Chapter Summaries

After collapsing from the strain of fighting Atofe, Luo Ge woke to find Roxy, Nanahoshi, and Elinalise watching over him. He met Talhand and learned that he and Elinalise had been Paul and Zenith’s former companions, while Talhand’s unusual attention left him puzzled.

• Luo Ge woke after using the Transparent World and entering a selfless state had exhausted him during his fight with Atofe.
• Luo Ge realized Elinalise, not Roxy, had been stroking his head while he slept, and Roxy and Nanahoshi checked on his condition.
• Badigadi and Talhand arrived, and the group gathered in Luo Ge’s cramped room to introduce themselves.
• Roxy introduced Talhand, and Talhand explained that he and Elinalise had traveled with Paul in Black Wolf’s Fang.
• Elinalise said she and Talhand had come to help find Luo Ge’s family and Zenith, and Luo Ge thanked them on his father’s behalf.
• Luo Ge noticed Talhand kept watching him, apparently focusing on his rear, and wondered why.

Luo Ge learned that Talhand had once been deeply devoted to Paul, while Elinalise explained that Paul had also left old grievances between them. After they praised Luo Ge and reaffirmed their loyalty to Zenith, Badigadi rallied everyone to celebrate, and Luo Ge looked forward to returning to Milishion with news that Zenith was alive.

• Talhand asked Luo Ge whether Paul had ever mentioned him, and Elinalise revealed that Talhand had nearly offered himself to Paul after Paul saved him in a labyrinth.
• Luo Ge awkwardly thanked Talhand and Elinalise for helping his family, while Nanahoshi reacted with embarrassment to the misunderstanding about Talhand's feelings.
• Elinalise said Paul had done something they still could not forgive, but she and Talhand had come to help Zenith regardless of their strained relationship with Paul.
• Luo Ge asked whether Paul had wronged them and offered to apologize, but Elinalise told him to ask Paul about the old grievances himself.
• Badigadi turned Luo Ge's attempt to discuss their itinerary into a drinking celebration, and Luo Ge accepted as he anticipated telling Paul that Zenith was alive.

At a tavern drinking contest, Roxy got drunk and climbed into Luo Ge’s lap, prompting Elinalise to distract Badigadi so Luo Ge could carry his teacher to her room. When Roxy clutched his wrist and pleaded with him not to leave, Luo Ge stayed beside her through the night.

• Badigadi challenged Luo Ge to keep drinking while Talhand passed out, Nanahoshi remained unconscious, and Roxy drank quietly nearby.
• Roxy joined Luo Ge, took his drink, and fell asleep leaning against him after insisting she was responsible for him as his teacher.
• Elinalise offered to drink with Badigadi, drawing his attention away and allowing Luo Ge to carry Roxy upstairs to her room.
• Luo Ge laid Roxy in bed and covered her with his coat, but she grabbed his wrist and begged him not to leave.
• Roxy murmured anxiously about Luo Ge in her sleep, and Luo Ge held her hand and stayed beside her until dawn.

Roxy woke after Luo Ge stayed up all night looking after her, and the group agreed to take a shortcut back across the sea. They boarded a Sea Folk ship bound for the Millis Continent, leaving the Demon Continent behind as Luo Ge looked forward to reuniting with his family.

• Roxy woke to find Luo Ge beside her and learned that she had hugged him while drunk and told him she wanted him to grow up safe and healthy.
• Roxy and Luo Ge left their rooms and found Elinalise and Badigadi, who revealed that their night together had been a paid transaction.
• Luo Ge explained the return voyage plan, and the group agreed to leave for a nearby harbor once Nanahoshi woke up.
• Luo Ge and the others reached the harbor at Klasma and boarded a Sea Folk ship pulled by trained monsters.
• The ship departed for the Millis Continent while Luo Ge watched the Demon Continent recede and anticipated reuniting with his family.

After Paul beat Rudeus, Eris tried to cheer him up by punching him until his gloom gave way to anger and a grapple. Meanwhile, Paul drank alone and blamed Rudeus for not valuing their family as Luo Ge did, until Geese found him at the tavern.

• Eris returned to the inn, saw Rudeus's bruised and despondent state, and learned from Rujierd that Paul had beaten him.
• Eris started to storm off to kill Paul, but Rujierd stopped her and asked whether that would make Rudeus happy.
• Eris remembered how Luo Ge handled Rudeus's brooding and punched Rudeus repeatedly, drawing him into an angry scuffle that eased his despair.
• Paul drank alone at a tavern, compared Rudeus unfavorably with Luo Ge, and wondered whether Rudeus considered them family.
• Geese found Paul at the bar, and Paul recognized him.

