Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “The Uninvited ATM”

Key Plot Points and Events

• At Kik Port’s waiting hall, Bai Zhu unexpectedly spots Milluki Zoldyck playing a handheld game and tries to avoid him.
• Milluki notices Bai Zhu and confronts him, denying that he followed him. Bai Zhu quickly exposes that Milluki traveled to Kik Port intentionally and brought extensive equipment, suggesting he plans to take the Hunter Exam—or continue accompanying Bai Zhu.
• Milluki claims he is merely “experiencing life,” but Bai Zhu realizes that his previous adventure with the Creation Society awakened Milluki’s interest in the outside world.
• Bai Zhu asks whether Milluki’s family knows he left. Milluki admits he only left a message, confirming that he effectively slipped away from home.
• Milluki says he has accepted a “mission” to supervise Bai Zhu’s repayment of supposed debts, including assistant fees, emotional damages, and wages. Bai Zhu rejects the claim because there is no valid contract.
• Milluki produces a ridiculous handwritten agreement stating that Bai Zhu owes him an “enormous assistant fee,” but it lacks an amount, date, signatures, or witnesses. Bai Zhu mocks it and refuses to sign.
• A large muscular applicant overhears the argument and sides with Milluki, accusing Bai Zhu of bullying him. The exchange escalates when Bai Zhu responds arrogantly and implies he could easily defeat the man.
• Milluki recognizes Bai Zhu’s dangerous tone and tries to prevent a fight before the Hunter Exam begins, but the muscular man angrily orders him to move aside. The chapter ends as the confrontation is about to become physical.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu: Remains sarcastic, observant, and unwilling to tolerate Milluki’s antics. He immediately recognizes Milluki’s hidden motives and displays confidence bordering on provocation when challenged. His comments also hint at his frightening combat reputation.
• Milluki: Shows growing independence and curiosity after his previous adventure. Although he disguises his motives with gaming and complaints about repayment, he has deliberately traveled far from home and prepared for another expedition. He is still childish, argumentative, and financially opportunistic, but also demonstrates awareness of Bai Zhu’s dangerous nature by attempting to stop the fight.
• The muscular applicant: Introduced as an aggressive, self-assured examinee who is eager to test himself against strong candidates. He becomes the immediate antagonist of the chapter.
• The Zoldyck family: Though absent, the family’s influence is significant. Milluki’s secret departure and fear of his eldest brother suggest that he is acting without full family approval.

Significant Themes

• Adventure and personal change: Milluki’s earlier experience has made him dissatisfied with staying home and more eager to explore the world.
• Responsibility versus evasion: The dispute over Milluki’s “assistant fees” humorously reflects the characters’ refusal to accept responsibility or formalize their obligations.
• Appearance versus reality: Milluki pretends to be casually gaming and “experiencing life,” but his supplies reveal careful preparation and an ulterior motive.
• Power and intimidation: Bai Zhu’s calm confidence contrasts with the muscular applicant’s bluster, suggesting that true strength requires no loud demonstration.
• Found or unconventional companionship: Despite their constant arguing, Milluki continues to seek Bai Zhu out, while Bai Zhu tolerates him rather than completely rejecting his presence.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki engage in a sarcastic, hostile but familiar exchange, with Bai Zhu exposing Milluki’s lies and Milluki repeatedly trying to justify his behavior.
• Milluki attempts to establish a financial obligation, while Bai Zhu dismantles his claim through legalistic reasoning and mockery.
• A bystander briefly supports Milluki, creating a three-way confrontation, but Bai Zhu’s intimidating response quickly shifts the mood.
• Milluki acts as a reluctant mediator, warning the muscular man that Bai Zhu is dangerous, but his intervention fails to prevent the conflict from escalating.

Chapter Summary: “A Rather Strange Exam”

Key Plot Points and Events

• At the port’s waiting hall, a large man attempts to attack Bai Zhu after a confrontation involving Milluki.
• Milluki’s automatic security device accidentally shocks the man, but Bai Zhu finishes the encounter effortlessly by striking the man’s wrist and knee with his scabbard and foot. He incapacitates him without causing serious injury.
• Bai Zhu earns a system reward for repelling the provocateur without seriously harming him.
• Milluki reveals that he has officially registered for the Hunter Exam, despite Bai Zhu’s doubts about his ability to complete it. Milluki insists that his equipment will help him survive, though he admits he may withdraw if forced to abandon it.
• Bai Zhu agrees to let Milluki accompany him, recognizing that Milluki is cautious, danger-sensitive, and unlikely to recklessly rush into trouble.
• Milluki reveals that he has booked a luxurious top-floor suite at the port’s finest hotel. Bai Zhu manipulates the situation and persuades Milluki to let him stay there as part of their “team.”
• At the hotel, Milluki’s extensive preparations—security features, high-speed internet, game equipment, and technical supplies—highlight his wealth and professional habits. Bai Zhu thoroughly checks the room for danger before settling in.
• Milluki sets up a portable technical station and investigates the Hunter Exam’s applicant data. He discovers that the number of applicants is unusually high and that some registration records appear to have been tampered with.
• Bai Zhu chooses not to investigate further immediately, deciding they will deal with the irregularities when they reach the exam.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu demonstrates exceptional speed, precision, and restraint in combat. He avoids seriously injuring the aggressor and prioritizes keeping a low profile before the exam.
• Bai Zhu also shows his opportunistic and teasing nature by exploiting Milluki’s hotel reservation while presenting it as practical cooperation. Despite his jokes, he recognizes Milluki’s usefulness and begins viewing him as a potentially suitable companion.
• Milluki proves that he is more capable and prepared than his appearance suggests. He carries advanced security equipment, gathers intelligence, and uses extensive technical resources to assess risks.
• Milluki’s cautious personality becomes clearer: he values preparation, comfort, and survival over pride or reckless action. Although easily flustered by Bai Zhu’s teasing, he remains determined to supervise Bai Zhu’s debt repayment and participate in the exam.

Significant Themes

• Caution versus recklessness: Both protagonists favor preparation and retreat over charging blindly into danger, making them unusual potential partners for an intense exam.
• Practical cooperation disguised as conflict: Bai Zhu and Milluki constantly argue, but their shared interests gradually create an effective partnership.
• Technology and information as survival tools: Milluki relies on equipment, data, and security systems, while Bai Zhu contributes physical awareness and combat ability.
• Hidden irregularities and foreshadowing: The altered applicant records and unusual increase in examinees suggest that the Hunter Exam may involve a larger conspiracy or unexpected danger.
• Restraint and controlled strength: Bai Zhu’s victory shows that power can be used efficiently without unnecessary violence.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki maintain a sarcastic, antagonistic relationship, trading insults over Milluki’s security device, wealth, and hotel.
• Bai Zhu repeatedly calls Milluki an “ATM” or “Mobile Cash Machine,” while Milluki protests and insists that their relationship is only about debt collection and supervision.
• Despite their bickering, Bai Zhu accepts Milluki’s hospitality and offers protection in return, creating an informal partnership.
• Milluki’s quiet reaction to Bai Zhu’s room inspection shows that he is beginning to respect Bai Zhu’s experience and caution.
• Their contrasting strengths—Bai Zhu’s combat ability and Milluki’s technology and intelligence—make them complementary allies as they prepare for the suspicious Hunter Exam.

Chapter Summary: “Gambling Away All His Luck”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu and Milluki investigate suspicious Hunter Exam registration files. The examinees’ records show coordinated registration times, travel routes from different countries, and two people with missing entry and exit records, suggesting that an unknown group is monitoring or interfering with the exam.
• Bai Zhu suspects the exam may have already begun secretly, especially since Lippo warned him that the ship would depart early, but there is no clear sign of the ship at the harbor.
• Frustrated by the lack of information, Bai Zhu decides he needs to change his luck before undertaking something important—drawing a name for his Zanpakuto, which he believes may affect his future happiness.
• He proposes deliberately using up his bad luck. Milluki suggests the Sea God Palace casino, a massive entertainment complex known for gambling, auctions, intelligence trading, and the presence of Nen users.
• Bai Zhu and Milluki disguise themselves in more suitable clothing and travel to the casino. Milluki uses his membership to gain entry.
• Bai Zhu receives a system reward for entering the casino, while Milluki exchanges money for a large number of chips and confidently begins gambling.
• Milluki loses repeatedly at blackjack, sic bo, and roulette despite relying on calculations and probability analysis. His losses leave him angry and demoralized.
• Milluki insists on winning his money back and pressures Bai Zhu to gamble in his place. Bai Zhu agrees, reasoning that losing at the casino will help exhaust his bad luck before he attempts to draw a Zanpakuto name.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu: Although he acts carefree and jokes constantly, he is increasingly uneasy about the Hunter Exam and the hidden forces surrounding it. His discomfort with incomplete information reveals a more cautious and observant side. He also shows his superstitious, impulsive nature by treating gambling as a method of cleansing bad luck.
• Milluki: Milluki demonstrates strong analytical and investigative abilities, uncovering irregularities in the examinees’ records. However, his confidence in mathematical prediction collapses when he suffers a string of gambling losses. His competitive pride and refusal to accept defeat push him to involve Bai Zhu.
• Bai Zhu and Milluki: Their friendship is characterized by constant teasing, mutual dependence, and contrasting personalities. Milluki handles research and logistics, while Bai Zhu contributes improvisation and boldness. Despite their insults, they cooperate easily and trust each other enough to enter a dangerous casino together.

