Arc 5Toward the Sea

Jiang Mian traveled with Ye Chenyang to Base City No. 7, where she tested her growing strength and hunted Calamities while Ye concealed his true tier and confronted an Aberrant. The arc left Jiang Mian controlling a prepared clone at a beach where Calamities had come ashore, eager to feed.

  • Ye Chenyang and Jiang Mian traveled to Base City No. 7, where a looming marine Calamity threatened the coast.
  • Jiang Mian earned access to the activity zone after demonstrating [Eye of the Storm], then received Comet from Ye Chenyang.
  • Jiang Mian used Comet to kill a Tide Hunter and hunted farther out at sea with Ye Chenyang.
  • Number Five attacked them, but Ye Chenyang defeated the Fifth-tier Aberrant while Jiang Mian sent a clone into the sea to gather Fuel.
  • Ye Chenyang admitted he was Fourth-tier, and Jiang Mian secretly used her clone to kill more Calamities and collect cores.
  • Jiang Mian refined and sold cores with Ye Chenyang, then prepared a monitored clone to explore while he went to deal with the Mutual Aid Society.
  • Jiang Mian’s clone reached the beach despite Li Kui’s warning about the Calamities coming ashore and found a dense group of low-tier creatures.
Chapters 101–125 Vol. 2 Read

Ch. 101Invitation

Xiao Song confirmed his suspicion that Ye Chenyang was Eternal Day and chose not to report him, while Ye Chenyang strengthened Jiang Mian’s bracelet with protective power. Their feelings grew more complicated as Jiang Mian acknowledged his secrets and invited him upstairs, where he agreed to discuss the Training Program.

  • Xiao Song watched Ye Chenyang and Jiang Mian, became nearly certain Ye Chenyang was Eternal Day, and decided to keep his identity quiet while ensuring his safety.
  • Ye Chenyang finished enhancing Jiang Mian’s bracelet with Holy Radiance, giving it powerful protection that could trigger once to prevent a lethal attack.
  • Jiang Mian noticed Ye Chenyang was hiding his strength and told him she knew he had abilities beyond Shining Blade, while promising to respect his secrets.
  • Ye Chenyang felt reluctant to deceive Jiang Mian, and she privately panicked at how warmly he reacted to her words.
  • Jiang Mian invited Ye Chenyang upstairs, and he accepted, saying he wanted to discuss the Training Program.

Ch. 102So Pathetic!

Ye Chenyang visited Jiang Mian, reassured her about the bracelet and his identity, and encouraged her about joining the Training Program. Jiang Mian agreed to go, though her growing feelings for Ye Chenyang left her flustered, and the visit ended with her stomach growling.

  • Jiang Mian hid her hanging undergarments and cleaned her home with her ability before letting Ye Chenyang inside.
  • Jiang Mian told Ye Chenyang that Senior Xiao had visited and seemed interested in her bracelet, and Ye Chenyang said her safety mattered more than whether his secret was discovered.
  • Jiang Mian worried Senior Xiao had figured out Ye Chenyang's secret, and Ye Chenyang reassured her that he was not a Calamity.
  • Jiang Mian admitted she had agreed to join the Training Program and showed Ye Chenyang the train ticket Senior Xiao had given her.
  • Ye Chenyang praised Jiang Mian's abilities as the Eye of the Storm and said he would be there too, while Jiang Mian struggled to understand her feelings for him.
  • Jiang Mian's stomach growled as the two sat together.

Ch. 103A World Shattered and Reassembled

Jiang Mian struggled with her growing awkwardness around Ye Chenyang as they ate together, then asked him about the world’s geography. Ye Chenyang explained that the Mist had scrambled and reassembled regions through the Void Realm, and Jiang Mian realized the Sequence List included a way to survive its descent.

  • Jiang Mian recalled feeling hungry near Ye Chenyang and worried that she had begun caring about his reaction to her.
  • Ye Chenyang waited patiently while Jiang Mian finished eating, then handed her a tissue and walked south with her.
  • Jiang Mian asked Ye Chenyang where the central urban cluster was, and he explained that the Mist had scrambled and reassembled swallowed regions.
  • Ye Chenyang described the Void Realm Theory and warned that its descent was usually fatal without special means.
  • Jiang Mian recognized Sequence 9, the Radiance Path’s [Void Realm Walker], as the special means Ye Chenyang had hinted at.

