Chapter Summaries

Tai Yu studied the Interference Pattern roles available at the Frontier Training Ground and asked Ku Yu to help him choose a suitable path. After learning about the Priest Council’s mounted enhancements, he selected the Spine Boundary Pattern, a dangerous Load Capacity option.

• Dimon and Jia Xi warned Tai Yu against taking dangerous work for a small increase in weighting, while Tai Yu argued that sparring and training could teach him valuable skills.
• Ku Yu gave Tai Yu a reading list, and Tai Yu studied it before inviting Ku Yu to meet near Divine Palace School.
• Ku Yu explained how the Priest Council operated and described its mounted enhancements, including Computational Power, vitality, Load Capacity, and Special Quality Power.
• Tai Yu ruled out most options and chose the Spine Boundary Pattern, prompting Ku Yu to warn him that the work was grueling and dangerous.

Tai Yu interviewed for a support job at a Training Ground where he hoped to cultivate the Spine Boundary Pattern, agreeing to the risks and costs while bargaining over a deposit. After the interview, one interviewer reported that Tai Yu’s behavior did not match the profile associated with his identity.

• Tai Yu explained to Ku Yu why he had chosen the difficult Spine Boundary Pattern and revealed that the Training Ground across the street provided materials and cultivation conditions for it.
• Tai Yu joked that Ku Yu could hire him as official support staff if he failed the interview, then went to the Training Ground.
• Tai Yu answered the interviewers’ questions and completed a Virtual Reality mechanical repair task.
• The central interviewer warned Tai Yu that cultivating the Interference Pattern carried a twenty-five percent failure rate with almost no chance of surviving failure, and that he would need to pay a deposit for his expenses.
• Tai Yu agreed to pay a deposit but negotiated for fifty-five thousand instead of the requested one hundred fifty thousand, and the interviewer said the Training Ground would consider it.
• After the interviews, the central interviewer told his driver that Tai Yu needed to leave the Red Silicon Star System soon and that his calm, fluent behavior did not match the profile they had found for his identity.

After receiving confirmation that he had passed the interview, Tai Yu prepared to enter the Frontier Training Ground route, aware that it exposed him to scrutiny from the Pantheon. At a farewell gathering with the Chimei Street squad, he shared his plans and helped his friends’ families before leaving for onboarding.

• Bai Jiao weighed the risks of the route and worried that Priest Farul or a Temple Warrior might discover Tai Yu’s plans.
• Tai Yu received notice that he had passed the interview, then fell asleep from exhaustion and accumulated pressure.
• At the Week 29 farewell gathering, Tai Yu told Dimon, Jia Xi, and Ku Yu that he would begin onboarding in Week 30 and officially start work in Week 31.
• Tai Yu gave Jia Xi adjustment plans for Little Ha and Pu Gong’s family, while Jia Xi offered to pray for him at the temple.
• Dimon thanked Ku Yu for helping him return to military life, and the four raised their cups as Clumsy Spider drifted above them through the haze.

Tai Yu and the other temporary assistants completed their training and traveled to Star Ring City for a final assessment with prospective clients. After Fu Ya warned them about the strict interviews and the consequences of failure, the group prepared to meet their clients.

• Tai Yu completed eight days of onboarding training with fourteen other temporary assistants at the Frontier Training Ground.
• On the spacecraft, Shang Gelush talked with Tai Yu about his past attempts to gain Interstellar Citizen status and his devotion to the Nightfall King.
• Tai Yu, Shang Gelush, and Lady Hai Ling arrived in Star Ring City alongside the other assistants.
• Fu Ya explained that the assistants would meet clients and their parents or teachers, and warned that those who failed could be left to find their own way home.
• Fu Ya urged the assistants to cooperate with their partners and warned them not to let competition harm the group or training camp.

Tai Yu, Shang Gelush, and Hai Ling traveled through Star Ring City to meet their client, Xin Rui, and discussed her background and the competition they might face. They found Xin Rui with four friends at a beverage shop, leaving the circumstances of the meeting still unclear.

• Tai Yu drove the group through Star Ring City and complained with Shang Gelush about its dense population, dazzling GGs, and expensive fees.
• Hai Ling urged them to review Xin Rui’s information, and they discussed her prospects, their competition, and her striking beauty.
• The trio arrived at a beverage shop and searched for Xin Rui’s parents or teachers.
• Tai Yu spotted Xin Rui among four young friends, and she turned toward the arriving group with a scrutinizing gaze.

