill’s Mage Tower and participating in the conflicts surrounding Hephasaldo and the God of Nobility and Sovereignty. Hill realizes that more than a million players have registered for William’s coronation, with as many as half a million expected at once.
  • Jijiyaya asks Hill about learning proper alchemy. Hill offers to introduce him to a powerful Alchemist in his territory, though he privately struggles with jealousy over Jijiyaya’s rapid advancement.
  • Jijiyaya reveals that he found a rare herb called Saintess’s Tears. Hill explains that it can save someone from death and may be worth millions of Elemental Crystals, though the actual sale price will be limited by player taxes and market conditions.
  • Jijiyaya chooses to sell the herb to Hill despite the possibility of obtaining more at auction. Hill has him wait while arranging the transaction.
  • Hill summons a Nature Companion, a white peregrine falcon named Cohen, and sends a message to Adrian. He hopes the valuable herb can help Adrian’s family and prevent Adrian from being burdened by his noble obligations when he eventually advances to Legendary.

2. Character Developments

  • Hill becomes increasingly practical and strategic in dealing with the players. He establishes firm shop regulations, limits appraisals, and uses fixed purchase prices to preserve his time and sanity.
  • Hill’s humanity remains important to him. He enjoys the comfort of sleep and is frustrated by the players’ disruptive behavior, but he also recognizes their usefulness and tries to treat them as tools rather than emotional equals.
  • Hill’s jealousy toward Jijiyaya’s rapid progress briefly resurfaces, especially because the Undead player has already reached the Magus level. Nevertheless, Hill suppresses his resentment and offers genuine help with alchemy.
  • Perfect Baldhead is shown as shameless, opportunistic, and socially adaptable. He tries to charm Hill, seeks strategic information about territory and war, and immediately focuses on the commercial value of the shop.
  • Jijiyaya develops from a frequent customer into a serious potential student of alchemy and a successful adventurer. His discovery of Saintess’s Tears demonstrates the players’ ability to uncover rare resources through sheer numbers.
  • Xiao Liuliu acts as the group’s practical organizer and information manager, communicating with players outside the shop, photographing price lists, and explaining the tax system.
  • Hill’s bond with Cohen, the peregrine falcon, gives him a new and unexpectedly helpful companion. Hill is relieved that his summoned companion is not a dangerous or inconvenient animal.

3. Significant Themes

  • The burden of player knowledge and mass activity: The players’ ability to spread information creates overwhelming crowds and threatens to destabilize Hill’s carefully managed life.
  • Humanity versus utility: Hill repeatedly reminds himself to view the players as tools, yet his jealousy, irritation, humor, and concern show that he still reacts to them emotionally.
  • Economic value and exploitation: Saintess’s Tears illustrates the difference between an item’s true value, its market price, and the amount an adventurer actually receives after taxation.
  • Power through numbers: Jijiyaya’s discovery of a priceless herb and the enormous attendance planned for William’s coronation show how players’ sheer population can alter political, military, and economic events.
  • Religion and divine conflict: The players’ irreverent references to the God of Nobility and Sovereignty may provoke the Noble Temple, suggesting that their lack of restraint could trigger a major conflict.
  • Legacy and long-term responsibility: Hill’s concern for Adrian highlights the tension between family obligations and personal advancement, especially when long-lived characters must plan for centuries rather than ordinary human lifetimes.

4. Character Interactions

  • Hill and Perfect Baldhead trade jokes and insults, with Hill exposing Perfect Baldhead’s artificial voice while Perfect Baldhead attempts to flatter and negotiate with him.
  • Hill and Jijiyaya have a more complex relationship: Hill is envious of Jijiyaya’s advancement but still offers to arrange his alchemy education. Jijiyaya, in turn, trusts Hill’s expertise and seeks his advice about the rare herb.
  • The guild members cooperate closely, sharing information, photographing prices, and organizing purchases under Xiao Liuliu’s direction.
  • Hill discusses territorial expansion and possible military involvement with Perfect Baldhead, carefully withholding the exact location of his own territory.
  • Hill explains the political danger of attacking or insulting the God of Nobility and Sovereignty, while the players treat the subject casually and irreverently.
  • Hill’s interaction with Cohen is affectionate and grateful, marking the beginning of a useful companion relationship.
  • Through the message sent to Adrian, Hill attempts to support him indirectly and protect his future from the obligations imposed by his family.
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Ch. 25Hill Watching Drama Online, Part 1

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

  • The influx of players continues, with many following the baldhead group to Hill’s shop to sell items. Jijiyaya maliciously delays them through commands, causing their shop time to expire; Hill then ejects them while they curse in frustration.
  • Adrian arrives to inspect the source of the valuable goods being sold and takes Jijiyaya upstairs. He rewards Jijiyaya with a library pass and permission to study alchemy in the Mage Tower, provoking the baldhead group’s enemies.
  • After closing, Adrian celebrates privately with Hill. He is relieved that his personal affairs have returned to his control and plans to refine Saintess’s Smile into potions for his father and brother.
  • Hill explains how he acquired the valuable item: he carefully negotiated rather than offering an obviously excessive price, knowing the player seller might hold out for more money or attract troublesome competitors.
  • Adrian and Hill discuss the growing number of Undead players. More than a million reportedly want to come, with William expected to admit at least five hundred thousand. Their hostility toward the temples—and their ability to insult Rose without divine punishment—makes Adrian fear an imminent conflict between Salar and Hephasaldo.
  • Adrian rushes back to inform his teacher, while Hill encourages him to stock the shop with potions and other goods. Adrian fills the medicine cabinets and warehouse with his own products, recognizing how wealthy the Undead players are.
  • Hill restocks jewelry made by Melanie, whose alchemical accessories are especially useful to player Mages. He also notices that even extremely expensive alchemical carriages are selling quickly, suggesting that players value appearance and prestige over practicality.
  • On the third day, Hill deliberately dresses more coldly and formally, hoping players will assume the baldhead group has monopolized all hidden quests. This seems to work: new groups begin cautiously probing him for information.
  • A player named Lu Huayu politely offers to gather materials for Hill, but Hill immediately senses that he and his companions are manipulative and connected to the baldhead group’s rivals.

Character Developments

  • Hill becomes increasingly calculating and commercially confident. He manipulates appearances, controls information, and uses the players’ assumptions to protect himself from unwanted attention. He also gains faith in the shop’s profitability as player demand grows.
  • Adrian experiences a major emotional release after regaining control of his life. He becomes more openly affectionate and appreciative toward Hill, though his drinking makes his emotions unusually direct. His concern about the Undead shifts him quickly from personal celebration to political urgency.
  • Jijiyaya grows more confident and provocative after receiving Adrian’s favor. He openly boasts about his library access and alchemy privileges to irritate his enemies.
  • Melanie’s talent and wealth are placed in contrast with Adrian’s financial resources. Though she owns fewer crystal coins, she has invested heavily in gemstones and alchemical jewelry.
  • The player factions become more divided. The baldhead group is powerful enough to attract followers and dominate rumors, while rival groups—including Lu Huayu’s refined but suspicious faction—seek their own advantages.

Significant Themes

  • Economic power and negotiation: Hill’s success depends on understanding player psychology, pricing, taxes, scarcity, and competition.
  • Information control and reputation: Hill deliberately cultivates a mysterious, intimidating image while allowing players to draw their own conclusions about hidden quests.
  • The disruptive nature of the Undead: Their numbers, wealth, irreverence toward the gods, and hostility to the temples threaten to destabilize relations between nations and divine factions.
  • Friendship and mutual support: Adrian’s gratitude and Hill’s practical help reveal a strong bond, with each supporting the other through personal and financial difficulties.
  • Appearance versus practicality: Players eagerly purchase expensive open-top carriages and fashionable goods, demonstrating that prestige and style can outweigh usefulness.
  • Factional rivalry: Player groups form alliances and enemies based on quests, resources, and perceived favoritism, creating conflicts that extend into Hill’s shop.

Character Interactions

  • Hill and Jijiyaya share a humorous but morally questionable scheme to waste rival players’ time.
  • Adrian rewards Jijiyaya and encourages his magical development, strengthening Jijiyaya’s loyalty while provoking his enemies.
  • Adrian thanks Hill for securing the valuable item and affectionately calls him more capable, while Hill responds with practical concern about Adrian’s drinking and safety.
  • Hill and Adrian debate the Undead threat, with Hill emphasizing their fearlessness toward the gods and Adrian realizing the potential scale of the coming conflict.
  • Adrian stocks Hill’s shop with goods and advises Hill to socialize more, while Hill reassures him that his business is thriving.
  • Hill rejects Lu Huayu’s overly polite offer of assistance, immediately recognizing the tension and hidden motives behind the interaction.
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Ch. 26Hill Eats Melons Online, Part Two

