Chapter Summaries

Nangong Sanba visited Hao Ren's household, reunited with Nangong May, and revealed he was leaving for a job in Russia. The next morning, two foreign visitors arrived asking for the Countess.

• Nangong Sanba explained that he planned to travel to Russia to exorcise an evil spirit for a wealthy businessman and thanked Hao Ren's group for saving him in Britain.
• Nangong Sanba declined to stay overnight and left, while Nangong May scolded him at the door.
• Hao Ren and the others went to bed, leaving the exhausted Lily asleep on the sofa under a blanket.
• Hao Ren woke to Doudou bouncing on him, then found Lily suffering from a stiff neck after sleeping awkwardly.
• Two tall foreigners visited Hao Ren's home and asked whether the Countess lived there.

Two elders from the Eben Werewolf family visited Vivian to meet peacefully, and she welcomed them into Hao Ren’s home. The visit ended with Hao Ren struggling to keep a straight face after learning the elders’ names were Bluefly Eben and Blueshit Eben.

• Bluefly Eben and Blueshit Eben arrived at Hao Ren’s door and asked to meet the Countess.
• Vivian recognized the twins as old Eben Werewolf adversaries and learned they had come as family elders to visit rather than fight.
• The twins explained that Elder Yorgel had been killed by Demon Hunters and Elder Eckley had disappeared while searching for Sirens.
• Vivian invited the twins inside and introduced them to Hao Ren, Lily, Nangong May, Izax, and Doudou.
• Bluefly Eben and Blueshit Eben introduced themselves, leaving Hao Ren struggling to suppress his laughter at their names.

Bluefly and Brushet Eben visited Vivian’s household and asked about the Day of Return, a prophecy that the ancient source of power and the Ancient Glorious Kingdoms would soon awaken and return. Vivian knew nothing about it and dismissed the prophecy as bullshit, leaving the visitors’ warning unresolved.

• Bluefly Eben and Brushet Eben traded barbed remarks with Vivian before recalling old grudges, including Vivian nearly beating Bluefly to death over a chicken.
• Vivian ended their reminiscing and asked why the Werewolves had come, and Bluefly asked whether she had heard of the Day of Return.
• Vivian said she knew nothing about it, and Bluefly explained that otherworldly races were mobilizing after the Sirens spread news of the prophecy.
• Brushet explained that Siren messengers had carried the news to otherworldly settlements, and Hao Ren clarified that Nangong May was a messenger’s descendant, not a messenger herself.
• Vivian called the Day of Return bullshit.

Vivian challenged the Eben elders’ belief in the Day of Return, citing the inhumans’ repeated historical failures and humanity’s destructive power. Brufly revealed signs of genuine inhuman recovery and a long-term decline in Demon Hunter numbers, leaving Hao Ren to ask whether the inhumans intended to wage war on humanity.

• Vivian dismissed the Day of Return as an unsubstantiated claim and recalled how past inhuman uprisings ended in disaster.
• Brufly explained that the Sirens had accurately predicted events and that inhuman powers were slowly recovering after the Great Weakening.
• Brufly said the Eben family had produced its first Dark Moon Werewolf in several thousand years, while other lost traits had begun appearing in newborns.
• Brufly reported that Demon Hunter numbers had fallen by about ten percent over the past 150 years.
• Hao Ren asked the Eben elders whether they planned to restore the Mythical Era and declare war on humanity.

Hao Ren learned that the Others viewed the Day of Return as a distant possibility and that the ancient Glorious Kingdom might refer to a place in the Dream Plane. As he prepared to report his findings to Raven 12345, Vivian returned to her everyday role as cook and sent Lily to buy meat.

• Brufly explained that the surviving Others were wary of fighting modern humanity and saw the revival of the Mythical Era mainly as a way to confront the Demon Hunters.
• Vivian considered seeking out old acquaintances as the Day of Return drew nearer, while Hao Ren decided to report what he had learned and gather more information before acting.
• Lily asked what the prophecy meant by the Ancient Glorious Kingdom reopening its gates, and Brushet speculated that lost supernatural temples might reappear.
• Hao Ren suspected that the original Glorious Kingdom was in the Dream Plane, but concealed his realization from the Werewolf elders.
• Vivian went to cook for their guests and told Lily to buy meat, surprising Brufly and Brushet.

