Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “A Giant Hand in the Blood Moon”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Zheng successfully completes all twelve stages of the Church of Pain’s Great Baptism, a ritual no one has survived in over a century.
• His body is severely mutilated and pierced by the ritual’s crimson armor and barbs, but his altered physiology allows him to endure the pain without losing control.
• The church’s old woman congratulates him and asks him to write his name on the back of the Twisted Saint’s statue, a final requirement for receiving the Twisted Holy Grail.
• Liu Zheng protects himself with Red Pig’s Pilot Sunglasses, which temporarily block visual harm, negative effects, and Sanity Decline.
• After writing his name in blood, Liu experiences a supernatural vision:
  • The Twisted Saint appears to him in agony.
  • The Saint is surrounded by enormous bookshelves.
  • A grotesque spider-like creature with countless eyes emerges from the darkness.
  • A blood-red moon appears over mountains of corpses, and a giant, clawed hand reaches from it toward Liu.
• The Twisted Saint and the spider-like creature intervene, shielding Liu from the vision and preventing further harm.
• The old woman interprets Liu’s vision as evidence that the Twisted Saint’s true body is being held at Kalkaluns Academy, Yate’s university devoted to human evolution and cosmic research.
• She explains that the Church of Pain has long suspected the academy of stealing the Saint’s body but lacked proof and the power to search the institution.
• The Great Baptism was therefore designed partly to establish contact with the Saint and determine his location.
• Having obtained the information she wanted, the old woman presents Liu with the Twisted Holy Grail, which he accepts.

Character Developments

• Liu Zheng demonstrates extraordinary endurance and composure. His distorted body and altered pain perception allow him to survive the baptism, reinforcing how far he has changed physically and psychologically.
• He remains irreverent and practical despite the church’s reverence, joking about becoming Pope and comparing the ritual’s final requirement to a possible scam.
• Liu shows caution and distrust. Although he accepts the grail, he suspects the old woman’s generosity is tied to her desire for information and expects hidden motives behind the favor.
• The old woman shifts from ritual guide to devoted supporter, addressing Liu respectfully and even calling him “my lord.” Her primary concern is confirming the location of the Twisted Saint.
• Her anger toward Kalkaluns Academy reveals the Church of Pain’s deep resentment toward the researchers who may have stolen their central religious figure.

Significant Themes

• Pain as strength and transformation: Liu’s ability to endure the Great Baptism reflects how suffering has reshaped his body and made him resistant to experiences that would destroy an ordinary person.
• Faith versus knowledge: The Church of Pain venerates the Twisted Saint spiritually, while Kalkaluns Academy is accused of treating him as an object of scientific study.
• Hidden motives and transactional trust: Liu recognizes that the grail is not simply a gift; the church expects him to help recover or locate the Saint.
• Vision and forbidden knowledge: The supernatural vision links cosmic horror, blood, death, and the pursuit of knowledge, suggesting that learning the truth carries immense danger.
• Religious symbolism and bodily corruption: The baptism, blood, mutilation, and transformed statue emphasize the chapter’s recurring connection between holiness, suffering, and physical distortion.

Character Interactions

• Liu and the old woman maintain a contrast between irreverence and devotion. He jokes, questions her motives, and refuses the role of Pope, while she treats him as a sacred figure after his success.
• The old woman guides Liu through the final ritual and explains the significance of his vision, using him as the Church’s link to the missing Twisted Saint.
• The Twisted Saint and the spider-like entity interact indirectly with Liu during the vision, jointly protecting him from the blood moon’s reaching hand.
• Liu’s acceptance of the Twisted Holy Grail ends the chapter with an uneasy alliance: he receives the artifact, while the Church of Pain gains confirmation that may compel him to confront Kalkaluns Academy.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Zheng receives the Golden Ointment of Pain Miracle, a perfect-quality, single-use item that reduces damage and sanity loss while accelerating recovery. Its effects grow stronger as the user experiences more pain.
• After completing the Church of Pain’s Great Baptism, Liu removes the Barbed Armor and reveals that his wounds are far less severe than expected.
• The old woman and Helmet Man interpret his survival as a divine miracle and kneel before him, believing him to be a saintly figure.
• The old woman urges Liu to remain with the Church and become its pope, but he refuses, arguing that delivering food for the Restaurant is more practical and cost-effective.
• She then asks him to find the Twisted Saint’s true body, offering the Church’s treasury in exchange. Liu becomes interested when she agrees to help with his own procurement mission.
• Because the Church members cannot read Liu’s original list due to Cognitive Obstruction, Liu copies part of City Hall’s list onto Bai Langzi’s manuscript, allowing the old woman to read it.
• She identifies the Tomel Holy Grail as a golden cup in the Church’s treasury, supposedly excavated from the ruins of the ancient Tomel civilization.
• Helmet Man brings the cup to Liu, though the old woman explains that he is forbidden from touching a saint because he committed a religiously inappropriate act before the Twisted Saint’s statue.
• Liu, amused by the absurdity of labeling one of only two church members a sinner, considers absolving Helmet Man.

2. Character Developments

• Liu Zheng continues to prioritize efficiency and his original mission over power, status, or religious authority. Despite being treated as a miracle-worker and potential pope, he remains pragmatic and cynical.
• He also demonstrates flexibility: although he initially refuses to help the Church, the promise of treasures and access to the Tomel Holy Grail changes his attitude.
• The old woman shifts from reverent worshipper to negotiator. She recognizes Liu’s value and tries several strategies—religious honor, appeals to duty, and finally material rewards—to secure his help.
• Helmet Man is revealed to be regarded as a sinner within the Church, despite apparently being one of its only remaining members. His subservient behavior emphasizes the Church’s rigid and bizarre religious standards.
• Anke reacts sympathetically to Liu’s injuries, contrasting with the old woman’s shock and religious awe.

3. Significant Themes

• Pragmatism versus status: Liu rejects the prestigious position of pope because it offers less practical value than his current work and does not fit his time limit.
• Religious absurdity and fanaticism: The Church interprets Liu’s survival as a miracle and maintains extreme doctrines in which devotion leads believers toward death.
• Institutional decline: The Church of Pain has dwindled to almost nothing, with only a handful of followers and an impractical doctrine that threatens its own survival.
• Pain, suffering, and power: The chapter reinforces the connection between endurance and supernatural strength, while also questioning whether suffering has genuine spiritual meaning.
• Information and access: Cognitive Obstruction prevents outsiders from reading City Hall’s list, but Liu’s use of the manuscript provides a workaround and turns the Church into a useful source of knowledge.

4. Character Interactions

• The old woman and Helmet Man worship Liu after witnessing his unexpectedly good condition following the Great Baptism.
• Liu rejects the old woman’s proposal that he become pope, criticizing the Church’s doctrine and its prospects for survival.
• The old woman bargains with Liu by offering the Church’s treasury in exchange for help recovering the Twisted Saint’s true body.
• Liu and the old woman cooperate when he presents the altered procurement list, leading her to identify the Tomel Holy Grail.
• The old woman treats Helmet Man as spiritually impure, while Liu responds with sarcastic curiosity and considers pardoning him, highlighting the contrast between Liu’s common sense and the Church’s distorted religious rules.

Chapter Summary: “Interrogation Was Too Smooth to Be Satisfying”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Zheng rejects the old woman’s offer to become Pope, preferring to keep the option of pardoning the sinner-like Helmet Man without using one of his limited conditions.
• He asks Helmet Man to protect Anke’s family and Fula. Helmet Man accepts with a forceful gesture, showing his loyalty and gratitude.
• Liu Zheng examines and stores the Tomel Holy Grail, an excellent-quality relic capable of communicating with higher beings through rituals. Its description hints that the Tomel civilization rose and fell because of the Grails.
• He learns that other Holy Grails may be located at:
  • Kalkaluns Academy, which spearheaded exploration of the Tomel Ruins.
  • The Bloodhealing Church, whose Blood Therapy technique supposedly originated from Tomel remnants.
• Liu Zheng obtains a whistle used to contact the Church of Pain’s missing informant, though the informant’s current location is unknown.
• A map reveals the relative positions of New Yate, Old Yate, Kalkaluns Academy, and Church Town, the center of the Bloodhealing Church’s influence.
• Anke reacts emotionally to seeing Old Yate on the map. Liu Zheng encourages him to stop dwelling on the ruined city and focus on his family and future in New Yate.
• Liu Zheng learns that Old Yate was destroyed by fire and sealed by the Church decades ago. Any survivors have likely become beasts because of Beastification Disease.
• Although he considers harvesting Blood Gems from Old Yate, Liu Zheng prioritizes obtaining them through the Bloodhealing Church first.
• He interrogates an unconscious hunter using the Great Baptism equipment and his “Metropolis” interrogation methods. The hunter confesses almost immediately, frustrating Liu Zheng because the interrogation is far easier than expected.
• The hunter, Verus, reveals that Yate’s hunters are divided into:
  • Workshop hunters, independent mercenary-like hunters employed by specialized workshops.
  • Church hunters, directly controlled and supplied by the Church and generally stronger.
• Verus belongs to the Iron Saw workshop, whose hunters specialize in meat saws and patrol Anke’s district. The workshop has some Blood Gems, but not many or of high quality.
• Liu Zheng concludes that the Church hunters’ workshop is the most likely source of large quantities of high-quality Blood Gems and decides to travel to Church Town.

