Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Screw contacts Su Yi through a ritual in the Void Abyss, seeking help after she and Yao are injured and stranded on Kevin-9. Their disguise failed during a teleportation check, forcing them into teleportation turbulence.
• Su Yi explains that Kevin-9 is heavily contaminated by the Void Abyss and reveals that the Dark Universe’s turbulence will subside in five years. He agrees to support the Steel Brotherhood, provided Screw reports regularly and follows his orders.
• Su Yi identifies their shelter as an abandoned Frost Elf town and warns them that Frost Elves can attack the soul. He gives Screw several secrets to use to gain their trust: the title “Pure Spirit Goddess,” the planned Godhunt Operation, and the promise that he can help the Frost Elves rise again.
• After a terrifying night of supernatural disturbances, Screw carries the badly damaged Yao outside at dawn. Frost Elves freeze them both and bring them before their High Priest.
• The Frost Elves initially distrust the pair and threaten them. Screw claims they are envoys of Su Yi and invokes the Pure Spirit Goddess. When that fails to convince everyone, she mentions the Godhunt Operation. The High Priest reacts sharply, recognizing it as sensitive information, and demands to know who told them.

Character development

• Screw moves from fearful dependence to determined action. Though injured and terrified, she follows Su Yi’s instructions and speaks up under threat, earning the High Priest’s attention.
• Yao is severely injured and initially doubtful that the ritual will work. After Screw confirms Su Yi’s divine status, he recognizes their rescue as extraordinary good fortune.
• Su Yi demonstrates extensive knowledge of Kevin-9, the Frost Elves, and secret plans surrounding the Twins of Pleasure. He uses that knowledge strategically, offering the pair both protection and a path to build influence.
• The Frost Elf High Priest shifts from hostility to wary interest when Screw reveals knowledge of the Godhunt Operation.

Character interactions

• Su Yi reassures Screw, sets terms for his aid, and equips her with information to negotiate with the Frost Elves.
• Screw shares the encounter with Yao, who responds with astonishment and renewed hope.
• The Frost Elves’ collective hostility contrasts with the High Priest’s more controlled judgment: she initially orders the humans killed but pauses when Screw’s claims reveal possible insider knowledge.

Significant themes

• Faith and divine authority: Screw’s trust in Su Yi strengthens after direct contact with his incarnation and practical intervention.
• Knowledge as power: Su Yi’s foreknowledge gives the pair leverage in a hostile situation, turning secrets into a means of survival.
• Historical trauma and mistrust: The Frost Elves’ hatred of humans stems from past exploitation, making Screw’s claims difficult to believe.
• Survival amid corruption: Kevin-9’s ruined environment and the Void’s effects make even reaching safety a dangerous ordeal.

Key plot points and events

• The Frost Elf High Priest initially doubts Screw and Yao, suspecting they may be Life Alliance impostors. She dismisses her people and uses a memory-reading spell on Screw.
• Through his recent memories, she witnesses the pair’s ordeal and sees Su Yi communicate from afar through the Void Abyss Temple, confirming Screw’s account. Shocked, she apologizes and thanks the “Profound Emperor” on behalf of the Prism Clan.
• The High Priest invites Screw and Yao to remain with the clan until Su Yi arrives in six months. She also asks to use the ritual to contact him again; Screw says he must first seek his master’s permission.
• The next morning, Su Yi notices his enhancement has improved not only his physical abilities but also his focus, recovery, and mental strength. He tests his upgraded Matter Programming talent and realizes he can interpret matter’s black-and-white energy patterns as binary code.
• By thinking in terms of Java programming, Su Yi discovers he can mentally assemble commands and cast them directly. He successfully duplicates a toilet-paper roll and uses Program Encapsulation to make a handgun usable only by him.
• Further tests establish limits: his programs can affect ordinary matter and some living tissue, but not Void Abyss-related objects or Bandwidth-based systems. He can duplicate only structures he understands, and the cost depends on weight: ten Bandwidth per kilogram, rounded up in fixed steps.
• Su Yi chooses five quick-cast programs for future use: Object Summoning, Access Encapsulation, Thread Synchronization, Cross-Platform Implantation, and Garbage Purification.

Character developments and interactions

• The High Priest shifts from suspicion to trust after verifying Screw’s memories. Her caution is rooted in the Life Alliance’s repeated deception and the Prism Clan’s dwindling numbers.
• Screw remains composed and diplomatic, accepting the apology and carefully presenting himself as a subordinate who must report to Su Yi.
• Yao, immobilized and unable to help, is relieved when the High Priest believes them.
• Su Yi is playful and delighted by his new power, but also methodical: he tests its capabilities, costs, and restrictions.
• Emma and Dora rush in after hearing Su Yi’s gunshot. Once they realize he is experimenting, they help test the handgun’s restriction spell—Emma cannot fire it or even inspect it, while Su Yi can.

Significant themes

• Trust and verification: The High Priest overcomes justified suspicion through direct evidence rather than mere assurances.
• Power through understanding: Su Yi’s new talent depends on translating matter into a system he can comprehend; his programming knowledge becomes a source of magical control.
• Limits alongside growth: The ability is versatile but constrained by Bandwidth, weight, complexity, and whether a target involves Void Abyss data.
• Playfulness and ambition: Su Yi treats a potentially formidable power like a new toy, while already imagining its combat applications.

Key plot points and events

• Su Yi gathers the leaders of the Moon-Drinking Azure Wolf, Ecstasy Witches, Players, Revolutionary Army, Steel Warriors, and other allies. He explains that Kilman has departed with the legendary Human Emperor Heavenly Soldiers—not died—and that Kilman intends to return. Molly takes comfort in his promise, and Kilman’s followers vow to remain loyal.
• Su Yi lays out a plan to help the company take control of the Rhodes Alliance by using his groups’ local influence to support reconstruction, calm the population, and protect people’s interests. He warns that the company may investigate him and his associates, but tells them to answer honestly.
• He encourages the Players to build organizations and cooperate with trustworthy Human Alliance members. He also directs the Steel Warriors to help manage the steel zombies, while keeping the steel vaccine and Silicon-Based Symbiote confidential.
• Su Yi defines the group’s future role as an elite outside partner for work the company cannot easily handle—but forbids murder, kidnapping, extortion, and forced evictions, warning that crossing those lines would make them expendable.
• Su Yi and Ilis are assigned major postwar responsibilities, including recovery of the Divine Body, transfer of the Imperial Palace’s doomsday weapon, and planning the Alliance’s reconstruction. The weapon is revealed to be a launch system for an antimatter bomb that would devastate the planet.
• After the third wave of Players arrives, Company Headquarters sends the powerful Blazing Gardener fleet to Rhode Star. Its reinforcements help the company spend a month wiping out the Life Devourers completely, since even a single surviving infected cell could eventually consume a planet.
• The cleanup reveals the disaster’s scale: more than 7.2 million people in Central City and the Imperial Palace were infected, while over ten million people in the Borderlands survived. Salan had manipulated who remained conscious, and more than 500,000 people had already been sacrificed or turned into monster parts. Company bombardment killed another three million; the steel nobles were captured, and millions of mindless steel zombies were taken into custody.
• Company departments arrive to manage recovery, technology, justice, administration, refugees, and religious outreach. Su Yi’s allies help integrate the population and handle the steel life-forms.
• A joint Human Resources and Verification review investigates Su Yi and Ilis for killing a Demigod. Ilis reveals that she used a Deity-blessed SSS-Rank Treasure. Su Yi conceals his True God Bloodline and instead claims Kilman’s power let him summon the Human Emperor Heavenly Soldiers.
• Investigators initially doubt Su Yi’s claim, but Kilman’s file and footage confirm his ability to use Ancient Entropy Empire armor and weapons. The revelation causes alarm throughout the company and reaches the Supreme Council. Recognizing the significance of Su Yi’s connection to the ancient empire, investigators limit their questioning to the Demigod battle and avoid probing his spoils or other secrets.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Yi shifts from battlefield leader to political and organizational strategist. He balances expansion with clear ethical limits, protects his associates from unnecessary scrutiny, and carefully conceals his most important secret.
• Molly grieves Kilman’s departure but regains hope through his promise to return, then encourages his followers to stay committed.
• Kilman’s followers turn their sadness into loyalty and resolve.
• Winter and the other Players respond positively to Su Yi’s appeal for cooperation with the Human Alliance and begin forming organizations of their own.
• The Steel Warriors are relieved and excited to be brought back into active service rather than left isolated.
• Ilis works alongside Su Yi during reconstruction and faces the internal review openly, explaining her role in defeating the Demigod.
• Company investigators and leadership move from skepticism to respect after discovering Kilman’s abilities and Su Yi’s connection to the Ancient Entropy Empire.

