Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• The highest-level security meeting of the Mercenary Group is held, with Lin Qi and other members attending.
• Guangleng, the leader, reveals that the mission has changed due to new information from the mission issuer.
• The new mission is to find the true carrier of the mother sample and obtain it, rather than capturing all carriers as previously thought.
• The bounty for the mission has increased to 1 billion Credit Points.

Character Developments

• Lin Qi: Struggles with the decision to help the Eastern Alliance or not, ultimately deciding to maintain his position as a weak Wizard and insist on his insufficient abilities.
• Guangleng: Admits his oversight in selecting the mission but maintains his composure. He reveals that the mission has changed and provides new information about the mother sample and its true carrier.

Significant Themes

• The struggle between personal gain and risk, exemplified by Lin Qi's internal debate.
• The importance of accurate information and intelligence in mission planning, as demonstrated by Guangleng's revelation of new information.
• The high stakes involved in the mission, reflected in the increased bounty.

Character Interactions

• Lin Qi interacts with other Mercenary Group members through the online conference room, but his communication is limited due to the dimly lit scene and hidden faces.
• Guangleng interacts with the Mercenary Group members by providing updates on the mission and answering their questions.
• Arthur and Master Ma express their concerns about the mission's changes and the increased involvement of the Eastern Alliance.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Qi decides to join the mission to Red Fruit City, trusting in Baili Xueyuan's oversight.
• Guangleng shares intelligence on the new Cyber mental illness, the Carrier, and the Mother Sample, but the crucial information about the Carrier's abilities and collective outbreak consequences is missing.
• Guangleng reveals he has clues about the illness's historical appearances and suggests infiltrating offline archives for more information.
• Capitalist agrees to investigate the offline archives but needs time to prepare.
• Guangleng's plan is for the Mercenary Group to withdraw, observe, and wait for the sole Carrier to reveal themselves.
• Arthur and Master Ma are sent to Alliance City to await further orders, posing as the Eastern Alliance's S-Yellow Bear Dispatch Team.
• Guangleng intercepts and forges the Yellow Bear Dispatch Team's identity verification for one hour.
• Lin Qi receives a 33,333,333 Credit Points dividend from the mission bounty.

Character Developments

• Lin Qi shows caution in accepting the Red Fruit City mission but remains focused on his primary objective.
• Guangleng demonstrates his extensive intelligence gathering capabilities and strategic planning.
• Capitalist exhibits quick analysis and understanding of Guangleng's plan.
• Arthur and Master Ma accept their new roles without question.
• Lin Qi shows little reaction to the large Credit Points dividend, indicating his growing financial indifference.

Significant Themes

• Information control and intelligence gathering as a strategic asset.
• The power dynamics between intercontinental powers and their support teams.
• The value of offline archives and physical isolation in data security.
• The consequences of collective outbreaks and the importance of preventing them.

Character Interactions

• Lin Qi and Guangleng discuss the mission's details and Guangleng's plan.
• Capitalist and Guangleng analyze and understand each other's strategies.
• Arthur and Master Ma accept their new roles and prepare to depart.
• Lin Qi receives the Credit Points dividend, showing his growing wealth and indifference to such amounts.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Qi obtains two Rank 3 Extraordinary Items, one from a monster in Beining District and one from Shuining City.
• He chooses the "Fear"-related Extraordinary Item, but after analysis, he gains the Emotional Weapon ability, which allows him to create weapons from emotions.
• Lin Qi tests this ability on Wang Ziru, causing him to experience extreme Anxiety, which initially motivates him but then leaves him feeling confused and unmotivated once the emotion is removed.

Character Developments

• Lin Qi gains a new ability, Emotional Weapon, which he initially underestimates but later realizes its potential.
• Wang Ziru shows resilience and determination when faced with extreme Anxiety, drafting a reform plan for the Magic University Camp.

Significant Themes

• The power of emotions and their influence on individuals.
• The importance of understanding and mastering new abilities.
• The struggle between maintaining one's humanity and adapting to the harsh conditions of the apocalypse.

Character Interactions

• Lin Qi tests his new ability on Wang Ziru, causing Wang Ziru to experience extreme emotions and react accordingly.
• Ding Yang is mentioned to be arriving, hinting at a potential interaction with Lin Qi.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Qi receives the first Dragon Country Medal, a Third Rank Extraordinary Item, from Ding Yang.
• The medal is a result of the Headquarters' new methods post-apocalypse, using special items found before the doomsday.
• Ding Yang invites Lin Qi to the Headquarters, but Lin Qi declines, preferring to stay and develop his abilities.

Character Developments

• Lin Qi: Shows interest in the Headquarters' methods for creating Extraordinary Items. He's cautious and strategic, declining Ding Yang's invitation to the Headquarters.
• Ding Yang: Proves to be shrewd and respectful of Lin Qi's decisions. He delivers the medal and requests Lin Qi to inform him about its effects.
• Wang Qiang: Reveals that the military merit system is connected to Extraordinary Items found before the doomsday. He invites Lin Qi to the Headquarters.
• Wang Ziru: Shows enthusiasm for improving the camp's operations, despite being injured by Lin Qi earlier.

Significant Themes

• Power and Control: The Headquarters' ability to create Third Rank Extraordinary Items hints at their significant power and control in the post-apocalyptic world.
• Trust and Loyalty: Ding Yang and Wang Qiang show trust in Lin Qi, sharing sensitive information and inviting him to the Headquarters.
• Caution and Strategy: Lin Qi demonstrates caution in his decisions, declining the invitation to the Headquarters and focusing on short-term gains.

Character Interactions

• Lin Qi and Ding Yang: They maintain a respectful and friendly relationship, with Ding Yang delivering the medal and Lin Qi declining his invitation.
• Lin Qi and Wang Qiang: Wang Qiang shares sensitive information with Lin Qi, inviting him to the Headquarters.
• Lin Qi and Wang Ziru: Wang Ziru shows enthusiasm for improving the camp's operations, despite being injured by Lin Qi earlier, indicating his loyalty and dedication.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Qi places the medal in the conference room without expecting immediate results.
• After half a month, Lin Qi successfully breaks through to the Third Rank in the Cyber world.
• Lin Qi experiments with his new 'Emotion Weapon' ability in the Cyber world, targeting a laborer and a gang member with Cyber psychosis.
• He extracts their anxious emotions, enhancing his ability and temporarily stabilizing the gang member's condition.

Character Developments

• Lin Qi gains confidence in his new ability and its potential applications.
• The laborer and gang member experience temporary relief from their anxiety and emotional instability.

Significant Themes

• The power of emotions and their impact on mental health and stability.
• The potential of Lin Qi's abilities to contribute to 'Cyber harmony' by reducing negative emotions.
• The stark contrast between the Cyber world's wealth and the emotional strain of its inhabitants.

Character Interactions

• Lin Qi interacts with the laborer and gang member remotely through his 'Anxious Knife' ability, affecting their emotional states without direct contact.
• Lin Qi reflects on his ability's potential benefits and drawbacks, considering its impact on both individuals and society.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Qi tests his new Anxious Knife on several kinds of people and discovers that it absorbs the most anxiety from cyberpsychos, followed by corporate employees and ordinary citizens.
• The absorbed emotions gradually regenerate, allowing Anxious Knife to harvest anxiety from the same targets again after roughly an hour. Lin Qi realizes that, in the emotionally oppressive environment of Cyber Society, the ability could eventually let him threaten opponents of a much higher rank.
• After absorbing more than thirty portions of anxiety, Anxious Knife becomes temporarily saturated. Lin Qi returns it to his Spiritual Sea and rests.
• Outside the Cybernetic Clinic, a Fourth Rank Assassin Alliance expert guards Lin Xin. He senses a subtle fluctuation that suggests Baili Xueyuan is secretly observing the clinic, but he does not react because of her overwhelming status as a Fourth Rank Limit.
• The following morning, Lin Qi questions Lin Xin about her training. She reveals that she is a Blood-Clothes Practitioner and demonstrates that she can make a short blade appear and disappear.
• Lin Qi discovers that the blade is stored within Lin Xin’s Spiritual Sea, despite being a physical Extraordinary Item. It has effectively become part of her, though it can still be summoned and controlled externally.
• Lin Qi compares Blood-Clothes Practitioners with Wizards, noting that both seem to gain abilities by fusing with Extraordinary Items. However, Lin Xin’s method appears more flexible because she can restore and reuse her item.
• Lin Xin refuses to reveal the specific nature of her ability because doing so would violate the Assassin Alliance’s Sixth Principle, “Betraying Principles.” Sister Li repeatedly tries to stop her from exposing further secrets, but Lin Xin insists she has not technically broken any rule.
• The chapter ends with Lin Xin claiming that Blood-Clothes Practitioners are superior to Wizards and need only one Extraordinary Item, though her explanation is cut off.

