Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Choice”

Plot points and events

• The group discovers eight doors in the white plaza, with bloodstains and footprints leading toward one of them.
• Wisdom Shield suggests splitting up so they can record the formulas needed to open the doors. Five groups investigate separate doors and return with the required problems.
• Chen Cheng solves most of the formulas, but three prove extraordinarily difficult: the Hodge Conjecture, the Poincaré Conjecture, and the Riemann Hypothesis.
• Chen Cheng already knows the solution to the Poincaré Conjecture and writes down Perelman’s answer, but admits that neither he nor anyone in the group can solve the other two. He advises the others to record them for scholars to study later.
• The difficulty of the problems causes Chen Cheng to question whether other Ancient Ruins can really be fully explored. Monet explains that ruins contain different challenges and are sometimes forcibly opened by Demigod-level experts, though this can destroy opportunities and kill the experts.
• Wisdom Shield warns Chen Cheng that powerful organizations may target him because of his exceptional ability to solve ruin-related problems.
• Using the five answers they possess, the group opens five doors. All lead to identical white corridors.
• Chen Cheng chooses to follow the corridor where the blood trail ends, reasoning that the monster has already explored that route and may have revealed or survived its dangers. The others agree, especially after Xiao Rou’s magic confirms his judgment.

Character development

• Chen Cheng shifts from confidence in his unique mathematical advantage to anxiety after encountering problems beyond his ability. He becomes more cautious and strategic, recognizing that his talent could make him a target.
• Wisdom Shield begins to view Chen Cheng as genuinely extraordinary rather than merely lucky and becomes concerned about protecting him from powerful factions.
• Monet remains irreverent and humorous, even during dangerous situations, but still listens to Chen Cheng’s reasoning and supports the group’s decision.
• Xiao Rou demonstrates trust in Chen Cheng by affirming that her magic agrees with his choice, though Monet’s teasing embarrasses her.

Significant themes

• The limits of knowledge: Chen Cheng’s ability to solve many problems does not make him omniscient; the Millennium Prize Problems remind him that human understanding still has boundaries.
• Talent and danger: Extraordinary abilities bring attention and opportunity but also make Chen Cheng vulnerable to exploitation by powerful organizations.
• Choice under uncertainty: With every path potentially dangerous, the group must make informed decisions based on limited evidence rather than certainty.
• Cooperation versus brute force: The group relies on shared effort and intelligence, contrasting with the destructive method of using Demigod-level power to force open ruins.

Character interactions

• Chen Cheng provides the intellectual leadership while the others defer to his mathematical expertise.
• Monet and Wisdom Shield discuss the risks Chen Cheng will face after leaving the ruin, revealing their concern for him.
• Chen Cheng persuades the group to follow the monster’s trail by explaining the strategic advantage of a partially tested route.
• Xiao Rou supports his decision through her magic, while Monet jokingly suggests she has developed romantic interest in Chen Cheng, leaving her embarrassed and annoyed.

Chapter Summary: “Statues”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group—Xiao Rou, Monet, Wisdom Shield, Flanna, and Chen Cheng—passes through a gate into a new section of the ruins. They discover two branching corridors lined with locked doors, each requiring an identity token and a successfully answered function problem to open.
• Chen Cheng solves the first door’s problem, revealing an unusual art chamber rather than the familiar white rooms of the ruins.
• The chamber contains brightly painted murals and life-sized statues of legendary beasts. A terrifying statue of a Hell Three-Headed Dog startles the group, though Monet’s fear is quickly mocked when Flanna kicks him into the room to test whether it is dangerous.
• Chen Cheng notices that two statues—a dog-headed figure and a crocodile wielding an axe—closely resemble characters from a game he remembers from his previous life. The others identify them as legendary Desert Dog and Desert Crocodile Gods, supposedly mortal enemies.
• While Monet enthusiastically explains the legends surrounding the statues, the others become increasingly absorbed in his story. Xiao Rou senses that they have been mentally controlled and warns Chen Cheng that a great danger is approaching.
• Chen Cheng confirms that Wisdom Shield and the others are unresponsive. He has Xiao Rou leave the room, then knocks out Wisdom Shield, Flanna, and Monet one by one to prevent them from remaining under the influence.
• The statues’ stone coverings begin to peel away, revealing that the dog-headed and crocodile figures are living beings. The crocodile attacks Chen Cheng, but Chen Cheng uses Modornik’s Power Rune to blast it into the wall.
• The Dog-headed Man awakens as well, but rather than attacking Chen Cheng, he strikes the crocodile. The two legendary enemies immediately resume their ancient battle.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng becomes the group’s decisive protector. He remains observant, recognizes that something is wrong before the others do, rescues Xiao Rou, and uses practical combat skills to incapacitate his companions safely.
• Xiao Rou demonstrates the value of her clan’s mysterious magic by detecting the controlling influence and sensing the approaching danger before anyone else. Her warnings, initially treated lightly, prove correct.
• Monet remains flippant and talkative despite repeated warnings from Xiao Rou and Wisdom Shield. His storytelling unintentionally appears to contribute to the group’s fascination and loss of awareness, though Chen Cheng does not immediately assume Monet is responsible.
• Wisdom Shield shifts from a cautious leader who warns Monet to avoid recklessness into one of the victims of the chamber’s influence, becoming completely absorbed in Monet’s tale.
• Flanna maintains her blunt, practical manner, kicking Monet into the room to test its safety and later succumbing to the same mysterious control.
• The dog-headed figure and crocodile are revealed to be living legendary beings rather than ordinary statues, and their ancient hostility remains intact.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: The room initially appears to be a museum filled with harmless statues, but the figures are actually living, dangerous entities.
• The danger of fascination and distraction: The group becomes so captivated by Monet’s stories and the chamber’s exhibits that they fail to notice the supernatural influence controlling them.
• The importance of intuition: Xiao Rou’s unease and supernatural perception are dismissed at first but ultimately save the group from greater danger.
• Knowledge and cultural interpretation: Chen Cheng views the murals and statues as clues to the lost civilization’s culture, while Monet interprets them through legends and stories. Both approaches reveal different ways of understanding the ruins.
• Ancient conflict: The final confrontation between the Dog-headed Man and the crocodile suggests that old myths and rivalries may be historically real within this world.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Rou teases Monet about the consequences of his constant joking, while Wisdom Shield reinforces her warning.
• Monet continues joking despite the group’s concerns, and Flanna responds by physically testing his claims.
• Chen Cheng investigates the room independently, then listens seriously when Xiao Rou reveals the danger.
• Chen Cheng attempts to awaken Wisdom Shield but must knock him unconscious when he proves completely unresponsive; he later does the same to Flanna and Monet.
• Xiao Rou and Chen Cheng cooperate effectively, with her sensing the danger and him taking immediate action.
• The chapter ends with the Dog-headed Man and crocodile ignoring Chen Cheng to attack one another, reviving their legendary feud.

Chapter Summary: “Drawing Attention”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Just as Chen Cheng believes the danger has subsided, the Hell Three-Headed Dog at the doorway fully awakens. Its howl silences the entire statue room and makes the other legendary creatures uneasy.
• The Three-Headed Dog focuses on Medusa, apparently suspecting that she violated the rules or caused the creatures’ release. Medusa denies responsibility and claims the humans awakened them.
• A Griffin attempts to escape but is instantly vaporized, proving that the creatures remain under strict confinement.
• An Octopus Monster, resembling a weakened Cthulhu, blames Chen Cheng and Monet for their imprisonment. It unleashes powerful mental contamination, nearly driving Chen Cheng insane and trapping unconscious Monet in a nightmare.
• Chen Cheng’s pendant protects him from the mental attack. He presses it to Monet’s forehead, awakening and partially saving him, though Monet suffers severe pain and bleeding.
• The Three-Headed Dog attacks the Octopus Monster, tearing it apart until only a tiny octopus remains. Chen Cheng captures the weakened creature in a water jar, intending to keep it despite the Three-Headed Dog’s warning.
• Medusa reveals that her power may be connected to sealing the legendary creatures and suggests that maintaining the seal has drained her strength. Before she can explain further, Monet distracts her by flirting with her.
• Medusa attacks Monet with a demonic voice, injuring him, but the Three-Headed Dog immediately bites off her head and returns it to its display position.
• The Three-Headed Dog permits Chen Cheng and Monet to leave. It gives Monet a tuft of fur to weave into a rope that will protect him from Medusa’s curse.
• Before they depart, the Three-Headed Dog tells Chen Cheng to release the captured octopus, though Chen Cheng refuses to give it up. Chen Cheng then asks where they are and what lies beyond the other rooms, leaving the chapter at a point of uncertainty.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates quick thinking and resourcefulness by using his pendant to save himself and Monet, then capturing the weakened Octopus Monster. His willingness to challenge the Three-Headed Dog shows increasing boldness, though he may be underestimating the danger.
• Monet remains reckless and flirtatious even in life-threatening circumstances, provoking Medusa at the worst possible moment. Despite his injuries and nightmares, he survives and eagerly accepts the protective fur.
• The Hell Three-Headed Dog is established as the powerful guardian and enforcer of the statue room’s rules. It is violent toward rule-breakers but relatively calm and even helpful toward the human “guests.”
• Medusa loses her earlier fragile, seductive presentation and becomes visibly frightened when the Three-Headed Dog suggests the seal may have been compromised. Her death reveals her vulnerability despite her legendary status.
• The Octopus Monster is portrayed as a dangerous mental attacker driven by resentment, though its reduced form leaves it vulnerable to capture.

