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In Marvel, Working as a System’s Lackey
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Ch. 681Chapter 713

Chapter 713 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Geralt and Cerberus spend a peaceful morning reading the newspaper before joining Rebecca for breakfast. Rebecca’s cooking is notoriously dangerous, so Geralt is relieved when she does not experiment with new recipes.
  • The family prays to their ancestors, reflecting the Winchester family’s belief in supernatural forces and ancestral protection.
  • Geralt attempts to contact John and Mary but learns they are out of range, a common problem given the remote locations visited by Demon Hunters.
  • He logs into the Demon Hunter Guild’s website and accepts his first solo assignment: investigating a haunted villa at 404 Canaan Street in Paradise Town. The D-Rank mission offers a reward of 10,000 Beli, though Geralt complains about the Guild’s thirty-percent commission.
  • Geralt researches the villa’s former owner, Harold Kovos, a wealthy philanthropist and celebrity who recently died. After spending two days gathering information and conducting field research, Geralt prepares his weapons and travels to the villa.
  • Meanwhile, a group of four young people—Anderson, his girlfriend Pepper, Pepper’s admirer Peter, and paranormal enthusiast Michelle—break into the property to investigate the haunting. Their exploration is motivated partly by curiosity and partly by the villa’s sensational reputation.
  • Inside, they admire the extravagant mansion and discuss how to search it. Michelle suggests checking the bedrooms where Harold reportedly died, while the group ultimately decides to stay together rather than split up.
  • The front door suddenly slams shut, followed by eerie laughter. Harold’s ghost appears floating above them in a green glow, terrifying the group. Michelle awkwardly attempts to explain their visit as a school survey, but Harold responds by stretching his mouth into a monstrous grin filled with sharp teeth.
  • Geralt arrives outside the villa, hears a scream, and sees both white and green light coming from the building. He prepares to enter on foot with his Demon Hunter weapons.

Character Developments

  • Geralt demonstrates caution and professionalism. Rather than taking a dangerous assignment, he chooses a low-risk D-Rank mission for his first solo job and carefully checks all his equipment before departure.
  • Cerberus continues acting as Geralt’s sarcastic companion, questioning Geralt’s nickname and mocking the simplicity of his assignment.
  • Rebecca is established as a well-meaning but highly unreliable cook whose experimental dishes frighten the rest of the household.
  • Anderson presents himself as confident and capable, but his bravado repeatedly masks uncertainty. He boasts about eventually owning a mansion and tries to maintain control despite having no real plan.
  • Pepper is attracted to wealth and luxury, revealing a materialistic side. Although she supports Anderson outwardly, her lukewarm reaction shows that she does not truly regard him as impressive.
  • Peter seeks recognition and tries to impress both Anderson and Pepper, but his suggestions—especially splitting up—make him appear foolish and nervous.
  • Michelle is the most observant and practical member of the group. She understands horror-story conventions, recognizes the danger of separating, and attempts to remain rational when the ghost appears.
  • Harold Kovos is introduced as a frightening, inhuman ghost rather than merely a harmless spirit. His grotesque appearance and predatory grin suggest that the haunting may involve genuine supernatural danger.

Significant Themes

  • Caution versus recklessness: Geralt’s preparation contrasts sharply with the students’ impulsive decision to enter the villa without a clear plan.
  • The supernatural as ordinary reality: Prayer, demon-hunting contracts, ghosts, and ancestral protection are treated as routine parts of life, blending the mundane with the paranormal.
  • Appearance versus reality: Anderson acts confident but is frightened when confronted with a real ghost. The magnificent villa conceals a dangerous and terrifying presence.
  • Wealth and social ambition: Harold’s immense fortune fascinates the young explorers, especially Pepper, while Anderson’s dream of owning such a villa exposes his unrealistic aspirations.
  • Humor amid horror: The chapter repeatedly undercuts frightening situations with satire, including jokes about Rebecca’s cooking, Geralt’s nickname, exaggerated wealth, and the contrast between amusing and terrifying green lighting.
  • Preparation and professionalism: The Winchester code and Geralt’s extensive weapon check emphasize that success in supernatural work depends on proper tools and disciplined preparation.

Character Interactions

  • Geralt and Cerberus exchange sarcastic remarks, with Cerberus teasing Geralt while Geralt tries to maintain seriousness.
  • Geralt’s family prayer illustrates the household’s shared respect for their ancestors and supernatural traditions.
  • Anderson and Pepper interact as an ambitious couple, though Pepper’s interest in the villa seems stronger than her faith in Anderson’s future.
  • Peter tries to compete for attention, especially around Pepper, but Michelle recognizes his motives and mocks his lack of judgment.
  • Michelle repeatedly challenges Anderson’s confidence and Peter’s foolish ideas, acting as the group’s voice of reason.
  • The group’s joking and arguments collapse into fear when Harold appears, while Geralt approaches the villa from outside, setting up an imminent confrontation.
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Ch. 682Chapter 714

Chapter 714 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Geralt uses Spirit Sight and Night Vision to inspect a villa and discovers Harold Kovos, a Ghost surrounded by dense black mist. He identifies Harold as a Wraith, a C-class monster, meaning the mission had been underrated.
  • Inside the villa, four people are trapped with Harold: Anderson, a muscular man struggling with the door; Peter, a timid but courageous glasses-wearing man; Pepper, a woman whose terrified screaming stops when Geralt enters; and Michelle, who attempts to negotiate with the Ghost.
  • Geralt opens the door from the outside and tells the survivors to escape. Anderson and the others flee, though Peter helps Pepper and Michelle before leaving. Michelle remains curious about Geralt because of his complete lack of fear.
  • Harold claims he has not harmed anyone and only wanted to frighten people. Geralt pretends to negotiate, but the Winchester Demon Hunter Code instructs him never to trust a Ghost.
  • While seated with Harold, Geralt suddenly fires a Demon-Breaking Arrow, immobilizing him. He then shoots Harold with a holy-water-soaked silver bullet engraved with a Holy Cross.
  • Harold tries to shift from anger to pleading in an attempt to manipulate Geralt, but Geralt kills him without hesitation. He gains 30 Demon Hunter experience.
  • Harold leaves behind a supernatural bookmark. After Geralt collects it, it is absorbed into the Book of Proverbs, creating an entry that records Harold’s identity, abilities, and memories.
  • Geralt views Harold’s Memory Carousel and learns that Harold was a wealthy, emotionally empty man who became addicted to killing. He first paid to murder terminally ill volunteers, then progressed to torturing and killing kidnapped innocents for pleasure.
  • Harold later died of a heart attack and became a Wraith, gaining the ability to manifest, affect the living, and absorb fear or other negative emotions.
  • Harold’s memories trigger Geralt’s rage, fully charging his magical item Black Goat. His supernatural tools also unlock new abilities after the battle.

Character Developments

  • Geralt demonstrates his defining traits: calmness, sharp observation, dark humor, tactical intelligence, and unwavering professionalism. He saves the trapped civilians but refuses to let Harold manipulate him.
  • Geralt’s understanding of the Demon Hunter Code is reinforced, particularly the rule that Wraiths cannot be trusted. His experience with Harold confirms that apparent restraint may simply conceal worse intentions.
  • Geralt’s rage becomes an important source of power. Harold’s memories awaken Geralt’s moral fury and charge the Black Goat to 100%, unlocking its Rage Burst ability.
  • Harold Kovos is revealed to have been deeply corrupt even before death. His wealth, privilege, and emotional emptiness led him to seek increasingly extreme forms of violence. As a Wraith, he retains his manipulative nature and attempts to deceive Geralt until the end.
  • The trapped civilians are shown reacting differently to danger: Anderson relies on physical strength but panics, Peter displays courage despite fear, Pepper becomes hysterical, and Michelle remains observant enough to question Geralt’s identity and motives.

Significant Themes

  • Evil can survive death: Harold’s transformation into a Wraith does not make him evil; it exposes and continues the cruelty he already possessed in life.
  • Appearance versus reality: Harold presents himself as reasonable and harmless, but his claims conceal a history of sadistic murder. Geralt’s suspicion prevents him from being deceived.
  • Courage is not physical strength: Peter’s attempt to shield Pepper shows that bravery comes from moral choice rather than power or confidence.
  • Wealth and moral corruption: Harold’s immense privilege gives him access to everything except genuine meaning, leading him to pursue increasingly horrific experiences.
  • Justice versus negotiation: Geralt briefly appears willing to compromise, but he ultimately rejects bargaining with a Wraith whose nature makes further harm inevitable.
  • Rage as both emotion and power: Geralt’s anger at Harold’s crimes is morally justified and becomes a literal supernatural resource.

Character Interactions

  • Geralt humorously criticizes Anderson for pushing a door that could only be opened from outside, creating a brief comic interruption in the horror.
  • He directs the survivors toward safety and indirectly encourages Peter to lead Pepper and Michelle out.
  • Geralt and Harold engage in a deceptive conversation: Harold acts cooperative while considering whether Geralt’s soul might be valuable, while Geralt acts diplomatic only to create an opening for attack.
  • Harold attempts to manipulate Geralt through shifting expressions—from fury to helpless pleading—but Geralt remains unmoved and executes him.
  • The confrontation establishes the fundamental difference between them: Harold treats fear and suffering as tools, while Geralt uses controlled violence to prevent further harm.
  • By the chapter’s end, Geralt’s Book of Proverbs records Harold as a defeated supernatural enemy, while his magical tools gain new powers and move him beyond his former “housekeeping” role.
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Ch. 683Chapter 715

Chapter 715 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Geralt is forced to witness Harold Kovos’s memories through the Memory Carousel. Harold was born into extreme wealth but became bored, emotionally empty, and obsessed with finding meaning.
  • Harold’s search for stimulation led him to Xila, a dealer who sold experiences involving pain, death, and cruelty. Harold first paid to kill terminally ill volunteers, then escalated to torturing kidnapped innocents.
  • Harold’s sadism generated repeated Anger notifications within Geralt, causing Geralt to feel intense rage despite knowing the memories were only an illusion.
  • After Harold’s death from a heart attack, his negative emotions turned him into a Wraith. His memories reveal that he regained consciousness as a Ghost, became trapped in his villa, and eventually developed supernatural powers.
  • The Book of Proverbs updates after the Memory Carousel:
    • Geralt becomes a Demon Hunter lv1.
    • The Goat-Horn Hammer unlocks as Black Goat, granting increased strength, a chance to ignore defenses, and the skill Rage Burst, which releases accumulated Anger as a powerful attack.
    • The vacuum cleaner unlocks as Fly King, which absorbs supernatural corpses or remnants and converts them into increased attributes.
    • Harold’s information is recorded, including his ability to absorb negative emotions and his status as a scattered soul.
    • A bizarre bookmark, Middle-Aged Men’s Lifelong Enemy, is revealed to accelerate hair loss in men over thirty-five.
  • Geralt uses Fly King to consume the black mist left behind by Harold. This increases his Mentality by one point and confirms that the ghost has been fully dealt with.
  • Geralt reports the successful completion of the haunted-villa mission to Elizabeth, the Demon Hunter Guild operator.
  • While leaving, Geralt picks up the mission’s client, Luke Roman, who reveals that he runs a real-estate company specializing in Corrupted Properties—homes affected by murders, hauntings, or other supernatural incidents.
  • Luke explains that his company can handle lesser spirits but needs outside Demon Hunters to deal with powerful Wraiths. He had been waiting for Geralt because supernatural incidents sometimes become dangerous before official help arrives.
  • Luke recognizes Geralt’s surname as belonging to the famous Winchester family. He and his employees are impressed, though Phil doubts Geralt’s youth and experience.
  • Geralt returns home to Black Pine Town, inspects and maintains his equipment, and summons the newly unlocked Black Goat hammer.

