Chapter Summaries

Plot and events

• The Undead arrive in Oaisis, a steam-age world where they and the Moon Clan can interact more directly—and clash more readily—than the Undead do with people in fantasy settings. Their history of bickering has already pushed Xue Yunfeng’s group to avoid fighting the Moon Clan and giving outsiders an opening.
• Hill stays hidden in his cloud-top Mage Tower. With Sigil blocked and the Lady of Pain nearby, he judges it safer to lie low, though he is also eager to watch the Undead’s arrival.
• The Undead notice that their character-creation options appear broader in this world, allowing more varied heights and builds. Hill speculates that William may be letting them change their looks for a fresh start.
• The Undead explore Basia City, which appears strategically important. Xue Yunfeng considers ways to map the island and discusses the limits of their forces and supplies.
• The Undead quickly identify Hill’s local identity, Belfran, by connecting his name and bellflower emblem to clues about his familiar appearance. They head for the sea cliff where he is hiding.
• Hill expects that they cannot yet fly or climb to him—until they bring drums and gongs. Over a hundred thousand Undead gather below and loudly sing a song associated with “Little Bear,” ending the chapter with Hill listening in dismay.

Character developments and interactions

• Hill remains cautious around powerful divine beings but is also mischievous, hoping the cliff will spare him from the Undead’s antics. His confidence collapses when they find a way to make themselves heard from below.
• Purvi teases Hill about his motives and knowingly indulges his desire to watch the spectacle.
• Xue Yunfeng takes a practical leadership role, assessing the city, planning reconnaissance, and staying behind to manage problems if the others go too far.
• Young Master regrets his guild’s dramatic new appearance, while Perfect Baldhead mocks it. Lu Huayu is left out of the expedition and complains about Xue Yunfeng’s questioning.
• The Undead’s collective enthusiasm—and their habit of turning a visit into a noisy surprise—drives the chapter’s comic climax.

Significant themes

• Communication and culture: Different worldviews shape how the Undead interpret others, while the Moon Clan’s more familiar way of thinking makes conflict easier.
• Group politics and cooperation: Infighting can weaken a faction, so leaders sometimes suppress rivalries to prevent outsiders from taking advantage.
• Game-like identity and reinvention: Changes to character appearance suggest that entering a new world may offer a chance to start over.
• Persistence and spectacle: Hill can hide on a cliff, but the Undead find a way to reach him through sheer numbers, noise, and enthusiasm.

Chapter Summary: The Undead Who Gave Up the First Blood

Key Plot Points and Events

• Purvi sings along to the Undead’s chaotic “Hero Song,” horrifying Hill and causing him to flee into the Mage Tower in embarrassment.
• Enraged by the Undead’s reckless singing and disorderly behavior, Hill unleashes twelve hurricanes around the cliff. He uses them to sweep roughly two hundred thousand wounded Undead toward Aoskar Island, where the opposing faction is stationed.
• Hill deliberately sends the Undead into the enemy’s territory, effectively giving the opposing side a chance to kill them if they cannot defend themselves.
• Xue Yunfeng and Lu Huayu observe the battle from a distance. They discuss the faction competition, the mysterious primitive planet, Spacetime Company’s motives, and why only a relatively small number of natives have joined the game.
• An Idler is among the first Undead pushed back from Aoskar Island. He lands directly in the enemy arena, is killed almost immediately, and earns the achievement for being the first Undead slain by the enemy.
• Despite dying, An Idler brings back crucial intelligence: the opposing forces are associated with Eden, and their weapons and flags identify them as members of the Moon Clan.
• With An Idler’s information, Xue Yunfeng obtains a complete map of Aoskar Island and begins planning future attacks and territorial arrangements.
• The Undead establish a new camp beneath Hill’s position, using the surrounding mountains, sea, and grasslands to organize family-based territories, with solo-player camps placed between them.
• The chapter ends with Baldy returning after death and being recruited to help plan the camp and provide information.

Character Developments

• Hill becomes increasingly exasperated with the Undead. His restraint is tested as he nearly uses a Ninth-Circle Spell against them, but he ultimately channels his anger into redirecting them with hurricanes.
• Purvi remains oblivious and cheerful, unintentionally worsening Hill’s irritation by singing the embarrassing song aloud.
• Xue Yunfeng demonstrates his usual strategic mindset, quickly turning An Idler’s death into useful battlefield intelligence and beginning to analyze the enemy’s island and future movements.
• Lu Huayu acts as a more cynical and practical counterpoint to Xue Yunfeng, focusing on immediate military concerns rather than broader political or planetary issues.
• An Idler continues to embody reckless enthusiasm and extraordinary bad luck. He becomes the first Undead casualty of the opposing faction but still contributes importantly by identifying the enemy.
• Susu shows concern for the wider community, reminding Xue Yunfeng that solo players and quest-focused families also need protection and a place in the new territory.
• Baldy returns from death and is immediately treated as a valuable resource for organizing the camp.

Significant Themes

• Chaos versus organization: The Undead’s disorderly singing and reckless attacks contrast with Xue Yunfeng’s attempts to map the enemy, organize territory, and coordinate large-scale strategy.
• The usefulness of failure: An Idler’s humiliating death is transformed into a strategic success because he brings back information about the enemy.
• Humor amid warfare: The battle is presented comically, with people being blown away like “dumplings,” Hill’s rage over singing, and An Idler dying before he can even draw his weapon.
• Power and restraint: Hill’s near-use of overwhelming magic highlights his immense power, while his decision not to cast a Ninth-Circle Spell shows the limits he tries to impose on himself.
• Imperialism and political history: Xue Yunfeng and Lu Huayu speculate about Eden’s history of plunder, colonial exploitation, and internal divisions, suggesting that the faction war echoes larger patterns of interstellar politics.
• Community and territory-building: The Undead are not merely fighting; they are constructing a society, assigning land to families, accommodating solo players, and creating a functional base.

Character Interactions

• Hill’s furious reaction to Purvi’s singing establishes a comic conflict between Hill’s dignity and the Undead’s lack of self-awareness.
• Xue Yunfeng and Lu Huayu debate the meaning of the new planet, the motives of Spacetime Company, and the likely scale of the conflict while monitoring the battlefield.
• An Idler reports his discovery to Xue Yunfeng, turning his defeat into a source of intelligence.
• Susu challenges Xue Yunfeng to consider the needs of weaker or less combat-oriented players, broadening the strategic discussion beyond elite fighters.
• An Idler and Lu Huayu exchange insults about territory, military service, and faction loyalties, reinforcing the chapter’s playful rivalry.
• Xue Yunfeng recruits Baldy to help organize the camp, showing how the Undead routinely convert even death and battlefield setbacks into further cooperation.

Key plot points and events

• Xue Yunfeng recognizes the arriving Edenites as human opponents rather than predictable NPCs. He orders a permanent camp for over a million players on the shore facing their island base, preparing for a decisive war.
• He rallies the Bloodsworn Sky-Pride Alliance, declaring that the Alliance’s role is to hold the front and claim territory through battle. The Undead answer with bloodthirsty chants, alarming Basia’s residents.
• Earl Ster warns his family not to provoke the Undead: unlike the divided Moon Clan, they are powerful, coordinated, and unafraid of Grand Sage Belfran.
• Ellie is ordered to study magic in the underground castle. Dieter bluntly tells her that ambition alone does not make her important to the powerful, urging her to remember her frustration and work harder.
• Dieter refuses to remain safely in the city. Earl Ster agrees that, once the camp is built, Dieter may ask to serve as a liaison between the Undead and Basia.
• Linde points out the Undead’s unsettling battle song and is mocked by his family, who warn that Basia’s forces would be helpless against the Undead.
• Hill receives a letter from Oaisis outlining a million-player battlefield event: the Moon Clan can summon unlimited reinforcements, while the Undead’s reinforcements are capped at an equal number once the Moon Clan exceeds 100,000 players.

Character development

• Xue Yunfeng regains the ruthless, strategic enthusiasm of his old “Old Dog” reputation. His past military experience shapes how he views the coming conflict.
• Perfect Baldhead recalls his history with Xue Yunfeng and recognizes that the harsher, trap-setting Old Dog has returned.
• Dieter emerges as a practical, self-sacrificing leader who wants to contribute directly rather than rely on protection.
• Ellie is confronted with the gap between her ambitions and her present abilities, while Linde remains naïve enough to focus on the Undead’s song.
• Earl Ster accepts that conventional local forces cannot match the Undead and supports Dieter’s choice to take risks.