Character Developments

• Liu Zheng continues to act pragmatically and calculatingly, but frames his bargaining and resource management as a form of “true goodness.” He prioritizes protecting living people while treating transformed beasts as effectively lost.
• His confidence and influence grow: others treat him as a powerful figure after he passes the Great Baptism, and Helmet Man willingly accepts his command.
• Helmet Man demonstrates loyalty by agreeing to guard Anke’s family and Fula. His gratitude toward Liu Zheng strengthens their alliance.
• The old woman becomes increasingly respectful of Liu Zheng’s intelligence and authority, even while finding his behavior overly calculating.
• Anke shows grief and attachment to Old Yate, but accepts Liu Zheng’s advice to focus on his family and future.
• Verus is revealed to be a low-ranking, poorly informed hunter whose resistance collapses quickly under interrogation.

Significant Themes

• Pragmatism versus idealism: Liu Zheng repeatedly chooses practical survival and resource acquisition over moral hesitation, especially regarding Old Yate’s beasts and the need for Blood Gems.
• Power and authority: Passing the Great Baptism gives Liu Zheng legitimacy, allowing him to command others and gain access to hidden information.
• Ruins and lost civilizations: The Holy Grails and the destruction of Old Yate point to the lingering influence of the Tomel civilization and the dangers associated with its relics.
• Memory versus moving forward: Anke’s sorrow over Old Yate contrasts with Liu Zheng’s insistence that he focus on the living and the future.
• Information as power: Liu Zheng seeks maps, informants, relics, and interrogation results to plan his next moves and uncover the truth behind the Blood Gems, Beastification Disease, and Pale Night.

Character Interactions

• Liu Zheng bargains with the old woman over the conditions of his assistance and secures Helmet Man’s protection for Anke’s family and Fula.
• He questions the old woman about the Holy Grails and demands direct access to her intelligence network.
• Liu Zheng comforts Anke after Anke studies the map and mourns Old Yate.
• The old woman and her followers react nervously to Liu Zheng’s interrogation methods, especially after seeing his unsettling smile.
• Liu Zheng interrogates Verus and extracts information about Yate’s hunter organizations, leading him to identify Church Town as his next destination.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Church’s chief hunter, Beethoven, visits the main altar and speaks with Archbishop Amelia, who is praying before the skull of the late Archbishop Dickens.
• Beethoven reports that the Beastification Disease is spreading more severely than before, but the Church has greater supplies and manpower to contain it.
• A Holy Sword hunter reports the appearance of a mysterious, unusually dressed outsider traveling through the city with an unidentified middle-aged man and Father John’s young daughter.
• The outsider has been entering shops and homes, apparently obtaining supplies through persuasion or force, but has not harmed civilians or taken anything visibly.
• The outsider seems aware that Church hunters are watching him and even gestures toward their hiding place, suggesting confidence or deliberate provocation.
• Most importantly, the outsider has demonstrated extraordinary strength: he can subdue Hound Beasts barehanded, and even trained Church hunters cannot see his sword movements.
• Unlike ordinary powerful hunters, he has not undergone Blood Therapy. He also targets only heavily Beastified creatures and ignores mildly affected residents unless they attack him.
• Intrigued and recognizing his potential importance, Amelia orders Beethoven to contact the outsider and invite him to the Church.

Character Developments

• Beethoven is established as the Church’s strongest warrior and chief hunter. Though aged, he remains powerful due to elite Blood Therapy and exceptional Blood Quality. He is honorable, protective of civilians, and guided by chivalric ideals, but years of fighting have made him somewhat hardened and numb.
• His curiosity is awakened by the outsider’s mysterious behavior and overwhelming combat ability.
• Archbishop Amelia is portrayed as the Church’s intellectual and spiritual center, calm and gentle but observant. Her connection to Archbishop Dickens and the skull before which she prays suggests reverence for the Church’s past. Her trembling reaction reveals that the outsider’s abilities genuinely surprise her.
• Father John’s daughter appears unusually comfortable with the outsider, willingly holding onto him rather than being coerced, raising questions about their relationship.
• The unnamed outsider is characterized as immensely skilled, mysterious, nonviolent toward ordinary people, and possibly knowledgeable about the Church’s surveillance.

Significant Themes

• Faith and authority: The elaborate altar, Amelia’s prayer, and the Church’s hierarchy emphasize the power of religious belief and institutional authority.
• Humanity versus monstrosity: The spreading Beastification Disease creates a world where the line between human and beast is central to survival and moral judgment.
• Power beyond established systems: The outsider’s abilities challenge the Church’s understanding of strength, since he possesses extraordinary combat skill without undergoing Blood Therapy.
• Moral restraint and chivalry: Beethoven’s concern for civilian safety contrasts with the more suspicious and bureaucratic behavior of the hunters. The outsider’s selective targeting of heavily Beastified beasts further complicates the distinction between threat and protector.
• Mystery and uncertainty: The outsider’s motives, origins, relationship with Father John’s daughter, and method of acquiring supplies remain unexplained.

Character Interactions

• Beethoven and Amelia share a relationship based on mutual trust: he serves as the Church’s weapon, while she represents its wisdom and judgment.
• Beethoven treats Amelia respectfully and protects her contemplative space, while Amelia trusts his competence and decisions.
• Beethoven questions the Holy Sword hunter closely, revealing both his concern for civilians and his growing interest in the outsider.
• The Holy Sword hunter defers to Beethoven before answering Amelia, highlighting divisions and competing chains of authority within the Church.
• Amelia ultimately takes the initiative, directing Beethoven to approach the outsider and bring him into contact with the Church.

Chapter Summary: “I Think I've Been Pretty Low-Key”

Key Plot Points and Events

• At the Church of Pain, Amelia and Beethoven discuss Liu Zheng, an unusually powerful outsider whose reckless behavior could become dangerous if he is infected and transformed into a beast.
• Beethoven agrees to speak with Liu Zheng personally, while Amelia hints at a deeper personal mission involving her former teacher, Dickens. Her black nails begin to emerge, suggesting a sinister transformation or hidden power.
• Liu Zheng continues traveling through New Yate while being secretly followed by Holy Sword hunters. He dismisses their surveillance, insisting that he has been “pretty low-key,” despite openly killing beasts, breaking into buildings, and wandering around during Pale Night.
• He finishes gathering most of the supplies on his shopping list, including food, alcohol, medicine, and various beast parts. He still needs unusual ingredients such as madman’s eyeballs, executioner pork belly, giant necks, and brain-eater brains.
• Based on information from Fula, Liu Zheng decides to investigate Yadan Cemetery, where her father, Father John, patrols and where strange “madmen” may appear. He hopes to find either the needed ingredients or Father John, whose condition will determine whether Liu Zheng rescues him or harvests him for materials.
• Liu Zheng forces Fula to extract a beast’s heart so she can prepare herself to confront her potentially infected father. Despite her fear, she succeeds, marking an important step in her emotional development.
• Beethoven decides to meet Liu Zheng personally and Amelia orders that he be invited to the Church. The hunters continue following Liu Zheng’s group toward Yadan Cemetery, despite its being territory controlled by the hostile Blood Axe Workshop.

Character Developments

• Liu Zheng: Remains blunt, pragmatic, and morally unconventional. He treats dangerous beasts as sources of useful ingredients and sees nearly every possible encounter as beneficial. However, he also shows a harsh form of mentorship toward Fula, pushing her to become stronger rather than protecting her from unpleasant realities.
• Fula: Begins overcoming her fear and helplessness. Though visibly distressed, she personally removes the beast’s heart and gains confidence from Liu Zheng’s praise. She also expresses a desire to become powerful like him, revealing her growing admiration and dependence on him.
• Anke: Acts as the group’s more socially aware and cautious member. He recognizes how bizarre Liu Zheng’s conduct appears to outsiders and tries to soften or redirect conversations. He is also embarrassed when Liu Zheng questions his ability to protect Fula because of his large belly.
• Amelia: Displays hidden motives and possibly monstrous powers through the appearance of black nails. Her reference to finally allowing Teacher Dickens to rest suggests unresolved grief, revenge, or a plan connected to Dickens’s remains.
• Beethoven: Is established as an influential and powerful Church figure. His decision to personally investigate Liu Zheng emphasizes the seriousness with which the outsider is being treated.
• Holy Sword Hunters: Initially see Liu Zheng as an unpredictable threat. Their repeated observation of him only increases their confusion about his identity and intentions.

Significant Themes

• Strength through trauma: Fula is forced to confront violence and fear rather than remain sheltered. The chapter presents emotional endurance and the willingness to protect others as forms of strength.
• Outsider versus society: Liu Zheng’s behavior is judged as abnormal and dangerous by the Church, even though he sees himself as practical and restrained. His actions expose the gap between his worldview and Yate’s social norms.
• Monstrousness and morality: Liu Zheng behaves in ways that resemble the beasts and butchers he fights, yet he also helps and mentors Fula. The chapter questions whether outwardly disturbing actions necessarily reveal evil intentions.
• Surveillance and authority: The Church monitors Liu Zheng and prepares to confront him, while rival factions control the territory he is entering. His movement through the city is increasingly becoming a political and religious concern.
• Pragmatism versus compassion: Liu Zheng’s treatment of Fula is cold and frightening, but his praise and encouragement show that his harshness may be intended to help her survive.

Important Character Interactions

• Amelia and Beethoven: They agree that Liu Zheng must be investigated and possibly brought to the Church, while Amelia hints at a private plan involving Teacher Dickens.
• Liu Zheng and Anke: Their exchange highlights the contrast between Liu Zheng’s self-perception and how others view him. Anke recognizes his behavior as outrageous, while Liu Zheng sincerely believes he has acted discreetly.
• Liu Zheng and Fula: Liu Zheng pressures Fula to dissect a beast, framing the act as preparation for confronting her father. After she succeeds, he praises her and gives her unexpected encouragement.
• Liu Zheng and the hunters: The hunters remain hidden and observe him with growing unease. Their suspicion intensifies as they witness his bizarre methods and apparent lack of fear.
• The Church and Liu Zheng: Beethoven’s impending personal meeting marks the beginning of a likely confrontation between Liu Zheng and the Church authorities.