Hao Ren questioned the Eben elders about the Ancient Glorious Kingdom and heard their account of the decline of the otherworldly races. After Vivian served dinner, an unexpected knock interrupted the gathering.

• Hao Ren asked Brufly about the Ancient Glorious Kingdom and learned that the Eben clan believed it referred to Mount Olympus and other ancient supernatural ruins.
• Brufly admitted he knew nothing about the Dream Plane or the true origins of the otherworldly races, so Hao Ren decided to seek clues himself.
• Lily asked the elders whether Werewolves had a husky branch, and they concluded she was sick in the head.
• Brushet recounted how otherworldly races fought the Demon Hunters and Human Church for centuries before fading from history.
• Vivian served the elders a garlic-heavy meal and bluntly told them not to stay long, while Doudou gnawed on chopsticks and the elders mistook her for a Siren.
• A sudden knock came from outside while everyone was eating and chatting.

Hao Ren's attempt to welcome Nangong Sanba home for a farewell meal nearly sparked a fight when the werewolf elders recognized him as a Demon Hunter. After the danger passed, Hao Ren introduced Sanba as an ally and improvised a story about how his shelter had infiltrated the Demon Hunters.

• Nangong Sanba arrived to say goodbye to Nangong May before leaving for Russia and joined Hao Ren's household for a meal.
• Brufly and Brushet recognized Sanba as a Demon Hunter and prepared to attack him, while Sanba drew talismans and a hand crossbow.
• Vivian chilled the room and Izax weakened both sides, allowing Hao Ren to stop the confrontation and explain that Sanba was on their side.
• Hao Ren introduced Sanba as an external member of the shelter and told the werewolf elders that the group had infiltrated the Demon Hunters.
• Hao Ren claimed Sanba had been raised with the shelter's ideals, and Brufly and Brushet accepted the story with astonishment.

After the werewolves’ visit caused a dangerous misunderstanding, Hao Ren’s household calmed down and dealt with Doudou falling into hibernation after Vivian’s polar storm. Vivian told the werewolves she would stay out of the Day of Return, and after they left, Hao Ren and Vivian turned their attention to the Dream Plane.

• Hao Ren persuaded Brufly and Brushet to keep Nangong Sanba’s status as an outer member of the sanctuary secret.
• Hao Ren and the others discovered that Doudou had fallen into a deep hibernation after the room’s temperature dropped below freezing, and they left her to thaw gradually.
• Nangong Sanba mistook Doudou for Nangong May’s child, prompting Nangong May to explain the little mermaid’s origins in broad terms.
• Vivian told Brufly and Brushet that she was not interested in the Day of Return or in interfering with the werewolves.
• After the werewolves left, Hao Ren and Vivian said they would go to the Dream Plane.

Hao Ren and Vivian connected the coming Day of Return to the Dream Plane and discussed signs of Demon Hunter activity. After Doudou woke safely from hibernation, Hao Ren decided to take everyone to the Dream Plane to investigate.

• Vivian said she had no memories of the Dream Plane and recalled only waking in a cave among primitive humans after a long sleep.
• Nangong Sanba gave Hao Ren information on veteran Demon Hunters in North China, including their territories, patrols, and fighting styles.
• Nangong Sanba reported that Demon Hunters were investigating ancient nonhuman ruins and had sent another group to the Arctic.
• Nangong Sanba left for Russia, and Doudou thawed, woke up, and resumed crying, reassuring Hao Ren that she was healthy.
• Vivian questioned why the Sirens had reported the Day of Return if they avoided worldly affairs, and Hao Ren proposed a trip to the Dream Plane.

Hao Ren planned to investigate the Day of Return by visiting the Dream Plane and sought Raven 12345’s help to bring his companions along. He arrived at the Goddess’s mansion amid a violent storm and found a silver-haired woman in Raven’s office who did not recognize him.

• Hao Ren decided that the Dream Plane was the safest place to learn more about Earth’s oddity species and invited Vivian to help interpret Leta runes.
• Hao Ren and his household debated how to bring people into the Dream Plane, and Izax warned that faulty teleportation could send someone to a deadly destination.
• Hao Ren left Doudou at home and used the Data Terminal to teleport to Raven 12345’s mansion.
• Hao Ren found the mansion surrounded by dark clouds and lightning, then followed Big Blue to Raven’s office.
• A silver-haired woman turned from the window and asked Hao Ren whether he was the interesting assistant 12345 had mentioned.

