Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Devil Contract, Mana Bond!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Kim Min-hee explains that her parents are dead and her younger sister in South Korea is her only remaining family. Unable to contact her sister, she is determined to survive and return home, even if her sister has become a zombie.
• Believing Xu Mo is her best chance of survival, Kim offers herself to him in exchange for protection. Xu Mo initially refuses, stating that saving her and revealing the vault’s location have already settled their debts.
• When Kim insists she will give up everything—including her soul—Xu Mo tests the Devil Contract recorded in the Darkhold.
• Kim signs the magical contract by touching it and agreeing mentally. The contract enters Xu Mo’s soul, giving him control over her life while granting her the ability to borrow power from the Darkhold and eventually learn dark magic.
• Xu Mo realizes the contract can help him recruit followers and provide him with someone capable of commanding the Undead Legion after he leaves the zombie-infested world.
• He orders Kim to follow him through a Spatial Gate, leaving Gerry Lane, his wife, and the others behind.
• They arrive at a warehouse near the silver jewelry factory Kim previously identified. The factory appears empty until they hear zombies inside a workshop.
• Xu Mo opens the workshop doors with telekinesis, revealing a large group of zombies feeding on corpses. A blood-covered female zombie notices them and charges at Xu Mo.

Character Developments

• Kim Min-hee: Her desperation to save her sister leads her to offer her life and soul in exchange for survival. Instead of merely becoming Xu Mo’s protected companion, she gains the potential to become a magic user and possibly rescue her sister herself. She also begins transitioning into a loyal subordinate capable of managing Xu Mo’s forces.
• Xu Mo: He demonstrates pragmatism rather than sentimentality, refusing to help Kim without compensation. After discovering that the Devil Contract works, he recognizes its strategic value for controlling followers, lending mana, and maintaining influence after he leaves.
• Gerry Lane and his wife: Their lack of surprise at Kim’s offer reflects their realistic understanding of the extreme moral compromises caused by the apocalypse. They are left behind and react with envy toward Xu Mo’s teleportation ability.

Significant Themes

• Survival and sacrifice: Kim is willing to surrender everything to survive and return to her sister, showing how the apocalypse forces people into desperate choices.
• Power and dependency: The Devil Contract creates a direct relationship in which Kim gains magical power but places her life under Xu Mo’s control.
• Pragmatism over heroism: Xu Mo helps others only when it serves a purpose, emphasizing his calculated approach rather than selfless heroism.
• Hope amid catastrophe: The contract gives Kim renewed hope that she may become strong enough to save her sister.
• Recruitment and control: Xu Mo’s use of the contract reveals his broader plan to build and manage supernatural forces through bound followers.

Character Interactions

• Kim pleads with Xu Mo for protection, while Xu Mo challenges the sincerity of her willingness to sacrifice everything.
• Xu Mo explains the contract’s terms and instructs Kim how to activate it.
• After the contract succeeds, Xu Mo immediately treats Kim as one of his own and commands her to follow him.
• Gerry and the others silently observe the exchange, understanding Kim’s decision but envying the advantages Xu Mo provides.
• At the chapter’s end, Xu Mo and Kim confront a horde of zombies, beginning a new dangerous encounter.

Chapter Summary: “Undead Summoning”

Key Plot Points and Events

• John and Jim watch from a warehouse as Xu Mo opens the factory doors, releasing the zombies they had deliberately trapped inside. They decide not to interfere, believing Xu Mo and Kim Min-hee will be overwhelmed.
• Xu Mo and Kim enter the factory, where more than a thousand zombies attack them. Xu effortlessly kills the entire horde by firing countless steel nails through telekinesis.
• Xu discovers Bell, a surviving factory employee hiding inside a machine. Bell agrees to lead him to the warehouse containing silver raw materials, partly out of gratitude and fear of Xu’s overwhelming power.
• Xu orders Kim and Bell to wait outside while he remains in the factory. Using the Darkhold, he performs Undead Summoning, transforming the zombie corpses into armed skeleton warriors with red flames in their skulls.
• The summoned undead are created directly from the corpses rather than summoned from the Undead Continent. They are easier to control and require no magic array, though they are weaker than naturally existing undead.
• John and Jim emerge from hiding and mock Bell for surviving. Bell attacks them in anger but is quickly beaten because he is weaker and outnumbered. Jim threatens him while standing on his bloodied face.

Character Developments

• Xu Mo demonstrates extraordinary control over telekinesis and undead magic. His calm slaughter of the zombies and creation of an undead army establish him as increasingly powerful and prepared.
• Kim Min-hee remains frightened but trusts Xu’s abilities. Witnessing his powers firsthand leaves her shocked and awed.
• Bell is revealed to be a factory employee who survived by hiding inside machinery. He is grateful to Xu for saving him but remains physically vulnerable, especially when confronted by John and Jim.
• John and Jim are shown to be selfish, predatory survivors. They prioritize their own food supply, view Kim as an object of sexual interest, and aggressively exploit Bell’s weakness.

Significant Themes

• Power and helplessness: Xu’s supernatural strength contrasts sharply with the helplessness of ordinary survivors like Bell.
• The supernatural overturning the natural order: The transformation of corpses into walking skeletons moves the disaster beyond a virus-based explanation and into undeniable dark fantasy.
• Survival morality: John and Jim represent selfish opportunism, while Xu’s actions—though intimidating—save lives and create a means to fight the undead threat.
• Control and loyalty: Xu’s corpse-created undead are completely loyal because they are made by him, highlighting the strategic advantage of personally creating one’s forces.

Character Interactions

• Xu and Kim work together during the zombie attack, with Kim relying on Xu’s protection.
• Xu questions Bell and compels him to guide him to the silver warehouse; Bell cooperates because Xu has saved his life and clearly holds the power.
• John and Jim discuss Xu and Kim from hiding, showing their contempt for Xu and their predatory interest in Kim.
• Bell confronts John and Jim over their past betrayal or abandonment, but the confrontation ends with him being brutally beaten and humiliated, leaving the chapter on a threatening cliffhanger.

Chapter Summary: “Skeleton Cavalry”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Two factory workers, Jim and John, emerge from the warehouse after realizing that Xu Mo and Kim Min-hee have apparently survived the zombie-filled factory. Assuming the zombies have died, they decide to attack Kim Min-hee, believing they can kill her afterward and blame her death on the infected monsters.
• Bell, lying injured outside, confronts the men for killing his father despite using him to lure the zombies into the factory. Jim and John coldly justify the murder, claiming Bell’s father was useless and potentially dangerous.
• John attempts to kill Bell with a fire axe, but Kim Min-hee intervenes verbally and secretly contacts Xu Mo through their demon contract.
• Inside the factory, Xu Mo completes a powerful spell. Hundreds of Skeleton Soldiers sacrifice themselves to form thirty-six enormous Skeleton Cavalry units, each more than three meters tall and armed with massive bone swords.
• Xu Mo sends a group of Skeleton Soldiers outside to protect Kim Min-hee. Their appearance terrifies Jim and John, who abandon their attacks and flee toward the warehouse.
• The skeletons surround and guard Kim Min-hee as she reaches Bell. Bell survives his injuries, takes John’s discarded fire axe, and prepares to confront the two men himself.
• Before entering the warehouse, Bell reveals that the silver bricks are stored in a warehouse at the plant’s southeast corner, implicitly offering Kim Min-hee and Xu Mo access to them.
• Kim Min-hee recognizes Bell’s determination to risk his life for revenge. With the Skeleton Soldiers now protecting her, she begins testing whether she can command them, asking one to crouch.

Character Developments

• Xu Mo: Demonstrates the increasing scale of his necromantic abilities by transforming nearly five hundred Skeleton Soldiers into thirty-six powerful Skeleton Cavalry units. He also responds quickly to Kim Min-hee’s warning by sending troops to protect her.
• Kim Min-hee: Shows caution and intelligence by maintaining her distance from Jim, contacting Xu Mo rather than confronting the men directly, and using the skeletons strategically. Her fear of the undead gradually gives way to curiosity and confidence as she tests their obedience.
• Bell: Shifts from helpless victim to determined avenger. Despite severe injuries, he takes up the fire axe and prepares to confront his father’s killers. His decision to reveal the silver warehouse’s location suggests both practical cooperation with Kim Min-hee and a willingness to risk himself for revenge.
• Jim and John: Their cruelty and opportunism are exposed. They exploit Bell, murder his father, and plan to assault and kill Kim Min-hee, but their confidence collapses immediately when faced with Xu Mo’s skeleton army.

