Gong Qiying

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Gong Qiying (宫奇英)
Alias(es)	Godwyn; Mareda; Sakaki
Species/Race	Ghoul; later uses a body created through the Corpse Rebirth Technique
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Sain Underground City; later Val Dungeon and Eagle Capital Dungeon; Black Stone City
Occupation/Role	Dungeon Lord; City Lord; proprietor of Mareda Magic Item Shop
Status	Active
First Appearance	1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Lord Authority, Level 2	3	Spent 5,000 Mental Power to unlock Teleportation, Mimicry, and updated available buildings and monsters.
Intelligence: E+ → C-	34	Invested Mental Power to improve magical comprehension, casting-related capability, and learning speed sufficiently to understand the Corpse Rebirth manuscript.
World Fame activated	88	Reached the required Mental Power reserves, activating a world map system that displays the territorial presence of dungeons.
Kindred system unlocked	125	Gained the ability to summon simulated Adventurer hero units whose attributes, equipment, and group-support talents are based on their dungeon performance.
“World Where You Can't Leave Unless You Win” Authority	175	Selected this authority after defeating Calamity Nest Dungeon's City Lord, Ganago, in a death battle.
Eagle Capital Dungeon Lord Authority	265	Received authority over Eagle Capital Dungeon from Red Fang after participating in the Burning Demon extermination campaign.
Absolute Sovereign Authority	265	Obtained through a fixed duel with another City Lord.
Lord Authority, Level 4	443	Upgraded during Eliphis's assault on Sain Underground City, enabling him to summon weakened manifestations of famed Legendary-rank figures.

Background / History

Gong Qiying was originally an employee at a game company. After being forced to handle map-design work left behind by a departing colleague, he fell asleep during a lunch break and transmigrated into the body of Godwyn, the ghoul Dungeon Lord of Sain Underground City. Godwyn's dungeon had been easy enough to attract only rookie Adventurers, leaving it without the deaths and Mental Power needed to sustain itself. 1

Using his game-design knowledge, Gong Qiying rebuilt the dungeon into a more punishing environment of constrained routes, dead ends, ambushes, traps, Mimics, and game-inspired rewards. His initial goal was survival: the dungeon had only 631 remaining Mental Power against a daily operating cost of 77. 1

The redesigned dungeon's opening caused nearly two hundred deaths in a single morning, raising its Mental Power to 8,436. Gong Qiying used this windfall to upgrade his Lord Authority and gain the ability to leave the Lord's Chamber through teleportation and assume alternate forms through Mimicry. 3

He later studied the Corpse Rebirth Technique to escape the dungeon without losing control over it. After Jack's corpse was delivered into the Underground City, Gong Qiying used it as the ritual vessel; his soul entered the reconstructed body, which took on an appearance resembling his former self. He successfully left Sain Underground City while retaining absolute control over it. 34 42

After establishing himself outside the dungeon under the name Mareda, Gong Qiying expanded Sain's influence through commerce, dungeon updates, and cooperation with other City Lords. His aid to Val Dungeon during the Demon Race's invasion brought him into contact with its golem City Lord, Kidd, who sought to transfer responsibility for Val Dungeon to him. 126 129 133

Gong Qiying subsequently became involved in the broader affairs of dungeon City Lords. He won a death battle against Calamity Nest Dungeon's Ganago, joined expeditions against escaped Sealed Entities, acquired Eagle Capital Dungeon, and gradually extended his influence over territories including Black Stone City. 175 264 265 602

Appearance

Gong Qiying initially inhabits Godwyn's withered ghoul body. After Corpse Rebirth, he gains a humanlike body resembling his appearance from his previous life, though it also retains traits reminiscent of a healthier Godwyn. 1 12 42

• Thin, frail limbs in his original ghoul body. 12
• Withered skin that partially regains its luster after absorbing life force from corpses. 12
• Black hair and black eyes in his reborn body; these traits are considered uncommon in the local world. 42
• Can still appear with an undead or ghoul-like face when interacting with other Dungeon City Lords as Godwyn. 612
• Can alter his appearance and voice through Mimicry. 7
• Commonly appears to Adventurers as the golden Spirit Body “Mareda” when summoned. 22 36

