Chapter Summaries

Raphtalia and her friends played in a meadow, where a sudden blast and violent wind revealed an ominous rift across the sky. The frightened children returned to the village, unsure what would happen next.

• Raphtalia met Keel and the other children, and they went to the meadow to play.
• Raphtalia and her friends played hide-and-seek, then rested while Keel and the boys started another game.
• Rifana told Raphtalia that she wanted to marry the legendary Shield Hero, and Raphtalia was stunned by her ambition.
• A loud blast and violent wind shook the meadow, and the children saw a dark rift stretching across the sky.
• Keel wanted to investigate the rift, but the other children stopped him and hurried back to the village.

Chuan Wenwu cared for Raphtalia and took her and Bruce to dinner, where Raphtalia hesitated to enter a restaurant because its sign banned Demi-Humans. After Raphtalia called herself a slave, Chuan Wenwu began to reassure her and ordered her a meal.

• Chuan Wenwu gave Raphtalia medicine, learned she was hungry, and took her out to eat with Bruce.
• Raphtalia noticed the restaurant's “No Demi-Humans allowed” sign and hesitated outside, but followed Bruce in.
• The restaurant staff approached Bruce but backed off when they saw his imposing appearance.
• Chuan Wenwu offered to order Raphtalia the same children's meal as a nearby child.
• Raphtalia said she was only a slave, and Chuan Wenwu called out an order for a children's dinner for her and six deluxe all-meat feasts for himself.

Chuan Wenwu, Bruce, and Raphtalia shared a huge dinner before walking through town, where Raphtalia mourned her family and Chuan Wenwu offered her a safe place to stay. The chapter left Raphtalia agreeing to remain with him for now.

• Bruce and Chuan Wenwu devoured a mountain of food, while Raphtalia joined them and ate eagerly with her hands.
• After dinner, Chuan Wenwu suggested visiting the seaside someday, and Raphtalia grew sad at the mention of the ocean.
• Chuan Wenwu asked Raphtalia what she wanted to do and offered to remove her slave mark and help her find her family once she recovered.
• Raphtalia revealed that monsters had killed her parents and everyone else, then broke down crying.
• Chuan Wenwu comforted Raphtalia and told her she could stay with him, though his future plans might put her in danger.
• Raphtalia agreed to stay with Chuan Wenwu for now.

Raphtalia’s village was overrun by monsters, and her parents fought to protect the villagers as they fled. When their escape was cut off, they threw Raphtalia into the sea so she could survive while they stayed behind to hold back the monsters.

• Raphtalia reunited with her father, who told the village that monsters had poured out of the sky rift and that the lord had ordered an evacuation.
• Skeleton monsters advanced on the village, and Raphtalia’s father attacked them with magic while her parents urged the villagers to flee.
• A three-headed canine monster charged into the village, killing villagers and driving the survivors toward the sea.
• The monster followed the villagers into the water, and Raphtalia’s father was wounded as he tried to protect everyone at the cliff.
• Raphtalia’s parents told her to keep living and smiling, then her mother threw her into the sea while they stayed behind to confront the monsters.
• Raphtalia survived.

Chuan Wenwu let Raphtalia share his room after she admitted she was afraid to sleep alone, and learned that her fear of Bruce came from the three-headed dog monster that had killed her parents. They talked through the night, leaving Raphtalia hopeful about the happy future Chuan Wenwu described.

• Chuan Wenwu arranged for himself and Bruce to stay in rooms beside Raphtalia's, and they went to bed after a quiet evening.
• Raphtalia knocked on Chuan Wenwu's door at night and asked to sleep with him; he initially refused, then let her in after she explained she was afraid of being alone in the dark.
• Raphtalia revealed that a three-headed dog-like monster had killed her parents and that she feared Bruce because he reminded her of it.
• Chuan Wenwu comforted Raphtalia, explained that Bruce was a kind companion, and encouraged her to apologize to Bruce and try to overcome her fear.
• Chuan Wenwu and Raphtalia shared the bed and talked about her tragic past and his original world until they fell asleep.

