Recaps

Evan read Pulis's final letter, which warned him about Botis Alcott and his ancestor's interest in him, and offered clues about their enemies. Richard judged the letter sincere and identified one of Pulis's potions as a valuable Mother Potion, which he planned to analyze.

• Evan found a trace of Bloodthirsty Species aura on Pulis's schoolbag, but Richard opened it and handed him a letter.
• Evan read Pulis's warning that Botis Alcott was targeting him and that Alcott's real goal involved Evan's ancestor; Pulis also said an invitation would arrive on December 31.
• Evan found five potions in the bag, including Blood and Night Demon potions and three unfamiliar ones.
• Richard read the letter, confirmed Pulis's claims seemed credible, and offered to ask around at Miskatonic University about Evan's ancestor.
• Richard identified the gold potion as a Mother Potion and offered to analyze it so they could learn its ingredients and produce it in batches.

Richard gave Evan rules for surviving as a Demon Hunter and advised him to accept the Hurst girl's invitation to New Haven, where he could meet Hill and obtain Investigator identification. Evan chose the Female Assistant's Beyonder Characteristic for his first Magic Potion, then tested his new body's resistance to the cold.

• Richard told Evan to avoid provoking Authorities Beyonders, seek monster-hunting work, hide supernatural transformations from ordinary people, and resist dangerous mandatory orders when necessary.
• Evan told Richard about the Hurst girl inviting him to New Haven, and Richard suspected a Prophet was involved but advised him to go and meet Hill at the Miskatonic University Office.
• Richard reassured Evan that Alcott would hesitate to attack because of Evan's mysterious bloodline, and urged him to take the initiative against Pulis's circle.
• Evan asked Richard to refine the Female Assistant's Beyonder Characteristic into a Magic Potion so he could gain the Bloodthirsty Species' healing and survival abilities.
• Richard went to sleep in the spare bedroom, while Evan stood under cold water and marveled at his Beyonder body's warmth and strength.

Evan drank the last Diluted Transformation Potion and woke to find his Basic Sanguine characteristic had reached the threshold for Stage One. He accepted the transformation, gaining greatly increased strength, regeneration, and blood quality along with new weaknesses.

• Evan drank the final Diluted Transformation Potion and sent his Secondary Brain to guard him while he slept.
• Evan found Richard had left after taking a potion, then recalled his weakened Secondary Brain into his body.
• Evan's panel showed Basic Sanguine at 31% and warned that Stage One would bring bloodthirst, sun aversion, and silver weakness.
• Evan accepted the Stage One transformation, and red vessels spread across his body as his muscles and blood changed.
• Evan checked his enhanced attributes and demonstrated enough strength to send a gust across the bedroom with a punch.

After testing his enhanced Physique and healing, Evan drank a rat’s blood and discovered Copper Plague could consume pathogens to increase its progress. He used Demon Hunter Sight and ordered his Secondary Brain to hunt more rats, which it quickly killed.

• Evan tested his tougher skin and rapid healing, then confirmed that sunlight did not harm him.
• Evan killed a rat with a thrown kitchen knife and drank its blood despite its foul smell.
• Evan’s Panel detected several pathogens, and Copper Plague consumed them, raising its progress from 0.21% to 0.221%.
• Evan calculated that rats could supply his daily blood and help Copper Plague progress, while bat blood might be more effective.
• Evan sent his Secondary Brain to hunt rats, and it pierced one through the skull beneath a cupboard.

Evan used the Secondary Brain to hunt rats, increasing his Copper Plague progress, then left home feeling newly confident. When a street gang tried to extort him, he broke the leader’s shoulder and defeated his four accomplices, then made Gus Gang members remove them from Gooding Street.

• Evan and the Secondary Brain killed all fifteen rats in his apartment, and drinking their blood raised Copper Plague progress to 0.371%.
• Evan gave the rat carcasses to Pulis, learned more about the Secondary Brain’s abilities, and left home with his last six dollars and eleven cents.
• A burly man staged a collision and accused Evan of injuring his shoulder, while four accomplices approached with knives.
• Evan dislocated and broke the burly man’s shoulder, then defeated the four knife-wielding men and broke their right arms.
• Evan ordered three Gus Gang members to clear the troublemakers from Gooding Street, and they complied without challenging him.

