Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “A Thank-You Gift”

Key Plot Points and Events

• During the Tarot Club meeting, Xio discusses the “Spectral Empire” and the possible secrets connected to Baron Larry, the Daniel Labyrinth, and the mysterious chest found at its deepest point.
• Alger links this information to Prince Mountbatten, who has sought the Church of Storms’ protection. Xio explains that the prince, along with Seafarer Kard and Reaper Myron, may know an important secret.
• Xio recounts the group’s expedition into the Daniel Labyrinth, explaining that she and Abner reached the inner hall but had to escape through the Mirror World. She deliberately omits information about Lion Leon, the Justiciar card, the Spectral Empire ticket, and deeper matters involving gods and transmigrators.
• Sharron realizes that the Daniel Labyrinth may explain why members of the Rose School of Thought have recently been behaving irrationally, suggesting they suffered major losses during the expedition.
• Alger reports a disastrous demonic sacrifice on Sonia Island. The demon Ialdabaoth escaped, while High-ranking Deacon Niango Iziamai Panin sacrificed himself to delay the ritual. The Church of Combat subsequently placed a bounty of three million Gold Horns on Ialdabaoth.
• After the Tarot Club meeting, Klein divines the identity of the mysterious girl with the orange cat whom he encountered near a steam-train station. He discovers that she is Jane, and suspects the cat may be “Three Lights,” a figure mentioned in Roselle’s diary.
• Back in Backlund, Fors worries that she has gained weight because of her fondness for desserts, while Xio silently resolves to help her exercise.
• In Bayam, Judy, Karen, and Miss Plant visit Abner to deliver additional thank-you gifts for rescuing them. Karen gives him a lifetime gold membership to the prestigious Trier Golf Club, while Judy declares that her gift is Miss Plant herself, leaving Abner stunned.

Character Developments

• Xio demonstrates caution and discretion by sharing useful information about the Daniel Labyrinth while withholding dangerous secrets connected to gods and transmigrators.
• Alger continues acting as an information broker, carefully probing whether Abner or the World knows more about the Ialdabaoth incident.
• Sharron becomes more engaged with the Daniel Labyrinth after realizing its possible connection to the Rose School’s recent instability.
• Klein investigates his own lingering sense of familiarity and successfully identifies Jane, while becoming curious about the significance of her orange cat.
• Fors remains humorous and food-loving, but becomes self-conscious about her weight.
• Abner maintains his policy of concealing high-level information and is caught completely off guard by Judy’s unusual “gift” of Miss Plant.

Significant Themes

• Secrecy and controlled disclosure: The characters share information selectively, recognizing that some truths are too dangerous or incomprehensible to reveal.
• Political and religious intrigue: Prince Mountbatten’s protection, possible military infiltration, and the Churches’ handling of the Sonia Island disaster all suggest hidden power struggles.
• The cost of confronting evil: Panin’s sacrifice prevents the demonic ritual from succeeding, but Ialdabaoth escapes, emphasizing that victory often comes at great personal cost.
• Humor amid danger: Fors’s concerns about food and weight, as well as Abner’s reaction to Judy’s “gift,” provide comic relief after discussions of demons, conspiracies, and divine schemes.
• Unresolved mysteries: Jane, Three Lights, the Spectral Empire, and the deeper purpose of the Daniel Labyrinth remain important mysteries for future developments.

Character Interactions

• Xio and Alger exchange theories about the Spectral Empire and Prince Mountbatten’s secrets.
• Sharron questions Xio about the Daniel Labyrinth, revealing her personal interest in the fate of her teacher’s family.
• Fors eagerly asks about the demon’s bounty, while Xio helps her calculate its value and privately worries about Fors’s health.
• Klein observes the Tarot Club members before conducting a private divination about Jane.
• Judy and Karen visit Abner together, formally distinguishing their new gifts from the Tudor Badge he previously claimed as expedition spoils. Judy’s presentation of Miss Plant creates the chapter’s comedic cliffhanger.

Chapter Summary: “New Ripples”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Judy gives Miss Plant to Abner. Since Miss Plant’s spirit has awakened, she can no longer serve as a vessel for Judy’s Resurrection and is instead only an ordinary avatar. However, a memory-transfer error has left her mind filled almost entirely with memories of Abner, leaving her lacking basic knowledge.
• Judy suggests Abner keep Miss Plant as a subordinate to help manage his properties. She teasingly warns him not to “use her for anything strange,” revealing a more mischievous side of her personality.
• Judy asks Abner to take Miss Plant to her mother, Mrs. Closia, who can implant common knowledge directly into Miss Plant’s subconscious. Abner agrees because he still needs Closia’s help with his Sequence 5 advancement ritual.
• Judy gives Abner Miss Plant’s original body: a strange miniature tree in a flowerpot. Miss Plant cannot travel far from it, and the tree’s nature remains unknown even to Abner’s Pure White Eye.
• Karen delivers Captain Arsenov’s gift to Abner: Holy Ointment, which temporarily weakens the negative effects of Beyonder items. Abner also receives Karen’s gold card.
• Abner invites Judy, Karen, and Miss Plant to dinner, but Judy and Karen must leave quickly for a new Desolate One mission. Miss Plant remains behind and is able to sample the food at Fragrant Manor.
• In Enmat Harbor, the disguised Bianca—currently impersonating Mrs. Pualis—hides Baron Larry, who is being hunted by MI9. Larry believes she genuinely loves and protects him, but Bianca is secretly working for Intis Envoy Owen to extract information from him.
• Baron Larry remains suspicious even while eating the food Bianca provides, testing it first with a Beyonder item. He plans to recover, return to Backlund, appeal to the king, and expose Prince Mountbatten’s alleged crimes.
• Owen learns that Larry has reached Bianca’s location. Rather than capturing him immediately, Owen orders Bianca to persuade Larry to return to Backlund. He suspects Larry may be a decoy or pawn in a larger conflict and intends to use him to expose Loen’s hidden plans and weaken the kingdom.
• Abner travels with Miss Plant to a concealed cave in Feysac, preparing to continue his investigation at the Hot Spring Inn. He finds no ambush waiting for him. The red-haired girl suspected of belonging to the Einhorn Family is still relaxing in the hot springs and playing with the curly-haired baboons.

Character Developments

• Abner accepts greater responsibility by taking Miss Plant into his care. He remains cautious and morally aware, recognizing that her awakened spirit means she should not be treated like an object, even though her mind is unusually centered on him.
• Judy reveals a playful, teasing, and somewhat mischievous personality beneath her usual ditzy behavior. Her willingness to give up Miss Plant also reflects her practical approach to the avatar’s failure as a Resurrection vessel.
• Miss Plant becomes more independent as an awakened spirit, though she remains mentally undeveloped and reliant on Abner for guidance. Her original tree-body establishes a physical limitation and reinforces her unusual nature.
• Karen and Captain Arsenov demonstrate goodwill toward Abner through the delivery of practical gifts and assistance.
• Bianca shows the strain of maintaining her false identity as Mrs. Pualis. Although she enjoys the comfortable life, she remains focused on her mission and hopes it will clear her reputation as a “Misfortune” Warlock.
• Baron Larry is portrayed as exhausted, paranoid, and self-important. He trusts Bianca because of his desperation but remains cautious enough to test his food.
• Owen emerges as a strategic political manipulator. He views Larry less as a source of information than as a tool for provoking and investigating Loen.

Significant Themes

• Identity and disguise: Miss Plant exists between plant, avatar, and person, while Bianca physically impersonates another woman. Both situations raise questions about whether identity comes from body, memory, or consciousness.
• Memory and personhood: Miss Plant’s mind consists almost entirely of memories of Abner, making her emotionally connected to him but lacking an ordinary understanding of the world.
• Manipulation and political intrigue: Larry is being used by both sides—Bianca intends to extract information from him, while Owen plans to use his return to Backlund as a political probe.
• Trust and suspicion: Nearly every major interaction involves concealed motives. Larry distrusts others even while relying on Bianca; Owen doubts Larry’s importance; Abner investigates possible ambushes; and Bianca must maintain a convincing deception.
• Power and responsibility: Abner’s acceptance of Miss Plant forces him to consider the ethical consequences of controlling or caring for an awakened supernatural being.

Important Character Interactions

• Abner and Judy: Their conversation becomes teasing and familiar, showing that Judy now considers Abner close enough to prank. Abner recognizes her hidden intelligence and mischievousness.
• Abner and Miss Plant: Their relationship becomes more defined as guardian and dependent. Abner prepares clothing for her and arranges for her education, while Miss Plant’s memories make her naturally attached to him.
• Bianca and Baron Larry: Bianca pretends to be a loving protector while secretly gathering intelligence. Larry’s emotional dependence on her makes him easier to manipulate, though his paranoia prevents complete trust.
• Owen and his secretary: Owen explains that Larry may be a political decoy and outlines his plan to force Loen’s hidden agenda into the open.
• Abner and the red-haired girl: Their interaction remains indirect. Abner investigates her from concealment, while she appears unaware—or at least unconcerned—that he has returned.

Chapter Summary: “Mr. Azik and Calderón City”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner investigates the Hot Spring Inn after becoming suspicious of the red-haired girl’s repeated challenge to an unseen observer.
• Using the Pure White Eye, he discovers that a tall Demigod of the Spectator Pathway has disguised herself among the baboons through psychological manipulation.
• Recognizing the danger, Abner retreats instead of confronting the Demigod and returns to Indo Port with Miss Plant.
• At Closia’s villa, Closia rewards Abner with a cloak that had belonged to her husband. Abner also reports the trap at the inn.
• Closia identifies the conspirators as Madam Greed of the Psychology Alchemists and her student. She explains that Greed’s obsession with gambling and her prolonged use of a Persona Mask may be influencing her mind.
• On Wednesday, Mr. Azik arrives through the Spirit World and asks to borrow Abner’s Book of the Dead to locate Calderón City.
• Azik returns with half of a tombstone from Calderón City, explaining that it has absorbed the city’s aura and can serve as a temporary source of that aura for Abner.
• Azik reveals that he sensed a mysterious sleeping entity deep within Calderón City, apparently connected to Miss Plant’s ancestry and possibly his own younger brother.

