Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “They Went into the Sea Themselves”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gisa reveals that the mysterious substance found in the sea is not venom or ordinary sea-beast tissue, but a colony of highly active microscopic parasites.
• The parasites become less active in dry conditions but are extremely infectious in seawater, with nearly a 100% infection rate. Infection is especially likely through bodily fluids, open wounds, or mucous membranes.
• The parasites may influence host behavior rather than directly controlling minds. They can induce fear, thirst, hallucinations, disorientation, and false perceptions of danger, making victims believe that entering the sea is the safest option.
• This explains the disappearance of roughly three hundred people from a ferry: they likely walked into the ocean voluntarily, believing they were escaping danger. There were no signs of a struggle, use of lifeboats, or mass resistance.
• The parasites appear to target Nen users because their strong life force makes them particularly attractive hosts. Animals such as seabirds, dolphins, and turtles may also be guided into attacking or interfering with ships to spread the infection.
• Pushi recounts what happened aboard his ship. Victims heard knocking beneath the sea and voices calling them home. One by one, they entered the water, while Pushi survived by hiding in a fish crate and masking his scent with fish blood.
• Pushi’s testimony suggests that the phenomenon involves more than parasites: the victims repeatedly referred to a “door,” and the sea itself seemed to perceive or respond to the ship’s lights.
• Milluki identifies major unanswered questions: the meaning of the “door,” why incidents disappeared for decades before expanding rapidly over the past six months, and what the Voyage Bureau is still concealing.
• Gisa reveals a classified record showing that the Old Trench was first locked down in 1879 because of “Door Resonance.” The record mentions nighttime lights reflecting on the sea, the salvage of black sediment, and responses to knocking beneath the water.
• Before the group can investigate further, the lookout sounds the alarm.

Character Developments

• Milluki becomes visibly frightened but highly analytical. He immediately puts on protective equipment, asks detailed questions about transmission, and connects the evidence to the ferry disappearances and the Old Trench’s history.
• Bai Zhu initially jokes about the danger, but the parasite revelation and Pushi’s story unsettle him. He begins taking the threat seriously and finds comfort in wearing the protective mask.
• Morel acts as the group’s calm investigator. He guides Pushi through his traumatic memories, organizes the evidence, and identifies the behavioral pattern behind the disappearances.
• Gisa provides the scientific and bureaucratic information, though his reluctance to reveal classified records increases suspicion toward the Voyage Bureau.
• Captain Nishimatsu grows increasingly alarmed as the evidence suggests that the ferry’s crew and passengers were manipulated rather than attacked by a conventional monster.
• Pushi shifts from a frightened, fragmented figure into the key witness. His memories provide the first personal account of the “knocking,” the voices, the “door,” and the victims’ voluntary descent into the sea.

Significant Themes

• Loss of agency: The most frightening aspect is that victims may not realize they are being controlled. They believe they are making rational choices while their perceptions are being manipulated.
• Contamination and invisible danger: Unlike a visible monster, the parasites can spread without immediate signs, making ordinary safety measures unreliable.
• Fear of the unknown: The threat combines biological infection with an unexplained supernatural or anomalous phenomenon represented by the “door.”
• Institutional secrecy: The Voyage Bureau’s hidden records suggest that authorities have known about the Old Trench for much longer than they admitted.
• Buried history returning: The 1879 lockdown shows that the current crisis is part of a much older pattern rather than a recent outbreak.
• Trauma and memory: Pushi’s fragmented recollections reveal how survivors process an incomprehensible event and how personal testimony can expose truths missing from official records.

Character Interactions

• Milluki and Bai Zhu develop a tense but familiar exchange: Milluki mocks Bai Zhu’s ignorance and demands caution, while Bai Zhu uses humor to cope with fear.
• Morel and Gisa collaborate in interpreting the parasite evidence, with Morel translating the implications into practical conclusions.
• Morel treats Pushi patiently, allowing him to recount the events without pressure. Pushi’s trust in Morel enables the group to learn what happened aboard the ferry.
• Milluki challenges Gisa and the Voyage Bureau over withheld information, accusing them of concealing a long-standing institutional problem.
• The entire group reacts with mounting unease as Pushi’s testimony confirms that the missing people entered the sea willingly and that something beneath the water may have called to them.

Chapter Summary: “The Gray-Finned Dolphins Arrived”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The ship’s alarm sounds, signaling an approaching threat from the direction of the Old Trench.
• Pushi panics and repeatedly warns that “they’re here,” insisting the approaching creatures are not ordinary fish but things that obey the “door’s words.” He also warns everyone not to answer them, look into the water, or turn on the lights.
• Morel takes command of the emergency response. He orders the ship to slow down, maintain its course, avoid entering the Old Trench, and divide the crew among the deck, cabin doors, and engine room.
• Morel uses Deep Purple to create smoke soldiers, positioning them throughout the ship for defense.
• Milluki deploys underwater surveillance and communication devices, including mechanical sea turtles, Relay Rays, lionfish sentries, sonar buoys, and cameras.
• Sonar initially detects sixteen contacts, but the number rapidly increases to over one hundred as the creatures spread out from the Old Trench and surround the ship.
• The creatures are identified as Gray-Finned Dolphins, a species normally considered gentle and friendly. These dolphins, however, have gray eyes, mucus-covered bodies, and move in unnaturally coordinated formations.
• The dolphins begin ramming the ship in waves, deliberately searching for vulnerable angles. Morel prevents the crew from firing, warning that blood may attract even more dangerous entities.
• Morel’s smoke soldiers form defensive layers around the ship: an outer barrier against the dolphins, a middle layer protecting the hull, and an inner layer guarding the deck and cabin doors.
• The ship withstands repeated impacts, revealing that its supposedly ordinary wooden hull is heavily reinforced and capable of repairing damaged boards.
• When Bai Zhu begins drawing his flaming sword, Pushi screams that fire and light will summon or attract the “door.” Morel advises Bai Zhu to follow Pushi’s warning until the rules become clearer, so Bai Zhu extinguishes the flame.

Character Developments

• Morel emerges as the calm, decisive leader. He quickly organizes the ship’s defenses, restrains the crew from making dangerous impulsive choices, and takes Pushi’s warnings seriously despite Pushi’s apparent instability.
• Pushi becomes increasingly important as a possible source of knowledge about the supernatural rules governing the Old Trench. His fear and fragmented repetitions suggest he understands the danger better than anyone else, even if he cannot explain it clearly.
• Milluki demonstrates strong technical skill and preparedness by rapidly deploying an extensive network of underwater machines and interpreting the sonar data. His constant complaints and jokes help conceal his anxiety while showing his mental resilience.
• Bai Zhu remains observant and capable but learns to restrain his usual reliance on his flaming sword. He accepts Morel’s judgment and begins treating Pushi’s warnings as potentially valid.
• Captain Nishimatsu proves disciplined and cooperative, immediately following Morel’s orders and reinforcing the crew’s obedience when panic begins to spread.
• The crew shifts from confusion and fear to coordinated defense under Morel’s leadership.

Significant Themes

• Unknown rules and supernatural danger: The repeated warnings about the “door,” light, fire, and forbidden responses suggest the threat operates according to incomprehensible but strict rules.
• Caution over instinct: The crew must avoid familiar solutions—such as firing weapons or using fire—because ordinary defensive actions may worsen the situation.
• Leadership during crisis: Morel’s authority and calm judgment prevent the crew from making fatal mistakes.
• Hidden strength and preparation: The ship’s reinforced construction and Milluki’s concealed equipment reveal that survival depends on resources and preparations not immediately visible.
• The corruption of the familiar: Normally harmless dolphins become frightening attackers, showing how the Old Trench transforms or distorts ordinary aspects of nature.
• Humor as psychological defense: Bai Zhu and Milluki continue teasing each other even during the attack, using banter to manage fear and maintain composure.

Character Interactions

• Morel questions Pushi but stops when the old man begins repeating himself, choosing observation over pressure.
• Milluki and Bai Zhu exchange sarcastic insults while working together, establishing a relaxed but cooperative relationship.
• Morel repeatedly overrides impulsive actions: he stops the crew from firing and prevents Bai Zhu from using his flaming sword.
• Captain Nishimatsu supports Morel’s commands and reinforces discipline among the crew.
• Bai Zhu recognizes Milluki’s competence, while Milluki resists acknowledging how much the others rely on his equipment.
• Morel’s willingness to trust Pushi’s warnings, despite calling the situation unclear, creates a cautious alliance between rational command and seemingly irrational prophecy.

