Chapter Summaries

Two years after transmigrating into the world of Stellaris, Tiandao Siming had used the Popularity System to build himself into a powerful candidate for the Ember Organization’s Final Assessment. He left Caroline worrying about the test and rushed to the cafeteria for strawberry cake, confident he could dominate the assessment and win the season’s popularity.

• Caroline called Tiandao down from the mountain because the Ember Organization’s Final Assessment was about to begin.
• Tiandao recalled that the Popularity System could improve his abilities but would write him out if he ranked below the top ten, and he had borrowed its maximum one million Popularity Points to become a Natural Strongman.
• Tiandao reassured Caroline that they would pass because he was the strongest, then alarmed her by revealing he had forgotten to reserve strawberry cake.
• Tiandao sped off toward the cafeteria, while Caroline realized she had missed breakfast and shouted for him to save her some food.
• Tiandao dismissed Caroline’s shout as an auditory hallucination and focused on eating, convinced the assessment would be easy and hoping to crush the protagonist.

Before the Final Assessment, Tiandao Siming encouraged Chen Kong by revealing that his Star Core was unusually powerful, while challenging Chen Xing’s contempt for her brother. The assessment was about to begin as Tiandao and Chen Xing’s conflict was interrupted by Instructor Yun Meng.

• Tiandao Siming teased Chen Kong about his breakfast, then told him that his Star Core was too powerful for him to control.
• Chen Xing called Chen Kong useless, and Tiandao pressured her into silence before offering a bet that Chen Kong would awaken his Star Core during the assessment.
• Chen Xing changed the wager to demand that Tiandao fight her seriously if she won, but Tiandao forced her to one knee with his Star Energy pressure and said she was not yet qualified.
• Instructor Yun Meng arrived, stopped the confrontation, and ordered the trainees to regroup for the Final Assessment.

Tiandao explained why Chen Kong’s apparent lack of Star Core abilities concealed extraordinary potential: his innate bloodline suppressed his implanted Star Core, and he and Chen Xing were both born Half-Stars. As the group waited for Yun Meng to reveal the Final Assessment, powerful outsiders arrived at Ember Base 13 to inspect Project Ember.

• Caroline questioned Tiandao about his claims concerning Chen Kong and concluded that Chen Kong’s unusual normality might conceal something.
• Tiandao recalled that Chen Kong had perfect Star Core compatibility, but his innate ability nullified Star Energy and suppressed his implanted Star Core.
• Tiandao recognized that Chen Kong and Chen Xing each effectively possessed both an innate Half-Star power and an implanted Star Core, and resolved to keep them from taking the spotlight.
• Influential outsiders arrived in the VIP Room beneath Ember Base 13 to examine Project Ember and consider contributing resources.

Doctor presented Tiandao Siming as Ember’s chosen successor, revealing his exceptional combat ability, S-Class Innate Star Energy, and perfect compatibility with the Heavenly Eye Beast Star Core. He declared that Ember would keep Tiandao and that he would lead them into a new age named after him.

• Doctor showed Ember’s guests recordings of Tiandao defeating a Special Tactics Squad and explained that he had done so before turning eleven.
• Doctor revealed Tiandao’s 100% compatibility with the Heavenly Eye Beast Star Core and his S-Class Innate Star Energy, shocking the guests.
• Doctor demonstrated Tiandao’s Future Sight and combat talent by showing him evade a Rank 1 Star Envoy’s attacks.
• The guests competed to buy Tiandao, but Doctor refused, saying Ember had unanimously decided to keep him.
• Doctor announced Tiandao as Ember’s chosen successor and declared that he would usher in an age named Tiandao.

The Griffon Man questioned whether Tiandao could be controlled, and Doctor explained that Ember had chosen him to lead freely, even at the risk of destruction. Doctor introduced the Starborn candidates, including Chen Kong, whose uncertain surgery status drew attention, before the trainees headed into the underground Final Assessment.

• The Griffon Man challenged Doctor over whether Tiandao could be controlled, and Doctor said Ember trusted Tiandao to lead of his own accord.
• Doctor showed the Starborn profiles and combat footage, including Chen Xing, Jing Liuli, Caroline, and Chen Kong.
• Doctor explained that Chen Kong’s Star Core Surgery status was uncertain, prompting the guests to watch for his performance in the Final Assessment.
• A broadcast summoned the trainees to the central examination hall, and Tiandao encouraged the nervous Chen Kong before entering the underground passage with Caroline.
• Chen Kong recalled Tiandao’s question about why he had survived and followed the others into the passage, hoping the assessment would reveal the answer.

