Recaps

Zhao Bai fought Red Seele in the Sea of Quanta, cutting down her regenerating tentacles as he fled toward the boundary with reality. He realized Black Seele was the true attacker and understood that she had likely been the one who dragged him out of bed to confront him.

• Red Seele attacked Zhao Bai with blood-soaked tentacles, and he severed them with his Reverse Wind Slash.
• Zhao Bai put on his glasses to provoke her, then fled toward the real world because he could not defeat her underwater in the Sea of Quanta.
• Black Seele mocked Seele and urged her to admit she wanted to kill Zhao Bai, while Seele rejected her words.
• Zhao Bai reflected on Seele’s loneliness and resilience, deciding he respected her rather than pitied her.
• Zhao Bai recognized Black Seele as the one who had dragged him from bed and declared that she was the attacker.

Zhao Bai drove Black Seele away and tried to help the real Seele understand why she could not leave the Sea of Quanta. The chapter ended with him introducing himself and making Seele laugh.

• Zhao Bai slashed through Black Seele’s claws without hurting her, and she fled when he calmly sheathed his katana.
• Seele woke up and asked Zhao Bai whether he had killed Black Seele, and he said he had only scared her away.
• Seele tried to leave the Sea of Quanta but dissolved into blue butterflies and re-formed in the same place.
• Zhao Bai reassured Seele that her inability to leave was his problem, then sat down to talk with her.
• Zhao Bai introduced himself and shared his motto about never making a girl cry or wasting food, making Seele laugh.

Zhao Bai said goodbye to Seele and promised to return with food while keeping her situation secret from Bronya. He returned to the cleanup site, where Theresa and Fu Hua were overseeing the removal of Honkai Beast remains and Bronya checked on him.

• Seele asked Zhao Bai not to tell Bronya that she was trapped in the Sea of Quanta, fearing Bronya might act recklessly.
• Zhao Bai promised to visit Seele again the next day and bring her a gift, then watched her vanish as a swarm of blue butterflies.
• Zhao Bai returned through the Eye of the Abyss to the cleanup site, where crews were loading Honkai Beast corpses for disposal.
• Theresa complained about directing the cleanup crews while Fu Hua reminded her that she had chosen to come.
• Bronya looked at Zhao Bai with concern.

Zhao Bai hid his plans from Bronya while preparing a sweet cold-brew jasmine tea as a gift for Seele. He then announced that he was going to North America to find someone who could help Seele switch between her quantum state and physical body.

• Zhao Bai reassured Bronya that nothing was seriously wrong, then used Fu Hua's Taixu Sword Heart to conceal his thoughts.
• Bronya watched Zhao Bai sleep on the transport aircraft and suspected he was hiding something, but told Heavy Cannon Rabbit not to wake him.
• Zhao Bai prepared cold-brew Jasmine Dragon Pearl tea for Seele, choosing a light, sweet drink suited to her.
• Zhao Bai said he was going to North America to find someone who could teach Seele to switch between her quantum state and physical body.

Zhao Bai told Bronya he was going to deliver food to North America, though he did not explain his reasons. He left for his target while Bronya waited for him at home.

• Bronya asked Zhao Bai what he planned to do, and he said he would deliver food.
• Zhao Bai explained that North America had been lying low, so he wanted to treat them to a meal.
• Bronya chose not to press him for an explanation and told him to come back soon.
• Zhao Bai said he would return before the ice melted in the cold-brew tea, then set off without asking Bronya for technical support.

Zhao Bai flew to Sacramento after ordering Heavy Cannon Rabbit to locate Anti-Entropy’s base, intending to persuade Dr. Einstein with a gift of seafood pizzas. He reached the desert at night and used his weapons to keep warm and shield himself from blowing sand as he continued toward her.

• Zhao Bai ordered Heavy Cannon Rabbit to run anti-encryption detection and brute-force the geographical location.
• Zhao Bai flew from the dormitory to Sacramento, where a pilot took him toward California’s capital without asking questions.
• Zhao Bai learned that Anti-Entropy’s livestreaming base was in a desert and had identified its location from the stars in Einstein’s lecture backdrop.
• Zhao Bai carried two Italian-style seafood pizzas as a gift, hoping to persuade Einstein to agree with him.
• Zhao Bai crossed the cold desert with his greatsword to keep warm, then used Magnetic Storm to repel blowing sand, though the ozone made him frown.

Einstein and Tesla finished their livestream lesson in the desert, and Zhao Bai arrived with food. He served them a seafood pizza while using his power to shield the livestream site from the wind and sand.