Evan went to Bolton City South Station to meet Hurst and assessed the gulf between Sage University students and the wealthy travelers using the VIP passage. He encountered Albert Trus being ordered around by members of the Phoenix Brotherhood, and the chapter left him watching the Brotherhood’s unnervingly smiling female companions.

• Evan reasoned that Hurst’s behavior would reveal whether she was Pulis’s accomplice or a genuine ally, and decided to flee if she seemed hostile.
• Evan arrived at South Station and observed the ordinary students’ expenses and strained efforts to appear respectable beside the wealthy passengers in the VIP passage.
• Evan met Albert Trus, his childhood friend, who was surprised to learn Evan had entered Sage University.
• A Phoenix Brotherhood member shouted for Albert to bring over a banner, and Albert hurried away after making a brief excuse to Evan.
• Evan recognized the Phoenix Brotherhood members and noticed that some of the women beside them were not students and wore identical, unsettling smiles.

Evan used Demon Hunter Sight at the station and discovered a family of nonhumans and a curse affecting five girls with the Phoenix Brotherhood. After meeting Eldin and her attendants, he followed her toward the VIP waiting room, imagining a chance to impress her.

• Evan detected a purple aura coming from a family of four and recognized that none of them were human.
• Evan saw pink mist around five girls accompanying the Phoenix Brotherhood and learned from the old Demon Hunter that a Monk's Desire Curse was controlling them.
• Evan identified Botis Alcott as the Phoenix Brotherhood's president and decided not to interfere because he did not know how to break the curse.
• Eldin greeted Evan at the VIP passage, and he used Demon Hunter Sight to confirm that she and her attendants had no Beyonder aura.
• Eldin's governess rebuked her for speaking casually with Evan, then led her to the VIP waiting room while a bodyguard told Evan to carry the luggage.

Evan impressed Garp by carrying heavy suitcases through the VIP passage and began building a rapport with the Hurst family bodyguard. Albert saw Evan’s unexpected access and questioned his own stalled ambitions, just as Dennis’s Magic Artifact identified Albert as someone the President needed.

• Evan carried two heavy suitcases with ease, and Garp introduced himself before agreeing to pay Evan for doing a good job.
• Albert watched Dennis flirt with a girl and reflected on how years of errands for the Phoenix Brotherhood had left him stuck doing chores.
• Albert spotted Evan walking through the VIP passage beside Garp and was stunned that Evan had gained access to the Hurst family.
• Dennis’s Pocket Watch pointed toward Albert, and Dennis decided to use him for the President’s purposes.
• Dennis told Albert that his chance to join the Brotherhood had come, and Albert eagerly sprang to his feet.

Evan accompanied Garp to the Hurst family’s private train carriage, where he learned the risks of guarding Miss Hurst and received an unexpectedly generous uniform. After changing into the suit, he wondered why Miss Hurst was treating him so well.

• Garp warned Evan about trouble from robbers, suitors, and other bodyguards, and agreed to raise his pay by a dollar a day.
• Garp brought Evan into the Hurst family’s custom-built private carriage and showed him the luggage room.
• Garp gave Evan three new suits in different sizes as his work uniform, then left him to change.
• Evan tried on the largest suit and admired how much better he looked and felt in it.
• Evan wondered whether Miss Hurst’s generosity concealed some ulterior motive.

Evan inspected the carriage with Garp and used Demon Hunter Sight to examine a Healing Church artifact, triggering a curse that began turning him into copper. His Copper Plague awakened and started devouring the curse, leaving him to gain progress toward activating a Characteristic.

• Garp inspected Evan’s physique, then taught him how to check the carriage’s tamper-evident seals and furnishings.
• Garp warned Evan not to touch the Brass Incense Burner, a Healing Church Magic Artifact embedded in the wall.
• After Garp left to handle a situation outside, Evan examined the burner with Demon Hunter Sight and burned his eyes on its divine power.
• Evan’s Panel detected Benevolent Copperization, and the curse began stiffening his thoughts and turning his fingers into copper.
• Copper Plague awakened and devoured the curse, reversing the copperization while repeatedly granting Evan 0.1% progress.

