Chapter Summaries

Jiang Yu reunited with the others at the Aetherium Wars venue and explained that Phantylia had been turned into a regenerative energy source for Aha’s Fragmentum Factory. As the group prepared to enjoy the tournament, they learned Phantylia could remain in the Factory’s furnace for an immense span of time.

• Wilder enthusiastically introduced Aetherium Wars to March 7th, Qingque, Bailu, and Yanqing, then brought them to the tournament venue at Belobog’s Old Weapon Testing Ground.
• Wilder recognized Giovanni at the arena, and Giovanni welcomed Stelle, March 7th, and their Xianzhou companions to the festival.
• Jiang Yu arrived with Huohuo on Black Cleave, and Huohuo reported that the Mirror Holder had cooperated while an unexpected issue with Phantylia had been resolved.
• Jiang Yu told Yanqing that he had restored Phantylia’s body using a branch of the Ambrosial Arbor so she could adapt to her new job.
• Jiang Yu explained that he had put Phantylia in the Factory’s furnace, where her Abundance regeneration would let it draw energy from her for potentially thousands of Amber Eras.

After Jiang Yu trapped Phantylia in the Fragmentum Factory’s core furnace, she discovered that she could neither escape nor control her growing, regenerating body. Sampo told her to look beyond Jarilo-VI, where she perceived a seemingly endless chain of colossal starry beings falling into one another.

• Phantylia’s body transformed after Jiang Yu forced a branch of the Ambrosial Arbor into her, and he threw her into the factory’s core furnace.
• Phantylia tried to abandon her body and flee, but her power no longer answered her; she began taking root as the flames burned and her flesh regenerated.
• Sampo, now the director of the Belobog main plant, told Phantylia to accept her fate and look at the force enveloping Jarilo-VI.
• Phantylia perceived a river of stars and an immense figure made of starlight, then saw that figure and ever larger beings falling endlessly through successive starry skies.

Jiang Yu reunited with Argenti, who had been caring for Black Cleave, while Giovanni discussed his Aetherium Wars collaboration with him. Argenti enthusiastically praised everyone and introduced himself as a Knight of Beauty before asking whether they knew Idrila, the Goddess of Beauty.

• Giovanni introduced himself to Jiang Yu as the tournament’s sponsor and promised to develop Aetherium Wars DLC.
• March 7th, Stelle, Qingque, Huohuo, Yanqing, and Bailu discussed how carefully people spoke to powerful figures.
• Argenti thanked Jiang Yu for entrusting Black Cleave to him and said the weapon had improved.
• Argenti praised March 7th, Stelle, Jiang Yu, and the others, leaving them startled and Giovanni retreating.
• Argenti introduced himself as a Knight of Beauty and asked the group whether they knew Idrila, the Goddess of Beauty.

Argenti joined the festivities as Giovanni introduced everyone to Aetherium Wars, but a disturbance involving company employees and a child interrupted their first chance to play. After the employees refused Giovanni’s proposal for a fair duel, they recognized Jiang Yu and eagerly agreed to compete.

• Argenti listened enthusiastically as Giovanni explained Aetherium Wars and offered newcomers Aether Spirits to try.
• March 7th and Stelle went to investigate a commotion and found three company employees accusing Eric of stealing a coin he said he had found.
• March 7th defended Eric, and Giovanni proposed that she and Stelle challenge the employees to settle the dispute by Aetherium Wars rules.
• The employees refused to accept the challenge and threatened to take the coin anyway, while Stelle wondered why the company had so many unruly workers.
• Giovanni revealed Jiang Yu, and the employees recognized Boss Jiang and immediately agreed to the match.

Jiang Yu lent Stelle and March 7th Falcorez, who crushed the IPC employees’ Aether Spirits, but he firmly refused March 7th’s attempts to recruit him for the tournament. Stelle and March 7th received Eric’s coin and uncovered a Warp Trotter, while Jiang Yu later offered players optional help using Falcorez in Aetherium Wars.

• Stelle released Jiang Yu’s Aether Coin and summoned Falcorez, who overwhelmed the IPC employees’ two Incineration Shadewalkers and Silvermane Guardsman.
• March 7th questioned Eric and learned the IPC employees claimed to be Topaz fans seeking powerful Aether Spirits for her championship defense.
• March 7th urged Jiang Yu to enter the festival, but he refused, and Stelle backed his decision; March 7th secretly took photos of him.
• Eric gave Stelle and March 7th the unidentified Aether Coin, and Jiang Yu arranged to offer Falcorez as optional help to players who lost Aetherium Wars battles.
• Stelle and March 7th released the coin’s contents and obtained a Warp Trotter, prompting Stelle to stop herself from reaching for her Bat.