Chapter Summary: Hill Eats Melons Online, Part Two

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Hill observes the increasingly bitter competition among players after the recent battles. Rival factions are using the shop not only to trade but also to spy, gather information, and undermine one another.
  • Lu Huayu enters early and behaves politely toward Hill, but Hill realizes he is highly calculating. Lu’s apparent friendliness contrasts with the Doomsday players’ more direct and aggressive methods.
  • Doomsday members deliberately follow Baldhead’s group to record their purchases. Baldhead buys healing and mana supplies, while his enemies taunt and obstruct his guild members rather than conducting business themselves.
  • Baldhead’s group occupies the shop’s goods-collection puppet for the remainder of the time limit, apparently wasting time to prevent others from using it. Hill remains puzzled by how much effort the players devote to spite and sabotage.
  • Rumors spread that Baldhead has received a hidden quest from Hill. Players try to gain Hill’s favor, question him about Jijiyaya, and investigate Baldhead’s relationship with the shop. Hill pretends to be cold and unhelpful, maintaining his mysterious NPC persona.
  • Many players bring Hill rare materials in hopes of starting conversations or obtaining quests. Hill buys these materials at high prices and adds them to his alchemy inventory, realizing that player discoveries will soon make rare resources widely available.
  • Hill plans to return to the Mage Tower before the truth about his shop and clothing spreads too far. He expects the coming Battle of Hephasaldo to redirect player attention and believes Baldhead’s family will gain territory and establish a useful example for future players.
  • As the shop begins closing, wealthy players purchase luxury goods, including jewelry, carriages, and an Alchemy Hut. Hill is especially impressed by one silent, extremely wealthy girl who spends over a million gold coins.
  • Romantic Drunk on the Red Dust arrives with Qian Yuyu and Qu Qingyan, but the two women focus on shopping and ignore him. He retreats to a corner with his tablet, unintentionally positioning himself to overhear important information.
  • Lu Huayu returns and privately meets Liang Xingzhu, revealing that she has been secretly passing him information about Baldhead’s faction. Their conversation exposes Lu’s romantic manipulation and his faction’s efforts to discover Baldhead’s hidden quest.
  • Lu and Liang discuss merit rankings, territory rewards, and their plan to marry if Lu secures territory. Lu also instructs Liang to befriend Baldhead’s guild members and extract more information.
  • Romantic Drunk secretly records the conversation and leaves immediately to inform Baldhead’s family. The two girls later receive a summons and depart before Liang can establish a deeper connection with them.
  • Hill closes the shop, overwhelmed by the gossip he has overheard and envious that Romantic Drunk will become the center of attention after exposing the espionage.

Character Developments

  • Hill: Becomes increasingly skilled at observing and manipulating player behavior. He deliberately acts like a cold, unhelpful NPC to preserve his mystery while benefiting from players’ attempts to investigate him. He also develops a strong fascination with player gossip and scheming.
  • Lu Huayu: Is revealed to be an intelligent strategist who combines politeness, surveillance, factional rivalry, and romantic manipulation. He presents himself as affectionate and reassuring while treating Liang as an information source.
  • Liang Xingzhu: Appears gentle, shy, and morally conflicted, but is actively betraying Baldhead’s faction by feeding information to Lu. Her emotional attachment to Lu makes her vulnerable to his influence.
  • Baldhead: Remains an important target of rival factions because of his unexplained rise in merit and suspected hidden quest. He is also shown to be financially strained and focused on supporting new guild members.
  • Romantic Drunk on the Red Dust: Initially appears like an ignored “tool” accompanying two women, but his passive position allows him to overhear and record the most valuable intelligence of the chapter. His role shifts from comic outsider to potentially important informant.
  • Qian Yuyu and Qu Qingyan: Treat Romantic Drunk mainly as a guide and quickly abandon him once they begin shopping, showing their independence and lack of romantic interest in him.
  • Jijiyaya and A Deer: Remain central to player speculation because of their connection to the original discovery of the shop’s treasures and possible hidden quests.

Significant Themes

  • Information as power: Players compete not only through combat but through surveillance, rumor, spying, recording conversations, and manipulating relationships.
  • Factional rivalry and betrayal: The chapter emphasizes how temporary alliances and personal feelings are subordinated to competition for merit and territory.
  • The absurdity of player behavior: Hill cannot understand why players willingly waste time and resources simply to inconvenience rivals, highlighting the gap between NPC logic and player motivations.
  • Mystery and controlled information: Hill deliberately preserves his enigmatic identity, while players try to decode his behavior and uncover his connections to Baldhead.
  • Romance as manipulation: Lu and Liang’s affectionate conversation mixes genuine-seeming intimacy with strategic exploitation, blurring the line between love and factional loyalty.
  • Economic opportunity: Hill benefits from player competition by acquiring rare materials, expanding his inventory, and profiting from wealthy customers.

Important Character Interactions

  • Hill and Lu Huayu interact politely, but Hill recognizes Lu’s concealed calculations.
  • Doomsday players shadow Baldhead’s group and antagonize them through surveillance and deliberate obstruction.
  • Players repeatedly question Hill about Baldhead, Jijiyaya, and possible hidden quests, but Hill refuses to cooperate.
  • Lu and Liang exchange affectionate promises while discussing espionage, merit rankings, Baldhead’s quest, and their future marriage.
  • Lu instructs Liang to approach Baldhead’s guild members, making their romantic relationship part of a broader intelligence operation.
  • Romantic Drunk overhears and records Lu and Liang’s conversation, then leaves to expose the betrayal to Baldhead’s faction.
  • Hill privately reacts to all of this with excitement, frustration, and amusement, but must suppress his feelings to continue appearing like an ordinary, detached NPC.
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Ch. 27At Last, They Fought

Chapter Summary: “Finally, They Fought”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

  • Hill waits late into the night for Falan and Adrian, growing concerned when neither arrives. He concludes that outsiders must have prevented Falan from coming.
  • A massive explosion destroys the inner-city gate as players pour toward the outer city. Hill realizes that the gangs’ recent harassment of players has finally escalated into open conflict.
  • The gangs had mistaken the players’ earlier restraint for weakness. After attacking low-level players—especially vulnerable swordsmen and women—they provoke a much larger retaliation from the entire player population.
  • The players treat the conflict as a regional quest, while Hill recognizes the deeper social reality: the gangs are involved in violence, trafficking, exploitation, and abuse.
  • Because the gangs and their noble supporters are now marked as enemies, the players launch a sweeping purge of the outer city. William deploys the Royal Guard, allows the players to fight their way outward, and restricts movement through the city gates.
  • By morning, guild representatives rush to Hill’s shop to replenish enormous quantities of healing and mana potions. Hill and Adrian repeatedly restock the shop as the players continue fighting.
  • Adrian reports that Pall Street has been completely destroyed and that players are excavating neighboring streets and underground levels to find their enemies.
  • The players also search the inner city for fugitives hiding in noble estates. A Sky Knight who attempts to intervene is killed instantly by a massive fireball attack from hundreds of Archmages.
  • Hill learns that the players’ enormous consumption of potions has created a major economic opportunity. Even expensive alchemical products and stat-enhancing potions are being purchased rapidly.
  • Adrian begins to explain how the battle started, but the chapter ends before the full story is told.

2. Character Developments

  • Hill becomes more reflective and emotionally aware. Waiting for Falan reminds him of his mother’s advice and of the regret that comes from losing something precious. He also shows increasing sympathy for victims of exploitation and disgust toward the nobles and gangs who enable it.
  • Hill demonstrates his practical adaptability by abandoning his earlier refusal to restock potions. He recognizes the players’ needs and actively supports them, while also taking satisfaction in the destruction of the gangs.
  • Adrian arrives exhausted and hungry after participating in or observing the conflict. His surprise at the players’ strength and resource consumption shows that even experienced natives are beginning to understand how formidable the Undead are.
  • William is portrayed as politically shrewd and willing to exploit the situation. By supporting the players and deploying the Royal Guard, he permits the gangs and their noble associates to be eliminated while maintaining order.
  • The players shift from cautious observers to a unified, relentless force. Their collective anger over the mistreatment of fellow players overrides factional competition and drives them to pursue every enemy.

3. Significant Themes

  • Collective solidarity: Players may compete among themselves, but they unite completely when outsiders attack one of their own.
  • Justice and vengeance: The conflict becomes more than a quest; it is a violent reckoning against gangs, traffickers, abusive nobles, and those who shelter them.
  • The clash between game logic and real suffering: Players interpret the violence as a quest or random event, while Hill understands the genuine human misery behind it.
  • Power and political opportunism: Nobles underestimate the players because they view them as mercenaries, failing to recognize their shared identity and military strength. William uses this misunderstanding to his advantage.
  • Modern moral awareness: Hill and the players react with disgust to trafficking, sexual exploitation, and institutional cruelty, contrasting their values with the normalized brutality of the surrounding society.
  • Economic consequences of war: The battle consumes huge quantities of supplies, turning Hill’s shop into a vital military resource and demonstrating the players’ extraordinary purchasing power.

4. Character Interactions

  • Hill waits anxiously for Falan and Adrian, showing his concern for people close to him.
  • Hill and Adrian exchange teasing remarks over lunch. Adrian criticizes Hill’s habit of storing meals magically, while Hill jokes about the devastation caused by the players.
  • Adrian reports the battle’s escalation, William’s involvement, and the players’ destruction of Pall Street and several noble estates.
  • Hill and Adrian cooperate closely to restock the potion shop, with Hill directing the operation and Adrian handling much of the physical work.
  • Their conversation reveals both admiration and unease toward the players: they are fascinated by their strength, alarmed by their numbers, and increasingly aware that the Undead cannot be treated as ordinary hired adventurers.
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Ch. 28The Result of Players Losing Their Tempers Online

Chapter Summary: “The Result of Players Losing Their Tempers Online”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Hill and Adrian discuss the Nofa Family’s involvement in abducting and abusing Undead women. The Nofa heir had previously attempted to assault an Undead woman and was severely beaten by a group of Undead girls.
  • The Nofa Family retaliates by placing bounties on Undead women—offering even higher rewards for the specific girls involved in the earlier incident.
  • Criminal gangs drug and kidnap roughly a dozen Undead women from cheap inns in the outer city. When the Nofa heir attempts to molest them, divine lightning strikes him.
  • The Undead initially fight to escape, but the conflict expands when they discover that Pall Street contains underground prisoners, including kidnapped children and noble girls.
  • A worldwide call for help brings large numbers of Undead to the battle. They destroy buildings, kill or drive out the gangs, demolish the city gates when authorities refuse to open them, and eventually clear six streets around Pall Street.
  • William’s forces move in to take control of the area. The Nofa Family is stripped of its noble title after it is discovered that a count’s child was among the rescued captives and the family’s Sky Knight is killed.
  • Pall Street is destroyed and will be replaced by a grand cathedral, suggesting William is strengthening his religious and political presence.
  • The Undead prepare to establish a permanent territory in a southern border city, where they can participate in the war and earn merit. Their family will be called Black Rose, with an emblem combining a black rose and weapons.
  • Falan returns to Hill’s shop and supplies high-grade alchemy potions after the Undead rapidly purchase nearly all available goods. The chapter ends with confirmation that William’s forces have crippled the capital’s underworld.

