Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Life Chain!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• William discovers he has earned 1.32 million merit points, an astonishing amount compared with the roughly two million he had accumulated through years of personal struggle on the Dream Continent.
• He examines the Three Great Elven Clans’ merit exchange list, which contains legendary equipment, secret manuals, gems, magic metals, blueprints, treasures, and mounts.
• Although the exchange list offers many powerful items—including an expensive floating airship blueprint—William focuses on finding something capable of strengthening his entire Dragon Blood Legion, rather than improving individual soldiers.
• He worries that even the legion’s existing advantages—Epic Dragon Scale Sets, powerful bloodlines, legendary and epic members, grandmaster-level professionals, a legion buff, and a combined skill—may not be enough against the enormous strength of the Orc Empire.
• While searching the secret manual category, William discovers the divine legion skill “Life Chain,” priced at one million merit points. He immediately recognizes it as the legendary elven trump card that could transform his army.

Character Developments

• William shifts from frustration and anxiety to intense excitement. He initially considers the impossible expense of equipping more than 3,000 soldiers with legendary gear, but realizes Life Chain may provide a far more effective solution.
• His strategic thinking becomes clearer: instead of merely increasing individual strength, he seeks a way to make the entire legion nearly impossible to defeat.
• William also demonstrates his growing understanding of elven history, military organization, loyalty, and the risks associated with powerful abilities.

Life Chain and Its Importance

• Life Chain requires users to:
  • Belong to the same faction
  • Possess exceptional willpower
  • Share highly similar bloodline inheritance
  • Swear absolute loyalty to a lord, king, emperor, or similar leader
• Those who learn it share their life and lifespan, creating a unified legion whose members cannot easily be killed individually.
• A single Life Chain can connect up to 5,000 people.
• If more than ten percent of the members betray their oath, the entire linked group dies and turns to dust.
• The skill has no level, cooldown, or consumption cost, making it extraordinarily powerful but also extremely dangerous.

Character Interactions and Relationships

• The skill’s effectiveness depends on the absolute loyalty between a leader and the linked soldiers.
• William believes the elves are ideal candidates because their loyalty historically centers on the World Tree, their creator and enduring object of faith, rather than merely on an elven king.
• He considers whether the elves could accept him as the leader of such a legion despite his non-elven identity.
• The Dragon Blood Legion’s existing relationship with William and its strong organization make it a possible candidate, though the skill’s faction and bloodline requirements may present difficulties.

Significant Themes

• Collective strength versus individual power: William realizes that improving an entire army through shared life may be more valuable than buying superior equipment for every soldier.
• Loyalty and faith: Life Chain’s power depends on unwavering allegiance, while betrayal destroys everyone connected to it.
• Power and danger: The skill can create an invincible legion, but a single wave of distrust or betrayal can annihilate the entire force.
• Historical memory and survival: The elves’ use of Life Chain helped them survive after the World Tree’s destruction and resist human domination.
• Strategic ambition: William begins viewing Life Chain as a possible foundation for an army capable of facing threats such as the Orc Empire.
  The chapter ends with William determined to redeem Life Chain, believing it may be the perfect solution for strengthening his legion and giving Dawn City a decisive military advantage.

Chapter Summary: “Undefeated”

Key Plot Points and Events

• William visits the merit-exchange official with 1.32 million Merit Points earned during the war. He requests the Life Chain, a powerful elven secret technique worth 1 million points.
• The exchange official cannot authorize the transaction, so the request is escalated through the elven hierarchy to Elven King Bernice and the leaders of the Black Leaf and Moonlight Elven Clans.
• The elves debate whether giving the Life Chain to William is dangerous. The technique is not merely a powerful oath or formation—it also functions as a curse against anyone who leaks its secrets.
• Bernice ultimately approves the exchange because William possesses elven royal blood, has demonstrated loyalty to the World Tree, and was the primary victor of the war. She also recognizes his growing ambition and wants to judge whether he can use the technique responsibly.
• William selects Albert, commander of the Dragon Blood Legion, to inherit the Life Chain.
• Albert initially believes William is summoning him to punish him for the deaths of 89 Dragonblood Warriors during the fortress assault. Instead, William praises the legion’s performance and orders Albert to avenge them by killing 80,000 orcs.
• Albert accepts the order without hesitation, demonstrating his absolute loyalty and obedience.
• William then presents the Life Chain scroll. Albert swears lifelong allegiance to William, calling him his king. William accepts the oath, and Albert becomes the bearer of the Life Chain.
• The Life Chain is expected to make the Dragon Blood Legion the strongest and most “undefeated” force in Dawn City.

Character Developments

• William demonstrates boldness, strategic ambition, and confidence. He is willing to claim an elven treasure that was never genuinely expected to be exchanged, and he intends to use it to strengthen his own faction.
• He also shows compassion and realism regarding military losses, recognizing that the Dragon Blood Legion’s 89 deaths were remarkably low for such a difficult battle.
• Elven King Bernice reveals that she sees William as more than a loyal half-elf. She recognizes his concealed ambition and believes he may be preparing for a larger future role, possibly even becoming an Elven King or attempting to unite the elves.
• Albert is shown to be deeply loyal, brave, and emotionally attached to his soldiers. Though he fears William’s anger, he accepts the punishment-like military order because he cannot imagine refusing his prince.
• Albert’s elevation reinforces his transformation from a capable commander into William’s trusted champion and symbolic “sharpest blade.”

Significant Themes

• Power and ambition: William’s request reveals his intention to build an independent power base rather than merely serve existing elven authorities.
• Trust and loyalty: The Life Chain requires absolute allegiance, and Albert’s oath formalizes the loyalty he has already demonstrated through years of service.
• Responsibility of leadership: William does not blame Albert for the deaths in battle; instead, he entrusts him with a greater responsibility and expects him to lead the legion toward vengeance and future victories.
• Political suspicion and judgment: The elves carefully evaluate William’s motives, understanding that granting him the Life Chain could significantly increase his influence.
• Sacrifice and glory: The fallen Dragonblood Warriors become a source of motivation, with their deaths transformed into a promise of revenge and renewed strength.
• The contrast between appearance and reality: The Life Chain appears to be an oath but is also a deadly curse; Albert appears like a reckless brute but is actually loyal and dependable; William appears deferential but conceals considerable ambition.

Important Character Interactions

• The merit-exchange official is immediately attracted to William, but her enthusiasm fades when he requests the forbidden-level Life Chain.
• Bernice and the elven elders debate whether William can be trusted with the technique. Bernice argues that his bloodline, loyalty, and achievements justify granting it.
• William and Albert have a tense misunderstanding: Albert assumes he is being punished for the legion’s casualties, while William actually intends to reward his service with greater responsibility.
• William challenges Albert to kill 80,000 orcs, and Albert accepts despite his doubts.
• Albert’s oath transforms their relationship from commander and subordinate into one of formal king-and-vassal allegiance, with William accepting him as a sworn sword.

Chapter Summary: “The Secret of the Continent of the Gods!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• William borrows an Otherworld Space so the more than 3,300 members of the Dragon Blood Legion can swear a collective oath. Albert activates a special scroll, creating a powerful bloodline connection among the entire legion. Their coordination and mutual awareness improve dramatically.
• With his remaining 320,000 Merit Points, William exchanges for three Legendary-quality Bloodline Fruits and gives them to Albert, Christian, and Julio. These long-serving commanders gain the chance to advance to the Legendary tier.
• The chapter compares Dawn City’s Legendary experts. William remains uniquely dominant, while figures such as Burning Ash, Diablo, the Little Princess, and Xiyan occupy various levels of Legendary strength.
• On the northern battlefield, the Frost Empire’s first assault on the Orc Fortress fails after seven days of artillery exchanges. The fortress remains difficult to capture because of its defenses and the absence of Epic-level combatants.
• Dawn City’s five captured fortresses remain separated by Orc fortresses. Neither side launches a major siege, fearing that a decisive battle could trigger a dangerous chain reaction across the entire front.
• William returns to one of Dawn City’s occupied fortresses, now cleaned and renovated for human and elven soldiers. More than 73,000 Dawn City troops are stationed there, while the other fortresses hold elven forces.
• William disperses the 1.8 million players throughout the fortresses, Frost Forest, and Northern Grand Duchy. They become an important force against small Orc detachments and Dark Creatures, usually operating in strike teams of about 300 to avoid provoking powerful Orc legions.
• Gurtai causes numerous hidden Demon Caverns to emerge prematurely, releasing tens of millions of Dark Creatures across the Far North. Players enthusiastically fight them for experience, materials, and military merit, aided by a new daily mission from William.
• The release of the SSS-Class “Ten-Year Blood War” quest causes envy among foreign players, since Huaxia players have greater access to the quest. William worries that rival continents may unite against his players once the Nine Continents merge.
• The Dragon Blood Legion secretly raids Demon Caverns while benefiting from the “Dragon-Slaying Strike” and “Life Chain” buffs. Clearing 100 caverns may allow them to obtain the “Undefeated in a Hundred Battles” legion buff.
• William learns that a Secret Realm in the Nightmare Forest is beginning to manifest. Since he is the forest’s lord, he intends to prevent outsiders from claiming its treasures.
• A magical surveillance image reveals an unexpected gathering near the spatial rift: moon-associated forces from the Three Moons, reincarnated deities including Deloxis, and the mysterious Godslayer Hall. Their cooperation—or at least lack of conflict—is highly abnormal, suggesting a major conspiracy involving killing and creating gods.

