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Chapter Summaries

The Black Fog Descends: I Am the Taboo
VolumesArcsSummaries

Ch. 1Sequence, Dawn

Sixteen years after a blood-red meteorite brought black fog and strange creatures to the world, student Li Chen worried about his unreliable electricity and whether he would awaken a talent. As he and Su Zhe waited outside class, Li Chen noticed energy above Su Zhe and suggested his friend might awaken a good ability.

  • Li Chen woke on his balcony, realized he was late, and rushed to class at a Magic City academy.
  • The teacher described how the meteorite had changed the world, then sent Li Chen and Su Zhe outside for being late and eating in class.
  • Li Chen told Su Zhe that recurring power cuts had him considering a new place to live, and declined Su Zhe's offer to stay at his house.
  • Li Chen asked whether Su Zhe had felt an ability awakening; Su Zhe said only that his appetite had grown.
  • Li Chen spotted a wisp of energy above Su Zhe and encouraged him to believe he might awaken a good ability.
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Ch. 2Awakening, Life

Li Chen and Su Zhe discussed their chances of awakening and were reprimanded by Teacher Yu, who said the awakening ceremony was near. Meanwhile, the Special Affairs Bureau sought permission to investigate a suspected cult presence at the academy.

  • Li Chen saw mysterious qi above some classmates and hoped he would awaken, while Su Zhe asked whether Li Chen had felt anything.
  • Teacher Yu scolded Li Chen for being late and told Su Zhe to have his father come to school; Li Chen noticed a familiar golden statue on Teacher Yu’s desk.
  • Teacher Yu reflected that the awakening ceremony was approaching and that he would soon part ways with his students.
  • Li Chen and Su Zhe discussed Special Affairs Bureau cars at the academy and speculated about why agents had arrived early.
  • Men in black uniforms told Dean Gu that cult members might be at the academy, and Dean Gu approved their investigation.
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Ch. 3Cult and Awakening

Li Chen dreamed of seven mysterious gates and felt a strange white current enter his body before waking in a cold sweat. The Awakening Ceremony was moved to that afternoon because a cult had infiltrated Magic City, leaving Li Chen and Su Zhe to await their awakenings.

  • Li Chen watched a Special Affairs Bureau woman at the school gates and discussed the upcoming awakening with Su Zhe on their way home.
  • Li Chen worried about his uncertain future and whether he could become a Sequence User before falling asleep.
  • Li Chen dreamed of seven stairways and colored gates, stepped onto the white stairway, and felt a white current enter his body under crushing pressure.
  • Li Chen woke in the night shaken by the dream and arrived at school early the next morning, where Su Zhe gave him a steamed bun.
  • Su Zhe told Li Chen that the Awakening Ceremony had been moved up to that afternoon because a cult had infiltrated Magic City, and he confidently predicted he would awaken a powerful ability.
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Ch. 4Fate, Zodiac

On the day of the academy’s awakening ceremony, Li Chen faced uncertainty about his future while the Canglan Family’s eldest miss declared she would follow him wherever he went. As students gathered for the ceremony, Su Zhe reported that the Twelve Zodiac’s Chenlong Squad might be there, and Li Chen and Su Zhe waited nervously in line to awaken.

  • Li Chen waited alone in the classroom before the awakening ceremony and reflected on how it could determine his future.
  • The eldest miss of the Canglan Family told Li Chen she had awakened and would attend the Imperial Capital Sequence Academy, then said she would follow him wherever he went.
  • Su Zhe told Li Chen that the Twelve Zodiac’s Chenlong Squad was rumored to be coming to protect the students.
  • Teacher Yu led the class to the crowded soccer field and warned students that becoming a Sequence user could mean dangerous battles against enemies and monsters.
  • Li Chen and Su Zhe joined the awakening line, where Su Zhe worried that he might awaken as a foodie.
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Ch. 5The Void, Doubts

Li Chen entered the awakening ceremony and returned to the dreamlike void, where he struggled up the white stairway toward a broken throne. He awakened an unknown ability, collapsed after receiving an S rank, and was swiftly carried away by a figure in the darkness.