Character Developments

• Abner: Demonstrates greater caution and analytical ability by recognizing the possibility of layered deception and avoiding a confrontation with a Demigod. He also gains a valuable reward and a means of accessing Calderón City’s aura.
• Closia: Shows her continuing concern for Abner by rewarding him generously and providing an explanation for the ambush. Her comment about Persona Masks suggests she understands the psychological dangers of her own Sloth mask.
• Madam Greed: Is characterized as dangerously impulsive and addicted to gambling, willing to use elaborate traps despite uncertainty about Abner’s presence.
• Mr. Azik: Remains powerful but acknowledges his incomplete memories and limitations. His investigation of Calderón City uncovers a deeply personal connection to the city’s mysterious inhabitant.
• Miss Plant: Becomes more closely linked to the mystery of Calderón City through the revelation that the sleeping entity may be her ancestor.

Significant Themes

• Perception and deception: The chapter emphasizes disguises, psychological invisibility, bluffs, and the danger of trusting appearances.
• Caution versus confrontation: Abner’s decision to withdraw illustrates the importance of recognizing when escape is wiser than investigation.
• The effects of identity and masks: Closia’s remarks suggest that repeatedly adopting a Persona Mask can distort both behavior and personality.
• Memory, ancestry, and hidden connections: Azik’s incomplete memories and possible blood relationship to the entity in Calderón City deepen the mystery surrounding his past.
• Dangerous knowledge: The chapter portrays Calderón City as a place containing valuable secrets but posing severe risks to anyone who explores too deeply.

Character Interactions

• The red-haired girl attempts to lure Abner into revealing himself, while the hidden Demigod supports the ambush.
• Abner reports the incident to Closia, who identifies the perpetrators and rewards him with the cloak.
• Abner and Azik share a practical exchange involving the Book of the Dead and Calderón City’s aura.
• During breakfast, Azik explains his discovery about the sleeping entity, linking his own forgotten family history to Miss Plant and the larger Calderón City mystery.

Chapter Summary: “Secrets”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner considers the possibility that the “Death Archon,” Jane’s ancestor, was related to the God of Death—perhaps even an illegitimate son of the Underworld Emperor. He suspects that the Death Archon’s soul was transported to the present world by the Pure White Eye, but keeps these thoughts secret from Azik in case revealing the truth destabilizes him or interferes with the Goddess’s plans.
• Azik warns Abner that investigating the reasons behind an Angel’s fall is extremely dangerous. He explains that even in his current condition, he avoided probing too deeply into Calderón City.
• Abner tells Azik about the Hot Spring Inn, the mysterious Disaster surrounding it, and the possible demigod ambush. Azik recognizes Hot Spring Mountain and proposes investigating it despite his earlier warning about excessive curiosity.
• Using Spirit World travel, Abner and Azik arrive at the Hot Spring Inn, but the “Greed” lady and her student have already departed.
• Azik experiences a strong sense of familiarity with the mountain. Meanwhile, Abner uses the Pure White Eye and Scene Replay to observe a previous conversation between Greed and her red-haired student.
• The conversation reveals that:
  • The mountain was once a volcano and the fiefdom of a Giant family during the late Fourth Epoch.
  • A Disaster caused the volcano and the Giant castle to disappear, and the event may have been deliberately “hidden.”
  • A Loen knight once discovered treasure there before being destroyed through a mystical “Secret.” His family later fell into Withering.
  • Greed’s teacher investigated the mountain twelve years earlier and disappeared; the Magic Mirror indicated that she had died.
• Greed’s mental instability becomes evident. Her student attempts to distract and calm her, while Greed relies on a mysterious mask that seems to temporarily restore her personality.
• Abner connects the Hot Spring Mountain, the Dream Ruins near Indo Port, the Giant Descendant’s Notebook, and the death of Greed’s teacher. He theorizes that Greed’s teacher may have become the “dragon skeleton” witnessed by fishermen and merchants after transforming into a Mind Dragon.
• The notebook’s final message—“Twilight descends, and all things fall into Withering…”—appears to be a warning from the Giant family, possibly trapped inside a hidden Nightmare.
• Abner speculates that a battle between the Goddess and the God of Combat may have dragged the Giant castle into a concealed Nightmare, hiding the entrance to ruins connected with the God of Death. He ultimately recognizes that this theory may be flawed because such concealment should have prevented him from deducing it.

Character Developments

• Abner displays increasing analytical ability, linking multiple supernatural incidents into a possible unified mystery. He remains cautious, suppressing his suspicions about Azik’s identity and carefully evaluating the dangers of further investigation.
• Azik shows signs of recovering memories connected to Hot Spring Mountain. Although he advises caution, his personal familiarity with the location motivates him to investigate it directly.
• Greed’s student appears rational and concerned for her teacher. She recognizes Greed’s deteriorating mental state and tries to manipulate the conversation to stabilize her.
• Greed is revealed to be psychologically unstable and heavily dependent on the Magic Mirror and her mask. Her apparent recovery may only be a temporary alteration or “refreshing” of her personality rather than a true cure.
• Greed’s teacher emerges as a central figure in the mystery. Her disappearance may be connected to the Dream Ruins and the dragon-like remains seen near Indo Port.

Significant Themes

• Dangerous curiosity: The chapter emphasizes that seeking the truth in the mystical world can be fatal, particularly when investigating the downfall of Angels or hidden historical disasters.
• Fragmented identity and memory: Azik’s possible connection to the Death Archon and his recovered familiarity with the mountain reflect the instability of memory and identity.
• Hidden history: Major events have been erased, concealed, or trapped within dreams and Nightmares, making official records unreliable.
• Mental deterioration and false recovery: Greed’s condition illustrates how supernatural powers and artifacts may suppress symptoms without addressing their underlying cause.
• Interconnected mysteries: The chapter links the God of Death, the Giant family, the Dream Ruins, the Hot Spring Inn, and the Indo Port incidents, suggesting a much larger historical conspiracy.

Character Interactions

• Abner deliberately withholds his suspicions about Azik’s possible identity, prioritizing safety over full disclosure.
• Azik advises Abner not to investigate dangerous secrets, but then persuades him to examine Hot Spring Mountain based on his own unexplained familiarity with it.
• Abner silently questions Azik’s contradictory behavior—preaching caution while moving toward danger—but ultimately agrees to accompany him.
• Greed’s student challenges her teacher’s interpretation of the Magic Mirror’s prophecy, then carefully distracts her when her mental condition worsens.
• Through Scene Replay, Abner observes their interaction and uses it to reconstruct the mountain’s hidden history and its possible connection to the wider supernatural events.

Chapter Summary: “Nightmare”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner reflects on the possibility that the Goddess tacitly allowed the Giant Descendant’s Notebook to escape the mysterious ruin, perhaps permitting further exploration of it.
• Mr. Azik recovers fragments of his memories. He recalls emerging from the ruin by following a stream and throwing the notebook into the water, explaining how it eventually reached the outside world.
• The notebook helps Azik remember more of his past, including how to enter the ruin. He reveals that it lies in the Underworld but is connected to the Sea of Collective Subconscious, allowing it to appear within dreams and nightmares.
• Azik explains that most people can only enter through the special nightmare during the Full Moon, when spirituality is stronger, but he can locate the ruin directly because he has been there before.
• Azik and Abner begin traveling toward the ruin. When Abner asks why Azik brought the notebook out, Azik starts to remember that he made a promise to the master of the nightmare’s castle. His sudden mental instability causes the transition to fail, separating him from Abner.
• Abner awakens alone in a nightmare resembling a dark forest made from mangled corpses. The corpse-trees attack him, but they cannot harm him because he feels no fear.
• He encounters a gigantic, one-eyed lumberjack trapped in an endless cycle of chopping corpse-trees. Abner realizes the giant’s nightmare is created by his fear of death: the giant has already died, and his corpse has become the forest surrounding him.
• Abner explains the truth to the giant, who accepts it, thanks him, and disappears into light. The nightmare collapses, and Abner’s Polymath potion digests considerably.
• Abner then enters another nightmare, an icy wasteland, where a female Half-Giant asks why it is so cold. He determines that she fears extreme heat because she was burned to death by lava, causing her nightmare to manifest as freezing cold.
• After Abner reveals the truth, the Half-Giant is released and vanishes. His potion digests again, confirming that helping nightmare victims understand and overcome their fears fulfills the Acting requirements of the Polymath pathway.
• Abner suspects that the repeated encounters may not be coincidence and wonders whether the Goddess arranged them.

Character Developments

• Mr. Azik: Recovers significant pieces of his lost memory. He remembers his connection to the ruin, the notebook, the nightmare castle, and possibly a promise made to the castle’s master. His fragmented mental state remains unstable, causing him to disappear during their journey.
• Abner: Demonstrates growing insight, courage, and analytical ability. He uses the Pure White Eye and his understanding of fear-based nightmares to diagnose the giants’ psychological suffering. He also discovers an unexpected method of advancing his Polymath potion: acting as a sage who provides correct explanations and liberates people from mental confusion.
• The Nightmare Giants: Both the lumberjack and the Half-Giant move from fearful entrapment toward acceptance and release after Abner identifies the true source of their nightmares.

Significant Themes

• Fear as the foundation of nightmares: The monsters and environments are not inherently powerful; their strength comes from the fears of those trapped within them.
• Truth and understanding as liberation: By identifying the hidden causes of the giants’ suffering, Abner helps them escape their nightmares.
• Memory and identity: Azik’s recovered memories gradually reconnect him to the ruin, the notebook, and his former actions, while his unstable recollections remain incomplete.
• Fate and divine manipulation: Abner questions whether the Goddess is subtly guiding events, particularly his encounters with the trapped giants and the rapid digestion of his potion.
• Death and acceptance: Both nightmares are rooted in death—fear of dying and fear of the pain that caused death. Acceptance allows the victims to move on.

Character Interactions

• Abner and Azik: They discuss the notebook and the ruin, with Azik providing crucial information about the Underworld and its connection to dreams. Their journey is interrupted when Azik’s memory destabilizes.
• Abner and the One-Eyed Lumberjack: Abner acts as a counselor, explaining that the giant’s fear of death transformed his corpse into the forest imprisoning him. The giant accepts Abner’s judgment and calls him a merciful sage.
• Abner and the Female Half-Giant: She seeks an explanation for the cold. Abner identifies her fear of being burned alive as the cause of the frozen nightmare, allowing her to find release.
• Abner’s adopted identity: He introduces himself as “Doctor Strange,” embracing the role of an inexplicably wise guide who solves supernatural mysteries and helps others escape their nightmares.