Significant Themes

• Luck versus calculation: Milluki believes probability and data can control outcomes, but his consecutive losses challenge that confidence. Bai Zhu, meanwhile, embraces superstition and tries to manipulate luck by intentionally losing.
• Hidden danger beneath ordinary events: The suspicious Hunter Exam records and the possibility that the exam has already started create an atmosphere of unseen surveillance and conspiracy.
• Improvisation and uncertainty: Bai Zhu dislikes lacking information but responds by making unconventional plans rather than waiting passively.
• Friendship through banter: The characters’ humorous arguments conceal genuine cooperation and loyalty.
• Risk and obsession: Milluki’s attempt to recover his losses shows how quickly confidence can become stubbornness, while Bai Zhu’s willingness to gamble for a “good omen” reflects his own reckless reasoning.

Important Character Interactions

• Milluki warns Bai Zhu that the altered examinee files indicate outside interference in the Hunter Exam, while Bai Zhu dismisses the concern outwardly but remains privately troubled.
• Bai Zhu asks Milluki how to improve his luck, leading to the idea of visiting Sea God Palace.
• Milluki criticizes Bai Zhu’s appearance and sword, helping him change into less conspicuous clothing before entering the casino.
• At the gambling tables, Bai Zhu mocks Milluki’s terrible luck, while Milluki becomes increasingly defensive and frustrated.
• After Milluki loses all his chips, he persuades Bai Zhu to gamble next, allowing Bai Zhu to pursue his plan of “burning off” his bad luck.

Chapter Summary: “Is He Cheating?”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu and Milluki enter a casino, with Milluki giving Bai Zhu chips and advising him on betting trends.
• Bai Zhu deliberately bets against Milluki’s predictions, unexpectedly winning six consecutive Big/Small rounds.
• After a dealer change, Bai Zhu stops listening to Milluki and begins betting randomly, yet continues winning. He earns a hidden achievement for winning eight consecutive rounds on his first casino visit.
• Frustrated that he cannot “lose his luck” as planned, Bai Zhu tries other games:
  • He wins at roulette despite betting on unlikely numbers.
  • He wins at poker without knowing the rules.
  • His slot-machine payout multiplies his initial money several hundredfold.
• Bai Zhu concludes that gambling is only making his luck stronger and decides to leave.
• At the exchange counter, a casino manager stops Bai Zhu and Milluki, revealing that the casino’s boss wants to meet Bai Zhu at the Sea God Palace.
• When Bai Zhu refuses, the manager threatens that they may not be allowed to leave Kike City. Armed guards and Nen users block the exits.
• Milluki admits he entered the casino under the alias “Milluki Jerba,” concealing his Zoldyck identity. This explains why the casino feels safe confronting them.
• Bai Zhu agrees to meet the boss, partly because he is curious about the person bold enough to threaten him.
• They are escorted to a private VIP room, where the manager drops her polite façade and accuses them of violating casino rules.
• The chapter ends as the manager releases Nen aura around her arm, signaling an imminent confrontation.

2. Character Developments

• Bai Zhu: His extraordinary luck becomes even more extreme, working perfectly across multiple casino games despite his attempts to reverse it. He remains calm, sarcastic, and confident when confronted, but his concern about drawing an unbelievable reward shows that his luck may be connected to a larger supernatural system.
• Milluki: He shifts from excited adviser to bewildered observer as every prediction fails and Bai Zhu wins repeatedly. His anxiety increases when the casino confronts them, revealing that he is cautious despite his association with the Zoldyck family. His decision to use an alias creates the pair’s vulnerability.
• The female manager: She initially acts courteous and professional, using polite pressure to lead Bai Zhu upstairs. Once they are isolated, she reveals a more threatening and authoritative personality, suggesting that she is a capable Nen user.
• The casino boss: Though absent from the room, the boss is established as powerful, confident, and willing to detain or threaten Bai Zhu over the casino’s losses.

3. Significant Themes

• Luck versus control: Bai Zhu tries to manipulate or discard his luck, but it continues to operate beyond his control and turns every gamble into a victory.
• Power and deception: The casino uses hidden guards, Nen users, false politeness, and identity checks to control its guests. Milluki’s alias also demonstrates how deception can protect—or endanger—a person.
• Greed and consequence: Winning enormous sums attracts attention and creates danger. Bai Zhu’s success becomes a liability rather than a benefit.
• Identity and reputation: Milluki’s concealed Zoldyck name affects how the casino treats them, while Bai Zhu’s inexplicable winning streak gives him a reputation that may lead others to suspect cheating.
• Comedy amid danger: Bai Zhu’s deadpan reactions and Milluki’s panic create humor even as the situation escalates into a serious confrontation.

4. Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu repeatedly ignores or opposes Milluki’s betting advice, turning their disagreement into an accidental winning strategy.
• Milluki becomes increasingly frustrated and suspicious, even asking whether Bai Zhu is cheating.
• Bai Zhu mocks Milluki’s hidden identity and blames him for exposing them by using a false surname.
• Milluki warns Bai Zhu not to provoke the casino, while Bai Zhu remains curious and deliberately challenges the casino’s authority.
• The manager maintains formal courtesy while coercing them, creating a sharp contrast with Bai Zhu’s blunt defiance.
• The chapter closes with the manager and Bai Zhu positioned for a Nen confrontation, while Milluki stands tense and protective of the winnings.

Chapter Summary: “Chicken Flying, Dogs Jumping”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu and Milluki are confronted by the manager of Sea God Palace after Bai Zhu wins seventeen consecutive casino rounds, triggers the largest slot-machine payout, and hits roulette numbers four times.
• The manager accuses Bai Zhu of cheating and demands all his winnings, plus one of his hands. Bai Zhu refuses and immediately knocks her unconscious.
• Bai Zhu and Milluki fight their way out of the VIP room. Bai Zhu uses his spiritual abilities, including Bakudō #4: Hainawa to bind attackers and Shunpo to evade a Nen whip user.
• Milluki supports the escape with smoke bombs, flash devices, hacking equipment, surveillance disruption, alarms, and electroshock spiders.
• Bai Zhu defeats the casino’s Nen-using whip fighter and several other guards without killing anyone.
• During the chaos, Bai Zhu earns a hidden achievement for completing a “no-kill” casino brawl, gaining achievement points and improving his overall resources.
• The pair hack the exchange counter and convert their casino winnings into cash. They are then confronted by another group of thugs, whom Bai Zhu defeats just as the police arrive.
• Milluki reveals that he called the police, helping create further confusion. The two escape through the back door in Milluki’s transforming vehicle.
• Bai Zhu drives despite only having theoretical driving experience, terrifying Milluki as they speed away from the casino.
• The chapter ends with a large ferry approaching their path. Bai Zhu realizes he must draw his Zanpakutō, setting up the next confrontation.

2. Character Developments

• Bai Zhu remains calm, reckless, and confident under pressure. He treats the casino fight as both entertainment and an opportunity to earn achievement points, showing his growing reliance on the system and his enjoyment of dangerous situations.
• His combat abilities continue to impress Milluki. Bai Zhu’s speed, Shunpo, spiritual binding techniques, and hand-to-hand attacks demonstrate clear growth.
• Bai Zhu also shows a practical side by insisting on converting the winnings into physical cash and prioritizing escape over unnecessary fighting.
• Milluki develops from an anxious observer into an effective escape partner. Although frightened by Bai Zhu’s impulsiveness, he contributes crucial technology: explosives, flash devices, hacking tools, surveillance interference, mechanical spiders, and electrical weapons.
• Milluki demonstrates specialized knowledge of casino security and systems, suggesting that his apparent “theoretical research” may come from previous failed attempts or extensive preparation.
• Their partnership becomes more coordinated. Bai Zhu handles combat and movement while Milluki handles technology, hacking, disruption, and logistics.

3. Significant Themes

• Chaos as strategy: The escape succeeds because Bai Zhu and Milluki create confusion rather than relying solely on force. Alarms, smoke, hacked broadcasts, police sirens, and electrical devices overwhelm the casino’s security.
• Improvised teamwork: The pair’s contrasting skills complement each other. Bai Zhu’s combat ability balances Milluki’s technological expertise.
• Risk and recklessness: Bai Zhu repeatedly acts without warning, dragging Milluki into danger, while Milluki’s fear contrasts with Bai Zhu’s enthusiasm.
• Money and opportunism: Bai Zhu views the casino not only as a place to gamble but as a source of rewards, achievement points, and cash.
• Nonlethal violence: Despite the scale of the brawl, Bai Zhu consciously or incidentally avoids killing anyone, earning a hidden achievement for the feat.
• Comedic partnership: Much of the tension is undercut by banter, especially Milluki’s panic and Bai Zhu’s teasing. Their arguments reveal growing familiarity and trust.

4. Character Interactions

• The manager attempts to intimidate Bai Zhu, but he mocks her accusations and immediately attacks when she threatens him.
• Milluki repeatedly warns Bai Zhu against provoking Nen users, but Bai Zhu dismisses his concerns and insists that the danger is “fun.”
• Bai Zhu treats Milluki as a portable arsenal, while Milluki protests that his equipment is sophisticated technology rather than “junk.”
• Their escape is filled with insults and jokes, including Bai Zhu teasing Milluki about his age, equipment, and fear.
• Milluki initially panics during Bai Zhu’s Shunpo but quickly becomes useful by hacking surveillance and deploying devices.
• At the end, Milluki’s terror at Bai Zhu’s driving contrasts with Bai Zhu’s amusement, reinforcing their mismatched but effective partnership.

