Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: Beacon of Destiny

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Tarot Club holds another gathering above the gray fog. Miss Justice’s question about the Hidden Sage is raised again, but Mr. Fool repeats that it is “not yet suitable” for her to know. He subtly directs Bernadette to seek information from Mr. Tower instead, protecting the Club from potentially provoking the Hidden Sage.
• No significant trades are available, so the members move quickly into free discussion.
• Abner asks Emlyn about arranging a meeting with Nibais Audra. Emlyn says he will inquire at the next Sanguine clan meeting, disappointing Abner because a full week has passed without progress.
• Abner then asks Derrick about the City of Silver’s expedition to the Giant King’s Court. With Groselle guiding them, the expedition has progressed smoothly, though they were stopped by two powerful Silver Knights guarding the main entrance.
• The expedition detoured around the court and has reached the Decay Forest after fighting mainly Wraiths, which were restrained by the Unshadowed Cross. They have not yet reached the mausoleum or entered the Giant King’s Court proper.
• Abner urges Derrick to obtain a life-saving talisman from Groselle. Derrick initially refuses, believing Groselle needs it more, but accepts after Abner explains that Derrick is more likely to use it effectively—and is uniquely suited to the armor connected with the talisman.
• Alger, Cattleya, and Gehrman privately discuss how to deal with Vice Admiral Dusk and his father.
• After the other members leave, Klein and Abner remain behind. Abner reveals that Bernadette asked about the Lord of Desire because he took her to Observer Castle, where the entity’s body is hidden.
• Abner asks Klein for advice about choosing between advancing toward the Wisdom Angel or the Profane Presbyter. Klein’s intuition immediately favors the Wisdom Angel path.

Character Developments

• Klein/Mr. Fool: Continues concealing dangerous truths about the Hidden Sage while carefully protecting the Tarot Club. He also remains amused and slightly exasperated by Abner’s unusual situation.
• Abner/Mr. Tower: Acts as a responsible overseer toward the City of Silver expedition, especially toward Derrick. His ability to choose between two Angel-level advancement paths emphasizes his extraordinary power and progress, though he remains genuinely uncertain about his future.
• Derrick/Sun: Demonstrates caution, responsibility, and growing trust in Abner. His refusal to take the talisman reflects his selflessness, while his eventual acceptance shows willingness to rely on Abner’s judgment.
• Emlyn/Moon: Shows the slow, bureaucratic pace of the Sanguine by failing to arrange the requested meeting after a week.
• Bernadette: Her interest in the Lord of Desire and Observer Castle suggests she is investigating matters connected to powerful and dangerous entities.
• Klein’s reaction to Abner: Klein privately feels that Abner is almost boastfully troubled by choosing between two exceptional advancement routes, though he still gives a sincere intuitive answer.

Significant Themes

• Secrecy and dangerous knowledge: The Hidden Sage’s identity and the Lord of Desire’s existence remain concealed because revealing too much could invite deadly consequences.
• Responsibility and protection: Abner uses his knowledge to safeguard Derrick and the expedition, while Klein protects the Tarot Club by withholding forbidden information.
• Trust and judgment: Derrick must decide whether to trust Abner’s assessment, and ultimately accepts that Abner understands the situation better than he does.
• Power and destiny: Abner’s choice between two high-level paths reflects the broader question of how one’s abilities and fate should be directed.
• Exploration of ancient mysteries: The City of Silver’s journey toward the Giant King’s Court continues to uncover remnants of an ancient divine kingdom and increasingly powerful guardians.

Character Interactions

• Fool and Cattleya: Klein gives Cattleya the same guarded answer about the Hidden Sage, maintaining secrecy while easing her concerns.
• Abner and Emlyn: Abner presses Emlyn for an update about Nibais Audra and is frustrated by the Sanguine’s lack of urgency.
• Abner and Derrick: Their exchange highlights Abner’s mentorship and Derrick’s cautious but growing trust.
• Alger, Cattleya, and Gehrman: They hold a private strategic discussion concerning Vice Admiral Dusk and his father.
• Klein and Abner: Their final conversation shifts from teasing over Bernadette’s question to a serious consultation about Abner’s advancement. Klein instinctively recommends the Wisdom Angel path.
• The chapter ends with an author’s note stating that the final chapter will be delayed because the author is ill with a fever and severe headache.

Chapter Summary: “Three Targets”

Plot Points and Events

• Abner asks Klein to consult Arrodes about the location of the “Eyes Behind the Shadow Veil,” since the mirror’s upgrade to a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact has made the previous summoning ritual unusable.
• Klein questions how Abner advanced so quickly in digesting the Dominator of Mysteries potion. Abner clarifies that he has not finished digesting it; he still needs to embody the philosophical aspect of “Insight,” which requires deeper understanding and broader recognition. He hints that he intends to “cheat” to accelerate the process but refuses to explain how.
• In Beimang, the Ascetic Snowman visits a hidden church containing a statue of the Lord, the first such statue he has seen in over three thousand years. Overwhelmed, he prays tearfully.
• Snowman meets Adam, the Angel of Imagination, and asks for guidance concerning the available choices. Adam says one option favors him but benefits Snowman more, while another favors the Knowledge Angel and will cause future trouble. He refuses to provide a direct answer.
• Adam prays with Snowman, reciting a prophecy about the Lord’s eventual awakening and reclaiming the world, while excluding “the Unknown.”
• Back in Backlund, Abner interprets Adam’s cryptic statement. He believes the favorable option likely involves the Profane Presbyter, while the troublesome one concerns the Wisdom Angel. Despite Adam’s ambiguous wording, Abner ultimately decides to trust Klein and the Beacon of Destiny.
• Arrodes then reveals three possible leads for finding the Eyes Behind the Shadow Veil:
  1. Stieff, the Angel of Holy Word under the True Creator
  2. Aurmir Palace, associated with the Einhorn Family
  3. Boris Vassika, the Grand Judgment of the Church of Combat’s Inquisition
• Abner reasons that Stieff must currently be somewhere on the Northern or Southern Continents, since Arrodes was able to perceive him. He also considers obtaining the artifact from the Einhorn Family or stealing it from Boris Vassika’s collection of trophies.

Character Developments

• Abner demonstrates increasing strategic maturity. Rather than accepting Adam’s words at face value, he analyzes the ambiguity behind “beneficial to me” and recognizes that it might refer to another version or aspect of himself. He ultimately relies on Klein and destiny rather than manipulation by Adam.
• Abner’s advancement as a Dominator of Mysteries is shown to be incomplete. His understanding and Acting are progressing, but the philosophical requirements of the pathway remain difficult. His willingness to seek a shortcut reveals both ambition and pragmatism.
• Klein continues to act as Abner’s trusted adviser and intermediary, while remaining cautious about Abner’s rapid progress and unexplained plans.
• Snowman is portrayed as deeply devout and emotionally affected by the rediscovery of the Lord’s image. His reverence contrasts with Adam’s calm, restrained, and strategically evasive manner.
• Adam maintains control through partial truths, offering guidance without revealing enough to remove uncertainty. His cryptic statement suggests that the competing choices are closely balanced.
• Abner’s assessment of Boris Vassika shows his growing willingness to consider morally dangerous or illegal methods, including theft, if conventional negotiations fail.

Significant Themes

• Ambiguity and manipulation: Adam’s carefully limited explanation illustrates how powerful beings influence others through selective truth rather than direct commands.
• Trust versus independent judgment: Abner must weigh Adam’s information against Klein’s intuition and the Beacon of Destiny, ultimately choosing whom to trust.
• The burden of advancement: Potion digestion is not merely a matter of power; it requires philosophical understanding, recognition, and meaningful feedback.
• Faith and memory: Snowman’s reaction to the Lord’s statue emphasizes the persistence of ancient faith and the emotional power of symbols after millennia of absence.
• Strategic pragmatism: Abner is prepared to use unconventional or morally questionable tactics to obtain the Eyes Behind the Shadow Veil.
• Hidden identities and uncertain consequences: The chapter repeatedly suggests that the meaning of “Abner” or “benefit” may extend beyond the character’s present identity, reinforcing the story’s themes of fate, destiny, and concealed plans.

Character Interactions

• Abner and Klein: They discuss Abner’s potion digestion and the search for the Eyes Behind the Shadow Veil. Klein is curious and skeptical, while Abner remains secretive but accepts his guidance.
• Snowman and Adam: Snowman approaches Adam for advice and worships him, but Adam responds indirectly, preserving his own interests while leaving the final decision to Snowman.
• Snowman and the Lord’s image: His tearful prayer reflects a deeply personal relationship with the Lord and highlights the significance of encountering the forgotten faith again.
• Abner and Arrodes: Through Arrodes, Abner receives three concrete targets, transforming the vague search for the Eyes Behind the Shadow Veil into a practical investigation.
• Abner and potential future opponents: Stieff, the Einhorn Family, and Boris Vassika become possible points of contact or conflict, setting up several dangerous avenues for the next stage of his plan.

Chapter Summary: “Ambush”

Key Plot Points and Events

• In Indo Port, Abner meets Einhorn, a former Evil Spirit and member of the Einhorn Family, to request the Eye Behind the Shadow Veil from her family’s treasury.
• Einhorn reveals that the material has already been claimed by someone else. Abner therefore asks for information about Boris Vassika, particularly the location of the Tribunal’s collection room.
• Abner infiltrates a carriage transporting four prisoners: Jessica, her rescuer Uncle Josh, a young man who is secretly Abner in disguise, and a member of the Psychology Alchemists.
• The prisoners are taken to a hidden underground facility connected to Boris’s collection room. Abner escapes his restraints, manipulates the guards with illusions, and rescues Jessica after she is brutally interrogated.
• Using the Pure White Eye, Abner guides Jessica through the facility’s traps and enters Boris’s enormous collection room.
• He locates the preserved corpse of Ignacia, the Golden Saintess, secretly draws some of her blood, and then finds the Eye Behind the Shadow Veil.
• Jessica suddenly betrays him, stabbing him with the Sword of Eternal Sleep, while Boris appears in the form of a gigantic one-eyed Giant and surrounds the area with Twilight power.
• Abner reveals that the apparent victim was only a mechanical avatar. He had recognized the trap from the beginning and deliberately allowed the operation to proceed so he could keep Boris and his allies occupied while his true body pursued the real method of obtaining the Eye.
• Abner identifies Jessica as the Empress, implying that a major figure within the Twilight Hermit Order is personally involved in the ambush.