Chapter Summary

• Plot and events: Xia Kai, an inexperienced Hell Game player, hides in Yadan Cemetery, a maze-like burial ground filled with stacked graves and tombstones. He came there after struggling through a dangerous, combat-focused instance populated by powerful beastlike monsters. He knows that Father John, a formidable blind hunter, patrols the cemetery and hopes to remain undetected by using the item “Passerby A’s Cigarettes,” which suppresses his presence.
  Father John eventually enters the area carrying a corpse infected with Beastification Disease. After sensing that the surroundings are unusually quiet, he drops the body and brutally chops it apart, smashing its bones and skull. The violence appears connected to his worsening mental and physical condition, particularly the itching beneath his blindfold and the effects of Blood Therapy. Despite being blind, John possesses an unusual sensory ability that allows him to perceive his surroundings. He eventually detects Xia Kai behind a tombstone. Xia Kai immediately panics and runs.

Character development

• Xia Kai is established as an ordinary office worker with almost no combat training, making him severely underprepared for the instance. He relies on caution, hiding, and utility items rather than fighting. His regret over not purchasing combat abilities in the previous settlement highlights his growing awareness of his weakness, while his nervous humor and fantasies about buying a Gundam reveal how overwhelmed he feels.
• Father John is portrayed as a dangerous and deteriorating hunter. Though blindfolded, he remains highly perceptive and deadly. His doubts about Blood Therapy, his illness, compulsive violence, and increasingly chaotic thoughts suggest that he is being psychologically and physically corrupted by the world he inhabits.

Significant themes

• Survival through resourcefulness: Xia Kai survives by exploiting the cemetery’s layout and using presence-reducing cigarettes, but his limited supplies emphasize how fragile his position is.
• The cruelty of the Hell Game: The instance’s difficulty far exceeds Xia Kai’s abilities, presenting a world where inexperienced players can be thrown into deadly situations without preparation.
• Transformation and corruption: Beastification Disease and Blood Therapy blur the boundary between human and beast, while Father John’s violent behavior suggests that even those fighting the monsters may be damaged or transformed by them.
• Human conformity and death: The opening description of Yadan Cemetery reflects how social imitation has produced a vast, unnatural landscape of graves, reinforcing the chapter’s atmosphere of accumulated death.

Character interactions

• Xia Kai and Father John have no direct conversation, but their encounter forms the chapter’s central conflict. Xia Kai studies and fears John from hiding, while John hunts through sound, presence, and an unknown heightened perception.
• Father John’s interaction with the Beastification victim is indirect but significant: his repeated chopping and destruction of the corpse show both his role as a hunter and his escalating brutality.
• The chapter ends when John detects Xia Kai, forcing Xia Kai to abandon concealment and flee.

Chapter Summary: “A Big Shot, Save My Sorry Hide”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xia Kai flees through Yadan Cemetery while being pursued by Father John, who attacks him with an extremely powerful firearm.
• His enchanted running shoes suddenly stop functioning, forcing him to rely on his own speed and knowledge of the cemetery’s terrain.
• When Father John fires at him, Xia Kai uses a single-use Hungry Empty Magazine, an item that attracts incoming bullets, to divert the shot. The item breaks after absorbing the bullet.
• Realizing he cannot keep wasting supplies or running forever, Xia Kai considers confronting Father John—but then encounters Liu Zheng, Fula, and a bizarre four-tentacled monster-like companion.
• The System detects multiple players and changes the dungeon to Normal Mode, removing rewards and penalties for players killing one another.
• Xia Kai assumes Liu Zheng is powerful and begs him for protection, claiming he means no harm and is only being chased by Father John.
• Fula recognizes Father John as her missing father. She asks whether he has seen her mother, but Father John is distracted by voices and “singing” in his blood.
• Father John identifies Liu Zheng as an outsider and attacks him, believing he poses a threat to Fula.
• Liu Zheng blocks and deflects the bullet with Cleaver, then prepares to confront Father John while warning Xia Kai not to move.

Character Developments

• Xia Kai is shown as resourceful, cowardly in a practical way, and highly dependent on improvised items. Though frightened, he makes quick decisions under pressure and understands that survival requires using valuable resources rather than hoarding them.
• Liu Zheng remains cautious and suspicious of strangers, immediately aiming his weapon at Xia Kai. However, he also takes control of the situation and protects Fula by confronting Father John directly.
• Father John appears increasingly unstable and possibly corrupted or transformed. His obsession with the “singing” blood suggests madness or supernatural influence. Despite recognizing Fula, he cannot respond normally to her questions and becomes hostile toward Liu Zheng.
• Fula remains emotionally attached to her father and hopes to reunite her family. She trusts Liu Zheng enough to ask him not to kill Father John, even while understanding that her father is dangerous.
• The chapter also reinforces the mysterious nature of Liu Zheng’s tentacled companion, whose appearance contrasts sharply with the human characters.

Significant Themes

• Survival versus resource conservation: Xia Kai must decide when to spend rare items, illustrating the necessity of sacrificing resources to stay alive.
• Distrust and cooperation among players: The arrival of other players creates both danger and opportunity. Xia Kai seeks help, while Liu Zheng remains wary of being manipulated.
• Family bonds amid horror: Fula’s concern for her father humanizes the frightening conflict and complicates the question of whether Father John should be killed.
• Madness and corruption: Father John’s blood-related hallucinations and violent behavior suggest that the supernatural threat affects the mind as well as the body.
• Power and vulnerability: Xia Kai views Liu Zheng as a “big shot,” emphasizing the unequal abilities among players and the desperate reliance weaker characters may place on stronger ones.

Important Character Interactions

• Xia Kai uses an item to evade Father John, then appeals to Liu Zheng for help.
• Liu Zheng threatens Xia Kai while assessing whether he is dangerous.
• Fula recognizes and speaks to Father John, attempting to reconnect with him.
• Father John rejects or misunderstands the reunion, instead focusing on the voices in his blood and accusing Liu Zheng of being an outsider.
• Liu Zheng defends himself from Father John’s gunshot and advances to confront him, while Fula pleads for her father’s life.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Father John confronts the mysterious Liu Zheng in Yadan Cemetery after Liu lures away John’s daughter, Fula.
• John is already suffering from Beastification Disease. His fangs, fur, bloodlust, and loss of reason worsen as an internal “song” urges him to kill and consume blood.
• He attacks Liu with a long-handled hunter’s axe, one of the most powerful and difficult Workshop Hunter weapons.
• Liu blocks the initial strike with his butcher’s cleaver and tentacles, recognizing that John is far stronger and more experienced than ordinary beastified residents or young hunters.
• John retreats with impressive speed, fires a pistol, then unfolds his axe into its full-length form and launches another charge.
• Liu uses multiple tentacles to block and counterattack, severely injuring John and knocking out several teeth. He refrains from using the more destructive Meat Saw because he promised Fula he would try to save her father.
• John appears to enjoy the pain and uses a syringe of Blood Therapy, rapidly healing his injuries and restoring his broken teeth. The treatment also intensifies his vitality and bloodlust.
• Driven further into madness, John leaps into the air and prepares another devastating axe strike.
• Xia Kai watches anxiously, realizing he could not withstand John’s attack and placing his hopes in Liu. The chapter ends just as Liu moves to respond.

Character Developments

• Father John: Revealed as a dedicated but family-oriented hunter whose work originally served to support and protect his family. However, Beastification is overwhelming his identity, replacing reason with violent instincts and an obsessive craving for blood. Despite his madness, he retains a hunter’s tactical intelligence, speed, and combat skill.
• Liu Zheng: Demonstrates overwhelming physical strength, confidence, and unusual abilities through his tentacles. He treats the fight almost casually, viewing John as someone who must be subdued rather than immediately killed. His decision to avoid the Meat Saw shows restraint and concern for fulfilling his promise to Fula.
• Xia Kai: Acts as an observer and survivor caught between the two combatants. His thoughts reveal fear of John and growing reliance on Liu, whom he views as a powerful, well-equipped ally despite uncertainty about his true abilities.
• Fula: Though absent from the confrontation, she motivates Liu’s restraint and Father John’s determination to win and bring her home.

Significant Themes

• Humanity versus bestial instinct: Father John’s transformation shows the erosion of identity under Beastification, while his memories of family briefly contrast with his murderous impulses.
• Violence as control: Liu believes beasts can be “tamed” by defeating them decisively, suggesting that force is his practical method for managing monsters.
• Duty and family: John originally hunts to protect his family, but the same profession and blood-soaked environment now threaten to turn him into the danger his family needs protection from.
• Power and survival: The battle emphasizes the gulf between ordinary people, trained hunters, and extraordinary figures like Liu. Xia Kai’s reactions frame the fight as a matter of life or death.
• Pain and vitality: John’s pleasure in pain and reliance on Blood Therapy connect suffering, blood, and strength, reinforcing the chapter’s grim atmosphere of physical corruption and obsession.

Character Interactions

• Father John and Liu exchange hostile accusations, with John calling Liu a suspicious “skulking bastard” and Liu dismissing him as another beast.
• Liu taunts John by asking him to stand still and accept a beating, provoking John’s anger.
• Their combat reveals mutual assessment: John recognizes Liu is not an ordinary human, while Liu acknowledges John’s superior hunter instincts and near-complete Beastification.
• Liu’s promise to Fula directly influences his choices during the fight, creating tension between defeating John and preserving his life.
• Xia Kai silently roots for Liu, not out of loyalty but because John’s victory would almost certainly mean his death.

