Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Capital’s Progress”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng returns to a ruined village and finds the bones of the savage tribe massacred by Scorpio’s slave-catching party. One skull reminds him of the first person he killed.
• He explains to Wisdom Shield that although he did not belong to the tribe, all humans—including the so-called savages—share the same basic needs and humanity.
• Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield discuss the origins of slavery and the relationship between productivity, wealth, and social change. Chen argues that developing industry and breaking the monopoly on knowledge will eventually undermine slavery.
• Chen presents capital as a force with two sides: it can drive technological advancement, social reform, and emancipation, but unchecked capital can become destructive and cause exploitation, war, and social suffering.
• The group buries the bones of both the savages and the slave catchers together. Chen hopes the dead slave catchers will be forced to confront and repent for their crimes in the afterlife.
• Wisdom Shield chooses to camp outside the ruins rather than occupy them, preserving the village as a memorial.
• During the night, an enemy force launches a surprise attack. The Gale Wolves detect the threat and awaken the camp.
• The Imperial Knights respond with remarkable discipline, revealing that they are equipped with mortars rather than conventional weapons. The artillery barrage annihilates the attackers, including their Gold Rank leader and numerous Silver Rank experts.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng: Shows compassion and moral conviction by recognizing the savages as fellow humans and honoring their remains. He also demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of history, economics, slavery, capitalism, and technological progress.
• Wisdom Shield: Experiences a major ideological shift. He begins questioning the belief that savages are inferior livestock and recognizes their shared humanity. He also starts to understand that ending slavery requires structural and economic change, not merely personal goodwill.
• The Imperial Knights: Their discipline, preparation, and advanced weaponry establish them as a highly organized and technologically superior force.
• The attackers’ leader: His confidence in overwhelming Wisdom Shield’s group collapses when he realizes the camp is prepared and possesses devastating artillery.

Significant Themes

• The shared humanity of oppressed peoples: The ruined village challenges the distinction between “civilized” humans and savages.
• The origins and abolition of slavery: Slavery is linked to private ownership, unequal wealth, and low productivity; industrialization and wider access to knowledge may create the conditions for its eventual destruction.
• The dual nature of capital: Capital can stimulate progress and liberation, but uncontrolled capital can produce exploitation, crisis, and war.
• Progress requires restraint: Social and technological advancement is valuable only when powerful forces—especially capital—are regulated.
• Memory and justice: Burying the dead together preserves the village’s history while symbolically denying the slave catchers the distinction and superiority they claimed in life.
• Technology and military power: The mortar attack demonstrates how industrial technology transforms warfare and overwhelms even highly skilled individual fighters.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng challenges Wisdom Shield’s prejudice by urging him to see the savages as ordinary people with homes, clothing, farms, and families.
• Wisdom Shield questions Chen about how slaves can achieve freedom, prompting Chen’s explanation of productivity, industrial labor, and capital-driven reform.
• Their discussion marks a shift from abstract political theory to a shared moral understanding shaped by the ruins before them.
• The nighttime attack contrasts the attackers’ overconfidence with the Imperial Knights’ calm coordination and technological superiority.

Chapter Summary: “Hide It While You Can”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After a surprise assassination attempt, Xiaodun’s mortar unit finishes bombarding the attackers. The battlefield is reduced to bloody mud, with the assassins completely annihilated.
• The peak Gold Rank leader initially survives by cutting apart shells and protecting himself with Battle Aura, but repeated barrages eventually break through his defenses. A single shell then kills him.
• Xiaodun realizes that the artillery’s power compounds rather than merely adds together: once defenses are weakened, subsequent shells become overwhelmingly lethal.
• The bombardment greatly exceeds what was necessary. Most of the later barrages only further destroyed the corpses and consumed expensive ammunition.
• Xiaodun reprimands the knights for wasting military resources and orders each of them to write a report analyzing the battle and identifying tactical weaknesses.
• Wisdom Shield orders the group to clean up and conceal the evidence before continuing their journey.
• The next morning, Wisdom Shield uses a large amount of Earth Magic to restore the artillery-damaged ground, leaving him visibly drained. He explains that the artillery’s effectiveness depends partly on remaining a secret and surprising future enemies.
• A second group of masked investigators arrives after the Imperial Knights have departed. Kui Yi, sent by Moss XIII, kills them all using their own shadows and erases their bodies, further concealing the battle.
• Wisdom Shield’s group continues toward its destination and reaches the Transverse Great Canyon. Since there is no existing route across the thousand-zhang-deep chasm, they begin cutting down ancient trees to construct a bridge.

Character Developments

• Xiaodun gains practical combat experience and learns the true destructive potential and limitations of the mortars. Though thrilled by their effectiveness, he recognizes the need for discipline, tactical planning, and ammunition conservation.
• Wisdom Shield demonstrates both strategic caution and responsibility. He accepts the artillery’s cost but prioritizes hiding its capabilities. His use of Earth Magic to erase the battlefield reveals his willingness to expend personal strength to protect the weapon’s secrecy.
• Chen Cheng gains a clearer understanding of the artillery’s power and Wisdom Shield’s perspective. He humorously compares the defeated Gold Rank expert to a “fly,” showing growing familiarity and comfort in his interactions with Wisdom Shield.
• The artillery knights experience their first real battle and become excited after witnessing mortars destroy an enemy stronger than themselves. Xiaodun’s reprimand reminds them that enthusiasm must be balanced with professionalism.
• Kui Yi is portrayed as a highly efficient and loyal assassin. He acts independently on Wisdom Shield’s behalf, eliminating investigators and ensuring that no evidence remains.
• The assassins are shown to have severely underestimated the new artillery weapon, relying on conventional strength and failing to account for sustained bombardment.

Significant Themes

• The danger of technological surprise: Artillery’s greatest advantage lies in enemies not yet understanding its range, power, and tactical use.
• Military discipline and resource management: Even a decisive victory can be flawed if it wastes costly ammunition or relies on poorly tested tactics.
• Concealment and strategic secrecy: The group goes to great lengths to erase the battlefield, recognizing that revealing the artillery would allow future enemies to develop countermeasures.
• The limits of individual strength: Even a peak Gold Rank warrior cannot withstand sustained modern-style bombardment once his defenses are broken.
• Efficiency and ruthlessness: Both the artillery unit and Kui Yi eliminate threats decisively, while the destruction and concealment of bodies emphasize the harsh realities of their conflict.

Character Interactions

• Xiaodun and his knights: Xiaodun shares in their excitement but immediately corrects their complacency, warning that faster or more tactically aware enemies could exploit the artillery’s weaknesses.
• Wisdom Shield and Xiaodun: Wisdom Shield allows Xiaodun to command freely, showing trust in his abilities, while Xiaodun’s instructions reflect growing military responsibility.
• Wisdom Shield and Chen Cheng: Their morning conversation is lighthearted, with Chen Cheng teasing Wisdom Shield about treating a Gold Rank expert like a mere insect. Wisdom Shield responds by joking about the artillery’s enormous cost.
• Wisdom Shield and Kui Yi: Although they never meet directly in the chapter, Kui Yi’s actions demonstrate his loyalty to Wisdom Shield’s wishes, interpreting the need for secrecy and eliminating anyone who might expose the attack.
• The group as a whole: After the battle, the Imperial Knights cooperate in cleaning the battlefield, restoring the terrain, packing camp, and beginning construction of a bridge, emphasizing their discipline and practical teamwork.

Chapter Summary: “Tree Spirit”

Key Plot Points and Events

• As Chen Cheng’s group prepares to cut down ancient trees blocking their path, the entire forest suddenly awakens. Human-like faces appear in the trunks, and the trees communicate by rubbing their treetops together.
• Chen Cheng realizes that the trees are intelligent spiritual beings rather than ordinary monsters. He bombards them with questions about their biology, but the Tree Spirits understand only his final question.
• Wisdom Shield explains that the group needs to cross the canyon and asks for assistance. The Tree Spirits request their identity tokens, recognizing Chen Cheng’s relic token and Wisdom Shield’s token as proof that they are “returning home.”
• Welcoming them, the Tree Spirits create a massive bridge by intertwining roots and vines across the canyon. The bridge forms without any detectable Magic Energy, astonishing the travelers.
• While crossing, the group discovers that the canyon contains deadly astral wind. A gust melts away part of an Imperial Knight’s sword, revealing the canyon’s extreme danger.
• After everyone crosses, the Tree Spirits retract the roots and vines, causing the bridge to vanish. Chen Cheng concludes that the Tree Spirits are guardians of the Ancient Ruins and could have killed intruders who lacked the proper tokens.
• The group proceeds carefully, with Xiaodun, Chen Cheng, and Brown leading while the others remain alert and ready to use weapons if necessary. Because the Tree Spirits recognize them as legitimate travelers, the group encounters no further resistance.
• They eventually reach the destination, where Modornik and others have established a campsite. The newcomers are shocked by the size of Chen Cheng’s party, which numbers dozens or even over a hundred people, all mounted on Gale Wolves.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng displays intense curiosity and scientific thinking when confronted with the Tree Spirits, treating them as a fascinating life-form rather than simply a threat. He also begins to understand the significance of the relic token.
• Wisdom Shield acts as the practical negotiator, steering the conversation toward the group’s immediate goal and successfully securing passage.
• Xiaodun demonstrates caution and leadership by identifying the astral wind and ordering the group to cross quickly and later move with greater vigilance.
• The group as a whole becomes more aware of the dangers surrounding the Ancient Ruins and abandons its earlier assumption that the Tree Spirits are weak.
• The bedraggled nobleman encountered at the campsite highlights the contrast between Chen Cheng’s unusually large, well-equipped party and the smaller, struggling groups that reached the ruins.