• Einstein ended the livestream after cursing a commenter who claimed to be a student at the University of Science and Technology of China.
• Tesla admitted she had fallen asleep during Einstein's physics lesson, and the pair prepared to leave and switch off their antiparticle force field shield.
• Tesla spotted Zhao Bai approaching across a sand dune, surrounded by a crackling dark blue shield and carrying a lunchbox.
• Zhao Bai presented Einstein and Tesla with a ten-inch seafood pizza he had made himself.
• Zhao Bai expanded his ionized energy field to protect the livestream site from the wind and sand.

Zhao Bai shared pizza and sparkling wine with Tesla and Einstein, then spoke privately with Einstein while Tesla felt excluded. The conversation’s subject remained unrevealed.

• Tesla criticized Zhao Bai for delivering pizza without drinks, but she and Einstein ate the meal.
• Tesla and Einstein found themselves drinking Martini’s sparkling wine from the broadcast van.
• Einstein explained that they kept low-alcohol drinks because Tesla could not hold her liquor well.
• Zhao Bai spoke with Einstein while excluding Tesla, who complained about being left out.

Zhao Bai asked Einstein to teach a little girl to control her quantization and negotiate compensation, then asked her to deal with Cocolia. Einstein clarified that he only needed to meet Cocolia once.

• Einstein understood that Zhao Bai wanted her to teach a little girl to make her quantization uncontrollable.
• Einstein asked Zhao Bai what compensation he wanted, while he asked her to put away her sword.
• Zhao Bai handed An-Utu to Einstein, who touched the blade and learned he used it as a hot-water bottle.
• Zhao Bai asked Einstein to deal with Cocolia, and she explained that he only needed to meet Cocolia once.

Zhao Bai secretly attended an Anti-Entropy meeting after Einstein warned him about Cocolia’s excessive praise and Tesla’s growing hatred. He listened as Cocolia spun an edited photo of him and Durandal into a story about their strained relationship.

• Einstein warned Zhao Bai that Cocolia’s constant praise was making Tesla hate him more and advised him not to accept an Anti-Entropy Executor position unless it was offered directly.
• Zhao Bai considered the Executor title useful for openly attending meetings and gathering intelligence.
• Einstein brought Zhao Bai into the Imaginary Space as Anti-Entropy’s seventy-second general meeting began.
• Zhao Bai noticed that the projected photo of him and Durandal had been heavily edited with a beauty filter.
• Cocolia claimed that Zhao Bai and Durandal were wary of each other despite appearing harmonious, while Zhao Bai privately recalled their close friendship and shared activities.

Zhao Bai answered Cocolia’s summons and caught her praising him during a meaningless meeting. After she fainted and vanished into the Sea of Quanta, Einstein ended the meeting, while Zhao Bai, Einstein, and Tesla stayed behind.

• Cocolia argued that the Far East Branch and headquarters could be peacefully merged, then speculated that Zhao Bai might be pursuing Durandal.
• Zhao Bai stepped out of the shadows and insisted that he and Durandal had nothing romantic going on.
• Einstein revealed she had brought Cocolia’s star to the meeting and told her to stop praising him during meetings.
• Cocolia fainted, and her body dissipated into the Sea of Quanta.
• Einstein dismissed everyone, and Zhao Bai, Einstein, and Tesla stayed behind.

Cocolia reconnected with Zhao Bai in the Quantum Sea and offered him a place in Anti-Entropy. Zhao Bai accepted the Executor medal but asked to work as a well-paid chef, leaving Cocolia to consider how to compensate him.

• Cocolia reconnected with Zhao Bai in the Quantum Sea and challenged him over trespassing into Anti-Entropy headquarters.
• Zhao Bai brushed aside Cocolia's posturing and accepted the Anti-Entropy Executor medal.
• Cocolia asked Zhao Bai whether he wanted to join Einstein's conservative faction or her reformist faction.
• Zhao Bai offered to handle Anti-Entropy's catering if the pay was good, and Cocolia worried the organization could not afford him.
• Zhao Bai asked for two Titans instead of money so they could pound rice cakes for him.

Zhao Bai signed Cocolia’s Titan delivery agreement and returned to California, where Einstein summoned his two Titans. He left to complete his mission, while Einstein said she was tired.

