Chapter Summaries

Bo Shuo and Zhang Xiong found themselves trapped in a stable Ghost Domain, where escaping required destroying the ghosts sustaining it. As Bo Shuo met Xavier, he recognized the Shadowless Church emblem and realized the seemingly courteous man was a real priest of the fear-sacrificing cult.

• Bo Shuo and Zhang Xiong entered a powerful Ghost Domain that could not be escaped by exploiting its weaknesses, so the navigation pointer directed them to attack its ghost keepers.
• Bo Shuo’s pseudo A-Class trial ended, costing him 500,000 Emotion Points, while his carefully staged display earned more points from the examinees.
• 007 pointed out that Xavier had generated no emotions toward Bo Shuo, and Bo Shuo noticed the Shadowless Church emblem on Xavier’s clothes.
• Bo Shuo identified the emblem aloud, and Xavier confirmed that he was a priest of the Shadowless Church.
• Bo Shuo remembered the cult’s sacrifices of fear and the victims’ cruel deaths, and felt a chill as he recognized what Xavier represented.

Bo Shuo and the examinees escaped the collapsing Ghost Domain and returned to an ordinary corridor. Zhang Xiong ordered them to hurry on, and the group left the severely injured behind as they continued toward their report for duty.

• Meng Ran Nian noticed Xavier and wondered how he had failed to register the man's presence, then grew more impressed with Bo Shuo.
• 007 warned Bo Shuo that the space was close to collapsing, and the Ghost Domain shattered around the examinees.
• Bo Shuo checked that the group was safe after they returned to a brightly lit, empty corridor.
• Zhang Xiong berated the dawdling and injured examinees, and Bo Shuo urged him to continue toward their report for duty.
• The examinees followed Zhang Xiong, leaving behind those too badly injured to move.

Xavier healed the injured candidates with Mid-tier Potion and introduced himself as the Hanged Man, a Priest of the Shadowless Church. He drew their attention to Bo Shuo, and the candidates recoiled in terror at the Black Haired Youth.

• Bo Shuo called Xavier’s actions “Loading cargo,” while Xavier laughed and continued treating the injured candidate.
• Xavier poured several bottles of Mid-tier Potion into the wounded candidates’ mouths, and they began to recover.
• The candidates thanked Xavier, who introduced himself as a Priest of the Shadowless Church codenamed “The Hanged Man.”
• Bo Shuo remained suspicious of Xavier’s kindness and watched him coldly.
• Xavier asked Bo Shuo whether the candidates were pitiful, then directed their attention to Bo Shuo.
• The recovering candidates saw the Black Haired Youth and recoiled in terror, aggravating their wounds.

Xavier used his Judgment skill to summon deadly Cross Longswords over the examinees, then presented himself as their compassionate savior. Bo Shuo recognized the deception as the kneeling examinees begged Xavier to rescue them.

• Xavier removed the Inverted Cross and blessed the examinees, causing Cross Longswords to appear above their heads.
• The Examinee Panel and Proctoring System warned the examinees that Judgment had locked onto them with a one-minute death countdown.
• The black-clad examinee noticed Xavier had no sword above him and knelt to beg him for help.
• The other examinees followed the black-clad examinee and pleaded with Xavier, who promised to save them.
• 007 told Bo Shuo that the swords were Xavier's Judgment skill, and Bo Shuo realized the examinees had mistaken their attacker for their savior.

Bo Shuo watched as Xavier used golden swords to kill the examinees while claiming he was purifying their sins. The survivors turned against Xavier and prepared to fight back.

• Bo Shuo decided not to intervene while he watched Xavier and the examinees.
• Xavier told the examinees that their deaths were the Lord's Grace, and golden swords began falling on them.
• Xavier told Bo Shuo he was helping the examinees by purifying their karmic debt.
• The surviving examinees abandoned their pleas for help, drew their ghost tools, and prepared to attack Xavier.

