Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: Raya Lucaria Academy

Key Plot Points and Events

• Morien, Thops, and Sellen travel by magical carriage along the ruined Liurnia Road toward Raya Lucaria Academy. The carriage floats above the ground and crosses a broken bridge through the air, avoiding corpses, ruins, and possible enemies.
• During the journey, Morien studies Thops’s Force Field spell under Sellen’s supervision. He successfully casts it, deflecting a Starlight projectile. Sellen praises his talent, while Morien humorously boasts about having an Intelligence score of 99.
• Sellen tells Thops that, once the Academy is conquered, she will establish a new magical school based on his discoveries. Thops is moved but worries that he may mislead students. Sellen reassures him that he has finally found his own path.
• The travelers pass spirits of people who died on the road or were denied entry to the Academy. Sellen declares that, after taking Raya Lucaria, she will reopen its Gates so everyone can pursue magic.
• They reach the Academy by flying across Lake Liurnia. At the main Gate, Sellen uses Thops’s Force Field—not an offensive spell—to shatter the magical seal. Her overwhelming power transforms Thops’s modest invention into a devastating display.
• Thops is deeply affected by seeing his magic succeed. The insults and doubts that once haunted him—particularly the belief that he was a talentless “Waste Stone”—lose their power.
• Inside the Academy, Sellen pauses before formally entering and asks Morien whether he should release his swarm. She instead decides to make a public demonstration of strength.
• Sellen rises above the Academy as dark clouds gather. The resident mages attack her with sorcery, but she effortlessly deflects their spells using Thops’s Force Field.
• She orders everyone to return home. After some mages retreat, Sellen casts Founding Rain of Stars, an ancient Primeval Sorcery, causing blue Glintstone rain to fall across nearly the entire Academy.

Character Developments

• Sellen: Becomes more openly confident and commanding as she approaches her former institution. She combines strategic restraint with overwhelming force, choosing to showcase Thops’s spell before unleashing her own power. Her promise to reopen the Academy suggests that her ambitions include reforming its exclusionary traditions, not merely conquering it.
• Thops: Gains confidence and emotional validation. Watching Sellen use his Force Field to break the Gate and repel the Academy’s attacks proves that his magic has real value. His dream of returning to the Academy and founding a school of his own begins to seem attainable.
• Morien: Continues acting as both comic relief and an able student. He quickly learns Thops’s spell, supports Thops emotionally, and is prepared to unleash his swarm if necessary. His playful arrogance contrasts with his genuine loyalty to Sellen and Thops.

Significant Themes

• Recognition and self-worth: Thops’s magic, once dismissed as worthless, becomes central to Sellen’s assault. His success challenges the Academy’s judgment of those it considers inferior.
• Knowledge as a right: Sellen condemns the Academy’s closed Gates and declares that everyone should have the opportunity to study magic.
• Power and innovation: The chapter contrasts institutional status with actual talent. Thops’s simple defensive spell becomes extremely powerful when used creatively by Sellen.
• Immortality and death: The wandering spirits and undying nobles illustrate that endless existence without release is a curse rather than a blessing.
• Reclamation and reform: Sellen’s return to Raya Lucaria is both a personal homecoming and an attempt to seize and reshape the Academy.

Character Interactions

• Sellen teaches and teases Morien, while Morien responds with exaggerated confidence and jokes about his Intelligence.
• Sellen evaluates Morien’s casting and encourages Thops, promising him a place and a school within the Academy.
• Morien gently pushes Thops forward after the Gate is opened, helping him overcome his emotional shock.
• The group functions as a cooperative unit: Sellen provides leadership and power, Thops contributes the key spell, and Morien offers technical skill, humor, and support.
• The chapter ends with Sellen confronting the Academy’s mages directly, turning Thops’s spell into a public declaration that their group—and their new approach to magic—has arrived.

Chapter Summary: “Swarm Prayer”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sellen unleashes Founding Rain of Stars over the Academy, devastating its exposed grounds. The spell destroys statues, buildings, bridges, and puppet soldiers, while many sorcerers are killed despite attempting to defend themselves with Glintstone shields.
• Morien and Thops survive because Thops uses Force Field to deflect the falling sorceries. The attack also demonstrates the enormous difference between Sellen’s mastery of the spell and its comparatively weaker form in the game.
• The Academy’s guardian, the Red Wolf of Radagon, emerges to confront Sellen. It uses Carian Retaliation to absorb and neutralize her magic, proving highly resistant to sorcery and dangerous in close combat.
• Sellen avoids fighting the wolf directly and allows it to destroy the bridge connecting the Academy to the outer tower. This isolates the Academy and creates an ideal battlefield.
• Morien transforms into his armored Kamen Rider form and attacks the Red Wolf physically, damaging both its body and soul. When the wolf attempts to counterattack with magical blades, Morien uses his own innate ability to cast magic without a staff.
• Sellen ends the rain and enters the Academy while Morien traps the Red Wolf inside an expanded Domain Expansion. Thops remains outside to protect the Domain from attacks by Academy sorcerers.
• Inside the Academy, Sellen advances through the corridors, defeating or killing every sorcerer who tries to stop her. She uses Comet Azur/Soul Stream to blast through defensive formations and continues toward the Academy’s senior tutors, who now hold the institution’s real power.
• Sellen notices her old portrait among the Academy’s honored sorcerers but dismisses its significance after recalling that she was expelled.
• A Haima arbiter identifies the weakness of her strategy: while maintaining Thops’s Force Field, Sellen cannot attack with normal sorcery. He attempts a surprise strike with the Great Hammer of Haima, but Sellen has already seeded the corridor with magical footprints.
• The attacker is destroyed from within by an insect swarm. Sellen reveals that she has adapted Morien’s insect-based power through the Realm Insect Swarm Holy Sigil, allowing her to use Swarm Prayer.
• Sellen manifests purple butterfly-like wings and accelerates through the Academy to continue her assault.

Character Developments

• Sellen is shown as ruthless, calculating, and overwhelmingly powerful. Her years of imprisonment have not weakened her resolve; instead, they have intensified her willingness to punish those who oppose her. She demonstrates flexibility by combining sorcery, defensive magic, and Morien-inspired insect techniques.
• Morien proves capable of fighting a powerful magical beast through physical combat, soul-damaging attacks, transformation, and Domain Expansion. He also shows growing mastery of techniques learned from Dreammaster and his crystallized body.
• Thops acts as a crucial support figure. His Force Field protects Sellen and Morien, blocks attacks from the Academy, and enables the larger strategy despite his limited offensive role.
• The Red Wolf of Radagon is established as an intelligent, highly specialized guardian. It prioritizes protecting Rennala above all else and abandons personal revenge when Sellen enters the Academy.
• Rennala remains largely absent and politically powerless, trapped in her grief and isolation within the Grand Library. The chapter emphasizes that the Academy’s senior tutors, rather than its nominal headmistress, now control its authority.

Significant Themes

• Strategic intelligence over brute force: Sellen succeeds because she understands the Red Wolf’s abilities and manipulates its instincts instead of challenging it directly.
• Adaptation and synthesis: Characters combine different magical traditions and combat systems. Sellen incorporates Morien’s insect magic, while Morien combines sorcery, martial arts, technology, and Domain Expansion.
• Power and institutional decay: The Academy’s prestige and hierarchy are hollow. Its leadership has abandoned Rennala, while its supposed arbiters are unable to defend the institution from Sellen.
• Revenge and suppressed resentment: Sellen’s merciless assault reflects the lingering effects of her imprisonment and expulsion, even though she outwardly treats the past with indifference.
• Defense versus offense: The chapter repeatedly contrasts protective techniques—Thops’s Force Field and Carian Retaliation—with Sellen’s overwhelming offensive magic.
• Faith and usefulness: Sellen’s statement that she has no fixed faith reinforces her pragmatic worldview. She adopts whatever power proves useful, whether sorcery, incantation, or Morien’s insect-based abilities.

Character Interactions

• Sellen relies on Morien and Thops as coordinated partners, assigning each a specific role in her plan.
• Sellen and the Red Wolf engage in a battle of tactical understanding: she recognizes its anti-magic nature, while it intelligently attempts to attack her physically.
• Morien directly confronts and humiliates the Red Wolf, first injuring it with martial arts and then trapping it within his Domain.
• Thops supports Morien by guarding the Domain’s exterior and preventing Academy sorcerers from interfering.
• Sellen’s interaction with the Haima arbiter highlights her awareness and preparation: what appears to be a vulnerability is countered by the hidden swarm she planted along her path.
• Through the insect sigil and Swarm Prayer, Sellen symbolically and literally adopts part of Morien’s power, strengthening their partnership while further broadening her own magical arsenal.

Summary

• Key events: The author announces a one-day writing break due to having other obligations. They intended to finish the chapter but had written only a little over 2,000 words by 23:40 and could not complete it.
• Character developments: No story developments occur. The author mentions spending excessive time creating an honorific name for Morien, which delayed the writing process.
• Themes: Time management, creative difficulty, and the pressure of meeting update schedules.
• Character interactions: None; Morien is referenced only in connection with naming.
• Resolution: The author apologizes, promises to compensate with double updates the following day, and ends with a good-night message.

