Chapter Summaries

Guan Tong tested Shadow’s limits and reviewed the Countermeasure Research Institute’s findings before Apocalypse Rule Four brought a month of continuous global snowfall. As heavy snow began, he realized the challenge could not be escaped by giving up because failure meant death.

• Guan Tong discovered that Shadow needed line of sight, could not materialize while fused with a car’s shadow, and could be controlled physically only within about one kilometer.
• Guan Tong collected his food delivery and read the updated Apocalypse Rules White Paper, including tests showing Gene Optimization Fluid increased Mind Power Cap and could improve genetic defects.
• On June 1, Guan Tong returned to his room while hotel residents gathered in the lobby to await Fire Thief’s announcement.
• Fire Thief announced that snow would fall continuously across the globe throughout June, with 150 Ascension Coins and a Bronze Survival Chest as the reward and no failure penalty.
• Guan Tong watched heavy snow begin and concluded that failure meant death, making June Snowfall a challenge he could not simply abandon.

Director Gao Liangwei led an emergency seminar on the fourth Apocalypse Rule, [June Snowfall], as experts warned that a month-long extreme blizzard could cripple transport, utilities, and supply deliveries. He ordered a nationwide response manual and armed squads in civilian shelters, leaving the institute preparing for both the storm and potential violence.

• Gao Liangwei opened the seminar as experts confirmed the snowfall would reach extreme blizzard levels and persist for a month.
• Experts warned that deep snow, freezing temperatures, and transport disruptions could cut off supplies and leave people without food, heat, water, or electricity.
• Gao Liangwei stopped the experts’ pessimistic discussion and urged them to focus on practical countermeasures.
• Experts proposed concentrating residents in large buildings, clearing roads with snowplows and helicopters, protecting utilities, and including warm clothing in relief supplies.
• Gao Liangwei ordered the institute to compile and distribute a nationwide emergency response manual.
• Gao Liangwei directed that every civilian shelter have an armed squad to deter attacks over survival supplies.

After learning that snowfall would be heavier in densely populated areas, Guan Tong decided to leave Limei Hotel and Yunhua City for sparsely populated Mingdao Mountain. The chapter left him setting out into the snowstorm with a plan to find supplies before his protective underwear’s six-hour limit ran out.

• Guan Tong read Hidden Rules IV and learned that snowfall increased with population density, making the choice between staying with the crowd and facing the disaster alone difficult.
• More than a hundred newcomers arrived at Limei Hotel, where residents argued about sleeping space and gathering supplies as the snowfall worsened.
• Guan Tong told Xu Xiaotian that he planned to leave, packed his emergency supplies, and gave Xu Xiaotian his keycard.
• Guan Tong left Limei Hotel and planned to gather supplies, leave Yunhua City, and travel south to sparsely populated Mingdao Mountain.

Guan Tong went to a supply point for food and supplies but found Longxiang Pharmaceutical workers blocking the entrance and claiming everything inside. He summoned Shadow and ordered it to wear his clothes and knock the workers down.

• Liu Yuqiang rallied hundreds of Jule Group employees and promised to protect them during the snowfall rule.
• Liu Yuqiang noticed Zhao Jiping's message asking the Green Plum Association for help because the Official Department was investigating him.
• Guan Tong headed alone to a nearby supply point while considering how the snowfall Hidden Rule might affect where people gathered.
• Guan Tong found Longxiang Pharmaceutical workers armed with tools barring people from the warehouse and threatening anyone who challenged them.
• Guan Tong hid in an abandoned milk tea shop, summoned Shadow, and ordered it to wear his clothes and attack the workers.

Guan Tong escaped the supply depot with essential gear and set out by autonomous SUV for remote Mingdao Mountain, hoping to avoid the dangers of crowded gathering points. On the way, he learned that snowfall varied sharply by region, but he remained committed to reaching the mountain and surviving there with Shadow’s help.

• Shadow knocked out the pharmaceutical factory workers guarding the warehouse, allowing Guan Tong to take the supplies he needed.
• Guan Tong packed two backpacks, took the team leader’s iron pliers, and set a shared SUV to drive him toward the edge of the city.
• Guan Tong saw helicopters scattering material and armed convoys moving through the streets, and reasoned that authorities were preparing to control crowds.
• Guan Tong found a video showing light snowfall in Nalgeemu despite heavy snow in major cities, revealing that snowfall differed by region.
• Guan Tong decided to continue toward sparsely populated Mingdao Mountain, where he hoped snow and food would be manageable and Shadow could help him survive.

