Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xin Ya realizes that Little Black has reached Level 5, while she's still at Level 3.
• Little Black explains that it has been managing the manor and the Elemental Spirits, which has contributed to its leveling up.
• Chen Shanshan explains the high mental and physical demands of controlling Elemental Spirits.
• Xin Ya expresses her frustration about the perceived ease of Mental Department players compared to close combat life forms.

Character Developments

• Xin Ya: Realizes the disparity in levels between her and Little Black, feels guilty for not training enough.
• Little Black: Shows pride in its work managing the manor and Elemental Spirits, subtly hints at Xin Ya's lack of effort.
• Chen Shanshan: Reflects on Xin Ya's lack of progress and the importance of seizing the opportunity to train during peak Vitality years.

Significant Themes

• The importance of diligence and hard work in training and leveling up.
• The concept of peak Vitality years and the urgency to make progress during this period.
• The difference in training methods and demands between Mental and close combat life forms.

Character Interactions

• Xin Ya and Little Black: Xin Ya feels guilty for not doing enough, while Little Black subtly hints at her lack of effort.
• Xin Ya and Chen Shanshan: Xin Ya expresses her frustration, while Shanshan reflects on Xin Ya's lack of progress and the importance of seizing training opportunities.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shanshan arrives at the Emerald Starfield, a platform made of emerald crystal jade, offering a vast view of the Sea of Stars.
• She meets Ysera, a Giant Dragon, who guides her through the Demon Gene selection process for the Abyss.
• Ysera provides a Gene chart with various Demon Genes, each with unique abilities and professions.

Character Developments

• Chen Shanshan: Shows curiosity and awe at the Sea of Stars, demonstrates respect towards Ysera, and displays careful consideration in choosing her Demon Gene.

Significant Themes

• The importance of choosing the right Demon Gene for future development.
• The vastness and beauty of the Sea of Stars.
• The respect and etiquette shown towards powerful entities like Ysera.

Character Interactions

• Chen Shanshan and Ysera: Ysera guides and advises Shanshan on her Demon Gene selection, showing satisfaction with Shanshan's temperament and aptitude. Shanshan shows respect and modesty towards Ysera, seeking her advice.

Key Plot Points & Events

• Introduction to the nine major legions of the Borton Faction, each with unique characteristics, resources, and challenges.
• Chen Shanshan reads about each legion, learning about their strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities.

Character Developments

• Chen Shanshan: She becomes more thoughtful and strategic as she considers her legion choice, showing growth in her decision-making process.

Significant Themes

• Opportunity vs. Stability: Each legion offers different levels of opportunity and stability, reflecting the trade-offs in life and career choices.
• Resources and Wealth: The legions' access to different resources highlights the importance of wealth and its sources in the Borton Faction.

Character Interactions

• Chen Shanshan meets Yang Rui, a reliable and experienced player from her batch. Their interaction shows mutual respect and a willingness to help each other.
• Yang Rui offers to help Chen Shanshan with her decision, demonstrating his mentoring and supportive nature.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shanshan seeks advice from Yang Rui on choosing a legion.
• Yang Rui guides her to define her goals and eliminate unsuitable options.
• Shanshan considers the Ninth Army, Elemental Demons, Blood Demon Legion, and Fallen Angel Legion.
• She decides to join the First Army with Yang Rui.

Character Developments

• Chen Shanshan: Initially confused, she gains clarity on her goals and becomes more assertive.
• Yang Rui: He demonstrates his wisdom and experience in guiding Shanshan, revealing his strategic thinking.

Significant Themes

• The importance of defining one's goals and priorities.
• The trade-offs between short-term gains and long-term potential.
• The value of cooperation and camaraderie.

Character Interactions

• Chen Shanshan and Yang Rui: They engage in a mentor-mentee dynamic, with Yang Rui guiding Shanshan and Shanshan challenging Yang Rui's assumptions.
• Ysera: She observes the interaction between Shanshan and Yang Rui, reminiscing about her own youth.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Abyss Channel has been officially opened, but few players have signed up due to the high level requirement.
• Soap, a Fallen Angel in the shape of a living soap, picks up the new players, Yang Rui and Chen Shanshan.
• They are taken to the Titan Heart, a new project in the Emerald Starfield, an experimental planet transformed by Ysera.