Chapter Summary: “Rewind” History

Key Plot Points and Events

• After traversing numerous nightmare scenes and helping Giants trapped within them, Abner reaches an ancient castle surrounded by perpetual twilight.
• The castle resembles the Giant King’s Court and appears to have been formed from the dream of Half-Giants longing for their ancestral homeland.
• In the courtyard, Abner discovers:
  • An altar containing a five-colored, icosahedral gemstone—the Brilliant Five-Colored Stone—which sustains a Barrier protecting the courtyard from the darkness outside.
  • The enormous skeleton of a Demigod Dragon, lying peacefully at the entrance.
  • A pool of Dragon blood that has remained perfectly preserved despite twelve years passing.
• Abner collects as much of the Dragon’s blood as possible, recognizing its value as a powerful spiritual material.
• He realizes he cannot easily transport the Dragon skeleton through the Dream-and-Reality Door or into the Gray Fog. He therefore considers refining the skeleton into a Bone Dragon, using a tombstone fragment and other materials already in his possession.
• Before taking further action, Abner decides he must negotiate with the castle’s owner, since the altar, gemstone, Dragon skeleton, and courtyard all belong to someone else.
• Using his Pure White Eye, Abner “Rewinds” the courtyard’s history, taking advantage of the preserved traces left behind by the frozen flow of time.
• He witnesses a weakened, handsome, cold-eyed Angel enter the courtyard shortly after the nightmare formed and proceed into the castle.
• A patriarch of the Church of Combat enters soon afterward.
• Later, only the first Angel emerges, now even more severely injured. Despite being an Angel, he is unable to heal his wounds, suggesting that the castle or its twilight power has seriously suppressed or harmed him.
• Abner recognizes the Angel’s aura and appearance as resembling the man from a photograph associated with Lady Lamia, deepening the mystery surrounding his identity.

Character Developments

• Abner demonstrates increasing caution and strategic thinking. Rather than immediately taking valuable objects or entering the castle, he assesses the Barrier, considers the consequences of disrupting it, and plans to negotiate with the owner.
• His resourcefulness is emphasized through his idea of transforming the Dragon skeleton into a Bone Dragon when ordinary transportation methods prove impossible.
• Abner also makes effective use of the Pure White Eye to investigate the courtyard’s past, showing his growing mastery of deduction and historical reconstruction.
• His confidence is balanced by unease: he remains wary because he does not know the castle’s owner or what occurred inside.
• The mysterious Angel is presented as powerful but badly weakened, implying that he has endured a serious confrontation or been affected by the castle’s unusual environment.
• The Church of Combat patriarch appears as a possible pursuer or opponent, though his fate after entering the castle is not yet revealed.
• Mr. Azik remains absent, but Abner recalls that Azik apparently had an agreement with the castle’s owner. This gives Abner some hope that he will not be attacked.

Significant Themes

• The longing for homeland: The castle’s resemblance to the Giant King’s Court reflects the deep racial memory and homesickness of Giants and Half-Giants.
• Time and preservation: The twilight realm has nearly frozen time, preserving the Dragon’s blood, physical remains, and historical traces. This allows Abner to uncover events that would normally have vanished.
• Knowledge as protection: Abner follows the principle of knowing both himself and his enemy before acting, using observation and Rewind to reduce uncertainty.
• Power and ownership: Valuable supernatural objects cannot simply be taken without consequences. Abner must respect the authority of the castle’s owner and negotiate access.
• The danger of higher powers: Even Angels can be weakened and rendered unable to heal, suggesting that the castle and its twilight environment conceal forces capable of threatening extraordinary beings.
• Death and transformation: The Dragon’s remains may become a Bone Dragon, showing how death and spiritual materials can be repurposed into new forms of power.

Character Interactions

• Abner has previously helped Giants and Half-Giants connected to the family involved in the nightmare, potentially earning goodwill from the castle’s owner.
• His connection to Mr. Azik may provide an indirect diplomatic link to that owner, since Azik appears to have made a prior agreement with them.
• The mysterious Angel and the Church of Combat patriarch both enter the castle, implying a significant confrontation or shared objective inside.
• Abner’s recognition of the Angel’s resemblance to the man connected with Lady Lamia links the current nightmare’s events to earlier clues and unresolved mysteries.

Chapter Summary: “People Coming and Going”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner continues observing the “Rewind” scenes in the Nightmare and identifies several important visitors to the ancient castle.
• A man resembling the figure from the “Rewind” scene—possibly Her Highness Miranda, the Death Archon and author of the Book of the Dead—leaves the castle through a hidden stream.
• A knight resembling Azik later enters the ruins, retrieves a rust-covered, bloodstained crown, and departs. Abner concludes that this was likely Azik’s son, sent by the Loen Royal Family to recover the “Conqueror” Sequence 1 characteristic hidden by the God of Death.
• Roselle Gustav, or Huang Tao, then appears carrying the fiery red Calamity Seal. He enters the castle, places a Brilliant Five-Colored Stone on an altar, and uses it to spread “Twilight” power through the courtyard.
• Roselle’s actions restore partial clarity to the trapped souls of the Giants and Half-Giants, though they remain unable to awaken. He then receives apparent inspiration from the Calamity Seal, dons a metallic mask, and disappears.
• Abner realizes that Roselle likely established or influenced the Nightmare’s arrangements, including the Barrier and the conditions that would later allow a Reader-pathway transmigrator to enter. He also suspects these scenes inspired Roselle’s later Dream Labyrinth Tower.
• Azik next emerges from the castle holding a notebook and portrait. Unlike the gentle Azik Abner knows, he appears cold and overwhelmingly powerful, suggesting his identity as the Death Archon.
• A woman wearing a “Greed” mask enters and attacks Azik after transforming into a dragon. She is effortlessly killed. Her corpse decays into a skeleton, while her possessions scatter and her Beyonder characteristic fuses with an occult book, creating a new Sealed Artifact.
• Azik ignores the remains, throws the portrait outside the courtyard, and leaves through the hidden stream.
• A fisherman later encounters the dragon skeleton and the Sealed Artifact book, becomes mentally contaminated, and disappears in madness.
• Abner deduces that the valuables scattered by the woman—including Azik’s discarded portrait—were likely the “treasures” later found by a merchant caravan.
• Another scene reveals that Madam Closia entered the Nightmare with a fisherman before the merchant caravan arrived and took away the occult book containing the “Dream Weaver” characteristic.

Character Developments

• Abner: Continues piecing together the Nightmare’s history and the identities of its visitors. His deductions become increasingly focused on transmigrators, Roselle’s preparations, Azik’s past, and the movement of powerful Sealed Artifacts.
• Roselle/Huang Tao: Is shown as an active planner who understood or anticipated future events. His use of the Brilliant Five-Colored Stone and interaction with the Calamity Seal reveal his role in shaping the Nightmare’s conditions.
• Azik: Appears in his ancient identity as a powerful Death Archon, emotionally detached and far more intimidating than the kind gentleman Abner knows. His actions suggest he was searching for or retrieving important information and relics.
• Azik’s son: Is implied to have entered the ruins to recover the Conqueror characteristic, despite sorrow connected to the death of his friend Kholger and the Loen Royal Family’s deception.
• The “Greed” woman: Her reckless attack on Azik demonstrates the danger and arrogance associated with the Psychology Alchemists’ Persona Masks. Her death indirectly creates a new Sealed Artifact.
• Madam Closia: Is revealed to have secretly obtained the dangerous occult book, making her an important participant in the chain of events surrounding the Nightmare’s relics.

Significant Themes

• People and identities being replaced or transformed: Abner repeatedly considers transmigrators, impersonators, and Sealed Artifacts that may possess or control others. The distinction between transmigrating into a human body and into an artifact is emphasized.
• The manipulation of fate and preparation: Roselle’s actions suggest that major figures can arrange events far in advance, possibly with divine guidance or prophecy.
• The dangers of power and knowledge: The ruins, masks, artifacts, and Beyonder characteristics repeatedly corrupt or destroy those who encounter them.
• The loss of humanity: The “Greed” mask, Roselle’s mysterious mask, Azik’s ancient indifference, and the madness caused by the occult book all reflect how supernatural power can erode human identity.
• The movement of treasures through history: Powerful items pass from one person to another—Azik, the dead dragonified woman, fishermen, Closia, and the merchant caravan—creating a chain of hidden causes and consequences.

Character Interactions

• Roselle and the Calamity Seal: Roselle appears to communicate with the living Sealed Artifact and receive inspiration from it.
• Azik and the “Greed” woman: She attacks him after assuming he has taken the ruins’ treasures, but Azik kills her effortlessly.
• Azik and the trapped souls: Although he does not directly interact with them, his presence contrasts with Roselle’s attempt to restore their awareness.
• The “Greed” woman and the fisherman: Her death leaves behind a dangerous Sealed Artifact, which later contaminates the fisherman and drives him mad.
• Closia and the occult book: Closia is revealed to have taken the book before the merchant caravan could obtain it, explaining its disappearance from the later sequence of events.

Chapter Summary: “Message from the Calamity Seal”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner realizes that Closia had previously entered the Nightmare and likely orchestrated the caravan’s discovery of the ruins. Her planned “performance” with Abner and Dunn may be part of a ritual to advance to the Dream Weaver pathway.
• Using the Pure White Eye, Abner analyzes the ancient castle and detects intertwined powers of Twilight, Darkness, and Death. He concludes that the entrance to the God of Death’s ruins is probably located inside the castle.
• Abner applies holy ointment to the Cursed Tudor Badge to suppress its negative effects, then enters the castle.
• The giant Chekhov welcomes him, explaining that Abner’s earlier actions helped awaken the giants from their Slumber. However, Abner notices that the giants have become Dead Spirits, suggesting that the castle is connected to the Underworld.
• Inside the castle, Abner detects monsters concealed within the orange-red candlelight. He infers that the castle contains remnants of power corrupted by the divine conflict between the Goddess and the God of Combat.
• Abner ascends the psychologically constructed staircase, first by jumping and then more appropriately by using Dream Traversal. He is guided by Karenina, a Half-Giant maid, to meet Lord Levin.
• Lord Levin, a giant lord far more powerful than Abner expected, reveals that his castle is actually his own Nightmare. He asks Abner to determine how he died and identify the forces intertwined with his Nightmare.
• In exchange for solving this mystery, Levin offers Abner the Brilliant Five-Colored Stone, permission to use the dragon skeleton for creating a Bone Dragon, and an additional reward.
• Levin reveals that the castle’s protective barrier was created through a transaction involving Roselle, who received an Evil Spirit formed from a Fallen Angel in exchange for establishing the ritual.
• The chapter ends with the revelation that a red “seal” in Roselle’s possession predicted that, more than a century later, a Polymath with pure white eyes would arrive and solve Levin’s problems—clearly referring to Abner.

