Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Metal Frenzy”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Robert Bruce, patriarch of the Bruce Vampire Family and the ancient enemy responsible for exterminating the Lex Family, challenges Diablo to a duel.
• Robert attacks first with his claws, but Diablo counters with metal defenses and attempts to trap and sever Robert’s arm.
• Robert reveals Diablo’s main weakness: blood. Using Blood Control, he causes the blood inside Diablo’s body to erupt, severely injuring him.
• Diablo survives the attack and reveals that he had been gathering metal particles from beneath the ground throughout the battle.
• He unleashes massive waves of metal, repeatedly piercing and injuring Robert. However, Robert’s vampire regeneration allows him to recover and continue attacking.
• Robert breaks through Diablo’s defenses and wounds his face, but he has already entered Diablo’s trap.
• Diablo activates Metal Storm, drawing all nearby metal fragments and weapons into a deadly tornado. Robert transforms into a bat but is instantly shredded, reduced first to flesh and bones and then completely annihilated.
• Bernard, recognizing Metal Storm as the Lex Family’s legendary killing technique, reflects on his past mistakes—especially allowing Robert’s jealousy to lead to the massacre of the Lex Family.
• Bernard orders Linde and the others to exterminate the remaining members of the Bruce Family, granting all the spoils to Diablo.
• The barrier surrounding the battlefield disappears, revealing Alec and more than a hundred Temple Knights and Priests waiting outside. Bernard dismisses them and leaves, while the chapter emphasizes the overwhelming power of the Temple of Light.

Character Developments

• Diablo demonstrates remarkable resilience, tactical patience, and mastery of metal magic. Rather than relying on magic scrolls or outside assistance, he insists on defeating Robert through his own strength.
• Diablo’s hatred toward Robert and the Bruce Family becomes clear, but he remains calm and controlled until the moment he unleashes Metal Storm.
• Robert Bruce is shown as a powerful and dangerous ancient vampire with exceptional close-combat ability, blood manipulation, regeneration, and Epic-quality clawed gloves. Despite these advantages, his confidence and aggression lead him into Diablo’s trap.
• Bernard shows regret over his role in the Lex Family’s destruction. Although he still harbors murderous intent toward William, he recognizes Diablo’s strength and allows him to claim the Bruce Family’s wealth.
• William and his allies remain observers during the duel, trusting Diablo to settle the conflict himself.

Significant Themes

• Revenge and the consequences of past mistakes: The massacre of the Lex Family continues to shape present events, and Bernard recognizes that his earlier decisions created the current crisis.
• Strength through heritage: Diablo’s power reflects the Lex Family’s legacy, particularly its famed metal-based combat techniques.
• Regeneration versus overwhelming force: Robert’s vampiric healing allows him to survive devastating attacks, but Metal Storm demonstrates that even regeneration has limits.
• Self-reliance and pride: Diablo chooses to win through personal ability rather than external tools, reinforcing his pride and determination.
• The danger of unchecked jealousy: Robert’s original jealousy caused the destruction of an entire family and ultimately leads to his own death.
• Political and military power: The Temple of Light’s presence emphasizes its dominance among the major factions of the Legendary Continent.

Character Interactions

• Diablo and Robert engage in a brutal, wordless duel defined by mutual hostility rather than verbal threats.
• Robert taunts Diablo by identifying blood as his weakness, while Diablo responds through actions, enduring the attack and ultimately overpowering him.
• Bernard and Diablo share an unspoken connection through the Lex Family’s history. Bernard recognizes Diablo’s use of his grandfather’s legendary technique but is also haunted by his own responsibility for the family’s destruction.
• Bernard grants Diablo the Bruce Family’s spoils, partly as recognition of his victory and partly as an indirect acknowledgment of the injustice done to the Lex Family.
• Bernard and Alec represent opposing powers: Bernard commands the vampires within the territory, while Alec and the Temple forces wait outside, underscoring the larger conflict between the vampire factions and the Temple of Light.

Chapter Summary: “Bloodline Fruit (Please Vote with Monthly Tickets)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the destruction of the castle in Eastsea City, Bernard successfully manipulates the public narrative. Although outsiders attacked his territory, the incident is portrayed as an internal conflict among his subordinates, preserving his reputation among ordinary citizens.
• William avoids escalating tensions with Bernard. He leaves Eastsea City with Diablo and the others rather than starting a larger war, believing the conflict should remain limited.
• William receives the rewards for completing “Diablo’s Family History,” which has been upgraded to an S-Class quest. Diablo swears absolute loyalty to William, while Eastsea City and Bernard’s favorability toward William sharply decline.
• The group also obtains a huge material haul: more than 200,000 gold coins, over 500,000 silver coins, and hundreds of pieces of equipment. The chapter emphasizes that gaining the loyalty of a Legendary NPC is an extraordinary reward, especially for Players.
• William learns from the Mercenary Guild that a Bloodline Fruit will mature within ten days in a forest between the Emerald and Lanyu Grand Duchies. Since the fruit can increase the potential of even a Legendary Bloodline, William decides to pursue it.
• William and his five companions travel toward the Emerald Grand Duchy through heavy rain. He expects other powerful factions to compete for the fruit and begins considering how much force he may need to deploy.
• Three days later, the group arrives in the Emerald Grand Duchy, another territory ruled by Vampires.

Character Developments

• William demonstrates political restraint by refusing to turn the Eastsea City incident into a full-scale war. He also recognizes the immense value of his Talent, which makes gaining NPC loyalty far easier than it should be.
• Diablo completes his family-related quest and becomes completely loyal to William, marking a major increase in their relationship and in William’s power base.
• Bernard proves himself politically capable by disguising the castle’s destruction as an internal dispute, though he loses favor with William.
• Burning Ash acts dismissive about the Bloodline Fruit, but immediately claims that anything he obtains will be given to William. His behavior reveals both his loyalty and his tendency toward exaggerated flattery.
• Tyrannosaur, Wells, Alec, Burning Ash, and Diablo are presented as exceptionally powerful individuals, each capable of dominating a region or making a major impact in battle. Wells is nearly impossible to injure, Diablo has become more dangerous after advancing to High-Class, and Tyrannosaur is far tougher than an ordinary Epic-Class Professional.

Significant Themes

• Power and loyalty: The loyalty of a Legendary NPC is portrayed as more valuable than enormous amounts of money or equipment. William’s Talent gives him an almost unfair advantage in building a powerful faction.
• Political manipulation and reputation: Bernard preserves his authority by controlling the story surrounding the attack, showing that public perception can be as important as military strength.
• Restraint versus escalation: William understands that using Legions recklessly could provoke every major power in the Southern Region. Even when he considers overwhelming force, he recognizes the importance of limiting conflict.
• Competition for rare treasures: The Bloodline Fruit introduces a classic treasure hunt in which powerful individuals and factions will compete, potentially leading to violence while trying to avoid an open war.
• The changing role of Players: The chapter contrasts Players with NPCs. Players usually cannot compete directly with powerful NPCs, but their unusual opportunities, quests, and discoveries can still influence the world and trigger conflicts.
• Growth and potential: The Bloodline Fruit represents the possibility of raising the upper limit of a character’s future development, making even a tiny percentage increase valuable at higher levels.

Character Interactions

• William and Diablo’s relationship becomes much stronger through the completion of Diablo’s family-history quest, with Diablo pledging lifelong loyalty.
• Burning Ash’s boast about not wanting the fruit, followed by his promise to give any captured fruit to William, provokes silent irritation and mockery from the others.
• William mentally compares the combat abilities of his companions, recognizing that each has unique strengths and that none should be underestimated.
• The group shares a common interest in the Bloodline Fruit, though their reactions differ: most are excited by its potential, while Burning Ash pretends indifference.
• William leads the group toward the Emerald Grand Duchy, preparing them for a likely confrontation with other powerful treasure seekers.

Chapter Summary: “Massacre at the Players’ Base”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Emerald Grand Duchy is ruled by vampires, but it enjoys unusually high domestic security because criminals, vagrants, and troublemakers are often eliminated by the vampire authorities. The human empire tolerates this arrangement because the duchy is peaceful, and the empire is confident it could destroy the vampires if necessary.
• William and his five companions enter the duchy disguised as demon hunters. Since they are officially nobles and have not exposed their identities, the vampires do not attack or interfere with them.
• In the capital, the group attracts attention from players because it consists of four legendary and two epic-level professionals. Players speculate that they are talented NPC adventurers from prestigious academies.
• William learns that Freedom Alliance players have been bullying players affiliated with Dawn City. Their guild territory lies in a nearby county, so William leaves his companions and goes there alone.
• At the guild territory, Light of Freedom gives an inflammatory speech, encouraging members to recruit or destroy Dawn City players and blaming William for the Freedom Alliance’s past losses.
• William dramatically destroys the territory’s gates, kills Light of Freedom instantly, and massacres the tens of thousands of players present. Their attacks cannot harm him.
• He repeatedly kills Light of Freedom whenever he revives, destroys the guild’s territory stele, and pursues scattered members throughout the city, killing them six times each and forcing them offline.
• The Freedom Alliance is effectively dismantled. William plans to continue secretly hunting them whenever they regroup, intending to force them out of the guild—or out of the game entirely.

Character Developments

• William: Reveals a fierce and personal vindictiveness toward Light of Freedom and the Freedom Alliance. His response goes far beyond simply defeating them: he seeks to destroy their organization and permanently terrorize its members. His overwhelming strength and ruthlessness are emphasized.
• Light of Freedom: Is shown as manipulative and power-hungry. He publicly presents himself as a revolutionary leader but privately enjoys controlling and deceiving his followers. His confidence collapses when William arrives, and he is repeatedly killed.
• Freedom Alliance players: Their dependence on numbers, propaganda, and guild territory is exposed as useless against a true legendary NPC. Their arrogance turns into panic and helplessness.
• Vampire nobles: Remain detached observers. Although they witness the destruction, they refuse to intervene because the conflict does not concern them and they do not want to sacrifice themselves.