Significant themes

• Leadership and responsibility: Su Yi uses power to organize allies and pursue influence, while insisting that success cannot justify abusing civilians.
• Trust and loyalty: Kilman’s promise sustains Molly and his followers; Su Yi’s trusted relationships within the company and among his allies help him coordinate a vast response.
• Reconstruction after catastrophe: Victory is followed by difficult work—accounting for casualties, protecting refugees, managing survivors, and restoring governance.
• The value and danger of secrets: Su Yi shares enough to earn trust but hides his bloodline and other sensitive knowledge, aware that attention from powerful forces could be perilous.
• Power, legitimacy, and historical legacy: The Ancient Entropy Empire remains a source of awe and strategic importance, and Su Yi’s connection to it changes how the company evaluates him.

Key plot points and events

• Ilis and Su Yi complete their post-mission reviews. Ilis earns an SSS rating with 982 points, while Su Yi receives an SS rating with 812.
• Over the following weeks, the Moon-Drinking Azure Wolf helps stabilize Rhode Star, quelling protests, arresting criminals, and winning public support. Its success earns it a special senior partnership with Black Sun Group.
• Su Yi and Ilis receive unusually large promotions: Su Yi rises to L25 and Ilis to L32. Su Yi suspects the promotions are preparation for a major assignment, likely involving Kevin-9.
• Their records and roles have been secretly transferred to Headquarters, though they must first finish dealing with the Silver Snake Bandits on Rhode Star.
• Ilis and Su Yi investigate the bandits’ stolen company supplies and uncover likely connections to the Kage Pirate Group, the Shadow Soul Hunters, and Vine City mayor Manco Follet. Su Yi believes he can trace the weapons to people he knows, Iron Beetle and Mantis.

Character developments

• Su Yi uses his review period to adapt to his awakened bloodline and train. His health reaches 4,500—three times the ordinary human limit—and his Bandwidth rises to 3,850.
• Ilis’s exceptional score and promotion confirm her growing influence and value to the company. She remains ambitious, ruthless, and certain of her own superiority, but reveals a willingness to consider Su Yi as a partner.
• Su Yi is more confident than when he first met Ilis and intends to protect his associates while pursuing the bandits’ backers.

Character interactions

• Su Yi warmly reunites with Rick, crediting him for helping bring him and Ilis together.
• In her office, Ilis shares the investigation and teases Su Yi about John Lard’s request that she surrender some development credit. Su Yi offers to handle the bandits and their financiers.
• Ilis openly acknowledges Su Yi’s feelings and offers him a chance to stand beside her, while making clear that she values strength and ambition. She kisses him as a personal reward and promise; Su Yi responds enthusiastically to her bold, “crazy” nature.

Significant themes

• Power and merit: Exceptional achievements bring unusual promotions, but advancement also signals new expectations and missions.
• Strength and survival: Both characters believe the chaotic universe rewards those capable of protecting themselves and their interests.
• Ambition and partnership: Ilis frames intimacy as a test of worth and a possible alliance between equals.
• Corruption and accountability: The investigation suggests that the bandits’ operation depends on insiders and illicit trading in company property.

Key plot points and events

• At Black Sun Group headquarters on Sacred Tree Star, Exploration Department director Ma Li reviews the evaluations of Iris and Su Yi. He sees Iris as an ambitious, ruthless strategist and Su Yi as a charismatic organizer skilled at building alliances and nurturing followers. Su Yi’s church and the Moon-Drinking Azure Wolf organization especially interest him.
• The two have been selected for a final trial tied to the Kevin-9 project. Headquarters wants them to help secure control of the troubled planet within a year, reinforcing the Exploration Department’s standing against the dominant Sales Department. Ma refuses to give them hints and has a backup team ready if they fail.
• After leaving the company, Su Yi reflects on his kiss with Iris, then admires the luxurious AX-500 aircraft she provided. He decides not to fly it yet, citing inadequate support facilities and a desire to keep a low profile.
• Su Yi calls Alton, who has advanced to Level 15 and received genetic-modification surgery with help from company supervisors. Alton has also joined Su Yi’s Zeroing Society.
• Alton picks Su Yi up in his own new aircraft, a customized Sun-Piercer G Series. On the way, he recalls how far his life has changed since he first struggled to survive alongside Su Yi. Su Yi promises that greater achievements—and eventually a warship—lie ahead.
• Back at the Cosmic Alarm Clock headquarters, Su Yi finds the business thriving. After the Rhodes Alliance’s collapse and the company’s official certification, local firms and groups are eager to negotiate partnerships or seek jobs.

Character developments

• Ma Li is frustrated by the Exploration Department’s loss of influence and sees the Kevin-9 mission as a chance to prove its value. He views Su Yi as a capable leader with a powerful network, while Iris is a dangerous, highly ambitious tactician.
• Su Yi remains confident and opportunistic, balancing personal indulgence with strategic caution. His leadership has helped build a loyal organization and a rapidly expanding business.
• Alton has become more mature, powerful, and professionally experienced. His loyalty to Su Yi is undiminished, and he now sees himself as Su Yi’s “sharp talon.”
• Iris is presented through headquarters’ evaluation as formidable and manipulative, though her relationship with Su Yi is also shown through their recent intimate encounter.

Significant themes

• Institutional rivalry: The Exploration Department’s struggle with the Sales Department reflects shifting power within Black Sun Group.
• Ambition and advancement: Su Yi and Alton’s rapid rise illustrates how opportunity, connections, and loyalty can transform their circumstances.
• Leadership and loyalty: Su Yi’s emphasis on collective growth has fostered devotion and cohesion among his followers.
• Expansion and influence: The company’s certification and the changing local political landscape create new openings for business and control.

