Chapter Summary: “Return to Calm”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Han Jingchuan returns from Japan without finding any Crystal Stones, but he brings back many monster Crystal Cores, greatly increasing his strength.
• Liu Baiyue reveals that Xu Yan, one of the famed Linshan Four Tigers, is also returning from a secret genetic experiment at headquarters. His survival and possible advancement to S-rank excite them both.
• Believing their forces and prospects are growing, Liu Baiyue decides to hold a celebration banquet.
• Lin Dong returns safely to Jiangbei City after crossing the ocean in a flying craft. His pilot, Yan Siyuan, fears that Lin Dong will kill him now that he is no longer needed.
• Instead, Lin Dong allows Yan Siyuan to leave and seek refuge at the Jiangbei City Shelter. Yan Siyuan is relieved and tries to preserve a future relationship with Lin Dong by offering his translation and piloting skills.
• Lin Dong returns to the Skyscraper District, where Tank and the other Zombie Kings are waiting. He gives them the large quantity of prey and Japanese food collected during his trip, including two enormous Mutant Centipedes and many Sandwich Cookies.
• Lin Dong relaxes at home, absorbs Crystal Cores, and enjoys the comfort of returning to his territory. He decides to remain hidden and take no immediate action.
• Although the major factions appear peaceful, they are secretly preparing to attack one another.
• Black Nightmare becomes increasingly obsessed with killing Lin Dong, whom he views as his “inner demon.” He also plans to attack the Jiangbei City Shelter and retaliate against Cheng Luoyi for humiliating him.
• Scissorhands repeatedly encourages Black Nightmare, though his final question exposes that Black Nightmare’s goals are confused and driven by wounded pride.

Character Developments

• Han Jingchuan has grown significantly stronger through monster hunting and Crystal Core absorption, likely reaching or approaching S-rank.
• Liu Baiyue becomes more optimistic as her organization gains stronger subordinates, improved development, and outside support.
• Xu Yan is reintroduced as a mysterious and potentially extremely powerful figure whose secret genetic experiment may have elevated him to S-rank.
• Lin Dong shows both ruthless indifference and unexpected mercy. He casually considers killing Yan Siyuan but ultimately spares him, demonstrating that he can recognize practical value and grant freedom.
• Yan Siyuan shifts from terrified resignation to grateful loyalty, eagerly offering his future services to Lin Dong.
• Tank and the zombie horde remain devoted to Lin Dong and enthusiastically enjoy the food he brings back. Tank also displays growing humor and cleverness.
• Black Nightmare is revealed to be mentally unstable and consumed by humiliation, jealousy, and obsession. His subordinates flatter him rather than seriously questioning his plans.
• Scissorhands acts as a sycophantic supporter but occasionally shows confusion about Black Nightmare’s increasingly irrational motivations.

Significant Themes

• Return and domestic comfort: After the dangers of Japan, Lin Dong finds peace in his familiar territory, food, sunlight, and routine.
• Power growth and escalation: Several major figures are becoming stronger, suggesting that future conflicts will involve increasingly powerful opponents.
• Hidden tension beneath peace: Though the factions are outwardly calm, each is secretly preparing for violence.
• Obsession and wounded pride: Black Nightmare’s fixation on Lin Dong and Cheng Luoyi shows how humiliation can distort judgment and drive destructive ambition.
• Mercy and utility: Lin Dong’s decision to spare Yan Siyuan suggests that survival may depend not only on strength but also on usefulness and loyalty.
• Loyalty and flattery: The Zombie Kings support their leaders enthusiastically, even when those leaders are clearly acting irrationally.

Important Character Interactions

• Liu Baiyue and Han Jingchuan discuss their growing strength and Xu Yan’s return, sharing optimism about their organization’s future.
• Lin Dong and Yan Siyuan have a tense but humorous exchange in which Yan Siyuan begs for his life and offers his skills in exchange for survival.
• Lin Dong reunites with Tank and the Zombie Kings, rewarding them with the spoils of his journey.
• Tank’s combination of spicy Mutant Centipede meat and Sandwich Cookies provides comic relief and emphasizes the zombies’ crude but enthusiastic lifestyle.
• Black Nightmare and Scissorhands discuss their plans against Lin Dong and the Jiangbei City Shelter. Scissorhands constantly reassures him, but his confusion at the end reveals how incoherent Black Nightmare’s motivations have become.

Chapter Summary: “True Masters”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The shelter continues to prosper, with abundant supplies and successfully cultivated crops. Cheng Luoyi, Sun Xiaoqiang, Chen Ming, Yan Siyuan, and others harvest tomatoes in the planting bay.
• Yan Siyuan has officially joined the shelter after explaining his past with Lin Dong. He is placed under Chen Ming’s group.
• Chen Ming jokingly tells Yan Siyuan that he will find him an “auntie,” then teases Sun Xiaoqiang into eating an unripe green tomato by claiming it will taste sweet. Sun Xiaoqiang immediately spits it out after discovering how sour it is.
• Chen Muyan, Jinjiang City’s Awakened One No. 001, arrives with news that a search team was attacked in North Mountain by terrifying mutated creatures called Face Spiders.
• Yan Siyuan recognizes the spiders as creatures previously transported by Tech Company. He explains that Lin Dong released them from their cages, allowing them to reproduce and spread into North Mountain.
• The major factions remain peaceful for a time, but this calm ends when a new group of bounty-list experts arrives at Tech Company in Linshan City.
• Liu Baiyue personally welcomes Ji An and his team, who have been hired to kill the Zombie King. However, the supposed experts appear unexpectedly weak: Ji An is pale and constantly coughing, while a foreign team member is injured and must be supported while walking.
• Despite their poor appearances, Liu Baiyue and Han Jingchuan maintain a polite, professional attitude and prepare to discuss the mission.

Character Developments

• Yan Siyuan begins integrating into shelter life and proves useful by identifying the origin of the Face Spiders.
• Chen Ming remains playful and mischievous, teasing both Yan Siyuan and Sun Xiaoqiang, though Cheng Luoyi criticizes him for taking advantage of Xiaoqiang’s gullibility.
• Sun Xiaoqiang is shown as intelligent but unusually literal and food-motivated; he prefers apples and is easily tricked into trying an unripe tomato.
• Chen Muyan demonstrates his importance and responsibility by bringing urgent information about the threat in North Mountain.
• Liu Baiyue reveals how seriously she values the new bounty-list experts by personally greeting them, though their sickly condition immediately raises doubts.
• Han Jingchuan acts as Liu Baiyue’s observant and sarcastic aide, questioning whether Ji An’s team can really be the elite specialists they claim to be.

Significant Themes

• Deception and appearances: Ji An’s group is introduced as famous experts, yet their frail and injured appearances conflict with their reputation, creating suspense about their true abilities.
• Consequences of past actions: Lin Dong’s reckless release of the spiders has created a new biological threat long after the original incident.
• Adaptation and survival: The shelter’s successful agriculture shows humanity rebuilding and adapting despite the apocalypse, while the mutated spiders demonstrate the continuing dangers of the changed world.
• Humor amid catastrophe: Chen Ming’s jokes and the tomato incident provide comic relief and highlight the shelter’s developing sense of normalcy.
• Trust and integration: Yan Siyuan’s acceptance into the shelter marks a gradual movement from outsider to participant in the community.

Character Interactions

• Chen Ming welcomes Yan Siyuan into his group but immediately jokes about finding him a partner, prompting Sun Yuhang’s teasing and Yan Siyuan’s disbelief.
• Chen Ming tricks Sun Xiaoqiang into eating an unripe tomato, while Cheng Luoyi reprimands him for bullying Xiaoqiang.
• Chen Muyan informs the shelter group about the Face Spiders, and Yan Siyuan connects the threat to Lin Dong’s actions.
• Liu Baiyue warmly receives Ji An, while Han Jingchuan privately expresses skepticism about the team’s unimpressive condition.
• Liu Baiyue and Han Jingchuan remain courteous to Ji An’s team despite their doubts, setting up the upcoming discussion about the Zombie King mission.

Chapter Summary: “Strong Troops, Sturdy Horses”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji An reveals that he and his companions recently fought the Zombie King of the provincial capital, a powerful Wraith Zombie that had already formed a domain. Although victorious or able to escape, Ji An suffered minor injuries and exhaustion.
• He compares the provincial-capital Zombie King with the one in Jiangbei City, arguing that the former is likely stronger because of its larger population, greater zombie population, and the destruction of local human strongholds.
• Liu Baiyue informs Ji An that the Jiangbei City Zombie King may have advanced from S-Plus Rank to SS-Rank, surprising him because such breakthroughs are extremely difficult.
• Ji An confirms that he is an S-Plus Rank Mental-Type awakened and agrees to deal with the S-Rank Wraith Zombie known as Black Nightmare in nearby Tongchang City once he has recovered.
• Liu Baiyue arranges accommodations for Ji An and his team. After they leave, she and Han Jingchuan conclude that Ji An is a genuine expert and far more trustworthy than the fraudulent Nan Fengling.
• Liu Baiyue realizes that Linshan City has accumulated considerable strength: Ji An’s group, Han Jingchuan’s impending breakthrough, Xu Yan’s return, three A-Plus Rank Liquid Augmented Humans, and newly absorbed survivors from Tongchang City.
• Confident in her growing power, Liu Baiyue plans a major counteroffensive: eliminate Black Nightmare, destroy Lin Dong, invade Jiangbei City, and annex Ye Jian’s branch company.
• The chapter ends with Liu Baiyue considering calling Ye Jian, partly to see how he is doing and partly to boast about Linshan City’s upcoming resurgence.