Chuan Wenwu reconciled Raphtalia and Bruce, then took her to Elhart’s Weapon Shop and asked about the soldiers who enslaved Demi-Humans. Elhart explained that Melromarc’s human-supremacist rulers tacitly allowed such attacks, leaving Chuan Wenwu to reflect on the cruelty of the society.

• Bruce forgave Raphtalia for being wary of him, and the two bonded when he gently patted her head.
• Chuan Wenwu took Raphtalia to Elhart’s Weapon Shop and introduced her to Elhart, who remarked on how much healthier she looked.
• Chuan Wenwu told Elhart that Raphtalia’s parents had died in a calamity wave and that soldiers later massacred her village and enslaved its survivors.
• Elhart said soldiers sometimes attacked Demi-Human villages and sold their captives with the royal family and nobles’ tacit approval.
• Chuan Wenwu recalled the suffering of the slaves he had seen and reflected that a rotten old society turned people into ghosts.

After the Calamity Wave, Raphtalia found her parents dead, urged the surviving villagers to rebuild, and tried to honor her parents by staying strong. That night, corrupt soldiers raided the village, killed the old man, and captured Raphtalia to sell as a slave.

• Raphtalia returned to the cliff, found her parents dead, buried them, and mourned before going back to the village.
• Raphtalia encouraged the grieving survivors, including Keel and Rifana, to work together and rebuild their village.
• The villagers began rebuilding despite their losses and scarce food, believing they could restore their home.
• A band of humans attacked the village, and their leader killed the old man after revealing that they were the soldiers sent from the Royal City.
• The attackers ordered Raphtalia and the other women and children captured for sale, and Raphtalia was taken alive as a slave.

Chuan Wenwu asked Elhart to inspect a collar Magic Item and learned that Rude Village’s mine was infested with surviving monsters. He agreed to clear the mine and then asked Elhart to assess Raphtalia’s, Bruce’s, and his own potential for learning magic.

• Chuan Wenwu asked Elhart to check whether the collar Magic Item he bought from a Slave Trader was safe, and Elhart found no hidden tricks but warned that its wearer needed enough strength to support its stored contents.
• Chuan Wenwu accepted Elhart’s explanation that Bruce could handle the collar and said they would test it outside the city.
• Elhart explained that monsters were attacking miners in Rude Village’s mine, disrupting ore supplies and delaying Chuan Wenwu’s commissioned equipment.
• Chuan Wenwu agreed to go to Rude Village and defeat the monsters in the mine.
• Chuan Wenwu asked Elhart to check Raphtalia’s, Bruce’s, and his own potential for learning magic.

Chuan Wenwu brought Raphtalia and Bruce to a magic shop to test their magical aptitudes and decide how they might contribute to the party. He learned that he had earth and wood aptitude, Bruce had a strong fire affinity, and Raphtalia could use light and dark magic for illusions.

• Chuan Wenwu explained why he wanted Raphtalia to learn magic and brought her and Bruce to test their aptitudes.
• The elderly magic shop owner used a crystal ball to test Chuan Wenwu, who showed an affinity for earth and wood magic.
• Bruce tested next and displayed a strong affinity for fire magic.
• Raphtalia showed an affinity for light and dark magic, briefly astonishing Chuan Wenwu.
• The owner explained that Racoon Demi-Humans commonly used light and shadow refraction to cast illusions.

Chuan Wenwu and his companions paid to have their magical aptitudes tested and browsed costly spell crystals, but Chuan Wenwu discovered he could not read the world’s writing. After the shopkeeper recognized him as the Shield Hero, she sold him a dictionary and two magic books, leaving him nearly out of money but finally able to begin learning the language.

• Chuan Wenwu paid sixty silver coins for aptitude tests, and the shopkeeper offered to show the group magic crystals.
• The shopkeeper described spells suited to Chuan Wenwu’s earth and wood aptitude, P 묘ro’s fire aptitude, and the raccoon girl’s abilities, but the crystals cost five gold coins each.
• The shopkeeper offered Chuan Wenwu a spellbook and an incantation guide, but he could not read either one.
• Chuan Wenwu explained that he had recently arrived in the world and could understand speech through his shield but not written language.
• The shopkeeper recognized Chuan Wenwu as the Shield Hero, rejected the rumors about him, and sold him a children’s dictionary along with the two magic books for three hundred silver coins.

