Chapter Summaries

Han Su uncovered the ancient origins of the painting’s invading consciousnesses, then used the fire scars from his escape from the Ancient Castle to drive them out. The figures retreated into the painting, weakened and furious.

• Han Su experienced the history of people who survived the Flare Era as bodiless consciousnesses and realized the painting’s figures were traces of those beings.
• Han Su connected their emergence to the Life Code, but recognized that his fragmented Mental Power and low Mental Activity left him vulnerable to the painting’s corruption.
• Han Su noticed that the invaders had avoided the burn scars on his right arm and chest, and focused his Mental Power on the scars without using the Fishing Horn.
• Han Su reignited the scars into flames and spread them across his body, burning away the figures that had invaded him.
• The remaining figures fell away into the painting as radiation remnants, leaving the painted forms faint and furious.

Han Su discovered that his Mental Activity had increased after the painting’s pollution was removed, but Jackal and Sawtooth ambushed him in the storeroom. After Han Su badly injured them, Iron Hook revealed a Banshee power, and the confrontation paused when Ripper arrived.

• Han Su realized his Mental Activity had risen by five percent and that his burn scar’s Mysterious Power had severed the painting’s pollution.
• Jackal attacked Han Su with a Steel Rebar, revealing that Number 12 had hired D7 to kill him.
• Sawtooth joined Jackal, but Han Su used Number 01 and his Cross Copper Scar to smash both attackers into a wall.
• Iron Hook entered, displayed Sequence Two: Banshee, and watched as Jackal and Sawtooth used a healing Spell to recover.
• Ripper entered the storeroom in chains, interrupting the fight and drawing everyone’s attention.

Han Su confronted three D7s inside the sealed Haifang Factory storage room and used his abilities to overpower Iron Hook. As Jackal and Sawtooth unleashed a Sea Beasts Cipher Incantation, Han Su threw Iron Hook’s crushed body at them.

• Mountain Crocodile told Doctor that an unknown barrier had cut off communications and control of the D7s inside the blockade, and warned that they had undergone taboo experiments involving the Bureau’s three major Sequences.
• Doctor decided the enforcement team should prepare to rescue Han Su, reasoning that Han Su’s connections and decision to leave Black Tiger behind meant he likely understood the danger.
• Jackal tried to recruit Pot Lid Head, while Iron Hook attacked Han Su; Han Su fired several shots, wounding the D7s and revealing that he wanted to fight them in the sealed room.
• Han Su used Giant’s Eye to strip away Iron Hook’s Banshee power, beat him, and asked who had contracted with him through a Spell.
• Jackal and Sawtooth chanted to summon a gray-green Sea Beasts power, and Han Su crushed Iron Hook’s head before hurling his body toward them.

Han Su fought Sawtooth, Iron Hook, and Jackal in the storeroom, using the Fishing Horn to unleash the Ghost Flame and defeat the transformed attackers. Jackal tried to escape, but Pot Lid Head intervened and began attacking him, leaving Han Su to wonder at his companion’s hobby.

• Sawtooth transformed after eating Iron Hook’s corpse, while Jackal used his Spell to revive Iron Hook as a Mechanical Ghost.
• Han Su struggled against Sawtooth and the Mechanical Ghost as their powers pushed his Mental Power to its limit.
• Han Su chanted the Fishing Horn and unleashed the Ghost Flame, burning the Mechanical Ghost and killing Sawtooth with his Cross Copper Scar.
• Jackal tried to flee, but Pot Lid Head stopped him and knocked him down.
• Pot Lid Head took the short knife Han Su kicked to him and attacked Jackal, explaining that it was a hobby.

Han Su provoked Pot Lid Head into revealing the monstrous power hidden inside him, then used the Mechanical Fragment in his Briefcase to disrupt him. The chapter left Pot Lid Head weakened and briefly lucid as Han Su greeted him like an old acquaintance.

• Han Su suspected Pot Lid Head had joined the mission to hunt the three D7s and tried to draw him out by naming his hobbies and past.
• Pot Lid Head attacked Han Su with startling speed and skill, nearly cutting his throat with a piece of Steel Rebar.
• Han Su used Giant's Eye, but Pot Lid Head exposed his grotesque scars and transformed, shattering his restraints as he lunged again.
• Han Su blocked Pot Lid Head with his Briefcase and let the Mechanical Fragment contaminate him, making Pot Lid Head falter and show confusion and lucidity.
• Han Su pulled the Briefcase away when Pot Lid Head's pupils contracted and told him, "Long time no see!"

Han Su explained the Kidnapping Case to Pot Lid Head and learned that D7 inmates were subjected to experiments, which Pot Lid Head had volunteered for. Pot Lid Head agreed to help Han Su investigate the attackers, and they staged their injuries as footsteps approached.