Character Developments

• Chen Shanshan is surprised and discomfited by Soap's appearance, but her attention is quickly drawn to the Titan Heart.
• Yang Rui is curious about Soap's role in the faction and asks about it.
• Some Fallen Angel Elders notice Yang Rui and Chen Shanshan and suspect they have the Royal Clan Bloodline.

Significant Themes

• The theme of appearances being deceiving is evident in Soap's case, where his unusual appearance belies his high status.
• The theme of curiosity and discovery is shown through Yang Rui's questions and the Newbies' reactions to the Titan Heart.

Character Interactions

• Soap is reserved but respectful towards the Newbies, showing a contrast to his unusual appearance.
• Yang Rui and Chen Shanshan interact with Soap, asking questions and expressing their awe at the Titan Heart.
• A Lieutenant General Angel and Rhys, the Third Elder of the Fallen Angel Clan, discuss the Newbies, highlighting the intrigue and politics within the faction.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Helsinki, a Fallen Angel Lieutenant General, visits the archives to investigate potential recruits for the Ode Battlefield, specifically looking for two new recruits suspected of having Royal Clan Bloodline.
• He finds the two recruits, Rui and Shan, on the roster, but they are registered without surnames, which surprises him.

Character Developments

• Helsinki: He is shown to be thorough and meticulous in his investigation, but also has doubts about the possibility of the recruits having Royal Clan Bloodline.
• The Big Head Demon Archivist: He shows caution and professionalism in handling the request from Helsinki.

Significant Themes

• The preciousness and rarity of the Royal Clan Bloodline in the Fallen Angel Clan.
• The difficulty of giving birth to offspring in the universe's Life Sea.
• The discrimination against Demons without surnames or from lower-class families.

Character Interactions

• Helsinki interacts with the Big Head Demon Archivist, questioning him about the recruits' lack of surnames.
• Soap interacts with Rui and Shan, discussing their prospects in the First Army and advising them to hide their true levels during testing.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shanshan and Yang Rui arrive at the testing ground, noticing the diverse crowd of Demons.
• After hours of waiting, they reach the registration desk, where a Big Head Demon expresses surprise at their pure-blooded Fallen Angel status.
• Chen Shanshan enters the testing room, where she encounters a Black Armor Angel who initially dismisses her but later shows excitement upon realizing her pure Bloodline.
• The Black Armor Angel sends Chen Shanshan for testing, while outside, Helsinki reports her to the Third Elder, Rhys.

Character Developments

• Chen Shanshan: Shows curiosity and puzzlement at the diverse crowd, and later embarrassment when questioned about her background.
• Black Armor Angel: Initially dismissive, but becomes excited upon realizing Chen Shanshan's pure Bloodline, indicating a desire to recruit her as an auxiliary soldier.
• Third Elder Rhys: Shows disbelief upon hearing that Chen Shanshan is a wild Hybrid, expressing interest in investigating further.

Significant Themes

• The rarity and value of pure-blooded Fallen Angels in the Abyss.
• The prejudice and discrimination against Hybrids, even those with pure Fallen Angel Bloodlines.
• The competitive nature of recruitment for auxiliary soldiers in the First Army.

Character Interactions

• Chen Shanshan and Yang Rui: Arrive together but are separated during the testing process.
• Chen Shanshan and the Big Head Demon: The Big Head Demon expresses surprise at their pure Bloodline status.
• Chen Shanshan and the Black Armor Angel: The Black Armor Angel initially dismisses Chen Shanshan but later shows excitement and recruits her for testing.
• Helsinki and Third Elder Rhys: Helsinki reports Chen Shanshan to Rhys, who shows interest in investigating her further.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shanshan's physical and mental abilities are tested.
• Her Physical Strength test results in a 'Perfect Physical Body', surprising the recruiters and hidden observers.
• Her Strength Burst test results are relatively low, disappointing Rhys, who had hoped she was of Royal Clan Bloodline.
• Rhys decides to take Chen Shanshan under his disciple Helsinki's wing due to her high Mental Strength.

