Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Bizarro Sorcerer” Klein

Key Plot Points and Events

• Dunn Smith removes his “Iron Man” armor after using another Decay-powered attack, revealing that the power has further aged him: his hairline has receded and silver strands have appeared.
• Madam Daly comforts Dunn by taking his hand. Leonard, distracted from his own lingering female characteristics, asks whether Dunn was resurrected by Mr. Fool like Klein.
• Dunn clarifies that Abner Brain resurrected him, while withholding the involvement of the Earth Mother Goddess because it concerns a deity.
• Dunn and Daly explain that they are not returning to the Church yet, as they are still completing a special mission. Leonard realizes this confirms that Klein had previously been truthful with him.
• Klein finishes preparing the Bizarro Sorcerer potion and drinks it immediately, beginning his advancement into the Demigod realm and gaining Divinity.
• Helena, the Goddess of Wealth and administrator of the space, suddenly appears beside Abner. After the others become wary, Abner introduces her and asks about Karen’s mission.
• Helena reports that Gluttony has been captured and Silica’s spirit redeemed. The operation cost the Palace 500,000 units of wealth, so Karen will transfer Gluttony and the Sealed Artifact Heaven’s Feast to Abner as compensation.
• While everyone watches Klein’s dangerous advancement, Leonard feels out of place, observing that Dunn and Klein have found love while he remains single. Abner privately mocks this thought by suggesting that Leonard already has an inseparable “old grandpa”—a reference to Pallez—and plans to influence Leonard’s dreams.
• Klein reaches the most dangerous stage of the advancement ritual. His divided thoughts replay crucial memories and encounters, allowing him to reconstruct and understand his identity.
• Klein successfully completes the ritual, gains Divinity, and becomes a Demigod. The transparent worms that had emerged across his body retract, restoring his normal appearance.
• After awakening, Klein immediately takes Sharron’s hand to reassure her and simultaneously examines the degree of her corruption by the Mother Tree of Desire. He intends to remove the corruption and determine whether her feelings for him are genuine or artificially influenced.

Character Developments

• Klein successfully advances to the Bizarro Sorcerer sequence, becoming half-human and half-divine. His self-understanding becomes deeper and more detached, incorporating his identities, memories, loyalties, and emotional experiences.
• Dunn continues to suffer physical consequences from wielding Decay but remains composed and reassures Daly and Leonard.
• Madam Daly openly demonstrates her affection and concern for Dunn, strengthening the image of their reunited relationship.
• Leonard experiences insecurity and loneliness when he compares himself with Dunn and Klein. His continued female characteristics remain a source of discomfort, though he puts them aside during Klein’s advancement.
• Abner acts as an observer, protector, and manipulator of events. He monitors Klein’s advancement, manages Helena’s appearance, and quietly toys with Leonard’s thoughts.
• Sharron shows clear concern for Klein, revealing the depth of her attachment to him. Her relationship with Klein is complicated by the possibility that the Mother Tree of Desire has influenced her emotions.
• Helena is established as the administrator of the current space and reports the successful resolution of Karen’s mission.

Significant Themes

• Identity and self-integration: Klein must reconcile his origins on Earth, his acquired memories, his life as a Nighthawk, his role as a Guardian, and his relationships with others.
• Humanity versus divinity: Klein’s advancement brings him closer to godhood, but the ritual requires him to preserve an understanding of his human self.
• Love and emotional authenticity: Dunn and Daly’s relationship contrasts with the uncertainty surrounding Sharron’s feelings, raising the question of whether love remains genuine when supernatural corruption is involved.
• Sacrifice and consequence: Dunn’s appearance shows the physical price of using Decay, while Klein’s memories emphasize the sacrifices he has made for survival and his convictions.
• Loneliness and belonging: Leonard’s humorous jealousy masks a deeper sense of isolation as he watches former comrades form intimate bonds.
• Observation and manipulation: Abner, Adam, and the ritual itself emphasize the importance of watching, interpreting, and shaping events from outside the immediate action.

Important Character Interactions

• Dunn and Daly share a quiet, affectionate moment that reassures the others of their bond.
• Dunn answers Leonard’s question about his resurrection while deliberately concealing divine information.
• Abner introduces Helena to prevent the group from treating her as a threat and discusses the outcome and compensation of Karen’s mission with her.
• Leonard compares his situation with those of Dunn and Klein, while Abner secretly reacts to and manipulates his thoughts.
• Klein’s ritual memories include Sharron guarding his body, highlighting her concern for him.
• Upon completing his advancement, Klein takes Sharron’s hand, both comforting her and investigating whether the Mother Tree of Desire has altered her feelings.

Chapter Summary: “Ambush”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Klein confirms that Sharron still carries a faint, unknown-origin “imprint.” Removing it will require the authority of The Fool.
• While Klein is holding Sharron’s hand and considering the problem, Abner interrupts with a congratulatory remark that carries an ambiguous implication, forcing Klein to maintain his composure.
• Klein reunites with former Tingen Nighthawks members Dunn Smith, Madam Daly, and Leonard Mitchell. He apologizes to Dunn for previously being unable to meet him under his true identity, but Dunn immediately reassures him that he understands and still trusts him.
• Klein informs Dunn that Abner can restore the vitality Dunn lost from using Decay attacks.
• Madam Daly asks what Abner would require in exchange. Abner explains that Dunn’s recovery only requires someone to make a wish to him.
• Leonard volunteers to make the wish, revealing to Dunn and Daly that he is also a member of an organization established by Mr. Fool. He wishes for Dunn to regain the vitality he possessed before using Decay.
• Abner fulfills the wish by placing a vial of genuine Fountain of Youth into the hot spring beneath his villa. He invites the reunited Nighthawks to rest and bathe there, then departs with the Goddess of Wealth, Helena.
• Dunn accepts Abner’s arrangement, and the group heads toward the hot spring. Leonard awkwardly tries to avoid participating.
• Abner’s departure is also motivated by an emergency: Vice Admiral of Ailment Tracy’s ship, the Black Death, is surrounded by a Rose School fleet near East Balam.
• Tracy sends Abner a distress signal after being forced into a dangerous situation while pursuing the slave trade. Although Abner suspects a trap, he decides to help her because her Fascination compels her to oppose slavery and because he cannot ignore her predicament.
• After making extensive preparations—including retrieving the Snow Queen doll and equipping himself with powerful artifacts—Abner uses a Historical Projection to appear aboard the Black Death.
• Tracy greets him with relief, but before Abner can respond, a mysterious woman in a holy white robe emerges in the captain’s cabin and accuses him of having “Tempted” her daughter, implying a personal connection to Tracy and revealing that the rescue mission is likely an ambush.

Character Developments

• Klein shows emotional vulnerability during his reunion with Dunn, nearly losing his composure when Dunn demonstrates that his trust and protective attitude have not changed.
• Dunn remains calm, generous, and dependable. His acceptance of Klein and willingness to trust Abner reflect the enduring bonds of the former Nighthawks.
• Leonard openly confirms his faith in Mr. Fool to protect Dunn, marking a significant moment of trust and revealing more of his connection to the Tarot Club-like organization.
• Abner demonstrates both benevolence and responsibility: he provides Dunn with a way to recover his lost vitality and immediately responds to Tracy’s distress call despite recognizing the danger.
• Tracy is shown to be driven by her Fascination and opposition to the slave trade. Her relief at Abner’s arrival suggests a growing reliance on him.
• Madam Daly retains her teasing, irreverent personality, using humor even during a serious discussion.
• The mysterious white-robed woman is introduced as a powerful and threatening figure who appears to know Abner personally and views his actions toward Tracy as an offense.

Significant Themes

• Trust and enduring bonds: Dunn’s continued acceptance of Klein emphasizes that genuine loyalty can survive secrecy, identity changes, and long separation.
• Identity and concealment: Klein’s hidden identity and Leonard’s cautious revelation of his faith highlight the dangers and importance of concealed affiliations in the supernatural world.
• Reciprocity and wishes: Abner’s method of restoring Dunn’s vitality reflects the chapter’s broader concern with bargains, authority, and the consequences of asking powerful beings for aid.
• Compassion versus danger: Abner repeatedly helps others despite recognizing potential traps, showing the tension between moral responsibility and self-preservation.
• The cost of power: Dunn’s weakened vitality, Tracy’s compelled behavior, and the need for powerful artifacts all demonstrate that supernatural abilities come with lasting consequences.
• Ambush and hidden motives: The chapter shifts from a warm reunion to an ominous confrontation, reinforcing the uncertainty and constant danger surrounding high-level Beyonder conflicts.

Character Interactions

• Klein and Sharron share a quiet, intimate moment before Abner’s teasing congratulations disrupt the scene.
• Klein and Dunn’s reunion restores their former captain-and-member dynamic, with Dunn reassuring Klein that he does not need to justify himself.
• Madam Daly jokes with Abner while negotiating Dunn’s recovery, contrasting her humor with the others’ caution.
• Leonard acts on Dunn’s behalf by making the wish, while Dunn and Daly initially fear that Abner’s request may conceal a dangerous supernatural contract.
• The former Nighthawks reunite as a group, balancing nostalgia, trust, and awkwardness—especially Leonard’s refusal to join the hot spring.
• Abner and Tracy’s reunion is abruptly transformed into a confrontation when the white-robed woman appears and claims that Abner has tempted Tracy’s daughter, ending the chapter on a threatening cliffhanger.

