Chapter Summaries

Brianna and Donald found the aftermath of a battle in Montmorency Forest, while Fang Ran regrouped with Osphia, Qing Ning, and Tang Bing in a Paris hotel. Tang Bing wanted to return to Huaxia, but Osphia told her that a powerful enemy made travel too dangerous, leaving her stuck with the group.

• Brianna told Donald to strengthen surveillance on outside participants in Paris and said she would handle the forest scene herself.
• Fang Ran brought a captured intelligence broker to the hotel, where he found Tang Bing playing a game on a laptop.
• Tang Bing returned Osphia’s diamond card and receipts, then said she wanted to fly home to Huaxia that night.
• Osphia explained that a dangerous enemy knew their whereabouts and could use Tang Bing as leverage if they let her travel alone.
• Osphia told Tang Bing she would be safer staying with them, and Fang Ran consoled her by tapping her on the head with the laptop.

Fang Ran, Osphia, and Qing Ning discussed the sealed Simulation Scenario and learned that the Night Bureau’s members had been separated in the Yellow Mist. After questioning Luther, they uncovered reports of cultists and a powerful participant in Saint-Denis, prompting Osphia to suspect the Covenant had caused the Royal Court’s fall to seize control from within.

• Fang Ran explained how he had met Tang Bing in London, and Qing Ning said she had spent the past week searching South London for the Bureau without finding anyone.
• Qing Ning told Fang Ran and Osphia that Yellow Mist had separated the Bureau members and blocked communications, while she had seen no expected battles or allies.
• Osphia concluded that an anomaly in the Simulation Scenario likely prevented Sir Arcane, Sir Herschel, and the Night Bureau’s A-ranks from acting, and the group resolved to seek the mentor at Nevernight Palace.
• Osphia had Qing Ning wake Luther and questioned him about how the Wanderers found them; Luther said they had been spotted by coincidence after Fang Ran dealt with one of their bandits.
• Luther revealed that cultists near Saint-Denis were abducting people and using a sacrificial method taught by a North American Divine Envoy, and that he had sensed a powerful unfamiliar participant there.
• After Qing Ning rendered Luther unconscious again, Osphia argued that the Covenant had brought down the Royal Court to take control of it and questioned what the Covenant ultimately wanted.

Fang Ran, Osphia, and Qing Ning decided to investigate whether the Covenant was behind the Evil Cult incident while planning how to find the Mentor. Osphia explained that the Mentor might refuse to meet them and identified Klim Kleishon as their only possible contact.

• Osphia reasoned that the Covenant's takeover of the Royal Court might be connected to a real-world operation, possibly the Evil Cult incident.
• Fang Ran agreed to investigate with Osphia, while asking Qing Ning to stay behind; Qing Ning reluctantly accepted his decision.
• Osphia explained that the Mentor, Schmidt Ailanpointan, cared only about research and might not agree to see them.
• Osphia showed Fang Ran and Qing Ning a photo and said Klim Kleishon was the only person who could introduce them to the Mentor.

Fang Ran, Osphia, and Qing Ning planned to approach Klim Kleishon at a Paris gathering to find the Mentor, but learned that Donald would also attend. After setting their plan for the next day, Tang Bing and Qing Ning went shopping while Osphia urged Fang Ran to rest.

• Fang Ran recognized Klim Kleishon as the young man he had met on an icebreaker in the Arctic, and Osphia explained that he was one of the Mentor’s students and experimental assistants.
• Osphia hacked into a Paris club’s website and found Klim on the invitation list for a private gathering scheduled for the following night.
• Osphia discovered Donald’s name on the list and explained that Qing Ning would distract him while she and Fang Ran approached Klim.
• The group decided to investigate the Evil Cult during the day and infiltrate the gathering that evening to seek a way to find the Mentor.
• Tang Bing asked to go shopping for clothes, and Qing Ning volunteered to accompany her.
• Osphia told Fang Ran to relax and take a bath, leaving him alone in the suite to consider her suggestion.

On a Paris rooftop, Fang Ran reflected on his growing willingness to help others, while Osphia confronted him about hiding his past and offered him mana so he could use Moon God Hunt. She urged him to wait for the voice of his original purpose when deciding what kind of person to become, leaving him to face the coming operation with her trust and advice.