Character interactions

• Ma Li discusses the candidates’ strengths and the mission’s stakes with his secretaries, insisting they must succeed without guidance.
• Su Yi’s playful thoughts about Iris contrast with the seriousness of the corporate evaluation she receives.
• Alton greets Su Yi enthusiastically, credits him for his progress, and proudly shows off his new aircraft.
• Su Yi praises Alton’s growth and encourages him to imagine a future far beyond their current success.
• At company headquarters, Su Yi recognizes the growing interest in his business and approves of Alton’s management.

Key plot points and events

• Su Yi returns to the Moon-Drinking Azure Wolf’s headquarters after two months away. Alton welcomes him personally, and Anna and the staff celebrate the return of their Guild Leader, whose absence had made many outsiders forget he existed.
• Alton and Anna report the guild’s rapid expansion: control of businesses across twenty-one industries, a market worth over 200 million Void Abyss Coins, and daily net profits of 1.5 million. Su Yi discovers he has accumulated 23 million in his account.
• The officers have taken on varied roles: Mota manages healthcare, Rijia retail, Sefni education, and Aolong business coordination; Emma and Dora work with security, while Molly studies under a prominent technology researcher. Winter, Evil God, and 108 lead thousands of Players through the Ten Pioneers Alliance.
• The chapter notes that Players pursue many professions, but a group who committed serious crimes was captured, confined, and ultimately permanently banned after trying to evade punishment.
• Alton receives news that Raptor’s unit was ambushed by the Silver Snake Bandits, leaving nearly 300 dead or wounded. Since the attack plan was secret, Su Yi orders an investigation for a possible mole within the guild or company.
• Su Yi contacts Iron Beetle and says he wants to save his life. Disguising himself with the Summoned Face Technique, he walks through a Rootvine District transformed by the guild’s rule and meets Iron Beetle at the Blue-Plate Building. Mantis Maguire is there too.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Yi is struck by the scale of the guild’s success and reflects on how wealth has lost its emotional impact. He remains alert to threats, especially the possibility of infiltration, and returns to an old ally with a warning.
• Alton has become a powerful, respected leader and gives Su Yi a full account of the organization’s growth. He responds seriously to the ambush and agrees to investigate.
• Anna is proud of the company’s achievements and delighted to see Su Yi again; their warm, playful exchange shows their affection and familiarity.
• The core officers and Players have grown into a broad, increasingly organized network, each contributing through business, research, security, or exploration.
• Iron Beetle initially keeps his distance, worried that meeting Su Yi could cause misunderstandings, but agrees after hearing Su Yi’s warning.

Significant themes

• Growth and responsibility: The guild’s success brings wealth and influence, but also greater vulnerability to leaks and internal betrayal.
• Order and social change: Rootvine District is cleaner and safer, and residents—especially women and shopkeepers—live with less fear under improved security.
• Money and shifting values: Su Yi’s reaction to his fortune reflects how prosperity changes one’s relationship with wealth.
• Freedom, accountability, and human nature: Players have many possible lives in the new world, but the chapter stresses that personal freedom does not excuse harming others; enforcement and consequences remain necessary.

Key plot points and events

• Su Yi confronts Mantis Maguire and the Iron Beetle, whose illegal weapons business has collapsed after the Moon-Drinking Azure Wolf took over the market. Revealing his L25 company rank and extraordinary ability to create matter, he pressures them to confess what they know about John Lald’s operation.
• The pair submit detailed statements implicating about forty-one company employees, including Lald’s contacts in the Recovery Department. In exchange for cooperation, Su Yi promises to close their business, move them to Red Sun Star, and give them new jobs.
• Su Yi passes the confessions to Ilis. She takes charge of the company investigation and delegates the Silver Snake Bandits matter to Su Yi’s people.
• Wandering through Rootvine District, Su Yi reaches Borderlands Square, where he encounters Dutch, Helen, and Kyle being harassed by actress Olesia Malcon’s security team.
• Dutch explains that Olesia was once his classmate. When Kyle sought an autograph, Olesia insulted Dutch as an “infected monster” and dismissed the Moon-Drinking Azure Wolf as a low-level gang. Su Yi tells Dutch that she will face consequences and asks him to accompany him as a bodyguard.

Character developments

• Su Yi displays growing influence and confidence, using both his rank and unusual abilities to secure cooperation without violence. He also shows nostalgia as he revisits the neighborhood where he first made his fortune.
• Maguire and the Iron Beetle abandon resistance when confronted with Su Yi’s power. They trade their information for a chance to start over on Red Sun Star.
• Ilis eagerly takes on the investigation, seeing it as a chance to use her newly acquired ability and expand her authority.
• Dutch remains loyal and eager to serve Su Yi, while his account of Olesia reveals lingering resentment over their school history.
• Olesia Malcon is presented as a rising star whose fame has intensified her arrogance and contempt for people she considers beneath her.

Significant themes

• Power and leverage: Su Yi’s reputation and abilities reshape negotiations, while Olesia uses celebrity status and armed guards to intimidate others.
• Loyalty and new beginnings: Su Yi rewards cooperation with a chance to rebuild, and his followers remain devoted even when he is away.
• Character versus public image: Olesia’s polished celebrity persona contrasts with her cruelty toward former classmates and ordinary people.
• Justice and restraint: Su Yi’s group has rules against abusing its power, but Su Yi makes clear that restraint does not mean accepting insults or mistreatment.

