Chapter Summaries

Fu Qian returned to Yasui Company’s attention and deliberately suggested he had ties to the Night Watchers to draw out whoever was behind the Miracle Potion. Hayami Suzune arrived to confront him, only to find Su Gao at his side.

• Asao Sakura tested Fu Qian’s willingness to undergo potion tests, then claimed the testing window had expired and left without arranging them.
• Fu Qian told Su Gao he had deliberately displayed his unusual presence to make Asao Sakura report his case and attract the attention of a powerful figure connected to the Miracle Potion.
• Fu Qian decided to wait before completing his other task and said he would first meet his next visitor.
• Hayami Suzune arrived and demanded to know where Fu Qian had been, and he said he had wandered around before returning.
• Hayami Suzune saw Su Gao greet her and was dismayed to find another girl with Fu Qian.

Fu Qian reunited with Hayami Suzune, who accused him of preying on people and attacked him, but he calmly questioned her about Kanna Kisaragi. After Hayami Suzune left, Fu Qian took Su Gao out to do something women enjoyed.

• Hayami Suzune asked Su Gao her name, and Su Gao introduced herself as Violetta.
• Hayami Suzune accused Fu Qian of cutting pieces off people and eating them, but Su Gao defended him.
• Hayami Suzune stabbed Fu Qian's hand with a dagger, and Fu Qian calmly pulled it out and returned it.
• Fu Qian asked Hayami Suzune how Kanna Kisaragi was doing and whether she still lived with her older sister.
• Hayami Suzune left, and Fu Qian invited Su Gao to go out with him.

Fu Qian took Su Gao to Chie Kisaragi’s fortune-telling hut, where Su Gao asked whether her vacation would go smoothly. After they encountered Kanna Kisaragi and her boyfriend Takagi, Fu Qian told Su Gao that Kanna had returned from the dead, leaving Su Gao intrigued by the unexplained resurrection.

• Fu Qian told Su Gao a fanciful legend about Mr. Banana as they strolled through Xidào.
• Fu Qian brought Su Gao to Chie Kisaragi’s hut, where Su Gao asked whether her vacation would go smoothly.
• Chie Kisaragi predicted that Su Gao’s vacation would go well but warned her to beware of dangers from outside.
• Kanna Kisaragi and Takagi entered the hut, and Chie Kisaragi introduced Takagi as Kanna’s boyfriend.
• After leaving the hut, Fu Qian told Su Gao that Kanna had died after being disemboweled but had returned to life when he restored her.

Fu Qian and Su Gao discussed Kanna Kisaragi’s resurrection and the possible connection to Yasui Company’s Miracle Potion, concluding that her abnormal influence likely came from within her while Squirm-7 might still be significant. After Su Gao recalled her childhood on Leaf Island, Fu Qian returned to their lodging and used the Return Edict to resume work.

• Su Gao analyzed the subtle chaos around Kanna Kisaragi, and Fu Qian told her Kanna had taken Squirm-7, the same potion he had tried without effect.
• Fu Qian and Su Gao reasoned that Kanna’s resurrection and unusual charm likely came from her personally, though Fu Qian said he had evidence the Miracle Potion might still be special.
• Fu Qian told Su Gao that their watchers were more interested in him than in Kanna, and Su Gao recalled living on Leaf Island as a child and being cared for by Grandpa Ailei.
• Fu Qian and Su Gao returned to their lodging, where Su Gao went upstairs to rest and Fu Qian activated the Return Edict to continue his work.

Fu Qian entered the containment scene for 2-155 and found himself being evaluated at a research institute after an encounter with something called the Horse Leg. After the Demon Doctor classified his report as abnormal, guards led him into a bare room, where he waited for what would happen next.

• Fu Qian entered the containment scene for 2-155, where the Warehouse barred him from bringing equipment or weapons.
• A Demon Doctor questioned Fu Qian and asked him to draw an analog clock; Fu Qian drew one with exceptional precision.
• The Demon Doctor marked Fu Qian's paper with the number 9527, and Fu Qian realized the institute was evaluating people who had encountered something, possibly the Horse Leg.
• Two guards escorted Fu Qian from the doctor's office to a bare metal room.
• Fu Qian recalled that the Demon Doctor had placed his report in the thinner pile, suggesting he had been classified as abnormal.