Xin Rui discussed her expectations for the training camp with Tai Yu, Shang Gelush, and Hai Ling, questioning Tai Yu’s qualifications before he explained his experience and professional support. After a call with her mother, Xin Rui said things were going smoothly and invited the attendants to play Covenant while they waited to go home.

• Xin Rui introduced herself to Shang Gelush, Hai Ling, and Tai Yu, then explained how difficult it would be to complete an Interference Pattern practice within thirty weeks.
• Xin Rui emphasized that her safety came first and praised Shang Gelush’s combat credentials and Hai Ling’s battlefield medical record.
• Xin Rui questioned Tai Yu’s lack of formal equipment training and limited combat experience, while Shang Gelush and Hai Ling defended his work.
• Tai Yu described his martial arts instruction and mental support experience, then mentioned his consultant work and resource coordination for a Celestial powerhouse.
• Xin Rui took a call from her mother, said everything was going smoothly, and asked the attendants to play Covenant while they waited.

Xin Rui brought Tai Yu and the others to Deep Blue World for a Covenant battlefield experience, where her group received an unusually elaborate guided session. As they boarded the transport and prepared their loadouts, Xin Rui asked Tai Yu to arrange the equipment, turning the outing into part of his interview.

• Xin Rui led her group out of the beverage shop and activated Deep Blue World's immersive battlefield experience.
• Tai Yu learned that Xin Rui had paid for the outing and that Deep Blue World carried risks from prolonged exposure.
• A small vessel arrived and transported Xin Rui's group to its cabin, scanning their identities and Covenant accounts.
• The group explored the cabin's equipment stations and discussed the Deep Blue Teleportation Array.
• Xin Rui asked Tai Yu to arrange the group's equipment loadouts as part of his interview.

Xin Rui arranged a paired survival competition in an Underground Lava Environment, and Tai Yu prepared the equipment for the group. As the others entered the deployment cabins, Xin Rui told her mother she had met someone she liked and might skip going home, prompting her mother to shout in disbelief.

• Xin Rui chose a fifty-kilometer-deep Underground Lava Environment and proposed a paired Survival Competition.
• Xin Rui assigned the pairs, and Tai Yu selected Tianyuan-Hanguang equipment for the group.
• Hai Ling planned for her and Shang Gelush to engage the girls first while Tai Yu adapted with Xin Rui.
• Tan Long and Yong Ji entered their equipment stations, followed by Qiqi, Shang Gelush, Lan Qiao, and Hai Ling.
• Xin Rui stayed behind to answer her mother and said she might head straight to You Chong Star instead of going home.
• Xin Rui's mother shouted, "Xin Rui, you're kidding me!"

Xin Rui told Tai Yu that her family’s financial troubles and her mother’s plan to cancel the training camp threatened her standing in Star Ring City. Tai Yu contacted the broker to demand a solution, then accepted Xin Rui’s warning and prepared to assess her support skills during deployment.

• Xin Rui explained that her family could not afford the training camp and risked losing social credit and authority ratings if Tai Yu did not help.
• Tai Yu began messaging the broker, while Xin Rui warned that her mother might invoke her rights as the contracting party and cancel the agreement.
• Xin Rui revealed that her father was probably dead and that her family’s troubles stemmed from uncertainty about what had happened.
• Tai Yu sent the broker the message, “Are you people fooling me?” and warned Xin Rui that they might replace her as the service provider.
• Tai Yu accepted Xin Rui’s advance warning, ordered her to prepare for deployment, and said he would assess her technical support while pursuing his cultivation.

Tai Yu learned about the Deep Blue environment and investigated Xin Rui’s family troubles while considering whether to replace her as the guide. When he asked why she was obstructing her Mother’s new arrangement, Xin Rui said she wanted more.

• Tai Yu spent much of the team battle distracted as he learned about Deep Blue and its history.
• Qiqi and Lan Qiao withdrew from the battle, followed by Shang Gelush and Lady Hai Ling.
• Tai Yu learned that Xin Rui’s Father had gone missing after joining an armed merchant convoy, leaving the family burdened by debt and creditors.
• The Route Manager offered Tai Yu the choice of replacing Xin Rui or continuing the operation while accepting some risk and possible extra costs.
• Tai Yu asked Xin Rui why she was making things difficult for her Mother, and Xin Rui replied that she wanted more.

Xin Rui and Tai Yu attacked the school team substitutes in the Deep Blue World, while Tai Yu recognized Xin Rui’s potential and changed his plans. He demanded that the Special Attention Number provide the resources for him to cultivate the Spine Boundary Pattern before the postponed itinerary could continue.