Character Developments

• Chen Shanshan: Shows exceptional Physical Strength and Mental Strength, but struggles to control her Strength Burst, revealing a potential weakness.
• Rhys: Initially hopeful that Chen Shanshan is of Royal Clan Bloodline, but becomes disappointed with her Strength Burst results. He decides to take her under his Family's wing despite this.
• Helsinki: Agrees to take Chen Shanshan as his disciple and cultivate her, seeing potential in her despite her Strength Burst results.

Significant Themes

• The importance of physical and mental abilities in the world of the story.
• The significance of Royal Clan Bloodline and the disappointment of not finding one in Chen Shanshan.
• The value of potential and aptitude in juniors, as seen in Rhys and Helsinki's decision to take Chen Shanshan under their wing.

Character Interactions

• Rhys and Helsinki secretly observe Chen Shanshan's tests, discussing her potential and deciding her fate.
• Chen Shanshan interacts with the testing equipment, showing her abilities and revealing her Strength Burst weakness.
• Rhys and Helsinki interact, with Rhys giving instructions and Helsinki agreeing to take Chen Shanshan as his disciple.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Elder Rhys detects an unusual elemental resonance, causing a commotion outside the base.
• Blood Demon Verafa, the Legion Commander, arrives to investigate the disturbance.
• Verafa finds Rhys guarding the entrance to the fourth warehouse, hinting at a confrontation.

Character Developments

• Chen Shanshan, a new recruit, exhibits exceptional elemental affinity during her test.
• Helsinki, a Legion Commander, decides to promote Chen Shanshan to Officer and invites her to join his division.

Significant Themes

• The power and rarity of elemental affinity are highlighted, as Chen Shanshan's talent causes a significant reaction.
• The theme of recognition and promotion is explored through Chen Shanshan's sudden advancement.

Character Interactions

• Elder Rhys and Verafa's tense exchange at the entrance of the fourth warehouse suggests a history or conflict between them.
• Helsinki interacts with Chen Shanshan, offering her a position in his division due to her exceptional test results.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Third Warehouse, a temporary area in the Starry Sky Corridor, is used by the Borton Faction for conscripting soldiers.
• Verafa, a hybrid demon, is in charge of maintaining order, using a uniform Fallen Angel unit.
• The Third Elder, Rhys, disapproves of Borton's reliance on illegitimate children and branch family members for support.
• Borton's First Army, heavily reliant on Fallen Angel descendants, is now complicated due to the illegitimate children's growing power and ambition.
• The Fallen Angel Clan wants to replace Sephiroth with another direct son but faces resistance from Borton and the illegitimate children in the First Army.

Character Developments

• Verafa: Shows competence in managing the conscription process and maintaining order among the wild Hybrid Demons. She's also aware of the political undercurrents and is not bothered by the Third Elder's disapproval.
• Third Elder, Rhys: Disapproves of Borton's strategy and is concerned about the growing power of the illegitimate children in the First Army. He suspects that Verafa has influenced the illegitimate children to support her.

Significant Themes

• Power Dynamics: The struggle for power and influence between Borton, the Fallen Angel Clan, and the illegitimate children in the First Army.
• Bloodline Inheritance: The Abyss Demons' conservative values and the tension between direct descendants and illegitimate children.
• Short-sightedness vs Long-term Vision: The illegitimate children's focus on immediate gains versus the long-term goals of the Fallen Angel Clan and Borton.

Character Interactions

• Verafa and Rhys: Verafa shows no deference to Rhys, asserting her authority and telling him to step aside, while Rhys disapproves of her and suspects her influence over the illegitimate children.
• Illegitimate Children and Direct Descendants: The illegitimate children in the First Army are resentful of the direct descendants and have ambitions for higher positions, while the direct descendants are resistant to Borton's negotiations.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Rhys, a Third Elder, encounters Chen Shanshan and is surprised by her cultivation progress.
• Chen Shanshan is identified as an Officer by Helsinki, a Lieutenant General, and is tasked with recruiting Auxiliary Soldiers.
• Verafa, the commander, arrives and assigns Helsinki to inspect the Arcane Support Equipment.