Chapter Summary: “An Exchange of Pieces and the Objective”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner encounters Katarina, the White Saintess, and realizes the ambush is far more dangerous than expected. He cannot detect the true enemy despite using enhanced Insight and the All-Seeing Eye.
• He attempts to teleport away, but both the Spirit World and Astral World are saturated with the auras of Destruction and Apocalypse, making escape through them too risky.
• Sigrid Cheek, the Gray Saintess, appears and attacks Abner with borrowed power from the Primordial Demoness Cheek. Her petrification curse briefly affects him, but Tolzna, the possessed Snow Queen doll and Spirit Angel, removes it.
• Sigrid traps Tolzna inside a Mirror Space, separating Abner from one of his strongest defenses. Abner then smashes through the Black Death’s hull and flees by air, partly to protect Tracy from the escalating battle.
• A Death-authority attack strikes Abner. He summons Rosemon, a lifeform created from the Lady of Desolation’s Beyonder Characteristic, to restore his vitality and confront the unseen attacker. Abner identifies the power as likely belonging to Haiter, a Death Archon associated with the Artificial Death God faction.
• Suah, the Abomination, also attacks from the Rose School fleet. To counter him, Abner summons successive Angel-level projections:
  • Rhine Calendia’s projection, through which Lilith descends and confronts Suah.
  • The Mother of Heaven’s vessel, which blocks one attack but is quickly damaged.
  • Leticia Tamara in her former Archangel form, whose instinctive Order-based power successfully restrains Suah.
• Amon intervenes by exchanging Fate with Suah, forcing Lilith’s projection to fight him instead and redirecting Suah’s attack toward Abner.
• After Abner has used most of his available defenses, the true mastermind appears: the Hidden Sage. It attacks with an overwhelming torrent of information that penetrates Abner’s Purification Barrier and immobilizes him.
• The Hidden Sage is prevented from completing its objective when an Abyss blocks a descending “scroll” representing human civilization.
• In a town protected by Secrecy, a silver-haired woman delivers a Knowledge Emperor characteristic—originally traded by Roselle to Yaluolan. Once the exchange is completed, the Hidden Sage’s information attack disappears and Abner is freed.
• Amon withdraws from his battle with Lilith, laughing and declaring that “the score is one to one,” implying that this encounter is part of a larger contest between himself and Abner.

Character Developments

• Abner demonstrates caution, adaptability, and extensive preparation. Rather than recklessly fighting every enemy, he prioritizes escape, protecting Tracy, and identifying the ambush’s true purpose. He reveals that he still possesses several powerful Angel projections and created lifeforms, but the battle exhausts nearly all of his remaining resources.
• Sigrid Cheek is established as far more dangerous than her Sequence 3 status suggests. By borrowing Cheek’s power through a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, she approaches the level of a god and serves as a carefully prepared tool in the ambush.
• Tolzna proves capable of instantly removing a powerful curse, though she is deliberately isolated by Sigrid.
• Rosemon shows her value as a support and combat entity, restoring Abner’s vitality and attacking the source of the Death authority.
• Lilith descends through Rhine Calendia’s projection and displays overwhelming divine power, but Amon’s Fate exchange prevents her from directly stopping Suah.
• Amon continues to act unpredictably and strategically. Rather than simply attacking Abner, he manipulates the battlefield by swapping positions and Fate with Suah, turning Abner’s summoned allies against one another.
• The Hidden Sage is revealed as the central mastermind, seeking not merely to kill Abner but to seize or accomplish something connected to the Knowledge Emperor characteristic.
• The unnamed silver-haired woman successfully completes the crucial delivery that ends the Hidden Sage’s attack, suggesting that the battle was part of a larger exchange of artifacts and objectives.

Significant Themes

• Power versus apparent rank: Sigrid’s Sequence 3 status conceals power approaching that of a god, emphasizing that artifacts, borrowed authority, and hidden arrangements can make formal Sequence assessments misleading.
• The importance of preparation and hidden information: Abner’s ability to summon powerful projections keeps him alive, but he remains unable to see the true plan until the ambush has nearly exhausted his resources.
• Strategic conflict rather than simple combat: The participants use proxies, Fate exchanges, Secrecy, borrowed powers, and artifact transfers. The battle is ultimately a contest over an objective, not merely an attempt to kill Abner.
• Exhaustion of resources: Abner’s defenses are powerful but limited. His need to choose carefully between projections highlights the cost of relying on extraordinary abilities.
• Fate and manipulation: Amon’s intervention demonstrates how Fate can reshape the battlefield and neutralize even divine-level assistance.
• Knowledge and information as power: The Hidden Sage’s attack is literally composed of information, while the Knowledge Emperor characteristic becomes the decisive item in the larger exchange. This reinforces the chapter’s focus on knowledge, secrecy, and control.

Important Character Interactions

• Abner and Katarina: Their meeting alerts Abner that the ambush involves forces he cannot yet perceive.
• Abner and Sigrid: Sigrid attacks him with Cheek’s power and separates Tolzna from him through Mirror Space.
• Abner and Tolzna: Tolzna saves Abner from petrification, but Sigrid deliberately removes her from the battlefield.
• Abner and Suah: Suah repeatedly attacks Abner, forcing him to summon increasingly powerful projections.
• Lilith and Amon: Lilith descends to oppose Suah, but Amon exchanges Fate with Suah and compels Lilith to confront him instead.
• Abner and the Hidden Sage: The Hidden Sage finally reveals itself and temporarily immobilizes Abner through an information-based attack, though the artifact exchange elsewhere interrupts it.
• Amon and Abner: Amon’s final laughter and “one to one” remark suggest a personal rivalry and indicate that this confrontation balances an earlier victory or loss between them.

Chapter Summary: “Abner’s Speculation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the Hidden Sage and Amon withdraw, Abner uses Insight to reconstruct the attack’s hidden logic. He realizes that the assault was a long-planned ambush orchestrated primarily by the Hidden Sage and Amon.
• The original plan involved the Dragon King, Ankewelt, and the Hidden Sage using Abner to break through Yaluolan’s “Secrecy” town. When that failed because of the Goddess’s intervention, the Hidden Sage recognized Abner’s importance to the Goddess and used him as leverage to obtain the Knowledge Emperor characteristic from Yaluolan.
• Amon secretly coordinated the operation by:
  • Bringing together the Rose School and the Demoness Sect, both of which had reason to oppose Abner.
  • Using information about the Artificial Death God to lure out an Angel of the Numinous Episcopate.
  • Exploiting the chaos at Indo Port, where multiple gods were occupied fighting or pursuing their own objectives.
  • Studying Abner’s habits through “Decryption” and constructing a trap with a roughly sixty-to-seventy percent chance of success.
• The Hidden Sage’s plan worked: the Goddess was forced to appear unable to intervene, and Yaluolan ultimately handed over the Knowledge Emperor characteristic in exchange for Abner’s freedom.
• Amon also benefited by creating a debt with the Hidden Sage, potentially securing his cooperation against the powerful forces competing for the Lord of Mysteries.
• The Abyss seems to have blocked the God of Steam and Machinery from rescuing Abner, likely as revenge for events in Trier.
• After the attackers retreat, Suah is left irritated and the Saintess of Gray briefly confused. The sea vortex disappears, and Rose returns to Abner.

Character Developments

• Abner demonstrates his ability to reconstruct complex schemes through Insight, moving from understanding the attack to suspecting that the entire event served a much larger divine plan.
• He acknowledges his own vulnerability: his habitual tendency to personally rescue others, recent relaxation after a major crisis, and overconfidence in his preparations made him predictable.
• Abner concludes that Adam may have manipulated events by creating a “reasonable” arrangement based on Abner’s personality and habits.
• His view of the Goddess becomes even more cautious and impressed. He believes she deliberately allowed herself to appear powerless while using the situation to advance several hidden objectives.
• Amon is portrayed as opportunistic and calculating. He accepted the risk because he had little to lose and used the incident to gain influence over the Hidden Sage.
• The Hidden Sage succeeds in obtaining the Knowledge Emperor characteristic but may unknowingly have accepted a trap prepared by the Goddess.
• Suah is distracted during a critical stage of digesting the Chained God’s remnants, potentially leaving him vulnerable to hidden interference.
• The Goddess’s plans may also involve Adam, Cheek, Vera/Leticia Tamara, the Pale Empress, and the Numinous Episcopate, showing that many major powers are maneuvering simultaneously.

Significant Themes

• Schemes within schemes: The apparent conflict between Abner, the Hidden Sage, and Amon may actually have been exploited by the Goddess for her own purposes.
• Manipulation and information control: Amon’s use of “Decryption,” the Hidden Sage’s concealment, and the Goddess’s false appearance of helplessness emphasize that controlling information is as important as raw power.
• Predictability and personal habits: Abner realizes that even powerful supernatural abilities cannot fully protect someone whose behavioral patterns have been studied.
• Hidden costs of power: The Knowledge Emperor characteristic, obtained through extensive planning, may contain a concealed flaw or “pit” deliberately prepared by the Goddess.
• Divine strategy and sacrifice: The Goddess allows Abner to face genuine danger and temporarily appears unable to help in order to influence several gods, accelerate the coming divine war, and protect broader objectives.
• Uncertainty and mistrust: Abner cannot determine exactly what Suah and the Demoness Sect gained, nor whether Amon and the Hidden Sage betrayed them. Every apparent alliance may conceal another agenda.

Character Interactions

• Abner and the Goddess: Their close relationship is central to the plot. The Hidden Sage uses Abner as leverage because of the Goddess’s concern for him, while Abner believes the Goddess intentionally allowed him to be endangered to further her plans.
• Abner and Amon: Amon studies Abner’s habits and exploits his predictable impulse to rescue Tracy, turning Abner’s personality against him.
• Amon and the Hidden Sage: Amon acts as an intermediary and collaborator, helping the Hidden Sage execute the ambush while securing a future favor in return.
• The Hidden Sage and Yaluolan: The Hidden Sage forces a bargain in which Yaluolan gives up the Knowledge Emperor characteristic to save Abner.
• Abner and Suah: Abner suspects the attack distracted Suah at a crucial moment, allowing hidden measures involving Daniel’s soul, the Soul Stone in “1-025,” and contamination from the Unknown to proceed.
• The Goddess and the Numinous Episcopate: By allowing Amon to expose the Artificial Death God faction’s Angel and mausoleum, the Goddess appears to be preparing for the Pale Empress to attack them.
• The Goddess and Cheek: Abner suspects the Goddess used the Saintess of Gray’s borrowing of the Primordial Demoness’s power to advance a scheme against Cheek, possibly involving the Spectral Empire and the Night Emperor’s divine kingdom.
• Abner and Rose: Once the supernatural confrontation ends, Rose returns to Abner, marking the immediate conclusion of the ambush.