• Fang Ran watched the Paris nightscape and admitted that he could now help people in trouble, while Osphia challenged him about concealing his eyes, his abilities, and his reasons for acting.
• Osphia explained that she had once distrusted Fang Ran for deceiving his companions, but recognized that he had begun to understand himself and accept them as companions.
• Fang Ran told Osphia that his abilities had not recovered, so she attached Aether Spirits carrying her mana to Moon God Hunt and showed him how he could use the Night Gear.
• Fang Ran admitted that he had awakened as a participant only a few months earlier and still did not know what kind of person he wanted to become.
• Osphia dismissed Noblesse Oblige as a shallow slogan, explained that people acted for personal reasons, and advised Fang Ran to wait for the voice of his original purpose to guide his decision.

Fang Ran and Osphia investigated an Evil Cult stronghold in an abandoned factory and discovered cultists performing a blood-powered ritual with a remnant from the Night Battle world. The chapter ended when Osphia heard the cult leader identify the power as the Demoness’s.

• Fang Ran and Osphia left Qing Ning behind to investigate the suspected Evil Cult stronghold in Seine-Saint-Denis.
• Fang Ran used Hugin to locate the entrance underground, and Osphia cut through the locked iron door so they could enter the abandoned mine.
• Fang Ran and Osphia followed an energy fluctuation into a vast underground mine and watched black-cloaked cultists gather around a ritual platform.
• The cult leader cut his palm and smeared blood on a broken crystal, briefly activating a seven-layered magic array that Osphia identified as Black Magic fueled by sacrifices.
• Osphia used the Wind Spirit to hear the cult leader’s words and told Fang Ran that the cultists worshipped the Demoness’s power.

Fang Ran and Osphia discovered that the people in the Underground Mine had been driven into a witch-hunt-like frenzy by the Demoness's lingering influence. The cultists revealed a Dark Energy Crystal, and Fang Ran saw black liquid fill its final empty space.

• The cultists on the platform urged their followers to rise against the wealthy and burn several bound men.
• Osphia explained that the leader's hatred had mingled with mental influence left by the Demoness on an object.
• Osphia described the history and cruelty of the witch hunts, and Fang Ran realized the scene reflected humanity's dark side.
• The cultists finished their prayers and revealed a pitch-black spherical crystal.
• Fang Ran recognized the Dark Energy Crystal, and a drop of black liquid appeared and filled its final empty space.

Fang Ran and Osphia stumbled into a Covenant experiment at the Underground Mine, where the Dark Energy Crystal triggered a collapse and brought Dick and Brianna against them. As Fang Ran faced a lethal attack, his dormant power returned and surged to A-rank Upper Tier.

• The Dark Energy Crystal caused a shockwave and began collapsing the Underground Mine, so Fang Ran and Osphia rescued the cultists while Gluttony held up the mine.
• Dick confronted Fang Ran, sealed the space around the mine, and Brianna arrived to capture them and reclaim the Dark Energy Crystal from London.
• Dick shattered the Lord of the Forest's defenses and attacked Fang Ran, while Brianna intercepted Osphia's attempt to reach him.
• Osphia used the Divine Art Coordinate to shield Fang Ran, but Dick's transparent tornado blasted them into the mine wall.
• Fang Ran emerged unharmed as nearby debris turned to fine sand, and his power returned with an aura of A-rank Upper Tier.

Fang Ran accepted his A-rank Upper Tier power and used the Sand Card to overwhelm Dick and Brianna in the mine, though both escaped. He then fired Moon God Hunt at Dick, while the resulting energy surge drew Donald’s attention in Paris.

• Fang Ran emerged unharmed, told Osphia to rescue the captives, and began fighting Dick and Brianna with the Sand Card.
• Fang Ran used Hugin to read his opponents’ moves while Osphia evacuated the victims from the mine.
• Fang Ran turned the mine into a vast sand trap, forcing Brianna to break free and Dick to escape through the earth with his technology and Ability.
• Fang Ran used Moon God Hunt with Osphia’s Aether Spirit and fired a golden sand arrow at Dick as he reached the surface.
• Dick was struck and used his final spatial-crystal trump card, leaving his fate unknown, while the arrow’s energy reached the sky and stirred sand across the district.
• Donald sensed the explosive energy fluctuation in Paris, excused himself from Mr. Klim, and decided to investigate.

Fang Ran escaped the underground passage but was captured by the wounded Brianna until Qing Ning intervened, and Lorraine took the Dark Energy Crystal before leaving without fighting. Osphia carried Fang Ran to safety while Qing Ning stayed behind, then Qing Ning was pulled back into the sealed London scene and encountered a Numbered Monster.

