Lensk is free, liberated with a poisoned pot of stew.

Seventy of Leopard's thugs lie in the snow. Forty more are tied up in the barn. Twelve of the guardsmen kept as "hounds" have thrown off the collars that held them in slavery and rallied behind a twelve-year-old boy who has just pulled off the most daring operation in the Urals.

Mikhail Arkharov is now the lord of Lensk, with four elements, dozens of new dominants, and a team ready to follow him into any rift. It looks like the Evolutionist is ready for the big leagues.

But then the system issues its verdict: "Maximum selection limit exceeded." The main ace up his sleeve—his ability to absorb and transfer dominants—has been blocked. It's his worst nightmare.

Why? Because lurking in rift dungeons there are armored rats that can grind down a golem in seconds. Because advancing on Lensk is a monster so hot that it can burn down houses at a distance. Because in Khabarovsk, his father hangs in chains, responding to torture with dirty jokes about the emperor.

And, somewhere near Yekaterinburg, a professor with artifact eyes has already issued the order: "Find the boy and bring him to me. Alive, but not necessarily well."

Book Seven is the point of no return. The stakes are higher, the enemies are smarter, and for the first time, Misha has discovered that his unique ability has limits.