Yun Meng introduced a team Final Assessment in which the cadets had to survive three minutes against a Rank 2 Earth Dragon Lizard. Tiandao gathered Chen Xing and Chen Kong separately, then woke Jing Liuli and recruited her as his final teammate.

• Yun Meng sealed the arena and revealed the Earth Dragon Lizard as the cadets’ opponent for a three-minute team assessment.
• The cadets sought out Tiandao as a teammate, but he directed Chen Kong toward Chen Xing, who took her brother with her.
• Tiandao approached the sleeping Jing Liuli and woke her by pretending the cafeteria was serving food.
• Jing Liuli went back to sleep after realizing Tiandao had tricked her, then sprang up when he threatened to tell Chen Xing she had stolen snacks.
• Tiandao secured Jing Liuli as the final member of his assessment team.

As the Final Assessment approached, Tiandao teased Jing Liuli and reassured Caroline that their goal was to surprise the examiners rather than defeat the overwhelming opponent. The assessment began with Tiandao’s team entering the arena to face a Rank 2 Earth Dragon Lizard, while Doctor predicted Tiandao would surprise everyone.

• Tiandao stopped Caroline from overloading herself with calculations and told her their goal was to impress the examiners, not defeat the vastly stronger opponent.
• Tiandao mocked Jing Liuli over her paid IQ test, and she wrote on her pillow that he was a liar who bullied people.
• Chen Xing told Chen Kong that Tiandao’s team was strongest on paper because its members ranked first, third, and fourth, then warned Chen Kong not to hold her back.
• Canary questioned whether the assessment was fair because the Rank 2 Earth Dragon Lizard could overwhelm even Tiandao’s team, but Doctor said the beast was just right and expected Tiandao to surprise them.
• The Final Assessment began as Tiandao’s team headed into the arena.

Tiandao, Jing Liuli, and Caroline began the Final Assessment against Yun Meng’s unusually powerful Earth Dragon Lizard. As it charged, Jing Liuli and Caroline revealed their talents, while Tiandao activated Heavenly Eye: Future Sight.

• Yun Meng warned Tiandao that the Earth Dragon Lizard would not go easy on them, and Jing Liuli tried to flee before Tiandao carried her into the arena.
• Yun Meng started the Final Assessment, and the Earth Dragon Lizard roared before charging at the trio.
• Caroline ordered the group to scatter as Tiandao ran left and Jing Liuli flew right on her pillow Star Tool.
• Ms. Canary praised Jing Liuli’s Star Energy Control, while the Griffon Man and Ms. Canary recognized Caroline’s Star Energy Data Link and Computing Power.
• Tiandao stopped in front of the charging Earth Dragon Lizard, removed his sunglasses, and activated Heavenly Eye: Future Sight.

Tiandao used Future Sight to evade the Earth Dragon Lizard while his teammates and the VIPs watched, and Doctor realized Tiandao was waiting for a chance to counterattack rather than trying to stall. The chapter ended with Doctor anticipating that Tiandao would test the limits of what seemed possible.

• Tiandao activated Future Sight and deduced the Earth Dragon Lizard's movements despite the strain.
• Tiandao used Blink Step to evade the Earth Dragon Lizard's first claw strike, then kept dodging its increasingly fierce attacks.
• The Starborn watching outside the arena feared they could not survive three minutes against the Earth Dragon Lizard, while Chen Xing told Chen Kong to watch carefully.
• Ms. Canary and the Griffon Man concluded that Tiandao was giving the Heavenly Mechanism Cat time to collect and analyze battle data.
• Doctor decided Tiandao was waiting for a perfect chance to counterattack, not trying to prolong the battle, and challenged him to reveal his limits.

Tiandao and his teammates injured the Rank 2 Earth Dragon Lizard and finished their assessment, shocking the observers. Chen Xing then entered the arena to face the enraged beast after Tiandao challenged her claim that no one stood before her.

• Tiandao used Liuli’s Dream Pollution and Caroline’s data on the Earth Dragon Lizard’s old knee injury to strike its weak point with Azure, making it fall.
• The assessment ended, and Tiandao taunted the Earth Dragon Lizard from outside the arena as it raged helplessly.
• Chen Xing headed toward the arena, but Chen Kong tried to stop her, prompting her to draw her Demonic Blade and tell him that his weakness and cowardice would cost him what he cherished.
• Tiandao tossed Chen Xing a piece of candy and claimed to be the pinnacle of Stellaris, reminding her that she was only second.
• Chen Xing ate the candy and entered the arena to face the Earth Dragon Lizard, while Tiandao privately admitted that her words had been cool.

