Chapter Summaries

Zhou Xu extracted the Elf True Word sample from the Silver Steel Sword, weakening the weapon, then studied the sample’s structure and learned it was a linked, stable combination of three effects. He could use the combination but could not take it apart or claim it as his own, leaving him with a valuable research breakthrough and the problem of returning the dimmed sword to Shilke.

• Zhou Xu chose to extract the Elf True Word sample despite worrying that the Silver Steel Sword might be damaged.
• The system extracted the sample, and the sword lost much of its glow and power.
• Zhou Xu examined the sample in his Sea of Consciousness and found three fixed combinations linked by energy threads.
• Zhou Xu learned that the combinations meant resilience, sharpness, and slow absorption of Natural Energy.
• Zhou Xu discovered he could trigger the sample’s effects but could not separate or modify its combinations.

Zhou Xu activated the Silver Steel Sword’s Basic Weapon Buff and restored its power, then told Shilke he had worked out how to make weapons with the same effect. Shilke was stunned by Zhou Xu’s achievement and the sight of Qian Sui, whom he had never met before.

• Zhou Xu recited the Elf True Words for Basic Weapon Buff and infused the Silver Steel Sword with their power.
• The next morning, Zhou Xu returned the sword to Shilke and said he could make weapons with the same buff, though Silver Steel would require mithril and steel.
• Shilke drew the sword and saw that its silver brilliance and strength had been restored.
• Shilke wondered at Zhou Xu’s abilities and recognized that his own eyesight and speed had improved through Zhou Xu’s blessings.
• Qian Sui hurried into view, and Zhou Xu greeted him as Shilke realized the figure was the Lord he had heard about.

Zhou Xu led Shilke and the Grassland Elves to their ruined village to recover their dead, where he discovered an Elf True Word sample in one of the bodies. The chapter ended with a system prompt asking whether he wanted to extract it.

• Shilke thanked Lord Qian Sui for rescuing him, and Zhou Xu left the creature in charge of the village before leading the force out.
• Zhou Xu's force passed a wolf pack without incident and reached the ruined Elf Village, where beasts had dug up and gnawed on the dead.
• Shilke steadied himself and began digging up the remains, while the grieving Grassland Elves joined him and Zhou Xu assigned Zhuo Ge to keep watch.
• Zhou Xu used Eye of Insight to examine the bodies and found an Elf True Word sample, prompting the system to ask whether he wanted to extract it.

Zhou Xu extracted and studied True Word samples from the dead Grassland Elves, then tested whether Shilke could absorb or remove them. His experiments suggested that the samples functioned like programs sustaining the elves and began to dissipate when their bodies were beyond repair.

• Zhou Xu extracted a True Word sample from a Grassland Elf corpse and explained to Shilke that he wanted to study the ancient power.
• Zhou Xu found that corpses held samples of varying strength and reasoned that the samples faded after their vessels died.
• Zhou Xu asked Shilke to absorb a sample from a corpse, but Shilke could not do so.
• Zhou Xu tried to extract the sample from Shilke and failed, then guided him to sense the light within his body.
• Shilke saw the light but could not move or remove it, leading Zhou Xu to conclude that the samples acted like programs sustaining the Grassland Elves.

Zhou Xu ordered Li Ce and Zhuo Ge to eliminate a hungry wolf pack that had been following the group, then explained cremation to Shilke as a way to handle his tribesmen’s bodies. Back in Grassland Village, Zhou Xu examined the new Truth sample and confirmed his theory that the Grassland Elves’ innate abilities came from Truth automatically bestowed at birth, possibly by a system created by their god.

• Zhuo Ge reported that a hungry wolf pack had been trailing the group, and Zhou Xu ordered Li Ce and Zhuo Ge to strike first.
• Li Ce and Zhuo Ge quickly hunted down the wolves, whose corpses could be made into Skeleton Wolves.
• Shilke asked Zhou Xu how the village handled the dead, and Zhou Xu explained why they generally chose cremation.
• Shilke decided to cremate his tribesmen’s bodies, and Zhou Xu arranged for Ye Jinghong to help after they returned to Grassland Village.
• Zhou Xu examined the new Grassland Elves Truth sample and concluded that their abilities might be bestowed automatically at birth by a system created by their god.

