Chapter Summaries

Chuan Wenwu urged Raphtalia to confront her fear by killing the subdued Demon Hound that reminded her of the beast that killed her parents. Afterward, Raphtalia found the courage to face future monsters and asked to call him Big Brother Chuan.

• Chuan Wenwu encouraged Raphtalia to kill the helpless Demon Hound and overcome the fear tied to her past.
• Raphtalia repeatedly stabbed the hound in the eye until it died, then broke down crying.
• Chuan Wenwu comforted Raphtalia, and she said she would no longer fear powerful monsters.
• Raphtalia's level rose to sixteen, and her body grew into that of a slender young woman.
• Raphtalia asked Chuan Wenwu if she could call him Big Brother Chuan, and he agreed.

Chuan Wenwu and his party cleared the magical beasts from Rude Village’s mine and showed the villagers proof of their success. The villagers celebrated the mine’s reopening, and Chuan Wenwu returned to the village with the old chief.

• Chuan Wenwu finished searching the mine, tied the slain magical beasts together, and hauled them outside.
• The waiting villagers cheered when Chuan Wenwu displayed the corpses, including the two-headed demon hound.
• The old village chief explained that the mine’s closure had left miners without income while steep taxes and living costs drained their savings.
• Chuan Wenwu agreed to let the chief display the magical beast corpses in the village square before they returned to the village.
• Chuan Wenwu saw villagers leading large, ostrich-like magical beasts toward the mine, possibly to transport the corpses.

Chuan Wenwu celebrated with the people of Rude Village after clearing most of the monsters from the mine, then agreed to accompany the miners when they returned to work. He left Bruce and Raphtalia at the inn to study while he went to supervise the mine.

• Chuan Wenwu quizzed Bruce on his vocabulary at the feast, discovered he had forgotten it, and assigned him ten copies of the word.
• The village chief worried that monsters might remain in the mine, and Chuan Wenwu offered to stay until the miners had worked safely for a few days.
• The villagers thanked Chuan Wenwu, Bruce, and Raphtalia at a feast that lasted until midnight and provided their lodging and meals for the rest of their stay.
• The miners gathered outside the inn the next morning, and Chuan Wenwu agreed to enter the mine with them as a safety officer.
• Chuan Wenwu told Bruce and Raphtalia to stay at the inn and study, then left to accompany the miners.

Chuan Wenwu accompanied Rude Village’s miners into the mine and questioned why people who could level up did not use that ability to become stronger. The miners defended their choice to live safely as miners and trusted the lord’s Knights Order and summoned heroes to handle danger.

• Chuan Wenwu followed the miners into the mine and learned that their mining skills let them extract large amounts of rock with each pickaxe strike.
• A miner explained that people could level up, but many avoided adventuring because fighting monsters was dangerous and they preferred their professions.
• Chuan Wenwu questioned why the miners did not gain strength to protect themselves and the village, but they said the Knights Order was responsible for keeping them safe.
• The miners said that even if a calamity overwhelmed the Knights Order, ordinary people could not become better fighters than professional knights, and they trusted the summoned heroes to stop the next wave.
• Chuan Wenwu murmured that heroes could not help everyone who had no desire to save themselves.

Chuan Wenwu killed a Mole Monster that ambushed miners and absorbed its parts to unlock five new shields. After testing his Pickaxe Shield’s mining skill, he struck a surprisingly huge square pit in the tunnel.

• A Mole Monster burst from the tunnel wall, but Chuan Wenwu blocked its charge and killed it with the Shield of the Hero.
• Chuan Wenwu reassured the miners, dismantled the monster, and used its hide, meat, bones, organs, and claws to unlock five shields.
• Chuan Wenwu switched to the Mole Claw Shield and considered the effects of its Mining II skill.
• Chuan Wenwu tried Mining I with the Pickaxe Shield in an unused patch of tunnel and opened a square pit one meter wide with a single strike.

Chuan Wenwu used the Mole Claw Shield’s Mining II skill to excavate a massive, perfectly square cavern, astonishing the miners. His next strike uncovered ore crystals in a mine they had thought was nearly exhausted.

• Chuan Wenwu tested the Mole Claw Shield’s Mining II skill and nearly exhausted himself with a powerful strike that carved a three-by-three-meter opening into the rock.
• The miners gathered and praised Chuan Wenwu’s precision, while the old miner declared that he had a legendary Mining Saint Physique.
• The miners cleared away the rubble and discovered that Chuan Wenwu had excavated a three-by-three-by-three-meter cavity with one strike.
• Chuan Wenwu struck the inner rock face again, extending the square tunnel to six meters deep.
• A miner spotted ore crystals in the rubble, revealing a new vein in the supposedly depleted mine.