Character Developments

• Abner demonstrates increasing analytical ability and caution. He correctly interprets the castle’s structure, identifies hidden threats, and adapts his behavior to the rules of the Nightmare.
• His confidence is tempered by surprise when he discovers that Lord Levin is much stronger than expected—apparently exceeding ordinary Demigod-level pressure.
• Abner’s suspicion toward Closia deepens as he recognizes the extent of her manipulation and strategic planning.
• Lord Levin is revealed not merely as a deceased giant lord but as the conscious keeper of a gate connected to the Underworld. He is troubled by his mysterious death and determined to uncover the truth.
• Chekhov and Karenina act as loyal servants of Levin and show gratitude toward Abner for freeing or aiding the giants.
• Roselle is shown to have been involved in the castle’s history and in a mysterious transaction involving a Fallen Angel’s Evil Spirit, though he apparently lacked complete knowledge of the forces at work.
• Miranda, Azik, and Aegor are hinted to be connected to the castle and the Underworld, setting up possible future revelations.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and foresight: Closia’s elaborate scheme and the prophecy from the Calamity Seal highlight the importance of hidden plans and long-term arrangements.
• Dreams and psychological reality: The castle and its staircase are shaped by subconscious concepts, showing how Nightmare environments obey symbolic and mental rather than physical rules.
• Death and transformation: The giants’ transition into Dead Spirits and Levin’s role as keeper of the Underworld emphasize the boundary between life, death, and spiritual corruption.
• Divine conflict and lingering consequences: The castle remains affected by the aftermath of a divine war, with the powers of Twilight, Darkness, Death, and the God of Combat still intertwined.
• Destiny and predestination: The Calamity Seal’s prediction suggests that Abner’s arrival may have been anticipated or arranged long before he reached the castle.

Character Interactions

• Abner exchanges cautious but cordial greetings with Chekhov, who warns him about the dangers hidden in the castle and instructs him not to look back while climbing the stairs.
• Karenina respectfully guides Abner through the castle and introduces him to the reception room.
• Abner and Lord Levin engage in a polite but strategically charged negotiation. Abner requests the stone and dragon skeleton, while Levin asks him to solve the mystery of his death.
• Levin explains his past dealings with Roselle and mentions Miranda and Aegor, giving Abner important clues about the Underworld ruins.
• The final exchange between Abner and Levin establishes that Abner’s arrival was foretold by the mysterious red seal connected to Roselle.

Chapter Summary: “Polymath” Potion Fully Digested

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner reflects on the mysterious Calamity Seal, questioning how it could have anticipated the arrival of a future transmigrator who would follow the Reader Pathway. He wonders whether the Seal was connected to the death of the previous transmigrator or possessed an unusual form of existence and foresight.
• When Giant Lord Levin asks what force has been haunting his nightmares, Abner realizes that the former restriction preventing him from naming certain secrets has disappeared. He interprets this as possible tacit permission from the Evernight Goddess to reveal the truth.
• Abner tells Levin that his death was caused by a divine battle between the Evernight Goddess and the God of Combat, and that the power haunting his dreams is the divine remnant of that battle.
• Levin is freed from the Nightmare. His awakening destroys all the Monsters hiding throughout the castle and causes the castle itself to break free from the depths of the Sea of Collective Subconscious.
• The feedback from resolving Levin’s long-standing obsession causes Abner’s Polymath potion to be completely digested, much earlier than expected.
• In gratitude, Levin gives Abner a magical card originally created by Roselle. The card can seal objects or living beings that Abner can lift and release them by calling their true names. Levin believes it will help Abner obtain and transport materials for his planned Bone Dragon.
• Abner questions Levin about Miranda, Azik, and the Calamity Seal. Levin knows little about them, but confirms that the Seal once gave crucial advice to the Giants, including instructions recorded in their notebook and methods for delaying their descent into deeper nightmares.
• Levin warns Abner not to approach the ruins of the Underworld or the Underworld Gate before reaching the demigod level. Even demigods should avoid it unless they belong to the Corpse Collector Pathway. Abner deduces that a Spectator demigod who visited previously was likely Madam Closia.
• As Abner prepares to leave and collect the Dragon skeleton and Brilliant Five-Colored Stone, a strange Bronze Door appears. Azik Eggers emerges from it with an unnaturally cold expression, and Levin immediately kneels before him and begins kissing his shoes.

Character Developments

• Abner demonstrates increasing confidence and willingness to shoulder responsibility. He consciously chooses to reveal a dangerous ancient secret to help Levin, accepting that divine powers may now expect something from him in return.
• His successful Acting and assistance to Levin complete the digestion of his Polymath potion, marking a major advancement in his Sequence progression.
• Abner’s growing insight allows him to connect the Calamity Seal’s past actions with a larger, long-term plan involving transmigrators, dreams, and the Giants.
• Giant Lord Levin is freed from his nightmare and regains clarity. His gratitude toward Abner becomes sincere and profound, leading him to name Abner an eternal friend of the Giants and give him Roselle’s sealing card.
• Azik reappears in a markedly different state. His cold demeanor and Levin’s immediate submission suggest that he possesses overwhelming authority or power in this dreamland.

Significant Themes

• Secrets, permission, and divine arrangements: Abner’s ability to reveal a forbidden secret suggests that higher powers are manipulating events and allowing him to participate in a larger plan.
• Responsibility and repayment: Abner recognizes that accepting divine gifts and opportunities also means accepting future obligations.
• Knowledge as power: Abner’s erudition and deductions allow him to solve Levin’s problem, digest his potion, and uncover fragments of ancient history.
• Dreams and reality: The chapter blurs the boundary between nightmares, the collective subconscious, divine remnants, and physical existence.
• Long-term conspiracies and fate: The Calamity Seal appears to have been planning events far in advance, raising questions about prophecy, transmigration, and the true nature of sealed characteristics.
• Friendship and gratitude: Levin’s liberation transforms his relationship with Abner, turning a dangerous encounter into a genuine alliance.

Character Interactions

• Abner and Levin: Abner answers Levin’s central question and frees him from his Nightmare. Levin responds with deep gratitude, gives Abner the magical card, and offers him the friendship of the Giants.
• Abner and the Calamity Seal: Though they do not meet directly, Abner investigates its past influence and becomes increasingly suspicious of its intelligence, planning ability, and possible connection to the Conspirer Pathway.
• Abner and Roselle: Roselle’s past dealings with Levin indirectly benefit Abner through the sealing card, while the card’s design reminds Abner of Roselle’s imaginative inventions.
• Abner and Azik: Their reunion is interrupted by Azik’s intimidating arrival. The contrast between Azik’s usual gentleness and his current coldness creates immediate tension.
• Azik and Levin: Levin’s sudden kneeling and submission imply a dramatic power imbalance and suggest that Azik may have a special identity or authority over the Giant Lord.

Chapter Summary: “All the Main Ingredients Were Gathered”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner witnesses Giant Lord Levin, a powerful undead guardian, crawl before Azik in terror. This reveals the immense authority Azik’s identity as the Death Archon holds over Dead Spirits.
• Azik questions Levin about Tana, his deceased son. Levin explains that Tana once bribed him with a key in exchange for passage into the Underworld, hoping to retrieve something connected to the God of Death.
• Azik learns that Tana’s true objective was the Conqueror Beyonder Characteristic hidden in the Underworld. Tana had been loyal to Loen but was eventually suspected and poisoned because of a message he left for Azik.
• Levin produces the “key,” which turns out to be a stone slab engraved with symbols Abner recognizes as belonging to the God of Luck, an ancient subordinate deity of the Elf King.
• Abner speculates that the key may open a passage to the vicinity of the Giant King’s Court, possibly through an ancient route connected to the Forsaken Land of the Gods. He suspects the passage may be linked to the ruin beneath Fragrant Manor but decides not to investigate until he reaches the Demigod level.
• Azik orders Levin to conceal the castle and plans to seal the breach connecting the Nightmare to the Sonia Sea after the next night’s visitors leave.
• Abner removes the Giant Dragon skeleton using Roselle’s special card and stores it safely. The card identifies the skeleton by its true name, Bone of Sophia, and even offers the option to alter its name.
• Abner constructs a temporary ritual core using the dragon’s blood so that the barrier around the courtyard will remain stable after he removes the Brilliant Five-Colored Stone.
• He successfully takes the stone and restores some of the dragon blood he used.
• Azik transports Abner back to the hot spring through the Spirit World and agrees to watch over him during the next night’s expedition, though he will not enter the Nightmare directly.
• Abner returns to Bayam and plans to use the Demigod Dragon blood to accelerate the growth of the Dragonblood Five-Colored Flower, an auxiliary ingredient for the “Mysticism Mentor” potion.
• With the flower nearing maturity and a Demigod Lion expected to arrive and provide blood, Abner realizes that nearly all the ingredients required for his advancement are now assembled.

Character Developments

• Azik: Displays overwhelming authority over the undead but also reveals renewed emotional attachment to his son Tana. Recovering memories of Tana’s final message causes him to become unusually agitated, though he soon returns to his gentle and protective manner. He also takes responsibility for safeguarding Abner during the upcoming danger.
• Abner: Demonstrates increasing confidence, caution, and resourcefulness. He successfully handles the Dragon skeleton, the Brilliant Five-Colored Stone, and the ritual barrier while continuing to investigate ancient mysteries. He remains wary of exploring the suspected passage to the Forsaken Land of the Gods before becoming a Demigod.
• Giant Lord Levin: Is shown to be powerful but completely submissive before Azik. His lifelong desire to return to the Giant royal court explains why he accepted Tana’s bribe. Though guilty of abusing his position, he is primarily portrayed as a desperate guardian clinging to a faint hope.
• Tana: Though deceased, he is characterized as loyal, dutiful, and tragically misunderstood. His actions were part of a larger Loen operation, but Azik insists that Tana should not have needed to bribe Levin because of his family connection to the Underworld.
• Roselle and the Calamity Seal: Their influence appears through the magical card containing the Dragon skeleton, whose game-like functions hint at Roselle’s eccentric methods or the Calamity Seal’s manipulative involvement.