Chapter Summary: “Dense Schools of Fish, All Gone Mad”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Xisong is attacked by infected Gray-Finned Dolphins and enormous schools of parasitized fish. The fish are unusually coordinated, targeting the hull, keel, propeller, drainage ports, and rudder rather than attacking randomly.
• Morel orders the sailors not to touch the fish, while Captain Nishimatsu organizes the crew to stabilize the ship, seal the lower hold, and operate the bilge pumps.
• Milluki discovers that the fish are also attacking and destroying his mechanical scouting devices. Worse, they use the devices—and even the bodies of other fish—to clog the ship’s drainage channels.
• The fish schools act collectively, suggesting that the infection creates a shared intelligence or centralized coordination system. Gisa reveals that this possibility existed in the Voyage Bureau’s internal hypotheses but was not included in the main report, infuriating Milluki.
• The rudder becomes jammed when fish force their bodies into its mechanisms. Blood attracts infected sharks, which join the assault.
• Morel uses Purple Smoke Cage to surround the Xisong with a smoke barrier, temporarily repelling the fish, dolphins, and sharks. Because the smoke blocks visibility, Milluki becomes the crew’s primary source of battlefield awareness.
• Milluki deploys his remaining mechanical creatures and coordinates with Morel, marking threats and directing the Smoke Soldiers to intercept incoming attacks. The team prevents further flooding for a time, though Morel’s smoke and Milluki’s equipment are steadily being overwhelmed.
• The situation becomes more horrifying when Milluki realizes the fish are smearing infectious slime into cracks in the ship’s wooden planks. The slime begins seeping into the lower hold, indicating that the creatures are trying not merely to sink the ship but to infect its occupants.
• Bai Zhu considers using fire, but Morel rejects the idea because it could create greater danger and reveal too much about their abilities. Bai admits that his current fire is only weak.
• Bai notices Pushi muttering that the fish crate where he survived thirty years earlier had contained water and fish blood. Since seawater should have carried nearly a one-hundred-percent infection risk, Bai begins to suspect that Pushi possesses some unexplained resistance or connection to the infection.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Bai Zhu becomes increasingly frustrated by his helplessness. Although armed and capable, he cannot safely use fire, lights, or Kidō. His irritation eventually turns into curiosity when he notices the inconsistency in Pushi’s survival.
• Morel remains calm and analytical under extreme pressure. He protects the ship with his smoke ability, coordinates defense, and refuses to use reckless measures without understanding their consequences.
• Milluki shifts from sarcastic technician to essential tactical commander. His mechanical devices provide the crew’s eyes and allow him to coordinate the defense, though he becomes furious when the fish exploit his equipment against them. His competence earns grudging admiration from the crew and Captain Nishimatsu.
• Captain Nishimatsu demonstrates strong leadership, issuing immediate orders to seal the lower hold, maintain the bilge pumps, and keep sailors away from contaminated seawater. He even attempts to flatter Milluki into cooperating, creating brief comic relief amid the crisis.
• Gisa is exposed as having withheld important information about the infection’s possible collective intelligence, worsening Milluki’s distrust of the Voyage Bureau.
• Pushi remains frightened and confused, repeating memories of the fish crate that once protected him. His past survival becomes potentially crucial to understanding the infection.
• Bai and Milluki continue their teasing, argumentative relationship, but Bai openly acknowledges Milluki’s usefulness. The crew also begins praising Milluki after seeing his technology help defend the ship.

Significant Themes

• Collective intelligence and adaptation: The infected creatures do not behave like ordinary animals. They coordinate attacks, use tools and corpses, exploit weaknesses in the ship, and adjust their tactics.
• Escalating biological horror: The danger progresses from physical assault to deliberate infection. The fish are not simply trying to destroy the vessel; they are attempting to contaminate and assimilate its occupants.
• Technology versus hostile nature: Milluki’s machines are vital for survival but can also be attacked and repurposed by the infected fish, showing that technology alone cannot guarantee control.
• Leadership under pressure: Morel, Nishimatsu, and Milluki each contribute different forms of leadership—strategic judgment, command discipline, and technological coordination.
• Hidden truths and incomplete information: The Voyage Bureau’s failure to disclose its suspicions about coordinated infection highlights the danger of withheld knowledge.
• Unexplained immunity: Pushi’s survival in conditions that should have guaranteed infection introduces a major mystery and suggests that his past may hold the key to resisting or understanding the parasite.

Chapter Summary: “Bureaucrats!! Heh Heh!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu realizes that Pushi survived the fishing-vessel disaster not because fish blood or the fish hold were inherently safe, but because the hold was packed with ice.
• He deduces that the parasites primarily target living beings with strong activity or Nen signatures. Extremely low body temperature, weakened breathing, near-death conditions, and the use of Zetsu may make people less noticeable or less attractive as hosts.
• This theory offers a possible survival method, but the ship is already under severe attack:
  • The hull develops additional cracks.
  • Infected fish deliberately test the Smoke Wall, identifying weak points near the drainage channel and stern.
  • Morel’s Smoke Soldiers can block the parasites temporarily but cannot destroy them, meaning the ship will eventually be overwhelmed once Morel’s Nen weakens.
  • Pressure at the stern continues to rise.
• Bai Zhu asks whether the ship has enough ice to cool everyone, but Captain Nishimatsu confirms that the refrigerated compartment contains too little ice to help more than a few people.
• Realizing that low temperatures cannot solve the immediate crisis, Bai Zhu confronts Gisa and demands to know what information the inspection report withheld.
• Gisa finally reveals a hidden appendix containing thermal-reaction test results:
  • The parasite colony becomes more active above approximately 120°C.
  • At temperatures exceeding 300°C, its structure collapses and it temporarily loses its ability to infect.
• The chapter ends with Bai Zhu furious that this potentially vital information was buried in an appendix and dismissed as impractical.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu: Demonstrates sharp analytical ability by connecting Pushi’s survival to the ice in the fish hold. He shifts quickly from theorizing about passive survival to aggressively seeking an active solution. His anger at bureaucratic incompetence becomes increasingly difficult to control.
• Pushi: His fragmented statements about the fish hold, clean water, and fish blood unintentionally provide the clue that leads Bai Zhu to the ice theory.
• Morel: Remains pragmatic and focused on the survival problem. He recognizes that containment is temporary and openly condemns Gisa’s failure to reveal the parasite’s weakness sooner.
• Milluki: Continues acting as a technical observer and strategist, tracking the infected fish and the Smoke Wall’s weak points. His frustration turns into open hostility toward the Voyage Bureau.
• Gisa: Initially evades Bai Zhu’s questioning with bureaucratic explanations, but under pressure admits that the key thermal research was hidden in an appendix. His credibility collapses in the eyes of the crew.
• Captain Nishimatsu: Provides practical information about the ship and its resources, while his silence during Bai Zhu’s confrontation with Gisa suggests that he shares the crew’s distrust of the bureau.

Significant Themes

• Bureaucratic negligence: Vital scientific information was buried because officials deemed it impractical, demonstrating how administrative caution can become deadly during a crisis.
• Adaptation and scientific reasoning: Survival depends on correctly interpreting past events and understanding the parasites’ biological weaknesses.
• Life versus near-death: The parasites appear drawn to strong life signals, suggesting that reducing bodily activity may offer protection.
• Containment versus destruction: Morel’s Smoke Wall can delay the threat but cannot eliminate it, emphasizing the difference between temporary defense and a true solution.
• Institutional distrust: The crew increasingly sees the Voyage Bureau as obstructive and incompetent, especially after learning that the thermal weakness was known but concealed.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu questions an old sailor, who explains that fishing vessels normally stored ice in their fish holds.
• Bai Zhu explains his low-temperature theory to Milluki, Morel, Gisa, and the crew.
• Milluki challenges Bai Zhu by pointing out that the ship lacks enough ice and that the theory cannot save everyone.
• Bai Zhu physically confronts Gisa and demands the parasite’s weakness.
• Morel reinforces the accusation, warning that withholding the information amounts to murder if the ship sinks.
• Milluki angrily ridicules Gisa and the Voyage Bureau after discovering the thermal test results.
• Captain Nishimatsu asks what temperature is required, revealing that extreme heat—not cold—may provide the immediate means of defeating the parasite colony.

Summary

Key plot points and events

• After testing the effect of fire on Pushi, Bai Zhu discovers that fire itself is not forbidden—the danger comes from shining fire or strong light onto the sea. Pushi warns that “the water carries words,” suggesting that the sea reacts to being illuminated.
• Bai Zhu proposes using fire only inside the lower hold to burn away the slime invading the ship, while preventing the light from escaping outside. Morel agrees, though cautiously, and prepares to adjust the Smoke Wall around the drainage outlets.
• Bai Zhu enters the dark lower hold with Milluki’s mechanical mosquito providing remote guidance. He notices that the slime does not attack him while he maintains Zetsu, apparently because it cannot sense his Nen or recognize him as a target.
• The slime does react aggressively to the mechanical mosquito, confirming Bai Zhu’s theory. He concludes that Zetsu may allow people to avoid provoking the creature, provided they do not touch it directly.
• Bai Zhu activates Ryujin Jakka and uses its flames to attract and burn the slime. The first attempt succeeds initially, but the heat causes more slime to emerge and intensify its attack. The dead slime forms a barrier that protects the creatures behind it, allowing the outer layers to crawl toward Bai Zhu’s hand.
• Forced to retreat, Bai Zhu extinguishes the blade and avoids being touched. He realizes that burning the slime all at once is too dangerous and that it must be eliminated gradually.
• The system awards Bai Zhu a hidden achievement, “The Essence of Brainworms,” along with fifty achievement points. It also begins a larger series achievement, “Raging Sea, Whale Tide,” implying that the parasites outside are only the beginning of a larger threat.
• Bai Zhu invests all fifty points into Strength, increasing it to 441. His second use of Ryujin Jakka is much more effective: the slime is destroyed before it can gather into a mass, and he clears the infestation from inside the ship.
• However, the increased power greatly raises his energy consumption, leaving him aware that he will eventually need to improve his stamina or spiritual recovery.
• Just as the interior is cleared, Milluki warns him that something unusual is happening on the sea.

Character developments

• Bai Zhu demonstrates practical intelligence and adaptability. He tests the rules surrounding fire rather than rejecting it outright, uses Zetsu strategically, and changes tactics after recognizing the slime’s defensive behavior.
• His confidence and sarcasm remain intact, especially in his exchanges with Milluki, but the near-contact with the slime reveals genuine fear and caution.
• Bai Zhu becomes more aware of the limits of his abilities. Ryujin Jakka is powerful but difficult to sustain, and he recognizes that strength alone will not solve every problem.
• Milluki shifts between panic and technical competence. He provides surveillance and information through the mechanical mosquito, complains constantly about Bai Zhu’s recklessness, and still performs effectively under pressure.
• Morel acts as the group’s calm decision-maker, weighing Bai Zhu’s theory before approving the dangerous plan.
• Pushi remains traumatized and fearful, but his warning about the sea’s reaction to light is crucial to the group’s survival.
• The unnamed slime/parasite is revealed to be reactive rather than mindlessly aggressive: it ignores Bai Zhu while he is in Zetsu but attacks movement, heat, and possibly Nen-bearing targets.

