Chapter Summaries

Summary

At a farewell meal with Guinaifen, Sushang, Huohuo, Yanqing, and the others, Zhang Xiu says he and the Astral Express crew may be gone for a long time. The comment worries Huohuo and March, but he reassures them that nothing specific has happened—he simply expects the Nameless to encounter the unexpected. The meal quickly turns into a cheerful food scramble, with March and Stelle eating enthusiastically, Tail urging Huohuo to keep up, and Guinaifen teasing Sushang. Yanqing remains somewhat uncomfortable among people he barely knows. Zhang Xiu raises a toast “to the future,” which everyone echoes, ending the gathering on a warm, hopeful note.
Back aboard the Express, Pom-Pom announces a major cleanup. Although Car-Wash Planets can clean the train’s exterior, the passengers must scrub its interior themselves. Zhang Xiu offers to use his “path power” to do the job, but March stops him from solving everything that way. He and Yaoshi jokingly pretend to be ill to avoid the chore; March relents and allows him to use his power for part of the work, prompting exaggerated gratitude from the pair. As Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi head to their room, Pom-Pom notices that the Express’s route has deviated slightly from its intended heading. The crew turns their attention to the unexplained navigation anomaly.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Xiu shows affection for his friends by hosting a farewell meal, while his reluctance to clean reveals a playful, lazy side. His toast signals optimism about what lies ahead.
• Yanqing is included in the gathering but feels awkward among unfamiliar people; Zhang Xiu recognizes his discomfort and avoids drawing attention to it.
• March 7th is lively and decisive, first enjoying the meal and then insisting Zhang Xiu not rely entirely on his powers. She softens when she realizes her demand may be unfair.
• Huohuo and Tail, Guinaifen and Sushang, and the rest of the group share lighthearted, teasing moments that emphasize their camaraderie.
• Pom-Pom’s discovery shifts the mood from domestic comedy to suspense, bringing the crew together to investigate.

Significant themes

• Friendship and separation: The farewell meal celebrates bonds even as Zhang Xiu anticipates a long absence.
• Shared responsibility: The cleanup is a communal task, prompting a playful negotiation over how much Zhang Xiu should do with his abilities.
• Hope amid uncertainty: The toast looks forward to the future, while the Express’s unexpected course deviation hints that new trouble may be approaching.

Plot points and events

• A sudden disturbance jolts the Astral Express into an unfamiliar region of dark-red space, apparently an asteroid belt. A shadow flashes past the windows.
• Dan Heng determines that another ship collided with the Express after both vessels were obstructed. Two passengers have come aboard.
• One is Argenti, a Knight of Beauty, whom Zhang Xiu recognizes. Zhang describes him as honorable but eccentric, prompting playful banter with March.
• Argenti uses his power to dramatically illuminate the carriage and lavish compliments on the potted plant, March, and Stelle.
• Zhang greets Argenti by praising Idrila, the Goddess of Beauty. This immediately wins Argenti’s admiration, and the two introduce themselves as fellow seekers of Beauty.
• Argenti asks Zhang to explain his understanding of Beauty. Zhang says it is a pure, noble pursuit that differs from person to person—and declares that he has already met his Idrila.

Character developments

• Zhang Xiu shows confidence and humor, but also reveals a personal, romantic understanding of Beauty through his declaration about Idrila.
• Argenti is established as sincere, theatrical, and intensely devoted to Beauty; he eagerly recognizes Zhang as a kindred spirit.
• March 7th reacts with bemusement to Argenti’s extravagant compliments and trades playful jokes with Zhang.
• Stelle is surprised by the Express’s strange situation and awkwardly receives Argenti’s praise.
• Dan Heng and Welt respond cautiously to the collision and investigate the Express, while Yaoshi remains close to Zhang and identifies herself as his wife.

Significant themes

• Beauty as personal and subjective: Zhang argues that everyone has their own conception of Beauty and Idrila.
• Devotion and idealism: Argenti’s earnest worship of Beauty contrasts with the crew’s teasing reactions.
• Humor amid danger: The collision and eerie surroundings are quickly offset by Zhang and Yaoshi’s absurd time-travel claims and the crew’s banter.

Character interactions

• Zhang and March tease each other, with March playing along when he mock-threatens her.
• Argenti’s praise makes March uncomfortable and leaves Stelle puzzled.
• Zhang’s admiration for Argenti’s devotion creates an immediate bond between the two.
• Yaoshi introduces herself as Zhang’s wife, while Stelle and March help keep the exchange grounded with their bemused reactions.

