Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Norbien is shocked that Qin Ran’s strength and reaction speed far exceed what his supposed newcomer status should allow. He wrongly concludes the Flame-Steel Feet must be responsible.
• Norbien activates his leather armor’s healing and Stone Skin effects, recovering from Severe Injury and absorbing most of Qin Ran’s next kick. Qin Ran responds with a relentless barrage of kicks to Norbien’s face.
• Norbien’s confidence turns to fear as Qin Ran’s speed proves just as overwhelming as his strength. He suspects he was set up and assumes Qin Ran is an experienced player after the valuable item he has been hiding.
• Norbien breaks Stone Skin to regain his speed and unleashes a rapid sword attack. Qin Ran’s Force Field Shield blocks it. Qin Ran then grabs the blade with Prus’s Carapace active, disarms Norbien, and knocks him off balance.
• Qin Ran finishes Norbien rather than risk leaving a veteran killer alive. The game confirms the kill as self-defense and awards Qin Ran Norbien’s 12,000 Points, four Skill Points, room key, and access to his room.
• Qin Ran heads to Norbien’s room, reflecting briefly on how readily he killed in the Underground Game. He notices a concealed corner before unlocking the door and entering.

Character developments

• Qin Ran demonstrates that his recent skill upgrades have substantially improved his attributes and made him capable of defeating a seasoned opponent. He fights decisively and refuses to take chances with Norbien, while privately questioning whether the game has made him reckless.
• Norbien shifts from smug confidence to humiliation, fear, and finally murderous desperation. His belief that Qin Ran is after a hidden possession fuels his last attack, but his assumptions about Qin Ran’s strength and equipment are mistaken.

Significant themes

• Survival over mercy: Qin Ran chooses to kill because sparing Norbien could leave him vulnerable to a counterattack.
• Preparation and progression: Qin Ran’s decision to upgrade his skills before the encounter proves crucial.
• Misjudgment and hidden power: Norbien’s reliance on Qin Ran’s apparent newcomer status leads him to misunderstand the source of Qin Ran’s abilities.
• Moral change under pressure: Qin Ran recognizes that he acts more readily in the Underground Game than he might in the real world, raising doubts about what the game is doing to him.

Character interactions

• The encounter is a one-sided struggle for control: Norbien tries to use armor, speed, and a sword to turn the fight around, while Qin Ran repeatedly interrupts him and ultimately disarms him.
• Norbien’s taunts and accusations reveal his pride and suspicion; Qin Ran answers with action rather than explanation, ending the confrontation without giving Norbien another chance.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Ran searches Norbien’s room for clues and finds a blackboard listing five usernames. Four—including “Xiao Ji”—are crossed out; Qin Ran’s name is not. He concludes Norbien secretly killed the first four players and apparently marked Qin Ran as his next intended victim.
• He examines Norbien’s stored gear. The rare leather armor Teshilo’s Blessing can restore 200 HP and provide temporary extra defense, though it reduces Agility while active. Qin Ran adds it to his regular equipment. He plans to sell Norbien’s flame longsword and most of the other items.
• Qin Ran opens a locked box and finds a secondary scroll for the Sword of Dawn title instance, not the potion-making skill book he expected. The scroll describes a wounded figure who needs someone to inherit the Sword of Dawn’s will, and indicates the instance may grant a unique title. Four secondary-scroll holders will enter when the primary-scroll holder opens the instance after clearing ten instances.
• Just as Qin Ran begins to take in the discovery, someone knocks at the door.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Ran remains cautious and methodical, checking for traps and magic circles before investigating. He learns more about Norbien’s apparent shift into a serial killer, though he cannot tell whether the violence began with his first murder or was merely unleashed by the game’s lack of legal restraints.
• Qin Ran makes practical decisions about Norbien’s equipment, valuing the armor’s emergency healing and defense while setting aside the sword for sale because he lacks the required skill.
• The chapter contains no direct conversation between characters; its central interaction is Qin Ran’s posthumous encounter with Norbien’s evidence and possessions. The unexplained knock introduces a new immediate uncertainty.

Significant themes

• Corruption and restraint: Norbien’s murders suggest how freedom from ordinary law may expose or intensify someone’s darker impulses.
• Survival through preparation: Qin Ran’s careful search and strategic evaluation of equipment reflect the constant need to manage risk.
• Unexpected opportunity: The title-instance scroll may offer a rare path to power, but its timing and access are controlled by another player.

