Chapter Summaries

Xie Juanhan invited Telingewei to a barbecue of Chimerao meat, and the two of them and the little ones enjoyed the meal. After learning that dwarven builders would require many magic cores, Xie Juanhan agreed to save up, and Telingewei offered to take him out to sea to hunt high-level magical beasts.

• Xie Juanhan prepared grilled Chimerao meat, wine, and dipping sauces for Telingewei, who was impressed by the meal.
• The little ones overcame their initial reluctance and joined Xie Juanhan and Telingewei in eating the grilled meat.
• Xie Juanhan asked about hiring dwarven craftsmen, and Telingewei warned that building a single room would cost at least five level-four magic cores.
• Telingewei explained that dwarves had tried to steal his gold, so he had expelled them from the Magic Forest and remained their enemy.
• Xie Juanhan decided to keep saving magic cores rather than borrow them, and Telingewei suggested hunting high-level magical beasts in the ocean.
• Telingewei offered to take Xie Juanhan out to sea after collecting whale blubber during the whales' breeding season.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei traveled across the sea to Whale Grave Island to collect magical whale blubber. They began cutting clean slabs from the carcasses after Telingewei explained that dragons could render the blubber into useful oil with Dragon Flame.

• Xie Juanhan agreed to travel with Telingewei to see the dead whales and prepared food for the journey.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei flew across the Magic Forest and out over the sea, resting overnight on Telingewei's back.
• The group followed the stench to Whale Grave Island, where Telingewei restrained the eight Companion Beasts to keep them from getting corpse fluids in their fur.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei collected whale blubber from the carcasses, and Telingewei explained that other whales took the magic cores to help their young develop.
• Telingewei told Xie Juanhan that Dragon Flame was needed to render the blubber into oil without impurities.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei rendered whale blubber into oil, cleaned the island’s shore, and used Xie Juanhan’s ice magic to solidify the oil for transport. They flew to another island to hunt Demonic Beasts, where Telingewei showed Xie Juanhan his Demonic Oyster farm and offered to collect some.

• Telingewei explained how he had discovered that whale blubber could be rendered into oil, and he and Xie Juanhan spent a day and a half making clear whale oil.
• Telingewei and Xie Juanhan cleared the whale carcasses from the coastline, allowing fish to feed on them.
• Xie Juanhan froze the whale oil solid so Telingewei could carry it without spilling, and they loaded the pots onto the black dragon’s back.
• Telingewei flew with Xie Juanhan and the Companion Beasts to a larger island where level-four Demonic Beasts lived.
• Telingewei showed Xie Juanhan the Demonic Oysters he raised on ropes in the bay and offered to take him to collect some.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei jumped into the sea while the Companion Beasts followed, sinking beneath the water after briefly floating on the surface.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei harvested Demonic Oysters and sampled them before discussing Telingewei’s oyster farming. The chapter ended with Xie Juanhan learning that young Demonic Oysters were larvae and asking if they were worms.

• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei collected plump Demonic Oysters from a rope, while Telingewei explained that a Demonic Squid had taken the largest ones.
• Xie Juanhan dove into the sea to look for the Demonic Squid but found only its lair and lingering scent before returning to the surface.
• Telingewei prepared a Demonic Oyster with fruit juice and salt, and Xie Juanhan praised its fresh, sweet flavor as they all ate.
• Xie Juanhan learned that Telingewei raised a new batch of Demonic Oysters each year and agreed to visit the breeding grounds with him.
• Telingewei explained that it was breeding season and Demonic Oyster larvae were plentiful, prompting Xie Juanhan to ask if they were worms when young.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei shared a meal and afternoon tea before setting out with the little ones to find Demonic Oyster larvae in a calmer bay. They reached the bay, where Xie Juanhan led the group into the water.

• Telingewei cooked braised vegetables over whale oil, and Xie Juanhan praised the dish.
• After lunch, Xie Juanhan, Telingewei, and the little ones rested, then ate sandwiches for afternoon tea.
• The little ones overheard Xie Juanhan ask whether they would come along, and he agreed to take them when they objected.
• Xie Juanhan transformed into a white dragon and carried the little ones while Telingewei followed as a black dragon.
• The dragons flew to a calm, shallow bay, where Xie Juanhan dived into the sea with the little ones on his back.

