Chapter Summaries

Okudaira Yuzo learned that the Osawa Order was losing its assets and influence, while Matsudaira Yoshio confirmed that the Dark Dragon God had fled Ban City. Aboard the yacht, Ronan finished testing his monocle and heard Yin Le report the same news, leaving him to consider the Order’s crisis.

• Okudaira Yuzo examined Eizuka and the Processing Plant employees’ joint bid, then spoke with Eizuka without resolving their differences.
• Matsudaira Yoshio arrived and told Okudaira Yuzo that the Dark Dragon God had left Ban City and severed the Faith channel.
• Matsudaira Yoshio revealed that LCRF would send a representative to the Equal Trade Association’s emergency meeting and reacted favorably to Eizuka’s bid.
• Ronan spent hours restoring and testing his monocle aboard the yacht while Yin Le gathered information about Ban City.
• Snake Tongue served Ronan as he worked, and after he relaxed, he let her massage his shoulders.
• Yin Le told Ronan that the Osawa Order had liquidated its assets because the Dark Dragon God had escaped.

Ronan learned how Ban City's cults draw Extraordinary Power from Aberrant Species and how the Amaterasu Cult planned to gather the city's deities into its Land of Divine Treasures. While attempting to analyze Snake Language's veils, he discovered the Brain of Emptiness System had identified them as a combined artifact and completed its analysis.

• Yin Le explained that Ban City's Shinto shrines had formed symbiotic links between deities and Aberrant Species, and that the Amaterasu Cult had abducted Ebisu God's incarnation, prompting the Dark Dragon God's Rough Spirit to flee.
• Snake Language said Ban City's cults were unlikely to resist the Amaterasu Cult, while Yin Le described its plan to build a ranked divine kingdom on the Fusang Divine Tree.
• Ronan concluded that Ban City's Mental Ocean had been deliberately cultivated and that his own spacetime interference might have disrupted the Amaterasu Cult's operation.
• Ronan tried to study Snake Language's Veil of Invisibility, but the Brain of Emptiness System began analyzing it together with the Veil of Silence, so he stopped and postponed the market visit.
• The Virtual Brain interface announced that analysis was complete and revealed a matching Database entry for Spirit Core fabrication for Layered Interference, an Abyssal Encoding at Sky Ladder Level Four.

Ronan discovered that the External Neuron only granted him temporary ownership and that restricted information about Liang Lu was protected by higher permissions. After a failed rights review hinted at a connection between the Neuron and the Mist Labyrinth’s core, Ronan tried to strengthen the signal from the Tree Hollow, but his prolonged experiments left him dangerously exhausted while the connection remained weak.

• Ronan found that the External Neuron’s permissions were temporary, and the system erased the protected information about Liang Lu, the Veil of Invisibility, and the Veil of Silence.
• Ronan accepted the Rights Confirmation Review, but the system’s specialized test failed when it could not connect to the Sky Abyss Mirror System.
• Ronan noticed the External Neuron repeatedly attempting a relay connection and moved from the yacht to the Tree Hollow to improve the signal.
• Ronan concluded that the relay signal likely came from the Mist Labyrinth’s core and began sorting and testing its Information Torrent to affect the connection.
• Ronan’s experiments made him increasingly sensitive to information but also exhausted and drenched in sweat, while the signal indicator remained in the weak range.

Ronan drifted into the Abyss World through the connection between the Abyss Sun Wheel and the Dark Heavy Chains, then survived the backlash as his Altar Spiderweb absorbed and organized the information. He woke badly injured, realized his research had brought him dangerously close to the Mist Labyrinth’s source, and learned that a global Sunlight Nightmare had affected millions.