Character Developments

• Lin Qi: Gains a clearer understanding of Anxious Knife’s potential, recognizing that its power scales with the number and emotional intensity of its targets. He also becomes increasingly interested in the relationship between the Wizard and Blood-Clothes professions, analyzing Lin Xin’s abilities scientifically through Psychic Vision.
• Lin Xin: Reveals that her training involves merging an Extraordinary Item with herself and storing it in her Spiritual Sea. She remains candid and rebellious, casually disclosing sensitive information despite Sister Li’s warnings, but still obeys the limits imposed by the Eight Principles.
• Sister Li: Acts as the anxious guardian of organizational secrets. Her coughing, interruptions, and increasingly desperate reactions show her concern that Lin Xin will reveal too much.
• Baili Xueyuan: Though absent in person, her influence is prominent. She secretly monitors Lin Xin and has given her permission to discuss anything that does not concern the Eight Principles.
• The Fourth Rank Assassin Alliance expert: Demonstrates caution and respect toward Baili Xueyuan, recognizing the enormous difference between an ordinary Fourth Rank professional and a Fourth Rank Limit.

Significant Themes

• The weaponization of negative emotion: Lin Qi’s Anxious Knife turns Cyber Society’s widespread anxiety into a renewable source of combat power, emphasizing how oppressive social conditions can become resources for extraordinary abilities.
• Power growth through accumulation: Lin Qi’s ability may eventually allow him to challenge higher-ranked opponents simply by harvesting emotions from large populations.
• Secrets versus curiosity: Lin Qi seeks knowledge about Blood-Clothes cultivation, while Lin Xin’s openness conflicts with Sister Li’s duty to protect organizational secrets.
• Rules and restraint: The Eight Principles, especially the prohibition against betraying principles, impose boundaries even on Lin Xin’s impulsive personality.
• Shared origins of supernatural professions: The similarities between Wizards and Blood-Clothes Practitioners suggest a deeper connection, likely involving Extraordinary Items, the Spiritual Sea, and possibly the Blood Moon.
• Hierarchy and authority: The guarded reactions to Baili Xueyuan emphasize the vast gap between ordinary experts and figures who have reached the pinnacle of their rank.

Character Interactions

• Lin Qi and Lin Xin engage in a probing conversation about Blood-Clothes training, with Lin Qi asking increasingly technical questions and Lin Xin answering freely until organizational rules prevent her from continuing.
• Sister Li repeatedly coughs and attempts to signal Lin Qi and Lin Xin to stop discussing confidential matters, but neither fully heeds her.
• Lin Qi examines Lin Xin’s short blade with Psychic Vision, treating her demonstration as both a conversation and an informal investigation.
• Doctor Lin joins the situation by heating canned rock sugar pear soup for Sister Li and the others, creating a humorous contrast with the increasingly sensitive discussion.
• The hidden Fourth Rank guardian senses Baili Xueyuan’s presence but deliberately remains still, illustrating the respect and caution her authority commands.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Qi reflects on the differences between Wizards and Blood-Clothes Practitioners. He concludes that Blood-Clothes Practitioners likely specialize in one extraordinary ability, while Wizards can master many abilities but require more Extraordinary Items.
• Lin Xin questions Lin Qi about rejecting Baili Xueyuan’s proposal from the previous day. She infers that Baili wanted Lin Qi to help address the cyberpsychosis crisis, but Lin Xin worries that involvement would endanger their family.
• Lin Qi deliberately presents himself as an ordinary, incapable researcher, insisting that “the less capable you are, the less responsibility you bear.” He chooses not to help, believing that remaining uninvolved is the safest and most rational option.
• The city’s news broadcasts a sensationalized and false report about Lin Qi and Liu Xuan, claiming their actions caused Shenwei Tie Niu’s power to destroy a villa. Lin Qi is irritated, while Lin Xin finds the story amusing.
• Doctor Lin serves the group heated canned food and immediately tries to sell cybernetic implants to Sister Li, revealing his opportunistic and shamelessly commercial personality.
• Liu Xuan announces that United Pharmaceutical and Liu Heavy Industries will cooperate with the planned operation. Employees will work overtime under the cover of normal corporate expansion, while Liu Clan Academy will replace any personnel lost.
• Lin Xin and Liu Xuan discuss Lin Qi’s decision. Both are relieved that he is not acting impulsively, though Liu Xuan remains skeptical because psychological testing shows that Lin Qi has unusually strong humanitarian tendencies.
• Doctor Lin takes Sister Li downstairs, apparently persuading her to become a customer. He hopes to sell her expensive A-level cybernetics, while Lin Xin doubts that someone from the Eastern Alliance—where cybernetics are viewed negatively—will agree to implants.
• Lin Xin becomes irritated by Lin Qi’s presence and sends him downstairs so she can speak privately with Liu Xuan. The sisters-in-law then chat casually about childhood bullying, creating a warm and relaxed atmosphere.
• Bored in the workshop, Lin Qi begins assembling cybernetic equipment without a plan. He receives a message from the mercenary group stating that Arthur and Master Ma have reached Alliance City and are preparing to travel into space.
• Arthur reveals that she owns several spacecraft and expects the group may eventually undertake missions in lunar cities. Lin Qi notices that Capitalist’s message sounds like a possible hint or test, while Arthur’s openness about her identity reflects her confidence as a Fourth-Rank extraordinary individual.

Character Developments

• Lin Qi: Demonstrates caution, self-preservation, and strategic deception. He hides his true abilities and suppresses his humanitarian impulses to protect himself and his family. He remains observant, especially toward Baili Xueyuan and Capitalist, whom he suspects of testing or manipulating others.
• Lin Xin: Shows strong protective feelings toward her brother. She is relieved that Lin Qi refuses to become involved in a dangerous matter, but she also remains blunt, playful, and mischievous in her interactions with him and Liu Xuan.
• Liu Xuan: Acts pragmatically and embraces corporate logic, accepting that employees can be replaced and that business interests outweigh individual lives. Despite this, she genuinely worries about Lin Qi and carefully monitors whether he might act out of compassion.
• Sister Li: Remains polite and reserved but appears receptive enough to Doctor Lin’s salesmanship to accompany him downstairs, suggesting she may become involved with the clinic’s cybernetic business.
• Doctor Lin: Continues to combine hospitality with aggressive commercial opportunism. His attempt to sell cybernetics to Sister Li shows his relentless focus on profit, even during a crisis.
• Arthur: Appears increasingly confident and powerful. Her willingness to reveal information about herself suggests that her Fourth-Rank status gives her considerable security.
• Master Ma and the mercenary group: Begin moving toward space-based operations, expanding the story’s scope beyond Earth and toward lunar cities.

Significant Themes

• Self-preservation versus humanitarianism: Lin Qi chooses safety over helping others, revealing the moral compromises required to survive in the Cyber World.
• Corporate dehumanization: Liu Xuan’s belief that companies can replace employees—even by recruiting from other cities—illustrates how corporations treat people as disposable resources.
• Concealment and testing: Lin Qi suspects that Baili Xueyuan and Capitalist may be probing his character, abilities, or loyalties. The chapter emphasizes the danger of revealing one’s true capabilities.
• Family protection: Lin Xin and Liu Xuan both worry about Lin Qi’s safety, though they express that concern differently—Lin Xin emotionally and directly, Liu Xuan through rational analysis.
• Comedy amid danger: False news reports, Doctor Lin’s sales pitch, and the siblings’ hostile banter provide comic relief against the backdrop of conspiracies, corporate conflict, and impending operations.
• Expansion into space: The mercenary group’s preparations for space travel introduce a broader setting and suggest future missions involving lunar cities.

Character Interactions

• Lin Qi and Lin Xin argue over his refusal to help Baili Xueyuan, with Lin Xin ultimately relieved by his cautious decision.
• Liu Xuan questions Lin Qi directly to confirm that he will not endanger himself or his family. Lin Xin intervenes, while Liu Xuan remains unconvinced until Lin Qi personally confirms his reasoning.
• Doctor Lin treats Sister Li politely while simultaneously attempting to turn her into a lucrative customer.
• Lin Xin mocks Doctor Lin’s commercial behavior and later quarrels with Lin Qi before sending him away so she can speak privately with Liu Xuan.
• Lin Xin and Liu Xuan bond through lighthearted conversation about siblings and childhood bullying.
• The mercenary group exchanges messages about their upcoming space voyage, while Lin Qi analyzes the possible hidden meanings behind Capitalist’s remarks.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Arthur and Master Ma are tasked with a mission to reach near-Earth orbit using Rocket backpacks.
• Lin Qi continues to work on his Cybernetic Body in the workshop.
• Baili Xueyuan visits the Cybernetic Clinic to discuss Lin Qi's involvement in the mission with him.

Character Developments

• Arthur and Master Ma express concerns about the safety and necessity of using Rocket backpacks for the mission but ultimately decide to proceed.
• Lin Qi shows no interest in the mission and continues his work on the Cybernetic Body.
• Lin Xin stands up for Lin Qi and refuses to let him talk to Baili Xueyuan alone, fearing he might be persuaded to join the mission.