Significant themes

• Human enemies versus predictable NPCs: The coming war demands adaptation, coordination, and preparation.
• Power and vulnerability: Basia’s nobles must recognize how little control they have beside forces like the Undead and Belfran.
• Ambition, growth, and hard truths: Ellie is told to turn disappointment into effort rather than assume she deserves recognition.
• Duty and personal choice: Dieter insists on choosing his own role, even when his family fears for him.
• The cost of protection: The Undead may defend the region, but their strength is frightening and cannot be treated as simple kindness.

Character interactions

• Xue Yunfeng’s teasing exchange with Baldhead reveals both his revived excitement and their shared history; Lu Huayu warns Baldhead that Xue Yunfeng is becoming dangerously absorbed in the conflict.
• The Ster family debates how to respond to the Undead: Earl emphasizes caution, Dieter pushes for involvement, and Helena worries about her children’s safety.
• Dieter’s harsh counsel to Ellie contrasts with his concern for his siblings and his willingness to risk himself.
• Hill’s irritation at Oaisis’s unseen letter gives way to interest in the event’s rules and the strategic challenge they create.

Key plot points and events

• The Undead establish a large, fan-shaped settlement, dividing it into forty sections. Major factions receive the outer defensive ribs; independent players and PVE families draw lots for the remaining plots.
• Xue Yunfeng oversees construction from the coastal fortifications and watches Aoskar Island.
• An Idler accidentally chews poisonous, smoke-producing grass near Hill’s cliff. The discovery prompts Xue Yunfeng to organize a survey of local plants and animals, offering merit points for reports.
• Recognizing the grass as valuable tobacco, Xue Yunfeng secretly sends veterans from his and Susu’s families to gather as much as possible before other groups discover it.
• Susu reports that other regional groups lack the gold needed to use the Teleportation Arrays. Xue Yunfeng rejects pooling family funds and tells them to earn the fee themselves within three days.

Character developments and interactions

• Xue Yunfeng demonstrates his usual mix of strategic leadership, opportunism, and humor: he assigns settlement space, turns An Idler’s mistake into a resource-gathering opportunity, and keeps the tobacco search quiet to secure merit points for his own families.
• An Idler is teased for his carelessness but proves useful when it matters, quickly contacting his family members. Xue Yunfeng insists that being absent-minded does not mean he lacks intelligence.
• Susu acts as a practical observer and mediator, warning An Idler about the grass and raising logistical concerns. She also reflects on the peculiar friendship between Xue Yunfeng and Baldy, whose caution stems from past experience.
• Their banter touches on absent players: many Black Rose women—and several mothers—stayed behind, partly because ongoing conflicts at the library keep them occupied. Old Age, now a mother, may join later if the fighting continues.
• The group jokes about Edna’s unexpected personality as Goddess of Magic and about Old Age’s enjoyment of combat.

Significant themes

• Order and cooperation: The camp’s strict allocation works because residents accept that protection comes with obedience; those seeking independence can settle elsewhere.
• Practical leadership and resource competition: Xue Yunfeng turns new information into an advantage while balancing alliance obligations and family interests.
• Knowledge as currency: Players can exchange observations about the unfamiliar environment for merit points.
• Humor amid danger: Poisonous plants, faction logistics, and inter-player rivalries are handled through teasing and irreverent banter.

Chapter Summary: The Undead Who Rode the Wind

Key Plot Points and Events

• Susu and Xue Yunfeng discuss how to launch a surprise attack against Aoskar Island, whose defenders possess the Sea God’s blessing and control over wind and lightning.
• Xue Yunfeng reveals that Young Master discovered valuable materials on Hill’s abandoned lawn in Basia City. Among them is Silk Spider silk, traded from local underworld figures who had coveted Hill’s cultivated herbs.
• Xue Yunfeng proposes turning the silk into parachutes. The Undead will jump from Hill’s mountaintop into hurricanes circling Aoskar Island, allowing the wind to carry them toward the island.
• The plan is extremely dangerous, but Xue Yunfeng assumes that players accustomed to death and resurrection will accept the risk. Those who survive the jump are also instructed to release burning tobacco as a poison, potentially weakening the island’s defenders before the main attack.
• Perfect Baldhead initially questions the plan and the disgusting spider silk but ultimately agrees to gather tobacco and help the assault. He is revealed to be unusually frightened of spiders because of a past incident involving a maggot-like creature and Liu’s disgust.
• Ball Ball asks Xue Yunfeng about late-arriving PvE guilds. He refuses to add new guilds because the camp is already full but arranges for Black-and-White Road to hire solo players to reinforce their understaffed area.
• At midnight, Hill sees tens of thousands of Undead climbing to the mountaintop. Realizing they intend to use his hurricanes, he watches as roughly forty or fifty thousand players leap with crudely sewn silk parachutes and are swept into the storms.
• Hill is startled and displeased by the use of Silk Spider gauze but chooses not to interfere. He doubts that the dangerous airborne assault alone will guarantee a successful sneak attack.

Character Developments

• Xue Yunfeng demonstrates his characteristic ingenuity, opportunism, and willingness to risk enormous casualties for a strategic advantage. He turns an obscure material into an unconventional military tool.
• Susu remains calm and practical, but her disgust toward the spider-infested silk contrasts with her usual fearlessness in battle. She also reveals a sharper, more personal side when criticizing Xue Yunfeng’s insensitive behavior.
• Perfect Baldhead is shown to have a strong aversion to spiders and insect-related disgust despite his history as a hardened fighter. Nevertheless, he remains willing to participate in the dangerous operation.
• Ball Ball acts as an efficient intermediary between guild leaders and Xue Yunfeng, helping coordinate reinforcements for the coming battle.
• Hill remains observant and restrained. Although he dislikes the Undead’s use of Silk Spider material and recognizes the danger of their maneuver, he allows events to unfold rather than directly stopping them.

Significant Themes

• Ingenuity in warfare: The Undead exploit local resources, weather patterns, and Hill’s own environmental arrangements to create an unexpected attack route.
• Risk and expendability: The players treat death as an acceptable cost, highlighting the difference between their game-like mentality and the more serious perspective of the world’s inhabitants.
• Disgust versus combat courage: The characters may face monsters, violence, and death without hesitation, yet ordinary biological revulsion—especially toward spiders and filth—still affects them.
• Improvisation and opportunism: Hill’s “worthless” grass and discarded materials become valuable resources, showing how overlooked objects can influence major events.
• Large-scale cooperation: Guilds, solo players, and alliance leaders coordinate to fill defensive gaps and prepare for the island assault.

Character Interactions

• Xue Yunfeng and Susu banter over the feasibility of using Hill’s songs, wind, and Silk Spider silk, with Susu repeatedly grounding his reckless ideas.
• Xue Yunfeng explains the silk’s origin to Perfect Baldhead, who remains outside the room because of his fear of spiders.
• Susu and Xue Yunfeng argue humorously about disgust, pregnancy, and his past habit of taking her to unpleasant locations.
• Ball Ball consults Xue Yunfeng about guild organization, and he solves the manpower shortage by arranging paid quests for solo players.
• Hill silently observes the Undead’s parachute assault, creating a contrast between their chaotic confidence and his skeptical, controlled perspective.

Plot and events

• Hill observes Aoskar Island from a safe distance. A magical mist blurs detection, while twelve hurricanes—his own spell—have made the islanders complacent by repeatedly bringing fish.
• The Undead exploit that distraction. They parachute onto the island using silk soaked in Flame Holy Water and rigged with alchemical bombs, setting buildings alight. Poisonous smoke and concealed Silk Spiders add to the assault.
• The Moon Clan is thrown into chaos: attempts to fight fires expose people to poison, healers are killed, assassins pick off stragglers, and Silk Spiders attack those who shelter indoors. The islanders struggle to regroup as casualties mount.
• Hill notices that the island’s divine powers are not intervening. He realizes Oaisis has instead countered the enemy’s senior fighters: the Silver Moon Temple’s highest-ranking archbishop appears beneath the moon, a likely move against the opposing high-level combatants.
• Hill considers the larger conflict. Sigil may eventually find Oaisis, and Aoskar’s interference with teleportation makes him a major threat to it. Hill estimates Aoskar may have only about five years to merge with Oaisis before he must flee. He wonders whether Triton is already contacting the channel Aoskar uses to control the Moon Clan.

Character developments and interactions

• Hill is cautious at first but quickly understands that Oaisis’s rules protect him from direct magical harm. He watches the attack with detached interest and shifts from observing its tactics to analyzing the gods’ political maneuvering.
• The Undead show careful planning: they time their descent for the hurricanes’ final pass and combine fire, poison, bombs, and Silk Spiders to overwhelm the defenders.
• The Moon Clan goes from complacency to panic. Some members try to organize resistance, but confusion and disagreements over fighting fires, poison, and the enemy’s healers undermine them.
• Oaisis appears to retaliate indirectly by preventing the opposing side’s powerful fighters from joining the battle, while leaving the ground conflict to the Undead and Moon Clan.
• Triton remains absent, but Hill suspects he may be maneuvering against Aoskar’s influence.