Significant Themes

• Power imbalance: The massacre demonstrates the enormous gap between high-level legendary NPCs and ordinary players. Tens of thousands of players are powerless against William.
• Consequences of provocation: Light of Freedom’s repeated insults and attacks against William’s faction finally provoke overwhelming retaliation.
• Propaganda and manipulation: Light of Freedom uses false explanations—especially blaming William for Goethe Nassis’s death—to maintain control over his followers.
• Political pragmatism: The human empire tolerates vampire rule because it provides stability, while the vampires avoid unnecessary wars and recognize their dependence on stronger powers.
• Personal revenge in a game world: William treats the Freedom Alliance’s actions as a personal betrayal rooted in his past life, showing that player behavior can have lasting consequences even when directed at NPCs.

Important Character Interactions

• Players in the capital observe William’s group and speculate about their origins, unknowingly recognizing them as unusually powerful NPCs.
• William receives information from an intelligence officer about the Freedom Alliance’s location.
• Light of Freedom rallies his followers against Dawn City and William before William interrupts the speech.
• William confronts Light of Freedom directly, crushes his head, and repeatedly kills him after each resurrection.
• The vampire noble witnesses the attack but chooses not to intervene, reinforcing the duchy’s detached and pragmatic political culture.

Chapter Summary: “Encountering Adolf”

Plot Points and Events

• The Freedom Alliance’s base is destroyed by an unidentified legendary boss. Rather than sympathizing, players on the Dawn Forum celebrate because the Alliance had previously bullied newcomers, stolen equipment, harassed players, and abused its local influence.
• Dawn City’s administration publicly highlights the incident as an example of “the consequences of angering a legendary NPC.” William continues punishing the Alliance by ordering Eric to repeatedly attack them, hoping to drive them out of the Emerald Grand Duchy.
• William and five companions travel toward the Nightmare Forest in search of the rumored Bloodline Fruit. The forest is a dangerous borderland filled with magical beasts, dark creatures, bounty hunters, vampires, dragons, hidden warlocks, and the notorious Dark City.
• William reflects on the larger conflicts that will emerge in Version 3.0. He suspects the Dark City may have spread the Bloodline Fruit rumors to manipulate rival factions and provoke wars between Emerald, Lanyu, Eastsea City, and other powers.
• Upon entering the forest, the group encounters grotesque plants, dangerous spiders, and a trap using a wounded female corpse fiend as bait. Prince kills the disguised creature with a lightning arrow, exposing an ambush.
• More than twenty-five cloaked professionals surround William’s group. Their leader, a man covered in black flames, demands their equipment and space rings.
• William recognizes the leader as Adolf, an infamous figure who had previously hidden his identity after being defeated or deceived in the Blackleaf Forest. Adolf now possesses legendary-level power, despite originally having only an epic bloodline.
• Before either side can fight, a tremendous roar sounds from deeper in the forest. Adolf’s group immediately rushes toward it, and William’s party follows, suspecting that the creature may be connected to the Bloodline Fruit.

Character Developments

• William continues to demonstrate strategic cruelty and long-term thinking. He treats the Freedom Alliance’s destruction as useful political and experiential gain, while also analyzing the hidden forces manipulating the Bloodline Fruit rumor.
• William’s suspicion deepens regarding the Bloodline Fruit. Adolf’s sudden rise from epic to legendary status makes him question whether the fruit is genuine, whether Adolf obtained it, or whether the entire rumor is an organized trap.
• Adolf is revealed to have transformed into a legendary powerhouse and to be operating under a concealed identity in the Nightmare Forest. His surprise at being recognized shows how carefully he has tried to hide his past.
• Tyrannosaur displays his bizarre fondness for disgusting creatures by handling a giant, hundred-eyed spider. His toughness is reinforced when he casually crushes it after it bites him.
• Prince remains calm and decisive, using his legendary lightning bow to eliminate the corpse-fiend decoy when the ambush becomes obvious.
• Burning Ash and Wells act more cautiously and practically, observing the forest’s dangers and reacting uneasily to Tyrannosaur’s behavior.

Significant Themes

• Consequences and retribution: The Freedom Alliance’s downfall reflects the theme that abusive power eventually invites retaliation. William’s punishment is deliberate and sustained rather than emotional.
• Manipulation and hidden agendas: The Bloodline Fruit may be a fabricated rumor designed to provoke conflict, enrich bounty hunters, or advance the plans of the Dark City.
• Moral ambiguity: The chapter presents no clear division between heroes and villains. Players, bounty hunters, dark creatures, and political factions all pursue self-interest, while even seemingly righteous causes may conceal ulterior motives.
• Suspicion and critical thinking: William recalls how repeated betrayals in the game taught players to question every faction and quest. The chapter emphasizes that apparent rewards may actually serve hidden powers.
• Danger beneath appearances: The wounded “victim” is actually a corpse fiend, Adolf hides his identity, and the Bloodline Fruit rumor may conceal a trap. The forest itself visually reinforces this theme through its monstrous trees and ominous atmosphere.

Character Interactions

• The group reacts with disgust and distance toward Tyrannosaur’s friendly treatment of the giant spider, while he views the creature as harmless and “cute.”
• William and his companions coordinate cautiously when they discover the corpse-fiend trap, refusing to rush into a rescue and allowing Prince to expose the ambush.
• William attempts to defuse the confrontation with the surrounding professionals by arguing that fighting prematurely would only benefit outsiders, but Adolf’s group responds with mockery and demands for their possessions.
• William identifies Adolf by name, creating an immediate shift in the atmosphere. Both sides become wary, each wondering what the other knows.
• The confrontation is interrupted by a massive roar, causing Adolf’s group and William’s party to temporarily abandon their standoff and pursue the sound together.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• William and his companions arrive at a massive cave containing around one hundred Trolls guarding a single Bloodline Fruit.
• They discover that hundreds of Dawn City Players have already attacked the Trolls. Among them is Meichuan Neiku, whose group is overwhelmed and retreats after realizing the cave contains far more Trolls than expected.
• The Players’ unusual immortality, tendency to resurrect, equipment drops, and strong desire for revenge make the NPCs reluctant to kill them. Their actions nevertheless draw numerous Professionals to the Bloodline Fruit’s location.
• The Troll tribe proves extremely powerful: most are Intermediate-Class, more than twenty are High-Class, and their leader is a Grandmaster-tier Troll with a Legendary Bloodline.
• As several hundred Professionals gather, William decides to seize the fruit through a coordinated attack rather than fight the entire tribe directly.
• William plans to tunnel into the cave with Wells, have Wells hold off the Troll leader, and steal the Bloodline Fruit. Alec and the others will serve as bait, while Burning Ash helps contain the remaining Trolls.
• Tyrannosaur is ordered to reveal his identity to the Players and issue a quest in William’s name, encouraging them to create further chaos.
• William warns everyone that the Bloodline Fruit’s location may have been deliberately leaked and that the Dark Forces could be preparing to eliminate all the competing groups.

Character Developments

• William displays his usual opportunistic and strategic nature. Rather than confront the Trolls head-on, he devises a plan exploiting the Players as distractions and assigns each companion a specific role.
• His possessiveness toward the powerful Troll tribe hints at his desire to recruit or dominate them, especially the Legendary Troll leader.
• Wells is reluctant to fight a Grandmaster-tier opponent but accepts the task after being pressured, maintaining his reputation as the region’s strongest defensive warrior.
• Burning Ash remains aggressive and eager for battle, boasting about his Dragon-Slaying Saber and welcoming the possibility of fighting hidden enemies.
• Tyrannosaur is trusted to manipulate the Players by using William’s authority and reputation to issue a quest.
• Meichuan Neiku and the other lifestyle-oriented Players are portrayed as reckless but pragmatic, willing to attack dangerous enemies for entertainment and rewards before retreating when the situation becomes too extreme.
• Adolf is revealed to fear William because of their past conflicts, though his pride prevents him from retreating when Dawn City’s forces appear.

Significant Themes

• Exploitation and manipulation: William treats both the Players and his own allies as pieces in a larger plan, using the Players’ immortality and recklessness to disrupt the Troll defenses.
• The unpredictable nature of the Players: Their resurrection, strange behavior, and lack of concern for death make them difficult for NPCs to understand or control.
• Power and recruitment: The Bloodline Fruit represents a major opportunity to improve potential, while the Troll tribe’s strength makes it a valuable possible addition to William’s forces.
• Suspicion and hidden agendas: The unexplained leak of the fruit’s location creates an atmosphere of mistrust, with William suspecting that the Dark Forces may be orchestrating a trap.
• Comedy through contrast: The chapter balances the danger of a powerful Troll tribe with absurd Player behavior, NPC speculation about their origins, and Burning Ash’s exaggerated confidence.

Character Interactions

• The Players retreat past William’s group, prompting the NPCs to observe their strange immortality and behavior.
• William privately assesses the Trolls, especially the Legendary leader, while the leader inexplicably senses that someone is plotting against him.
• William assigns Wells the dangerous task of stopping the Troll leader, turning Wells’s boastful reputation into an obligation.
• Alec and the others protest being assigned as bait, but reluctantly accept William’s authority as their lord.
• Burning Ash, Wells, and Tyrannosaur receive complementary roles in the planned assault: suppressing the Trolls, blocking the leader, and directing the Players.
• The chapter ends with the group preparing for a chaotic battle over the Bloodline Fruit, while Burning Ash eagerly anticipates confronting whoever may be behind the situation.