Significant Themes

• Moral collapse in disaster: Jim and John exploit the collapse of social order to justify murder and sexual violence, believing they can act without consequences.
• Power and protection: The Skeleton Soldiers transform the balance of power, protecting Kim Min-hee and terrifying those who previously held control.
• Revenge and justice: Bell’s determination to confront Jim and John reflects his desire for personal vengeance after the murder of his father.
• Transformation and sacrifice: Hundreds of ordinary Skeleton Soldiers are consumed to create a smaller number of vastly stronger Skeleton Cavalry, emphasizing power gained through sacrifice.
• Growing trust and control: Kim Min-hee’s interaction with the skeletons marks her growing reliance on Xu Mo’s abilities and her developing confidence in using supernatural forces.

Character Interactions

• Jim and John taunt Bell and reveal their role in his father’s death.
• John attempts to execute Bell, prompting Kim Min-hee to intervene and summon help.
• Kim Min-hee and Xu Mo communicate through their demon contract, allowing him to coordinate her protection.
• Skeleton Soldiers shield Kim Min-hee and accompany her to Bell.
• Bell and Kim Min-hee briefly interact after his rescue, with Bell giving her critical information before pursuing the men.
• Kim Min-hee begins experimenting with giving orders to the Skeleton Soldiers, potentially expanding her role in controlling them.

Chapter Summary: “Can Skeleton Soldiers Evolve?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Kim Min-hee discovers that the Skeleton Soldiers respond to her commands, ordering them to squat and then follow her.
• She and the Skeleton Soldiers pursue Bell to the warehouse where John and Jim have taken shelter.
• The men believe they are safe behind a heavily reinforced metal door, which ordinary attacks cannot penetrate.
• A Skeleton Soldier first fails to break through the door with a normal strike. It then reveals a new ability: soulfire flows from its skull into its bone saber, allowing the weapon to burn through the metal like soft material.
• The Skeleton Soldiers break into the warehouse and capture John and Jim. Jim is knocked unconscious and burned by the heated metal.
• Kim Min-hee leaves the punishment of the two men to Bell, who brutally kills them while she waits outside.
• Afterward, Kim orders the corpses disposed of. The fire-wielding Skeleton Soldier absorbs both bodies with its soulfire, causing the corpses to melt away and its own body to grow larger and stronger.
• The discovery suggests that Skeleton Soldiers can evolve or increase their power by consuming corpses.
• Kim then orders the Skeleton Soldiers to collect all the silver jewelry stored in the warehouse, demonstrating that they can also carry out practical commands.

Character Developments

• Kim Min-hee gains confidence and authority as the Skeleton Soldiers begin obeying her directly. She becomes more assertive, using them to pursue enemies and take control of the warehouse.
• Her hatred toward John and Jim is emphasized, especially because they had threatened or intended harm toward her and Bell.
• Bell remains focused on revenge and personally executes the two men. His violent response reflects the trauma and anger caused by their betrayal.
• The Skeleton Soldiers are revealed to possess more than brute strength. One can channel soulfire through its weapon, cut through heavy metal, absorb corpses, and physically evolve.
• John and Jim shift from smug confidence behind the reinforced door to panic and helplessness once the Skeleton Soldiers develop a way inside.

Significant Themes

• Power and adaptation: The Skeleton Soldiers overcome an apparently insurmountable obstacle by revealing a previously unknown ability.
• Evolution through consumption: The fire-wielding Skeleton Soldier grows stronger after absorbing the corpses, introducing the possibility that undead creatures can develop through acquired energy or material.
• Revenge and justice: Bell’s execution of John and Jim represents personal vengeance rather than formal justice, while Kim chooses not to participate directly because of her discomfort with the violence.
• Control and command: Kim’s growing ability to direct the Skeleton Soldiers marks an important shift in power and hints at her developing role in the new apocalyptic world.
• Resource gathering and survival: After dealing with the threat, Kim immediately turns to collecting the warehouse’s silver, showing the practical importance of securing valuable supplies.

Character Interactions

• Kim tests and confirms the Skeleton Soldiers’ obedience through direct commands.
• She and Bell cooperate in confronting the men, with the Skeleton Soldiers acting as their enforcers.
• John and Jim mock their attackers from behind the supposedly impenetrable door, but their confidence collapses when the Skeleton Soldier burns through it.
• Kim refuses to hear Jim’s apology and leaves Bell to settle the matter.
• After witnessing the Skeleton Soldier’s evolution, Kim quickly resumes command and directs the group to gather the silver.

Chapter Summary: “Cavalry Turns into Infantry”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Mo completes the fusion of more than thirty Undead Knights and nearly five hundred Skeleton Soldiers inside the factory. The Undead Knights become encased in solid black armor, including their undead horses.
• The undead army guards Xu Mo while he works, allowing him to engrave magic arrays without interference from zombies. The dense undead energy briefly affects his body, but his strong mental power enables him to recover quickly.
• Xu Mo demonstrates complete control over the undead he created, even forcing an Undead Knight off its horse so he can ride it himself. The humorous “cavalry turns into infantry” moment emphasizes his absolute authority over the undead.
• He meets Kim Min-hee and the other survivors at the warehouse, then stores the entire undead army inside a special space within the Darkhold.
• Xu Mo collects a large supply of silver jewelry—over one hundred tons—and then, with Jack’s help, locates another warehouse containing more than a thousand tons of silver ingots. The silver is intended for constructing his magic array.
• After obtaining everything he needs, Xu Mo sends Jack through a Spatial Gate to a deserted island in the Pacific Ocean. He claims this is a reward for Jack’s cooperation, though Jack is effectively being exiled to survive alone with only a bone knife.
• Xu Mo and Kim Min-hee travel to Los Angeles, which Xu Mo chooses as the site for his magic array because its mostly circular, land-based layout is more suitable than New York’s irregular and water-heavy geography.
• Upon arriving at Kenmary Park, Xu Mo summons the Undead Knights and Skeleton Warriors to eliminate the nearby zombies and orders them to clear the surrounding area.

Character Developments

• Xu Mo: Becomes increasingly powerful and efficient in commanding undead forces. He displays careful strategic planning by gathering silver, selecting an optimal city for the magic array, and using Spatial Gates and the Darkhold to transport and store resources and troops. He also shows a darkly playful sense of humor in sending Jack to a deserted island.
• Kim Min-hee: Continues to cooperate with Xu Mo and becomes more accustomed to his extraordinary powers, though she remains curious and occasionally unsettled by his methods.
• Jack: His usefulness ends once the silver is secured. Although Xu Mo acknowledges his cooperation, Jack is removed from the group and forced into an isolated survival situation.
• The Undead Knights and Skeleton Soldiers: Their transformation into armored, disciplined troops establishes them as a formidable undead army rather than ordinary summoned creatures.

Significant Themes

• Power and control: Xu Mo’s ability to command, dismiss, and manipulate the undead highlights his dominance over his creations.
• Strategic preparation: The chapter focuses on gathering resources, choosing the best location, and building the infrastructure needed for Xu Mo’s larger plan.
• Transformation: The title reflects both the literal change in battlefield roles and the broader development of Xu Mo’s undead forces into a more organized military.
• Dark humor and moral detachment: Xu Mo treats Jack’s exile as a “ride” or reward, revealing his casual attitude toward other people’s suffering.
• Humanity versus monstrosity: The intimidating undead army contrasts with Xu Mo’s calm, practical behavior, blurring the line between human strategist and necromantic threat.

Character Interactions

• Xu Mo casually demonstrates his authority by dismounting an Undead Knight and taking its horse, while the obedient undead returns to formation.
• Kim Min-hee and the other woman are visibly intimidated by the approaching undead cavalry but relax when Xu Mo stores the creatures away.
• Kim Min-hee questions Jack’s destination, and Xu Mo explains that he has sent him to a resource-rich deserted island, prompting her disbelief.
• Xu Mo praises the group for collecting the silver but ultimately keeps the resources and dismisses Jack once his cooperation is no longer needed.