Character Developments

• Ji An is established as highly capable, perceptive, and confident. His experience fighting a domain-forming Zombie King demonstrates his strength, while his calm analysis of zombie power levels highlights his professionalism. He is also willing to speak honestly about his abilities and condition.
• Liu Baiyue regains confidence after securing Ji An’s assistance. Her previous frustration and humiliation transform into determination and ambition, motivating her to launch an aggressive campaign against neighboring zombie forces and rival human factions.
• Han Jingchuan becomes more accepting of Ji An’s credibility and recognizes him as a reliable expert. He is also on the verge of a breakthrough, adding to Linshan City’s growing military potential.
• Ye Jian remains an off-screen rival whose earlier mockery continues to irritate Liu Baiyue. His branch company is now one of her intended targets.
• Nan Fengling is further discredited as a fraud and contrasted with Ji An’s proven competence.

Significant Themes

• Strength and strategic confidence: Linshan City’s accumulated fighters, enhanced humans, and survivors shift Liu Baiyue from defensive survival to offensive expansion.
• Professional expertise versus empty claims: Ji An’s firsthand experience and logical analysis distinguish him from unreliable figures such as Nan Fengling.
• Escalating power levels: The possible rise of the Jiangbei City Zombie King to SS-Rank emphasizes the increasingly dangerous supernatural landscape.
• Revenge and humiliation: Liu Baiyue’s desire to retaliate stems from repeated zombie attacks, major losses, and Ye Jian’s mockery.
• Resource competition: The planned conquest of Tongchang, Lin Dong, Jiangbei City, and Ye Jian’s company shows that survival is intertwined with control of territory, technology, and supplies.

Character Interactions

• Liu Baiyue initially whispers with Han Jingchuan about Ji An, but Ji An overhears them and addresses their doubts directly.
• Ji An and Liu Baiyue engage in a detailed discussion about Zombie Kings, domains, ranks, and the relative dangers of different cities.
• Han Jingchuan contributes information about Jiangbei City, while Liu Baiyue evaluates Ji An’s abilities and reliability.
• After Ji An departs, Liu Baiyue and Han Jingchuan agree that his strength makes him a dependable ally.
• Liu Baiyue’s thoughts turn toward Ye Jian, setting up a likely provocative call and further conflict.

Summary: "Horn of Counterattack"

Key Plot Points

• In Jiangbei City, Ye Jian is playing cards with his secretary and others when Liu Baiyue calls, announcing that bounty hunters from the Wraith Zombie Archive have arrived in Linshan City. She plans a full-scale counterattack to clear zombies in the area, and warns Ye Jian to open Jiangbei City's gates when she arrives. He brushes her off.
• Lin Dong is at home absorbing Crystal Cores to evolve, following his philosophy that strength trumps all schemes.
• Little Mushroom reports to Lin Dong that Linshan City's Awakened have been actively counterattacking, clearing Tongchang City zombies, and that Third-Generation Liquid Augmented Humans can scan through her Mimicry disguises and cannot be parasitized.
• Lin Dong suddenly remembers he never delivered his "return gift" to Linshan City — a jar of Man-Eating Ants (a specialty from the island nation). He decides to make up for this rudeness.
• Leaving Little Mushroom to guard North Mountain, Lin Dong travels to the boundary of the forest and observes the battlefield: Linshan City's Awakened are fighting Tongchang City's zombies.
• He spots Rock, an A-Rank Power-Type Zombie King subordinate to Black Nightmare, with mutated hardened skin and a shiny bald head, and decides to start his attack there.

Character Developments

• Lin Dong: Confident and unhurried despite the human counteroffensive; treats delivering the Man-Eating Ants as a matter of etiquette. Considers himself "a refined zombie." Believes absolute strength makes all conspiracy meaningless.
• Black Nightmare (mentioned): Has been persistently harassing Linshan City; Lin Dong muses that an obsessed zombie "is easy to lose its mind."
• Rock (newly introduced): A physically imposing Zombie King under Black Nightmare with A-Rank strength and unusually hard, patinated skin.

Significant Themes

• Power as the ultimate answer: "One force can overcome ten thousand tricks" — Lin Dong prioritizes personal evolution over tactical concerns.
• Escalating warfare between humans and zombies: New technology (Third-Generation Liquid Augmented Humans) counters zombie abilities, while Lin Dong responds with biological weapons (Man-Eating Ants).
• Lin Dong's playful, mocking attitude toward the human counterattack — framing lethal action as social obligation ("gift-giving").

Character Interactions

• Ye Jian ↔ Liu Baiyue: Mocking phone exchange. She hints at future confrontation; he dismisses her, leading to a comedic misunderstanding when she overhears his secretary urging him to hurry ("playing cards").
• Lin Dong ↔ Little Mushroom: She reports intelligence about Linshan City's activity and the scanners' threat; he assigns her to guard the base while he leaves.
• Lin Dong ↔ Man-Eating Ants: The ants ram against their jar toward Su Xiaorou's scent; he reassures them they'll eat soon, foreshadowing their deployment.
• Lin Dong observing battlefield: Notes the trap of zombie obsession (via Black Nightmare) and singles out Rock as his entry point into the conflict.

Chapter Summary: “Lin Dong’s Return Gift”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Humans launch a surprise counterattack against the zombies outside the city, catching them off guard.
• Zombie King Stone is surrounded and attacked by Zhang Yunhao, an A-Rank Strength-Type Awakened, along with several other Awakened and armed fighters.
• Although Stone is extremely durable due to his Hardened Skin and powerful zombie constitution, the humans use teamwork and evasive tactics to wear him down.
• Zhang Yunhao’s group is confident that defeating Stone would be a major victory against Black Nightmare’s forces.
• Lin Dong arrives near the battlefield and secretly releases a jar of Little Flying Ants, intending to give the humans an unexpected “return gift.”
• The ants infiltrate the humans’ sealed nano combat suits through their ears. They cause unbearable itching, paralysis, convulsions, and eventually emerge from victims’ mouths in swarms.
• Armed personnel begin collapsing and being devoured as the ants multiply and spread across the battlefield.
• Zhang Yunhao recognizes the danger and warns his team not to let the insects enter their bodies, but the Speed-Type Awakened suddenly feels an itch in his own ear, ending the chapter on a cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Lin Dong: Demonstrates his growing ruthlessness, strategic thinking, and willingness to use terrifying biological weapons. Rather than confronting the humans directly, he exploits the battlefield and attacks when they are distracted.
• Zombie King Stone: Revealed to be exceptionally tough but impulsive and easily enraged. His frustration grows as the humans use mobility and coordinated harassment to avoid his attacks.
• Zhang Yunhao: Shows combat experience and leadership. He understands Stone’s physical advantage and organizes a cautious war-of-attrition strategy, later recognizing the threat posed by the Little Flying Ants.
• The Speed-Type Awakened and other fighters: Initially confident after successfully pressuring Stone, they become vulnerable and terrified once Lin Dong’s insects appear.

Significant Themes

• Reversal of power: Humans who previously hid from the zombies now launch an aggressive counterattack, briefly making Stone feel like the hunted victim.
• Adaptability versus raw strength: The humans’ teamwork and evasive tactics allow them to challenge Stone despite his superior durability.
• Hidden threats and deception: Lin Dong’s attack succeeds because the humans are focused on Stone and do not notice the seemingly harmless insects.
• The horror of mutation: The Little Flying Ants transform an ordinary battlefield into a scene of biological terror, showing how dangerous mutant creatures can be.
• False confidence: The humans celebrate their apparent advantage, unaware that a far greater danger is already spreading among them.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Yunhao coordinates with the Ice-Type Awakened, who uses an Ice Wall to knock Stone down when direct attacks prove ineffective.
• A Speed-Type Awakened repeatedly provokes and harasses Stone with hit-and-run attacks, deepening the Zombie King’s rage.
• The humans taunt Stone while scattering to avoid his counterattacks, reinforcing their temporary confidence.
• Lin Dong remains hidden and observes the fight from a distance, silently releasing the ants without revealing himself.
• Zhang Yunhao attempts to protect his team by warning them against insect infiltration, but the chapter ends as the Speed-Type fighter appears to have already been infected.