Key plot points and events

• Lawless arrives at Norbien’s room after secretly following Qin Ran. He saw Norbien ambush Qin Ran and witnessed Qin Ran kill him.
• Norbien’s notes convince Lawless that the death of Xiao Ji, a strong beta player, was not an accident. Qin Ran and Lawless infer that Norbien had an accomplice and was part of a covert Assassin Organization.
• They reason that the group must have clients and decide to investigate those who had strong motives to target its victims.
• Qin Ran suspects either Steam City or the Steel Chariot hired Norbien: the faction that lost out in a guild conflict after one side bought Qin Ran’s rocket launcher may have wanted revenge.
• Qin Ran gives Norbien’s weapons and equipment to Lawless to sell, offering him five percent. Lawless’s reputation among veteran players should make them more willing to trust his account.
• Qin Ran chooses not to remain in Norbien’s Lair and returns with Lawless to his own warehouse at 13 Walvey Street. He then prepares to use a Title Instance entry scroll and considers which skills to upgrade.

Character developments

• Qin Ran shows himself as cautious and strategic. He anticipates that more capable killers may come after him, so he wants to expose Norbien’s death and gain allies rather than keep it secret.
• Lawless shifts from suspicion to firm support after seeing the evidence. His anger at the idea of players killing others for hire makes him eager to pursue the organization, and he recognizes Qin Ran as a powerful ally.

Character interactions

• Qin Ran and Lawless quickly reach the same conclusion about Norbien’s accomplice and the existence of a wider organization.
• Lawless offers to investigate leads and sell Norbien’s gear, while Qin Ran explains his suspicions about the rival factions.
• Their cooperation rests on mutual trust: Lawless has witnessed Qin Ran’s strength, and Qin Ran relies on Lawless’s standing among veteran players.

Significant themes

• Trust and evidence: Lawless’s firsthand observation and Norbien’s notes turn suspicion into conviction.
• Justice and moral outrage: Lawless refuses to tolerate murder for hire.
• Pragmatism and alliance-building: Qin Ran makes Norbien’s death public to reduce his vulnerability and attract support.
• Hidden threats: Norbien’s killing appears to be part of a larger, concealed network rather than an isolated crime.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Decadent's novel is at risk of falling off the monthly vote rankings.
• Decadent requests votes to maintain his position.
• Decadent apologizes for slow updates due to attending a friend's wedding.

Character Developments

• Decadent shows humility and understanding towards his readers, acknowledging his mistakes and promising to make amends.
• Decadent demonstrates loyalty to his friend by prioritizing the wedding over writing.

Significant Themes

• The importance of reader support (votes and subscriptions) for an author's success.
• The struggle between personal life and work commitments.

Character Interactions

• Decadent interacts with his readers, expressing gratitude and requesting their support.
• Decadent's friend's wedding is mentioned, implying a close relationship but not detailed.

Key plot points

• Preparing for his rematch with Norbien, Qin Ran upgrades Hand-to-Hand Combat, Light Firearms, and Dodge from Master to Peerless, spending 53,000 Points and 32 Skill Points. The upgrades greatly strengthen their effects, especially his leg attacks and evasion; firearms also gain a low-probability chance to deal a critical hit.
• After Norbien’s Honor Kill rewards, Qin Ran has 69,690 Points, 9 Skill Points, 2 Gold Skill Points, and 2 Gold Attribute Points. He recognizes that further advancement—particularly reaching Transcendent or improving his core body-tempering art—will demand far more resources than he can readily earn.
• Rather than let the costs paralyze him, Qin Ran upgrades Burning Hands to Beginner and Stealth to Peerless. Burning Hands gains slightly more range and width, while Stealth’s concealment improves substantially.
• He considers buying a Potion-making skill book but cannot find one among veteran players; the Broker’s terms would make him a servant. He decides to seek one in a dungeon instead and saves his remaining resources for necessities in the next world, Psychic Partners.

Character development and interactions

• Qin Ran is strategic and determined: he weighs expensive upgrades against practical needs and refuses to be discouraged by seemingly impossible costs. His resolve recalls how he faced enormous medical bills at fourteen.
• He asks Lawless to help exchange Points for Skill Points. Lawless’s earlier remarks confirm that Gold Skill Points are rare, nontransferable, and usable only by their earner—an important constraint on Qin Ran’s plans.
• Qin Ran’s combat build is now strong, but he is increasingly concerned about the resource bottleneck that limits further growth.

Significant themes

• Progress has a steep price: Powerful abilities require increasingly scarce Points and Skill Points.
• Persistence in the face of daunting odds: Qin Ran keeps planning and acting rather than surrendering to the scale of the problem.
• Preparation and trade-offs: He prioritizes skills and equipment relevant to future challenges over upgrades that offer little immediate value.
• The chapter ends by foreshadowing the danger of the next dungeon, especially the Bronze Giant Coffin.