Key plot points and events

• Yaoshi’s jealousy fades when Zhang Xiu’s praise of Idrila turns toward her. Stelle adds that March is her Idrila, leaving March flustered.
• Welt interrupts to warn the group that the crisis is more urgent than expected. Argenti explains that he joined the Express after rescuing Verit, an IPC employee, and changed course to escort him.
• Zhang Xiu recognizes that the Astral Express is inside a giant True Sting, a remnant of the Swarm left after Tayzzyronth’s fall. He suspects more bugs have already infiltrated the train and volunteers to kill the giant while the others handle the cleanup.
• Despite Argenti’s concern, Zhang Xiu leaves with Yaoshi. Using his Black Flame, he unleashes Heaven-Rift Flame Peak, slicing the True Sting apart in a single overwhelming attack.
• The Express crew witnesses the creature’s death and the outside universe revealed through its split body. Afterward, Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi sit together on the train’s roof, watching the rift widen and talking about the vastness of the universe.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Xiu acts with confidence and a strong sense of responsibility, insisting that the True Sting must be stopped to protect others. He also asks Argenti to call him by his name, signaling growing closeness.
• Yaoshi supports Zhang Xiu and shares a tender moment with him; the two speak of exploring the universe together after the crisis. She reassures him that lookalikes are not the same as him.
• Argenti demonstrates both noble purpose and trust in Zhang Xiu, even when Zhang Xiu takes Yaoshi into danger. He is surprised when the threat is defeated almost instantly.
• March and Stelle share a playful exchange that leaves March embarrassed and pleased. Verit, shaken by his ordeal, is too stunned to react to Zhang Xiu’s feat.

Significant themes

• Beauty and devotion: Idrila inspires personal affection as well as Argenti’s ideals, while the group’s exchanges show beauty as something each person understands differently.
• Duty and protection: Zhang Xiu’s decision to confront the True Sting reflects a willingness to risk himself to spare others.
• Cosmic scale and wonder: The episode contrasts intimate affection with the immense strangeness of the universe and its creatures.
• Trust and individuality: Argenti trusts Zhang Xiu, and Yaoshi emphasizes that resemblance cannot replace the unique person she loves.

Plot points and events

• Zhang Xiu decides he must help free Amphoreus from its painful repeating cycle, even if changing events causes unpredictable consequences. He plans to trick Lygus, bring Yaoshi’s true body, and confront Iron Curtain.
• Lygus reveals he had secretly installed a virus in a file to listen in on Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi. He assures Zhang Xiu that he will take part in the Amphoreus experiment, but not yet; then he neutralizes the virus and cuts off contact.
• Yaoshi leaves Polya and his people after granting them medicine, explaining that her husband has summoned her. Her sudden departure leaves them baffled about her marital status and identity.
• Yaoshi appears outside the Astral Express in her enormous form. Zhang Xiu tells the crew he is leaving with her, then asks her to search the universe for Amphoreus. Despite examining every world, she cannot find it.
• Unable to reach Amphoreus, Zhang Xiu abandons the immediate rescue attempt and decides to follow the plot while devising a longer-term plan.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Xiu’s desire to rescue those trapped in the cycle outweighs his wish to keep traveling with his companions, though he ultimately accepts that he cannot act immediately.
• Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi discover that neither noticed Lygus’s surveillance, prompting a joking exchange about their mutual lack of awareness. Their playful intimacy continues, though Yaoshi’s cheeky suggestion about her two bodies briefly alarms Zhang Xiu.
• Polya’s faith in Yaoshi’s legendary compassion becomes disappointment when she refuses to stay, while the people around him speculate about her husband.
• The Astral Express crew react with amazement to Yaoshi’s colossal appearance. Argenti recognizes the connection to Zhang Xiu’s wife, while Liuxue records the encounter for Herta.

Significant themes

• Heroism and responsibility: Zhang Xiu questions whether a hero can justify making others suffer and chooses to prioritize the people enduring the cycle.
• Limits of power and control: Even an Aeon’s vast abilities cannot locate Amphoreus, underscoring that power does not guarantee access or understanding.
• Intimacy amid cosmic events: The couple’s teasing domestic exchanges contrast with the universe-spanning stakes.
• Fate and uncertainty: Lygus’s control of the experiment and Amphoreus’s elusiveness force Zhang Xiu to reconsider how—and when—he can intervene.

Key plot points and events

• In Amphoreus, Lygus and the other Zandar fragments help hide the world from further probing. The effort nearly reaches its limit, and Lygus reflects on a past experiment and the mystery of what miracle might result from it.
• Zhang Xiu returns to the Astral Express with little Yaoshi. Yaoshi’s enormous other body leaves after playfully poking March 7th and Stelle; she explains that both bodies share one consciousness. March retaliates by kneading the little Yaoshi’s cheeks.
• Argenti reports that the Express is clear of bugs and departs to continue honoring Idrila. Zhang Xiu also sends a company employee away, threatening him to keep quiet but giving him a wisp of Black Flame for protection.
• The crew resumes its trip to the Car-Wash Planet, where they clean the Express. Zhang Xiu and Stelle duel with broomsticks, break them, and earn extra chores from Pom-Pom.
• Zhang Xiu, Yaoshi, and Stelle then travel to the Space Station to meet Ruan Mei. They find Herta and Asta preparing for her arrival amid researchers’ resentment at being overworked.
• Herta asks Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi to let Ruan Mei study them, offering compensation and a Curio. Yaoshi immediately declares that Herta and Ruan Mei are lesbians; Herta denies it, but her awkward response only makes Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi more convinced.