Character Developments

  • Geralt becomes angrier and more morally disturbed after witnessing Harold’s atrocities, showing that he retains strong compassion despite his rational and experienced outlook.
  • He progresses from using a mere “housekeeping” tool to becoming a genuine Demon Hunter with multiple combat and utility abilities.
  • Geralt remains cautious and modest, reminding himself not to become greedy after gaining new powers and attributes.
  • His reputation begins spreading beyond the guild, as Luke immediately recognizes the significance of the Winchester name.
  • Harold is portrayed as a deeply corrupted man whose wealth, boredom, and emotional emptiness evolve into addiction to murder and torture. His evil continues after death when he becomes a Wraith.
  • Luke Roman is shown to be polite, pragmatic, and resourceful. He recognizes the value of skilled supernatural hunters and hopes Geralt can become a dependable protector for his company.
  • Zoe is confident and blunt, defending Geralt’s abilities against Phil’s doubts.
  • Phil is skeptical because of Geralt’s age, but his lack of supernatural ability leaves him unable to challenge Zoe’s argument.
  • Elizabeth, the guild operator, continues to serve as a mysterious but professional contact for Demon Hunters.

Significant Themes

  • The corruption of wealth and privilege: Harold’s unlimited resources do not bring fulfillment; instead, his lack of hardship contributes to boredom, detachment, and depravity.
  • Escalation of evil: Harold moves from paid executions to torturing innocent victims, illustrating how unchecked indulgence can develop into increasingly horrific cruelty.
  • Human monstrosity: The chapter emphasizes that supernatural beings are not always the greatest evil; Harold’s human actions are more horrifying than many paranormal threats.
  • Justice and emotional response: Geralt’s anger reflects the moral cost of confronting evil and suggests that righteous rage can become a source of power.
  • Growth and progression: The unlocking of Black Goat and Fly King marks Geralt’s transition from an inexperienced “housekeeping” player into a more capable Demon Hunter.
  • The supernatural as a profession: Luke’s Corrupted Property business shows how society has adapted to hauntings and paranormal threats through specialized services.
  • Reputation and legacy: Geralt’s Winchester surname grants him instant credibility, demonstrating the influence of family reputation in the demon-hunting world.

Character Interactions

  • Geralt and Harold: Geralt experiences Harold’s memories from an outside perspective but is emotionally affected by Harold’s cruelty. Harold’s death ultimately provides Geralt with new powers and experience.
  • Geralt and Xila, indirectly: Through Harold’s memories, Geralt learns of Xila’s underground business selling death and suffering.
  • Geralt and Elizabeth: Geralt professionally reports the mission’s completion, while Elizabeth confirms that the guild will verify the result.
  • Geralt and Luke: Luke approaches Geralt after the mission, explains his business, and attempts to establish a professional relationship. Geralt remains cautious but interested, eventually exchanging contact information.
  • Luke, Zoe, and Phil: Luke praises the encounter, Zoe celebrates finding a powerful ally, and Phil questions Geralt’s youth. Zoe dismisses Phil’s criticism by pointing out that Geralt accomplished what Phil could not.
  • Geralt and his household: Upon returning home, Geralt is welcomed with apple pie, while Cerberus checks that he is unharmed. The quiet domestic scene contrasts with the violence he has just witnessed.
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Ch. 684Chapter 716

Chapter 716 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Geralt reflects on Harold’s brutal torture of a victim while showering. Although he has witnessed worse violence during his years with the Winchesters, the memory still affects him. Mary’s warning—that Demon Hunters must remain emotionally balanced or risk madness or death—continues to weigh on him.
  • After changing, Geralt searches for Roman Realty, the mysterious real-estate company connected to Luke. Cerberus recognizes Luke and reveals that he met him more than twenty years earlier. Luke’s father was an incomplete Demon Hunter, while his mother possessed considerable talent. Cerberus warns Geralt not to interfere in Luke’s affairs, claiming that “the water runs too deep.”
  • The chapter shifts to Melinda Benjamin, whose family moved into an unusually cheap house in Black Pine Town. At first, the move seems successful, but the house soon becomes haunted:
    • Strange sounds emerge from the walls and vents.
    • Lights flicker, objects fall, and Melinda witnesses an invisible force push a glass from a table.
    • A rotten smell spreads through the house.
    • Her husband, Robert, dismisses her concerns as stress or hallucinations because he is focused on his new business and their financial situation.
  • Two nights earlier, Melinda sees a shadowy figure near her bed and later follows her six-year-old son, Robbie, to the stairs. Robbie appears possessed or controlled, mockingly asking whether she loves him before deliberately falling backward. Melinda catches him, but Robbie has no memory of the incident afterward.
  • Determined to protect her child, Melinda decides to leave the house temporarily and stay in a hotel.
  • At work, Melinda confides in her coworker Kate, who comforts her instead of judging her. Kate reveals that a friend once experienced something similar and was helped by supernatural professionals connected to the Winchesters. She gives Melinda their location, causing Melinda to seek out the Winchester family despite suspecting they may be frauds.
  • Meanwhile, Geralt checks the Demon Hunter guild website and sees confirmation that a mission has been completed and payment issued. The chapter briefly explains the guild’s five special occupations: Operator, Messenger, Investigator, Cleaner, and Verifier.
  • Geralt watches a television show about a bullied teenager whose Demon Hunter powers awaken on his eighteenth birthday. Geralt finds the protagonist’s desire to remain “ordinary” ridiculous, since supernatural enemies are already pursuing him. Cerberus enjoys the show because the protagonist kills powerful Demons, particularly looking forward to the defeat of Asmodeus, one of the strongest Demon Lords.
  • Melinda arrives at the Winchester residence. Rebecca, excited by the unexpected visitor, calls Geralt the “young master” and prepares to serve tea.
  • Geralt introduces himself as the person who spoke to Melinda through the intercom and invites her inside to explain her supernatural problem.

Character Developments

  • Geralt remains emotionally affected by violence despite his experience as a Demon Hunter. He is introspective and understands the danger of becoming either too detached or too emotionally involved. He also shows curiosity about Luke and concern about Cerberus’s ominous warning.
  • Cerberus reveals a connection to Luke and hints at hidden history involving Luke’s parents. His warning suggests that Luke’s situation is dangerous and complicated. Despite being a powerful Demon, Cerberus also displays a humorous enthusiasm for watching other Demons get killed.
  • Melinda changes from frightened and isolated to determined and proactive. Although her husband dismisses her, she prioritizes Robbie’s safety, seeks emotional support from Kate, and ultimately takes the risk of consulting the Winchesters.
  • Robert is characterized as practical but dismissive. His fixation on financial success prevents him from taking Melinda’s fears seriously, creating tension and leaving her emotionally unsupported.
  • Kate proves compassionate and trustworthy by listening to Melinda, comforting her, criticizing Robert’s behavior, and directing her toward genuine supernatural help.
  • Rebecca enthusiastically embraces her role as a maid and treats Geralt as the “young master,” adding comic relief to the otherwise ominous events.
  • Melinda’s son Robbie appears innocent at first, but his strange nighttime behavior suggests that the haunting may be affecting or possessing him.

Significant Themes

  • Emotional balance in Demon Hunting: The chapter emphasizes that Demon Hunters must neither become numb to suffering nor allow emotions to overwhelm them.
  • Paranormal danger hidden beneath ordinary life: A seemingly affordable home and a financially promising new beginning conceal a supernatural threat.
  • Maternal love and protection: Melinda’s fear is overcome by her instinct to save Robbie, demonstrating that parental love can inspire extraordinary courage.
  • Isolation versus support: Robert’s disbelief leaves Melinda alone, while Kate’s empathy gives her the strength to seek help.
  • The unseen supernatural world: Ordinary people remain largely unaware of Demons, haunted houses, and professional Demon Hunters, while organizations such as the guild and Roman Realty operate mysteriously in the background.
  • Humor amid horror: Cerberus’s enjoyment of Demon-slaying television, Rebecca’s formal maid behavior, and Geralt’s sarcastic reactions provide comic relief against the chapter’s darker events.

Character Interactions

  • Geralt and Cerberus discuss Roman Realty and Luke, with Cerberus warning Geralt to stay away from Luke’s affairs.
  • Melinda and Robert clash over the strange events in their house; he dismisses her fears, while she becomes increasingly desperate.
  • Melinda and Robbie share a frightening encounter in which his apparent possession nearly causes him to fall down the stairs.
  • Kate listens to Melinda’s confession, comforts her physically and emotionally, and connects her with the Winchesters.
  • Rebecca greets Melinda at the Winchester residence and calls Geralt the “young master.”
  • Geralt welcomes Melinda inside and prepares to hear the details of the haunting, setting up the next supernatural case.
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Ch. 685Chapter 717

Chapter 717 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Melinda meets Geralt to describe the supernatural disturbances in her new home. She has suffered sleeplessness, heard voices, and experienced frightening incidents, but everything appears normal whenever her husband, Robert, is present.
  • Geralt assures her that she is not insane. He believes a weak but cunning malevolent entity is trying to undermine her will through fear and despair rather than attacking directly.
  • He discusses possible help from the police and the Church, explaining that ordinary authorities are ineffective and that Church exorcisms are slow, bureaucratic, or potentially dangerous.
  • Geralt charges 5,000 Beli for the investigation. Melinda cannot afford it, so she offers her wedding ring as partial payment, planning to redeem it later.
  • He gives her Fire Tree Seeds and enchanted salt, instructing her to scatter them around the doors and windows after staying in a hotel. If the salt turns gray or black, it would indicate that the entity followed her.
  • The salt remains unchanged, and Melinda sleeps peacefully for the first time in a long while. Geralt agrees to inspect her home personally, though he advises her not to leave the hotel yet.
  • Geralt notices that Melinda bought the house through Roman Realty, the same company connected to suspicious events in his investigations.
  • The next evening, Geralt arrives at the Benjamin home. Robert is openly hostile and dismisses both ghosts and gods as fraudulent nonsense.
  • Geralt finds disturbing warning signs around the property, including dead birds and an infestation of large centipedes. Robert remains skeptical but orders Melinda to stay upstairs with their son, Robbie.
  • Using a fake “Ghost-Finding Needle” as a prop, Geralt searches the house. The needle reacts in the children’s room and then swings violently near the attic, suggesting that the supernatural presence is connected to that area.
  • As Geralt prepares to enter the attic, Robert suddenly attacks him from behind with a dagger. Geralt catches Robert’s wrist effortlessly and sarcastically questions why he would try to stab him in the kidney.
  • A flashback reveals that Geralt had already hired Joseph to conduct a thorough investigation into the family for 1,000 Beli, indicating that he suspected the situation involved more than a simple haunting.

Character Developments

  • Melinda: Regains confidence after Geralt validates her experiences and provides practical protection. Her peaceful sleep and willingness to sacrifice her wedding ring demonstrate her desperation to protect Robbie and her growing trust in Geralt.
  • Geralt: Shows compassion but maintains a professional, pragmatic attitude. He refuses to work for free, emphasizing the dangers and mortality of demon hunting. He also proves to be observant and cautious, secretly investigating the family and recognizing possible links to Roman Realty.
  • Robert: Becomes increasingly suspicious and antagonistic. His insistence that the supernatural does not exist appears hypocritical when he attacks Geralt, suggesting that he may be hiding something or may be directly involved in the danger.
  • Robbie: Though young, he senses his mother’s fear and provides her with emotional comfort. His presence reinforces Melinda’s determination to protect her family.
  • Joseph: Introduced indirectly as Geralt’s investigative contact, showing that Geralt prepared for the case before entering the house.

Significant Themes

  • Fear and psychological manipulation: The entity appears to weaken its victims mentally before attacking, making courage and willpower important forms of defense.
  • Professional duty versus altruism: Geralt argues that dangerous specialists deserve compensation and that reckless self-sacrifice often leads to death.
  • Faith, skepticism, and the unknown: The chapter contrasts Geralt’s practical supernatural knowledge with Robert’s atheism and the Church’s institutional approach to exorcism.
  • Appearances and hidden motives: Robert presents himself as a skeptic and concerned husband, but his attempted murder suggests a concealed agenda.
  • Maternal sacrifice: Melinda’s willingness to give up her wedding ring and endure danger highlights her devotion to Robbie.
  • Warning signs overlooked: The dead animals, centipedes, and supernatural activity suggest that evil often announces its presence through details people dismiss.