Personality

Gong Qiying is an enthusiastic dungeon designer who finds genuine joy in constructing punishing maps, observing Adventurers, and testing how players react to his mechanics. He favors difficulty balanced by meaningful rewards, recognizing that a dungeon which is only difficult will eventually drive visitors away. 1 4 7

He is calculating and opportunistic, readily manipulating Jack into becoming an informant and guide, using his interactions with Sithran to obtain outside-world knowledge, and leveraging rare items such as Rainbow Fruit to attract attention to the dungeon. 12 22 43

Despite this, he has a personal moral line. He killed the black-market dealers after learning they intended to murder Jack, largely because their treachery annoyed him. He also expresses anger when Jack is murdered and resolves to identify those responsible. 12 36

His isolation as Dungeon Lord leaves him lonely and bored. This desire for human connection contributes to his willingness to act warmly and helpfully as Mareda, even if he also benefits from the resulting trust and information. 21 22

As Sain grows, Gong Qiying deliberately broadens its offerings beyond lethal challenges. He considers Pokémon-themed content and gourmet areas his “gentler” additions, while still prioritizing the Souls-like dungeon design that first made Sain successful. 113

He has a noticeable vanity and enjoys the admiration of other City Lords, particularly when they praise his game-design ideas. However, he consciously avoids becoming complacent, believing that continued improvement is more important than reputation. 259 264

Abilities & Skills

Dungeon Lord Authority

As the Lord of Sain Underground City, Gong Qiying can redesign and operate the dungeon through its systems.

• Alters map layouts, routes, buildings, traps, monsters, and rewards. 1 6 7
• Observes dungeon activity through a Crystal Ball. 3 16
• Gains Mental Power from Adventurers' emotions and deaths; an Adventurer's death generally yields more than seventy Mental Power. 3
• Uses dungeon mechanics such as Souls and Bonfires to encourage Adventurers to grow stronger and explore deeper. 26
• Retains absolute control over Sain Underground City after leaving it in his reborn body. 42
• Records and studies Adventurers' routes, reactions, gathering places, and exploration progress in order to refine dungeon content. 547
• Can answer dungeon rescue requests by deploying his monsters in another dungeon, including potentially stationing them there as long-term aid. 126
• Has extended his control to Val Dungeon, Eagle Capital Dungeon, and Black Stone City. 133 265 602

World Fame and Territorial Expansion

After reaching the required Mental Power reserves, Gong Qiying activated World Fame, gaining access to a continent-scale map marked with the colored territorial presence of dungeons. 88

• Uses the World-Dyeing Map to observe nearby dungeons and territorial changes. 188 698
• His expanding influence is represented by green coloration spreading across territory under Sain's control. 188 602
• Took full control of Black Stone City, causing its map region to be dyed green. 602

Teleportation

Unlocked with Level 2 Lord Authority.

• Can leave the Lord's Chamber and appear anywhere within the dungeon. 3
• Used alongside transformations to intervene directly in dungeon events. 12

Mimicry

Mimicry allows Gong Qiying to change his appearance and take on monster forms.

• Changes his appearance and voice at a Mental Power cost. 7
• Can transform into monsters from the usable-monster list for half the cost of summoning that monster. 7
• A Furnace Knight transformation costs 400 Spirit Power, compared with 800 to summon one. 7
• Each transformation lasts up to twenty-four hours; unused duration carries over. 7
• Has taken the forms of a Gargoyle and the Furnace Knight. 5 12 31
• More powerful forms, such as a Thunderwolf Dragon, are too costly for him to use freely. 12

Kindred

Kindred are simulated Adventurer hero units generated from those who have entered Sain Underground City.

• Any creature that has entered Sain can potentially be registered as Kindred. 125
• A Kindred's combat ability, equipment, and items are based on what the original person demonstrated within the dungeon. 125
• Their talents change according to their performance and can provide group BUFF effects. 125
• Kindred possess special advantages against dungeon-created entities. 125
• Summoning Kindred does not consume Mental Power. 125

Additional Lord Authorities

Gong Qiying has accumulated special authorities through dungeon conflicts and territorial expansion.