Character Developments

  • A Deer reveals herself as cheerful, generous, and remarkably matter-of-fact about the violence. She views the rescue operation as both a moral mission and an opportunity to earn rewards and merit.
  • Hill acts as an amused mediator and information gatherer. He is impressed by the Undead’s effectiveness but frequently finds their behavior and customs absurd.
  • Adrian continues to serve as the practical and knowledgeable voice, explaining local magical practices and criticizing the Undead’s lack of preparation, especially their reliance on staffs and physical combat.
  • The bald Undead leader demonstrates enthusiasm and confidence in establishing the Black Rose territory. His group’s unfamiliarity with local customs creates humorous misunderstandings.
  • Falan appears exhausted but remains influential and pragmatic. By releasing his high-grade potions, he recognizes the Undead as wealthy and valuable customers.
  • William is shown as decisive and politically shrewd: he uses the Nofa Family’s crimes as justification to eliminate both a corrupt noble house and much of the capital’s criminal underworld.

Significant Themes

  • Consequences of uncontrolled retaliation: The Nofa Family’s attempt at revenge triggers a much larger uprising that destroys its power and territory.
  • Justice versus disorder: The Undead act outside normal legal structures, but their violence exposes crimes that the authorities ignored and ultimately produces a form of justice.
  • Economic power and merit: The Undead treat battles, rescues, territory, and even shopping as systems through which they can earn rewards, wealth, and political influence.
  • Cultural misunderstanding: Differences between the Undead’s game-like habits and the world’s established magical traditions create repeated comic conflicts, particularly over staffs, hammers, potions, and equipment.
  • Political transformation: The destruction of Pall Street and the Nofa Family allows William to consolidate control over the capital while preparing for war and expanding his religious authority.
  • Community and collective action: The worldwide call for help demonstrates the Undead’s strong communication network and willingness to mobilize quickly for vulnerable members and rescued children.

Character Interactions

  • Hill and Adrian exchange gossip about the Nofa Family before A Deer arrives to explain what really happened.
  • A Deer’s innocent account of mass fighting contrasts with Hill and Adrian’s more cautious understanding of political consequences.
  • Adrian and the bald Undead leader debate magical equipment, exposing differences between local practices and the Undead’s habits.
  • Hill humorously manages the Undead’s disruptive behavior, including their tendency to flip the shop’s sign and effectively close the store.
  • Falan’s return shifts the scene from conversation to commerce as the Undead eagerly purchase his attribute-enhancing potions.
  • Hill, Adrian, and Falan interpret the fall of the Nofa Family as both a punishment for its crimes and a major political victory for William.
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Ch. 29Players with Money

Chapter Summary: “Players with Money”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Falan’s strength-enhancing potions prove extremely popular with the Undead players. The bald man realizes that players can use them several times and eagerly offers to buy large quantities for his guild.
  • Falan places additional strength, mana, and stamina potions on sale, while Hill and Adrian manage the crowd and enforce purchasing limits.
  • The bald man’s group quickly buys a large stock, apparently intending to distribute or resell the potions. They secure the shop and carefully control entry to prevent rivals from taking advantage of the limited supply.
  • Hill reveals that future supplies will be available through Falan’s territory, the inner-city auction house, or a planned potion shop. He deliberately withholds the territory’s exact location until the players finish buying.
  • Rival guilds, including Xue Yunfeng’s group and Rogue Bunny’s faction, arrive and compete aggressively for the remaining high-grade potions. They avoid verbal conflict and physical fighting because the shop forbids combat, instead racing to purchase more goods.
  • Xue Yunfeng uses a puppet to speed up payment and manages to buy slightly more than Rogue Bunny. Other players blame both guild leaders for exhausting the stock.
  • By the end of the day, nearly all of Falan and Adrian’s valuable goods have sold. Adrian begins analyzing sales, while Hill suggests using purchase limits to create greater demand.
  • Falan and Hill discuss the Undead’s wealth, their economic system, and the possibility that the God of Space-Time may eventually limit their advancement. They conclude that the Undead are unlikely to become Legendary soon because outsiders may be unable to connect fully with the world’s laws.

Character Developments

  • Hill demonstrates increasing skill as a merchant and observer. He calmly manages the shop, studies player behavior, and recognizes how scarcity and exclusivity influence their purchases.
  • Falan is astonished by the Undead’s financial power and decides to establish a permanent potion shop in his territory. He also begins considering how to accumulate resources for his own advancement.
  • Adrian attempts to categorize the Undead’s preferences but finds their buying habits chaotic. He becomes involved in planning the future business and is surprised by Falan’s unfamiliar admission that the players are wealthy.
  • The bald man appears as an energetic, opportunistic guild leader. He rapidly purchases potions, worries about rival spies, and seems willing to exploit the limited supply for his group’s benefit.
  • Xue Yunfeng and Rogue Bunny are portrayed as leaders of wealthy rival guilds. Their rivalry is intense but restrained inside the shop, where they compete through speed and purchasing power rather than open confrontation.

Significant Themes

  • Wealth and economic power: The players possess enormous resources and can buy out rare magical goods despite complaining about their prices.
  • Scarcity and exclusivity: Limited stock and purchase restrictions make the potions more desirable. Hill compares this preference for rare items to noblewomen’s desire to possess unique clothing or accessories.
  • Commerce as a bridge between worlds: The shop demonstrates how the Undead’s economy interacts with the local world. Players exchange resources from their own world for crystals and magical goods.
  • Cultural misunderstanding: Falan and Adrian view the players’ frantic buying as madness, while Hill understands that their behavior is partly consequence-free because the players do not permanently live in this world.
  • The challenge to traditional institutions: The Undead receive instruction from Prince William’s representatives rather than relying on Mage Tower, Knight Guild, or Swordsman Guild connections, suggesting that the traditional master-apprentice system may be weakened.
  • Limits imposed by world laws: Hill and Falan reason that the Undead, as souls from another world, may be unable to reach Legendary status because the World Will will not allow them to fully connect with this world’s laws.
  • Political restraint and indirect conflict: The wider conflict involving Salar, Hephasaldo, the Noble Church, and the gods is shaped by the danger of openly declaring national war. Political actors therefore rely on borders, proxies, and religious forces instead.

Character Interactions

  • Hill works with Falan and Adrian to control the shop and organize sales. He withholds information about Falan’s territory until purchases are completed, showing his awareness of the players’ opportunism.
  • The bald man and his companions coordinate purchases while worrying about spies and rival guilds. Their joking references to Xue Yunfeng and Zhu Meili reveal the competitive politics among the Undead.
  • Rival guild leaders Xue Yunfeng and Rogue Bunny compete silently for potions, each trying to avoid alienating Hill and the shop’s autonomous NPCs.
  • Hill and Adrian discuss how to understand and manipulate player demand, with Hill emphasizing scarcity and Adrian questioning whether purchase limits truly reflect a preference.
  • Hill, Falan, and Adrian later discuss the players’ wealth, their possible future development, and the consequences their growing presence may have on the world’s political and magical balance.
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Ch. 30William's Coronation Prelude

Chapter Summary: “William’s Coronation Prelude”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • On a rainy autumn morning, Hill prepares to attend William’s coronation as part of the mage faction. This marks his first public appearance as Archmage Hill Bolanio, rather than as Baron Bolanio.
  • Hill travels to the royal palace with Falan and Adrian. During the journey, they discuss William’s extraordinary ability to expand space and the mysterious crystals he has distributed to the Undead.
  • Falan discovers that most of these are Attribute-less Crystals, an exceptionally rare and valuable resource. He concludes that William either possesses immense divine power or can obtain resources from other worlds.
  • The crystals explain why the powerful Salar Kingdom submitted so easily: William’s resources are so abundant that opposing him would be foolish, while cooperation offers enormous benefits.
  • Hill realizes that William’s control over space and the Undead army could overturn the world’s political structure. If armies can travel freely, the geographical isolation that has preserved independent nations will disappear.
  • Hill further recognizes William’s broader objective: creating a unified empire supported by education, impartial laws, and capable officials rather than feudal nobles.
  • At the palace square, the group discovers that the apparently ordinary square has been transformed into a massive stadium with approximately two hundred thousand seats. The expansion demonstrates the unprecedented power of William and the God of Space-Time.
  • Hill is emotionally overwhelmed by the stadium’s resemblance to the Bird’s Nest in his lost homeland, causing him to deeply miss his original world.
  • A magical bell calms the crowd, after which the royal guards enter to ceremonial music. William finally appears on a white unicorn in formal royal robes, prompting Hill to feel embarrassed by the spectacle and unable to look directly at his fellow countryman.

Character Developments

  • Hill begins transitioning fully into the mage community. He is nervous about abandoning his noble identity and concealing his status as a Sorcerer until he becomes a Magus.
  • His perspective expands dramatically: he stops viewing William’s coronation as a simple political ceremony and recognizes it as the beginning of a world-changing imperial project.
  • Hill’s emotional reaction to the stadium reveals his continuing attachment to his homeland and the grief he has kept suppressed.
  • Falan shows his sharp political and magical insight. He quickly understands the strategic importance of the Attribute-less Crystals and admits that the mage faction must take William’s power seriously.
  • Falan, previously detached from politics, appears willing to acknowledge that Legendary mages and other powerful figures can no longer remain uninvolved.
  • Adrian is initially focused on the spectacle and the group’s commercial success, but he accepts Falan’s criticism and promises to pay closer attention to political developments.
  • William is presented indirectly as an increasingly powerful ruler whose command of space, resources, and the Undead threatens to reshape the entire world.

