Chapter Summaries

Isabelle presented the city’s records and led Pu Yunchuan’s faction council in considering how to feed Gondolin after its supplies ran out. The group favored investing in artificial soil and local production, leaving Su Changyun to reconsider his hopes of gaining influence.

• Isabelle showed Su Changyun and Ran Xiaojuan detailed records of Gondolin’s population, supplies, housing, and officials, and warned that food reserves would last at most three months.
• Ran Xiaojuan explained that artificial soil would take longer and require costly equipment, while artificial food could be produced within three months but would be less nutritious and less suitable for long-term growth and trade.
• Pu Yunchuan worried about the expense of imported food and nutrient solution, then asked what converted artificial food would taste like.
• Isabelle argued for artificial soil and self-sufficient production to support residents, soldiers, and future commerce, and Pu Yunchuan agreed with her.
• Su Changyun and Ran Xiaojuan accepted the proposal, while Su Changyun concluded that Isabelle’s influence made it unlikely he could seize decision-making authority.

Pu Yunchuan sought soil for Gondolin’s artificial-soil experiments, but learned that premium White Cloud Soil cost twenty credits per gram, so he bought smaller samples of several varieties instead. After Pu Yunchuan left, Xi Ye worried about the upcoming secret-realm exploration and decided to go check on Gou Dan and the others himself.

• Pu Yunchuan returned to the Main Base to buy greenhouse insulation materials and soil samples for Gondolin’s artificial-soil experiments.
• Xi Ye recommended White Cloud Soil, and Pu Yunchuan agreed to buy twenty tons before learning its price was twenty credits per gram.
• Xi Ye encouraged Pu Yunchuan to develop his territory, and Pu Yunchuan rushed off inspired to work harder.
• Xi Ye recommended several more affordable soils with different advantages and drawbacks, and Pu Yunchuan bought samples of each.
• Xi Ye confirmed that equipment for Gou Dan and the other two was ready for the secret-realm exploration, then decided to go there himself because he feared they might be unable to teleport back or resurrect if the equipment failed.

Pu Yunchuan visited Jack and the soldiers to find out how the residents were doing, and learned that food shortages and a lack of hope weighed on them. When Jack asked about the city’s future, Pu Yunchuan began sharing the plans Isabelle had prepared him to explain.

• Pu Yunchuan visited Jack, Black Bear, and Black Sheep after finding himself with no work to do while Isabelle and the others stayed busy.
• Jack welcomed Pu Yunchuan with his treasured mead, and the soldiers praised him for saving them during the giant snake disaster.
• Black Sheep and Black Bear told Pu Yunchuan that food shortages left residents hungry and that they saw little hope in remaining trapped in Gondolin.
• Jack asked Pu Yunchuan whether the Duke had plans for the future, and Pu Yunchuan recalled Isabelle’s instructions.
• Pu Yunchuan said he knew something about the plans and asked the soldiers to keep it secret, while Jack and the others eagerly promised they would.

Rumors spread that Isabelle had brought an alchemist to grow food in Gondolin, giving the soldiers hope as food supplies dwindled. Isabelle explained to Pu Yunchuan why she had leaked the news and helped him recognize that his combat strength could earn the Barracks soldiers' trust, leaving him excited about building his reputation.

• Soldiers in Gondolin spread rumors about Isabelle's Tin House and her plan to grow crops, and they hoped the alchemist would succeed.
• Pu Yunchuan arrived at the Barracks and learned that the rumors had already spread.
• Isabelle explained that the rumors gave people hope without promising results and worsening their disappointment if the research failed.
• Isabelle told Pu Yunchuan that the soldiers trusted him because his combat performance had earned their respect.
• Pu Yunchuan realized that being the team's only member with a proper combat profession was his advantage, and Isabelle urged him to train and build friendships in the Barracks.
• Pu Yunchuan excitedly spun Isabelle around, while a soldier carrying sewage saw them through the window and dropped his bucket.

Pu Yunchuan learned that people had discovered his relationship with Isabelle, then joined her as Ran Xiaojuan reported preliminary results from experiments on eleven soil samples. Isabelle chose to develop the red soil for reliable food supplies and the Cream Soil for crop variety, leaving the city's agricultural plans focused on both.

