Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• With the Withering Curse still counting down, Xia Lun decides he cannot afford to progress cautiously. He plans to strengthen his combat ability, pursue a cure, and eventually confront the Foresight Club.
• During five days of intensive memory-dream entries, he completes the fifteen entries needed for the Nonhuman Toughness perk. The dreams immerse him in the early life of pirate captain Geliide.
• Geliide’s misplaced trust in a Brigadier General draws her into a scheme to burn naval grain warehouses and frame her. Her father is executed as a result, and Geliide is arrested and subjected to years of brutal torture.
• Xia Lun endures the torture across repeated dream entries. His extraordinary composure eventually unnerves the executioners, and he earns the perk.
• Nonhuman Toughness greatly improves his ability to endure pain and injury, recover, and keep moving when gravely wounded. His Strength rises to 13 and Constitution to 11. He also discovers that attribute boosts of the same type do not stack; a stronger training increase replaces a weaker one.
• After eating, resting, and handling practical matters, Xia Lun enters the newly unlocked Courtly Tournament Special Memory. Its objective is to win at least one round of the Borland Kingdom’s tournament. He arrives in a vivid, realistic hall just as the competition is about to begin.

Character developments

• Xia Lun’s desperation to survive pushes him through extreme physical and psychological suffering rather than letting him withdraw.
• He shows unusual resilience—and even begins to take a strange pleasure in enduring torture—until the dream’s executioners become afraid of him.
• His increasing strength and toughness bring intense hunger and mental fatigue, reminding him that power has physical costs. Nevertheless, he continues to prioritize preparation before the next dungeon.

Significant themes

• Endurance and the price of strength: Xia Lun’s new power is won through relentless suffering, which leaves lingering phantom pain and exhaustion.
• Trust, guilt, and betrayal: Geliide’s trust in the Brigadier General leads to her father’s death and her own ruin.
• Urgency and survival: The curse’s countdown drives Xia Lun to take risks and use every available moment to improve.
• Rules and limits of power: The system’s distinction between overlapping training boosts and stackable increases shapes how Xia Lun understands his progress.

Character interactions

• Geliide trusts the Brigadier General’s proposal and advice, unaware that he is orchestrating the warehouse fire and framing her.
• Her father’s connection to her makes him a target; after his execution, Geliide recognizes her own role in the chain of events.
• Xia Lun’s defiance in the torture dreams changes his relationship with the executioners: they shift from tormentors who follow routine to men who fear and, in some cases, revere him.
• The chapter ends with an unidentified man telling Xia Lun not to disappoint him, setting up his participation in the tournament.

Chapter Summary: “Courtly Tournament (I)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xia Lun encounters a stern middle-aged man in a plain black coat and recognizes him as the Commodore, Geliide’s mortal enemy and the figure associated with his traumatic memories of acquiring Nonhuman Toughness.
• The Commodore warns Xia Lun to concentrate on the upcoming apprentice exhibition match and not to fail against “one of Bird’s people.” He also cautions Xia Lun that the referee may favor Bird to advance his own position.
• From the Commodore’s remarks, Xia Lun identifies several important figures on the viewing platform:
  • A wealthy, bald nobleman who strongly resembles Chairman Bird from reality.
  • A young red-haired woman who looks exactly like a younger version of Geliide, including the same features but without her later facial scar.
• The Commodore confirms that the girl is Geliide, Bird’s only daughter. Xia Lun is deeply shaken by the realization that people from the game’s script appear identical to people he knows in reality.
• Xia Lun concludes that reality may be “bleeding into” the game, undermining the boundary he believed separated the two worlds.
• The tournament referee gives a lengthy, flattering opening speech praising the king, council, nobles, and spectators before explaining the rules:
  • The apprentice exhibition match precedes the official tournament.
  • The first fighter to score eight points wins.
  • Vital strikes are worth three points, non-vital strikes one point.
  • Afterblows—counterattacks delivered shortly after being struck—are allowed.
• The first contestant is introduced as an eighteen-year-old nobleman with battlefield experience. He enters wearing a black, star-patterned cloak, takes a shortsword, and provocatively challenges Xia Lun.
• Xia Lun is introduced as the second contestant, but the referee calls him by his real name rather than presenting him as the “black first mate” role he expected. This discrepancy immediately makes him suspicious.

Character Developments

• Xia Lun: His initial murderous reaction toward the Commodore is restrained, demonstrating his mental discipline. However, recognizing Geliide and Bird causes severe psychological shock and increases his uncertainty about the nature of the game. He becomes more alert to inconsistencies in the script and the possibility that the game is connected directly to reality.
• The Commodore: He remains cold, intimidating, and pragmatic. Although hostile toward Xia Lun, he acts as a stern mentor by warning him about both the match and the potentially biased referee.
• Geliide: Her younger appearance reveals a connection between the game’s characters and their real-world counterparts. Her presence becomes a major source of mystery and unease for Xia Lun.
• Bird: Though he does not speak, his apparent presence as a nobleman resembling Chairman Bird suggests that the real-world organization or individuals associated with Bird may have counterparts within the script.
• The Referee: He is established as potentially corrupt or politically motivated. His exaggerated praise and apparent willingness to favor Bird make him a possible antagonist during the match.
• The First Opponent: He is presented as a celebrated young nobleman and veteran fighter, confident enough to provoke Xia Lun before the duel begins.

Significant Themes

• The collapse of boundaries between reality and fiction: The identical appearances of Geliide and Bird’s counterparts suggest that the game may reproduce or reflect real people rather than merely inventing characters.
• Hidden connections and identity: Xia Lun questions whether the people in the game are coincidental counterparts, scripted versions of real individuals, or evidence of a deeper connection between worlds.
• Power and political influence: The tournament is framed as a public spectacle shaped by nobles, royal authority, reputation, and personal alliances. The referee’s possible bias highlights how powerful patrons can influence supposedly fair contests.
• Trauma and self-control: Xia Lun’s encounter with the Commodore revives memories of torture, but he suppresses his killing intent and focuses on surviving the present situation.
• Performance versus reality: The grand speeches, ceremonial praise, costumes, and staged tournament atmosphere contrast with the possibility that real danger and hidden agendas lie beneath the spectacle.

Character Interactions

• The Commodore confronts Xia Lun and reminds him that he is expected to defeat Bird’s apprentice.
• He warns Xia Lun not to stare at Geliide, emphasizing the social gulf between them and reinforcing her elevated status.
• Xia Lun questions the Commodore about Geliide’s identity, prompting confirmation that she is Bird’s daughter.
• The Commodore gives Xia Lun tactical advice about the referee’s political loyalties before leaving him to compete.
• The referee publicly introduces the two contestants, while Xia Lun notices that his introduction does not match the role he believed he was playing.
• The first contestant greets the crowd theatrically and gives Xia Lun a provocative look, establishing immediate rivalry before the fight begins.