Character Development

• William becomes increasingly strategic and possessive of his territory and resources. He strengthens his commanders, exploits the player army as a military tool, and begins considering how to protect his faction from future international conflict.
• Albert, Christian, and Julio receive Bloodline Fruits, marking William’s continued investment in loyal veteran commanders and the gradual elevation of his forces.
• The Dragon Blood Legion evolves from a group of elite soldiers into an exceptionally coordinated collective through their shared bloodline bond.
• The players become integrated into the larger war. Rather than acting merely as adventurers, they serve as expendable but powerful battlefield forces, fighting Orcs and Dark Creatures while gaining rewards.
• Gurtai demonstrates the Orc Empire’s desperation and adaptability by releasing Dark Creatures early, using them as a massive auxiliary or cannon-fodder army.
• The reincarnated deities, Three Moons forces, and Godslayer Hall are introduced as major hidden powers whose mysterious gathering expands the conflict beyond the Orc-Elf war.

Significant Themes

• Collective strength and loyalty: The Dragon Blood Legion’s oath transforms individual warriors into a unified force, emphasizing the power of shared identity and devotion.
• War as attrition and strategy: The northern conflict is determined less by heroic clashes than by fortifications, logistics, expendable troops, and careful avoidance of premature decisive battles.
• The exploitation of the Chosen Ones: Players’ resurrection ability makes them ideal cannon fodder, though their effectiveness turns them into a strategic asset superior to ordinary Dark Creatures.
• Factional rivalry and nationalism: The unequal distribution of quests creates resentment between Huaxia and foreign players, foreshadowing future international conflict.
• Hidden conspiracies and divine power: The appearance of reincarnated gods, moon-dwellers, and Godslayer Hall suggests that the visible war is only part of a larger struggle over gods, divinity, and control of the continents.
• Ownership and territorial authority: William’s reaction to the Secret Realm reflects his growing determination to defend the Nightmare Forest and claim its resources as his own.

Character Interactions

• William personally rewards Albert, Christian, and Julio with Bloodline Fruits, reinforcing his bond with his commanders.
• William manages the players through quests, military deployment, and incentives, turning their enthusiasm for rewards into a battlefield advantage.
• Players coordinate in small groups to hunt Orc detachments and Dark Creatures, while avoiding stronger Orc forces that could destroy them.
• The Frost Empire and Orc Empire clash through artillery and failed assaults, while Dawn City and the elves maintain a cautious defensive posture.
• William observes the strange gathering of moon-affiliated figures, reincarnated deities, and Godslayer Hall through a Water Mirror Technique. Their failure to attack one another convinces him that a much larger plot is unfolding.
• The chapter ends with William deciding he can no longer remain passive: as lord of the Nightmare Forest, he intends to confront the outsiders entering his Secret Realm.

Chapter Summary: “Abyssal World”

Key Plot Points and Events

• William returns from the Far North after learning that a mysterious secret realm has appeared in the Nightmare Forest. Since the Dragon Blood Legion is handling the Dark Demon Caverns without him, he decides to investigate the realm himself.
• He brings Diablo and Burning Ash as companions. Annie is deliberately left behind because William fears the unknown figures guarding the realm are too powerful for her to handle.
• The group reaches a Spatial Rift in a fog-covered valley near Greenlight City. They encounter members of three powerful factions:
  • Godslayer Hall
  • The Blue Mooners
  • Reincarnated Deities, including Deloxis and Badelite
• The factions initially order William to leave, but he summons an entire Black Leaf Elf guard force. Their leader, Doglitt—a powerful Domain Warrior with an Epic Title—immediately intimidates everyone and reverses the power dynamic.
• William and Deloxis exchange a comically false-friendly greeting. Deloxis secretly advises William not to provoke the other groups, while William pretends to accept the advice but still intends to enter.
• The factions explain that the rift leads to a Mythic Era inheritance and can only be opened through the combined efforts of descendants of gods, Reincarnated Deities, and the Blue Mooners. They warn that Domain Warriors cannot enter, since their presence could destabilize the realm.
• The rift begins collapsing, forcing representatives of the three factions to sacrifice blood and Soul Power to inscribe runes and reopen it.
• Everyone enters the realm, with Burning Ash joking that they should wait outside and rob the explorers when they return. William rejects the idea and follows him inside.
• Instead of arriving in a new landscape, they find themselves in a blood-mist version of the same valley. The entrance disappears, revealing that they have been transported into the Abyss World—the Inner World, notorious even among dark creatures.
• The groups realize that their luck has failed them, but they decide to search for treasures and another exit rather than immediately panic.
• The Godslayer Hall members introduce themselves as Blood Armor Nine, Blood Armor Six, and Blood Armor Three. The Blue Moon leader reveals himself as Lan Ze, the Son of the Blue Moon.
• To blend into the Abyss World, William uses the Dream Dark Primordial Stone to transform into a demon. Diablo and Burning Ash are stunned, while the others silently wish he had spare transformation items.

Character Developments

• William demonstrates his characteristic confidence, opportunism, and willingness to take risks. Though he recognizes the danger of the secret realm, his curiosity and desire for adventure outweigh his caution.
• He also displays strategic awareness by bringing Diablo and Burning Ash, summoning his mother’s elite guards, and using a disguise suited to the Abyss World.
• Burning Ash shows his practical and opportunistic nature by suggesting they wait outside and rob the others, though William points out the logistical flaws in the plan.
• Diablo remains a quiet but dependable companion, reacting with surprise to William’s transformation.
• Deloxis acts as a reluctant mediator. Although he belongs to one of William’s rival groups, he privately warns William not to escalate the conflict and maintains a superficial friendship with him.
• Doglitt is established as a terrifying trump card whose presence alone suppresses the arrogance of the Godslayer Hall, Blue Mooners, and Reincarnated Deities.
• Badelite, son of the Sun God, is portrayed as exceptionally proud and domineering. His divine bloodline and historical conflict with Godslayer Hall add political tension to the expedition.
• Lan Ze, the Son of the Blue Moon, is introduced as an important and mysterious figure whose identity commands attention from the others.
• William’s mother’s Black Leaf Elf guards are shown to be highly disciplined and powerful, serving as a major source of leverage for William.

Significant Themes

• Power and intimidation: The chapter repeatedly shifts the balance of power. The supposedly dominant factions attempt to intimidate William, only to be subdued by Doglitt and the Black Leaf Elf army.
• Risk and recklessness: William knowingly enters an extremely dangerous realm, reflecting his adventurous personality and belief that danger often brings valuable opportunities.
• Luck and fate: William repeatedly mocks the others’ poor luck, especially after they accidentally enter the Abyss World. The chapter plays with the idea that fortune can determine whether ambition leads to treasure or disaster.
• Ancient history and unresolved conflict: The Godslayer Hall, Blue Mooners, and divine descendants are tied to the Mythic Era and its unexplained catastrophes. Their current alliance is temporary and built on necessity rather than trust.
• Appearance and adaptation: William changes his form to resemble a demon, emphasizing the importance of adapting to one’s environment and concealing one’s true identity.
• Uncertainty of the unknown: The rift may lead to countless places—including the Abyss World, Dark World, mutated continents, or even the moons—making the expedition unpredictable from the beginning.

Character Interactions

• William confronts the hostile factions and reverses their attempted intimidation by summoning Doglitt and his elite guards.
• William and Deloxis pretend to greet each other warmly while privately discussing how to avoid conflict and cooperate if necessary.
• The Blood Armor members, Blue Mooners, and Reincarnated Deities are visibly humbled by Doglitt’s overwhelming presence.
• Badelite and Deloxis resent Godslayer Hall for sending only lower-ranked Blood Armor members despite expecting cooperation from a deity’s reincarnation and the son of a Main God.
• The faction leaders reluctantly cooperate to open the Spatial Rift, combining blood sacrifices, Soul Power, and ancient runes.
• Once inside the Abyss World, the former rivals temporarily share the same goal: survive, locate treasures, and find another exit.
• William’s decision to transform into a demon leaves Diablo and Burning Ash astonished and causes the other explorers to react with silent envy.