Character Developments

• Rhys: Recognizes Chen Shanshan's potential and plans to recruit her.
• Chen Shanshan: Displays exceptional Elemental Induction aptitude and is promoted to Officer.
• Helsinki: Promotes Chen Shanshan and follows Verafa's orders, showing loyalty.
• Verafa: Observes Chen Shanshan and considers the benefits of Rhys's interest in her.

Significant Themes

• Nepotism and political maneuvering within the Fallen Angel Clan.
• The value of exceptional aptitude and potential in the military hierarchy.
• The tension between the Borton and Copperfield factions.

Character Interactions

• Rhys and Helsinki: Rhys instructs Helsinki on how to handle Chen Shanshan's situation.
• Helsinki and Chen Shanshan: Helsinki promotes Chen Shanshan and assigns her to recruit Auxiliary Soldiers.
• Verafa and Helsinki: Verafa assigns Helsinki to inspect the equipment, showing her authority.
• Verafa and Chen Shanshan: Verafa secretly asks Chen Shanshan about the earlier disturbance.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shanshan is promoted to Officer by Helsinki secretly under the Third Elder's orders.
• Verafa, a senior officer, contacts Chen Shanshan and guides her on selecting auxiliary Soldiers.
• Chen Shanshan begins the process of recruiting her auxiliary Soldiers for the battlefield.

Character Developments

• Chen Shanshan: She is cautious and apprehensive about her new role as an Officer but shows determination to do her best.
• Verafa: She demonstrates kindness and patience in guiding Chen Shanshan, revealing a softer side to her cold demeanor.

Significant Themes

• Mentorship and guidance: Verafa's role in helping Chen Shanshan highlights the importance of mentorship in the story.
• Caution and careful decision-making: Chen Shanshan's approach to selecting auxiliary Soldiers emphasizes the importance of careful consideration and caution in her actions.

Character Interactions

• Chen Shanshan and Verafa: Verafa's guidance and support help Chen Shanshan navigate her new role, fostering a mentor-mentee relationship between them.
• Chen Shanshan and Yang Rui: Chen Shanshan's first action as an Officer is to recruit Yang Rui as her auxiliary Soldier, showing her loyalty to her friend.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shanshan's team is selected, consisting of warriors, an auxiliary soldier, a witch doctor, and a ranger.
• The team's data in the testing room surprises Chen Shanshan and Yang Rui, showing poor basic stats but strong weapon skills.
• Chen Shanshan announces that the team will depart for the Ode Battlefield the next day.

Character Developments

• Chen Shanshan: Shows leadership and strategic thinking in selecting her team. She's excited yet nervous about her new role.
• Yang Rui: Initially frustrated at being recruited by Chen Shanshan, he later acknowledges her strategic thinking and helps in team selection.

Significant Themes

• Leadership and Strategy: Chen Shanshan demonstrates her ability to lead and make strategic decisions.
• Ambition vs Stability: Demons join the First Army seeking stability but are excited about the opportunity to fight and accumulate Military Merit on the battlefield.

Character Interactions

• Chen Shanshan and Yang Rui: They work together to select the team, with Yang Rui providing insights and Chen Shanshan making the final decisions.
• Chen Shanshan and her team: She addresses them as a group for the first time, issuing orders and inspiring excitement for the upcoming battle.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shanshan and Yang Rui arrive at their temporary dormitories, which are well-equipped with high-quality Energy Crystals.
• Chen Shanshan studies the battlefield data sent by Verafa, learning about the space battlefield's background, her superior forces, and her assigned tasks.
• The battlefield is in its early development stage, with various forces having conflicts but not yet fully at war. Chen Shanshan's tasks involve investigating and sampling Evil God power, performing exorcisms, and winning the hearts of the people.

Character Developments

• Chen Shanshan experiences luxury and shock from the high-quality Energy Crystals, realizing the difference in treatment compared to her previous experiences.
• She demonstrates responsibility and caution by planning to review the battlefield data before the mission.

Significant Themes

• The disparity in resources and treatment between different levels of the military.
• The awakening of Evil Gods and their potential threats.
• The importance of caution and understanding one's limits in facing unknown dangers.