Character Developments

• Abner demonstrates exceptional caution, planning, and confidence. He recognizes the suspicious circumstances surrounding the Eye’s prior claim and uses the apparent kidnapping to infiltrate Boris’s base.
• He also reveals a willingness to exploit others strategically, rescuing Jessica while simultaneously using her as a means of entering the collection room.
• Einhorn is shown to be mentally more stable thanks to the Einhorn Family’s Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, but she remains unwilling or unable to disclose the identity of the person who claimed the Eye.
• Jessica initially appears to be an innocent believer caught up in Josh’s arrest, but is revealed to be a powerful conspirator and the disguised Empress.
• Boris Vassika acts as the mastermind of the ambush, using Jessica and the false prisoner transport to lure Abner into his collection room.
• Uncle Josh is exposed as a believer of the Eternal Blazing Sun and a target of the Tribunal, drawing Jessica into the situation.

Significant Themes

• Deception and layered identities: Nearly every apparent role is false—Abner is disguised, Jessica is not an innocent girl, and the rescue operation is itself part of a larger trap.
• Counterintelligence and strategic manipulation: Abner and Boris anticipate each other’s plans, creating a confrontation in which both sides attempt to use the other.
• Compassion versus calculation: Abner appears to save Jessica out of kindness, but his actions are ultimately part of a carefully designed infiltration.
• Power and preservation of the dead: Boris’s collection room, filled with corpses and harvested materials, reflects his predatory view of people as specimens and resources.
• The danger of institutions and religious conflict: The Tribunal’s treatment of Josh and Jessica highlights the brutal consequences of being labeled a heretic during wartime.

Character Interactions

• Abner and Einhorn negotiate over the Eye Behind the Shadow Veil, with Einhorn refusing to provide it but offering no alternative beyond information.
• Jessica and Josh reveal their relationship as rescuer and rescued person, while Josh confesses his faith and her involvement in his arrest.
• Abner manipulates the guards, rescues Jessica, and earns her apparent trust as they navigate the facility together.
• Jessica then betrays Abner under Boris’s direction, stabbing him with a powerful Sealed Artifact.
• Abner responds without panic, revealing that he anticipated the trap and directly addressing Jessica as the Empress, turning the apparent ambush into another stage of his own plan.

Chapter Summary: “Success”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner deduces that “Jessica” is actually Sophia II, Empress of the Feysac Empire, based on her connection to the Einhorn Family, her possession of “0-41,” and Abner’s ability to see through disguises as a former Dominator of Mysteries.
• Sophia reveals that Abner’s mechanical clone has been pierced by the Sword of Eternal Sleep, allowing her and Boris Vassika to control part of his spirit. She threatens to interfere with his advancement to Sequence 2 through that connection.
• Abner reveals that he prepared an escape route using the Pure White Eye. Despite the influence of Boris’s “Twilight” authority and the dangers of the Land of Unknown, he severs the clone’s connection and escapes.
• Boris admits that he could not stop Abner because even the clone was able to open a passage to the mysterious place. He warns Sophia that curiosity about it could have made her its possession.
• Sophia explains that her cross-Pathway advancement to demigod status is unlikely to be punished by the Churches, and that she may be a candidate for the Black Emperor pathway. However, her plans depend on George III’s failure.
• After Sophia leaves, Boris discovers that the body of the Golden Saintess has mysteriously vanished from his collection.
• In the God War Ruins Waters, Abner manipulates events to obtain the Eye Behind the Shadow Veil. Alongside Miracle Invoker Alvin and Knowledge Mentor Evans, he confronts Angel of Words Stiver, a servant of the True Creator.
• Alvin summons several powerful Historical Projections, forcing Stiver to reveal their Mythical Creature Form. Abner then uses an Error Card and Angel-level Theft to steal the Eye temporarily.
• Abner returns the Eye to Stiver but retains its “ownership” through Alvin’s Miracle Invoker ability: possessing something once means he can effectively possess it forever.

Character Developments

• Abner demonstrates extensive preparation, confidence, and adaptability. He remains calm despite being injured and threatened with spiritual enslavement, successfully escaping and accomplishing his true objective.
• Sophia II is revealed as highly ambitious and politically calculating. She is pursuing a dangerous advancement toward the Black Emperor pathway and is willing to exploit Abner’s spiritual vulnerability.
• Boris Vassika appears cautious and intelligent rather than merely violent or simple, recognizing the danger of the mysterious place Abner accesses. His later discovery of the missing Golden Saintess suggests he may have suffered an unseen loss.
• Stiver displays the immense power of a Profane Presbyter by borrowing strength from the True Creator, but is ultimately outmaneuvered rather than defeated.
• Alvin and Evans serve as Abner’s allies, helping him create the overwhelming force needed to distract Stiver and secure the stolen artifact.

Significant Themes

• Preparation and strategic deception: Abner succeeds because he anticipated the effects of “0-41,” prepared an escape mechanism, and concealed his true objective.
• Dangerous knowledge and curiosity: The mysterious place accessed through the Pure White Eye is so hazardous that even learning about it can lead to possession.
• Power and advancement: Sophia’s ambitions reflect the political and supernatural struggle surrounding advancement to godhood and the Black Emperor pathway.
• Ownership and possession: The chapter repeatedly explores who controls whom—Sophia and Boris over Abner’s spirit, the Unknown over those who enter it, and Abner’s ability to retain possession of something through Miracle Invoker powers.
• Success through indirect victory: Abner does not need to defeat his enemies outright; he escapes, steals the needed information or material, and leaves them uncertain of what truly happened.

Character Interactions

• Abner and Sophia engage in a tense exchange of mutual threats and probing revelations, with Sophia attempting to exploit his wounded spirit and Abner subtly signaling that her control is incomplete.
• Abner questions Boris about his hostility, but Boris recognizes the question as an attempt to extract information and refuses to reveal his motives.
• Sophia and Boris discuss the dangers of Abner’s escape, her unauthorized advancement, and the political consequences of George III’s possible failure.
• Abner, Alvin, and Evans cooperate against Stiver, using overwhelming numbers and carefully coordinated abilities to create the opening Abner needs to steal the Eye Behind the Shadow Veil.

Chapter Summary: “Wisdom Angel”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner returns to Backlund after concluding that the Twilight Hermit Order and Adam are unlikely to stop him from acquiring the Eye Behind the Shadow Veil. He briefly visits St. Samuel Cathedral to prevent the Angel of Words from tracking his movements before traveling to Morning Star City.
• At Morning Star City, he inspects the development of anti-armor weapons. Annik demonstrates a powerful armor-piercing warhead capable of seriously damaging Eleanor’s biological armored vehicles.
• Abner brings the weapons to Lenburg, where General Kaman tests them and orders a large shipment of warheads, launch tubes, and Type 1 armored vehicles. Abner uses funds from his film companies to pay the remaining cost needed to obtain 300 milliliters of red spring water from the Spring of Wisdom.
• With all the necessary materials gathered, Abner attempts to complete the digestion of his Dominator of Mysteries Potion. Using the Pure White Eye and the Memory Theater in the Land of Unknown, he overlays philosophical ideas onto history and reality, artificially creating decades or centuries of accumulated “acting.”
• The altered philosophical information is noticed by a mysterious being on a Primordial Island, apparently connected to Roselle and the former Knowledge Emperor. The being recognizes Abner—referred to as Liu Bo—and accepts the alteration because the ideas had originally been plagiarized anyway.
• The new philosophical attributions spread throughout society. Teachers and scholars begin identifying thinkers such as Giuseppe, Reinhardt, Vincent, and others as the true authors of ideas once attributed to Anonymous or Roselle. Bernadette also learns of these historical corrections.
• The worldwide feedback confirms that Abner has completely digested the Dominator of Mysteries Potion.
• Abner begins his advancement to Sequence 2, Wisdom Angel. He separates the relevant Beyonder Characteristic, enters the Astral World with the aid of Asmoro, and reaches the God of Knowledge and Wisdom’s divine kingdom.
• He prepares the advancement potion using:
  • The

Wisdom Angel Beyonder Characteristic

• The

Eye Behind the Shadow Veil

• A feather from the Sun God Bird
• A tentacle from the Kraken Sea Monster
• A scale from the Mind Dragon
• Red spring water from the Spring of Wisdom
• After consuming the potion, Abner briefly risks being overwhelmed by cosmic knowledge, but his peak Reader Pathway powers suppress the danger. He successfully balances the powers of the Unknown, Divinity, and Anchors and becomes a Wisdom Angel.

Character Developments

• Abner demonstrates increasing strategic confidence and independence. He manipulates politics, commerce, history, and mystical forces to advance his plans, relying on preparation rather than direct confrontation.
• His understanding of the Memory Theater and the Land of Unknown has grown, allowing him to exploit them to accelerate potion digestion.
• His advancement shows that he can withstand and control immense amounts of cosmic knowledge, marking a major increase in power and mystical authority.
• Annik continues to function as a capable military engineer and administrator, overseeing the development and testing of advanced weapons.
• Bernadette receives evidence that the world’s understanding of philosophical history has changed, reinforcing her awareness of Abner’s unusual influence.
• The mysterious former Knowledge Emperor recognizes Abner’s intervention and appears pleased that it brings his own escape from his predicament closer.

Significant Themes

• Knowledge and historical truth: The chapter explores how ideas, authorship, and public belief shape reality. Abner changes history not by destroying the past, but by altering collective attribution and acceptance.
• The power of information: Philosophical concepts become mystical tools. Once widely believed, they provide the “acting” necessary for Abner’s potion digestion.
• Preparation versus destiny: Abner repeatedly overcomes obstacles through planning, resource gathering, and calculated exploitation of loopholes rather than relying on divine favor.
• The dangers of wisdom: Advancing toward greater knowledge exposes Abner to the overwhelming scale of the cosmos. Wisdom grants power but also threatens to consume the individual who seeks it.
• Manipulation and ambiguity: Abner’s actions blur the line between truth and fabrication. The philosophical ideas may be valid, but their historical origins are deliberately rearranged.
• Advancement and control: The chapter emphasizes the necessity of balancing unknown forces, divinity, and human anchors when ascending to angelic status.

Character Interactions

• Abner and Annik: Abner inspects Annik’s weapons program, praises its progress, and requests ammunition and armored targets for further testing.
• Abner and General Kaman: Kaman witnesses the warheads’ destructive power and places a major order, helping Abner obtain the money needed for the Spring of Wisdom.
• Abner and the Wisdom Tower/Knowledge Church: Their cooperation proceeds smoothly, suggesting that the Traitor Dragon has arranged support for Abner’s purchase.
• Abner and the Memory Theater: Abner uses his limited authority over the artifact to insert philosophical information into history and accelerate his potion digestion.
• Abner and the former Knowledge Emperor: Though they do not meet directly, the mysterious figure detects Abner’s alteration and tacitly accepts it.
• Abner and Asmoro: Asmoro transports him into the Astral World and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom’s divine kingdom, then remains present while Abner performs the ritual.
• Abner and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom: Abner silently prays and receives confirmation before preparing and consuming the potion.
• Abner and his own powers: During the advancement, his Wisdom Angel power nearly overwhelms him with cosmic knowledge, but his Reader Pathway abilities allow him to suppress and master it.