Fu Qian was escorted to an upper-level office, where Doctor Cynthia questioned him about his memory loss and ordered him back into the test room. He returned to the lowest level and found Brother 1349 waiting nearby as the test room came into view.

• Fu Qian inferred that the facility tested supernatural beings and deliberately acted strangely to draw more scrutiny and learn more about it.
• Two guards escorted Fu Qian to an upper floor, where he passed the listless test subject 1439 and was taken to Doctor Cynthia.
• Fu Qian told Cynthia that he remembered nothing about the test room, and she concluded that the test had affected his memory.
• Cynthia ordered Fu Qian to enter the test room again, calling it an additional contribution that could help him make up for past mistakes.
• The guards took Fu Qian to the lowest level, where he joined the listless Brother 1349 outside the test room.

Fu Qian entered an underground testing area with Brother 1349 and Ms. 6, where they encountered a bizarre creature whose horse-like neigh triggered a mission to eliminate Goya Ulrich. As the five-minute test continued, Fu Qian sensed the sound affecting his will, while his companions began to freeze up.

• Fu Qian waited with Brother 1349 until Ms. 6 arrived, and the guards ordered all three to enter the testing area together.
• The guards explained the five-minute procedure and sealed the three test subjects inside the first doorway.
• Fu Qian saw a pale green, horse-shaped creature and received a mission to eliminate Goya Ulrich before its neighing stopped.
• Fu Qian studied the creature's rhythmic cries and briefly felt his mind go hazy, realizing the sound could affect even him.
• Brother 1349 stood motionless, while Ms. 6's smile vanished and she stared at the ground.

Fu Qian watched Ms. 6 attack Brother 1349 during the five-minute test with the Locust Horse, then helped him out when the door opened. Doctor Cynthia questioned Ms. 6, who said the horse had spoken and called her Pachi.

• Ms. 6 panicked at the Locust Horse’s whinnying and tried unsuccessfully to open the door.
• Brother 1349 walked toward Ms. 6, who attacked him and tore open his chest.
• Brother 1349 pulled flesh from his wound and chewed it as the five-minute test ended.
• Fu Qian led Brother 1349 out with Ms. 6, and guards restrained both subjects.
• Doctor Cynthia questioned Ms. 6, who said the horse had spoken and told her that her name was Pachi.

Dr. Cynthia questioned Kuraki Eiko and Fu Qian about their reactions to the testing room, where Kuraki Eiko had attacked Brother 1349. Fu Qian claimed his true name was Pachi and that he had awakened, leaving Cynthia to scrutinize his increasingly extreme explanation.

• Dr. Cynthia prompted Ms. 6 to recall the name in her records, and she identified herself as Kuraki Eiko rather than Pachi.
• Kuraki Eiko said she had felt bewitched and attacked the other test subjects because she sensed danger, then asked about Brother 1349.
• Dr. Cynthia told Kuraki Eiko that Brother 1349 was not in mortal danger but had suffered more severe effects than she had.
• Dr. Cynthia questioned Fu Qian about his calm behavior, and he declared that his name was Pachi and his recorded identity was an illusion.
• Fu Qian claimed the testing room had awakened his true self and dismissed Kuraki Eiko and Brother 1349 as mistaken or weak-willed.

Fu Qian tried to manipulate Doctor Cynthia by acting as though he believed he was Pachi, but she saw through his feigned self-doubt. She ordered him into solitary confinement under the identity of 9527, and Fu Qian ended the encounter with an amused smile.

• Fu Qian acted convinced that he was Pachi and asked Doctor Cynthia what had happened to others who had claimed the same identity.
• Doctor Cynthia refused to share details, accused Fu Qian of lying to himself, and reminded him that he was a test subject.
• Fu Qian said he wanted to return downstairs, and Doctor Cynthia initially agreed to let him go with two guards.
• Doctor Cynthia realized Fu Qian had never doubted himself and canceled his request to return downstairs.
• Doctor Cynthia ordered Fu Qian held in solitary confinement as 9527 and barred from contact with other test subjects.
• Fu Qian dropped his confused act, smiled broadly, and said he had only just started to find things interesting.

