Recaps

Gan Ming tested how level differences affected Soul Snatch and established that hunting monsters one or two levels above him offered the best balance of experience and skill acquisition. After reaching level 11, he spotted a level 15 Grayrock Giant Lizard and planned how to counter its ranged attack and powerful tail sweep.

• Gan Ming killed a level 13 Rust-armored Scorpion and acquired only its Hard Shell skill, leading him to suspect that level gaps limited Soul Snatch results.
• Gan Ming killed a level 12 Rust-armored Scorpion and acquired all three of its skills, confirming that smaller level gaps improved his chances of collecting them.
• Gan Ming decided to prioritize monsters one or two levels above himself, then reached level 11 after killing another scorpion.
• Gan Ming discovered a level 15 Grayrock Giant Lizard and identified Stone Shard Launch, Rockskin, Tail Sweep, and Mimicry among its skills.
• Gan Ming realized that opening with Ambush could leave him vulnerable to Tail Sweep and follow-up stone attacks, so he began planning a different approach.

Gan Ming prepared to exploit the Grayrock Giant Lizard’s Tail Sweep cooldown by chaining two control skills, and added Hard Shell +5 to strengthen his defenses. He ambushed the lizard and, after taking its Tail Sweep knockback, used Ambush to stun it and continue attacking.

• Gan Ming replaced Swift Dash with Hard Shell +5 and determined that its 20-point damage reduction stacked separately from Bark Armor’s defense bonus.
• Gan Ming crept within five meters of the disguised Grayrock Giant Lizard and trapped it with Rotten Root Entanglement.
• Gan Ming struck the restrained lizard three times, triggering Fanged Charge and dealing heavy damage before the roots broke.
• The Grayrock Giant Lizard hit Gan Ming with Tail Sweep, but he used Ambush to turn the knockback into a charge and stun it for 2.5 seconds.
• Gan Ming attacked the stunned lizard with three more strikes, including another Fanged Charge.

Gan Ming hunted monsters in the Ruins Zone, collecting their skills and leveling up Soul Snatch until he had eight activation slots. After gathering every skill from Hounds, Scorpions, and Grayrock Giant Lizards, he decided to return and rest because his gear reeked, his scent range had shrunk, and his storage ring was nearly full.

• Gan Ming killed a Grayrock Giant Lizard and used Soul Snatch to obtain Rockskin, then headed toward another monster.
• Gan Ming spent the next hour hunting Hounds, Scorpions, and giant lizards, adding Stone Shard Launch, Mimicry, and Tail Sweep to his skill library.
• Gan Ming killed another Grayrock Giant Lizard, reached level 13, and raised Soul Snatch to level 6, increasing his maximum simultaneous activations to eight.
• Gan Ming counted eighteen skills in his possession and reviewed how much his abilities had improved.
• Gan Ming decided to leave the Ruins Zone because he had collected the local monsters' skills, smelled overwhelmingly foul, and had little room left in his ring.

Gan Ming realized that materials from the Ruins Zone could earn him far more than his old labor, but his calculations were interrupted when a level 15 Red-armored Elite Giant Scorpion ambushed him. After inspecting its skills, including the specialization Armor-Shattering Pincer Strike, Gan Ming faced the charging monster while still weighing whether he could defeat it.

• Gan Ming calculated that a ringful of Ruins Zone materials could earn him 80 to 120 Contribution Points, a fortune compared with his former wages in the Lower District.
• Gan Ming sensed an underground tremor, ran toward open ground, and discovered that a monster was moving beneath the gravel.
• A Red-armored Elite Giant Scorpion burst from the ground and sliced open Gan Ming's leather armor with its venomous tail.
• Gan Ming used Rotten Root Entanglement to restrain the scorpion briefly and examined its level 15 skills, including the specialization Armor-Shattering Pincer Strike.
• The scorpion broke free and charged at Gan Ming as he considered whether he could win.

Gan Ming used Swift Dash to kite the Red-armored Elite Giant Scorpion through the ruins and repeatedly strike its tail. After stunning it with Ambush, he severed the scorpion’s tail, leaving the fight unresolved.