Volume End Summary

• Abner’s advancement: Abner successfully became an Angel, marking the major achievement concluding the volume.
• Betrayal and distrust: Throughout the volume, Abner faced repeated betrayals, conspiracies, and manipulation—many of which were connected to his own actions. He remained wary even of the Gods and Angels closest to him, refusing to place complete trust in them.
• Testing others’ limits: Several of Abner’s seemingly excessive or provocative actions were deliberate tests intended to discover how far his allies and potential enemies would go. These tests revealed that certain Gods and Angels had essentially no limits in how they treated or used him.
• Amon’s role: Amon remained an important but deliberately mysterious presence. His storyline received less direct exploration because revealing too much risked diminishing his enigmatic nature.
• Next volume: The following volume will be the story’s final one and will focus more heavily on material connected to the Outer Deities.

Character Development and Interactions

Abner’s transformation into an Angel represents his growth in power, but the volume also emphasizes his increasing caution and emotional isolation. His interactions with Gods and Angels are shaped by suspicion, boundary-testing, and repeated betrayals rather than uncomplicated loyalty. Amon’s restrained presence preserves his mystique and leaves much of his significance open for later revelations.

Major Themes

The chapter highlights trust and betrayal, the danger of power imbalances, the testing of personal boundaries, and the cost of maintaining secrecy. It also sets up the final conflict by shifting attention toward the Outer Deities and the remaining mysteries of the world.

Chapter Summary: “Philosophy” and “High Dimensions”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner successfully advances to the Angel level, becoming a Wisdom Angel of the White Tower Pathway.
• He examines the new abilities granted by the

Wisdom Authority

1. Enhanced Creation: He can recreate almost anything he has studied within his White Tower, including Beyonder Characteristics and other Pathway Authorities. Unlike before, creation can occur directly in reality without prepared materials, though manifestations of the Absolute Rational World are temporary.
2. Deeper Insight into Secrecy and Fate: His former Insight ability can now penetrate some forms of concealment and reveal more information about hidden events and possible futures, although stronger Authorities can still block him.
3. Philosophical Manipulation: By using logical reasoning, he can influence targets, natural laws, and Fate itself. This becomes a “Philosophical Weapon,” allowing him to produce effects—such as summoning a gale—through reasoning alone.

• Abner realizes that Traitor Dragon may be able to amplify his Wisdom Authority, potentially bringing him closer to the ideal of “all things converge.”
• He examines his Mythical Creature Form and finds that it has developed from several crude rooms into a more complete tower, with many more Eyes of Wisdom. However, it remains relatively weak in direct combat.
• Abner considers the Acting Method for a Wisdom Angel. He concludes that it involves:
  • Handling Traitor Dragon’s affairs,
  • Accumulating knowledge,
  • Successfully completing tasks assigned by a God, especially difficult ones.
• He discovers that he has already digested nearly half of the potion because his previous work for Traitor Dragon had unintentionally prepared him for the role.
• Suspicious of Traitor Dragon’s hidden plans and the “grand promise” made by his former self, Abner decides to investigate the Land of Unknown later.
• Rather than entering the Land of Unknown from Traitor Dragon’s divine kingdom, he returns to 28 Kinster Street, rests, and later enters through the Pure White Eye.
• Upon entering, Abner experiences a sensation resembling the Memory Theater and realizes that the Land of Unknown exists in a higher dimension.
• He theorizes that Liu Bo originated from a higher dimension and brought both the symbol of the Unknown and an elevated high-dimensional quality into the universe. This may explain Liu Bo’s ability to seize the Memory Theater and may also have strengthened the High-Dimensional Overseer to a level approaching that of a Pillar.

Character Developments

• Abner reaches Angelhood and gains a much more profound understanding of the White Tower Pathway and his own capabilities.
• His abilities shift from merely analyzing information to actively creating reality, bypassing secrecy, and manipulating laws through logic.
• He becomes more cautious and strategically mature, refusing to investigate the Land of Unknown in Traitor Dragon’s territory before he is prepared.
• Abner grows increasingly suspicious of Traitor Dragon, recognizing that his past assignments may have served a hidden agenda connected to his former self.
• He also begins reconstructing the larger cosmological significance of Liu Bo, the High-Dimensional Overseer, and the Land of Unknown.

Significant Themes

• Omniscience leading to omnipotence: Knowledge and understanding become sources of practical power, allowing Abner to create or alter reality.
• Logic as a weapon: The chapter presents philosophical reasoning not as abstract thought but as a supernatural force capable of changing the world.
• Limits of Authority: Even Abner’s enhanced Wisdom cannot overcome every form of Secrecy, emphasizing that Authorities counterbalance one another.
• Identity and hidden history: Abner’s current life is connected to the plans and promises of his former self, whose motives remain unknown.
• Higher dimensions and cosmic hierarchy: The Land of Unknown, Liu Bo, and the High-Dimensional Overseer are connected to a reality beyond ordinary space and the established worlds.
• Knowledge and danger: Greater understanding grants power but also risks exposing Abner to corruption, hidden truths, and entities vastly beyond him.

Character Interactions

• Abner and Traitor Dragon: Their relationship is central but opaque. Traitor Dragon has assigned Abner numerous tasks, apparently helping him advance and act as a Wisdom Angel in preparation. Abner suspects these assignments are part of a larger scheme.
• Abner and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom: Abner prays to the God before returning home, reinforcing his role as a divine messenger and servant.
• Abner and Asmoro: The Astral World creature transports Abner back to 28 Kinster Street after his advancement.
• Abner, Xio, and Fors: Abner briefly reunites with Xio and Fors over dinner before beginning his next investigation, providing a moment of normalcy before he returns to dangerous supernatural exploration.
• Abner and his former self/Liu Bo: Though they do not directly interact in the chapter, Abner’s thoughts connect his hidden past and Liu Bo’s higher-dimensional origins to the mysteries surrounding the Land of Unknown.

Chapter Summary: “The Tower”

Key Plot Points and Events

• In Morning Star City, a remote industrial city in the North Sunia Sea, a captain and three crew members gather intelligence at the Mechanical Battleaxe Bar.
• They discover that the city:
  • Manufactures large quantities of weapons for nations at war.
  • Worships the “Mechanical Emperor,” possibly linked to Emperor Roselle, while also praising the Sun.
  • Has an unusually high literacy rate, even among the poor.
  • Is populated by people who constantly wear armor and may possess strange, non-human traits.
  • Contains residents who appear unnaturally long-lived or mechanically constructed.
• Disturbing incidents convince the captain that the city is dangerous. He orders the group to flee immediately.
• After escaping by ship, the adventurers see Morning Star City transform into a colossal steel giant before reverting to normal.
• Klein, who had secretly orchestrated the group’s frightening experiences, is pleased with the result. He compares his role to that of a horror-film director and recognizes the Acting effect of the Bizarro Sorcerer.
• Elsewhere, Abner returns from the Land of Unknown and reconstructs the plans of his previous incarnations through recovered memories.
• He realizes that advancing to Sequence 1 would allow the Unknown—or the entity known as Liu Bo—to awaken and overwhelm his humanity.
• To survive, Abner must strengthen his Divinity enough to balance the power of the Unknown. His solution is to become an Ancient God, combining multiple high-level characteristics and authorities.
• The larger plan involves creating three Ancient Gods, all ultimately aspects of Abner:
  1. Abner himself, embodying knowledge, wisdom, and fate.
  2. Vincent Miranda, embodying war, death, and destruction.
  3. Derrick Tinekerr, embodying degeneration, shadow, and catastrophe.
• These three beings would eventually fuse, accommodate several Sefirot, and form an unknown Pillar capable of resisting Liu Bo.
• This future Pillar is named “The Tower,” reflecting catastrophe, destruction, death, knowledge, and the possibility of rebuilding after disaster.

Character Developments

• The captain and his crew move from curiosity and investigation to fear and survival instincts once they recognize Morning Star City’s unnatural nature.
• Klein demonstrates increasing mastery of his Bizarro Sorcerer abilities. He manipulates appearances and events to create a convincing supernatural horror scenario.
• Abner achieves a major breakthrough in understanding his previous lives, hidden memories, and long-term strategy. He recognizes that his advancement is not merely a matter of gaining power but of maintaining the balance between Humanity, Divinity, Anchor, and the Unknown.
• Abner also accepts that becoming an Ancient God—and embracing the madness within Divinity—is essential to preserving his identity.

Significant Themes

• Knowledge versus danger: Investigation reveals truth but also exposes the adventurers to forces they cannot comprehend.
• Performance and deception: Klein’s staged horrors show how perception and carefully constructed events can function as powerful supernatural tools.
• Identity and continuity: Abner’s recovered memories raise questions about whether his present self is truly distinct from his previous incarnations.
• Humanity versus divinity: Abner must increase his divine power without allowing it, or the Unknown, to erase his humanity.
• Catastrophe and renewal: The Tower symbolizes destruction, death, and collapse, but also the possibility of rebuilding and beginning again.
• Predetermined fate: Abner interprets his past choice of the Tower tarot card as a sign connected to the Beacon of Destiny and his eventual transformation.

Character Interactions

• The captain questions his crew and evaluates their reports, ultimately making the decisive choice to abandon the island.
• The three crew members contribute different forms of intelligence: direct observation, supernatural suspicion, and deductive analysis.
• Klein remains hidden while manipulating the adventurers’ experiences, effectively directing their fear without confronting them openly.
• Abner’s present self interacts indirectly with his former selves through their preserved memories and plans, reconstructing a coordinated strategy involving himself, Vincent, and Derrick.
• The chapter ends by linking Abner’s destiny to the broader supernatural concept of The Tower, a future Pillar formed from the combined powers and identities of his various incarnations.