Geese helped Paul recognize that he had favored Luo Ge and unfairly blamed Rudeus, who was also a child facing danger on the Demon Continent. Paul resolved to put aside his pride and seek Rudeus out to apologize that night.

• Paul told Geese about his argument with Rudeus, but insisted he had done nothing wrong.
• Geese reminded Paul that his sons were only twelve and that Rudeus might have downplayed the Demon Continent's dangers to spare his father worry.
• Geese challenged Paul to admit he would have treated Luo Ge differently, and Paul realized he had favored the son he had once lost.
• Geese warned Paul that Rudeus could die too, prompting Paul to remember how he had crushed Rudeus's hopes at the Adventurers' Guild.
• Paul decided to apologize to Rudeus immediately, thanked Geese, and left the tavern wondering whether Rudeus would forgive him.

Paul learned from Rujierd how Rudeus survived and grew during their journey across the Demon Continent, and resolved to apologize to his son. After wrestling with whether to meet Paul or leave Milishion, Rudeus decided to face him and stop running from his problems.

• Paul visited Rudeus’s inn but paused outside his room after overhearing Rudeus and Eris, then spoke with Rujierd in the corridor.
• Rujierd recounted how he rescued Rudeus and Eris during the Teleportation Incident and described Rudeus’s struggles and deeds on the Demon Continent.
• Paul asked Rujierd to arrange a meeting with Rudeus the next day and returned to Lilia, promising to apologize to his son.
• Rujierd told Rudeus that Paul had visited and invited him to meet at a tavern after daybreak, while restraining Eris from confronting Paul.
• Rudeus considered leaving Milishion without saying goodbye, then drew courage from Luo Ge’s example and decided to meet Paul.

Rudeus and Paul reconciled in Milishion, and Rudeus agreed to stay a few days to get to know his younger sisters. Meanwhile, Luo Ge, Roxy, and Nanahoshi reached Zant Port, where they began planning the next leg of their search for Zenith.

• Rudeus met Paul at a tavern, and a reminder from the owner prompted him to recognize Paul's fear of being rejected.
• Rudeus embraced Paul and forgave him, and the two left the tavern reconciled while Eris watched in surprise.
• Paul asked Rudeus to stay a few days to spend time with Norn and Aisha, and Rudeus agreed.
• Luo Ge's group reached the Millis Continent; Badigadi and Elinalise had left during the voyage, and Talhand departed after they landed.
• Luo Ge, Roxy, and Nanahoshi settled into an inn in Zant Port, where they discussed their journey and prepared to rest.

Hitogami warned Luo Ge that the Dragon God had appeared and that Rudeus would die if they met, so Luo Ge agreed to go save him. The chapter left Luo Ge determined to face the danger, while Hitogami smiled as he watched him leave.

• Luo Ge met Hitogami in a dream, and Hitogami congratulated him on finding his maid and younger sister and learning that Zenith was alive in a labyrinth.
• Hitogami told Luo Ge that the Dragon God had come, but was looking for Rudeus rather than Luo Ge.
• Hitogami revealed that his Future Sight could no longer see Rudeus’s future after Rudeus reached the Red Dragon’s Lower Jaw, which meant Rudeus would die upon meeting the Dragon God.
• Luo Ge questioned whether he should save Rudeus, and Hitogami said Rudeus would live if Luo Ge went but would certainly die if Luo Ge stayed away.
• Luo Ge decided to go save Rudeus, despite suspecting Hitogami was using him against the Dragon God, and Hitogami watched him leave with a smile.

Luo Ge told Roxy and Nanahoshi that he would not go to Milishion with them because he had an important task to do, and Roxy agreed to help Paul while looking after Nanahoshi. He left alone, declaring in his thoughts that he was going to find Rudeus, while Roxy and Nanahoshi stayed behind.

• Luo Ge summoned Roxy and Nanahoshi late at night, took the bread Roxy had sneaked from the kitchen, and told them he could not go to Milishion with them.
• Nanahoshi questioned Luo Ge’s decision, but Roxy understood that he needed to leave and agreed to tell Paul about Zenith and help search for the missing family.
• Luo Ge said he would be away for about half a year and entrusted Nanahoshi to Roxy before leaving alone.
• Nanahoshi cried as Luo Ge departed, and afterward she asked Roxy why she had not tried to stop him.
• Roxy recalled Luo Ge’s resolve and said she and Nanahoshi could go help him if he ran into danger.

