Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Shaya and Su’er quarrel over whether Infinite City’s players are weak. They agree to settle it by having Su’er fight the city’s strongest player, Hawkins. If Su’er wins, she joins Shaya as a player; if she loses, she acknowledges the players’ strength.
• Hawkins initially refuses to fight a child, but relents after the girls keep pestering him. The match takes place in a special arena where nobody is permanently harmed.
• Su’er’s overwhelming physical power quickly makes the fight one-sided. Her punches can smash through shields, destroy mountains, and even overwhelm elemental defenses. Hawkins can only evade and summon allies.
• Summoned fighters—including Pei Jin, Arthur, and Anna—are defeated almost immediately. Hawkins’s attempts to escape through Su’er’s Mind World also fail: a golden statue there recognizes her as his daughter and ejects him.
• Hawkins realizes Su’er has extraordinary strength, speed, defense, and resistance to mental and other abilities. Her main weakness is inexperience: she attacks directly, without technique. Hawkins thinks of someone whose ability may exploit this, but the chapter ends before he can act.

Character development and interactions

• Hawkins is reluctant to hurt Su’er and increasingly exasperated as his usual tactics and summoned allies fail. Despite the danger, he also sees the potential value of recruiting her for Infinite City.
• Su’er is calm and blunt, but becomes angry when Hawkins keeps running. She proves extraordinarily powerful despite having little fighting experience.
• Shaya is invested in winning the bet and repeatedly prevents Hawkins from conceding, since his defeat would mean she loses as well.
• The summoned allies respond loyally to Hawkins’s commands, only to be swiftly defeated. Their brief scenes also show the consequences of their apparent deaths: Arthur is shocked, while Anna returns furious and unsettles Ai Miye.

Significant themes

• Raw power versus skill: Su’er’s immense strength compensates for her lack of training, while Hawkins searches for a tactical weakness.
• Reluctant conflict and responsibility: Hawkins is caught between refusing to harm a child, obeying Shaya’s demand, and trying to resolve the bet.
• Family and mystery: The golden statue calls Su’er Hawkins’s daughter, raising a question about his connection to her that he cannot explain.
• Humor amid danger: Hawkins’s increasingly desperate evasions and the allies’ abrupt defeats lend the battle a comic tone despite its destructive scale.

Key plot points and events

• Hawkins summons Yi Meng, a Dream Lover whose abilities can counter Su’er, for a sparring match.
• Su’er repeatedly attacks Yi Meng, but Yi Meng’s passive skill, Mature Woman’s Scent, blocks attacks from especially pure opponents. Su’er’s speed and strength impress Yi Meng, though the child keeps stubbornly attacking her instead of changing tactics.
• Hawkins watches from the sidelines with snacks. Shaya joins him, and he explains that Su’er’s defeat is already likely—not because Yi Meng is simply stronger, but because she has an ability that particularly disadvantages young opponents.
• Yi Meng uses Adults’ Time, which restrains anyone less than half her age; the larger the age gap, the stronger the effect. Su’er is immobilized and cannot speak, so Hawkins eventually asks Yi Meng to release her.
• Rather than resume the fight, Su’er asks to become a player. Hawkins gives her a badge, and she unlocks a list of professions—all combat-related. She immediately chooses the first one, leaving Hawkins to suspect she is a battle maniac.

Character developments and interactions

• Su’er shows remarkable speed, strength, and determination, but also youthful inflexibility: she keeps repeating the same attack and struggles to understand why Yi Meng’s unusual skill defeated her. Her frustration turns into a desire to become a player and fight again.
• Yi Meng is introduced as flirtatious and socially perceptive, but she takes Hawkins’s request seriously. She recognizes Su’er’s strength and restrains herself from using abilities unsuitable for a child. Her teasing of Su’er and Hawkins adds a playful tone.
• Hawkins treats the match as a demonstration rather than a serious contest, explaining Yi Meng’s advantage and teasing Su’er before having her released. He then helps Su’er become a player.
• Shaya is curious about Yi Meng’s abilities and envious when she sees Su’er’s combat-focused profession options. She also challenges Hawkins’s earlier dismissal of players as weak.

Significant themes

• No one is invincible: A strong fighter can be defeated by a specific ability or matchup, rather than raw power alone.
• Knowledge and adaptability matter: Su’er’s strength is clear, but her stubborn approach prevents her from responding effectively.
• Age and experience as power: Yi Meng’s skills turn the age gap into a decisive advantage.
• Competition and growth: Su’er’s defeat motivates her to enter the player system and pursue combat professions.

Chapter Summary: Emperor Shi En

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Looting Emperor arrives at Brother Fortress, a floating stronghold established by remnants of the fallen Plundering Empire.
• He learns that its leader, Shi En—formerly the deputy commander of the Plundering Empire’s Imperial Guard—has rebuilt the remnants into a significant faction. Brother Fortress preserves the old empire’s cultivation of the Power of Collective Will.
• The Looting Emperor attacks without warning, destroying the fortress’s protective shield and ordering Shi En to appear.
• When the guards resist, Mai Yuqiang uses Time Stop and incapacitates them. The Looting Emperor orders him not to kill them, intending to reclaim and reorganize them into his future army.
• Shi En emerges with his followers. Unlike the reserved and passive man the Looting Emperor remembers, he has become a powerful, charismatic, and heroic leader.
• The Looting Emperor accuses Shi En of betrayal and threatens to destroy Brother Fortress. Mai Yuqiang attacks Shi En but is decisively defeated by Shi En’s Open and Honorable Fist.
• Shi En then uses Palm Without Shame Before Heaven and Earth, shattering the Looting Emperor’s Kasaya Slash.
• The Looting Emperor responds with the Black Stupa, whose suppressive power is tied to evil karma. Shi En blocks the attack to protect the families living inside the fortress but is severely injured.
• The Looting Emperor offers Shi En and his people survival if Shi En submits and serves him again.
• Shi En refuses, declaring that he swore never to commit evil after the Plundering Empire’s collapse. His followers reaffirm their loyalty, even at the cost of their lives.
• Enraged, the Looting Emperor commands Shi En to die and raises the Black Stupa for another attack.

Character Developments

• The Looting Emperor is shown as ambitious, ruthless, and pragmatic. He plans to rebuild an empire, eliminate the players, seize the Sea of Heroes, and master deeper layers of the Dream Realm. He views mass death as an acceptable price for power and seeks to turn former enemies into servants.
• Shi En has transformed from a quiet, morally upright deputy commander into a powerful and inspiring leader. His strength is matched by his integrity and charisma, allowing him to unite people through loyalty rather than fear.
• Mai Yuqiang demonstrates overwhelming offensive ability by disabling the guards, but Shi En’s righteous technique defeats him in a single exchange.
• The followers of Brother Fortress reveal their deep devotion to Shi En. His words immediately restore their courage, and they willingly stand with him despite the threat of death.

Significant Themes

• Power versus morality: The Looting Emperor believes ambition justifies violence and conquest, while Shi En rejects evil even when submission could save lives.
• Leadership and loyalty: The Looting Emperor relies on domination and strategy, whereas Shi En commands loyalty through personal virtue and moral authority.
• The influence of fear and evil karma: The Black Stupa weakens opponents by exploiting negative emotions. Even Shi En’s fear for the families behind him prevents him from using his full strength.
• Redemption and transformation: Shi En’s growth reflects an attempt to atone for the Plundering Empire’s past by refusing to repeat its crimes.
• Charisma versus coercion: The chapter contrasts Shi En’s ability to inspire voluntary sacrifice with the Looting Emperor’s reliance on threats, force, and submission.

Character Interactions

• The Looting Emperor treats the fortress guards with contempt but chooses to spare them for future use.
• Shi En immediately places himself between the Looting Emperor and his people, defending both his followers and their families.
• Their confrontation is ideological as well as physical: the Looting Emperor labels Shi En a traitor, while Shi En rejects him as an unworthy and immoral ruler.
• Shi En’s declaration inspires his followers to swear allegiance, provoking the Looting Emperor’s anger and leading to the chapter’s cliffhanger.