Chapter Summary: “Want a Good Life? Wear a Little Green on Your Head”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Hundreds of Players from Dawn City gather near the cave containing a nearly ripe Bloodline Fruit. Although they could compete for it, they largely abandon the contest once they realize William wants the fruit.
• Their decision demonstrates their loyalty to Dawn City and William. They view the city as home and are willing to support their lord rather than prioritize personal rewards.
• William, accompanied by Wells, Burning Ash, Tyrannosaur, Diablo, and another companion, secretly digs a tunnel beneath the Trolls’ cave. Using his Soul Sense, he avoids detection and reaches a position only ten meters below the Trolls.
• To coordinate the coming attack, William links the group with Soul Chain. The ability allows them to share each other’s vision and communicate mentally, though the sudden connection briefly causes everyone pain and confusion.
• William reveals that he is a Soul Mage in addition to being known as a Ranger, though he does not explain the unusual nature of his Holy Spirit Magic.
• Outside the cave, numerous Professionals attempt to lure out the Trolls before the Bloodline Fruit ripens. Their arrows and spells fail to provoke a response.
• Hunters then resort to insulting the Troll Chieftain, Crazy Grum, by claiming that his wife has been unfaithful. The taunts infuriate him, but he initially restrains himself because of the Bloodline Fruit.
• Crazy Grum sends a group of Trolls outside to stop the insults. The summoned Trolls demand reinforcements, resulting in thirty-three Trolls emerging—including the Chieftain’s relatives and possibly his own son.
• The sheer number of possible offenders leaves Crazy Grum stunned and enraged. The incident also causes several human Professionals to worry humorously about whether their own absent wives might be unfaithful.

Character Developments

• William is shown as manipulative, charismatic, cautious, and highly skilled. He relies on both emotional loyalty and underhanded tactics to secure the Bloodline Fruit. His mastery of tunnel-digging and Soul Chain highlights his versatility.
• The Dawn City Players demonstrate that they have developed genuine loyalty to William and their faction. They are no longer motivated solely by profit and are willing to protect their lord and city.
• Wells, Burning Ash, Tyrannosaur, and Diablo gain insight into William’s unusual abilities. Their humorous reactions also show their familiarity and growing camaraderie with him.
• Crazy Grum is portrayed as powerful but easily provoked, especially by suspicions about his wife and children. His anger leads him to weaken the cave’s defenses by sending out many Trolls.
• The Trolls display selfishness and cowardice, immediately dragging others into danger rather than facing the Hunters alone.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty and belonging: The Players’ willingness to support William reflects how shared experiences can turn a faction into a genuine home.
• Leadership and charisma: William’s influence comes not only from strength but also from his ability to inspire emotional attachment and loyalty.
• Cunning over brute force: William uses stealth, deception, psychological manipulation, and coordination rather than openly attacking the Trolls.
• Humor amid danger: The chapter uses crude insults and exaggerated reactions to create comedy during a tense conflict over a valuable treasure.
• Jealousy and insecurity: The Troll Chieftain’s rage—and the human Professionals’ sudden anxiety—turns the idea of infidelity into a recurring comic theme.

Character Interactions

• The Players joke about William’s reputation for scheming while ultimately choosing to help him.
• William introduces the group to Soul Chain, enabling shared sight and silent communication. Burning Ash jokingly suggests using it to monitor Tyrannosaur’s future marriage, provoking an angry response.
• The Hunters deliberately insult Crazy Grum, successfully provoking him more effectively than weapons or magic.
• Crazy Grum orders his subordinates to confront the Hunters, but those Trolls manipulate the situation by bringing out more companions, escalating the Chieftain’s humiliation.

Chapter Summary: Melee (2, Monthly Ticket Request)

Key Plot Points and Events

• As the Bloodline Fruit nears ripening, over a hundred Professionals attack the Trolls guarding it.
• A short High-Class Troll with an Epic Bloodline stands out by wielding two Epic-Class Broad Sabers. He destroys a High-Class Professional’s shield and equipment before killing him in a rapid ten-hit assault.
• Although the Trolls are individually powerful, they are heavily outnumbered. However, many Professionals hold back, hoping to profit after others weaken the combatants.
• A ventilation shaft provides access to the cave, prompting one Mercenary Group to enter and attack the Trolls from within.
• Alliances quickly collapse as Professionals betray one another, turning the battle into a chaotic free-for-all.
• Meichuan Neiku leads hundreds of Players into the melee. Rather than fight directly, they form a defensive formation and loot the corpses of fallen Trolls and Professionals.
• The Players strip bodies of equipment and materials, even completely dismantling Troll corpses for valuable hides, bones, and tendons. Their opportunistic tactics earn them huge profits and widespread anger.
• Powerful combatants eventually scatter the Players with devastating attacks, but the Players retreat and repeatedly return to loot more corpses.
• A livestreamer broadcasts the strategy, causing the Forum community to become jealous and encouraging other Players to imitate the tactic.
• Inside the cave, the Troll Chieftain demonstrates overwhelming strength, smashing several High-Class Shield Warriors into the wall with one strike.
• Crazy Grum, a gigantic Grandmaster-level Troll, rampages through the Professionals with sheer brute force.
• An Epic-Bloodline Warrior is killed instantly when Grum crushes him into a tiny mass of flesh and equipment.
• The Professionals who entered through the ventilation shaft are wiped out within five minutes.
• Wells is assigned to hold back the Troll Chieftain while William struggles against the remaining Trolls. William senses that he may lose something important, but the imminent ripening of the Bloodline Fruit drives the battle onward.
• As the conflict escalates, several Legendary Bosses finally reveal themselves.

Character Developments and Interactions

• The short Epic-Bloodline Troll is established as an unusually skilled and aggressive fighter, challenging common assumptions that Trolls are merely slow and brutish.
• Meichuan Neiku displays practical battlefield leadership. He recognizes that direct combat is too dangerous and orders the Players to focus on looting while maintaining group cohesion.
• The Players reveal their shameless but effective opportunism. They exploit their Undead nature and willingness to revive, allowing them to risk actions ordinary Professionals cannot.
• William observes the Players’ behavior with disbelief and concern, realizing that their strategy may spread and disrupt future battles.
• Wells becomes anxious after witnessing the Troll Chieftain’s destructive power, questioning whether he can survive a direct confrontation.
• The Troll Chieftain and Crazy Grum establish themselves as major threats capable of overwhelming elite Professionals through raw strength.
• Various Mercenary Groups and Professionals repeatedly betray one another, showing that their temporary alliance is motivated entirely by personal gain.

Significant Themes

• Greed and opportunism: The Bloodline Fruit causes nominal allies to attack each other, while the Players exploit the chaos for profit.
• The value of numbers versus individual power: Hundreds of Professionals can threaten the Trolls, but powerful Troll elites can destroy groups of enemies with ease.
• Battlefield pragmatism: The Players’ retreat-and-harass tactics prove more profitable than direct confrontation.
• Unstable alliances: Cooperation collapses almost immediately when valuable loot and the Bloodline Fruit are at stake.
• The unpredictability of war: Trolls are not uniformly stupid or slow, and the battlefield contains hidden experts, Legendary Bosses, and unexpected strategies.
• Escalating danger: With the fruit nearly ripe and Legendary figures entering the conflict, the melee is poised to become even more destructive.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Several Legendary NPCs storm the Troll cave to seize the Bloodline Fruit, quickly overwhelming the Troll guards.
• William notices Adolf the Husky among the attackers and suspects the entire conflict is a trap. He orders Alec to hide while the others conceal themselves near the cave entrance.
• A horn signals the arrival of a massive Dark Creature force. Dark Knights riding Hell Skeleton Horses surround the area, preventing the Professionals from escaping.
• The Dark Forces launch a coordinated ambush. Adolf betrays the other Legendary NPCs, striking one of them and leading more than twenty Bounty Hunters into the battle. The Trolls, led by Crazy Grum, also attack the trapped human Professionals from inside the cave.
• Players realize they were drawn into the conflict as expendable pawns. Since they can revive, they focus on surviving or finding William, though they expect heavy losses.
• William concludes that Dark City is attempting to massacre powerful young Professionals and provoke a major political conflict. He also realizes that Adolf’s presence is an unintended consequence of his own actions, signaling the beginning of a major “butterfly effect.”
• As the Bloodline Fruit ripens, William and his allies attack Crazy Grum. Wells wounds the Troll Chieftain, but Grum transforms into a heavily armored, darkened form and becomes extremely difficult to injure.
• While Wells, Tyrannosaur, Burning Ash, and Diablo hold off the Trolls, William gathers all nine Bloodline Fruits and uproots the entire plant.
• William orders everyone to retreat. Crazy Grum pursues them, but Wells and the others unleash their ultimate abilities, collapsing the cave entrance and trapping Grum inside with four Legendary NPCs and one Epic-level fighter.
• The trapped Troll Chieftain realizes he is hopelessly outnumbered as the surrounding enemies close in, mocking the idea that anyone will come to rescue him.

Character Developments

• William becomes increasingly calculating and opportunistic. He recognizes the larger conspiracy, uses the chaos to steal not only the fruit but the entire plant, and prioritizes escape over helping the other combatants.
• Adolf the Husky is revealed as an active collaborator with the Dark Forces or at least their immediate operation. His betrayal demonstrates that he is far more dangerous and influential than he initially appeared.
• Crazy Grum shifts from confident guardian to enraged and desperate victim. Although his defensive transformation makes him extremely powerful, he ultimately falls into William’s trap and is isolated from the rest of the Trolls.
• Wells and William’s companions demonstrate strong coordination and concealed reserves of strength. They pretend to be exhausted before suddenly collapsing the cave and escaping.
• The Players recognize that William sees them as disposable resources. Their dependence on resurrection exposes their vulnerable position compared with powerful NPCs and Legendary figures.
• The Legendary NPCs are shown to be arrogant and self-interested. Rather than cooperate against the Dark Creature ambush, they initially assume their own strength will allow them to escape.

Significant Themes

• Betrayal and conspiracy: The Bloodline Fruit conflict is revealed to be a carefully arranged trap involving Adolf, the Bounty Hunters, the Trolls, and Dark City.
• The butterfly effect: William’s earlier decision to frighten Adolf into fleeing has altered the current timeline, potentially changing the fate of major figures and kingdoms.
• Power and arrogance: The Legendary NPCs’ confidence in their individual abilities prevents them from recognizing the danger until they are surrounded.
• Expendability and survival: Players, weaker Professionals, and even powerful NPCs are treated as disposable pieces in a much larger struggle.
• Opportunism amid chaos: William does not attempt to win the larger battle; he uses it as cover to obtain the true objective and escape.
• Isolation and helplessness: The chapter’s title is reflected in Grum’s final predicament, as his cries for help are meaningless once he is sealed away and surrounded.

