Crow

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Crow (乌鸦)
Species/Race	Supernatural crow collective; manifestations of Lingling's ghost-painting power 15 16
Affiliation	Lingling and the World in the Painting (formerly); Zhang Ze and the Crow's Nest Haunted House 15 16
Occupation/Role	Hunter, surveillance network, enforcer, and protector 16 71 135
Status	Active 142 152
First Appearance	Chapter 8 8

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
World in the Painting hunters	8–14	The crows appear when newcomers enter the World in the Painting, kill one existing resident, and maintain the population at four. They are feared as predators that eat anyone they catch. 8 9 12 14
Zhang Ze's extensions	15	After attaching Lingling's Ghost Hands, Zhang Ze gains control over the crows. Their sight becomes his own, allowing him to observe the entire forest and locate Lingling, Li Yang, and the Cellar. 15
Crow's Nest control network	16	Zhang Ze gains authority over every crow in the World in the Painting. The flock can recreate Lingling's body, while Little Bear and Bald Strong are revealed to be crow-derived monsters. 16
Lost Media invasion force	46	During the invasion of West City Police Station, the flock overpowers resistance and pulls Ghost Face's hidden eye from the ceiling. 46
City-scale guardian flock	70–71	Zhang Ze uses the flock for rapid travel, rescues civilians from supernatural threats, and covers Hanjiang City's western outskirts through Crow's Vision. 70 71
Black Water and Ghost Eye network	103	Black Water can transform into countless crows. Combined with Ghost Eyes, the flock enters patients' rooms and facilitates memory invasion. 103
Monitored-sentinel deployment	135	Zhang Ze leaves a larger, many-eyed crow with Zhao Dahai as a permanent warning and enforcement measure. 135

Background / History

The crows originally operated as part of Lingling's World in the Painting. They would appear whenever newcomers arrived, kill one of the existing residents, and vanish after preserving the world's fixed population of four. Old Zhou and Li Yang regarded them as unavoidable predators whose victims faced permanent death. 8 9 12

Their true nature became clear after Zhang Ze replaced his hands with Lingling's Ghost Hands. He learned that the crows were extensions of Lingling's perspective and that Lingling herself was a puppet assembled from countless crows. Zhang Ze seized control of the flock, dispersed Lingling into red-black liquid and crows, and gained the ability to recreate her at will. 15 16

Zhang Ze then converted the World in the Painting into the two-star Haunted House scenario Crow's Nest. The flock became its hidden surveillance system: visitors could be observed from every angle, while Zhang Ze could intervene if their safety was genuinely endangered. 16 20

As Zhang Ze's influence expanded, the crows operated beyond Crow's Nest. They scouted Lost Media sites, transported Zhang Ze across Hanjiang City, protected civilians from supernatural attacks, and became an unmistakable sign of his presence in the city's western outskirts. 43 70 71

Appearance

The flock usually manifests as pitch-black crows that emerge without warning and vanish just as abruptly. They appear unnatural even by the standards of the Door-After World. 8 9

• Pitch-black feathers have the texture of ink. 9
• Their eyes are completely black, described as resembling black pearls. 9 10
• They can fly without making a sound until they choose to cry out. 9
• Their beaks and talons can tear flesh; a diving crow leaves wounds coated in Black Water. 35 70
• A flock can gather into a red shadow or reconstruct Lingling's humanoid form. 16 35
• Zhang Ze's special surveillance crow is larger than the others and has a face densely covered in eyes. 135

Abilities & Skills

Crow's Vision

Each crow can function as an extension of Zhang Ze's senses, providing him with remote vision and awareness.

• Allows Zhang Ze to observe the entirety of the World in the Painting's forest after gaining control of the flock. 15
• Lets him monitor Crow's Nest visitors without surveillance-camera blind spots. 16 20
• Enables reconnaissance of dangerous locations such as West City Police Station and the Second Ward. 43 93
• Can cover Hanjiang City's western outskirts when the flock is deployed at full scale. 71
• Cannot extend as far as the eastern outskirts under Zhang Ze's documented limits. 71

Flock Transformation and Travel

Zhang Ze can disperse into crows and move through the flock's flight paths.

• He uses the flock to reach emergencies faster than conventional travel. 70
• He transforms into a flock to travel from Hanjiang City to Vast Sea City. 130
• The crows can condense into Zhang Ze's shadow or humanoid form when he manifests at a destination. 142

Hunting and Assault

The crows attack in swarms, using their beaks and talons to maim, kill, or overwhelm targets.

