Chapter Summaries

Wang Zhifan struggled to wound a massive wild boar with his blade and a stolen pistol, then activated Tiger Fiend and brought the beast down with a powerful strike. The boar lay trembling and unable to rise, though it did not appear to be dead yet.

• The massive wild boar trampled the disarmed man to death and charged Wang Zhifan again, who dodged and cut its side.
• Wang Zhifan took the dead man's pistol and fired three shots, but only one hit and the boar barely reacted.
• Wang Zhifan put away the pistol and activated the Tiger Fiend skill granted by his Tiger Soul True Rune.
• Wang Zhifan leaped over the charging boar and slashed a deep, long wound across its back with the Blade of the Wolf Fiend.
• The wild boar collapsed and trembled on the grass, unable to get back up, and Wang Zhifan realized the Tiger Fiend soul damage had overwhelmed it.

After killing the large boar and reaching Lv2, Wang Zhifan was abruptly sent to a Punishment Instance before he could choose his rewards. He fought a masked Blademaster on a moonlit mountaintop, and both men landed potentially fatal blows in their final clash.

• Wang Zhifan killed the large boar, leveled up to Lv2, and checked his upgraded attributes and personal space.
• Wang Zhifan was notified that he would enter a Punishment Instance and was transported from the grassland to a moonlit mountain peak.
• A masked Blademaster charged Wang Zhifan, and the two clashed with their swords.
• Wang Zhifan gained the advantage as his opponent's blade broke and drove him toward the cliff's edge.
• The masked man counterattacked as Wang Zhifan pierced his chest, stabbing Wang Zhifan in the waist and abdomen with his broken blade.

After clearing the Punishment Instance, Wang Zhifan returned to his rented apartment without being healed, but found that he could still claim his Great Boar Instance rewards. He selected the rare Iron Mountain Sash and two excellent-grade items, leaving with new equipment and a better handgun.

• Wang Zhifan killed the masked Blademaster, cleared the Punishment Instance, and discovered his armor had prevented the enemy's final strike from injuring him.
• Wang Zhifan returned directly to his rented apartment rather than the Great Boar Instance and worried that he had lost his unclaimed rewards.
• Wang Zhifan inspected the reward options and chose the rare Iron Mountain Sash, which reduced physical damage based on Constitution.
• Wang Zhifan selected the Iron Mountain Sash, an excellent-grade handgun, and an Unyielding Ring, then received the three items.

Wang Zhifan put away his new equipment, considered why he had been sent to a Punishment Instance, and went to a disappointing job interview. At a bus stop afterward, he ran into Chu Wei, who had joined the Special Administration Bureau and was moving into its dormitory.

• Wang Zhifan stored his Unyielding Ring, wore the Iron Mountain Sash, and concluded that he had likely been punished for luring the wild boar into killing a hostile teammate.
• Wang Zhifan rushed to an interview at a small game company, waited for the boss, and was told to go home and await notification.
• Wang Zhifan left the interview believing the company had wasted his time and considered selling equipment to earn money.
• Wang Zhifan encountered Chu Wei at a bus stop and learned she was moving into a dormitory after joining the Special Administration Bureau.

Wang Zhifan sold a Common Tier pistol, practiced shooting, and considered how to earn money without drawing unwanted attention. Chu Wei told him the Special Administration Bureau rarely accepted close-combat players below Lv10 and described her upcoming work learning to handle Ash Domains and track player criminals.

• Chu Wei congratulated Wang Zhifan on his strength and offered to ask the Special Administration Bureau about its requirements for close-combat players, then exchanged contact information with him.
• Wang Zhifan passed the cleared Ash Domain site on his way to Tianhua Street and sold the Common Tier pistol he had taken from a dungeon.
• Wang Zhifan considered practicing marksmanship and earning more money, then visited a shooting range and trained with a pistol for several hours.
• Chu Wei messaged Wang Zhifan that the Bureau's acceptance threshold was high and that players above Lv10 still needed to pass a special evaluation.
• Wang Zhifan thanked Chu Wei and chatted with her, learning that she would accompany her superior, Miss He, to study Ash Domain response and player-criminal investigations.

