Chapter Summaries

Lin Yun and Chen Qing tracked Jiang Mian to a warehouse, where an uncontrolled Elemental Burst revealed that Jiang Mian had awakened to a powerful Wind ability. As the warehouse doors blew open, Ye Chenyang offered to enter and assess the danger.

• Lin Yun asked Chen Qing to help find Jiang Mian, and Chen Qing used [Wind Whisper] to learn that men had dragged a girl toward the Warehouse District.
• Chen Qing and Lin Yun found A Jie and Green Hair prying at a warehouse door, while Lin Yun recognized them as Li Hao's followers and feared for Jiang Mian.
• A violent Elemental Burst erupted from inside the warehouse, knocking people down and cutting Red Hair and Green Hair as the wind tore at the door.
• Ye Chenyang arrived by motorcycle and learned that the girl inside was likely Jiang Mian, who had experienced a powerful Natural Awakening despite failing to Awaken a month earlier.
• The warehouse doors blew open, and Ye Chenyang said his ability could resist physical attacks as he prepared to enter and investigate.

Jiang Mian used her wind ability to kill Li Hao, then staged herself as a frightened victim before Ye Chenyang arrived. Ye Chenyang pushed through her weakening storm and entered the warehouse center, where he found her.

• Jiang Mian unleashed a wind field that cut through Li Hao’s defenses and drove him toward the warehouse door.
• Jiang Mian swept Li Hao into the wind field, killed him with a blade to the throat, and added debris to his wounds.
• Jiang Mian slapped herself, disheveled her collar, and curled up sobbing to make her attack look like self-defense.
• Ye Chenyang used Flowing Colors to withstand the storm and advanced toward the warehouse center.
• Ye Chenyang reached the center of the warehouse and saw a sight that made his heart tighten.

Ye Chenyang found Jiang Mian after Li Hao’s attack had triggered her unstable natural awakening and tried to calm her down. She fainted in his arms, and when he used Heart Lamp to soothe her mind, she screamed that something warm had entered her body.

• Ye Chenyang recognized that Jiang Mian’s wind storm was a dangerous natural awakening, possibly involving Eye of the Storm, and wondered why she had been absent from the Training Program in his Previous Life.
• Jiang Mian acted frightened and warned Ye Chenyang not to approach, while her wind field grew more turbulent.
• Ye Chenyang dismissed Flowing Colors, identified himself as a Security Officer, and urged Jiang Mian to calm the wind.
• Jiang Mian claimed she could not control her ability, then fainted as the wind blades weakened and disappeared.
• Ye Chenyang caught Jiang Mian, checked her erratic pulse, and used Heart Lamp to stabilize her mind.
• Jiang Mian shrieked after feeling something warm enter her body.

After killing Li Hao during an Elemental Storm, Jiang Mian concealed her true nature and let Ye Chenyang believe she had collapsed from using her newly awakened [Eye of the Storm]. The next day, she woke in the hospital, relieved that her abilities had gone undetected, but spotted dancing Little Bear Cookies at the edge of her vision.

• Jiang Mian suppressed her Calamity Core's reaction while Ye Chenyang used [Heart Lamp] on her, then wondered whether his ability marked him as an Apex Sequence.
• Ye Chenyang told Lin Yun and Chen Qing that Li Hao was already dead when he arrived and Jiang Mian had passed out from overexertion.
• Lin Yun examined Jiang Mian and concluded that she had fallen into a self-protective sleep, while Chen Qing inspected Li Hao's body and identified the scene as an [Eye of the Storm] Elemental Storm.
• Security Officers and medical staff arrived, and Chen Qing arranged for the unconscious Jiang Mian to be taken to the hospital.
• Jiang Mian woke the next day, found that medical tests had not exposed her Calamity Core, and resolved to maintain her [Eye of the Storm] act.
• Jiang Mian noticed what looked like Little Bear Cookies dancing on the floor.

Jiang Mian woke in the hospital and discovered that her suppressor had failed, while Lin Yun tended to her and misunderstood her quietness as emotional distress. At the Public Security Bureau, Li Tian identified his son Li Hao’s remains and considered the implications of the high-tier Sequence that had killed him.