Significant Themes

• Power and hierarchy: Even legendary creatures fear the Hell Three-Headed Dog, establishing a strict hierarchy in which raw power and authority determine survival.
• Rules and confinement: The room functions as a supernatural prison, and the creatures’ freedom is limited by mysterious rules and seals.
• Appearance versus reality: Medusa’s delicate, attractive appearance conceals fear and weakness, while the supposedly monstrous Three-Headed Dog behaves more rationally and honorably.
• Resourcefulness under pressure: Chen Cheng survives through quick use of his protective pendant and by exploiting the Octopus Monster’s weakened state.
• Curiosity and greed: Chen Cheng’s desire to keep the octopus and learn what lies beyond the room may place him in further danger.

Character Interactions

• The Three-Headed Dog confronts Medusa while the other creatures watch anxiously.
• The Octopus Monster directly blames Chen Cheng and Monet, attacking their minds with overwhelming mental contamination.
• Chen Cheng uses his pendant to rescue Monet, strengthening their practical partnership.
• Chen Cheng captures the Octopus Monster after the Three-Headed Dog defeats it, creating tension between Chen Cheng’s intentions and the guardian’s orders.
• Monet provokes Medusa with flirtation, causing her to attack him and giving the Three-Headed Dog an opening to kill her.
• Before the pair leave, the Three-Headed Dog aids Monet with protective fur but warns Chen Cheng not to remove the octopus, leaving unresolved questions about the room, its seals, and the areas beyond it.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Three-Headed Dog warns Chen Cheng not to open any more doors, explaining that not every sealed creature has a guardian capable of controlling it.
• Using Medusa’s head, the Three-Headed Dog activates a petrifying effect against the legendary creatures inside the room. The power does not simply turn them to stone; instead, it slows them enough for time to reverse, restoring the room and its inhabitants to earlier states.
• The Griffin, previously vaporized, reappears in a much smaller form, while Medusa is restored as a statue with fewer snakes in her hair.
• The Octopus Monster’s display is discovered to be empty. Realizing that Chen Cheng has taken it, the Three-Headed Dog turns toward him—but is instantly petrified, allowing the door to slam shut.
• Outside, Chen Cheng discovers that the Octopus Monster is still alive inside the clay jar, though severely weakened. After it uses mental contamination and attempts to threaten him, Chen Cheng tortures it by flooding and boiling the jar before throwing it onto a hot iron plate.
• The Octopus Monster uses a forbidden technique called Soul Possession, dragging Chen Cheng into a dark mental realm where he faces a grotesquely enormous version of the creature.
• Chen Cheng defeats the mental attack with a slap, but the monster’s extreme ugliness and horrifying voice overwhelm him. He returns to reality and vomits violently, realizing that the creature’s appearance and sound function as a form of Mental Contamination.
• Xiao Rou checks Chen Cheng with Healing Magic but finds no poison or physical injury. Wisdom Shield then threatens the weakened Octopus Monster with a Power Rune, demanding an explanation.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates quick thinking and courage by escaping the room with Monet and the Octopus Monster while the legendary creatures are distracted. However, he is also shown to be reckless and aggressive, tormenting the monster rather than immediately interrogating it.
• Chen Cheng learns firsthand that the Octopus Monster’s true nature is psychologically dangerous. Its ugliness and voice exceed normal biological tolerance, making them comparable to supernatural contamination.
• The Three-Headed Dog is established as immensely powerful and responsible for containing the room’s creatures. Its use of Medusa’s power reveals intelligence and strategic planning, but it also reacts with alarm when it discovers the Octopus Monster is missing.
• The Octopus Monster is revealed to be far weaker than it was at its peak, explaining why Chen Cheng can overpower it. Despite its weakness, it remains arrogant, threatening, and capable of dangerous mental abilities.
• Xiao Rou acts protectively by examining Chen Cheng and attempting to determine whether he has been poisoned.
• Wisdom Shield shifts from being a passive observer to actively confronting the Octopus Monster and demanding answers.

Significant Themes

• Containment and forbidden curiosity: The Three-Headed Dog’s warning emphasizes the danger of opening sealed doors and releasing unknown beings.
• Time and restoration: The reverse flow of time restores damaged creatures and objects, suggesting that the room operates according to unusual temporal rules.
• Appearance as a supernatural weapon: The Octopus Monster’s ugliness is not merely grotesque; it becomes a form of mental attack capable of causing severe physical reactions.
• Power versus weakness: Although the Octopus Monster once possessed tremendous strength, its current weakened state leaves it vulnerable to Chen Cheng and the others.
• Comedy amid horror: The chapter repeatedly contrasts terrifying beings and cosmic dangers with absurd behavior, such as Chen Cheng cooking the Octopus Monster as food.

Character Interactions

• The Three-Headed Dog warns Chen Cheng and later glares at him after discovering the Octopus Monster’s disappearance, creating an unresolved threat between them.
• Chen Cheng and the Octopus Monster engage in a hostile, mocking exchange, with Chen Cheng physically tormenting it and the monster responding with threats and laughter.
• The Octopus Monster attacks Chen Cheng mentally through Soul Possession, but Chen Cheng defeats the attack almost casually, then suffers the unpleasant physical consequences.
• Xiao Rou and Wisdom Shield respond to Chen Cheng’s distress in different ways: Xiao Rou attempts to heal and diagnose him, while Wisdom Shield confronts the Octopus Monster and threatens it with the Power Rune.

Chapter Summary: “Brother Fish”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Octopus Monster reveals that his terrifying appearance is not his true form but an illusion created after the Three-Headed Dog destroyed his body. His remaining power is too weak to recreate his former psychic attacks, so he can only disgust and psychologically torment others.
• Chen Cheng is horrified by the illusion and nearly vomits again when the Octopus Monster reminds him that the monster resembles an octopus. The Octopus Monster then mockingly offers Chen Cheng a grilled tentacle.
• The monster eats one of his own grilled tentacles, praises Chen Cheng’s cooking, and declares that Chen Cheng will be his personal chef. His tentacle quickly regenerates, demonstrating his unusual resilience.
• After retreating into his earthen jar, the Octopus Monster warns the group that the house’s master is angered by the mess Chen Cheng made. Heavy footsteps approach, forcing the group to flee.
• The Octopus Monster directs them toward the left-hand door. As they escape, a gigantic disembodied hand reaches through the previous doorway. Chen Cheng shuts the door before it can follow them.
• The group speculates about the Giant Hand. Flanna argues that it was not responsible for the earlier deaths because it leaves no footprints. The Octopus Monster is frightened and reveals that the inhabitants of the house have somehow “tamed” the hand.
• Worried that the Governor’s group may encounter the same danger, Xiao Rou asks whether they can be warned. Flanna explains that she left a code and believes the Governor will proceed cautiously.
• The group continues through the house and reaches a new corridor configuration: a door on one side and a wall on the other. The door contains a difficult statistics problem.
• Chen Cheng uses scratch paper to solve the problem manually, without a computer.
• Meanwhile, Modornik’s group emerges elsewhere and discovers only the note Flanna left behind. The First Prince cynically assumes Chen Cheng’s group found an opportunity and deliberately kept it for themselves.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng remains practical and capable under pressure, overcoming his disgust and solving another difficult mathematical challenge. His relationship with the Octopus Monster becomes more antagonistic but also oddly interdependent, since Chen Cheng must tolerate the monster’s behavior and cooking demands.
• The Octopus Monster is shown to be weakened but still dangerous in a psychological and irritating sense. He uses disgust to threaten Chen Cheng, relies on his regenerative body for food, and proves useful by identifying the correct escape route. Despite his bravado, he is genuinely frightened of the Giant Hand.
• Flanna demonstrates caution and logical thinking. She analyzes the Giant Hand’s behavior, reassures Xiao Rou about the Governor, and prepares a code to guide other groups.
• Wisdom Shield continues acting as the group’s leader and takes responsibility for guiding them through the dangerous corridors.
• Xiao Rou shows concern for the safety of the Governor and his companions.
• The First Prince continues to display suspicion and hostility, immediately interpreting the group’s absence as selfish opportunism.