Chapter Summary: The Magic-Welding Girl

Plot Points and Events

• Xu Mo begins preparing a large auxiliary magic array in a Los Angeles park. Because the array must be at least 300 meters wide, he orders his Skeleton Warriors and Undead Knights to demolish the entire area, clearing trees and other obstacles.
• He uses the Darkhold’s power to transform an ordinary book into a simplified spell manual containing black magic techniques. He gives it to Kim Min-hee and tells her to study it independently.
• Xu Mo spends the entire day refining large quantities of silver jewelry into liquid Mithril using purple flames and telekinesis. The exhausting process is necessary for constructing the magic array.
• While Xu Mo works, Kim Min-hee practices the spells intensely. She successfully learns Spatial Teleportation, opening a portal to a classroom at Seoul University’s Suwon Campus in South Korea.
• Xu Mo prevents her from entering recklessly, warning that an inexperienced Spatial Gate could lead somewhere dangerous. Kim identifies the location as her sister’s school and explains that she wants to rescue her sister from the zombie crisis.
• Kim asks to borrow some undead soldiers. Xu agrees, postponing discussion of his condition until after she completes the rescue.
• He sends Kim through the portal on an undead warhorse, accompanied by two Undead Knights and fifty Skeleton Soldiers. Her mission also serves as practical training for commanding the undead in the future.
• After the portal closes, Xu returns to the yacht. Alyssa greets him with curiosity and amusement, but the chapter ends when she approaches him and he reacts with surprise.

Character Developments

• Xu Mo demonstrates organization, caution, and long-term planning. He manages the construction of the magic array, supervises the undead, creates magical resources, and evaluates Kim’s progress.
• He also shows a protective, pragmatic side by stopping Kim from entering an unstable portal and providing her with a heavily guarded escort.
• Kim Min-hee reveals strong magical talent, mastering Spatial Gate in less than a day. Her concern for her sister motivates her to act urgently, though her eagerness initially makes her reckless.
• Kim begins transitioning from an ordinary survivor into a potential field commander. Xu intends for her to gain experience controlling the undead legion.
• Alyssa remains largely idle aboard the yacht but reacts enthusiastically to Xu’s return, suggesting a playful or intimate interaction is about to occur.

Significant Themes

• Preparation and strategic planning: Xu’s large-scale magical project requires extensive clearing, resource processing, and logistical coordination.
• Power and responsibility: Kim gains access to dangerous magic, but Xu emphasizes that power must be used carefully and with proper support.
• Family and urgency: Kim’s determination to rescue her sister highlights personal loyalty amid the broader apocalyptic crisis.
• Training through experience: Xu uses Kim’s rescue mission both to help her family and to test her ability to command supernatural forces.
• The usefulness of the undead: Their tirelessness makes them ideal for demolition, defense, resource gathering, and military support.

Character Interactions

• Xu casually gives Kim the altered spellbook, treating her magical education as something she must largely handle herself.
• Kim’s excitement over learning teleportation contrasts with Xu’s calm caution when she opens the portal.
• Kim appeals to Xu for help, and he agrees while retaining leverage through an unspecified condition.
• Xu equips Kim with undead forces and places her under the protection of the Undead Knights.
• Back on the yacht, Alyssa welcomes Xu and approaches him playfully, creating a lighter and more personal contrast to the chapter’s military and magical operations.

Chapter Summary: “No Self-Entertainment Allowed”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Mo reflects on Alyssa’s toxic personality and concludes that, despite their physical relationship, making her his girlfriend would have been disastrous.
• On the yacht, Harry confronts Xu Mo and correctly realizes that he is no longer the original Xu Mo. Xu Mo admits indirectly that he is different but assures Harry that he does not intend to harm anyone.
• Harry asks Xu Mo to take him to an uninhabited island, explaining that he has no family left and considers isolation the safest option during the zombie crisis. Xu Mo agrees and uses a Spatial Gate to transport him to Bell’s island.
• Xu Mo leaves Harry and Bell with the yacht’s supplies, enough to sustain them for months.
• Unsure what to do with Alyssa, Xu Mo offers her a Devil Contract instead of abandoning her. Alyssa eagerly accepts, viewing the contract and its magic abilities as exciting opportunities.
• Xu Mo gives Alyssa a Black Magic book, but she becomes especially interested in Space Teleportation, joking that it will be useful for “self-entertainment.”
• At Kenmary Park, Xu Mo begins constructing the auxiliary magic array needed for the Undead Calamity. He spends the entire morning carefully engraving the enormous array with liquid Mithril and successfully completes the first section.
• Xu Mo uses the Devil Contract’s surveillance function to observe Kim Min-hee. She is traveling through South Korea on a skeletal horse with fifty increasingly powerful Skeleton Soldiers.
• Kim Min-hee has cleared a university of zombies while searching for her younger sister, Jenny. Finding evidence that survivors fled west toward the coast, she follows their route, hoping Jenny was among them.
• The chapter ends when Kim approaches the coast and the narrative shifts to a broken-down bus near Cheonan City, where a muscular teacher named Ki-cheol and several university students are stranded.

Character Developments

• Xu Mo: Becomes more pragmatic and responsible. Although he recognizes Alyssa’s dangerous personality, he refuses to abandon her after sleeping with her and instead binds her to a Devil Contract. He also continues advancing his larger plan by building the Undead Calamity array.
• Harry: Demonstrates strong loyalty to the original Xu Mo but is perceptive enough to recognize that his friend has changed. He chooses isolation on an uninhabited island as a survival strategy.
• Alyssa: Shows her provocative, impulsive nature and eagerly accepts the Devil Contract. Rather than fearing its supernatural consequences, she is excited by the magic it grants her.
• Kim Min-hee: Continues to show determination and resourcefulness. Her concern for Jenny drives her across dangerous territory, while her undead forces grow stronger and more formidable.
• Bell: Appears content and capable on the uninhabited island, suggesting he is adapting well to his new environment.

Significant Themes

• Responsibility versus abandonment: Xu Mo struggles with the moral consequences of leaving Alyssa behind and chooses to take responsibility for her, even if his solution is supernatural and self-serving.
• Trust and identity: Harry’s recognition that Xu Mo is no longer the same person raises questions about loyalty, personal identity, and whether actions matter more than a person’s original identity.
• Survival and adaptation: Characters adopt different survival strategies: Harry isolates himself, Alyssa embraces supernatural power, and Kim Min-hee actively searches for family while expanding her undead forces.
• Power and control: The Devil Contract gives Xu Mo access to information and influence over others, while the magic array and growing Skeleton Soldiers demonstrate his expanding power.
• Hope amid catastrophe: Kim Min-hee’s search for Jenny provides an emotional counterpoint to the broader survival narrative, emphasizing family bonds and the refusal to give up.

Important Character Interactions

• Xu Mo and Harry: Harry confronts Xu Mo about his identity; Xu Mo reassures him and helps him reach safety.
• Xu Mo and Bell: Their brief interaction confirms Bell’s survival and satisfaction on the island.
• Xu Mo and Alyssa: Xu Mo offers Alyssa the Devil Contract, while Alyssa accepts enthusiastically and reacts playfully to the magic system.
• Xu Mo and Kim Min-hee: Though separated geographically, Xu Mo observes Kim through the Devil Contract and monitors her progress.
• Kim Min-hee and the stranded survivors: The chapter sets up a forthcoming encounter between Kim’s group and the broken-down bus carrying Teacher Ki-cheol and university students.

Chapter Summary: “Ki-cheol Being Framed”

Plot and events

With their original car broken down, Ki-cheol and the students must walk nearly ten kilometers to the coast, where they hope to find a ship and escape the zombies. They carry as much food and water as possible from a previously looted gas station, but the heavy packs quickly exhaust them. Along the way, they spot an apparently abandoned pickup truck near a zombie-infested town. Ki-cheol warns everyone not to approach it, fearing that noise could attract a horde.
Zhao Dongxu secretly separates from the group, reaches the pickup, and discovers that it is operational. Rather than simply escaping, he deliberately honks the horn to summon the zombies, then drives toward the students with the horde following behind. He pretends to be rescuing them, allowing the others to climb into the truck bed. When Ki-cheol tries to board last, Zhao accelerates and deliberately knocks him down, leaving him behind as the zombies approach.

Character developments

• Ki-cheol continues acting as the group’s responsible protector. He prioritizes caution, warns the students about the dangers of the town, and risks himself by going to check on Zhao rather than immediately abandoning him. His trust and protective instincts are exploited.
• Zhao Dongxu is revealed as deeply resentful and manipulative. After years of being rejected by Li-su, he develops a violent plan to eliminate Ki-cheol, the only other adult male and the main obstacle to his control over the group. He disguises his betrayal as a rescue attempt.
• Li-su remains unimpressed by Zhao’s attempts to appear protective and rejects his advances. Her presence intensifies his bitterness and motivates part of his hostility.
• The students are frightened, physically exhausted, and dependent on Ki-cheol’s leadership, making them vulnerable to Zhao’s deception.

Significant themes

The chapter emphasizes survival under constant fear, the dangers posed by both zombies and humans, and the breakdown of trust during a crisis. It contrasts Ki-cheol’s self-sacrificing leadership with Zhao’s selfish ambition and shows how resentment can become more dangerous than the external threat. The students’ dependence on their leaders also highlights the fragile nature of group unity.