• Han Su told Pot Lid Head that he had rescued four children from the Kidnapping Case and that the Mechanical Fragment restored their memories.
• Pot Lid Head explained that he had been sentenced to D7 after killing someone and revealed that he had undergone seven of twenty-two experiments by choice.
• Pot Lid Head offered to help Han Su by taking leave from D7, and Han Su said he could not get him released.
• Pot Lid Head said D1 personnel had approached the attackers before their operation and had also tried to recruit him.
• Han Su told Pot Lid Head to feign interest in him and track down the D1 operative or someone higher in the chain.
• Han Su and Pot Lid Head cut themselves and staged their injuries as approaching footsteps sounded; Pot Lid Head asked how far their war had progressed, and Han Su said it had only just begun.

Han Su recovered the contaminated painting and exposed Pot Lid Head’s attack, but the Bureau’s response and Miss Ai’s evasive messages deepened his suspicions about the mission. Pot Lid Head was taken to a secret facility, where staff discovered that his injury had made him feel excitement and raised the alarm.

• Han Su picked up the miniature Crystal Skull and, when security arrived, urged them to keep Pot Lid Head alive so he could learn who ordered the attack.
• Han Su recovered the painting, reported the assault, and returned to the Disaster Management Bureau, where Cui Qiao told him not to ask about Uncle Zhang yet.
• Han Su submitted the mission report, received a C-class rating, and questioned Miss Ai about the attack and the contamination connected to the Life Code.
• Miss Ai told Han Su to keep quiet when he asked whether the painting’s contamination was linked to the Life Code.
• Staff at a secret underground facility examined Pot Lid Head and raised the alert after discovering that he felt excitement from his injury.

Han Su investigated the Memory Shards linked to the Life Code, tested the Crystal Pendant and Mechanical Fragment, and received a suspicious message from Black Rose. Her patient’s recording connected Mental Activity and the Life Code to the Wasteland Ancestors’ transformation of life, leaving Han Su alarmed by how closely it matched what he had discovered.

• Han Su suspected Miss Ai’s messages were being monitored and reviewed the Memory Shards, concluding that his Mental Activity was too low to fully enter them.
• Han Su returned to his apartment, tested the Crystal Pendant’s signal-blocking barrier, and found the Mechanical Fragment’s pointer had dropped to 7 with seven days left until the Shimmering Descent.
• Han Su tried to move the pointer back to 8 with Mental Power, but ran out of power before he could change it.
• Black Rose contacted Han Su about a patient’s claims concerning Mental Activity and Mysterious Power, then refused to meet him and sent a recording instead.
• Han Su listened as Black Rose’s patient said that reaching 70% spirit vitality would reveal the Life Code and the Wasteland Ancestors’ secrets, shocking Han Su.

Han Su learned that life span could make Mental Activity harder to increase, explaining why his progress had slowed as blinking added years to his Mental Amplitude. Black Rose then accidentally revealed suspicious knowledge of his identity before vanishing, leaving him questioning who she really was and whether the Life Code was now beyond his reach.

• Han Su listened to a recording in which Black Rose's patient described Mental Activity's 70% threshold and four groups with Mysterious Power, including the Secret School and Ancient Aristocrats.
• Han Su asked Black Rose why she had shared the recording, and she explained that crises, experience, knowledge, and philosophy could increase Mental Activity.
• Black Rose told Han Su that a longer life span made Mental Activity harder to raise because the mind accumulated over time.
• Han Su realized that blinking increased both his Mental Activity and his Mental Amplitude by adding ten years each time, slowing his progress.
• Black Rose accidentally called Han Su "Mr. Butcher," retracted the message, and dodged his questions by claiming she needed to feed her cat.
• Han Su doubted Black Rose's identity and wondered whether his growing Mental Amplitude had put the Life Code out of reach.

Han Su learned that the attack on the Nail of the Dead Sea may have involved a department inside the Disaster Management Bureau, while Cui Qiao warned him that Ripper had caused a violent riot in D7. The chapter left Han Su stunned by the scale of Ripper’s rampage and the danger surrounding him.

• Han Su went to Zhang Chiguo’s office, where Zhang said he had detained the department suspected of tampering with the Nail of the Dead Sea and warned Han to be careful.
• Cui Qiao revealed that the department had gone on strike and cautioned Han that his new role had already made him a target.
• Han asked Cui Qiao about Mental Activity, and she advised him to build a foundation, stay alive, and avoid rushing his training.
• Cui Qiao told Han that Ripper had escaped solitary confinement in D7 and caused a riot, injuring ten guards and terrifying the other prisoners.
• Han realized that Ripper’s rampage was likely connected to his efforts to investigate the attack on Han.

Han Su learned from Secretary Cui Qiao about D7’s authority, the dangers of increasing Mental Activity through drugs or Forbidden Surgery, and the investigators who had entered the Divine Forbidden Zone. The chapter ended with Han Su realizing that his report on the Kidnapping Case could jeopardize the Drunk Investigator’s promotion.

