Chapter Summaries

Captain Su learned that Feng Ling had entered a Military Restricted Zone with Knights from Ingland and Infected from Lorias, so he arranged for help to retrieve them. After the group was picked up, they parted ways with Tidal Wave Squad and the Infected, and Feng Ling asked Lin Pengpeng to translate a recording.

• Captain Su received Feng Ling’s call and contacted Yan Lingfeng to arrange Translators, medical staff, and equipment for her return.
• As they waited in the wilderness, Leland asked to exchange contact information and take a group photo with Feng Ling’s group.
• Huangfu Miaomiao took two group photos before vehicles from the Military Region arrived.
• The evacuees boarded separate vehicles, and the driver told Lin Pengpeng that Tidal Wave Squad and the Infected would return to the Republic of Lorias.
• Feng Ling asked Lin Pengpeng to listen to a recording and translate it.

After hearing the Tidal Wave Squad’s recording, Lin Pengpeng realized her family might be safer if she stayed with them and asked to get off in Hanshui City. She explained to Feng Ling that the chance of any individual being logged into by a Xenomorph might be fifty percent—or even certain if the game never ended.

• Lin Pengpeng repeatedly listened to the recording, looked up unfamiliar words, and asked to get off in Hanshui City to return home.
• Huangfu Miaomiao translated the recording, and Feng Ling noticed references to Scarecrow, a two-million-square-meter area, and resource squeeze.
• Lin Pengpeng became sick on the roadside, and Feng Ling went to comfort her.
• Lin Pengpeng asked whether Feng Ling understood Scarecrow, and Feng Ling explained it might protect Card holders from Xenomorph Log-ins.
• Lin Pengpeng revealed she feared her parents could be logged into if she left them, and challenged Feng Ling’s estimate of the risk.

Feng Ling helped Lin Pengpeng decide not to quit Hunter Star International Group over the Scarecrow threat, suggesting she move her family to a safer city instead. After the group split up, Li Yu discovered that his travel companion had been the famous Feng Ling and regretted missing his chance to meet his idol properly.

• Lin Pengpeng worried that revealing the Scarecrow threat would cause panic, while keeping it secret seemed unfair to Hunters and their families.
• Feng Ling told Lin Pengpeng she could speak out without bearing the full responsibility for what followed, and suggested moving her family to Yanjing City or Yunhai City.
• Lin Pengpeng decided to keep training at Hunter Star International Group and move her family to a big city, then returned to the car with Feng Ling.
• After the overnight journey, Li Yu, Wang Xunmei, and Zhang Lu went to report to the Foundation branch while Feng Ling, Lin Pengpeng, and Huangfu Miaomiao continued toward Qingjiang City.
• Wang Xunmei and Zhang Lu revealed that Feng Ling was the top-ranked Hunter, and Li Yu realized he had traveled with his idol without recognizing her.

Feng Ling returned to Qingjiang City energized by her connection to the Nest Body, but Ye Zheng attacked her over her reckless trip to Lorias. After Feng Ling fought back, she entered the building, leaving the conflict unresolved.

• Feng Ling sensed the Nest Body strengthening her as she neared Qingjiang City, and the Hive’s creatures gathered to welcome her home.
• Su Yuqing opened the gate while the Observers watched Feng Ling return with unreadable expressions.
• Ye Zheng attacked Feng Ling for ignoring her instructions, and Feng Ling defended herself as their fight escalated.
• Dou Shuran and Zou Kai questioned Su Yuqing about the fight, and he reassured them that the Hive’s creatures remained under control.
• The Observers accepted that Feng Ling had found the Idol and lowered her Corruption Value, while Su Yuqing worried about the risks of her trip to Lorias.
• Feng Ling kicked open the glass door and entered with a dark expression.

Feng Ling returned from her fight with Ye Zheng and learned that the others had prepared a welcome-back celebration for her. She joined the festivities while Li Qing remained apart, refusing food because he was fasting.

• Feng Ling and Huangfu Miaomiao returned to the house, where Li Qing asked about their trip and invited everyone to celebrate.
• Feng Ling washed up and reflected that Ye Zheng’s temper stemmed from her Corruption Value, and that her guarding the Nest Body let Feng Ling search for Idols.
• Feng Ling watched fireworks over the Qingjiang riverbank before Zhou Diao called her to the courtyard.
• Zhou Diao and the Special Forces members revealed a “Welcome back” display, fireworks, a bouquet, a cake, and food prepared by Su Yuqing.
• Feng Ling invited Li Qing to join the celebration, but he declined, saying he was fasting.

After celebrating Feng Ling’s safe return, Ye Zheng learned that Feng Ling had brought back a Labyrinth Divine Statue for her. The statue appeared in Qingjiang City, and Ye Zheng placed two of her remaining Cards into its draw frame, choosing to give up her chance at them.