Chapter Summary: “The World in the Blood Mist”

Key Plot Points and Events

• William and the others remain trapped inside the Abyss World, a realm of perpetual black night, a blood moon, and dense blood mist. The mist limits visibility, though William’s Eye of Thunder allows him to see farther than the others.
• When the group leaves their cave, a gigantic, many-eyed blood-red spider ambushes them. It kills Blood Armor Nine by piercing him through the mouth, forcing Blood Armor Six to end his suffering. Blood Armor Three then brutally cuts the spider apart.
• Blood Armor Three confronts Deloxis for knowingly leading them into danger. Deloxis agrees to guide the group, explaining the Abyss World’s rules: defense is weakened, attacks become effectively true damage, and only the strongest professionals can survive.
• Deloxis warns the group to avoid forests, swamps, and water, which harbor dangerous abyssal creatures. He leads them around monsters engaged in mutual slaughter, emphasizing that abyssal creatures survive through devouring one another.
• William reveals that he possesses the items needed to locate the exit and that the exit lies to the south. Although the others remain suspicious of him, they agree to cooperate because none of them can safely survive alone.
• The group eventually reaches a ruined settlement called Dark City. The city is filled with eerie sounds and powerful abyssal creatures, making it appear more like a monster’s lair than a safe passage.
• William reveals that his quest requires him to enter the City Lord’s Manor, kill the strongest abyssal creature, and recover the method of closing the spatial rift from inside its belly. He has forty-eight hours to complete the mission.
• Abandoning the quest would trigger immediate spatial overlap, endangering Greenlight City and its inhabitants. William therefore decides to enter Dark City, disguising his real motivations and persuading the others to follow him.
• As the group enters the city, William suspects that the others may be manipulating him and deliberately using him as a guide or bait. However, he also realizes they may be pursuing hidden objectives of their own.

Character Developments

• William: Demonstrates increased caution and strategic thinking. He understands that his defensive advantages are neutralized by the Abyss World’s true-damage rules, but he remains determined to protect Greenlight City. He hides the full truth of his quest and uses his apparent leadership position to keep the others moving forward.
• Deloxis: Establishes himself as the group’s expert on the Abyss World. He is pragmatic, callous, and willing to sacrifice others, but he also recognizes that cooperation is necessary. His willingness to guide the group suggests he has deeper motives.
• Blood Armor Three: Shows discipline and emotional restraint after Blood Armor Nine’s death. She challenges Deloxis directly, prioritizing group survival over personal grief.
• Blood Armor Six: Acts decisively by killing the mortally wounded Blood Armor Nine and preserving his corpse.
• The Blue Mooners and Dawn City group: Remain quiet and guarded, revealing little about their motives. Their willingness to follow William into Dark City suggests they may know more than they admit.

Significant Themes

• Survival through cooperation: Even hostile factions must work together because the Abyss World is too dangerous for anyone to face alone.
• Mistrust and hidden agendas: Every character appears to be concealing information, and cooperation exists only because their interests temporarily overlap.
• The loss of conventional power: Armor and defense offer little protection in a realm where attacks become true damage, forcing characters to rely on awareness, speed, and skill.
• Responsibility versus self-preservation: William cannot simply escape because doing so would sacrifice Greenlight City. His leadership is driven by responsibility, even as he manipulates the others.
• The danger of the unknown: The blood mist, distorted forest, and Dark City create an atmosphere in which anything—including the environment itself—may be alive and hostile.
• Ancient connections between worlds: The similarities between the Abyss World and the Nightmare Forest suggest a long-standing spatial overlap and imply that the three factions’ ancestors were involved in earlier attempts to control the rift.

Character Interactions

• Deloxis’s failure to warn the first blood armor causes immediate tension with Blood Armor Three.
• Blood Armor Three reminds Deloxis that he cannot escape without the others, forcing him to cooperate.
• William’s revelation that he possesses the key items shifts the group’s attitude toward him. They do not attack him because killing him could leave them trapped.
• Deloxis provides guidance while William provides the route, creating a practical division of authority.
• The factions remain wary of one another, but their shared danger produces a temporary sense of solidarity.
• Upon reaching Dark City, the others look to William for direction, while William suspects they are encouraging him to lead because they want him to serve as a scout or expendable shield.

Plot points and events

• William’s group enters a blood-mist-shrouded city in the Abyss World. They ignore a suspicious figure that may be bait and carefully cross a huge Abyssal Monster lying beneath the cracked street.
• After they pass, the monster attacks Lan Ze, then erupts into a many-tentacled beast. Its attack awakens other creatures across the city, forcing the group to flee.
• The three factions had opened the gate to search for treasures left by earlier visitors, including an object said to be able to stop the Spatial Overlap. Each team splits off to pursue its own target.
• William, Burning Ash, Diablo, Deloxis, and Badelite head for the City Lord’s Manor. They agree to kill the monster inside first, then compete for the prize.
• The manor contains an enormous creature covered in tens of thousands of eyes. The group retreats and attacks from the air with Forbidden Spell Scrolls: fire, ice, and light. Though the monster appears defeated, it is still alive.
• After enduring five spells and nearly dying, the creature finally spits out an object, apparently hoping to make the attackers leave.

Character developments and interactions

• William remains cautious and confident, relying on his knowledge of Dark City and refusing to be drawn into obvious traps. He contributes two powerful Ice Element scrolls.
• Lan Ze reacts swiftly to the first monster’s attack, but is wounded and poisoned; he secretly treats the injuries with blue gems so the others will not notice his weakness.
• Deloxis and Badelite cooperate with William against the manor monster, despite their factions’ rivalries. Their agreement is practical, and each is prepared to fight for the treasure afterward.
• Diablo conceals the physical toll of the monster’s scream rather than reveal vulnerability.
• The group’s quick coordination and shared combat skill help them survive, while their readiness to use valuable scrolls shows how seriously they take the danger.

Significant themes

• Caution and teamwork: The characters survive by avoiding bait, controlling their reactions, and acting together.
• Rivalry tempered by self-interest: Competing factions cooperate when their goals align, but their alliance may not last.
• Power and resourcefulness: In the Abyss, sheer size and brute force are terrifying, while the group’s formidable magic and costly resources provide a counter.
• Concealed weakness: Lan Ze and Diablo hide their injuries, reflecting the dangers of showing vulnerability among potential enemies.

Chapter Summary: Space Scepter: Sovereignty

Key Plot Points and Events

• Deloxis and Badelite compete with William’s group for a treasure expelled by the dying Abyssal Monster: a white scepter from the Mythic Era.
• Both sides unleash powerful attacks to seize it, but William’s allies, Burning Ash and Diablo, block the way while threatening to destroy more than a dozen Archmage-tier Forbidden Spell Scrolls.
• Frightened by the possibility of everyone dying together, Deloxis and Badelite retreat and allow William to claim the scepter.
• William kills the massive Abyssal Monster and receives 300,000 experience along with two Random Lottery rewards.
• The monster’s death throws Dark City into chaos. Its Abyssal inhabitants begin fighting and consuming one another to gain power, while flying monsters from Nightmare Forest rush toward the area.
• William examines and tests the scepter, using its Space Shockwave ability to injure and knock thousands of incoming flying monsters from the sky.
• The surviving groups—including two wounded Blue Mooners and two Blood Armors from Godslayer Hall—move toward the Black Dragon Lair. They realize the return route through the Underground Space may contain dangerous obstacles.

Character Developments

• William demonstrates his growing strength, resourcefulness, and willingness to exploit overwhelming advantages. His vast supply of Forbidden Spell Scrolls and loyal subordinates makes even divine-level opponents wary of confronting him.
• Burning Ash and Diablo reveal their extraordinary loyalty by being prepared to die—and destroy everyone nearby—to prevent Deloxis and Badelite from taking the scepter.
• Deloxis becomes increasingly wary of William. He recognizes that William’s greatest danger is not merely his personal combat power, but the number of powerful people willing to sacrifice themselves for him.
• Badelite remains arrogant and somewhat naïve, but his status as the son of a Main God gives him powerful hidden resources and unusually high luck. He and Deloxis both choose not to spend precious divine trump cards over the scepter.
• William’s group gains a major strategic weapon, though William’s current Intelligence barely meets its usage requirements.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty and sacrifice: Burning Ash and Diablo’s willingness to die for William contrasts with Deloxis and Badelite’s reluctance to risk themselves.
• Power through resources: The confrontation is decided not only by strength, but by Forbidden Spell Scrolls, divine bloodline advantages, and hidden trump cards.
• Sovereignty and control: The scepter’s abilities—especially its spatial lockdown—represent domination over the battlefield and the power to prevent enemies from escaping.
• The consequences of power vacuums: The Abyssal Monster’s death destabilizes Dark City, causing monsters to compete violently for dominance.
• Strategic restraint: Deloxis and Badelite recognize that some treasures are not worth exhausting their limited divine resources to obtain.