Summary: "Not Very Polite"

Key Plot Points

• Zhang Yunhao's team is overwhelmed by man-eating flying ants summoned by Lin Dong, a Zombie King from Jiangbei City. The ants devour a young soldier alive while reproducing inside his body.
• Zombie King Stone joins the attack, biting the dying man and getting a mouthful of ants.
• The female Awakened creates an ice barrier to protect Zhang Yunhao and herself, but Stone relentlessly smashes it while the ants freeze and fall around them.
• Lin Dong appears, revealing the ants were his "gift"—a psychological weapon aimed at destroying the humans from within.
• Lin Dong easily breaks the ice barrier with a blade, kills Zhang Yunhao by extracting his Crystal Core, and slits the female Awakened's throat. He collects both corpses and their A-Rank Crystal Cores.
• Stone approaches Lin Dong, demanding the cores, setting up a potential conflict.

Character Developments

• Lin Dong: Cold, efficient, and psychologically cruel—he uses indirect tactics (cursing ants) before direct violence. He treats killing as routine resource collection.
• Zhang Yunhao: A capable captain who descends into despair as his squad is annihilated; dies futilely charging at Lin Dong.
• Stone: Brutish, opportunistic, and bitter about earlier humiliation; he's fascinated by human suffering but careless (biting someone infested with ants). Shows territorial greed now aimed at Lin Dong.

Significant Themes

• Cruelty and psychological warfare: Lin Dong's "gift" of man-eating ants breaks enemies from within, showing strategic sadism over direct combat.
• Power hierarchy and survival of the fittest: A-Rank Awakeneds are easily dispatched by a higher-tier Zombie King, highlighting the brutal pecking order.
• Dehumanization and moral decay: Both humans and zombies are reduced to resources (Crystal Cores, corpses); politeness becomes a twisted mockery of civilization.
• Alliances are fragile: The nominal ally (Stone) is eager to turn on Lin Dong over loot, showing self-interest dominates all bonds.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Yunhao's dying subordinate panics as the ants consume him; Zhang Yunhao can't save him.
• Stone delights in human suffering, then is disgusted when the ants bite him; he spits them out.
• Zhang Yunhao and the female Awakened share a desperate, doomed bond inside the ice barrier; she exhausts herself shielding him.
• Lin Dong mocks Zhang Yunhao with a "gift" and kills him in one effortless motion; the female Awakened dies without a word.
• Stone's final demand for the cores reveals his greed and distrust of Lin Dong, ending the chapter on a tense note.

Summary: “Swallowing Their Anger”

1. Key Plot Points

• Stone, an A-Rank Power-Type Zombie King under Black Nightmare, approaches Lin Dong and demands the Power-Type Crystal Core, believing he deserves a share because he helped drain the human victims’ energy.
• Lin Dong responds by activating his Corpse Domain, effortlessly kills Stone, and takes the Crystal Core from his head.
• Surrounding zombies flee and report Stone’s death to Black Nightmare.
• Black Nightmare is furious but recognizes he cannot defeat Lin Dong; he and his Zombie Kings suppress their rage and decide not to retaliate.
• The chapter ends with Flathead, Black Nightmare’s “chief zombie diplomat,” returning with a smug expression, hinting at a possible new development.

2. Character Developments

• Lin Dong: Shows his ruthless, dominant side. He treats “cooperation” as a sham, killing Stone without hesitation and absorbing his core as a new form of “partnership.”
• Black Nightmare: Enraged by Stone’s death but politically pragmatic. He swallows his anger and restrains his subordinates, prioritizing survival over revenge.
• Stone: Demonstrates the low intelligence common among Power-Type zombies. His foolish entitlement leads directly to his death.
• Flathead: Returns as a potentially important plot catalyst, appearing confident after his long absence.

3. Significant Themes

• Hypocrisy of alliances: “Partnership” among zombie factions is merely a power dynamic, not genuine loyalty.
• Power and fear: Lin Dong’s strength makes even a Zombie King like Black Nightmare swallow humiliation.
• Foolishness vs. survival: Stone’s lack of judgment shows that in the zombie world, ignorance is fatal.

4. Character Interactions

• Stone & Lin Dong: Stone demands a core; Lin Dong kills him with a single strike and takes his core.
• Zombie messengers & Black Nightmare: They report Stone’s death, expecting revenge, but Black Nightmare talks them down.
• Black Nightmare & Zombie Kings: He suppresses their collective anger, emphasizing that open conflict with Lin Dong is impossible to win.
• Flathead & Black Nightmare: Flathead’s smug return interrupts the somber mood, suggesting new opportunities.

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Flathead, presumed dead, returns to Black Nightmare’s zombie base in Tongchang City.
• He claims to have secured powerful reinforcements from the provincial capital’s Zombie King.
• The reinforcement arrives: an obese, three-armed, deformed zombie called Butcher — an A-rank diplomat/enforcer from the provincial capital.
• Butcher proposes a joint alliance to invade Linshan City together.
• His real motive: hunting down a team of powerful human awakeners who escaped from provincial capital territory — led by an S+ psychic-type awakener and backed by Tech Company bounty hunters specializing in killing Wraith Zombies.
• Black Nightmare realizes he has no real choice: he is already trapped between Linshan City and Jiangbei City, and Jiangbei City previously betrayed and killed Stone.
• He agrees to cooperate and orders all zombies in Tongchang City to assemble for a final offensive.

2. Character Developments

• Black Nightmare: Revealed as increasingly anxious and cornered; he learns he isn’t even ranked in the Wraith Zombie Archive, deepening his self-doubt. Ultimately, he commits to a desperate gamble by siding with the provincial capital.
• Flathead: Returns with a cocky, self-important attitude, claiming credit for the alliance. His earlier "diplomatic mission" is revealed as the source of the new alliance.
• Scissorhands: Still grieving and fueled by rage over Stone’s death. He nearly attacks Flathead but is restrained; his thirst for revenge makes him eager to fight.
• Butcher: Represents the provincial capital’s overwhelming power and arrogance. He is blunt, slightly threatening, and treats Black Nightmare’s cooperation as obligatory rather than optional.

3. Significant Themes

• Desperation and No-Way-Out Choices: Black Nightmare is forced into an alliance because every other option has been closed off.
• Politics Among Zombies: Alliances are based on self-interest and mutual benefit, but also coercion and threats.
• Survival Between Greater Powers: Linshan City, Jiangbei City, and the provincial capital are all larger forces squeezing Tongchang City.
• Escalation: The battlefield expands from city-level conflict to provincial-level power, hinting at a much larger plot.

4. Character Interactions

• Flathead and Scissorhands nearly come to blows, but Black Nightmare stops the infighting.
• Butcher addresses Black Nightmare with a mix of persuasion and veiled threat, making it clear that refusing cooperation is not a realistic option.
• Black Nightmare internally compares the provincial capital’s offer to Jiangbei City’s earlier betrayal, choosing the side he hopes is more reliable.
• The chapter ends with the zombies unified under a reluctant pact, preparing for a major assault.

Chapter Summary: “A Little Help”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tongchang City erupts into chaos as Black Nightmare gathers a massive zombie horde of approximately fifty to sixty thousand.
• Black Nightmare, Scissorhands, Abu, Flathead, and the other Zombie Kings lead the horde toward Linshan City. They plan to wait near the outskirts until reinforcements from the provincial capital arrive before launching a full assault.
• Outside Linshan City, the zombies discover the mutilated remains of human soldiers. Black Nightmare realizes Lin Dong’s ability has already devastated the human forces in the area.
• Flathead begins eating the remains, treating them as wasted food.
• Meanwhile, Lin Dong continues roaming the battlefield while his Man-Eating Ants attack human forces. The insects overwhelm unprepared soldiers but are vulnerable to fire and ice-based abilities.
• A group of awakened humans, including Fire and Ice Type users, successfully kills many of the ants. However, a Mental Type awakened girl senses Lin Dong’s arrival.
• Lin Dong appears beside her and another teammate, immediately killing both with his blade.
• The remaining awakened ones attempt to defend themselves. “Brother Chao,” an Ice Type awakened one, launches Ice Spikes at Lin Dong, but Lin Dong’s Corpse Domain stops them effortlessly.
• The Corpse Domain paralyzes Brother Chao, allowing Man-Eating Ants to approach and enter his body. Rather than be eaten alive, Brother Chao kills himself with his own blade.
• His Fire Type companion, enraged by his death, attacks Lin Dong, but the chapter makes clear that he is also doomed.
• At the end, a calm, handsome individual is scanned and identified as an SS-Rank Zombie King with maximum combat power and an unknown ability, introducing a powerful new threat or opponent.

