Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Duke Morissent intensifies his attack on Dean Sost, forcing the damaged Sea King to operate beyond its safe capacity. Sost realizes Morissent is trying to keep him occupied while the Divine Eagle Empire targets Black Forest Port.
• At Soster Palace, the Imperial team follows psychic energy to a hidden chamber linked to the Sea King. Their attempt to break through triggers its protective magic circle, alerting Sost that intruders have reached his bedroom.
• Recognizing that resistance is futile and his stronghold is compromised, Sost calls a ceasefire and surrenders. Morissent accepts, following the emperor’s orders to recruit Sost rather than destroy him.
• At their meeting, Sost sees Hicaros among the Imperial intelligence officers and realizes she was not the person he believed her to be. She appears guilty, having betrayed someone who treated her well.
• The Empire offers Sost the title of duke and the directorship of its Science and Technology Bureau. In return, it asks him to hand over the Sea King for examination. Sost agrees, viewing the machine as a liability and himself as having few alternatives.
• Before the handover is settled, a huge blast beneath Black Forest Port opens a vast hole, accompanied by a strange roar. Sost and Morissent recognize a new crisis, but its cause remains unknown.

Character developments and interactions

• Dean Sost shifts from anxious resistance to pragmatic surrender. He admits his strengths lie in technology, not warfare or politics, and accepts the Empire’s offer as a chance to continue his research.
• Duke Morissent acts under the emperor’s directive, balancing military pressure with courtesy and recruitment. He halts the fight when Sost yields and presents the offer respectfully.
• Hicaros is exposed as a traitor or infiltrator. Her guilty reaction contrasts with Sost’s resigned acceptance of her betrayal.
• The Empire’s treatment of Sost suggests it values his technical ability and intends to use it, while Sost’s careful choice of a guest seat shows he understands his changed status.

Significant themes

• Pragmatism and survival: Sost chooses to cut his losses rather than fight to the end.
• Trust and betrayal: His confidence in Hicaros proves misplaced, and her divided loyalties have personal consequences.
• Power and status: Sost’s move from ruler to defeated guest is reflected in his deference, even as the Empire offers him renewed influence.
• Unresolved danger: The sudden eruption beneath the port interrupts the political settlement and hints at a threat beyond the conflict between Sost and the Empire.

Plot points and events

• The Sea King begins activating, and Dean Sost’s attempt to command it fails because a Natural Divine Power barrier is blocking his connection.
• Duke Morissent identifies High Priest Sonic and the Nature Hermitage as the likely attackers. He assaults the underground barrier but is driven back, badly scorched and unable to stop the theft.
• Dean Sost loses most of his control over the Sea King and suspects that Captain Phoenix has been captured or killed, allowing the attackers to obtain the knowledge needed to reach its secret base.
• The Sea King breaks free, attacks Soster Palace, and destroys it. Dean escapes carrying the unconscious Hicaros, refusing to leave her behind despite her betrayal.
• The Sea King then turns on the Divine Eagle Empire’s fleet. Its armor deflects the fleet’s broadside, and its beam destroys multiple warships. Morissent charges in again as the fleet proves unable to match the ancient war machine.

Character developments and interactions

• Dean Sost shifts from confident controller to helpless witness as his authority over the Sea King collapses. He suspects Phoenix’s fate and shows lingering compassion by rescuing Hicaros.
• Duke Morissent is enraged by Sonic’s apparent betrayal and increasingly desperate to stop the Sea King, but his attacks fail. He also tries to warn the fleet, only to be ignored.
• High Priest Sonic is revealed as the suspected instigator of the seizure, exploiting the alliance he had secured through political connections.
• The fleet commander and officers dismiss Morissent’s warning and attack the Sea King; their confidence quickly turns to panic when their weapons prove ineffective.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and mistrust: Sonic’s apparent double-cross shatters the uneasy alliance, while Dean’s doubts about Phoenix deepen.
• Power and loss of control: Dean’s authority vanishes as the Sea King becomes an independent, overwhelming force.
• Arrogance and consequences: The fleet’s contempt for Morissent’s warning leads directly to catastrophic losses.
• Loyalty and compassion: Despite Hicaros’s betrayal, Dean still chooses to save her.

Key plot points and events

• The Sea King destroys four Divine Eagle Empire warships, then retreats west with Sonic, severing its supply link to Black Forest Port. Dean Sost is furious at losing the vessel, while Duke Morissent does not dare pursue it after their earlier clash.
• Morissent plans to blame the disaster on the Prime Minister who recommended Sonic, hoping to avoid being held responsible.
• Clown Hylem, still weakened from his previous encounter with Green, watches the Sea King depart and predicts Sonic will head for Se Fort. He learns that Archbishop Aragorn and three agents from the Rune Federation’s Anomalies Bureau are also entering the contest.
• Hylem encounters the François Brothers, three powerful, eccentric triplets. They consider attacking him but hold back because of his connection to the Death Council and its chairman, Freemansta.
• Archbishop Aragorn arrives, acknowledges the brothers’ father, and makes clear the Holy Light Church will not yield in the pursuit of the Sea King. Hylem departs, and Aragorn flies toward Black Forest Port. The brothers decide they cannot trust either man and hope their rivals will injure one another.
• That evening, Black Forest Port remains uneasy after the day’s events. Green, accompanied by Pradas, reflects on the golden warship he obtained from the Sea God and suspects it may transform like the Sea King once repaired.
• Frio brings Green a captured, gagged man whose Transcendent powers have been sealed. The chapter ends before Green learns who he is or what he knows.

Character developments and interactions

• Sonic acts decisively to seize and escape with the Sea King, despite the political consequences.
• Morissent is revealed as cautious and self-protective, prioritizing a scapegoat over taking responsibility.
• Hylem remains ambitious and resentful, but his injuries make him wary of the François Brothers and Aragorn.
• The François Brothers are formidable when working together, yet crude, impulsive, and distrustful; they prefer letting enemies weaken each other before striking.
• Aragorn presents himself as cordial but is openly determined to compete for the Sea King, reflecting the hostile rivalry between the Church and Death Council.
• Green continues investigating the golden warship’s potential while directing Frio’s capture of a prisoner. Pradas remains committed to Green but visibly anxious about the danger involved.