Significant Themes

• Survival through cooperation: The group depends on each member’s strengths, including the Octopus Monster’s knowledge and Chen Cheng’s problem-solving ability.
• Horror mixed with dark humor: The Octopus Monster’s grotesque appearance, self-cannibalizing regeneration, and threats create comic relief amid the danger.
• Uncertainty and pattern recognition: The characters survive by studying the rules and behavioral patterns of the house’s monsters rather than relying on brute force.
• Distrust and rivalry: The First Prince’s reaction highlights the tension between groups and the suspicion that others are concealing advantages.
• Adaptation after loss: The Octopus Monster’s weakened state shows how characters must adjust after suffering major damage while still finding ways to remain useful.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and the Octopus Monster engage in constant mutual provocation: the monster threatens to disgust him, while Chen Cheng threatens to boil him alive.
• The Octopus Monster’s demand that Chen Cheng become his exclusive chef creates a bizarre, coercive partnership.
• Flanna reassures Xiao Rou about the Governor’s safety and explains her reasoning about the Giant Hand.
• Wisdom Shield leads the group while Chen Cheng handles the technical challenge.
• Modornik’s group, especially the First Prince, interprets the main group’s unexplained absence negatively, reinforcing the distrust between the factions.

Chapter Summary: “Parting Ways”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Wisdom Shield’s group departs, the remaining adventurers discover eight doors, six of which have passwords. They decide whether to split up and search for opportunities independently.
• Everyone initially looks to Modornik for guidance, assuming that following him will be safest. Modornik rejects this expectation, warning that he will claim the largest share of any opportunities and will not protect those who follow him.
• Several groups copy the passwords and enter separate doors. Two doors—the one currently occupied by Chen Cheng’s group and the one leading back to the statue room—have changed their questions, making the written answers useless. The frustrated adventurers move on, while those who enter other rooms close the doors behind them, unaware that the passwords will change again once the doors shut.
• Chen Cheng finally solves the statistics question and opens the remaining door with his group.
• They enter a dark room filled with rows of shelves. Chen Cheng’s fireball repeatedly extinguishes upon entering, creating the impression that the room may be a dangerous tomb.
• Xiao Rou uses her light, revealing that the shelves contain numerous clear, rectangular crystal blocks.
• The group tests their abilities. Wood Magic, Battle Aura, and Xiao Rou’s abilities function normally, while Wisdom Shield’s Chaos Magic is strongly suppressed but still usable.
• Chen Cheng concludes that the room resists magic with obvious destructive qualities and warns everyone to avoid attacking recklessly and to flee if danger appears.
• The group begins speculating that the crystals may be valuable treasures from the Ancient Civilization. Brother Octopus mocks their ignorance, prompting an argument that ends with him deliberately farting and Chen Cheng threatening to roast him.

Character Developments

• Modornik reinforces his self-serving and competitive nature. He refuses to act as a leader or guardian and openly prioritizes his own gains.
• Chen Cheng remains cautious and analytical. He solves the door’s problem, investigates the room’s rules, tests the limits of magic, and takes responsibility for warning the group.
• Xiao Rou demonstrates reliability by illuminating the room and helping the others inspect it safely. She also reveals that her pearl is a gift from her grandfather.
• Wisdom Shield confirms that Chaos Magic is unusually restricted in the room, adding to the group’s understanding of its rules.
• Monet shows pride and impatience, dismissing the crystals as worthless while reacting defensively to Brother Octopus’s insults.
• Brother Octopus returns to his arrogant, antagonistic role, belittling the others’ lack of knowledge and provoking Chen Cheng for amusement.

Significant Themes

• Competition versus cooperation: The adventurers divide themselves to maximize their chances of obtaining treasure, while Modornik makes it clear that cooperation has limits when personal gain is involved.
• Uncertainty and hidden rules: The doors change their questions, and the new room suppresses certain types of magic. The characters must constantly test their surroundings rather than trust previous information.
• Fear of the unknown: The sudden extinguishing of Chen Cheng’s fireball turns an apparently magical ruin into something resembling a tomb, showing how quickly imagination can magnify danger.
• Knowledge and ignorance: The group’s uncertainty about the crystals contrasts with Brother Octopus’s claimed expertise, though his mockery is more irritating than helpful.
• Caution in exploration: Chen Cheng’s warning emphasizes that survival depends on restraint and observation rather than immediate displays of power.

Character Interactions

• The adventurers look to Modornik for leadership, but he dismisses their expectations and emphasizes his willingness to take the best rewards.
• Chen Cheng works collaboratively with Xiao Rou, Wisdom Shield, Flanna, and Monet to test the room’s magical restrictions.
• Xiao Rou’s light reassures the group and confirms Chen Cheng’s initial observation that the shelves hold crystal blocks.
• Chen Cheng’s practical investigation contrasts with Monet’s casual assumption that the crystals are worthless.
• Brother Octopus insults the entire group, Monet protests, and Chen Cheng threatens him with the iron plate. Brother Octopus responds by deliberately farting, escalating the scene into comic hostility.

Chapter Summary: “Glasses”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Brother Octopus reveals that the crystals throughout the ruins contain not only the experiences of the Ancient Civilization’s “madmen,” but also their accumulated knowledge. In effect, the crystals function as books or records in an ancient library.
• Chen Cheng and Monet immediately become friendly and generous toward Brother Octopus after hearing that the crystals contain knowledge, offering him massages and recovery treasures. Brother Octopus accepts Monet’s gifts, then slaps Chen Cheng before retreating into his clay jar.
• Brother Octopus admits that he does not know how to access or read the information stored in the crystals. Chen Cheng and the others attempt to activate or break open a massive crystal block, but every effort fails.
• The group debates whether Brother Octopus is truly a god. Chen Cheng insists that he is, though currently he appears to possess little more than an ugly appearance, rapid regeneration, and an indestructible body.
• Wisdom Shield proposes that the crystals require a special device to be read. The group searches the room for a tool or mechanism that might serve this purpose.
• Xiao Rou discovers a service counter containing a basket of glasses and excitedly calls the others over. The group puts on the glasses to test them, suggesting that the glasses may be the key to viewing the crystals’ stored information.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng shifts rapidly from wanting to kill Brother Octopus to flattering him when he learns the crystals contain valuable knowledge. His frustration returns when Brother Octopus reveals he cannot actually help them read the records.
• Monet similarly tries to win Brother Octopus’s favor by offering recovery treasures, only to have the gifts accepted without gratitude or usefulness.
• Brother Octopus continues to act arrogant, provocative, and self-important. He enjoys being called “Brother,” claims divine status, physically humiliates Chen Cheng, and then retreats to sleep. Despite his apparent power and regenerative abilities, he proves unhelpful regarding the crystals.
• Wisdom Shield serves as the group’s voice of restraint and reason, preventing Chen Cheng and Monet from attacking Brother Octopus and redirecting everyone toward solving the practical problem.
• Xiao Rou displays unusual enthusiasm and initiative by finding the glasses. Her discovery gives the group a possible breakthrough.
• Chen Cheng realizes that the presence of glasses suggests the Ancient Civilization’s dominant species was humanoid and probably similar to humans.

Significant Themes

• Knowledge as power: The crystals may contain the accumulated knowledge of an entire civilization, making them more valuable than ordinary treasures.
• The limits of appearances: Brother Octopus looks weak and ridiculous despite claiming to be a god, while the simple-looking glasses may be an advanced and crucial tool.
• Civilizational similarity: The glasses imply that the Ancient Civilization shared humanlike biology and needs, strengthening the connection between the ancient people and the current human characters.
• Comedy amid danger: The chapter balances the mystery of the ruins with slapstick interactions, especially Brother Octopus’s arrogance and Chen Cheng and Monet’s sudden attempts to curry favor.
• Cooperation and problem-solving: Since brute force fails against the crystals, the group must investigate the environment and reason out how the ancient library worked.

Character Interactions

• Wisdom Shield restrains Chen Cheng from attacking Brother Octopus and questions him about the crystals.
• Chen Cheng and Monet flatter Brother Octopus after learning the crystals contain knowledge, but Brother Octopus responds by accepting the treasures and slapping Chen Cheng.
• The group challenges the crystals together, showing coordinated effort, though their attacks have no effect.
• Chen Cheng argues that Brother Octopus is genuinely a god, while the others remain skeptical because of his comical appearance and limited demonstrated abilities.
• Wisdom Shield encourages everyone to search for a reading device rather than continue attacking the crystal.
• Xiao Rou discovers the glasses and enthusiastically shares them with Flanna and the others, creating a new possibility for accessing the ancient records.