Character Interactions

• Chen Shanshan wishes she could discuss the battlefield data with Yang Rui but cannot due to military regulations.
• She communicates with Verafa through the sent data, showing appreciation for the senior's guidance.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shanshan, a Newborn Officer with a Priest profession, reports to Lieutenant McKarl in Roka Gold Town.
• McKarl is hesitant to accept Chen Shanshan due to her aristocratic background but is in need of a Priest for his team.
• Chen Shanshan is assigned to support Level 5 Officer Sen Jin at Kadar Village.
• Chen Shanshan and her team receive supplies and set off early the next morning.

Character Developments

• Chen Shanshan: Shows cautiousness and consideration for her team's well-being by asking about the mission and distributing supplies generously.
• Lieutenant McKarl: Initially hesitant about Chen Shanshan's aristocratic background, he eventually accepts her due to the need for a Priest in his team. He shows pragmatism in accepting help despite potential future complications.

Significant Themes

• Class Divide: The tension between aristocratic Fallen Angels and lower-class Demons is evident in McKarl's initial reluctance to accept Chen Shanshan.
• Need vs. Ambition: McKarl's pragmatic approach to accepting help from Chen Shanshan, despite potential future complications, highlights the theme of prioritizing immediate needs over long-term ambitions.

Character Interactions

• Chen Shanshan and McKarl: Their interaction is professional, with McKarl assigning Chen Shanshan a mission and Chen Shanshan showing eagerness to understand the situation.
• Chen Shanshan and her team: Chen Shanshan shows consideration for her team by distributing supplies generously, which improves their initial impression of her.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The team is headed to Kadar Village, about 100 kilometers away, with no mechanical or advanced alchemy equipment due to the continent's restrictions.
• Chen Shanshan uses her Wind Element affinity to speed up their journey.
• Kadar Village is large, lively due to its border location, and has a Church with a mysterious power Magnetic Field.
• The previous Officer Sen Jin was dispatched to investigate the Church two days ago but hasn't arrived yet.

Character Developments

• Chen Shanshan is excited about her first battlefield mission but struggles to sleep.
• Yang Rui is mature and alert, sensing something amiss about the mission.
• The Zhuo Ma Elf is vigilant and reveals her older sister's dangerous past.

Significant Themes

• Unease and suspicion about the mission's true nature.
• The impact of the continent's restrictions on technology.
• The potential danger of the Church's mysterious power.

Character Interactions

• Chen Shanshan and Yang Rui discuss the mission and rely on each other's strengths.
• The Zhuo Ma Elf warns Yang Rui about her older sister's danger.
• The team arrives at Kadar Village to find Officer Sen Jin hasn't arrived yet, heightening their suspicion.

Summary of "Strange Village (Part 2)"

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group arrives at the strange village and is greeted by an elderly woman, the Village Chief.
• Yang Rui suspects the village and declines the Village Chief's offer to rest inside, choosing to set up camp outside instead.
• The group discusses the village's strangeness in their tent, unaware of the gray-cloaked figures observing them.

Character Developments

• Chen Shanshan: Shows concern for the elderly but is naive about the village's oddities. She later realizes the village's peculiarities.
• Yang Rui: Demonstrates leadership and suspicion towards the village, noticing its strangeness and protecting the group from entering.
• The Village Chief: Reveals a black and yellow smile, causing unease in Chen Shanshan.

Significant Themes

• Suspicion and Trust: Yang Rui's suspicion of the village contrasts with Chen Shanshan's initial trust, highlighting the theme of questioning appearances and intentions.
• Age and Experience: The Demons' ages and experiences are emphasized, contrasting with their youthful appearances and Chen Shanshan's naivety.

Character Interactions

• Chen Shanshan and Yang Rui: They have a telepathic conversation where Yang Rui explains his suspicions about the village to Chen Shanshan.
• Chen Shanshan and the Team: Chen Shanshan leads a discussion about the village's strangeness, with the Team expressing their agreement.
• The Village Chief and the Group: The Village Chief greets the group, but Yang Rui's cold demeanor and the group's collective unease create tension.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The team, led by Chen Shanshan, decides to enter the village the next day after sending Black Fang to report their situation.
• They encounter a group led by a tall Hybrid Demon, Sen Jin, who claims to be the Level 5 Officer they were supposed to support.
• Sen Jin's group is suspiciously welcomed by the village guards, indicating that they had been there before, contradicting the guards' previous claim that no soldiers had entered.