Character Interactions

• Burning Ash and Diablo confront Deloxis and Badelite directly, using their scrolls as a mutual-destruction threat.
• Deloxis and Badelite are shocked and frustrated by their opponents’ recklessness, ultimately conceding the scepter rather than risk death.
• William mockingly says, “Pleasure doing business with you,” emphasizing his confidence after winning the confrontation.
• Deloxis and Badelite discuss the scepter’s value and agree that it is powerful but not worth sacrificing divine trump cards for.
• The appearance of the wounded Blue Mooners and Blood Armors adds further tension as all surviving factions converge on the Black Dragon Lair and the dangerous Underground Space.

Key plot points

• Trapped deep inside Black Dragon Lair, the group must either risk waiting for more Abyssal Creatures or find the Spatial Gate. Lan Ze uses hundreds of Moonlight Imps to scout a route through the cavern’s swamp, where vast numbers of monsters are asleep.
• As the party follows him, Lan Ze and Blood Armor Six are revealed to be possessed by ancient Blue Mooners. The possessed Lan Ze kills a young man and summons thousands of Swamp Squids; Blood Armor Six attacks Blood Armor Three.
• William’s Spatial Staff is targeted by another possessing entity, but his Thunder God’s Left Hand destroys it before it can take control of him. Deloxis identifies the threat and urges the group to capture Lan Ze and expel the possessing spirit.
• William traps the possessed Lan Ze in a shrinking pocket of space, separating them from the others. Meanwhile, the group attacks Blood Armor Six and fights off the swamp creatures.
• In the confined space, William intimidates the possessed mage into surrendering his Gloves and other magical gear, then beats him with attacks that include Soul Skills. The confrontation with the other possession remains unresolved.

Character developments and interactions

• William is cautious at first, but becomes forceful and opportunistic once the ambush begins. He protects himself from possession, isolates Lan Ze, and uses intimidation to seize valuable equipment.
• Lan Ze shifts from capable guide to dangerous host for an ancient enemy. His scouting magic initially helps the group, making the betrayal especially sudden.
• Blood Armor Three proves alert and formidable, evading Blood Armor Six’s surprise attack and confronting him directly.
• Blood Armor Six reveals that the possessions were meant to succeed together; isolated and outnumbered, he is overwhelmed by the group.
• Badelite shows resentment toward William’s side and hints at sacrificing a weaker companion, while Burning Ash and Diablo respond eagerly to the ensuing fight.
• The group’s cooperation is practical rather than trusting: once the danger is clear, they coordinate to contain the possessed fighters and survive.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and hidden danger: The apparent guide becomes an enemy, and the sleeping monsters turn the route into an ambush.
• Survival through adaptation: Scouting, teamwork, and rapid tactical decisions matter more than brute force alone.
• Power and intimidation: William exploits his strength and the confined space to dominate the possessed mage.
• Trust under pressure: The party must rely on one another despite rivalries and suspicion.

Plot points

• William drives the Abyssal soul out of Lan Ze by restraining him and using Soul Skills, then defeats it. He also frees the bound Blood Armor Six.
• The group reaches the Palace as the Swamp Octopus approaches. They locate the Spatial Gate and work together to open it, escaping back to the Gods Continent just before the Palace collapses.
• The gate begins expanding and allowing the Swamp Squids’ world to overlap with theirs. William uses his spatial authority to close it, completing the dungeon and resolving the threat at its source.
• After the group disperses, William receives his mission rewards: 820,000 experience and the Heart of Justice talent, which boosts resistance to negative effects by 20%.
• A message warns him that the war in the Far North has escalated, with Legendary fighters holding the line and Epic fighters now able to enter combat. At level 125, William realizes he must reach level 140—and the Epic Tier—before the coming version update and the Ten-Year Blood War.

Character developments and interactions

• William demonstrates quick thinking and confidence, defeating the possessing soul and shutting the Spatial Gate himself. His priorities remain pragmatic: he admits he took valuables from Lan Ze and others, and plans to profit from helping Players advance.
• Lan Ze wakes with his awareness intact and thanks William for saving him, despite William having taken his gloves and clothes. He feels wary and embarrassed, but unexpectedly gains 150 Favorability toward William and exchanges contact information with him.
• Deloxis and the others recognize the danger of the expanding overlap and advise William to seek a Saint’s help. William’s effortless solution surprises them.
• Blood Armor Three leaves carrying the still-bound Blood Armor Six. Deloxis departs with his group, while Lan Ze lingers briefly to connect with William.
• William’s companions, Burning Ash and Diablo, are baffled that he gained Lan Ze’s favor after robbing him.

Significant themes

• Pragmatism and self-interest: William saves others, but openly treats the rescue as an opportunity to gain rewards.
• Power and preparedness: The looming war raises the stakes, pushing William to prioritize rapid advancement.
• Resistance to control: The new talent reflects the importance of resisting mental invasion and protecting the continent from the Abyss.
• Comedic contrast: Serious dangers—possession, invasion, and war—are undercut by jokes about stolen clothes, unusual gratitude, and William’s profit-seeking.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points

• After saving Greenlight City, William conceals his identity and leaves without revealing the danger it had faced. He then returns to Frost Royal City with Burning Ash and another companion.
• William sends the two ahead to Dawn Fortress to guard against Grandmaster teams, whose growing role has made the battlefield far more dangerous for Dawn City’s forces.
• He checks his resources and finds that Players have earned him 80,000 Merit Points in two days. Since he receives their Elf Merit Points and pays them in the less valuable Dawn Merit Points, the Players have become his main source of income.
• Looking for a way to gain the 230 million experience he needs to reach level 140, William adds ten powerful, class-unrestricted special Skills to the Mercenary Group exchange list. Players must spend experience to unlock and upgrade them, and the cost rises with each page.
• The Skills quickly excite Players, especially high-end users and professional guilds. Glory Club decides to acquire all ten, though the group debates the leveling cost and whether their Mana or Battle Aura and Secret Manuals will be sufficient to use them effectively.
• The new Skills earn William 180 million experience in three days, leaving him just over 50 million short of advancing.

Character developments and interactions

• William continues to act as a hidden hero, but also reveals his calculating side: he turns the Players’ desire for useful abilities into a major source of experience. He is careful not to correct the Forum’s mistaken claim that he learned Energy Focus.
• Burning Ash and the other companion obey William’s order to protect Dawn Fortress.
• Chu Liuqiu confidently steers Glory Club toward unlocking all ten Skills, arguing that they can delay leveling without falling behind and that utility abilities may improve their performance.
• Changli Jiugu, usually known as William’s devoted fan, offers a practical warning: the Skills may require too much Mana or Battle Aura to use without stronger Secret Manuals. Chu Liuqiu praises his unexpected insight.
• Players on the Forum compare the Skills, debate their costs, and disagree over whether to collect them all or choose only a few.

Significant themes

• Power and preparation: As Epic and Grandmaster fighters become more common, Dawn City’s advantage in numbers matters less, making defense and stronger abilities increasingly important.
• Resourceful leadership: William uses the Players’ enthusiasm to strengthen them while advancing his own goals.
• The cost of power: Skills offer greater flexibility and survival, but acquiring and using them consumes experience and other resources.
• Heroism and self-interest: William’s anonymous rescue of Greenlight City contrasts with his shrewd exploitation of the exchange system.

Chapter 405 Summary: Dawn City Lord and Master Inventor

Key Plot Points and Events

• William is still 50 million XP short of level 140. Although he could continue exploiting players for resources, he chooses to stop temporarily to avoid excessively forcing them to spend real money.
• Most players are nearing the high-class realm, while fewer than one hundred have already reached it. These elite “Liver Emperor” players are becoming highly valuable because of the dramatic advantages of high-class strength.
• Major guilds aggressively recruit high-class players, leading to deception, bribery, poaching, honey traps, and internal betrayals. One small guild is destroyed after two of its strongest members are recruited away, leaving its leader, Xu Xu Sheng Wind Element, devastated.
• Dawn City contains over 10,000 guilds. Large club-backed guilds control about 53% of players, while the rest belong to smaller family, friend, immortal-cultivation, or casual guilds.
• The Glory Guild, with nearly 150,000 members and two world championships, remains the largest and most successful guild, though rival guilds frequently target it.
• Two new factional guilds rise:
  • Mars Guild, founded by Mars Mighty, recruiting only Mars players.
  • The Moon Is Super Round, founded by the wealthy The Moon Is Bigger Than Earth, recruiting only Moon players.
    Their exclusivity creates minor tension with Earth players, though everyone remains united during national wars.
• William watches players spread across the Far North to conduct battles and reflects that establishing Dawn City and its player society was one of his best decisions.
• The war has continued for over two months. Human forces from the Frost Empire capture two fortresses with elven and player assistance.
• The Dawn Legion shifts its focus away from directly fighting the Orc Empire and begins attacking demon caverns throughout the Far North. William wants the legions to gain experience, evolve into stronger military ranks, and use the war to accelerate their growth.
• William plays mahjong with Olaf, Annie, Diablo, and Burning Ash. He loses heavily to Annie and complains about the game before leaving.
• William has also popularized poker and legendary character-card games. These cards depict major figures from the Legendary Continent, with stronger characters receiving more skills.
• The Radiant Pope promotes the card game among temple personnel after William gives him an unusually powerful six-skill card. Some powerful figures object to having their identities used in the cards.
• William’s entertainment inventions greatly expand his cultural influence. He earns a point of legendary renown and receives the title “The Unfocused Dawn Lord Master Inventor.”

