Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: Subspecies Team Prepares to Enter Black Cloud

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Junlin observes two young Subspecies students training in the Gravity Room: Ba Dawang and Ba Xiaomei.
• Dawang trains first, jokingly increasing the gravity and laughing through the intense pressure. Xiaomei then takes her turn, performing duck walks and holding herself up under gravity that eventually reaches thirty times normal strength.
• Despite exhaustion and pain, Xiaomei refuses to give up or cry out, impressing Fu Junlin with her endurance and determination.
• After the two recover, Fu Junlin reveals himself and introduces himself. The siblings are startled, initially thinking they are hallucinating from the strain of training.
• Dawang and Xiaomei explain that they are both Entry-Level Two students nearing Level-Two Elite. Dawang is a Fistmaster, while Xiaomei is a Blade-and-Sword Enchanter.
• Dawang explains the rules of the Northern Special Arena Zone, code-named the “Black Cloud Realm.” The event requires two echelons, with the second echelon opening the gate for the first. It is expected to contain two or three bosses, including a possible mutated boss.
• Fu Junlin invites the siblings to join his team for the second echelon. He warns them that the teleportation intensity may be low and the mission dangerous.
• Dawang and Xiaomei eagerly accept, revealing that they have fought alongside hunting teams since childhood, earned their tuition through combat, and killed more than a dozen bosses between them.
• Fu Junlin agrees to recruit more teammates and begin several days of training before entering the Black Cloud Realm.

Character Developments

• Fu Junlin: Demonstrates growing leadership and initiative by recruiting capable teammates for the dangerous Arena Zone. He is initially amused by the siblings but becomes genuinely impressed by their endurance, combat history, and potential.
• Ba Dawang: Appears energetic, boastful, and protective of his younger sister. He shows confidence in his abilities and eagerly proves his worth to Fu Junlin. His class as a Fistmaster matches his physical training and direct combat style.
• Ba Xiaomei: Despite her playful personality and unusual speech impediment, she displays remarkable discipline, courage, and stamina. Her ability to endure thirty times gravity without crying out makes a strong impression on Fu Junlin.
• Dawang and Xiaomei: Their close bond is evident in their shared training, teasing, encouragement, and eagerness to fight together. Their status as abandoned children has made them unusually self-reliant and battle-hardened.

Significant Themes

• Perseverance and endurance: The siblings’ brutal gravity training highlights the importance of continuing despite physical limits.
• Found family and belonging: Having no known parents and struggling to find a team, Dawang and Xiaomei finally receive an opportunity to belong through Fu Junlin’s invitation.
• Talent overlooked by society: Their unusual names, speech, and orphaned status make them easy to underestimate, yet their combat experience and determination prove their value.
• Teamwork and preparation: The Black Cloud Realm’s complicated rules emphasize the need for coordination, careful recruitment, and training before entering.
• Opportunity through trust: Fu Junlin’s willingness to take a chance on the siblings gives them access to an opportunity they could not obtain alone.

Character Interactions

• Dawang playfully controls the Gravity Machine while Xiaomei trains, creating a humorous but supportive dynamic.
• The siblings encourage and challenge each other, with Dawang raising the gravity and later helping Xiaomei when she collapses.
• Fu Junlin questions them about their abilities and background, gradually shifting from amusement to respect.
• Dawang enthusiastically presents their combat experience, while Xiaomei tries to express her eagerness despite her tendency to make repeated “chirp” and “wo” sounds.
• Fu Junlin offers them a place on his team, and both siblings respond with immediate excitement, seeing the invitation as a rare chance to participate in the Black Cloud Realm.

Chapter Summary: The Theory of Presence Must Be Remembered

Key Plot Points and Events

• At home, Fu Junlin and his younger brother Fu Junting cultivate in the laboratory using Energy Crystal Blocks.
• Fu Junlin advances to Level-Two Elite, while Fu Junting reaches Level-One Master, an impressive achievement for a first-year high school student.
• Fu Junlin begins studying the Cloud-Piercing Spear Technique, an old and poorly written manual given to him by Xiao Yunfei.
• Although the manual’s formatting and illustrations are crude, Fu Junlin becomes fascinated by its central concept: “intent.”
• He realizes that intent may resemble logic—something ordinary people can develop through practice—and sees the manual as a guide toward understanding spear techniques beyond basic energy manipulation.
• Yao Jinying calls the brothers to dinner and announces that she has been promoted to Group C Leader after a senior leader was dismissed for accepting kickbacks.
• She explains that her promotion resulted from the “presence” others felt in her: calm authority, confidence, composure, and the ability to command attention.
• Yao teaches both sons practical principles for cultivating presence, including remaining calm, maintaining confident posture, moving deliberately, avoiding unnecessary explanations, and making direct eye contact.
• After dinner, Fu Junlin applies himself to both reading and practicing the spear technique until late at night, recognizing that he will need to test it in the Arena Zone.

Character Developments

• Fu Junlin demonstrates continued growth in strength and understanding. He is not only advancing in cultivation but also becoming more thoughtful about unfamiliar concepts such as intent and presence.
• His interest in the Cloud-Piercing Spear Technique deepens despite its ridiculous presentation, showing his willingness to look beyond appearances and search for useful principles.
• Fu Junlin takes his mother’s advice seriously and begins deliberately practicing the behaviors associated with presence.
• Fu Junting reaches Level-One Master remarkably early, highlighting his natural talent and rapid development. However, he remains playful and literal-minded, joking that presence means acting like a sloth.
• Yao Jinying is established as confident, perceptive, and socially capable. Her promotion confirms that she commands genuine respect rather than relying on appearance or favoritism.

Significant Themes

• True power versus outward appearance: The shabby spear manual may look worthless, yet it contains valuable insights. Likewise, presence is not empty posturing but the visible result of composure, confidence, and self-control.
• Cultivation through practice: Both martial intent and personal presence are presented as skills that can be deliberately developed rather than mysterious innate abilities.
• Logic and comprehension: Fu Junlin connects the manual’s concept of intent to logic, suggesting that understanding and imagination are as important as raw energy or talent.
• Composure and authority: Yao’s advice emphasizes that calmness, posture, restraint, and eye contact can influence how others perceive and respond to a person.
• Family guidance: The dinner conversation shows Yao preparing her sons to navigate a society involving powerful humans, Superior Humans, Mighty-Species People, and dangerous Arena Zones.

Character Interactions

• The brothers cultivate side by side, with Fu Junlin observing Fu Junting’s progress and being startled when he suddenly finishes meditating.
• Fu Junlin and Fu Junting share a lighthearted exchange with their mother about her promotion and the meaning of “presence.”
• Yao Jinying speaks seriously to Fu Junlin, treating him as mature enough to understand ideas about reputation and authority while also addressing Fu Junting.
• Fu Junting’s joke about being like a sloth creates comic relief and contrasts with Fu Junlin’s earnest response.
• The chapter ends with Fu Junlin privately combining his mother’s social teachings with his martial studies, preparing to apply both in the Arena Zone.

Chapter Summary: Entering the Arena Zone to Battle the Black Cloud Realm

Key Plot Points and Events

• Four days after the previous events, ten second-echelon teams gather at Nightingale Transit Station to enter the dangerous Black Cloud Realm Arena Zones.
• The Black Cloud Realm consists of multiple fan-shaped, undetectable Arena Zones containing mutated Bosses, including at least two above Level Three.
• The teams are required to defeat enough powerful monsters to weaken the Arena Zones’ energy restrictions. This will allow the first-echelon forces—teachers from Flying Cloud Vine School, Iron Second Academy, and the Federation Army—to enter and confront the final Bosses.
• The second-echelon teams have only two hours inside the Arena Zones before forced teleportation. The teleportation intensity is set to 10%, making the extraction dangerous.
• Fu Junlin’s Team Seven is introduced and confirmed to have seven members rather than the usual six because five of its members are Subspecies. Its members are Fu Junlin, Qiao Zishu, Ling Xiaobing, Cheng Xiaoyu, Lin Man, Ba Xiaomei, and Ba Dawang.
• After receiving the rules and equipment, Team Seven enters the teleporter and arrives at the outer perimeter of the Black Cloud Realm.
• Drones begin broadcasting the operation to the public, while the Federation Army’s Hunter Army Captain assumes overall command through the radio.
• The teams are ordered to advance into the Arena Zones and begin the assault.

Character Developments

• Fu Junlin takes on the responsibility of leading a team into an Arena Zone for the first time. He is especially determined to prove the value and combat ability of the Subspecies members under his command.
• Ba Dawang displays his usual timid but enthusiastic nature, hiding behind Cheng Xiaoyu while still eagerly echoing Fu Junlin’s battle cry.
• Lin Man is perceived by the public as an important support member, likely possessing invisibility and healing abilities.
• Qiao Zishu, Cheng Xiaoyu, and Ling Xiaobing remain underestimated by spectators, who have not witnessed their full abilities or trump cards.
• The Subspecies members are treated as unusual and mysterious figures, attracting public curiosity and doubt.
• The Hunter Army Captain becomes the overall commander because several higher-ranking Federation leaders are above the Arena Zone’s level restrictions and cannot enter.

Significant Themes

• Duty and sacrifice: The schools and military willingly send teams into a highly dangerous mission for the sake of the wider population.
• Teamwork and leadership: Success depends on each second-echelon team obeying the command structure and working together under strict time limits.
• Prejudice and underestimation: The public assumes Fu Junlin’s team is weak because of its unfamiliar members and strange Subspecies recruits.
• Public morale and accountability: The live broadcast encourages the fighters while also discouraging cowardice or betrayal, turning the battle into both a military operation and a public spectacle.
• Limits and sacrifice: The two-hour deadline and dangerous forced teleportation emphasize the severe risks faced by everyone entering the Arena Zones.