Significant Themes

• Nature possessing intelligence: The Tree Spirits challenge the human assumption that trees are passive or unintelligent, presenting an ancient forest as a conscious community.
• Respect for ancient power: What first appears to be a harmless forest is revealed to possess extraordinary strength and control over the environment.
• Legitimacy and belonging: The identity tokens function as proof that Chen Cheng’s group has the right to enter the Ancient Ruins, while the Tree Spirits’ greeting—“Welcome home”—suggests a deeper connection between the travelers and the ruins.
• Hidden danger: The calm appearance of the canyon conceals lethal astral wind, reinforcing that the most dangerous threats are not always visible.
• Preparation versus arrogance: The group’s willingness to reassess the situation and proceed cautiously contrasts with the danger of underestimating the Tree Spirits or the ruins.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng enthusiastically questions the Tree Spirits, while they respond with limited understanding and clarify that they are essentially the same as ordinary trees.
• Wisdom Shield communicates respectfully with the Tree Spirits, explaining their need to cross and presenting the group’s journey as a return home.
• Xiaodun protects an Imperial Knight from the astral wind and later coordinates the group’s cautious advance.
• At the campsite, Chen Cheng casually questions a disheveled traveler about losing his guards, unaware that the man is actually a powerful noble who once arrived with a grand entourage. This interaction introduces the disparity between Chen Cheng’s massive party and the smaller groups attempting to enter the ruins.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• A powerful young noble, later identified as Sidor Monet, leads a large group through the relic. When a gorge blocks their path, he orders his followers to chop down the Tree Spirits.
• The Tree Spirits defend themselves, killing the greedy attackers and turning them into nourishment. Monet sends another group, but they flee after witnessing the danger.
• Monet’s Platinum Rank guard recognizes that the Tree Spirits are unusual and warns him not to attack. Monet presents his identity token, allowing him to see and cross the magical vine bridge.
• The bridge vanishes after Monet steps onto it, causing the people behind him to fall into the gorge. Though his Platinum Rank guard helps him cross, the guard later dies amid the relic’s many dangers. Monet survives only because of his token.
• Upon reaching Chen Cheng’s camp, Monet asks whether an Epic Rank expert is present and offers the protection of the Sidor Family in exchange for shelter.
• Chen Cheng assumes Monet is a fraud or a minor noble pretending to be the son of the Sidor patriarch, since Monet looks like a beggar and claims to have knowledge of Epic Rank experts.
• Wisdom Shield calls Chen Cheng over after learning the truth from Modornik. Their group’s effortless journey is revealed to be highly abnormal: unlike everyone else, they encountered almost no dangers.
• Modornik explains why major Lineages send their direct heirs into relics. Although relic exploration is dangerous, surviving can guarantee advancement to the peak of Platinum Rank or even Epic Rank, making the heir a future pillar of the Lineage.
• Chen Cheng begins to suspect Monet may truly be the Sidor Family’s heir, though he still cannot understand why their group faced no serious threats.
• The First Prince’s group then emerges from the forest in panic and disarray, apparently having endured terrifying dangers. Chen Cheng jokingly suggests that the threats have “rested” and become active again.

Character Developments

• Sidor Monet is revealed to be more than a disheveled stranger: he is the direct heir of a major Lineage. His arrogance and initial willingness to exploit the Tree Spirits give way to caution after witnessing the relic’s dangers.
• Monet also becomes dependent and vulnerable after losing his Platinum Rank protector, forcing him to seek aid from Chen Cheng’s group.
• Chen Cheng initially misjudges Monet and assumes he is lying. After hearing Modornik’s explanation, he becomes more open to the possibility that Monet is genuine, though he remains puzzled by the situation.
• Wisdom Shield takes on a coordinating and analytical role, comparing the group’s experiences with those of other explorers and recognizing that their journey is anomalous.
• Modornik provides important insight into the political and strategic reasons behind relic exploration.
• Chen Cheng’s group is increasingly portrayed as unusual, since they pass through dangers that devastate other parties.

Significant Themes

• Strength and social status: In this world, power determines political stability. A future Epic Rank expert can secure an entire Lineage’s influence.
• Risk and reward: Relic exploration is deadly, but the possibility of extraordinary advancement makes the danger worthwhile for major families.
• Privilege and vulnerability: Direct heirs receive great resources and status, yet they are still exposed to lethal dangers when entering relics.
• Appearances versus reality: Monet looks like a beggar but is actually a noble heir, while Chen Cheng’s group appears ordinary yet possesses a mysterious protection or advantage.
• The unknown nature of the relic: The contrasting journeys suggest that the relic may respond differently to different groups, or that Chen Cheng’s party has some unexplained connection or protection.

Character Interactions

• Monet attempts to recruit Chen Cheng’s protection by offering the Sidor Family’s patronage.
• Chen Cheng sarcastically dismisses Monet’s claim, believing he is fabricating his identity.
• Wisdom Shield brings Chen Cheng into a discussion with Modornik to investigate why their group has faced so little danger.
• Modornik explains the motives of the great Lineages, helping Chen Cheng reconsider Monet’s story.
• The arrival of the terrified First Prince’s group humorously contrasts with Chen Cheng’s peaceful progress and reinforces how abnormal their experience has been.

Chapter Summary: “Showing His Hand”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The First Prince, Second Prince, and Fifth Prince emerge from the ruin exploration exhausted and disheveled, but try to maintain their royal dignity when they encounter Wisdom Shield and Governor Modornik.
• They are startled to discover that Wisdom Shield is unharmed and that Modornik has brought a large force of Imperial Knights to establish and patrol a camp. This suggests Wisdom Shield has far more protection and influence than they expected.
• The First Prince attempts to belittle Wisdom Shield’s governance by criticizing the exchange and bank established in Wisdom Shield’s territory, claiming merchants are boycotting it.
• His remark unintentionally reveals that he and his allies are connected to the recent collapse in the exchange’s business. Modornik realizes that the merchants’ withdrawal is part of the First Prince’s political maneuvering.
• Wisdom Shield responds calmly, defending the exchange as fair, transparent, and voluntary. His composure frustrates the First Prince, who had hoped to provoke or humiliate him.
• The First Prince privately takes satisfaction in believing that Wisdom Shield has been poisoned and will die during the ruin exploration if he uses Magic Energy.
• Wisdom Shield recognizes from the First Prince’s words and attitude that his eldest brother is the mastermind behind the poisoning. His remaining affection for the First Prince disappears, replaced by firm murderous intent.
• Later, the Seventh Prince, Tanding, exits the forest and happily greets Wisdom Shield. Wisdom Shield welcomes him warmly, remembering that Tanding did not participate in the attack on his territory.

Character Developments

• Wisdom Shield: Demonstrates greater confidence, political awareness, and emotional control. He calmly withstands the First Prince’s provocation and successfully confirms his brother’s role in the poisoning. This revelation ends the last remnants of familial loyalty he held toward the First Prince, signaling a decisive turn toward revenge and political confrontation.
• The First Prince: Reveals his arrogance, cruelty, and overconfidence. He tries to undermine Wisdom Shield but accidentally exposes information about the campaign against the exchange. He also takes pleasure in the prospect of Wisdom Shield’s death, showing that his hostility is no longer merely political.
• Governor Modornik: Realizes that he has been drawn into the princes’ political conflict. Although angry that his territory’s economy has been harmed, he also recognizes that Wisdom Shield’s exchange has provided major financial benefits and may continue to serve his interests.
• Seventh Prince Tanding: Appears more friendly and sincere than the other princes. His refusal to attack Wisdom Shield’s territory preserves a small but meaningful bond between them.
• Xiaodun and the Imperial Knights: Their presence demonstrates that Wisdom Shield’s faction is organized, prepared, and capable of protecting itself within the ruins.

Significant Themes

• Political maneuvering and hidden agendas: The exchange’s rise and decline are revealed as part of a larger struggle among the royal princes.
• Betrayal and the loss of familial bonds: The First Prince’s poisoning plot destroys Wisdom Shield’s final sense of brotherly attachment.
• Composure as power: Wisdom Shield’s calm response contrasts with the First Prince’s hostility and makes him appear stronger and more politically mature.
• Economic influence: The exchange and its commercial taxes demonstrate how financial reforms can strengthen a ruler’s territory while also provoking enemies.
• Selective loyalty: Wisdom Shield distinguishes between brothers who actively seek his death and Tanding, who remained neutral and therefore preserved his trust.