Summary: “Pan and the Investigation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Looting Emperor attempts to kill Shi En by crushing him with the Black Stupa. Shi En accepts death but deliberately raises his hands to shield the fortress and its people below.
• A six-meter-tall giant suddenly intervenes, striking the Black Stupa away. The giant identifies himself as Pan’s Drought Demon, a being created from the corpses of multiple versions of the creator god Pan.
• Seven Kill Star warns the Looting Emperor that Pan’s Drought Demon is virtually unbeatable. His ability, “All Forces as One,” allows him to absorb and wield every kind of force, including time, space, flame, fate, morality, and mental power.
• Pan orders the Looting Emperor to leave. Though resentful, the Looting Emperor withdraws because he recognizes that fighting Pan would mean certain death.
• The Looting Emperor decides to gather more “cannon fodder” from weaker factions before returning to conquer the Sea of Heroes. Mai Yuqiang transforms into a dragon and carries him away.
• At Black Wind Stronghold, Baldhead and Bamboo Pole arrive to collect tribute but discover that the stronghold is deserted. Its belongings remain behind, suggesting that the inhabitants left suddenly rather than fleeing permanently.
• After arguing and fighting each other, Baldhead and Bamboo Pole investigate the disappearance through intimidation and coercion. They learn that Mai Yuqiang and the others went to sea.
• Going to sea violates a prohibition imposed by the chief of Black Wind Stronghold because of a prophecy from King Guanzizai: “When black winds meet water, they scatter; when bandits go to sea, they must perish!”
• Zhang Fangchang, one of the stronghold’s Four Heavenly Kings, informs the higher authorities. He orders Baldhead and Bamboo Pole to investigate Mai Yuqiang discreetly, determine whether he went to sea, and report whether he is alive or dead.

Character Developments

• Shi En: Demonstrates exceptional resolve and selflessness. Even while facing death, he focuses on protecting the people beneath him rather than saving himself. His unwillingness to submit makes him worthy of Pan’s protection.
• Pan’s Drought Demon: Introduced as an overwhelmingly powerful and mysterious figure. He is connected to many versions of the creator god Pan and commands universal forces, making him one of the most dangerous beings in the Dream Realm.
• The Looting Emperor: Shows caution and strategic thinking by retreating instead of challenging Pan. However, he remains ambitious and ruthless, planning to recruit weaker factions as expendable troops for his return to the Sea of Heroes.
• Seven Kill Star: Acts as the Looting Emperor’s knowledgeable adviser, explaining Pan’s identity and abilities. His warnings reveal that even the Looting Emperor’s ambitions are insignificant compared with the strongest powers in the Dream Realm.
• Mai Yuqiang: Continues serving the Looting Emperor, transforming into a dragon to transport him. His departure from Black Wind Stronghold becomes the central mystery investigated by the bandits.
• Baldhead and Bamboo Pole: Their crude rivalry is emphasized through insults and physical fights, but they are also effective investigators. Despite their incompetence and violence, they quickly uncover the truth.
• Zhang Fangchang and King Guanzizai: Their authority is established through the stronghold’s immediate reaction to prophecy. King Guanzizai’s predictions are treated as inevitable, while Zhang Fangchang serves as a decisive organizer of the investigation.

Significant Themes

• Resolve and resistance: Shi En embodies the idea that some people would rather die than submit, especially after being betrayed or oppressed in the past.
• Sacrifice and protection: Shi En’s final instinct is to protect others, contrasting with the Looting Emperor’s willingness to use followers as disposable resources.
• Power and hierarchy: The chapter emphasizes the vast differences between levels of strength. The Looting Emperor, powerful in his own right, is forced to retreat from Pan, whose abilities operate on a nearly cosmic scale.
• Destiny and prophecy: The opening reflections on death and predestination are echoed by King Guanzizai’s prophecy, which shapes Black Wind Stronghold’s laws and drives the investigation.
• Ambition versus caution: The Looting Emperor continues pursuing conquest but learns that certain enemies cannot yet be challenged. His strategy is based on accumulation, manipulation, and the use of expendable forces.
• Mystery and foreshadowing: The disappearance of Black Wind Stronghold’s members and their forbidden voyage suggest impending danger, likely connected to the prophecy that bandits who go to sea will perish.

Character Interactions

• Shi En and Pan: Pan recognizes Shi En’s character and intervenes on his behalf, implying a prior connection or shared affiliation. Shi En addresses him simply as “Pan,” and Pan accepts this as a sign of belonging.
• Pan and the Looting Emperor: Their encounter is brief but establishes a stark power imbalance. Pan does not attack the Looting Emperor, yet his presence alone inspires fear and forces the Emperor to retreat.
• The Looting Emperor and Seven Kill Star: Their internal conversation provides essential information about Pan and the wider cosmology of the Dream Realm. The Emperor’s ambition is tempered by Seven Kill Star’s warnings.
• Baldhead and Bamboo Pole: They constantly insult, provoke, and physically attack one another, but cooperate when investigating the abandoned stronghold. Their rivalry provides comic relief amid the more serious plot developments.
• Baldhead, Bamboo Pole, and Zhang Fangchang: Zhang Fangchang gives them clear orders to investigate carefully, turning their chaotic discovery into an organized mission.
• Black Wind Stronghold and King Guanzizai: The chief’s rules are based on King Guanzizai’s prophecy, showing how his words govern the behavior and decisions of the entire organization.

Chapter Summary: “Tracking the Evil Beast”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Martin and Momo return to Infinite City after completing their previous affairs. Martin discovers that their unexpectedly high academy scores were likely arranged by his master, Hawkins.
• Martin helps Yizhu settle into a new life, arranging housing and daily necessities until she can enroll at Mobius Academy.
• During the next academy assessment, Martin and Momo find only one available mission: investigate an Evil Beast in the Sea of Heroes. They suspect Hawkins deliberately arranged the mission but accept it because they cannot realistically refuse a City Lord’s assignment.
• At Player Camp, they gather information by listening to other players. They learn that many human-origin Evil Beasts are people whose deep, preexisting malice has been amplified or exposed.
• A player recounts an Evil Beast who murdered an entire village, including the hunter who had adopted him and the hunter’s biological child, out of jealousy and resentment.
• Martin and Momo travel to the destroyed village. They find bloodstains, battle damage, and graves prepared by other players. By examining the traces, Momo determines that the Evil Beast fled into a dense forest.
• They pursue it for a week through difficult terrain, relying on Martin’s jungle-related abilities and Momo’s skill with ranged attacks. Despite becoming exhausted and disheveled, they continue because they believe the mission has a deeper purpose.
• The chapter ends with the Evil Beast drinking from a pool and revealing its hatred of Martin and Momo. It then senses movement and encounters a gigantic black wolf.

Character Developments

• Martin remains cautious and thoughtful, recognizing that Hawkins’s dangerous missions usually serve a hidden purpose. He also shows growing compassion, becoming deeply troubled by the hopeless deaths of the villagers.
• Momo continues to act as Martin’s practical and perceptive partner. She questions the mission’s difficulty, identifies the Evil Beast’s escape route, and willingly follows Martin into the forest despite the danger.
• Yizhu adapts quickly to modern society, demonstrating strong independence and learning ability after being isolated from civilization.
• Hawkins remains an unseen but influential presence. His manipulation of Martin and Momo’s scores and apparent arrangement of the mission suggest that he is testing or guiding them.
• The Evil Beast is revealed to be intelligent, vindictive, and capable of tracking its pursuers. Its wound, which glows with purple energy and prevents healing, hints that it has previously fought a powerful opponent.
• Maupassant provides experienced insight into the nature of Evil Beasts, emphasizing that they should be killed without hesitation because their monstrous actions reflect deeply rooted human evil.

Significant Themes

• Hidden patterns and manipulation: The opening emphasizes that seemingly unrelated events ultimately connect. Hawkins’s involvement suggests that Martin and Momo’s mission is part of a larger design.
• The nature of evil: Human-origin Evil Beasts are portrayed not as innocent victims of transformation but as individuals whose hatred, jealousy, and cruelty already existed within them.
• Justice and mercy: The players debate no moral ambiguity regarding these creatures; after witnessing their atrocities, they believe killing them is justified.
• Power and limitations: Combat strength does not equal destructive ability or specialized skill. Martin and Momo survive through tracking and environmental expertise rather than direct confrontation.
• Hope amid despair: Martin contrasts the destroyed village with Tide Village, where resurrection remains possible. He struggles with the tragedy of deaths for which no immediate hope remains.
• Growth through suffering: Momo suggests that witnessing misery may strengthen a person’s heart, implying that Hawkins may have sent them to confront the emotional realities behind the Evil Beasts.

Character Interactions

• Martin and Momo discuss Hawkins’s motives, their inability to refuse the mission, and the danger of confronting an Evil Beast directly.
• Martin checks on Yizhu before leaving, showing his continuing responsibility and concern for her welfare.
• At Player Camp, Martin questions a player about the destroyed village and hears the story of the Evil Beast’s betrayal and massacre.
• Maupassant reinforces the player’s anger, arguing that Evil Beasts should be eliminated immediately.
• During the pursuit, Martin and Momo cooperate closely, combining his jungle abilities with her tracking and marksmanship.
• The final scene shifts to the Evil Beast, which angrily anticipates killing them before becoming aware of the approaching black wolf.