Chapter Summary: “Analyzing Them One by One”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner reflects on the Tarot card “The Tower,” interpreting it as a symbol of massive change, uncertainty about the future, accepting present circumstances, and continuing forward. He wonders whether it refers to Liu Bo’s arrival, Liu Bo becoming the Unknown, or Abner’s own destined role.
• He copies the formula for his pathway onto paper and begins analyzing the requirements for several possible Ancient God resurrection or ascension plans.
• Abner identifies the Ancient God associated with the Knowledge, Wisdom, and Fate domain as a figure he tentatively names the Emperor of Knowledge and Fate, based partly on the Mechanical Emperor’s honorific name.
• He reviews the resources needed for this resurrection:
  • The Wheel of Fortune Unique is already in his possession.
  • The All-Seeing Eye Beyonder Characteristic may be obtained from the Traitor Dragon.
  • A Snake of Mercury Characteristic was left behind by Ouroboros because of his debt to Abner and the influence of Fate.
  • The missing Knowledge Emperor was stolen by the Hidden Sage during a previous raid, possibly as part of a larger scheme by the Goddess, Lilith, or the Calamity Seal.
• Abner suspects the Knowledge Emperor may have been contaminated, potentially explaining why the Goddess and Lilith allowed it to fall into the Hidden Sage’s hands.
• He then analyzes the possibility of resurrecting another Ancient God, provisionally called the Demon Emperor, associated with the Fallen, Shadow, and Catastrophe authorities. Using Derrick as the foundation could allow this entity to fight Abner for control.
• The Demon Emperor’s required materials include Derrick’s Soul Stone, the Abyss Unique, and the Filthy Monarch. These are connected to the Chained God, Suah, Farbauti, and the influence of the Mother Tree of Desire.
• Abner considers plans involving the God of Luck, Farbauti, the Ancient Sun God, the Demoness of Apocalypse, and the God of Combat to obtain further characteristics.
• He finally examines an Ancient God tied to War, Death, and Destruction, tentatively calling it the God of War and Destruction. This path may require the Red Priest Unique, possibly hidden within the Knowledge Church or sealed artifact 0-01, as well as the Hand of God.
• Abner jokes that the combination of Knowledge, War, and Fallen-related authorities resembles Athena, specifically the version from the anime Godslayer.

Character Developments

• Abner shows increasing strategic awareness and confidence. Rather than reacting emotionally to the many supernatural threats around him, he methodically maps out possible resurrection plans, required materials, risks, and political alliances.
• He demonstrates greater understanding of his own past actions, realizing that his earlier self may have prepared key resources, including the Wheel of Fortune Unique.
• Abner remains wary of “fate.” Although he recognizes the accuracy of mystical revelations, he insists that his decisions remain his own.
• His suspicions toward the Goddess, Lilith, Adam, and the Calamity Seal deepen. He recognizes that many apparent setbacks may have been deliberate manipulations designed to control which characteristics he obtains.
• Derrick is presented as a potentially important vessel or foundation for the Demon Emperor, though Abner worries that this would create a direct struggle for control.
• The God of Luck, Ouroboros, and the Traitor Dragon become increasingly important to Abner’s plans, either as sources of characteristics, unwilling allies, or figures connected to hidden schemes.

Significant Themes

• Fate versus personal choice: The Tower’s message suggests that Abner may be caught in an unavoidable destiny, but he continues to believe that he can choose how to respond.
• Resurrection and identity: The chapter repeatedly questions whether resurrected Ancient Gods would truly control their new bodies or whether the vessels—especially Abner or Derrick—could resist and seize control themselves.
• Manipulation and hidden agendas: Abner realizes that major powers may be guiding events from behind the scenes. The loss of the Knowledge Emperor, the creation of the Calamity Seal, and the distribution of key characteristics may all be parts of larger plans.
• Contamination and corruption: Beyonder characteristics and divine artifacts are not merely sources of power; they may carry hidden wills, pollution, or influences from Sefirot and Ancient Gods.
• Strategic balance of power: Abner evaluates every faction in terms of risk, debt, alliances, and possible leverage, showing that supernatural advancement is as much political as mystical.
• Absurdity amid cosmic seriousness: His comparison of the combined authorities to Athena adds humor and highlights the strange, almost symbolic way divine powers can overlap.

Character Interactions

• Abner and Adam: Abner connects Adam’s earlier desire for him to become a Profane Presbyter with the possibility of using him as a vessel for an Ancient God.
• Abner and the Goddess/Lilith: He suspects they deliberately allowed the Hidden Sage to take the Knowledge Emperor, possibly to prevent him from using a contaminated characteristic or to lure an enemy into a trap.
• Abner and the Traitor Dragon: The Traitor Dragon may provide the All-Seeing Eye Characteristic and benefits regardless of whether Abner or Derrick ultimately controls the Demon Emperor.
• Abner and Ouroboros: Ouroboros’s debt to Abner compelled him to leave behind a Snake of Mercury Characteristic, making him an unwilling contributor to Abner’s plans.
• Abner and Derrick: Derrick is both a potential ally and a possible rival, since his body or Soul Stone could serve as the foundation for the Demon Emperor.
• Abner and Farbauti: Farbauti possesses crucial materials but is a True God and enemy, making the future confrontation particularly dangerous.
• Abner and the Demoness of Apocalypse: Abner views her as someone who owes compensation for killing his descendants and creations, while Vera is also expected to oppose her.
• Abner and the Ancient Sun God/God of Combat: He anticipates relying on the Ancient Sun God for the Dark Angel Characteristic and waiting for the God of Combat’s eventual defeat to obtain the Hand of God.
  Overall, the chapter is an extended strategic analysis in which Abner organizes the materials, enemies, allies, and risks involved in assembling several Ancient God-level powers while questioning whether he is fulfilling—or resisting—a predetermined fate.

Chapter Summary: “Blood Moon”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner reflects on the myth of Athena and Zeus, wondering whether it symbolically parallels his relationship with Liu Bo and the Unknown. He jokingly considers whether his former self’s actions constituted a Great Old One-level mystical reenactment.
• He reviews the powers and discoveries gained from exploring the Land of Unknown:
  • The illusory All-Seeing Eye and White Angel can now be used at full strength, bringing his combat ability close to Sequence 1.
  • The All-Seeing Eye can temporarily elevate his abilities and Authorities to Sequence 1 and grant limited Omniscience, including a monthly use of a “God’s Eye.”
  • This omniscience has limits, especially regarding Sefirahs and Great Old Ones.
  • The White Angel grants access to most Sun Pathway Authorities and may allow him to influence the Eternal Blazing Sun, though doing so could provoke retaliation.
  • Abner can touch the Calamity Seal, but chooses not to remove or study it until he becomes a god.
  • He sees the Memory Theater and several similar objects associated with powerful Outer Deities, including the High-Dimensional Overseer, Primordial Hunger, Son of Chaos, and Circle of Inevitability.
• Abner recognizes that these items were offered to Liu Bo and the Unknown, meaning he possesses only indirect authority over them. Liu Bo has not fully absorbed them, particularly the Uncertain Mist, whose consciousness remains active.
• Abner visits the sealed body of Rhine Calendia, currently serving as a vessel for Lilith. Lilith congratulates him on regaining the Angel rank.
• Abner reveals that he knows the details of the Silver Moon Plan. Lilith warns him not to speak of it openly because doing so could draw attention. She agrees that Klein may eventually deduce part of the plan, but advises waiting until he reaches Sequence 3 before visiting the relevant island.
• A blood-red moon appears in the sky, signaling that the Blood Moon has noticed their scheme and is reacting in anger, although it cannot determine the exact cause.
• Elsewhere, Trissy prepares a large ritual using precious gems, hair, darkness, and a Jotun invocation to summon or contact the mysterious Great Door of All Doors.
• The ritual forms a vast, dark vortex resembling a doorway into another world. An eerie voice emerges from it, questioning why something feels wrong and apparently beginning to recognize or address Trissy.

Character Developments

• Abner has successfully returned to the Angel rank and gained extraordinary powers connected to the Land of Unknown. His abilities now approach Sequence 1 in certain circumstances, but he remains cautious about directly using dangerous artifacts or provoking powerful deities.
• Abner demonstrates greater strategic awareness. He understands the risks of the Silver Moon Plan, the unstable loyalties of the Outer Deity remnants, and the dangers of exposing forbidden knowledge.
• Lilith continues to cooperate with Abner while maintaining secrecy around the Silver Moon Plan. Her calm response to the Blood Moon suggests she expected retaliation and is confident in their preparations.
• Liu Bo remains asleep and has not fully assimilated the powers and artifacts offered to the Unknown. The surviving consciousness within the Uncertain Mist remains a potential complication.
• Trissy acts decisively and independently, carrying out a highly dangerous summoning ritual during the Blood Moon. Her actions suggest she is pursuing contact with a powerful entity connected to doors, pathways, or mysterious worlds.
• Klein is portrayed as perceptive enough to infer hidden elements of the Silver Moon Plan, even if he is not yet ready to understand or safely participate in it.

Significant Themes

• Power and limitation: Abner’s new abilities are immensely powerful, but even near-Sequence 1 strength cannot overcome the limitations imposed by Sefirahs, Great Old Ones, and higher-level cosmic forces.
• Secrecy and forbidden knowledge: The Silver Moon Plan must remain unspoken, emphasizing the danger of knowledge itself in the world of the supernatural.
• Identity and reenactment: Abner’s comparison to Athena and Zeus raises questions about whether his current actions repeat patterns established by his former self.
• Cosmic political struggle: The artifacts and Authorities connected to multiple Outer Deities reveal a broader conflict involving the Unknown, Liu Bo, the Eternal Blazing Sun, and other ancient powers.
• Retaliation from higher beings: The Blood Moon’s appearance shows that powerful entities can sense interference even when they cannot identify its source.
• Doors and worlds beyond reality: Trissy’s ritual reinforces the chapter’s focus on gateways, hidden dimensions, and dangerous entities existing beyond the ordinary world.

Character Interactions

• Abner and Lilith: They discuss Abner’s restored status, the Silver Moon Plan, Klein’s potential deductions, and the timing of their next move. Their conversation reflects mutual trust but also careful restraint.
• Abner and Liu Bo/Unknown: Though Liu Bo does not appear directly, Abner’s relationship with him is central to the chapter. Abner’s authority comes partly from his connection to the Unknown, but he does not truly control the artifacts offered to it.
• Trissy and the summoned entity: Trissy performs the ritual alone, while the entity beyond the vortex responds with confusion and suspicion, suggesting an existing connection or an unexpected complication.
• Abner and the Blood Moon: Their conflict remains indirect. The Blood Moon reacts to Abner and Lilith’s plans, but neither side fully understands the other’s intentions.