Significant Themes

• The risks and benefits of using extraordinary technology (Rocket backpacks, Cybernetic Bodies).
• The importance of family and personal boundaries (Lin Xin protecting Lin Qi from Baili Xueyuan).
• The consequences of underestimating one's abilities or situation (Lin Xin's belief in Lin Qi's ordinariness).

Character Interactions

• Arthur and Master Ma discuss and decide on the mission together.
• Lin Qi and Lin Xin have a brief exchange, with Lin Xin expressing her displeasure at Lin Qi's presence.
• Baili Xueyuan and Lin Xin have a tense interaction, with Lin Xin refusing to let Lin Qi talk to Baili Xueyuan alone.
• Baili Xueyuan and Lin Qi have a brief exchange, with Baili Xueyuan asking Lin Qi about his decision regarding the mission.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Qi refuses Baili Xueyuan’s request to save more than ten thousand employees suffering from the new Cyberpsychosis. He explains that he may be able to perform dozens or hundreds of surgeries, but rescuing thousands or tens of thousands would exceed his abilities and endanger him.
• Baili Xueyuan instructs Lin Qi and Liu Xuan to remain hidden with Lin Xin until the operation begins, then abruptly leaves the Cybernetic Clinic. Her decisive behavior reinforces Lin Qi’s suspicion that saving the civilians is not her true objective.
• Lin Qi questions whether the Assassin Alliance cares about civilian casualties. Sister Li explains that the alliance has no rules protecting non-targets, confirming that Baili Xueyuan’s concern for the infected employees is unusual and likely part of a larger plan.
• Liu Xuan reports that nearly ninety percent of the employees of United Pharmaceutical and Liu Heavy Industries have been infected. Most have restrained their impulses because of Red Fruit City’s severe punishments, while only a small minority committed crimes and were arrested by the HGPD.
• Lin Qi returns to his room to sleep before the coming operation. Lin Xin and Liu Xuan worry about him, while the old man humorously avoids comforting Lin Xin and instead attempts to sell Sister Li a cybernetic implant.
• At four in the morning, Lin Qi uses [Gate] to travel to the Doomsday World. He meditates for twelve hours, taking advantage of the world’s dense Spiritual Energy to greatly increase his Mental Power.
• Lin Qi decides to make his first S-level Potion using Extraordinary Materials produced by Wei Yue. He plans to secretly bring the potion back to the Cyber World and trade it for Credit Points, resources, or Fourth Rank Extraordinary Items.
• He recognizes that relying only on the Doomsday World and the General Headquarters to obtain Extraordinary Items could eventually place him under their control. Establishing trading channels through people such as Guangleng, Arthur, Master Ma, and Capitalist will give him greater independence.
• Lin Qi visits Wei Yue, learns that the materials are ready, and orders them sent to his laboratory. Wang Ziru efficiently organizes and delivers them, complete with labels and a reference chart, allowing Lin Qi to begin preparing for the S-level Potion.

Character Developments

• Lin Qi: Shows increasing pragmatism and emotional restraint. He refuses to accept responsibility for thousands of strangers and prioritizes his own safety and capabilities. After briefly wrestling with guilt, he redirects his attention toward increasing his strength and securing independent resources.
• Baili Xueyuan: Becomes more mysterious. Her concern for the infected employees conflicts with the Assassin Alliance’s lack of restrictions regarding civilian casualties, suggesting a hidden motive behind her intervention.
• Lin Xin: Remains protective and emotionally invested in Lin Qi, though she disguises her concern with stern commands. She also feels neglected and resentful when the others leave her alone at the clinic.
• Liu Xuan: Continues to support Lin Qi and provides crucial information about the infection and the company’s preparations. Her concern for him is evident, even though she does not openly express it.
• Sister Li: Hesitates before revealing the Assassin Alliance’s policy, feeling guilty because she respects Baili Xueyuan and believes she may be betraying her by answering Lin Qi’s questions.
• Wang Ziru: Is established as exceptionally capable, disciplined, and perceptive. He anticipates Lin Qi’s needs, minimizes unnecessary interruptions, and efficiently improves Wei Yue’s work.
• Wei Yue: Successfully produces the required Extraordinary Materials but is shown to be less organized and proactive than Wang Ziru.

Significant Themes

• Limits of responsibility: Lin Qi distinguishes between feeling sympathy for victims and being obligated to save them, especially when doing so would exceed his capabilities.
• Hidden motives and mistrust: Baili Xueyuan’s unusual actions and the Assassin Alliance’s policies suggest that visible humanitarian concern may conceal a strategic objective.
• Strength as freedom: Lin Qi concludes that greater power would allow him to choose whom to save and resist being coerced by stronger organizations.
• Resource diversification and independence: He seeks multiple channels for obtaining Extraordinary Items rather than becoming dependent on the General Headquarters or a single ally.
• Pragmatism versus sentimentality: Lin Qi deliberately suppresses emotional impulses, believing that excessive sympathy could interfere with survival and long-term planning.
• Competence and loyalty: The contrast between Wang Ziru and Wei Yue highlights the value of attentiveness, initiative, and reliable service within Lin Qi’s growing organization.

Character Interactions

• Lin Qi and Baili Xueyuan clash indirectly over the question of rescuing the infected employees; her repeated questioning tests his intentions and moral boundaries.
• Lin Qi consults Lin Xin and Sister Li about the Assassin Alliance, using their responses to investigate Baili Xueyuan’s motives.
• Lin Xin and Liu Xuan jointly worry about Lin Qi’s reaction to the upcoming crisis, while Lin Qi reassures them only indirectly by withdrawing to rest.
• The old man lightens the tense atmosphere by trying to sell Sister Li an expensive cybernetic implant, leaving Lin Xin feeling isolated and irritated.
• Lin Qi works with Liu Xuan to understand the company’s situation, then coordinates with Wei Yue to obtain the potion materials.
• Wang Ziru strengthens his relationship with Lin Qi by taking Wei Yue’s materials, organizing them with additional assistance, and delivering them in a more useful form than Lin Qi requested.

Chapter Summary: “Blood Moon Will Appears”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Qi begins preparing an S-level Potion using the Extraordinary Materials Wang Ziru carefully gathered and placed in the laboratory.
• Unlike Cyber World materials, the properties of Doomsday World materials are largely undocumented, so Lin Qi relies on:
  • Existing potion-making knowledge
  • S-level potion literature
  • His Psychic Vision, which allows him to directly observe Spiritual Energy Particle reactions
• He preprocesses the materials through burning, distillation, centrifugation, and other methods, preparing multiple samples of each.
• Lin Qi then combines the materials in increasingly complex reaction chains. His Psychic Vision lets him avoid the trial-and-error that would normally take other researchers years.
• After adding the 322nd Extraordinary Material, Lin Qi senses the crucial “flash of inspiration”—the moment when materials can generate the Willpower required for an S-level Potion.
• To catalyze the process, he adds a common First Rank Crimson Crystal Extraordinary Item.
• The item dissolves into the potion, causing Willpower to form. However, the Willpower is not pure or ownerless as described in the literature.
• The potion instead produces an extraordinarily powerful Blood Moon Will, which creates a massive blood-red moon apparition over one hundred meters in diameter.
• Lin Qi’s mental defenses activate, confirming that the potion’s Willpower is actively attacking him. He realizes the potion may be even more dangerous than a Blood Moon Descent Artifact.
• Fearing that the potion could devastate Magic University Camp if mishandled, Lin Qi considers drinking it himself. This would be a gamble that:
  • His mental-attack immunity could protect him
  • The mysterious [Gate] in his Spiritual Sea could suppress the Blood Moon Will
• Before drinking it, however, he notices unusual reactions from two Extraordinary Items in the adjacent room:
  • The

Third Rank Dragon Country Medal

• A First Rank “Holy Light Kidney”, created from Holy Light variant Spiritual Energy Particles and part of a Wizard’s body
• Lin Qi realizes that Holy Light is naturally opposed to Wizards and may be able to weaken or destroy the Blood Moon Will. He postpones drinking the potion to investigate this safer possibility.

Character Development

• Lin Qi demonstrates exceptional talent and confidence as a potion researcher. His Psychic Vision allows him to perform high-level experimentation far beyond normal researchers’ capabilities.
• His understanding of S-level Potions deepens: he recognizes that their true value is the creation and strengthening of Willpower, not merely physical enhancement.
• Lin Qi remains analytical under extreme pressure, carefully observing the potion even after discovering its dangerous nature.
• His confidence turns into alarm when he realizes he has unintentionally created a manifestation of the Blood Moon itself.
• Despite considering a desperate solution, Lin Qi chooses caution when he notices the possible connection between Holy Light and the Blood Moon, showing that he is willing to delay action rather than recklessly gamble.

