Chapter Summaries

Richard promised to buy high-quality bones for Pandora and the Lich Old Man, who revealed that their Fu Tu project would take about three hundred years. Meanwhile, Tinwood secretly absorbed some stabilizing energy, the Eight-Armed Skeleton sensed a change, and an elderly man in another part of the world read about a containment site going out of control as a short, fat figure entered.

• Pandora said she and the Lich Old Man would finish their work in three months, and Richard offered to help when they lacked high-quality bones.
• Richard promised to buy bones and left Eden Garden, while the Lich Old Man told Pandora that building Fu Tu could take three hundred years.
• Tinwood absorbed a red stream of energy and quietly reasoned that energy loss was normal when stabilizing it.
• The Eight-Armed Skeleton sensed a change behind the wall, then resumed striking itself with a subtly altered rhythm.
• An elderly man read a document about a containment site going out of control, and a short, fat figure entered the room.

Gray Mist Master ordered Ge Luofu to revive Qiekafu using backup memories after learning that Qiekafu’s soul was shattered. He then questioned whether Qiekafu’s death was connected to the earlier East Coast incident and suspected the Southern Free Federation’s report had concealed something.

• Ge Luofu returned from inspecting the north and east, and Gray Mist Master rebuked him for leaving half the inspections unfinished.
• Gray Mist Master learned that Qiekafu had died months earlier and ordered Ge Luofu to revive him from backup memories when a perfect revival seemed unlikely.
• Ge Luofu warned that the copied Qiekafu would have incomplete memories, a changed personality, and no chance of advancing beyond Blue Ring, but Gray Mist Master proceeded with the order.
• Ge Luofu explained that Qiekafu’s shattered soul resembled those lost in the East Coast incident, including Steward Muse.
• Gray Mist Master recalled that Burning Wind had been in charge during the East Coast incident but ruled out retaliation, then suspected Long Mei Er’s report about Qiekafu’s death concealed secrets.

Ge Luofu was ordered to resurrect Qiekafu as a duplicate, but the process was interrupted by an unknown external power. He reported the failure to the man, who wondered who could affect the Truth Society headquarters' Resurrection Hall.

• The man rejected perfectly resurrecting Qiekafu and ordered Ge Luofu to use backup memories to create a duplicate instead.
• Ge Luofu activated the Resurrection Pool and mocked Qiekafu, believing the real Qiekafu would remain dead.
• Qiekafu's corpse opened its eyes and emitted milky white light, interrupting the resurrection.
• Ge Luofu returned to the man and explained that an external power had forcibly stopped the resurrection while leaving the Resurrection Hall intact.
• The man asked who had the ability to interfere with the Truth Society headquarters' Resurrection Hall.

Richard completed producing enough Uranium-235 to begin manufacturing a nuclear weapon after three months of work. Meanwhile, Qiekafu’s soul was being repaired by people in the Divine Kingdom, and Shangbala Mine expanded its workforce to meet production demands.

• Ge Luofu told the man in the Bone Chair that the Divine Kingdom had halted Qiekafu’s copy revival to repair his soul, and the man ordered Ge Luofu to arrange a meeting once the repair was complete.
• Richard kept watch on Tinwood while continuing his nuclear weapon research, though Tinwood caused no trouble.
• Hua Erzi and Shangbala Mine’s managers agreed to recruit more workers after their teams reported injuries, shortages, and rising workloads.
• Shangbala Mine increased its production and shipped ore powder to Blue Lake Manor, where Richard collected it and brought it to Eden Garden for purification.
• After three months of processing ore powder into Uranium-235, Richard weighed the accumulated material and confirmed he had enough to manufacture a nuclear weapon.

Qiekafu contacted the Gray Mist Master while his soul was still being repaired, warning that something had been concealed about his death in the Southern Free Federation. The Gray Mist Master agreed to wait a month for Qiekafu to recover fully and investigate, while privately questioning whether he had been told the whole truth.

