Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Qin Ran arrives at Alcatraz Island and sees extensive damage from repeated battles, suggesting that many groups have tried to seize the island.
• He suspects the Night Demon Society is encouraging further attacks by spreading rumors about mysterious treasures inside the Bronze Giant Coffin. Despite the danger, greed is drawing powerful outsiders to the island.
• Hostdier, a senior Dark Star Society leader, complains about the repeated assaults and says he hopes to return to the safety of Dark Star Fortress once Qin Ran opens the coffin.
• Hostdier explains that he discovered the island’s secret by keeping watch on Gilfen Hudge, whom he had hoped to recruit into the Dark Star Society.
• Qin Ran suspects this explanation conceals a deeper alliance between Hostdier and Finks, possibly inherited from Hudge. He fears Hostdier has arranged for the island’s Dark Star Society members to help secure the coffin’s contents—and that Qin Ran will be killed once he has served his purpose.
• With the approaching Dark Star Society members about to reach the dock, Qin Ran considers escaping by jumping into the sea. He is blocked on one side by Hostdier and the other by Finks, who has just emerged from the ferry. The chapter ends with Qin Ran weighing his options.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Ran remains outwardly calm but grows increasingly suspicious and fearful. He shifts from investigating the conspiracy to making an urgent escape plan, touching the potions in his pouch.
• Hostdier presents himself as a frustrated leader eager to leave the island, but his account of how he discovered its secret deepens Qin Ran’s distrust.
• Finks appears rested and friendly, yet his deliberate position opposite Hostdier convinces Qin Ran that he is preparing to reveal his true intentions.
• Qin Ran’s polite greetings with both men mask the growing danger between them; their positioning leaves him physically boxed in as the approaching reinforcements close the gap.

Significant themes

• Greed and danger: The promise of hidden treasures draws attackers despite the cost in lives.
• Trust and betrayal: Hostdier’s status and plausible story make the suspected conspiracy more threatening.
• Caution and survival: Qin Ran reflects that no reward is worth his life, then must choose between remaining trapped and risking escape.

Plot points and events

• Qin Ran sees through Hostdier’s deception and makes a sudden escape attempt. He freezes Hostdier with Wilk’s Resentment, then kicks Finks to use the force-field-blocked impact to propel himself into the sea.
• Finks immediately gives chase, while Hostdier breaks free of the ice and decides that force will succeed where deception failed.
• Underwater, Qin Ran drinks a healing potion to recover from the weakness caused by Wilk’s Resentment. He realizes his attacks barely affect his pursuers: Hostdier resists elemental damage and has special defensive equipment, while Finks is protected by a force field.
• Finks catches Qin Ran with a Shadow Chain that briefly binds his legs. Grabbing Qin Ran by the throat, he reveals that he wants revenge for his own death and transforms into an apparition bearing Gilfen Hedge’s face.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Ran shows quick tactical judgment: he chooses a risky but calculated route, using Hostdier’s strength and Finks’s defense to create an opening. He stays focused underwater despite recognizing how outmatched he is, and is startled—but then pleased—by the apparition’s identity.
• Hostdier realizes Qin Ran has uncovered his plan and acknowledges that he underestimated Nikelei’s assistant. He remains confident that Finks will capture him.
• Finks shifts from pursuit to open cruelty, taunting Qin Ran and revealing a personal motive: revenge for his own death. His transformation suggests a connection to Gilfen Hedge.
• The chapter’s main interaction is a pursuit and confrontation: Qin Ran tries to escape both men, but Finks catches him before he can reach a place where Nikelei can perceive his danger.

Significant themes

• Deception versus force: When Hostdier’s scheme fails, he turns to violence.
• Resourcefulness against overwhelming power: Qin Ran survives through timing and improvisation, though his opponents’ defenses sharply limit his options.
• Revenge and identity: Finks’s grudge—and his transformation into a figure with Gilfen Hedge’s face—introduces a troubling mystery about who or what he is.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Ran realizes Kilfen Hetch has become a ghost and decides that fleeing would only delay another confrontation. He chooses to strike while Kilfen still needs him alive to open the Bronze Giant Coffin.
• Kilfen weakens Qin Ran with negative energy, leaving him severely injured and afflicted with a dangerous curse. Qin Ran pretends to be helpless, waiting for Kilfen to expose himself.
• As Kilfen carries him toward the surface, Qin Ran smashes two vials of Holy Water VIII into the ghost’s face. The holy water badly wounds Kilfen and removes Qin Ran’s negative-energy pollution.
• Qin Ran follows up with his Python-W2 revolver loaded with Blessed Bullets. Kilfen’s force-field shield absorbs the first five shots, but the final bullet breaks through and damages him.
• The wound drives Kilfen into a frenzy. He explodes into black mist and vows to take Qin Ran with him. Seeing an orange glow on Finks, Qin Ran grabs a piece of equipment before the mist drags him toward the seabed.