Ch. 104Who Panicked?

Jiang Mian and Ye Chenyang discussed the Void Realm and the layout of the core urban ring, where Ye revealed that an immovable Artificial Sun protected the center. After Jiang Mian's flirtatious question stirred unexpected feelings in them both, she grew distant as she worried about her hidden identity, leaving Ye confused and hurrying after her.

  • Jiang Mian recalled that the [Void Realm Walker] had an affinity for space and suspected Ye Chenyang was a reborn Apex who did not know her true identity.
  • Jiang Mian and Ye Chenyang discussed the core urban ring, its sparse northern Base Cities, and the ocean east of it, which Jiang Mian thought might offer Calamities to hunt and a place to retreat.
  • Jiang Mian coaxed Ye Chenyang for an explanation about the central hub, and her boosted acting ability left him flustered.
  • Jiang Mian worried that Ye Chenyang would turn against her if he discovered her identity, then tried to dismiss her growing attachment as an illusion.
  • Ye Chenyang told Jiang Mian that an immovable Artificial Sun stood at the center of the core urban ring, and she connected it to the Radiance Monuments and the [Radiance] Apex.
  • Jiang Mian walked ahead with a colder attitude, and Ye Chenyang wondered what he had done wrong before hurrying after her.

Ch. 105What This Is...

In South City, Lin Xiaoyue and Shen Qiuyu discussed Shen’s upcoming trip before spotting Jiang Mian walking with Ye Chenyang. Jiang Mian apologized for her earlier mood, while Ye Chenyang misunderstood her feelings; the pair continued toward Wanyue Plaza as the friends speculated about their relationship.

  • Lin Xiaoyue admired the Radiance crystal VIP pass while Shen Qiuyu reflected on leaving South City and missing her longtime friend.
  • Lin Xiaoyue and Shen Qiuyu spotted Jiang Mian walking with Ye Chenyang and guessed that something was happening between them.
  • Jiang Mian realized Ye Chenyang had mistaken her emotional distance for unhappiness with him and decided to act normally around him.
  • Jiang Mian declined to visit the café with Ye Chenyang and instead headed with him toward Wanyue Plaza.
  • Jiang Mian apologized and said her earlier emotions were not his fault, and Ye Chenyang reassured her.
  • Lin Xiaoyue asked Shen Qiuyu what was going on between Jiang Mian and Ye Chenyang, and Shen guessed they shared an unspoken understanding.

Ch. 106Anomaly

Jiang Mian discovered faint signs of Calamity Transformation after absorbing Fuel from the Chaos Apex, then entered the space of consciousness to explore it. There, she found that Ye Chenyang’s bracelet had appeared with her and that gray scales had formed on both wrists.

  • Jiang Mian noticed a faint golden shimmer in her eyes and realized her body was changing after she absorbed Fuel from the Chaos Apex.
  • Jiang Mian found she could make the golden changes fade by calming herself, though she remained uneasy about her transformation.
  • Jiang Mian tried on stockings, then deliberately sent her consciousness into the blood-red wasteland.
  • Jiang Mian found Ye Chenyang’s bracelet on her wrist in the wasteland and saw cold, hard gray scales above the joints of both wrists.

Ch. 107"Me"

Jiang Mian discovered that her Mental Body was mutating toward a beastlike Calamity form, while her bracelet seemed to protect her from the fleshly mass in her territory. Ye Chenyang investigated Formless’s unexpectedly rapid expansion and decided to contact Senior Xiao.

  • Jiang Mian examined the scales on her arm, accepted that her body was changing, and resolved to stay conscious to remain herself.
  • Jiang Mian found that she could not remove her bracelet, which glowed protectively and made the fleshly mass cower before fading when she let go.
  • Jiang Mian crossed the boundary of her territory and saw a blood-red Torrent of tentacles rush toward her, stirring an appetite to consume them.
  • Ye Chenyang realized Formless had expanded far faster than in his previous life and had reached Base City No. 144.
  • Ye Chenyang considered investigating the Mutual Aid Society headquarters in Base City No. 7, then called Senior Xiao.

Ch. 108It's Nice to Be Young...