Chapter Summary: “Pillar of the Unknown”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Trissy uses a ritual taught by Mr. Door to draw a door-like symbol and open a hidden passage into the secret mausoleum. The ritual requires blood from Beyonders of all twenty-two Pathways, contaminated with Spirituality.
• Because Zaratul and the Psychology Alchemists are pursuing her, Trissy immediately erases the ritual traces and escapes through a mirror to another safe house. She has been constantly relocating since “Old Man” fell asleep.
• The Demoness Sect saints who had previously hunted Trissy have mysteriously disappeared, leaving her uncertain about what happened to them.
• Trissy realizes that, as a newly advanced Sequence 4, she cannot destroy or infiltrate the mausoleum alone. She decides to seek the help of Xio Derecha, hoping to use Xio’s personal motive for revenge and her connection to the powerful Viscount Braine.
• Abner, who has been secretly monitoring Trissy, discusses Bethel’s condition with Lilith. Lilith explains that Bethel can only be saved if one of them reaches the level of a Great Old One—or, in Abner’s case, possibly an Ancient God.
• Abner asks about Cheek and learns that Leticia Tamara, now Princess Vera, may hold the answer. Lilith also hints that Leticia’s actions against Cheek helped Abner’s advancement.
• Abner travels to the Astral World and meets the incarnation of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom. He asks for a genuine Sequence 1 All-Seeing Eye Beyonder Characteristic.
• The God of Knowledge explains that Abner’s existing All-Seeing Eye has been deeply corrupted by the Unknown after spending centuries in the Land of Unknown. Although it is powerful and permanently sustained by the Unknown’s authority and the lingering will of God Almighty, using it could jeopardize Abner’s final struggle.
• He offers to exchange a genuine Sequence 1 Characteristic for Abner’s corrupted All-Seeing Eye. This leads Abner to realize that the Unknown is attempting to complete a single Pillar by gathering multiple Uniquenesses, Characteristics, and Sefirot.

Character Developments

• Trissy becomes more strategic and pragmatic. Recognizing her own limitations, she abandons the idea of acting alone and seeks powerful allies through Xio and Viscount Braine.
• Abner continues moving toward an ultimate confrontation with the Unknown. He shows increasing awareness of the dangers posed by corruption and carefully evaluates whether to surrender his current All-Seeing Eye.
• Lilith remains cryptic but supportive, revealing important information about Bethel, Cheek, and Leticia while teasing Abner about the possible consequences of absorbing Demoness Characteristics.
• The God of Knowledge and Wisdom is presented as direct and transactional. He reveals that his own attempt to investigate the Land of Unknown resulted in corruption, demonstrating the immense danger of that realm.
• Leticia Tamara/Princess Vera becomes more significant to the larger plot. Her history with the Night Emperor and Cheek suggests that her death and revenge may be connected to the formation of a future Ancient God.

Significant Themes

• The danger of knowledge and corruption: Contact with the Unknown grants power but also risks irreversible contamination, as shown by both the God of Knowledge and Abner’s All-Seeing Eye.
• Preparation versus personal strength: Trissy understands that determination alone is insufficient and that success requires alliances, resources, and careful planning.
• The struggle over Pillar-level power: The Unknown is not merely accumulating power randomly; it is attempting to complete the Unknown Pillar before Abner can reach a comparable level and oppose it.
• Identity and transformation: Abner worries that absorbing Demoness Characteristics may alter his nature, symbolized by his fear of becoming a succubus.
• Hidden motives and indirect assistance: Characters frequently aid or manipulate one another for overlapping reasons. Leticia’s revenge against Cheek also benefited Abner, while Lilith’s teasing conceals serious information.

Character Interactions

• Trissy and Mr. Door: Trissy relies on Mr. Door’s ritual instructions to gain access to the mausoleum, though his warning about Cheek’s strange aura continues to trouble her.
• Trissy and Xio: They do not meet yet, but Trissy chooses Xio as a potential ally because both have suffered from George III’s conspiracy.
• Abner and Lilith: Their conversation covers Bethel’s possible rescue, Cheek’s condition, Leticia’s role, and the risks of Demoness Characteristics. Lilith provides information while playfully provoking Abner.
• Abner and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom: Their meeting is formal but blunt. Abner seeks the All-Seeing Eye Characteristic, while the god warns him that his current Eye has been corrupted and offers an exchange.
• Abner and the Unknown: Though they do not interact directly, the chapter frames their conflict as a race: whoever completes their Pillar first may determine the fate of the other.

Chapter Summary: “Symbol of the ‘Unknown’”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner reflects on the symbolism behind the Authorities of the Tower pathway he intends to control. Knowledge ultimately leads to the “Unknown,” while Fate represents uncertainty, and War, Death, and Catastrophe arise from unknown consequences. “Fallen” and “Shadow” symbolize Abner’s own identity and his position as the shadow of Liu Bo.
• Abner realizes that the Great Old One he plans to become will inevitably oppose Liu Bo, who will eventually awaken and compete with him for control of the Tower.
• He questions the God of Knowledge about why the latter is helping him advance toward becoming an Ancient God if further advancement risks awakening the Unknown.
• The God of Knowledge explains that Liu Bo has not been asleep continuously and will awaken again soon because the symbolism of the Unknown is becoming stronger.
• Abner deduces that the end of the known “plot” of Lord of Mysteries—and especially the arrival of the Apocalypse—will create a period of genuine uncertainty for Liu Bo. This will strengthen the Unknown’s symbolism and trigger his awakening.
• The God of Knowledge confirms that Liu Bo is expected to awaken during the Apocalypse, devour compatible Outer Deities around Earth, and form the Pillar of the Unknown. Abner therefore has only a little over ten years to become an Ancient God, though Liu Bo will begin interfering with reality after 1352.
• Abner recalls an earlier conversation in which the God of Knowledge questioned whether an ancient version of oneself, separated by tens of thousands of years and sealed memories, could truly still be considered the same person. This memory reinforces Abner’s determination to fight rather than surrender his identity.
• Abner considers the possibility that Vincent, Derrick, or Oliver could replace him if he gives up, since many powerful beings and former selves depend on him to suppress the Unknown.
• He ends his discussion by asking whether the Red Priest Uniqueness is the sealed artifact “0-01” beneath the White Tower.
• The chapter then shifts to Fors and Xio’s villa. Fors wakes unusually early to assist Mr. Hanged Man in dealing with Vice Admiral Dusk. She expects Mr. World and Madam Hermit to provide support and notes that she can summon a Historical Projection of Abner through her recorded abilities if necessary.

Character Developments

• Abner: Becomes more aware of the nature of his planned apotheosis and his inevitable conflict with Liu Bo. He accepts that his identity is built from many past selves and obligations, making retreat nearly impossible. Despite the danger, he remains optimistic about having more than ten years to prepare.
• God of Knowledge: Reveals crucial information about Liu Bo’s awakening and the growing power of the Unknown. He continues manipulating and guiding Abner while warning him of the limited time remaining.
• Liu Bo/Unknown: Is established as an increasingly imminent existential threat. His power grows whenever the future becomes unknowable, especially after the conclusion of the original story’s known events.
• Fors: Shows unusual diligence and readiness by rising at dawn for a dangerous mission. She also demonstrates confidence in her contingency plans and in the protection offered by her allies.
• Xio: Remains concerned for Fors and offers assistance, highlighting their close friendship and mutual support.

Significant Themes

• The Unknown versus Knowledge: The chapter explores how knowledge suppresses the Unknown, while uncertainty and unforeseen events strengthen it.
• Identity and Continuity: The discussion questions whether a being remains the same person after immense spans of time, drastic transformation, and the loss of early memories.
• Free Will and Predestination: Abner’s path is shaped by prophecy, cosmic symbolism, former selves, and the expectations of powerful allies, yet he still chooses to resist and fight.
• Preparation against Apocalypse: The approaching Apocalypse creates a strict deadline, emphasizing the importance of advancement, planning, and securing allies before Liu Bo awakens.
• Self-Sacrifice and Succession: Abner recognizes that others may replace him if he fails, suggesting that personal identity may be sacrificed for the larger struggle against the Unknown.

Character Interactions

• Abner and the God of Knowledge: Their conversation reveals the timetable and mechanism of Liu Bo’s awakening. Abner challenges the God of Knowledge’s motives, while the latter responds with warnings and philosophical reflections on identity.
• Abner and his former selves: Though they do not interact directly, Abner’s relationship with Derrick, Vincent, and Oliver shapes his resolve. Their existence represents both his fragmented identity and possible successors.
• Fors and Xio: Xio teases Fors about waking early, but her concern quickly becomes genuine when she offers help. Fors reassures her by pointing to the support of Mr. World, Madam Hermit, and her ability to summon Abner’s projection.
• Abner and the wider alliance: Abner’s thoughts reveal that the Goddess, Lilith, the Traitor Dragon, and others all view him as a necessary “spare tire” or successor figure in the struggle against Liu Bo.

Chapter Summary: “Surge! Surge!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Vice Admiral Dusk Bulatov Ivan approaches Morning Star City after receiving reports that it may be the Queen of Stars’ logistics base. Rather than attack recklessly, he sends a scouting squad while keeping his flagship, the Honor Vessel, nearby.
• The Tarot Club has prepared an ambush intended to eliminate Bulatov and create a mysterious disappearance that will draw the attention of his powerful father.
• Fors, the Magician, initiates the attack by using her recorded abilities to summon a devastating lightning storm. Every ship in Bulatov’s fleet is destroyed except the Honor Vessel, which survives behind a weakening Twilight Barrier.
• Alger, the Hanged Man, attacks the flagship. He breaks the barrier and uses his terrifying “Singing Voice,” whose distorted song causes pain, dizziness, physical mutations, and near Loss of Control among the pirates.
• Alger engages Bulatov directly, deliberately forcing him away from the protection of his ship, where Bulatov’s Guardian abilities are less effective.
• Fors boards the Honor Vessel alone and restrains the remaining Beyonders. Her recorded abilities—including a demigod-level Dragon’s Might—rapidly incapacitate most of the crew.
• Bulatov realizes that his decisions are being subtly manipulated. He detects a hallucinogenic scent and attempts to escape using a mystical item, recording the encounter in a pendant.
• The escape turns out to be a dream. Bulatov awakens back in the battle, realizing that hidden Tarot Club members—including a likely Spirit Warlock or Dreamwalker—have been assisting the attack.
• The Mechanical Emperor’s avatar observes the battle with Gehrman Sparrow and Cattleya. He notes that Justice, Moon, and Star coordinated effectively, while Gehrman remarks that Fors is exhausting her spirituality.
• The Mechanical Emperor remains confident because Fors still has unused trump cards.
• Elsewhere, Abner secretly enters the sealed area beneath St. Samuel Cathedral, touches Sealed Artifact 0-17, and uses it to enter the Nation of the Evernight once again.

Character Developments

• Alger: Demonstrates the strength and versatility of an Ocean Songster. His combat experience, cooperation with the World, and use of Lyman’s Travel Notes allow him to fight at roughly Pirate Admiral level. He also shows strategic discipline by baiting Bulatov away from the ship.
• Fors: Displays major growth in power and confidence. She can unleash large-scale lightning attacks, suppress an entire pirate crew, and use powerful abilities recorded from Abner. Despite the heavy drain on her spirituality, she remains capable of holding the battlefield alone.
• Bulatov Ivan: Reveals himself to be cautious and perceptive, but he is overwhelmed by the Tarot Club’s layered plan. He recognizes that the battle involves more enemies and psychological manipulation than initially apparent, yet his ability to respond is compromised.
• Gehrman Sparrow, Justice, Moon, and Star: Their coordinated support shows the Tarot Club’s increasing effectiveness as a team. Their combination of direct combat, mental interference, and battlefield control leaves Bulatov unable to identify all of his opponents.
• Abner: Advances his mysterious objectives by once again entering the Nation of the Evernight through Sealed Artifact 0-17, suggesting a separate but potentially important development.
• Mechanical Emperor: Acts as a calm overseer and strategist, confident in Fors’s hidden resources and the success of the overall operation.