Key plot points and events

• Haunted by his near-fatal encounter with the Bronze Giant Coffin on Alcatraz, Qin Ran prepares for another visit to the same world. He wants protection from its [Intimidation] effect and from intangible ghosts, as well as Blessed Bullets.
• He asks Lawless to arrange protective items and 12,000 points’ worth of Blessed Bullets in two calibers. Lawless warns that ghost-defense equipment is costly, but single-use alchemical items are available. He also asks whether Qin Ran has learned anything about the “Assassin Organization”; Qin Ran has not.
• Qin Ran suspects the invitation to the special instance [Psychic Partners] is connected to the Bronze Giant Coffin. He realizes that people with psychic abilities may already know what happened on Alcatraz, so he will need to judge the medium’s intentions and watch for others’ interest.
• He also worries about the title instance [Sword of Dawn]. Its cooldown shows five instances remaining, and its difficulty may be at least that of a tenth instance. Qin Ran expects to face four powerful players and resolves to train hard.
• After a week of practicing the [Dawn Knight Body-Tempering Art], he enters [Psychic Partners] with his enchanted rifle, Blessed Bullets, and single-use items. The instance assigns him the task of serving as a medium’s assistant for three months. Failure is allowed but carries a penalty. He arrives at the entrance to a two-story building with an invitation, which he deciphers using his [Mysterious Knowledge].

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Ran is increasingly cautious and strategic: he plans around specific threats, thinks through the consequences of each instance, and recognizes how little he knows about powerful rivals.
• His ambition to obtain a unique title remains strong, but it is now paired with urgency and a clear determination to become stronger.
• Lawless is helpful and handles Qin Ran’s purchases, yet his repeated questions about the Assassin Organization reveal unusual anger and anxiety about it. Qin Ran notices but does not know why.
• Le Mei is unavailable after enchanting Qin Ran’s rifle; Lawless expects her to celebrate with the two bottles of Flame Ice Lake.

Significant themes

• Preparation and survival: Qin Ran responds to past danger by seeking targeted defenses rather than relying on strength alone.
• Knowledge and uncertainty: Psychic interest in Alcatraz may expose secrets Qin Ran hoped to investigate, while the medium’s motives remain unknown.
• Escalating competition: The approaching title instance promises major rewards but pits Qin Ran against formidable, unfamiliar players.
• Growth under pressure: Faced with a potentially overwhelming challenge, Qin Ran turns to disciplined training rather than backing down.

Plot points and events

• Qin Ran receives an invitation from Nikelei, a spirit medium, to take a test at 13 Lankenbele Street. Passing will make him her assistant; other candidates have also been invited.
• He realizes the test may have begun with the invitation, but stays cautious despite expecting a manageable challenge. His main quest is to serve as Nikelei’s assistant for three months.
• Across the street, he finds five newspaper clippings describing the house’s bad luck, reports of a ghost, a frightened skeptic, and—most ominously—a drunk found hanging from the iron gate.
• Qin Ran notices something unusual about the gate and leaves to verify his suspicion.
• That night, he returns. The gate is open, candles flicker inside, and the house looks far more threatening than it did by day. He enters, knocks, and waits as someone approaches.

Character development and interactions

• Qin Ran is methodical and wary: rather than rush into the house, he gathers information, studies the reports, and investigates a clue before returning.
• He has no direct interaction with Nikelei yet; her invitation establishes her authority and makes the applicants competitors.
• The chapter ends with an unknown person opening the door, setting up Qin Ran’s first encounter at the house.

Significant themes

• Caution and preparation: Qin Ran treats apparent clues and dangers seriously, even when the task seems easy.
• Appearance versus reality: The house shifts from a peaceful daytime refuge to a menacing place at night.
• Mystery and uncertainty: The reports offer frightening claims but little proof, leaving the house’s history—and the gate’s significance—unresolved.

Plot points and events

• Qin Ran enters a supposedly haunted house and calmly faces a series of staged scares: a scarred face at the doorway, whispers, breathing, and ghost lights. He identifies the tricks behind them, including a mask, phosphorus-coated balloons, and a hidden tape recorder.
• Aili Jones reveals herself as another competitor in the test to become Nikelei the Spirit Channeler’s assistant. She tries to shake Qin Ran’s hand, but he spots superglue on her finger.
• Qin Ran searches the house, including its sealed garden door, terrace, and hidden basement. He finds no useful items there and keeps his discoveries—and his understanding of the test—to himself.
• Derek arrives and restrains Aili after she startles him. Qin Ran draws a revolver, making Derek release her. The two men exchange explanations, while Aili labels her behavior a prank.
• Raul, a bandaged man who says he was injured in a fire, arrives as the fourth competitor. The group introduces themselves; Qin Ran gives the alias “2567.”
• Derek and Raul repeat Qin Ran’s inspection despite Aili’s assurances that she already checked everything. Their distrust frustrates her.
• The chapter ends with an agonized scream and a heavy impact upstairs, followed by a knock at the door, introducing a new threat or arrival.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Ran remains observant, composed, and guarded. He quickly recognizes the staged hauntings, investigates methodically, and refuses to share information or trust fellow competitors. His revolver establishes that he is prepared to use force.
• Aili Jones is playful, bold, and curious, using pranks and confident banter to test others. Her eagerness to recruit Qin Ran into her “camp” contrasts with his reserve; she becomes irritated when the newcomers distrust her.
• Derek is cautious and defensive, insisting Aili’s prank was hostile. He challenges her verbally but is intimidated by Qin Ran’s gun.
• Raul arrives with a mysterious, heavily bandaged appearance and a friendly manner, though little is yet known about him.
• The competitors’ exchanges reveal mutual suspicion and rivalry, even as they share the same invitation and apparent goal.