Character Interactions

• The administrator formally checks Team Seven’s roster and reacts with confusion to Ba Dawang’s unusual name, prompting Ba Dawang to timidly identify himself.
• Fu Junlin encourages his team with the battle cry, “Energy without limit,” and Ba Dawang enthusiastically joins him.
• Ba Dawang repeatedly stays close behind Cheng Xiaoyu, reinforcing their apparent protector-and-dependent dynamic.
• The command center gives orders to all teams through the radio, establishing the Hunter Army Captain’s authority over the operation.
• Spectators analyze the teams from outside, questioning Fu Junlin’s strength and speculating about his members’ abilities before the real battle begins.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Junlin leads the team through the Light Gate into the Black Cloud Realm, a vast arena covered in dense black mist with extremely limited visibility.
• The team encounters ten unfamiliar Elite Monsters. Ba Dawang quickly analyzes their weaknesses: their teeth and claws are mostly intimidation, while the barbed spines on their backs are their true weapons. Their legs are powerful but vulnerable, so severing them is the safest strategy.
• Cheng Xiaoyu takes a defensive role with his massive shield mech, while Qiao Zishu provides long-range support with her heavy sniper rifle. Ling Xiaobing and Poka Poka contribute magic and monster-like combat power.
• Ba Xiaomei shocks everyone by revealing that her weapon is an enormous horse-chopping saber, nearly two meters long. Despite her small stature, she wields it with exceptional skill, using Energy Vibration to slice through the monsters’ legs.
• Ba Dawang demonstrates overwhelming close-combat ability, fighting several monsters at once and driving them back.
• The first wave is quickly destroyed, leaving severed limbs scattered across the battlefield. More than twenty monsters then emerge from the mist.
• Lin Man deploys two Battle Banners, creating red and gray enhancement fields, and the team launches another coordinated assault.
• Ba Xiaomei becomes the most visually impressive fighter, killing fourteen monsters by herself with her massive saber. Qiao Zishu continues firing, while the rest of the team advances.
• Fu Junlin learns that the monsters possess no Energy Glands, meaning they cannot collect the usual rewards from them. He also receives news that Iron Second Academy has already cleared two Arena Zones, prompting the team to move quickly to the next area.

Character Developments

• Ba Xiaomei: Her true strength is revealed through her mastery of the horse-chopping saber. Although physically weaker than Ba Dawang, her technique, agility, and control allow her to kill more monsters than anyone else.
• Ba Dawang: His tactical knowledge and brutal hand-to-hand combat skills are emphasized. He can identify monster weaknesses accurately and overpower multiple enemies simultaneously.
• Cheng Xiaoyu: He embraces a defensive specialty, using a large shield mech after recognizing that attacking is not his greatest strength.
• Qiao Zishu: Establishes herself as a powerful ranged attacker, though the monsters’ leg defenses prevent her sniper rifle from killing them instantly.
• Fu Junlin: Acts as the team’s leader, coordinating movement and responding to battlefield developments.
• Lin Man: Demonstrates her support role by deploying Battle Banners that strengthen the team’s assault.
• Ling Xiaobing and Poka Poka: Contribute magical and monstrous combat abilities, with Poka Poka proving especially aggressive.

Significant Themes

• Strength versus technique: Ba Xiaomei proves that skillful weapon use can compensate for lower raw strength.
• The value of specialization: Each member contributes through a distinct role—defense, sniping, support, analysis, or melee combat.
• Unexpected appearances: Ba Xiaomei’s petite appearance contrasts sharply with her enormous weapon and astonishing battlefield performance.
• Team coordination and competition: The group fights cooperatively while also racing against rival academies, especially Iron Second Academy.
• Practical combat intelligence: Understanding an enemy’s anatomy and weaknesses is shown to be as important as possessing powerful equipment.

Character Interactions

• Ba Dawang instructs the team about the monsters’ weaknesses, though his blunt explanation confuses and amazes the outside spectators.
• Fu Junlin commands the team’s formations and movement, calling for shields and later ordering everyone to advance.
• Cheng Xiaoyu protects the group with his shield while Qiao Zishu attacks from behind him.
• Ba Xiaomei and Ba Dawang fight side by side, dominating the monsters through complementary styles: her weapon mastery and his overwhelming physical combat.
• Lin Man enhances the team with her Battle Banners, enabling Fu Junlin, Ba Xiaomei, Ba Dawang, and the others to press forward.
• The spectators and teachers react with disbelief to Ba Xiaomei’s weapon and performance, turning her into the chapter’s standout fighter.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Junlin’s Seventh Squad enters the sixth Arena Zone after learning that Iron Second Academy’s teams have advanced farther than they have. Most civilian teams and Flying Cloud Vine School’s teams have already withdrawn or reached their limits.
• The sixth zone contains four enormous Level-Four Mutated Elite Monsters, far stronger than the creatures in previous zones.
• Fu Junlin requests an immediate return to the city, but the squad’s Return-to-City Brooches fail. The Hunter Army Captain explains that the Arena Zone’s rules have been altered, probably because a Pregnant Beast has crossed the walls.
• With escape impossible, the squad is ordered to fight to the death. Their formation involves Cheng Xiaoyu defending the support members while Fu Junlin, Ba Dawang, Poka, the Inverse Walker, and the Twin Little Tyrants distract and engage the monsters.
• The monsters quickly overwhelm the squad. One tears through Cheng Xiaoyu’s Money-Power Shield and destroys his defensive mech, while Ba Dawang, Fu Junlin, and the other fighters are violently injured.
• Fu Junlin uses an explosive device, temporarily blowing apart one monster’s mouth, but the creature survives and continues attacking. Ba Xiaomei saves Fu Junlin by decapitating the monster with her saber.
• The remaining three monsters continue dominating the battle, scattering the squad and leaving the ranged fighters unable to retaliate.
• Seeing Ba Dawang pushed to his limit, Ba Xiaomei deliberately calls him “Little Turtle” and mocks his appearance. Enraged, Ba Dawang unleashes the power hidden in the hunchbacked shell-like mass on his back.
• He crashes down on one monster with tremendous force, smashing its head into its body and nearly reducing it to pulp. He then continues striking the corpse while declaring that his name is Ba Dawang, not “Turtle.”

2. Character Developments

• Fu Junlin demonstrates leadership and tactical judgment by recognizing that the mutated monsters are too dangerous to fight under normal circumstances. Once retreat becomes impossible, he nevertheless commits himself to protecting the squad.
• Ba Xiaomei proves both courageous and perceptive. She kills one monster at a crucial moment to save Fu Junlin, then discovers that provoking Ba Dawang’s anger can unlock his hidden strength.
• Ba Dawang undergoes the chapter’s major transformation. Previously mocked for his turtle-like back and treated as physically limited, he reveals overwhelming destructive power when his identity is insulted. His outburst establishes his pride and hints that his hunchback or “shell” contains extraordinary energy.
• Cheng Xiaoyu and the other support members are shown to be vulnerable when the team’s defensive formation collapses.
• Ling Xiaobing’s connection to the mystery of Pregnant Beasts is emphasized, though she has no opportunity to explain it during the attack.

3. Significant Themes

• Survival against overwhelming power: The squad’s combat abilities are insufficient against the mutated elites, forcing them to rely on teamwork, sacrifice, and desperation.
• Hidden strength and suppressed identity: Ba Dawang’s power is awakened by the refusal to be defined by a humiliating nickname. His declaration of his real name symbolizes pride and self-assertion.
• The danger of broken rules: The Pregnant Beast alters the Arena Zone’s escape mechanism, turning a controlled trial into a deadly trap.
• Teamwork and sacrifice: Members repeatedly risk themselves for one another, particularly Ba Xiaomei’s rescue of Fu Junlin and Fu Junlin’s protection of her.
• Mockery as a weapon: Ba Xiaomei’s taunting, though cruel, becomes an intentional tactic that triggers Ba Dawang’s hidden potential.

4. Character Interactions

• Fu Junlin communicates with the command platform and receives the order to fight after the squad’s retreat function fails.
• The Hunter Army Captain warns Fu Junlin that a Pregnant Beast may have disrupted the Arena Zone’s rules and directs him to ask Ling Xiaobing for details.
• Fu Junlin coordinates the squad’s battle formation, assigning close-combat fighters to draw the monsters away while the ranged members provide support.
• Ba Xiaomei intervenes when Fu Junlin is about to be bitten, killing the damaged monster and then protecting him from another attack.
• After both she and Fu Junlin are injured, Ba Xiaomei provokes Ba Dawang by repeatedly calling him “Little Turtle.” Her insults trigger his explosive counterattack and his climactic declaration: “My name is Ba Dawang!”

