Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• Four Transcendents (three men, one woman) arrive at the Old Residential District.
• Xu Zhi decides to let them stay if they pay cores as rent.
• Xu Zhi and Shen Jinwen go to negotiate with the newcomers, accompanied by Xiao Zhen (Xu Zhi's Gyrfalcon).

Character Developments

• Xu Zhi: Shows confidence and arrogance in her power and influence, indicating a change in her character.
• Shen Jinwen: Shows trust in Xu Zhi's decisions and willingness to cooperate.

Significant Themes

• Survival and adaptation in the apocalypse.
• The value of safety and security in a dangerous world.
• Xu Zhi's growing confidence and ambition.

Character Interactions

• Xu Zhi and Shen Jinwen: They work together to manage the new arrivals, with Xu Zhi making the decisions and Shen Jinwen supporting her.
• Xu Zhi and the newcomers: Xu Zhi plans to negotiate with them, offering them a place to stay in exchange for cores.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Zhi and Shen Jinwen encounter a group of four survivors who have been living near their territory.
• Xu Zhi proposes a weekly core fee for anyone living in her territory, offering safety and suitable mutated animals for training.
• The group agrees to pay one core per week and decides to stay.
• Xu Zhi and Shen Jinwen leave, with Shen Jinwen receiving two Winter Attribute Cores as an advance on her monthly salary.
• Xu Zhi feeds two black fruits to Xiao Zhen, causing it to reach Level 19 and increase its Instant Death ability level.

Character Developments

• Xu Zhi: Shows strategic thinking in establishing rules and expanding her territory, demonstrating her ability to plan and grow her settlement. She also shows fairness in paying Shen Jinwen for her work.
• Shen Jinwen: Shows loyalty and willingness to work for Xu Zhi, accepting her offer of employment and payment.
• Xiao Zhen (Gyrfalcon): Gains strength and increases its Instant Death ability level, becoming more powerful and useful to Xu Zhi.

Significant Themes

• Safety and security are the most valuable commodities in the apocalypse.
• Xu Zhi's strategic planning and foresight are crucial to her survival and growth.
• The relationship between Xu Zhi and Shen Jinwen is built on mutual respect and benefit, rather than coercion.

Character Interactions

• Xu Zhi and Shen Jinwen work together to establish rules and manage the settlement, showing a cooperative and respectful dynamic.
• Xu Zhi interacts with the group of four survivors, demonstrating her ability to negotiate and persuade others to follow her rules.
• Xu Zhi interacts with Xiao Zhen, showing care and investment in its growth and development.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Zhi levels up Instant Death to max, but Narrator hints that she needs to explore to obtain it.
• Xu Zhi draws two traits: Strength Lv5 and Endurance Lv5, which improve her physical condition and tolerance.
• She decides to trade with the Federation to increase her strength quickly.
• The Special Investigations Office finds and takes Xu Zhi's Spirit Vessel, leading to a negotiation.

Character Developments

• Xu Zhi becomes more confident and assertive in her dealings with the Federation.
• She demonstrates her understanding of the power dynamics and uses them to her advantage.

Significant Themes

• Power dynamics and negotiation.
• The value of exploration and diligence in unlocking abilities.
• The importance of understanding one's strengths and limitations.

Character Interactions

• Xu Zhi interacts with the Special Investigations Office, particularly the woman she met previously.
• Their interaction is tense but ultimately productive, as they agree to discuss a deal.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Zhi meets with the Special Investigations Office to trade information for cores.
• They ask if anyone besides Xu Zhi can leave Cloud City, trying to trap her into revealing information.
• Xu Zhi answers truthfully but evasively, charging one hundred cores for the first question.
• They ask about the number of sane survivors in Cloud City, which Xu Zhi values at one thousand cores.
• They ask about Zhong Lingfan's research report, which Xu Zhi values at one thousand cores.
• Xu Zhi decides to end the meeting early, scheduling a future trade.

Character Developments

• Xu Zhi demonstrates her cunning and negotiation skills, charging high prices for information.
• The Special Investigations Office shows their strategic thinking, trying to probe Xu Zhi's abilities and knowledge.

