Chapter Summaries

He Ao took Sena to South City to meet General Kovi as Ives Space System’s mercenaries prepared rocket launchers near Ilan City. Kovi recognized He Ao’s visit as a show of trust and decided to go with his officer to revisit the neighborhood where they grew up.

• He Ao left the Mayor’s Residence with Sena, declined an escort, and headed for the southern part of Ningweisi District.
• Officers at South City Defense Army Command Center analyzed Ives Space System’s Q-75 Rocket Launchers and warned that they could threaten the city walls.
• Kovi ordered military exercises and heightened readiness while keeping the city gates open and trade moving normally.
• A representative from Ives Space System arrived with a message denying hostility, while Kovi learned that Mayor Lynn was traveling to South City with only one guard.
• Kovi concluded that He Ao had come to show his trust, then invited his officer to return with him to the place where they grew up.

He Ao and Sena traveled into southern Ningweisi District to investigate the area, while Ilan City police arrested Kepesi Mining executive Nuo Kewei on suspicion of bribing officials and hiring killers. He Ao began questioning a local worker, who identified the Prisoner Gang as the largest gang in the Southern District.

• On a television program, Nuo Kewei denied that Kepesi Mining was involved in assassination attempts and insulted Mayor Lynn.
• Tucker and the Ilan City Police Department arrested Nuo Kewei on suspicion of bribing government officials and hiring killers.
• He Ao and Sena arrived in southern Ningweisi District, where He Ao noted that most residents were ordinary people despite the area's reputation.
• He Ao paid a local worker to talk while they walked, and the worker bought bread and cupcakes before joining him.
• The worker told He Ao that the Prisoner Gang controlled the nearby neighborhoods and was the Southern District's largest gang.

He Ao questioned a local resident about the Prisoner Gang and learned how it took control of much of the Southern District. He decided to visit the Low-Rise Building District by bus with the man, while Sena went to bring the car around.

• He Ao and Sena listened as the man described the Prisoner Gang's violent takeover and its use of absorbed gang members to manage its territory.
• The man agreed to take He Ao to the Low-Rise Building District, where more Prisoner Gang members were present, and Sena left to get the car.
• The man warned He Ao about thieves and robbers, then explained that many Southern District residents worked in mines and factories until illness forced them out.
• The man told He Ao about his mining friend, who visited Saint Ilan District before jumping from the Norde Bank building, and described how gangs and banks exploited Southern District residents.
• An old bus arrived, and the man told He Ao it was the one they needed.

He Ao rode through the Southern District with a sick former miner, learning how debt and dangerous work trapped its residents. He followed the man to his home, where the man's wife recognized him as Lynn.

• He Ao rescued a passenger's stolen money by catching and throwing a pickpocket off the bus.
• The passenger explained how debt, illness, and denied work kept Southern District residents in poverty, and said his sick mining coworkers had mostly died.
• He Ao asked about Kepesi Mining's charitable foundation and learned it served only high-ranking workers, while sick miners were fired and left without support.
• He Ao and the man got off near the Prisoner Gang's territory and crossed through ruined buildings to the man's home.
• The man reunited with his two daughters and introduced He Ao to his wife, who recognized him as Lynn.

He Ao learned that Kewis Doctor had copied Lynn’s healthcare flyers and asked to meet him, while a Thin Man tried to persuade Red Claw to rob an apparent wealthy visitor. Red Claw recognized Sena’s black off-road vehicle as a military vehicle, beat the Thin Man, and hurried into the Prisoner Gang’s basement to knock on an Iron Gate.

• A boy watched a Thin Man enter the Prisoner Gang’s East Gate station, then later saw him leave with Red Claw and return after Red Claw spotted the black off-road vehicle.
• A woman told He Ao that Kewis Doctor had copied Lynn’s flyers and gave them to patients, and He Ao asked to meet the doctor.
• The Thin Man urged Red Claw to kidnap He Ao and his companion, but Red Claw dismissed his story until they approached the black off-road vehicle.
• Red Claw recognized the vehicle as military, turned back with the Thin Man, and beat him for failing to notice what it was.
• Red Claw rushed into the station’s basement and knocked on a pitch-black Iron Gate.

He Ao visited Kewis, an underground doctor who had been distributing He Ao’s healthcare flyers, and invited him to help build a broader medical and hygiene system. Kewis accepted despite the danger, while a young man in the Southern District continued toward Mayor Lynn, convinced he was different from other politicians.

