Chapter Summaries

Feng Ling led the Hunters through District D toward Zone B and learned more about Ye Zheng’s history as one of the country’s first Inspectors. After Li Qing confirmed that Contaminants could never recover, Feng Ling suspected the authorities were concealing that Ye Zheng had become one.

• The Hunters split up, with one group continuing to clear Zone A while the others followed Xu Yiming toward Zone B.
• Feng Ling called a fifteen-minute rest when Su Yuqing and Huangfu Miaomiao fell behind, then had Huangfu Miaomiao inject Su Yuqing for his cold.
• Feng Ling checked Su Yuqing’s messages with Ye Zheng and saw that Ye Zheng’s recent messages were incoherent.
• Li Qing explained that Slavic Mythology described a creature called a Night Spirit, giving the Hunters clues about possible Maze Monsters.
• Feng Ling asked Li Qing whether a Contaminant could recover, and he said it could not.
• Feng Ling concluded that Ye Zheng’s public image could not allow her to be known as a Contaminant, only as dead.

Feng Ling suspected Ye Zheng had become a Contaminant after finding her cryptic message, “Squirrel,” and feared the truth was being hidden from the Hunters. Li Qing explained how incompatible Cards could shatter inside a Contaminant, but suggested Ye Zheng might only have lost her sanity from high Corruption Value, leaving Feng Ling considering a secret attempt to save her.

• Feng Ling told Li Qing she suspected Ye Zheng had become a Contaminant after discovering Ye Zheng’s incomplete messages and the word “Squirrel.”
• Feng Ling reasoned that the Hunters might have been recruited to eliminate Ye Zheng and chose not to tell Su Yuqing because she could not confirm her theory.
• Li Qing explained with mud balls that incompatible Cards shattered inside a Contaminant, while intact Cards could still be drawn out.
• Li Qing suggested Feng Ling’s previous Contaminant had collected its many Cards from Players it killed after its Squirrel Card remained intact.
• Li Qing said Ye Zheng might still be saved if high Corruption Value, rather than transformation into a Contaminant, had caused her to lose her sanity, and Feng Ling considered finding an Idol without the Hunters noticing.

Feng Ling’s team reached the outskirts of Zone B and discovered Hunters frozen inside the Ice Cones, including the remains of Gu Xizhe. As Feng Ling and Xu Yiming urged the team to reconsider entering the dangerous Maze, Li Qing suggested he knew what creature had done this.

• Feng Ling and Li Qing returned to the team, which traveled through District D and reached the blizzard-filled boundary of Zone B.
• Xu Yiming argued that Su Yuqing should stay outside the Maze because he was in poor condition, but Su Yuqing insisted on continuing the search for Ye Zheng.
• A Hunter broke open an Ice Cone and found a dead Hunter inside, while another Ice Cone contained an emptied skin shell.
• Xu Yiming identified the remains as Gu Xizhe by the engraving on his watch, and the discovery left the Hunters shaken.
• Feng Ling and Xu Yiming urged the Hunters to decide whether to enter Zone B, and Li Qing said he might know what creature had caused the deaths.

Li Qing identified the Maze’s monsters as Snow Women, and Feng Ling led a small group of Hunters into the storm to search for Ye Zheng. As night fell, Huangfu Miaomiao spotted a Safe Zone, and Li Qing indicated it would still work inside the breached Maze.

• Li Qing explained that the Maze likely contained Snow Women who froze and preserved their victims, and warned the group that there might be several.
• Su Yuqing entered the Maze with Xu Yiming, and Feng Ling followed with Li Qing and her companions.
• Three Hunters—Liang Jiaqin, Wu Wei, and Wen Xiuyan—joined Feng Ling’s group, while Zhu Yu stayed behind.
• The group struggled through the snowstorm as darkness approached, and Feng Ling urged them to find shelter for the night.
• Huangfu Miaomiao pointed out a Safe Zone, and Li Qing nodded when Feng Ling silently asked whether it would still work.

Feng Ling led the group to a strange cabin on chicken legs, where frightened voices revealed that people were inside. The group prepared to enter, while Xu Yiming struggled to understand Feng Ling's unusual companions and authority.

• Feng Ling led the team up the hillside after spotting a cabin, and Su Yuqing told Xu Yiming that the little girl with Feng Ling was a Xenomorph and the man beside her was a Labyrinth Administrator.
• The group found dozens of snowmen clustered around the cabin, which stood on two chicken legs, but Feng Ling decided they had to take shelter there before nightfall.
• Feng Ling had Cat Owl lower the rope ladder, climbed up, and found the cabin door shut and its windows obscured by frost.
• Feng Ling knocked on the window, and several people inside screamed for help and begged not to be killed.