Chapter Summary: Enhancement: Courtly Tournament (II)

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xia Lun is unexpectedly called to compete in the tournament, despite believing he should be playing the Black first mate in the ongoing scenario.
• He confirms that he is in his own body and accepts a short sword before entering the field.
• His opponent, the large and arrogant Horn, taunts him and assumes a defensive longpoint stance. The spectators mock Xia Lun and heavily favor Horn, with betting odds of five to one against him.
• Xia Lun remains silent and composed, though his recent experiences of torture in dreams have filled him with suppressed anger and a desire for violent release.
• When the match begins, Horn cautiously attempts to gain an advantageous angle rather than attacking recklessly.
• Xia Lun suddenly launches an aggressive thrust toward Horn’s eye, forcing him backward. He follows with rapid slashes and close-range blade work.
• By sensing and manipulating the force transmitted through their crossed blades, Xia Lun disrupts Horn’s balance, breaks his centerline, locks his sword, and defeats him almost instantly.
• Xia Lun finishes by striking Horn across the face, breaking his nose and earning three points. The audience laughs and cheers at Horn’s humiliation.
• On the viewing platform, Bird explains Xia Lun’s technique as “Listening Force,” a fencing method involving the perception of an opponent’s movements through contact between the blades. The commodore confirms that it is a practical technique from foreign fencing schools.
• Geliide questions why Horn could not use the same method. Bird explains that Horn had already lost the initiative, making his defeat inevitable.

Character Developments

• Xia Lun: Demonstrates exceptional fencing ability, tactical awareness, and psychological composure. Although internally consumed by accumulated rage, he channels it into a decisive and controlled attack rather than reacting to his opponent’s insults.
• Horn: Begins arrogantly and appears confident due to his size and the crowd’s support, but his caution cannot compensate for Xia Lun’s superior initiative and technical skill. His defeat leaves him physically injured and publicly humiliated.
• Bird: Initially dismisses Xia Lun, but his attitude changes once he recognizes Xia Lun’s sophisticated swordsmanship. He provides the clearest analysis of the technique.
• The commodore: Remains calm and confident in Xia Lun, subtly contradicting Bird’s early judgment. His later approval suggests he already understood Xia Lun’s hidden capabilities.
• Geliide: Watches with curiosity and asks practical questions, helping clarify how Xia Lun’s technique works.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength versus outward appearance: Xia Lun is dismissed because of his reputation and unassuming demeanor, but his actual combat ability quickly overturns the audience’s expectations.
• Initiative and control: The match emphasizes that victory depends not merely on strength or defense, but on controlling the opponent’s movements and maintaining the initiative.
• Anger transformed into skill: Xia Lun’s accumulated resentment fuels his desire to fight, yet his victory comes through precision, discipline, and technical mastery.
• Perception and bodily connection: “Listening Force” reflects the idea that a weapon becomes an extension of the body and that skilled fighters can perceive an opponent’s intentions through physical contact.
• Public judgment and humiliation: The crowd rapidly shifts from mocking Xia Lun to enjoying Horn’s defeat, showing how spectators value spectacle over fairness or accurate assessment.

Character Interactions

• Xia Lun ignores Horn’s insults, answering his provocation only through a formal sword salute and his actions in combat.
• Bird and the commodore debate Xia Lun’s chances, with Bird relying on outward appearances and the commodore expressing confidence in his apprentice.
• Geliide seeks an explanation for Xia Lun’s sudden victory, prompting Bird to describe the mechanics of Listening Force.
• Bird’s explanation establishes that Horn was defeated because he surrendered control of the exchange from the moment Xia Lun seized the initiative.

Chapter Summary: Courtly Tournament (3)

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xia Lun dominates the second round against the giant warrior, Horn, after easily reading his ordinary swordsmanship.
• Horn tries to justify his earlier defeat by claiming Xia Lun’s aggressive style would fail on a real battlefield, but the crowd mocks him.
• During the second round, Horn imitates Xia Lun’s stabbing attack and follows it with a powerful overhead strike. Xia Lun counters with Glancing Strike, sidestepping the attack and striking Horn in the jaw while avoiding serious injury.
• Before the referee can announce the result, Horn attempts a dishonorable sneak attack by charging Xia Lun. Xia Lun evades, causing Horn to crash to the ground. The crowd and nobles ridicule him.
• The referee awards Xia Lun three points, bringing the score to six to zero, and warns the fighters to follow the rules.
• In the third round, Horn charges wildly. Xia Lun initially believes the giant may be attempting a desperate double takedown, but discovers that Horn has secretly removed the safety cap from his sword.
• Horn intends to trap Xia Lun’s blade and kill him rather than win legitimately. Xia Lun grabs the exposed blade with his left hand, but Horn violently pulls it free, severely slicing and mangling Xia Lun’s palm.
• Xia Lun considers killing Horn outright, since doing so would still fulfill the dream’s requirement of winning a tournament.
• His abnormal regenerative ability begins repairing his shattered hand. Xia Lun then removes the safety cap from his own sword, preparing to answer Horn’s attempted murder with lethal force.
• The chapter ends as Xia Lun launches a cold, decisive sword strike at Horn.

Character Developments

• Xia Lun displays overwhelming technical superiority, calmly analyzing Horn’s weaknesses and defeating him with precision rather than brute strength.
• His use of Glancing Strike demonstrates both advanced swordsmanship and his ability to adapt instantly under pressure.
• Xia Lun’s restraint begins to disappear after Horn cheats and seriously injures him. His thoughts shift from simply winning to potentially killing his opponent.
• His regenerative power is revealed more clearly, showing that severe physical injuries do not permanently incapacitate him.
• Horn develops from an arrogant, boastful loser into a humiliated and vengeful opponent. Unable to defeat Xia Lun honorably, he resorts to a concealed lethal blade and deliberately attempts murder.
• The referee appears reluctant and possibly biased, delaying the score announcement and failing to prevent Horn’s illegal actions.
• The nobles and spectators largely turn against Horn, while Bird openly condemns him. The brigadier general remains stern and insists on respecting warriors, even as others mock Horn.