Significant themes

• Power and technological change: The Sea King’s superiority over older weapons underscores how dramatically the balance of power has shifted.
• Political blame and ambition: Leaders maneuver to protect themselves or claim the Sea King, while rival organizations converge on Se Fort.
• Uncertain alliances: Past favors and affiliations restrain some characters, but distrust dominates their dealings.
• Rising tension: The theft of the Sea King leaves Black Forest Port unsettled, while the captured stranger’s identity sets up the next conflict.

Key plot points and events

• Green captures Fisger, a senior Divine Eagle Empire spy and Nature Hermitage double agent who helped Sonic steal the Sea King. Pradas recognizes him as someone she had befriended while investigating the Sea God’s revival.
• Fisger initially refuses to cooperate. Frio tortures him, and after two hours Green extracts his soul and checks its fragmented memories against his confession.
• Fisger’s intelligence reveals that the Divine Eagle Empire has been searching for the resting places of fallen Deities. It believes the Sea God’s Sleeping Place lies near Sebao Port and hopes to awaken and control the Sea God.
• The empire’s larger aim may be to overcome the Deities’ restrictions on reaching Saint Spirit Rank. It seized Black Forest Port largely to obtain the Sea King, a powerful relic needed to admit a strong force into the Sleeping Place.
• Sonic, representing the weaker Nature Hermitage, stole the Sea King to keep the empire from excluding him and to pursue the Sleeping Place independently.
• Green realizes that the disappearances of several groups and the arrival of various factions are all connected to the hidden site. He sends the new intelligence and his suspicions to Cyrabelle, considering whether Grand Duke Mora should be involved.

Character developments

• Green demonstrates cold pragmatism: he prefers a confession to immediate soul extraction, then verifies Fisger’s account before drawing conclusions.
• Fisger’s confidence and training fail under prolonged supernatural torture; despite his rank and resistance training, he eventually reveals what he knows.
• Pradas is shaken to learn that a man she considered an honest friend was secretly a double agent.
• Sonic is shown to have acted strategically, anticipating that the empire would monopolize access to the Sleeping Place.

Significant themes

• Power versus divine authority: The empire seeks a way to break the Deities’ control over advancement to Saint Spirit Rank.
• Betrayal and unequal alliances: Fisger serves two sides, while Sonic’s supposed alliance with the empire is undermined by their imbalance of power.
• The cost of ambition: Multiple factions are drawn into danger by the prospect of reaching a fallen Deity and claiming its power.
• Information as leverage: Green’s interrogation and verification turn scattered incidents into a coherent picture of the larger conflict.

Character interactions

• Green confronts Fisger and uses Frio’s torture to force his cooperation; afterward, he tests the confession against Fisger’s soul memories.
• Pradas identifies Fisger and reacts with disbelief at his betrayal, while Green explains that Fisger’s guilt is for him to judge.
• Sonic’s actions indirectly expose the rivalry between the Divine Eagle Empire and the Nature Hermitage.
• Green shares his findings with Cyrabelle, opening the possibility of involving Grand Duke Mora in the unfolding struggle.

Plot points and events

• After discovering the Sea God’s resting place near Black Forest Port, Green urged Grand Duke Mora to pursue the opportunity. Mora instead ordered him to return to the capital immediately.
• Three days later, Green learned that a massive tsunami had destroyed Sebao Port. Secret intelligence revealed that a battle over the Sea God’s resting place had killed two Calamity Rank fighters, including Duke Morissent, and more than eleven High-Level Legendary Transcendents. Around half a million people had been drawn into the opened resting place, their fate unknown.
• The Divine Eagle Empire blamed High Priest Sonic and punished a former prime minister who had backed him. It also accused surviving outsiders of conspiring against Duke Morissent, putting pressure on the Rune Federation and the Holy Light Church.
• Green realized Mora’s recall had likely saved him from death and from becoming embroiled in the political crisis. The Lorenzo Kingdom avoided involvement after announcing that its three missing warships had been found.
• A week later, Green awoke in Void World No. 26, a realm ruled by Princess Mulesina. The chapter ends as he surveys his bleak surroundings, beginning a new mission.

Character developments and interactions

• Green becomes more cautious about seeking power tied to fallen deities, recognizing how deadly such pursuits can be. He is increasingly impressed by Mora’s judgment.
• Grand Duke Mora remains enigmatic, but his quick decision to recall Green proves prescient.
• Cyrabelle confirms Green’s safety and explains the political consequences of the Sebao Port disaster. She and Green share relief that he stayed away.
• Lena, now Cyrabelle’s secretary, appears more mature and self-assured. She treats Green with respectful warmth, while he remains politely neutral toward her.
• King Prady XIV arranged Green’s assignment in Void World No. 26 as both a reward and a practical mission.

Significant themes

• The danger of ambition: Even the remains of a deity can bring catastrophe to powerful Transcendents.
• Foresight and restraint: Mora’s refusal to chase the Sea God’s resting place protects Green and keeps Lorenzo out of the crisis.
• Political opportunism and scapegoating: The Divine Eagle Empire exploits the disaster to punish rivals and shift blame.
• Power and survival: The chapter contrasts Green’s fortunate escape with the devastating losses at Sebao Port, then moves him toward a new challenge.

Key plot points

• Green wakes in a heavily warded cell in the Twenty-Sixth Void World. He could escape, but stays because being imprisoned is part of his investigation.
• Princess Mulesina, guardian of the Void World, has been unable to identify a mysterious group that slips in and out of her domain undetected. She has asked the Anomalies Bureau to investigate.
• Green accepted the assignment because Mulesina promised to share her method for making artificial dragon bones. Her research has produced a weak adult Bone Dragon without using a True Dragon corpse, a potentially transformative advance for necromancers.
• To investigate from inside, Green adopted the identity of Vakarant, a sword- and fire-magic-using mercenary who was hired by the mysterious group but was not one of its members. The Bureau captured him, and he was jailed after interrogation revealed nothing.
• In the Main World, Mulesina and Grand Duke Mora discuss Green. Their investigations have not uncovered his true connections, but Mora advises against provoking him and believes he may be powerful enough to challenge a Calamity Rank opponent.
• Mulesina agrees to treat Green carefully and consider sharing her full dragon-bone technique if he completes the mission. Mora suspects Green’s unusual undead and ability to develop them could make him a valuable collaborator.
• The chapter ends with news that the Holy Light Church was behind the incident at Seiburg Port, apparently retaliating for the Kingdom’s destruction of the Eye of the Evil King.