• Ge Luofu told the Gray Mist Master that Qiekafu had recovered part of his memories and wanted to speak with him.
• Qiekafu told the Gray Mist Master that he suspected his death in the Southern Free Federation involved a concealed matter, but admitted he had no direct evidence.
• Qiekafu asked the Gray Mist Master to watch the Southern Free Federation and said he would investigate after his soul and memories were fully restored within a month.
• The Gray Mist Master agreed to wait and asked Ge Luofu whether Qiekafu might be hiding something.
• The Gray Mist Master sent Ge Luofu away with the Eye of Mog and privately hoped Qiekafu would prove loyal and uncover the truth.

Richard reviewed the nearly year-long effort to obtain weapons-grade Uranium-235 and concluded that the nuclear weapons plan had succeeded ahead of schedule. He decided not to waste the material on a crude explosion and planned to visit a place again to learn how to use it more efficiently.

• Richard noticed that September 1st had been marked on the calendar with a crooked square by the Lich Old Man A Fu.
• Richard recalled tracing nuclear radiation from Yuesefu of the Truth Society's Delan Branch to the uranium mine outside Shangbala Town, then spending nearly a year acquiring and refining Uranium-235.
• Richard determined that having enough nuclear material meant he could trigger a nuclear explosion, making the plan a success ahead of schedule.
• Richard rejected simply piling up the material because the crude method would waste most of it and scatter radioactive dust.
• Richard decided he needed special nuclear devices to use the material more efficiently and said he would visit that place once more.

Richard entered a Purple Hall in a library and read about Atomic Bomb technology, focusing on Critical Mass, detonation speed, and the internal mechanisms of nuclear weapons. The chapter ended with an explanation of the Gun-Type Device and its low nuclear-material utilization rate.

• Richard found himself in Outer Space, traveled to a planet, and entered a library where he sat in a Purple Hall.
• A Turtle Statue placed The Technology of Manufacturing an Atomic Bomb before Richard, and he read about how atomic-bomb technology became easier to reproduce after the first breakthrough.
• The text explained how nuclear material had to move from a Subcritical Mass state to a Supercritical State quickly enough to sustain a chain reaction.
• The text described the key internal mechanisms of an Atomic Bomb and outlined the five components involved in its operation.
• The text explained the Gun-Type Device’s design and noted that the first combat-used example contained sixty-four kilograms of nuclear material but used only 1.2% of it.

Richard reviewed the principles of Implosion-Type Devices and decided to build an Implosion-Type Atomic Bomb to conserve his limited Nuclear Weapon Raw Material. After listing the remaining materials he needed, he left the Main Laboratory and saw Pandora preparing to demonstrate her miniature skeletons.

• Richard studied an explanation of how Implosion-Type Devices compressed Nuclear Weapon Raw Material and why their design was more difficult than that of Gun-Type Devices.
• Richard woke in the Main Laboratory and decided an Implosion-Type Atomic Bomb was the best choice because his Nuclear Weapon Raw Material reserves were limited.
• Richard listed materials needed for the bomb and planned to ask the Affairs Office in Pompeii Town about supplies gathered through the Truth Society.
• Richard saw Pandora and the Lich Old Man working with miniature skeletons, then watched as Pandora ordered thirty-six of them into a six-by-six formation.

Pandora tested her Collective Magic Puppet by ordering skeletons to assemble, but they fought over places and collapsed into chaos. After Richard left, Pandora blamed a possible flaw in the spell the Lich Old Man had cast.

• Pandora ordered the skeletons to assemble into a Giant Skeleton, but they crowded onto it and fought over places.
• Pandora shouted and blasted the brawling skeletons apart, forcing them to stop.
• Richard watched the chaos, decided not to question Pandora, and left Eden Garden.
• Pandora angrily threw two skeletons aside before the Lich Old Man reminded her that they could not speak.
• Pandora admitted she did not understand the puppet’s failure and asked whether the Lich Old Man had made a mistake while casting the spell.

Pandora and Lich Old Man investigated why the Collective Magic Skeletons malfunctioned and considered adding a hierarchy to control them. Meanwhile, Richard checked on his requested materials and learned that most had been found, with only a few still missing.

• Lich Old Man suggested that the thirty-six skeletons malfunctioned because the growing group needed officers and a central leader.
• Pandora connected his suggestion to a multilevel tree structure and realized she might need to recalculate much of her mathematical model.
• Eight-Armed Skeleton quietly collected and sorted bones while Pandora and Lich Old Man bickered.
• Tinwood continued refining nuclear material in Laboratory No. 3, and a cautious, guilty-looking face briefly emerged from its trunk.
• Richard visited Inogova at Pompeii Town's Affairs Office to ask about two material collection requests.
• Inogova found both requests and told Richard that most of the materials had been gathered, with only a few still being searched for.

