Chapter Summaries

Fang Cheng studied Jiu-Jitsu techniques and rented a jujutsu instructional disc from Wu Datong after work. Wu Datong suggested that Fang Cheng find martial arts friends to spar with, leaving Fang Cheng startled by the familiar offer.

• Fang Cheng watched a Jiu-Jitsu class and recalled how a fighter had used a Sacrifice Technique to bring him down and choke him during sparring.
• Fang Cheng decided that studying Jiu-Jitsu could unlock new Skill Bar slots and strengthen his close-quarters combat.
• Fang Cheng visited Wu Datong's audio-visual store in the rain to return two discs and rent a jujutsu instructional disc.
• Wu Datong gave Fang Cheng advice about jujutsu, then embarrassed himself when Fang Cheng noticed a pink disc in his drawer.
• Wu Datong asked Fang Cheng whether he wanted to meet martial arts friends and spar, and Fang Cheng recognized the offer as familiar.

Fang Cheng reached Expert Level in pull-ups and used the resulting free attributes to raise his Strength to 18. After training Jiu-Jitsu basics, he went to work at the Club, where Chen Xiaohai asked why he had come in despite what happened with Majima Goro.

• Fang Cheng completed pull-ups, reached Expert Level, and received six free attributes.
• Fang Cheng invested all six points in Strength, raising it to 18 while his Constitution and Spirit remained at 20.
• Fang Cheng practiced Jiu-Jitsu flexibility, falling techniques, and ground movement drills at Jiangbin Park.
• Fang Cheng reflected on Jiu-Jitsu and its principles before ending his morning training.
• Fang Cheng went to the Club, where Chen Xiaohai asked why he had come to work without knowing about Majima Goro.

Fang Cheng visited Majima Goro’s home after his club arranged the meeting, where Majima asked about Fang Cheng’s martial arts background. Majima then offered him 100,000 yuan to fight an Unlimited Mixed Martial Arts Match, leaving Fang Cheng surprised by the offer.

• Fang Cheng accepted the club’s request to visit Majima Goro after Shen Haoming persuaded him with promises of bonuses and activity funds.
• Fang Cheng arrived at Majima Goro’s residence with fruit and exchanged greetings through Majima’s assistant.
• Majima Goro praised Fang Cheng’s fighting ability and asked where he had learned martial arts.
• Fang Cheng said he had practiced when he was young and had resumed training in recent years to keep fit.
• Majima Goro invited Fang Cheng to an Unlimited Mixed Martial Arts Match and offered him 100,000 yuan as compensation.

Fang Cheng accepted Majima Goro’s challenge for a one hundred thousand yuan reward and overwhelmed him with an aggressive display of his fighting skills. Just as Fang Cheng thought the match was over, Majima Goro rose and began a startling transformation.

• Fang Cheng accepted Majima Goro’s challenge, hoping to cover his maternal grandfather’s surgery costs.
• Fang Cheng attacked Majima Goro with rapid combinations, forcing him onto the defensive and swelling his knuckles with a counterpunch.
• Majima Goro shifted to leg and throwing techniques, but Fang Cheng countered his takedowns and drove him into a rockery with a powerful side kick.
• Fang Cheng gained Boxing and Sanda experience and wondered if the fight was over after injuring Majima Goro.
• Majima Goro got back up, urged Fang Cheng to fight at full strength, and suddenly grew larger as his clothes burst apart.

Fang Cheng fought Majima Goro after Majima transformed into a powerful, berserk monster, using agility and kicking techniques to survive their clash. After enduring a brutal throw and countering with a takedown, Fang Cheng unlocked Jiu-Jitsu and prepared to keep fighting.

• Majima Goro transformed, charged Fang Cheng, and shrugged off his punches while Fang Cheng escaped his grip with sand and a kick to the groin.
• Fang Cheng changed to an agile Sanda stance and used dodges and leg attacks to wear Majima Goro down.
• Majima Goro smashed through the garden’s plum tree and rockery, then endured Fang Cheng’s Whirlwind Kick and hurled him into a wall.
• Fang Cheng avoided Majima Goro’s Waist Slam Back Attack by locking his neck and pulling him into a fall, then got back to his feet first.
• Fang Cheng realized the potential of sacrifice techniques and unlocked Jiu-Jitsu lv0 after surviving the fight.
• Majima Goro charged again, and Fang Cheng welcomed the chance to grow stronger.