Significant Themes

• Authority and hierarchy: Levin’s terror emphasizes the supernatural dominance of the Death Archon over even Demigod-level undead.
• Memory, loss, and familial bonds: Azik’s rediscovered memories of Tana deepen his connection to his lost son and show how incomplete memory has shaped his past actions.
• Ancient secrets and hidden routes: The stone key connects the Underworld, the Giant King’s Court, the Elves, the God of Luck, and possibly the Forsaken Land of the Gods, expanding the chapter’s mythological mystery.
• Caution versus opportunity: Abner gains valuable resources but deliberately avoids investigating the dangerous passage before he is strong enough, showing his growing strategic maturity.
• Preparation and accumulation of power: The chapter focuses on gathering materials, preserving resources, stabilizing dangerous locations, and preparing for Abner’s imminent advancement.
• Trust and obligation: Abner honors his promise to participate in the next expedition despite the risks, while Azik agrees to protect him rather than abandoning him.

Important Character Interactions

• Azik and Levin: Azik interrogates Levin about Tana and commands him to retrieve the key. Levin’s submission reflects the Death Archon’s absolute authority.
• Azik and Abner: Azik apologizes for frightening Abner, explains Tana’s fate, and shares the key with him. Their relationship becomes more trusting, with Azik offering continued protection.
• Abner and Levin: Abner identifies the symbols on the key and provides information about the God of Luck, giving Levin and Azik a new lead.
• Abner and Azik during the ritual: Abner explains his plan to stabilize the barrier with Dragon blood, while Azik patiently waits and supports his preparations.
• Abner and his future adversaries: Abner anticipates the arrival of Jane, Lion Leon, and especially the Demigod Lion, whose blood may complete the materials needed for his Sequence advancement.

Chapter Summary: “Darkwill’s New Business?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• On an unnamed island between the Polar Sea and Fog Sea, Bruna, Bernadette, and Isabella investigate a ruin connected to the hidden ruins of the Black Emperor Solomon.
• Isabella confirms that Roselle added the stone tablet’s current arrangement later. The ruin may have been built by Solomon, but it is unlikely to be his actual hidden tomb.
• Isabella’s prophetic visions reveal that the ruin contains dangerous objects or creatures summoned from the cosmos through a mutation involving a powerful Sanguine Duke.
• Bernadette explains that Roselle divided the ruin into regions using different combinations of Blasphemy Cards, likely to contain these threats. The safest region is associated with the Sun, Wheel of Fortune, and Death cards, while the Justiciar, Hanged Man, and Hermit region is especially dangerous.
• A message from Nast confirms the ruin’s connection to Solomon. Nast knows only that his father and Bernadette’s father once retrieved something from the place and both died shortly afterward.
• The three women begin their official exploration by inserting the cards corresponding to the safest region into the tablet, causing them to disappear into the ruin.
• Meanwhile, Abner returns to Bayam after spending what felt like a long time assisting Giants and Half-Giants, though very little time has passed in the outside world.
• He visits Darkwill’s Folklore Herbal Shop and discovers that Boudi is using the “Whip of Pleasure”—an item Abner created for Darkwill—to punish customers seeking unusual forms of stimulation.
• Darkwill and Boudi appear to have developed this into a profitable, if bizarre, business that competes with the nearby Red Theater. Their latest customer pays only ten pence, resulting in another financial loss.
• Abner recognizes what is happening and jokingly asks Darkwill whether he is using the whip to compete for business with the Red Theater.

Character Developments

• Bernadette demonstrates strong knowledge of the ruin and superior ability to interpret fate. She takes responsibility for coordinating the expedition and remains cautious about the dangers involved.
• Isabella acts as the group’s scholarly and prophetic specialist. Although she dislikes Bruna, her Reader-like nature leads her to explain the Sanguine and cosmic summoning phenomenon in detail.
• Bruna remains impatient and somewhat bored, but she asks perceptive questions and participates carefully in the expedition.
• Nast becomes indirectly important by confirming the ruin’s history, though he does not know its contents.
• Abner returns in a reflective and humorous mood, thinking about the strange passage of time and possible connections between dreams, myths, and mystical abilities. He also continues to act as an observer who quickly understands the absurdity of Darkwill’s enterprise.
• Boudi is shown to be confident, capable, and completely unafraid of violent customers. She handles the whip, treats injuries afterward, and manages the shop’s finances.
• Darkwill has apparently turned a dangerous supernatural item into an unconventional source of income, though the business is not yet profitable.

Significant Themes

• Danger hidden beneath historical mystery: The ruin is not merely an archaeological site but a prison containing entities or objects from beyond the known world.
• The legacy of the Black Emperor: Roselle and Solomon’s past actions continue to shape present dangers, with their descendants and successors now forced to investigate the consequences.
• Caution versus curiosity: The characters balance the desire for knowledge against the possibility of death, using prophecy, emergency preparations, and carefully selected cards.
• Cosmic unknowns: The mention of beings summoned from the cosmos expands the threat beyond the familiar Beyonder pathways and hints at forces outside the world’s established order.
• Absurdity and dark humor: The grave danger of the ruin is contrasted with the comic spectacle of Darkwill’s “new business,” where a supernatural torture-like artifact is used for entertainment and profit.
• Time and perception: Abner’s reflection on his prolonged experience within a dream raises questions about altered time, mystical reenactment, and whether legendary stories may have been real supernatural events.

Character Interactions

• Bruna repeatedly questions Bernadette and Isabella, forcing them to clarify the ruin’s dangers and history.
• Bernadette and Isabella cooperate closely, comparing prophetic information and assessing which regions are safest.
• Bernadette receives Nast’s message, providing the final confirmation needed to begin the expedition.
• Abner observes Boudi disciplining a customer and immediately connects the scene to the Whip of Pleasure he created.
• Darkwill and Boudi operate as an uneasy but functional business team, with Boudi handling enforcement and treatment while Darkwill manages the broader enterprise.
• Abner’s teasing question to Darkwill ends the chapter on a humorous note, contrasting sharply with the ominous exploration beginning elsewhere.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner visits Darkwill’s herbal shop and learns that Darkwill’s attempt to recruit customers to search for his teacher has attracted scammers and fetishists. Because the Whip of Pleasure repeatedly triggered its “Ultimate Pleasure” effect, some people began deliberately seeking out its punishment.
• Darkwill assigned the whipping to Boudi, discovering that the experience helped her recover from her emotional trauma. He also bought her a Sailor potion, allowing her to become a Beyonder and explaining her newfound physical strength.
• Abner gives Darkwill a vial of adult dragon blood to accelerate the blooming of the Dragonblood Five-Colored Flower. The flower blooms quickly, allowing Abner to harvest its five-colored petals for his own purposes.
• Abner reflects that Boudi has recovered from her former tragic fate and developed confidence, independence, and a genuine sense of self. He considers this a successful alteration of her destiny.
• To avoid rumors about his association with Darkwill’s now-infamous shop, Abner leaves using Psychological Invisibility and briefly emerges from the nearby Red Theater.
• At Enmat Harbor, Xio and Princess Vera investigate Baron Larry’s movements. Vera concludes that Larry may be bait in a larger political operation designed to expose or manipulate rival factions.
• Bianca, disguised as Mrs. Pualis, reunites with Baron Larry. She tells him they will attend a ball in Tingen before traveling to Backlund, allowing Larry to accompany her in disguise as an attendant or bodyguard.
• Katarina Pelle performs a divination and receives the name “Baron Khoy,” linking him to her ongoing investigation.
• At Indo Port, Abner receives a letter from Jane’s Bone Messenger. Jane has departed from Conston and is expected to arrive in Indo at six in the evening.

Character Developments

• Abner displays generosity and responsibility by supporting Darkwill, Boudi, and the future search for Darkwill’s teacher. He is particularly pleased that his advice helped Boudi escape her predicted tragic fate.
• Darkwill continues to appear crude and financially reckless, but his actions reveal genuine concern for Boudi. His purchase of the expensive Sailor potion demonstrates his willingness to invest heavily in her recovery and future.
• Boudi has transformed from a traumatized, dependent girl into a confident Beyonder with strength, intelligence, and growing independence. Her emotional recovery is one of the chapter’s most positive developments.
• Princess Vera shows sharp political insight, recognizing that Baron Larry’s pursuit is likely part of a broader scheme rather than a simple manhunt.
• Bianca and Baron Larry maintain their romantic façade while cooperating in a dangerous disguise operation, with Larry willingly placing himself under Bianca’s protection.
• Jane is positioned to reenter the story, arriving in Indo and potentially intersecting with Abner’s activities.

Significant Themes

• Changing fate and preventing tragedy: Boudi’s recovery symbolizes Abner’s ability to alter events that once seemed predetermined.
• Hidden kindness beneath flawed behavior: Darkwill’s vulgarity and questionable business conceal genuine compassion and loyalty toward Boudi.
• Manipulation and political ambiguity: Vera’s analysis emphasizes how larger powers deliberately mix truth and deception, using people such as Larry as bait.
• Identity and disguise: Several characters operate under false identities—Bianca as Mrs. Pualis, Larry as her attendant, and Abner concealing his movements—highlighting the importance of secrecy.
• Unintended consequences: Abner’s suggestion creates an unusual and embarrassing business for Darkwill, while the Whip of Pleasure produces consequences no one anticipated.

Important Character Interactions

• Abner and Darkwill: Abner confronts Darkwill about his bizarre business, then assists him by providing dragon blood and indirectly helping him fund future plans.
• Abner and Boudi: Their conversation allows Abner to observe her remarkable recovery and recognize the significance of his influence on her life.
• Xio and Vera: They jointly analyze Baron Larry’s pursuit, with Vera guiding Xio toward the deeper political meaning behind the investigation.
• Bianca and Larry: They coordinate their upcoming journey and disguises while reinforcing their apparent romantic relationship.
• Katarina and the ritual mirror: Katarina’s divination identifies Baron Khoy as her next point of interest.
• Abner and the Bone Messenger: The messenger delivers Jane’s travel news with apparent irritation, setting up Jane’s imminent arrival in Indo.