Character Developments

• Black Nightmare demonstrates caution and strategic thinking by refusing to attack Linshan City recklessly. He intends to assess the situation and wait for reinforcements.
• Lin Dong is portrayed as increasingly ruthless and detached. He treats both humans and Stones as targets, casually slaughtering enemies and viewing the battlefield almost like a leisurely outing.
• Flathead reinforces his grotesque, gluttonous nature by eating human remains immediately after the zombie army discovers them.
• Brother Chao shows awareness and courage, reacting quickly with defensive Ice Spikes. However, when trapped by Lin Dong’s power and the ants, he chooses suicide over a slow, agonizing death.
• The Fire Type awakened one displays loyalty and anger after Brother Chao’s death, attacking Lin Dong despite the overwhelming difference in power.
• The Mental Type awakened girl proves perceptive by sensing Lin Dong before the others, but her awareness cannot save her.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming power and helplessness: Human awakened ones can handle the Man-Eating Ants when prepared, but Lin Dong’s arrival completely changes the balance of power.
• Cruelty and survival: Brother Chao’s suicide emphasizes the brutal choices forced upon people in this apocalyptic world.
• Predation and natural enemies: Fire and ice counter the Man-Eating Ants, while Lin Dong functions as a greater predator capable of defeating the awakened humans with ease.
• Escalating conflict: The gathering zombie army, Lin Dong’s massacre, and the appearance of an SS-Rank Zombie King all signal that the coming battle will involve increasingly powerful forces.
• Dehumanization: Lin Dong’s detached behavior and the zombies’ consumption of human bodies highlight how ordinary moral boundaries have collapsed.

Character Interactions

• Black Nightmare coordinates with the other Zombie Kings as they lead the zombie tide toward Linshan City.
• Flathead reacts to the human corpses by consuming them, underscoring the zombies’ monstrous nature.
• The awakened team cooperates to eliminate the Man-Eating Ants, encouraging the Fire and Ice users during battle.
• The Mental Type girl warns her teammates of approaching danger, but Lin Dong appears directly beside them and kills them.
• Brother Chao attempts to attack Lin Dong, but Lin Dong’s Corpse Domain neutralizes him. His companion then witnesses his suicide and attacks Lin Dong in revenge.
• The chapter closes by shifting attention to the unidentified SS-Rank Zombie King, whose unknown ability promises a major confrontation.

Summary

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• Lin Dong, the Zombie King, is slaughtering an elite human squad and harvesting Crystal Cores.
• A Third-Generation Augmented Human in the squad calculates an "optimal solution": disguise himself as a zombie to sneak attack Lin Dong.
• The Augmented Human's imitation is flawless, but Lin Dong notices he has no aura and attacks. The man's liquid-metal body heals from a neck wound, exposing his true nature.
• Lin Dong uses his Corpse Domain to immobilize and melt the Augmented Human into a puddle of liquid metal, then loots an A-plus rank Crystal Core.
• The remaining humans lose all will to fight, and Lin Dong kills every member of the squad.
• Lin Dong spots a massive horde of Tongchang City zombies approaching and hides to observe.
• Back at the Tech Company, Liu Baiyue learns of the Augmented Human's death via cloud-uploaded data. She is furious, especially since Lin Dong also brought Man-Eating Ants into Linshan City from the island nation. She decides to invite the bounty-list powerhouse Mr. Ji An to deal with him.

2. Character Developments

• Lin Dong: Shows overwhelming combat power, sharp perception, and ruthless efficiency. He easily defeats an elite squad and remains cautious when a larger threat appears.
• The Augmented Human: Displays advanced tactical calculation and deception, but ultimately fails due to Lin Dong's supernatural instincts. His death inadvertently alerts his superiors to Lin Dong's location and actions.
• Liu Baiyue: Her hatred for Lin Dong intensifies. She shifts from direct action to recruiting a stronger external force (Mr. Ji An), showing her strategic desperation.

3. Significant Themes

• Deception vs. Perception: The Augmented Human's perfect disguise is foiled by a lack of "aura," highlighting that supernatural instincts can bypass technological trickery.
• Power Imbalance: The elite squad's advanced technology is meaningless before Lin Dong's overwhelming might, reinforcing that in this world, high-level Awakened/Zombie Kings dominate.
• Consequences and Information: Even in death, the Augmented Human's uploaded data creates new threats, emphasizing that actions have far-reaching repercussions.

4. Character Interactions

• Lin Dong vs. Augmented Human: A brief but decisive battle—disguise, exposure, surprise attack, and total annihilation of the enemy.
• Lin Dong vs. Human Squad: The squad's hope turns to despair as they watch their strongest asset die; Lin Dong shows no mercy.
• Liu Baiyue vs. Secretary: Information exchange that escalates the conflict and sets up the next antagonist (Mr. Ji An).

Chapter Summary: “Encountering Humans”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji An and his team are summoned by Liu Baiyue after recovering from their injuries.
• Liu Baiyue informs them that Lin Dong, the Zombie King of Jiangbei City, has appeared alone near Linshan City and has reached Double-S Rank.
• Tech Company’s experiments reveal that the Third-Generation Augmented Humans have major flaws: although they possess camouflage and regeneration, their liquid metal bodies cannot channel elemental energy.
• Believing Ji An’s S-Plus Rank mental abilities and team support can compensate for the rank difference, Liu Baiyue sends an Awakened team to help him hunt Lin Dong.
• Linshan City’s Awakened gather and travel to the battlefield where Lin Dong previously killed the Augmented Humans.
• Lin Dong observes that zombies from Tongchang City have gathered nearby but are inexplicably waiting instead of attacking. He realizes the humans have likely tracked him through the Augmented Humans’ deaths.
• Ji An’s team approaches the ruined battlefield using drones and cautious reconnaissance. Ji An detects Lin Dong’s presence and attempts to force him out of hiding.
• Ji An’s mental power successfully pinpoints Lin Dong’s location. One of his teammates, a blond Awakened nicknamed “Golden Right Leg,” attacks by hurling a massive boulder.
• Lin Dong activates his Corpse Domain, stopping and shattering the boulder before revealing himself.
• The humans finally see the legendary Wraith Zombie, while Tech Company personnel and Liu Baiyue watch the encounter through a drone “live broadcast” with excitement.

Character Developments

• Lin Dong: Demonstrates extreme confidence and caution. Rather than immediately attacking, he hides and studies the humans, recognizing that Ji An is the first person to successfully overcome his concealment. His Corpse Domain also confirms his formidable defensive power.
• Ji An: Shows leadership, confidence, and strong perception. He accepts the dangerous mission despite Lin Dong’s higher rank and successfully locates him using his S-Plus mental abilities.
• Liu Baiyue: Becomes increasingly enthusiastic about eliminating Lin Dong. She remains pragmatic about the loss of the Augmented Humans, viewing their deaths primarily as valuable experimental data, and places great faith in Ji An.
• Golden Right Leg: Is introduced as a powerful physical Awakened whose enhanced right leg allows him to launch enormous objects as weapons.
• Third-Generation Augmented Humans: Their weaknesses are exposed, setting up the possibility of improved Fourth-Generation versions.

Significant Themes

• Humanity versus evolving monsters: The chapter centers on humanity’s attempt to hunt a powerful Zombie King before he becomes an even greater threat.
• Confidence versus danger: Both sides believe they possess the advantage—Lin Dong through his strength and concealment, and the humans through teamwork and Ji An’s mental abilities.
• Technology and experimentation: The Augmented Humans’ deaths are treated as research opportunities, highlighting Tech Company’s cold, utilitarian approach.
• The importance of information: The humans use archives, drones, and experimental data to locate and understand Lin Dong, while Lin Dong studies their abilities and tactics.
• The spectacle of violence: Liu Baiyue and the company executives observe the confrontation almost like entertainment, turning a deadly battle into a monitored “live broadcast.”

Character Interactions

• Liu Baiyue briefs Ji An and negotiates the strategy for confronting Lin Dong, expressing confidence in his abilities.
• Ji An leads the Awakened team and challenges Lin Dong to reveal himself.
• Ji An’s mental detection works in combination with Golden Right Leg’s physical attack, forcing Lin Dong out of hiding.
• Lin Dong silently analyzes Ji An and the other Awakened, especially noting the presence of two powerful foreign-looking teammates.
• Liu Baiyue, her secretary, and company executives watch the encounter remotely, praising Ji An when he locates Lin Dong.