Character Interactions

  • Geralt listens carefully to Melinda, reassures her, and explains the nature of the threat without overstating what he knows.
  • Melinda seeks Geralt’s protection and gradually places her trust in him, while Geralt balances empathy with firm business boundaries.
  • Geralt and Robert clash over belief in the supernatural. Geralt remains polite and controlled despite Robert’s insults, while Robert grows increasingly aggressive.
  • Melinda protects and comforts Robbie upstairs, creating a contrast with the tense confrontation downstairs.
  • The chapter ends with Geralt physically stopping Robert’s surprise attack, turning the supposed investigation into a direct confrontation.
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Ch. 686Chapter 718

Chapter 718 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Geralt investigates the strange events surrounding Benjamin’s family and the haunted property at 6 Birch Street.
  • He contacts realtor Luke Roman, learning that the house had previously contained a mischievous Floating Spirit. Benjamin knowingly purchased the property despite its supernatural risks.
  • Joseph’s investigation reveals that Robert Benjamin had secretly received monthly payments from a shell company after losing his job. This suggests outside involvement and makes Geralt suspicious.
  • Robert attacks Geralt with a deadly serrated dagger, but Geralt overpowers him using the Demon-Breaking Crossbow and Black Goat’s hammer.
  • Robert’s body transforms into a grotesque eight-limbed, Man-Faced Spider-like monster, revealing that he has been deeply possessed and altered by a Wraith.
  • Geralt kills Robert after discovering that the face on his chest is a weak point. A separate fetus-like entity inside Robert also dies, granting Geralt additional experience and a bookmark for the Book of Proverbs.
  • Geralt uses the magical vacuum cleaner, Fly King, to consume Robert’s corpse and photographs the remains and supernatural evidence for Caitlin.
  • Through the Book of Proverbs’ Memory Carousel, Geralt learns Robert’s tragic history:
    • As a child, Robert was abused by Father Bor, a supposedly holy religious figure.
    • Robert’s parents defended Father Bor rather than recognizing their son’s suffering.
    • Robert fled home, built a normal life with his wife Melinda and son Robbie, and later encountered Father Bor again in Phoenix City.
    • The encounter reopened his trauma, leading to depression, job loss, and suicidal despair.
    • A mysterious man in black, connected to a skull-marked black business card, persuaded Robert to seek revenge through a supernatural experiment.
  • Robert used his own body as a womb for Floating Spirit embryos, feeding them with the fear and despair of his family. The haunting in the house was therefore deliberately created by him.
  • Geralt discovers an attic ritual involving an Inverted Pentagram Array, dismembered animals, Enochian writing, and a second black business card. The ritual was intended to create a Parasitic Fetus.
  • He informs Melinda that Robert is dead and could not be saved, while telling her that the Wraith has been destroyed. Authorities from the No. 9 Precinct will cover up the supernatural truth and provide a plausible explanation for Robert’s disappearance.
  • Back home, Geralt attempts to recover emotionally through his usual routine before being confronted by a formidable senior investigator from the No. 9 Precinct.

Character Developments

  • Geralt remains alert, pragmatic, and emotionally controlled, but Robert’s backstory affects him deeply. He shows compassion toward Melinda while maintaining a professional distance and prioritizing the destruction of the supernatural threat.
  • Geralt’s combat abilities and equipment are emphasized. He uses Black Goat, the Demon-Breaking Crossbow, positive-energy powder, Rage Burst, and Fly King in coordinated fashion.
  • Geralt gains experience, increased attributes, and another bookmark, though he becomes increasingly suspicious of the bookmarks’ connection to impropriety and supernatural experimentation.
  • Robert is revealed not simply as a victim or villain, but as a traumatized abuse survivor whose unresolved pain leads him to sacrifice himself and endanger his family.
  • Melinda begins the chapter in denial about Robert’s true condition. Witnessing his transformation forces her to confront the truth, though she remains devastated and dependent on her son Robbie for emotional support.
  • Caitlin continues to distrust Demon Hunters, viewing them as reckless and lawless, though the chapter acknowledges that her judgment is partly unfair. She still assists Geralt by managing the police response and receiving evidence.
  • Joseph proves useful as Geralt’s investigative contact, uncovering Robert’s suspicious financial history.
  • Luke Roman provides important background on the Birch Street property and confirms that Benjamin knowingly accepted the house’s supernatural risks.

Significant Themes

  • Trauma and denial: Robert’s abuse is ignored by his parents and buried by Robert himself until encountering Father Bor reopens the wounds. Melinda similarly refuses to acknowledge what Robert has become.
  • The corruption of faith and authority: Father Bor’s religious reputation contrasts sharply with his abuse, while Robert’s parents defend the institution instead of protecting their child.
  • Victimhood versus responsibility: Robert is both a victim of horrific abuse and the perpetrator of a ritual that harms his family. The chapter avoids presenting his suffering as an excuse for his actions.
  • Despair and exploitation: The mysterious man in black exploits Robert’s suicidal despair, offering revenge through a supernatural bargain.
  • Hidden supernatural corruption: Ordinary domestic life conceals monstrous transformations, occult rituals, and deliberate manipulation.
  • Institutional distrust: The tension between the No. 9 Precinct and Demon Hunters reflects competing approaches to supernatural threats, with both sides shown as flawed.
  • The cost of revenge: Robert’s desire to punish Father Bor leads him to sacrifice his body, endanger his family, and become a monster himself.

Character Interactions

  • Geralt and Joseph communicate about the investigation, with Joseph supplying Benjamin’s family records and financial evidence.
  • Geralt questions Luke Roman about the history of 6 Birch Street and Benjamin’s decision to buy it.
  • Geralt battles Robert directly, taunting him and exploiting his transformed body’s weaknesses.
  • Melinda witnesses Robert’s monstrous form and asks Geralt for an explanation. Geralt forces her to face the truth but later softens the message by explaining that Robert could not be saved.
  • Geralt and Caitlin exchange sarcastic remarks over the disturbance caused by the fight. Despite their friction, Caitlin helps prevent ordinary police officers from becoming involved and later receives Geralt’s evidence.
  • Geralt’s final encounter with the senior No. 9 Precinct investigator suggests that his actions at the house will lead to a more serious confrontation or investigation.
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Ch. 687Chapter 719

Chapter 719 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Caitlyn Kiramman visits Geralt and forcefully asks him about the mysterious organization connected to Melinda, the Parasitic Fetus Ritual, and the attempt to create Demons through human vessels.
  • Geralt explains that the organization may be trying to bypass the World Rules, which normally weaken powerful Demons entering the human world. He reassures Caitlyn that the creature he fought was only D-Rank and therefore manageable.
  • Geralt shows Caitlyn an image of the ritual’s pentagram, which used sacrificed spiders, snakes, geckos, centipedes, and lizards. He theorizes that the resulting monster’s mutations and abilities were influenced by these animals.
  • Caitlyn leaves quickly after confirming Geralt was not injured. Cerberus teases Geralt about his childhood mistreatment of Caitlyn, while Geralt insists he was merely helping her become braver.
  • The following day, Geralt receives a call from Luke and agrees to investigate a potentially supernatural house in Paradise Town. Cerberus warns him not to become too involved, but Geralt claims he is only “looking into it.”
  • Geralt meets Luke and Megan Donovan at a café. Megan describes bizarre phenomena in her house, including lifelike hallucinations and flames that formed a hand and tried to drag her into a fireplace.
  • During questioning, Megan realizes she had forgotten that her grandfather had specifically warned her never to sell the house. Luke reveals that his own mother disappeared inside the property years earlier, back when his family lived next door.
  • Luke’s investigation is partly motivated by his desire to uncover the truth about his mother’s disappearance. He also hopes to build a connection with the powerful Winchester Demon Hunter family.
  • At Megan’s house, Geralt uses Spirit Sight and sees numerous Earthbound Spirits surrounding the property. Dense black mist pours from the upper floors and basement, suggesting the house contains a serious supernatural presence.
  • Geralt equips himself with an extensive arsenal, including a Demon Hunter Gun, crossbow, arrows, daggers, stakes, wire saws, and ultraviolet fragmentation grenades.
  • The group enters the basement, where a locked wooden door lies at the end of a dark hallway. Before reaching it, Geralt encounters a large black dog with glowing red eyes and bared fangs.

Character Developments

  • Geralt remains confident, sarcastic, and adventurous. He conceals some information from Caitlyn but is willing to share enough to address her concerns. His eagerness to investigate Megan’s house reveals that he enjoys danger and supernatural mysteries, despite claiming to value his safety.
  • Caitlyn is shown as strong-willed and confrontational, but she is also genuinely concerned about Geralt’s safety. Her questioning demonstrates growing awareness of larger supernatural threats and her continued personal connection to Geralt.
  • Luke emerges as determined and emotionally driven. Though not a professional Demon Hunter, he continues investigating his mother’s disappearance rather than abandoning the matter. He also displays a manipulative or opportunistic side by using the case to establish ties with the Winchester family.
  • Megan changes from a skeptical homeowner into someone confronting her family’s hidden history. Her forgotten memory of her grandfather’s warning suggests that the house may have influenced or altered her thoughts. She begins relying on Luke and Geralt for protection.
  • Cerberus functions as Geralt’s cynical commentator, warning him against reckless involvement while also mocking his behavior. His preference for watching dramas provides comic relief.

Significant Themes

  • Supernatural threats hidden beneath ordinary life: The apparently normal house conceals ghosts, black mist, and a hostile creature.
  • The danger of forbidden knowledge and occult experimentation: The Parasitic Fetus Ritual reflects attempts to exploit loopholes in the World Rules, while the house appears tied to long-standing supernatural forces.
  • Family secrets and unresolved trauma: Megan’s grandfather’s warning and Luke’s mother’s disappearance connect the house to hidden family history.
  • Courage versus recklessness: Caitlyn’s questions about Geralt’s safety and Geralt’s enthusiastic preparation for danger highlight the difference between professional confidence and thrill-seeking.
  • Manipulation and trust: Geralt withholds some information, Luke conceals the house’s history from Megan, and Megan must decide whether to trust the Demon Hunters despite their youth and secrecy.
  • The persistence of the past: The Earthbound Spirits suggest that the house traps the dead and preserves the consequences of events across generations.

Character Interactions

  • Caitlyn confronts Geralt over his childhood bullying, while Geralt humorously reframes his actions as “training.” Their exchange shows a familiar, combative relationship beneath which lies mutual concern.
  • Cerberus mocks Geralt for his treatment of Caitlyn and later challenges his claim that he will not become deeply involved in Luke’s case.
  • Luke comforts Megan physically and emotionally at the café, creating an intimate moment that Geralt interprets cynically.
  • Geralt questions Megan carefully and uncovers the significance of her grandfather’s warning.
  • Luke confesses his connection to the house and his mother’s disappearance, while Megan forgives him for withholding the truth.
  • At the house, Luke and Megan are visibly shocked by Geralt’s heavy weapon preparation, especially the grenades, reinforcing the contrast between their limited understanding and Geralt’s experience.
  • The chapter ends with Geralt taking the lead as the group confronts the hostile black dog in the basement.
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Ch. 688Chapter 720

Chapter 720 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

  • A Red-Eyed Black Hound attacks Geralt, Megan, and Luke. Geralt calmly kills it with his lever-action rifle, earning experience and obtaining a bookmark that temporarily increases canine favorability.
  • Geralt uses the Fly King to consume the hound’s remains, though the creature provides no lasting attribute or record benefits.
  • At the sealed entrance beneath the house, Geralt uses thermite to melt the padlock and discovers a hidden chamber containing a well secured by massive chains covered in runes and Enochian writing.
  • By scattering Dragon Blood Tree root powder, Geralt reveals a complex magical array. He identifies it as a life-sacrifice Demon Seal, but cannot fully decipher its layered design.
  • Geralt reseals the entrance and explains that the Demon beneath the well is likely responsible for manipulating Megan through negative energy and hallucinations. The Donovan/Roman family bloodline appears connected to maintaining the seal.
  • Geralt investigates the second floor alone and encounters the ghost of Tessa Roman, Luke’s mother. She attacks him with a powerful silent sonic wave before a chain drags her into a bedroom.
  • When Geralt enters the room, he is transported to an eerie realm filled with enormous pillars beneath a dark-red sky: the Rift Between the Mortal World and Hell.
  • Tessa explains that she once discovered a passage to Hell being exploited by the Cow Blood Society to summon Demons. After defeating them, she sacrificed her life to reinforce the seal when a Greater Demon threatened to open a permanent portal.
  • A Demon still crossed through before the passage closed. Tessa sacrificed herself again, binding her soul to the Demon and imprisoning it within her body.
  • Tessa’s control is weakening, and the Demon is becoming stronger. She reveals that its weakness is its heart before the chained Demon emerges and attacks Geralt.