Significant Themes

• Honor versus dishonor: Horn’s excuses and illegal attacks contrast sharply with the ideals of fair combat and warrior conduct.
• Skill versus brute force: Xia Lun’s refined technique repeatedly defeats Horn’s strength and size.
• Humiliation and revenge: Horn’s wounded pride drives him to abandon the tournament’s rules and seek personal revenge.
• Violence beneath spectacle: The tournament begins as entertainment for the crowd but suddenly becomes a genuine life-and-death confrontation.
• Restraint and retaliation: Xia Lun initially avoids escalating the fight, but Horn’s betrayal pushes him toward lethal retribution.
• The divide between appearance and reality: Horn looks like an intimidating giant, yet his clumsy fighting and emotional instability make him vulnerable; Xia Lun’s calm exterior conceals deadly capabilities.

Character Interactions

• Xia Lun and Horn clash verbally when Horn attempts to rationalize his defeat, but Xia Lun refuses to engage in a prolonged argument.
• The crowd humiliates Horn with laughter and insults, intensifying his anger and shame.
• Geliide mocks Horn’s failed sneak attack, while the brigadier general rebukes her for disrespecting a warrior.
• Bird, Horn’s relative, openly labels him a dishonorable attacker rather than defending him.
• The referee struggles to control the match and reluctantly awards Xia Lun points, while Horn’s illegal actions turn the spectators and nobles further against him.
• The chapter concludes with Xia Lun and Horn abandoning the pretense of a safe tournament bout and moving toward a potentially fatal confrontation.

Chapter Summary: Improvement: Courtly Tournament (End)

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xia Lun’s duel with the giant man reaches its climax when the opponent tries to defend himself with his cloak. Xia Lun destroys the cloak, severs the man’s left hand, and launches a lethal attack toward his neck.
• The referee intervenes, grabbing Xia Lun and attempting to stop the fight. His intervention allows the giant man to counterattack, revealing that the referee is favoring Xia Lun’s opponent.
• Xia Lun breaks free, but the giant man nearly kills him. A spectator’s thrown green apple strikes the giant man’s face, briefly stunning him and giving Xia Lun the opening he needs.
• Xia Lun fatally stabs the giant man in the neck and beheads him. The tournament system declares Xia Lun the winner of the round, but he realizes that one victory is insufficient for his larger objective.
• Rather than allowing the referee to accuse him first, Xia Lun seizes control of the situation. He smashes the giant man’s severed head into the referee’s face, takes the referee’s loudspeaker, and publicly brands him a traitor for favoring a murderer.
• Xia Lun formally challenges the referee to a death match in the name of the King and the tournament’s honor. The crowd enthusiastically supports the challenge, chanting for a death match and overwhelming the guards’ ability to restore order.
• On the viewing platform, Bird and the brigadier general decide that allowing the challenge is safer than suppressing the crowd and risking a riot. Bird, acting with the authority of the King’s Hand, officially grants Xia Lun’s request.
• The referee, revealed to be the previous tournament champion, panics and refuses to fight, surrendering instead. Despite this, Xia Lun executes him by cutting his throat.
• The tournament ends, and Xia Lun receives a second victory. The system reveals that he defeated the hidden swordsmanship champion “Herman the Ruthless,” completed the special memory objective, and obtained the skill “Swordsmanship Focus.”

Character Developments

• Xia Lun: Becomes increasingly ruthless, decisive, and politically savvy. He combines swordsmanship with psychological manipulation, understanding that controlling the narrative is as important as winning the fight. His willingness to kill both the giant man and the surrendered referee shows his transformation into a cold and pragmatic combatant.
• The giant man: Shifts from an aggressive executioner to a desperate survivor, but his attempt to counterattack fails after he is distracted by the apple and killed by Xia Lun.
• The referee: Is exposed as corrupt and biased. Despite being a former champion, he collapses psychologically once publicly challenged, choosing surrender over combat and ultimately losing his life.
• Bird: Demonstrates political authority and strategic judgment. He recognizes that granting the death match is the best way to contain the crowd’s anger and prevent a broader riot.
• The brigadier general: Acts pragmatically, preparing to contain any unrest while accepting Bird’s decision.
• The crowd: Changes from passive spectators into an active political force, demanding the death match and effectively pressuring the authorities to approve it.

Significant Themes

• Control of perception and narrative: Xia Lun emphasizes that whoever speaks first can define the conflict. He turns himself from an apparent offender into a defender of the King’s honor by accusing the referee publicly.
• Justice versus institutional corruption: The referee’s interference reveals that the tournament’s official structures are compromised, while Xia Lun uses the language of tradition and royal authority to challenge them.
• Violence as spectacle: The crowd quickly forgets the giant man’s corpse and eagerly demands another death match, highlighting the public’s fascination with bloodshed.
• Power and legitimacy: Bird’s declaration shows that authority depends not only on formal rules but also on managing public emotion and political consequences.
• Pragmatism and ruthlessness: Xia Lun prioritizes victory and momentum over mercy, killing even after the referee surrenders.
• Transformation through combat: The tournament serves as a test that strengthens Xia Lun’s combat ability and grants him the new skill “Swordsmanship Focus.”

Character Interactions

• Xia Lun and the giant man engage in a brutal final exchange, interrupted by the referee and briefly influenced by a spectator’s apple.
• Xia Lun confronts the referee verbally and physically, accusing him before he can make his own case.
• The crowd backs Xia Lun’s challenge, turning the confrontation into a public demand for justice and entertainment.
• Bird and the brigadier general discuss how to prevent the tournament dispute from becoming a riot, ultimately legitimizing Xia Lun’s challenge.
• Xia Lun and the referee face one another in the sanctioned death match, but the referee surrenders rather than fight and is executed anyway.

Chapter Summary: “Skill Merge”

• Aftermath of the Courtly Tournament: Xia Lun regains his senses after the Special Memory ends and speculates that the tournament’s referee was a hidden champion. The referee likely surrendered after Bird exposed his hopeless situation, allowing Xia Lun to defeat him and complete the objective.
• Skill reward and merge: The Information Panel confirms that Xia Lun perfectly completed the Special Memory and obtained Swordsmanship Focus. However, because its effects overlapped with Heightened Focus, the two skills merged. Although this initially alarms Xia Lun, the upgraded Heightened Focus proves significantly stronger:
  • It improves perception and thought speed.
  • It can potentially reveal an enemy’s weaknesses.
  • Its safe-use limit increases to four times per day.
  • While wielding a sword, Xia Lun can enter a weaker version through brief meditation without a usage limit.
  • The cost is severe, permanent mental-health damage, but Xia Lun’s mental state is already critically damaged, making the drawback less concerning to him.
• Testing the enhanced ability: Xia Lun summons his sword, Night Plume, and activates Heightened Focus on a solid-wood striking post. At first, nothing seems to happen, but after several seconds the post transforms in his perception into an abstract structure of points and lines. Xia Lun identifies and cuts its central “weakness,” causing the entire post to disintegrate instantly.
• Xia Lun’s analysis: The Information Panel confirms that he successfully discerned the post’s weakness and consumed one safe use, leaving him with three. He concludes that the ability could greatly improve his chances against powerful enemies, such as the Mentor, by allowing him to target their weaknesses directly. However, he recognizes its limitations: stronger enemies will likely take longer to analyze, and he may not find a fatal weakness before the focus state ends.
• Time and next objective: Xia Lun checks his survival countdown and discovers that entering the Special Memory consumed seven hours, just like other high-level Dream Dives. He then leaves the basement and heads to the study to gather new information.