• Jiang Mian saw that the dancing figures had vanished and realized her suppressor had stopped working less than two days after she reached the Second-tier.
• Lin Yun visited Jiang Mian with porridge, apologized for losing her glasses, and urged her to rest.
• Li Tian learned at the North District Public Security Bureau that Li Hao had died and was taken to identify his remains.
• Li Tian saw Li Hao’s injuries and learned that an Elemental Burst caused his death.
• Li Tian reflected on the danger of retaliating against the newly awakened holder of the High-tier Sequence [Eye of the Storm], then agreed to complete the paperwork.

After awakening Sequence 48, [Eye of the Storm], Jiang Mian learned that officials wanted her to join a high-priority Training Program and travel to the Central City Circle. Ye Chenyang offered to guide her, leaving Jiang Mian wary of his unusual strength and relieved when he left.

• Officials presented Jiang Mian with the Training Program regulations and offered her extensive support as a high-ranked Awakened.
• Lin Yun returned with Ye Chenyang, who brought Jiang Mian her belongings and reminded her to rest and avoid using her ability.
• Ye Chenyang reassured Jiang Mian that her Sequence 48 ability was not luck and explained the difficulty of controlling powerful elemental abilities.
• Ye Chenyang revealed his Sequence 49, [Shining Blade], and offered to teach Jiang Mian before she joined the program with him.
• After Ye Chenyang left his contact information and departed, Jiang Mian suspected he was hiding something and breathed a sigh of relief.

After leaving the hospital, Jiang Mian negotiated with the Scalper to buy a Suppressor and learn that a mysterious code led to a communication address for Aberrants. With the meeting set for the next night, she weighed the risk of the upcoming Training Program and resolved not to attend without finding a way to avoid suspicion.

• Jiang Mian left the hospital, bought a replacement phone and glasses, and contacted the Scalper through an encrypted messaging channel.
• Jiang Mian sent the Scalper a string of numbers, and he revealed that it referred to a communication address where Aberrants could connect with their kind.
• Jiang Mian haggled the price down to 15,000 for a Suppressor and the address, and the Scalper arranged a cash meeting for ten the next night beside Warehouse No. 4 in North City's old industrial district.
• Jiang Mian calculated that the purchase would leave her with less than 5,000 and worried that the next dose might not prevent Spiritual Erosion for long.
• Jiang Mian decided she could not enter the Training Program, where powerful Awakened could expose her, and considered how to refuse or delay without raising suspicion.

Jiang Mian secretly listened to Du Biao and A Gui discuss the Suppressor trade before meeting A Gui at the warehouse. She received the Suppressor and the address information after paying, while Du Biao remained hidden nearby.

• Du Biao told A Gui he believed Jiang Mian was a new Patient rather than a police informant and warned him to be cautious.
• Jiang Mian, concealed on the warehouse roof by [Gale], overheard their conversation and learned that only one company manufactured Suppressors.
• Jiang Mian entered the warehouse, and A Gui sensed that her presence had become more oppressive since their previous deal.
• Jiang Mian tossed A Gui a case of money, and he confirmed the payment before handing her a Suppressor and the requested address information.

Jiang Mian inspected a new Suppressor, intimidated the smugglers who sold it, and headed to scout a private hospital used by the Same Kind. On the way, she sensed a familiar Security Officer, whose sudden beam of light caught her in its path.

• Jiang Mian opened the package from A Gui, checked the Suppressor, and found a map and entry password for a private hospital in North City.
• Jiang Mian confronted A Gui about the previous Suppressor’s poor effectiveness, then unleashed a scorching aura when he asked about her sequence.
• A Gui apologized and backed down, while Du Biao emerged from hiding and warned him not to pry into customers’ information.
• Jiang Mian left in the rain and decided to scout the hospital, using [Gale] to conceal her aura as she approached.
• Jiang Mian sensed a familiar Female Security Officer on patrol and began to change routes, but a beam of light suddenly shone toward her.

Wang Chen spotted Jiang Mian near the hospital, but Chen Qing stopped him from investigating, leading Jiang Mian to suspect the authorities knew about the Aberrants gathering there. She returned home after deciding not to take risks, only to sense someone unfamiliar inside her apartment.

• Wang Chen noticed a hooded figure in a black raincoat in an alley and alerted Chen Qing.
• Chen Qing sensed that the figure was an Awakened but told Wang Chen to keep patrolling and not investigate further.
• Jiang Mian realized Chen Qing might know about the hospital and considered several dangerous explanations for the Aberrants gathering there.
• Jiang Mian decided to leave rather than risk exposing herself and hurried home through the night.
• Jiang Mian sensed an unfamiliar aura inside her apartment as she reached her door.