Character Developments

  • Geralt remains composed and practical, handling the hound, magical equipment, and hidden chamber with professional confidence. However, he recognizes that the sealed Demon represents an S-Rank-level threat beyond his current standing.
  • Megan develops from fearful and uncertain into a determined participant. She chooses to uncover the truth about her grandfather and the house despite the danger.
  • Luke remains driven by his decades-long search for his missing mother. Learning that Tessa willingly sacrificed herself intensifies his emotional burden and helplessness.
  • Tessa Roman is revealed as a heroic Demon Hunter who sacrificed both her life and her afterlife to protect civilians and her family. Despite her strength, her fading consciousness leaves her unable to control the Demon indefinitely.
  • The Hellhound/Demon is shown to be intelligent, predatory, and resentful. It has spent years trapped within Tessa, able to sense nearby humans but unable to consume them.

Significant Themes

  • Sacrifice and duty: Tessa gives up her life twice—first to protect the land, then to protect her family.
  • Family legacy: The Winchester and Roman family histories are intertwined through Demon Hunting, inherited weapons, magical abilities, and shared responsibility.
  • Hidden truths: The house’s secrets explain Megan’s grandfather’s warnings, Luke’s mother’s disappearance, and the supernatural pressure affecting Megan.
  • Limits of individual power: Geralt realizes that the Demon’s threat exceeds his abilities, emphasizing the danger of confronting major supernatural forces alone.
  • Protection versus personal cost: Tessa’s protection of others comes at the cost of her own freedom, while Luke and Megan choose to face the danger rather than retreat.

Character Interactions

  • Luke reassures Megan when the hound attacks, while Geralt takes command of the situation.
  • Geralt warns both Luke and Megan that entering the sealed chamber may be dangerous, but they insist on continuing their investigation.
  • Luke and Megan support each other after Geralt disappears, agreeing to search the house together.
  • Tessa recognizes Geralt as a Winchester through his Demon Hunter Gun and connects him to Mary Winchester, his mother.
  • Tessa confesses her regrets about being a poor mother to Luke, while Geralt presses her for practical information rather than allowing the conversation to remain purely emotional.
  • Tessa ultimately places her hope in Geralt as the Demon breaks free, leaving him to survive the confrontation.
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Ch. 689Chapter 721

Chapter 721 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Garm, a massive Hellhound, attacks Geralt and drags Tessa into its body using supernatural chains.
  • Geralt’s Demon Hunter Gun and silver ammunition prove ineffective. Garm wounds him with a poisoned claw strike, nearly tearing him open.
  • Forced to escalate, Geralt activates the Forbidden Spellmark, initially releasing 10% of its demonic power. His wounds heal, demon wings emerge, and he gains abilities including flight, camouflage, and mist concealment.
  • Geralt uses aerial maneuvering and his Mithril Dagger to distract and anger Garm, then lures it over three fragmentation grenades. The explosion severely damages the Hellhound but fails to kill it.
  • Geralt raises the Spellmark release to 20% and then 30%, transforming parts of his body with Rending Claws, Dark Etched Hooves, and protective scales. His physical attributes triple, but 30% can only be maintained for one minute.
  • Using the enlarged magical hammer Black Goat, Geralt shatters Garm’s skull. He then realizes Garm’s heart can be moved within its body, locates it in the abdomen, tears it out, and crushes it.
  • Geralt receives substantial experience, advances to Demon Hunter Level 2, and gains attribute and skill points. He also receives the bizarre bookmark “Me or It,” which reduces feline favorability.
  • After deactivating the Spellmark, Geralt is exhausted. He has Fly King drain Garm’s corpse, gaining additional Strength, Agility, Spirit, and Constitution.
  • Tessa reappears after Garm’s death and realizes Geralt defeated the Hellhound. She explains that Garm’s dimensional prison will collapse now that its power is gone.
  • Back in the human world, Tessa reunites emotionally with her son Luke, revealing herself as the truth he has spent years seeking. Geralt discreetly leaves them alone.
  • At home, Geralt learns from Cerberus that “Garm” is not a unique Hellhound but a name repeatedly given to Hellhounds created by the same master. He then rests and checks his updated status.

Character Developments

  • Geralt demonstrates creativity, tactical patience, and increasing confidence. Rather than relying solely on brute strength, he combines firearms, explosives, aerial mobility, a dagger, and Black Goat to defeat a superior enemy.
  • His use of the Forbidden Spellmark shows both his growing power and the danger of relying on demonic abilities. At 30%, he becomes visibly demonic and risks severe physical and mental consequences.
  • Geralt also shows compassion and restraint by allowing Tessa and Luke to reunite privately instead of intruding.
  • Tessa recognizes Geralt’s strength after witnessing his victory over Garm. She remains troubled by guilt toward Luke despite believing her past actions were necessary.
  • Luke finally encounters his supposedly lost mother, resolving the central mystery surrounding her disappearance.
  • Garm is portrayed as extraordinarily durable and regenerative, but its arrogance and rage allow Geralt to manipulate it into exposing its weakness.

Significant Themes

  • Power and sacrifice: The Forbidden Spellmark grants enormous strength but carries lasting costs, including bodily corruption and psychological erosion.
  • Strategy overcoming raw power: Geralt defeats Garm not through a single overwhelming attack, but through observation, deception, explosives, and identifying the Hellhound’s hidden weakness.
  • Family and reunion: Tessa’s return fulfills Luke’s long-standing search and emphasizes the emotional cost of separation and sacrifice.
  • Monstrous transformation: Geralt’s increasing reliance on demonic power blurs the boundary between human and demon.
  • Humor amid danger: The chapter balances brutal combat with comedic moments, such as Geralt’s “global warming” joke, the unreliable bookmark reward, and Cerberus’s disdain for Garm.

Character Interactions

  • Geralt and Garm engage in a hostile battle of taunts and escalating violence, with Geralt deliberately provoking the Hellhound to create openings.
  • Geralt and Tessa develop mutual respect after he rescues her from Garm and defeats the creature.
  • Tessa and Luke share an emotional reunion, with Tessa’s tears and Luke’s shock confirming the depth of their unresolved bond.
  • Geralt later consults Cerberus about Garm, learning more about the Hellhound’s origins and discovering that his victory may not have eliminated the larger threat behind it.
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Ch. 690Chapter 722

Chapter 722 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Geralt allocates his newly gained attribute points, placing most into Strength because his weapon, Black Goat, grants a 50% Strength bonus. He also raises Spirit to 20.
  • He spends his skill point on Spirit Sight, unlocking Hawkeye, which gives him an extremely long and sharp visual range of up to 36 kilometers.
  • Geralt reviews the memories of Garm, the Hellhound he killed. He learns that Garm served Nash, a Corpse Demon under the Monarch-level Demon Julian. Garm was a weak Mixed Demon whose survival in Hell was considered remarkable.
  • Through Garm’s memories, Geralt glimpses Julian, whose appearance becomes impossible to perceive, emphasizing the terrifying power of Monarch-level Demons and the authority of “death.”
  • Luke and Megan invite Geralt to dinner. Luke reveals that his mother, Mrs. Roman, has died peacefully after sacrificing herself to save Paradise Town.
  • Luke gives Geralt his mother’s demon-hunting collection, including occult tools, notes, weapons, and a Substitute Doll. Geralt keeps the doll and asks Luke to photograph the Witcher Notes.
  • Geralt warns Luke that continued involvement with supernatural forces is dangerous, comparing it to gazing into an abyss. Luke nevertheless plans to study and improve his mother’s Demon Seal, while he and Megan move into her house.
  • Geralt spends two peaceful days without taking official Demon Hunter jobs.
  • He picks up Nancy for a party at an abandoned grain warehouse. Before attending, they visit Horseshoe Bay, where Nancy tells him the legend of Lucy Sable, a dead pageant winner whose ghost is said to haunt the area.

Character Developments

  • Geralt becomes stronger and more strategically focused. He chooses to enhance his offensive power while postponing further upgrades to Forbidden Spellmark until his Constitution is higher.
  • His new Hawkeye ability expands his usefulness as a scout and fighter.
  • Geralt shows practical judgment by recognizing that his martial-arts skill is less valuable than his firearms and supernatural abilities in most situations.
  • He demonstrates compassion toward Luke, honoring Mrs. Roman’s sacrifice and warning Luke about the risks of supernatural research.
  • Luke grieves for his mother but finds comfort in knowing that she did not abandon him willingly. He is determined to continue her work.
  • Megan remains close to Luke and supports his plans.
  • Nancy is portrayed as resilient and mature after enduring her mother’s death, her father’s alcoholism, and rejection from her desired university. She shows growing warmth and romantic interest in Geralt.
  • George appears harsh and sarcastic but is revealed to be loyal and protective toward Nancy. Her interactions with Beth also show her skeptical, practical personality.
  • Beth is wealthy, naïve, and fascinated by Geralt, while Nancy is more emotionally perceptive and grounded.

Significant Themes

  • Power and hierarchy: Garm’s memories reveal that a monster considered extremely dangerous to humans is insignificant by Hell’s standards. The chapter emphasizes the vast power gap between ordinary demons and Monarch-level entities.
  • The danger of supernatural knowledge: Geralt’s warning to Luke reflects the theme that contact with the supernatural changes people and may lead them down a path of no return.
  • Sacrifice and remembrance: Mrs. Roman’s death saved Paradise Town, and her collection preserves her legacy. Luke’s actions show how survivors cope with grief by continuing a loved one’s work.
  • Survival in cruel environments: Garm’s loyalty and long life in Hell demonstrate how brutal conditions shape creatures and relationships.
  • Friendship and ordinary life: Despite hunting demons, Geralt still seeks meals, companionship, parties, and social interaction. The chapter contrasts supernatural danger with everyday human pleasures.
  • Appearances versus reality: George’s sharp tongue hides her kindness, while Beth’s attractive appearance conceals her naivety. Julian’s unseeable form also shows how true supernatural power lies beyond ordinary perception.

Important Character Interactions

  • Geralt and Luke discuss Mrs. Roman’s death and the dangers of demon hunting, strengthening their mutual trust.
  • Geralt accepts a Substitute Doll from Luke and agrees to stay in contact, while Luke thanks him sincerely.
  • At Claw Restaurant, Geralt interacts playfully with George, Nancy, and Beth. George teases him, Nancy serves him, and Beth openly admires him.
  • Nancy invites Geralt to a party, and their relationship becomes more flirtatious. They exchange playful remarks while preparing to leave together.
  • During the drive, Nancy shares the local legend of Lucy Sable. Geralt responds by jokingly pretending to be frightened and then claims Lucy is behind Nancy, maintaining their lighthearted chemistry.
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Ch. 691Chapter 723

Chapter 723 Summary

Plot and Events

  • Nancy confides in Geralt that, as a child, she could perceive things others could not. Because people dismissed her as a liar or attention-seeker, she eventually doubted her own sanity. She can no longer clearly see such phenomena, though she occasionally notices fleeting shadows.
  • Geralt responds sympathetically, affirming that unseen things may still exist. He recognizes Nancy as someone with unusual intuition who is vulnerable to confusion without guidance.
  • Nancy opens up about her desire to travel and experience the wider world. Geralt realizes her artistic, emotional nature and uses a romantic poem, The Furthest Distance in the World, to impress her.
  • Geralt and Nancy attend a party in an abandoned barn. What was advertised as an ordinary gathering has become a nightclub-like event involving alcohol, drugs, flashing lights, and roughly a hundred teenagers.
  • They meet George, Beth, and their male companions: Ace, Ned Nixon, and the suspiciously flirtatious Terry. Ned is interested in Nancy and becomes jealous of Geralt, while Geralt is possessive of Nancy despite still downplaying his feelings.
  • Terry attempts to sell the group blue pills. Geralt stops him by gripping his wrist, while George angrily rejects the drugs because of her traumatic experiences with her alcoholic mother. Beth also refuses, citing her family’s strict rule against drug use. Nancy declines as well.
  • Finding the party unpleasant, the group leaves and plays pool instead. Geralt later drives Nancy home, where she initiates a kiss. Their relationship becomes openly romantic.
  • Geralt and Nancy continue seeing each other over the following days. They exchange texts, go on drives, talk by phone, and share poetry—much of which Geralt shamelessly borrows from famous writers.
  • The chapter then shifts to Eden Lake, a once-popular campground abandoned after a massacre ten years earlier. Five affluent young people—Daniel Gates, Haley, David, Julian, and Matt—arrive in a luxury RV to camp.
  • Daniel is wealthy, manipulative, and predatory, viewing women as objects to select and “consume.” He is interested in both his girlfriend Haley and Julian. The chapter ends with Daniel and Haley at an abandoned pier, where he dives into the lake and beckons her to follow.