Wang Zhifan entered a dungeon with a boastful Mage and a novice female gunner to kill a Black Bear. When the Mage went into the cave alone, Wang Zhifan warned the gunner that the dungeon’s level pattern suggested there might be multiple monsters.

• Wang Zhifan arrived with his two teammates at a cave where the dungeon objective was to kill a Lv3 Black Bear.
• The young Mage bragged about his Fine Tier staff and Lv3 Fireball, then ordered Wang Zhifan to lure the bear out alone.
• Wang Zhifan refused, arguing that entering the cave alone was too dangerous, and the Mage mocked him before going inside himself.
• Wang Zhifan advised the female gunner to stay outside and explained that the dungeon’s levels suggested more than one Lv3 monster was inside.

Wang Zhifan and the female gunner waited outside the cave as the young Mage’s battle triggered a collapse that buried the cave and hill. Wang Zhifan survived and received four dungeon rewards, including the rare Bear Clan Mage Circlet.

• Wang Zhifan persuaded the female gunner to wait outside while he tested his Fine Tier pistol and ammunition.
• Explosions, screams, and tremors came from the cave as the young Mage encountered multiple monsters.
• Wang Zhifan warned the female gunner to run, and he escaped up a hillside as the cave collapsed and lowered the hill.
• Wang Zhifan saw the dungeon reward selection panel and realized he had cleared the dungeon, though he could not find the female gunner.
• Wang Zhifan chose Berserk Bracers, Rage Gloves, and the Bear Clan Mage Circlet among his four rewards, despite the circlet being poorly suited to him.

Wang Zhifan tested the Berserk Bracers and Rage Gloves, then returned to his apartment and learned that foreign player criminals had fled into major Xia Kingdom cities. He prepared to stay combat-ready in case any were in Dongjiang City.

• Wang Zhifan tested his new Berserk Bracers and Rage Gloves and discovered that striking objects repeatedly triggered powerful combat bonuses.
• Wang Zhifan used a Warrior Skill Upgrade Scroll, but Basic Blade Art Lv3 failed to upgrade again.
• Wang Zhifan returned to his rented apartment and checked the Player Forum for updates.
• The Xia Kingdom's Special Administration Bureau warned players that dangerous foreign player criminals had fled into major cities and asked them to report suspicious people.
• Wang Zhifan wondered whether any fugitives were in Dongjiang City and took out equipment to remain prepared for combat.

Wang Zhifan spent a day practicing his marksmanship, then entered a dungeon with two Lv2 teammates and learned their target was a Lv4 Silverback Gorilla. He proposed a straightforward plan to locate and attack the boss, leaving the others to retreat if it charged.

• Wang Zhifan practiced shooting at the range for a full day, spending several thousand yuan and improving his feel for firearms.
• Wang Zhifan entered a dungeon armed with his equipment and met a Gunner and a Mage, both of whom were Lv2.
• Wang Zhifan and his teammates learned their objective was to kill a nearby Lv4 Silverback Gorilla.
• The Gunner described his revolver and marksmanship, while the Mage explained that his Ice Arrow could slow the monster by about thirty percent for twelve seconds.
• Wang Zhifan proposed locating the boss, having the Mage slow it, and attacking with the Gunner before the others retreated if it charged.

Wang Zhifan and his teammates found the Silverback Gorilla surrounded by a troop of gorillas, so he tried to lure the boss away from them. The Silverback Gorilla charged after him alone, leaving the plan on track.

• Wang Zhifan and his two teammates spotted the Silverback Gorilla among more than a dozen ordinary gorillas and decided to avoid attacking the whole group at once.
• Wang Zhifan chose to lure the boss away while the bespectacled gunman and the mage in the plaid shirt hid nearby to provide support.
• Wang Zhifan stacked his Berserk and Rage buffs, then repeatedly threw fruit at the Silverback Gorilla from concealment.
• The enraged Silverback Gorilla charged toward Wang Zhifan, smashing through obstacles in its path.
• Wang Zhifan confirmed that the ordinary gorillas had not followed their leader.