• Jack and the men in his tent teased Pu Yunchuan about having a relationship with the Duke after a latrine cleaner reportedly saw him with Isabelle.
• Pu Yunchuan visited Isabelle, who revealed she already knew the latrine cleaner had peeked through a window and teased Pu Yunchuan about their secret.
• Ran Xiaojuan arrived with preliminary results from experiments she and Lao Su had conducted on eleven soil samples.
• Ran Xiaojuan described the red soil's stability and limited crop range, the Cream Soil's versatility and higher risk, and the black soil's balanced performance.
• Isabelle decided to focus development on the red soil and Cream Soil and discard the black soil; Pu Yunchuan agreed with her decision.

Isabelle organized Gondolin’s farmland and planned an advance force to search for resources beyond the city. She chose Wesker to lead five hundred soldiers and assigned Pu Yunchuan to assist him, while a distant meeting in the Little Cabbage Tribe also considered sending an advance force north.

• Isabelle divided Gondolin’s land into agricultural, commercial, and residential zones, raising the city’s hopes as soil preparation began.
• Isabelle told the officers that she planned to send an advance force north, toward the less-mutated Black Stone Forest, to search for resources and gather information.
• Wesker volunteered to lead the five-hundred-person force, and Isabelle appointed Pu Yunchuan to assist him.
• After the meeting, Isabelle told Su Yunchang that Gondolin could not afford to delay its expansion against its opponents.
• In the Little Cabbage Tribe, Little Cabbage questioned why they needed to send an advance force toward the Northern Grassland before winter ended, and Alice warned that waiting would leave them without supplies.

Norn continued studying Magic Plant Studies at Little Cabbage’s thriving base until he learned that the tribe planned an expedition north. After Alice recruited him as the expedition’s Shaman, he prepared to join the force led by Liver Emperor.

• Norn inspected the flourishing fields and marveled at the base’s abundance of crops, Elemental Spirits, and totems.
• Norn found Lei Li and the other warriors armed for battle and learned that the tribe planned to march north.
• Lei Li complained about Alice, while his comrades revealed that she had beaten him before.
• Alice appeared and told Norn that the group needed a Shaman, citing the chief’s praise of his abilities.
• Norn agreed to serve the chief, and Alice ordered him and Lei Li to pack before the group departed after breakfast.

Bage, a young warrior from the Thunder Tribe, continued his difficult journey north in search of a Great Elf and a chance to become royalty. He encountered a formidable tribe bearing a cabbage banner, and its Gnoll scouts summoned him to meet Lady Alice.

• Bage reflected on leaving his family and a promising career to seek the Golden Land, despite the hardships of his three-month journey north.
• Bage prepared to travel through the harsh winter grassland while he and his Black Lion mount, Tomi, struggled with hunger.
• Tomi sensed an approaching force, and Bage saw a large army led by a cabbage-bannered tribe, including a thousand armored Minotaurs.
• Two well-equipped Gnolls recognized Tomi as a Black Lion and asked whether Bage belonged to the Thunder Tribe.
• Bage introduced himself as Bage.Giant's Hand of the Thunder Tribe, and the Gnolls invited him to meet Lady Alice.

Bage was astonished by the Little Cabbage Tribe’s formidable troops and met its leader, Alice. After learning that dangerous energy had spread through the jungle toward the Blackwater River Domain, Alice invited him to travel with her tribe toward the Golden Land.

• Bage was led through the Little Cabbage Tribe’s settlement and marveled at its well-equipped warriors and armored magic beasts.
• Alice questioned Bage about his journey from the Thunder Tribe and learned that he had detoured around dangerous jungle areas with his Black Lion, Tomi.
• Bage marked the dangerous places on Alice’s detailed map, and Alice connected them while worrying that the threat was spreading faster than expected.
• Alice introduced her group as the Little Cabbage Tribe and invited Bage to travel with them toward the Golden Land, leaving him disbelieving that they came from the south.

Bage and Tomi woke after a late night feasting on magical beast meat and were astonished by the Little Cabbage Tribe’s abundant breakfast. As the expedition prepared to leave, Bage saw that it possessed more than a dozen Great Spirit Totems, deepening his awe and uncertainty about the tribe.