Chapter Summary: Crystal Book

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng activates the ancient Hero Card Decoder, but it cannot connect to either the Main System or the backup system. The device enters offline mode, leaving most of its functions unavailable.
• The glasses still provide useful auxiliary features, including holographic displays, environmental scanning, health analysis, and three-dimensional mapping. Wisdom Shield and the others are astonished by the technology, which far surpasses their feudal-era understanding.
• Because the glasses’ stored energy is running low, Chen Cheng decides to use them to decode one of the Crystal Books in the ancient library.
• When he opens a book, the device identifies the location as the Kepler Library and projects him into a reconstructed scene from the Ancient Civilization. He sees a futuristic white environment filled with people wearing spacesuit-like clothing.
• Chen Cheng follows a man named Muirius and witnesses officials monitoring targets, identifying “abnormal activity,” and authorizing “corrections.” The process appears to involve surveillance, control, and the elimination of outsiders.
• The system offers to display Muirius’s life, but the function is unavailable offline. Chen Cheng therefore sees only fragmented scenes and overheard conversations.
• In another reconstructed area, he witnesses researchers conducting Experiment No. 8356, involving the ignition of an artificial sun or nuclear-fusion device.
• The researchers successfully connect nuclear fusion to a magic array, demonstrating that the Ancient Civilization combined advanced science with Magic Energy. However, the Magic Energy reaction becomes unstable, overloads the system, and causes a nuclear explosion.
• Afterward, the commanders send unprotected, primitive-looking people into the contaminated chamber to clean up the disaster. Chen Cheng is horrified to realize that the Ancient Civilization used these people as expendable laborers or test subjects.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng remains calm and practical when dealing with the decoder, but the technology still excites and shocks him. His scientific curiosity intensifies when he witnesses the artificial-sun experiment.
• His admiration for the Ancient Civilization changes into disillusionment. He is impressed by its technological and magical achievements but disturbed by its authoritarian surveillance and brutal treatment of weaker people.
• Wisdom Shield and the others gain a direct glimpse of technology far beyond their civilization. Their understanding of the world is challenged by holograms, automated analysis, and scientific instruments that function without visible Magic Energy.
• Muirius is introduced as an official or supervisor involved in monitoring and correcting abnormal individuals, suggesting that he participates in a highly controlled and oppressive system.
• The researchers and commanders display technical competence and discipline, but their emotional detachment reveals that they view failed experiments and human casualties as routine.

Significant Themes

• The contrast between technological advancement and moral backwardness: The Ancient Civilization has mastered nuclear fusion and magical engineering, yet practices surveillance, authoritarian control, and human exploitation.
• The fusion of science and magic: The experiment demonstrates that Magic Energy and nuclear technology can be linked, suggesting a sophisticated hybrid civilization.
• Limits of knowledge and access: The decoder offers only partial information because it is offline. Chen Cheng can observe events but cannot access personal histories, system screens, or the full meaning of what he sees.
• The danger of unchecked progress: The artificial-sun experiment shows both the extraordinary achievements and catastrophic risks of combining powerful technologies.
• Dehumanization and class oppression: The primitive people sent into the irradiated chamber are treated as disposable tools, revealing a sharp hierarchy between the technologically advanced ruling class and the powerless.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng instructs Wisdom Shield and the others to stop playing with the decoder and help investigate the Crystal Books, establishing his practical leadership.
• The group reacts with awe to the decoder’s holographic projections and health scans, while Chen Cheng treats the device more familiarly.
• In the recorded scenes, Muirius interacts with monitoring officials who report abnormalities and request permission to “correct” people. Their exchange reveals a rigid chain of command.
• The research team follows the commander’s instructions during the fusion experiment, maintaining discipline even as the Magic Energy system begins to fail.
• After the explosion, the commanders order primitive workers into the dangerous chamber, creating the chapter’s strongest moral confrontation and provoking Chen Cheng’s outrage.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng observes an ancient civilization interacting with primitives, gifting them knowledge.
• An alarm sounds in Kepler, and armed ancient civilization personnel rush out.
• Chen Cheng enters another Crystal Book's world, witnessing a battle between the ancient civilization and a giant octopus monster (Brother Octopus).
• The ancient civilization uses advanced magic to defeat and capture Brother Octopus, reducing him to a two-dimensional card and a statue.
• The ancient civilization personnel express dissatisfaction with their current situation despite their power.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng learns more about the ancient civilization's power and their interaction with primitives.
• The ancient civilization personnel display their immense power and capabilities but also reveal their discontent with their current circumstances.

Significant Themes

• The disparity between power and satisfaction in life.
• The ancient civilization's advanced magic and its consequences.
• The interaction between advanced civilizations and primitives.

Character Interactions

• The ancient civilization personnel interact with primitives, treating them as inferior and gifting them knowledge.
• The ancient civilization personnel work together to defeat Brother Octopus, showcasing their teamwork and immense power.
• The ancient civilization personnel express their dissatisfaction with their current lives, hinting at internal discontent.

Chapter Summary: “The Difference in Reality”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng exits the Crystal Book soon after witnessing a record of a battle in which gods and immortals were slaughtered. Wisdom Shield, Monet, and the others have seen similar scenes in their own Crystal Books and realize that the “legendary creatures” sealed within the ruins are actually living gods.
• The group becomes alarmed when they understand how powerful and dangerous these beings are, especially Medusa, who appeared capable of turning entire cities to stone. They fear that the Governor and his party may accidentally awaken one of the sealed Evil Gods.
• Abandoning their search for treasures, Chen Cheng’s group decides to leave immediately and warn the others. They discover that the exit password has changed, but Chen Cheng solves the new calculation and opens the door.
• In the white hall beyond, chaotic footprints reveal that the Governor’s group has already passed through and split up. Chen Cheng concludes that everyone should now travel together, rescue the others, and restore anything they may have disturbed.
• The group follows the greatest concentration of footprints to a monitoring room. Inside, they find a crowd fighting over fragments of a large machine. Several people have been killed, and the machine’s screen is black and damaged.
• The survivors claim that the machine was already broken when they arrived. Chen Cheng realizes that the machine seen in the Crystal Book differed from the physical object in reality, and that the fragments could potentially be valuable weapons.
• Flanna intimidates the crowd, knocks several people unconscious with the flat of her sword, and forces the group to clean up the corpses. Chen Cheng refuses to seize the machine fragments and instead orders everyone to leave.
• Once the bodies are removed, the survivors follow Chen Cheng’s group out of the room.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng becomes more cautious and responsible. Rather than pursuing opportunities, he prioritizes preventing a catastrophe, rescuing the others, and containing the dangers within the ruins. His ability to solve the changing passwords remains essential.
• Wisdom Shield and Monet lose their earlier confidence and playful attitudes after witnessing the true power of the sealed gods. They recognize that the ruins are not a source of ordinary treasure but a potentially world-ending threat.
• Flanna demonstrates her authority and ruthlessness. She immediately imposes order on the violent survivors and makes it clear that disobedience will have severe consequences.
• The survivors in the monitoring room are shown to be desperate and distrustful. Their greed led to conflict and murder, but they quickly become submissive once faced with Flanna and Chen Cheng’s superior strength.

Significant Themes

• Reality versus recorded images: The chapter emphasizes that what appears in the Crystal Books is not identical to the physical world. The machine looks different in reality, and its actual materials and value cannot be judged solely from the recordings.
• Danger hidden beneath opportunity: The ruins initially appear to offer treasures, but the discoveries reveal sealed gods and ancient weapons capable of destroying the world.
• The consequences of greed: The crowd’s attempt to claim pieces of the machine results in violence, deaths, and entrapment.
• Leadership and responsibility: Chen Cheng shifts the group’s focus from personal gain to collective survival, while Flanna enforces the order necessary to keep everyone alive.
• Ancient safeguards: The changing passwords and multiple sealed doors show that the Ancient Civilization deliberately designed the facility to prevent careless access.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng, Wisdom Shield, Monet, and the others agree that they must abandon exploration and escape before anyone awakens the sealed Evil Gods.
• Chen Cheng takes command after discovering the group has split up, persuading the others to remain together and search for the missing members.
• Flanna backs Chen Cheng’s authority by confronting the survivors with force and threatening anyone who resists.
• A survivor warns Chen Cheng not to steal his machine fragment, revealing the mistrust and tension among the crowd. Chen Cheng diffuses the conflict by refusing to take the fragments.
• Flanna forces the suspected killers to collect the bodies, while Chen Cheng leads the group out of the monitoring room and the survivors reluctantly follow.