Character interactions

Zhao awkwardly claims he will protect Li-su, but she dismisses him and insists on being addressed properly. Ki-cheol reprimands Zhao for delaying and warns him that no one will share their supplies if he fails to prepare. Later, Ki-cheol tries to help everyone board the pickup and angrily tells Zhao he will deal with his reckless behavior afterward. Zhao responds by accelerating, intentionally running Ki-cheol down and abandoning him to the approaching zombie horde.

Chapter Summary: “The Scheming Zhao Dongxu”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhao Dongxu deliberately drives away before Teacher Ki-cheol can board the vehicle, abandoning the man who helped the group escape the school.
• Ki-cheol is left alone on the road and pursued by a large horde of zombies. Unable to outrun them indefinitely, he climbs a tall willow tree and tries to fend them off with a broken branch.
• Just as Ki-cheol is about to be overwhelmed, Kim Tae-hee arrives with a group of skeletal soldiers. Her undead forces quickly destroy the zombies surrounding the tree.
• Tae-hee learns that Ki-cheol is a teacher from Seoul National University and asks whether Li-su escaped with him. When Ki-cheol confirms that Li-su is alive but has been taken by Zhao Dongxu, Tae-hee immediately sets off in pursuit, carrying Ki-cheol with her on an undead knight.
• Meanwhile, Zhao Dongxu brings the vehicle to a pier near the seaside. The area is strangely free of zombies, though bloodstains cover the ground.
• The girls in the vehicle confront Zhao about abandoning Ki-cheol. He responds violently, kicking two of them and threatening the rest into silence.
• Li-su attacks Zhao with a baseball bat, but he blocks her second strike, overpowers her, and knocks her down by hitting her leg.
• The other girls flee in terror. Zhao focuses on Li-su, revealing predatory intentions, and drags her toward a nearby fishing boat.

Character Developments

• Zhao Dongxu is exposed as deliberately cruel, selfish, and manipulative. He abandons Ki-cheol, intimidates the other survivors, and attacks Li-su when she resists him. His behavior shows that he views the crisis as an opportunity to dominate and exploit others.
• Li-su demonstrates courage by confronting Zhao despite the physical disadvantage. Her attempt to strike him shows that she is no longer willing to passively obey him, although she is ultimately overpowered.
• Teacher Ki-cheol proves resourceful and determined. He uses the willow tree as a temporary refuge and fights off the zombies until help arrives. His information allows Tae-hee to locate Li-su.
• Kim Tae-hee is portrayed as decisive and protective, particularly toward her younger sister. She quickly mobilizes her undead forces and personally leads the rescue pursuit.
• The other girls lose confidence in Zhao after witnessing his violence and flee when they realize he has become a direct threat.

Significant Themes

• Betrayal and ingratitude: Zhao abandons Ki-cheol despite owing him his life, highlighting how quickly cooperation can collapse during a catastrophe.
• Power and abuse: Zhao uses physical strength, fear, and threats to control the women around him, turning the survival situation into an opportunity for personal domination.
• Rescue and loyalty: Tae-hee’s immediate response to learning Li-su is in danger contrasts sharply with Zhao’s selfishness and reinforces the importance of family loyalty.
• Human cruelty versus supernatural danger: The zombies and undead are frightening, but Zhao’s deliberate violence suggests that human beings may be an equally serious threat.
• Desperation and survival: Ki-cheol’s struggle in the tree and Li-su’s failed resistance show the extreme choices and vulnerabilities created by the apocalyptic setting.

Important Character Interactions

• Li-su and Zhao Dongxu: Their confrontation reveals Li-su’s resistance and Zhao’s escalating brutality.
• Ki-cheol and Kim Tae-hee: Ki-cheol provides Tae-hee with crucial information about Li-su, while Tae-hee rescues him from the zombies.
• Kim Tae-hee and her undead soldiers: Tae-hee commands them efficiently, demonstrating her authority and growing power.
• Zhao and the other girls: His threats and physical violence destroy their remaining trust in him, causing them to flee.

Chapter Summary: Kim Min-hee’s Embarrassment

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhao Dongxu and Kim Li-su attempt to escape by reaching a fishing boat while a group of undead skeletons, led by three Skeleton Warhorses, pursue them.
• Zhao reaches the boat first and tries to start it, hoping the skeletons will be unable to follow them into the water.
• Kim Min-hee orders a Skeleton Archer to launch an attack. Using two Skeleton Soldiers as a springboard, the archer fires a bone arrow that crosses several hundred meters and impales Zhao through the stomach.
• Kim Li-su escapes Zhao’s grasp and prepares to jump into the water, but discovers that the undead army is being led by her sister, Kim Min-hee.
• The sisters reunite. Li-su is shocked to learn that Min-hee is alive, has returned from the United States, and now commands powerful undead creatures.
• Ki-cheol beats Zhao to death for attempting to harm his teacher. Li-su then kicks Zhao’s body in anger, showing that she feels no sympathy for him.
• Min-hee thanks Ki-cheol by having her skeletons collect supplies from nearby stores and load them onto the boat.
• While traveling away, Min-hee attempts to demonstrate her newly acquired Spatial Gate ability to Li-su. Her first gate opens over the ocean, and her second opens in Antarctica, where penguins stare at them.
• Min-hee becomes embarrassed when Li-su questions whether she can control the ability properly. Xu Mo then opens another gate near the Antarctic gate, linking it to his plaza and discreetly helping Min-hee recover from the awkward situation.
• Min-hee pretends that the Antarctic gate was intentionally created to help Li-su cool down, but immediately shivers upon stepping into the freezing environment.

Character Developments

• Kim Min-hee is revealed as a powerful necromancer capable of commanding large numbers of undead and using Spatial Gates. Despite her strength and desire to appear impressive, she remains emotionally connected to her sister and becomes comically embarrassed when her new ability malfunctions.
• Kim Li-su demonstrates resilience and independence after escaping Zhao. Her reunion with Min-hee reveals her affection and respect for her sister, mixed with enough familiarity to tease her when the Spatial Gates fail.
• Zhao Dongxu is punished for kidnapping and attempting to exploit Li-su. His desperation to escape turns into panic, and he is ultimately killed by Ki-cheol.
• Ki-cheol remains fiercely loyal to Min-hee and protective of those connected to her. His violent revenge against Zhao emphasizes his devotion and brutality.
• Xu Mo indirectly assists Min-hee by opening a gate near hers, allowing her to maintain her dignity in front of Li-su.

Significant Themes

• Family loyalty and reunion: Min-hee’s greatest concern is Li-su’s safety, and Li-su’s reunion with her sister provides emotional relief after the danger.
• Power and protection: Min-hee’s undead army and abilities allow her to rescue her sister and punish those who threaten her.
• Revenge and justice: Zhao’s death reflects the consequences of his cruelty and attempted abuse.
• Pride and embarrassment: Min-hee is powerful but still wants to impress her sister. Her failed Spatial Gates create a humorous contrast with her otherwise commanding presence.
• Adaptation in a post-apocalyptic world: Characters rely on supernatural abilities, improvised transportation, scavenged supplies, and shifting alliances to survive.

Character Interactions

• Min-hee commands the skeletons through mental instructions, demonstrating her control over the undead.
• Li-su escapes Zhao after the arrow incapacitates him and reunites emotionally with Min-hee.
• Ki-cheol violently confronts Zhao and later receives Min-hee’s gratitude and supplies.
• Li-su questions Min-hee about her powers, unintentionally exposing Min-hee’s lack of control and causing her embarrassment.
• Xu Mo silently helps Min-hee, allowing her to pretend that the second Antarctic gate was deliberate.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Mo welcomes Kim Min-hee and her younger sister, Kim Li-su, through a Spatial Gate.
• He requires Li-su to sign the same soul-binding contract as Min-hee before allowing her to borrow his undead forces. Xu Mo wants both sisters under his control so Min-hee cannot be forced to choose Li-su’s safety over obeying him.
• Min-hee initially feels reluctant to involve her sister, but Li-su readily accepts the contract, viewing the sacrifice of her soul as a fair exchange for power and survival.
• Xu Mo orders the sisters to copy his magic book and begin practicing Space Teleportation. He expects Min-hee to master it within days, while Li-su’s progress will depend on her natural talent.
• He continues traveling throughout Los Angeles, constructing auxiliary arrays and leaving undead guards behind to protect them.
• After three or four days, Xu Mo completes the final array and returns to the Wilshire Center, where the sisters have been practicing teleportation from the building’s roof.
• Both sisters master Space Teleportation almost immediately. Xu Mo becomes suspicious that their success—and Alyssa’s similar talent—is caused by the contract or the world itself rather than individual aptitude.
• Xu Mo creates an enormous Spatial Gate more than fifty meters wide and transports an entire cruise ship from the ocean onto the roof of the Wilshire Center. The ship becomes a secure elevated base that zombies cannot easily reach.
• He orders the sisters to continue practicing by opening portals in areas crowded with zombies.
• Inside the ship, Xu Mo discovers Alyssa has been practicing teleportation in an extreme and destructive manner, using portals to trap herself between spaces. Although she apologizes, Xu Mo is left speechless by her reckless interpretation of his instructions.