Chuan Wenwu, Raphtalia, and Bruce prepared to travel to Rude Village, with Chuan Wenwu deciding they would learn to read and study magic together. Outside town, they tested Bruce’s Collar, which let him transform into a giant dog and store his clothes and weapon; Raphtalia admired his transformed appearance.

• Chuan Wenwu joked with Raphtalia about their dwindling funds, then encouraged her and Bruce to learn to read and study magic with him.
• Chuan Wenwu assigned the group their party roles and bought clothes and supplies before setting off for Rude Village.
• Chuan Wenwu gave Bruce the Collar and asked him to test it in the grasslands.
• Bruce bound the Collar with his blood and transformed into a gigantic yellow dog, while his clothes and greatsword disappeared into the bell.
• Bruce changed back, and Raphtalia said she thought he looked amazing; Chuan Wenwu offered to let her ride on his back, and Bruce agreed.

Chuan Wenwu, Bruce, and Raphtalia traveled toward Rude Village, fighting magical beasts and helping Raphtalia level up. When they encountered Rabbit Hides, Chuan Wenwu convinced Raphtalia to overcome her fear of killing by promising her roast rabbit and cooking lessons, and she eagerly joined the hunt.

• Chuan Wenwu, Bruce, and Raphtalia fought Balloon Monsters on the road, practicing their skills while Raphtalia gained experience and reached Lv.7.
• Chuan Wenwu struggled to damage the blunt-resistant Balloon Monsters with Shield Bash, while Bruce found his greatsword difficult to wield.
• The group encountered Rabbit Hides, and Chuan Wenwu decided to hunt them for lunch.
• Raphtalia hesitated to kill the rabbits because she feared seeing blood, so Chuan Wenwu urged her to think of them as magical beasts and promised to teach her cooking.
• Raphtalia eagerly took her needle and set off with Bruce to catch rabbits for roast meat.

Chuan Wenwu taught Raphtalia how to prepare rabbits after helping her overcome her fear of killing them. He used the Shield of the Hero’s newly unlocked Dismantling and Tanning skills to process the rest, then promised to teach Raphtalia how to roast the meat.

• Raphtalia joined Chuan Wenwu and Bruce in hunting rabbits and eagerly asked how to prepare their catch.
• Chuan Wenwu demonstrated how to skin and gut a rabbit, then gave Raphtalia a knife so she could practice.
• Raphtalia successfully prepared a rabbit, and Chuan Wenwu praised her and encouraged her to continue.
• Chuan Wenwu used Dismantling to separate the remaining rabbits into meat, hides, and innards, then used Tanning to turn the hides into pelts.
• Chuan Wenwu explained that the Shield of the Hero had unlocked Dismantling and Tanning through rabbit materials, and told Raphtalia to finish practicing before he taught her to roast meat.

Chuan Wenwu prepared a campfire barbecue for Raphtalia and Bruce, teaching Raphtalia how to cook while Bruce ate his fill. After lunch, Chuan Wenwu noticed Raphtalia seemed taller and asked Bruce to carry them to Rude Village that afternoon.

• Chuan Wenwu used his shield as a shovel to dig a fire pit and gathered ingredients to marinate the rabbit meat.
• Chuan Wenwu roasted the rabbits and taught Raphtalia how to season and cook them.
• Raphtalia praised the barbecue, while Bruce ate several rabbits and complained that he could not taste them.
• The three spent two hours eating, and Raphtalia learned to barbecue as Chuan Wenwu and Raphtalia cooked more meat for Bruce.
• Chuan Wenwu noticed Raphtalia had grown taller, then asked the full Bruce to carry them to Rude Village.

Chuan Wenwu, Bruce, and Raphtalia arrived in Rude Village and learned that monsters had driven the miners from their mine. Chuan Wenwu told the villagers he had come to deal with the monsters, leaving the miners stunned.

• Chuan Wenwu brought Bruce and Raphtalia to Rude Village and decided to stay while he investigated the mine.
• At the tavern, Chuan Wenwu heard miners complain that monsters had shut down the mine and the authorities had ignored their pleas for help.
• The miners described the monsters as powerful, two-headed black creatures that had wounded adventurers and killed a miner.
• Chuan Wenwu told the miners that he had been commissioned to eliminate the monsters in the mine.