Significant themes

• Trust and deception: The competitors conceal information, use aliases, and doubt one another; even apparent supernatural events are engineered tricks.
• Observation and preparation: Qin Ran’s attention to small details gives him an advantage, while the others’ repeated searches reflect uncertainty.
• Competition and self-preservation: Each character weighs cooperation against the risk of helping a rival.
• Appearance versus reality: The haunted house’s scares are artificial, and the newcomers’ identities and stories remain uncertain.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Ran breaks through a rusted door to reach Raul, who is badly shaken and has a dagger lodged in his abdomen. Sydney, a guest who claims to be a former doctor, arrives and treats him.
• Derek is missing, so Qin Ran searches upstairs. Using his tracking skill, he finds signs that Derek and Raul searched the house together, then discovers extensive blood on the terrace.
• Following blood outside, Qin Ran finds Derek’s mutilated body hanging from the front gate. Aili panics and declares that an Evil Spirit killed him.
• Back inside, Qin Ran asks Raul to remove his bandages so he can see his face. Aili and Sydney object, insisting that Nikelei the Spirit Channeling should handle the supposed Evil Spirit. Qin Ran questions whether an Evil Spirit was involved at all, unsettling them.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Ran stays controlled and investigative amid the horror. He uses his strength to force open the door, tracks the evidence, and resists accepting the supernatural explanation without scrutiny.
• Aili Jones shifts from anxious curiosity to terror at Derek’s body, then tries to regain composure by urging the group to summon Nikelei. She follows Qin Ran despite his warning to stay behind.
• Sydney presents himself as a doctor and competently treats Raul, but Qin Ran finds his strength and medical supplies suspicious. Sydney later sides with Aili in opposing further examination.
• Raul survives the attack and becomes alert enough to respond, though the cause of his injury and the reason he is bandaged remain unclear.
• Derek is revealed to have been violently killed, turning the gathering into a potential murder investigation.

Significant themes

• Evidence versus superstition: Qin Ran challenges the group’s quick conclusion that an Evil Spirit is responsible.
• Fear and control: Aili’s panic contrasts with Qin Ran’s discipline, which helps keep the group from completely losing control.
• Suspicion and concealed identities: Sydney’s unexplained traits and Raul’s bandages raise questions about who can be trusted and what they are hiding.

Plot points

• Qin Ran reveals that the supposed hanging in the newspaper report was fabricated: the door showed no signs of a struggle, and neither the police nor the morgue had any record of the victim. He concludes that the Spirit Channeling Nikelei’s test was a hoax.
• He accuses Sydney and Raul of killing Derek and staging his death. Sydney’s medical supplies and timely arrival, Raul’s bandages and oversized coat, and the pair’s use of a pulley system helped them conceal and move Derek’s body.
• Raul admits the murder. She explains that years earlier Derek had falsely accused her of causing strange accidents and tried to “exorcise” her by setting her on fire. Sydney tried to save her, but both were left traumatized and ashamed.
• Raul and Sydney tracked Derek for years. When Raul found him at the test, she killed him, with Sydney’s help. Each tries to take sole responsibility to protect the other.
• Qin Ran declines to involve himself in their revenge or guilt. He says he has found a real Evil Spirit: Derek has returned as a wraith. Qin Ran attacks and burns him to ash, then turns toward the front door.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Ran demonstrates sharp observation and calm reasoning, exposing the staged murder before confronting the supernatural threat. He distinguishes the couple’s human crime from his own mission.
• Raul is revealed to be a woman, severely scarred by Derek’s “exorcism,” and driven by long-standing revenge. She openly confesses and tries to shield Sydney.
• Sydney is consumed by guilt over failing to stop Derek years earlier. He helped Raul and likewise tries to accept blame for her.
• Aili Jones moves from fear and confusion to horror as Qin Ran explains the deception and the couple recount their past. She is stunned by both Raul’s identity and Qin Ran’s power.
• Raul comforts Sydney as he breaks down; the two fiercely defend one another. Qin Ran’s revelation shifts the room’s focus from their confession to Derek’s supernatural return.