Significant Themes

• Creation of life and will: The formation of Willpower from lifeless materials is compared to creating life, emphasizing the almost miraculous nature of S-level potion-making.
• Knowledge versus instinct: Research and accumulated literature provide Lin Qi with the foundation for success, but the decisive breakthrough depends on an innate ability to sense the “flash of inspiration.”
• Power and unintended consequences: Lin Qi’s experiment succeeds, but its result is far more dangerous than expected, showing that mastery of a process does not guarantee control over its consequences.
• Interaction between worlds: Cyber World research, Doomsday World materials, Wizard abilities, Holy Light, and Blood Moon power all intersect, suggesting deeper common principles between the two worlds.
• Risk and adaptation: Lin Qi repeatedly adjusts his strategy based on new evidence, balancing bold experimentation with survival instincts.
• Opposing forces: The chapter establishes Holy Light as a possible natural counter to Wizard-related powers and the Blood Moon.

Character Interactions

• Lin Qi and Wang Ziru: Lin Qi praises Wang Ziru’s intelligence, meticulousness, and ability to judge people. Wang Ziru’s organizational work enables the potion experiment, though he does not directly participate in the laboratory events.
• Lin Qi and the Blood Moon Will: The newly created Willpower immediately acts as an external, hostile presence, targeting Lin Qi mentally and forcing him to treat the potion as a dangerous entity rather than a successful creation.
• Lin Qi and the Extraordinary Items: Lin Qi uses the Crimson Crystal to catalyze the potion’s birth, then observes a mysterious reaction from the Dragon Country Medal and Holy Light Kidney. These items may provide the key to neutralizing the Blood Moon Will.
• The chapter also indirectly connects Lin Qi to Arthur, whose Will Emblem provides a point of comparison for the Blood Moon Will’s growing strength, and to the Wizards of Aishwarya’s family, whose connection to Holy Light becomes relevant to Lin Qi’s crisis.

Chapter Summary: “Holy Light Kidney, Holy Light Bead”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Qi uses his greatly strengthened Mental Power tentacles—now over ten meters long and as powerful as a Third Rank Extraordinary Profession—to break through the laboratory wall and retrieve the reacting Extraordinary Items.
• He chooses the Holy Light Kidney and places it into the S-level potion. The item releases powerful Holy Light, which suppresses and rapidly weakens the Blood Moon Will contaminating the potion.
• The Holy Light also affects Lin Qi’s Wizard nature, causing his Mental Power to begin merging into his body and threatening to force him into his tentacled Wizard true form. Lin Qi resists because transforming would dislodge his cybernetics and expose him in the Cyber World.
• Lin Qi orders Wang Ziru to keep everyone away from the laboratory, especially Wei Yue, while the experiment continues.
• Just as the Blood Moon Will is nearly destroyed, it transforms into a tiny, crystalline Mini Moon bearing a terrifying closed eye. This appears to be a fragment or extension of the greater Blood Moon entity and resists the Holy Light.
• Lin Qi prepares to use the Dragon Country Medal, a Third Rank Extraordinary Item, and considers drinking the potion if necessary. Before he can act, immense Holy Light begins radiating from his own body, apparently through the medal.
• The new Holy Light suppresses the Mini Moon. At the same time, it again causes Lin Qi’s Mental Power to spiral out of control, but the mysterious [Gate] in his Spiritual Sea releases an aura that stabilizes him and restores his control.
• The Blood Moon Will is finally erased. The experiment produces:
  • A completed S-level Potion, containing a trace of pure, ownerless Willpower.
  • A crystalline Holy Light Bead, apparently formed from the enormous Holy Light released during the process.
• Lin Qi concludes that the Dragon Country Medal likely uses him as a vessel to unleash Holy Light against Blood Moon contamination. Its effect may only function in the Doomsday World.
• The Holy Light Bead contains dense alien Spiritual Energy Particles and can likely release a massive burst of Holy Light when broken. Lin Qi realizes it may be an effective anti-Wizard weapon and potentially mass-producible, though doing so would be extremely dangerous.
• After sealing the potion and securing the bead, Lin Qi leaves the laboratory. He orders the damaged wall repaired and tells Wang Ziru to inform Wei Yue that the crisis is over.

Character Developments

• Lin Qi demonstrates major growth in power, with his Mental Power tentacles now reaching beyond ten meters and possessing Third Rank-level strength.
• He remains cautious and analytical, quickly assessing the effects of the Holy Light Kidney, the Dragon Country Medal, and the Mini Moon.
• Lin Qi’s dependence on the mysterious [Gate] deepens. It once again protects him from a dangerous loss of control, proving to be his most reliable safeguard against Holy Light’s effects.
• He becomes increasingly aware of the conflict between his Wizard identity and his cybernetic body. Transforming into his true form would damage his ability to operate secretly in the Cyber World.
• Lin Qi also begins to recognize the strategic value of the Holy Light Bead, potentially gaining a powerful weapon against other Wizards.
• Wang Ziru acts efficiently and loyally, following Lin Qi’s orders without unnecessary questions and arranging both security and repair personnel.
• Wei Yue is visibly frightened by the experiment and the threat surrounding Lin Qi, but she suppresses her fear and expresses a desire to see him once the danger has passed.

Significant Themes

• Power and risk: Lin Qi’s experiment succeeds, but only after triggering multiple potentially fatal crises. Advancement in power is shown to carry escalating dangers.
• Conflict between worlds: The potion behaves differently in the Doomsday World than it supposedly would in the Cyber World, suggesting that Blood Moon influence fundamentally alters supernatural processes.
• Control versus transformation: Lin Qi must constantly suppress his Wizard nature to preserve his cybernetic identity and maintain his disguise.
• Unknown cosmic forces: The Mini Moon and its eye imply that the Blood Moon is an intelligent, vast, and possibly fragmented entity capable of projecting pieces of its will into other substances.
• The dual nature of salvation: Holy Light destroys the Blood Moon Will, but it is also dangerous to Lin Qi as a Wizard. The force that saves him from one threat nearly causes another.
• Reliance on hidden powers: The [Gate] continues to function as an enigmatic protective force, suggesting that Lin Qi’s greatest safeguard may also be the least understood.

Character Interactions

• Lin Qi communicates with Wang Ziru through the laboratory door, ordering him to prevent anyone—especially Wei Yue—from approaching.
• Wang Ziru immediately obeys, personally finding Wei Yue and relaying Lin Qi’s warning.
• After the experiment, Lin Qi instructs the waiting squad to have Wang Ziru arrange repairs and reassure Wei Yue.
• Wang Ziru informs Wei Yue that the situation is resolved. Though frightened, Wei Yue asks to meet Lin Qi if possible, revealing her concern and emotional investment in his safety.

Chapter Summary: “A Conversation with Wei Yue, the Chance to Choose”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wang Ziru returns to the Club Activity Building after handling Wei Yue’s concerns and informs Lin Qi that the matter has already been resolved.
• Lin Qi reflects on his accidental creation of an S-level Potion and the emergence of a terrifying Blood Moon Will during the process.
• He concludes that:
  • The potion may contain a connection to the Blood Moon, either through the potion itself or its materials.
  • Holy Light is likely linked to the Dragon Country Medal and possibly to a powerful force possessed by the Dragon Nation General Command Headquarters.
  • The Cyber World’s Large Enterprise Alliance may possess a parallel source of power.
• Lin Qi decides to bring both the newly created S-level Potion and a Holy Light Bead to the Cyber World. He plans to give the potion to Arthur for testing or trade it for a Fourth Rank Extraordinary Item.
• Because Red Fruit City is threatened by a mass outbreak of new Cyberpsychosis and possible Blood Moon-related phenomena, Lin Qi believes the Holy Light Bead may prove useful there.
• After checking on the repairs to the Club Activity Building, Lin Qi visits Wei Yue.
• Wei Yue remains traumatized by the Blood Moon Will, fearing that it could seize her mind and turn her into a loyal servant of the Blood Moon.
• Lin Qi reassures her that the Blood Moon Will created during his experiment was destroyed and explains that Holy Light can annihilate it.
• Wei Yue reveals that the whispers she once heard as a Blood Moon Worshiper seemed to contain an emotional argument, suggesting that the Blood Moon may be opposed by another powerful entity.
• Lin Qi asks whether the Blood Moon is alive. Wei Yue identifies it as something more than a creature—as a god—but then rejects that description, calling it a monster and realizing she is still being mentally influenced by it.
• Lin Qi promises to provide Wei Yue with a Holy Light Bead. If she cannot defeat a future Blood Moon Will, the bead should at least give her enough clarity to make her own final decision.