Chapter Summary: A Lifelong Matter, Settled Tonight

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu and Milluki stop near Kik Port after seeing an unfamiliar ferry arrive. Milluki confirms that the ship is not listed on any public route and suspects it may be connected to the Hunter Exam.
• Bai Zhu refuses to investigate immediately, reasoning that the ferry will need to restock supplies before departing. Instead, he decides to return to the hotel to handle a more important matter.
• The pair escape the aftermath of their casino operation. Milluki erases the vehicle’s tracking data and sabotages the casino’s surveillance, access records, and alarms, delaying the police investigation.
• They return to their penthouse with two cases of casino money. Their constant arguing highlights their unusual but increasingly cooperative partnership.
• Bai Zhu checks his system status. With 1,469 total achievement points, 43 available points, and 14,690 Reiatsu, he is finally eligible to draw the true name of his Zanpakutō.
• After postponing the ritual for several days due to various excuses, Bai Zhu decides that the time is right. He takes out his sword and prepares to give it its true name.
• He orders Milluki to prepare an altar, incense, clean water, and fruit as ritual offerings. Milluki becomes fascinated by the process and asks whether he can observe.

Character Development

• Bai Zhu: Shows patience and strategic thinking by postponing investigation of the mysterious ferry until morning. He also demonstrates increasing confidence in his strength, luck, and supernatural abilities. His decision to name his Zanpakutō marks an important step toward completing or unlocking its full potential.
• Milluki: Proves highly capable with technology and cybercrime, successfully covering their tracks and disrupting the casino’s systems. Although nervous about Bai Zhu’s reckless behavior, he remains loyal and curious, becoming deeply interested in the mechanics behind Bai Zhu’s abilities.
• Their partnership: Their relationship develops through sarcastic banter, mutual reliance, and practical cooperation. Milluki complains constantly but continues helping Bai Zhu, while Bai Zhu recognizes and exploits Milluki’s skills.

Significant Themes

• Ritual and transformation: Naming the Zanpakutō represents a major transition, suggesting that identity, power, and completion are connected to formal recognition.
• Luck versus control: Bai Zhu’s attempt to lose his luck at the casino instead leads to greater success, money, and achievement points, emphasizing his inability to control his circumstances.
• Crime and moral justification: The characters repeatedly argue over whether stealing casino money is criminal or merely “recovering spoils of war,” using humor to blur the line between self-defense and wrongdoing.
• Partnership through conflict: Their frequent arguments conceal genuine cooperation and growing trust.
• Curiosity and forbidden knowledge: Milluki’s fascination with Bai Zhu’s abilities reflects the chapter’s broader interest in systems, conditions, hidden rules, and the limits of understanding.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki exchange sarcastic insults throughout the journey, especially over Milluki’s fake identity, unpaid assistant fee, hacking skills, and physical fitness.
• Milluki initially worries that Bai Zhu intends to escalate their criminal activities, but he continues assisting with the escape and hotel setup.
• Bai Zhu teases Milluki about being suited for crime, while Milluki insists his actions are technical expertise and self-defense.
• When Bai Zhu announces that he is handling a “lifelong matter,” Milluki humorously assumes he plans to marry. The misunderstanding is corrected when Bai Zhu reveals that he intends to name his Zanpakutō.
• Milluki shifts from suspicion to intense scholarly interest, eagerly questioning the ritual’s requirements and asking to witness the naming ceremony.

Chapter Summary: “Unknown Residual Filth”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu orders Milluki to prepare a ritual space while he showers, insisting that drawing his Zanpakuto’s name is a serious, once-in-a-lifetime matter.
• Milluki reluctantly arranges an altar table with a white cloth, fruit, incense, and candles in their hotel suite. Suspicious of Bai Zhu’s unusual powers, he secretly hides a recorder to document the ritual.
• After emerging from the shower, Bai Zhu places his Zanpakuto on the altar and prepares to activate the system option allowing him to draw the sword’s name.
• Bai Zhu chants prayers to a bizarre mixture of religious and mythological figures, including Taoist deities, Buddha, Jesus, Zeus, Odin, Allah, Shiva, and Amaterasu. His broad appeals humorously suggest that he is trying to maximize his chances of receiving divine assistance.
• Milluki is caught recording the ceremony and reluctantly turns off the device after Bai Zhu threatens him. Bai Zhu warns him not to spy because of possible “divine retribution.”
• Bai Zhu confirms the draw. The sword trembles, heats up, and produces strange whispers. The system reports that his Reiatsu exceeds 10,000 but also detects “foreign contamination residue” and “unknown residual filth.”
• The blade-name generation becomes disrupted, and the system offers Bai Zhu the dangerous option of continuing a “forced draw.”
• A mysterious voice whispers, “The door... is beyond the sea...” Bai Zhu rejects it and proceeds anyway.
• The ritual abruptly causes the hotel room’s lights and candles to go out, leaving Milluki terrified and questioning what Bai Zhu has summoned.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu: Reveals a serious and ritualistic side beneath his normally lazy, opportunistic behavior. Although he treats the ceremony with formal care, he also displays reckless determination by continuing despite signs of supernatural interference. His confidence and willingness to challenge the unknown remain central to his character.
• Milluki: Becomes increasingly fascinated by Bai Zhu’s powers and tries to approach the ritual as an academic experiment. However, his curiosity is balanced by genuine fear, especially when the ceremony begins producing unexplained phenomena. He acts as both observer and comic relief.

Significant Themes

• The unknown nature of power: Bai Zhu’s abilities continue to defy the established Nen system, suggesting the existence of foreign forces, gods, contamination, or another supernatural framework.
• Curiosity versus danger: Milluki’s desire to record and analyze the ritual conflicts with his fear of its consequences. Bai Zhu likewise chooses to continue despite clear warnings.
• Faith and uncertainty: Bai Zhu’s indiscriminate prayers blend sincerity, humor, and desperation, emphasizing that neither he nor Milluki understands the forces involved.
• Contamination and intrusion: The system’s references to “foreign contamination residue” and “unknown residual filth” imply that an outside influence has entered or affected Bai Zhu’s power, creating a larger mystery.
• Foreshadowing: The whisper about a door beyond the sea and the blackout suggest that the forced draw may connect Bai Zhu to a dangerous external realm or entity.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki bicker throughout the preparation, with Bai Zhu exploiting their shared winnings to force Milluki’s cooperation.
• Milluki’s attempts to investigate Bai Zhu are repeatedly undercut by Bai Zhu’s threats and awareness of his spying.
• Their relationship combines irritation, mistrust, and reluctant cooperation: Milluki fears Bai Zhu but remains too curious to leave, while Bai Zhu tolerates Milluki as long as he follows instructions.
• The ritual’s disturbing outcome shifts their banter into genuine alarm, ending the chapter with Milluki panicking over what Bai Zhu may have invoked.

Chapter Summary: “Four Burning Characters”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A sudden blackout begins in Bai Zhu and Milluki’s hotel suite, then spreads across Kik Port: signs, streetlights, dock searchlights, and electronic devices all fail.
• Bai Zhu realizes the system is conducting a forced draw to determine the name of his Zanpakutō. The system is disrupted by an unknown “contamination” or residual force, while strange multilingual text and symbols flood the panel.
• The system first produces Sode no Shirayuki, exciting Bai Zhu with the prospect of an elegant ice-type Zanpakutō. However, the name is corrupted and erased before it can be finalized.
• A mysterious voice again whispers, “The gate... is on the other side of the sea,” while fiery energy surges through Bai Zhu’s sword.
• The final result is revealed as Ryujin Jakka, the powerful fire-type Zanpakutō associated with Yamamoto from Bleach. The system confirms the sword’s name has awakened, but Bai Zhu’s attributes are currently too low to fully unlock its Shikai.
• The awakening causes a city-level power anomaly, earning Bai Zhu a hidden achievement: “Awaken the Oldest Flame!”, rewarding him with 50 achievement points.
• Bai Zhu celebrates dramatically on the balcony, while Milluki becomes increasingly suspicious and demands to know what he drew.
• A distant ferry flashes its lights three times, apparently signaling them. Bai Zhu and Milluki decide to investigate.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu: Experiences intense anxiety during the draw, followed by disappointment when Sode no Shirayuki is erased and overwhelming excitement when Ryujin Jakka is selected. His priorities remain partly practical—he recognizes that releasing the sword fully could devastate Kik Port—but he is also thrilled by its power and prestige. He becomes more secretive about the sword’s identity and realizes that he must improve his attributes before accessing its full potential.
• Milluki: Shows fear and confusion as Bai Zhu’s power destabilizes the room and the entire port. Despite being frightened, he remains curious and confrontational, repeatedly questioning Bai Zhu and demanding information. He also demonstrates caution by preparing a protective shield and noticing the ferry’s signal.

