Chapter Summaries

Aglaea gave Stelle, March 7th, and Dan Heng luxurious lodging and guided them through a ritual basin to witness the Chrysos Heirs’ journey in the Vortex of Genesis. They arrived there to find Ye Yan’s milk tea shop beside “Tides in the Basin,” leaving Stelle stunned that it occupied a different layer.

• Aglaea welcomed Stelle, March 7th, and Dan Heng, and Tribbie reported that the deserters’ trail could lead them to Castrum Kremnos, Nikador’s moving city-state.
• Aglaea gifted the three a private bath palace, where Stelle and March 7th were tempted by a recliner while Dan Heng tested the warm bathwater.
• Aglaea showed them a ritual basin and explained that it could let them witness the Chrysos Heirs’ journey in the Vortex of Genesis.
• Aglaea guided the three through the sacred-water ritual, and they entered the Vortex of Genesis.
• Stelle spotted a milk tea shop beside “Tides in the Basin” and exclaimed that it was on a different layer from the Vortex of Genesis.

Fulisina told Stelle and March 7th about the threats facing the Church of Eternity and revealed that Chair Blake had descended into an abyss to confront someone. Meanwhile, Phainon dreamed of a cryptic prophecy while resting with Ye Yan, then set off with him to find Cyrene and continue their training.

• Fulisina explained that the Church of Eternity was guarding against Irontomb and the stirring Memokeepers, while the Xianzhou Alliance faced Celenova.
• Fulisina said Chair Blake had gone into a bottomless abyss with a prisoner to finish unfinished business, leaving Stelle unsure who he was confronting.
• Ye Yan and Phainon rested in a golden wheat field, where Phainon dreamed of a voice and a prophecy about an ashen hero and the fall of Erudition.
• Phainon woke, drank Ye Yan's special milk tea, and dismissed the dream when he could not recall its details.
• Phainon urged Ye Yan to find Cyrene and look at the Oracle Cards as part of their special training.

At the Vortex of Genesis, Aglaea, Phainon, and Castorice explained the Chrysos Heirs’ mission to Stelle and her companions. Stelle listened to a Titan’s constellation but instead heard a mysterious storyteller begin an unfamiliar tale before the voice cut off.

• Aglaea and Phainon explained that six Core Flames had been restored and that they and Tribbie had taken on divine offices to keep Amphoreus from collapsing.
• Phainon described how the Chrysos Heirs were meant to bring down the Titans, recover their Core Flames, and fill the vacant divine offices, while Castorice questioned whether prophecy dictated their fate.
• Stelle listened to the constellations and heard fragments about war before learning about Nikador, the Titan of Strife whose corrupted followers still fought across Amphoreus.
• A mysterious voice began a story about Mydeimos and Nasha in the 8,128th Eternal Recurrence, then abruptly cut off.
• March 7th asked Stelle what she had heard, while Phainon reflected on his own journey and wondered why the prophecy had chosen him.

Stelle, March 7th, and Dan Heng accepted Phainon’s invitation to help defeat Nikador and hoped the mission would lead them to their missing companion, Ye Yan. After returning to the bath palace, they reflected on Amphoreus’s mysteries and rested, with Stelle planning to investigate the Voice of the Stars again.

• Stelle asked Phainon and Castorice how the Chrysos Heirs were chosen, and Castorice said the prophecy seemed to favor people facing extreme circumstances.
• Phainon explained that the Chrysos Heirs would set out to defeat Nikador once Teacher Trianne located Castrum Kremnos, and Stelle agreed to join them.
• Stelle mentioned hearing the names Mydeimos and Nasha in the Voice of the Stars, baffling Phainon and Castorice.
• Phainon said defeating Nikador might help the group find Ye Yan, and he invited them to rest at the private bath palace until Trianne returned.
• Stelle found that the Flame-Chase stories had vanished from the Voice of the Stars, while Dan Heng warned that the Chrysos Heirs might not be united.
• The three returned to the bath palace, discussed the day’s discoveries, and decided to rest before investigating further.