Significant Themes

  • The collapse of the old political order: William’s power may eliminate the geographic barriers that allowed feudal nations and noble-controlled territories to remain independent.
  • Technology and divine power: The ability to expand space on a massive scale challenges everything mages understand about the Elemental World and may render traditional limitations obsolete.
  • Power and pragmatic submission: Salar’s rapid acceptance of William’s rule is motivated less by loyalty than by the overwhelming economic and strategic advantages of his resources.
  • The end of feudalism: Hill anticipates that nobles will lose authority to educated professionals and administrators under a centralized empire governed by fair laws.
  • Nostalgia and displacement: Hill’s reaction to the stadium connects the fantastical setting to his lost homeland, showing that memories of his former life remain powerful.
  • Historical transition: The coronation symbolizes the possible end of a semi-slave society that has persisted for thousands of years and the beginning of a new era.

Character Interactions

  • Falan and Adrian debate the significance of William’s spatial abilities and the unusual crystals. Falan criticizes their failure to investigate the crystals carefully, while Adrian apologizes and accepts the warning.
  • Falan explains to Hill why Salar submitted, emphasizing that political decisions are being driven by profit and the promise of access to immense resources.
  • Hill listens quietly, concealing his increasingly radical conclusions about William’s plans for global unification.
  • At the stadium, Falan and Adrian try to remain composed despite being stunned by its immense scale.
  • A magical bell settles the crowd, indirectly helping Hill regain control of his grief.
  • The chapter ends with Hill watching William’s grand entrance, caught between admiration, embarrassment, and homesickness.
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Ch. 31I Am the King Now, and I Don't Like Slaves

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

  • William is formally inaugurated as the King of Salar in a grand stadium ceremony attended by the Royal Guard, nobles, Mages, and Undead.
  • Salar raises a new national flag—a black banner with a golden star—alongside a red flag, while a familiar march serves as the national anthem.
  • William swears an oath before the Divine Scale and the god Kronos, promising to uphold justice, protect loyal citizens, and destroy Salar’s enemies.
  • The divine power released by William’s oath spreads through the crowd. Hill receives an unusually large amount of it, advancing to the rank of Intermediate Archmage.
  • The energy also purifies Hill’s body, removing much of his beast-like bloodline and making him feel more human.
  • William declares his intention to create a fair nation with basic education and freedom from oppression, reaffirming the ideals he held since being summoned eighteen years earlier.
  • The ceremony’s announcements include:
    • Edward, Charles, and their followers will lose their territories and be expelled from Salar.
    • Officials and soldiers will be recruited for the new government.
    • Slavery will be prohibited. Noble servants must be given formal employment contracts or released; nobles who refuse will eventually lose their titles and become commoners.
  • The nobles react with outrage, but William suppresses the unrest through the overwhelming power of a Legendary Knight and commands them to obey.

Character Developments

  • Hill experiences intense homesickness during the anthem but ultimately accepts William’s rule and ideals. He resolves to enforce Salar’s laws in his own territory, establish literacy classes, and support William’s reforms.
  • Hill discovers the truth about his origins: he is both the reincarnated civil engineer from Earth and the native Hill Bolanio. His soul was swept into this world alongside William’s during the God of Space-Time’s summoning.
  • Hill realizes that his fragile childhood body resulted from his soul merging with a dying fetus. This explains his weak constitution and his deep, instinctive bond with Falan.
  • Hill’s unexpected blessing from William’s oath strengthens and partially humanizes him, suggesting that his connection to William or the divine power may be significant.
  • William fully embraces his role as king and presents himself as a forceful, reform-minded ruler. Although he speaks of justice and equality, he ends the ceremony with the threatening command, “Obey, or destruction!”
  • Adrian and Falan are surprised by the unusual amount of divine power Hill receives. Adrian also reacts skeptically to Hill’s suggestion that capable members of his family join the new government.
  • Count Perast’s family is implicated in the loss of their territory, severing Hill’s remaining financial and emotional ties to them.

Significant Themes

  • Identity and belonging: Hill comes to understand that he belongs fully to this world rather than being merely an outsider reincarnated into it.
  • Reincarnation and fate: His arrival in the world was connected to William’s summoning, suggesting that chance, divine intervention, and destiny shaped both their lives.
  • Nation-building and social reform: William seeks to replace aristocratic privilege and oppression with education, legal protections, organized government, and national unity.
  • Freedom versus authority: The abolition of slavery is a major step toward justice, but William enforces reform through intimidation and absolute power.
  • Homesickness and emotional restraint: Hill’s memories of Earth remain powerful, but the ceremony repeatedly interrupts his sentimentality. He jokes that controlling his emotions may become one of his greatest future challenges.
  • Justice and personal responsibility: Hill chooses to support reforms within his own limited sphere, believing that helping build a better society is the responsible action of someone with modern principles.

Character Interactions

  • Hill stands with Falan and Adrian during the ceremony; their discussion highlights how extraordinary Hill’s divine blessing is compared with everyone else’s.
  • Hill asks Adrian to encourage the competent members of his family to seek government positions while excluding the foolish ones, demonstrating his practical attitude toward reform.
  • Adrian and Falan privately question the source of the ceremony’s supernatural power but remain cautious and avoid speaking openly.
  • William addresses the entire kingdom as both its symbolic leader and its enforcer, presenting his vision of a just Salar while making clear that resistance will be punished.
  • Hill internally contrasts William’s heroic image with his harsh methods, admiring the former while struggling with the latter.
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Ch. 32Leaving the Chaotic Capital

Chapter Summary: “Leaving the Chaotic Capital”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • After William leaves, the coronation ceremony ends in a tense atmosphere. The players enthusiastically discuss what happened, while the nobles remain angry and silent.
  • Falan, Adrian, and Hill quickly depart the capital and return to Hill’s territory, aware that political conflict may soon erupt.
  • In Hill’s Mage Tower, they discuss William’s plans to abolish noble privileges and free slaves, as well as the enormous power supporting him:
    • A deity is apparently present in Salar and may be directly assisting William.
    • Millions of Undead followers and numerous high-level professionals are expected to enter the country.
    • The Legendaries supporting William are unlikely to oppose such overwhelming divine and military strength.
  • Adrian worries that the nobles may rebel, but Falan believes most will submit once they understand that resistance is futile. The Undead can provide enough troops that Salar’s traditional nobles and local professionals are no longer essential to the war effort.
  • Hill predicts that the Undead will be able to travel rapidly throughout Salar, likely through teleportation or another power granted by the God of Space-Time.
  • Falan instructs Adrian to prepare merchant caravans, reopen the library, and complete the potion Saintess’s Smile so he can quickly trade with his family and secure their survival.
  • Adrian’s family may be forced to obey William, flee the country, or sacrifice some members to preserve the family line. Falan also asks him to prepare Saintess’s Tears for a potion.
  • The group examines Hill’s territory, which has become almost entirely forested and filled with Wood, Water, and other Elemental Spirits. Hundreds of Treants are planting trees, and the spirits are beginning to form organized groups.
  • Because the territory may eventually become unsuitable for ordinary humans, Hill is developing magical puppets capable of cooking and performing household tasks.
  • Falan offers Hill financial and material support, urging him to use his alchemy workshop and profit from the wealth of the Undead while they remain in the region.
  • They discuss William’s plan to replace the noble-controlled commercial district near the royal palace with a new Royal Shopping Street, striking at the economic foundations of the great noble families.
  • Before departing, Falan warns Hill not to openly declare support for William or the Undead’s ideology, despite knowing that Hill sympathizes with them.

Character Developments

  • Hill remains cautious and politically restrained. He supports the Undead’s ideals and has benefited from the deity’s Divine Dew, but understands that openly betraying the noble class could endanger both himself and Falan.
  • Falan becomes increasingly realistic and uneasy about the political upheaval. Though sympathetic to Hill, he emphasizes survival, secrecy, and avoiding unnecessary involvement in the coming conflict.
  • Adrian shifts into a defensive, self-preserving mindset. He accepts that he cannot oppose the Undead militarily and focuses on protecting his family through trade, evacuation, or compromise.
  • William is not physically present, but his influence dominates the chapter. His reforms, divine backing, and military resources make him appear nearly unstoppable.
  • The nobles are portrayed as frightened and enraged, but increasingly powerless as William dismantles their political and economic privileges.
  • The Undead players emerge as a massive, organized force whose numbers, mobility, and loyalty to the God of Space-Time will reshape Salar.

Significant Themes

  • The collapse of the old social order: William’s policies threaten slavery, noble privilege, and aristocratic control of commerce.
  • Power versus tradition: Ancient noble institutions cannot withstand divine support, millions of professional Undead, and multiple Legendaries.
  • Pragmatism and survival: Falan and Adrian focus on protecting themselves and their families rather than resisting a force they cannot defeat.
  • Political silence and hidden allegiance: Hill must conceal his beliefs even though he sympathizes with William’s reforms.
  • Nature and magical transformation: Hill’s territory reflects his growing connection to forests and Elemental Spirits, blurring the line between mage, Druid, and nature guardian.
  • Uncertainty about the future: Even powerful figures such as Falan cannot predict the consequences of the coming war and social upheaval.