Character developments and interactions

• Green is shown as patient and strategic: despite having the strength and allies to break out, he remains imprisoned to preserve his cover and pursue the investigation.
• Mulesina shifts from viewing Green as a promising but lesser figure to taking him seriously after Mora warns that he may rival Calamity Rank power. Her initial teasing of Cyrabelle also shows her playful, blunt side.
• Grand Duke Mora demonstrates caution and political judgment. He urges fairness and goodwill toward Green rather than testing or antagonizing him.
• Cyrabelle is embarrassed when Mulesina and Mora tease her about her relationship with Green. She denies any romance, though her silence and earlier advocacy for him leave the matter ambiguous.
• Mora and Mulesina discuss Green’s unknown background and potential; Mulesina ultimately accepts Mora’s advice to build trust and cooperate with him.

Significant themes

• Deception and investigation: Green’s assumed identity and deliberate imprisonment show how infiltration can require restraint rather than force.
• Power and uncertainty: Green’s true capabilities and affiliations remain hidden, making even powerful figures cautious.
• Trust and cooperation: Mora favors goodwill and mutual benefit over risky attempts to expose or control Green.
• Ambition and innovation: Mulesina’s artificial dragon-bone research represents the promise of pushing beyond scarce traditional resources.
• Political retaliation: The revelation about the Holy Light Church hints that the Kingdom’s actions may have triggered a wider conflict.

Key plot points and events

• Grand Duke Mora explains to Princess Mulesina that the Holy Light Church orchestrated the Sea God incident to retaliate against the Divine Eagle Empire for its role in the earlier attack on the church. The Sea God’s revival and resting place were real, but the church exploited them to set a trap.
• The empire lost a Calamity Rank expert but seized the vessel in which the Sea God was gestating. Mora views this recovery as costly and politically necessary, and sees the empire as showing signs of age.
• Mora advises Lorenzo Kingdom to remain strong and independent rather than become a pawn in the great powers’ conflict. He adds that the church is currently distracted by a looming succession struggle between Saintess Xiweina Ye and First Archbishop Link, as Pontiff Saint Fran prepares to depart for the Divine Kingdom.
• In Void World 26, Green is imprisoned at Dortnam Prison alongside Sarbayer, the mercenary who recruited Vakarant—Green’s body’s former owner—for a job connected to a mysterious organization. A hostile lieutenant, Fennick, resents the prisoners for killing two Bureau recruits, but a captain warns him not to disobey orders or risk his family and career.
• Green questions Sarbayer about his past and the organization’s operation. Sarbayer apologizes for withholding information but gives no real explanation, only insisting he has a feeling they will soon get out.
• Anomalies Bureau officers watch Green and Sarbayer through a Light Screen. They cannot extract useful intelligence from the organization’s members, who are protected by a Mind-Sealing Technique. The deputy director is told to avoid torturing Green because someone higher up has a special use for him.

Character developments and interactions

• Mora emerges as a cautious political strategist: he understands that smaller nations must preserve leverage and avoid being drawn into conflicts they cannot control.
• Mulesina listens seriously to Mora’s counsel and learns how much he knows about both the church’s plot and its internal politics.
• Green remains cool and observant in prison. He distrusts Sarbayer’s secrecy and is unimpressed by the lieutenant’s anger.
• Sarbayer stays cheerful despite his injuries and hints at an undisclosed reason for expecting release, while admitting he failed to be honest with Green.
• Fennick’s grief and anger over his fallen comrades clash with his duty; the captain restrains him by reminding him of the consequences for himself and his family.

Significant themes

• Political manipulation and shifting alliances: Powerful factions use others as pieces in broader schemes; survival depends on retaining independence.
• Restraint and strategic patience: The Holy Light Church waits for the right moment, while Lorenzo must avoid reckless commitments.
• Power struggles within institutions: The church’s internal succession contest may shape its next moves.
• Duty versus personal anger: Fennick’s desire for revenge is checked by military orders and family responsibility.
• Secrets and uncertain loyalties: Sarbayer’s hidden motives and Green’s unexplained importance keep the prison situation unresolved.

Key plot points and events

• Major General Weideke leaves the prison after warning Captain Qierbama not to harm the prisoners, implying that powerful interests are protecting them.
• That night, Qierbama secretly meets a middle-aged man at a hidden bar. He reports that Shalbayev, the mercenary Vakarant, and two others are imprisoned and badly injured. The man warns that investigators from the Main World are looking into their organization and insists their operation must succeed.
• Qierbama asks about help for his son, Diken. The man says he has passed the case to higher-ups but cautions that Evil God corruption may be impossible to cure.
• At home, Qierbama’s desperate circumstances are revealed: Diken has been horribly transformed by Evil God Power, his wife has been sent away after breaking down, and Qierbama has sold his home and taken on heavy debts. He joined the secretive “True God Followers” and became a spy in the Anomalies Bureau because they offered hope of curing his son.
• The next morning, Weideke visits Green’s prison cell on a last-minute order. Green senses an aura in Weideke’s Psychic Energy that reminds him of Modi and suspects Weideke has recently been in contact with him—or carries something connected to him.

Character developments

• Qierbama is revealed as a conflicted, increasingly desperate father rather than simply a loyal officer. His love for Diken has driven him to betray the Kingdom and the Anomalies Bureau, despite recognizing that his supposed benefactors may be deceiving him.
• Weideke appears cautious and politically constrained: he protects the prisoners from Qierbama’s interference, then comes to see Green under orders from an unnamed superior.
• Green draws on his memories of Modi and General James’s murder to identify a possible connection between Modi and Weideke, raising his suspicions about the purpose of the investigation.
• Diken is physically helpless but visibly comforted by his father, underscoring the emotional cost of his illness.

Significant themes

• Parental love and moral compromise: Qierbama’s hope of saving his son outweighs his loyalty, even though he understands the organization’s promise may be a trap.
• Hope exploited by desperation: The “True God Followers” offer Qierbama a chance of salvation, but the chapter suggests they are manipulating his grief.
• Inequality and social decline: The bright, prosperous Upper District contrasts sharply with the neglected Lower District, reflecting the life Qierbama has lost.
• Threat beneath ordinary life: The city’s bustling streets mask corruption, secret networks, and the possibility of a larger disaster.