Chapter Summary: “Powerful Pregnant Beast’s Domain Suppression”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ba Dawang demonstrates astonishing physical strength by creating a massive crater with a single punch. His power is so extreme that Fu Junlin compares it to that of Rascal Uncle.
• Qiao Zishu kills one of the Level-Four Mutated Elite Monsters with a perfectly placed sniper shot through its eye, showing that precision can be more important than raw firepower.
• Ba Dawang engages the remaining monster in a brutal close-range battle. Despite being repeatedly thrown into the crater walls and ground, he continues fighting until he finally overwhelms and defeats it.
• The battle leaves Ba Dawang severely wounded, but Lin Man’s Battle Banner begins healing him. Surprisingly, none of his bones are broken despite his extensive external injuries.
• The group notices that a dangerous, mysterious energy is stored in the pack on Ba Dawang’s back. This energy appears connected to his ferocious, berserk state.
• Ba Xiaomei gives Ba Dawang candy, which seems to calm him and cause the terrifying energy and aura surrounding him to disappear. The others suspect she can control when he enters and exits his berserk state.
• Before the group can recover, a much larger and more powerful creature emerges from the fog. It has strange sapphire-blue eyes, a grotesque fish-like face, and a badly injured hind leg.
• The commander identifies the creature as the legendary Pregnant Beast, exciting the Hunter Army despite the danger.
• Fu Junlin prepares to direct the group’s attack and send Qiao Zishu into a safer sniping position, but he suddenly finds his body becoming unnaturally heavy and completely immobile, indicating the Pregnant Beast has activated a powerful suppressive domain.

Character Developments

• Ba Dawang: Establishes himself as an extremely powerful physical combatant capable of fighting a Mutated Elite Monster head-on. His resilience is extraordinary, and his berserk power appears to be linked to the mysterious object or energy on his back.
• Ba Xiaomei: Reveals an unexpected degree of control over Ba Dawang’s condition. Her candy appears to calm him and possibly deactivate his berserk mode, suggesting a unique bond or ability.
• Qiao Zishu: Demonstrates exceptional marksmanship by killing a monster with one precise shot to the eye. She becomes the group’s most reliable long-range threat.
• Fu Junlin: Continues acting as the group’s tactical leader, assessing threats and trying to coordinate everyone’s roles. His helplessness under the Pregnant Beast’s suppression highlights the enormous difference in power.
• Lin Man: Uses her Battle Banner to heal the injured fighters. The chapter also explains how higher-level War Banner Masters gain greater control over their healing and debuff effects.
• Cheng Xiaoyu: Reacts with astonishment to Ba Dawang’s strength, providing a brief moment of levity, though Qiao Zishu rebukes his poorly worded comment.
• The Hunter Army Commander: Shows intense excitement upon confirming the Pregnant Beast’s identity, even though the group remains in immediate danger.

Significant Themes

• Raw strength versus precision: Ba Dawang relies on overwhelming physical force, while Qiao Zishu proves that accuracy and targeting a weak point can be equally decisive.
• Hidden power and control: Ba Dawang’s mysterious berserk energy and Ba Xiaomei’s apparent ability to activate or suppress it suggest that the group’s abilities are more complicated than they appear.
• Survival under escalating danger: The group defeats two powerful monsters but immediately faces a far greater threat, emphasizing the relentless dangers of their environment.
• Power hierarchy and uncertainty: The Pregnant Beast’s damaged level marker and unfamiliar blue eyes create uncertainty about its classification and true strength.
• Teamwork and specialized roles: The battle depends on the combined contributions of frontline fighters, snipers, healers, and tactical coordinators.
• The limits of control: Fu Junlin’s sudden inability to move demonstrates how easily a superior monster can neutralize the group’s strategies.

Character Interactions

• Ba Dawang and the Mutated Elite Monster engage in a direct, almost evenly matched exchange of blows.
• Qiao Zishu supports the frontline battle by eliminating one monster from a distance.
• Fu Junlin tries to participate but cannot find an opening during Ba Dawang’s close combat.
• Lin Man heals Ba Dawang and the nearby allies with her Battle Banner.
• Ba Xiaomei feeds Ba Dawang candy, apparently calming and restoring him.
• Cheng Xiaoyu comments on Ba Dawang’s strength and is immediately reprimanded by Qiao Zishu.
• Fu Junlin attempts to assign Qiao Zishu a safer sniping position, but the Pregnant Beast’s domain immobilizes him before he can issue the order.

Chapter Summary: “Ling Xiaobing Was Chosen for a Reason”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group encounters an overwhelmingly powerful Pregnant Beast whose eyes and aura immobilize them. Its presence disrupts both their bodies and minds, leaving them unable to fight.
• Fu Junlin attempts to protect Ling Xiaobing, but the beast casually knocks him aside. Poka Poka also struggles forward to defend her, only to be swatted away.
• The beast examines the group, paying particular attention to Poka Poka and Ling Xiaobing. Its swollen belly suggests that it is pregnant.
• Instead of attacking, the beast vomits up a small, slime-covered ball of flesh—its child—and presents it to Ling Xiaobing.
• Ling Xiaobing realizes that the Pregnant Beast wants her to care for its offspring. Once she accepts the creature, the beast releases its suppressive aura and retreats sadly into the forest.
• The group learns that Pregnant Beasts are highly intelligent mutated creatures capable of resisting the Black Hand’s influence and breaking the Arena Zone’s rules.
• The Arena Zone gate finally opens, allowing Seventh Squad to leave.

Character Developments

• Ling Xiaobing shows compassion and an unusual bond with mutated beasts. Her experience raising Poka Poka allows her to understand the Pregnant Beast’s intentions, suggesting she was specifically chosen because of her ability to care for such creatures.
• Fu Junlin instinctively tries to shield Ling Xiaobing despite being completely outmatched, demonstrating courage and protectiveness.
• Poka Poka attempts to defend Ling Xiaobing, reinforcing its loyalty and its role as her companion rather than a mere monster.
• Cheng Xiaoyu initially views the newborn as a dangerous monster but is corrected by Ling Xiaobing and frightened into hiding behind Fu Junlin.
• Qiao Zishu and the others are shaken by the beast’s power and begin reconsidering their assumptions about monsters.
• The group, especially Fu Junlin, Ba Xiaomei, and Ba Dawang, is emotionally affected by the revelation that Pregnant Beasts are mothers with intelligence and feelings.

Significant Themes

• Maternal instinct and sacrifice: The Pregnant Beast risks entering the Arena Zone and entrusting its child to Ling Xiaobing, highlighting the strength of parental love.
• The distinction between monsters and companions: Ling Xiaobing argues that creatures like Poka Poka should not be defined solely as monsters; with care, they can become loyal companions.
• Power versus compassion: The group is helpless before the beast’s strength, but survival depends not on combat, but on understanding its intentions and responding with kindness.
• Questioning prejudice: The characters begin to see mutated creatures as intelligent beings capable of emotion, sorrow, and parental attachment.
• Ling Xiaobing’s special role: Her connection with Poka Poka and her ability to communicate with or care for mutated beasts suggest that her selection for the mission was deliberate.

Character Interactions

• Fu Junlin tries to protect Ling Xiaobing, but the beast dismisses him effortlessly.
• The Pregnant Beast recognizes a connection between Poka Poka and Ling Xiaobing, using Poka Poka to communicate its request.
• Ling Xiaobing calmly interprets the beast’s intentions and accepts its offspring, earning its trust.
• Cheng Xiaoyu questions whether the newborn should be raised as a monster, prompting Ling Xiaobing to defend the creatures’ potential to become companions.
• The group’s fear gradually turns into reflection as they recognize the beast’s intelligence and sorrow.

Summary of “Third Squad’s Small Request”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A Light Gate opens behind Seventh Squad, but it is sealed by a gray layer and cannot be used to return to the city. Their communication brooches also fail, leaving them trapped on their current route.
• The Hunter Army Captain informs Seventh Squad that the next Arena Zone is likely the first-stage BOSS Arena. Since they cannot retreat or go backward, Fu Junlin orders everyone to recover as much as possible and continue forward.
• The squad assesses its condition: most members remain capable of fighting, though Cheng Xiaoyu’s defensive mech is nearly destroyed, reducing his combat strength.
• Ling Xiaobing’s meatball-like organic creature cannot be stored in a belt, so Fu Junlin places it inside a padded compartment in his Inverse Walker. This reinforces the group’s growing concern for the creature and their understanding of why its parent entrusted it to Ling Xiaobing.
• Seventh Squad reaches another sealed Light Gate surrounded by hemispherical protrusions. The commander orders them to wait while the army analyzes the Arena Zone’s rules.
• Meanwhile, Third Squad from Iron Second Academy has already cleared fourteen Arena Zones. They are resting among the corpses of defeated monsters while preparing to enter another zone containing forty Level-Three Elite Monsters.
• The commander explains that Seventh Squad cannot open the BOSS gate until Third Squad enters the next Arena Zone and kills at least eighty percent of its monsters—at least thirty-two enemies.
• Third Squad immediately enters the Arena Zone despite their exhaustion. Their captain then makes an unexpected request: he asks for the girls from Flying Cloud Vine to cheer for them as they did during a previous Combat Arena.
• The request moves and surprises everyone in the plaza. The crowd responds with enthusiastic cheers, giving Third Squad a surge of morale.
• Energized by the support, Third Squad charges into the monster horde. At the same time, the glowing markers around Seventh Squad’s Light Gate begin activating rapidly, indicating that Third Squad is defeating monsters. The chapter ends as nearly thirty markers light up.

Character Developments

• Fu Junlin demonstrates practical leadership by accepting that retreat is impossible, organizing the squad, and preparing them to face the next challenge.
• Cheng Xiaoyu sacrifices his clothing to cushion the meatball creature inside the mech, revealing his gentler, protective side despite his reduced combat ability.
• Ling Xiaobing continues acting as the creature’s caretaker. Her concern that it be stored safely highlights her compassion and strengthens the bond between them.
• Third Squad’s captain and members are shown to be disciplined, resilient fighters. Their playful request for encouragement also reveals a shy, youthful side beneath their hardened battlefield personas.
• The Hunter Army Captain remains stern and rational, but he recognizes Third Squad’s determination and allows the morale-boosting cheers.
• The spectators shift from arguing about whether Third Squad should continue to passionately supporting them, showing their admiration and emotional investment.

