Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• William leaves Caesar Zhi Ge’s wedding without revealing what he and Caesar discussed. The chapter explains that the factions backing Caesar offer different kinds of help: some provide money and manpower, while the Temple of Light and Mercenary Guild mainly offer public support. Caesar’s real strength comes from forces within the empire, the Battle Aura Academy, and individual professionals.
• William surveys Dawn City, now home to 1.8 million people, and sets a goal of growing it to 3.5 million within five years. Its prosperity and academies attract settlers, and only novice-class professionals may now move there.
• William anticipates three future mana revivals that will raise bloodline potential and eventually give nearly everyone the ability to cultivate. He decides Dawn City should encourage population growth and family-raising, then delegates the policy work to Deputy City Lord Odom.
• At the Divination Shop, William learns that Moxis has become an All-Element Grand Archmage—an actual legendary-class professional. Her strength greatly improves Dawn City’s security.
• Moxis reveals her true identity: she is the reincarnation of the Goddess of Magic. She asks William to buy materials so she can build a magic tower in Dawn City. The tower will also publicly signal that the city has a legendary archmage.

Character developments and interactions

• William remains ambitious and strategic, thinking ahead about Dawn City’s population, resources, and future strength. Around the newly powerful Moxis, however, his usual confidence gives way to nervousness and awkward flirting.
• Moxis shifts from the familiar, male-disguised diviner into a strikingly beautiful woman after becoming a legendary archmage. She teases William about calling her “his woman,” then turns practical by requesting materials for her tower. Despite their changed dynamic, she appears committed to settling in Dawn City.
• The Blood Moon Witch embarrasses William by repeating his past claim about Moxis, prompting playful banter between all three.
• Odom continues to serve as the practical administrator who turns William’s ideas into policies, while retaining his hope that Dawn City will help him restore the Lone Mountain Dwarf Empire.

Significant themes

• Power through alliances: Political support varies in usefulness; public endorsement, resources, manpower, and direct military involvement are not interchangeable.
• Planning for a changing world: William prepares Dawn City for the coming mana revivals by focusing on population growth and long-term development.
• The growth of Dawn City: The city’s rising quality of life and educational institutions make it a major neutral power, while Moxis’s presence strengthens its defenses.
• A changing relationship: Moxis’s transformation and revealed identity unsettle William, mixing attraction, humor, and caution.

Summary

Key plot points and events

• William reviews the reasons Grand Archmages build Magic Towers: they aid magical cultivation and research, attract other Mages, and increase their owner’s power.
• Moxis’s proposed tower is far more ambitious than usual. A list of rare materials already costs 60 million Gold Coins, and the presence of Floating Stones suggests it may be designed to fly. William suspects she is effectively constructing a Divine Artifact.
• William postpones returning to the Far North so he can help Moxis acquire the materials. He judges that the war there can continue without him for now, while the other commanders and Old Bander keep the campaign secure.
• Before leaving to visit Sky City and buy Floating Stones, William witnesses Sakario—formerly Little Black—emerge as a gigantic Epic-class Dusk Dragon.
• Sakario flies over Dawn City, showing off his new strength and imagining that he can take control of the city. William’s arrival quickly checks that ambition.
• William persuades Sakario to let him ride him, promising further treasures and growth. Once William reaches the Dragon Fang Platform, their souls fuse, making him a true Dragon Knight through Human-Dragon Unity.

Character developments

• William shifts from military leadership to supporting Moxis’s project, recognizing its potential importance. He also treats Sakario less coercively than before, choosing negotiation over Soul Control—though he still tricks his way into the Dragon Knight bond.
• Moxis appears to be planning something far beyond a conventional Magic Tower, possibly a strategic Divine Artifact.
• Sakario has grown from a small Dragon into a proud, powerful Epic Dragon. He wants independence and dominance, but still hopes William will provide the treasures needed for further advancement.

Character interactions

• William studies Moxis’s material list and decides to help her personally, while reasoning that his allies can manage the Far North in his absence.
• Sakario’s triumphant display turns into a confrontation with William. Their exchange is a comic contest of pride, threats, promises, and bargaining.
• Although Sakario agrees only to let William ride “for a while,” William’s placement on the Dragon Fang Platform triggers their soul fusion and establishes their Dragon Knight partnership.

Significant themes

• Ambition and power: Moxis’s tower and Sakario’s rapid evolution both point toward extraordinary gains in strength.
• Cooperation and control: William’s relationship with Sakario moves from magical domination toward bargaining and mutual potential, though William still uses deception.
• Strategic preparation: William balances the ongoing war against the opportunity to support a project that may become a major weapon.
• Transformation: Sakario’s dramatic evolution marks a change in both his status and his relationship with William.

Plot points and events

• William examines Sakailio’s newly reached Epic status. The Dusk Dragon has extraordinary health, strength, stamina, and defenses, plus both fire and lightning abilities.
• Riding him on the Dragon Fang Platform activates Dusk Dragon Knight, uniting their combat abilities: their attributes and attacks increase, they share vision, health, regeneration, and lightning power, and William can direct Sakailio as if he were his own body.
• William and Sakailio test their combined power in flight. They fly faster than sound, unleash enormous Thunder Slash attacks and thunderfire breath, and terrify people and creatures along the way.
• William concludes that a Dragon Knight is exceptionally durable and powerful, though not unbeatable: a sufficiently fast top-tier Epic such as Thor might still outmaneuver them. He jokes about his massive combined health and confirms that his own regeneration talent does not heal their shared total as he hoped.
• Their flight makes William’s new status public. He tours neighboring territories, and the news that Dawn City’s lord has become a Dragon Knight spreads throughout the Southern Region. Some griffin cavalry are so frightened they fall from the sky.
• William announces plans to build a Magic Tower and host a Grand Archmage, drawing strong interest from mages who hope to learn from such a rare and respected figure.
• William and Xiyan then leave for Sky City, intending to revisit the Cloud Sea Heaven and the Winged Folk’s world.

Character developments and interactions

• William gains a major new source of power through his bond with Sakailio, while remaining aware of its limits. His excitement and pride lead him to show off, but his assessment of Dragon Knights is practical as well as boastful.
• Sakailio—whom William calls Little Black—eagerly embraces their union and flies freely with him. Their connection reflects the dragon’s gradual acceptance of William, won through a long history of control, discipline, and rewards.
• The Southern Region’s factions react with envy and disbelief, especially because William has slain dragons in the past yet now rides one. The announcement of the Magic Tower, meanwhile, makes Dawn City attractive to aspiring mages.
• William travels onward with Xiyan, shifting the focus from his public triumph to his interest in Sky City.

Significant themes

• Power through partnership: William’s strength grows dramatically through cooperation with Sakailio, though the bond requires the dragon’s recognition and trust.
• Limits of strength: Even a powerful Dragon Knight is vulnerable to opponents with superior speed or skill.
• Reputation and envy: William’s achievements reshape Dawn City’s standing while provoking resentment among rival factions.
• Ambition and aspiration: The promised Magic Tower offers mages a rare chance to learn and signals Dawn City’s growing influence.

