Nie Xuan

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Nie Xuan (聂玄)
Alias(es)	Team Leader Nie
Species/Race	Human Player
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Special Defense Department; Vanguard Squad
Occupation/Role	Special Defense Department team leader
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 9

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Second evolution with spatial characteristics	321, 1667, 1678	Xu Huo identifies that Nie Xuan has undergone a second evolution after sensing an abnormal fluctuation from his right foot. He is later identified as a super evolver whose evolution followed a space-ray injury; both legs possess spatial characteristics and require protective gear to conceal them.
Possible further evolution following exposure to time power	2148, 2169, 2328	After the battle at Carmen Field's ruins, his legs retain traces of time power that his concealing item cannot completely hide. He later reports signs of evolution after fighting Dou Shengnan and describes having sensed a faint possibility of time evolution at the ruins, but a successful time evolution is not confirmed.

History

Early cooperation with Xu Huo

Nie Xuan met Xu Huo on the Preliminary Train. They exchanged observations about Cannibal Players, and Nie Xuan gave Xu Huo a gold business card, inviting him to make contact after they left the train. 9

Nie Xuan later approached Xu Huo during the early player crisis, offering a reward for intelligence or assistance in capturing a Cannibal Player. He viewed Xu Huo's willingness to negotiate and cooperate as a promising basis for future collaboration. 38

He later fought directly against a Cannibal Player at a mall, using the Justice Steel Pipe to deflect thrown benches and engage the opponent in close quarters. 74

Nie Xuan repeatedly attempted to recruit Xu Huo into the Vanguard Squad. His conversations with Xu Huo were often probing but pragmatic, including attempts to learn more about the Super Artifact while offering official resources and cooperation. 121

Special Defense Department leadership

During the Fog Zone incident, Nie Xuan—despite being seriously injured and using a wheelchair—intervened when Xu Huo was inciting his subordinate to kill a fellow Vanguard Player. He delegated the disposal of bodies and evidence to his subordinates before arranging a private discussion with Xu Huo. 321

His operational achievements and repeated instance gains gave him considerable influence within the Special Defense Department. Team Leader Song later targeted Nie Xuan's personnel with dangerous assignments, causing heavy losses and deepening internal conflict. 575

At the border, Nie Xuan managed ongoing instability caused by the imbalance between District 014's internal and external affairs. He regarded Xu Huo's detoxifying fungus as a critical source of hope for the region's defenses. 603

When the department discussed the aftermath of Xu Huo's attack on Country Y's safe zone, Nie Xuan warned that witnesses and recordings of Xu Huo's items could expose his identity, making protection of his family an urgent concern. 666

During unrest involving players in Tian City, Nie Xuan secured the cooperation of other department branches by announcing that, after recuperating, he would apply to headquarters to deal with the players there and invite colleagues seeking merit to join him. 1135

After another near-fatal period of illness, Nie Xuan visited Xu Huo as a departmental representative. He warned him that official attempts to probe and constrain an independent player of his strength would continue, while stopping short of explicitly telling him to leave. Xu Huo subsequently expressed confidence that Nie Xuan would soon lead the Special Defense Department, though player organizations regarded him as a resolute hardliner. 1571 1574

Spatial evolution and super-evolver operations

Nie Xuan's spatial evolution is treated as a high-level state secret. After being struck by a space ray, he underwent super evolution; the effects remained concentrated in his legs, which later also retained traces of time power after another exposure. 1667 1678 2148

He helped organize access to a dangerous evolution site in the primeval forest, recruiting and assessing players with unusual traits when civilian player organizations were unwilling to trust the Special Defense Department. 1683 1684

Although he became increasingly influential, Nie Xuan's decisiveness and tendency to act on his own judgment made him politically contentious within the department. The military eventually promoted “Ubiquitous Little Ming” as a more conventionally rational counterweight to his leadership. 2317

Pursuit of Dou Shengnan

Nie Xuan tracked Dou Shengnan while disguised and coordinated with Xu Huo after her attack on the Tian family. 2148

He and Xu Huo planned to use Xu Huo as bait, accepting that the operation against a powerful mental super evolver would require severe personal risk. Nie Xuan supplied Xu Huo with intelligence on Dou Shengnan and investigated the Chongming Bird Administrative Region's non-game simulation venue before the confrontation. 2149 2151 2160

During their confrontation in the Chongming Bird Administrative Region, Nie Xuan deployed energy weapons and fought alongside Xu Huo inside a non-game simulation venue, where ordinary items were blocked and their available advantages were sharply reduced. He later intervened to protect injured Chongming Bird super evolvers from Dou Shengnan's space rays. 2162 2164 2166

After Xu Huo escaped through a teleportation channel, Nie Xuan withdrew rather than prolong the fight. He then waited near Chongming Bird Pharmaceutical for three days, unable to take the “time tower” without Xu Huo because it would not fit in his luggage compartment. He concealed parts of the truth from the Special Defense Department, reporting Xu Huo as severely injured and missing while remaining in District 008 to pursue a possible breakthrough of his own. 2168 2169

Later operations

Nie Xuan continued supplying Xu Huo with high-level items, instruments, and emergency resources through the Special Defense Department. He also supported preparations for threats to District 014 and offered to guarantee the safety of Xu Huo's family should Xu Huo be unable to return. 2704 2884

He discussed time evolution with Xu Huo, including the possibility that time power exists in rays. He also distinguished ordinary spatial evolution from Lawrence Lee's hyper-dimensional construction of new space and cautioned that unusual spaces associated with the One-Third Game would attract powerful players' interest. 2328 2337