Character Interactions

  • Falan and Adrian discuss the danger posed by William’s reforms, with Falan explaining why resistance from the nobles is unlikely to succeed.
  • Falan advises Adrian to complete his potions and negotiate with his family before the crisis worsens.
  • Hill and Falan discuss the Undead’s possible mobility and the supernatural scale of their presence in Salar.
  • Adrian teases Hill about his forest-filled territory and compares him to a Druid, irritating Falan by mentioning his Earth Bear heritage.
  • Falan reassures Hill that he will provide financial and material support, while also warning him to remain politically cautious.
  • Falan and Hill share a protective, familial relationship: Falan recognizes Hill’s compassion but insists that the world is too dangerous for the weak to act openly.
  • The chapter ends with Falan and Adrian leaving to handle their affairs, while Hill remains behind to cultivate his power and prepare for an unpredictable future.
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Ch. 33The Summoning of 1.5 Million

Chapter Summary: “The Summoning of 1.5 Million”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • As winter begins, Hill enjoys a peaceful life in his valley while players remain scattered across Salar, building churches to earn William’s merit rewards.
  • Nature Spirit suddenly warns Hill of a massive disturbance. Above Salar, black clouds and enormous tornadoes form as chaotic elemental energy is drawn into the region.
  • The storm lasts roughly half an hour and drains Salar’s elemental power, leaving Hill’s territory dangerously exposed. Liszt activates the isolation array, creating a barrier to protect the valley.
  • Hill realizes the cause: William and the players have summoned 1.5 million Undead, requiring an unprecedented amount of elemental energy. The scale of the summoning suggests that William’s divine power is beyond estimation.
  • Hill warns Alice, the animals, and the Elementals to remain inside the territory. The creatures fear that dwindling elemental power will threaten their survival and make their internal crystal cores targets for humans.
  • Hill reassures the Elementals that their homeland, the Elemental Realm, is unlikely to be harmed for hundreds of thousands of years and that the new deity is unlikely to invade other worlds.
  • Falan later confirms that exactly 1.5 million Undead appeared. He reports that Salar’s elemental concentration has fallen by one-third overall, and by half even in the best areas.
  • William uses the crisis to seize political and economic control. All major elemental mines in Salar are declared state property. Registered mines will be bought at market value, while undeclared deposits will be confiscated and treated as treasonous if not surrendered by spring.
  • William also announces plans to expand Salar’s borders north and west, recalls nobles’ Knight forces from the Hephasaldo frontier, and grants territories to four Undead families.
  • The Mage Association faces a major crisis: it must either submit to the royal family or leave Salar. Many independent Mages begin looking for safer places to establish towers, including Hill’s region.
  • Falan warns Hill to keep his isolation array active and avoid political comments. He predicts further upheaval when spring arrives.

Character Developments

  • Hill shifts from peaceful enjoyment to anxious responsibility. He recognizes that the summoning threatens the elemental balance of the world and takes immediate steps to protect his territory and its inhabitants.
  • Alice becomes frightened and realizes that Hill’s previous insistence on training was motivated by the danger he foresaw. She accepts the need to warn and prepare the valley’s animals.
  • The Elementals display concern for their homeland but are easily reassured by Hill’s explanation. Their trust in him is reinforced as he acts as their protector.
  • Falan becomes openly angry and exhausted by William’s actions. Though politically cautious, he recognizes that William is exploiting the summoning to punish powerful nobles and the Mage Association while centralizing authority.
  • William emerges as increasingly ruthless and unpredictable. His summoning of the Undead is paired with aggressive reforms, territorial expansion, and the removal of noble and Mage-controlled power bases.
  • Adrian is now free from his family obligations and helps Falan prepare accommodations for the many Mages and guests seeking refuge.

Significant Themes

  • The enormous cost of power: The summoning demonstrates that even divine or near-divine power can destabilize nature and drain the world’s elemental resources.
  • Political opportunism and centralization: William turns a supernatural crisis into an opportunity to nationalize mines, weaken nobles, undermine the Mage Association, and expand royal control.
  • Protection versus survival: Hill’s territory becomes a sanctuary, but its safety depends on the isolation array and limited reserves of Elemental Crystals.
  • Fear of resource scarcity: The lack of elemental energy threatens magical creatures and Mages alike, revealing how deeply the world depends on natural power.
  • The instability of peace: Hill’s quiet winter life is shattered instantly, emphasizing that security can disappear without warning.
  • Old power structures being overturned: The Mage Association and great nobles are forced to choose between submission, exile, or resistance, suggesting that Salar’s political order is entering a new era.

Important Character Interactions

  • Hill and Alice discuss the cause of the elemental storm and the need for her to train and prepare her companions.
  • Hill instructs the Elementals to remain within the valley, especially warning the Water Elementals not to escape through the river.
  • Hill communicates twice with Falan. Their conversations reveal the scale of the summoning, the damage to Salar, William’s political measures, and the growing number of Mages seeking refuge near Hill.
  • Falan repeatedly cautions Hill to control his speech, showing the danger of openly criticizing William’s policies.
  • Hill questions whether William’s actions might represent an attempt to create a fairer nation, but Falan insists that such opinions remain private.
  • The chapter closes with Falan anticipating another major crisis in spring, leaving Hill and his territory waiting uneasily for the next upheaval.
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Ch. 34The First Teleportation Array

Chapter Summary: The First Teleportation Array

Key Plot Points and Events

  • During winter, Hill remains isolated in his territory under Falan and Adrian’s supervision. The elemental forces begin organizing themselves into clans, with the water and wood elements choosing clan chiefs. Meanwhile, the fire elements disperse and the metal elements relocate near the mountains.
  • The increasingly extreme elemental environment forces Hill to dismiss the last of his human servants and cooks. He is left as the only human in his territory, supported only by puppets and his Tower Spirit, Liszt.
  • Hill becomes unexpectedly depressed by his isolation. He reflects on his abandoned dream of building a Hogwarts-like academy, but convinces himself that giving up old ambitions and parting from people is simply part of life.
  • Liszt repeatedly tries to solve Hill’s loneliness by suggesting that he raise animals—particularly a den of earth bears—only making Hill more exasperated.
  • Spring arrives, lifting Hill’s mood. He walks through the valley with Alice, who has cultivated throughout the winter and finally reaches Hill’s level. Alice asks about Sorcerer advancement and spellcasting, prompting Hill to explain that his formal mage training allows him to use both awakened and traditionally learned spells.
  • Falan contacts Hill with major news: the Space-Time Church has opened teleportation arrays throughout Salar. Qualified citizens can use them for a fee, though only mage apprentices and knight attendants can safely withstand the spatial turbulence.
  • William announces a nationwide census and a strict household-registration system as part of his plan to liberate the slaves. Citizens over sixteen must register, while younger children must be listed under their parents. Noble lords who conceal unregistered commoners will be accused of treason.
  • The teleportation arrays rapidly bring the Undead to the region. Jijiyaya arrives first with several companions, purchasing large quantities of high-level potions. He remains behind to study alchemy under Bourne, while other Undead rush to obtain supplies for incoming knights and swordsmen.
  • Falan and Adrian prepare to restock their businesses, recognizing the commercial opportunity presented by the Undead. Hill realizes that the beta test has ended and the game’s official servers—and presumably the full wave of players—have opened.

Character Developments

  • Hill: His winter isolation reveals a more sentimental and emotionally vulnerable side. Though he rationalizes abandoning his old dreams and dismissing his servants, he cannot suppress his loneliness. By spring, he regains his composure and returns to cultivation and business planning.
  • Liszt: His well-meaning but insensitive attempts to address Hill’s loneliness highlight his odd, literal personality and the unusual nature of Hill’s Tower Spirit.
  • Alice: She makes steady progress in cultivation and reaches Hill’s level, while remaining playful, lazy, and trusting. Her conversation with Hill shows her growing curiosity about magic and Sorcerer advancement.
  • Falan: He initially reacts anxiously to the teleportation arrays and William’s political maneuvering, but quickly shifts into practical action by preparing to produce and sell more potions.
  • William: Though he is not physically present, his political influence becomes clear. He uses the teleportation arrays and census to advance slave liberation and pressure the nobility.
  • Jijiyaya: He emerges as an eager and capable Undead customer, purchasing supplies for others and choosing to stay to study alchemy systematically.

Significant Themes

  • Loneliness and belonging: Hill’s isolation contrasts with the elements’ formation of clans and Alice’s friendships with other nature spirits. The chapter explores Hill’s need for companionship despite his insistence that he can live independently.
  • Abandoned dreams and adaptation: Hill mourns the loss of his imagined school and earlier human-centered plans, yet accepts that life requires changing ambitions.
  • Political reform and social control: William’s census and registration policy demonstrate how liberation can be enforced through bureaucracy and surveillance, placing pressure on nobles to comply.
  • Technology changing society: The teleportation arrays transform travel, commerce, politics, and the movement of the Undead, signaling a major new stage in the world’s development.
  • Commerce and opportunity: The arrival of the Undead turns Hill’s territory and surrounding businesses into important supply centers, especially for potions and magical materials.
  • The boundary between human and nonhuman life: Hill’s relationship with the elements, nature spirits, intelligent livestock, puppets, and the Tower Spirit reflects the chapter’s blurred distinctions between people, magical beings, and artificial creations.