• Secretary Cui Qiao explained that D7 had unusually high clearance and that the rampaging D7 member had acted after suspecting someone manipulated him.
• Han Su asked how he could raise his Mental Activity faster, and Cui Qiao warned him that drugs and Forbidden Surgery carried severe risks.
• Cui Qiao revealed that Mr. Strange Bird had undergone Forbidden Surgery by removing part of his brain and keeping it in his Briefcase.
• Cui Qiao said only four investigators from Lanterns, Wine, and Greenery had entered the Divine Forbidden Zone, then noted they might answer Han Su’s questions because he held the Drunk Investigator’s fate in his hands.
• Cui Qiao explained that revising the Kidnapping Case report or submitting evidence of wrongdoing could ruin the Drunk Investigator’s chances of promotion, and Han Su realized the leverage he had.

Han Su learned that Sparrow had been linked to the attack on him and accepted an invitation from Drunkard to a Wine Party at Lilac Mansion. He arrived hoping to find the Living Copper Puppet, only to discover the serpent-headed Bronze Armor Statue standing openly in the lobby.

• Secretary Cui Qiao told Han Su that the D7 Members had named Sparrow, the assistant to Ms. Red Trench Coat, as someone connected to the attack.
• Secretary Cui Qiao and Zhang Chiguo discussed the Bureau's internal conflict, and Zhang said he hoped to unlock another of Miss Ai's locks to strengthen reality's defenses.
• An investigator invited Han Su to Drunkard's Wine Party at Lilac Mansion, and Han Su accepted because he wanted to find the Living Copper Puppet.
• Han Su messaged Miss Ai that the banquet might be dangerous, and she promised to stay by his side.
• Han Su entered Lilac Mansion and saw the serpent-headed Bronze Armor Statue displayed in the first-floor lobby.

Han Su visited the Secret School’s club at Lilac Mansion and learned how its members improved their Mental Activity with tea brewed from dried corpses. He challenged the Drunk Investigator over his attack by D7 and asked what the Secret School wanted from him in return for its hospitality.

• Han Su entered the third-floor club, where he recognized Ms. Red Trench Coat, Miss Crow, and Sparrow among the investigators.
• The Drunk Investigator explained that the Secret School had supported the Disaster Management Bureau’s founding and that the club let investigators share information freely.
• Han Su questioned whether his attack by D7 had been tacitly approved, and the Drunk Investigator claimed the attackers may only have meant to warn him.
• The Drunk Investigator ordered Han Su Nile Red Tea and explained that it was steeped with a dried corpse from a Radiation Era ruin to boost Mental Activity.
• Han Su declined to drink the tea and asked what the Secret School wanted from him, suggesting they wanted him to stop bringing up the Kidnapping Case.

Han Su rejected the Drunk Investigator’s attempt to recruit him and expose Zhang Chiguo, then confronted Miss Sparrow over the D7 attack. After leaving the club, he secretly ordered the Bronze Armor Statue to kill her and anyone who intervened.

• The Drunk Investigator offered Han Su favors if he joined the Secret School, warned him against submitting his report, and threatened consequences for Zhang Chiguo.
• Han Su revealed that Miss Ai had recorded the meeting and sent it to Zhang Chiguo and Secretary Number 5.
• Han Su accused Miss Sparrow of arranging the D7 attack; she claimed responsibility but said there was no evidence against her.
• Han Su left the club and used Spiritual Penetration to command the Bronze Armor Statue to kill Miss Sparrow and anyone who tried to stop it.

Ms. Red Trench Coat and the Drunk Investigator discussed keeping Han Su and Zhang Chiguo from becoming targets in a power struggle, while Ms. Red Trench Coat confronted Crow and reassured Sparrow. The unprotected Bronze Armor Statue suddenly attacked Sparrow and the investigators, leaving the Drunk Investigator badly injured and in its grasp.

• The Drunk Investigator told Ms. Red Trench Coat that their superiors wanted them to persuade Han Su, not kill him, and warned her not to blame Sparrow for helping with his plan.
• Ms. Red Trench Coat learned that the Drunk Investigator had promised Sparrow his investigator's license and told Sparrow to stay alert so she would not become a scapegoat.
• Crow challenged Ms. Red Trench Coat about her past feelings for Zhang Chiguo or the Drunk Investigator, angering her before Sparrow returned with the forgotten purse.
• The Bronze Armor Statue's eyes lit up, and it seized Sparrow by the neck as she passed through the lobby.
• Ms. Red Trench Coat attacked the statue but could not damage it, and its other arm broke through her defense as investigators rushed to help.
• The Drunk Investigator pulled Ms. Red Trench Coat clear, but the statue crushed his arm and lifted him to slam him into the ground.