Chapter Summary: Morien’s Honorific Name

Key Plot Points and Events

• Thops defends the Academy Tower by using his staff to deflect incoming Glintstone Sorcery while Morien’s spherical domain traps the Red Wolf of Radagon.
• Morien emerges from the shattered domain after killing the Red Wolf. Unlike the Saint of Secrets, who resisted for roughly ten minutes, the Red Wolf survives less than three minutes before insects consume it from within.
• Morien removes his Insect Armor and uses the Swarm Network to survey the Academy. He discovers that Sellen has successfully prayed to him through a newly created Sacred Seal and Incantation.
• Morien explains the origin of his honorific name and Incantation system. Sellen’s prayers are answered through the Swarm Network, which functions as an extension of Morien’s consciousness.
• Morien and Thops travel toward Sellen’s location through a Gate after Morien’s Technique Burnout ends.
• Meanwhile, Sellen advances through the Academy largely unopposed. Her earlier attack, which scattered Insect Eggs throughout the grounds, has allowed her to spread swarms and establish control over the entire Academy.
• Sellen uses two Incantations associated with Morien:
  • Insect Eggs, which infect victims and turn them into breeding grounds for swarms.
  • Swarm Eyes, which lets her access the Swarm Network and observe distant locations through countless insect eyes.
• Sellen reaches the upper floor of Rennala’s Sorcerer’s Tower, where the Academy’s great tutors are trapped behind webs and insects.
• She confronts an elderly former student from the Karolos School who betrayed her. He can barely speak, and Sellen dismisses the distinction between being someone’s student and being a true disciple.
• Sellen prepares to punish him by invoking Morien’s newly established honorific name:

“The World-Spanning Royal Insect, Tower where wandering brood return, Face that grants wishes, father of ten thousand swarms.”

Character Developments

• Morien demonstrates the overwhelming power of his domain by defeating the Red Wolf with ease. He also displays greater understanding of his divine identity and begins formalizing a religious or Incantation-based system around himself.
• Morien views the Swarm Network almost familiarly, comparing its insect inhabitants to children who should not open the door to strangers. This reinforces his role as a protective “father” figure to the swarms.
• Thops continues acting as Morien’s ally and shield, holding off Academy magic while Morien concentrates on surveillance and movement.
• Sellen evolves from a hunted teacher into a ruthless conqueror. She now controls much of the Academy through fear, insects, and her new swarm-based powers.
• Sellen’s relationship with Morien deepens: she becomes the first known person to invoke him formally, creating a direct spiritual and magical connection.
• Sellen’s past as a teacher is revisited through her confrontation with her former student. Her emotional response shows that betrayal has hardened her, and she now values her new bond with Morien more than her old academic relationships.

Significant Themes

• The creation of religious identity: Morien’s honorific name transforms him from a powerful being into the center of a potential faith and Incantation tradition.
• Networks and distributed consciousness: The Swarm Network allows Morien and Sellen to perceive and influence distant spaces, blurring the boundaries between individual minds and collective awareness.
• Control versus resistance: The Red Wolf’s futile struggle, the Academy’s collapse, and the trapped tutors all emphasize the crushing power of Morien’s insects and Sellen’s expanding authority.
• Family and belonging: Morien’s paternal view of the swarms contrasts with Sellen’s history of betrayal. The chapter suggests that loyalty may come from shared purpose and protection rather than traditional teacher-student bonds.
• Revenge and transformation: Sellen’s slow advance through the Academy reflects her desire to make those who once persecuted her experience helplessness and fear.
• Knowledge as power: Sellen’s use of the Swarm Eyes turns surveillance and information into weapons, allowing her to dominate the Academy before physically reaching its leaders.

Important Character Interactions

• Morien and Thops: Thops protects Morien while Morien handles the Red Wolf and later surveys the Academy. Their cooperation demonstrates mutual trust and complementary abilities.
• Morien and Sellen: Though physically apart, they communicate through prayer and the Swarm Network. Morien approves of Sellen’s initiative in creating his Sacred Seal and Incantations.
• Sellen and the Academy’s students: Her earlier brutality has intimidated the students into surrendering or avoiding her.
• Sellen and her former student: Their confrontation exposes the consequences of betrayal. The former student can only address her as “Teacher,” while Sellen rejects the old bond and prepares to invoke Morien’s power against him.

Chapter Summary: Great Rune of the Unborn

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sellen uses her new Swarm Prayer, “Call to the Swarm,” to punish the Karolos Grand Master who betrayed her. His body decomposes into insects, and the remaining Grand Masters suffer the same fate.
• Only the Olivinis Conspectus Grand Master survives. He had previously sympathized with Sellen’s pursuit of the primeval current and had refused to participate in her sealing.
• Sellen orders him to compile records of talented sorcerers so the academy can appoint new Grand Masters. He obeys, relieved that she does not punish him.
• Sellen, Morien, and Thops travel to the Raya Lucaria Grand Library, a long-abandoned repository of knowledge.
• Inside, they discover numerous artificial humans created by Rennala. These beings possess only upper bodies and live for less than a day before dying.
• Rennala is found floating above the library while clutching amber containing her stillborn child. Her grief and isolation have driven her into endlessly creating artificial life.
• Morien confronts Rennala because he seeks the Great Rune of the Unborn, which is contained within her dead child.
• Rennala’s artificial children attack Morien, but his insect swarm effortlessly protects him.
• Before Morien can begin the battle normally, Ranni’s protective magic activates immediately, skipping Rennala’s first phase and transforming the surroundings into a star-filled arena.
• A younger, idealized version of Rennala appears, representing the “Full Moon Queen” at her former strength.

Character Developments

• Sellen reasserts her dominance over Raya Lucaria. Her brutal punishment demonstrates that she has regained the power and authority she once held before being sealed.
• She also shows a practical, political side by immediately planning to replace the academy’s dead leadership rather than simply destroying the institution.
• The Olivinis Grand Master is confirmed as Sellen’s former ally. His quiet, scholarly nature and support for the primeval current distinguish him from the other Grand Masters.
• Morien continues to act confidently and humorously, treating the confrontation with Rennala as a direct means to obtain the Great Rune. His body contains a speaker, allowing him to play music even during dangerous situations.
• Thops remains supportive but cautious. He admires the Grand Library and worries about Morien’s ability to face Rennala.
• Rennala is revealed as mentally withdrawn and trapped in a cycle of grief. Her artificial children are attempts to replace the child she lost.
• Ranni demonstrates her continued protection of her mother by intervening before Morien can harm Rennala.

Significant Themes

• Power and revenge: Sellen’s transformation of the Grand Masters into insects represents her violent reclamation of authority and vengeance against those who betrayed or suppressed her.
• Knowledge and institutional control: The Grand Library symbolizes the academy’s vast but neglected knowledge, while Sellen’s plan to appoint new Grand Masters shows her intent to rebuild and control the institution.
• Grief and artificial creation: Rennala’s endless attempts to create life reflect her inability to accept the death of her child and the abandonment of her former family.
• Transformation and rebirth: Sellen’s swarm turns bodies into new forms, while Rennala repeatedly creates incomplete life. Both reflect distorted versions of renewal and rebirth.
• Maternal protection: Rennala’s artificial children defend her, and Ranni’s magic activates to protect her mother, emphasizing the enduring bond between mother and daughter.
• Loneliness and belonging: Sellen’s Swarm Prayer promises its victims freedom from loneliness through unity with the insect swarm, contrasting with Rennala’s desperate attempts to fill her emotional emptiness through artificial children.

Character Interactions

• Sellen commands the surviving Olivinis Grand Master, establishing their changed power dynamic while acknowledging their past compatibility.
• Morien and Sellen share a relaxed, cooperative relationship; she is unsurprised that he knows her movements through the Swarm Network.
• Morien’s music creates a humorous contrast to the grim setting and his impending battle.
• Sellen and Thops defer to Morien during the confrontation with Rennala because they recognize his greater strength.
• Rennala mistakes Morien for a child who can be reborn and promises to recreate him repeatedly, but Morien rejects the idea.
• Ranni interrupts the encounter through her protective illusion, transforming Rennala from a grieving mother into the majestic Full Moon Queen of Caria.

Chapter Summary: “Accommodating a Great Rune”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Morien battles an illusory version of Rennala, the Full Moon Queen, within Ranni’s magical domain. The illusion recreates Rennala at the height of her power and proves extremely difficult to defeat.
• Rennala’s immense magic automatically protects her, nullifying most elemental and magical attacks. Morien’s Resonance Curse Technique is useless because the illusion has neither a mind nor instincts to manipulate.
• Forced into close combat, Morien relies on his physical strength, Monsterification, and evasive abilities while enduring Rennala’s relentless spells:
  • Glintstone crystals and magical swords
  • Meteors and multiple Comet Azur beams
  • Her Full Moon, which erases magic it touches and even destroys Thops’s Barrier
  • Dragonfire, wolves, trolls, and werewolf summons
• Morien avoids opening his own domain, believing Rennala’s domain would destroy it almost instantly. Instead, he chooses to survive and exhaust the illusion’s energy.
• As the Remembrance weakens, Rennala becomes slower and less powerful. Morien finally destroys her phantom with a hand strike derived from New Shadow Style.
• The collapse of the domain reveals the real Rennala, still clutching the Amber Egg. Ranni’s distant magical presence fades, showing that she had exhausted herself trying to protect her mother.
• The Great Rune of the Unborn emerges from the Amber Egg and willingly enters Morien’s hand. Unlike ordinary Great Runes, it does not require a Rune Arc to activate, and Morien successfully absorbs it into his body.
• The Rune resonates with Morien’s existing ability, Propagation, effectively becoming “Morien’s Great Rune.”
• Morien approaches Rennala and the Amber Egg. When Rennala asks whether he wants to be reborn, he refuses, then places his hand on the egg and begins channeling his Runes into it.

Character Developments

• Morien: Demonstrates exceptional endurance, adaptability, and restraint. Although he can defeat the illusion, he avoids harming the real Rennala because he respects her kindness and devotion as a mother. His acquisition of the Great Rune marks a major increase in power and suggests he may be able to complete or repair what the Rune represents.
• Rennala: The real Rennala remains gentle, detached, and focused entirely on her unborn or incompletely formed child. Her lack of resistance to the Rune being taken emphasizes her passivity and grief.
• Ranni: Despite being far away and physically weakened after burning her body, Ranni continues using her remaining magic to protect Rennala. Her exhaustion shows her devotion to her mother and the limits of her current condition.
• Sellen: Arrives after the battle and helps explain why the Great Rune was drawn to Morien, suggesting that it recognized a compatible power within him.