Character developments

• Qin Ran shows patience and tactical discipline: he hides his intentions, endures severe injury, and times his counterattack around Kilfen’s exposed position. Even when trapped, he remains alert enough to seize the glowing equipment.
• Kilfen Hetch shifts from controlled tormentor to desperate, vengeful attacker. His hatred and the effects of negative energy overwhelm him, prompting a suicidal explosion.
• Finks remains largely in the background, but the equipment glowing on him becomes important at the chapter’s climax.

Significant themes

• Preparation and resourcefulness: Qin Ran’s preparations for supernatural enemies give him a chance against a powerful ghost.
• Deception and timing: He survives by appearing weaker than he is and waiting for the right opening.
• Desperation and revenge: Kilfen’s fixation on Qin Ran turns into a reckless final attack.
• Survival under pressure: Qin Ran continues to act despite injury, danger, and the threat of being dragged underwater.

Character interactions

• Kilfen torments Qin Ran, believing him powerless and necessary to open the Bronze Giant Coffin.
• Qin Ran exploits Kilfen’s confidence, then attacks at close range with holy water and blessed ammunition.
• After Qin Ran wounds him, Kilfen retaliates by engulfing the surrounding area in black mist and pulling Qin Ran toward the seabed.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Ran survives Kilfen Hetch’s final attack and obtains Evil Spirit’s Grasp, a rare ring that can bind an enemy and inflict negative-energy damage.
• He finds Finks’s rapidly decaying corpse, suspecting Kilfen Hetch may have used it after Finks died, though he has no proof.
• A powerful, winged Half-Dead Man ambushes him. Its speed and strength shatter Qin Ran’s defensive protections, but he escapes a killing blow with the wire from Deceiver’s Key.
• Qin Ran learns that the creature has poor sight and hearing, apparently limited intelligence, and a hollow chest where its heart should be. He estimates it can detect faint sounds within about ten meters.
• While evading it, he discovers two gel doors in the cavern. The creature guards the far door, so Qin Ran lures it away with a grenade and slips through.
• The explosion deals no damage: the combat log shows the monster has Critical Immunity, Advanced Undead Skin, and Advanced Steel Armor. After Qin Ran crosses the door, the creature pounds against it but cannot break through.
• Safe behind the barrier, Qin Ran prepares his revolver with Blessed Bullets, suggesting he plans to test another way to harm or investigate the creature.

Character developments

• Qin Ran stays cautious and resourceful under pressure. He studies the monster’s senses, uses stealth and misdirection, and adapts when brute force proves useless.
• The Half-Dead Man appears less like a reasoning person than a hunting beast, driven by instinct despite its formidable physical abilities.
• Finks appears to have suffered a grim fate, but Qin Ran’s theory about how he died remains uncertain.

Significant themes

• Survival through observation and ingenuity: Qin Ran’s knowledge of the monster’s limitations matters more than his weapons.
• The cost and mystery of undeath: Finks’s decayed body and the Half-Dead Man’s missing heart hint at disturbing transformations and unresolved events.
• Power paired with vulnerability: The monster is overwhelmingly strong and nearly invulnerable, yet its limited senses and the sealed door constrain it.

Character interactions

• Qin Ran has no direct conversation with the monster; their encounter is a tense contest of hunting and evasion.
• He silently reflects on Finks’s fate and Kilfen Hetch’s possible role.
• The creature reacts to the grenade’s noise and pursues it, giving Qin Ran the opening to escape through the door.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Ran shoots the suspected Half-Dead Man, but its defenses negate all damage. Unsure whether his last vial of Holy Water VIII would work—and unwilling to waste it—he decides to retreat and search for a way out rather than risk a fight.
• He cautiously climbs a seemingly endless staircase, testing each step for traps. After roughly an hour, two blue flames appear, revealing themselves to be lamps made from skulls and bones.
• On a landing, Qin Ran finds a hidden revolving door and enters a large room divided between an orderly collection of experimental equipment and a disorganized study.
• Two mummified corpses lie beneath scattered books. Qin Ran confirms they are ordinary corpses, then carefully uncovers them and notices the books appear highly valuable.
• After clearing the books away, Qin Ran reacts with surprise at what he sees, leaving the discovery unresolved at the chapter’s end.

Character developments

• Qin Ran remains cautious and pragmatic: he conserves his rare Holy Water rather than gamble it against an enemy he cannot reliably hurt.
• His curiosity and resourcefulness show as he investigates the strange lamps, discovers the concealed entrance, and searches the room without damaging its books.
• He is determined to escape and complete his main quest, despite the danger and uncertainty.

Significant themes

• Survival through restraint: Qin Ran avoids a potentially costly confrontation when his weapons prove ineffective.
• The unknown and the uncanny: The endless stairs, skeletal lamps, hidden door, and corpses create an atmosphere of mystery.
• Knowledge as a resource: The room’s unusual books may be valuable, even though Qin Ran cannot fully assess them.