Chapter Summary: “Seeking”

• Chen Cheng secures the group: After leaving the initial room, Chen Cheng warns the surviving heirs that the facility is extremely dangerous and orders them to remain where they are. He threatens to kill anyone who touches anything beyond the fragments they have already collected. To enforce this, he gives Xiao Rou Power Runes and instructs her to attack immediately if anyone acts suspiciously. Monet reinforces the threat by promising that the Sidor Family will protect Xiao Rou from any consequences, discouraging the heirs from plotting against them.
• The search for Governor Modornik begins: Wisdom Shield reminds everyone that their priority is finding Governor Modornik and his companions. The group learns that Modornik entered one of two doors. One leads back to the room containing the terrifying Evil God statues, while the other bears a mathematical puzzle Chen Cheng cannot solve.
• The unexpected “1+1” puzzle: Chen Cheng recognizes the puzzle as the famously unresolved Goldbach’s conjecture, which had been reduced to the form “1+1.” While Chen Cheng worries that the question is impossible, Monet casually writes “2,” causing the door to open. The incident highlights the facility’s strange and sometimes misleading mechanisms, as well as Monet’s impulsive tendency to interfere.
• Exploring the dangerous corridor: Chen Cheng, Monet, Xiao Rou, and Brother Octopus enter the area where dangerous objects are stored. They find no evidence that most of the rooms have been opened, though the final room clearly has. Using their identity tokens, they unlock it and proceed through another partition into a new area.
• Modornik’s crisis: Inside, they hear Modornik arguing with the King of Ground Rats. The King declares that he seeks power and refuses to be stopped, after which a fight breaks out. Modornik cries out in alarm, followed by horrific screams. Chen Cheng’s group enters just in time to see the King of Ground Rats struggling and howling in a pool of water.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Chen Cheng becomes increasingly cautious and authoritative, prioritizing survival and the recovery of Modornik over curiosity or greed. His knowledge from his former life helps him recognize the significance of the mathematical puzzle, though it also causes him to overthink a problem that proves absurdly simple.
• Monet remains reckless and aggressive. His impulsive solving of the puzzle unexpectedly benefits the group, while his willingness to threaten the heirs demonstrates the Sidor Family’s power and ruthlessness.
• Xiao Rou is placed in a position of responsibility as the group’s guard, showing the trust Chen Cheng has in her abilities.
• The captive heirs are intimidated into cooperation after being reminded that their status and family backing will not matter if they die.
• Modornik and the King of Ground Rats emerge as opposing forces: Modornik attempts to stop the King from pursuing power, while the King openly embraces dangerous ambition.

Significant Themes

• Survival over greed: The group repeatedly emphasizes escaping the facility rather than taking additional treasures.
• Power and ambition: The King of Ground Rats’ pursuit of power appears to have led directly to conflict and possible catastrophe.
• Knowledge versus practical judgment: Chen Cheng’s sophisticated understanding of the puzzle contrasts humorously with Monet’s simple answer, showing that intelligence can sometimes create unnecessary hesitation.
• Authority and intimidation: Chen Cheng and Monet maintain control through threats, while family influence and political power shape the characters’ decisions.
• Danger hidden behind curiosity: The sealed rooms and enormous handprint reinforce that the facility contains forces far beyond the group’s understanding.

Chapter Summary: “Power”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Modornik stays behind to protect Chen Cheng, the princes, and their companions from the gigantic Hand and Leg monsters, urging everyone else to escape.
• Flanna attempts to use Modornik’s Power Rune, but its energy immediately dissipates. She realizes that releasing power in the chamber awakens or provokes the monsters.
• The First Prince, Flanna, and the Second Prince’s group try to resist the monsters physically, but the Giant Hand and Giant Leg overwhelm them and send them flying.
• Modornik discovers that Battle Aura and magic cannot directly affect enemies in the chamber; they can only strengthen the user’s body. He manages to knock the Giant Hand away but cannot injure it meaningfully.
• Chen Cheng uses mortars to attack the monsters. His first blast drives them back, while a second destroys part of the Giant Leg’s foot.
• The monsters suddenly vanish, then reappear among the group, killing several people before absorbing their flesh to regenerate. Their invisibility, strength, durability, and regenerative abilities terrify everyone.
• The First Prince uses a mysterious crystal and Light Magic to shield himself and teleport away with his group, taking the severed piece of the Giant Leg with him. This surprises the others because magic was believed to be unusable in the chamber.
• The monsters then turn their attention to Chen Cheng’s group. Chen Cheng cannot use Space Magic to escape.
• Wisdom Shield reveals a heavy howitzer and modifies it for direct fire. Its blast exposes the monsters’ invisible forms and severely damages both of them.
• The explosion also badly injures Chen Cheng and Modornik. Chen Cheng consumes a Stem Lotus petal, rapidly healing his internal injuries and stopping his bleeding.

Character Developments

• Modornik demonstrates courage and self-sacrifice by remaining behind to defend the others despite being heavily outmatched. His Battle Aura allows him to survive attacks, but he is eventually gravely wounded.
• Chen Cheng shows adaptability and tactical courage, using modern artillery against the monsters. He suffers serious injuries but immediately seeks treatment and continues trying to survive.
• Flanna acts aggressively and decisively but is forced to retreat after realizing the danger of using power in the chamber. She ultimately escapes with the First Prince’s group.
• The First Prince reveals that he possesses a powerful magical crystal and is willing to abandon the others when survival is at stake. His escape also suggests that the restrictions on magic may have exceptions or hidden conditions.
• Wisdom Shield proves highly resourceful by converting a howitzer into a direct-fire weapon, creating the decisive attack that severely wounds the monsters.

Significant Themes

• Power and its limitations: Conventional magic, runes, and Battle Aura are restricted in the chamber, forcing the characters to rely on physical strength, technology, and ingenuity.
• Survival and self-preservation: The First Prince’s escape contrasts with Modornik’s willingness to defend others, highlighting different responses to danger.
• Technology versus supernatural force: Mortars and artillery become effective alternatives to forbidden magic, showing how technology can challenge monstrous beings.
• The horror of the unknown: The monsters’ invisibility, ability to regenerate by consuming corpses, and apparent lack of blood make them especially terrifying and unnatural.
• Resourcefulness under pressure: Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield adapt quickly, while the group’s survival depends on improvisation rather than established abilities.

Character Interactions

• Modornik repeatedly orders Chen Cheng and the others to retreat while he holds back the monsters.
• Flanna condemns the princes and their companions as useless, then attempts to intervene with the Power Rune.
• The princes and their allies briefly cooperate against the Giant Hand and Giant Leg but are quickly overwhelmed.
• Chen Cheng coordinates an artillery attack with Modornik, warning him to move aside before firing.
• The First Prince abandons the larger group but uses his crystal to save Flanna and his own companions.
• Wisdom Shield takes command during the crisis, instructing everyone to move before firing the howitzer.
• Chen Cheng’s healing after the blast marks a temporary recovery, while Modornik remains critically injured and the monsters, though badly damaged, are still present.

Chapter Summary: King of Ground Rats Evolves

Key Plot Points and Events

• Modornik survives Wisdom Shield’s full-power grenade attack but is seriously wounded. He takes a Stem Lotus petal from Chen Cheng to stabilize himself.
• Wisdom Shield and Monet are also badly injured, though both manage to suppress their wounds using healing magic and restorative potions.
• Outside the sealed chamber, the First Prince uses a crystal to teleport himself and the others to safety. Flanna immediately confronts him, accusing him of abandoning Wisdom Shield’s group.
• Flanna takes a Power Rune from Xiao Rou and threatens the First Prince, preventing him from using his own trump card or attempting to stop her. The people outside anxiously wait to learn whether Chen Cheng’s group survived.
• Inside the chamber, the Giant Hand and Giant Leg eventually begin moving again—not to attack Chen Cheng’s group, but to approach the Blood Pool.
• Chen Cheng stops Wisdom Shield from firing another grenade, warning that the group is too close for the same tactic to work safely. The group prepares to flee.
• Before the two monsters can enter the Blood Pool, the King of Ground Rats emerges from it. He has grown enormously and attacks the Giant Hand and Giant Leg.
• Although the King initially overwhelms them, the monsters drain the unrefined blood energy from his body with every clash. As a result, they recover from their injuries, become more intelligent and coordinated, and grow increasingly powerful.
• Chen Cheng realizes that the monsters were previously weakened and warns everyone to escape before they absorb the entire Blood Pool.
• Brother Octopus emerges from Chen Cheng’s Space Bag, recognizes the danger, and declares that the King of Ground Rats will soon be defeated if the monsters continue draining him. He then confronts the Giant Hand and Giant Leg.

Character Developments

• Modornik: Demonstrates his willingness to endure severe injuries to protect the group, but admits that his remaining Battle Aura is insufficient for another direct confrontation.
• Chen Cheng: Acts cautiously and strategically, preventing Wisdom Shield from repeating a dangerous attack and recognizing the threat posed by the monsters’ access to the Blood Pool.
• Wisdom Shield: Shows resourcefulness by using a grenade launcher as an Epic Rank-level weapon and healing himself with Variable Magic, though he is seriously injured.
• Flanna: Reveals a fierce, confrontational sense of loyalty. She openly threatens the First Prince to ensure Wisdom Shield and the others are rescued, disregarding political hierarchy.
• The First Prince: Is exposed as manipulative and self-serving. He had intended to use the crisis to eliminate Wisdom Shield’s group and control the younger members of powerful Lineages, but Flanna’s threat forces him to retreat.
• King of Ground Rats: Evolves into a much larger and stronger form after emerging from the Blood Pool, but his newly acquired power remains unstable and is gradually siphoned away.
• Brother Octopus: Displays knowledge of the monsters’ nature and immediately understands the catastrophic consequences of their continued evolution. He takes direct action by entering the battle.