Character Developments

• Xu Mo becomes increasingly strategic and controlling. He treats the sisters’ contracts as a means of securing the undead army and eliminating potential disloyalty.
• Kim Min-hee demonstrates loyalty and pragmatic gratitude toward Xu Mo, accepting the contract for Li-su because he saved both sisters. She also realizes that her old-world values no longer fully apply after the apocalypse.
• Kim Li-su is introduced as fearless but initially intimidated by Xu Mo’s reputation as a “legendary demon.” She quickly proves herself pragmatic, accepting soul control without hesitation in exchange for power and protection.
• Alyssa shows exceptional magical talent but also an impulsive, overly literal, and dangerous approach to training.
• Xu Mo discovers that the unusually rapid teleportation mastery of all three women may stem from a supernatural feature of the contracts or their new world, not merely talent.

Significant Themes

• Power and control: Xu Mo uses contracts to guarantee obedience and remove emotional weaknesses from his plans.
• Survival and moral compromise: The sisters accept the loss of their autonomy because survival and protection matter more in the post-apocalyptic world.
• Changing values after catastrophe: Min-hee recognizes that pre-apocalypse ideas about dignity, beauty, and personal freedom have become less relevant.
• Magic, talent, and hidden forces: The sisters’ and Alyssa’s rapid progress suggests that supernatural abilities may be shaped by contracts or the world’s altered laws.
• Pragmatism versus emotion: Xu Mo prioritizes security and efficiency, while Min-hee’s decisions are influenced by her devotion to Li-su.

Character Interactions

• Xu Mo silently evaluates Li-su as a potential threat through her importance to Min-hee.
• Min-hee tries to warn Li-su about the dangers of surrendering her soul, but Li-su responds calmly and accepts the arrangement.
• Li-su’s practical attitude forces Min-hee to recognize that she has been thinking too much according to pre-apocalypse standards.
• Xu Mo gives both sisters direct training orders but largely leaves them to practice independently.
• The sisters are astonished by the scale of Xu Mo’s teleportation magic when he transports the cruise ship.
• Xu Mo and Alyssa have a humorous confrontation: she apologizes for her bizarre training method, while he is frustrated that she followed his instructions in an absurdly destructive way.

Chapter Summary: “Undead Calamity Descends!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Mo brings Alyssa aboard the cruise ship positioned on the rooftop of the Wilshire Center Building.
• Before beginning his plan, he eliminates the threat of nuclear retaliation. Using an intelligent system and his abilities, he visits every nuclear-armed nation and launches all nuclear weapons into space.
• With nuclear weapons no longer available, Xu Mo and three companions prepare to gather zombies into Los Angeles.
• Using the Darkhold to amplify his magic, Xu Mo opens three enormous Spatial Gates over major cities, while nine additional portals are opened by his companions.
• A ship’s horn attracts the highly sensitive zombies in Los Angeles, causing them to charge toward the building. Zombies from other cities pour through the portals and fall into Los Angeles, eventually forming a massive swarm.
• The zombies pile up around the building and climb its glass exterior, but the smooth walls prevent them from reaching the rooftop. Their numbers eventually exceed ten million.
• Military forces, including the United States Pacific Carrier Fleet, observe the portals and the cruise ship. Although officers are shocked by the phenomenon, they decide not to interfere and instead take advantage of the temporarily cleared cities to gather supplies.
• After keeping the portals open for an entire day, Xu Mo concludes that Los Angeles contains enough zombies. He withdraws his exhausted companions and closes the portals.
• Xu Mo then activates a powerful spell through the Darkhold. Five additional magic arrays around the city ignite, and black pillars of energy rise into the sky as he announces: “Undead Calamity descends!”

Character Developments

• Xu Mo demonstrates careful strategic planning and increasing magical power. He anticipates the danger of nuclear weapons, removes that threat before acting, and uses the Darkhold to operate multiple massive portals simultaneously.
• He also shows restraint and efficiency by stopping once enough zombies have been gathered, rather than risking unnecessary effort or wasting potential points.
• Xu Mo’s three companions contribute by maintaining the additional portals, but they become physically and magically exhausted by the prolonged operation.
• Admiral Wells and the military leaders reveal a pragmatic survival mentality. Rather than confronting Xu Mo, they recognize his overwhelming power and choose to exploit the opportunity he has created.
• Alyssa remains largely passive in this chapter, serving as one of the people brought to safety aboard the cruise ship.

Significant Themes

• Power and deterrence: Xu Mo’s destruction of the world’s nuclear arsenal demonstrates the scale of his influence and prevents conventional authorities from opposing him.
• Strategic manipulation: Instead of fighting zombies directly, Xu Mo redirects and concentrates them, turning the geography of the cities into part of his plan.
• Human helplessness before supernatural power: Military authorities can only observe Xu Mo’s actions and avoid provoking him.
• The transformation of catastrophe into opportunity: The zombie apocalypse becomes a resource for Xu Mo’s undead army, while surviving governments use the cleared cities to obtain supplies.
• Moral ambiguity and danger: Xu Mo’s plan risks massive destruction, and even his allies must be removed from the magic array because its undead energy affects all living beings indiscriminately.

Important Character Interactions

• Xu Mo gives instructions to his three companions and coordinates their portal magic.
• Military officers report the supernatural events to Admiral Wells, who consults with them about how to respond.
• The officers debate whether the portals represent a threat or an opportunity, ultimately agreeing not to provoke Xu Mo.
• Xu Mo speaks briefly with his companions before sending them away from the magic array for their safety.
• The chapter ends with Xu Mo alone above the city, activating the final spell that will begin converting the gathered zombie mass into an undead calamity.

Chapter Summary: “Lich, End and Return!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Mo completes the enormous necromantic magic array, creating a black dome over the entire city and releasing gray energy from the Darkhold.
• The energy eradicates the zombies’ flesh, leaving behind vast piles of bones. The zombies’ residual energy gathers into a massive gray sphere above the city.
• The process lasts for an hour, during which Xu Mo struggles to control the immense power. His insufficient spiritual strength allows necromantic energy to erode his body.
• The bones are transformed into a massive undead army:
  • Nearly 100,000 Undead Knights
  • Around 100 enormous Skeleton Kings
  • Dozens of gigantic Bone Dragons
  • Countless other skeleton soldiers
• The remaining energy condenses into ten powerful humanoid beings made of pure energy, identified as resentment-born liches. They possess exceptional talent for necromancy and can continue expanding the undead army.
• Once the spell ends, Xu Mo’s physical body disintegrates into ash. His blue soul remains, revealing that he can still return to this world through his contracts with the three women.
• Xu Mo gives final instructions before his soul disappears, leaving the newly created liches and his contracted allies to manage the undead army.

Character Developments

• Xu Mo: Demonstrates immense magical power and determination, but severely overestimates his spiritual capacity. The ritual destroys his body, forcing him to rely on his soul and contracted vessels for future appearances. Despite this cost, he successfully creates a powerful undead force.
• Jin-hee: Shows genuine concern for Xu Mo’s safety while waiting outside the city. Her attachment and loyalty to him are emphasized.
• Kim-hee: Remains more reserved and observant, though she is also alarmed when Xu Mo’s body disappears.
• Alyssa: Maintains her playful, eccentric personality and confidently reassures the others based on her experience with Xu Mo. She continues calling him “master,” unlike the others, who use “boss.”
• The Ten Liches: Emerge as new, highly capable undead servants. Their natural affinity for necromancy makes them valuable leaders of the growing undead army.