Chapter Summary: Tolzna’s “Revenge”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner concludes that Amon’s recent ambush served two purposes: avenging the capture of his avatar in Tingen and testing the Goddess of Evernight’s ability or willingness to intervene. Since she did not help Abner during his crisis, Amon likely believes she is either unable—or unwilling—to act freely.
• Abner realizes Amon may soon enter Backlund, primarily to locate Pallez Zoroast and the holder of Sefirah Castle. Amon appears to regard Abner as an amusing “toy,” though Abner remains uncertain how much Amon truly knows about his identities.
• Suah’s power fades after the battle, but the Rose School fleet beneath him has already been destroyed. Most sailors go mad, lose control, or transform into monsters, while the fleet’s Beyonders—including several Sequence 5 and Sequence 6 members—are killed or corrupted.
• Abner discovers a surviving man attempting to escape through the ship’s hull. Using Insight, he identifies him as Enzo Enuni, a “Winner” and Klein’s future Marionette, who possesses the healing ring Green Glory.
• Abner manipulates the ring’s negative effect, causing aquatic insects to swarm Enzo. He then blinds and captures him in a sealed card, debating whether to give him to Will Au？ or Klein. He ultimately chooses Klein as a future congratulatory gift.
• After clearing the battlefield and storing the recovered Beyonder characteristics in his treasury, Abner encounters Tolzna through a mirror.
• Tolzna has possessed Sigrid Cheek, the Saintess of Gray, after Cheek inexplicably withdrew her power. Abner suspects Vera was responsible, possibly sealing Cheek within the Night Emperor’s divine kingdom as revenge for Cheek’s past actions.
• Tolzna asks to keep Cheek’s body. Abner agrees, and Tolzna transforms the Saintess into a small doll through which she can later descend. The doll is stronger and more useful than Tolzna’s previous Snow Queen vessel.
• Abner reflects on how many of the Demoness Sect’s Saintesses have fallen under his or his allies’ control, viewing Cheek’s fate as punishment for her past crimes.
• Abner asks why Tolzna used to purchase dolls from Emlyn rather than create them herself. Tolzna explains that she had not found suitable vessels—and adds that Emlyn was always ordering Aitris around. Abner realizes Tolzna had been exploiting Emlyn partly as revenge on behalf of her brother.

Character Developments

• Abner: Becomes increasingly strategic and confident. He analyzes Amon’s motives, captures Enzo for Klein’s benefit, and continues accumulating powerful allies, vessels, and Beyonder characteristics. His connection to Demonesses and his possible former identity as the “Father of Succubi” are also emphasized.
• Amon: Is portrayed as preparing to enter Backlund and pursuing Pallez and Sefirah Castle’s holder. His treatment of Abner as an “interesting toy” reinforces his playful but dangerous nature.
• Enzo Enuni: Demonstrates his remarkable luck and resilience as a “Winner,” surviving Suah’s aura and the fleet’s destruction. Nevertheless, Abner outmaneuvers and captures him.
• Tolzna: Gains a new and superior vessel by possessing Sigrid Cheek. Her brief explanation about Emlyn reveals a petty, personal motive behind her repeated exploitation of him.
• Sigrid Cheek: Suffers a humiliating defeat and becomes a puppet-like vessel for Tolzna, losing control of her body while remaining conscious enough to experience her imprisonment.
• Vera: Is implied to have defeated or sealed Cheek, possibly as an act of revenge connected to the Night Emperor.
• Emlyn: Though absent, is revealed to have been repeatedly “fleeced” by Tolzna because she was retaliating against his habit of commanding Aitris.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and testing: Amon’s attack is not merely revenge but an experiment designed to measure the Goddess’s limits and attitudes.
• Power through vessels and possession: Bodies, dolls, Marionettes, and sealed cards function as tools of control, showing how individuality is repeatedly subordinated to stronger beings.
• Revenge and punishment: Cheek’s fate and Tolzna’s treatment of Emlyn both reflect personal retaliation, while Abner views the Demoness Saintesses’ suffering as deserved punishment.
• Luck versus strategy: Enzo’s extraordinary luck protects him from catastrophe, but Abner’s superior analysis and manipulation of probability ultimately defeat him.
• Moral ambiguity: Abner casually captures, repurposes, and distributes powerful individuals while justifying these actions as punishment, pragmatism, or favors to allies.

Character Interactions

• Abner and Enzo: Abner mocks Enzo’s “Winner” abilities, exploits the flaws of his ring, blinds him with his Pure White Eye, and seals him for eventual delivery to Klein.
• Abner and Tolzna: Their conversation is cooperative and familiar. Abner grants Tolzna Cheek’s body, while Tolzna reveals the personal motive behind her treatment of Emlyn.
• Tolzna and Sigrid Cheek: Tolzna completely dominates Cheek, transforming her into a doll and claiming her body as a reusable vessel.
• Tolzna and Emlyn: Though they do not meet in the chapter, Tolzna’s purchases from Emlyn are reframed as deliberate exploitation—a form of revenge for Emlyn ordering Aitris around.
• Abner and Vera: They do not interact directly, but Abner plans to question Vera about Cheek’s sudden loss of power and possible imprisonment.

Summary: “A Blessing or a Curse”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner arrives aboard the Black Death after Tracy’s crew has been devastated by the Abomination’s influence. Most sailors are dead or injured, and Tracy has been forced to kill those who are losing control.
• Tracy, emotionally broken, throws herself into Abner’s arms. He comforts her while recognizing that his apparent concern for her also serves a strategic purpose: it may discourage hidden enemies from targeting Xio and Fors.
• Abner confirms that White Saintess Katarina, Tracy’s mother, has fled after sensing danger from the Hidden Sage’s power. Katarina had helped lure Abner into the ambush but abandoned Tracy when the situation turned against her.
• Abner helps Tracy restore the Black Death by taking her near one of her squadrons, allowing her to replenish her crew and resume sailing.
• Returning to Alvin’s Palace, Abner meets Klein, Dunn, Leonard, and Daly. He gives Klein a card containing Enzo, a Sequence 5 Winner from the Rose School, as a congratulatory gift for Klein’s advancement to Demigod.
• Abner asks Klein for Ince Zangwill’s Nightwatcher and Gatekeeper Beyonder Characteristics. Klein agrees to sell the Gatekeeper Characteristic but insists that the Nightwatcher Characteristic—originally derived from Saint Selena’s ashes—should be returned to the Goddess and the Church.
• Abner cryptically predicts that Dunn will soon be rewarded by the Church of Combat and advance along either the Nightwatcher or Demon Hunter Pathway. Dunn and Daly are shocked because their infiltration of the Church of Combat was supposed to be secret.
• The chapter ends with Klein visiting the area above the Gray Fog. He discovers another step on the Ladder of Light and reaches a vast door made of countless spheres and worms, with black threads suspending translucent cocoons containing sleeping souls. Three cocoons are already empty.
• Troubled by what he has seen, Klein returns to his mansion in a deeply depressed state. Sharron notices his condition and comforts him by embracing him.

Character Developments

• Abner continues to balance genuine assistance with calculated manipulation. He protects Tracy while also using their apparent closeness to shield Xio and Fors from future attacks. His confidence and familiarity with powerful deities become increasingly evident.
• Tracy is shown in a rare state of vulnerability. The destruction of her crew and the loss of control over the situation leave her dependent on Abner for emotional support.
• Katarina is revealed as pragmatic and self-preserving. Although she is Tracy’s mother, she abandons her when escape becomes necessary.
• Klein demonstrates growing maturity and responsibility as a Demigod. He refuses to treat the Nightwatcher Characteristic merely as a commodity, recognizing its connection to the Goddess and the Church. His discovery above the Gray Fog leaves him shaken and emotionally overwhelmed.
• Dunn and Daly learn that their secret infiltration of the Church of Combat is known to higher powers. Dunn may soon advance, but Abner suggests that this opportunity is both beneficial and dangerous.
• Sharron acts as a quiet source of emotional support for Klein, responding instinctively to his distress.

Significant Themes

• Blessing versus curse: Divine or supernatural assistance can bring both protection and hidden costs. Dunn’s potential advancement is beneficial, yet it may also make him a pawn in larger divine conflicts.
• Manipulation and moral ambiguity: Abner’s protection of Tracy is partly sincere and partly strategic. His reasoning raises questions about whether helpful actions remain altruistic when they are also calculated.
• The cruelty of power struggles: Ordinary people and even loyal followers become expendable pieces in conflicts among angels, churches, and gods.
• Identity, fate, and hidden observation: Dunn and Daly’s infiltration is secretly known by the gods, emphasizing how little control individuals have over their own circumstances.
• Isolation and comfort: Tracy and Klein both experience profound emotional distress, but each receives comfort through personal connection—Abner for Tracy and Sharron for Klein.
• Mystery of the transmigrators: The sleeping souls in the cocoons, some visibly resembling people from modern Earth, deepen the mystery surrounding the Gray Fog, the Door of Light, and the fate of those who crossed into this world.

Important Character Interactions

• Abner and Tracy: He comforts her after the destruction of her crew, while internally acknowledging the strategic advantages of appearing closely connected to her.
• Abner and Katarina: Although they do not directly confront one another, Katarina’s betrayal and escape shape Abner’s treatment of Tracy.
• Abner and Klein: They exchange gifts and discuss Beyonder Characteristics. Their relationship is familiar and trusting, though Abner’s casual references to the Goddess astonish the others.
• Klein, Dunn, Leonard, and Daly: Klein consults Dunn and Leonard before accepting Abner’s proposal, showing respect for their judgment and their emotional connection to Ince’s legacy.
• Abner, Dunn, and Daly: Abner hints that their secret mission has been recognized by the gods, leaving them both surprised and unsettled.
• Klein and Sharron: After witnessing the disturbing scene above the Gray Fog, Klein becomes visibly depressed, and Sharron silently offers him comfort through an embrace.