Character Developments

• William continues balancing greed, strategy, and long-term planning. He deliberately restrains his exploitation of players while using warfare, entertainment, and rankings to strengthen Dawn City.
• He shows strong political and economic awareness, allowing player guilds to fight among themselves because their competition ultimately benefits Dawn City and the Dawn Mercenary Group.
• William’s influence extends beyond military leadership: he becomes known throughout the continent as the inventor and promoter of popular games and entertainment.
• Xu Xu Sheng Wind Element suffers a major emotional and organizational defeat after his guild collapses, though the narration humorously suggests he may eventually make a comeback.
• Annie demonstrates superior skill or luck at mahjong, repeatedly defeating William and forcing him to pay.
• Olaf, Annie, Diablo, and Burning Ash remain close to William as followers and companions, participating in his games and discussing Dawn City’s strengths and weaknesses.
• The Radiant Pope embraces William’s card game, unintentionally helping spread William’s influence through the temples.

Significant Themes

• Player society mirrors real-world competition: Guild recruitment, betrayal, wealth, factionalism, and rivalry create a complex social world within the game.
• War as a tool for advancement: William treats the ongoing conflict not only as a military necessity but also as a way to strengthen armies, players, and the city.
• Cultural influence as power: Games such as mahjong, poker, and legendary cards allow William to shape the continent’s culture and reputation without relying solely on force.
• Exploitation and commercialization: William profits from players through XP systems, loans, rankings, and entertainment while jokingly acknowledging his role as a manipulative “planner.”
• Unity amid internal rivalry: Mars, Moon, and Earth players may feud, but shared national identity unites them when facing external enemies.
• Influence through imitation and appropriation: William shamelessly copies player-created ideas, yet his ability to popularize them gives him greater fame than their original creators.

Character Interactions

• William observes player guild conflicts without interfering, believing their competition ultimately strengthens Dawn City.
• He cooperates with the Frost Empire by sending players to assist its military campaign.
• During the mahjong game, William tries to exploit Olaf and complains when Annie repeatedly wins. Diablo and the others challenge William’s unfair advantage and insist on rules that limit his losses.
• Burning Ash criticizes Dawn City’s weak legendary-card lineup, but William explains that Dawn City’s cards are numerous and spread awareness of Dawn City’s people and factions.
• William’s promotion of card games influences the Radiant Pope and temple personnel, while also provoking resentment from powerful NPCs whose likenesses are used without consent.

Chapter 406: Resuming Old Trades — Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Dragon Blood Legion’s mission completion rate rises to 93%, leaving only 7% needed to obtain the Undefeated in a Hundred Battles Legion Buff.
• The Orc Empire realizes that a powerful legion is raiding demon caverns across the region and sends Grandmaster scouts to locate it.
• William avoids meeting the Dragon Blood Legion so his presence will not negatively affect its luck. Annie and the Unicorn handle command, narrowly evading several dangerous situations.
• To distract the Orc Empire and protect the legion, William deliberately acts as bait near a major Orc fortress.
• He approaches an Orc fortress holding 120,000 soldiers, including two Epic experts and more than 1,000 Grandmasters. Rather than attack directly, he decides to revive his old profession: stealing supplies.
• Using his extraordinarily powerful divine body, William digs a tunnel more than 60,000 meters underground and infiltrates the fortress.
• He discovers a newly built warm-storage cellar containing expensive alcohol, vegetables, and fruit intended for Epic and Grandmaster orcs. He removes everything instead of poisoning it, reasoning that the supplies would be more useful to Dawn City and the elves.
• William sets up an alarm formation in the cellar, then continues tunneling toward the fortress’s ordnance warehouse.
• Meanwhile, the two Epic commanders remain unaware of the theft, casually drinking together and joking about their treasured alcohol.
• William reaches the warehouse and finds enormous quantities of arrows, crossbow bolts, catapult parts, artillery shells, and other military supplies. He begins transferring everything into his space Rings, realizing he may be able to empty two or three fortresses in one night.

Character Developments

• William demonstrates strategic caution and self-sacrifice by staying away from the Dragon Blood Legion to preserve its chance of obtaining the rare legion buff.
• He deliberately places himself in danger to divert Orc attention, showing that he is willing to act as bait for the sake of his army.
• His return to theft highlights his creativity, confidence, and practical understanding of logistics. Rather than challenge a heavily defended fortress head-on, he undermines it by removing its resources.
• William also shows restraint and sound judgment when he chooses to take the food rather than poison it, maximizing its value for his own forces.
• Annie and the Unicorn are established as capable commanders whose instincts repeatedly save the Dragon Blood Legion.
• The two Epic commanders are revealed to have a humorous, informal relationship. Their banter and shared drinking contrast sharply with the serious military situation around them.

Significant Themes

• Strategy over brute force: William avoids a direct assault and attacks the fortress’s logistical foundation instead.
• Sacrifice for collective success: He risks exposure and death to protect the Dragon Blood Legion’s chance at an unprecedented achievement.
• The importance of logistics in war: Food, ammunition, and supplies are shown to be as decisive as soldiers and powerful experts.
• Humor amid danger: Comedic elements—William protecting himself from the cold and the Epic experts’ crude friendship—lighten the otherwise tense wartime setting.
• Resourcefulness and adaptability: William combines stealth, tunneling, magic formations, and his divine physical strength to carry out an unconventional raid.

Character Interactions

• William relies on Annie and the Unicorn to command the Dragon Blood Legion while he stays away.
• He has no direct interaction with the Orc commanders, but his actions exploit their complacency and lack of awareness.
• The two Epic commanders exchange teasing insults while sharing rare wine, revealing camaraderie and mutual familiarity.
• William’s unobserved infiltration creates dramatic irony: the Orc leaders enjoy themselves while their fortress’s food and ammunition are quietly disappearing beneath them.

Chapter Summary: “The Heaven-Sacrificing Ritual”

Key Plot Points and Events

• William raids the Orc Empire’s armory, collecting weapons, ammunition, armor, and spare parts in his Space Ring.
• To prevent the remaining supplies from being recovered, he sets a trap using nine Mana Crystals. Opening the warehouse door will break the formation and trigger a massive explosion.
• He tunnels underground to a nearby Grain Warehouse, using God’s Left Hand to cut silently through the fortress’s Magic Metal foundations.
• William overhears two Orc guards discussing:
  • Silag, the thirty-third son of the powerful Demon Lord Sidi, traveling to the Orc Empire.
  • Silag’s plan to hunt a White/Frost Dragon in the Northwest Glacier Mountains.
  • The Orc soldiers’ belief that the Black Great Wall’s defenders are essentially expendable.
• After listening, William silently kills the two guards with the Thunderblade and Cursed Sword.
• He empties the entire Grain Warehouse, taking enough meat and fish to supply roughly one hundred thousand Orcs for three months.
• Rather than attack another Orc fortress, William changes plans and heads toward the Northwest Glacier Mountains to interfere with Silag’s dragon hunt.
• His goal is to kill Silag, then use the Dream Dark Primordial Stone to impersonate him and cause chaos within the Orc Empire.
• William reaches the mountains and discovers, through the Elven Queen’s magical map, that more than six thousand Frost Dragons live there, including at least ten Legendary Dragons.
• Unable to determine which dragon Silag intends to hunt, William performs a ritual using statues of the Goddesses of Fortune and Misfortune.
• He sacrifices the Goddess of Misfortune statue, receiving a curse that lowers his Luck by 100 for a year, but immediately gains a blessing from the Goddess of Fortune that raises his Luck by 101 for a year and a day. The chapter ends as additional system notifications continue appearing.

Character Developments

• William demonstrates greater strategic cunning and ruthlessness. He does not merely steal supplies; he sabotages the armory and considers the broader military consequences of destroying a Demon army.
• He remains opportunistic, abandoning his original plan to raid another fortress once he learns of Silag’s arrival.
• William’s confidence is balanced by caution. He recognizes that confronting an Orc Saint directly would be suicidal, so he plans to manipulate events rather than fight overwhelming forces head-on.
• Silag is introduced as an ambitious but reckless Master-Tier Demon who seeks glory by slaying a Frost Dragon alone. His rivalry with the Dark Child and history of provoking his father portray him as talented, arrogant, and troublesome.
• The Orc guards reveal the fatalistic attitude of soldiers stationed at the Black Great Wall: although they expect to die, they continue enjoying food and drink while they can.