A Fierce Assault — Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points

• Ji An attempts psychological warfare on Lin Dong, claiming he's surrounded; Lin Dong coolly reverses the claim with his Corpse Domain
• Lin Dong's Corpse Domain overwhelms Ji An's mental power, causing him severe pain and making him struggle to maintain resistance
• Rampaging Bear (S-rank strength awakener) is sent flying by a single punch from Lin Dong, breaking his forearm
• Rampaging Bear injects an enhancement serum to keep fighting, gaining temporary power at the cost of future weakness
• A girl from Ji An's squad attempts a stealth ice-spike sneak attack on Lin Dong's blind spot but fails
• Lin Dong discovers Ji An's Shared Vision ability—which transmits his observations directly into teammates' minds, letting them predict Lin Dong's moves without looking
• Lin Dong attempts to kill Rampaging Bear by extracting his Crystal Core but is thwarted by the Shared Vision foresight
• Black Nightmare's assembled zombie horde arrives, sees the chaos, and decides to attack—seeing a golden opportunity to assassinate Lin Dong and absorb his territory

Character Developments

• Lin Dong: Demonstrates overwhelming combat superiority in both domain ability and physical strength; calm, analytical, and lethal even while surrounded. Views his enemies primarily as food.
• Ji An: Leader under severe strain; his mental power is nearly exhausted but he refuses to collapse because he knows losing his domain resistance means total defeat. Shows tactical resourcefulness with Shared Vision.
• Rampaging Bear: Fearless and willing to use dangerous serums immediately; "someone who can survive one of Lin Dong's punches is already strong" elevates him as a notable threat.
• Black Nightmare: Opportunistic and ambitious; sees Lin Dong's predicament as a chance to eliminate a rival Zombie King and potentially absorb Jiangbei City's zombies to rise in power.
• Abu: Driven by vengeance toward Lin Dong for killing his brother Stone.

Significant Themes

• Power Disparity: Lin Dong's overwhelming advantage—even holding back Ji An's mental pressure, he fights multiple elites simultaneously with ease
• Tactical Combat: Use of domains, mental abilities (Shared Vision), forbidden serums, and coordinated squad tactics against a superior foe
• Opportunism in Chaos: Third parties (Black Nightmare's horde) using an ongoing battle to advance their own interests—a pervasive law-of-the-jungle logic
• Unreliable Alliances: Zombie factions warring against each other just as fiercely as against humanity

Character Interactions

• Ji An's verbal taunt is casually dismissed by Lin Dong, establishing immediate psychological dominance
• Rampaging Bear's direct confrontation reveals the gap between even S-rank strength and Lin Dong's physique
• The team synchronizes through Ji An's Shared Vision, making their evasions eerily precise—Lin Dong connects the dots mid-battle
• Black Nightmare, Scissorhands, and Abu observe the fight from afar and decide to intervene, setting up a three-way confrontation (Lin Dong + humans + zombie horde)
• Lin Dong's internal commentary frames his opponents as prey to be devoured, reinforcing his non-human morality

Closing State

• Lin Dong remains cornered by Ji An's team while tens of thousands of zombies under Black Nightmare charge into the battle, escalating the conflict into a massive three-way clash.

Chapter Summary: “Trapped in the Quagmire”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A massive Zombie Tide, numbering in the tens of thousands, charges toward Ji An’s group and Lin Dong. The sheer scale of the attack makes direct combat extremely dangerous.
• Ji An recognizes that his psychic power is nearly depleted and that Rampaging Bear’s enhancement drug is about to expire. He orders his team to retreat.
• Lin Dong blocks their escape, intending to force them into the Zombie Tide with him. He attacks one of Ji An’s teammates, prompting the foreign young man to intervene.
• The foreign young man uses his strongest mutated-leg attack, but Lin Dong blocks it with an ordinary punch, demonstrating the overwhelming power gap between them.
• The Zombie Tide reaches the battlefield. Lin Dong uses a fire-infused blade to cut through the elite zombies, creating a burning zone around himself.
• The chaos prevents Ji An from locating Lin Dong, though he can still sense that his teammates are alive.
• Rampaging Bear becomes surrounded. His immense durability allows him to withstand the zombies temporarily, but he is unable to break free as their numbers continue to increase.
• When Rampaging Bear attacks what he believes is a zombie behind him, Lin Dong appears instead. Lin Dong’s sweeping blade strike severs Rampaging Bear’s arm and kills nearby zombies.
• Rampaging Bear’s enhancement drug wears off, leaving him weakened. The zombies begin tearing into him, and Lin Dong finishes him by cutting him in half.
• Ji An senses Rampaging Bear’s death and realizes that his remaining teammates will likely suffer the same fate unless outside help arrives.
• Ji An orders the Tech Company’s awakeners to enter the battlefield and rescue his team. Although they hesitate, Liu Baiyue urges them over the radio to fight because the battle has become a matter of survival for everyone.
• Linshan City mobilizes its full strength: more than a thousand drones, armored vehicles, Third-Generation Augmented Humans, Second-Generation Augmented Humans, human awakeners, and armed forces advance under Han Jingchuan’s command.

Character Developments

• Ji An shifts from attempting a tactical retreat to urgently seeking reinforcements after realizing the Zombie Tide has trapped his team. Rampaging Bear’s death increases his desperation and sense of responsibility.
• Lin Dong is portrayed as calm, ruthless, and overwhelmingly powerful. He deliberately prevents Ji An’s group from escaping and treats both humans and zombies as obstacles to be cut down.
• The foreign young man shows courage by defending his teammate, but his failed attack reveals that he is vastly weaker than Lin Dong.
• Rampaging Bear demonstrates tremendous durability and physical strength, surviving attacks that would kill ordinary awakeners. However, his dependence on the enhancement drug becomes a fatal weakness once its effects expire.
• Liu Baiyue emerges as a decisive leader, pushing the hesitant forces to commit to the battle.
• Han Jingchuan arrives as the overall military commander, signaling that the conflict has escalated into a full-scale defense of Linshan City.

Significant Themes

• The danger of overwhelming numbers: Even powerful individuals can be trapped and exhausted by an endless Zombie Tide.
• Power disparity: Lin Dong’s effortless dominance emphasizes the vast gap between him and the other awakeners.
• The limits of strength and artificial enhancement: Rampaging Bear’s physical power and drug-enhanced abilities keep him alive temporarily, but neither can overcome exhaustion and superior circumstances.
• Forced cooperation: Formerly separate groups must work together because the Zombie Tide threatens everyone.
• Survival and sacrifice: The chapter highlights the cost of battle, particularly through Rampaging Bear’s death and Ji An’s struggle to save the remaining team members.
• Escalation: The conflict expands from a confrontation between small groups into a city-wide military engagement.

Character Interactions

• Ji An and his team: Ji An attempts to coordinate their retreat through psychic communication, but the Zombie Tide disrupts his ability to track them.
• Lin Dong and Ji An’s group: Lin Dong intentionally blocks their escape and attacks them, forcing them into the battlefield.
• Lin Dong and the foreign young man: The foreign young man protects his teammate, but Lin Dong easily withstands his strongest attack.
• Lin Dong and Rampaging Bear: Lin Dong locates Rampaging Bear within the horde, accidentally—or deliberately—severs his arm, then kills him after the enhancement drug wears off.
• Ji An and the Tech Company: Ji An demands their assistance, while the Tech Company’s forces hesitate until Liu Baiyue orders them to join the fight.
• Linshan City’s forces: Liu Baiyue, the augmented humans, awakeners, soldiers, drones, and Han Jingchuan mobilize together, preparing for a decisive confrontation with the Zombie Tide.

Chapter Summary: “Showing Their Strength”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Human forces fully mobilize as the Zombie Tide in Tongchang City moves toward Liu Baiyue. She prepares for a final battle and entrusts battlefield command to Han Jingchuan.
• Humans join the fighting with armored vehicles, drones, and Augmented Humans. Their initial strategy is defensive: preserve their strength while helping Ji An search for and rescue his teammates.
• Lin Dong becomes the central target of the battlefield. Black Nightmare uses his powerful mental abilities to track Lin Dong, weaken his Corpse Domain, prevent him from concealing himself, and direct the Zombie Tide toward him.
• Although Lin Dong continues slaughtering zombies, he has already spent roughly three-tenths of his energy. The combined pressure from the zombies and human interference leaves him increasingly surrounded and unable to locate Ji An’s teammates.
• Black Nightmare believes Lin Dong will eventually collapse from exhaustion and reveals that reinforcements from the provincial capital are expected to deal with the humans afterward.
• Realizing that both opposing factions are trying to overwhelm him because they underestimate his forces, Lin Dong sends Crow Brother to summon reinforcements from Jiangbei City.
• Crow Brother spreads the message that Lin Dong is under attack. In response, Jiangbei City’s zombies mobilize immediately.
• Tank, Little Eight, Flowerpot, Little Mushroom, and other powerful zombie leaders lead the city’s forces toward the battle. Around 60,000 zombies assemble, including approximately 25,000 elites strengthened by repeated exposure to the Crystal Stone’s energy.
• The chapter ends with Flared Ears suddenly becoming eager to reach the battlefield after realizing the battle is taking place in Tongchang City. He declares that he will become the overlord of Tongchang City.