Feng Ling and the Hunters found four backpackers sheltering in a Safe Zone cabin and explained that they were trapped in the Maze. As the group prepared to share information with other Hunters, Su Yuqing warned that they might have been mistaken about using the signal source to find Ye Zheng.

• Feng Ling told the people inside the cabin that she and her companions were Hunters, and the four backpackers asked to be rescued.
• Xu Yiming explained the Maze to the backpackers, who described how they had wandered into the area and escaped a monster by finding the cabin.
• The backpackers learned that the Snow Woman still threatened their escape, while Feng Ling wondered how the cabin stayed warm and Su Yuqing failed to reach Ye Zheng by phone.
• Su Yuqing said Zone C was the only unexplored area and admitted that the signal source might have been a faulty clue.
• Wen Xiuyan proposed messaging the Hunters in ranking order, and the backpackers were surprised that the Hunters had phones.

Su Yuqing learned that the backpackers had found a damaged phone matching the Hunter phone and seen a signal flare, suggesting an Investigation Team member had gone missing. The next morning, Su Yuqing’s fever worsened, so Feng Ling left Xu Yiming to care for him while she led the other Hunters to scout toward the phone’s location and find a safe route out.

• The backpackers told Su Yuqing they had found a damaged phone and later seen a red signal flare, which Su Yuqing and Feng Ling linked to a missing Inspector seeking rescue or searching for teammates.
• Su Yuqing said Ye Zheng wore a ring matching his own, and Feng Ling told the group to rest before splitting up to search for Ye Zheng and contact General Yan.
• Feng Ling dreamed chaotically and woke before five in the morning as sunlight reached the cabin.
• Xu Yiming found Su Yuqing unconscious with a worsening fever, and Huangfu Miaomiao gave him an injection while Xu Yiming stayed behind to care for him.
• Feng Ling asked a backpacker to point out where the phone had been found, then led the other Hunters out to scout a safe route through the Maze.

Feng Ling found a Blue Pill near Ye Zheng’s damaged phone and reconstructed how Ye Zheng may have tried to resist her corruption and search for the Idol. As the group left to rescue the others and continue looking for Ye Zheng, they encountered the corpses of Snow Woman-like Contaminants near the boundary between District D and Zone B.

• Feng Ling and the others searched the snow around the damaged phone but found no traces of a fight.
• Feng Ling discovered a Blue Pill and deduced that Ye Zheng may have broken her phone herself after sending “Squirrel” as a final warning, then left to search for the Idol.
• Feng Ling pocketed the pill and promised Wen Xiuyan they would keep searching for Ye Zheng after rescuing the four people.
• After dawn, the group crossed melting snow and reached a dense field of Ice Cones near the District D and Zone B boundary.
• Liang Jiaqin spotted a corpse that Feng Ling identified as a Contaminant resembling a Snow Woman, and Wu Wei found another nearby.

Feng Ling tracked a killer through the snow and confronted Ye Zheng, who had become a deformed, poisonous Lord-Level Boss. After Ye Zheng attacked her and resisted her Mental Pressure, Feng Ling decided she had to kill her.

• Feng Ling examined the mutilated Snow Women and deduced that a many-legged Contaminant with a small mouth had killed them.
• Feng Ling followed the blood trail toward a forest, but snowfall erased the tracks before she reached it.
• A deformed, unnamed Lord-Level Boss emerged from the forest, and Huangfu Miaomiao identified it as a Lord-Level Boss.
• Feng Ling held her ground as the creature attacked, and she warned Li Qing, Huangfu Miaomiao, and the Hunters to flee from its poisonous Scale Powder.
• Feng Ling unleashed her Mental Pressure, but after she rose and moved to kill the creature, it broke free and tried to intimidate her.
• Feng Ling swung her Bone Blade at the creature's head.

Feng Ling fought the monster through its hallucination-inducing Scale Powder and tore off its wings, but it transformed into a Lord Level Boss with a powerful second form. Li Qing identified its Seraph skill and warned Feng Ling to defeat it before it could recharge.

• The monster used Scale Powder to confuse Feng Ling and pinned her down, but Feng Ling struck it with her tentacles while Wen Xiuyan and the others tried to help.
• Feng Ling and her Fangs and Claws battered the monster, then tore off its wings as it retreated and bled heavily.
• Feng Ling sensed a surge of Mental Pressure, threw Wen Xiuyan and the others out of danger, and ordered everyone to run.
• The wounded monster erupted in platinum-white flames, healed its injuries, doubled in size, and grew six arms.
• Li Qing told Feng Ling that the monster's Seraph skill needed at least a quarter of an hour to recharge and urged her to finish it quickly.