Jiang Mian reflected on her growing Calamity Transformation after absorbing [Formless]'s offshoots, then agreed to travel with Ye Chenyang to Base City No. 7. Ye Chenyang and Xiao Song prepared to leave with her, while Ye Chenyang remained concerned about [Doom]'s identity.

  • Jiang Mian noticed gray scales on her arm and recognized that her instincts and Calamity Transformation were worsening, though she believed she could still control herself.
  • Jiang Mian called Ye Chenyang, who told her he had to leave early for Base City No. 7 and invited her to come with him.
  • Jiang Mian considered the dangers and opportunities near the ocean before agreeing to travel with Ye Chenyang.
  • At Ye Chenyang's home, Xiao Song teased him about Jiang Mian agreeing to go with him, while Ye Chenyang planned to keep her safe and help her grow stronger.
  • Ye Chenyang reflected that [Doom] had likely absorbed [Formless]'s offshoots and sent Jiang Mian a message saying, “See you tomorrow.”

Ch. 109Northward

Jiang Mian left her City Defense apprenticeship and boarded a train with Ye Chenyang for Base City No. 7, while Xiao Song traveled with them. As the train entered the Mist, Ye Chenyang said their destination would be bright outside and planned to help Jiang Mian grow stronger.

  • Jiang Mian completed the paperwork to leave City Defense, thanked her team, and departed.
  • Jiang Mian and Ye Chenyang said goodbye to Lin Yun at North City Station, where Lin Yun hoped he would treat Jiang Mian well.
  • Jiang Mian noticed Xiao Song at the station and wondered why he was traveling with them, then passed a security check that made her Calamity Core tremble.
  • Jiang Mian followed Ye Chenyang into their private train compartment, and the train departed into the Mist.
  • Ye Chenyang brought Jiang Mian an iced drink and said they were going to Base City No. 7 to help her level up.

Ch. 110The Everlasting Radiance

Jiang Mian and Ye Chenyang arrived in the Core Circle, where Ye explained how the Everbright tower maintained its light and dispelled the Mist. After an unnatural tremor shook the city, Li Jun realized that the huge marine Calamity was not retreating but coming ashore.

  • Jiang Mian and Ye Chenyang saw the Everbright tower, and Ye explained that the [Radiance] Apex Sequence [Eternal Day] powered its enduring light.
  • Ye offered to help Jiang Mian find somewhere to sleep, and they left the station to explore the Core Circle’s waterways and bridges.
  • Dark clouds gathered over the coastline, and rhythmic tremors shook the ground as a high-tier marine Calamity approached.
  • Ye told Jiang Mian that the tremors signaled an approaching Calamity tide and reassured her that the city’s defenses could withstand them.
  • At the Sea Defense Line Maritime Command Center, Li Jun watched the creature’s signal vanish into the Mist and warned that it was coming ashore.

Ch. 111The Fish That Came Ashore

Li Jun learned that [Sea of Misfortune] was gathering wind and ordered the naval fortresses to prepare to intercept it as it came ashore. Meanwhile, Jiang Mian woke at the hotel, where Ye Chenyang gave her a new phone and opened a weapon case he had brought for her.

  • Li Jun ordered the naval fortresses to ready their main guns and depth charges if [Sea of Misfortune] began surfacing.
  • Jiang Mian woke, got ready, and found Ye Chenyang returning to the hotel with a room-service attendant and a large black case.
  • Ye Chenyang gave Jiang Mian a new phone, and she offered to pay him back for it.
  • Ye Chenyang opened the case and revealed a large gun barrel he had brought for Jiang Mian.

Ch. 112A Pass

Jiang Mian and Ye Chenyang went to the service hall so she could apply for a pass to hunt Calamities, after Ye Chenyang bought her a powerful weapon. As they waited in the crowded hall, two boastful students drew Jiang Mian’s attention, and she tugged at Ye Chenyang’s sleeve.

  • Ye Chenyang explained the Core Circle’s hunting zones and pass requirements, then showed Jiang Mian the three-star weapon Comet he had bought for her.
  • Jiang Mian promised to repay Ye Chenyang, while privately wondering how to handle his apparent feelings for her.
  • Jiang Mian changed into cooler clothes, and she and Ye Chenyang headed through the rain to the service office.
  • Ye Chenyang shielded Jiang Mian from curious and probing looks when they entered the crowded service hall.
  • Two Ocean University students behind them loudly bragged about one student’s Second-tier rank and prospects, and Jiang Mian tugged at Ye Chenyang’s sleeve to distance herself from them.