Significant themes

• Complacency and surprise: Repeated harmless-looking hurricanes dull the defenders’ vigilance, making the eventual attack devastating.
• Power and restraint: The gods and world powers maneuver around the battle rather than openly fighting, constrained by rules and wider consequences.
• Political calculation: Aoskar, Triton, Oaisis, and Sigil all have competing interests that may matter more than the immediate island battle.

Key plot points and events

• Hill watches the Undead exploit the Moon Clan’s disorganized defense. By camping their respawn point and killing players in staggered groups, the Undead repeatedly delay the Moon Clan’s returns to battle, then escape into the stormy sea.
• The Moon Clan is left with a serious problem: the Mutant Silk Spiders have awakened and could spread across the island if not dealt with quickly.
• Aoskar Island’s central mansion is badly damaged by Sunfire, which ordinary water cannot extinguish. At midnight, the Moon Clan discovers that its merit tally is a loss: the ruined city and city lord’s residence account for most of the points.
• Anger and blame flare among the survivors, especially over the different contributions of Maple Leaf and Beautiful Country players. An armored Knight quiets the argument and directs everyone to clean up, warning them about the spiders.
• Xue Yunfeng secretly scouts the island alone, watching the Knight and testing how the Moon Clan tracks intruders. When a large patrol approaches, he hides underwater—but is unable to stay submerged and drowns before they can catch him.

Character developments and interactions

• Hill remains amused by the chaos, but his attention shifts to the Moon Clan’s emerging leadership and Xue Yunfeng’s unusual decision to scout in person.
• The armored Knight shows calm authority, cutting through the factional quarrel and getting the survivors back to work. Hill suspects he may become the Moon Clan’s leader.
• Xue Yunfeng demonstrates patience and curiosity as a scout, choosing to observe rather than flee immediately. His failed underwater escape reveals a practical limitation of the Undead players.
• The Moon Clan players are shown as impulsive and inexperienced: they rush out alone, fail to protect their altar, and turn on one another after defeat. The Knight’s rebuke, however, gets them moving again.

Significant themes

• Discipline versus impulsiveness: The Undead succeed through timing and coordination, while the Moon Clan’s scattered charges worsen their losses.
• War’s costs and accountability: Merit points, deaths, and destroyed buildings make the Moon Clan confront the consequences of its choices.
• Rivalry and cooperation: National stereotypes fuel the argument, yet the Knight’s practical intervention reunites the group around necessary work.
• The limits of game-like power: Stats and respawns do not remove tactical weaknesses—or unexpected vulnerabilities such as drowning.

Plot points and events

• Xue Yunfeng and the Undead celebrate their successful raid on Aoskar Island. They earned merit and achievements, including a first victory and an award for escaping a massive battlefield unharmed. Yunfeng urges them to exploit the enemy’s disarray before the defenders adapt.
• The group worries that their resurrection altar in Basia City could become vulnerable if local politics shift. Yunfeng believes they can eventually negotiate with Hill to move or improve it, provided they can offer a fair exchange.
• The island’s defenses proved unexpectedly weak. The attackers’ gamble with silk parachutes and magically strengthened spider silk worked, and the Silk Spiders hatched and cooperated under pressure.
• The return swim reveals a disadvantage: the Undead rapidly lose stamina and health underwater, suggesting their gods have little authority in the depths. Yunfeng concludes that the local sea god, Triton, is a powerful deity whose disfavor hinders them.
• The group discusses practical countermeasures: avoid detectable sea life, watch stamina, and make use of fish-skin armor that reduces swimming fatigue.
• The conversation shifts to political trouble elsewhere. Pirates from the Little Sakura Empire tested Aglaia City’s defenses while Hill was away. They may be trying to establish their own Ocean Goddess, especially since Umberlee’s changed behavior has weakened her appeal among the country’s people. Lu is startled that Umberlee may not know of the plan.

Character developments and interactions

• Xue Yunfeng is confident and calculating, treating the victory as an opportunity to build momentum and resources. He also bluntly calls out Lu Huayu’s self-serving account of his failed relationship.
• Lu Huayu reveals that his former fiancée pursued wealth and influence rather than love, and that breaking their engagement left him deeply in debt. His story draws mockery from Perfect Baldhead and sharp criticism from Yunfeng.
• Perfect Baldhead celebrates the victory, jokes about Lu’s past, and brings news of the pirates’ actions near Aglaia.
• Hill listens from his tower balcony when Aglaia City is mentioned, hinting at his interest in the threat.
• Young Master offers practical advice on avoiding fish that could reveal swimmers’ locations, while a guild representative highlights fish-skin armor as a commercial and tactical opportunity.

Significant themes

• Victory and adaptation: The Undead mean to exploit an enemy’s confusion before it can prepare.
• Limits of divine power: Their underwater weakness shows that divine influence is territorial and that local gods can shape the balance of warfare.
• Pragmatism and self-interest: The group approaches alliances, trade, and even personal relationships through questions of advantage and exchange.
• Political and religious maneuvering: The pirate attack suggests that struggles over divine worship and power are unfolding alongside military conflicts.

Chapter Summary: “Undead Undercurrents”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Huayu contacts Umberlee, the Ocean Goddess, through a magical tablet to discuss the rise of a new “Goddess of Plunder,” apparently connected to the Little Sakura Empire.
• He warns Umberlee that this emerging deity threatens her authority over the seas and urges her to eliminate its followers before they can establish a foothold.
• Lu explains that Valkur, whose avatar was devoured and impersonated by evil, is also threatened by the new sea-plunder deity. He persuades Umberlee to cooperate temporarily with Valkur against their common enemy.
• Umberlee agrees to an indirect alliance. She refuses to appear personally but promises to review and sign an agreement, while asking Lu to have someone communicate with Valkur on her behalf.
• She also gives Lu another One-Time Conch and agrees to remain within the strait region for the time being.
• After the conversation, the group is astonished that Lu has managed to civilize and emotionally influence Umberlee, who was previously infamous for her irrational and abusive behavior.
• A female clan leader from Eden suggests using Umberlee to gain favor with Aglaia/Hill. Lu immediately rejects the idea, accusing her of trying to manipulate the situation.
• Xue Yunfeng responds by sarcastically suggesting that the woman join the Moon Clan, implying she should submit to Aglaia as Auril has done. She retreats, and no one else supports her attempt to stir conflict.
• Hill observes that the outsiders are trying to exploit temporary factional tensions in Oasis to gain influence, but concludes that their efforts are unrealistic.

Character Developments

• Lu Huayu demonstrates exceptional diplomatic skill. Through praise, patience, and apparent sincerity, he has gained Umberlee’s trust and taught her to communicate more rationally.
• Umberlee is shown to be emotionally immature but increasingly capable of cooperation. She remains possessive of her status as Ocean Goddess and resentful of rivals, yet recognizes the need for a temporary alliance.
• Xue Yunfeng continues acting as a stabilizing and intimidating political presence. He quickly understands the Eden leader’s hidden agenda and counters it with a cutting remark.
• Perfect Baldhead provides comic relief, reacting dramatically to Lu’s affectionate conversation with Umberlee and enjoying the opportunity to mock him.
• Hill gains insight into the factional maneuvering around him. He realizes that the Eden faction is attempting to exploit internal divisions to gain authority in Oasis.
• The Eden clan leader is revealed as politically manipulative, attempting to make Lu distrust Xue Yunfeng’s alliance by encouraging Umberlee’s submission to Aglaia.

Significant Themes

• Diplomacy through emotional understanding: Lu succeeds with Umberlee not through force or formal authority, but by giving her attention, reassurance, and praise.
• Temporary alliances against common enemies: Deep personal hostility between Umberlee and Valkur is set aside because the new Goddess of Plunder threatens both of them.
• Political manipulation and factionalism: The Eden faction tries to exploit existing tensions, but the alliance members recognize the maneuver and refuse to be divided.
• Authority and divine identity: Umberlee’s resistance to submitting to Aglaia emphasizes that divine portfolios are tied to identity and power. Losing control of the sea would mean losing the foundation of her existence and status.
• Outsiders versus established powers: The chapter highlights the Eden faction’s attempts to increase its influence in Oasis, while the existing factions remain suspicious and united against external interference.
• Growth beneath apparent absurdity: Although Umberlee still behaves childishly, her relationship with Lu has helped her develop greater emotional and social awareness.