Character Interactions

• William instructs Alec and the others to hide, showing his authority and awareness of the conspiracy.
• Adolf turns against the Legendary NPCs, personally injuring one and directing the Bounty Hunters against them.
• The Bounty Hunters and Trolls cooperate to trap the human Professionals, while the Dark Knights prevent escape from outside.
• Wells and Tyrannosaur fight Crazy Grum together, with Wells landing the only meaningful wound before Grum powers up.
• William coordinates the retreat and fruit theft while his allies distract Grum and the Trolls.
• Wells and the others deliberately lure Grum into pursuing them, then collapse the cave to leave him surrounded by powerful enemies.

Chapter Summary: “Utterly Inhumane”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Crazy Grum is overwhelmed by five powerful men in difficult terrain and left barely alive. William initially ignores him after noticing a larger conspiracy through Alec’s perspective.
• William discovers that the Dark Creatures deliberately allowed Professionals from the Emerald Grand Duchy—and accompanying Players—to escape, while trapping and torturing Professionals from the Lanyu Grand Duchy and other factions.
• He concludes that the siege is part of Dark City’s plan to create distrust between the major factions and provoke a larger conflict among the Blood Clan.
• William recalls the history of Osman Losa, the hidden lord of Dark City. Osman was once a human noble whose wife was murdered by a Vampire. After nobody believed his accusations, he became a Vampire himself and began hunting Vampires and those who had ignored his warnings.
• Osman eventually founded Dark City, manipulated Crimson Blood’s Main Quest, and spread the Blood Dragon Essence to encourage Vampires to kill one another. His ultimate goal is to become King of the Vampires, though his hatred has transformed him into a demon himself.
• William intends to exploit Osman’s future actions rather than confront him immediately.
• William releases Bloody Bonecrusher from Soul Control and begins repeatedly using the spell on Crazy Grum, attempting to dominate him completely.
• Grum is subjected to prolonged magical and physical torture. Burning Ash occasionally wounds him, while Wells leads him by a rope as the group retreats.
• After more than half a day, the Dark Creatures have eliminated the surrounding Professionals, but Grum remains difficult to control. When investigators approach the collapsed cave, William orders a retreat through a tunnel while continuing to cast Soul Control.

Character Developments

• William demonstrates his strategic intelligence by identifying Dark City’s manipulation and understanding Osman’s long-term ambitions. However, he also displays extreme cruelty, treating Soul Control as both a weapon and a form of torture.
• Osman Losa is revealed as a tragic but corrupted figure. His original desire for justice and vengeance has developed into murderous hatred and an ambition for total domination.
• Crazy Grum changes from a defeated enemy into William’s unwilling target. Despite repeated Soul Control spells and physical torment, he resists complete domination.
• Bloody Bonecrusher is temporarily freed from Soul Control, though William believes his psychological trauma will prevent him from rebelling.
• Burning Ash and Wells participate in Grum’s torture and retreat, but both are visibly disturbed by William’s brutality. Wells even begins to sympathize with the suffering Troll.

Significant Themes

• Conspiracy and manufactured conflict: Dark City manipulates different factions into suspecting one another, using selective escapes and massacres to ignite a larger war.
• Hatred and corruption: Osman’s understandable anger at injustice gradually consumes him, turning him into the very kind of monster he once opposed.
• Moral ambiguity: William claims that almost nobody in this era is truly good, yet his own actions—especially the torture of Grum—show how far he has descended morally.
• Power and dehumanization: Vampires, Professionals, and even controlled servants are treated as tools in larger schemes, while overwhelming power erodes compassion.
• Cruelty as strategy: Soul Control is presented not merely as a magical ability but as a terrifying method of psychological domination.

Character Interactions

• William studies Alec’s viewpoint to uncover the Dark Creatures’ selective treatment of the various factions.
• William reflects on Osman Losa’s history and his role in Crimson Blood’s crisis.
• William releases Bloody Bonecrusher from control but retains psychological power over him.
• William repeatedly casts Soul Control on Grum while Burning Ash and Wells assist in restraining and injuring him.
• Wells’s growing sympathy for Grum contrasts with William’s detached cruelty, emphasizing the inhuman nature of the group’s treatment of the Troll.

Chapter Summary: “Deities and the Kill Order”

Key Plot Points and Events

• William and his companions escape the Dark Creatures’ encirclement through an underground passage and remain hidden while enemies search the surface.
• Crazy Grum, a powerful Troll Chieftain who endured repeated trials, has abandoned darkness and joined Dawn City as one of its generals.
• Alec’s rescued survivor is revealed to be Brian Redflame, the Marquis’s son of the powerful Red Fire Kingdom. Brian explains that the Emerald Grand Duchy secretly cooperated with Dark Forces to ambush talented Professionals from neighboring countries.
• William reveals that he is the Lord of Dawn City. Impressed and eager to return home safely, Brian hires William’s group to escort him to the Red Fire Kingdom, first offering 4,000 Mana Gemstones and then raising the payment to 8,000.
• In Dark Night City, Lord Osman Losa learns that Brian escaped, the Troll Chieftain disappeared, and the Bloodline Fruit plant was taken. Furious, he consults the elderly Old Diviner, Goethe Nassis.
• Goethe’s Divination reveals that the Bloodline Fruit plant is connected to a map related to the Blood Dragon Essence, and that the trail leads south—toward Dawn City. Osman concludes that William likely possesses the map and decides to place a kill order on him.
• In Dawn City, the Diviner Moxis detects Goethe’s attempt to conceal himself. He effortlessly pierces Goethe’s defenses, frightening the Old Diviner into agreeing to provide rare magical materials.
• William receives a Player mission titled “Mysterious Kill Order,” requiring him to defeat repeated pursuers sent by an unknown mastermind.
• William sends Alec and Tyrannosaur to return the Troll to Dawn City while he, Burning Ash, Diablo, and Wells escort Brian north. Brian’s severe, poisoned injury leaves him unable to run and causes humiliating involuntary flatulence and bowel movements.
• After traveling more than ten kilometers, the group senses that assassins are approaching. Brian immediately offers a higher payment, and William confidently prepares to confront the pursuers himself.

Character Developments

• William demonstrates his strategic ambition and opportunism. He uses Brian’s identity to establish ties with the wealthy and militaristic Red Fire Kingdom, hoping to secure future mercenary contracts and political advantages.
• Brian Redflame is portrayed as cowardly but pragmatic. Though badly injured and frightened, he quickly recognizes William’s importance, hires his group, and uses money to ensure his protection.
• Crazy Grum completes his transformation from a Dark-aligned Troll into a loyal Dawn City general, symbolizing successful conversion and rehabilitation.
• Osman Losa becomes openly hostile toward William after connecting him to the stolen Bloodline Fruit plant and Blood Dragon Essence map. He moves from suspicion to direct assassination.
• The Old Diviner, Goethe Nassis, is shown to be immensely skilled but cautious and vulnerable. His Divination provides Osman with crucial information, yet Moxis’s superior perception terrifies him and forces him into cooperation.
• Moxis is established as a mysterious, extremely powerful Diviner capable of seeing through another Diviner’s concealment and even perceiving aspects of his past and present.
• William’s companions function as reliable escorts and support, carrying Brian and helping execute William’s plans.

Significant Themes

• Political alliance and opportunism: William turns an accidental rescue into an opportunity to build relations with one of the continent’s strongest human kingdoms.
• Light versus darkness: The chapter contrasts Dawn City’s ideals of “light and justice” with the conspiracies and assassinations of the Dark Forces, while also showing that former enemies such as Grum can change sides.
• Power beyond appearances: Brian’s noble status initially means little to William’s companions, while hidden figures like Moxis and Goethe possess influence far beyond their visible circumstances.
• Divination and concealment: The conflict expands from physical combat into a battle of information, prophecy, hidden identities, and magical surveillance.
• Survival and manipulation: Nearly every major character uses information, money, or alliances to survive—Brian through payment, Osman through assassination, and William through diplomacy and calculated secrecy.
• Humor amid danger: Brian’s humiliating injury and William’s refusal to waste the Water of Life provide comic relief during an otherwise escalating crisis.

Important Character Interactions

• William and Brian: William reassures Brian, reveals his identity, negotiates an escort fee, and treats him primarily as a valuable connection to the Red Fire Kingdom rather than as a helpless noble.
• Brian and William’s companions: Brian fears the strange group at first, especially after seeing the tortured Troll, but gradually relies on them for protection and transportation.
• Osman and the Dark Knight: Osman angrily dismisses the Dark Knight after learning of the failed operation, recognizing that the Dark Creatures’ lack of digging ability contributed to the escape.
• Osman and Goethe: Osman deeply respects Goethe’s Divination and depends on his guidance. Goethe’s revelations convince Osman that William is linked to the missing treasure.
• Moxis and Goethe: Moxis detects and penetrates Goethe’s concealment, reversing the usual power dynamic and forcing Goethe to submit to his demands.
• William and the approaching assassins: The chapter ends with William deliberately stepping forward to confront the pursuers, treating the kill order as both a danger and a challenge.