Character Development

  • Nancy: Becomes more emotionally open with Geralt and begins to trust him with her childhood trauma and ambitions. Her dual nature is emphasized: rational and analytical at work, but dreamy and artistic in personal life. She grows more confident and affectionate, eventually initiating their first kiss.
  • Geralt: Develops genuine affection and protectiveness toward Nancy. His possessiveness is obvious when he confronts Ned and Terry, and he takes her supernatural perceptions seriously rather than dismissing them. He also uses poetry and frequent contact to deepen their relationship.
  • George: Shows strong hostility toward alcohol and drugs because of her mother’s alcoholism. She is protective of her friends and quickly drives Terry away.
  • Ned: Is established as Nancy’s persistent admirer and Geralt’s romantic rival. Nancy’s obvious preference for Geralt leaves him discouraged.
  • Terry: Appears as a small-time drug dealer who backs down after Geralt intimidates him, though he immediately returns to selling elsewhere.
  • Daniel Gates: Is portrayed as wealthy, arrogant, calculating, and sexually predatory. He treats people—especially women—as commodities and surrounds himself with companions who reinforce his social dominance.
  • Haley, David, Julian, and Matt: Are introduced mainly through their relationships to Daniel, suggesting an unequal social group in which Daniel holds the power.

Significant Themes

  • Belief in the unseen: Nancy’s experiences challenge the tendency to dismiss what cannot be directly perceived. Geralt’s response suggests that uncertainty is not proof of nonexistence.
  • Isolation and emotional vulnerability: Nancy’s childhood trauma, her mother’s death, and her father’s decline have left her vulnerable, but her resilience allows her to form a meaningful connection with Geralt.
  • Romance and emotional distance: The poem’s focus on impossible or unspoken love mirrors Nancy and Geralt’s growing relationship and Geralt’s difficulty honestly expressing his feelings.
  • Predation and exploitation: The drug dealer preys on vulnerable teenagers, while Daniel views romance and sexuality in terms of acquisition and consumption.
  • Youthful recklessness: The party’s drugs, alcohol, dangerous setting, and disregard for warnings foreshadow the horror associated with Eden Lake.
  • Foreshadowing and horror: Eden Lake’s history of massacre, abandoned facilities, ignored warning signs, and the group’s arrival establish a threatening second storyline.

Character Interactions

  • Geralt and Nancy form the chapter’s central emotional bond through intimate conversation, poetry, shared outings, and physical affection.
  • Geralt and Ned compete silently for Nancy’s attention, with Nancy favoring Geralt and unintentionally humiliating Ned.
  • Geralt confronts Terry over the drugs, while George reinforces the rejection with anger.
  • The transition from Geralt and Nancy’s developing romance to Daniel’s predatory camping trip creates a sharp contrast between sincere affection and exploitative desire.
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Ch. 692Chapter 724

Chapter 724 Summary

Plot and Key Events

  • At Eden Lake, David and Julian are attacked after hearing strange noises outside their tent. David goes out to investigate, but a huge, mysterious figure appears, prompting Julian to scream.
  • Geralt is contacted by Caitlin about the disappearance of Daniel Gates, heir to the powerful Gates Group. He initially refuses because the job does not obviously involve the supernatural, but accepts once Caitlin implies it may.
  • Geralt agrees only after Caitlin promises to erase an old prank—putting a realistic caterpillar in her pencil case—from her private record.
  • The case materials reveal that Daniel disappeared near Eden Lake, the site of a massacre ten years earlier. Nearby Crystal Lake has also been associated with similar massacres, suggesting a recurring supernatural pattern.
  • Before investigating, Geralt plans to inform Nancy of his absence without revealing the truth and travels to Phoenix City to meet Gates Group representatives.
  • At Gates Building, Geralt joins a group of hunters, mercenaries, detectives, and other “extraordinary” specialists competing for a reward:
    • 10 million Beli for rescuing Daniel alive
    • An additional 1 million Beli for each other survivor rescued
    • 1 million Beli for useful information
    • Travel and living expenses covered even if the search fails
  • The contract and reward structure emphasize that Daniel’s survival is the priority, while the reward for clues encourages cooperation.
  • A hostile participant named Edmund tries to intimidate Geralt, but Geralt detects the attempt in advance and effortlessly embarrasses him.
  • Susan Carpenter, the Gates chairman’s secretary, confirms Geralt’s professional credentials and rebukes Edmund for questioning Gates Group’s judgment.
  • Caitlin later explains that Thorn Snake, Gates Group’s private military and security subsidiary, has already searched the area without success. Because the company cannot handle the supernatural aspects of the case, the investigation has been handed to people with unusual abilities.
  • At Eden Lake, the assembled investigators begin examining the preserved crime scene. Geralt uses Spirit Sight and discovers traces ordinary investigators missed, including huge three-toed footprints belonging to a creature estimated to weigh about 300 jin. He spends an hour mapping their distribution.

Character Development

  • Geralt remains pragmatic, perceptive, and confident. He dislikes ordinary jobs but is willing to investigate anything connected to the supernatural. His enhanced senses allow him to notice threats and clues that others overlook.
  • He also displays a playful side through his bargaining with Caitlin over the caterpillar prank, revealing a less serious dynamic between them.
  • Caitlin is resourceful and manipulative in a friendly way, using Geralt’s own words to persuade him to accept the mission. She enjoys teasing him but remains focused on expanding No. 9 Precinct’s influence.
  • Nancy is important to Geralt’s personal life, though she does not appear directly. Geralt’s concern about explaining his sudden absence shows that he values their relationship and recognizes the danger secrecy may create.
  • Julian shifts from intimacy to fear when David disappears outside the tent. Her panic signals the seriousness of the unseen threat.
  • Susan Carpenter proves to be sharp, authoritative, and protective of Gates Group’s decisions. She quickly suppresses Edmund’s challenge and recognizes Geralt’s legitimacy.
  • Edmund is established as arrogant and insecure. After failing to startle Geralt, he redirects his embarrassment into hostility, revealing the “bandit logic” Geralt criticizes.
  • The other investigators are introduced as capable but competitive specialists, many of whom underestimate supernatural phenomena or Geralt himself.

Character Interactions

  • Geralt and Caitlin exchange teasing but purposeful dialogue, with Geralt using the caterpillar incident as a condition for accepting the assignment.
  • Geralt’s relationship with Nancy contrasts with his professional secrecy: he wants to be honest but feels unable to reveal his supernatural work.
  • Edmund attempts to mock and intimidate Geralt, but Geralt’s heightened awareness neutralizes him. Susan then publicly defends Geralt and humiliates Edmund.
  • Geralt observes the various specialists at the crime scene, including plant-sensitive investigators, trackers, private detectives, and a medium attempting to contact a Forest Spirit.

Significant Themes

  • The supernatural hidden beneath ordinary society: A corporate kidnapping investigation gradually reveals links to massacres, mysterious disappearances, and an inhuman creature.
  • Appearance versus ability: Geralt looks physically unremarkable and poorly equipped compared with the hardened investigators, yet his actual capabilities greatly exceed theirs.
  • Professional pride and competition: The assembled specialists distrust one another and compete for the reward, while Thorn Snake’s personnel dismiss abilities they cannot understand.
  • Money versus human life: The enormous reward is designed to motivate rescuers, but the question about Daniel’s possible death raises doubts about whether all participants truly care about saving him.
  • Secrecy and relationships: Geralt’s need to conceal his work from Nancy highlights the personal cost of living between the normal world and the supernatural one.
  • Foreshadowing and recurring horror: The connection between Eden Lake, Crystal Lake, past massacres, and the massive three-toed footprints strongly suggests that an ongoing supernatural threat is responsible for the disappearances.
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Ch. 693Chapter 725

Chapter 725 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Geralt deduces that multiple intelligent monsters kidnapped the students and deliberately scattered in different directions, suggesting either a coordinated attack on the Gates Group or a hidden controller. He believes Daniel may still be alive.
  • Following one trail into the Flying Dragon Mountains, Geralt relies on his extensive wilderness experience. His Forbidden Spellmark makes him immune to ordinary illnesses, while jungle creatures avoid poisoning him.
  • A mercenary squad led by the seemingly sickly but dangerous Mantis also tracks the missing students. Their scent specialist, Morgan, eventually loses the trail.
  • Kara, who has secretly followed the mercenaries, reveals herself and asks to cooperate. She claims her younger brother David White is among the missing and offers to guide them without accepting the reward.
  • Mantis initially responds with crude harassment and orders his men to seize Kara. Kara reveals that her clothing is packed with C4 and threatens to detonate it, but Mantis’s apparent madness makes the threat ineffective. When the detonator fails to spring back, Mantis unexpectedly offers genuine cooperation and gives her a gun, warning his men not to harm or even stare at her.
  • Kara uses a magical bronze compass to guide the group deeper into the mountains.
  • At dusk, the mercenaries discover Geralt camping beside a stream and roasting a rabbit. Mantis senses danger through a heating Demon Wish Card and prevents Turner from confronting Geralt, moving the group to another campsite instead.
  • Geralt calmly eats, cleans his equipment, and sleeps in a hammock while the mercenaries watch him suspiciously. Mantis discourages Turner’s plan to kill Geralt, revealing that his “madness” is partly an intimidation tactic.
  • During the night, Geralt detects several large shadows approaching the mercenary camp. Rather than help, he leaves quietly while monsters attack the camp, triggering gunfire, explosions, and screams.
  • Using the chaos as cover, Geralt continues toward the mountains, apparently intending to raid the monsters’ lair. More than twenty minutes later, he senses someone—or something—following him and orders it to emerge.

Character Developments

  • Geralt: Demonstrates exceptional survival skills, composure, physical resilience, and tactical pragmatism. He prioritizes his own mission over rescuing the mercenaries, using the monster attack as a distraction.
  • Mantis: Appears unstable and perverse, but is revealed to be calculating and deliberately cultivating a reputation for insanity. His Demon Wish Card may have caused or influenced the detonator malfunction. He also shows unusual interest in Kara and enforces control over his subordinates through fear.
  • Kara: Proves resourceful, brave, and strategically bold. She infiltrates the mercenaries, uses explosives to prevent being captured, and possesses a magical tracking compass. Her concern for her brother motivates her cooperation.
  • Turner: Remains resentful toward Geralt after their earlier humiliation, but his aggression is restrained by fear of Mantis and the dangers of the jungle.
  • The mercenary squad: Despite their combat experience, they are shown to be poorly adapted to genuine wilderness survival and heavily dependent on Mantis’s leadership.