• Cocolia asked Zhao Bai to sign a confidentiality agreement for the two Titans, and Einstein told him it was likely an excuse to get his autograph.
• Zhao Bai signed the agreement, and Cocolia reacted with delight.
• Einstein transported Zhao Bai back to the California desert, where only twenty minutes had passed.
• Einstein snapped her fingers and summoned the two Titans, then told Zhao Bai to complete his mission.

Zhao Bai returned to St. Freya Academy with a bottle of sparkling wine and an Anti-Entropy badge after meeting Tesla and Einstein. Bronya questioned whether he had defected, then remembered that she had defected to Schicksal herself.

• Zhao Bai let Einstein and the Titan disappear into the sandstorm, then returned to the airport with a bottle of Martini sparkling wine and a champagne flute.
• Zhao Bai told the pilot the wine was a return gift and enjoyed drinking it during the flight while Tesla silently fumed.
• The Gulfstream landed at St. Freya Academy after two hours.
• Bronya noticed Zhao Bai’s sparkling wine and asked whether a girl had treated him; he said Dr. Tesla had.
• Bronya spotted the Anti-Entropy badge on Zhao Bai’s chest and asked if he had defected, then recalled that she had also left Anti-Entropy for Schicksal.

Bronya watched Zhao Bai and Heavy Cannon Rabbit leave together after the machine gently stopped him from carrying her to bed. She trusted Heavy Cannon Rabbit completely but could not understand its relationship with Zhao Bai, who began making tea with it.

• Zhao Bai teased Bronya about calling him her superior and lifted her into a princess carry.
• Heavy Cannon Rabbit gently picked Zhao Bai up and set him on the ground, stopping him from taking Bronya to bed.
• Zhao Bai told Bronya to sleep while he and Heavy Cannon Rabbit discussed important matters.
• Bronya recalled trusting Heavy Cannon Rabbit as her longtime companion and a gift from Seele, though she could not understand how it had become involved with Zhao Bai.
• Zhao Bai picked up the teapot, and Heavy Cannon Rabbit said it knew a little about making tea.

Zhao Bai left Bronya and Theresa behind and hurried to the Eye of the Abyss with ingredients and Einstein. He arrived to find Seele missing from their agreed meeting place, and his murderous aura suppressed the surrounding energy.

• Zhao Bai left Bronya and Theresa with Heavy Cannon Rabbit as Bronya grew frustrated watching him go.
• Zhao Bai gathered ingredients at the restaurant and rushed toward the Eye of the Abyss, with Heavy Cannon Rabbit carrying them.
• Zhao Bai summoned Einstein at the Eye of the Abyss, and she questioned whether Seele was as ordinary as he had claimed.
• Zhao Bai searched the agreed meeting place but could not find Seele, despite knowing she would not break her promise.
• Zhao Bai reacted with alarm as a murderous aura surrounded him and suppressed the Eye of the Abyss's energy.

Zhao Bai found Seele scattered throughout the Sea of Quanta in a quantumized state, and Einstein explained that Seele needed to manage her emotions before she could control her shifts between being observable and unobservable. Zhao Bai offered tea as a gentler form of help, leaving Seele to ask whether it would aid her practice.

• Zhao Bai searched the abyss for Seele and ordered Heavy Cannon Rabbit to scan for her.
• Heavy Cannon Rabbit found Seele distributed throughout the Sea of Quanta in a quantumization phenomenon.
• Einstein brought Seele before Zhao Bai and said she was not ready to control her observability without learning emotional management.
• Zhao Bai poured tea for Seele and Einstein, and Seele asked whether drinking it would help her practice controlling quantumization.

Zhao Bai used tea to calm Seele and bring out her other personality, Black Seele, while trying to learn what caused Seele’s mental instability. Black Seele drank the tea, but her hostile reaction was cut short by Zhao Bai.

• Zhao Bai explained that tea tasted good, and Einstein and Seele drank it and felt calmer.
• Zhao Bai asked what caused Seele’s mental instability and summoned Black Seele by tapping Seele’s forehead.
• Black Seele cracked her teacup, but Zhao Bai poured her tea and warned her not to waste food.
• Black Seele drank the tea, enjoyed its honey-like taste, and questioned whether food could win her over.
• Black Seele raised scarlet tentacles, and Zhao Bai shattered them with a crescent-shaped flash of icy blue blade light.

Zhao Bai tried to explain that Seele and Black Seele should merge, but Black Seele rejected his assumptions and described herself as born from Seele’s desire to cut away her weakness. After Einstein interpreted Black Seele’s accusations as self-blame, Zhao Bai apologized, leaving the two of them wary and uncertain.