Chapter Summary: “Hadi VS Horse-Faced Evil Beast”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Hadi reflects on humanity’s concepts of good and evil. He concludes that these ideas are human-made: what benefits humans is called good, while what harms them is called evil.
• Because he is not human, Hadi rejects humanity’s moral standards and considers defining good and evil according to his own interests. However, he has lost his wolf pack and ultimately decides that his only goal is to return to his former home.
• On his journey, Hadi encounters the Horse-Faced Evil Beast, a human-derived monster. The two confront one another.
• The Horse-Faced Evil Beast proposes cooperating to kill humans and players, openly describing the pleasure it takes in torturing and destroying others. Hadi, who has abandoned his own hatred and has no desire to kill unnecessarily, is disturbed by its mentality.
• Without warning, the Horse-Faced Evil Beast attacks. Hadi repeatedly evades its assaults, proving that he is faster and more controlled.
• The Horse-Faced Evil Beast secretly uses the poisonous blood leaking from its injuries as a trap. When Hadi moves toward its wounded side, the poison splashes onto his face and eye, causing severe pain and corrosion.
• The injured Hadi is then struck and thrown into a lake. The battle attracts Martin and Momo, who observe while concealed by powerful talismans.
• Martin and Momo debate whether Hadi is an Evil Beast transformed from a human or a naturally transformed animal. They recognize that Hadi’s movements resemble those of a real wolf.
• Underwater, Hadi changes into a werewolf form to compensate for the poison weakening his teeth and prepares to continue fighting.
• As Hadi emerges from the lake, the Horse-Faced Evil Beast traps him in a web of hooked bone claws. The barbed claws pierce and bind his body, leaving him seemingly unable to escape without tearing off his own flesh.

Character Developments

• Hadi: Becomes more philosophically independent, rejecting human definitions of morality and the idea that he must seek humanity’s God. He also demonstrates emotional growth: although he once hated wolves and feared humans, he now recognizes those feelings as products of weakness and misunderstanding. His current desire is simply to return home, not to pursue revenge or violence.
• Horse-Faced Evil Beast: Reveals itself as sadistic, chaotic, and motivated by cruelty rather than survival. It views killing as entertainment and sees Hadi primarily as prey whose flesh could heal its injuries. Despite being wounded, it relies on deception and poisonous blood to gain the upper hand.
• Martin and Momo: Act as cautious observers. Their discussion shows that they understand Evil Beasts have become fundamentally different from ordinary humans, while still struggling to identify Hadi’s true origins.

Significant Themes

• Moral relativism: Good and evil are presented as concepts defined by the interests of those in power, particularly humans.
• Humanity versus instinct: Hadi kills only for survival and questions whether natural predation should be considered evil, while the Horse-Faced Evil Beast kills for pleasure.
• Identity and belonging: Hadi struggles with having lost his wolf pack and seeks meaning by returning to his original home.
• Civilization versus savagery: Hadi, despite being animal-like, shows greater restraint and self-awareness than the human-derived Horse-Faced Evil Beast.
• Deception and survival: The battle emphasizes that intelligence and hidden abilities can matter more than raw strength.

Character Interactions

• Hadi questions the Horse-Faced Evil Beast’s motives, but it mocks the idea that killing requires a purpose.
• The Horse-Faced Evil Beast calls Hadi a “beast,” irritating him because the insult comes from a creature that embodies mindless violence.
• Their confrontation contrasts Hadi’s restraint and rationality with the Horse-Faced Evil Beast’s cruelty and bloodlust.
• Martin and Momo secretly analyze the fight, offering an outside perspective on the difference between animal-transformed and human-transformed Evil Beasts.

Chapter Summary: “Martin Decided to Take a Gamble”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Martin notices that the Horse-Faced Evil Beast has a visible level and health bar, while Hadi does not. He suspects this difference is connected to Master’s real reason for sending him to investigate.
• Seeing Hadi being overwhelmed by the beast’s hooked claws, Martin decides to intervene despite not understanding what he is meant to accomplish.
• Martin uses Nightmare Roseglow to strike the Horse-Faced Evil Beast, interrupting its attack and allowing Hadi to escape briefly.
• The beast quickly realizes that a player is hiding nearby and attempts to test the player’s strength by throwing a massive boulder at Martin’s position.
• Hadi instinctively protects Martin by kicking the boulder back. The Horse-Faced Evil Beast then tries to kill Hadi while he is vulnerable.
• Martin supports Hadi again by summoning an energy Meteor Hammer, which knocks the beast backward and gives Hadi a chance to attack.
• The Horse-Faced Evil Beast regains control of the hooked claws embedded in Hadi’s body, causing him excruciating pain and forcing him to collapse.
• Believing that helping Hadi may reveal the purpose of his mission, Martin takes a dangerous gamble. He tells Momo to stay back and rushes into the fight.
• Martin discovers that his Sealing ability can remove and seal the hooked claws inside Hadi’s body. As the pain begins to disappear, Hadi realizes that a human is helping him and asks Martin why.

Character Developments

• Martin becomes more decisive and courageous. Although he is uncertain about Master’s intentions, he trusts his instincts and risks his life to help Hadi.
• Momo remains skeptical of Martin’s theory that Hadi is important, but she supports his decision and agrees to act or retreat as necessary.
• Hadi is shown to be powerful but less cunning than the Horse-Faced Evil Beast. Despite being badly injured, he instinctively protects Martin, suggesting that he is not simply a hostile monster.
• The Horse-Faced Evil Beast is established as calculating, cautious, and cruel. It prioritizes survival, uses deception and ranged control of its hooked claws, and views Hadi as food while treating players as the greater threat.

Significant Themes

• Trust and uncertainty: Martin helps Hadi despite having no proof that Hadi can be trusted or that doing so will benefit him.
• Risk and sacrifice: Martin and Momo view death as recoverable because of their revival coins, allowing them to take risks others could not.
• Appearance versus morality: Although Hadi is labeled an Evil Beast, his actions—especially protecting Martin—challenge the assumption that all Evil Beasts are inherently irredeemable.
• Cunning versus strength: Hadi is physically superior, but the Horse-Faced Evil Beast’s intelligence and tactics allow it to control the battle.
• Hidden purpose and fate: Martin believes Master’s assignment has a deeper goal connected to Hadi and the unusual absence of Hadi’s status bar.

Character Interactions

• Martin and Momo debate whether Hadi’s lack of a health bar has special significance and whether he might be meant to become Martin’s pet or contracted companion.
• Martin secretly attacks the Horse-Faced Evil Beast, while Hadi recognizes that a human player has saved him.
• Hadi protects Martin from the thrown boulder, unintentionally creating an opening for Martin to continue assisting him.
• Martin and Hadi cooperate indirectly during the battle: Martin provides support with Nightmare Roseglow and the Meteor Hammer, while Hadi attacks the beast.
• After Martin uses Sealing to remove the hooked claws, Hadi openly questions why a human would save an Evil Beast, marking the beginning of a potentially important alliance.

Plot points and events

• Martin tells the wounded Hadi that Hadi is “not a bad person” and urges Hadi to flee, claiming he has a way to survive. Hadi is moved by the unusual kindness and escapes.
• Martin faces the Horse-Faced Evil Beast alone. He stays calm to conceal his fear and keep the creature guessing, but he is really stalling.
• The Beast eventually attacks with bone hooks. Martin’s Blood Shield absorbs the hit, saving him, though his invisibility breaks. The Beast mistakenly interprets his survival as proof that he is exceptionally fast.
• Drawing on its cruel upbringing and hard-won fighting instincts, the Beast attacks with long bone whips. One strike kills Martin.
• The Beast suspects Martin’s death is a trick and guards against an imagined invisible assassin, unknowingly reacting to the blood mist of his death.
• Martin respawns in Infinite City. Momo appears soon afterward: she had tried to attack the Beast with powerful explosive beads after seeing Martin die, but its whips killed her first.

Character developments

• Martin shows empathy toward Hadi and composure under pressure, but recognizes how outmatched he is. His confidence is partly a bluff intended to protect Hadi and confuse the Beast.
• Hadi responds deeply to Martin’s acceptance. Though injured and frightened, Hadi chooses to escape rather than risk becoming a burden.
• The Horse-Faced Evil Beast is revealed as both highly paranoid and capable. Its past as an abducted child trained as a disposable decoy shaped its cunning, ruthlessness, and combat skill.
• Momo is bold and protective, attempting a surprise attack with powerful explosives, but her eagerness leads her into the Beast’s defenses.

Significant themes

• Compassion amid violence: Martin’s kindness to Hadi stands out in a world where Hadi has only encountered hostility.
• Deception and misjudgment: Martin’s bluff makes the Beast hesitate, while the Beast’s paranoia leads it to misread Martin’s death and defend against a nonexistent ambush.
• Power and survival: Martin has grown stronger, but the gap between him and the Beast remains overwhelming; player mechanics such as Blood Shields and resurrection offer only limited protection.
• The lasting effects of abuse: The Beast’s brutal childhood helps explain its skill and cruelty, though it does not excuse its actions.

