Chapter Summaries

After Angela freed the prince from his cell, he discovered that his father had become violent and powerful, and that his mother and sister were under his control. Angela rescued the prince and Lika from the castle and gave him an experimental potion to help him gain the strength to stop his father.

• Angela opened the prince’s cell, and he slipped through the neglected castle to question the gardener about what had happened.
• The gardener told the prince that the Grand Duke of Lalia had changed, shut himself away at night, and let the castle fall into disorder.
• The prince found the Grand Duke of Lalia violating his wife and daughter, while Lika seemed enthralled by her father.
• Weijia restrained the Grand Duke long enough for the prince to seize Lika and escape through a window, and Angela’s bats carried them away.
• Angela found the prince in a forest, explained that she had rescued him, and gave him an experimental potion that could increase his combat strength.

Li Lin traveled to the Eternal Plain with Angela to seek an alliance with the elves, where they encountered human mercenaries abducting elves. After Angela slaughtered the mercenaries, Li Lin learned of a nearby settlement trafficking elves and sent Angela with two summoned devils to destroy it.

• Elf patrol leader Yinyue and two companions discovered Li Lin and Angela emerging from an ancient portal and followed them across the plain.
• Li Lin remembered a promise to Ailinna as he and Angela walked, then found a wounded elf girl fleeing from human mercenaries.
• Angela killed the mercenaries while Li Lin healed the girl and sent her to the hidden elf patrol.
• Yinyue approached Li Lin to thank him, and Angela reported that the mercenaries had a nearby settlement for capturing and selling elves.
• Li Lin summoned two devils and ordered Angela to destroy the settlement, sparing only the elves.

Angela and two Pit Fiends slaughtered the human town on Li Lin’s orders while sparing the elf captives. After the massacre, Angela found a mortally wounded elf girl and began healing her.

• Old Jack celebrated capturing elves and promised Lanlan that they would marry, but Angela killed them both and ordered the destruction of the town’s humans.
• Angela and the Pit Fiends attacked the town, killing its warriors and residents while leaving the elves unharmed.
• Angela trapped a warrior and his family outside a warehouse full of elf captives, then let the Pit Fiends kill them after the elves refused to admit them.
• Angela killed an old warrior who tried to stop her, then burned a house whose occupants had hidden inside.
• Angela intercepted mercenaries fleeing with elf captives, but one elf girl sacrificed herself to stop them; Angela killed the mercenaries and found the wounded girl alive.
• The elf girl told Angela that humans had killed her father and abused her mother, and Angela placed a blood-red hand on the girl’s wound to heal her.

Li Lin and Angela reunited after Angela destroyed the town and freed its elven captives. The elves invited them to the Forest of Elves to show their gratitude, and the group set off together.

• Li Lin noticed smoke from the town and praised Angela for completing her mission.
• Angela reported that she and the two Hell Pit Fiends had killed every human in town and freed the elves.
• The patrol captain thanked Li Lin and explained that the elves had waited to invite him and Angela to the Forest of Elves.
• Li Lin accepted the invitation, and he and Angela followed the elves across the Eternal Plain to the Forest of Elves.

Li Lin and Angela entered the Forest of Elves with an elven patrol captain and were taken to a village, where Li Lin revealed his connection to the Magic Empire. The Royal Guard welcomed him as an honored Arcane Mage, and an elven woman recognized him.

• Li Lin explained the elves’ lands and history to Angela as they traveled through the Forest of Elves.
• The rescued elves dispersed, while the patrol captain escorted Li Lin and Angela toward an elven village and explained that her people would repay their kindness.
• At the village, an elder thanked them, and Li Lin identified himself as a former ally of the elves from the Magic Empire.
• The elder questioned Li Lin’s claim, but dozens of Royal Guard elves arrived and gave him the highest ceremonial welcome.
• An elven woman welcomed Li Lin on behalf of the Queen, then stared at him and exclaimed that she recognized him.

Li Lin and Angela arrived at the elves’ Holy Land Hitheria to meet the queen, where an old acquaintance recognized Li Lin as Lord Luoxia. After learning that Ailinna had died, Nisi reunited with him and invited him to visit before he continued toward the royal palace.