Significant Themes

• The value of information and the core-based trading system.
• The struggle for resources and power in a post-apocalyptic world.
• Xu Zhi's independence and self-interest.

Character Interactions

• Xu Zhi interacts with a woman from the Special Investigations Office, engaging in a tense yet calculated exchange.
• Xu Zhi's actions suggest she has a hidden agenda or secret, which the Special Investigations Office is trying to uncover.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Zhi discovers the distribution of her Attribute Cores, with [Cup] being the most numerous and [Lamp] completely absent.
• She decides to use [Winter] cores to raise Gyrfalcon to level 20 and plans to use the rest for her Spirit Vessel and to obtain more cores from Nanshan Villa District.
• Xu Zhi learns that cores come in different grades and plans to ask the Special Investigations Office about this next time.
• She feeds Xiao Zhen cores to reach level 20, unlocking the Evolution trait and increasing [Instant Death]'s level.
• Xu Zhi unlocks the fourth Familiar slot and gains access to higher-level Familiars for selection.

Character Developments

• Xu Zhi: She becomes more strategic in her planning, aiming to secure a steady source of Attribute Cores. She also learns to be more discerning with her information trading.
• Xiao Zhen (Gyrfalcon): Reaches level 20, gains the Evolution trait, and its [Instant Death] ability improves. It also becomes more conspicuous and beautiful.

Significant Themes

• Resource management and acquisition: Xu Zhi struggles with the scarcity of Attribute Cores and plans to obtain more.
• Familiar development: Xu Zhi focuses on raising her Familiars' levels and unlocking their potential.
• Information trading: Xu Zhi learns to be more selective with the information she trades to maximize its value.

Character Interactions

• Xu Zhi interacts with the Narrator, trying to get more information about the cores' grades and the Eye of Secrets. However, the Narrator remains cold and unhelpful.
• Xu Zhi feeds Xiao Zhen cores, helping it reach level 20 and unlock new abilities.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Zhi discovers a new Familiar option: [Aberration Lv1].
• She selects it despite the warning about its brutal nature and low sanity.
• The Aberration appears as a thorny, stick-like creature, showing off its agility and stealth.
• Xu Zhi feeds it [Cup] Attribute Cores, and it levels up on its own.
• The Aberration's Restlessness trait increases, and Xu Zhi is advised to soothe it.

Character Developments

• Xu Zhi demonstrates curiosity and caution in dealing with the Aberration.
• The Aberration shows intelligence and emotion, despite its inanimate appearance.

Significant Themes

• The theme of understanding one's enemy to gain an advantage is reinforced.
• The concept of Familiar evolution and leveling is expanded upon.

Character Interactions

• Xu Zhi interacts with the Aberration, feeding it cores and eventually her blood to soothe it.
• The Aberration shows a clear response to Xu Zhi's actions, indicating a level of intelligence and emotion.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Zhi feeds her Aberration Familiar with Attribute Cores to level it up.
• The Aberration gains intelligence at level 10 and Xu Zhi names it "Little Dummy."
• Xu Zhi discovers that rolling the city center location is unusually frequent.
• She decides to investigate the city center and sends Xiao Zhen, her Gyrfalcon, ahead.

Character Developments

• Xu Zhi demonstrates patience and determination in leveling up her Aberration, despite the challenges and costs involved.
• The Aberration, now named Little Dummy, gains intelligence but remains ignorant and easily tempted.

Significant Themes

• The struggle and cost of leveling up and gaining power.
• The unpredictable nature of the post-apocalyptic world and its dangers.
• The importance of perseverance and adaptability in the face of adversity.

Character Interactions

• Xu Zhi interacts with her Aberration Familiar, feeding it cores and naming it.
• She communicates with the game's narrator to understand her Familiar's needs and limitations.
• Xu Zhi sends Xiao Zhen, her Gyrfalcon, to scout ahead, demonstrating her trust in the creature.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Zhi creates a Spirit Vessel with 16 cores, lasting 80 minutes, and invests in [Forge], [Opening], and [Peering Eye] attributes.
• She deploys the Spirit Vessel to the Nanshan Villa District, where she feels watched and is later greeted by Yan Songlin and Yan Rui.
• They drive Xu Zhi to the garden estate, where she meets Zhong Lingfan, the administrator.

