ladyjlb's manga / #reincarnation(76)

Ch 43 as of 17/01/23 - ML was Daven Samion who was born without a right arm. - He was his family’s disgrace and an outcast. - His father was obsessed with surpassing his older brother, the head of the main family. - Kajin Samion, ML’s cousin born on the same day as ML. - He was blessed by the sword god when he was born. - ML was always compared to Kajin. This made ML jealous of Kajin’s strength and talent. ML was motivated to train hard. - ML 7yo was sold by his parents to the main Samion family. - He was constantly abused and bullied by Kajin. - Kajin’s father had disappeared, so Kajin had no guidance or discipline. Kajin was spoilt, violent, arrogant and uncontrollable. - As Kajin grew up, he neglected his training. He indulged in women, alcohol and drugs. Despite all this, he was known as Storm Sword Kajin for his innate talent and genius. - ML continued to work hard until at a tournament, 29yo ML beat Kajin for the first time. As ML turned to leave, Kajin stabbed through ML’s body. Raila the Miracle Saint saved ML. - The Sun sword: contains the anti-demon mana of the Samion family and is used only by the main Samion bloodline. - ML was accused of making a contract with a demon so he could beat Kajin. He was betrayed by his parents who provided fake evidence of his crime. Kajin was declared a hero for stabbing ML to protect the Samion family’s honour. Kajin became the Sword Emperor. - ML realised that while he beat Kajin, he didn’t beat the Samion family who chose Kajin over ML. The tendons in his legs and arm were cut. His mana was sealed and he was imprisoned for life. ML starved to death 10yrs later. - ML is reborn 500yrs later as Vinchen Adenca 13-14yo. - He’s the 7th child of the main Adenca family. - His mother Sarvana died after giving birth to him. - His father Khan ignores him and his siblings bully him. - 1st child - 2nd child, Deia - 3rd child, Hannah - 4th child, Abel - 5th child, Damian - 6th child, Malone - 8th child - Julian, a minor god. He was the original Vinchen. - He needs to attain achievements and complete his calling to become a true god. Then ML will become the true owner of Vinchen’s body. - History has been fabricated with the legend of the Archdemon Daven and the Hero King Kajin. - Sun Sword Emperor Arslan Falker was the first patriarch of the Adenca family. Arslan was Daven’s friend and disciple. - The mission of the Adenca family and Julian’s calling is to surpass the Samion family and to face the truth. - Heavenly Exoskeleton: the ability to store mana in one’s bones and use mana endlessly. Kajin had this ability. So does Vinchen. - The method for storing mana in the physical body is obsolete. - Imagery: an imaginary storage for mana. - This was created to avoid the risks that come with storing mana in the heart. The number of stars utilised represents the strength of the martial artist. - One-star requirements: linking an imagery for the first time and feeling mana. Vinchen was considered useless because he’s unable to control mana and he can't link imagery to his heart. - To use mana efficiently, there is a circuit formula for mana flow. - ML uses a meditation method for storing mana in the heart. - Vinchen’s body is starving for mana and will not last. ML estimates he has about 10yrs left. - ML starts training with a wooden sword. - Wilson, ML’s servant. He’s a liar and a coward. - ML says the time will come soon when Wilson won’t be embarrassed to serve ML. At that time ML tells Wilson to either give into fear or to swear loyalty. - Traits are artificially made from analysing the power of blessings. A trait is a man-made blessing. - Revan Adenca 13yo, a 2-star martial artist. - He has the mid-level Steel Man trait that focuses on strengthening the body. It’s from the Dwarf King’s blessing. It specialises in defence and destructive power. - With no mana, blessings or traits, Vinchen was the disgrace of the Adenca family and called a loser. - Merlin, vice captain of the White Sword unit - He gave an advanced recovery potion to ML during training. - Skill swordsmanship: a sword path is made and stacked with dots and lines to manifest abilities. - Assembly of True Swords: a competition that gathers the children of families connected to the Adencas to fight with real swords. The winner is given the chance to fight a direct descendant of the Adenca family who is about the same age. - Miracle stone: a mana crystal that makes one’s body and mana grow stronger when ingested. - Raelsa, grand chamberlain and 7-star martial artist. - She embezzled ML’s budget on purpose for his sake. She intended to use that money for his future. Raelsa felt indebted to Sarvana for taking her in and Raelsa vowed to protect ML after Sarvana died. - Khan, Adenca family head and patriarch. ML’s father. - Versa Heillaim, ML’s stepmother. She has the Eyes of Truth. - ML invites Khan to attend the Assembly of True Swords. ML will prove his worth as a member of the main Adenca family. - At the Assembly, ML observes the competitors. He sees no depth to their martial arts and no fighting experience in their movements. He notes their over reliance on their traits while ignoring the basics of martial arts. - As expected, Revan emerges as the winner of the Assembly. Revan faces ML for the final match. ML chooses to use a wooden sword with his left hand. ML will allow Revan to have 3 attacks first. ML will remain in place until those attacks are over. - ML anticipated Revan’s obvious movements to deflect and disarm Revan using just his right hand. True martial artists know how to fight without a weapon against an opponent. - Using skill swordsmanship, ML severs Revan’s right arm. - ML is declared the winner and is rewarded with a miracle stone. - The priests are unable to reattach Revan’s arm. - Charles Adenca, Revan’s father - ML willingly offers his miracle stone to fix Revan’s arm after Julian suggested it. Revan recovers and cries together with Charles. - Dullan, a Gaia priest - After feeling ashamed for hesitating to use his own miracle stone for Revan, Dullan gives the stone to ML. - Dullan also gives ML a temple card which entitles ML to unlimited treatment, free use of the temple, and other benefits. - Khan summons ML to his office. Khan is there with Versa. - ML is interrogated for the origin of his martial arts. - Versa uses her ability and identifies the similarity with the recorded martial arts of Kajin Samion. ML mixes the truths from Daven and Julian to respond. - Khan allows ML to continue training in his martial arts. - Versa advises ML to say he is using Daven’s swordsmanship to avoid conflict with the Samion family. Daven’s and Kajin’s swordsmanship are also similar. - Khan wants to personally reward ML. - ML asks for access to the Adenca family library. Normally this is restricted to 3-star and above. ML is permitted to enter the lowest ranked library. - Crimson Lotus: Khan’s (1st?) sword - Khan gives this sword to ML as another reward. - Crimson Fortress: one of the few training institutes owned by the Adenca family. Only those who complete the training will be recognised as fully fledged martial artists. The prerequisites for entering are winning the Assembly of True Swords and defeating the Crimson Demon. - Only those with 3-star mana or above may attack the Crimson Demon. The conquest of the Crimson Demon is a right of passage that proves one is above 3-star mana. - In the library ML can’t find any records of 500yrs ago. - He suspects someone intentionally erased or changed them. - He finds a romance novel. Reading between the lines, the novel describes someone who used the flow of mana to manifest traits without using imagery. - Seri Hisley, ML’s maid - ML detects a large amount of mana in Seri. Later he learns she is from a ruined magic family who originally discovered the Heavenly Exoskeleton. The Hisleys were most likely ruined by the Samions to hide this discovery. Seri has unknowingly inherited the Magic Body skill that allows infusing one’s body with mana. - Revan visits ML and says he wants to repay his debt to ML. - Revan kneels down and swears his loyalty to ML. - Revan starts living with ML who wants to gain the Steel Man trait of the Dwarf King’s blessing from Revan. They use the risky method hidden in the romance book. - Revan guides the mana flow while ML meditates. - ML forces the final connection to complete his mana flow. - It causes an explosion that blasts through a wall. He can now quickly manifest Revan’s trait. ML receives the Dwarf King’s blessing and the body strengthening defence trait that comes before Steel Man. - Khan tells ML to defeat the Crimson Demon in 1mth. Khan has never placed a time limit before which means he has high expectations of ML. Raelsa will accompany ML as his protector. - ML and Raelsa depart 2wks before Khan’s deadline. The Crimson Demon is the 1st monster Daven ever defeated. - They arrive at the old temple that is Arslan’s memorial. - Raelsa creates a mana barrier and ML uses Daven’s past experience to fight the Crimson Demon. ML defeats it once but the Demon revives and goes berserk. In a move prearranged with ML, Revan rushes in and blocks the attack from the Demon. - ML meditates while Revan blocks the Demon. After Revan’s sword breaks from the Demon’s attacks, ML unleashes his skill swordsmanship. The core of the Demon is destroyed and Revan has proven his resolve to ML. - A 2nd Demon arrives and ML uses Dullan’s miracle stone. ML pushes his body to the limit and destroys the Demon and it’s core with skill swordsmanship again. ML has passed the rite of passage. - A huge summoning circle appears over the old temple and there’s a relic guardian. Raelsa defeats the guardian’s giant snake form but ML saves her from the guardian’s true form as a small insect. - The relic is a dragon’s bone. ML gives half of it to Raelsa. - ML finds out from Seri that Sarvana was from the Hisley family. Seri was one of the many people indiscriminately hired by Sarvana and adopted into the Adenca household. - Revan decides to leave ML’s residence. ML asks Revan to investigate the Hisley family history from 500yrs ago. - ML asks Raelsa to train him until he goes to the Crimson Fortress. - Hansen the dwarf, former master blacksmith of the Adenca family. - This famous blacksmith is a longtime friend of Khan. - He prioritised the lives of other people over his honour by focusing on making good quality inventions instead of great swords. Other forges thought he was obsessed with money and he lost his place at Adenca. - Raelsa shows Hansen all of the broken swords from sparring with ML for a week. Hansen asks to see Crimson Lotus (which he made) and ML’s skill swordsmanship. Hansen is inspired to make a sword for ML. At ML’s request, Hansen will add the dragon’s bone to the Crimson Lotus. - When Hansen hammered the dragon’s bone, mana flooded out like fire and set alight the entire forge. ML uses his swordsmanship to save Hansen and put out the fire. The upgraded Crimson Lotus can now absorb the traits of it’s user. ML manages to win a match against Raelsa. - Raelsa’s Frost Walk trait is from the Galaxy Wanderer’s blessing. - ML gains the trait through the same meditation method and Raelsa’s guidance to connect the mana flow. - Earlier ML asked Raelsa to give her dragon’s bone to Hansen to make a new sword. - Vargon Pagoda, Crimson Fortress dean and former mercenary. - Herka Quebell, Crimson Fortress headmaster and 7-star martial artist. - The Crimson Fortress is located in the mountains that border Samion territory. A legend says the Heavenly Fruit Tree is hidden there. The fruit has powerful medicinal properties that can even revive the dead. - Varnelli Pagoda, co-owner of the 6th magic tower. - Julian invested in the 6th magic tower. He sponsored Varnelli’s magic research. His investment is lost when Varnelli is assassinated. In her will, she leaves everything to her younger brother Vargon. - A few months later, ML travels to the Crimson Fortress. As he approaches, he’s subjected to the first test by Vargon. ML faces a group of white tigers that are conjured illusions. - ML identifies the assembly element tiger that the other tigers are copied from and he disconnects the mana circuit to pass the test. - The cadets at the Fortress are not allowed to use their family’s money while staying there. A sponsorship system is in place for talented cadets to obtain a sponsor. - All cadets begin at rank 9. Advancement exams are held every 6mths. The ranks are from 9 to 1. - The Fortress living quarters are shared dorms. - ML meets Malone who bullied Julian (as Vinchen) the most. Malone is the Rank 9 cadet representative and continues to act like a tyrannical bastard. Malone reminds ML of Kajin. - Before Malone’s aggression escalates, ML requests a spar mediated by Vargon. - Malone’s traits are: - Coercion trait from the Daughter of Fear’s blessing - Micro Current Boost trait from the Cerebral Giant’s blessing - Malone bets his right arm that ML’s Crimson Lotus is fake. - ML uses Malone’s reckless and destructive power against him to win the spar and cut off Malone’s right arm. Only after Malone gives up his honour does ML use his temple card to treat Malone and reattach his arm. - Like ML and Vinchen, Vargon was called a talentless child. He was abandoned by his family and the magic tower, so he left to work as a mercenary. ML understands that like him, Vargon just wanted love and acceptance from his family. - Vargon offers to sponsor ML. - Bronde, dorm instructor and 5-star martial artist. - Cizen, one of ML’s dorm roommates. - Selbirah, Rank 9 secondary cadet representative. - Malone makes a contract with an evil spirit. - The alarm is raised when Malone attacks Cizen on night duty and kills Bronde. The rank 9 cadets come outside and are faced with the possessed Malone. ML rallies the cadets and Selbirah to form a defensive seal. ML sees a sword path just as the seal breaks. He follows the path and severs Malone’s right arm again. The aura of the evil spirit is gone. - Vargon and Herka finally arrive with reinforcements. They stop Malone from rampaging further and encase him in a Crystal Prison. - Khan is briefed on what happened. Malone’s punishment is to have his imagery permanently sealed and all of his tendons cut. - ML is unconscious for a few days. Somehow Julian and ML see Malone demonstrating his mana flow for the Cerebral Giant’s blessing from one of Malone’s memories. - Friendly exchange meeting: an annual event where the Samion and Adenca families compete against each other. Both patriarchs attend the event. Deia is the only Adenca to have won so far. - The meeting is held in 3 stages: a treasure hunt in a dungeon, a match with a monster, and the Adenca-Samion spar. - Revan returns and meets with ML. - Revan saw a book on the history of the Hisleys after Charles showed him the hidden archives of the Adenca family. Revan must succeed his father before he can show the archives to ML. - Hannah Adenca, Rank 1 cadet representative - Abel Adenca, Rank 5 cadet representative - Damian Adenca, Rank 8 cadet representative - All of the cadets are present for an engraving ceremony. Khan uses the Crimson Lotus and personally engraves ML’s name on the Great Monument at the Crimson Fortress. Only Deia has achieved the same feat. - Julian helps ML to create the mana flow for the Cerebral Giant’s blessing. The lightning energy absorbed by ML is too great and causes immense pain. ML must hold onto and control the energy to fully receive the blessing. - Vargon starts teaching magic to Seri Hisley. - ML needs a swordsmanship teacher. Raelsa suggests Merlin who also has the Cerebral Giant’s blessing. - Kagon Samion, 6th son of the Samion family - Kagon will be ML’s opponent in the friendly exchange meeting. - ML sees a magic recording of a spar match won by Kagon. - ML is surprised that Kagon is identical to Kajin. - For the treasure hunt, ML selects Cizen and Harmon to accompany him. They have the lowest grades among the rank 9 cadets. - Kagon selects the 2 strongest cadets which includes Selbirah.