Chuan Wenwu protected the miners in Rude Village’s mine and uncovered a rich vein of light metal ore, bringing the nearly exhausted mine back to life. He declined a large reward from the village chief and accepted a celebration feast instead, then headed back to the inn to check on Raphtalia and Bruce.

• Chuan Wenwu accompanied the miners into the mine, killed monsters that ambushed them, and gained the [Mining II] skill from a burrowing mole monster.
• Chuan Wenwu used his new skill to uncover a hidden vein of light metal ore, and the miners filled their carts with the valuable ore and rare crystals.
• The miners returned safely to Rude Village, where the village chief was astonished by the haul and tried to kneel in gratitude to Chuan Wenwu.
• Chuan Wenwu stopped the chief from kneeling and asked him to repay his help by treating the miners to a feast.
• The chief reluctantly agreed after an old miner urged him to accept, and Chuan Wenwu headed to the inn to wash up and check on Raphtalia and Bruce.

Chuan Wenwu returned from the mine and tested Raphtalia and Bruce on their language studies. Raphtalia impressed him with her progress, while Bruce mistook “despair” for “hope” and earned fifty rounds of copying.

• Chuan Wenwu came back filthy from the mine, bathed, and asked Raphtalia how much she had learned.
• Raphtalia answered Chuan Wenwu’s questions about several characters, then learned how to write “hope.”
• Chuan Wenwu explained his study methods and suggested that Raphtalia cross-check the dictionary with two books.
• Bruce claimed he had learned many words, but repeated Raphtalia’s answers and read “despair” as “hope.”
• Bruce declared that he would not learn another world’s language, so Chuan Wenwu ordered him to copy the word fifty times.

While staying in Rude Village, Chuan Wenwu unlocked useful shield forms and helped Raphtalia learn to heal injured villagers. Raphtalia grew more comfortable trusting people, and Chuan Wenwu proposed visiting her seaside home after they removed her Slave Crest.

• Chuan Wenwu stayed in Rude Village to supervise Bruce and Raphtalia's language lessons while unlocking shield forms and permanent stat bonuses.
• Chuan Wenwu chose the Light Metal Ore Stone Shield for its reduced weight and all-element magic defense, and considered asking Elhart for more ores.
• Raphtalia successfully cast Light Healing: Baptism of Rebirth and healed an injured miner, accepting half of his copper coins as thanks.
• Chuan Wenwu explained that people could be good or bad regardless of whether they were human or demi-human, and Raphtalia said she trusted humans because of him.
• Chuan Wenwu suggested they visit Raphtalia's seaside home to look for people she knew, but said they first needed to remove her Slave Crest.

Chuan Wenwu returned to the city with three wagonloads of ore gifted by Rude Village and delivered the village chief’s message to Elhart. Elhart agreed to visit his hometown when he had time, then settled in to hear what had happened there.

• The old village chief thanked Chuan Wenwu for helping Rude Village and gave him three wagonloads of rare ore to take to the city.
• Chuan Wenwu and his companions rode to the Royal City with a driver, while the chief asked him to tell Elhart to visit his hometown and pay respects at his parents’ graves.
• Chuan Wenwu brought the ore to Elhart’s Weapon Shop, and he, Bruce, Elhart, and Raphtalia unloaded it.
• Chuan Wenwu told Elhart that the villagers missed him and had buried his parents, and Elhart said he had avoided returning because it brought back painful memories.
• Elhart agreed to visit Rude Village when he had time and asked Chuan Wenwu to tell him what had happened there.

Chuan Wenwu discussed the approaching Calamity Wave and the need to prepare ordinary people to defend themselves, then collected the Barbarian Armor Elhart had made for Bruce. The chapter ended with Bruce wearing the armor and Elhart promising he could improve it with stronger monster bones.

• Chuan Wenwu told Elhart that Rude Village had discovered a new ore vein, and Elhart admitted he hoped the villagers would venture beyond mining.
• Chuan Wenwu warned Elhart that the Calamity Wave was due in about a week and that heroes could not protect everyone, especially if the Kingdom's army exploited the disaster.
• Elhart praised Chuan Wenwu's concern for ordinary people, and Chuan Wenwu asked about the equipment he had commissioned.
• Elhart showed Chuan Wenwu the Barbarian Armor he had forged for Bruce, and Chuan Wenwu helped Bruce put it on.
• Elhart said he could improve the armor if Chuan Wenwu found bones from tougher monsters.