Character interactions

• Weideke sharply rebukes Qierbama when he hints at harming the prisoners, establishing that they are protected by higher authority.
• Qierbama gives the middle-aged man intelligence about the prisoners and receives warnings about the investigators and his son’s uncertain prospects.
• Father and son share a tender, painful moment: Qierbama comforts Diken, who falls asleep at his touch, while the father hides his despair.
• Green’s silent exchange of looks with Weideke becomes a moment of recognition, as Green senses a link to Modi and anticipates trouble ahead.

Key events

• Green recognizes signs that Modi’s transformation after merging with Archbishop Ye Lijin has made him dangerous. General Weideke, unsettled by Green’s calm, orders his men not to provoke him.
• Released from prison, Green is forced into the Kingdom’s Anomalies Bureau and assigned to its Special Operations Unit. He notices traces of Modi in both Weideke and the arrogant colonel escorting him, and discovers the colonel is secretly a sophisticated Lich.
• The colonel reveals himself as Number Three, a Mid-Level Legendary Lich and member of a mysterious organization. He orders Green to kill a woman, Arolinka, as a test of membership, making clear that refusal means death.
• Green realizes Princess Mulesina sent him into Vakarant’s identity to infiltrate the organization, which has also penetrated the Kingdom’s government.
• An explosion on Lanluke Street signals Arolinka’s arrival. Pursued by City Defense troops and a young mage, she mistakes Green for another enemy and attacks. Green draws on Vakarant’s swordsmanship, kills her with one stroke, and is witnessed by rookie mage Rondok.

Character developments and interactions

• Green stays guarded, concealing his true abilities while adapting to Vakarant’s identity. Though he questions Number Three’s authority, he recognizes he has little choice and quickly demonstrates Vakarant’s formidable sword skill.
• General Weideke is unnerved by Green and opts for caution.
• Number Three appears as a haughty, coercive recruiter, using Vakarant’s vulnerability to force Green into a lethal initiation test.
• Arolinka, revealed to be Vakarant’s former girlfriend, recognizes Green as Vakarant and condemns his apparent alliance with the authorities before he kills her.
• Rondok, a young and inexperienced mage, arrives just in time to witness Arolinka’s death.

Significant themes

• Infiltration and uncertainty: Modi’s influence and the mysterious organization’s reach blur the lines between allies, enemies, and institutions.
• Identity and performance: Green must suppress his true nature and act as Vakarant, even when forced into choices tied to Vakarant’s past.
• Coercion and moral compromise: Green’s recruitment is presented as a choice only in name; survival and deception govern his actions.
• Violence and consequence: Arolinka’s death is both the result of a deadly initiation and a shocking spectacle for the inexperienced Rondok.

Key plot points and events

• Green kills the female mage Arolinka with a single sword strike, freezing her body and separating her head. Rondok and Erik, a powerful, intelligent white cat, witness the killing and are unnerved by Green’s strength.
• Colonel Chilabeka, captain of the City Guard’s Fifth Brigade under Duke Fula, identifies himself and cautiously asks who Green is. Green presents his Anomalies Bureau credentials, then leaves without further confrontation.
• Green captures Arolinka’s soul and interrogates her. When she refuses to calm down, he painfully compresses the soul’s prison until she submits.
• Arolinka reveals that she was a spy reporting directly to the Kingdom’s Military Command. She had uncovered compromising intelligence about a powerful figure and was pursued after leaving traces of her investigation.
• Green concludes that the target is connected to the mysterious organization associated with Number Three. Arolinka names the figure as Duke Fula, the king’s half-brother and fourth in line to the throne.
• Green sends Arolinka’s soul to the Nightmare Kingdom and heads to Anomalies Bureau headquarters. Chilabeka watches him leave with unexplained hatred and mutters that Arolinka should not have died so easily.

Character developments

• Green remains controlled and unsentimental, but uses brutal force to make Arolinka cooperate. Her revelation confirms his suspicions about Duke Fula.
• Arolinka shifts from frantic denial and grief to terrified compliance. She believes Green is not the Vakarant she once loved, because he would never have attacked her.
• Rondok is shaken by Green’s killing power and accepts Chilabeka’s warning to avoid the Anomalies Bureau.
• Erik appears to be an unusually intelligent, formidable cat, but Green’s gaze frightens him.
• Chilabeka presents himself as cautious and protective, then reveals hostility toward Green—suggesting his outward restraint conceals another motive.

Significant themes

• Power and intimidation: Green’s overwhelming strength shapes how everyone around him behaves, from the City Guard to Arolinka.
• Political intrigue and divided loyalties: Arolinka’s identity as a Military Command spy exposes tensions between the Military and the increasingly powerful Anomalies Bureau.
• Hidden ambitions: Duke Fula’s public modesty may conceal deeper involvement in a mysterious organization and broader schemes.
• Identity and trust: Arolinka’s reaction to Green raises the question of whether the person before her is truly Vakarant or someone inhabiting his body.

Character interactions

• Green’s encounter with Chilabeka is formally civil but strained by rivalry between the City Guard and the Anomalies Bureau.
• Green’s intimidating attention unsettles Rondok and Erik, while Chilabeka steps between them and the stranger.
• During the interrogation, Arolinka appeals to the memory of her relationship with Vakarant, but Green treats her claims as irrelevant to the fact that she attacked him.
• Chilabeka’s later whispered remark and hatred-filled look suggest he knows more about Arolinka’s death—or Green’s role—than he reveals.