Character Development and Interactions

• Xia Lun remains witty and uses humor to calm himself after the intense battle.
• He becomes more confident in his combat potential after witnessing the upgraded skill’s power, but he also maintains a practical awareness of its limits.
• His interaction with the Information Panel drives the chapter’s major development, while his brief encounter with the striking post serves as the practical test of his new ability.
• The referee’s surrender and Bird’s influence clarify the political manipulation behind the tournament’s final events.

Significant Themes

• Power gained through risk: Xia Lun’s enhanced ability comes with dangerous mental-health costs, highlighting the tradeoff between survival and self-destruction.
• Skill adaptation and progression: The merger transforms two overlapping abilities into a more versatile and powerful combat skill.
• Tactical understanding over brute force: The weakness-discernment ability emphasizes precision and analysis rather than simply overpowering enemies.
• Uncertainty and preparation: Xia Lun recognizes that new power does not guarantee victory, motivating him to gather more information before confronting future threats.

Chapter Summary: “Final Preparations”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xia Lun records his recent discoveries in the Black Notebook under “The Game and the Real World.”
• He identifies a troubling correspondence between Scenario characters and real people, particularly Geliide:
  • Both versions share the same name and appearance.
  • Both are connected to fathers named Bird, who have suffered misfortune.
  • Xia Lun met the real Geliide immediately after encountering her in the first Scenario.
• He theorizes that the Snail Statue’s power of Attraction may link events in the Scenario and reality, possibly causing people or opportunities to be drawn together.
• He connects these phenomena to the Foresight Club’s ability to “call individuals from the Other Dimension to occupy vessels,” suspecting that both involve the same underlying principle.
• Xia Lun also reflects on Special Memories, concluding that their absurd events and unnatural inhabitants may result from their dreamlike nature.
• After resting, he spends nearly eighteen hours preparing for the second Scenario.
• In the basement, he gathers survival supplies, including:
  • Underwater Breathing Potions
  • Nutrient Paste
  • Plastic film, rope, lighting equipment, and flashlights
  • Bullets and ammunition
  • Mining explosives, detonators, and an initiation device
• Because plastic explosives are unavailable following a politically significant bombing, he substitutes more dangerous mining explosives, which he knows how to handle.
• He stores the supplies and sixty spare bullets in the Voidwood Box, leaving the explosives ready in the basement.
• Xia Lun burns four Snail Statues and makes a wish for an opportunity that will either extend his healthy lifespan or cure his curse completely.
• After repeating the wish three times, he enters the Game Pod as the second Scenario begins.

Character Development

• Xia Lun becomes increasingly analytical and methodical, documenting evidence instead of relying only on intuition.
• He recognizes that the relationship between the game and reality may be causal rather than coincidental, showing growing awareness of the larger forces influencing him.
• His preparations reveal caution, adaptability, and practical expertise, especially in handling dangerous explosives.
• His wish demonstrates that his curse and limited lifespan remain central concerns, motivating both his strategic planning and his use of supernatural resources.
• He is willing to entertain seemingly irrational explanations, such as Attraction, while still acknowledging their lack of scientific credibility.

Significant Themes

• Connection between fiction and reality: The parallels between Scenario figures and real people suggest that the game may directly influence the real world.
• Attraction and causality: The chapter explores whether supernatural “Attraction” can create relationships, coincidences, or predetermined encounters.
• Knowledge as survival: Xia Lun’s careful note-taking and preparation show that understanding hidden rules is essential to resisting powerful organizations and surviving future Scenarios.
• Science versus the supernatural: He struggles to reconcile rational thinking with forces that operate beyond ordinary logic.
• Preparation and uncertainty: Despite extensive planning, Xia Lun can only prepare for the unknown, emphasizing the danger of the next Scenario.
• Mortality and the curse: His desire to prolong his life or remove his curse underscores the personal stakes behind his actions.

Character Interactions

• Xia Lun’s most significant interaction is indirect: his encounter with Scenario-Geliide appears connected to his later meeting with the real Geliide.
• He considers the possible relationship between Geliide, her father Bird, and the corresponding figures in both worlds.
• His suspected connection to the Foresight Club grows stronger as he links their “vessel” experiments to the cross-dimensional correspondences.
• No direct interpersonal conversations occur in the chapter; the focus is on Xia Lun’s deductions, preparation, and interaction with supernatural objects such as the Snail Statues and Game Pod.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xia Lun enters a new Investigator scenario after burning four Snail Statues, which significantly increases its difficulty.
• He receives temporary language comprehension after hearing a cryptic Taoist/Buddhist-like chant about listening with the heart and qi.
• The scenario introduces Sorrow Hill City, where Xia Lun has come as a terminally ill “Pill Seeker” searching for the Yin Longevity Pill, a medicine supposedly capable of curing his illness.
• He is told that trouble in the city will be resolved before dawn and that he must either escape the city or survive until the next morning.
• Xia Lun arrives at a ruined Taoist temple on a mountain, surrounded by red mycelium, bloody evidence, and an ominous atmosphere.
• The route behind him disappears, replaced by the Yin Bo Wall, a deadly fog that permanently shortens lifespan upon contact unless one has learned the Astral Ritual.
• Xia Lun deduces that learning the Astral Ritual may be the key to escaping the city.
• Though the setting resembles an ancient Taoist horror scene, Xia Lun discovers that he is dressed in a modern, armored coat and carries extra ammunition, suggesting the scenario has altered or concealed aspects of his identity.
• He finds a bloodstained invitation that functions as his permit to enter Sorrow Hill City.
• Xia Lun decides to investigate the temple and search for the Yin Longevity Pill, but before he can begin, the door of the bloodstained leftmost side room creaks open.

Character Development

• Xia Lun remains cautious and analytical, choosing not to immediately summon his revolver and sword so he can appear harmless and gain a tactical advantage.
• He reflects on his previous tendency toward excessive violence and resolves to attempt negotiation before attacking.
• His primary motivation remains finding a cure or extending his lifespan, as his curse gives him less than five months of expected survival.
• He demonstrates strong deductive ability by identifying the likely connection between the Astral Ritual, the fog barrier, and the scenario’s escape condition.
• Despite the frightening surroundings, Xia Lun uses dark humor to manage his fear and maintains a calm, investigative mindset.

