Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Sleep”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner realizes that Rhine Calendia’s consciousness has not completely vanished. The appearance of the Dream Tapir confirms that Rhine left behind surviving arrangements and possibly plans for resurrection.
• Abner reflects that, as his Sequence and status increase, he will inevitably encounter the remnants and schemes of his former selves. Rather than retreat, he resolves to investigate and respond proactively.
• He and Closia proceed upstairs in Rhine’s castle, with the Dream Tapir guiding them. Abner disguises his transformation into Rhine as the ability of his mystical item, the Transformation Belt.
• Abner explains that the Dream Tapir is far more powerful than an ordinary Dream Eater, possessing aspects of the Spectator and Sleepless Pathways. He concludes that it was likely created by Rhine.
• The Dream Tapir leads them to a room on the second floor that contains the dream of an extraordinarily powerful being. It cannot interfere with this being’s independent dream.
• In the real castle, Baron Francis and Xenia—Miss Greed—flee into the same room while being pursued by noble servants. The pursuers refuse to enter, identifying it as the “Devouring Chamber,” from which no previous Trial-taker has returned.
• Inside, Xenia realizes that the room has shifted into a dreamscape unknown even to Gluttony’s memories. Dozens of powerful Magic Wolves attack, forcing her to reveal her Dragonification ability while abandoning Francis to defend himself.
• The Dream Tapir creates an image of the sleeping entity: a beautiful, black-haired woman with red eyes and luxurious clothing. When Abner shows it Heaven’s Feast, the Tapir confirms that the item belongs to her.
• Abner concludes that Olynnia, the Sanguine Blood Moon Queen and wife of the Night Emperor, survived and is sleeping within “his” castle.

Character Developments

• Abner: Becomes more cautious and proactive about the dangers posed by his previous identities, especially Rhine’s unresolved plans and moral baggage. He also demonstrates greater investigative skill, using the Dream Tapir to locate mystical items and hidden threats.
• Closia: Remains observant and curious about Abner’s transformation, but respects his reluctance to discuss it. Her loyalty and tact are emphasized through her cooperation with him.
• Rhine Calendia: Though absent as an active figure, Rhine’s influence dominates the chapter. His creations, possible resurrection plans, and hidden summons continue to shape events.
• Xenia/Greed: Reveals that she is significantly stronger than Francis and is willing to expose her true power when confronted by overwhelming danger. Her willingness to leave Francis to fend for himself highlights her self-preserving nature.
• Francis: His vulnerability is emphasized. As only a Sequence 9, he is largely dependent on Xenia and is placed in extreme danger by the room’s dreamscape.
• Olynnia: Introduced indirectly as a terrifying, powerful, and apparently surviving figure whose dream exists independently from Rhine’s castle.

Significant Themes

• Identity and internal conflict: Abner confronts the lingering wills and identities within himself, recognizing that past versions of “him” may still influence his future.
• Inheritance and consequences: Rhine’s creations and schemes demonstrate that the actions of a former self can continue to affect the present, even after apparent death.
• Sleep and hidden power: Dreams are portrayed as independent realms capable of concealing ancient beings and altering reality. Sleep becomes both a form of preservation and a source of danger.
• Appearance versus truth: Abner hides his transformation behind a false explanation, while the castle itself conceals its true nature behind ordinary rooms and corridors.
• Survival and self-interest: Xenia’s response to the wolves and Francis’s predicament highlights the ruthless choices individuals make under threat.
• The unknown within familiar spaces: The castle appears to be a controlled environment, yet it contains rooms and entities even its inhabitants’ memories cannot explain.

Important Character Interactions

• Abner and Closia discuss his transformation and the nature of the Dream Tapir, establishing mutual cooperation tempered by secrecy.
• Abner communicates with the Dream Tapir through gestures and questions, relying on it as a guide and investigator.
• Xenia and Francis flee together but are separated emotionally by Xenia’s willingness to prioritize her own survival.
• Abner uses Heaven’s Feast to test the Dream Tapir’s identification of the mysterious sleeping woman, leading to the revelation of Olynnia’s survival.

Chapter Summary: “No Way?!”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner reflects on the mystery surrounding Olynnia’s survival and slumber in Observer Castle. The known timeline suggests Reinhardt could not have rescued her, since he had already died when Olynnia lost her Beauty Goddess characteristic.
• After checking his and Closia’s possible futures, Abner decides to enter Olynnia’s dream to investigate. Closia accompanies him, while the Dream Tapir remains outside to stand guard.
• Inside the dream, they arrive in a blood-red palace where Olynnia is arguing with Isis, the Goddess of Life and former subordinate deity of the Sanguine Progenitor.
• Olynnia accuses Aurmir of betraying the Progenitor by failing to reinforce him, while Isis insists that the true traitor was Soniathrym. Olynnia warns Isis that Aurmir may eventually devour her due to their overlapping authority, but Isis dismisses the concern.
• The dream shifts into a valley filled with terrifying magic wolves. Abner identifies them as nightmare manifestations infused with the water of the River of Eternal Darkness. He concludes that Olynnia drank this water before entering her long slumber, likely to stabilize herself after suffering severe pollution.
• Abner deduces that Vincent Miranda, Lord of the Dead, was probably the one who rescued Olynnia and placed her in Observer Castle, as he had both the means and motive to provide the River of Eternal Darkness’s water.
• Using the Pure White Eye’s sunlight, Abner destroys the wolves. He then discovers Xenia, Miss Greed, who had entered the dream with the baron and had been fighting the nightmare creatures for some time.
• The dream shifts again, showing Isis being killed by the wolves after her characteristic is seized. Olynnia arrives, hears Isis’s final words, buries her, and returns her remains to nature.
• Abner notices that the grave’s structure and the valley’s terrain resemble the secluded home of Lamia and Giuseppe on Blue Mountain Island. He begins to suspect that Lamia and Giuseppe may be living above Isis’s grave, leading him to connect this possibility with Lamia’s sudden acceptance of Frank and adoption of him.

2. Character Developments

• Abner: Becomes increasingly analytical and confident in piecing together the mystery. He identifies the River of Eternal Darkness, infers Olynnia’s condition, and theorizes that Vincent Miranda rescued her. His final observations suggest he is uncovering a much larger hidden relationship involving Isis, Lamia, Giuseppe, and Frank.
• Closia: Continues to support Abner by accompanying him into the dangerous dream. Her status as an Earth Mother Goddess believer and her numerous defensive methods make her a reliable partner.
• Olynnia: Is portrayed as deeply distrustful and emotionally affected by the betrayal surrounding the Sanguine Progenitor’s death. Despite her anger, she displays compassion and respect toward Isis by burying her and returning her to nature.
• Isis: Reveals her firm belief that Soniathrym betrayed the Progenitor. She is proud, defensive, and unwilling to accept Olynnia’s warning about Aurmir’s threat. Her death and loss of characteristic show the vulnerability of even powerful deities.
• Xenia: Has survived a prolonged battle within the dream but is severely weakened. Her arrival confirms that other members of Abner’s group have also become trapped in the dream’s dangerous layers.
• Vincent Miranda: Does not appear directly, but Abner’s deductions establish him as the likely person who saved Olynnia and arranged her refuge.
• Lamia and Giuseppe: Although absent, they become central to Abner’s emerging theory because of the resemblance between their home and Isis’s burial site.

3. Significant Themes

• Hidden history and unreliable accounts: The conflicting accusations about Aurmir and Soniathrym show that the truth of the ancient gods’ betrayals remains obscured by competing testimonies.
• Survival through compromise: Olynnia’s use of the River of Eternal Darkness suggests that survival came at the cost of exposure to dangerous corruption and pollution.
• Death, rebirth, and nature: Isis’s death, possible reincarnation, and burial by Olynnia emphasize cycles of death and restoration. The return of Isis’s remains to nature reflects her authority as a Nature Walker.
• Dreams as historical revelations: Olynnia’s dream is not merely symbolic; it preserves fragments of real events and allows Abner to investigate the past through dangerous, semi-material nightmares.
• Connections between ancient powers and present events: The resemblance between Isis’s grave and Lamia and Giuseppe’s residence implies that ancient divine remains may directly influence current characters and locations.
• The danger of overlapping authorities: Olynnia warns that Aurmir may devour Isis because their powers are similar, highlighting the predatory nature of pathways and the threat of internal competition among high-level beings.

4. Character Interactions

• Abner and Closia: Work together cautiously, with Abner leading the investigation and Closia providing support and protection.
• Olynnia and Isis: Engage in a heated dispute over who betrayed the Sanguine Progenitor. Their argument also reveals Olynnia’s concern for Isis, despite their disagreement.
• Olynnia and Isis after Isis’s death: Olynnia responds to Isis’s death with solemn respect, burying her and restoring her remains to nature.
• Abner and Xenia: Reunite after discovering that Xenia has been fighting within the dream. Her account confirms that the dream contains multiple dangerous routes and trapped participants.
• Abner and the unseen Lamia/Giuseppe connection: Abner mentally links the ancient burial site to their home and begins suspecting that Lamia’s relationship with Frank may have a deeper, possibly supernatural explanation.

