Chapter Summaries

Arthur memorized the notebook’s details about the Inner River God Cult and considered how the tentacles that emerged from Yura’s ears had transformed her. While Arthur and Pendragon waited for an actor to help investigate, Toran reached South Los and prepared to make the city suffer, especially Arthur Credos.

• Arthur copied Lucius’s notebook, learning that the Inner River God Cult had a major base at Dordot Harbor and was linked to massacres in Dora Village and Akenel.
• Arthur concluded that the tentacles had possessed Yura, altered her memories, and raised her to major arcana rank.
• Arthur told Pendragon that they should investigate the tentacles carefully and wait for an actor he considered key to their plan.
• Arthur relaxed with Pendragon on deck while Toran, having bought clothes and supplies to evade pursuers, arrived at the Inner River God Cult’s house in South Los and vowed revenge on Arthur.

Grindelwald confronted Toran and Mr. Gwen, claiming that Arthur had been framed for what happened at the docks. He named the Church of Pain as the force behind the trap, leaving Toran to consider the accusation.

• Toran used the Inner River God Cult's code to enter Mr. Gwen's home and hurried to the washroom.
• Grindelwald supplied the missing words, “Serpents Obey,” from Mr. Gwen's translation of the River God Chronicle, startling him.
• Mr. Gwen challenged Grindelwald with a walking stick, while Toran emerged from the washroom holding a miniature flintlock.
• Grindelwald introduced himself as Arthur's follower and told Toran that someone had framed Arthur over the events at the docks.
• Toran asked for proof, and Grindelwald answered, “The Church of Pain!”

Arthur manipulated Toran into blaming the Church of Pain for the attack, setting the Inner River God Cult and the Church of Pain on a path toward war. Back aboard the Eastern, Arthur agreed to sample local food and attend a play inspired by him as the ship’s maiden voyage continued.

• Toran recognized the Church of Pain’s involvement and demanded proof from Grindelwald, who offered to identify the infiltrating spy after they discussed compensation.
• Toran went to report the situation to the High Priest, while Arthur expected him to exaggerate the Church of Pain’s role and provoke conflict between the two churches.
• Captain Barry asked Arthur to choose a banquet main course, and Arthur picked the local river seafood hotpot.
• Barry told Arthur that first mate Albert had arranged a performance of Wintertide Monster aboard the Eastern, and Arthur agreed to watch it.
• After Barry and Albert left Arthur’s cabin, Arthur waited for the person who was about to arrive.

Lucius tried to trade Arthur secrets of the Inner River God Cult for a ritual, but learned that Toran had already sworn allegiance to Arthur. Yura’s Seed matured unexpectedly quickly, while Lucius’s despair turned toward madness before Arthur called out to stop him.

• Lucius brought Arthur a notebook containing secrets of the Inner River God Cult and asked to trade it for a secret ritual.
• Arthur told Lucius that Toran had sworn allegiance to him three hours earlier, leaving Lucius’s revenge plans in ruins.
• Yura sensed her Seed maturing faster, told Joe she felt unwell, and left the banquet to investigate.
• Joe stayed at the banquet and approached several wealthy magnates to discuss his ideas.
• Lucius went to the top deck and considered suicide, but hatred pulled him back from the brink as his anguish threatened to overwhelm him.
• Arthur called out, “Wait!”

Arthur extended Lucius’s chance to trade with him, prompting Lucius to consider uncovering Yura’s secrets. Yura learned what Lucius had told Arthur and used the Church of Pain’s Divination Knife to seek confirmation of Arthur’s knowledge.

• Arthur offered Lucius a new opportunity to trade valuable information, even after Arthur returned to South Los.
• Lucius left determined to investigate Yura and use her secrets as something to trade with Arthur.
• Yura confronted Lucius in their cabin, seized him by the throat, and forced him to recount his conversation with Arthur.
• Yura heard that Arthur had claimed to know the notebook’s contents, then prayed to the Lady of Suffering and stabbed herself with a Divination Knife.
• Yura asked whether Arthur Credos knew what was written in the notebook.

Yura used Divine Divination to confirm that the River God was backing Arthur Credos and devised a plan to cooperate with him against the Inner River Cult. She lacked bargaining chips, and the chapter ended with a tentacle emerging from her ear and spitting silk into her hand.