Character Developments

• Xu Zhi: Invests in her Spirit Vessel, shows curiosity and determination to meet Zhong Lingfan.
• Zhong Lingfan: Introduces herself as the administrator, displays authority and a gentle facade.

Significant Themes

• Power dynamics and manipulation: Zhong Lingfan's introduction showcases her authority and control.
• Perception and vision: The fog affects supernaturals' vision, with Xu Zhi's improved sight contrasting with Yan Songlin's poor sight.

Character Interactions

• Xu Zhi and Yan Songlin: They greet each other, and Xu Zhi learns about Yan Songlin's driving issues.
• Xu Zhi and Zhong Lingfan: They meet, and Zhong Lingfan introduces herself, establishing her dominance.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Zhi visits Zhong Lingfan, seeking her Transcendent research report.
• Xu Zhi reveals she knows about Zhong Lingfan's incomplete research and has two Transcendent abilities.
• Xu Zhi offers to trade her true purpose in coming to the garden for the research report.
• Xu Zhi proposes a cooperation: she provides safety and force, Zhong Lingfan manages the group.
• Xu Zhi challenges Zhong Lingfan to let her subordinates try to stop her the next day, promising no harm to the garden if they fail.

Character Developments

• Xu Zhi: Shows curiosity, resourcefulness, and confidence in her strength.
• Zhong Lingfan: Initially cautious and guarded, becomes more open to Xu Zhi's proposal.

Significant Themes

• Strength and power dynamics in the post-apocalyptic world.
• Cooperation and alliances for survival.
• The importance of understanding and predicting people's hearts (Zhong Lingfan's Transcendent ability).

Character Interactions

• Xu Zhi and Zhong Lingfan: Xu Zhi's straightforwardness and confidence challenge Zhong Lingfan's initial caution and lead to a potential alliance.
• Xu Zhi and Xiao Zhen: Though not present in this chapter, Xiao Zhen's loyalty to Zhong Lingfan is implied, and she may be involved in the decision-making process.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Zhi proposes that Zhong Lingfan and her people move to her territory in exchange for protection and a safe training environment.
• Zhong Lingfan agrees to consider the proposal if Xu Zhi can enter her base unharmed the next day.
• Xu Zhi trades cores of seven other attributes for a single [Lamp] Attribute Core from Zhong Lingfan.

Character Developments

• Zhong Lingfan: Shows hesitation and caution in dealing with Xu Zhi, but is tempted by the potential benefits of Xu Zhi's offer.
• Xu Zhi: Demonstrates an overbearing and unreasonable attitude, but also shows a level of care for the people under Zhong Lingfan's protection.

Significant Themes

• Power dynamics: Xu Zhi's power and confidence allow her to dictate terms, while Zhong Lingfan is forced to negotiate.
• Trust and sincerity: Zhong Lingfan questions Xu Zhi's sincerity and trustworthiness, while Xu Zhi asserts that she doesn't need Zhong Lingfan's trust.
• Change and uncertainty: Zhong Lingfan feels uncertain about the future due to Xu Zhi's sudden appearance and proposals.

Character Interactions

• Xu Zhi and Zhong Lingfan: Their interaction is characterized by Zhong Lingfan's caution and Xu Zhi's overbearing confidence, with Zhong Lingfan trying to extract promises and concessions from Xu Zhi.
• Xu Zhi and Shen Jinwen: Xu Zhi informs Shen Jinwen about the incoming survivors and offers her the chance to manage the base with Zhong Lingfan, but Shen Jinwen declines.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Zhi has a dream that hints at her upcoming advancement in extraordinary level.
• She discovers that advancement is not as straightforward as she thought and comes with certain dangers.
• Xu Zhi and her Familiars confront and disarm the people deployed by Zhong Lingfan around the villa district.

Character Developments

• Xu Zhi gains insight into her upcoming advancement, understanding that it will be challenging and potentially dangerous.
• She demonstrates strategic thinking by ordering her Familiars to disarm the enemy without killing or crippling them, aiming to maintain a peaceful resolution.