• While half asleep, Ronan wandered the Mental Ocean and used the Demon Rune to weave an Altar Spiderweb that gathered and shaped it.
• Ronan sensed the Abyss Sun Wheel and was drawn by the Dark Heavy Chains into a vast Abyss World, where he saw the Chain Hell-Prison restraining the sun wheel and noticed a familiar-looking spaceship.
• When Ronan reached toward the Abyss World’s deeper structure, the balance broke and an Information Torrent surged through his Form and Spirit Framework, but his God Wheel and Altar Spiderweb buffered and absorbed the backlash.
• Ronan woke with severe bruising, weakness, and likely nerve damage, and concluded that his investigation of the Mist Labyrinth had brought him dangerously close to the Abyss World.
• Yin Le told Ronan that a Sunlight Nightmare had affected at least a hundred million people around the world, while Snake Tongue and Yin Le reacted to his injured condition.
• Ronan chose to hide in Xia City rather than appear in public and asked for a bath.

While Ronan soaked in the bath, he warned Yin Le about the Sunlight Nightmare’s effects and instructed her to prepare for a trip to Claw Island. After Yin Le left, Snake Tongue massaged Ronan and realized his injuries were far more serious than they appeared.

• Snake Tongue helped Ronan bathe while Yin Le watched, increasingly unsettled by Snake Tongue’s ease and apparent intimacy with him.
• Ronan explained that the Sunlight Nightmare had affected everyone and warned Yin Le to guide the resulting emotional power without letting it ignite Negative Emotions.
• Ronan advised Yin Le to study how the Blood Flame Order and Madam Harold used chaotic power, then told her to prepare for Claw Island and gather about half a ton of consumables.
• Yin Le left to make the arrangements, and Ronan called Snake Tongue’s attention to herself.
• Snake Tongue massaged Ronan and noticed bruises, slack skin, and other signs that his injuries were more severe than they appeared.

Ronan exposed the fear, resentment, and defiance beneath Snake Language’s obedient manner while discussing her past and her potential. After Yin Le interrupted, Ronan continued observing how the Sunlight Nightmare affected them, leaving Snake Language to process his words and himself curious about his own reaction to studying her.

• Ronan recalled Snake Language’s past as his enemy and described how her rigid etiquette concealed a burning mixture of resentment, hatred, and defiance.
• Overwhelmed by fear and despair, Snake Language withdrew from Ronan and knelt prostrate before him.
• Yin Le entered when Ronan called for help, and she and Snake Language assisted him out of the bath.
• Ronan compared Yin Le’s steady response to Snake Language’s inner turmoil, which he saw as a useful trace of the Sunlight Nightmare’s effects.
• Ronan decided to keep observing Snake Language and wondered whether to read more about emotion or ask Mister Bai for advice.

Ronan reached Claw Island by yacht as the military ended its search for Soul Order members in Ban City. After learning the cult had killed Black Wolf and once targeted him, he set aside the matter and focused on what he had come to do.

• Yin Le told Ronan that the military was searching North Mountain Lake and might board the yacht, but Snake Tongue suggested he help the operation along.
• The military abruptly withdrew its inspection request, and Ronan used his psychic perception to determine that two people had died and one had been captured.
• Yin Le learned that the military had pursued members of the Soul Order, the cult that had arranged Black Wolf's death and once plotted against Ronan.
• Ronan recalled how Huan Huo possessed Black Wolf, was captured by Ouyang Chen, and died before the Xia City Branch could extract clues about the cult.
• Ronan dismissed the Soul Order as no longer his concern when the yacht docked at Claw Island.

Ronan used the Biochemical Reactor to repair his injuries, but his electromagnetic power ruined his wheelchair. As he headed toward the dock, he sensed Lao Kang approaching through a secret passage beneath Claw Island, where Lao Kang struggled to reach a shaft and complete his mission.