Chapter Summary: “Silver Moon Plan and All Materials Gathered”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jane arrives at Indo Port aboard the Seagull, disguised in black clothing and accompanied by Lion Leon, whose true form is concealed as an orange cat.
• She uses a drowned spirit to guide her from the docks to a meeting with Abner.
• Abner, also using a disguised appearance, brings Jane and Leon to a private club suite.
• Jane recounts her recent experiences after leaving the Daniel Labyrinth:
  • She was rescued by Bruna, a former princess of the Balam Empire.
  • She encountered Bernadette, who was exploring the Southern Continent with Bruna.
  • She escorted the daughter of one of Maric’s acquaintances back to Loen, settling her in Pritz Harbor rather than Backlund.
  • She encountered a mysterious bearded man carrying an object once used by Roselle. Leon could not perceive the man’s fate, leading Abner to suspect he was Sherlock Moriarty—secretly Mr. Fool/Klein.
• Abner and Jane discuss their respective experiences, particularly Abner’s connection to the Nightmare linked to the Underworld.
• Abner invites Jane to accompany him to the ruins the following night, both to expose her to extraordinary experiences and possibly help stabilize her lingering mental problems.
• Leon reveals that Roselle left a message for whoever obtained his brain. Roselle’s restrictions forced Leon to deliver it despite his reluctance.
• In a hidden Spirit World state, Leon announces:
  • The unlocking incantation for the Moon Card among the Cards of Blasphemy is “Aetna.”
  • This is connected to the mysterious “Silver Moon Plan.”
• Leon then gives Abner the blood he had previously promised him.

Character Developments

• Abner continues operating under disguises and displays increasing awareness of the connections between Roselle’s plans, the Cards of Blasphemy, and the transmigrators’ larger destiny. He also remains concerned about Jane’s psychological instability.
• Jane appears more relaxed and affectionate with Abner, teasing him about his changing identities and reassuring him that he is a better detective than Sherlock Moriarty. Her recent adventures demonstrate her growing ties to powerful figures such as Bruna and Bernadette.
• Lion Leon is shown to retain his pride and stubbornness despite being physically uncomfortable and magically bound by Roselle’s instructions. His sophisticated disguise and unusual dining habits add humor, while his message introduces a major mystery.
• Roselle remains influential even after death, having prepared instructions and magical restrictions that continue to affect Leon and Abner.

Significant Themes

• Hidden identities and disguises: Jane, Abner, and Leon all conceal their true appearances, reinforcing the story’s emphasis on secrecy and layered identities.
• The persistence of the past: Roselle’s plans and commands continue shaping events long after his death, suggesting that earlier generations prepared schemes for future participants.
• Destiny and predetermined plans: The Silver Moon Plan, like the Daniel Labyrinth, implies a vast design involving multiple people across different eras.
• Mental instability and recovery: Abner recognizes that Jane’s revenge has not fully healed her psychological condition and seeks ways to help her.
• Dangerous knowledge: The Moon Card’s incantation is valuable but potentially hazardous, leaving Abner uncertain whether Roselle intended to help him or draw him into further danger.

Character Interactions

• Jane and Abner reunite warmly, exchanging jokes about their disguises and reputations.
• Jane comforts Abner when she mistakes his thoughts about Sherlock Moriarty for professional insecurity.
• Abner discusses Jane’s mental health indirectly through his invitation to the ruins, showing concern without confronting her openly.
• Leon and Abner share a tense but familiar relationship: Leon had withheld Roselle’s message out of spite, while Abner recognizes that Leon was never truly free of Roselle’s command.
• The chapter ends with Leon delivering both a major revelation about the Moon Card and the promised blood, leaving Abner with new information but more questions about the Silver Moon Plan.

Chapter Summary: “Mysticism Mentor”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner prepares the ingredients for the Sequence 5 Mysticism Mentor potion while reflecting on Roselle’s cryptic message about the “Moon” card and the mysterious Silver Moon Plan.
• Ms. Closia arrives at Abner’s bedroom to serve as the ritual’s stabilizing force. She jokes about meeting a married woman privately at night, while Abner silently finds her teasing hypocritical.
• Abner successfully concocts and drinks the potion. The advancement triggers an overwhelming flood of information and an obsessive urge to analyze the essence of his Beyonder characteristic.
• The mental pollution and obsession nearly push him toward losing control, but Closia repeatedly uses her Spectator abilities to soothe and stabilize him. Mr. Azik also quietly monitors the situation from nearby.
• Lion Leon, feeling slighted that Abner did not rely on it for the ritual, mischievously sends an image of Closia entering Abner’s bedroom into Jane’s dream.
• Abner survives the advancement and becomes a Sequence 5 Mysticism Mentor.
• Closia congratulates him and reminds him that their arrangement is transactional: she expects Abner’s help with an upcoming performance connected to the Nightmare ruins.
• After Closia leaves, Abner studies his new powers. His Analysis ability is greatly enhanced, allowing him to examine, modify, combine, and develop Beyonder abilities into new mystic techniques.
• His Learning Space evolves into a mental laboratory capable of storing knowledge, simulating abilities, and testing techniques. Abner suspects it may be conceptually related to Roselle’s Dream Labyrinth Tower.
• His first newly acquired mystic technique, inherited from the Lion characteristics and Leon’s imprint, is absurdly named “Leon’s Underwear Theft Technique.”

Character Developments

• Abner successfully advances despite the severe danger of Mental Pollution and characteristic-induced obsession. His previous experience using the Pure White Eye helps him endure the process, but he recognizes that Closia’s assistance is essential.
• As a Mysticism Mentor, Abner gains significantly more powerful analytical and creative abilities. He can now create customized mystic techniques rather than merely simplifying existing abilities.
• Abner remains cautious and suspicious, particularly regarding Roselle’s cryptic instructions, the Moon card, and Leon’s reliability. He also displays his usual dry self-awareness and narcissistic humor.
• Ms. Closia demonstrates her value as an experienced Spectator and ritual assistant. She is playful and teasing but highly competent, having guided another Mysticism Mentor through a similar advancement in the past.
• Lion Leon reveals a mischievous, childish side. It resents being excluded from the ritual and retaliates by playing a prank on Jane.
• Mr. Azik continues to act as a quiet source of protection, observing Abner’s advancement from nearby without directly intervening.
• Roselle’s influence remains indirect but important, as his instructions and possible plans continue to shape Abner’s decisions.

Significant Themes

• Advancement and loss of control: Becoming stronger requires confronting dangerous mental pollution and the risk of obsession. Abner’s advancement illustrates how power is inseparable from psychological danger.
• Knowledge as both power and threat: The Mysticism Mentor’s abilities depend on understanding the essence of Beyonder characteristics, but excessive pursuit of knowledge can destroy the seeker.
• Trust and hidden motives: Abner questions whether Roselle’s information is helpful or manipulative and remains uncertain about the true meaning of the Silver Moon Plan.
• Ritual, cooperation, and dependence: Although advancement is personal, Abner cannot safely complete it alone. Closia’s assistance and Azik’s presence highlight the importance of allies and preparation.
• Humor amid danger: The chapter balances intense supernatural peril with teasing, gossip, Leon’s prank, and the ridiculous name of Abner’s first mystic technique.
• Inheritance and imprints: Abilities gained from Beyonder ingredients are influenced by the origins and lingering identities within those materials, as shown by Leon’s influence on Abner’s new technique.

Important Character Interactions

• Abner and Closia: Their exchange combines flirtatious teasing, mutual familiarity, and professional cooperation. Closia stabilizes Abner during his advancement, while Abner agrees to fulfill his side of their bargain.
• Abner and Roselle: Although Roselle is absent, Abner mentally debates the meaning of his instructions and suspects that Roselle may be speaking in riddles or pursuing a hidden agenda.
• Abner and Leon: Leon’s resentment at being excluded leads it to prank Jane by placing a misleading scene into her dream.
• Abner and Azik: Their relationship is quietly protective; Azik allows Abner to use his presence as a safeguard while observing the advancement from a distance.
• Closia and Dunn/Telles: Closia’s comments about her husband Dunn’s dislike of the charming Telles provide background on her past and add a playful, personal dimension to the discussion.

Chapter Summary: “Half a Prophet”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner fully examines the abilities gained from his advancement and the Beyonder Characteristic.
• He acquires three mystic arts:
  • Leon’s Underwear Theft Art, an embarrassing but potentially powerful technique capable of stealing conceptual “protection” or “appearance” and exposing hidden secrets.
  • Polymath Reconnaissance Art, which can detect Polymaths within ten kilometers.
  • Shield of Glory, derived from the Brilliant Five-Colored Stone. It creates a barrier infused with Twilight power that protects against nightmares, mental plagues, and dream-related attacks. Abner believes it may eventually reach the Angel level.
• Abner compares his improved Beyonder abilities with their enhanced forms under Pure White Eye. Extraction, Rewind, Mechanical Mind, Weakness Insight, and Simulation have all grown stronger, though they remain weaker than their “VIP” versions.
• His Simulation ability can now reproduce Sequence 5 abilities more effectively, but he still cannot simulate Demigod-level abilities directly, possibly because he lacks divinity.
• Omnipotent Heart appears to be gradually merging with the Learning Space, which Abner believes will eventually become part of his incomplete White Tower mythical creature form.
• Abner tests the expanded capabilities of Pure White Eye. He can maintain it for three to four hours with full spirituality and may sustain it almost indefinitely through intermittent use and meditation.
• Pure White Eye now grants him access to a once-daily, prompt-like Prophecy, while his passive “wild thoughts” have been confirmed to be an unreliable form of prophecy.
• When Abner asks about the secretive Silver Moon Plan, he receives no answer because the subject is protected by excessive Secrecy.
• He then asks about the relationship between Vice Admiral Deep Sea Howl Constantine and the Saugust sea monster. The prophecy responds: “Dependent and master.”
• This confirms Abner’s suspicion that Vice Admiral Deep Sea serves as the sea monster’s dependent and explains his use of human sacrifices.
• Exhausted after his experiments, Abner goes to sleep, jokingly calling himself a “half Prophet.”

Character Development

• Abner becomes more capable and knowledgeable after advancing to Mysticism Mentor, but he remains cautious about the limitations and risks of his powers.
• He shows continued self-awareness and humor, especially regarding the vulgar nature of Leon’s mystic art.
• His confidence grows as he learns to interpret prophecy and connect new information with clues from the Dream Labyrinth Tower.
• He begins planning for his next advancement and investigating the relationship between Vice Admiral Deep Sea and the Saugust sea monster.
• Abner’s understanding of his own mythical creature form and the future evolution of his abilities becomes more concrete.

