Chapter Summaries

Betty gave Donna a Magic Book, trained her in magic, and helped her begin concealing her magical fluctuations. While Bayern secretly followed Donna to the Chief Official’s villa, he spotted a gathering being arranged there.

• Betty revealed that she was a natural Mental Overclocker and contracted Donna to a Magic Book, causing Donna to faint.
• Betty helped Donna recover, taught her to use the Magic Book, and guided her through meditation and Magic Missile training until her mental power reached 1 unit.
• Betty taught Donna about Lesser Magic Power Fluctuation Concealment and discussed whether Ace might be the Firebearer.
• Bayern followed Donna to the Chief Official’s villa and detected strong magic power fluctuations in a second-floor room.
• Bayern watched the villa as a black cat and saw someone open a window, saying that a gathering was about to begin.

Bayern gained the Wizard Apprentices’ trust and Ace’s clone monitored the Dark Clergy, planning an evacuation trial for the apprentices. After Ace’s soul recovered, he and his mirror image developed a High-Energy Rhythm Magic Array for his advancement experiment and began considering how to create a devout Mental Stance.

• Betty brought Donna to a gathering of Wizard Apprentices, where Bayern followed them as a black cat and won the group over by discussing mathematics and his Heavy Water Missile spells.
• Ace’s clone monitored several Dark Clergy gathering places and discovered they were preparing a dangerous ritual.
• The clone decided not to infiltrate the Dark Clergy and planned for the apprentices to escape the fortress and rendezvous with Daina’s Enchanting Wizard Apprentices.
• After his soul and Soul Space recovered, Ace and his mirror image built and tested a magic array that created concentrated, rhythmically active Magic Particles.
• Ace began planning the next advancement-experiment step: creating an environment of devout faith and a unique Mental Stance through his powerful spiritual entity.

Ace developed the Advanced Apprentice Promotion Guidance Technique and an improved meditation method, then used them in a promotion ritual on his avatar. The ritual stirred the avatar’s devotion to magic and truth, along with a trace of loyalty and gratitude toward Ace.

• Ace combined illusion spells, runes, and the Nourishing Magic Array to design a new spell for guiding an apprentice’s promotion.
• Ace tested the spell on his avatar and adjusted its primer so faith in magic and the pursuit of truth remained dominant over the suggested private loyalties.
• Ace named the spell the Advanced Apprentice Promotion Guidance Technique and improved his meditation method using the Soul Rune Bayern had discovered.
• Ace converted the improved meditation method into a rune array and arranged it with the Nourishing and High-Energy Rhythm Magic Arrays for the ritual.
• Ace activated the ritual while his avatar meditated, danced around it, and cast the guidance technique, stirring its devotion to magic and truth and a trace of loyalty toward him.

Ace's clone opened the Soul Secret Treasury Space and became an Advanced Wizard Apprentice, after which Ace documented the promotion experiment. The clone infiltrated a Dark Clergy group to learn more about its ritual, while Bayern's growing influence in the apprentices' research gatherings drew Betty's suspicion.

• The clone completed the advancement ritual, opened the Soul Secret Treasury Space, and became an Advanced Wizard Apprentice; Ace recorded his observations and hypotheses in a paper.
• Ace and the clone interrogated a Dark Clergy member named Kevin, then the clone copied his appearance and infiltrated the group's hideout.
• The clone followed Kevin's routine and helped prepare part of the Weird Ritual while planning to learn more from the bald, scar-faced priest.
• Ace watched the fortress apprentices' gatherings and considered which apprentices might prove worthy of joining his camp.
• Bayern earned the apprentices' admiration in the Enchantment Enthusiasts Research Society by explaining rune analysis and mathematics, while Betty wondered why he always remained a black cat.
• Bayern observed the apprentices and identified Betty as the most talented in both spiritual power and mathematics.

Betty developed an idea for an auxiliary mechanical arm after Bayern encouraged her to build one part of her planned mechanical giant at a time. Meanwhile, Ace and his duplicate captured and interrogated a Dark Clergy priest, learning how the group infiltrated Northern Territory Fortress and that its Weird Ritual was nearing completion.

• Bayern suggested Betty begin her mechanical giant project by creating an auxiliary machine to improve her close-combat ability, and Betty hurried home with Donna to design a mechanical arm.
• Ace and his duplicate ambushed the bald, scar-faced priest as he returned from a meeting, wounded his soul, trapped him in a magic crystal prison, and captured him.
• Ace's duplicate transformed into the priest's appearance and returned to the ritual node while Ace took the prisoner to the laboratory for interrogation.
• Ace learned that a witch had helped the Dark Clergy evade the fortress's magical detection and that the Great Leader had distributed powder that let the priests infiltrate the fortress.
• The bald priest revealed that the Dark Clergy's sabotage had formed part of a grand ritual and that its setup in the fortress was nearly complete, with only a few crucial nodes unfinished.