Significant Themes

• Perseverance under pressure: Both squads continue forward despite exhaustion, damaged equipment, and the inability to retreat.
• Teamwork and morale: Physical strength is important, but emotional encouragement proves equally powerful in sustaining fighters.
• Humanity amid violence: The chapter contrasts brutal battles and piles of corpses with tenderness toward the meatball creature and the squad’s embarrassed request for cheers.
• Sacrifice and responsibility: The teams accept dangerous tasks not only for themselves but to help humanity progress and allow the other squad to reach the BOSS Arena.
• The value of recognition: Third Squad’s desire for cheers emphasizes how much courage and acknowledgment matter to those repeatedly risking their lives.

Character Interactions

• Fu Junlin coordinates with the Hunter Army Captain and encourages Seventh Squad to keep moving.
• Fu Junlin, Cheng Xiaoyu, and Ling Xiaobing cooperate to safely house the meatball creature.
• The commander connects Seventh Squad and Third Squad, making each team’s progress dependent on the other.
• Third Squad’s captain asks the command center for support in the form of cheers, and the crowd—including the Flying Cloud Vine girls—responds enthusiastically.
• The cheers transform the atmosphere from tense uncertainty into collective determination, directly motivating Third Squad’s renewed assault.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Third Squad successfully escapes through the Light Gate, prompting cheers that quickly turn to concern when viewers see Seventh Squad’s Arena Zone.
• Fu Junlin and his team enter the arena and encounter a humanoid Level-Four BOSS: the Withered-Wood Female Corpse, a three-meter-tall, dark-violet woman whose lower body is formed from a massive tree root.
• The BOSS summons a huge horde of Level-Three fish-headed monsters. Most are protected by a tough, resin-like armor, making them more difficult to kill than the creatures in earlier arenas.
• Fu Junlin orders the team to capture the BOSS, but the monster swarm surrounds them and blocks their advance.
• Ba Xiaomei’s executioner blade struggles against the resin armor, while Fu Junlin’s Voidreturn Spear pierces it easily. The spear also secretly absorbs some of the monsters’ energy.
• Fu Junlin uses five Little Seven-Eight explosives to clear a temporary path through the horde. He charges through the opening and attacks the Female Corpse directly.
• The BOSS restrains Fu Junlin with tendrils of withered wood and prepares to kill him with a wooden spike.
• Qiao Zishu, positioned atop a log carried by the Inverse Walker, uses her heavy sniper rifle to intervene. Her bullet pierces the Female Corpse’s head before the BOSS can use Fu Junlin as a shield.

Character developments

• Fu Junlin demonstrates decisive leadership, tactical awareness, and overwhelming close-combat power. He takes the initiative to break through the monster horde and attack the BOSS personally.
• Ba Xiaomei remains aggressive and courageous but discovers that her usual weapon is less effective against the enemies’ resin armor.
• Qiao Zishu reveals her value as a precise long-range combatant. Despite panicking when Fu Junlin is captured, she reacts instantly and delivers the chapter’s decisive attack.
• The Inverse Walker supports Qiao Zishu by lifting and positioning a huge log, giving her a clear vantage point above the monsters.
• The team shows strong battlefield coordination, quickly adapting to the swarm’s tactics and Fu Junlin’s explosive assault.

Significant themes

• Teamwork and complementary abilities: Fu Junlin creates the opening, while Qiao Zishu provides the finishing strike from a distance.
• Tactical adaptation: The team must adjust to enemies with stronger defenses and overwhelming numbers rather than relying on their previous methods.
• Courage under pressure: Fu Junlin continues attacking even after being restrained, while Qiao Zishu risks a difficult shot to save him.
• The contrast between apparent vulnerability and hidden danger: The Female Corpse appears motionless and lifeless, but commands a massive army and possesses powerful defensive abilities.
• Trust and battlefield coordination: Fu Junlin’s confident expression suggests he relies on his teammates to rescue him, particularly Qiao Zishu.

Character interactions

• Fu Junlin directs Ba Dawang, Ba Xiaomei, and the rest of the team throughout the battle.
• Ba Xiaomei warns the group about the monsters’ strong armor after her blade becomes stuck.
• Fu Junlin clears a path with explosives while the others retreat and take cover.
• The Female Corpse captures Fu Junlin and attempts to kill him, but Qiao Zishu recognizes his danger and shoots the BOSS in the head, rescuing him at the critical moment.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Junlin successfully destroys the Withered-Wood Female Corpse’s head, but discovers a fist-sized gray crystal inside it—a Phase-Change Energy Core.
• The corpse’s destruction triggers a massive energy shockwave that throws Fu Junlin and the others away. The surrounding monsters and corpses regenerate and merge into larger, far more powerful creatures.
• The Withered-Wood Female Corpse also regenerates, revealing that it is not merely the first-phase boss but the true final boss. Its Energy Core is responsible for creating the Black Cloud Realm and is the team’s ultimate objective.
• The high-level energy restriction is lifted, allowing first-echelon teachers to enter the arena and attempt a rescue. However, they are still at least five minutes away.
• Fu Junlin and several teammates are severely injured by the shockwave. Lin Man loses the use of her arm, Cheng Xiaoyu cannot feel his legs, and Fu Junlin’s own arm is numb and unusable.
• Dozens of regenerated monsters surround the survivors, while the boss becomes increasingly powerful and prepares a mass assault.
• Fu Junlin, overwhelmed by regret and frustration over his weakness, finally awakens a powerful fighting spirit and prepares to defend his fallen teammates despite the hopeless odds.
• Just as the monsters begin their charge, an unknown force destroys the surveillance drone, cutting off the outside audience’s view.
• Three mysterious black-cloaked figures descend beside the arena wall. One appears to be drunk and recites poetry while calling for Fu Junlin to retreat, suggesting unexpected reinforcements have arrived.

Character Developments

• Fu Junlin shifts from despair and self-reproach to genuine battle determination. He regrets focusing on research rather than combat and realizes how far he has fallen behind warriors such as Ba Xiaomei, Ba Dawang, and the fighters from Iron Second Academy.
• Although physically disabled and vastly outnumbered, Fu Junlin chooses to stand and fight with his remaining strength, marking a significant change in his resolve.
• Lin Man and Cheng Xiaoyu are shown to be seriously injured and frightened, emphasizing the devastating effect of the boss’s transformation.
• The commander remains focused on coordinating rescue efforts and urgently informs the team about the boss’s true identity and the approaching first-echelon teachers.
• The arrival of the three cloaked figures introduces powerful new characters whose abilities and intentions are not yet clear.

Significant Themes

• Desperation and survival: The team must endure overwhelming odds while waiting for rescue.
• Misjudgment and uncertainty: The command team’s assumption that the first-phase and final bosses were separate proves disastrously wrong, highlighting the danger of relying on incomplete information.
• Regret and personal growth: Fu Junlin confronts his past choices and his perceived weakness, transforming regret into the will to fight.
• Sacrifice and solidarity: Despite being injured, Fu Junlin remains determined to protect his teammates.
• Hope amid hopelessness: The approaching teachers and the sudden appearance of the cloaked figures provide unexpected possibilities of rescue.

Character Interactions

• The commander communicates with Fu Junlin’s group through their earpieces, warning them about the Phase-Change Energy Core and promising rescue.
• Fu Junlin witnesses Lin Man and Cheng Xiaoyu’s panic after their injuries, while also recognizing his own physical helplessness.
• His thoughts compare him with stronger fighters such as Ba Xiaomei, Ba Dawang, and the Iron Second Academy members, intensifying his self-criticism.
• The outside crowd reacts emotionally to the team’s apparent defeat, arguing over whether Fu Junlin still has a chance.
• The mysterious drunk cloaked figure directly addresses Fu Junlin, ordering him to retreat just as the monsters prepare to attack, abruptly changing the situation.

Chapter Summary: “Ranger Appears and Snatches the Energy Core”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Just as Fu Junlin prepares to retreat, three unexpected figures appear: Rascal Uncle—revealed to be the Ranger Xiao Yunfei—a powerful one-armed swordsman, and Liu Zhiyin.
• Xiao Yunfei announces that the Rangers will take the Energy Core. Fu Junlin is confused, since he does not know why Liu Zhiyin is with them or which Core they intend to claim.
• The one-armed swordsman charges through the monster horde, cutting down numerous creatures with a single sweeping strike. Xiao Yunfei and the swordsman then confront and quickly defeat the Withered-Wood Female Corpse.
• The corpse contains two separate Energy Cores:
  • Xiao Yunfei extracts a small gray Phase-Change Energy Core from its head.
  • Liu Zhiyin uses his Ice Fan and Ultra-Energy Control to retrieve a black-red Black-Eyed Energy Core from its lower body.
• Liu Zhiyin asks Fu Junlin for Explosive Robots in repayment for an earlier favor. Fu gives him twenty Little Seven-Eights, which Liu stores along with the Black-Eyed Energy Core.
• Liu Zhiyin leaves without explaining his actions. Lin Man becomes tearful and angry, unable to understand why he is abandoning them without explanation.
• Soon afterward, Sun Jianqing and several teachers arrive. They recognize Xiao Yunfei and the swordsman as Rangers and demand that they surrender the Phase-Change Energy Core.
• Sun Jianqing argues that the Core should remain with the school to aid exploration, but Xiao Yunfei dismisses the claim and escapes with the swordsman.
• The teachers are unable to pursue them. Sun Jianqing is furious because the expedition’s main objective—the Energy Core—has been stolen.
• Before leaving, Xiao Yunfei gives Fu Junlin a meaningful look, suggesting that his farewell carries a hidden message or warning.