Ch 188 as of 01/02/21 ** complex plot with some detailed mythology ** ... then a high school historical drama with swords ** chapters getting shorter and shorter. Hmph. - FL is Ianna Roberstein, reborn after dying as an adult from the sword of Arhad Roygen. She was obsessed with winning against him. Her dying wish as she finally admitted defeat was to be Arhad’s knight if she was born again. Ironically she won, as Arhad wanted her and was obsessed with her but he lost her to death. - Her family is one of the 5 founding families of the Empire. - In her past life, FL left her family who had never accepted her. - She pledged loyalty and her sword to King Schneider Reze Roan, the only man to acknowledge her. FL became the Commander-in-Chief of the military. ML was her sworn enemy. - FL 19yo first met ML 24yo when he defeated her in a youth swordsmanship tournament. - FL has a passion and drive for the art of the sword. - FL aims to build her strength for the trials to come. - She has strong red mana (ie incomplete divine power, “power of the devil”) from the Red Goddess of fire, “Roberstein”. - (tbc) FL could be the reincarnation of Roberstein. - FL is intelligent, honest, righteous, dedicated, and hardworking. She has self respect, pride and confidence in her abilities. - Sir Carniche, volunteered to be FL’s escort knight. - 9yo FL asked Carniche to teach swordsmanship to her. - FL plans to attend the Valgenta Academy for commoners. It’s an academy made for students, by students. She wants to develop herself independently of high society. After 3yrs at the academy, she hopes to graduate early and find ML. - Esphee, FL’s nanny and personal maid. - Viscount Gerard Huflud, FL’s tutor who was warm and kind. - Harchen Roberstein, FL’s half brother. - Countess Sarache Roberstein, 1st wife of the Count. - FL’s birth mother Lebony was a commoner and the 2nd wife of Count Cherno Roberstein. She was a cruel and vulgar woman who used FL to further her own ambitions. - The Count was forced to marry Lebony because of his huge debt with her wealthy merchant father, Horeby. The Count suspected Horeby and Lebony of being behind his business troubles. - Because the Count married Lebony through fraud and coercion, FL was considered an illegitimate child. - In her past life, FL was desperate for her mother’s love. Lebony gave the child FL poisoned tea to serve to Sarache. Because of that, FL was blamed for Sarache’s death and despised by the Count and Harchen. Esphee pleaded with Lebony to stop using FL but Lebony killed Esphee. - 15yo FL has an assassin enter her room late at night, just like in her past life. This time she’s prepared and after knocking him down, she discovers the assassin is her grandfather Horeby. When she stabs him, red mana is released. - Lebony enters FL’s room. She says she’s a follower of the goddess Roberstein. She fell in love with the Count because she sensed the goddess in him. She’s actually the lower goddess of hypnosis, who received all of Roberstein’s holy power. Lebony hated FL because she took that power from Lebony when she was born. - Lebony asks FL to release her. FL stabs her and Lebony’s body disappears. - ML is Arhad Roygen. His true name is Arhad Roalzo Bahamut. He’s the secret illegitimate son and commoner prince who slaughtered the royal family and took the throne. - (tbc) ML was reborn as well. He has memories from his past life. He recalls the devil’s memories from time to time. - (tbc) ML was the Devil in the Holy Era. He became possessive and obsessed with the goddess Roberstein but she rejected him, abandoned him and eventually killed him. His desire for her has continued with each reincarnation. - 2 opposing empires, southern Roan (Ianna) and northern Bahamut (Arhad). Separated by a central mountain range, which is home to dragons and other high level monsters. - The barren and mountainous land of Bahamut made them a militant nation hungry for resources and power. They constantly invaded the resource-rich Roan. - Raos the god of creation. He disappeared after he created all the creatures of the world. - The founder of the Roan Empire was the most faithful believer of Raos. It is said that Raos gave the power of mana control and manipulation to the founder for their devotion. The power is hereditary. That is why it is believed that the power of mana control increases if you follow Raos. - The Bahamut Empire is powerful but doesn’t believe in Raos. They focus on “pure blood” and intermarriage within their royal family. - (tbc) FL made a contract / promise with her family? - FL 16yo goes to the capital Theodoros to attend the academy. - Black Fox: a covert unit working for the Bahamut Empire. It established itself in the south to provide supplies to Bahamut. To fund its campaigns, Black Fox turned to the drug and slave trades. - Aeiji 20yo is secretly the head of intelligence in Black Fox. He was saved by Empress Shailons Bahamut and is her plaything. - Aeiji introduces himself to FL after she beat up some Black Fox delinquents at her inn. He challenges her to spar with him. He uses 2 daggers but also has an assortment of tools and tricks that FL noticed he didn’t use. - Swordsmanship exam, 1st round: Strike a wooden dummy until you reach the count of 9999 blows. FL was the 1st to finish. - Harace Bentham 17yo thanks FL for inspiring him to finish the 1st round. He’s the younger son of Viscount Bentham who is famous for his swordsmanship skills. His older brother Cherabace 18yo is a 3rd yr student at the top of his class in the swordsmanship department. - Swordsmanship exam, 2nd round: Thread beads through a string over 5 days. Harace had the top score (FL was close). - Harace has always had a sickly body. He showed great promise with his mana until he lost control when he was 10yo. His mother was the 1st wife and died giving birth to him. His brother is the son of the 2nd wife. - Swordsmanship exam, 3rd round: Physical strength. - As mana users, both Harace and FL blow the instrument away. Harace needs medicine to help control his mana. FL offers to help Harace become a powerful mana user without the need for medicine. - Swordsmanship exam, 4th round: Test reflexes, avoid the ball. - Swordsmanship exam, 5th round: Art of swordplay. Taro and FL are in the same group, so they partner up. - Taro 20yo (future desert warrior servant to Lalatua). - Everyone passed the exam and finalise their registration at the academy. Each go their own way until classes start. - FL visits the temple of Raos to see if it holds any clues about Roberstein the goddess and why she was reborn. - Someone in a black cloak is following FL … ML? - As FL is travelling back to her family estate, she joins a trade party that’s escorted by knights as protection against monsters. - FL meets Fynn 7yo, a half elf who can use divine power to summon the naiads (Inis the water sprite king, and later Tao the earth sprite king). Fynn’s mother Paella was an elf who was killed by a monster 3yrs ago. Fynn witnessed this and has nightmares of it every night. Fynn’s father Morsi is the head of the trade party. - A mage targeting Fynn to use for experiments had hypnotised minotaurs to attack the party. FL saves Fynn by cutting a minotaur in half, but she badly injures her arms. The other minotaurs were mysteriously killed. (It was Arhad. He killed the mage too) - Fynn sees FL after she’s treated. She asks to see the naiads. She’s able to touch and speak to the water king, who detects the essence of Roberstein’s divine power emanating from her. The king helps to partially heal her arms that will speed up her recovery and removes the excess divine power around her heart. - ML visits FL as she sleeps. She wakes when he kisses her hand. She asks who he is and why is he following her. He leaves after giving her a small bottle of liquid. - The knights and trade party escort FL to her family estate. Sir Frederick Holt, Captain of the knights, Morsi and Fynn go with FL to greet her father. They hear the rumours that FL is the evil daughter of a lowly concubine who murdered her grandfather and mother for the inheritance. - FL packs the rest of her things. She gives money to Esphee and Carniche, thanking them for everything they’ve done for her. She gives her father a large amount of money and says she doesn’t want to be supported by him. After cutting her ties with the family, FL leaves and returns to the academy. - Morsi gives FL a loyalty pendant for the trade party. Their building is close to the academy and she’s welcome to visit anytime. - Aeiji greets FL at the entrance. FL shows the small bottle to him and he identifies it as a very rare and powerful medicine that heals serious injuries in seconds. She saves the medicine for later. (The medicine was made by the Dean of the academy and Aeiji for ML to take). - FL decides to withdraw from the 1st freshman swordsmanship competition of the year due to her injuries. As the only female student in the swordsmanship department, there are many prejudices and rumours about her among the other students. - NB: Taro comes 2nd in the freshman swordsmanship competition. - (tbc) Aeiji is on a secret mission to find the one who stole the blood of Bahamut. Aeiji is related to the Roygens. The mother of the child that Aeiji’s looking for was also a Roygen. She had the power of a devil’s fragment and abnormal mana control. Most of the Roygen family were killed by the royal family. - The child is ML. When Aeiji and ML 1st met, Aeiji told ML that he had an obligation to the Roygens who died to protect him. ML had a responsibility to eliminate the Bahamut royal family. ML agreed. - FL meets her roommate, Priscilla 25yo. She’s a fashion design major in her senior year (ie 4th yr). She’s inspired by FL’s physique and appearance. She asks FL to be her model. - Sir Villiger Ashton / Filiger Eshelton, instructor of the sword fight class and former Commander of the Royal Guards / knights. - Ryan, the associate professor for swordsmanship, gives FL access to his personal training room to use. That way she won’t be disturbed by the other students at the training centre. - FL visits Fynn and he says he no longer has nightmares thanks to her. FL asks him to call the water king through the naiads. The water king teaches Fynn how to call the earth sprite king. The earth king with the water king then completely heal FL’s arms. - FL asks the sprite kings about mana and divine power. - Mana was known as the power of the devil but was renamed by Raos. Mana is derived from divine power but has no life force. The devil split divine power into mana and life force. That’s why mana is always near divine power as it’s attracted to the life force it lacks. - Divine power is bestowed by the gods. It’s what gives all living things life (and life expectancy). - In the Roan / Bahamut history class, the professor is a commoner-turned-Baron after writing the book that the class is based on. Both the professor and the book are inadequate. - In this class, FL meets Rikijan Rostari, future PM of the Bahamut Empire and future close aide to Arhan. He’s currently a political studies major and dorm roommates with Taro. He says he hates aristocrats who have a sense of entitlement with no duty. - The professor openly harasses and insults FL during the class. FL’s powerful aura and killing intent flood the room. FL calls him out as a hack writer of a substandard text, and that he could be executed for spreading unsubstantiated rumours and gossip about a noble. - FL commands him to kneel and apologise, or be challenged to a duel. He bows to the floor and begs for his life. - FL makes a bet with Cherabace after he insults her and Harace. She’ll beat him in the upcoming swordsmanship competition. If she doesn’t she’ll leave the department. - FL tells Harace that his brother has an inferiority complex. She advises Harace to focus on improving his physical and mental health first. She sees great potential in Harace and knows he’ll surpass Cherabace one day. - A gang of 4 wealthy boys in the swordsmanship department had committed crimes against other female students. They were never caught because of their connections. They insult FL who then made a deal to spar against them. If she lost she would do anything they want. If she won she’d castrate them. She won. - FL meets next Lalatua El Madrigal, magic prodigy and princess of the northern Madrigal kingdom (west of Bahamut). She’s the future Ice Witch and will be one of the 10 great mages. - In FL’s past life, Lalatua warned FL that ML was a psychopath. - Taro fell in love with Lalatua at 1st sight. In the future he becomes the desert warrior who will do anything she asks of him. - Lalatua is the childhood friend of Harace and the protege of the Dean of the academy. The Dean is known as the greatest mage alive and is also secretly Harace’s grandfather. - In town with Rikijan, FL saves a little girl from being run over by a carriage. Inside are Duke Tarwitt and his daughter Lilitte, known as the most beautiful woman in Roan. In the future Lilitte marries 2nd Prince Schneider Regee Roan (they’ve been engaged since birth) and becomes the Queen. - Swordsmanship competition: both Taro and FL are participating. - Taro faces Cherabace in the semifinals. Taro surrenders when Cherabace uses mana as Taro can’t use mana. - FL defeats Cherabace in the final, disarming him and breaking his sword. She’s dissatisfied with winning as she found it too easy and no one really challenged her. After the competition celebration, FL sees another student as she goes for a walk. He calls himself Arhad. - FL asks Aeiji about ML 21yo. He’s a loner who skipped half of the semester due to illness but continues to attend. He’s a 4th yr student in the swordsmanship department. - FL sees ML as a worthy opponent and her only companion. - ML declines FL’s offer to spar with her, using his illness as an excuse. FL knows he’s intentionally avoiding her. - FL finds out ML’s schedule from Rikijan and follows ML around for awhile trying to get him to spar with her. She gives up after he persistently refuses without giving a reason. - After ignoring ML, he pulls FL aside and apologises for his attitude towards her. He confirms that it’s not because she’s female and not because he thinks her skills aren’t worthy that he’s refusing to spar with her. FL apologises for her behaviour and wants to be friends but would like to know why he’s avoiding her first. (Ch 77) - FL visits Fynn and they summon the earth sprite king. - FL asks the king about the holy era, the gods and souls. - Despite thinking her divine power and her soul could be related to Roberstein, FL claims her body and soul firmly as her own. - The king suspects there might be a seal that is suppressing the divine power that is stored within FL. - Back in town, FL beats up a man who was following her and Fynn. The man mentions Black Fox and that he was ordered to kidnap Fynn. FL returns Fynn to his father. - FL spots ML enter an alley. She follows him as he dons a white mask. He meets up with another masked man. FL tries to follow them from the rooftops. She sees the man she beat up earlier acting suspicious and corners him. He asks if she’s with Camastros. - The man tells FL that Camastros is a secret underworld group that appeared a few years ago, and its members all wear black robes and white masks. They’ve been attacking branches of Black Fox. FL suspects ML might be the leader of Camastros. - There’s a Black Fox specialty slave auction tonight and they’re on high alert against Camastros. FL forces the man to take her as a fake slave to the auction. - Both ML and Aeiji belong to Camastros, with ML as leader. It’s purpose is to destroy Black Fox. - A masked ML is shocked to see FL at the auction. He bids 1million gold on her, revealing the presence of Camastros to Black Fox. FL frees herself and fights with her sword as the rest of Camastros enter. - FL saves the dwarf Clendelf at the slave auction. His hands were cut off. FL promises to help with his hands. - FL convinces ML to let her join forces with Camastros. She also wants to destroy Black Fox so Fynn can go outside without fear. - FL pledged herself to ML, will be employed by ML, and will be his direct subordinate in Camastros. - Black Fox want Fynn as Morsi is good friends with Absilot, the leader of the Tiger Mercenary Group. - Absilot lives with the West Flag High Desert tribe. Black Fox are after Absilot and the natives but rather than enter the harsh desert, they targeted those close to Absilot. - FL takes Clendelf to see Morsi and Fynn. She explains the situation to Morsi. FL plans to travel with Clendelf to the Karankell Rocky Mountains during her semester break. She agrees to go with Morsi’s trade party but only as a mercenary guard. - It’s vacation time and FL visits Fynn to help Chendelf with his hands. They summon Inis and Tao. They say that FL has more divine power now so they’ll be able to help Chendelf. - The dwarf’s hands are magically restored. Chendelf is overjoyed and promises to dedicate his best sword, his life’s work to FL. - NB: Living beings die when they have no more divine power. The sprite kings are concerned about FL using her divine power as it shortens her lifespan, but as she has a lot it should be ok. - Chendelf tells FL about the 5 dragons: - Earth dragon, of the Karankell Rocky Mountains. - Forest dragon, of the Shaobo Forests - Fire dragon, of the Flag High Desert. - Ice dragon, of the Himarape Ice Fields. - Kandamian the chaotic dragon, in the central Lotso Mountains, the Chief over the other 4 dragons. - Kandamian’s warning: “The one who steals a glimpse at the gods’ secrets will die in the fires of hell.” - FL wonders if each of the dragons guard the gods’ secrets. - FL wants to meet a dragon or the Spartoi (powerful warriors made from the teeth of dragons) to learn more about the connection between Roberstein the goddess and herself. - ML applied as a mercenary and surprises FL when she finds out he’ll be joining her. ML says he’ll answer any questions FL has of him during the trip. He likes her and wants to get to know her. - ML says he was avoiding FL because he didn’t want her to hate him if she lost to him in a spar (which is what happened in their past lives). - ML tells FL about himself. His mother became a concubine because her family wanted royal blood. Concubines were killed if they became pregnant. He reveals the Dean (who was a Bahamut vassal) helped his pregnant mother when she ran away. She died after giving birth to ML. The Dean became ML’s guardian. ML is working hard to be ready to defend himself when the Bahamut royal family find him. He’s not seeking revenge, he just wants to live. - For both ML and FL, the sword gives their lives direction. - The trade party reach their destination. FL will continue on with Chendelf. ML offers to introduce FL to Hanidelf the dwarf at the fire magic tower where he’s going to deliver items from the Dean. - Mamaye the fire mage tells FL about ML’s illness as a child that was similar to Harace’s. ML has since overcome this illness and has no problem controlling his mana. - ML goes with FL and Chendelf to Karankell. Hanidelf gives FL a magic bracelet he made with a shield spell from Mamaye as thanks for helping his good friend Chendelf. - As they get closer to Karankell, ML admits to FL that he suffers from an illness (with his heart?) where he falls asleep for days and even months if he doesn’t take his medicine on time. - ML kills fierce black orcs chasing some humans who had injured a baby orc. He pulled out the heart of an orc with his bare hands and FL sensed he absorbed life force from it. - ML wants to help take the humans back but FL knows he’s just avoiding her so he doesn’t have to reveal the truth. - FL says she already knows about life force from the sprites, and that he’s the leader of Camastros. ML is angry about FL using her divine power to summon sprites as it shortens her lifespan. - FL says she knows ML has much to hide and what he decides to reveal to her will have a great bearing on their relationship. She bids him goodbye. - FL faces many monsters on the way. These monsters had avoided them before as they were afraid of ML. - FL and Chendelf arrive at the village of the dwarves. He was missing for 6mths, presumed dead. FL meets the village elder Kukudelf. Chendelf introduces FL as his saviour. - As the 1st human to visit the dwarf village, FL doesn’t want to leave a strong impression and won’t stay long. It is best for dwarves to remain wary of human greed. - Black Fox kidnapped and tortured Chendelf as they wanted to know the location of an artifact from the holy era, the dwarves’ treasure. FL asks for permission to see this relic. - FL is taken by Chendelf to a sacred place for the dwarves, the dwarf cemetery. She visits the holy relic that’s a monument of the gods in the centre, a sword fragment of the Red Goddess. FL’s divine power in her heart aches as she approaches. - The relic suddenly emits a bright light and FL has a vision of Roberstein holding the sword that the fragment is from. FL faints and awakes to the elder being there. - FL feels compelled to touch the relic and a metal piece appears in her hand. Only she and Chendelf can touch it. - FL has Cheldelf summon his earth sprite, Tamatan (a mole). Through Tamatan, FL summons Tao. - Tao recognises the metal piece as part of the great sword that he and Kagomine the fire sprite king made for Roberstein the goddess. - The sprites used her divine power to create the strongest metal in the world. That metal can only be used by Roberstein, ie it reacts to her power. FL’s aura is similar to Roberstein which is why FL can touch it. Tao offers to create the strongest metal with Kagomine, just for Ianna. - With Chendelf’s help, FL summons Kagomine. FL’s metal is created and the original sword fragment returned to its place. Clendelf can handle the metal as his hands were made with FL’s divine power. He will use this metal to make a special sword customised just for FL. When the sword is finished, Chendelf will send word via Hanidelf. - FL leaves the dwarf village and is met by ML. - Back at the Academy, ML asks FL to be his sparring partner for the rest of the time they’re at school together. - ML and FL spar for the 1st time. FL wonders why ML’s sword aura is colourless when it was golden in her past life. - The spar is a tie, with each managing to cut the other. - FL is happy at the possibility of winning against ML in the future. She’s improved on her past life where she kept losing to him. - ML is jealous of FL’s sword which she devotes all of her attention to. He wants to be the only one in FL’s eyes. - ML is naturally gifted in mana with an abnormal control over it. - ML’s sole life purpose is FL. He wants her by his side. - He wants to gather with her the devil’s fragments that are scattered around the world and go to Pandemonium together. (Later refer to Ch 144) (Ch 128-129) - FL meets the Dean with ML, Harace, Lalatua and Taro. - ML and Lalatua knew eachother since childhood as they were both under the Dean’s care. Somehow ML can deflect Lalatua’s magic. - The Dean speaks about his theory of mana control, and mentions the devil, divine power and souls. His theory is similar to what the sprites told FL earlier. - After the others leave, the Dean presents FL with her own black cloak, voice altering