Emily

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Emily and her older brother, Emias, lost both parents during childhood. Emias raised her through considerable hardship, and the siblings earned their eventual standing through years of effort. His protectiveness toward her remained strong after he became one of Dark Curtain’s Three Giants 420.

Emily married the second son of Hahn, patriarch of the influential military Betridge Family. Hahn sent his son to war before the marriage was consummated, and he died on the battlefield. Feeling responsible for leaving Emily a widow, Hahn treated her with exceptional affection 131 137.

Her work for Dark Curtain required contact with many people, but those encounters attracted gossip because she was a widow. Emily explained that her poor reputation in imperial high society arose from her assignments rather than the promiscuity others attributed to her 131.

Appearance

Emily is described as a mature, voluptuous woman with fair skin, dark hair, and bright eyes. Her clothing ranges from practical magic robes to elaborate noble gowns 121 136 275 345.

• Formal dress: Wears a fitted, coffee-colored evening gown at Lawrence’s banquet and a purple gown with her hair piled high during a later meeting in Osen City 136 275.
• Mission clothing: Uses a gray full-body outfit and magical concealment when pursuing Duke and Eric 122.
• Rejuvenation: Appears increasingly youthful after receiving the Nirvana Pill; her younger appearance is noticed by Phoebe and remains evident at their later reunion with Han Shuo 390 592.

Personality

Emily combines professional composure with a mischievous, teasing manner. She jokes about outranking Han Shuo in Dark Curtain and enjoys devising ways to exploit confusion during an operation. Her experience also lets her maintain a convincing social façade while concealing personal concerns 122 154 390.

Her devotion to Han Shuo often leads her to put his interests ahead of her own recognition. She protects the Death Cemetery’s secrecy and initially accepts a hidden relationship to avoid damaging his prospects, Emias’s career, or the Betridge Family. This does not eliminate her jealousy: she openly resents being overlooked and challenges Han Shuo over his expanding romantic entanglements 123 138 177 611.

Emily also feels responsibility for those who assist her. Yilian’s death leaves her grieving and blaming their mission for the loss. Later, she applies that attentiveness to the Han Family, identifying emotional tensions early and resolving them before they disrupt the household 203 1011.

Abilities & Skills

Darkness Magic

Emily uses darkness-element spells for direct attacks, interception, and restraint 123 156 345.

• Death Scythe: Forms a large magical scythe that cuts apart Zombie Warriors. An Evil Knight can withstand it, while a powerful silver spear destroys it and injures her 156 157 184.
• Hands of Death: Creates two enormous hands to seize the feet of Cassel’s Earth Bear form 345.
• Black-energy attacks: Releases multiple snake-like streams of energy from her wand during her aerial battle with Duke 123.
• Combat limitation: Her spells are ineffective against Little Skeleton’s unusually strong resistance to dark magic 119.

Barriers and Concealment

Emily’s defensive and concealment spells support both covert operations and private communication 119 122 395.

• Dark Barrier Magic Shield: Blocks a massed volley of spears and javelins, though doing so severely drains her mental power and causes her to cough up blood 119.
• Soundproof concealment: Encloses herself and Han Shuo in a gray darkness barrier while Duke and Eric search nearby 121 122.
• Privacy barriers: Seals her bedroom against observation and adds soundproofing when Han Shuo visits the Betridge estate 390 395.
• Spell interception: Creates a large green net that catches incoming fireballs, but lightning passes through its gaps 212.

Flight and Sensory Control

Emily can fly with a Levitation Spell and strengthen her hearing through mental concentration 122 431.

• Aerial combat: Fights Duke while airborne and retreats from Cassel using levitation 123 345.
• Silent movement: Floats through the Warren City slave market without making a sound 155.
• Endurance limit: Prolonged flight consumes an archmage’s mental power rapidly, making long journeys taxing at her early realm 188.

Intelligence Work and Administration

As a Three-Day Envoy, Emily has access to sensitive Dark Curtain records and leads investigations involving military supplies, foreign agents, and stolen manufacturing plans 122 131 275.

• Identification and intelligence: Recognizes Duke and Eric from organizational portraits and supplies Han Shuo with information about Florida 122 200.
• Interrogation: Restrains and questions Belinda about the Calamity Church’s activities in Warren City 169.
• Operational coordination: Organizes surveillance, reports discoveries to senior officials, and arranges delivery of evidence against Bobby Aski 159 164 191.
• Household management: Later oversees the Han Family’s internal affairs, resolving disputes and protecting Han Shuo’s uninterrupted cultivation 1011.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Magic wand: Her principal spellcasting implement in battles against Duke, the necromancer’s undead, and Cassel 123 156 345.
• Almeric Cotton’s wand: A wand set with three amethysts, given to her by Han Shuo 276.
• Darkness-magic notes: Almeric Cotton’s writings, transcribed by Han Shuo; these provide a foundation for her later instruction under Cotton himself 276 612.
• Dark Element Origin Crystal: Obtained by Han Shuo in Talaga Gorge and given to Emily to support Elemental Soul formation and a possible path to godhood 463.
• Nirvana Pill: A constitution-transforming gift associated with her increasingly youthful appearance 276 592.
• Spatial Ring: Stores clothing, a mirror, and other personal belongings 122 463.
• Red agate necklace: Jewelry from the Forest Trolls’ Holy Land, personally fastened around her neck by Han Shuo 149.