Significant Themes

• Knowledge and secrecy: The chapter emphasizes the tension between uncovering hidden truths and the dangers of forbidden or overly concealed knowledge.
• The limitations of prophecy: Prophecy is shown to be powerful but restricted by Secrecy, available information, and the need for interpretation.
• Growth through accumulation: Abner’s powers improve through the collection of knowledge, mystic arts, and Beyonder abilities.
• Appearance versus reality: Leon’s art and the prophecy about Deep Sea both reveal that outward appearances conceal deeper truths.
• Power balanced by preparation: Even after advancing, Abner remains aware that he cannot yet imitate Demigod abilities and must continue developing his knowledge and spirituality.

Important Character Interactions

• Abner reflects on his past interactions with Lion Leon, particularly Leon’s shameless mystic art and the Acting Code of a Mysticism Mentor.
• His connection to the Brilliant Five-Colored Stone provides him with the highly valuable Shield of Glory.
• The prophecy reveals the hidden master-servant relationship between Vice Admiral Deep Sea Howl Constantine and the Saugust sea monster, linking back to the sacrificial scene Abner witnessed in the Dream Labyrinth Tower.

Chapter Summary: “Demon Hunter’s Discovery”

Key Plot Points and Events

• High-ranking Combat Church deacon Oaken, known as God’s Spear, arrives at the Demon Hunter headquarters beneath Saint Selina Church with his squad.
• He finds Siltana drinking on duty while guarding and organizing case files. She had abandoned her assignment accompanying Nashali, the Duke of Graycastle’s daughter, because Nashali now spends her days at Old Belov’s Hot Spring Inn.
• Oaken explains that Old Belov’s family is still being pressured because the late Pann’s supposed “last wishes” are being honored. He advises Siltana to tell them to sell the inn and relocate somewhere beyond Pann’s influence.
• The squad reviews the growing number of Beyonders arriving in Indo because of rumors that ancient ruins will appear at sea that night.
• Oaken reveals that a famous incident from twelve years earlier was misrepresented. Pann had claimed credit for confronting a dangerous High-Sequence Beyonder, but there had been no actual battle. The Church deliberately allowed Pann to gain merit, despite his recklessness causing the deaths of half his squad.
• The group discusses which individuals in Indo deserve surveillance. Siltana identifies Iron Man, Doctor Strange, and especially Nashali as potential threats.
• At the Hot Spring Inn, Nashali’s teacher—a Demigod of the Spectator Pathway—reveals that the Magic Mirror has issued new instructions. Nashali is no longer required to act as bait; instead, they must rent a ship and travel to sea that night.
• Elsewhere, Closia recognizes the connection between greed and the Magic Mirror. She realizes the coming opportunity may allow her not only to conduct a ritual and complete Dunn’s treatment but also to gain unexpected benefits.

Character Developments

• Oaken is shown as pragmatic and politically aware. Although he enforces Church interests, he is willing to acknowledge uncomfortable truths about Pann and quietly help the innocent Old Belov family escape.
• Siltana appears irreverent, alcohol-loving, and resentful of Church corruption, particularly Pann’s abuse of authority. Despite her informal behavior, she demonstrates sharp instincts and notices suspicious patterns others dismiss.
• The Demon Hunter captain is revealed to have helped Siltana avoid an unwanted assignment and to know the truth about Pann’s past, though he is discouraged by the Church’s manipulation of events.
• Nashali remains cautious and uneasy about her teacher’s plan. She questions the Magic Mirror’s motives rather than blindly following its instructions.
• Nashali’s teacher becomes increasingly excited by the Magic Mirror’s new orders, suggesting that the coming sea expedition may be part of a larger supernatural scheme.
• Closia is revealed to be pursuing her own agenda, intending to exploit the rumored ruins and the Magic Mirror’s actions for personal gain.

Significant Themes

• Institutional corruption and manufactured heroism: Pann’s reputation as a Church hero was built on a false account, demonstrating how organizations manipulate truth to create useful symbols.
• Suspicion and hidden agendas: Nearly every major faction— the Church, Nashali’s group, the Magic Mirror, and Closia—appears to be pursuing concealed objectives.
• Official law versus personal morality: Siltana’s sympathy for Old Belov’s family conflicts with the Church’s insistence on preserving Pann’s legacy.
• Greed and ambition: The rumored ruins attract numerous Beyonders, while several characters view the event as an opportunity to gain power, complete rituals, or secure other rewards.
• Appearance versus reality: Pann’s heroic image, Nashali’s apparent leisure, and the supposed ruins all conceal deeper truths.

Important Character Interactions

• Oaken and Siltana exchange a tense but familiar conversation, with Oaken tolerating her drinking while correcting her attitude toward Church policy.
• Siltana and her captain cooperate to conceal that she left Nashali’s surveillance assignment, showing their mutual loyalty.
• The Demon Hunter squad reacts with shock when Oaken exposes the truth behind Pann’s fabricated achievement.
• Siltana argues that Iron Man and Doctor Strange may be dangerous but are not indiscriminate killers, leaving open the possibility of cooperation with them.
• Siltana presents her suspicions about Nashali to Oaken, while he dismisses them as unsupported speculation—though she successfully persuades him to keep Nashali under observation.
• Nashali challenges her teacher over the Magic Mirror’s motives, highlighting her growing distrust.
• Closia privately links the Magic Mirror, greed, and her own plans, positioning herself as another participant in the approaching conflict.

Chapter Summary: The Fate of Angelic Evil Spirits

• Breakfast and Jane’s revelation: Abner eats breakfast with Jane and Lion Leon at the golf club while Mr. Azik is absent. Jane and Leon behave suspiciously toward each other. Jane reveals that she received a strange dream or revelation warning Abner to stay away from Leon, claiming the lion may “lead him astray.” Abner suspects the revelation may have been influenced by Closia, who visited him secretly the previous night.
• The planned ruin expedition: Abner invites Jane to accompany him to explore a ruin in the outer sea, located within the Sea of Collective Subconscious. He explains the available intelligence and his agreement with Miss Closia, allowing Jane to assess the risks. Jane accepts, viewing the opportunity as a chance to investigate the Sea’s depths. She also remarks that this is Abner’s first invitation since leaving the academy, teasing him for neglecting her.
• Leon declines but offers information: Leon refuses to join the expedition, saying that Roselle and the Calamity Seal had discussed the ruin and that it held little of value beyond its unusual environment. Abner asks why Roselle once took an Evil Spirit formed from a Fallen Angel from the site. Leon agrees to explain in exchange for Abner funding and helping establish a newspaper office in Trier. Abner accepts, recognizing Leon as an invaluable source of occult and historical secrets. Leon’s goal is to expose or smear Roselle, whom he still resents.
• Roselle’s three mystical artifacts: Leon reveals that Roselle followed the Calamity Seal’s advice and used Evil Spirits formed from three Fallen Angels, together with other characteristics, to create three powerful mystical items. Their abilities could approach the level of a “0” artifact while supposedly retaining a danger level of only “1.”
  1. The sword: The Glorious One of the God of Combat’s Church was sealed and forged into a sword.
  2. The seal: The Evil Spirit left behind by the Soren Family’s dying Angel was hidden by Roselle and eventually made into a seal. After the Calamity Seal disappeared, it became the imperial seal of the Gustav Dynasty and may now have returned to the Soren Family.
  3. The mirror: A heavily corrupted Evil Spirit from an Angel of the Eternal Blazing Sun Church, lost during the Fourth Epoch, was made into a mirror. It could bewitch people, push them toward Fallen corruption, consume its owner, and grant them some of its abilities. Although dangerous, the Evil Spirit had lost its intelligence and acted mainly on instinct, preventing the mirror from fully reaching “0” status.
• Character developments and interactions: Abner continues to act cautiously and analytically, gathering information before committing to dangerous ventures. Jane demonstrates growing concern for him and distrust of Leon, while also showing maturity by evaluating the expedition’s risks. Leon remains petty, secretive, and opportunistic, yet his knowledge makes him extremely valuable. His bitterness toward Roselle motivates his request for a newspaper. Abner and Jane’s simultaneous questioning of Leon highlights their shared vigilance, while Leon’s revelations deepen Abner’s suspicion that Roselle’s artifacts served a larger ritual or mystical purpose.
• Themes: The chapter explores the dangers of corrupted power, the unstable boundary between useful mystical artifacts and catastrophic “0”-level objects, and the consequences of Fallen Angels’ Evil Spirits being repurposed. It also emphasizes secrets, unreliable revelations, historical manipulation, and the risks of trusting powerful beings. The sword, mirror, and seal suggest a larger ancient myth or ritual, leaving open the possibility that Roselle created them to accomplish a greater supernatural objective.

Chapter Summary: “Spot Inspection”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner reflects on the symbolic significance of the Sword, Mirror, and Seal—objects that frequently appear in legends as keys to sealing monsters, awakening powerful beings, or performing rituals.
• He speculates that the three artifacts may relate to the advancement ritual for the Mystery Pryer Pathway’s Sequence 1, Knowledge Emperor, or contain mysterious pre-First Epoch knowledge.
• Lion Leon admits he does not know Roselle’s true purpose in creating the artifacts, but suspects the Calamity Seal had an additional scheme. Abner concludes that both Roselle and the Calamity Seal likely had hidden agendas.
• Abner and Jane leave the club and travel toward the villa rented by Closia and Dunn in the Dock Borough.
• During the carriage ride, Jane explains the Beyonder items she possesses:
  • The Ring of Death, which commands spirits and enhances dead-spirit powers.
  • Her ancestor’s Dead Spirit Iron Plaque, which stores and suppresses spirits and strongly restrains Corpse Collector Beyonders.
  • A Puppet Glove for controlling her Wraith, Steve.
  • The Cursed Scythe made by Abner.
  • Steve’s Reaper longsword and an Instigator-based necklace.
• Jane also reveals that she possesses a Sequence 5 Disciplinary Paladin characteristic, which she offers to reserve for Xio. Abner agrees to ask Xio and plans to gather the money to obtain it.
• Abner describes some of his own items, including Lilith’s Tears, the Ring of Light, and a Marionette capable of controlling Spirit Body Threads, while keeping the abilities of the Cursed Tudor Badge secret.
• Their carriage is stopped by an official “spot inspection.” Abner suspects the Church of Combat is screening travelers to prevent Beyonders from reaching the open sea.
• Jane conceals herself using a spirit from the Iron Plaque, causing her presence to become nearly undetectable.
• An official Beyonder, Siltana, enters the carriage to inspect Abner’s identity. Abner recognizes her from a previous encounter and notices that she resembles Azik, including a similar facial structure and a black mole beneath her right ear.