Hao Ren met Raven 23333, who was filling in for Raven 12345, and asked for help bringing his household into the Dream Plane for longer investigations. Raven 23333 made five hibernation pods despite destroying the conversion device, then warned that the Dream Plane situation was deteriorating.

• Hao Ren met Raven 23333 and learned that Raven 12345 was away on a routine inspection and report.
• Hao Ren explained that he wanted to bring his household into the Dream Plane and extend their time there, and Raven 23333 agreed to help.
• Raven 23333 created five hibernation pods for Hao Ren using an information-matter conversion device.
• The conversion device malfunctioned, so Raven 23333 destroyed its core with Arcane Lightning to prevent a larger explosion.
• Raven 23333 gave Hao Ren the five pods and urged him to get the Dream Plane under control soon because the situation had begun to deteriorate.

Hao Ren activated his personal space, learned that Raven 12345’s thought core had been damaged, and stored five stasis pods. After leaving Raven 23333’s damaged mansion, he prepared for his next trip to the Dream Plane by buying equipment and supplies.

• Raven 23333 discovered that Raven 12345 had forgotten to activate Hao Ren’s personal space and registered it for him.
• Hao Ren learned to use his personal space and stored all five stasis pods.
• Raven 23333 told Hao Ren that Raven 12345’s thought core had been damaged in battle and that she had refused a major repair.
• Hao Ren left Raven 23333’s mansion and noticed smoke rising behind the building, which had been damaged by an explosion.
• Hao Ren bought an MP5, a solar charger, food, and bottled water to prepare for his next trip to the Dream Plane.

Hao Ren brought home five hibernation pods so he and the others could enter the Dream Plane together, and the group prepared to use them in Vivian’s basement. After explaining how the pods would synchronize their minds, Hao Ren warned everyone to stay near him inside the Dream Plane.

• Hao Ren showed the group his portable space, which they immediately used to make him carry their luggage and Izax’s television.
• Hao Ren and the others placed five hibernation pods in Vivian’s spacious basement, where Vivian said the coffins reminded her of places she had lived.
• Hao Ren learned how to operate the pods and heard the Data Terminal explain that the Ravens broke technology by adding unnecessary magic to simple procedures.
• Hao Ren explained that the pods would keep their bodies safe while synchronizing their minds and pulling them into the Dream Plane through him.
• Lily compared Hao Ren to Wi-Fi, and Hao Ren asked whether she could put false teeth on a dog.

After Hao Ren chipped a tooth fighting the Wolf pack, Nangong May offered to try healing the Dream Plane creatures’ injuries. The group prepared to enter the Dream Plane and decided to bring Dodo along in a water-filled kettle with the Data Terminal, which Dodo came to regard as her second aunt.

• Hao Ren asked Lily about dental implants, and Lily explained that canine implants would be impractical and recalled regrowing a tooth after fighting a tiger.
• Nangong May offered to use her Siren healing ability to try growing teeth for the injured black wolves.
• Hao Ren used the Data Terminal to prepare the hibernation pods, while Vivian made them comfortable with blankets and cushions.
• Hao Ren worried about leaving Dodo unattended, so the group decided to bring her into the Dream Plane in a kettle.
• Nangong May placed Dodo and the Data Terminal in the kettle, and Dodo began playing with the glowing device and called it her second aunt.

Hao Ren and his companions entered the Dream Plane in Lunber and were escorted to the guardhouse after their sudden arrival alarmed the townspeople. As they reached the building, someone recognized Hao Ren as the man who had fallen and hit his head.

• Hao Ren reappeared in Lunber with his companions, alarming two town guards and a crowd of locals.
• Hao Ren claimed they were mages who had suffered a teleportation experiment accident, and the guards agreed to take them to register their names.
• Izax persuaded the group to cooperate, while Lily eagerly explored the streets and drew attention from passersby.
• Hao Ren questioned the freckled guard about mountain people, and Vivian told him the Rune of Leta on local houses was merely decorative writing.
• At the guardhouse, a familiar voice recognized Hao Ren as the man who had fallen and hit his head.