Stelle woke after hearing a mysterious voice and learned that the crew might be unable to leave Amphoreus. The Chrysos Heirs prepared to attack Nikador, while Ye Yan, Phainon, and Cyrene entered Lost in the Maze.

• Stelle heard a confused voice in her dream that seemed to want to become whole, and Dan Heng urged her to record what she remembered.
• Dan Heng warned Stelle and March 7th that the influence of multiple Paths might prevent them from contacting the Express or escaping Amphoreus.
• Aglaea announced that the mist around Castrum Kremnos had lifted and called for the Chrysos Heirs to decide who would fight Nikador.
• Phainon volunteered to slay Nikador and recommended Stelle, March 7th, and Dan Heng, while Stelle and March 7th agreed to join.
• Castorice offered to accompany the expedition, but Aglaea ordered her to remain in Okhema because of other threats.
• Ye Yan met Phainon and Cyrene at Aedes Elysiae, joked that his milk tea was a roaming visa, and followed them into Lost in the Maze.

Phainon, Mydei, and Stelle set out for Castrum Kremnos to hunt Nikador, while March 7th and Dan Heng stayed behind to research Amphoreus. In Aedes Elysiae, Dodora Mi warned Cyrene and Phainon that the maze would soon welcome a new fairy, signaling a world-shattering calamity beyond the Veil of Eternal Night.

• Phainon asked Stelle to join the expedition to Castrum Kremnos, and Stelle accepted as the Galactic Baseballer.
• Mydei swore to fight Nikador and told Phainon he could take the Core Flame and divine seat, but Phainon insisted he would strike the final blow himself.
• Aglaea blessed Phainon, Mydei, and Stelle, and Trianne opened a World-Splitting Gate for their journey.
• March 7th and Dan Heng stayed in Okhema to learn about Amphoreus, while March 7th hugged Stelle goodbye.
• Ye Yan served milk tea to the fairies in Lost in the Maze as Dodora Mi welcomed Cyrene and Phainon and returned an Oracle Card album to them.
• Dodora Mi told Cyrene and Phainon that the Veil of Eternal Night had foretold a new fairy's arrival, which meant a world-shattering calamity was approaching beyond Aedes Elysiae.

Phainon and Cyrene decided to face the coming disaster together and prepared to use Cyrene’s Oracle Cards, while Ye Yan moved his plan to activate the “Eternity” factor in Phainon to its next stage. Meanwhile, Stelle, Phainon, and Mydei arrived at the ruined Castrum Kremnos and set out to reclaim the Core Flame of “Strife.”

• Phainon and Cyrene agreed to stay in Aedes Elysiae because they could not stop the approaching disaster, but Cyrene proposed drawing Oracle Cards to learn their fate.
• Cyrene began a divination, and Phainon said they would face its result together, whatever it was.
• Ye Yan returned to the Court of Repose after sending Phainon and Cyrene to “Lost in the Maze,” and planned to activate the “Eternity” factor in Phainon.
• Ye Yan noticed that Aha was missing and found Demiurge in her pink fairy form, offering him milk tea.
• Stelle examined the flashing crimson Fool’s Mask as Phainon and Mydei surveyed the decayed Castrum Kremnos.
• Phainon and Mydei reflected on the fortress’s fallen military might, then set out to reclaim the Core Flame of “Strife” or die trying.

Stelle, Phainon, and Mydei entered Castrum Kremnos and agreed to compete in defeating Nikador’s maddened minions, with the final blow against the Titan as their stake. Back in Aedes Elysiae, Phainon asked Cyrene for the Savior card, feeling that a distant voice was calling him to accept its burden.