Chapter summary

William and Xiyan travel to the Winged Folk’s floating Sky City using its Traction Beam, a powerful system capable of transporting millions across the continent. Xiyan proudly explains the city’s nine Heavenly God Peaks and their Saint Angels, especially Mijialuo, the revered founder. William privately doubts the Winged Folk’s claims about Mijialuo’s standing and sees how strongly their traditions shape Xiyan’s beliefs.
As they explore, Xiyan gets lost despite insisting she knows the city. She has visited only twice, having spent most of her life back in Dawn City protecting the tribe that raised her. After she finally asks another Angel for directions, she rushes off in embarrassment. William teases her lightly, then finds the Diplomatic Department and buys a thousand Floating Stones.
While William is trading, Xiyan disappears. She soon returns and hurries him to the Conference Hall, where representatives of the Seven Continents’ major powers are meeting. They sneak inside and listen to more than a hundred Legendary figures argue over the approaching reunification of the Nine Continents, the fate of sea creatures, potential wars and sacrifices, the coming Dark Invasion, and Dragonkind’s plans for war. The Winged Folk Saint presiding over the gathering remains silent as the representatives trade threats and accusations.
William realizes that the major powers already know about future disasters and events—including crises he once experienced as quests. The discussion makes him feel that ordinary people may be caught up in decisions made by powerful figures. He concludes, however, that not every future conflict is predetermined: matters involving a Saint’s life or death remain uncertain. He decides to listen closely for information that could help him anticipate future quests.

Character developments and interactions

• William is resourceful and observant, guiding Xiyan through the city’s practical business despite her confidence. His view of the wider world shifts as he learns how much powerful factions know and plan in advance, but he responds with curiosity rather than despair.
• Xiyan shows pride in her people and reverence for their leaders, but she is inexperienced with Sky City and embarrassed by getting lost. Her history of staying in Dawn City to protect her community distinguishes her from Angels who remain in Sky City for status and opportunity.
• William and Xiyan share a familiar, teasing dynamic: he recognizes her confusion but lets her save face, and she later pulls him into the conference with urgent excitement.
• The Legendary representatives reveal their rivalries through heated arguments, while the presiding Saint’s silence underscores the gap between public debate and the authority of Saints.

Significant themes

• Power and ordinary lives: The chapter’s title reflects the immense influence Saints and major factions wield over everyone beneath them.
• Political pragmatism and conflict: Leaders discuss lives, territories, and entire populations as strategic resources, exposing the cold calculations behind impending wars.
• Foreknowledge and fate: William discovers that future crises are known and debated in advance, raising questions about how much of his past was shaped by decisions beyond his reach.
• Belief and indoctrination: Xiyan’s reverence for the Winged Folk’s Saints contrasts with William’s more skeptical perspective.
• Community and belonging: Xiyan’s choice to return to Dawn City and protect those who raised her contrasts with the ambitions drawing most Angels to Sky City.

Summary

• Plot points/events: The narrator cannot sleep for four hours during the night. They notice that the chapter number is 444, regard it as ominous, and quickly post a spontaneous author’s note. They mention possibly taking the day off to visit a hospital, warning readers that the update may be delayed.
• Character development: No major character development occurs; the narrator is presented as tired, uneasy, and possibly dealing with a health-related concern.
• Themes: Anxiety, superstition, disrupted sleep, health concerns, and the informal relationship between an author and their readers.
• Character interactions: There is no direct dialogue or scene interaction. The narrator communicates directly with readers through the author’s note, explaining the potential delay.

Key plot points and events

• The Seven Continents’ Legendary leaders meet for three days but reach only broad, inconclusive agreements. Whether other races will help fight the Dark Invasion remains unsettled. The Dragonkind Rebellion is expected, and the Human Empire plans to direct the dragons toward selected factions to vent their anger—leaving other human states to pay for the Empire’s actions.
• The leaders discuss the Orc Empire, the roughly 183 suspected Reincarnated Deities, and the Chosen Ones, but make no firm public plans. Most distrust the Chosen Ones, suspecting the Main Gods summoned them; they decide to leave them alone unless one becomes a Saint.
• The greatest concern is the coming Descent of the Gods. The Saints may be able to contend with ordinary deities, but they have no clear answer to Main Gods who could break through the barriers and reach the Gods Continent.
• After the meeting, William reflects on how the races and factions continue to prioritize their own interests despite the overlapping threats.
• City Lord Cassini approaches William with an offer to sell Magical Beasts. William rejects five thousand Forest Dragon Wolves, saying he is interested only in dragons. Cassini then offers a Fire Elemental Dragon Egg for 100 million Gold Coins, with the wolves included. William agrees to have the goods delivered to Dawn City.

Character developments and interactions

• William leaves the meeting more aware of the looming divine threat and the political scheming among the races. In his dealings with Cassini, he acts unimpressed by ordinary beasts and deliberately signals interest in an Elemental Dragon, though he does not explain how he might handle it.
• Xiyan silently wonders how William maintains harmony among Dawn City’s diverse races, something she believes even divine authority could not reliably achieve. Neither she nor William shares their private thoughts.
• Cassini is a pragmatic merchant who does business with William despite their differing political loyalties. He hopes to offload difficult-to-control Dragon Beasts and recover money for his ambitions. William’s interest in a Fire Dragon Egg makes Cassini suspect he has a way to tame dragons.
• Cassini reveals privately that the egg is stolen and that Elemental Dragons are notoriously resistant to captivity. He is willing to sell it because he believes William may succeed where others have failed.

Significant themes

• Self-interest and division: The races remain focused on their own survival and advantage, even as threats loom over the whole world.
• Fear of divine power: The possibility of Main Gods descending overshadows the political disputes, yet the leaders have no adequate solution.
• Distrust and uncertainty: The leaders suspect the Chosen Ones are part of a divine scheme, while keeping their own plans concerning reincarnated deities hidden.
• Pragmatism and ambition: Political differences do not prevent business, and Cassini’s risky dragon trade serves both his financial needs and his pursuit of greater power.

Chapter Summary: Natural-Born Deity Mission

Key Plot Points and Events

• William unexpectedly encounters Kanier again and learns that the Beast-Taming City Lord is so short on funds that he is selling Dragon Eggs. This is highly unusual for a wealthy, centuries-old neutral faction.
• William suspects Kanier’s secret activities have severely drained Beast-Taming City’s finances—possibly foreshadowing why, years later, the city will be desperate enough to sell Dragon Eggs to players.
• While delaying their future transaction, William continues gathering materials for the construction of Magic Towers.
• The chapter introduces Beast-Taming City, a massive settlement in the Eastern Monster Forest. It has:
  • Over two million residents
  • A 300,000-man army
  • Approximately 50,000 Beast Tamers
  • Extensive trade in magical beasts, mounts, and crossbred creatures
• The city’s economy depends heavily on capturing, breeding, training, and selling magical beasts. Beast Catchers risk their lives in the Monster Forest to capture juvenile beasts for profit.
• The Qiao Cai Beast-Catching Group gains fame after capturing more than thirty naturally reproducing Fire Dragon-Blooded Mobos, valuable creatures combining horse-like bodies, tiger traits, dragon scales, and fire-breathing abilities.
• The group’s leader, Jobs, is secretly a Dawn City intelligence agent. Hundreds of other spies have infiltrated Beast-Taming City under similar identities, gathering information on its maps, military deployments, defenses, magical beasts, and Kanier’s suspicious financial activities.
• After a failed hunting expedition in which several members are killed by a Master Tier Giant Python, Jobs secretly meets Mivier, Kanier’s former lover and current vice-steward.
• Mivier reveals a crucial secret to Jobs. He passes the information to William in an envelope the following day.
• The revelation triggers a hidden S-Plus Class quest titled “The Born Deity of the Fourth Era.”
• William is presented with three choices: Rescue, Kill, or Expose the mysterious Born Deity. The quest warns that his decision may determine his future path.