Significant Themes

• Motherhood and unconditional love: Rennala’s only true wish is for her children to be well. Her behavior contrasts with the violence of the boss battle and reveals her as a loving, vulnerable mother rather than an aggressor.
• Birth, rebirth, and incompleteness: The Great Rune of the Unborn represents gestation and rebirth. Its power is tied to Rennala’s fragile reborn children and the unresolved state of the child within the Amber Egg.
• Power versus compassion: Morien possesses enough strength to destroy Rennala but deliberately avoids attacking her real body. His mercy distinguishes him from a simple conqueror.
• Illusion versus reality: The phantom Rennala is powerful but ultimately limited by borrowed energy and incomplete understanding. The battle emphasizes the difference between a perfect image of power and the vulnerable person behind it.
• Endurance and strategy: Morien wins not by overpowering Rennala immediately, but by evading her strongest attacks and waiting for the illusion’s energy to run out.

Character Interactions

• Morien and the illusory Rennala engage in a prolonged battle defined by magical attacks, counters, and escalating summons.
• Morien senses Ranni’s presence through the magical particles surrounding the battlefield and attempts to reassure her, though he receives no clear response.
• Sellen explains that the Great Rune likely chose Morien because it sensed an affinity with his power.
• Morien gently interacts with the real Rennala, using his Resonance Curse Technique to calm her rather than control her.
• The chapter ends with Morien channeling his newly acquired Rune power into the Amber Egg, implying that he intends to help Rennala’s unborn child achieve a complete rebirth.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Morien transfers the power of his Great Rune, which governs Birth, into Rennala’s Amber Egg. The egg gains a heartbeat, suggesting that life has been restored to the child within it.
• He also gives the artificial humans in the Grand Library the ability to be “born again.” They will die that night but reincarnate as complete infants the following morning.
• Sellen moves Rennala away from the library’s center and claims the central position for herself. She reveals that she intends to pursue the forbidden transformation into a Mage’s Sphere, a dangerous magical process requiring the sacrifice of other sorcerers.
• Morien refuses to interfere, though he warns Sellen that finding two sorcerers powerful enough to complete the ritual may be difficult. He has previously told her where Lusat and Azur can be found.
• Morien notices a Grace that others cannot see. Using his unusual perception, he follows it and enters the Roundtable Hold, a hidden gathering place accessible through Grace.
• At the Roundtable Hold, Morien meets D, Corhyn, and Fia. D warns him about Those Who Live in Death and offers to introduce him to Gurranq, the Beast Clergyman. Corhyn offers to teach Incantations, even to Morien’s intelligent insects.
• Morien accepts D’s map and plans to have his insect children learn Bestial Incantations from Gurranq.
• Fia asks to embrace Morien, but he refuses after perceiving the disturbing nature of her accumulated life force. Their conversation then turns to the Golden Order and Those Who Live in Death.

Character Developments

• Morien demonstrates the full power and flexibility of his Great Rune, using it both to restore Rennala’s unborn child and to give the artificial humans a chance at genuine rebirth. His role as a creator and father is emphasized through his willingness to let his children pursue any form of knowledge or belief.
• Rennala briefly regains emotional awareness when she senses the Amber Egg’s heartbeat. Her tears show renewed hope and attachment despite her continued mental and emotional withdrawal.
• Sellen becomes more openly determined to pursue forbidden magical advancement. Her conversation with Morien shows that she values freedom and knowledge above conventional morality or academic rules.
• Thops remains focused on studying, largely ignoring the supernatural events around him.
• D initially distrusts Morien but revises his opinion after sensing the power of the Birth Rune. He comes to view Morien as someone capable of confronting the undead.
• Corhyn is portrayed as a sincere but flexible servant of the Golden Order. He is willing to teach anyone—including insects—and even risk being labeled a heretic if doing so helps restore the Order.
• Fia is shown as lonely and accustomed to rejection. Her desire to embrace Morien reflects her role as a Deathbed Companion, while his disgust exposes the sharp contrast between her worldview and his own.

Significant Themes

• Birth, death, and rebirth: Morien’s Rune challenges the boundary between life and death, allowing both Rennala’s child and the artificial humans to begin life anew.
• Forbidden knowledge and personal freedom: Sellen’s pursuit of the Mage’s Sphere raises questions about whether dangerous knowledge should be prohibited when it requires sacrificing others.
• Faith versus independence: Corhyn represents devotion to the Golden Order, while Morien rejects worship of the Erdtree and places his faith in himself.
• Acceptance and prejudice: Corhyn’s willingness to teach insects contrasts with Morien’s harsh judgment of Fia. The chapter explores who is considered worthy of life, learning, or redemption.
• Parenthood and creation: Morien repeatedly defines himself through his children, supporting their autonomy and expanding their opportunities regardless of species.
• The limitations of perception: Grace and the Roundtable Hold are invisible to most characters, emphasizing Morien’s unusual ability to perceive realities hidden from ordinary people.

Character Interactions

• Morien and Rennala share a quiet, emotional moment through the restoration of life within the Amber Egg.
• Morien and Sellen discuss her planned transformation into a Mage’s Sphere; he neither approves nor condemns it, treating it as her choice.
• Morien and D begin with mutual skepticism but develop a practical alliance through D’s warnings and offer of an introduction to Gurranq.
• Morien challenges Corhyn’s apparent inclusiveness by asking whether insects can learn Incantations. Corhyn agrees, and Morien entrusts one of his butterfly children to him.
• Morien rejects Fia’s request for an embrace and bluntly dismisses the Golden Order and the conflict surrounding Those Who Live in Death. Fia is disappointed but appears intrigued by his independence.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Morien discusses Those Who Live in Death with Fia, D, and Corhyn. Although Fia sympathizes with the undead, Morien makes clear that he does not blindly support them, easing D’s and Corhyn’s concerns about the holder of the Rune of “Birth” potentially siding with the undead.
• Morien asks Corhyn about Erdtree Incantations and learns that he possesses thirty-one. He then opens a spatial rift and invites the insect swarms in his Imaginary Space to study Bestial and Erdtree Incantations.
• Using D’s map and his own memories of the game, Morien creates a more complete map of the Lands Between and distributes it through the Swarm Network. The insects spread through the world via activated Sites of Grace, exploring the region and gathering information.
• Morien warns the insects about dragons and tells them they may self-destruct to return their souls if necessary. Thirty-one insect broods remain behind to study Erdtree Incantations under Corhyn.
• Corhyn charges thirty thousand Runes for the lessons. Morien jokes about the price, then pays him with three Golden Runes. Corhyn begins teaching the insects beside the damaged statue of Marika.
• Gideon Ofnir observes the unusual activity and formally welcomes Morien, though he remains cautious and distant. He also welcomes another newly arrived Tarnished but warns him not to overstep his status as merely a visitor to the Roundtable Hold.
• Morien recognizes that the newcomer may be the protagonist Tarnished. The Tarnished silently challenges him through a handshake, but Morien reverses the test and pins him to the floor. The Tarnished immediately surrenders and blames “Meme” for encouraging him to test Morien.
• Morien realizes the Tarnished is a blend of two portrayals: the comedic “Tarnished Man” from The Road to the Erdtree and the nearly unstoppable, highly skilled Tarnished from the game.
• The two become friendly while drinking illusion-created cola. The Tarnished recounts killing the Tree Sentinel after initially being defeated, obtaining a sword from a merchant, and receiving Torrent from “Meme.” Morien concludes that the Tarnished learns enemy techniques extremely quickly and surpasses them after only brief exposure.
• Since the Tarnished has forgotten his name, Morien decides to call him “Tarnished.” “Tarnished Man” remains a nickname used by Meme, just as the Tarnished calls her “Meme.”

Character Developments

• Morien demonstrates diplomacy and pragmatism. He does not let Fia’s beauty or ideals influence his judgment, while also showing organizational skill by coordinating the insects’ education and exploration.
• Fia is reaffirmed as deeply sympathetic toward Those Who Live in Death and hopes death could eventually transform everyone into a similar state.
• D and Corhyn are relieved that Morien is not an ally of the undead. Corhyn is also shown as extremely devoted to preserving and teaching Erdtree Incantations.
• Gideon Ofnir maintains his reputation as an observant, politically influential figure. His unequal treatment of Morien and the new Tarnished reveals a somewhat elitist attitude.
• The Tarnished is introduced as amnesiac, quiet, physically powerful, highly adaptive, and capable of humor. Unlike the purely silent game protagonist or the purely comedic manga version, he combines both traits: he jokes and panics casually but fights with ruthless efficiency.
• Morien and the Tarnished quickly develop mutual interest and camaraderie after testing each other’s strength.

Significant Themes

• Knowledge and exploration: Morien uses the Swarm Network to map and investigate the Lands Between, turning information-gathering into a collective endeavor.
• Tradition versus innovation: Corhyn preserves the Golden Order’s Incantations, while Morien introduces a new method of mass education through insect broods.
• Prejudice and tolerance: The discussion of Those Who Live in Death highlights the conflict between Fia’s compassion and the Golden Order’s absolute rejection of undead existence.
• Identity and naming: The Tarnished’s amnesia and debate over “Tarnished” versus “Tarnished Man” emphasize the uncertainty of his identity.
• Power and adaptability: The Tarnished’s extraordinary ability to learn from opponents suggests that growth through repeated experience is one of his defining strengths.
• Humor within a dangerous world: Comic exchanges, cola, hand-to-hand testing, and the Tarnished’s exaggerated reactions contrast with the grim violence of the Lands Between.

Important Character Interactions

• Morien reassures D and Corhyn through his measured stance on Those Who Live in Death.
• Morien hires Corhyn to teach thirty-one insect broods Erdtree Incantations.
• Morien and Gideon exchange a guarded but cordial welcome, with Morien teasing Gideon about treating newcomers differently.
• Morien and the new Tarnished test each other through a handshake that turns into a brief wrestling match.
• Their later conversation establishes mutual respect and friendship, with Morien questioning the Tarnished about Torrent and the Tree Sentinel and the Tarnished openly discussing his past.