Chapter Summary: “Can’t Go Back”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner meets Klein above the Gray Fog, where Klein appears in his “The World” identity rather than as Mr. Fool.
• Abner immediately realizes that Klein and Miss Justice have progressed romantically, teasing Klein until he admits that Danitz’s prayer interrupted them.
• Abner reveals that he caused Danitz to pray to Mr. Fool. After observing Danitz’s Fate, he determined that connecting him to Mr. Fool was the safest option during the conflict between Adam and the Angel of Fate.
• Klein explains that Danitz’s interruption may have prevented him from making a serious mistake, since Sharron’s corruption by the Mother Tree of Desire has not yet been cleansed.
• Abner offers the Death Announcer as a test subject for Klein’s plan to remove the corruption. The former flagship, once connected to the War God and partially corrupted by the Mother Tree of Desire, is considered suitable for experimentation. Klein accepts.
• Klein finally asks about Sefirah Castle’s transmigrators and the empty cocoons. Abner confirms that transmigrators from Earth were placed into different historical periods rather than arriving according to a simple time difference.
• Abner then reveals the chapter’s central truth: the current world is actually Earth in the distant future, thousands or tens of thousands of years after the highly advanced civilization Klein remembers. Klein never truly left his home planet; he was only separated from it by time and can never return to his original era.

Character Developments

• Klein: Shows signs of emotional and romantic development, though he remains embarrassed and defensive when Abner teases him. He is increasingly cautious and methodical regarding Sharron’s corruption, preferring to test his solution before attempting it on her. His final question shows that he is seeking a deeper understanding of his origins and transmigration.
• Abner: Demonstrates his ability to read people through their mental state and Fate rather than through direct prophecy. He acts casually and humorously, but is also protective of Klein’s psychological stability, carefully revealing the truth only after confirming Klein can handle it.
• Danitz: Though absent, his fear and instinctive prayer become crucial. His intervention prevents Klein from potentially making a dangerous mistake.
• Miss Justice: Her relationship with Klein is implied to have advanced, marking a significant change in their connection.
• Sharron: Remains threatened by the Mother Tree of Desire’s corruption, becoming the focus of Klein’s next major experiment.
• The Death Announcer/War God: Is reframed as a tragic but useful figure whose history of corruption makes him an appropriate test subject.

Significant Themes

• Irreversibility and loss: The revelation that Klein can never return to his original time gives the chapter its title and establishes that his separation from Earth cannot be undone.
• Identity and concealment: Klein’s attempt to maintain Gehrman Sparrow’s persona contrasts with Abner’s ability to see through his emotional state. The chapter repeatedly explores the limits of disguise and self-control.
• Fate and intervention: Abner’s manipulation of Danitz’s Fate prevents a worse outcome, showing how small decisions can redirect larger conflicts.
• Caution versus desperation: Klein’s careful approach to curing Sharron’s corruption reflects his growing maturity and awareness of the dangers of acting without preparation.
• Home and displacement: The revelation that Klein is still on Earth—but in a distant future—makes his “return home” impossible in a particularly painful way. He is not far from home geographically, yet is permanently cut off from his own era.

Character Interactions

• Abner and Klein engage in playful but revealing banter, with Abner teasing Klein about his relationship and Klein reacting with embarrassment and irritation.
• They discuss Danitz’s prayer and Abner’s intervention, highlighting Abner’s willingness to act on Mr. Fool’s behalf even while Klein maintains his disguise.
• Their conversation shifts from humor to serious cooperation when they discuss Sharron’s corruption and the Death Announcer as a test subject.
• The final exchange becomes emotionally weighty as Klein confronts Abner about the transmigrators and learns the devastating truth about his relationship to Earth.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner reveals to Klein that his “homeland” is actually Earth, but separated from the current world by time rather than distance. This realization is supported by numerous similarities between the present world and Earth: the calendar, planetary structure, geography, lost civilizations, and the human origins of several nonhuman races.
• Klein recalls evidence such as the shapes of the Northern and Southern Continents, the erased landmass forming the Berserk Sea, Sonia Island and the Sonia Sea, and the possible identities of the Western Continent and the Forsaken Land of the Gods.
• Klein initially resists the conclusion because the moon and stars do not perfectly resemble those of Earth. Abner explains that the altered sky may be connected to the return of the stars to their proper positions and to the approaching Apocalypse.
• The revelation devastates Klein. Since he believes he can never return to Earth, he temporarily loses his motivation to continue.
• Abner restores Klein’s determination by telling him that the Apocalypse is expected in the year 1368 of the Fifth Epoch. He reminds Klein that people he cares about—including Temperance, his siblings in this era, the captain, and Leonard—will need him to become stronger and help them survive.
• Abner only vaguely explains that the Apocalypse originates from the starry sky and the Original Creator, withholding dangerous information that Klein is not yet prepared to know.
• Their discussion expands to the Western Continent, the Sefirot, the relationship between Sefirot and advancement beyond the True God level, the twenty-two Pathways, and their Sequence abilities. Abner effectively gives Klein advanced knowledge that could greatly accelerate his potion digestion.
• Although both men implicitly understand that Klein is the Fool, Klein still does not openly admit it. Abner also leaves the Loen Royal Family’s conspiracy unmentioned.
• After returning from Sefirah Castle, Abner interacts with Tracy aboard the Black Death. He tells her to use his Honorific Name if her mother comes looking for her, then leaves through a door opened in the void.
• In a Church of Evernight cathedral, Cindy delivers the corpse of the Black Blade to the authorities. She then studies Leonard and remarks that he looked better the previous day, creating a humorous and slightly unsettling ending.

Character Developments

• Klein: Experiences shock, grief, and existential despair after learning that the current world is a distant future version of Earth. His temporary loss of purpose is overcome when Abner reminds him of the Apocalypse and the people who depend on him. Klein’s sense of responsibility and emotional bonds ultimately begin to pull him back into action.
• Abner: Acts as both informant and motivator. He carefully controls what he reveals, balancing Klein’s need for knowledge against the danger of exposing forbidden truths. He also deliberately uses Klein’s relationships to reignite his will to fight.
• Tracy: Shows familiarity and affection toward Abner, embracing him and interacting playfully. Her dependence on Abner’s protection is suggested by his instruction that she pray to him if threatened by her mother.
• Cindy and Leonard: Cindy remains observant and perceptive, while Leonard becomes visibly uncomfortable under her scrutiny. Their exchange provides comic relief after the chapter’s heavy revelations.

Significant Themes

• Alienation and homesickness: Klein discovers that his original home exists only in the distant past, making his return effectively impossible.
• Time and historical continuity: The world’s geography, civilizations, and races reveal that the present era is connected to Earth’s history through catastrophic transformation.
• Knowledge and danger: Abner must restrict what he tells Klein because certain truths—especially concerning the Apocalypse, the Original Creator, and the Sefirot—could be harmful or premature.
• Responsibility and chosen belonging: Though Klein feels detached from the current world, his relationships and duties motivate him to continue fighting for the people around him.
• Approaching catastrophe: The Apocalypse gives the story an urgent deadline and reframes personal struggles as part of a larger cosmic crisis.
• Unspoken understanding: Klein and Abner both recognize Klein’s identity as the Fool without directly stating it, emphasizing their mutual awareness and cautious trust.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• In the Church of Evernight’s cathedral in Winter County, Ilya reports to Crestet Cecimir that the corpse recovered by Cindy and Leonard belonged to the Black Blade, a criminal previously active in Backlund.
• The Black Blade was killed by an unidentified Saint who had also returned Cindy and Leonard to Loen territory and abducted the Earth Demoness, the Gentleman Thief, and Iron Man.
• Ilya concludes that the Saint likely belongs to the mysterious Tarot Card organization connected to Gehrman Sparrow. The organization appears hostile toward Ince Zangwill but friendly toward the Evernight Church.
• Although Ilya asks Cecimir to investigate, he reveals that the Holy See has forbidden the Church from pursuing the Saint’s identity. The matter is therefore officially closed.
• After the confrontation involving Adam and Ouroboros, Danitz and Anderson awaken in the Gargas Archipelago with gifts:
  • Danitz receives the Edwards family’s Apocalypse Medal.
  • Anderson receives the Sequence 4 Iron-blooded Knight Beyonder Characteristic and already possesses the corresponding potion formula.
• Danitz receives a direct revelation from Mr. Fool, confirming that he is being treated like a genuine blessed. Mr. Fool gives him Gehrman Sparrow’s commission: to turn Gehrman’s maritime experiences into frightening and bizarre pirate stories and circulate them.
• Danitz asks for funding because he is stranded without money. Mr. Fool grants him ten pounds—but the banknote is marked, “It’s a loan. Remember to pay it back!”
• At a hot spring resort in Ince Port, Abner encounters Hvin Rambis, a powerful figure connected to the Psychology Alchemists and the Loen royal family. Since Hvin’s identity had previously been occupied by the Dragon King Ankewelt—now one of Adam’s identities—Abner suspects that Adam has sent or sacrificed an avatar as his promised gift. He also wonders where the mysterious King of the Black Throne is.

Character Developments

• Ilya shifts responsibility for investigating the unknown Saint to Cecimir before returning to her work in the Southern Continent. Her report confirms the Tarot organization’s ambiguous but generally favorable relationship with the Evernight Church.
• Cecimir is shown to be constrained by the Holy See, despite his high status and investigative authority. The Church’s refusal to investigate suggests that the Saint’s identity is politically or cosmically sensitive.
• Danitz experiences a major spiritual development. Mr. Fool’s direct response convinces him that he has become a true blessed, increasing both his awe and his hope of eventually matching Gehrman Sparrow and drawing closer to his former captain.
• Anderson is rewarded with a clear path toward demigodhood. His new Beyonder Characteristic and potion formula leave only the ritual needed for advancement. His teasing relationship with Danitz remains unchanged.
• Gehrman Sparrow/Klein demonstrates his continuing influence by commissioning Danitz to spread sensationalized accounts of his adventures, likely as part of a broader plan to build reputation, influence, or faith.
• Abner recognizes that the arrival of Hvin Rambis is likely connected to Adam’s earlier promise, but he remains uncertain about Adam’s exact intentions and the whereabouts of another important figure.