Bo Shuo recognized Xavier as Wen Yanqing, a figure he had studied in the Training Space, and confronted him about the deception. Wen Yanqing attacked from behind, and Bo Shuo suppressed his fear and imagined himself as a block of wood.

• Bo Shuo insisted that Xavier matched a Training Space template, though 007 could not find the face in its Database.
• Bo Shuo reasoned that Xavier had changed his appearance and suspected he was an S-Rank or higher examinee.
• Xavier performed a devout ritual that Bo Shuo read as a deliberate provocation and probe.
• Bo Shuo called Xavier by the name Wen Yanqing, startling him and prompting him to ask how Bo Shuo knew his identity.
• Wen Yanqing appeared behind Bo Shuo, and Bo Shuo tensed as 007 warned him to watch out.
• Bo Shuo suppressed his fear and imagined himself as a block of wood instead of dodging or defending.

Bo Shuo decided that Wen Yanqing was too powerful to confront directly, so he planned to hold his interest while finding a way to restrain him. He suspected a deity was the only force capable of threatening Wen Yanqing and ended by provoking him about being hunted by a god.

• Bo Shuo reasoned that he needed to keep Wen Yanqing interested in him, and he had used Emotion Points to protect himself from Wen Yanqing's earlier strike.
• Bo Shuo told 007 that Wen Yanqing needed to be restrained and concluded that a deity might be the only entity capable of threatening him.
• Bo Shuo studied Wen Yanqing, who waited calmly in a clean corner of the exam venue with a crucifix in hand.
• 007 adjusted a flashlight to cast Bo Shuo in dramatic shadow as Bo Shuo faced Wen Yanqing without fear.
• Bo Shuo mocked Wen Yanqing for being hunted by a god and hiding in a low-tier exam venue.

Bo Shuo bluffed Wen Yanqing into holding back and proposed a bet over the examinees’ survival, with Wen Yanqing tasked with saving them and Bo Shuo with killing them. Meanwhile, the examinees noticed Bo Shuo had fallen behind, and Meng Ran Nian saw him emerge from the maze.

• Bo Shuo threatened to reveal Wen Yanqing’s coordinates, causing Wen Yanqing’s killing intent to recede.
• Bo Shuo explained that he had used his threats and hints to make Wen Yanqing wary of attacking him.
• Wen Yanqing asked Bo Shuo what he wanted, and Bo Shuo proposed betting on the examinees’ survival rate.
• Bo Shuo assigned Wen Yanqing to save the examinees and himself to kill them.
• Meng Ran Nian and the other examinees wondered why Bo Shuo had not caught up as Zhang Xiong led them through the dormitory maze.
• Meng Ran Nian heard footsteps and saw Bo Shuo emerge around a corner.

Bo Shuo used the bet to restrain Wen Yanqing and keep the examinees from being killed, then continued the dormitory tour with the group. On the second floor, they saw uniformed employees with different-colored badges, and Zhang Xiong assigned the examinees rooms and warned them to follow the rules.

• Bo Shuo explained that he had proposed the bet to shift conflict toward a game of wits and limit Wen Yanqing’s violence, then praised himself for the plan.
• The examinees followed Zhang Xiong through the dim dormitory, staying wary of the surroundings and keeping their distance from Bo Shuo.
• On the second floor, Bo Shuo noticed the employees’ red and yellow badges and learned from 007 that the Foreman wore a green Work ID.
• Zhang Xiong said the examinees would stay in rooms 404 through 505, warned them not to share rooms or gather at midnight, and handed out room keys.

The Slaughterhouse Leader confronted the new employees, and Jia Yi was killed after trying to appease him. The Leader then began questioning another examinee, leaving everyone terrified and unsure how to respond.

• The examinees recognized the White Shirt Man as the Slaughterhouse Leader, who began cracking apart in anger when no one answered him.
• Jia Yi stepped forward, apologized, and flattered the Leader, calming his appearance.
• The Leader asked Jia Yi his name and whether he wanted to become his employee, then abruptly crushed his skull when Jia Yi started to answer.
• The Leader warned that he disliked people who thought they were clever, then picked up his notebook and asked another examinee for their name.