Chapter Summary: “Stuffing Tentacles Down Your Throat”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Zheng gains the upper hand against Father John by leaping above him and striking downward with his butcher’s blade. Father John’s specially treated axe handle snaps, and Liu Zheng wounds his shoulder using the blunt side of the blade to avoid killing him.
• Father John attempts to use another blood collector, but Liu Zheng knocks it away and fractures his fingers, continuing to mock his reliance on blood injections.
• Humiliated and desperate, Father John begins to Beastify. His shoulder regenerates, his body swells with unnatural muscle, his hair darkens and grows, and his face becomes increasingly wolf-like.
• Fula breaks down emotionally, begging her father not to turn into a beast and asking to return home with her and her mother. Father John briefly retains enough consciousness to call for Fula and “Shirley,” but his transformation continues.
• Anke explains that the Bloodhealing Church uses special blood-based sedatives to delay Beastification, though he knows of no cure once the transformation has begun.
• Liu Zheng theorizes that reducing the corrupted blood inside Father John might help. He attacks, but Beastified Father John proves dramatically stronger and faster, severing one of Liu Zheng’s tentacles.
• Liu Zheng reveals that he has four tentacles rather than only one. He uses the remaining tentacles to lift Father John and smash him repeatedly into tombstones, overwhelming him physically.
• Father John becomes frightened of Liu Zheng’s severed tentacle. He tears open his own chest, expelling a strange clump of active blood while most of his blood dries and blackens.
• Xia Kai identifies the phenomenon as possibly Blood Echo, a power hunters can gain from the blood of beasts.
• Liu Zheng realizes the blood may be connected to his own nature and forces the severed tentacle into Father John’s mouth after Father John rejects the blood, ending the chapter on a grotesque comedic cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Liu Zheng remains confident, irreverent, and physically dominant. He avoids killing Father John when possible, but his methods are brutal and humiliating. His regenerative abilities and hidden extra tentacles are revealed, suggesting he possesses powers beyond what the others understand.
• Father John shifts from a disciplined, blood-powered fighter into a desperate and increasingly mindless beast. Despite his transformation, his attachment to Fula and Shirley briefly survives, creating a tragic contrast with his growing bloodlust.
• Fula abandons her façade of toughness and openly displays fear and love for her father. Her emotional plea emphasizes the family bond threatened by Beastification.
• Anke functions as the group’s source of medical and religious knowledge, explaining the Bloodhealing Church’s treatment for Beastification. He also remains protective of Fula.
• Xia Kai reveals that he researched the instance beforehand using an information-gathering item. He recognizes the concept of Blood Echo and continues treating Liu Zheng as a powerful “big shot.”
• Shirley, though absent, is invoked by Father John as part of his memories of home and family.

Significant Themes

• The corruption of healing and blood: Blood Therapy, supposedly a means of healing or empowerment, appears linked to Beastification. The chapter questions whether the Bloodhealing Church’s treatments are truly beneficial or are contributing to the disease.
• Humanity versus monstrosity: Father John’s transformation shows the physical loss of humanity, while his repeated attempts to reach Fula demonstrate that emotional identity may remain even as instinct takes over.
• Family and attachment: Fula’s fear and Father John’s calls for his daughter and wife provide an emotional core amid the violence, showing that family ties briefly resist his transformation.
• Power and adaptation: Both fighters reveal unexpected abilities. Father John becomes stronger through Beastification, while Liu Zheng adapts through regeneration, multiple tentacles, and unconventional tactics.
• Humor amid horror: Liu Zheng’s jokes about turn-based games, injections, and “going dark” contrast with the grotesque violence, while the final act of forcing a tentacle into Father John’s mouth turns a terrifying scene into absurd dark comedy.
• Knowledge and preparation: Xia Kai’s prior research contrasts with Liu Zheng’s lack of preparation, highlighting the value of information in dangerous instances.

Character Interactions

• Liu Zheng repeatedly taunts Father John while trying to subdue rather than immediately kill him.
• Fula pleads with her transformed father, and Anke physically restrains her to prevent her from approaching him.
• Father John’s brief recognition of Fula creates a tragic interaction between his remaining humanity and his beast instincts.
• Anke and Liu Zheng discuss whether Beastification can be treated, leading Liu Zheng to experiment with reducing or replacing Father John’s blood.
• Xia Kai explains Blood Echo to Liu Zheng, reinforcing his role as an informed observer and admirer.
• The chapter concludes with Liu Zheng forcing his severed tentacle into Father John’s mouth, shocking both Xia Kai and the reader.

Chapter Summary: Worthy of You, Hell Game

Key Plot Points and Events

• Father John is overwhelmed by Beastification Disease after contaminated blood enters his body. Liu Zheng restrains him with tentacles while Xia Kai injects him with a muscle relaxant.
• Father John violently vomits large quantities of mixed blood. As he does so, his beast-like symptoms gradually disappear: his black fur turns white, his claws become human hands, and his physical transformation recedes.
• Although Father John is not truly cured, his condition is temporarily alleviated. He loses a dangerous amount of blood and falls unconscious.
• Fula rushes to her father, while Anke is astonished that a transformed victim could be saved. He explains that hunters usually kill and burn those afflicted with the disease.
• Liu Zheng decides to return to the church with Father John, believing the priest may possess valuable information.
• Xia Kai reveals his missions: survive for forty-eight hours, collect three God’s Child’s Umbilical Cords, collect more than ten Holy Grails, and hunt a Higher Being. Liu Zheng discovers that one of their objectives overlaps.
• Xia Kai explains that side missions increase mission ratings and unlock additional settlement rewards. Liu Zheng warns him that he will kill him if he betrays or obstructs them.
• Liu Zheng makes Xia Kai carry the unconscious Father John. Before they can leave, a group of white-suited hunters blocks their path.

Character Developments

• Father John: His transformation worsens before Liu Zheng and Xia Kai intervene, but the treatment temporarily reverses his beastification. His survival suggests that transformed victims may not always be beyond saving.
• Liu Zheng: Demonstrates both practical combat ability and a ruthless, commanding personality. He remains skeptical about curing the disease but recognizes Father John’s value as a source of information.
• Xia Kai: Shows fear and dependence on Liu Zheng while honestly revealing his missions and limitations. He tries to prove his usefulness and eagerly accepts the role of Liu Zheng’s subordinate.
• Fula: Displays strong affection and renewed hope after seeing her father saved. She becomes closely attached to Liu Zheng, holding his cloak as they leave.
• Anke: His faith in the possibility of saving Beastification victims is renewed. He mournfully reflects on those previously killed by hunters, including Yate.

Significant Themes

• Mercy versus extermination: The hunters destroy infected people, while Liu Zheng’s intervention offers an alternative, though imperfect, path to survival.
• The limits of healing: Father John’s symptoms are reduced rather than cured, emphasizing the cost and uncertainty of resisting the disease.
• Power and dependence: Xia Kai’s survival depends on attaching himself to Liu Zheng, creating an unequal but mutually useful partnership.
• Hope amid brutality: Father John’s temporary recovery gives Fula and Anke hope, even as the threat of the disease and the hunters remains.
• Hell Game’s cruelty: Xia Kai’s bizarre recruitment and the dangerous missions reinforce the arbitrary and malicious nature of the game.

Character Interactions

• Liu Zheng and Xia Kai cooperate to subdue Father John, with Liu Zheng providing force and Xia Kai using his stored item.
• Liu Zheng speaks bluntly and mockingly to Xia Kai, while Xia Kai responds nervously and tries to remain useful.
• Fula reunites emotionally with her weakened father and begins treating Liu Zheng as a protector.
• Anke expresses gratitude and excitement toward Liu Zheng, but Liu Zheng dismisses his praise and questions the true effectiveness of the treatment.
• Liu Zheng establishes clear dominance over Xia Kai by threatening him while assigning him practical tasks.
• The group’s fragile cooperation is interrupted when white-suited hunters confront them.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Zheng confronts a squad of Church hunters who followed him after he rescued Father John from Beastification.
• The hunters claim they are obligated to save Father John, but Liu Zheng points out that they failed to intervene when Father John was actually losing control. Fula, Father John’s daughter, confirms that she prefers Liu Zheng’s help.
• The hunters demand to know how Liu Zheng reversed Father John’s Beastification. Liu Zheng clarifies that he only temporarily restored Father John’s normal state rather than curing the disease.
• Recognizing the enormous value of this ability, the hunter captain offers wealth, knowledge, Blood Therapy, and Church assistance in exchange for the method.
• Liu Zheng negotiates for high-quality Blood Gems, then additionally asks for Tomel’s Holy Grail and God’s Child’s Umbilical Cord. The hunters do not recognize the latter two items but agree to report the request.
• Liu Zheng senses that the Church’s superior has arrived: Beethoven, chief hunter of the Bloodhealing Church and possibly the strongest hunter in history.
• Beethoven approaches, and Liu Zheng considers testing his own strength against him. However, Beethoven initially discusses Liu Zheng’s disturbance of the residents’ homes rather than fighting him.
• Beethoven reveals that Archbishop Amelia wants to meet Liu Zheng personally. After learning from the hunter captain that Liu Zheng can treat Beastification, Beethoven is visibly shocked, and his greatsword emits a powerful light.