• Gan Ming ran deeper into the Fallen Zone to lure the Red-armored Elite Giant Scorpion away from other people, then chose Swift Dash from his skill pool.
• Gan Ming activated Swift Dash, maneuvered around the scorpion, and struck the joints of its tail while using the ruined walls to evade its attacks.
• Gan Ming repeatedly escaped the scorpion’s tail stings and pincers, using Swift Dash to circle back and attack its wounded tail.
• Gan Ming used Ambush to stun the scorpion, then struck the existing tail wound until his final blow severed the tail.

Gan Ming nearly finished the Elite Giant Scorpion after severing its tail, but four approaching Awakened forced him to stop and assess the threat. The chapter ended with him identifying the newcomers as a well-equipped guild team whose intentions remained unclear.

• Gan Ming fought the enraged Giant Scorpion, using Swift Dash and Ambush while healing himself after its pincer strike injured his leg.
• After ten minutes of combat, Gan Ming left the scorpion badly wounded and sensed four humans approaching from the northwest.
• Gan Ming tried to draw the scorpion away, but it dug in defensively as the four Awakened closed within striking distance.
• A dagger-wielding man emerged with three teammates and praised Gan Ming for weakening the level 15 Elite Giant Scorpion.
• Gan Ming used Soul Snatch to inspect the four Awakened and saw that they were level 16 or 17 specialists, including an assassin, a crossbow wielder, a dual-blade fighter, and a healer.
• Gan Ming noticed that all four wore the same guild emblem, an iron-gray gear encircled by three arcs.

Gan Ming refused to let four Soul-Stealing Panels interfere with his fight against the recovering Giant Scorpion, and rejected their attempt to recruit him. When they threatened to claim the scorpion, he drew his sword and began counting down, warning that they would stay if they did not leave.

• Gan Ming assessed the four newcomers as a coordinated party and stopped fighting the Giant Scorpion until they left.
• The dagger wielder urged Gan Ming to finish the scorpion before it recovered and warned that it could summon more scorpions, but Gan Ming insisted they leave first.
• The staff-wielding man asked whether Gan Ming belonged to a guild and offered him a place in theirs, but Gan Ming declined.
• The masked woman and dagger wielder threatened to fight the scorpion themselves, prompting Gan Ming to identify each person's role and draw his sword.
• Gan Ming warned the four to leave before he counted to ten, and the dagger wielder began drawing his daggers as Gan Ming started the countdown.

Gan Ming waited beside the wounded Elite Giant Scorpion while the four armed strangers pretended to leave, then prepared to ambush him. Xiao Jing approached under Shadowmeld, unaware that Gan Ming’s Beast Scent could detect him, and Gan Ming turned to face him as he drew near.

• The staff-wielding man ended the confrontation and led the others away, while Gan Ming watched their scents fade without leaving the Elite Giant Scorpion.
• At a ruined building, Old Li told Xiao Jing to ambush Gan Ming and instructed the others to circle around and support him.
• Gan Ming inferred that the group planned to attack while he fought the Scorpion and waited for them to make a move.
• Xiao Jing activated Shadowmeld and crept toward Gan Ming, while Old Wang and the others began circling east.
• Gan Ming detected Xiao Jing’s familiar scent approaching and turned to look directly at the invisible attacker.

Gan Ming killed Xiao Jing after evading his ambush, then used Soul Snatch to acquire nearly all of Xiao Jing’s skills and vanished before Xiao Jing’s allies arrived. Old Li, Old Wang, and Xiao Tong found only the elite Scorpion and a pool of blood, and Old Li asked where Xiao Jing was.

• Xiao Jing lost count of the ambush timing and attacked Gan Ming from behind, but Gan Ming dodged with Swift Dash.
• Gan Ming combined Swift Dash and Ambush to strike Xiao Jing, then killed him with three sword strikes.
• Gan Ming used Soul Snatch on Xiao Jing and acquired Shadowmeld, Shadowstep, Backstab, and several other skills.
• Gan Ming stored Xiao Jing’s head and body, collected three Storage Rings, and fled southeast while activating Shadowmeld.
• Old Li, Old Wang, and Xiao Tong arrived to find the elite Scorpion and a pool of blood, and Old Li asked where Xiao Jing was.

Gan Ming ambushed and killed Xiao Tong on the ruin’s upper floor, gaining her ranged skills and equipment. He prepared to snipe Old Li and Old Wang from above, while they called for Xiao Tong to return and regroup.