Character Developments

• William becomes increasingly suspicious of Kanier and Beast-Taming City. Rather than acting immediately, he continues investigating while preparing for future strategic action.
• Kanier is portrayed as secretive and financially reckless. His unexplained schemes have apparently consumed enormous resources despite Beast-Taming City’s prosperity.
• Jobs is revealed to be a capable, deeply embedded spy. He balances his public identity as a successful beast hunter with Dawn City’s intelligence mission.
• Mivier is shown as lonely, resentful, and trapped by Kanier’s possessiveness. Once favored by Kanier, she now works as his vice-steward while secretly seeking affection elsewhere. Her relationship with Jobs ultimately makes her a source of vital intelligence.
• Kanier’s father, the First Generation City Lord, is credited with establishing Beast-Taming City by combining powerful magic, Beast Taming, and alliances with Legendary Dragons.

Significant Themes

• Hidden political schemes: Beast-Taming City’s apparent prosperity conceals dangerous financial and political plans.
• Espionage and infiltration: Dawn City’s agents have quietly embedded themselves throughout the city, demonstrating the importance of intelligence before military action.
• Power and control: Kanier’s treatment of Mivier reflects his possessiveness and desire to control others even after losing interest in them.
• Humanity and magical beasts: Beast-Taming City represents an unusual society where humans and magical beasts coexist, though that relationship is driven largely by profit and exploitation.
• The return of divinity: The hidden quest raises the possibility that a new deity has emerged in an era when the traditional gods have disappeared, challenging the human-centered order of the current age.
• Moral choice and destiny: William must decide whether to save, kill, or expose the Born Deity, with each choice potentially shaping his future.

Important Character Interactions

• William rejects Kanier’s sales proposal but becomes intrigued when Kanier offers Dragon Eggs, recognizing this as evidence of serious financial trouble.
• Jobs publicly maintains the image of a frustrated beast hunter while secretly investigating Kanier’s activities.
• Jobs and Mivier begin a clandestine romantic relationship. Their intimacy gives Mivier enough trust to reveal information about Kanier.
• Mivier’s secret disclosure reaches Jobs, then William, transforming a private affair into a major political and supernatural turning point.
• William’s receipt of the message marks the transition from investigating Beast-Taming City’s finances to confronting the larger mystery of the Born Deity.

Chapter Summary: Gods Continent

Key Plot Points and Events

• William considers how to deal with the imprisoned Born Deity connected to Beast-Taming City: rescue it, kill it for valuable divine materials, or expose its existence and cause Beast-Taming City to be attacked by powerful factions.
• He deduces that Kanier plans to perform a reincarnation ritual, transferring his soul into the Born Deity’s body while preserving the body and destroying the original soul. This explains Beast-Taming City’s severe financial problems and its need for vast quantities of rare materials.
• Based on events from William’s previous life, William suspects Kanier’s ritual ultimately failed: Kanier survived, Beast-Taming City nearly went bankrupt, and the Born Deity’s body was apparently ruined.
• Seven days later, Dawn City hosts tens of thousands of Mage Professionals, including two Archmages, who gather to witness Moxis’s arrival.
• Moxis reveals her overwhelming power as a Grand Archmage and constructs a massive, three-hundred-meter white Magic Tower in only half an hour.
• She places a rare Chaos Gemstone at the tower’s peak. The gemstone creates an immense magical aura and can amplify multiple elements and multiple Grand Archmages simultaneously.
• Moxis enters the tower without revealing her face, leaving the assembled Mages awestruck. William then persuades many of them to join Dawn City and study under her.
• Moxis’s name and abilities rapidly spread across the Legendary Continent. Saints and Legendary figures begin to view her as a major rising power, while a few reincarnated deities recognize her true identity as the former Goddess of Magic.
• By revealing her true name, Moxis subtly summons the reincarnated deities to Dawn City for a discussion, signaling that their goddess has returned.

Character Developments

• William demonstrates strategic thinking and political awareness. Rather than immediately choosing an action against Beast-Taming City, he evaluates the benefits and consequences of all three possibilities and uses his knowledge of the future to plan around Kanier’s likely failure.
• Moxis openly displays her extraordinary magical mastery, proving that she is far beyond an ordinary Grand Archmage. Her multi-element abilities, control of magical laws, and possession of a Chaos Gemstone establish her as one of the most dangerous and influential figures on the continent.
• Kanier is revealed to be ambitious but technically overreaching. His attempt to reincarnate through the Born Deity requires immense resources, yet he apparently lacks the specialized expertise needed to perform the ritual successfully.
• The reincarnated deities are placed in a difficult position. Moxis’s return forces them to consider whether to remain hidden, continue pursuing the Saint Path, or reconnect with their former goddess.

Significant Themes

• Power and political influence: Moxis’s appearance immediately transforms Dawn City from a minor faction into a force that even Saints must treat cautiously.
• Knowledge as an advantage: William’s understanding of future events allows him to infer Kanier’s intentions and anticipate the consequences of the reincarnation attempt.
• The cost of immortality and reincarnation: Kanier’s plan illustrates the extreme difficulty and danger of trying to obtain a new body or escape mortality.
• Divinity versus the Saint Path: The chapter contrasts the old divine order with the newer path of becoming a Saint, suggesting that the continent’s history and power structures were shaped by the gods.
• The burden and emptiness of worship: Moxis dismisses faith as meaningless, having already experienced the worship of countless followers during the Age of Gods. Her attitude reflects disillusionment with her former divine role.
• Hidden identities and returning gods: Moxis’s true identity remains concealed from most of the world, but her name acts as a deliberate signal to former deities and reincarnated divine beings.

Character Interactions

• William internally weighs the consequences of rescuing, killing, or exposing the Born Deity, connecting his own interests with the future collapse of Beast-Taming City.
• Moxis’s appearance overwhelms the gathered Mages; even Archmages kneel before her, recognizing her mastery as comparable to that of a deity.
• William follows Moxis’s demonstration by addressing the Mages and encouraging them to join Dawn City, using their admiration to strengthen the city’s forces.
• Moxis does not directly engage with the crowd, ignoring their worshipful reactions because she has experienced such adoration before.
• Her public revelation of the name “Moxis” reaches reincarnated deities, effectively inviting them to seek her out. Their likely meeting will concern the conflict between divine rule and the Saint Path.

Plot points

• Geralt, a Legendary Gold Dragon, returns to Dawn City alone after failing to recruit Sakario. The Dusk Dragon’s chance to lead Dragonkind has been ruined because William rode him shortly after hatching.
• Beast-Taming City Lord Kanier arrives to trade a Fire Dragon egg and several thousand unruly Dragon Wolves. Though the wolves are dangerous to ordinary handlers, William recognizes their strong bloodline potential and sees them as suitable mounts for his Dragon Blood Legion.
• Kanier presents the egg, and William insists it hatch before he pays. Once the Little Fire Dragon emerges, William immediately uses Soul Control on it, repeating the harsh process he used on Sakario.
• Geralt bursts into the hall after sensing the newborn dragon’s distress. William and Kanier both try to appear innocent, and Geralt takes the hatchling away.
• Kanier leaves with the Gold Coins, arguing that the deal failed because Geralt took the dragon. William later admits to Geralt that he engineered the appearance of a rescue, presenting himself as a righteous Dragon Knight. Geralt sees through him but hands the hatchling back to William before leaving.

Character developments and interactions

• William proves himself an accomplished schemer and performer. He feigns anger at the Dragon Wolves and later pretends he had meant to save the hatchling, manipulating both Kanier and Geralt while pursuing his own interests.
• Kanier is shrewd but misreads the situation. He studies William’s use of Soul Control, hoping to learn how he became a Dragon Knight, then assumes Geralt’s intervention was an unfortunate accident rather than part of William’s maneuvering.
• Geralt is protective of Dragonkind and furious at the apparent mistreatment and sale of young dragons. His authority intimidates Kanier, though his final decision to return the hatchling to William suggests he knows more about William’s conduct than he lets on.
• The newborn Fire Dragon is repeatedly subjected to Soul Control, rescued by Geralt, and then returned to William—an ironic and comic ending that leaves it in the hands of the person who distressed it.