Character Interactions

• The First Prince and his brothers exchange formal, superficially cordial greetings with Modornik and Wisdom Shield while concealing their hostility.
• The First Prince attempts to attack Wisdom Shield verbally over the exchange, but Wisdom Shield neutralizes the insult with a measured response.
• Modornik silently reassesses both Wisdom Shield and the First Prince, recognizing the broader political scheme behind the economic conflict.
• After the older princes depart, Wisdom Shield internally confirms the First Prince’s guilt and resolves to treat him as an enemy.
• Tanding then approaches Wisdom Shield warmly, creating a sharp contrast with the earlier hostile interaction and reviving the possibility of genuine brotherly loyalty.

Chapter Summary: Artificial Sun

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tanding and Wisdom Shield continue discussing the difficulties of governing a territory. Wisdom Shield explains that his territory initially had weak finances but maintained low crime and reduced taxes, giving the population a high level of happiness.
• Wisdom Shield shares his governing philosophy: restore public security first, eliminate criminal forces, regulate the market, and then attract investment under favorable national policies. Tanding listens attentively and values the practical advice.
• Their conversation shifts to the Ancient Ruins expedition. Tanding asks how Wisdom Shield managed to bring subordinates who lack the required identity tokens into the ruins.
• Wisdom Shield admits he does not know. His group crossed the bridge without encountering danger, suggesting that the ruins’ defenses may have developed a temporary flaw.
• Wisdom Shield worries that Xiaodun and the others may be unable to safely return because they cannot enter the ruins properly or retrace the route. He places their safety above the value of the ruins and is even willing to use hundreds of howitzers to destroy the area if necessary to rescue them.
• Once all expedition members arrive, Modornik assembles the group and establishes his authority as leader. Everyone must obey his orders, and he refuses responsibility for anyone who acts independently.
• Modornik announces that lineage and social status will have no protection inside the ruins. Opportunities will belong only to those strong enough to seize them, angering several privileged members of the group.
• The identity tokens activate a hidden mechanism in the cliff wall, projecting each participant’s name and number before opening a spatial vortex.
• The group passes through the vortex and travels through an endless, featureless white space before emerging in a wilderness that Modornik identifies as the ruins.
• After confirming that no one has been lost, Modornik warns everyone to remain vigilant. Chen Cheng, however, becomes shocked by what he sees overhead: a familiar Artificial Sun, suggesting a connection between the Ancient Civilization and the world he knows.

Character Developments

• Wisdom Shield is portrayed as a capable and pragmatic ruler. His priorities—security, fair taxation, market regulation, and economic development—reveal a grounded governing philosophy.
• He also demonstrates strong loyalty and responsibility toward his subordinates. Xiaodun and the others matter more to him than the ruins, reinforcing his role as a protective and morally committed leader.
• Tanding shows humility and a willingness to learn from Wisdom Shield, despite his own position and expertise. His curiosity about the ruins also highlights his careful, analytical nature.
• Modornik establishes himself as a strict, authoritative expedition leader who values discipline and personal strength over privilege.
• Chen Cheng is distinguished by his intellectual interest in Ancient Civilization. His reaction to the Artificial Sun suggests that he recognizes something profoundly significant that the others do not.

Significant Themes

• Good governance: The chapter emphasizes that stable security, low crime, reasonable taxation, and economic opportunity are the foundations of a prosperous territory.
• Responsibility versus ambition: Wisdom Shield’s willingness to sacrifice the ruins for his people contrasts with the expedition’s focus on uncovering valuable opportunities.
• Merit over status: Modornik rejects the protection of lineage and privilege, insisting that strength and ability will determine survival inside the ruins.
• The unknown and ancient technology: The mysterious passage through space and the Artificial Sun introduce the possibility that the Ancient Civilization possessed technology resembling or influencing the modern world.
• Loyalty and leadership: Wisdom Shield’s concern for his subordinates and Modornik’s command structure present two different forms of leadership—protective stewardship and strict authority.

Character Interactions

• Wisdom Shield and Tanding develop mutual respect through an open exchange of governing experiences.
• Tanding seeks Wisdom Shield’s knowledge, while Wisdom Shield responds generously rather than withholding information.
• Wisdom Shield discusses the expedition’s dangers with Tanding and reveals his concern for Xiaodun and the other tokenless subordinates.
• Modornik asserts control over the entire expedition, including powerful figures such as the First Prince, by imposing rules that place everyone on equal footing.
• Chen Cheng remains mostly observant during the group’s movement but becomes central at the end when he recognizes the Artificial Sun, hinting that his knowledge may be crucial to understanding the ruins.

Chapter Summary: Chen Cheng’s Descent into Madness

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group enters an ancient ruin containing a genuine Artificial Sun: a controlled mass of deuterium and tritium producing stable light, heat, and energy.
• Chen Cheng, whose past life was devoted to controlled nuclear fusion and interstellar travel, recognizes the Artificial Sun’s extraordinary scientific achievement.
• Overwhelmed by the sight, he kneels and repeatedly kowtows before it, alarming the others.
• Wisdom Shield intervenes, fearing Chen Cheng has been driven insane by the ruin. When Chen Cheng becomes increasingly euphoric and begins rambling about scientific theories, Wisdom Shield slaps him and threatens to destroy the ruins with artillery to force him back to reality.
• Chen Cheng regains control, apologizes for his behavior, and continues with the group.
• The group realizes that Chen Cheng is actually Brown, the champion of the grand competition, based on Wisdom Shield’s concern for him.
• They descend from the platform toward a circular fortress using a rope provided by Modornik.
• In the forest below, one member attempts to test whether the ancient trees can speak, but Modornik harshly stops him, warning that the trees may be dangerous.
• The group travels through the forest and eventually camps as the Artificial Sun simulates sunset and night.
• Chen Cheng notices that the sun is enclosed in a transparent, color-changing sphere, revealing the sophistication of the ruin’s design.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng/Brown: His lifelong scientific obsession overwhelms his judgment. His reverence for the Artificial Sun borders on religious fanaticism, leading others to question his sanity. After being forcibly restrained, he regains composure but remains intensely fascinated by the technology.
• Wisdom Shield: Displays strong concern and responsibility toward Chen Cheng. He acts decisively—even violently—to prevent Chen Cheng from mentally collapsing, while also regretting bringing him into the ruins.
• Modornik: Reveals a previously unseen ruthless and authoritative side. Because he can no longer control his domain within the area, he becomes especially cautious and aggressively prevents reckless behavior.
• The First Prince and others: Infer Chen Cheng’s true identity as Brown and begin viewing him as a potential threat or target, with some hoping his apparent madness will make him easier to eliminate.

Significant Themes

• Science as a form of religious awe: Chen Cheng treats the Artificial Sun as a miracle, blurring the boundary between scientific admiration and worship.
• The danger of obsession: His intellectual passion threatens his sanity and nearly compromises the group’s safety.
• Human limitations before advanced technology: Even Chen Cheng, an expert in fusion, can barely comprehend the achievement before him.
• Caution in the unknown: The ancient forest and its trees may conceal dangers, emphasizing the importance of restraint within the ruins.
• Power, identity, and vulnerability: Once the others realize Chen Cheng is Brown, his unusual behavior may make him appear both vulnerable and easier to target.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng’s ecstatic reaction draws ridicule from Monet and concern from Wisdom Shield.
• Wisdom Shield physically and verbally jolts Chen Cheng back to reality, demonstrating their close but tense relationship.
• Chen Cheng apologizes to the group, who reluctantly overlook his behavior.
• The First Prince and others connect Wisdom Shield’s protectiveness to Chen Cheng’s identity as Brown.
• Modornik confronts a reckless explorer and intimidates him into obeying, establishing his authority over the group.

Chapter Summary: “Into the Dream Again”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield establish camp inside the Ancient Ruins. Wisdom Shield explains that strange features such as the sun are common in many ruins, but Chen Cheng remains uneasy.
• Chen Cheng points out that the forest contains no visible animals or other life, despite the immense, thriving trees. He reasons that such vegetation should normally depend on animals for propagation, suggesting that the apparent emptiness may signal danger.
• Wisdom Shield reports Chen Cheng’s concerns to Modornik. Although the group has encountered no threats, Modornik’s instincts also tell him that the ruins are abnormal and dangerous.
• At nightfall, Modornik ignites a large Dragon Crystal to create a powerful bonfire and orders the group to organize rotating night patrols. Ten people are divided into five two-person shifts, each lasting two hours.
• Chen Cheng is assigned to patrol with Wisdom Shield during the third shift, in the middle of the night. The group eats stored food, settles down, and begins its first night inside the ruins.
• While the others rest and Modornik maps the ruins from memory, Chen Cheng falls into another vivid dream connected to his former life.