Hao Ren and his companions registered with the garrison office, with Becky acting as their guarantor and helping them present themselves as members of the Spire Faction. While completing the paperwork, Hao Ren overheard that search parties had been vanishing near Beinz Blood Lake, which some people claimed led to another world.

• Hao Ren encountered Becky, who agreed to guarantee the group’s registration and again called him the mage who had fallen from the sky.
• Ryan brought Hao Ren and the others to Officer Wilton’s records room, where Becky signed as their guarantor.
• Hao Ren and his companions discovered the registration form used a script different from the Rune of Leta and listed mage factions and origins.
• Becky explained the differences between the Spire Faction and the Academy Faction, and Hao Ren registered the group as Spire mages.
• Wilton told Ryan that four search parties had disappeared near Beinz Blood Lake in two months, and Hao Ren overheard rumors that the lake led to another world.

Hao Ren’s group decided to investigate the disappearances at Beinz Blood Lake, where the missing Holy Church Orb had sparked a dangerous search. After giving Becky an MP5 disguised as a music box, Hao Ren asked her to guide them there, and she explained they first needed to register as mercenaries.

• Hao Ren read that four teams had vanished near Beinz Blood Lake while searching for the Holy Church Orb, and he decided the group should investigate.
• After the group left the guard station, Hao Ren gave Becky an MP5 and charger as the promised music box.
• Hao Ren asked Becky to guide them to Beinz Blood Lake, and Lily explained that the group specialized in researching teleportation gates.
• Becky agreed to help, but told them they had to register as mercenaries before entering dangerous areas.
• Becky asked the group for their identification or mage licenses, leaving Hao Ren unable to answer.

Hao Ren and his companions registered as wandering mages with Lunber Town’s Mercenary Association to gain an identity before traveling to Beinz Blood Lake. They formed a team, but struggled to find an unused name.

• Becky explained that wandering mages could register as mercenaries despite lacking credentials, and Hao Ren’s group decided to do so.
• Becky led Hao Ren, Vivian, Nangong May, Lily, and Izax to Lunber Town’s mercenary office, where they registered with fabricated materials.
• The group registered as a team, with Becky joining as a special consultant.
• Vivian, Nangong May, Izax, and Lily suggested team names, but the clerk said each was already taken.
• Hao Ren complained that all the good names had been taken by dogs, and the clerk accepted that as the team’s name.

Hao Ren registered a mercenary company under the name “All the Good Names Are Taken by Dogs,” then learned the new team could not get permission to investigate Beinz Blood Lake until it completed twenty missions. He found a loophole in the mission rules, but his stunt left the Mercenary Association closed and Becky expecting new regulations.

• Hao Ren and his companions accepted the name “All the Good Names Are Taken by Dogs” for their newly registered mercenary company.
• Becky brought them to the mission desk, where the clerk denied their request for a pass to Beinz Blood Lake because they were a fifth-level beginner team.
• Becky explained that the team needed to complete twenty missions to advance to fourth level and qualify for access.
• Hao Ren asked Becky for one gena and posted a mission to find Nangong May, then immediately claimed it after presenting her.
• Hao Ren and his four companions waited outside the closed Mercenary Association while Becky predicted officials would issue new regulations and agreed they would beat him if he returned.

Hao Ren learned the history of Beinz Blood Lake and the circumstances surrounding the Holy Church Orb’s disappearance. After hearing how a strange underwater disturbance preceded the loss of the orb and everything inside the chapel, he suspected that a large-scale Space Gate had opened.

• Hao Ren and his companions left with their mercenary badges after the association let his upgrade paperwork pass.
• Hao Ren learned that Beinz Blood Lake was a vast, blood-red wilderness bordering the Kingdom of Horleta and surrounded by dangerous magical creatures.
• Hao Ren learned that the Holy Church Orb was a sacred treasure carried each year from Stuyne to Beinz Blood Lake for a religious ceremony.
• Hao Ren learned that the orb vanished from a chapel on an island after a rumble, strange underwater lights, an earthquake, and a blinding flash.
• Hao Ren suspected that a large-scale Space Gate had opened at the lake.