Character interactions

• Martin reassures Hadi and sends Hadi away, earning a rare moment of trust.
• Martin and the Beast engage in a psychological standoff before their brief, lethal fight.
• Momo’s concern for Martin drives her to attack the Beast after his apparent death, but she is killed before she can use her explosives.

Chapter Summary: “Hesitation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Martin reprimands Momo for personally approaching the Horse-Faced Evil Beast instead of throwing the Magnetic Pole Twin-Kill Thunderburst Bead. Momo explains that the bead’s obvious aura would have caused the beast to flee.
• After returning to Mobius Academy, Martin and Momo plan to verify whether their mission is complete.
• Hadi escapes to a cave, where he removes the hooked claws embedded in his body and treats his wounds for several weeks.
• During his recovery, Hadi realizes that he deceived Martin by hiding his true identity as an Evil Beast. He feels guilty for exploiting Martin’s kindness and begins to regard himself as morally corrupt.
• Returning to the battlefield, Hadi uses his scent-based ability to reconstruct what happened and concludes that Martin was killed by the Horse-Faced Evil Beast. Determined to repay Martin and avenge him, Hadi tracks the beast.
• The Horse-Faced Evil Beast reaches an isolated Mountain Village and begins massacring the villagers for amusement, treating them as worthless prey.
• Hadi attacks the beast, severely injuring its head, and pursues it through the village and forest.
• When the beast uses a child as a shield, Hadi instinctively protects the child rather than attacking recklessly. The Horse-Faced Evil Beast mocks him for defending humans.
• The beast later captures a woman and a child and threatens to kill them if Hadi approaches. Hadi hesitates, unable to sacrifice innocent people for revenge, allowing the beast to prepare another attack with its hooked claws.

Character Developments

• Hadi: Undergoes the chapter’s major transformation. His guilt over deceiving Martin awakens a stronger moral conscience. Although he still considers himself a beast, he begins acting protectively toward humans and becomes determined to avenge Martin. His hesitation reveals that compassion is overcoming his instinct for revenge.
• Martin: Though presumed dead, his kindness profoundly influences Hadi. His willingness to help Hadi becomes the standard by which Hadi judges his own actions.
• Momo: Remains practical and defensive, explaining that her risky approach was necessary because the bead would otherwise have been detected and avoided.
• Horse-Faced Evil Beast: Is revealed as sadistic, cruel, and psychologically manipulative. It enjoys terrorizing villagers and deliberately exploits Hadi’s compassion by using civilians as hostages.

Significant Themes

• Guilt and moral responsibility: Hadi recognizes that concealing his identity and using Martin’s help was a form of betrayal.
• Humanity versus monstrosity: The chapter questions whether morality depends on species. Though Hadi is an Evil Beast, his actions increasingly resemble those of a compassionate human, while the human villagers’ helplessness contrasts with the beast’s brutality.
• Redemption through action: Hadi seeks to make amends not through words but by avenging Martin and protecting innocent people.
• Compassion versus revenge: Hadi’s desire to kill the Horse-Faced Evil Beast conflicts with his instinct to save its human victims.
• Manipulation and hesitation: The villain weaponizes Hadi’s empathy, turning his emerging humanity into a tactical weakness.

Character Interactions

• Martin and Momo argue over the danger of Momo’s approach, showing their concern for mission success and personal safety.
• Hadi’s imagined reflection on Martin reveals how deeply Martin’s kindness affects him, even after Martin’s presumed death.
• Hadi and the Horse-Faced Evil Beast engage in a violent pursuit, with the beast mocking Hadi’s protection of humans.
• The Horse-Faced Evil Beast uses villagers, a child, and finally a woman and child as tools to control Hadi’s movements.
• The chapter ends with Hadi emotionally paralyzed by the hostage situation, while the beast prepares to exploit his hesitation.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• The Horse-Faced Evil Beast exploits Hadi’s concern for humans by taking a woman and her little sister hostage. It forces Hadi to choose which one will live, but the woman sacrifices herself by smashing her head against a rock and begs Hadi to save her sister.
• Hadi catches the unconscious girl, but the Beast ambushes him, severs his arm, and brutally attacks him with hooked claws. Hadi repeatedly shields the girl with his own body, nearly dying from the pain and blood loss.
• Anubis, Martin, and Momo arrive. Anubis confronts the Beast while Momo treats Hadi and Martin takes custody of the injured girl.
• Anubis completely outclasses the Horse-Faced Evil Beast, effortlessly predicting and countering all of its schemes. The fight becomes a demonstration of Anubis’s superior strength and intelligence.
• Hadi, frustrated that others must save him and kill his enemy, agrees to cooperate with Martin. Martin uses his Sealing Sword to seal Hadi inside the blade and borrow his power, intending to let Hadi personally defeat the Beast.
• The fusion initially overwhelms Martin with Hadi’s immense evil thoughts and karma. Hadi’s soul protects Martin’s, allowing the two souls to overlap and remain stable.

Character developments

• Hadi demonstrates genuine compassion and self-sacrifice. Though an Evil Beast, he protects the girl without hesitation and experiences the desire to kill for revenge rather than hunger for the first time.
• The Horse-Faced Evil Beast is shown to be cunning, sadistic, and manipulative, but also deeply outmatched once Anubis enters the battle. Its reliance on schemes cannot overcome Anubis’s superior perception.
• Martin recognizes Hadi’s willingness to protect the girl and offers him a chance to regain agency and take revenge himself. His ability to withstand Hadi’s malice also reveals his mental and spiritual resilience.
• Anubis is established as overwhelmingly powerful and tactically brilliant, seeing through every trap the Beast creates.
• Momo acts efficiently and compassionately by treating Hadi and taking responsibility for the injured child.

Significant themes

• Self-sacrifice and compassion: Hadi’s actions, as well as the woman’s final choice, emphasize the power of protecting others even at the cost of one’s life.
• Humanity beyond species: Although Hadi is an Evil Beast, his choices show empathy, loyalty, and moral growth, challenging the simple division between humans and monsters.
• Trust and cooperation: Martin and Hadi form an unlikely partnership based on mutual trust, allowing them to combine their strengths.
• Power versus cunning: The Beast’s elaborate tricks fail against Anubis’s overwhelming strength and insight.
• Redemption and inner conflict: Martin must confront the evil within Hadi’s power while Hadi’s soul helps preserve him, suggesting that darkness and protection can coexist.

Character interactions

• The Horse-Faced Evil Beast psychologically tortures Hadi by threatening the woman and child, then mocks him while inflicting severe injuries.
• The woman directly appeals to Hadi’s compassion, choosing death so he will save her sister.
• Martin and Momo infer Hadi’s self-sacrifice after seeing him deliver the injured girl, strengthening their willingness to help him.
• Martin introduces himself to Hadi, and their brief exchange develops into an offer of partnership.
• Hadi accepts Martin’s trust without suspicion, allowing Martin to seal him into the sword and merge their souls for the coming battle.

Chapter Summary: “You Don’t Deserve It”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Martin undergoes a dramatic transformation after sharing power with Hadi. His arm fuses with the Sealing Sword, which becomes larger, jagged, and capable of forming a wolf’s head. Black markings spread across Martin’s body and face.
• Martin’s strength increases enormously, but he initially struggles to control it. Hadi helps regulate his movements, allowing the two to fight together with surprising coordination.
• While Momo treats the injured girl, the Horse-Faced Evil Beast topples a tree in an attempt to distract Anubis. Martin kicks the tree away and protects them.
• Anubis withdraws after completing his role, leaving Martin and Hadi to face the Horse-Faced Evil Beast.
• Martin opens the battle with No-Meditation Slash, producing devastating Sword Qi that destroys the surrounding forest. The beast barely avoids the attack.
• The Sealing Sword injures the beast despite its defensive bone armor. When the beast attempts to steal the sword with bone chains, the weapon transforms into a wolf’s head and bites into its shoulder.
• The Horse-Faced Evil Beast tries to create conflict by accusing Hadi of becoming humanity’s enemy and warning Martin that humans will reject him. Martin ignores the manipulation.
• The beast traps Martin with its hooked Claws of Agony, believing the fight is over. Martin uses the Sealing ability to convert and seal the claws into the sword.
• Realizing that surrender will not save it, the beast pretends to repent and secretly prepares an attack. Hadi detects the ambush through his heightened sense of smell, allowing Martin to avoid it.
• Martin cuts the Horse-Faced Evil Beast in half, then destroys its surviving head despite its desperate pleas for mercy.
• He also captures a Bone Snake that had participated in the massacre at Mountain Village. Martin brutally punishes it for the deaths and suffering it caused before killing it with the Sealing Sword.