• They kill residents selected by the World in the Painting's population rule. 9 12
• They peck victims apart, tearing off bloody pieces of flesh. 35
• A single diving crow wounds a long-armed monster, while a larger flock forces it to retreat. 70
• They can smash through windows, enter sealed rooms, and assault targets from multiple directions. 101 103
• Their numbers can be mobilized to seal entrances and exits across the Haunted House. 142

Manifestation and Reconstruction

The flock is closely bound to Lingling's ghost-painting power and Black Water.

• Lingling can be dispersed into red-black liquid that grows wings and becomes crows. 16
• Zhang Ze can gather the crows to recreate Lingling after dispersing her body. 16
• Little Bear and Bald Strong are likewise revealed to be monsters transformed from crows. 16
• Black Water can become countless crows during Zhang Ze's large-scale supernatural operations. 103

Surveillance and Enforcement

Zhang Ze uses individual crows as informants, guards, and instruments of coercion.

• A crow stationed at Chen Ge's Midnight Ticket Booth monitors special customers. 37
• Zhang Ze gives Bai Xiaoxiao a protective crow after saving her from a monster at the film and television base. 71
• A larger, many-eyed crow monitors Zhao Dahai and is ordered to punish him if he harms ordinary people or violates basic ethics. 135

Limitations

• Crows can be killed by sufficiently powerful supernatural forces; Zhang Ze lost a crow while scouting West City Police Station. 43
• A crow destroyed in the Second Ward could not be recovered as Black Water, causing Zhang Ze direct pain and loss. 93
• Chen Ge's enraged supernatural power kills over a thousand crows in less than half a minute. 116
• Zhang Ze cannot use full citywide Crow's Vision beyond Hanjiang City's western outskirts. 71

Relationships

• Lingling — The crows originated from her ghost-painting power; her humanoid body is a puppet formed from countless crows. 15 16
• Zhang Ze — Their current controller. After attaching the Ghost Hands, Zhang Ze treats the flock as his eyes, combat force, transport, and surveillance network. 15 16 71
• Old Zhou and Li Yang — Formerly hunted residents of the World in the Painting; later, Zhang Ze uses crows to monitor them as Crow's Nest NPCs. 9 16
• Chen Ge — Zhang Ze uses crows to communicate coded messages and to monitor special customers at Chen Ge's Haunted House. 37 56
• Bai Xiaoxiao — Receives a crow from Zhang Ze for protection after a supernatural attack at the film and television base. 71
• Zhao Dahai — Is placed under the watch of a many-eyed crow after Zhang Ze spares his life. 135

Story Role / Major Arcs

Murderous Painting

The crows initially serve as the World in the Painting's lethal population-control mechanism. Their attacks reveal the setting's rules, pressure Zhang Ze's group into searching for the Cellar, and establish Lingling as the apparent force behind the forest. 8 9 14

After Zhang Ze gains the Ghost Hands, the flock shifts from an enemy force to his primary supernatural asset. He defeats Lingling, takes command of the World in the Painting, and turns it into the Crow's Nest Haunted House scenario. 15 16

Crow's Nest Operations

Within Crow's Nest, the flock acts as an omnipresent camera network and safety mechanism. Zhang Ze watches visitors through hidden crows while using their presence to enhance the scenario's atmosphere and maintain control over his employees. 16 20

Crow's Nest later becomes the foundation connecting Zhang Ze's other scenarios, making knowledge of its layout important to Haunted House Major competitors. 136

Lost Media and Hanjiang City Patrols

The crows scout West City Police Station, help Zhang Ze pressure Ghost Face into surrendering an eye, and participate in the station's eventual takeover. 43 46 47

After the Supernatural Research Company's threats escalate, Zhang Ze releases the flock across Hanjiang City's western outskirts. The crows locate victims and supernatural incidents, allowing him to intervene throughout the night. 70 71

Ghost Story Association Conflict

The growing number of crows throughout Hanjiang City signals Zhang Ze's status as a major supernatural power. He uses them to guide Devil and Xiong Qing into Chen Ge's Haunted House as part of his plan against the Ghost Story Association. 115 117 119

When intruders infiltrate Crow's Nest during the Haunted House Major, Zhang Ze orders Lingling to mobilize every crow and seal the attraction's exits. 142

Vast Sea City

Following the Umbrella Corporation mission, Zhang Ze assigns a special many-eyed crow to watch Zhao Dahai in Vast Sea City. The crow serves as both protection for ordinary people and a threat against Zhao Dahai's potential betrayal. 135