Chapter Summary: “Hidden Secrets”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner remains skeptical of a possible connection between Frank and Isis, deciding to investigate Blue Mountain Island’s valley after exploring the ancient castle.
• Xenia, “Greed,” recounts fighting a powerful Magic Wolf that attempted to invade and alter her mind through its Howl. She defeated it and obtained a Wolf Bone Flute.
• Because Dragonification destroyed Xenia’s clothing and belongings, Abner grants her wish to restore her condition to how it was before entering the dream. The miracle heals her injuries and restores her possessions.
• Closia, “Sloth,” examines the Wolf Bone Flute and concludes that it likely originated from the cosmos rather than their world. She identifies it as possibly a mutated summon connected to the Blood Moon Queen.
• Abner suspects that the Sealed Artifact Heaven’s Feast also came from the dream and that someone tampered with Gluttony’s memories, perhaps as part of a long-term plan involving Abner’s past or Derrick’s missing memories.
• Olynnia’s dream reveals that she discovered her friends Oliver, the God of Luck, and Hosenam, the Queen of Calamity, secretly meeting with the Goddess of Harvest and the Giant Queen, Omebella.
• Believing Omebella responsible for Isis’s death, Olynnia felt betrayed and led some Sanguines away from the Elven Royal Court. This decision allowed her to survive the divine war in which the Ancient Sun God reclaimed his authorities, while the Elf King died and other major figures disappeared.

Character Developments

• Abner demonstrates increasing mastery over his powers, using an elevated form of wish-granting to heal Xenia and restore her possessions. He also begins connecting the dream’s mysteries to gaps in his own memories and possible plans originating from his past.
• Xenia/Greed is shown to be highly capable in mental manipulation, defeating the Magic Wolf despite its unusual mind-altering abilities. Her dependence on Abner as a “believer” is also reinforced.
• Closia/Sloth displays careful analytical reasoning, identifying the Wolf Bone Flute’s cosmic origin and proposing that the God of Luck deliberately influenced Olynnia’s actions.
• Olynnia changes from a trusting member of the Elven Royal Court into a suspicious, independent leader. Her sense of betrayal drives her to abandon the court, inadvertently saving herself and her followers.

Significant Themes

• Hidden manipulation and long-term schemes: Altered memories, mysterious artifacts, and secret meetings suggest that events have been shaped by unseen powers over centuries.
• Fate, foresight, and sacrifice: The God of Luck may have arranged Olynnia’s departure to save her from the coming catastrophe, raising questions about whether his actions were protective or self-serving.
• Trust and betrayal: Olynnia’s faith in her friends collapses when she discovers their secret alliance, even though their actions may have been intended to oppose a greater threat.
• Identity and mental control: The Magic Wolf’s attempt to assimilate Xenia emphasizes the danger of losing one’s sense of self.
• The connection between past and present: Abner recognizes that ancient events, missing memories, and old artifacts may be directly linked to his current circumstances.

Character Interactions

• Abner assists Xenia by granting her restoration wish, strengthening their relationship and highlighting her status as his follower.
• Xenia and Closia discuss the origin and significance of the Wolf Bone Flute, with Closia providing the more informed interpretation.
• The group debates who manipulated Olynnia’s memories and whether the God of Luck intentionally leaked information to force her escape.
• Abner privately contrasts Closia’s theory with his own understanding of Oliver, suspecting that the God of Luck acted less out of noble concern than out of calculated self-preservation.

Chapter Summary: “Dream”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner and the others enter Olynnia’s dream, where they witness major events from Sanguine history: their escape during the Age of Glory, migration during the Great Cataclysm, survival during the Age of Strife, and efforts to integrate into human society after Solomon’s First Empire.
• The dream shows the Sanguine’s renewed joy when the Progenitor answers their prayers, followed by their jealousy of Rhine Calendia—who was favored by the Progenitor—and resentment toward his detachment from the Sanguine.
• The dream ends when Olynnia marries the Night Emperor for the sake of the Sanguine’s future. Cries of “Trunsoest!” and “Cheek!” then trigger a dangerous transformation in the dream.
• A corrupted manifestation of the Beauty Goddess appears as a gigantic mass of flesh, empowered by the Mother Goddess of Depravity. It cannot attack directly because the River of Eternal Darkness blocks it, but it creates monstrous beings combining Darkness and Moon powers.
• Abner summons Rhine Calendia and the Mother of Heaven from history. Their divine vessels effortlessly neutralize the monsters, though the corruption continues as long as the central mass remains.
• Abner realizes that Olynnia’s emotional agitation is sustaining the crisis. Attempts to calm her with images of familiar figures fail, but transforming into Vincent Miranda, the Lord of the Dead, immediately soothes her and restores peace to the dream.
• Further memories reveal that Rhine gave Olynnia the Ring of Ornia as a wedding gift. The ring later saves her from being completely sacrificed and assimilated during a ritual involving the Blood Moon Queen and the Nation of Disorder’s power.
• The ring separates the Blood Moon Queen’s relatively intact body and spirit from the corruption, sacrifices her Beauty Goddess characteristic to the developing entity, and carries Olynnia’s surviving corrupted portion into the Barrier and Observer Castle.
• Vincent Miranda eventually finds Olynnia after she has gone mad from the corruption.

Character Developments

• Olynnia is portrayed as a devoted but burdened leader whose decisions are shaped by the survival of the Sanguine. Her marriage to the Night Emperor is political and self-sacrificing rather than romantic.
• Her jealousy toward Rhine develops into deep resentment because he receives the Progenitor’s favor while remaining distant from the Sanguine.
• Olynnia’s unresolved hatred and grief over the Trunsoest-Cheek conflict make her dream unstable and allow the corruption to surface.
• Rhine Calendia is revealed to be emotionally detached from the Sanguine but not entirely uncaring. His gift of the Ring of Ornia ultimately becomes the means of saving Olynnia from total spiritual destruction.
• Abner demonstrates strong insight and composure. Rather than relying on the Sun’s authority, he uses his knowledge of the Darkness and Moon pathways and identifies the emotional root of the crisis.
• Vincent Miranda is shown to hold a uniquely calming influence over Olynnia, suggesting a deep connection between his presence and her buried memories or emotions.
• The Blood Moon Queen is both victim and participant in the ritual. Though apparently complicit in sacrificing Olynnia, her soul retains enough resistance for the Ring of Ornia to rescue her from complete corruption.

Significant Themes

• Historical trauma and inherited resentment: Olynnia’s dream preserves the Sanguine’s long history of suffering, dependence, jealousy, and political compromise.
• Sacrifice for one’s people: Olynnia’s marriage and later near-sacrifice reflect the repeated demand that leaders abandon personal desires for collective survival.
• Corruption through emotion: Olynnia’s hatred and unresolved pain provide an opening for the Mother Goddess of Depravity’s influence.
• Memory and identity: The dream demonstrates how history, emotional impressions, and divine corruption can reshape reality and threaten a person’s sense of self.
• Unexpected forms of protection: Rhine’s gift, despite his apparent indifference, becomes Olynnia’s greatest defense, suggesting that detached or misunderstood characters may still act decisively.
• Stability through recognition: Abner restores order not by force but by identifying the figure capable of calming Olynnia emotionally.

Character Interactions

• Olynnia’s relationship with Rhine is defined by hostility and jealousy, though his gift reveals a hidden concern for her survival.
• Olynnia and the Night Emperor share a politically motivated marriage centered on protecting the Sanguine; she tolerates his association with the Demoness so long as Sanguine interests are unharmed.
• The Blood Moon Queen treats Olynnia as a sacrificial bargaining chip, yet the ritual reveals conflict within her and allows Olynnia a chance to escape.
• Abner works with the summoned forms of Rhine and the Mother of Heaven to suppress the dream’s monsters, then personally calms Olynnia by assuming Vincent Miranda’s form.
• The chapter ends with Vincent Miranda discovering the now-mad Olynnia, setting up the consequences of her corruption and survival.

Chapter Summary: “Third Floor”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner reconstructs what likely happened in Olynnia’s dream. Vincent probably used water from the River of Eternal Darkness to suppress the Mother Goddess of Depravity’s corruption, placing Olynnia into a Slumber similar to Antigonus.
• Reinhardt’s ring protected part of Olynnia’s soul, preventing the Mother Goddess from taking complete control before Vincent intervened.
• Abner concludes that Olynnia’s dream was triggered by psychological stress and functioned like a sequence of traumatic memories activated whenever someone entered her room.
• Gluttony likely died or was otherwise destroyed by the dream altered by the Night Emperor. His escape with Heaven’s Feast may have been enabled by Vincent, by a method left behind by him, or through an encounter with a seven-hundred-year-old Derrick. Abner suspects this was part of a future plan.
• The Ring of Ornia used by Karen was probably recovered by Roselle during his exploration of the dream and later passed to Karen’s mother, Madam Helen.
• Abner dismisses the divine projections, awakens Greed and Sloth, and announces that they can return to Dream Castle. He finds Baron Francis unconscious but alive and rescues him rather than abandoning him.
• When Closia asks about searching for more treasure, Abner decides not to be greedy, reasoning that the historical information revealed by the Blood Moon Queen’s dreams is already an immense reward.
• On the Future, John receives a strange “Random Premium Task” from Lucky: say “Isis” in front of Frank. Success would grant a prophecy concerning Crown Jellyfish venom crystals, while failure would cause him to forget a formula ingredient.
• Although suspicious of the task’s simplicity, John performs it. Frank is confused, while Sharf the Artisan reacts with a mysterious smile, hinting that the word has significance.
• Back in Dream Castle, the Dream Tapir reacts hostilely to Abner because it recognizes only his current aura and not his identity. Abner restores his Spirituality through a Miracle and transforms again into Duke Rhine Calendia.
• As Abner, Closia, and Xenia reach the third-floor corridor, a voice from the room opposite the stairs greets Abner as its “future self,” ending the chapter on a cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Abner demonstrates strong analytical ability by connecting clues from Olynnia’s dream with previously known events. He is also cautious and practical, choosing knowledge over potentially dangerous treasures and rescuing Baron Francis.
• Olynnia is revealed to have retained a fragment of her soul due to Reinhardt’s ring, suggesting that she was not completely consumed by the Mother Goddess of Depravity.
• Vincent appears to have played a crucial role in saving Olynnia and may have deliberately allowed Gluttony to escape with Heaven’s Feast for a later purpose.
• John remains wary because of earlier experiences with deceptive “easy” tasks, but his desire for prophetic information overcomes his hesitation.
• Frank is presented as unaware of the significance of “Isis,” while Sharf’s reaction suggests hidden knowledge or a connection to the word.
• Closia and Xenia, despite their titles of Sloth and Greed, follow Abner’s decision and accept his authority.
• The Dream Tapir is shown to be unable to recognize Abner after his transformation, emphasizing its limited intelligence.
• The mysterious speaker on the third floor introduces the possibility of another version or future manifestation of Abner.

