Chapter Summaries

After dying in a truck accident, Tian Xing awoke in the body of ten-year-old Parr during a Walking Corpses attack on Haystack Village. With Old Man Jack fighting outside, Parr used the Wind Wolf Basic Breathing Technique to regain strength and discovered that his Black Short Sword could provide Life Energy Points.

• During the Harvest Festival, Walking Corpses overran Haystack Village and converged on the granary as the villagers barricaded themselves inside.
• Tian Xing awoke badly injured in Parr's body and recovered Parr's memories when Old Man Jack recognized him.
• Tian Xing learned that Old Man Jack was his adoptive father and asked him for the Black Short Sword.
• Tian Xing examined his Status Panel, found himself near death, and used the Wind Wolf Basic Breathing Technique to restore Stamina.
• Tian Xing drew the Black Short Sword and absorbed the two red dots on its blade, gaining 20 Life Energy Points.

After spending Life Energy Points to reach Peak Rookie and upgrade his swordsmanship, Tian Xing recalled how Walking Corpses attacked Haystack Village and threatened the survivors trapped in the granary. As the door became wedged open and Old Man Jack despaired, Tian Xing volunteered to kill the Walking Corpses.

• Tian Xing used 1 Life Energy Point to reach Peak Rookie, restoring his Stamina and HP, then spent 10 more to upgrade Basic Wind Wolf Swordsmanship to LV4.
• Tian Xing remembered how Walking Corpses attacked Haystack Village during its celebration, killed villagers, and drove the survivors into the granary under Old Man Jack's leadership.
• Old Man Jack and the villagers struggled to hold the granary door against the Walking Corpses, while Achilles killed those at the front with an axe.
• A dead Walking Corpse wedged the door open, leaving the survivors unable to close it as the attackers kept ramming it.
• Tian Xing stood up and told the desperate survivors he would kill the Walking Corpses.

Parr used the Black Short Sword to kill walking corpses pressing against the warehouse door, while discovering that each kill gave him Life and Mental Energy Points. After recovering his stamina with the Wind Wolf Basic Breathing Technique, he prepared to keep fighting through the night.

• Parr stepped forward and killed the first walking corpse with Upward Flick, absorbing one Life Energy Point and one Mental Energy Point.
• Parr recalled how the Black Short Sword’s secret had once helped him grow stronger and how Old Man Jack sent him to apprentice with the village butcher.
• Parr accepted his new identity as Parr Tianxing, though the villagers still called him Parr because only nobles had surnames.
• Parr killed a teenage walking corpse and then continued fighting despite the grief of the woman who claimed its body.
• Parr killed twelve walking corpses before his stamina nearly ran out, then used the Wind Wolf Basic Breathing Technique to recover to 42 Stamina.
• Parr checked his Status Panel, learned that Mental Energy Points could replenish Mental Power, and decided not to upgrade his Talent yet.

Parr and the survivors held off the Walking Corpses at Haystack Village Grain Warehouse until the Black Robe Walking Corpses stopped attacking and Old Man Jack shut the door. As the survivors rested, Old Man Jack explained the heretics, Evil Gods, and Church, while Parr learned that becoming an Elementary Knight Apprentice required 50 Life Energy Points.

• Parr killed the ordinary Walking Corpses as the Black Robe Walking Corpses repeatedly charged the warehouse door.
• After Parr cleared the attackers, Old Man Jack ordered him to move the bodies blocking the entrance, and Parr wounded a Black Robe Walking Corpse when it charged him.
• Parr moved the bodies, and Old Man Jack shut the warehouse door while the remaining Black Robe Walking Corpses stayed back.
• Parr asked Old Man Jack what Walking Corpses and heretics were, and Old Man Jack explained that Death Heretics raised corpses and followed Evil Gods.
• Old Man Jack told Parr that the Church hunted heretics and had helped keep people safe, then rested while Parr checked his realm requirement.
• Parr learned that reaching Elementary Knight Apprentice required 50 Life Energy Points and recalled that Old Man Jack and Achilles were the only people in Haystack Village at that level.

Parr and Old Man Jack faced a heretic’s attack on the grain warehouse and refused to flee as Black Robe Walking Corpses surrounded them. The heretic, Colin, revealed that the dying Old Man Rottus was his uncle and ordered the corpses to kill everyone.

• Parr spent 10 Life Energy Points to upgrade Basic Wind Wolf Swordsmanship to LV5.
• A Fireball Spell blasted the warehouse doors, and Old Man Jack shielded Parr from the flying debris.
• Old Man Jack prepared to fight the Black Robe Walking Corpses while warning Parr to watch Colin’s ring.
• Colin had two Black Robe Walking Corpses bring the dying Old Man Rottus before him, and Parr recognized his former teacher.
• Colin told Old Man Rottus that his family had been slaughtered by the old man’s enemies and ordered the Walking Corpses to kill everyone.

