Chapter Summaries

Fang Ran rode toward the Forbidden City after saving the other groups, while Ye Sheng struggled against Adrian and Huang Chuan’s attempt to control her. Yong Tu and another Covenant Executive Officer arrived, bringing Beijing’s most powerful forces together as A-17 revealed himself as a top-twenty Numbered Monster.

• Fang Ran drove his Nether Soul Carriage through Beijing and declared that he had come to save Ye Sheng, while an unexplained 1% appeared in his vision.
• Adrian taunted Ye Sheng with claims that her companions were dead and that she had sent Fang Ran into certain death, weakening her resistance to Devil’s Whisper.
• Huang Chuan prepared to place a talisman on Ye Sheng, but Yong Tu arrived with an earth dragon that swept through the Forbidden City battlefield and destroyed the surrounding Numbered Monsters.
• Yong Tu confronted Adrian, and another Covenant Executive Officer appeared and attacked him with an ion cannon before declaring his dislike of Adrian.
• Yong Tu identified the top-hatted figure as a Numbered Monster ranked in the top twenty, and A-17 revealed his cracked crimson eyes to the gathered Participants.

A-17 warned Yong Tu that fighting outside the Narrow Space could expose everyone to a deadly inhuman threat, while Huang Chuan challenged Yong Tu over the Night Bureau’s leadership. As the battle escalated, Adrian’s attack pierced Ling Feng’s defense and struck Ye Sheng with a purple light.

• A-17 threatened to move the conflict into the real world or Dark World, prompting Yong Tu to keep the fight within the Narrow Space.
• Ye Sheng attacked Huang Chuan in grief and fury, but Ling Feng intercepted Adrian’s strike aimed at her and began fighting him.
• Huang Chuan urged Yong Tu to hand him control of the Night Bureau, and Yong Tu answered by sending his earthen dragon to attack.
• Adrian launched a purple fallen-flame attack at Ye Sheng while Huang Chuan blocked Yong Tu and Ling Feng deployed a mechanical defense.
• A-17 opened a void in Ling Feng’s barrier, allowing Adrian’s purple light to hit Ye Sheng in the forehead.

Ling Feng deployed his hundred-meter mech to rescue the mind-controlled Ye Sheng, but A-17 reached her first. As A-17 moved to claim her, a mysterious figure tore through the Narrow Space’s darkness and roared in defense of her.

• A-17’s purple light triggered Ye Sheng’s forehead mark, driving her into a frenzy as she attacked Ling Feng.
• The earth controller fought Adrian and Huang Chuan while Ling Feng tried to restrain Ye Sheng and assessed the battlefield.
• Ling Feng summoned a hundred-meter mech and attacked the combatants, then targeted Ye Sheng to recover her and regain the initiative.
• A-17 appeared beside the weakened Ye Sheng, scattered Ling Feng’s photon-cannon strike, and reached to seize her.
• A pitch-black figure tore open the darkness near Meridian Gate and roared at A-17 to get away from Ye Sheng.

Fang Ran arrived at the Forbidden City battlefield and fought through the A-rank Participants to reach Ye Sheng, whose grief and Devil’s Whisper had driven her into a violent rampage. He broke through her Sword Encirclement, told her that her companions were alive, and caught her as they fell, completing his final trial of summer vacation.

• Fang Ran arrived at the battlefield amid the clash of Ling Feng’s photon storm and his own lightning, then blocked Adrian’s Judgment Dark Spear with ice.
• Fang Ran charged toward Ye Sheng, but Huang Chuan intercepted him and knocked him across the square; Fang Ran recovered and continued toward her.
• Ye Sheng attacked Fang Ran with Sword Encirclement, and Ling Feng warned him that Devil’s Whisper had thrown her mind into chaos.
• Fang Ran flew through Ye Sheng’s crimson sword auras behind his shield and shouted that her companions were not dead.
• Fang Ran wrapped his arms around Ye Sheng, told her he had caught her this time, and fell with her toward the ground.

Fang Ran rescued Ye Sheng from the Sword Encirclement and vowed to carry her out of the Forbidden City, despite Huang Chuan and the other A-rank Participants blocking his way. He poured tens of thousands of Magic Energy Value into Night's Pilgrimage of Thought and Memory, transforming his appearance as he prepared to face them.

• Fang Ran caught Ye Sheng, confirmed that everyone in the Night Bureau was safe, and shielded her from Huang Chuan's sword attacks.
• Fang Ran refused to release Ye Sheng and told her to sleep while he protected her, then carried her as the battles around the Forbidden City paused.
• Huang Chuan warned Fang Ran that three A-rank Participants and the distance to the Meridian Gate made escaping with Ye Sheng impossible.
• Fang Ran recognized the power of the Covenant's Night Artifact and channeled tens of thousands of Magic Energy Value into Night's Pilgrimage of Thought and Memory.
• Fang Ran's outfit transformed, Night Crows appeared around him, and he declared that the others could not stop him.