Significant Themes

• Power and restraint: Ryujin Jakka’s immense destructive potential contrasts with Bai Zhu’s inability to use it fully, emphasizing that power requires control and sufficient strength.
• Uncertainty and hidden forces: The system’s contamination, the recurring oceanic whisper, and the unexplained ferry signal suggest larger supernatural forces operating beyond Bai Zhu’s understanding.
• Luck, reward, and progression: The sword draw resembles a game-like achievement system, with Bai Zhu receiving an exceptionally powerful result and bonus points for triggering a regional anomaly.
• Secrecy and trust: Bai Zhu deliberately withholds the sword’s name from Milluki, creating tension between them despite their cooperation.
• Comedy amid danger: The chapter balances apocalyptic-feeling supernatural events with Bai Zhu’s gloating, Milluki’s exasperation, and their sarcastic argument over the destroyed terminal and casino winnings.

Character Interactions

• Milluki repeatedly tries to check whether Bai Zhu is alive and understand the strange power surrounding him, while Bai Zhu orders him to stay quiet.
• After the draw, Milluki presses Bai Zhu for the sword’s name and accuses him of hiding information. Bai Zhu evasively calls it a “trade secret” and jokes about Milluki’s curiosity.
• Their banter reveals a familiar but distrustful relationship: Milluki is wary of Bai Zhu’s secrets, while Bai Zhu enjoys teasing and misleading him.
• Both characters ultimately focus on the ferry’s repeated light signal, shifting from arguing about the sword to cooperating in investigating the new mystery.

Summary

Bai Zhu and Milluki prepare to leave their hotel after Bai Zhu’s earlier experiment has caused a citywide blackout. Milluki worries that Bai Zhu’s weapon—the Zanpakuto disguised as a fire poker—will attract suspicion, but Bai Zhu dismisses the concern and insists they investigate what is happening.
Bai Zhu hints that he has obtained the “strongest” Zanpakuto, exciting Milluki despite his frustration and caution. He refuses to reveal its details, teasing that Milluki is no longer technically his teammate and warning that even naming it carelessly could cause trouble. Milluki compares Bai Zhu’s behavior to someone who has won the lottery but is afraid to tell his family, correctly recognizing Bai Zhu’s barely contained excitement.
Instead of going directly to the port, Bai Zhu drives them to an isolated breakwater so he can test the weapon. Milluki initially protests but ultimately agrees, provided they find an empty area. His caution is emphasized by his hiding behind a reef and using Ken to protect himself, especially because Bai Zhu has a history of dangerous accidents, including destroying a Church.
At the testing site, Bai Zhu draws the Zanpakuto and prepares to activate it. He reveals that its name has awakened even though he has not fully unlocked its Shikai abilities. The weapon is Ryujin Jakka, a legendary fire-based Zanpakuto. As Bai Zhu pours Reiatsu into the blade, it begins radiating intense heat. He imagines a sea of fire and plans possible escape routes in case the release becomes uncontrollable. The chapter ends as he begins reciting the release command: “All Things in the Universe, become ashes—”

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu becomes increasingly excited and confident about obtaining Ryujin Jakka, though he tries to disguise his enthusiasm. His recklessness is balanced by some preparation, as he considers escape routes and chooses an isolated testing location.
• Milluki remains anxious about Bai Zhu’s dangerous abilities but is too curious to refuse witnessing the test. He acts as the cautious, technically minded counterbalance to Bai Zhu’s impulsiveness.
• Their relationship develops through teasing, arguments, and reluctant cooperation. Milluki’s role as a “technician” and Bai Zhu’s mockery of him as “Young Master” reinforce their informal but tense partnership.

Significant Themes

• Power and danger: Bai Zhu has acquired an exceptionally powerful weapon but cannot yet fully control or understand it.
• Curiosity versus caution: Milluki knows the test may be dangerous, yet his desire to see the weapon overrides his fear.
• Secrecy and responsibility: Bai Zhu refuses to explain the Zanpakuto fully, suggesting that knowledge of its name and abilities carries consequences.
• Comedic partnership amid chaos: The serious threat of a citywide blackout and potentially catastrophic weapon is contrasted with their bickering and sarcastic exchanges.
• Uncontrolled potential: The incomplete Shikai awakening suggests that Bai Zhu’s true power has not yet been fully realized.

Key Interactions

• Milluki questions Bai Zhu about the blackout and the Zanpakuto, while Bai Zhu evades his questions.
• Bai Zhu repeatedly mocks and dismisses Milluki, but still treats him as a companion whose safety matters.
• Milluki challenges Bai Zhu’s recklessness by demanding an open, unpopulated testing area and taking protective measures.
• Bai Zhu and Milluki’s argument over driving highlights their combative but familiar teamwork.

Chapter Summary: “Lighter”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu attempts to activate Ryujin Jakka’s Shikai by shouting its release command.
• Instead of producing overwhelming flames, the sword generates only a tiny flame that is immediately extinguished by the wind.
• The system warns that Bai Zhu lacks the Reiatsu and output necessary to properly support Ryujin Jakka. For now, its only practical functions are starting fires, lighting cigarettes, and roasting marshmallows.
• Milluki mocks Bai Zhu, joking that his supposedly “strongest” weapon is merely a lighter. Bai Zhu defends it as being in a “juvenile form” with unlimited potential, while threatening Milluki when the teasing continues.
• Milluki later offers a more serious explanation: extremely powerful abilities often require greater development and restrictions. The fact that Bai Zhu can summon even a small flame suggests that the ability’s potential has been unlocked, though his current power is insufficient.
• After returning to the port, the city’s electricity gradually comes back online. Milluki investigates the large ferry connected to the Hunter Exam and discovers that its route information is restricted.
• The ferry appears legitimate and is accepting Hunter Exam candidates, but Bai Zhu becomes suspicious because it is too large, modern, and advanced compared with the exam ship he remembers.
• Bai Zhu also notices that the timing contradicts Lippo’s note, which stated that the ship had already departed early. He concludes that the ferry at the main pier may be a decoy or a different vessel.
• Bai Zhu and Milluki leave the main pier to search the harbor for the real examination ship, believing the dawn signal may have been intended for another vessel.
• A crewman intercepts them and claims that the examination ship is at the main pier. He warns that leaving the boarding area without authorization will count as forfeiting the exam.
• Bai Zhu immediately questions how the man knew he was an examinee, suggesting that the crew’s knowledge and behavior confirm something suspicious.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu: Experiences disappointment when Ryujin Jakka proves dramatically weaker than expected, but he quickly masks it with humor and confidence in its future potential. His suspicion and observational skills become more prominent as he detects inconsistencies surrounding the ferry. He remains cautious and refuses to follow the obvious path without verifying the truth.
• Milluki: Initially serves as comic relief, openly ridiculing Bai Zhu’s failed Shikai activation. However, he also demonstrates useful technical knowledge, explaining ability development and investigating the ship’s records. Despite his wealthy, composed public persona, he trusts Bai Zhu’s judgment enough to abandon the main boarding line and follow him.
• The crewman: Appears polite and official but becomes suspicious by demonstrating unexpected knowledge of Bai Zhu’s identity and exam status. His warning about forfeiture may be an attempt to pressure or trap Bai Zhu and Milluki.

Significant Themes

• Potential versus present ability: Ryujin Jakka’s immense theoretical power contrasts sharply with Bai Zhu’s current limitations, emphasizing that possessing a powerful weapon does not mean one can immediately wield it effectively.
• Humor as emotional defense: Bai Zhu and Milluki use mockery and threats to cope with disappointment and tension, especially after the failed Shikai release.
• Suspicion and deception: The Hunter Exam process is presented as full of hidden motives, misleading appearances, and possible traps. Bai Zhu’s willingness to question official information distinguishes him from candidates who board without hesitation.
• Trust and judgment: Milluki relies on Bai Zhu’s instincts even when he does not fully understand the reasoning, showing growing cooperation between them.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki trade insults over the weak flame, with Milluki laughing at the “strongest lighter” and Bai Zhu threatening him into silence.
• Milluki shifts from teasing to offering a rational explanation for Bai Zhu’s limited power, giving him some encouragement.
• At the port, Milluki gathers information from the crew while Bai Zhu observes the ship and detects inconsistencies.
• When Bai Zhu decides not to board, Milluki initially worries about missing the exam but follows him rather than proceeding alone.
• The chapter ends with Bai Zhu confronting the suspicious crewman, whose claim that he is an examinee exposes that the pair may already be under observation.