Bo Shuo walked past the hostile leader, who attacked him but inexplicably missed despite his overwhelming power. Bo Shuo continued toward the dormitory, believing the seemingly impossible checkpoint had to have a solution.

• Bo Shuo ignored the leader and walked past him, provoking the furious ghost.
• The leader lunged at Bo Shuo with a massive claw while the examinees watched in alarm.
• The leader's claw curved away and smashed into the ground beside Bo Shuo instead of hitting him.
• Bo Shuo continued walking with 007 in his hand and reasoned that the deadly checkpoint must have a solution.

Bo Shuo deduced that the Illusion Ghost killed anyone who responded to it, including through expressions or actions, and safely walked past by pretending not to notice it. Meng Ran Nian copied his method and also passed the Leader without being attacked.

• Bo Shuo and 007 discovered that the Leader's killing intent toward examinees arose as soon as they responded to it.
• Bo Shuo concluded that even facial expressions and actions counted as responses, then used his acting skills to walk past the Leader.
• Meng Ran Nian noticed a faint trace of joy in the Leader as Bo Shuo left, then decided to try the same approach before the gathering deadline.
• The Leader confronted Meng Ran Nian, but Meng Ran Nian ignored it and walked by without being attacked.

The Illusion Ghost attacked the examinees after they triggered its death condition, leaving Yu Zhou on the verge of being eaten. Xavier arrived, bound the ghost with Holy Light, and shattered it, though Yu Zhou was left drenched in its foul remains.

• The leader killed Jiao Kuang after he tried to flee, and the examinees realized that responding to the leader would provoke it.
• The Illusion Ghost revealed itself and chased the fleeing examinees, injuring one and preparing to devour Yu Zhou.
• Holy Light immobilized the Illusion Ghost just as it hung over Yu Zhou.
• Xavier appeared and declared that excessive bloodshed was inadvisable, then shattered the Illusion Ghost.
• Yu Zhou recognized Xavier as a Priest of the Shadowless Church while retching from the ghost's remains.

Bo Shuo investigated the A-Class dungeon while considering Wen Yanqing’s delayed rescue and chose to save his Emotion Points rather than upgrade. In room 404, he found a name badge and a cryptic note, then heard a door open.

• Bo Shuo watched Wen Yanqing rescue the remaining examinees through 007’s projection and wondered what had delayed him.
• 007 said Bo Shuo had enough Emotion Points to reach B+, but Bo Shuo decided to wait and keep a reserve.
• Bo Shuo entered room 404 and prepared an escape route while 007 scanned the room.
• 007 located a hidden drawer containing a green name badge and a note telling Bo Shuo to put it on, followed by cryptic lines about dogs and cows.
• Bo Shuo closed the note when he heard a door open.

Meng Ran Nian trusted his Perception talent and followed Bo Shuo, who encountered Wen Yanqing and his group on the way to the Rendezvous Point. As the examinees gravitated toward Xavier, Yu Zhou also left the group and approached Bo Shuo.

• Meng Ran Nian searched the room, found no other clues, and decided to follow Bo Shuo after his talent urged him to catch up.
• Bo Shuo headed toward the Rendezvous Point and ran into Wen Yanqing, Strong Ge, and their group.
• Bo Shuo and Wen Yanqing exchanged polite remarks while the examinees sensed tension between them.
• Meng Ran Nian arrived and asked Bo Shuo if he could follow him, choosing him over Xavier's group.
• Yu Zhou silently left the crowd and walked toward Bo Shuo, prompting an examinee to ask if he had gone crazy.

Bo Shuo and the other candidates received patrol assignments and rules for Slaughterhouse Zone 1. As their midnight patrol approached, a cage of Meat Pigs arrived, and the Leader insistently asked Bo Shuo to sign their Slaughter Record.