• Zhao Bai told Seele and Black Seele that merging was the simplest solution to their inability to maintain separate physical forms.
• Black Seele insisted that she had been born from Seele’s selfishness and wanted to cut away her weakness and reclaim what she had lost.
• Zhao Bai asked Einstein what Black Seele was dealing with, and Einstein suggested that she was blaming herself.
• Zhao Bai apologized to Black Seele after realizing his words had angered her, and she cautiously accepted.

Zhao Bai prepared an elegant Crab-Stuffed Orange for Black Seele, using the meal as a way to help Seele accept him. Einstein watched as he served the unfamiliar Hangzhou dish, unsure what to expect.

• Black Seele signaled Heavy Cannon Rabbit to put down the ingredients and seasonings because she wanted to eat.
• Zhao Bai sent the others and Heavy Cannon Rabbit deeper into the Sea of Quanta so he could cook without frightening them.
• Zhao Bai hollowed out oranges, stir-fried steamed crab meat with sesame oil and Huadiao wine, and served it in the orange shells.
• Einstein recognized the dish as Hangzhou cuisine and wondered whether she would like it.

After Zhao Bai’s Crab-Stuffed Oranges impressed Einstein and Black Seele, the group finished their picnic and turned to treating Seele. Black Seele realized they cared about the other soul in her body, not her, and wondered whether she had to be the villain.

• Einstein and Black Seele tasted Zhao Bai’s Crab-Stuffed Oranges and were overwhelmed by their flavor.
• Einstein asked Zhao Bai how Seele’s condition could be cured at its root.
• After sharing the last of the tea, the group ended the picnic and brought in the treatment equipment.
• Black Seele laughed bitterly, believing the others cared about the other soul in her body rather than her.
• Black Seele was overcome by negative emotions and asked, “Did it have to be me?”

Zhao Bai reassured Black Seele before entering the Stigmata Space to help address Seele’s painful memories. After Einstein warned him about its chaotic nature, he began the procedure and was overwhelmed by the descent.

• Zhao Bai told Black Seele that she had to embrace the world if she wanted it to embrace her.
• Einstein explained that conventional treatment would not work because Seele’s consciousness came from the Stigmata on her chest.
• Black Seele questioned the procedure, but Einstein inserted a lead into the skin over her Stigmata.
• Zhao Bai put on the helmet and entered the Stigmata Space despite Einstein’s warning.
• Zhao Bai descended through layers of deep sea and nearly vomited as the world spun around him.

Zhao Bai entered Seele’s Stigmata Space, where a desolate orphanage stood in the morning light, and searched for her. He reached the orphanage grounds but had not yet found Seele.

• Black Seele worried that Zhao Bai might see her secrets, but Einstein reassured her that Mind Manifestation would remain abstract.
• Seele’s chains hummed and the stigmata on her chest glowed as they resisted an intruder.
• Zhao Bai found the orphanage’s chained gate would not open, even when he attacked the chains with a blade.
• Zhao Bai discovered a narrow hole at the base of the wall and squeezed through into the orphanage.
• Zhao Bai rubbed his aching shoulder and called out for Seele.

Zhao Bai pursued Seele through the orphanage, trying to help her as a stranger whose actions could influence her inner world. Seele continued to flee, and Zhao Bai blocked the corridor with ice and snow.

• Zhao Bai broke the chain on a locked building and found Seele fleeing down from the fourth floor.
• Seele saw Zhao Bai and fled upstairs without recognizing him.
• Einstein listened to Zhao Bai’s thoughts and concluded that Seele’s deeper problems went beyond a split personality and that Zhao Bai was her remaining hope.
• Zhao Bai caught Seele by the arm, but she transformed into blue butterflies and re-formed farther away.
• Zhao Bai called for Seele to stop, then filled the corridor ahead of her with ice and snow.

Zhao Bai saved Seele from a knife-wielding pursuer and called himself an ordinary passerby. He tried to show her that strangers could help one another, then melted the frost around them with a flaming katana.

• Zhao Bai silently sheathed his blade, stepped in front of Seele, and comforted her by stroking her hair.
• When Seele asked who he was, Zhao Bai called himself an ordinary passerby, and she decided to call him Mister Ordinary Person.
• Seele asked why he would help someone he did not know, and Zhao Bai argued that strangers could still lend each other a hand.
• Seele questioned whether the world was truly hopeful, and Zhao Bai pointed to the sun and all the foods he had yet to try.
• Zhao Bai drew a flaming katana and melted the frost, leaving the wooden floor dry.