Character Developments

• Lin Qi becomes more analytical and cautious after the potion experiment. He recognizes that the Blood Moon and Holy Light are connected to greater powers operating across both worlds.
• He also demonstrates growing responsibility toward Wei Yue. Although he cannot guarantee her safety, he offers her a practical means of resisting the Blood Moon and preserving her free will.
• Wei Yue is shown to be deeply traumatized and psychologically unstable from her former connection to the Blood Moon. Her changing description of it—from “god” to “monster”—reveals her continuing struggle to separate her own thoughts from its influence.
• Wei Yue also proves valuable as a source of information, recalling details about the Blood Moon’s whispers that Lin Qi had previously overlooked.
• Wang Ziru continues to be portrayed as extremely reliable and diligent, efficiently managing both personnel and construction work without complaint.

Significant Themes

• Free will versus control: Wei Yue fears losing herself to the Blood Moon, while Lin Qi’s gift offers her the ability to retain consciousness and make her own choices.
• The conflict between opposing powers: The Blood Moon and Holy Light appear to represent immense, possibly rival forces. Wei Yue’s memory of an argument hints that the Blood Moon is not the only godlike power in existence.
• The limits of knowledge: Lin Qi repeatedly distinguishes between what he has confirmed and what he can only infer. He must conduct further experiments rather than rely solely on speculation.
• Responsibility and protection: Lin Qi cannot solve every danger, but he tries to give Wei Yue a chance to resist the Blood Moon and prepares for the looming crisis in Red Fruit City.
• Identity and corruption: Wei Yue’s shifting language shows how supernatural influence can distort a person’s beliefs and emotions, making it difficult to know where her own thoughts end and the Blood Moon’s influence begins.

Important Character Interactions

• Lin Qi and Wang Ziru: Wang Ziru reports that Wei Yue’s matter is settled and continues managing the building repairs. Their relationship reflects Lin Qi’s authority and Wang Ziru’s unquestioning competence.
• Lin Qi and Wei Yue: Their conversation moves from reassurance to a significant exchange of information. Lin Qi explains the protective power of Holy Light, while Wei Yue provides clues about the Blood Moon’s nature and possible rival.
• Lin Qi ultimately offers Wei Yue not a guarantee of survival, but something more important: the opportunity to remain lucid and choose for herself when facing the Blood Moon.

Chapter Summary: Trading with Master Ma and Arthur Again

Key Plot Points and Events

• After returning from meeting Wei Yue, Lin Qi resumes meditating in the sixth-floor conference room. By the time he returns to the Cyber World, he has concealed an experimental S-level Potion and a Holy Light Bead inside his cybernetic arm.
• The Holy Light Bead is intended to guard against possible Blood Moon-related accidents, while the S-level Potion is prepared for testing and trade.
• Rather than privately contacting Arthur, Lin Qi announces the potion in the Highest Level Mercenary Group’s temporary chat. He claims it is a new, unusually powerful potion and warns that even a Fourth Rank extraordinary individual might not withstand it.
• Arthur and Master Ma immediately volunteer to test it. Arthur offers 80 million Credit Points, while Master Ma argues that his Martial Artist body is better suited to enduring the potion because he is in the third stage of Fourth Rank.
• Arthur accepts Master Ma’s reasoning and withdraws from the initial competition, though she asks to test a later sample if the first experiment succeeds.
• Lin Qi promises a second potion for Arthur’s testing and declines Master Ma’s offer of 60 million Credit Points. Instead, he announces that he wants to trade future potions for Fourth Rank or Fifth Rank Extraordinary Items, or information about them.
• Lin Qi further claims that the potion can eventually be mass-produced at a rate of over fifteen doses per month, shocking the group because such production could greatly affect the balance of power.
• Capitalist analyzes the implications and concludes that the potions may be distributed internally among the mercenary group rather than released into the Asian market. She begins considering how they could help her cultivate King Kong into an X-level Cybernetic Prosthesis user, strengthening her bid for a corporate board seat.
• The chapter ends with Capitalist offering a Fourth Rank Extraordinary Item in exchange for at least four sets of new L-level and A-level potions, revealing the first concrete trade opportunity.

Character Developments

• Lin Qi/Wizard: Becomes increasingly strategic and confident in exploiting the group’s assumptions about him. He deliberately exaggerates the capabilities and production potential of the potion while maintaining the fiction that he commands an advanced potion-research organization. His priority is no longer merely selling the potion for money; he seeks rare Extraordinary Items and valuable information.
• Master Ma: Demonstrates caution, practicality, and financial restraint. Though eager to obtain the potion, he recognizes that his superior physical endurance makes him the more appropriate tester. He offers both money and a future favor, showing that he understands the value of experimental data and personal obligations.
• Arthur: Shows strong interest in the S-level Potion and considerable financial power. Despite her initial impulsiveness, she accepts Master Ma’s reasoning and willingly yields the first test. Her willingness to prioritize fairness and the group’s practical needs makes Lin Qi view her favorably.
• Capitalist: Displays her characteristic analytical intelligence and opportunism. She quickly calculates the political and economic consequences of mass-producing S-level Potions and immediately devises a plan to use them to advance her own influence.
• King Kong: Remains a passive observer because of his poverty and dependence on Councilor Qiao. His apparent lack of participation nevertheless makes him central to Capitalist’s emerging plan to transform him into a powerful cybernetic fighter.

Significant Themes

• Power through controlled scarcity: Lin Qi uses the rarity of S-level Potions to create competition and secure access to even more valuable items.
• Deception and constructed identity: Lin Qi’s false claims about researchers, production capacity, and his organization’s resources strengthen the group’s belief that he belongs to a mysterious and powerful faction.
• Economic power versus personal strength: Arthur can outbid Master Ma financially, but Master Ma’s superior physical endurance gives him the advantage as a test subject. The chapter contrasts wealth, strength, and usefulness.
• Mutual obligation and bargaining: Favors, experimental data, money, and barter all function as forms of currency. Master Ma’s offer of a favor and Lin Qi’s preference for item exchanges highlight the importance of long-term relationships.
• Political consequences of technological breakthroughs: The possible mass production of S-level Potions could alter the balance of power across the Asian Political Zone and within the mercenary group.
• Personal ambition beneath cooperation: Although the group appears to cooperate, each member is pursuing individual goals—Lin Qi seeks Extraordinary Items, Arthur seeks advancement, Master Ma seeks a safe breakthrough, and Capitalist seeks corporate authority.

Important Character Interactions

• Lin Qi and the mercenary group members interact through a tense but commercially framed negotiation over the experimental potion.
• Master Ma and Arthur briefly compete, with Arthur offering more money but ultimately conceding that Master Ma is the safer and more suitable tester.
• Lin Qi rewards Arthur’s cooperation by promising her a second sample, strengthening their favorable relationship.
• Lin Qi manipulates Master Ma and the group by refusing direct payment and redirecting negotiations toward rare Extraordinary Items.
• Capitalist silently analyzes Lin Qi’s behavior and the potion’s potential before directly offering a trade, while King Kong unexpectedly becomes the focus of her plan despite not participating in the negotiation.

Chapter Summary: “A Plea for Help from the Company”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Capitalist asks Wizard (Lin Qi) for large quantities of his enhanced L-level and A-level potions, intending to use them to strengthen King Kong. As a pure cybernetic implant user with no Extraordinary abilities, King Kong’s advancement is limited by the strain cybernetics place on the body and nervous system.
• Lin Qi agrees to provide the lower-level potions for free and offers to exchange a set of new S-level potions for Capitalist’s Fourth Rank Extraordinary Item once the S-level formula is stable.
• Capitalist calculates that the deal is worth billions of Credit Points and accepts, also owing Lin Qi a favor. Arthur and Master Ma are stunned by the scale and speed of the transaction.
• Transportation becomes a problem because S-level potions are highly sensitive. Guangleng explains that a special shielding container would cost fifteen million Credit Points, while bypassing Oriental Logistics’ security could expose the group’s identities.
• Master Ma offers to use his black boxes and combine his shipment with Arthur’s, saving substantial transportation costs. Lin Qi accepts and plans to send the potions after dealing with the situation in Red Fruit City.
• On March 31, United Pharmaceutical holds its first-quarter company meeting, but Lin Qi, Liu Xuan, Liu Weicai, and Old Man Dong remain absent because of the Liu Group’s ongoing internal crisis.
• Researchers in United Pharmaceutical’s cybernetic engineering department begin complaining of strange health and cognitive symptoms. Similar problems have spread through United Pharmaceutical and Liu Heavy Industries, suggesting a targeted cybernetic infection or attack.
• Department supervisor Wei Wutao urges the researchers to continue working and promises to raise the matter at the company’s overtime meeting, though he privately fears the Liu Group is facing a major disaster.
• Wei Wutao hesitates to contact Lin Qi, saving his one valuable favor for his son Wei Wei.
• Wei Wei independently investigates and discovers that similar anomalies are affecting suppliers, distributors, and major corporations across multiple cyber cities. He realizes the incident is likely part of a coordinated attack on major corporations.
• He suspects the company is forcing everyone to remain inside for a dangerous reason and urgently contacts Lin Qi, pleading for help and saying that he does not want to die.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Lin Qi/Wizard: Demonstrates growing wealth, influence, and pharmaceutical ability. He treats the potions as relatively easy to produce because of his access to Doomsday World resources, but recognizes the strategic value of Capitalist’s favor and the Fourth Rank Extraordinary Item.
• Capitalist: Reveals her practical, calculating nature by immediately assessing the deal’s immense value. She sees Lin Qi as an irreplaceable supplier and acknowledges her debt to him.
• King Kong: Though absent from the chapter’s direct action, he becomes the motivation behind Capitalist’s request. His limitations as a pure cybernetic user highlight the dangers of relying on advanced implants.
• Master Ma and Arthur: Master Ma protects Arthur’s interests by arranging combined shipment, saving her a large amount of money. Arthur responds warmly, calling him a good person, while Master Ma privately worries about offending the powerful young woman.
• Guangleng: Provides logistical expertise and warns the group about the risks of transporting S-level potions, reinforcing his role as a cautious technical and intelligence resource.
• Wei Wutao: Understands that something is wrong but remains hesitant and conservative. His concern for his son causes him to preserve his connection with Lin Qi rather than seek immediate assistance.
• Wei Wei: Shows greater decisiveness than his father. Through investigation and strategic reasoning, he recognizes the crisis as a deliberate corporate-wide attack and directly asks Lin Qi for rescue.
• Lin Qi and Wei Wei: Their final interaction establishes an urgent personal connection and suggests that Lin Qi may become involved in the unfolding corporate crisis.