Chen Xing, Chen Kong, and Yagami Rin entered the Final Assessment arena to face the enraged Rank 2 Earth Dragon Lizard, which had been provoked by Tiandao's earlier attack. The trio was quickly overwhelmed, leaving Chen Xing badly injured, Rin unable to restrain the beast, and Chen Kong unable to act.

• Tiandao told Caroline that Chen Xing's team might exceed expectations if Chen Kong and Rin played their parts, recalling Chen Kong's Black Star and Mark of the Void.
• Chen Kong and Yagami Rin joined Chen Xing on the arena, and the second round of the Final Assessment began.
• The Earth Dragon Lizard charged Chen Xing and struck her, forcing her back and leaving her bleeding.
• Yagami Rin used Shadow Bind: Dark Thorns to restrain the Earth Dragon Lizard, but it shattered her shadows and injured her.
• Chen Xing charged the Earth Dragon Lizard again while Chen Kong stood frozen, and the watching Starborn fell silent at the trio's defeat.

Chen Kong overcame his fear by awakening the Mark of the Void, which made him difficult to notice, and used it to approach the Earth Dragon Lizard with Demonic Blade Blood Flame. As Chen Kong prepared to strike, Tiandao hinted that the monster might already have seen through him.

• Chen Kong recalled the insults that had made him feel powerless, then followed Tiandao's hint and discovered the Mark of the Void within himself.
• Chen Kong realized that his weakness and low presence could help him survive by escaping the strong's attention.
• Tiandao left the assessment for the cafeteria, while the Earth Dragon Lizard focused on Chen Xing and Rin and suppressed them with its Star Power Field.
• Chen Kong quietly picked up Demonic Blade Blood Flame and began approaching the Earth Dragon Lizard from behind.
• Tiandao sensed Chen Kong's counterattack, then warned that surviving near the strong would be difficult if they had already seen through him.

Chen Kong and Chen Xing exploited the Earth Dragon Lizard’s injuries to land powerful attacks before Yun Meng stopped the beast and ordered medical treatment. After the remaining assessment teams were easily defeated, Tiandao activated Alternate Dimension Playback to watch the anime based on his life.

• Chen Kong secretly struck the Earth Dragon Lizard’s injured knee, drawing its attention and ending the suppression of Chen Xing’s squad.
• Chen Xing took up the Demonic Blade Blood Flame while Rin briefly bound the beast’s claw, allowing Chen Xing to slash its wounded knee.
• The enraged Earth Dragon Lizard sent Chen Xing flying, but Yun Meng intervened and forced it to calm down before medical staff treated Chen Xing and Chen Kong.
• The Earth Dragon Lizard crushed the remaining ten squads, with the longest-lasting team surviving only twenty-three seconds.
• Tiandao activated Alternate Dimension Playback and posted the anime’s first bullet comment: “First!”

Station 13 viewers watched the premiere of "Stellaris Prequel: Embers," criticizing Chen Kong's timid behavior before Tiandao and Caroline appeared. Tiandao's carefully planned debut won viewers over and earned him Popularity Points.

• Station 13 viewers opened the new anime page and saw Chen Kong bullied after buying a nutrient meal, prompting many to mock his weakness.
• As the episode revealed the Star Core setting, viewers argued over whether Chen Kong's cautious reactions were reasonable or frustrating.
• Chen Kong went to the training grounds for the Final Assessment and sat alone before greeting Tiandao and Caroline when they arrived.
• Viewers praised Tiandao's appearance and confidence, and their reactions generated a stream of Popularity Points for him.
• Tiandao showed concern for Chen Kong, winning further praise from viewers and making his debut a success.

Tiandao and Chen Xing drew viewers’ attention as the second episode showcased Tiandao’s overwhelming strength. A flashback revealed how Yun Meng recruited eight-year-old Tiandao after he fought three beasts, leaving his past and his mother’s words about candy on display.

• Chen Xing appeared and insulted Chen Kong, earning an enthusiastic response from viewers who admired her looks and personality.
• Tiandao and Chen Xing argued over his claim that eating sweets could awaken a Star Core, and Tiandao overwhelmed her with his superior Star Energy Value.
• The production team added a flashback showing eight-year-old Tiandao sitting among three-headed wolf corpses with a badly wounded arm.
• Yun Meng asked Tiandao to join her organization, and he accepted after finishing the candy he had been unwrapping.
• Tiandao explained that his mother had said candy kept life from being bitter, and Yun Meng gave him chocolate as a welcome gift.