Significant Themes

• Preparation versus apparent recklessness: The Tarot Club’s victory depends on layered planning, concealed allies, and precise coordination rather than a simple head-on confrontation.
• Information and misdirection: Bulatov is repeatedly deceived by dreams, scents, manipulated decisions, and hidden participants. The battle emphasizes that understanding the enemy is as important as raw strength.
• Teamwork and accumulated power: The combined abilities of several Tarot Club members allow them to challenge an opponent who might defeat any one of them individually.
• The dangers of supernatural power: Alger’s song causes physical and psychological damage, while Fors’s recorded abilities and the hidden dream manipulation show how easily Beyonders can be pushed toward pain, madness, or Loss of Control.
• Unseen consequences: The attack is not merely about killing Bulatov; his disappearance is meant to trigger a response from his father and alter the wider political and supernatural situation.

Character Interactions

• Fors and Alger: They coordinate closely, with Fors destroying the fleet and controlling the crew while Alger focuses on Bulatov. Fors’s humorous reaction to Alger’s awful singing adds levity amid the violence.
• Alger and Bulatov: Their duel is the central confrontation. Alger uses song, positioning, and superior experience to pressure Bulatov, while Bulatov relies on his Guardian defenses and attempts to escape.
• Fors and the pirate crew: Fors blocks the remaining Beyonders by herself, using recorded abilities and Dragon’s Might to neutralize them.
• The Mechanical Emperor, Gehrman, and Cattleya: They observe and assess the operation, discussing its progress and Fors’s condition.
• Abner and Sealed Artifact 0-17: Abner’s brief interaction with the artifact allows him to disappear into the Nation of the Evernight, setting up the chapter’s closing mystery.

Chapter Summary: “Lord of the Dead”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner travels through the Misty Town in the Nation of Evernight with the Goddess’s divine descent vessel, disguised as a beautiful hooded woman. They avoid entering through the Spirit World because Calderón City is being watched by powerful entities.
• The Goddess tells Abner that future meetings should be arranged through Sia Palenque Eggers in the Southern Continent, as she must currently appear weakened.
• Abner explains that he intends to spread faith in the Southern Continent and eventually provoke a continent-wide war. This would provide the foundation needed for the God of War and Destruction and help him accommodate the Red Priest’s Unique.
• The Goddess confirms that the Red Priest’s Unique is not “0-01,” but is instead the blood-red cross carried by Vincent Miranda, currently sleeping with him in the River of Eternal Darkness. She cryptically adds that the true “0-01” is something closely connected to Abner.
• Using the Obsidian Slate and the symbol of the Lord of the Dead, Abner opens a passage to Vincent’s tomb in Calderón City. He finds Vincent lying in a coffin, dressed in a star-speckled black robe and clutching the blood-red cross, apparently the Red Priest’s Unique, “Red of War.”
• Abner uses a Historical Projection of Alvin and consumes Alvin’s second resurrection “Miracle” to revive Vincent. The resurrection succeeds without difficulty, as Vincent’s real trial and defensive preparations are intended for the future, after he becomes the Ancient God of War and Destruction.
• Abner returns immediately to the Nation of Evernight because the River of Eternal Darkness remains too dangerous for prolonged exposure.
• Elsewhere, a Feysac fleet encounters the Church of Storms but withdraws after only a brief exchange of fire. The Church appears deliberately uninterested in fully participating in the war.
• Admiral Peter Ivan suddenly receives alarming news and leaves the fleet, forcing his adjutant to retreat to Feysac supply islands rather than continue pursuing a Loen ironclad.
• The resurrected Vincent goes directly to Blood Moon Queen Olynnia’s room in Observer Castle.

Character Developments

• Abner: Reveals increasingly ambitious political and divine plans. He is preparing to create the conditions for a major war in the Southern Continent, both to oppose colonial powers and to support the reconstruction of the God of War and Destruction. He also demonstrates confidence in handling dangerous resurrection and ancient artifacts.
• The Goddess: Shows herself to be a strategic ally who understands Abner’s plans and anticipates his questions. Her mysterious statement about “0-01” suggests a deeper connection between the artifact and Abner.
• Vincent Miranda: Is successfully restored to life and immediately begins acting independently, heading to Olynnia’s quarters. His future transformation into an Ancient God remains tied to a greater, still-unrevealed trial.
• Admiral Peter Ivan: Appears confident about the Feysac fleet’s advantage, but abruptly abandons command after receiving disturbing information, hinting at a major development elsewhere in the war.

Significant Themes

• War as a tool of divine power: Abner views a large-scale war not merely as a political conflict, but as a necessary component of an apotheosis ritual and the creation of a new divine order.
• Hidden identities and secret alliances: The Goddess’s vessel, Vincent’s concealed Unique, and the unknown nature of “0-01” emphasize the importance of concealed truths and indirect influence.
• Resurrection and transformation: Vincent’s revival foreshadows a larger metamorphosis into an Ancient God, while Alvin’s sacrificed Miracle highlights the cost of restoring powerful beings.
• Dangerous knowledge: Abner’s knowledge of the tomb, Vincent’s memories, the River of Eternal Darkness, and the location of the Red Priest’s Unique all give him an advantage—but also expose him to immense risks.
• The instability of war: The restrained naval battle and the sudden departure of Admiral Peter Ivan suggest that the visible conflict is only one part of a much larger struggle among churches, nations, and supernatural powers.

Character Interactions

• Abner and the Goddess: They discuss routes, faith, war, divine reconstruction, and the Red Priest’s Unique. Their conversation shows mutual trust, but also a degree of secrecy, particularly regarding “0-01.”
• Abner and Vincent: Their interaction is brief and largely nonverbal. After Vincent awakens, the two exchange a meaningful glance before Abner departs, suggesting mutual recognition and an understanding of Vincent’s future role.
• Abner and Alvin’s projection: Abner uses Alvin as the instrument through which Vincent’s resurrection is performed, consuming Alvin’s second Miracle in the process.
• Feysac commander and crew: Admiral Peter Ivan reassures his officers about their naval prospects before unexpectedly leaving them in command.
• Vincent and Olynnia: The chapter ends with Vincent arriving at Blood Moon Queen Olynnia’s room, setting up their imminent interaction.

Chapter Summary: “The 68th Tarot Club Gathering”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner arrives at Observer Castle after the awakening of Vincent Miranda, whose authority over a tributary of the River of Eternal Darkness has passed to the Goddess. This transfer removes the protection that had kept the Blood Moon Queen, Olynnia, asleep and suppressed the corruption within her.
• Olynnia awakens after more than 1,700 years of sleep. Although the corruption from the Mother Goddess of Depravity has weakened significantly, it has not been completely eliminated.
• Abner informs Olynnia that the Apocalypse is approaching and that a new Lord of Mysteries—Klein—is likely to emerge soon. He suggests that she support him, explaining that Klein may eventually be able to protect her while she temporarily separates her true body from the corruption.
• Olynnia agrees to consider Abner’s proposal and acknowledges that she owes him a debt. Abner then asks her to help establish and govern a resistance organization or new nation in the Southern Continent as part of a ritual.
• Because of Olynnia’s former experience as Empress of the Trunsoest Empire, Abner appoints her as “Grand Archon.” She accepts and immediately begins assessing the territory, population, allies, and enemies of the fledgling state. Abner humorously reveals that their only current asset is a broken bowl.
• In the Feysac Empire, Empress Sophia II receives a warning from the Twilight Hermit Order that Abner has become an Angel. She is advised to remain in Aurmir Palace and cancel the Winter Hunt.
• Sophia refuses to cancel the event. She believes the Winter Hunt is important for restoring morale, selling war bonds, and stimulating the economy. She also underestimates Abner’s threat, trusting in her own strength, the Sword of Eternal Sleep, and the support of other Angels.
• The Tarot Club Gathering begins as scheduled at three o’clock on Monday afternoon.

Character Developments

• Abner Braine: His status and influence continue to rise after becoming an Angel. He is now planning to create a nation or resistance movement for ritual purposes, showing both strategic ambition and a willingness to delegate practical governance to Olynnia.
• Olynnia, the Blood Moon Queen: She awakens with her dignity and consciousness restored, though she remains partially corrupted. Her relationship with Abner becomes one of mutual obligation and cooperation. She transitions from a passive survivor to a potential political leader.
• Sophia II: She is revealed to be ambitious, pragmatic, and overconfident. Her desire for the Death Archon Potion formula leads her to dismiss the danger Abner represents and reject the Twilight Hermit Order’s warning.
• Klein/Lord of Mysteries: Although he does not appear directly, his anticipated emergence becomes important. Abner seeks to strengthen Klein’s position by encouraging Olynnia to invest in him.

Significant Themes

• Corruption and resistance: Olynnia’s long struggle against the Mother Goddess of Depravity reflects the persistence of divine corruption and the difficulty of reclaiming one’s identity.
• Power transition: Authority over the River of Eternal Darkness changes hands, altering the balance between major divine entities and triggering Olynnia’s awakening.
• Political responsibility: Abner’s plans shift from personal advancement to nation-building, while Olynnia’s past experience makes her suited to governing.
• Overconfidence and miscalculation: Sophia’s refusal to heed the warning demonstrates how ambition and confidence can obscure genuine danger.
• Investing in future power: Abner’s suggestion that Olynnia support the future Lord of Mysteries illustrates the importance of alliances and positioning before a major transformation occurs.