ring, and white mask for Camastros. The Dean is 1 of 7 executive officers under ML. Aeiji is also one. - FL starts to learn about how to control divine power from ML. He warns her not to try using divine power control to cure Harace. It’s too dangerous and could cost her life. - FL causes an explosion and injures herself by trying to control her divine power. ML finds her and calls her foolish, stubborn and selfish. FL sees this as an opportunity to get stronger and she wants to live life to the fullest with no regrets. ML just sees it as FL needlessly squandering her life. - ML uses his divine power to heal her after FL fainted. - FL is angry that ML shortened his life because of her. The reason she wants to be stronger is so she can do what she wants to do and protect what is hers. Ultimately her life’s purpose is ML. - ML says he’s fallen for FL’s sword and he’s fallen for her. He asks her to be by his side always. (Ch 134) - ML offers to teach her the ways to control her divine power, so she won’t do it so recklessly. - FL attends her 1st Camastros meeting and is introduced to the other executive officers. They have been with ML since the founding of Camastros and are people of great talent. - Camastros has allied with 2nd Prince Schneider of Roan. He requires that all achievements by Camastros be attributed to him. Camastros can now openly destroy Black Fox with the support and defence of the Roan royal family. - FL goes on her 1st raid with Camastros against a Black Fox outpost. She’s told that all senior leaders must be captured alive, while the rest are killed in front of their subordinates. - At the 2nd outpost, they find chimeras. Kaegus Dmitri is a secretive, crazy, evil mage in the north who specialises in biological magic and chimeras. He is 1 of the 10 most powerful mages in the continent. The blood of chimeras is explosive and poisonous, and can penetrate magic and sword auras. Chimeras can also be familiars that are connected to their mages through their 5 senses. Camastros leadership group: - Ro (ML), head of Camastros. - Sean (Aeiji), strategy and ambush. - Gold, bombs and traps, financial affairs. - Rust, spearman and all weapons expert. - Caesar, short distance attacks, healing and strengthening potions. - Hill (The Dean), magic and artifacts. - Ban, archery and long distance protection. - Giselle, magic of sprites / spirits of nature. - FL discovers a chimera bat that’s followed her to the academy from the blood in her hair. She’s concerned her identity has been compromised. More chimeras appear over the following days. - FL avoids ML so his identity won’t be discovered as well. - A human chimera approaches FL and Kaegus speaks through it. While Kaegus is a cooperative partner with the true master of Black Fox, he’s interested in FL for himself as his test subject. After Kaegus threatens her, FL cuts down the chimera and cuts her hair. - ML is waiting for FL and asks why she is avoiding him. She tells him that chimeras are tracking her. As they embrace eachother, ML says he doesn’t care if FL reveals he’s the prince of Bahamut. She can do anything as long as she stays by his side. (Ch 144) - FL asks ML what are the devil’s fragments. They were mentioned by Kaegus and Black Fox asked Chendelf about them too. - Devil’s fragments are the many fragments of the devil’s soul that scattered around the world at the end of the holy era. The fragments can exist because the devil’s heart is stuck in a dimension where time has stopped. That place is Pandemonium, the great chaos. - The fragments are invisible but become visible when a living being nearby expresses a strong negative emotion or desire for power. - Fragments vibrate when close to another fragment, as they innately want to gather and join together to become one again. - The Bahamut royal family in their hunger for power are the most aggressive in gathering fragments. They desperately want to kill ML as he’s inherited the ability to possess the devil’s fragment of the Emperor. ML can handle mana so well due to the devil existing in his blood. The more fragments ML collects, the stronger he’ll become. - FL goes to meet Kaegus to prevent him from carrying out his threat against the academy. ML is following close behind. - FL insults Kaegus through the chimera he sent. He appears in person with more chimeras. ML surprises Kaegus and destroys the chimeras. ML takes Kaegus’ heart with his bare hand and crushes it, absorbing the devil’s fragment. - FL is upset and disheartened that she will never defeat ML with his power from the devil’s fragment. ML tries to encourage her by telling her to focus on controlling divine power. - While in town, FL meets Taro’s family during their visit for the annual academy festival. Taro’s father is Absilot the mercenary king and good friends with Morsi. Taro is the 5th son in a family with 6 boys. Ranka is the mother. - They visit Morsi and Fynn. Absilot is very impressed with FL after hearing more about her from Morsi. She’s invited to the desert to visit anytime. - After obtaining a map he had prepared by the mercenary guild, Absilot takes FL to smash some Black Fox hideouts. He wants to weaken Black Fox by discouraging new and would-be recruits. - FL confides in Absilot that she feels frustrated and angry that the one she’s always wanted to defeat has been hiding his full abilities. Her life fighting him feels like a lie. Now a way to beat him is open to her but it must be learnt from him. - Absilot encourages FL to not give in and take the opportunity to get stronger even if it’s at the hands of her opponent. She will surpass him and defeat him. - Festival swordsmanship competition (more like an employment market): Ryan won last year. Despite it being mandatory, ML is not participating and cites his poor health as an excuse. He doesn’t want to attract unnecessary attention like from the Bahamut royal family. That’s why he also pretends he can’t use mana. - The Dean and Aeiji have been protecting ML as well. - FL easily passes the preliminaries of the competition. - The Roberstein family came to watch FL. - FL visits ML and they talk about divine power, souls as the repositories of memories, and reincarnation. (Ch 156) - FL continues to progress through the rounds of the swordsmanship competition day-by-day. She makes it to the finals. - Cherabace stops FL and apologises to her for his attitude and what he said before. He thanks her for opening his eyes so he may grow. He still hates Harace as he’s been through a lot because of Harace. - FL agreed to be the model for Priscilla in the 4th yr fashion design competition. Priscilla is awarded the best 4th yr designer for her dress “Queen of the Sword”. Arhad presents a magnificent bouquet of red roses to FL, and says she’s the prettiest. - On the 6th day, the overall fashion design winner is announced and it’s Priscilla with FL. Once on stage, FL hears protests and malicious whispering from the crowd. - Suddenly her father shouts out and defends FL. He comes up to the stage and gives her a large bouquet, saying sorry for everything and to never forgive him. - Before she’s overcome with anger, she’s showered with bouquets thrown onto the stage. Her friends, other students, Ryan, Villiger and even Lalatua with magic flower petals, all congratulate and cheer on FL. - Later ML comforts FL who weeps as she succumbs to the pain and hurt from her childhood that she’s kept inside. ML understands that FL is angry about her father’s apology as the Count can be at ease but her pain remains. She was a blameless child yet why did she have to suffer so much. - Swordsmanship competition final: FL wins against Ryan, who had won the last 2yrs. She captures the attention of 2nd Prince Schneider. He is the King that acknowledged 22yo FL in her past life, and who she pledged herself to. - “Master for the day” student auction for the swordsmanship department. While FL was against the degrading and unethical idea that began as a slave auction, she agrees to participate as she will buy herself using Morsi as her proxy. - As the competition winner, FL is the last student up for auction. - It becomes a bidding war that starts with Lalatua, Prince Schneider and Morsi, then a masked ML bids against the Prince. ML throws a blank cheque down as proof he can honour his 500,000 gold coin bid. - ML takes FL somewhere private outside where they can talk. She slaps him hard and wants him to take back his bid. She hates being bought with no regard to what she wants. ML defends himself by saying he wasn’t buying her, he was preventing her from being sold to the Prince. He hated the idea of her being with the Prince. - Aeiji finds them and says Villiger has put a cap on the highest bid at 1000 gold coins. He’ll also be holding onto the cheque for safe keeping. - ML asks FL to work off the 1000 gold by joining him in a stroll around the night markets. - FL asks about ML’s money and he says he found the devil’s treasure cache and it had a tremendous amount of gold. He used that gold as capital to invest in various businesses and guilds across the continent. ML makes an astronomical amount of money every month as a result. FL’s vow to ML: - FL promises to help ML and that she’ll spend her future by his side until her dying moments. She will devote her life and her sword to ML. She asks him to show her the future he wants. - ML and FL visit the Dean. She asks him about Harace learning how to control and manipulate divine power. - The Dean owns a devil’s fragment and was forced to work for the Bahamut royal family because of it. All in his bloodline except Harace have died. He joined forces with the Roygen clan, who had mixed elven blood and also possessed devil’s fragments. The Roygens were enslaved by the Bahamuts. ML was born of the Roygens to usurp the almost pure blood of the royal family. As a result, the Bahamuts killed the entire clan. The Roygens venerated the devil who granted them power, and used the name of the golden devil (ie Roygen) as the name of their clan. - Wiphamer Potestas, the chief mage of the Bahamut royal family is an archmage / grand mage and has a devil’s fragment. The Dean is also an archmage. - The holy scriptures say a devil with it’s heart pierced by a god sleeps in Pandemonium. This place is located undergound and sometimes the devil’s energy travels through fissures to reach the surface. Ordinary animals exposed to this energy become fierce monsters. Wiphamer uses his fragment to control these monsters and form monster legions for Bahamut. - Harace has a mysteriously large amount of divine power. His issue is with willpower and receptivity of mana. - FL believes Harace has a better chance to heal through intensive training of his mind. She asks the Dean to help replenish Harace’s divine power. Once she can control divine power and Harace can control mana, FL will teach Harace how to control divine power. - Prince Schneider comes to see FL to persuade her to join him. She politely declines and says she’s left her house and will leave Roan after she graduates. The Prince forbids her from leaving House Roberstein and also forbids her from leaving Roan. - Marquis Galoneon Chaipan, Sir Frederick Holt’s lord and master, arrives next to meet FL. He asks her to consider coming to train with the knights of his house, when she’s in her senior years at the academy and seeking experience from noble houses. - Villiger gives the blank cheque to FL to return to ML. - 1st Prince Fernando Luria Roan. - Fernando refuses Schneider’s request to block FL from leaving Roan. Viscount Gerard advises Schneider to let FL do as she pleases to win her over as his knight. She hates to be confined. - Later Count Cherno refuses Schneider’s request to stop FL from leaving House Roberstein. The Count wants to support FL in whatever she decides to do, to make up for past mistakes. - FL denies to Aeiji and Rikijan that she is dating ML. - FL has no interest in love and dating, especially after seeing what happened between her parents. She prefers winning over something as fleeting as love. She considers love to be a ridiculous waste of time. At the library FL receives her 1st love letters. Back at her dorm room, there’s a stack of more letters and gifts. FL disposes of them all in the incinerator. - The next day FL asks what ML thinks of her. - FL is satisfied with his answer that he thinks of her as a remarkable swordswoman that he wants to keep by his side. - She thinks the idea of them as a couple is absurd. - FL asks ML for more details about his medicine and his illness. The Dean makes the medicine by crushing living hearts to extract divine power as liquid. ML’s heart has always had insufficient divine power. If it doesn’t get replenished regularly, his soul doesn’t have enough divine power and he falls into a coma. - FL asks ML about his plans for seizing the Bahamut throne. - Nothing will change until he graduates at 24yo. They will focus on reducing Black Fox’ power and growing Camastros. After graduation, they will go to Woodruff Kingdom, east of the Bahamut Empire. They will win over the nobles there that despise the Bahamuts. When the opportunity arises, they will behead the Bahamut royal family. - Aeiji tells ML about the love letters and that many male students have their eye on FL. - FL hears from Rikijan how he met ML. - The 2nd son of Marquis Owen is a drug addict and is an important client of Black Fox. He had harassed Rikijan’s pretty mother before in his parents’ flower shop. One day when he was high on drugs, he and some other Black Fox members barged into Rikijan’s home and raped his mother in front of her family. To hide what happened, Marquis Owen had Rikijan’s entire family killed. Rikijan was saved by ML who also sponsors him. - End of year ceremony: FL is awarded top of the 1st yr class. - FL meets with Count Cherno and Countess Sarache. - They both apologise to FL and the Count offers to stop all of the rumours about her. FL says there’s no need as she’d prefer to change how people see her on her own terms. - FL learns Esphee and Carniche both resigned after FL left. - FL confirms her plans to graduate early, leave House Roberstein, and leave Roan. She will serve ML as his knight. - FL had asked ML to make an appearance near the end. She wanted to show that she didn’t need them anymore. - FL will see the Roberstein family again when she debuts in society at the Founding Day festival ball. - FL gives ML a jeweled crescent moon pendant. - She says it reminded her of him and the night. - It’s the 1st gift she’s ever given anyone. - In their past lives, Aeiji brought a file on 17yo FL to 22yo ML, suggesting her as a potential new recruit for Camastros. He observed her at Theodore Academy (for nobles only) and thought she was still lacking as she was too weak willed. - A year later he saw her again at the Roberstein estate. He saw her swordsmanship for the 1st time and was overwhelmed. He wanted her but didn’t want to risk her life at this point. He would come for her when all was done and settled, when he was Emperor of Bahamut. Bahamut royal family: - Empress Shailons Bahamut - Princess Isabel Bahamut - Prince Taylon Bahamut - Priscilla begs FL to wear the dress she designed for the Founding Day Festival ball and 17yo FL’s debut. In the end, FL agrees to be dressed by Priscilla but FL insists on paying her. - FL arrives together with her family. She is greeted and congratulated by Harace and his family, Marquis Chaipan, Villiger, The Dean and Mamaye, who gave her a magic firecracker rose crafted by himself and Hanidelf. - ML is attending under a fake noble connection. He asks FL for her 1st dance. - 2nd Princess Angelina Muxiniel Roan is also having her social debut. She’s announced by Emperor Harios Maxium Roan. - 2nd Prince Schneider asks to dance with FL next. She rejected his gifts of a dwarven made sword and expensive perfume, but accepted the bouquet of rare royal roses. He intends to keep pressuring her. - ML was made to dance with Angelina by Schneider. She may have fallen for ML but he was cold to her. - 3rd Prince Siaiwe Luria Roan surprises FL by asking her to dance. He admits he has a personal interest in her but not a romantic one. - ML is able to teleport short distances and takes FL away from the ball to enjoy the festivities in town. - They run into Lalatua and Taro. ML is provoked by Lalatua into buying many gifts that FL doesn’t want. - Lastly, ML takes FL to a field of red roses he had created for her. As FL falls asleep next to ML while they sit among the roses, ML kisses her as he loves her very much. (Ch 181) - In their past lives, 24yo ML wanted to clash swords with 19yo FL for the 1st time. When he defeated her at the youth swordsmanship competition, he told her that he wanted her and she would be his. - ML discovered the fissure to Pandemonium and found the devil’s heart pierced by part of a sword. When he touched the heart, he was overcome with the devil’s broken memories and emotions. - Over the years as he gathered all of the devil’s fragments, those vivid memories and intense feelings became clearer. They focused around Ro, the goddess Roberstein. He saw FL and Ro increasingly as one and the same. - As the devil’s power grew in ML, the Dean tried to kill him but ML killed the Dean instead and absorbed his fragment. Harace died because of the Dean’s death. ML also killed Taro who protected Lalatua when she tried to take revenge. Then ML killed every member of the Bahamut royal family. - 29yo ML was finally the Emperor of Bahamut and he’d gathered all of the fragments. All he wanted was FL by his side but it was too late as she was a knight of Roan and hated him. - Half-mad, ML thought he could get rid of the emptiness he felt by killing FL. He realised too late that she was his heart that would have made him whole. - ML teaches FL to first understand how divine power circulates in her body, the rate that it’s consumed, and how much divine power is in her heart. After a while, the only thing FL is having trouble with is her heart. Something is blocking her from seeing how much divine power her heart contains. - FL has been training Harace hard since the start of the year. - FL finds out that ML has a noble title and property in every nation of the world. He also owns some famous guilds. FL helps him with his work wherever she can. - FL tells ML that whenever she tries to control her divine power, she hears a voice asking who will be judged. ML tells her to ignore it as it’s a sign of the occult. - FL also tells ML about how she thinks the god who killed the devil is inside her. She’s discovered this through visions and from what Lebony told her. ML doesn’t want FL to learn any more about this god and what happened in the holy era. - ML has the devil that hates the god who killed him and he doesn’t want his current relationship with FL to change. - Rikijan has started working part-time for the Vinista Merchants, after being recommended by ML. - Empress Muxiniel Roan - Luria Roan, 1st Concubine, mother of 1st Prince Fernando and 3rd Prince Siaiwe. She’s secretly allied with Black Fox (and the Bahamut royal family). - Reze Roan, 2nd Concubine, daughter of Marquis Claude, mother of 2nd Prince Schneider. - Margherita the Dark Witch, 3rd disciple of Wiphamer Potestas. She specialises in plague-like curses. - Knights of Grundelwarth, ranked 5th out of the 12 orders of the Bahamut royal family. Known for being brutal and vicious. - Margherita and the knights are sent by Empress Shailons to work with Black Fox and deal with Camastros. Black Fox kidnap and murder citizens in the capital, dressing like Camastros to frame them. Camastros quickly target those posing as them and save the citizens, spreading the word that Camastros only targets Black Fox. - Black Fox seek help through Luria from the other corrupt nobles. Despite protests from Fernando and Marquis Owen, Schneider successfully convinces the Emperor to leave Camastros alone, and to commit soldiers to fight Black Fox and stop their recent crime spree. Schneider publicly executes Black Fox members found guilty of serious crimes. He also announces his support for Camastros. - FL learnt how to summon Tao on her own after asking Giselle for advice. FL confirms with Tao that the sprites recognise and love FL for who she is, and not because she has a connection with Roberstein.