Parr and Old Man Jack defeated the six Black Robe Walking Corpses, but Jack collapsed from an old injury as Colin approached. Parr used his stored Life Energy Points to advance to Elementary Knight Apprentice, shattered Colin’s shield, and killed him, while Old Man Rottus held back the remaining Walking Corpses.

• Old Man Jack protected Parr and helped him kill all six Black Robe Walking Corpses, but the fight aggravated his old injury and left him collapsed.
• Parr confronted Colin while pretending to be weaker than he was and waited for a chance to use his stored Life Energy Points.
• Old Man Rottus broke free and struck Colin from behind, but Colin’s translucent shield blocked the punch.
• Parr advanced to Elementary Knight Apprentice, restored his condition, and shattered Colin’s shield with a single sword strike.
• Old Man Rottus grabbed the two remaining Black Robe Walking Corpses while Parr cut through Colin’s Grey Mist Chain and killed him.

Parr killed Colin but was captured by a much stronger Bronze-level cultist, who tried to recruit him into the Death God Cult. A Wandering Knight interrupted the cultist’s threat, leaving Parr’s fate unresolved.

• Parr killed Colin and gained Life Energy Points and Mental Energy Points, then rushed to save Old Man Rottus.
• A newly revealed Black-Robed Man trapped Parr with Gray Mist, drained his Stamina, and exposed that he was a Bronze-level cultist.
• The Black-Robed Man recognized Parr’s regenerative Talent and demanded that he join the Death God Cult, while Parr pretended to refuse.
• The Black-Robed Man had two Black Robe Walking Corpses bring Old Man Rottus to threaten Parr.
• A Wandering Knight attacked from the Haystack Village Grain Warehouse roof, beheaded the two Walking Corpses, and challenged the Black-Robed Man.

The Red-Haired Man fought the Black-Robed Man and his Bronze Walking Corpses while Parr remained bound and drained by grey mist. Just as the Black-Robed Man prepared a finishing spell, Parr restored his strength, stabbed him from behind, and joined the Red-Haired Man in victory.

• The Red-Haired Man revealed his Church honorary badge and attacked the Black-Robed Man, who sent two Bronze Walking Corpses to fight him.
• The Black-Robed Man weakened the Red-Haired Man, but the badge restored his strength and he continued battling the corpses.
• The Black-Robed Man empowered the Bronze Walking Corpses and began chanting a powerful spell while the Red-Haired Man summoned two phantoms to break through.
• The Red-Haired Man shattered the Black-Robed Man’s shields, but a Grey Mist Shield blocked his final strike as the spell neared completion.
• Parr restored his Stamina and Mental Power, grabbed the Black Short Sword, and stabbed the Black-Robed Man from behind, interrupting the spell and killing him.
• The Red-Haired Man praised Parr, and the two laughed together beside the Black-Robed Man’s corpse.

After the cultists’ attack, Parr gained the Clear Eyesight Talent and mourned Old Man Rottus, who died after hinting at something buried beneath the fruit tree in his yard. With the village’s survivors receiving aid, Parr told John he dreamed of becoming the strongest Knight and seeing the world.

• Parr discovered he had gained the Clear Eyesight Talent, which let him see clearly in the dark, and suspected it came from the Black-Robed Man or the Black Short Sword.
• Old Man Rottus died after telling Parr that something was buried beneath the fruit tree in his yard.
• Church personnel arrived at dawn, and John ordered them to treat Haystack Village’s wounded survivors.
• Parr reflected on his Prompt Wake-Up Talent and wondered whether the Black Short Sword had given him Clear Eyesight.
• John asked Parr about his dreams, and Parr said he wanted to see the world while becoming the strongest Knight.

After the cultist attack on Haystack Village, Parr agreed to leave with John and discovered a book left by Old Man Rottus. That night, Parr checked his Status Panel and decided it was time to improve himself.

• John encouraged Parr to travel with him, and Old Man Jack explained that Parr's unusual stamina made him a promising Knight who should leave before the White Deer Baron took notice.
• John said the cultists who attacked Haystack Village came from the Azure Stone Viscount Territory and that he planned to hunt them down; Parr volunteered to join him.
• The survivors cremated the villagers killed in the attack, and Parr visited Old Man Rottus's abandoned home to grieve and promise revenge.
• Parr unearthed a rusty iron box beneath the Xiao Guo tree and found a Beast Slaughter Manual inside, then replanted the tree and left the house.
• That night, Parr examined his Status Panel and resolved to improve himself.