Chapter Summary: “Blood Demon Assault”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Brian Chiyan realizes that the bounty hunters who attacked him earlier were deliberately targeting him and his followers. Furious, he suspects the Emerald Grand Duchy and resolves to uncover the truth and make them pay if responsible.
• The Chiyan family’s history and declining status are explained: they descend from the younger brother of the Red Fire Kingdom’s founder, but repeated battlefield deaths have reduced the family from princely rank to marquis status. Brian is now the family’s greatest hope and a major political figure.
• William, Diablo, and Burning Ash confront eight powerful Vampires from Dark City’s elite Bloodshadow Assassins—two Legendaries, three Epics, and three Grandmasters.
• Their leader is revealed to be Blood Demon, a Legendary Vampire with devastating Blood Control and Spatial Talent. He recognizes Brian as a prince, the son of the Dawn City Lord, and orders two Vampires to pursue him.
• Wells carries the badly injured Brian away while protecting him with hardened earth. Their escape is slowed by Brian’s injuries and Wells’s deliberately plodding, tank-like build, producing comic moments as Brian is repeatedly struck from behind.
• Diablo fights three Vampires while using Magic Scrolls and an abundance of metal supplied by William. His Metal Storm devastates the battlefield and allows him to support Burning Ash.
• Burning Ash battles another Legendary Vampire, destroying its bat forms with fiery blade attacks, though the Vampire repeatedly evades serious damage.
• William struggles against Blood Demon’s relentless Blood Control, which rapidly consumes the protective Magic Scrolls’ power. Realizing he cannot prolong the battle, William uses the Power of Holy Soul and launches a surprise counterattack.
• William combines Ghost Arrow, Spatial movement, Giant Soul Hand, Soul Shockwave, Dawn Impact, and Destructive Sword Aura to injure and briefly disorient Blood Demon.
• Blood Demon retaliates with a deadly backstab, but William’s armor prevents a fatal strike. William responds with the Cursed Sword and Thunder Arrow Rain, forcing Blood Demon back.
• Blood Demon effortlessly nullifies the Thunder Arrow Rain, and both combatants resume their close-range clash. Blood Demon believes William will eventually run out of Magic Scrolls, while William secretly relies on the Blood-Drinking Sword to weaken and drain him.

Character Developments

• Brian Chiyan: His anger and suspicion intensify as he becomes convinced that the assault is connected to the Emerald Grand Duchy. His importance as a noble heir and possible prince is emphasized, though his helpless condition makes him dependent on Wells.
• William: Demonstrates tactical creativity and resilience against a superior assassin. Rather than continuing to evade Blood Demon, he deliberately sets traps and exploits the Vampire’s weaknesses—especially his fragile body and reduced blood recovery.
• Blood Demon: Established as a terrifying elite assassin with exceptional Blood Control and Spatial Talent. However, his confidence may be turning into overconfidence, as he underestimates William’s endurance and hidden abilities.
• Diablo: Shows overwhelming battlefield power when given sufficient resources, using stored metal to unleash nearly continuous Metal Storm attacks.
• Burning Ash: Displays courage and powerful area attacks but struggles to inflict lasting damage on a highly evasive Legendary Vampire.
• Wells: Acts as Brian’s protector and escape carrier. His high Stamina makes him nearly impervious to incoming attacks, though his slow movement creates a humorous contrast with the urgency of the situation.

Significant Themes

• Political danger and mistaken identity: Brian’s royal blood and noble status make him a valuable assassination target, while the Vampires misunderstand his exact identity.
• Attrition versus endurance: Blood Demon attempts to win by exhausting William’s Magic Scrolls, while William seeks to outlast him and drain his blood.
• Tactical adaptation: William turns from defense to offense, using deception, surprise attacks, and combinations of abilities to counter Blood Demon’s mobility.
• Power and vulnerability: Even powerful characters have exploitable weaknesses—Blood Demon’s light body and dependence on Blood Control, Burning Ash’s difficulty hitting a mobile target, and Brian’s dependence on others after being wounded.
• Humor amid danger: Brian’s painful escape, Wells’s slow running, and the exaggerated combat descriptions provide comic relief during an otherwise deadly assault.

Character Interactions

• William orders Wells to evacuate Brian while he, Diablo, and Burning Ash hold off the Vampires.
• William warns his allies about the assassins’ strength, while Burning Ash confirms that they have enough Magic Scrolls to survive the encounter.
• Blood Demon identifies Brian’s political significance and redirects two assassins to kill him.
• Brian panics and blames the Emerald Grand Duchy, while Wells calmly carries him away and uses him as partial cover.
• William and Blood Demon engage in a strategic duel: Blood Demon relies on Blood Control and teleportation, while William counters with traps, soul attacks, heavy armor, and the Blood-Drinking Sword.
• The chapter ends with the two evenly matched, each believing the other will eventually be forced into exhaustion.

Chapter Summary: “Crazy Battle”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• In the Nightmare Forest, William’s group is ambushed by the Bloodshadow Assassin Squad, led by the powerful Vampire Blood Demon.
• Diablo, Burning Ash, and Wells fight desperately against the pursuing Vampires:
  • Diablo impales and destroys a Vampire with explosive metal spears.
  • Burning Ash kills another with his Lava Dragon-Slaying Saber, though his reckless attacks nearly ignite the forest.
  • Wells is forced to carry the injured Brian while being chased in circles by two Vampires, leaving Brian battered and helpless.
• William engages Blood Demon in a brutal one-on-one battle. Both repeatedly trade injuries, but William’s recovery is unusually powerful, while Blood Demon’s regeneration is gradually weakened by the Cursed Sword.
• William’s Cursed Sword eventually destroys Blood Demon’s weapon. Blood Demon retaliates by piercing William’s heart area and using Blood Control and a devastating ultrasonic attack, reducing William to near death.
• Blood Demon transforms further, growing bat-like wings and unleashing his full power. However, William counters with a powerful lightning strike that destroys Blood Demon’s heart and leaves him critically wounded.
• Unable to continue, Blood Demon orders the surviving Vampires to retreat. The Bloodshadow Assassin Squad suffers its first major defeat, with several members dead or seriously injured.
• William warns that the Vampires will seek reinforcements from the Nightmare Forest’s dark creatures. His quest confirms that the pursuit will continue until either the pursuers die or William’s group is wiped out.
• The group flees north and eventually escapes immediate pursuit after running more than twenty kilometers.
• William sends Brian away and consumes nine Bloodline Fruits—five Legendary-quality and four Epic-quality—to increase his attributes, health, and bloodline potential.
• Elsewhere, the players and Emerald Grand Duchy professionals worry that William may have died. Rumors spread across the Dawn Forum, despite the lack of evidence.
• The dark creatures’ deliberate decision to let the Emerald Grand Duchy survivors escape creates suspicion. The Dark City appears to be framing the Emerald Grand Duchy as collaborators with the Dark Faction, potentially provoking other powers to attack or exploit them.

2. Character Developments

• William: Demonstrates extreme endurance, combat intelligence, and ruthlessness. He knowingly allows himself to suffer nonfatal injuries in order to create opportunities for decisive counterattacks. Though nearly killed, he defeats Blood Demon and remains focused on escape and survival. His consumption of the Bloodline Fruits marks a major attempt to strengthen himself further.
• Blood Demon: Revealed as a formidable, battle-hardened opponent with exceptional combat awareness, regeneration, Blood Control, teleportation, and a terrifying transformed state. However, his confidence is shaken by William’s endurance and the Cursed Sword’s ability to weaken his recovery and destroy equipment. He is forced to retreat for the first time after suffering catastrophic injuries.
• Diablo and Burning Ash: Both prove highly effective in battle. Diablo fights with precision and explosive weaponry, while Burning Ash displays overwhelming but dangerously uncontrolled destructive power.
• Wells: Shows practical endurance by carrying Brian through the battlefield, though he is eventually unable to flee normally and must run evasively.
• Brian: Remains effectively powerless during the battle and is repeatedly battered while being carried. He recognizes that the others are even more severely injured and suppresses his request for help.
• Meichuan Neiku: Attempts to calm the players and prevent them from spreading premature rumors about William’s death, though the rumors spread anyway.
• Emerald Grand Duchy professionals: Begin to recognize that their escape was intentional and part of a larger political conspiracy.

3. Significant Themes

• Survival through extreme sacrifice: William and Blood Demon both endure horrific injuries, showing that victory depends on willpower, timing, and the willingness to risk everything.
• Strength versus strategy: Raw power alone is insufficient. William wins by exploiting weapon durability, critical openings, regeneration limits, and surprise attacks.
• The danger of the environment: The Nightmare Forest is not merely a setting but an active threat filled with dark creatures and enemy-controlled territory.
• Political manipulation and misinformation: The Dark City uses the escape of the Emerald Grand Duchy’s forces to create the appearance of collusion, demonstrating that battles have consequences beyond the battlefield.
• Public perception versus reality: Players speculate wildly about William’s fate, while the truth is hidden from them. The chapter contrasts sensational rumors with the unseen struggle actually taking place.
• Growth and power accumulation: The Bloodline Fruits represent a tangible reward for surviving danger and a means for William to prepare for even more powerful future enemies.

4. Character Interactions

• William and Blood Demon: Their duel is the chapter’s central interaction. They respect each other’s strength implicitly, trading calculated attacks and counterattacks. Blood Demon recognizes that William is far tougher and more regenerative than expected, while William uses the Cursed Sword to undermine Blood Demon’s weapon and healing.
• William and his allies: William leads the group even while severely injured, prioritizing escape and warning the others about incoming reinforcements. His authority remains intact despite his weakened state.
• Wells and Brian: Wells carries Brian while fleeing, but Brian’s injuries and helplessness make him a burden. Brian ultimately refrains from asking for further assistance after seeing the condition of William and the others.
• Blood Demon and the Vampires: After Blood Demon is critically wounded, he orders the surviving squad members to retreat. His command ends the battle and prevents the squad from suffering total annihilation.
• Meichuan Neiku and the players: Meichuan tries to restrain panic and rumor-spreading, but the players remain eager for sensational news and quickly speculate about William’s death.
• The Dark City and the Emerald Grand Duchy: Their indirect interaction forms the political conflict of the chapter. By sparing the Emerald survivors, the Dark City sets up a conspiracy that could turn other factions against them.