Significant themes

• Knowledge versus fear: Understanding the rules of the supernatural environment allows the characters to exploit narrow loopholes rather than relying solely on force.
• Controlled risk: Bai Zhu repeatedly balances necessary action against catastrophic danger, especially when using fire near the sea and the ship’s hull.
• Power and its cost: Increasing Bai Zhu’s Strength improves his effectiveness, but his energy consumption rises as well, emphasizing that greater power creates new weaknesses.
• The unknown threat expanding: The system’s achievement message suggests that the current infestation is only an early stage of a much larger disaster.
• Communication and perception: The sea, the slime, the light, and the use of Zetsu all revolve around what can perceive what. Survival depends on avoiding detection as much as on attacking.

Character interactions

• Bai Zhu and Pushi interact through Pushi’s frightened warnings, which guide the group’s understanding of the sea’s rules.
• Bai Zhu and Milluki maintain a tense but familiar relationship filled with insults, teasing, and mutual dependence. Milluki supplies information and technical support while criticizing Bai Zhu’s dangerous decisions.
• Bai Zhu consults Morel rather than acting entirely alone; Morel’s approval legitimizes the plan and his Smoke Wall helps make it possible.
• Bai Zhu’s use of the mechanical mosquito demonstrates cooperation despite the characters’ constant arguing.
• The final warning from Milluki shifts the situation again, indicating that clearing the ship’s interior has not ended the crisis and that the sea itself may now pose a new danger.

Chapter Summary: Time to Run

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu emerges from the lower hold after clearing out the parasites or slime that had invaded the ship. Although the ship is temporarily safe, he warns that the surrounding sea remains extremely dangerous.
• Milluki reports that most of his Mechanical Mosquitoes and sonar equipment have been destroyed or are failing. The crew’s surveillance is nearly useless, while large numbers of infected fish continue approaching.
• Bai Zhu orders an immediate retreat, arguing that the group has learned nothing about the “door” and is already overwhelmed by creatures from only the outskirts of the Old Trench.
• Morel accepts Bai Zhu’s judgment and orders Captain Nishimatsu to turn the ship around.
• Bai Zhu explains that the parasites seem to target active, warm bodies. He proposes hiding in the refrigerated compartment to lower the crew’s body temperatures and make them less detectable.
• His theory is supported by Pushi, who survived a similar incident thirty years earlier by hiding in an ice-packed fish crate. The crew reluctantly follows the order and is forced into the lower hold by Morel’s Purple Smoke Soldiers.
• Milluki redeploys the few remaining Mechanical Mosquitoes. Their sonar reveals that the fish schools are being deliberately pushed aside by something much larger.
• Enormous sea beasts emerge from the direction of the Old Trench and begin moving toward the ship. Morel recognizes that their size and unnatural grouping are abnormal, while Captain Nishimatsu fears they will ram and destroy the Xisong.
• Bai Zhu devises an escape plan: create a large, distant fire to attract the phototropic infected fish, open a gap in Morel’s Smoke Wall, and use the diversion to give the ship a brief path through the encirclement.
• Morel approves the risky plan, the Smoke Soldiers take defensive positions, and the ship prepares to accelerate while Bai Zhu stands at the bow and gathers his strength.

2. Character Developments

• Bai Zhu emerges as the group’s practical strategist and leader. He prioritizes survival over exploration, quickly identifies the parasites’ possible weakness to cold, and proposes a dangerous but logical escape plan.
• Morel increasingly trusts Bai Zhu’s judgment. Though he initially questions the retreat and the escape strategy, he ultimately accepts Bai Zhu’s decisions and even enjoys the boldness of the plan.
• Milluki remains sarcastic and self-interested but proves useful and cooperative. Despite complaining about his damaged equipment and Bai Zhu’s reckless ideas, he continues operating the remaining technology and contributes crucial information.
• Captain Nishimatsu shifts from uncertainty to decisive command. Once Bai Zhu and Morel establish a plan, he forcefully organizes the frightened crew and handles the ship’s maneuvering.
• Pushi’s past survival experience becomes unexpectedly valuable, transforming his seemingly incoherent muttering about the fish crate into practical evidence.
• Gisa expresses fear and doubts Bai Zhu’s plan but cannot offer a better alternative, highlighting Bai Zhu’s growing authority.
• The crew changes from panic and resistance to reluctant obedience as the threat becomes undeniable.

3. Significant Themes

• Survival over curiosity: The expedition must abandon investigation when the danger becomes too great, emphasizing the limits of exploration in an unknown environment.
• Practical knowledge and improvisation: Pushi’s old survival method and Bai Zhu’s observations about temperature and activity demonstrate that seemingly minor information can become life-saving.
• Leadership under pressure: Bai Zhu leads through fast reasoning, while Morel and Nishimatsu translate his ideas into action.
• Calculated risk: The plan to use fire as bait may be their only chance, but its failure would mean certain death.
• The unknown as an escalating threat: The infected fish are revealed to be only a minor danger compared with the enormous sea beasts emerging from the Old Trench.
• Cooperation amid conflict: Characters continue to insult and challenge one another, yet their survival depends on trusting each other and coordinating their abilities.

4. Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Morel debate whether to retreat, with Morel testing Bai Zhu’s reasoning before accepting it.
• Bai Zhu and Milluki trade insults, but their exchange also reflects growing tactical cooperation.
• Bai Zhu persuades Captain Nishimatsu to enforce the refrigerated-compartment strategy, while Nishimatsu assumes command over the crew.
• The crew resists Bai Zhu’s orders, but the Purple Smoke Soldiers physically compel them to comply.
• Bai Zhu uses Pushi’s past experience to convince the others that hiding in the cold is based on evidence rather than superstition.
• Morel initially questions Bai Zhu’s fire-based plan but enthusiastically agrees once he understands the danger and its potential.
• The chapter ends with Bai Zhu, Morel, Milluki, and Nishimatsu aligned around a desperate escape attempt as the sea beasts approach.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• The Xisong remains surrounded by infected fish and larger sea beasts. Morel’s Purple Smoke Cage holds them back, while the crew prepares to escape.
• Milluki monitors the creatures with the terminal, coordinating the timing and warning everyone about the increasingly dangerous situation.
• The crew secures the lower hold, activates Zetsu where possible, and uses cold-storage equipment to protect people from the threat.
• Morel powers the ship forward by creating smoke oars and blowing strong gusts into the sails. The crew works together to keep the vessel on course.
• Bai Zhu prepares a Kidō attack to lure the creatures away. Despite warnings that bright light may trigger the mysterious “Door Resonance,” he fires Sōkatsui, a powerful blue fireball, into the sea.
• The explosion and heat draw most of the fish away from the Xisong, opening a path through the encirclement.
• A second group remains focused on Morel’s Purple Smoke. To give Morel time to withdraw his ability, Bai Zhu unleashes Ryujin Jakka and performs “Burning Fortress,” creating a massive wall of fire that cuts off the pursuing creatures.
• Bai Zhu exhausts his Reiatsu and collapses, but Morel catches him and immediately enters Zetsu, causing the Smoke Prison to disperse and allowing the ship to accelerate out of danger.
• After escaping the immediate encirclement, Milluki detects an enormous creature moving near the Old Trench. Its location matches the area associated with the forbidden file labeled “Door Resonance.”
• Pushi’s old ship tag reveals the warning: “Don’t knock a third time.” Three deep sonar echoes then sound, suggesting that something has answered—or that the door has been knocked on again.

Character developments

• Bai Zhu demonstrates both immense destructive power and a willingness to risk himself for the crew. He remains reckless and sarcastic, but his decisions are calculated around protecting Morel and creating an escape route.
• Milluki acts as the group’s tactical analyst, using the terminal and sonar to track the creatures. Though he constantly mocks Bai Zhu, he is clearly concerned for his safety and helps coordinate the attacks.
• Morel proves essential to the escape, using his smoke abilities for defense, propulsion, and crowd control. He also reacts quickly to catch Bai Zhu and withdraws his power at the critical moment.
• Captain Nishimatsu maintains command under pressure, directing the crew, steering the ship, and coordinating Morel’s efforts.
• Gisa loses confidence in the authority of the Voyage Bureau’s records and procedures. Witnessing Bai Zhu and the others save the ship makes him recognize how inadequate the Bureau’s concealed knowledge has been.
• Pushi remains terrified of the forbidden phenomenon, and his warning about light and Door Resonance becomes increasingly credible by the chapter’s end.

Significant themes

• Trust versus institutional authority: The Voyage Bureau’s archives and official authority prove less useful than the immediate abilities and cooperation of the people aboard the ship.
• Sacrifice and teamwork: Escape depends on each character contributing—Morel’s smoke, Milluki’s calculations, Nishimatsu’s leadership, and Bai Zhu’s willingness to exhaust himself.
• The limits of knowledge: The crew’s records contain warnings but not real understanding. The absence of Bai Zhu’s abilities from official files emphasizes how incomplete their knowledge is.
• Humor amid danger: Sarcastic exchanges—especially Milluki’s repeated “lighter” joke and Bai Zhu’s demand for dramatic background music—provide comic relief while also highlighting their growing familiarity and concern for one another.
• Forbidden thresholds and consequences: The “Door Resonance” warning shifts from an old superstition or archived taboo into an active, immediate threat. The three sonar knocks imply that the escape has triggered something far larger.