Ch 74 as of 23/05/22 - 80yo Hyeokyeon Mugang was on his deathbed. - He was head of the Sa clan for 40yrs and achieved wealth, women and power. He ruled the world of Murim. - He receives the herb of immortality from his loyal disciple, Iron Swordmaster Cheon Woo-Myung. - When he opens his eyes, his soul is in the body of a 17yo man who fell off a cliff. He was gathering wild herbs to save his sick mentor, Myungjin who is a great Taoist master. The former enemies of the Sa clan, the shamans are healing this young man by forcing holy qi into his body. - The young man is accepted as a 1st-class disciple of the declining Wudang sect and given the name Jinmu. - He retains the memories of the original owner of this body. He was abandoned by his parents and taken in as a boy by his mentor. - 3mths later, Jinmu is fully recovered and being trained by his mentor. He’s able to learn and apply the techniques at a rapid rate. - After a year, Jinmu hears that he can learn to control 2 types of qi and learn dual martial arts if he becomes the master disciple and heir to the sect. That becomes his next goal. - Chungwoo, a chunky 2nd-class disciple. - Jinho the Death Penalty, 1 of the 7 master shamans and a 1st-class disciple. - Jinmu taught Chungwoo some unethical tricks for fighting to win. Jinho visits Jinmu to tell him off for teaching these cowardly moves. Jinmu takes this as an opportunity to show his skills and he defeats Jinho with his sword scabbard. Jinmu knocks him out with his fists. - Myunghyun, Wudang sect head of the shamans. - The sect head and elders visit Jinmu. They catch Myungjin eating meat which goes against their rules. Myungjin argues that they need to change the rules to become stronger. He’s been bedridden for 10yrs but has recently been able to go for walks after eating meat. - Jinmu is summoned before the sect head and elders. - He’s accused of 3 crimes: breaking the rule of eating meat, changing techniques without permission and teaching them to another disciple, and injuring another disciple. - For his punishment, Jinmu is assigned to restore the Broken Sword pool and pavilion. For now eating meat is allowed. - Chungsang, a 2nd-class disciple. He’s the most talented in their class but is ignored because of his lower class. The sect favours status over talent. He comes to see if Jinmu can help him. - As a child, Chungsang’s family were killed by looters. - He was saved by a shaman elder who took the looters to prison. They were soon freed due to bribes and continue to loot villages to this day. Chungsang wants revenge and plans to kill the looters. - Jinmu is able to identify the weaknesses in the existing techniques and then adjusts them to be stronger and more effective. He sets up a spar between Chungwoo and Chungsang. Jinmu gives advice to Chungwoo. Chungsang is almost defeated. That’s enough to impress Chungsang with Jinmu’s unorthodox ways and he starts following Jinmu. - Jinhae 30yo, a 1st-class disciple from a well known family. - His master is Myunggong. He sees Jinmu as a peasant who doesn’t know his place. - Chungyang merchants: it’s important for the sect to form an alliance with merchants as it helps with the sect’s dwindling finances. The Chungyang merchants donate a chest of money and new weapons. In exchange, the sect will provide protection when needed. Jinhae introduced these merchants to the sect. He also prepared a martial arts demo for the merchants. This is all part of his strategy to become the master disciple. - Jinmu observes the demo and comments on the 9-headed strike formation. He impresses Myunggong by identifying the weaknesses of the formation and suggesting improvements. - Jinmu is suspicious of the merchants after overhearing them admit to being smugglers. They will support Jinhae until he becomes sect head then use the shamans as they like. - Myungjin notices Jinmu seems preoccupied and thinks it’s because he’s curious about the outside world after the merchants visited. Myungjin takes Jinmu to his 1st elders conference. He proposes for Jinmu to stay with the merchants and secretly investigate what their intentions are and where their income is sourced from. - Jinhae complains about Jinmu to the other 1st-class disciples Jingung and Jinso. Jinho says Jinhae is just jealous. - Later Jinhae sends a message for someone to kidnap and kill Jinmu. Jinmu starts his journey with Chungsang and Chungwoo after greeting the elders and the sect head in turn. - Not long after leaving, they are met by a group of bandits. Jinmu lets Chungsang experience his 1st real fight but Jinmu takes over in the end and defeats them. Jinmu finds out the bandits were hired by someone and their boss sent them ahead to capture the 3 of them. - Jegal Gen, 2nd son, Jegal branch family in Dangangu. - Jegal Gak, 1st son, Jegal branch family in Dangangu. - Jegal Murin, branch family head in Dangangu. - The Jegal family is a prestigious martial arts family known for its academic excellence. - In Bancheon, Jinmu and the others are at a restaurant. Jegal Gen is there and wants to test them so he sends his bodyguard Gahu. - Jinmu allows Chungsang to fight 1st, only intervening when Gahu activates his qi blade. Jinmu defeats Gahu and has him on his knees. Jinmu then punches Gahu. Jegal Gen tries to stop Jinmu. - They fight using martial arts with their fists and Jinmu wins. Jinmu gets Jegal Gen to pay for their meal and to compensate the restaurant owner for damages. - Outside Jegal Gen orders his men to arrange for someone to follow Jinmu and report back his movements. - Jinmu and the other 2 are staying at the Chungyang trading centre. - The merchants received a message from Jinhae, asking them to help him get rid of Jinmu. For now the merchants will lead the trio to a restaurant for dinner and let Jinhae’s family do the rest. - Lee Palyong, the boss who ordered the bandits to attack Jinmu. - Wu Moon Heum, Wu clan master, Jinhae’s family. - At a remote and empty restaurant, the merchants take the trio to a room with only one entrance. Jinmu suspects the musicians and hostesses are assassins. The drinks are also poisoned. The merchants excuse themselves for an urgent matter. - When Jinmu tries to make the hostess drink, the assassins attack. - Between the 3 of them, all of the assassins in the room are defeated. The old man who pretended to be the restaurant owner attacks them. Jinmu senses that this old man has attained the highest level in martial arts. Jinmu manages to just block the old man’s attacks. Sensing others approaching, the old man escapes rather than stay to kill Jinmu. - Gong Sacheok, cousin of Lee Palyong. - While Jinmu is injured and still recovering after fighting the old man, Gong arrives with a large group of thugs. - As Jinmu fights Gong, he sees Jegal Gen and his men approaching. Jinmu pretends to be allies with Jegal to distract Gong, then makes his escape with the other 2. - With the help of special pills and recovery techniques, Jinmu (with the other 2) visits Gong for a surprise attack. - Jinmu defeats Gong and confirms the Wu family hired him. - Jinmu uses Gong and his gang to attack the Chungyang trading centre. There he learns the head merchant and most of their guards have gone to illegally trade in gunpowder. Jinmu orders Chungsang to notify the disciplinary committee while he goes to the location of the trade deal. - Jinmu has Gong and his gang fight the merchant guards while he attacks the head merchant and smugglers. Chungsang arrives with the disciplinary committee. Jinmu makes Chungwoo run away with a chest of gold. Jinmu allows Gong to be arrested with everyone else and collects the bounty on Gong. - Back in town, Jinmu opens bank accounts for himself and the other 2 to deposit the gold he took. - Wu Moon Heum hears about the arrests and tells his men to get rid of all evidence relating to the merchants and Gong. - Wu goes to the disciplinary committee and Jinmu is already there. Jinmu discovers Wu is Jinhae’s father and realises Jinhae was behind all of the attempts on his life. - Gong had confessed that the Wu family hired him. - Jinmu helps cover up for Wu by saying that must be a lie as the family of a fellow disciple would never do that. - Later Jinmu meets privately with Wu Moon Heum and pretends to have evidence of the Wu family hiring Gong. - Jinmu proposes to let Jinhae become the next sect head if he supports Jinmu becoming the master disciple. Jinmu uses his intense killing aura to force Wu to accept. - Jinmu and the others return to the Wudang sect. - They’re praised in their efforts for uncovering the Chungyang merchants as smugglers and having Gong’s gang arrested. Myungjin tells Jinmu to hand over the reward to the sect. - The shop owners in Dangangu are grateful for the arrest of Gong and his gang. They collected money to donate to the sect. New uniforms and new weapons have also been donated. Other merchant trading centres have re-established their connection with the sect. - Jinmu focuses on stacking his inner energy. - Chungwoo gets closer to mastering the force palm. - Chungsang has reached the qi sword. - Myungjin is appointed as the master of a new 5 Dragon Palace that will be rebuilt after it was burned down by the Sa clan. - In the past, the 5 Dragon Palace was the Guardian of Shamans. It had a role of upholding the law as a shield for protecting the shamans. This role is now shared equally among the palaces. - Instead the new 5 Dragon Palace will be the sword of the shamans. It’ll be a place with the strongest warriors, and the only place where shamans can kill. - 20yo Jinmu finds out that his martial arts alone isn’t enough to become the master disciple. To qualify he needs to fulfill his administrative responsibilities and achieve other accomplishments. - Jinmu gets the Wu family head to finance the rebuilding of the 5 Dragon Palace so it’s finished faster and Jinmu can earn merits as the administrator. - Jinhae takes Jinmu to the old librarian / record keeper to request copies of texts needed by Myungjin. On the secluded mountain path, Jinhae tries to kill Jinmu but has to beg for his life instead. - Jingung the Azure Cloud Dragon Sword, 1st-class disciple. - He’s in charge of all external cooperations between the Wudang sect and the merchants. He’s also the top candidate to be the master disciple and next sect head. - After a 1st-class disciple meeting, Jinhae and Jinho persuaded the elders to send Jinmu to guard the ilhae merchants. - They are having a dispute over waterway access with the Rational Merchant Association backed by the Jegal clan. - When only Jinmu arrives with 7 x 2nd-class disciples after Jingung’s request for help, he questions Jinmu’s abilities. They fight and Jingung is defeated. - Kang Yu, head of the ilhae (One Sun) merchants. - The ilhae merchant ship is forced to take the more dangerous route and is soon surrounded by pirate ships. Jinmu, Chungsang and Chungwoo lead the attack. Together they defeat over 30 pirates and guard the ship safely to its destination. Jinmu is said to be a martial master that’s achieved projectile qi. - Jingung is proud of Jinmu’s achievements. - Jinmu and the other disciples even receive a reward for capturing the pirates. After the celebration with the merchant and disciples, Jinmu goes for a walk. He notices someone following him and confronts them. It’s an assassin sent by Jegal Gak to confirm Jinmu’s abilities. Jegal Gak’s plan to undermine and humiliate the Wudang sect was ruined by Jinmu. - Yang Sobang, an elder who is ranked higher than the beggar sect leader. He’s one of the strongest and most mysterious in the Orthodox Murim Alliance. He’s pursuing the old man that Jinmu fought with before. - Elder Sobang observes a move made by Jinmu while fighting the assassin that’s similar to the old man. He interrupts the fight to ask Jinmu where he learnt that but Jinmu ignores him. Sobang leaves when he’s told the ones he’s after are nearby. - Jinmu takes the assassin back to the merchants where he’s staying. He has Chungsang interrogate him and he confesses to being from the Jegal branch family. - The captured assassin is a member of the Dark Heaven squad that reports directly to the Jegal family head. - Jegal Gak orders the rescue of the assassin to prevent the family head from finding out about his unauthorised use of the squad. - Chul Golgae, the surveillance squad leader from a branch of the beggar sect. He and his squad are under orders from Sobang to investigate Jinmu. - At dawn Jinmu is woken up by noises outside. He sees masked men fighting but they run away when he asks who they are. - Jingung helps to capture the masked men. The captives are unmasked and Jingung recognises the beggar sect and men from the Jegal branch family. - Myungchung, a Wudang sect elder, Jegal Murin, and Yong Sungae, the beggar sect branch leader have gathered. Elder Sobang arrives and admits to ordering the beggar sect to monitor Jinmu. - Murin claims it was Jinmu who attacked innocent martial artists and should apologise. Jinmu reveals the assassin he caught earlier admitted to being sent by the Jegals, but Murin says he has no knowledge of that. - Jinmu proposes to settle this with a fight. Murin chooses a reflective qi expert as his representative. Despite the expert using lethal moves, Jinmu still defeats him. Murin is forced to accept responsibility for all that’s happened. - Sobang doesn’t believe Jinmu imitated a “motionless force” move that Jinmu only saw once from the old man. Sobang tests Jinmu to see if he can imitate a martial arts technique from the beggar sect. Jinmu imitates the move successfully but he allows himself to get injured to make Sobang feel indebted to him. - Sobang goes back with Jinmu and the others to the Wudang sect. He meets with the sect head and talks about a mysterious group he’s been chasing for 5yrs. This group is using a new kind of martial arts. The demonic cult are also after this group. - The current world of murim is in a 3-faction balance of power between the orthodox sects, unorthodox sects and the demonic cult. - Sobang wants to recommend a genius like Jinmu to be the disciple of the Orthodox Murim Alliance (OMA) leader. - Before he leaves, Sobang gives a warrior coin of the beggar sect to Jinmu. Those who have a warrior coin will receive full support from the beggar sect. - Chul Jiryang the Sword Saint and the OMA leader. - After a month of discussions among the elders and 1st-class disciples, Jinmu is brought before them all to make a choice. - The sect head presents a scroll that contains a recommendation from the Beggar to study under the Sword Saint. - The other option that the sect head shows Jinmu is the white dragon robe that is only worn by the officially recognised Sword of Wudang. The Taiqing elixir is also given with that robe. - Jinmu defeated the Sword Saint in his past life, and is more interested in the elixir so he decides to be the Sword of Wudang. - Jinmu emerges 4 days after taking the elixir. He learns that by becoming the Sword of Wudang, he can’t become the master disciple. Jinmu falls into despair. - While picking up the copied texts from Elder Un Gong the old librarian, Jinmu mentions the dual internal qi arts. Un Gong says the arts learnt by the master disciple is incomplete. - The dual arts refers to yin and yang, light and darkness, good and evil. To have both in one body is what it means to have dual energies. One is in a constant state of conflict. - 100yrs ago, Chungmu the sect head was training to master the dual internal qi art. In the process of fusing the dual energies of yin and yang, he was unable to balance them out. He turned into a demonic being after he was unable to cope with the evil within. After killing his own sect members, Chungmu asked Un Gong to cut off the head of his master. - In his will, Chungmu split the 2nd half of the text (the yin-yang book) into 4 parts. These were sent to 4 other sects to be sealed away. The 2nd part teaches how to harmonise the yin and yang energies. The 2nd part contains commentary on the 1st part. It’s possible to learn the dual internal qi art from just the 2nd part. - With nothing else to gain from staying at the Wudang sect, Jinmu decides it’s time to leave. Jinmu receives permission from Myungjin to become a wanderer, ie to roam the murim world to gain experience and master martial arts. - The Sword of Wudang is the representative of the Wudang sect. As they also handle external affairs for the sect, it’s appropriate for Jinmu to become a wanderer. It’s also a tradition for the Sword of Wudang to gain the seals of the 5 great Taoist sects in the Central Plains. - Deng Yeopyeong the White Heron and the Dragon Phoenix Hall master. He’s a strong martial arts master and a symbol of neutrality. - Elder Deng was ML’s enemy in his past life. - The new Dragon Phoenix Hall: it’s to become the greatest martial hall and possess the strongest force in the history of the OMA. - Jegal Seon, the genius heir of the Jegal main family. - Her real name is Sansan. She was forced by her parents to pretend to be a boy when her twin brother died. - Since her younger brother was born, she’s concerned that she’ll have to live as a woman. She doesn’t want to be used as a pawn in a political marriage. - Jinmu, Chungwoo and Chungsang will attend the Dragon Phoenix conference, which is being held to select and grow the next generation of leaders. - On the way to the conference in Wuhan, Jinmu and the others meet Deng Yeopyeong and Jegal Seon. Jinmu knew right away that Seon was a woman. Elder Deng and Seon travel with Jinmu despite his displeasure at this. - While taking a break, a masked group of martial artists are chasing after a young girl. The group fight Jinmu and the others but are defeated by Jinmu’s overwhelming power. The group use motionless force. Jinmu’s warrior coin is used to have the beggar sect help to take care of the group and the girl. - Jegal Choongeon, Jegal branch family head in Wuhan. - Jinmu and the others end up staying with Elder Deng at the Jegal residence in Wuhan. Jegal Sansan will be attending the conference as herself, to make a name in her own right as a martial artist. - Jegal Hyeobjin, OMA grand strategist - Jinmu declines an offer from the Sword Saint to be a martial arts instructor at the Dragon Phoenix Hall.

Ch 126 as of 22/05/22 - better if no harem, no romance (webtoon and webnovel on Tapas) ** End of season 1, Ch 25 ** End of season 2, Ch 56 ** End of season 3, Ch 85 - ML was King Grey in an advanced, futuristic world. He died under suspicious circumstances. He is reborn as Arthur (Art) Leywin, with parents Alice the healer and Reynolds (Rey) the augmented sword warrior with an affinity for fire. They used to be adventurers. - ML retains his memories and experiences from his past life. - As King Grey, ML was lonely and empty despite the fame and glory that came with his victories and status. - In this archaic world, magic exists. Mana is all around us. - Mana is most commonly used to either augment (enhance one’s body or weapon with mana) or conjure (emit mana to the outside world to bend one’s surroundings to one’s will). - Conjurers must supplement their mana core with ambient mana from their environment to cast a spell. - Alice is a deviant or an emitter. She’s a rare type of mage able to cast unique restorative mana using light magic. - A mage’s first awakening occurs when their mana core manifests. - The mana core sounds similar to the Qi centre. Qi is a life force used to strengthen one’s body and weapon through vigorous training in ML’s past world. Qi only existed inside a person. - ML cultivates his mana inside his body and he does self study from the books in his home once he started to crawl. He awakens his mana core early before he’s 3yo and is considered a prodigy. - ML learns basic mana manipulation and augmentation. - ML receives a wooden sword for his 3rd bday and starts training with Reynolds. - Strength and power is measured by the colour of your mana core. - The mana core is purified as the impurities are filtered out over time. The stages start from black, red, orange, yellow, silver to white. Each stage is split into 3 shades: dark, solid and light. - ML’s parents decide they’ll all go to the floating city of Xyrus to find a proper teacher / mentor for 4.5yo ML. They travel with old friends from the Twin Horns party. Later ML finds out Alice is pregnant. - Adam Krensh, spear augmenter - Angela Rose, wind conjurer - Durden Walker, earth conjurer - Jasmine Flamesworth, dual swords augmenter (A-class) - Helen Shard, archery augmenter and elf? - On the way, the group is attacked and surrounded by a large group of bandits / slave traders. As ML fled with Alice, he saves her from an attack by a mage. ML and the mage fall off a cliff. - ML survived the fall as he was saved by magic from Sylvia, a mana beast who later appears as a giant figure in black armour. - ML finds himself in the beast glades near the elven kingdom of Elenoir. He’s guided by Sylvia’s voice to a hidden cavern. - Beast glades: an expansive, dangerous and uncharted territory with mana beasts of all levels. - Sylvia needs time to prepare a portal for him to return to his family. She lets ML know that she sensed his family and friends are safe. She tells him not to let vengeance and hatred cloud his heart. Don’t let grief and rage corrode his mind. Learn from these experiences and face his future with his gaze forward. Only then will he truly be victorious. - For almost 4mths, Sylvia teaches ML about mana rotation, ie how to absorb mana while moving or fighting. ML practises maintaining a steady inward flow of mana while being able to fight proficiently. - Sylvia is dying from a large wound she sustained from her enemies. She turns into her original form as a griffin / dragon to complete the portal. - Sylvia gives ML an egg and plucks a feather from her wing for ML to wrap around the egg to hide it's aura. She infuses her beast will to ML by marking his arms with runes. Her enemies arrive as she pushes ML through the portal. In a parting message, Sylvia calls ML “King Grey”. - ML finds himself deep in the forest near Elenoir. - ML kills a group of 4 slave traders and saves an elf girl, Tessia Eralith. He takes her back to Elenoir and finds out she’s the daughter of King Alduin and Queen Merial Eralith. - ML explains what happened to the elven royal family. - The portal between Elenoir and the Sapin kingdom is only accessible once every 7yrs, during the summit conference between the 3 races. It’s still 5yrs until the portal next opens. - Elder Virion Eralith, former king and Tessia’s grandpa. - Virion is also a mid-silver core mage. - After testing ML, Virion asks ML to be his disciple. - ML has been having bouts of searing pain from his mana core and those bouts are becoming more frequent. It’s because ML’s 5yo body isn’t coping with the power from Sylvia’s beast will. - Beast Will: A powerful mana beast can pass on their will or inherent ability once, either to their offspring or the person they’re bound to. It allows the receiver to borrow the beast’s abilities upon assimilation. - Beast tamer: mages who have conquered the monstrous beast will inside and can harness the unique abilities inherited from the mana beast. A legacy beast tamer refers to the beast willingly imparting it's mana core to the beast tamer. - Virion as a fellow beast tamer helps ML to assimilate Sylvia’s beast will into his body. ML slowly fuses his bones, muscles and organs with mana. - ML communicates with his parents through a diviner, Rinia Darcassan. She’s a deviant and Virion’s old friend. - ML speaks to his parents in their minds. He lets them know he’s alive and safe. He’s staying at Elenoir to get treated for an illness. Once he’s better he’ll return to them. - 3yrs later and ML is 8yo. - The egg from Sylvia hatches and a black baby griffin / dragon comes out. ML names his new bond ‘Sylvie’. She bit his arm and left a mark that seems to let her communicate thoughts and feelings to ML. The presence of the mark is hidden when it’s covered by Sylvia’s feather. Sylvie most likely hatched because ML had just fully activated Sylvia’s beast will. - The 1st interracial youth tournament among the 3 kingdoms has been confirmed. The portal in Xyrus city of the Sapin kingdom will be open in 4mths time. ML can go back to his family then. - Virion gets ML to focus on training his mana core and beast will. To show ML the 2nd stage, Virion integrates with the beast will of a shadow panther. - 1st stage, Acquire Phase: a beast tamer is able to borrow their beast’s inherent strengths. - 2nd stage, Integrate Phase: when the beast tamer can truly utilise their beast’s unique abilities and characteristics. - With Virion’s help, ML reaches the 1st stage. ML also learns how to conceal his beast will from other mages. - Tessia is sad to see her 1st true friend go. Virion gives ML a pendant with the Eralith House crest to help ML navigate the forest in the future. - ML enters the portal and is teleported to Xyrus city. - ML is reunited with his family and meets his 3yo sister Eleanor (Ellie). His family are staying with their good friends Vincent and Tabitha Helstea, who have an 8yo daughter Lilia. - Lilia is under pressure from her parents to awaken as a mage. They want her to have the opportunities they couldn’t give her as neither of them are mages. - Reynolds is the instructor for the Helstea Auction House guards. - Reynolds now has a dark orange core while ML has a light red core. ML spars with Reynolds in hand-to-hand combat. - ML goes shopping with the ladies and girls. - Beast core: a magical core extracted from a mana beast that’s been killed. It’s used to power up but the effects between cores can vary vastly. A forged beast tamer refers to using an extracted beast core. - 4 basic elements: fire, water, earth, wind - Higher elements (deviants): lightning, ice, gravity, sound - Cynthia Goodsky, a high-silver core mage. She’s the founder and director of the Xyrus Academy, the best and most prestigious magic institution on the continent. - As a favour to Vincent, Cynthia tests ML and finds his magic and combat abilities to be exceptional. ML reveals to Cynthia that he has affinity with all 4 elements (and 2 deviants, ice and lightning). - ML is this world’s 1st quadra-elemental mage. - In private, ML makes a deal with Cynthia that he’ll