Chapter Summaries

Antiya Lisi identified that the monster lost flesh each time it reshaped itself, but the creature dismissed the cost and attacked at blinding speed. As Tree Transformation slowed Antiya Lisi, he relied on Psionic Energy and hearing before turning the arena floor into a liquid-like surface with a final strike, leaving the outcome uncertain.

• Antiya Lisi noticed that the monster had become thinner and that venom-soaked flesh had been discarded during its revival.
• The monster claimed that shedding flesh was no loss and launched a rapid attack, accelerating across the arena without leaving an afterimage.
• Antiya Lisi's Tree Transformation spread across more than half his body, slowing him but sharpening his perception of Psionic Energy.
• Antiya Lisi closed his eyes and tracked the monster through hearing and Psionic Energy as it charged toward him.
• Antiya Lisi raised his body, released his strength into the arena floor, and sent a ripple across the stone that softened the ground beneath the monster.

Antiya Lisi defeated the Blood Corpse grand duke by letting his Symbiotic Tree take the fatal attack while he used substitution to separate himself from it. He left the sealed area alive, but without a symbiotic plant, as the grand duke’s Blood Curse remained with the tree.

• The Blood Corpse grand duke pierced Antiya Lisi’s chest after sacrificing a leg to accelerate, then offered to make him a thrall.
• Antiya Lisi’s apparent body revealed itself to be filled with plant roots, and his roots and venom bound the grand duke.
• The character blessing card’s countdown ended, weakening the grand duke’s possessed body and letting Tree Transformation and Dragon Transformation regain strength.
• The Symbiotic Tree absorbed the grand duke, who praised Antiya Lisi and gave him a Blood Curse before disappearing.
• Antiya Lisi emerged from the tree with no symbiotic plant, having used substitution to separate himself from it before the attack.
• Antiya Lisi walked out through the eastern barrier while the distant battle continued, unnoticed except by a peregrine falcon.

Antiya Lisi prepared to restore his strength after fighting the Blood Corpse Grand Duke, but Samuer confronted him on Cardinal Luxiusi’s behalf. Meanwhile, Ed and Duma emerged near Fir City’s western wall, where players mistook Duma for a threat and prepared to attack.

• Antiya Lisi implanted an untainted seed to grow a new Symbiotic Tree while the half-treants continued fighting the rebels.
• Samuer arrived in the alley with a raptor and told Antiya Lisi that Cardinal Luxiusi had sent him to check on him.
• Antiya Lisi lowered his weapon and asked after his two teachers, but Samuer refused to discuss their situation and said Antiya Lisi had made three mistakes.
• Ed and Duma returned from the depths of the world near Fir City’s western wall.
• Nearby players spotted Duma and readied themselves to attack, surprising him.

Ed brought Duma, the newly allied demon, to the players fighting half-treants outside Fir City. The players discovered that Duma was the same figure [Mysterious Goblin] had once mistaken for another player, and the chapter ended as the fighters spotted Ed arriving.

• Ed asked [Lettuce Priest] about the fighting around Fir City and joined the player group heading to the battlefield with Duma.
• [Chosen of the Four Gods] called Duma a big sweet potato, and Duma introduced himself as Ed's bodyguard.
• [Mysterious Goblin] recognized Duma and realized that the demon he had met before was not a player.
• [Lettuce Priest] led Ed and Duma through the widened tunnel to the battle, where players were fighting heavily transformed half-treants.
• A player recognized Ed on the battlefield and shouted that the boss had arrived.

Ed joined the battle in Fir City and opened a nearby resurrection point, giving the players a steady supply of bodies and helping them fight the half-treants without restraint. As three Resurrection Trees appeared, Duma watched the players surge back into battle and admired Ed’s methods.

• Ed arrived under Duma’s protection and searched for Antiya Lisi, suspecting he had gone to transform more Holy Crusaders Knight Orders into half-treants.
• Ed planted a seed and spread his Root Network beneath western Fir City, competing with Antiya Lisi’s roots and growing a Resurrection Tree near the battlefield.
• Little Green announced that the resurrection point would open in one minute and that complete body reconstruction would cost 10 silver coins.
• Ed planted two more seeds, creating three Resurrection Trees as players fought to keep the new resurrection point accessible.
• The players resumed fighting with renewed force, while Duma watched them emerge from the trees and praised Ed’s methods.