Character Developments

• Liu Zheng remains confident, provocative, and highly pragmatic. He refuses to be intimidated by an armed hunter squad and immediately turns the discovery of his ability into a negotiation. His demands also reveal that he is focused on gathering supplies for the Restaurant and pursuing rare resources.
• Fula demonstrates loyalty and trust toward Liu Zheng, openly choosing his rescue over the Church hunters’ intervention.
• Xia Kai continues to admire Liu Zheng’s boldness, though he still privately prefers safer, exploitative tactics rather than directly imitating Liu Zheng.
• The hunter captain shifts from confrontation to negotiation once he understands the significance of Liu Zheng’s power. He remains dutiful but is willing to offer substantial Church resources.
• Beethoven is introduced as an extraordinarily powerful, disciplined, and charismatic leader. Despite his authority, he is calm and willing to acknowledge the Church’s failures. His composure finally breaks when he learns that Liu Zheng may be able to treat Beastification.

Significant Themes

• Power and negotiation: Liu Zheng’s strength allows him to dictate terms even while surrounded by hunters. Knowledge of his ability becomes a bargaining tool more valuable than ordinary wealth or medical resources.
• Institutional duty versus individual action: The hunters insist that rescuing Father John is their responsibility, but Liu Zheng exposes the limits and contradictions of their duty by asking why they did not act earlier.
• The uncertainty of truth and judgment: Liu Zheng questions whether adults are any better than children at distinguishing right from wrong, challenging the Church’s moral authority.
• The mystery of Beastification: The disease is believed to be irreversible, making Liu Zheng’s temporary reversal potentially as important as the discovery of Blood Therapy.
• Testing one’s strength: Liu Zheng’s desire to fight Beethoven reflects his need to measure himself against a genuinely powerful opponent after encountering mostly weaker or morally complicated enemies.

Character Interactions

• Liu Zheng verbally spars with the hunter captain, dismissing the squad’s claims and forcing them to state their true objective.
• Fula supports Liu Zheng when he asks whose rescue she wants, strengthening their bond and undermining the hunters’ argument.
• Xia Kai silently praises Liu Zheng’s fearless attitude.
• The hunter captain offers increasingly valuable rewards, while Liu Zheng counters with more ambitious demands.
• Beethoven and Liu Zheng engage in a calm but pointed debate over trespassing, public safety, and responsibility.
• Beethoven invites Liu Zheng to meet Archbishop Amelia, but the chapter ends with the situation becoming more serious after he learns of Liu Zheng’s ability to treat Beastification.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Zheng clarifies that his blood therapy only provides relief from Beastification Disease, not a cure. He hides the fact that patients may reject his blood, fearing the Bloodhealing Church would dissect him for research.
• Beethoven, leader of Yate’s Holy Sword hunters, asks Liu Zheng to help Beastification Disease victims. Beethoven is portrayed as honorable and sympathetic, burdened by the necessity of killing beastified residents and by the loss of hunters who themselves succumb to the disease.
• Liu Zheng returns to the Church of Pain with Anke and Xia Kai. He uses his Calico Cat, “Salmon,” to confirm that no one followed them.
• The Church of Pain reveals that its medicines and incense once eased Beastification Disease but have gradually lost effectiveness. Liu Zheng learns that Beethoven helped establish the Bloodhealing Church with Dickens after leaving Kalkaluns Academy, but that Beethoven does not control the entire organization.
• The Church warns Liu Zheng that the Bloodhealing Church may be dangerous, despite Beethoven’s reputation. It possesses other armed forces and possibly covert Workshop Hunter support.
• Liu Zheng agrees to meet Beethoven, partly because the Bloodhealing Church may possess the Holy Grail. He also accepts the Church of Pain’s request to consider recovering the Twisted Saint’s remains, though he refuses to promise to spread their doctrine.
• Xia Kai chooses to follow Liu Zheng rather than remain at the Church of Pain. He hopes to improve his instance rating, survive longer, and possibly complete the side quest involving a Higher Being.
• While traveling, Xia Kai explains that instance ratings can improve by exceeding the main quest or changing the original plot without violating its requirements. Liu Zheng reflects on how extensively he has already altered the Bloodstained Restaurant’s internal affairs and considers more drastic actions—such as killing Peacock, destroying the Chaos Club, or unleashing the Red Ghost across Metropolis—to achieve an SSS rating.
• Liu Zheng and Xia Kai return to Yadan Cemetery, where Beethoven receives them peacefully. Liu Zheng begins questioning him about the origin and transmission of Beastification Disease.
• Beethoven says the Church and Kalkaluns Academy suspect bacterial transmission through air or water, but admits he knows little about the research.
• Liu Zheng then raises the central suspicion of the chapter: the disease may be transmitted through the Bloodhealing Church’s own Blood Therapy.

Character Developments

• Liu Zheng remains pragmatic, cautious, and manipulative. He helps others when it serves a larger goal but refuses to make promises he cannot keep. He increasingly recognizes that gaining a high instance rating may require altering events on a citywide scale.
• Beethoven is established as a morally serious and compassionate figure rather than a stereotypical enemy. He trusts Liu Zheng, wants to protect Yate, and regrets the suffering caused by his hunters, though he lacks knowledge about the Church’s deeper operations.
• Xia Kai demonstrates both ambition and survival instinct. He wants to remain near Liu Zheng for protection and potential rewards, but insists that he can defend himself. His account of his previous instance gives insight into his experience and intelligence.
• The Church of Pain appears weakened and ineffective but remains ideologically devoted to its dead saint and doctrine. Its members are willing to risk themselves and ask Liu Zheng to recover the Twisted Saint’s remains.
• Anke shows loyalty to Liu Zheng and offers support, though Liu Zheng prefers to rely on his own judgment.
• Salmon, Liu Zheng’s Calico Cat, is shown to be an effective scout and demonstrates Liu Zheng’s unusual network of resources.

Significant Themes

• Trust and mutual suspicion: Liu Zheng and Beethoven cooperate because neither has yet identified the other as an enemy, but both remain wary of hidden agendas.
• The ethics of treatment and sacrifice: Beethoven’s hunters protect Yate by killing victims, while Liu Zheng questions whether the Church’s supposed remedies may actually contribute to the disease.
• Institutional corruption and hidden causes: The Bloodhealing Church claims to combat Beastification Disease, yet Liu Zheng suspects its central practice—Blood Therapy—may be the true transmission route.
• Power versus responsibility: Liu Zheng has gained control over much of the Bloodstained Restaurant but wonders whether he must affect the wider Metropolis to achieve the highest possible rating.
• Survival and calculated risk: Xia Kai’s philosophy reflects the dangers of the Hell Game: players must avoid pointless recklessness but cannot progress without accepting danger.
• Faith and doctrine: The Church of Pain’s commitment to the Twisted Saint contrasts with Liu Zheng’s practical refusal to adopt or spread its beliefs.

Character Interactions

• Liu Zheng and Beethoven establish a tentative alliance based on honesty, mutual respect, and shared concern for Yate’s residents.
• Beethoven restrains the hunter captain, insisting that trust must begin with trusting others.
• Liu Zheng consults the Church of Pain’s old woman about Beethoven and the Bloodhealing Church, challenging the Church’s lack of effective medical solutions.
• Liu Zheng and Xia Kai develop a cooperative but unequal partnership: Xia Kai follows Liu Zheng as a self-proclaimed subordinate, while Liu Zheng remains suspicious of his motives and abilities.
• The chapter ends with Liu Zheng directly confronting Beethoven with the possibility that the Bloodhealing Church itself is spreading Beastification Disease through Blood Therapy, shifting their conversation from cooperation toward a potentially dangerous investigation.

Chapter Summary: “Liu Zheng, That’s a Bit Forward of You”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Zheng challenges Beethoven’s explanation of Yate’s strict curfew during Pale Night. Beethoven claims that Blood Therapy once controlled frequent outbreaks of Beastification Disease, though he admits he does not know—or appears unwilling to reveal—the source of the blood used.
• Suspicious of Beethoven’s hesitation, Liu Zheng bluntly questions him and then proposes settling their disagreement through combat.
• Beethoven refuses to use his sacred Moonlight Greatsword, explaining that it is reserved for fighting beasts and monsters. Instead, he borrows a standard greatsword from Belto, captain of the Holy Sword hunters.
• Liu Zheng launches an extremely fast and powerful attack, fully unleashing his enhanced physical abilities. His speed shocks Belto and the other hunters, who realize that Liu Zheng could have killed Belto in a surprise attack.
• Beethoven effortlessly parries Liu Zheng’s strike and places him under pressure with a poised counterattack. Liu Zheng retreats because he cannot predict which sword technique Beethoven will use.
• Beethoven recognizes that Liu Zheng has never formally studied swordsmanship, yet possesses exceptional instincts, strength, and combat technique.
• Rather than continuing the duel, Beethoven unexpectedly asks Liu Zheng to become his disciple, astonishing both Liu Zheng and the Holy Sword hunters.

Character Developments

• Liu Zheng demonstrates overwhelming physical ability, sharp instincts, skepticism, and considerable confidence. Although inexperienced with formal swordsmanship, he can challenge elite fighters through raw power and battlefield awareness.
• Beethoven is shown to be a legendary but aging warrior. He is poetic, reverent toward his Moonlight Greatsword, and deeply concerned about the future of Yate and the survival of his fighting tradition.
• Beethoven’s doubts about the Church’s ability to face future threats become clearer. He fears that the younger Holy Sword hunters may be unable to confront ancient monsters, Higher Beings, or another Pale Night.
• Belto and the Holy Sword hunters display intense loyalty and reverence toward Beethoven. Their shock at Liu Zheng’s ability also reveals how far his strength exceeds their expectations.