• A young man told his brother he had seen Mayor Lynn on a bus and insisted on going to see him, despite his brother’s warnings about politicians.
• The woman with the cane brought He Ao to Kewis’s clinic in the Low-Rise Building District, where Kewis explained his injuries and how he had taught himself medicine.
• Kewis and the woman praised He Ao’s healthcare flyers for helping residents avoid illness and save lives.
• He Ao invited Kewis to join an effort to develop and spread healthcare practices, warning that the work would bring severe danger.
• Kewis decided to accept He Ao’s invitation and clasped his hand as the clinic doorbell rang.

A Prisoner Gang leader ordered his people to surround a customized off-road vehicle after learning it had stopped in the Low-Rise District. Jielin warned He Ao that the gang had surrounded the clinic, and He Ao sent him inside before preparing to face them.

• A man in a black short-sleeved shirt reported the vehicle to the gaunt man, who ordered the Prisoner Gang to seal the exits and surround it.
• Jielin saw armed teams converge on the vehicle, slipped through a fence into the Low-Rise District, and ran to Kewei's Clinic.
• The welder visited the clinic intercom to ask about his wife's medicine, and He Ao recognized that he sounded nervous.
• Jielin rushed toward He Ao and warned him that the Prisoner Gang had surrounded the clinic.
• He Ao caught a sniper's bullet between his fingers, brought Jielin inside, and told him to close the doors and windows.
• He Ao lit a cigarette as the sniper fell dead from a rooftop.

Red Claw’s gang attacked He Ao’s armored vehicle, but its driver escaped the ambush and sped away. In the Low-Rise District, He Ao used his Judge ability to silence the Thin Man’s supernatural call, fought off his attackers, and faced the Thin Man’s emerging shadow power as Black Snake.

• Red Claw fired an armor-piercing shell at the black off-road vehicle, but it survived the blast and drove through the gunfire to escape.
• A Youth in a suit watched the chase from behind a collapsed wall, checked his wristband, and ran away from the Low-Rise Building District.
• The Thin Man confronted He Ao and summoned gunmen, but He Ao invoked the Noise Control Law to stop the Thin Man’s strange music.
• He Ao hung up his suit jacket and fought off two cybernetic attackers, then deflected bullets and knocked away two stronger assailants.
• The Thin Man revealed himself as Black Snake and manifested a huge shadow filled with scarlet eyes as He Ao faced him.

He Ao escaped Red Claw’s barricade in an empty, AI-driven vehicle while Red Claw ordered his gang to search for him. As Kewei mobilized City Defense Army forces to rescue Mayor Lynn, He Ao fought the Thin Man and sent him flying with a slap.

• Red Claw discovered that the off-road vehicle was empty and ordered his gang to search for its missing driver.
• Red Claw hesitated to report He Ao’s escape, then heard a huge crash from the sealed East Gate.
• Kewei learned that Mayor Lynn was surrounded by the Prisoner Gang and ordered the Second Task Force to break through to the Low-Rise Building District.
• He Ao dodged the Thin Man’s shadow snake attacks and closed in on him with an Eagle Claw Blade.
• The Thin Man’s shadow tail blocked He Ao’s blade, but He Ao slapped him and sent him flying into the night.

He Ao fought the gaunt man, who wielded soul-devouring snake shadows and could regenerate after decapitation. As the gaunt man surrounded him with armed, puppet-like followers, He Ao pressed forward into the battle, leaving the outcome unresolved.

• He Ao hurled the gaunt man through a ruined building, then faced the eight shadow-snake heads that devoured the souls of slain gang members.
• The gaunt man transformed his snakes into corrosive, fleshly monsters, but He Ao evaded their attacks and cut off the man's head.
• The gaunt man grew a new head at the cost of one snake head, explained that only a few Prisoner Gang members had received the Great Gift, and summoned more followers.
• He Ao played music from a radio as the gaunt man's men fired a Heavy Gauss Sniper Rifle and charged him.
• He Ao killed several puppet-like attackers, seized a Gauss Pistol to fire at the snipers, and cut down two more pursuers.
• The gaunt man rose above He Ao with seven snake heads and claimed his numerous followers would wear He Ao down as the fight continued.

He Ao fought Black Snake and the Prisoner Gang’s puppets, using their weapons to break through the fortified gate. He left Black Snake battered and advanced beyond the gate despite his body reaching its limit.

• He Ao analyzed Black Snake’s apparent immortality and learned through her thoughts that the Great Instructor led the Prisoner Gang and had given her a Gift.
• He Ao escaped the encirclement, seized two Gauss Sniper Rifles, and used them to destroy most of the attacking puppets.
• Black Snake attacked He Ao with her snake heads, but their collision corroded one another and gave him an opening to close in.
• He Ao kicked Black Snake through the Iron Gate, then cut down the remaining figures as he followed outside.
• He Ao slowly advanced past the gate while the surviving gang members watched without raising their weapons.