Significant Themes

• Memory, dreams, and history: Olynnia’s dream serves as both a psychological trial and a record of buried historical events.
• Identity and transformation: The Dream Tapir’s inability to recognize Abner after his transformation parallels the chapter’s final suggestion of a “future self.”
• Greed versus restraint: Abner rejects the temptation to seek further treasures, valuing knowledge and safety over material gain.
• Fate and hidden schemes: Vincent’s actions, Gluttony’s escape, John’s task, and the final mysterious greeting all imply larger plans unfolding beyond the characters’ current understanding.
• Miracles and limitations: Abner’s restoration of Spirituality highlights both the usefulness and restrictions of his wishing power.

Important Character Interactions

• Abner explains his deductions to Closia and Xenia, who accept his decision to leave the dream.
• Abner rescues Baron Francis and carries him out of the dream rather than leaving him behind.
• John confronts Frank and says “Isis,” prompting Frank’s confusion and Sharf’s suspicious reaction.
• The Dream Tapir nearly bites Abner because it fails to recognize him in his altered form.
• At the chapter’s conclusion, an unseen figure addresses Abner as its “future self,” establishing the central mystery for the next chapter.

Chapter Summary: “Things on the Top Floor”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner hears Rhine Calendia apparently welcoming his “future self,” making him briefly fear that Rhine is still alive.
• He discovers that the greeting is only a recorded message, audible solely to him. The recording is delivered through a dead spirit mimicking Vincent Miranda.
• Vincent explains that he left the message after visiting the castle and deliberately copied Rhine’s frightening method of greeting future visitors.
• He reveals that he had already taken the valuable items from the castle, warning Abner not to waste time searching for them.
• Vincent recounts discovering Olynnia in the castle and saving her from madness and corruption by giving her water from the River of Eternal Darkness.
• He gives a serious warning about the ritual room on the top floor. Something inside is far more heavily corrupted than Olynnia and nearly killed Vincent when he entered.
• Vincent suspects the entity is the body of one of the ancient “selves” predating the God of Luck: the Father of Succubi, Lord of Desire, and Origin of the Fallen, whom Rhine somehow summoned into reality.

Character Developments

• Abner remains cautious and analytical, initially considering retreat but choosing to investigate. He confirms that Rhine’s apparent presence is only an illusion or recording and becomes increasingly concerned about the top-floor entity.
• Vincent Miranda is shown to be playful, irreverent, and somewhat arrogant, joking with his future self while still providing crucial information. His account also reveals bravery and recklessness, as he entered the corrupted ritual room and barely escaped.
• Rhine Calendia is revealed to have left the recording mechanism and to have summoned the terrifying entity on the top floor. His relationship with Olynnia had once been poor but eventually changed when he saved her.
• Olynnia is portrayed as having been severely damaged and close to madness, requiring Rhine’s intervention and Vincent’s aid to survive.
• Closia and Xenia serve as Abner’s support but cannot hear the supernatural recording, emphasizing Abner’s unique connection to the castle and its secrets.

Significant Themes

• Identity and the self: Vincent’s recording addresses his “future self,” creating a humorous but meaningful reflection on how different versions of the same person perceive one another.
• Memory and incomplete knowledge: Vincent can access only fragmented memories, showing the limits of supernatural observation and historical imprints.
• Corruption and madness: The chapter contrasts Olynnia’s partially removed corruption with the far more concentrated and dangerous corruption of the top-floor entity.
• Danger beneath apparent discovery: Although the castle’s treasures are gone, its greatest threat remains untouched, suggesting that knowledge and survival are more important than material gains.
• Cycles and imitation: Vincent repeats Rhine’s trick of frightening later visitors, while also borrowing Rhine’s name and castle title, highlighting recurring behavior across generations or identities.

Character Interactions

• Abner consults Closia and Xenia after hearing the mysterious voice, but neither hears it.
• Vincent’s recorded image directly addresses and teases Abner, creating a bizarre interaction between a person and a prior version of himself.
• Vincent discusses Rhine’s relationship with Olynnia, explaining how Rhine ultimately saved her despite their earlier estrangement.
• Abner internally mocks Vincent’s jokes and arrogance, though he refrains from responding because Vincent is effectively another version of himself.
• The chapter ends with Vincent’s warning, leaving Abner—and the reader—to confront the possibility that a primordial embodiment of desire and corruption is waiting in the ritual room above.

Chapter Summary: “Insight”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner analyzes the mysterious entity on the ritual chamber’s top floor, realizing it may be the physical body of the Origin of the Fallen, also known as the “Father of Succubi” and “Lord of Desire.”
• Vincent Miranda explains that Reinhardt likely summoned this body from the Spirit World as a vessel for his own resurrection.
• Reinhardt had previously lost his original body after using it in the ritual that created the Beauty Goddess. Since reclaiming that body would have forced him to become female, he presumably chose the Origin of the Fallen’s body instead.
• Reinhardt’s summoning of the body attracted the attention of the Eternal Blazing Sun, who pursued him. Vincent suggests that this pursuit was connected to the deeper conflict involving the Unknown and the ancient gods.
• Vincent’s “Mimicry” Dead Spirit repeatedly falls silent, leaving Abner to reconstruct the missing implications through his Insight.

Character Developments

• Abner demonstrates increasingly powerful analytical abilities. By connecting scattered clues, he concludes that his former incarnation—the Origin of the Fallen—possessed authority over Desire, corruption, creation, the Shadow World, and possibly the Mother Nest.
• Abner theorizes that the Origin of the Fallen was killed by either God Almighty or the Celestial Worthy, entities capable of intercepting his soul and Sefirah before they returned to the Land of Unknown.
• He becomes especially convinced that God Almighty was responsible, since God Almighty possessed the Authority of Fallen through the Chaos Sea and had strong motives to seize the Shadow World.
• Vincent Miranda provides historical interpretation rather than direct action, revealing that he had also struggled to understand Reinhardt’s plan and remains wary of contacting Lilith.

Significant Themes

• Resurrection and identity: Reinhardt’s preparations suggest that resurrection depends not only on preserving the soul but also on securing a suitable body. His rejection of the Beauty Goddess’s body highlights the tension between survival and personal identity.
• Hidden history and reconstruction: Much of the chapter consists of Abner piecing together ancient events from incomplete records, emphasizing how truth must be inferred from fragments.
• Cosmic manipulation: God Almighty and the Celestial Worthy are portrayed as beings whose ancient schemes continue to shape the present, even through indirect mechanisms such as the Soul Stone system and the illusory sun.
• Order versus corruption: The illusory sun in the Land of Unknown appears to block pollution, prevent characteristics from entering, and restrict the Unknown’s influence, suggesting a cosmic barrier established to contain chaos.
• Insight approaching omniscience: Abner’s ability to derive reliable conclusions from limited evidence reflects the growing scope of his powers and foreshadows the transformation of Insight into true Omniscience.

Character Interactions

• Abner listens to Vincent Miranda’s explanation and silently tests it against his own knowledge of Monica and the Origin of the Fallen.
• Vincent offers a theory about Reinhardt’s resurrection plans, while Abner expands it into a much broader explanation involving God Almighty, the Eternal Blazing Sun, the Unknown, and the Celestial Worthy.
• Lilith remains an indirect but important presence: Reinhardt’s former body became the Beauty Goddess through her influence, and Vincent is reluctant to approach her for clarification.
• The chapter ends without a direct confrontation, focusing instead on the intellectual exchange between Vincent’s recorded explanation and Abner’s increasingly ambitious deductions.

Chapter Summary: “Preparations”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner deduces that Rhine Calendia’s resurrection arrangements were deliberately sabotaged by later incarnations of “Liu Bo.” Because the God of Luck’s reincarnation system requires the Wheel of Fortune to restart, the different versions of Liu Bo cannot coexist. Thus, each later incarnation had an incentive to prevent earlier selves—especially Rhine—from resurrecting.
• He suspects the Calamity Seal, controlled by the Unknown, also regards the other incarnations as enemies, although its primary focus remains the God of Luck.
• Abner concludes that Rhine has not been completely destroyed, but his resurrection plan has likely been ruined. Even if Rhine returns, he is unlikely to seize control or assimilate Abner.
• Vincent’s Mimicry Dead Spirit explains that he once tried to sabotage Rhine’s resurrection. Unable to approach the heavily polluted body of the Origin of the Fallen, Vincent instead sprinkled additional water from the River of Eternal Darkness onto it, delaying the resurrection.
• The Dead Spirit reveals that the rest of Dream Castle has been cleared, except for the Ritual Room. It warns Abner not to harm Chan You, Rhine’s Dream Tapir creation, which is defensive but not intentionally murderous.
• After the Dead Spirit returns to standby mode, Abner allows Closia and the others to enter. He gives them a limited account of what happened and warns them about the dangerous Ritual Room and the sleeping Blood Moon Queen.
• Abner decides to investigate the Ritual Room alone. Before opening its ominous doors, he sends Chan You away and prepares to pray to Mr. Fool for the protection of Sefirah Castle against possible pollution.