Character Interactions

• Lu Huayu and Umberlee: Their affectionate, almost intimate conversation reveals mutual trust. Lu carefully flatters her while guiding her toward politically useful decisions.
• Lu Huayu and the group: The others are impressed by his ability to manage Umberlee, though they also tease him about his overly gentle manner and apparent lack of romantic experience.
• Lu Huayu and the Eden leader: He immediately identifies her suggestion as manipulative and refuses to let Umberlee be used as a bargaining tool with Aglaia.
• Xue Yunfeng and the Eden leader: Xue counters her indirectly by suggesting she submit to the Moon Clan, exposing the implication behind her proposal and silencing her.
• The wider alliance: Even members who dislike Lu do not support the attempt to create internal division, showing their shared distrust of Eden and their unwillingness to surrender control of the political situation.

Chapter Summary: The Undead Were Never Family

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xue Yunfeng returns to the Alliance’s base after assigning tasks to the clan leaders. The group discusses the growing friction between their faction and the newly arrived players.
• Xue explains that, in Toril, the Alliance received most of the rewards and recognition because the NPC factions ultimately followed their gods’ orders rather than independently supporting the outsiders. The Alliance also benefited from influential connections, including Nasr, Edna, and Umberlee.
• The other players’ resentment has intensified because they received few quests, rewards, or opportunities to establish their own reputation. Their new arrival in this world gives them a chance to challenge the Alliance.
• The group estimates that the newcomers’ numbers could become a serious threat, especially if they recruit more players or persuade some of the Alliance’s members to stop following Xue Yunfeng’s orders.
• Eunuch Lu is identified as a crucial figure. Although he has ties to the opposing side and is motivated by money, Xue believes Lu’s reputation and professional principles will prevent him from betraying his current employer.
• Lu arrives at Xue Yunfeng’s territory and joins the discussion. He explains that he avoided exploiting the opposing players because previous transactions would have been used to pressure him into providing increasingly more information for free.
• Xue warns that the opposing faction is likely to return in force. They may try to turn the new world into a weapon against the Alliance and establish their own “Eden” before the next wave of Alliance members arrives.
• The chapter ends with the group realizing that the Moon Clan may delay or restrict future player arrivals, allowing the rival faction to consolidate power. The Alliance also questions why Old Dog permitted certain families to enter its camp.

Character Developments

• Xue Yunfeng shows himself to be highly strategic and politically perceptive. He recognizes that the newcomers’ hostility is rooted not merely in competition but in accumulated resentment and a desire to overturn the Alliance’s advantage.
• Perfect Baldhead understands the demographic and strategic danger more clearly than Young Master, pointing out that the newcomers’ numbers could become overwhelming.
• Young Master remains blunt and somewhat slow to grasp the larger political situation, but he recognizes the importance of Eunuch Lu’s influence.
• Eunuch Lu is portrayed as pragmatic and financially motivated, yet not foolish or without principles. His reputation and reluctance to engage in bad-faith dealings make him a potentially reliable ally.
• The Black-and-White Road members are embarrassed and intimidated when Umberlee’s relationship with them is mentioned, revealing their discomfort and vulnerability.
• The Alliance as a whole begins shifting from confidence to caution as it realizes that internal division and future recruitment may pose a greater danger than direct confrontation.

Significant Themes

• Resentment caused by unequal opportunity: The newcomers believe the Alliance’s earlier success was unfairly secured through timing, connections, and preferential treatment.
• Factionalism and unstable alliances: Although the players once appeared united against NPC enemies, their interests diverge now that they must compete with one another.
• Power through numbers and influence: The chapter emphasizes that numerical superiority, control over recruitment, and relationships with important figures may determine the balance of power.
• Reputation and credibility: Eunuch Lu’s value lies not only in his skills but in his reputation for honoring limits and maintaining a professional bottom line.
• The danger of treating a game as reality: Xue observes that the rival faction has become emotionally invested in the world and wants to use it to defeat the Alliance, transforming competition into genuine hostility.
• The illusion of shared identity: The title reflects Xue’s conclusion that the players were never truly one family; cooperation existed only while their interests aligned.

Character Interactions

• Xue Yunfeng stops the argument between Young Master and Passionfruit, maintaining authority over the group.
• Perfect Baldhead mocks Young Master’s lack of understanding and explains why the newcomers’ population could threaten the Alliance.
• Mango reacts angrily and humorously to the revelation of Eunuch Lu’s enormous past debts and rapid financial success.
• The Black-and-White Road manager asks about Lu’s relationship with Umberlee, but Xue refuses to discuss it openly and warns that the matter may have dangerous consequences.
• Lu and Xue engage in a polite but calculated conversation, each assessing the other’s motives and reliability.
• Perfect Baldhead questions why Lu did not profit from the rival faction, prompting Lu to explain how their manipulative demands made such dealings dangerous.
• The group debates whether the opposing players can really establish themselves before the next wave arrives, exposing disagreements about the Moon Clan, faction rules, and Old Dog’s decisions.

Key plot points

• Xue Yunfeng explains why he cannot punish suspected troublemakers before they act: his authority depends on fairness and the Alliance’s hard-won prestige.
• Lu Huayu lays out the enemy’s likely strategy. Rather than take command themselves, they may engineer defeats and division within the Alliance. As trust erodes, PvP coordination could collapse and players could abandon the broader effort.
• The group concludes that the enemy’s territorial ambitions threaten the Alliance’s ideal of unity. Xue Yunfeng identifies a further concern: the Moon Clan has persistently tried to befriend elven nobles and learn Nature Mages’ customs, possibly to gain access to Hill. He warns the others to keep them away from Hill, especially through Ellie Sterl.
• Unbeknownst to Xue Yunfeng, Hill is secretly listening from a railing. He is astonished to hear that he is supposedly romantically linked to Ellie.
• In a separate conversation, Lucimar, Finch, Joshua, and Ted discuss outside gods, Prince Alexei, and the Moon Clan’s betrayal of Damboro. Ted says the Ster family plans to visit the Undead and send an escort to prevent trouble. Finch remains wary of trusting them, while Lucimar argues the World Lord both distrusts and relies on the Undead. Ted adds that Ismail family members died during the Moon Clan’s riot.

Character developments and interactions

• Xue Yunfeng shows that his leadership depends not just on strength but on restraint and public legitimacy. He shifts attention from the visible enemy to the danger of internal fragmentation and access to Hill.
• Lu Huayu clarifies how the enemy could win without defeating the Alliance outright: by exploiting its difficulty sharing success and turning its members against one another.
• Perfect Baldhead reacts angrily to the threat, while the Battle Domain leader offers Xue Yunfeng his support.
• Hill is revealed as an unseen listener, and his private confusion over the alleged romance provides a comic counterpoint to the political discussion.
• Lucimar jokes about becoming a god and defends himself over Alexei’s fate. Finch challenges him and distrusts the Undead; Ted offers measured reassurance about the Ismail family’s losses.

Significant themes

• Unity versus division: The Alliance’s greatest vulnerability may be internal discord rather than enemy strength.
• Legitimacy and leadership: Xue Yunfeng must preserve trust by treating suspected opponents fairly until they act.
• Territory and identity: The proposed exclusion of players from their country’s territory is portrayed as a direct affront to the Alliance’s unifying values.
• Trust, manipulation, and power: The Moon Clan’s history makes appearances unreliable, while Hill’s importance makes access to him a possible strategic target.
• Rumor and irony: The chapter’s serious concern about Hill’s influence is undercut by his surprise at hearing a romantic rumor about himself.

Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Lucimar explains that his mother has finally abandoned her devotion to the Grand Sage of the Ismail Family after realizing that he showed little reaction to the deaths of their children and valued only talented sons. She has chosen to remain with Lucimar in Basia City rather than accept protection from Earl Ster’s family.
• Lucimar believes that bringing his mother away from the capital may permanently damage his relationship with the Grand Sage, but he accepts this as a necessary and even liberating separation.
• The nobles and merchants sympathize with Lucimar. Although they will not openly challenge the powerful Grand Sage, they oppose his rejection of traditional inheritance and his treatment of the children’s mothers.
• Joshua warns Lucimar that he should still maintain contact with the royal capital. Lucimar and President Finch exchange sarcastic remarks about the capital’s likely foolishness and political arrogance.
• The leaders agree to reopen Basia City’s shops after dawn so the city will appear welcoming to the Undead rather than fearful or hostile.
• Earl Ster, Ted, and Dieter prepare to establish sentry posts and leave Basia City at the port’s opening. Xue Yunfeng, representing the Undead, readily approves their presence and orders the Undead to monitor the soldiers’ health.
• Meanwhile, Miss Ellie continues inspecting the city’s markets and businesses. She becomes increasingly friendly with the Undead, particularly a handsome and persuasive male player who is skilled in alchemy and sweet-talking.
• Xue Yunfeng begins to suspect that the Undead’s supposed plan to use Ellie to build relations with Hill may actually be having the reverse effect—or may have developed into a genuine friendship.