Xie Juanhan helped Telingewei seed a rope with magic oyster larvae, then taught him and the Companion Beasts to swim. When a magic squid that had been stealing Telingewei’s oysters captured one of the little ones, Xie Juanhan transformed into a white dragon and rescued it.

• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei lowered a long rope into the sea for magic oyster larvae to settle on, and Xie Juanhan used Dragon Power to speed up the process.
• Xie Juanhan played with the Companion Beasts and taught Telingewei and the little ones how to swim.
• A wave swept two Companion Beasts away, but Telingewei caught them before they were carried off.
• A pale red tentacle lured in and seized one of the Companion Beasts, prompting Xie Juanhan and Telingewei to rush to help.
• Xie Juanhan transformed into a white dragon, severed the magic squid’s tentacles, and lifted the captured Companion Beast to safety.

Xie Juanhan killed a Demonic Squid, collected its three Demonic Cores, and cooked its meat for Telingewei and the Companion Beasts. As they ate, Telingewei revealed that rice could sometimes be obtained at Teme Port and that he had once disguised himself as a knight to join adventurer parties.

• Xie Juanhan pursued the fleeing Demonic Squid, killed it, and recovered one Primary and two Auxiliary Demonic Cores.
• Telingewei carried Xie Juanhan, the Companion Beasts, and the squid meat back to their campsite, where he cooked the meat until the little ones struggled to chew it.
• Xie Juanhan cooked a quick stir-fry of Demonic Squid meat, which the Companion Beasts and Telingewei enjoyed.
• Xie Juanhan wished he had rice to eat with the dish, and Telingewei told him rice was sometimes available through the Adventurers' Association at Teme Port.
• Telingewei told Xie Juanhan that he had once disguised himself as a knight and joined adventurer parties, but found their employers' demands unreasonable.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei raised Demonic Oysters on a rope at the meeting point of ocean currents. After noticing the currents carried debris, Xie Juanhan realized they might also gather magic cores and set off with Telingewei and the little ones to follow them.

• Xie Juanhan woke beside the little ones on Telingewei’s dragon form, and they watched the sunrise together.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei thinned the crowded Demonic Oyster spat on their rope and tied it to a reef where ocean currents met.
• While tying the rope underwater, Xie Juanhan noticed the Demonic Squid skin drifting with the currents and realized they could carry other things, including magic cores.
• Xie Juanhan turned into a white dragon, gathered the little ones and Telingewei, and urged them to chase the currents.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei took the Companion Beasts out to sea, where they found a cape with a seabed rich in naturally drifted magic cores. After a day of searching, they agreed that Xie Juanhan would keep the magic cores while Telingewei took the whale oil.

• Xie Juanhan rode the white dragon across the sea with Telingewei and the Companion Beasts, letting them dive and play in the water.
• Xie Juanhan brought them to a sheltered cape where the currents had deposited debris and magic cores on the seabed.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei searched the silt while the Companion Beasts struggled to dive, then played with magic cores Xie Juanhan gave them.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei searched through sunset and collected six level-four cores, nineteen level-three cores, and many level-one and level-two cores.
• Telingewei offered Xie Juanhan the magic cores in exchange for taking the whale oil, and Xie Juanhan accepted.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei gathered sea silt and returned to the Magic Forest, where Xie Juanhan began desalinating it for fertilizer. After trading damaged magic cores for six level-four cores, Xie Juanhan went with Telingewei to buy rice, but the only local seller told them it had sprouted and been fed to his horse.

• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei filled seven sacks with seabed silt and flew back to the Magic Forest with the little Companion Beasts and whale oil.
• Xie Juanhan soaked the silt in the river to desalinate it while he and Telingewei took the little ones to Teme Port.
• Telingewei traded Xie Juanhan's damaged magic cores for six level-four cores, bringing Xie Juanhan's total to seven.
• Xie Juanhan treated Telingewei and the little ones to lunch, then followed him to a trading house to buy rice.
• The fat shopkeeper told Xie Juanhan and Telingewei that the rice had sprouted after a broken protective array and that his horse, Little Sally, was eating it.

Xie Juanhan bought sprouted rice seed and began preparing a paddy beside the hot spring, where he spotted a fleeing dwarf. After contacting the dwarves to build three houses, he discovered Resentment Moss on them and used Dragon Power to make it wither, prompting them to praise him as a benefactor.