Zhou Xu suffered a severe backlash after trying to sense the Grassland Elves True Words sample, then recovered enough to lead the elves and centaurs to Black Moon Village. The Grassland Elves arrived and were stunned by the village’s enormous scale.

• Zhou Xu tried to sense the Grassland Elves True Words sample and suffered a violent backlash that left him bleeding and unconscious.
• After resting overnight, Zhou Xu concluded the sample was beyond his current ability and decided he needed to grow stronger.
• Zhou Xu set out with Shilke’s twenty-nine Grassland Elves and Zhuo Ge’s centaurs for Black Moon Village.
• The group reached the outskirts of Black Moon Village before noon, and the Grassland Elves were astonished by its immense size.

Zhou Xu brought the Grassland Elves and Zhuo Ge’s group to Black Moon Village and introduced them to its facilities and money-based system. After treating them to lunch, he left them with a first impression of the village’s greater prosperity and comfort.

• Zhou Xu arrived at Black Moon Village with the Grassland Elves and Zhuo Ge’s group, and Zhang Xiaoshan welcomed them at the entrance.
• Zhang Xiaoshan led the group through the village as Zhou Xu showed them its facilities, while Shilke and the Grassland Elves felt overwhelmed by their surroundings.
• Zhou Xu took the group to the cafeteria and ordered thirty-six portions of Set Meal Number Two.
• Zhou Xu explained that residents earned money through work and that the village would deduct the cost of newcomers’ basic necessities from their future wages.
• The group ate a satisfying lunch, and Zhou Xu watched as the Grassland Elves enjoyed a meal they would likely be unable to afford again soon.

Zhou Xu brought Shilke and the Grassland Elves to Salt Lake Village, where they learned the scale of Great Zhou and saw its mechanized weaving equipment. He assigned them to the weaving and silkworm-raising work, with Li Shitou coordinating their needs.

• Zhou Xu told the Grassland Elves that the silkworm raisers and weavers would be settled in another village, while the rest would stay in Black Moon Village.
• Zhou Xu led the group to Salt Lake Village, where he revealed that Great Zhou had five villages and expected to build a sixth the following year.
• Zhou Xu took Shilke and the others to the weaving factory, where they saw hand-operated looms rapidly producing linen.
• Zhou Xu assigned experienced Grassland Elf weavers to the factory and set aside nearby land for silkworm raising, offering workers to help.
• Zhou Xu introduced Salt Lake Village chief Li Shitou as the person the Grassland Elves could ask for assistance.

After returning to Black Moon Village, Zhou Xu investigated how to produce enchanted battle blades and settled on Wang Dong as a potential enchanter. His village inspection also revealed that the villagers were excited because many of the recently returned captives were women.

• Zhou Xu returned to Black Moon Village with Zhuo Ge, Shilke, and the others, then arranged for them to return to Grassland Village the next morning while he stayed behind.
• Zhou Xu visited the Forging Department and saw a mold maker struggling to carve ancient elven characters into a battle-blade mold.
• Zhou Xu explained that the characters could drain Spiritual Power and decided the work required someone with at least three-star spiritual potential.
• Zhou Xu ruled out the grassland elves and his busy subordinates, then selected Wang Dong, whose Spiritual attribute was four stars, as the remaining candidate for enchanter.
• Zhou Xu inspected Black Moon Village with Zhang Xiaoshan and learned that the villagers were excited because many of the returned captives were women.

Zhou Xu considered why he did not want people having children during the looming threat of a Lizardmen invasion, then visited Salt Lake Village to discuss the Ancient Elvish program with Wang Dong. He explained that Primary Weapon Enchantment could copy and install a program onto a weapon, revealing that the enchantment was more complex than he had thought.

• Zhou Xu concluded that raising children would burden Great Zhou’s labor force and that he would not encourage childbirth before the coming conflict.
• Zhou Xu inspected Black Moon Village, traveled to Salt Lake Village, and asked Li Shitou whether the Grassland Elves had been settled.
• Zhou Xu asked Wang Dong to study Ancient Elvish, and Wang Dong agreed while questioning whether Zhou Xu had the authority to let him use the program.
• Zhou Xu explained that the Primary Weapon Enchantment on the Silver Steel Sword had been copied, leaving a copy inside him while installing another on the weapon.
• Wang Dong understood that the enchantment copied and installed a program, and Zhou Xu said it contained further complexities beyond its three core enchantments.