As the Hidden Rules took effect and heavy snow blanketed Yunhua City, Guan Tong drove toward Mingdao Mountain, where the snowfall was lighter away from population centers. A chain collision blocked the road less than ten kilometers from his destination, so he summoned Shadow to carry him onward through the snow.

• Guan Tong left Yunhua City, avoiding the growing crowds and worsening snowfall as he headed for Mingdao Mountain.
• Guan Tong noticed the snow growing lighter as he traveled farther from population centers and continued driving without stopping for lunch.
• Guan Tong calculated that he needed to reach Mingdao Mountain before nightfall and drove carefully as the snow accumulated on the road.
• Guan Tong crashed lightly into a sedan after finding several cars blocking the road less than ten kilometers from Mingdao Mountain.
• Guan Tong loaded his supplies onto his back, summoned Shadow with the Wordless Book, and had Shadow carry him toward the mountain.

As the blizzard worsened, Guan Tong traveled to sparsely populated Mingdao Mountain and set up a sheltered camp, trusting his own judgment over the authorities’ protection. He planned to search the area for supplies and earn enough Binding Coins to buy boots better suited to the snow.

• Limei Hotel filled with refugees, who took comfort in the nearby main road and an armed squad stationed in the lobby.
• Xu Xiaotian worried about Guan Tong as he struggled through the snow toward Mingdao Mountain.
• Guan Tong avoided the snow-covered mountain trail and found shelter beneath a large rock at the foot of the mountain.
• Guan Tong cleared a place to sleep, ate compressed biscuits, and built a raised platform and campfire.
• Guan Tong planned to scout nearby for supplies, melt and filter snow for water, and earn Binding Coins for Multi-terrain Marching Boots.

Guan Tong endured worsening cold and snowfall at his campsite on Mingdao Mountain while clearing a narrow path toward the highway. As a vehicle approached through the blizzard, the chapter also showed Yunhua City buried under deep snow, where buildings were beginning to collapse.

• Guan Tong rationed his food, used the [Wordless Book] to begin creating Ascension Coins, and cleared a narrow path from his campsite toward the highway.
• Guan Tong spent three days clearing snow and gathering branches, while frozen layers made the growing snowbanks increasingly difficult to break.
• Guan Tong planned to limit outdoor work as temperatures fell and wondered how Yunhua City was faring after four days of blizzards.
• Guan Tong heard a horn and spotted headlights approaching along the highway despite a wreck blocking the road ten kilometers away.
• A snowplow driver in Yunhua City saw snow nearly two meters deep and heard another storefront collapse beneath the weight.

As flu spread through the crowded Limei Hotel, Xu Xiaotian helped sick Teacher Feng and realized the outbreak could become dangerous. Meanwhile, Guan Tong approached a truck that had stopped near his cleared path and discovered a woman and her young daughter inside.

• Residents at Limei Hotel argued over clearing the snow piled up at the entrance, and Xu Xiaotian joined the work.
• Teacher Feng developed a fever and a violent cough, so Xu Xiaotian helped him back to his bedding.
• Xu Xiaotian noticed many residents coughing and queuing for cold medicine, then heard someone demand that sick people be quarantined.
• Guan Tong saw a large truck approach along the snowy highway and walked toward it carrying iron pincers.
• A girl named Nana jumped down from the truck, followed by her mother, who shielded Nana and pointed a flashlight at Guan Tong.

Guan Tong and Wang Yan gradually grew more comfortable with each other while surviving the blizzard on Mingdao Mountain. Wang Yan explained why she had fled Sun Family Village with her daughter, Chen Na, and the chapter left them wondering how the snow had affected their former homes.

• Wang Yan and Chen Na arrived at Mingdao Mountain in their truck, and Guan Tong warned them to stay off the path he had cleared.
• Guan Tong took precautions around his camp while Wang Yan kept her daughter secure in the truck, and the three passed several days without incident.
• On June 9, Chen Na helped Guan Tong clear snow, and he and Wang Yan exchanged details about their lives and the Apocalypse Rules.
• Chen Na revealed that villagers had taken food from their home, so Wang Yan had driven her daughter away to protect their supplies.
• Guan Tong and Wang Yan discussed the snowfall and wondered what conditions were like in Sun Family Village and Yunhua.

As the blizzard worsened, Limei Hotel faced a medical emergency, a destroyed entrance, and a water outage, while officials assessed mounting casualties and infrastructure failures nationwide. Gao Liangwei ordered building-safety measures and urged the arrest of a key suspect in the kidnapping of a High Mind Power User.

