Chapter Summaries

Arthur’s Flying Formation docked at the lighthouse, where the City Defense Army aimed weapons at the arriving survivors. Arthur responded with a show of force of his own and demanded that the person in charge appear, prompting a uniformed woman to enter the warehouse.

• Mark contacted the lighthouse and requested permission to return with Arthur’s group, and chief commander Jing Nan directed them to a warehouse docking area.
• Arthur’s aircraft landed at the lighthouse, and the convoy returned on a lift platform.
• More than a hundred City Defense Army soldiers aimed their rifles at Arthur, Heros, the guards, and the Madtooth Sharks as the cabin doors opened.
• Arthur ordered his guards and the Madtooth Sharks to aim their weapons at the City Defense Army and threatened to capture the lighthouse.
• A woman in an elegant black uniform entered the warehouse through the inner gates.

Arthur Russell accepted Jing Nan’s invitation to attend the Court Session and left most of his force in the warehouse, taking Heros with him. After they departed, Marshal Senge ordered the City Defense Army to seize the outsiders’ weapons, provoking Rosen’s threat.

• Jing Nan apologized to Arthur, introduced herself as the commander-in-chief of the Lighthouse control room, and invited him to the City Lord’s Court Session.
• Arthur agreed to attend, ordered his guards and Frenzied-Toothed Sharks to remain in the warehouse, and took Heros along as his adjutant.
• After Arthur and Jing Nan left, Rosen mocked the City Defense Army as its soldiers remained on standby.
• Marshal Senge arrived and ordered the City Defense Army to disarm the outsiders, threatening his soldiers when they hesitated.
• The City Defense Army failed to move the guards’ and Frenzied-Toothed Sharks’ weapons, and one guard sent a soldier flying with a single shake.
• Rosen warned Senge’s soldiers to stop or the guards would be justified in overrunning their stronghold.

Arthur and Heros entered the Lighthouse with Jing Nan, where Arthur learned how its residents were divided into Upper Class and Dust Persons by genetic testing at birth. Jing Nan confirmed that a newborn’s genes determined their status and prospects from the start.

• Senge stopped provoking Arthur’s forces after testing their strength and ordered the City Defense Army to stand down until the city lord decided what to do.
• Arthur and Heros followed Jing Nan through the Lighthouse and noticed that residents with green-glowing badges were treated differently from those with blue-glowing badges.
• Jing Nan sent her subordinates back to the control room and took Arthur and Heros alone toward the central command hall.
• Arthur asked Jing Nan whether the Lighthouse had a class system, and she explained that newborns with superior genes became Upper Class while those with inferior genes became Dust Persons.
• Jing Nan said that a person’s future was determined at birth and reflected that it had been destined from the start.

Arthur questioned Jing Nan about the Lighthouse’s class system and warned that its suppression of individual emotions and internal scheming could lead to its destruction. Jing Nan then brought Arthur and Heros to the central command hall for the Court Session, where the Lighthouse’s leaders and key personnel had gathered.

• Jing Nan explained that the Upper Class performed dangerous missions and reproduced through genetic matching, while Dust People were restricted to labor and could not have children.
• Arthur told Jing Nan that the Lighthouse’s survival system might work rationally but would eventually fail because humanity could not suppress emotion and ambition or remain united.
• Arthur warned that the Lighthouse’s people were scheming against one another and said it would be destroyed without reform, leaving Jing Nan stunned.
• Arthur asked Jing Nan to show him the Lighthouse and take him to the Court Session, and she led him and Heros through guarded corridors to the central command hall.
• Arthur, Heros, and Jing Nan entered the hall, where City Lord Morgan, General Victor, Charles, Elon, Mark, Jessica, Vandi, Ran Bing, and Dr. Carrie were present.

Arthur and Heros attended Morgan’s Court Session, where Mark described their rescue of the Ravagers and Heros’s remarkable combat ability. To counter Charles’s doubts and claims that the Lord of Light and Shadow had arranged their arrival, Arthur offered to demonstrate Heros’s strength, and Morgan ordered Victor to shoot him in the head.

• Jing Nan introduced Arthur and Heros to Morgan, who asked Mark to report what the Ravagers had encountered on the surface.
• Mark recounted the Ravagers’ losses and Arthur’s rescue, emphasizing that Heros had fought Extinction Beasts with a bow.
• Charles mocked Mark’s account and claimed the Lord of Light and Shadow had protected the Ravagers, while Ran Bing challenged him.
• Arthur explained that his group came from another universe and that a spatial distortion caused by their flagship’s Electromagnetic Cannon had brought them there.
• Arthur proposed that a soldier shoot Heros in the head to demonstrate his strength, and Morgan ordered Victor to do it.