• Yura confirmed through Divine Divination that Arthur Credos knew the book's contents.
• Yura divined that the River God was backing Arthur Credos and planned to cooperate with him against the Inner River Cult.
• Yura realized she had no suitable bargaining chips because her equipment and mystic items were hidden in Dordot Harbor.
• Yura cursed over whether she had to abandon the plan, then a tentacle emerged from her ear and spat silk into her hand.

Yura hypnotized Lucius into believing he had recovered the Holy Thread and arranged to use it against the Inner River Cult, while Arthur watched Toran report the failed scheme to the cult’s High Priest. After consulting the deity, Achisto prepared to contact Lord Greisa Hamlet about the mission that had gone wrong.

• Yura recovered the Holy Thread from Lucius’s suitcase and hypnotized him into believing he had found it himself and planned to ally with the Medium of South Los against the Inner River Cult in Dordot Harbor.
• Lucius regained his senses, believed the Holy Thread would help him avenge his parents, and went to treat the mark on his cheek before leaving.
• Arthur watched as Toran reported to the High Priest that the Church of Pain had interfered and that the Medium of South Los had revealed the cult’s spies.
• The High Priest told Toran that the failure had created a new opportunity, then sought guidance from the cult’s deity while Toran waited.
• Achisto recalled that he had become the Inner River God Cult’s High Priest on orders from the Golden Lion Family and had planned to eliminate a gifted family member to please his superior.
• Achisto contacted Lord Greisa Hamlet in a deferential tone after his plan went wrong.

Greisa Hamlet assessed the threats and alliances surrounding Inner Bay while waiting for his uncle to make a move. After learning that the Inner River God Cult had suffered heavy losses in South Los, he heard that Black Cat Followers had arrived and formed a new plan.

• Greisa Hamlet reflected on Jimte's ties to Alvis, Carral, and Hayes, and resented Hayes for spending his money and taking his maids away.
• Greisa planned to ensure his uncle Barro and his younger brother Diodone Hamlet made contact, expecting their alliance to anger Severus Hamlet.
• Achisto reported that the Inner River God Cult's members sent to South Los had been almost entirely wiped out.
• Achisto told Greisa that Black Cat Followers had come calling, and Greisa came up with a new idea.

Greisa Hamlet planned to use the Black Cat Faction, the Church of Pain, and the Death Poetry Society against one another to eliminate his rivals. He chose the Holy Serpent Shield as a gift for the Black Cat Faction, hoping its influence would turn Arthur into a serpent person.

• Greisa Hamlet recalled how the Church of Pain had obstructed his efforts to control Dordot Harbor and how he had relied on the Death Poetry Society to gain a foothold.
• Greisa Hamlet planned to involve the Black Cat Faction in a campaign against the Church of Pain, then use the Death Poetry Society and his father's forces to destroy his allies and rivals in turn.
• Greisa Hamlet decided he could not afford to offer the Black Cat Faction gold or rare mystic items, so he chose the mysterious scale excavated beneath Kilger Harbor.
• Greisa Hamlet named the scale the Holy Serpent Shield and intended it as a gift symbolizing friendship with the Black Cat Faction.
• Greisa Hamlet hoped Arthur would examine the shield with spirituality, become a serpent person, and provide an entertaining spectacle for a salon.
• Greisa Hamlet picked up the Holy Serpent Shield and vanished from his study.

Greisa Hamlet promised Achisto a hereditary barony while directing him to claim that the River God would cooperate with Arthur Credos against the Pain Cult. Toran delivered the Church of Pain’s alliance offer and the Holy Serpent Shield to Grindelwald, whose touch made Arthur’s heart suddenly thump.

• Greisa Hamlet praised Achisto and promised him a noble title, then ordered him to tell his subordinate that the River God would cooperate with Arthur Credos against the Pain Cult and offer a gift.
• Toran received the High Priest’s message and the Holy Serpent Shield through the Communication Stone, then brought the shield to Grindelwald.
• Mr. Gwen praised the Fire-Bearer’s role in freeing humanity from the old rules, while Mrs. Gwen teased him about his lack of battle fitness.
• Toran told Grindelwald that the Church wanted an alliance with Arthur Credos and offered the Holy Serpent Shield as a token.
• When Grindelwald touched the shield, Arthur felt his heart thump while viewing through the [Exquisite Puppet].