2. Character Developments

• Lucimar: Becomes more emotionally open about his family trauma. He recognizes his mother’s recovery and decision to choose him as a major personal victory, even though it may cost him political influence. His bitterness toward the Ismail Family remains, but he now feels lighter and less bound to them.
• Lucimar’s mother: Experiences a crucial break from her unhealthy attachment to the Grand Sage. By going to Lucimar, she regains her independence and reconnects with her surviving son.
• Ted: Offers Lucimar’s mother shelter and shows sympathy toward him. He also acknowledges that Ellie’s protectiveness toward the maids is excessive and narrow-minded.
• Joshua: Takes a practical political stance, reminding Lucimar that complete isolation from the royal capital could be dangerous.
• President Finch: Though usually hostile toward Lucimar, he remains silent during Lucimar’s emotional disclosure, suggesting some recognition of the similarities between their families.
• Earl Ster and Dieter: Demonstrate increasing trust in the Undead by cooperating with them militarily. Dieter accepts the risks of his duty despite his mother Helena’s concern.
• Helena: Reveals her fear for Dieter’s safety, particularly from the Moon Clan, but is reminded that she cannot protect him by preventing him from fulfilling his responsibilities.
• Xue Yunfeng: Treats cooperation with Basia City as routine and pragmatic. He also becomes suspicious of the unexpected closeness developing between Ellie and the Undead.
• Ellie: Grows more curious and comfortable around the Undead, especially those who share her interest in alchemy. Her interactions may be becoming personal rather than merely diplomatic.

3. Significant Themes

• Family loyalty versus political ambition: Lucimar’s mother chooses her son over the Grand Sage’s approval, while the Ismail and Finch families represent contrasting systems of family control and succession.
• The damage caused by treating children as tools: The Grand Sage’s obsession with talent has destroyed family bonds and reduced people to their usefulness as heirs.
• Tradition versus selfish power: The nobles support primogeniture and resent the Grand Sage’s attempt to undermine established inheritance customs for personal reasons.
• Trust and reconciliation: Basia City’s leaders gradually trust the Undead, while the Undead respond with practical cooperation instead of domination.
• Duty versus parental protection: Dieter insists that being a knight requires accepting danger, while Helena struggles to let him take that risk.
• Unexpected cultural exchange: The Undead’s markets, skills, and casual social behavior draw Ellie and the citizens into closer contact with them.
• Political manipulation versus genuine relationships: The Undead may have intended to influence Ellie for diplomatic purposes, but her growing bond with them appears increasingly authentic and unpredictable.

4. Character Interactions

• Lucimar and Ted discuss his mother’s safety, with Lucimar politely refusing Earl Ster’s offer of shelter and joking about Ellie’s jealousy toward the maids.
• Lucimar speaks openly to the assembled nobles about his mother’s suffering and the Grand Sage’s indifference, earning silent sympathy even from Finch.
• Joshua advises Lucimar to preserve ties with the capital, while Lucimar and Finch trade pointed jokes about the stupidity of royal officials.
• Ted, Joshua, Earl Ster, and the other leaders coordinate Basia City’s reopening and its cooperation with the Undead.
• Earl Ster reassures Helena about Dieter’s safety, while Dieter defends his decision to serve as a knight.
• Xue Yunfeng and Earl Ster establish a cooperative arrangement in which the Undead allow the sentries to operate and monitor their condition.
• Ellie regularly interacts with Undead merchants and alchemists, with one particularly charming player becoming increasingly close to her.
• Xue Yunfeng questions whether this relationship is helping the Undead’s diplomatic plans—or undermining them.

Chapter Summary: “Just Someone They Knew”

Key Plot Points and Events

The group debates the meaning behind Eden’s men openly flattering Ellie. Xue Yunfeng assumes the men are trying to make Ellie abandon Hill and fall for one of them, but Lu Huayu explains that, within Western noble culture, public admiration and romantic competition could be viewed as compliments rather than serious threats. The men may be trying to increase Ellie’s prestige and make Hill appear more impressive by showing that his partner is desired by many.
The discussion shifts to Hill’s personality and whether he would tolerate such behavior. The group concludes that Hill possesses the education and emotional understanding of a noble, but his actual temperament is closer to that of an Earth Bear: kind, restrained, and deeply devoted when he truly cares for someone. His decisive actions on Toril demonstrate that, although he remains compassionate, he no longer hesitates to act when necessary.
Young Master then points out the central flaw in their assumptions: nobody has confirmed that Hill and Ellie are romantically involved. Rumors about Hill’s relationship with Ellie may be false. The group compares Hill’s treatment of Lynn and Aglaia City—where he personally invested enormous effort—with Stell Castle, where there is no comparable evidence of emotional attachment. This suggests Ellie may simply be someone Hill knows and trades with.
The group decides that Ellie’s possible importance as a “World Child” or plot-related figure does not matter unless she interferes with their war against the Moon Clan. They instead plan to take advantage of Basia City’s open shops before prices rise, especially for souvenirs and other nonessential goods.
Finally, they wonder who should ask Hill directly about Ellie. Since Perfect Baldhead’s Black Rose has a long relationship with Hill, the others suggest he do it. Before he can respond, An Idler reveals that two silver bells have been positioned outside the window since the house was built. The bells allow Hill to listen in. After hearing the entire conversation, Hill throws one down from the mountaintop, and his voice coldly clarifies that Ellie and the others are “merely people I knew and traded with.”

Character Developments

• Xue Yunfeng begins with a conventional, possessive interpretation of the situation and struggles to understand the cultural logic behind Eden’s behavior. He eventually recognizes that the group should first determine whether Hill even likes Ellie.
• Lu Huayu acts as the main cultural analyst, explaining Western noble customs and the idea that a man might take pride in having a desirable woman remain devoted to him.
• Susu helps reinterpret the situation, realizing that Ellie’s admirers may hope she will recommend them favorably to Hill.
• Perfect Baldhead offers the practical insight that the admirers may simply want an opportunity to meet or speak with Hill, even if their efforts risk embarrassing them.
• Young Master provides the decisive correction: rumors do not prove Hill has romantic feelings for Ellie. He uses Hill’s dedication to Lynn and Aglaia City as evidence of what Hill’s genuine affection looks like.
• Hill remains calm and polite while secretly listening, but his final statement carries an unmistakable warning. His denial of any close relationship with Ellie is gentle in wording yet intimidating in effect.
• An Idler casually reveals that Hill has been monitoring the conversation, creating both comic shock and tension.

Significant Themes

• Cultural differences in romance and status: The group struggles to understand a society where admiration, flirtation, and romantic rivalry may enhance someone’s prestige rather than constitute an insult.
• Rumor versus reality: The characters initially treat gossip about Hill and Ellie as fact, but Young Master emphasizes the need to distinguish public assumptions from Hill’s actual feelings.
• The nature of true devotion: Hill’s dedication to Lynn and the effort he put into Aglaia City serve as standards for genuine affection. His lack of similar involvement with Ellie strongly suggests that she is not romantically important to him.
• Power and indirect access: The admirers may be using Ellie as a route to Hill, valuing even a chance to speak with him. Social maneuvering becomes a way to approach a powerful figure.
• Comedy amid political calculation: The serious discussion about romance, factions, and possible plot importance is repeatedly undercut by misunderstandings, exaggerated reactions, and Hill’s unexpected eavesdropping.

Character Interactions

The chapter centers on the debate among Xue Yunfeng, Lu Huayu, Susu, Perfect Baldhead, Young Master, and An Idler. Xue Yunfeng repeatedly challenges the others’ explanations, while Lu Huayu and Susu try to clarify the cultural and emotional logic behind the situation. Perfect Baldhead resists being assigned the task of questioning Hill because of his guild’s relationship with him. Young Master overturns the group’s assumptions by questioning whether Ellie is important to Hill at all. The entire group is then embarrassed when they discover Hill has been listening, culminating in his chilling correction that Ellie is only someone he knew and traded with.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xue Yunfeng and the Undead realize they have badly misjudged Hill’s relationship with Ellie. They had assumed Hill might be romantically interested in her and had even considered interfering, which Hill finds inappropriate.
• Xue Yunfeng sincerely apologizes on behalf of the alliance for gossiping, making assumptions, and planning to deal with Ellie without first asking Hill.
• Perfect Baldhead explains the origin of the rumor. The Bacia Alchemy Association overheard a private conversation in which Prince Alexei pursued Ellie, questioned whether she had feelings for Archmage Belfran, and suggested she had no chance. Ellie’s confident responses led the Undead to believe she might actually be connected to Hill.
• Hill clarifies that his dealings with the Ster Family are based on personal compatibility and business trust, not romantic attraction. He is particularly confused that anyone could think he liked Ellie.
• Rather than becoming seriously angry, Hill assigns the alliance a punishment: they must till the land from the mountain’s foot to its summit and plant grass there before nightfall.
• Hill refuses to become involved in the actions of the separate group that treated Ellie according to “noble rules” but behaved in a morally distasteful way. He redirects the Undead to their assigned labor.
• Xue Yunfeng receives a huge sack of grass seeds and organizes volunteers from the Heaven-Defying Alliance and the PVE groups. He refuses to offer compensation, so only some clan leaders and merchant families agree to participate.
• The chapter ends with the alliance preparing for the difficult unpaid gardening task, while Xue Yunfeng privately blames Perfect Baldhead for making the situation worse.