Character interactions

• Su Yi and the two smugglers move from wary confrontation to a deal built on fear, information, and promised opportunity.
• Su Yi and Ilis coordinate their work: she handles the internal investigation while he manages the bandit threat.
• Olesia and Dutch’s hostile reunion exposes their shared past and her changed attitude toward him.
• Dutch’s recognition of Su Yi despite his disguise highlights their deep, instinctive bond; Su Yi responds by welcoming Dutch’s companionship.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Su Yi tours the newly rebuilt Development Zone with Dutch. Once a ruined, polluted border district, it is now a thriving neighborhood of high-rises, shops, paved streets, and busy residents. Many locals have improved their lives through company jobs or low-interest loans from the Moon-Drinking Azure Wolf.
• Dutch eagerly joins clergy members of the Zeroing Society, which teaches that Su Yi is the earthly incarnation of Emperor Xuanhuang. With endorsements from Rijia and the Human Alliance hero Tentacle, the crowd takes the claim seriously. Dutch enthusiastically shares the faith’s teachings.
• At Hero Square, Su Yi finds Aurecia taking photographs with her back to the heroes’ cemetery, despite residents’ objections. When guards threaten him, he silences one with his Gift. Aurecia summons Doyle Elton, a wealthy suitor, who tries to attack Su Yi. Su Yi repels Doyle’s men and leaves, deciding on a more amusing way to deal with the pair.
• That evening, Emma and Dora reunite with Su Yi after two months away. Though they show affection and flirt with him, he tells them that their future roles matter more than becoming his lovers for now: they must remain virgins and become Pure Spirit Goddesses. He plans to take them on a mission to Kevin-9, where they will work to bring a large group of Frost Elves under their control. Before then, they will help him deal with the Silver Snake Bandits.
• At the Molten Fire Temple, Yao reports progress in earning the locals’ trust and helping them establish basic industry. He also reports that Void Abyss corruption is fading and that conflict is growing as people from the Eastern Life Alliance expand westward. Su Yi reveals that the planet’s Void Abyss Lord is dead. Yao is impressed and resolves to prove himself worthy of Su Yi’s favor.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Yi takes pride in the Development Zone’s transformation and enjoys seeing the residents flourish. He also asserts authority when confronted by Aurecia and Doyle, but chooses to pursue a subtler, personally entertaining response. With Emma and Dora, he balances affection with long-term expectations, treating them as trusted future allies.
• Dutch embraces his religious role with genuine enthusiasm, eager to teach the Zeroing Society’s doctrine to the residents.
• Aurecia and Doyle are presented as arrogant and hostile: Aurecia insults the Moon-Drinking Azure Wolf and dismisses Su Yi, while Doyle rushes to defend her and attack him.
• Emma and Dora are delighted by Su Yi’s return and openly affectionate toward him. They accept his requirement to preserve their virginity and pursue spiritual advancement, responding with determination and loyalty.
• Yao admires Su Yi even more after learning that he knows about the Void Abyss Lord’s death. Though already devoted to the Mechanical Father, Yao decides to work harder to earn Su Yi’s recognition.

Significant themes

• Rebuilding and social change: The Development Zone’s revival shows how investment and opportunity can restore both a place and its people.
• Faith and influence: Su Yi’s reputation inspires devotion, while Dutch’s zeal demonstrates how belief can spread through personal conviction and public endorsement.
• Leadership and loyalty: Su Yi expects his followers to grow into capable, trusted figures rather than remain mere attendants.
• Power and ambition: Characters such as Doyle and Yao react to Su Yi’s strength in contrasting ways—with aggression or renewed devotion.

Key plot points and events

• Su Yi reflects on how much of the universe’s history remains unknowable. Yao mistakes his casual lament for an order to investigate and vows to uncover every secret.
• Aolong picks Su Yi up and reports progress on fifteen preliminary trade agreements with interstellar corporations. Using Thread Synchronization to process two streams of information at once, Su Yi quickly reviews the contracts and identifies risks involving liability, profit reporting, and personnel trafficking.
• Su Yi urges Aolong to negotiate as an equal rather than accept poor terms out of fear of losing deals. Aolong recognizes that his lack of confidence has weakened their position and resolves to be more assertive.
• At the Kaido Commercial Joint Exchange, Su Yi’s new L25 rank impresses company employees and business figures. He meets Michael and several potential partners, then learns more about the powerful Kaido Commercial Joint Association.
• Dennis Haysi of Haixi Film Studio proposes a partnership to make entertainment for Rhode Star’s newly freed workforce. He offers the star of Starsea Princess, Olesia Malcon, as an inducement.
• Su Yi realizes the offer is tied to a political and commercial request: Haixi wants a share of the Operations Department’s Teleportation Project Department so it can build a film-and-television base on Rhode Star. He gives no commitment, but agrees to have Olesia join him for drinks.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Yi remains perceptive and strategic, balancing a casual manner with sharp scrutiny of contracts and business motives. He also shows growing influence: his L25 promotion and role in Rhode Star’s recent events make him a sought-after partner.
• Aolong has benefited from a Silicon-Based Symbiote and made substantial business progress, but admits he has been negotiating from a position of insecurity. Su Yi’s encouragement helps him gain confidence.
• Yao demonstrates his eagerness to serve, though he overinterprets Su Yi’s remarks.
• Haixi uses flattery, a proposed business partnership, and Olesia’s presence to court Su Yi and secure influence in the coming restructuring.
• Michael and other business figures treat Su Yi with increased respect after seeing his rank and learning of his accomplishments.

Significant themes

• The limits of knowledge: Vast cosmic events and histories may remain mysteries forever.
• Power and interpretation: Subordinates may read hidden meaning into even casual remarks from influential leaders.
• Confidence and negotiation: Su Yi teaches Aolong that the company should bargain as an equal, not act grateful merely to be included.
• Business as politics: Partnerships, gifts, and flattery are shown to be tools for gaining influence over corporate decisions.
• Ambition and status: Su Yi’s rapid promotion strengthens his authority and draws increasingly important people toward him.

Plot points and events

• Aurecia prepares for a business dinner, dressed as a glamorous version of the Starsea Princess. Her patron, Haixi, expects her to charm a powerful young executive and help secure his favor.
• She fields attention from two suitors: Doyle Elton, whom she considers unworthy, and Hoyle Lald, who is attracted to her but also pursues Iris Barrett. Hoyle is despondent after learning Iris has risen to L32.
• At the dinner, Haixi introduces the guest as Su Yi Horus Constantine Gheros: an L25 leader who helped kill a Demigod and controls Rhode Star’s largest gang. Aurecia recognizes him as the man she insulted the previous day.
• Su Yi confirms that Aurecia’s earlier remarks reached him through his subordinates. He explains that the people she dismissed as lowly are influential members of his organization.
• Haixi leaves Aurecia alone with Su Yi, effectively handing her over as a gift. Terrified of the consequences, she apologizes and begs for mercy. Su Yi rejects her attempt to offer herself as a “Star Slave,” insisting she has no standing to bargain.
• As Aurecia nears despair, Su Yi offers her a chance to please him. She accepts eagerly, and they spend the next two hours together. Afterwards, Su Yi praises her specialized abilities in the sensual arts.

Character developments

• Aurecia shifts abruptly from a confident, calculating performer who looks down on others to a frightened woman confronting the real power behind her past insults. Her desperation makes her abandon her carefully maintained princess persona.
• Su Yi remains composed and amused, using his status and knowledge of Aurecia’s behavior to control the encounter. He turns her fear into leverage, then rewards her compliance with the possibility of a chance to regain his favor.
• Haixi treats Aurecia as an investment and bargaining chip, prioritizing his business interests over her comfort.
• Hoyle is shown as emotionally vulnerable after Iris’s promotion, while still viewing Aurecia through his fantasies of the Starsea Princess.
• Doyle is protective and easily provoked, but Aurecia regards him chiefly as a useful fallback.

Significant themes

• Status and power: Aurecia’s celebrity and beauty offer little protection once she encounters someone with greater influence.
• Arrogance and consequences: Her casual contempt for Su Yi’s organization returns to haunt her.
• Objectification and transactional relationships: Haixi treats Aurecia as a gift, and both her suitors and patrons view her through their own desires and ambitions.
• Performance versus reality: Aurecia’s polished princess image collapses under pressure, revealing fear beneath the act.