Character Developments

• Martin: Gains immense power but retains his judgment and moral convictions. He becomes more decisive and merciless toward genuine evil, refusing to be manipulated by false repentance. His final statement shows that he distinguishes punishment from becoming evil himself.
• Hadi: Functions as Martin’s partner and combat guide. His superior senses and experience compensate for Martin’s lack of familiarity with his new power, while Martin’s higher-level strength enhances Hadi’s abilities.
• Horse-Faced Evil Beast: Shifts from arrogance to fear and desperation. It attempts intimidation, deception, surrender, and an ambush, but every strategy fails.
• Anubis: Completes his task and steps aside, recognizing that Martin and Hadi are now capable of handling the battle themselves.
• Momo: Remains focused on healing the injured girl, while Martin protects both of them from the beast’s distraction.
• Bone Snake: Revealed to be cowardly and deceptive, pretending to be badly injured in hopes of catching Martin off guard.

Significant Themes

• Power through cooperation: Martin and Hadi achieve strength far greater than either could wield alone because their abilities complement one another.
• Judgment versus repentance: The Horse-Faced Evil Beast’s claims of regret are exposed as survival tactics rather than genuine remorse.
• Maintaining humanity: Martin inflicts punishment but refuses to become cruel for cruelty’s sake. He insists that he is not a demon and kills only after deciding that the creatures’ crimes make them undeserving of mercy.
• Justice for the innocent: Martin’s violence toward the Bone Snake is motivated by the victims of Mountain Village, showing that his anger is rooted in their suffering rather than personal revenge.
• Mind and physical reality: The Bone Snake’s struggle illustrates that willpower alone cannot overcome overwhelming physical force.
• Deception and awareness: The beast’s schemes fail because Hadi’s senses and Martin’s discipline prevent them from being caught off guard.

Character Interactions

• Martin and Hadi share control of Martin’s transformed body, developing an unusually effective partnership despite their first joint battle.
• Anubis supports Martin indirectly, then withdraws to observe once Martin becomes the beast’s true opponent.
• The Horse-Faced Evil Beast attempts to turn Martin against Hadi, but Martin refuses to question their alliance.
• Martin rejects the beast’s pleas for mercy, emphasizing that its intentions and promises no longer matter after its repeated atrocities.
• Martin confronts the Bone Snake as a representative of the innocent victims, delivering a final moral condemnation before ending its life.

Chapter Summary: “General Offensive”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Hadi consumes the Bone Snake through the Sealing Sword, they experience the entire life of the Horse-Faced Evil Beast. They learn that the creature endured a childhood similar to the little girl’s and used laughter to hide its pain, especially after the girl’s sister committed suicide.
• Despite gaining insight into the creature’s suffering, Hadi remains convinced that the Horse-Faced Evil Beast deserved to die. This realization leads to a sublimation of Hadi’s realm and transforms the evil thoughts within them.
• Because Hadi is sharing a state with Martin, Martin’s powers also change. He gains distinct Good and Evil Forms: the former produces healing attacks that cannot kill, while the latter grants highly destructive corrosive power.
• The world suddenly begins to rupture as the Looting Emperor launches a massive assault on the Sea of Heroes and the Player Camp. Violent winds scatter people and debris, forcing Martin and Momo to rescue and shelter civilians.
• Anubis identifies the disaster as the beginning of a general offensive and disappears to respond elsewhere. Martin catches injured people, while Momo prepares a burrow and treats those he saves. Their cooperation demonstrates strong mutual understanding.
• A huge tear opens above the Player Camp, revealing the Dream Realm’s red Nebula. Hundreds of thousands of mismatched spacecraft emerge, carrying vast numbers of Evil Beasts.
• Norns confirms that the Looting Emperor is aboard the fleet and warns that the camp will be overwhelmed unless the players prepare. Qiao Si relays the warning, prompting the players to arm themselves.
• The Looting Emperor orders the attack. The players bombard the descending Evil Beasts, but the creatures endure the assault. They swarm the protective barrier until it shatters, allowing the invasion to pour into the camp.
• A chaotic melee begins throughout the Player Camp. Players fight back while merchants attempt to save their goods. Zhouliu initially tries to stop the violence peacefully, but after being struck by an Evil Beast, they unleash their strength and retaliate brutally.

Character Developments

• Hadi: Develops a more complicated understanding of morality after witnessing the Horse-Faced Evil Beast’s tragic past. They recognize that people and creatures can be both good and evil, yet do not allow empathy to erase responsibility for evil deeds.
• Martin: Gains new Good and Evil Forms through his connection with Hadi. He worries that Hadi’s transformation could be dangerous, but ultimately follows their guidance and focuses on rescuing civilians.
• Momo: Shows practical courage and quick thinking by creating shelter and treating the wounded. Her coordination with Martin reveals their close bond and tacit trust.
• Norns: After her experience with Sa’s reality, she becomes more perceptive and balanced, using her precognition to assess both present circumstances and future possibilities.
• The Looting Emperor: Reveals his confidence and ruthlessness, bringing overwhelming forces and declaring that he will use every available resource to crush the Player Camp.
• Zhouliu: Their pacifistic, hospitable attitude gives way to explosive violence after they are attacked, revealing the formidable power beneath their ordinary demeanor.

Significant Themes

• The complexity of morality: Hadi’s vision reinforces that all beings can contain both kindness and cruelty. Understanding someone’s suffering does not necessarily excuse their actions.
• The danger of power and transformation: Martin’s new forms suggest that strength can be used to heal or destroy, while Hadi’s sublimation raises questions about whether moral growth can also lead toward corruption.
• Survival versus compassion: The characters must choose between fighting, rescuing civilians, and protecting themselves during the invasion. Hadi’s insistence that Martin save people emphasizes compassion amid catastrophe.
• War’s indiscriminate destruction: The attack disrupts everyone, from fighters to ordinary civilians and merchants, showing how large-scale conflict affects the entire community.
• Cooperation and trust: Martin and Momo’s seamless teamwork, as well as the players’ coordinated defense, contrasts with the Looting Emperor’s mass assault and highlights the strength of collective action.

Character Interactions

• Hadi and Martin communicate mentally, with Hadi guiding Martin toward rescuing civilians and Martin expressing concern about Hadi’s altered state.
• Martin and Momo work together instinctively: Martin retrieves survivors while Momo creates a safe shelter and provides medical care.
• Martin consults Anubis, who explains the significance of the world rupture and the Looting Emperor’s offensive.
• Norns warns Qiao Si about the incoming fleet, and Qiao Si organizes the players’ defense.
• The Looting Emperor consults Seven Kill Star before ordering the attack, displaying confidence in his forces and hidden strategies.
• During the battle, individual players—including the archer and Tapir—demonstrate varied fighting styles, while Zhouliu’s confrontation with an Evil Beast turns a plea for peace into a furious counterattack.

Summary of “Mai Yuqiang Attacks”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qiao Si and Ai Miye battle unusually powerful Evil Beasts during the assault on the Sea of Heroes. Qiao Si is forced into constant defense against a hyper-fast, blade-armed creature, while Ai Miye struggles against a female-shaped beast that attacks with crystal-tipped hair.
• Both recognize that the Evil Beasts may have been enhanced or transformed in large numbers by the Looting Emperor. Ai Miye remains confident that Hawkins will intervene if the situation becomes truly dangerous, while Qiao Si distrusts relying on him.
• The Looting Emperor confronts Pei Jin again, convinced that he has surpassed him. He claims Pei Jin has stopped improving, but Pei Jin remains calm and hints that the Emperor may be overconfident.
• Two girls suddenly appear during the confrontation. When the Looting Emperor recognizes Su’er, he immediately retreats and abandons his own subordinates rather than risk facing her.
• Elsewhere, Martin and Hadi rescue civilians being swept into the air by a devastating gale. They face a difficult moral choice between continuing the rescue and hunting an Evil Beast responsible for mass killings; Hadi decides that saving the civilians comes first.
• The Evil Beast tracking them is Mai Yuqiang, who has been transformed and controlled by the Looting Emperor. He is sent to gather other Evil Beasts for a planned sneak attack on the Player Camp.
• Mai Yuqiang follows Martin and Hadi away from the shelter, preventing the injured civilians from becoming collateral damage or hostages. When he arrives, he delivers a recorded message from the Looting Emperor ordering Hadi to obey or lose the power it received.
• Martin concludes that Hadi’s abilities likely came from the Looting Emperor and that Mai Yuqiang is organizing the Evil Beasts for a major operation. He reassures Hadi that his Sealing Sword prevents the Looting Emperor from reclaiming its power.
• Mai Yuqiang waits for Martin’s answer, but he has also been instructed to kill any Evil Beast that refuses to cooperate.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Qiao Si remains disciplined and cautious, relying on endurance rather than risking a suicidal counterattack. She also shows skepticism toward Hawkins and refuses to depend entirely on his intervention.
• Ai Miye demonstrates confidence and trust in their captain, believing Hawkins would act if the Sea of Heroes were truly in danger. Her optimism contrasts with Qiao Si’s caution.
• The Looting Emperor has become more arrogant after gaining strength. He views Pei Jin as an outdated opponent, but his immediate retreat upon seeing Su’er reveals that his confidence has limits.
• Pei Jin stays composed and refuses to be intimidated. His cryptic response suggests he may possess an un revealed advantage or transformation.
• Martin develops as a protector who struggles with the burden of choosing whom to save. He ultimately prioritizes the civilians and later plans the battlefield carefully to protect the wounded.
• Hadi acts decisively by choosing rescue over pursuit. Despite anxiety that its powers may be taken away, it trusts Martin’s protection and works with him.
• Mai Yuqiang is portrayed as a controlled weapon rather than an independent person. The Looting Emperor preserves his handsome appearance, creating a humorous misunderstanding when Martin mistakes it for Mai Yuqiang’s natural face.
• Martin and Hadi’s partnership is strengthened through their shared rescue effort and their preparation to confront Mai Yuqiang.