• Zilabeka’s grief turns to resolve: After witnessing Arolinka’s death at Vakarant’s hand, Colonel Zilabeka hides his anguish and blames Duke Vra for orchestrating the conflict. He believes the duke’s ambition has cost the lives of several comrades. Zilabeka admits he withheld intelligence about Vra because he saw the succession struggle as a contest among powerful people—and because he despises Princess Mulesina for the undead forces that destroyed his childhood village and killed his adoptive father. Arolinka’s death makes him confront the consequences of his silence.
• Duke Vra watches events unfold: From his castle, Vra observes Zilabeka, Longduoke, Erik, and the white cat. He taunts Zilabeka inwardly, urging him and the others to grow stronger, since none is yet ready to serve as a “cornerstone” in his plan.
• Modi draws Vra’s interest: Major General Hainem reports that Modi was once a nobleman’s son and killed his father, but that the act followed a complicated fusion of Modi’s consciousness with part of the soul of the defector Archbishop Ye Lijin. Vra finds the case intriguing; Modi appears to be the mysterious potential partner who recently approached him.
• Vra reveals his ambition: Number Three warns that Modi is dangerous and should be avoided. Vra counters that Modi has offered him a path to ascend directly to Saint Spirit Rank with a Deity’s permission—a chance too tempting to refuse. Vra orders the plan accelerated: it needs two more “cornerstones” and sufficient blood and souls for a ritual. He suggests sending undead forces to breach the Eastern Bastion again.
• The chapter’s final turn: Green, at Anomalies Bureau headquarters, is ordered by an old general to go to the Eastern Bastion and reacts with surprise.
  Character developments and interactions: Zilabeka shifts from restrained grief toward determined opposition to Vra, while recognizing his own culpability in keeping information back. Vra presents a calm, genial exterior but reveals a ruthless, grandiose ambition. Number Three voices caution, but Vra’s promised ascension outweighs it. Hainem remains dutiful in reporting to Vra, and Green’s unexpected assignment sets up the next conflict.
  Significant themes: The cost of silence and political indifference; grief and loyalty among comrades; ambition that treats lives as resources; and the danger of bargains promising extraordinary power.

Plot points and events

• General Xuetielong sends Green to the Eastern Bastion to investigate suspicious activity by a mysterious organization. A map marks fourteen locations where Anomalies Bureau agents vanished, with six clustered near the Bastion.
• Green travels east in an ordinary carriage, intending to avoid drawing attention. On arrival, he chooses not to use the general’s letter to the local commander and instead seeks information through the Anomalies Bureau.
• In the Main World, Modi appears in the ruins of Cherbourg Port, now a Calamity Rank figure. He has secretly moved the vessel carrying the dormant Sea God into Void World 26. Modi plans to revive the god, whose return will require immense sacrifices—including the flesh and souls of tens of thousands of believers.
• Green reaches Eastern City, the settlement behind the Bastion’s rear defensive line. At the White Inn, he uses a discreet signal to ask for Mr. Longke, but is told Longke is absent; Green rents a deluxe room instead.

Character developments and interactions

• Green shows caution and independence: he accepts Xuetielong’s assignment because he trusts the general’s judgment, but avoids revealing his connection to the military unless necessary. He begins establishing contact through covert Bureau channels.
• Xuetielong reveals the true reason for the assignment: the organization has been especially active near the Bastion, a strategically vital defense against the Undead.
• Modi has grown from an idealistic boy into a powerful, pragmatic man. He still hopes to create a world without oppression or suffering, but advances toward that goal through deliberate work. His calm, almost patronizing treatment of the Sea God suggests he does not truly revere the deity.
• The White Inn’s clerk shifts from bored to watchful when Green gives the signal, then relaxes after recognizing it.

Significant themes

• Idealism and pragmatism: Modi retains a lofty ideal but pursues it with hard-edged practicality.
• Hidden threats and secrecy: Green’s investigation and Modi’s covert operation both unfold beneath ordinary appearances.
• Power and sacrifice: The Sea God’s revival demands massive human costs, raising the question of what ambitions justify such sacrifices.
• Fragile security: The Eastern Bastion protects the Kingdom from a devastating Undead invasion, while the recent cluster of missing agents suggests its defenses may face danger from within.

Key plot points and events

• Green, posing as the mercenary Vakarant, follows an Anomalies Bureau contact into a hidden underground chamber—but forces the man to go first at gunpoint, wary of trusting anyone.
• They find the chamber flooded with human blood. Colonel Vakas emerges gravely wounded and warns them to run. A blond man appears: Number Three, a member of the mysterious organization Green is investigating.
• Number Three kills the fleeing Bureau contact with a blood-vine attack that produces no detectable Psychic Energy, then kills Vakas. Green is alarmed by Number Three’s ability to conceal his power.
• In an adjoining room, Green discovers hundreds of recently killed civilians and soldiers. Their blood has been drained, and soul-binding magic circles trap their spirits in the chamber.
• Number Three reveals that the organization is preparing a Blood Portal to bring the Spider Queen’s Undead Army around the front line. He pressures Green to complete the ritual, passing him a wooden carving that supposedly protects its bearer from the Undead.
• Green realizes the carving offers limited protection and that Number Three is shifting the dangerous work onto him. He demands full compensation for taking on the mission’s riskiest part. Number Three gives him a small Divine Power Crystal and leaves.
• The portal preparations are nearly complete; opening it at the appointed time is the most perilous step, and Green doubts the carving will keep him safe.

Character developments and interactions

• Green remains cautious and controlled, using the Vakarant persona to conceal his true motives. He shows disgust at the abuse of the dead, recognizes Number Three’s manipulation, and negotiates rather than openly exposing himself.
• Number Three is revealed as cruel and calculating: he takes pleasure in the trapped souls, kills witnesses, and tries to offload the dangerous ritual onto Green. Green’s threat briefly unsettles him, showing that he has underestimated Green.
• The middle-aged Bureau contact initially tries to avoid leading Green underground, but complies under threat. He attempts to flee after Vakas’s warning and is killed by Number Three.
• Colonel Vakas is badly wounded and manages only to warn the others before Number Three kills him.
• Green and Number Three negotiate under the shadow of their shared mission for Lord Number Zero: Green insists on compensation, while Number Three invokes their superior to secure his cooperation.

Significant themes

• Trust and deception: Green’s caution is justified as allies, informants, and mission details prove unreliable.
• Power and coercion: Number Three uses both lethal force and a misleading “protective” token to push Green into danger; Green counters by asserting leverage and demanding payment.
• Respect for the dead versus desecration: Green views corpses and souls as deserving respect, while Number Three treats them as objects for his amusement and ritual.
• Risk and self-preservation: The chapter closes on the uncertain danger of opening the portal, with Green aware that his supposed protection may be inadequate.