Fu Qian convinced Doctor Cynthia that he was a dangerous, deceitful Pachi and was moved to a more secure room. After an apparent sedative failed to restrain him, he cut a grin into his face and challenged the researchers’ belief that he was still 9527.

• Fu Qian taunted Doctor Cynthia by questioning the researchers’ grasp of reason and pretending to shoot her before guards escorted him away.
• The facility locked Fu Qian in a heavily secured room, where he waited for a chance to find Goya Ulrich.
• A short, stout researcher arrived with two guards and said a calming method had been used to make Fu Qian’s conversation more candid.
• Fu Qian ignored the researcher’s questions, raised his supposedly paralyzed hand, and carved an exaggerated smile into his cheek.
• Fu Qian told the horrified researcher that 9527 had been paralyzed, but that had nothing to do with Pachi.

Fu Qian learned that Goya Ulrich was directing the tests and that the participants were offered a chance to atone for their mistakes. After Goya referred to the test subject as an object with powerful mental influence, Fu Qian attacked him and demanded all the research data about himself.

• Fu Qian recognized Goya Ulrich as his mission target and decided to keep pretending to be Pachi to learn more about the testing plan.
• Goya told Fu Qian that the company had offered participants a chance to make amends and explained that Fu Qian’s performance had made him a valuable subject for research.
• When Goya referred to the object under study, Fu Qian asked whether he meant himself and attacked him.
• Fu Qian seized Goya by the neck, overpowered his attempts to escape, and demanded every piece of research data about himself.
• Goya warned that the data was confidential and that taking it would get Fu Qian into serious trouble, but Fu Qian urged him to hurry.

Fu Qian read the Abyssal Colt’s test records and learned that its psychic neighing had driven people to call themselves Pachi while altering and sometimes strengthening their abilities. After Doctor Cynthia warned that the Night Watchers would eliminate him if they judged him an anomalous creature, Fu Qian asked how she wanted to cooperate.

• Doctor Cynthia brought Fu Qian reports showing that the Abyssal Colt had affected test subjects’ identities and abilities during two experiments.
• Fu Qian let Goya go, explaining that he could seize someone else if he needed leverage.
• Cynthia questioned Fu Qian about his exceptional power, and he argued that his strength was his own rather than a false improvement caused by cognitive distortion.
• Cynthia said the Night Watchers distinguished between affected people and anomalous creatures, warning that a demigod-level Transcendent would hunt Fu Qian if he escaped.
• Fu Qian appeared persuaded by Cynthia’s warning and asked how she wanted to cooperate.

Fu Qian agreed to test the supernatural mirror Soul’s Lure so he could learn more about the researchers’ preparations for Pachi. As he spoke with his reflection, his furious outbursts seemed to alarm Doctor Cynthia when he suddenly demanded to know who was the most handsome person in the world.

• Fu Qian accepted Cynthia’s offer to cooperate and agreed to use Soul’s Lure.
• Cynthia brought out the mirror and explained that it let someone speak with their reflection, but could become unpredictable after five minutes.
• Fu Qian watched his reflection while Cynthia and the others observed from a safe distance.
• Fu Qian shouted at his reflection and pressed a hand against the mirror.
• Cynthia moved to intervene, but Fu Qian roared, “Who’s the most handsome person in the world?!”

Fu Qian exposed the real Goya Ulrich's precautions and waited for the forty-eight-hour limit to end while Yasui Company prepared to study what happened next. As the screaming stopped, Fu Qian pierced Goya's head with his transformed fingers.

• Cynthia covered Soul's Lure and confronted Fu Qian, who taunted her about their agreement to look into the mirror.
• A hidden wall slid open, revealing the real Goya Ulrich and a crowd of guards, while the Goya beside Fu Qian was exposed as a stand-in.
• The guards handcuffed Fu Qian with restraints that drained his vitality, and Goya explained that the stand-in had knowingly accepted the risk of being killed.
• Goya said the forty-eight-hour limit was nearly up and told Fu Qian he planned to document what happened when the screaming stopped.
• As time ran out, Fu Qian pierced the real Goya's head with his swollen, spear-like fingers.