Important Character Interactions

• Abner and Olynnia: Their conversation establishes trust, obligation, and future cooperation. Abner offers Olynnia a possible path to survival, while she promises to assist him without refusing his request.
• Abner and Sophia II: They do not meet, but their opposing positions are set up: Abner has become an Angel preparing a new power base, while Sophia knowingly proceeds with plans that may bring her into conflict with him.
• Olynnia and Klein: Their future relationship is introduced through Abner’s proposal that she support Klein’s rise as the new Lord of Mysteries.
• Sophia and the Twilight Hermit Order: The Order attempts to restrain her through a warning from Boris and Ialdabaoth, but Sophia rejects their advice, creating the possibility of future confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “Special Consultant”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Tarot Club gathers after a week’s recovery. Justice Audrey’s cheerful return eases Klein’s war-weary mood.
• The Hermit asks Mr. Fool about Giuseppe, the supposedly historical philosopher. Klein reveals that Giuseppe never originally existed—history and its supporting information were altered.
• This revelation shocks the members, who speculate about powers capable of changing history on a massive scale. Alger and Cattleya suspect the answer may relate to Mr. Fool’s mysterious connection to time and history.
• During the free discussion:
  • Leonard realizes the significance of Klein’s answer and plans to question the mysterious “Old Man” within him.
  • Emlyn asks about priests placed under protective custody. Leonard assures him they are being treated humanely.
  • Emlyn begins asking about Marquis Nibais, but Abner explains that he has already met with Nibais and arranged the Knight of Virtue investiture. He also reassures Emlyn that his promised limited-edition doll will still be delivered.
• The Sun recounts the group’s exploration of the Decay Forest and the Giant King’s Court:
  • They discovered that the Giant King’s residual will had become an Evil Spirit guarding the tombs of his parents.
  • After purifying it, they found that the supposedly parental tombs contained two human corpses, raising questions about the origins of Giants and other humanoid races.
  • They entered the Giant King’s Court through the Desolation Tunnel and encountered lingering powers of corruption, secrecy, and fate.
  • A mural forced them into a repeating scene depicting the founding of Rose Redemption.
  • Derrick reveals that Rose Redemption was convened by the Dark Angel Sasrir and the Evernight Goddess Amanises, but that the organization also had a superior special consultant: the God of Luck, Oliver Constantine.

Character Developments

• Klein/Mr. Fool: Maintains his calm, authoritative persona while revealing carefully limited information about Giuseppe. His knowledge reinforces the members’ perception of him as an existence connected to history and time.
• Audrey/Justice: Her recovery from earlier emotional strain is apparent, and she reacts with awe and anxiety to the possibility of history being altered.
• Alger/the Hanged Man: Becomes increasingly cautious of Mr. Fool, recognizing that the answer may imply terrifying temporal authority.
• Cattleya/the Hermit: Connects the human corpses in the Giant King’s tombs to questions about the origins of humanoid species. The revelation provides valuable mystical knowledge that may help digest her Potion.
• Emlyn/the Moon: Shows lingering guilt over reporting Bishop Utravsky and concern for the captured priests. His mood improves when Abner confirms the promised doll will arrive.
• Abner/the Tower: Demonstrates initiative and authority by personally contacting Nibais rather than waiting for the Sanguine to act. His dealings also show his growing confidence and influence.
• Derrick/the Sun: Continues to mature into a reliable narrator and investigator, clearly recounting the group’s dangerous discoveries.

Significant Themes

• The instability of history and information: Giuseppe’s existence demonstrates that even historical records, memories, and corroborating evidence can be manipulated.
• Limits of knowledge: The members confront mysteries far beyond ordinary Beyonder understanding, particularly those involving time, origins, and divine authority.
• Origins of humanoid races: The human remains in the Giant King’s parents’ tombs challenge accepted beliefs about Giants, Elves, Vampires, and humanity.
• Ancient divine conspiracies: The founding of Rose Redemption reveals hidden connections among the Evernight Goddess, Sasrir, the True Creator, and the mysterious Oliver Constantine.
• Emotional responsibility and trust: Emlyn’s concern for Utravsky’s priests shows his developing conscience, while the group’s mutual exchanges reinforce their growing trust.

Character Interactions

• The members collectively react with fear and speculation to Mr. Fool’s statement about altered history, though none dares question him directly.
• Emlyn seeks reassurance from Leonard about the priests’ treatment, then turns to Abner regarding Nibais. Abner responds confidently and playfully reassures him about the doll.
• The Tarot Club listens closely to Derrick’s account, with Cattleya in particular recognizing the immense mystical significance of the discoveries.
• Derrick’s revelation about Rose Redemption and Oliver Constantine shifts the gathering from archaeological curiosity to intense interest in the organization’s hidden hierarchy.

Chapter Summary: Klein’s “Horror Movie”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Derrick reveals that Rose Redemption was founded to oppose the Ancient Sun God and once included numerous terrifying figures, including:
  • White Angel Osekus
  • Wind Angel Leodero
  • God of Combat Badheil
  • Earth Mother Goddess Omebella
  • God of the Dead Salinger
  • God of Objects Tolzna
• The revelation shocks the Tarot Club, especially the realization that the Evernight Goddess was connected to Rose Redemption. Leonard also suspects that Abner’s former identity, Reinhardt, may have been the mysterious God of Luck.
• The members learn that Rose Redemption’s history was tied to the birth of the three Gods and the Fallen Creator, confirming the enormous influence of the Ancient Sun God’s enemies.
• Derrick recounts the exploration of the

Giant King’s Court

• The group encountered Light Slayer Milgonken, leader of the Court Hunters.
• Milgonken revealed that Dark Angel Sasrir was sleeping inside the Giant King’s Palace.
• Derrick survived a powerful ambush because of the Sacred Robe Abner had provided.
• Lovia briefly reacted strangely when Derrick put on the robe, suggesting a hidden connection or influence.
• Lovia attempted to enter the palace alone, but the Chief stopped her.
• Alger questions why Lovia, as a Shepherd connected to the True Creator, seemed unprepared for the dangers inside the palace. Abner explains that the area is even more dangerous for True Gods, requiring the City of Silver’s expedition team to investigate.
• Klein changes the subject by offering the City of Silver mushrooms capable of growing in darkness by consuming monster flesh.
• After the Tarot Club meeting, Xio and Fors return to their villa. Abner reveals that Trissy wants to cooperate with Xio, despite having transformed Shermane into a Demoness.
• Klein privately asks Abner for help persuading Eleanor to allow him to plant mushrooms in her botanical garden, intending to use this in his efforts to digest the Bizarro Sorcerer potion.

Character Developments

• Derrick demonstrates growing courage and reliability by recounting the expedition and properly explaining the threat surrounding the Giant King’s Palace.
• Abner continues to act as a powerful but discreet guide. He protects Derrick, notices Lovia’s unusual reaction, and seems to possess extensive hidden knowledge about the ancient organization and its members.
• Klein shows increasing confidence in manipulating circumstances for his advancement. He is close to fully digesting the Bizarro Sorcerer potion and plans to obtain the remaining feedback by luring Vice Admiral Dusk’s father.
• Leonard becomes more suspicious of Abner’s past identity and possible connection to the God of Luck.
• Xio remains wary of Trissy because of Shermane’s fate, but accepts Abner’s advice to meet and potentially cooperate with her.
• Trissy, newly advanced to Demoness of Despair, begins pursuing alliances that may further her own goals.
• Lovia’s unexplained reaction to the Sacred Robe hints at concealed corruption, possession, or a deeper relationship with the ancient powers.

Significant Themes

• The hidden unity of history and divine power: The revelation that gods and angels once belonged to the same organization challenges the Tarot Club’s understanding of the past.
• Dangerous knowledge: Information about the Giant King’s Palace and Dark Angel Sasrir may itself cause contamination or divine danger, emphasizing the horror of learning too much.
• Identity and secrecy: Abner’s concealed past, Klein’s hidden methods, and the uncertain identities of ancient figures reinforce the chapter’s focus on layered identities and deception.
• Cooperation among enemies: Xio and Trissy’s potential alliance shows how shared goals can temporarily overcome distrust and past violence.
• Preparation and indirect manipulation: The characters rely on artifacts, careful planning, intelligence gathering, and subtle schemes rather than direct confrontation with overwhelming powers.

Character Interactions

• The Tarot Club collectively reacts with fear and awe to Derrick’s revelation, while Klein silently confirms its truth.
• Derrick thanks Abner for the Sacred Robe; Abner uses the opportunity to investigate Lovia’s reaction.
• Alger questions Abner and Klein indirectly about the True Creator’s apparent lack of preparation, probing the hidden dangers of the Giant King’s Palace.
• Abner advises Xio to meet Trissy, arguing that their goals align despite Trissy’s role in Shermane’s transformation.
• Klein asks Abner for assistance with his potion digestion plan, while Abner seeks Eleanor’s cooperation in growing the unusual mushrooms.

Chapter Summary: “Proselytizing”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner and Klein discuss General Peter Ivan’s ordeal, jokingly comparing it to the notoriously difficult game I Wanna.
• Klein then seriously questions Abner’s position in the ongoing war, worried that Abner might be forced to choose between the Goddess and the Earth Mother Goddess, both of whom are connected to him but now appear to be opposing one another.
• Abner reassures Klein that neither deity would demand his allegiance, teasing Klein instead for accepting “investments” from both sides. Klein admits he has been anxious because the Goddess is his fellow countrywoman and benefactor, while the Earth Mother Goddess restored Dunn Smith’s life.
• Abner changes the subject by revealing that he has found another Angel for Mr. Fool: the Blood Moon Queen, Olynnia.
• In West Balam, wartime tensions intensify as rival factions prepare for open conflict. Border villages and towns suffer from bandit raids, hostile organizations, and supernatural attacks.
• Alder Town is trapped inside a mysterious Barrier. Residents attempting to escape either die in the surrounding mist or are forced back into town. A Monster has been killing and eating people at night, while despair and social disorder spread.
• The sheriff, Tuo Lei, temporarily maintains order by executing people who give in to their impulses, but he cannot ultimately protect the town from the supernatural threat.
• Abner and Olynnia arrive in the town disguised as wealthy travelers. Olynnia is using a Demigod-level avatar rather than appearing personally.
• Rather than simply destroying the Vampire responsible for the attacks, Olynnia organizes the townspeople and sheriff into a coordinated trap. They defeat the Monster together in a staged but convincing “war.”
• The townspeople, united by their shared victory, begin worshipping the God of War and Destruction. Abner then performs a miracle by bestowing a Hunter Potion on Sheriff Tuo Lei.
• After drinking the Potion, Tuo Lei gains extraordinary strength and speed, prompting the townspeople to praise their new god.

Character Developments

• Klein reveals his emotional conflict over the war. Although powerful, he remains deeply concerned about betraying either of his divine benefactors and feels indebted to both the Goddess and the Earth Mother Goddess.
• Abner acts as a stabilizing and pragmatic figure. He understands the political and divine situation clearly and tries to ease Klein’s anxiety. He is also actively building a new religious organization devoted to the God of War and Destruction.
• Olynnia demonstrates political and religious intelligence. Instead of relying on overwhelming power, she carefully stages a communal victory to create genuine faith and solidarity among the townspeople.
• Sheriff Tuo Lei develops from an ordinary lawman struggling to preserve order into the first prominent empowered believer of the new faith after receiving the Hunter Potion.
• Vincent, Lord of the Dead, accompanies Abner and Olynnia but remains largely in the background.
• The townspeople shift from frightened, desperate individuals into a united community with a shared religious identity.