Parr tested the Status Panel’s upgrades, unlocking stronger swordsmanship and elemental vision before experiencing a frightening dream. After waking refreshed, he joined Haystack Village’s bonfire party honoring John for saving the village.

• Parr upgraded Basic Wind Wolf Swordsmanship to MAX and discovered its three forms flowed into a powerful triple strike that consumed 30 Stamina.
• Parr upgraded Prompt Wake-Up to LV2, which restored both Stamina and Mental Power at dawn, but found that LV3 required 100 Life Energy Points and 100 Mental Energy Points.
• Parr upgraded Bright Eyes to Clear Eyesight LV2, gained low-level elemental vision, and depleted most of his Mental Power while using it.
• Parr dreamed of walking through darkness toward a light, woke frightened and drenched in sweat, then found his Stamina and Mental Power restored at dawn.
• That evening, Old Man Jack and the villagers toasted John at a bonfire party held to thank him for saving Haystack Village.

After Haystack Village celebrated the disaster’s end, John set out for Azure Stone City with Parr as his apprentice. Old Man Jack gave Parr his sword and sent him off with a promise that Haystack Village would always be home; John began teaching Parr on the way through the Deep Forest.

• Parr gained 22 Life Energy Points from slaughtering chickens and butchering Shell Sheep, then got drunk on Wheat Beer at the celebration and Old Man Jack carried him home.
• John stayed in Haystack Village for two days, then arrived before dawn to take Parr on a journey to chop up cultists.
• Old Man Jack told Parr to explore the world and return whenever he wished, then gave him the sword he had used at the Western Border Fortress.
• Parr left Haystack Village with John, carrying the sword and supplies Old Man Jack had packed for him.
• John explained that they would cross the Deep Forest on their way to Azure Stone City and promised to teach Parr travel knowledge and combat techniques.
• John told Parr that the Swift Shadow Wind Wolf Holy Knight’s famous saying was, “Women only affect the speed at which I draw my sword!”

Parr questioned John about his advice to avoid women, his age, and the Knight ranks, then learned that reaching the highest ranks could greatly extend a Knight’s life. The chapter left Parr wondering whether the Holy Knight who founded the Wind Wolf Kingdom had survived, while John explained that all seven Holy Knights from the Great Calamity had died.

• Parr teased John about staying with Sister Danny, but John dodged the questions and asked to change the subject.
• John told Parr that he was forty and explained that Bronze-level Knights aged more slowly while their bodies remained at their peak.
• As they traveled, John described the Knight ranks and explained how Knights advanced from Apprentice-level through Silver-level.
• Parr asked how long higher-ranked Knights lived, and John said Mortal Shedding Knights could live at least two hundred years, Limit Breaking Knights five hundred, and Saint Domain Knights a thousand.
• Parr wondered if the Swift Shadow Wind Wolf Holy Knight who founded the Wind Wolf Kingdom was still alive, but John explained that the Seven Savior Holy Knights had all died after the Great Calamity.

John explained the continent’s powers, Wind Wolf Kingdom’s nobility, and the paths to gaining a title as he and Parr traveled toward Azure Stone Viscount Territory. Parr decided he wanted to join the army at the Western Fortress Cluster after they dealt with the cultists, and his exhausting journey gave him a small amount of training progress.

• John told Parr that Holy Knights and other higher-level knights had become rare since the Great Calamity a thousand years earlier.
• As they crossed the Deep Forest, John described the continent’s four races, four kingdoms, City of Freedom, Church of Neutral Light, and Adventurers’ Association.
• John explained Wind Wolf Kingdom’s noble ranks and told Parr that Knights could gain a title through a lord’s enfeoffment or military service at the Western Fortress Cluster.
• Parr said he wanted to join the army, and John agreed they would head there after clearing out the cultists in Azure Stone Viscount Territory.
• John made Parr carry his bundle during the journey, and Parr’s status showed that the exertion had lowered his Stamina while training had slightly improved his realm.

John explained how Talents worked and warned Parr to keep his Talent secret, then tested Parr’s swordsmanship and assigned him rabbit-catching practice to train his reflexes. Parr’s first attempt failed when the Stupid Rabbit dodged him and stomped on his head, leaving him determined to catch it.