Chapter Summary: “Talent: Steel Body”

Key Plot Points and Events

• William consumes a Legendary-Quality Bloodline Fruit, gaining:
  • +20 to all attributes
  • +1,000 maximum HP
  • An upgrade from Advanced Hardened Skin to the powerful Steel Body Talent.
• Steel Body dramatically increases William’s defensive capabilities. With his Bloodline bonus and equipment, his Defense approaches roughly 2,000, making ordinary attacks nearly useless against him.
• His Bloodline potential also improves: the attribute growth gained per level rises from 1% to 1.1%, allowing him to reach 110% potential at level 100.
• William decides to keep the Legendary fruit for himself but distributes Epic-Quality Bloodline Fruits to Burning Ash, Diablo, and Wells. He plans to reward other loyal subordinates with the remaining fruits.
• The fruit enhances the recipients’ Talents, producing an overwhelmingly pleasurable sensation. Brian notices what is happening but wisely pretends not to understand, since he cannot reasonably ask William for one.
• William’s group continues fleeing through Nightmare Forest while being pursued by Dark City’s forces. To avoid detection, they periodically burrow underground and travel through tunnels.
• After Blood Demon’s failed pursuit, Osman Losa reprimands and beats him, then orders him to resume the search. Despite the harsh treatment, Blood Demon and the other Vampires remain intensely loyal to Osman, whom they view as a father figure.
• After three days without encountering enemies, William begins deliberately increasing Brian’s favorability through flattering conversation.
• Brian explains his connection to the Scarletflame Royal Family. His family possesses Royal Bloodline, and he grew up alongside the First Prince, who may restore Brian’s family to ducal status if Brian reaches Epic rank.
• Brian reveals that the Scarletflame Royal Family often has only one heir because of restrictions related to its cultivation technique. When no prince exists, the Royal Family adopts a talented male child from the Scarlet Flame Clan as successor.

Character Developments

• William becomes vastly stronger defensively and grows more confident in surviving enemy attacks. He also demonstrates strategic generosity, using Bloodline Fruits to reward loyal subordinates and potentially create more Legendary individuals.
• Burning Ash, Diablo, and Wells receive valuable opportunities to improve their Bloodlines and Talents, strengthening their loyalty and combat potential.
• Brian reveals more about his noble background and royal connections. His favorability toward William rises as William flatters him and appears concerned about his political safety.
• Blood Demon and the Vampires display their deep dependence on Osman. Even after being punished, they remain obedient because of their upbringing and belief in his authority.
• Osman Losa is shown as both cruel and paternal: he violently disciplines his followers but also heals, comforts, and personally raises many of them.

Significant Themes

• Power and defensive supremacy: William’s Steel Body transforms him into an exceptionally durable combatant, highlighting the importance of Talents and Bloodline upgrades.
• Rewards and loyalty: William treats rare Bloodline Fruits as incentives for faithful service, while his subordinates’ loyalty is reinforced through valuable gifts.
• Survival of the fittest: William reflects on how powerful families and royal houses selectively preserve only talented descendants to strengthen their Bloodlines over generations.
• Nature versus morality: The practice of eliminating weak children is presented as a ruthless method of improving hereditary power, raising questions about the cost of perfection.
• Manipulation and social strategy: William improves Brian’s favorability through calculated praise and carefully framed concern, showing that charm and political intelligence are as useful as strength.
• Found family and indoctrination: The Vampires’ devotion to Osman comes from being raised by him, demonstrating how loyalty can be created through upbringing, dependence, and shared ideology.

Character Interactions

• William gives Bloodline Fruits to Burning Ash, Diablo, and Wells, establishing a relationship based on loyalty and earned rewards.
• Brian silently observes the fruit distribution but chooses not to ask for one, understanding William’s authority and the rarity of the items.
• William flatters Brian’s royal connections and warns him to be cautious about discussing succession, causing Brian’s admiration and favorability to increase.
• Brian explains his close relationship with the First Prince and the unusual succession customs of the Scarletflame Royal Family.
• Osman punishes Blood Demon for failure but then provides healing and encouragement, reinforcing the complicated father-child dynamic between him and the Vampires.

Chapter Summary: “Does Your Family Keep an Archmage?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Dawn Players begin to miss William intensely while carrying out two difficult S-Class quests:
  1. Exploring the ocean.
  2. Helping the Sloran Duchy fight the remaining Dark Creatures and rebuild.
• Without William leading from the front and compensating them generously for deaths, the players find the Sloran nobles stingy and less considerate. Although the rewards remain substantial, they are far less satisfying than working under William.
• The ocean-exploration fleet reaches Fishman Island after half a month. The landing is fiercely contested by thousands of Fishmen attacking from both the shore and sea.
• The fleet’s two Epic Warships use over a hundred magically enhanced cannons to devastate the beach, killing more than ten thousand Fishmen and allowing the players to establish a beachhead.
• In Sloran, the players remain the main force against hundreds of thousands of Dark Creatures. The kingdom’s finances and military have been exhausted, leaving the King and nobles dependent on mercenaries, players, and the Temple Knight Order.
• Professional Players avoid the two main quests, judging them inefficient for high-level characters. Instead, they focus on Storm Island, where they hunt rare monsters, gather valuable materials, search for Magic Potions, and pursue Epic or better equipment.
• Storm Island is revealed to contain ancient ruins and unusually rare creatures, suggesting that it has been isolated from the wider world for thousands of years. Major gaming clubs secretly prioritize it for resource gathering before ordinary players discover its value.
• After several quiet days, Blood Demon and a force of twenty Bloodshadow Assassins pursue William and his companions.
• William has restored Brian’s strength by giving him a drop of the Water of Life, raising Brian’s favorability and allowing him to return to full combat power. The confrontation now pits five Legendary-level combatants against Blood Demon’s powerful assassination squad.
• Blood Demon challenges William directly, while his subordinates surround the others. William and Blood Demon engage in a brutal, close-range duel, each repeatedly injuring the other.
• Blood Demon is shocked by William’s dramatically improved defense and increasingly desperate use of Magic Scrolls. He eventually calls for assistance, sarcastically wondering whether William’s family keeps an Archmage to produce scrolls for him.

Character Developments

• The Dawn Players: Become more aware of how unusually generous and reliable William is compared with other NPC leaders. Their dependence on his leadership and rewards grows stronger.
• Professional Players: Demonstrate strategic maturity by prioritizing equipment, rare resources, and long-term competitive strength over ordinary quest rewards. Clubs begin treating Storm Island as a major source of future advantages.
• William: Shows significant defensive growth since his previous battle with Blood Demon. He fights recklessly and aggressively, relying on Legendary weapons, superior durability, and abundant Magic Scrolls.
• Brian: Is fully restored through the Water of Life, recovering both his health and combat ability. His renewed strength becomes crucial to the coming battle.
• Blood Demon: Returns with stronger weapons and a much larger force, determined to erase the humiliation of his previous defeat. However, he becomes frustrated and alarmed when William proves much stronger than expected.

Significant Themes

• Dependence on exceptional leaders: The players’ dissatisfaction highlights how much William’s leadership, bravery, and rewards distinguish him from ordinary NPCs.
• Resource management and economic pressure: Sloran’s inability to pay generous rewards reflects the devastating financial cost of war and reconstruction.
• Optimization and competition: Professional Players focus on the most profitable route toward future victories, emphasizing equipment, skills, rare materials, and efficiency over immediate quest rewards.
• Hidden opportunities: Storm Island’s ancient ruins and isolated ecosystem suggest that apparently overlooked locations may contain the greatest secrets and advantages.
• Escalation and preparation: Both sides prepare for increasingly dangerous confrontations. Blood Demon gathers a powerful force, while William strengthens his allies and expands his magical resources.
• Humor amid danger: The narration contrasts brutal battles and serious political crises with comedic player complaints and Blood Demon’s exasperation over William’s seemingly unlimited supply of Magic Scrolls.

Important Character Interactions

• The players collectively compare their current employers with William and conclude that the Sloran King and nobles are stingy by comparison.
• Chu Liuqiu, Changli Jiugu, and Little Ayin discuss the Storm Island ruins, with Chu Liuqiu emphasizing the island’s potential and Little Ayin urging them to focus on profitable potions and materials.
• William restores Brian with the Water of Life, strengthening their alliance and ensuring Brian can fight at full power.
• Blood Demon confronts William personally, while ordering his assassins to eliminate William’s companions.
• William and Blood Demon exchange savage attacks in a tense duel. Blood Demon’s disbelief at William’s enhanced defense and endless scrolls becomes the chapter’s central comedic exchange.

Chapter Summary: “Naming Is So Hard (Monthly Ticket Request)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• William reflects on his enormous supply of Magic Scrolls, gained largely through his close relationship with Director Mo and his dealings with Moxis. He particularly wishes he possessed a Forbidden Spell.
• During the battle against Blood Demon and the Bloodshadow Assassins, William uses Magic Scrolls to enhance his survival and combat ability.
• His boosted attributes—especially Strength and Agility—reach extraordinary levels, allowing him to move faster than the Vampires and overwhelm ordinary opponents with ease.
• William kills one Vampire with a combination of Thunder magic and Sword Qi, then withstands the combined Blood Control Technique of Blood Demon and two allies. Although the attack severely damages his internal organs, his Steel Body and Magic Scroll protections reduce the impact.
• Using Soul Hand, William seizes another Vampire, uses him as a shield against friendly fire, crushes his heart, and then employs Sacrifice to extract and consume the Vampire’s soul. This restores William’s injuries and shocks Blood Demon’s group.
• Blood Demon summons Blood Shadow and Blood Ghost, the other two leaders of the Bloodshadow Assassins, to attack William together.
• Rather than panicking, William relies on his knowledge of the three assassins’ abilities and tactics. He anticipates their movements, avoids their surprise attacks, and counters them with precise positioning and skill usage.
• Burning Ash and William’s other allies are occupied fighting the remaining Vampires and cannot assist him directly. They instead watch in amazement as William battles three powerful Legendary-level assassins alone.