Arthur proved Heros was a demigod by having him withstand a gunshot and display his divine abilities, shocking Charles and the Lighthouse leaders. Morgan accepted Heros’s identity and offered Arthur compensation for helping the Lighthouse, leaving Arthur to name what he wanted.

• Victor shot Heros in the forehead, but the bullet flattened against Heros’s skin without harming him.
• Arthur identified Heros as his nephew and the son of Athena, prompting Morgan to recognize the goddess from old-world mythology.
• Heros demonstrated his conjured weapons, lightning, Colossal Transformation, super speed, and super strength, leaving Charles shaken and Carrie fascinated.
• Morgan thanked Arthur for helping the Scavenger Squad and supplying the Lighthouse, then asked what compensation he wanted.

Arthur asked to stay in the Lighthouse with his forces, offering to help defend it from the Extinction Beasts, and Morgan accepted after Mark supported the request. After the Court Session ended, Morgan told Mark that he had planned to make him city lord but urged him to be cautious about trusting others, especially Arthur.

• Morgan stopped Charles from arguing that the Lord of Light and Shadow had protected them and confirmed that Heros was a demigod.
• Arthur asked Morgan to let him and his troops stay in the Lighthouse without reward, and Mark supported the request based on their help against the Extinction Beasts.
• Morgan welcomed Arthur's group, ordered Carrie to conduct genetic testing, and assigned Jing Nan to arrange their accommodations and show them around the Lighthouse.
• Morgan ended the Court Session and asked Mark to stay, while Charles left resentfully and Arthur, Heros, and the others departed for genetic testing.
• Morgan told Mark that he had intended to pass him the position of city lord, but warned him to be wary of trusting others because Arthur could change the Lighthouse's situation.

Arthur brought the Praetorian Astartes and Madtooth Sharks to the Lighthouse’s medical area for genetic testing, where the local doctors discovered the Astartes’ skin could not be pierced by ordinary needles. The testing continued with the Madtooth Sharks after Dr. Carrie left to pursue research into Arthur’s Super Soldiers.

• Morgan allowed Arthur’s forces to stay in the Lighthouse, drawing curious Upper Class citizens and leaving Senger regretting that he had opposed Arthur.
• Arthur’s Praetorian Astartes and Madtooth Sharks removed their equipment before entering the medical area for genetic testing.
• Dr. Carrie eagerly asked to study the Praetorian Astartes, but Arthur explained that ordinary medical tools could not pierce their skin.
• A nurse’s blood-drawing needle snapped against a Praetorian Astartes, confirming that the Lighthouse could not collect his blood with its equipment.
• Arthur described the Astartes as genetically selected, surgically altered Super Soldiers, prompting Dr. Carrie to rush back to her laboratory.
• Arthur told Jing Nan that the Madtooth Sharks could still be pierced by needles, so their genetic testing continued.

Arthur, Heros, and the Madtooth Sharks passed genetic screening and were offered homes in the Lighthouse’s Upper Class district. Arthur’s blood showed unusual traits, so Jing Nan agreed to conceal the abnormal data and let him keep the sample; the chapter ended with Arthur and Heros choosing between two rooms.

• The Madtooth Sharks, the Pelican and DR-7 crews, and Arthur underwent blood testing, and all were found to have Upper Class genes.
• A nurse found that Arthur had unusually high immunity and platelet levels, so Arthur took his blood sample and asked Jing Nan to keep it from Lighthouse researchers.
• Jing Nan agreed to preserve only Arthur’s genetic-test result and ordered the nurses to delete the rest of his blood-test data without informing Dr. Carrie.
• Jing Nan led Arthur and Heros through the Upper Class district, where they saw the bodyguards and Madtooth Sharks attracting attention from residents.
• Jing Nan showed Arthur and Heros two adjacent rooms and told them to choose one, with their identification information and contribution points to follow the next morning.

Arthur explained why he would not seize the lighthouse by force and analyzed the factions and power struggle inside it. He told Heros that he planned to put Mark in power.

• Jing Nan left after arranging to show Arthur around the lighthouse at nine the next morning.
• Heros discovered listening devices in the room and disabled them so Arthur and he could talk privately.
• Arthur said destroying the lighthouse would endanger its inhabitants and leave them without shelter if the dimensional passage never reopened.
• Arthur described the lighthouse’s loyalists, Charles’s Light and Shadow Society, and Mark’s Ravagers, and deduced that Charles might have planned to kill Morgan and seize power.
• Arthur told Heros that he intended to put Mark in power.