Significant Themes

• Hidden identities and political secrecy: The Church’s order to stop investigating the unknown Saint emphasizes how powerful organizations conceal information when divine-level forces are involved.
• Faith and divine connection: Danitz’s direct communication with Mr. Fool changes his understanding of what it means to be a believer and blessed.
• Debts and reciprocity: The chapter’s title is reflected humorously in the marked banknote, while the wider story also highlights favors, gifts, and obligations between powerful beings.
• Manipulation through stories and reputation: Gehrman’s commission shows how legends and rumors can be deliberately manufactured to influence the pirate world.
• Power gained through cosmic bargains: Anderson’s reward and Abner’s encounter with Hvin illustrate how interactions with entities such as Adam can grant extraordinary benefits while creating uncertainty and danger.

Character Interactions

• Ilya and Cecimir: Ilya delivers intelligence about the Black Blade and the Tarot organization, while Cecimir informs her that the Holy See has prohibited further investigation.
• Danitz and Anderson: Their banter reflects their continued antagonistic friendship. Anderson mocks Danitz’s reaction to Mr. Fool’s revelation, while Danitz ridicules Anderson’s lack of money and his temporary disguise.
• Danitz and Mr. Fool: Danitz receives both a divine commission and financial assistance, though the money comes with a humorous reminder that it must eventually be repaid.
• Gehrman and Danitz: Though Gehrman does not appear directly, his influence shapes Danitz’s next task and forces him to act as an unofficial promoter of Gehrman’s legend.
• Abner and Hvin Rambis: Their encounter sets up a new mystery involving Adam, Hvin’s true status, and the possible arrival of the King of the Black Throne.

Chapter Summary: “Authority of the Unknown”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Adam, disguised as the Dragon King Hvin Rambis, meets Abner after successfully reclaiming 0-08 and returning to Sequence 1. He maintains the pretense that he is still merely the Dragon King.
• Adam explains that the “gifts” he has brought Abner are Pride and Greed, while implying that other rewards may be discussed at a future meeting of the Psychology Alchemists’ Supreme Council.
• Abner probes him about divine protection. Adam claims that he has received the protection of the Eternal Blazing Sun, suggesting that Osekus may suffer a major setback.
• Adam removes Pride’s virtual personalities, leaving Hvin Rambis vacant and controllable. He also reveals that he implanted a personality in Greed that recognizes Abner as her master.
• Greed and Sloth discover Hvin’s presence. Greed reluctantly addresses Abner as “Master,” while Sloth reacts with curiosity.
• Distrusting Adam’s arrangement, Abner uses Alvin, the hidden Miracle Invoker, to transform Hvin Rambis into a Marionette rather than giving him a new personality. He intends to preserve Pride’s characteristics for Miss Justice to use or acquire later.
• Abner considers using Pride’s identity to interfere with or test Justice and World, believing that doing so could help stabilize George III’s deception and benefit his own future according to the River of Fate.
• Hvin, now a Marionette, formally greets Abner, Greed, and Sloth. Greed becomes uneasy after witnessing how easily Abner disposed of Pride.
• To prevent Greed from revealing Abner’s secrets—especially those involving Vera—Abner uses Adam’s prepared authority to command her: “Recite my name!”
• Greed undergoes a ritual of devotion, reciting Abner’s titles and praying to become his believer and favored one. Abner fully converts her into his believer.
• Unlike his treatment of the Red Saintess, Abner removes Adam’s implanted virtual personality from Greed and leaves her original self intact. Moved by this mercy, Greed willingly gives him her sincere faith.
• Abner reflects on the powerful nature of the Land of Unknown’s believer-development ritual and speculates that the mysterious Liu Bo may have brought back an authority connected to control, enslavement, or corruption. He also recalls his former identity as the Father of Succubi, Lord of Desire, and Origin of the Fallen.

Character Developments

• Abner becomes increasingly calculating and independent. Although he accepts Adam’s “gifts,” he refuses to trust Adam’s instructions and immediately converts Pride into a Marionette for his own purposes.
• Abner also demonstrates a balance between pragmatism and restraint: he protects Greed because of her usefulness and past assistance, but also ensures her silence through conversion.
• Adam continues his elaborate deception as the Dragon King, carefully limiting what he reveals while manipulating the situation to serve his larger plans. His claim of receiving the Eternal Blazing Sun’s protection hints at a significant conflict involving Osekus.
• Greed/Xenia shifts from reluctant subordinate to sincere believer. Initially frightened and conflicted, she becomes deeply loyal after Abner removes Adam’s imposed personality and preserves her individuality.
• Sloth/Closia remains observant and curious, watching the transformation of Pride and recognizing the implications of the “gifts.”
• Pride/Hvin Rambis loses his independent identity entirely. He is reduced first to a blank vessel and then to a Marionette under Abner’s control.

Significant Themes

• Control versus free will: The chapter repeatedly contrasts Adam’s implanted personalities, Abner’s Marionette transformation, and Greed’s eventual voluntary faith.
• Manipulation and layered deception: Adam pretends to be the Dragon King, Abner pretends to accept Adam’s arrangements, and both operate through hidden motives and carefully constructed identities.
• Power and authority: Abner’s ability to command, convert, and control others reflects the growing significance of his authority over believers and the Unknown.
• Trust and self-preservation: Abner’s refusal to trust Adam shapes his decisions, while Greed’s knowledge of Abner’s secrets makes her both valuable and dangerous.
• Identity and transformation: Hvin’s destruction as a person, Greed’s preservation despite becoming a believer, and Abner’s references to his former divine identity all emphasize the instability of personality and selfhood.
• Fate and strategic intervention: Abner considers deliberately influencing Justice, World, and George III because the River of Fate suggests that such interference may improve his future.

Important Character Interactions

• Adam and Abner engage in a polite but highly deceptive conversation, each understanding more than he openly admits.
• Adam offers Pride and Greed as rewards, while Abner outwardly cooperates but secretly replaces Adam’s intended control method with his own.
• Greed reacts uneasily to Abner’s treatment of Pride, revealing both fear and awareness of his ruthlessness.
• Abner commands Greed to recite his name, transforming her into a believer while preserving her personality.
• Greed’s gratitude and faith become genuine because Abner distinguishes her from Pride and does not erase her individuality.
• Abner, Sloth, and the newly created Marionette Pride formally meet, establishing the new power structure within Abner’s group.

Chapter Summary: “Rhine Calendia’s Castle”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner places Pride Hvin Rambis inside Alvin’s Strange Domain, then has dinner with Sloth Closia and Greed Xenia.
• During dinner, Xenia reports the aftermath of the

Indo Port Twilight Festival incident

• The identities of the Saints who fought Wimbledon Einhorn and Archbishop Ivan remain unknown.
• Feysac’s intelligence agencies and the Demon Hunter therefore focus on Gehrman Sparrow, the identifiable “Gentleman Thief.”
• Gehrman Sparrow has been exposed by Creeping Hunger and receives a joint bounty of 300,000 Gold Horn from the royal family and the Church.
• Mayor Nelly Pitt is revealed to be a Demigod of the Secret Order. The person remaining in Indo Port was only a Historical Projection, while his “family” consisted of Marionettes.
• Abner informs Closia and Xenia that Gluttony has been captured. Since Gluttony is mentally defenseless, the two women invade his subconscious and inspect his memories.
• They discover that Gluttony had spent centuries searching for the ruins of Rhine Calendia, a Sanguine Duke and noble of the Fourth Epoch Solomon Empire.
• The castle lies somewhere in the Antares Mountain Range, but it only appears during a Full Moon. It is apparently alive and can move through the mountains.
• Gluttony explored only the first floor before being forced to retreat by dangerous creatures. He had made several attempts over nearly seven hundred years without progressing further.
• Abner reveals that Gluttony found the Sealed Artifact Heaven’s Feast on the first floor, suggesting that additional “Weirdness” items may exist deeper inside.
• The group begins planning an expedition, noting that nearly three weeks remain before the next Full Moon.
• Closia speculates that Rhine Calendia himself may be sleeping on the castle’s top floor. Abner immediately rejects this, knowing that Rhine’s body has already become the Beauty Goddess and is currently located beneath Harvest Church.

Character Developments

• Abner continues to operate as an informed, highly secretive figure. He already knows much of the intelligence being shared and carefully withholds the fact that he was the mysterious Saint involved in the Indo Port incident.
• He also demonstrates confidence regarding Rhine Calendia’s fate, implying knowledge far beyond Gluttony’s memories.
• Xenia proves valuable as an intelligence source because of her noble status and connections to Wimbledon’s family. She tactfully avoids exposing Abner’s identity.
• Closia and Xenia show how dangerous their mental abilities are by directly examining Gluttony’s subconscious.
• Closia’s attitude toward Gluttony becomes colder after discovering that he had harmed one of her ancestors and contributed to that ancestor’s eventual loss of control.
• Gluttony is revealed to have lived for nearly seven centuries and to have spent much of that time pursuing the castle and its treasures.

Significant Themes

• Secrecy and misdirection: Public investigations focus on Gehrman Sparrow while the true identities and affiliations of the Saints remain hidden.
• The danger of ancient ruins: Rhine’s castle is mobile, seemingly alive, and filled with creatures powerful enough to repel Gluttony repeatedly.
• The persistence of the past: Fourth Epoch history, the Solomon Empire, and ancient Sanguine powers continue to affect the present.
• Memory and exploitation: Gluttony’s mind is treated as a source of intelligence, while his past actions demonstrate how supernatural abilities can be used to manipulate bloodlines and destiny.
• Knowledge versus uncertainty: Abner recognizes connections involving Rhine, the Beauty Goddess, and the Blood Moon Queen, but admits that the castle’s true nature must be investigated directly.

Character Interactions

• Abner, Closia, and Xenia exchange intelligence during dinner, establishing a cooperative but carefully guarded relationship.
• Xenia reports official investigations while deliberately concealing Abner’s involvement.
• Closia questions Abner about Gluttony’s promised information, prompting him to present Gluttony for examination.
• Closia and Xenia jointly read Gluttony’s memories, though Closia’s stronger mental abilities allow her to recover first.
• Abner warns them about the possible treasures and dangers within the castle and contradicts Closia’s theory about Rhine’s presence, showing that he possesses crucial undisclosed knowledge.