Arthur used Grindelwald to negotiate an alliance between the Black Cat Faction and the Inner River God Cult, securing the Holy Serpent Shield in exchange for a list of spies and a joint operation. The chapter ended with Lucius presenting the Holy Thread to Arthur aboard the ship, awaiting his answer.

• Arthur coveted the Holy Serpent Shield while Grindelwald questioned Toran about its origins and value.
• Toran offered the shield in exchange for a list of spies and cooperation against strongholds in Dordot Harbor.
• After a lengthy negotiation, both sides agreed to coordinate under the Black Cat Faction's lead, while the Inner River God Cult could reject unsuitable orders.
• Grindelwald left with the Holy Serpent Shield and headed to Malinda's residence at 6 Whitebird Street.
• Lucius brought the Holy Thread to Arthur during breakfast and said he could not eat until Arthur gave him a definite answer.

Arthur safely retrieved the incomplete Mikhailo's Touch after having Kili test it, then discovered it could permanently enhance spiritual items. The Vampire Ancestor Insect inside Devoted Blood reacted intensely to the relic, and Arthur formed a plan as Lucius watched him examine it.

• Arthur sent Kili to sniff the Holy Thread, and the dog grabbed it without triggering anything.
• Arthur took the Holy Thread from Kili, then used the Hand of the Void and a slipper to beat the dog for chewing the bed.
• Arthur identified the Holy Thread as Mikhailo's Touch (Incomplete), a Heroic item that could permanently enhance spiritual items up to Epic quality.
• The Vampire Ancestor Insect inside Devoted Blood conveyed an extreme longing for Mikhailo's Touch, prompting Arthur to form a plan.
• Lucius watched Arthur carefully examine Mikhailo's Touch.

Arthur accepted Lucius’s Holy Thread and offered him the [Blood's Rise] Ritual and help against the Inner River Cult at Dordot Harbor. After Lucius left to consult the Church of Pain’s leadership, Arthur considered the church’s ties to West Berlin’s twin daughters and Yura’s role.

• Arthur told Lucius the Holy Thread was valuable and offered additional trades, including Mystic Arts.
• Lucius chose [Blood's Rise], and Arthur explained its Ritual Substrates, steps, and precautions.
• Lucius asked Arthur to help eliminate the Inner River Cult at Dordot Harbor, and Arthur agreed while asking how many church members would join the operation.
• Lucius hurried out to contact the Church of Pain’s leadership, as Arthur wanted its leaders drawn into his plan.
• Arthur wondered whether the Marquis of West Berlin’s twin daughters were connected to the twins in [Mikhailo's Touch (Incomplete)] and whether Yura was secretly in control.
• An enormous smoke ring appeared beside Arthur, and a slender hand reached through it to give him the middle finger.

Malinda confronted Arthur over the Inner River God Cult and laid out her theories about his plans. Arthur left her wondering whether he meant to offer her control of Dordot Harbor.

• Malinda brought Arthur the Holy Serpent Shield and shared breakfast with him, trading barbs as they discussed Grindelwald.
• Malinda asked whether Arthur had secretly built up the Inner River God Cult, and Arthur denied it.
• Malinda theorized that Arthur was using the cult to draw out his enemies in Inner Bay and lure Church of Pain members into a trap in West Berlin.
• Arthur applauded Malinda's reasoning, though he knew the Inner River God Cult was not under his control.
• Arthur asked Malinda whether she wanted Dordot Harbor, startling her into realizing he had made her an offer.

Arthur and Malinda negotiated an alliance to gain a foothold in Dordot Harbor by confronting the Marquis of West Berlin. They agreed Malinda would receive thirty percent of the harbor’s profits, and Arthur ended the chapter by sealing their partnership.

• Malinda asked whether they could draw the Marquis of West Berlin into their plans, and Arthur said it was possible.
• Arthur proposed taking twenty percent of Dordot Harbor’s profits, while Malinda initially mistook him as claiming a twenty percent chance of success.
• Malinda realized Arthur expected them to face the Marquis together and warned that he might be an Ascendant.
• Malinda demanded half the profits, while Arthur insisted that his years of preparation and expenses justified his offer.
• Malinda set thirty percent as her bottom line, and Arthur accepted before extending his hand to seal the partnership.