Significant Themes

• Power and sacrifice: Xu Mo’s success requires the destruction of his physical body, showing that overwhelming power comes at a serious personal cost.
• Transformation and rebirth: The city’s zombies become skeleton soldiers, while Xu Mo loses his body but preserves his soul and ability to return.
• Control versus limitation: Xu Mo can direct the ritual only imperfectly because his spiritual power is insufficient, highlighting the dangers of wielding forces beyond one’s limits.
• Creation of an army: The ritual shifts Xu Mo’s role from a single powerful necromancer to the creator and commander of an entire undead civilization.
• Contracts and dependence: Xu Mo’s continued existence in the world depends on his bonds with the three women, making their contracts both emotional and practical sources of power.

Character Interactions

• Jin-hee worries aloud internally about Xu Mo’s safety, while Alyssa reassures her with enthusiastic confidence.
• Kim-hee reacts irritably to Alyssa’s suggestive and eccentric behavior but recognizes that it is typical of her personality.
• The three women panic when Xu Mo’s body turns to ash, calling out to him as “boss.”
• Xu Mo reassures them indirectly through his surviving soul, explains that he can return through their contracts, and entrusts them and the ten liches with the remaining work.

Chapter Summary: Ten Million Points, Tier Three Force Battle Suit

Key Plot Points and Events

• After completing his magic in the Astral Tower, Xu Mo checks his system attributes and discovers that converting the undead earned him 11,538,200 points—far more than he had ever accumulated before.
• Before he can browse the system mall, he senses Annie entering the villa and returns to the outside world.
• Xu Mo finds Annie visibly lonely and emotional. She reveals that he has been missing for seventy-three days, despite his belief that only about a week had passed in the other world.
• From this, Xu Mo deduces that time flows at roughly a ten-to-one ratio between the two worlds. He is relieved that he did not remain away any longer.
• Xu Mo and Annie reunite intimately, and he later returns to the Astral Tower feeling refreshed.
• Star Ji offers to act as Xu Mo’s sparring partner, using a series of playful, customizable outfits. Xu Mo rejects the idea and tells her to stop learning inappropriate things from the internet.
• Xu Mo begins spending his newly acquired points on upgrades:
  • A Planetary-Level Nutrient Pod, costing 500,000 points, which can raise his physical strength from Planetary Level One to Ninth Order in one month.
  • Ten drops of Azurewave Marrow, costing 1,000,000 points, intended to raise his psychic force to the same level.
  • The Tier Three Force Battle Suit, Feather God Armor, costing 2.6 million points.
• Xu Mo bonds with the Feather God Armor by letting it absorb his blood. The feather-like object transforms into liquid and spreads over his body, forming a complete battle suit under his control.

Character Developments

• Xu Mo becomes dramatically wealthier and gains access to rapid advancement. His discovery of the time difference also makes him more cautious about remaining in other worlds.
• His confidence grows as he realizes that his true body is considerably stronger than his counterparts in other worlds.
• Annie is shown to be deeply attached to Xu Mo. Her distress during his absence reveals how seriously she worries about him, while their reunion reinforces their romantic relationship.
• Star Ji displays a mischievous, increasingly human-like personality. Her imitation of online trends provides comic relief, though Xu Mo remains embarrassed and disapproving.

Significant Themes

• The value and danger of time: The different time rates between worlds create potential consequences for Xu Mo’s future travels and relationships.
• Power and rapid progression: Xu Mo’s enormous point gain allows him to bypass gradual cultivation and purchase extraordinary enhancements.
• The importance of personal connection: Despite his growing power, Xu Mo’s reunion with Annie shows that emotional bonds remain central to him.
• Preparation for greater conflict: The nutrient pod, psychic-force resources, and battle suit demonstrate Xu Mo’s focus on becoming stronger and better equipped.

Character Interactions

• Xu Mo comforts Annie when he sees her sadness, and she expresses relief and affection after his long absence.
• Their playful exchange about “watering the flowers” leads to an intimate reconciliation.
• Star Ji teasingly offers herself as Xu Mo’s sparring partner, but he refuses and criticizes her internet-influenced behavior.
• Xu’s interaction with the system shifts from uncertainty to decisive spending as he selects cultivation resources and advanced equipment.

Chapter Summary: “Fair Competition?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Mo completes his synchronization with the Feather God Armor, which transforms into a wearable suit according to his thoughts.
• The armor reduces incoming force by 90% and, unlike the Black God Suit, can withstand attacks from Domain Lord–level opponents. Xu Mo decides to postpone further exchanges and focus on cultivating until he receives more points from the Apocalypse World.
• At Pennsylvania State University, Wanda is repeatedly pursued by Scott, a classmate who refuses to accept her rejection. She firmly tells him that she is married, loves her husband, and will contact the police if he continues harassing her.
• Wanda meets Xu Mo outside the university. He gives her flowers and affectionately reunites with her.
• Wanda introduces Xu Mo to her friend Skye. Skye recognizes him as the mysterious man involved in the earlier portal incident in her bathroom, though she conceals the truth and pretends he merely looks familiar.
• Scott follows Wanda outside and reacts jealously upon seeing her with Xu Mo. He describes the situation as “fair competition.”
• Xu Mo, angered by Scott’s persistent harassment, uses his psychic power to hypnotize him, causing Scott to walk away in a daze with the apparent intention of landing himself in prison.

Character Developments

• Xu Mo: Demonstrates increased confidence in his new armor and continues planning strategically for future cultivation and battles. He also shows protectiveness toward Wanda and is willing to use his powers decisively against threats to her.
• Wanda: Becomes more assertive in defending her marriage and personal boundaries. She openly rejects Scott, expresses her love for Xu Mo, and relies on Xu Mo emotionally while still trying not to burden him with minor problems.
• Skye: Encounters Xu Mo again after the embarrassing bathroom incident. Although initially startled, she recognizes that the event may have been accidental and chooses not to expose him.
• Scott: Is portrayed as entitled, obsessive, and unwilling to respect Wanda’s refusal. He dismisses her claim that she is married, assumes persistence will win her over, and hints that he may resort to more extreme behavior.

Significant Themes

• Respect for boundaries: Wanda’s repeated rejection contrasts sharply with Scott’s refusal to accept it, highlighting the danger of entitlement and harassment.
• Protection and possessiveness: Xu Mo’s intervention reflects his devotion to Wanda, but also his readiness to control or eliminate perceived threats through psychic power.
• Power and responsibility: Xu Mo possesses overwhelming abilities, and the chapter shows him using them in an ordinary social conflict rather than a battlefield.
• Appearance versus truth: Scott assumes Wanda’s marriage is a lie because her age and wealth do not fit his expectations, while Skye conceals her actual prior encounter with Xu Mo.

Character Interactions

• Wanda and Scott: Wanda repeatedly rejects Scott and warns him to stop harassing her, while Scott ignores her wishes and continues pursuing her.
• Wanda and Xu Mo: Their affectionate reunion, flowers, and playful exchange reinforce their close romantic relationship. Wanda proudly introduces him as her husband.
• Xu Mo and Skye: Their awkward recognition of the bathroom incident creates tension, but Skye avoids revealing what happened.
• Xu Mo and Scott: Xu Mo confronts Scott after learning of his harassment. When Scott frames the situation as romantic competition, Xu Mo responds sarcastically and hypnotizes him, ending the confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “Planetary Level Ninth Order”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Mo parts ways with Skye, allowing her to leave without confrontation. Wanda is surprised by his unusual leniency.
• Wanda questions Xu Mo about whether he knew Skye previously, but he denies it, truthfully claiming he had never met her before.
• After dinner, Xu Mo gives Wanda a mysterious black glove. Following his instructions, she binds it with a drop of blood, causing it to transform into a red trench coat that covers her body. Wanda is delighted by the magical item.
• Xu Mo stays at Wanda’s villa for two days. Sonia remains there after Wanda persuades her to stay, though she is exhausted by the couple’s nightly activities and lack of sleep.
• Sonia’s secret is revealed: she is a Mutant known as “Dreamer,” capable of reading and altering memories. Although she considers examining Wanda’s memories, she rejects the idea out of respect for Wanda’s hospitality.
• Wanda and Sonia learn through the news that Scott, the student who had harassed Wanda, has been arrested for bank robbery and faces twenty-five years in prison.
• Xu Mo returns to Death Island and enters the Astral Tower, where he uses a Nutrient Chamber filled with an energy-enhancing liquid while cultivating the Demonic God Codex.
• Over more than a year outside—and fifteen or sixteen years under the Astral Tower’s accelerated time—Death Island is transformed into a fortified base. Most trained soldiers leave to hunt ferocious beasts and earn points for Xu Mo.
• Sauron and the other eight leaders reach Warlord Rank, while even the weakest soldiers become Junior Warriors. Sentinel Robots take over island security.
• Xu Mo reaches Planetary Level Ninth Order in both spiritual power and physical strength. He also advances the Thunder Blade to its twentieth level and the Demonic God Codex to its fortieth level.
• Despite his progress, he remains stuck at the peak of the Planetary realm, unable to break through to Stellar Level. He recognizes that relying solely on external energy creates bottlenecks at major breakthroughs.
• Since the zombies in the alternate world have all been eliminated, Xu Mo prepares to use the next stage of his plan and asks the system to display his attributes.