Character interactions

• Qin Ran briefly confronts the suspected Half-Dead Man, but the exchange consists only of his failed attack and the creature’s growl.
• Otherwise, he acts alone; the chapter’s tension comes from his investigation and the unexplained discovery beneath the books.

Plot points and events

• Qin Ran uncovers two mummified corpses in the Archive: a woman killed by a dagger in the back and a large man who apparently struck back and killed her before dying himself. A preservation magic circle explains why the bodies have not decayed.
• The woman’s open diary reveals that she was the baron’s bride. She married him to learn about his extraordinary bloodline, then conducted brutal experiments to claim its power—including experimenting on their child. She eventually discovered that a heart transplant might let her acquire the bloodline, and was preparing a potion to make the process possible.
• The diary identifies the monster in the cave as the baron and confirms the cave was a prison. Qin Ran suspects the male corpse is the bride’s descendant, who returned to assassinate her.
• Qin Ran deduces that Gilfren Hodge inherited memories from the baron’s bloodline and came to Alcatraz seeking power, but those memories were incomplete. He likely concealed vital information from Hostdier, who was misled into believing he could obtain the heart’s power without the necessary potion.
• Realizing he knows how to perform the transplant correctly, Qin Ran heads to the laboratory.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Ran pieces together the island’s history from the bodies, diary, and earlier legend, moving from investigation to a clear understanding of the bloodline plot.
• The bride is revealed as a ruthless, power-hungry experimenter rather than the tragic victim of the legend. Her diary suggests she treated the baron, their child, and other test subjects as tools.
• The baron’s descendant appears to have killed her in a sudden, powerful attack, though Qin Ran cannot determine his motives.
• Gilfren’s inherited memories explain his search for power, while his likely deception of Hostdier helps explain Hostdier’s confidence and betrayal of Sdick, as well as his dismissal of Nikelei.
• Hostdier’s plans may fail because he lacks the potion needed to regulate the heart’s power; Qin Ran considers taking the heart for himself.

Significant themes

• The pursuit of power drives cruelty, manipulation, and violence across generations.
• Inherited memories can guide descendants but may be incomplete or misleading.
• Legends and appearances can conceal the truth: the supposed victim was the villain, and the monster was the baron.
• Knowledge gives Qin Ran an advantage over those who act on partial information.

Chapter Summary: “Peering In”

Key plot points

• Qin Ran searches the laboratory for the bride’s “supplementary potion,” but finds only a crystal flask containing dried black residue. He cannot identify its contents with his current Potion-making skill, so he keeps the flask, hoping to analyze it as his skill improves.
• The laboratory’s other stored liquids and preparations have spoiled or become useless over the centuries.
• Qin Ran discovers an unusual crystal ball. When he touches it, it projects an image of the hall containing the Bronze Giant Coffin.
• Through the image, he watches Hostdier draw a complex magic circle seven times and chant. Qin Ran infers that Hostdier is creating a spell to block Nikelei’s ability to see what is happening on Alcatraz Island.
• Qin Ran decides he must act rather than wait for Nikelei. He plans to investigate and prepare before disrupting the circle, hoping to ensure he has a say in what happens to the heart inside the coffin.

Character development and interactions

• Qin Ran’s frustration over the failed potion search reflects how strongly he wants a Bloodline enhancement. The baron’s demonstrated strength has convinced him that gaining one could at least double his own power, and he is reluctant to abandon the possibility.
• His practical, opportunistic nature shows in his decision to preserve the flask for future study and to take the initiative against Hostdier rather than rely on rescue.
• Hostdier appears only through the crystal ball, focused on concealing events from Nikelei. Qin Ran observes his actions but remains unseen.
• Nikelei is not present, but her possible response—and the risk that Hostdier might escape with the coffin before she arrives—shapes Qin Ran’s plans.

Significant themes

• Power and ambition: Qin Ran sees early strength as essential in an increasingly difficult series of dungeon runs.
• Initiative versus waiting: He chooses to act because passivity could cost him the opportunity to claim the coffin’s heart.
• Knowledge gained through tools and skill: The crystal ball reveals events he could not otherwise observe, while his limited Potion-making and Mysterious Knowledge remind him that understanding remains incomplete.
• Competition over spoils: Qin Ran’s goal is not merely survival or rescue; he wants influence over who ultimately gets the prize.

Plot and events

• Hostdier’s Dark Star Society followers are exhausted after repelling two attacks. With their allies absent and the threat of Sdick and Nikelei looming, their confidence is fragile.
• Hostdier rallies them with promises of power and riches, restoring their loyalty—for the moment.
• Hidden nearby, Qin Ran destroys the Isolation Magic Array with a grenade, then escapes into the crystal-dust haze using stealth.
• Hostdier recognizes the array’s destruction as a sign that Qin Ran is present. Worried that Gilfen Hetch has not returned, he decides to flee with his followers and focus on opening the Bronze Giant Coffin.
• Qin Ran, who has spent a day observing Hostdier’s group through a crystal ball, sees an opportunity in their exhaustion. He waits by the coffin and ambushes Hostdier as the man approaches it.
• Hostdier expects to withstand Qin Ran’s dagger and counterattack, but the weapon’s power pierces his shield, armor, and throat. Hostdier dies.