• Xin Rui told Tai Yu she needed a Window Period and resources to complete the Heavenly Human Interference Pattern, then argued that the team battle needed more pressure.
• Xin Rui used darkness and shadows to approach Yong Ji and Tan Long, evading most of their warning measures.
• Tai Yu fired pulse bombs that trapped the two substitutes in a dead end, helping Xin Rui defeat them.
• Tai Yu concluded that Xin Rui had exceptional potential and suspected the Route Manager was also protecting her for that reason.
• Tai Yu contacted the Special Attention Number and demanded resources and conditions to cultivate the Spine Boundary Pattern, postponing the itinerary until he succeeded preliminarily.

After the small team battle, Xin Rui persuaded the group to join a Large-scale Team Battle, and Tai Yu paid for their entry. As they prepared to face planetary offense and defense warfare, Tai Yu took charge of setting up the defenses after receiving a message that required a direct call.

• Xin Rui urged the group to play a Large-scale Team Battle, and Lan Qiao and Yong Ji hesitated before the others agreed.
• Tan Long pushed to apply quickly, and Tai Yu completed the payment after Xin Rui's reservation exceeded her authority.
• Tai Yu asked everyone to rest and let Lady Hai Ling check for hidden injuries before the battle.
• Tai Yu volunteered to handle the team's defenses while keeping everyone updated.
• Tai Yu received another message from the Special Attention Number, which required him to call directly.

Tai Yu changed his plans for the training arrangement and learned that the Route Manager was wary of his decision, likely because it affected their plans involving Xin Rui. Back in Deep Blue World, he warned his teammates that the expanded battle map could expose them to swarms of Giant Macrophages, prompting them to reconsider his defensive plan.

• Tai Yu entered Deep Blue World, gathered equipment, arranged defenses, and called Fu Ya about changing his plans.
• Fu Ya warned Tai Yu that the change could increase costs and bring consequences, but Tai Yu insisted on negotiating within the next three to five weeks.
• After the call, Tai Yu suspected the Route Manager opposed his choice because it threatened their greater opportunity involving Xin Rui.
• Tai Yu defended his cautious battle plan by explaining that the expanded map could bring players and active Extraterritorial Species into the planetary battlefield.
• Tai Yu described how Giant Macrophages could grow enormous and merge with molten rock, alarming Qiqi and overturning the team's earlier discussion.

Tai Yu used Xin Rui’s ability to turn the Giant Macrophages into a moving defensive barrier as the team learned they were playing the Illegal Organization trying to complete an experiment. When a First Divine Palace School alumnus contacted them and asked them to join forces, he revealed that Badar from Second Academy had taken overall command.

• Tai Yu directed Xin Rui to create a hundred-meter Macrophage Melt and marked its territory for the team.
• Tai Yu proposed creating a smaller second Macrophage Melt to build points and leave room to move.
• The team learned that they were defending the Illegal Organization’s experiment for five hours, though they still did not know where the experimental zone was.
• Xin Rui received a call from a sixteen-person group underground that offered to join forces and asked the team to report their classes.
• Loren introduced himself as a First Divine Palace School alumnus and complained that Badar from Second Academy had taken overall command.
• Tan Long and Yong Ji enthusiastically agreed with Loren’s objection.

Loren explained the stages and risks of the Large-scale Team Battle to Xin Rui's team, who agreed to serve as bait and help with the misdirection mission. After Tai Yu assessed their damaged vehicle, Loren urged them to repair it so they could stay mobile in the coming battles.

• Loren told Xin Rui's team that the battle followed five phases and explained how the core mission could shift between teams.
• Qiqi asked whether their misdirection role meant they would act as bait, and Loren confirmed they would cover for teams carrying out the core mission.
• Tan Long agreed to the bait role, and Xin Rui said the team would contribute as much as it could before logging out.
• Loren revealed that his team would also serve as bait but warned that enemies might be drawn toward Xin Rui's position if his team could not hold out.
• Tai Yu assessed the vehicle as badly damaged and difficult to repair without parts, while Loren explained that components had to be taken from attackers.
• Loren urged the team to repair the vehicle because mobility would help them in the misdirection, support, and final battle phases.

Xin Rui’s team coordinated with Loren, then used Tai Yu’s defenses and a Giant Macrophage to repel an enemy scout squad without directly fighting it. Loren warned them that the next assaults would be fiercer and that agitated Giant Macrophages could threaten their perimeter.