Fu Qian killed two supposed versions of Goya, but the mission remained incomplete, confirming that neither was the real target. He reviewed the scene for clues, focused on Cynthia’s sudden change in attitude, and entered the containment scene again with no equipment or weapons.

• Fu Qian killed Goya, but the mission did not end, so he shot Cynthia and the fake Goya as well; neither proved to be the real target.
• Fu Qian activated Law Remnants, returned to the Warehouse, and reasoned that the real Goya was still somewhere in the underground facility.
• Fu Qian replayed the mission and noticed that Cynthia’s attitude had shifted just seconds after their first conversation, suggesting she had received a signal he missed.
• Fu Qian confirmed that the mission had lasted one hour and forty-five minutes before entering the containment scene again without equipment or weapons.

Fu Qian pretended to be a model citizen during testing, prompting the Mage Doctor to send him back to Doctor Cynthia for further examination. Cynthia used Soul's Lure to screen him, and Fu Qian faced the mirror while claiming he felt no effect.

• Fu Qian said he had only heard a horse whinny during the test and drew the clock face correctly.
• The Mage Doctor had Fu Qian taken away, and guards escorted him to Doctor Cynthia's office.
• Cynthia questioned Fu Qian about the test and told him he had to undergo another examination with Soul's Lure.
• Cynthia uncovered Soul's Lure, and Fu Qian stared into the mirror and said, "Hello, me."

Fu Qian pretended to be affected by Soul's Lure while Doctor Cynthia questioned him about the name Pachi. After Cynthia exposed his act, Fu Qian deduced that the Abyssal Colt could make distortions of understanding tangible, allowing her to detect whether he truly believed her suggestions.

• Fu Qian acted as though Soul's Lure had made him question himself and report hearing the name Pachi.
• Doctor Cynthia pressed Fu Qian to say whether Pachi felt familiar, and he asked to go downstairs to confirm things.
• Doctor Cynthia realized Fu Qian had never heard Pachi's voice and angrily accused him of pretending.
• Fu Qian reasoned that Cynthia could detect deception whenever she tried to influence his understanding, possibly through the Abyssal Colt downstairs.
• Doctor Cynthia said Fu Qian would be tested alongside two other people, or three, until he confirmed his real name.

Fu Qian forced Cynthia to look into Soul's Lure to test whether exposure to the Abyssal Colt caused people to make an oath by confronting their self-perception. Cynthia emerged composed and classified him as a special case requiring further tests.

• Fu Qian reasoned that Goya Ulrich was using an active oath object to spread its influence and considered whether people influenced by Pachi had made oaths.
• Cynthia accused Fu Qian of being awful and threatened to monitor him and keep him exposed to the Abyssal Colt.
• Fu Qian seized Cynthia, forced her to look into Soul's Lure, and asked whether she had ever been exposed to the Abyssal Colt.
• Cynthia defended her work to the mirror, then concluded that the voice questioning her was part of herself.
• Fu Qian covered the mirror before its influence took full effect, and Cynthia classified him as a special case for further testing.

Fu Qian confronted Goya Ulrich after demonstrating extraordinary strength and resisting Goya’s attempts to make him doubt his sanity. He seized Goya and pulled back the curtain over Soul's Lure, inviting him to face its influence.

• Fu Qian kept the guards from intervening by remaining within the researchers’ test framework, and Cynthia urged him to continue as a subject under observation.
• Goya Ulrich arrived, and Cynthia reported that Fu Qian’s strength had increased dramatically despite his perception appearing unaffected.
• Goya suggested that Soul's Lure had altered Fu Qian’s emotions and used a subtle influence to pressure him into questioning his behavior.
• Fu Qian recognized Goya’s emotional manipulation but pretended to accept his advice.
• Fu Qian rushed forward, grabbed Goya by the throat, and pulled back the curtain covering Soul's Lure.