• Old Li and Old Wang examined the bloodstain and suspected it did not come from Xiao Jing’s successful attack.
• Xiao Tong searched the ruin’s upper floor but found no sign of Xiao Jing.
• Gan Ming attacked Xiao Tong from behind, killed her, and used Soul Snatch to acquire her talents and skills.
• Gan Ming took Xiao Tong’s rings and Cold Crow Repeating Crossbow, spent three attribute points on Agility, and equipped the crossbow.
• Gan Ming set up his skills for a ranged attack and aimed at Old Li and Old Wang below as Old Li called for Xiao Tong.

Gan Ming killed Old Li and Old Wang using Xiao Tong’s crossbow and gained Old Wang’s combat abilities through Soul Snatch. He collected the corpses and rings, then approached Old Li’s body to wait for Soul Snatch.

• Gan Ming used Lock-On and Tracking Shot to kill Old Li before he could cast Shield Art.
• Old Wang realized Xiao Jing and Xiao Tong were likely dead, then charged toward Gan Ming with his blades.
• Gan Ming vanished after leaping from the ruins and wounded Old Wang with repeated crossbow shots.
• Gan Ming killed Old Wang and used Soul Snatch to acquire his dual-wield talents and several skills.
• Gan Ming stored Old Wang’s corpse, collected two rings, and crouched beside Old Li’s corpse for three seconds.

Gan Ming acquired nearly all the staff wielder’s skills, equipped dual blades, and killed the Red-armored Elite Giant Scorpion. He reached level 15 and Soul Snatch gave him the scorpion’s remaining skills, including Armor-Shattering Pincer Strike.

• Gan Ming gained three specializations, an innate healing talent, and several skills from the staff wielder, raising his acquired skills to +7.
• Gan Ming equipped a pair of short swords, activated Ambush, Hard Shell, and Double Blades, and approached the wounded Red-armored Elite Giant Scorpion.
• Gan Ming stunned the scorpion with Ambush and attacked its exposed wounds with both swords, avoiding most of its counterattacks.
• Gan Ming killed the Red-armored Elite Giant Scorpion, gained 5,800 experience, reached level 15, and received five unassigned attribute points.
• Gan Ming used Soul Snatch on the scorpion and acquired Armor-Shattering Pincer Strike, Earth Vein Perception, Carapace Regeneration, and Scorpion Tail Barrage.

Gan Ming disposed of the four Awakened corpses and their identifying cards, then returned to the sentry post with a story that concealed what had happened. He left the Ruins Zone alive and apparently unsuspected, while the registration officer told him to come early if he returned tomorrow.

• Gan Ming lured five Rustclaw Hounds to the four corpses and let them eat the evidence while he collected the dead Awakened's equipment.
• Gan Ming destroyed the four Formal Cards and scattered their fragments, then killed the hounds and stored their corpses.
• Gan Ming returned to the sentry post covered in monster grime as the sun set.
• Gan Ming told the security personnel that a giant scorpion had nearly killed his team and that they had kicked him out, so he had gotten lost on the way back.
• Gan Ming scanned his card, and the registration officer told him to come early if he returned tomorrow.

Gan Ming learned that the Ruins Zone would close the next morning and set his sights on Tunnel Zone No. 7. After tallying his gains and encountering members of the guild whose Awakened he had killed, he left the Fallen Zone and headed to a hotel to shower.

• Gan Ming learned that the Ruins Zone's invasion progress had fallen to 6% and that it would be sealed after a final cleanup the next day, so he planned to enter Tunnel Zone No. 7.
• Six armed riders from the same guild as the four Awakened Gan Ming had killed passed him on their way to the outpost.
• Gan Ming counted his new abilities and talents, bringing his total to forty-seven skills, and considered settling the score with the level 13 archer he had met earlier.
• Gan Ming found the taxi driver who had brought him to the Fallen Zone and asked him to take him to a nearby hotel where he could shower.
• The driver recommended Travel Peace on Central District Sixth Street and drove Gan Ming there.

Gan Ming returned from the Fallen Zone, checked into a hotel, and arranged for clothes and dinner to be delivered. In the elevator, a tall man forced two women to smell Gan Ming’s odor and told them it came from risking his life in the Fallen Zone.

• Gan Ming paid driver Zhou Sheng for the ride and asked him to buy clothes and deliver them to the hotel.
• Gan Ming checked into Room 403 at Travel Peace Residence and ordered a large dinner.
• A tall, handsome man entered the elevator with two reluctant women.
• When the women recoiled from Gan Ming’s smell, the man pulled their hands away and made them smell it, explaining it came from risking his life in the Fallen Zone.