• Ronan refused Yin Le and Snake Tongue's offer to accompany him and went alone to the warehouse.
• Ronan found that the External Neuron's download had stalled, then used it to power the Biochemical Reactor and rebuild his damaged tissues and spinal nerve.
• Ronan considered how the reactor could help manage the damage caused by his Form and Spirit Framework, while cautioning himself to recover gradually.
• Ronan's electromagnetic field destroyed his wheelchair's electronics, so he propelled it with Soul Power instead.
• Lao Kang drifted through the secret passage beneath Claw Island in Fish Skin, weakening without the Sanctuary's amplification and suffering rejection between his native and modified systems.
• Lao Kang resolved to keep digging toward the shaft for a complete soul, and the Fish Skin in contact with him began to burn painfully.

Lao Kang’s Fish Skin fused with his body as he forced his way through a blocked passage beneath Claw Island into the submerged city’s waterways. Meanwhile, Ronan set out to inspect Daze Company’s Processing Plant, where Old Hand was warned that the Fish Skin had entered the secret route and was ordered to receive Ronan’s party.

• Lao Kang fought through aberrant fish in Claw Island’s drainage system, but the passage’s electronic lock failed and he lost control of his awareness.
• Driven by the instinct to dig forward, Lao Kang repeatedly rammed the passage entrance until he broke through the barrier and was swept beyond the metal grille.
• Ronan traced a route from Claw Island to Daze Company’s Processing Plant and decided to visit the factory grounds with Yin Le and Snake Tongue.
• Old Hand received a warning that the damaged Fish Skin had passed through Claw Island’s gate and entered the secret waterway.
• Okudaira Yuzo told Old Hand to help receive the prospective buyers arriving in two hours, and Old Hand protested that he needed to use the toilet.

Old Hand accompanied Okudaira Yuzo as Di City investors inspected the Osawa Processing Plant, while he anxiously awaited news from the Old City Secret Waterway. The wheelchair-bound investor, Mo, showed particular interest in Old Hand’s Deep Dive Camouflage work and ended the visit after discussing its design and possible improvements.

• Old Hand met Mo and Secretary Yin at the pier, then joined their trip to the Osawa Processing Plant after Mo insisted they inspect it that night.
• At the factory, the production supervisor praised the equipment, while Secretary Yin questioned the plant’s performance and sought evidence of skilled craftsmanship.
• Okudaira Yuzo suggested showing Mo the assembly workshop, and Old Hand reluctantly disclosed that workers were making Deep Dive Camouflage.
• Mo carefully observed the workers assembling the camouflage devices and praised the design before pointing out a weakness in the shaping strips.
• Mo proposed ways to improve material compatibility, and Old Hand said the formulas and craftsmanship could be discussed if technical shares were involved.
• Mo said he had gained a general understanding and ended the inspection for the night.

Old Hand returned to the lakebed to find The Visitor transformed and unable to speak after using the Fish Skin to survive an underwater battle. He recognized The Visitor's attempt to communicate through the Soul Order's Sanctuary method and reached out to make contact.

• After leaving Ping Trade Market, Old Hand followed The Visitor's signal to a Supply Point more than 180 meters beneath North Mountain Lake.
• Old Hand found a damaged building and saw The Visitor, transformed by the Fish Skin, tearing apart an Aberrant Octopus.
• Old Hand aimed his high-pressure gun at The Visitor but hesitated, then established a communicator connection and realized The Visitor could no longer speak.
• Old Hand tried to use Soul Power to communicate, and The Visitor threw the octopus remains to stop him, suggesting the attempt was dangerous.
• The Visitor moved closer and gestured, and Old Hand remembered the Sanctuary method and touched him, sensing a faint warmth and light.

Old Hand helped a dying stranger build the foundation of a Sanctuary, then preserved the blueprint after the stranger died. At dawn, Ronan began investigating Old Hand’s proposed technology-for-shares deal, the Soul Order, and Earth’s development of Deep Blue World.