Fang Cheng fought Majima Goro in a prolonged spar, adapting his techniques until he gained the upper hand and choked Majima unconscious. After Majima was taken to the hospital, Fang Cheng realized the strange world around him held more secrets than he had expected.

• Fang Cheng used throws, locks, and strikes to counter Majima Goro’s overwhelming strength, improving his Agility and reaching Expert Level in Jujutsu.
• Fang Cheng continued fighting as the two damaged the courtyard, eventually slamming Majima Goro through the house’s doors and windows.
• Fang Cheng clamped his legs around Majima Goro’s neck and choked him unconscious, then worried that he might have killed him.
• The White-Dress Lady rushed out and confronted Fang Cheng as he released Majima Goro.
• An ambulance took Majima Goro to the hospital, and Fang Cheng reflected that the Club’s attempt to win him as a client had gone badly.
• Fang Cheng noted the signed Letter of Understanding and suspected that the world was not simple as a hidden gate seemed to open before him.

After defeating Majima Goro, Fang Cheng assessed his improved abilities and shoulder injury, then tested how his Potential Activation worked. He took time off to recover and study, and his cooking reached Expert Level as he prepared breakfast.

• Fang Cheng reviewed his status and chose the Jujutsu enhancement that increased his legs’ flexibility instead of taking five free attributes.
• Fang Cheng recalled that Master Lin had reset his injured shoulder and estimated it would take about four weeks to heal, though Fang Cheng expected to recover faster.
• Fang Cheng tested Potential Activation and found that it removed his fatigue and suppressed his shoulder pain only while active.
• Fang Cheng planned to rest, study for his graduate entrance exam, and visit Majima Goro in the hospital with fruit and gifts.
• Fang Cheng made chive scrambled eggs, and his Cooking skill reached Expert Level and awarded him the Knife Flourish special effect.

Fang Cheng visited the injured Majima Goro and asked about the strange transformation he had witnessed during their fight. Majima Goro explained that an experimental drug had made him a celebrated fighter but left him dependent on injections and plagued by violent urges, until he finally unleashed the monster within himself.

• Fang Cheng brought a fruit basket to Majima Goro's hospital ward, apologized for injuring him, and learned that Majima Goro had suffered multiple fractures but no internal injuries.
• Fang Cheng asked Majima Goro what martial art caused his muscles to swell and transform during their fight.
• Majima Goro described growing up in a traditional martial arts family, struggling to succeed as a fighter, and eventually meeting Cui Xiuying at university.
• Majima Goro said a pharmaceutical company recruited him for a Phase III trial of a drug that boosted physical abilities, helping him reach the national tournament and earn fame as the Tiger of Wakayama.
• Majima Goro revealed that the drug caused physical abnormalities and dependence, while intensifying his anger and violent urges.
• Majima Goro said he eventually lost control and released the monster in his heart.

Majima Goro told Fang Cheng how his berserk transformations began and why he came to Xia Country seeking a cure. After leaving the hospital, Fang Cheng considered learning Japanese, then sensed someone watching him and glimpsed a figure by a window.

• Majima Goro recounted how he lost control at a farewell banquet, injured his cousin and relatives, and later learned that exhaustion or restraint could suppress his transformations.
• Majima Goro explained that he had come to Xia Country seeking a cure and had challenged fighters to exhaust himself and quiet the monster within him.
• Fang Cheng advised Majima Goro to treat himself as his opponent and strengthen his will, while Majima Goro connected Fang Cheng’s state to the martial arts concept of Unity of Heaven and Man.
• Fang Cheng and Majima Goro discussed martial arts for nearly an hour until Cui Xiuying ordered her fiancé to rest.
• Fang Cheng left the hospital, considered learning Japanese, and sensed a watcher before catching sight of a figure near a window.

While recovering from his shoulder injuries, Fang Cheng trained, studied for his graduate entrance exam, and learned Eastern Ocean Language, unlocking a new skill. He planned to visit Majima Goro, bring food to his mother in the hospital, and continue learning at Master Lin's Trauma Clinic.

• Fang Cheng resumed training with squats and leg techniques while resting his injured shoulders, and his Squat skill neared a major milestone.
• Fang Cheng used his Focus and Speed Reading skills to study efficiently, then reviewed an Eastern Ocean Language textbook.
• Fang Cheng mastered enough of the language to unlock Eastern Ocean Language Lv0 and considered learning more languages to pursue skill synthesis.
• Fang Cheng prepared pork and planned to bring a meal to the hospital to tell his mother the surgical fee had been taken care of.
• Fang Cheng planned to visit Majima Goro to practice the language, then help out at Master Lin's Trauma Clinic and learn bone setting.