Significant themes

• Manipulation and performance: William’s staged outrage and carefully crafted image shape how others interpret events.
• Dragon dignity and hierarchy: Sakario’s lost leadership prospects and Geralt’s anger over the hatchling’s sale show how strongly Dragonkind values its status and treatment.
• Power and exploitation: Dragons are treated as potential mounts and trade goods, while the young Fire Dragon has little control over its fate.
• Irony: William claims to be rescuing the dragon, yet immediately takes control of it again.

Chapter Summary: The Four Great Neutral Factions of the Eastern Region

Key Plot Points and Events

• William uses Soul Control more than three hundred times to force the Little Fire Dragon to submit, then gives it to Sakario and orders Little Black to discipline it.
• The dragon transaction was part of William’s larger plan: he wanted Geralt to discover that Beast-Taming City was secretly selling Young Dragons and dragon eggs, provoking conflict between the Metallic Dragons and Elemental Dragons.
• Geralt becomes furious after discovering the truth and smashes through William’s Conference Hall, but refuses to take the Little Fire Dragon away. This confirms that the conflict within Dragonkind is extremely serious.
• Three days later, two of Beast-Taming City’s Legendary Dragons unleash a massive slaughter. Dragon Might drives Magical Beasts into a frenzy, while the Dragons destroy the city with devastating Dragon Breaths.
• Over 800,000 civilians and Professionals die, more than 100,000 soldiers are killed, and half the city is destroyed. One of the city’s three guardian Dragons remains uninvolved, while the other two vent their rage on the population.
• City Lord Kanier hides rather than resisting or mediating. His manor is destroyed, and Beast-Taming City’s decline becomes inevitable.
• First Prince Peter watches the destruction through a Water Mirror and considers two strategies: support Kanier in exchange for his loyalty or allow Beast-Taming City to collapse and seize it for himself.
• Peter sends Paul Bain, secretly one of his former protégés, to deal with the situation. Paul is ordered to kill Kanier and search for the Beast Tamer Legacy while concealing his connection to the First Prince.
• As various factions move toward the ruined city, William—disguised or unnoticed among the outsiders—also enters Beast-Taming City. His immediate priority is securing the Born Deity, ensuring that the operation remains worthwhile even if the city itself cannot be captured.

Character Developments

• William demonstrates ruthless pragmatism by forcibly subduing the Little Fire Dragon and manipulating the conflict between Dragon factions for political gain.
• Geralt reacts with genuine outrage to the sale of dragon offspring, showing that Dragonkind’s internal rivalries do not erase its shared sense of dignity and solidarity against outsiders.
• Kanier is revealed to be weak and politically isolated. His refusal to appear during the massacre suggests that he has lost control of Beast-Taming City.
• First Prince Peter is shown to be calculating and ambitious. He views the disaster not as a tragedy but as an opportunity to acquire Beast-Taming City and strengthen his military resources.
• Paul Bain has risen from a minor beneficiary of Peter’s generosity into the powerful leader of the Eastern Region Mercenary Alliance. He remains Peter’s hidden asset and confidently accepts the mission.
• Little Black is assigned the role of disciplining the newly controlled Little Fire Dragon, emphasizing the mischievous Dusk Dragon’s continuing influence within William’s forces.

Significant Themes

• Political manipulation and indirect warfare: William and Peter both use others to create conflict or seize power while concealing their own involvement.
• Factional weakness and opportunism: Beast-Taming City’s poor diplomacy leaves it isolated when disaster strikes, allowing surrounding factions to contemplate dividing its remains.
• The cost of exploiting powerful beings: The city’s dragon trade provokes catastrophic retaliation, demonstrating the danger of treating Legendary creatures as commodities.
• Loyalty, pride, and collective identity: Although Metallic and Elemental Dragons dislike one another, they still respond violently when Dragonkind is exploited by outsiders.
• The importance of hidden connections: Peter’s secret support of Paul and William’s unnoticed entry into the city show how major political events are shaped by concealed alliances and covert actors.

Important Character Interactions

• William forcibly controls the Little Fire Dragon and entrusts it to Sakario and Little Black.
• Geralt confronts the implications of the dragon trade indirectly through his violent destruction of the Conference Hall, while William and Nock discuss repairing the damage.
• Peter and Paul discuss Beast-Taming City’s collapse and how it might be exploited. Peter gives Paul orders while ensuring that their relationship remains hidden.
• Peter reflects on how his earlier small investment in Paul helped create one of the Eastern Region’s most powerful neutral factions.
• The chapter introduces the

Four Great Neutral Factions

1. Chaos City, the oldest and possibly strongest, ruled by a Lord rumored to rival a Saint.
2. Beast-Taming City, formerly backed by three Legendary Dragons but now severely weakened.
3. Eastern Sea Island, ruled by a Legendary Island Lord with warships and a Legendary Sea Beast.
4. Eastern Region Mercenary Alliance, led by Paul Bain and supported by five Epic-Tier Professionals.

Chapter Summary: “Transformation Potion”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Kanier remains hidden in an otherworld space beneath Beast-Taming City after the two legendary dragons’ rampage. Although the dragons never intended to kill him or destroy the city, Kanier’s cowardice infuriates them.
• The city is left in severe disorder. Around one-fifth of its 50,000 beast tamers die, magical beasts run wild, looters exploit the chaos, and even patrol squads are destroyed by members of the Beast-Hunting Guild. Kanier briefly takes charge but soon disappears again.
• William arrives in Beast-Taming City after drinking a Transformation Potion, altering his appearance, height, weight, and aura. Despite these changes, he remains notably handsome.
• Immediately after leaving the portal hall, William kills a hostile fire-element grandmaster with one kick. The man’s companions flee, while the guards secretly report William’s presence.
• William meets Jobs in a concealed courtyard. Jobs reveals that the “Born Deity” is imprisoned in an otherworld space beneath the City Lord’s Manor, but the previous plan to extract information from Kanier’s housekeeper failed when the legendary dragons destroyed the manor and killed her.
• The otherworld space can apparently be entered only by Kanier, Deputy City Lord Polant, and trusted aides. Since these people are confined inside, William realizes that breaking in directly would be dangerous and likely alert Kanier.
• Jobs suggests exploiting one of Kanier’s female companions. William learns the location of Kanier’s current lover, Elona, and decides to interrogate her.
• William tunnels into Elona’s residence, overpowers her with soul-control magic, extracts information, and kills her afterward.
• To complete his disguise, he mixes Elona’s blood into a magical container and drinks the resulting transformation mixture, accepting the possibility of disguising himself as a woman—or even cross-dressing—to infiltrate Kanier’s hidden domain and rescue the Born Deity.

Character Developments

• Kanier is portrayed as increasingly cowardly and self-absorbed. Although he is pursuing immense power through the Born Deity and Impure World Reincarnation, he avoids confronting the dragons and abandons the city during its crisis.
• William demonstrates his usual confidence, ruthlessness, and resourcefulness. Rather than risk a direct assault against Kanier and other Epic-Class professionals, he searches for a safer infiltration strategy and willingly undergoes an extreme disguise.
• Jobs remains loyal and dutiful but feels guilty for failing to uncover the Born Deity’s location. He compensates by proposing the plan involving Kanier’s lover and continues assisting William.
• Elona, a low-level magic professional and Kanier’s lover, becomes an unwilling source of information. Her encounter with William shows the extreme imbalance between them and his willingness to use coercion and violence.
• The legendary dragons are revealed to be angry rather than murderous: their destruction of the city is framed as a corrective response to Kanier’s mistake, not an attempt at mass slaughter.