• Stelle, Phainon, and Mydei left Trianne behind and found their way blocked by a broken bridge in Castrum Kremnos.
• Stelle tried to use her hourglass necklace to cross the gap, but it could not carry passengers, so the group continued on foot to the temple.
• Mydei described the Edge of Divine Retribution and its significance to the Kremnosians, while the necklace flickered at the mention of Eternity.
• Phainon proposed a contest with Mydei to defeat more maddened minions, wagering the final blow against Nikador; Stelle joined their competition.
• In Aedes Elysiae, Phainon told Cyrene that the Savior card’s visions troubled him and asked her to give it to him.

Phainon received the Savior Oracle Card and learned that the Black Tide threatened Aedes Elysiae, but he and his companion chose to defend their home rather than hide. Meanwhile, Ye Yan and Aha discussed the staged warning and the possibility of drawing HooH’s Arbitrators into Amphoreus.

• Cyrene gave Phainon the Savior Oracle Card, and he remembered Dodora Mi’s words about bearing the world’s wishes.
• Dodora Mi warned that the Black Tide had taken root, could corrupt even Titans, and would soon threaten Aedes Elysiae.
• Ye Yan, disguised as Dodora Mi, urged the children to hide while Aha teased him about his manipulation and talked of becoming the Aeon of Equilibrium.
• Phainon and his companion rejected the order to hide and resolved to step forward to protect their village.
• Phainon reflected that a Savior could begin with a small act of courage and grow by bringing salvation to others.

Stelle and Phainon raced Mydei through Castrum Kremnos, fighting Titan minions and crossing a lightning-struck chain bridge. They reached a lounge and found a stone tablet they could not read, then continued investigating its dusty belongings.

• Stelle and Phainon defeated four Titan minions and split the Kremnos insignia as competition loot.
• Phainon explained that Mydei had gone ahead because Castrum Kremnos mattered deeply to him, and Mydei called out that he was already leading.
• Stelle used her necklace skills to protect herself and Phainon from the bridge's lightning, then used Flipping Coin to speed them across.
• Phainon and Stelle found a stone tablet in the lounge but could not read its ancient Castrum Kremnos runes.
• Stelle found a cup of milk tea among the lounge's dusty belongings.

Stelle and Phainon fought their way through the Heavenly Punishment Legion in Castrum Kremnos, while Phainon reflected on the value of trustworthy companions. They examined a mural about soulforging and learned how the city had created an endless supply of Titan followers.

• Stelle and Phainon defeated the followers of Strife surrounding them, with Stelle charging into battle and Phainon narrating their fight.
• Phainon asked about Nikador, and Stelle said he was probably guarding the Soulforging District; Mydei then took another route.
• Phainon said he trusted Stelle and her companions because of how they treated their friends, then asked Mydei to translate an ancient tablet, but Mydei refused.
• Stelle and Phainon examined a mural showing Titan followers being made from stone shells infused with a god's golden blood.
• Stelle realized that the mural's promise of an endless supply of soldiers had made her think of Eternity.

Phainon, Stelle, and Mydei reached the Golden Lion Head, whose warnings revealed that Nikador had fallen and deceived them. After deciphering a stone tablet, they learned Nikador had infiltrated Okhema and faced the choice of continuing their mission or returning to help.

• Phainon and Stelle used Stelle’s hourglass necklace to clear the broken route and collected far more Castrum Kremnos emblems than Mydei.
• Mydei gave Phainon the spoils and agreed that they would face Nikador together.
• The Golden Lion Head awoke briefly, warned Mydei that their god had fallen, and told him to beware Lycurgus, Eternity, and a deceptive envoy.
• Stelle revived the Golden Lion Head momentarily by setting down milk tea, but it gave no further explanation before fading again.
• Phainon handed Mydei an ancient Kremnosian stone tablet, which revealed Nikador had smuggled minions into an Earth Beast caravan to attack Okhema.
• Phainon considered returning to help Okhema but decided they needed to continue their mission.