  • Li Chen noticed that the Special Affairs Bureau personnel guarding the entrance were all Sequence Users and wondered why the ceremony had extra security.
  • Teacher Yu explained the rules, and Li Chen entered the dark passage after the previous students came out.
  • Li Chen touched the massive black stone and found himself back in the void with seven stairways and a broken throne.
  • Li Chen climbed the white stairway under crushing pressure until an illusory door opened and a milky-white sphere entered his body.
  • Li Chen crashed into the stone, which turned white and displayed an S, then passed out from exhaustion.
  • A figure emerged from the darkness and carried Li Chen away.
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Ch. 6Attack, Strangers

Li Chen fainted during his awakening and was carried out by a masked member of the Chenlong Squad, who registered his ability as B-rank simple energy control. As students and parents left the academy, an explosion engulfed the awakening chamber, and Gu Xingyun reassured Jian Wuqing that his disciple was safe.

  • Su Zhe registered his B-rank ability, Get Stronger by Eating, and said he would choose whichever academy Li Chen chose.
  • A masked Chenlong Squad member carried the unconscious Li Chen from the awakening chamber and instructed Teacher Yu to register him with simple energy control.
  • Su Zhe carried Li Chen to the infirmary while Teacher Yu questioned the masked man about the fainting.
  • Teacher Yu dismissed the students, then sensed something and vanished just before an explosion sent flames shooting from the awakening chamber.
  • Jian Wuqing prepared to intervene, but Gu Xingyun told him that his disciple was safe and protected by the group from the new era.
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Ch. 7Imperial Capital, Canglan

After waking in the academy infirmary during a cult attack, Li Chen learned the attackers had been driven off and considered his future as a newly awakened Sequencer. Su Zhe arrived with his father and insisted he would not attend Imperial Capital Academy unless Li Chen went too.

  • Li Chen woke in the infirmary, where Teacher Yu told him a cult organization was attacking and urged him to stay put.
  • Li Chen questioned Teacher Yu’s claim that he lacked combat ability and wondered about his own unexamined awakened power and future choices.
  • Teacher Yu recommended Imperial Capital Academy, then changed his recommendation to Canglan Academy.
  • Su Zhe entered with a bump on his head alongside his father, Mr. Su, who said the attackers had been driven off and the ceremony was continuing.
  • Mr. Su said he wanted Su Zhe to attend Imperial Capital Academy, but Su Zhe refused and threatened to jump if Li Chen went there.
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Ch. 8Vector, the Human Race

Li Chen tested his awakened ability and discovered he could control and transform energy, while wondering about the strange space he alone seemed to have entered. As the academy’s awakening ceremony continued, Dean Gu decided to send Yu Qingnian to Canglan Academy to prepare for coming troubles and reunite humanity.

  • Su Zhe told Li Chen that he had awakened a B-rank growth-type talent that improved through eating high-energy food.
  • Li Chen demonstrated his ability, which he identified as Vector, and accidentally shattered the infirmary’s windows and glasses.
  • Li Chen asked Su Zhe whether he had entered a strange space during awakening, but Su Zhe had not.
  • Dean Gu and Yu Qingnian discussed the cult’s attack, while Sword Elder angrily vowed to destroy the cult after it nearly disrupted his grandson’s awakening.
  • Dean Gu ordered Yu Qingnian to transfer to Canglan Academy, explaining that humanity needed unity as the border defenses came under pressure.
  • Dean Gu suggested that Sword Elder send his grandson to Canglan Academy, and Sword Elder left after considering the proposal.
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Ch. 9The Past and Family

Li Chen considered attending Canglan Academy and reflected on the childhood loss of his parents. Meanwhile, a secret conference learned that the cult had targeted him for his S-rank talent, and the chief ordered his identity protected.

  • Li Chen agreed with Su Zhe that they would attend Canglan Academy, and the two parted ways.
  • At a masked conference, the chief and others discussed the cult’s attack on the academy’s awakening room and wondered what the cult had sought.
  • The chief read an S-rank file identifying Li Chen as the cult’s target and erased the file and phone data to protect him.
  • At home, Li Chen looked at a photo of his parents and remembered their deaths, his lack of visible grief, and how Su Zhe’s father had helped him.
  • Li Chen told himself life would gradually improve and fell asleep.
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Ch. 10Aggressive, laid-back

Li Chen told Teacher Yu that he had awakened the S-rank Vector ability but chose to keep it hidden and attend Canglan Academy. At school, he noticed Su Zhe’s rapid growth and learned that Su Zhe had brought buns filled with monster meat.