Fang Ran unleashed his A-rank Night Artifact and fought through the Forbidden City’s interceptors while carrying the unconscious Ye Sheng toward Meridian Gate. A-17 targeted Ye Sheng with a space swap, so Fang Ran sent her through a red-line passage to the Night Bureau, but he remained trapped in the Narrow Space.

• Fang Ran released Night's Pilgrimage of Thought and Memory, gaining overwhelming speed, defense, and the ability to read opponents’ thoughts and memories.
• Fang Ran dodged Adrian’s Starfall and blocked his Judgment Dark Spear before breaking through the pursuing group’s defenses.
• Fang Ran used the Night Artifact to see through Huang Chuan’s sword net and crossed Taihe Gate toward Meridian Gate.
• A-17 targeted Ye Sheng with a space swap, and Fang Ran used a marked red-line passage to send her away while saying, “Good night, Sister Ye Sheng.”
• Fang Ran fell from the air as A-17 left him trapped inside the Narrow Space.

After the battle, Hua Ling learned that Su Qun would survive and that the figure who saved them was likely Night Crow. At the Night Bureau, Resuscitation found the real Fang Ran unconscious, and Hua Ling caught Sheng-jie as she emerged from a spatial rift.

• Resuscitation told Hua Ling that Su Qun was safe, and Hua Ling broke down in tears before calming down as Resuscitation healed her.
• Ai Ma said the Fang Ran outside was likely Night Crow, while the real Fang Ran's location remained uncertain after the system records were damaged.
• A spatial-fluctuation alarm led Resuscitation and Hua Ling to the Underground C-rank Training Ground, where they found the real Fang Ran unconscious and injured.
• A red rift opened in the training ground, and Sheng-jie fell through it into Hua Ling's arms.

Fang Ran rescued Ye Sheng but was left exhausted, with his External Core nearly shattered, as the battle in the Forbidden City came to a halt. After learning Huang Chuan had orchestrated the attacks and tonight’s events, Fang Ran confronted him and declared that he would fight anyone whose plans harmed the people he cared about.

• Fang Ran used the Wheel Card to send Ye Sheng away, then fell back into the Forbidden City as his magic ran out and his External Core’s integrity dropped to 5%.
• A-17 proposed ending the battle because Ye Sheng was gone and both sides had equal numbers, and the others prepared to withdraw.
• Fang Ran questioned Huang Chuan, who admitted arranging the restaurant attack, the concert attack, the attack on Linfu Block, and the night’s plan.
• Huang Chuan claimed he had established Against the Current because he deserved the power entrusted to Jiang Ran, but the Libra Card marked his explanation as false.
• Fang Ran took up the Silver Severing Dragon Tooth and declared that Huang Chuan stood against him if his plans interfered with his life or harmed the people he cared about.

Fang Ran fought Huang Chuan in a brutal battle inside the Forbidden City’s Narrow Space, exhausting his magic energy and damaging his core in an attempt to kill him. Both were gravely injured, but Huang Chuan was the first to rise, leaving Fang Ran’s fate uncertain.

• Fang Ran abandoned his apparent resolve to end the fight and rushed Huang Chuan, attacking with the Silver Severing Dragon Tooth and Gluttony.
• A-17 trapped Fang Ran and Huang Chuan inside a separate spatial arena, where Fang Ran used his cards and Hugin’s insight to overwhelm Huang Chuan in close combat.
• Fang Ran pinned Huang Chuan with the Shadow Card and launched a final attack using nine cards, while Huang Chuan broke free and countered with his strongest Sword Encirclement.
• The clash shattered Fang Ran’s external Magic Energy Core and sent both fighters crashing to the ground, gravely injured.
• Huang Chuan coughed up blood and became the first of the two fighters to rise.

Fang Ran exhausted his strength fighting Huang Chuan, but a hidden Night Web prerequisite unlocked the S-rank Old Summer Palace Burning Night scenario and granted him a temporary privilege. He drew Spirit Abyss and unleashed White Night Frost Sky, devastating the Forbidden City and apparently defeating Huang Chuan.