Gan Ming met freelance hunter He Yuan in an elevator, learned that He Yuan respected him for awakening through the Awakener Center, and retreated to his hotel room to wash after a day in the Fallen Zone. The chapter ended with Gan Ming lying in bed and thinking about what to do tomorrow.

• He Yuan apologized for the two women’s behavior and offered Gan Ming one of them, but Gan Ming declined and said he wanted to sleep.
• He Yuan learned that Gan Ming had awakened through the Awakener Center, praised him, introduced himself, and gave him a business card.
• Gan Ming wondered why He Yuan had shown genuine respect when he heard about the Awakener Center.
• Gan Ming entered room 403, discarded his filthy clothes, and took a long hot shower.
• Gan Ming lay down on the bed and began thinking about the next day.

After surviving his Awakening and gaining fifteen levels, Gan Ming settled into a hotel room and found himself with money, Storage Rings, and a hunger from his enhanced body. Zhou Sheng delivered carefully chosen clothes and returned every bit of the money, leaving Gan Ming to reflect on the Old Zhou who had sheltered him before he began inventorying his rings.

• Beneath the overpass, the skinny man learned that Gan Ming had gone to the Awakening Center and would not return whether he succeeded or failed.
• Gan Ming received dinner and clothes in his hotel room, then ate three meals to ease the intense hunger caused by his physical enhancements.
• Gan Ming found Zhou Sheng's receipt, the remaining money, clothes, shoes, and a note promising to exchange the shoes if they did not fit.
• Gan Ming remembered how Old Zhou had shared his quilt with him beneath the bridge two years earlier.
• Gan Ming put the notes and money into a Storage Ring, then began inspecting all ten rings.

Gan Ming prepared for the next day and fell asleep, while Iron Arc Guild President Lu Guangshan learned that his daughter Xiao Tong and her team had vanished in the Ruins Zone. Convinced they had been killed by another person, he asked Security Bureau Director Fang Hongda for the day's entry records so he could investigate everyone who entered.

• Gan Ming sorted his rings, planned to visit the association and enter Tunnel Zone No. 7, then fell asleep from exhaustion.
• Lu Guangshan berated six Iron Arc Guild members after they failed to find Xiao Tong and her three teammates in the Ruins Zone.
• Lu Guangshan ordered the six members to search the Ruins Zone through the night for Xiao Tong.
• Lu Guangshan called Fang Hongda and asked him to send Security personnel to help search for the missing team.
• Lu Guangshan asked Fang Hongda for the day's Ruins Zone entry records, saying he wanted to identify who had killed Xiao Tong.

Lu Guangshan arranged to obtain the Ruins Zone’s entry and exit records so he could investigate who killed Xiao Tong. After spending a peaceful night in the Upper District, Gan Ming set out for the Association to buy armor, while Zhou Sheng waited for him and drove him there.

• Lu Guangshan agreed with Fang Hongda to investigate leads discreetly and vowed to find an answer for Xiao Tong.
• Gan Ming planned to buy armor with hidden compartments and decided to sell the dead guild members’ marked equipment slowly to avoid suspicion.
• Gan Ming checked out of Travel Peace Residence, paid the bill without concern, and met Zhou Sheng waiting in a taxi.
• Zhou Sheng drove Gan Ming toward the Association, and Gan Ming asked what level of Awakened usually used the private trade associations.

Gan Ming learned about the dangers and customs of Awakened life while riding with Zhou Sheng, then heard that the Iron Arc Guild and Security Bureau had mobilized to search the Ruins Zone. He suspected they were looking for Xiao Tong and feared she was connected to someone powerful in the guild.

• Zhou Sheng warned Gan Ming that private merchant associations could be dangerous, recounting how an Awakened who tried to sell goods there had vanished.
• Zhou Sheng shared stories about Awakened showing off their equipment and a woman whose teammates had cheated her out of her share, while Gan Ming considered the community's customs.
• A radio report said the Ruins Zone had been cleared and sealed after dozens of Iron Arc Guild members and more than ten Security Bureau vehicles entered overnight.
• Gan Ming suspected the operation was aimed at finding the masked crossbow user Xiao Tong, not merely her four Level 16 or 17 teammates.
• Gan Ming considered that Xiao Tong might be connected to a powerful Iron Arc Guild figure and realized his actions could have made him a target.