Arthur planned to use Jing Nan as a source of information and believed he could win her over, while Heros prepared to build ties with the Wilderness Hunters. The next morning, Arthur staged an intense workout to impress Jing Nan, but she arrived early and found him bare-chested.

• Arthur told Heros that replacing Morgan and Mark would cause problems and that he wanted Mark to take power, with Jing Nan as a useful source of information.
• Arthur ordered Heros to lead the guards and the Frenzied-Toothed Shark in exchanging combat experience with the Wilderness Hunters the next day.
• Arthur reflected that the Lighthouse's unequal treatment of Dust People and the Upper Class stemmed from scarce resources, which his group could help address.
• Arthur performed handstand push-ups in his room to improve his appearance before Jing Nan arrived.
• Jing Nan entered Arthur's room, blushed at seeing him bare-chested, and asked him to put on clothes while secretly peeking at him.

Arthur got dressed and toured the Lighthouse with Jing Nan, teasing her as they walked to the public dining area. After the meal system assigned them food based on their contribution levels, Arthur wondered how he had earned one in less than a day.

• Jing Nan caught Arthur’s attention while he was getting dressed, then explained that she could show him around the Lighthouse that morning but had to return to the control room in the afternoon.
• Jing Nan gave Arthur his nameplate, and he flirted with her as they headed toward the lower district.
• Arthur and Jing Nan passed the guarded Upper Class streets and entered the public dining area.
• Jing Nan used her nameplate to receive bread, an egg, and milk, while Arthur received a sandwich and juice.
• Arthur asked Jing Nan how he already had a contribution level despite arriving at the Lighthouse less than a day earlier.

Jing Nan showed Arthur the Dust Persons’ harsh living conditions while introducing him to the Lighthouse’s rules. Arthur then asked who she wanted as the next city lord, and Jing Nan said she believed Mark was the right choice.

• Jing Nan explained that the system’s formula had awarded Arthur and his subordinates many contribution points for saving the Scavenger Squad and Lighthouse.
• Arthur and Jing Nan shared breakfast, agreed to use each other’s names, and set off to tour the Lighthouse.
• Jing Nan described the Lighthouse’s rules as they walked to the Dust Persons’ district, where Arthur saw their poor living conditions and meager food rations.
• Arthur quietly asked Jing Nan who she thought should be the next city lord, then argued that the Lighthouse needed a capable leader to avert its destruction.
• Jing Nan said she believed Mark could help the Lighthouse sail farther as its city lord.

Arthur used Jing Nan’s trust to gather information about the lighthouse’s factions and Morgan’s failing health, then devised a plan to undermine Charles and help Mark become City Lord. He left Jing Nan ready to tell him what she knew, while he prepared to exploit Morgan’s dwindling supply of medicine.

• Arthur told Jing Nan he was the Russell Family’s Second Young Master and claimed his family controlled much of the galaxy, convincing her he had no interest in becoming City Lord.
• Arthur said he wanted to help Mark become City Lord and asked Jing Nan for information about the Scavenger Squad, Charles’s Light and Shadow Society, and the City Defense Army.
• Jing Nan described the lighthouse’s key people and revealed that she had once been Morgan’s adopted daughter and now managed his health.
• Arthur learned that Morgan had only a few days of his special medicine left after the lighthouse lost supplies in the turbulence layer.
• Arthur devised a scheme to damage Charles’s reputation and pressure him to leave the Light and Shadow Society, clearing the way for Mark to become City Lord and take control of the society.

Arthur learned from Jing Nan that the Lord of Light and Shadow had once saved the lighthouse and inspired the Light and Shadow Society, but he believed it was an evolved being rather than a god. He proposed using rumors about Mark's succession to drive a wedge between Charles and Morgan, leaving Jing Nan uneasy about the danger to Morgan.

• Jing Nan warned Arthur not to slander the Light and Shadow Society and recounted how the Lord of Light and Shadow had rescued Morgan's force nearly twenty years earlier.
• Jing Nan described the Lord of Light and Shadow's featureless face and bandage-like clothing, as Charles had told her.
• Arthur explained that beings called gods could be advanced descendants of Ancient Humans and said the Lord of Light and Shadow was likely an evolved human or Extinction Beast.
• Jing Nan reminded Arthur that Extinction Beasts could absorb human souls, but Arthur said his priority was discrediting Charles and helping Mark become city lord.
• Arthur asked Jing Nan to spread rumors that Mark would succeed Morgan, reasoning that Charles would confront Morgan and deepen their rift.
• Jing Nan objected to using Morgan as bait, and Arthur assured her Charles would let his father wait for death rather than kill him openly.