After the bald priest died, Ace arranged for Mirror to monitor the Dark Clergy and summoned Bayern to Fortress Hospital. Bayern discovered Ace was the Firebearer, pledged himself to the wizard cause, and heard Ace explain how wizards should study supernatural beings while pursuing alliances when useful.

• After Ace interrogated him, the bald priest burned to ashes, and Ace ordered Mirror to withdraw and watch the Dark Clergy's node.
• Ace summoned Bayern to Fortress Hospital, where Anazir's Dice helped him resist a spell and find the hidden entrance to Ace's underground laboratory.
• Ace revealed that he was the Firebearer, and Bayern bowed to him in worship.
• Ace asked Bayern what he thought of the Divine Descendants, then described wizards as researchers who could cooperate with other supernatural forces before ultimately eliminating and studying them.
• The author noted that Daina's plot had been revised and thanked readers for their tips and support.

Betty developed a compact steam engine using Bayern's Water Element Series Runes and assembled it into a two-meter-tall combat assist machine. She named it Apprentice Type 1, which could boost her speed and strength and attack with steam and magic weapons.

• Betty used the Thermal Power Rune Array and Bayern's Water Element Series Runes to design a Lesser Steam Rune Array that generated high-pressure steam.
• Betty's early steam engine prototypes failed, but incomplete blueprints from her father's study helped her build a reciprocating engine with a slide valve, eccentric wheel, crank, and connecting rod.
• Betty miniaturized the engine into a back-carried magic steam prototype engine and assembled it with her prepared parts into a mechanical suit.
• Betty named the machine Apprentice Combat Auxiliary Machine Type 1, or Apprentice Type 1, and connected it to herself through a Magic-Absorption Rune Array.
• Betty equipped Apprentice Type 1 with steam projectiles, magic crystal weapons, reinforced armor, and propulsion devices that enabled rapid movement, brief low-altitude flight, and detached-arm attacks.

Ancesta formed the Heart of Mercy and declared himself a guardian knight of the wizard faction. Meanwhile, Mirror Ace watched hooded figures report to their leader that Kit’s people had all been killed.

• Ancesta decided that his loyalty belonged to the wizard faction and shaped his Mercy Creed around protecting it and the weak.
• The Mercy Creed merged with Ancesta’s innate magic power, transforming his heart and creating the Heart of Mercy and a new power he called Heart Force.
• Arno caught a glimpse of Ancesta’s transformation, but Auli urged him to keep studying.
• Ancesta remembered the knights who had once fled from black-clad pursuers and the woman who had changed his creed.
• Mirror Ace followed the hooded figures to a mansion, where their leader learned that Kit was missing and that everyone at Kit’s node had been killed.

As the Dark Clergy prepared to launch an imperfect ritual, Mirror Ace warned the Legion and Bayern, who began organizing the wizard apprentices’ evacuation from the fortress. Betty and Donna set out to take their families to safety, while Arno and Auli faced the problem of evacuating the orphanage children.

• Alex Rona ordered the Dark Clergy at every node to attack the fortress nobles before the ritual was complete, while refusing to pursue the witch.
• Mirror Ace learned that the Dark Clergy were about to act, warned Dickens Rona, and sent Bayern a message urging the wizard apprentices to evacuate.
• Bayern hid Lazy York in the cellar, then used his dice to choose a gathering point and summoned the apprentices to the southern gate.
• Betty and Donna decided to bring their families along; Betty knocked out the Chief Official, and Donna tied Borg and the others onto Betty’s Apprentice Type 1.
• Arno urged Ancesta and Auli to wake the orphanage children, but Auli warned that evacuating them quickly could expose the group.

Ancesta sent Arno and Auli toward the meeting point while he led the orphans out, teaching Arno about heartforce before they parted. After Dickens exposed Alex Rona’s role in the Dark Clergy, Moor Rona ordered the fortress alerted, and Arno decided to return to help Ancesta and the defenseless.

• Ancesta persuaded Arno to leave with Auli, taught him to sense heartforce, and went to wake and evacuate the orphanage children himself.
• Dickens witnessed Alex Rona leading the Dark Clergy and learned that the Dark Clergy had killed his father and brothers.
• A mysterious woman revealed that she had concealed Dickens, then let him run to warn the fortress’s Divine Descendants.
• Dickens told Moor Rona and Kent Rona that the Dark Clergy was launching attacks and secretly identified Alex Rona as its leader.
• Arno and Auli reached the south-gate meeting point, where Black Cat Bayern said the group would leave in half an hour.
• Arno told Auli he intended to return to join Ancesta and fight for those unable to defend themselves.