Chapter Summary: “The Real Ship Wasn’t at the Dock”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu immediately becomes suspicious when a supposed crewman asks examinees to board the large ferry at the main dock but refuses to provide his registration number or explain where his list came from.
• He concludes that the ferry is likely a decoy and leads Milluki away from the crowd toward the cargo area, despite the other examinees mocking them and warning that they will forfeit.
• In the cargo district, Bai Zhu notices that several “dockworkers” appear more like trained killers than ordinary laborers. An old sailor then attempts to redirect them back toward the main dock, but Bai Zhu detects inconsistencies in the sailor’s clean clothing and dry footwear.
• At the entrance to Mooring Harbor, Bai Zhu identifies the supposedly restricted area as a likely hidden screening point. Several fake examinees try to discourage them from entering, but Bai Zhu notices matching marks around their wrists, suggesting they may have recently been restrained.
• Milluki hacks into the port’s lower-level dispatch system and discovers that an independent power source remained active in Mooring Harbor during the citywide blackout. He also finds a brief, unlisted signal sent from the harbor after the large ferry flashed its lights.
• The pair bypasses the guards by climbing over stacked containers and reaches the deepest berth, where they find an apparently derelict tugboat equipped with a brand-new communications antenna.
• Three candidates with altered or suspicious records arrive at the tugboat. A tall, thin examiner questions each of them about why they avoided the large ferry, then dismisses all three with a single “Get lost!”—in one case physically kicking a candidate away.
• Bai Zhu and Milluki approach next. Bai Zhu answers that the ferry looked “too real” to be genuine. The examiner gives the same rejection, ending the chapter on a cliffhanger and leaving their status uncertain.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu demonstrates sharp observational skills, skepticism, and confidence in his instincts. He detects forged officials, staged examinees, suspicious workers, and misleading environmental details that others overlook.
• He also takes on a protective and leadership-oriented role with Milluki, guiding him through danger while teasing him constantly.
• Milluki begins as anxious and easily provoked by the other examinees’ insults, but he gradually becomes a useful partner. His technical abilities allow him to uncover the harbor’s hidden energy use and communication signal.
• Milluki’s willingness to follow Bai Zhu despite his complaints shows that he trusts Bai Zhu’s judgment, even when he doubts the plan.
• The unknown examiner is established as intimidating, unpredictable, and highly selective, apparently testing candidates through an opaque judgment rather than a consistent verbal answer.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: The main ferry looks convincingly official, while the real examination site is hidden in a filthy, restricted harbor and disguised as a ruined tugboat.
• Observation and deduction: Success depends on noticing small inconsistencies—clean boots, false calluses, artificial enthusiasm, hidden technology, and altered records.
• Trust and teamwork: Milluki contributes technical expertise while relying on Bai Zhu’s field instincts, showing that their contrasting abilities complement each other.
• Testing beyond obvious rules: The examination is not merely about following instructions; candidates must recognize deception, remain skeptical, and interpret the examiner’s motives.
• Uncertainty and psychological pressure: The examiner’s repeated rejection of apparently reasonable answers makes the test deliberately confusing and destabilizing.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu repeatedly calms or provokes Milluki, calling him “young master” and “core star,” while still relying on him to investigate the harbor systems.
• Milluki argues against Bai Zhu’s risky plans but consistently follows him, revealing a mixture of fear, irritation, and growing trust.
• Other examinees ridicule the pair for rejecting the ferry, reinforcing the pressure to conform.
• Bai Zhu confronts the disguised candidates indirectly by identifying their deception; their sudden change in attitude confirms his suspicions.
• The final exchange between Bai Zhu and the tall examiner establishes a direct contest of judgment, ending just as Bai Zhu and Milluki appear to have failed the hidden test.

Chapter Summary: “Boarding Even If You Answer Wrong”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu confronts a burly dock gatekeeper who attacks him after Bai Zhu asks about the correct ship. Bai Zhu easily blocks the kick, intimidates him, and forces him to reveal that the obvious ship at the main pier is not the true examination vessel.
• The gatekeeper explains that a second ship is anchored offshore and carries the “real candidates.” The main ship can still reach the venue, but its examination content is apparently different and may serve as a decoy.
• Bai Zhu and Milluki follow the coastline instead of boarding the crowded ship. After nearly an hour, they locate an old, weathered wooden vessel anchored away from the harbor.
• Bai Zhu recognizes the captain, Nishimatsu, as an examiner, confirming that this is the genuine Hunter Exam ship. The vessel is almost empty because the examination has already begun and most applicants chose the ship at the main pier.
• Once aboard, Bai Zhu decides to find the captain and learn why the ship arrived early but never docked or collected candidates. He ignores the crew’s attempt to stop him and heads directly toward the captain’s cabin.
• At the end of the chapter, Bai Zhu reaches the cabin door and hears a cup being placed down and voices arguing inside, setting up the next confrontation or revelation.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu is shown as physically dominant, perceptive, and decisive. He defeats the gatekeeper without unnecessary violence, extracts the information he needs, correctly identifies the offshore ship, and confidently takes control of the situation.
• His calm, practical personality contrasts with his forceful actions. He claims to be “reasonable,” preferring intimidation and efficiency over fighting when words are sufficient.
• Milluki serves as the skeptical and talkative companion. He repeatedly questions Bai Zhu’s decisions, complains about the long walk and dangerous-looking ship, and remains confused about the exam’s setup. Despite his complaints, he follows Bai Zhu and ultimately boards the vessel.
• Milluki’s role also provides comic relief, especially through his arguments with Bai Zhu and his frustration at being silenced or outmaneuvered.
• The burly gatekeeper shifts from aggressive and intimidating to nervous and submissive once Bai Zhu overpowers him. His knowledge confirms the existence of the alternate ship, though he remains unwilling to explain the larger reason behind the deception.
• Captain Nishimatsu is reintroduced as an examiner and appears to have been waiting aboard the authentic examination ship, though his motives and the reason for remaining offshore are still unknown.

Significant Themes

• Deception and hidden tests: The two ships represent a deliberate test of judgment. Most applicants follow the obvious, crowded vessel, while the true candidates must notice inconsistencies and seek the less convenient option.
• Observation and critical thinking: Bai Zhu succeeds by questioning the official-looking arrangement and trusting indirect clues rather than following the crowd.
• Action versus hesitation: Bai Zhu acts quickly and confidently, while Milluki spends much of the chapter questioning and complaining. The contrast suggests that decisiveness is valuable in the examination.
• Power and intimidation: Bai Zhu’s strength allows him to control hostile encounters, but the chapter also emphasizes that he uses force selectively rather than recklessly.
• Examination as psychological testing: The Hunter Exam appears to test more than physical ability; applicants must recognize traps, interpret misleading information, and make independent choices.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu dominates his exchange with the gatekeeper, forcing him to abandon his aggressive attitude and disclose the location of the real ship.
• Bai Zhu and Milluki argue throughout the journey. Milluki demands explanations, while Bai Zhu dismisses his questions and urges him to keep up.
• Their banter reveals an antagonistic but functional partnership: Milluki complains constantly, yet relies on Bai Zhu’s judgment and follows him onto the dangerous-looking vessel.
• Bai Zhu treats the crew similarly to the gatekeeper, pushing past their objections and taking command of the situation.
• The chapter ends before Bai Zhu interacts with Captain Nishimatsu, but the argument inside the cabin suggests that an important conflict or explanation is about to unfold.

Chapter Summary: “An Unexpected Encounter”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu and Milluki arrive outside Captain Nishimatsu’s quarters and overhear an argument between Nishimatsu and the famous One-Star Sea Hunter, Morel Mackernasey.
• Morel wants to borrow the ship immediately to investigate a dangerous disturbance in the surrounding waters. Nishimatsu agrees to provide the ship and crew but refuses to remove all remaining Hunter Exam candidates.
• The disturbance is revealed to be severe: fish are swimming against the current, orcas are attacking fishing boats, the coastal food chain is collapsing, and three survey ships recently vanished after transmitting only sounds of impacts and human screams.
• Nishimatsu explains that Lippo specifically mentioned a junior candidate, implying that finding the ship would prove the candidate’s qualifications. Bai Zhu realizes Lippo’s message was not merely a warning about the ship’s departure—it deliberately guided him toward this encounter.
• Morel objects to taking inexperienced candidates into the dangerous waters. Nishimatsu proposes that Morel personally test the candidates, allowing only those capable of enduring the sea and confronting danger to join the investigation.
• Morel notices Bai Zhu and Milluki eavesdropping outside and orders them into the room. Bai Zhu calmly knocks before entering, treating the situation with deliberate courtesy despite Milluki’s alarm.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu: Demonstrates composure, intelligence, and strong situational awareness. He recognizes Morel immediately and understands the significance of the ocean disturbance, especially because it connects to the Red-Black Core’s earlier warning that “the door” lies across the sea. Although he briefly considers retreating, he decides that avoiding the danger may not make him safer and accepts the challenge.
• Milluki: Shows unusual nervousness and caution in the face of Morel’s overwhelming strength and the increasingly dangerous situation. He tries to frame his fear as practical “risk assessment,” while Bai Zhu openly acknowledges that fear is appropriate.
• Morel Mackernasey: Is introduced as a powerful, experienced, and uncompromising Hunter. He prioritizes the investigation and refuses to endanger himself by carrying incompetent candidates. His concern about the abnormal sea suggests both professional responsibility and genuine awareness of a threat beyond an ordinary exam.
• Captain Nishimatsu: Acts as a calm intermediary between Morel and the exam candidates. He respects the Hunter Exam’s harsh standards but still insists that the candidates be given a chance to prove themselves.
• Lippo: Though absent, he influences events significantly by directing Bai Zhu toward the ship and arranging the hidden qualification test.