Significant themes

• False exorcism and real evil: Derek’s fraudulent “exorcism” inflicted genuine cruelty, while his return as a wraith confirms that the supernatural threat is real.
• Revenge, guilt, and shared responsibility: Raul and Sydney’s devotion is bound up with their remorse and desire for justice, though revenge leads them to murder.
• Appearances and evidence: The supposed haunting is a fabricated cover, and careful attention to physical details exposes the truth.
• Fire as punishment and irony: Derek once used fire against Raul; Qin Ran ultimately destroys Derek with flames of his own.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Ran realizes the seemingly ordinary cat Titch—Nikelei’s pet—is likely observing the group as part of their test. Titch leads Qin Ran, Aili, Raul, and Sydney through the city to Nikelei’s home.
• At the house, Qin Ran sees a peaceful, translucent ghost opening doors for them. He remains calm, while the others are frightened.
• In Nikelei’s study, Qin Ran senses an invisible force and identifies its source as a richly patterned carpet threaded with gold. Even his advanced Mysterious Knowledge cannot explain the apparent alchemical item.
• Nikelei tells the group they have all passed, citing an unexpected turn of events. She sends the injured Raul upstairs with Sydney, offers Aili guidance in mystical studies, and invites Aili to choose a room.
• Once alone with Qin Ran, Nikelei asks what happened on Alcatraz Island—and specifically what he knows about the Bronze Giant Coffin.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Ran demonstrates sharp deduction by identifying Titch as the observer, and confidence by leading the group. His calmness around the ghost and his determination to become Nikelei’s assistant distinguish him from the others.
• Aili Jones is fascinated by Qin Ran’s fire ability and eager to learn mystical arts. She asks whether she can produce flames like his and readily accepts Nikelei’s offer.
• Raul and Sydney remain wary of supernatural events, but Sydney’s care for the injured Raul is acknowledged by Nikelei. Raul and Sydney accept her help and go upstairs.
• Nikelei appears warm and hospitable, yet decisive and perceptive. She recognizes the group’s circumstances, offers practical care, and reserves a serious, confidential conversation for Qin Ran.
• Titch acts with unusual intelligence and authority, guiding the group and reacting with humanlike irritation when called a “fat cat.”

Significant themes

• The uncanny hidden in the ordinary: A pet cat, a welcoming home, and an everyday carpet conceal supernatural roles and powers.
• Different responses to the mystical: Qin Ran’s composure contrasts with the others’ fear, while Aili’s curiosity draws her further into study.
• Knowledge and secrecy: Qin Ran’s expertise has limits, and Nikelei’s final question introduces a mystery tied to the Bronze Giant Coffin and Alcatraz Island.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Ran learns that the Alcatraz Prison massacre has been concealed from the public, suggesting powerful groups are controlling information about the Bronze Giant Coffin.
• Nikelei, an elderly medium, admits she tracked Qin Ran through an image left at the City Independent Library. She gives him a silver token, Nikelei’s Mark, which may help protect him from certain dangers.
• Qin Ran decides not to leave: staying lets him pursue his main quest, “Become a Medium’s Assistant for Three Months.” He offers to tell Nikelei what happened on Alcatraz in exchange for her protection.
• He recounts the poisoning, Kilfin Hetch’s collapse, and Hetch’s body turning into dark red liquid and flowing into the coffin, while withholding some details. Nikelei reacts with grave concern and agrees to teach him about the occult.
• Nikelei identifies the groups involved in the Alcatraz situation: Dark Star is already on the island, Night Demon Society is trying to reach it, and the Hetch Cult is Qin Ran’s chief enemy.
• The Hetch Cult has revived under a new leader seeking revenge for Kilfin Hetch: Finks, someone Qin Ran already knows.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Ran remains cautious toward Nikelei despite her apparent lack of hostility. He weighs the risks, recognizes that her protection could help him survive, and negotiates an exchange rather than accepting her offer unconditionally.
• Nikelei shifts from curious investigator to serious mentor and protector after hearing Qin Ran’s account. Though awkward about framing it as an exchange, she commits to teaching him.
• Their relationship becomes a practical alliance: Qin Ran shares information, and Nikelei offers protection, occult instruction, and intelligence.

Significant themes

• Trust and self-preservation: Qin Ran accepts help without fully trusting its source.
• Hidden power and controlled information: The Alcatraz incident and coffin are being kept secret, while rival organizations compete over them.
• Knowledge as leverage: Qin Ran’s firsthand account earns him Nikelei’s support, and her connections provide him with crucial intelligence.
• Danger from the past: Kilfin Hetch’s death does not end the conflict; it fuels a cult’s revenge and brings a familiar enemy into play.