• Chose the authority World Where You Can't Leave Unless You Win from Ganago after winning a death battle against Calamity Nest Dungeon. 175
• Obtained the Absolute Sovereign authority through a fixed duel. 265
• Received Lord Authority over Eagle Capital Dungeon from Red Fang. 265
• At Level 4 Lord Authority, can summon weakened versions of renowned Legendary-rank figures to defend Sain. 443

Shield Stab

Gong Qiying developed and teaches an unconventional shield-and-lance combat style.

• Uses a greatshield to absorb attacks while countering with repeated lance thrusts. 23
• Requires lowering the shield to recover stamina and rolling away before a guard break. 23
• Trades damage output for safety, endurance, and potential group effectiveness. 23
• He cautions Sithran not to abandon her agility-focused Ranger strengths merely to imitate his style. 36

Magic and Intelligence Enhancement

Gong Qiying can use magic and has invested in Intelligence to improve his magical capabilities.

• Uses a Meteor Staff and spells to eliminate a swarm of cursed frogs. 25
• Intelligence improves magic damage, casting-related qualities, magical comprehension, and learning speed rather than merely increasing IQ. 26 34
• Raised his Intelligence from E+ to C- to decipher the Corpse Rebirth manuscript. 34
• His enhanced thought speed eventually exceeds the reaction speed of his frail reborn body. 49
• Acquired rare magic materials and spellbooks from other Dungeon City Lords to improve the authenticity and variety of Sain's Magic Academy. 195

Corpse Rebirth Technique

A soul-transfer ritual that allowed Gong Qiying to leave the Underground City.

• Transfers a soul into a new body while allowing it to move back and forth between the original and new bodies. 34
• Its stated side effect is that the original body becomes a ghoul, which poses little concern to Gong Qiying because he is already one. 34
• Gong Qiying performed the technique using Jack's corpse. 42

Life-Force Absorption

Gong Qiying can absorb energy from corpses.

• Draws white streams of light from dead bodies into himself. 12
• Restores some vitality to his ghoul body and appears to increase his strength. 12

Windwalker

Gong Qiying gained access to the armament Windwalker, whose true form is a pearl carried through an arm ring.

• Can use Windwalker to abruptly reposition and move at extreme speed. 255
• After transforming into wind, he believes he could use the armament to create a hurricane capable of sweeping through much of Bed City. 255
• Windwalker's stored energy was supplied through Jade's sacrifice. 255

Dungeon Design Expertise

Gong Qiying applies professional game-design principles to dungeon construction.

• Builds themed regions around compatible monsters, environments, and progression rather than indiscriminately mixing content. 113
• Replaced large numbers of weak monsters with smaller populations of stronger elite monsters to create a more coherent ecosystem. 113
• Teaches other City Lords that material rewards are the primary motivation for Adventurer exploration, while titles and other spiritual rewards function as incentives. 264
• Developed and taught the Triangle Rule: ascending triangular terrain with branching routes, visible future objectives, and a compelling summit reward. 264

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Crystal Ball — monitors Adventurers and dungeon events. 3 16
• Greatshield and lance — used for Shield Stab. 23
• Small scythe — carried while exploring with Sithran. 23
• Grappling hook — possesses one identical to the dungeon reward obtained by Sithran. 24
• Meteor Staff — used to cast spells against cursed frogs. 25
• Summoning Finger Medicine — enables Adventurers to perceive his Summoning Mark and summon his Mareda disguise. 22 36
• Rainbow Fruit — sold through his market stall and shop to draw attention and spread information about the dungeon. 41 43
• Slave Contracts — soul-binding contracts; Gong Qiying cannot sign more than three. 12
• Windwalker — a pearl-form armament carried in an arm ring that grants wind-based movement capabilities. 255
• Merfolk spellbook — a rare scaled spellbook received from Lin Weier of Azure Sea Dungeon. 195
• Star shell — an item sent alongside the merfolk spellbook by Lin Weier. 195
• Blood Vials — Blood Therapy items created for use in Sain's Hunter-themed content. 451 484
• Repair Powder — a magical powder introduced into Sain that restores damaged weapons and armor by reversing them to an undamaged state. 288