Character developments and interactions

• Hostdier maintains a composed, commanding front to keep his followers loyal, but fear and urgency drive him to abandon his plans to use Qin Ran and escape instead. His arrogance proves fatal: he underestimates Qin Ran and the dagger.
• Qin Ran acts with patience and careful preparation, turning Hostdier’s exhaustion and distraction to his advantage. He shifts from sabotaging the array to attempting a direct assassination.
• Hostdier and his followers share a transactional bond: his promises of profit and power briefly ease their doubts, while his need to reassert authority shapes his decision to face Qin Ran rather than evade him.
• Qin Ran and Hostdier are now openly enemies. Hostdier wants Qin Ran dead; Qin Ran strikes before Hostdier can seize control of the coffin or escape.

Significant themes

• Overconfidence and miscalculation: Hostdier’s confidence in his defenses blinds him to the dagger’s true power.
• Leadership and loyalty under pressure: Hostdier’s followers remain loyal largely because they expect rewards, and their allegiance is threatened by danger and uncertainty.
• Patience and preparation: Qin Ran’s observation and timing let him exploit a stronger opponent’s fatigue and distraction.
• The gap between appearance and reality: Hostdier’s calm, Qin Ran’s seemingly modest weapon, and the “secure” magical defenses all conceal how vulnerable they actually are.

Plot points

• After Hatred fades from Hetch’s Curse, the weapon crumbles, leaving a purple special-tier skill book on Hostdier’s corpse. Qin Ran is thrilled but stays focused on the Bronze Giant Coffin.
• He throws his last grenade at Hostdier’s exhausted subordinates as they prepare to lift the coffin. The blast overwhelms their weakened shields and armor, unexpectedly sending them flying.
• Qin Ran prepares to finish them off, but S dick, leader of the Dark Star Society, suddenly appears. His overwhelming Intimidation leaves Qin Ran unable to move, despite his attempt to reach a potion.
• Titch arrives, blocks S dick’s influence, and knocks everyone else out of the hall. The cat reveals it can speak and says it intervened to avenge Qin Ran.
• Titch and S dick confront each other. Titch warns that it has not eaten anyone in nine hundred years and might make an exception. S dick does not back down, leaving a fight imminent.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Ran remains pragmatic and opportunistic, trying to exploit Hostdier’s subordinates’ weakened state. He is helpless before S dick’s power but relieved and astonished when Titch saves him.
• Titch is revealed to be intelligent, articulate, and formidable—not merely an unusually powerful cat. Its affection for Qin Ran shows in its protective response, though it expresses that care through threatening revenge.
• S dick demonstrates extraordinary speed and a forceful presence. He recognizes Qin Ran and challenges Titch, but hesitates when confronted by the cat’s threat.
• Titch and Qin Ran share a familiar, affectionate rapport. Titch and S dick exchange hostile challenges tied to S dick’s relationship with Nikelei and “that” alliance, whose details remain unclear.

Significant themes

• Power and vulnerability: Qin Ran’s plans are overturned when a far stronger opponent arrives, and the exhausted subordinates are quickly defeated.
• Loyalty and retribution: Titch protects Qin Ran and insists that bullying him deserves retaliation.
• Hidden identity and capability: Titch’s speech and dangerous nature reveal that appearances can conceal far greater abilities.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Ran encounters Sdick, who backs down from confronting Titch, a mysterious cat-like creature.
• Titch reveals it's been watching over Qin Ran and delivers a message from Nikelei, warning him not to rely too much on the heart he's obtained.
• Qin Ran faces Intimidation from the heart in the coffin, struggles to contain it, and ultimately manages to take it out of the dungeon.

Character Developments

• Qin Ran demonstrates resilience and determination in the face of Intimidation, showing growth in his ability to handle pressure.
• Titch reveals it has been protecting Qin Ran, adding depth to its character and relationship with Qin Ran.

Significant Themes

• The power of will and determination, as seen in Qin Ran's struggle against Intimidation.
• The theme of protection and guidance, as revealed in Titch's role in Qin Ran's life.

Character Interactions

• Qin Ran and Titch's interaction reveals Titch's protective nature and Qin Ran's initial gratitude, which is later dampened by Titch's casual attitude.
• Qin Ran's internal struggle against Intimidation highlights his resolve and unwillingness to give up.