Evan guarded the Hurst Carriage and provoked Botis Alcott to test his ability to control emotions. Alcott resisted retaliating and left with his entourage, while Evan concluded that Alcott was inexperienced at controlling his own emotions.

• Garp told Evan that he had sent Phoenix Brotherhood members away and paid him an extra dollar to keep them out of the carriage corridor.
• Evan noticed that every compartment had a curse-bearing Incense Burner and reasoned that the Healing Church was secretly protecting the Hurst family.
• Eldin boarded the carriage with other students, and Botis Alcott arrived with a large entourage.
• Evan blocked Alcott's way and baited Dennis into slapping Alcott by redirecting Dennis's swing.
• Alcott's emotional influence briefly reduced Evan's desire to resist, but Evan recovered; Alcott restrained himself and led his entourage away.

Evan analyzed Alcott’s emotion-controlling ability while guarding Hurst’s carriage, then faced a Ghoul who attacked him with poisoned claws. Copper Plague devoured the infections, and Evan seized the attacker and exposed his identity.

• Evan concluded that Alcott was physically weak but could subtly suppress resistance through his Monk ability.
• Evan turned away reporters, frauds, and other visitors from Hurst’s carriage as Copper Plague’s progress rose to 5.371%.
• A middle-aged man arrived with a girl while his supposed family waited nearby, and Evan recognized them as nonhuman.
• The man grabbed Evan and infected him with Corpse Poison, Rotting Fungus, and Bone Marrow Parasites.
• Copper Plague devoured all three infections, and Evan used his strength to pin the attacker’s clawed hand against the brass railing and call him Mr. Ghoul.

Evan confronted a Ghoul family aboard the carriage and agreed to help them win the Hurst family’s backing in exchange for a five percent stake in their Funeral Company. The deal left the Ghouls stunned when Evan ate the severed claw he had torn from the father.

• Evan overpowered the Ghoul father, whose claws corroded in Evan’s blood, and the Ghoul severed his own hand to escape his grip.
• The Ghoul father explained that factory owners wanted to take his family’s Cemetery, so they hoped Miss Hurst would bring their request for support to her family.
• Evan agreed to pass along the message and advocate for the Ghouls in exchange for five percent of their company and future corpse-handling work.
• Evan turned toward the carriage door to speak with Miss Hurst, then ate the Ghoul’s severed claw instead of returning it.

Evan gained permanent physical resistance and Copper Plague progress after eating a ghoul’s claw, then brought Jack Leto’s cemetery dispute to Garp. Garp negotiated with Leto and secured Miss Hurst’s help before the train reached New Haven.

• Evan ate the ghoul’s claw, gained 0.3 Physique, and raised Copper Plague progress to 15.371%.
• Jack Leto’s family wondered why Evan had resisted their poison and discussed his strange abilities.
• Evan told Garp about Leto’s cemetery and the Sapp Mining Group’s attempt to take its land.
• Garp examined Leto’s business documents and invited him into the carriage to negotiate.
• Leto emerged forty minutes later and told his family that Miss Hurst was willing to help them.

Evan helped Garp seal the Hurst compartments, secretly devouring Copperization Curses to advance his Copper Plague. He then carried the young ladies’ luggage and openly needled the governess, who insisted he call her Mrs. Victor.

• Leto thanked Evan, promised to honor his five-percent stake, and invited him to visit his company.
• At New Haven's Second United Society Station, Evan offered to help Garp seal the Hurst compartments.
• Evan secretly devoured Copperization Curses in three compartments, raising his progress as he worked.
• Garp sent Evan to carry luggage and warned him to keep his distance from the young ladies.
• Evan carried four cases and asked the governess to hang two more bags around his neck, embarrassing her in front of Eldin and the other young ladies.
• The governess hung the bags on Evan and demanded that he call her Mrs. Victor; Evan complied.