Significant Themes

• Power and influence: Lin Qi’s potions give him economic and strategic power far beyond his formal position, allowing him to negotiate with major figures and organizations.
• The value of favors and relationships: Both Capitalist and Wei Wutao understand that personal favors are limited resources. The chapter contrasts Capitalist’s willingness to repay Lin Qi with Wei Wutao’s hesitation to spend his connection.
• Corporate exploitation and paranoia: Employees are compelled to work despite widespread symptoms, while management minimizes the danger. The company appears less concerned with employee safety than with maintaining control.
• Technological dependence and vulnerability: Cybernetic implants provide power but also expose users to nervous-system damage, cyberpsychosis, system infection, and possible mass manipulation.
• Class and social hierarchy: Wei Wutao believes contact with Lin Qi can only be used once, reflecting the barriers between ordinary employees and powerful insiders.
• Growing crisis and impending danger: The corporate anomalies are revealed to be widespread and deliberate, creating suspense as Wei Wei realizes the companies may be gathering people together for an unknown catastrophe.

Summary of “Liu Xuan’s Decision”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wei Wei contacts Lin Qi in desperation after discovering that something is wrong at Liu Heavy Industries. His leave requests have been denied, elevator clearance has been raised, and the Weapon Research Institute is under tight control.
• The call is abruptly cut off by Liu Xinglu, an S-level cyber hacker monitoring the company’s network. Lin Qi realizes that Wei Wei’s plea for help has been discovered.
• Liu Xuan visits Lin Qi and explains that Wei Wei is being confined by sentinel robots to prevent him from taking drastic action. She offers Lin Qi two possible outcomes:
  1. Wei Wei remains imprisoned until the company’s planned purge begins.
  2. He and a small number of others are secretly evacuated through a special channel.
• The Eastern Alliance permits up to five percent of the people on the purge list to escape without compromising the larger operation. Lin Qi proposes sending selected employees to Edge-12 District, where he may be able to treat them.
• Liu Xuan accepts the proposal and arranges the evacuation, despite Liu Xinglu’s opposition. Wei Wei is informed that he and several others will be transferred out of the Weapon Research Institute.
• Lin Qi recognizes that Liu Xuan has deliberately created an opportunity to save people he cares about, especially Wei Wei and Wei Wutao. He concludes that she is compassionate and has given him a way to act without openly defying the company.
• Baili Xueyuan’s intelligence network discovers the “spark” plan and correctly identifies it as a limited rescue effort centered on Lin Qi’s friends and several researchers connected to him.
• Baili Xueyuan allows the evacuation from the Weapon Research Institute but blocks any rescue operation at United Pharmaceutical’s H4 Skyscraper, where Ning Hao—the mission’s true target—is located.
• Baili Xueyuan teleports directly into Lin Qi’s room at the Edge-12 clinic and informs him that she has stopped the evacuation at H4, setting up a confrontation over who can and cannot be saved.

Character Developments

• Lin Qi: Initially intends to remain passive and let the company’s crisis resolve itself, but Wei Wei’s plea awakens his sense of responsibility. He disguises his desire to save friends as a practical plan to preserve experienced employees for the company’s reconstruction. His actions reveal that, despite his growing status among the powerful, he has not completely lost his empathy.
• Liu Xuan: Demonstrates independent judgment and compassion. Although she understands the company’s harsh strategy, she secretly supports Lin Qi by exploiting the five-percent exemption and arranging a controlled evacuation. Her decision shows that she is willing to challenge Liu Xinglu and protect Lin Qi’s interests.
• Wei Wei: Moves from suspicion and panic to relief once he learns that he will be evacuated. He assumes Lin Qi is responsible for saving him and becomes deeply grateful, even imagining repaying Lin Qi dramatically.
• Liu Xinglu: Displays extensive control over the company’s cyber systems by intercepting Wei Wei’s call and supervising the purge. However, his authority is limited by Liu Xuan’s decision and by the surveillance and influence of the Eastern Alliance.
• Baili Xueyuan: Remains focused on the Assassin Alliance’s mission rather than humanitarian concerns. She recognizes Lin Qi’s selective compassion but refuses to allow rescue efforts to interfere with the operation targeting Ning Hao.

Significant Themes

• Compassion versus strategic necessity: The chapter contrasts Lin Qi and Liu Xuan’s desire to preserve lives with the ruthless calculations of the Liu Group and Assassin Alliance.
• Moral compromise: Lin Qi does not save everyone; he accepts the five-percent limit and chooses only a small group, showing how crisis conditions force selective morality.
• Power and surveillance: Communications, movements, and even internal decisions are monitored through advanced cybernetic systems. No faction truly possesses absolute control.
• Humanity amid social transformation: Although the characters operate within a world dominated by cybernetics, corporate power, and large-scale purges, personal loyalty still influences major decisions.
• Reconstruction and continuity: The “spark” plan symbolizes preserving the company’s knowledge and experience so that it can be rebuilt after disaster.

Character Interactions

• Lin Qi and Wei Wei: Wei Wei’s desperate call forces Lin Qi to confront his reluctance to intervene. Their relationship, though described as ordinary friendship, proves meaningful enough to motivate Lin Qi.
• Lin Qi and Liu Xuan: Liu Xuan carefully interprets Lin Qi’s indirect request and offers him a morally acceptable solution. Their interaction shows mutual understanding and growing trust.
• Liu Xuan and Liu Xinglu: Liu Xuan’s plan conflicts with Liu Xinglu’s preferred strategy, but her connection to the Eastern Alliance gives her enough authority to implement it.
• Baili Xueyuan and Lin Qi: Baili’s sudden appearance in Lin Qi’s room creates tension. She understands his motives and makes clear that his ability to save others ends where it threatens her mission.
• Baili Xueyuan and the Liu Group: Baili permits a limited evacuation at the Weapon Research Institute but blocks rescue efforts near H4, reinforcing her control over the broader operation.

Chapter Summary: “If Arthur Fell from the Sky”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Qi meets with Baili Xueyuan, a powerful Fourth Rank member of the Assassin Alliance, and discusses the evacuation of Weapon Research Institute personnel.
• Baili agrees to send the evacuees near Lin Qi’s Cybernetic Clinic once the Assassin Alliance’s operation begins, but Lin Qi requests that they remain within a two-hundred-meter radius rather than inside the clinic.
• Lin Qi questions Baili’s motives. She refuses to explain herself, saying only that she wants “an answer,” leaving Lin Qi suspicious that he is being tested.
• Lin Qi reasons that Baili’s interest likely stems from discovering that he is a Wizard. He suspects she is testing his morality, abilities, or willingness to save others.
• While waiting for the operation, Lin Qi uses the Anxious Knife to absorb emotional agitation from himself and people around the clinic. Its stored power reaches the equivalent of roughly sixty people’s worth of emotion.
• The temporary Highest Level Mercenary Group chat reveals that the group is preparing an orbital descent into Red Fruit City to intercept a “unique carrier.” Arthur and Master Ma expect to face only low-stage Fourth Rank opponents.
• Baili emails Lin Qi, informing him that the evacuees have arrived nearby and offering him a private means of contact. However, she has placed them about fifty meters beyond Lin Qi’s stated effective range, likely as a final test.
• Before Lin Qi can respond, a massive surge of Spiritual Energy spreads across Red Fruit City, and multiple Fourth Rank battles erupt.
• Realizing that the evacuees will die if he does nothing, Lin Qi uses Blood Control to anesthetize them, perform emergency brain surgery, remove their lesions, and heal them with Rapid Growth.
• Immediately afterward, Guangleng announces that the mercenary mission’s target coordinates are Red Fruit City. Lin Qi realizes that Arthur and Master Ma are about to descend directly into the city amid the ongoing conflict.