• Loren coordinated commands with Xin Rui’s team and explained that their reduced Sky Abyss Spirit Network affinity would hinder them in combat.
• An enemy squad triggered the team’s perimeter alarms, and a Giant Macrophage attacked it amid the resulting tremors and magma flows.
• Tai Yu directed the team to catalyze another Giant Macrophage and strengthen their defenses while the enemy struggled to get past the first one.
• The enemy scout squad from The Other Side failed to pass the Giant Macrophage, and Tai Yu’s search party found few usable vehicle components.
• Tai Yu told Loren that the enemy vehicles were biomimetic and their parts were unusable, and Loren warned that future assaults and the agitated Giant Macrophages could pose greater threats.

Loren warned the team about a threat before his retreat signal revealed that the battle had escalated and enemies were closing in on the eight juniors. As the team prepared for combat, they focused on overcoming their severe affinity penalty, though Qiqi worried that the Deep Blue World was suppressing them too much.

• Loren warned the eight juniors not to underestimate a threat, and they joked about his work at a Xi Clan Consortium company after the call ended.
• Loren sent the agreed retreat signal, then shouted about the Great Light Inscription before communications cut off.
• A large and a small Giant Macrophage approached the team, while Tan Long concluded that enemy attacks had likely overwhelmed the defenses above ground.
• Tan Long proposed that Xin Rui help Qiqi maintain the team's affinity with the Sky Abyss Spirit Network, and Xin Rui agreed.
• The team found that the fifty-percent affinity penalty had badly weakened their abilities, and Qiqi worried that the Deep Blue World was suppressing them.

Tai Yu’s team used Big and Small Melt, electromagnetic bombs, and the lava network to turn the fortification’s breach into a deadly choke point. As enemies attacked from multiple directions, Tai Yu led the team toward a route around the outer perimeter.

• Tai Yu proposed using Big and Small Melt to disturb the lava and weaken the attackers instead of trying to destroy the plastic rock strata.
• Qiqi spotted an enemy rush, and Shang Gelush charged into the attackers before retreating as the electromagnetic bombs disrupted their advance.
• Tai Yu adjusted Shang Gelush’s damaged armor, while the team’s battle merit points and morale rose.
• Tai Yu had Xin Rui guide Small Melt toward the blockage, and the two Giant Macrophages turned the breach into a killing zone.
• As enemies pressed from another opening, Tai Yu led Tan Long and the others through the lava network toward Small Melt’s former habitat.
• Tai Yu told the team to circle around the outer perimeter.

Tai Yu led the team away from the Supply Point and used salvaged equipment to infiltrate The Other Side’s command communications while devising a route to evade detection. As they approached Small Melt, Qiqi made a connection to the Great Light Inscription and screamed as a powerful light flashed.

• Tai Yu guided the team through a narrow breakpoint, explaining that they could not hold the Supply Point or safely repair their equipment.
• Tai Yu used salvaged Response Crystals and Segmenters to break into The Other Side’s communications and mislead its forces about the team’s movements.
• Xin Rui recognized that Tai Yu had chosen a route that avoided the likely docking site for The Other Side’s deep-earth vehicles.
• Tai Yu warned that the Sky Abyss Spirit Network could still expose them and kept the team near their Hidden Thunder zone and the cover of Big and Small Melt.
• Tai Yu asked Qiqi what Loren’s phrase “Great Light Inscription” meant, and Qiqi suddenly clutched her head as a strong light flashed.

Tan Long’s team was ambushed by an enemy using Great Light Inscription and Hidden Thunder explosives in the lava passage. As teammates died in the blasts, Tai Yu ordered a desperate counterattack, and Tan Long was told to pursue the enemy.

• Shang Gelush warned the team that an enemy was approaching behind Small Melt, and Tan Long saw a figure emerge in a blaze of light identified as Great Light Inscription.
• The first Hidden Thunder bomb detonated, killing Qiqi and throwing the team into the lava’s violent currents.
• A second explosion killed Shang Gelush and Lan Qiao as Tan Long struggled to keep his balance.
• Tai Yu vaulted through the team and ordered Xin Rui to have Small Melt lock onto the enemy and Yong Ji to stop him.
• Yong Ji used a point-blank Flame Burst and was slain, while Tai Yu praised him and warned him not to repeat it on a real battlefield.
• Tan Long tried to recover, then received an order to catch up and keep the enemy from escaping.