Significant Themes

• Qualification through danger: The Hunter Exam is portrayed as more than a formal test; survival, courage, and the ability to assess danger are themselves qualifications.
• Curiosity versus self-preservation: Bai Zhu understands that retreat would be safer in the short term, but he also recognizes that the mystery surrounding the sea—and his connection to the Red-Black Core—may make avoidance impossible.
• The responsibility of experience: Morel’s refusal to take helpless candidates highlights the difference between bravery and recklessness. He is willing to accept capable newcomers but will not waste time rescuing those unprepared for danger.
• Hidden intentions and manipulation: Lippo’s message appears straightforward but is actually part of a larger plan to guide Bai Zhu into Morel’s test.
• The sea as an unknown threshold: The ocean is linked to an ominous supernatural mystery, suggesting that the Hunter Exam is escalating into a much larger and more dangerous adventure.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu controls Milluki’s reactions by silencing him while they eavesdrop, revealing Bai Zhu’s composure and Milluki’s impulsiveness.
• Nishimatsu and Morel argue over whether the candidates should accompany the investigation. Their exchange reflects a tension between institutional procedure and practical survival.
• Morel and Nishimatsu indirectly discuss Bai Zhu before meeting him, establishing that Bai Zhu’s arrival is being treated as a qualification test.
• When Morel catches Bai Zhu and Milluki listening, Bai Zhu responds confidently rather than defensively, while Milluki becomes visibly tense.
• The chapter ends with Bai Zhu knocking and entering Morel’s presence, marking the beginning of the true test.

Summary of “Morel’s Test”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu and Milluki enter Captain Nishimatsu’s cabin, where they meet Morel, a One-Star Hunter overseeing the unusual exam route.
• Morel questions why they want to remain aboard the ship, since it will not follow the normal Hunter Exam route. The vessel is investigating a missing ship, hostile sea beasts, and a disrupted coastal food chain.
• Bai Zhu learns that the “standard” exam routes are also dangerous: one ship is designed to eliminate all candidates, while another eliminates most participants before the official exam.
• Morel offers Bai Zhu the chance to leave and take a safer route, but Bai Zhu stays after the system identifies the ship as a special exam route and requires him to contact the temporary chief examiner.
• When Morel asks why Bai Zhu belongs on the ship, Bai Zhu claims that he can fight and save people, though he offers no concrete explanation. His evasive humor frustrates Milluki but amuses Captain Nishimatsu.
• Morel tests Bai Zhu’s practical suitability by asking whether he can swim, whether he gets seasick, and whether he has experience with sea beasts. Bai Zhu’s answers reveal that he has little maritime experience despite being confident in combat.
• Bai Zhu challenges Morel to test him directly. The system then announces a temporary test requiring Bai Zhu to remain aboard during Morel’s evaluation.
• Before the confrontation begins, a crewman reports that several southeast buoys have been dragged away by an unknown underwater force. Another fishing boat has been attacked.
• The ship at the main pier also sends a distress signal, reporting something “under the hull” and warning the crew not to turn on the lights. This confirms that the danger is widespread and not limited to the investigation ship.
• Morel cancels the personal test and orders everyone to deal with the maritime anomaly. The system changes Bai Zhu’s objective: he must assist Morel and remain aboard the ship.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu demonstrates boldness, sarcasm, and willingness to take risks, but his lack of experience at sea becomes apparent. He relies on humor and confidence to conceal uncertainty.
• Bai Zhu’s decision to stay is partly motivated by the system’s rewards and objectives, revealing that his choices are shaped not only by courage or duty but also by his desire to gain achievement points.
• Milluki is portrayed as intelligent but highly cautious and easily frightened. He repeatedly argues for the safer exam route, though he remains with Bai Zhu despite his complaints.
• Morel establishes himself as observant, intimidating, and pragmatic. He does not simply judge combat ability; he evaluates whether Bai Zhu can function in a dangerous maritime environment.
• Captain Nishimatsu appears amused by Bai Zhu’s irreverence and quietly supports the interaction, but he also takes responsibility for protecting the ship when the danger emerges.

Significant Themes

• Courage versus recklessness: Bai Zhu is willing to face danger, but Morel emphasizes that fighting ability alone is insufficient at sea.
• The limits of confidence: Bai Zhu’s bravado is challenged by questions about swimming, seasickness, and sea-beast experience.
• Risk and survival: Milluki’s caution contrasts with Bai Zhu’s willingness to accept danger, raising the question of whether prudence or boldness is more valuable in the Hunter Exam.
• Hidden manipulation and fate: The system continually redirects Bai Zhu toward increasingly dangerous objectives, suggesting that his path may be guided by forces beyond his control.
• Escalating mystery: The underwater attacks, missing buoys, vanished fishing boats, and warning about something beneath the hull establish a supernatural or unknown maritime threat.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu introduces Milluki insultingly as an expensive, bad-tempered technician, prompting Milluki to protest and revealing their antagonistic but familiar relationship.
• Morel recognizes Milluki as a Zoldyck and immediately notices his Nen, creating tension around the family’s reputation.
• Milluki repeatedly tries to persuade Bai Zhu to abandon the dangerous route, while Bai Zhu mocks his fear and calls him “young master.”
• Morel and Bai Zhu engage in a verbal contest, with Bai Zhu answering serious questions through sarcasm and Morel responding with restrained skepticism.
• Bai Zhu’s challenge nearly leads to a physical test, but the sudden emergency forces Morel to postpone judgment and treat Bai Zhu as a potential assistant rather than merely an examinee.

Chapter Summary: “Ghost Ship”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Captain Nishimatsu abruptly orders the crew to raise the sails and leave the dock, despite unstable winds. The crew extinguishes most of the lamps, releases the moorings, and sails into the open sea.
• Bai Zhu and Milluki join the captain, Morel, and the crew on deck. The deteriorating ship appears unsafe, causing Milluki to worry that it may sink.
• Morel warns everyone to stay away from the railings and instructs the lookouts to watch beneath the water. He emphasizes that at sea, the most dangerous situation is not seeing something, but seeing nothing at all.
• Bai Zhu remains troubled by the mysterious whisper he previously heard: “The door... is on the other side of the sea...” The lack of new information from the system makes him increasingly uneasy.
• As the ship sails for nearly an hour, the sea becomes foggy and silent. The crew spots a large ferry bearing the Hunter Association emblem—the vessel that had departed earlier.
• The ferry appears intact and lit, but completely deserted. No crew, examinees, machinery, or radio responses can be detected.
• The deck contains signs of sudden abandonment: scattered luggage, spilled supplies, registration documents, an overturned cup, and a life ring. There is no blood or evidence of a struggle.
• Morel prepares to board by ordering the crew to throw a grappling hook, but Bai Zhu stops him, suggesting they investigate remotely instead.
• Bai Zhu asks Milluki to use his reconnaissance technology. Milluki begins preparing his equipment, and Morel acknowledges that his devices may be safer and more reliable than physically scouting the apparently abandoned ferry.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu becomes more serious and cautious as the supernatural danger escalates. Although he continues teasing Milluki, he recognizes that the situation is far beyond a normal Hunter Exam and takes the abandoned ferry seriously.
• Milluki remains visibly frightened but demonstrates competence and initiative through his technical knowledge. His fear does not prevent him from preparing equipment to protect himself and the others.
• Captain Nishimatsu displays urgency and authority by immediately ordering the ship to depart, suggesting he understands the danger better than he explains.
• Morel acts as the practical leader on deck. His warnings and controlled response show experience with maritime threats and abnormal situations.
• The relationship between Bai Zhu and Milluki develops through constant bickering and mutual dependence. They deny getting along, but Bai Zhu protects Milluki and relies on his technology, while Milluki instinctively stays near Bai Zhu when frightened.

Significant Themes

• Fear of the unseen: The chapter repeatedly emphasizes that invisible or undetectable dangers are more frightening than visible threats.
• Isolation and disappearance: The abandoned ferry creates horror through the unexplained absence of everyone aboard, with no violence or warning.
• Preparation versus recklessness: Morel and Bai Zhu favor caution and observation rather than rushing into danger, while Milluki’s technology represents the value of preparation.
• Humor amid terror: Bai Zhu and Milluki’s sarcastic exchanges provide comic relief, but their jokes also reveal their fear and strengthen their uneasy partnership.
• The Hunter Exam exceeding expectations: Bai Zhu reflects that the examination has transformed from a conventional test into a dangerous supernatural survival situation.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu repeatedly mocks Milluki’s fear of the ship sinking and the possibility of a ghost ship, while Milluki protests and threatens to expose Bai Zhu’s secrets.
• Morel notices their constant arguments and remarks that they seem to get along, prompting both to deny it simultaneously.
• When Morel prepares to board the ferry, Bai Zhu intervenes and asks Milluki to deploy his equipment. Bai Zhu vouches for Milluki’s usefulness, despite insulting his attitude.
• The chapter ends with Milluki taking on an important investigative role as the group prepares to examine the ghostly, abandoned ferry from a distance.