• Fang Ran and Huang Chuan remained gravely wounded after their clash, but Fang Ran struggled to continue fighting because he feared what might happen if Huang Chuan survived.
• Fang Ran summoned Gluttony, but Huang Chuan dodged its attack and struck Fang Ran down, leaving him unable to defend himself with Silver Severing Dragon Tooth.
• Fang Ran noticed Spirit Abyss nearby and discovered a hidden Night Web interface whose completion activated the S-rank Old Summer Palace Burning Night scenario and granted him a privilege that reduced magical energy costs by 95%.
• Fang Ran activated the privilege and pulled Spirit Abyss from the ground, shocking Huang Chuan and the other Participants as a powerful energy storm erupted.
• Fang Ran unleashed White Night Frost Sky with Spirit Abyss, shattering the Narrow Space and carving an immense frozen path through the Forbidden City, leaving him standing alone amid the ice.

Fang Ran revealed himself as Night Crow and pressed his attack against Lingyuan while battles across the city turned in the Night Bureau’s favor. As the night’s crisis wound down, Shui Linlang reflected on how Fang Ran had protected the people important to him, leaving his next steps unresolved.

• Fang Ran’s icy sword strike devastated the Forbidden City’s central halls, and he refused Yong Tu’s demand to hand over Lingyuan.
• Fang Ran asked A-17 for help, then revealed to Adrian that he was Night Crow, the Supernova and an A-rank Upper Tier of the Night Bureau, before heading toward the Inner Court.
• At Jing City University, Pedro and Guinevere fought the last Numbered Monsters as the dark curtain stopped rippling and the monsters began to disappear.
• In Xike, Meng Lang cornered the injured Gui Yu and Ni Ying while a silent swordsman approached them; at the aquarium, Si Ai watched Greed, Wrath, and others overwhelm Yao He.
• At East River Harbor, Spellcaster and Magician watched the ceremony and spoke about their past, while Eber and the others prepared to build the stage and sought permission to use the night’s footage.
• Shui Linlang learned that Ye Sheng was safe and reflected on Fang Ran’s refusal to accept her proposal and his effort to protect everyone important to him.

After surviving the battle in the Forbidden City, Fang Ran wandered through East River, reflecting on the help he had received and grieving that he had killed Huang Chuan. He watched Shui Lianxin perform at East River Harbor, then disappeared to return to his ordinary life as Xia Yao felt she had forgotten someone.

• Fang Ran left the Forbidden City after the battle and wandered aimlessly through East River, realizing summer vacation had ended.
• Fang Ran recalled how friends and allies had helped him through the summer and the night’s battle, and recognized them as people from his world.
• Fang Ran reached East River Harbor and watched Shui Lianxin sing “Sun and Sunflower” at the festival’s finale.
• As the song brought Huang Chuan’s memories back to him, Fang Ran grieved that he had killed Huang Chuan but resolved to return to his ordinary life.
• Fang Ran vanished from the crowd, and Xia Yao cried as she told Ming Ling she thought she had forgotten someone.

Fang Ran returned to his rented apartment after a tumultuous summer and caught up with Veronica, who teased him and wished him well for the new semester. The next morning, he opened the balcony door and discovered that his apartment now seemed to overlook Jing City University.

• Fang Ran returned to The Cabin by train and called Veronica while tidying his apartment.
• Veronica teased Fang Ran about romance and encouraged him to enjoy his new power and opportunities; he thanked her for Fies Erde's help during the recent battle.
• Fang Ran told Veronica that his summer vacation had been exhausting, and she wished him a happy new semester.
• The next morning, Fang Ran knocked over his backpack, set out two photo frames, and opened the balcony door.
• Fang Ran saw Jing City University outside and realized something was wrong with the way he had opened the door.

Xiao Ran prepared to leave the northern city and visited her mother’s grave to share news about her life and family. She departed for Jing City University, leaving her father and the Fang family behind.

• Xiao Ran packed her luggage while Aunt Fang made dumplings to see her off.
• Xiao Ran visited her mother’s grave and told her about her father’s health, her studies, and the Fang family’s kindness.
• Xiao Ran mentioned a wealthy family’s move nearby and Fang Ran’s university competition project and renewed focus on studying.
• Xiao Ran said goodbye to her mother and left for Jing City University.

The Doll Demoness appeared during Yao He's battle against Wrath, Greed, Yin Kui, and Sailaer, revealing that the creatures were under her control and that she had no intention of making Yao He a Doll. She overwhelmed Yao He, captured her, and prepared to summon more Dolls before opening a passage to the Dark World.

• Wrath, Yin Kui, and Sailaer drove the wounded Yao He into a desperate fight while Greed waited for a chance to strike.
• Yao He recognized the black hellhound as the Doll Demoness's creation and called for the Demoness to reveal herself.
• The Demoness emerged and explained that Yin Kui and Sailaer were mediums for summoning Dolls, while her best Doll was someone else.
• Yao He tried to destroy herself, but the Demoness's Sloth stopped her, and Black Stallion appeared as another of the Demoness's controlled creatures.
• The Demoness's forces restrained Yao He as she summoned figures around herself, then opened an entrance to the Dark World and said there was one more.