Significant Themes

• Mortality and desperation: Xia Lun’s terminal illness drives his search for the Yin Longevity Pill and makes the lifespan-draining fog especially threatening.
• Knowledge as power: Understanding the Astral Ritual may allow Xia Lun to overcome a seemingly impassable supernatural barrier.
• Reality and identity: The scenario blurs the line between dream and reality, leaving Xia Lun uncertain about his role, clothing, equipment, and true identity within the city.
• Investigation versus violence: Xia Lun attempts to rely on observation, deduction, and negotiation rather than immediately resorting to force.
• Traditional mysticism and cosmic horror: Taoist imagery, forbidden stars, ritual knowledge, and supernatural decay combine with grotesque horror elements such as bloody handprints, mushrooms, and death fog.

Character Interactions

• Xia Lun has no direct interaction with another person in this chapter.
• His main “interaction” is with the game system, which provides his scenario objective, abilities, personal statistics, and warnings about the Yin Bo Wall.
• The mysterious chant and the unseen forces governing Sorrow Hill City establish an indirect relationship between Xia Lun and the supernatural powers controlling the scenario.
• The chapter ends on a suspenseful implied encounter as the door to the bloodstained side room opens, suggesting Xia Lun is about to meet the first hostile or supernatural presence.

Plot points

• Xia Lun encounters a horrifying, skinless Walking Corpse in the moonlit streets of Sorrow Hill City. He prepares to fight but avoids firing his Revolver, fearing the noise could attract more undead.
• His Stealth fails when the corpse detects him. Before they clash, a red-lantern-bearing man in a Nuo Mask orders the creature to stop.
• Xia Lun chooses to approach peacefully, hoping to gather information and cooperate rather than repeat the aggressive approach he took in a previous Scenario.
• The masked man demands to know where Xuan Yan is. Another masked figure and several more Walking Corpses arrive, but Xia Lun judges the group small enough to handle if necessary.
• Asked about the Yin Longevity Pill, Xia Lun says he has just arrived in the city. The man rejects this, explaining that everyone in Sorrow Hill City seeks the pill and threatening to turn Xia Lun into “Human Material.”
• Xia Lun improvises by using obscure philosophical language to imply that he is a fellow seeker of the Way. The masked man asks whether he belongs to the Mind Fasting Sect and is there to ambush Xuan Yan.
• Xia Lun denies those affiliations and claims to follow the “Way of Sitting and Forgetting,” leaving the man uncertain.

Character developments

• Xia Lun is experienced and composed around the undead, but still feels an intense thrill at the prospect of combat.
• He deliberately tries to be more diplomatic than in his last Scenario, prioritizing information and cooperation. When threatened, he adapts quickly, using social intuition and knowledge of classical texts to bluff.
• The masked cultist is hostile and suspicious, but his questions reveal that Xia Lun’s improvised talk has unsettled him.

Character interactions

• The Skinned Corpse initially stalks Xia Lun but becomes submissive when the red-masked man commands it.
• The masked man confronts Xia Lun, demands information about Xuan Yan, and questions his identity and beliefs.
• Xia Lun responds first with honesty, then shifts to philosophical deception to avoid a fight and probe the group’s motives.

Significant themes

• Adaptation and restraint: Xia Lun tries to replace violence with observation, negotiation, and resourcefulness.
• Deception and interpretation: Shared-sounding beliefs and obscure language become tools for survival.
• A hostile, unsettling world: The city’s inhabitants pursue the Yin Longevity Pill, while threats such as the Walking Corpses and the prospect of becoming “Human Material” suggest a disturbing order beneath the horror.
• Uncertainty: Xia Lun does not yet understand the Scenario, its factions, or who Xuan Yan is.

Plot points and events

• Xia Lun is confronted by two Cultists in Nuo masks and four Skinned Corpses. He claims to have come through the Death Fog and offers to lead them out.
• To make the claim convincing, he manifests the Voidwood Box with a display of silver light, then sends it into the fog and retrieves it. The Cultists mistake his unusual ability for a Secret Art and believe he may be able to cross the fog safely.
• Xia Lun invents an elaborate explanation involving the “Yin Bo Wall,” astrology, and the Way of Sitting and Forgetting, framing his deception as a methodical plan to navigate the fog.
• The Cultists’ desire to escape overcomes their suspicion. Xia Lun earns their trust, gives them the nicknames “Big Red” and “Little Green,” and asks about the city’s history.
• Little Green begins explaining that Sorrow Hill City was once Seven Hills City, a prosperous center known for Master Fleshbound’s life-extending Yin Longevity Pills. His account is interrupted at the start of the events that changed the city a year earlier.

Character developments and interactions

• Xia Lun shows quick thinking and skill at persuasion. He reads the Cultists’ desperation, uses a real display of his abilities to support a false story, and adopts the persona of “Master Danyang.”
• The red-masked Cultist (Big Red) remains wary longer than his companion and tries to contact Snake Face for help. But Xia Lun’s demonstration eventually shakes his certainty. He also asserts authority over Little Green, then becomes deferential to Xia Lun.
• The green-masked Cultist (Little Green) is eager to believe Xia Lun can save them. He approaches, bows, and readily provides information.
• Xia Lun’s casual nicknames establish an imagined hierarchy between him and the Cultists; neither recognizes that he is testing and manipulating them.

Significant themes

• Deception and perception: Xia Lun succeeds not by making every detail airtight, but by exploiting what the Cultists fear and hope for.
• Desperation and belief: The Cultists’ wish to escape makes them receptive to an extraordinary explanation.
• Power and authority: A convincing display of ability quickly reshapes the Cultists’ assumptions about Xia Lun’s status and expertise.