Arthur swallowed Sithidal’s Scale to restore and purify his Death Serpent bloodline, then awoke in a new form and crawled toward a tempting scent. As many eyes turned toward him, the chapter left his transformation and its consequences unresolved.

• Malinda congratulated Arthur on their partnership, then vanished through a smoke ring to prepare for dealing with the Marquis of West Berlin.
• Arthur examined Sithidal’s Scale and learned it could restore and purify a suitable serpent bloodline when ingested.
• Arthur prepared protections, asked Pendragon, Kili, and Fuginn to keep watch, and swallowed Sithidal’s Scale whole.
• Arthur fell into a deep sleep, then struggled through a hard barrier and emerged hungry, eating his eggshell and fluid.
• Arthur crawled toward a rich fragrance as one gaze after another turned toward him.

Arthur, disguised as a snake, reached an enormous Golden Tree while eleven powerful beings watched him. After the beings divided the tree sap that had saved him, Arthur fell into a river and was revived by a beautiful granny.

• Arthur's [Bluff] rapidly rose to Lv99 as the eleven gazes mistook him for an ordinary snake.
• Arthur grew to a hundred meters and reached the Golden Tree, where he saw worlds contained in its leaves.
• Arthur's [Death Intuition] showed him the deadly fates awaiting him if he climbed to the treetop, so he continued searching along the trunk instead.
• When fate stopped Arthur from moving, the Golden Tree's sap enveloped him and broke his limits, then the tree pushed him away.
• The eleven beings divided the sap inside Arthur into eleven portions and departed, leaving him to fall into a river and die.
• A beautiful granny scooped up Arthur's corpse, stroked his head, and brought him back to life.

Arthur relived Sithidal’s origin and realized humans may have brought the serpent egg near the Golden Tree, but danger forced him to suppress his thoughts. His death serpent bloodline then underwent a major transformation, and further changes began appearing before he could investigate them.

• Sithidal remembered being reborn as a gray snake, eating a drop of blood, and becoming obsessed with returning to the Golden Tree for its sap.
• Arthur emerged from his portrayal of Sithidal and concluded that humans cursed by the Golden Tree had likely brought Sithidal’s egg near it.
• As [Death Intuition] flashed, Arthur distracted himself by throwing Pendragon into the air, then used [Bluff] to suppress his dangerous memories.
• Arthur read that the Golden Tree’s sap had been absorbed by his talent and begun purifying his bloodline, unlocking powerful serpent abilities and incomplete water authority.
• Arthur’s body grew more than a meter taller before [Serpent Body] returned him to his original height, and more text began appearing.

Arthur's Swiftbird Swordsmanship advanced to level six, boosting his attributes and granting new speed, bloodline, and sword-intent effects. As he tested his rapid strikes, Yura unexpectedly had Lucius tell the truth again and prepared to contact the Church of Pain's higher-ups.

• Swiftbird Swordsmanship broke through to level six, raising Arthur's physique to 22.2 and spirituality to 19.1 and unlocking its enhanced effects.
• Arthur tested his faster strikes with a table knife, frightening Pendragon with a near-invisible blow.
• Arthur recalled the old woman's intervention but stopped himself from incorporating the memory into his swordsmanship when death intuition warned him.
• Arthur picked up Pendragon and asked whether the cat wanted to go swimming, but Yura's new move distracted him.
• Yura listened to Lucius's detailed account, agreed with Arthur's explanation, and took out a Communication Stone to contact the Church of Pain's higher-ups before something unexpected happened.

As the Eastern sailed onward, Yura received a supernatural message directing her to cooperate with Arthur Credos and drive out the Inner River Cult, though she had no memory of it. Arthur noticed that his improved abilities had kept him from sensing danger when the tentacle appeared.

• Joe ordered meals and two Saint Sinter Drinks for the suite, hoping to share the costly drinks with Yura.
• Yura's tentacle emerged, and voices from her eyeballs heard a message ordering cooperation with Arthur Credos against the Inner River Cult.
• The tentacle withdrew, and Yura opened the suite door for the food attendants without realizing what had happened.
• Yura tipped the steward and attendants using money from Joe's wallet, following the Eastern's customs.
• Arthur observed that his Bloodline and Swordsmanship improvements had stopped his Death Intuition from warning him about the tentacle, and he frowned at the implication.