Evan arrived in New Haven with the Hurst family convoy, then learned he had free time before his evening assignment and considered activating Stage One of Copper Plague. He reunited with Hill, who had come to help him take care of important business before her study-visit duties resumed.

• Evan received hotel and identification cards from Garp and learned he was free until seven thirty while the Hurst family continued on without him.
• Evan checked his Attribute Panel and saw that Copper Plague had reached 30.371%, unlocking Stage One with bodily Brass transformation and weaknesses to rust and electricity.
• Evan decided not to activate Stage One in the busy station square and wondered how to contact Hill.
• Hill surprised Evan by appearing behind him, and they exchanged greetings before heading to lunch.
• Hill told Evan about her exhausting library study-visit schedule and said she wanted to handle his important business first.

Evan visited Miskatonic University's New Haven office, where Doctor Henry Armitage recruited him as an investigator and registered him with the police. Armitage gave Evan magic potions and offered his guidance, leaving Evan with a new legal status and a trusted mentor.

• Hill took Evan to the Armitage Museum, Miskatonic University's New Haven office, and introduced him to Doctor Armitage.
• Hill described Evan's Demon Hunter abilities and upcoming Homecoming invitation, and Armitage praised his talent and offered him investigative work.
• Evan accepted Armitage's terms, signed a contract, and received a booklet registering him with Miskatonic University and the police.
• Armitage gave Evan four magic potions and invited him to seek advice if anything unusual happened.
• Hill introduced Armitage as a Legendary Investigator and trusted Master, while Armitage reflected that the world now belonged to the young.

Evan reported Alcott and the Phoenix Brotherhood to Armitage, who tasked him with investigating and taught him about Monks, magic, Curse Removal, and Amulets. When Evan admitted he had not mastered a Beyonder Characteristic, Armitage went to the next room, apparently to fetch something for him.

• Evan told Armitage how Alcott controlled female students and how the Phoenix Brotherhood operated.
• Armitage ordered Evan to investigate Alcott and warned him to avoid harming ordinary people unnecessarily.
• Armitage explained the limits of a Monk Apprentice's Desire Manipulation and discussed Alcott's possible abilities.
• Evan described sensing Alcott weaken his desire to resist, and Armitage recognized his sensitive Spirituality.
• Armitage taught Evan the basics of magic, Amulets, and Curse Removal, then went into the next room after learning Evan was not yet an Apprentice.

Armitage gave Evan an Exorcism Talisman and explained the Magic Potions he had prepared to help him face Alcott and the Monk. Evan learned their effects and dangers, then left Armitage concerned by his unusually cheerful attitude toward their severe side effects.

• Armitage gave Evan a Brass Exorcism Talisman that could delay the Monk’s Desire Control and explained how it worked.
• Armitage described the Iron Blood Potion and warned Evan that it caused permanent memory damage and two days of Insomnia.
• Armitage explained the Shark and Gecko Potions, including their tracking and healing benefits and their side effects.
• Armitage told Evan that the four potions’ ingredients had cost a hundred U.S. dollars, and Evan asked if he could take the cash instead.
• Armitage explained that the Lion Potion could greatly increase Evan’s strength and flexibility but caused permanent muscle atrophy and reduced Willpower.
• Armitage warned Evan not to use the potions casually, and Evan said he was simply optimistic.

Doctor Armitage taught Evan occult rituals, and Hill trained him in Demon Hunter combat, discovering that his strength and durability had increased after his encounter with a Bloodthirsty Species. Hill learned that Evan planned to pursue the Bloodthirsty Species trait and promised to protect him as he left the museum.

• Doctor Armitage taught Evan curse removal, talisman making, and basic divination rituals.
• Hill took Evan to the training room, where her punch struck his unusually hard ribs and left her hand numb.
• Evan told Hill that he had become stronger, healed faster, craved a little blood, and planned to turn the Bloodthirsty Species trait into a Magic Potion.
• Hill concluded Evan had crossed the threshold of a basic Bloodthirsty Species trait and promised to protect him.
• Hill taught Evan Demon Hunter combat fundamentals, then left by tram after he wished her a safe trip home.