Significant Themes

• Tradition and succession: Beethoven worries that his life’s work will disappear when he dies, motivating him to seek a worthy successor.
• Knowledge versus secrecy: Liu Zheng’s questions about Blood Therapy expose possible gaps or concealed truths in the Church’s history.
• Raw talent versus formal training: Liu Zheng lacks swordsmanship education but compensates with extraordinary instincts and physical power, while Beethoven represents refined mastery.
• Aging and mortality: Beethoven has accepted death but fears leaving Yate defenseless against future supernatural disasters.
• Faith, heroism, and duty: Beethoven’s devotion to the Moonlight Greatsword and his chivalric ideals contrast with Liu Zheng’s practical and irreverent attitude.

Character Interactions

• Liu Zheng directly confronts Beethoven over the Church’s explanation of Beastification Disease, creating tension and mutual suspicion.
• Their duel becomes a test of ability and character: Liu Zheng attacks aggressively, while Beethoven responds with calm, economical skill.
• Beethoven is impressed rather than offended by Liu Zheng’s lack of formal training and provocative behavior.
• The expected master-versus-outsider confrontation abruptly transforms into a potential mentor-student relationship when Beethoven asks Liu Zheng to become his disciple. Liu Zheng responds humorously, calling the proposal overly forward.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Beethoven earnestly invites Liu Zheng to join the Church and become his disciple, explaining that the Church works to cure the Yate people of Beastification Disease.
• Liu Zheng refuses to join, skeptical of the Church, and insists that they settle the matter through combat first.
• Beethoven adopts the Upper-String Stance of Moonlight Swordsmanship, challenging Liu Zheng to attack with all his strength.
• Liu Zheng charges while using the Human-Bone Scepter to increase his speed. He clashes with Beethoven using his cleaver and tentacles rather than formal sword techniques.
• Beethoven counters with immense strength and refined swordsmanship, using reflected moonlight to momentarily blind Liu Zheng before delivering a devastating strike.
• Their weapons collide repeatedly. Both demonstrate comparable physical power, though each suffers minor injuries from the exchanges. The surrounding hunters and Beastified residents are frightened by the intensity of the duel.
• Beethoven realizes that Liu Zheng has matched him despite never undergoing Blood Therapy, and becomes even more eager to recruit and train him.
• When Beethoven asks how Liu Zheng gained his strength, Liu Zheng describes the grotesque trials he endured in the dungeon: eating raw Black Goat eyeballs, surviving inside a giant snake, detonating a bomb, and consuming filth in the Sewer.
• Xia Kai is stunned by Liu Zheng’s experiences, realizing that his own hardships were insignificant by comparison.
• Beethoven sympathizes with Liu Zheng and urges him not to return to the Bloodstained Restaurant. He promises that, if Liu Zheng stays in Yate and joins the Church, he will protect him.

Character Developments

• Liu Zheng remains distrustful of organized religion and refuses to be persuaded by words alone. However, he demonstrates humility by restraining his truly overwhelming abilities and fighting only with relatively ordinary equipment and physical strength.
• His combat ability is shown to rely on instinct, adaptability, and brute force rather than formal technique. His unusual tentacles allow him to alter his attacks in ways a human fighter could not.
• Beethoven is established as an exceptionally powerful and experienced warrior—the chief instructor of hundreds of thousands of hunters. He combines great physical strength, refined swordsmanship, and tactical experience.
• Beethoven’s attitude shifts from testing Liu Zheng to admiring and pitying him. He sees Liu Zheng as a potential successor who could eventually surpass the greatest hunters, while also viewing him as someone traumatized by horrific experiences.
• Xia Kai gains a deeper appreciation of Liu Zheng’s strength and survival ability after hearing about his dungeon experiences.

Significant Themes

• Strength versus experience: The duel shows that raw physical power can rival highly refined technique when combined with instinct and adaptability.
• Courage and humanity: Beethoven nostalgically remembers former companions who fought monsters fearlessly, suggesting that courage remains one of humanity’s most valuable qualities.
• The brutality of survival: Liu Zheng’s account emphasizes how extreme suffering and grotesque trials shaped his strength.
• Competing forms of refuge: The Bloodstained Restaurant and the Church represent different worlds Liu Zheng might belong to. Beethoven presents Yate and the Church as a safer alternative to Liu Zheng’s violent past.
• Misunderstanding and sympathy: Liu Zheng distrusts the Church, while Beethoven sees him less as an enemy and more as a damaged young man in need of protection.

Character Interactions

• Beethoven repeatedly attempts to persuade Liu Zheng to join the Church, while Liu Zheng dismisses his arguments and demands proof through combat.
• Their battle becomes both a physical test and a negotiation: Beethoven evaluates Liu Zheng’s potential, while Liu Zheng measures Beethoven’s strength and credibility.
• Beethoven’s admiration grows as Liu Zheng matches him blow for blow, and he begins treating him like a promising younger warrior rather than merely an opponent.
• Liu Zheng’s bizarre explanation of his power shocks both Beethoven and Xia Kai, revealing the vast gap between Liu Zheng’s experiences and those of ordinary people.
• The chapter ends with Beethoven offering Liu Zheng protection and belonging, while Liu Zheng’s final response—and his decision about returning to the Bloodstained Restaurant—remains unresolved.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Zheng refuses Beethoven’s invitation to remain in the Holy Sword hunters’ world, explaining that he has responsibilities in Metropolis and needs the conveniences of modern life.
• Before Liu Zheng leaves, Beethoven challenges him to a serious sword fight and offers to teach him through combat.
• Beethoven launches a lightning-fast attack with his greatsword. Liu Zheng blocks using four tentacles and his Serrated Cleaver, beginning an intense clash.
• The battle reveals Beethoven’s extraordinary strength, speed, endurance, and highly refined swordsmanship. The Holy Sword hunters are amazed because they have never seen him fight at full power.
• Liu Zheng struggles against Beethoven’s superior technique and relentless attacks. His tentacles suffer repeated fractures, though Flesh Rebirth continually repairs them.
• Realizing that Beethoven is far more dangerous than expected, Liu Zheng reassesses his plan to infiltrate Church Town and steal the Blood Gem and Holy Grail. He decides that negotiation may be wiser, but first chooses to demonstrate his own strength.
• Liu Zheng deliberately uses two tentacles to block Beethoven, creating an opening for a surprise counterattack. He strikes Beethoven with two tentacle punches and uses a dirty, animal-like Xingyi Boxing kick aimed at the back of Beethoven’s knee.
• Beethoven blocks the kick but takes the punches directly, forcing both fighters to acknowledge each other’s strength. The exchange ends the battle without a decisive victor.
• Beethoven invites Liu Zheng to Church Town for drinks and a meeting with Archbishop Amelia, guaranteeing Liu Zheng’s safety by his honor and family name. Liu Zheng accepts.
• Liu Zheng, Beethoven, and Xia Kai travel to Church Town. The Holy Sword hunters allow them entry after confirming that Archbishop Amelia has summoned Liu Zheng.
• At the cathedral, Beethoven comments that Xia Kai needs training. Liu Zheng jokingly suggests sending him to the Sewer, while Xia Kai eagerly accepts the possibility of training with the hunters.
• The chapter ends as Beethoven opens the cathedral doors and leads Liu Zheng and Xia Kai toward the Main Sacrificial Hall to meet Archbishop Amelia.

2. Character Developments

• Liu Zheng: Demonstrates that he is far more capable than his casual attitude suggests. Although inferior to Beethoven in weapon technique, he adapts creatively, uses unconventional attacks, and possesses immense endurance and regenerative ability. He also shows strategic flexibility by abandoning his original robbery plan in favor of negotiation.
• Beethoven: Reveals his true combat ability. His strength is not merely the result of superior equipment or divine weapons; his physical power, stamina, and swordsmanship are all exceptional. He develops genuine respect and amusement toward Liu Zheng after being surprised by his unconventional counterattack.
• Xia Kai: Continues to function as Liu Zheng’s subordinate and follower. He is intimidated but also excited by the possibility of training in Church Town, showing his willingness to endure hardship if it will make him stronger.
• Holy Sword hunters: Their view of Liu Zheng shifts from potential threat to someone worthy of Beethoven’s attention. They also gain a new appreciation for Beethoven after witnessing his full power.

3. Significant Themes

• Strength versus technique: Liu Zheng’s physical advantages and regeneration are challenged by Beethoven’s superior combat experience and swordsmanship.
• Adaptability and cunning: Liu Zheng cannot win through straightforward weapon combat, so he uses deception, unconventional martial arts, and tactical sacrifice to create an opening.
• Mutual respect through conflict: The fight serves as a form of communication. Both men gain a clearer understanding of the other’s abilities and end the encounter with respect rather than hostility.
• Negotiation over reckless force: Liu Zheng realizes that his assumptions about the dungeon’s high-level fighters were wrong. The chapter emphasizes the importance of revising plans when circumstances change.
• Power and social connections: Liu Zheng recognizes that influence, allies, and relationships can be as valuable as raw strength. His growing connection with Beethoven and possible cooperation with Church Town may provide new opportunities.
• Humor amid danger: Liu Zheng’s modern complaints, sarcasm, and jokes about Xia Kai’s training contrast with the grim religious setting and the seriousness of the battle.

4. Character Interactions

• Liu Zheng and Beethoven: Their duel moves from testing hostility to mutual admiration. Beethoven respects Liu Zheng’s resilience and unusual fighting style, while Liu Zheng recognizes Beethoven as one of the most formidable opponents he has faced.
• Liu Zheng and Xia Kai: Liu Zheng treats Xia Kai harshly but is quietly willing to help him advance. Xia Kai remains obedient and hopes to benefit from Liu Zheng’s connections.
• Beethoven and the Holy Sword hunters: The hunters obey Beethoven unquestioningly and revere him after witnessing his full strength. Beethoven, in turn, trusts them to continue their duties while he escorts Liu Zheng.
• Beethoven and Church Town’s patrol: Beethoven is treated with great respect, but Church security procedures remain strict even for people associated with him. This highlights both his authority and the tense circumstances within the Church.
• Liu Zheng and Church Town: Liu Zheng enters as a potentially dangerous outsider, but Beethoven’s endorsement and Archbishop Amelia’s invitation grant him conditional acceptance as he proceeds toward the cathedral.