Significant Themes

• Cowardice versus responsibility: Kanier hides while the city suffers, contrasting with William’s willingness to enter the dangerous city and take action.
• Power and exploitation: Kanier seeks to use the Born Deity for his own ascension, while William also treats people and resources pragmatically in pursuit of his objective.
• Chaos after the collapse of authority: The destroyed city becomes a setting where looting, violence, and predation thrive, exposing the fragility of public order.
• Disguise and transformation: William’s potion represents the lengths he will go to for infiltration, emphasizing adaptability over pride.
• Moral ambiguity: The chapter presents William as effective but ruthless, using soul control, torture, and murder without hesitation while pursuing what he considers a necessary goal.

Important Character Interactions

• The dragons’ past relationship with Kanier explains why they spare him but become furious at his refusal to face them.
• William and the portal-hall attackers establish his overwhelming dominance and intimidating reputation.
• William and Jobs discuss the failed investigation and develop a new plan to infiltrate Kanier’s circle.
• William’s encounter with Elona provides the information needed for his transformation and marks the chapter’s most coercive interaction.

Chapter Summary: “Divine Incarnation!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• William disguises himself as Elona, a beautiful woman connected to Kanier, and carefully studies her appearance and mannerisms. He stores Elona’s body in his Space Ring and prepares to infiltrate Kanier’s stronghold.
• A patrol escorts him to the ruined City Lord’s Manor. He is led through an underground passage to a hidden Otherworld Space where Kanier is conducting a dangerous ritual.
• Inside, William learns that Kanier and several Soul Mages have captured and imprisoned a newly born Born Deity of Light. The deity is chained with a weapon powerful enough to bind a Legendary Dragon and is being repeatedly attacked with Soul Magic.
• Kanier intends to erase the Born Deity’s soul and transfer his own soul into its body, thereby taking possession of the deity’s immense power and potential.
• The Born Deity repeatedly breaks through its seals but is subdued each time. After a year of torture and confinement, its soul is finally destroyed.
• As Kanier’s soul leaves his body to begin the transfer, William’s Holy Thunder Incarnation suddenly appears. It enters the Born Deity’s corpse before its life force disappears.
• Thunder erupts through the body, reviving it. William effectively creates a divine incarnation instead of allowing Kanier to claim the Born Deity’s body.

Character Developments

• William: Demonstrates confidence, adaptability, and strategic patience. He convincingly impersonates Elona, using charm and body language to manipulate the guards and gain access to Kanier. Rather than directly rescuing or killing anyone, he waits for the exact moment to activate his larger plan: merging his Holy Thunder Incarnation with the Born Deity.
• Kanier: Revealed as cruel, opportunistic, and obsessed with power. He captured the Born Deity immediately after its birth and has spent a year torturing it so he can steal its body. His vanity is also evident when he is pleased that “Elena” wants to witness his victory.
• Born Deity: Despite being weakened, sealed, and subjected to prolonged torture, it remains defiant and refuses to surrender. Its endurance and resistance emphasize its extraordinary nature.
• Holy Thunder Incarnation: Gains the opportunity to fuse with the Born Deity, fulfilling the potential hinted at by the Thunder God and advancing William’s “Born Deity” quest.

Significant Themes

• Power and exploitation: Kanier treats the newborn deity as a resource to be captured and possessed rather than as a living being.
• Endurance and defiance: The Born Deity’s continued resistance highlights the strength of its spirit even when physically overwhelmed.
• Deception and strategy: William’s disguise and restraint show that careful infiltration and timing can be more effective than immediate confrontation.
• Transformation and identity: The chapter centers on bodies, souls, and possession—William impersonates Elona, Kanier attempts to steal the deity’s body, and William ultimately creates a new divine form through fusion.
• Divine creation versus theft: Kanier seeks power by forcibly taking another being’s body, while William achieves a similar result through his incarnation’s fusion with the deity.

Character Interactions

• William manipulates the patrolmen and guards through Elona’s appearance and seductive behavior, gaining safe passage into the secret chamber.
• He questions one of the fleeing Professionals about the imprisoned “monster,” prompting the man to reveal Kanier’s plan and the Born Deity’s condition.
• William’s flattering comments about Kanier’s strength encourage Kanier to permit him into the ritual chamber.
• Kanier and the Soul Mages cooperate in suppressing and destroying the Born Deity, while the deity resists them through repeated escapes and curses.
• At the decisive moment, William’s Holy Thunder Incarnation interrupts Kanier’s soul transfer and fuses with the deceased Born Deity, leaving everyone present shocked and powerless to react.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Kanier attempts to possess the newly born deity by transferring his soul into its body. William secretly releases the Holy Thunder Incarnation, which enters the deity first and disrupts Kanier’s plan.
• The born deity awakens, breaks the Binding Dragon Lock with ease, and attacks the city forces. William also joins the assault, knocking away several grandmaster professionals.
• A female warrior cuts Kanier’s body in half while his soul is separated. William follows up with Soul Shockwave and Mental Blast, severely damaging Kanier’s soul.
• Deputy City Lord Polant activates a prepared escape method. Part of Kanier’s soul returns to his body while the other half is stored in a container, allowing Kanier to transform into a lich and survive.
• Kanier seals the palace with black barriers, but William breaks through them and escapes using a Spatial Teleportation Scroll. Neither side is prepared to fight to the death.
• William returns to Dawn City with the unstable divine body. His Holy Thunder Incarnation is still struggling against the resurrected divine soul inside it.
• At the Magic Tower’s stargazing platform, Moxis destroys the born deity completely, ending its existence and freeing William’s incarnation from the conflict.
• William discovers that his Holy Thunder Incarnation has become a permanent divine Avatar with powerful thunder and light talents. However, leveling it requires enormous quantities of mana gemstones—making it effectively a “pay-to-win clone.”

Character Developments

• William demonstrates quick thinking and tactical flexibility, using the Holy Thunder Incarnation to sabotage Kanier’s possession attempt and escaping before the battle becomes unwinnable. He also gains a permanent and extremely powerful divine Avatar.
• Kanier fails to possess the born deity but reveals that he had prepared a backup plan: transforming into a lich. His survival establishes him as an even more dangerous enemy, though his soul is badly damaged and his new body may suffer complications.
• Deputy City Lord Polant proves essential to Kanier’s survival by preserving half of his soul and helping complete the lich transformation.
• Moxis is revealed to have personally destroyed born deities in the ancient past. Her strength and experience helped her become the sole Goddess of Magic.
• The born deity briefly manifests overwhelming power but is ultimately destroyed by Moxis, with no possibility of resurrection.

Significant Themes

• Power and identity: Kanier briefly believes himself to be a god, but the born deity’s awakening and William’s intervention shatter that confidence.
• Preparedness and survival: Kanier’s lich transformation shows his determination to avoid death and the importance of contingency plans.
• Chaos giving rise to order: Moxis explains that born deities embodied primordial chaos, yet their destruction by powerful figures helped establish the ordered divine system of the Gods Continent.
• The cost of power: William gains an extraordinarily strong Avatar, but its advancement demands vast resources, emphasizing that immense power comes with equally immense costs.
• Mortality and true death: Kanier survives because his soul is divided, while the born deity’s destruction by Moxis represents genuine, irreversible death.

Character Interactions

• William and Kanier clash indirectly during the failed possession, with William attacking Kanier’s exposed soul and forcing him into lichdom.
• Polant protects Kanier and preserves the second half of his soul, enabling his regeneration.
• William returns to Moxis for help. She destroys the divine body despite their complicated relationship and questions him about the Holy Thunder Incarnation.
• Moxis reveals her history to William, explaining that she became the Goddess of Magic by defeating and devouring born deities rather than relying solely on natural talent.
• William’s unusual clothing after transforming into a woman creates a humorous, suggestive moment with Moxis, though he quickly covers himself with Elemental Armor.