• Bo Shuo studied the six patrol rules and had 007 copy them for emergencies.
• The security guard assigned Bo Shuo, Meng Ran Nian, and a third candidate to patrol Zones One through Five, while briefly eyeing their Green Work Passes.
• A cage covered with White Paper was pushed into the slaughterhouse, and Bo Shuo counted three pigs by their hooves.
• The Leader handed Bo Shuo a Signature Form and repeatedly asked him to sign the Slaughter Record, ignoring the other candidates.

Bo Shuo and the others investigated a disturbance inside Slaughterhouse No. 1, where they found a mutilated pig that seemed hungry for humans. The slaughterhouse’s mysterious escorts were nowhere to be found, and Yu Zhou revealed his talent to Bo Shuo.

• The candidates followed the security guards’ squad assignments, while Bo Shuo stayed behind with Meng Ran Nian and Yu Zhou.
• Meng Ran Nian called the number listed in the instructions and reported a problem at District One’s Slaughterhouse No. 1.
• A crash and cries came from inside the slaughterhouse as its lights flickered, and Bo Shuo checked the room through the frosted window.
• Bo Shuo saw a wounded pig tied to an operating table, and the pig stared at him with a human-hungry appetite.
• Meng Ran Nian sensed that the pig seemed familiar but lost track of its aura, while Yu Zhou told Bo Shuo that his talent was an Amplification Type Mutant.

Bo Shuo stopped Meng Ran Nian from signing a Slaughter Record because the time was wrong, preventing him from dealing with a fake escort. The group realized that all the clocks were wrong, but Bo Shuo left the meaning unexplained.

• Bo Shuo assigned the group to inspect the five Slaughter Areas, and they finished in about five minutes.
• Several Iron Cages arrived with escorts, and one escort asked Meng Ran Nian to sign a Slaughter Record.
• Bo Shuo interrupted Meng Ran Nian and sent him on patrol, then had Yu Zhou follow him.
• After the escort entered Slaughterhouse Number Two, Meng Ran Nian returned and asked how Bo Shuo knew the escort was fake.
• Bo Shuo said the time was wrong and revealed that all the times were wrong.

Bo Shuo, Yu Zhou, and Meng Ran Nian patrolled Slaughterhouse Three through the night, where Tao Keyu was briefly declared dead before Wen Yanqing apparently revived him. They survived the shift without further incidents and left when Zhang Xiong announced that work was over.

• Bo Shuo announced it was 11:50, and Meng Ran Nian reset the clock while Yu Zhou grew jealous of his closeness to Bo Shuo.
• A scream came from the side corridor, and the Proctoring System first declared Tao Keyu dead, then reported that his death crisis had vanished.
• Bo Shuo guessed that Wen Yanqing had revived Tao Keyu, while Yu Zhou reported the incident to District One, Slaughterhouse Number Two.
• At midnight, the group received a sheet to sign for eight pigs, and Bo Shuo signed it for Slaughterhouse Three.
• The candidates patrolled every half hour until dawn without another incident, and Zhang Xiong announced the end of the shift.

Bo Shuo spotted Ni Zi among the workers leaving the Slaughter Area and learned how the Exam Venue’s colored Work IDs determined job assignments. The chapter ended with Ni Zi explaining that Cleaner work required no Work ID but was extremely dangerous.

• Wen Yanqing told Bo Shuo that fate’s gifts came with a hidden price after noticing Tao Keyu in the crowd.
• Bo Shuo left the compound after the night patrol and noticed Ni Zi among the workers from several zones.
• Ni Zi picked up a bloodstained green Work ID, and Bo Shuo watched him from across the slope.
• Bo Shuo asked Ni Zi how long he had been at the Exam Venue and what the Work ID did.
• Ni Zi explained that green IDs gave access to safer jobs like security patrol, yellow IDs allowed Sorting Center work, and red IDs meant slaughter work, while Cleaners needed no ID but faced extreme danger.