Character Developments

• Abner: Becomes increasingly attentive to the hidden motives behind the Sword-Mirror-Seal and the Calamity Seal. He also demonstrates practical concern for Xio’s advancement and carefully maintains the secrecy of his strongest artifact.
• Jane: Reveals the depth and versatility of her arsenal, emphasizing her inheritance from her ancestor, the former Death Archon. She appears confident in her ability to evade official scrutiny and subtly enjoys having something valuable that Xio needs.
• Lion Leon: Shows continuing resentment toward the Calamity Seal, suggesting a complicated history or feeling of being treated less favorably than Roselle.
• Xio: Though absent, her advancement to Judge and financial difficulties become relevant when Jane offers her the Disciplinary Paladin characteristic.
• Siltana: Is introduced as an official Beyonder connected to the Church of Combat. Her resemblance to Azik hints at a possible connection that Abner immediately notices.

Significant Themes

• Hidden schemes and layered motives: The Sword-Mirror-Seal may serve Roselle, the Calamity Seal, or a deeper ritual purpose, emphasizing that powerful entities often pursue multiple plans simultaneously.
• Inheritance and legacy: Jane’s abilities and artifacts come largely from her ancestor, showing how the achievements of past transmigrators continue to affect the present.
• Secrecy and concealment: Jane hides her identity during the inspection, while Abner withholds information about the Tudor Badge, highlighting the dangers of exposure in the Beyonder world.
• Power and authority: The Sword, Mirror, and Seal symbolize imperial authority, while the various artifacts represent control over spirits, pathways, and supernatural forces.
• Connections across time: Abner’s comparison of Siltana to Azik suggests hidden bloodlines, identities, or reincarnator-related links.

Character Interactions

• Abner questions Lion Leon about the Calamity Seal and Roselle’s intentions, testing the limits of Leon’s knowledge.
• Jane gives Abner a detailed account of her artifacts and offers to preserve the Disciplinary Paladin characteristic for Xio.
• Abner discusses his own items with Jane but deliberately conceals the full nature of the Tudor Badge.
• During the inspection, Jane silently protects both herself and Abner by using a spirit to erase her presence, while Abner handles the official questioning.
• Abner observes Siltana closely during their encounter, ending the chapter with the intriguing discovery of her resemblance to Azik.

Chapter Summary: “Jane’s Nightmare”

Key Plot Points and Events

• At a checkpoint, Siltana inspects Abner’s identification papers. Although she finds him suspicious—particularly because he claims ties to the Church of the Earth Mother and is traveling toward the Dock Borough—she allows him to pass.
• At Lady Closia’s villa, Closia explains the plan for entering and managing the nightmares of several Beyonders. Abner and Dunn will play heroic figures—“Doctor Strange” and “Iron Man”—while Jane will provide support.
• Closia warns them to screen each nightmare before entering. Dangerous dreams or dream controllers could trap or harm them, and Closia may not be able to rescue them.
• Jane adopts the alias “Ghost Rider,” inspired by Roselle’s novels, and jokes about using spirits as her mount. Abner accepts the idea because it shows that some of Jane’s former liveliness is returning.
• Closia summons a supernatural paper boat to transport them to the dream island connected to the Underworld. Using candles and her prior familiarity with the dreamscape, she bypasses the usual Full Moon and herbal preparations required for entry.
• Elsewhere, Nashali infiltrates an expedition team near Indo while worrying about her teacher, whose condition has deteriorated because of the Magic Mirror’s negative effects.
• The Demon Hunters also prepare to enter the dreamscape. Siltana remains uneasy around the beautiful team member Xenia, whose suspicious nature she senses but cannot bring herself to report. The team enters the dream world using Amanda Pure Dew.
• Abner reaches the dream courtyard, protects himself with the secret technique “Shield of Glory,” and enters Jane’s nightmare.
• Jane’s nightmare recreates her former family clothing store. In the courtyard, a gigantic Werewolf threatens her mother while Jane appears helpless, crying in despair. Abner realizes that the nightmare represents Jane’s unresolved trauma over her family’s deaths, though he senses something abnormal about the Werewolf.

Character Developments

• Jane: Begins recovering some of her old humor and vitality, enthusiastically choosing the heroic alias “Ghost Rider.” However, her nightmare reveals that beneath her apparent recovery, she remains deeply traumatized by her family’s deaths.
• Abner: Takes responsibility for guiding and protecting Jane, including entering her nightmare personally. He uses his growing dream-related abilities and carefully analyzes the strange Werewolf.
• Closia: Demonstrates extensive knowledge and control of the dream island, acting as the expedition’s guide and planner. Her warning that she may not be able to rescue others emphasizes the danger of the mission.
• Dunn: Cooperates with Abner in the planned dream “performances” and accepts the role of Iron Man.
• Siltana: Displays strong instincts and suspicion, particularly toward Abner and Xenia, but is mysteriously unable to act on her concerns about Xenia.
• Nashali: Shows concern for her teacher, suggesting emotional loyalty beneath her calculated infiltration.
• Xenia: Appears to be an attractive, ordinary Demon Hunter, but Siltana’s unease and inability to report her hint that Xenia may be concealing her true identity or influencing others.

Significant Themes

• Trauma and unresolved grief: Jane’s nightmare shows that revenge has not erased the emotional damage caused by her family’s death.
• Dreams as reflections of the mind: The dreamscape externalizes fear, memory, and psychological wounds, transforming Jane’s trauma into a monstrous Werewolf.
• Performance and identity: The characters adopt fictional heroic identities, blurring the boundaries between acting, self-image, and supernatural reality.
• Hidden manipulation: Siltana’s unexplained inability to report Xenia suggests that perception and judgment may be influenced by supernatural forces.
• Danger beneath apparent control: Even with careful preparation and powerful abilities, the dream island remains unpredictable, and Closia’s warning highlights the expedition’s vulnerability.

Character Interactions

• Siltana questions Abner’s identity and destination but ultimately lets him pass.
• Closia briefs Abner and Dunn, while Abner explains Jane’s supporting role and encourages her playful return to normalcy.
• Jane and Abner share lighthearted banter about superhero names and mounts, contrasting with the seriousness of her trauma.
• Closia leads the group into the dreamscape and establishes herself as the mission’s knowledgeable guide.
• Siltana’s uneasy observations of Xenia create an atmosphere of suspicion and foreshadow possible conflict.
• Inside Jane’s nightmare, Abner becomes an observer and potential rescuer, confronting the symbolic manifestation of the tragedy that still haunts her.

Chapter Summary: “Psychological Treatment and Hypnosis”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner examines Jane’s Nightmare and notices several inconsistencies: the Werewolf is unnaturally enormous, it does not attack Jane’s mother, and Jane behaves helplessly rather than trying to use her powers.
• He realizes the Werewolf symbolizes Jane herself. Her true fear is that, after becoming a Beyonder of the Corpse Collector Pathway, she is turning into someone emotionally cold and indifferent to ordinary human life.
• The “mother” represents ordinary people, while the Werewolf’s hesitation reflects Jane’s internal conflict between her Pathway instincts and her personal trauma as someone who once suffered from being ignored.
• Abner concludes that Jane’s problem is a danger caused by poor Acting Method integration. If left unresolved, it could worsen after a future advancement and potentially lead to a mental collapse.
• He also suspects that Jane views him as emotional support and fears that he will discover her “Werewolf” side.
• Rather than simply ending the Nightmare, Abner decides Jane must confront and accept that the Werewolf is part of her own personality.
• He uses Prophecy to ask for Closia’s treatment method. The answer is “‘Abner,’” leading him to infer that Jane must be forced to expose her true self by placing the dream-version of Abner in danger.
• A false, weakened version of Abner appears in the Nightmare and is immediately attacked by the real Abner, who disguises himself as a giant bear. After a brief fight, the real Abner severely injures the false one while preventing him from dying.
• Jane finally stops hiding behind the appearance of an ordinary girl. She merges with the Werewolf and returns to her normal form, showing concern for the wounded Abner despite the coldness in her eyes.
• In a parallel dream, Closia treats Miss Greed/Xenia by manipulating the dream and altering her cognition through Hypnosis. Closia admits that she considered taking Xenia’s Demigod characteristic but chose to keep her alive, implanting a Suggestion that prevents Xenia from seeking to undo the hypnosis.

Character Developments

• Abner: Demonstrates strong psychological insight, recognizing that Jane’s Nightmare reflects a deeper Pathway-related identity crisis. He chooses a difficult therapeutic approach rather than an easy rescue, using himself as the emotional trigger needed to help Jane.
• Jane: Her hidden conflict becomes clear. She fears becoming like the Werewolf she once hated and worries that Abner will reject her darker nature. By merging with the Werewolf, she begins accepting that this side is part of herself rather than a separate entity.
• Closia: Reveals a manipulative and pragmatic approach to psychological treatment. She is capable of using Hypnosis to alter another person’s cognition and is willing to do so for her own purposes while preserving the subject’s life.
• Miss Greed/Xenia: Is shown to be vulnerable to Closia’s psychological manipulation. Even after realizing that her mind has been altered, she becomes unable to pursue treatment because of the implanted Suggestion.

Significant Themes

• Identity and self-acceptance: Jane must acknowledge that her feared “Werewolf” nature is part of her, not an entirely separate personality.
• The dangers of the Acting Method: Immersing oneself in a Pathway’s role can blur the boundary between performance and identity, creating serious psychological consequences.
• Trauma and emotional support: Jane’s past as a victim shapes her inability to accept indifference toward others, while Abner functions as an important emotional anchor.
• Psychological treatment through confrontation: Healing requires Jane to face the source of her fear rather than simply escape the Nightmare.
• Manipulation and loss of autonomy: Closia’s Hypnosis demonstrates the disturbing power of altering another person’s thoughts, raising questions about whether psychological “treatment” can become another form of control.

Character Interactions

• Abner and Jane: Abner interprets Jane’s Nightmare, recognizes her reliance on him, and deliberately places his dream-double in danger to force her to reveal and accept her hidden nature.
• Jane and the Werewolf: Their eventual merging symbolizes Jane reconciling her ordinary, compassionate self with the cold instincts associated with her Beyonder Pathway.
• Abner and the false Abner: The real Abner fights and nearly kills the dream-version of himself, carefully preserving its recognizability so Jane will emotionally respond to the danger.
• Closia and Miss Greed: Closia presents herself as a healer but actually uses Hypnosis to implant a permanent cognitive restriction in Xenia. Her treatment is both therapeutic and coercive.