attend the Academy if she uses her power and influence to protect his family until he’s strong enough to do so himself. - Until ML starts at the Academy when he’s 11yo, ML convinces his parents to let him go adventuring. ML must have a guardian and he must visit his family at least once every 2mths. - ML asks Vincent for some special equipment: a protective cloak with a hood, a suitable sword, and a voice altering mask. - To repay Vincent for his help, ML guides Lilia and Eleanor through special breathing exercises to help them cultivate their mana and awaken. ML imbues them with mana at the start. - 10th anniversary of Helstea Auction House: - The Twin Horns party arrive and are overjoyed to see ML. - The Twin Horns provide extra security at the celebrations. - Nobles and adventurers alike attend the special auction event. - The Halsteas and ML’s family are taken to the VIP suite. - King Blaine and Queen Priscilla Glayder of the Sapin kingdom with their children Prince Curtis and Princess Kathlyn. - The King won the bid for an A-class beast core from a silver coat bear. He also won the bid for the last item, a world lion cub. - Sebastian the royal mage covets Sylvie and schemes to steal her. - The King tries to make ML give up Sylvie as a gift to reward Sebastian for his loyal service. ML counters by asking the King how much would he sell his child for. A royal knight attacks ML who knocks out the knight with a punch to the head. - ML uses his “Static Void” skill to temporarily separate himself and Sebastian from time and space. ML puts Sebastian in his place by breaking his leg. ML faints from overusing his skill. - A royal representative advises that the knight and Sebastian have been fired. A small pouch of gold is given as compensation. - In the huge storage room of the Hestia Auction House, Sylvie helps find a sword for ML. It’s called Dawn’s Ballad and only unsheathes when ML activates his beast will. It absorbs ML’s blood and magically adjusts it's length and weight to suit ML. - ML’s 9th bday gifts: - Custom-made black gloves with 3 healing gems - 2 rings. Arthur wears 1 ring and Alice wears the other ring which has a gem that lights up if Arthur’s mana is very low. - Sound transmission scrolls - ML wants to grow stronger so he can protect the people he loves. In his past life, ML became strong to get revenge. - Jasmine Flamesworth from the Twin Horns party volunteers to be ML’s guardian. Just after his 9th bday, ML goes with Jasmine to the Xyrus adventurers guild hall to take the rank examination. He wears a mask and his alias is ‘Note’. - NB: House Flamesworth is known for it's powerful fire mages. - Jasmine became an adventurer to get away from her family. She doesn’t have any affinity for fire, which made her family see her as inferior. Jasmine has since awakened her affinity for wind. - ML is reminded of his past life where he had a weak Qi centre. - Mock duel for the rank examination: - Elijah Knight, B-Class rank (automatic, didn’t have to do the mock duel). Dark red stage. Raised by dwarves. - Lucas Wykes 11yo, B-Class rank. Light orange stage. Fire affinity. Half-elf blood. He’s from a noble family notorious for their unethical practices to produce powerful mages. - Kaspian Bladeheart, AA-Class rank mage, head of the guild. He intervened to personally test ML. He tried to push ML to reveal all of his abilities and failed. He gave ML a B-Class rank, which ML was satisfied with. - Now that ML is a licensed adventurer, he teleports with Jasmine through a portal to the mana-rich beast glades. Sylvie chooses to hunt and explore on her own, growing over time. ML and Sylvie can still sense each other through their bond. - For 2yrs ML focuses on his sword skills instead of relying on his magic. He realised from the mock duel that he spent too much time honing just his magic skills until they became a crutch. - The rumours are rife among adventurers about the masked swordsman (ie ML). A drunk B-class swordsman confronts ML at a pub. ML slices off his fingers when the drunk attacks. - ML and Jasmine have been swapping wind magic and blade techniques. ML hears that Lilia has awakened. - 11yo ML is now A-Class and at the light orange stage. - He and Jasmine join a new team to explore the Dire Tombs dungeon. When killed, the dungeon’s inhabitants reanimate. - 1st floor: bat monsters come from the ceiling. - Hidden entrance: follow a passage and enter a cavern that has several openings in the ground to reveal the lava below. - Dungeon party: - Brald Landon, AA-class augmenter, Fire, light yellow. - Reginald Bastion, A-class augmenter, Earth, solid yellow. - Kriol Masser, tanker, Water augmenter. - Oliver Hemmbet, A-class conjurer, healing emitter, dark yellow. - Samantha Tempest, A-class conjurer, Water, dark yellow. - Elijah, A-class conjurer, Earth, dark orange. - Lucas, A-class conjurer, Fire, dark yellow. - Jasmine, AA-class augmenter, Wind, light yellow, dual swords. - Oliver is arrogant and careless. He goes ahead and is fried when a random eruption of lava spews forth. - Huge worm monsters emerge and dive back down into the ground. Brald the party leader loses an arm while saving Samantha from another lava eruption. Lucas throws a tantrum about the crippled leader and dead healer. - ML tells Lucas to stop being an ass because right now he’s a liability. Brald wants to push ahead but nominates ML to lead from now on. They exit the cavern and at the end of another tunnel, they enter a lush green cavern shrouded in mist. - The mist seems to cause hallucinations. Kriol runs off towards a vision of his dead fiancée. - The party are confronted by numerous vines that attack and quickly regenerate. Suddenly an Elderwood Guardian (S-class mana beast) appears. Kriol is trapped by the vines that cover the green giant’s body. Reginald goes on a rampage to try and free Kriol. Brald also attacks the giant but both Reginald and Brald are consumed by it. - Lucas won’t risk his life to save everyone. He blasts fire at ML and Jasmine, badly injuring them both. Lucas blasts the ceiling to block the exit, trap everyone behind and give him time to escape. - ML is forced to activate the 2nd phase of his beast will. - Sylvie senses this but ML tells her to stay away. - ML uses a powerful ice spell to completely freeze the Elderwood Guardian and the vines. Then he totally smashes the ice into pieces. - ML faints and the gem on Alice’s ring lights up. - ML wakes up to see Elijah who helped to protect ML and Jasmine when the cavern collapsed. The healing gems on ML’s glove are used on himself and the unconscious Jasmine. - Elijah created the metal dome shelter around them. - Elijah is 11.5yo and doesn’t know who his parents are. - He was raised in Darv by a dwarf elder called Rahdeas. - When he reached the dark orange stage, he woke up to find himself surrounded by black metal spikes. Rahdeas told Elijah it was time for him to leave and explore the continent. - ML tried to save everyone because he promised Sylvia that he’d become a better person and cherish the people around him. - Samantha is found unconscious under another metal shelter created by Elijah. She’s holding ML’s mask and the Elderwood Guardian’s mana core. Sylvie crashes through the ceiling to pickup the 4 dungeon survivors. Sylvie has grown a lot from hunting mana beasts and eating their cores. - The others insist ML takes the Elderwood Guardian’s mana core as he alone was the one who killed it. - Elijah and Jasmine go to the adventurer’s guild for help. - ML stays behind with Samantha and Sylvie. He uses the Sound Transmission Scroll to send a message to his family to reassure them that he’s safe. Then he uses some of the Elderwood Guardian’s mana core to heal his body. - 4 dead, 4 critically injured, 1 traitor. Lucas’ insubordination and betrayal led to the deaths of their party members. - The guild investigates the dungeon, retrieves the bodies and obtains testimonies from the survivors. At the hearing into the dungeon tragedy, Lucas is given a very light punishment. - He’s stripped of his A-Class rank and banned from listing as an adventurer again. His family’s power and connections let him walk free from his atrocities. - ML made a secret deal with Kaspian to protect the people he cares about until ML is strong enough to take on the entire Wykes family. The head judge declares that ML may not go anywhere near Lucas or his family during Lucas’ attendance at Xyrus Academy. ML owes the guild a favour for agreeing to this charade. - Kaspian gave ML a large bag of gold which ML spent on a dimension ring with a small inventory space. - Sylvie transforms to disguise her true appearance. - Jasmine leaves for another quest with the Twin Horns. - Lilia has recently started attending the Xyrus Academy. - ML invites Elijah to stay with his family. - ML gives the S-class mana beast core to Reynolds. - Later Reynolds absorbs all of the mana to reach the solid orange stage but the core doesn’t crumble, so he gives it back to ML. The core contains a beast will. ML can’t assimilate this 2nd beast will or else it’ll be destroyed by his dragon will. - ML asks Vincent to sponsor Elijah so he can attend the Academy. - Vincent introduces ML to Gideon, a famous researcher and the greatest inventor and artifact craftsman in the history of the continent. Gideon is like an eccentric, mad scientist. - The royal families have been asking Gideon to find a way to travel long distances across the ocean. There’s evidence of a new continent beyond Dicathen. - The over-reliance on mana in this world has stunted the development and advancement of non-magical technology. - ML uses knowledge from his past life to draw an initial design for a steamboat. ML agrees to complete the design when Gideon offers 2 phoenix wyrm pendants that were made for the royal family. A protective cocoon is conjured around the wearer of this artifact. If the cocoon breaks, the wearer will be transported to a safe location. - NB: Phoenix wyrms are S-class mana beasts as rare as dragons. They have the unique ability to preserve their own lives and protect themselves from danger. - While in town, Elijah and ML stop a group of 5 nobles from bullying a dwarf student. Princess Kathlyn saw ML from her carriage and stops a lethal magic attack on ML from Jamiel Tridant, the group’s leader. - ML contacts Cynthia with a 2-way communication scroll. He uses his influence with Cynthia by making his attendance at the Academy conditional on this group being expelled for racial bullying and using lethal magic in the city. She agrees right away. - Everyone is gathered to hear an important announcement from the 3 royal families about unifying the continent. - On the Dicathen continent, there are 3 kingdoms: Sapin, Elenoir and Darv. The royal families of Sapin (human), Elenoir (elf) and Darv (dwarf) announce a continental alliance. There is evidence of a new continent that brings opportunity and possibly danger. - They assign 6 white core mages to represent and protect the continent as the 6 Lances: - Alea Triscan, an elf - Varay Aurae - Olfred Warend, a dwarf - Aya Grephin, an elf - Mica Earthborn, a dwarf - Bairon Wykes, older half brother of Lucas - The Council: the Kings and Queens of Dicathen - There’s a surprise bday party for Eleanor with many guests invited. ML leads Ellie in the 1st dance and uses wind magic. - Tessia left a surprise gift for Ellie. It’s an elven bow. - ML gives Ellie and Alice the phoenix wyrm pendants. - Gideon is at the party and offers a deal to ML. He’ll be ML’s personal benefactor for any artifacts or goods ML needs. In exchange, ML will let Gideon pick his brain from time to time. - Later at ML’s request, Gideon gives ML a bracelet artifact that lets him hide 2 elemental attributes. - 12yo ML with Sylvie and Elijah start at the Academy. - Elijah is enrolled as a battle mage while ML is a scholar mage for Earth and Wind (ie dual-elemental mage). - Virion and Cynthia are close friends. Tessia is Cynthia’s disciple. - 13yo Tessia is the student council president. Lilia is the secretary. - There are issues of racial discrimination and discrimination against scholar mages in the Academy. - The school emblem badges given to the students are artifacts that can conjure barriers around their users for sanctioned duels within the school. ML distracts a senior student from crushing a dwarf student’s arm. Tessa wrongly accuses ML of causing a fight. - Clive the student council VP grabs ML’s shoulder and gets flipped onto his ass. - Cynthia visits ML in his dorm room. He asks to be allowed to attend higher level mana theory classes on deviants. She agrees and also offers to give him a pass to observe the top upper class mages’ mock battles, and access to a private training facility. - In exchange ML will join the new disciplinary committee, which also includes Prince Curtis and Princess Kathlyn. The committee members were chosen for their strength. ML is given a customised black DC uniform. - The other disciplinary committee (DC) members: - Claire Bladeheart, 6th year battle mage and DC leader. Her uncle is Kaspian who trained her from the time she awakened. - Theodore … gravity deviant - Kai Crestless, 4th year - Doradrea Oreguard, 1st year and a dwarf - Feyrith Ivysaar III, 1st year, an elf that ML met in Elenoir. - NB: Grawder is the A-class world lion bought at the Helstea Auction House and given to Prince Curtis. - Cynthia says the student council are the shields while the DC are the swords of the Academy. The DC will be responsible for upholding peace and safety for all students, and enforcing rules in the school grounds. They will resolve and prevent disputes between students. Punishments will be enforced for troublemakers. - Elijah is shocked that Tessia is ML’s childhood friend. - ML meets up with Tessia. He gives her the S-class beast will in the mana core from the Elderwood Guardian. Now a dual-elemental mage, Tessia’s abilities are the most compatible with this beast will. - Practical Mana Manipulation class: - Geist the professor was drunk in town and had a confrontation with ML. Because of this, Geist tries to humiliate the DC members (ML, Kathlyn, Feyrith) in his class. - ML saves Kathlyn from getting seriously injured by Geist’s attack. Then ML completely overpowers Geist. - Later Cynthia asks ML to be the acting interim professor position for the mana prac class. An investigation was launched and Geist was dismissed. Kathlyn provided her testimony. - Cynthia thinks this is a good opportunity for ML to build his reputation. ML agrees to give it a try. - NB: Cynthia is bonded with a mana beast called Avier. - The Basics of Artificing class: - Manipulating and coding mana to objects for specific uses. - Gideon is the surprise professor for this class. - Emily Watsken 12yo who loves artificing. - She created the projection display artifact. - Team fighting mechanics (1) with Prof. Glory (A-class) - Glory tries to set up ML to fight against the other disgruntled students. Instead Curtis suggests a team mock battle with the DC members on one team. Tessia, Clive and Lucas Wykes are on the other team. - ML fights against Lucas and his fire magic. - ML innovates with his wind magic to create a thin vacuum barrier around his body that puts out the fire as it hits him. - Tessia faints due to the pain caused by the beast will assimilation from the core ML gave her. He uses his Static Void skill to give him time to get to Tessia. ML is low on mana so he uses his body to shield her while taking the full brunt of a powerful attack from Curtis who released his beast will. - ML is in a private room recovering from his injuries. - He’s visited by his family, Tessia’s family and Virion. - Virion helps Tessia to stabilise the beast will assimilation. - Tessia surprises ML by kissing him during another visit. - When ML is almost fully recovered, he’s taken to his personal training room by Cynthia and Gideon. - Tobi: Training Operator and Blast Inductor - ML’s 1st mana prac class ended well. At the start ML used his intimidating aura to get the students to behave. - He posed interesting questions to the students. - He tried to break down the preconceptions of how a conjurer vs an augmenter uses and absorbs mana. - After class, Kathlyn approaches ML and apologises for what happened with Sebastian and how her father and Curtis treated ML. - Tessia gets angry at ML when she asks him about the kiss and he doesn’t take it seriously. Later they apologise to each other. - ML admits he’s been running away rather than facing Tessia’s feelings head on. ML says he can’t have a relationship with her right now but maybe when they’re older. He kisses her on the forehead. (me: blergh) - Lucas and 2 noble lackeys, Charles and Marcois, follow and confront ML after class. Marcois starts to show odd behaviour and erratic mana fluctuations. Marcois attacks ML with abnormally strong magical capabilities. After Lucas and Charles leave, Sylvie briefly transforms into a dragon and knocks out Marcois. There are bloody symbols on Marcois’ back. - Marcois is the 2nd incident of a student leaking mana with bloody symbols engraved down their spine. Marcois later dies from excessive mana leakage of the core. Kai of the DC is acting suspicious. - Lances Alea and Bairon meet with Lance Varay. - Traces of mages not from Dicathen have been found in the deepest levels of some dungeons. Mana beasts in the beast glades / and dungeons (?) have been behaving strangely. Alea is sent on her own to investigate with her sensory magic. She discovers a huge, mutant / deviant (?) 2-headed Hades Serpent guarding a tunnel and calls for backup. 50 battle mages teleport to Alea. - The Council has banned excursions into almost all of the dungeons that Professor Glory usually takes her class, as the Lances are currently investigating the dungeons. - Professor Glory’s class go on an excursion to a low level D-class dungeon called the Widow’s Crypt. - ML, Tessia, Claire, Curtis and Lucas are in this class. - It’s strange there are no mana beasts on the 1st floor. - Glory and the class are suddenly faced with a horde of E-class mana beasts. Glory kills them herself. This is unusual behaviour for these beasts who tend to be in small groups. Glory wants to leave the dungeon. Lucas dismisses Glory’s concerns by abruptly casting his deadly fire magic to persuade the class who opt to stay and train. - As the students head off in their teams, Glory warns Lucas not to do that again or face the consequences. - The beasts keep coming despite the students’ efforts to kill them. Before the students become too exhausted, Glory orders everyone to leave. There’s a sudden explosion and 2 x B-class mana beasts appear from the bottom floor. - Glory fights these beasts that are much stronger than usual. - ML takes charge and gets Delphine, a dwarf student, to use earth magic to fill the hole from the explosion. - ML gets Curtis to focus on his beast will while ML transfer mana to him. Curtis releases his beast will to blast away the rocks that block the entrance. ML ensures all of the students escape from the dungeon (even Lucas). - A gigantic mana beast evolves from a B-class beast that ate the remains of the other one killed by Glory. - ML is forced to reveal all of his elemental abilities as he fights alongside Glory. The gigantic mana beast stabs ML’s leg with a large claw and self destructs. The massive explosion creates a deep chasm that ML falls down. - ML uses his wind magic and survives the fall. The regenerative ability from his dragon will helps ML to recover. - He walks through a waterfall and he’s shocked to see a scene of utter carnage, with dead battle mages everywhere. He finds Alea who is dying after she was blinded, her core was shattered, and her limbs were torn off. - Alea uses the last of her mana to transfer her memories of the final battle to ML before she dies. The battle mages led by Alea killed the Hades Serpent. A black-horned demon appeared and foretold of a war. He blinds and tortures Alea as she listens to the dying screams of her soldiers. - ML embraces Alea in her final moments. He makes graves for the dead then leaves with Sylvie. Through Alea's memories, ML knows there are more demons out there like the ones who attacked Sylvia. - Lucas is invited to join a secret gathering of disgruntled, racist human nobles. The masked leader offers a relationship of mutual benefit. To achieve the goal of shattering the alliance between the 3 races, the leader wants Lucas to get rid of ML. Lucas will be granted the power to do so. Tessia will be his first target. - ML returns home. While in town with his family, he comes across a strange store on his own. ML sees a black cat in the store that runs off. The store owner gives ML a small translucent orb. - ML visits the Academy and gives Cynthia the ID tag he took from Alea. Cynthia will report Alea's death to the Council. - ML goes to the training room and finds Virion with Tessia. She’s covered in vines as her beast will fights back against her body. Virion says something must’ve been wrong with the Elderwood Guardian as the beast will seems to have mutated. - The vine suddenly attack ML and go on a rampage. - The orb appears from ML’s dimension ring and flies towards the vines. The orb somehow frees Tessia from the vines and is absorbed by her body. Virion checks her core and is shocked to find her core has suddenly advanced from the light orange stage to be almost at the initial silver stage. - Virion tells ML about the founding of the 3 kingdoms. - During the beast era, the 3 races were nomadic. They were in good terms and traded with each other. Their numbers dwindled as they were hunted and killed by the mana beasts that roamed the land. - A deity descended from the sky and gave magic tools for the 3 races to overcome the mana beasts. The ancestors of the Glayder, Greysunders and Eralith royal families were given 6 artifacts. - These artifacts were bestowed upon the most powerful subjects of the royal families under a soul oath and knighting ceremony. - As the 1st Lances given the power of white core mages, the 6 artifact users were commanded to spread their newfound knowledge and powers to create the 1st generation of mages. - The mana beasts were pushed back to the area now known as the beast glades. A new era of peace and prosperity began. - Subsequent wars between the races were the result of greed. - The Lances existed in secret and were only made public recently after the discovery of a new continent. - Virion tells ML that Sylvie is a deity. - Deities are beings that are able to ascend from their mortal bodies and fully harmonise with mana. - Cynthia is attacked by a group of mages but she easily defeats them. She has the same markings on her back as they did. - ML tries to find out more info about the orb that helped Tessia. He goes to where the store was but it’s disappeared. Instead another small orb is on the ground with a note. It says to go to the west teleportation gate to know more. - ML enters the gate with Sylvie and they end up in a dimensional subspace. The black cat from the store appears and changes into human form. It’s a deity called Windsom. - The small orb was an elixir pearl that prevented Tessia’s core from exploding. The 2nd elixir pearl is for ML. - The deities refer to themselves as asuras. - Alacrya is the other continent.