Richard learned that beryllium and rhenium had been located in Leis, but collecting them through Pompey's weak influence in the unstable Soma Alliance would take months. He decided to travel there himself and left Pandora in charge of Eden Garden, though her eagerness to fight the tree there made him wary.

• Richard found that the missing rhenium and beryllium were available in Leis, but gathering and transporting them would take one or two months.
• Inogova explained that Richard could reach Leis in about two days, but Pompey's limited influence in the unstable Soma Alliance slowed the search.
• Richard decided to go to Leis himself so the nuclear weapon project would not be delayed.
• Richard gave Pandora a Crystal Ball and instructed her to guard Eden Garden, keep its work going, and contact him if the tree caused trouble.
• Pandora said she would welcome a fight with the tree, and Richard asked whether she planned to provoke it deliberately.

Richard left Eden Garden in Pandora’s care and arrived two days later in Leis City, a bustling city in the Soma Alliance. Back at Eden Garden, Tinwood smiled ominously while the Eight-Armed Skeleton secretly gathered stolen puppet arms.

• Richard departed Eden Garden, and Pandora told the Lich Old Man that she had been left to guard the house while he was away.
• The Lich Old Man warned Pandora about Tinwood, then went to repair the damaged Magic Puppets as Pandora returned to her room.
• The Eight-Armed Skeleton secretly stole arms from the damaged Magic Puppets, while Tinwood revealed a human face and smiled from inside Laboratory No. 3.
• Two days later, Richard arrived in Leis City and observed its crowded streets, cultural mix, wealth, and rough atmosphere.
• A squad of soldiers broke up a street fight and dragged away the two men who had been fighting.

Richard met Waterbird at a Spider Web stronghold in Leis City, learned that border tensions with the Sika Kingdom had prompted tighter security, and received contacts who could help him find scarce ores. As he prepared to seek out a jeweler with Metal Beryllium, Waterbird told him Garcia wanted to meet him soon.

• Richard recognized that the stricter public security in Leis City signaled unrest in the Soma Alliance.
• Richard identified himself as Gray Raven at a disguised Spider Web stronghold and met its contact, Waterbird.
• Waterbird explained that the Sika Kingdom had escalated border harassment, leading the Alliance to tighten security and watch for trouble from former ruling forces.
• Waterbird gave Richard a list of seven contacts who could help him obtain scarce ores, including a jeweler linked to Metal Beryllium.
• Waterbird told Richard that Garcia, an old Spider Web member from Saint Louis City, planned to visit and speak with him.

Richard met with the jeweler Martin Qian Ning to inspect a collection of emeralds, searching for a gemstone he needed. He crushed a promising stone and burned its powder with Cyan Flame to test it, leaving Qian Ning and his assistants impressed and wary.

• Richard told Waterbird he could meet the person they represented if he arrived in Leis within two days.
• Richard visited Martin Qian Ning’s jewelry shop and asked to see its emeralds.
• Qian Ning closed the shop and had his assistants bring out every emerald in the warehouse.
• Richard examined the gemstones and selected a rough emerald that he thought might be the kind he needed.
• Richard crushed the emerald into powder and burned it with Cyan Flame while Qian Ning and the shop assistants watched.

Richard proved that the emeralds contained beryllium, confirmed they were the ore he needed, and bought all five boxes from Qian Ning for twenty-five thousand Silver Coins. He paid with a High-grade Crystal Coin, leaving Qian Ning stunned by the valuable Wizard currency.

• Richard used flames and chemical reactions to produce Beryllium Hydroxide from the gemstone, confirming that it contained Metal Beryllium.
• Richard told Qian Ning that the Emerald Green Gemstones were what he needed and offered to buy them all.
• Qian Ning ordered his four assistants to bring out five boxes of Emerald Green Gemstones from the warehouse.
• Richard offered twenty-five thousand Silver Coins for the gemstones, valuing each one as a large emerald.
• Richard confirmed the exchange rate and paid Qian Ning with one High-grade Crystal Coin.

