Ch. 1Return of the Saint Knight
Chapter Summary — Return of the Saint Knight
1. Key Plot Points and Events
- In July, Zhang Hong, an overweight anime enthusiast and intern reporter, enters Hang City’s International Anime Expo after passing security.
- He accidentally crashes into a mysterious, heavily equipped man dressed like a battle-worn adventurer.
- The man introduces himself as Zuo Yi, though his unusual appearance and powerful presence make Zhang assume he is an exceptionally realistic cosplayer.
- Zuo Yi surveys the exhibition hall and realizes he has returned to Blue Star, his original world, in the year 2019.
- He recalls his recent battle in the high-dimensional Sadeya World, where he defended Thorn Town from an Abyss Demon Legion, reached the Saint Rank, and severely wounded Sol, the Lord of the Ninth Abyss.
- Sol used the forbidden spell “Grand Banishment” to send Zuo Yi into spatial turbulence. Instead of dying, Zuo Yi was transported back to Earth.
- Although Zuo Yi experienced roughly thirty years in Sadeya, only three years have passed on Blue Star due to the difference in time flow between worlds.
- Zuo Yi borrows Zhang Hong’s phone to contact an old acquaintance, but the number is powered off.
- He leaves the exhibition center and decides to walk home rather than reveal his extraordinary abilities by flying.
- Before returning home, he enters a jewelry store and asks whether they purchase gold, implying that he intends to sell treasure or valuables acquired in Sadeya.
2. Character Developments
- Zuo Yi is revealed to be a powerful Saint Knight who has endured decades of warfare, gained immense strength, and retained an unwavering will. Despite his intimidating aura, he is polite and composed.
- His return awakens powerful emotions: disbelief, relief, nostalgia, and a strong desire to reunite with his homeland and former life.
- Zuo Yi demonstrates restraint by concealing his powers and avoiding actions that might expose him or cause public panic.
- Zhang Hong is introduced as a comic, enthusiastic, and somewhat insecure character. Though initially annoyed at colliding with Zuo Yi, he quickly becomes intimidated and fascinated by him.
- Zhang’s self-consciousness about his size contrasts with his excitement over Zuo Yi’s masculine appearance and realistic costume.
3. Significant Themes
- Return and belonging: Zuo Yi’s greatest desire is to return to the world that raised him after believing he might never see it again.
- The contrast between fantasy and reality: The anime expo makes Zuo Yi’s genuine battle gear appear to be cosplay, while the supernatural warrior sees the modern world as almost fantastical.
- Time and dimensional difference: Thirty years of experience in Sadeya have passed as only three years on Earth, emphasizing the strange laws of the multiverse.
- Power and concealment: Though Zuo Yi possesses Saint-level abilities, he deliberately hides them and behaves cautiously in ordinary society.
- Survival and adaptation: After decades of fighting demons, Zuo Yi must now adjust to modern Earth and recover a place in a life that continued without him.
4. Character Interactions
- Zhang Hong and the security guard: Zhang passes through the checkpoint after presenting valid identification, while the guard remains suspicious because of the frequent forged documents used by anime fans.
- Zhang Hong and Zuo Yi: Their collision begins the chapter’s central encounter. Zhang nervously questions Zuo Yi about his “cosplay,” while Zuo Yi politely introduces himself and asks to borrow Zhang’s phone.
- Zuo Yi and his absent acquaintance: Zuo Yi attempts to reconnect with someone from his former life, but the powered-off phone leaves him temporarily isolated.
- Zuo Yi and the jewelry-store employees: The receptionists courteously welcome him despite his strange appearance. Zuo Yi’s first practical step after returning is to ask whether they buy gold, hinting at his plan to obtain modern currency.