Mydei, Phainon, and Stelle pressed through Castrum Kremnos toward Nikador, whose madness had corrupted its Titan spawn and threatened Okhema. As they prepared to face the Titan, Stelle failed to send Ye Yan a heartfelt message but reached him by asking for more milk tea.

• Mydei agreed to trust Phainon and Stelle’s plan to confront Nikador, relying on Aglaea, Teacher Tribbie, Dan Heng, and March 7th to defend Okhema.
• The trio entered the blazing Soulforging District, where Phainon worried that Strife’s influence could corrupt their thoughts and learned that Nikador had lost most of its strength.
• Phainon and Mydei discussed Nikador’s half-body, Mydei’s rumored death-denial gift, and whether glory could justify violence as a Heavenly Punishment Vanguard approached them.
• The Heavenly Punishment Vanguard attacked, and the trio defeated it before Phainon and Mydei prepared to challenge Nikador.
• Stelle tried to message Ye Yan with well-wishes and news of her coming fight, but both messages failed; her request for more milk tea went through.

Stelle asked Ye Yan for advice on fighting the Titan of Strife, and he hinted at the Titans’ connection to Eternity’s authority. Meanwhile, Ye Yan watched Phainon’s memories unfold in Aedes Elysiae before a scarlet presence entered Amphoreus.

• Stelle verified Ye Yan’s identity with a milk tea code phrase, then asked him how to deal with the Titan of Strife.
• Ye Yan explained that Amphoreus’s twelve Titans had inherited parts of Eternity’s authority and that the Titan of Strife represented the “Never-Falling Body.”
• Stelle counted her twelve cups of milk tea and considered whether they were connected to the Titans and the remaining Core Flames.
• Ye Yan spoke with Aha’s phantom mask about making Stelle an Emanator of Eternity, then watched Eternity descend into Aedes Elysiae.
• Aha’s mask narrated Phainon’s past, from the Black Tide’s arrival and his lonely wandering to his joining the Flame-Chase and meeting his companions.
• As the mask questioned whether Phainon’s journey revealed the truth of Re-Creation, a scarlet streak seeped into Amphoreus.

Stelle and Phainon left Mydei to battle Nikador while Stelle destroyed the charging Edge of Divine Retribution with a milk tea bomb. Silver Wolf and Ye Yan then discussed why Ye Yan was staying behind and the unknown events unfolding in Amphoreus.

• Mydei, Phainon, and Stelle fought Nikador, but noticed its repeated revivals were gathering battle souls to empower the Edge of Divine Retribution.
• Mydei stayed behind to keep Nikador occupied while Phainon and Stelle withdrew to warn the two demigods.
• Stelle threw a milk tea cup at the battlefield, triggering an explosion that engulfed the charging Edge of Divine Retribution.
• Silver Wolf appeared with bubble gum, noticed Stelle's remaining milk tea cups, and asked why Ye Yan had not gone with Phainon.
• Ye Yan said he was staying because of Eternity, while Silver Wolf anticipated an eventual clash between the Emanator of Eternity and the First Genius.

Stelle and Phainon returned to the Cloud Stone Heavenly Palace as Mydei fought Nikador, whose indestructible body threatened Okhema. Aglaea sent Phainon and Castorice to seek Oronyx and uncover how Nikador had escaped death, while the Trailblaze squad asked Fulisina to help them reach the Titan.

• Silver Wolf watched Stelle's milk tea Curio and suspected it could counter or absorb the power of undeath.
• Stelle and Phainon hurried to the Cloud Stone Heavenly Palace, where Dan Heng and March 7th welcomed Stelle back and learned Mydei was holding Nikador off.
• Phainon warned that Nikador's attack threatened Kephale and the holy city, and Aglaea said Mydei was buying them time against the mad Titan's indestructible body.
• Castorice offered to accompany Phainon to seek Oronyx and discover how Nikador had deceived death, while Aglaea and Tribbie stayed to protect Okhema's citizens.
• Stelle, March 7th, and the others consulted Fulisina at the milk tea shop, and March urged the priestess to use the Gate of Myriad Paths to reach Oronyx.

