Chapter Summaries

He Ao fought off the Eagle Claw Gang members who attacked him and Jia Qian, then drove her back to the burned apartment building. After comforting her, he headed south toward the gang’s boss, Vitt, while Vitt waited at his townhouse for news of the failed mission.

• He Ao disarmed two men, killed Long Hair Man, and forced the surviving short-haired man to reveal that the Eagle Claw Gang’s boss, Vitt, was at 35 Saint John Ninth Street.
• A gang group arrived, and He Ao protected Jia Qian in the vehicle before killing Winter, the burly leader, and the remaining attackers.
• He Ao found a Key Card, comforted Jia Qian, and explained that the gang had targeted them to earn a reward for completing its mission.
• He Ao drove Jia Qian past the nearly extinguished fire, where she mourned her parents and the loss of her home, then headed south through the city.
• At the townhouse, Vitt angrily demanded news from his men and threatened them before the doorbell rang.

He Ao bought an adrenaline injector from an underground doctor while teaching Jia Qian a breathing method. Elsewhere, Kai Jett confronted Vitt at a villa, but Vitt revealed he had evolved and captured her as a car arrived outside.

• He Ao bought a genuine Stars Pharmaceutical adrenaline injector for one hundred Federal currency and left with Jia Qian.
• He Ao coached Jia Qian in a breathing method as they walked, then agreed to buy her ice cream.
• Kai Jett stopped a delivery worker from entering Vitt's villa and took the pizza delivery herself.
• Kai Jett identified herself as a member of the Contamination Cleanup Division and attacked Vitt, but his tentacles caught her bullets.
• Vitt trapped Kai Jett, broke her wrist, and revealed that he had evolved beyond C-rank.
• A speeding car screeched to a stop outside the courtyard as Vitt threatened to eat Kai Jett.

He Ao killed Vitt after learning through Hyperthymesia that the arson commission came from the Black Market, then rescued the drugged woman and took her to a hospital. After returning home with Jia Qian, he logged into Eve’s verification website and was greeted as K.

• Vitt tried to sedate and butcher the woman, but He Ao arrived and asked who had ordered him to set the fire.
• He Ao read Vitt’s thought that the client came from the Black Market, then killed him by piercing his heart and shattering his Energy Convergence Point.
• He Ao cut the woman free, gave her Butterfly Knife back, and carried her to Jia Qian, where he used the system’s healing effect to recover from Hyperthymesia’s strain.
• He Ao learned that Vitt had expanded the original commission to include Sito and Jia Qian after discovering them in the house, then took the unconscious woman to a Stars Pharmaceutical hospital.
• He Ao brought Jia Qian home and logged into Eve’s verification website, where a voice greeted him as K.

He Ao used Eve to investigate the Black Market while searching for clues about the client who had hired Vitt. Reading Kawi’s notes in an old book, he discovered that Kawi had suspected something was wrong with the city shortly before disappearing.

• He Ao brought the sleeping Jia Qian home, connected Eve to Sito’s aging security system, and asked her to investigate the Black Market.
• Eve explained how people gained Black Market access and found twenty apparent sellers or introducers, most of whom were likely scammers.
• He Ao reasoned that Vitt’s client was probably a powerful organization with interests in Saint Jon City and planned to investigate through the Eagle Claw Gang as well as the Black Market.
• He Ao found Kawi’s notes in a book about wilderness legends, including questions about contamination in the city and a final warning: “We have to leave as soon as possible” and “There’s something wrong with this city.”

He Ao killed Vitt after using Super Memory to learn that the arson commission had come from the Black Market, then rescued an unconscious woman and survived the ability’s strain with the Copy World’s healing effect. He took the woman to a Stars Pharmaceutical hospital and, as he headed home with Jia Qian, logged into Eve’s verification website as K.

• Vitt threatened to sedate and butcher the woman, but He Ao arrived and asked who had ordered the fire; Vitt’s thoughts revealed that the commission came from the Black Market.
• Vitt attacked He Ao with a storm of tentacles, but He Ao used Super Memory to reach him and stab his Energy Convergence Point, killing him within five seconds.
• He Ao cut the tentacles holding the woman and caught her fall, then carried her out to Jia Qian and survived Super Memory’s energy drain when the Copy World’s healing effect revived him.
• He Ao pieced together that the client had commissioned the burning of his son’s house, while Vitt had decided to kill He Ao and Jia Qian after discovering they lived there.
• He Ao took the unconscious woman to a Stars Pharmaceutical hospital, then headed home with Jia Qian and logged into Eve’s verification website as K.

He Ao survived the collapse of A02’s domain, studied the Lucky Brooch’s lingering misfortune, and bound the mechanical bracelet that served as the Navigator’s First Mate key. Meanwhile, Ye Yun returned from the ruin without He Ao, leaving Li Cheng and Liu Zhengyun waiting for the train to arrive.