Zhou Xu gave Wang Dong a copied True Word and confirmed that his ability to learn True Words did not come from the system. He then assigned Wang Dong to oversee a new silkworm farm and prepared to travel to Iron Mountain Village, while Li Tie earned citizenship in Great Zhou for his military merit.

• Zhou Xu transferred a copy of Primary Weapon Enchantment to Wang Dong, who struggled to recite its pronunciation and incantation.
• Zhou Xu teased Wang Dong, then confirmed that his ability to grasp True Words was not caused by the system.
• Zhou Xu told Wang Dong to oversee the new silkworm farm at Salt Lake Village and set out for Iron Mountain Village.
• Shi Lei announced that Li Tie had earned enough merit to become a citizen of Great Zhou, and Li Tie thanked the chief.

Zhou Xu activated the Old Gods Altar again, hoping to summon useful help, but found only unreliable candidates and eventually chose a light cluster that sounded like it belonged to a killer. The summoning succeeded, leaving Zhou Xu shocked by the unkempt, hunched fat man who appeared.

• Zhou Xu returned to Iron Mountain Village, praised the engineering team’s work, and went to the Old Gods Altar with two armed soldiers.
• Zhou Xu activated the altar and searched its chaotic light clusters, rejecting a car-crash victim and a gambler involved in debt collection.
• Zhou Xu discovered that he could not stop the summoning and felt his True Word power draining as he searched for a suitable candidate.
• Zhou Xu chose a light cluster containing someone who casually advocated killing, despite worrying that the person would be difficult to control.
• The altar summoned a naked, greasy-haired, acne-covered fat man, leaving Zhou Xu wondering whether he had summoned a victim instead of a killer.

Zhou Xu summoned Wang Pengfei, a timid modern youth whose Truth Words panel showed little ability, and learned that Wang had died after an online argument led to a beating and a traffic accident. Though Wang seemed useless, he revealed knowledge of steel and steam engines, leaving Zhou Xu surprised and curious about what else he knew.

• Zhou Xu used Truth Words to inspect Wang Pengfei and found that he had weak attributes and no special talent beyond occasionally providing useful information.
• Wang Pengfei realized he had been transported to an unfamiliar world, then became excited when a system appeared to him until Zhou Xu told him everyone had one.
• Zhou Xu explained how Wang Pengfei had died, and Wang admitted he had been beaten after insulting someone online before being hit by a car while fleeing.
• Zhou Xu learned that Wang Pengfei had dropped out of junior high and had never held a job, then asked what he could contribute.
• Wang Pengfei accurately explained how steel was made and described steam engines, surprising Zhou Xu.

Zhou Xu brought the newly summoned Wang Pengfei toward Iron Mountain Village and ordered more prisoners sent to the nearby mine to increase iron production. Wang Pengfei arrived exhausted and rejected the village's dinner, while Zhou Xu refused to indulge him.

• Zhou Xu realized Wang Pengfei's online arguments had left him with scattered general knowledge, then escorted him away from the altar.
• Wang Pengfei struggled with the cold and collapsed after walking only part of the way to Iron Mountain Village, so Zhou Xu left a soldier to guide him and went ahead.
• Zhou Xu learned that bad weather and a shortage of labor had slowed the Iron Mountain mine, then ordered future prisoners assigned there as forced labor.
• Zhou Xu returned to Iron Mountain Village to rest after using much of his True Words power to summon the God Chosen.
• Wang Pengfei arrived near nightfall, barely ate the mess hall dinner, and Zhou Xu told the villagers not to bother with him.

Wang Pengfei was forced to adapt to the village’s strict routine, taking on cleaning work while improving his health and learning that his system offered no special advantages. When Zhou Xu asked for his thoughts about the village, Wang Pengfei suggested building a wall for safety.