Ch 84 as of 01/06/22 - baby black dragon is cute - ML awakes to find he is reborn as minor antagonist Cale Henituse 18yo, the trashy 1st son of a very rich Count in the novel “Birth of a Hero”. ML was an orphan with no attachments who fell asleep while reading the novel. - The hero is Choi Han 17yo, seeking to honour the dead and avenge the massacre of Harris village by a secret organisation who wore clothes with a star-shaped symbol. - Choi Han grew up alone in the Forest of Darkness, constantly fighting monsters. He escaped from the forest and was cared for by the people of Harris village that is in the Henituse territory. - ML aims to become reasonably powerful so he may live a long, peaceful life without any difficulties or pain. He needs enough strength and abilities to protect himself while not standing out too much. ML isn’t interested in being the heir and managing the Count’s territory in the Roan kingdom on the western continent. - ML lives in the city of Westin in the Henituse territory. - ML’s family are Count Deruth, Countess Violan (ML’s stepmother), and his younger half siblings Basen and Lily 7yo. - Basen had been acting as the family heir for the last 2yrs. - Choi Han comes to Westin to report the village massacre to Count Henituse. He’s denied access to the city because he has no ID papers. He jumps over the walls to secretly enter the city at night. - ML later adopts 2 x siblings from the Fog Cat tribe, Mist Silver ‘On’ and Red Poison ‘Hong’. He first met them as a couple of street kids. He fed them in cat form to get Choi Han to follow ML home. - ML brings in Choi Han as his house guest. Head butler Ron Molan and his son, chef Beacrox will follow Choi Han later. Ron and Beacrox are secretly skilled assassins from the eastern continent. - Ron was the heir to a family of assassins. - A group called “Arm” rules the underworld of the eastern continent. Arm are part of a larger organisation and have started to extend their reach into the western continent. - Ron and Beacrox have been in hiding from Arm. - ML obtains the “Indestructible Shield” after feeding the grudge of a glutton who starved to death a long time ago and was buried underneath the now ancient tree. It’s a formless shield around the heart, similar to a mana shield. It will prioritise the safety of it’s owner over everything else. - Princess Rosalyn, genius mage and heir to the throne of the neighbouring Breck kingdom. She’s not interested in the throne. Her dream is to establish the greatest magic tower on the continent. - Lock of the Blue Wolf tribe, heir to the Wolf King. When he goes berserk, he turns into a violent werewolf. - The Count wants ML to go to the capital as the family representative for a royal event after seeing the recent change in ML’s behaviour. To pay back ML for his hospitality, ML asks Choi Han to bring Rosalyn and Lock to ML in the capital. - ML encouraged Choi Han to protect and save, rather than just kill. - ML’s entourage for the trip to the capital includes Hans the deputy butler, the cat siblings, Ron, Beacrox and Choi Han. - Choi Han earns the respect of the Vice Captain and the other knights after defeating most of a large group of bandits. - Venion Stan, 2nd son of a Marquis. He’s a villain who crippled his older brother to become the unofficial heir. - On the way to the capital, ML stops at a village. Choi Han saves an old man who was almost run over by Venion’s carriage. - ML’s entourage stay at the old man’s inn. - ML used his knowledge of the novel to rescue a 4yo baby black dragon held captive and tortured by Venion ever since the dragon was born. This is to prevent the dragon as an adult going on a destructive rampage in the future. - Earlier ML rented a mana disturbance tool that makes all magic tools within a certain range stop working for 40mins. ML had the cat siblings bury this tool near the cave where the dragon was imprisoned. ML and Choi Han disguise themselves as masked men from the secret organisation that attacked Choi Han’s village. - Choi Han and the cat siblings take care of Venion’s guards while all of the magic tools around the cave have been disabled. - ML carries the injured dragon as they escape from the cave. - ML removes the mana restriction collar from the dragon. - While the cat siblings retrieve the mana disturbance tool, ML gets the dragon to drink a healing potion. He says the dragon has the right to live freely as one. It should live the way it wants to. - ML doesn’t want to be responsible for the dragon and the unwanted attention it brings. Even though ML told the dragon to go it’s own way, the dragon follows ML while staying hidden. The dragon keeps leaving animals it hunted for ML’s entourage to eat. - Choi Han separates from ML’s entourage at Pursal / Puzzle city to find Rosalyn and Lock. This city is known for it's rock towers. - Long ago during a time when the city fell out of favour with a god, the people started making rock towers as a kind of prayer. A person who has had their wish granted will destroy their rock tower. It means you must use your own strength to achieve your goals. - ML visits the ancient grave of a man who died naturally from old age at 150yo. Near the grave is the rock tower the man almost completed before he died. ML completes the tower then destroys it to show he’s overcome his limits. ML obtains the “Vitality of the Heart” from the man’s rock tower. This is another ancient power that makes ML’s “Shield” stronger and his ability to recover faster. - Taylor Stan, 1st son of Marquis Stan. - He was discarded as the heir when he became crippled. - He’s been desperately searching for a way to cure his legs. - Cage, a god of death priestess (who wants to be excommunicated?) and Taylor’s bodyguard. - She can hear her god’s voice. - She had dreams of meeting their future benefactor in Puzzle city. - ML had the cat siblings setup a fake message from god to Taylor Stan through Cage. It says to seek out the Crown Prince for his ancient power “Star of Healing” that can only be used once to heal any type of injury. They can obtain this power by helping the Crown Prince keep the other princes in check. - Taylor decides to head to the capital right away. - Taylor and Cage ask to join ML’s entourage on the way to the capital. ML has his staff treat them with respect and care, unlike everyone else who abandoned Taylor when he became crippled. - ML helps Taylor and Cage secretly get past the capital city gates using an invisibility tool before they part ways. - The royal event in the capital is the King’s 50th bday celebration. - At the Henituse residence in the capital, Choi Han and Princess Rosalyn arrive with Lock who is about to go berserk for the 1st time. Lock is taken to the underground training area. Rosalyn and Choi Han fight and protect Lock until he calms down and collapses. - On and Hong are yet to undergo their berserk transformation. - Beast people temporarily lose their sanity when they enter beast mode for the 1st time. This is due to the pain from their physical transformation. - Choi Han tells ML how he met Rosalyn and Lock as instructed by ML. There was an assassination attempt on Rosalyn as she was travelling from Breck via Roan to the magic tower in the Whipper kingdom. She decided to head to the Roan capital and go to an info guild to find out more about who was trying to kill her. She and Choi Han were hired as mercenaries escorting a merchant group. - The merchant group were scheduled to meet with the Blue Wolf tribe. Lock’s wolf tribe village was destroyed by the same secret organisation that wiped out Choi Han’s village. - The attackers were trying to kidnap the wolf children and killing everyone else. Lock protected the children. - Choi Han saw a mage drinking blood. Redika is a blood crazy, high level mage and the co-leader of the secret organisation. - ML takes Choi Han to the god of death temple. - ML vows by the god of death to Choi Han that he doesn’t know the identity or goal of the secret organisation. ML knows they’re planning a terrorist attack in the capital and he wants to stop them. - ML also vows that he has no desire to harm Choi Han. - Lastly ML vows to tell Choi Han if ML finds out the identity of the secret organisation. If ML breaks any of these vows, he’ll die. ML now has Choi Han’s complete trust. - ML has lunch with Rosalyn and introduces her to the baby dragon who has joined them. The dragon insists it’s with ML because he’s so weak and needs protecting. - House Henituse and House Wheelsman have a close relationship. - ML meets with the other neutral NE nobles, Eric Wheelsman (son of a Count), Gilbert and Lady Amirel Ubarr. To pacify the trashy, volatile nature of the original Cale, they insist on looking after everything at the upcoming events so ML can just relax and avoid anything annoying. All they ask is for ML to stay still and to greet the Crown Prince with them. - The plaza / magic bomb terror incident: - In the novel, the terrorist attack planned by the secret organisation occurs where the most people are gathered. - ML, Choi Han and the dragon go out late at night into the city streets of the capital. ML assigns Choi Han and the dragon to look around each night for any magic bombs. These bombs are scheduled to go off in multiple locations across the city in 6 days. ML plans to get rid of the bombs just before they’re detonated on the day of the royal event. - Alberu Crossman, Crown Prince and 1st Prince. - He’s the son of a maid who died when he was a young boy. - He’s ‘not weak’ according to the dragon. - Alberu is known for being skilled at manipulating people for the good of the Roan kingdom and it’s citizens. - The 3rd Prince is currently favoured by the King and his mother is the current Queen. Marquis Stan also supports the 3rd Prince. - Alberu was the one who called for a gathering in the capital of all the young nobles, as future leaders of the Roan kingdom. The 2nd and 3rd Princes also attend. The tables at the palace are arranged according to their noble faction: NE, NW, SE, SW and Central. - Taylor and Cage make a surprise appearance at the gathering. They are seated at the NE table where ML is. Venion is furious. - Neo Tolz, son of a Viscount and Venion’s lackey. - 5yrs ago Viscount Tolz became allies with Marquis Stan. The land where the dragon was imprisoned belongs to Viscount Tolz. - Lock takes ML to meet the 10 wolf children at the inn that ML has them staying at. Lock asks ML if he could protect these children. - Billos, illegitimate son of the Flynn Merchant guild master. - He owns the bookshop / tea shop in Westin that ML frequents. - Odeus Flynn, Billos’ uncle who started his own small merchant guild. Odeus was the one who hired Choi Han and Rosalyn as mercenaries. He secretly rules the underworld (?) - ML agrees to let Ron take a year off to kill ‘a group of foxes’. - He promises to send monthly reports to ML. He asks ML to look after his son. - Northeastern Shoreline Investment and Development project: - After a suggestion from ML, Lady Amirel seeks the permission of the royal family to build a military naval base in her territory and Gilbert’s territory. She asks ML to put in a word with his father to help fund the project. This will shift the balance of power to the NE nobles instead of towards the royal family who will also invest heavily in the project. - Count Henituse is already fortifying his territory’s walls. - The royal family are aware that the nearby Whipper kingdom will soon face a civil war. The kingdoms in the north are also gathering their forces. - Taylor is completely healed after making a deal with the Crown Prince, who wants to avoid a civil war in Roan. Taylor has promised to become the next Marquis. - King Zed Crossman. He succeeded the throne at 20yo. - The day of the King’s 50th bday celebration and festival: - In the early morning, ML has 3 teams (Choi Han / the dragon, Lock / Rosalyn, and the cat siblings) dismantle the 4 magic bombs they’d already located before. - Redika the blood crazy mage appears at 9am as expected. Several agents from the secret organisation also appear. ML activates the mana disturbance tool for 10mins to give his teams a chance to search for and remove magic bombs that 4 people are carrying. - The royal mages create a mana stabilisation barrier over the city centre. After the other bombs failed, Redika sends 2 suicide agents carrying magic bombs into the plaza. - The strong explosions from the 2 bombs are mostly contained within a barrier created by the dragon and ML who used his Shield ability. ML recovers quickly due to his Vitality ability. - Redika uses teleportation to disappear with the other agents. - Choi Han, Lock and the cat siblings were already sent by ML to where he’d reappear. Later Choi Han reports to ML that he killed all of the agents but only managed to chop off the mage’s arm and injure his eye. Ron and Beacrox have been informed of Redika’s appearance by Choi Han and will look out for the mage. - ML had publicly revealed he has an ancient power. - ML is treated as a VIP by Alberu who promises to generously reward ML. They understand each other and will use the aftermath of this incident for their own benefit. ML wanted his role downplayed, so Alberu portrayed ML as a young and weak nobleman who stepped forward for the kingdom’s sake. - ML asks for money as his reward. He’s given the authority to use the Golden Plaque twice. The Plaque can buy anything, no matter the cost. - ML and the black dragon are curious why Alberu chose to be weak and hide. Alberu didn’t reveal his strength during the suicide bombing where some people still died or were badly injured. Alberu isn’t human … - ML thanks everyone involved for saving so many lives. - Rosalyn will take Choi Han and Lock back with her to the Breck kingdom for her protection, now that her true identity has been revealed to the royal family in Roan. - ML tells Lock to return to the Henituse territory after 3mths where the wolf children will be waiting for him. Meanwhile ML has the wolf children training under Beacrox in the kitchen. - ML declined the medal of honour from the royal family. - ML uses a communication orb to reassure his family that he’s ok. - Taylor sends a message to say he’ll contact ML when he’s become the Marquis. That’s when the dragon can finally get revenge on Venion. - ML leaves the capital and arrives at the Ubarr territory. - ML plans to obtain the 3rd ancient power ‘Sound of Wind’ from the Ubarr territory. ML meets Lady Amirel Ubarr at a village near the Cliff of Winds which has many dangerous whirlpools below. - Toonka the tyrant, the “intelligent barbarian” and a mage slayer from the Whipper kingdom. - He’s the strongest on the western continent. - He’s obsessed with strength and danger. - He was rescued from a whirlpool by Lady Amirel’s people after he was shipwrecked. - The civil war in the Whipper kingdom is between the mage faction and the non-mage faction (called barbarians by the mages) who focus on physical strength. In the novel, the mages lose the war and the magic tower in the Whipper kingdom is destroyed. - During the day ML visits one of the islands nearby with Beacrox, the Vice Captain and the dragon. - The dragon saw 3 dead mer-people on the beach on the other side of the island and took ML there to confirm. - There is an ongoing war between the whale tribe and the mer-people. The mer-people want to expand their underwater kingdom beyond the south to cover the entire ocean, but the whale tribe don’t want to give up their territory in the north. - ML returns to the island at night with the help of the dragon. - A new magic bomb was made by the dragon using the condensed mana from the old dismantled magic bombs. This bomb divides itself into many smaller bombs before exploding. - ML throws the bomb into the strongest whirlpool near the island. After the bomb explodes, ML enters the whirlpool. - Long ago a legendary thief stole an item from a temple. She drowned when her legs were trapped under a boulder at the bottom of the ocean. She became a spinning top that creates whirlpools. - ML digs out the spinning top and crushes it to give freedom to the spirit of the thief. ML receives the Sound of Wind which seems to strengthen his Vitality ability as well. - ML finds a hidden cave near the water’s edge on the mainland. There he collects fire-suppressing water to be used later … - Paseton / Paethon, the only mixed blood member of the whale tribe and the son of the Whale King. - He was dying after being injured and poisoned by mer-people. ML saves Paseton by getting him to drink the blood of a mer-person. (The blood was from one of the 3 dead mer-people that ML confirms later were killed by Paseton). - Paseton’s older sister Whitira is the heir of the Whale King. - Lady Amirel takes ML and Toonka with a research team to investigate the explosion and the whirlpool that disappeared. - ML heads to the other side of the island and finds the bodies of the dead mer-people are gone. Whitira appears in whale form to thank ML for saving Paseton. Toonka suddenly arrives to challenge the whales to a fight. - Lady Amirel and her team hear the commotion. ML uses his Shield to protect them from the large wave caused by the fight. - Toonka is banished from the Ubarr territory for his act of violence. - ML helps to arrange for a ship to take Toonka back to the Whipper kingdom. ML tells Toonka to try not to destroy the Whipper magic tower so ML can buy it later. Toonka tells ML to visit the Whipper kingdom in 2mths. - Whitira and Paseton ask ML to help them enter the Forest of Darkness to investigate a swamp mentioned by the mer-people. - The mer-people suddenly became stronger about 2mths ago. The reason for this is connected to the swamp. - ML is offered the authority to use a sea route that hasn’t been discovered yet by humans. It is the safest out of all the sea routes and goes through the northern sea in the whale tribe’s territory. - ML asks for the whale tribe to lend their strength to him twice in the future. - The mer-people are trying to take control of all the sea routes between the eastern and western continents. - There’s an implicit agreement between those on the land and those of the sea. The sea routes were not to be touched by those of the sea, while those on the land didn’t interfere with issues of the sea. - ML returns home (with Whitira and Paseton hidden?) - ML contacts Alberu with a communication orb. He leaves a message to say he’ll be using the Golden Plaque to buy the magic tower of the Whipper kingdom. - the 4th ancient power, the Inferno of Destruction

Webtoon Ch 54 as of 10/06/22 - Ch 67 here - ML is Cheongmyeong, the Master of the Blossoming Blade. - He’s 1 of the 3 greatest swordsmen in the world. - Jangmun, Mt Hua sect leader and ML’s master - Cheonma, the Heavenly Demon and leader of the demonic cult - There was a war between the demonic cult and over 20 sects who formed an alliance, including the great 10 sects. - Both sides were annihilated. ML died on the battlefield after he cut off Cheonma’s head to end the war. - ML wakes up 100yrs later in the body of a 15yo beggar. - ML is shocked to learn the Mt Hua sect is no longer considered 1 of the 10 great sects. He travels to the Mt Hua sect and is accepted as a 3rd grade disciple. - The grounds of the sect are in ruin and disrepair. - After the war, the surviving members of the demonic cult razed the grounds of the Mt Hua sect. To this day the sect hasn’t been able to recover from the massive damage incurred back then. - The training and martial art techniques of the Mt Hua sect from 100yrs ago have been either diluted or lost. - ML starts to rigorously train the other 3rd grade disciples every morning from dawn. He leads by example, training harder than anyone else as he wants to quickly grow stronger. - ML cultivates his Qi and dantian every day. - ML plans to make Mt Hua the no.1 sect in China. - The current Mt Hua sect lacks money, techniques and talent. - Mt Hua sect martial arts is needed to open the door to the secret vault. ML uses up his Qi to go through the sequence. - sword of 6 elements technique - bamboo leaf fist technique - blossom sword arc technique - 24 strike plum blossom sword technique - Hyeonjong, the current Mt Hua sect leader - Hyeonyeong, head of the Mt Hua sect finance office. - Hyeonsang, head of the Mt Hua sect martial arts office. - Great Brother Ungeom, oversees the 3rd grade disciples’ training. - Great Brother Unam - Jo Geol, 3rd grade disciple and Senior Brother - Yun Jong, 3rd grade disciple and Senior Brother - Merchants from the nearby town of Huayin - Jongsan Yu, owner of the Huayin linen shop - Munyeon Gong, owner of the Taehwa Pavilion - The Mt Hua sect borrowed money from the merchants but the debt grew considerably over time due to the high interest rate. - The merchants led by Gong demand the Mt Hua sect repay the debt in full within 7days or lose the sect grounds. - Gong plans to sell off the Mt Hua buildings to the enemies of the Mt Hua sect so they can erase the Mt Hua legacy completely. - Originally the businesses were owned by the Mt Hua sect. - The account ledgers that showed proof of ownership were lost when the demonic cult destroyed the Mt Hua sect grounds. - The managers that were entrusted by the Mt Hua sect to run the businesses took over as owners. - ML finds the secret vault that contains copies of the original account ledgers of the Mt Hua sect from 100yrs ago. There are also martial art books, gold and new weapons. - The merchants are summoned to Mt Hua by the sect leader. - Some of the merchants still show some loyalty to the Mt Hua sect by agreeing to Hyeonjong’s request to extend the deadline. - The account ledgers are revealed to the merchants. The authenticity of the ledgers has already been verified by the government office in Huayin. - Hyeonjong rewards the loyal merchants by allowing their families to continue managing their current businesses under the ownership of the Mt Hua sect. The other merchants under Gong who wanted the debt paid right away are told to leave town. Their businesses and wealth will be confiscated by the Mt Hua sect. - Later ML disguised as a masked bandit confronts Gong. - Gong reveals he’s a skilled martial artist and uses a technique that ML recognises as from the Zhongnan sect. ML easily defeats Gong. - Repairs to the Mt Hua sect grounds are underway. The disciples receive new uniforms and meal standards have also improved. - As a reward ML is granted the special privilege of visiting Huayin whenever he wants. - ML finds the cave that was his secret hideout 100yrs ago. There he has a stash of medicine pills. He takes a snow blossom pill to expand his Qi and grow stronger. ML gives the plum blossom pills to all of the 3rd grade disciples. - Zhongnan sect: archrivals and archenemies of the Mt Hua sect. Both sects are from the Shaanxi province. - Mokseung Gi, Elder of the Zhongnan sect. - Isongbaek, 2nd grade disciple of the Zhongnan sect. - Currently the Mt Hua sect does not have the capacity or the capability to run the Huayin businesses. They need help from an experienced merchant with expertise in many different areas of business. They used to receive help and advice from Master Hwang when he was a patron of the sect. - Master Munyak Hwang is a business magnate who established the Eunha Trading Company (ETC) in Xian. He’s unconscious after being bedridden for the past year with a mysterious illness. - Hwang Jong-Ui, Master Hwang’s son and VP of the ETC. - Jabok Beon, ETC advisor and overseer / supervisor. - ML opens a letter addressed to the Mt Hua sect leader from Hwang Jong-Ui. Letters were sent to all of the Hwang acquaintances to see if anyone could help Master Hwang. - ML recognises the symptoms described in the letter are the result of someone injecting demonic Qi into Master Hwang. - ML goes to Xian to see Master Hwang and confirms someone used the crimson demonic hand technique. To uncover the one who did this, ML first uses his Qi to ease Master Hwang’s condition so he’s no longer in danger of dying. - During a spar with Isongbaek, ML allows himself to appear badly injured. ML and Hwang Jong-Ui catch Jabok Beon trying to inject demonic Qi into ML who pretended to be asleep. - ML purifies Master Hwang’s body by fighting the demonic Qi directly. When the demonic Qi gathers in Master Hwang’s head, ML transfers the demonic Qi to his own body and dispels it. - Master Hwang wakes up and fully recovers. - Jabok Beon was the heir of a former competitor of the ETC. He intended to kill Master Hwang and take the entire fortune of the ETC. He’d acquired the demonic technique from a scroll he found on a corpse during his business travels. ML is satisfied that the demonic cult aren’t involved. - ML negotiates his reward with Master Hwang. - Master Hwang decides to reduce business with the Zhongnan sect and focus on helping the Mt Hua sect instead. - He sees this as an opportunity to help ML and the Mt Hua sect reach their full potential. It’ll be a mutually beneficial relationship. - ML agrees to another spar with Isongbaek but ML abruptly ends it. - ML is furious to see Isongbaek use a part of the 24 strike plum blossom technique from the Mt Hua sect that has since been lost to them. The Zhongnan sect stole it and renamed it the 12 strike snow blossom technique. It was most likely stolen from Mt Hua when the demonic cult destroyed the grounds and Zhongnan came to drive away the demonic cult. - After being away without permission for 7 days, ML returns to the Mt Hua sect with an ETC delegation that includes Master Hwang, his son and most of the ETC management staff. - Master Hwang will manage all of the Mt Hua sect businesses in Huayin. All profits will be reinvested into the growing the sect further. For saving a life, ML is rewarded instead of punished. He’s granted more special privileges. - Iseol Yu, 2nd grade disciple of the Mt Hua sect. - Baekcheon, 2nd grade disciple of the Mt Hua sect. - The 2nd grade disciples have just returned after being away for a year of isolation training. - The Hua-Zhong contest: a martial arts competition held every 2yrs between the Mt Hua and Zhongnan sects. - From the strict training regime under ML over the last few months, the 3rd grade disciples have become much stronger physically. - ML changes the training for the contest and has the 3rd grade disciples focus on their fundamental sword strokes with their enhanced strength as the basis. He adds the spirit of having a mortal blow mentality with each strike (ie the mindset of dying if you’re unable to defeat your opponent with a single attack). - Iseol Yu saw ML while he was secretly training. She pesters him to teach her but he refuses. - Baekcheon sees ML as a threat to his position and status in the Mt Hua sect. He has the 2nd grade disciples constantly bully and harass the 3rd grade disciples. - Baekcheon misunderstood when he sees Iseol Yu fighting ML one night in a secluded area. Iseol Yu was trying to force ML to teach her by fighting him. Baekcheon attacks ML but is knocked out with one punch. Baekcheon asks ML to help him grow stronger. - Seung Sama, Elder of the Zhongnan sect. - Geumryong Jin, 2nd grade disciple of the Zhongnan sect. - Seohan Jong, 2nd grade disciple of the Zhongnan sect. - Isongbaek is among the large group of disciples from the Zhongnan sect that arrive at Mt Hua for the contest. - The Zhongnan sect want this to be the last contest held. They plan to crush the Mt Hua sect completely to show off their dominance in the Shaanxi province. - Baekcheon is Geumryong Jin’s younger half brother. - Baekcheon’s real name is Dongryong Jin. He joined the Mt Hua sect to spite Geumryong who hates Mt Hua. - ML secretly asked Master Hwang to invite famous and influential people as spectators for the contest. - All 10 of the 2nd grade matches end in defeat for Mt Hua. - At the start of the 3rd grade matches, ML destroys his opponent. - The remaining 9 matches are won by the Mt Hua sect. This is because the Zhongnan sect didn't ground their disciples in the basics before teaching them more complicated techniques. - The contest is a draw with 10 matches won by each sect. ML challenges the 2nd grade disciples of the Zhongnan sect to fight him. As ML defeats them one by one, he shows the true strength and power of the Mt Hua sect techniques. - ML defeats 9 of the Zhongnan 2nd grade disciples. - ML’s last opponent is Geumryong Jin.

Read ch 81 as of 06/10/20 - FL reborn as outcast princess baby. Meets cold emperor father as toddler & attempts to build good relations as she grows up. - Support FL believes she is half-sister of main FL princess. More likely daughter of fake death older brother to Emperor. Use of black magic implied. - Emperor suffers amnesia after unexplained magic incident. Relations revert to bad with main FL.