Key plot points and events

• After leaving Green, Number Three meets Number Six, who mocks him for backing down from Green. Number Three insists his loyalty to Number Zero matters more than the humiliation. Ravens remain behind, while Green monitors events from the Basement.
• Green examines the soul-binding circle and speaks with the Spider Queen through its Spatial Anchor. Once Princess Mulesina confirms his identity, she grants him high-level authority. The Spider Queen reveals that an unidentified human Necromancer recruited her to help open a Portal behind the Eastern Bastion.
• Green suspects Duke Vra leads the mysterious organization but cannot determine his motive. He reports the plot to the Kingdom’s leaders. Grand Duke Mora orders him to follow Number Three’s plan so they can observe what happens, despite the likely civilian and military casualties. Mora also wonders whether Vra is secretly ruthless—or has been replaced.
• Duke Vra oversees a vast underground excavation toward the Eastern Bastion. Four other tunnels are being dug to connect five cities in a pentagram, forming an enormous Magic Circle centered on Dotenard.
• In Dotenard, Modi meets Baron Linardo, who treats him as a revered prophet. Modi secretly visits the Sea God’s womb beneath the baron’s residence. The womb supposedly captured by the Divine Eagle Empire was a decoy: Modi has persuaded the empire to divert attention in exchange for two chances to reach Saint Spirit Rank, while he prepares the Sea God’s revival in Void World Number Twenty-Six.
• Following Mora’s orders, Green opens the Portal in Eastern City. Undead pour through and surge up from the Basement. The surprise attack throws the city into chaos. Although troops from the Eastern Bastion quickly gain ground with rifles and cannons, the appearance of a Virus Nest unleashes an infection that turns survivors and corpses into more Undead.

Character developments and interactions

• Green remains cautious and analytical. He shares intelligence with the Kingdom but follows orders to let the invasion unfold, prioritizing the investigation over preventing immediate losses.
• Number Three conceals his fear of Green behind claims of loyalty to Number Zero. Number Six sees through his bravado and taunts him.
• The Spider Queen cooperates with Green after Princess Mulesina verifies his authority, but her account confirms she knows little about her human collaborator.
• Grand Duke Mora reveals a calculating willingness to accept casualties for political intelligence and raises the possibility that Duke Vra is not himself.
• Modi appears composed and devout, but his use of counterfeit Divine Blessing and elaborate deception shows how carefully he manipulates people and rival powers. Baron Linardo is fervently loyal and helps him reach the hidden Sea God’s womb.
• Duke Vra is shown directing major construction work, deepening the mystery around his role in the organization and the Kingdom-wide ritual.

Significant themes

• Political manipulation and hidden agendas: Multiple factions use deception, decoys, and strategic distractions to pursue their goals.
• The cost of power: Kingdom leaders treat potential deaths as acceptable figures in a larger plan, while ordinary soldiers and civilians bear the consequences.
• Faith as performance and influence: Modi’s imitation of Divine Blessing reinforces his authority and strengthens Baron Linardo’s devotion.
• Escalating danger: The invasion is not merely a military threat; the Undead can grow their ranks through death and disease, making apparent battlefield success fragile.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• The Undead turn the tide at Eastern City. Green’s army deploys a Virus Nest, which spreads Mulesina’s Undead Virus across the city. The virus has little effect on the living but quickly reanimates infected corpses. Because the human advance leaves its corpse-burning units behind, the Undead attack from the front, flanks, and rear.
• Eastern City falls. The incineration units are overwhelmed, and by the next morning most of the city’s population has become Undead. Of the more than 30,000 human troops who entered the city, only about 9,000 make it back to the Eastern Bastion. The Spider Queen regroups with an army exceeding 200,000.
• The Kingdom chooses defense at the Bastion. Rather than risk its elite garrison in a sortie, the Kingdom orders the troops to hold the walls while it prepares a defensive line farther inland.
• Green meets the Spider Queen. She thanks him for opening the Portal and asks whether he wants the advancing Undead to spare anyone or any place. Green gives no special restrictions. The Spider Queen explains that the army’s layered command structure makes it impossible to control every Undead precisely.
• Rebellion becomes the Kingdom’s greater crisis. In Ferul City, rebels loot and burn the city after defeating a poorly prepared army. Their numbers grow rapidly, while other uprisings break out across the Kingdom. The rulers focus on suppressing these rebellions, judging them a more immediate threat than the Undead.
• Green begins hunting the mysterious organization. With its members—Number One through Number Six—now active and exposed, Green moves to eliminate them. He plans to capture them one by one and is unconcerned whether Duke Vra is their leader, Number Zero.
• Number One is ambushed. Green watches her through a raven as Frio and Holly attack. Number One uses illusions or decoys to evade them, but their coordinated assault exposes her and wounds her severely. She survives by rejoining the two halves of her body with sticky threads.

Character developments and interactions

• Green remains strategically patient: he permits the Spider Queen to follow her campaign plan, then shifts his attention to the newly exposed rebel organizers. He personally oversees Number One’s ambush without revealing himself.
• The Spider Queen is powerful, respectful toward Green, and careful about the consequences of his authority. Her exchange with him also reveals the practical limits of controlling a vast Undead force.
• Princess Mulesina’s ambitions are clarified through her virus: she ultimately wants to infect living beings—including powerful Transcendents—directly, though the current version only accelerates the creation of Undead from corpses.
• Number One is shown as predatory and composed, disguising herself as a noblewoman while feeding on rebels. Her confidence falters when she recognizes the danger of Green’s forces, but she escapes immediate death through her unusual regenerative ability.
• Frio and Holly work in coordination through their mental link with Green. Frio’s cannon drives Number One into the open, while Holly identifies her hidden position and lands the decisive blow.
• Number Three confronts Number One over her distraction, emphasizing that both are serving the plan of the mysterious leader, Number Zero.

Significant themes

• The cost of war and failed safeguards: The corpse-burning strategy cannot keep pace with mass casualties, turning battlefield losses into reinforcements for the Undead.
• Strategic priorities and political instability: The Kingdom’s leaders see rebellion as a deeper threat to their rule than an external invasion, even as the Undead advance.
• Control versus chaos: The Spider Queen’s army is formidable but not perfectly controllable, while the rebellion spreads beyond the authorities’ ability to contain it.
• Predation and deception: Number One exploits social upheaval for her own ends, and the hunters rely on misdirection, surveillance, and coordinated attacks to expose her.