Paul learned that Zenith was alive in the Gapan labyrinth on the Begaritt Continent after Roxy and Nanahoshi returned from the Demon Continent with news of Luo Ge’s journey. The chapter ended with Paul, Roxy, and Nanahoshi wondering why Luo Ge had left their group partway through the journey.

• Vera told Paul that the Adventurers’ Guild had reported Luo Ge defeated the Immortal Demon King, and Paul celebrated his son’s achievement.
• Roxy and Nanahoshi arrived without Luo Ge and explained that he had left their journey at Zant Port.
• Roxy and Nanahoshi told Paul they had discovered Zenith’s whereabouts on the Demon Continent and confirmed she was alive.
• Roxy and Nanahoshi recounted Luo Ge’s accomplishments, including defeating multiple Demon Kings, and Paul thanked them for their help.
• Roxy told Paul that Zenith was in the Gapan labyrinth on the Begaritt Continent, leaving the three of them puzzled about why Luo Ge had departed.

Isolte, the seventeen-year-old Water King, secretly hoped to marry Luo Ge, while Water God Reida tested her feelings by pretending to consider an arranged match. After revealing that she had planned to introduce Isolte to Luo Ge, Reida left Isolte eager for her to make the marriage happen.

• Isolte practiced Water God Style at the dojo while Water God Reida summoned her for a private conversation.
• Reida told Isolte the story behind the Water God tradition that a successor's partner gave up their original surname, and Isolte imagined marrying Luo Ge.
• Reida raised the prospect of arranging Isolte's marriage, and Isolte insisted she did not want to marry before becoming Water God.
• Reida revealed she had planned to arrange a match between Isolte and Luo Ge, with Gal serving as a go-between.
• Isolte changed her mind and urged Reida to make the marriage happen.

Sword God Gal rejected Water God Reida’s attempt to arrange Isolte’s marriage to Luo Ge, then decided to secure Luo Ge for his own family by arranging a marriage between him and Nina. Nina agreed, but as she walked alone afterward, she reflected on her rivalry with Luo Ge and the gulf between their abilities.

• Gal recognized Reida’s marriage proposal as an attempt to poach Luo Ge, destroyed the letter, and sent a scathing rejection.
• Gal summoned Nina and proposed that she marry Luo Ge, claiming he wanted her to be happy and that Luo Ge would succeed him as Sword God.
• Nina agreed to the arranged marriage, while Gal insisted Luo Ge would not dare refuse.
• Nina left the audience chamber to walk alone and questioned whether she could accept a marriage without affection.
• Nina remembered how Luo Ge’s achievements had eclipsed her own, then resolved that she would keep working to catch up despite the widening gap.

Rudeus, Eris, and Rujierd traveled north through the Red Dragon's Lower Jaw toward Asura, after hearing that Luo Ge had defeated the powerful Immortal Demon King Atofe. As red dragons fled from an overwhelming presence, the group saw an unidentified figure approaching through the snow.

• Eris told Rudeus that Luo Ge had defeated the Immortal Demon King Atofe, and Rujierd said he himself had no confidence he could beat her.
• Rudeus realized how vast the gap between him and Luo Ge had become, but Rujierd and Eris reassured him that he was exceptional too.
• Rudeus chose a shortcut through the Red Dragon's Lower Jaw, and the group set out from the Shirone Kingdom toward Asura.
• The travelers crossed the snowy mountain pass and saw red dragons; Rujierd warned that provoking the creatures could bring a whole group down on them.
• As the group approached a narrow path, an oppressive presence drove the red dragons into a panicked flight, and an unidentified figure appeared through the wind and snow.

Rudeus, Eris, and Rujierd encountered Dragon God Orsted on a snowy passage. After asking Rudeus about Rog Greyrat, Orsted let the group leave but asked whether Rudeus had heard of the Human God Hitogami.