Chapter Summary: “Time to Climb the Tech Tree?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• William realizes that Kanier’s transformation into a lich creates a serious threat. If Dawn City attacks Beast-Taming City, Kanier could unleash dark creatures, demons, and undead in retaliation.
• Because William witnessed Kanier’s transformation while disguised as a woman, he cannot safely expose Kanier himself without risking covert revenge against Dawn City and its allies.
• William contacts Lancelot, now an Epic-Class Professional and the Light Child, and informs him that Kanier has become a lich.
• Lancelot attempts to report the matter to the Pope, but the Pope refuses to intervene and recognizes that William is trying to use Lancelot as a tool.
• Nevertheless, Lancelot agrees to lead an official campaign against Beast-Taming City in a month. William plans to support him with the Dawn Army, including the 100,000-strong Dragon Blood Legion.
• The attack will be disguised as a mercenary operation hired by the Temple of Light, giving William legal and political cover while allowing him to eliminate Kanier if necessary.
• With the campaign delayed for a month, William turns his attention to developing Dawn City’s technological capabilities and advancing its “tech tree.”
• He focuses on rune magic as the foundation of magical technology and encourages the Magic Guild to study inventions proposed by players.
• Dawn City has already developed items such as mana hot-air balloons and magic bicycles, though many remain impractical. William hopes to improve the use of mana crystals, potentially creating advanced weapons, machine guns, aircraft, and other technologies.
• Player contributions are credited under their own names, encouraging greater loyalty to Dawn City and attracting more players to the Magic Guild.

Character Developments

• William demonstrates caution and political cleverness. Rather than confronting Kanier directly, he arranges for Lancelot and the Temple of Light to provide a legitimate reason for military intervention.
• William’s long-term vision expands beyond personal strength and territorial conquest. He increasingly seeks to modernize society and reshape the development of the Gods Continent through technology.
• Lancelot proves his loyalty and moral consistency. Although he recognizes that William is manipulating the situation, he agrees to help destroy a lich because such creatures are inherently opposed to the Light Church’s doctrines.
• Moxis, the Goddess of Magic, continues to observe William’s schemes with amusement and skepticism. She questions Lancelot’s willingness to fall into an obvious trap and notices William becoming increasingly shameless and cheeky.
• Kanier becomes a major hidden threat by abandoning the path of ordinary power and transforming into a lich, effectively defecting to darkness.
• The players are portrayed as important contributors to Dawn City’s future, supplying ideas and adapting real-world technology to a magical setting.

Significant Themes

• Pragmatism and political maneuvering: William must balance the need to eliminate Kanier with the danger of exposing himself and endangering his cities.
• Friendship and mutual exploitation: William uses Lancelot’s position, but their relationship is also based on genuine trust and repayment of past favors.
• The conflict between personal power and social development: While most powerful individuals focus on becoming stronger, William wants to improve life for commoners and strengthen society as a whole.
• Technology and innovation in a magical world: Rune magic and mana crystals may serve as substitutes for modern science and fossil fuels.
• Player influence and world transformation: Players’ knowledge and creativity gradually alter the Gods Continent, giving them a meaningful role in shaping Dawn City.
• Public legitimacy and propaganda: Crediting players for inventions not only rewards them but also makes Dawn City’s rapid technological progress appear natural and publicly acceptable.

Character Interactions

• William and Lancelot share a humorous but trusting exchange: William presents the lich threat, while Lancelot immediately suspects that William is trying to exploit him.
• Lancelot’s attempt to involve the Pope ends in failure, showing the Pope’s shrewdness and unwillingness to be manipulated.
• William and Moxis tease one another over Lancelot’s actions and William’s tactics, revealing their increasingly familiar relationship.
• William’s relationship with the players is indirect but strategic: by accepting and publicly crediting their ideas, he encourages them to identify emotionally with Dawn City and continue contributing to its growth.

Summary

Key plot points and events

• William delegates technological research to Dawn City’s mages; after years, their main achievement is a hot-air balloon. He also sends his Divine Avatar north to seek more Mana Gemstones and possibly Orc support.
• While the Avatar handles the dangerous assignment, William enjoys his leisure time and builds Dawn City’s strength. He uses Insight to recruit people with exceptional bloodlines, even poaching them from neighboring duchies. His efforts bring 13 Epic-, 233 Grandmaster-, and 1,324 Advanced-Bloodline recruits to the city.
• News arrives that Kanier, Lord of Beast-Taming City, has returned after the dragon attack. Though apparently healed, he has secretly become a Lich. Meanwhile, Paul Bain of the Eastern Region Mercenary Alliance is assembling forces to seize the city, while other factions wait to see who wins.
• William courts Moxis during an extravagant dinner, hoping to earn the final point of her affection. He asks her to help deal with the Legendary Dragon guarding the way to Beast-Taming City. Moxis agrees to restrain it with her aura but not attack, and William asks her to remain hidden to avoid attracting the Magic Sanctum’s attention.
• During a long conversation beneath the stars, Moxis explains that the Gods Continent is a vast floating landmass in space. Gods grow stronger beyond it, and she speculates that both the continent’s restrictions and the appearance of the Chosen Ones may be forms of defense.
• After receiving word from Lancelot that he can go to Beast-Taming City sooner than planned, William prepares to confront Paul Bain, the famed “Little War God.”

Character developments and interactions

• William continues to combine political ambition with a relaxed, opportunistic approach: he strengthens Dawn City by recruiting talent, seeks leverage in the Orc Empire, and prepares to exploit the conflict over Beast-Taming City.
• His relationship with Moxis grows warmer. He uses humor, extravagant hospitality, and a dramatic offer to hunt a dragon to show devotion; Moxis responds with affection and agrees to help on his terms.
• Moxis reveals both her immense power and her curiosity about the larger universe, sharing knowledge she has gained beyond the Gods Continent.
• William remains skeptical of Moxis’s theory about the Chosen Ones, but is increasingly convinced that the world is a real, vast universe rather than merely a game.

Significant themes

• Power and political maneuvering: William builds influence through recruitment, diplomacy, and strategic intervention rather than relying only on force.
• Affection as strategy and sincerity: William deliberately courts Moxis, but their playful exchange also reveals genuine warmth.
• A world beyond known limits: Moxis’s account of space and the continent’s restrictions expands the story’s cosmology and raises questions about the world’s origins and defenses.
• Preparation for conflict: The chapter’s leisurely scenes contrast with the gathering forces around Beast-Taming City and William’s impending confrontation with Paul Bain.

Chapter Summary: “Beast Horde (Part 1)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Eastern Region Mercenary Alliance, led by Paul Bain, prepares to attack Beast-Taming City. Although its full force numbers over 200,000 and more troops are gathering, Paul plans to launch a surprise night assault with an initial vanguard of about 50,000.
• The Alliance hopes to seize Beast-Taming City’s beast tamers, magical beasts, and resources. Possession of the city would dramatically increase its power and influence.
• The situation becomes complicated when Lancelot, the Light Child of the Temple of Light, publicly announces that he is investigating a report claiming Beast-Taming City’s ruler, Kanier, has become a lich.
• Paul believes Lancelot’s mission is personal rather than an official attack by the Temple of Light. He suspects another hidden faction may be supporting Lancelot and competing for the city.
• Paul decides to attack before Lancelot arrives, reasoning that occupying the city first will make it difficult for Lancelot to remove the Alliance—especially if the Alliance avoids killing civilians or captives.
• Moxis divines the Alliance’s plans and warns William. William informs Lancelot both of the impending assault and the possibility that a legendary dragon is protecting Kanier.
• William leads 4,500 members of the Dragon Blood Legion through a temporary portal to the Beast Forest. His forces reach Beast-Taming City’s eastern side, while the Mercenary Alliance’s vanguard reaches the western side.
• Communication with spies inside the city suddenly fails, suggesting that a shielding barrier has been activated. The city is also completely dark, with its magic lamps extinguished.
• As both attacking forces advance in darkness, an enormous number of animal roars erupts from the city and surrounding area, revealing the emergence of an unknown-scale beast tide.