Stelle and her companions reached the Sanctum of Prophecy, but Oronyx remained silent until Stelle’s hourglass necklace reacted. Elsewhere, Ye Yan and Silver Wolf watched Mydei and Phainon prepare for a contest that would test their convictions rather than their strength.

• Stelle, Dan Heng, March 7th, Phainon, and Castorice traveled toward the Sanctum of Prophecy, but Oronyx gave no response to Castorice.
• The group reached the Gate of Myriad Paths, where they discussed Janus and Tribbie before entering the abandoned temple.
• A breeze made the hourglass necklace on Stelle’s chest flicker as the group stood before the Sanctum of Prophecy.
• Ye Yan rejected Aha’s invitation to visit a Paradise created by Eternity and Elation, then heard Silver Wolf explain that she had sent Herta’s research funds to interstellar livestreams in revenge for her banned gaming accounts.
• Silver Wolf and Ye Yan watched Trinnon set up a contest between Mydei and Phainon, in which each would place something heavier than the fate of the world on Talanton’s scales.
• Mydei warned Phainon to leave or face him, while Phainon remarked that violence would not help Mydei win the contest.

Phainon and Trinnon entered the Sanctum of Prophecy, where the group discovered that the Scales of Justice were the entrance and trial. Stelle’s mimetic bat tipped the scales, letting the group pass the test and revealing how many Paths she bore.

• Phainon reassured himself that he would follow his heart in the duel and entered the Sanctum of Prophecy with Trinnon.
• The group found the temple passages blocked, and March 7th’s photograph revealed runic instructions at the Scales of Justice.
• Castorice translated the instructions, which said they needed to place something heavier than the fate of Amphoreus on the right pan.
• Dan Heng tested the scales, and Stelle stepped onto the pan, but neither action made it move.
• Stelle placed her mimetic bat on the pan, and the Scales of Justice tipped completely toward her side.
• Dan Heng explained that Stelle carried multiple Paths and could bear several Core Flames, astonishing Phainon and Castorice.

Stelle and her companions confronted Oronyx in Janusapolis, but Phainon’s throw of Ye Yan’s milk tea revealed that the Titan’s giant blue eye was only a projection hiding an abyss. As the abyss’s suction overwhelmed Stelle’s barrier, the group was pulled into the darkness together.

• Phainon asked Oronyx to reveal the past and help stop Nikador, but the silent Titan rejected the Chrysos Heirs through messages Castorice read aloud.
• When Phainon threw Stelle’s mimetic megaphone at Oronyx, it struck the blue eye and exposed it as a projection over an abyss.
• An immense force erupted from the abyss and began pulling the companions and the temple’s rubble into the darkness.
• Stelle caught March 7th with a chain and used milk tea to form an amber barrier, but the barrier soon cracked under the suction.
• Stelle gave milk tea to Phainon and Castorice, and the group was swallowed by the abyss when the barrier shattered.

Stelle met Mimi in the Black Tide and tried to find her way through the darkness, but the Tide captured them both. Meanwhile, Blake vowed to rewrite Amphoreus’s fate and took on the appearance of Khaslana, preparing to carry out his unfinished mission.

• Stelle met a pink fairy who called herself Mimi, shared milk tea with her, and learned that Mimi remembered a village destroyed by an endless fire.
• Mimi pointed toward where she thought she had come from, and Stelle set off with her into the Black Tide.
• The Black Tide used the light from Stelle’s milk tea to seize and drag Stelle and Mimi away.
• Blake stood before Khaslana’s stone statue and promised that Amphoreus’s story would not end in tragedy.
• Blake reflected on Lygus’s experiment and Amphoreus’s concealment before taking on the black-robed swordsman’s appearance to assume the unfinished mission.