Character Developments

• William: Demonstrates that he has grown dramatically stronger over the past two days. He combines immense physical attributes, powerful equipment, defensive abilities, healing, and tactical knowledge. His calmness and confidence reveal that his strength is not merely the result of brute force; he is also an exceptionally skilled combatant.
• Blood Demon: Becomes increasingly shocked and frustrated by William’s resilience. His repeated attacks fail to seriously injure William, forcing him to call in Blood Shadow and Blood Ghost.
• Blood Shadow and Blood Ghost: Are established as dangerous Legendary Bosses and elite assassins, but their usual advantages are greatly diminished because William knows their abilities and attack patterns.
• Burning Ash and the other allies: Gain a new appreciation for William’s hidden power. Their surprise suggests that even those close to him had underestimated his true capabilities.
• Brian Chiyan, Diablo, and the others: React with disbelief and admiration as William repeatedly predicts and evades attacks that they themselves struggle to understand.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and concealed ability: William has been deliberately or naturally underestimating his own limits, and his true combat power is far greater than his allies realized.
• Preparation versus surprise: Assassins depend on secrecy and unpredictability, but William’s prior knowledge neutralizes their greatest advantage.
• Overwhelming power through synergy: William’s strength comes not from one ability alone, but from the combination of bloodline bonuses, attributes, weapons, Magic Scrolls, Battle Aura, Steel Body, Thunder damage, and soul-based healing.
• Adaptability and tactical intelligence: Even when severely injured, William remains composed and selects the most effective response rather than relying only on direct attacks.
• The growing gap between William and his enemies: His rapid advancement suggests that ordinary same-rank opponents are no longer capable of challenging him.

Character Interactions

• William taunts Blood Demon after healing, daring him to drain his blood and turning the Vampire’s preferred method of attack into a challenge.
• Blood Demon coordinates with Blood Shadow and Blood Ghost in an attempt to overwhelm William through teamwork.
• William manipulates one attacking Vampire into blocking friendly fire before killing him, showing both ruthlessness and battlefield control.
• William’s spectacular evasions and counters leave Burning Ash, Brian Chiyan, Diablo, and the others stunned. Their reactions emphasize how unexpectedly powerful and knowledgeable William has become.
• The chapter ends with William facing the three elite assassins while his allies watch, increasingly convinced that they have not yet seen the full extent of his strength.

Chapter 273: “Red Fire Kingdom” — Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The three Blood Demons realize they cannot defeat William. His endurance, recovery, combat ability, and predictive powers leave them psychologically shaken, especially because they feel he can see through all their secrets and strategies.
• The Blood Demon orders a retreat, claiming that the Emerald Grand Duchy will eventually destroy William’s group. William challenges the Blood Demon’s claim that the Nightmare Forest belongs to the Emerald Grand Duchy and makes it clear that he has no intention of simply letting them escape.
• The Blood Demons flee by transforming into bats. Their retreat is motivated not only by fear of reinforcements but also by the damage their failed group assault has done to their pride and confidence.
• William reflects that the Dark City likely targeted him because of either the Bloodline Fruit or, more importantly, the Blood Dragon Essence map. He realizes that future clashes between Dawn City and the Dark City are likely, particularly once players eventually enter the Nightmare Forest.
• Brian Chiyan’s opinion of William changes dramatically. Having witnessed William’s strength, Brian now views him with admiration and growing reverence. His thoughts become comically confused as he wonders whether William might actually be a woman disguised as a man.
• Brian invites William’s group to the Red Fire Kingdom, promising to pay for food, entertainment, baths, and other pleasures. The group accepts after Brian offers 12,000 Mana Gemstones.
• The group jokingly demands extravagant meals and entertainment, including dragon meat and, in Diablo’s case, a hundred beautiful companions. Brian is visibly alarmed by the cost and implications of their requests.
• After two days of travel, the group reaches the Red Fire Kingdom. They use tamed Flying Magical Beasts to travel from a border city to the royal capital.
• The chapter ends with Brian taking everyone directly to the royal palace to complain to his uncle, the Red Fire King, rather than immediately enjoying the promised entertainment.

Character Developments

• William: Demonstrates overwhelming resilience and strategic awareness. He remains confident and amused when confronting the Blood Demons, while also beginning to consider the larger political consequences of his conflict with the Dark City. He estimates that, even without the players, he can complete enough quests to reach the Grandmaster Tier within two years.
• The Blood Demon and his companions: Their confidence is badly damaged. They remain proud and intend to seek revenge after reaching the Grandmaster Tier, but their immediate priority becomes survival and avoiding further humiliation.
• Brian Chiyan: Moves from underestimating William to deeply respecting him. His admiration becomes so strong that it leads to confused romantic and gender-related speculation. He also tries to establish his generosity and status by promising to fund the group’s extravagant visit.
• Burning Ash, Wells, and Diablo: Continue providing comic relief through their excessive demands. Their requests reveal their bold personalities and their willingness to exploit Brian’s offer.
• Prince: His limited recovery ability becomes apparent. Without the Cursed Sword or valuable healing resources such as the Water of Life, he cannot recover quickly enough under sustained attack.

Significant Themes

• Pragmatism over pride: The Blood Demons abandon the fight despite their pride, recognizing that survival and future growth matter more than appearing fearless.
• Power and reputation: William’s strength changes how others perceive him. Brian’s respect rises sharply once he witnesses William’s ability to withstand multiple powerful opponents.
• Hidden information and political conflict: The Blood Demons’ knowledge of the Blood Dragon Essence map suggests that powerful divination and secret intelligence networks are shaping the conflict between Dawn City, the Dark City, and the Emerald Grand Duchy.
• Future-oriented ambition: Both William and the Blood Demons view the current conflict as part of a longer struggle. William plans to use quests to reach the Grandmaster Tier, while the Blood Demon intends to return after increasing his own power.
• Comedic excess amid danger: Serious battles and political tensions are repeatedly undercut by jokes about romantic misunderstandings, food, brothels, and impossible demands.

Character Interactions

• William and the Blood Demon trade threats over ownership of the Nightmare Forest, with William refusing to accept the Blood Demon’s authority.
• William exchanges a knowing smile with Brian after recognizing Brian’s growing admiration, though he does not understand the strange romantic fantasies forming in Brian’s mind.
• Brian offers to host William’s group in the Red Fire Kingdom, and the others enthusiastically accept once he names a price for the invitation.
• Burning Ash and Wells demand increasingly rare dragon meat, while Diablo jokingly requests a hundred beauties, prompting Brian to question his sanity and Wells and the Tyrannosaur to abandon their own ideas about visiting the brothel with Diablo.
• Upon reaching the capital, Brian prioritizes reporting the incident to the Red Fire King, setting up the next stage of the political and factional conflict.

Chapter 274 Summary: “Being Handsome Is Just So Awesome!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• William and his companions arrive in Flame City, the enormous capital of the Red Fire Kingdom. The city is densely populated and socially chaotic, filled with civilians, mercenaries, demon hunters, gangs, criminals, hidden demons, and other factions.
• The chapter explains Flame City’s decaying administration. Its guards have become lazy and corrupt, leaving much of the city’s criminal and supernatural activity—especially in the complex underground passages—unchecked.
• William recalls that, in his past life, players frequently entered the capital’s sewers to complete quests and kill criminals, demons, assassins, and other monsters for experience.
• Seeing Flame City triggers memories of William’s former life. He remembers finding a legendary hidden class in the Scarletflame Kingdom and meeting his mentor, “Old Pi,” who later became a legendary warrior.
• William also recalls dying while trying to save Old Pi during a massive faction conflict. Although he succeeded in keeping his mentor alive, the prolonged battle mentally exhausted William and caused his own death.
• In his current life, William plans to manipulate and “bully” Old Pi using his knowledge of the man’s secrets and weaknesses.
• Brian escorts William, Burning Ash, Diablo, and Wells through the heavily guarded royal palace. The guards treat Brian with unusual familiarity and respect, confirming his extraordinary status within the royal family.
• They meet King Vikru Scarletflame and his son Hilak, who are playing chess in the palace’s back garden.
• Brian complains that vampires connected to the Emerald Grand Duchy ambushed and pursued him after he failed to obtain the bloodline fruit. He asks the king to take revenge.
• King Vikru promises to make the Emerald Grand Duchy apologize and compensate Brian.
• Brian introduces William as the lord of Dawn City and praises him and his companions for defeating numerous powerful vampires.
• Vikru recognizes William as the famous Dawn City Lord, a figure who survived and triumphed during the dark invasion. He remains outwardly cordial but privately analyzes whether William may be using Brian or plotting against the kingdom.
• When William greets him, Vikru’s favorability toward him immediately rises by 130 points. William privately celebrates, convinced that his handsome appearance and personality can win over almost anyone.

Character Developments

William Blackleaf

William displays greater confidence, strategic awareness, and emotional complexity. He remembers both the benefits and tragedies of his previous life, especially his relationship with Old Pi. His memories reveal that he is determined to change the future while also harboring playful plans for revenge against his former mentor. William also demonstrates his talent for using charm and social influence to win over powerful figures.

Brian

Brian’s close relationship with the royal family becomes clear. He is treated almost like a prince, and his friendship with Hilak resembles that of brothers. Despite his powerful position, he behaves dramatically and childishly when recounting his near-death experience, relying on the king to defend him.

King Vikru Scarletflame

Vikru is presented as a powerful, politically cautious monarch. He responds warmly to Brian but carefully evaluates William’s possible motives. Though suspicious and ambitious, he is quickly impressed by William’s presence and personality.

Hilak Scarletflame

Hilak acts as Brian’s affectionate elder-brother figure. His immediate concern for Brian’s safety shows the strength of their bond.

Old Pi

Although absent in the present timeline, Old Pi remains important to William’s character development. He was William’s mentor, a talented but opportunistic man whose recklessness eventually contributed to William’s death in the previous life.

Significant Themes

Power and political influence

The chapter emphasizes that major cities and royal courts are shaped by hidden factions, corruption, personal connections, and the ambitions of powerful individuals.

The burden of the past and changing fate

William’s memories of his former life influence his current decisions. He seeks both to avoid past tragedies and to manipulate people who once shaped his destiny.