• An elven envoy led Li Lin and Angela by boat to Holy Land Hitheria, where many elves reacted with suspicion to the human visitors.
• An elven mage named Nisi sensed a magical rune resonate with Li Lin and hurried to meet him.
• Nisi recognized Li Lin as Lord Luoxia, and he told her that her sister Ailinna had died.
• Nisi explained that the rune Li Lin had given her years ago let her identify him, then invited him to visit her cottage.
• Li Lin introduced Angela to Nisi, who departed as a breeze, and he asked the envoy to continue leading them to the queen.

Li Lin sought the elves’ support against the Five-Nation Alliance and revealed his plan to create an undead army from enemy corpses. After Angela challenged the elves over their inability to defend themselves, the elven queen agreed that the elves needed to stand up again and consider restoring their alliance with Li Lin.

• Li Lin and Angela met the elven queen at the Hall of Life, where the elves’ elders questioned whether the weakened Magic Empire could oppose the Five-Nation Alliance.
• Li Lin said he had developed a spell that could turn corpses into undead soldiers and make injured enemies rise as undead.
• Li Lin argued that the Five-Nation Alliance’s ancestors had earned no mercy after conquering their lands and killing their people.
• Angela mocked the elves for clinging to tradition while they lacked the power to stop humans from capturing and selling them.
• The elven queen acknowledged the elves’ weakness and said they needed to stand up again.
• Li Lin promised to destroy the undead after the war and avoid harming nature, and the queen affirmed that the elves valued their alliance and promises.

Li Lin visited Nisi, who explained why many elves opposed his proposed alliance and confessed that guilt over Ailinna’s struggles had kept her from advancing as a mage. He told her she had misunderstood Ailinna’s wishes and offered her a place in the Arcane Council as an Arcane Mage.

• Li Lin reassured Angela that the Elf Goddess had agreed to help and later visited Nisi in her room.
• Nisi admitted she had once blamed the Magic Empire’s alliance for her sister’s death and said many younger elves feared another alliance would bring disaster.
• Nisi explained that she had quit studying magic after seeing Ailinna labor through hundreds of attempts to cast a basic spell while she herself advanced with little effort.
• Li Lin told Nisi that Ailinna had wanted enough power to help her country and sister, not a high rank, and said she would not want Nisi to remain held back by guilt.
• Li Lin offered to bring Nisi into the Arcane Council and let her inherit the position of an Arcane Mage.

Li Lin urged Nisi to pursue becoming an Arcane Mage, then spent several quiet days with Angela in the elves’ holy land. When the Elf Queen summoned him again, their guide revealed she was one of the elves Li Lin had rescued in Dika City.

• Li Lin told Nisi he believed she could become an Arcane Mage and offered her his magical materials and insights, leaving her to consider the choice.
• Li Lin found Angela bathing in a moonlit lake, joined her, and spent the night with her.
• Over the next few days, Li Lin stayed with Angela while the Elf Queen handled internal matters among the elves.
• Li Lin explained to Angela that the Elf Queen was a Primordial Elf who needed filtered air to survive.
• The Elf Queen summoned Li Lin to the Hall of Life, and their guide revealed that Li Lin had rescued her from being sold in Dika City.

Nia oversaw the mages’ efforts to develop a teleportation-based missile while Kalin spoke of her desire for revenge against the Five-Nation Alliance. Li Lin and Angela returned to Ringwraith City, where Nia told them the alliance had responded to their earlier attack.

• A failed missile test exploded, and the old mage explained that an overly sensitive trigger had destabilized the teleportation magic.
• Nia reviewed the dwindling supply of magical materials and declined Kalin’s invitation to drink while she supervised the academy.
• Kalin told Nia she wanted revenge on the Five-Nation Alliance for destroying her peaceful life and the empire.
• Nia received a new intelligence report, then met Li Lin and Angela as they returned from their journey.
• Nia gave Li Lin the report and said the Five-Nation Alliance had responded to their earlier attack.

The Temple and Five-Nation Alliance blamed cultists for the massacre, while Li Lin concluded that the God of Justice had taken notice of them. He chose Dideyasi as his next target and discussed exploiting its alliance with the Temple through the saintess, then Angela questioned Nia about her ruthless proposal.