Chapter Summary: “New Product”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Milluki unveils his upgraded reconnaissance devices: swarms of Mechanical Mosquitoes and a larger emerald-green Mechanical Dragonfly called the “Signal Hub.”
• The devices are designed to resist Nen interference, transmit over greater distances, and operate for longer periods, though they are not strong enough for direct combat.
• Milluki deploys the mechanical insects aboard the giant ferry to investigate the disappearance of its passengers and crew.
• The insects search lounges, corridors, cabins, dining areas, crew passages, the infirmary, bridge, engine room, and lower decks. Every area is empty, though the ship remains powered and largely undamaged.
• Evidence suggests the disappearance was not a voluntary evacuation:
  • Personal belongings and food were left behind.
  • The bridge shows signs of panic, including an overturned chair and scattered footprints.
  • The engine room has been manually tampered with.
  • Registration cards remain on the lower deck, despite their owners being gone.
• Morel and Bai Zhu conclude that the incident does not resemble either a normal evacuation or a straightforward attack.
• Milluki explains his Nen ability, Compression Space, which allows him to shrink nonliving objects and reduce their mass. His equipment bag therefore contains a concealed arsenal of tools, weapons, drones, shields, and power supplies.
• Milluki reveals that he once hoped to preserve an object’s original mass while shrinking it, effectively creating an extremely dense weapon. Bai Zhu jokes that this would amount to creating a hand-built black hole.
• The search continues until Bai Zhu notices something disturbing beneath the ship. Before the insects can investigate fully, all transmissions are disrupted.
• The final image sent by the Mechanical Dragonfly shows a pool of viscous liquid in the ferry’s lowest cargo hold, ending the chapter on a threatening cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Milluki demonstrates increased confidence in his inventions, especially the upgraded mechanical insects, though he remains anxious about the mysterious disappearance and reluctant to enter the ferry personally.
• He also reveals more about his Nen ability and technical ambitions, showing that he is not merely an inventor but someone capable of developing potentially dangerous high-density weapons.
• Bai Zhu acts as the main analytical force, identifying inconsistencies in the scene and recognizing that the missing registration cards contradict the idea that the passengers escaped voluntarily. His protective and teasing relationship with Milluki is reinforced.
• Morel remains calm and observant, directing the investigation toward important areas such as the bridge and engine room. He becomes increasingly interested in both Milluki and Bai Zhu, recognizing that neither is as ordinary as they appear.
• Captain Nishimatsu provides key information about the number of passengers and crew, emphasizing the enormous scale of the disappearance.

Significant Themes

• Mystery and unnatural disappearance: The intact ship and missing occupants create a disturbing sense that something abnormal occurred without leaving conventional evidence.
• Technology versus Nen: Milluki’s mechanical insects are developed specifically to resist Nen interference, showing the interaction between advanced machinery and supernatural abilities.
• Hidden capability: Milluki’s portable equipment and Compression Space ability reveal that appearances are deceptive; both his bag and his abilities conceal far more power than expected.
• Unease created by absence: The lack of blood, destruction, and bodies is more frightening than obvious violence, suggesting an unfamiliar and possibly supernatural threat.
• Potential danger of invention: Milluki’s abandoned idea of preserving mass while compressing objects hints at the destructive possibilities of his scientific creativity.

Important Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki exchange sarcastic remarks about the “Signal Hub,” the Hunter Exam, and Milluki’s equipment bag, highlighting their familiar, argumentative bond.
• Morel questions Milluki about his inventions and Nen ability, causing Milluki to reveal information he had previously kept private.
• Bai Zhu mocks Milluki’s idea of a high-density mass weapon, while Milluki defensively insists it was not intended to create a black hole.
• Morel silently evaluates both Milluki and Bai Zhu, recognizing their unusual abilities and the unexplained trust or connection between them.
• The group’s shared investigation gradually shifts from routine reconnaissance to a serious search for the source of a potentially dangerous phenomenon beneath the ferry.

Chapter Summary: “A Seasoned Veteran”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Milluki reviews the final footage from his Mechanical Mosquitoes and discovers that the surveillance devices abruptly lost power after recording a pool of mysterious, corrosive-looking slime in the ferry’s cargo hold.
• His Mechanical Dragonflies also go offline, suggesting that the entire swarm was disabled by either overwhelming Nen pressure or an electromagnetic effect.
• Morel examines the footage and identifies the substance as slime, while Captain Nishimatsu initially wonders whether it came from a sea beast.
• Morel uses his Deep Purple ability to create Smoke Soldiers and sends them onto the abandoned ferry to investigate remotely.
• Following Milluki’s warning, Morel avoids sending the Smoke Soldiers through the same route as the destroyed insects. One Smoke Soldier retrieves a small piece of the slime from the lower deck.
• The slime appears to be alive: it spreads across the tray, shrinks, and corrodes the metal beneath it. The crew seals it in a glass container for transport and testing.
• Sonar scans reveal no sea beasts, reefs, submarines, or other moving objects beneath the ferry. This deepens the mystery, since more than three hundred people have disappeared without any visible damage or signs of combat.
• Morel concludes that an ordinary magical beast could not have caused the incident. A Nen user might be responsible, but even Captain Yoshi—himself an Ability user—left no trace.
• Rather than investigate recklessly, Morel orders the ship to return to port. He recommends reassessing the mission, bringing additional personnel and equipment, consulting old records, and sending the slime sample to the Hunter Association.
• The ship turns away, leaving the enormous, brightly lit ferry drifting empty in the fog.

Character Developments

• Milluki shifts from grief and frustration over losing his machines to providing valuable tactical analysis. His technological expertise helps identify possible causes of the interference and warns Morel against repeating dangerous investigative methods.
• Bai Zhu remains cautious and observant. His instinctive discomfort around the slime suggests he may sense its danger more acutely than the others, though he deliberately avoids making light of the situation.
• Morel demonstrates the judgment of an experienced Hunter. Instead of allowing curiosity or pride to push the team into further danger, he uses remote scouting, gathers evidence, and chooses retreat and preparation over reckless action.
• Captain Nishimatsu acts responsibly by accepting Morel’s assessment and ordering the ship back to port, despite the unresolved mission.
• Milluki and Bai Zhu’s banter provides comic relief, but both ultimately recognize that retreat is the rational and professional decision.

Significant Themes

• Prudence over bravado: The chapter emphasizes that withdrawing from an unknown threat can be a sign of strength and professionalism rather than cowardice.
• The limits of technology and observation: Despite sophisticated machines and repeated sonar scans, the investigators cannot determine what happened, highlighting how little they understand the threat.
• The danger of the unknown: The living slime, vanished passengers, intact ferry, and lack of detectable enemies create a horror atmosphere built on uncertainty and invisible forces.
• Experience and leadership: Morel’s willingness to reassess the mission and seek reinforcements shows the value of seasoned judgment.
• Humor amid fear: Milluki and Bai Zhu’s sarcastic exchanges relieve tension while also revealing their shared survival instincts.

Character Interactions

• Milluki repeatedly argues with Bai Zhu over whether their behavior reflects cowardice or rational caution, with Bai Zhu teasing him while still acknowledging his practical thinking.
• Morel answers Milluki’s questions about Deep Purple, revealing the ability’s versatility and prompting Milluki’s professional admiration.
• Milluki advises Morel on the risks of sending the Smoke Soldiers through the same path as the destroyed insects, and Morel takes the warning seriously.
• Captain Nishimatsu consults Morel about the situation, ultimately accepting his recommendation to retreat.
• By the end, Milluki and Bai Zhu privately praise Morel’s decision to return to port, recognizing it as the mark of a truly seasoned Hunter.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• After returning from the dangerous ship, Milluki calculates the equipment lost during the mission, including mechanical mosquitoes and a relay dragonfly. Bai Zhu jokes with him about the debt, while Morel gives both of them reluctant praise for surviving and contributing.
• Morel explains that he needs three days to locate old sea charts and experienced specialists. The recovered sealed container is sent for testing, with strict instructions that only qualified personnel handle it.
• Morel gives Bai Zhu and Milluki the option to leave and take the Hunter Exam through another route. Milluki immediately suggests escaping, especially after hundreds of people disappeared aboard the mysterious ship.
• Bai Zhu is suddenly forced by the system to continue: a “Zetsu Death Mission” requires him to sail back out with the investigation team and investigate the ocean anomaly within three days. Failure will result in elimination, while success offers achievement points and a high-level Kidō draw.
• Unable to reveal the system’s orders, Bai Zhu pretends that he is staying out of responsibility for the danger threatening nearby coastal cities. He tells Milluki to leave if he wants.
• Milluki initially walks away, but returns after deciding that going home would be boring, he still needs to pass the exam, and he wants to recover data from his destroyed equipment. His stated concern that Bai Zhu must repay him disguises his unwillingness to abandon Bai Zhu.
• Milluki analyzes the missing ferry’s route, distress coordinates, buoy location, and the strange ship’s anchorage. Their paths converge near an old underwater trench designated as an abandoned no-sail zone. The relevant records have been deliberately deleted.
• Captain Nishimatsu brings them a decades-old photograph of a ship with a lamp at its bow and faceless, ink-crossed people standing beneath it. The photograph carries the warning: “Don’t turn on the light. The door will see.”

2. Character Developments

• Bai Zhu remains outwardly calm and sarcastic, but internally becomes furious and terrified when the system forces him back into danger. He tries to protect Milluki by giving him a genuine chance to leave, while disguising his own lack of choice as moral responsibility.
• Milluki shifts from fear and self-preservation to reluctant loyalty. Though he complains constantly and frames his return as financial or practical—recovering data and ensuring repayment—he ultimately chooses to remain with Bai Zhu.
• Morel continues to act as a demanding but perceptive mentor. His restrained praise acknowledges Milluki’s usefulness and Bai Zhu’s composure, while his decision to seek historical information shows that he recognizes the anomaly’s seriousness.
• Captain Nishimatsu supports the investigation and supplies crucial historical evidence, suggesting that the current disappearances may be connected to an older maritime incident.