Giovanni explained the planned Real Aether Spirits DLC and realized the released Warp Trotter had independent emotions and thoughts. Stelle's command did not affect it, but it obeyed Jiang Yu and tackled Giovanni, leaving him baffled.

• Jiang Yu explained that the IPC employees may have wanted the Warp Trotter as a collectible or as a gift for Topaz.
• Giovanni described Real Aether Spirits, an upcoming DLC in which players would explore an open area, capture living Aether Spirits, and train them.
• Giovanni said the Warp Trotter's independent personality made it seem like virtual life, and he proposed reporting the anomaly for disposal.
• Stelle ordered the Warp Trotter to tackle Giovanni, but it did not respond.
• March 7th suggested Jiang Yu try giving an order, and the Warp Trotter immediately obeyed by tackling Giovanni before passing harmlessly through him.

Jiang Yu’s pat restored the Warp Trotter’s ability to follow commands while leaving its unusual personality intact. The group named it Bubbles and headed to the venue to register Stelle and March 7th for the Aetherium Wars tournament.

• Giovanni watched in surprise as Jiang Yu’s ability fixed the Warp Trotter’s command response without removing its personality.
• March 7th explained Jiang Yu’s knack for fixing things with a pat, and Giovanni reconsidered Sampo’s warnings about him.
• Stelle called to the Warp Trotter, and it ran to her, confirming that it could now follow commands.
• Jiang Yu suggested the name Bubbles, which March 7th and Stelle accepted after the Warp Trotter reacted happily.
• The group decided that Stelle and March 7th would enter the tournament while the others watched, then followed Giovanni to the player terminal to register.

As Stelle and March 7th qualified for the Interastral Tournament Festival, Jiang Yu and the others spent their time around Belobog, where Qingque promoted Imperial Jade and Bailu sampled local food. Yanqing trained and sparred with Argenti, while cryptic comments from Giovanni left Stelle and March 7th suspecting that something more than a tournament was unfolding.

• Stelle and March 7th registered for the Aetherium Wars tournament and traveled across Victory Zones to earn qualification badges.
• Qingque introduced Imperial Jade to Belobog, while Bailu sampled the planet’s local specialties and judged them passable.
• Huohuo practiced building her courage at the Fragmentum Factory and spent much of her remaining time at the Mechanical Settlement with Mr. Tail and Svarog.
• Argenti trained Yanqing in physical conditioning and combat, defeating him in serious sparring matches and deepening Yanqing’s belief that strength mattered most.
• Stelle and March 7th collected all the badges with help from Jiang Yu’s Falcorez Aether Spirit and qualified for the tournament.
• Stelle and March 7th recalled Giovanni’s remark comparing their strength to that of a mysterious lady and suspected the festival concealed a larger plot.

Stelle and March 7th reached the Interastral Tournament Festival championship and summoned Falcorez to defeat Silver Wolf. Afterward, Jiang Yu approached Silver Wolf to ask for pictures of Sam, leaving her startled.

• Stelle and March 7th registered for the championship and defeated Luka, Little Gui, and Silver Wolf in succession.
• Stelle and March 7th brought out Worldburning Omen: Falcorez, whose arrival transformed the arena and amazed the crowd.
• Silver Wolf directed her Aether Spirits to attack Falcorez, but his Sword of Verdict defeated them.
• Jiang Yu sought out Silver Wolf and asked her for pictures of the silver-white mech Sam.
• Silver Wolf asked Jiang Yu to explain himself and was surprised by his request.

Jiang Yu asked Silver Wolf to connect him with Sam so he could request photos for Welt Yang, but Firefly mistakenly sent a photo of herself before Silver Wolf clarified the misunderstanding. Jiang Yu received Sam’s photos and learned that Firefly was Sam, while Stelle and March 7th defeated Giovanni and advanced to face Topaz.

• Jiang Yu asked Silver Wolf for photos of Sam, explaining that Welt Yang liked mechanical creations, and Silver Wolf set up a secure call.
• Silver Wolf found Jiang Yu’s impressive Aetherium Wars account while using his phone, then connected him to Firefly.
• Jiang Yu asked Firefly for Sam’s photos, and Firefly sent a photo of herself before Silver Wolf explained what he actually wanted.
• Firefly sent Jiang Yu the photos of Sam, and Jiang Yu realized that Firefly was Sam.
• Stelle and March 7th defeated Giovanni, who told them they would next face the former champion, Topaz.