Chapter Summary: “Old Acquaintances and Tasks”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A secret banquet is held at Lady Helen’s ancient castle near Bordeaux Lake, ostensibly owned by a businessman but actually belonging to Sanguine Earl Helen, an Archbishop of the Earth Mother Goddess Church.
• The gathering brings together two factions:
  • The Sanguine, led by Olmer, the ancient “Full Moon” Duke, with several Earls and Counts, including Nibais Boyar.
  • Alvin Abraham, the “Miracle Invoker,” accompanied by five Demoness Sect Saintesses in maid outfits. Some are projections or puppets, but their presence convincingly suggests that Alvin has brought powerful Demoness figures under his control.
• Emlyn serves as a mediator between the two sides, while Abner remains beside Lady Helen and oversees the proceedings.
• The two factions agree to proceed without further probing, and the Sanguine’s transaction for the “Fountain of Youth” is completed smoothly.
• During the exchange, Alvin asks whether the Sanguine’s true “wish” is to escape decay and extend their lives. Though initially wary of the wording, the Sanguine eventually acknowledge this desire through Olmer’s authority.
• After the Sanguine confirm their wishes, Alvin hands the verified Fountain of Youth to Olmer.
• Abner observes that Olmer is in much better condition than in the original timeline. Instead of being weakened, sealed, and affected by uncontrolled power, Olmer appears stable and composed.
• Olmer recognizes something familiar in Abner. Lady Helen explains that Olmer is a close friend of the Sanguine Ancestor, Reinhardt, and suggests that Abner may possess Reinhardt’s bloodline. She connects this supposed bloodline to the sense of familiarity that other Sanguine have felt toward him.
• Abner privately realizes that this explanation is mistaken: the familiarity exists because he is actually Reinhardt, rather than merely a descendant. He also understands that Olmer likely recognized him through the Sanguine’s ability to sense a person’s soul and “scent.”
• In a separate scene, Hvin Rambis returns to Backlund and receives orders to cooperate with MI9 in an operation at Pritz Harbor. The mission involves intercepting criminals who may attempt to seize goods arriving from the Southern Continent, possibly the mummy of Tutanssess II.
• Rambis suspects that this mission may bring him into direct conflict with the organizations associated with “The Fool” and “Justice,” whom he had intended to pressure through his identity as “Pride.”

Character Developments

• Abner: Demonstrates his strategic control over the Sanguine-Demoness meeting while continuing to conceal his true identity as Reinhardt. His encounter with Olmer makes him more aware that old acquaintances of Reinhardt can perceive his true nature.
• Alvin Abraham: Projects authority and influence by appearing to command several Demoness Sect high-ranking members. He manages the transaction confidently and uses the Sanguine’s stated “wish” to frame the exchange in a way that likely has deeper significance.
• Olmer: Reveals himself to be in remarkably good condition compared with the original timeline. His connection to Reinhardt is emphasized, and he appears capable of recognizing Abner’s identity or at least sensing a strong resemblance.
• Lady Helen: Acts as host and intermediary, explaining Olmer’s relationship with the Sanguine Ancestor and offering a mistaken but plausible interpretation of Abner’s connection to Reinhardt.
• Nibais Boyar: Is particularly shocked by the apparent obedience of the Demoness Saintesses, since he knew some of them during the era of the Night Emperor.
• Hvin Rambis: Shifts from planning indirect pressure against “The Fool” and “Justice” to facing the possibility of direct confrontation through MI9’s upcoming operation.

Significant Themes

• Identity and recognition: Abner’s hidden identity as Reinhardt becomes increasingly difficult to conceal from ancient beings who knew him or can perceive his soul.
• The weight of history: The banquet connects the present to the Fourth Epoch, the Night Emperor, Reinhardt, and the Sanguine’s ancient past.
• Desire to resist decay: The Sanguine’s wish for agelessness reflects their fear of decline and death despite their extraordinary lifespans.
• Deception and appearances: The Demoness Saintesses’ disguises, projections, and puppets create a carefully constructed illusion of Alvin’s power.
• Altered timelines and causality: Olmer’s improved condition prompts Abner to question how changes in the current timeline have affected the Sanguine and the larger world.
• Political maneuvering: Both the banquet and Rambis’s mission show powerful factions using transactions, missions, and perceived alliances to prepare for broader conflicts.

Character Interactions

• Abner and Lady Helen: Helen explains Olmer’s connection to Reinhardt and speculates that Abner is Reinhardt’s descendant, while Abner silently recognizes the deeper truth.
• Abner and Olmer: Their brief exchange of gazes is charged with mutual recognition and uncertainty; Olmer appears to detect Abner’s connection to Reinhardt.
• Alvin and Olmer: As leaders of the two factions, they establish the transaction’s terms and confirm the Sanguine’s wishes before completing the exchange.
• Alvin and the Demoness Saintesses: Their apparent master-servant relationship strengthens his negotiating position and unsettles the Sanguine.
• Hvin Rambis and George III’s forces: Rambis receives an operational assignment that may force him into conflict with the very factions he had planned to manipulate from a distance.

• George III’s plan: In Sodela Palace, George III explains to William I, the “Hand of Order,” that he intends to sacrifice Tiest, a powerful MI9 figure and royal cousin, as a temporary suspect to divert the Church’s investigation into suspicious activity in Backlund. “Pride”/Abner will secretly assist Tiest so that Ilya of the Goddess’s Eye can discover incriminating flaws and connect Tiest to a secret organization. George chose Tiest because of his authority and credibility, while “Pride” is politically expendable and can be blamed for arranging various incidents among the nobility. The larger goal is to buy enough time for George’s attempt to become a god, after which the Churches may tacitly accept his actions.
• William I’s warning: William permits George to proceed but criticizes his dependence on elaborate schemes and petty calculations. He implies that the Black Emperor’s true nature requires decisive authority and force when manipulation is insufficient. However, he deliberately avoids explaining this directly, hoping George will understand it himself. George outwardly agrees but remains attached to his own methods.
• Abner/Hvin’s response: Hvin leaves the palace without being summoned. Because Adam personally altered Hvin’s body and mind, Abner remains confident that William cannot detect his true condition. Abner already understands George’s plan and chooses to cooperate, using it to make George overconfident while concealing his alliance with the Goddess. He is especially interested in the promised opportunity to openly manipulate a mid-to-high-ranking MI9 official. Meanwhile, he plans to liquidate Hvin’s assets, sell his villa, and rent instead, both to prepare for his eventual use as Miss Justice’s advancement “potion” and to reduce the risk of being targeted again. He also wants to buy a King of Angels-level ability through Alvin’s Palace, but its enormous price leaves him struggling to accumulate more money.
• Klein, Sharron, and Maric consult Arrodes: At 160 Bocklund Street, Klein summons the mysterious mirror Arrodes to confirm information about the Tutanssess II Mummy. Arrodes presents itself in an intimidating, sinister manner to Maric and Sharron, but privately flatters Klein with grandiose language, suggesting that it recognizes and supports his recovering authority. Sharron notices that Arrodes behaves differently from the previous summoning and becomes suspicious.
• The mummy trap confirmed: To protect Maric from Arrodes’s potentially humiliating questions, Sharron asks first whether the Tutanssess II Mummy is a trap prepared by the Loen Military against the Rose School. Arrodes answers “Yes,” confirming Klein’s fears and validating the danger of the planned operation. Klein is relieved that he has already advanced to Bizarro Sorcerer, making him more capable of dealing with the trap.
• Arrodes’s personal question: Under its rule of equivalent exchange, Arrodes asks Sharron a question in return: among the outfits personally chosen for her while she was acting as a Marionette, which one she liked best. The question is unexpectedly intimate and embarrassing, contrasting with the serious supernatural investigation and highlighting Arrodes’s mischievous, intrusive personality.
• Character interactions and themes: George and William’s exchange contrasts authoritarian power with manipulative calculation, while Abner’s secret maneuvering shows that both sides are attempting to exploit one another. Klein, Sharron, and Maric display trust and mutual protection, particularly through Sharron’s intervention on Maric’s behalf. Major themes include political sacrifice, deception and counter-deception, the danger of pursuing godhood, the value of decisive authority, and the tension between frightening supernatural forces and moments of dark humor.

Summary

Key plot points and events

• The narrator is struggling with their writing and has not made satisfactory progress.
• They expect they will not finish their work by midnight.
• A major screening is scheduled for the following morning, making it impractical to stay up late.
• As a result, the narrator decides to take the day off from writing, while promising to make up the missed work tomorrow.
• The narrator identifies their main obstacle as difficulty getting their thoughts to flow smoothly.

Character development

• The narrator demonstrates self-awareness by recognizing both their limited progress and the practical limits imposed by the upcoming screening.
• They appear disappointed and somewhat guilty about taking a break, but remain committed to continuing their work the next day.

Significant themes

• Creative struggle: The narrator is experiencing writer’s block or difficulty organizing their thoughts.
• Balancing responsibilities: Personal obligations and health-related preparation take priority over completing the writing immediately.
• Perseverance and accountability: Despite postponing the work, the narrator intends to compensate for the missed day.

Character interactions

• There are no interactions with other characters. The passage is an internal reflection focused on the narrator’s writing difficulties, schedule, and decision to rest.