Relationships

• Han Shuo / Brian — Lover and fellow Dark Curtain operative. Their relationship begins after he rapes her while she is restrained; the narrative subsequently depicts them becoming lovers. He later acknowledges his mistreatment and promises her a recognized place beside him before publicly confirming their relationship 121 395 420.
• Emias — Older brother and childhood guardian. Despite the scandal surrounding her relationship with Han Shuo, he unconditionally supports her choice and threatens anyone who would bully her 125 420.
• Old Hahn — Father-in-law. Treats her affectionately out of guilt over his son’s death, but initially condemns her relationship with Han Shuo as a disgrace to the Betridge Family 137 420.
• Unnamed husband — Hahn’s second son, killed in war shortly after their wedding and before the marriage was consummated 131 137.
• Phoebe — Initially a romantic rival. After a private conversation, Phoebe accepts Emily’s relationship with Han Shuo. Their shared concern during his five-year absence helps turn their remaining estrangement into close companionship 395 396 593.
• Fanny — Fellow partner of Han Shuo. Alongside Phoebe, becomes close to Emily while the three support one another during his absence 592 593.
• Almeric Cotton — Darkness-element teacher. Treats Emily as his own disciple and passes on his understanding without reservation 612.
• Cecilia — Senior Dark Curtain colleague. Teases Emily about her feelings for Han Shuo and promises assistance, initially believing those feelings to be one-sided 222 347.
• Yilian — Trusted intelligence contact whose inn provides valuable information. Emily mourns her death and feels responsible for leaving Belinda in her care 164 203.
• Han Hao / Little Skeleton — Initially her pursuer and captor. She later recognizes him from his seven bone spikes and acknowledges that his close bond with Han Shuo makes him part of the Han Family 119 885.
• Lolth — Benefactor of the family in the Darkness Divine Domain. Emily recognizes her uncertainty about remaining with them and leads the effort to persuade her to stay 1010 1011.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Capture and the Death Cemetery

Emily first opposes Han Shuo while accompanying guards connected to the Medivh Merchant Guild. Little Skeleton’s resistance to her magic forces her into retreat, and Forest Trolls trap her in a net. While captive, she attempts to protect herself with a supposed Curse Spell, later admitting that the curse was a bluff 119 120 121.

Han Shuo rapes her while she is bound. After her release, confrontation, and a subsequent reconciliation, they travel together toward the Death Cemetery. There, Emily recognizes Duke and reveals that she is investigating threats to the Lancelot Empire. Discovering that Han Shuo also belongs to Dark Curtain turns their apparent opposition into an organizational alliance 121 122.

She fights Duke and learns the importance of the Death Cemetery to Han Shuo’s future. Rather than report its secrets to Dark Curtain, she chooses to protect them 123.

Warren City Investigation

Emily’s investigation follows smuggled war supplies toward their recipients within the empire. Han Shuo’s ability to communicate with the Forest Trolls makes him useful to the operation, and she arranges his formal participation 122 125 131.

In Warren City, they uncover Calamity Church involvement, capture Belinda, and investigate siege equipment connected to Griffin Legion commander Bobby Aski. After obtaining incriminating documents, Emily prioritizes reaching a Dark Curtain outpost before Aski can respond 159 169 177 191.

Sun Radiance Valley

Emily supplies intelligence and helps defend the group’s base against the Rainbow Sickle Mercenary Group. During the courtyard battle, she coordinates use of the formation’s safe positions and intercepts incoming magic 200 211 212.

A concealed archer nearly kills her when she has no time to chant. Han Shuo’s remotely controlled Demon-Slaying Edge destroys the arrow before it reaches her 213.

Public Recognition

Emily initially hides her relationship with Han Shuo because exposure could harm Emias, the Betridge Family, and Han Shuo himself. Phoebe’s private confrontation ends in acceptance after Emily explains her circumstances 177 395 396.

When the relationship is exposed publicly, Han Shuo takes responsibility and openly holds Emily’s hand. Emily declares that she loves him and cannot leave him, receiving Emias’s support despite Hahn’s anger. The outcome largely resolves the question of her previously unacknowledged position 420 422.

The Han Family on the Continent of the Gods

In Shadow City, Emily and Phoebe report on Celestial Pivot Pharmacy’s success and their companions’ cultivation. Emily subsequently reaches Lower God alongside the other arrivals from Qio Continent 748.

During the Han Family’s difficulties in Withered Bones City, she hands Shatuo a guard-training scroll, investigates a missing family guard, and later reports the family’s mistreatment to Han Shuo. She also identifies City Lord Hill as the power supporting Shatuo’s actions 897 898 901 903.

By the family’s later life in the valley, Emily manages its internal affairs while Phoebe oversees Celestial Pivot Pharmacy. Her intervention with Lolth exemplifies this role: she recognizes an emerging personal problem and resolves it before Han Shuo needs to leave his cultivation to intervene 1010 1011.

Notable Quotes

“As long as I know I’m in your heart, that’s enough.” 177

“Brother, I’m sorry. I love him. I’m sorry for causing you trouble, but I can’t leave him!” 420

“Why are you such a womanizer?” 611