Character Developments

• Abner demonstrates increasingly cautious and analytical thinking. He recognizes the complex conflicts between his incarnations and understands that courage requires preparation rather than recklessness.
• He reflects on the contrast between Rhine and Vincent—who lived relatively privileged lives and developed less sophisticated schemes—and his Fifth Epoch incarnations, especially Alvin, who became more manipulative after learning the world’s secrets.
• Vincent’s Dead Spirit is portrayed as pragmatic and self-interested rather than benevolent. He helps Abner only because Rhine’s success would threaten all the incarnations.
• Closia, Greed, and Sloth show concern for Abner’s safety but ultimately respect his judgment.
• Chan You is established as a potentially hostile but fundamentally nonviolent guardian of Dream Castle.

Significant Themes

• Conflict between reincarnations: Later versions of the same person are forced into opposition because only one can ultimately exist or prevail.
• Self-sabotage and inherited schemes: Each incarnation leaves plans, traps, and alterations for future selves, creating a cycle of manipulation across time.
• Preparation versus recklessness: Abner’s decision to seek protection before entering the Ritual Room emphasizes that bravery means confronting danger intelligently.
• Identity and personal development: Abner questions whether his incarnations’ differing personalities result from their memories, circumstances, upbringing, and knowledge of the world.
• Pollution and survival: The chapter highlights the overwhelming danger of divine corruption and the importance of indirect strategies when direct confrontation is impossible.

Character Interactions

• Vincent’s Dead Spirit provides Abner with crucial information about the sabotaged resurrection and asks him to leave Chan You unharmed.
• Abner reassures Closia, Greed, and Sloth while withholding the most dangerous details about the Ritual Room.
• Closia questions Abner’s plan to proceed alone, showing concern over the risks even to someone with near-Angel-level strength.
• Abner calmly sends Chan You away before approaching the Ritual Room, then prepares to invoke Mr. Fool and Sefirah Castle for protection.

Chapter Summary: “Oath of Roses”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Emlyn, with Audrey’s help, successfully lures the Sanguine Viscount Ernes into Harvest Church and completes the “Punishment” mission. Because Audrey’s sealed artifact, the Fallen Box, is stronger than in the original timeline, the group succeeds without Leonard’s assistance.
• Susie replaces Xio as the “Scribe,” having trained in the Dream Labyrinth Tower.
• Emlyn presents the spoils:
  • Oath of Roses: A pair of matching rings that allow wearers within the same city to share senses and communicate telepathically. If worn continuously for a week, they may cause the wearers to fall in love.
  • Moon Paper Figurine: Can absorb one lethal or Spirit Body-targeting attack, with minimal side effects.
  • Alcohol Nemesis: Enhances energy, clarity, and resistance to Mental Body spells, but damages the liver and brain if worn too long.
  • Moonlight Ribbon: Reduces Sun and Lightning damage, but heightens the wearer’s senses dangerously and causes severe itching.
• Fors claims the Moon Paper Figurine, valuing its defensive function and compatibility with her Scribe abilities.
• Audrey chooses the Alcohol Nemesis tie pin, mainly because it looks elegant, but also because it could help her resist Hypnosis if she faced Hvin Rambis without Mr. Fool’s protection.
• While Emlyn debates whether to offer the Moonlight Ribbon or the Oath of Roses as the Hanged Man’s consultation fee, Klein summons himself and Abner into Sefirah Castle.
• Klein has seemingly arranged Abner’s arrival so that he can help obtain the Oath of Roses without openly revealing his own interest in the rings.
• Abner recognizes the rings from Giuseppe Castiya’s memories. One had been discovered in ruins beneath Backlund, while the other had been worn by Lamia. Their connection likely caused Giuseppe and Lamia to fall in love unusually quickly.
• Abner realizes that the rings may have been part of a larger manipulation of fate involving the Calamity Seal, the Apocalypse, and possibly Will Aupta—or “Little Snake”—acting to prevent another entity’s plan.
• The chapter ends with Abner wondering whether Will had originally given the matching rings to Lilith.

Character Developments

• Emlyn shows increased confidence and generosity while distributing the spoils, though he remains vain and somewhat possessive. He gives up the Oath of Roses because he lacks a suitable, trustworthy partner with whom to share its abilities.
• Audrey demonstrates practical judgment and humility. She does not rush to claim an item, but chooses the tie pin for both its appearance and its defensive value against mental manipulation.
• Fors acts fairly, taking only the relatively modest Moon Paper Figurine because she believes she did not contribute much risk and can reproduce many other abilities through her Scribe powers.
• Abner gains a crucial insight into the historical relationship between Giuseppe and Lamia. His understanding of the rings expands from curiosity about a magical artifact to recognition of their possible role in altering fate.
• Klein subtly manipulates events to gain access to the rings while using Abner as an intermediary, showing his continued caution and strategic planning.
• Susie’s training is confirmed to have made her capable of replacing Xio in a major operational role.

Significant Themes

• Fate and manipulation: The rings reveal that seemingly spontaneous love and major life decisions may have been engineered by supernatural forces.
• Consequences of artifacts: Every sealed artifact provides useful powers but carries hidden costs, emphasizing the danger of relying on supernatural tools.
• Altered timelines: The events differ from the original story, with Audrey’s stronger artifact and Susie’s training changing the group’s strategy and outcomes.
• Trust and relationships: The Oath of Roses symbolizes intimacy and connection, while also raising questions about whether love created under supernatural influence is genuine.
• Hidden agendas: Klein, Abner, Will, and other powerful entities all appear to be maneuvering behind the visible events, suggesting a larger struggle over fate and the Apocalypse.

Important Character Interactions

• Emlyn reports the mission and explains each artifact to the group, while Fors and Audrey select their rewards.
• Audrey acknowledges that the Fallen Box was essential to her success, demonstrating cooperation rather than taking sole credit.
• Klein silently communicates with Abner and draws his attention to the Oath of Roses, prompting Abner to understand Klein’s intentions.
• Abner shares the history of the rings with the group, linking them to Giuseppe and Lamia’s tragic romance.
• The discussion shifts from ordinary spoils distribution to a revelation about the artifacts’ role in historical fate manipulation and their possible connection to Lilith and Will.

Chapter Summary: “Ritual Room”

Key Plot Points and Events

• During a Tarot Club gathering, Abner examines the “Oath of Roses” rings and deliberately appears disturbed. He warns that they may be contaminated by an unknown force and recommends having Mr. Fool purify them.
• Klein, using his identity as Gehrman the World, buys the rings from Emlyn for 6,000 pounds, intending to have them purified before giving them to Sharron, “Miss Temperance.”
• Abner later privately tells Klein that his concern was genuine, not merely an act. He advises Klein to divine the rings’ origins and consult Will and Reinette.
• Abner then enters the dream version of Observer Castle, protected by a Black Emperor card and layers of Gray Fog.
• He reaches the hidden Ritual Room, which can apparently only be accessed through dreams and is likely connected to the Door pathway’s ability to hide spaces.
• Inside, Abner discovers a familiar Door of Reality and Illusion, suggesting that Roselle may have visited or drawn inspiration from this location when constructing Dream Labyrinth Tower.
• Beyond the door, he finds a huge altar surrounded by a ring-shaped river of blood. Transparent chains bind a coffin at the altar’s center, from which a powerful and dangerous aura emanates.
• Abner notices that the smaller altars around the blood river appear to have been added later, possibly in connection with the ritual conducted eleven years earlier.
• Just as he approaches for a closer inspection, a mysterious woman warns him not to come nearer because the aura of Sefirah Castle could trigger the dormant power in the room.

Character Developments

• Abner demonstrates his careful judgment, intuition, and ability to manipulate social situations. His false-looking concern about the rings is convincing, but his private warning to Klein confirms that he genuinely senses danger.
• Klein becomes more cautious and responsible. Rather than immediately giving the rings to Sharron, he accepts Abner’s advice to have them purified and investigate their origins. He also shows growing independence as a powerful Beyonder.
• Emlyn readily sells the rings once he hears they may be contaminated, showing his practical attitude toward an item he does not need.
• Alger notices the suspicious coordination between Abner and Klein but wisely keeps silent, reflecting his caution and political awareness.
• The unidentified female voice introduces another knowledgeable and potentially important figure connected to the Ritual Room and its dangers.

Significant Themes

• Hidden contamination and unseen danger: Objects that seem useful or valuable may contain mysterious corruption, emphasizing the risks of supernatural power.
• Trust and concealment: Abner and Klein cooperate through disguises and indirect communication, while Alger recognizes their secret coordination but chooses not to interfere.
• The legacy of the past: The Ritual Room, Roselle’s possible involvement, and the ritual from eleven years earlier connect present events to older experiments and hidden plans.
• Reality, dreams, and hidden spaces: The room’s existence in a dream and the Door of Reality and Illusion reinforce the blurred boundary between physical reality and spiritual or imagined realms.
• Sealing and forbidden power: The chained coffin, blood river, and surrounding altars suggest that something extremely dangerous is being contained, with Sefirah Castle potentially capable of destabilizing the seal.