Fang Cheng treated a group of injured thugs at Lin Fusheng Bone Setting Clinic and unlocked the Bone Setting skill. After learning that the Red Tiger Gang was disrupting the Eastern Capital underworld, he helped Lin Fusheng close the clinic, where Lin advised him to keep studying and avoid trouble.

• Lin Fusheng handed the bone-setting work to Fang Cheng, who painfully but successfully reset Brother Fei’s shoulder joint.
• Fang Cheng treated the other injured thugs, and a Prompt Information announced that he had unlocked Bone Setting lv0.
• A Fei and the other thugs told Fang Cheng that the Red Tiger Gang had beaten them while clearing out a venue and had also swallowed up the Poisonous Snake Gang.
• Fang Cheng and Lin Fusheng treated the dozen-plus injured men, then Fang Cheng helped clean the clinic after they left.
• Lin Fusheng advised Fang Cheng to study diligently, master more medical skills, and avoid getting involved in other people’s business.

Fang Cheng trained while preparing to face Zheng Haokang, but noticed worsening hair loss and gained the Scavenger's Eye skill reward while cleaning. At the Global Elite Fighting Club, Manager Li told him that Majima Goro had gone missing.

• Fang Cheng completed his training, earned a Squats level-up reward, and chose to save his free attributes for an assessment against Zheng Haokang.
• Fang Cheng noticed his hair loss had worsened and recalled Majima Goro's warning about the dangers of pushing past the body's limits.
• Fang Cheng cooked breakfast and cleaned the kitchen, leveling up his Cleaning skill and discovering the Scavenger's Eye reward.
• Fang Cheng returned to work as the Global Elite Fighting Club prepared for Zheng Haokang's visit.
• Manager Li asked Fang Cheng about Majima Goro and revealed that he was missing.

After learning that Majima Goro had vanished from the hospital, Fang Cheng investigated the empty ward and went to Majima’s home. There, he sensed someone nearby and dodged an attack from a masked assailant, who charged at him in the corridor.

• Manager Li told Fang Cheng that Majima Goro had disappeared from the hospital, and Fang Cheng hurried there to investigate.
• A nurse told Fang Cheng that the hospital had lost power the previous night, two bodyguards had been found unconscious, and Majima had vanished; she also said Cui Xiuying had left the hospital around five the previous afternoon.
• Fang Cheng concluded Majima’s disappearance might involve hidden forces and went to Majima’s home, where he climbed over the wall and entered the empty house.
• While searching the second floor, Fang Cheng sensed another presence and dodged a masked figure’s baton strike.
• The figure in a Black Combat Uniform charged at Fang Cheng in the corridor.

Fang Cheng fought the Man in Black in a corridor, adapting to the masked opponent’s speed and knife attacks without spending his free attributes. He lured the pursuer through a doorway and landed a whip kick to his face.

• Fang Cheng blocked the Man in Black’s club attack, countered with close-quarters techniques, and slammed him against the wall, but the agile opponent slipped free and drew a butterfly knife.
• Fang Cheng used the club to defend against the Man in Black’s rapid knife strikes, but his wrist was cut.
• Fang Cheng refused to allocate his nine free attributes, discarded the club, and activated his Focus Skill to read the Man in Black’s attacks.
• When the Man in Black drove him to the corridor’s end, Fang Cheng broke through a closed door and darted into a dark room.
• The Man in Black pursued him through the doorway, and Fang Cheng twisted his leg past the dagger before striking the pursuer’s face with a whip kick.

Fang Cheng killed the Man in Black, gathered his belongings, and cleaned the fight scene while avoiding the police. After unlocking Scavenger's Eye, he used it to find overlooked traces and began planning how to dispose of the body.

• Fang Cheng subdued the Man in Black, who claimed to be an organizational hunter, but killed him with a Rear Naked Choke when he tried to escape.
• Fang Cheng removed the man's mask, kept his Butterfly Knife, and found cash, cards, keys, gum, and a pistol on him.
• Fang Cheng noticed his knee burning from the Elasticity effect and received Boxing, Sanda, and Jujutsu experience.
• Fang Cheng chose not to call the police and cleaned blood and other marks from the room.
• Fang Cheng activated Scavenger's Eye, found a strand of hair and a button, and checked the route through the house for more traces.
• Fang Cheng looked from the body to a vehicle in a nearby garage and formed an idea for disposing of the body.