Plot points and events

• Su Yi leaves the private room with Aurecia, who is visibly disheveled after their encounter. He tells Haixi he will accept Aurecia as a gift and agrees to their deal, but asks to use the Starsea Princess image to help expand his gang’s operations on Red Sun Star. Haixi readily agrees.
• Su Yi plans to establish a presence on Red Sun Star, a strategically important world threatened by future Void Abyss contamination. He intends to send Mota and Jon there, with Aurecia and Mantis Maguire supporting his preparations.
• Doyle Elton confronts Aurecia, but she disowns him and declares herself Su Yi’s obedient “little bitch.” When Doyle attacks, Su Yi disables him with an ability. Company guards recognize Su Yi’s L25 badge and remove Doyle.
• Hoyle Lald challenges Su Yi’s authority, pointing out that he lacks a department and staff. Su Yi deliberately provokes him by flaunting his closeness to Aurecia and insulting him. Hoyle nearly attacks but is restrained by his subordinates and leaves, vowing revenge.
• Su Yi takes Aurecia to change and then brings her to social gatherings, using her public presence to signal his influence and test potential partners and enemies.
• At the company’s Recovery Department, Ilis uses a newly acquired power to extract and rewrite memories. After interrogating staff, she tests the effect by altering their memories so they forget meeting her, then asks to inspect Storehouse records and supplies. The employees obstruct her with procedural excuses.

Character developments

• Su Yi grows more confident in his ruthless, provocative persona. He uses Aurecia as both a strategic asset and a way to bait rivals, while pursuing a wider plan for Red Sun Star.
• Aurecia shows fear and submission toward Su Yi, then publicly rejects Doyle to preserve her standing with her new master. She is also impressed by Su Yi’s boldness and suspects his actions are calculated rather than impulsive.
• Doyle shifts from hopeful suitor to humiliated enemy after Aurecia rejects him and Su Yi defeats him.
• Hoyle Lald becomes an openly hostile rival after Su Yi provokes him and humiliates him in front of colleagues.
• Ilis gains access to her SS-rank Boon, Weaving of Yore, allowing her to view and overwrite a target’s recent memories. She uses it to investigate company operations while maintaining secrecy.

Significant themes

• Power and status: Rank, connections, and authority shape how people behave, but Su Yi’s confidence and demonstrated ability let him dominate despite lacking a formal department.
• Manipulation and performance: Su Yi stages public provocations and uses Aurecia’s image to influence business partners and draw out enemies; Ilis similarly manipulates memories to conduct covert investigations.
• Future threats and preparation: Su Yi’s plans for Red Sun Star reflect the looming danger of Void Abyss contamination and the need to build influence before it arrives.
• Control and humiliation: Several encounters revolve around controlling others—through physical power, social pressure, or altered memories.

Character interactions

• Su Yi and Haixi: They negotiate the use of Aurecia’s public image and the Starsea Princess brand for Su Yi’s expansion plans.
• Su Yi and Aurecia: Their relationship is marked by Aurecia’s fearful obedience and Su Yi’s use of her for strategic and social purposes.
• Su Yi and Doyle: Su Yi provokes Doyle, who attacks and is swiftly subdued; Aurecia’s rejection deepens Doyle’s humiliation.
• Su Yi and Hoyle: Their confrontation escalates through insults and deliberate baiting, leaving Hoyle furious but restrained.
• Ilis and the Storehouse staff: Ilis uses her new memory power to question them, then encounters their coordinated bureaucratic resistance.

Key plot points and events

• Ilis and Rick conclude that Lald is behind the attacks on the Moon-Drinking Azure Wolf, but Ilis lacks enough people to confront him safely. She refuses to involve Horus’s Level Three group, wanting to protect its future.
• Lald calls to complain that Su Yi has supposedly abused Ilis’s name and damaged her reputation. He invokes their promised dinner as leverage; Ilis calmly postpones him, secretly pleased by Su Yi’s behavior.
• Su Yi’s organization reports coordinated attacks: a medical convoy loses cargo and forty escorts, goods are impounded over disputed qualifications, and teams face unusually precise ambushes. Su Yi suspects Lald’s influence but remains unfazed.
• Ilis tells Su Yi she has evidence but cannot act without risking its destruction. Su Yi proposes keeping the attackers occupied, then killing them and using the evidence afterward. Ilis agrees to wait for his response.
• Su Yi assigns Aurecia to travel to Red Sun Star with Mota, Maguire, and others. Rijia is tasked with teaching her the organization’s rules—but interprets this as an opportunity to indoctrinate her in Su Yi’s supposed greatness. Aurecia mistakes his cushion and book for something more threatening before realizing what he means.
• Su Yi contacts Winter and the Human Alliance Players. He offers to take them to Kevin-9, where a major quest promises valuable rewards, including SS-Class gear and portable respawn pods.
• Before that expedition, Su Yi recruits Players for an anti-corruption mission. He offers triple pay to those working for the Operations Department and a place on the Kevin-9 trip if they switch sides. Winter promises to organize them by the next day.
• The Ten Pioneers rally behind Su Yi, realizing Lald’s forces have been attacking the Moon-Drinking Azure Wolf under false pretenses. They look forward to fighting alongside Su Yi and competing through their numbers and motivation.

Character developments and interactions

• Ilis shows growing consideration for the Moon-Drinking Azure Wolf, treating it as more than a disposable tool because it belongs to Su Yi. Her playful, intimate exchange with him makes their closeness clear to Aurecia.
• Su Yi responds to pressure with confidence and unconventional ruthlessness, while also demonstrating businesslike fairness by insisting that even close allies agree on payment.
• Aurecia discovers how intimate Su Yi and Ilis are and feels intimidated by Ilis’s status. Her fear of Rijia’s “training” turns into comic confusion when he produces a book and cushion.
• Rijia remains devoted to Su Yi, passionately presenting him as a figure of worship. His enthusiasm—and Su Yi’s reflexive slap at one suggestive phrase—provides comic relief.
• Winter, Mountain Dog, and the Ten Pioneers eagerly support Su Yi, seeing the mission as both a chance to earn money and a route to accompany him to Kevin-9.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and changing relationships: Ilis’s concern for Su Yi’s group marks a shift in how she treats others, while the Players’ loyalty is strengthened by Su Yi’s direct support.
• Power through numbers and incentives: Su Yi counters Lald’s network by recruiting well-paid allies rather than relying solely on formal authority.
• Manipulation and reputation: Lald tries to use accusations and social pressure against Ilis, while Su Yi plans to turn the conflict and its evidence against the attackers.
• Ambition and opportunity: The Kevin-9 quest motivates the Players, linking personal advancement with Su Yi’s larger plans.

Key plot points and events

• Su Yi learns that Human Alliance fighters are preparing to attack him again. Rather than confront them directly, he plans to use them to deal with two troublesome players, the Bathing Emperor and I Want to Learn English. He tells Mountain Dog to leak a false story: Su Yi will meet John Lard and his son at the Haisen Hotel to make peace.
• Meanwhile, roughly 2,000 Star God players storm a Desert Raider stronghold, rescuing more than 3,000 captives. The mission is part of a planet-wide effort to clear out raiders and pays players for kills and rescues.
• The players kill 2,101 raiders, losing 325 of their own. Winter refuses to take prisoners, judging the raiders too dangerous and costly to hold. After finding that corpse-based fertilizer is uneconomical, some players instead plan to use the bodies as bait for desert monsters.
• Winter and Mountain Dog calculate that the raid earns about 3,000 Void Abyss Coins after expenses. They discuss the burdens of running an organization that must keep hundreds or thousands of members supplied.
• The Ten Pioneers have become financially independent by selling game currency and brokering trusted player-to-player trades. Their success has also helped other guild members earn money.
• Wheelchair, a severely disabled player, has saved and sold game currency through the guild, earning a reliable salary of 30,000 Renminbi per month. He shares the news with his mother and urges his parents to stop working so hard.