Character Interactions

  • Hill and Liszt: Their exchange about raising bears exposes Liszt’s literal reasoning and Hill’s irritation, while also emphasizing Hill’s dependence on his Tower Spirit.
  • Hill and Alice: Their spring walk is warm and playful. Alice learns about Sorcerer magic, and Hill teases her about her laziness and safety.
  • Hill and Falan: Falan shares the political and technological developments, while Hill responds calmly and pragmatically. Their conversation shows a close grandparent-grandchild relationship mixed with business cooperation.
  • Falan and Adrian: They coordinate the response to the arrival of the Undead, focusing on inventories, potion production, and commercial preparation.
  • Bourne and Jijiyaya: Jijiyaya’s decision to study alchemy under Bourne establishes a new educational and professional connection between the Undead and Hill’s circle.
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Ch. 35My Village

Chapter Summary: “My Village”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Hill’s village becomes a major player settlement after he installs Obastian’s durable Shop Core in the general store. Players flock there to stay at his inexpensive inn, gather resources, mine, and hunt, while traveling to Falan’s territory for weapons, equipment, and access to the library.
  • Hill establishes strict defenses throughout the village. Magic arrays, Magic Arrow Towers, and anti-conflict measures automatically expel or attack anyone who causes trouble. Villagers are instructed to avoid interfering in fights between the Undead.
  • The God of Space-Time’s divine power passes through the territory. It strengthens Hill’s defenses and completely cleanses and elementalizes his body, allowing him to skip the most dangerous part of the High Archmage stage. Hill’s beastial Earth Bear bloodline is suppressed, leaving his soul and future magical laws entirely human.
  • Overjoyed and grateful, Hill decides he wants to build a church dedicated to the God of Space-Time.
  • A crystal ball appears in Hill’s underground control center, transforming the territory into a lord-management system. It records population, buildings, favorability, loyalty, defenses, Undead contributions, and the requirements for allowing players to settle.
  • The divine system asks Hill whether he wants to establish a Space-Time Church. It also enhances the village’s defensive arrays to the point that they can kill even powerful Magi.
  • Hill consults Falan and Adrian. Falan’s territory has similarly received defensive upgrades, though it will restrict access to its library district to Mages and Sorcerers. Since Space-Time Churches contain teleportation arrays, Falan has no need to build one.
  • Hill asks Adrian to find a suitable person to become the church’s first Priest. Adrian suggests Olivia, a young noblewoman with limited magical talent who escaped an unwanted marriage and life as a childbearing tool. Olivia agrees to be baptized and sent to Hill.
  • Alice notices the divine power and asks Hill about it. He explains that the God of Space-Time is the only deity currently manifested in the mortal world and reassures her that the strengthened defenses make the territory safer. He also scolds her for being lazy and forbids her from leaving the valley until she becomes a Magus.

Character Developments

  • Hill: Advances almost instantly to the High Archmage realm through divine intervention and gains confidence that he can become a Magus within two years. He becomes even more devoted to the God of Space-Time and begins planning an official church. Hill also shows growing political awareness, carefully considering noble customs and avoiding favoritism toward old friends.
  • Falan: Becomes suspicious and irritated by the deity’s overwhelming intervention, particularly the implication that the defensive upgrades are necessary to protect him from the Undead. He remains cautious about the God of Space-Time’s intentions.
  • Adrian: Helps Hill establish the church by recommending Olivia and accepts Hill’s decision to let her choose for herself.
  • Olivia: Demonstrates courage and independence by rejecting a predetermined noble fate and choosing to become a Priest, potentially gaining greater magical ability through divine baptism.
  • Alice: Remains curious, playful, and somewhat lazy. Her fear of danger makes her willing to remain in the valley, but Hill recognizes that her recent advancement has made her complacent and decides she needs stricter discipline.
  • The God of Space-Time: Reveals extraordinary familiarity with bodies, magic arrays, territorial management, and divine administration. Its power is both benevolent and highly practical, almost resembling a systematic governing program.

Significant Themes

  • Divine power and faith: Hill’s transformation and his desire to build a church show how personal gratitude can develop into organized religious devotion.
  • Order versus freedom: The territory welcomes the Undead but imposes rules, favorability requirements, and automatic punishments to prevent violence.
  • Traditional society versus personal values: Hill struggles with his instinct to help old friends and his understanding of this world’s noble customs, ultimately choosing socially legitimate appointments over purely personal relationships.
  • Security and trust: The God of Space-Time protects the territories without invading private areas, but its intervention still causes characters like Falan to question its motives.
  • Identity and humanity: Hill’s suppression of the Earth Bear bloodline ensures that his future magical development will be based on human traits rather than beastial instincts, reinforcing his commitment to remaining human.
  • Institutionalization of power: The appearance of the territory-management system and the proposed church suggest that divine faith, governance, and player settlement are becoming organized through formal structures.

Important Character Interactions

  • Hill manages player expectations while warning that settling in the village will require meeting conditions, especially gaining the villagers’ favor.
  • Hill and Falan compare the divine enhancements to their territories, with Falan reacting angrily and Hill responding pragmatically.
  • Hill and Adrian discuss the church and Olivia’s future, emphasizing consent and the role of noble status in appointments.
  • Hill reflects on whether to recruit Sunny or Dean, ultimately deciding that appointing Adrian’s noble relative is more appropriate under local customs.
  • Alice questions Hill about the divine power and his sudden increase in strength, leading to a playful argument in which Hill criticizes her laziness and sends her back to cultivate.
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Ch. 36Space-Time Church

Chapter Summary: “Space-Time Church”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Hill discovers that the notice board outside the Lord’s Manor has been transformed into a magical crystal screen connected to the Space-Time Church’s task system. It displays church-wide, regional, and lord-issued tasks, while administrators can use tablets to post them. Hill retains ultimate control through the crystal ball and can delete any task he dislikes.
  • The system’s warning against allowing ordinary people to operate the registration crystal tome reinforces how advanced—and potentially dangerous—the church’s administrative technology is.
  • Hill reflects on the unconventional nature of the God of Space-Time, who relies on intelligent systems rather than personally interacting with believers. He compares this deity to a programmer and worries that the God’s eventual ascension might produce an absurd divine statue resembling a tablet.
  • Adrian brings Olivia, a noblewoman chosen to become a Priest of the Space-Time Church, to Hill’s territory. Hill approves of her determination, appearance, and disciplined attitude.
  • Hill activates the construction of a Space-Time Church using precious offerings such as gold, gemstones, pearls, and coral. The church materializes in sacred golden light.
  • The completed church resembles Paris’s Invalides: a grand Greek-cross structure with a massive dome, four corner prayer rooms, gold-trimmed reliefs, and a Divine Scale replacing the traditional cross. Its architecture is solemn and elegant but lacks the oppressive mystery of many conventional religious buildings.
  • Olivia receives new silver-blue and silver-black priestly robes and relays an oracle: one side room contains a Teleportation Array that will open the following day, while another is reserved for classes.
  • Olivia enters the church to begin her work without attempting to preach to the kneeling residents or engage with the curious Undead.
  • Hill and Adrian discuss the Undead’s indifference to the newly built church, even though some Undead Priests are present. Their conversation turns teasing and personal, especially regarding Adrian’s habit of socializing with female Undead.
  • Hill then reflects on the broader political and military situation: William is conducting a nationwide census and attacking noble-controlled mines, while the God War threatens the capital. Hill worries about the players being assigned to defend the border, remembering how unreliable some of them can be.

Character Developments

  • Hill becomes increasingly aware of how different the God of Space-Time is from traditional deities. He admires the church’s practical, non-oppressive design but remains anxious about the deity’s unusual methods and future plans.
  • Olivia is established as resolute, dutiful, and modest. Her willingness to follow the God of Space-Time’s instructions and immediately begin organizing the church suggests she will become an effective Priest.
  • Adrian has become more relaxed, mischievous, and socially uninhibited since leaving the royal court and completing his elementalization. His youthful personality has resurfaced, and he is actively gathering information about the Undead through his potion business.
  • Falan remains absent from the immediate events, but his past sacrifices and political position are discussed. His long service to the royal Mage Tower delayed his advancement and left other Magi envious of his ability to withdraw from the capital’s crisis.
  • William is characterized as relentless and strategically focused on weakening the great nobles by seizing their mines, even while the larger God War develops.
  • The Undead continue to behave according to their own unusual priorities, showing little reverence for their new church despite the presence of Undead Priests.

Significant Themes

  • Modern administration versus traditional religion: The crystal notice board, task system, tablets, and teleportation technology make the Space-Time Church resemble a highly organized technological institution rather than a conventional faith.
  • Freedom of belief and individual choice: Hill recalls the Mage ideal that belief in Gods must come from genuine personal choice rather than fear or coercion. The Space-Time Church’s non-oppressive atmosphere appears especially compatible with this philosophy.
  • The nature of divinity: Hill questions whether the God of Space-Time is delaying ascension and avoiding the traditional divine image. The possibility that divine statues might become tablets humorously exposes the tension between religious symbolism and the deity’s technological identity.
  • Power and political conflict: The chapter situates the church’s construction within a larger struggle involving the God War, the royal family, the great nobles, and the uncertain loyalty of the capital’s Magi.
  • Change and adaptation: Adrian’s personality shift, the rise of the Undead, the church’s technological systems, and the changing political order all show a world rapidly moving beyond its traditional structures.
  • Practical faith over ritual: The church appears designed for useful services—teleportation, education, and administration—rather than intimidation, mystery, or demands for worship.