Significant Themes

  • Intelligence behind the monster attacks: The coordinated kidnappings suggest planning rather than animal instinct, raising the possibility of a mastermind.
  • Appearances versus reality: Mantis’s apparent insanity is partly an act, while Geralt’s relaxed, almost careless behavior conceals his superior awareness and ability.
  • Survival and pragmatism: The jungle rewards caution, preparation, and adaptability. Geralt survives by avoiding unnecessary fights, while the mercenaries struggle despite their weapons.
  • Power and intimidation: Mantis controls others through fear, while Kara attempts to create leverage through her explosives. Both demonstrate that psychological pressure can be as important as physical strength.
  • Trust and cooperation: Kara seeks an alliance for personal reasons, but Mantis’s cruelty and unpredictability make cooperation dangerous.
  • Moral detachment: Geralt’s decision to let the monsters attack the mercenaries emphasizes his self-interested, tactical approach to survival.

Character Interactions

  • Geralt analyzes the monsters’ behavior independently and never directly encounters the mercenary squad until their campsite meeting.
  • Kara negotiates with Mantis, first resisting his harassment and then forcing him to recognize her value through the threat of mutual destruction.
  • Mantis intimidates his subordinates, especially Turner, while unexpectedly protecting Kara after agreeing to cooperate.
  • Turner wants revenge against Geralt, but Mantis’s warning prevents an attack.
  • Geralt silently observes the mercenaries, avoids confrontation, and exploits the monster attack to continue his own pursuit.
  • The chapter ends with Geralt confronting an unseen pursuer in the bushes, creating a cliffhanger.
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Ch. 694Chapter 726

Chapter 726 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Geralt catches Kara following him. She initially claims to be David White’s sister, but Geralt exposes inconsistencies in her story. Kara admits she lied and reveals that she is a novice Demon Hunter searching for Daniel Gates for personal reasons.
  • Kara asks Geralt to help track Daniel and offers him a share of the reward plus 100,000 Beli. After securing a small cash deposit, Geralt agrees.
  • While traveling through the jungle, Geralt repeatedly teases Kara but also quietly helps her survive. He gives her a saliva-dampened tissue as insect repellent, shares wild fruit, and deliberately rests because she is exhausted.
  • Kara realizes Geralt lured monsters toward the mercenary group led by Mantis by leaving rabbit blood and entrails near their camp. Geralt justifies this by pointing out that the mercenaries are dangerous criminals and competitors.
  • Kara explains that Mantis is a ruthless man with unusual abilities and may survive the monster attack, but Geralt remains unconcerned.
  • Geralt determines that the monsters weigh more than 300 pounds yet leave no tracks because they travel by leaping between trees. He concludes that they and an intelligent mastermind are hiding in a nearby valley.
  • Before entering the valley, Geralt insists that both of them carefully inspect their equipment. He emphasizes the importance of preparation, quoting the Winchester Demon Hunter Code.
  • Kara reveals her weapons and supernatural tools, including the Golden Compass and a pendant that grants night vision at the cost of gradually worsening eyesight. Geralt recalls warnings about the dangers of trading lifespan or health for supernatural benefits.
  • The pair enter a mist-filled valley and discover a cabin. Geralt realizes the fog is being used to detect intruders, meaning they have already been noticed.
  • Around the cabin, Geralt finds soil mixed with herbs associated with protection, healing, and repelling supernatural creatures. This suggests the cabin’s owner may not control the monsters, as Kara suspects, but may instead be defending against them.
  • They knock on the cabin door. Receiving no answer, Geralt opens it with his gun. A strong smell of blood and herbs emerges, ending the chapter on a threatening cliffhanger.

Character Developments

  • Geralt: Demonstrates his sharp instincts, survival expertise, tactical thinking, and willingness to manipulate enemies indirectly. Though sarcastic and seemingly careless, he is attentive to Kara’s condition and extremely cautious before confronting danger. His reflections on the Winchester family’s methods reinforce his growing identity as a Demon Hunter.
  • Kara: Is revealed to be inexperienced despite possessing training and supernatural equipment. She is honest about her motives only after Geralt pressures her and gradually begins trusting his judgment. Her interactions with Geralt expose her impulsiveness, fatigue, and lack of preparation, but she also shows courage and a strong determination to rescue David and find Daniel.
  • Mantis and the mercenaries: Their reputation as violent, morally corrupt criminals is reinforced. They remain an indirect threat, and Kara warns that Mantis may survive and seek revenge.
  • The cabin’s owner/mastermind: Remains unidentified. The protective herbs imply a more complicated relationship with the monsters than initially assumed.

Significant Themes

  • Trust and deception: Kara’s initial lie nearly destroys her credibility, while Geralt’s constant testing forces her to be truthful.
  • Preparation versus recklessness: Geralt repeatedly stresses equipment checks, caution, and planning, contrasting with Kara’s impulsive behavior.
  • Intelligence as a greater danger than strength: Geralt suggests that intelligent monsters are more dangerous than ordinary beasts because they can plan and manipulate.
  • The cost of supernatural power: The Golden Compass and night-vision pendant demonstrate that supernatural abilities require serious sacrifices, including lifespan, youth, or health.
  • Moral ambiguity and indirect justice: Geralt does not directly attack the mercenaries but deliberately leaves them vulnerable to monsters, raising questions about whether allowing evil people to suffer is morally different from harming them.
  • Humor amid danger: Geralt’s sarcasm and Kara’s exasperation provide comic relief while the threat steadily grows.

Character Interactions

  • Geralt interrogates Kara at gunpoint, exposing her false identity and forcing her to explain herself.
  • Kara negotiates with Geralt for his assistance, while Geralt humorously refuses to accept an impossible electronic transfer.
  • Their journey is filled with antagonistic banter, including the insect-repellent tissue and the monkey comparison, but these exchanges also reveal growing familiarity and reluctant cooperation.
  • Kara questions Geralt’s actions toward the mercenaries and tracking methods, while Geralt explains his reasoning and gradually earns her admiration.
  • Geralt mentors Kara in preparation and caution, while Kara begins to view him as both an irritating companion and a reliable protector.
  • Together, they approach the cabin as uneasy partners, united by their search but uncertain about what awaits inside.
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Ch. 695Chapter 727

Chapter 727 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Geralt and Kara enter her family’s abandoned cabin. Kara recognizes the family photograph and realizes that the little girl is herself.
  • Kara’s father, Kaecilius, is found dead in the bedroom. Geralt restrains Kara when she rushes toward the corpse and knocks her unconscious to prevent her from acting recklessly.
  • Geralt discovers Kaecilius’s diary, which reveals the family’s tragic history:
    • Kaecilius and his wife, Pamela, survived the Eden Lake Summer Camp Massacre but became lost in the wilderness.
    • They eventually found shelter, though Pamela grew ill and died.
    • Kaecilius later learned that Bor Gates and his accomplices were responsible for the massacre, but the powerful Gates Group escaped justice.
    • After discovering witchcraft scrolls, Kaecilius began studying magic and modifying goblins.
    • He recognized Daniel Gates as Bor Gates’s descendant and attempted to abduct him and his companions for revenge.
    • His rage caused the modified goblins to lose control, resulting in multiple deaths and the monsters turning against him.
    • Haunted by guilt and visions of Pamela, Kaecilius ultimately gave up on saving himself.
  • Geralt leaves the diary with Kara so she can learn the truth, then enters the goblins’ hidden mountain cave to complete his mission.
  • Inside, he finds the modified goblins gathered around a bonfire, with their massive leader seated on a throne of human and animal bones. Eight captives are being held, including Daniel Gates, several high school students, a rescue team, and a medium.
  • Geralt shoots at the goblin leader but hits its skull rather than killing it. He then activates 10% of his Forbidden Spellmark, using Night Mist-Hide to become invisible and undetectable.
  • Geralt ambushes the leader and kills it with the Black Goat, triggering an armor-breaking effect that causes its head to explode.
  • The remaining goblins flee. Geralt kills three of them for experience, while the rest escape through an underground river.
  • After collecting the goblin corpses with the Fly King, Geralt gains increases to his Strength, Agility, and Constitution.
  • He searches beneath the goblin throne and finds valuable crystals, an emerald, and a gold nugget.
  • Geralt frees the prisoners by shooting the lock and leads them out of the cave. Among them, the medium recognizes him and thanks him.
  • The group camps until dawn. Daniel, still weak and hungry after being imprisoned for days, has his servant Matt ask Geralt for food, promising payment after their rescue.

Character Developments

  • Kara: Her discovery of her father’s body exposes the personal cost of the massacre and the family’s suffering. Although initially overwhelmed by grief and rage, she is left with Kaecilius’s diary so she can understand her parents’ history.
  • Kaecilius: The diary portrays him as a loving husband and father whose grief and desire for justice gradually turn into obsession and revenge. His failed attempt to punish the Gates family transforms him into a tragic figure who becomes responsible for innocent deaths.
  • Geralt: He continues to act pragmatically and decisively, restraining Kara, investigating Kaecilius’s death, and prioritizing the rescue mission. He shows compassion by rescuing the captives but remains wary of their entitlement, refusing to cater to Daniel’s complaints.
  • Daniel Gates: His privileged background offers him no protection in the wilderness. Imprisoned, starving, and helpless, he is forced to confront his vulnerability.
  • The medium: The medium’s earlier judgment of Geralt gives way to sincere gratitude after Geralt saves him and the others.

Significant Themes

  • Revenge and injustice: Kaecilius’s life is destroyed because the Gates Group escapes punishment, demonstrating how unchecked power can drive victims toward vengeance.
  • Grief and guilt: Kaecilius is consumed by the deaths of Pamela and the massacre victims, eventually viewing death as an escape from his remorse.
  • The consequences of losing control: His anger influences the modified goblins, causing the rescue attempt to become a massacre.
  • Survival and adaptability: Both Kaecilius and Geralt rely on unusual means to survive—witchcraft in Kaecilius’s case and combat abilities and supernatural tools in Geralt’s.
  • Appearance versus nature: Though modified into enormous and powerful creatures, the goblins retain their instinct to bully the weak and flee from stronger opponents.
  • Privilege stripped away: Daniel’s wealth and social status are useless among the goblins, where survival depends on strength and practical ability.

Character Interactions

  • Kara reacts emotionally to her father’s corpse, while Geralt restrains her to keep her safe.
  • Geralt learns about Kaecilius’s relationship with Pamela and Kara through the diary, gaining insight into the motives behind the goblin attacks.
  • Geralt confronts and kills the goblin leader, causing the others to flee.
  • He frees the captives, exchanges brief words with the grateful medium, and bluntly refuses to indulge Daniel’s weakness.
  • Matt approaches Geralt on Daniel and Haley’s behalf to request food, setting up the chapter’s closing interaction.
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Ch. 696Chapter 728

Chapter 728 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Geralt gives the stranded survivors emergency food and cooking equipment without demanding payment.
  • The Outdoor Rescue Team gathers wild fruit, mushrooms, and water to prepare soup. Druin secretly intends to drug the group by making them eat two fruits whose combined effects cause unconsciousness.
  • Geralt detects the trap. Under threat of his gun, the rescuers are forced to eat the fruit themselves. One man collapses, proving the danger was real.
  • Geralt injures the unconscious man with a thrown branch and shoots Druin in the knee, then orders the remaining rescuers to leave within one minute. Druin confesses that he needed money for his daughter’s medical treatment, but Geralt rejects this as an excuse for betraying their benefactor.
  • Claire, the female detective, feels sympathy for the punished rescuers, but her psychic partner reminds her that they would likely have killed Geralt and the others if their plan had succeeded. Geralt clarifies that the fruits are not lethal but would cause unconsciousness and potentially leave victims vulnerable to jungle predators.
  • Kara returns after hearing the gunshot. Having read her father Kaecilius’s diary, she declares that she will complete his revenge against the Gates Group, though she will not follow his restrictive methods. Geralt neither offers direct assistance nor tells her to abandon revenge, respecting her right to act according to her own pain and choices.
  • At dawn, Geralt uses smoke to attract a helicopter, but supernatural interference prevents it from landing safely. He leads the survivors through the jungle and encounters the Mountain Reconnaissance Battalion and Thorn Serpent Security.
  • After handing Daniel over to Thorn Serpent, Geralt quickly neutralizes two hostile guards who attempt to confront him, humiliating them without killing them.
  • Back in Black Pine Town, Geralt showers to cleanse himself physically and symbolically after the mission.
  • He uses the Book of Proverbs to enter the memories of Gululu Tata, the modified Goblin chieftain. The memories reveal Gululu’s origins, his exile, his discovery of the surface world, and his transformation by a human researcher.
  • Gululu’s increased strength eventually weakens the Obedience Curse controlling him, especially after he tastes human blood. He rebels, kills Kaecilius, and treats the kidnapped humans—including the high school students, rescuers, and detectives—as food before Geralt destroys his group.
  • Geralt realizes that the underground world beneath Earth is far more extensive and mysterious than humanity understands.
  • Geralt visits Claw Restaurant and finds Nancy acting strangely. When confronted, she apologizes, ending the chapter on an unresolved note.