Ch. 113Too Sinister

Ye Chenyang used his ability to silence a man who bothered Jiang Mian, then accompanied her to a credential test. Jiang Mian demonstrated unusually powerful control of [Eye of the Storm] and received her access card, but she sensed someone watching her.

  • Ye Chenyang noticed Jiang Mian wanted to get away from the loud men and let her move ahead of him.
  • Ye Chenyang immobilized the man called Brother Wang and left him with a gap in his memory.
  • Jiang Mian entered the testing room, where Zhong Fen and Ge Sheng asked her to demonstrate [Eye of the Storm].
  • Jiang Mian’s Wind Field toppled and pinned all three test mannequins, impressing Zhong Fen and Ge Sheng.
  • Zhong Fen gave Jiang Mian her golden access card, and Jiang Mian noticed the surveillance camera and suspected someone was watching her.

Ch. 114Another One? A Fruit Platter?

Jiang Mian avoided Ge Sheng’s Sea Defense recruitment offer and then drew unwanted attention from a local scammer in the waiting area. Qin Xiao chased the man off, but Jiang Mian’s strange hunger flared around him before Ye Chenyang arrived and recognized Qin Xiao as someone from his memories.

  • Ge Sheng explained Sea Defense’s offer and gave Jiang Mian his business card, but she declined to commit because she wanted to remain free.
  • Jiang Mian returned to the crowded waiting area and tried to avoid attention while waiting for Ye Chenyang.
  • A blond man tried to pose as Jiang Mian’s guide and sell her equipment, but Qin Xiao intervened and sent him away.
  • Jiang Mian felt an intense hunger around Qin Xiao, reminiscent of the sensation she had experienced near Ye Chenyang.
  • Ye Chenyang arrived, recognized Qin Xiao from his memories, and listened as Jiang Mian explained what had happened.

Ch. 115Girlfriend? Who?

Ye Chenyang and Jiang Mian met Qin Xiao, an old acquaintance of Ye Chenyang’s from his previous life, who warned them that Aberrants were moving through Base City No. 7’s sewers. After Qin Xiao mistook Jiang Mian for Ye Chenyang’s girlfriend, they left together, and Jiang Mian began to suspect Ye Chenyang and Xiao Song would soon investigate the Aberrants.

  • Qin Xiao thanked Ye Chenyang for helping him and warned him to watch out for Aberrants emerging from the sewers.
  • Qin Xiao mistook Jiang Mian for Ye Chenyang’s girlfriend, prompting an awkward exchange before he apologized and exchanged contact information with them.
  • Ye Chenyang and Jiang Mian left the lobby in the rain, and Jiang Mian asked whether he knew Qin Xiao.
  • Ye Chenyang explained how Base City No. 7’s underground drainage system and busy traffic could allow Aberrants to slip inside.
  • Jiang Mian connected the warning to the Mutual Aid Society and suspected Ye Chenyang and Xiao Song would soon act, while Ye Chenyang planned to take her to the activity zone the next day.

Ch. 116The next morning

Jiang Mian and Ye Chenyang went to the Third-tier activity zone, where Jiang Mian planned to hunt Calamities to satisfy her growing hunger. After passing the checkpoint, they entered the passageway leading to the transition zone.

  • Jiang Mian woke hungry after digesting the Calamities she had eaten and planned to send a clone into the sea to search for more.
  • Jiang Mian met Ye Chenyang, and they left the hotel after breakfast to visit the activity zone.
  • Jiang Mian and Ye Chenyang queued at the checkpoint, where she asked whether she needed to bring weapons or equipment.
  • Ye Chenyang explained that they could buy equipment and cores in the transition zone beyond the checkpoint.
  • The inspector checked Jiang Mian and Ye Chenyang's permits, warned Jiang Mian to be careful, and let them pass.
  • Jiang Mian suppressed the Golden Light in her eyes as she followed Ye Chenyang into the passageway, eager to eat Calamities.

Ch. 117Fishing with Explosives?