• Limei Hotel residents found Teacher Feng unconscious with a severe fever, but emergency services could not provide transport, leaving him in a guest room.
• The hotel’s sign collapsed through the glass entrance, and residents struggled over how to block the freezing air without preventing supply deliveries.
• Hotel residents discovered the water pipes had stopped running, and the armed squad captain urged everyone to stay calm.
• An analyst reported six-figure casualties, power and water failures, blocked supply routes, and deadly building collapses across the country.
• Gao Liangwei ordered officials to synchronize information and secure buildings at gathering sites, then directed authorities to arrest the key suspect in the kidnapping case.

Guan Tong and Wang Yan cleared snow together before a wild boar charged into Guan Tong’s camp. He killed it with Shadow’s help and decided to use the Wordless Book’s next page to try creating a shotgun.

• Guan Tong, Wang Yan, and Chen Na cleared the path and discussed Wang Yan’s plan to take her daughter to Yong'an after the Snow Disaster Rule ended.
• Chen Na sensed something moving nearby, and Guan Tong spotted a wild boar charging down Mingdao Mountain toward his camp.
• Wang Yan fled to her truck with Chen Na while Guan Tong turned back to protect his supplies.
• Guan Tong summoned Shadow to restrain the wild boar in the narrow path, then beat it to death with iron pliers.
• Guan Tong realized he needed a weapon and decided to try writing “shotgun” on the Wordless Book’s second page after making coins.

Guan Tong killed a wild boar that threatened the camp and learned that Chen Na’s [Perception Domain] was an ability that automatically drained her Mind Power. After helping her understand it, he considered whether he could use the [Wordless Book] to create a weapon or develop a Shadow Domain.

• Guan Tong killed the wild boar with a Mind Power Artifact and reassured Wang Yan that he was safe.
• Wang Yan and Chen Na told Guan Tong that Chen Na could sense nearby living creatures, and Chen Na explained that she had bought [Perception Domain] to know when her mother returned home.
• Guan Tong taught Chen Na to try controlling [Perception Domain], but her Mind Power was already at 0, so he told her to wait for it to recover.
• Guan Tong and Wang Yan dragged the wild boar away from camp and buried it in the snow, then Guan Tong checked the food the boar had damaged.
• While resting, Guan Tong considered using the [Wordless Book] to create a gun and wondered whether he could expand Shadow into a physical Shadow Domain.

Special forces raided Zhao Jiping’s shelter, but he killed himself before they could arrest him. As the Green Plum Association’s Big Sister managed the fallout, investigators questioned Zhao Jize and learned Zhao Jiping had once joined a powerful, secretive organization.

• Special forces stormed Zhao Jiping’s shelter and killed the armed guards, but Zhao Jiping shot himself and the woman he was holding before they could capture him.
• Big Sister removed Zhao Jiping from the Green Plum Association chat and told its members she would handle the aftermath and arrange a gathering after the rules expired.
• Investigators questioned Zhao Jize about secretly contacting his brother outside the institute’s permitted hours.
• Li Meng pressed Zhao Jize for information about Zhao Jiping’s associates, and Zhao Jize recalled that his brother had joined a powerful, secretive organization more than ten years earlier.

Guan Tong saved enough Ascension Coins to buy specialized marching boots and planned his next experiments with the Wordless Book, including developing Shadow into a domain. Meanwhile, chaos at Limei Hotel escalated after shortages and power restrictions led to an armed squad member killing a rioter.

• Medical workers evacuated several sick people from Limei Hotel, where residents had endured ten days without water and faced unsanitary conditions, illness, and deaths.
• After another power outage triggered a riot, the armed squad captain subdued a young man, who used a Mind Power Artifact baton to strike him; a squad member shot the young man dead, quieting the crowd.
• Guan Tong finished writing on the Wordless Book, raised his Mind Power Cap to 121, and used 100 Ascension Coins to buy Multi-terrain Marching Boots.
• Guan Tong tested the boots in the deep snow and decided they were comfortable and effective.
• Guan Tong planned to write the character for "gun" in the Wordless Book and to develop Shadow by adding "Deformed" before "Solidified Guan Tong."

Guan Tong successfully materialized and named a Mind Power-powered shotgun, Silver Hunter, and discovered that its ammunition vanished if he returned the gun to the [Wordless Book]. He then helped Wang Yan when Chen Na reported that her mother was suffering severe stomach pain.