Significant Themes

• Endurance versus reckless sacrifice: Qiao Si refuses to win through a potentially fatal exchange and instead waits for her opponent to tire.
• Trust and dependence: Ai Miye trusts Hawkins completely, while Qiao Si is uncomfortable relying on anyone, especially their captain.
• Arrogance and misjudgment: The Looting Emperor assumes Pei Jin has not progressed, potentially setting himself up for defeat.
• The moral cost of heroism: Martin must choose between saving people immediately and stopping the Evil Beast that may kill even more civilians.
• Control and autonomy: Mai Yuqiang and the other Evil Beasts are treated as tools, while Hadi fears losing its independence if the Looting Emperor reclaims its power.
• Protection amid catastrophe: Martin, Hadi, and the others repeatedly prioritize civilians despite the overwhelming scale of the disaster.
• Humor amid danger: Martin’s fixation on Mai Yuqiang’s artificially handsome appearance provides comic relief during an otherwise grim confrontation.

Key plot points and events

• Martin and Hadi decide to follow Mai Yuqiang, suspecting that the Looting Emperor plans to summon all the Evil Beasts. Martin privately alerts Tapir and Hawkins, who prepare a trusted group to strike once the Beasts’ locations are confirmed.
• Mai leads Martin to a cave, where they encounter a bull-headed Evil Beast. Mai fights it without any visible attack, eventually breaking its arm. The Beast later stops fighting and claims it attacked because it was asleep.
• Mai uses the Looting Emperor’s form to deliver a repeated, apparently prerecorded ultimatum: obey his orders or lose the power he granted. The Beast identifies himself as Rosslow, changes into an old man, and reluctantly follows.
• The group reaches a town whose inhabitants have been tortured and had their hearts removed. There, they confront a Snake Woman who tries to attack Mai and take his heart. An unseen barrage of blows sends her flying, and she ultimately submits as well.

Character developments

• Martin is increasingly cautious and distrustful, recognizing that loyalties and private ties can make information-sharing dangerous. He stays focused on observing Mai’s abilities and gathering intelligence rather than befriending the Evil Beasts.
• Mai Yuqiang proves powerful and controlled: he defeats challengers, lets the Looting Emperor’s recorded threat compel obedience, and shows little reaction to their taunts or pleas.
• Rosslow is wary and unwilling to serve Mai willingly. He tries to test whether Martin might be an ally, but backs off when Martin refuses to engage.
• The Snake Woman is cruel and vain, but yields when she judges resistance futile, continuing to insist on her supposed beauty.

Significant themes

• Trust and betrayal: Information can leak through friendship, love, or family ties, so Martin shares sensitive intelligence only with selected allies.
• Power and coercion: The Looting Emperor’s gift becomes a means of control, while Mai enforces obedience through overwhelming force.
• Moral cost and restraint: Martin is horrified by the murdered townspeople but suppresses his anger to pursue the larger mission.
• Uncertainty and observation: Martin cannot initially explain Mai’s invisible attacks, so he studies them before deciding how they might be countered.

Character interactions

• Martin and Hadi analyze Mai’s attacks together, eventually concluding that he likely stops time and strikes while everything else is frozen.
• Martin remains cold toward Rosslow, who suspects they are both being threatened and probes for a possible alliance.
• Mai’s silence and force contrast with the Evil Beasts’ attempts to bargain, flirt, or justify themselves; in both encounters, his ultimatum ends with their reluctant submission.

Chapter Summary: “Dima Was No Simple Man”

Plot and Key Events

• After the Looting Emperor retreats, the battle at Player Camp becomes completely one-sided. Su’er and Shaya destroy Evil Beasts with overwhelming physical strength, killing them with single punches and using no special skills.
• Su’er accidentally steals players’ monsters, causing frustration among the players. However, because she does not take the loot, the players quickly forgive her and instead form an enthusiastic cheering squad around her.
• Su’er remains focused only on leveling her many skills, driven by her obsessive desire to maximize everything.
• Dima observes the battle from a nearby hill. He recognizes that the players—and especially Su’er and Shaya—are far too powerful for him to confront directly. He had hoped to obtain a player’s corpse for research, but abandons the idea after seeing the Looting Emperor flee.
• Returning to Redneck Fief, Dima considers infiltrating Player Camp and approaching Shaya. He believes his handsome appearance and charm could help him get close to her.
• Mai Yuqiang unexpectedly enters Dima’s study and reveals that he is acting under the Looting Emperor’s authority. He orders Dima to obey or lose the power he received from the Looting Emperor.
• Although Dima outwardly submits, he secretly resents the threat and is unwilling to surrender his newfound power.
• Mai Yuqiang brings Dima to the other Evil Beasts. The group begins traveling together while Mai Yuqiang continues gathering recruits.
• Martin notices that Dima lacks the bloodlust and murderous aura typical of the other Evil Beasts. Dima appears to have retained much more of his human identity and self-control.
• Dima approaches Martin and proposes an alliance, claiming they are alike because they seek strength rather than pointless slaughter.
• Dima identifies the “Looting Emperor” as the figure controlling Mai Yuqiang, revealing that he knows far more than the other Evil Beasts. Martin realizes Dima is unusually perceptive and potentially dangerous.

Character Developments

• Su’er: Displays immense physical power and an obsessive commitment to leveling every skill. Her monster-stealing unintentionally earns her a devoted following among the players.
• Shaya: Alongside Su’er, establishes herself as an almost unstoppable combatant whose strength terrifies even powerful observers.
• Dima: Emerges as intelligent, calculating, ambitious, and socially manipulative rather than a simple bloodthirsty Evil Beast. He fears the players’ strength, covets their power, and considers infiltration and alliances instead of direct confrontation. Despite submitting to Mai Yuqiang, he secretly resents being controlled.
• Martin: Remains cautious and observant. He hides his true identity and evaluates Dima carefully after Dima notices his difference from the other Evil Beasts.
• Mai Yuqiang: Acts as the Looting Emperor’s enforcer, recruiting Evil Beasts and compelling them to obey.
• Other Evil Beasts: Their loyalty appears unstable and opportunistic; they follow Mai Yuqiang mainly because of fear, superior numbers, and the hope of benefiting from his power.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming power and hierarchy: The battle demonstrates the vast gap between ordinary Evil Beasts and the strongest players.
• Power corrupting judgment: Dima’s envy of the players and dependence on the Looting Emperor’s power begin drawing him toward increasingly dangerous choices.
• Identity and humanity: Unlike the other Evil Beasts, Dima retains restraint, intelligence, and social ambition, raising questions about what truly makes someone monstrous.
• Opportunistic loyalty: The Evil Beasts are willing to submit, defect, or form alliances according to whoever seems strongest.
• Appearances versus reality: Dima appears to be an ordinary, weakly transformed Evil Beast, but his intelligence and understanding of the situation distinguish him from the others.

Important Character Interactions

• Su’er and the players: Her accidental monster theft causes outrage, but her refusal to claim the loot turns the players into enthusiastic supporters.
• Dima and Mai Yuqiang: Mai Yuqiang forces Dima into obedience by threatening to reclaim the power granted by the Looting Emperor. Dima complies outwardly while harboring resentment.
• Dima and Martin: Dima recognizes Martin as different from the other Evil Beasts and suggests an alliance based on their shared interest in strength rather than slaughter.
• Dima and the Looting Emperor: Dima’s knowledge of the Looting Emperor’s identity and command structure reveals that he is unusually informed—and may have plans beyond simple obedience.