Character Interactions

  • Hill and Olivia: Hill formally welcomes Olivia, evaluates her resolve, and gives her responsibility for the new church. Olivia responds with respectful obedience.
  • Hill, Adrian, and the residents: Hill and Adrian observe the residents kneeling in fear before the new church, while Hill contrasts their reverence with the Mage belief that Gods should be respected but not feared.
  • Hill and Adrian: Their exchange becomes playful and sarcastic. Adrian mocks the strange behavior of the Undead, while Hill counters by teasing Adrian about enjoying attention from female Undead and exposing Adrian’s earlier gossip.
  • Olivia and the Undead: Olivia deliberately ignores the Undead spectators and focuses on her duties, emphasizing the church’s lack of aggressive proselytizing.
  • Hill and the God of Space-Time: Though the deity never appears directly, Hill interacts with Him through the crystal ball, construction system, oracle, and church technology. Their relationship is defined by indirect communication, practical cooperation, and Hill’s mixture of admiration, confusion, and apprehension.
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Ch. 37Peaceful Country Life

Chapter Summary: “Peaceful Country Life”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Hill’s territory stabilizes and develops into a busy player hub. He gives the general store owner a task-posting tablet so players can receive gathering quests and earn experience instead of merely selling materials.
  • Players speculate about the game’s first dungeon, while Hill imagines that future dungeons may recreate historical events through the power of the God of Space-Time. He hopes to avoid becoming an NPC or dungeon boss during the coming God War.
  • Since the Teleportation Array opened, low-level players have been using Hill’s Magic Arrow Towers to practice kiting monsters. The towers consume large quantities of Elemental Crystals, but Hill discovers that their power increases as they kill more beasts, making the expense worthwhile.
  • Falan and Adrian refuse to imitate Hill’s approach because they consider it embarrassing for their territories to be attacked by monsters. Hill, however, is unconcerned and prioritizes safety.
  • Hill plans to use the Lord’s Manor as a study and delay advancing to Magus, hoping to progress after Adrian. He wants to finish reading the available books and control his advancement by staying in the territory’s low-elemental environment.
  • The completed Space-Time Church and Teleportation Array attract large numbers of visitors. Hill’s inns, food business, healing potions, and mana potions sell out regularly, while Liszt oversees mass potion production.
  • Guilds and families establish themselves in Hill’s village to gain easy access to Falan’s potion shop. The territory benefits economically from tourism, food sales, lodging, and Teleportation Array fees.
  • Player territories become embroiled in frequent city-defense battles and resource conflicts. Xue Yunfeng’s Demon Cult territory becomes the main target of several guilds, while Black Rose supports it by cheering from its own territory.
  • Native characters misunderstand the player conflicts, interpreting them as military training for the war against the Noble Coalition. Hill understands that the players are largely treating the battles as entertainment and organized guild rivalry.
  • Olivia continues trying to understand the Undead and gain favor with the gods. She watches players closely but repeatedly misjudges what will impress them. Her noble clothing makes her a popular subject for player photographs, and players who make obscene remarks are struck by divine lightning.

Character Developments

  • Hill: Becomes increasingly comfortable with his territory’s prosperity and the players’ presence. He embraces a practical, low-profile lifestyle, values safety over resources, and remains determined to avoid unnecessary attention or advancement. He also develops a detached, amused understanding of player behavior.
  • Olivia: Shows intelligence and persistence but lacks cultural understanding of the players. She experiments with her clothing and behavior in an effort to appear approachable, yet her noble background makes even her “plain” outfits seem extravagant. Her uncertainty about how to earn divine favor becomes more apparent.
  • Falan: Maintains his dignity and reputation as a Mage, refusing to use monster attacks as a way to strengthen his defenses because he finds the situation humiliating.
  • Adrian: Interprets the players’ territorial warfare as useful military training for the coming conflict with the Noble Coalition, revealing his limited understanding of their motives.
  • Xue Yunfeng and the player guilds: Xue Yunfeng’s Demon Cult gains prominence and enemies by holding a powerful territory and ranking first in merit. The guilds enthusiastically continue their rivalries, alliances, attacks, and counterattacks as a form of competitive entertainment.

Significant Themes

  • Economic and social development: Hill’s territory evolves from a quiet village into a prosperous center of trade, tourism, worship, and player activity.
  • Clashing perspectives: The natives see the players’ behavior through the lens of war and duty, while Hill recognizes their actions as game mechanics, recreation, and accumulated social rivalry.
  • Adaptation to outsiders: Hill successfully accommodates the players, while Olivia struggles to understand their values and customs.
  • Reputation versus practicality: Falan prioritizes dignity, whereas Hill accepts embarrassment if it makes the territory safer and richer.
  • Faith and divine favor: Olivia’s attempts to understand the gods raise questions about how divine approval is earned and whether conventional noble or religious behavior is meaningful.
  • The boundary between game and reality: Players treat battles, monsters, and characters as game content, while the natives experience them as real events with genuine consequences.

Important Character Interactions

  • Hill gives the general store owner a quest tablet, integrating the territory more fully into the players’ game systems.
  • Hill shares his discovery about the strengthening Magic Arrow Towers with Falan and Adrian, but they reject the tactic as undignified.
  • Hill observes the players’ conversations to learn about dungeons, guild wars, the game’s economy, and their outside-world society.
  • The players repeatedly attack or support Xue Yunfeng’s Demon Cult, while Black Rose publicly cheers for Demon Cult despite the natives’ confusion.
  • Olivia attempts to study the Undead by watching them, but the players instead treat her as an attractive photo opportunity. Their inappropriate behavior triggers divine punishment, leaving her embarrassed and confused.
  • Hill contrasts himself with Olivia: he attracts little player attention because he deliberately dresses in player-made fashion, while Olivia’s noble appearance makes her an object of fascination.
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Ch. 38Players Beyond Native Comprehension

Chapter Summary: “Players Beyond Native Comprehension”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Hill regularly contacts Falan to discuss the war, the capital, and the strange behavior of the players. Falan worries that prolonged contact with the Undead will damage Hill’s judgment.
  • Hill learns more about the players’ abilities and battle mechanics. Although individual players are less skilled and more rigid than native Mages, their vast numbers, varied skill combinations, Revival ability, and willingness to die make them extraordinarily dangerous.
  • The players’ siege war becomes a major spectacle. Mages from Salar and Hephasaldo observe from the air, while airships report on the battles. Tens of thousands of players cast large-scale fire, earth, and magma spells, sometimes killing their own comrades in the process.
  • Black Rose employs suicidal Swordsmen squads to eliminate enemy Priests. Once the opposing healing forces are destroyed, Mages and Knights overwhelm the remaining defenders. Because both sides can revive, the conflict becomes a prolonged war of attrition rather than a conventional battle.
  • Falan is deeply disturbed by seeing Magi treated as expendable soldiers and eventually stops watching the battles. He is further confused by players casually returning to everyday activities—such as teasing animals—while their comrades fight elsewhere.
  • In the capital, William attacks nobles who have occupied a major mine and then marches on their castles. He offers exile to those who surrender but otherwise shows little mercy, even toward relatives of his mother’s family.
  • The Spencer Family remains silent, while William positions members of his extended family and loyal nobles throughout the northern border. Hill predicts future instability there.
  • Adrian explains that the exiled nobles wisely avoided fleeing to Hephasaldo: if William wins, they would be expelled with the rest; if he loses, they could return home. Adrian’s own family accepts punishment, loses money and slaves, but retains its lands, titles, and lives. Relieved, Adrian repays his debts and returns to serious cultivation.
  • Adrian’s earlier attempts to win over female players by selling potions and gathering information fail. The players value Hill’s potions more than Adrian himself, leaving him embarrassed and retreating to the Mage Tower.
  • The people of Salar conclude that the players cannot truly be bought. Though they accept payment and quests from nobles, they remain loyal to William and their Supreme God. Nobles who tried to recruit them are humiliated when the players abandon them and join William’s side.
  • Hill also witnesses the players’ bizarre social behavior, including losing bets and running naked through the village square. Olivia is horrified by the spectacle, while Hill remains composed and explains that an Undead’s body may not correspond to their original gender.

Character Developments

  • Hill becomes increasingly knowledgeable about player mechanics and behavior, but maintains emotional distance from them. He understands Falan’s concern and continues their daily conversations, despite feeling insulted by the assumption that he might become “close” to the players.
  • Falan grows more wary and psychologically unsettled by the Undead. He recognizes their military value but believes they should never be trusted too deeply or treated as ordinary allies.
  • William demonstrates decisiveness and ruthlessness by attacking rebellious nobles, including relatives, while continuing to rely on the players as a loyal mercenary force.
  • Adrian learns that the players cannot be manipulated through money, charm, or personal relationships. After his family survives its punishment, he becomes cheerful and returns to cultivation.
  • Olivia becomes intensely uncomfortable with the players’ shameless public behavior and avoids areas where they gather.
  • The players are shown to be both terrifyingly effective in war and absurdly casual in daily life, making them impossible for native characters to understand.

Significant Themes

  • The incomprehensibility of outsiders: Native people struggle to understand players who treat death, war, loyalty, and social norms differently from ordinary beings.
  • Quantity versus individual strength: Native Mages are far more technically capable, but the players’ overwhelming numbers, Revival, and lack of fear make them a powerful force.
  • Loyalty beyond money: The players may accept payment from anyone, but their ultimate allegiance remains with William and their Supreme God.
  • War as spectacle and game: The players view their battles as competitive entertainment and strategic conflict rather than true life-or-death struggles, while natives see the same events as horrifying massacres.
  • The danger of treating players as ordinary people: Attempts to bribe or possess them fail because their motives and loyalties operate according to rules natives cannot fully grasp.
  • Comedic contrast: The chapter repeatedly contrasts massive, destructive warfare with players’ childish, eccentric, and sometimes embarrassing behavior.