Character Developments

• Lin Qi: Becomes increasingly suspicious of Baili Xueyuan and recognizes that he is being manipulated. Despite his irritation and desire to avoid revealing his abilities, he chooses to save the evacuees, confirming that his concern for others still influences his decisions. He also continues developing the Anxious Knife, turning emotional turmoil into a source of power.
• Baili Xueyuan: Reveals herself as calculating and manipulative. She appears less interested in genuinely rescuing people than in testing Lin Qi’s powers, honesty, and moral choices. Her offer of private contact suggests possible goodwill, but Lin Qi remains convinced that she has ulterior motives.
• Arthur: Displays confidence and recklessness, believing that the Eastern Alliance’s forces will be easy to defeat. Her enthusiasm and combat-oriented nature contrast with Lin Qi’s caution. The chapter ends by setting up the possibility of Arthur literally “falling from the sky” into Lin Qi’s dangerous situation.
• Master Ma: Acts as Arthur’s experienced counterbalance, reassuring her while warning that even hidden locations will not protect her from their tracking methods.
• Wei Wei and the Weapon Research Institute evacuees: Become unwilling subjects in Baili’s test. Their survival depends on Lin Qi’s willingness to expose his capabilities.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and hidden agendas: Baili’s actions demonstrate how powerful factions use moral dilemmas and human lives to gather information.
• Morality versus self-preservation: Lin Qi wants to protect himself and conceal his powers, yet repeatedly feels compelled to save people he knows.
• The cost of revealing power: Every rescue risks exposing the true range and nature of Lin Qi’s abilities.
• Emotional power and inner conflict: Lin Qi’s anxiety and irritation fuel the Anxious Knife, turning psychological stress into literal strength.
• Coincidence and dangerous convergence: Separate plots—the Assassin Alliance’s operation, the Eastern Alliance’s response, and the mercenary group’s mission—suddenly converge in Red Fruit City.

Important Character Interactions

• Lin Qi and Baili Xueyuan: Their conversation is a tense psychological contest. Lin Qi probes her motives, while Baili gives deliberately vague answers and engineers situations that force him to reveal himself.
• Lin Qi and the evacuees: Though he complains about the trouble they cause and tries to maintain emotional distance, he ultimately risks further exposure to save them.
• Arthur and Master Ma: Their chat reflects their confidence in the mission, with Arthur boasting about defeating Fourth Rank opponents and Master Ma warning her not to underestimate their enemies.
• Lin Qi and the mercenary group: Lin Qi observes their communications and realizes that the group’s mission is taking place in the same city, dramatically increasing the danger and uncertainty of the coming battle.

Ending

The chapter closes with Red Fruit City erupting into a large-scale confrontation. Lin Qi has just saved the evacuees, but the mercenary group’s target is revealed to be in the same city. With Arthur and Master Ma preparing to descend from orbit, Lin Qi realizes that Arthur may soon arrive directly in the middle of the chaos.

Chapter Summary: “Arthur’s Cry for Help”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Qi uses Psychic Vision to assess the crisis surrounding the Cybernetic Clinic and discovers that the Fourth Rank expert assigned to protect Lin Xin has left, presumably to reinforce the battle at Baili Xueyuan.
• A violent Fourth Rank-level confrontation is underway near United Pharmaceutical and the ruined H4 Skyscraper. The concentration and movement of Spiritual Energy Particles have drastically increased, suggesting that the sole bearer, Ning Hao, has appeared and may be far more powerful than expected.
• Master Ma and Arthur arrive in Red Fruit City via orbital drop pods as supposed Eastern Alliance reinforcements. Due to a navigational error, Arthur lands near the main battlefield while Master Ma lands closer to United Pharmaceutical.
• Master Ma orders Arthur to enter the battlefield alone because he has already encountered a peak Fourth Rank local expert who would recognize him. Arthur is horrified to learn that she must face several powerful Fourth Rank opponents despite only recently reaching that level.
• Guangleng informs Arthur that every faction underestimated the sole bearer’s strength. Arthur is told not to act as the main attacker, but to assist the others and potentially take control of the target afterward as a Yellow Bear Dispatch Team member.
• Arthur arrives wearing Eastern Alliance Yellow Bear equipment and claims that her partner’s drop pod malfunctioned. Baili Xueyuan and Wu Yong accept her presence, though they question why only one reinforcement has arrived.
• Arthur sees the monstrous form of Ning Hao: a huge scarlet eye surrounded by mucus, soft tissue, and rapidly growing flesh buds covering the ruins of the H4 Skyscraper. Trapped civilians remain alive inside the building as the creature slowly consumes it.
• Lin Qi identifies the monster as something related to the Blood Moon, though it is not the true form of the Wizard or a Blood Moon Envoy. He decides not to join the fight, believing that four Fourth Rank experts should be sufficient and that entering such a chaotic battle would be suicidal.
• Liu Xuan and Lin Xin visit Lin Qi and warn him not to leave the Cybernetic Clinic. Lin Qi reassures Liu Xuan that he has no intention of risking his life, while Lin Xin humorously calls him a coward.
• At the battlefield, Baili Xueyuan explains that the target is still transforming and has not reached its full power. The objective is to interrupt the transformation, enter the giant eye, extract Ning Hao’s human vessel without killing it, and capture the creature for later destruction.
• Baili Xueyuan teleports or shifts Arthur and Wu Yong directly above the monster’s eye. However, before they can attack, an ultra-high-voltage current disables both Arthur’s prosthetic body and Wu Yong’s equipment.
• Arthur is left helpless in midair and urgently sends Master Ma a message asking for help.

Character Developments

• Lin Qi remains cautious and pragmatic. Despite his curiosity and interest in Blood Moon-related information, he refuses to enter a battle involving multiple Fourth Rank experts. His priority is survival and gathering intelligence remotely.
• Arthur is revealed to be brave but highly anxious and sarcastic under pressure. She feels betrayed by Master Ma’s decision to send her into the battlefield alone, yet still follows orders and attempts to maintain her false identity.
• Master Ma demonstrates a calculating and somewhat manipulative leadership style. He deliberately uses Arthur as the visible reinforcement while avoiding immediate exposure himself, though he promises to intervene if necessary.
• Baili Xueyuan acts as the battlefield commander. She is calm, direct, and willing to take risks, recognizing both the target’s danger and the narrow opportunity created by its incomplete transformation.
• Liu Xuan shows strong concern for Lin Qi’s safety and distrusts his tendency to become involved in dangerous situations. Her repeated glances back before leaving emphasize her protectiveness.
• Lin Xin continues her teasing, familiar relationship with Lin Qi and Liu Xuan. She jokes that Lin Qi is a coward and playfully treats Liu Xuan as his “sister-in-law,” highlighting their growing interpersonal closeness.

Significant Themes

• The danger of incomplete intelligence: Every major faction underestimated Ning Hao, and the consequences of that miscalculation create the chapter’s crisis.
• Survival versus heroism: Lin Qi’s refusal to intervene contrasts with Arthur and the other Fourth Rank fighters, emphasizing that intelligence and self-preservation may be wiser than reckless courage.
• Transformation and loss of humanity: Ning Hao’s grotesque form raises questions about identity, corruption, and the price of becoming a sole bearer.
• Deception and divided loyalties: Arthur must impersonate an Eastern Alliance operative, while the various factions cooperate uneasily despite differing goals.
• Power imbalance: Arthur is sent into a battlefield where nearly every combatant is stronger than she is, reinforcing the terrifying gap between Rank Four experts.
• Human vulnerability amid large-scale conflict: The civilians trapped inside the H4 Skyscraper serve as a reminder that the battle is not merely an abstract confrontation between powerful beings.

Character Interactions

• Master Ma and Arthur: Their exchange is humorous but tense. Master Ma effectively abandons Arthur to handle the frontline introduction, while Arthur angrily accuses him of setting her up.
• Arthur and Guangleng: Guangleng gives Arthur a blunt assessment of the situation and orders her to provide support rather than lead the attack. Arthur responds with disbelief at how badly the mission has changed.
• Arthur, Baili Xueyuan, and Wu Yong: Arthur joins the two Fourth Rank experts while concealing her true identity. Baili Xueyuan gives the group a direct assault plan, and Wu Yong prepares to attack alongside Arthur.
• Lin Qi, Liu Xuan, and Lin Xin: Liu Xuan worries over Lin Qi, Lin Xin teases him, and Lin Qi tries to reassure both of them. Their banter reveals increasing familiarity and romantic subtext between Lin Qi and Liu Xuan.
• Arthur and Master Ma at the conclusion: After the electrical attack disables her equipment, Arthur desperately calls Master Ma for rescue, ending the chapter on a cliffhanger.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Arthur's Cybernetic Body shorts out during battle, causing her to lose control.
• Master Ma, a higher-ranked but less integrated Cybernetic Body user, arrives but doesn't intervene directly.
• Arthur and Wu Yong retreat, and Baili Xueyuan considers using destructive weapons due to the difficulty of the mission.
• Liu Xingyuan, a fourth-tier Wizard and the helmsman of Liu Heavy Industries, arrives and offers to help, preventing Baili Xueyuan from ordering the destruction of Red Fruit City.