Character Developments

• Fu Junlin is caught between the Rangers, Liu Zhiyin, and the teachers. He remains confused but willingly helps Liu Zhiyin, demonstrating trust and loyalty despite not knowing his plans.
• Liu Zhiyin appears transformed: he is thinner and darker, but more alert, and the oppressive gloom surrounding him has disappeared. He acts decisively and independently, taking the Black-Eyed Energy Core and departing without offering explanations.
• Rascal Uncle/Xiao Yunfei is revealed as a major Ranger figure. He is powerful, confident, and openly defiant toward the teachers, treating the Energy Core as something the Rangers have the right to claim.
• The one-armed swordsman is introduced as an exceptionally formidable warrior. His swordsmanship is devastatingly efficient, and his presence suggests that he is a highly skilled Ranger.
• Lin Man struggles emotionally with Liu Zhiyin’s choices. Her anger and tears reveal that she cares deeply about him and feels hurt by his lack of explanation.
• Sun Jianqing shifts from authority to frustration when he realizes the teachers cannot prevent the Rangers from escaping.

Significant Themes

• Trust without explanation: Fu Junlin helps Liu Zhiyin despite lacking answers, suggesting that their bond is based on implicit trust.
• Conflicting claims over resources: The Rangers and the teachers both believe they have the stronger claim to the Energy Core, reflecting a larger conflict between institutional authority and independent explorers.
• Mystery and hidden motives: Liu Zhiyin’s alliance with the Rangers, his need for Explosive Robots, and Xiao Yunfei’s final look at Fu Junlin all imply plans that remain concealed.
• Emotional distance and misunderstanding: Liu Zhiyin’s refusal to explain himself contrasts sharply with Lin Man’s need for clarity, highlighting the pain caused by secrecy.
• Power and independence: The Rangers’ overwhelming strength allows them to ignore the teachers’ demands, establishing them as a force capable of acting outside official control.

Important Character Interactions

• Fu Junlin and Liu Zhiyin: Liu asks for Explosive Robots as repayment for a favor; Fu provides them without pressing for details.
• Liu Zhiyin and Lin Man: Lin confronts Liu emotionally when he leaves, but he responds coldly and refuses to explain.
• Xiao Yunfei and the teachers: Sun Jianqing attempts to persuade Xiao to surrender the Core, but Xiao mocks the teachers’ previous failures and escapes.
• Xiao Yunfei and Fu Junlin: Xiao calls him “kid” and later gives him an enigmatic farewell, implying that Fu Junlin may have a role in the Rangers’ future plans.

Chapter Summary: “Come With Us, Kid”

• Revelation about Phase-Change Energy Cores: Fu Junlin learns that these rare cores can transform Life-Cycle Enclosures into Death-Cycle Enclosures. Although the Federation possesses many, it refuses to use them for this purpose, considering the Rangers’ creation of Death-Cycle sanctuaries a waste of valuable technology. The Rangers, however, have claimed nearly half of the discovered cores for this exact reason.
• Fu Junlin’s return and secret agreement: After returning to the Red Carpet District, Cheng Xiaoyu tells Fu Junlin that the Black Cloud Realm’s Teleportation Intensity has returned to eighty, meaning it may once again function as a regular Life-Cycle Arena. Once Cheng improves his shield, the two plan to hunt monsters there for Energy Glands. Fu Junlin again warns Cheng not to reveal Liu Zhiyin’s secret, and Cheng agrees, joking that admitting knowledge of it would expose his own failure to report it.
• Unexpected encounter with the Rangers: On his way home, Fu Junlin encounters Luo Xiaotong, a young one-armed Ranger who had previously been with Rascal Uncle. Luo stands silently against a wall, dressed in clean black clothes and repeatedly drinking AD calcium milk. His strange behavior suggests he is waiting for Fu Junlin, though he gives no explanation.
• Rascal Uncle’s chaotic arrival: Rascal Uncle soon appears, pursued by two women arguing over him. Their dispute escalates into a physical fight, with both women claiming different relationships with him and one falsely—or impossibly—claiming to be five months pregnant despite Rascal Uncle having been in the city for only two months. Rascal Uncle watches the brawl with amusement until Luo’s cough reminds him of their actual purpose. Fu Junlin is embarrassed and frustrated by the absurd scene.
• The request for Fu Junlin’s help: Rascal Uncle introduces the one-armed Ranger as Luo Xiaotong and reveals that they came specifically to find Fu Junlin. Xiao Yunfei—Rascal Uncle’s real name—asks him to accompany them and use his small robot, Little Seven-Eight, to blow something up. Fu Junlin is suspicious, especially because Liu Zhiyin had recently made a similar request for the robot.
• Negotiation and revelation: Fu Junlin refuses to cooperate without knowing the details. Xiao Yunfei attempts to persuade him by offering to teach him marksmanship and any other skills he wants. He then explains that Liu Zhiyin told them Little Seven-Eight can rupture Black-Eyed Energy Cores and release their energy. They want Fu Junlin to use it on a Phase-Change Energy Core, since their current method of opening one is too slow.

Character Development and Interactions

• Fu Junlin remains cautious and protective of his secrets, particularly Liu Zhiyin’s identity and abilities. Nevertheless, he is interested in learning marksmanship and may be tempted by the chance to improve his combat skills.
• Cheng Xiaoyu continues to cooperate with Fu Junlin while respecting their agreement to conceal Liu Zhiyin’s secret.
• Xiao Yunfei/Rascal Uncle is portrayed as shameless, humorous, and opportunistic, but becomes more serious when discussing the mission. He tries to manipulate Fu Junlin into helping through promises of training.
• Luo Xiaotong is introduced as quiet, emotionally detached, and unusually tolerant, showing no reaction to jokes about his missing arm. His silent presence contrasts sharply with Xiao Yunfei’s loud and reckless behavior.
• The women and Xiao Yunfei create a farcical, chaotic interaction that highlights the bizarre social atmosphere surrounding the Rangers.

Significant Themes

• Competing views of power and resources: The Federation sees Phase-Change Energy Cores as precious scientific assets, while the Rangers view them as tools for creating safe havens and transforming dangerous environments.
• Trust and secrecy: Fu Junlin must decide whether to trust Xiao Yunfei and Luo Xiaotong, while continuing to conceal Liu Zhiyin’s secret.
• Technology as a weapon: Little Seven-Eight’s ability to release Energy Core power makes Fu Junlin strategically valuable and draws attention from multiple factions.
• Comedy amid danger: Absurd romance, public fighting, and Xiao Yunfei’s shameless behavior provide comic relief while advancing a serious plot involving powerful cores and potentially dangerous energy releases.

Chapter Summary: The Level-Two Department’s Invisible Soft Blade

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Junlin learns from Rascal Uncle that Energy Cores, especially Black-Eyed Energy Cores, are difficult to damage. However, his robot Little Seven-Eight previously destroyed one, causing it to leak and irradiate Shi Hongyu.
• Rascal Uncle reveals that Liu Zhiyin helped them discover Little Seven-Eight’s ability and locate Fu Junlin in the Black Cloud Realm. Their goals differ: Liu wants the Black-Eyed Energy Core, while Rascal Uncle’s group wants Fu Junlin’s assistance.
• Xiao Yunfei offers Fu Junlin an unusual method of returning from the mission: Fu can store his data in a Teleporter and be “killed” to return instantly. Though horrified by the explanation, Fu accepts the mission because they promise to teach him gun skills.
• Fu delays leaving because he has an important national responsibility to fulfill: assisting Shangguan Mengzhi with the Change Group, Phase One operation.
• At the First Calculation Department’s command center, Shangguan Mengzhi takes personal control of the operation and places Fu Junlin beside her, making him one of its central figures. Wei Changchun is ordered to coordinate the Level-One and Level-Two Calculation Departments.
• Many conventional workers resent having to follow a young Subspecies student. The Level-Two Department becomes passive and demoralized, with employees neglecting their duties and expecting Fu to receive all the credit.
• In contrast, the mostly Subspecies Third-Level Calculation Department enthusiastically supports Fu and Shangguan. Their leader delivers an inspiring speech, urging everyone to prove the strength of Subspecies people and help Phoenix rise.
• When the operation begins, the Third-Level Department works with exceptional speed and efficiency, completing the first batch of calculations in two hours.
• Their data is delivered enthusiastically to the Level-Two Department, but the recipient finds the department gloomy and indifferent. The data is distributed mechanically, highlighting the Level-Two Department’s lack of motivation.

Character Developments

• Fu Junlin: Becomes more willing to accept responsibility and pressure. Rather than avoiding leadership, he is energized by the challenge and prioritizes completing Shangguan’s mission before leaving with Rascal Uncle.
• Rascal Uncle and Xiao Yunfei: Establish themselves as pragmatic, forceful figures who use unconventional methods to recruit Fu. Their alliance with Liu Zhiyin is revealed to be based on mutually beneficial objectives rather than friendship.
• Shangguan Mengzhi: Demonstrates confidence in Fu by placing him at the center of the operation, while also recognizing his inexperience and arranging for Wei Changchun to supervise the departments.
• Wei Changchun: Gains control of the Level-Two Calculation Department after Sun Qisheng’s downfall, though his absence during the initial work allows its morale to deteriorate.
• Third-Level Department leader: Emerges as a passionate and charismatic supporter of Fu and the Subspecies community, inspiring her team to work with extraordinary commitment.
• Level-Two workers: Reveal resentment toward Fu’s rapid rise and status as a student, showing resistance to the new leadership structure.