Ed’s guidance helped Duma understand how to lead the Soul Returners, while players reported that Antiya Lisi had been found dead. Ed examined the corpse and discovered a mutated Upas Tree seed and a secret pact for Fir City in its eye sockets.

• Ed issued new quest paths as the half-treant army neared defeat and players dispersed through Fir City.
• Ed told Duma that Soul Returners were motivated by novel experiences and that he should guide them rather than try to control them.
• Bread Knight, Butter Archer, Ham Warrior, and Lettuce Priest told Ed they had found Antiya Lisi’s corpse in a nearby alley.
• Ed and Duma followed the players to the alley, where Ed confirmed that the dead man was Antiya Lisi.
• Ed used Little Green’s appraisal ability and identified a Mutated Plant--Upas Tree seed in Antiya Lisi’s left eye socket and a Territory Secret Pact--Fir City gem in his right.

After the battle for Fir City ended, Ed claimed Antiya Lisi’s remains and investigated the ruined cathedral. A mysterious cleric appeared briefly before leaving south, while Willow arrived too late and found Ed already awake.

• Ed gave Antiya Lisi’s seed and Territory Secret Pact to Little Green, then used roots to take over the archbishop’s corpse.
• Ed spotted a young cleric with a peregrine falcon watching him across the street, but the man vanished before Ed could question him.
• The young cleric fed the falcon a cloudy sphere and sent it south to scout beyond Aduolin Province.
• Ed and Duma entered Fir City’s ruined cathedral, where nearly a thousand black shells remained from the transformed half-treants.
• Willow arrived and told Ed she had reached Valhalla after its battle had ended, then found his main body dormant.

Ed introduced Willow to Duma, who revealed that he had known Willow’s family for generations, before the three left the cathedral together. Meanwhile, Gorn positioned his troops at a snowy border to intercept rebel reinforcements and arranged shelter for the wounded.

• Ed introduced Duma to Willow, and Willow was stunned to meet the renowned demon at her side.
• Duma recognized Willow’s parents’ names and told her he had held her parents and grandparents as children.
• Ed offered to recommend Duma a suitable drink, then assigned players to clean the cathedral and organize documents before heading onward with Willow and Duma.
• Gorn led Fir City’s troops to the boundary between Blue Gum Town and Black Locust Town to block returning rebel reinforcements.
• After learning the troops lacked camping supplies, Gorn ordered the wounded moved to the camp’s center and sent soldiers to gather materials for tents.

After Fir City fell, the players helped put down mutinies among the Holy Crusaders, and Ed organized the prisoners into groups. The chapter ended with a Soul Returner beginning a coercive interrogation of a grand knight commander using ability-suppressing shackles and a threat of escalating Disorder.

• The players captured the remaining Holy Crusaders after news spread that Fir City had fallen and Antiya Lisi and Marba had died.
• Holy Crusaders split into mutinous factions, and the players joined the fighting as Duma defeated grand knight commanders and squadron commanders in a temporary mini-event.
• Ed and Willow brought new ability-suppressing shackles to the barracks, where their effects made the prisoners more compliant.
• Ed directed the players to sort the prisoners, sending Pure Ones to Blue Gum Town, ordinary Stained Ones to the High-Quality Charcoal Processing Plant, and the most culpable prisoners and senior officers to the cathedral prison.
• A Soul Returner threatened a grand knight commander with repeated bouts of Disorder for discrepancies between his answers and those of two separately interrogated colleagues.

[Good Times Don't Last] obtained detailed confessions from captured grand knight commanders and learned that Gorn had infiltrated the Second Holy See, so he borrowed money to hire mercenaries. Meanwhile, Gorn rallied his isolated troops, then received reports of enemy forces approaching from both the south and the north.

• [Good Times Don't Last] compared three confessions and sent a list of Fir City's Holy Crusaders to [Shit Appraisal Master].
• [Shit Appraisal Master] learned from prisoners that Gorn had entered the Second Holy See on Legion Commander Marba's orders to intercept reinforcements returning from the south.
• [Good Times Don't Last] asked [Shit Appraisal Master] to lend him money so he could hire mercenaries to find Gorn.
• Gorn encouraged his demoralized troops by claiming their names would be recorded if they helped defeat the rebels.
• A scout reported a large enemy force approaching from the south, and Gorn ordered his troops to prepare for battle.
• Another scout reported a large enemy force approaching from the north, leaving Gorn stunned.