Appearances and charisma as weapons

William’s beauty and charm are treated as genuine political assets. His ability to increase Vikru’s favorability demonstrates that social influence can be as valuable as combat strength.

Corruption and neglected darkness

Flame City’s vast underground network symbolizes the criminal and supernatural problems that powerful rulers ignore because they are inconvenient or beneath their attention.

Friendship, loyalty, and exploitation

Brian’s relationship with Hilak and his trust in William contrast with William’s willingness to exploit personal knowledge for his own purposes. The chapter presents relationships as both sincere bonds and potential sources of power.

Important Character Interactions

• William and Brian: Brian trusts William enough to introduce him directly to the king and publicly praise his strength. William, in turn, uses Brian’s connections to gain access to the royal family.
• Brian and Hilak: Their relationship is essentially brotherly. Hilak is immediately worried about Brian, while Brian freely complains to him and seeks his support.
• Brian and King Vikru: Brian behaves like a favored younger relative, openly demanding protection after the vampire attack. Vikru indulges him and promises retaliation or compensation.
• William and King Vikru: Vikru initially views William with suspicion, considering whether he may be manipulating Brian. However, William’s greeting and personal charisma quickly raise Vikru’s favorability, giving William a favorable opening at the royal court.
• William and Old Pi: Their relationship is shown through William’s memories. Old Pi was both William’s teacher and the indirect cause of his previous death, leaving William determined to repay him through schemes and manipulation in this life.

Chapter Summary: “The Kingdom’s Alignment, King of PY!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• William meets Vekru, the King of the Red Fire Kingdom. Because William begins with very high favorability and behaves appropriately, Vekru’s opinion of him steadily improves.
• Their conversation covers territorial management, the Dark Invasion, the Dark Forces, and the Light Faction. William uses knowledge from his previous life to describe future developments, impressing Vekru because his ideas closely match the direction Vekru already envisions for the kingdom.
• Vekru begins to recognize William’s strategic vision, leadership potential, and powerful subordinates, even though William’s personal strength is not yet especially significant.
• Vekru questions William’s mercenary model for Dawn City. He points out that other Neutral Lords and mercenary groups are copying it, potentially weakening Dawn City’s advantage.
• William explains that Dawn City’s superiority comes from its control, stability, territory, and accountability. Unlike ordinary mercenaries, Dawn City cannot simply abandon its employer after committing crimes, and it has enough resources to compensate for any losses.
• William also emphasizes that Dawn City’s first major contract with the Lanyu Grand Duchy could establish its reputation if it successfully repels the dark creatures.
• Convinced that Dawn City needs reputation and exposure more than direct financial aid, Vekru decides to support William through practical assistance rather than empty praise.
• Vekru assigns Dawn City ten A-Class missions involving escorts, transportation, defense-line garrisoning, exploration, and intelligence gathering. These missions are manageable, but require large numbers of personnel, making them ideal for Dawn City’s many idle players and its 100,000 regular soldiers.
• William happily accepts the missions, recognizing that they will generate income, reduce the cost of maintaining the army, increase Dawn City’s reputation, and demonstrate the Red Fire Kingdom’s trust in the city.
• William asks to establish a portal to facilitate both mission completion and trade. Vekru agrees, becoming surprised—and slightly jealous—when William reveals that Dawn City already possesses a spatial Archmage.
• As a sign of deeper political alignment, Vekru gives William a major faction quest: choose between the Red Fire Kingdom and the Sand Sea Kingdom, which have been locked in a decades-long war.
• William accepts without hesitation because he knows from his previous life that the Red Fire Kingdom will ultimately win. Their mutual understanding and political alliance become clear.

Character Developments

• William: Demonstrates foresight, political intelligence, confidence, and strong managerial ability. He successfully presents Dawn City as more reliable than ordinary mercenary groups and turns Vekru’s concerns into an opportunity for growth. He also shows that he is willing to commit Dawn City to the Red Fire Kingdom’s future.
• Vekru: Changes from merely tolerating William to genuinely valuing and investing in him. He recognizes William as a potentially important ally and chooses to provide meaningful support through missions and political trust.
• Dawn City: Develops from an emerging neutral faction into a credible military and commercial organization. Its large army, disciplined forces, players, Elven backing, and logistical capabilities give it advantages over conventional mercenary groups.

Significant Themes

• Trust and reputation: Dawn City’s greatest need is not money but a reputation for reliability. Successfully completing Red Fire Kingdom missions will serve as an endorsement to other powers.
• Political alignment: Neutrality has limits. William must eventually choose a side, and his decision binds Dawn City to the Red Fire Kingdom.
• Strategic foresight: William’s knowledge of the future allows him to anticipate political outcomes and make profitable alliances.
• Accountability versus lawlessness: Dawn City’s territorial base and responsibility to employers distinguish it from independent mercenaries who can disappear after committing wrongdoing.
• Mutual investment: Vekru helps William because Dawn City can become a valuable long-term partner, while William is expected to support the kingdom in return.

Character Interactions

• William and Vekru converse as increasingly compatible political thinkers, discovering that their visions for the Red Fire Kingdom largely coincide.
• Vekru challenges William about the vulnerability of Dawn City’s mercenary strategy, prompting William to justify its unique advantages.
• William’s explanation convinces Vekru that Dawn City is trustworthy and worth supporting.
• Vekru provides ten missions as practical assistance, while William responds with gratitude and offers to facilitate trade and transportation through a portal.
• Their final exchange reveals an unspoken political bargain: Vekru grants William opportunities and recognition, while William commits Dawn City to the Red Fire Kingdom’s side in its war against the Sand Sea Kingdom.

Summary

• Plot/events: No story events occur; the author announces a one-day leave from updating the novel for the Dragon Boat Festival.
• Author’s situation: The author explains that many visitors have recently come to their home, leaving them in need of rest. They promise to make up for the missed chapters later.
• Plans: The author also intends to use the break to carefully consider the upcoming plot.
• Interactions/tone: Speaking playfully as a “concubine,” the author greets readers respectfully, wishes them a happy Dragon Boat Festival, and reminds them to eat rice dumplings.
• Reader engagement: The author jokingly asks readers to leave monthly tickets or recommendation votes while passing by.
• Themes: Rest and personal obligations, creative planning, festive celebration, and the friendly relationship between author and readers.

Chapter Summary: How Can an Unlucky Guy Make Money at a Casino?

Key Plot Points and Events

• William concludes his meeting with Vekru and Prince after spending several hours winning Vekru’s favor. His main objective—securing ten quests from the Red Fire Kingdom’s leadership—is successfully achieved.
• Brian offers William an extravagant reward involving money and women, but William refuses, preferring to explore the city alone. Burning Ash and the others accept the offer and head toward Greenlight Street.
• William enters King City’s Old District, a dangerous area dominated by taverns, casinos, brothels, and powerful Master Tier Professionals. He goes there searching for his former mentor, Brant Pete, whom he calls “Old Pi.”
• William finds Old Pi living in the Imperial Macau Casino. To attract his attention, William exchanges 30,000 Gold Coins for gambling chips and deliberately bets according to his abysmal Luck Value.
• Every wager William makes loses. When he bets on “big,” the result is small; when he bets on “small,” the result is big; and when he covers both possibilities, the dice produce triples.
• The gamblers and casino staff begin accusing the casino of cheating, even though the croupiers are not manipulating the results.
• Old Pi recognizes William’s extraordinary bad luck and proposes a partnership: William will bet first and lose, while Old Pi bets afterward on the opposite result and wins.
• Their scheme rapidly empties the casino. William loses all 30,000 Gold Coins, while Old Pi earns several hundred thousand Gold Coins.
• By the end of the night, gamblers flee whenever they see William, believing he is somehow connected to a scam, while the casino’s croupiers are left confused and frustrated.

Character Developments

• William: Demonstrates his strategic thinking and willingness to exploit his own terrible Luck Value. He also shows restraint by refusing the pleasures offered by Brian, partly because of his relationship with the Little Princess and his unusual Player-NPC nature. His actions reveal that he is deliberately seeking out Old Pi rather than merely gambling for profit.
• Brant Pete/Old Pi: Is introduced as William’s future mentor and a habitual gambler and drunkard. He immediately recognizes the value of William’s misfortune and proves himself clever, opportunistic, and experienced in casino manipulation.
• Brian and Burning Ash’s group: Reflect the era’s indulgent Professional culture. Brian offers William a lavish reward, while the others accept it and head to the brothels.
• The croupiers and gamblers: Become increasingly bewildered as normal gambling patterns collapse. Their suspicion of cheating highlights how unnatural William’s luck appears.

Significant Themes

• Luck versus skill: William’s Luck Value of 1, normally a severe disadvantage, becomes a weapon when paired with Old Pi’s strategy and gambling expertise.
• Turning weakness into strength: William deliberately uses his misfortune to generate profit for Old Pi and to expose the casino’s vulnerability.
• Manipulation and deception: Both the casino and William’s group operate through hidden methods and calculated appearances. William pretends to be an unlucky gambler, while the casino initially intends to exploit him.
• Power and resources: The description of the Old District emphasizes how wealth, influence, and rare resources become increasingly concentrated in major Kingdom cities.
• Fate and recurring relationships: William remembers that Old Pi offered him the same partnership in his previous life, suggesting that certain encounters and connections may repeat despite changes to the timeline.

Important Character Interactions

• William and Vekru: Their extended private conversation results in William securing ten quests and completing his political objective.
• William and Brian: Brian tries to reward William with money and women, but William refuses while allowing his companions to enjoy the offer.
• William and Old Pi: Their reunion begins as a calculated meeting arranged by William. Old Pi recognizes William’s bad luck and suggests their profitable partnership, reviving the same relationship they had in William’s former life.
• William and the casino gamblers: William unintentionally—or deliberately—causes widespread losses by betting against the winning outcome. His presence becomes so notorious that gamblers flee from him.
• Old Pi and the casino: Old Pi profits by betting opposite William, while the casino loses its credibility as customers assume the house is manipulating the games.