He Ao confronted the Thin Man, whose power came from a multi-headed snake parasitizing his soul, and exposed the creature’s role by making him question his identity. He Ao tore the pair’s fused soul apart and pierced the Thin Man’s heart with a poisonous fang, shattering the giant snake.

• The iron gate exploded, and the Thin Man emerged with enormous snake heads as Red Claw and the nearby Gang Members watched in terror.
• The Thin Man ordered Red Claw to organize the Gang Members and attack the old man inside the gate, while the Gaunt Man tried to prove his loyalty by shooting at He Ao.
• The Gaunt Man’s bullets missed He Ao, and a snake head swallowed him; He Ao then questioned the Thin Man’s name, worsening the fracture between his soul and the parasitic snake.
• The snake heads attacked He Ao and devoured Red Claw and several Gang Members as He Ao realized that the multi-headed snake was an independent lifeform consuming the Thin Man’s body and soul.
• He Ao broke off a poisonous fang, maneuvered through the attacking snake heads, and used Mental Impact to tear apart the Thin Man’s divided soul.
• He Ao drove the poisonous fang into the heart at the center of the Thin Man’s chest, and the enormous snake body shattered.

He Ao defeated Black Snake and authorized the City Defense Army to launch an operation against the gangs in southern Ningweisi District. He stayed near the Low-Rise Building District to support the operation and arranged a free clinic, with Kewei offering to help.

• He Ao identified the dying Black Snake as Verus Anderk, and Black Snake died after Poisonous Fang dissipated.
• General Kovi arrived with reinforcements, and He Ao authorized the Second Task Force to eliminate dangerous gang organizations in southern Ningweisi District.
• He Ao told General Kovi he would remain in the Low-Rise Building District and asked for intelligence from the operation to be sent to him.
• Sena and Tucker arrived with guards and medical personnel, and He Ao reassured Sena that his actions had helped bring reinforcements.
• He Ao asked Kewis to host a free clinic that night, and Kewis agreed while the little boy asked about bringing his mother.
• Kewei offered to do odd jobs for the clinic, and He Ao welcomed his help.

After witnessing Lynn survive an assassination attempt, Chotte decided he wanted to follow him and joined the crowd at Lynn’s free medical consultations. Lynn recognized Chotte and directed him toward a dangerous Municipal Police Department recruitment, leaving Chotte eager to apply as dawn broke.

• An officer questioned Chotte about why he had been near the mayor during the Prisoner Gang’s assassination attempt, then released him after checking his identity.
• Chotte called his brother, explained that Lynn had handled the assassination himself, and said he wanted to support him and help change life in the Southern District.
• Chotte joined the overnight queue for Lynn’s free consultations and passed through security, where a middle-aged Municipal Police Department officer screened visitors and controlled disturbances.
• When Chotte reached Lynn, he admitted he was not sick and only wanted to meet him; Lynn recognized him as the youth who had hidden behind the GG Billboard during the attack.
• Chotte told Lynn he wanted to follow him, and Lynn pointed him toward Director Tucker’s Municipal Police Department recruitment, warning that the job was dangerous.
• Chotte hurried to the recruitment line beneath the posted advertisement as dawn rose.

He Ao and Kewei discussed the Southern District’s corruption and poverty as the City Defense Army took control, while He Ao worried that the Prisoner Gang’s strongest fighters were missing. The chapter ended with He Ao receiving news that the GG equipment had arrived and seeing a viral video about the mayor’s assassination attempt.

• At the crematorium, a figure entered the dangerous area and threw Verus’s Federation Social Security Card into the incinerator.
• He Ao told Kewei that Ives Space System and Kepesi Mining had tried to seize the Low-Rise Building District, and said it would not be sold.
• He Ao left the free clinic while Kewei stayed behind; Kewei warned officers not to advance carelessly as the City Defense Army secured the Southern District.
• Kewei described the exploitation and hardship endured by Southern District residents, then said someone would always see what He Ao had done.
• He Ao reviewed Eve’s report and grew uneasy because the Prisoner Gang’s B-class fighters and Great Instructor had not appeared.
• He Ao learned that the GG equipment had arrived, then saw a recommended video about the mayor fighting back during an assassination attempt.

He Ao learned that Dawn City Mayor Christos was challenging the consortiums with an anti-monopoly bill and ordered Tucker to close the net immediately, preparing for a consortium counterattack. Meanwhile, reporter Inie confronted her newspaper’s owner over his plan to remove her viral assassination coverage and silence a witness, then quit.