• Old Hand struggled to learn the precise Sanctuary structure while supporting the exhausted stranger, and he kept talking to sustain their spirits.
• The stranger called Old Hand a scammer, and a stable Sanctuary foundation formed before the stranger’s suppressed emotions overwhelmed the teaching space.
• Old Hand watched the stranger die and memorized the new Sanctuary blueprint without error.
• Yin Le brought breakfast to Ronan, where Snake Tongue waited outside his bedroom and Ronan continued sketching through the night.
• Ronan told Yin Le to investigate contributing technology for shares with Old Hand, gather information on the Soul Order, and find out what Earth had produced from Deep Blue World.

Ronan examined Psychic Maps formed from the Miner’s memories, trying to uncover what lay behind the images of a dark, irradiated deep-sea Furnace and the people struggling near its light. After nearly pushing his consciousness too far, he stopped and learned that the Offline Test Bank download had finished.

• Ronan separated the overlapping Psychic Maps and asked Yin Le what she saw in his new painting; she described light and people struggling at the edge of darkness.
• Ronan showed Yin Le a map depicting a woman on a beach and a ship resembling the Emerald Light’s private jet, then noted that crucial links were still missing.
• Yin Le and Snake Tongue left Ronan alone with the maps, and he reflected on the Miner, the Old Hand, the shelter, and the Miner’s final memories of a deep-sea Furnace.
• Ronan tried to draw out more clues but realized his work was becoming an abyss-like image and stopped before risking his consciousness.
• Ronan received notice that the Offline Test Bank download was complete and entered the Tree Hollow space in the Mist Labyrinth with new anxiety about the Abyss World’s power.

Ronan entered the completed Offline Test Program and faced a Sky Ladder Level Two Space-Time Configuration test built around a besieged Relay Station. He struggled to understand the technical information and identify the attacking creatures, leaving him unsure how to design the station's defenses.

• Ronan confirmed the Offline Test Bank download and learned that the program had recorded his overall score as a failure because his genetic data was missing.
• The test transported Ronan's viewpoint to a living planet and filled his view with a data-rich Management Cockpit interface.
• Ronan received a mission to strengthen the Relay Station's defenses without damaging its three-layer layout or existing defensive barrier.
• Ronan reviewed the station's extensive blueprints and wartime records but found that he lacked the expertise to quickly choose a design approach.
• Ronan observed the Cloud Fortress and its monster forces attacking the station, but the test's technical labels and limited translation left him unable to identify them.

Ronan struggled to interpret a simulated battle before the Offline Test deadline, then drew on accumulated Abyss World memories to find a workable solution. He passed, gained Sky Ladder Level Four Knowledge Access, and unlocked materials on Layered Interference.

• Ronan examined the battle scenes and available materials but found his rough plans unreliable as the test countdown ran down.
• After his thoughts drifted to the Abyss World, Ronan regained focus and reached a delicate balance between his emotions and reason.
• The accumulated Abyss World sediment in the Altar Spiderweb began connecting with the test system and supplying him with deeper information.
• Ronan recognized battlefield structures and inferred that the test required linking different spacetime structures into a stable arrangement.
• The Offline Test ended, and Ronan passed, raising his Knowledge Access to Sky Ladder Level Four and unlocking Layered Interference materials.

After the Offline Test left him with only temporary ownership despite improved access privileges, Ronan struggled to recall what he had learned before turning to the Layered Interference Technology materials. He began studying the veils’ disguise capabilities and noticed that their theory resembled ideas associated with Dean Wan’s Creation Order.

• Ronan reviewed his test results, found that his ownership status remained temporary, and realized that most of the test’s mapped memories had faded.
• Ronan worked unsuccessfully to reconstruct what he had learned, then accepted dinner from Snake Tongue and returned the Veil of Silence to her.
• Ronan read the Layered Interference Technology materials and learned that the veils were extensions of a fragile Spirit Core designed to conceal identities and alter a user’s traits in the Mental Domain.
• Ronan asked Snake Tongue to stay and help him conduct experiments with the technology.
• Ronan noticed that the materials’ concepts of Material Wave and Thought Wave resembled the ideas emphasized by Dean Wan’s Creation Order.