Character Developments

• Paul Bain is shown as ambitious, calculating, and willing to challenge powerful organizations for the Alliance’s benefit. He remains confident in attacking despite the Temple of Light’s involvement and relies on speed, surprise, and political caution.
• Sicorat and Casrus initially fear provoking the Temple of Light, especially since a Legendary expert could destroy the Alliance. They ultimately support Paul after he explains his strategy and the potential rewards.
• William acts quickly once warned by Moxis. Rather than waiting for the Alliance to attack, he mobilizes the Dragon Blood Legion and manipulates events by informing Lancelot.
• Lancelot demonstrates uncompromising faith and courage. Even the possible presence of a legendary dragon does not deter him from confronting a lich, whom he considers an enemy of light and justice.
• Moxis continues to support William through divination, though she emphasizes that prophecy is uncertain and depends on his choices.

Significant Themes

• Power struggles and opportunism: Multiple factions seek control of Beast-Taming City because its beast tamers could provide an endless supply of magical beasts.
• Political restraint versus military aggression: Paul understands that the Alliance cannot openly fight the Temple of Light, so he plans to avoid actions that would give Lancelot or the Temple a justification to intervene.
• Uncertainty and manipulation: Moxis’s divination reveals possibilities rather than fixed outcomes, while William uses information strategically to influence Lancelot’s decisions.
• Courage and fanaticism: Lancelot’s determination to confront a lich reflects his unwavering religious convictions, even in the face of overwhelming danger.
• Hidden danger: The sudden darkness, communication blockade, and beast tide imply that Beast-Taming City contains threats or plans far beyond the competing factions’ expectations.

Character Interactions

• Paul debates the threat of the Temple of Light with Sicorat and Casrus, persuading them that Lancelot is acting independently and that the Alliance should proceed.
• Moxis informs William of the impending assault, prompting him to intervene.
• William deliberately informs Lancelot about the Mercenary Alliance and the possible legendary dragon, expecting Lancelot to advance his own mission.
• Lancelot responds defiantly, declaring that neither a lich nor a deity’s protection will stop him.
• The chapter ends with the Mercenary Alliance and Dawn City positioned on opposite sides of Beast-Taming City, only to be confronted by a massive, unexplained beast tide.

Plot points and events

• Kanier unleashes a controlled Beast Tide, sending successive waves against the Mercenary Alliance and Dawn City before either reaches Beast-Taming City.
• The Mercenary Alliance’s 50,000-strong Vanguard is badly mauled by the first wave of Forest Dire Wolves. Its three Epic-Class commanders intervene, but the army suffers 3,800 deaths and more than 2,000 serious injuries.
• William’s much smaller Dragon Blood Legion faces the same wolves and crushes them with its powerful buffs, Life Chain, and rapid healing. William joins the fighting, killing beasts with Battle Aura Slashes.
• After the first wave, William and Albert collect the corpses for profit. Scouts report that Beast-Taming City is sealed by a barrier and that Dawn City’s army is fighting east of the city.
• The Mercenary leaders learn that the next wave will be Wild Boars, which could smash through their formation. Paul orders them to prepare artillery and heavy crossbows, even if it means sacrificing weapons intended for the siege.

Character developments and interactions

• William is confident and delighted by the Beast Tide, treating it as an opportunity to test his Legion and gather valuable corpses. He directs his troops to hold formation and personally fights at the most dangerous points.
• Paul Bain shifts from shock to anger and grim pragmatism. He blames Kanier for the Mercenaries’ losses and prioritizes keeping his remaining troops alive.
• Casrus reports the heavy casualties; Sicorat, whose earth magic helped protect the formation, advocates using his Forbidden Spell against Kanier and warns of the Wild Boars.
• The scouts’ report prompts Paul to dismiss William’s smaller force as doomed, unaware of how effectively the Dragon Blood Legion has handled the first wave.
• William and Albert work together to collect the fallen beasts, underscoring how differently the two armies experience the same crisis.

Significant themes

• Strength versus numbers: The Mercenary Alliance’s large force suffers heavily, while William’s smaller, extraordinarily enhanced Legion dominates.
• Resilience and teamwork: Formation discipline, buffs, and the Legion’s life-restoring abilities let its warriors withstand attacks that would normally kill them.
• Crisis as opportunity: For William, the Beast Tide is not just a threat but a source of profit and a rare chance to fight beasts that would usually flee from Dragon Might.
• Miscalculation and perspective: Paul underestimates William because he judges by troop count, while the chapter shows that the Dawn Legion’s true strength lies in its unusual abilities.

Chapter Summary: “A Crushing Loss”

Key plot points and events

• A massive beast tide attacks the forces surrounding Beast-Taming City. An Earth Element Archmage, Sicorat, raises a vast earth wall to blunt the charge, though the spell leaves him nearly drained.
• Dawn City’s Dragon Blood Legion withstands the assault unusually well. Its warriors share damage through the Elven Life Chain, making them difficult to kill unless the entire legion is eliminated.
• Kanier, now a Lich, uses successive waves of magical beasts to hold the attackers in place while preparing to abandon the city. He intends to return during the Second Dark Invasion, convinced that his new undead power can make him stronger despite the constant pain it causes.
• Kanier plans to turn his subordinates into Liches as well. Deputy City Lord Polant refuses to accept that fate and secretly tries to escape through a weak point in the city’s Barrier. Kanier catches him in the underground tunnel.
• As the attackers near exhaustion, the beasts begin losing their unnatural coordination and fighting one another. An explosion cracks the Barrier, suggesting that chaos has erupted inside the city.
• Hundreds of thousands of beasts suddenly surge toward the battlefield and the city. Dawn City and the Mercenary Alliance race to breach the walls, fighting through the tide.
• On reaching the walls, William and Paul Bain discover that the city is already collapsing into horror: defenders battle beasts inside, Kanier has opened a Demon Cavern, and the dead are rising as undead. The attackers realize their assault has become a potential massacre.

Character developments and interactions

• Sicorat demonstrates the value—and cost—of strategic magic, spending most of his strength to protect the Mercenary Alliance’s line. Paul Bain acknowledges his effort.
• Kanier has become colder and more monstrous as a Lich. He sees his followers as future undead servants and treats the city chiefly as something to abandon and reclaim later.
• Polant reveals his resentment and self-preservation. Though long tied to Beast-Taming City, he rejects Kanier’s plan and attempts to flee rather than sacrifice his humanity, family, and freedom.
• William and Paul Bain, initially rivals seeking the city’s spoils, are forced into the same desperate fight. Their shared realization that the city and battlefield may be lost underscores how badly the situation has turned.
• The Dragon Blood Legion’s discipline and Life Chain contrast with the Mercenary Alliance’s wavering morale and severe casualties.

Significant themes

• The cost of survival and power: Kanier’s Lich transformation grants strength but strips away humanity and sensation, leaving him with unending spiritual pain.
• Loyalty versus self-preservation: Polant abandons his obligations when he sees that Kanier intends to doom him, while Kanier’s betrayal of his followers makes loyalty seem futile.
• The limits of strength: Even elite forces and powerful magic cannot guarantee safety when exhaustion, overwhelming numbers, and undead threats converge.
• War’s moral collapse: Beast-Taming City becomes a “living hell,” where beasts, defenders, and the dead all turn against one another, and the original struggle for conquest gives way to survival.