• Xie Juanhan bought a bag of sprouted rice seed from the fat shopkeeper after the Companion Beasts stopped the horse from biting him.
• Xie Juanhan cleared a plot by the hot spring, raised rice seedlings, and prepared a water-filled field by hand.
• Xie Juanhan noticed a dwarf flee across the river, then asked Orfrey how the dwarves had learned he planned to build a house.
• Xie Juanhan contacted the dwarves through Arnold and negotiated with three visiting dwarves over the cost of building three houses.
• Xie Juanhan identified Resentment Moss on the dwarves and used Dragon Power to make it complete its life cycle and wither.
• The dwarves mistook Xie Juanhan's action for purification or a blessing and thanked him for removing their odor.

Xie Juanhan helped the dwarves remove their Resentment Moss, then agreed to let them build his house on the riverbank. The dwarves began construction, while Xie Juanhan tended his rice paddy and hunted.

• Three dwarves paid Xie Juanhan in gold coins to remove their Resentment Moss, and he warned them it could grow back.
• Several hundred dwarves arrived the next morning, and Xie Juanhan removed their Resentment Moss before burning the discarded moss to prevent its spores from spreading.
• Xie Juanhan told Telingewei that he had contracted with the dwarves to build his house and asked permission for them to enter the Magic Forest; Telingewei agreed and offered to lend him magic cores if needed.
• The dwarves began building Xie Juanhan's house, digging a foundation pit and laying gravel and protective rune stones.
• Xie Juanhan inspected the construction, tended his rice paddy, and went hunting before hearing the dwarves sing as they ate lunch.

Xie Juanhan learned about underground mushrooms and received a magical mushroom field guide that Telingewei had bought for him, so he suggested they go picking together. As they set out with the Companion Beasts, the eager little ones rushed them along, and Telingewei asked whether they actually liked playing with him.

• Xie Juanhan helped the dwarves remove magical mushroom spores and warned them to avoid breathing spores into their lungs.
• While gathering Budemi Tree seeds, Xie Juanhan discussed underground mushrooms with Telingewei and shared stories about mushrooms from his hometown.
• Telingewei bought Xie Juanhan a magical mushroom guide, which included three-dimensional images and scents compiled by forest fairies.
• Xie Juanhan suggested that he and Telingewei take the Companion Beasts underground to pick mushrooms, and the little ones eagerly agreed.
• As the group walked through the Magic Forest, the Companion Beasts hurried Xie Juanhan and Telingewei along, prompting Telingewei to ask whether they liked playing with him.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei entered a sinkhole in the Magic Forest to gather mushrooms, with the little Companion Beasts accompanying them. After discovering mushrooms growing on the little ones, they harvested those and edible Alyxia Mushrooms before finding poisonous glowing mushrooms to sell.

• Telingewei led Xie Juanhan and the little ones to a sinkhole, and the group descended into the lava caves with torches.
• The little ones found magic mushrooms ahead, and Telingewei read one Companion Beast's memories to learn about them.
• Xie Juanhan discovered Alyxia Mushrooms growing on the Companion Beasts, and he and Telingewei picked them into their basket.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei found a patch of Alyxia Mushrooms and gathered more than half a basketful.
• The group found glowing poisonous mushrooms that they could sell to a potion maker.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei searched the underground caves for Alf Mushrooms, which could improve saline-alkali soil, and found a thriving patch guarded by goblins. The goblins attacked and cursed them for trespassing, and Telingewei restrained Xie Juanhan as he grew angry.

• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei gathered many kinds of mushrooms while the little ones grew tired, and Xie Juanhan explained that he wanted Alf Mushrooms to treat the silt they had brought back.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei cooked mushroom and meat broth in a cave, where Telingewei told Xie Juanhan and the little ones about underground creatures.
• Xie Juanhan proposed searching for saline-alkali soil, and the little ones led the group to a thriving patch of Alf Mushrooms.
• Several goblins appeared, threw dirt clods at the group, and accused them of stealing mushrooms from their fenced mound.
• Xie Juanhan defended Telingewei’s restrictions on the Magic Forest, but the goblins continued cursing them, and Telingewei held Xie Juanhan back as he prepared to retaliate.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei collected spores from escaping Alf Mushrooms and started cultivating them in a protected grove. Later, Xie Juanhan approved the nearly finished house plans, and the dwarves prepared to install its windows.