Significant Themes

• Merit versus seniority: Fu’s abilities challenge the authority of experienced professionals, creating tension between practical talent and institutional hierarchy.
• Prejudice against Subspecies people: The Third-Level Department’s solidarity contrasts sharply with the Level-Two Department’s skepticism, emphasizing discrimination and the struggle for recognition.
• Responsibility and leadership: Fu’s decision to remain for the national operation shows his growing sense of duty and willingness to bear pressure.
• Motivation and collective spirit: The Third-Level Department succeeds because of shared belief and enthusiasm, while the Level-Two Department’s resentment produces stagnation.
• Hidden opposition: The Level-Two Department’s quiet resistance acts as an “invisible soft blade,” suggesting that institutional hostility may be more dangerous than open conflict.

Character Interactions

• Fu questions Rascal Uncle about Liu Zhiyin and negotiates the terms of joining the mission, reluctantly accepting Xiao Yunfei’s bizarre return plan.
• Shangguan positions Fu beside her as a central figure, signaling trust while assigning Wei Changchun to provide oversight.
• The Third-Level leader rallies her department around Fu’s reputation and accomplishments, turning admiration into collective action.
• The Third-Level leader’s energetic delivery of data clashes with the Level-Two supervisor’s cold dismissal, dramatizing the contrast between enthusiasm and resentment.
• The Level-Two employees privately complain about obeying Fu, revealing their distrust and hostility toward his authority.

Chapter Summary: “Making Castella Without Eggs”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The calculation teams begin processing data for the Change Group project, but many workers are sluggish and demoralized until Wei Changchun and Shangguan Mengzhi personally inspect them.
• In the Tier-One Calculation Department, Fu Junlin rapidly calculates the data on a blackboard. He experiences strange white flickers in his vision that seem to represent formulas or completed calculations.
• Fu Junlin realizes these “Floaters” may be an emerging ability connected to his possible Gene Lock evolution. Though far weaker than Supercomputing Consciousness, the phenomenon dramatically improves his calculation speed.
• After three hours, Fu Junlin has already independently processed the Level-Two Department’s resistance and speed data. Shangguan Mengzhi orders him to rest so he will not collapse later.
• When the Level-Two Department’s official data arrives, the Tier-One staff discover that it contains an unusually high number of errors. Wei Changchun becomes furious, realizing the Level-Two workers deliberately submitted careless work to undermine Fu Junlin.
• Fu Junlin prevents Wei from confronting them immediately, arguing that completing the urgent calculations matters more than settling the dispute.
• He proposes moving the Tier-One Department to the Third-Level Calculation Department and using only its reliable data. He requests five huge blackboards and a mobile lift so he can personally direct the work.
• Shangguan Mengzhi fully supports Fu Junlin’s decision and gives him control over the base’s resources.
• Fu Junlin summons three students from the Level-Two Department—Gao Bo, Cheng Tienan, and Zheng Gangjin—while leaving the rest of the department confused about the sudden relocation.
• At the Third-Level Calculation Department, Fu Junlin asks its leader, Lu Dinglan, to clear the front platform and provide all accurate data. He also asks the Third-Level staff to help recalculate the Level-Two and Tier-One work.
• Lu Dinglan agrees enthusiastically, and the Subspecies workers rapidly reorganize the hall for Fu Junlin’s new calculation operation.

Character Developments

• Fu Junlin demonstrates extraordinary mathematical ability and increasing mastery of his unexplained mental enhancement. He becomes faster, more confident, and more capable of taking charge under pressure.
• He also shows maturity and restraint by refusing to waste time retaliating against the Level-Two Department, prioritizing the larger mission instead.
• Shangguan Mengzhi grows increasingly impressed with Fu Junlin. He openly entrusts him with the base’s resources and treats him as a capable leader rather than merely a student.
• Wei Changchun remains protective of Fu Junlin and enraged by the sabotage, but he follows Fu Junlin’s judgment once Fu Junlin chooses efficiency over revenge.
• The Level-Two Calculation Department is revealed to be collectively hostile toward Fu Junlin. Their careless work stems from resentment toward his elevated status and an attempt to make him appear incompetent.
• Lu Dinglan initially reacts with surprise and anxiety but quickly becomes cooperative and energized once Fu Junlin explains the plan.
• The Subspecies calculation staff respond positively to Fu Junlin’s arrival, showing readiness to work hard and support his new strategy.

Significant Themes

• Competence versus organizational sabotage: Fu Junlin’s ability is tested not only by difficult calculations but also by colleagues intentionally undermining him.
• Leadership through restraint: Rather than retaliating, Fu Junlin focuses on the emergency, proving that effective leadership requires prioritizing results over personal anger.
• Emerging power and evolution: The mysterious visual “Floaters” suggest that Fu Junlin’s body and brain may be developing new abilities through the Gene Lock.
• Merit challenging hierarchy: Fu Junlin bypasses the established Level-Two Department and creates a new workflow based on reliable performance rather than rank.
• Collective effort and trust: Shangguan Mengzhi, Wei Changchun, and the calculation teams ultimately rally around Fu Junlin, allowing him to reorganize the operation on a much larger scale.

Character Interactions

• Shangguan Mengzhi and Wei Changchun repeatedly inspect and encourage the calculation staff, while closely observing Fu Junlin’s progress.
• Fu Junlin’s rapidly improving calculations astonish the Tier-One staff, even though he remains unaware of their reaction.
• Shangguan Mengzhi praises Fu Junlin’s magnanimity after he stops Wei from confronting the Level-Two Department.
• Fu Junlin takes command of the relocation, giving direct instructions to Shangguan Mengzhi, the Tier-One staff, and later Lu Dinglan.
• His summons to Gao Bo, Cheng Tienan, and Zheng Gangjin hints that he may intend to use or question these more reliable Level-Two workers.
• Lu Dinglan and the Third-Level staff respond to Fu Junlin’s request with immediate cooperation, transforming the department into his new operational base.

Chapter Summary: “Jia Gatekeeper Appears Out of Nowhere”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Junlin and the Subspecies calculators rapidly establish a large-scale calculation operation using blackboards and lifts.
• Fu delivers an inspiring speech, announcing that Level Three and Level Two data will be displayed separately and that the final answer will be completed within six hours.
• He takes responsibility for writing the final formulas while the teams below provide the necessary data. Despite concerns that the unfamiliar workflow will become chaotic, Fu performs with extraordinary speed and precision.
• His performance draws the attention of leaders and personnel from other districts, who gather at the Level Three Calculation Department to watch.
• The Level-One and Level-Two departments realize that their work has effectively been bypassed. The Level-Two staff become angry, fearing that Fu’s success will expose their incompetence.
• When challenged about the quality of their submitted data, the Level-Two workers turn on one another and eventually admit that none of them had seriously attempted the calculations. They realize they wasted three hours submitting incorrect information.
• Ashamed and anxious to repair their mistake, many Level-Two workers rush to the Level Three department to offer help.
• They find the entrance guarded by Jia Dongwei, Shangguan Mengzhi’s seventh disciple. Jia refuses to let them enter, claiming that their presence would distract Fu Junlin and damage his concentration.

Character Developments

• Fu Junlin demonstrates exceptional computational ability, functioning almost like a human supercomputer. His enhanced abilities, aided by the Floaters, allow him to handle the work of roughly one and a half departments.
• Fu’s natural charisma and leadership become increasingly evident. Even people who initially distrust him are swept up by his confidence and the loyalty he inspires in others.
• Shangguan Mengzhi and Wei Changchun recognize that Fu possesses the qualities of a natural-born leader, not merely technical talent.
• The Level-Two calculation staff are exposed as complacent and irresponsible. Their initial outrage shifts into fear, self-blame, and desperation once they realize they collectively failed.
• Jia Dongwei emerges as an aggressive but protective gatekeeper. Although sarcastic and difficult, he clearly supports Fu and treats him as a valued junior brother.

Significant Themes

• Leadership and inspiration: Fu’s ability to motivate people shows that leadership comes from emotional influence as well as competence.
• Responsibility versus complacency: The Level-Two department’s failure results not simply from inability, but from refusing to make a genuine effort.
• Redemption through action: Once the staff acknowledge their mistake, they immediately try to correct it rather than remain defensive.
• Institutional rivalry and changing power: Fu’s independent success threatens departments that previously controlled the calculation process, exposing their inefficiency.
• Trust and loyalty: Fu’s supporters rally around him, while Jia’s refusal to admit the Level-Two workers reflects the protective loyalty of Fu’s allies.

Character Interactions

• Fu works closely with Lu Dinglan, Wei Changchun, and the Subspecies calculators, coordinating a demanding division of labor.
• Shangguan Mengzhi and Wei Changchun privately discuss Fu’s unusual ability to inspire mass enthusiasm.
• The Level-Two workers argue among themselves, blaming one another for the department’s failure.
• Jia Dongwei confronts the returning workers and mocks their supposed desire to help, repeatedly invoking his relationship with Fu as “junior brother.”
• Despite their apologies, Jia firmly blocks them from entering, creating a humorous but tense conflict at the department’s entrance.