Character Developments

  • Geralt remains pragmatic, vigilant, and ruthless toward betrayal, but he is not motivated purely by money or cruelty. He rewards genuine effort, protects those under his care, and respects personal autonomy. His handling of Kara shows that he understands revenge cannot simply be dismissed by outsiders.
  • Druin is revealed to be desperate and morally compromised. His concern for his daughter explains his motive but does not excuse his attempt to drug and abandon the group.
  • Claire demonstrates strong compassion and justice, but her partner points out that excessive idealism can become dangerous or self-righteous.
  • Kara moves from grief toward determined action. She intends to pursue revenge against the Gates Group while rejecting her father’s limitations.
  • Gululu Tata develops from a weak but ambitious Goblin into a powerful modified creature. His story shows how hardship, exploitation, and newly acquired strength lead him to reject his master and become a predator himself.
  • Nancy appears troubled and guilty, though the reason for her apology is not yet revealed.

Significant Themes

  • Betrayal and ingratitude: Geralt’s generosity is repaid with an attempt to drug him, reinforcing his belief that kindness without vigilance is dangerous.
  • Justice versus mercy: Geralt forgives Druin verbally but imposes severe, lasting punishment, showing that forgiveness does not mean avoiding consequences.
  • The limits of moral judgment: The chapter rejects simplistic demands that victims forgive or abandon revenge. Geralt refuses to tell Kara how she should respond to her father’s death.
  • Power and survival: Gululu’s memories emphasize that physical strength alone is insufficient, while the human modification program demonstrates how power can create new forms of violence.
  • Hidden worlds and incomplete knowledge: The underground ecosystem suggests that humanity has only a superficial understanding of the supernatural world beneath the Earth.
  • Kindness with boundaries: Geralt and the psychic both recognize that compassion becomes harmful when it ignores danger or enables those who would exploit it.

Character Interactions

  • Geralt’s interaction with Druin’s team shifts from cooperation to intimidation after their attempted betrayal.
  • The psychic restrains Claire’s instinct to defend the punished rescuers and forces her to consider the threat they posed.
  • Geralt and Kara share a restrained but meaningful exchange: he acknowledges her revenge without promising help or condemning her.
  • Geralt clashes with Thorn Serpent’s guards, effortlessly demonstrating the difference between their authority and his actual combat ability.
  • Geralt’s discovery of Nancy’s distress introduces a new personal or emotional conflict likely to continue in the next chapter.
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Ch. 697Chapter 729

Chapter 729 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Geralt reassures Nancy that he knows she has secrets and promises to listen whenever she is ready to discuss them. Their romantic relationship continues to deepen.
  • Nancy reveals that she once worked as an amateur detective. Her unconventional methods often solved cold cases but created friction with her parents and the Black Pine Town Police Department. She stopped investigating after her mother’s death.
  • Nancy tells Geralt about Shirley’s murder in Storybrooke. Seven-year-old Shirley was seen entering teacher Thompson’s van, and overwhelming physical evidence—including DNA—links Thompson to the crime. However, hotel surveillance, conference records, and more than a hundred witnesses establish that Thompson was elsewhere when the murder occurred.
  • Possible explanations such as disguises and twins are dismissed. Geralt suspects a supernatural shapeshifter or mimic capable of copying both appearance and DNA.
  • Geralt discovers that a mission concerning Shirley’s murder is already in progress. He agrees to accompany Nancy to Storybrooke, effectively becoming her driver and investigative partner.
  • In Storybrooke, Nancy reunites with her friend Claire and meets Claire’s boyfriend, Simmons. Geralt charms Claire with compliments, while Simmons privately becomes jealous and resentful of Geralt’s appearance and confidence.
  • Claire explains that her instincts tell her Thompson is innocent, but she fears Shirley’s family may attempt to kill him when he is released because the legal evidence is inconclusive.
  • At the murder site beneath a banyan tree, Nancy’s supernatural empathy activates. She experiences Shirley’s terror and pain and collapses into Geralt’s arms.
  • Through her vision—and Geralt’s Spirit Sight—the group learns that Shirley was killed by a faceless, humanoid creature with lizard-like claws and a tail. The creature later assumed Thompson’s appearance and said Shirley would become “the fuse.”
  • Geralt theorizes that the killer intends to provoke a violent confrontation between Shirley’s family and the police when Thompson is released. Rather than search for the killer directly, they plan to make the killer believe the scheme is threatened, forcing it to reveal itself.
  • Claire volunteers to spread the information through her father, the town police chief.
  • The chapter ends with Claire privately questioning Nancy about her physical relationship with Geralt. Nancy admits that they are waiting for intimacy to develop naturally, prompting Claire to ask whether Nancy is afraid of deeper closeness.

Character Development

  • Geralt: Shows emotional sensitivity toward Nancy, supports her detective ambitions, and quickly applies supernatural reasoning to the case. He is also increasingly protective, catching Nancy when she collapses and caring for her afterward. His effortless charm wins over Claire but irritates Simmons.
  • Nancy: Becomes more open with Geralt by revealing her detective past and accepting him as a partner in the investigation. Her empathy powers expose the emotional trauma of Shirley’s death, but they also leave her physically vulnerable. Her hesitation about intimacy suggests fear of emotional vulnerability.
  • Claire: Reemerges as Nancy’s trusted investigative partner. Her strong instincts make her doubt Thompson’s guilt, and she takes an active role in developing a trap for the supernatural killer. She also acts as Nancy’s blunt, teasing confidante.
  • Simmons: His assumptions about rural people are overturned by Geralt’s appearance and manner. Although outwardly polite, he becomes jealous and resentful when Geralt fails to feel inferior to him.
  • Shirley: Though deceased, Shirley remains central through Nancy’s visions. Her fear, confusion, and death provide the emotional and supernatural foundation of the investigation.

Significant Themes

  • Trust and emotional openness: Geralt encourages Nancy to reveal her secrets without pressure, while Nancy’s reluctance to pursue deeper intimacy reflects her difficulty trusting and becoming emotionally vulnerable.
  • Justice versus evidence: The case highlights the gap between instinctive or supernatural truth and what can be proven in court. Thompson may be innocent, but neither Claire’s instincts nor Nancy’s visions are legally admissible.
  • Appearance and deception: The killer can imitate Thompson’s appearance and DNA, while Geralt’s charm challenges Simmons’s assumptions about identity and social status.
  • Supernatural truth beneath ordinary reality: A seemingly impossible murder becomes understandable once shapeshifters and other supernatural beings are considered.
  • The danger of unresolved grief: Shirley’s family’s anger and desire for revenge threaten to create the violent conflict the killer appears to want.
  • Kindness and strength: Geralt reflects that being kind does not mean accepting insults or refusing to fight back; compassion and the ability to defend oneself must coexist.

Important Character Interactions

  • Geralt reassures Nancy about her secrets, strengthening their romantic bond.
  • Nancy and George exchange playful insults, while Nancy’s gestures appear endearing to Geralt.
  • Nancy introduces Geralt to Claire, who approves of him after he praises both women.
  • Simmons attempts to project superiority, but Geralt remains friendly and unaffected, worsening Simmons’s jealousy.
  • Claire helps Nancy investigate and understands the consequences of Nancy’s empathy ability.
  • Geralt catches and comforts Nancy after her vision, reinforcing his protective role.
  • Geralt, Nancy, and Claire collaborate on a plan to lure the killer into revealing itself.
  • Claire teases Nancy about her sexual relationship with Geralt and challenges her fear of deeper intimacy.
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Ch. 698Chapter 730

Chapter 730 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Claire tells Nancy that her desire to leave Black Pine Town for college may conflict with her feelings for Geralt. She encourages Nancy to seize the present rather than fear that love will fade.
  • Claire visits the Storybrooke police station and informs her father, the police chief, that evidence supports Thompson’s innocence. He dismisses her, leading to a heated argument. Claire is secretly pleased because the confrontation prompts the station staff to spread the news throughout town.
  • At the Three Little Pigs Inn, Claire gives Nancy a bag of clothes for an overnight stay, though the bag also contains provocative lingerie and adult items, embarrassing Nancy.
  • Simmons remains skeptical of monsters and refuses to believe Claire’s suspicions about the case. Claire is disappointed that he rejects the supernatural explanation without investigating and sends him back to the inn.
  • Geralt, Nancy, and Claire examine the stolen van allegedly used by Thompson to murder Shirley. Nancy’s Empathy provides no useful information, and they realize the van was stolen before the crime.
  • Nancy chooses to stay overnight with Geralt rather than return home to her alcoholic father, though she hesitates before ultimately deciding not to call him.
  • While Nancy showers, Geralt considers becoming intimate with her, but their investigation and role as bait make the timing inappropriate.
  • A disguised monster appears as Claire and attacks Geralt. Geralt immediately recognizes that the “Claire” at the door is an impostor and kicks her through the room.
  • The monster reveals her true supernatural nature: she can perfectly imitate anyone she has seen. She shoots Geralt repeatedly with a handgun, but his enhanced body survives the attack. The monster escapes before Geralt and the others can capture her.
  • Geralt arms himself and Nancy, gives her a demon-breaking wrist crossbow, and contacts Caitlin. He learns that a Grimm had officially accepted the Storybrooke mission, while he became involved by coincidence.
  • Geralt finally tells Nancy the truth about his identity. He is a Winchester demon hunter from a family of supernatural hunters and explains the Demon Hunter Guild and its licensing system.
  • Nick Burkhardt, a Grimm, arrives with two companions to discuss the attack. The companions are revealed to be a male werewolf and a female demon fox, while Nick possesses Grimm Bloodline abilities that allow him to perceive their true forms.

Character Developments

  • Nancy becomes increasingly emotionally attached to Geralt. She stays with him overnight, embraces him after he is shot, and responds to his supernatural identity with trust rather than fear. Her admiration and romantic feelings grow stronger.
  • Geralt shows his protective instincts by taking the gunfire meant for Nancy. He begins treating her as a partner by equipping her with a weapon and explaining how to use it. He also decides to stop hiding his background from her.
  • Claire demonstrates confidence, manipulation, and familiarity with small-town social dynamics. She deliberately uses her argument with her father to spread the investigation’s news and remains disappointed by Simmons’s refusal to consider supernatural explanations.
  • Simmons undergoes the beginning of a worldview crisis. His skepticism prevents him from accepting Claire’s claims, but witnessing the shapeshifting monster and Geralt’s resilience leaves him unable to reconcile reality with his previous beliefs.
  • The monster is established as intelligent, highly capable, and wary of experienced hunter families such as the Grimms and Winchesters. Her ability to imitate people makes her especially dangerous.
  • Nick Burkhardt is introduced as a relatively inexperienced Grimm who nevertheless investigates supernatural activity alongside nonhuman allies.

Significant Themes

  • Love versus future ambitions: Nancy must decide whether to protect her plans for a new life or embrace her present relationship with Geralt.
  • Skepticism versus truth: Simmons represents ordinary human disbelief, while the events force him to confront supernatural realities he previously rejected.
  • Trust and revelation: Geralt’s decision to disclose his identity marks a major step in his relationship with Nancy, whose acceptance strengthens their bond.
  • Protection and partnership: Geralt protects Nancy physically, but by giving her a weapon and information, he also begins accepting her as an active participant rather than someone to shield completely.
  • Hidden identities and appearances: The monster’s perfect imitation emphasizes the danger of judging people by appearance and raises the importance of supernatural perception.
  • The clash between ordinary life and the supernatural: Small-town gossip, family arguments, romance, and dinner plans exist alongside monsters, hunters, and gunfights.