After returning to the New Haven Hotel, Evan activated his new ability in private and discovered that Copperization greatly increased his Physique and let him turn parts of his body into flexible Brass. He tested its limits and learned he could copperize two body regions at a time.

• Evan walked through New Haven, noted its industries and white-collar workers, and considered returning to find opportunities to test drugs.
• At the hotel, Garp assigned Evan overnight watch and briefed him on the next day's schedule for Miss Hill.
• Evan locked himself in the washroom and activated the new ability, enduring strange sounds and dizziness for about ten minutes.
• Evan found that his Physique had risen from 5.436 to 6.186 and that his strength, stamina, and senses had improved.
• Evan copperized his hands, arms, head, and neck, confirming that the transformation preserved his dexterity and could cover two body regions at once.

After an uneventful day guarding Eldin, Evan found Albert Trus exhausted in the hotel lobby and decided to use him as a pretext to take the initiative against the Phoenix Brotherhood. As Albert described two years of humiliation, Evan found no sign of supernatural control but detected traces of three wealthy women’s perfumes on him.

• Evan guarded Eldin at Truth University's scoreless football game, then returned to the hotel without incident.
• Evan spotted Albert Trus in the lobby and chose to approach him so he could find a plausible reason to confront the Phoenix Brotherhood.
• Albert grabbed Evan’s wrist and said he could no longer endure being treated like a dog by the older students.
• Evan agreed to walk with Albert, who recounted two years of being used and humiliated by the students.
• Evan used Demon Hunter Sight and his heightened senses to find no Beyonder aura or sign of direct control on Albert, but detected three different perfumes on him.
• Evan joked that Albert had collected a “Farewell Brothel Fee” before a mission.

Evan discovered that Albert and Alcott had lured him into a trap, killed Albert when he attacked, and faced a gang of armed Phoenix Brotherhood members. He ignored the surrounding attackers and leapt into the abandoned factory to confront Alcott, his appearance changing as he landed.

• Evan spotted Alcott and at least ten human attackers hiding near the factory, then realized Albert had given him drugged tea.
• When Evan confronted Alcott, Albert attacked him with a dagger and confessed that he had chosen to betray Evan in hopes of entering high society.
• Evan redirected Albert’s dagger through his jaw, killing him, as Dennis, Thompson, and the other attackers emerged from hiding.
• Evan laughed at the gang, then sprinted across the street and leapt over the abandoned factory wall to reach Alcott.
• Evan landed by the broken window, where his hair turned silver-white and his eyes became golden, slit-pupiled eyes.

Evan killed Alcott after resisting his Desire Manipulation with the Iron Blood Potion, then slaughtered the men who charged him. He caught Dennis at the factory exit just as Dennis thought he had escaped.

• Evan resisted Alcott's Desire Manipulation and killed him with a Copperized punch, then crushed his chest and drank his blood.
• Dennis, Thompson, and their men arrived and found Alcott dead, and Dennis fired three bullets that shattered against Evan's Copperized chest.
• Evan advanced on the group, crushed the first attacker’s head, and killed the other charging men while their weapons broke against his body.
• Evan snapped Thompson's neck, then killed three armed accomplices who tried to shoot him.
• Dennis reached the factory doors, but Evan grabbed him by the back of the neck before he could escape.

Evan fought Alcott after the ten slain students fused into a giant flesh body, and he used Gecko and Lion Potions to overcome the creature’s strength and attack. The chapter ended with Alcott’s blows failing to stop Evan as the two prepared to continue their fight.

• Dennis was dragged back into the factory by a silver-haired figure with golden slit pupils and had his head twisted off.
• Evan discovered that the ten corpses were merging into a flesh giant with Alcott’s head and a surge of Beyonder power.
• Alcott attacked Evan with four arms and barbed tentacles, breaking his left arm and driving him into a wall.
• Evan swallowed Gecko Potion and Lion Potion, rapidly healing his arm and increasing his Physique and flexibility.
• Evan grew larger, tore one of Alcott’s tentacles in two, and endured the giant’s four punches without being knocked down.