Character Developments

• Chen Shanshan: Shows concern for her team's safety and is cautious about entering the village.
• Yang Rui: Demonstrates analytical skills by noticing the discrepancy in the guards' reaction to Sen Jin.
• A Ling: Confirms Sen Jin's identity but is cautious about sharing information.
• Sen Jin: Reveals a friendly yet intimidating demeanor, contrasting with the team's initial expectations.

Significant Themes

• Trust and deception: The team's initial trust in Sen Jin is challenged by the guards' reaction, hinting at potential deception.
• Caution and vigilance: The team's decision to enter the village during the day and their initial hesitation highlight the importance of caution and vigilance in their mission.

Character Interactions

• Chen Shanshan and Yang Rui: They work together to assess the situation and question Sen Jin's group.
• A Ling and the team: A Ling is hesitant to share information about Sen Jin, causing some tension with the team.
• Sen Jin and the village guards: The guards' reaction to Sen Jin indicates a prior connection, challenging Sen Jin's claim of being delayed on the road.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Old Woman Village reappears with the old woman leading, appearing surprised to see Sen Jin.
• Sen Jin, despite his ferocious appearance, behaves in a friendly and hungry manner, raising suspicions about his true intentions.
• The group enters the village and is led to a tavern for a meal. Yang Rui asks about the Church, triggering a bell to ring in the distance.
• The old woman's reaction to Sen Jin's questions suggests she's seen this situation before.

Character Developments

• Sen Jin: Despite his intimidating appearance, he displays a friendly and simple demeanor, but his true intentions remain unclear.
• Old Woman: She seems surprised and uncertain about Sen Jin's presence, hinting at a possible secret or past encounter.
• Chen Shanshan and Yang Rui: They grow more suspicious about the situation and the villagers' true intentions.

Significant Themes

• Suspicion and Uncertainty: The chapter is filled with suspense and uncertainty, with characters questioning each other's intentions and the true nature of the situation.
• Appearance vs. Reality: Characters' appearances and initial behaviors do not necessarily reflect their true intentions or the reality of the situation.

Character Interactions

• Sen Jin and the Old Woman: Their interaction hints at a possible past encounter or shared secret.
• Chen Shanshan and Yang Rui: They discuss their suspicions about the situation and the villagers, trying to make sense of the events unfolding.
• The group and the villagers: The interactions between the group and the villagers are tense, with both sides seemingly hiding secrets and testing each other.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The story revolves around a Church in a village where strange events have been occurring, primarily before January.
• A silk merchant named Peter, known for his philanthropy, disappeared along with the resident priest, orphanage children, and later, some warrior adults sent to investigate.
• The Church's bells rang inexplicably, and a magnetic field anomaly was detected.
• The Church worships a Native God named Ola, associated with harvest, hope, and life, but its true nature is unknown.

Character Developments

• Yang Rui: A cautious and analytical character who is wary of the situation and the villagers.
• Chen Shanshan: A cheerful and optimistic character who seems to trust Sen Jin.
• Village Chief: An enigmatic figure who seems to know more than he lets on and has a gloomy expression.
• Sen Jin: A burly, middle-aged man with a mysterious past, harboring unknown issues. He seems unreliable but has high hopes for Chen Shanshan.

Significant Themes

• Mystery and Suspense: The strange events and disappearances create a sense of mystery and foreboding.
• The Nature of Gods: The true nature of the Native God Ola is questioned, challenging the benevolent image often associated with life-giving deities.
• Trust and Caution: Yang Rui's caution contrasts with Chen Shanshan's trust, raising questions about who to trust in uncertain situations.

Character Interactions

• Yang Rui and Sen Jin: Yang Rui is cautious around Sen Jin, suspecting he might be hiding something.
• Chen Shanshan and Sen Jin: Chen Shanshan feels a sense of familiarity with Sen Jin and trusts him.
• Yang Rui and Chen Shanshan: Yang Rui is more analytical and cautious, while Chen Shanshan is more optimistic and trusting.
• Village Chief and the others: The village chief seems to have a strained relationship with the others, hinting at hidden knowledge or secrets.