Significant Themes

• Sabotage and asymmetric warfare: William relies on stealth, traps, tunneling, and theft rather than direct confrontation.
• Sacrifice and manipulation of fate: The ending emphasizes William’s willingness to alter luck through supernatural ritual, even at the cost of accepting a curse.
• War and expendability: The Orc soldiers understand that their fortress is meant to delay the enemy, highlighting the Empire’s use of ordinary troops as cannon fodder.
• Ambition and recklessness: Silag’s planned dragon hunt reflects the dangers of pursuing prestige and proving oneself.
• Resource control: The destruction and theft of food and weapons show that undermining an enemy’s logistics can be as important as defeating its soldiers.

Character Interactions

• William overhears the two Orc guards’ casual conversation about Silag, Sidi, and the coming war before killing them.
• The guards’ dialogue contrasts their grim knowledge of their likely deaths with their determination to eat, drink, and enjoy themselves.
• William reflects on his past encounter with one of Sidi’s sons and compares it with Silag’s reputation.
• Though William does not yet meet Silag, he begins forming a plan to use Silag’s identity and Demon army for infiltration and internal disruption.
• William also indirectly relies on the Elven Queen through the magical map she created, which becomes essential to locating and assessing the Frost Dragon population.

Chapter Summary: “Fighting an Army Alone”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After killing Silag, William is cursed by the legendary demon lord Sidi with Soul Tracking. Sidi’s favorability toward William plummets, and he orders the demon army and Orc Empire to hunt him down.
• William realizes that killing Silag has drawn nearly every powerful enemy away from his Dragon Blood Legion. He deliberately taunts the pursuing army, hoping to survive long enough for his legion to obtain the Invincible Legion Buff, which would combine with its Dragon-Slaying Strike and Life Chain buffs.
• Dozens of epic demons, orcs, and demon-race warriors pursue William through the Glacier Mountains. He repeatedly escapes by tunneling through mountains, using spatial movement, teleportation scrolls, and the Thunder God’s Left Hand.
• The pursuers destroy multiple mountains and dragon lairs while chasing him. William takes advantage of the chaos to steal millions of gold coins and other treasures from frost dragon nests.
• The destruction awakens thousands of frost dragons, but the legendary dragons refuse to intervene because they do not understand the situation and fear provoking a larger war.
• Legendary figures from the Orc Empire, Frost Empire, and Elven faction confront one another in the sky. The Frost Empire and elves prevent the orcs from fully supporting Sidi, creating a tense standoff that stops the conflict from becoming another all-out war.
• William’s escape options gradually run out. He uses Spatial Lockdown to trap a master-tier orc, waits for his spatial abilities to recover, and eventually kills the orc when the temporary world contracts.
• When William exits the spatial realm, he expects to be surrounded by epic experts. Instead, Snow Elf Queen Bernice Frost appears to have intervened.
• Bernice announces a condition: William must defend himself alone on the mountain for one day and one night. If he succeeds, the demons will withdraw from the Ten-Year Blood War and stop participating in the conflict.
• The chapter ends as William discovers that five exceptionally powerful grandmaster-level experts with the potential to become Saints are among the forces facing him.

Character Developments

• William demonstrates resourcefulness, courage, and calculated recklessness. Rather than panicking, he turns the bounty on his head into an opportunity to protect his legion and possibly alter the course of the Ten-Year Blood War.
• His confidence remains strong, but the pursuit exposes his limits: his teleportation scrolls are nearly exhausted, his escape techniques are becoming less effective, and he realizes he cannot continue indefinitely.
• Sidi is established as a powerful and vengeful antagonist. His reaction to Silag’s death shows that killing his son has provoked a direct conflict with a figure nearly equivalent to a deity.
• Bernice Frost shifts from observer to interventionist. She is amused by William’s ingenuity but ultimately protects him indirectly by forbidding epic experts from attacking, while also placing him in an extremely dangerous trial.
• The frost dragon whose home is destroyed provides comic relief. Despite being enraged by the destruction of his ancestral lair, he chooses not to interfere after seeing the overwhelming number of powerful pursuers.
• The pursuing experts are portrayed as ruthless and single-minded, willing to destroy mountains and dragon nests to reach William, though they avoid killing the frost dragons to prevent a broader conflict.

Significant Themes

• Turning danger into opportunity: William uses Sidi’s revenge campaign to draw powerful enemies away from his legion and advance his larger strategic goals.
• Survival through intelligence rather than strength: William cannot defeat the entire army directly, so he relies on deception, mobility, terrain, spatial abilities, and endurance.
• The instability of political alliances: The Orc Empire, demons, Frost Empire, elves, and dragons all have competing interests. A hunt for one individual nearly triggers a larger war.
• The cost of personal actions: Killing Silag gives William valuable advantages but also places him under a deadly curse and makes him the target of an army.
• Heroic endurance and impossible challenges: Bernice transforms William’s escape into a formal trial, forcing him to face overwhelming odds alone for the sake of ending the demons’ involvement in the war.

Character Interactions

• William intentionally provokes the pursuing demons, orcs, and demon-race warriors with a giant battle-aura hand and an insulting gesture, drawing their anger and keeping their attention focused on him.
• The pursuers debate whether to kill the frost dragon whose nest they destroy, but decide against it to avoid provoking the wider dragon race.
• The Orc Empire’s legendary powerhouses face off against legendary figures from the Frost Empire and the elves, preventing them from directly assisting the hunt.
• William traps and later kills a master-tier orc inside Spatial Lockdown, demonstrating that his escape is not entirely passive.
• Bernice communicates directly with William and offers him protection—but only under the condition that he survive a 24-hour battle against the assembled army.
• William’s immediate enemies now include thousands of lower- and master-tier forces, along with five grandmaster experts possessing the potential to reach Sainthood.

Plot and key events

• William faces thousands of enemies, including five Grandmasters with Potential for Sainthood, who intend to kill him for Legendary Demon Lord Sidi’s reward.
• He appears to bargain and surrender his Space Rings, then suddenly detonates five Lightning Forbidden-Spell Scrolls at once. The resulting Thunder Domain wipes out nearly the entire force, killing two of the five top opponents.
• William survives by combining his lightning-related abilities and equipment, though the blasts cost him a substantial portion of his health. Legendary observers intervene only to forbid further Forbidden Spells and prevent him from leaving or hiding; they allow the battle to continue.
• Ten badly injured enemies remain. Lured by the promise of a Legendary being’s Essence Blood, they attack William together.
• A distant player, Car-Flipping Immortal, records and posts the battle online. The Dawn City forum erupts with speculation, jokes, and anxious predictions. Some outsiders even consider abandoning William’s faction, while Dawn’s players largely trust him.
• Despite being overwhelmed by the ten Legendary opponents’ attacks, William endures. His exceptional defense, damage reduction, and healing from incoming attacks make him extraordinarily difficult to kill.

Character developments and interactions

• William shifts from seeming frightened and conciliatory to revealing a ruthless, prepared strategy. He exploits the mission’s limited rules, survives an attack that nearly annihilates everyone, and then confidently withstands the remaining enemies. His bravado masks real danger, but his resilience turns the apparent trap into an opportunity.
• Bernice privately doubts he can survive and has resolved to rescue him if necessary. Still, she expects him to bear the consequences of provoking such a crisis—and hopes he can turn it to his advantage.
• Bloodhammer’s Hand, an old opponent, expects William to be helpless and is baffled by how much tougher he has become since their previous fight.
• Sidi’s forces initially taunt and threaten William, then attack out of fear, greed, and the prospect of the reward. Their confidence collapses after the Forbidden Spells, but the promised prize drives them back into the fight.
• Legendary observers enforce limits without ending the battle, leaving William to face the remaining enemies under the mission’s twenty-four-hour survival condition.
• Car-Flipping Immortal unintentionally becomes the battle’s reporter, while players watching online react with a mix of panic, jokes, loyalty, and opportunism.

Significant themes

• Turning danger into advantage: William’s defining skill is not merely causing trouble, but using it to improve his position.
• Rules and loopholes: He survives by exploiting what the mission does—and does not—prohibit.
• Strength through preparation and synergy: His survival depends on combining scrolls, lightning abilities, equipment, defense, and healing.
• Spectacle and reputation: The battle becomes a public event, shaping how players perceive William and testing their loyalty.
• Dark comedy amid danger: The narration’s crude jokes and exaggerated reactions contrast with the lethal stakes.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• William faces a 1v10 battle and deliberately charges the strongest opponent, the demon Teskas, rather than eliminating weaker enemies first.
• His strategy relies on his half-elf ranger talent, which becomes stronger when he is surrounded by multiple enemies.
• William and Teskas engage in a brutal close-range exchange, each abandoning defense and repeatedly hacking at the other.
• Teskas activates his demonic transformation and unleashes a massive blade attack, but William’s invulnerable “God’s Left Hand” blocks it completely.
• William pulls Teskas toward him, impales him with his cursed sword, and continues attacking despite rescue attempts from Bloodhammer’s Hand and Kawos.
• Teskas repeatedly wounds William, but William’s injuries rapidly regenerate because the surrounding enemies’ attacks trigger his healing and defensive abilities.
• Bloodhammer’s Hand eventually strikes William with his chained hammer, shattering his spine. However, William recovers once again, astonishing the enemies.
• Realizing that William may possess a talent that makes him exceptionally powerful in group combat, Bloodhammer’s Hand orders the others to stop attacking and decides that he and Kawos will kill William themselves.
• William pretends to be near death and provocatively asks the other spectators to kill him instead, claiming he would rather die at their hands than be defeated by the two “shameless villains.”
• The others hesitate but are tempted by the reward of obtaining William’s essence blood, setting up the possibility that they will attack him despite Bloodhammer’s orders.