Character developments

• Su Yi remains confident and strategic, turning a threat from the Human Alliance into an opportunity.
• Winter and Mountain Dog are shown balancing battlefield success against the practical demands of leadership: costs, supplies, and members’ livelihoods.
• The Ten Pioneers have shifted from players to full-time leaders and trusted financial intermediaries, though wealth matters less to them than the game and their community.
• Wheelchair has regained purpose and confidence through meaningful work and a respected role in the guild. His income eases his guilt about burdening his family and gives him hope for their future.
• Wheelchair’s mother moves from long-standing strain toward genuine happiness, though she remains cautious and wants proof that his income will continue before retiring.

Significant themes

• Games as real opportunity: The game offers disabled and economically struggling players income, dignity, and a sense of agency.
• Community and shared prosperity: Guild members benefit from collective success, while trusted relationships make otherwise risky currency trading possible.
• War as spectacle and business: Players enjoy combat with fewer real-world consequences, while leaders assess it through costs, rewards, and efficiency.
• Pragmatism and moral compromise: The group’s refusal to take prisoners and the players’ plans to exploit bodies show how survival and profit shape decisions in this harsh setting.
• Hope tempered by caution: Wheelchair’s family sees a brighter future, but his mother remains wary after years of hardship.

Character interactions

• Su Yi directs Mountain Dog to pass a false tip to his contacts, and Mountain Dog recognizes that the plan is deliberate.
• Winter and Mountain Dog review the raid’s financial results and share concerns about supporting their growing organization.
• The Ten Pioneers coordinate an offline dinner and an online meeting, reflecting their close working relationship.
• Wheelchair reassures his mother that his earnings are real and urges her to rest; she responds with joy but asks him to maintain the income for two more months before she quits working.

Key plot points and events

• The Ten Pioneers’ leaders reveal that the company deceived some of their members into attacking genuine Moon-Drinking Azure Wolf couriers. Guildmaster Winter explains that L30 Lald has broken with the Moon-Drinking Azure Wolf’s leaders, Barrett and Gheros, and that the guild is seeking help against Lald’s faction.
• Gheros offers the players triple pay to turn against the company at a decisive moment. He also promises to transport the guild to Kevin-9 for free as an advance on future work, giving them a way to pursue their costly goal of opening a new destination.
• The guild agrees to keep its company-employed members undercover and prepare for a coordinated strike. Winter warns them to watch for suspicious temporary jobs Lald may arrange.
• Separately, God of Fun Above proposes a scheme to avenge the players’ earlier defeat by Gheros: kill L30 Lald and make it look as though Gheros ordered the murder, driving the two factions into open conflict. He plans to infiltrate the hotel disguised as a waiter and use explosives.
• The Moon-Drinking Azure Wolf’s troubles worsen as deliveries fail, caravans are attacked, and rumors portray the organization as disgraced and near collapse. This weakens its internal loyalty and gives planted agents an opportunity to defect.
• Lald and his father accept Ilis’s invitation to a public dinner, believing the Moon-Drinking Azure Wolf is too weak to threaten them. Su Yi plans to use the resulting chaos to seize control of the Lald faction through undercover allies in Logistics, Technology, and Medicine.

Character developments and interactions

• Winter takes charge of the Ten Pioneers’ response, balancing loyalty, secrecy, and preparation.
• Big Watermelon and the other company workers shift from anger at being deceived to eager participation in the planned betrayal of the company.
• God of Fun Above earns the players’ respect through clever, practical schemes. His plan redirects their desire for revenge away from the powerful Gheros and toward Lald, using deception and political fallout.
• The players are motivated by both their long-standing ties to the Moon-Drinking Azure Wolf and the chance to reach Kevin-9.
• Lald and his father underestimate their opponents, mistaking the faction’s apparent weakness for helplessness.
• Su Yi and Ilis present a conciliatory front while preparing a covert takeover; Ilis views the dinner as the promised “last supper.”

Significant themes

• Loyalty and betrayal: The company’s deception pushes players to side with the Moon-Drinking Azure Wolf, while rumors and internal fractures threaten the guild’s own cohesion.
• Manipulation and misinformation: Both sides use cover identities, rumors, and false appearances to shape events and frame opponents.
• Pragmatism and self-interest: The players’ allegiance is reinforced by shared history, better pay, and the opportunity to advance their larger ambitions.
• Revenge and unintended consequences: The players’ desire to settle an old score could intensify a larger factional conflict, even as Su Yi’s plan aims to exploit that same instability.

Key plot points and events

• On July 14, 4100, Su Yi’s Moon-Drinking Azure Wolf hosts Chairman Lald and his son at the Haisen Hotel, supposedly to apologize and settle their dispute. The meeting draws intense public attention, with opinions divided over whether Su Yi is submitting to corporate pressure.
• Lald and his son arrive with a heavily armed security detail. They insult Su Yi, reject the food, and demand that Ilis Barrett explain herself over the death of Lald’s nephew. Ilis agrees to honor their deal and arrange an apology, while Su Yi remains outwardly deferential.
• The meal is a trap. After security has inspected several harmless dishes, they stop checking the later ones. Disguised agents Fun God and Bathing Emperor deliver two bombs: an EMP disables the victims’ Shield Robots, and a second blast kills Lald and his son. Su Yi is thrown outside and injured; Ilis survives because she has gone to fetch the contract.
• In the confusion, Michael, Liu Na, and Skola persuade Lald’s subordinates to hand over incriminating evidence, claiming they are following Lald’s instructions. Elsewhere, Players and Moon-Drinking Azure Wolf allies move against company agents, traitors, spies, and other targets identified in advance.
• Su Yi rises outside and loudly mourns Lald’s “horrible” death, making the killing appear to have happened in front of the gathered crowd. News of the attack spreads rapidly, shocking the world.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Yi maintains a polite, submissive façade throughout the meal, even as Lald’s son humiliates him. His apparent injury and public lament help obscure his role in the plot.
• Ilis Barrett stays controlled and cooperative during the confrontation, accepting Lald’s demands and leaving the room at a strategically convenient moment. Her coolness toward Lald’s son remains evident.
• Lald and his son grow overconfident, dismissing Su Yi’s group as incapable of attacking them. Their contempt leads them to let their guard down.
• The agents and allies coordinate the bombing and the broader crackdown. Michael, Liu Na, and Skola exploit the company faction’s panic, while the Players and other allies capture targets simultaneously.
• Haixi is shocked but impressed by Su Yi’s ruthlessness, while Evan reacts with anger. Aurecia is horrified, realizing that Su Yi has openly killed an L30 executive and his heir.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: The apparent apology masks an assassination, while Su Yi’s staged injury and grief support the public story.
• Power, arrogance, and miscalculation: Lald’s side assumes corporate status makes them untouchable; their confidence proves fatal.
• Information warfare and public opinion: Rumors, fabricated or leaked recordings, and the crowd’s competing loyalties shape how events are understood.
• Political upheaval: Lald’s death destabilizes his faction, allowing Su Yi’s allies to seize evidence and move against corporate forces before they can regroup.