Feng Ling transformed into a giant half-human, half-snake form and overwhelmed Seraph, but the wounded Contaminant escaped into the forest. Feng Ling, Li Qing, and Huangfu Miaomiao followed it to a clearing, where they discovered an Idol.

• Feng Ling ordered Wen Xiuyan, Liang Jiaqin, and Wu Wei to leave and get Protective Suits while she fought Seraph.
• Feng Ling transformed into a giant Half-Man Half-Snake and gained the upper hand, tearing off two of Seraph's arms.
• Seraph abandoned its enlarged Second Form and fled into the forest, leaving several legs caught in Feng Ling's coils.
• Feng Ling pursued Seraph with Li Qing and Huangfu Miaomiao, struggling to move her huge body through the dense trees.
• Feng Ling, Li Qing, and Huangfu Miaomiao emerged into a clearing and found an Idol on a Stone Table.

Feng Ling found the Contaminant, a suffering monster whose Seraph Card was fighting against its other Cards, and restrained her at the idol so Li Qing could inspect her deck. Li Qing discovered evidence that Ye Zheng’s Cards had been deliberately chosen to corrupt her, but the chapter ended before he selected a Card to remove.

• Feng Ling and Li Qing found an idol in the woods and discussed whether the Contaminant could still be saved by deleting a Card.
• Feng Ling tracked down the Contaminant and fought her as moth wings grew from her back and flames scorched her body.
• Feng Ling restrained the Contaminant and pressed her against the idol so Li Qing could inspect her Cards.
• Li Qing read the nine Cards in the Contaminant’s deck and found that the Cards after Seraph leaned toward darkness and carried high Corruption Values.
• Li Qing realized that the Supervision Bureau had deliberately selected the later Cards to corrupt Ye Zheng.

Li Qing and Feng Ling lowered Ye Zheng’s Corruption Value by drawing away the Black Goat, but it remained dangerously high. Feng Ling began to wonder whether Ye Zheng might survive if humans tolerated Card Corruption better than Xenomorphs.

• Li Qing selected the Undead Spider and Black Goat for Ye Zheng’s Card Draw, and the system removed the Black Goat, reducing her Corruption Value to 48%.
• Li Qing explained that Ye Zheng needed at least two more Card Draws to get below 30%, and they had to find another Idol before her remaining Cards fused into her body.
• Li Qing urged Feng Ling to kill Ye Zheng rather than risk keeping a highly corrupted Contaminant near humanity, but Feng Ling hesitated as she noticed the human ring mark on Ye Zheng’s hand.
• Huangfu Miaomiao suggested spraying perfume, but Li Qing said it could not stop Ye Zheng’s internal Gene Pollution.
• Feng Ling recalled that humans might tolerate higher Card Corruption Values than Xenomorphs and concluded that Ye Zheng might not have to die.

Feng Ling freed Ye Zheng and tested whether she had retained her human sanity, then discovered Ye Zheng could still remember her own name. Ye Zheng received an injection, but her hatred of Xenomorphs remained intense as Feng Ling and Li Qing realized she was still deeply corrupted.

• Feng Ling released Ye Zheng and fought her until she pinned the weakened Contaminant with a Spike.
• Ye Zheng told Feng Ling that she wanted to kill Contaminants, and Feng Ling returned to her human form to question her.
• Feng Ling asked Ye Zheng her name, and Ye Zheng correctly answered that she was Ye Zheng.
• Feng Ling called Huangfu Miaomiao over to inject Ye Zheng, but Ye Zheng grabbed her wrist and demanded to know why a Hunter was with Xenomorphs.
• Ye Zheng struggled to attack Huangfu Miaomiao, and Li Qing explained that her 48% Corruption Value left her only occasionally lucid.

Feng Ling tried to get the unstable Ye Zheng out of the blizzard zone without exposing her monstrous mutations. Ye Zheng woke and cooperated as Feng Ling cut away her conspicuous limbs, and the chapter ended with Huangfu Miaomiao bringing Feng Ling a ringing phone.

• Feng Ling planned to return to the cabin, reach District D, contact Pei Xianjue, and bring Bao Changzhi to control Ye Zheng's emotions before taking her to Qingjiang City.
• Feng Ling and Huangfu Miaomiao wrapped Ye Zheng in blankets, but could not conceal her mutated limbs.
• Ye Zheng woke and agreed to cooperate so she could survive and seek revenge on the Xenomorphs who had attacked her.
• Feng Ling cut off Ye Zheng's mutated limbs and had Huangfu Miaomiao bandage her wounds.
• Ye Zheng insisted she would recognize the Xenomorphs even if they turned to ash, and Huangfu Miaomiao handed Feng Ling a phone call.