Character Developments

• Liu Baiyue demonstrates trust in Han Jingchuan by handing him command during the crisis and prepares herself for a decisive confrontation.
• Han Jingchuan is characterized as cautious and strategically conservative. Rather than recklessly attacking, he prioritizes defense, preserving human combat strength, and supporting Ji An.
• Lin Dong is pushed into a dangerous position but remains composed and observant. Instead of panicking, he recognizes the battlefield’s power imbalance and reveals that he has another major force available.
• Black Nightmare grows increasingly confident in his pursuit of Lin Dong. His strategic thinking and mental abilities make him a major threat, though his confidence may cause him to underestimate Lin Dong’s hidden resources.
• Crow Brother acts as a reliable messenger, quickly alerting the entire Jiangbei City zombie force.
• Tank, Little Eight, Flowerpot, and Little Mushroom display loyalty to Lin Dong and command large groups of specialized zombies.
• Flared Ears shifts from pretending to be a cautious strategist to eagerly pursuing personal glory. His ambition to claim the title of Tongchang City’s overlord provides comic relief while revealing his competitive nature.
• Locomotive is proud of his status as Linshan City’s strongest Zombie King, while Shrimp Chaser remains supportive and easily persuaded.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and underestimation: Human and zombie factions assume Lin Dong is vulnerable because he appears isolated, but he possesses a vast reserve of reinforcements.
• Loyalty and collective action: The zombies of Jiangbei City respond immediately when they learn their leader is threatened, showing their devotion and growing unity.
• Strategy versus brute force: Han Jingchuan’s defensive tactics, Black Nightmare’s mental manipulation, and Lin Dong’s calculated summoning of reinforcements contrast different approaches to warfare.
• Escalation of power: The battlefield expands from a conflict involving Tongchang City, humans, and Lin Dong into a much larger confrontation involving tens of thousands of elite zombies.
• Ambition and hierarchy: The zombie leaders’ rivalry over titles and territory—especially Flared Ears’s desire to become an overlord—highlights the developing political structure among the zombies.

Character Interactions

• Liu Baiyue entrusts Han Jingchuan with command, reinforcing their mutual trust.
• Black Nightmare and Scissorhands discuss Lin Dong’s declining stamina and their plan to let him be exhausted before finishing him.
• Lin Dong observes the human and zombie factions’ coordinated pressure and responds independently by calling for help.
• Crow Brother’s warning unites the zombies of Jiangbei City, prompting leaders such as Tank, Little Eight, Flowerpot, and Little Mushroom to mobilize.
• Flared Ears, Shrimp Chaser, and Locomotive banter about whether to fight or remain behind the lines. Their conversation shifts when Flared Ears learns the battle is in Tongchang City, leading to his boastful declaration of future dominance.

Chapter Summary: “Arriving One After Another”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Outside Linshan City, humans launch a devastating assault on the zombie horde using more than a thousand flamethrower-equipped drones, armored vehicles, and Augmented Humans.
• Ji An and his surviving teammates break free from the zombie tide, but Rampaging Bear, an S-rank strength awakener, is confirmed dead.
• Ji An is severely weakened after exhausting his mental power, while the other survivors assume the Zombie King trapped inside the horde will eventually be worn down.
• Contrary to their expectations, Lin Dong continues fighting alone. With Ji An’s mental resistance no longer suppressing him, Lin Dong’s Corpse Domain regains its full power, freezing and crushing thousands of zombies.
• Black Nightmare chooses not to intervene, believing Lin Dong will eventually exhaust his energy through attrition.
• A mysterious guitar melody signals the arrival of reinforcements from North Mountain. Flocks of crows appear, followed by powerful Zombie Kings from the Jiangbei City Corpse Nest.
• Dong Ke, Shadow Little Black, Doctor, and Little Eight arrive one after another to protect Lin Dong. A zombie tiger, Flowerpot, and Little Mushroom also join them, completing the arrival of the corpse nest’s core forces.
• Black Nightmare recognizes the strength of the newcomers but decides to fight rather than retreat. His own Elite Zombies, Scissorhands, and other Zombie Kings enter the battle.
• The battlefield descends into complete chaos as the two zombie forces collide.
• Tank demonstrates overwhelming physical strength by throwing a massive armored vehicle into the zombie ranks.
• Flowerpot unleashes Verdant Domain Descends, causing vines to erupt from the ground and transform the battlefield into an expanding oasis. Ji An realizes that she possesses a domain.

Character Developments

• Ji An: Survives the escape but is physically and mentally exhausted. Rampaging Bear’s death deeply affects him, and his weakened condition emphasizes the cost of the battle.
• Lin Dong: Reveals extraordinary endurance and destructive power. Rather than fleeing, he attempts to carve a path through tens of thousands of zombies, showing confidence, determination, and possibly reckless resolve.
• Rampaging Bear: Dies while helping the team escape, marking a major loss for Ji An’s group and demonstrating the severity of the conflict.
• Black Nightmare: Remains calculating and ruthless, initially relying on attrition to defeat Lin Dong. Though alarmed by the reinforcements, he refuses to retreat and commits his forces to a final confrontation.
• Scissorhands: Recognizes the arriving Zombie Kings as the powerful enemies who had previously stolen his Crystal Cores, reinforcing the rivalry between the two corpse nests.
• Tank: Displays tremendous strength and battlefield dominance by lifting and throwing an armored vehicle.
• Flowerpot: Reveals a powerful environmental domain capable of rapidly covering a large area with vines and vegetation.
• The Jiangbei Zombie Kings: Their coordinated arrival shows their loyalty to Lin Dong and establishes them as a formidable, organized force rather than a mere mob.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice and loss: Rampaging Bear’s death highlights the human cost of survival and the grief carried by the remaining teammates.
• Endurance versus attrition: Black Nightmare believes overwhelming numbers will eventually exhaust Lin Dong, while Lin Dong’s continued slaughter challenges that assumption.
• Loyalty and unity: The Zombie Kings arrive from different directions specifically to protect Lin Dong, demonstrating strong allegiance and collective purpose.
• Escalation of power: The appearance of multiple high-ranking Zombie Kings and the revelation of Flowerpot’s domain dramatically raise the scale of the battle.
• Human and zombie symmetry: Both sides possess organized elites, powerful commanders, and specialized abilities, making the conflict resemble a war between rival armies rather than a simple human-versus-monster struggle.

Character Interactions

• Ji An informs his teammates of Rampaging Bear’s death, prompting shock and grief.
• The surviving humans observe Lin Dong’s relentless advance and question whether he has lost his sanity.
• Black Nightmare and Scissorhands discuss Lin Dong’s strength and the arrival of the Jiangbei Zombie Kings.
• The arriving Zombie Kings formally announce themselves as protectors of Lin Dong, emphasizing their loyalty.
• Black Nightmare orders his own forces into battle after deciding there is no possibility of retreat.
• Tank and Flowerpot immediately demonstrate their abilities on the battlefield, while Ji An recognizes the significance of Flowerpot’s domain.

Chapter Summary: “A Three-Way Melee”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The human team is surprised to encounter a second Domain Zombie King. A massive Grass Domain attacks them with swarming vines.
• The Ice-type fighter cuts through and freezes the vines, while the foreign youth uses his powerful flying kicks to clear a path. Ji An, weakened from the battle, consumes a Crystal Core to recover and asks his teammates to hold the line.
• Tank emerges from the grass, grabs the foreign youth by the ankle, and begins brutally counterattacking him, mocking his powerful “Vajra Leg.”
• Elsewhere, the vines slaughter members of the Zombie Tide by hanging zombies and draining their flesh and blood.
• Scissorhands orders Abu to stop the vines. Abu uses his awakened Acid Spit, corroding the vines and weakening Flowerpot’s Grass Domain.
• Little Black attempts a surprise attack on Abu, injuring his shoulder. Abu retaliates by spraying acid wildly, forcing Little Black to retreat. However, Abu soon exhausts his acid supply and can barely spit.
• Lin Dong remains protected within a “vacuum zone” created by the powerful Zombie Kings. He uses Rampaging Bear’s S-rank Power-type Crystal Core to restore his energy while the larger battle continues.
• Qin Yin supports Jiangbei City’s zombies with frenzied guitar music that weakens enemies’ will to fight and boosts allied combat strength.
• Black Nightmare’s invading Zombie Tide suffers heavy losses, with 15,000 of his original 50,000 zombies already destroyed. He grows increasingly anxious about the delayed arrival of Butcher.
• Little Mushroom unleashes a massive cloud of fungal spores, infecting and killing large numbers of enemy zombies. Scissorhands orders a retreat when Abu can no longer counter the spores.
• Flared Ears, Shrimp Chaser, and another zombie arrive as reinforcements. Flared Ears eagerly joins the battle and selects a fleeing, scarred zombie as his first target, ordering his companions to attack him.