Key plot points and events

• After company executive John Lald and his son die in a dinner explosion, suspicion falls on Su Yi (Gheros) and Moon-Drinking Azure Wolf. The gang’s rivals stir up rumors, while the company launches an investigation.
• Su Yi admits he wanted the Lalds dead but says he never ordered an assassination. He explains that he and Director Barrett planned to detain them while investigating their corruption. Ilis gives a matching account, and both are cleared.
• Investigators trace the bombing to four Human Alliance Players seeking revenge on Su Yi and hoping to provoke conflict between the company and his gang. Their evidence also connects two attackers to an earlier failed bounty attempt against Su Yi and Michael.
• The company publicly clears Moon-Drinking Azure Wolf, commends its leaders, and raises the gang’s partnership rating. Its joint operations with Human Alliance Pioneers expose extensive corruption, recover more than eleven million in company assets, and capture members of two hostile organizations.
• The four Players are identified and publicly given bounties. They flee, shocked that Su Yi anticipated their behavior and turned their attack to his advantage.

Character developments

• Su Yi/Gheros appears candid and composed under interrogation, while carefully presenting evidence that protects his organization and advances the company’s investigation. His reputation for strategic skill grows.
• Ilis supports Su Yi’s account and is likewise cleared.
• God of Fun Above recognizes that Su Yi understood the Players’ habits and may have used their scheme to remove the Lalds; he finds the reversal amusing despite the danger.
• The other Players shift from celebrating their revenge to scrambling to escape the bounty.
• Haixi is impressed by Su Yi’s maneuvering and by the Human Alliance Pioneers’ fierce loyalty to Moon-Drinking Azure Wolf.

Significant themes

• Strategy and perception: Su Yi turns an apparent disaster into a political and operational victory by anticipating both the Players and the company’s response.
• Reputation versus reality: Though officially cleared, many still suspect Su Yi had a hand in the deaths; his effectiveness matters more to them than their doubts.
• Unexpected alliances: The Pioneers’ reckless loyalty makes Moon-Drinking Azure Wolf far more formidable.
• Institutional corruption and leverage: The Lalds’ crimes give the company grounds to recover assets and pursue wider enemies.

Character interactions

• Su Yi’s measured answers unsettle the investigators and earn their respect once they review his evidence.
• Ilis’s testimony reinforces Su Yi’s explanation.
• The Players’ attempted provocation backfires, turning them into bounty targets while strengthening Su Yi’s standing.
• Human Alliance Pioneers fight alongside Moon-Drinking Azure Wolf, helping it dismantle criminal hideouts and capture key figures.

Plot points and events

• Cairns, now a powerful Navigation Department executive, expects to transfer to Headquarters’ Sales Department. He is shocked when Su Yi and Ilis are cleared and appointed anti-corruption envoys instead.
• Su Yi and Ilis launch a sweeping purge across Rhode Star’s Operations Department and other branches. Thousands are arrested, fined, dismissed, or demoted, while the Moon-Drinking Azure Wolf quietly takes over much of the work.
• The company continues operating despite the upheaval—and its revenue rises by 20%. Su Yi’s allies and the Wolf’s prepared personnel fill key vacancies, strengthening their influence.
• After the purge secures Rhode Star, Ilis reveals that her father, Mata Barrett, is the final obstacle. She has him arrested for embezzlement, bribery, and the secret killing of 351 employees. Using a Soul-Severing Ring, she disables his powers.
• Ilis confronts Mata over his abuse of her and her mother. Su Yi supports her quietly, then comforts her after the arrest.
• With Mata removed, Su Yi and Ilis plan to leave Rhode Star under the Moon-Drinking Azure Wolf’s control. Their organizations formally merge: Ilis gains a 30% stake in the Cosmic Alarm Clock Group, while Rhode Star becomes a major source of funding.

Character developments

• Su Yi consolidates power through the Wolf and its fighters, while leaving Ilis to handle the deeply personal confrontation with Mata.
• Ilis proves both politically ruthless and personally wounded. She chooses lawful accountability over killing her father herself, but openly revels in finally confronting him.
• Mata shifts from triumphant ally to exposed criminal, furious that his daughter has turned against him.
• Cairns discovers that the investigation has overturned his assumptions and may threaten his own security.
• Michael, Skola, Liu Na, and Aolong rise rapidly into influential roles during the purge.

Themes

• Power and corruption: The crackdown exposes how deeply corruption reaches through the company, including its highest ranks.
• Justice versus revenge: Ilis’s arrest of Mata is official and evidence-based, but also answers years of personal mistreatment.
• Loyalty and control: The chapter contrasts Mata’s coercive control of Ilis with the loyalty Su Yi has earned from his followers.
• Money and influence: The new alliance treats Rhode Star’s revenue as the foundation for future power and operations.

Character interactions

• Mata praises Su Yi and Ilis, unaware that Ilis is about to accuse and arrest him. Their confrontation exposes the history of his control and abuse.
• Su Yi stays out of the father-daughter exchange, then embraces Ilis afterward; their intimacy is interrupted when Rick walks in.
• Ilis and Su Yi agree to hand Rhode Star’s practical control to the Moon-Drinking Azure Wolf and use its profits to support their wider ambitions.

Key events

• On Kevin-9, a battered robot named Charles kills a Void Beast while defending the ruined Diamond City. A child repairs him and questions whether an ancient promise is worth keeping. Charles follows his protocols: protect the city and his master’s younger sister, who rests there. A recording from his former master insists the promise matters regardless of success.
• Yao wakes from this vision, which feels like a warning. He and Screw—now lovers after four months together in the wilderness—are staying with the Frost Elf settlement. Their hosts report that human tracks in the eastern mountains have disrupted their food supply. High Priest Icegrass asks Yao to request an audience with Emperor Xuanhuang; he agrees to pass along the plea.
• On Rhode Star, Ilis’s execution of her father, Mata Barrett, has silenced her opponents. She and Su Yi have rebuilt and reunified the planet, earning promotions and a major assignment: lead the company’s Kevin-9 development project. Ilis will direct the overall project, while Su Yi leads its armed operations.
• The mission is underfunded, politically constrained, and rated extremely dangerous. Kevin-9’s distorted conditions prevent ordinary flight and communication; the Life Alliance controls the three safe entry routes and bars most company personnel. Despite the risks, Su Yi accepts, aiming to make Kevin-9 a second Rhode Star.
• Su Yi has prepared four thousand elite Players for the expedition. They enthusiastically welcome Kevin-9’s deadly conditions, while discussing whether they might be expected to support colonization. Players then discover that the Shadow Puppet Sanctum is recruiting people to help the Life Alliance colonize the planet. Leg Kicker, still furious over a deceptive mission from the group, rushes to confront them; Winter warns him not to abuse his influence.