Character Interactions

  • Hill and Falan maintain daily contact, with Falan repeatedly checking that Hill has not been corrupted or influenced by the players.
  • Hill and Adrian discuss the exiled nobles and the failure of nobles to purchase player loyalty. Hill teases Adrian about selling potions, while Adrian angrily tells him not to imitate the Undead.
  • Adrian’s interactions with the female players leave him disillusioned when he realizes they are more interested in Hill’s potions than in him.
  • Hill observes the players’ reactions to NPCs and recognizes that they treat him and others as characters rather than equals.
  • Olivia’s encounter with the naked players highlights the cultural gap between native society’s modesty and the players’ irreverent behavior.
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Ch. 39The Coming War

Chapter Summary: “The Coming War”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • After the month-long war against the Undead, Salar falls into silence and submits to William’s authority. The country’s nobles no longer dare oppose him, especially after he eliminates the powerful aristocrats who might have challenged his rule.
  • William implements sweeping reforms:
    • Slavery is abolished.
    • A census is conducted, and former slaves receive farmland.
    • Traditional noble fiefs are replaced with calculated annuities based on average noble income.
    • Government officials receive standardized salaries and pensions.
    • Officials must swear before the Gods to obey the law, avoid corruption, refrain from abusing commoners, and perform their duties faithfully.
    • The military abandons the old captain system in favor of a formal rank structure with clearly defined pay and allowances.
  • Although the reforms are officially carried out by William, the people recognize that they are backed by the divine authority of the God of Space-Time. Their obedience depends as much on that divine power as on William himself.
  • The reforms would become a grave crime, however, if the God of Space-Time were defeated by the God of Nobility and Sovereignty and failed to ascend to godhood.
  • The followers of the God of Nobility and Sovereignty continue gathering in Hephasaldo despite the Undead’s recent defeat. William prepares to confront them at Keslote, the largest city on Salar’s southern border.
  • William is joined by three Legendaries—Mages Orlando Karl and Zast Miller, and Knight Alphonse Zeman—while two other Legendary Mages remain behind to defend the capital.
  • The Noble Temple eventually assembles eight Legendaries, while the Love Temple contributes one Legendary and four red-robed archbishops capable of invoking Divine Descent. Their forces represent an overwhelming threat to Salar.
  • William orders the Legendary forces and the Undead players to remain inside the cities and obey centralized commands rather than pursuing enemies independently. Hill humorously interprets this as William preventing the players from “stealing mobs.”
  • After the month-long campaign, the players have reached roughly level fifty and are fully preparing for the large-scale battle to defend William. On the day the enemy Legendaries arrive, all of Hill’s players depart for the front.
  • Hill desperately wants to witness the coming God War. Falan eventually agrees to take him in his powerful alchemical airship, which can conceal itself above the clouds and withstand attacks comparable to those targeting a Mage Tower.
  • The world now waits for the Noble Temple’s formal declaration of war, which must follow elaborate rules requiring both sides to publicly justify their actions.

Character Developments

  • William emerges as an increasingly authoritative and pragmatic ruler. He governs decisively, accepts responsibility, and introduces reforms designed to limit corruption and centralize power. His unwillingness to seek permission or compromise with his followers shows both his confidence and authoritarian nature.
  • Hill develops greater respect for William, recognizing that William understands military organization and political reform remarkably well. Hill is also increasingly excited and curious about the approaching divine conflict, though he knows he is too weak to participate directly.
  • Falan is portrayed as an experienced but aging Magus. He understands the threat posed by the Legendaries and the motivations of the old Legendary Mages, who now seek immortality through service to a newly born God. He also shows generosity and trust by agreeing to bring Hill to observe the battle.
  • The older Legendary Mages are revealed to be motivated partly by fear of death. Their willingness to support the God of Space-Time may be an attempt to secure positions as Subordinate Gods and escape mortality.
  • Adrian and Falan observe and interpret the political and personal motives behind the Legendaries’ choices, providing context for the coming conflict.

Significant Themes

  • Reform backed by divine authority: William’s political changes are accepted not solely because of his legitimacy as king, but because they are associated with the will and power of a God.
  • Centralization versus aristocratic privilege: The replacement of hereditary fiefs with annuities, standardized salaries, and legal oaths weakens the old nobility and establishes a more bureaucratic state.
  • Mortality and the fear of death: The aging Legendary Mages abandon some of their former independence in hopes of receiving divine status and immortality.
  • Power and legitimacy: William’s entire political project depends on the survival and ascension of the God of Space-Time. Victory would validate the reforms, while defeat would transform them into unforgivable rebellion.
  • Order and control: William’s strict command structure extends even to the players and Undead, emphasizing disciplined cooperation over individual heroics.
  • The impending clash of divine forces: The coming war is more than a political conflict; it may reshape the world, weaken or destroy Supreme Gods, and potentially introduce an Evil God into the setting.

Character Interactions

  • William and his followers: William grants former retainers noble titles but limits their direct territorial power, offering annuities and salaries instead. They may resent the arrangement, but his authority prevents open resistance.
  • William and the military: He imposes a formal rank system and strict battlefield discipline, particularly restricting the Undead and players from acting independently.
  • Hill and Falan: Hill repeatedly urges Falan to attend the battle. Falan finally agrees, allowing Hill to accompany him aboard the alchemical airship.
  • Hill and William: Hill’s internal commentary shows admiration for William’s reforms and military planning, mixed with humor about William’s efforts to control the players.
  • Falan and the Legendary Mages: Falan analyzes why the older Legendary Mages support the God of Space-Time, concluding that their desire for immortality has overcome their traditional pride and independence.
  • Salar and the divine powers: Salar’s people obey William because they recognize the Gods’ influence behind his decrees, making the kingdom’s future inseparable from the outcome of the God War.
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Ch. 40The Eve of War and William's Declaration of War

Chapter Summary: The Eve of War and William’s Declaration of War

1. Key Plot Points and Events

  • Falan arrives at the Mage Tower in a magnificent floating ship, watched with admiration by Hill. Adrian invites Hill aboard and explains the ship’s voice-controlled navigation.
  • Alice, Hill’s white cat and a Nature Spirit, secretly sneaks onto the ship. Adrian catches her, but Hill pleads for her to stay. Falan permits Alice to accompany them as long as she remains inside the cabin.
  • Falan directs the ship to Closter to observe William’s response to the Noble Temple’s ultimatum. If no major fighting occurs, they plan to travel to Black Rose.
  • Beneath Salar’s walls, the Noble Temple publicly declares war. It condemns William for serving a “Pseudogod,” demands that he restore Edward and submit to the God of Nobility and Sovereignty, and threatens execution for those who resist.
  • William defiantly rejects the decree and declares that Salar will fight rather than submit. His speech inspires the citizens of Keslote, who loudly proclaim their loyalty to him and Salar.
  • Cardinal Dolbis Dionysio, identified as Rose’s future Pope, announces that war will begin the following morning. Several Legendary figures depart, apparently to attack player-controlled cities.
  • Falan and Adrian suspect the Noble Coalition is underestimating William’s forces and may be concentrating its main strength against the Undead cities.
  • William begins replacing the city’s defenders with Undead forces. New structures appear behind the walls, apparently serving as bases for Undead Sky Knights. Legendary Mages Karl and Miller take control of the Mage Tower and the city’s defensive systems.
  • The group realizes that the enemy may bring Divine Artifacts and possibly prepare for the descent of their god. Falan predicts the Noble Coalition will suffer a serious setback.
  • Hill, Adrian, Falan, and Alice retire to the floating ship for the night, preparing to observe the battle the next morning.

2. Character Developments

  • Hill is captivated by the floating ship and increasingly admires William. Although he recognizes that William’s speech borrows from other sources, he is moved by the king’s genuine devotion to Salar and its people. Hill also takes responsibility for Alice, balancing affection with discipline.
  • William demonstrates courage, pride, and firm leadership. He refuses to act submissively toward those who have threatened his life and kingdom, transforming the Noble Temple’s ultimatum into a public declaration of resistance.
  • Falan shows calm strategic judgment and deep respect for William. He recognizes the Noble Coalition’s arrogance and analyzes its military objectives, likely troop divisions, and possible use of Divine Artifacts.
  • Adrian acts as a teasing but protective elder toward Hill. He pretends to threaten Alice to discourage her recklessness, while also caring about Hill’s feelings and comfort.
  • Alice is revealed to be curious, naïve, and dependent on Hill. She secretly follows the group because she wants to explore, but becomes frightened by Falan’s authority and promises to behave.
  • Karl and Miller appear as capable Legendary Mages entrusted with the defense of Border City, reinforcing the strength and organization of William’s side.

3. Significant Themes

  • Defiance against tyranny: William rejects the Noble Temple’s demand for obedience and insists that Salar will not tolerate coercion or humiliation.
  • Love of homeland and leadership: William’s authority comes not merely from his title but from his emotional commitment to Salar. His words inspire genuine loyalty among the people.
  • Arrogance versus preparedness: The Noble Coalition assumes that its enemies will be easily intimidated, while Falan and Adrian recognize that the Undead and player forces are organized and powerful.
  • Faith and competing gods: The chapter highlights the conflict between the Noble Temple’s god and the deity worshiped by William’s side, framing the coming war as both a political and religious struggle.
  • Found family and protection: Hill, Adrian, Falan, and Alice interact with affectionate familiarity. Their personal warmth contrasts with the escalating hostility outside.
  • Performance and sincerity: Although William’s speech is partly assembled from borrowed phrases, its emotional force is authentic, showing that genuine conviction can make even prepared words powerful.

4. Character Interactions

  • Adrian jokes about Hill’s resemblance to Alice, provoking Hill and even earning Adrian a Mage Hand strike from Falan.
  • Hill persuades Adrian and Falan to allow Alice aboard, then scolds her gently for sneaking onto the ship.
  • Falan treats Hill and Alice with stern authority but ultimately permits Alice to stay, provided she remains confined.
  • Falan and Adrian discuss William’s speech, the Noble Coalition’s strategy, and the possible use of Divine Artifacts, while Hill listens and gradually grasps the seriousness of the coming battle.
  • William’s declaration directly confronts the Noble Temple’s archbishops and Cardinal Dolbis, while the citizens respond by reaffirming their loyalty.
  • Before bed, Hill comforts Alice and warns her not to leave the room, demonstrating their close, caretaker-like bond.
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