3. Significant Themes

• Fear versus obligation: Bai Zhu’s decision to stay is not truly voluntary, but he presents it as responsibility, raising questions about whether courage matters when someone is compelled to act.
• Loyalty hidden beneath hostility: Milluki’s insults, complaints, and financial demands conceal genuine concern for Bai Zhu and a growing partnership between them.
• The cost of knowledge: Investigating the anomaly may reveal the truth, but every clue—from the deleted records to the old photograph—also increases the danger.
• The unknown and forbidden spaces: The abandoned trench, missing ships, erased documents, and cryptic warning establish the ocean anomaly as something ancient, concealed, and governed by unnatural rules.
• Light as danger and perception: The warning about the lamp implies that illumination may attract or reveal the entity behind the disappearances, reversing the usual association of light with safety.

4. Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki maintain a sarcastic creditor-debtor relationship, using jokes and insults to manage tension.
• Morel evaluates both men bluntly, offering minimal praise while emphasizing their usefulness and lack of proven ability.
• Bai Zhu tries to send Milluki away for his safety, but Milluki returns and insists on continuing, strengthening their bond.
• Milluki and Bai Zhu work together as investigators when Milluki maps the disappearance clues and identifies their convergence near the forbidden trench.
• Captain Nishimatsu’s arrival interrupts their analysis and provides the historical photograph that turns the mystery from a recent disappearance into a much older maritime threat.

Chapter Summary: “The Lighter Had Upgraded”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Captain Nishimatsu reveals that the strange “door” phenomenon near the Old Trench has happened before. Thirty years earlier, a fishing vessel with twelve people vanished; the sole survivor claimed there was a door beneath the sea, someone knocking behind it, and that the door “saw” them when they used a searchlight.
• The survivor reportedly went insane, and the relevant records were sealed. Morel had been investigating these same files and is expected to return after three days.
• Bai Zhu and Milluki retreat to a harbor hotel to prepare for the dangerous expedition. Bai Zhu checks his system and uses his remaining Achievement Points to improve his physical attributes and strengthen his Zanpakutō’s Ryujin Jakka.
• Ryujin Jakka initially produces only a tiny flame, prompting Milluki to mock it as a lighter. After Bai Zhu invests his points into Strength, the sword’s flame grows into a hot, persistent fire capable of scorching anyone who approaches. Bai Zhu views this as a major improvement, even though it remains far weaker than the weapon’s true form.
• Milluki spends the next two days constructing underwater reconnaissance devices. His equipment includes mechanical “Carapace Fish,” “Relay Rays,” a sonar buoy, and over a hundred “Lionfish.” His Nen ability, Compression Space, allows him to shrink the machines for transport.
• Bai Zhu tests his Reiatsu on one of Milluki’s underwater drones. The aura reduces signal interference and improves the machine’s performance in salt water. Impressed, Milluki asks Bai Zhu to enhance the rest of the equipment.
• By the third evening, the pair complete their reconnaissance equipment. Morel returns by speedboat with an Association member and an elderly man in a raincoat.
• Captain Nishimatsu calls Bai Zhu and reveals that Morel has brought back the survivor from the ship that disappeared thirty years ago, setting up the next stage of the investigation.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu: Becomes more proactive and serious about preparing for the mission because of the system’s death-penalty quest. He improves his combat ability by allocating all his Achievement Points to Strength, allowing Ryujin Jakka to develop from a weak spark into a dangerous blade engulfed in flame. He also demonstrates greater control over Reiatsu, using it not only as a weapon but as a means of enhancing technology.
• Milluki: Despite his constant sarcasm and complaints about the mission’s danger, he proves highly competent and dedicated. He spends days building sophisticated underwater machines and adapts his equipment specifically for marine exploration. His attitude toward Bai Zhu’s Reiatsu changes from suspicion to practical enthusiasm once he sees that it can improve his inventions.
• Morel: Remains mostly off-page but becomes more important through his investigation. His return with the former survivor suggests that he has uncovered crucial information about the Old Trench.
• Captain Nishimatsu: Acts as the source of historical information and alerts Bai Zhu to the survivor’s arrival.

Significant Themes

• Preparation against the unknown: The characters recognize that the Old Trench represents a threat beyond ordinary combat, so they rely on research, technology, and reconnaissance rather than rushing in blindly.
• Growth through incremental improvement: Bai Zhu’s Ryujin Jakka develops from an unimpressive spark into a functional weapon, emphasizing that even legendary power must be cultivated gradually.
• Cooperation between different powers: Reiatsu and Nen, initially treated as separate systems, prove mutually compatible. Bai Zhu’s aura improves Milluki’s machines, while Milluki’s technology expands Bai Zhu’s ability to investigate safely.
• Humor amid danger: Milluki’s jokes about death, lighters, and moving houses provide comic relief while also highlighting how genuinely terrifying the mission is.
• Secrets and forbidden knowledge: The sealed records, vanished ships, and surviving witness reinforce the mystery surrounding the Old Trench and suggest that powerful organizations have concealed the truth.

Important Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki continually insult and challenge each other, but their banter masks growing trust and cooperation.
• Milluki initially ridicules Ryujin Jakka’s tiny flame, but Bai Zhu’s improvement forces him to acknowledge its potential.
• Bai Zhu enhances Milluki’s underwater drone with Reiatsu, transforming their relationship from mutual skepticism into a practical partnership.
• Milluki reluctantly supports Bai Zhu during the exhausting enhancement process, even giving him water and warning him not to overexert himself.
• The chapter ends with Bai Zhu being summoned to meet Morel and the mysterious survivor, bringing the two protagonists directly to the story’s central mystery.

Chapter Summary: “Controlled Animals”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu and Milluki board a ship headed toward the Old Trench, where abnormal sea activity has been spreading. Morel, Captain Nishimatsu, the unstable survivor Pushi, and Voyage Bureau representative Gisa are also aboard.
• Pushi, the sole survivor of a fishing-boat disaster thirty years earlier, behaves as though he is trapped between the past and present. Certain sensory triggers—especially lights, fire, sounds, and objects connected to the incident—cause him to recall fragmented warnings.
• Gisa explains that Pushi has not entirely lost his memory; instead, he cannot reliably distinguish the past from the present. Gisa is both a Voyage Bureau employee and Pushi’s guardian.
• The Voyage Bureau has been monitoring the Old Trench because of unexplained anomalies. Milluki receives temporary Level-Three access to peripheral Bureau files and begins reviewing the evidence.
• Morel reveals a chart showing that abnormal sea-beast activity, missing ships, and the recent Hunter Exam ferry distress signal form a spreading pattern. The incidents are moving toward the harbor and threaten commercial sea routes.
• Reports show animals—including fish, seabirds, sea turtles, and dolphins—acting with unusual coordination and determination. They attack vessels without apparent fear, hunger, or instinctive retreat.
• Video evidence shows seabirds repeatedly crashing into a patrol boat’s cockpit window despite casualties and gunfire, suggesting deliberate, organized behavior.
• Bai Zhu asks whether a Nen ability is controlling the animals. Morel notes that controlling multiple species across such a wide area would be extremely difficult for an ordinary Nen user.
• Gisa presents the Voyage Bureau’s more disturbing theory: the phenomenon may not be direct control, but rather a form of contamination.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu remains skeptical and observant. He quickly recognizes that Pushi’s warnings may be connected to his own ability to use fire and begins questioning the meaning behind them.
• Milluki initially wants to abandon the mission but boards because of his debt to Bai Zhu and concern that Bai Zhu might die before repaying him. His irritation shifts into serious investigative focus once he accesses the Bureau’s files.
• Morel acts as the expedition’s leader and strategist, supplying the group with the broader geographic and investigative context.
• Pushi is portrayed as psychologically damaged and mentally trapped in the old disaster. His fragmented statements suggest he may possess crucial knowledge, even if he cannot communicate it coherently.
• Gisa is calm, professional, and more forthcoming than expected. He represents the Voyage Bureau’s interest in the case and provides restricted information while carefully distinguishing his own authority from the Bureau’s larger actions.
• Captain Nishimatsu emphasizes the practical danger of the spreading incidents, particularly the threat to commercial routes.

Significant Themes

• Trauma and memory: Pushi’s inability to separate past from present shows how the old disaster continues to control him. Sensory triggers unlock fragments of memory rather than a complete account.
• Hidden institutional information: The Voyage Bureau and port authorities appear to have withheld or deleted information about the danger, raising questions about secrecy and accountability.
• Nature turned hostile: Animals behave in coordinated, suicidal ways, challenging the distinction between natural instinct and supernatural influence.
• Control versus contamination: The chapter shifts the mystery from a simple Nen-based control ability to the more unsettling possibility that something has infected or altered the animals themselves.
• Patterns beneath apparent chaos: The scattered attacks initially seem random, but the chart reveals a consistent movement toward the harbor, suggesting an organized and expanding threat.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu teases Milluki for nearly backing out, while Milluki complains that Bai Zhu’s recklessness puts his debt—and possibly his own safety—at risk.
• Pushi reacts fearfully to Bai Zhu’s sword and warns that fire can “call the door,” hinting at a connection between Bai Zhu’s abilities and the original disaster.
• Milluki challenges Gisa over the Voyage Bureau’s erased or restricted records, showing his distrust of official explanations.
• Morel and Milluki collaborate in interpreting the evidence, with Morel guiding the investigation and Milluki uncovering the severity of the animal attacks.
• Gisa’s final explanation—that the phenomenon may be contamination rather than control—deepens the mystery and leaves the group facing a threat they do not yet understand.