Chapter Summary: “Jia Dongwei Toys with the Level-Two Department”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Members of the Level-Two Calculation Department beg to enter the Third-Level Calculation Department so they can help with Fu Junlin’s calculations and make amends for their earlier mistakes.
• Jia Dongwei initially blocks them, claiming they might disturb Fu Junlin’s work, but Li Guangquan appears and allows Jia to decide how to handle them.
• Li Guangquan’s deliberately vague approval gives Jia an opportunity to torment the visitors. He leads them through the back entrance instead of the main door and orders them to sneak in unnoticed.
• Once inside, Jia makes the high-ranking calculators squat in a row beside the desks, hiding them from view. When working in that position proves difficult, he mockingly tells them to lie down on the floor.
• Jia gives them stacks of calculations from Lu Dinglan’s group, orders them to work without signing their names, and threatens to throw them out if Fu Junlin notices them.
• The Level-Two calculators comply because they fear that Fu Junlin’s success will cause every Calculation Department to be disbanded. They hope their anonymous labor will count as atonement and preserve their reputations.
• The hall becomes a striking spectacle: Subspecies calculators work at desks, Superior Species officials lie or crouch on the floor, and Fu Junlin directs the entire operation from the platform.
• Two Design Department interns observe the scene. Li Fuyan quickly sketches the tableau, capturing Jia’s dominance, the humbled Level-Two calculators, the teamwork of the calculation staff, and Fu Junlin’s central role.
• Fuyan titles the drawing “Sprouting,” suggesting that a new order or movement is beginning to emerge.

Character Developments

• Jia Dongwei fully embraces his role as Fu Junlin’s gatekeeper and protector. He is loyal and effective, but also mischievous and openly enjoys humiliating the Level-Two Department.
• Li Guangquan demonstrates his strategic nature. Rather than directly deciding the matter, he gives Jia broad permission, allowing Jia to enforce discipline while preserving Li’s appearance of generosity.
• The Level-Two calculators undergo a major reversal. They abandon their previous prejudice against Fu Junlin and sincerely—or at least partly sincerely—seek redemption through service. Their willingness to work anonymously and endure humiliation shows their fear, regret, and recognition of Fu’s ability.
• Fu Junlin remains focused on the calculations and does not directly participate in the confrontation, yet his authority is evident: the entire hall is organized around his work, and the Level-Two members are desperate to contribute to his success.
• The Subspecies calculators, including Lu Dinglan and Wei Changchun, continue working energetically and cooperatively, contrasting with the former arrogance of the Superior Species officials.
• Li Fuyan appears as an observant artist who recognizes the scene’s symbolic importance and preserves it through her sketch.

Significant Themes

• Humility and atonement: The Level-Two calculators must physically lower themselves—squatting and lying on the floor—to compensate for their earlier arrogance and failure.
• Changing social hierarchy: Superior Species officials are reduced to working at the feet of Subspecies calculators, suggesting that ability and effort are beginning to matter more than status or birth.
• Leadership and control: Jia’s harsh methods reveal how power can be exercised through intimidation, while Fu Junlin’s influence operates more indirectly through competence and achievement.
• Redemption through action: The Level-Two group cannot easily prove that their attitudes have changed, so they attempt to demonstrate repentance by contributing labor, even without recognition.
• The birth of a new era: The title “Sprouting” symbolizes the emergence of cooperation, merit-based respect, and a possible transformation of the Calculation Departments.

Character Interactions

• Jia and Li Guangquan: Li recognizes Jia’s judgment and gives him authority, while Jia understands and exploits Li’s deliberately ambiguous approval.
• Jia and the Level-Two calculators: Their interaction is comic but humiliating. Jia controls them through threats and mockery, while they tolerate his behavior because they need forgiveness and fear Fu Junlin’s success.
• Level-Two calculators and the Subspecies staff: The Subspecies workers instinctively try to offer them seats, revealing their lack of malice, but Jia prevents the interaction and keeps the visitors in a deliberately subordinate position.
• Fu Junlin and the entire department: Though he does not address the Level-Two group, his productivity and leadership command everyone’s attention and motivate even former opponents to serve him.
• Li Fuyan and her companion: Their observation turns the chaotic scene into art, allowing the chapter’s social reversal and collective effort to be viewed as a historic moment.

Chapter Summary: Fu Junlin Embarks on a New Journey

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Junlin successfully completes all four stages of the Third-Level Calculation Department’s project, calculating every formula alone within two days.
• His achievement transforms the department’s understanding of Subspecies employees. The research base begins abandoning discriminatory practices, including separate restaurants for superior humans and Subspecies.
• The remaining challenge is developing mechas capable of adapting to the four stages’ changing patterns.
• Despite his extraordinary research talent, Fu Junlin decides to leave the Research Group and pursue martial training, intending to travel with Ranger to investigate the Phase-Change Energy Core.
• Before departing, Fu Junlin packs extensive supplies and says goodbye to his companions and loved ones.
• At the Teleporter, he meets Shi Hongyu, who is upset that he did not tell her about the journey sooner. After teasing and arguing, Fu Junlin tricks her into leaning close and kisses her before hurriedly teleporting away.
• At the research base, Shangguan Mengzhi and Jia Dongwei discuss Fu Junlin’s departure. Though they regret losing such a gifted scholar, Shangguan respects Fu Junlin’s right to choose his own path.

Character Developments

• Fu Junlin: Proves himself to be an unparalleled mathematical and research talent, completing work that an entire department could not manage. However, he makes clear that scholarship is not his ultimate ambition and chooses martial pursuits instead. He also becomes more emotionally courageous, finally acting on his feelings for Shi Hongyu.
• Shi Hongyu: Shows genuine concern and affection for Fu Junlin despite her outward irritation. Her anger at being left uninformed reveals how important he is to her, while her pleased reaction to his kiss suggests that her feelings are mutual.
• Shangguan Mengzhi: Remains proud and supportive of Fu Junlin, refusing to view his choice as a waste. He believes Fu Junlin should control his own destiny rather than be forced into a role chosen by others.
• Jia Dongwei: Has fully accepted Fu Junlin as his junior brother after initially opposing or obstructing him. He now admires Fu Junlin and regrets that such a talented researcher is leaving.
• Xiao Yunfei and Luo Xiaotong: Provide comic relief during Fu Junlin’s departure. Xiao tries to tease and mislead Fu Junlin, while Luo bluntly exposes his lies.

Significant Themes

• Freedom of choice and personal destiny: Fu Junlin’s decision to leave research emphasizes that talent does not obligate someone to follow a particular career.
• The value of different forms of contribution: Shangguan argues that martial pursuits can serve humanity just as research can.
• Breaking social prejudice: Fu Junlin’s success improves the position of Subspecies workers and challenges institutional discrimination.
• Mentorship and support: Shangguan demonstrates that true mentorship means supporting a student’s chosen path, even when it differs from the mentor’s hopes.
• Romantic courage and emotional growth: Fu Junlin’s impulsive kiss represents his willingness to act on feelings he has previously struggled to express.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Guangquan and Shangguan Mengzhi debate whether Fu Junlin is wasting his research talent by pursuing martial training. Shangguan firmly defends Fu Junlin’s autonomy.
• Fu Junlin jokes and argues with Xiao Yunfei and Luo Xiaotong while preparing to leave, highlighting their friendly dynamic.
• Shi Hongyu confronts Fu Junlin for keeping his departure secret, then promises to manage his leave and watch over his home. Fu Junlin responds with a surprise kiss, deepening their romantic relationship.
• Shangguan and Jia Dongwei reflect on Fu Junlin’s future, agreeing that he should not be forced into a role chosen by others.

Chapter Summary: “Mysterious Cloak Pierces the Cloud Layer”

Key Plot Points and Events

• At the South City Arena Zone, Fu Junlin follows Xiao Yunfei and Luo Xiaotong up the jumping bricks along a wall, reaching nearly 150 meters high.
• They approach the dangerous black-purple Electromagnetic Interference Clouds, which are heavily taboo because entering them can be fatal and normally prevents teleportation-based rescue.
• Xiao Yunfei gives Fu Junlin a specially made black cloak. The cloaks contain a unique energy that temporarily parts the clouds, allowing the group to travel through them along the wall.
• Xiao explains that the cloaks only function while the group remains within the neutral section of the wall. Entering another Arena Zone causes the cloak to fail almost immediately.
• The cloaks can operate for roughly twenty minutes, but afterward require one or two days to be recharged.
• Because Fu Junlin lacks Intent, he must cover his entire face and eyes with the cloak. He is warned to conserve his breath, remain directly in Xiao Yunfei’s airflow, and avoid flailing into neighboring Arena Zones.
• Xiao Yunfei forcibly pulls Fu Junlin into the cloud layer. Fu Junlin sees the clouds filled with turbulent black dust and invisible currents before his hood is sealed.
• Fu Junlin removes his weights after Xiao complains that his extra weight is making movement difficult.
• Xiao activates the cloak’s power and drags Fu Junlin through the clouds. Instead of running, Fu Junlin is lifted and blown sideways behind Xiao like a kite, relying on Xiao’s airflow and guidance while holding his breath.