Relationships

• Sithran — Adventurer, student, and trusted outside contact. As Mareda, Gong Qiying guides her through the dungeon, teaches her Shield Stab, and receives information about the outside world from her. 22 23 36 After supplying ritual materials for him, Sithran is unable to find his Summoning Mark again and believes that he has left Bed City to continue traveling. 64
• Jack — Deceased former slave-contract subordinate and Dungeon Domain Master. Gong Qiying used him as an informant, guide, and prospective tester for dungeon content; Jack's murder angers him, and his corpse later becomes the vessel for Gong Qiying's Corpse Rebirth. 12 31 36 42
• Godwyn — Original Dungeon Lord whose ghoul body Gong Qiying inhabits after transmigration. Godwyn's declining intelligence and poor dungeon design created the crisis Gong Qiying inherited. 1 3
• Sid — Retired Gold-rank Adventurer and Adventurer's Guild branch president. Sid purchases Rainbow Fruit from Gong Qiying and invites him to join a potential exploration team. 42 43
• Verde — Adventurer whom Gong Qiying defeats in a Pokémon battle as Sakaki, then offers to teach about Pokémon and Trainers. 18
• Morgan and Ya Yi — Humans who infiltrate the dungeon while disguised as Demon Race members. Gong Qiying captures them and later deduces they are connected to an organization seeking to destroy dungeons. 46 47
• Elsa — Warrior and later Brave Hero who detects a dangerous monster-like smell from Gong Qiying, making him instinctively uncomfortable around her. Gong Qiying nevertheless recognizes her potential as an exceptionally valuable Adventurer for Sain's developing storylines. 49 278
• Kidd — The alchemical golem City Lord of Val Dungeon. Kidd requests Sain's aid during the Demon Race invasion and later seeks to entrust Val Dungeon and its responsibilities to Gong Qiying. 126 129 133
• Red Fang — City Lord of Red Fang Dungeon and a respected senior ally. Red Fang recognizes Gong Qiying's potential, invites him into Sealed Entity expeditions, awards him Eagle Capital Dungeon, and frequently offers guidance. 264 265 347
• Lin Weier — City Lord of Azure Sea Dungeon and a trade partner. She exchanges rare spellbooks and other items for Gong Qiying's aid, and entrusts Cangyin Underground City's novice City Lord to him. 195 612
• Hainis / Lele Niye — The young City Lord of Cangyin Underground City. Gong Qiying supports her with Mental Power and monsters during her early struggles, causing her to become deeply grateful and regard him as a benefactor. 195 612
• Merdin / Gladiator — City Lord of Glory Dungeon. Merdin seeks Gong Qiying's advice on implementing a hero-based competitive dungeon system and becomes one of the City Lords willing to cooperate with him. 554
• Flamefire, Follower, and Illynise — City Lords of Blazing Flame, Holy Light, and White Blood Dungeons, respectively. Though initially outwardly cordial, their dungeons later join the opposition against Sain's planned expansion. 693 698
• Eliphis — An enemy City Lord empowered by the Demonfall Egg and an unknown entity. Gong Qiying counters his attack on Sain by summoning powerful figures and sealing the entity controlling him. 443

Story Role / Major Arcs

Redesign of Sain Underground City

After becoming Dungeon Lord, Gong Qiying transforms Sain Underground City from an easy rookie dungeon into a deadly, game-inspired challenge built around traps, ambushes, branching routes, monsters, and rare rewards. 1 7

Creation of the Bonfire System

Gong Qiying introduces Bonfires and Souls to the dungeon. Adventurers can gain Souls from killing monsters and permanently enhance their attributes at Bonfires, giving them a powerful reason to explore further and challenge stronger enemies. 26

Mareda and Sithran's Training

Disguised as Mareda, Gong Qiying guides Sithran through the dungeon, teaches her Shield Stab, and becomes her first mentor in the style. Their exchanges also allow him to learn basic information about the world, its races, and its power tiers. 22 23 36

Escape from the Dungeon

Seeking a way to experience the outside world, Gong Qiying studies the Corpse Rebirth Technique, improves his Intelligence to understand it, and uses Jack's corpse to create a body capable of leaving Sain Underground City. 34 42