Chapter Summary: “Battle in the Red Mist”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Dima reveals that the Looting Emperor—not merely its “mouthpiece”—granted him power. He uses this knowledge to persuade Martin into a temporary alliance.
• Rosslow and Snake Woman suspect that Dima and Martin may support the mysterious leader, so they decide to strike first.
• Mai Yuqiang gathers numerous Evil Beasts while searching for the last and strongest creature. Unaware that the beasts are forming factions against him, he leads them to a canyon containing a gigantic red monster tree.
• The tree is nearly six hundred meters tall, covered in living human-head “fruit,” and far stronger than the other Evil Beasts. Its roots ambush the group, killing one of Rosslow’s allies and transforming the victim into another head on the tree.
• Rosslow and Mai Yuqiang attack the tree, but their blows cannot damage its extraordinarily hard trunk. The other Evil Beasts hang back, hoping the fighters will kill each other or weaken the tree.
• The tree’s heads suddenly explode, releasing a red mist that traps everyone. Martin tests multiple anti-illusion and antidote potions, but none dispel the mist, suggesting it is neither an illusion nor ordinary poison.
• Martin theorizes that the mist may disrupt space, separating and trapping the Evil Beasts so the tree can consume them.
• Inside the mist, Martin encounters Ronaldo, a powerful moose-headed Evil Beast with a gorilla-like body. Ronaldo repeatedly charges him.
• Martin attempts to attack Ronaldo from above with the Sealing Sword, but Ronaldo traps the sword between bones on his back and counterattacks. Hadi takes control long enough to help Martin avoid being crushed, but Martin is still thrown aside and badly injured.

Character Developments

• Dima presents himself as knowledgeable and strategically valuable, using information about the Looting Emperor to manipulate Martin into cooperating. However, his immediate withdrawal after securing the alliance suggests he is cautious and self-serving.
• Martin becomes increasingly suspicious and analytical. He prepares extensively against the red mist, testing potions and reasoning that it may involve spatial distortion. Despite his caution, he underestimates Ronaldo and suffers a serious setback.
• Hadi continues functioning as Martin’s sensory and defensive support. He detects that the mist has erased all smells and later takes control of Martin’s body to save him from Ronaldo’s stomp.
• Rosslow reacts emotionally when his ally is killed and aggressively attacks the tree, demonstrating his impulsive, revenge-driven nature.
• Snake Woman remains calculating and opportunistic. She abandons Rosslow rather than risk herself and mocks him for acting as though he is the group’s leader.
• Mai Yuqiang remains confident and focused on locating Evil Beasts, but he is oblivious to the factions and hostility forming behind him.
• Ronaldo is established as a physically overwhelming opponent whose repeated charging attacks are powerful but predictable.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and uncertain alliances: Dima’s alliance with Martin is based on hidden motives and incomplete trust, while the Evil Beasts’ cooperation is purely temporary.
• Survival and opportunism: Most of the beasts refuse to help Rosslow or Mai Yuqiang, preferring to benefit from others’ deaths and intervene only when advantageous.
• Hidden strength and deceptive appearances: The red tree appears unlike ordinary Evil Beasts and possesses overwhelming abilities, while combat strength cannot be judged solely by aura or energy.
• Preparation versus unpredictability: Martin’s extensive use of potions protects him from several possible dangers, but his familiar tactic fails against Ronaldo, emphasizing the limits of prior knowledge.
• Isolation and confusion: The red mist physically and psychologically separates the characters, turning the group battle into a series of individual confrontations.

Character Interactions

• Dima persuades Martin to form a temporary alliance, though he withholds further information afterward.
• Snake Woman and Rosslow discuss the threat posed by Martin and Dima and agree to attack first.
• Rosslow charges the tree after it kills his ally, while Snake Woman retreats and ridicules him.
• Martin consults Hadi about the strange mist and relies on him for sensory information and emergency control.
• Martin and Ronaldo engage in a tense battle, with Martin’s sword attack failing and Hadi narrowly preventing Ronaldo from crushing him.

Chapter Summary: “Scissors, Rock, Paper”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Martin battles Ronaldo, a powerful Evil Beast whose red-glowing eyes reveal that it is being controlled by the Red Mist.
• Realizing Ronaldo may be trapped in an illusion, Martin uses an Illusion-Breaking Potion by throwing the entire bottle into Ronaldo’s mouth.
• Martin struggles to survive Ronaldo’s relentless charges. A single attack nearly destroys his Blood Shield, but his warrior constitution and rapid recovery keep him alive.
• The potion successfully restores Ronaldo’s consciousness. Ronaldo stops attacking Martin, and the two begin searching the Red Mist for other Evil Beasts.
• Meanwhile, Bamboo Pole and Baldhead enter the Dream Realm while tracking Mai Yuqiang. They discover the terrifying Sea of Heroes and observe the dangerous Player Camp from a distance.
• The two eventually reach Redneck Fief and follow Mai Yuqiang’s aura into the Red Mist.
• Afraid to enter, they decide to determine who will scout ahead through a game of rock-paper-scissors. Before either can act on the result, enormous arms emerge from the Red Mist and drag both men inside.
• Martin and Ronaldo hear their screams and investigate. Martin suspects the chaotic battle noises may be a trap, but Ronaldo recklessly charges toward them.
• Martin discovers that a giant black spider is fighting Ronaldo. Baldhead is attached to the spider, apparently having nearly had his skull pierced so the spider could consume his brain. Ronaldo’s interruption temporarily saved him, though the spider’s silk is beginning to immobilize Ronaldo.

Character Developments

• Martin: Demonstrates caution, quick reasoning, and tactical resourcefulness. He correctly identifies Ronaldo’s condition and risks using one of his limited potions. He remains wary even after the potion works, recognizing that the strange battle sounds may be bait.
• Ronaldo: Initially acts as an uncontrollable, highly aggressive opponent under the Red Mist’s influence. After being freed, it becomes Martin’s temporary ally, though it retains its fearless and impulsive nature, charging into danger despite Martin’s warning.
• Bamboo Pole and Baldhead: Their investigation shows their loyalty to Zhang Fangchang is driven largely by fear. Both are competent trackers but comically cowardly when confronted with the Red Mist. Their rock-paper-scissors decision highlights their instinct to shift danger onto the other.
• Mai Yuqiang: Does not appear directly, but his trail remains central to the investigation. His unusual aura and prolonged search for Evil Beasts draw Bamboo Pole and Baldhead deeper into danger.
• Zhang Fangchang: Though absent, he influences events through the “death order” that forces the two investigators to continue searching.

Significant Themes

• Control and freedom: The Red Mist can dominate even powerful creatures, while the Illusion-Breaking Potion represents the possibility of restoring free will.
• Survival and self-preservation: Characters repeatedly weigh danger against obligation, often choosing caution—or attempting to make someone else face the risk.
• Strength and hierarchy: The chapter emphasizes the terrifying power of Ronaldo, the Player Camp, and the creatures within the Red Mist.
• Uncertainty and deception: The Red Mist creates illusions and possibly lures victims with false or manipulated sounds, making appearances unreliable.
• Dark comedy amid danger: Baldhead and Bamboo Pole’s rock-paper-scissors contest contrasts absurdly with the lethal situation surrounding them.

Character Interactions

• Martin and Hadi communicate mentally, with Hadi helping Martin notice Ronaldo’s glowing eyes and warning him of incoming attacks.
• Martin and Ronaldo shift from enemies to uneasy allies after the potion breaks Ronaldo’s control, though Martin does not fully trust or value the beast.
• Bamboo Pole and Baldhead share mutual fear of the Red Mist and Zhang Fangchang, ultimately attempting to decide who must enter through rock-paper-scissors.
• Ronaldo’s reckless charge interrupts the spider’s attack on Baldhead, unintentionally saving him and forcing Ronaldo into a new fight.
• Martin observes the confrontation cautiously, preparing to respond to the spider’s apparent trap while Ronaldo battles alone.

Key plot points

• Powerful outsiders known as senders cast portions of their True Spirits into the World Hole, observing them as if they were game characters. The Calamity Emperor is one such sender; his avatar there, the Looting Emperor, has repeatedly disappointed him.
• While preparing to reclaim the Looting Emperor, the Calamity Emperor realizes he is in a dream rather than his Heavenly Tribulation Palace.
• Hawkins appears in the dream, having somehow stepped beyond the story in which he belonged. He challenges the Calamity Emperor’s assumption that Hawkins is merely a fictional character—and suggests the Calamity Emperor may himself be inside someone else’s story.
• Hawkins explains that he does not see anyone as an enemy: people he opposes are simply obstacles or “experience packs” that help the Heroes he cares about grow. He invites the Calamity Emperor to accept that perspective, but the Emperor rejects it.
• Hawkins’s final words enrage the Calamity Emperor. After waking, he decides to force the Looting Emperor out of the story. Before he can act, a gigantic, three-eyed infant appears and destroys the Heavenly Tribulation Palace with a single breath, killing the Calamity Emperor.
• The watching senders are left terrified and silent as the infant vanishes into warped space.

Character developments and interactions

• Calamity Emperor: Proud, volatile, and contemptuous of others, he is unsettled by Hawkins’s intrusion but quickly turns his surprise into anger. His confidence in the palace’s defenses proves futile.
• Hawkins: Calm and reflective, he reveals a philosophy centered on helping Heroes grow rather than pursuing power or vengeance. His exchange with the Calamity Emperor shows how radically their worldviews differ.
• The senders: Their reaction to the Emperor’s sudden death shows that even powerful observers are vulnerable to forces they do not understand.