Character Interactions

• Abner subtly coordinates with Klein during the Tarot Club gathering, creating an opportunity for Klein to acquire the rings without revealing their true purpose.
• Klein trusts Abner’s warning but takes responsibility for further investigation himself.
• Emlyn and Klein complete the sale while Alger silently observes the unusual circumstances.
• At the end, Abner encounters an unseen woman who immediately recognizes the danger of his presence and warns him against approaching the sealed coffin.

Chapter Summary

• Plot/events: The narrator eats spicy food, develops stomach pain, and is unable to concentrate. As a result, they stop working for the day and promise to make up for it tomorrow. The chapter ends immediately afterward.
• Character development: The narrator shows self-awareness about their physical limitations and takes responsibility by acknowledging the missed work and planning to compensate for it.
• Themes: Physical discomfort, productivity, personal responsibility, and postponement. The brief chapter also humorously highlights the gap between intentions and circumstances.
• Character interactions: There are no interactions with other characters; the chapter focuses entirely on the narrator’s condition and decision.

Chapter Summary: “Questions and Answers”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner hears a mysterious woman’s voice in the ritual chamber and realizes someone else is present. Since Gray Fog conceals her from his usual perception, he uses his White Tower abilities to simulate a Bizarro Sorcerer and view Spirit Body Threads.
• He discovers a beautiful woman sitting atop the coffin on the central altar. He recognizes her as Aglaia Constantine, the former Sequence 1 Demoness of Apocalypse and daughter of the God of Luck and the Queen of Calamity.
• Abner recalls Aglaia’s history: she escaped from the Abraham Family’s Scroll of God, was later found by “Old Huang,” and was placed in a mechanical body. Because she was an Evil Spirit whose condition deteriorated, Old Huang apparently sent her to this dangerous location, where the overlapping Sefirah pollution could help her recover.
• Aglaia identifies Abner as a possible “favored one of Sefirah Castle.” Abner avoids revealing his true identity and instead claims connections to Bernadette and the Abraham Family.
• To prove that the Abraham Family now possesses powerful allies, Abner changes his simulated ability and summons a Historical Projection of Alvin Abraham.
• Seeing Alvin, Aglaia becomes shocked and assumes Bethel Abraham may have escaped—or possibly fallen. Her grief spreads through the chamber as a dangerous emotional force, amplified by the local pollution. Gray Fog protects Abner from its effects.
• Abner reassures her that Bethel remains as he was and that the Abraham Family is now protected from the full-moon whispers through the blessing of Mr. Fool.
• Aglaia asks whether Mr. Fool is the current master of Sefirah Castle. Abner confirms this and dramatically praises the Fool as the ruler of the Spirit World and the King of Yellow and Black.
• Aglaia suggests that the Lord of Mysteries has begun to awaken and wonders whether he will eventually save Bethel.
• She then offers Abner a bargain: she has asked him three questions, and he may ask her three questions in return, provided she knows the answers.

Character Developments

• Abner demonstrates caution, resourcefulness, and strong knowledge of ancient history. He conceals his identity while strategically invoking his connections to Bernadette and the Abraham Family.
• He also shows political awareness by using Alvin’s Historical Projection both as intimidation and as a way to gain Aglaia’s trust.
• Aglaia Constantine is revealed to be extremely perceptive and difficult to deceive. Despite her formidable status, her unstable mental condition and emotional vulnerability are apparent.
• Her reaction to Bethel shows that she retains strong affection and concern for him.
• Aglaia’s willingness to answer three questions creates the possibility that she may become an important source of information—or a potential ally of the Fool.

Significant Themes

• Trust and deception: Abner must carefully balance truth and concealment while dealing with a powerful Demoness.
• The danger of emotion and corruption: Aglaia’s grief becomes a supernatural force, showing how Sefirah pollution can magnify emotions into catastrophic phenomena.
• Political alliances and religious influence: Abner promotes the Fool’s reputation, potentially encouraging Aglaia to recognize or serve him.
• The persistence of the past: Historical Projections, ancient figures, and old relationships—especially Aglaia’s ties to Bethel—continue to shape present events.
• Recovery through danger: The heavily polluted chamber is both a hazardous location and a sanctuary for Aglaia’s deteriorating existence.

Character Interactions

• Abner and Aglaia: Their conversation is cautious and investigative. Aglaia tests Abner’s identity, while Abner offers selective truths and uses Alvin to establish credibility.
• Abner and Alvin’s projection: Abner treats Alvin as a strategic tool, summoning him to intimidate Aglaia and strengthen his claim of belonging to the Abraham Family.
• Aglaia and Bethel: Though Bethel does not appear directly, Aglaia’s grief reveals their close relationship and her fear that he may have been lost.
• Abner and the Fool: Abner acts as a representative and promoter of the Fool, emphasizing his divine status and protection of the Abraham Family.
• The chapter ends with Aglaia opening a formal exchange of questions, setting up a likely revelation of important secrets in the next chapter.

Chapter Summary: “Unexpected Development”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner asks Aglaia three questions to determine her identity, history, and connection to the ritual chamber.
• Aglaia confirms that she is truly Aglaia Constantine, formerly the Demoness of Apocalypse, and now an Evil Spirit.
• She reveals that Roselle brought her to the ritual chamber after her soul had been imprisoned and severely damaged.
• Aglaia explains that after Cheek and another Angel killed her, the Night Emperor imprisoned her soul in a cage formed from rules. Bethel later rescued her, but she had nearly become insane.
• Roselle stabilized her Humanity by arranging for people to worship her, but Aglaia continued losing the Authority and symbolism connected to her former characteristics.
• The ritual chamber, saturated with the atmosphere of Catastrophe, Apocalypse, and various Sefirot, helped preserve her symbolism and prevent her from becoming a mindless Fallen Monster.
• Abner asks why the Red Angel’s Evil Spirit does not suffer from the same loss of symbolism. Aglaia explains that the Hunter Pathway has no True God, so Medici’s former War God symbolism naturally faded after someone became the Red Priest.
• Abner then asks for the complete causes and consequences of the ritual held eleven years earlier.
• Aglaia agrees to transmit the information using the power of her father’s former body, warning Abner not to resist and allowing Sefirah Castle to interrupt if necessary.
• The transmission unexpectedly activates the power of Memory Theater within Abner’s Mind Island. Aglaia realizes that Abner may be another reincarnation of her father and fears that she will be pulled into a dangerous memory scene involving him.

Character Developments

• Abner demonstrates caution, intelligence, and strategic manipulation. He carefully chooses questions that will confirm his deductions while avoiding unnecessary risks. His ability to use prophecy and lie detection reinforces his role as an analytical investigator.
• Abner also shows confidence in his connection to Sefirah Castle, trusting it to protect him if Aglaia’s information transfer becomes dangerous.
• Aglaia is revealed to be physically and spiritually unstable. Although she remains powerful, she is gradually losing the symbolism that sustains her identity and status.
• Aglaia’s long explanation suggests both loneliness and a desire for conversation. Despite her teasing and mockery, she becomes relatively cooperative with Abner because of his connection to the Lord of Mysteries and Bethel.
• Her attitude changes from amused cooperation to alarm when Memory Theater activates, revealing that she does not fully understand or control the forces involved.

Significant Themes

• Identity and decay: Aglaia’s transformation from a former deity into an Evil Spirit raises questions about how much of a person remains when their body, characteristics, symbolism, and authority are lost.
• Symbolism as power: The chapter emphasizes that supernatural identity depends not only on spiritual transformation but also on maintaining the symbolic authority associated with a pathway and title.
• Knowledge and danger: Abner’s desire for information leads him into an unpredictable supernatural event, showing that learning hidden truths can itself be hazardous.
• Inheritance and reincarnation: Aglaia’s recognition of Memory Theater suggests deeper links between Abner and her father, hinting that Abner may be one of his reincarnations.
• Control versus unintended consequences: Aglaia intends to transfer memories in a controlled way, but the interaction with Abner’s Mind Island triggers an unforeseen power.

Character Interactions

• Abner questions Aglaia directly but uses careful wording to obtain more information than the stated limits of his “three questions” might suggest.
• Aglaia playfully accuses him of being as cunning as Roselle, establishing a teasing but wary dynamic between them.
• Their conversation moves from interrogation to reluctant cooperation, with Aglaia treating Abner more favorably because of his affiliations.
• When Memory Theater activates, Aglaia’s confidence collapses into fear. Her reaction shifts the relationship from an information exchange to a crisis, as both become involved in a mysterious memory-related power beyond their immediate control.