Character developments

• William: Demonstrates his unusual combat philosophy, extreme endurance, rapid regeneration, and ability to exploit enemy attacks. He also reveals his shameless tactical cunning by pretending to be dying in order to provoke the remaining enemies into attacking him.
• Teskas: Begins confidently, relying on his Bloodlust Combo talent and aggressive fighting style, but becomes increasingly desperate when he cannot overpower William. He is ultimately gravely wounded and nearly beaten to death.
• Bloodhammer’s Hand: Shows greater strategic awareness than the others by recognizing that William becomes stronger in group battles. He takes command and attempts to isolate William from the surrounding attackers.
• Kawos: Although a highly skilled swordsman with the potential to become a saint, he becomes confused by William’s abnormal resilience and follows Bloodhammer’s interpretation of his abilities.
• The other demons and orcs: Initially attack William from a distance, unintentionally helping him recover. They later become tempted by the potential reward for killing him.

Significant themes

• Strength through adversity: William’s power increases when he is surrounded and attacked, reversing the normal logic of group combat.
• The danger of incomplete understanding: The enemies try to explain William’s abilities using familiar examples, but their lack of knowledge about game-like mechanics prevents them from fully understanding how he heals and scales in battle.
• Deception and psychological warfare: William’s feigned weakness manipulates the enemies’ greed and rivalry against one another.
• Human versus game-world logic: William understands talents, stacking effects, and combat mechanics in a way the native inhabitants cannot, giving him a major advantage.
• Absurdity amid brutality: The intensely violent battle is undercut by William’s shameless request to be killed by the “right” people, creating a comedic contrast.

Character interactions

• William and Teskas fight in a direct, mutually destructive duel, with William ultimately gaining the upper hand through regeneration and his cursed sword.
• Bloodhammer’s Hand and Kawos discuss William’s abilities and compare them to the legendary group-combat talent of Elante.
• Bloodhammer’s Hand attempts to kill William alongside Teskas, even though the attack may also kill his own ally.
• William verbally provokes the observing orcs and demons, encouraging them to attack him and turning their greed into a potential weapon against Bloodhammer’s Hand and Kawos.

Chapter Summary: “Over a Million Words of Miracles!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• William is left with critically low health after battling seven powerful enemies, but the single-person reward for killing him drives them to continue attacking rather than retreat.
• Their combined assault forces William to activate his Resurrection Armor. Believing this revival is only a temporary last stand, the enemies press their attack.
• William uses Dawnforce to kill two opponents with a massive sword slash, reducing the enemy group to five.
• He is repeatedly battered by the heavyhammer wielder and shield warrior Kawos, who pins him against an ice wall. William responds with Soul Shockwave and Mental Blast, stunning Kawos.
• William severely injures Kawos with Thunder Slash and hammer attacks, but the shield warrior survives through defensive abilities and transforms into a black stone to withstand another sword strike.
• William uses Spatial Shockwave to immobilize the remaining enemies, but the heavyhammer wielder, Bloodhammer’s Hand, enters a powerful blood-giant transformation and overwhelms him in close combat.
• Just as William is about to be killed, Holy Spirit Empowerment activates. A golden Thunder phantom emerges from his body, blocks Bloodhammer’s attack, and sends him flying. The Holy Spirit then returns to William, displaying a brief hint of disdain.
• William kills the enemy who cast the slowing control spell by using a Thunder Arrow, Holy Thunder Incarnation, and the Cursed Sword.
• He then finishes Kawos with Dawn Impact and a devastating Thunder-powered punch, killing the seemingly indestructible shield warrior.
• The remaining enemies are forced to retreat. A Demon Legendary expert removes Bloodhammer’s Hand, while Orc experts carry away the last two warriors.
• William’s allies arrive with a thousand Frost Dragons. He rapidly loots the battlefield, taking corpses, equipment, space rings, and other supplies. He is prevented from looting the Dragonkind’s treasury and is dragged away by an embarrassed Elven Legendary expert.
• Reviewing his gains, William estimates the spoils are worth at least twenty to thirty million Gold Coins.
• He recognizes that the battle was extremely dangerous, but also realizes its strategic success: the Demon army stayed out of the conflict, the Orc Empire’s attention was diverted, and the Dragon Blood Legion secured the Undefeated in a Hundred Battles Legion Buff.
• This achievement will grant William the powerful Legendary Lord talent. He also looks forward to examining the rewards from his over-completed SS-Class Quest, possibly including additional talents.

Character Developments

• William demonstrates extreme adaptability and resourcefulness, combining resurrection, spatial movement, crowd control, ranged attacks, and powerful physical strikes to survive against multiple Legendary-level opponents.
• His willingness to take enormous risks is emphasized. He admits that without the Far North setting and the Elven Queen monitoring him, the battle could easily have ended in his death.
• William’s growing confidence is balanced by humility and caution: he acknowledges that Bloodhammer’s transformed strength surpassed him despite his Holy Soul stat enhancement.
• The return of Holy Spirit Empowerment is a major development. It has not appeared for over a million words and seems powerful enough to intervene independently, even displaying a personality or attitude toward William.
• Kawos is shown to possess exceptional endurance and numerous survival abilities, but William’s persistence ultimately defeats him.
• Bloodhammer’s Hand proves to be the most physically dangerous opponent, with a transformation that dramatically increases his offensive power, though he is ultimately forced to retreat.

Significant Themes

• Survival through preparation and hidden trump cards: The battle repeatedly turns on concealed abilities, transformations, revival effects, spatial skills, and emergency powers.
• The danger of overconfidence: William wins, but only after coming close to death several times. His victory is portrayed as impressive yet reckless.
• Power and progression: The chapter highlights William’s transition from a high-tier expert toward becoming a true powerhouse, with talents and buffs becoming increasingly important.
• Strategic victory over personal victory: William’s greatest success is not merely defeating individual enemies, but redirecting the Orc Empire’s attention and enabling the Dragon Blood Legion to obtain a crucial Legion Buff.
• Humor amid violence: William’s shameless looting, including his attempted theft from the dragons’ treasury, provides comic relief after the brutal battle.
• The unpredictability of miracles: Holy Spirit Empowerment appears at the decisive moment, reinforcing the chapter’s emphasis on seemingly impossible reversals and unexpected abilities.

Character Interactions

• William clashes directly with the seven enemy experts, especially Kawos and Bloodhammer’s Hand.
• Kawos repeatedly pins and attacks William, while William counters by stunning, injuring, and eventually killing him.
• Bloodhammer’s Hand engages William in a destructive physical duel, nearly overpowering him until Holy Spirit Empowerment intervenes.
• William kills the enemy controlling the battlefield after the latter attempts to slow him for a fatal attack.
• The Demon and Orc Legendary figures protect their defeated forces by forcibly withdrawing them.
• The Elven Legendary expert retrieves William and reprimands his battlefield looting indirectly by dragging him away before he can raid the dragon treasury.
• The Frost Dragons and Dragonkind serve as an intimidating reminder that William’s victory does not grant him permission to plunder their territory.

Key plot points and events

• After returning to Snow Elf King City, William inspects the rewards for completing Sidi’s Revenge, an SS-Class quest, ahead of schedule with a 120% completion rate. He gains 7.3 million experience, a new Talent, a Talent Upgrade Card, thirteen Random Lotteries, and 800,000 Merit Points. Most importantly, the Demon Legion will sit out the Ten-Year Blood War.
• His new Talent, Undying Relentlessness, boosts his attack and defense as his health falls. At critical health it greatly accelerates recovery, and below 10% HP it grants a massive attack increase. William recognizes its power but notes that it encourages risky, close-quarters fighting.
• The Dragon Blood Legion’s Dragon-Slaying Strike and Divine Weapon buffs fuse into Dragon-Slaying Divine General, a formidable Legion Buff. It greatly increases the unit’s attributes, strengthens it against dragons and beasts, disrupts enemy morale, and grants a temporary bonus during Dragon Transformation. Its active combined attack can strike enemies across a vast area.
• William assesses the Legion’s limits: Life Chain and the new buff make it exceptionally difficult to defeat near its Marshal Banner, but opponents can exploit the banner’s range, and Epic-tier enemies remain a serious threat. The Legion’s commander and deputy commander will need to reach Epic rank to strengthen it further.
• William considers using his Legendary Lord Talent to grant another aura buff to the Dragon Blood Legion—and potentially all Dawn City professionals.
• With Luck Value at only 1, William avoids using his stored lotteries. He also finds that none of his eleven Talents can currently be upgraded, so he saves the Talent Upgrade Card until he reaches Epic tier.