Dream Events and Revelations

• Chen Cheng first sees a laboratory filled with cheering students—Old Ke’s graduate and doctoral students—though the scene changes before he can discover what they are celebrating.
• He then sees a much older political commissar, now a major general, receiving a report from Chen Cheng. The passage of time suggests that Chen Cheng’s former life continued long after his apparent death or disappearance.
• Chen Cheng encounters an advanced version of the Energy Converter, which he considers the greatest achievement of his previous life. His former disciple, Xu Yuan, is now an aging senior engineer overseeing its installation.
• The dream shifts to a futuristic hospital, where an elderly Xu Yuan is near death. Xu Yuan appears to hear Chen Cheng calling him “Master” and reaches toward him, but dies before they can reunite. Chen Cheng witnesses his disciple’s final moments with grief and helplessness.
• Finally, Chen Cheng sees an underground laboratory where young researchers are preparing an Artificial Sun experiment using technologies that were once only theories or classified projects.
• The aged political commissar encourages the researchers, reminding them that the nation has invested heavily in the project. They reply that the experiment carries the hopes of their masters and grandmasters, implying that Chen Cheng’s legacy inspired their work. The equipment is declared ready, awaiting authorization to ignite.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Chen Cheng: His intellectual caution and scientific reasoning become more prominent as he notices the unnatural absence of wildlife. His dreams reveal his deep attachment to his former students and his emotional pain over being separated from them. He is especially affected by witnessing Xu Yuan’s death and realizing how much time has passed.
• Wisdom Shield: He acts as Chen Cheng’s trusted companion, listens seriously to his concerns, and relays them to Modornik. Their partnership grows through mutual dependence and shared night-watch duties.
• Modornik: He demonstrates practical leadership and military caution. Even without concrete evidence of danger, he trusts his instincts, establishes patrols, and maintains order despite the group’s complaints. His mapping of the ruins shows his commitment to understanding their surroundings.
• Xu Yuan: In the dream sequences, he develops from Chen Cheng’s youthful disciple into an elderly engineer who preserves and extends his master’s scientific achievements. His dying words show that he still remembers and longs for his master.
• The political commissar: He changes from a younger official into an elderly national leader or adviser, symbolizing the passage of decades and the continuity of the scientific project.

Significant Themes

• Hidden danger and unnatural silence: The lifeless forest appears peaceful but may be more threatening because its lack of creatures violates natural expectations.
• Legacy and continuity: Chen Cheng’s work survives through his disciples, especially Xu Yuan, and contributes to the Artificial Sun project long after his own lifetime.
• The passage of time: The dream compresses decades of aging, technological progress, and death, emphasizing how much Chen Cheng has lost.
• Science and national purpose: The Energy Converter and Artificial Sun represent scientific ambition serving a larger collective or national mission.
• Memory, grief, and reunion: Chen Cheng’s dreams allow him to reconnect with people from his former life, but these encounters are fleeting and often end in separation or death.
• Preparation before discovery: The group’s first night in the ruins combines physical vigilance with Chen Cheng’s subconscious return to the past, building suspense for dangers and revelations still to come.

Chapter Summary: “Mole Rats”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng awakens from a frighteningly realistic nightmare after attempting to ignite the Artificial Sun. He dismisses it as a result of poor sleep and his obsession with the project.
• While preparing food, he reflects on the dream and notices that its logic was strange: familiar people appeared with names, while unknown individuals were obscured or unnamed.
• Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield share a lighthearted exchange while eating by the campfire. Their conversation is interrupted when the forest begins to stir.
• A massive horde of enormous mole rats emerges from beneath the forest. Their green eyes glow in the darkness, and they move underground toward the campsite without being detected.
• Modornik wakes due to his instincts sensing danger. Although his domain cannot function within the ruins, he eventually detects the mole rats through the vibrations and sounds of their digging.
• Modornik warns the others that danger is approaching from underground. Chen Cheng confirms that the sound comes from an entire pack rather than a single creature.
• Chen Cheng, Wisdom Shield, and Modornik rush through the camp, forcibly waking everyone. Chen Cheng’s first attempt involves throwing off the blanket of a pampered young noblewoman, startling her awake.
• Before the group can gather supplies, the ground collapses. The mole rats have hollowed out the earth beneath the campsite, causing the tents and surrounding ground to sink. The group survives the collapse because of their abilities and Modornik’s presence.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng remains troubled by the Artificial Sun project, suggesting that it has affected him psychologically across both his past and present lives. Despite his unease, he quickly shifts into a practical leadership role when danger appears.
• Wisdom Shield demonstrates concern for Chen Cheng after the nightmare and cooperates with him during the emergency. His playful embarrassment over Chen Cheng’s teasing reveals a more relaxed, familiar relationship between them.
• Modornik proves highly perceptive and vigilant. Even without access to his domain, he relies on instinct and acute hearing to identify the hidden threat and organize the group’s response.
• The young noblewoman is shown as sheltered and accustomed to luxury, having brought a bed into the wilderness. Her vulnerability and indignation contrast with the urgency of the attack.

Significant Themes

• Hidden danger and vigilance: The mole rats represent threats that remain invisible until they are already beneath the group. Survival depends on awareness and the ability to recognize subtle warnings.
• The psychological burden of ambition: Chen Cheng’s nightmare reflects how deeply the Artificial Sun project has consumed him, blurring the line between his dreams and waking concerns.
• Comradeship amid danger: The humorous interaction between Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield gives way to immediate cooperation when the camp is attacked.
• Civilization versus vulnerability: The group’s tents, belongings, and comforts provide only an illusion of safety; the earth beneath them can be destroyed without warning.

Character Interactions

• Wisdom Shield checks on Chen Cheng after his nightmare, showing concern, while Chen Cheng tries to brush off the incident.
• Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield tease each other over their closeness, creating comic tension and revealing their familiarity.
• Modornik joins them at the campfire but soon takes charge after sensing danger.
• Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield assist Modornik in waking the camp, with Chen Cheng using an aggressive but effective method to rouse the noblewoman and the others.

Chapter Summary: “King of Ground Rats”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A swarm of enormous ground rats attacks the expedition camp, tearing apart the tents and climbing out of a massive pit they secretly created.
• The group initially kills the first rats with ease, leading some members to underestimate the threat and suggest descending into the pit.
• Before they can act, a stronger second wave of over a hundred ground rats emerges. These rats are agile enough to dodge attacks and powerful enough to knock experienced fighters away with their tails.
• Modornik protects the group, crushing several rats beneath his feet and destroying others with his palm strikes.
• A powerful creature then appears: the King of Ground Rats. He attacks Modornik, and their clash ends in a stalemate, revealing that the king possesses strength comparable to an Epic Rank expert.
• The group realizes that the Ancient Ruins are far more dangerous than expected, especially since they have encountered such a powerful guardian before even entering the ruins proper.
• The King of Ground Rats accuses the visitors of being “monkeys” trespassing on his territory. Modornik attempts to explain that they are humans and that the invasion was accidental.
• The king and his subjects hilariously refuse to believe this, interpreting the humans as hairless members of the “monkey clan.” Their misunderstanding exposes both their intelligence and their absurd worldview.
• Modornik apologizes and offers to leave peacefully, hoping to avoid exhausting himself in a battle against the king and the large ground-rat army.

Character Developments

• Modornik demonstrates calm leadership and battlefield awareness. Unlike the more impulsive members of the group, he recognizes that the initial rats may not represent the true danger.
• His combat ability is emphasized when he effortlessly defeats multiple powerful rats and matches the King of Ground Rats in direct combat.
• Despite his strength, Modornik shows restraint and practicality. He considers the vulnerability of the weaker members of his group and prefers negotiation over an unnecessary fight.
• The King of Ground Rats is introduced as a physically powerful, intelligent, and highly eccentric ruler. He can speak, reason, command his followers, and fight at a level comparable to Modornik.
• The king’s confidence and vanity are shown through his theatrical speech, his pride in his supposed wisdom, and his enjoyment of his subjects’ flattery.
• The expedition members become more cautious after realizing that the rats are not simple monsters and that appearances and lack of visible energy do not indicate weakness.

Significant Themes

• The danger of underestimating enemies: The first rats are easily defeated, causing the group to become careless before the stronger creatures appear.
• The unpredictability of the Ancient Ruins: Even before entering the ruins, the group encounters a powerful and intelligent guardian, reinforcing that danger can emerge anywhere.
• Strength versus strategy: Although Modornik is powerful enough to fight the king evenly, he understands that protecting the entire group makes combat risky. Diplomacy becomes the wiser choice.
• Miscommunication and perspective: The rats’ insistence that humans are “monkeys” creates humor while emphasizing that different species interpret the world through their own assumptions.
• Leadership and responsibility: Modornik’s decisions reflect his duty to protect weaker companions rather than pursuing personal glory.