Significant Themes

• Advancement and Growth: Xu Zhi's dream reveals the complexities and challenges of advancing her extraordinary abilities.
• Strategy and Tactics: Xu Zhi shows her ability to plan and execute a strategy, using her Familiars to gain the upper hand without causing significant harm.

Character Interactions

• Xu Zhi communicates with her Familiars using their "telepathic connection," demonstrating their close bond and coordination.
• She orders them to disarm the enemy, showing her leadership and strategic thinking.
• Xu Zhi plans to notify Zhong Lingfan, indicating her intention to maintain communication and potentially negotiate with her.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Zhi and her Familiars (a giant python and a Mutated Animal wolf) easily defeat a group of superhumans guarding the garden.
• Xu Zhi enters the garden, encounters no resistance, and reaches the main hall.
• Zhong Lingfan surrenders and agrees to leave with Xu Zhi in two hours.

Character Developments

• Xu Zhi demonstrates her power and control over Mutated Animals, instilling fear and obedience in her opponents.
• Zhong Lingfan accepts Xu Zhi's dominance and agrees to her terms without hesitation.

Significant Themes

• Power dynamics: Xu Zhi's display of strength establishes her authority and convinces Zhong Lingfan to comply.
• Supernatural energy: Xu Zhi speculates that the black mist might contain supernatural energy, contributing to the high proportion of superhumans in Cloud City.

Character Interactions

• Xu Zhi and Zhong Lingfan: Xu Zhi asserts her dominance, while Zhong Lingfan accepts her new role as a subordinate, agreeing to manage the Old Residential District.
• Xu Zhi and her Familiars: They work together seamlessly, demonstrating their bond and coordination.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Zhi returns to the Old Residential District with a convoy.
• She meets Shen Jinwen and introduces Zhong Lingfan, who will manage the neighborhood together.
• Xu Zhi sets rules for the residential area, emphasizing no disruption of security and the production of cores.
• She grants Zhong Lingfan and Shen Jinwen broad authority to manage the area.
• Xu Zhi receives Zhong Lingfan's research materials on old superhumans and invests cores into her Spirit Vessel.
• She enters the Spirit Vessel and meets a representative from the Special Investigations Office, who takes her to their headquarters.
• Lin Zizhen, the director of the Supervision Office, shows Xu Zhi around the headquarters and agrees to let her meet the superhumans there.

Character Developments

• Xu Zhi: Demonstrates her leadership and authority by setting rules and granting authority to Zhong Lingfan and Shen Jinwen. She also shows interest in understanding old superhumans better.
• Zhong Lingfan: Becomes the administrator of the residential area, accepting Xu Zhi's broad authority and understanding her goals.
• Lin Zizhen: Shows professionalism and caution in dealing with Xu Zhi, unlike the previous representative. He is an old fox who is careful not to reveal too much information.

Significant Themes

• Power and authority: Xu Zhi establishes her power and rules in the residential area, while Lin Zizhen represents the authority of the Special Investigations Office.
• Information and knowledge: Xu Zhi seeks information about old superhumans and the Special Investigations Office, while Lin Zizhen is careful about what he reveals.
• Trust and deception: Xu Zhi is cautious about who she trusts, while Lin Zizhen is careful not to deceive her openly but may be hiding information.

Character Interactions

• Xu Zhi and Zhong Lingfan: They work together to manage the residential area, with Xu Zhi granting Zhong Lingfan broad authority.
• Xu Zhi and Lin Zizhen: They interact professionally, with Xu Zhi seeking information and Lin Zizhen being cautious about what he reveals.
• Xu Zhi and the previous representative: There is a contrast between the previous representative's openness and Lin Zizhen's caution, suggesting a change in the Special Investigations Office's approach to dealing with Xu Zhi.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Zhi and Lin Zizhen tour Cloud City's facilities.
• Xu Zhi expresses interest in the building housing captured Aberrations.
• Lin Zizhen offers to trade experimental data on Aberrations for intelligence from Xu Zhi.
• They encounter Captain Wan and his team at the operations department.
• Xu Zhi uses her ability to scan the team, drawing Captain Wan's suspicion.
• Xu Zhi asks Lin Zizhen why extraordinary individuals outside are weak compared to those inside Cloud City.