Character developments and interactions

• Yao takes his unsettling dream seriously and shows growing commitment to understanding the mysteries around him. He offers Icegrass help while making clear he cannot guarantee an audience.
• Screw comforts Yao, providing warmth and reassurance despite her unrepaired synthetic skin.
• Icegrass shifts from a plea for food help to seeking the Emperor’s guidance and offering the clan’s loyalty in exchange for support.
• Ilis has consolidated her authority through her uncompromising actions and is now entrusted with a high-stakes planetary project. She checks whether Su Yi is willing to take the risk.
• Su Yi displays confidence and ambition, relying on preparations made well before the official assignment. His partnership with Ilis remains strong and trusting.
• Leg Kicker remains resentful toward the Shadow Puppet Sanctum after its leader rejected his interpretation of a mission. Winter tries to restrain his response and protect the Players’ reputation.

Significant themes

• Promises and duty: Charles’s defense of Diamond City echoes the question of whether loyalty remains meaningful when success seems unlikely.
• Colonization and moral responsibility: The expedition raises uncertainty about the Life Alliance’s intentions and whether the Players will side with outsiders or Kevin-9’s natives.
• Power, loyalty, and legitimacy: Ilis’s harsh rule has secured obedience, while Su Yi’s organization thrives by balancing company loyalty with autonomy.
• Survival in a hostile world: Kevin-9’s hazards, scarcity, and conflict make cooperation and preparation essential.

Plot and key events

• In District 12, the Shadow Puppet Sanctum recruits Players for missions to kill Gheros, offering huge rewards. Leg Kicker warns them that the Sanctum previously promised him an SSS-Class reward and failed to deliver.
• Several Players accuse Leg Kicker of protecting his own monopoly and meddling in their choices. The Sanctum says he is blacklisted for “helping a tyrant.” Leg Kicker leaves without escalating the argument, sensing the Sanctum is deepening divisions among Players.
• The Sanctum separately recruits Fun God and his three companions, who have been hiding from the company. They accept a deal to leave Rhode Star and pursue their shared goal of killing Gheros.
• Su Yi prepares an expedition to Kevin-9, assigning most of his people to the mission and sending Mota, Kashasha, and their trainees to Red Sun Star to build influence through film and business connections. Their longer-term aim is to gain control of Astral Technology.
• Icegrass performs a ritual and meets Su Yi, who confirms that his envoys have aided her clan. In return for the Icegrass Clan’s loyalty, he reveals a hidden store of Soul Crystals—enough to feed them for five hundred years.
• The next morning, Icegrass rallies her hungry clan and leads them with Yao and Screw to claim the promised supplies.

Character developments and interactions

• Leg Kicker shows restraint when provoked, allowing Players to make their own decisions. His past conflict with the Sanctum makes him wary of its influence, while growing resentment toward his group leaves him increasingly conscious of factional tensions.
• The Players are divided: some trust the Sanctum’s rewards, while others take Leg Kicker’s warning seriously. Their exchange reveals resentment of the Ten Pioneers’ wealth and influence.
• Fun God and his companions move from hiding to active opposition against Gheros after the Sanctum offers them a way off the planet and the means to act.
• Su Yi demonstrates strategic foresight, organizing simultaneous efforts on Kevin-9 and Red Sun Star while using his knowledge of the planet to secure loyalty.
• Icegrass accepts Su Yi’s patronage on behalf of her people. Though the clan initially resists the idea of serving anyone, the promise of food quickly turns uncertainty into hope and gratitude.

Significant themes

• Factionalism and distrust: Competition over wealth and influence divides the Players, while the Sanctum exploits existing grievances.
• Power as a practical tool: Su Yi’s view that power need not require exclusive worship contrasts with the transactional alliances forming across the chapter.
• Leadership and responsibility: Leg Kicker avoids forcing his judgment on others; Icegrass pledges loyalty to secure her people’s survival.
• Hope through material aid: The Soul Crystal cache transforms the Icegrass Clan’s outlook, showing how basic survival needs can shape allegiance and faith.

Key plot points and events

• Yao and Screw guide the Frost Elves through the Bone Mountains to an abandoned experimental base. Inside, they find a vast hoard of Soul Crystals, protected by the site’s concentrated Void Abyss energy. Icegrass and the elves kneel and thank Emperor Xuanhuang for the “boon.”
• Su Yi organizes a wider expedition to Kevin-9, splitting Winter’s group among several planets to establish Spawn Points and pursue other objectives. Veteran players prepare for the mission, and equipment prices rise on Rhode Star.
• At the Development Zone market, Polar Bear tells friends that Gheros is supplying the expedition with equipment at no cost. Her casual confidence contrasts with growing suspicion and division among players, some of whom have been influenced by the Shadow Puppet Sanctum. Su Yi is pleased that, unlike in his previous life, at least half the players support him.
• On September 20, 4100, Su Yi, Ilis, and thousands of players leave Rhode Star aboard the Sea Net. The players marvel at the space station, the Orbital Great Wall, and the view of their planet.
• On board, Captain Chuck Rhine welcomes Su Yi and Ilis and praises their achievements, especially Su Yi’s killing of a Demigod. He escorts them to meet Ma Li, an L65 Small Minister.
• Ma Li reviews Rhode Star’s performance and gives it top marks for revenue, resident satisfaction, reputation, and stability—an exceptional result for a newly developed territory. He is impressed by Su Yi and Ilis’s confidence and composure.

Character developments and interactions

• Icegrass and the Frost Elves show profound gratitude and reverence toward Emperor Xuanhuang after receiving the Soul Crystals.
• Yao and Screw reinforce their faith in Su Yi, crediting his remote guidance with their repeated escapes from danger and discovery of valuable resources.
• Su Yi demonstrates strategic foresight by assigning his allies to separate planetary missions, while also recognizing that player factions are divided. His past experience makes him satisfied with the improved support he has in this life.
• Polar Bear remains relaxed and loyal to Gheros, dismissing real-world-style cynicism and encouraging friends to enjoy the game. Her exchange exposes the distrust fostered among newer players.
• Winter urges the departing players to behave themselves aboard the station, prompting friendly laughter.
• Ilis and Su Yi remain respectful during their meeting with Ma Li, while showing enough assurance to impress him. Ma Li’s praise suggests their careers and influence may soon rise.

Significant themes

• Faith, reward, and authority: The Frost Elves’ gratitude toward Emperor Xuanhuang highlights the power of generosity to inspire devotion.
• Factional division and leadership: Player distrust reflects the Shadow Puppet Sanctum’s influence, while Su Yi’s support base shows that conflict can unfold through persuasion as well as force.
• Ambition and expansion: The expedition and distribution of allies across multiple planets mark a new stage in the group’s interstellar growth.
• Recognition and merit: Rhode Star’s unusually strong performance earns institutional approval, and Ma Li’s reaction establishes Su Yi and Ilis as promising figures within the company.