Feng Ling rescued the injured Ye Zheng from the Maze and arranged to take her back to Qingjiang so they could exchange information about the Xenomorphs, the Star Society, and Squirrel. They withdrew from the Cleansing Operation and boarded a train for the cities, where Feng Ling received another call.

• Feng Ling told Xu Yiming she was heading to the town camp and asked him to look after Su Yuqing.
• Feng Ling covered Ye Zheng in a blanket, hid her face with a Skull Mask, and promised to seek help with her mental control before trading intelligence with her.
• Feng Ling used the Idol's Card Draw Game to remove a Crimson Ghost Centipede Card, lowering her Corruption Value to 17%.
• Feng Ling and Ye Zheng left the Maze and told other Hunters they were withdrawing because someone was injured.
• The Hunters boarded a special train bound for Yanjing City and Yunhai City, and Feng Ling received another phone call.

Feng Ling refused to hand Ye Zheng over to Headquarters, while Su Yuqing realized that Ye Zheng’s survival could ruin her reputation and chose to report her as dead. On the train to Qingjiang, Ye Zheng’s condition remained unstable, and Feng Ling called Pei Xianjue to discuss what to do next.

• Su Yuqing told Feng Ling that the powerful Contaminant might be Ye Zheng, and Feng Ling confirmed Ye Zheng was alive with a Corruption Value of 48%.
• Feng Ling refused to send Ye Zheng to the Research Institute unless Su Yuqing signed a costly lease contract and accepted responsibility for the risks.
• Su Yuqing feared that the public would condemn Ye Zheng if they learned she had become a Contaminant, so he told his team Ye Zheng had died from genetic collapse after a Xenomorph ambush.
• On the train, Ye Zheng continued to lose consciousness and become violently agitated, and Feng Ling called Pei Xianjue to discuss the situation.

Feng Ling arranged for Baozi to help question Ye Zheng and learned that another Maze was spreading Pollution within the country. After reaching Yunhai City, she met Su Yuqing’s clone, who arranged transport to Qingjiang City and planned to discuss the Contaminant there.

• Feng Ling called Pei Xianjue and asked her to send Baozi to the Financial Center Building in Qingjiang City with his luggage.
• Li Qing reported that two Mazes in the country were undergoing Pollution Spread and warned that an informant might be inside the Supervision Bureau or Research Institute.
• Feng Ling asked Li Qing about Cards that could identify Xenomorphs, and he named the All-Seeing Eye Card but warned that revealing himself could put them at risk.
• Feng Ling and her companions arrived in Yunhai City, where Su Yuqing’s clone met them and arranged a private car to Qingjiang City.
• Su Yuqing’s clone told Feng Ling he would wait at the Qingjiang Financial Center Building to discuss the Contaminant.

Feng Ling brought Ye Zheng to the Qingjiang Financial Center and arranged for her to stay in the unfinished building, where her moth-like body and changed habits devastated Su Yuqing. The next morning, Feng Ling brought Ye Zheng jelly cups as food, and Ye Zheng recognized them as Xenomorph food.

• Feng Ling returned to Qingjiang City with Ye Zheng and settled everyone at the Qingjiang Financial Center.
• Feng Ling placed Ye Zheng in the unfinished building, where Ye Zheng unfurled her moth wings and clung to a concrete wall.
• Su Yuqing saw Ye Zheng’s mutated form, left the building in distress, and heard Feng Ling ask Baozi to help support Ye Zheng.
• Ye Zheng listened as Su Yuqing drove away and wished she could go insane to escape the pain.
• The next morning, Feng Ling and Huangfu Miaomiao brought Ye Zheng jelly cups, which Ye Zheng identified as Xenomorph food.

Feng Ling questioned Ye Zheng about the Xenomorphs who attacked her and learned they belonged to the Star Society, which was hunting Labyrinth Administrators. Ye Zheng recalled the attackers saying they would find the next one, leaving Feng Ling to wonder whether another Maze or Inspector was their target.

• Feng Ling gave Ye Zheng the new name Situ Zhengzheng and brought Baozi, Huangfu Miaomiao, and Li Qing to question her.
• Ye Zheng described the three Xenomorphs, including the Short Man who released a Nematode and whose Cards exploded, with several being absorbed by her.
• Feng Ling told Ye Zheng that she suspected the attackers belonged to the Star Society, which was killing Labyrinth Administrators and causing Pollution Spread.
• Ye Zheng recalled that after she became a Contaminant, the Xenomorphs said, "Let's go. Find the next one."
• Feng Ling ended the questioning and wondered whether the Star Society meant to target another Maze or another Inspector like Ye Zheng.