• Bage rose after Lei Li called him to breakfast, while Tomi only got up when he smelled the food.
• Bage ate wheat porridge, sweet pastries, and fresh fruit, and asked Lei Li how the tribe had kept the food fresh during the journey.
• Lei Li hinted that the food’s preservation was a tribal secret, though the veteran warriors knew it was stored in cages that kept it fresh.
• After breakfast, the expedition packed its supplies and prepared to set off.
• Bage saw more than a dozen shamans bring out Great Spirit Totems and wondered at the Little Cabbage Tribe’s immense resources.

Alice described three routes through the beastfolk territory and recommended weighing their risks, but Liver Emperor's personal ties to Gondolin led the group to choose the first route. As Alice and Liver Emperor bonded over their connections, Joseph realized Alice might be trying to win him over while keeping herself out of the spotlight.

• Alice explained that the Blackwater Domain's mutated infection had displaced survivors into the Kasser Plain and Auge Great Grassland, where scarce resources could spark conflict.
• Alice outlined routes through the Kasser Plain, Auge Great Grassland, and Black Stone Forest, noting the dangers and opportunities of each.
• Alice warned that the Black Stone Forest route could bring them into conflict with Pu Yunchuan's Gondolin faction, and claimed she could defeat them.
• Liver Emperor rejected that route because he did not want to fight his friend, so Alice agreed to take the first route despite Joseph's objections.
• Alice told Liver Emperor that Isabelle was her descendant through nine generations and described her many partners, while Joseph grew wary of Alice's apparent efforts to win him over.

As the group traveled northwest toward the Kasser Plain, Bage decided to seek an employment contract with the Little Cabbage Tribe. Old Joseph saw an opportunity to build influence among newcomers and proposed establishing a Military Merit System to Alice.

• Bage, drawn by the group's comfortable life, decided to ask Lei Li about joining through an employment contract.
• Old Joseph offered to help Bage secure a contract and realized he could expand his influence among new recruits.
• Old Joseph proposed that Alice establish a Military Merit System to motivate warriors and attract newcomers.
• Alice agreed to let Old Joseph handle the system, then recognized his attempt to use it to recruit Bage.

Bage read the five-year mercenary contract and learned that it offered military merit rewards and a Breathing Technique. Lei Li demonstrated the technique’s power, and Bage asked which one he should choose.

• Old Joseph prepared a five-year contract for Bage that included military merit rewards and basic equipment.
• Bage read the contract, spotted a high-tier Elemental Spirit on the reward list, and became eager to learn about the Breathing Technique.
• Bage asked Lei Li about the Breathing Technique, and Lei Li explained that it came from the Fire Clan Sword Saint’s method and had several elemental forms.
• Lei Li demonstrated the technique by drawing in the surrounding air and shattering a slab of steel rock with a punch from several meters away.
• Lei Li explained that the enhanced state lasted up to seventy seconds, and Bage asked which Breathing Technique he should choose.

Lulus served Little Cabbage and the Tin House researchers, reflecting on how the base had rescued her family from hunger and cold. The researchers discussed Little Cabbage’s excessive sleep and the elves’ unusually rapid evolution, leaving them concerned about both changes.

• Lulus brought Little Cabbage lunch, helped her dress, and watched her devour the meal before returning to bed.
• Lulus delivered food to the Tin House and reminded Jimmy that Alice had forbidden him from eating greasy food at night.
• Maya teased Jimmy about his interest in Lulus, and Madeline explained that Lulus was attracted to strong Minotaurs and would not find Jimmy appealing.
• Jimmy asked whether changing his genes to Green Titan would help, and Madeline replied that Little Cabbage would kick him out.
• Maya noted that Little Cabbage had been sleeping unusually much, while Bill worried that the elves at the base were evolving too quickly.

Little Cabbage read Alice’s reports and checked on research at the Micro Base before Madeline warned that her sleepiness and growing appetite might indicate a parasite. Frightened, Little Cabbage hurried toward the Teleportation Point to get examined at the Main Base.

• Little Cabbage woke hungry, received Alice’s letter from Lulus, and read about the troops, Old Joseph’s Military Merit System, Breathing Technique, and Alice’s explanation of how she identified descendants.
• Little Cabbage visited the Micro Base and heard Madeline, Bill Els, and others report on research into beastfolk genes, Elemental Breathing, agriculture, and magical plants.
• Madeline asked Little Cabbage about her recent symptoms and suggested that another species might be parasitizing her body.
• Little Cabbage panicked and sprinted toward the Teleportation Point to seek an examination at the Main Base.