Character interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki continue their antagonistic but cooperative relationship, trading insults while relying heavily on each other’s skills.
• Morel challenges Bai Zhu’s confidence, while Bai Zhu depends on Morel to sustain the escape and ultimately save him from collapsing.
• Nishimatsu criticizes Bai Zhu’s ominous honesty but follows his and Morel’s strategy when the crisis demands it.
• Gisa attempts to warn the group, but Bai Zhu dismisses the warning as catastrophically late, exposing the gap between old records and present action.
• After Bai Zhu’s final attack, Milluki’s mockery turns into genuine concern, while Bai Zhu remains fixated on proving that his sword is more than a “lighter.”
• The chapter ends with the entire group united in shock as they realize that the Old Trench—and whatever lies behind Door Resonance—has noticed them.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the group escapes the Old Trench, three mysterious knocks echo from beneath the sea, leaving everyone on the Xisong terrified.
• Milluki’s sonar detects an enormous object on the seabed, possibly as large as an island and unlike any known living creature.
• Morel argues that, as Hunters and “warriors,” they should investigate the source of the knocking and the appearance of Door Resonance. Bai Zhu and Milluki strongly oppose returning, viewing it as suicidal.
• Pushi panics, claiming that the third knock awakened something, opened a door, and allowed it to come through. He warns everyone not to touch or knock on the door.
• A massive Black Gold object begins rising from the ocean. It forces the sea upward, shakes the ship, scatters seabirds, and emerges like a gigantic pillar covered in sediment and barnacles.
• The object continues rising, proving that only a fraction of its full size is visible. Its movement suggests that it may be alive or searching for something.
• Bai Zhu compares the object to Sun Wukong’s Golden Cudgel, warning that the group is facing an overwhelming, legendary force rather than something they can safely investigate.
• Morel finally abandons his earlier bravado and admits that he does not know what the object is. The crew turns the ship around and begins fleeing at full speed.
• Morel uses his extraordinary lung power to blow wind into the sails, dramatically accelerating the old ship as the enormous entity continues to rise behind them.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu shifts from anger and skepticism to outright terror. He recognizes the scale of the threat and becomes the strongest voice urging escape.
• Milluki remains focused on the sonar and technical readings but becomes increasingly frightened as the evidence confirms that the object is impossibly large and active.
• Morel initially acts according to his Hunter’s curiosity and warrior’s pride, insisting on investigating what they have not clearly seen. The emergence of the Black Gold object forces him to abandon that confidence and admit fear.
• Pushi becomes nearly hysterical, repeating warnings about the door and the third knock. His reactions suggest that he may understand or sense the supernatural danger better than the others.
• Nishimatsu demonstrates practical leadership by ordering the crew to their stations and directing the emergency retreat.
• Gisa and the sailors visibly lose their composure as the scale of the object becomes clear, emphasizing the threat’s overwhelming nature.

Significant Themes

• Curiosity versus survival: Morel’s desire to understand the unknown conflicts with the group’s need to escape before it is too late.
• Human insignificance before the supernatural: The rising object is so vast and inexplicable that even experienced Hunters and sailors are reduced to panic.
• False courage and genuine bravery: Morel’s “warrior” rhetoric is exposed as dangerous bravado, while recognizing the threat and fleeing becomes the sensible form of courage.
• Forbidden doors and awakening forces: The knocks and Pushi’s warnings reinforce the theme of ancient powers being activated by human interference.
• The limits of knowledge: Sonar, Nen, experience, and technical skill all fail to explain the entity, leaving the characters confronting something beyond their understanding.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Morel argue intensely over whether to investigate or retreat, with Bai Zhu accusing Morel of recklessness.
• Milluki sides with Bai Zhu and angrily rejects Morel’s suggestion that they return.
• Pushi’s frightened warnings unsettle everyone and shift the group’s attention from debate to immediate danger.
• Bai Zhu mocks the idea of warrior dignity by comparing it to a life preserver, while Morel initially insists that true Hunters must face the unknown.
• Once the entity rises, Morel and Bai Zhu effectively reverse positions: Morel stops posturing, and both support immediate escape.
• Nishimatsu takes command during the crisis, while Morel contributes his unusual ability to propel the ship through the sails.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• The Xisong flees at full speed after encountering the enormous Black Gold spike associated with Door Resonance. The violent escape throws sailors across the deck and nearly causes the mast to break.
• Morel uses his Nen to blow wind into the mainsail, while the ship’s Purple Smoke propellers drive it forward. Captain Nishimatsu orders everyone to maintain speed and increase the distance from the threat.
• Milluki’s terminal is damaged when he drops it, but its sonar still shows the giant black mass. He determines that the entity is sinking rather than pursuing them.
• The group realizes that Door Resonance behaves differently from the parasitic creatures they previously encountered. While fish, dolphins, sharks, and parasites are attracted to heat or life force, the enormous entity ignores the Xisong, Sōkatsui, and the surrounding fish.
• Gisa explains that the Voyage Bureau has no complete eyewitness account of Door Resonance since the 1879 containment record. Their encounter may be the first confirmed sighting in almost a century.
• Milluki angrily criticizes Gisa and the Bureau for withholding vital information and supplying an incomplete report, warning that Gisa may be made the scapegoat for the failed investigation.
• Once the immediate danger passes, the chapter ends on comic relief: Milluki gives Morel chewing gum because his breath from repeatedly blowing into the sail is nearly incapacitating the crew.

2. Character Developments

• Morel demonstrates both immense physical endurance and quick thinking by repeatedly using his breath to propel the ship. Despite being mocked for his breath, he accepts the gum and continues helping the crew escape.
• Milluki remains anxious about his equipment but also proves observant and analytical. He interprets the sonar readings and helps distinguish Door Resonance from the lesser parasites. His anger toward Gisa reveals his concern over the crew’s survival and the Bureau’s incompetence.
• Bai Zhu, despite severe seasickness, contributes useful deductions about the entity’s behavior. His sarcastic humor remains intact, and he joins Milluki in teasing Morel and Gisa.
• Gisa is shaken by the encounter. His initial excitement over obtaining a historic sighting gives way to fear and discomfort when Milluki points out that the Bureau may blame him for the mission’s failure.
• Captain Nishimatsu acts decisively and prioritizes escape, pushing the crew to maintain speed even at the risk of damaging the ship.
• The sailors are shown as terrified and physically overwhelmed, emphasizing the scale of the threat.

3. Significant Themes

• Survival against the unknown: The crew’s frantic escape highlights the overwhelming power and unpredictability of Door Resonance.
• The limits of knowledge: The Bureau’s incomplete records and concealed information leave the investigators dangerously unprepared.
• Scientific observation amid chaos: Even while fleeing, Milluki and Bai Zhu analyze the entity’s behavior and begin forming theories about its nature.
• Institutional negligence and scapegoating: Milluki condemns the Voyage Bureau for hiding critical information and predicts that it will shift blame onto Gisa.
• Humor as emotional relief: Sarcasm, insults, and the joke about Morel’s breath provide comic relief after the chapter’s intense danger.
• Human versus monstrous logic: Door Resonance does not follow the attraction patterns of the parasites, suggesting that it belongs to a fundamentally different and more dangerous category.

4. Character Interactions

• Morel and the crew work together under Captain Nishimatsu’s urgent commands, though Morel’s wind-making and the ship’s propellers create a chaotic escape.
• Milluki and Bai Zhu exchange sarcastic remarks while both suffer from the voyage—Milluki worries over his broken terminal, while Bai Zhu is violently seasick.
• Milluki and Gisa clash over the Bureau’s inadequate intelligence and the danger caused by Gisa’s poor preparation. Bai Zhu adds his own dry comments, intensifying the mockery.
• Milluki and Morel have a comic confrontation when Milluki offers him gum to combat his terrible breath. Morel reluctantly accepts it, while Bai Zhu joins in the teasing.
• The chapter balances the crew’s shared fear with their growing camaraderie and ability to joke even in the aftermath of a near-disaster.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After escaping the Black Gold spike beneath the Old Trench, the Xisong reaches temporary safety. The massive spike disappears beneath the sea, creating a final wave before vanishing from sonar.
• The crew, having endured violent impacts and injuries, finally collapses from exhaustion. The ship is badly damaged: a plank is split, two drainage sections are broken, and the stern rudder is damaged. However, the hull begins slowly repairing itself through an unexplained supernatural mechanism.
• Morel admits that his earlier judgment was wrong and concludes that the entity beneath the Old Trench is too dangerous to confront. He orders the group to return to port, change ships, and contact the Hunter Association.
• The incident is declared far more serious than an ordinary Nen ability or sea-monster attack. Morel insists that something beneath the trench can no longer be ignored.
• Gisa worries that the Voyage Bureau will require evidence before imposing a large-scale blockade. Milluki’s ruined equipment and lost sonar provide little usable proof.
• Bai Zhu notices Pushi clutching an old ship plate and questions him about it. Pushi reveals that it came from the first “Door-Knocking Ship,” associated with a ship from 1879.
• Pushi claims that the captain of the 1879 ship is still “knocking” from beneath the Old Trench—and that he has knocked a third time.
• The final revelation is a terrifying message from the captain: “The next time the door opens, bring a living person back.”