The Bronze Armor Statue killed the sparrow, and Lilac Mansion’s master refused to let the investigators blame the mansion or take the statue for investigation. As the Drunk Investigator and Ms. Red Trench Coat faced the fallout, Ripper arrived and asked whether the sparrow was truly dead.

• The Bronze Armor Statue absorbed the investigators’ Mental Power, strangled the sparrow, and dropped her body after she died; Ms. Red Trench Coat could not revive her with Number 08.
• Lilac Mansion’s master declared that the sparrow had not died at the mansion and warned the investigators against taking the Bronze Armor Statue away.
• The master privately learned that a possible suspect was the sole survivor of the Kidnapping Case, but ordered his guard not to investigate and wondered if the inheritor was conveying a will by killing an Executor.
• A dagger flew from the darkness toward the sparrow, but the Drunk Investigator caught it and recognized the scarred, collared newcomer as Ripper.
• The Drunk Investigator told Ripper he knew why he had left the D7 base, and Ripper replied that he did not.

Han Su considered how to overcome the limits on his Mental Activity and discovered that Zero Sequence Number 06 might let him sever his Mental Power into separate parts. After working out the procedure’s principles, he prepared to contact someone at Base D7 using the Number 11 incantation.

• Han Su reviewed what he had learned at Lilac Mansion and concluded he might be able to control the Bronze Armor Statue by embedding instructions in his Mental Power.
• Han Su asked Black Rose about increasing Mental Activity, and her story about a dark lord splitting his soul gave him the idea to treat each segment of his Mental Power as a separate unit.
• Miss Ai told Han Su that mental severance had been studied at Base D7 and that Zero Sequence Number 06, “All things obey my will!”, was within his clearance.
• Han Su used Miss Ai’s information to understand how the incantation’s self-control property could help him sever his Mental Power and increase one segment’s Mental Activity independently.
• Han Su realized he knew someone at Base D7, turned on a program featuring Wei Lan, and recited the Number 11 incantation, causing something alive to stir in the shadows.

Han Su summoned Wei Lan to bring Pot Lid Head to his apartment and proposed taking action against the people obstructing them. As the group prepared to rescue kidnapped children and confront those behind the cover-up, Han Su asked Pot Lid Head about a forbidden procedure to split his mind.

• Han Su summoned Wei Lan, who used her power to bring Pot Lid Head to his apartment.
• Pot Lid Head told Han Su he had failed to find the person who attacked him, but had befriended a drinking man and expected a new lead.
• Han Su said they should take the initiative, rescue the kidnapped children, and make the people covering up the case pay.
• Han Su asked Pot Lid Head whether he had experience with a forbidden procedure to split Han Su's mind, and Pot Lid Head said he had.

Han Su studied Pot Lid Head’s memories of forbidden surgery and began operating on his own Mental Power while Wei Lan guarded him. Meanwhile, Ripper returned from a mission changed, and mysterious beings watching Han Su revealed that the war had already been underway for a long time.

• Han Su received Pot Lid Head’s information, then immersed himself three times in Pot Lid Head’s memories of forbidden surgery to learn every detail.
• Wei Lan agreed to guard Han Su, and he used the Crystal Pendant to shield the apartment before beginning the surgery.
• Ripper returned to the underground base unusually excited, prompting researchers to remove his special protections and place him into regular use.
• As researchers monitored Ripper and began opening his skull, he sang, leaving them shocked by his changed behavior.
• Han Su used the Cipher Incantation for Number 06 to perform forbidden surgery on his own Mental Power, strengthening its existing divisions one segment at a time.
• Mysterious beings watched Han Su begin the surgery and said he did not know that the war had been going on for a long time already.

After forbidden surgery reduced his Mental Amplitude, Han Su found his mind sharper and learned that accepting contamination and then severing its source could raise Mental Activity. He took a B-class assignment and, with Doctor and Black Tiger, uncovered a devilray’s small-scale cult at a seafood market before Miss Ai recommended another assignment.

• Han Su noticed his memory, focus, and reactions had improved, while his Mental Amplitude had shrunk to ten years’ worth and his Activity remained at 36%.
• Miss Ai explained that investigators could increase Mental Activity by accepting contamination and then cutting off its source, and Han Su connected this to Ghost Fire and the Two-bodied person incident.
• Han Su asked Miss Ai for a suitable assignment, and she gave him a B-class investigation into a secretive cult in Binbin District.
• Han Su enlisted Doctor and Black Tiger, and Doctor traced the cult’s influence to a contaminated devilray in a seafood market tank.
• Han Su captured the devilray, which had influenced stall owners to worship it and feed it fresh worms, and the enforcement team took it away.
• Han Su questioned the assignment’s B-class rating, but Miss Ai defended it and sent him a recommendation for his next assignment.