He remained active in District 014's defense, leading a team in pursuit of outer-zone players who had robbed a player base and were attempting to evade capture near the coast. Xu Huo arrived during the pursuit and prevented several of the fleeing players from escaping. 2926 2927

Appearance

Nie Xuan is typically seen in formal or operational clothing, including a suit during early Special Affairs operations and black trench coats during later deployments. 74 1667

• Often wears a suit jacket, though he removes it before close combat. 74
• Uses a wheelchair while recovering from severe injuries during the Fog Zone incident. He again requires a wheelchair during a later period of recovery and is then noticeably thinner. 321 1571
• His legs must normally be concealed with specialized protective equipment because of their spatial characteristics. 1678
• Has used disguises while tracking high-risk targets. 2148

Personality

Nie Xuan is analytical, disciplined, and strongly duty-driven. He approaches Players as both potential allies and potential threats, preferring to assess their value, motives, and risks before committing resources. His repeated recruitment attempts toward Xu Huo reflect both strategic judgment and a willingness to cooperate with independent Players. 38 121

He is decisive to the point of being politically difficult to manage. Within the Special Defense Department, he is respected for converting plans into action quickly, but his habit of maintaining his own judgment in exceptional situations creates friction with other power centers. 2317

His methods can be harsh. During the black-rain investigation, he used a lethal micro-capsule on the captured Mr. Lin while attempting to force information from him. 637

Despite his guarded nature, Nie Xuan values the few relationships he has. His partnership with Xu Huo develops from wary negotiation into mutual reliance during life-threatening operations. During a dispute between Xu Huo and the department, he also warned Xu Huo of the continuing political risks he faced. 1571 2160

Abilities & Skills

Spatial Evolution

Nie Xuan's super evolution is associated with exposure to space rays.

• His legs possess spatial characteristics and must be specially protected to prevent information leaks. 1678
• Xu Huo identifies his second evolution through an abnormal energy fluctuation from his right foot. 321
• He endured a near-fatal space-ray injury and later recovered sufficiently to resume leadership duties. 1571 1667
• His legs retain detectable traces of time power following the battle at Carmen Field's ruins, though he has not been confirmed to have achieved time evolution. 2148 2328

Tactical Analysis

Nie Xuan excels at assessing incomplete evidence, identifying operational risks, and forming actionable plans.

• Deduced that the black rain was likely generated by a high-level item and ordered a full search of the affected residential area. 637
• Presented evidence and theories regarding Xu Huo's possible connection to the reappearing Seventeenth Hospital instance. 667
• Warned that recordings of Xu Huo's items and surviving witnesses could allow Country Y players to identify him after the safe-zone attack. 666
• Recognized the limitations of items and instruments when planning against Dou Shengnan, including the possibility that she possessed an item usable even while disconnected from the game. 2157
• Contributed informed discussion on the ray-like nature of time power and space power, as well as the distinction between ordinary spatial evolution and hyper-dimensional space. 2328 2337

Command and Coordination

As a team leader, Nie Xuan directs personnel, manages official resources, and coordinates field operations.

• Organizes searches, arrests, evidence collection, and cleanup through Special Defense Department personnel. 321 637
• Recruits and evaluates Players for major evolution-site operations. 1683 1684
• Maintains authority over subordinates even when operating outside District 014. 2160
• Leads pursuit teams against outer-zone players targeting District 014's resources. 2926

Close-Quarters Combat

Nie Xuan is capable of personally engaging dangerous Players rather than remaining solely a commander.

• Fought a burly Cannibal Player directly with the Justice Steel Pipe. 74
• Participated in the battle against Dou Shengnan despite facing a mental super evolver far stronger than himself. 2162 2164
• Intervened to prevent Dou Shengnan's space rays from inflicting further losses on allied super evolvers. 2166
• Continued operations after repeated severe injuries and near-death experiences. 321 1571

Equipment

• Justice Steel Pipe — A white, arm-length steel pipe used to deflect heavy objects and fight in close quarters. 74
• Specialized leg protection — Conceals the spatial characteristics of his legs, though it does not completely hide traces of time power. 1678 2148
• Lethal micro-capsule — Planted in Mr. Lin during the black-rain investigation as leverage during interrogation. 637
• A-class-effect consumable instruments — Carries teleportation, space-interference, space-locking, space-defense, and space-attack instruments for large-scale operations. 2149
  • Six teleportation instruments.
  • Three space-interference instruments.
  • Six space-locking instruments.
  • Six space-defense instruments.
  • Twelve space-attack instruments.

Relationships

• Xu Huo — First met him on the Preliminary Train and later treated him as a recruitment target and carefully assessed independent Player; their relationship develops into a pragmatic partnership built through repeated crises, shared intelligence, and mutual trust. Nie Xuan has also warned Xu Huo about political threats from within the government. 9 38 121 1571 2160
• Dou Shengnan — High-priority adversary whom Nie Xuan tracks and confronts alongside Xu Huo in the Chongming Bird operation. 2148 2162
• Team Leader Wu — Fellow Special Defense Department leader who values Nie Xuan's operational ability and influence within the department. 575
• Team Leader Song — Internal rival whose dangerous assignments caused major losses among Nie Xuan's personnel. 575
• Minister Ji — Senior official who values Nie Xuan's future but pressures him to compromise for broader national interests. 2969
• Shen Xin — Associate whom Nie Xuan brings to Xu Huo's meeting concerning time evolution. 2337

Notable Quotes

“Destiny's every gift to me comes with a clear price.” 2148

“Friends, I really don't have many.” 2160

“What is there to be afraid of?” 2160