Key plot points

• Qin Ran examines the Demon Heart and sees that its apparent behavior has changed: it shifts from defiant to docile. The system offers no explanation, so he leaves the question unresolved. Remembering Nikelei’s warning, he sets the heart aside rather than attempting to use it.
• The system awards him an SSS rating for Psychic Partners, including 10,000 points, six Skill Points, one Golden Skill Point, one Golden Attribute Point, and a new Special Instance. His reputation reaches 5, making him recognizable to some natives.
• The next Psychic Partners instance is set two years later. Its description says Nikelei and the Five Great Societies have disappeared, while Ellie Jones has asked Qin Ran for help.
• Qin Ran wonders whether their disappearance is connected to the mysterious, dangerous “that” previously withheld from him. He suspects investigating it could bring major rewards, but recognizes that he is not yet strong enough—and may not even be qualified—to confront it.
• Determined to grow stronger, Qin Ran turns to the valuable collection and laboratory materials he brought back from beneath Alcatraz Island. He intends to study and raise Mysterious Knowledge to Expert level, but an unexpected private message interrupts him.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Ran shows caution by heeding Nikelei’s warning about the Demon Heart, and ambition by treating the new instance’s mystery as a potential opportunity despite the danger.
• His assessment of his strength is realistic: he believes he roughly matches an ordinary member of the Five Great Societies but remains weaker than their elites. This recognition sharpens his resolve to improve.
• Nikelei’s influence remains significant despite her disappearance: Qin Ran trusts her warning, and her alliance with the Five Great Societies suggests the threat they faced was formidable. Simons’s past refusal to explain “that” continues to fuel Qin Ran’s questions.
• The only new direct contact is Ellie Jones, whose letter will draw Qin Ran into the next instance.

Significant themes

• Risk and reward: Qin Ran sees powerful dangers as potential sources of great rewards, but understands that opportunity does not erase the need for strength.
• Growth through preparation: Rather than rush into an unknown threat, he focuses on research, valuable artifacts, and improving his abilities.
• Uncertainty and foreshadowing: The Demon Heart’s unexplained change and the disappearance of Nikelei and the societies hint at mysteries that remain unresolved.

Key Plot Points

• Qin Ran visits Harvest Tavern, now quieter due to the Assassin Organization's exposure.
• Hans seeks Qin Ran and Lawless's help for a Special Instance world, "Escape the Merck Duchy."
• The instance has restrictions: no equipment or items allowed, and players start as prisoners.

Character Developments

• Qin Ran shows understanding and curiosity about Special Instance worlds.
• Lawless maintains his calm and professional demeanor when discussing secrets.
• Hans is cautious and trusts only Lawless for this instance.

Significant Themes

• The importance of equipment and items in instance worlds.
• The harshness and uniqueness of Special Instance worlds.
• Trust and caution among players.

Character Interactions

• Qin Ran and Lawless maintain their friendly and professional relationship.
• Qin Ran and Hans meet again and discuss the instance world.
• Qin Ran, Lawless, and Hans plan to tackle the Special Instance world together.

Key plot points and events

• Hans explains that after completing an instance’s main quest, he used the five-minute return window to enter its treasure room. Though he escaped the guards, everything in his backpack vanished when he returned. The exploit raised his rating by three grades and unlocked a Special Instance, but brought no loot.
• Qin Ran concludes that returning may not guarantee safety and could carry penalties. He briefly recalls the Demon Heart’s altered state after his own return, though he sees no clear connection.
• Hans offers Qin Ran a Rare Tier skill book, Foot Blade, to join him in the Special Instance. Qin agrees after confirming that any loot he earns will belong to him; Hans only asks him to help the team survive.
• The group sets a future entry date. Because Qin Ran and Lawless recently joined a multiplayer instance, both must wait two more weeks before entering another.
• After leaving the tavern and returning home, Qin Ran senses malice near a warehouse, draws close to his weapon, and suspects the Assassin Organization is targeting him.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Ran weighs the danger against the reward and accepts the Special Instance job, motivated by the chance to gain strength before the upcoming Psychic Partners II world. He appreciates that Lawless lets him negotiate freely rather than pressuring him.
• Hans reveals both the loss caused by his treasure-room gamble and the value he places on the risky mission, offering a substantial reward.
• Lawless acts as Qin Ran’s friend and intermediary but leaves the deal to Qin Ran and Hans. His playful attempts to bargain with Rachel fail: she doubles his food-and-drink prices and the interest on his debt.
• Qin Ran notices the familiar, teasing dynamic between Lawless and Rachel, suggesting a personal connection.

Significant themes

• Risk and reward: Qin Ran accepts danger for a powerful skill and a chance to improve.
• Uncertainty and consequences: Hans’s experience suggests that exploiting an instance’s rules may carry hidden costs.
• Trust and respect: Lawless’s willingness to let Qin Ran decide strengthens their friendship.
• Threats and vigilance: The chapter ends with Qin Ran facing the possibility that his enemies have found him.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Ran is ambushed by two players: one charges behind a massive tower shield while the other moves to trap him. They try to herd him toward his warehouse door, where they believe another trap will finish him.
• Qin Ran chooses to fight rather than retreat. He kicks the shield hard enough to stop its charge and stagger its wielder, then shoots him twice, inflicting severe and fatal wounds.
• When the second attacker tries to bind Qin Ran’s gun hand with a rope, Qin Ran draws a pistol with his other hand and kills him. The system identifies both kills as self-defense and Honor Kills, awarding Qin Ran their points, skill points, room keys, and equipment access.
• The surviving attacker attempts to escape, using a protective item to break free of Qin Ran’s Shadow Chain. Qin Ran binds him again and shoots him dead.
• Moments later, Qin Ran evades a sniper shot, revealing that a third attacker is still targeting him.