Character Interactions

• The group initially reacts to the rats with anger and confidence, but the stronger wave quickly forces them to recognize the threat.
• Modornik repeatedly intervenes to save and defend his companions during the attack.
• The King of Ground Rats confronts Modornik directly, and their evenly matched exchange establishes mutual respect and tension.
• Modornik attempts peaceful communication, while the king and his followers mock and misunderstand the humans.
• The king’s interaction with his subjects reveals a comic hierarchy: the rats flatter him constantly, while he scolds them yet reinforces their collective belief that the humans are hairless monkeys.
• The chapter ends with Modornik trying to negotiate a withdrawal, setting up a possible confrontation or resolution in the following chapter.

Chapter Summary: “The Ground Ratfolk’s Misery”

Key Plot Points and Events

• King of Ground Rats rejects Modornik’s claim that their attack was a misunderstanding, pointing out that the intruders entered his territory and killed many Ground Ratfolk.
• Instead of demanding revenge, the king proposes that Modornik’s group teach the Ground Ratfolk how to produce the fine fabric they are wearing.
• The Ground Ratfolk initially object, believing the intruders deserve harsher punishment. Their king explains that mastering fabric production would allow them to trade for food and make warm clothing, potentially saving their young from freezing during winter.
• The humans begin to sympathize with the Ground Ratfolk’s poverty and harsh living conditions.
• Before Modornik can explain the group’s true identity and situation, the First Prince angrily attacks King of Ground Rats with a Sacred Flame Dragon.
• King of Ground Rats retaliates, ordering his army to capture the intruders. The Ground Ratfolk use carefully prepared pits and coordinated attacks to trap everyone, including powerful warriors and instant-casting mages such as Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield.
• Modornik attempts to protect the group and negotiate, while Chen Cheng prevents Wisdom Shield from fighting to the death, recognizing that the king needs them alive to learn the weaving technique.
• The First Prince’s apparent recklessness is revealed to be deliberate: he hoped Wisdom Shield would use magic, triggering the poison inside him and allowing the prince to blame Modornik for his death.
• When Modornik tries to withdraw, King of Ground Rats threatens to kill the captives. Modornik therefore surrenders in exchange for their safety and warns that any harm to them will bring severe retaliation.

Character Developments

• King of Ground Rats is shown to be pragmatic and responsible rather than merely hostile. He prioritizes his people’s survival, seeking trade, food, and winter clothing instead of pointless revenge.
• Modornik demonstrates compassion and leadership. Though angered by the First Prince’s behavior, he protects the captives and ultimately sacrifices his freedom to ensure their safety.
• The First Prince is revealed to be calculating beneath his arrogant and seemingly foolish exterior. His attack was designed to provoke Wisdom Shield into triggering his poison and to create an opportunity to eliminate both Wisdom Shield and Modornik politically.
• Chen Cheng acts with restraint and practical judgment by stopping Wisdom Shield from making a suicidal stand.
• Wisdom Shield is willing to fight to the death but is persuaded to avoid unnecessary sacrifice.
• The Ground Ratfolk shift from anger toward silence and understanding after hearing their king explain their desperate circumstances.

Significant Themes

• Survival over revenge: King of Ground Rats values long-term prosperity and the welfare of his people more than retaliation.
• Poverty and inequality: The Ground Ratfolk suffer from food shortages, tribal warfare, and deadly winters, emphasizing the importance of clothing and resources.
• Misunderstanding and prejudice: The humans initially see the Ground Ratfolk as hostile beasts, but the king’s explanation reveals shared hardships and humanity-like compassion.
• Political manipulation: The First Prince hides a lethal scheme behind apparently stupid behavior, showing how ambition can exploit both allies and enemies.
• Leadership and sacrifice: Modornik accepts capture to protect his companions, contrasting his responsibility with the First Prince’s self-serving actions.

Important Character Interactions

• Modornik and King of Ground Rats: Their negotiation moves from hostility to a conditional surrender, with Modornik demanding protection for his people.
• King of Ground Rats and his subjects: He rebukes their desire for revenge and persuades them that fabric production could improve the entire tribe’s future.
• First Prince and King of Ground Rats: The prince’s sudden attack destroys the possibility of peaceful negotiation and provokes the Ground Ratfolk’s coordinated assault.
• Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield: Chen Cheng restrains Wisdom Shield, preventing him from triggering the poison in his body and dying needlessly.
• First Prince and the others: The prince secretly manipulates the situation so that Wisdom Shield’s possible death and Modornik’s failure to protect him can both be used for political advantage.

Chapter Summary: “Flanna’s Calmness”

Key plot points and events

• The King of Ground Rats and Modornik reach a tense agreement over the captives. To ensure Modornik cannot betray him, the king demands that Modornik wear a powerful collar capable of crippling his arm.
• Modornik initially refuses, distrustful of the king, but the captives plead with him to honor the rules he established and protect them. Realizing he cannot abandon them, he accepts the collar.
• Before putting it on, Modornik demonstrates his anger and strength by striking the forest, leaving a massive palm-shaped crater. He warns that if the king deceives him, he will sacrifice his arm and kill the Ground Ratfolk in retaliation.
• The captives are escorted into the Ground Ratfolk’s underground settlement and divided among sealed prison cells. Attempts to break through the earthen walls fail because the cells are protected by magical runes that repel attackers.
• Chen Cheng identifies the cells as magic prisons and warns that magical energy has been suppressed. Flanna confirms this from experience and suggests that the captives focus on learning to spin yarn and weave cloth, since the Ground Ratfolk likely need warm clothing.
• Another captive proposes teaching the Ground Ratfolk magic or Battle Aura instead, but Flanna dismisses the idea. Chen Cheng reflects that the Ground Ratfolk’s greatest need is clothing, especially because the underground winters are cold enough to kill their young.

Character developments

• The King of Ground Rats reveals himself to be a shrewd and capable leader rather than merely a physically powerful ruler. He understands Modornik’s concern for his people and uses the captives as leverage to secure compliance.
• Modornik is shown to be honorable and responsible. Although furious and distrustful, he ultimately sacrifices his own safety to protect the people who followed his rules. His destructive demonstration reinforces both his strength and his determination.
• Flanna emerges as calm, practical, and perceptive under pressure. Rather than panic, she quickly identifies the likely reason for the Ground Ratfolk’s demands and proposes a realistic way to regain their freedom.
• Chen Cheng becomes more observant of Flanna and gains respect for her composure and intelligence. He also uses his knowledge of magic to analyze the prison.
• The captives shift from panic and despair toward considering how they might satisfy the Ground Ratfolk’s needs.

Significant themes

• Trust and coercion: Both Modornik and the King of Ground Rats distrust one another, forcing them into a dangerous compromise backed by threats.
• Responsibility and loyalty: Modornik’s decision shows that leadership involves protecting followers even when doing so places oneself at risk.
• Practical survival over pride: Flanna focuses on the captors’ real needs instead of pursuing a potentially unrealistic escape or displaying power.
• Knowledge as a means of freedom: The captives may regain their liberty not through force, but by using their skills to solve the Ground Ratfolk’s problems.
• Environmental hardship: The Ground Ratfolk’s scarcity of clothing and the deadly underground winters explain their actions and suggest deeper social problems within their community.

Character interactions

• The King of Ground Rats and Modornik engage in a tense negotiation based on mutual distrust, with each trying to protect their own people.
• The captives appeal to Modornik’s sense of justice, persuading him to accept the collar.
• Ground Ratfolk guards mock the prisoners after their failed escape attempt, emphasizing the power imbalance between captors and captives.
• Flanna challenges Carlos’s suggestion that they become teachers, exposing the impracticality of relying on magic or Battle Aura to solve their immediate predicament.
• Chen Cheng quietly observes Flanna’s reasoning and begins to view her as unusually composed and intelligent.

Chapter Summary: “Discussion with Flanna”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng analyzes the underground ruins’ artificial climate system. The Artificial Sun provides heat, but during winter it stops radiating warmth, while underground heat-absorption modules draw away the remaining body heat. The creatures survive only because of their extraordinarily powerful physiques.
• Chen Cheng approaches Flanna to discuss their captivity. He believes that even if they teach the Ground Ratfolk spinning and weaving, the King of Ground Rats will still refuse to release them.
• Flanna identifies the immediate priority: removing the Slave Collar-like arm ring controlling the Governor, Modornik. Without the Governor’s martial strength, any escape plan would be fragile.
• Chen Cheng reveals that the arm ring is an advanced version of a Slave Collar and implies that he has a way to obtain or use its Magic Key. He keeps the details secret because too many captives may overhear and betray them.
• He quietly gives Flanna instructions, then returns to Wisdom Shield and begins planning their escape.
• Monet, recognizing Wisdom Shield’s group as unusually capable, tries to attach himself to them. He jokes about Chen Cheng flirting with Flanna, while Chen Cheng counters by mentioning his conflicts with the Sidor Family.
• Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield establish a broader plan: escape the underground chamber, remove the arm ring’s restrictions, organize resistance against the Ground Rats, and deploy their newly developed cannon to catch the enemy off guard.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates scientific understanding, strategic foresight, and growing leadership. He carefully observes the ruins’ systems, recognizes the danger of their situation, and begins forming alliances with influential captives.
• Flanna remains composed despite her embarrassment over Chen Cheng’s earlier intrusion while she was dressing. She proves intelligent, practical, and politically aware by focusing on the Governor’s restraint as the central obstacle.
• Wisdom Shield functions as Chen Cheng’s principal ally and planning partner, coordinating the eventual resistance.
• Monet is revealed as opportunistic and socially agile. He quickly recognizes the strength of Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield’s group and attempts to gain their protection.
• Flanna’s political importance becomes clearer: she is a daughter of the powerful Gib Family, which explains both her influence and her willingness to cooperate with Chen Cheng’s escape plan.
• Chen Cheng’s relationships with the noble heirs begin shifting from forced cooperation toward potential long-term alliances.