Jiang Mian and Ye Chenyang entered the activity zone, where she bought Calamity Cores and prepared Comet for practice. After Jiang Mian fired the rifle into the sea, a massive shadow began rising from the water.

  • Ye Chenyang led Jiang Mian past the buffer-zone hustlers and bought her a tactical waist pack at an equipment shop.
  • Jiang Mian bought a collection of Calamity Cores, mostly First Order, and filled her new waist pack.
  • Ye Chenyang and Jiang Mian entered the activity zone and headed toward the shallow sea so Jiang Mian could practice.
  • Jiang Mian assembled Comet and fired a Fire Element projectile into the sea, startling nearby Awakened.
  • The projectile struck the water, which boiled and filled with mist as a massive shadow rose beneath it.

Ch. 118"Tool Bag" Ye Chenyang

Jiang Mian killed a near-Third-tier Tide Hunter with one shot and joined Ye Chenyang in heading farther from the shore to find more Calamities. Ye Chenyang showed her how he shaped Radiance into a controllable harpoon for retrieving cores, and they prepared to continue hunting.

  • Jiang Mian blasted the Tide Hunter's core apart with one shot, impressing the Awakened watching nearby.
  • Jiang Mian absorbed the Tide Hunter's core as Fuel and asked Ye Chenyang to find more suitable targets farther from the buffer zone.
  • Ye Chenyang agreed, and he and Jiang Mian headed deeper inland toward the sea.
  • Jiang Mian asked how hunters recovered Calamity cores, and Ye Chenyang explained the risks of retrieving remains in deeper water.
  • Ye Chenyang formed a Radiance harpoon that he could control with his mental power and handed it to Jiang Mian.
  • Jiang Mian inspected the harpoon and asked Ye Chenyang if they could get started.

Ch. 119A Sudden Change

Jiang Mian and Ye Chenyang hunted weak Calamities by the sea until a powerful battle erupted offshore and a Fifth-tier Aberrant ambushed them. Ye Chenyang faced the attacker, whom he identified as Sequence 49, [Crimson Touch], while suspecting the Mutual Aid Society’s [Formless] had reached at least Fourth-tier.

  • Jiang Mian shot a [Deep Diver], and Ye Chenyang collected its core, adding it to their pile of ordinary loot.
  • A series of powerful booms shook the shore as a major fight began near the Sea Defense line, likely involving the Seventh-tier [Sea of Misfortune].
  • Ye Chenyang moved to retreat with Jiang Mian, but he blocked a blood-red spear that lunged at them and demanded its attacker reveal himself.
  • A pale Aberrant emerged from the water, tore off his tentacles, and shaped them into a crimson spear.
  • Ye Chenyang recognized the attacker as a Fifth-tier wielder of Sequence 49, [Crimson Touch], and recalled that [Formless] had reached at least Fourth-tier.

Ch. 120The Clone Goes to Sea

Ye Chenyang confronted Number Five, a Fifth-tier Aberrant sent to capture him and Jiang Mian, while Jiang Mian prepared to seek resources in the sea. The fight continued inside Number Five’s Crimson Realm as Jiang Mian sent a water-like clone toward the shore and discovered that seawater enhanced her perception.

  • Number Five attacked Ye Chenyang and Jiang Mian, but Ye Chenyang told Jiang Mian to retreat and blocked Number Five’s spear with his blade.
  • Ye Chenyang’s strength surprised Number Five, and Ye Chenyang unleashed a giant golden sword as the distant rumbling grew louder.
  • Number Five used his Fifth-tier Crimson Touch skill, Crimson Realm, to surround the fighters with a red barrier and pressure Ye Chenyang.
  • Jiang Mian judged Ye Chenyang to be Fourth-tier and decided to seek more Fuel in the resource-rich ocean.
  • Jiang Mian transformed three Second-tier cores into a mass of black water, sent it toward the shore, and found that seawater seemed to extend her perception.

Ch. 121Big Fish Eat Little Fish

Jiang Mian used her fish-shaped clone to hunt a Tide Hunter while Ye Chenyang defeated a Fifth-tier red-robed Aberrant. After Ye Chenyang revealed that he was Fourth-tier, the pair headed back, unaware that Jiang Mian’s clone had swallowed the Aberrant’s remains and removed his mark.