Character Developments

• Arthur: Struggles with her Cybernetic Body malfunction, misses Wizard's reliability, and feels set up by Master Ma.
• Wu Yong: Shows expertise in analyzing the monster's power and agrees with Arthur's assessment.
• Baili Xueyuan: Considers using destructive weapons due to the mission's difficulty, but changes her mind upon Liu Xingyuan's arrival.
• Liu Xingyuan: Reveals his fourth-tier rank and offers to help, showing his determination to protect Red Fruit City.

Significant Themes

• The reliance on and limitations of Cybernetic Bodies in combat.
• The potential consequences of using destructive weapons in populated areas.
• The importance of individual expertise and intervention in critical situations.

Character Interactions

• Arthur and Wu Yong: Work together to retreat and analyze the situation.
• Arthur and Master Ma: Arthur feels set up by Master Ma's cowardice and lack of intervention.
• Baili Xueyuan and Lin Qi: Baili Xueyuan contacts Lin Qi to ask about his healing abilities but hangs up when he refuses.
• Baili Xueyuan and Liu Xingyuan: Baili Xueyuan considers using destructive weapons until Liu Xingyuan arrives and offers to help.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Xingyuan questions whether the monster can counter cybernetics, then agrees to fight it without using annihilation-grade weapons that could damage Red Fruit City.
• Baili Xueyuan explains that the monster is a recently transformed human carrying power that does not truly belong to it. Its transformation into a Fourth-Rank entity is incomplete, leaving its real core vulnerable.
• Liu Xingyuan deduces that the monster’s human core is hidden inside its enormous eyeball. If he can sever the core’s connection to the monster body, the creature should be exposed and weakened.
• Baili Xueyuan reveals that the core is connected to the special Blood-Clothes Practitioner cultivation plan, but refuses to disclose further details. Liu Xingyuan suspects she may be sending him into danger, though he concludes that helping defeat the monster benefits her mission and therefore decides to act.
• Liu Xingyuan attacks using powerful wizard abilities involving electromagnetic force, metal manipulation, physical enhancement, and spatial or positional exchange. His actions are monitored and analyzed by Arthur and Master Ma through the mercenary group’s chat.
• He enters the monster’s giant eyeball, apparently making progress toward its core. Arthur assumes the crisis is nearly resolved and believes the Eastern Alliance will claim the Sole Carrier.
• Guangleng unexpectedly orders Arthur and Master Ma to cooperate with the Eastern Alliance and evacuate if necessary, suggesting that he is abandoning the mission. Arthur is confused because Guangleng had previously seemed unusually invested in obtaining the “mother sample.”
• Baili Xueyuan questions Arthur about Master Ma’s delayed arrival and warns that the Yellow Bear Dispatch Team’s performance will be reported. Arthur struggles to conceal her anxiety while Master Ma remains hidden to avoid being recognized.
• The monster suddenly produces a massive tentacle from within its eyeball and captures Liu Xingyuan. His power is insufficient to escape, forcing Baili Xueyuan to prepare an evacuation.
• Refusing to give up, Liu Xingyuan transforms into his wizard true form, growing tentacles and an eye to unleash greater power. However, Arthur reports that he is knocked unconscious.
• Just as Lin Qi attempts to view Arthur’s image of Liu Xingyuan’s grotesque true form, the mercenary group’s chat displays: “Network signal weak, loading failed.” Lin Qi immediately realizes something is wrong, since Guangleng’s methods have never previously been affected by network problems.

Character Developments

• Liu Xingyuan reveals himself as a hidden Fourth-Rank wizard and demonstrates his willingness to risk his life to protect Red Fruit City and preserve the Liu Group. He is cautious and pragmatic, but ultimately chooses to fight after assessing the benefits and risks.
• Baili Xueyuan acts as the Eastern Alliance’s mission leader, providing tactical information while withholding sensitive details about the Blood-Clothes cultivation plan. She remains composed but becomes disappointed when Liu Xingyuan’s initial assault fails.
• Arthur shifts from active urgency to detached observation once Liu Xingyuan appears capable of defeating the monster. However, she becomes increasingly nervous when Master Ma remains hidden and Baili Xueyuan questions the team’s movements.
• Guangleng behaves unexpectedly by apparently abandoning the mission. His decision deepens the mystery surrounding his true motives and his connection to the Sole Carrier or “mother sample.”
• Master Ma refuses to reveal himself because Baili Xueyuan may recognize him immediately, implying a significant past relationship or shared history between them.
• Lin Qi begins confident that the crisis is nearly over, but Guangleng’s sudden communication failure makes him suspect that the situation has changed dramatically.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and concealed identities: Liu Xingyuan’s secret status as a Fourth-Rank wizard mirrors the mercenaries’ hidden identities and Guangleng’s unexplained agenda.
• Pragmatism versus loyalty: Liu Xingyuan balances personal grief, responsibility to Red Fruit City, and the survival of the Liu Group before committing to battle.
• The dangers of incomplete transformation: The monster’s unstable evolution gives the protagonists a temporary opportunity, but also makes its behavior unpredictable.
• Power beyond human form: Liu Xingyuan’s transformation into a wizard true form emphasizes that extraordinary power often requires abandoning ordinary human appearance and identity.
• Information control and mistrust: Baili Xueyuan withholds classified information, Arthur doubts Guangleng, and Master Ma hides from recognition. Nearly every character is acting with incomplete knowledge.
• Technology and supernatural power: Cybernetics, network communication, electromagnetic abilities, and wizard transformations coexist, but the sudden network failure suggests that technological systems may be compromised at a critical moment.

Character Interactions

• Liu Xingyuan and Baili Xueyuan negotiate trust: he demands a clear explanation before fighting, while she gives him enough information to act without revealing Eastern Alliance secrets.
• Arthur and Master Ma communicate anxiously through the group chat, with Arthur pressuring him to appear and Master Ma insisting that revealing himself would be dangerous.
• Baili Xueyuan questions Arthur about Master Ma’s absence, increasing Arthur’s fear of exposure.
• Arthur, Master Ma, and Lin Qi observe and discuss Liu Xingyuan’s battle remotely, treating him both as a potential savior and as a source of valuable intelligence.
• The chapter ends with Lin Qi recognizing that the failed network connection may signal a hidden development involving Guangleng’s plan or the monster.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Qi discovers communication signals are failing, reminiscent of the doomsday world.
• Lin Qi decides to investigate, creating a Third Rank mimic of Sister Li to hide his true form.
• Liu Xuan senses Lin Qi's departure and asks Lin Xin to stay with her.
• In the H4 Skyscraper ruins, Liu Xingyuan struggles against a transforming monster.
• Baili Xueyuan realizes Arthur isn't from the Yellow Bear Dispatch Team.
• Master Ma appears, claiming to be from the Holy Corpse Legion.
• A disguised Lin Qi (as Number Five) arrives and accepts Baili Xueyuan's commission to interrupt the monster's transformation.

Character Developments

• Lin Qi demonstrates strategic thinking and adaptability in handling the crisis.
• Liu Xuan shows concern for Lin Qi's safety and tries to keep Lin Xin close.
• Liu Xingyuan's true form reveals his combat peak, but he's struggling against the transforming monster.
• Baili Xueyuan becomes stern and threatening upon realizing she's been tricked.
• Arthur feels relieved and surprised upon seeing the disguised Lin Qi.

Significant Themes

• The struggle against overwhelming forces (the transforming monster vs. Liu Xingyuan, and Baili Xueyuan's desperation).
• The importance of communication and its failure in crisis situations.
• The theme of disguise and hidden identities (Lin Qi, Master Ma, and Arthur's true intentions).

Character Interactions

• Lin Qi and Liu Xuan: Liu Xuan senses Lin Qi's departure and asks Lin Xin to stay with her, showing concern for Lin Qi.
• Arthur and Lin Qi: Arthur recognizes Lin Qi's disguise and feels relieved and surprised.
• Baili Xueyuan and Master Ma: Baili Xueyuan becomes stern and threatening upon realizing Master Ma tricked her.
• Liu Xingyuan and the transforming monster: Liu Xingyuan struggles against the monster, highlighting the monster's growing power and Liu Xingyuan's desperation.