Significant themes

• Crisis and opportunity: The World Hole’s collisions bring devastation, but also create extraordinary possibilities.
• Perspective and reality: The story questions who is a “player” and who is a “character,” suggesting that apparent observers may also be inside someone else’s narrative.
• Different paths through life: Hawkins values patience, travel, and growth; the Calamity Emperor embodies domination and violence.
• Power and vulnerability: Even a mighty ruler and his formidable palace can be destroyed instantly by a greater, unexplained force.

Chapter Summary: “Hawkins Watches You”

Key Plot Points and Events

• In Infinite City, Hawkins watches Martin through his Sage-level Foresight. He reflects on the Calamity Emperor’s inevitable defeat by Mother, whose strength has dramatically increased after Su’er and Shaya became players.
• Hawkins admires Martin’s moral character. Although Martin possesses the powerful god-tier skill Deception, he avoids using it because he believes deception is wrong, preferring to fight openly.
• Martin faces a dilemma while watching Ronaldo battle the Evil Beast Black Spider. If he does nothing, Ronaldo will die; if Ronaldo falls, Baldhead will likely be killed next. Although Martin is unsure whether Baldhead is truly good, he cannot stand by and watch him die.
• Martin intervenes, cutting the spider silk binding Ronaldo and attempting to persuade him to work together against Black Spider. Ronaldo ignores the suggestion and continues attacking her.
• Martin and Hadi exchange briefly, reinforcing their unusual friendship. Hadi accepts that Evil Beasts are generally evil, but judges people based on how they treat him; because Martin treats him well, Hadi considers Martin good.
• Black Spider proves highly intelligent. She deliberately endures Ronaldo’s attacks and focuses on trapping him, recognizing that he is the greater threat. Her silk accumulates on the ground, forming an adhesive trap.
• Ronaldo becomes entangled in the webbing, allowing Martin to realize that Black Spider’s apparent pursuit of him was actually part of a strategy to restrain Ronaldo.
• Martin and Hadi unleash No-Meditation Chain Slash, an enhanced version of Martin’s ultimate sword technique. Because Hadi’s power continuously flows into Martin, he can repeatedly unleash the attack instead of becoming powerless after one strike.
• The sword attack wounds Black Spider severely, but she survives. She catches Martin with spider silk, hurls him through the air, and attacks him with her spear-like legs.
• Martin barely blocks her attacks with the Sealing Sword, but is overwhelmed by her strength and dragged back toward her by the silk. As he is about to be impaled, he prepares to activate one of the various skills sealed inside his sword.

Character Developments

• Hawkins: Demonstrates his role as an observer and mentor. He remains hopeful about Martin and recognizes the value of Martin’s integrity. His philosophy rejects simple divisions between good and evil, allowing him to see potential value even in Evil Beasts.
• Martin: Shows compassion and moral responsibility by risking his life to save both Ronaldo and Baldhead. His refusal to use Deception reflects his strong principles. He also demonstrates growing combat ability by combining his strength with Hadi’s and evolving No-Meditation Slash into a sustained technique.
• Hadi: His bond with Martin deepens. Though he does not consider himself kind, he supports Martin and shares his immense power with him. His personal morality is based on loyalty and treatment rather than conventional notions of good and evil.
• Ronaldo: Remains aggressive and independent, refusing to coordinate directly with Martin. His straightforward charging style makes him powerful but vulnerable to Black Spider’s web-based tactics.
• Black Spider: Emerges as a highly intelligent and dangerous opponent. She identifies Ronaldo as the main threat, accepts injuries strategically, and manipulates the battlefield to trap him and Martin.

Significant Themes

• Fate versus intervention: Hawkins knows the Calamity Emperor’s fate but still tries to change it, emphasizing the difference between understanding an outcome and passively accepting it.
• Morality and integrity: Martin’s reluctance to use Deception shows his commitment to honesty, even when deception could provide an advantage.
• Good and evil as relative concepts: Hawkins and Hadi both reject simplistic moral labels. Power is portrayed as morally neutral; its value depends on how it is used.
• Loyalty and compassion: Martin risks himself to save people whose moral character he cannot confirm, while Hadi’s loyalty to Martin is based on personal trust.
• Growth through cooperation: Martin’s partnership with Hadi transforms his signature technique and allows him to access power far beyond his individual limits.
• Intelligence versus brute force: Black Spider’s strategy and battlefield control challenge Ronaldo’s direct strength and force Martin to adapt.

Important Character Interactions

• Hawkins and Martin: Hawkins observes Martin with pride and recognizes his honesty and potential.
• Martin and Ronaldo: Martin tries to form a temporary alliance, but Ronaldo ignores the request and continues attacking alone.
• Martin and Hadi: Their brief exchange highlights their mutual understanding and growing partnership. Hadi’s power becomes essential to Martin’s survival.
• Martin and Black Spider: Their battle becomes a contest between Martin’s sword techniques and Black Spider’s intelligence, strength, and web traps.
• Hawkins and the Evil Beasts: Hawkins’s reflections reveal his unconventional belief that even Evil Beasts can have value or redeeming qualities, especially in the case of Hadi.

Chapter Summary: “Displacement!”

• Martin uses the Displacement skill to distort Black Spider’s perception of his position. Her attacks miss, allowing him to strike the vulnerable joint between her thorax and abdomen with the Sealing Sword.
• He cleaves Black Spider in two and seals her lower half. Enraged, she transforms into a humanoid Spider Woman and attacks at greater speed.
• Martin counters with Apollo Divine Swordsmanship, targeting her vital points. He pierces her abdomen, chest, and collarbone, then unveils a new technique: No-Meditation Shockwave Slash. By sustaining the slash through rapid vibrations, he unleashes a devastating ring of Sword Qi that destroys Spider Woman and two distant Evil Beasts. The technique badly injures Martin’s hands but demonstrates immense destructive power.
• Martin frees Baldhead Qiang, a muscular cultivator who had been bound to Spider Woman. Baldhead explains that he and several companions, including Mai Yuqiang, became separated in the red mist while traveling toward Redneck Fief.
• Martin notices several suspicious details about Baldhead, including his impressive physique and the fact that an apparent head injury has healed completely. Nevertheless, he decides to help him search for his missing companions and escape the dangerous area.
• Martin finds Ronaldo trapped in spider silk and seals him into black fluid with the Sealing Sword. Baldhead reacts with open envy toward the sword, hinting at possible ulterior motives.
• Dima suddenly betrays Martin, impaling him through the back and chest. He correctly deduces that Martin is a Player who used the Sealing Sword to imitate an Evil Beast.
• Dima reveals his intense hatred of Players. He believes Players unfairly gain power—sometimes even lowborn commoners—while Lords like himself are denied the opportunity to take the Player test. He claims that Lords, not Players, should rule the land.
• Martin challenges Dima’s hostility, pointing out that Players have repeatedly defended Sea of Heroes from the Looting Emperor. Dima dismisses this, arguing that Players act as if they are the world’s masters.
• Martin insults Dima’s motivation as childish, pathetic, and hateful, briefly overpowering and throwing him despite his own wounds. Dima recovers and attacks again in his Evil Beast form.
• Dima’s resentment is exposed as jealousy and class-based entitlement, though he continues to insist that it is simply hatred of Players. He eventually stomps Martin repeatedly, apparently killing him, while Baldhead Qiang flees in terror.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Martin displays tactical intelligence, decisiveness, compassion toward endangered strangers, and increasing mastery of his sword techniques. His willingness to help Baldhead exists alongside growing suspicion of him.
• Black Spider/Spider Woman shifts from a monstrous predator into a furious humanoid form but is ultimately overwhelmed by Martin’s improved combat abilities.
• Baldhead Qiang presents himself as a grateful traveler, but his unusual physique, rapid recovery, and envy of Martin’s sword suggest that he may be more dangerous or important than he claims.
• Dima changes from apparent ally to enemy. His hatred of Players stems from resentment over status and access to power rather than any genuine injustice committed by them.
• Martin and Dima’s confrontation is ideological as well as physical: Martin believes power should be used to protect others, while Dima believes power and authority belong inherently to the ruling Lords.

Significant Themes

• Power, privilege, and jealousy: Dima’s hatred reflects resentment toward Players who can gain power regardless of social status.
• The responsibilities of power: Martin uses his abilities to protect and rescue others, contrasting with Dima’s belief that power validates domination.
• Suspicion versus compassion: Martin recognizes Baldhead’s inconsistencies but chooses to help him before proof of wrongdoing exists.
• Innovation through combat: Martin’s development of No-Meditation Shockwave Slash shows his ability to adapt and push beyond the limits of borrowed power.
• Betrayal and hidden identities: The chapter emphasizes disguises, concealed motives, and the danger of trusting appearances.