Character Developments

• Xu Mo: Demonstrates greater restraint by letting Skye go, though his primary focus remains cultivating power and expanding his forces. He reaches the peak of Planetary Level and becomes increasingly aware of the limitations of his current cultivation method.
• Wanda: Becomes more closely bonded with Xu Mo and receives a powerful new magical garment. Her confidence and physical vitality appear to improve during his stay.
• Sonia/Dreamer: Reveals her Mutant identity and memory-related abilities. Despite her curiosity, she chooses not to invade Wanda’s privacy, showing moral restraint and gratitude.
• Sauron and the soldiers: Make significant progress under Xu Mo’s system, advancing rapidly through combat training and constant consumption of ferocious beast meat.
• Scott: Suffers legal consequences for his previous harassment of Wanda, being arrested for bank robbery and facing a lengthy prison sentence.

Significant Themes

• Power and limitations: Xu Mo’s rapid rise highlights the advantages of advanced technology and cultivation resources, but the chapter emphasizes that major breakthroughs cannot always be forced through external energy.
• Preparation and long-term planning: Xu Mo has anticipated the bottleneck at Planetary Peak and has already prepared a solution involving the cleared alternate world.
• Privacy and trust: Sonia’s decision not to read Wanda’s memories emphasizes the importance of respecting personal boundaries, even when one possesses the power to violate them.
• Expansion and militarization: Death Island evolves from a training ground into an organized, technologically defended power base, with soldiers deployed globally to strengthen Xu Mo.
• Intimacy and companionship: Xu Mo’s relationship with Wanda deepens, while Sonia’s presence creates both humorous tension and a developing bond among the characters.

Character Interactions

• Xu Mo and Wanda discuss Skye and later share a private, intimate period at Wanda’s villa.
• Xu Mo gives Wanda the transforming black glove, strengthening their relationship through the exchange of a rare treasure.
• Wanda apologizes to Sonia for disturbing her sleep, while Sonia politely denies being inconvenienced despite her obvious exhaustion.
• Sonia internally debates reading Wanda’s memories but ultimately chooses not to betray her trust.
• Wanda and Sonia recognize Scott from the news, connecting his arrest to his previous harassment of Wanda.
• Xu Mo’s soldiers and allies indirectly interact through the broader military structure he has established on Death Island.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Mo discovers that he has earned over 6 billion points, corresponding roughly to the billions of people transformed into zombies during the outbreak.
• He spends 5 billion points to exchange for the Avatar talent, which allows him to create five avatars at the same level as himself. The avatars can be rapidly reconstituted as long as one survives.
• He then spends 1 billion points on a Space-Time Beast God genetic sample, intending to breed an avatar based on the Innate Beast God formed from the fusion of time and space laws.
• Xu Mo uses the Avatar ability on the sample, creating a rapidly expanding cocoon. Star Ji notices the phenomenon and transports both of them into space so the cocoon can continue growing safely.
• The cocoon eventually reaches a diameter of more than thirty kilometers, but the breeding process remains incomplete.
• When Star Ji asks how Xu Mo managed to breed an Innate Beast God avatar, he refuses to explain, replying only, “Classified!”
• Xu Mo spends his remaining points on the Thousand Mechanism Disc, a third-tier high-grade Psychic Force weapon composed of 10,081 miniature swords. Its forms include the Void-Splitting Sword, Star Shield, and Thousand Mechanism.
• Elsewhere on Death Island, Raven continues enforcing the condition of Magneto’s recruitment by beating him in hand-to-hand combat once a month.
• Their confrontation is interrupted when a Spatial Gate opens and a purple-skinned man accompanied by a woman arrives. When Raven demands to know who they are, the man claims he has come to “save” them.

Character Developments

• Xu Mo becomes more ambitious and strategically focused. Rather than merely strengthening himself, he invests in a powerful avatar capable of following the difficult time-space law path.
• His willingness to spend nearly all his points demonstrates his confidence in pursuing the strongest possible evolution, despite the risks involved.
• Xu Mo also shows greater caution regarding the Nine Tribulations Secret Manual, planning to use an avatar to absorb the danger of failed cultivation and genetic collapse.
• Star Ji displays her immense awareness and power as the Astral Tower’s spirit. She immediately detects the avatar-breeding process and effortlessly relocates the cocoon to outer space.
• Magneto remains physically disadvantaged without his abilities and is repeatedly defeated by Raven.
• Raven continues to dominate Magneto in combat, though the arrival of the strangers forces her to shift from aggression to suspicion.

Significant Themes

• Power through preparation and risk management: Xu Mo uses avatars to make dangerous cultivation methods survivable.
• Pursuit of ultimate strength: He deliberately chooses the exceptionally difficult fusion of time and space because it offers the greatest potential.
• Transformation and evolution: The breeding of a Space-Time Beast God avatar represents Xu Mo’s attempt to transcend ordinary human limitations.
• Secrecy and mistrust: Xu Mo hides the source of his new ability from Star Ji, while Raven immediately treats the mysterious newcomers as potential threats.
• Strength and vulnerability: Magneto’s dependence on his powers is emphasized by his helplessness in close combat, contrasting with Raven’s physical skill.

Character Interactions

• Xu Mo and Star Ji cooperate when the expanding cocoon threatens the training room, but their exchange also reveals a gap in trust when Xu Mo refuses to explain his method.
• Raven repeatedly humiliates Magneto as part of the terms of his recruitment, creating a tense but established dynamic between them.
• Raven confronts the newly arrived pair with suspicion, while the purple-skinned man responds confidently and cryptically by claiming that he has come to rescue them.

Chapter Summary: Apocalypse and Psylocke

Key Plot Points and Events

• Magneto, weakened after his confrontation with Raven, struggles to stand. An unidentified powerful Mutant arrives with Psylocke and announces that they are leaving disappointed.
• Emma confronts the newcomers. She recognizes Psylocke but has no knowledge of the man, who is revealed to be Apocalypse, the ancient “first Mutant.”
• Apocalypse claims he has come to help the Mutants reclaim the world from humanity. Emma dismisses his speech and attacks him telepathically.
• Psylocke attempts to resist Emma’s mental assault but is overwhelmed within seconds. Apocalypse is also drawn into Emma’s mental realm.
• Emma binds Apocalypse with psychic threads. He escapes by greatly enlarging his body and using his immense mental energy to break the restraints.
• Realizing that Emma’s telepathic abilities threaten him, Apocalypse detonates part of his own mental energy to force her out of his consciousness. Though injured, he escapes through a portal using teleportation.
• Psylocke remains incapacitated, so Emma orders the staff to imprison her with power-suppression restraints on her neck, hands, and feet.
• Apocalypse and Psylocke are locked in a nearby room. Raven, having no desire to continue fighting Magneto, leaves, while Eric remains behind.
• The following day, Xu Mo finishes over ten days of training and gains control over the first two layers of the Thousand Mechanism Disc.
• He tests the weapon from above the sea, transforming more than ten thousand small swords into a giant blade. The attack completely destroys a nearby island, scattering debris across several kilometers.

Character Developments

• Emma/White Queen: Demonstrates extraordinary growth in telepathy after practicing Xu Mo’s Phantom Demon Secret Art. She confidently overpowers Psylocke and initially restrains Apocalypse, though she realizes his vastly greater mental reserves still exceed her own.
• Apocalypse: Establishes himself as enormously powerful, proud, arrogant, and experienced. Despite being caught off guard by Emma, he uses his physical strength, mental energy, and teleportation to escape. His willingness to damage his own mind shows both desperation and tactical awareness.
• Psylocke: Shows resistance to Emma’s telepathy but is ultimately subdued. Her ability to materialize mental energy into weapons and her connection to Apocalypse’s enhancement are noted as unusual threats.
• Magneto/Eric: His age and physical limitations are emphasized. After his earlier struggle with Raven, he is left weakened and does not resume the conflict.
• Raven: Chooses not to continue fighting once Magneto is incapacitated, suggesting restraint or a lack of interest in unnecessary violence.
• Xu Mo: Advances significantly in controlling the Thousand Mechanism Disc, gaining enough mastery to unleash devastating destructive power.