Significant Themes

• Strategy versus brute force: The captives cannot rely on individual strength alone; they must overcome the Ground Rats through planning, cooperation, and technology.
• Trust and secrecy: Chen Cheng must share information selectively because betrayal among desperate prisoners could ruin their escape.
• Power and control: The Slave Collar symbolizes the Ground Rats’ domination and the captives’ loss of autonomy. Removing it is essential to restoring resistance.
• Alliance-building: Chen Cheng follows the principle of making friends and reducing enemies, recognizing that rescuing the noble heirs could create valuable future relationships.
• Science and survival: The detailed discussion of the artificial climate emphasizes the advanced engineering sustaining the ruins and the harsh environmental conditions the inhabitants endure.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and Flanna have a tense but productive exchange. Her initial embarrassment and irritation give way to serious cooperation once he raises the escape plan.
• Flanna challenges Chen Cheng to explain his solution, showing that she does not blindly trust him. He responds indirectly, preserving the plan’s secrecy.
• Monet teases Chen Cheng about pursuing Flanna and attempts to ingratiate himself with Wisdom Shield’s group.
• Chen Cheng, Monet, and the noble factions’ relationships reveal the complicated political landscape surrounding the captives.
• Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield privately coordinate the next stages of the rebellion, transforming the group’s situation from passive captivity into an organized plan for escape and counterattack.

Chapter Summary: Guiding the Ground Ratfolk Weaving Workshop

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield meditate in their cell while waiting for the Ground Ratfolk.
• An elderly Ground Ratfolk elder arrives with several younger guards and activates dense Magic Runes throughout the cell. The runes attempt to bind the entire group.
• Chen Cheng stops the attack by explaining that only he and Wisdom Shield know how to spin yarn and weave cloth, while the others are nobles who would be useless—or troublesome—in a workshop.
• The elder agrees to take only Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield. However, he places some Magic Runes inside them, sealing their Consciousness Bodies and restricting their ability to use magic.
• As they leave, Chen Cheng secretly signals the others, with only Flanna understanding his meaning.
• Chen Cheng studies the underground maze while traveling and determines that they are moving upward. He and Wisdom Shield eventually emerge into a canyon containing streams, rice paddies, caves, and Ground Ratfolk production facilities.
• The elder brings them to the weaving workshop, where Chen Cheng finds a primitive linen-production process and poorly made looms.
• Chen Cheng spends most of the day criticizing and improving the workshop’s equipment and weaving techniques.
• When the elder questions why Wisdom Shield is not helping, Chen Cheng explains that Wisdom Shield specializes in dyeing rather than weaving, hinting that the Ground Ratfolk should improve not only fabric quality but also its color.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng: Demonstrates intelligence, confidence, and adaptability. He quickly recognizes the elder’s practical concerns, negotiates his group’s treatment, analyzes the maze, and uses his limited knowledge of textile production to establish authority in the workshop. He also subtly maintains contact with the others through Flanna.
• Wisdom Shield: Supports Chen Cheng and accompanies him to the workshop. Though mostly observing, he is identified as a specialist in cloth dyeing, suggesting an important future role.
• The Ground Ratfolk Elder: Initially appears threatening and uses the Ancient Ruins’ Magic Runes to restrain the prisoners. However, he is practical and willing to listen when Chen Cheng offers useful knowledge. His growing suspicion shows that he recognizes Chen Cheng may be concealing more than he says.
• Flanna: Shows awareness and cooperation by understanding Chen Cheng’s silent signal after he is taken away.
• The other prisoners: Remain confined, while Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield become the group’s representatives and potential means of improving their situation.

Significant Themes

• Knowledge as power: Chen Cheng’s technical understanding allows him to negotiate with and influence the Ground Ratfolk despite being imprisoned.
• Adaptability and resourcefulness: Chen Cheng turns a dangerous situation into an opportunity by presenting himself as useful.
• Technological disparity: The Ground Ratfolk possess sophisticated Ancient Ruins magic but extremely primitive productive methods, revealing an uneven level of development.
• Cooperation and hidden strategy: Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield work together while concealing their larger intentions from the Ground Ratfolk.
• Progress through practical expertise: Even limited knowledge can produce major improvements when applied to an underdeveloped system.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield silently coordinate before and during their encounter with the elder.
• Chen Cheng directly negotiates with the elder, persuading him that the nobles should not be forced to work.
• The elder restrains the two men with Magic Runes but treats them as valuable workers rather than ordinary prisoners.
• Chen Cheng takes charge of the weaving workshop, instructing and criticizing the Ground Ratfolk workers.
• When the elder challenges Wisdom Shield’s lack of participation, Chen Cheng defends him by emphasizing his skill in dyeing and suggesting that improved fabric should also include better colors.

Summary

Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield spend several days helping the Ground Ratfolk improve their weaving, loom construction, dyeing, and textile techniques. Chen Cheng focuses on repairing and refining the looms, while Wisdom Shield searches for natural dyes and supposedly looks for cotton. Their stated goal is to find cotton because the Ground Ratfolk currently rely only on flax, but their real purpose is to survey the surrounding underground territory and gather information for a possible escape.
Under Chen Cheng’s guidance, the Ground Ratfolk produce a high-quality bolt of linen. With Chen Cheng’s help, they also dye it a striking bright yellow, a color especially prized by the naturally yellow-furred Ground Ratfolk. Elder Ground Rat is delighted and promises to report their success to the King. However, he makes clear that Chen Cheng and the others will not yet be released: they must still find cotton, learn to cultivate it, and produce warm cotton clothing. As a partial concession, the King removes some of their restraints and orders two cave dwellings prepared for them in Cliff Mountain Cave.
Although the Ground Ratfolk believe Chen Cheng is sincerely helping them establish a textile industry, Chen Cheng privately recognizes that he cannot afford to remain and teach them every stage of cotton production. His improvements were primarily intended to gain their trust and create opportunities to investigate the region. The successful cloth production strengthens the Ground Ratfolk’s admiration for him and gives him greater freedom of movement.
Meanwhile, in the underground palace, the King of Ground Rats wears the First Prince’s clothing and greatsword, demonstrating his growing arrogance and desire to imitate or claim the power of his captives. He repeatedly begs Modornik to teach him the Warrior’s Path, hoping that its strength would allow him to dominate the entire underground world. Modornik refuses. Unlike earlier, when he feared retaliation, he now feels able to reject the King openly because the King has stopped threatening the prisoners.
The King’s ambition is tempered by fear and uncertainty. He suspects that Modornik and the others may be connected to ancient Divine Beings or have gained their powers from divine ruins. This makes him wary of provoking them, even as he envies their strength and dreams of ruling the underground realm. Their conversation is interrupted when Elder Ground Rat presents the newly dyed yellow linen. The King is immediately impressed by its softness, smoothness, and tight weave, confirming that Chen Cheng’s work has made a powerful impression on the ruling clan.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Chen Cheng becomes more strategic and calculating, using technological assistance to win the Ground Ratfolk’s trust while secretly planning beyond their demands.
• Wisdom Shield cooperates with Chen Cheng, helping with dyes and the search for cotton while using the excursions to survey the terrain.
• Elder Ground Rat grows increasingly grateful and impressed, but still treats the captives’ freedom as conditional.
• The King of Ground Rats becomes more ambitious, envious, and power-hungry, yet remains cautious because he fears the captives may possess divine connections.
• Modornik gains confidence in refusing the King, no longer believing that direct rejection will endanger the others.
• The interactions between Chen Cheng and Elder Ground Rat center on negotiated trust, while those between the King and Modornik reveal a conflict between ambition and restraint.

Significant Themes

• Trust as a strategic tool: Chen Cheng’s assistance earns goodwill, but he uses the relationship primarily to secure freedom and gather intelligence.
• Technology and cultural influence: Improved looms, dyeing, and fabric production give Chen Cheng power over the Ground Ratfolk’s development.
• Freedom versus obligation: The Ground Ratfolk continually move the conditions for release, showing how promises can become forms of control.
• Power and ambition: The King dreams of using the Warrior’s Path to become ruler of the underground world.
• Fear of the unknown: The King’s reverence for possible Divine Beings restrains his cruelty and complicates his attempts to control the captives.