Important Character Interactions

  • Claire challenges Nancy about her feelings for Geralt and pushes her to live in the present.
  • Claire clashes with her father over Thompson’s innocence, then manipulates the situation to spread the investigation.
  • Claire and Simmons argue over whether monsters exist, revealing their conflicting beliefs.
  • Geralt and Nancy grow closer after the attack, with Nancy embracing him and accepting his explanation.
  • Geralt introduces Nancy to the world of demon hunters and gives her a crossbow, symbolizing increased trust.
  • Geralt meets Nick Burkhardt and the supernatural beings accompanying him, setting up cooperation—or possible tension—between the Winchester and Grimm traditions.
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Ch. 699Chapter 731

Chapter 731 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Nick Burkhardt introduces Geralt to his friends Eddie Monroe, a Werewolf, and Rosalee Calvert, a Demon Fox. Geralt immediately recognizes their supernatural identities, alarming them, but reassures them that the Winchesters do not indiscriminately kill supernatural beings.
  • Geralt explains how he and Nancy previously lured and fought the mysterious monster. Nick learns that the creature is a Mutant Shapeshifter capable of perfectly copying a person’s appearance, voice, behavior, DNA, and even recent memories through physical contact.
  • Nick reveals his own history: he is the last descendant of the Kessler Family and a Grimm whose “Fiery Eyes” allow him to see supernatural creatures hiding in human form. He has gradually become a Demon Hunter after receiving weapons and guidance from his aunt.
  • Monroe explains the Winchesters’ fearsome reputation. They are famous, ruthless when necessary, and willing to fight dirty against enemies who do the same. He suggests leaving the inn, but Rosalee points out that Storybrooke has nowhere else to stay.
  • A shooting at the Three Little Pigs Inn brings in Chief Martin and local police. Martin is ordered to cooperate with Geralt, a supposed special agent from the mysterious No. 9 Precinct. Geralt’s credentials cannot truly be verified, but the authority behind them is treated as unquestionable.
  • Geralt refuses to share meaningful information, repeatedly answering Martin’s questions with “Classified. No comment.” He requests only that the ballistic testing be expedited. Police find fifteen shell casings and seven bullets in the walls, but cannot explain where the remaining eight bullets went.
  • Geralt and Nancy change rooms and spend the next two days together. Nancy takes time off from work, while Geralt prepares for the coming confrontation.
  • On the third day, Thompson is released from custody. Supporters and opponents gather outside the police station, expecting possible violence from the Mitchell Family.
  • Thompson appears physically changed by imprisonment—thinner and more weathered, but stronger and more imposing. His presence silences the crowd. He insists on returning to Storybrooke because he believes an evil force is invading the town and someone must oppose it.
  • Thompson tells the commissioner that he has seen God and believes his suffering was meant to strengthen him, though he still does not consider himself religious. The commissioner realizes that prison has fundamentally changed him.
  • The Mutant Shapeshifter observes the crowd while disguised among the people. It searches for an opportunity to provoke chaos, expecting the Mitchell Family to attack Thompson. When they fail to appear, it decides to create a crisis itself.
  • As the Shapeshifter reaches for a gun, Geralt identifies it and attacks with a mysterious liquid. The substance burns the creature’s face like acid. Geralt then kicks it into the crowd.
  • Because the Shapeshifter had copied one of Martin’s officers, the police initially believe Geralt has assaulted an officer and aim their guns at him. Geralt calmly tells them to look at the creature instead.
  • The supposedly injured officer transforms into an upright, chameleon-like monster, exposing the Shapeshifter in front of everyone. Thompson dramatically cries out that the crowd has harmed “God,” revealing that the “God” he previously claimed to have seen was actually the Shapeshifter.

Character Developments

  • Geralt remains confident, secretive, and highly perceptive. He understands the Shapeshifter’s abilities and deliberately waits for the right moment to expose it publicly.
  • Nick is shown as an inexperienced but increasingly committed Demon Hunter. He is curious about Geralt’s abilities but respects the secrecy surrounding a hunter’s personal talents.
  • Monroe is characterized as unusually gentle and cautious for a Blood Wolf. His self-imposed exile from his pack reinforces his reluctance to participate in violence.
  • Rosalee acts as the more practical and composed member of Nick’s group, countering Monroe’s nervousness.
  • Nancy becomes increasingly close to Geralt and adopts an enthusiastic, almost playful “soldier” role in their preparations. She also asks Geralt many questions, treating him as a source of supernatural knowledge.
  • Chief Martin is portrayed as capable, determined, and instinctively suspicious, but also abrasive and frustrated by Geralt’s secrecy. His inability to control the investigation makes him feel powerless.
  • Thompson has been transformed by imprisonment. He returns more solemn, resilient, and spiritually convinced, believing his suffering has prepared him to confront the evil threatening Storybrooke.
  • The Shapeshifter is revealed to be manipulative and psychologically cruel, preferring deception and social conflict over direct combat. Its confidence begins to weaken after Geralt repeatedly sees through its disguises.

Significant Themes

  • Appearance versus identity: The Shapeshifter’s ability to copy faces, voices, memories, and biology questions whether outward appearance can ever prove who someone truly is.
  • Trust and secrecy: Geralt, Nick, and the police all operate with incomplete information. Geralt’s classified status protects him but prevents cooperation, while Nick’s supernatural identity must remain hidden.
  • The supernatural hidden within ordinary society: Storybrooke’s police, crowds, and bureaucratic institutions appear normal, yet monsters and supernatural hunters operate among them.
  • Suffering as transformation: Thompson’s imprisonment has hardened and reshaped him, leading him to interpret his ordeal as divine testing.
  • Justice versus authority: Martin wants to perform a legitimate investigation, but Geralt’s superior knowledge and secret orders place him beyond ordinary police control.
  • Manipulation and free will: The Shapeshifter enjoys controlling people’s reactions and intends to manufacture violence by exploiting fear, grief, and revenge.

Important Character Interactions

  • Geralt’s identification of Eddie and Rosalee creates tension, but his reassurance prevents Nick’s group from immediately viewing him as a threat.
  • Monroe warns Nick about the Winchesters’ dangerous reputation, while Rosalee mocks his suggestion that they abandon the inn.
  • Geralt and Martin clash repeatedly: Martin demands answers and proof, while Geralt remains polite but completely uncooperative.
  • Nancy questions Geralt about his credentials and abilities, showing growing intimacy and trust between them.
  • Thompson’s confrontation with the commissioner demonstrates his new determination and worldview.
  • Geralt’s final ambush of the Shapeshifter turns the entire crowd—and the police—into witnesses, exposing the monster and setting up the next stage of the conflict.
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Ch. 700Chapter 732

Chapter 732 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

  • The Shapeshifter is exposed when it transforms into Thompson, proving that Thompson was not Shirley’s murderer but had been its accomplice. The police aim their weapons at the creature, but the Shapeshifter escapes into the woods because they fear hitting civilians.
  • Thompson flees after it, where Claire confronts him. He admits that Shirley was sacrificed because he believed the Shapeshifter was a divine incarnation. His religious fanaticism confirms that he knowingly helped the monster.
  • Claire reveals that she, Geralt, and the others had discovered the monster’s hiding place the previous day. They publicly exposed the Shapeshifter partly to prove Claire’s innocence and reveal Thompson’s involvement.
  • Shirley’s grieving father, Hank, and brother, Sasha, confront Thompson with a knife. Claire leaves them to decide his fate, despite Thompson’s warning that killing him would violate the law. The chapter strongly implies that Hank and Sasha execute him.
  • The chapter flashes back to the investigation. Geralt and Claire determine that the weapon used by the Shapeshifter came from the police evidence room, indicating that it impersonated someone with access. Geralt obtains surveillance footage through Joseph, a skilled hacker, and uses Claire and Nancy to review it.
  • Geralt, Nick, Monroe, and Lolisa visit the Mitchell family, knock them unconscious so they will cooperate, and secretly bring them near the police station. They arrange for the family to witness the Shapeshifter’s exposure and pursuit firsthand.
  • Geralt and the others track the Shapeshifter into the forest. Monroe’s blood-enhanced potion reveals its true form and allows him to track it. Nick initially wounds it with a crossbow.
  • Geralt fights the Shapeshifter using the Black Goat hammer. He overwhelms it with superior combat ability and uses the hammer’s Rage Burst skill to inflict a fatal injury.
  • Before Geralt can finish the creature, three masked representatives of the so-called Grimm Royal Family appear. Their heir, Victor, demands that Geralt spare the Shapeshifter under royal protection and threatens war.
  • Geralt refuses to be intimidated and kills the Shapeshifter with a Demon-Breaking Arrow. Victor retreats after issuing a hollow threat, unwilling to risk a real conflict over the now-useless creature.
  • Afterward, Geralt summons the Fly King, whose grotesque appearance and apparent interest in Monroe and Lolisa create an unsettling comedic ending.

Character Developments

  • Thompson is revealed as a deluded but willing accomplice. His belief that Shirley was a holy sacrifice exposes his fanaticism and moral corruption.
  • Claire moves from certainty that Thompson is innocent to recognizing that he is nearly as culpable as the Shapeshifter. Though disturbed by the possibility of revenge outside the law, she accepts that the Mitchell family may punish him.
  • Geralt demonstrates his investigative skill, tactical planning, combat superiority, and willingness to defy supernatural authorities. He remains confident and contemptuous of empty threats.
  • Nick continues developing as a hunter, learning from Geralt and supporting the investigation without insisting on personally delivering the killing blow.
  • Monroe contributes his Blood Wolf abilities, using his sensitivity to blood to track the Shapeshifter.
  • Hank and Sasha are transformed by grief and rage. Their pain pushes them toward violent revenge for Shirley’s death.
  • Victor is introduced as a proud but politically cautious heir. Despite his royal title and threats, he avoids fighting Geralt when the cost appears too high.

Significant Themes

  • Justice versus revenge: The chapter questions whether legal justice is sufficient after an innocent child’s murder. Claire recognizes that allowing Thompson to face the Mitchell family may be morally wrong, but possibly deserved.
  • Fanaticism and dehumanization: Thompson justifies Shirley’s death by calling it a divine sacrifice, showing how religious conviction can be used to excuse horrific crimes.
  • Truth hidden behind appearances: The Shapeshifter’s power makes identity unreliable, while the investigation depends on evidence, surveillance, and careful reasoning rather than appearances.
  • Power and legitimacy: Victor’s “royal” status is mocked as largely self-appointed. Geralt refuses to respect titles that are not backed by meaningful power or courage.
  • Monsters and morality: The Shapeshifter calls Geralt a monster, but the chapter emphasizes that being a monster does not automatically determine whether someone is good or evil.
  • Family and grief: The Mitchell family’s devastation contrasts with the Shapeshifter’s claim that monsters are never lonely because they have their own families.

Important Character Interactions

  • Claire and Thompson: Claire condemns Thompson for helping sacrifice Shirley and rejects his attempt to invoke the law or guilt.
  • Thompson and the Mitchell family: Hank and Sasha confront the man responsible for enabling Shirley’s death, creating the chapter’s most emotionally charged confrontation.
  • Geralt and Claire: Their investigation reveals mutual trust, with Geralt providing evidence and Claire using her police knowledge to interpret it.
  • Geralt and Nick: Nick allows Geralt to finish the Shapeshifter, showing respect for Geralt’s abilities and prioritizing the mission over personal glory.
  • Geralt and Victor: Their confrontation establishes Geralt’s refusal to submit to supernatural aristocracy and hints at a possible future conflict with the Grimm Royal Family.
  • The group and the Shapeshifter: Nick, Monroe, Lolisa, and Geralt combine tracking, alchemy, ranged weapons, and close combat to corner and defeat the creature.
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