Betty and her companions fought their way toward the south gate while Ancesta led fifteen children out of the orphanage. The chapter left Ancesta attacking Dark Clergy ambushers as they threatened the children.

• Betty drove the Apprentice Type 1 through a patrol, killing its Godborn captain when he blocked their escape.
• The surviving soldiers fled, and Donna comforted Betty before they continued toward the south gate.
• Dark Clergy members spread through the fortress under Alex Rona’s orders, attacking Godborn and killing those they encountered.
• Ancesta led fifteen children from the orphanage and reflected on how his fused creed had transformed him and given him heartforce.
• Ancesta sensed fourteen Dark Clergy hidden in the shadows, killed three attackers, and charged toward the one approaching the children.

Arno returned to the relief house and awakened as the Knight of Courage, rescuing Ancesta from the Dark Clergy. The two fought together until Pain Priest Ambrio appeared and overwhelmed them with shadowy figures of pain.

• Ancesta was wounded by an Abyssal Shadow arrow and faced a volley of attacks from the Dark Clergy.
• Arno turned back toward the relief house, awakened his Courage Heart Power, and reached the peak of an Intermediate Wizard Apprentice.
• Arno blocked the shadow arrows with a blazing shield and swept the Dark Clergy with his Courage Heart Power while Ancesta attacked and severed an enemy's arm.
• Pain Priest Ambrio emerged from the darkness, questioned Arno and Ancesta about their powers, and sent dozens of dark figures to attack them.
• Arno and Ancesta struggled against the figures as Ambrio taunted them for enduring pain instead of fleeing.

Ambrio abandoned his attack on the orphanage children and hurried to Moore’s mansion, where Alex had summoned his followers to launch an assault. At the mansion, Alex sprang a trap on Kent Rona and the assembled heroes, while Eagle Ace watched and recorded the battle.

• Moor Rona found a faint trace of the Abyss at Alex’s empty mansion and returned to Moore’s mansion to gather the Divine Nobles and wait for dawn.
• Alex killed a hooded priest who questioned his plan, then ordered his followers to attack Moore’s mansion.
• Ambrio received a summons, spared the orphanage children, and left with Ancesta and Arno leading them to safety.
• Ambrio met a witch, who warned him not to stand at the center of the coming spectacle, and he put on the dead priest’s appearance.
• Alex arrived at Moore’s mansion, where Kent Rona and several heroes ambushed him with Thousand-Ice Chains.
• Alex blocked the attack with ice mirrors and sent dark reflections to fight the heroes as Eagle Ace secretly recorded their techniques.

As Alex’s Dark Clergy and corrupted dogs overwhelmed the defenders at Moore’s mansion, wizard apprentices escaped the fortress under Black Cat Bayern’s guidance. Great Hero Moor Rona returned and unleashed Praise of Frost, freezing the battlefield as Alex recognized the marvel and withdrew.

• Alex sent Dark Clergy and packs of rotted, hairless dogs against the Heroes and divine descendants defending Moore’s mansion.
• Betty brought four people to the southern gathering point, where Black Cat Bayern led the apprentices and their companions through a side gate opened with Soron’s help.
• The witch watched the fugitives escape and wondered whether to encourage or crush the extraordinary talents emerging among mortals.
• As the defenders neared defeat, Eagle Ace retreated from the rotted dogs, which he recognized as the creatures that had nearly killed Daina.
• Moor Rona arrived and used Praise of Frost to freeze streets, Gloom power, and several Dark Clergy, while Alex fled beyond its range.

Moor Rona unleashed the Frost Marvel and fought Alex, whose shadowy forces included the dead Frost descendants he had slaughtered. As Moor battled Alex and his allies at the Northern Territory Fortress, he tried to discover the limit of Alex’s shadow form.

• Moor Rona used Praise of Frost to sweep away the Dark Clergy and turn the battlefield into an ocean of frost, while Ace recorded the runes.
• Moor led the Frost descendants in a charge against Alex, who revealed that his father’s expectations and his destiny had driven him to become darkness.
• Alex summoned shadowy figures resembling Dickens’s dead family, and the Frost descendants fought their former people.
• Moor accused Alex of slaughtering his clansmen to purify his bloodline, while Alex defended his actions and blamed the ancestral god’s curse.
• Moor fought Alex, the Great Demon projection, and a shadowy guardian, using taunts and fierce attacks to test how long Alex could remain a shadow.