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu proves perceptive and decisive despite being severely injured. His warning to flee saves the group, earning reluctant acknowledgment from Morel. He humorously embraces the title “Coward King,” though his caution is shown to be genuine survival instinct rather than cowardice.
• Morel experiences an important reversal. As an experienced Hunter, he openly admits his misjudgment and recognizes that the threat is beyond the group’s current ability to handle. His confidence shifts into responsibility, leading him to seek official Hunter Association support.
• Milluki remains sarcastic and teasing, but his silence after Bai Zhu’s warning shows that he recognizes Bai Zhu was right. He also serves as a practical investigator, attempting to recover evidence despite his damaged equipment.
• Captain Nishimatsu is deeply distressed by the damage to his ship, mixing comic irritation with genuine concern. His ship’s self-repairing hull hints that it may possess unusual or supernatural properties.
• Gisa becomes increasingly alarmed as the event exceeds the Voyage Bureau’s ability to contain or classify it. His concern with documentation and evidence contrasts with the immediate danger perceived by the others.
• Pushi emerges as a crucial source of hidden history. His fear and fragmented testimony suggest a deep connection to the Door-Knocking Ship and possibly to the supernatural force beneath the trench.

Significant Themes

• The limits of human investigation: The group’s technology fails, sonar is lost, and even Morel’s expertise proves inadequate against the entity.
• Survival versus curiosity: Morel initially wants to investigate, but Bai Zhu’s instinct to flee ultimately saves everyone. The chapter warns against probing forces that cannot yet be understood.
• Buried maritime history returning: The 1879 ship and its captain reveal that the current incident is part of a much older pattern, rather than an isolated disaster.
• Evidence versus lived experience: Officials demand footage and samples, while the survivors know firsthand that the threat is real. The lack of proof may allow institutional denial to continue.
• Doors, thresholds, and forbidden contact: The repeated knocking and warning not to knock a third time imply that opening the “door” connects the living world to something beneath the sea, with a human life demanded as the price.
• Humor amid terror: Banter among Bai Zhu, Milluki, Morel, and the captain provides comic relief while emphasizing how frightened and exhausted the characters truly are.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki trade insults throughout the aftermath, with Milluki hiding behind Bai Zhu despite Bai Zhu’s injuries. Their banter masks mutual dependence and tension.
• Morel validates Bai Zhu’s judgment, creating a rare moment in which the veteran Hunter acknowledges the injured man’s superior instinct.
• Morel and Gisa clash indirectly over the need for evidence: Morel prioritizes immediate danger, while Gisa worries about bureaucratic credibility.
• Bai Zhu’s questioning of Pushi uncovers the chapter’s central mystery. Pushi responds more readily to Bai Zhu than to Gisa, suggesting trust or recognition between them.
• The group’s reactions to Pushi’s testimony shift the mood from relief after escape to renewed dread, ending with the implication that the entity beneath the Old Trench is actively seeking a living person.

Chapter Summary: “You Passed the Exam”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After escaping the Old Trench, Bai Zhu and Milluki recover on the ship at dawn. Both are exhausted and frustrated by the disastrous expedition.
• Bai Zhu laments that he nearly died twice, gained little from the mission, and recovered no valuable salvage. Milluki reveals that nearly all his underwater equipment, insect swarm, terminal, and spare parts were destroyed, leaving him facing enormous financial losses.
• The pair argue humorously about money, the mysterious giant object at the bottom of the sea, and whether the expedition counts toward their Hunter Exam.
• Morel decides that the group must return to port, report the discovery, gather a larger team and ship, and eventually investigate the Old Trench again. The phenomenon is clearly too dangerous for their small party to confront alone.
• Morel contacts the Hunter Association and reports that the Parasite Colony possesses coordinated control abilities and that “Door Resonance” may have appeared. He emphasizes that Bai Zhu and Milluki provided crucial information and helped the ship survive.
• Morel officially confirms that Bai Zhu and Milluki have passed the Hunter Exam. They are the only two successful candidates that year and will receive their licenses upon returning to port.
• Bai Zhu celebrates the result primarily because the license is worth hundreds of millions, while Milluki immediately jokes about obtaining food to celebrate.
• The system then announces that Bai Zhu has completed the “Become a Hunter” achievement and awards him 100 achievement points. However, it also reveals progress toward a new, ominous series achievement: “Raging Sea, Whale Tide,” currently at 1/?.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu: Remains pragmatic, irreverent, and heavily motivated by money, but his concern with the Hunter license also reveals his determination to secure the value of his dangerous efforts. Despite his fear and exhaustion, he demonstrates good judgment, quick reactions, and effective cooperation, earning Morel’s recognition.
• Milluki: Suffers major financial and material losses, showing a rare vulnerable and anxious side. He continues to bicker with Bai Zhu but also relies on him and contributes meaningfully to their survival. His excitement over the license’s financial value mirrors Bai Zhu’s priorities.
• Morel: Acts as the responsible leader, recognizing the seriousness of the Old Trench phenomenon and refusing to let the group recklessly return without preparation. He personally advocates for Bai Zhu and Milluki, judging them by their actions rather than merely by formal exam performance.
• Gisa and Captain Nishimatsu: Remain visibly troubled by the expedition’s consequences. Their reactions reinforce how seriously the crew regards what they encountered.
• Pushi: Sleeps through much of the aftermath, clutching the old ship plaque and adding a strangely comic contrast to the crew’s tension.

Significant Themes

• Success despite failure: Although the expedition produces little material gain and causes enormous damage, Bai Zhu and Milluki’s decisions and cooperation ultimately earn them the Hunter licenses.
• Pragmatism and survival: Bai Zhu’s constant focus on money and practical outcomes contrasts with the supernatural danger of the Old Trench, showing how he copes with fear through calculation and humor.
• Recognition through action: The Hunter Association values the candidates’ judgment, courage, adaptability, and teamwork more than whether they achieved the expedition’s original goals.
• The cost of knowledge: The group survives, but the destruction of their equipment and the danger of the Trench demonstrate that investigating the unknown carries a heavy price.
• Foreshadowing and unfinished danger: The system’s “Raging Sea, Whale Tide” achievement and unexplained “1/?” progress signal that the Old Trench’s mysteries—and possibly a much greater threat—remain unresolved.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki maintain a hostile but familiar comedic relationship, trading insults about snoring, debt, food, and their losses.
• Their arguments reveal mutual dependence: Milluki’s resources and abilities aided the mission, while Bai Zhu’s judgment and reactions helped secure their survival.
• Bai Zhu repeatedly pressures Morel for confirmation about the exam, while Morel responds with amused skepticism before ultimately praising the two candidates.
• Morel’s report to the Association formally validates Bai Zhu and Milluki’s contributions, transforming their apparent failure into an official success.
• The chapter ends with Bai Zhu’s joy over passing the exam immediately undermined by the system’s ominous new achievement, shifting the mood from celebration back to apprehension.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After surviving the dangerous voyage through the Raging Sea, Bai Zhu and the others finally reach Kik Port aboard the badly damaged Xisong. The crew and passengers are exhausted, injured, and traumatized, while the port authorities have prepared a large-scale reception with medical staff, Association officials, security, and Voyage Bureau personnel.
• The Hunter Association confirms that Bai Zhu and Milluki Zoldyck are the only candidates to pass this year’s Hunter Exam. They are officially awarded their Hunter Licenses, earning Bai Zhu 100 Achievement Points through his system.
• Milluki immediately inspects his license for authenticity and openly wonders whether it could be sold for hundreds of millions. Bai Zhu hurriedly stops him, embarrassed by his lack of tact. Their argument highlights both Milluki’s financial concerns—especially after losing expensive equipment—and Bai Zhu’s awareness of the license’s prestige.
• The survivors begin medical examinations. Pushi remains extremely protective of his mysterious cloth bundle and reacts fearfully when medics approach it. Bai Zhu is diagnosed with exhaustion, dehydration, and seasickness rather than any life-threatening condition.
• Morel receives word that the Hunter Association leadership has arrived to address the truth about the Old Trench incident. The Voyage Bureau, including Gisa, is also expected to face questioning over the disaster.
• While Bai Zhu is being examined, Milluki secretly approaches Morel and shows him an unidentified object from his bag. Their serious, secretive exchange alarms Bai Zhu.
• Milluki later warns Bai Zhu to deny ever hearing knocking sounds at sea. He reveals a seawater-damaged mechanical core containing a black-gold fragment that is still producing a mysterious knocking sound, ending the chapter on an ominous cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu remains comic and irreverent despite his physical weakness, using jokes to cope with trauma and exhaustion. His relief at reaching land reveals how deeply the voyage affected him. He also shows practical judgment by preventing Milluki from insulting the Association and by recognizing that the mysterious knocking is dangerous.
• Milluki continues to appear greedy, blunt, and eccentric, but his secretive behavior suggests he has discovered something important. His sudden deference toward Morel and decision to hide the black-gold fragment indicate increasing caution and awareness of the threat involved.
• Morel acts as a responsible authority figure, prioritizing the crew’s medical care and managing the aftermath of the voyage. His expression changes dramatically when Milluki reveals the fragment, showing that he understands its significance or danger.
• Pushi is shown to be psychologically damaged and intensely attached to his belongings, especially the mysterious bundle. His repeated fear that others will “touch the door” suggests lasting trauma from the supernatural events at sea.
• Captain Nishimatsu expresses regret over accepting the voyage, emphasizing how severe and abnormal the journey was.
• Gisa appears exhausted and vulnerable as the Voyage Bureau faces accountability for the Old Trench incident.