Gorn’s forces were surrounded by rebels, who revealed that Marba’s surprise force had been destroyed and Fir City taken. After Gorn’s troops killed the disguised envoy [Ginseng Rooster], the rebels prepared to attack with their veteran barbecue.

• Gorn ordered his troops to form a circle after scouts reported enemies approaching from the south, north, and west, while two rebels arrived as envoys.
• [Ginseng Rooster], disguised as a scout, announced Marba’s defeat and displayed Antiya Lisi’s head, but Gorn ordered his men to kill him.
• [Gu Gugu] identified Gorn as the man who had killed him before and told the mercenary leaders that the envoy had been killed, ordering them to attack.
• Gorn failed to convince his troops that Antiya Lisi’s head was fake, and his officers showed little loyalty as the rebels closed in.
• [Good Times Don't Last] offered the Holy Crusaders a chance to surrender, but Gorn fired the first arrow, prompting the rebels to prepare their veteran barbecue.

[Good Times Don't Last] used incendiary bombs to rout Gorn's forces, and the chaos allowed the company commanders to capture Gorn. With the formation surrendered, Gorn was brought before [Good Times Don't Last] and asked why he was being targeted.

• [Good Times Don't Last] ordered the players to throw their oil-filled [Installment Payment Cocktails] at Gorn's Holy Crusaders.
• Burning oil set soldiers ablaze, and the panicked troops spread flames and Blood-Drinking Thornbushes through their tightly packed formation.
• Gorn tried to find an escape route, but several company commanders blocked him and attacked.
• The company commanders planted a Blood-Drinking Thornbush in Gorn's calf and captured him as the formation collapsed.
• [Gu Gugu] slapped Gorn on [Good Times Don't Last]'s orders, and Gorn asked why they were targeting him.

Gorn was captured by the Soul Returners, who planned to make Fir City's cathedral a dungeon and its Adventurers' Guild the city's center for work and worship. Duma learned that the Soul Returners could not be influenced by his Demonic Whisper, while [Good Times Don't Last] struggled to explain what a dungeon was.

• [Gu Gugu] confronted Gorn over the people he had killed at the supply station, and Gorn tried to blame Marba.
• Duma dislocated Gorn's jaw to stop him from revealing that Duma had impersonated Marba, then urged the Soul Returners to deal with Gorn without interrogating him.
• Duma's Demonic Whisper failed to affect the Soul Returners, confirming that their souls were unusually resilient.
• [Good Times Don't Last] told Gorn that Ed had approved him to take charge of Fir City's cathedral, but [Gu Gugu] rejected the idea that Gorn would become an archbishop.
• [Good Times Don't Last] explained that the cathedral would become a dungeon and the small church would serve as an Adventurers' Guild.
• Duma asked what a dungeon was, leaving [Good Times Don't Last] unsure how to explain the players' term to an NPC.

Duma and the Soul Returners explained that the cathedral was a repeatable dungeon where Soul Returners fought the Wild Hunt, and Duma realized the Wild Hunt were sinners rather than fellow Soul Returners. Gorn blamed the disgraced knight commander Howard for his downfall and tried to report him; Duma restored Gorn’s jaw so he could speak.

• [Gu Gugu] explained that the cathedral had been designated a dungeon where Soul Returners could fight and earn rewards.
• [Good Times Don't Last] clarified that dungeon parties fought chosen sinners, and that they could repeat the fights by paying the admission fee.
• Duma understood that the Wild Hunt were heinous sinners who could neither live nor die as they wished, unlike Soul Returners.
• Gorn blamed knight commander Howard for the events that led to his capture and tried to get the attention of the person in charge so he could report him.
• [Good Times Don't Last] asked Duma to restore Gorn’s jaw, and Duma pushed it back into place so Gorn could speak.

Gorn exposed Howard, a former grand knight commander who had escaped notice, and players uncovered Howard’s attempt to burn the cathedral archives. Ed ordered Nuolun to capture him and keep him beneath the cathedral for a future purpose.