Chapter Summary: “Ten Runes”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Morien notices that Tarnished is wearing most of the Carian Knight armor set but is missing the matching sword and shield. Tarnished demonstrates his ability to change equipment instantly, replacing his staff and greatsword with the Carian Knight’s Sword and Shield.
• Tarnished explains that a blue-skinned, four-armed woman gave him the equipment. Morien realizes he means Ranni, who recently criticized Tarnished and persuaded Melina to place more of his Runes into Intelligence.
• Their conversation humorously reveals Tarnished’s poor judgment and eccentric habits. He once traveled in only white underpants covered by a cloak, refuses to wear armor taken from others because he is a “clean freak,” and believes Ranni’s insults about his appearance and breath are unfair.
• Morien learns that Tarnished can allocate Runes directly into specific attributes, while Morien’s own Rune absorption only strengthens him generally. Tarnished also wants to learn magic, partly because he has high Intelligence and partly because he thinks sorcery is impressive.
• Morien tells Tarnished that he has strong connections to Raya Lucaria Academy, being a student of its current headmaster and the founder of a magical school. He promises Tarnished protection there and encourages him to invoke Morien’s name if challenged.
• When Tarnished asks Morien to teach him magic, Morien jokingly charges him ten Runes.
• Elsewhere in the Roundtable Hold, Sir All-Knowing speaks with Hewg about Tarnished’s possession of the Runes of Birth. He suggests that Hewg could use them to escape his identity as a Misbegotten, but Hewg declines, accepting his old age and continuing his endless work as a blacksmith.
• Sir All-Knowing then reflects on the possibility that Tarnished may become Elden Lord. He realizes that Tarnished’s arrival and progress represent a change in fate, despite Radahn’s sealing of the stars.
• Several hours later, Elden Ring Morien returns to Synchronization Space and exchanges memories with Re:Zero Morien. They discuss their progress: Elden Ring Morien has already obtained a Great Rune, while Re:Zero Morien is nearing Roswaal’s mansion with Subaru and Emilia.
• The two versions of Morien anticipate eventually gathering their allies. Re:Zero Morien hints at creating a dangerous “game for the brave” to test Subaru’s companions. Dragon Raja Morien then joins them, emphasizing the growing cooperation among the different Morien incarnations.

Character Developments

• Tarnished: Remains comically blunt, naïve, and unconcerned with conventional behavior, but shows genuine curiosity and ambition. His interest shifts toward learning magic, and he gains confidence after discovering that Morien can serve as his powerful connection to Raya Lucaria.
• Morien: Acts as Tarnished’s mentor and companion while teasing him about his hygiene, clothing, and lack of intelligence. He also reveals his considerable authority and reputation at Raya Lucaria, presenting himself as a valuable ally.
• Ranni: Though absent in person, she influences events by criticizing Tarnished and arranging for his Intelligence to be increased. Tarnished’s resentment toward her provides much of the chapter’s humor.
• Hewg: Is portrayed as resigned but dignified. Despite his enslavement and mistreatment as a Misbegotten, he refuses the possibility of rebirth and continues to define himself through his smithing.
• Sir All-Knowing: Shows concern for Hewg and increasing interest in Tarnished’s unusual destiny. He begins to view Tarnished as someone capable of disrupting established fate.
• The various Morien incarnations: Become increasingly coordinated and comfortable with one another. Their shared memories allow them to compare progress and plan future cooperation.

Significant Themes

• Fate and its disruption: Tarnished’s appearance and rapid progress suggest that destiny is changing, even though Radahn’s actions were meant to halt the movement of the stars and fate.
• Identity and transformation: Hewg’s refusal to be “reborn” contrasts with Tarnished’s constant changes in equipment, abilities, and status. The chapter explores whether identity is determined by origin, appearance, or personal choice.
• Mentorship and power: Tarnished seeks magical instruction, while Morien uses his connections to guide and protect him. Their relationship combines genuine assistance with mockery and playful exploitation.
• Comedy amid darkness: Grim subjects—including slavery, prejudice, fate, and demigod conflict—are balanced by jokes about Tarnished’s smell, underwear, naïveté, and Morien’s exaggerated authority.
• Cooperation across worlds: Synchronization Space represents the growing unity of the different Moriens, who share information and prepare to form a powerful cross-world alliance.

Important Character Interactions

• Morien and Tarnished: Their extended conversation establishes a friendly, teasing mentor-student relationship. Morien mocks Tarnished’s clothing and breath, while Tarnished openly relies on Morien’s connections and asks him to teach magic.
• Sir All-Knowing and Hewg: Their exchange highlights Hewg’s oppression and resignation, as well as Sir All-Knowing’s sympathy and concern for his old friend.
• Morien variants: Elden Ring Morien and Re:Zero Morien compare their progress and discuss Subaru’s future trials. Dragon Raja Morien joins them, reinforcing the sense that the incarnations are forming a coordinated team.
• Tarnished and Ranni: Though Ranni never appears directly, Tarnished’s anger toward her and Morien’s probing questions reveal a one-sided but influential conflict between them.

Chapter Summary: “An Old Man Teasing a Child”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The various versions of Morien gather in the Synchronization Space and compare their progress. They discuss the difference between Lord of Mysteries’ structured advancement pathways and the more vague power systems of other worlds.
• They realize that they have been digesting Potions without consciously developing acting principles. Instead, they advance through accumulated experience, combat, study, and sheer volume of practice.
• Dragon Raja Morien explains that his digestion has slowed after reaching Sequence 7. The others reassure him that, unlike ordinary Beyonders, he can safely advance first and digest the Potion later by synchronizing with the group.
• The conversation shifts to Dragon Raja Morien’s StarCraft tournament, which he organized to lure Lu Mingfei to his internet café. Although synchronization has made the original plan unnecessary, he decides to continue with the competition for entertainment.
• Morien’s overwhelming mental processing ability allows him to predict Lu Mingfei’s moves and control the match. He uses deliberately underhanded tactics, including repeatedly giving Lu Mingfei drinks to prevent him from taking a bathroom break and using a mosquito connected to his powers to gather information.
• The match lasts more than five hours. Lu Mingfei, desperate for money and increasingly exhausted, continues fighting despite fatigue, thirst, and the need to urinate.
• Eventually, Lu Mingfei recognizes that Morien has been effortlessly toying with him. He concedes with “GG,” accepting second place and its 100-yuan prize.
• Morien directs him to the bathroom, then distributes the remaining prize money and dismisses the spectators.
• After the café empties, a mosquito filled with Dragon Blood returns to Morien’s body. Moments later, the local thugs who previously extorted the internet café arrive to demand protection money, setting up the next confrontation.

Character Development

• Morien: Demonstrates the breadth of his abilities, combining knowledge from multiple worlds with enhanced intelligence, strategic skill, supernatural control, and humor. He is playful and manipulative, treating the StarCraft match as a game of endurance rather than a fair competition. His treatment of Lu Mingfei reveals a mischievous, somewhat cruel side, though he ultimately allows Lu Mingfei to claim his prize.
• Lu Mingfei: Shows strong competitiveness, persistence, and financial desperation. Despite being physically and mentally exhausted, he refuses to quit until he understands that Morien has been deliberately overwhelming him. His willingness to endure the match for the prize money makes him appear both determined and vulnerable.
• The other Moriens: Their conversation establishes a relaxed, teasing relationship among the synchronized versions of Morien. Re:Zero Morien criticizes Dragon Raja Morien for bullying someone younger, while Dragon Raja Morien deflects the accusation with sarcasm.
• The thugs: They are introduced as recurring local bullies who previously intimidated Morien before his awakening. Their arrival contrasts with Morien’s current confidence and abilities, suggesting that their former power over him is about to disappear.

Significant Themes

• Power and perspective: Morien’s advanced abilities make Lu Mingfei’s desperate struggle seem like an old man amusing himself by teasing a child.
• Growth through experience: Morien’s advancement comes not from formal acting principles but from extensive study, combat, and exposure to different worlds.
• Humor and cruelty: The chapter presents Morien’s cleverness through comic mischief, but his tactics also reveal how easily superior power can become unfair or exploitative.
• Desperation and inequality: Lu Mingfei values the 500-yuan prize because of his neglectful family situation and lack of access to money, adding emotional weight to what Morien views largely as entertainment.
• Transformation: The chapter contrasts Morien’s former vulnerability to local thugs with his present supernatural strength, foreshadowing a reversal of their relationship.

Important Character Interactions

• The synchronized Moriens exchange jokes about Potion digestion, acting principles, and Dragon Raja Morien’s treatment of Lu Mingfei.
• Dragon Raja Morien openly admits to manipulating the match, while the others mock his “tactics” of supplying drinks and using biological “Zerg.”
• Morien and Lu Mingfei engage in a prolonged battle of strategy and endurance, with Morien maintaining apparent ease while Lu Mingfei struggles to keep up.
• After Lu Mingfei concedes, Morien treats him casually and points him toward the bathroom, unintentionally exposing how extreme his earlier teasing had been.
• The chapter ends with Morien facing the arrival of the thugs who once bullied him, creating anticipation for his response now that he possesses extraordinary powers.

Summary of “Fleeting Insects”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A gang of punks confronts Morien at the internet café, demanding excessive “protection money” because he earned registration fees from a recent event.
• Lu Mingfei witnesses the confrontation and debates whether to help Morien or escape to call the police. His fear of fighting, punishment, and family criticism makes him hesitate.
• When the gang leader grabs Morien, Morien effortlessly severs the man’s hand with a slap. He then uses insects, Flesh Worms, and the Great Rune of “Birth” to regrow the limb.
• Morien immobilizes the gang members’ legs, leaving them trapped and terrified. The other customers remain completely oblivious, suggesting that Morien’s supernatural actions are concealed from ordinary people.
• One punk attacks Morien with a knife. Morien grants the weapon life, causing it to refuse to harm him, bend backward, and stab its wielder instead.
• Morien transforms the punks into insect-wrapped cocoons and claims he has granted them powerful vitality and rapid regeneration for the sake of experimentation. His insects consume them while manipulating their hormones to reduce their pain. The swarm then explodes outward and disperses through the café.
• Morien returns to his role behind the counter and casually speaks with Lu Mingfei, who is stunned but strangely unafraid of him.
• Lu Mingfei begs Morien to teach him supernatural abilities. Morien agrees to meet him the next day.
• Before leaving, Lu Mingfei receives the hundred-yuan prize money he had earned from the event.
• After Lu Mingfei leaves, Morien searches for Cassel College and sends the message, “Lu Mingfei is in my hands.” The message activates a hidden communication channel, confirming that Cassel’s artificial intelligence, Norma, has been monitoring Lu Mingfei and notices Morien’s interference.