• The Temple issued a joint statement with the Five-Nation Alliance accusing cultists of the attack, while the Mages' Association was conspicuously absent.
• Li Lin told Nia and Angela that the God of Justice had shifted his attention to them, then reviewed an agreement to help defend the elven kingdom in exchange for a future Arcane Mage.
• Li Lin ruled out the Vila Federation and Xialuo Kingdom as targets and settled on Dideyasi, whose royal family was closely allied with the Temple through its saintess.
• Nia suggested targeting the saintess to weaken Dideyasi's bond with the Temple, and Li Lin approved exploiting the opportunity.
• Angela proposed brutalizing the saintess, then privately asked Nia why she had made such a cruel suggestion; Nia replied that she was a weapon bound to consider her master's strategy.
• Angela returned to Li Lin and admitted that she was still no match for him.

Mina and Fina endured Suoxiate’s demanding maid training while confronting their conflicting views on their vampire identities and Angela’s control. Li Lin arrived, approved their progress, and said he planned to take them to Dideyasi as guides and attendants.

• Suoxiate put Mina and Fina through rigorous posture, attention, and cleaning drills, and Fina adapted better because she knew magic and had experience doing chores.
• Mina lamented their uncertain future and said she wished she could become a puppet who obeyed Angela without feeling anything.
• Fina confronted Mina, arguing that they were vampires and would have eventually fed on humans even without Angela’s orders.
• Li Lin and Angela entered after hearing the sisters quarrel, and Li Lin praised the sisters’ improved posture.
• Suoxiate declared the sisters’ basic training complete, and Li Lin told them he planned to travel to Dideyasi and needed them as guides and attendants.

Li Lin arranged an ambush on the escort of Dideyasi’s saintess princess, using Nia’s shadow dragon and Angela’s spirits to create an opening. After the attackers wounded the paladins and seized Herbert, Li Lin shot the dragon and drove it away, leaving the princess staring toward him.

• Li Lin, Mina, and Fina waited near the Black Forest for the princess’s escort, while Nia summoned a dragon made of shadow.
• The shadow dragon attacked the paladins, but the princess emerged from her carriage and used a holy pendant to drive it back.
• Angela summoned resentful female spirits, who overwhelmed and confused the paladins despite their holy weapons.
• The princess focused her holy power on protecting the paladins from the spirits, allowing the shadow dragon to attack again and seize Herbert.
• Li Lin shot the dragon in its right eye, making it drop Herbert and flee as the spirits withdrew.
• The princess looked toward Li Lin as he lowered his longbow on the hillside.

After the Shadow Dragon’s attack killed fifteen paladins, Li Lin joined the saintess’s party as they pursued it into the Black Forest. He secretly planned to use the journey for his own experiments and to manipulate the party toward a staged confrontation.

• The saintess thanked Li Lin while the paladins buried their fallen comrades, and Li Lin concealed his identity by posing as a wandering adventurer.
• The saintess asked Li Lin to help hunt the wounded Shadow Dragon, and he accepted despite the paladins’ objections.
• The party rested, replenished their supplies, and set off toward the mountain range where they believed the dragon was hiding.
• Angela complained that Li Lin had not captured the saintess, while Kalin and Angela argued through their mental link before Nia intervened.
• Li Lin told Nia he had noticed the paladin captain had a possibly nonhuman bloodline, then ordered Angela to search for a suitable fortress and Nia to guide the party toward a decisive battle with the dragon.

Li Lin learned why the saintess and Herbert could openly love each other, while the party camped at the edge of the Shadow Dragon’s territory. After the saintess spoke with Li Lin beneath the moon, she returned to find Herbert gone from the tent.

• The paladin captain warned the party that their beast-free journey likely meant they had entered the Shadow Dragon’s territory, then assigned Li Lin to the first watch.
• Li Lin asked Nia about the God of Justice’s rules for saintesses, and learned that they could choose only their guardian knight captain as a partner.
• Herbert and the saintess confessed their resolve to face the coming danger together and promised to marry if they returned safely.
• The saintess went out to speak with Li Lin, listened to him play a leaf flute, and discussed the risks and purpose of their mission.
• The saintess blessed Li Lin and returned to the tent, where Herbert was no longer present.

Li Lin led the paladins to the summit, where they fought the Shadow Dragon while believing they were carrying out their plan. After the battle turned in their favor, Li Lin revealed himself as an evil mage, incapacitated the saintess, and escaped through a portal with her, leaving Herbert trapped and furious.