Significant Themes

• Survival and relief: Reaching land is treated almost like a rebirth after the terrifying voyage. Even ordinary things, such as food and medical care, become precious.
• The cost of achievement: The Hunter License represents enormous status and opportunity, but obtaining it has come at the price of physical injury, financial loss, and psychological trauma.
• Humor as a coping mechanism: Bai Zhu and Milluki’s constant banter contrasts with the horror surrounding them, allowing them to manage fear and exhaustion.
• Secrecy and institutional accountability: The Association and Voyage Bureau must confront the truth about the Old Trench, while important information about the sea’s phenomena is already being concealed.
• The unknown threat: The recurring knocking sound and black-gold fragment suggest that the danger from the sea has not ended with the voyage. The final “thud” implies that something may still be active or attempting to communicate.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki maintain a hostile but familiar friendship, trading insults about their appearances, finances, and behavior while still watching out for each other.
• Bai Zhu and Captain Nishimatsu exchange jokes, though the captain threatens to throw Bai Zhu overboard for provoking him.
• Morel and Nishimatsu share weary familiarity, implying that Morel has repeatedly recruited the captain for dangerous missions.
• Morel comforts Pushi during his examination, showing patience and authority amid the survivors’ trauma.
• Bai Zhu confronts Milluki about his secret meeting with Morel, but Milluki refuses to explain until warning him about the knocking.
• The chapter ends with Bai Zhu and Milluki united by a dangerous secret, while the unexplained fragment continues to knock.

Chapter Summary: “How About We Steal a Car?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu and Milluki secretly discuss the Black Gold Fragment, a valuable mechanical core recovered from the wreckage of the underwater buoy in the Old Trench.
• They agree to conceal both the fragment and the strange knocking sounds heard during the incident, giving the Association and Voyage Bureau a harmless explanation involving sonar, equipment noise, and hull vibrations.
• During official questioning, Bai Zhu claims he was seasick and barely conscious, while Milluki evasively insists that his equipment and terminal were damaged. Neither reveals what truly happened.
• After leaving the dock’s lockdown area, Milluki repeatedly complains about his massive financial losses. Feeling indebted to him for saving their lives with his equipment, Bai Zhu gives him a large amount of casino money—at least a hundred million Jenny.
• Milluki immediately counts the money and complains that it is only enough to purchase a few replacement power cores, frustrating Bai Zhu.
• Bai Zhu notices that Milluki is acting unusually. Despite previously wanting to sell his Hunter License to recover his losses, Milluki now refuses to sell it and vaguely claims he will find another way to restock.
• Milluki leads Bai Zhu through Kik Port instead of repairing his equipment or finding transportation. Their banter includes joking about stealing a car and robbing another casino.
• Milluki finally stops outside Huakaka Bank, strongly suggesting that he intends to obtain money through some kind of bank-related scheme. The chapter ends with him ordering Bai Zhu inside.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu demonstrates greater loyalty and gratitude toward Milluki. Although he initially resents Milluki’s complaints, he recognizes that Milluki’s technology was essential to their survival and willingly gives him his entire share of the casino money.
• Bai Zhu also becomes increasingly suspicious and observant. He notices that Milluki’s behavior does not match his usual obsession with money and suspects that Milluki is hiding a more serious plan.
• Milluki reveals a cautious, secretive side. He hides the Black Gold Fragment, lies smoothly during the investigation, and avoids explaining what he showed Morel earlier.
• Milluki’s priorities appear to have shifted. He no longer seems focused merely on recovering financial losses, implying that he may be pursuing a larger objective connected to the fragment or the events in the Old Trench.

Significant Themes

• Secrecy and self-preservation: Both characters conceal information from the authorities, understanding that revealing the truth could lead to confiscation, suspicion, or further danger.
• Trust and mutual debt: Bai Zhu and Milluki rely heavily on one another, even while exchanging insults and withholding secrets. Their survival creates an informal bond of loyalty.
• Money and practical survival: Financial loss, equipment costs, and stolen casino money dominate their conversations, blending comedy with the reality of their dangerous lifestyle.
• Suspicion and hidden motives: Milluki’s unusual behavior creates tension beneath the chapter’s comedic dialogue, suggesting that important information remains concealed.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki maintain a sarcastic, antagonistic friendship, constantly mocking each other while clearly depending on one another.
• Bai Zhu covers for Milluki during questioning, and Milluki returns the favor by helping conceal Bai Zhu’s involvement in the strange events.
• Bai Zhu attempts to reward Milluki financially, but Milluki’s blunt reaction turns the moment into another comedic exchange.
• Their playful arguments about stealing a car, robbing casinos, and taking out a loan contrast with the increasingly suspicious destination: Huakaka Bank.

Chapter Summary

Plot and key events

• Bai Zhu and Milluki enter the Kik Port branch of Huakaka Bank to access Milluki’s funds.
• Although both look exhausted and impoverished, the bank immediately recognizes Milluki as a Zoldyck and treats him as a VIP. They are escorted to an extravagant top-floor room.
• Milluki requests a large amount of money for purchases, including physical assets, transfers, and specialized equipment. The bank brings in cart after cart of gold bars—nine in total—as part of Milluki’s immediately available reserves.
• Bai Zhu is stunned to discover that Milluki is not actually bankrupt. Milluki explains that he only has a temporary cash-flow problem and possesses immense backup wealth.
• Shocked that he gave his own fortune to someone far richer than himself, Bai Zhu tries to reclaim the money. He chases Milluki around the room until Milluki hides behind the manager.
• Milluki orders the bank to acquire everything on his list, including a deep-sea pressure-resistant shell. When told it will take several days, he repeatedly orders the manager to spend more money to speed up delivery.
• While Milluki signs purchase orders, Bai Zhu jokes that his worldview is being destroyed by Milluki’s wealth. A case containing the requested temporary testing equipment arrives at the end of the chapter.

Character development

• Milluki is revealed to be extraordinarily wealthy and highly influential within the bank. His apparent financial difficulties are merely a matter of liquidity, not insolvency. He is also decisive and accustomed to using money to solve logistical problems.
• Bai Zhu experiences a humorous collapse of his assumptions about wealth. He shifts from believing he was financially helping Milluki to treating Milluki as a “foster father” in finance. His exaggerated reactions emphasize both his insecurity and his comic adaptability.
• The bank manager and staff demonstrate extreme deference toward Milluki, highlighting the power of his family name and financial status.

Themes

• Wealth and social power: The chapter contrasts the prestige of a Hunter License with the even greater influence of money and family status.
• Perspective and humility: Bai Zhu’s understanding of his own wealth is overturned when confronted with Milluki’s reserves.
• Comedy through contrast: Bai Zhu’s poverty-stricken appearance, dramatic reactions, and desperate attempts to reclaim his money clash with Milluki’s casual opulence.
• Money as a practical tool: Milluki treats enormous sums as a means to accelerate purchases, obtain rare equipment, and solve problems efficiently.

Character interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki trade insults throughout the visit, with Bai Zhu mocking Milluki’s wealth and Milluki criticizing Bai Zhu’s lack of ambition.
• Their chase around the VIP room shows their relationship as antagonistic but familiar and playful.
• Bai Zhu’s attempts to flatter Milluki by calling him a financial “foster father” are rejected with disgust, reinforcing their comic dynamic.
• The bank staff remain nervous observers, unwilling to interfere while the two argue, and continue catering to Milluki’s every demand.

Chapter Summary: Mazu Above, Protect Us Once More

Key Plot Points and Events

• Milluki and Bai Zhu relocate to a heavily secured VIP suite at a bank so they can safely examine the mysterious Black Gold Fragment.
• Milluki sweeps the room for surveillance devices and residual Nen before opening the sealed case.
• Several scans fail to identify the fragment. Its density is impossibly high, and the detector ultimately labels it “Unable to classify.”
• Rather than preserve the fragment, Milluki decides to grind it into powder and mix it into the coating of weapons and machines designed for their upcoming expedition into Old Trench.
• The first shipment of parts arrives, and Milluki converts the luxury suite into a workshop. Over the course of a week, he builds:
  • 36 Mindless Mechanical Bugs
  • 12 Deep-Sea Mechanical Fish
  • 4 Disposable Sonar Anchors
• Because sea creatures are attracted to Nen, Milluki cannot imbue the machines himself. Bai Zhu instead powers them with Reiatsu, though he jokingly demands higher wages for the extra work.
• Milluki exhausts himself through nonstop construction, barely sleeping or eating. Once the machines are complete, Bai Zhu is paid generously and immediately becomes willing to take on more work.
• Bai Zhu spends his accumulated 100 achievement points, adding 60 to Strength and 40 to Stamina. This improves his ability to use Ryujin Jakka without injuring himself as severely as before.
• Morel calls to announce that the expedition will depart the next morning and travel deep into Old Trench. He confirms that the mission will pay well.
• Before leaving, Bai Zhu performs a ritual prayer to Mazu, asking for protection and promising an extra chicken leg if he survives. Milluki, unexpectedly serious, asks whether Mazu offers family packages.

Character Developments

• Milluki demonstrates both technical brilliance and reckless determination. He treats the unexplained fragment as a potential source of profit and weapon technology, despite not understanding its nature. His obsessive work ethic causes him to neglect sleep, food, and his own health.
• Bai Zhu remains humorous, money-minded, and easily frightened by danger, but he continues choosing to face the expedition rather than flee. His investment in Strength and Stamina shows practical growth and a desire to better control Ryujin Jakka.
• Bai Zhu and Milluki’s partnership becomes more cooperative. Bai Zhu accepts the role of powering Milluki’s machines, while Milluki relies heavily on him despite their constant arguments.
• Milluki’s final question about joining Bai Zhu’s prayers suggests a subtle increase in trust and dependence on Bai Zhu’s beliefs, even if he approaches them humorously.