  • Li Chen met Teacher Yu on campus and said he planned to attend Canglan Academy.
  • Teacher Yu asked about Li Chen passing out during awakening, and Li Chen demonstrated that he could control energy by sending a gust of wind from his palm.
  • Teacher Yu realized Li Chen’s ability was S-rank and offered to correct its recorded rank, warning him about the danger of attracting attention and suggesting he reconsider his academy choice.
  • Li Chen refused to reveal his ability or switch academies, saying he preferred Canglan’s laid-back atmosphere and wanted to choose his own path.
  • At school, Li Chen saw that Su Zhe’s aura had grown stronger and learned that Su Zhe had brought monster-meat buns made by his family’s nanny.
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Ch. 11Reporting In, Lost

Li Chen and Su Zhe graduated from Chuanhai Academy and traveled from Magic City to Shenzhou to enroll at Canglan Academy. They reached the academy’s unusual, bustling grounds and were approached by a nervous student asking for directions.

  • Teacher Yu gave the students their final lesson and explained their choices for continuing their studies.
  • Li Chen and Su Zhe left Chuanhai Academy together after Su Zhe revealed his family had already shipped his luggage to Canglan.
  • Li Chen and Su Zhe rode a slow green train to Shenzhou, where Su Zhe’s loud snoring drew annoyed looks from the other passengers.
  • Li Chen and Su Zhe arrived at Canglan Academy and marveled at its mix of modern buildings, old-style structures, shops, and student activities.
  • As Li Chen looked up at an airship, a nervous student asked him and Su Zhe how to get there.
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Ch. 12Dreams and Illusions

Li Chen, Su Zhe, and Jianping were caught in an entrance ceremony that combined an illusion with a dream, and Li Chen realized their apparent escape had not freed them. Jianping split the moving room with his sword, and Li Chen headed toward the opening.

  • Li Chen and Su Zhe met Jianping, and the three searched together for the new student registration area.
  • Li Chen realized their route was looping through an illusion, and he opened a crack in it by manipulating its energy.
  • The three woke in a room and heard a message congratulating them for passing the entrance ceremony.
  • Li Chen concluded that a dream had been layered over the illusion and that their consciousnesses were still being moved through it.
  • Jianping drew his red sword and cleaved the room open, and Li Chen approached the white-lit gap.
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Ch. 13Enrollment Ceremony

Li Chen, Jianping, and Su Zhe awakened from Canglan Academy’s illusion-based entrance test and met Vice Dean Cang Lao, who praised their breakthroughs. They registered, received student cards and 1,000 academy points each, and officially began their academy lives.

  • Li Chen realized the newcomers were still at the academy entrance after breaking through the illusions, while Jianping and then Su Zhe regained consciousness.
  • Li Chen concluded that the entrance ceremony had tested their abilities and character through illusions and dreams.
  • Cang Lao appeared, recognized Jianping and Su Zhe’s fathers, and praised Li Chen for breaking through his illusion using energy.
  • Cang Lao revealed that the academy gates were open, then vanished; Jianping identified him as Canglan Academy’s vice dean.
  • Li Chen, Jianping, and Su Zhe followed the map to registration, collected their student cards, and received 1,000 Canglan Academy points each.
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Ch. 14Special Class

Elder Cang and another elder changed Canglan Academy’s assessment rules, forming a special class for talented new students under Yu Qingnian. Li Chen, Su Zhe, and Jianping learned they had already been assigned to the Canglan Special Class, and the robot began projecting information about it.

  • Elder Cang reported that only five students had passed the entrance ceremony’s second illusion realm, and he mentioned that Jianping and Yu Qingnian had enrolled.
  • The elderly man ordered Canglan Academy to place its talented new students in one class managed by Yu Qingnian and reinstate the elimination system.
  • Li Chen, Su Zhe, and Jianping went to the Star-Moon Tower to confirm their classes before lessons began the next day.
  • A robot told the three students that they had already been assigned to the Canglan Special Class.
  • The robot projected information from its body, and Su Zhe reacted with surprise at the technology.
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Ch. 15Rankings and Rules

Li Chen and his classmates learned how the special-class rankings, monthly academic points, and challenge-based elimination worked. The next morning, they gathered in classroom S-603 and recognized the sequence instructor who arrived.