Plot points and events

• Qin Ran learns that Finks—the prison doctor—has become the Herchy Cult’s leader. He wonders whether Finks was always a hidden agent or joined the cult later for protection, possibly because the Dark Star Society and the dangerous Night Demon Society are competing over Alcatraz Island and its Bronze Giant Coffin. He has no proof and wants more information.
• Rather than seek help from Nikelei and incur a debt, Qin Ran plans to make himself visible so the Herchy Cult will come after him, giving him a chance to uncover the truth. He intends to discuss the risk with Nikelei first.
• At breakfast, Aili is eager to learn, but Nikelei gives her a thick notebook to study and memorize before lessons resume.
• Nikelei says she must visit old friends and asks Qin Ran to handle her routine duties while she is away, offering access to her study. A side quest appears: “A Spirit Channeler’s Daily Routine,” rewarding local reputation and Nikelei’s approval.
• Qin Ran warns her that the Herchy Cult is looking for him. Nikelei brushes off the danger and tells him to beat them up, then leaves with Titch and Friedel.
• A police officer arrives seeking Nikelei’s help. He distrusts Qin Ran, who greets him with a warm smile.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Ran weighs the risks of provoking the Herchy Cult and chooses a plan that could also serve Nikelei’s quest. He remains wary of owing favors and alert to Nikelei’s unusual eagerness for trouble.
• Nikelei entrusts Qin Ran with her work and access to her books, while postponing his instruction in the mysterious until she returns. Her casual response to the threat suggests she may have her own reason for wanting conflict.
• Aili Jones is enthusiastic about her studies, but her excitement gives way to dismay at Nikelei’s demanding assignment.
• Friedel and Titch are shown to be unusual companions: Friedel can walk unharmed in sunlight, and Titch eats a vegetable-and-fruit salad.
• Raul, still injured, stays in his room while Sydney brings him breakfast.
• The chapter closes with a wary exchange between Qin Ran and the police officer who has come to see Nikelei.

Significant themes

• Information and uncertainty: Qin Ran must act without knowing why Finks leads the cult or how the rival societies’ interest in Alcatraz connects to him.
• Risk and leverage: He seeks information by making himself a target, while avoiding the obligations that come with asking others for help.
• Unusual alliances and concealed motives: Nikelei’s trust in Qin Ran—and her apparent welcome of danger—raises questions about her intentions.
• Learning through discipline: Aili’s progress depends first on independent study and memorization.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Ran persuades police officer Shiqi to let him take over the work originally assigned to spirit channeler Nikelei, who has left town. Shiqi warns that Qin must prove himself.
• Shiqi drives Qin to investigate the serial killer known as Heart-Taker, who has killed four people of different backgrounds and genders. Each was found with their chest opened and heart removed, and the killer left no useful evidence.
• Qin reviews the case files and asks for a map marking the victims’ locations. He suspects the pattern of five may matter.
• At the fifth victim’s home, Qin uses his Tracking ability to examine the scene. He finds no sign of a struggle and concludes the victim died from one blow.
• Qin notices a key difference: the wound is on the right side of the victim’s chest, unlike the earlier cases.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Ran is confident and strategic, presenting himself as a capable replacement for Nikelei. He begins earning credibility by investigating carefully and spotting a detail others may have missed.
• Shiqi is blunt and distrustful, but accepts Qin after he argues that Nikelei trusts him and that he can do the job. He remains skeptical, pressing Qin to produce useful insights.
• Qin and Shiqi’s working relationship begins with tension: Shiqi demands proof, while Qin calmly insists that actions will speak for themselves.
• The forensic team and landlord are present at the scene; the landlord complains about the victim’s unpaid rent, offering a glimpse of the dead man’s circumstances.

Significant themes

• Trust must be earned through action: Qin’s confidence alone does not convince Shiqi; he must demonstrate his abilities.
• Observation and pattern recognition: Qin looks beyond the obvious similarities among the murders to identify a possible distinction in the fifth case.
• The value of unconventional expertise: Shiqi relies on spirit channelers because ordinary investigation has yielded few clues.

Key plot points and events

• At the fifth murder scene, Qin Ran finds no signs of forced entry, unlike at the third victim’s home. Using his Tracking ability, he discovers two sets of unexplained footprints: one recent and one several days old, suggesting the killer had visited more than once.
• Qin Ran sketches the footprints and concludes that the first four murders may have been a cover for the fifth. He cautions that the killer likely knew the victim and could be skilled with a short blade. Shiqi orders his officers to investigate the victim’s acquaintances and match them to the prints.
• Back at Black Street No. 1, Qin Ran resumes studying Nikelei’s collection of books on spirits and paranormal subjects. Reading Characteristics of Nightwalkers raises his Magical Creature Studies experience, confirming that study can improve his knowledge.
• Shiqi later reports that they have caught the Heart-Taker. The culprit is a butcher and gambler who murdered the fifth victim over a gambling grudge, while the earlier killings served as cover. He removed the victims’ hearts to sell them, though the reason for selling damaged organs remains unclear.
• Shiqi then brings Qin Ran a new case file titled “Missing Persons Murder Case.”

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Ran demonstrates careful reasoning and confidence in his investigative abilities, while remaining cautious about treating his theory as proven. He also shows discipline by prioritizing study over curiosity about the study’s unusual carpet.
• Shiqi’s attitude toward Qin Ran shifts from skepticism and impatience to respect after Qin Ran’s clues lead to the arrest. He thanks Qin Ran indirectly by bringing him another case.
• Friedel, Nikelei’s ghost butler, quietly serves Qin Ran tea and later brings him bedding, enabling him to spend the day—and potentially the night—in the study.