Jiang Mian discovered an Aberrant assassin named Liu Mu waiting in her home, hired to kill her. She broke free of his shadow abilities with her Fierce Flame and set the Shadow Mist and Liu Mu ablaze.

• Jiang Mian suspected Li Hao's father had arranged an attack and entered her home prepared to fight the intruder.
• Liu Mu, a Chaos-path Wanderer, trapped Jiang Mian with shadow cords and sealed the room in Shadow Mist.
• Liu Mu revealed that someone had hired him to kill Jiang Mian and began threatening her.
• Jiang Mian let her fearful act drop and burned through the shadow cords with her orange-gold Fierce Flame.
• Jiang Mian ignited the Shadow Mist and Liu Mu with her flames.

Jiang Mian revealed her true power and killed Liu Mu, who had attacked her at home. She decided to approach City Defense to gain access to more Calamities and grow stronger, using Ye Chenyang as a witness to her supposed progress.

• Jiang Mian revealed that she was a Second-tier Aberrant wielding [Fierce Flame], and Liu Mu realized he had mistaken a terrifying beast for a helpless lamb.
• Jiang Mian burned Liu Mu to ashes and absorbed the energy, easing the hunger of her Calamity Core for several days.
• Jiang Mian used [Gale] to sweep away Liu Mu's ashes and considered how to handle the powerful people who had sent him.
• Jiang Mian decided to seek training with City Defense so she could face more Calamities and reach Third-tier.
• Jiang Mian found Ye Chenyang's business card and planned to use him as a witness to make her rapid improvement seem believable.

Jiang Mian met Ye Chenyang at a drinks shop, where he advised her on controlling her newly awakened wind abilities and offered to take her to a Training Ground. The pair arrived there, where a young man greeted Ye Chenyang and teased him about bringing Jiang Mian along.

• Jiang Mian messaged Ye Chenyang and met him at a drinks shop in South City.
• Ye Chenyang bought Jiang Mian a drink and asked how her awakening had changed her senses.
• Jiang Mian demonstrated her unstable control of the wind, and Ye Chenyang explained that her ability was difficult to tame after a Natural Awakening.
• Ye Chenyang invited Jiang Mian to a nearby Training Ground, and she agreed to go with him.
• Ye Chenyang brought Jiang Mian into the indoor training area, where a young man greeted him and teased him about arriving with a girl.

Ye Chenyang brought Jiang Mian to an Awakened training area to help her get familiar with her ability. After learning that she had studied boxing, he suggested she try firearms and use her Wind Field to strengthen and guide bullets.

• Zhao Gang introduced himself to Jiang Mian and apologized for teasing her.
• Ye Chenyang led Jiang Mian to the weapon racks and explained how weapons and Mutated Bone Weapons helped Awakened fighters.
• Jiang Mian said she had learned boxing, and Ye Chenyang judged it a poor fit for her build and ability.
• Ye Chenyang suggested firearms, explaining that Jiang Mian could apply a Wind Field to bullets to boost their power and adjust their trajectories.
• Jiang Mian considered the cost and difficulty of combining shooting with wind control, and Ye Chenyang offered to help her practice.

Jiang Mian practiced controlling her Wind Field while Ye Chenyang watched her rapid progress and quietly tested his suspicions by dispelling her Wind Pressure Vortex with his hidden golden power. As they left the training ground, they discussed the Prodigy Cultivation Plan, and Jiang Mian's strange whispers returned, leaving her wondering whether she had entered the second stage again.

• Ye Chenyang watched Jiang Mian maintain a Wind Field and wondered how she had learned to control it so quickly.
• At Ye Chenyang's suggestion, Jiang Mian compressed her Wind Field into a Wind Pressure Vortex, and he dispelled it with a golden power.
• Jiang Mian realized Ye Chenyang was hiding a powerful ability and resolved not to let him discover her secrets.
• Ye Chenyang praised Jiang Mian's talent and ended their training session for the day.
• While walking out of the training ground, Jiang Mian and Ye Chenyang discussed the Prodigy Cultivation Plan, which Jiang Mian did not want to join.
• Jiang Mian heard faint whispers, briefly lost herself in thought, and wondered whether she had entered the second stage again and needed her medicine.