Character Developments

• Morien displays a dramatic increase in power after mastering the Great Rune of “Birth.” He can now regrow severed limbs, animate objects, control insects, grant enhanced vitality, and manipulate the bodies of others.
• Morien remains playful, polite, and casually humorous despite committing extreme violence. He treats the gang as experimental subjects rather than serious threats, emphasizing his unsettling detachment and confidence.
• Lu Mingfei initially appears cowardly and indecisive, worrying more about family consequences than heroically intervening. However, he ultimately warns Morien about the knife attack, showing genuine loyalty and courage.
• Lu Mingfei’s fascination with secret organizations, superpowers, and being admired is revealed. His desire to learn from Morien is driven both by genuine wonder and by fantasies of becoming special, particularly before confessing to his romantic interest.
• Lu Mingfei’s relationship with Morien shifts from casual familiarity to admiration and dependence. He now sees Morien as a possible mentor and gateway into the extraordinary world he has always imagined.
• Morien deliberately positions himself as Lu Mingfei’s ally while also using Lu as bait to draw Cassel College’s attention.

Significant Themes

• The hidden supernatural world: Ordinary people cannot perceive or acknowledge Morien’s actions, while Lu Mingfei’s direct exposure to them confirms that his world is far stranger than he believed.
• Power and moral detachment: Morien’s immense abilities are paired with a playful lack of concern for suffering, making his “miracles” both wondrous and horrifying.
• Transformation and rebirth: The Great Rune of “Birth” allows Morien to restore life and reshape bodies, blurring the boundary between healing, creation, and monstrosity.
• Fear versus fascination: Lu Mingfei is horrified by Morien’s violence but is ultimately more fascinated than frightened. His longing to become extraordinary overrides his instinct for self-preservation.
• Recognition and significance: Lu dreams of being noticed, admired, and chosen for something important. Morien’s offer to teach him fulfills his fantasy of entering a secret, heroic world.
• Manipulation and surveillance: Morien understands that Cassel’s AI monitors Lu Mingfei and intentionally uses him to establish contact with the institution.

Important Character Interactions

• Morien and the punks: Their attempted extortion becomes a demonstration of Morien’s overwhelming supernatural superiority. His joking tone contrasts sharply with the gang’s terror.
• Lu Mingfei and the punks: Lu considers helping but hesitates, revealing his insecurity. His warning when one punk draws a knife becomes his decisive act of intervention.
• Morien and Lu Mingfei: Morien reassures Lu, calls him an ally, offers to teach him, and encourages him to return. Lu responds with enthusiastic devotion, even calling Morien “Master.”
• Morien and Cassel College/Norma: Morien sends a deliberately provocative message through Cassel’s hidden system, signaling that he knows Lu is being watched and challenging the school to respond.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Morien contacts the artificial intelligence Norma, addressing her as Eva and revealing that he knows about Eva and Fingal. He proposes a deal involving all three of them.
• While Eva communicates with another person, Morien’s eldest “son,” a moth-like Mother Bug, emerges from his hand. The insect has dragon-like scales and golden vertical pupils, and complains about losing his compound eyes.
• Morien explains his plans for a new insect faction called the Dragon Feast Borers, designed to consume Dragon Blood and acquire the powers associated with the Dragon Race.
• Rather than becoming a Dragon-blooded Mixed-Blood himself, Morien chooses to create descendants capable of absorbing Dragon Blood. He names the first one Dragon Feast, nicknamed “Black Bug,” and orders him to eventually create additional elemental insect divisions.
• Fingal joins the chat and asks whether Morien can restore a severely damaged person whose body and brain are almost entirely dead. Morien demonstrates his regenerative abilities by pulling off and replacing his own head, convincing them that he may be capable of treating her.
• Morien demands one hundred million dollars, along with several additional favors. As an initial condition, he asks Eva and Fingal to implant a set of grandiose titles into Eva’s underlying code and distribute them throughout the world’s networks in binary:
  • “The World-Spanning Royal Insect”
  • “The Tower of the Wandering Heir’s Return”
  • “Face of Fulfilled Wishes, Father of the Myriad Masses”
• Eva and Fingal comply, forge an identity and bank account for Morien, and arrange for a bank card to be delivered to him. Morien confirms that he can somehow “feel” the spread of the encoded words.
• With the preliminary conditions fulfilled, Morien agrees to begin treating the nearly dead patient.

2. Character Developments

• Morien displays increasing confidence and openness about his supernatural nature. He no longer seems determined to conceal himself completely and begins considering openly asserting his authority in this world.
• He demonstrates his strategic intelligence by negotiating from a position of overwhelming power while still pretending that Eva and Fingal possess meaningful bargaining leverage.
• Morien’s role as a creator and father becomes more prominent. He treats Dragon Feast affectionately, tolerates his dramatic personality, and begins planning the expansion of the Dragon Feast Borer faction.
• Dragon Feast is established as Morien’s eldest son and first male Mother Bug. He is proud, theatrical, and obsessed with ideas of uniqueness, authority, and becoming a future Mother Bug King.
• Eva is shown to be an extremely capable artificial intelligence, able to investigate Morien’s identity, manipulate networks, create legal records, and arrange financial resources.
• Fingal acts as the practical negotiator and advocate for the dying patient. He is cautious but becomes increasingly desperate, ultimately accepting Morien’s conditions because Morien may be their only remaining hope.

3. Significant Themes

• Power and submission: Morien recognizes that he possesses overwhelming superiority, making the negotiation more of a controlled concession than a genuine bargain.
• Creation and inheritance: The relationship between Morien and Dragon Feast reflects Morien’s role as a progenitor building an entire new species or faction.
• Identity and transformation: Morien rejects becoming a Dragon-blooded hybrid, choosing instead to preserve his own identity while creating organisms that can exploit Dragon power.
• The limits of technology versus supernatural ability: Eva’s network-wide reach is impressive, but Morien’s body and powers operate beyond the limits of science, allowing him to bypass ordinary biological and digital constraints.
• Mythmaking and self-deification: Morien’s chosen titles present him as a world-spanning, almost divine figure. Planting them in the deepest layers of the network suggests he is laying the groundwork for a future legend or return.
• Desperation and moral compromise: Fingal and Eva accept Morien’s uncertain terms because of the patient’s near-death condition, showing how desperation weakens their ability to negotiate.

4. Character Interactions

• Morien and Eva engage in a playful but threatening exchange: he mocks her attempts to hide, while she cautiously investigates his identity and capabilities.
• Morien treats Dragon Feast with parental affection, reassuring him about his appearance and indulging his exaggerated “future king” rhetoric rather than suppressing it.
• Fingal challenges Morien directly about the possibility of healing the dying patient, but Morien answers through a grotesque demonstration rather than a conventional explanation.
• Morien controls the negotiations with Fingal and Eva, setting the price, demanding network access, and requiring them to create a false identity for him.
• The chapter ends with Morien agreeing to fulfill his side of the bargain, leaving the success of the patient’s restoration—and the consequences of embedding his titles throughout the world’s networks—as the next major development.

Chapter Summary: “Rebirth”

Key Plot Points and Events

• In the underground facilities beneath Cassel College, Fingal is preparing to respond to a suspected hacker attack on Eva’s systems when Morien physically emerges from the computer through the network.
• Morien explains that Eva has engraved his true name into the internet, allowing his Swarm Network and data worms to spread across modern networks. This enables him to travel through network connections despite the lack of a Spirit World.
• Fingal leads Morien to a hidden laboratory containing Eva’s severely damaged body. She is suspended in a tank of nutrient solution, partially mechanized and missing much of her body after a disastrous encounter with a suspected Dragon King in the Greenland Sea.
• Eva’s soul has been extracted from her body and preserved within the computer system, leaving her body alive but essentially a “zombie.”
• Morien transforms using his perfected Great Rune and Insect Armor, then uses the Rune’s power to redefine the concept of “birth” and regenerate Eva’s ruined body.
• He absorbs Fingal’s wish—“I hope my beloved can recover”—as payment, then pulls Eva’s soul out of the network and guides it back into her restored body.
• The resurrection succeeds: Eva awakens, and Fingal tearfully reconnects with her through the glass of the cultivation tank.
• Morien prepares to leave while joking about payment. Fingal offers his life in gratitude, but Morien treats this as an excessive price increase. Fingal then asks for additional “after-sales service,” implying that Eva’s body requires further restoration, and Morien agrees.

Character Developments

• Morien demonstrates a major expansion of his abilities. By using Eva’s network and true-name connection, he can travel globally through the internet. He also displays mastery over the Great Rune, bodily regeneration, soul manipulation, and resurrection.
• Fingal begins tense and suspicious, instinctively activating his Bronze Throne Word Spirit to defend Eva’s systems. His fear and guardedness gradually give way to trust, desperation, and overwhelming joy when Eva is restored.
• Eva is revealed to have sacrificed or lost her physical form while preserving her consciousness in the network. Her successful reintegration marks her return from a fragmented existence to true life.
• Fingal’s devotion to Eva becomes explicit through his wish, emotional reaction, and willingness to pledge his life to Morien in gratitude.