Significant themes

• Observation and evidence: Qin Ran turns an unusual detail—unmatched footprints—into a practical lead.
• Learning through persistence: Reading steadily improves Qin Ran’s knowledge, reinforcing his commitment to gradual progress.
• Misdirection and hidden motives: The first four murders conceal the real target, while the killer’s stated motive and plan raise further questions.

Key events

• Qin Ran reviews the case file: Rock disappeared at fifteen, was presumed dead, then resurfaced ten years later and murdered taxi driver Mente.
• Shiqi says investigators found no obvious connection between the two men, so Qin Ran agrees to help investigate.
• In the morgue, Qin Ran observes that Mente was unusually muscular and had callused hands. He concludes that Rock tortured him with multiple carefully measured wounds before killing him with a precise stab through the heart.
• Since the neighbors heard no struggle or screams, Qin Ran decides to inspect Mente’s home.
• The murder has frightened Ceylon Street residents, drawn reporters, and prompted extra police patrols. Rock’s former disappearance is still remembered locally.
• Qin Ran enters Mente’s home—and immediately frowns, suggesting he has noticed something significant.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Ran uses physical evidence to challenge the file’s claim that Mente had no notable connection to Rock. He remains focused despite the public attention.
• Shiqi admits the limits of the investigation and relies on Qin Ran’s perspective. He is brusque with reporters and impatient with the forensic examiner’s enthusiasm.
• Derek, the forensic examiner, is friendly and admires Qin Ran’s past work, but Shiqi quickly redirects him to the case.
• The residents and press add pressure: residents fear a serial killer, while reporters eagerly pursue the story.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: Mente’s ordinary file description conflicts with his formidable physique, and the evidence suggests a hidden history.
• Trauma and unresolved connections: Rock’s return and Mente’s torture point toward a link the investigation has yet to uncover.
• Public fear and sensationalism: Rumors and media attention shape how the community interprets the crime before the facts are known.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Ran and Shiqi investigate Mente's murder scene, which appears too clean and small for a struggle.
• Qin Ran hypothesizes that Mente might have kidnapped Rock and imprisoned him, leading to Rock's revenge and subsequent actions.
• They visit Rock's home, where his parents confirm Rock's return.

Character Developments

• Qin Ran demonstrates his analytical skills and empathy, understanding Rock's possible motivations and emotions.
• Shiqi struggles with his role as a police chief, showing empathy for Rock and his parents.

Significant Themes

• The importance of home and family.
• The consequences of past actions.
• The struggle between justice and empathy.

Character Interactions

• Qin Ran and Shiqi work together, with Qin Ran leading the investigation and Shiqi handling the emotional aspects.
• Qin Ran encounters a mysterious figure who waves at him, hinting at potential danger or confrontation.

Brief Reference

• Qin Ran and Shiqi investigate Mente's murder scene, leading to a hypothesis about Rock's actions.
• They visit Rock's home, confirming Rock's return.
• Qin Ran encounters a mysterious figure, setting up a potential confrontation.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Ran approaches a strange figure, whose featureless face and rippling body trigger an illusion of vipers attacking him. He passes the relevant checks, so the illusion cannot harm him.
• A dagger-wielding Faceless Man lunges at him. Qin Ran disarms it with a kick, then sets it alight. The combat log identifies it as an Evil Earth Wraith, vulnerable to fire and destroyed by the attack, leaving only dirt.
• Shiqi arrives and learns the creature’s name, but a phone call brings worse news: the Heart-Taker has been killed inside the police station, apparently by an unseen assailant. Shiqi asks Qin Ran to help investigate.
• Qin Ran suspects the Evil Earth Wraith was sent by neither the Night Demon Society nor the Hetch Cult, and wonders whether a new enemy is targeting him.
• Rock arrives with his parents and is taken into police custody. Shiqi promises him fair treatment. In the car, Rock is nervous and withdrawn after ten years of captivity. Qin Ran notices calluses suggesting knife skill—and the chapter ends as Rock demonstrates that skill.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Ran quickly identifies the attack as an illusion, kills the Wraith, and draws practical conclusions about its physical nature and weakness to fire. He remains cautious about who sent it.
• Shiqi shows his awareness of supernatural threats and his concern about an invisible killer. He relies on Qin Ran’s help despite Qin Ran’s reluctance.
• Rock is shy and fearful around strangers, but signs of his past abilities emerge in his hands and, at the end, in his actions.
• Qin Ran gives Rock space rather than pressuring him, while Shiqi reassures Rock’s parents about the police process.

