Chapter Summaries

Ed recognized the dead branch as part of the World Tree, his former material body, and realized that its remains had given rise to a new Authority of Passing and a being embodying true death. He understood that he must reclaim this fragment by devouring that being or being devoured, and that every death would strengthen his new enemy.

• Geliwusi called out when Ed's gaze went vacant and the marks of decay spread up his arm.
• Ed replenished his incarnation with vitality, driving the decay back from his body.
• Ed realized the dead branch came from the World Tree, the body his former self had left behind after dispersing into Psionic Energy.
• Ed concluded that the Authority of Passing, representing irreversible death, had emerged from the Tree God's remains and completed the counterpart to his primordial life.
• Ed recognized that a being born from his corpse possessed the missing fragment of his Authority and had already crossed paths with him in Fir City.
• Ed understood that he and the being would have to devour one another to master life and death, and that death would help the being grow.

Ed assigned Geliwusi to manage the captured Stained Ones by overseeing a charcoal factory and the Wild Hunt. Geliwusi then identified Luxiusi’s missing personal attendant, Samuer, as a possible hidden enemy, and Ed ordered his records retrieved.

• Ed decided he could not truly revive Luxiusi until he defeated the being who commanded death and completed his own authority.
• Ed appointed Geliwusi to regulate the captured Stained Ones, improve the factory’s efficiency, and organize transfers between the factory and the Wild Hunt.
• Ed told Geliwusi to establish the factory’s first branch in the northern outskirts of the Holy City and staff it with captured Stained Ones.
• Ed asked whether any other prominent Holy City figures had disappeared, and Geliwusi recalled that Luxiusi’s personal attendant, Samuer, was missing.
• Ed suspected Samuer might be the hidden enemy and ordered Geliwusi to fetch his records.

Ed uncovered Luxiusi’s efforts to reform Samuer and arranged a public execution for the Stained Ones, including the woman impersonating Sailesi. After absorbing the Territory Secret Pact and replacing the cardinals’ roots across the region, Ed took control of the Holy City, which became an exclave of the Second Holy See.

• Ed read Samuer’s file and learned that Luxiusi had written it more than twenty years earlier, apparently knowing Samuer’s true nature and trying to reform him.
• Ed protected Luxiusi’s body with his vines and heard Geliwusi explain that Luorui’er Fitz had been brainwashed into believing she was Sailesi.
• Ed ordered Geliwusi to announce the crimes of Cuiske and Sailesi and arrange for Nuolun to execute the condemned Stained Ones, including Luorui’er’s stand-in persona.
• Geliwusi transferred the Holy City’s Territory Secret Pact to Ed, who absorbed the emerald into his body.
• Little Green’s belch triggered hours of earthquakes as Ed’s Root Network replaced the cardinals’ roots and brought the Holy City under his control.
• The Holy City officially became an exclave of the Second Holy See.

After the Second Holy See took control of the Holy City, Ed learned that Sailesi had likely escaped toward the Skeleton Alliance rather than the Empire. Ed reassured the returning scouts and directed Geliwusi to manage the Stained Ones and publish his account of the events.

• With Geliwusi's help, Nuolun's Soul Returners found city plans that let Duma's troops clear the Holy City street by street.
• By early morning, Ed's forces had secured the city, restored its civilians from Sailesi's illusion, and established Second Holy See defenses and services.
• Luxiusi's scouts returned without finding Sailesi and learned that Luxiusi had died.
• Ed concluded that Sailesi had probably fled toward the Skeleton Alliance, puzzling over why he had not sought refuge in the Empire.
• Ed told Geliwusi to manage the Stained Ones and reassure the civilians, then ordered him to publish the document he had written.

Ed’s decree blamed the Oathbreakers and Stained Ones for the Holy City’s suffering, honored Luxiusi as a saint, and ordered the captured leaders executed. Three days later, Ed attended the public beheadings as the city’s residents accepted the Soul Returners and his rule.

• Geliwusi’s decree was posted throughout the Holy City, and Soul Returners read it aloud to spread its accusations, punishments, and praise of Luxiusi.
• The Holy City’s residents grew comfortable with the Soul Returners, who helped repair their homes and gained their trust.
• Ed gained the residents’ support after word spread that he had drawn away the symbiotic plants.
• Ed arrived at the execution platform three days later, where Luorui’er, still believing she was Sailesi, and Cuiske awaited execution.
• Pure One Holy Crusaders brought dozens of condemned Stained Ones to the platform, and Nuolun took his place as executioner.