  • The robot explained that special-class members received 1,000 academic points each month and could be replaced through challenge matches.
  • Su Zhe worried that his fiftieth-place ranking made him an easy target, and Li Chen reassured him before warning him about Jianping.
  • Li Chen woke early, found Jianping training with an iron sword, and joined Su Zhe in classroom S-603.
  • Jianping recognized the arriving sequence instructor, and Li Chen and Su Zhe appeared to recognize him too.
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Ch. 16Yu Qingnian

Yu Qingnian became the special class’s sequence master and explained that its training would prepare students for the academy tournament, where only the top ten could compete. After testing the students’ strength, he began their instruction, while Li Chen remained uninterested in the rankings and wanted to keep a low profile.

  • Yu Qingnian introduced himself as the special class’s sequence master and explained that students would train for two years, with the academy tournament offering places only to the top ten.
  • Su Zhe and Li Chen recognized Yu Qingnian, while Jianping said he would rather train privately than compete for rankings.
  • Yu Qingnian introduced the Star-Testing Orb, tested the class’s strength, and said their tiers would be checked monthly.
  • After class, Jianping explained the sequencer realms and said he was still in the Dripping Water Realm despite ranking fifth because his ability was strong.
  • Su Zhe felt frustrated by the differences between students, while Li Chen decided he only wanted to remain an unnoticed nobody.
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Ch. 17Teaming Up

Li Chen and his classmates arrived at Canglan’s Secret Realm for ability training, where Meng Xi and Luo Lin invited him, Su Zhe, and Jianping to form a five-person team. The group introduced their abilities, but Jianping’s reveal was cut off as the chapter ended.

  • Li Chen and the others explored the Secret Realm’s training grounds and learned that its energy had eased Su Zhe’s hunger.
  • Meng Xi and Luo Lin approached Li Chen, Su Zhe, and Jianping to form a team for entering the islands.
  • Li Chen considered the proposal, and the five agreed to team up inside the Secret Realm but remain independent outside it.
  • Meng Xi introduced her Dream ability, Li Chen named Vector Manipulation, Su Zhe named Get Stronger by Eating, and Luo Lin named Telekinesis.
  • Jianping began to reveal his ability, but the chapter ended before he could name it.
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Ch. 18The Bizarre Forest

Jianping explained how his Comprehension ability strengthened his swordsmanship, then he and Li Chen’s group entered a secret realm for a dangerous training lesson. Li Chen and Jianping became separated from the others in a forest where the trees could move.

  • Jianping described how Comprehension helped him improve rapidly at swordsmanship, and he explained that ability rankings depended on current strength rather than talent alone.
  • Yu Qingnian told the special class students to choose four teammates and rely on themselves in the secret realm, while warning that Eight Demon Island had been remodeled.
  • Li Chen, Su Zhe, Jianping, and the others entered the forest, where Su Zhe thought he saw a tree move, but Meng Xi said the secret realm should contain no living creatures.
  • Li Chen sensed energy circling around him and discovered that Su Zhe and the others had vanished, so he wondered whether to wait or search for them.
  • Jianping was also separated, drew his sword, and struck a tree that thrashed its branches as if in pain.
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Ch. 19Shackles

Li Chen and the other students encountered hostile Tree Demons in the gloomy forest, while Yu Qingnian watched from outside and explained that he had sent them into danger to build their combat awareness. The students remained scattered across the secret realm as Yu Qingnian defended his harsh training methods.

  • Li Chen accepted a red fruit from a swaying tree but tucked it away without eating it.
  • Di Li tried to find energy-rich trees she could control, but Tree Demons chased her team after Jianping and Su Zhe drew them into a fight.
  • Jianping and Su Zhe escaped the Tree Demons and rested on a rock, where Jianping explained that the creatures' bark was hard but could be cut with a charged strike.
  • Yu Qingnian told a burly man that he had exposed the students to danger so they could improve their combat awareness and learn to control their own choices.
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Ch. 20Fierce Battle, Wild Clamor

Students across the secret realm faced attacks from strange monsters, while Li Chen discovered a bone altar and learned the Tree Demons chasing Su Zhe’s group avoided him and the altar. After rescuing Luo Lin, he headed toward the others to help them.

  • Ji Shao decided her group would endure the flame monsters’ assault rather than be the first to send a distress signal.
  • Li Chen found a bone altar marked with red lines and wondered whether something was sealed there.
  • Su Zhe, Jianping, Meng Xi, and Luo Lin fled a horde of Tree Demons, but one struck Luo Lin and sent her flying.
  • Li Chen caught Luo Lin and carried her to the altar, where she explained that the forest blocked distress signals and locator readings.
  • Li Chen noticed the Tree Demons did not attack him or enter the area around the altar, then set off to save Su Zhe and the others.
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