• Xie Juanhan secretly sent the Companion Beasts to beat up the goblins, and Telingewei's whistle scared the goblins into fleeing.
• Alf Mushrooms sprouted legs, escaped through a gap in the goblins' fence, and left spores behind.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei gathered the spores and prepared silt for growing mushrooms in a cool, damp grove.
• Telingewei made a magic circle around the mushroom bed, and Xie Juanhan set traps to stop the goblins stealing from it.
• After more than half a month of construction, Xie Juanhan approved the house plans, and the dwarf foreman said the dwarves would install the windows the next day.
• The dwarves packed their tools, left the forest, and began singing as they walked.

Xie Juanhan watched Dragon Companion Beasts secretly deliver pots to his unfinished house, then discovered Telingewei had come to replace them with custom-made mithril pots. He thanked Telingewei and the little creatures and promised to invite them for a meal once the house was finished.

• Xie Juanhan admired his newly built stone house but returned to his temporary shelter because the house was still unfinished.
• Xie Juanhan woke at night and watched Dragon Companion Beasts carry two golden pots into the kitchen and fit them into the stove openings.
• Telingewei arrived with two pots and replaced the golden ones with custom-made mithril pots while Xie Juanhan watched from the roof.
• The Companion Beasts confronted Telingewei, and they all began fighting until Telingewei spotted Xie Juanhan hovering nearby.
• Telingewei explained that he had replaced the unsuitable golden pots with mithril ones, and Xie Juanhan thanked him and the Companion Beasts and promised them a meal.

Xie Juanhan celebrated moving into his new house with friends, while the Dragon Companion Beasts worried they had no housewarming gift. They picked berries and, with Telingewei’s help, made candied fruit for Xie Juanhan; after learning the berries were only in season for ten days, he went to find Telingewei’s golden rune tablet.

• Xie Juanhan welcomed his friends into his new house, where the dwarves showed off their handiwork and guests admired the rooms.
• The Dragon Companion Beasts felt glum because Telingewei had taken back their golden pot, leaving them without a housewarming gift.
• The little ones brought Xie Juanhan flowering berry branches, and Telingewei teased them that the berries would spoil quickly.
• The little ones made Telingewei bake their berries into candied fruit, then delivered a golden jar of it to Xie Juanhan.
• Xie Juanhan learned the berries were in season for only ten days, so he went to find the golden rune tablet Telingewei had given him.

Xie Juanhan invited Telingewei and the Companion Beasts to pick Yuri Berries, using Dragon Power to ripen the patch so everyone could gather plenty. The next evening, he served them homemade ice cream topped with wine-soaked berries, and Telingewei and the little ones enjoyed it.

• Xie Juanhan invited Telingewei and the little ones to pick Yuri Berries, and they found the Weaving Fairies already gathering fruit.
• Xie Juanhan released Dragon Power across the berry patch, rapidly ripening the remaining berries for everyone to pick.
• The Weaving Fairies thanked Xie Juanhan for the berries and left, while Xie Juanhan invited Telingewei and the Companion Beasts to try ice cream the next day.
• Xie Juanhan prepared berries in dry white wine and made ice cream with egg yolks, milk, cream, and powdered sugar.
• Telingewei arrived with the Companion Beasts, and Xie Juanhan served ice cream topped with cookie crumbs, nuts, herbs, and wine-soaked Yuri Berries.
• Telingewei told Xie Juanhan the ice cream was delicious as the little ones eagerly ate their servings.

Xie Juanhan refused to give the Companion Beasts more ice cream after they ate too much and got diarrhea, leaving them dejected. When cow's milk became unavailable, Telingewei suggested trying Tata Fish milk and offered to catch some for the little ones.

• Xie Juanhan found the Companion Beasts asleep outside his house, covered them with blankets, and served them a plain dinner instead of ice cream.
• Xie Juanhan told the little ones they could not have ice cream until their stomachs recovered and explained that he could not get milk to make more.
• Telingewei examined the dejected Companion Beasts and refused their request to take them out to milk Tata Fish.
• Xie Juanhan discovered that cows were producing little milk and declined Telingewei's suggestion of goat milk.
• Telingewei offered to get Tata Fish milk, saying he wanted to cheer up Harper and the other Companion Beasts.