Chuan Wenwu copied more than a dozen Cross Shields into the Book of Weapons and persuaded Elhart to make more using ore from Rude Village. After sorting out his own equipment, Chuan Wenwu turned to finding suitable weapons and equipment for Talia.

• Elhart showed Chuan Wenwu a batch of Cross Shields, which Chuan Wenwu copied into the Book of Weapons.
• Chuan Wenwu unlocked more than a dozen shields and found that only a few improved Shield Bash's defense-to-attack conversion ratio.
• Chuan Wenwu asked Elhart to make more shields from ore sent by the villagers of Rude Village.
• Elhart objected to taking ore instead of cash, but Chuan Wenwu persuaded him to accept it as payment and suggested partnering with Rude Village.
• Chuan Wenwu said he would look for weapons or equipment for Talia, drawing everyone's attention to the Raccoon Girl.

Chuan Wenwu took Raphtalia to buy a Beginner’s Magic Wand so she could better cast her light and dark spells. He nearly emptied his purse paying eight gold coins for it, leaving their plan to remove her Slave Crest still ahead.

• Chuan Wenwu decided Raphtalia needed a staff and explained that he would prioritize equipment for her and Bruce over armor for himself.
• Elhart told them his Weapon Shop did not sell mage weapons and praised Chuan Wenwu for helping Raphtalia grow healthier.
• Before leaving Elhart’s shop, Chuan Wenwu fed metal samples to the Shield of the Hero to unlock Iron and Copper Shields, then took the ingots and told Elhart to deduct their cost from the ore.
• At the Magic Item Shop, the owner showed Raphtalia a Beginner’s Magic Wand suited to her light and dark affinities, and Raphtalia tried it.
• Chuan Wenwu bought the wand for eight gold coins, nearly exhausting the group’s funds.

Chuan Wenwu took Raphtalia to the Slave Trader to have her slave mark removed, intimidating the man when he tried to treat her as merchandise and cast doubt on her loyalty. Raphtalia affirmed that she would stay with Chuan and help him fight the Calamity Wave.

• Chuan Wenwu reassured Raphtalia that the cost of her beginner's staff was manageable and led her and Bruce back to the Slave Trader's camp.
• The Slave Trader praised Raphtalia's transformation but warned that she might run away if her slave mark was removed.
• Chuan Wenwu threatened the Slave Trader for calling Raphtalia merchandise and trying to undermine their trust, then ordered him to prepare the mark-removal ritual.
• Chuan Wenwu told Raphtalia that she was free to leave whenever she wished, and she vowed to face the Calamity Wave alongside him.

Chuan Wenwu had Raphtalia's Slave Curse removed and encouraged her to see herself as a free, equal person rather than someone bound to him. After leaving the Slave Camp, they met the other three heroes at a restaurant, where Chuan Wenwu asked what they had been doing.

• Chuan Wenwu had the Slave Trader use a potion to remove Raphtalia's Slave Curse.
• Chuan Wenwu told Raphtalia not to identify as a slave or feel bound to follow him because he had rescued her.
• Raphtalia asked Chuan Wenwu to save the other enslaved Demi-Humans, and he said they would wait until after the next Calamity Wave to gather people who needed help.
• Chuan Wenwu, Raphtalia, and Bruce left the Slave Camp and returned to the city for lunch.
• Chuan Wenwu reunited with Motoyasu Kitamura, Ren Amaki, and Itsuki Kawasumi at an adventurers' restaurant.
• Chuan Wenwu explained that he had relaxed after getting used to the world and asked the three heroes where they had been.

Chuan Wenwu reunited with Motoyasu Kitamura, Ren Amaki, and Itsuki Kawasumi, and they traded stories about their recent adventures. After the others mistook his plain clothes for a sign of hardship, Wenwu explained that his Shield provided better defense than armor and challenged Ren to test it with a normal sword strike.

• Motoyasu Kitamura, Ren Amaki, and Itsuki Kawasumi told Chuan Wenwu about their monster hunting, village protection, and efforts to help oppressed people.
• Motoyasu Kitamura asked Wenwu how he had been faring since leaving the Royal Palace, and Wenwu recounted his training in the Southern Forest and a village commission.
• Ren Amaki noticed Wenwu's plain clothes and suspected that he had sold his armor or was facing trouble.
• Wenwu explained that his Shield gave him better defense than shop-bought armor, so he saved his money for Shield upgrades.
• Wenwu held out his arm and challenged Ren to test his defense with a normal sword attack.