Chapter Summary: “Strategy”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The King of Ground Rats accepts the yellow cloth and is impressed by its appearance, especially after being told about cotton, a warmer and better textile material.
• Modornik publicly agrees to help the Ground Ratfolk develop their textile industry, though he privately suspects Chen Cheng and the others have ulterior motives.
• The King rewards Chen Cheng’s group by lifting their restrictions, improving their accommodations, and providing better food. He also plans to inspect the newly completed loom.
• The old ground rat delays the King’s visit by claiming that the workshop needs cleaning and that the exhausted workers deserve a day of rest. Before leaving, Chen Cheng’s group is made to clean the workshop.
• Back in their cave, Wisdom Shield presents seeds gathered during his survey. Chen Cheng urges him to map every route and observation quickly, anticipating that the King—and possibly the Governor—will inspect the loom the following day.
• Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield discuss using the promised cotton project to secure local assistance while also preparing for a possible escape or confrontation.
• They identify “First Highland,” an elevated area overlooking the gorge, as an ideal artillery position for their cannons.
• Wisdom Shield reveals that he has already manipulated the ground rats into leveling the highland by claiming cotton seeds might be buried beneath the grass. He has also found genuine wild cotton seeds, making the deception partly beneficial to the Ground Ratfolk.

Character Developments

• The King of Ground Rats is shown as vain, easily pleased, and eager to appear generous and progressive. His excitement over the cloth and cotton makes him more favorable toward Chen Cheng’s group.
• The old ground rat demonstrates political cunning. He flatters the King, takes credit for the textile project, and carefully manages the timing of the King’s inspection to protect his reputation.
• Modornik remains suspicious of Chen Cheng’s intentions but cooperates publicly, choosing to appear magnanimous for political reasons.
• Chen Cheng becomes increasingly strategic and cautious. He anticipates official inspections, studies the geography, and coordinates plans involving cotton, artillery, and escape.
• Wisdom Shield reveals himself as resourceful and deceptive. He conducts reconnaissance, maps the region, tricks the ground rats into preparing an artillery site, and understands textile materials well enough to identify genuine cotton seeds.

Significant Themes

• Deception and strategic manipulation: Chen Cheng’s group uses the ground rats’ desire for technological advancement to gain freedom, resources, labor, and military advantages.
• Appearance versus reality: The King believes he is generously helping and being helped, while the humans are secretly preparing for their own objectives.
• Political opportunism: The old ground rat and Modornik both present themselves as benevolent leaders while pursuing personal or political advantages.
• Knowledge as power: Expertise in textiles, geography, agriculture, and weapon placement gives Chen Cheng’s group leverage over the ground rats.
• Mutual benefit amid manipulation: Although Wisdom Shield deceives the ground rats about why the highland is being cleared, the area may genuinely benefit them as a future cotton-growing site.

Character Interactions

• The King responds enthusiastically to the old ground rat’s praise and to the promise of cotton, then grants Chen Cheng and his companions greater freedom.
• The old ground rat flatters the King while subtly controlling the timing and conditions of the loom inspection.
• Modornik and the King discuss helping the Ground Ratfolk, with Modornik reluctantly endorsing the plan despite his suspicions.
• Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield collaborate closely, combining Chen Cheng’s planning and technical knowledge with Wisdom Shield’s field reconnaissance and deception.
• Their conversation reveals both mutual reliance and playful irritation: Chen Cheng criticizes Wisdom Shield’s risks, while Wisdom Shield reminds him that Chen Cheng must solve the Governor’s arm-ring problem.

Chapter Summary: “Plotting Against Elder Ground Rat”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield finalize a plan to manipulate the ground rats into helping them search for cotton seeds.
• Now housed in the outer caves rather than the prison, the two enjoy better treatment, including excellent underground cuisine.
• The Elder Ground Rat invites them to the weaving workshop, where newly modified looms are already producing cloth in preparation for the Ground Rat King’s inspection.
• Wisdom Shield raises an urgent concern: because it is already early summer, the ground rats may not find and grow cotton in time to produce clothing for winter.
• He proposes that members of their own group—who understand what cotton and its seeds look like—be allowed to participate in the search.
• To appear trustworthy, Wisdom Shield offers to let the ground rats supervise them or even restrain them with binding magic.
• The Elder Ground Rat is initially suspicious but becomes convinced that the proposal serves the Ground Ratfolk’s interests. He agrees to present it to the king.
• Chen Cheng recognizes that approaching the Elder Ground Rat first is strategically necessary, since winning his support will prevent him from obstructing their appeal to the Ground Rat King.

Character Developments

• Wisdom Shield demonstrates exceptional strategic intelligence and psychological insight. He disguises his true goal—gaining freedom and access to his companions—behind sincere concern for the Ground Ratfolk’s clothing shortage.
• Chen Cheng proves observant and increasingly appreciative of Wisdom Shield’s careful manipulation. He understands the importance of influencing intermediaries rather than confronting the highest authority directly.
• The Elder Ground Rat shifts from suspicion to trust. Although he initially wonders whether Wisdom Shield is plotting, his desperation to obtain cotton and avoid criticism from the community makes him receptive to the proposal.
• The Ground Rat community begins to regard Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield as benefactors because of their contributions to textile production.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation concealed as altruism: Wisdom Shield uses genuine benefits to the ground rats as cover for a plan that will improve the prisoners’ position.
• Political strategy and influence: The chapter emphasizes the importance of winning over the right intermediary rather than appealing directly to the ultimate ruler.
• Mutual dependence: The ground rats need the humans’ knowledge to obtain cotton, while the humans rely on the ground rats’ cooperation and resources.
• Moral complexity: Although the humans originally invaded the ground rats’ territory and killed some of them, the ground rats have treated them fairly. This creates a tension between exploitation, gratitude, and the desire to leave useful knowledge behind.

Character Interactions

• Wisdom Shield carefully reassures the Elder Ground Rat by emphasizing supervision and possible restraints, making his request appear self-sacrificing.
• The Elder Ground Rat responds with concern for Wisdom Shield’s health before listening to his request, showing the elevated status the two humans now possess.
• Chen Cheng silently evaluates the exchange and understands that Wisdom Shield is simultaneously flattering, reassuring, and subtly directing the Elder Ground Rat.
• The chapter ends with the Elder Ground Rat prepared to advocate for them before the Ground Rat King, bringing Wisdom Shield’s plan closer to success.

Chapter Summary: “Passing On”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The King of Ground Rats arrives with Modornik and several Ground Rat elders, all wearing newly produced yellow cloth.
• He praises Chen Cheng and his companion for introducing the new weaving technique and promises to help them with future difficulties, while deliberately avoiding any mention of releasing them.
• Chen Cheng explains the loom and weaving process to the Ground Rat leadership. He embellishes the lesson with invented stories and political theories, using the relationship between warp and weft threads as an analogy for governance.
• The Ground Rat king is especially interested in Chen Cheng’s ideas about ruling, while the elders focus on the practical and economic value of the loom.
• The elders realize that the high-quality cloth could function as currency in the cavern world and give their tribe a major advantage over other groups, including the Monkey Tribe.
• Attention then shifts to the dyehouse, which Wisdom Shield is supposed to explain. Chen Cheng uses this distraction to initiate an escape plan with Modornik.
• Chen Cheng goes to the toilet first, followed by Modornik. Although a guard escorts Modornik and waits outside, Chen Cheng and Modornik use loud conversation and echoing sounds to conceal their whispered discussion.
• Chen Cheng reveals that he plans to remove the powerful arm ring restraining Modornik. They intend to wait until the next day, when Chen Cheng and the Count are allowed outside to search for cotton seeds, then escape with Modornik’s help.
• Modornik’s main task will be to restrain the King of Ground Rats, the strongest obstacle to their escape.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates increasing cleverness and adaptability. He uses fabricated legends and political metaphors to impress and distract the Ground Rat leadership while secretly preparing an escape.
• Wisdom Shield proves to be a capable accomplice. He understands Chen Cheng’s deception and deliberately takes over the dyehouse explanation to divert attention.
• Modornik shows trust and composure. He recognizes Chen Cheng’s signal, maintains his cover in front of the guard, and cooperates with the escape plan.
• The King of Ground Rats appears generous and respectful toward Chen Cheng, but his refusal to discuss freedom confirms that he intends to keep them under control. He is politically perceptive and highly interested in Chen Cheng’s theories of governance.
• The Ground Rat elders are portrayed as practical and intelligent administrators. They quickly understand the economic and political importance of cloth production.
• The old Ground Rat overseer remains suspicious and cautious, arranging for Modornik to be escorted because he fears sabotage, though he fails to recognize the actual escape plot.