• Feng Ling visited Ye Zheng above the noisy celebration, shared wine with her, and revealed that she had brought back the Idol from the Maze as a gift.
• The Observer left Qingjiang City, while Su Yuqing arranged for a pit to be dug at Financial Center Building for the Idol.
• Huangfu Miaomiao used the Golden Egg to place the Labyrinth Divine Statue in the pit, where it tilted but remained standing.
• Li Qing urged Ye Zheng to test whether the Idol worked outside the Maze, and Ye Zheng approached it despite feeling unworthy of Feng Ling’s effort.
• The Smiley Face offered to draw one Card, and Ye Zheng placed her Knight and Royal Moth Cards in the frame and told it to draw them away.

Ye Zheng chose to keep the Squirrel Card, and the Royal Moth was drawn away instead, lowering her Card Deck’s Corruption Value to 33%. At Feng Ling’s meeting, the group learned that Ingland used Card holders called Scarecrows to protect people from Xenomorph log-ins, and began to suspect the Supervision Bureau had quietly assigned Inspectors to the same role.

• Ye Zheng confirmed the draw with the Knight and Royal Moth, and the Idol drew away the Royal Moth while the Squirrel remained in her deck.
• Feng Ling gathered Su Yuqing, Zhou Diao, Huangfu Miaomiao, Li Qing, and Ye Zheng to explain what she had learned in Lorias.
• Feng Ling said Ingland’s Tidal Wave Squad had told her that Card holders could prevent nearby ordinary people from being logged in by Xenomorphs, and that Ingland had established Scarecrow positions for protection.
• The group realized they knew little about Scarecrows, and Feng Ling explained that one high-level Card holder could secure an area of around 500,000 square meters.
• Ye Zheng connected her unexplained transfer to Yunhai City and the arrival of injured Inspectors with the possibility that the Supervision Bureau had been assigning Scarecrows.

Feng Ling and the others discussed Scarecrow duty, the range and growth of Card abilities, and how many Cards were needed to advance. She then showed the group lightly Infected people from Lorias who had absorbed Cards, leaving them to consider whether Cards could prevent the infection from worsening and what to do next.

• Feng Ling teased Zhou Diao about becoming a Scarecrow, and the group discussed how far her Nest Body could protect Qingjiang.
• Li Qing explained how Card tiers and maturity affected abilities, and described Zhou Diao’s incomplete Hellhound form and the skills he might gain by advancing.
• Feng Ling recalled digesting several Cards before her first advancement, including multiple Centipedes, while Zhou Diao lamented how difficult it was to obtain Cards.
• Feng Ling showed the group photographs of lightly Infected people in Lorias who had absorbed Cards and raised the question of whether the Cards could halt their infection.

Feng Ling and the others discussed how to strengthen her Nest Body while balancing the needs of the Contaminants she might hatch. After revealing that both her main body and Nest Body had to be destroyed to kill her, Feng Ling agreed to coordinate future hatching with Su Yuqing, and the group prepared to seek Central Tower’s designation as a key protected area.

• Li Qing proposed hatching more Contaminants to improve the Nest Body’s defenses, and Feng Ling asked about the Cards she had obtained.
• Su Yuqing warned Feng Ling to consider residents’ space and the Contaminants’ food and shelter, offering to arrange supplies and seek permission to expand the protected area.
• Huangfu Miaomiao asked whether destroying the Nest Body would kill Feng Ling, and Feng Ling explained that both it and her main body had to be destroyed to kill her.
• Su Yuqing decided to report to his superiors about designating Central Tower as a key protected area, while Li Qing began preparing materials for future hatching.
• After the meeting, Feng Ling asked to borrow Huangfu Miaomiao’s phone watch so she could ask Ling Feiran when she and Feng Shao planned to move.

Han Xu received orders to leave Guangshan City and arranged time for Duan Fei to take over, but Duan Fei then accidentally killed a Cleaner during an operation. Han Xu covered up the death to keep Duan Fei out of the Observation Room and warned him that Guangshan City had been abandoned.

• Han Xu received the Scarecrow Guardian Plan appointment notice and negotiated a two-week delay to prepare Duan Fei for his departure.
• Duan Fei called Han Xu in distress after accidentally killing a Cleaner when a supposedly dead Xenomorph attacked again.
• Han Xu identified the dead man and learned that Duan Fei’s Card Skill had killed him instantly.
• Han Xu asked Duan Fei who had witnessed the death, then decided to claim responsibility and write the report himself.
• Han Xu altered the corpse’s wounds to make it appear that he had killed the Cleaner, and told Duan Fei to focus on killing more Xenomorphs.
• Han Xu warned Duan Fei that no Inspector would replace him and that Guangshan City had already been abandoned.