Chapter Summary: “What Would the Price Be, Archbishop?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Beethoven brings Liu Zheng to the Bloodhealing Church’s Main Sacrificial Hall and introduces him to Amelia, the Archbishop.
• Amelia learns that Liu Zheng is a “deliveryman” from the Bloodstained Restaurant. His explanation of modern food delivery confuses her, highlighting the cultural gap between her era and his.
• Beethoven announces his intention to take Liu Zheng as his disciple, believing Liu Zheng is exceptionally talented and could eventually inherit his role as a protector of Yate and the Church.
• Amelia reveals her concern about finding a successor capable of inheriting the Archbishop’s religious responsibilities. Since the fall of Kalkaluns Academy, the Church has lost many talented believers, and internal divisions have weakened its legacy.
• Beethoven leaves to inspect the Research Hall’s defenses, allowing Amelia to speak with Liu Zheng privately. Liu Zheng notices that an unseen presence—apparently concealed behind a statue—is watching them.
• Liu Zheng presents the Church with his procurement lists. The lists contain rare and disturbing items, including Madman’s Eyeballs, Holy Grails, Blood Gems, and God’s Child’s Umbilical Cord.
• Amelia confirms that the Church can provide or offer leads for nearly all of these items. The Church possesses several Holy Grails, information about monster materials, Blood Gems, and one of the requested umbilical cords.
• Liu Zheng immediately recognizes that Amelia expects something in return and asks about the price of her assistance.
• Amelia finally asks whether Liu Zheng can defeat Beethoven, implying that her help is conditional on him opposing or overcoming the powerful master.

Character Developments

• Liu Zheng: Remains pragmatic, irreverent, and emotionally detached. He treats the dangerous procurement mission as a job and openly jokes about using explosives or destroying everything if necessary. His caution and willingness to negotiate show that he understands the Church’s offer is not charitable.
• Amelia: Appears gentle, curious, and self-aware, but also politically calculating. She is concerned about the Church’s future and clearly sees Liu Zheng as a potential solution to its succession problems. Her request regarding Beethoven reveals that she may be willing to manipulate Liu Zheng to advance her own plans.
• Beethoven: Becomes openly invested in Liu Zheng’s future, intending to make him his disciple and successor. His confidence in Liu Zheng’s talent creates a conflict with Amelia’s apparent desire to test or eliminate him.
• The Church: Is portrayed as weakened after the collapse of Kalkaluns Academy. Although it retains valuable resources and knowledge, it suffers from a shortage of capable spiritual successors and possible internal opposition.

Significant Themes

• The price of assistance: Amelia’s resources could solve many of Liu Zheng’s problems, but the chapter emphasizes that valuable help always demands an equivalent sacrifice.
• Succession and institutional decline: Both Beethoven and Amelia are concerned with passing on their respective legacies, while the Church struggles to preserve its traditions after losing talented followers.
• Pragmatism versus ideology: Liu Zheng views the Church’s sacred objects as items on a procurement list, while Amelia and Beethoven see them as parts of a religious and historical legacy.
• Hidden danger and political maneuvering: The unseen observer, Amelia’s secrecy, and her final question suggest that the Church contains internal factions and that Liu Zheng is being drawn into a larger power struggle.

Character Interactions

• Beethoven acts as Liu Zheng’s escort and potential mentor, openly praising his abilities.
• Amelia questions Liu Zheng about his origins and work, creating a lighthearted exchange over the unfamiliar concept of food delivery.
• Liu Zheng and Amelia negotiate indirectly: she offers access to Church resources, while he immediately asks what she expects in return.
• Amelia’s final question—whether Liu Zheng can defeat Beethoven—sets up a possible conflict between Liu Zheng’s prospective master and the Archbishop, while also raising doubts about Amelia’s true intentions.

Chapter Summary

• Liu Zheng’s strength and confidence: Amelia tests Liu Zheng by asking whether he could defeat Master Beethoven, the Church’s guardian. Liu admits he cannot defeat Beethoven outright but insists he could kill him, though he jokingly demands a higher payment if asked to do so. Amelia clarifies that she is only assessing his abilities and has no intention of ordering Beethoven’s assassination.
• The binding contract: Before revealing her real request, Amelia asks Liu Zheng to swear on a rare contract from the Tomel Ruins that he will not disclose their conversation. Liu insists that she make a reciprocal promise. He swears to keep her information secret, while Amelia promises to assist him with his procurement task if he completes the assignment. The magical contract activates with moonlight and pale flames before turning to ash, hinting at the mysterious and possibly dangerous power associated with the Blood Moon and the Tomel relics.
• The assassination assignment: Amelia asks Liu Zheng to assassinate a “beast” who was once a highly respected upper-ranking member of the Church. The man’s transformation is politically and emotionally sensitive: having Church hunters kill one of their former leaders could traumatize them and damage the Church’s reputation. Amelia therefore wants an outsider to carry out the act and “cleanse” the Church’s disgrace.
• Beastification and the Church: Amelia claims that the Church’s Blood Therapy has prevented Beastification among its leadership, and that this individual’s transformation resulted from an accident. Liu remains skeptical, privately recognizing the possible connection between Blood Therapy and Beastification Disease. He chooses not to expose the truth yet because Amelia’s deal may offer a peaceful way to pursue his own goals.
• Liu Zheng’s larger plans: Liu considers the possibility of eventually overthrowing the Bloodhealing Church and helping Yate’s residents, but decides to postpone that conflict until after completing his current objectives. He also thinks about manipulating the dungeon’s intended plot to gain more evaluation points, particularly in competition with Xia Kai. His resentment toward Xia Kai’s easier progress leads him to fantasize about punishing or humiliating him, causing Xia Kai—waiting outside—to suddenly feel uneasy.
• Concerns about betrayal: Liu openly points out that people hired to perform dirty work are often silenced afterward. Amelia assures him that she would not dare eliminate him because Beethoven has vouched for him, and because using the extremely valuable Tomel contract would be pointless if she intended to betray him. Liu accepts her reasoning.
• Amelia’s assessment of Liu: Amelia explains that she knows Liu will probably reject Beethoven’s offer to become his disciple. She recognizes that Liu is too unusual and capable to remain in a minor Church branch: either he is lying about his mysterious procurement source, or the Restaurant he serves is extraordinarily powerful. In either case, Yate cannot contain someone like him.
• Conclusion: Impressed by Amelia’s insight and interested in the promised assistance with procurement, Liu accepts the mission. The chapter ends with him asking where the transformed former Church member is located.

Character Developments

• Liu Zheng is shown as confident, calculating, irreverent, and highly pragmatic. He understands the risks of the mission but is willing to accept it for sufficient reward. He also continues balancing cooperation with the Church against his possible long-term plan to oppose it.
• Amelia proves politically intelligent, cautious, and manipulative but not needlessly treacherous. She understands Liu’s unusual nature and uses a mutual magical contract to secure his cooperation.
• Beethoven remains an influential and respected figure whose endorsement protects Liu from being eliminated.
• Xia Kai does not appear directly, but Liu’s jealousy and resentment toward his success provide comic tension and suggest ongoing rivalry.

Significant Themes

• Trust and betrayal: The contract and Liu’s suspicion of being silenced emphasize how dangerous political cooperation can be.
• Power and negotiation: Liu treats assassination as a paid transaction, while Amelia must offer protection and procurement assistance to secure his help.
• Institutional hypocrisy and disgrace: The Church publicly promotes Blood Therapy and denies Beastification among its leaders, yet secretly needs an outsider to erase one of its transformed members.
• Individual ambition versus larger justice: Liu may eventually challenge the Church and help Yate, but for now he prioritizes personal objectives and strategic advantage.
• Mystery and hidden powers: The Tomel contract, Blood Moon imagery, the Restaurant, and the unexplained Beastification all deepen the chapter’s supernatural and political mysteries.

Chapter Summary: “It Is Here”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Amelia reveals that the mysterious beast is present, but exists in another dimension—specifically, a dream world connected to their reality.
• To access it, she removes the skull from the Main Sacrificial Altar and explains that it serves as a link between Liu Zheng’s dream and the beast’s location.
• Liu Zheng is given a hexagonal iron cage to wear over his head. Amelia explains that it protects his mind from becoming lost in the dream world’s illusions.
• Amelia warns him that the dream world is extremely dangerous:
  • Killing the beast will automatically return him to reality.
  • If he fails to kill it, he may remain trapped in the dream forever.
  • Someone can wake him by striking the cage, but doing so could severely damage his mind or drive him insane.
• Accepting the risks because of the valuable rewards involved, Liu Zheng enters the dream world while holding the skull.
• He experiences a series of strange visions, including a blood moon, a glittering coast, an abandoned workshop, and towering castles. His system activates a “Sanity Decline Immunity,” protecting him from the visions’ psychological effects.
• Liu Zheng awakens inside the Main Sacrificial Hall. The guards, bronze doors, and original altar are gone, suggesting that the dream has recreated or distorted the location.
• He prepares all of his weapons and items, relieved that his system remains functional within the dream.
• Beneath the headless angel statue, he discovers a gigantic, corpse-like beast with branching antlers, long thornlike hair, and fire burning inside its body.
• After a sacred chorus echoes through the hall, the beast notices Liu Zheng, roars, and launches itself at him. The chapter ends as the battle begins.