• He Ao drew the Main World’s coordinates and piloted the Verola deeper into the tunnel after Good Friend’s power subsided.
• He Ao observed that the Lucky Brooch’s price fell on his clone in intermittent injuries, while his main body suffered no clear harm.
• He Ao bound his soul information to the mechanical bracelet and confirmed that it functioned as a blank authority key.
• He Ao and his clone headed toward Zhang Yusi and the others in the rear carriage.
• Ye Yun and the other survivors appeared on Locke Lun Street, and Ye Yun asked Li Cheng where He Ao was.
• Li Cheng told Liu Zhengyun to wait, saying the train might simply be delayed.

He Ao searched Kawi’s burned apartment with Jia Qian and Ishia, recovering his son’s wedding photograph before agreeing to a meal. At the restaurant, he explained how Kajet Group took over Saint Jon City’s grain industry, then asked Ishia about the monster and her organization.

• Ishia thanked He Ao for saving her and warned that contact with Vitt’s monster had left him with its aura.
• He Ao, Jia Qian, and Ishia searched the ruins and found He Ao’s son’s wedding photograph.
• He Ao chose the Jumeiduo Fast Food Chain, where he had memories of his mother working when he was young.
• He Ao told Ishia that Kajet Group had driven Saint Jon City’s grain companies out of business and that food prices rose afterward.
• He Ao asked Ishia to explain the monster and the organization behind her.

He Ao learned how the Contamination Cleanup Division handled contamination monsters and accepted Yixia’s offer to become her unregistered Dark Line, though he still distrusted the organization. Yixia explained that her investigation of Vitt had begun while she was looking into the apparent defection and death of Night Hawk, leaving He Ao to question the Division’s account.

• Yixia explained that contamination monsters grew stronger by devouring humans and that the Kajet Group-funded Contamination Cleanup Division hunted them.
• He Ao used Super Memory to find and destroy the contamination marks on his and Jia Qian’s souls, then learned about the Division’s Masking Spray and Dark Lines.
• He Ao accepted the codename “Old Man” as Yixia’s Dark Line because he trusted her, though he did not trust the Division.
• Yixia recounted how she traced missing food delivery workers to Vitt and realized his monster-raising operation had been a trap aimed at her.
• Yixia revealed that she had been transferred to Saint Jon City after Night Hawk, the city’s former C-rank investigator, was accused of raising a contaminated monster and defecting.
• Yixia said the Division had announced that its Director executed Night Hawk several days earlier, and He Ao paused at the timing.

He Ao killed Vitt and rescued a woman who had been captured in his courtyard, learning that the arson commission came from the Black Market. After taking the woman to a Stars Pharmaceutical hospital, He Ao logged into Eve’s verification website and heard it greet him as K.

• Vitt tried to sedate the captive woman and threatened to eat her, but He Ao arrived and asked who had ordered the fire.
• He Ao read Vitt’s thoughts and learned that the commission had come from the Black Market, then killed Vitt with the butterfly knife.
• He Ao cut the tentacles holding the woman and caught her fall, then left with her and Jia Qian as Super Memory’s effects exhausted his body before the system’s healing restored him.
• He Ao learned that Vitt’s client had commissioned the destruction of his son’s house, while Vitt had decided to target He Ao and Jia Qian himself.
• He Ao took the unconscious woman to a Stars Pharmaceutical hospital, then brought Jia Qian home in a driverless taxi.
• He Ao logged into Eve’s verification website, where a voice greeted him as K.

He Ao killed a C-class monster and destroyed a drone targeting Yixia, then learned about her work with the Contamination Cleanup Division and the Butterfly Knife her grandfather forged. He accepted the knife from Yixia, and they waited for her colleagues to arrive with her Black Market account equipment.

• He Ao used Yixia's Butterfly Knife to pierce the monster's scales and destroy its Energy Core, then saw its soul get pulled into the void.
• He Ao threw the knife to destroy a drone aiming its Laser Cannon at Yixia, and caught Jia Qian after Yixia pushed her out of danger.
• Yixia secured the scene with He Ao and Jia Qian, then explained that the Contamination Cleanup Division operated with special authorization from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
• Yixia told He Ao how her grandfather forged the Butterfly Knife and entrusted her to find the right person to wield it.
• He Ao accepted the Butterfly Knife after Yixia said he could use it better than she could, and Yixia said her colleagues would bring her Black Market account equipment.

Yixia explained why she planned to shelter in the Contamination Cleanup Division while continuing her investigation into the Night Hawk Case. He Ao persuaded her to share her leads and work with him, and the two agreed to become partners.