Significant Themes

• Faith as something cultivated through action: Olynnia understands that people are more likely to believe after participating in a meaningful victory than after merely witnessing a divine display.
• Religion and political power: Abner and Olynnia are deliberately creating a new nation and faith, showing how miracles, warfare, and organization can establish divine authority.
• Unity through shared struggle: The townspeople’s collective battle gives them a sense of participation and honor, allowing them to bond around their new god.
• Moral ambiguity and divided loyalties: Klein’s anxiety reflects the difficulty of navigating a war in which allies and benefactors may stand on opposing sides.
• Despair versus hope: Alder Town initially represents supernatural terror, social collapse, and hopelessness, but the arrival of Abner and Olynnia transforms the crisis into an opportunity for solidarity and renewal.
• The difference between true power and effective leadership: Olynnia could have killed the Vampire instantly, but allowing the townspeople to contribute made the victory more useful for long-term proselytizing.

Character Interactions

• Klein and Abner exchange teasing banter before moving into a serious discussion about their positions in the war. Abner reassures Klein while also mocking his anxiety.
• Abner and Olynnia cooperate in establishing the new religion. Abner provides strategic direction and divine rewards, while Olynnia handles the practical conversion of the townspeople.
• Olynnia and Sheriff Tuo Lei work together to organize the town’s defense, with Olynnia deliberately allowing him and the townspeople to take an active role.
• Olynnia and the townspeople transition from strangers viewed with suspicion to leaders and followers after the successful battle.
• Abner and the new believers interact indirectly through the divine miracle of the Hunter Potion, which confirms the reality and power of their faith.

Chapter Summary: “Arrangements”

Plot Points and Events

• The chapter opens in Taksar City, Feysac, a scenic northern location known for its Aurora and the royal family’s Winter Hunt. The Einhorn Family Palace stands beside the city’s famous East Lake.
• Earl Heinrich, a talented businessman and secret lover of Queen Sophia II, arrives at the palace. Though publicly treated as a nobleman, his real importance comes from his role as the Queen’s private financial manager and investment adviser.
• Heinrich discusses the Queen’s war-bond investments with a court official. He predicts that future funds will support military industries, especially those connected to armored vehicles and artillery. He also advises the official to prepare his family’s steam-engine factory to compete for government investment.
• In the palace’s Sky Garden, Heinrich sees Queen Sophia II speaking with her husband, Prince Milon. To his surprise, Heinrich feels jealousy and possessiveness, emotions he has not previously associated with his relationship with the Queen.
• Sophia notices Heinrich’s jealousy and privately decides to reward and comfort him. She considers helping him acquire Baron Iris’s territory, which he has been trying unsuccessfully to annex.
• The narrative then shifts to an inn, where Abner uses a feather pen from the Historical Void to write a detailed sequence of events designed to manipulate reality.
• Abner’s written “arrangement” predicts that Sophia will send a personality avatar to handle official work, secretly leave the palace for a romantic meeting with Heinrich, and order her secret forces to eliminate Baron Iris.
• The arrangement further predicts that the forces will be destroyed by Succubus Yalubed, the Beria Family’s current leader, who is possessing or attached to Baron Iris.
• Abner notes that an Angel of the Einhorn Family already knows the Queen’s secret and will deliberately ignore her actions.
• His only concern is Glorious One Boris, who may be able to resist the influence of 0-08. Abner worries that including Boris directly in the written plan could alert the enemy.

Character Developments

• Heinrich: Revealed as ambitious, calculating, and highly capable in finance, but also unexpectedly emotionally vulnerable. His jealousy suggests that his relationship with Sophia has developed beyond a purely political arrangement.
• Queen Sophia II: Shown as powerful, perceptive, manipulative, and possessive. She immediately detects Heinrich’s emotions and plans to exploit or satisfy them while also advancing his political ambitions.
• The court official: Serves as both a flatterer and an observer assigned to monitor Heinrich. His praise reveals Heinrich’s importance, while his thoughts suggest he recognizes Heinrich’s growing attachment to the Queen.
• Abner: Demonstrates his ability to use written narratives to impose or guide future events. He carefully constructs a chain of consequences while remaining wary of individuals capable of resisting 0-08’s influence.
• Yalubed: Although she does not appear directly, she is established as a powerful hidden force capable of destroying the Queen’s agents and controlling Baron Iris’s position.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and control: Political figures, lovers, secret agents, and supernatural powers all attempt to control one another. Abner’s written arrangement represents the most literal form of manipulation.
• Power versus emotion: Heinrich’s political ambitions and Sophia’s strategic relationship are complicated by genuine jealousy and desire.
• Fate and resistance: Abner can arrange likely events, but Boris’s resistance suggests that fate or supernatural manipulation is not absolute.
• Public appearances and hidden identities: Heinrich is publicly an earl but secretly the Queen’s lover and financial adviser; Sophia’s royal role conceals her private actions; and Yalubed operates through Baron Iris.
• Political and economic warfare: The war influences financial investments, industrial development, territorial ambitions, and covert assassinations.

Character Interactions

• Heinrich and the court official discuss military investment, with the official flattering Heinrich and Heinrich offering strategic business advice.
• Heinrich observes Sophia with Prince Milon and experiences jealousy, while Sophia notices his reaction and plans to comfort him.
• Sophia’s intended romantic meeting with Heinrich is linked to a broader political scheme involving Baron Iris’s territory.
• Abner’s arrangement connects Sophia, Heinrich, Baron Iris, Yalubed, the Einhorn Family Angel, and Boris into a chain of manipulated events, highlighting how personal relationships intersect with supernatural and political struggles.

Chapter Summary: “Klein Advanced to Scholar of Yore”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Abner consults Fors about how to prevent an overwhelmingly powerful enemy from interfering with a protagonist’s plans. Fors suggests deception: manipulate the enemy’s expectations, make them believe the protagonist’s objective has already failed, or create false targets and distractions.
• Inspired, Abner realizes that Sophia II’s allies will likely assume he intends to kill the empress out of revenge. He decides to exploit this misunderstanding by directing their attention toward Sophia and Earl Heinrich rather than confronting them directly.
• Using the Feather Pen, Abner continues writing a scenario in which Prince Milon discovers Sophia II’s affair with Heinrich. Sophia senses observers through the Sword of Eternal Sleep and sends Dead Spirit subordinates to investigate, helping Abner establish the deception.
• In Morning Star City, Klein and several allies arrange a terrifying first-person “horror movie” for Demon Hunter Admiral Peter Ivan. The experience allows Klein to fully digest the Bizarro Sorcerer Potion.
• Afterward, several Demigods defeat Peter Ivan and extract his Beyonder Characteristic. Alger plans to exchange it for a Saint-level Sealed Artifact from the City of Silver.
• Klein returns to Backlund, goes Above the Gray Fog, and obtains another main ingredient for his advancement from Fogen’s Hound. He then summons the Magic Mirror Arrodes to ask about the origins of Dark Angel Sasrir.
• Arrodes recounts a myth that the Ancient Sun God separated the darkness within Himself and combined it with one of His ribs to create Sasrir, making Sasrir the Ancient Sun God’s dark counterpart and deputy ruler of the Kingdom of Heaven.
• Klein theorizes that contamination caused the Ancient Sun God to permit Sasrir’s apparent betrayal and alliance with external enemies, though Sasrir ultimately failed to assassinate the original body. Klein also compares Sasrir’s position to that of “The World” within the Tarot Club, while reassuring himself that The World is only a puppet and cannot betray him.
• Klein records Arrodes’s information alongside Abner’s knowledge as supplementary material for his advancement. He returns to Morning Star City rather than advancing in Backlund, fearing that any mutation would attract the attention of Amon and Zaratul.
• As Sefirah Castle and the Spirit World begin trembling and prophecy and divination temporarily become ineffective, Abner’s plan officially starts.

Character Developments

• Abner: Demonstrates strategic flexibility and a willingness to use misdirection rather than direct confrontation. Fors’s advice helps him recognize that enemies can be manipulated through false assumptions about his true goal.
• Fors: Acts as Abner’s creative consultant. Her imaginative ideas provide several possible deception strategies and continue to show her value beyond her combat abilities.
• Klein: Successfully digests the Bizarro Sorcerer Potion and moves closer to advancing to Scholar of Yore. He displays caution, analytical thinking, and increasing concern about the origins and possible dangers surrounding Sasrir, the Ancient Sun God, and Sefirah Castle.
• Arrodes: Shows anxiety about losing Klein’s favor, suggesting that the mirror has developed a stronger emotional attachment and sense of insecurity. It remains eager to serve Klein and demonstrates improved understanding by anticipating his next question.
• Sophia II: Is unknowingly drawn into Abner’s staged scenario. Her caution and supernatural sensitivity lead her to investigate suspected observers, exactly as Abner intended.
• Peter Ivan: Despite his formidable strength and defenses, he is defeated by coordinated Demigods, and his Beyonder Characteristic becomes a valuable resource.
• Alger: Gains a potential Saint-level Sealed Artifact through the exchange involving Peter Ivan’s Beyonder Characteristic.

Significant Themes

• Deception and manipulation: The chapter emphasizes that even powerful enemies can be outmaneuvered if their assumptions and expectations are exploited.
• Knowledge and uncertainty: Klein seeks multiple sources of information because even trusted allies may possess incomplete knowledge. Arrodes’s inability to see Sasrir’s current state reinforces the limits of prophecy and supernatural understanding.
• Identity and duality: Sasrir is presented as the darkness or separated counterpart of the Ancient Sun God, reflecting the broader theme of divided identities and hidden aspects of powerful beings.
• Trust and betrayal: Klein considers Sasrir’s possible betrayal of the Ancient Sun God while reassuring himself that The World, being a puppet, cannot betray him. Arrodes’s anxious desire to remain Klein’s favored servant also adds a personal dimension to the theme of loyalty.
• Preparation and risk management: Klein carefully chooses where to advance, avoiding Backlund because of the danger posed by Amon and Zaratul. Both Klein and Abner rely on preparation rather than reckless confrontation.

Important Character Interactions

• Abner and Fors: Abner repeatedly questions Fors about fictional plotting tactics, and her suggestions directly shape his real-world strategy.
• Klein and Arrodes: Klein interrogates Arrodes about Sefirah Castle, the Ancient Sun God, and Sasrir. Their exchange mixes serious occult investigation with humor, as Arrodes seeks reassurance and Klein privately questions its loyalty.
• Klein and Peter Ivan: Although they do not directly confront each other in ordinary combat, Klein and his allies psychologically overwhelm Peter through a staged horror experience before extracting his Beyonder Characteristic.
• Abner and Sophia II: Abner manipulates Sophia’s expectations from a distance, arranging circumstances that cause her to focus on the false threat surrounding her affair rather than Abner’s actual objective.