Chapter Summary: “Memory Theater”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner awakens inside a dark coffin, trapped in a “script” created by Memory Theater, a mysterious artifact associated with the Outer Deity High-Dimensional Overseer and the Cameraman Pathway.
• Because the theater’s abilities are not fully activated, Abner is forced to play the role most closely connected to him: the corpse of the Origin of the Fallen, a former incarnation of Liu Bo/Reinhardt.
• Roselle and Aglaia enter the ritual chamber. Roselle identifies the corpse’s contamination as being connected to multiple sefirot, suggesting that Reinhardt may once have accommodated both the Shadow World and the Mother Nest, eventually driving himself toward madness.
• Roselle explains that he and Aglaia have come to:
  1. Find a place capable of stabilizing Aglaia’s spirit body.
  2. Use the ritual chamber to compensate for a mistake Roselle made on the moon.
• Aglaia covertly signals to Abner that she is also aware of the theater’s nature and is deliberately maintaining the historical “script.” This reveals that Memory Theater draws on memories, the Spirit World, and the River of Fate to reconstruct past events.
• Aglaia explains that the theater is based on her memories but does not necessarily make her or Abner the story’s protagonists. The “Cameraman” perspective is currently elsewhere, allowing Abner limited freedom to speak.
• Abner asks whether deliberately altering events could force the theater to collapse and release him.
• Aglaia warns that major deviations could trigger Information Overwrite, causing altered events to become accepted as reality through memories, records, and spiritual information. Although history would not literally change, people and the world could be forced to recognize the false version.
• She later admits that collapse is not always so catastrophic, particularly when high-level beings are involved, because Memory Theater cannot rewrite their history. However, collapse would cause Aglaia to become a permanent “actor” of the theater, subject to recurring scripts and—more dangerously—contamination from the Unknown, to which Memory Theater had been offered.

Character Developments

• Abner remains calm and analytical despite being trapped as an immobile corpse. He studies the theater’s rules, tests the limits of his role, and realizes that Aglaia is communicating information indirectly.
• He gains partial control of the corpse, eventually managing to move its facial features and speak with difficulty.
• Aglaia demonstrates caution and strategic intelligence. Though once associated with destruction as the Demoness of Apocalypse, she fears the theater’s consequences because becoming its actor would expose her to the Unknown’s contamination.
• She also reveals greater knowledge of Memory Theater and its history, including its connection to Liu Bo/Reinhardt and the Cameraman Pathway.
• Roselle acts as an investigator and ritual planner. His comments show extensive knowledge of Reinhardt’s experiments and the dangerous interaction between sefirot and contamination.
• Reinhardt/Liu Bo is further characterized as someone who attempted to use the corpse and Mr. Door’s power to communicate with a sefirot and transform his soul, but whose ritual was apparently sabotaged by Vincent.

Significant Themes

• History versus information: The chapter explores the idea that reality can be distorted not only by physically changing events, but by forcing everyone, every record, and even the Spirit World to accept a false account.
• Performance and identity: Characters are compelled to act according to historical roles. Memory Theater turns history into a scripted performance in which deviation has dangerous consequences.
• Knowledge as danger: Understanding Memory Theater’s mechanisms does not necessarily provide freedom. The more one interferes with the theater, the greater the risk of catastrophe or contamination.
• Contamination and cosmic influence: The chapter reinforces the threat posed by the Unknown, sefirot, and Outer Deities. Even escape from the theater may come at the cost of becoming permanently connected to a greater cosmic power.
• The limits of reality alteration: High-level beings are resistant to being overwritten, establishing boundaries on Memory Theater’s otherwise enormous influence.

Character Interactions

• Roselle and Aglaia discuss the corpse, Reinhardt’s possible ritual, and their current objectives. Roselle speaks freely, while Aglaia initially responds cautiously before settling into the expected historical behavior.
• Aglaia and Abner communicate indirectly through subtle changes in her speech and later speak openly once Abner regains limited control. She explains the theater’s rules and warns him against forcing its collapse.
• Abner and Roselle do not directly converse in this chapter, but Abner closely observes Roselle’s statements and uses them to reconstruct Reinhardt’s history and the theater’s purpose.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner theorizes that the Memory Theater collapsed because of a major “change” connected to the Oldest One, the High-Dimensional Overseer, and Unknown. Bernadette’s seemingly harmless learning of the Chinese phrase “Hometown” may have conflicted with the world’s existing Script, triggering the collapse.
• He further suspects that whoever activates or causes the Memory Theater’s collapse may be forcibly turned into one of its Actors and indirectly contaminated by Unknown. This explains Bernadette’s contamination.
• Aglaia reveals that she is resistant to Great Old One contamination because she was born a mythical creature. She also avoided investigating Unknown too deeply, following warnings from her mother, Lilith.
• Aglaia explains that she became trapped in the Memory Theater after accidentally triggering it. She regrets not knowing that Abner was her father’s reincarnation, since she would have warned him earlier.
• Aglaia confirms that Abner is her father’s reincarnation, though Abner has not yet recovered his memories of her. She feels instinctively close to him despite not fully regarding him as her father.
• She begins explaining the ancient arrangements connected to Reinhardt, the “Father of Succubi, Lord of Desire, Origin of the Fallen.” Reinhardt intended to use the corpse’s connection to a Sefirah to communicate with the Shadow World or Mother Nest and achieve resurrection.
• Reinhardt’s plan depended on Bethel, the former “Door,” but Bethel’s banishment made the plan impossible. Later, other beings exploited Reinhardt’s arrangements.
• Aglaia reveals that “Door” influenced Roselle’s experiment eleven years earlier. Roselle’s behavior had become abnormal after arriving on the moon, and he obsessively sought a survival method for future “daughters” who had not yet been born.
• Following Door’s advice, Roselle used Reinhardt’s altar, gathered seven items associated with Sefirot, and obtained the God’s Casket left by the Primordial Creator. He enlisted Ialdabaoth, Bruna, and others to assist.
• The ritual failed partially: only five of the seven sealed Sefirot responded, while the others—including the River of Eternal Darkness and the Mother Nest—did not. The failed participants died immediately.
• Abner questions whether Lilith secretly controls the Mother Nest, but concludes that this is unlikely because Lilith previously ordered him to recreate the ritual to uncover its secrets. He suspects that Frank and Sharf may also be connected to larger divine schemes.

Character Developments

• Abner: Continues piecing together the relationships among the Memory Theater, Unknown, the Oldest One, and the various divine conspiracies. He remains physically incapacitated but mentally active and increasingly wary of the gods’ hidden agendas.
• Aglaia: Reveals her resilience, emotional complexity, and closeness to Abner. She is relieved to understand why she instinctively feels connected to him, while also fearing the consequences if the Memory Theater’s Script conflicts with history.
• Roselle: Is portrayed as having changed drastically after reaching the moon. His concern for future daughters and willingness to follow Door’s guidance suggest that his mind may have been influenced or manipulated.
• Bethel/Door: Is implicated in guiding Roselle’s ritual and possibly plotting against him, though Aglaia doubts that the being involved was the Bethel she once knew.
• Lilith and other goddesses: Remain enigmatic players whose motives may involve locating or controlling the Mother Nest.

Significant Themes

• Contamination and forbidden knowledge: Knowledge of Unknown, the Memory Theater, and the Sefirot carries existential risks, with involvement potentially leading to corruption or forced transformation.
• History versus scripted reality: The collapse may have resulted from events that contradicted the world’s preexisting Script, raising questions about whether reality can tolerate changes to its established narrative.
• Identity and reincarnation: Abner’s relationship with Aglaia explores the tension between remembered identity and instinctive emotional bonds.
• Manipulation by higher beings: Roselle, Reinhardt, Bethel, Lilith, and the Mother Goddess all appear involved in layered schemes, making it difficult to determine who is controlling whom.
• Uncertainty and hidden motives: Even powerful characters cannot fully understand the gods’ plans, emphasizing the limits of knowledge in the world of Lord of Mysteries.

Character Interactions

• Abner and Aglaia discuss Unknown, contamination, and the Memory Theater’s collapse, with Aglaia reassuring him that she is resistant to corruption.
• Aglaia admits she would have warned Abner if she had known he was her father’s reincarnation.
• Abner apologizes for not remembering her, while Aglaia accepts this and explains that her feelings of familiarity remain.
• Their conversation shifts from personal revelations to an explanation of Reinhardt’s resurrection scheme and Roselle’s failed ritual.
• Abner challenges Aglaia with questions about Door, Roselle, the River of Eternal Darkness, and the Mother Nest, deepening his understanding of the broader divine conspiracy.

Chapter Summary: “Masterminds Behind the Scenes”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Aglaia explains that Roselle’s ritual eleven years earlier attracted and was covertly supported or monitored by numerous powerful entities.
• The ritual’s central function was to use the God’s Casket and objects bearing the aura of Sefirah to communicate with the Sefirah sealed in the Western Continent by the Gray Fog.
• The ritual required:
  • The Authority of the Door, likely supplied through Mr. Door.
  • Special souls inside the God’s Casket that were connected to Sefirah.
• A major side effect was that the ritual could reveal the locations of those special souls, their Soul Stones, or the traits extracted from them by the God of Luck.
• The ritual’s consequences affected multiple factions:
  • The Mother Tree of Desire used it to locate a sea monster connected to the Shadow World and subsequently locate the Shadow World itself.
  • The Hidden Sage used it to identify that traits connected to the Knowledge Moor had been transferred to Yaluolan, leading to His long-term pursuit of her.
  • The Mother Goddess of Depravity sought the Mother Nest and may have used the ritual to manipulate the Mother Tree of Desire, though the Mother Nest’s traits remained undiscovered.
  • The Numinous Episcopate dealt with Maria quickly after discovering her, likely under Roselle’s instructions and Bruna’s supervision.
  • Ialdabaoth provided sacrifices and arranged the Feysac nobles’ recurring Castle Trial, apparently serving either Adam or, more likely, the God of Luck.
• The Calamity Seal likely intended to expose the God of Luck’s body and lure Ouroboros into attacking it, thereby destroying the God of Luck’s resurrection plans.
• The True Creator may have refrained from intervening because doing so would have increased His unresolved “debt of Fate” to Liu Bo, who could not be permanently killed.
• Will Auceptin avoided directly entering the conflict, focusing instead on ensuring that the Unknown did not awaken and that the eventual victor honored his agreement.
• Several orthodox gods either secretly monitored or tacitly approved the ritual. The Goddess was likely involved through Sia Palenque Eggers, while Lilith’s apparent ignorance may have been deliberate. The God of Knowledge and Wisdom, Lord of Storms, and God of Combat probably learned of or permitted aspects of the ritual. There was no clear evidence that the Eternal Blazing Sun or God of Steam and Machinery participated.