Character Developments

• Xu Zhi demonstrates her ability to assess extraordinary levels, surprising Lin Zizhen.
• Lin Zizhen shows composure and calm in handling unexpected situations.
• Captain Wan displays hostility toward Lin Zizhen and suspicion toward Xu Zhi.

Significant Themes

• The disparity in power and resources between Cloud City and the outside world.
• The allure of Cloud City's resources and the desperation of outsiders to enter.
• The potential danger and value of Aberrations.

Character Interactions

• Xu Zhi and Lin Zizhen: Xu Zhi tests Lin Zizhen's knowledge and reactions, while Lin Zizhen tries to understand and accommodate Xu Zhi's unique perspective.
• Lin Zizhen and Captain Wan: They display mutual hostility, with Captain Wan questioning Lin Zizhen's presence and Lin Zizhen defending Xu Zhi.
• Xu Zhi and Captain Wan: Xu Zhi provokes Captain Wan by admitting to using her ability on his team, leading to a tense interaction.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Zhi visits a Special Investigations Office in Brocade City to obtain Attribute Cores.
• She requests to see Aberrations held there, differing from those in Cloud City.
• She inspects three Aberrations, finding them less threatening than those in the city center.
• Xu Zhi agrees to reduce the number of cores from 1000 to 800 due to attribute restrictions.

Character Developments

• Lin Zizhen, a high-ranking official, maintains composure despite Xu Zhi's demanding tone, showing political acumen.
• Xu Zhi demonstrates her power and influence by negotiating the core quantity, revealing her importance to the Special Investigations Offices.

Significant Themes

• The difference between Aberrations inside and outside Cloud City.
• The importance and scarcity of Attribute Cores.
• Political maneuvering and compromise in high-level negotiations.

Character Interactions

• Lin Zizhen and Xu Zhi engage in a power dynamic, with Xu Zhi holding more leverage due to her unique abilities.
• Lin Zizhen consults with an unseen superior via earpiece, highlighting the political intrigue surrounding Xu Zhi's visit.
• A researcher provides information about the Aberrations, showcasing the office's knowledge and control over the creatures.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Zhi agrees to bring out Zhong Lingfan's research report on superhumans once it's finished, in exchange for cores.
• Xu Zhi reveals that people inside Cloud City can't get out due to a phenomenon similar to the Black Fog outside.
• She hints at a dangerous nighttime threat in the city, demanding a high price for details.

Character Developments

• Xu Zhi demonstrates her business acumen and strategic thinking, aiming to maximize her gains from information trading.
• Lin Zizhen shows cautiousness and negotiation skills, trying to verify Xu Zhi's information before paying.

Significant Themes

• Information as currency: Xu Zhi uses her unique access to Cloud City information to barter for cores.
• Trust and verification: Both parties try to build trust while seeking ways to verify the authenticity of the information.

Character Interactions

• Xu Zhi and Lin Zizhen engage in a negotiation dance, with Xu Zhi pushing for higher prices and Lin Zizhen trying to verify information before paying.
• Xu Zhi's interaction with the unseen people behind Lin Zizhen is marked by her honesty and their suspicion of her high prices.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Zhi reveals the existence of the rare Black Fruit, which can enhance supernatural abilities and even awaken ordinary people.
• She refuses to trade the Black Fruit, only offering information about it in exchange for cores.
• The outsiders offer high-grade Attribute Cores in exchange for the Black Fruit's information, with a total of seventy cores for the desired attributes.
• Xu Zhi agrees to the trade and receives an advance payment of two thousand eight hundred cores.

Character Developments

• Xu Zhi demonstrates her shrewdness and negotiation skills, driving a hard bargain with the outsiders.
• Lin Zizhen shows willingness to pay a high price for the Black Fruit's information, indicating the outside world's desperation for it.