Richard bought Emerald Green Gemstones and their discarded waste from Qian Ning, revealing that he needed the stones as Beryllium Ore rather than for jewelry. He offered Qian Ning a High-grade Crystal Coin to help secure more Beryllium Ore and find Rhenium Ore within two days.

• Qian Ning locked away the High-grade Crystal Coin Richard had paid him for five crates of Emerald Green Gemstones.
• Richard asked Qian Ning about lower-quality Emerald Green Gemstones and followed him to the warehouse to inspect the discarded stones.
• Richard used the Gaze of the Eye to examine the waste stones and determined they still contained valuable beryllium.
• Qian Ning offered to sell the waste stones for one silver coin, but Richard offered him a High-grade Crystal Coin instead.
• Richard told Qian Ning he needed Beryllium Ore and Rhenium Ore, then tasked him with finding more of both within two days.

Richard sought Emerald Green Gemstones at Sai Meng’s mine, but Sai Meng refused to divert workers from an urgent order. When Sai Meng said the mine was worth about a hundred thousand gold coins, Richard offered to buy it, leaving Sai Meng unable to decide on the spot.

• Qian Ning failed to persuade Sai Meng to spare workers for Richard’s urgent gemstone request.
• Richard confirmed that Sai Meng’s mine was the only source of Emerald Green Gemstones and asked Sai Meng to reconsider.
• Sai Meng refused, explaining that he had promised another customer an order worth about a hundred gold coins within three days.
• Richard asked how much Sai Meng had paid for the mine and learned it had cost around a hundred thousand gold coins.
• Richard offered Sai Meng one hundred thousand gold coins to buy the mine, and Sai Meng said he could not make the decision himself.

Richard secured Sai Meng’s promise to gather Emerald Green Gemstones by buying out his share with a four-thousand-gold-coin offer, then continued with Qian Ning to find another ore. Meanwhile, Tinwood decided Richard’s absence gave him the chance to escape Eden Garden and began his rebellion.

• Richard offered Sai Meng increasing sums until Sai Meng accepted four thousand gold coins to gather enough Emerald Green Gemstones within two days.
• Richard paid Sai Meng a deposit in High-grade Crystal Coins, and Sai Meng suspected that Richard was a Wizard.
• Richard explained to Qian Ning that he had been willing to buy the entire mine for one hundred thousand gold coins, making the four-thousand-gold-coin offer seem inexpensive.
• Tinwood used Richard’s absence of more than two days to conclude that it was the best time to escape.
• Tinwood moved to begin his rebellion after secretly restoring his strength and storing energy for himself.

Tinwood broke out of Laboratory No. 3 and fought off the Lich Old Man A Fu’s Magic Puppets as it tried to leave Eden Garden. After Tinwood destroyed most of the puppets, A Fu attempted to defuse the confrontation by claiming there might be a misunderstanding.

• Tinwood escaped its glass pool, tore open the laboratory wall, and emerged into the open space.
• A Fu ordered twenty-five repaired Magic Puppets to assemble into a giant skeleton and stop Tinwood.
• Tinwood cut the skeleton apart, but its pieces split into smaller skeletons that repeatedly grabbed Tinwood’s feet.
• Tinwood unleashed a wave of purple energy that shattered most of the skeletons and left A Fu facing it alone.
• Tinwood challenged A Fu to stop its escape, and A Fu said there might be a misunderstanding.

The Lich Old Man tried to persuade Tinwood to leave Eden Garden so he could avoid fighting him, but Tinwood interpreted every gesture and explanation as part of a trap. The chapter ended with Tinwood convinced Richard might be waiting outside to attack him alongside the Lich Old Man, who lost his patience and called him an idiot.

• The Lich Old Man told Tinwood he had no reason to fight him and pointed him toward the exit.
• Tinwood suspected the Lich Old Man might attack him from behind and continued walking while staying alert.
• The Lich Old Man yawned with relief, but Tinwood took the gesture as another possible attack.
• Tinwood accused the Lich Old Man of stalling until Richard returned and then claimed his denial was further proof.
• Tinwood proposed that Richard might be waiting outside to ambush him, prompting the Lich Old Man to shout that he was an idiot.