Significant Themes

• Knowledge as power: The weaving technique gives the Ground Ratfolk a potential economic advantage and may transform their position in the cavern world.
• Technology and civilization: Cloth production is presented not merely as craftsmanship but as a foundation for trade, wealth, and social development.
• Deception and survival: Chen Cheng disguises his intentions behind entertaining stories and technical instruction, turning his intelligence into a survival tool.
• Control versus freedom: Although the Ground Rat king treats the captives well, their continued confinement reveals that kindness can coexist with oppression.
• Adaptation and inheritance: The chapter emphasizes the passing on of knowledge—from Chen Cheng’s former world to the Ground Ratfolk—and how inherited treasures, such as Modornik’s arm ring, shape present struggles.
• Political organization: Chen Cheng’s discussion of warp and weft becomes a broader reflection on governance, hierarchy, and the interdependence of society’s parts.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and the King of Ground Rats interact as teacher and political thinker, though Chen Cheng is secretly manipulating the king’s attention.
• Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield coordinate their deception through a brief glance, with Wisdom Shield taking over the dyehouse presentation.
• Chen Cheng and Modornik communicate covertly through an apparently ordinary conversation, concealing their escape plan from the guard.
• The King of Ground Rats and his elders share excitement over the loom’s potential, revealing their collective ambition to dominate cavern trade.
• The old overseer’s vigilance creates an additional obstacle, but Chen Cheng and Modornik successfully exploit the toilet’s echoes and the guard’s assumptions.

Chapter Summary: “The Plan Proceeds Smoothly”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng and Modornik continue deceiving the ground rats by pretending to be members or benefactors of the Monkey Tribe. Chen Cheng jokes that they might even become elders, but insists that their real priority is finding cotton seeds and escaping the caverns.
• Chen Cheng deliberately causes Modornik’s arm ring to fall, shocking Modornik. Modornik quickly hides its activation and wears it only as an ornament so the eavesdropping guard will not discover its secret.
• The guard misunderstands Chen Cheng’s conversation and assumes he was embarrassed because he did not know anyone was listening. This protects the group’s deception.
• At the weaving workshop, Wisdom Shield continues explaining dyes, clothing, and social hierarchy to the King of Ground Rats. The king is fascinated by these ideas, which resemble advanced class and status systems from more developed societies.
• The King of Ground Rats becomes so impressed that he considers inviting Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield to become his teachers. He also eats with the workers, praises the two men, and promises to seek their instruction after the workshop’s immediate work is complete.
• The group’s major breakthrough comes when the old ground rat asks the King to send more workers to help with the weaving project. The old ground rat is motivated partly by fear that Chen Cheng and the others may eventually replace him as the tribe’s cloth and dye experts.
• The King agrees immediately, wanting the weaving completed quickly so he can continue learning about governance. However, he also orders the old ground rat to increase surveillance of Chen Cheng and his companions.
• Modornik realizes that the group’s escape plan will likely begin the next day. His role will be to subdue or control the King of Ground Rats when the operation starts.
• After returning to their cave, Chen Cheng and Modornik privately celebrate the plan’s progress. Their next step is to retrieve prisoners, while hoping Flanna can gather enough allies to distract the guards and allow them to prepare their cannons.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng remains confident, manipulative, and quick-thinking. He uses staged embarrassment and carefully chosen remarks to mislead the guard while keeping the larger plan hidden.
• Modornik demonstrates alertness and discipline by immediately concealing the arm ring’s significance. He also begins mentally preparing to control the King during the escape.
• Wisdom Shield proves effective at influencing the King through political and social theories, helping strengthen the outsiders’ authority.
• The King of Ground Rats becomes increasingly impressed by Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield. His admiration makes him more cooperative, but also shows that he is vulnerable to their influence.
• The old ground rat becomes suspicious and defensive. He helps advance the outsiders’ plan but is already preparing for the possibility that they will become his future rivals.
• Flanna remains offscreen but is crucial to the next stage, as the group depends on her ability to assemble enough manpower.

Significant Themes

• Deception and misdirection: The protagonists maintain several layers of false identities and manipulate how the ground rats interpret their actions.
• Power through knowledge: Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield gain influence because their advanced social and political ideas appear revolutionary to the primitive ground-rat society.
• Political ambition and insecurity: The King wants to learn from the outsiders, while the old ground rat fears losing his authority to them.
• Cooperation masking conflict: Although the protagonists and ground rats appear to be working together, both sides are preparing for future betrayal or confrontation.
• Planning under danger: The escape depends on timing, secrecy, manpower, and the successful concealment of the arm ring and cannons.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and Modornik privately coordinate their deception and escape strategy, with Chen Cheng handling social manipulation and Modornik preparing for direct action.
• The guard misinterprets Chen Cheng’s behavior, unintentionally helping preserve the group’s secret.
• Wisdom Shield and Chen Cheng influence the King through lessons about clothing, dyes, hierarchy, and governance.
• The King treats the two outsiders with growing respect and wishes to make them his teachers.
• The old ground rat cooperates with them while secretly viewing them as potential rivals and increasing his precautions.
• Modornik observes the King closely, anticipating the moment when he must seize control of him.

Chapter Summary: “Monet’s Quick Wit”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The old ground rat arrives while Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield are eating breakfast, eager to continue their arrangement. He leads them through the underground tunnels to the cells holding the captured young masters and ladies.
• The prisoners are loudly demanding bathing water, which Chen Cheng finds absurd given their situation. The old ground rat explains that the Ground Ratfolk do provide bathing water, though it is difficult to transport underground.
• Upon entering the cell, Chen Cheng is mocked by the Second Prince, who insults him for cooperating with the Ground Ratfolk. Chen Cheng calmly responds with a sarcastic “wish” that the prince enjoy his life as a prisoner.
• Chen Cheng notices Flanna surrounded by more than a dozen people, including Monet and many Warrior’s Path practitioners. Their plan is to select prisoners who claim to know about cotton so they can be taken outside.
• When the old ground rat asks who understands cotton, Flanna and her entire group raise their hands at once, making their coordinated response suspicious.
• Monet quickly improvises, claiming that he gathered everyone knowledgeable about cotton because he knew Chen Cheng would return for them. This explanation partially reassures the old ground rat.
• The Second Prince attempts to exploit the opportunity by also claiming knowledge of cotton, hoping to escape the cell and investigate the situation. Monet blocks him, mocking his sheltered upbringing and questioning whether he even knows how cotton grows.
• Monet then unexpectedly demonstrates detailed knowledge of cotton cultivation, explaining that his family grows it in their garden because the Sidor Family favors white. His convincing performance silences the Second Prince and saves the group’s plan.
• Although the immediate danger passes, the old ground rat remains cautious and intends to question each person individually after they leave.
• Monet privately signals to Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield, apparently suggesting that they seize the old ground rat. Wisdom Shield rejects the idea, explaining that the elder is not the true leader; only the King of Ground Rats has enough authority and strength to control the tribe.
• In a second prisoner cell, the group again searches for people who know cotton. The First Prince is still missing, but several prisoners claim knowledge of cotton, including the separated Seventh Prince, Tanding, who learned about the subject through earlier discussions with Wisdom Shield about territory management and Huidun Territory’s textile industry.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng remains composed and pragmatic. He recognizes the prisoners’ foolish priorities, manages the Second Prince’s insults without losing his temper, and understands the danger posed by the group’s overly obvious behavior.
• Monet proves himself quick-thinking, socially confident, and highly resourceful. His spontaneous explanation protects Flanna and the others, while his genuine knowledge of cotton catches even Chen Cheng off guard.
• The Second Prince is shown to be arrogant and opportunistic. Despite his prisoner status, he continues asserting his rank and tries to manipulate the cotton-selection process for his own escape.
• Flanna becomes anxious when her group’s coordinated response threatens to expose the plan, revealing how seriously she takes the mission and the sacrifices made to rescue them.
• Wisdom Shield demonstrates a clear understanding of Ground Ratfolk society and power. He correctly explains that the king, rather than an elder, is the true authority.
• Tanding, the Seventh Prince, shows practical intelligence by remembering and applying what he learned about cotton and Huidun Territory’s economic development.

Significant Themes

• Quick thinking and improvisation: Monet’s ability to transform a suspicious situation into a believable explanation keeps the rescue operation alive.
• Appearance versus reality: The prisoners’ noble status means little while they are behind bars, while Monet’s wit and knowledge prove more valuable than rank.
• Power and hierarchy: The Ground Ratfolk’s social structure reflects the law of strength governing the underground world; elders may hold prestige, but real authority belongs to the strongest ruler.
• Knowledge as power: Practical knowledge of cotton becomes a means of securing freedom, while genuine expertise allows Monet to outmaneuver the Second Prince.
• Cooperation and trust: The rescue depends on coordinated behavior, yet even minor mistakes—such as everyone raising their hands together—could expose the entire plan.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and the old ground rat maintain a cooperative relationship, though the ground rat remains suspicious and protective of his tribe.
• Chen Cheng and the Second Prince clash verbally, with Chen Cheng responding to the prince’s arrogance through restrained sarcasm.
• Monet supports Flanna and the rescue group by pretending that their coordinated response was intentional.
• Monet directly challenges the Second Prince, using wit and superior knowledge to prevent him from interfering.
• Monet signals a possible attack on the old ground rat, but Wisdom Shield explains why targeting the elder would be ineffective.
• Wisdom Shield’s earlier discussions with Tanding about governance and textile production unexpectedly prepare Tanding to participate in the rescue.