• Fang Ran emerged from the collapsed passage, but Brianna ambushed him and restrained him while demanding that he be taken to Lord Fermiller.
• Qing Ning arrived, freed Fang Ran, and fought Brianna as Fang Ran spotted the Dark Energy Crystal and ran for it.
• Lorraine emerged from a Dimensional Space door, took the Dark Energy Crystal, and left without attacking Fang Ran or Qing Ning.
• Qing Ning held off Brianna while Osphia arrived, carried Fang Ran away, and helped him escape.
• Qing Ning was pulled back into the sealed London scene, where she set out to find Ye Sheng and Herschel Lin Hua before a Numbered Monster appeared.

Meng Lang and Gou Yu killed an injured Numbered Monster in the Yellow Mist and realized the National War accident had become more complicated. Meanwhile, Fang Ran and Osphia escaped pursuit, lost Qing Ning as their B-rank support, and began planning a revised operation for the gathering.

• Meng Lang and Gou Yu used a coordinated trap and Holy Silver crossbow to kill a Numbered Monster, which Gou Yu identified as having been wounded by Night Big Beauty's crimson sword scar.
• Gou Yu and Meng Lang suspected Sister Ye Sheng and the Spellcaster were occupied fighting Numbered Monsters, then continued searching the city block for isolated targets.
• Osphia carried Fang Ran away from Paris by a wide detour before they returned under concealment, and Fang Ran admitted he trusted his companions.
• Fang Ran and Osphia discussed the Covenant's suspected plan, the Dark Energy Crystal, and the loss of Qing Ning as their only B-rank combatant.
• Osphia proposed changing their operation for the gathering and said her magical energy could recover in time if she stopped using it for the next eight hours.

Fang Ran and Osphia returned to the hotel after dealing with the Evil Cult, then tried to summon another Night Bureau member with the Divine Art Coordinate. The connection finally succeeded, but it brought over the timid newcomer Gou Yu, leaving Fang Ran to suspect Tang Bing’s touch had influenced the result.

• Osphia told Fang Ran they needed to contact Klim and leave Paris, then they returned to the hotel and used their password to get inside.
• Osphia confirmed that Fang Ran could temporarily recover some power through the Simulation Scenario and gave him the Divine Art Coordinate to try summoning a companion.
• Fang Ran spent hours trying to activate the coordinate while Tang Bing watched and talked about her idea of a male god.
• When Tang Bing touched Fang Ran, the Divine Art Coordinate lit up and summoned a startled young man with large black-framed glasses.
• Fang Ran recognized the summoned newcomer as Gou Yu and asked Tang Bing if she had touched him.

Fang Ran reunited with Yota, whose weak rank and severe social anxiety complicated the plan to infiltrate the ball and contact Klim. Yota offered to tamper with the electronic guest list without using his ability, surprising Fang Ran and Osphia.

• Tang Bing reacted excitedly when Yota appeared, and Fang Ran confirmed that he was safe after being pulled out of the Simulation Scenario.
• Fang Ran explained the events since their arrival in London, and Yota struggled to understand what had happened.
• Osphia returned after sensing the Divine Art Coordinate activate and learned that Yota was a D-rank Participant.
• Osphia proposed distracting Donald herself, then warned that strict security and surveillance would make it difficult for Fang Ran to enter the ball.
• Yota offered to handle the electronic guest list without using his ability, leaving Fang Ran and Osphia surprised.

Fang Ran, Osphia, and Yota planned to infiltrate the ball and abduct Klaeshon after Yota altered the building’s security system. When the plan required someone to reach the ballroom’s control terminal, Yota mustered the courage to volunteer, while Fang Ran discovered that his restored ability was only his Participant Space.

• Yota altered the security verification process, impressing Osphia with his skill.
• Osphia proposed cutting power to the ballroom so they could abduct Klaeshon in the darkness, but Yota found that the power system was isolated from the outside.
• After Fang Ran tried to abandon the idea and return to their original plan, Yota overcame his fear and volunteered to shut off the power.
• Osphia agreed to send Yota near the control room and asked Fang Ran what ability his spatial connection had restored.
• Fang Ran discovered that his Participant Space had returned, then encouraged the nervous Yota with a reassuring smile.

Fang Ran prepared to infiltrate a Paris ball to get close to Klaeshon, but his lack of French forced Osphia to bring Tang Bing along as an interpreter. The chapter ended with Fang Ran and Tang Bing entering the venue through a surveillance blind spot.