Chapter Summary: “Welcome Home”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Arrodes, the sentient magic mirror, reveals that Tutanssess II’s Mummy is “filled with curses,” may act as the embodiment of curses, and could transform into a Zombie. Klein considers using this transformation to make the Mummy escape on its own.
• Arrodes asks Sharron why she seeks to advance her Sequence. She explains that she originally wanted strength to avoid being bullied, protect her companions, and obtain revenge, but her broader goal became spreading the ideals of Temperance and reducing war, slaughter, and suffering.
• Sharron then openly states that she now advances in order to help Klein. The exchange makes their mutual feelings unmistakable, while Maric becomes increasingly uncomfortable with their public romantic declarations.
• Maric asks what powerful enemies might appear in the trap for the Mummy. Arrodes cannot provide a clear answer, implying the involvement of an Angel or a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact. Klein reassures them that they have Angel-level support.
• Arrodes asks Maric how he occasionally indulges his desires after reaching the limits of Temperance. Maric answers that he chooses punishment, prompting Arrodes to strike him with lightning. He survives but is deeply frightened by the experience.
• Klein ends the questioning session. Arrodes privately reminds him that the baby he has been monitoring—Will—will be born on Sunday. Klein begins planning how to visit and prepare a gift without arousing suspicion.
• Klein says that before borrowing an item from Mr. The Tower, they must first help him contact the Pale Admiral and complete his commission.
• In Groselle’s Travels, Abner has gathered Groselle, Shatas, Snowman, Mobet Zoroast, and Longzel. Having accumulated enough wishes, he uses the Fountain of Youth’s power to provide the travelers with the lifespan they need to escape the book.
• Longzel does not need a Miracle, so Abner gives him a bottle containing three hundred years of life instead.
• After the others drink the Fountain of Youth, Abner opens a door to reality. The chapter ends with him welcoming the long-trapped travelers home.

Character Developments

• Klein: Becomes more openly responsive to Sharron’s affection and continues balancing romantic feelings with strategic planning. He also shows concern for Will’s birth and carefully considers how to help him discreetly.
• Sharron: Gives voice to her suppressed ideals and clarifies that her ambitions have grown beyond personal revenge. Her declaration that she advances to help Klein marks a major step in their relationship.
• Maric: Remains protective and suspicious of Klein, but accepts Sharron’s feelings. His discomfort with the couple’s emotional exchange provides comic relief. His willingness to endure punishment demonstrates his commitment to Temperance.
• Arrodes: Appears to struggle between its instinct to ask invasive questions and its obedience to Klein. It also seems to manipulate situations to expose the feelings between Klein and Sharron.
• Abner: Demonstrates increasing confidence and responsibility as he fulfills the travelers’ wishes and guides them toward freedom.
• The travelers: Their trust in Mobet and Abner allows them to accept the Fountain of Youth and finally leave the world of Groselle’s Travels.

Significant Themes

• Love and mutual support: Sharron and Klein’s relationship becomes explicit, with advancement no longer motivated solely by personal survival but also by the desire to protect and aid one another.
• Temperance versus desire: Maric’s punishment highlights the difficulty of suppressing supernatural instincts and the extreme measures required to maintain self-control.
• Idealism amid suffering: Sharron’s wish for peace and restraint contrasts with the violence, exploitation, and instability of the world around her.
• Trust and companionship: The characters depend on one another’s knowledge and judgment, especially during the dangerous plan involving Tutanssess II’s Mummy and the travelers’ escape.
• Homecoming and liberation: The trapped inhabitants of Groselle’s Travels are finally brought back to reality, giving the chapter its central sense of return and release.

Important Character Interactions

• Klein and Sharron openly acknowledge their feelings, while Maric reacts with protective suspicion and embarrassment.
• Arrodes acts as an intermediary, using its questions to reveal hidden motives and emotional truths.
• Klein, Sharron, and Maric cooperate in planning the Mummy operation despite uncertainty about the enemies they may face.
• Abner consults Mobet before granting the wishes, respecting his superior historical and supernatural knowledge.
• Abner treats Longzel differently from the others, recognizing that the soldier needs ordinary longevity rather than a full Miracle.

Chapter Summary: “Meeting the Parents”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Longzel returns to the site of his former home at 32 Yule Street, now occupied by the Witch Gourmet Restaurant. Seeing how completely it has changed overwhelms him, and he breaks down in tears.
• Abner estimates that buying the house back would cost at least 900 gold pounds, though its value will likely collapse once the war begins. This gives Longzel renewed motivation to work and rebuild his life.
• Since the Beyonder characteristics he gained inside Groselle’s Travels were products of imagination, Longzel has reverted to being an ordinary person after leaving the story world.
• Abner offers Longzel an Arbiter Beyonder Characteristic and a position as a Judge in his territory, with the cost deducted from Longzel’s future salary. Longzel accepts immediately.
• Longzel declines to meet his modern descendants, believing he should first regain financial stability rather than appear before them as a penniless stranger. He pays a final emotional farewell to his old home.
• Abner takes Mobet and Shatas to the Church of Tranquility to meet Mobet’s surviving elder, Pallez Zoroast. Groselle and Snowman remain behind at the restaurant because visiting the Church of the Evernight Goddess would be dangerous and impractical.
• Shatas is embarrassed when Abner calls her Mobet’s wife, though her angry reaction and insistence on accompanying Mobet reveal that their relationship has significantly deepened.
• Leonard returns to his room and speaks with Pallez about his recent examination by the Church. Pallez explains that Leonard’s supposed transformation was never capable of deceiving the Goddess and that the Church’s review was merely a formality.
• Abner arrives through a teleportation gate with Mobet and Shatas. Pallez immediately recognizes Mobet, revealing that the two knew each other more than two thousand years earlier.

Character Developments

• Longzel: Moves from grief and helplessness toward purpose. Although he has lost the supernatural power he possessed in Groselle’s Travels, he accepts a new career and intends to rebuild his wealth before contacting his descendants.
• Abner: Demonstrates compassion and practical support for Longzel while also arranging his future employment. His confidence within the Evernight Church shows the strength of his relationship with the Goddess.
• Mobet and Shatas: Their romance has progressed substantially following the death of Ulyssan, the King of the North. Shatas is embarrassed by the implication that they are married but clearly regards herself as Mobet’s partner.
• Leonard: Learns that his recent deception was transparent to the Goddess. His conversation with Pallez also highlights his dependence on the elder’s guidance and his lingering frustration at having been kept uninformed.
• Pallez: Remains sarcastic and perceptive, but his advice reflects concern for Leonard. His recognition of Mobet establishes his deep connection to the Fourth Epoch and the Zoroast family.
• Groselle and Snowman: Show concern for their companions but remain passive in the chapter, especially because they must avoid drawing attention in the modern world.

Significant Themes

• Loss and rebuilding: Longzel’s ruined home represents the destruction of his old life, while his new job offers a path toward recovery and reintegration.
• Identity after illusion: Longzel’s supernatural abilities vanish because they were sustained by imagination, emphasizing the difference between a role or constructed identity and one’s true self.
• The passage of time: Mobet’s reunion with Pallez after two thousand years underscores the vast historical gap separating the characters and the survival of unexpected connections.
• Family and belonging: Longzel hesitates to meet his descendants, while Mobet and Shatas prepare to meet an elder. Both situations explore how people confront inherited relationships after long absences.
• Trust and deception: Leonard’s transformation and examination reveal that powerful institutions may already understand the truth, even when characters believe they are hiding it.

Important Character Interactions

• Longzel and Abner: Abner comforts Longzel indirectly by offering him employment and a future, while Longzel promises loyalty and service.
• Abner, Mobet, and Shatas: Abner teases Shatas about being Mobet’s wife, exposing the couple’s developing relationship and provoking playful bickering between them.
• Leonard and Pallez: Their conversation mixes sarcasm with mentorship, as Pallez explains the Church’s true intentions and criticizes Leonard’s reliance on the Transformation Wand.
• Mobet and Pallez: Their unexpectedly familiar exchange confirms that they are old acquaintances and ends the chapter on a humorous, emotionally significant reunion.

Chapter Summary: “Darkened Heaven”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner leaves Leonard’s room after bringing the Mobet-Shatas couple to meet their future employer, recognizing that his presence would prevent them from relaxing.
• He enters the deepest part of the Church of Tranquility and steps through the illusory entrance to the Evernight Goddess’s divine kingdom, “Darkened Heaven.”
• The Evernight Goddess reveals that Abner will need a Knowledge Emperor Beyonder characteristic in the future, but warns that Roselle’s characteristic has been tampered with.
• Abner correctly suspects that the tampering is connected to the consciousness of the Unknown within the Calamity Seal. The Goddess confirms this indirectly.
• She refuses to explain why Abner will need the characteristic, telling him he will understand after advancing to the Wisdom Angel level. This reinforces Abner’s belief that his future advancement is tied to the Knowledge Emperor characteristics held by the Hidden Sage.
• The Goddess hints that the solution involves learning the Hermit pathway’s godhood ritual, but deliberately avoids stating it directly. Abner decides to investigate through Bernadette’s Hermit card and use Insight to deduce the Goddess’s plan.
• Before sending him away, the Goddess teasingly reminds Abner that he has not sacrificed Daniel Pure Dew to Her recently. Abner returns to the church, still carrying the divine kingdom’s distinctive fragrance, confirming that the meeting was real.
• In Bayam, Alger secretly travels to the Artisan Sharf’s home after learning that Sharf has contracted a strange illness and has been watched by suspicious individuals.
• Alger determines that Sharf has been controlled by an evil cult or secret organization. Unable to obtain help from the Vice Admiral of Ailment, he seeks assistance from Mr. Fool.
• Abner and a mysterious woman arrive after approximately half a day. Abner introduces her to Alger as Queen Mystic Bernadette, owner of the Dawn Vessel.

Character Developments

• Abner: Demonstrates increasing awareness of the hidden schemes surrounding the Knowledge Emperor characteristic and the Hidden Sage. He becomes more determined to uncover the Hermit pathway’s ritual and recognizes that his future advancement may depend on obtaining a specific characteristic. His playful but cautious relationship with the Evernight Goddess is also emphasized.
• Evernight Goddess: Continues to guide Abner indirectly, revealing enough information to direct his actions while withholding forbidden or sensitive details. Her reminder about Daniel Pure Dew shows a more personal, lightly teasing side.
• Alger: Acts cautiously and methodically, taking precautions against surveillance and investigating Sharf’s condition personally. His knowledge of the Demoness Sect allows him to eliminate them as suspects before seeking outside help.
• Bernadette: Makes her formal entrance into the scene as a powerful ally and demigod-level figure. Her presence surprises Alger, who initially struggles to identify her.