Gan Ming cautiously sold eight Rustclaw Hound corpses at the Awakened Association after the Ruins Zone was sealed, while concealing his larger stock of monster materials. The unexpectedly high price made him suspect that someone was using the price increase to identify Awakened who had hunted in the zone, and he left with relief that his small sale would attract less attention.

• Gan Ming reminded Zhou Sheng that the Awakened Association might be shady but was safe, then entered the building while Zhou Sheng waited in the car.
• Gan Ming went to the materials recycling counter and chose to sell only eight Rustclaw Hound corpses, keeping his other monster remains hidden in his Storage Ring.
• The staff member offered Gan Ming ten Contribution Points per Hound, explaining that prices had risen after the Ruins Zone was cleansed and supplies became scarce.
• Gan Ming suspected the sharp price increase was meant to identify people who had hunted in the sealed Ruins Zone and draw them into an investigation.
• Gan Ming confirmed the sale of eight Hounds and felt relieved that the amount seemed plausible for an independent Awakened.

Gan Ming spent his Contribution Points on better armor and an Awakened communication phone, then prepared to enter Tunnel Zone No. 7. He recognized that Zhou Sheng could not provide the information he needed and considered contacting He Yuan to gain an insider connection.

• Gan Ming recycled his damaged standard-issue armor for eighty dollars and bought excellent Chain Leather Armor and Chain Legguards with hidden compartments.
• Gan Ming concealed ten Storage Rings in his new chest armor and bought an Awakened communication phone, saving He Yuan and Zhou Sheng’s numbers.
• Gan Ming checked the exploration guide and saw that Tunnel Zone No. 7 would open at eight, while the South District Old Industrial Park’s invasion progress had fallen to 23%.
• Gan Ming got into Zhou Sheng’s taxi and headed for Tunnel Zone No. 7.
• Gan Ming weighed whether to contact He Yuan, concluding that he needed an insider to improve his information about guilds and the Awakened world.

Gan Ming traveled to the outskirts of Tunnel Zone Seven and configured his nine active skills for stealthy melee combat and survival. After strengthening his defenses, he prepared to enter the Fallen Zone.

• Gan Ming exchanged messages with He Yuan, who invited him to meet and offered to treat him when he was free.
• Zhou Sheng drove Gan Ming to the outskirts of Tunnel Zone Seven, where Gan Ming paid him and continued toward the sentry post on foot.
• Gan Ming selected Fanged Charge, Bark Armor, Beast Scent, Dual-Wield Mastery, Double Blades, Lock-On, Shadowmeld, Shadowstep, and Hard Shell for his nine skill slots.
• Gan Ming activated Bark Armor, raised his defense to 108, and prepared to begin fighting.

Gan Ming entered Tunnel Zone Seven and tested how well his [Shadowmeld +7] concealed him from other Awakened. He remained hidden near the entrance, but noticed that three Tier-2 security personnel were looking toward him.

• Gan Ming arrived at Tunnel Zone Seven with only chainmail armor, greaves, and a sword, drawing curious and dismissive looks from the waiting Awakened.
• A skinny Awakened warned Gan Ming about entering the tunnel alone and invited him to join his team, but Gan Ming declined.
• After passing the identity scan and entering the slope, Gan Ming used Shadowmeld to vanish from sight, and the skinny man mistook him for an assassin.
• Gan Ming revealed that he had stayed beside the entrance wall and tested Shadowmeld as Awakened passed without noticing him.
• Gan Ming observed that three Tier-2 security personnel were looking in his direction.

Gan Ming tested the detection range of Shadowmeld, then used his dual swords to kill three Dark-Hole Spiders and Soul Snatch their skills. As he stored the corpses, he sensed two Awakened approaching from the main tunnel.

• Gan Ming retreated until the security officers stopped sensing an abnormal energy fluctuation, establishing a safe distance of about thirty-five meters for Shadowmeld.
• Gan Ming replaced his sword with two short swords and followed a monster’s scent into a side passage.
• Gan Ming used Shadowstep and his dual swords to kill three level 14 Dark-Hole Spiders in under six seconds.
• Gan Ming Soul Snatched the spiders, acquiring several skills but failing to obtain all four skills from any one spider.
• Gan Ming stored the spider corpses and sensed two Awakened approaching from the main tunnel.