Character Developments

• Aglaia demonstrates extensive investigative ability, using the “Secrecy” of the five survivors to reconstruct the ritual’s nature and the motives of its observers.
• Abner combines Aglaia’s information with his own analysis and nearly identifies the full network of masterminds and hidden agendas.
• Roselle remains the central figure whose preparations drew the attention of gods, evil deities, angels, and other powerful beings. His return signals that the narrative focus is shifting back to the ritual’s immediate setting.
• The Goddess is revealed to have possibly operated through Sia Palenque Eggers, allowing Her to monitor events covertly and interfere with the River of Eternal Darkness.
• Ialdabaoth appears less independent than previously believed, potentially acting as a contingency created by the God of Luck.
• The God of Luck emerges as a major hidden player, using Ialdabaoth and other arrangements to protect His resurrection and maintain control over the ritual’s outcome.
• The True Creator is portrayed as constrained by Fate-related obligations, limiting His willingness to act directly.
• Will Auceptin remains cautious and strategically neutral, protecting his own interests rather than committing to either side.

Significant Themes

• Hidden manipulation and layered conspiracies: Nearly every major faction had separate motives for observing or influencing the ritual.
• The ambiguity of apparent allies: Figures such as Ialdabaoth, the Numinous Episcopate, and orthodox gods may have been serving hidden masters or pursuing goals different from their visible roles.
• Fate and unavoidable consequences: Debts of Fate, resurrection plans, and predetermined contingencies shape the decisions of the powerful beings involved.
• Knowledge as power: Understanding the ritual’s true function allows Abner and Aglaia to reconstruct events and identify otherwise invisible connections.
• Secrecy and indirect action: The gods largely avoid open confrontation, instead using agents, alter egos, rituals, and carefully prepared schemes.
• Uncertainty and incomplete information: Even after extensive analysis, the ultimate objectives of figures such as Lilith, the Goddess, and the True Creator remain unclear.

Character Interactions

• Aglaia and Abner collaborate closely: she supplies the evidence and deductions, while he synthesizes them into a broader analysis.
• Their discussion functions as an investigation into the ritual’s participants, motives, and consequences.
• Roselle’s return interrupts their exchange and forces both Abner and Aglaia to resume their outward “performance,” concealing their actual conversation.
• The chapter ends with the theater’s attention returning to the Ritual Room, emphasizing the contrast between the characters’ public roles and their secret investigations.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Roselle explains how he gathered the remaining four Sefirah-related auras needed for the ritual:
  • City of Calamity: obtained through items preserved with the Calamity Seal.
  • Knowledge Moor: acquired from Yaluolan, who had received the corresponding special characteristic from the God of Luck.
  • Key of Light: extracted from the God of Luck’s tomb.
  • Nation of Disorder: obtained by following the Spectral Empire to the vicinity of the Night Emperor’s divine kingdom.
• Abner realizes that this period may correspond to the missing half-year from Roselle’s later diaries.
• The Memory Theater abruptly advances a century to the day of the ritual. Many moon-born children are brought in, but only five girls survive.
• God’s Casket splits into five pieces, fusing with the girls and allowing them to connect with their respective Sefirah while resisting the Mother Goddess of Depravity’s influence.
• The girls are separated and eventually follow different paths:
  • Maria: joins the Numinous Episcopate and becomes the Pale Admiral.
  • Lophia: joins the Aurora Order and becomes Miss D.
  • Abby: follows the Mother Tree of Desire and becomes a Naturism Sect holy maiden.
  • Philena: joins the Life School of Thought and becomes a museum owner.
  • Bianca: works for several organizations before becoming Abner’s housekeeper at Trier Manor.
• After the ritual, Abner is abruptly pulled out of the Memory Theater and returned to reality. Although a century passed inside the theater, only a minute elapsed externally; however, Abner’s lifespan decreased by roughly a month.
• Abner discovers that he now has a faint connection to the body of the Origin of the Fallen and may be able to draw upon its residual power.
• Aglaia awakens and, confused, asks what happened.

Character Developments

• Abner continues investigating the secrets of God’s Casket, the seven special souls, and the nature of higher-dimensional powers. He becomes increasingly aware that the Memory Theater can alter time between dimensions.
• Roselle is revealed to have undertaken extensive preparations for the ritual, including dangerous exploration and dealings involving the Spectral Empire, the God of Luck, and the Nation of Disorder.
• The five surviving girls are established as future significant figures, with their different contaminations determining their affiliations and identities.
• Aglaia remains unaware of the full events that occurred in the Memory Theater, highlighting the separation between her perception and Abner’s experience.
• Abner’s connection to the Origin of the Fallen suggests that the ritual may have affected reality despite taking place within a memory-based environment.

Significant Themes

• Time and dimensional disparity: The Memory Theater compresses a century into a minute of real time, while still consuming Abner’s actual lifespan. This may represent an early form of the “Chessboard of Time” authority.
• Fate and causality: The ritual sets the five girls on paths that eventually lead to their known identities and roles.
• Contamination and resistance: The girls survive by linking to Sefirah while suppressing the corrupting influence of the Mother Goddess of Depravity.
• Hidden manipulation: Multiple unseen powers exploit the ritual for their own purposes, suggesting that Roselle’s plan was part of a larger struggle among powerful entities.
• Memory versus reality: Events occurring in the Memory Theater appear capable of producing effects in the real world, raising questions about information, historical reconstruction, and reality alteration.
• Identity and transformation: The girls’ origins, affiliations, and future identities demonstrate how supernatural contamination and outside intervention shape individual destinies.

Character Interactions

• Roselle recounts his preparations to Aglaia while Abner listens silently from inside the coffin.
• Abner observes Roselle’s relationship with Aglaia and internally refers to her dismissively as his “bargain-bin daughter.”
• The ritual involves Roselle, Aglaia, and unseen masterminds whose goals intersect through the five girls.
• At the chapter’s end, Aglaia regains awareness beside Abner and asks what happened, while Abner alone understands the extraordinary passage of time and his new connection to the Origin of the Fallen.

Chapter Summary: “Incantation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After leaving the Memory Theater, Aglaia has forgotten most of what happened inside. Abner concludes that ordinary “actors” lose their memories upon departure, while Bernadette retained hers because she had been contaminated by Unknown and had become an official actor.
• Abner informs Aglaia that they entered the Memory Theater. Merely hearing its name helps her infer what occurred, but she refuses further details because she does not want to establish a connection with Unknown.
• Aglaia acknowledges that Abner is likely the reincarnation of her father, Oliver, though she admits she never truly regarded either Oliver or Reinhardt as her real father.
• Abner asks about repeating the ritual conducted eleven years earlier. Aglaia confirms that a second ritual is necessary to purge the remaining contamination from the five surviving girls, since the original ritual ultimately failed to achieve Roselle’s goal.
• Aglaia warns that the Mother Goddess of Depravity will probably interfere through the “Door,” particularly because Abner is connected to the Abraham family. Nevertheless, the Door is indispensable to the ritual.
• Abner plans to conduct the ritual in roughly one or two months, depending mainly on when Maria, the Pale Admiral, can be brought in. The other survivors are already under his influence, control, imprisonment, or employment.
• Aglaia asks Abner to create a temporary body for her so she can leave the castle and recover elsewhere. Abner instead focuses on reclaiming control of Observer Castle.
• Aglaia explains that Chan You, the Dream Tapir, is actually the castle’s “spirit” and controls its functions. Chan You recognizes the proper incantation rather than the identity of the person speaking it.
• Abner offers a Historical Projection of Natalia, the Yellow Saint, as Aglaia’s temporary body. Because Natalia is a Demoness of Catastrophe, her body could restore Aglaia’s weakening symbolism and greatly improve her condition.
• Aglaia accepts the deal without requiring a Contract and gives Abner the incantation: “Whenever I see moonlight, I think of you...”

Character Developments

• Abner demonstrates increasing authority and confidence. He is willing to face the dangers of the Mother Goddess of Depravity and Mr. Door in order to complete the ritual and fulfill Lilith’s long-term mission.
• He also reveals a practical, strategic side by seeking control of Observer Castle, intending to prevent further bloody trials and ensure freedom of movement.
• Aglaia remains physically and spiritually weakened after losing her memories and the support of her characteristics, but she is recovering. Her willingness to trust Abner and accept his offer shows a growing bond, even though she still rejects the idea of treating him as her father.
• Aglaia’s Demoness nature remains evident through her attempted Fascination, flirtatious manner, and eagerness to obtain a powerful temporary body.
• Bernadette’s continued memory retention is indirectly explained by her contamination and special status as an official actor in the Memory Theater.
• Maria becomes an important logistical factor, since the second ritual cannot proceed without her participation.