Significant Themes

• Rebirth and restoration: The chapter centers on the difference between merely repairing a body and genuinely restoring a person by reuniting body and soul.
• Technology and mysticism: Network science, alchemical technology, Word Spirits, Runes, and soul manipulation operate together, blurring the boundaries between magic, computation, and biology.
• Love and sacrifice: Fingal’s wish and years of effort to save Eva demonstrate the power of devotion, while Eva’s survival reflects the lengths people will go to preserve those they love.
• Identity and embodiment: Eva exists first as code, then as a damaged body, and finally as a complete person again, raising questions about whether consciousness, soul, and physical form can be separated.
• Humor amid tragedy: Morien’s casual remarks about payment and “after-sales service” contrast with the emotional gravity of Eva’s resurrection.

Character Interactions

• Morien teases Fingal about being overly tense and openly offers to let him analyze the Insect Armor, creating a mix of professional curiosity and informal camaraderie.
• Fingal and Morien negotiate the terms of Eva’s rescue, with Fingal repeatedly insisting that any price is acceptable if Morien can save her.
• Morien treats Fingal’s heartfelt wish as literal payment, showing his transactional but not entirely unsympathetic nature.
• Fingal and Eva share the chapter’s emotional climax through the glass tank, touching hands as Eva awakens.
• Morien deliberately leaves them to reunite, but the final joke about “after-sales service” restores the chapter’s playful tone.

Chapter Summary: “Nighttime Stroll Through Kassel”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Morien completes his arrangement with Fingal and leaves the hidden computer facility after helping restore Eva’s soul to her body.
• Eva remains the core intelligence controlling the Academy’s computers, despite her soul no longer being directly connected to the system. She is surprised when the elevator opens without her issuing a command, suggesting Morien—or something connected to him—can bypass the Academy’s systems.
• Eva points out several suspicious details about Morien: he spoke without moving his mouth, affected systems in ways a normal Mixed-Blood could not, and tracked them through the computer network. Fingal acknowledges the anomalies but chooses not to investigate because Eva has been restored.
• Morien bypasses Kassel College’s extreme security measures. He avoids infrared lasers and high-voltage defenses, while the Academy’s scanners and doors open automatically because Eva and the Data Worm have effectively given him access.
• He enters Kassel’s library and begins a “nighttime stroll,” using Glintstone Starlight for illumination. Through the Swarm Network, he can instantly understand languages and absorb information from books.
• Morien decides to copy or physically take the library’s entire collection, particularly its magical and alchemical knowledge. This act of aggressively gathering knowledge helps him better embody the role of a Warlock and loosens the constraints on his Warlock Potion.
• In the bell tower, the Night Watchman’s alchemical candle suddenly goes out. Alarmed, he assumes the Four Dragon Kings have invaded the Academy and calls the principal.
• Dragon Feast senses the Night Watchman’s Alchemical Domain, created by the Word Spirit “Discipline,” which suppresses Word Spirits and elemental control throughout the school.
• Dragon Feast casually shatters the domain, revealing that the Academy’s powerful defensive field cannot withstand him.
• Morien mildly reprimands Dragon Feast for damaging a host’s defenses, explaining that while Dragon Feast should understand right and wrong, he must ultimately decide for himself what kind of being he wants to become.
• The destruction of the domain triggers the Academy’s alarms. Lights blaze throughout the school, and Morien realizes they are likely being mistaken for terrorists.

2. Character Developments

• Morien demonstrates overwhelming power, technological access, and confidence. He treats Kassel’s defenses as insignificant and approaches the Academy as both a tourist attraction and a source of knowledge.
• Morien’s identity as a Warlock becomes clearer. Rather than simply studying magic, he embraces the archetype of someone who relentlessly pursues forbidden or inaccessible knowledge through unconventional means.
• Fingal is shown to be deeply relieved and emotionally attached to Eva. He is willing to ignore Morien’s inexplicable abilities because Eva’s restoration matters more to him. His playful reaction to Eva’s attempt to discuss his actions also suggests embarrassment or guilt.
• Eva regains her body and autonomy while retaining control of the Academy’s computer systems. She becomes more observant and cautious, recognizing that Morien’s abilities exceed ordinary Mixed-Blood capabilities.
• Dragon Feast displays immense strength and an impulsive, childlike attitude. He destroys the Academy’s suppression field without hesitation, but Morien’s guidance encourages him to develop moral judgment and personal responsibility.
• The Night Watchman is established as both powerful and eccentric: despite his relaxed, messy lifestyle, he instantly recognizes the significance of the extinguished candle and responds with urgency.

3. Significant Themes

• Power beyond established systems: Morien and Dragon Feast effortlessly overcome Kassel’s technology, security, and supernatural defenses, emphasizing that their abilities exist outside the Academy’s normal hierarchy.
• Knowledge as power: Morien’s hunger for books and information reflects the Warlock ideal. Knowledge is not merely academic for him; it is something to collect, absorb, and weaponize.
• Identity through role-playing: Morien’s Potion advances when he behaves more like a stereotypical Warlock, suggesting that personal growth and supernatural progression depend partly on embodying a role.
• Freedom and moral choice: Morien does not dictate Dragon Feast’s future. Instead, he teaches him the difference between right and wrong while allowing him to choose his own path.
• Trust versus suspicion: Eva recognizes that Morien is dangerous and inexplicable, but she chooses not to pursue the Academy’s secrets because he saved her. Fingal likewise prioritizes Eva’s return over investigating Morien.
• Humor amid danger: The chapter contrasts extraordinary threats with playful scenes, such as Morien comparing Kassel to Hogwarts, joking about long hair, and the Night Watchman’s exaggerated panic.

4. Character Interactions

• Morien and Fingal: Their exchange is casual and teasing, with Morien leaving after completing his part of the bargain. Fingal’s gratitude is sincere, though he avoids confronting the full implications of Morien’s powers.
• Fingal and Eva: Eva questions Fingal about Morien, while Fingal refuses to dwell on the danger because her resurrection is what matters to him. Their interaction ends with Eva preparing to question Fingal about his own actions, causing him to comically cover his ears.
• Morien and Dragon Feast: Their relationship resembles that of a parent and child. Morien comforts Dragon Feast when the Alchemical Domain troubles him, then teaches him a nuanced lesson about responsibility and independence.
• Morien and Kassel College: Morien interacts with the Academy almost as though it were an open environment rather than a fortified institution. Its defenses recognize—or are overridden by—his presence, reinforcing his ability to move beyond its control.
• Night Watchman and the Academy authorities: The Night Watchman reacts to the broken defensive conditions by calling the principal, interpreting the event as a major invasion. His alarm contrasts with Morien’s relaxed amusement.

Chapter Summary: “Kassel Under Stress”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Morien’s companion, Dragon Feast, creates such a disturbance at Kassel Academy that he destroys the Night Watchman’s Alchemical Domain, exposing Morien’s presence.
• Eva, who had previously concealed Morien’s actions from the Academy, decides to stop protecting him because his behavior now resembles an open declaration of war.
• Kassel Academy goes on high alert. Students, teachers, snipers, and heavy weapons surround the library while the command center tracks Morien through every available camera.
• The Academy mistakenly assumes Morien is a Dragon King and Dragon Feast is a Second-Generation Species, unaware that Dragon Feast’s true power comes from feeding on dragons.
• Morien chooses not to flee, allowing Dragon Feast to confront the Academy. He lends Dragon Feast some of his power through Divine Protection of the Clan.
• Using elemental forces—especially wind, which includes the principle of time—Dragon Feast generates an enormous swarm of Elemental Insects. Each insect possesses power comparable to a Mixed-Blood who has mastered a Word Spirit.
• When Morien claps his hands, the swarm pours out of the library. The students attack with guns, flamethrowers, and Word Spirits, but the insects overwhelm them. Dragon Feast deliberately prevents the swarm from killing anyone.
• Angers arrives using Time Zero, accelerating himself and his car through fragmented time. He attacks Morien from behind but is shocked when Morien catches his knife and deflects his bullet with ease.
• Dragon Feast analyzes the force of the Academy’s Discipline and reproduces it himself. He suppresses the Word Spirits of Kassel’s teachers and students while allowing the insect swarm to continue using elemental abilities.

Character Developments

• Morien remains calm, confident, and almost playful throughout the crisis. Rather than escape, he uses the confrontation to demonstrate the gap between himself and Kassel Academy, hoping to prevent future provocations.
• Dragon Feast shows increasing independence and pride. He insists on handling the situation himself so that Morien will not appear to be fleeing. His ability to create and control the swarm—and later copy Discipline—reveals rapid growth and impressive analytical talent.
• Eva shifts from covertly protecting Morien to accepting him as an active threat to the Academy.
• Manstein, the duty commander, is overwhelmed by the crisis but acts responsibly by sounding the alarm and coordinating the Academy’s response.
• Angers demonstrates extraordinary mastery of Time Zero and courageously confronts Morien, but his attack fails completely. His misidentification of Morien as the King of Sky and Wind highlights how difficult Morien’s true nature is to understand.
• The students and staff display strong discipline and rapid coordination, though they are ultimately outmatched by the swarm and Dragon Feast’s copied Discipline.

Significant Themes

• Power and misperception: Kassel repeatedly misjudges Morien and Dragon Feast, interpreting their abilities through familiar Dragon Race categories.
• Control versus independence: Morien gives Dragon Feast power but allows him to decide how to use it, encouraging his development rather than solving everything himself.
• Demonstration as deterrence: Morien wants to display overwhelming strength so that powerful organizations such as Kassel and the Gattuso Family will recognize the danger of provoking him.
• The limits of institutional power: Kassel possesses advanced surveillance, weaponry, elite fighters, and powerful Word Spirits, yet all prove inadequate against Morien and Dragon Feast.
• Restraint amid overwhelming force: Despite the destructive potential of the swarm, Dragon Feast avoids killing the students because they have no personal grudge against them. The confrontation is framed as a warning rather than a massacre.
• Knowledge and adaptation: Dragon Feast’s ability to analyze and reproduce Discipline demonstrates that observation and rapid learning can be as dangerous as raw strength.