Character Developments

• Ji An is shown to be exhausted but strategic, relying on a Crystal Core to recover rather than abandoning the fight.
• The foreign youth demonstrates great physical strength but is caught off guard by Tank’s superior grappling and raw power.
• Tank proves himself as a dangerous close-range fighter capable of restraining and overpowering strong opponents.
• Abu displays an effective but limited ability. His Acid Spit can destroy Grass Domain vines, but repeated use quickly exhausts him.
• Little Black acts as a stealth attacker, successfully wounding Abu before prudently withdrawing from the acid counterattack.
• Lin Dong remains calm and confident, conserving himself while his subordinates control the battlefield and replenishing his energy with a powerful Crystal Core.
• Qin Yin establishes herself as a crucial battlefield supporter whose music dramatically affects both morale and combat strength.
• Little Mushroom has grown considerably stronger and can now spread spores over a vast area, making her highly effective against large groups.
• Black Nightmare becomes increasingly pressured as his forces are overwhelmed and his expected reinforcement, Butcher, fails to appear.
• Flared Ears reveals an ambitious, battle-hungry personality, viewing combat as essential to his rise to power.

Significant Themes

• Escalation of power: Multiple Zombie Kings and newly awakened domains make the conflict far more dangerous than an ordinary battle.
• Teamwork and specialized abilities: Victory depends on combining offense, defense, support, area control, and ambush tactics.
• Resource limitations: Even powerful abilities, such as Abu’s acid, have clear stamina limits, forcing combatants to adapt.
• Battlefield control: Qin Yin’s music, Flowerpot’s vines, and Little Mushroom’s spores demonstrate how support and area-based powers can determine the course of a large-scale war.
• Calm strength versus reckless aggression: Lin Dong conserves his power while Flared Ears rushes eagerly into battle, highlighting different approaches to supremacy.
• The brutality of war: Zombies are impaled, drained, infected, and torn apart, emphasizing the merciless nature of the three-sided conflict.

Character Interactions

• Ji An relies on his teammates while recovering, and the Ice-type fighter and foreign youth defend him from the vines.
• Tank directly clashes with the foreign youth, turning the youth’s offensive kick into an opportunity to seize and punish him.
• Scissorhands commands Abu throughout the fight, first directing him against the vines and later against Little Mushroom’s spores.
• Little Black ambushes Abu, but Abu’s acid forces him to retreat after he lands an injury.
• Qin Yin’s music strengthens Jiangbei City’s forces while weakening Black Nightmare’s army.
• Little Mushroom’s attack forces Scissorhands and Abu to abandon their position and retreat.
• Flared Ears recruits Shrimp Chaser and the others into the battle, then immediately orders them to gang up on a recognizable fleeing zombie, ending the chapter on a comedic but aggressive note.

Chapter Summary: “One Hundred Thousand Zombies”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Flathead tries to avoid the dangerous battlefield, but Flared Ears, Shrimp Chaser, and Locomotive corner him and gang up on him despite his protests about fighting one-on-one.
• Black Nightmare observes that his forces are losing badly to the zombies from Jiangbei City, especially among the weaker ranks.
• Reinforcements arrive from the provincial capital: Butcher, a grotesque, massive Zombie King with a hand growing from his belly, brings 5,000 Elite Zombies and 10,000 ordinary zombies.
• Although Black Nightmare wants to focus on defeating Lin Dong, Butcher prioritizes attacking Ji An’s human squad because of their valuable S-Plus Rank Mental-type Crystal Cores and his grudge against them.
• Butcher’s zombie army bypasses the main battlefield and assaults the human camp.
• Ji An’s team struggles to defend itself. The Ice-type awakened creates a deadly field of ice spikes, but the technique rapidly exhausts her. The foreign fighter is also badly injured and unable to withstand another large-scale attack.
• Ji An uses his mental power to kill surrounding zombies, but he is nearing his limit.
• Butcher personally charges toward Ji An, forcing Ji An to seek assistance from Han Jingchuan.
• Han Jingchuan refuses to intervene directly and instead orders a retreat, recognizing that the situation is hopeless.
• The combined forces from Tongchang City, Jiangbei City, and the provincial capital swell the zombie army outside Linshan City to roughly 100,000, including multiple powerful Zombie Kings.
• Han Jingchuan tells Boss Liu to prepare to evacuate. Liu Baiyue watches the overwhelming horde from her office and realizes that Linshan City may no longer be defensible, but she has no idea where they can flee.

Character Developments

• Flathead is shown as cowardly and self-preserving, while Flared Ears and his allies become more aggressive and opportunistic.
• Black Nightmare becomes hopeful when reinforcements arrive, but his strategic judgment clashes with Butcher’s priorities.
• Butcher is established as powerful, resource-rich, arrogant, and motivated by both greed for high-level Crystal Cores and personal revenge against Ji An’s group.
• Ji An continues to demonstrate overwhelming S-Plus Rank power, but the prolonged battle is steadily draining him.
• The Ice-type awakened proves highly effective against large groups but is physically and energetically exhausted by repeated area attacks.
• The foreign young man is weakened after being injured by Tank and can no longer serve as a reliable frontline fighter.
• Han Jingchuan shifts from fighting to survival strategy, recognizing that retreat is the only realistic option.
• Liu Baiyue struggles between her determination to defend the city and her growing fear as the scale of the threat becomes clear.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming numbers versus individual strength: Even powerful awakened and Zombie Kings are affected by the sheer scale of the united zombie forces.
• Survival over honor: Flathead’s attempt to hide, the zombies’ gang attack, and Han Jingchuan’s retreat order all emphasize that survival has replaced fair combat or heroism.
• Internal division among allies: Black Nightmare and Butcher share a side but disagree about their immediate target, showing that the zombie forces are not truly unified.
• Resource and power struggles: High-level Crystal Cores motivate Butcher’s decisions, highlighting the importance of power advancement in the post-apocalyptic world.
• The collapse of security: Linshan City, once defensible, becomes vulnerable as multiple zombie hordes converge and the defenders lose hope.

Character Interactions

• Flared Ears, Shrimp Chaser, and Locomotive overpower Flathead together, creating a brutal and humiliating confrontation.
• Black Nightmare welcomes Butcher’s reinforcements but argues with him over whether to attack Lin Dong or Ji An’s human squad.
• Butcher ignores Black Nightmare’s advice and commands his zombies to attack the humans.
• Ji An calls on Han Jingchuan for help against Butcher, but Han instead orders a retreat.
• Han Jingchuan contacts Liu Baiyue, advising her to prepare the city for evacuation.
• Liu Baiyue watches the battle remotely and reacts with disbelief and fear as the zombie army reaches approximately one hundred thousand.

Summary of Chapter: "Western Food"

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• The battlefield is chaotic: Han Jingchuan orders a retreat, and Ji An's team falls back with Tech Company's awakened ones while pursued by zombies.
• An Elite Zombie bites a foreign young man's heel, crippling him. He sacrifices himself — leaping at the zombies to buy his girlfriend "Lisa" time to escape — and is torn apart.
• Lisa, grief-stricken, is caught by the Fat Butcher (a Deformed Zombie King with a third hand on its belly). Ji An warns her but refuses to lead a rescue, judging it impossible.
• Lisa fights the Fat Butcher, gets both wrists caught, and is grabbed by its "Ghost Claw" third hand, which paralyzes her.
• Lin Dong arrives stealthily, kills the zombies feeding on the young man's corpse, and collects the corpse (presumably for the Crystal Core).
• The Fat Butcher, enraged by Lin Dong stealing his "food," releases Lisa and tries to flee, but Lisa grabs its leg, refusing to let go. The Butcher stomps her repeatedly.
• Lin Dong lights his long blade on fire, cuts open the Fat Butcher's belly, and severs its third hand, wounding it severely.

2. Character Developments

• Lin Dong: Revealed as ruthlessly opportunistic and pragmatic. He treats zombies (and even corpses) as resources ("Western food"), using stealth to steal Crystal Cores mid-battle. He shows no moral hesitation and executes zombies with cold efficiency.
• Lisa: Pivots from grief-stricken victim to defiant fighter. She chooses revenge over flight, engaging the Fat Butcher alone, and later uses her own body as an anchor to trap it despite being stomped — a moment of stubborn courage.
• Ji An: Shows the harsh calculus of leadership — he abandons Lisa to save the rest of the team, prioritizing group survival over individual loyalty.
• The foreign young man: Dies heroically, choosing self-sacrifice to give his girlfriend a chance.

3. Significant Themes

• Sacrifice and selfishness vs. survival: The contrast between the young man's selfless sacrifice and Ji An's cold pragmatism highlights the moral compromises of a zombie apocalypse.
• Revenge and stubbornness: Lisa's refusal to let go — even when stomped bloody — shows how grief fuels desperate resistance.
• Predator-prey reversal: Lin Dong treats the zombie king as prey and resource, flipping the survival dynamic; the chapter title "Western Food" emphasizes his view of these battles as harvesting.
• Brutality and grotesquery: Vivid gore (severed limbs, spilled intestines) underscores the horror of the world.