Significant themes

• The supernatural intrudes into ordinary life: both the Wraith attack and the Heart-Taker’s unexplained murder unsettle the police investigation.
• Adaptation and tactical thinking: Qin Ran turns a frightening encounter into useful knowledge about his enemy.
• Trauma and recovery: Rock’s guarded behavior reflects the effects of prolonged kidnapping, even as his practical skills remain.
• Unseen threats and uncertainty: the identity of the Wraith’s sender and the killer at the station remain unknown.

Key plot points and events

• A bomb destroys the car carrying Rock’s elderly parents, killing them. Rock rushes toward the wreckage, overwhelmed by grief.
• Three armed men ambush Shiqi, Qin Ran, and Rock. Shiqi returns fire, while Rock attacks the gunmen with a sword, brutally disabling them and killing one.
• Qin Ran stops Shiqi from shooting Rock and persuades Rock to stay alive by promising him a chance to find and kill the real mastermind. Rock lowers his blade and begins repeating, “Kill him.”
• Qin Ran suspects the ambush and bombing were intended to silence witnesses. He reasons that Mente, previously known as a driver and kidnapper, must have had a hidden identity and ties to an organization.
• Rock becomes unresponsive and appears psychologically traumatized. At the police station, a psychologist’s harsh approach provokes him; Rock breaks out of the interrogation room and runs to Qin Ran, still murmuring.
• Shiqi rebukes the psychologist for mishandling Rock and decides to find a more suitable professional. Before returning to the morgue to examine the Heart-Taker’s body, he sees Rock pointing at surveillance footage and trying to tell Qin Ran something.

Character developments and interactions

• Rock transforms from a withdrawn, homeward-looking young man into a furious and dangerous fighter after his parents’ deaths. Qin Ran redirects his despair toward revenge, but Rock’s trance-like state suggests his trauma remains severe.
• Qin Ran shows empathy grounded in his own experience of despair. He recognizes Rock’s suicidal resolve, prevents Shiqi from escalating the situation, and gives Rock a reason to keep living.
• Shiqi acts on his police instincts during the attack but ultimately holds back from harming Rock. He also advocates for gentler, more appropriate care when the psychologist fails to handle him properly.
• The attackers’ actions prompt Qin Ran to infer a larger conspiracy involving Mente and an organization willing to kill to conceal its secrets.

Significant themes

• Grief, despair, and survival: Rock’s loss turns his longing to return home into a crisis that Qin Ran tries to redirect toward survival.
• Revenge and its consequences: Hatred gives Rock a new purpose, though Qin Ran recognizes that its eventual outcome is uncertain.
• Hidden conspiracies and silencing witnesses: The bombing and ambush imply that the visible attackers are only expendable agents in a wider plot.
• Compassion versus coercion: Qin Ran’s calm, empathetic approach contrasts with the psychologist’s demand for restraints and sedatives.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Ran learns from Rock that the Heart-Taker and Mente belonged to the same group, the Wanderers’ Society. The Society sought both “materials,” including mutilated hearts, and young people with potential like Rock.
• Qin Ran warns Shiqi that the Society may attack Rock to silence him, and that the officers in the station are also in danger. The group may send another Intangible Wraith—or something stronger.
• Qin Ran calls Nikelei. She says she can see the Society’s members approaching and estimates they will reach the police station in twenty minutes. She urges Qin Ran to retreat to her protected home on Black Street No. 1, saying the Society is only a third-rate organization.
• Shiqi’s colleagues refuse to evacuate. He considers setting off the fire alarm, even though doing so could cost him his police career.
• As Shiqi reaches for the alarm, Qin Ran stops him and heads out, saying he has a plan and that the Society is “only” third-rate.

Character developments

• Qin Ran responds to the new threat with increasing resolve. He recognizes Nikelei’s remarkable powers and begins taking her claim to be the most powerful Spirit Channeling seriously.
• Shiqi shows his deep commitment to protecting people: he is willing to sacrifice his position to evacuate the station. He remains angry at colleagues who dismiss the danger.
• Rock appears seriously unwell and fearful of Shiqi, reinforcing the urgency of finding him proper psychological care.
• Nikelei demonstrates distant perception and confidence in the protections she has left behind, though she admits she cannot protect everyone or do everything.

Significant themes

• Duty versus personal cost: Shiqi is prepared to lose his career to save others.
• Hidden threats and incomplete knowledge: What Qin Ran previously learned about the Heart-Taker was only part of a larger conspiracy.
• Power and confidence: Nikelei’s abilities impress Qin Ran, while the Society’s reach makes clear that even a seemingly minor group can pose a serious threat.
• Protecting the vulnerable: Rock and the unsuspecting officers are at risk, driving the characters’ choices.

Character interactions

• Qin Ran gives Shiqi a grave warning about the Society and urges him to get people out of the station.
• Qin Ran contacts Nikelei through Shiqi, and she gives them a warning and retreat plan.
• Shiqi clashes with his colleagues over evacuation, then prepares to act despite the consequences.
• Qin Ran physically stops Shiqi from setting off the alarm and takes the initiative to confront the approaching danger.