Chuan Wenwu demonstrated that his shield could withstand Ren Amaki’s sword and Motoyasu Kitamura’s spear, then warned the other heroes not to mistake their real world for a game. He challenged Ren Amaki, Itsuki Kawasumi, and Motoyasu Kitamura to abandon their assumptions about respawning and take responsibility for their actions, leaving them chastened by his disappointment.

• Ren Amaki slashed Chuan Wenwu’s arm with the Hero’s Sword, but the blade bounced off without injuring him.
• Motoyasu Kitamura tested Chuan Wenwu’s shield with his spear, and Chuan Wenwu blocked the thrust while scolding him for aiming at his kidneys.
• Chuan Wenwu explained that Shield Warriors could have powerful defenses and warned the heroes that their game knowledge did not necessarily apply to reality.
• Chuan Wenwu realized the three heroes might believe they could respawn after death and pointed out that none of them had tested whether revival was possible.
• Chuan Wenwu challenged Ren Amaki, Itsuki Kawasumi, and Motoyasu Kitamura to face the world as real and act with justice, freedom, and responsibility, then said he was disappointed in them.

Chuan Wenwu confronted Motoyasu Kitamura about treating the world like a game and neglecting his duties, prompting the other heroes to reconsider their assumptions. The four agreed to share what they knew, though Chuan Wenwu admitted he remembered nothing about the world’s supposed plot.

• Chuan Wenwu criticized Motoyasu Kitamura for focusing on dates with female adventurers instead of his responsibilities, and Ren Amaki exposed how Motoyasu had replaced his original party members.
• Itsuki Kawasumi and Ren Amaki acknowledged that they had relied too much on game mechanics and needed to judge the world for themselves.
• Motoyasu Kitamura proposed that the heroes exchange information about the world and their different Hero Systems.
• Motoyasu Kitamura, Ren Amaki, and Itsuki Kawasumi explained how their games resembled parts of the world, then looked to Chuan Wenwu for information about its plot.
• Chuan Wenwu said he remembered nothing, and Ren Amaki defended him, warning the others not to assume their knowledge made them invincible.
• Motoyasu Kitamura said he would try to get along better with his party members.

Chuan Wenwu introduced the heroes to Bruce’s Beastman form and explained that Raphtalia had been rescued from a Slave Trader. The other heroes condemned slavery and wanted to intervene, but Chuan Wenwu warned that freeing the slaves without preparation could put them in greater danger and provoke the Kingdom.

• Chuan Wenwu pointed out Bruce, who had gained the ability to take a Beastman form, and Itsuki Kawasumi welcomed the news.
• Motoyasu Kitamura teased Chuan Wenwu about traveling with Demi-Humans, and Chuan Wenwu warned him not to entertain filthy ideas about Raphtalia.
• Chuan Wenwu told Ren Amaki, Itsuki Kawasumi, and Motoyasu Kitamura that he had rescued Raphtalia from a Slave Trader.
• The three heroes condemned slavery and demanded to know where the Slave Trader operated.
• Chuan Wenwu located the Slave Trader’s base in a strange Circus Tent in a northeastern alley, but urged the heroes not to act rashly because the slaves needed protection and the trade might involve the Kingdom’s rulers.

Chuan Wenwu explained why the heroes should not attack the Slave Trader rashly and planned to build a base to shelter Demi-Humans. Meanwhile, Aultcray Melromarc XXXII and the head of the Three Heroes Church discussed their failure to turn the three heroes against the Shield Demon and agreed to keep trying.

• Motoyasu Kitamura, Itsuki Kawasumi, and Ren Amaki urged Chuan Wenwu to confront the Slave Trader, but Chuan Wenwu warned that the Slave Curse could put enslaved people in danger.
• Chuan Wenwu proposed finding an undeveloped area for a base where he could settle Demi-Humans and support them through future Calamity Waves.
• Chuan Wenwu said he hoped to rebuild Raphtalia's ruined seaside village as a Demi-Human community after the next Calamity Wave.
• Aultcray Melromarc XXXII questioned the head of the Three Heroes Church about why the three heroes still opposed the royal family.
• The pontiff said the heroes rejected the church's rumors about the Shield Demon and suggested that the Shield Demon had brainwashed them.
• Aultcray demanded that the pontiff make the heroes' power serve the Kingdom's purposes and vowed to punish the Shield Demon.