Significant Themes

• Betrayal and political manipulation: The First Prince’s plan shows how the crisis is being exploited for power, while Flanna’s defiance challenges his authority.
• Loyalty and responsibility: Flanna refuses to abandon her allies, and Chen Cheng’s group continues trying to survive together despite overwhelming danger.
• Power gained at a cost: The King’s blood energy increases his strength, but the monsters’ ability to drain it turns his power into a liability.
• Escalation and hidden potential: The Giant Hand and Giant Leg were far weaker than their true capabilities, and access to the Blood Pool awakens their intelligence and greatly enhances them.
• Survival through strategy: The characters cannot rely solely on brute force; retreat, timing, equipment, and careful judgment are essential.

Character Interactions

• Modornik silently takes medicine from Chen Cheng after being wounded, showing their practical cooperation.
• Flanna confronts the First Prince and uses the Power Rune to restrain him, reversing the power dynamic between them.
• Chen Cheng and Modornik both stop Wisdom Shield from launching another attack, prioritizing survival over immediate offense.
• King of Ground Rats battles the Giant Hand and Giant Leg, but the fight gradually turns against him as they drain his blood energy.
• Brother Octopus criticizes whoever awakened the monsters’ intelligence and positions himself between them and the remaining group, setting up the next confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “Breaking Free”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Brother Octopus unleashes a devastating mental attack, causing several characters, including Modornik, to bleed from their orifices. Chen Cheng uses his pendant to shield everyone after they form a circle and hold hands.
• Just as the group prepares to escape, Brother Octopus warns that the Titan Ancient God’s corpse is entering its highest-level purging procedure. The corpse has absorbed blood from the pool and recovered roughly ten percent of its original power, making it powerful enough to kill everyone present.
• Brother Octopus instructs the group to use their identity tokens to cancel the corpse’s highest defense. Although Wisdom Shield and the others fear damaging their tokens, Chen Cheng trusts Brother Octopus and throws his token forward. The others follow.
• Their combined effort causes the manifested “One Palm One Leg” to disappear, placing the Titan corpse into hibernation. Brother Octopus warns them not to disturb it again.
• The group investigates the enormous Blood Pool. Brother Octopus explains that it contains only a mixture involving a few drops of Titan blood, not pure Titan blood. Even so, it is deadly to almost everyone, and it cannot be removed from the pool because of the Ancient Civilization’s absolute rules.
• King of Ground Rats greedily considers taking some bloodwater for his tribe, but Brother Octopus warns that doing so would almost certainly mean death.
• The group leaves the chamber. Afterward, the Titan corpse reappears in a larger form and announces that all life is forbidden from entering, suggesting that the rules have changed permanently.
• Chen Cheng successfully solves the exit mechanism, allowing the group to escape. The waiting survivors are relieved, while the First Prince is angry and baffled that Wisdom Shield and the others survived.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates leadership, courage, and growing confidence in his judgment. He quickly protects the group from Brother Octopus’s attack and is the first to risk his identity token, recognizing that hesitation could lead to everyone’s death.
• Brother Octopus shifts from a dangerous captive into an essential guide and strategist. Though exhausted, he understands the Titan corpse and the Ancient Civilization’s systems better than anyone else and takes responsibility for directing the group.
• Wisdom Shield and the others initially hesitate because their identity tokens are vital to their survival, but they ultimately trust Chen Cheng and cooperate with Brother Octopus’s plan.
• King of Ground Rats reveals both his physical resilience—due partly to his Titan Bloodline—and his greed, hoping to exploit the Blood Pool for the benefit of his tribe.
• The First Prince becomes increasingly resentful of Wisdom Shield’s survival, exposing his hostility and willingness to sabotage or endanger others through rule punishment and poison.

Significant Themes

• Trust under pressure: Survival depends on trusting Brother Octopus’s knowledge and Chen Cheng’s judgment despite the lack of certainty.
• Ancient power and dangerous technology: The Ancient Civilization’s rules, experiments, and weapons remain terrifyingly effective even after ten thousand years.
• The limits of greed and ambition: King of Ground Rats’s desire to obtain Titan blood is immediately shown to be impractical and potentially fatal.
• Leadership through decisive action: Chen Cheng’s willingness to act first gives the others the courage to follow and ultimately saves the group.
• Unstable control over sealed powers: The Titan corpse is not truly defeated; it is only forced into hibernation, leaving a continuing threat for the future.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng protects the group with his pendant and later persuades them to trust Brother Octopus by acting first with his identity token.
• Brother Octopus urgently instructs Chen Cheng, Wisdom Shield, Monet, and the others on how to disable the Titan corpse.
• The group cooperates by linking their tokens and sending a unified command to cancel the corpse’s defenses.
• Brother Octopus reprimands King of Ground Rats for considering the Blood Pool and explains why the bloodwater cannot be safely harvested.
• Wisdom Shield urges everyone to leave quickly, showing caution after the battle.
• The waiting group welcomes the survivors, while the First Prince reacts with anger and envy rather than relief.

Summary of “Finding a Way Out”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After escaping the monster’s chamber, the group successfully obtains a severed piece of the monster’s body, fulfilling an important objective.
• Monet boasts about helping Wisdom Shield fire the howitzer at the monster, though he conceals that their attack triggered the monster’s maximum purge authority and nearly killed everyone.
• The women around Monet are more interested in the howitzer than in his exaggerated story. Although he refuses to explain its details, they recognize that Wisdom Shield’s weapons could become a military force comparable to Magic Energy and Battle Aura.
• Wisdom Shield reports the group’s experiences to Modornik, including their accidental release and resealing of ancient Evil Gods. Modornik is deeply alarmed, knowing that even one True God could destroy the Present World.
• Modornik orders Wisdom Shield to search the library for an escape route while he gathers the remaining survivors. He warns the others that the monster has only been temporarily restrained and will eventually break free.
• Chen Cheng solves the remaining door puzzles and provides the answers to Modornik before returning with Wisdom Shield’s group to the library.
• In the library, the group gathers usable glasses that allow them to interact with the Crystal Books. They split up to search specifically for information about escape routes.
• The Seventh Prince, Tanding, uses the glasses and experiences the disturbing scenes contained in the Crystal Books:
  • In one vision, he sees colossal vessels containing living organs removed from a gigantic mountain-sized human body, whose blood is being continuously drained through tubes.
  • In another, he witnesses two mysterious figures use advanced Space Magic to cut apart and dismantle a smaller giant body, apparently as part of a larger plan already underway.

Character Developments

• Monet displays his vanity and desire for attention, using the battle to impress the young women, though his evasiveness suggests he understands the strategic value of the howitzer.
• Wisdom Shield acts responsibly by sharing vital information with Modornik and organizing the library search. He remains focused on finding an escape rather than indulging in speculation.
• Modornik reveals his deep knowledge of gods and history. His fear of the Evil Gods is justified by his understanding of the Orc race’s past attempt to summon one, which nearly destroyed the world. He also demonstrates leadership by suppressing panic and coordinating the survivors.
• Chen Cheng continues to serve as the group’s problem-solver, quickly answering the remaining door puzzles.
• Seventh Prince Tanding is introduced to the Crystal Books’ visions. Although horrified by what he sees, he controls his fear and continues investigating.

Significant Themes

• The danger of forbidden knowledge: The Crystal Books reveal horrifying experiments and mysteries connected to divine or gigantic beings, showing that knowledge in this place can be as dangerous as the monster itself.
• The threat of ancient powers: The presence of imprisoned Evil Gods raises the stakes from survival within a dungeon to the possible destruction of the entire world.
• Technology as a new form of power: The howitzer represents a force that may rival traditional systems such as Magic Energy and Battle Aura, particularly in warfare.
• Leadership and controlled information: Modornik deliberately withholds the truth about the Evil Gods to prevent mass panic, emphasizing the tension between honesty and maintaining order.
• Human experimentation and exploitation: The visions of drained organs, dismantled bodies, and mysterious procedures suggest a vast, disturbing project involving living or divine beings.

Character Interactions

• Monet interacts with the young women by boasting and teasing them, but they quickly lose interest when he refuses to explain the howitzer.
• Wisdom Shield and Modornik have a serious strategic discussion about the monster, the Evil Gods, and the need to escape.
• Modornik addresses the gathered survivors, calming them while urging them to help retrieve those still trapped inside.
• Wisdom Shield gives Tanding direct instructions on using the Crystal Books, helping him manage his fear during his first vision.
• Tanding’s observations of the two Space Magic users reveal that the disturbing events may be part of an organized, ongoing plan rather than isolated experiments.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tanding and Wisdom Shield witness Crystal Book memories revealing that the enormous monster who previously attacked them was transported as a dismembered corpse. Tanding realizes it may have been a god.
• They observe the Ancient Civilization slaughtering powerful gods, including the Desert Crocodile God and Desert Dog God, demonstrating the civilization’s overwhelming strength.
• Wisdom Shield reminds Tanding that these events belong to the past and urges everyone to find an exit and keep the ruin’s secrets hidden.
• After hours of reading Crystal Books filled with disturbing historical scenes, Xiao Rou discovers a possible way out, prompting the group to regroup.
• Chen Cheng learns that magic was not a replacement for physical laws but an advanced set of universal principles discovered by the Ancient Civilization. This resolves his uncertainty about combining modern science and magic.
• Chen Cheng also studies experiments involving the Artificial Sun and magic, explaining how the underground ruin can reproduce accurate weather and environmental conditions.
• Xiao Rou’s Crystal Book contains a guided tour of the Kepler Ruins. It identifies the major areas: the Observation Area, Library, Storage Area, Experiment Area, Training Area, Energy Storage Area, and Physical Storage Area.
• The recording warns that the Storage Area contains captured gods and devils and may be dangerous, while the Energy Storage and Physical Storage Areas are protected by puzzles. The Ancient Civilization’s personnel then prepare to leave Kepler and begin a new life.