Wang Zhifan and his teammates lured a Silverback Gorilla into a clearing and attacked it together. After the wounded Lv4 monster pounced at him, Wang Zhifan dodged and killed it with one powerful slash, and a reward panel and treasure chest appeared.

• Wang Zhifan lured the Silverback Gorilla into a clearing and signaled his teammates to attack.
• Wang Zhifan shot the gorilla, while the gunner fired several rounds and the mage struck it with an ice arrow.
• The wounded Silverback Gorilla pounced at Wang Zhifan as he stopped shooting and prepared to fight with his blade.
• Wang Zhifan dodged the pounce, activated Tiger Fiend, and beheaded the gorilla with one slash.
• The gunner and mage praised Wang Zhifan as the gorilla vanished and a reward panel and treasure chest appeared.

After explaining how his equipment and abilities let him kill the Silverback Gorilla with one slash, Wang Zhifan inspected the dungeon rewards and chose three class-restricted Rare Tier rings. He returned to his rented room with Ape King's Rage, Ape King's Sorrow, and Ape King's Hatred.

• Wang Zhifan attributed his one-hit kill of the Silverback Gorilla to his weapon, stacked buffs, Strength, blade skill, Tiger Fiend, and Chapter of Gloom.
• Wang Zhifan found six class-restricted Rare Tier rings among the dungeon rewards and read their effects.
• Wang Zhifan chose Ape King's Rage for himself and selected the Gunner and Mage rings because he favored those class paths.
• Wang Zhifan stored the treasure chest, returned to his rented room, and opened it to retrieve three brass rings set with a ruby, emerald, and sapphire.

Wang Zhifan worried about running out of money and considered how to sell his rare-grade equipment safely. Chu Wei invited him to work as temporary external personnel clearing Ash Domains, and he went to meet her at the Dongjiang Second Bureau Building.

• Wang Zhifan checked his bank balance, realized he had only thirty thousand left, and worried that selling his rare-grade equipment could attract unwanted attention.
• Wang Zhifan browsed player forums for advice on trading equipment, but Chu Wei messaged him before he found useful information.
• Chu Wei asked Wang Zhifan to help her team clear low-level Ash Domains around Dongjiang City for daily pay as temporary external personnel.
• Wang Zhifan accepted the offer, seeing it as a way to earn money and enter Ash Domains with the Special Administration Bureau's support.
• Wang Zhifan traveled to the Dongjiang Second Bureau Building and met Chu Wei and a teenage boy waiting to leave.

Wang Zhifan registered as a temporary worker for the Special Administration Bureau and joined Chu Wei and A Liao on their way to clear an Ash Domain. The chapter left them traveling to a forest-filled domain on Fire Altar Road, with a deadline to finish before it solidified.

• Chu Wei registered Wang Zhifan as a temporary worker at Dongjiang Second Bureau Building.
• Chu Wei, Wang Zhifan, and A Liao left by vehicle for 329 Fire Altar Road to clear an Ash Domain containing more than three hundred monsters below Lv5.
• Chu Wei explained that she and A Liao would attack while Wang Zhifan protected them from approaching monsters.
• A Liao asked Wang Zhifan about his level and melee class, and Wang Zhifan learned that A Liao was a student assigned to the Administration through his school.

Wang Zhifan joined Chu Wei and A Liao in entering an Ash Domain on Fire Altar Road, where they found a forest surrounded by grassland and several tree-spirit monsters. The chapter ended as Wang Zhifan charged the approaching monsters and began attacking them.

• Chu Wei showed her credentials to the officials guarding Fire Altar Road and led Wang Zhifan and A Liao into the restricted area.
• Chu Wei warned her teammates to prepare for battle, and Wang Zhifan and A Liao readied their equipment.
• Chu Wei sent her female ghost summon into the Ash Domain to scout and learned that low-level tree-spirit monsters were nearby.
• Wang Zhifan entered the Ash Domain first, followed by Chu Wei and A Liao, and found himself in a forest surrounded by grassland.
• Several twisted green monsters approached, and Wang Zhifan charged the nearest one with the Blade of the Wolf Fiend.