• Plague and city lockdown: Little Green explains that Sorrow Hill City was devastated by a plague that slowly strips away its victims’ skin; seven days after death, they rise as mindless Skinned Corpses. The plague’s transmission was initially mysterious. Ten months earlier, during the Yuanwater Festival, a dense fog engulfed the city, while a deadly Death Fog sealed its outskirts. Anyone who touched it disappeared and returned seven days later as a Skinned Corpse.
• Eternal Night and survival: The sun has not risen for eleven months. Despite the darkness and the city’s isolation, supplies—including food, water, fuel, and clothing—reappear in their original places about every twelve hours. Xia Lun realizes this rules out simply waiting for dawn to complete the Scenario, though it gives him time to investigate.
• The pills and the Cultists: Little Green says Master Man in the Flesh of the Mind Fasting Sect saved the city, identified the plague’s spread, and found a way to keep Skinned Corpses from attacking. Everyone has inhaled traces of Death Fog and may transform; Yin Longevity Pills are said to prevent this. A hand sign and the word “Edict” can ward off Skinned Corpses, but using the chant consumes lifespan. The pills restore lifespan and have become the city’s currency.
• Xia Lun’s suspicions and next move: The accounts of Man in the Flesh conflict with what Xia Lun has learned from his Information Panel. He suspects she may be connected to the plague, fog, or pills—and that the pills might even cause transformation. Still, he decides to seek her out, both to learn the truth and to find a way to extend his lifespan. He tells the two Cultists, Little Green and Big Red, to lead him to her.
• Character interactions and cliffhanger: Little Green provides most of the detailed explanation, while impatient Big Red repeatedly interrupts with blunt summaries. Xia Lun listens closely, tests their knowledge, and hides his skepticism behind a calm smile. Before they can leave, an angry Snake-Shaped Freak wearing a Blush Mask approaches and demands to know who Xia Lun is talking to. The Cultists freeze, and the chapter ends with Xia Lun facing the newcomer.
• Key themes: The chapter emphasizes unreliable information and hidden motives, survival under supernatural rules, and the tension between apparent salvation and possible exploitation. Xia Lun’s investigation shows his strategic, skeptical approach to navigating the Scenario.

Key plot points and events

• Xia Lun’s attempted bluff is interrupted when Big Red tells the Snake-Shaped Freak that Xia Lun can cross the Death Fog. The freak rejects the claim and kills Big Red with a single sword strike.
• Xia Lun briefly tries to talk, then shoots the freak at close range and kills four attacking Skinned Corpses. The battle ends within seconds.
• Little Green escapes. Xia Lun lets him go rather than fire while caught up in the rush of violence.
• Xia Lun searches the freak’s body and finds 36 Yin Longevity Pills. Their description suggests they extend life slightly but carry unknown risks, so he keeps them without taking one. He also makes six convincing fakes.
• Xia Lun recovers Big Red’s Nuo mask, closes the boy’s eyes, and leaves his body as whole as he can. With his information leads lost, he heads into the Side-Room Complex to investigate. A strange sound and blood-scented gust suddenly come from behind him.

Character developments

• Xia Lun shifts from deception to lethal force after Big Red’s murder. Combat exhilarates him and sharpens his focus, but he retains some restraint: he spares Little Green and treats Big Red’s body with care. His opportunism also shows in his pill-faking scheme.
• Big Red is revealed to be a young boy, barely sixteen. His death is swift and brutal, underscoring the danger of the situation.
• Little Green survives the massacre by fleeing.
• The Snake-Shaped Freak is exposed as violent and distrustful; he kills Big Red rather than consider Xia Lun’s claim.

Significant themes

• Deception and mistrust: Xia Lun’s bluff briefly gains traction, but suspicion turns fatal.
• Violence and its exhilaration: Xia Lun discovers how thrilling combat feels, raising questions about how bloodshed may affect him.
• Survival and moral limits: He kills to protect himself but does not shoot the fleeing Little Green, and he shows respect for Big Red after his death.
• Life at a cost: The Yin Longevity Pills promise extended life while hinting that survival in Sorrow Hill City comes with unknown consequences.

Character interactions

• Big Red tries to defend Xia Lun and persuade the freak that he can cross the Death Fog, but his intervention gets him killed.
• The freak challenges Xia Lun’s identity and claims, then attacks; Xia Lun answers with deadly force.
• Xia Lun chooses not to pursue Little Green, who flees the scene.
• Xia Lun’s final gesture toward Big Red—recovering his mask, closing his eyes, and trying to restore his body—contrasts with the brutality of the encounter.

Key plot points and events

• Xia Lun kills the snake-bodied cultist leader again, then realizes it can revive.
• To prevent another return, he throws the corpse into the Death Fog. The fog consumes it, and a system message confirms that he has stopped its revival.
• He considers the danger posed by other powerful Mind Fasting Sect members, especially the cult leader, the Man in the Flesh, whose life-extension technique he wants. He decides he needs more information and should investigate the temple for supernatural resources.
• Exploring the room the creature smashed open, Xia Lun uses an instinct linked to the Treasure Hunter trait to find a concealed door beneath a fallen screen.

Character developments

• Xia Lun responds to the cultist’s apparent immortality with quick thinking, discovering that the Death Fog can permanently prevent its revival.
• He remains cautious and strategic: he weighs possible ways to obtain the Man in the Flesh’s technique and recognizes how little he knows about the place.
• His partially acquired Treasure Hunter trait gives him a growing intuition for hidden chambers and treasure.

Significant themes

• Uncertainty and hidden rules: The setting’s strange features—reviving monsters, replenishing supplies, endless darkness, and readable but indecipherable writing—may follow a common underlying logic that Xia Lun has yet to identify.
• Adaptation and survival: Xia Lun turns an unexpected threat into an opportunity to learn how this world works.
• Knowledge as power: Progress depends on gathering information, understanding supernatural abilities, and uncovering what the temple conceals.

Character interactions

• Xia Lun’s only direct confrontation is with the snake-bodied cultist, which attacks him and is killed twice before the Death Fog prevents its revival.
• The chapter also frames his anticipated dealings with the Man in the Flesh: Xia Lun may need to confront him, negotiate, or trade to obtain the life-extension technique.

Key plot points and events

• Xia Lun opens a trapdoor in a ruined building and discovers a vast underground shelter piled with mutilated corpses, including several Skinned Corpses. The victims’ wounds show that something gnawed through their flesh to consume their bone marrow.
• He finds a note signed “Xuan Yan” warning that Yin Longevity Pills have become poisonous and addictive since the Yuanwater Festival. It advises people to shelter at an old Daoist temple and warns them not to tell the Mind Fasting Sect or the “Man in the Flesh.”
• A veiled, wounded woman appears, begging for Yin Longevity Pills. Xia Lun offers her one in exchange for information. She says the sun never rose again after the Skinned Corpse plague, fog later appeared, and supplies replenish themselves—except the pills, which Master Fleshbound must make.
• The pill rapidly heals some of her missing skin, confirming its potent effect. Xia Lun grows suspicious, pretends to have lost his memory, and asks what happened in the shelter.
• The woman says Daoist Xuan Yan established the shelter but later forbade the pills. Some residents left for the Mind Fasting Sect; those trapped inside, desperate for pills and driven by addiction, killed and devoured one another. Xia Lun judges most of her account credible and concludes Xuan Yan may be an important ally.
• He gives her six counterfeit pills. She then exposes his deception, claiming everyone in Sorrow Hill City has taken the real pills and saying he does not recognize her. Her body begins to squirm, and his flashlight flickers, suggesting an imminent supernatural threat.