Character Interactions

• Morien and Dragon Feast discuss whether to fight or flee, with Morien encouraging Dragon Feast to take responsibility for the conflict.
• Eva withdraws her previous protection of Morien, effectively allowing the Academy to treat him as an enemy.
• Manstein and the command staff monitor Morien and Dragon Feast while struggling to interpret their identities and abilities.
• The Academy’s students attack the swarm, but Dragon Feast restrains his forces from killing them.
• Angers confronts Morien directly, using Time Zero, yet Morien effortlessly catches his knife and deflects his bullet.
• Dragon Feast then turns the Academy’s own Discipline against it, suppressing the Word Spirits of the teachers and students while preserving the swarm’s powers.

Chapter Summary: “Four Insect Kings”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Angers confronts Morien after witnessing his extraordinary speed and resistance to Time Zero. He realizes Morien has not used a Word Spirit and has instead matched him through sheer physical ability.
• Angers tests Morien with a Philosopher’s Stone bullet, which ignores Word Spirits. When Morien casually deflects it, Angers concludes that Morien is far more powerful than an ordinary Dragon King.
• Morien communicates directly into Angers’s mind, causing Angers to suspect that he may be the White King—the only known Dragon King with mental abilities. Morien rejects this comparison, claiming that the recognized Dragon Kings are not even worthy of being called insects.
• Morien explains that he belongs neither to humanity nor the Dragon Race. He has made a deal with humans and intends to interact with the Dragon Race as well. He warns Angers to keep the Secret Party from interfering with him.
• Recognizing the overwhelming gap in strength, Angers chooses not to fight. He refuses to die meaninglessly, especially since Morien would suffer no real harm. Morien leaves through a Gate, reminding Angers that his students are injured outside.
• Back at the internet café, Morien and Dragon Feast discuss the creation of the elemental insects. Dragon Feast names them the Four Insect Kings, prompting playful father-son teasing from Morien.
• The next morning, Dragon Feast presents the completed Four Insect Kings. The White Insect, associated with the Mental Element, remains unfinished.

Character Developments

• Angers is shown as an experienced, scarred dragon slayer who remains physically formidable despite his age. His hatred of dragons and commitment to destroying them remain strong, but he demonstrates strategic restraint by refusing a hopeless battle.
• Angers’s confidence is shaken when he recognizes Morien’s overwhelming superiority. His fear is not of death itself, but of dying without advancing his mission to eradicate dragonkind.
• Morien is established as an independent and exceptionally powerful being who rejects the existing hierarchy of both humans and dragons. He is confident, amused, and casually condescending toward major figures such as Angers and the White King.
• Morien also displays a gentler, paternal side toward Dragon Feast. He encourages the child’s scientific interests and treats the creation of the insects as a worthwhile hobby.
• Dragon Feast grows more confident and industrious. He successfully creates four elemental insects, studies the Swarm Network, and shows distinct interests and abilities in his creations.

The Four Insect Kings

Ocean and Water Insect

• Resembles a small centipede or sea snake.
• Controls water, blood, bioelectricity, freezing air, microorganisms, and poisons.
• Possesses extreme speed in water and is characterized by Morien as an assassin-type insect.

Sky and Wind Insect

• Takes the form of a butterfly.
• Can create localized time-manipulation domains.
• Slows time more effectively as the domain shrinks, reaching a ratio of sixty-to-one in a one-meter area.
• Can accelerate its own movement, though this consumes enormous physical stamina.

Bronze and Fire Insect

• Appears as a red-and-bronze spider.
• Controls fire and magnetic fields, senses metal, and can destroy it.
• Is deeply interested in alchemy and studies dragon alchemy through the Swarm Network.

Earth Insect

• Appears as a small white grub.
• Specializes in precise control of physical strength, allowing delicate manipulation or tremendous force.
• Is humorously named “Maggot.”

Significant Themes

• Power and hierarchy: Morien’s strength places him beyond the established hierarchy of humans, Dragon Kings, and even the White King.
• Strategic survival: Angers’s decision not to fight reflects the difference between courage and pointless sacrifice.
• Identity and independence: Morien refuses to identify with either humanity or the Dragon Race, presenting himself as an entirely separate power.
• Creation and learning: Dragon Feast’s insects represent experimentation, specialization, and the development of independent identities.
• Family and mentorship: The playful interaction between Morien and Dragon Feast gives their relationship a father-son quality, balancing the chapter’s otherwise tense confrontation.
• Science and cultivation of talent: The insects’ powers are developed through study, experimentation, and the Swarm Network rather than brute force alone.

Important Character Interactions

• Angers and Morien: Their confrontation reveals the vast difference in their abilities. Angers probes Morien’s powers, while Morien deliberately intimidates and patronizes him without needing to fight.
• Morien and Dragon Feast: Morien encourages Dragon Feast’s research, evaluates each insect’s abilities, and gives practical advice. Their teasing over the title “Four Insect Kings” reinforces their affectionate, informal bond.
• Morien and the Insect Kings: Morien immediately begins guiding the insects’ development, assigning the Water Insect further study and encouraging the Fire Insect to pursue alchemy.

Chapter Summary: “Coin Toss”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Mingfei arrives at Morien’s internet café at 8:00 a.m., eager and nervous to learn Beyonder abilities from him.
• He brings tea as a possible offering, having spent the night researching how to become an apprentice, but Morien casually ignores the gesture.
• Morien introduces his unusual companion, a moth called Dragon Feast, and feeds it pieces of fried dough.
• Before teaching Lu Mingfei anything, Morien confronts him about his crush on Chen Wenwen. Through a projected scene, he reveals that:
  • Chen Wenwen knows Lu Mingfei likes her.
  • Zhao Menghua is using Lu Mingfei as a prop in his planned confession to Chen Wenwen.
  • Zhao has spread rumors about Lu Mingfei’s crush throughout the school to humiliate him.
  • Chen Wenwen passively accepts this arrangement rather than defending Lu Mingfei.
• Morien bluntly compares Lu Mingfei to a stray dog, telling him he must choose whether to remain someone others use or become a person who can stand up for himself.
• Lu Mingfei struggles with the choice but finally admits that he wants to be a person.
• Morien offers him a gold coin as a Beyonder item and proposes a coin-toss game. He tells Lu Mingfei that the coin can help him make difficult decisions.
• Morien performs the toss, but the coin seemingly disappears. When Lu Mingfei guesses “heads,” Morien claims he does not know whether the guess was correct, leaving Lu Mingfei convinced that he failed.
• Lu Mingfei spends the rest of the day gaming at the café, but he is distracted and unable to enjoy himself.
• At sunset, while walking home, Lu Mingfei realizes he has been clenching his right hand all day. When he opens it, he discovers the gold coin in his palm, with the numbered side—“999”—facing upward, proving that he was secretly chosen.

Character Developments

• Lu Mingfei: Begins the chapter eager but insecure, desperate to impress Morien and learn supernatural abilities. Morien’s revelations force him to confront his humiliation, unrequited love, and habit of allowing others to use him. Though he initially believes he has been rejected, he ultimately demonstrates an unconscious determination to become “a person” rather than remain a passive victim.
• Morien: Acts as both mentor and provocateur. He deliberately wounds Lu Mingfei’s pride to force him to acknowledge his true desires. Beneath his teasing and harshness, he appears to be guiding Lu Mingfei toward self-respect and independent decision-making.
• Chen Wenwen: Is shown to be aware of Lu Mingfei’s feelings but unwilling to protect him from Zhao Menghua’s exploitation. Her passivity makes her relationship with Lu Mingfei appear less innocent than he believes.
• Zhao Menghua: Is characterized as wealthy, confident, and cruelly manipulative. He treats Lu Mingfei as a disposable prop in his romantic plans and deliberately spreads gossip to embarrass him.
• Dragon Feast/the moth: Reinforces Morien’s eccentricity and connection to strange creatures, while the moth that enters Lu Mingfei’s head suggests Morien is influencing or observing his emotions directly.

Significant Themes

• Self-worth and personal dignity: The central conflict is whether Lu Mingfei will accept being treated as an object of ridicule or choose to value himself.
• Manipulation and exploitation: Lu Mingfei realizes that both Zhao Menghua and Chen Wenwen have benefited from his devotion without respecting him.
• Choice and agency: The gold coin symbolizes the difficult decisions Lu Mingfei cannot yet make confidently on his own. Morien offers it as a tool for acting despite his weakness and indecision.
• Appearance versus reality: Lu Mingfei thinks he has hidden his crush and believes he has failed Morien’s test, but both assumptions are false. The coin’s hidden presence reveals that Morien has been testing him in a subtler way.
• Transformation: Becoming a Beyonder is presented not merely as gaining supernatural power, but as beginning the psychological transformation from a helpless “stray dog” into an autonomous person.

Character Interactions

• Lu Mingfei’s awkward attempts to impress Morien contrast with Morien’s relaxed, teasing attitude.
• Morien uses telepathy and visual projections to expose Lu Mingfei’s hidden feelings and the humiliating plans of Chen Wenwen and Zhao Menghua.
• Morien physically and verbally pressures Lu Mingfei while encouraging him to make a meaningful choice about his identity.
• Their coin-toss exchange appears to end in Lu Mingfei’s failure, but the hidden coin reveals that Morien has accepted him—or at least decided to give him a chance.

Chapter Summary: “Taking a Day Off”

• Plot and events: The narrator announces a day off to rest and encourages everyone else to sleep early or spend time with their girlfriends. Jokingly claiming to have a girlfriend, he plans to search trash cans for discarded rings, hoping to find a diamond ring. He also repeats a previously announced reward system: by the 22nd of the month, every 5,000 monthly votes will add 10,000 words, up to 30,000 additional words. An earlier subscription-based reward has been canceled because it seemed ineffective.
• Character development: The narrator presents himself humorously and self-deprecatingly, pretending to have a girlfriend and joking about finding a ring in the trash. His comments also show that he is attentive to reader participation and willing to adjust rewards based on what seems worthwhile.
• Themes: Rest and leisure, loneliness and romantic joking, audience engagement, and the author-reader relationship. The chapter uses humor to create a casual, friendly atmosphere.
• Character interactions: The narrator directly addresses the readers as “brothers,” offering advice and encouragement while explaining the reward system. The interaction is largely one-sided but conversational, emphasizing camaraderie between the narrator and his audience.