Fang Ran reflected in his diary on the guilt and consequences of his past actions, wishing he could return to his earlier ordinary life and promising he would choose differently. The entry ended after he wrote that he definitely would, followed by a note that the chapter’s answer had already been given through Nocturne.

• Fang Ran noted the first snow of the year and worried that he might be removed from the advanced class.
• Fang Ran admitted that his attempts to protect Xiao Ran had partly served to ease his own guilt and preserve his ordinary life.
• Fang Ran confessed that he had acted out of anger when he attacked the boy at the abandoned building, and that his actions brought consequences he deserved.
• Fang Ran reflected that the incident had changed him and made him grow up, but left him longing for the child he had once been.
• Fang Ran wished he could return to his happy days and wrote that, given another chance, he definitely would.
• The narrator noted that the afternoon had included a Current Affairs and Policy class and said the answer had already appeared in Nocturne.

Hua Ling dodged her Night Bureau paperwork by impersonating Ye Sheng and setting off on an overseas mission. On a battlefield, Su Qun faced death after his unit’s failure until a mysterious sword attack turned the fight around and white light swallowed him.

• Hua Ling urged Ye Sheng to leave the office, admitted she had skipped class, and refused to help with the Night Bureau’s documents.
• Ye Sheng told Hua Ling she was going overseas on a mission and ordered her to finish the paperwork before she returned.
• Hua Ling volunteered to take Ye Sheng’s place, then ran off planning to impersonate her and alter the Night Bureau records.
• Su Qun lay wounded and concealed in the grass as armed enemies closed in, despairing that his team’s failure would have serious consequences.
• A brilliant sword attack and fiery explosions suddenly reversed the battlefield, and white light engulfed Su Qun as he lost consciousness.

Fang Ran woke in the Night Bureau hospital and pretended not to remember being Night Crow, while Resurrection Jie reassured him that the Bureau was safe. The Magician returned and learned how close the others had come to dying, leaving him to apologize for the Covenant’s role in delaying him and Spellcaster.

• Fang Ran woke beside the unconscious Qing Ning and told Resurrection Jie that he only remembered being attacked by a Black Shadow before losing consciousness.
• Resurrection Jie assured Fang Ran that Ye Sheng and everyone else were safe, then worried over the Bureau’s weakened defenses.
• Ai Ma announced the Magician’s return, and he reported that Covenant members and Against the Current attackers had been left by the Hyperspace Hub for capture.
• The Magician offered to take over the hospital watch while Resurrection Jie explained that Night Crow had saved Qing Ning, Hua Ling, Su Qun, and likely herself.
• The Magician apologized for being held back with Spellcaster during the assassination attempt and revealed that they had once called Huang Chuan big brother.

Two wary young Participants followed clues to the Night Society, where Huang Chuan welcomed them and invited them to join. They entered a hidden community of fellow Participants, beginning a new life among people like themselves.

• The spear-wielding youth and the bow-tied youth argued as they climbed the mountain stairs, though neither intended to leave the other behind.
• A young man appeared on the path and confirmed that the Night Society was where people helped the villagers; he invited the two youths to join if they made peace.
• The young man introduced the Night Society as a small family of Participants and described its leader as possibly worthy of the title of immortal.
• The youths met Uncle Yong Tu, an elder heading into the mountains to chop firewood, before reaching the society's secluded home.
• Lin Lang and a rough-looking man welcomed the youths, and their guide introduced himself as Huang Chuan before greeting them to the Night Society.

Fang Ran and Li Ze coordinated over a secret call after the Night Bureau crisis, with Li Ze arranging to expose suspicions about Fang Ran’s identity without directly revealing it. Fang Ran unexpectedly appeared at the Night Bureau, leaving Li Ze stunned, before he agreed to meet members of Fies Erde Beijing in Dongjiang.

• Fang Ran secretly contacted Li Ze from the Hospital Room and confirmed that Night Crow had saved the Night Bureau while keeping his identity hidden.
• Li Ze decided to remove his disguise at the Night Bureau and make Resurgence and the Magician suspect that Fang Ran was Night Crow.
• Li Ze told Resurgence that Fang Ran had not been in the hospital bed when he arrived, but Fang Ran suddenly appeared at the door and claimed he had gone to the bathroom.
• Li Ze left in shock after realizing Fang Ran had somehow appeared at the Night Bureau while his call still showed him in Dongjiang.
• A Fies Erde Beijing representative offered to return Fang Ran’s scepter and arrange a meeting with the livestream organizers, and Fang Ran agreed.