Character developments and interactions

• William’s fighting style continues to shift toward a tank-like, close-combat role, despite his wish to gain Ranger abilities. He admits that fighting with his fists is more satisfying than using a bow.
• He is increasingly proud of the Dragon Blood Legion’s strength, while remaining aware of its vulnerabilities and the need for its leaders to grow stronger.
• William ends by planning to find Annie and begin a fifteen-draw lottery streak once he is ready.

Significant themes

• Power and its limits: New abilities make William and his Legion formidable, but careful opponents and stronger enemies can still exploit weaknesses.
• Risk and resilience: Undying Relentlessness rewards fighting at dangerously low health, reflecting William’s increasingly aggressive, durable style.
• Preparation and patience: William postpones both lotteries and Talent upgrades until conditions are more favorable, while recognizing that the Legion’s future depends on long-term growth.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After leaving Snow Elf King City, William returns to Dawn Fortress and immediately uses fifteen lottery draws.
• The first thirteen draws grant him a total of 130 permanent attribute points: strength, stamina, agility, and intelligence. The final two rewards are the skills Nightmare Curse and Soul Incarnation.
• Soul Incarnation successfully fuses with William’s rare passive skill, Holy Spirit Empowerment, becoming a new active skill.
• The skill summons an invincible holy spirit incarnation with twice William’s base attributes and attack power. It can fight, use his weapons, and even wear equipment, though it disappears after its duration and leaves equipment behind.
• William tests the incarnation with Thunder God’s Left Hand and a space ring, realizing that it can serve as an indestructible combatant and treasure-transporting tool.
• He upgrades Soul Incarnation to the maximum master-tier level. Its duration increases to five minutes, while its cooldown drops to one hour.
• William begins imagining using the incarnation to rob heavily guarded locations, including the Orc Fortress and even divine treasuries. He recognizes that the main weakness is that enemies might track the incarnation back to his location.
• He examines Nightmare Curse, recognizing it as the forced-control skill that once immobilized him. He decides to postpone upgrading it until he reaches the epic tier.
• Upon entering Dawn Fortress, William’s presence activates powerful area-wide buffs. More than 200,000 players and professionals nearby grant him a 20% increase to all four attributes, while Dawn City’s population receives a feedback bonus equal to 5% of his attributes.
• Players within one million meters of William also gain extremely powerful health regeneration. These buffs cause players throughout the Huaxia region to flock toward Dawn City, while foreign players grow jealous and petition for William’s removal.
• As Version 3.0 approaches its end, around 60,000 players on the Legendary Continent reach the high-class tier. William prepares to advance to the epic tier but first plans to hold a major event based on his earlier quest: “Who Is the True Chosen Son?”

Character Development

• William becomes increasingly confident and ambitious after obtaining Soul Incarnation. The skill greatly expands his tactical options and reinforces his tendency to exploit loopholes creatively.
• His confidence borders on arrogance as he begins contemplating raids on orc and divine treasuries, though he remains aware of the incarnation’s tracking weakness.
• William also shows pragmatic judgment: he values permanent attribute gains more than equipment and chooses not to waste experience upgrading Nightmare Curse prematurely.
• Annie is briefly embarrassed by William’s sudden patting gesture and interprets it romantically, while William remains oblivious to her thoughts.
• The players become more devoted to William because of his powerful buffs, turning Dawn City into an increasingly attractive center of power.
• Foreign players and factions become openly hostile and envious, viewing William’s influence as an unfair advantage.

Significant Themes

• Power and exploitation: William’s strength lies not only in combat but in using abilities in unconventional, highly profitable ways.
• Luck versus preparation: His lottery results are mostly mediocre, but William’s experience and creativity allow him to make exceptional use of the one truly valuable skill he receives.
• The difference between potential and application: Soul Incarnation might be ordinary in another person’s hands, but William’s wealth, equipment, and strategic thinking make it extraordinarily powerful.
• Growing political influence: William’s abilities benefit entire populations, transforming him from a powerful individual into the center of a large player faction.
• Jealousy and factional rivalry: Dawn City’s advantages intensify competition between Huaxia and foreign player groups, foreshadowing future conflict during the national war.
• Ambition and escalation: William’s new power encourages increasingly grand dreams, from robbing fortresses to entering divine treasuries and advancing into the epic tier.

Character Interactions

• William briefly interacts with Annie at Dawn Fortress, unintentionally causing her to blush and speculate about his motives.
• William interacts with the summoned holy spirit as though it were a controllable subordinate, testing its combat ability, equipment use, and duration.
• His connection with the players deepens indirectly: his aura grants them major buffs, while their presence strengthens him in return.
• The relationship between Dawn City and its supporters becomes mutually reinforcing, drawing more players into William’s faction.
• Foreign players, factions, and even the Universe-Class ethnicity react against William’s growing influence, establishing broader opposition to him.

Chapter 414 Summary: “Chosen Son Tournament”

Plot and Major Events

• William creates the Chosen Son Tournament to identify a “protagonist-type” player: someone combining exceptional skill with extraordinary luck.
• He explains that while strength matters, luck often determines who survives a massive competition—similar to one player winning among ninety million competitors after repeatedly receiving favorable hands.
• The tournament consists of three events:
  1. Unrestricted PvP, testing equipment and genuine combat strength.
  2. Attribute-balanced PvP, testing technique without equipment advantages.
  3. A 10,000-player arena melee, testing luck, adaptability, and survival ability.
• Each event uses a point system. The overall champion is the player with the highest combined score, meaning contestants do not need to win any individual event.
• Top-three finishers in each category receive exclusive titles, equipment, and secret manuals.
• More than 600,000 high-level players register, paying ten gold coins each and earning William six million gold coins in registration fees.
• The tournament is held in Snow Elf King City, with William hoping to make it a continent-wide event comparable to the professional Global Finals.
• The official game administration heavily promotes the tournament, placing it on the website’s front page and arranging live broadcasts with more than twenty commentators.
• The first event, unrestricted PvP, begins on the first day of the twelfth month of Version 3.0. A legendary earth-element elf constructs a massive, nearly indestructible arena complex containing 1,000 simultaneous battlefields.
• The event attracts both players and curious elves. Nearly half the spectator seats are purchased by wealthy elves interested in observing the players’ unusual, reckless fighting style.

Character Developments

• William demonstrates his growing ability as an organizer and “game planner.” He deliberately designs a fair and entertaining competition while also using it to strengthen player loyalty to Dawn City.
• He recognizes that players will not remain loyal merely because of his authority or aura. Instead, he plans to retain them by continually providing rewards, entertainment, and a sense of belonging.
• William also intends to associate the title of Chosen Son permanently with himself and his faction, making the tournament an institution connected to wherever he is.
• The tournament gives talented casual players an opportunity to gain status, fame, and rewards without becoming professional players or public celebrities.
• Changli Jiugu appears as a guest commentator. His exaggerated loyalty to William remains a running joke, with viewers calling him “His Highness’s bootlicker.”
• Changli Jiugu claims that he has a 450-point favorability rating with William and jokingly suggests that “bootlicking” could help someone become the Chosen Son, before admitting that victory ultimately depends on luck.
• Xixi and Kaka, the two hosts, display strong comedic chemistry and deliberately play up their banter for the audience.

Themes

• Luck versus strength: The tournament explores whether success comes from ability, favorable circumstances, or a combination of both.
• The desire to be the protagonist: Calling the champion the “Chosen Son” gives players the fantasy of becoming the central hero of the game world.
• Player loyalty and faction-building: William uses competitions, rewards, and shared experiences to bind players emotionally to Dawn City.
• Entertainment and spectacle: The tournament is designed not only as a contest but also as a major broadcast event, complete with commentators, audience interaction, and humorous commentary.
• Casual players versus professionals: The chapter emphasizes that powerful casual players can rival professionals, while public pressure and celebrity status discourage some experts from entering professional competition.
• Blurring game and reality: NPCs watch the player tournament alongside players, creating a more immersive world and turning the event into a social phenomenon.

Character Interactions

• William’s tournament concept is promoted by the official administration, which recognizes its popularity and commercial potential.
• The hosts Xixi and Kaka tease Changli Jiugu about his relationship with William and his reputation as a devoted follower.
• Changli Jiugu compliments Xixi while joking with Kaka, creating a playful broadcast atmosphere.
• The audience’s bullet comments repeatedly mock Changli Jiugu as William’s “bootlicker,” though the mood becomes more varied once the commentary begins.
• The chapter ends as the hosts shift attention from the comedy segment to the opening of the first 1,000 matches.