• Orsted's oppressive presence frightened Eris and Rujierd, and their buffalo bolted over the cliff.
• Orsted recognized Rujierd and Eris, then questioned Rudeus about his family and his relationship to Rog Greyrat.
• Rudeus introduced himself and learned that the stranger was Orsted, the Dragon God.
• Orsted asked Rudeus where Rog was, but Rudeus denied knowing; Rujierd stepped in front of Rudeus and Eris as Orsted approached.
• Orsted allowed them to leave, then asked Rudeus whether he had heard of the Human God Hitogami.

Rudeus, Eris, and Rujierd were overwhelmed by Dragon God Orsted after Rudeus denied knowing Hitogami, and Orsted mortally wounded Rudeus despite his desperate attacks. As Orsted moved to finish him, an unidentified ally arrived and blocked the killing blow.

• Orsted accused Rudeus of lying about Hitogami and attacked, prompting Eris to pull Rudeus aside and Rujierd to confront him.
• Orsted swiftly defeated Rujierd, then threw Eris into a cliff when she tried to protect Rudeus.
• Orsted pierced Rudeus's chest and told him to deliver a threat to Hitogami, but noticed Eris could cast a small Fireball and Rudeus's Rock Bullet could injure him.
• Rudeus launched a compressed Fireball with his remaining mana, but Orsted used the Front Dragon Gate to dissipate it.
• As Orsted moved to deliver the final blow, a figure arrived on horseback, blocked his strike, and told Rudeus he was there.

Luo Ge arrived at the Red Dragon's Lower Jaw and faced Dragon God Orsted, who attacked him after learning he was a Human God Apostle. Luo Ge healed the gravely wounded Rudeus and sent Eris away with Rudeus and Rujierd before preparing to fight Orsted alone.

• Rudeus recognized Luo Ge, who appeared before him and met Orsted after seven years.
• Luo Ge and Orsted exchanged words, and Orsted became enraged when Luo Ge admitted he was a Human God Apostle.
• Orsted vanished and struck Luo Ge with a Sword of Light, but Luo Ge blocked it and was driven backward.
• Luo Ge paused the fight and used God-Rank Healing Magic to treat Rudeus's wounds.
• Luo Ge ordered Eris to take Rudeus and Rujierd away, and Eris left after urging him to win.

Rog Greyrat confronted Dragon God Orsted at the Red Dragon's Lower Jaw, determined to avenge his childhood defeat. After Rog's attacks managed to injure Orsted slightly, both men prepared to continue their battle.

• Rog Greyrat faced Orsted alone after Rudeus, Eris, and Rujierd moved to safety.
• Rog opened with the Sword of Light and a mana-fueled punch, but Orsted blocked the attacks and forced him back.
• Rog used Rock Bullets, a feinting kick, and a sword strike to land one Rock Bullet on Orsted's chest.
• Orsted recognized Rog's unusual fighting style but said Rog remained weaker than before.
• Rog declared himself the Demon Sword King and challenged Orsted to die, insisting that he would win.

Luo Ge activated Transparent World after Orsted overwhelmed him, allowing him to read the Dragon God's body and turn the fight around. Orsted recognized Luo Ge's talent but accused him of becoming a thief.

• Orsted defeated Luo Ge in their brief battle, leaving him badly wounded and missing an arm.
• Luo Ge used God-Rank Healing Magic to regrow his arm and resolved to show his true strength.
• Luo Ge activated Transparent World and perceived Orsted's muscles, bones, Touki circulation, and movements in detail.
• Luo Ge attacked Orsted with precise sword strikes and punches, forcing the Dragon God to step back for the first time.
• Orsted praised Luo Ge's innate talent, then said it was unfortunate that he had chosen to become a thief.

Rudeus, Eris, and Rujierd returned to the Red Dragon's Lower Jaw to help Luo Ge, only to find him overwhelming Dragon God Orsted in battle. After Luo Ge severed Orsted's arm, Rujierd and Rudeus noticed the Dragon God's strangely weak mana and feared he was holding something back.

• Rudeus woke and decided to return to help Luo Ge, while Eris and Rujierd agreed to go with him.
• Rudeus healed Rujierd, then asked him to take Eris away, but both companions chose to join him instead.
• Rudeus, Eris, and Rujierd reached the Red Dragon's Lower Jaw and found Luo Ge fighting Orsted above the cliffs.
• Luo Ge's sword strikes drove Orsted back and inflicted numerous wounds, leaving Rudeus, Eris, and Rujierd astonished.
• Luo Ge severed one of Orsted's arms, but Rujierd and Rudeus noticed Orsted was barely using mana and grew concerned about what he was planning.