Ch 77 as of 06/07/22 - rate 3.5 so far ** End of season 1, Ch 53 - FL died in a car accident. She is reborn in the world of an incomplete webnovel as the villainess, Juvelian Elois Floyen 18yo. - It’s a year before the death of the original Juvelian. - The original Juvelian had no social skills and no friends, the lonely outcast of high society. All she ever wanted was to be loved and she craved affection. Her mother Amelia Norah Floyen died young. - Duke Legis Adrei Floyen 39yo is her strict and cold father who is often away from home. He ignored his daughter for most of her life and never attended any social events with her. - Marquis Mikhail Albert Hessen - He’s the male protagonist in the webnovel. - Mikhail is an imperial knight who reports to the Duke. - When Mikhail showed some kindness to the original FL at her debutante ball, she became obsessed with him and stalked him. - FL was notorious for bullying any woman who approached him. - After a 2yr relationship, the reborn FL breaks up with Mikhail and apologises for everything. FL knows he’s in love with Princess Beatrice Evelyn Ashet, daughter of the current Empress Isabelle. - Beatrice is the female protagonist of the webnovel. - Mikhail is so conceited due to FL’s (past) obsession for him, that he doesn’t believe FL has changed. He thinks she’s just using their breakup as an attention seeking tactic. He’s an egotistical, manipulative bastard who takes advantage of women. - In the webnovel, FL was falsely accused by Mikhail of poisoning the Princess at the ball for the Princess’ coming-of-age ceremony. FL was imprisoned by her father under orders from the Emperor. Her father gave her a dagger and told her to endure it. - FL killed herself before the Crown Prince could interrogate and torture her. The webnovel stopped updating from here. - The reborn FL wants to live a long and quiet life away from her father. She'll avoid her death by letting Mikhail go. FL tells her father that she broke up with Mikhail. She says she wants to marry someone who loves her and that she wants to be happy. - Duke Floyen is the only swordmaster in the country. - He stopped aging when he became a swordmaster at 26yo. - He is a war hero who secured a great victory 20yrs ago for the Ashet Empire. He is called the “god of war.” The Duke is the Commander of the Central Army and the Imperial Knights. - Crown Prince Maximillian (Max) Cassian Ashet 21yo - Max always wears a full-face helmet and body armour as the Crown Prince so no one recognises him when takes them off. - Max’ mother was the former Empress who died when he was a child. She was killed by the current Empress Isabelle Rostie Ashet, who is still trying to kill Max. His mother asked the Duke to protect Max. The Duke secretly trained Max in swordsmanship for 10yrs. - NB: Dame Julia was the knight captain who guarded ML’s mother. Julia went missing when his mother died. Julia secretly works for Max now as Madam Freesia. - The Duke goes shopping with FL, their 1st ever outing together. He thinks she’s heartbroken about Mikhail and tries to cheer her up. Without telling FL why, he buys everything she looks at. - FL meets Max for the 1st time by accident at an armour shop. - At the end of the shopping trip, FL faints due to her weak body. She’s unconscious for 3 days and dreams that her father is anxiously waiting by her bedside. He is cold and curt when she wakes up. - Without the Duke’s money and property, FL realises she can’t even take care of herself. FL wants to improve herself, starting with her reputation and self study in preparation for becoming independent. The Duke sees the books she’s studying and tests her knowledge for 2hrs, then tells her to read about tactics and strategy. - That night, FL sees her father arguing with Max and hides. She doesn’t know that she is the precious being her father is referring to. Max thinks having someone like FL to protect is a weakness, whereas the Duke says a person can become stronger to protect that weakness. The Duke warns Max not to hurt FL. - FL is invited to Rosemary Arlo’s 17th bday banquet. - Rosemary is the daughter of a Count. She always admired FL but was ignored by the original FL. She’s delighted when FL accepts her invitation with a reply letter decorated by FL with some flowers and ribbon. It becomes a trend among the young ladies. - When Mikhail hears FL will attend Rosemary’s party, he decides to attend as well. - Ian Fedor, a struggling craftsman who took over the family business from his father. FL knows from the webnovel he will become famous as the best craftsman in the Empire. FL visits his workshop and says she has faith in him. She commissions him to create a gift for Rosemary Arlo. It’s a portable powder compact and a 2nd one is made for FL. - 20yrs ago there was a war between the Ashet Empire and the Tejeria kingdom. The young Emperor was a coward who ran away to hide at the peak of the war, while the Duke bravely protected the Empire. The Emperor wasn’t dethroned after the war as the Duke declared his support for the Emperor. - The Empire’s citizens disapprove of and resent the Emperor as they still think he is a coward. The Emperor keeps trying to restrict the influence and popularity of the Duke among the people. - The Emperor seems to be blackmailing the Duke with FL’s life. - The Emperor makes the Duke stay at the palace for a few days to investigate an assassination attempt. The Duke already knows Max is the culprit. Max wanted to cause a conflict between the Duke and the Emperor. - Max secretly enters FL’s room at night to kill her. By removing FL who makes the Duke weak, Max hopes to get the Duke to overthrow the Emperor with him. The Emperor uses FL as the Duke’s weakness to control the Duke as the Emperor’s dog. - FL wakes up, shows no fear and remains calm as she knows it’s not her time to die yet. She trusts Max as he’s a student of the Duke. - FL invites Max to stay for awhile when he says he has no home. Unusually Max lets down his guard and falls asleep next to the already sleeping FL. - Max’ rude, aggressive behaviour and defensive personality remind FL of the stray black cat the original Juvelian knew as a child. - NB: FL seems to have retained the memories of the original Juvelian (?) - Max feels bad about bruising FL’s shoulder and wrist when he grabbed them earlier after she tried to wake him up. He hates cucumber but eats cucumber sandwiches with her as she loves them. - After spending time with FL, Max realises she doesn’t know how much her father cares for her and how he’s willing to sacrifice everything for her. - A messenger from Madam Freesia comes for Max in FL’s room and says it’s time for him to return to the palace. (Another of Max’ subordinates called Victor has been Max’s body double at the palace, wearing his helmet and armour). Max leaves a note for FL to not look for him and that he’ll come back again. - The Duke is secretly trying to find FL a new suitor. He’s also burning any mail from Mikhail and keeping this from FL. - FL sees the list of potential suitors in her father’s study. - She’s horrified the Crown Prince is on that list as she thinks he’s a ruthless killer and a psychopath (the Duke actually asked for Max to be taken off the list). FL doesn’t know Max and the Crown Prince are the same person. - The Duke returns from the palace earlier than expected. He says to FL that he’ll never leave her alone again, after he heard (incorrect) reports that she was missing him terribly. The servants misinterpreted FL staying in her room while Max was there as FL being too depressed because the Duke was away. - Madam Julia Freesia, Max’ subordinate. She’s possibly from the Herend family, ie the family of Max’ mother (?) - Freesia is the owner of Salon Blooms which is secretly also an info guild (set up by Max?). The salon guests wear masks and share the latest news and gossip. Through Freesia, both the Duke and Max are monitoring the rumours in high society about FL and her potential escort to Rosemary Arlo’s party. - Sir Radian Droil, Mikhail’s cousin. - Radian is a notorious gossip known as the Venomous Mouth. - He is the one who spread a false scandalous rumour that FL has a secret lover after seeing her buy blue diamond cufflinks. - Mikhail was furious when he heard the rumour from Radian. - Max enters FL’s room from the window again. She confides in him that the rumours have scared off her potential escorts to the party (unknown to FL, the Duke scared them off). - FL wanted to arrange her own escort to prevent the Duke from introducing her to the person he wants her to marry. - Max tries to hint to FL that he could escort her. - Instead FL thinks of asking Sir Gellordin / Geraldine Floyen, her maternal cousin and knight, to be her escort. - FL gives Max some money (as she thinks he’s a poor mercenary) and says if he has nowhere to go, he can come to her. - FL returns a pendant to the Duke that she found in a book. The gem in the pendant looks similar to a ring worn by the Emperor (?) - The Duke agrees to be FL’s escort after receiving the cufflinks. - He thought she was asking him to be her escort. - Max orders Madam Freesia to attend the party to help FL. At the party Freesia tries to keep the gossip about FL under control. - Rosemary Arlo’s 17th bday banquet: (Ch 24) - The gathered nobles are ready to tear FL to shreds. They’re silenced when they see the Duke as her surprise escort and he’s wearing the cufflinks mentioned in the rumours. FL’s gift to Rosemary causes a sensation at the party. FL promotes Ian Fedor’s workshop where it was made. - FL takes a break away from the other guests and is approached by Max who was observing secretly. He offers to dance with her as the Duke scared away everyone else, including Mikhail. - The Duke sees them dancing from afar. When FL stumbles, he dashes over to where they are in the garden area. - The Duke is furious when he sees Max. He carries FL with her injured foot through the party and directly to the carriage. - When FL is called an attention seeker, Rosemary reminds everyone that FL has always had a weak constitution. - Mikhail starts to rethink the times when FL struggled to keep up with him. He thought she was faking it to get his attention but it really was due to her weak body. - After the party, FL is inundated with social invitations. - Max can’t stop thinking about FL, and comes looking for FL again in her room. She surprises him by asking to date, but she actually wants just a contract relationship with him. She wants to show the Duke that she’s already going out with someone before he can bring up the arranged marriage. The contract relationship ends when she moves out and becomes independent. - Max is shocked to hear from FL that the Crown Prince is the marriage partner the Duke wants for her. She still doesn’t know Max’s true identity. She says she’d rather run away and live alone forever than marry a sadistic tyrant. It upsets ML to know FL hates him so much and he leaves. - Worried after seeing FL with Max at Rosemary’s party, the Duke suggests FL learn more about the Crown Prince. She takes this to mean she’s expected to marry him. Ironically both the Duke and FL want to keep the Crown Prince away from her. - Veronica Joanna Terence, daughter of a Count. - She has feelings for Mikhail and hates FL. - FL accepts an invitation from Rosemary to a tea party hosted by Veronica. When Mikhail finds out, he asks Veronica to let him attend too. - (NB: commoners have no say against nobles) - While in town to commission a dress for the tea party, FL sees Max arguing with Baron Gordon. She intervenes by using her father’s name and claims Max is her personal guard. She makes the Baron apologise to Max. - Max agrees to a contract relationship with FL. - He heard from Freesia that Mikhail is also attending the tea party and Max wants to protect FL from Mikhail. - When Max asks why FL chose him, she says it’s because he’s the Duke’s student and the only one that she’s comfortable enough with to ask. Max refuses any payment from FL for the contract relationship and he doesn’t want a written agreement. He trusts that she won’t try to take advantage of him. FL is touched as this is the first time anyone has trusted her so much (because of her villainess reputation). FL still insists on writing up a contract. - FL introduces Max as her lover and a commoner mercenary to Sir Geraldine and the other knights guarding her. She says she first met Max as a hired mercenary at a party where she saved him from some noble ladies. Max and FL met again at Rosemary’s party and just then in town so FL thought it was fate. Max is bemused when FL says she’ll protect him. - At home, FL introduces Max as the man she loves to her father. The Duke thinks Max is just using FL as a tool to make the Duke start a rebellion against the Emperor sooner. - Max has a violent, brutal nature and the Duke is concerned FL will be badly hurt by Max once she’s served her purpose. - When FL asks for the Duke’s blessing, he refuses and tells them to break up. Max refuses to do so. - Max reminds the Duke of what he said before: the sword exists to protect those precious to you. People get stronger because they have to protect that weakness. Max says he’s found someone precious that he wants to protect. FL has become his weakness. - As they continue to disagree, the Duke and Max sever their master-student relationship. FL convinces Max to apologise first but the Duke won’t accept it. This confirms to Max that FL misunderstood her father wanting to marry her off to the Crown Prince, as the Duke would never allow it in the first place. - After FL begs for forgiveness on her knees, both men calm down. The Duke forgives Max and allows their relationship, but only so he can slowly reveal to FL what Max’s true nature is like. - In FL’s room, Max and FL discuss their contract. - Max rips up the written contract that FL had just worked so hard on. She declares they should end the contract now as she can’t be with someone who can’t compromise and doesn’t respect her opinion. In the end Max apologises and signs the rewritten contract. He doesn’t want to stop seeing FL. - Veronica’s tea party: - Mikhail enters with Veronica as her surprise escort. - Then FL arrives with her surprise escort Max, who is introduced as her lover. FL doesn’t react at all to Mikhail’s attempts to provoke her as he openly flirts with Veronica. Only FL and Mikhail notice Max watching from a tree outside. Max had snuck out of the guest room at Veronica’s place. - While distracted by Max, FL agrees to host the next tea party for the ladies. She’s expected to introduce a new special tea to meet the requirements of joining their tea tasting group. - Veronica and FL speak privately about Mikhail. FL is worried that he’s taking advantage of Veronica like he did with FL in the past. - Mikhail goes outside to confront Max who knees Mikhail in the stomach before he can draw his sword. Mikhail then holds his sword to Max’s throat just as FL comes outside with the other ladies after hearing the commotion. She calls out to Mikhail to drop his sword. She says Mikhail should be ashamed as an imperial knight and she threatens to tell the Duke. - As FL and Max try to leave, Mikhail grabs FL by her arm. - FL commands Mikhail to unhand her and he lets go. - FL tells Mikhail that she doesn't love him and has no interest in him anymore. She no longer wants to be involved with him. - The tea party ends and Mikhail roughly pushes aside Veronica when she tries to cling to him. - In the carriage, FL asks Max to be careful around nobles. Commoners like Max can’t insult nobles otherwise they die. She’s worried about him being overconfident about his abilities. If he makes too many enemies, he could die in a moment of weakness like what happened to the original FL in the webnovel. - After dinner, the Duke speaks privately with Max. The Duke expresses his doubts about their relationship. Max confesses that he loves FL. He feels at ease around her and doesn’t want her to leave him. Max has no intention of breaking up with FL. - Max decides to rehabilitate his image as the Crown Prince. - He returns to the palace and hears that Margrave Lennox at the southern border is raising a large army. The Emperor suspects Lennox of planning a rebellion. The Duke doesn’t doubt Lennox’ loyalty and thinks Lennox is preparing for the possibility of an invasion by the neighbouring country of Rhagon. - Max arranges a meeting with Lennox. Max wants to use the opportunity of a potential war with Rhagon to become a hero who wins the hearts of the Empire’s people. He also wants to gain the support of the south without the Emperor noticing. - FL’s tea party with the tasting group: - The Duke makes a surprise appearance to greet FL’s guests. Max arrives later and joins them. The ladies gossip about the Crown Prince and repeat the horrible rumours about him (spread by Empress Isabelle). No lady wants to be selected as a Crown Princess candidate. - FL gently reminds everyone it’s not fair to judge someone you haven’t met based on rumours. FL said this to prevent the Crown Prince from killing everyone for slander. Rosemary and the other ladies say they were scared of FL due to the rumours about her until they met FL and got to know her. - The ladies are impressed with FL’s innovative rose-scented tea. - FL is welcomed as the newest member of the tasting group. - FL is relieved to have these ladies on her side. In the novel, they become close friends with Princess Beatrice and accuse FL of poisoning the Princess. - After the tea party, FL worries about her ability to socialise well as an introvert. Max says she’ll be fine and she just needs to believe in herself. Max sees similarities between himself and FL as they’re both outcasts and the subjects of malicious rumours. - 13yrs ago when FL was 5yo, the Duke arrived home covered in blood from doing his work as the Emperor’s dog. He felt his life was a living hell. He wanted to die so he could see his wife again. FL came to keep him company. She was his only comfort and his saviour. He has always loved her and would do anything for her. She is his treasure and his reason to live. - 13yrs ago when Max was 8yo, bloody corpses of several animals were found in his room. Isabelle was behind this and she spread nasty rumours that Max was a demon who tortured and killed animals. When his mother forbade him from entering her residence, Max thought it was because of the rumours. The real reason was she wanted to protect him as there could be poison. She says she trusts Max, and he was comforted and reassured by her. - Max tells FL that he has a job to do and will be away for awhile. - In the 2mths after FL’s tea party, FL has been to 4 tea parties and become close with the other ladies. - There is alarming news that Rhagon has declared war, but this is followed by news that a great victory has already been achieved by the Crown Prince. He rode into the enemy camp and beheaded the enemy commander, thereby ending the war. There’ll be a victory ball to celebrate. - FL is visiting a temple with Veronica. - FL is shocked to hear about the Crown Prince’s victory over Rhagon. In the webnovel, the Duke was supposed to win the war. She’s worried her life will be in danger at the victory ball. - A mysterious priest suddenly grabs FL’s hand and calls FL “the time traveller”. The priest feels a tragic sadness and sacrifice by someone who loves FL. The priest hopes he survives this time. (TBC refers to the Duke) - FL accidentally bumps into a crying woman at the temple. - FL doesn’t recognise Princess Beatrice and tries to comfort her. - The Princess is crying tears of frustration over the expectations of her mother who wishes Beatrice was a son, and over Max who blocks her path to greatness. Beatrice is under immense pressure to be perfect from her mother. - The Duke secretly meets with a wandering mage who has been exiled from the Empire (?). The mage knew Amelia and he also knows that FL has lost all of her childhood memories. The Duke asks the mage to find out everything about the “Circe’s Eye” ring. - (The Emperor’s ring and the Duke’s matching pendant: are they artifacts from the 1st Emperor who was an archmage?) - Max finally returns and goes to FL’s room. She’s half asleep and thinks it’s a dream. She cries from her worries and fears over Max who promises to write next time. He embraces her and says he will be by her side from now on. She won’t let him leave so he stays the night. In the morning, FL is shocked to find it wasn’t a dream and Max is sleeping beside her. - While visiting Amelia’s grave, the Duke recalls his past life memories when he was distraught after FL killed herself. He blamed himself for her death then and promised to protect her in his next life … did the Duke use the pendant to turn back time (?) - After finding the original FL’s body, did the Duke kill everyone at the ball who accused her, including Mikhail and the Emperor? - Emperor Darius Cheperon Ashet, Max’ father. - To keep Max in check, the Emperor makes Beatrice the host of the victory ball as it clashed with her coming-of-age ceremony. The public already think of Max as a hero instead of a tyrant. Empress Isabelle tells Beatrice to ensure the ball is a success and to make Max look like a lunatic. Beatrice and Max hate each other. - The Duke and FL arrive at the ball and greet the Emperor and Empress. It’s the first time FL has visited the palace since she was reborn. At the ball she’ll have to face everyone who was responsible for the death of the original Juvelian. - Max arrives at the ball as the Crown Prince. He’s wearing a mask from Beatrice who told him it would be a masquerade ball. He claims the mask also hides an injury from the war. - When FL is on her way to a private lounge to rest, she sees Beatrice crying. To avoid the imperial knights looking for her, Beatrice takes FL with her to another private area. - Beatrice is crying because her parents won’t acknowledge her despite her best efforts. FL says the Princess doesn’t need the acknowledgement of others. FL used to base her self-worth on how other people saw her. Now she’s the one who decides what she’s worth. Her actions based on her own thoughts make her who she is. - Just as Beatrice and FL are about to return to the ballroom, they come face-to-face with Max as the Crown Prince. Beatrice leaves while Max escorts FL back. The Duke sees FL and they leave the ball together. - Giselle Maria Hessen, Mikhail’s sister. - Patricia Lynn Hessen, Mikhail’s mother. - Romeo Hans Hessen, Mikhail’s father. - Mikhail has been holed up in his room obsessing over FL. - All letters to FL from Mikhail and his family are burnt upon delivery. Patricia uses Viscount Mersha’s name to send a letter to FL and threatens to publicly expose FL’s lover if FL doesn’t meet her. - At their meeting, FL realises Patricia knows nothing about Max and gets up to leave. Patricia tries to stop FL but FL’s maid intervenes. Patricia slaps and injures the face of FL’s maid for her insolence. FL agrees to visit Mikhail and slaps Giselle for her insolence. In the past FL brought expensive gifts and jewellery for the Hessens and Giselle was disappointed FL came empty handed. - FL brought a dagger and starts destroying all of the expensive items on display that she gave as gifts. Mikhail comes out to see FL. He apologises for everything and declares his love for her. - FL says she just came to settle matters with his family. She and Mikhail are now strangers. Max is her lover now. - Max was sent by the Duke to protect FL. - FL had sent Sir Geraldine away to take her maid to see a doctor. - Max pushes back Mikhail after he grabbed FL. - Mikhail says he wants FL because he sees her as his sole possession. She became his accessory as she was always by his side. FL slaps Mikhail and calls him trash for interpreting her genuine love for him that way. - Mikhail tries to hit FL so Max beats him up until FL asks Max to stop. Sir Geraldine arrives and takes over from Max. - In the carriage FL thanks Max for his help. Max asks FL if they could stop the contract and he confesses he loves her. He wants to have a real relationship with her. FL asks for time to think it over. - Back at the Floyen estate, FL explains what happened to the Duke. She talks about Mikhail and starts to cry. He is furious at Mikhail and rides off to the Hessens right away. The Duke starts destroying the Hessen mansion with his fists and he warns the Hessens to stay away from FL. He knew how the Hessens treated her in the past but he didn’t do anything then as that’s what she wanted. - When the Duke returns home, FL thanks him for taking her side. The Duke says he has always been on her side. She thought he’d given up on her and would throw her away some day. He apologises for making her think that way. - The Emperor’s Shadows: an elite force (under Count Pyrex?) who do most of the dirty work for the Emperor. - Count Pyrex is ordered to find “them” (?) - The Duke captured one of the Shadows at the Floyen estate one night. He tells Max that the Shadows are following himself and FL. He pleads with Max to ensure FL’s safety. - FL receives a custom order from Ian Fedor. It’s a whistle disguised as a bird pendant that FL will use for self defence. Max visits FL and she tests the whistle out with him. He promises to come whenever she calls. - Mikhail approaches Empress Isabelle to offer his support. - He will keep her secret that she is pregnant, which he heard from a relative who is her personal physician. The priests predict her child will be a boy. - Empress Isabelle tells Beatrice to take Mikhail as her escort for her coming-of-age ceremony. The Emperor suggests the King of Rhagon as Beatrice’s partner. To avoid being used as a pawn by her parents for political purposes, Beatrice asks Max to be her escort. - The ball for Beatrice’s coming-of-age ceremony: - Empress Isabelle tries to get Beatrice to have the 1st dance with Mikhail. Beatrice rejects him after Max creates a diversion by making a waiter drop their drinks tray. - The Shadow Room: a special prison cell in the imperial palace where neither mana or sword aura works. It’s a room that no one can leave aside from the imperial family. - The magic stone in the Emperor’s ring is called Circe’s Eye. The ring was made by the goddess of magic. An assistant mage helped to make the contract between the Duke and the ring, as the Emperor has no magic power. That assistant mage killed himself. - The Duke thinks the Emperor’s secrets could be hiding in the Shadow Room. - Beatrice and FL leave the ballroom to have tea together. Mikhail is waiting outside of Beatrice’s room. When FL and Beatrice refuse to cooperate with him, Mikhail gets the guards to separate them and says it’s under the Empress’ orders. FL uses her whistle that’s on a necklace. Mikhail rips it from her throat and throws it away. - Max as the masked Crown Prince comes to the rescue. - He knocks out all of the guards and holds a sword to Mikhail’s throat. Beatrice and FL stop Max from killing Mikhail. - Beatrice goes to deal with Empress Isabelle. Max takes FL back to the ballroom where she surprises him by asking to dance. - FL finally realised Max and the Crown Prince are the same person when he came after she blew the whistle. FL calls “Max” to the Crown Prince while they dance. They go to a terrace to speak privately. Because Max lied about being the Crown Prince, FL rejects his confession. - As FL turns to go, Max falls to his knees and begs her not to leave him. He couldn’t say he was the Crown Prince as she was so scared of him. She takes off his mask and he says he loves her as he cries. She kisses his forehead, then they have their 1st kiss. (Ch 74) - David von Tess (Devin?), the Floyen duchy mage reported dead 10yrs ago. He’s a relative of Amelia (?). He’s the wandering mage the Duke met before. Over the years, the Duke has secretly helped mages leave the Empire by reporting them as dead to the Emperor. - Meanwhile the Duke is in the underground prison of the imperial palace. He’s there to meet David to investigate the Shadow Room. It’s a trap and David has already been captured by Count Pyrex and the Emperor. The Duke is taken by Count Pyrex to the Shadow Room where the Emperor is with David who is tied up. - The Emperor takes mana from mages so he can use the ring on the Duke. After activating the ring, the Emperor orders the Duke to kill David. The memories of Amelia help the Duke to resist and he stabs himself. The Duke frees David, telling him to run away. - The Duke distances himself from FL again. - Max confirms with FL that the Duke loves her very much.