After killing the Man in Black, Fang Cheng disposed of his body in the Blackwater River and drove toward a nearby village, still wondering about the organization and its hunters. Meanwhile, Zheng Haokang held a public training session in the city, where Fang Cheng hoped to meet him and exchange blows.

• Fang Cheng dumped the heavy sack containing the Man in Black into the Blackwater River and left the riverbank.
• Fang Cheng drove toward the village, considered hiding Majima Goro's car at an abandoned Mao Bamboo Factory, and resolved to wait until he grew stronger before confronting the hunters again.
• At the Global Elite Fighting Club, Zheng Haokang demonstrated combinations and explained his approach to controlling a fight.
• Zheng Haokang advised a student who asked about monsters to run, then described how physical skills could help a fighter face a stronger opponent.

Fang Cheng challenged boxing champion Zheng Haokang in a parking garage to test his combat ability and discovered that he had surpassed the limits of ordinary humans. As Fang Cheng left, Zheng Haokang asked whether he had also encountered monsters.

• Zheng Haokang told his agent that he planned to enter the entertainment industry after defending his title and arranged to evade reporters on his way to Jenny’s place.
• Fang Cheng ambushed Zheng Haokang in the parking garage and challenged him, landing powerful attacks that damaged a car and injured Zheng’s arm.
• Zheng Haokang switched to real-combat techniques and briefly troubled Fang Cheng, but Fang Cheng threw him down and stopped a final kick just short of his face.
• Fang Cheng compared Zheng Haokang’s strength with Berserk Majima Goro and the Man in Black, realized he had reached a non-human level, and gained boxing, Sanda, and jujutsu experience.
• As Fang Cheng turned to leave, Zheng Haokang asked whether he had seen those monsters too, and Fang Cheng stopped and looked back.

Zheng Haokang told Fang Cheng about the superhuman monsters he witnessed during the Western Mountains Explosion Incident and explained why he had abandoned his dream of becoming a Martial Artist. Fang Cheng vowed to pursue that dream by challenging the monsters, then left eager to train as news reports linked the mysterious Black Rain to the explosion.

• Zheng Haokang recounted seeing powerful figures fight near Lone Peak Temple after the Western Mountains explosion, where his friend was killed by flying bricks.
• Zheng Haokang described how witnessing the monsters had made him feel that ordinary Martial Artists could never reach their level, and why he had retired from competition.
• Fang Cheng took Zheng Haokang's hand, promised to fulfill his dream and challenge the monsters, then left him stunned.
• On a rainy night, Fang Cheng rode a bus and reflected that other unimaginable beings might be living around him, which rekindled his desire to train.
• The evening news reported on the mysterious Black Rain and presented a theory that ash from the Western Mountains explosion had fallen with the rain.

After completing his one-handed Push-Ups, Fang Cheng chose a wrist-strengthening skill reward and used his saved attributes to raise Strength and Agility to 20. He discovered his explosive power had greatly increased, but his training pants split, so he hurried home to continue exercising.

• Fang Cheng completed a set of one-handed Push-Ups and reached Master Level, then chose the Strong Wrist Master enhancement.
• Fang Cheng reviewed his skills and spent 2 Free Attributes on Strength and 7 on Agility, raising both attributes to 20.
• Fang Cheng felt his body swell as Strength increased, then watched his muscles contract and his movements become lighter when Agility reached 20.
• Fang Cheng tested his new explosive power with rapid Jabs and heard his tendons, joints, and ligaments snap taut and rebound.
• Fang Cheng noticed his athletic pants had split at the seams, put on his jacket, and hurried home to finish training.

After his Strength and Agility reached 20, Fang Cheng struggled with an unusually intense hunger and reflected on the strain of activating multiple attributes at once. He accepted Zhou Xiumei’s homemade Shao Mai and prepared to study human physiology at the Library.

• Fang Cheng left A Yang Bathhouse and bought twenty beef buns and four bags of soy milk to satisfy his increased appetite.
• Fang Cheng considered how attribute increases consumed his vitality and decided not to break through two attributes at once again.
• Zhou Xiumei offered Fang Cheng homemade Shao Mai and explained she planned to practice cooking while security concerns kept her from selling food at the night market.
• Fang Cheng took Zhou Xiumei’s Shao Mai and packed it with Nourishing Origin Tea for his trip.
• Fang Cheng finished his breakfast and set out for the Library to study the human body.