Gong Qiying

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Gong Qiying (宫奇英)
Alias(es)	Ma Lei Da; Sakaki; Godwyn 21 22 264
Species/Race	Living Dead; later operates through a corpse-reborn human body 12 42
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Zane Dungeon; later also Val Dungeon and Eagle Capital Dungeon 1 133 265
Occupation/Role	Dungeon City Lord; dungeon designer and operator 1 264
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Living Dead form strengthened	12	Absorbed residual life force from corpses, restoring some luster to his withered body and increasing his strength.
Intelligence raised to C-	34	Increased Intelligence from E+ through D+, enabling him to fully comprehend the Corpse Rebirth Technique manuscript.
External human body acquired	42	Completed the Corpse Rebirth Technique using Jack's corpse; gained a body capable of leaving the dungeon while retaining absolute control of Zane Dungeon.
Val Dungeon authority acquired	133	Accepted Gide's transfer of Val Dungeon and inherited Gide's stored knowledge.
“A World You Can't Leave Without Victory” Authority	175	Obtained from Calamity Nest Dungeon after draining its mental energy and forcing it into dormancy.
Three-dungeon City Lord; Absolute Domination	265	Took over Eagle Capital Dungeon and gained an Authority that can alter simultaneous explorer limits and expel all adventurers.
Level 4 City Lord Authority	444	Upgraded his City Lord Authority and gained access to weakened summons of named Legendary figures.

Background / History

Gong Qiying was a game-company employee before transmigrating into another world as the Lord of the weak Zane Dungeon. The dungeon had less than a month of lifespan remaining because it lacked mental power, tying his own survival to its revival. He immediately rebuilt it into a three-level dungeon with altered maps, elite gatekeepers, and more punishing monster placements to draw in adventurers and harvest mental power. 1

Although initially inexperienced in dungeon design, he discovered that he enjoyed constructing difficult, interconnected maps inspired by games. His early budget constraints made him favor local monsters over costly fantasy creations, though he still deployed special threats such as the Crucible Knight when adventurers approached his core. 4

Gong Qiying later used the Corpse Rebirth Technique to enter Jack's corpse, creating an external body that allowed him to leave Zane Dungeon without losing control over it. He subsequently established the Ma Lei Da Magic Item Shop in Bede City, selling dungeon-produced goods and observing both the outside world and his dungeon through his dual consciousness. 42 43 49

As Zane Dungeon expanded, he reorganized its mixed game-inspired content into distinct Soulslike, Monster Hunter, and gourmet/Pokémon areas. He later accepted Val Dungeon from Gide, acquired Eagle Capital Dungeon as a reward for defeating Burning Demons, and became the lord of three dungeons. 113 133 264 265

Appearance

Gong Qiying's original dungeon body is a thin Living Dead with dry, withered skin. After absorbing life force, he becomes less mummy-like but remains gaunt. His corpse-reborn body resembles his former appearance while retaining some resemblance to Godwyn in his prime. 12 42

• Hair and eyes — Black hair and black eyes, traits described as uncommon in this world. 42
• Ma Lei Da guise — Appears as a golden summoned spirit with an outgoing, warm demeanor; the disguise was modeled after a hostile NPC from Dark Souls II. 22 36
• Transformation forms — Can assume dungeon-monster forms, including the Hero Gargoyle. 12

Personality

Gong Qiying is analytical, cost-conscious, and deeply invested in dungeon design. He measures monsters, rewards, map layouts, and emotional reactions by how effectively they sustain his dungeon's mental-energy economy. He takes particular pleasure in watching adventurers learn from traps and improve through repeated attempts. 4 21 86

Despite his calculating nature, he is lonely and actively seeks conversation with people from outside the dungeon. His willingness to guide Si Telan began partly because he had been isolated for so long and needed information about the world. 21 22

He is capable of cruelty toward threats to his dungeon or subordinates, especially after Jack's murder, but distinguishes between enemies and people who enter Zane Dungeon peacefully. He describes this approach as preserving his “Humanity”: treating enemies with the violence of a Hollow and friends with Solaire's kindness. 36 664

Abilities & Skills

Dungeon Design and Monster Creation

As a City Lord, Gong Qiying can restructure dungeon maps, deploy monsters and buildings, establish rewards, and alter dungeon gameplay.

• Rebuilt Zane Dungeon into a three-level challenge dungeon within a single night. 1 4
• Can recreate monsters, structures, and items inspired by Earth's games and animation, though fantasy creations require greater Spirit Power expenditure. 4
• Designs monster ecosystems and area themes rather than placing unrelated creatures randomly. 113
• Developed the Triangle Law, a design principle that uses visible goals and layered incentives to drive adventurers deeper into a dungeon. 264
• Can introduce new services and mechanics, including Bonfires, equipment repair, summoning systems, and limited dungeon events. 25 288 359

City Lord Authorities

Gong Qiying holds multiple Authorities gained through dungeon expansion and victory.