• He Ao watched a viral reconstruction video of the assassination attempt and saw how widely the story had spread across the Federation.
• Daisy told He Ao that GG Billboard installation had begun, and Tucker reported that the investigation had gathered enough evidence to close the net by noon.
• After learning Christos planned to push an Anti-Consortium Monopoly Law through Dawn City Council, He Ao ordered Tucker to act immediately and told Daisy to prepare a press conference with Tucker as the main speaker.
• Inie’s newspaper owner demanded that she take down her assassination report and seek an exclusive interview with a riot participant, which Inie recognized as an attempt to silence the witness.
• Inie threw the document at the Wide Fat Man and quit.

Inie quit her job after her boss suppressed her story, but the exclusive contract let her offer it to other outlets, and Ilan News began exposing corruption in Mayor Lynn’s government. As corporations pressured councilors to impeach Lynn and offered him wealth and a cure in exchange for resigning, he rejected their deal and ordered a press conference to reveal the government’s response.

• Inie told Liss she had quit and explained that her contract allowed her to sell the story elsewhere if her former employer hid it.
• Ilan News and other programs aired reports accusing Cabinet ministers of corruption while omitting the corporations’ involvement.
• The Cigar Man learned that Ives Space System wanted councilors to advance Lynn’s impeachment, offering them enough money to retire elsewhere.
• Lunse of Norde Bank offered He Ao treatment, a B-rank advancement, corporate positions, and a billion federal currency if he resigned; He Ao refused and ended the call.
• Tucker told He Ao that Cabinet personnel involved in the cases had been dealt with, and He Ao ordered the information released and the press conference held.

He Ao’s government announced the arrests of seventeen former cabinet officials, and he defended his anti-corruption campaign at a tense press conference. After He Ao vowed to keep fighting corporate influence, the livestream ended with Vels watching in the Low-Rise Building District.

• Jielin told Vels that Mayor Lynn had arranged affordable surgery for his mother, while Vels warned him not to trust politicians.
• A breaking news report announced that seventeen former cabinet members had been arrested after their dismissal, and Jielin hurried toward Saint Ilan with renewed confidence in Mr. Lynn.
• Inie and Liss headed to White Jasmine Palace as Tucker prepared to explain the corruption case at a press conference.
• Tucker answered reporters’ questions about the arrests until an Ilan Morning News reporter challenged whether He Ao was incompetent or corrupt, prompting He Ao to take the question himself.
• He Ao argued that corporate wealth enabled corruption, announced new anti-corruption measures and investigations, and vowed to keep acting against corporations.
• Vels watched the press conference end on the GG screen and lowered his head in thought.

After the corruption arrests, He Ao invested in Inie and Liss’s independent newspaper, Ilan Radiance News, while the Ilan Morning News reporter reconsidered her position. Inie received an anonymous article signed “Firefly,” and General Kovi saw a photograph of a massive war machine.

• The Ilan Morning News reporter explained that the press could not publish the conference’s news, while noting that the conglomerates’ leaked evidence had confirmed the corruption arrests were genuine.
• He Ao declined to hire Inie and Liss as official writers but invested over one hundred thousand Federal currency in their newspaper, Ilan Radiance News, in exchange for a controlling stake.
• Inie and Liss discussed building their newspaper, then spoke with Inie’s former senior, the Ilan Morning News reporter, about the paper’s name and their plans.
• Back at their apartment, Inie received an anonymous email containing a detailed press conference article signed “Firefly.”
• At the South City Command Center, an officer showed General Kovi a photograph of a huge, black, flattened teardrop-shaped war machine.

Kewei prepared Ilan City’s defenses as an Ives Space Systems aerial force approached, while He Ao investigated the Prisoner Gang’s hidden power and suspected it had been a foothold for a larger operation. The chapter ended with North City Commander Scott reporting that the Kopes Mercenary Group was approaching through the northern wilderness.

• Kewei learned that three Sky Behemoths and a large aircraft force were approaching the South City gate, and ordered the south gate sealed and the air defenses activated.
• Kewei recalled the First Wilderness Army Brigade’s children from its exercise and directed that intelligence be sent to White Jasmine Palace, leaving any order to begin hostilities to Mayor Lynn.
• He Ao reviewed Eve’s report and found that the Prisoner Gang’s strongholds had housed powerful superhumans who evacuated and destroyed evidence before the City Defense Army attacked.
• He Ao mapped the strongholds and identified a Chemical Factory controlled by Kepesi Mining as a possible site for storing equipment and hiding forces near the South City Command Center.
• He Ao summoned Director Tucker to verify the locations, then received a private call from Scott reporting Kopes Mercenary Group activity in the northern wilderness.