Ed publicly established his rule over the Tree Worship Church Theocracy, announced sweeping new laws, and learned from Geliwusi that the Holy City had a hidden treasury. The chapter left Ed with a potential source of precious-metal currency to support his new regime.

• Ed appeared before the Holy City as the sole ruler of the Theocracy, while the Adrian Imperial Guard used Forget-Sorrow Mint to sway the crowd gathered for Luorui'er’s execution.
• Ed had Geliwusi announce new laws that abolished conscription, tithes, alcohol taxes, and agricultural taxes, encouraged land reclamation, and restored precious-metal currency.
• Ed relied on Seraphina as financial backing for his debt and considered launching a company, but postponed the plan.
• Geliwusi told Ed that the Holy City had a treasury containing precious metals sealed away when the Theocracy was founded.

Ed secured the Holy City's vast treasury and established plans for a Root Network bank, while the Theocracy punished its enemies and completed its unification. As celebrations began, Ed reflected on the growing threats ahead, then faced Seraphina's questions about their accounts.

• Geliwusi revealed the Holy City's underground treasury to Ed, who opened it and connected it to the Root Network for future banking.
• Geliwusi announced new decrees and read the Stained Ones' crimes, while Nuolun carried out the executions.
• Messengers delivered surrender ultimatums across the provinces as Duma's troops prepared to attack, and the Theocracy's forces secured victory.
• A notification announced the completion of phase three of “The Only Holy Church” and made the epilogue quest “Lasting Peace” available.
• The Holy City celebrated unification as Ed considered his allies and enemies from Luxiusi's room in Saint Savini Cathedral.
• Seraphina confronted Ed about discrepancies in their recent accounts, and Ed responded awkwardly.

After Ed Adrian took control of the Theocracy, Soul Returners helped make its new name, the Holy Tree Worship Church Theocracy, official. Sailesi Richter denounced Ed from the Skeleton Alliance, but his claims were dismissed because the Theocracy had already announced his execution, and Ed’s forces unified the country.

• Ed Adrian took control of the Theocracy without claiming the title of pontiff, while Geliwusi switched sides and retained high office.
• Soul Returners paid Nuowa to alter [Elf's Dream], making people say the name Holy Tree Worship Church Theocracy in a solemn tone, and the name was officially adopted.
• Sailesi Richter arrived in the Skeleton Alliance and denounced Ed, accusing him of forbidden experiments and declaring plans to retake the Theocracy.
• People dismissed Sailesi’s accusations because news had already reported that he was executed and his head displayed across the country.
• By mid-August, the Soul Returner Legion had reclaimed the Theocracy’s other ten provinces, unifying the country.

After confirming Sailesi and Samuer had fled, Ed prepared the next stage of the story and released a quest to develop the Wilderness of Chaos north of Klaf City and strengthen ties with the Graycast Corridor. He also considered using immigration to share the benefits of Soul Returners with other factions.

• Ed learned that Sailesi and Samuer had escaped beyond his Root Network, then suspected Sailesi’s public statement had either been badly written or issued by the Skeleton Alliance’s leadership.
• Ed planned to shift the next main storyline toward the Skeleton Alliance and the Starlight Empire, while giving players a breather with a new quest in the Wilderness of Chaos.
• Ed released the special quest “Wilderness Big Cousin,” directing players to expand north of Klaf City, guard trade routes to the Graycast Corridor, and prepare a buffer zone near the Eternal Domain.
• Players took up the quest in modest numbers, though the game’s player population had exceeded five hundred thousand and continued to grow.
• Ed adjusted quests to distribute players more evenly and began considering immigration as a way for other factions to benefit from Soul Returners.

[Good Times Don't Last] and [Shit Appraisal Master] opened the Great Prospects Import Trading Company in Graycast Corridor, selling imported wooden and metal parts with help from half-dragon staff. As business grew, a burly man entered and requested assembly service, prompting a half-dragon to fetch the owners.

• [Good Times Don't Last] and [Shit Appraisal Master] celebrated the shop opening with homemade firecrackers outside the trading company.
• The two owners explained how they had prepared for opening and how their connections to Gray Gris helped the business get established.
• [Good Times Don't Last] described how he made the firecrackers from smoke cakes, Oil Vine-soaked plants, and mechanical arms.
• The owners and half-dragon staff began selling parts and assembly services to customers, explaining the differences between the High-Quality Charcoal Processing Plant and the Half-Dragon Workshop.
• A burly man entered, selected several products, and asked for assembly service, so a half-dragon went upstairs to fetch the owners.