• Li Lin guided the paladins and the saintess along the narrow cliff path to the summit, while Herbert grew suspicious and resentful of him.
• The paladins attacked the sleeping Shadow Dragon, and the saintess used her pendant to counter its darkness; Nia increased the dragon’s strength, and it knocked one paladin from the platform.
• Li Lin pulled the saintess out of the way of the dragon’s tail, while the paladins adapted and pressed their attack.
• Li Lin tried to cast a spell on the saintess, overcame her pendant’s protection, and left her unconscious with the pendant shattered.
• Herbert charged at Li Lin but was pinned beneath the Shadow Dragon as Li Lin dispelled his disguise and revealed himself as an evil mage.
• Li Lin levitated the saintess, taunted Herbert, and escaped with her through a portal; Nia withdrew the Shadow Dragon, leaving Herbert shouting on the summit.

Catherine Dideyasi woke imprisoned after her battle with Li Lin, and Li Lin and Nia debated how to break her while Angela proposed a month-long plan that avoided mind-affecting spells. Li Lin threatened Catherine with the fate of a corpse maiden and sent her away to rest, leaving Angela eager to begin her work.

• Catherine Dideyasi woke in a cell with her holy power depleted and her cracked pendant nearly breaking when she tried to use it.
• Fina led Catherine from the cell to Li Lin, Nia, and Angela, while Li Lin and Nia discussed using magic to control her and Angela argued for a slower approach.
• Angela offered to train Catherine for a month without spells that affected the mind, and Li Lin agreed to leave Catherine to her.
• Li Lin told Catherine that her companions were dead but her guardian knight captain remained alive, and Angela taunted her with the prospect of becoming a slave.
• Li Lin threatened to turn Catherine into a corpse maiden if she died, then sent her to rest; Catherine resolved to recover her power and escape.

Angela prepared a luxurious room to train Catherine and began trying to break the saintess’s resistance through restraint, pain, and intimate touching. Catherine remained defiant but was left trembling and struggling to maintain control as Angela continued.

• Angela explained that she had designed the comfortable training room to make Catherine’s body more responsive, then asked Li Lin and Nia to watch while concealed.
• Catherine was taken from her cell, forced to bathe in icy water, and made to wear revealing clothes after her old robe was destroyed.
• Angela taunted Catherine about her apparent interest in her and declared that she would train her to serve Li Lin.
• Angela bound Catherine in the air and lashed her, then touched and squeezed her chest while Catherine tried to resist and pray.
• Angela continued touching Catherine and began moving her fingers toward her forbidden area, prompting Catherine to open her eyes.

Angela began Catherine’s next stage of captivity by introducing her to unfamiliar physical sensations, then used Catherine’s private reactions to plan further manipulation. The following day, Angela exposed Catherine again and announced a lesson in learning her own body.

• Angela restrained Catherine, touched and kissed her, then ended the first session and ordered her returned to her cell.
• Angela explained to Li Lin and Nia that she intended to use gradual stimulation and hope to control Catherine, and she asked Nia to make certain magic items.
• Catherine struggled with the sensations from the session, prayed, and ate the cold food left outside her cell before falling asleep.
• The priest brought Catherine back to the training room, where Angela revealed that she had watched Catherine crying and eating the previous night.
• Angela bound Catherine with her legs spread and said the day’s lesson was for Catherine to become familiar with her own body.

Angela continued tormenting Catherine and let Li Lin watch, while Catherine remained defiant despite her humiliation. Li Lin then revealed that a Pillar of Magic Essence could turn substances accumulated in people who lived on former Magic Empire territory into a deadly poison, and asked Angela whether its inhabitants followed the Empire’s methods.

• Angela repeatedly stimulated Catherine, who resisted and refused to give in despite her exhaustion.
• Li Lin appeared and watched Catherine; Angela struck her with a whip when she begged him not to look, and Fina and Mina later took Catherine back to her room.
• Angela promised to train Catherine within a month, but Li Lin warned that the Temple would likely deny her and replace her as saintess.
• Li Lin examined Nia’s construction report and told Angela that Suoxiate had discovered a half-finished Pillar of Magic Essence while planning Ringwraith City.
• Li Lin explained that the Magic Empire had altered its lands to improve residents’ magical potential, causing certain substances to accumulate in people who did not follow its training methods.
• Li Lin revealed that the Pillar of Magic Essence could release a gas that activated those substances into a deadly poison, then asked whether people now living on former Magic Empire territory followed the Empire’s methods.