Chapter Summaries

Chen Xu and Geralt confronted Tree Heart, while the Crones held Anna and the orphans in their power. Chen Xu persuaded Geralt to use Tree Heart as leverage; after the Crones lifted Anna’s curse, Chen Xu killed Tree Heart and obtained the Heart of Nature.

• The Crones threatened Anna over the sick orphans until Fringilla warned them not to break their agreement.
• Tree Heart claimed the Crones were the true villains and urged Geralt to free it, but Chen Xu pushed Geralt to fight it.
• Geralt and Chen Xu battled Tree Heart’s Endrega defenders, and Geralt prepared to kill Tree Heart before Chen Xu stopped him.
• Geralt returned to the Orphans’ Village and demanded that the Crones lift Anna’s curse in exchange for Tree Heart’s death.
• Whispess removed Anna’s curse, and Chen Xu killed Tree Heart with Moonblade, gaining the Heart of Nature and Soul Juice.

After the Heart of the Tree died, the Crones gained greater power and attacked Geralt, Anna, Fringilla, and Chen Xu. Chen Xu killed Weavess by destroying the Mottled Heart of the Land, while the remaining Crones’ grief destabilized Fringilla’s illusion.

• The Heart of the Tree’s death left Whispering Hillock a hillock, and the Crones claimed greater control over Velen and demanded more ears from their followers.
• Brewess threatened Anna’s children, and Geralt drew his silver sword to stop her; Weavess restored Anna’s curse mark and Whispess attacked in a flock of crows.
• Fringilla drove Whispess back with chain lightning, then cast an illusion that hid Geralt and confused the Crones and the Fiend they summoned.
• Chen Xu used the illusion’s elemental patterns to locate Weavess, silently approached her, and beheaded her with Moonblade.
• Chen Xu tore the Mottled Heart of the Land from Weavess’s chest and crushed it, killing her; Whispess and Brewess howled in grief as Fringilla struggled to maintain the illusion.

Chen Xu, Geralt, and Fringilla fought the Crones and a seemingly endless horde of monsters at the Orphans' Village until the Baron and Nilfgaardian soldiers arrived with reinforcements. The humans began driving back the monsters as the Baron's wife hid with the children.

• Brewess and Whispess attacked Chen Xu while the Fiend kept Geralt occupied, and Drowners and Water Hags gathered around the village.
• Anna ushered the children into the cottage as Chen Xu and Geralt fought the first monster waves and protected Fringilla.
• Chen Xu used dual swords to cut through the monsters, but his injured arm weakened and Brewess sent him flying.
• The Fiend's Sleeping Demon Eye dazed Geralt, Whispess trapped him in vines, and Fringilla's lightning freed him while also shocking him.
• As darkness fell, Chen Xu used his remaining strength to protect Geralt and Fringilla until the Baron's guards and Nilfgaardian soldiers arrived with torches and charged the monsters.
• The cavalry and infantry set the monsters alight and cut them down as the Baron rushed to reassure Anna.

Chen Xu and the Nilfgaardian army nearly defeated the Crones, but Imlerith arrived and Caranthir unleashed the White Frost through a portal. Chen Xu disrupted the portal with dimeritium, though Caranthir continued opening new gateways and the battle remained unresolved.

• The Crones tried to flee as dimeritium bombs weakened their magic and the army killed most of their monsters.
• Chen Xu threatened the Crones into lifting Anna’s curse, then shot Whispess after she removed it.
• Imlerith appeared, caught Chen Xu’s bolt, and summoned Caranthir, whose portal unleashed the White Frost.
• Chen Xu used a crossbow bolt to strike a dimeritium bomb into the portal, collapsing it and letting the army drive Imlerith back.
• Caranthir opened another portal among the soldiers, and a sorceress destroyed it before a third portal appeared behind Imlerith.

After helping defeat the Wild Hunt and save Anna, Chen Xu recovered, completed his mission, and received an exceptional reward. The baron told Geralt and Fringilla that Ciri had gone to Novigrad, while Chen Xu declined to help Philip use magic to win Anna’s love and began considering his advancement to Mortal Tier Peak.

• Imlerith and Caranthir escaped through a portal after the costly battle, and Chen Xu began refining Source Power to heal his frostbitten body.
• Chen Xu treated poisoned soldiers and gathered materials from the battlefield as the survivors prepared to return to Crow's Perch.
• The baron told Fringilla that Ciri had gone to Novigrad and offered Geralt money and passes, prompting Fringilla to question his dealings with Redania.
• Chen Xu received 1,500 experience, 300 points, and two Advancement Cards for completing the mission to save the baron's wife.
• Chen Xu offered Philip a potion and ritual to make Anna love him, but Philip refused because Anna had suffered enough.
• Chen Xu returned to his guest room, saw that he had reached Mortal Tier Peak, and considered how to advance.