Character developments

• Xia Lun remains cautious and calculating: he investigates despite the danger, uses a real pill to secure information, tests the woman’s story, and conceals his suspicions. He also identifies Xuan Yan as a potential source of reliable knowledge.
• The woman shifts from a desperate supplicant to a shrewd, possibly dangerous figure. She offers a plausible history but avoids directly explaining what she is, then demonstrates that she sees through Xia Lun’s lies.

Significant themes

• Addiction and social collapse: Dependence on the pills turns a refuge into a site of cannibalism.
• Uncertainty and deception: Xia Lun and the woman both conceal information and test each other’s motives.
• Corruption beneath survival: The pills offer immediate healing but are linked to poison, dependence, and violence.

Character interactions

• Xia Lun bargains with the woman for information, gives her pills, and probes her story while hiding his identity and intentions.
• The woman responds with selective explanations, accepts the pills, and eventually challenges Xia Lun’s claims, leaving their encounter poised to turn hostile.

Key plot points and events

• Xia Lun confronts a veiled woman who reveals herself as a predatory creature and threatens to kill him. He prepares to fight, but an interruption draws her attention; Xia Lun uses the opening to summon his Revolver and shoot her dead.
• A wounded Daoist in a blood-soaked robe appears above the Darkroom: Xuan Yan, who is being pursued by the Mind Fasting Sect. Xia Lun decides that aiding him offers more potential benefit than appeasing the sect, despite the danger.
• Xuan Yan initially mistakes Xia Lun for an enemy. Xia Lun claims to have killed the sect’s snake-faced leader and shows him a Nuo Mask as evidence. Xuan Yan becomes somewhat reassured, though his reasoning is confused.
• Xuan Yan uses an Eyeball Coin to divine their prospects. The coin rings loudly, drawing the pursuers’ attention; Xuan Yan recognizes a “Stagnation Hexagram” and urges them to flee.
• Xia Lun points out that the noise itself has revealed their location. Xuan Yan admits he is an “Imbecile,” one of the Five Afflictions. With the cultists closing in, Xia Lun chooses to fight their way out.

Character developments

• Xia Lun shows his practical, risk-calculating nature. He quickly commits to killing the woman, then chooses to help Xuan Yan because the possible rewards outweigh the danger. He also stays alert and decisive when Xuan Yan’s actions make their situation worse.
• Xuan Yan is revealed as badly wounded but determined to oppose the Mind Fasting Sect. His apparent stupidity is an acknowledged affliction, which makes him both an unpredictable ally and a source of comic frustration.
• The veiled woman shifts from taunting Xia Lun to being distracted by the sudden arrival, allowing him to kill her before she can attack.

Significant themes

• Survival through decisive action: Xia Lun treats lethal encounters as problems to resolve quickly and exploits openings without hesitation.
• Risk and self-interest: His choice to help Xuan Yan is framed as a high-risk, high-reward calculation.
• Knowledge and impairment: Xuan Yan possesses divination tools and potentially valuable knowledge, yet his impairment undermines his judgment.
• Dark humor amid danger: The deadly pursuit is punctuated by Xuan Yan’s baffling reasoning and Xia Lun’s exasperated reactions.

Character interactions

• Xia Lun and the veiled woman exchange threats before he kills her while her attention is diverted.
• Xia Lun tries to convince Xuan Yan they share an enemy, using the dead cultists and the Nuo Mask to establish his credibility.
• Their alliance remains uneasy: Xuan Yan’s suspicion and confusion frustrate Xia Lun, but the approaching cultists force them to act together.

The author announces that the book is becoming a paid release and thanks readers for helping it succeed despite a weak start, including reaching the Sanjiang feature. To show appreciation, the author plans to write and post extra chapters, though they may arrive later than usual.
The author also credits Ginger Tea and the friend “the Dutiful Scribe Luoyuan” with encouraging them to write again after real-life pressures had nearly led them to quit. They add that the novel has a detailed outline and that apparent inconsistencies are intentional foreshadowing, but avoid giving spoilers.
Themes and interactions: The note centers on gratitude, perseverance, and the support that sustains creative work. It highlights the author’s reciprocal bond with readers and the encouragement they received from two supporters, while asking readers to subscribe to the first paid chapter.

Key plot points and events

• More than a dozen Mind Fasting Sect cultists gather above the hidden hatch, but hesitate to descend while Xuan Yan is below. Their leader announces a reward of Yin Longevity Pills and promotion for whoever kills her, while ordering the cultists not to damage her head.
• Xuan Yan warns that the addictive pills are turning the cultists into Skinned Corpses and urges them to reject the sect’s promises. The leader instead blames her for summoning the death fog.
• Xia Lun distracts the leader by calling him “General,” then shoots him dead. The cultists respond not by retreating but by rushing into the chamber, driven by their hunger for the promised pills.
• As the cultists attack, Xia Lun enters a brief, weaker form of Heightened Focus through Meditation. He swiftly kills several attackers with his sword, but the remaining cultists adapt, coordinating their attacks to hem him in.

Character developments and interactions

• Xia Lun shows tactical cunning by exploiting the leader’s attention, then demonstrates the growing strength of his combat focus. His skill lets him read and counter attacks with remarkable precision, though the crowd’s numbers begin to pose a serious threat.
• Xuan Yan tries to persuade the cultists to resist their addiction and sees flaws in their leader’s accusations. She warns Xia Lun to hide when the attack begins, but he chooses to fight.
• The cultists are portrayed as fanatical and increasingly less human: greed for the pills and belief in “paradise” overpower caution. After taking heavy losses, they shift from reckless individual charges to coordinated tactics.

Significant themes

• Addiction and manipulation: The pills bind the cultists to the sect, while promises of reward and paradise keep them obedient.
• Faith versus reality: Xuan Yan’s warnings are dismissed because the cultists trust their leader’s account of events.
• Humanity and monstrosity: The chapter blurs the distinction between cultists and the undead, suggesting that fanaticism has already made the living seem monstrous.
• Skill against numbers: Xia Lun’s focus gives him a decisive edge in combat, but the cultists’ teamwork threatens to overwhelm him.