Ye Chenyang took Jiang Mian home, where they encountered her classmate Wang Chen, now a Trainee Security Officer. Ye Chenyang recognized Wang Chen’s future potential and worried that [Oblivion River] could influence him, while Jiang Mian saw an opening to bring up training with City Defense.

• Ye Chenyang offered Jiang Mian a ride home and drove her to her residential complex in North City.
• Wang Chen encountered Jiang Mian and Ye Chenyang while patrolling, checked that Jiang Mian was well, and felt self-conscious beside Ye Chenyang.
• Ye Chenyang recognized Wang Chen as the future wielder of Sequence 15: [Silent Domain] and considered how [Oblivion River] might affect him before he reached the fifth tier.
• Jiang Mian asked Wang Chen about his training at the North District Public Security Bureau and saw a chance to mention City Defense naturally.

Jiang Mian told Ye Chenyang and Wang Chen that hunger and financial trouble were pushing her to consider joining City Defense so she could grow stronger. Ye Chenyang supported her idea and offered to train her, leaving Jiang Mian wondering what he wanted from her.

• Jiang Mian explained that her awakening had left her constantly hungry and short of money, then brought up City Defense's benefits.
• Wang Chen warned Jiang Mian that City Defense was dangerous, but she said she wanted to get stronger and avoid being vulnerable like she had been with Li Hao.
• Ye Chenyang agreed that combat could help Jiang Mian improve and offered to prepare a training plan for her.
• Wang Chen suspected that Ye Chenyang was the high-Sequence boy from No. 1 High School and felt insignificant beside him.
• Jiang Mian went home exhausted and reviewed her interactions with Ye Chenyang, wondering what he wanted from her.

Jiang Mian reported to the City Defense Office in East City and began her one-month probation with the East District Third Branch Team. She reached Sentry Tower Number Three on the East City Wall and found the lounge marked for East Third Five Team, where she was due to report to Captain Qin Wu.

• Jiang Mian continued training with Ye Chenyang, learning to maintain and compress her Small Wind Field while improving her firearm skills.
• Jiang Mian went to the City Defense Office, where the clerk verified her Sequence 48, [Eye of the Storm], and processed her probationary paperwork.
• The clerk assigned Jiang Mian to Team Five of the East District Third Branch Team for a one-month probation with a daily stipend of 1,200 yuan.
• Jiang Mian took the lift to the East City Wall, observed the Mist beyond it, and heard Awakened soldiers speculate about her strength.
• Jiang Mian followed her handbook to Sentry Tower Number Three and found the lounge marked East Third Five Team.

Jiang Mian joined Qin Wu’s elite squad and introduced herself as a Sequence 48 Awakened on the [Elemental] Path. At the Training Ground, she chose a powerful but single-shot sniper rifle called the “Cannon” and asked Qin Wu to let her test it.

• Jiang Mian met Qin Wu, Li Huan, Gu An, and Su Wanning, then introduced herself as a Sequence 48 [Elemental] Path Awakened.
• Li Huan recognized Jiang Mian’s name and recalled the incident involving his younger male cousin, but decided to treat her like any other teammate.
• Qin Wu led Jiang Mian and the others to the Training Ground to show her the base and help her choose equipment.
• Jiang Mian passed over the melee weapons and picked the single-shot rifle nicknamed the “Cannon.”
• Qin Wu and Gu An warned that the rifle might be ineffective against groups of Calamities, but Jiang Mian said her ability suited it and asked to try it.

Jiang Mian demonstrated how her Wind Field could turn ordinary bullets into devastating shots, then requested specialized ammunition and accepted a temporary dorm bed. As Su Wanning led her to the dormitory, Jiang Mian realized she was getting lost in the facility.

• Jiang Mian used her Wind Field to fire a bullet that destroyed three training dummies, impressing Qin Wu, Gu An, and Li Huan.
• Qin Wu offered Jiang Mian the rifle and asked what special ammunition she wanted; she requested armor-piercing and incendiary rounds.
• Jiang Mian planned to use the incendiary rounds to conceal Fire Seeds in Calamity material and make Calamities into Fuel.
• Qin Wu arranged a spare bed in Su Wanning's dorm, and Jiang Mian received ammunition and daily necessities from the logistics office.
• Su Wanning led Jiang Mian toward the dormitory, but Jiang Mian became disoriented in the corridors.