After winning the Interastral Tournament Festival, Stelle and March 7th reunited with Hook and met Topaz and Asta in Belobog. Asta let them decide Bubbles’s future, and Giovanni announced the launch of the Aetherium Wars DLC, where players would train Aether Spirits with real personalities.

• Stelle and March 7th defeated Topaz to become the Interastral Tournament Festival champions, then met Hook at Everwinter Hill after Giovanni invited them there.
• Stelle and March 7th encountered Topaz and Asta in Belobog, where March questioned Jiang Yu’s closeness to the Stellaron Hunters and Stelle reassured her.
• Asta explained Bubbles’s situation and let Stelle and March decide its future; Stelle chose to keep Bubbles aboard the Astral Express.
• Giovanni announced that the Aetherium Wars DLC, Real Aether Spirits, had completed development and would launch that day, introducing an adventure where players captured and raised Aether Spirits with their own personalities.

Jiang Yu, Stelle, and March 7th entered the new Real Aether Spirits mode after it launched, arriving at the Peak of Victory in a fully immersive game world. They tested their recreated bodies and prepared to catch their first Aether Spirit.

• Silver Wolf noticed Real Aether Spirits had launched and left Jiang Yu to try the new mode, while still hoping to borrow his Aetherium Wars account later.
• Jiang Yu invited Stelle and March 7th to try the mode, and they returned to the Astral Express and settled Bubbles in Jiang Yu's room.
• Siberian Duck admired Jiang Yu's tidy room and its many collected objects, while the livestream comments joked about Brother Yellow Pee.
• Siberian Duck followed the quest prompts and opened Real Aether Spirits, where successive data refreshes built a forest around the trio.
• March 7th recognized the setting as the Peak of Victory, and Jiang Yu and Stelle tested their bodies in the immersive world.
• Jiang Yu cracked the ground with a light stomp and suggested catching an Aether Spirit, while March 7th remarked that he was stronger than any Aether Spirit without game restrictions.

Siberian Duck's group encountered a giant mimic honey badger claiming territory in Real Aether Spirits, and watched her devour a Voidranger: Trampler. The remaining Fragmentum Monsters and the Seven-Star Fish trio were left staring at the sudden display of strength.

• Siberian Duck followed the quest marker through the woodland and triggered a cutscene with the Seven-Star Fish trio.
• Stelle, March 7th, and Jiang Yu watched a giant mimic honey badger order the other Fragmentum Monsters to leave her turf.
• March 7th praised the monsters' behavior, and Stelle and March 7th compared the honey badger's gaze to Little Fish's.
• The Incineration Shadewalker, Blazing Glory Creation, Frostspawn, and Ice of the Outer Universe challenged the honey badger's claim to the area.
• The Voidranger: Trampler attacked the honey badger, who caught it, slammed it into the ground, tore it apart, and swallowed it.

Jiang Yu and the others watched the Incineration Shadewalker’s team lose to the Mimic Honey Badger, then set out to capture the powerful beast as an Aether Spirit. The Incineration Shadewalker begged Jiang Yu for help, but Jiang Yu ignored him and went after the Mimic Honey Badger.

• The Incineration Shadewalker led his companions in an attack on the Mimic Honey Badger after the Voidranger died.
• The Mimic Honey Badger defeated the group, leaving the Incineration Shadewalker badly injured and his companions dead.
• Jiang Yu decided the Mimic Honey Badger was a stronger choice for an Aether Spirit than the Incineration Shadewalker.
• The Incineration Shadewalker begged Jiang Yu to save him and help him take revenge, but Jiang Yu ignored him and left to pursue the Mimic Honey Badger.

Siberian Duck guided Jiang Yu through the Aether Spirit quest, where he helped the Incineration Shadewalker and captured the Mimic Honey Badger. The story ended with an ominous narrator framing the capture like the end of an ancient tale, before the game continued.

• Siberian Duck chose to pat the Incineration Shadewalker, whose legs stabilized before he left to train and seek revenge.
• Siberian Duck followed the quest guidance and defeated the Mimic Honey Badger in combat.
• Jiang Yu captured the Mimic Honey Badger, returning to March 7th and Stelle riding the battered creature.
• An aged narrator described heroes sometimes capturing demon kings as pets, prompting Siberian Duck to object to the closing-sounding narration.
• The scene shifted and a new system prompt appeared as the game continued.