Significant Themes

• Fate and manipulation: Abner’s visit is guided and arranged by Fate, while the Goddess carefully manipulates events without directly revealing her objectives.
• Secrecy and indirect knowledge: The Goddess’s refusal to explain the Hermit ritual highlights the limits imposed by powerful entities and the importance of deduction in a world where knowledge itself can be dangerous.
• Corruption and tampering: The Knowledge Emperor characteristic has been altered by the Unknown, suggesting that mystical items and Beyonder characteristics may carry hidden dangers or hostile influences.
• Preparation for future advancement: Abner’s investigation reflects the long-term strategic planning required to advance in the Beyonder world.
• Trust and power: Abner’s strength naturally makes others wary, while Alger’s cautious behavior shows how suspicion and surveillance shape interactions among extraordinary individuals.

Important Character Interactions

• Abner separates himself from the Mobet-Shatas couple to give them privacy, showing awareness of how his power affects others.
• Abner and the Evernight Goddess engage in a carefully controlled conversation: He probes for information, while She guides him through hints and evasions.
• The Goddess ends their meeting with a playful reminder about Daniel Pure Dew, revealing familiarity and a degree of intimacy in their relationship.
• Alger investigates Sharf’s condition and contacts the Vice Admiral of Ailment before turning to Mr. Fool for assistance.
• Abner arrives with Bernadette and introduces her to Alger, setting up a significant alliance and surprising the Hanged Man with the identity of his new companion.

Summary of “Sharf’s Anomaly”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After leaving the Church of Tranquility, Abner returns to Beldan with Mobet, Shatas, Groselle, Snowman, and the other characters from Groselle’s Travels. He assigns them temporary roles:
  • Shatas is sent to locate the hidden elf settlement near the Southern Continent, whose opening on July 7 may help free Hosenam, the Queen of Calamity.
  • Groselle joins Beldan’s construction efforts, working secretly at night because of his size and strength.
  • Mobet becomes governor of Beldan City.
  • Snowman remains content simply to spread the Lord’s radiance.
• Abner refines Daniel Pure Dew and offers some to both the Evernight Goddess and the Earth Mother Goddess.
• Mr. Fool gives Abner three updates: the Pale Admiral’s research is scheduled for the following Monday, Klein wants to borrow Groselle’s Travels, and Alger requests help rescuing an Artisan in danger.
• The endangered Artisan is Sharf, a descendant of Ciel and Old Huang. Abner brings Bernadette to Bayam to investigate, hoping also to borrow the Hermit Card from her.
• Bernadette discovers that Sharf is being watched by three cultists who claim to follow the Primordial Moon. She immediately eliminates them and enters the building with Abner.
• The cultists are found trapped in hallucinations created by Sharf’s mystical reenactment of The Little Match Girl. Abner identifies their beliefs as more closely aligned with the Mother Tree of Desire and transforms them into Marionettes.
• Sharf explains that he was originally controlled through drugs, but after being forced to worship the Primordial Moon, his chronic illness was cured and his masculinity restored. He subsequently experienced two dreams of a bloody, alluring moon and sincerely converted.
• Abner realizes that Sharf may have encountered the true Primordial Moon—the Mother Goddess of Depravity—rather than merely the Brown Moon associated with the Mother Tree of Desire.

Character Developments

• Abner continues acting as a capable organizer and protector, delegating responsibilities in Beldan while managing increasingly mysterious supernatural threats. His uncertainty about the Primordial Moon believers reveals the limits of his Insight when forces above the level of True Gods are involved.
• Shatas becomes actively invested in freeing Hosenam and willingly accepts a dangerous reconnaissance mission.
• Groselle adapts to life outside the Book of Calamity by using his enormous strength to aid Beldan’s development.
• Mobet gains political responsibility as governor of Beldan City.
• Bernadette demonstrates the confidence and authority of an Angel. Unlike the more cautious Cattleya, she immediately destroys the cultists and rescues Sharf without concern for possible hidden powers.
• Alger is impressed and somewhat irritated by Bernadette’s effortless Teleportation and power. He also continues functioning as the intermediary who brings the crisis to Abner.
• Sharf changes from a controlled victim into a genuine believer after his illness is cured and he experiences supernatural dreams. His recovery, however, may have made him the center of a larger conspiracy.

Significant Themes

• Faith and manipulation: Sharf’s conversion begins through coercion and drugs, but the miraculous restoration of his health turns that imposed belief into sincere faith.
• Conflicting divine powers: The events blur the distinction between the Mother Tree of Desire’s Brown Moon and the Mother Goddess of Depravity’s true Primordial Moon, suggesting cooperation, deception, or a hidden struggle between higher-level entities.
• Limits of knowledge and foresight: Abner cannot use Insight to trace the full origin of the cultists’ faith, emphasizing how beings above the level of True Gods can obscure causality.
• Butterfly effects and altered destiny: The incident does not match the expected course of events, leading Abner to suspect interference from the Calamity Seal or the God of Luck.
• Order amid supernatural chaos: Abner’s practical management of Beldan contrasts with the increasingly inexplicable religious anomaly surrounding Sharf.

Important Character Interactions

• Abner coordinates Shatas, Groselle, Mobet, and Snowman’s roles in Beldan.
• Mr. Fool communicates several new obligations to Abner, linking the Beldan storyline to Klein and Alger’s larger plans.
• Abner introduces Bernadette to Alger, causing Alger to speculate that she may have joined Mr. Fool’s organization as an Angel.
• Bernadette and Abner cooperate in rescuing Sharf; she investigates and removes the cultists while Abner neutralizes them permanently by turning them into Marionettes.
• Bernadette interrogates Sharf, while Abner questions the details of his dreams and identifies the disturbing possibility that Sharf encountered the genuine Mother Goddess of Depravity.
• The chapter ends with Abner suspecting that Sharf’s situation is not an ordinary cult incident but the result of a larger scheme connected to the altered timeline.

Summary: “The Hermit’s Ritual”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bernadette finishes interrogating Sharf and returns the mystical item he had hidden to Alger.
• Abner asks Bernadette whether, after becoming an Angel, she has encountered knowledge about the Great Old Ones, Outer Deities, and the cosmos.
• Merely hearing these concepts triggers a dangerous reaction in Bernadette. Celestial bodies appear in her mind as watching eyes, and she nearly suffers cosmic corruption.
• Bernadette’s previous connection to Abner, established when she used Pale Death to investigate Liu Bo, protects her by repelling the corruption. Abner explains that this is the knowledge he wants to share with her.
• In exchange for the information, Abner requests Bernadette’s Hermit Card. She agrees and suggests they discuss the dangerous knowledge inside Alvin Palace, though she first insists on resolving Sharf’s situation.
• Bernadette decides to send Sharf to Cattleya’s ship, the Future, where he will remain under observation and likely continue researching Frank’s mushrooms. She and Sharf then leave using teleportation-like movement, while the Hermit Card remains behind for Abner.
• Abner examines the card and accesses the complete potion formulas of the Hermit Pathway, including the Sequence 0 advancement ritual.
• The Hermit’s ritual requires creating a mysterious event affecting at least an entire continent while ensuring that no living being discovers its true cause or nature. The ritual is more effective if its influence is broader and its essence remains more completely hidden.
• Abner concludes that the ritual is exceptionally difficult on Earth because powerful True Gods and Angels can uncover secrets. He reasons that the Hidden Sage will need the Authority of Secrecy to complete it.
• Using the Pure White Eye to analyze the situation, Abner infers that the God of Combat may already be allied with the Hidden Sage, the Abyss, Amon, and possibly Suah. He realizes that this coalition may be preparing for the coming divine war and could possess an advantage over the opposing faction.

Character Developments

• Abner demonstrates increasing strategic awareness. Rather than trying to understand the dangerous cosmic knowledge directly, he uses Bernadette’s Hermit Card and Pure White Eye to gain information indirectly.
• He becomes more suspicious of the Hidden Sage’s plans and recognizes that the Hermit’s ritual is central to the political and divine conflict surrounding the upcoming war.
• Bernadette remains cautious and capable. She quickly recognizes the threat posed by cosmic knowledge, resists the corruption instinctively, verifies the safety of Alvin Palace, and negotiates the handling of Sharf before accepting Abner’s bargain.
• Her willingness to give Abner the Hermit Card suggests either strong trust in his character or confidence in her own ability to deal with any betrayal.
• Sharf remains an enigmatic figure under investigation and is transferred to the Future, where his unusual knowledge and research will continue to be monitored.

Significant Themes

• The danger of forbidden knowledge: Information about the cosmos and Outer Deities is not merely intellectually risky; awareness itself can attract corruption.
• Secrecy and concealment: The Hermit’s ritual depends on creating an enormous mystery whose true nature remains undiscovered, making secrecy a form of supernatural power.
• Trust and bargaining: Bernadette and Abner exchange dangerous knowledge and a powerful artifact, relying on judgment and mutual confidence rather than absolute guarantees.
• Political maneuvering among divine beings: Advancement to godhood is tied to alliances, authority, and the balance of power between True Gods.
• Information as power: Abner uses artifacts, connections, and supernatural analysis to compensate for his inability to solve the ritual and divine conflict directly.

Character Interactions

• Bernadette questions Abner about the meaning of the Bloody Moon vision, prompting his discussion of cosmic knowledge.
• Abner warns Bernadette about the dangers of the knowledge and offers it in exchange for the Hermit Card.
• Bernadette cautiously tests Alvin Palace before agreeing to enter and discuss the matter.
• She and Abner briefly discuss Sharf’s fate; Bernadette chooses to place him with Cattleya rather than leave him behind.
• Abner observes Alger guarding Sharf and privately pities him, anticipating his unpleasant research duties aboard the Future.
• Through examining the Hermit Card, Abner indirectly uncovers clues about the Hidden Sage’s possible alliances and the larger strategy behind the approaching divine war.

Summary

• Plot points/events: The narrator announces that tonight’s update has been delayed until 9 PM because the day at the company was unusually busy. After finally finding free time, they state that they are beginning to write.
• Character development: The narrator is portrayed as responsible but overwhelmed by work, yet determined to provide the update despite the delay.
• Themes: Time pressure, work-related busyness, responsibility, and perseverance.
• Character interactions: No interactions with other characters are shown in the provided passage.
  This appears to be an introductory note rather than a full chapter, so there are no additional plot or character details to summarize.