Moore discovered how to counter Alex’s Shadow Form and drove him toward defeat, while the Fleshy Tentacle Monster grew stronger by slaughtering the city. Alex remained desperate to finish his ritual before dawn, and the multiplying monsters began devouring everything in the fortress.

• Moore deduced that Alex became vulnerable whenever he attacked, then severed Alex’s right arm with the Frost Blade.
• Moore explained that Praise of Frost’s Extreme Cold Touch sealed the severed arm’s soul, preventing Alex from regenerating it.
• The Frost Giant Beasts overwhelmed Alex’s shadow humanoid and Great Demon projection, while Moore noticed that Alex’s Shadow Form had a time limit.
• A Fleshy Tentacle Monster rampaged through the city, consuming residents, flesh, blood, and souls as Dickens sensed an ominous threat.
• Alex struggled to complete his ritual before dawn as Moore pressed his attack and the Fleshy Tentacle Monster spawned smaller monsters that devoured the fortress’s inhabitants.

As the Fleshy Tentacle Monster consumed the descendants of Frost, it grew into a massive Meat Mountain and seized Moor while the survivors fled. At dawn, the evacuees headed toward the Lar Mountains as Main Body Ace prepared an ambush at Mount Baal, and Alex survived by returning to Shadow Form.

• Dickens and Eagle Ace fled as the Fleshy Tentacle Monster absorbed the remaining divine descendants and swelled into a rotten Meat Mountain.
• The Meat Mountain dragged Moor from the Ocean of Frost as dawn broke over the Northern Territory Fortress.
• Mirror Ace and Bayern led the evacuees toward the Lar Mountains, where Arno reconciled with Xavier and Daina and Polina spotted a flash over the fortress.
• Main Body Ace reached Mount Baal and began laying a concealed trap for possible enemies.
• Alex survived the battle and devoured the other half of his body after returning to Shadow Form.

Alex’s ritual consumed Moor and transformed the Northern Territory Fortress into an Abyssal stronghold as Lord Dekbah sent a projection through a rift. The witch carried the unconscious Soron away, while the wizard apprentices’ group surveyed the changed Northern Frontier.

• Moor used Frost Star Fall to freeze the Meat Mountain, believing he had sealed it and won the battle.
• Alex revealed that Moor’s sealing attack had completed his ritual, and a vast shadow devoured the Meat Mountain and Moor.
• Before he was consumed, Moor threw Praise of Frost out of the darkness and charged it with finding a worthy frost-blooded descendant.
• Alex welcomed Lord Dekbah, whose demons poured through a rift before a projection entered the fortress and the rift closed.
• The witch carried Soron away as Ambrio praised the sacrifice of the Meat Mountain, and Mirror Ace returned to Bayern beside the exhausted Book Spirit.

Mirror Ace met the wizard apprentices, exposed and sentenced suspected collaborators, and announced plans to lead them into the Lar Mountains to establish a Wizard Academy and magical town. He departed to guide another group of apprentices, leaving Bayern to lead the first group onward.

• Mirror Ace revealed himself as the Firebearer and used suggestion to earn the wizard apprentices’ trust.
• Ace tested the gathered people with an illusion, identified several suspected collaborators, and had them confess before declaring they must be executed.
• Ace told the apprentices that they would travel north into the Lar Mountains, join another group, and build a Wizard Academy and town.
• Ace explained his plan for an academic community that shared foundational magical knowledge and exchanged advanced knowledge according to Equivalent Exchange.
• Ace transformed into an eagle and flew off to find the other group, while Bayern agreed to guide the apprentices onward.

Dickens escaped the lesser demons with Praise of Frost and learned of Moor’s final moments, then set out for the royal capital. Mirror Ace reunited with Daina and told her that the Northern Frontier had been abyssalized, asking for her cooperation.

• Dickens’s Frost Boar vanished, and he continued toward the royal capital on foot while the surrounding darkness spread.
• Dickens fought through a village full of lesser demons, but a winged demon overwhelmed him and toyed with him.
• Dickens called on the frost power in his bloodline, and Praise of Frost fell from the sky and killed the winged demon.
• Dickens took up Praise of Frost, witnessed Moor’s final moments through its resonance, and headed resolutely toward the royal capital.
• Mirror Ace returned to Daina and apologized for arriving late, and she embraced him, exhausted and relieved.
• Mirror Ace told Daina that the Northern Frontier had been abyssalized and that the evacuated wizard apprentices would join her, then asked for her cooperation.