• John explained that Talents were rare, valuable abilities that could sometimes be inherited from Bronze-level Magic Beasts, and warned Parr never to reveal the details of his Talent.
• John tested Parr’s swordsmanship, blocked his attacks, and was impressed by how much Parr’s Sword Drawing Technique had improved.
• John spotted a Stupid Rabbit and assigned Parr to catch it barehanded as reflex training.
• Parr confidently pounced on the Stupid Rabbit, but it dodged, stomped on his head, and escaped back into the grass.
• Parr got up furious and vowed to catch the rabbit.

Parr struggled to catch Stupid Rabbits while traveling through the Deep Forest with John, and learned that the Beast Slaughter Manual he carried was made with extremely valuable parchment. The chapter left Parr fixated on the book’s potential worth as John privately reflected on his own poor finances.

• Parr repeatedly chased and failed to catch a Stupid Rabbit, and John teased him as they continued through the Deep Forest.
• Parr spotted another Stupid Rabbit at dusk and spent the evening trying new strategies, but it kicked him in the forehead and evaded him again.
• After dinner, Parr saw John writing with an ornate pen on expensive paper and asked him to teach him the unfamiliar words in the Beast Slaughter Manual.
• John explained that each page of the manual was made from rare White Yak calf parchment worth about one Wind Wolf Gold Coin.
• Parr counted the book’s 111 pages and became excited by its value, while John privately worried that his earnings had left him with little savings.

John and Parr found a Church Knight killed while fighting the Death Cult and cremated him so Parr could return his remains to the Azure Stone City Church. The knight’s diary revealed that a cultist deputy captain named Ma Xi had intercepted his warning, leaving him without support.

• John taught Parr to read and write in the Wind Wolf Kingdom’s language as they traveled through the Deep Forest.
• Parr tried several tactics to catch a Stupid Rabbit, but the experienced rabbit repeatedly evaded him and kicked his hand.
• John and Parr found a Church Knight’s dried corpse and two slain Bronze Walking Corpses, and John concluded that the knight had fought the Death Cult cultists from Haystack Village.
• Parr cremated the Church Knight and bundled his ashes with his armor and belongings to take back to the Azure Stone City Church.
• John read the knight’s diary and connected his unanswered warning to Ma Xi, an Azure Stone City Patrol Team deputy captain who was secretly a cultist.

By the campfire, John explained why the Church of Neutral Light’s Knights fought cultists even when defeat seemed certain, and Parr learned about their history and origins. While reading the dead Church Knight’s diary, Parr discovered a hidden paper that triggered a prompt offering him a new Skill.

• Parr asked John why the Church Knight had pursued cultists alone instead of retreating, and John explained the Church’s tradition of charging forward against them.
• John told Parr how the Church of Neutral Light formed after the Great Calamity and how the Knights’ sacrifices inspired the continent’s peoples to fight the cultists.
• Parr asked whether Church Knights were always unafraid of death, and John explained that many were orphans raised in the Church with little interest beyond hunting cultists and protecting people.
• After John went to sleep, Parr finished the Church Knight’s diary and found that its only personal detail concerned a girl named Ithil.
• Parr discovered a folded sheet hidden in the diary, and his Status Panel offered to teach him a Skill for 10 Mental Energy Points.

Parr learned and tested the Church of Neutral Light skill Dazzling Light from Church Knight Bolen’s note, then woke from another unsettling dream of a giant blue eye. The next day, he caught and prepared a Stupid Rabbit while traveling with John, though the rabbit yielded no Life Energy Points.

• Parr found Bolen’s handwritten instructions for Dazzling Light, learned the skill with Mental Energy Points, and tested its brief white glow.
• Parr dreamed of a vast blue eye again and woke frightened, but could not remember what he had seen.
• John teased Parr about wetting the bed after a nightmare, then urged him to resume their journey.
• Parr caught a young Stupid Rabbit, killed it, and received no Life Energy Points from it.
• Parr prepared the rabbit for lunch while John started a fire and called him over to roast the meat.

After a Big Stupid Rabbit nearly broke Parr’s ribs, John explained that it was close to becoming a Magic Beast and might be a Talent Holder. Parr suspected his Black Short Sword could steal Talents and challenged the rabbit again, ending the chapter in a tense standoff.

• Parr tried to catch a large Stupid Rabbit barehanded, but it charged him and kicked him hard enough to break his ribs.
• John treated Parr with Battle Qi and explained Magic Beasts, their ranks, and how the rabbit was near Apprentice-level and likely a Variant.
• Parr suspected the Black Short Sword could plunder Talents and asked John to let him take revenge; John agreed to watch for danger.
• Parr drew his sword and attacked, but the Big Stupid Rabbit dodged with a flash of red light and struck his raised scabbard, leaving both unharmed.
• Parr recovered Stamina and approached the rabbit again, preparing to attack with everything he had.