Significant Themes

• Memory and identity: The chapter explores how supernatural contamination can alter memory and status, questioning whether experiences define a person even when those experiences are forgotten.
• Inheritance and reincarnation: Abner’s connection to Oliver and Reinhardt raises questions about whether shared memories, personality, or lineage determine familial identity.
• Control versus vulnerability: Abner seeks command over Observer Castle while Aglaia struggles to regain control over her damaged body and symbolism.
• Trust and uneasy alliances: Aglaia trusts Abner enough to avoid demanding a Contract, despite refusing to fully accept him as her father.
• Supernatural contamination and consequence: The failed ritual, Unknown’s influence, and the Mother Goddess’s potential interference emphasize the lasting dangers of contact with high-level supernatural entities.
• Authority through language: The incantation symbolizes access to power and inherited authority, allowing the correct individual to command the castle regardless of physical identity.

Character Interactions

• Abner and Aglaia discuss the Memory Theater and her possible familial relationship with him, balancing teasing remarks with unresolved emotional distance.
• Aglaia warns Abner about the dangers of repeating the ritual, especially the Mother Goddess of Depravity and the Door.
• Abner resists Aglaia’s involuntary Fascination, showing his familiarity with Demonesses and his emotional composure.
• Their negotiation over Aglaia’s temporary body becomes a mutually beneficial exchange: Abner gains the incantation needed to control Observer Castle, while Aglaia receives the possibility of a powerful new vessel.

Chapter Summary: “A Corner of the Plan”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner learns that the Dream Tapir, Chan You, will only accept the incantation if it is properly coaxed. Aglaia explains that he must first feed it high-quality nightmares or the souls of powerful Nightmares.
• Abner rejects the idea of using souls from mid- or high-Sequence Nightmares, since many would belong to the Church of Evernight. He instead considers capturing the remnant soul of Mure, the God of Fear and child of the Magic Wolf King, from Nightmare Town in the Forsaken Land of the Gods.
• Curious about the corpse connected to him, Abner opens the coffin in the ritual room and finally sees the true body of the Father of Succubi, Lord of Desire, and Origin of the Fallen.
• The corpse has an androgynous, handsome appearance resembling a Sanguine, but its body is largely made of vines and tree trunks. Abner notices that one of its horns has been broken off.
• Using his analytical abilities, Abner connects the body’s condition, Derrick’s past actions, Suah’s corruption, and various hidden arrangements involving Lilith, the Mother Tree of Desire, and the Mother Goddess of Depravity.
• He concludes that Derrick likely prepared the Origin of the Fallen’s body as one of his resurrection contingencies, while also arranging backup plans involving Tolzna and the body of Lamia.
• Abner further theorizes that Lilith’s actions form part of a broader strategy—possibly the “Silver Moon Plan”—aimed at manipulating or weakening the Mother Tree of Desire and deceiving the Mother Goddess of Depravity.
• The chapter ends with Abner realizing that the apparent thousand-year plan to rescue Tolzna may have been only the beginning of a much larger conspiracy involving Lilith, Adam, the goddess, and possibly himself.

Character Developments

• Abner: Displays his usual irreverence and self-awareness, joking about plagiarism while recognizing the deeper implications of his own discoveries. His analytical abilities allow him to reconstruct complex historical schemes from fragmented clues. He also becomes increasingly aware that he may be an important participant—or even a source of confidence—in plans targeting a Pillar-level entity.
• Aglaia: Acts as Abner’s guide regarding the Dream Tapir and its requirements. Her willingness to let him inspect the corpse shows her confidence that he understands the risks and will not act recklessly.
• Derrick: Though absent, he emerges as a highly calculating figure who prepared multiple resurrection plans and contingencies. His arrangements appear to involve the Origin of the Fallen, Tolzna, Lamia, and cooperation with Lilith.
• Lilith: Is portrayed as the possible architect of a long-term deception against the Mother Goddess of Depravity. Her apparent missions and actions may have served several layers of a larger plan.
• Suah and the Mother Goddess of Depravity: Their relationship becomes clearer: Suah’s corruption may have originated from Lamia’s body after it was incorporated into him, leading him to merge with the Chained God’s body to resist further corruption.

Significant Themes

• Layered conspiracies and contingency plans: The chapter emphasizes that major historical schemes rarely have a single objective. Plans contain backups, false objectives, and hidden layers.
• Knowledge through deduction: Abner reconstructs the truth not through direct revelation but by combining physical evidence, historical fragments, and supernatural analysis.
• Identity, bodies, and resurrection: The use of divine bodies, stolen characteristics, and prepared vessels highlights the instability of identity in the world of the story.
• Manipulation among powerful beings: Even gods and Outer Deities are shown scheming against one another, using intermediaries, deception, and carefully engineered conflicts.
• Abner’s growing importance: The chapter suggests that Abner is no longer merely an observer or tool within these plans; his actions and existence may be central to the confidence behind them.

Character Interactions

• Abner and Aglaia: Their conversation combines practical instruction with humor. Aglaia explains how to approach the Dream Tapir, while Abner privately questions the feasibility and dangers of the proposed food.
• Abner and the Origin of the Fallen: Though the corpse is lifeless, Abner’s examination reveals a deeper connection between them, apparently created through Derrick’s hidden arrangements.
• Derrick and Lilith: Their implied cooperation reflects mutual understanding and shared strategic interests, particularly involving Lamia’s body and the possible Silver Moon Plan.
• Suah and the Mother Goddess of Depravity: Suah’s attempted fusion with the Chained God’s body is presented as a defensive response to the Mother Goddess’s corruption.
• Lilith, Adam, and the goddess: Abner suspects they may all be coordinating, directly or indirectly, to manipulate the Mother Goddess of Depravity and the Mother Tree of Desire.

Chapter Summary: “Leaving”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner reflects on Derrick giving the Blood Moon Queen’s summoning item, Heaven’s Feast, to Gluttony. He considers three possibilities:
  1. Derrick acted impulsively.
  2. Gluttony served as a pawn for another powerful entity.
  3. Most likely, Heaven’s Feast contained one of Alvin’s hidden schemes, and Derrick used Gluttony to destroy it.
• Abner realizes Derrick may have neutralized many of Alvin’s preparations and concludes that he owes him a favor.
• He studies the corpse of the Father of Succubi, recognizing it as the remains of half a Great Old One. The body may be useful in future rituals and has influenced major historical creations, including Roselle’s Triumphal Arch and the Night Emperor’s Stone Gate.
• Because the corpse contains dangerous knowledge and Abner lacks sufficient strength, he decides not to move it. He believes doing so will be safer after advancing to the level of a Wisdom Angel.
• Abner leaves the ritual chamber, says goodbye to Aglaia, and returns to Dream Castle.
• He attempts to fool the Dream Tapir, Chan You, by disguising himself as Reinhardt and reciting a familiar phrase. Chan You sees through the deception, revealing that it knows Abner is not truly its master’s reincarnation, though it still allows him to pet it.
• Abner meets Greed and Sloth, who have been studying dreams in Dream Castle and learned much about the Fourth Epoch and various secrets.
• As the Red Moon sets, Abner, Greed, Sloth, and the unconscious Baron Iris leave Dream Castle and return to reality.
• At the library, they are observed by three powerful Demigods: Wimbledon Einhorn, Fink Vassika, and Yalubede Beria. Abner avoids confrontation and transports himself and the two ladies away through a golden door.
• The three observers identify Greed and Sloth as members of the Psychology Alchemists and discuss whether Baron Iris should be interrogated. Wimbledon dismisses the idea, noting that Iris is only a Sequence 9 who was merely used.

Character Developments

• Abner: Becomes more aware of the complex schemes surrounding Alvin, Derrick, and the Outer Deities. He recognizes his own relative weakness when dealing with Great Old One-level matters and chooses caution over greed. He also begins viewing Derrick as an important ally and feels the burden of being the final beneficiary of others’ efforts.
• Derrick: Although absent, he is portrayed as highly strategic and possibly responsible for eliminating Alvin’s hidden preparations.
• Chan You: Reveals considerable intelligence and discernment. It has never fully believed Abner was Reinhardt’s reincarnation, though it retains some affection or attachment toward him.
• Greed/Xenia and Sloth/Closia: Gain valuable knowledge from Dream Castle’s dreams, particularly concerning the Fourth Epoch and hidden historical secrets.
• Wimbledon, Fink, and Yalubede: Their discussion establishes that they recognize the intruders’ identities but are pragmatic enough not to pursue them immediately.

Significant Themes

• Hidden schemes and inherited conflicts: Characters continue uncovering layers of Alvin’s plans and the influence of powerful beings such as the Primordial Hunger.
• Knowledge as both power and danger: The Father of Succubi’s corpse contains valuable information but is too hazardous for Abner to exploit safely.
• Caution and preparation: Abner repeatedly chooses restraint, recognizing that his current strength is insufficient for certain risks.
• Identity and recognition: Chan You’s ability to distinguish Abner from Reinhardt emphasizes that appearances and borrowed identities cannot fully replace genuine essence or personal history.
• Networks of aid and obligation: Abner realizes that he has benefited from the sacrifices and preparations of others, especially Derrick, and may owe them future repayment.

Important Character Interactions

• Abner mentally analyzes Derrick’s motives and the possible relationship between Heaven’s Feast, Alvin, and the Primordial Hunger.
• Abner interacts cautiously with Aglaia before departing the ritual chamber.
• Chan You rejects Abner’s attempt to impersonate Reinhardt but still tolerates his familiar gesture of petting it.
• Abner speaks with Greed and Sloth about their discoveries and agrees to share information after leaving the dream.
• The three Demigods observe the group’s return but decide not to interfere, with Wimbledon defending Baron Iris from unnecessary interrogation.