Significant Themes

• Risk versus reward: Both characters knowingly pursue the dangerous Old Trench expedition because of the potential rewards, especially the fragment’s value and the promised payment.
• Scientific curiosity and recklessness: Milluki’s inability to classify the fragment only increases his interest. His willingness to grind it into powder reflects his belief that progress requires experimentation, even when the consequences are unknown.
• Preparation and adaptation: The characters respond to the dangers of the sea by developing specialized machines, avoiding Nen detection, and improving Bai Zhu’s physical capabilities.
• Comedic survivalism: Humor, bargaining, and absurd rituals help the characters cope with an otherwise terrifying mission.
• Faith and luck: Bai Zhu’s prayer to Mazu contrasts with Milluki’s technology, combining superstition and engineering as competing forms of protection.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu repeatedly mocks Milluki’s wealth, technical methods, and dangerous experiments, while Milluki dismisses Bai Zhu’s complaints and uses payment to motivate him.
• Their “Godfather” and subordinate dynamic continues as a running joke, with Bai Zhu shamelessly accepting the title whenever it benefits him financially.
• Milluki trusts Bai Zhu enough to let him power the machines, although he criticizes Bai Zhu’s excessive Reiatsu and lack of restraint.
• Morel acts as the responsible organizer, warning them not to overexert themselves while confirming the expedition’s schedule and payment.
• The chapter ends with Milluki’s unexpectedly earnest interest in Bai Zhu’s Mazu ritual, reinforcing their growing partnership before they return to sea.

Chapter Summary: “Mazu Doesn’t Protect Foreigners, Young Master”

Plot and events

Bai Zhu jokes that the sea goddess Mazu might protect them, prompting Milluki to seriously ask how to worship her and whether he can purchase protection for his entire household. Bai Zhu teasingly claims that Mazu “doesn’t protect foreigners,” explaining that her influence is traditionally tied to the seas around Bai Zhu’s homeland and that cross-border worship involves complicated “paperwork.” Milluki questions what Mazu actually is—considering Nen, post-mortem Nen, collective belief, or a Dark Continent life-form—but becomes determined to worship her after Bai Zhu says that she is extremely powerful at sea and respected even beyond her original region.
Milluki attempts an awkward prayer, treating it like a negotiation and promising to discuss payment. Bai Zhu offers to act as a paid intermediary, leading to another comedic argument over “incense money” and whether Bai Zhu is exploiting him. Their exchange is interrupted when Morel calls with urgent news: the voyage has been moved forward because the Voyage Bureau has sealed the harbor and appears to be trying to interfere with the Association’s ship. Bai Zhu and Milluki immediately prepare to leave and board the ship. Milluki’s first practical concern is whether there will be food, though he also insists that survival matters.

Character development

• Milluki reveals a surprisingly serious and pragmatic side beneath his usual greed and sarcasm. He analyzes Mazu through a scientific and supernatural lens, but quickly accepts the possibility of her power when he believes it could improve his survival odds. His approach to religion remains characteristically transactional: he tries to “grind proficiency,” negotiate a fee, and make Mazu familiar with his face rather than offer conventional devotion.
• Bai Zhu serves as both comic foil and cultural guide. He initially exaggerates or invents explanations about Mazu’s protection and even attempts to charge Milluki for proxy worship, but becomes more sincere when explaining her importance. He also shifts quickly from joking to alert professionalism once Morel reports the harbor crisis.
• Morel appears as a decisive authority figure. He provides the urgent mission update and prioritizes action over waiting for the Voyage Bureau’s interference to develop.

Significant themes

• Cultural misunderstanding and adaptation: Milluki treats Mazu through the frameworks of Nen, science, business, and family tradition, while Bai Zhu explains her through local custom and regional belief.
• Faith versus rationality: Milluki mocks religious explanations but is willing to adopt them when they offer a possible survival advantage, suggesting that practical necessity can override skepticism.
• Traditions as evolving practices: Milluki argues that repeated individual behavior can become tradition, implying that religious customs spread and change across cultures.
• Survival and uncertainty: The discussion of divine protection foreshadows the dangerous voyage, while the sudden harbor blockade turns the chapter from comic debate to urgent action.
• Commerce and trust: Milluki and Bai Zhu repeatedly frame worship as a business transaction, highlighting their suspicious, bargaining-based relationship.

Character interactions

Milluki and Bai Zhu’s banter drives the chapter. Milluki takes Bai Zhu’s casual religious claims literally, while Bai Zhu responds with increasingly elaborate jokes about regional eligibility, bureaucratic restrictions, and agency fees. Their argument shows mutual familiarity: Milluki distrusts Bai Zhu’s scams, but still relies on his cultural knowledge. When the call from Morel arrives, their playful dynamic immediately gives way to cooperation, with both recognizing the seriousness of the impending voyage.

Chapter Summary: “Where Are the Reinforcements?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhu and Milluki leave their damaged bank suite after receiving an urgent call. They pack Milluki’s mechanical bugs and hastily take food from a Mazu offering tray, joking about whether the deity will protect them.
• They travel through the warehouse district to a restricted harbor area, where Hunter Association personnel are arguing with the Voyage Bureau. The Bureau objects to the Association launching a ship without its approval.
• Bai Zhu expects a luxury cruise but discovers that the Association has prepared a heavily armed warship for the Old Trench investigation. Milluki points out that the use of a warship suggests the mission is more dangerous than expected.
• Upon boarding, they find the vessel completely empty. Morel explains that he does not need a human crew and creates purple-smoke soldiers to operate every station.
• Milluki connects his equipment to the ship’s secondary controls while Morel prepares to depart. Bai Zhu notices a silent exchange between Morel and Milluki and suspects they are hiding information from him.
• The Voyage Bureau attempts to stop the departure, claiming the investigation requires joint supervision. Morel dismisses them and exposes their past concealment of the 1879 files, silencing their protest.
• Morel’s smoke soldiers release the moorings, and the warship leaves port despite the Bureau’s objections.
• As the ship departs, Bai Zhu asks about the other reinforcements Morel mentioned. Morel points toward the sea, leaving their location—and possibly their condition—unclear.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu remains humorous, anxious, and highly observant. His jokes about food, luxury travel, and operating a warship contrast with his growing awareness that the mission is dangerous. He also becomes suspicious of the private understanding between Morel and Milluki.
• Milluki is efficient and technically capable, quickly packing his inventions and preparing the ship’s systems. He acts as a practical counterbalance to Bai Zhu’s complaints and comedy, though he participates in the banter.
• Morel demonstrates authority and control. He uses his smoke ability to create an entire artificial crew and confidently overrides the Voyage Bureau. His evasiveness suggests he knows more about the mission and the missing reinforcements than he reveals.
• Bai Zhu and Milluki’s relationship is characterized by teasing and contrasting personalities: Bai Zhu is dramatic and suspicious, while Milluki responds with dry practicality.
• Morel and Milluki share a brief, meaningful exchange that implies secret coordination or knowledge withheld from Bai Zhu.

Significant Themes

• Danger beneath appearances: Bai Zhu’s imagined luxury voyage is replaced by a warship, emphasizing that the expedition is a serious and potentially lethal operation.
• Authority and institutional conflict: The Hunter Association and Voyage Bureau clash over jurisdiction, responsibility, and the handling of the Old Trench incident.
• Secrets and incomplete information: Morel and Milluki’s hidden communication, the concealed 1879 files, and the unexplained whereabouts of the reinforcements all create suspense.
• Humor amid danger: Bai Zhu’s irreverent comments about Mazu, cruise amenities, shared bicycles, and staffing companies provide comic relief while highlighting his unease.
• Preparation and unconventional resources: Morel’s smoke soldiers and Milluki’s technology show that the mission relies on supernatural and mechanical substitutes rather than a normal crew.

Ending

The chapter ends with the warship leaving port and Bai Zhu asking where the other reinforcements are. Morel points out toward the sea without explaining, creating a cliffhanger about who—or what—is already waiting offshore.

Chapter Summary: One Minute of Silence Would Kill Him

Key Plot Points and Events

• Morel, Milluki, Bai Zhu, and the Purple Smoke Soldier leave Kik Port aboard a powerful warship. Two smaller boats from the Voyage Bureau attempt to follow but are quickly left behind.
• Morel reveals that their “reinforcements” will catch up later, implying that someone is approaching by swimming rather than by boat.
• In the command room, Morel presents a nautical chart of the Old Trench, marked with danger zones and information compiled by the Hunter Association.
• The team adopts operational rules devised by Pariston:
  1. Travel only in clear daylight.
  2. Stop the ship at night, in heavy rain, or in dense fog.
  3. Enter Zetsu when visibility is poor to minimize Nen leakage.
  4. Never respond to or interact with anything resembling Door Resonance, as its sound may cause dangerous secondary effects.
• Their initial objective is a ring-shaped island near the deepest part of the Old Trench. Its continental shelf offers protection from deep-sea monsters and provides a possible route for retreat.
• Because Bai Zhu’s power does not rely on Nen, he will remain capable of fighting while everyone else uses Zetsu. Morel assigns him night-watch duty.
• Bai Zhu protests until Morel offers a night-shift allowance, at which point he accepts under the pretense of prioritizing team safety.
• Milluki unveils modified Mechanical Fish and Sonar Anchors. Unlike the previous versions, they contain no Nen and are designed to avoid detection by the sea creatures. They are powered by Bai Zhu’s unusual energy, making him effectively a living battery.
• The new devices are coated with Black Gold Powder. Bai Zhu notices that Morel and Milluki appear to know more about the substance and suspects they are hiding information from him.
• Milluki dismisses Bai Zhu’s questions, pointing out that he cannot remain silent for even one minute. Bai Zhu is left speechless by the accuracy of the criticism.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu remains loud, humorous, and money-minded, but he also shows growing caution about the Old Trench and Pariston’s involvement. He is increasingly suspicious of the secrets Morel and Milluki are keeping.
• Morel acts as the practical leader, establishing cautious procedures and refusing to indulge Bai Zhu’s constant banter. His knowledge of the mission’s dangers and his connection to Pariston suggest he may be withholding important information.
• Milluki demonstrates his technical expertise by adapting the exploration equipment and integrating Bai Zhu’s energy into the machines. He is blunt and teasing, especially when describing Bai Zhu as a “paid battery.”
• Pariston, though absent, becomes a significant influence through the rules he created. His reputation makes Bai Zhu immediately suspect that the plan may contain a hidden trap.