• Absolute Domination — Changes the maximum number of simultaneous explorers and can forcibly remove all adventurers from a dungeon. 265
• A World You Can't Leave Without Victory — Acquired from Calamity Nest Dungeon; its specific effects are not described. 175
• Level 4 City Lord Authority — Allows him to summon weakened versions of named Legendary figures. 444

Crystal Ball Surveillance

Gong Qiying uses a Crystal Ball to monitor dungeon activity and gather intelligence.

• Observes adventurers, records their behavior, and adjusts dungeon designs in real time. 4 58
• Can view scenes outside a dungeon, including events in Val City. 129
• Maintains battle recordings and detailed information on individual adventurers. 393

Transformations and Corpse Rebirth

Gong Qiying can use alternate bodies and monster forms.

• Used transformation permission to become the Hero Gargoyle and personally confront Black Market Dealers. 12
• Can appear as the golden summoned assistant “Ma Lei Da” through summoning signs. 22 36
• Used the Corpse Rebirth Technique to transfer his soul into Jack's corpse and gain a mobile human body. 42
• Retains absolute control over Zane Dungeon even while outside it. 42

Living Dead Physiology

His Living Dead race can absorb residual life force from corpses.

• Strengthens his body by absorbing life force left in dead creatures. 12 68
• Used Demon Race corpses to reinforce his Living Dead form after the Demon Race attack. 68
• His undead appearance can be detected as a strong “monster scent.” 49

Combat and Shield Poke

Though usually a behind-the-scenes operator, Gong Qiying is a capable combatant and instructor.

• Uses a Greatshield and Lance to absorb attacks while retaliating from behind his guard, a style he calls Shield Poke. 23
• Taught Shield Poke to Si Telan, emphasizing survival and efficient defense over conventional damage-focused combat. 23 36
• Uses spells to clear groups of enemies when supporting adventurers. 25
• Can assess another person's approximate strength after inheriting Godwyn's memories. 5

Co-Hearted Kindred

The Co-Hearted module lets Gong Qiying summon simulated versions of people who have entered Zane Dungeon.

• Kindred are simulated hero units rather than the original people. 125
• Their weapons, combat ability, and area-of-effect talents reflect what they demonstrated inside the dungeon. 125
• Their strength scales with their bond to the dungeon; a bond above twenty restores their original strength, while higher bonds provide further enhancement. 125
• Summoning Kindred does not consume mental power, but each battle has a summoning limit and Kindred cannot be repeatedly summoned. 125

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Crystal Ball — Remote surveillance, battle recording, and external observation device. 4 129 393
• Greatshield and Lance — His preferred Shield Poke equipment. 23
• Flying Dagger and sickle — Weapons carried while guiding Si Telan through the dungeon. 23
• Wind Walker — A weapon obtained after Jiede's sacrifice; lets its user transform into wind and potentially generate a massive hurricane when activated at greater power. 255
• Blue-Eyes White Dragon crystal — Stores Gide's memories and knowledge for Gong Qiying to review with magic power. 133
• Magic books — Collects rare books for his planned magic academy, including a Merfolk magic book received from Lin Weier. 195

Relationships

• Si Telan — Adventurer, student, and recurring summoned companion. Gong Qiying guides her through Zane Dungeon, teaches Shield Poke, and asks her to help gather ritual materials. 22 23 36
• Jack — Former subordinate bound by a Slave Contract. Jack's murder provokes Gong Qiying into personally pursuing the killers and seeking a more reliable way to collect materials. 12 36
• Gide — Former City Lord of Val Dungeon. Gong Qiying treats the golem as an equal, accepts Val Dungeon from him, and receives his stored memories. 126 127 133
• Red Fang — Senior City Lord and influential ally. Red Fang rewards Gong Qiying with Eagle Capital Dungeon, supports his Authority transfer, and considers him a potential future successor. 264 265 359
• Lin Weier — Lord of Dark Blue Sea Dungeon. She trades rare magic books and other resources for Gong Qiying's aid to Verdant Dungeon. 195
• Hai Nisi / Lei Lei Ni Ye — Young Lord of Verdant Dungeon. Gong Qiying provides mental power and Monsters to help her survive, later offering advice on governing her dungeon. 195 613
• Mordin — City Lord of Glory Dungeon. Gong Qiying mentors him in developing the “Thirty Heroes” area and its team-based historical-Hero battles. 556
• Flame Fire — City Lord of Explosive Flame Dungeon. After defeating Flame Fire in a friendly spar, Gong Qiying trades a Furnace Golem for detailed information about other dungeons. 701 702

Notable Quotes

“I choose you. Go, Teacher Crucible!” 4

“Long may the sunshine!” 36

“Treat enemies as violently as a Hollow, and treat friends as kindly as Solaire.” 664

Trivia

• Gong Qiying's experience as a game-company employee heavily shapes his dungeon design philosophy. 1
• He considers Zane Dungeon a place meant to make people smile, whether from happiness, emotion, or relief. 628
• He often evaluates real-world situations through game-design logic, including reward loops, player feedback, map flow, and difficulty. 86 264
• He enjoys watching adventurers seriously discuss information that he already knows from his surveillance records. 549