Chapter Summary: “Tragedy”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Beast-Taming City descends into total chaos as magical beasts, demons, undead, dark knights, and skeletons massacre civilians and Professionals alike.
• Victims killed near the demon cavern are corrupted by dark mana and transformed into zombies, expanding the destruction.
• The remaining Beast-Taming City troops retreat while even Beast Tamers—whom William had hoped to protect—are slaughtered alongside ordinary citizens.
• William acknowledges that his coercion of Kanier helped create the catastrophe and accepts responsibility. He orders Albert and the Dragon Blood Legion to rescue everyone they can, including commoners and Beast Tamers.
• The Eastern Region Mercenary Alliance arrives but, seeing the city reduced to a deathtrap, Paul Bain and his forces withdraw rather than suffer further losses.
• Kanier and Polant continue their fierce battle, with Polant badly disadvantaged. William eventually intervenes after ordering part of his army to rescue civilians and another force to secure the Portal Hall and seek reinforcements.
• The last surviving Legendary Emerald Dragon abandons Kanier after witnessing what he has become. Its departure destroys Kanier’s final hope and triggers a devastating lich wail that kills many creatures and people.
• William battles Kanier in the sky, repeatedly shattering his Undying body. Kanier regenerates but cannot match William’s overwhelming strength.
• William concludes that Kanier’s entire existence has become a tragedy and prepares to end the conflict without allowing pity to restrain him.

Character Developments

• William: Shows growing responsibility and reluctant compassion. He recognizes his role in Beast-Taming City’s destruction and prioritizes rescuing civilians, while still accepting that harsh decisions and violence are necessary.
• Kanier: Is revealed as completely broken—physically transformed into a lich, abandoned by his allies, and deprived of hope. His final outburst reflects despair, grief, rage, and resignation.
• Paul Bain: Demonstrates pragmatism by abandoning the city once the situation becomes irretrievable, choosing to preserve his mercenary forces.
• The Emerald Dragon: Loses all remaining faith in Kanier and leaves him behind, symbolizing Kanier’s final rejection by those who once supported or trusted him.
• Albert and the Dragon Blood Legion: Are placed in a humanitarian role, tasked with rescuing survivors rather than focusing solely on military objectives.

Significant Themes

• Tragedy and responsibility: William recognizes that even if Kanier initiated the disaster, his own actions helped bring it about.
• The cost of manipulation and coercion: William’s pressure on Kanier pushed him toward despair and helped transform him into the figure now devastating the city.
• Compassion versus pragmatism: William attempts to save both civilians and Beast Tamers, but understands that mercy alone cannot resolve the crisis.
• Despair and abandonment: Kanier’s fall is completed when the Emerald Dragon leaves him, proving that he has lost all allies and hope.
• Power and destruction: The battle between Epic-level figures demonstrates how easily overwhelming strength can destroy cities and landscapes.
• The harshness of survival: William believes kindness is difficult to preserve in a world ruled by the strong, and that genuine mercy may require immense power.

Important Character Interactions

• William orders Albert to rescue all possible survivors, overriding the suggestion to save only the favored Beast Tamers.
• William and Paul Bain exchange a silent look across the city, recognizing that the situation has gone beyond their expectations.
• Kanier and Polant remain locked in battle while the city collapses around them.
• The Emerald Dragon confronts Kanier through its gaze before abandoning him, marking the final collapse of their relationship.
• William directly engages Kanier and overwhelms him, treating the battle as a necessary end to the tragedy rather than an opportunity for revenge or pity.

Chapter Summary: “Epic Troll”

Key Plot Points and Events

• William and Kanier’s battle suppresses Kanier but fails to kill him because Kanier’s body regenerates rapidly. Polant reveals that sealing him is the only viable solution.
• Kanier, enraged by Polant’s betrayal and the proposed sealing, turns on him. He accuses the Eastern Region Mercenary Alliance—particularly Paul Bain—of stealing his divine avatar and the body that rightfully belonged to him.
• Kanier grabs Polant, and the two plunge into the ground together. Kanier detonates his Soul Artifact and destroys his own body in a massive green explosion, killing both himself and Polant.
• William publicly promises to avenge Kanier against Paul Bain, partly to manipulate the observers hiding nearby. He then collects the corpses, equipment, and space rings left behind for magical research and profit.
• The destruction of Beast-Taming City’s spatial portal prevents reinforcements from arriving through the original route. William therefore contacts Moxis, who opens a temporary portal from Dawn City.
• Over 100,000 soldiers of the Dawn Army pour into Beast-Taming City. Shield Warriors and other troops quickly overwhelm the dark creatures and begin rescuing and securing the city.
• More than 1,000 trolls join the assault. Their leader, Crazy Grum, is revealed to be an Epic-Class troll with a rare Legendary Bloodline. He smashes through the demons in the City Lord’s Manor and becomes the decisive force in the battle.
• Lancelot arrives with the Temple Knight Order only after the battle is largely under control, prompting William to sarcastically remark that he arrived too late to contribute.

Character Developments

• William demonstrates both overwhelming combat power and political cunning. Though surprised by Kanier’s suicide, he immediately turns the situation to his advantage by presenting himself as Kanier’s avenger and preparing to absorb the surviving Beast-Taming City forces.
• Kanier shifts from desperate resistance to furious betrayal. His final actions reveal his hatred of Polant and the Eastern Region Mercenary Alliance, while his suicide ensures that his enemies cannot easily capture or interrogate him.
• Polant is exposed as Kanier’s former ally and betrayer. He attempts to help seal Kanier but is dragged into Kanier’s final act of revenge and dies with him.
• Moxis proves essential as a spatial Grand Archmage, opening a temporary portal that allows William to deploy overwhelming reinforcements.
• Crazy Grum is introduced as William’s hidden trump card. His Epic strength, Legendary Bloodline, intelligence, and leadership make him vastly superior to Bloody Bonecrusher, who now serves as his subordinate.
• Lancelot arrives late, contrasting with William’s immediate and effective response.

Significant Themes

• Betrayal and misplaced loyalties: Kanier sees former allies such as Polant as his true enemies, while blaming Paul Bain and the Mercenary Alliance for stealing his divine avatar.
• Power and political manipulation: William exploits Kanier’s dying accusations to redirect public hatred toward Paul Bain and strengthen his own position.
• Death as strategic advantage: Kanier’s suicide prevents capture but also allows William to claim the city and recruit or subjugate its surviving army.
• Military strength and hidden trump cards: William’s ability to summon a vast army and reveal Crazy Grum demonstrates the importance of concealed power and overwhelming force.
• Scientific exploitation of death: William treats the bodies and equipment left by the battle as valuable research materials, emphasizing his pragmatic and opportunistic nature.
• Scarcity of elite forces: William reflects on how few Epic-level experts he can rely on, highlighting the difficulty of managing conflicts on the Legendary Continent.

Character Interactions

• William and Kanier engage in a brutal battle, with William overpowering but not killing him.
• Polant urges William to suppress Kanier, but Kanier interprets this as confirmation of Polant’s betrayal and attacks him.
• Kanier directly addresses William before his death, asking him to rescue Beast-Taming City and exposing Paul Bain’s alleged crimes.
• William publicly vows revenge for Kanier, using the statement to influence hidden observers and shift the political narrative.
• William commands Moxis to open a temporary portal, allowing the Dawn Army to intervene.
• Crazy Grum leads the troll forces alongside William’s army and personally destroys the demons blocking the City Lord’s Manor.
• William and Lancelot exchange sarcastic remarks, with William mocking Lancelot for arriving after the main fighting has already been decided.