• A villager woke Wang Pengfei early and made him clean the village, warning that he would lose food if he slacked off.
• Wang Pengfei struggled through long days of work and two meals a day, then gradually became more punctual and diligent.
• Wang Pengfei studied his system and status panel, found them nearly useless, and accepted that he was not a powerful protagonist.
• Zhou Xu summoned Wang Pengfei and asked what he thought of the village.
• Wang Pengfei suggested building a wall around the village because it was unsafe.

Zhou Xu learned that Wang Pengfei could provide basic guidance on making bricks and cement, then began a third summoning in hopes of finding a horse-breeding or training expert. He chose a glowing orb linked to a runaway horse, and the summoned figure began to appear.

• Zhou Xu asked Wang Pengfei about making cement and bricks, and Wang Pengfei explained their basic materials and production methods.
• Zhou Xu put brick and cement production on the agenda for later, while recognizing that such defenses would not stop the Lizardmen's Shield Dragon.
• Zhou Xu kept Wang Pengfei on cleaning duty to improve his fitness and prepared to perform another summoning.
• Zhou Xu entered the summoning space and noticed an orb whose messages described a horse running out of control.
• Zhou Xu chose the orb despite worrying that its person might have caused the horse's panic, and a figure emerged from the altar.

Zhou Xu summoned Ma Guotao, a professional horse farm owner, from the moment of his death and explained that he had been reborn in another world. Ma Guotao accepted his new life and eagerly agreed to manage Zhou Xu’s horse farm, though they would have to wait until they returned to the grasslands.

• Zhou Xu identified Ma Guotao’s strong potential, but the Old Gods Altar collapsed as he hurriedly pulled him to safety.
• Ma Guotao dressed in the clothes the soldiers brought and asked where he was, and Zhou Xu told him he was already dead.
• Ma Guotao recalled being killed when he tried to stop his beloved horse, Little White Dragon, from running wild.
• Zhou Xu explained that his summoning ritual had brought Ma Guotao into a new world, and Ma Guotao accepted that he could not return to his old life.
• Zhou Xu asked Ma Guotao to use his horse-raising expertise at the horse farm, and Ma Guotao eagerly agreed to call him Chief.

Zhou Xu took Ma Guotao from Iron Mountain Village toward the grasslands so he could manage the horse farm. After staying in Barren Mountain Village and reaching a relay station, Ma Guotao reunited with horses and helped speed up their journey toward Salt Lake Village.

• Zhou Xu arranged for Ma Guotao to leave for the grasslands while Wang Pengfei stayed in Iron Mountain Village to handle sanitation.
• Zhou Xu and Ma Guotao traveled to Barren Mountain Village, where Ma Guotao was astonished by its development and learned why it had been built on a larger scale.
• After resting overnight, Zhou Xu and Ma Guotao crossed the mountains toward a relay station, where Ma Guotao eagerly greeted the horses.
• Ma Guotao rode with more skill than Zhou Xu, increasing their travel speed as they headed toward Salt Lake Village.

The Grassland Elves received their first wages, which were far lower than the human villagers’ because they worked at a much slower pace. When they discovered that meals now cost money and their wages could not cover their usual food, they began ordering the one-wen relief meal.

• At the weaving factory, Wang Dong paid the human workers and then gave the Grassland Elves their wages based on how many pieces they had woven.
• Wang Dong explained that the Grassland Elves owed repayment for their housing and meals, and warned that their low wages might not last the month.
• A Grassland Elf ordered four dishes in the cafeteria, then learned he had to pay three wen for the meal.
• The Grassland Elves realized their wages could not sustain their usual meals until the next payday.
• The next Grassland Elf asked for the relief meal and ordered one serving for one wen.

The Grassland Elves in Black Moon Village ran short of money and sought help from village chief Zhang Xiaoshan, who directed them to the market and showed them how to save on food. Seeing the goods they wanted made them work harder, but their debts meant their hardship had only begun.

• The Grassland Elves began buying one-copper relief meals after realizing their living expenses would not last until payday.
• The elves in Black Moon Village chose a representative to ask Zhang Xiaoshan for help, but he said he could not change their pay or work rules.
• Zhang Xiaoshan advised them to pool their money, buy vegetables at the market, and cook for themselves.
• The Grassland Elves visited the market, where the appealing food and household goods stirred their desire to earn more money.
• The elves' work efficiency improved noticeably, though their mountain of debt meant they still faced hardship.