Chen Xu weighed possible advancement paths while his class requirements and a rising rival pushed him to keep progressing. After riding to Blackbough to sell his materials, he entered the pellar’s home and found a sheep’s head on a pillow.

• Chen Xu reviewed the points-shop qualification packages and class recommendations, weighing the familiar [Constable] path against the uncertain rare classes.
• Chen Xu noticed he had climbed to 93rd place in the mortal tier rankings and that Guan Chuan had taken Sethis’s place, sharpening his sense of urgency.
• When Lizi refused to ride, Chen Xu comprehended [Sign] by attempting Axii, then brewed and fed the horse a [Horse Stimulant].
• Chen Xu rode to Blackbough, learned that a new boxing champion had been crowned, and got directions to the pellar’s house.
• Chen Xu entered the pellar’s home and saw a sheep’s head lying on a pillow.

Chen Xu purified 487 liters of [Soul Juice] into [Spiritwood Essence] and brewed and traded attribute potions, but the pellar eventually drove him away. As Chen Xu rode past Blackbough, he spotted Guan Chuan and his rotting-handed teammate fleeing a stranger who meant to kill them.

• Chen Xu startled the pellar by barging into his hut, then bought herbs and rented the pellar's alchemy equipment.
• Chen Xu purified the [Soul Juice] into [Spiritwood Essence] and brewed potions, selling nineteen attribute potions for 2,850 points.
• Chen Xu kept [Heart of the Land], [Diluted Dragon's Strength], and [Wolfsbane], then bought more attribute potions from the shop.
• The pellar refused Chen Xu's offer of more money and drove him out before sunset.
• Chen Xu rode past Blackbough and sensed Guan Chuan and his rotting-handed teammate being pursued by a stranger intent on killing them.

Chen Xu watched Bong Chigurh defeat Annisha Nomankov and badly injure Guan Chuan, then stepped in when the [Witcher]-like Chosen threatened to finish them off. After detecting Bong’s formidable attributes, Chen Xu prepared to fight alongside the two [Soldier] Chosen.

• Chen Xu watched Bong Chigurh pursue the wounded Guan Chuan and Annisha Nomankov, while Annisha used his ability to change size and attributes to hold him off.
• Bong taunted Annisha and struck him with a blast of flame and a kick that badly injured his face.
• Guan Chuan urged Chen Xu to help, explaining that Bong had claimed the battlefield and forced them to leave or withdraw.
• Bong knocked Annisha’s sword aside and prepared to finish him, but Chen Xu dismounted and joined Guan Chuan to stop him, citing the two men’s 400-point debt.
• Chen Xu and the others used [Detection] and learned that Bong was a powerful Navia Dark Elf serving the Chigurh Legion.

Chen Xu and his companions drove Bong away after learning about the dangerous Anton Chigurh, then returned to Crow’s Perch for a banquet where Chen Xu won the Velen championship challenge. The night ended with Chen Xu discovering that an old maid had Gretka’s missing emerald necklace.

• Chen Xu, Guan Chuan, and Annisha fought Bong, wounded him, and forced him to retreat after he invoked Anton Chigurh’s orders.
• On the ride back to Crow’s Perch, Guan Chuan explained Anton Chigurh’s reputation and the Chigurh Legion’s predatory aims.
• At the baron’s banquet, Chen Xu played Gwent, won the baron’s spy card, and defeated the Sergeant in the Velen championship challenge.
• As Chen Xu left the banquet, he recognized Gretka’s missing emerald around an old maid’s neck, and the maid refused to give it back.

Chen Xu sent Geralt and Fringilla toward Novigrad, then dealt with Gretka’s broken emerald and forged new equipment from monster materials. He finished the chapter wearing newly made Wyvern armor and carrying a powerful dragon-horn bow.

• Chen Xu warned Geralt about choosing between women he loved, then secretly kept Geralt’s witcher medallion as a regional monster-hunting permit.
• Fringilla left with Geralt after concealing Chen Xu’s existence from the false Emhyr.
• Gretka found the emerald shattered into dust, and Chen Xu repaired it with plant adhesive before arranging two hundred crowns for her future.
• Chen Xu used Wyvern hide, Endrega carapaces, and metal plates to forge rare Wyvern armor, while Yoana watched at the smithy.
• Chen Xu also made a fine dragon horn bow from Wyvern materials and finished his armor with his original Temerian guard armor reforged into leg protection.