Character Developments

• Liu Zheng demonstrates caution and practicality. He questions Amelia extensively about the dream world and the risks before agreeing to enter.
• Despite recognizing the danger, Liu Zheng accepts the mission because the promised rewards are extraordinarily valuable.
• His past experiences in the Metropolis have made him open to unbelievable phenomena, including dream dimensions.
• He relies heavily on his system and equipment, showing that much of his confidence comes from knowing his abilities and items remain accessible.
• Amelia reveals her scholarly background by referencing Kalkaluns Academy and Master Albert. She also displays a deep, personal connection to the skull, holding it with unusual tenderness.
• Her normally detached manner briefly gives way to weariness when she quotes the academy proverb about sacrifice preceding gain, hinting at her long history and emotional burden.

Significant Themes

• Knowledge and sacrifice: The mission requires Liu Zheng to risk his mind in exchange for priceless relics and rewards. Amelia’s proverb emphasizes that meaningful gains demand serious losses.
• Reality, dreams, and perception: The dream world is treated as a genuine place rather than a mere illusion, blurring the boundary between consciousness and physical reality.
• The danger of the mind: Physical strength and weapons may be insufficient when the true threat is losing one’s sanity or identity.
• Trust and uncertainty: Liu Zheng must rely on Amelia’s explanation despite not fully understanding the dream world or the skull’s function.
• Preparation versus the unknown: Liu Zheng carefully equips himself, but the strange environment and monstrous opponent demonstrate that preparation may not be enough.

Character Interactions

• Liu Zheng repeatedly questions Amelia about the beast, the skull, the iron cage, and the possible ways to escape the dream.
• Amelia answers honestly, neither minimizing the danger nor pressuring him, while reminding him that the mission’s risks match the value of the agreed payment.
• Their exchange shows a developing mutual respect: Liu Zheng appreciates Amelia’s straightforwardness, while Amelia recognizes that his unusual experiences make him unusually receptive to her explanation.
• Amelia’s affection for the skull contrasts with her clinical explanation of its purpose, suggesting that the object—and perhaps the beast itself—has deep personal significance for her.
• The chapter concludes with Liu Zheng confronting the beast alone, shifting the interaction from negotiation and explanation to imminent combat.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Zheng battles the Flame Beast inside the Main Sacrificial Hall. The creature possesses immense physical strength, high intelligence, and multiple abilities, including powerful claws, predictive attacks, and flame-propelled strikes.
• He repeatedly dodges its attacks but is eventually hit and thrown into a stone pillar, shattering his spine and severely damaging his internal organs.
• Liu Zheng survives because of his extraordinary regenerative ability. His burned flesh and internal injuries rapidly heal, revealing that he also possesses a supernatural power.
• The Flame Beast recognizes Liu Zheng’s blood as unusually potent and retreats rather than continuing the fight. It returns to its chair and begins questioning him.
• Liu Zheng explains that he entered the dream world at the request of Amelia, High Priestess of the Bloodhealing Church, to hunt and kill the Flame Beast.
• The beast reveals that it is Dickens, the Bloodhealing Church’s first High Priest and Amelia’s former mentor.
• Dickens confirms that Amelia was right to send someone to kill him, since his transformation into a beast could undermine the Church’s legitimacy and expose the failure of Blood Therapy.
• Dickens explains that he improved Blood Therapy rather than inventing it, and that the Tomel People originally developed it.
• The chapter ends with Dickens challenging Liu Zheng’s assumptions about Beastification Disease, declaring that it does not turn humans into beasts—rather, it restores humans to their natural beastly state.

Character Developments

• Liu Zheng: Demonstrates impressive agility, combat judgment, resilience, and regeneration. Though unable to match Dickens physically, he remains defiant and sarcastic under pressure. His encounter also shows that his blood and life force are unusually powerful.
• Dickens: Shifts from a terrifying, seemingly mindless monster to an intelligent, reflective, and articulate former religious leader. His concern for Amelia suggests lingering affection or loyalty despite understanding her decision to eliminate him.
• Amelia: Although absent, she is characterized as pragmatic and willing to sacrifice her former mentor to protect the Bloodhealing Church.
• The Bloodhealing Church: Its history and ideology are destabilized by the revelation that even its founder succumbed to Beastification.

Significant Themes

• Humanity and monstrosity: The chapter questions whether becoming a beast is truly a loss of humanity or a return to humanity’s original nature.
• The failure of institutions and beliefs: Dickens’s transformation threatens the Church’s claims and exposes possible flaws in Blood Therapy.
• Survival and adaptation: Liu Zheng survives through regeneration and tactical flexibility rather than superior strength.
• Moral ambiguity: Amelia’s attempt to silence Dickens is presented as both ruthless and understandable, while Dickens himself accepts her decision.
• Truth versus official doctrine: Dickens’s explanation suggests that the Church’s public understanding of Beastification Disease may be fundamentally false.

Character Interactions

• Liu Zheng and Dickens begin as enemies in a violent confrontation, but the battle changes when Dickens sees Liu Zheng’s blood and senses its extraordinary vitality.
• Their relationship shifts into a cautious conversation, with Liu Zheng asking direct questions and using humor to maintain control.
• Dickens speaks respectfully of Amelia, acknowledging both her survival and the correctness of her decision to send Liu Zheng after him.
• The interaction reveals a shared connection to the Bloodhealing Church and establishes Dickens as a crucial source of hidden historical and biological knowledge.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Zheng and Dickens discuss whether humanity’s origins as beasts make humans “lowly.” Liu Zheng argues that nobility comes from a person’s present actions and inner humanity, not their body or ancestry.
• Dickens reveals that he believes in souls and reveres his former teacher, Master Albert, despite having betrayed him and founding the Bloodhealing Church.
• The conversation turns to “Gospel” and Holy Blood. Dickens begins slipping into a trance, hearing conflicting voices calling for evolution, warning of Holy Blood’s descent, and urging Amelia to beware.
• Dickens transforms into a flaming, beastlike warrior and attacks Liu Zheng with immense speed and heat. Liu Zheng suffers severe brain trauma, loses or burns several tentacles, and is nearly overwhelmed.
• Liu Zheng uses the Internet Big-Tech Jargon Encyclopedia, inserting it into Dickens’s body to flood his mind with incomprehensible language. The mental confusion disrupts Dickens’s attacks and causes him to strike the hall instead of Liu Zheng.
• Taking advantage of the opening, Liu Zheng drives the Serrated Cleaver into Dickens’s chest, then attacks the wound on Dickens’s forehead with the Boning Knife.
• Dickens begins praying to the headless angel for the sacrament of Holy Blood. A blood-red moonbeam shines onto the angel, signaling the beginning of a new phase or ritual.
• Liu Zheng interrupts the ritual with a single-use Fake Walther PPK. Its guaranteed-hit effect allows the bullet to curve around Dickens’s defensive claw and enter his forehead.
• Because the bullet ricochets inside Dickens’s hardened skull, it destroys his brain. Dickens dies, his flames fading away.
• Although Liu Zheng believes the battle is over and expects to profit from Amelia’s promised rewards, the blood-red moonbeam remains and grows brighter, implying that the ritual or threat has not ended.

Character Developments

• Liu Zheng demonstrates philosophical maturity, rejecting the idea that physical origins determine moral worth. He values the “humanity” within individuals rather than humanity as a species.
• He also shows tactical creativity and composure under extreme injury. Rather than relying only on brute force, he combines psychological disruption, opportunistic strikes, and specialized items to defeat a much stronger opponent.
• Liu Zheng’s humor and sarcasm remain intact even while badly wounded, though he is frustrated by having to expend rare single-use items.
• Dickens is shown as intellectually conflicted and psychologically unstable. He reveres Master Albert despite betraying him, but his obsession with Holy Blood and Gospel repeatedly overwhelms his reason.
• Dickens’s body has become a monstrous fusion of beast and flame, contrasting with his continued attachment to religious language, prayer, and the ideal of spiritual nobility.
• His fear and revulsion toward blood suggest that the Gospel or Holy Blood has conditioned him to view certain forms of blood as “defiled,” further revealing the irrationality of his beliefs.

Significant Themes

• Inner humanity versus physical origin: Liu Zheng argues that being descended from beasts does not make humans inherently base; moral character is defined by present actions and inner qualities.
• Body versus soul: The chapter questions whether the soul or physical form determines a person’s worth. Dickens praises the soul of Master Albert despite Albert’s unimpressive appearance.
• Religious fanaticism and mental corruption: The Gospel and Holy Blood act as forces that fracture Dickens’s mind, turning religious devotion into compulsive, contradictory commands.
• Human ingenuity versus overwhelming power: Liu Zheng survives not by matching Dickens physically, but through planning, unconventional tools, timing, and exploitation of weaknesses.
• Ritual and escalation: Dickens’s death does not end the supernatural danger. The continuing moonbeam suggests that larger forces connected to the headless angel and Holy Blood are still active.

Character Interactions

• Liu Zheng challenges Dickens’s assumptions about humanity, nobility, and the superiority of human origins.
• Dickens unexpectedly respects Liu Zheng’s insight and compares him favorably to the kind of student Master Albert might have taught.
• Their discussion becomes a confrontation when the word “Gospel” triggers Dickens’s religious frenzy.
• During the battle, Liu Zheng mocks Dickens’s dramatic proclamations and uses his confusion against him, while Dickens attacks mechanically under the influence of the Gospel.
• Liu Zheng’s final attack interrupts Dickens’s prayer and kills him before the sacrament can apparently be completed, though the surviving moonbeam leaves the outcome uncertain.