• Yixia gave He Ao a Level 2 Black Market account and explained that a Rank C Contamination Monster and drones had likely been used in an assassination attempt.
• Yixia said the Contamination Cleanup Division Director would protect her at headquarters, though He Ao questioned whether the Director would truly support her investigation into Night Hawk's death.
• He Ao asked Yixia to share her investigation leads, arguing that they were involved in the same matter and could investigate together.
• Yixia agreed to send He Ao her materials through his Private Cloud Software and to use the Contamination Cleanup Division's resources to support his inquiries.
• He Ao stopped Yixia before she left to handle the monster cleanup, and they shook hands and agreed to work together.

He Ao learned how the Contamination Cleanup Division handled contamination monsters and accepted Ishia’s offer to become an unregistered Dark Line, though he trusted her rather than the organization. Ishia then revealed that she had been investigating the dead C-rank Night Hawk, whose execution several days earlier made He Ao suspect that her assignment in Saint Jon City was tied to a larger trap.

• Ishia explained that contamination monsters grew stronger by devouring people and that the Contamination Cleanup Division eliminated them, while He Ao questioned the Kajet Group’s influence over the organization.
• Ishia described Masking Spray and offered He Ao a free supply through a Dark Line arrangement; He Ao accepted the codename “Old Man,” saying he trusted Ishia but not the Division.
• He Ao used Super Memory to find and destroy the contamination marks on his and Jia Qian’s souls.
• Ishia explained that she had found Vitt while investigating missing food delivery workers and realized the obvious clues leading to him had likely been a trap aimed at her.
• Ishia revealed she had been transferred to Saint Jon City after C-rank Night Hawk was exposed for raising contamination monsters and executed by the Division’s Director several days earlier.

He Ao helped Jia Qian learn to circulate Earthly Qi while reviewing Yixia’s files on the Night Hawk case. He concluded that the investigation may have begun with a tip-off and decided to investigate the Green Olive Street neighborhood next.

• He Ao taught Jia Qian to absorb Earthly Qi from food, and she succeeded after eating eight meatballs.
• He Ao reviewed the investigation report and noticed that the Investigation Team found Night Hawk’s warehouse before uncovering the disappearances, suggesting someone may have tipped them off.
• He Ao examined Yixia’s findings about three missing delivery workers whose orders had been sent to adjacent addresses on Winter Street.
• He Ao read Yixia’s files on disappearances around Green Olive Street and had Eve organize the information.
• He Ao told Yixia that he would begin his investigation in the Green Olive Street neighborhood.

He Ao and Jia Qian entered Green Olive Street to investigate disappearances that might connect to the Night Hawk Case, and He Ao taught Jia Qian how to gather energy along the way. After defeating gang members who threatened them and the cold drink shop owner, He Ao demanded that one of them take him to their boss.

• He Ao questioned the cold drink shop owner about Green Olive Street and learned that the Poison Scorpion Gang controlled most of the district and demanded protection money.
• He Ao trained Jia Qian in his personalized fighting method until she learned to gather energy.
• The shop owner revealed that her son had disappeared near the district and chose to remain at her shop rather than take the pills she had prepared.
• He Ao reasoned that the Green Olive Street disappearances might be connected to the group behind the Night Hawk Case, then took Jia Qian deeper into the district.
• Five gang members demanded money from He Ao and Jia Qian, and their leader admitted that the gang had killed the shop owner's son and threatened to kill her.
• Jia Qian kicked the leader, and He Ao defeated the gang members before telling the wounded leader to take him to their boss.

He Ao and Jia Qian fought their way into the Poison Scorpion Gang’s building and began climbing toward the boss on the top floor. After defeating a superhuman guarding the stairs, He Ao led Jia Qian upstairs.

• He Ao led a gang member to the building where the Poison Scorpion Gang’s boss lived, and the man tried to turn the guards against him before He Ao shot him.
• He Ao and Jia Qian entered the building, and He Ao let a frightened teenage gang member go after learning he had not attacked them.
• He Ao fought off gang members in the corridor while teaching Jia Qian combat techniques, intervening whenever her attacks went wrong.
• He Ao shot a sniper watching from the tenth-floor atrium, then headed for the stairs instead of the elevator.
• A strength-type superhuman blocked the stairs, but He Ao stabbed him from behind and told Jia Qian they would go upstairs.

He Ao and Jia Qian fought their way up the Poison Scorpion Gang’s building, defeating its guards and surviving a hidden contamination monster. They reached the fortieth floor, where a refined man asked whether He Ao had come as part of the Contamination Cleanup Division or as an Evolution Follower.