Character Developments

• Xue Yunfeng shows unusual uncertainty and vulnerability. He genuinely fears damaging his friendship with Hill and chooses honesty and apology rather than excuses. He also demonstrates leadership by organizing the punishment, though he remains furious at Perfect Baldhead.
• Hill proves to be forgiving but firm. He does not hold the misunderstanding against the Undead, yet makes clear that meddling in his personal affairs will not be tolerated again. His punishment is practical, mildly humiliating, and possibly connected to a larger purpose.
• Perfect Baldhead reveals himself as both clever and manipulative. He gives a polished explanation and apology, subtly shifting attention away from himself while protecting the alliance. However, the others recognize that he deliberately worsened the situation and suspect he has been punished in real life by Xiao Liuliu.
• Ellie is characterized indirectly as someone who rejected Alexei yet maintained confidence in her own chances, contributing to the rumor.
• Alexei appears as a rejected suitor who attempted to determine whether Ellie’s feelings were tied to Belfran.
• Lu Huayu and the other Undead recognize Baldhead’s scheming and react with suspicion and irritation, while still participating in the alliance’s collective embarrassment.

Significant Themes

• Friendship and trust: The Undead’s main mistake is treating Hill like an outsider rather than a friend they could simply question. The incident reinforces that friendship requires honesty and respect for personal boundaries.
• Gossip and misunderstanding: A private, incomplete conversation becomes a widespread rumor because people fill in the gaps with speculation.
• Accountability and forgiveness: Hill accepts the apology, but forgiveness does not mean the offenders escape consequences.
• Bluntness versus emotional sensitivity: The Undead’s direct, battle-focused culture makes them overlook romantic and emotional complexities.
• Hidden motives and social manipulation: Perfect Baldhead’s smooth explanation demonstrates how easily clever people can redirect blame, while Xue Yunfeng’s reactions expose the alliance’s internal tensions.
• Gardening as an ominous or symbolic task: Hill’s demand that the land be covered in grass seems disproportionate to the misunderstanding, suggesting the seeds may serve a special purpose beyond punishment.

Character Interactions

• Xue Yunfeng directly apologizes to Hill and admits that the alliance acted presumptuously.
• Perfect Baldhead provides the detailed account of the rumor, earning Xue Yunfeng’s resentment for making the alliance look foolish while appearing helpful.
• Young Master asks whether Hill will respond to the group that mistreated Ellie, but Hill dismisses the matter and orders everyone back to work.
• Susu and several players discuss the logistical difficulty of planting more than one hundred thousand seeds.
• Lu Huayu and An Idler expose clues that Perfect Baldhead has suffered consequences from the previous wind-jumping incident, especially because of his behavior involving the silk parachute and Xiao Liuliu.
• The alliance’s leaders argue and joke while organizing volunteers, combining genuine remorse with their usual irreverent humor.

Summary

Key plot points and events

• Xue Yunfeng organizes Undead players to replant grass on the slope they damaged the previous night, at Hill’s suggestion. Only a fraction of the invited players show up, though the Alliance’s student-heavy and merchant groups participate especially well.
• Perfect Baldhead teases Xue Yunfeng about his feud with Lu Huayu, then asks why Hill wants the slope restored. Xue explains that Hill’s request was also a test of his judgment: he framed the work as a chance to improve the Alliance’s standing, which ensured that the breakaway-minded Eden group would refuse to help.
• Eden’s absence surprises Xue. He suspects they may have gained unexpected confidence about their situation involving Ellie, though he cannot see how they could have made progress so quickly.
• In Basia City, Ellie’s mother, Countess Helena, confronts her about speaking with Undead men and using their interest in her to draw Hill’s attention. Ellie insists she only wants to hear more about her first love, Hill, but Helena warns that Ellie’s luck and impulsiveness will not protect her forever.
• Earl Ster overrides Helena’s wish to keep Ellie confined, ordering that she be allowed out under a maid’s supervision so the family can monitor the Undead. Ellie agrees to the escort.
• Hill watches the players leave and senses a trace of Oaisis’s power. He concludes that his surrounding natural energy must have dispersed it, and sees no immediate cause for concern.

Character developments

• Xue Yunfeng demonstrates strategic insight by using his request to reveal Eden’s priorities and by recognizing the work as a test from Hill. He is also unsettled by Eden’s apparent confidence.
• Perfect Baldhead remains a blunt, teasing foil to Xue, while his rivalry with Lu Huayu continues as petty personal antagonism rather than open conflict.
• Ellie admits her attachment to Hill and her desire to hear more about him, but still seems unable to distinguish genuine independence from pursuing him through others.
• Helena recognizes that Ellie’s extraordinary luck has encouraged recklessness and fears it will eventually fail her.
• Earl Ster prioritizes watching the Undead over restricting Ellie, while acknowledging that luck cannot save her from someone truly powerful.
• Hill remains calm and observant, casually dismissing the strange trace of power he senses.

Significant themes

• Luck versus agency: Ellie’s good fortune has shielded her, but her parents fear it has prevented her from learning judgment and self-reliance.
• Trust, reputation, and obligation: Players’ willingness to help Hill varies with their group loyalties, expectations of reward, and personal regard for NPCs.
• Strategic testing and hidden motives: Hill’s grass-restoration request is more than practical work; it lets him assess Xue and exposes the factions’ competing interests.
• Power and vulnerability: Earl Ster warns that luck is meaningless before overwhelming power, while Hill’s effortless response to Oaisis’s energy suggests how great his own power may be.

Character interactions

• Xue and Baldhead exchange teasing and discuss the strained relationship between Baldhead and Lu Huayu, as well as the players’ uneven participation.
• Xue explains to Baldhead how his carefully worded appeal exposed Eden’s reluctance to support the Alliance.
• Helena challenges Ellie about her motives; Ellie pushes back, and Earl Ster intervenes, insisting that she be allowed out with a maid to monitor events.
• Helena and Earl Ster share concern for Ellie, though they differ over how best to manage her.

Key plot points and events

• Hill ignores a newly encountered strand of Fate Power, believing that relying on predicted outcomes would mean surrendering his own choices.
• He transforms the barren cliff with rain and magic, covering it in blue-and-white grass and bellflowers. The flowers rearrange themselves into paths, while streams and a lively population of animals make the slope into a hidden garden.
• The next morning, Perfect Baldhead, Xue Yunfeng, and others explore the changed mountain. A bell-covered vine puppet gives them directions through the garden, and they discover glass halls near Hill’s Mage Tower.
• The halls provide unusual benefits: visitors recover stamina and mana quickly, can sleep undisturbed in sheltered seats, and may pick one flower per day to make a Blood-Blue Potion.
• Lu Huayu summons people who had not worked on the mountain to test the place. They see no bells or garden at all—their path leads to the cliff where people jump into the wind.

Character developments and interactions

• Hill shows his independence from Fate Power and his preference for shaping his surroundings through his own choices. His magic also reveals a fondness for peaceful, beautiful landscapes.
• Xue Yunfeng leads the group’s investigation, while Perfect Baldhead offers observations about Hill’s tastes and points out how the halls function.
• Young Master responds poetically to the scenery; Jijiyaya discovers the stamina-recovery effect; and Susu finds the potion-making flowers.
• Lu Huayu tests whether access depends on friendship or participation, uncovering that the garden is selectively visible.
• The group’s curiosity and practical instincts turn the discovery into a shared exploration and experiment.