  • Jiang Mian extended her perception through the seawater and sent her three-core fish-shaped clone into the Second Order zone.
  • Jiang Mian’s clone killed a Third-tier Tide Hunter with a wind-powered strike followed by flames.
  • Ye Chenyang defeated the red-robed Fifth-tier Aberrant, which dissolved into a puddle of red liquid.
  • Jiang Mian questioned Ye Chenyang about his strength, and he admitted that he was Fourth-tier rather than Second-tier.
  • Deafening booms interrupted Ye Chenyang’s explanation, so he and Jiang Mian headed back together.
  • Jiang Mian’s clone swallowed the Aberrant’s remains, and Ye Chenyang noticed that his mark had disappeared.

Ch. 122"Self-Conscious" Jiang Mian

Jiang Mian used her clone to absorb powerful targets while pretending to feel insecure so Ye Chenyang would give their relationship some distance. As she filled her core storage again, a giant water hand seized her clone, leaving its fate uncertain.

  • Jiang Mian sensed that the creature her clone had digested carried a [Radiance] beacon, but Ye Chenyang assumed the signal had vanished because something in the sea had destroyed it.
  • Jiang Mian hinted that Ye Chenyang’s rapid advancement suggested he was more powerful than he had let on, then acted insecure to pull their relationship back to a safer distance.
  • Ye Chenyang reassured Jiang Mian that they were friends and offered to teach her how to process cores for a better price.
  • While walking with Ye Chenyang, Jiang Mian guided her fish-shaped clone into the level-two zone and had it defeat two [Tide Hunters], filling her core storage.
  • A huge hand made of water grabbed Jiang Mian’s clone and hauled it upward, while a familiar voice reacted in shock at what it had found.

Ch. 123Core Uses: Smelting and Refining

Jiang Mian destroyed her water-element clone before Qin Xiao could identify its creator, then learned about refining cores from Ye Chenyang and demonstrated an exceptionally successful first attempt. She began considering whether refining cores could become a way to make money, and prepared to refine more.

  • Qin Xiao caught Jiang Mian’s water-element clone near the edge of the Second-tier zone, but Jiang Mian ignited its cores and made it vanish before he could inspect it.
  • Jiang Mian and Ye Chenyang returned to the buffer zone as strange winds and dark clouds signaled trouble ahead.
  • Ye Chenyang explained how Awakeners refined cores, and Jiang Mian quickly purified a Second Order Wind Element core.
  • Ye Chenyang praised the core’s quality, while Jiang Mian wondered if she could buy and refine cores for profit.
  • Jiang Mian lined up her collected Wind Element cores and prepared to refine them.

Ch. 124A Second Clone, Preparing "Accessories"

Jiang Mian and Ye Chenyang sold refined cores, then Ye Chenyang left to investigate the Mutual Aid Society. Jiang Mian used his absence to prepare her clone for another outing and approached a night-market stall to buy a Mutant Remains.

  • Jiang Mian refined four wind-element cores without a failure, and she and Ye Chenyang sold their cores at the Resource Management and Recycling Office.
  • Ye Chenyang explained the Mutual Aid Society to Jiang Mian before leaving the hotel to deal with it.
  • After Ye Chenyang left, Jiang Mian went to the commercial district, bought supplies and a surveillance camera, and prepared to deploy her clone again.
  • Jiang Mian's clone visited a night market and approached Wang Meng's stall after most vendors had packed up.
  • Jiang Mian pointed to one of Wang Meng's Mutant Remains and asked him to pack it.

Ch. 125Late-Night Cafeteria

Jiang Mian used a cheap half-skin to create a petite clone and sent it through a side path toward the coast. After learning that Calamities were surging ashore, she headed for the cordoned beach to gather cores and food.

  • Jiang Mian formed a clone, equipped it with refined cores and a monitor, and gave it clothes and spare cores.
  • Jiang Mian controlled the clone through a forest path toward East City's activity zone and encountered Li Kui, Old Zhao, and a tall, thin man.
  • Li Kui warned Jiang Mian that Calamities were rushing ashore and that a cordon had been set up near the beach.
  • Jiang Mian crossed the gravel beach and saw a dense group of low-tier Calamities, calling the scene a late-night buffet.
Arc 5 of 18