Key plot points and events

• Xia Lun tests his combat limits and concludes that, using swordsmanship alone, he can handle no more than four trained Cultists at once. To clear the remaining enemies, he plans to use stealth, a favorable firing position, Heightened Focus, and his gun.
• He shoots out the torch lighting the area, slips from the Cultists’ sight, and climbs onto the corpse pile. Before firing, he watches Xuan Yan, who stands motionless among the encircling Cultists with her eyes closed.
• The armored Cultist leader revives and charges Xuan Yan. Xia Lun activates Heightened Focus to intervene, but Xuan Yan suddenly moves at tremendous speed, crossing the Darkroom and unleashing a sword strike that kills the leader and nine Cultists, while tearing a deadly path through the room.
• Astonished by her technique, Xia Lun suspects it is a skill he might learn if he earns Xuan Yan’s recognition. He then uses Heightened Focus to shoot the remaining Cultists, expending thirty rounds before his gun jams.
• The Mind Fasting Sect’s attackers are wiped out. Xia Lun notes that, despite Xuan Yan’s more spectacular attack, his gunfire was more efficient. He exits Heightened Focus and checks the accumulated notifications on his Information Panel.

Character developments

• Xia Lun gains a clearer sense of his own limits and shows tactical judgment: he adapts his approach, uses darkness and concealment, and observes his ally before acting. His awe at Xuan Yan’s skill quickly becomes ambition, as he hopes to acquire a similar ability.
• Xuan Yan is revealed to possess extraordinary speed and a devastating sword skill. Her calm, meditative stillness contrasts sharply with the violence of her attack.
• The Cultist leader proves capable of reviving, but is ultimately killed during Xuan Yan’s charge.

Significant themes

• Combat as strategy and adaptation: Xia Lun relies on positioning, stealth, terrain, and firearms rather than forcing a fight beyond his limits.
• Contrasting forms of power: Xuan Yan’s spectacular, close-range technique and Xia Lun’s methodical gunfire both prove lethal in different ways.
• Ambition and skill acquisition: Witnessing Xuan Yan’s technique inspires Xia Lun to seek greater power.
• Violence and perception: Heightened Focus distorts time, making the battle appear slowed and emphasizing the characters’ vastly different speeds.

Character interactions

• Xia Lun watches Xuan Yan’s apparent meditation and intervenes indirectly by preparing to shoot the leader who attacks her.
• Xuan Yan’s sudden strike protects herself and clears the way, creating the opening for Xia Lun to eliminate the remaining Cultists.
• Their contrasting fighting styles complement one another: Xuan Yan breaks through the enemy formation, while Xia Lun finishes the survivors from a distance.

Key plot points and events

• Xia Lun’s slaughter of 15 Nuo-Mask Plague followers earns him 160 Memory Points and rapidly advances his locked “Mass Murderer” specialty, which will eventually improve intimidation, let him harm ghosts, and slightly strengthen his mind.
• He introduces himself to Xuan Yan as Xia Lun, a practitioner of the Way of Sitting and Forgetting, using the Daoist name Master Danyang.
• Xuan Yan asks whether Xia Lun has taken a Yin Longevity Pill. When Xia Lun says he has not, Xuan Yan becomes excited, declaring that they may still be saved and able to “wake up.”
• Xuan Yan then suffers a severe coughing fit, bleeding from his face and pores. Xia Lun suspects he has the same withering curse and offers him an Underwater Breathing Potion, but Xuan Yan refuses it.
• Using a strange Eyeball Coin, Xuan Yan confirms something that fills him with hope, though he refuses to explain. He insists they must keep fleeing: the slain cultists were only scouts, and stronger pursuers are expected within an hour.
• Xuan Yan claims his left lung is ruptured and his Secret Art is exhausted, yet says he must use it to protect Xia Lun. He mistakes the potion for a Yin Longevity Pill and rejects it.
• Frustrated by Xuan Yan’s stubbornness and interruptions, Xia Lun proposes testing the potion with the coin and adopts a harsher tone.

Character developments

• Xia Lun recognizes how quickly killing can advance his specialty. Though initially courteous and concerned for Xuan Yan, his patience wears thin, and he considers using intimidation to get through to him.
• Xuan Yan shifts from fear and awkward gratitude to intense hope after learning Xia Lun has never taken a Yin Longevity Pill. Despite serious injuries, he remains determined to continue the flight and protect Xia Lun.

Significant themes

• Violence and its rewards: Xia Lun’s slaughter brings tangible progress toward a power centered on fear and killing.
• Hope amid decay: Xuan Yan’s illness and apparent near-collapse contrast with his conviction that salvation is still possible.
• Communication under pressure: Their exchange is hampered by Xuan Yan’s confusion and distrust, while Xia Lun’s growing irritation threatens their cooperation.
• Uncertainty and survival: The meaning of “waking up,” the coin’s purpose, and the true danger pursuing them remain unexplained.

Character interactions

• Xia Lun offers help and medicine, but Xuan Yan refuses, convinced it is a Yin Longevity Pill.
• Xuan Yan urges Xia Lun to flee and says he must protect him, while withholding the reason Xia Lun’s lack of pill use matters.
• Their conversation deteriorates as Xia Lun struggles to understand Xuan Yan’s contradictory explanations and finally turns to a forceful test of the potion.

Plot points and events

• Xia Lun realizes the Eyeball Coin can verify claims and persuades Xuan Yan to use it again to test whether the Underwater Breathing Potion is safe.
• The coin clears, confirming the potion’s safety. Xuan Yan drinks it, and her breathing and appearance improve despite her injured lungs.
• Grateful and embarrassed, Xuan Yan apologizes for interrupting Xia Lun and thanks him. Her trust in him increases, earning him 200 Memory Points.
• Xia Lun asks her to explain what happened to the city. He also considers how to stop the pursuing Nuo-Mask Plague Senior Cultists from reviving: identify their bodies and throw them into the fog outside.
• As Xia Lun examines a mangled corpse, Xuan Yan claims that the Man in the Flesh caused the city’s ruin and that killing her will restore everything.

Character developments and interactions

• Xia Lun uses confident, stern questioning to guide Xuan Yan, even though his knowledge of the coin’s ability comes from deduction rather than prior understanding. He reassures her that he will listen and handle the problem.
• Xuan Yan shifts from suspicion and uncertainty to gratitude and tentative trust after the potion proves effective. Though she calls herself unintelligent and says others think she is crazy, she speaks up about her theory of the Man in the Flesh.

Significant themes

• Trust and proof: The coin’s test helps establish the potion’s safety and strengthens the bond between Xia Lun and Xuan Yan.
• Appearances versus insight: Xuan Yan doubts her own judgment, yet offers a decisive explanation for the city’s condition.
• Survival amid a larger mystery: Xia Lun must both manage the immediate threat of endlessly reviving pursuers and uncover what has happened to the city.