• Fang Ran proposed searching nearby criminal organizations for money, but Osphia redirected him to the ball and gave him a suit for the infiltration.
• Fang Ran admitted that he did not speak French, leaving Osphia's plan stalled until Tang Bing appeared and became their only interpreter.
• That night, Fang Ran coordinated with Osphia: he would draw Donald away while she contacted Klaeshon, and the others would shut down the power controls before escaping the city.
• Fang Ran saw the arriving guests through Hugin and Munin, then met Tang Bing in an evening dress lent by Osphia and reassured her as she complained about the assignment and outfit.
• Fang Ran carried Tang Bing over the wall to a second-floor surveillance blind spot, and they crawled into the building.

Fang Ran and Tang Bing infiltrated a high-society ball to approach Klim after his presentation, while Mei Lan Duo Er waited for her famous fiancé to appear. Tang Bing was overwhelmed by the glamorous setting, and Fang Ran prepared to mingle under Osphia’s guidance.

• Mei Lan Duo Er told the young guests that her fiancé would present an achievement that might open up a new field, then refused to introduce him to a young man who asked.
• Fang Ran and Tang Bing entered the ballroom after Yota helped them bypass the disabled surveillance cameras.
• Tang Bing clung to Fang Ran’s arm, awed by the ballroom and flustered by the evening’s princess-like atmosphere, while Fang Ran calmly reassured her.
• Osphia instructed Fang Ran to join a conversation discreetly and avoid claiming European business ties or discussing finance so he could approach Klim after the presentation.
• Fang Ran took champagne from a waiter and turned to Tang Bing, who insisted nothing was wrong.

Fang Ran and Tang Bing tried to blend into a Paris high-society ball, but their lack of knowledge about elite conversation topics left them unprepared when a young man approached. He dismissed them after hearing their invented family background, then bragged about his father's business connection to Fies Erde.

• Fang Ran and Tang Bing searched for a conversation they could join, but Fang Ran admitted he knew little about art, sculpture, or football.
• Tang Bing criticized Fang Ran for bringing her along when he could not hold a conversation, while Fang Ran stayed relaxed about their failure to blend in.
• A young man approached Fang Ran and Tang Bing, and Tang Bing translated his greeting and questions into French.
• Fang Ran improvised that his family ran a hospital in Huaxia, prompting the young man to lose interest in them.
• The young man turned to the woman in the purple evening gown and boasted that Fies Erde owned the holding company behind his father's new business partner.

At a high-society ball, Fang Ran retaliated against Henry Congreve’s mockery by pouring out his champagne and leaving with Tang Bing. A prominent woman from the innermost circle hurried over and addressed Fang Ran with astonished respect, asking why he was there.

• Henry Congreve mocked Fang Ran and Tang Bing for their weak French after noticing their awkwardness.
• Fang Ran stopped Tang Bing from introducing herself, poured Henry’s champagne onto the floor, and insulted him in French before leaving with her.
• Henry grabbed Fang Ran’s arm and demanded an apology, drawing the attention of nearby guests.
• A woman in a black Evening Dress recognized the commotion and left the innermost circle to approach Fang Ran.
• The woman addressed Fang Ran respectfully and asked why he was there.

At a Parisian ball, Fang Ran stunned the guests when Li Daina addressed him respectfully and he revealed a badge identifying him with Fies Erde’s highest circle. After receiving a summons upstairs, he found Veronica waiting for him in a private room.

• Henry Congreve confronted Fang Ran and demanded an apology, but Li Daina hurried over and greeted Fang Ran as “sir.”
• Li Daina recognized Fang Ran from their meeting in Northern Europe and led him away from the crowd.
• Fang Ran pinned a golden badge with a dark red crystal to his collar, revealing his connection to Fies Erde’s highest pillar, and left Tang Bing with Li Daina.
• Li Daina received a message summoning Fang Ran upstairs, and he agreed to meet the person in charge.
• Fang Ran found F-233 in the reception room, then entered a bedroom and met Veronica.

Fang Ran met Veronica in Paris, where she renewed her invitation for him to join her and promised to fulfill his wish. When he asked why she wanted him, Veronica proposed a game of Russian Roulette and fired the first shot.

• Fang Ran was surprised to find Veronica accompanied by a silver-haired woman dressed as a bunny girl, whom he suspected was her stand-in.
• Veronica explained that she was passing through Paris and asked Fang Ran about his recent experiences, which he recounted over tea.
• Veronica told Fang Ran that he had changed and asked what his wish was, then invited him to stand on her side and promised she could fulfill it.
• Fang Ran asked why Veronica wanted him, and she proposed a game: if he won, she would tell him.
• Veronica loaded one bullet into a revolver, pulled back the hammer, and squeezed the trigger.