Key plot points and events

• Number One’s noble composure collapses under Frio and Holly’s attacks. Her feigned surrender is a trick: she uses their momentary hesitation to ambush Holly, but Holly’s flames expose Number One’s grotesque true form—a vast, regenerating mass containing the faces and remains of those she has consumed.
• Green identifies her as an Alchemical Construct powered by Divine Power Crystals. Even after Holly nearly burns away her body, Number One’s rune-covered core lets her regenerate. Green ends the fight by sending the Skeleton Lord, who destroys her core and soul with one blow and retrieves its Divine Power Crystal.
• Far away in Dortnald Town, Princess Mulesina confronts Modi after discovering a Sea God Broodmother hidden beneath the town. Mulesina attacks with enormous tentacles, devastating the settlement. Modi, empowered by a Divine Artifact and the Sea God’s power, can wield strength comparable to an Early Calamity Rank being, but his own body remains only High-Level Legendary; he is injured and driven onto the defensive.
• After Green leaves the site of Number One’s death, a strange Dwarf emerges from underground searching for her. Ravens left behind by Green watch him, setting up a possible new lead.

Character developments and interactions

• Number One shifts from arrogant confidence to panic, then briefly feigns surrender before revealing her true form. When her core is finally threatened, her pleas are sincere—but too late. Her offer to sell information is dubious because her creator can control her.
• Green shows strategic patience: he deliberately prolongs the fight, hoping to draw out Number One’s allies or hidden master. When the bait fails, he prioritizes a certain kill and keeps surveillance in place.
• Frio and Holly work together to overwhelm Number One, while the Skeleton Lord’s arrival reveals a far greater level of power. Frio and Holly disappear after the battle.
• Mulesina and Modi clash over the fate of the Sea God Broodmother and the political outcome for the Lorenzo Kingdom. Mulesina relies on overwhelming force; Modi remains unnervingly composed despite injury, suggesting he is committed to a larger plan.
• The mysterious Dwarf’s search implies Number One had an associate or connection that Green’s forces may now uncover.

Significant themes

• Masks and true nature: Number One’s elegant persona gives way to her monstrous form, echoing the idea that refinement can conceal cruelty or vulnerability.
• Power and control: Number One’s apparent independence is undermined by her dependence on her creator and artificial core.
• Strategy versus brute force: Green’s trap-setting contrasts with Mulesina’s direct assault, while Modi’s composure hints that strength alone may not decide the conflict.
• Escalating revelations: Number One’s construct nature, the Sea God Broodmother, and the Dwarf’s appearance broaden the mystery surrounding the hidden organization and the coming conflict.

Key plot points and events

• Green spots the red-bearded Dwarf’s arrival but does not turn back. Instead, he sends the Death Angel—controlled by his Main Consciousness—back to confront him, equipping her with the Divine Artifact Hundred Thousand Swords.
• The Dwarf is Number Two, an artificial being created from a Dwarf’s corpse and altered soul. He has come searching for Number One, whose aura has vanished. Unable to find her, he breaks down, calling her “Mother.”
• Number Two attacks the Death Angel, blaming her for Number One’s death. Green uses Hundred Thousand Swords to overwhelm his axe and injure him. Number Two grows into a giant and becomes stronger, but the Death Angel’s Calamity Rank power and sword storm defeat him.
• Even after being decapitated and cut in two, Number Two’s body tries to regenerate. Green discovers a walnut-shaped core device in his chest and takes it to the Graveyard for study rather than destroying it.
• In Stinnerls City, Rondok remains troubled by Colonel Chilabeka’s disappearance and the accusations that she was involved with a secret cult. After questioning, he has been released but suspended from duty. He arrives at Chilabeka’s apartment and is greeted by a familiar voice.

Character developments and interactions

• Green uses the Death Angel and the Divine Artifact strategically, demonstrating both the weapon’s potential and his interest in studying the enemy’s technology.
• Number Two is intelligent and emotionally attached to Number One, but his altered soul makes him unstable. Her disappearance removes the person who had kept him under control, and grief turns into rage.
• The Death Angel proves vastly superior to Number Two once empowered by Hundred Thousand Swords, defeating him despite his growth and regeneration.
• Rondok remains loyal to Chilabeka and distrustful of the accusations against her, while the investigators treat him with suspicion. His visit to her home hints at a new development.

Significant themes

• Grief and attachment: Number Two’s devotion to Number One is both his emotional anchor and the source of his collapse.
• Power and ingenuity: Green combines the Death Angel’s swordsmanship with a Divine Artifact to cross a major rank threshold without relying solely on costly Divine Power Blessing.
• Investigation and suspicion: Rondok’s situation shows how accusations and uncertainty can isolate people before the truth is known.
• Artificial life and identity: Number Two’s modified soul grants him unusually rich emotions and intelligence, but at the cost of psychological stability.

Chapter summary

Key plot points and events

• Rondok and Mrs. Cassel worry about Chilabeka’s disappearance. After hearing that the Anomalies Bureau suspected the colonel of belonging to an evil cult, Rondok passionately insists he is innocent. Mrs. Cassel shares his belief, and they decide to find a way to help him.
• Their efforts attract suspicion. With no leads and their behavior drawing attention, Rondok and Mrs. Cassel are detained as possible accomplices. Mrs. Cassel’s brother’s connections, combined with a lack of evidence, secure their release.
• Chilabeka secretly returns to Rondok. He explains that he was framed by a powerful person and cannot clear his name through official channels. Staying free is his best chance to fight back. He also reveals that other persecuted comrades—including Rondok’s former teammate Aifei—are working with him.
• Rondok recommits to Chilabeka’s cause. Seeing his captain again restores Rondok’s sense of purpose. He asks to rejoin the team, and Chilabeka accepts. They plan to leave immediately for safety.
• Mrs. Cassel makes her involvement unmistakable. A magical communication device hidden in Rondok’s pocket reveals that she has been listening. She refuses to be excluded, threatens to report Chilabeka unless he comes to get her, and declares her determination despite the danger.
• Green returns to Stinnells amid a larger political crisis. He learns that Modi is confronting Princess Mulesina in Dotenard and has secretly brought the Sea God Broodmother into Void World 26. Grand Duke Mora suspects the Divine Eagle Empire is involved and is deeply troubled.
• The Divine Eagle Empire sends a delegation. Prince Simdo leads a formal visit to the Lorenzo Kingdom. Though an old friend and former ally of Mora, he is understood to be there to constrain the kingdom and help Modi’s plan proceed.