Significant themes

• Free will versus fate: Hill refuses to let potential rewards or predictions dictate his choices.
• Nature, beauty, and refuge: The transformed mountain offers a restorative sanctuary that contrasts with ordinary work and adventure.
• Selective access and hidden wonders: The garden’s different appearance to different visitors suggests that Hill’s creation is not available to everyone—or may respond to who they are.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xue Yunfeng and Lu Huayu devise tests to determine whether outsiders can see people interacting with the bell and whether they can follow the hidden path to Hill’s Mage Tower.
• The tests fail completely: outsiders cannot see the bell, the road, or even people standing nearby. They instead perceive cliffs and waves, revealing that Hill has created a powerful illusion formation.
• Jijiyaya identifies the formation as a sophisticated illusion array powered by ordinary grass and flowers rather than trees. This demonstrates Hill’s major improvement in formation techniques.
• The group discovers that the small vine flowers produced around the Mage Tower restore both health and mana and have an unusually short cooldown. However, only people who previously completed the “planting grass” quest can use them safely.
• Outsiders who eat the flowers become nauseated and lose health. Attempts to brew them into potions also fail, producing disgusting, harmful results.
• Xue Yunfeng orders research into the flowers but decides not to hoard them aggressively. Since access is restricted, merchants cannot exploit the market too severely.
• Hill’s illusion also prevents people carrying gifts and messages from reaching him on Lady Sterl’s behalf. They can see signs that Hill is present, but they cannot locate the Mage Tower or the path leading to it.
• Ellie eventually realizes that Hill has hidden his residence rather than left Bacia. She flies through the mountains at night, hoping only to confirm that he is still there.
• Hill sees Ellie searching but deliberately refuses to speak to her or give her even a small measure of reassurance. He has no intention of sparing her feelings or participating in a dramatic romantic farewell.

Character Developments

• Hill is shown to have matured. Instead of using openly vindictive methods, he creates a controlled system that rewards those who completed his quest and quietly inconveniences everyone else. His retaliation is subtle but psychologically effective.
• Xue Yunfeng remains pragmatic and commercially minded. He focuses on testing the flowers, controlling supply, and preventing Eden or merchants from gaining excessive leverage.
• Lu Huayu displays his usual shameless humor while efficiently carrying out Xue Yunfeng’s plans. His past romantic grievances are played for comedy.
• Jijiyaya demonstrates strong insight into Hill’s formations and recognizes the technical sophistication behind the illusion.
• Ellie becomes increasingly anxious and desperate for confirmation that Hill remains nearby. Her approach shifts from personal appeals and gifts to strictly businesslike dealings, though she ultimately risks herself to search for him.
• Perfect Baldhead recognizes that Hill’s new strategy attacks people emotionally without provoking open conflict.

Significant Themes

• Maturity in revenge: Hill no longer wastes his own time or resources to hurt others. Instead, he creates consequences that feel natural and self-inflicted.
• Exclusion and regret: The flowers are valuable not only because of their effects, but because those without access are constantly reminded that they missed their chance.
• Control through illusion and information: Hill controls what different people can perceive, protecting his privacy while allowing selected visitors to enjoy the Mage Tower’s surroundings.
• Emotional boundaries and dignity: Hill refuses to comfort Ellie simply because she is distressed. The chapter emphasizes that rejecting someone does not obligate a person to soften the rejection for their sake.
• Economic strategy: The limited supply and quest-based access to the flowers create a controlled market, while Xue Yunfeng works to prevent profiteering.

Character Interactions

• Xue Yunfeng and Lu Huayu cooperate on a testing scheme, with Lu Huayu immediately understanding the plan.
• The Undead mock and discuss Lu Huayu’s romantic history, creating comic relief despite the uncomfortable subject.
• Jijiyaya analyzes Hill’s magic and earns Xue Yunfeng’s support for researching the flowers.
• Xue Yunfeng and Perfect Baldhead jointly admire Hill’s more restrained and sophisticated form of retaliation.
• Ellie repeatedly sends people with gifts, but Hill’s illusion frustrates every attempt to reach him. Her eventual nighttime search contrasts with Hill’s complete refusal to engage, reinforcing the emotional distance between them.

Summary of “Sudden Incident at Stell Castle”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ellie returns to Stell Castle visibly upset after being rejected by Grand Sage Belfran. Her failure is significant because she is accustomed to luck consistently helping her obtain what she wants.
• Linde watches her return and retreats to the sitting room, where he drinks strong liquor despite being unable to tolerate alcohol. Dieter joins him, and the two discuss Linde’s resentment toward Ellie.
• Linde explains that he believes Ellie’s extraordinary luck has always benefited her while leaving him feeling neglected and useless. He admits that her successes seem effortless compared with the struggles others face, and he secretly wishes she would fail at least once so he would not feel like the only failure in the family.
• Dieter argues that Ellie earned the family’s support through her own growing abilities and that Linde’s bitterness is irrational. He also suggests that Linde’s mental instability may still be connected to the spider venom that damaged his mental strength.
• Linde accuses Ellie of subconsciously using her luck to influence events—including possibly Belfran’s interest in her—and fears that she will eventually overshadow him completely once Dieter inherits the family title.
• To force Linde to sleep and stop him from causing trouble, Dieter pours the heavily diluted alcohol down his throat. Linde quickly becomes incapacitated.
• The housekeeper observes that Ellie may either abandon her pursuit of Belfran or become more determined after this unprecedented failure. She suggests that Ellie’s deep emotional investment makes this defeat different from the family’s ordinary problems.
• Dieter realizes that the “housekeeper” is not actually Aunt Parris but an impostor. When the disguised woman makes comments suggesting knowledge of the family and another person’s preferences, Dieter attacks her.
• The intruder easily disarms and injures Dieter with a whip, breaking several ribs and possibly his leg. Before she can do more, a pale light causes her body to explode and disappear.
• Linde calls for help. Earl Ster, Countess Ster, Ted, Parris, and the guards rush in. Ted begins treating Dieter, while Earl Ster gives Parris permission to use any means necessary to find the attacker.
• Linde reports that the woman transformed into light and vanished, adding that she had not expected him to drink alcohol—an apparently important detail about how the incident unfolded.

Character Developments

• Linde: His jealousy and inferiority complex become explicit. He recognizes that his resentment may be irrational, yet he cannot stop viewing Ellie’s generosity as condescending charity. His wish for Ellie to fail reveals both his insecurity and his emotional dependence on comparison with her. Despite being intoxicated, he reacts quickly and alerts the family after Dieter is attacked.
• Dieter: He demonstrates a practical, protective attitude toward Linde and initially tries to dismiss his brother’s bitterness as lingering mental damage. His strong sense of family loyalty becomes clear when he immediately detects that the disguised housekeeper is not Parris and attacks to protect her and the household.
• Ellie: Though absent for most of the chapter, she is characterized through others’ observations. Her rejection by Belfran represents her first genuine failure, raising the possibility that her determination will either collapse or intensify.
• Earl Ster and Countess Ster: Their immediate response shows that the family remains tightly protective of its members. Earl’s anger and authorization of an aggressive investigation emphasize the seriousness of the breach.
• The impostor: The intruder is highly capable, able to disguise herself, infiltrate the castle, and overpower Dieter. Her comments imply that she knows about the family and possibly about another powerful individual’s unusual interests.

Significant Themes

• Jealousy and unequal privilege: Linde struggles with the belief that Ellie has been favored by fate while he has received only leftovers from her success.
• Luck versus effort: Ellie’s luck contrasts with Dieter’s belief in achieving goals through discipline and direct action. The family benefits from Ellie’s fortune but does not fully understand its consequences for her siblings.
• Failure and identity: Ellie’s first major failure may challenge her self-image, while Linde’s desire for her to fail reflects his need to feel less inadequate.
• Family loyalty and protection: Despite internal resentment, the family responds immediately when Dieter is injured and treats the infiltration as a direct attack on the household.
• Hidden threats and deception: The impostor’s disguise reveals that the castle is vulnerable and that unseen forces may be monitoring or manipulating events.
• Mental instability and resentment: Linde’s bitterness may be partly psychological damage from the spider venom, but the chapter also presents it as a long-standing emotional wound.

Character Interactions

• Linde and Dieter: Their conversation exposes the difference between Linde’s resentment and Dieter’s straightforward worldview. Dieter criticizes Linde but still cares for him, physically forcing him to rest and later risking himself against the intruder.
• Linde and Ellie: Ellie does not appear directly, but Linde’s feelings toward her dominate the chapter. He sees her kindness as humiliating charity rather than affection.
• Dieter and the impostor: Dieter’s instinctive recognition that the disguised woman is not Parris demonstrates his loyalty and familiarity with his family. Their confrontation ends with him badly injured.
• The housekeeper and Dieter: The housekeeper’s comments initially deepen Dieter’s understanding of Ellie’s emotional situation, but her suspicious words reveal her identity.
• The Ster family: Earl Ster, Countess Ster, Ted, Parris, and the guards respond collectively to the attack, shifting the chapter from family conflict to an immediate security crisis.