Ch 154 as of 20/05/21 - Rate 3.5 to 4 ** main story ended ch 147, side stories read 07/11/21 - Last memory before she died in modern Korea, FL was chatting w/ someone before she was pushed off the top of a building. - FL reborn into a family who are nouveaux riche, oil baron. Warm loving family, cute lil sister Rosemary. - ML finds opportunities to interact w/ and get closer to her family, ie when her mum hosted a neighbourhood tea party; when Rosemary was lost at the festival. - FL breaks off engagement to Marquis Francis Brookes to avoid death from arsenic poisoning by his hands. - FL makes deal w/ ML (Duke Noah) to be engaged for 6mths - Adam Taylor (18yo master swordsman) assigned as guard for FL - FL moves in w/ ML for bridal lessons before their engagement announcement and ceremony - attempted kidnapping of FL by ex-fiancé - As part of their deal, ML has FL connect with social circle of old nobles’ wives (ie via Lady Pryse Eriteal) - Monster hunt tournament: lady presented with largest / most impressive catch is sent to temple to light torch. ML and Adam catch a Cryodrider beast for FL. - NB: FL talented w/ all foreign languages, also excellent shooter - Vivian Shamall, villainess and King’s fiancé - Justin Shamall, 1st Division Chief / Captain of Royal Guard (blonde hair). Met FL by chance and later picked up her emerald ring. Get on very well from start. Love rival w/ ML. - Count Keith Westernberg, aide to ML - Beatrice Tranchett, protagonist (now villain trying to kill FL) - Temple legend and Deputy Minister, Hiika Demingger / Deminte (150 yrs old). Hiika saves FL from exploding jewel (left by Vivian). Hiika wants to adopt FL as his grand-daughter, blessed FL during torch lighting ceremony. - ML expresses strong feelings for FL ie fear of losing her - King Saitreya / Saithrich, older brother of ML. He injured his foot and walks w/ a cane. King tricks FL to live at palace (under his care), at 1st as a joke but she’s good at games, has good ideas and amuses him. - Countess Naomi O’Brien, King’s aide - 1st Royal Concubine to the King, Soroso Charmers. Prince Seymour is her son. - Countess Chloe Larkin (ex-lover of Justin Shamall, married to someone else) - FL collapsed for 10 days, possibly due to black magic, tied to her soul from another world being unstable in that body. As a result her body rejects divine power like a sieve. She shares her story w/ Hiika who warns her that this needs to be solved soon or else no guarantees she’ll ever wake up if she collapses again. - NB: Beatrice seems to have same symptoms ** - FL asks around for clues to any odd behaviour of hers before she was reborn. She discovers she used to visit a fortune teller often in town but that person died. - FL looks for clues in books on “Catholicism” and the Black Vestal - FL saves life of infant Prince Seymour from Count Bennett, who had been behind attempt to kill King - Linyang delegation to palace, incl dancers, divine beast (young dragon). FL acts as translator for them. - Royal Guard (Justin) vs Public Order (ML) - Over dinner during the festivities, ML gives a new engagement ring to FL and confesses his love for her. - Bombs by radical extremists on Tournament Day interrupts a sparring match between Justin and ML, FL gives a tip-off to ML that the terrorist leaders are hiding in the sewers. While shielding FL from a suicide bomber, ML loses an arm. FL shares her story w/ him to explain everything and finally confesses her love for him too. She uses a magic bell gifted by Hiika to restore his arm. - Geonguk Ball: after Vivian’s attempt to poison FL fails, Beatrice reveals herself and w/ Vivian tries to use fire to kill FL. Afterwards Justin picks up an almost empty vial of what looks like poison. - Duke Aaron Blake, head of old nobles. Beatrice, adopted daughter - ML secretly attacks decoy Blake carriage, but Duke Aaron points finger at ML and pressures him to leave and take command of the border war. FL gives insider knowledge to ML about the depleted resources which stalls the war and avoids future conflict. - ML and FL finally sleep together ** (ch 130-131) - FL attends a tea party to confront Beatrice and Vivian. They hurriedly leave after FL whispers “Raeliana” to Beatrice. - The King, ML, FL and Justin meet to discuss and share info to stop any further attempts to harm FL by Beatrice and Vivian. - Iosa Ven, dark sorceress and prisoner at St Belle found by ML for FL. Iosa offers to help FL regain some of her body’s memories (it’s sketchy and it’ll hurt). On the last attempt before she leaves, Iosa reminds FL to “kill the brunette”. - Hoping to use King’s wedding as an opportunity to corner Beatrice, instead Vivian is killed w/ FL accused. She faints just before Hiika arrives and he is able to prove Beatrice as the killer w/ a spell identifying her as the signatory for the receipt of the exploding jewel. - Beatrice escapes before they can arrest her, taking the still unconscious FL w/ her. FL wakes up in time to stop Beatrice from stabbing her. ML arrives to help. In the end FL shoots Beatrice as only one of them can live. - Last burst of memories showed a woman who granted FL’s wish of college acceptance before pushing her to her death, calling her “Beatrice”. The original Raeliana was convinced by the fortune teller to do the body / soul swaps to have the destiny she wanted, even if it meant taking someone else’s. - side stories: Justin, wedding, birth of daughter - imply the MCs meet again in their next life?

Ch 72 as of 31/12/21 - Rate 3.5 - FL died in South Korea during a fire that burned down her orphanage. She’s reborn as Leticia who works as a maid for her uncle’s family, the Greys after her parents died in an accident in the north. She’s sent as the 12yo child bride to repay a pledge to (ML) Lord Halstead who saved the life of FL’s uncle while he was searching for FL’s inheritance papers in the north. - Lord Erden Halstead 15yo is known as the Monster Lord and Guardian of the North. His parents were killed by demons. - The 3 Demon Grannies are Alexa the butler, Vastian / Bastian the nanny, and Casaro the cook. - ML and the grannies saved FL from imps. FL managed earlier to use one of the butane gas spray cans from the imps to cause an explosion. - ML left with some soldiers to dispose of monsters nearby. The castle is attacked by giant ants. FL wants to protect everyone and sees butane gas spray cans in storage. She shares her idea with the grannies and they manage to annihilate the ants including their Queen with no casualties. - ML and FL have their engagement ceremony. - ML takes FL to the family treasure room and shows her the Great Book of Secrets. It’s a very old book written by a great sage on conquering demons. No one can read it. FL is surprised to find it’s written in Korean. The great sage used objects from his world and the strategy of contemporary capitalism to conquer demons. - FL shares her secret with ML that she recalls memories from her past life. He promises to keep her secret, as she could be burnt at the stake as a witch by the temple if they knew. - ML also shares his secret that his heart is the artifact (ie a type of magic stone) of Halstead castle. All castles have an artifact as the core power. - ML decides to leave on a journey to find the other parts to the Book of Secrets. He’s unsure how long it will take but FL promises to wait for him. She gives him a prayer tie she made before he leaves. The artifact from the ant queen, Tirua’s Tear, has the powers of concealment and oblivion. This artifact is used to hide Halstead castle while ML is away. - 7yrs later, at a demon night market FL overhears Curax the Verosa stone golem and his tribesmen plan to attack Halstead. The power of the artifact Tirua’s Tear is starting to weaken. - FL tricks 100 of the tribesmen by relying on their stupidity and greed so they kill eachother. FL shoots an arrow to kill the last one. They collect the 100 life stones left behind. - The power is drained from Tirua’s Tear and the castle is revealed. Curax attacks even with the 100 tribesmen gone. FL and everyone in the castle fight to the point of exhaustion and night has fallen. FL orders the evacuation of the castle and just before all is lost, a four winged dragon (the symbol of Halstead) appears in the sky. ML and his men arrive back just in time. - Through both ML and FL’s efforts, Curax is killed with a final blow to the head with a sword by FL. The remaining tribesmen flee. - FL amazes everyone with how quickly she befriends the young dragon. It won’t allow a saddle but it easily accepts FL riding on its back. Eventually the dragon allows both FL and ML to ride together. - FL and ML plan to attack Balotsa / Valossa castle as the lord there gave support to Curax. They scare the stone golem guards around Balotsa to run away after encountering the dragon and FL acting as a great devil. The lord of Balotsa is Curax’ father and he immediately surrenders then takes FL and ML underground to where the artifact is. It’s a trick as the artifact has the ability to release magic. ML kills the lord but his mask is destroyed. FL discovers the incredibly handsome face of ML. - ML is under an ancient curse. FL is given a mental warning not to tell him the truth or he might die. - Valhanas becomes the dragon’s name, taken from Balotsa’s artifact. ML and FL find many glass butterflies caged deep in the cave. They set them free. - ML and FL are invited to a ball at Baisen / Weissen castle. - The Weissen family are known to be experienced demon hunters. - The Weissen castle has a powerful artifact that cancels out the power of all demons and monsters. All mana is stopped and no magic works. - On the way to the ball, ML tells FL about a casino nearby called the Crystal Palace run by the Grand Devil Belaire / Belial. FL wants to make a detour and visit it. She had a mask made for herself to match ML and be more like a Halstead. - Entry to the Crystal Palace is via a dimensional gap in a pond with an old withered tree. The entry fee is an object from another world. FL demonstrates the value of the Polaroid camera brought by a desert / sand cat couple and she’s allowed to enter with ML. They are shown to a VIP room thanks to FL’s knowledge of the advanced civilisation from her past life. - FL and ML overhear the great demons discussing the “Valossa door” and their business alliance with Weissen castle. There’s also a plan to destroy Halstead castle while FL and ML are away at the ball. FL had suspected an attack might happen and asked Alexa to prepare for it, using Valhanas to counterattack. - At the ball, FL stands up against the nobles who try to bully and harass her. She proudly proclaims her stance as a Halstead. - FL and ML follow Count Weissen to an underground chamber where he contacts Belaire. Valhanas had mentioned FL while driving away the demon attack. Count Weissen is told to seduce FL and bring her to their side. - After the Count leaves, FL and ML check the Weissen artifact. It has lost much power as the Count has become corrupt. If Weissen fall, the northern defense line will collapse which puts the whole continent in danger. To save Weissen, FL allows the Count to approach her and she proposes for him to become a double agent. She promises him good profits if he helps her to rob the devils. - From the Great Book of Secrets, FL reads about the “crack in the dimension” and how the Great Sage created a doorway there with the help of other wizards. If you call out the original name of an item from the other world, it will appear within the day. FL thinks this refers to the Valossa door and she goes to test this out. - FL has the idea to launch a commercial war against Belaire. She orders “cat-chu” through the door, a cat treat irresistible to cats. She then opens a restaurant near the Crystal Palace and uses cat-chu in the stew. The sand cats are lured by the smell and soon the restaurant becomes very popular. This aversely affects the business of the Crystal Palace. The aim is to provoke Belaire, a devil of wealth. - To booster the forces of Halstead and Valossa, FL and ML create baby stone golems from the hatchery in Valossa. They used the lifestones they’d collected from their battle against the stone golems. Warriors that Erden met while travelling in the dark lands agree to help babysit the newborn stone golems. - Belaire kidnaps FL and wants to buy the stew recipe. He tries to enchant her with his beauty, but it doesn’t work as she’s immune thanks to ML’s handsome face. Valhanas and ML rescue FL from the Diamond Castle. - ML doesn’t want to put FL in danger and keeps wanting to divorce (apparently they were registered as married when they became adults). He presents her with the divorce papers, but FL says it’s not fair that he’s the one deciding on his own. They agree to hold off for now until after the matter with Belaire is settled. FL says as long as ML is by her side, she’ll be safe. - Through the restaurant, FL creates a new currency system using contracts, which are converted into coins. She tricks Belaire into believing he can dominate the market with it and has him invest all of his assets into the new currency after signing a contract. She raises the commission without notice which rigs the market, and secures all of Belaire’s assets in contracts through predatory lending and fraud. - Belaire is outraged and takes FL to the supreme devils court. The judges applaud FL for her brilliance. They strip Belaire of his Grand Devil status. FL is told she has great capabilities to become a devil. If she becomes one, she won’t have to be afraid of fire anymore. - The human souls enslaved by Belaire are freed now thanks to FL. With Crystal Palace and the Diamond Castle now theirs, FL and ML have become incredibly wealthy. Everyone in Halstead receives a large cash bonus. ML presents a necklace as a bday gift to FL. ( end of Season 1 ) - ch 1 to ch 50 - Belaire is now a lower demon and wants FL to hire him as a working demon. He does good deeds to prove that he’s worth being hired but it makes him shrink in size. - FL tasks Belaire with spreading false rumours about her planning to conquer the continent among the lower demons. This is to stop them causing trouble against the humans after the restaurant and Crystal Palace closed. - Saintess Bestia of Abados is actually a great demon called Mephistelles. She may have an object called the “infinite stack room” that could help in breaking ML’s curse. - FL and ML search for the artifact of Diamond Castle. The Halsteads are connected to the history of the castle and they use the replica sword of the 1st Halstead to open a secret chamber. The artifact found is the “veil of ignorance” and can create any type of disguise. - Since the defeat of Belaire, the rumour of FL divorcing ML has spread among the nobility. Many suitors want to meet FL and demand to know when the divorce will be finalised. - ML declares they won’t divorce as he doesn’t want FL to be involved with such greedy men. FL mentions Abados to show other territories besides the north can have demons. FL and ML will go to Abados to show they can protect the whole continent beyond the north. - ML and FL use the veil of ignorance to change their appearance to ordinary commoners. They travel to Abados and on the way save a young lady about to be killed by a giant werewolf monster. FL uses a shotgun that she ordered through the Valossa door to kill the other monsters, called divine beasts of Bestia by the believers watching nearby. The young lady Olga and her family were accused of heresy and Olga was to be sacrificed. - Olga’s merchant family had to pretend to be believers in order to do business with Abados. When the other believers come, FL and ML use it as an opportunity to arrange a meeting with Bestia. - They are seen by Bestia as guests from Halstead. They wish to do business with the order and to become new members. - The slab which is the ‘holy object’ held by Bestia is actually an iPad and is also the infinite stack room. Just before their public baptism, FL announces she’s a holy messenger and she turns the iPad on. She uses Siri and speaks Korean as the language of god. FL and ML remove their disguises to increase the dramatic effect. Bestia is confused and bewildered as FL continues to undermine her credibility by questioning her actions like seizing property. The crowd of believers start calling Bestia a liar. - ML and FL are led away by Horace, the captain of the Abados knights and guardian of Bestia. ML recognises Horace as someone who fought alongside ML’s father. Horace knew from the start that Bestia was fake and he recognised the divine beasts as minions of demons he’d fought in the past. He asks FL and ML for help to save the people of Abados. - Valhanas and the 3 grannies arrive at Abados. - FL uses the iPad and signs into the demon network. She starts the Religion Maker game to confront Bestia. She begins to gather believers and establishes her shrine at Olga’s home. - FL confronts Bestia and accuses her of being a fake saint. She uses the live broadcast function of the iPad to share this across the territories. FL tells everyone that Bestia is really Mephistelles. As Bestia’s believers decrease, the harder it is for her to maintain her Saintess disguise. - FL’s game points have risen to the level of great demon. ML stays by her side and protects her soul from being degraded. This stops her from turning into a demon. - Valhanas blasts fire at Bestia and her true form as Mephistelles is revealed. The people of Abados realise they’ve been worshipping a demon. FL admits to all that she’s not a real saint either and apologises. Mephistelles is disqualified as a great demon and disappears as she’s summoned to the supreme devils court. - On behalf of the people of Abados, Horace asks ML and FL to rule and manage Abados under Halstead. They search for the artifact in the castle and find Pontium Chant, a holy statue that produces holy water that can defeat demons. FL gets ML to strip down and bathe in the water to see if it might break his curse, but it doesn’t. - Back at Halstead, FL receives even more letters from would-be suitors and ML burns them all. He tells her that if one territory owns more than 5 castles, the owner becomes a great lord and divorce is legally prohibited. This is to allow stable management of many territories. - FL finally asks ML what does he feel for her. She confesses her feelings, saying she likes him and wants to be with him for the rest of their lives. She will also break the curse. She calls him a bad guy for always bringing up divorce. All he has to do is stay with her and only look at her. ML says he will never let FL go, and promises to alway stay by her side. As they weep and embrace eachother, they finally kiss. (Ch 72)