Significant Themes

• Caution versus recklessness: The team is forced to abandon impulsive exploration and follow strict rules to survive the Old Trench.
• The danger of knowledge and secrecy: Bai Zhu senses that Morel and Milluki are concealing information about Door Resonance and Black Gold Powder, creating mistrust within the group.
• Exploitation and cooperation: Bai Zhu’s energy is essential to the mission, but the others treat him as equipment while he negotiates compensation for the dangerous work.
• Silence and communication: Silence is presented as both a survival tactic—through Zetsu and avoiding Door Resonance—and an impossible demand for Bai Zhu, whose constant talking provides comic relief.
• The unseen threat: The Old Trench’s dangers remain mostly invisible, but the team’s elaborate precautions imply that the greatest threats may react to Nen, sound, or human presence.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu and Milluki constantly trade sarcastic remarks, especially about the warship, Bai Zhu’s night-watch assignment, and his role as a power source.
• Morel repeatedly shuts down their banter and redirects them toward mission planning.
• Bai Zhu questions Morel about the missing reinforcements and becomes wary when Pariston’s name and Door Resonance are mentioned.
• Morel and Milluki appear to share information and plans that they deliberately keep from Bai Zhu, intensifying his suspicion.
• Milluki’s final remark—that Bai Zhu cannot stay quiet for a minute—briefly silences him, highlighting both their antagonistic humor and Bai Zhu’s inability to restrain himself.

Chapter Summary: “He Came, Riding the Waves”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Morel’s promised reinforcement arrives dramatically: Gela Jiang rides a wave toward the warship on a surfboard and lands directly on deck.
• Morel introduces Gela as a one-star Ocean Hunter specializing in high-speed movement over water and fluid manipulation.
• Gela uses his ability to create waves around the warship, significantly increasing its speed and improving its maneuverability.
• The ship’s new sonar system detects scattered parasites nearby, but they show no interest in attacking. This appears to support Pariston’s information that sea creatures are less aggressive during the day.
• Morel remains cautious, recognizing that the journey’s unusual smoothness may itself be suspicious.
• Before nightfall, the warship reaches a temporary anchorage near the Old Trench, where the seafloor begins descending.
• Morel orders everyone except Bai Zhu to enter Zetsu and rest. Bai Zhu is left as the lone lookout, reluctantly accepting his “overtime shift.”
• During the night, Bai Zhu hears two faint knocking sounds from beneath the sea. None of the others react, suggesting that an unseen threat may be approaching.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhu: Continues to act irreverent and verbally provocative, insulting Gela by calling him an “unlucky bastard” and nicknaming him “Carefree.” Beneath his humor, however, he is highly observant and increasingly uneasy about the mission’s unnatural lack of danger. His vigilance proves valuable when he alone detects the sounds beneath the ship.
• Milluki: Shows growing interest in Gela’s ability, immediately evaluating its practical and commercial uses. His sarcastic exchanges with Bai Zhu have become more frequent, indicating a comfortable but combative relationship.
• Morel: Acts as the mission’s calm leader, coordinating Gela’s arrival, propulsion, sonar monitoring, and anchorage. He trusts Bai Zhu enough to rely on him as the night watchman, while remaining cautious about drawing conclusions from the apparent daytime safety.
• Gela Jiang: Makes a carefree and theatrical entrance, matching his relaxed personality. He is good-natured enough not to take Bai Zhu’s insults seriously and quickly proves useful by accelerating the warship. His casual attitude contrasts with Bai Zhu’s constant suspicion.

Significant Themes

• Security versus complacency: The apparent safety of daytime travel may be genuine, but Morel and Bai Zhu recognize that predictable safety can encourage dangerous overconfidence.
• Instinct and vigilance: Bai Zhu’s unease seems excessive to the others, yet his sensitivity allows him to notice a possible threat that everyone else misses.
• Humor amid danger: The banter between Bai Zhu, Milluki, Morel, and Gela provides comic relief while also revealing their personalities and strengthening their group dynamic.
• Practical value of abilities: Gela’s fluid manipulation is viewed not only as a combat skill but also as a powerful transportation and business asset.
• Uncertainty beneath the surface: The mysterious knocking from underwater reinforces the chapter’s atmosphere of hidden danger, suggesting that the ship’s smooth progress may be leading toward an unavoidable encounter.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhu immediately clashes humorously with Gela, warning that his carefree nature makes him vulnerable and assigning him a nickname.
• Milluki joins Bai Zhu in teasing Gela and later criticizes Bai Zhu’s worsening sarcasm.
• Morel frequently mediates or ignores their banter while maintaining operational control.
• Bai Zhu and Milluki’s relationship is shown as mutually antagonistic but familiar; they trade insults while cooperating effectively.
• At night, Morel and the others dismiss Bai Zhu’s concerns and leave him on watch, creating a contrast between their trust in the calm situation and his growing suspicion.
• The chapter ends with Bai Zhu alone and alert as something beneath the sea appears to knock against the ship.

Chapter Summary: “Undersea Zombie Factory”

Key plot points and events

• During overnight watch, Bai Zhu hears a persistent, rhythmic thudding that only he seems able to perceive. The sound grows weaker when he moves toward the bridge and stronger near the edge of the deck, suggesting it is directional or somehow connected to the sea.
• His companions—Morel, Milluki, and Gela Jiang—appear asleep but are actually alert through Nen and equipment monitoring. Morel seems to recognize that something is wrong but does not force Bai Zhu to explain.
• By morning, the group reaches the Old Trench, an enormous underwater fissure whose opening has expanded dramatically since historical records and Gela Jiang’s previous visit.
• They deploy sonar anchors and deep-sea Mechanical Fish to investigate. The sonar reveals huge numbers of mutated, parasitized sea creatures.
• The infected fish are covered in translucent membranes and emit filaments that rapidly ensnare and infect healthy fish. Dolphins, sharks, and even whale remains show signs of the same infestation. Bai Zhu humorously describes the phenomenon as an “underwater zombie assembly line.”
• The parasites ignore the Black Gold-coated Mechanical Fish, suggesting they cannot recognize objects without Nen fluctuations or are repelled by the coating.
• Gela Jiang detects a rhythmic inward and outward current within the trench, implying that it behaves like a living organism.
• When a Mechanical Fish approaches the fissure, every infected creature suddenly turns toward the trench. A powerful thump, identical to the sound Bai Zhu heard overnight, is recorded through the equipment.
• The parasites part, creating a passage toward the trench. The Mechanical Fish is dragged downward despite Milluki’s attempts to control it.
• At the bottom, the group sees a gigantic black-gold structure covered in seaweed, bones, and slime. It appears to move and open, revealing itself not as a door but as part of a colossal creature—specifically, an enormous pair of glowing green eyes.
• The Mechanical Fish receives an unknown signal. Before Milluki can stop the automatic response countdown, the creature turns toward the camera and produces the sound: “Dong.”

Character developments

• Bai Zhu becomes increasingly uneasy and vigilant as the mysterious sound continues. Though frightened, he maintains his sarcastic humor, using jokes about overtime pay, workplace injuries, and zombie ports to cope with danger.
• He conceals the fact that he heard the thudding, partly because he does not understand it and partly because he fears being treated as abnormal. His eventual admission confirms that his perception was connected to the trench.
• Morel demonstrates strong leadership and caution. He notices Bai Zhu’s unease, avoids forcing him to speak, and makes measured decisions as the threat escalates.
• Milluki shifts from technical confidence to visible fear as the Mechanical Fish reveal the infected ecosystem. Despite his anxiety, he remains focused on gathering data and controlling the equipment.
• Gela Jiang provides crucial environmental observations, sensing the abnormal currents and recognizing that the trench may function like a living organism.
• The group’s humor and teasing continue, but the discovery of the trench’s true nature quickly overwhelms their casual dynamic.

Significant themes

• The unknown beneath the surface: The chapter builds dread by revealing that the sea hides a rapidly expanding, intelligent, and possibly living ecosystem.
• Isolation and perception: Bai Zhu alone hears the knocking, creating uncertainty about whether he is being targeted, contacted, or altered by the entity.
• Scientific exploration versus supernatural danger: The team relies on sonar, mechanical probes, and data collection, but their technology becomes inadequate when confronted by the trench’s enormous intelligence.
• Body horror and infection: The parasitic fish transform living creatures into suspended, controlled organisms, suggesting an infectious threat that could spread beyond the sea.
• Human insignificance: The enormous eyes beneath the trench make the warship and its occupants seem tiny and vulnerable.
• Humor as defense: Bai Zhu’s jokes provide comic relief while emphasizing how the characters use sarcasm to manage fear.

Character interactions

• Bai Zhu repeatedly jokes with Milluki about overtime pay, security duty, and reimbursement, while Milluki responds with irritation and skepticism.
• Morel questions Bai Zhu about the night but allows him to withhold the truth, indicating mutual awareness and restrained trust.
• The team works cooperatively during the investigation: Gela Jiang manages the ship’s movement and currents, Morel directs the operation, and Milluki operates the sonar and Mechanical Fish.
• Bai Zhu’s comments initially lighten the atmosphere, but the others gradually stop responding as the evidence becomes more disturbing.
• When the thump is recorded, Morel and Milluki confront Bai Zhu indirectly, realizing he had already encountered the sound. The chapter ends with the group united in silent terror as the entity appears to notice them.