Character Developments

• Tanding is shaken by the realization that even beings he considers gods could be killed and reduced to objects. His confidence in worldly status and power is deeply diminished.
• Wisdom Shield remains practical and protective, calming Tanding and emphasizing the need to escape and conceal what they have discovered.
• Chen Cheng gains an important intellectual breakthrough: magic and science can coexist because magic represents deeper universal laws rather than a separate reality. His understanding of the Ancient Civilization’s technology expands significantly.
• Xiao Rou, usually gentle and reserved, becomes openly excited when she discovers the exit and demonstrates her usefulness to the group.
• Monet shows concern for Chen Cheng’s mental state, repeatedly trying to snap him out of his dazed condition, though he does so in a teasing and physical manner.
• The entire group becomes mentally exhausted and disoriented after prolonged exposure to the Crystal Books.

Significant Themes

• The insignificance of worldly power: Wealth, status, and nobility appear meaningless beside the power required to destroy gods.
• The relationship between science and magic: The chapter presents magic as another level of natural law, suggesting that technological and magical systems can be integrated.
• The dangers of forbidden knowledge: The group gains extraordinary information but recognizes that revealing it could create immense danger.
• Memory, history, and reality: Repeatedly viewing ancient scenes leaves the characters struggling to distinguish past visions from the present.
• Human—or civilizational—ambition: The Ancient Civilization’s experiments, god-slaying, and construction of Kepler reveal its desire to understand, control, and preserve the universe’s greatest powers.

Character Interactions

• The transporters’ conversation indirectly confirms that the captured monster remains dangerous even after being dismembered.
• Wisdom Shield comforts Tanding and advises him to focus on escape rather than fear.
• Xiao Rou’s discovery brings the exhausted group together.
• Monet playfully chastises and physically rouses Chen Cheng, while Chen Cheng responds irritably but continues relying on his expertise.
• Wisdom Shield passes the crucial Crystal Book to Chen Cheng because the group depends on Chen Cheng’s ability to interpret its strange symbols and systems.

Chapter Summary: “Revealing His True Colors”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng reviews the Crystal Book’s records and realizes the storage area contained catastrophically dangerous sealed Evil Gods. He regrets encouraging Wisdom Shield and the others to investigate it, though he acknowledges that the danger could not have been predicted with certainty.
• He understands why the Ancient Civilization used mathematical problems rather than ordinary passwords: mathematical answers are absolute and cannot be bypassed through pattern recognition or brute force. The seals protecting the equipment and the power of the Gods and Devils contain problems far beyond the ability of modern people to solve.
• Chen Cheng discovers that the group’s escape route is the same path they used to enter and leads everyone out of the library. However, the main exit has been sealed by a more difficult mathematical password. Chen Cheng eventually solves it after considerable effort.
• Outside, Modornik has rescued the groups from the experimental and training areas. The training area suffered heavy casualties because people fought over ancient training instruments containing remnants of power.
• The library door becomes locked after too many incorrect password attempts, trapping Chen Cheng, Hui Dun, and the others inside. Modornik suspects sabotage and questions the people who remained outside, but no one admits responsibility.
• Anxiety spreads through the hall as the crowd fears the trapped group may have escaped—or that they themselves may be unable to leave. Accusations escalate into a physical fight.
• The First Prince stops the conflict and suggests returning through the route they used to enter, based on the Church’s records of ancient ruins.
• He openly accepts the possibility that Hui Dun, his younger brother, may die inside, revealing his ruthless willingness to abandon him for the sake of his own survival.
• Just as tension peaks, the library door suddenly opens.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng: Becomes more cautious and self-critical after realizing the true danger of the storage area. His mathematical knowledge proves essential when he solves the exit mechanism, establishing him as both intellectually capable and vital to the group’s survival.
• Modornik: Acts as a forceful leader, rescuing survivors and attempting to maintain order. He becomes increasingly suspicious of sabotage and particularly distrustful of the First Prince.
• The First Prince: Reveals his true ruthlessness. Rather than concern himself with Hui Dun’s safety, he focuses exclusively on finding a way out and implicitly accepts his brother’s abandonment.
• The expedition members: Their greed and fear are exposed. They fight over ancient relics despite the danger, then turn on one another once they believe the library group may be trapped.

Significant Themes

• Knowledge as both protection and danger: Ancient knowledge and technology offer immense power, but they also threaten to destroy the modern world if mishandled.
• Mathematics versus brute force: The chapter presents mathematics as an absolute, nearly impenetrable form of security—an abyss that cannot be overcome through strength or clever shortcuts.
• Greed and human conflict: Even in a deadly ruin, people are willing to kill over small remnants of ancient power.
• Self-preservation and betrayal: Fear causes alliances to collapse, while the First Prince’s willingness to abandon Hui Dun exposes the brutal priorities of political ambition.
• The fragility of order: Modornik can suppress conflict only temporarily; once hope of escape disappears, fear quickly turns the crowd against itself.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng leads Wisdom Shield and the others toward the exit after explaining what he has learned.
• Modornik confronts and questions the people outside the library, suspecting one of them locked the door.
• The crowd accuses Carlos and others of tampering with the password system, leading to violence.
• The First Prince intervenes, redirects everyone toward finding an escape route, and speaks with calculated detachment about Hui Dun’s fate.
• Modornik watches the First Prince suspiciously, convinced that he may be responsible for the sabotage.
• The chapter ends when the library door opens unexpectedly, leaving the trapped group’s condition and the reason for the door’s opening unresolved.

Chapter Summary: “Harvest”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The doors of the ruins open, allowing Wisdom Shield, Chen Cheng, and the others to escape the sealed area.
• Monet angrily mocks whoever tried to trap them. Wisdom Shield’s group suspects the First Prince, while the First Prince accuses Wisdom Shield of using a similar deceptive tactic against him.
• The First Prince’s unusually direct hostility alarms Wisdom Shield. Since royal etiquette normally requires maintaining a façade of civility, Wisdom Shield realizes that something unseen may have provoked or manipulated the conflict.
• Modornik interrupts the confrontation and asks whether Wisdom Shield has found a way out. Wisdom Shield explains that the exit is the original entrance and that their identity tokens can summon the exit vortex.
• The First Prince has already discovered the same method, making him feel humiliated and manipulated. Tum, meanwhile, becomes furious with Wisdom Shield, believing he deliberately led them astray.
• Wisdom Shield recognizes that an unknown third party likely sealed the doors and manipulated events to intensify the existing hostility between him and Tum. Chen Cheng reaches the same conclusion and observes the group for clues.
• The group returns through the ruins, uses their identity tokens in the original white room, and opens a spatial vortex back to the temple.
• Once they leave, Kepler resets itself: footprints, blood, vomit, altered passwords, and other traces disappear. Titan Remnants begin patrolling the area.
• Back at the temple, everyone’s injuries are restored, Modornik’s depleted Battle Aura replenishes, and the treasures and corpses they carried out remain intact. The entrance to the ruins transforms back into an ordinary stone wall.
• The King of Ground Rats removes his Beast Ring and immediately clashes with Modornik in the sky. Both have grown significantly stronger through the expedition.
• Modornik has reached the Late Epic Stage and may eventually become a Nation-Guardian Rank Epic Peak powerhouse. The King of Ground Rats has also advanced and may become exceptionally powerful after fully refining his new bloodline.
• The King of Ground Rats realizes he may be able to use his blood to strengthen the bloodlines of the rest of the Ground Ratfolk.