Character developments

• Rondok moves from grief and helplessness to renewed resolve. He sees Chilabeka as both a moral guide and the source of his life’s purpose, and chooses to rejoin him despite the risks.
• Mrs. Cassel proves courageous and resourceful. Her concern for Chilabeka becomes active commitment; she refuses to be kept at a safe distance.
• Chilabeka is revealed as a framed fugitive leading a network of persecuted comrades. Though cautious about involving others, he is relieved and moved by their loyalty.
• Grand Duke Mora is shown confronting a threat beyond his ability to control, even as he recognizes the political maneuvering behind it.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and trust: Rondok and Mrs. Cassel stand by Chilabeka despite the accusations against him.
• Purpose and personal agency: Rondok’s renewed allegiance gives him direction and a cause he believes serves justice and the kingdom.
• Power and persecution: Chilabeka’s inability to seek justice through official channels reflects the influence of the powerful figure framing him.
• Personal stakes within political conflict: The intimate struggle around Chilabeka parallels the larger contest involving Modi, the Sea God Broodmother, and the empires.

Character interactions

• Rondok and Mrs. Cassel comfort and encourage each other, then jointly try to help Chilabeka.
• Chilabeka warns Rondok that the Bureau may exploit him, but Rondok insists on joining the fight; Chilabeka ultimately welcomes him back.
• Aifei’s appearance confirms that Chilabeka has a wider circle of allies.
• Mrs. Cassel confronts Chilabeka through the communicator, transforming herself from a concerned neighbor into a determined participant.
• Grand Duke Mora and Prince Simdo’s old friendship contrasts with the suspicion surrounding Simdo’s diplomatic mission.

Key plot points and events

• Grand Duke Mora understands that the Divine Eagle Empire has chosen its own interests over the Lorenzo Kingdom’s, but he cannot risk retaliating by defecting to the Holy Light Church. The Empire sends Prince Simdo’s delegation partly to appease him and keep the Kingdom from striking back.
• The Empire’s terms effectively leave the conflict in Void World 26 to the people already there: Princess Mulesina and the Kingdom’s forces must stop Modi from resurrecting the Sea God. Mora realizes the Empire does not know Green is also a Calamity Rank fighter in the Void World.
• Green returns to Stinnerls City and meets Number Three, who offers him a new, better-paid assignment. Green considers killing him but holds back while he waits to see what Duke Vra and the mysterious organization do next. The assignment papers include a photograph of Mrs. Cassel.
• Rondok arrives with Colonel Chilabeka at a secret military camp that answers directly to Princess Mulesina. Chilabeka explains that Duke Vra may be preparing a vast Magic Circle to sacrifice the Kingdom’s population and souls.
• Horrified but resolved, Rondok commits himself to stopping the plot and imagines himself as a hero called to save the world.

Character developments and interactions

• Grand Duke Mora moves past anger to a cool, strategic understanding of the political situation. Though constrained by the Kingdom’s weakness, he spots a possible advantage in the Empire’s ignorance of Green’s presence.
• Green remains guarded and calculating, negotiating higher pay with Number Three while concealing his own suspicions and murderous intent. He chooses caution over an immediate attack.
• Rondok begins as a stunned recruit with complicated feelings about serving Princess Mulesina, whose Undead Army killed his family. Chilabeka, who suffered a similar loss, acknowledges his grief but urges him to focus on the threat to everyone. Rondok accepts this call to action.
• Colonel Chilabeka acts as Rondok’s mentor, turning his fear and anger into resolve by revealing the scale of the danger.

Significant themes

• Political realism and power: Smaller nations may understand betrayal yet lack the strength to retaliate.
• Sacrifice and necessity: Characters must set aside personal grievances when the survival of millions is at stake.
• Hidden stakes and strategic uncertainty: The Empire, Green, and Chilabeka each have only part of the full picture.
• The making of a hero: Rondok’s sense of purpose awakens when a mentor gives him a cause greater than himself.

Key plot points and events

• Rondok’s newly awakened potential is immediately tested when Number Four ambushes him in Stinnerls City, cutting him nearly in half. Erik intervenes, allowing Rondok to send a distress signal, but Number Four captures Erik.
• Number Four recognizes Erik as his former colleague, the organization’s original Number One, and demands to know how Erik transferred his soul into a cat’s body.
• Erik realizes that Duke Vra—his father and the organization’s Number Zero—is controlling Number Four. Vra reveals that his experiments and crimes are driven by his obsession with resurrecting Erik’s mother, Isabelle.
• Erik questions whether Vra’s actions can bring Isabelle back, but Vra urges him to leave for the Main World.
• Modi’s Sea God power suddenly disrupts Vra’s control of Number Four. Modi then offers Number Four the possibility of escaping his altered body in exchange for bringing Erik to him.

Character developments and interactions

• Rondok shows promise, but his rapid rise is interrupted by a sudden, severe setback.
• Erik is exposed as a former human experiment and former Number One. Though wounded and trapped, he remains defiant toward Number Four and conflicted about his father, mixing anger and pity with lingering hope that his mother might return.
• Number Four / Gregory shifts from captor to frightened pawn. He learns that Vra has been controlling him and is tempted by Modi’s promise of a human body.
• Duke Vra emerges as a grieving, obsessive father whose love for Isabelle has driven him to sacrifice his son and betray his people.
• Modi demonstrates that he can interfere with Vra’s control and manipulate Number Four through the promise of freedom.

Significant themes

• Obsession and love: Vra’s devotion to Isabelle is sincere, but it has become destructive and all-consuming.
• Identity and transformation: Erik’s altered body and soul transfer, along with Number Four’s desire to escape his own body, raise questions about what makes someone human.
• Control and freedom: Vra’s possession of Number Four and Modi’s intervention show how characters are caught between powerful forces, while each seeks release from captivity or an imposed existence.