Chuan Wenwu reassured the villagers of Rude Village that he and his companions could handle the monsters occupying the mine, and learned that the village had a long, unrecognized connection to Elhart. After hearing what little the villagers knew, he planned to inspect the mine the next day.

• The villagers warned Chuan Wenwu that experienced adventurers had fled the mine, but he revealed that he was level 42 and Bruce was level 38, convincing them of his strength.
• Chuan Wenwu explained that Elhart, the weapon shop owner, had asked him to help Rude Village because the mine trouble had cut off his supply of raw materials.
• An elderly villager told Chuan Wenwu that Elhart had grown up in Rude Village, left to become a blacksmith, and had not returned after his parents died in a mining accident.
• The villagers admitted they knew little about the monsters beyond their size, numbers, danger, and dog-like cries, so Chuan Wenwu said he would inspect the mine the next day.
• Chuan Wenwu assured the villagers that his small party would retreat if necessary and declared that he hoped the monsters would be strong enough to challenge him.

Chuan Wenwu, Raphtalia, and Bruce studied the written language at the inn before setting out to investigate the mine in Rude Village. With Raphtalia choosing to stay beside him, Chuan Wenwu led the group into the dark mine as the villagers waited for news.

• Chuan Wenwu studied the otherworldly language with Raphtalia and Bruce, then told them to rest before their visit to the mine.
• The next morning, about a hundred villagers gathered to watch Chuan Wenwu and his companions head for the mine.
• At the mine entrance, the chief failed to open the rusted padlock, so Bruce broke it with his greatsword.
• Chuan Wenwu asked Raphtalia whether she wanted to enter the mine, and she chose to go with him rather than wait alone.
• Chuan Wenwu led Bruce and Raphtalia into the mine while the villagers remained outside.

Chuan Wenwu unlocked three new shields in the mine and discovered that the Rope Shield granted him the Aura Shield technique and a rope-launching effect. After testing the aura barrier’s strength and learning it consumed SP and had a cooldown, he continued exploring his new abilities.

• Chuan Wenwu used discarded mining equipment to unlock the Lantern Shield, Pickaxe Shield, and Rope Shield.
• Chuan Wenwu transformed his shield into the Rope Shield and summoned an Aura Shield, startling Bruce and Raphtalia.
• Bruce struck the Aura Shield repeatedly, and it shattered after five blows.
• Chuan Wenwu checked his character panel, found that Aura Shield consumed SP, and learned that the technique had a cooldown.
• Chuan Wenwu tested the Rope Shield’s exclusive effect and shot a rope to a beam support about twenty meters away.

Chuan Wenwu, Raphtalia, and Bruce followed monster tracks into the mine’s upper cavern and were ambushed by a horde led by a Two-Headed Black Hound. Raphtalia’s terror overwhelmed her, and the chapter ended as the hound lunged toward Chuan Wenwu while she screamed.

• Raphtalia and Bruce spotted nonhuman tracks in the cave, and Chuan Wenwu had Bruce follow their scent toward the waterfall.
• The group reached the upper cavern, where monsters surrounded them and Raphtalia fell into a panic.
• Chuan Wenwu blocked a Rabbit Monster with his shield and defeated it instantly.
• A Two-Headed Black Hound attacked Chuan Wenwu, and he judged it too weak to threaten him.
• Chuan Wenwu urged Raphtalia to look at the enemy, but seeing the hound bite toward him made her scream even more desperately.

Chuan Wenwu survived the Demon Hound’s attack and, with Bruce, overwhelmed the magical beasts while Raphtalia watched. He ordered them to capture the hound alive so Raphtalia could confront her trauma.

• Raphtalia believed Chuan Wenwu had been killed, but he pried himself free from the Demon Hound unharmed.
• Chuan Wenwu knocked the Demon Hound away and told Bruce to leave it alive.
• Chuan Wenwu and Bruce rampaged through the magical beasts, killing their attackers while Raphtalia watched.
• The Demon Hound recovered and howled, so Chuan Wenwu ordered Bruce to break its legs and pin down both heads for Raphtalia.