Chapter Summary: “Who Was the Parasite, Really?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Mingfei walks home exhilarated after obtaining a mysterious golden coin that appears capable of granting wishes.
• He encounters an eerie, exquisitely dressed boy beneath an enormous moon. The boy claims to be both a Demon and Lu Mingfei’s younger brother, though Lu Mingfei struggles to believe him despite feeling a powerful sense of familiarity.
• The boy warns that the coin grants wishes at a price and may lead Lu Mingfei toward the Abyss. He identifies it as a legendary “Wish Coin.”
• Lu Mingfei refuses to wish for Chen Wenwen’s love, believing that would violate her free will. Instead, he wishes for a handsome suit.
• The coin explodes into golden fragments, transforming his clothing into an elegant, seemingly priceless black suit, trench coat, gloves, and gold watch. The outfit also changes his posture and makes him feel unusually confident and attractive.
• The boy warns that “the beating of countless insect wings” has begun. A swarm of insects rises beneath the enormous moon, devours it, and then engulfs both the boy and Lu Mingfei.
• Before disappearing, the boy reminds Lu Mingfei that all wishes have a price and miracles are never free.
• Lu Mingfei awakens back in reality, still wearing the transformed clothes. He returns home late and tries to avoid his uncle and aunt, but they immediately notice his appearance.
• His aunt assumes he stole 999 yuan to rent the outfit and angrily berates him. Her accusations trigger Lu Mingfei’s long-suppressed resentment.
• Lu Mingfei finally confronts her, revealing that his parents’ monthly support money was more than the family’s annual wages. He accuses his uncle and aunt of living off his money and rejects their claim that he is a parasite.

Character Developments

• Lu Mingfei: His emotions and confidence are intensified after accepting the coin. He remains morally considerate by refusing to wish for Chen Wenwen’s love, but the coin’s influence allows him to express anger he has habitually suppressed. For the first time, he openly challenges his aunt and defends his dignity.
• The Little Demon: He appears mysterious, sorrowful, and intimately connected to Lu Mingfei. He claims to be Lu Mingfei’s younger brother as well as a Demon, suggesting an important hidden truth about Lu Mingfei’s identity or family. He acts as both a warning figure and a guide to the coin’s dangers.
• Lu Mingfei’s Aunt: Her hostility and hypocrisy become increasingly clear. She condemns Lu Mingfei for supposedly wasting money while benefiting from the financial support sent by his parents and indulging in expensive luxuries.
• Lu Mingfei’s Uncle: He remains passive and intimidated, allowing his wife to dominate the confrontation.

Significant Themes

• The cost of wishes: The coin appears to grant even trivial desires, but the Demon emphasizes that every wish carries consequences.
• Suppressed identity and self-worth: Lu Mingfei’s new clothing symbolizes a more confident version of himself, while his confrontation with his aunt marks a break from his usual submissiveness.
• Exploitation and hypocrisy: The chapter reverses the accusation of parasitism, suggesting that Lu Mingfei’s guardians may actually depend on him financially while treating him as an unwanted burden.
• Free will and morality: Lu Mingfei refuses to manipulate Chen Wenwen’s feelings, showing that despite his insecurity, he retains a strong moral boundary.
• The supernatural invading ordinary life: The cosmic imagery of the moon, insects, Abyss, and Wish Coin contrasts sharply with Lu Mingfei’s mundane domestic conflict, hinting that his personal life is connected to a much larger supernatural struggle.

Important Character Interactions

• Lu Mingfei and the Little Demon: Their conversation establishes the coin’s power, its risks, and their unexplained familial connection. The Demon tries to warn Lu Mingfei, but Lu Mingfei treats the situation with casual skepticism and humor.
• Lu Mingfei and his Aunt: Their argument exposes years of emotional and financial resentment. Her insults provoke Lu Mingfei into finally speaking openly about the money his parents provide.
• Lu Mingfei and himself: Through his reflection in the window and his confrontation at home, Lu Mingfei begins recognizing both his outward potential and the injustice of the role he has accepted within his aunt’s household.

Summary of “Wish Power and the Price”

Plot Points and Major Events

• After confronting his aunt about misusing the child-support money meant for him, Lu Mingfei discovers that the intense emotions produced by the argument become visible as colorful “Wish Power.”
• The Wish Power flows from his aunt, uncle, and cousin toward him, condensing into a magical gold coin marked with an elytron. Its initial denomination is 0, but by the next morning it has increased to 1, apparently fueled by his aunt’s continued anger and resentment.
• Lu Mingfei realizes he can summon and dismiss the coin at will and intuitively sense its “weight” or power. He suspects the coin can fulfill wishes, but remains anxious about the mysterious “price” mentioned by the Demon who granted his wish.
• He reflects bitterly on his family situation, recognizing that his relatives have spent nearly ten years living off his money while treating him like a servant. The confrontation gives him a new sense of power and exposes his aunt’s fear beneath her anger.
• His aunt threatens to expel him, but Lu Mingfei counters by threatening legal action. His knowledge that the family could not repay the money silences her, and his uncle intervenes to prevent the argument from escalating.
• The following morning, Lu Mingfei wears the magically created outfit: a perfectly fitted, stylish suit, leather shoes, watch, and trench coat. Despite the summer heat, the clothing remains comfortable, fulfilling the wish’s purpose of making him appear cool and impressive.
• At a Literature Club gathering at a movie theater, Lu Mingfei encounters Zhao Menghua, who has brought a deliberately mediocre suit for him to wear. Zhao intended to use Lu Mingfei as a humiliating background figure during his confession to Chen Wenwen.
• Because Morien previously revealed the plan, Lu Mingfei refuses to follow Zhao’s instructions or stand in the designated place. Chen Wenwen silently supports Zhao’s request, making Lu Mingfei realize that she knows about the humiliation and does not truly care about him.
• Lu Mingfei rejects the role he has always played and walks away from the platform. He then notices Morien sitting naturally among the club members, sharing popcorn with the moth on his shoulder, and approaches him.

Character Development

• Lu Mingfei: Becomes more assertive and self-aware. He recognizes both his family’s exploitation and his own long-standing willingness to endure humiliation. The magical coin and the successful confrontation help him shed some of his timidity. At the theater, he takes another step toward independence by refusing to participate in Zhao Menghua’s scheme.
• Lu Mingfei’s aunt: Her outward anger is revealed to conceal confusion and fear. She is forced to confront the possibility that Lu Mingfei can legally reclaim the money his family has used.
• Lu Mingfei’s uncle: Acts as a mediator, attempting to calm his wife and prevent the argument from becoming worse. His intervention also suggests that he understands the seriousness of the situation.
• Lu Mingze: Though usually disrespectful or domineering toward Lu Mingfei, he becomes frightened and silent after overhearing the confrontation, recognizing that Lu Mingfei is legally in the right.
• Zhao Menghua: Is exposed as manipulative and cruel. His plan depends on Lu Mingfei accepting a subordinate, humiliating role, and he is stunned when Lu Mingfei refuses.
• Chen Wenwen: Lu Mingfei’s idealized image of her begins to collapse. Her faint guilt is outweighed by positive feelings toward Zhao Menghua, and her willingness to let the humiliation occur convinces Lu Mingfei that she does not genuinely care for him.
• Morien: Remains mysterious and supernatural, yet behaves casually and familiarly among the students. His earlier warning about the wish’s price continues to trouble Lu Mingfei.

Significant Themes

• Power and exploitation: Lu Mingfei recognizes that his family’s authority over him was built on money they did not earn and that he has allowed himself to be exploited.
• Self-respect and awakening: The confrontation marks a psychological turning point. Lu Mingfei begins to see himself not as a powerless victim but as someone capable of defending his rights.
• The cost of wishes: The coin’s growing denomination suggests that emotional energy can accumulate into usable power, but the exact price of using it remains uncertain. Lu Mingfei fears that the wish may demand repayment beyond the value of the clothes.
• Appearance versus reality: The magical outfit changes Lu Mingfei’s appearance and confidence, while Zhao’s supposedly respectable suit is revealed as part of a humiliating performance.
• Betrayal and disillusionment: Lu Mingfei is hurt not only by Zhao’s scheme but by Chen Wenwen’s cooperation. His idealized feelings for her are replaced by emotional coldness.
• Emotional power: Anger, fear, confusion, guilt, and affection are presented as tangible forces. Lu Mingfei’s new ability allows him to perceive hidden emotions and understand relationships more clearly.

Important Character Interactions

• Lu Mingfei and his aunt: Their argument exposes years of financial exploitation. Lu Mingfei’s quiet legal threat proves more effective than shouting, revealing the aunt’s fear and weakening her authority.
• Lu Mingfei and his uncle: The uncle tries to suppress the conflict and remove the aunt before she worsens the situation, but he does not directly challenge the family’s wrongdoing.
• Lu Mingfei and Lu Mingze: Lu Mingze witnesses Lu Mingfei’s transformation from someone easily bullied into someone capable of threatening legal action, causing him to retreat in fear.
• Lu Mingfei and Zhao Menghua: Zhao expects obedience, but Lu Mingfei’s refusal overturns the planned humiliation and leaves Zhao speechless.
• Lu Mingfei and Chen Wenwen: Her quiet encouragement of Zhao’s plan becomes a painful betrayal. Lu Mingfei interprets her emotions and realizes that her affection lies elsewhere.
• Lu Mingfei and Morien: Their meeting at the end suggests that Morien may be the only person connected to Lu Mingfei’s supernatural transformation and the unanswered question of the wish’s true price.