Character Developments

• Fu Junlin is shown as cautious, fearful, and inquisitive. His fear of the cloud layer reflects his awareness of its danger, but he ultimately overcomes his hesitation and joins the expedition.
• His constant questioning demonstrates both his nervousness and his practical nature: he wants to understand the cloak’s limitations and the consequences of failure before proceeding.
• Fu Junlin also shows physical endurance by holding his breath and adapting to being dragged through the clouds.
• Xiao Yunfei acts as the experienced leader. He understands the cloak’s mechanics, gives detailed safety instructions, and takes responsibility for controlling Fu Junlin’s movement.
• Xiao becomes impatient with Fu Junlin’s repeated questions, but his irritation is balanced by concern, as he warns Fu Junlin about breathing, positioning, and cloak failure.
• Luo Xiaotong remains calm and teasing, contributing dry remarks while trusting Xiao’s judgment and participating in the dangerous crossing.
• The interaction between Fu Junlin and Xiao suggests a familiar, almost comedic relationship in which Xiao bullies or scolds him while still protecting him.

Significant Themes

• Courage versus fear: Fu Junlin’s terror is understandable, but he proceeds despite the danger, showing that courage involves acting while afraid.
• Trust and reliance: Fu Junlin must place complete trust in Xiao Yunfei, allowing himself to be pulled through an environment he cannot safely navigate alone.
• Preparation and limits: The cloaks offer a solution to an otherwise forbidden danger, but their strict operating limits emphasize that technology or special abilities cannot eliminate risk entirely.
• The unknown and forbidden: The cloud layer represents a dangerous boundary beyond ordinary human understanding, creating suspense and highlighting the consequences of violating established taboos.
• Humor amid danger: Teasing, arguments, and Xiao’s exasperation provide comic relief during an otherwise tense and potentially deadly operation.

Character Interactions

• Fu Junlin repeatedly questions Xiao Yunfei about the cloak, its energy, its failure conditions, and how he will move with his eyes covered.
• Xiao responds with explanations, sarcasm, and threats to have Luo Xiaotong beat him, revealing their informal camaraderie.
• Luo Xiaotong’s brief comment about “beating [him] to death” reinforces the group’s teasing dynamic.
• Xiao ultimately takes physical control of Fu Junlin, sealing his hood, removing his weights, and pulling him safely through the clouds.
• The chapter ends with Fu Junlin suspended behind Xiao in the turbulent air, demonstrating the team’s unconventional but coordinated method of crossing the cloud layer.

Chapter Summary: Ranger Town by the Mountains and Water

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Junlin, Xiao Yunfei, and Luo Xiaotong travel for four days through numerous Arena Zones, clearing roughly a hundred of them as they move.
• They travel at exhausting speeds, sometimes running along Arena Zone walls, and eventually reach a remote, uninhabited region beyond the areas shown on the Mist App.
• Fu Junlin complains that Xiao Yunfei and Luo Xiaotong failed to bring food, forcing them to consume his supplies. He has nearly run out of good food, especially sausages.
• During their journey, Fu Junlin collects the Energy Glands of more than a hundred Elite Monsters and several Boss Monsters, including one Level 4 Boss. Xiao Yunfei threatens to burn them if Fu Junlin refuses to share them, leading Fu Junlin to reluctantly surrender them.
• The group passes through a safe light gate into a massive Wilderness Arena with a mountain landscape and no apparent monsters. Fu Junlin realizes this is the rangers’ settlement.
• As they climb, Fu Junlin is astonished by the natural scenery—lush vegetation, birds, butterflies, streams, and a waterfall—because he has never experienced such untouched wilderness before.
• They arrive at a small village of roughly thirty or forty people. The settlement contains wooden houses, tents, treehouses, cooking fires, martial-arts practice, games, music, and children fishing in the pool.
• Xiao Yunfei introduces Fu Junlin to several elderly villagers, explaining that Fu Junlin may be able to help them. The elders jokingly doubt Fu Junlin’s abilities, with Xiao Yunfei agreeing that he looks weak.

2. Character Developments

• Fu Junlin: Becomes increasingly frustrated and exhausted by the journey, but also demonstrates resourcefulness by gathering valuable Energy Glands. His awe at the wilderness reveals his sheltered upbringing and lack of experience outside Flying Cloud City. He also feels envy toward the village children, whose simple childhood is far removed from his own difficult past.
• Xiao Yunfei: Remains relaxed and teasing despite the dangerous journey. He clearly knows the remote settlement well and is accepted by its residents, who affectionately call him “Little Feifei.” His interactions suggest he is a trusted member of the ranger community.
• Luo Xiaotong: Travels alongside Xiao Yunfei and appears comfortable in the dangerous wilderness, reinforcing the impression that the two are experienced rangers.
• The Ranger Community: Is introduced as a small, self-sufficient society living close to nature. Its members combine survival skills, martial training, domestic life, and leisure.

3. Significant Themes

• The contrast between civilization and nature: Fu Junlin’s reaction to the mountains, waterfall, wildlife, and village emphasizes how disconnected ordinary city dwellers have become from the natural world.
• The restoration of the original world: Xiao Yunfei explains that the landscape represents what the world once looked like, suggesting themes of environmental loss, recovery, and the possibility of rebuilding.
• Community and simple living: The ranger settlement is portrayed as peaceful and warm, with shared work, food, music, games, and family life despite the dangers outside.
• Hardship and resilience: The characters survive by fighting through Arena Zones, gathering resources, and relying on one another, while the villagers maintain ordinary routines in a dangerous world.
• Social class and life experience: Fu Junlin’s poverty and limited exposure to the wider world contrast with the natural abundance and carefree childhood of the village children.

4. Character Interactions

• Fu Junlin repeatedly argues with Xiao Yunfei over food and the Energy Glands, but Xiao Yunfei maintains control through teasing and occasional intimidation.
• Xiao Yunfei and Luo Xiaotong travel as a coordinated pair, while Fu Junlin follows and struggles to keep up.
• Fu Junlin watches the village children catch and restrain a large fish, prompting admiration and envy.
• Xiao Yunfei guides Fu Junlin through the settlement and introduces him to the elderly men.
• The elders warmly greet Xiao Yunfei but openly question Fu Junlin’s usefulness. Xiao Yunfei humorously reinforces their doubts by agreeing that Fu Junlin looks weak, setting up expectations for Fu Junlin’s role in helping the community.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

Fu Junlin is introduced to four extremely powerful elderly villagers by Xiao Yunfei. The elders repeatedly call him their “grandson,” embarrassing him while Xiao Yunfei laughs at his expense. As they leave, Fu Junlin notices that some villagers possess Gene Particles while others—including the elders—do not.
Xiao Yunfei explains that the Gene Particles displayed by some villagers are disguises used to enter cities without being arrested. The villagers without Gene Particles belong to an ancient bloodline that has lived for generations inside Life-Cycle Arenas. They endured a recurring phenomenon in which everyone went blind at night and monsters appeared, forcing the adults to fight them to protect the community.
The villagers eventually learned about Death-Cycle Arenas and phase-change energy bodies, which could prevent monsters from continually appearing in their settlement. Their survival therefore depends on living in dangerous but sustainable environments, where the monsters are more numerous and powerful.
Xiao Yunfei distinguishes between the villagers’ bloodline—whom he considers “true Rangers”—and former city dwellers with Gene Particles, whom he calls “pseudo-Rangers.” He then reveals that his people do not rely on Gene Particles or conventional energy systems. Instead, they cultivate “intent,” a mysterious power developed through talent and effort.
Fu Junlin learns that Xiao Yunfei’s previous book about spear intent was partly fabricated, though the concept of intent itself is genuine. Intent can be expressed through martial weapons as martial intent or through artistic and scholarly pursuits as literary intent. Realizing that Xiao Yunfei and Rascal Uncle’s extraordinary feats came primarily from intent rather than energy, Fu Junlin decisively asks to learn it. He vows not to return home until he masters intent.

Character Developments

• Fu Junlin: Begins the chapter irritated and embarrassed by the elders’ teasing, but becomes increasingly curious about the village’s history and power system. His discovery of intent awakens a powerful desire to improve, culminating in his dramatic vow to master it before going home.
• Xiao Yunfei: Reveals more about his origins and the villagers’ unusual bloodline. He is playful and enjoys teasing Fu Junlin, but also sincerely trusts him and agrees to help him understand intent.
• The village elders: Though comical and deliberately overfamiliar, they are implied to possess immense strength and represent the older generation of the true Ranger bloodline.
• The villagers: They are shown to be divided between those born without Gene Particles and outsiders or younger people who possess them, reflecting different histories and methods of cultivation.

Significant Themes

• Natural strength versus institutional power: Gene Particles represent the established city-based power system, while intent reflects an older, independent path beyond official classifications.
• Identity and belonging: The distinction between “true” and “pseudo” Rangers raises questions about heritage, legitimacy, and what it truly means to belong to a group.
• Survival and adaptation: The villagers have endured generations of cyclical monster attacks and adapted by finding safer environments and alternative methods of protection.
• Mastery through dedication: Intent is not governed by formal levels or energy measurements; it depends on talent, effort, and inner conviction.
• Freedom from conventional systems: The villagers’ power exists outside Federation law, Gene Particles, and recognized occupational abilities, emphasizing independence and self-determination.

Character Interactions

Fu Junlin awkwardly greets the elders while they humorously claim him as their grandson, creating a lighthearted but embarrassing exchange. He later questions Xiao Yunfei about Gene Particles and the definition of Rangers, prompting Xiao to share the village’s history. Their conversation then shifts from the villagers’ origins to the nature of power and intent. Xiao Yunfei alternates between teasing Fu Junlin and seriously guiding him, while Fu Junlin’s growing admiration turns into a firm determination to become Xiao’s student.