• Gorn told [Good Times Don't Last] that Howard had helped ruin the earlier plan and gave his address in Fir City.
• [Good Times Don't Last] sent Howard’s information to [Howling Pothos], who passed it to Ed at the cathedral.
• [Clear Soup Master] reported catching a Fir City resident trying to burn the archives on Howard’s orders.
• Ed realized Howard was trying to flee and ordered Nuolun to capture him and lock him beneath the cathedral.

Howard prepared to flee Fir City with his family after learning the new rulers planned to arrest the Stained Ones, while pretending to bring his household servants along. As strange grayish-white snow began falling and took root in his son’s palm, Howard rushed to the boy’s side.

• Howard ordered his servants to load the wagons and told his wife that he would leave Fir City with only their family, abandoning the steward and servants.
• Howard recalled overhearing the Holy Crusaders’ plan to arrest the Stained Ones and send them to a High-Quality Charcoal Processing Plant, so he arranged to flee and secretly ordered a servant to burn the cathedral archives.
• Howard waited anxiously in his study, snapping pieces from the branch growing from his symbiotic plant as snow began to fall.
• Howard’s son went outside to catch a grayish-white snowflake, which melted into a seed and took root in his palm as more flakes gathered around him.
• Howard burst out of his study and reached his son just as the child was about to scream.

Nuolun defeated Howard and stopped him from completing Tree Transformation by threatening his family with Blood-Seeking Pampas Grass. Ed removed Howard’s symbiotic plant and considered restrictions on the families of Stained Ones as the evidence against Howard was still being gathered.

• Howard burned files and tried to refuse Nuolun’s order to come with her, but she confronted him at his home.
• Nuolun fought Howard, then stopped him from completing Tree Transformation by threatening his family.
• Ed and the First Knight Order arrived to find Howard’s home in ruins, and Nuolun handed over the badly wounded half-treant.
• Nuolun explained how she had forced Howard to suppress his transformation, leaving him unconscious.
• Ed removed Howard’s symbiotic plant, and Howard pleaded with him to spare his family.
• Ed left Howard’s crimes under investigation and considered imposing restrictions on the families of Stained Ones.

Ed arranged for the captured Howard to serve at the rebuilt Twin Towers Cathedral, where he would be stationed opposite Gorn, the man who exposed him. He then asked Nuolun about ways to make the Pure Ones grow stronger and learned of a load-training technique that Ed planned to have Willow investigate.

• Ed told Howard that a grand knight commander had exposed his crimes and assigned him to guard the cathedral’s east tower after his statement was taken.
• Ed revealed that Gorn would guard the west tower, and Howard was taken to prison wearing an ability-suppressing device developed by Willow.
• Nuolun asked Ed for several of Willow’s devices to use against enemies, and Ed agreed to ask whether they could be used that way.
• Ed asked Nuolun how to help the Pure Ones grow faster, and Nuolun described Cardinal Luxiusi’s secret load-training technique.
• Ed decided Willow could research the technique and thought Duolin might be the first to undergo it.

Ed asked Enzo, a treant who had once been human, to choose whether to undergo the painful reversal of his transformation. Enzo chose to become human again so he could see his family, and Ed began the process.

• Ed returned to Fir City and asked Duma where the Treant Hunter prisoners were being held.
• Duma introduced Ed to Enzo, who could no longer return to human form after Antiya Lisi's death.
• Ed explained that reversing Enzo's tree transformation would be painful, but promised that the Soul Returners would protect him either way.
• Enzo chose to become human again because he wanted to see his family.
• Ed touched Enzo's bark, and the reversal began; Enzo rooted himself in the cathedral floor before losing consciousness.

Ed asked Duma about the human, demon, and elf power systems before the Demonic Tide, learning that elves’ true abilities might be concealed. As Enzo awakened from the log in human form, Ed gave him clothes.

• Ed asked Duma to explain how humans, demons, and elves grew stronger before the Demonic Tide.
• Duma described human classes and advancement through life-or-death battles, and said demons developed their innate racial talents through practice.
• Duma explained that elves often traveled the continent and became trusted advisers, though he suspected their true innate abilities were hidden.
• The log trembled and split open as Enzo awakened.
• Ed handed Enzo clothes, and Enzo realized he had turned back into a human.