Arthur and Jing Nan planned to use Charles’s obstruction of the search for special medicine to expose his plot against City Lord Morgan. After parting ways, Arthur encountered Charles, who secretly ordered him monitored, then went to inspect 4068’s confrontation with Sharif.

• Arthur instructed Jing Nan to record Charles promising to arrange a mission for special medicine and to spread rumors through the Lighthouse; she agreed.
• Arthur stopped Jing Nan from approaching the hostage incident involving Dust Person No. 3852 and a City Defense Army soldier, and she left to carry out the plan.
• Arthur politely exchanged words with Charles, who apologized for the prior clash and asked about Arthur’s stay in the Lighthouse.
• After Arthur left, Charles ordered a follower to secretly monitor Arthur and the other outsiders.
• Charles learned that 4068 worked as a porter for the Scavenger Squad and went to see him being held by Sharif.

Heros spoke with Captain Mark about Instructor Elon’s impending long journey, while Arthur questioned whether Mark would preserve the Lighthouse’s exile custom if he became city lord. The city lord summoned Mark and Arthur to an emergency Court Session.

• The Wilderness Hunters gathered with the bodyguards and Frenzied Sharks, while Elon prepared to leave on his long journey the next day.
• Heros noticed Captain Mark’s distress and joined him after escaping the crowd of Wilderness Hunters.
• Captain Mark explained that the Lighthouse’s long journey sent residents to the surface when they reached a certain age.
• Arthur asked Mark whether he would keep the long journey rule if he succeeded the city lord, and Mark said he did not know.
• Two City Defense Army soldiers summoned Captain Mark and Arthur to an emergency Court Session.

Morgan announced that Mark would succeed him as City Lord and planned to remove Charles as head of the Light and Shadow Society. Arthur then persuaded Morgan to cancel the Expedition Ceremony, but refused to join the Hunters, saying he would only assist until he could return to his universe.

• Morgan announced that Mark would succeed him as City Lord in a ceremony seven days later.
• Morgan asked Mark whether he could manage the city and the Light and Shadow Society, provoking Charles to plead against losing his position.
• Arthur objected to the Expedition Ceremony and argued that his forces could secure supplies by defeating Extinction Beasts.
• Mark backed Arthur’s claim, and Morgan agreed to announce the ceremony’s cancellation and Mark’s succession the next day.
• Arthur told Morgan he would not join the Hunters or any other faction, and would only help until he could return to his universe.

Morgan questioned Arthur about Mark succeeding him as City Lord, and Arthur said he only wanted temporary shelter until he could return to his universe. Mark and Elon later began a sparring match, while Heros challenged the Lighthouse Hunters to fight him without using Divine Power.

• Morgan asked Arthur whether he opposed Mark becoming City Lord, and Arthur assured him he had no interest in a coup.
• Morgan dismissed everyone except Charles from the command hall, and Mark thanked Arthur for helping save his teacher.
• Elon challenged Mark to a tournament match, and the two began fighting in the training room as a crowd gathered.
• Heros entered another arena and challenged the Hunters to hit him, promising not to use Divine Power.
• Jeff, Mo Cheng, Cory, and three other Hunters attacked Heros together, but he leaped over them and landed behind Cory.

Heros easily defeated the Scavengers in the arena while Arthur and Jing Nan reaffirmed their secret plan. After Jing Nan left, Charles ordered a Breeding Mission arranged for the Scavengers’ adjutant.

• Heros dodged the Scavengers’ attacks and pushed Jeff and Mo Cheng aside, then evaded their coordinated assault and a larger crowd without being hit.
• Erica objected to the unfair fight, while Fei Xue and Jessica placed bets on whether Jeff and the others could touch Heros.
• Jing Nan and Arthur watched Mark and Elon spar, exchanged bets, and confirmed they would continue their original plan; Jing Nan left to sound out Charles the next day.
• Arthur wandered through the lighthouse and slipped into an alley, evading the Upper Class citizen Charles had sent to follow him.
• Charles heard that his spy had failed to monitor Arthur and ordered his attendant to arrange a Breeding Mission for the Scavengers’ adjutant.