Chapter Summary: “Why Had She Come?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Ster Family realizes that the “Parris” who attacked them was an impostor. The disguised intruder was powerful enough to severely injure Dieter with one blow but apparently lacked the strength to openly confront the family, suggesting her disguise could not be maintained indefinitely.
• Parris begins investigating servants who could move unnoticed through the castle, particularly low-ranking kitchen and garden maids. They discover that one of the skinners is missing, indicating that the intruder may have replaced or impersonated her.
• The castle’s identity-verifying alchemical array had not malfunctioned; it had judged the impostor to be genuinely Parris. This raises the question of how she bypassed the array.
• Dieter identifies the creature’s weapon as resembling the leg hair of a spider. The family concludes that the intruder was likely a Silk Spider, despite the city’s Moonlight Stone defenses being designed to prevent such beings from entering.
• The family suspects the intruder came because the Ster Family had discovered and controlled a mutant Silk Spider. They also connect her remarks about “that child” and the Ster Family’s supposed importance to Grand Sage Belfran.
• Dieter recounts how he detected the deception. Linde, who had been pretending to sleep, secretly bit him when the false Parris said he could not drink alcohol, alerting Dieter that something was wrong.
• Anos treats Dieter with an extremely effective but foul-tasting bone-regrowth potion. Dieter recovers enough to continue his duties.
• The family discovers that the intruder may have fed on the Ster Family’s hunting dogs. The possibility horrifies Ellie and Linde, since the dogs may have consumed human flesh. The dogs are confined to deadly underground tunnels to prevent them from endangering the family.
• Earl Ster and Anos prepare to inspect the castle grounds, while Parris organizes a search using Kushiling Hounds. Dieter plans to report the incident to the Undead camp and the Rune Lord Church is to be notified because the intruder may be an enemy of the Elves.
• News reaches Hill, who concludes that the visitor was Rose, the Abyssal Lord. He is puzzled about why Rose came personally to Oaisis and visited the Ster Family, since the mutant Silk Spider’s existence had already been revealed through Hill.

Character Developments

• Dieter demonstrates unexpected perceptiveness despite his impulsive behavior. His interaction with Linde helps him recognize that the apparent Parris is dangerous, though his failure to sound the alarm earns him a reprimand.
• Linde proves more observant and resourceful than expected. His feigned sleep allows him to overhear the intruder, and his bite to Dieter becomes the crucial warning that exposes the deception.
• Parris takes charge of the investigation and quickly identifies likely points of infiltration among the castle’s servants. Her calm efficiency reinforces her role as a trusted and capable family retainer.
• Anos remains practical and ruthless, treating Dieter with painful medicine and preparing to confront the possible threat. He also sharply criticizes Ellie’s unrealistic expectations regarding Grand Sage Belfran.
• Ellie remains anxious and emotionally affected by her previous encounter with Belfran. She instinctively suggests notifying him but refuses to seek him out again after being humiliated.
• Earl and Countess Ster show contrasting responses: Earl Ster is eager to investigate personally, while the Countess takes a protective stance and prevents Linde from recklessly joining the search.
• Hill acts as an interpreter of the clues surrounding Rose. His familiarity with her status-conscious behavior allows him to identify her involvement, though her motive remains unclear.
• Rose is indirectly characterized as extremely powerful, status-conscious, and mysterious. Her ability to impersonate Parris and bypass the castle’s defenses makes her presence especially threatening.

Significant Themes

• Deception and identity: The central danger comes from someone who can convincingly assume another person’s identity, even fooling magical verification systems.
• Hidden vulnerabilities: The castle’s strongest defenses fail because its inhabitants overlook low-ranking servants and routine labor areas.
• Power and status: The discussion of Rose’s language and behavior emphasizes the importance of rank among powerful beings, particularly the distinction between Abyssal Lords and lesser entities.
• Trust and suspicion: The family must consider whether Parris has betrayed them while also relying on long-established personal knowledge to detect inconsistencies.
• Consequences of discovery: The Ster Family’s experiment or encounter with the mutant Silk Spider has drawn the attention of forces far beyond their ability to control.
• Family protection and responsibility: The characters balance the need to investigate the threat with the danger of exposing injured or vulnerable family members.

Character Interactions

• Ted reassures Linde and explains why the impostor likely could not maintain her disguise forever.
• Dieter and Linde’s unusual exchange—Linde biting Dieter—helps expose the false Parris.
• Earl Ster reprimands Dieter for failing to sound the alarm, while Dieter explains the circumstances that led him to act.
• Anos forcefully administers medicine to Dieter, creating a humorous contrast with Dieter’s usual fear of stern treatment.
• Parris coordinates with the family to search for the missing skinner and determine how long the infiltrator had been present.
• Ellie reacts physically to the possibility that the intruder’s remains or influence involved the hunting dogs, while Linde panics over their fate.
• Countess Ster stops Linde from joining Earl Ster and Anos, prioritizing his safety.
• Anos challenges Ellie’s self-pity and unrealistic belief that Belfran might take personal interest in her.
• Hill interprets the incident through his knowledge of Rose, ending the chapter with the unresolved question of why Rose came to the Ster Family.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After a maid’s death, Earl Ster discovers that the family’s hounds have split into two violent factions. The dogs were secretly fighting because the newly raised hounds had developed a taste for human flesh after consuming the maid’s corpse.
• The servants responsible for the kennel concealed the danger, assuming the fighting was ordinary territorial behavior. Earl Ster executes them and expels their relatives, furious that their fear of losing privileged treatment outweighed concern for Linde’s safety.
• Because the hounds had eaten the corpse, investigators cannot determine when or how an intruder impersonating the maid entered the castle. Priests and mages conduct an extensive investigation, uncovering unrelated corruption but initially finding no useful evidence.
• The Silver Moon High Priest eventually reveals traces of an extremely tiny creature on a carriage wheel. The Rune High Priest learns through divine prayer that the intruder has already left.
• The Ster Family begins massive security renovations, replacing transportation, horseshoes, roads, and buildings with metal containing Moonlight Stone. Stell Castle becomes a bleak, glowing “steel fortress” that resembles a haunted vampire castle.
• The renovations nearly bankrupt the family, prompting Ellie to prepare another auction to sell Ster assets.
• Earl Ster hires the Undead to guard the auction rather than relying on the city army. The auction hall receives special protection, while the rest of the commercial complex is left to its owners.
• Hill reflects on Rose’s arrival and the complicated political relationships among the gods, the Ster Family, and Basia City’s army. He also recognizes that Earl Ster prefers spending family money over sacrificing soldiers or shifting blame onto the military.
• The chapter ends with an unrelated promotional recommendation for a Harry Potter fanfiction.

Character Developments

• Earl Ster is shown as furious, decisive, and protective of both his family’s reputation and his soldiers. Although capable of using the army in a crisis, he prefers to avoid unnecessary military losses and takes personal responsibility for securing the auction.
• Linde is established as especially attached to the hounds, having cared for them since childhood. His affection inadvertently makes the kennel’s danger particularly serious, since he might have approached the dogs unaware of their change in behavior.
• Hill becomes more confident in interpreting the political and divine situation. He is wary of Rose but trusts the World Tree’s protection and decides not to leave his mountain merely because she has arrived.
• The Undead gain importance as practical security forces, valued for their ability to detect Silk Spiders and their expendability in the eyes of the nobles.

Significant Themes

• Negligence and concealment: The kennel servants hide a dangerous problem to protect their own privileges, nearly placing Linde’s life at risk.
• Security and paranoia: The castle’s extensive defenses prove insufficient against an unconventional, microscopic infiltration, leading to increasingly elaborate protective measures.
• Reputation and responsibility: The Ster Family’s auction is partly an attempt to demonstrate that the infiltration was an isolated failure rather than evidence of the family’s decline.
• Pragmatic morality: Earl Ster’s decision to hire the Undead instead of exposing soldiers reflects a complicated balance between self-interest, responsibility, and political accountability.
• Moral ambiguity in politics: Alliances between gods, noble families, and armies are portrayed as complex rather than purely hostile or benevolent.
• Adaptation to danger: The Ster Family responds to the threat by transforming its castle and changing its methods, even at enormous financial cost.

Character Interactions

• The servants’ concealment of the hounds’ behavior conflicts with Earl Ster’s expectations of loyalty and responsibility, leading to their execution.
• Linde’s bond with the hounds explains why the kennel staff feared discovery but also emphasizes how dangerously close he was to becoming their victim.
• Earl Ster’s relationship with the city army is revealed to be cooperative, not antagonistic; he avoids using them because he values their lives, even though he could legally compel their assistance.
• Hill observes Earl Ster’s methods from a distance and reassesses him as a politically capable nobleman rather than simply an isolated or unfriendly military aristocrat.
• Rose remains an indirect threat to Hill: she is unlikely to attack him personally while he is protected by the World Tree, but she may encourage others to act against him.