Character developments

• Qin Ran demonstrates formidable strength, quick judgment, and adaptability. He anticipates the ambush’s purpose, counters a shield charge with brute force, and uses either hand effectively when his main weapon hand is restrained.
• The attackers underestimate Qin Ran and rely on coordinated traps and equipment. Once their plan fails, they panic: one freezes in disbelief, while the other flees and then desperately tries to bargain before being killed.

Significant themes

• Preparation versus adaptability: The attackers plan their ambush carefully, but Qin Ran’s unexpected strength and improvisation overturn it.
• Survival and decisive action: Brief openings—such as the gap in the shield or the second attacker’s momentary restraint—determine the outcome.
• Power and its rewards: The game system turns victories into tangible gains, including points, skills, rooms, and equipment.

Character interactions

• The attackers coordinate to corner Qin Ran, using the shield charge and a rope to restrict his movement and ability to shoot.
• Qin Ran turns their tactics against them, exploiting the shield wielder’s stumble and resisting the second attacker’s attempts to restrain him.
• After the second attacker falls, Qin Ran is immediately threatened by an unseen sniper, extending the danger beyond the ambush.

Plot points and events

• Qin Ran narrowly evades a sniper and discovers the attackers also have a cannon. A shell destroys his cover and damages him despite striking only the edge of its blast wave.
• Qin Ran lands a vital shot on the sniper, but it inflicts no damage because the opponent has a Magnetic Field Shield. Realizing he cannot handle the attackers’ advanced equipment alone, he requests backup from Lawless.
• Ten Mechanical Enforcers arrive first. They show Qin Ran that they have tracked down the sniper and the cannon crew; they arrest the sniper and eliminate two players who resist.
• The enforcers declare Qin Ran safe and award him three Honor points, which grant him 15,000 Points—three percent of the attackers’ assets. Qin Ran is stunned by the apparent total value of the attackers’ possessions.
• When Lawless arrives, he reports that his friends found no traces of the Assassin Organization near the Harvest Tavern. Qin Ran wants to inspect the area himself, relying on his Tracking skill.
• Before they leave, Qin Ran starts toward his doorway to investigate a possible trap left by the earlier attackers. Lawless stops him, having noticed something concerning at the entrance.

Character developments

• Qin Ran demonstrates quick reflexes and tactical awareness, but recognizes the limits of his weapons against the new group’s defenses and firepower. His discovery of the Honor-point reward also reveals a sudden, intense interest in hunting the attackers.
• Lawless remains supportive and trusts Qin Ran’s abilities, while also showing caution when he spots a possible danger at Qin Ran’s doorway.

Character interactions

• Qin Ran coordinates with Lawless by sending an urgent request for backup, then asks to join the search near the tavern.
• The Mechanical Enforcers reassure Qin Ran, display evidence of the arrests, and explain his compensation.
• Lawless is puzzled by Qin Ran’s eagerness to hunt the Assassin Organization, but agrees to take him along. He ultimately restrains Qin Ran when he notices a possible threat.

Significant themes

• Technology and power: The cannon, shield, and laser-equipped enforcers show how advanced gear can determine the outcome of a fight.
• Vigilance and trust: Qin Ran accepts Lawless’s report but still wants to investigate independently.
• Risk and reward: The compensation system transforms Qin Ran’s fear and frustration into a striking financial incentive—and a new motive for pursuing his attackers.

Key plot points and events

• After the attackers’ defeat, Lawless retrieves a Z-II bounding anti-personnel mine and gives it to Qin Ran as a “souvenir.” Its rarity suggests the mine may reveal how the Assassin Organization obtains its equipment.
• Qin Ran and Lawless search the attack sites but find no sign of a lookout. They suspect someone has been tracking Qin Ran’s movements.
• On the Pseudo-Train, Qin Ran identifies the first attackers by their nicknames, Shieldhand and Ke Lai. Lawless does not recognize them, but recognizes the second group’s cannon as belonging to Hellfire, a well-known five-person team.
• Qin Ran questions why Hellfire, despite its wealth, would join the assassins. He suggests looking into how the team became powerful. Lawless realizes Hellfire only rose to prominence after acquiring the cannon and begins asking his contacts for information.
• At the Harvest Tavern, Rachel is furious that someone may be watching her business. The group again finds no trace of a lookout.
• Qin Ran proposes that the watcher might have an unusual ability such as Ghost Form. Rachel then spots a seemingly ordinary bird behaving suspiciously and catches it in a net, suggesting it may be the hidden observer.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Ran recognizes that the Assassin Organization has access to powerful, uncommon weapons and expects more dangerous bounty hunters to come after him. Rather than panic, he turns the threat into motivation to grow stronger. He also notices the value of Lawless’s social connections and reflects on how illness and hardship left him with few friends.
• Lawless supports Qin Ran by recovering the mine and using his network to investigate Hellfire’s origins. His shock at Hellfire’s involvement shows how unexpected the team’s apparent connection to the assassins is.
• Hans takes charge of leading the search around the tavern.
• Rachel is personally invested in uncovering the watcher because the surveillance threatens her ability to run the tavern. Her keen observation turns up the bird that may be spying on them.
• Qin Ran and Lawless work as partners, sharing clues and reasoning through the threat; Lawless’s connections complement Qin Ran’s analytical instincts.