Outside-World Business and Investigation

After leaving the dungeon, Gong Qiying opens Mareda Magic Item Shop on White Whale Street and sells Rainbow Fruit to promote the dungeon. He also discovers the Anti-Dungeon Organization's existence and begins seeking a conscious member to interrogate. 43 48 49

World Fame and Sain's Expansion

Following the activation of World Fame, Gong Qiying gains a clearer view of the wider dungeon landscape. He restructures Sain into increasingly coherent themed regions, introduces new systems and attractions, and begins considering how to expand beyond the limitation of a dungeon that closes each day. 88 113

Val Dungeon Rescue and Acquisition

Gong Qiying responds to Val Dungeon's call for assistance against the Demon Race, deploying Sain's resources against the invaders. His cooperation with Kidd eventually places Val Dungeon under his authority and establishes him as a City Lord capable of managing more than one dungeon. 126 129 133

Kindred and Dungeon Warfare

Gong Qiying discovers that Adventurers who form bonds with Sain can become Kindred: simulated hero units usable in dungeon conflicts. While initially questioning their combat value compared with his monster reserves, he recognizes their strategic potential and begins placing greater emphasis on strengthening Adventurers' attachment to Sain. 125

Calamity Nest Death Battle

Gong Qiying defeats Calamity Nest Dungeon's City Lord, Ganago, in a death battle. From the defeated City Lord's available authorities, he chooses “World Where You Can't Leave Unless You Win,” gaining both rewards and increased standing among other City Lords. 175

Sealed Entity Expeditions and Eagle Capital Dungeon

After mysterious murders in Sain reveal a threat involving Adventurers with unique talents, Gong Qiying joins Red Fang's expedition to Eagle Capital Dungeon, where escaped Burning Demons threaten the region. He contributes the highest boss-kill count among the participating City Lords, receives Eagle Capital Dungeon as his reward, and gains further authority through a fixed duel. 252 264 265

Eliphis's Assault on Sain

When Eliphis is teleported into Sain Underground City's territory after gaining abnormal powers, Gong Qiying upgrades to Level 4 Lord Authority and summons weakened Legendary-rank figures to confront him. The unknown entity controlling Eliphis is sealed, and Eliphis is ultimately killed by the Black Swordsman. 443

Black Stone City and Dragon Rehabilitation

Gong Qiying takes full control of Black Stone City following the Combat Festival, extending Sain's territorial reach. He also attempts to rehabilitate the Dragon of Madness and other demon dragons through Sain's food-related content, although other City Lords widely misunderstand the resulting food obsession. 602 673

Cangyin Underground City

After learning that Cangyin's City Lord Lele Niye is Hainis, the novice City Lord Lin Weier had asked him to protect, Gong Qiying accepts her invitation. Their meeting confirms Hainis's lasting gratitude for the Mental Power and Plants vs. Zombies monsters he sent during her dungeon's early crisis. 195 612

Faithless Sealed Artifact and Sain's Self-Defense

Gong Qiying joins Red Fang and other City Lords in suppressing a Faithless Sealed Artifact. When nearby religiously themed dungeons interpret Sain's planned expansion as a threat, Blazing Flame, Holy Light, White Blood, and other dungeons issue death-battle challenges; Gong Qiying responds by defending Sain's interests and later rejects Holy Light Dungeon's repeated overtures after Sain's victory over Blazing Flame Dungeon. 693 698 758

Trivia

• Gong Qiying selected the major environmental themes of the redesigned dungeon randomly from the available buildings rather than for symbolic reasons. 1
• He considers watching Adventurers clear his dungeon more entertaining than any television program from his previous life. 16
• Although he claims to be “just an ordinary adventurer” as Mareda, he uses this persona to conceal his identity as a ghoul Dungeon Lord. 22 42
• His frail reborn body cannot initially keep pace with the thought speed granted by his Intelligence enhancement. 49
• Gong Qiying refers to Kindred as “Usable Heroes,” considering the system's official name less descriptive. 125
• Other City Lords often interpret Gong Qiying as an impossibly ancient and mysterious figure whose fragmented memories contain genuine history, an impression he does little to correct. 264 621
• He considers City Lords learning his Triangle Rule and other dungeon-design principles an especially satisfying source of personal validation. 264