[Shit Appraisal Master] and [Good Times Don't Last] accepted a mission from Gray Gris and the Great Labyrinth City's Machine Spirit to persuade hardliners to accept Machine Spirits and help expose traitors. They prepared Cuiske’s prized tools as gifts and set out to visit the suspects, unaware that Cuiske’s body had been repurposed to keep producing them.

• A messenger delivered letters from Gray Gris and the Great Labyrinth City's Machine Spirit, asking the two Soul Returners to help turn a plot against Gray into an ambush of the traitors.
• [Shit Appraisal Master] and [Good Times Don't Last] read the suspect list, recognized Suolaer Aoermo, and agreed to accept the assignment.
• The pair discussed the risks and decided that even if their efforts failed, Gray and the others would not be harmed.
• They gathered tools and parts produced by Cuiske, whose death had made his stamped goods valuable, and departed by Hoofed Beast carriage to visit the hardliners.
• Unknown to them, Ed had recycled Cuiske’s High Tier body, which continued producing the goods that would become prized rarities.

[Shit Appraisal Master] and [Good Times Don't Last] visited Suolaer Aoermo to deliver a Theocracy tool set and banquet invitation. They found Suolaer dejected and living in a disorderly, alcohol-filled home, and he examined the set’s serial number as [Good Times Don't Last] explained its production details.

• [Shit Appraisal Master] and [Good Times Don't Last] confirmed they had two traditional High Tier tool sets left for Suolaer Aoermo and Grand Artisan Ke'en Lisuo si.
• [Shit Appraisal Master] persuaded Suolaer to open his door by offering Theocracy-made tools and a banquet invitation.
• [Shit Appraisal Master] saw that Suolaer looked unkempt and had lost the fierce presence he had shown during the election.
• Suolaer let the visitors in, swept liquor bottles and other clutter off his table, and inspected the black storage box.
• [Good Times Don't Last] explained that the tool set’s serial number identified its High Tier producer, production batch, and individual set.

Suolaer received an invitation to a banquet where the Grand Foundry Master planned to appoint him to a new duty, while privately worrying about his worsening crystal affliction and his failure as an undercover agent. The visitors then invited Grand Artisan Keen, who agreed to discuss the shipyard’s problems at the banquet and proposed buying more quality timber.

• Suolaer learned that the Grand Foundry Master had invited him to a banquet in three days to discuss the Floating Corpse Sea exploration and formally assign him a new duty.
• After the visitors left, Suolaer examined the spreading crystal clusters on his arm and wondered whether the invitation was a trap.
• Suolaer reflected that he had failed to become Grand Foundry Master, investigate Gray, or devise an assassination plan, and concluded he was a poor undercover agent.
• The merchant duo visited Grand Artisan Keen, who promised to explain the shipyard’s low efficiency to the Grand Foundry Master at the banquet.
• Keen said he might contact the duo afterward to arrange purchases of higher-quality timber for shipbuilding.

[Good Times Don't Last] and [Shit Appraisal Master] found suspicious crystal grains in Suolaer and Keen’s homes, then posted photos online to ask for help identifying them. Meanwhile, Keen revealed that the covert meeting had been a test and announced a plan to assassinate the Grand Foundry Master in three days, before an unknown figure approached from the darkness.

• [Good Times Don't Last] found tiny crystal grains in the dust at Suolaer’s home, and [Shit Appraisal Master] found similar grains at Keen’s mansion.
• The two examined the multicolored grains and posted photographs on the forum to seek information.
• Suolaer entered a covert meeting where Keen said he, Suolaer, and Brenfield had received invitations to a banquet in three days.
• The undercover agents discussed using the invitations to rally opponents of Machine Spirits, while warning that the banquet might be a trap.
• Keen revealed that the meeting had tested the agents and announced they would assassinate the Grand Foundry Master in three days.
• Keen began to identify who had authority to test the agents as unfamiliar footsteps sounded from the dark room.

Giant Arms gathered the Graycast Corridor conspirators and outlined a plan to assassinate Grand Foundry Master Gray Gris at the banquet in three days. The new skeletal councilor [Nether Crossing] joined the plot and gave Keen, Suolaer, and Brenfield brooches, promising to protect them from the shadows.

• Giant Arms told the conspirators that he would kill Gray Gris at the banquet and leave them to manage the aftermath.
• A conspirator shared plans of the banquet hall’s structural weaknesses, while an informant warned about Balund, Grand Artisan Felix, and retired general Sailan.
• The group learned that Balund might possess a powerful mechanical weapon left by his dead brother, but Giant Arms said he had brought help.
• [Nether Crossing] emerged from the darkness, gave brooches to Keen, Suolaer, and Brenfield, and promised to protect them at the meeting.
• Giant Arms ended the gathering and said the plan would proceed as usual in three days.