• Guan Tong used the [Wordless Book] to materialize a shotgun and learned it could generate three kinds of ammunition by consuming Mind Power.
• Guan Tong named the shotgun Silver Hunter and found that storing it in the [Wordless Book] reset its ammunition without refunding the Mind Power.
• Guan Tong decided to keep Silver Hunter outside the book and carry it in his backpack so he could stockpile ammunition.
• Chen Na told Guan Tong that Wang Yan had severe stomach pain, so he brought painkillers from his Medical Kit.
• Guan Tong offered to cook instant noodles for Wang Yan, and she agreed to trade him milk in return.

Guan Tong tested the Silver Hunter’s powerful Type 2 and Type 3 bullets while Wang Yan continued suffering from stomach pain. The fourth Apocalypse Rule ended on July 1, bringing sunlight and relief, but the snow still blocked the road to the hospital and left the state of Yunhua City uncertain.

• Guan Tong comforted Chen Na, who had learned to control her Perception Domain, and advised her to let Wang Yan sleep on the bunk at night.
• Guan Tong tested the Silver Hunter’s Type 2 Slug Round and Type 3 High-Explosive Bullet in the woods, then decided to stockpile bullets while continuing to develop Shadow.
• During the final three days of the rule, Guan Tong generated bullets and added text to Shadow while Wang Yan relied on pain relief tablets and Chen Na massaged her stomach.
• On July 1, the Fire Thief announced that the fourth Apocalypse Rule had ended and that the fifth rule would be announced in thirty days.
• Chen Na urged Wang Yan to go to the hospital, but Wang Yan said they had to wait for the thick snow to melt, and she asked Guan Tong whether July’s heat would help.
• Wang Yan wondered whether many people had died in Yunhua City, and Guan Tong stayed silent, unsure of the city’s condition.

After Fire Thief ended the freezing rules, survivors mourned those who had died, while Guan Tong checked his rewards and opened a Survival Chest. He obtained a one-use Guiding Flashlight and prepared to face the challenges ahead.

• The ice walls and severe cold devastated gathering points across Yunhua City, killing many people before the rules ended.
• At Limei Hotel, Xu Xiaotian saw that about a quarter of the residents had died and messaged Guan Tong to ask if he was alive.
• Guan Tong stood with Wang Yan and Chen Na at their mountain camp and reminded himself that future rules would remain dangerous.
• Guan Tong checked his Personal Terminal and found 150 Ascension Coins and a Mind Power increase from 119 to 123.
• Guan Tong opened his Survival Chest and received a one-use Guiding Flashlight that could guide him toward a named location at the cost of 10 Mind Power.

After tradable items appeared, Guan Tong considered the growing threat from powerful organizations and bought protective clothing from the Ascension Shop. He browsed the crowded market and realized that wealthy Ascenders could use coercion and resale to amass coins and artifacts.

• Guan Tong realized tradable artifacts could let powerful groups exploit unprotected Ascenders, and he considered whether to join an organization before deciding to focus on strengthening himself.
• Guan Tong found that the Ascension Shop had added a protective suit and quick-burning sticks, and he bought the suit for 120 Ascension Coins.
• Guan Tong customized the suit as a long-sleeved shirt and sweatpants, then wore it.
• Guan Tong opened the Market and saw thousands of listings, including a powerful one-use teleportation artifact priced at 999 Ascension Coins.
• Guan Tong reasoned that powerful figures could coerce Ascenders into selling artifacts cheaply and resell them to build up coins and equipment.

On July 2, as the snow began melting, Guan Tong planned how to use the month before Rule Five began. He left the camp with plans to improve Shadow, stockpile ammunition, test a new page in the Wordless Book, and monitor social changes.

• Guan Tong packed the camp supplies before the melting snow could flood them, and he and Chen Na agreed to take Wang Yan to a hospital in Yunhua once they could travel.
• Wang Yan told Guan Tong that her Oil Conversion Pot could turn liquid into fuel by consuming Mind Power, and Guan Tong said the item might prove useful despite free food supplies.
• Guan Tong walked outside in the mild weather and reflected on how difficult the June Snowfall rule had been.
• Guan Tong decided to add “transform” to the Wordless Book’s first page, stockpile Type 1 Bullets for the Silver Hunter, and try opening a third page to write “Mind Power.”
• Guan Tong planned to monitor society’s response to Tradable Items and prepare for possible threats to lone Ascenders.