Significant Themes

• Power versus experience: Emma’s refined and technically superior telepathy can threaten Apocalypse, but his thousands of years of experience and overwhelming mental energy allow him to escape.
• Pride and arrogance: Apocalypse views himself as a superior, almost forgotten ruler, while Emma mocks his grandiose claims.
• Growth through cultivation: Emma and Xu Mo’s abilities have advanced through sustained training, demonstrating the importance of disciplined cultivation.
• Mutant hierarchy and conflict: Apocalypse’s belief that Mutants should reclaim the world contrasts with Emma’s loyalty to Xu Mo’s group and their willingness to imprison unknown Mutants.
• Restraint versus destruction: Raven avoids further violence, while Xu Mo’s final attack displays the enormous destructive consequences of fully unleashed power.

Character Interactions

• Emma and Apocalypse: Their telepathic confrontation is the chapter’s central conflict. Emma controls and pressures him, while Apocalypse breaks free through brute mental force and self-sacrifice.
• Emma and Psylocke: They engage in a brief psychic battle, with Emma decisively overpowering Psylocke.
• Apocalypse and Psylocke: Apocalypse acts as Psylocke’s leader and has enhanced her abilities, though he ultimately escapes without rescuing her.
• Emma and the staff: Emma orders Psylocke’s capture and adds further restraints after recognizing the unusual nature of her powers.
• Raven and Magneto: Raven leaves after their fight, while Magneto remains weakened, marking the end of their confrontation.
• Xu Mo and the Thousand Mechanism Disc: Xu Mo’s interaction is primarily with his weapon, demonstrating his growing mastery and the weapon’s island-destroying potential.

Chapter Summary: “Slave Chip”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Mo tests the first level of the Void-Splitting Sword on Death Island, using its impact mode to unleash a massive shockwave and cause extensive destruction.
• The White Queen, Emma, deduces that Xu Mo was responsible for the commotion and explains that two Mutants recently infiltrated the island:
  • Psylocke, formerly associated with the Mutant information broker Caliban.
  • An unidentified, exceptionally powerful blue-faced Mutant—revealed to be Apocalypse.
• Apocalypse, recently awakened after thousands of years buried beneath a pyramid, is weakened and frustrated after being defeated by the White Queen before he could rebuild his Four Horsemen.
• Xu Mo examines Psylocke and concludes that Apocalypse has begun following the expected course of events by recruiting future Horsemen and seeking Magneto.
• Xu Mo uses a Slave Chip, a piece of Mechanical Race technology, on Psylocke. After absorbing her blood, the chip enters her body and makes her absolutely loyal to Xu Mo while preserving her memories and abilities.
• Emma is visibly shocked by the chip’s effectiveness and questions why Xu Mo has not used one on her. Xu Mo reassures her that he trusts her because she is his woman.
• Annie returns to Death Island and catches Xu Mo leaving Emma’s room. Though irritated, she has become accustomed to Xu Mo’s other relationships and does not press the matter.
• Xu Mo gives Annie a Black God Suit, allowing her to experience its versatile and transformative powers.

Character Developments

• Xu Mo demonstrates increased mastery of the Void-Splitting Sword and gains a powerful new subordinate in Psylocke.
• Psylocke is transformed from a captured intruder into Xu Mo’s completely loyal servant through the Slave Chip.
• Apocalypse is introduced as powerful but temporarily weakened and humiliated. His ambitions remain intact, and he begins planning how to overcome the White Queen.
• The White Queen/Emma continues to serve as the leader of Death Island and displays both confidence in her abilities and emotional sensitivity regarding Xu Mo’s trust and romantic relationships.
• Annie shows emotional maturity and tolerance toward Xu Mo’s relationship with Emma, while also benefiting from Xu Mo’s advanced technology through the Black God Suit.

Significant Themes

• Power and control: The Slave Chip raises the issue of absolute domination, turning loyalty into something technologically enforced rather than freely chosen.
• Trust versus coercion: Emma’s question highlights the difference between being trusted voluntarily and being controlled through the chip.
• Technological superiority: Xu Mo’s weapons, chips, and suits give him advantages far beyond those of the Mutants.
• Adaptation of destiny: Apocalypse’s appearance follows familiar events from the original timeline, but Xu Mo’s intervention significantly alters their outcome.
• Romantic possessiveness and acceptance: Xu Mo’s relationships with Emma and Annie reveal a complicated but normalized arrangement in which trust and tolerance coexist with jealousy.

Character Interactions

• Emma and Xu Mo discuss the destruction on Death Island and the arrival of Apocalypse and Psylocke.
• Xu Mo captures and enslaves Psylocke, who immediately addresses him as “Master.”
• Emma witnesses the chip’s effect and confronts Xu Mo about why he trusts her without using it on her; he responds affectionately.
• Annie confronts Xu Mo about his relationship with Emma but ultimately accepts the situation.
• Xu Mo equips Annie with the Black God Suit, strengthening their bond and giving her access to new abilities.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Apocalypse arrives at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters through a Spatial Gate, seeking powerful Mutants to add to his forces.
• He immediately kills or incapacitates a human teacher, revealing his contempt for ordinary humans and alarming the students.
• Professor X senses the disturbance and confronts Apocalypse from his office. Apocalypse recognizes Professor X’s immense psychic potential and decides to seize his body and abilities.
• Apocalypse enters the office through another portal and targets Ororo, promising that he can help her fully unlock her powers. He dramatically amplifies her abilities, causing her storm energy to surge out of control.
• Apocalypse attempts to persuade Ororo to join him in reclaiming the world for Mutants. Professor X rejects his ideology, insisting that the world belongs to both humans and Mutants.
• Apocalypse takes Professor X hostage and tries to force Ororo through his portal. Ororo resists, using lightning to block him and protect Professor X.
• Enraged by her defiance, Apocalypse attacks, destroying the office and injuring Ororo. Wolverine, Colossus, Iceman, and other X-Men arrive to rescue Professor X.
• The X-Men attack Apocalypse, but his force fields and control over matter easily repel them. He transforms the building into sand and uses the flying debris as deadly weapons.
• Wolverine is severely wounded but quickly heals due to his regenerative abilities. Apocalypse eventually traps the X-Men in sand and declares that he will mentally enslave them after taking Professor X’s powers.
• Just as Apocalypse prepares to leave through his portal, Xu Mo arrives through another Spatial Gate, interrupting the confrontation.

Character Developments

• Apocalypse: Demonstrates his arrogance, brutality, and belief that Mutants should rule humanity. His failure to control Ororo enrages and humiliates him, making his attack increasingly destructive. He intends to use Professor X’s psychic abilities to dominate the X-Men.
• Professor X: Acts as a defender of cooperation between humans and Mutants. Despite being taken hostage, he opposes Apocalypse’s supremacist ideology and tries to intervene on behalf of his students.
• Ororo/Storm: Experiences a dramatic increase in power after Apocalypse forcibly enhances her abilities. Rather than becoming his servant, she retains her independence and immediately turns against him to protect Professor X.
• Wolverine, Colossus, and Iceman: Respond quickly to the crisis and attempt to protect Professor X, but they are overwhelmed by Apocalypse’s superior abilities. Wolverine’s healing factor is emphasized when he survives a devastating throat injury.
• Xu Mo: Makes a surprise entrance at the end of the chapter, positioning himself as a new and potentially decisive force in the conflict.

Significant Themes

• Mutant supremacy versus coexistence: Apocalypse believes Mutants should reclaim the world from humans, while Professor X advocates shared existence and cooperation.
• Power and control: Apocalypse seeks to strengthen, possess, and mentally dominate other Mutants rather than respect their choices.
• Independence and free will: Ororo’s refusal to follow Apocalypse shows that increased power does not automatically lead to obedience.
• Arrogance and humiliation: Apocalypse’s contempt for humans and confidence in his own superiority contribute to his anger when Ororo rejects him.
• Protection and responsibility: The X-Men and Professor X prioritize defending students and one another despite being outmatched.

Character Interactions

• Apocalypse dismisses the human teacher and attacks him without provocation.
• Apocalypse and Professor X immediately recognize each other as powerful psychic Mutants, but they clash ideologically.
• Apocalypse amplifies Ororo’s abilities and tries to recruit her; Ororo rejects him and defends Professor X.
• The X-Men confront Apocalypse as a group, but his matter manipulation and protective barrier prevent them from reaching him.
• Apocalypse captures Professor X and the X-Men, intending to turn them into loyal servants.
• Xu Mo arrives just as Apocalypse is about to escape, leaving the chapter on a cliffhanger.