Significant themes

• Escalating danger and adaptation: Qin Ran understands that each attack may be stronger than the last, making rapid growth essential to survival.
• Power and hidden resources: Rare weapons, unusual abilities, and Hellfire’s unexplained rise hint at networks and advantages beyond what ordinary players can access.
• Trust, friendship, and isolation: Qin Ran sees friendship as a luxury, contrasting his loneliness with Lawless’s broad circle of contacts.
• The limits of ordinary investigation: The absence of physical traces suggests that the pursuer may rely on supernatural or unconventional methods.

Key plot points and events

• Rachel detects that an ordinary-looking bird is spying on the group. She recognizes it by its scent—cooked pork, lentils, and brandy—and kills it by turning it into a roast for Qin Ran.
• Qin Ran returns home, logs off, and later reads Lawless’s updates: they traced the landmine’s source to someone who knows more than he will reveal, while the suspected tail managed to log off before they could catch him.
• Qin Ran observes that the Assassin Organization’s secrecy and the game’s mechanics make investigating it difficult: suspects can hide in private rooms or log off before capture. He expects a prolonged contest.
• Qin Ran invites Lawless to search the rooms of the two Killer Players, Ke Lai and Shieldhand. Ke Lai’s room yields a magical Hookclaw Demon Rope, which Qin Ran plans to sell because it is cumbersome and overlaps with his existing equipment.
• Shieldhand’s room contains [Z-II] landmines and unfamiliar Q-I flashbangs. Lawless advises Qin Ran to keep the flashbangs for dungeon use.
• Just as they finish searching, Lawless receives a message: Hellfire wants to meet Qin Ran.

Character developments and interactions

• Rachel’s sharp senses and intimidating presence impress Qin Ran. She is capable and perceptive, but also blunt: she insists he finish the food she cooked.
• Qin Ran remains curious about the bird and Lawless’s anger, but chooses not to pry into friends’ private matters. He is cautious, respectful, and attentive to maintaining trust.
• Lawless is furious and determined to make the Killer Players pay, though Qin Ran senses there may be personal reasons behind his anger. Qin Ran gives him space rather than pressing for an explanation.
• Lawless and Qin Ran work together effectively: they share information, investigate the suspects’ rooms, and exchange practical advice.

Significant themes

• Perception and expertise: Rachel notices a clue that escapes Qin Ran, demonstrating that specialized skills can surpass general perceptiveness.
• Trust and privacy: Qin Ran balances curiosity with respect for his companions’ boundaries.
• Persistence and strategy: The investigation will require patience because the game’s rules give suspects ways to evade capture.
• Practical resourcefulness: Equipment is judged by its usefulness, and apparently ordinary objects—such as flashbangs or a spying animal—can shape events.

Key plot points and events

• Hellfire requests a face-to-face meeting with Qin Ran at Himaken Square. Though suspicious, Qin agrees because he needs information about the Assassin Organization.
• Lawless arranges backup before the pair enter the abandoned factory grounds, and his contacts take up positions around the site.
• Hellfire’s sniper meets them and offers to reveal a secret for 200,000 points or equivalent skill points. Qin recognizes the demand as an attempt to raise the price but remains wary.
• Before the sniper can explain further, he suddenly explodes. Qin and Lawless evade the blast, then pursue a shadowy figure who taunts them and escapes.
• Elsewhere, an unseen observer watches the meeting through a crystal ball, criticizes Lawless for missing an obvious clue, and decides to give him another chance.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Ran remains cautious and controlled, agreeing to the meeting despite his doubts and quickly recognizing the sniper’s bargaining tactics. He trusts Lawless’s judgment enough to enter the site with backup.
• Lawless takes responsibility for planning security and jokes with the sniper, trading insults while protecting Qin. He reacts quickly to the explosion, but the unseen observer suggests he has overlooked something important.
• The sniper acts smug and manipulative, presenting himself as a source of valuable information before being killed in the explosion.
• The hidden observer appears to be directing events or testing Lawless, though their identity and purpose remain unknown.