Han Xu learned that the Guangshan Branch would conceal Feng Shao’s accidental death to protect public confidence in the supervisory system. Ling Feiran came to the morgue, heard Duan Fei’s account, and faced Feng Shao’s body.

• Han Xu told Duan Fei that Guangshan City was too strategically important to reinforce and that Han Xu would soon be transferred elsewhere.
• Han Xu called Headquarters to accept responsibility, but his superiors ordered the branch to report that a Xenomorph had killed Feng Shao and that no Inspector had caused an accident.
• Ling Feiran arrived at the Supervision Building and borrowed tinted lip balm before entering the morgue.
• Duan Fei recited the official account of Feng Shao’s death and apologized, knowing that he had actually killed Feng Shao.
• Ling Feiran asked whether the Xenomorph was dead, accepted Duan Fei’s answer that he had killed it, and uncovered Feng Shao’s mangled chest.

Ling Feiran learned that Feng Shao would be cremated and insisted on taking his ashes home, while Duan Fei and Han Xu struggled with guilt over the Bureau’s handling of his death. In Qingjiang City, Feng Ling tried calling her orphanage friends and planned a room for Feng Shao and Feifei, unaware of Feng Shao’s fate.

• Ling Feiran asked to take Feng Shao’s ashes to their hometown and found a strand of nonhuman hair in his wound.
• Duan Fei told Han Xu that Feng Shao and Ling Feiran were orphans, then broke down over the Bureau shifting responsibility for Feng Shao’s death onto a Xenomorph.
• Han Xu watched Ling Feiran leave in the rain and reflected that the Bureau could offer her only basic condolence money.
• Feng Ling tried calling Feng Shao but got no answer, then told Li Qing and Huangfu Miaomiao about her orphanage friends and their upcoming marriage.
• Feng Ling began choosing a room for Feng Shao and Feifei to stay in at Central Tower.

After finally reaching Ling Feiran, Feng Ling learned that Feng Shao had died and hurried to arrange travel to Guangshan City. The chapter left Feng Ling panicked and preparing to leave immediately.

• Feng Ling tried calling Feng Shao and Ling Feiran but could not reach either of them.
• Su Yuqing brought workers to reinforce the Idol, explained that Headquarters wanted to arrange its use, and gave Feng Ling a replacement phone.
• Feng Ling called Ling Feiran, who told her that Feng Shao was dead and broke down sobbing.
• Feng Ling asked Su Yuqing to book her the soonest flight to Guangshan City.

Feng Ling joined Ling Feiran to bury Feng Shao at the orphan cemetery and listened as Ling Feiran grieved for him and spoke of her dream of having a home. Ling Feiran said Feng Shao had died after encountering a Xenomorph on a mission, while Feng Ling questioned whether the official account was reliable.

• Feng Ling arrived after Feng Shao's funeral and invited Ling Feiran to return to Qingjiang with her, but Ling Feiran wanted to take his urn to his hometown.
• Feng Ling and Ling Feiran arranged Feng Shao's burial at the orphan cemetery, then burned offerings and photographs beside his gravestone.
• Ling Feiran told Feng Ling that she had been unable to cry until Feng Ling called, and wondered whether her grief was selfish because she feared being alone.
• Ling Feiran described the home she had always wanted and apologized to Feng Shao for dwelling on her own sadness.
• Feng Ling asked how Feng Shao died, and Ling Feiran said a Xenomorph that could fake its death had attacked him during a mission.
• Feng Ling questioned whether the Surveillance Team had cleared the area and whether Ling Feiran had seen the official operation report, but Ling Feiran defended the Supervision Bureau and called life unpredictable.

Feng Ling took Ling Feiran to a hotel after they missed the last train, then brought her along to confront a Xenomorph hiding in a small supermarket. The Xenomorph slipped into an alley alone, giving Feng Ling a chance to deal with it away from the child.

• Feng Ling checked their hotel room and took Ling Feiran out to eat in the quiet city.
• While they waited for their food, Feng Ling told Ling Feiran she had found a nearby Xenomorph and planned to deal with it.
• Ling Feiran asked to see a Xenomorph, and Feng Ling agreed to take her along while warning her to stay outside the range of Mental Pressure.
• Feng Ling and Ling Feiran reached a small supermarket, where Feng Ling recognized a man unloading goods as the Xenomorph but avoided acting in front of his daughter.
• After Feng Ling bought a drink, the Xenomorph entered an alley alone, and Feng Ling prepared to follow.

Feng Ling confronted a Xenomorph hiding in an alley, but spared it when its young daughter begged her not to kill her father. The Xenomorph tried to flee the next morning, and Feng Ling attacked it despite its plea to cooperate, leaving the strike interrupted by Ling Feiran's shout.

