The immediate aftermath of the slave collar's destruction is a spectacle of raw, unleashed vengeance. Joyce, no longer a slave but a force of nature, doesn't hesitate. She seizes an assassin's blade and plunges it into Nemus, her former master, savoring his pain as she twists the weapon in his gut and then brutally stabs him again and again. This isn't just killing; it's a meticulously enacted, deeply personal retribution, a face-slap to decades of abuse. The worldbuilding of Orwen, built on the exploitation of magic users like Joyce, is instantly turned on its head as she declares her intent to destroy the entire city. With Nemus and his attackers as blood sacrifices, she unleashes the "Inferno of Orwen," a magical plague that ignites mana and spreads uncontrollably, plunging the powerful magical city into chaos and fire. This power-revelation scene is chilling, showcasing Joyce's centuries of suppressed knowledge and her terrifying capacity for destruction. The emotional gut-punch comes from witnessing her smile as the city burns, a testament to the depth of her trauma and the ferocity of her newfound freedom. The unresolved thread is clear: Joyce has destroyed her prison, but now she is alone in a burning city, injured and exposed, with the entire Empire sure to investigate.

Joyce's survival from the Inferno of Orwen is miraculous, though she suffers severe burns. Her first priority is survival and resource acquisition, demonstrating a ruthless pragmatism born of her past. She loots Nemus's office for potions, tomes, and a spatial backpack—a rare, valuable artifact in this world. She even takes a dragonbone rib, a material Nemus couldn't shape, hinting at her superior magical understanding. Her healing process is self-administered, using alchemy to mend her flesh and restore her mana. The true horror of her liberation is underscored when she finds Nemus's children's charred bones and smiles, showing no remorse. Ambushed by Imperial soldiers, still weak and injured, she cunningly siphons mana from their captain by biting his hand, then brutally kills them all, even resorting to cannibalism (eating the captain's hand) to destroy evidence and survive. This scene firmly establishes her as a dangerous, amoral survivor. She then begins shaping the dragonbone into armor, a mask, and scales fused with her skin, demonstrating advanced magical craftsmanship far beyond local mages. This leads to the creation of "Spacial Inc." and Illum, a flying island headquarters, leveraging her unique knowledge of spatial magic to challenge the Consortium's monopoly on such technology. This audacious act of creating a mobile, self-sufficient base, funded by illicitly acquired resources and powered by her own ingenuity, immediately sets her against the established powers. Her defiance of local nobility, such as Baron Tarmo, solidifies her intent to operate as an independent force, leaving the Alliance's power structures reeling from her sudden emergence.

With Illum established, Joyce systematically destabilizes the global political landscape. She recruits workers by offering fair wages, challenging the exploitative feudal system, and then confronts Lord Hensworth, threatening to drop Illum on his mansion to secure her employees' freedom. This face-slapping moment establishes her willingness to use overwhelming force. She then uses a mind-controlled Pasley (a rapist from her new community, exiled to the zubi-infested Dead Mine) to lead a slave "Resistance" in the Sociocracy and Empire, sowing widespread chaos and accelerating a global war. Her actions lead to the destruction of Laos, a Sociocracy city, which she justifies as a minimum-casualty, maximum-impact demonstration of Illum's power and a warning to those who would challenge her. This is a masterclass in strategic ruthlessness, manipulating multiple factions for her overarching goal of revenge against the world. Amidst this escalating conflict, Janice Mirai, the Sovereign of a powerful necromantic nation, arrives at Illum. Janice reveals Joyce's true identity as Nova Mirai, her lost granddaughter, and explains that this world is a "nexus point" for reincarnated souls, with other major leaders (the Emperor, the Elven King) also being reincarnated beings. This astounding revelation reframes the entire world, showing a hidden war waged by ancient, powerful individuals. Joyce's decision to ally with Janice, offering to learn soul magic, positions her as a major player in this deeper, cosmic conflict, setting the stage for a confrontation far beyond mere political squabbles.

Joyce's public debut at Prince Gregor's birthday party is a calculated display of power and manipulation. She uses Zane and Oswin Birald as shields against other nobles, humiliating Pavel Atrach (a rival human noble) with a spectacular, fractal water sculpture created by Illum's magic. This move solidifies her independence and showcases Illum's capabilities as a weapon of awe. However, the event takes a dark turn when an assassin, later revealed to be Willow, attempts to kill Joyce with an enchanted crossbow bolt. Joyce, anticipating an attack due to her unique knowledge and the Alliance's political machinations, deflects the bolt with her dragonbone-enhanced hand, sustaining a severe but survivable injury. This highlights her vulnerability despite her power and the advanced nature of her enemies' weaponry. The Alliance government, now fully aware of Illum's power and Joyce's resilience, reluctantly acknowledges her as an independent state, but the incident reveals the Consortium's interest in her. Joyce captures Willow, her former assassin, and forces a confession about her enslaved fairy hive, adding a new, morally complex mission to her agenda. This sequence deepens the stakes, revealing the Consortium as a formidable, secretive antagonist and establishing Joyce's personal involvement in rescuing Willow's people. The ongoing political intrigue, combined with the growing threat of powerful, unseen enemies, ensures that Joyce's path to a "peaceful life" will be anything but.