Significant themes

• Trust and preparedness: Qin and Lawless recognize the danger of the meeting and rely on backup rather than taking unnecessary risks.
• Information as leverage: The sniper tries to turn his knowledge into an exorbitant price.
• Uncertainty and manipulation: The explosion, the escaping figure, and the observer’s cryptic remarks suggest the meeting was part of a larger scheme.

Plot and events

• Qin Ran and Lawless’s veteran companions investigate the hole left by the fleeing figure who had orchestrated the Hellfire sniper’s appearance and suicide. A remote-controlled dog robot reveals proximity-triggered bombs inside, and the group escapes just before Himaken Square explodes. The fugitive gets away, leaving the veterans furious.
• Qin Ran notices that Lawless seems to have worked something out, but Lawless changes the subject by offering to manage the sale of Qin Ran’s equipment for the standard five-percent fee. Qin Ran accepts without pressing him, then declines the group’s invitation for a drink and leaves to resume studying.
• For two weeks, Qin Ran reads and checks with Lawless for news of the Assassin Organization. Without expert guidance, his Alchemy and Astrology improve only slightly, so he cannot reach Basic level before the next dungeon.
• Before entering the dungeon, Qin Ran learns and upgrades the Rare-tier Foot Blade skill, reaching Proficient level. He also advances the Dawn Knight Body-Tempering Art to Proficient and chooses its Mental Attribute bonus, raising all his attributes.

Character development and interactions

• Qin Ran is increasingly disciplined and pragmatic: he accepts that his study plan failed, avoids letting frustration disrupt his preparations, and invests his resources in skills useful for the coming dungeon.
• He shows trust and tact toward Lawless, recognizing his evasiveness but respecting his reasons rather than forcing an explanation. Lawless remains a valuable intermediary, having helped Qin Ran secure advance payment from Hans and offering to handle equipment sales.
• The veteran players’ anger at the bomber’s escape contrasts with Qin Ran’s more measured response. The slight man is especially enraged when the blast destroys his robot.

Significant themes

• Preparation and adaptability: Qin Ran adjusts to setbacks and focuses on what he can improve before the dungeon.
• Trust and restraint: Qin Ran preserves his relationship with Lawless by choosing not to press for information.
• The cost of advancement: Rare skills demand increasing amounts of Points and Skill Points, while even powerful skills have limits on attribute growth.
• Uncertainty and long-term planning: Qin Ran considers whether only top-tier skills—or Gold Attribute Points—will eventually raise his attributes, but decides that concern can wait.

Closing development

Foot Blade’s Proficient-level “Asceticism” effect brings its attack power and sharpness to roughly handgun strength. The Body-Tempering Art’s upgrade boosts Qin Ran’s attributes, including his Mental Attribute through the special effect Knight’s Focus, as he prepares for the next dungeon.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Ran continues practicing the Dawn Knight Body-Tempering Art, applying Gonglansen’s advice to pay close attention to each step. The practice improves all his core attributes, including Spirit, and seems to produce a warming effect that may aid recovery.
• Practice reduces the art’s upgrade cost by 2,000 Points, confirming Gonglansen’s claim that improvement through use makes future advancement easier. However, the upgrade still requires four Gold Skill Points, revealing that these untradeable points are a major obstacle. Qin Ran resolves to pursue higher clear ratings to earn more.
• With the body-tempering art advanced, Qin Ran upgrades the Besika Leg-Kicking Art to Master level. Its new Charge-Up effect builds momentum across successive attacks, making the fourth kick especially powerful. A test shows his kicks can cut a deep groove into concrete.
• Qin Ran also advances Foot Blade to Expert level, spending Points and Skill Points acquired through a trade with Lawless. Its Asceticism effect improves its attack power and sharpness, though further advancement again requires Gold Skill Points.
• He raises Lockpicking to Expert level, gaining a Silent Lockpicking effect. The next instance world will confiscate carried items, however, so Qin Ran plans to rely on something that searchers will not find.
• Finally, Qin Ran learns the purple skill book Lesser Elemental Damage Resistance, dropped by Hostdier. The learning process causes intense pain, and he loses consciousness before seeing the skill’s details.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Ran becomes more deliberate about training, taking Gonglansen’s guidance seriously and recognizing that practical experience can reduce upgrade costs.
• His ambitions sharpen: he sees exceptionally high clear ratings as the only way to overcome his shortage of Gold Skill Points.
• He prepares specifically for the next item-restricted instance by improving unarmed combat and lockpicking.
• Qin Ran contacts Lawless to exchange Points for Skill Points. Gonglansen’s earlier mentorship continues to shape Qin Ran’s approach even though the old knight is not present.

Significant themes

• Practice as a path to mastery: Careful training yields both immediate physical gains and cheaper future upgrades.
• Resource scarcity and strategic growth: Qin Ran must balance Points, Skill Points, and especially rare Gold Skill Points.
• Preparation and adaptation: He tailors his abilities to the challenges of the upcoming instance, where equipment may be confiscated.
• The cost of advancement: Learning a powerful defensive skill subjects Qin Ran to sudden, overwhelming pain.