Little Cabbage learned that Grandpa Lu's popular guide had made her and her faction famous for their Wood Elf Civilization and Elemental Breathing Technique. After reading the post, she was left wondering whether she really was as powerful as it claimed.

• Little Cabbage returned to the base and wondered why players were pointing at her and discussing her Elemental Breathing Technique.
• The system told Little Cabbage that the Lord was guarding Kunlun after a disturbance in space and time delayed his return.
• Little Cabbage asked the system to arrange for Yu Nv Wu Gua to examine her, then learned Yu Nv Wu Gua was at the base to schedule training with the Mecha Teacher.
• The system showed Little Cabbage Grandpa Lu's guide, which praised her faction's Wood Elf Civilization, Elemental Spirits, and Elemental Breathing Technique.
• Little Cabbage read that her faction would earn patent fees and supply high-quality Elemental Spirits, then wondered whether she was really that powerful.

Little Cabbage discovered that she had unknowingly signed a contract selling the Elemental Breathing Technique and had earned over five hundred thousand points. After Yu Nv Wu Gua examined her, Little Cabbage learned that her constant Mental Link with the spirits was draining her strength and that she had reached Level 5.

• Little Cabbage learned from Intelligence that she had signed a contract authorizing sales of the Elemental Breathing Technique, with seventy percent of the profits going to the Main Base.
• Little Cabbage checked her account and found more than five hundred thousand points, then tried to negotiate a larger share of the profits.
• Little Cabbage went to the testing room, where Yu Nv Wu Gua jokingly told her she was dying before explaining that her sleepiness came from heavy Mental Strength expenditure.
• Yu Nv Wu Gua realized Little Cabbage had kept her Mental Link active to nourish the spirits, and the test results showed Little Cabbage was a Level 5 Lifeform.

Isabelle worried about Pu Yunchuan’s mission and the Empire’s growing disadvantage as she planned to consult Su Changyun about strengthening the army. Near Black Stone Forest, Pu Yunchuan sensed something watching the camp, but Mullen mocked him; Wesker later admitted he had sensed something too.

• Isabelle reviewed the Little Cabbage Faction’s expedition video, worried about its advanced troops and equipment, and decided to discuss improving the army with Su Changyun.
• Pu Yunchuan took the first watch at the camp near Black Stone Forest and noticed something watching from the forest.
• Mullen mocked Pu Yunchuan’s warning and threatened him with punishment for falsely reporting military intelligence.
• Pu Yunchuan challenged Mullen, but Wesker stopped the dispute and sent Pu Yunchuan to rest.
• Wesker dismissed the soldiers and privately acknowledged that he had also sensed something watching them from the fog.

Pu Yunchuan angrily accused Mullen of pursuing Isabelle and claimed he would kill him, but Jack and Black Sheep dismissed his threats. While standing guard, Wesker and Black Sheep noticed that the Black Stone Forest seemed closer than it had been earlier.

• Pu Yunchuan told Jack and Black Sheep he planned to kill Mullen in the forest, but they warned him not to speak recklessly and went to stand watch.
• Jack and Black Sheep reported for duty, and Olaf assigned them to guard beside Wesker.
• Wesker asked Jack and Black Sheep whether anything seemed wrong near the Black Stone Forest, though he could not explain his unease.
• Black Sheep noticed that the forest seemed closer than it had been when the soldiers made camp, and Wesker realized what had felt wrong.

Pu Yunchuan learned that the forest was moving toward the camp, and Wesker ordered a quiet withdrawal while trying to understand whether the forest was deliberately stalking them. The forest suddenly appeared just twenty meters away, and Mullen’s alarmed shout triggered the strange figures in its fog to move.

• Pu Yunchuan left his tent because he was inexplicably cold and learned from Jack and Black Sheep that the forest was approaching the camp.
• Jack and Black Sheep told Pu Yunchuan that General Wesker had ordered the army to break camp and withdraw.
• Wesker explained to Mullen that the forest’s faster movement before dawn might signal an intentional attack.
• Mullen disputed Wesker’s warning and pointed out that the forest still seemed far away, then froze when he saw it only twenty meters from the camp.
• Mullen shouted for the soldiers to take up their weapons, and the tree-like figures laughed and twisted their trunks.