After Tiandao’s childhood memory strengthened his popularity as a natural strongman, the viewers watched the second episode end on his wager with Chen Xing and Instructor Yun Meng’s arrival. Tiandao ranked first in popularity and planned to use his future background-modification permission to gain Hyper-computation, completing the Vector Control system he envisioned.

• Tiandao gained 2,000 Popularity Points when viewers interpreted his love of candy as a hidden character setting.
• Viewers praised Tiandao’s childhood strength and contrasted it with Chen Kong’s apparent weakness, while Tiandao described Chen Kong’s Star Core as special.
• The second episode ended with Tiandao and Chen Xing’s wager, and the audience learned about the upcoming Final Assessment.
• Tiandao’s popularity reached 12,000 points, placing him first and easing his worry about being killed off by the plot.
• Tiandao decided to use his future background-modification permission to gain the Mechanical talent Hyper-computation and maximize his Vector Control Star Source alongside the Stellar Eclipse Heavenly Eye.

Episodes three and four of "Stellaris Prequel: Embers" aired to growing acclaim, as viewers watched Tiandao’s team prepare to face the Rank 2 Earth Dragon Lizard in the Final Assessment. Jing Liuli’s third-place student ranking revealed that the sleepy girl was more capable than she seemed, leaving Chen Kong as the only apparently useless member of the cast.

• Tiandao’s popularity and the fanbase of "Stellaris Prequel: Embers" grew after the first two episodes aired.
• The Final Assessment began with Tiandao and the other children facing the formidable Rank 2 Earth Dragon Lizard.
• Chen Kong tried to team up with Tiandao, but Tiandao sent him to Chen Xing, who called him useless.
• Viewers praised Chen Xing’s concern for her brother and argued over potential pairings, while Caroline ignored Tiandao to focus on analyzing the Earth Dragon Lizard.
• Tiandao woke Jing Liuli from her nap, and viewers learned that she ranked third among the students, behind only Tiandao and Chen Xing.

Tiandao’s team battled the Earth Dragon Lizard, and Tiandao stunned the audience by striking its hidden injury before taunting it from outside the arena. Back in his dorm, he prepared for the coming, more dangerous arc by considering a Death-Replacing Bracelet despite his one-million-point debt.

• Jing Liuli tried to leave when Tiandao said the Earth Dragon Lizard might be close to breaking through, but Tiandao dragged him into the arena.
• Caroline coordinated Tiandao and Jing Liuli while the Earth Dragon Lizard overwhelmed their team and left Tiandao with no chance to counterattack.
• After Caroline spoke, Tiandao pulled back as Jing Liuli restrained the lizard, then struck its old knee injury with Star Energy Technique—Azure.
• Tiandao left the arena with Caroline and Jing Liuli and taunted the enraged Earth Dragon Lizard, delighting the viewers.
• Tiandao watched the episode in his dorm and decided he needed to prepare for the coming major arc, inspecting a Death-Replacing Bracelet in his Popularity Mall.

Tiandao bought a Death-Replacing Bracelet and decided to use it for a dangerous plan to boost his popularity by staging a genuine death. He began laying the groundwork with Caroline, who did not realize that his jokes about taking bullets for her were promises.

• Tiandao explained how strength, charm, and tragic plotlines could build lasting popularity, then purchased the Death-Replacing Bracelet for 100,000 Popularity Points.
• Tiandao decided to use the bracelet in his Blade Plan and risk a genuine death for dramatic impact and popularity.
• At dinner, Tiandao took Caroline’s meal and joked that he would take bullets for her in return.
• Caroline dismissed Tiandao’s promise, offered to get him dessert, and went to the counter.
• Tiandao watched Caroline leave with guilt, thinking that she would witness his planned sacrifice and forgive him afterward.

Tiandao watched the latest episode of “Stellaris Prequel: Embers” and saw his intervention turn Chen Xing’s climactic moment into a joint surge in popularity for them both. As Chen Kong’s teammates struggled against the Earth Dragon Lizard, the episode ended with him recalling Tiandao’s advice and finally looking ready to fight back.

• Caroline asked Tiandao why he was staring blankly while eating, and he brushed her off while watching the episode on the system’s illusory screen.
• Chen Xing told Chen Kong she would face danger even if he chose to hide, and viewers praised her determination.
• Tiandao declared that he stood at the pinnacle of Stellaris, and his added scene with Chen Xing drew viewers’ attention and boosted his popularity.
• Chen Kong joined the assessment against the enraged Earth Dragon Lizard but failed to help Chen Xing and Yagami Rin, prompting viewers to criticize him.
• Chen Kong considered fleeing the arena, then remembered Tiandao’s advice and began to overcome his fear.