• Feng Ling found the Xenomorph waiting in ambush beneath a rain shelter and revealed herself by leaping down from the rooftop.
• Feng Ling prepared to kill the Xenomorph, but its daughter threw a bottle at her and pleaded for her father’s life, so Feng Ling let them leave.
• Feng Ling told Ling Feiran she could not risk leaving the Xenomorph alive, and the two waited until morning to act.
• The Xenomorph attempted to flee with a suitcase, but Feng Ling confronted it at an intersection.
• The Xenomorph offered to cooperate and revealed that Players shared information about Feng Ling on the Forum, but Feng Ling decided to kill it and struck its suitcase with her Bone Blade.
• Ling Feiran shouted for Feng Ling to stop as the Bone Blade pierced the suitcase.

Feng Ling killed a Xenomorph who had hidden an unconscious child in a suitcase, and she and Ling Feiran reflected on the risks and helplessness surrounding accidental death. After a Card emerged from the Xenomorph’s corpse, Ling Feiran insisted that she wanted to absorb that particular Card.

• Feng Ling killed the Xenomorph, whose Scorpion Tail was poisonous, and Ling Feiran found an unconscious, feverish little girl in the suitcase.
• Feng Ling explained that her Eye of Horus had revealed the child, while Ling Feiran described how she had suspected someone was inside the suitcase from the man’s behavior.
• Ling Feiran considered whom she could blame for her loss, concluding that compensation could not bring back the dead.
• A silver Card emerged from the Xenomorph’s corpse, and Ling Feiran asked Feng Ling to give it to her.
• Feng Ling warned Ling Feiran about the dangers of possessing Cards, but Ling Feiran insisted she wanted this Card, and Feng Ling agreed to support her decision.

Ling Feiran obtained the West Wind Demon Card and used it to remove the viruses infecting a mother and child. Back at Central Tower, now renamed Hive Ecopark, she learned about Qingjiang’s new guardian status and the limits of the Supervision Bureau’s protection.

• Ling Feiran absorbed the West Wind Demon Card and discovered she could draw viruses out of the sick child and ease her fever.
• Ling Feiran removed the viruses from the mother and daughter, and the police took them to the hospital for observation.
• Feng Ling brought Ling Feiran to Central Tower, introduced her to its creatures, and showed her the planned Ecopark.
• Su Yuqing announced that Central Tower had been renamed Hive Ecopark and Qingjiang designated a Green Guardian Model City.
• Su Yuqing explained the guardian-city rankings and said the Bureau could not protect everyone from Xenomorph log-ins.
• Ling Feiran challenged the unequal distribution of protection, and Su Yuqing said their efforts were making the world less terrible and protecting Qingjiang’s residents.

Feng Ling told Li Qing that her Hive Card was blood-red and had caused her terrible pain when she absorbed it, and he revealed that red Cards were Abyss Cards. Li Qing struggled to explain what that meant, while Feng Ling waited to learn whether possessing one was dangerous.

• Feng Ling remembered that a member of Tidal Wave Squad had identified her as a Contaminant and decided to ask Li Qing about it privately.
• Feng Ling climbed through Li Qing’s window and woke him by shaking the sleeping green weasel hidden in his clothes.
• Feng Ling told Li Qing that her Hive Card was blood-red, had hurt her severely to absorb, and had triggered a warning that she was not a Player.
• Li Qing told Feng Ling that red Cards were Abyss Cards, leaving both of them silent.
• Feng Ling assumed an Abyss Card might be good news and asked Li Qing whether possessing one was dangerous.
• Li Qing wondered how Feng Ling could have an Abyss Card, but admitted that his thoughts were too muddled to explain further.

Li Qing realized Feng Ling had been designated a Hidden Boss because she possessed an Abyss Card, putting her at risk from players seeking a Ticket to Upper City. He concluded that she needed a Maze of her own for protection, though the game system censored their attempts to explain the danger to her.

• Feng Ling dismissed Li Qing’s concerns about her blood-red Card and went to sleep, while Li Qing stayed awake worrying that she was connected to the Abyss.
• Li Qing went to Huangfu Miaomiao and revealed that Feng Ling was designated a Hidden Boss because she had obtained one of the Twelve Abysses’ Cards.
• Li Qing explained that players could target Abyss Bosses to earn a Ticket to Upper City, and he warned that groups of players could repeatedly attack Feng Ling.
• Li Qing tested the game system’s censorship by recording their conversation, finding that it blocked parts of their discussion, including the word “Ticket.”
• Li Qing told Huangfu Miaomiao that Feng Ling needed a Maze of her own to protect her.