Wang Zhifan, Chu Wei, and A Liao fought weak monsters in the Ash Domain while Chu Wei explained how the Administration’s investigators assessed newly formed domains. As Chu Wei’s summon cleared a forest, about thirty monsters emerged, and Wang Zhifan prepared to hold them back with A Liao providing gunfire.

• Wang Zhifan cut down nearby green monsters and stayed beside Chu Wei and A Liao instead of pursuing enemies farther away.
• A Liao shot a monster, but Chu Wei told him to conserve ammunition as she sent her female ghost summon to slaughter the others.
• Wang Zhifan and A Liao followed Chu Wei toward a forest, where A Liao shot several multi-legged monsters and Chu Wei’s summon attacked creatures inside.
• Chu Wei warned that monsters would escape the forest and explained that Assassin-class Administration investigators called graders scouted and assessed Ash Domains.
• Chu Wei spotted about thirty monsters approaching, and Wang Zhifan volunteered to hold them back while A Liao prepared to shoot.

Wang Zhifan, A Liao, and Chu Wei cleared the low-level Ash Domain, only to learn its boss had already been killed by the first investigator. After reporting the mission complete, they set off to clean up another Ash Domain.

• Wang Zhifan drew the monsters out of the forest while A Liao shot them and Chu Wei's female ghost hunted those still inside.
• Chu Wei finished clearing the forest and explained that the Ash Domain's boss had already been killed by the investigator who entered first.
• Wang Zhifan noticed the Ash Domain collapsing, and Chu Wei led the group back through the gray mist to Fire Altar Road.
• Chu Wei reported that the Ash Domain was eliminated but all six trapped civilians were dead, then completed the handover with the uniformed official.
• Chu Wei checked her device and asked Wang Zhifan and A Liao to proceed to another low-level Ash Domain, and both agreed.

Wang Zhifan, Chu Wei, and A Liao fought through a nearly solidified Ash Domain in a dark cave, clearing monsters under time pressure. During a brief rest, Chu Wei’s summon discovered a humanoid statue hidden in the cave wall, and Chu Wei identified it as a possible special event recorded in the Administration’s database.

• Chu Wei explained that the Ash Domain was a nearly kilometer-long cave filled with low-level monsters and needed to be cleared quickly.
• Wang Zhifan entered first and killed a bat monster that tried to ambush him in the darkness.
• Chu Wei sent her ghost summon to scout ahead while A Liao and Wang Zhifan fought monsters from the front and rear.
• After about twenty minutes, the group reached the end of one passage and stopped to rest.
• Chu Wei’s summon found a humanoid statue hidden inside a rock wall, and Chu Wei checked the Administration’s database and said it might be a special event.

Wang Zhifan, Chu Wei, and A Liao uncovered a Goddess of Fortune statue hidden in the Ash Domain and tested its random effects. A Liao received ordinary cloth shoes, while Chu Wei triggered a falling rock that her female ghost summon destroyed.

• Wang Zhifan read the Administration's information about the Goddess of Fortune event and cautiously asked Chu Wei to confirm the hidden statue.
• Wang Zhifan struck Chu Wei's suspected trigger point with a stone, opening the rock wall and revealing the statue.
• Chu Wei explained the statue's random effects to A Liao, who touched it and received a pair of ordinary cloth shoes.
• Chu Wei touched the statue, causing a rock to fall toward her, but her female ghost summon shredded it before it hit her.

Wang Zhifan touched the Goddess of Fortune Statue and secretly chose a powerful positive effect from its many possible outcomes. He left his teammates with only a vague explanation of the unusual blessing he received, and agreed to treat Chu Wei and A Liao to a meal after their work.

• Chu Wei asked Wang Zhifan whether he would try touching the statue before the group returned to clearing the way.
• Wang Zhifan touched the statue and saw a long list of possible harmful and beneficial outcomes that only he could read.
• Wang Zhifan quickly selected a positive option with the lowest displayed trigger probability, and the statue sent a gentle radiance into him.
• A Liao asked what Wang Zhifan had gained, and Wang Zhifan vaguely said he felt different and probably had a buff.
• A Liao and Chu Wei lamented that Wang Zhifan seemed luckier than them, and Wang Zhifan agreed to treat them to a meal after they finished work.