4. Character Interactions

• Lin Dong (internal): Sarcastic and self-amused — he regards the Fat Butcher's attack on Ji An's team as "wonderful" free help.
• The young man & Lisa: A tender, desperate exchange — he orders her to run; she refuses; he lunges at the zombies to force her escape.
• Lisa & Ji An: She is warned but not rescued; he turns away, leaving her to die.
• Lisa & Fat Butcher: A fight of speed vs. brute force; she wounds it superficially, but its third hand paralyzes her.
• Lin Dong & Fat Butcher: Lin Dong steals the Butcher's kill, taunts it ("Don't step on my Western food"), and delivers the decisive blow, cutting open its belly and mutilating its trump card hand.

Chapter Summary: “The Cost”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Dong decisively defeats Fat Butcher, an A-Rank Zombie King from the provincial capital, with a single slash after revealing his overwhelming strength.
• Fat Butcher’s Zombie Underlings swarm Lin Dong, but his hidden forces quickly annihilate them:
  • Vines impale and bind large numbers of zombies.
  • Little Eight kills several enemies with her bone claws.
  • Over a thousand B+-Rank Ace Elites crush the remaining Zombie Underlings.
• Fat Butcher attempts to save himself by warning Lin Dong that the provincial capital’s Zombie King will seek revenge. Lin Dong responds that he will eliminate their boss as well, then kills Butcher.
• A foreign female awakened survivor, already dying while clinging to Butcher’s leg, silently asks Lin Dong to end her suffering. He grants her a quick death.
• Lin Dong orders his Ace Elites to pursue the humans who have fled into Linshan City, particularly Ji An and his final surviving companion, because Lin Dong wants the S-Plus-Rank Crystal Core.
• The Ace Elites overwhelm the city’s defenses. Human abilities such as fire and ice barely slow them because of their durability and regeneration. The zombies climb buildings, pursue survivors, and slaughter those they catch.
• Meanwhile, the larger battle between the two Zombie Tides continues. Black Nightmare realizes that Butcher’s reckless attack has cost him his life and that Lin Dong’s forces are far stronger than expected.
• As the battle intensifies, North Mountain’s guitar music changes to a more dramatic song. Ten enormous five-meter Bio-Monsters emerge from the forest and begin tearing through Black Nightmare’s Zombie Tide. Some possess elemental abilities and can kill hundreds of zombies at once.
• Faced with Lin Dong’s seemingly endless reinforcements, Black Nightmare concludes that victory is unlikely and suggests retreating, despite earlier threatening to make Lin Dong “pay the price.”

Character Developments

• Lin Dong displays absolute confidence and merciless efficiency. He treats Fat Butcher’s threat as an opportunity to challenge the provincial capital and shows compassion only briefly toward the dying awakened woman.
• Fat Butcher shifts from arrogance to terror when he realizes he has grossly underestimated Lin Dong. His final attempt to rely on his political affiliation fails.
• Little Eight and the Ace Elites prove themselves as highly effective extensions of Lin Dong’s power, functioning as his personal guard and slaughter force.
• Ji An becomes increasingly shaken as he witnesses zombies far beyond anything he has previously encountered.
• Black Nightmare suffers a major loss of confidence. Although initially enraged and eager to retaliate, he recognizes that continuing the attack may lead to total destruction.
• Scissorhands remains observant but somewhat talkative, commenting on the danger of the Bio-Monsters and unintentionally irritating Black Nightmare.

Significant Themes

• The cost of underestimating an enemy: Fat Butcher’s death demonstrates the consequences of misjudging Lin Dong’s strength. Black Nightmare recognizes that he may have made the same mistake.
• Overwhelming power and hidden resources: Lin Dong’s forces continually reveal new capabilities, making him nearly impossible for his enemies to predict or counter.
• The brutality of survival: Both zombies and humans fight with relentless violence, while the city becomes a slaughterhouse where ordinary defenses are nearly useless.
• Mercy within cruelty: Lin Dong is ruthless toward enemies but grants the dying awakened woman the quick death she requests, showing a limited but deliberate form of compassion.
• Fear and psychological collapse: The spectacle of regenerative, nearly unstoppable zombies and gigantic Bio-Monsters breaks the confidence of experienced survivors and enemy commanders alike.

Character Interactions

• Fat Butcher begs Lin Dong for mercy and invokes the authority of the provincial capital, but Lin Dong turns the threat against him.
• The dying foreign awakened woman communicates her wish for death through her expression, and Lin Dong responds with brief reassurance before killing her.
• Ji An and the Tech Company awakened witness the Ace Elites’ assault and speculate that only powerful leaders such as Boss Ye or Boss Liu could explain the existence of such zombies.
• Black Nightmare and Scissorhands analyze Butcher’s failure and debate the changing battle. Black Nightmare proposes retreat, while Scissorhands reminds him of his earlier vow to retaliate, provoking an annoyed response.

Chapter Summary: “Breaking Down Defenses Again”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Black Nightmare realizes the battle for Tongchang City is turning against him and decides to retreat toward the provincial capital before escape becomes impossible.
• As he and Scissorhands withdraw, Cheng Luoyi appears on a boulder and blocks their path. She has come from Jiangbei City Shelter to protect Lin Dong and settle Black Nightmare’s past provocation of her shelter.
• Jiangbei’s awakened fighters—Sun Xiaoqiang, Chen Muyan, Chen Ming, Sun Yuhang, and others—join Cheng Luoyi and surround Black Nightmare’s group.
• Black Nightmare, enraged that a smaller shelter dares oppose him, orders his zombies to attack and unleashes his powerful mental abilities.
• His mental force traps several of the human fighters in a nightmare-like paralysis even while they remain awake.
• Sun Xiaoqiang, whose [Fearless Berserk] state makes him immune to mental attacks, breaks through Black Nightmare’s control and punches him into a boulder.
• Black Nightmare discovers that Sun Xiaoqiang’s mind is effectively empty and therefore impossible to control. Though Black Nightmare is technically stronger, his reliance on mental abilities and physically weak body leave him roughly evenly matched with Sun Xiaoqiang.
• Cheng Luoyi mocks Black Nightmare’s repeated defeats, provoking him into another emotional collapse and driving him into a frenzy.
• Black Nightmare and his subordinates become more violent. Meanwhile, Chen Muyan engages Scissorhands in a fast, evenly matched duel using his Lightning Blade against Scissorhands’ bone blades.
• The chapter ends as night approaches, suggesting the battle may become even more dangerous.

Character Developments

• Black Nightmare: His normally cautious and calculating nature gives way to anger and humiliation. Cheng Luoyi’s taunts expose his insecurity over repeatedly failing to defeat stronger opponents. He becomes reckless, personally entering the battle rather than retreating.
• Cheng Luoyi: She remains calm, confident, and deliberately provocative. Her loyalty to Lin Dong is clear, and she treats Black Nightmare as an inferior nuisance rather than a genuine threat.
• Sun Xiaoqiang: His mental immunity makes him Black Nightmare’s natural counter. Despite seeming simple-minded, he displays tremendous physical strength and courage, forcing Black Nightmare into direct combat.
• Chen Muyan: He demonstrates composure and strong swordsmanship while holding his own against Scissorhands. His calm attitude contrasts with the chaos around him.
• Scissorhands: Revealed as a highly dangerous A-plus-rank fighter with extreme speed and skeletal weapons. He proves to be an equal match for Chen Muyan.

Significant Themes

• Confidence versus insecurity: Black Nightmare’s status as a Zombie King collapses when others refuse to fear him, revealing how dependent his authority is on intimidation.
• Mental power and its limits: Black Nightmare’s abilities are devastating against ordinary opponents but ineffective against minds he cannot influence, particularly Sun Xiaoqiang’s.
• Provocation and emotional control: Cheng Luoyi defeats Black Nightmare psychologically by remaining indifferent and mocking him, causing him to abandon his strategic judgment.
• Strength versus reputation: Black Nightmare’s title suggests overwhelming power, but his actual weaknesses become clear when confronted by specialized opponents.
• The approaching darkness: The setting sun and coming night reinforce the uncertainty and escalating danger of the continuing battle.

Important Character Interactions

• Black Nightmare and Cheng Luoyi: Their encounter is openly hostile. Cheng Luoyi reminds him of his previous humiliation and mocks his inability to defeat major opponents, intensifying his rage.
• Black Nightmare and Sun Xiaoqiang: Black Nightmare’s mental attack fails completely against Sun Xiaoqiang, who physically overwhelms him and forces him to rely on evasion.
• Chen Muyan and Scissorhands: Their duel is evenly matched, showcasing contrasting combat styles—Lightning Blade technique against speed, skeletal mutation, and bone blades.
• Cheng Luoyi and the Jiangbei fighters: She leads by presence rather than command, while the awakened ones follow her into the confrontation to prevent Black Nightmare’s escape.