Character Developments

• Wisdom Shield proves resourceful and returns from the ruins with valuable opportunities and a stronger reputation. However, he becomes deeply wary after realizing that an unseen enemy has exploited the conflict between him and Tum.
• The First Prince suffers a major loss of face. He feels manipulated after discovering that Wisdom Shield had found the same exit method and that his own actions may have been turned against him.
• Tum develops intense anger and killing intent toward Wisdom Shield, convinced that he was deceived. Their rivalry escalates toward open hostility.
• Chen Cheng demonstrates perceptiveness by identifying the possibility of a third party manipulating both sides.
• Modornik gains a substantial increase in power from the training area and emerges as a future top-tier fighter.
• The King of Ground Rats becomes more powerful after evolving in the Blood Pool and begins considering how to use his gains to improve his entire species.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and hidden enemies: The central conflict may have been engineered by an unseen party seeking to deepen existing divisions.
• Political appearances versus genuine hostility: The First Prince’s abandonment of royal decorum reveals how severely the situation has disrupted the usual balance of power.
• Growth through danger: The expedition produces major gains in strength, bloodline potential, and future influence for several characters.
• Restoration and impermanence: The ruins erase physical traces of the group’s passage, emphasizing the mysterious, self-correcting nature of Kepler.
• Individual power and collective advancement: The King of Ground Rats considers using his own gains to elevate the entire Ground Ratfolk, expanding the chapter’s focus beyond personal strength.

Important Character Interactions

• Wisdom Shield and the First Prince: They exchange accusations, each suspecting the other of sabotaging the group. Their rivalry becomes more dangerous as the First Prince openly abandons diplomacy.
• Wisdom Shield and Tum: Tum’s fury contrasts with Wisdom Shield’s refusal to defend himself, since further explanation might worsen the humiliation and suspicion between them.
• Wisdom Shield and Chen Cheng: Both independently recognize that a third party likely engineered the trap and manipulated their antagonism.
• Modornik and the group: Modornik acts as the mediator, halting the confrontation and directing everyone toward escape.
• Modornik and the King of Ground Rats: After returning, they immediately test their newly enhanced strength in a high-speed battle, highlighting the expedition’s dramatic power gains.

Chapter Summary: “Monkey Tribe”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After sparring for half an hour, Modornik and the King of Ground Rats return to the temple. The King acknowledges that Modornik remains far stronger, despite his own bloodline enhancement.
• Modornik explains that the King’s newly increased strength is unstable. He suggests using the King’s immense blood vitality to create a blood pool capable of strengthening the entire Ground Ratfolk tribe, even though this would temporarily weaken the King.
• Modornik supports this plan because he wants the Ground Ratfolk to control the underground world, making future development of the ruin easier for the kingdom.
• The King attempts to summon Captain Ground Rat and the others, but they fail to respond. He realizes they have been abducted.
• An inspection of the side hall reveals that a struggle took place and that the attackers deliberately cleaned away the evidence.
• The King suspects the Monkey Tribe, the only nearby group likely to violate the temple’s forbidden status. He explains that the Monkey Tribe is powerful, hostile, and obsessed with finding a way to the outside world.
• The Monkey Tribe’s doctrine forbids anyone else from knowing the route out. They will kill those who possess such knowledge, which explains why the King originally attacked Modornik’s group when he mistook them for monkeys.
• Before the group can leave, the Monkey King appears at the temple entrance. He confirms that the newcomers are human and demands that they reveal how to escape the underground world.
• The First Prince responds aggressively by using a powerful holy-light spell, Holy Radiance Sunburst, against the Monkey King. The attack severely burns him, leaving him bald and exposing bone on his chest, but it does not kill him.

Character Developments

• Modornik demonstrates both overwhelming combat ability and strategic foresight. His advice shows that he is concerned with strengthening the entire Ground Ratfolk tribe rather than merely increasing the King’s individual power.
• King of Ground Rats becomes more cooperative and trusting toward Modornik. He is willing to sacrifice his own short-term strength for the future of his people, revealing strong leadership and loyalty.
• The King also reveals his fear of the Monkey Tribe, showing that even as a mid-stage Epic Rank powerhouse, he considers them a serious threat.
• The First Prince displays impatience and aggression. Frustrated by earlier pressure involving the Wisdom Shield, he immediately attacks the Monkey King instead of negotiating.
• Chen Cheng provides observational insight into the cleaned side hall and briefly considers whether the Monkey Tribe’s claim of kinship with humans might relate to evolutionary knowledge, though this proves to be only a misunderstanding.
• The Monkey King is introduced as arrogant, violent, and confident. He assumes the humans know the escape route and uses threats to force them to reveal it.

Significant Themes

• Collective strength versus individual power: Modornik encourages the King to distribute his enhanced blood vitality among his clansmen, emphasizing the long-term power of a united tribe over personal advancement.
• Leadership and sacrifice: The King’s willingness to weaken himself for his people highlights the burdens and responsibilities of leadership.
• Fear of forbidden knowledge: The Monkey Tribe’s policy of killing anyone who knows the way out creates a culture of secrecy and violence centered on control of information.
• Prejudice and mistaken identity: The Ground Ratfolk initially attack Modornik’s group because they fear being mistaken for the Monkey Tribe, while the Monkey King assumes humans possess the knowledge he seeks.
• Conflict between negotiation and violence: The group considers explaining the situation or even taking the Monkeys outside, but the First Prince’s immediate attack shifts the encounter toward open confrontation.

Character Interactions

• Modornik and the King share mutual respect after their sparring match, with Modornik offering practical advice about improving the Ground Ratfolk.
• The King explains the Monkey Tribe’s nature to Modornik’s group, clarifying why their presence is so dangerous and why Captain Ground Rat and the others may have been kidnapped.
• Chen Cheng investigates the side hall and confirms the abduction through the cleaned-up evidence.
• The Monkey King confronts the entire group, demanding the secret of escape and claiming an ancient kinship with humanity.
• The First Prince directly challenges the Monkey King with a devastating holy spell, ending the chapter with the Monkey King badly wounded but still alive.

Chapter Summary: “The Monkey Tribe’s Divine Descent”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Monkey King refuses to release the Ground Rats and summons a disciplined Monkey Tribe army to surround the temple.
• Modornik recognizes the danger of the monkeys’ organized Military Formation, which severely limits his ability to fight freely despite the group’s superior individual strength.
• Modornik and the King of Ground Rats attack the Monkey King together, hoping to defeat the army by eliminating its leader.
• The Monkey King activates Divine Descent, summoning the power of a golden, staff-wielding ape phantom resembling Sun Wukong.
• The attack dramatically increases his strength, heals his injuries, and produces a sweeping strike comparable to Peak Epic Rank. Modornik and the King of Ground Rats barely survive, though both suffer severe internal injuries.
• Because the attack fails to kill them, the Monkey King suffers the devastating backlash of Divine Descent. His body ruptures and his strength rapidly declines.
• He orders the Monkey Tribe to protect him with their Military Momentum while he attempts to survive.
• Monet and the others struggle to hold off the surrounding army. Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield assemble a grenade launcher and fire a high-explosive incendiary shell into the monkey archers.
• The explosion kills or disrupts the archers and ignites the surrounding forest, creating a massive mountain fire.

Character Developments

• The Monkey King is shown to be both a powerful tribal ruler and a desperate, prideful fighter. He reveals Divine Descent as his ultimate trump card, but becomes visibly shaken when Modornik and the King of Ground Rats survive it. His willingness to use such a dangerous technique demonstrates his determination to protect his authority and people.
• Modornik remains calm and tactically minded, immediately recognizing the threat posed by the Monkey Tribe’s organized army. He follows the strategy of attacking the leader first, but is badly injured by the Monkey King’s empowered strike.
• The King of Ground Rats cooperates with Modornik in the attack and helps absorb the Monkey King’s blow. Though wounded, he contributes to preventing the strike from becoming fatal.
• Chen Cheng identifies the danger of Divine Descent because of his previous experience with Tulu’s use of the technique. He also provides the group with practical battlefield solutions, using advanced weaponry to counter the army.
• Wisdom Shield assists Chen Cheng in assembling the grenade launcher, showing cooperation and technical adaptability.
• Monet actively defends the group, kills attacking monkeys, casts offensive spells, and urges Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield to finish their weapon before the group is overwhelmed.

Significant Themes

• The danger of organized power: The disciplined Monkey Tribe army is more threatening than the weaker Ground Ratfolk because unity and formation can allow weaker fighters to challenge far stronger individuals.
• Power and sacrifice: Divine Descent grants overwhelming strength but carries devastating consequences if it fails to end the battle immediately.
• Tactical intelligence versus brute force: Modornik targets the commander, while Chen Cheng counters the army through technology and indirect attacks rather than engaging it head-on.
• Unpredictability and escalation: The battle rapidly grows from a confrontation at the temple into a large-scale disaster as the incendiary shell sets the forest ablaze.
• Mythic influence: The golden phantom’s resemblance to Sun Wukong suggests that the Monkey Tribe’s power is connected to worship, legend, or divine inheritance.

Character Interactions

• The Monkey King rejects the demand to release the Ground Rats and responds by surrounding the temple with his army.
• Modornik and the King of Ground Rats form a temporary alliance to attack the Monkey King directly.
• Chen Cheng warns the others about Divine Descent, drawing on his knowledge of Tulu’s earlier use of the technique, but the warning comes too late.
• Monet coordinates with Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield under battlefield pressure, protecting them while they prepare the grenade launcher.
• The chapter ends with the group’s explosive counterattack disrupting the Monkey Tribe and setting the forest on fire, leaving the battle poised to escalate further.