Giovanni announced a Peak of Victory competition with Stellar Jade as the prize and explained how players could train their Aether Spirits. Jiang Yu trained the Mimic Honey Badger until she learned his move, Jade Dragon Becomes Mystery.

• Giovanni announced that players could qualify for the Peak of Victory competition by defeating gatekeepers, with twelve hundred Stellar Jade awarded to the champion.
• Siberian Duck opened the Training menu and selected the Mimic Honey Badger and Jiang Yu as her trainer.
• Jiang Yu made the Mimic Honey Badger carry three boulders as physical training, prompting her to complain.
• Jiang Yu taught the Mimic Honey Badger moves through exercises, including a Jumping Slash.
• Siberian Duck received a notification that the Mimic Honey Badger had learned Jade Dragon Becomes Mystery.

After equipping the Mimic Honey Badger with a Stone Greatsword, Jiang Yu, Stelle, and March 7th stayed on the Xianzhou while the Astral Express crew continued their work. Guinaifen invited Stelle to see footage from a ghost-hunting livestream, and the trio met her in Aurum Alley, where she began showing them the video.

• The system gave Jiang Yu a Stone Greatsword to equip on the Mimic Honey Badger, and Siberian Duck eagerly joined the event.
• After the Astral Express returned to the Xianzhou, March 7th stayed with Jiang Yu and Stelle, claiming she wanted to look after them.
• Guinaifen sent Stelle messages about a ghost-hunting livestream in an abandoned garden and invited her to come over.
• Stelle, Jiang Yu, and March 7th went to Aurum Alley and met Guinaifen beside the docks.
• Guinaifen said Little Fish seemed unafraid of ghosts and offered to show the trio the edited livestream footage.

Jiang Yu explained his unconventional view that ghosts were defined by intelligent beings’ understanding, leaving Little Gui and the others to watch footage of her frightening livestream at Fyxestroll Garden. In the recording, Little Gui and Sushang saw a flash of cyan light, screamed, and encountered a ghostly voice and floating green flames.

• March 7th, Stelle, and Jiang Yu discussed whether ghosts and spirits existed, and Jiang Yu argued that beings beyond ordinary understanding could be considered ghosts.
• Little Gui and Guinaifen reacted to Jiang Yu’s outlook before Little Gui brought up her edited livestream recording from Fyxestroll Garden.
• In the video, Little Gui introduced the haunted location while Sushang nervously stayed beside her.
• A streak of cyan light flashed behind Little Gui and Sushang, making them turn around and scream as the camera fell into static.
• A voice saying, “Boo-hoo-hoo, what a horrible death...” drifted through the recording as ghostly green flames floated nearby.

Little Gui showed the Seven-Star Fish trio footage of Sushang fainting after a Heliobus frightened her in Fyxestroll Garden, then persuaded them to investigate the garden with her. As they explored its eerie grounds, Little Gui explained how the place became associated with hauntings after the Foxians mourned their wartime dead there.

• Little Gui showed Jiang Yu, Stelle, and March 7th a recording of Sushang fainting after a ghostly flame appeared, while Xueyi and Huohuo attended to them.
• Little Gui said Ten-Lords Commission Judges had been working in Fyxestroll Garden and invited the trio to investigate with her.
• Jiang Yu, Stelle, and March 7th agreed to join Little Gui, and the four traveled by Starskiff to Fyxestroll Garden.
• The group crossed the garden’s gloomy grounds as Little Gui described its haunting rumors and the Foxian mourners who came after the war against the Denizens of Abundance.

Jiang Yu revealed that he could see and speak with the spirits of fallen Cloud Knights in Fyxestroll Garden, frightening March 7th, Stelle, and Little Gui. After the spirits departed, Little Gui resumed the expedition and led the group deeper into the garden.

• Jiang Yu told March 7th that he was listening to ghosts and described the invisible spirits walking around the group.
• Jiang Yu explained that the spirits were friendly fallen soldiers who protected the Xianzhou, while March 7th, Stelle, and Little Gui reacted with fear.
• Jiang Yu quoted a Cloud Knight spirit’s vow to defend the Xianzhou in life and death, then said goodbye as the spirits vanished.
• Little Gui offered blessings for the departed and decided to continue the expedition cautiously.
• Little Gui led Jiang Yu, Stelle, and March 7th deeper into Fyxestroll Garden.