After fleeing the fallen Holy City, Sailesi sought refuge with the Skeleton Alliance and agreed to become one of them. [Crown] explained the transformation and led him to a chamber of failed experiments, where Sailesi asked whether becoming a skeleton would preserve his memories.

• When Ed attacked the Holy City, Sailesi escaped with trusted followers and sent Luorui'er away disguised as his double.
• Sailesi avoided the Empire’s ambushes and reached the Sand Capital, where the Skeleton Council welcomed him but offered membership rather than political asylum.
• Sailesi accepted that joining the Skeleton Alliance required him to become a skeleton and declared his intention to join.
• The five councilors approved Sailesi’s request and set a major operation with [Giant Arms] as his test for becoming a councilor.
• [Crown] led Sailesi into an underground chamber filled with crystallized bones from failed experiments and assured him that the transformation would not affect his memories.

Sailesi accepted the Skeleton Alliance’s demand to abandon his old name and emerged from the transformation as the prospective councilor Nether Crossing. In the present, Ed received a warning that two Skeleton Alliance councilors planned an assassination at a banquet in three days, prompting him to seek help from two retirees.

• [Crown] explained that Sailesi would need to abandon his former name and choose a title to join the Skeleton Alliance.
• Sailesi entered the transformation chamber and, days later, emerged as the prospective councilor Nether Crossing.
• Gray Gris sent a mechanical carrier pigeon carrying a warning about an assassination planned for a banquet in three days by Giant Arms and Nether Crossing.
• Ed read the warning and worried that the Skeleton Alliance was preparing to fight on two fronts with two of its five councilors.
• Ed appeared beside two retirees in the countryside and began telling them about the situation.

Ed brought Balund and Aiboke to Great Labyrinth City to plan against the Skeleton Alliance's assassination attempt on Gray. They arranged to target four high-tier attackers while the Soul Returners handled the middle-tier enemies.

• Balund crushed his fishing rod in anger, and Ed decided that he, Balund, and Aiboke would travel to Great Labyrinth City.
• Balund transported them to a trusted satellite city, where they boarded a small mobile fortress and reached Great Labyrinth City a day later.
• Ed, Gray, Gray’s wife, the machine spirit, and the reinforcements discussed the attackers and identified [Giant Arms], [Nether Crossing], Keen, and Brenfield as their four high-tier combatants.
• Ed proposed focusing on the four high-tier enemies while the Soul Returners dealt with the middle-tier attackers, and Gray agreed to prepare Corridor Guard uniforms for them.
• Ed asked why the Graycast Corridor lacked a secret intelligence agency, and Balund explained that limited resources and concerns about abuse of power had kept them from creating one.

Ed and the others planned to extend Great Labyrinth City’s oversight and set a trap for Skeleton Alliance spies during a banquet. Players secretly prepared to join the operation as Gray Gris arrived at the gathering, where the ambush was expected to begin.

• Ed proposed developing Machine Spirits in the satellite cities and having Great Labyrinth City oversee them, and the Machine Spirit agreed to try the idea.
• [Good Times Don't Last] and [Shit Appraisal Master] discussed suspicious crystals found in Great Labyrinth City before receiving a quest to disguise themselves as Corridor Guards and arrest Skeleton Alliance spies.
• Ed limited the quest to five hundred players in Graycast Corridor and the Wilderness of Chaos, while Suolaer and the others prepared for the banquet.
• Two days later, players gathered at the banquet hall, recorded the guests’ arrivals, and watched the tile where the planned ambush would begin.
• Gray Gris arrived wearing soft armor beneath his formal suit and greeted the guests with a raised wineglass.

At a banquet, Gray delayed a suspected assassination attempt while quietly warning Sailan that several attendees wanted him dead. He left the gathering’s defense to Sailan and had the general secretly send his grandson to safety.

• Gray descended into the banquet hall and refused Brenfield’s request to speak, choosing to talk with Sailan first instead.
• Players disguised as servers and guards monitored Brenfield and shared their observations with the mission group.
• Gray reminded Sailan of their earlier agreement on military machine spirits, then told him that someone at the banquet planned to kill him.
• Sailan pledged to protect Gray, and Gray told him to protect the other guests because arrangements were already in place.
• Gray asked Sailan to send his grandson to a rear compartment without alerting the conspirators, and Sailan arranged to give the boy a stomachache as a cover.