• He Ao and Jia Qian used a coordinated attack to kill the E-rank prisoner, and Jia Qian grew more adept at mobilizing her energy.
• They fought upward through gang members and cybernetic fighters; Jia Qian protected a child from a mechanical attacker before He Ao finished it.
• A resident warned He Ao about a torturing robot on floors twenty-five through twenty-seven and dangerous rooms numbered 3505 to 3508.
• He Ao killed a D-grade prosthetic-body guard on the twenty-seventh floor, then continued upward with Jia Qian as she took on more enemies herself.
• On the thirty-fifth floor, He Ao destroyed an automated turret and struck a concealed C-rank contamination monster inside room 3507.
• He Ao and Jia Qian reached the fortieth floor, where a man in a white shirt asked whether He Ao was from the Contamination Cleanup Division or was an Evolution Follower.

He Ao confronted the Poison Scorpion Gang leader, who revealed his history with Shadow Weaver and the Evolution Followers. The leader explained their conflict over contaminated monsters and territory, while He Ao noticed the helpless witnesses hiding in the building.

• He Ao and Jia Qian met the Poison Scorpion Gang leader in his penthouse as he watched a report about Saint Jon City's sale of Central Park.
• The leader praised Mayor Krote's policies because taxes on basic goods pushed poor residents toward his gang, while tax incentives benefited major conglomerates.
• He Ao explained why he suspected the Evolution Followers had used the Green Olive Street disappearance case to steer him toward the gang leader.
• The leader said Shadow Weaver had contacted him about ten years earlier, recruited him through murder missions, and introduced him to contaminated monsters and their powers.
• The leader said he had raised contaminated monsters but never joined the Evolution Followers, and that they had fought over his territory and its supply of victims.
• He Ao looked toward the stairwell and said someone cared about the people who had died, while residents hidden on the twentieth floor watched helplessly.

The Poison Scorpion Gang boss recounted how the Kai Jett Consortium’s schemes and betrayals had driven him to rebuild his gang in its debt, then explained that Shadow Weaver had offered him a price to turn against He Ao. The boss transformed into a powerful monster and attacked, while He Ao prepared to fight and Jia Qian escaped toward the door.

• The Poison Scorpion Gang boss told He Ao how he had risen from poverty, robbed Kai Jett Consortium grain trucks, and lost his gang, trusted men, and mother after the consortium backed his rivals.
• The boss explained that Kai Jett Consortium helped him rebuild the Poison Scorpion Gang through loans, while he and Shadow Weaver maintained a mutually exploitative alliance.
• The boss revealed that he had sent He Ao’s record to Shadow Weaver and accepted an offer that led him to oppose He Ao.
• The boss transformed into a tentacled monster whose power reached or exceeded the limit of C-rank, and He Ao realized Shadow Weaver’s offer had tipped the boss’s decision.
• He Ao called for Jia Qian to retreat, activated Super Memory, and drew his Butterfly Knife as the monster’s tentacles attacked.

He Ao defeated the Poison Scorpion Gang leader after exploiting a brief opening caused by Jia Qian’s resistance and his own mental interference. As the dying man gave He Ao his wristband and Jia Qian his mother’s coins, he insisted they were not dirty, then died.

• He Ao fought through the gang leader’s coordinated tentacle attacks while identifying the limits of his control and the growing conflict eroding his mind.
• The gang leader sent a tentacle squad after Jia Qian, but she fired the Gauss Gun and dodged behind the doorway, briefly distracting him.
• He Ao used the opening to close in and wound the gang leader, then pressed his attack as the monster’s reason and madness disrupted its coordination.
• He Ao struck the gang leader’s mind with Mental Interference and pierced his chest with the Butterfly Knife, fatally destroying the monster’s body.
• The dying gang leader gave He Ao his wristband and password, then showed Jia Qian his mother’s coins and told her they were not dirty.
• Jia Qian picked up the coins as the gang leader died, and He Ao retrieved the wristband.

He Ao killed the Poison Scorpion Gang boss, uncovered Shadow Weaver’s offer of a higher cultivation method, and escaped the gang’s building with Jia Qian. Before leaving, he appointed a local man to lead the district temporarily, and the chapter ended with residents celebrating the gang boss’s death.

• He Ao searched the boss’s wristband, found Shadow Weaver’s message offering the next stage of the cultivation method, and had Eve investigate its contents.
• He Ao shot down an Evolution Follower drone, then waited until he had recovered enough strength to leave with Jia Qian.
• He Ao walked past the gang members without being challenged and persuaded them to accept the local man as the district’s temporary leader.
• He Ao and Jia Qian descended through the building while gang members gathered and carried the two dead transcendents’ bodies for him.
• The Cold Drink Shop boss watched He Ao and Jia Qian leave, then learned from a woman that the Poison Scorpion Gang boss was dead and no one would go missing anymore.