Significant Themes

• The value of rare resources and the lengths people will go to obtain them.
• The power dynamics between Cloud City and the outside world.
• The potential dangers of consuming cores to enhance supernatural abilities.

Character Interactions

• Xu Zhi and Lin Zizhen engage in a tense negotiation, with Xu Zhi maintaining a strong position.
• Xu Zhi's Familiars remain unseen but are implied to be a significant factor in her strength and plans.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Zhi wakes up in her main body and plans her day.
• She sends Xiao Zhen to find Black Fruit and feeds her other Familiars cores to level up.
• She interacts with the Withered Wood Aberration, which calls her "Mommy" and feeds it a [Lamp] Attribute Core despite its attribute conflict.
• Xu Zhi observes Xiao Zhen's hunt for Black Fruit and decides to feed Xiao Zhen high-level cores.
• She plans to learn knife techniques from Shen Jinwen while her Familiars digest their cores.

Character Developments

• Xu Zhi shows care and concern for her Familiars, even the Withered Wood Aberration, despite its strange behavior.
• The Withered Wood Aberration demonstrates basic understanding and emotion, calling Xu Zhi "Mommy" and expressing pain and love.

Significant Themes

• The theme of nurturing and caring for one's creations or dependents is explored through Xu Zhi's actions towards her Familiars.
• The Narrator's change in tone and behavior is subtly noted, hinting at its growing "personality."

Character Interactions

• Xu Zhi interacts with her Familiars, showing favoritism towards Xiao Zhen and concern for the Withered Wood Aberration.
• The Withered Wood Aberration interacts with Xu Zhi, demonstrating basic understanding and emotion.
• The Narrator interacts with Xu Zhi, providing information and guidance, and showing a hint of sarcasm.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Zhi pays Shen Jinwen with high-level Attribute Cores for the Tang Sword and swordsmanship lessons.
• Xu Zhi learns basic Tang Sword techniques from Shen Jinwen.
• Doggie evolves to Level 20, becoming the Wolf King with the special ability 'Pack Leader'.
• Xu Zhi feeds the Aberration cores to level it up, but its 'Restlessness' hinders progress.
• Little One and Xiao Zhen evolve, improving their overall abilities.
• Xu Zhi decides to attempt increasing her own Transcendent level.

Character Developments

• Shen Jinwen: Shows generosity and understanding towards Xu Zhi's gifts.
• Xu Zhi: Demonstrates generosity and trust in Shen Jinwen, and decides to improve her own Transcendent level.
• Doggie: Evolves into the Wolf King, gaining the 'Pack Leader' ability.
• Little One and Xiao Zhen: Evolve, improving their overall abilities.

Significant Themes

• Friendship and trust between Xu Zhi and Shen Jinwen.
• The importance of leveling up and evolution for Familiars and Xu Zhi herself.
• The challenges and setbacks in leveling up the Aberration due to its 'Restlessness'.

Character Interactions

• Xu Zhi and Shen Jinwen: Xu Zhi pays Shen Jinwen and receives swordsmanship lessons. They express mutual trust and understanding.
• Xu Zhi and her Familiars: Xu Zhi interacts with her evolved Familiars, feeding them and preparing to level up herself.
• Xu Zhi and the Aberration: Xu Zhi struggles to level up the Aberration due to its 'Restlessness', leading to frustration.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Zhi swallows three high-grade Attribute Cores, causing her to black out and enter a dreamlike state in a white, twisted woodland.
• She pursues a glowing moth, which leads her through forks in the road, and eventually dissolves into her body.
• She wakes up with a new extraordinary ability, [Moth], and a message from the Narrator congratulating her on passing the initial trial.

Character Developments

• Xu Zhi gains another extraordinary ability, [Moth], which allows her to influence others' thoughts and actions.
• Her physical strength and extraordinary energy increase significantly.
• She discovers that her eyes have turned a faint pale gray.

Significant Themes

• The consequences of pursuing power and extraordinary abilities.
• The struggle between reason and instinct.
• The duality of human nature and the potential for obsession.

Character Interactions

• Xu Zhi interacts with the Narrator, who guides and advises her.
• Xu Zhi's pursuit of the moth symbolizes her internal struggle and growth.