Hua Dian struggled to survive and find a way out of the Wilderness Laboratory, where the True God and several powerful figures had kept him trapped for ten days. When Jing Xin said the True God wanted to see him, Jing Xin and the Horned Demon blocked Hua Dian from leaving, and Hua Dian reluctantly agreed to go.

• Hua Dian rationed his emergency supplies while enduring ten days in the laboratory, where Saint Anthony and Wan Ta survived through their extraordinary abilities.
• Hua Dian searched for a way out but believed Luo Yuan controlled the usual exit and the True God would not leave before the East Sea Auction on May 16.
• Hua Dian secretly recorded Wan Ta's diagrams in the Right Pincer Corridor, then hid in a nearby room when he heard Fei Long's body and Jing Xin approaching.
• Hua Dian found the injured Horned Demon scraping and eating powder, and the Horned Demon told him that something was wrong with his condition.
• Jing Xin stood in the doorway and told Hua Dian that the True God wished to see him as the Horned Demon approached from behind.
• Hua Dian swallowed his refusal and agreed to go with them.

The True God tried to force Hua Dian into the Tree Hollow, but Wan Ta resisted and Hua Dian fought back with Bone Talismans. As the True God tightened his control over the corridor, an unknown arrival kicked Fei Long through the open doorway into the Tree Hollow.

• The True God ordered Hua Dian to enter the Tree Hollow, while Jing Xin tried to drag him there and Wan Ta objected.
• Wan Ta knocked Jing Xin aside and tried to lead Hua Dian away, but the True God’s power slammed Wan Ta, Hua Dian, and Jing Xin into the corridor.
• Hua Dian used seven Bone Talismans to unleash a storm and slide toward another door, but the True God crushed his chest and trapped him with Wan Ta in an invisible cage.
• Wan Ta held off the True God’s cage with vibrations as Anthony treated Hua Dian and Luo Yuan arrived, but Luo Yuan refused Hua Dian’s plea for help.
• An unknown attacker kicked the Fei Long controlled by the True God through the open doorway and into the Tree Hollow.

Hua Dian and Wan Ta escaped the collapsing laboratory and reached a saltwater lake, where Wan Ta treated Hua Dian's injuries and sent information to Professor Ronan. As they waited for Hua Dian's team, they sensed the Horned Demon approaching, followed by a spatial attack from the True God.

• Hua Dian survived the laboratory's spatial collapse and fell into a saltwater lake, where Wan Ta pulled him ashore and repaired his injuries.
• Hua Dian contacted his team, who said a shuttle would take at least forty minutes to arrive, while Wan Ta borrowed his communicator to send information to Professor Ronan.
• Hua Dian wondered whether someone besides the True God and Luo Yuan had influenced events, but Wan Ta stayed focused on treating him.
• Wan Ta sensed an approaching presence, and Hua Dian recognized the distant, distorted laughter as the Horned Demon's.
• A dazzling light pierced through space, and a shadowy hand descended from another dimension as the True God arrived.

Ronan watched Horned Demon’s mind collapse after he sensed Ronan’s presence, then used Soul Magnetization to take complete control of him and defend against the True God. The True God recognized the technique, abruptly withdrew, and the chapter ended as Ronan felt a growing unease and his External Neuron vibrated.

• Ronan concluded that Horned Demon’s exceptional perception had exposed him to a devastating information backlash that shattered his Self Logic and drove him mad.
• The True God attacked through Horned Demon, pressing through the Space-Time Barrier while Ronan struggled to control his unstable vessel.
• Ronan recalled Soul Magnetization from an External Neuron Offline Test and used its storm and lightning to transform Horned Demon and gain complete control over him.
• Ronan used lightning and the Relay Station’s Space-Time Barrier defense method to repair the void and stabilize the fight against the True God.
• The True God recognized Soul Magnetization, broke contact, and vanished; afterward, Ronan felt a lingering chill as his External Neuron began to vibrate.