Character developments and interactions

• Lygus remains focused on the concealment effort and its experimental future.
• Yaoshi is playful and affectionate, while March 7th responds to the giant body’s teasing with mock punishment. Zhang Xiu breaks up the cheek-kneading before it goes too far.
• Zhang Xiu balances joking with protectiveness: he shields the employee despite his hostility toward the company, and later helps with chores.
• Argenti remains devoted to his mission and leaves on friendly terms with the Express crew.
• Stelle joins Zhang Xiu in the broom duel, then cleans up after it; she quietly misses her Doll.
• Herta shows unusual willingness to bargain for access to Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi, then becomes flustered when Yaoshi teases her about Ruan Mei.

Significant themes

• Found family and camaraderie: The crew’s teasing, chores, and farewells create a warm, domestic atmosphere.
• Power tempered by compassion: Zhang Xiu threatens the company employee but still protects him, distinguishing ordinary workers from the executives he despises.
• Identity and shared consciousness: Yaoshi’s two bodies are distinct forms of one self.
• Romantic teasing and subtext: Yaoshi’s matchmaking joke—and Herta’s embarrassed denial—frames the chapter’s closing gag.

Plot points and events

• Asta tells Zhang Xiu, Yaoshi, and Stelle that Ruan Mei is at the platform. The group goes to meet her, where she is sampling pastries and greets Yaoshi—the Aeon of Abundance—with little surprise.
• Ruan Mei proposes studying Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi, describing procedures such as blood sampling and biological dialysis. She hands Stelle a pastry that Zhang Xiu recognizes as containing truth serum, and he eats it before Stelle can.
• Ruan Mei admits she distrusts others and sees covert measures as necessary for accurate research. Zhang Xiu is angered less by the drugging itself than by her lack of remorse, and he leaves with Yaoshi and Stelle.
• Herta later apologizes for Ruan Mei’s behavior. Zhang Xiu accepts the apology and clarifies that he and the others still like Herta and Screwllum, though they dislike Ruan Mei.
• Stelle returns to the group’s ship. Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi plan to visit Dr. Ratio in the sealed zone, but realize Stelle has taken their only spacecraft.

Character developments

• Zhang Xiu shifts from curious and initially friendly toward Ruan Mei to openly hostile after her casual justification of the truth serum.
• Stelle becomes wary of Ruan Mei after the attempted drugging and leaves without further engagement.
• Ruan Mei is portrayed as brilliant but emotionally detached, prioritizing control and research over trust or ordinary courtesy.
• Herta shows unusual embarrassment and humility while trying to make amends, revealing that she values her relationship with the group.

Significant themes

• Ethics versus scientific ambition: Ruan Mei treats people as research subjects, while Zhang Xiu objects to her disregard for consent and accountability.
• Trust and control: Ruan Mei’s distrust drives her to use covert methods, damaging the very relationships that might earn trust.
• Friendship and loyalty: The group separates its affection for Herta and Screwllum from its dislike of Ruan Mei.

Character interactions

• Zhang Xiu protects Stelle from consuming the drugged pastry and confronts Ruan Mei about her conduct.
• Yaoshi supports Zhang Xiu’s departure with a mocking gesture toward Ruan Mei.
• Herta apologizes on Ruan Mei’s behalf; Zhang Xiu reassures her that their friendship remains intact.
• Stelle parts on friendly terms with Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi, leaving them with an unexpected transportation problem.

Key plot points and events

• Dr. Ratio studies a chessboard until Zhang Xiu secretly turns their game into Gomoku and wins, prompting Ratio to recognize Zhang and Yaoshi.
• Ratio criticizes Zhang’s earlier interventions across several star systems. Though they stopped wars and saved lives, their forceful methods left political disorder and other avoidable suffering.
• Ratio notes that Yaoshi’s restored environments have provided refugees with resources while they await help from the Corporation.
• After introductions, Ratio leaves, expecting Zhang and Yaoshi to handle the danger below.
• Zhang heads downstairs with Yaoshi to confront a replicated Worldbreaker Swarm, eager for revenge over an earlier encounter. He plans to exploit its limited lifespan and lack of consciousness.
• At the dim lower platform, Zhang deliberately turns his back to the instinct-driven creature, baiting it into attacking.

Character developments

• Zhang Xiu begins proudly boasting about his past achievements, but Ratio’s criticism makes him recognize that he prioritized speed and fame over planning for the consequences. He soon returns to his confident, playful bravado as he pursues revenge.
• Dr. Ratio shows his blunt, exacting nature by holding Zhang accountable, while acknowledging the practical good Yaoshi’s restoration work has done. He remains composed and self-assured.
• Yaoshi quietly shares Zhang’s discomfort at Ratio’s remarks and supports her husband, though she also takes offense at Ratio’s dismissive comparison of her to the god of the same name.

Significant themes

• Good intentions and unintended consequences: Stopping immediate violence is not enough; responsible action must also address what follows.
• Accountability and repair: The refugees’ ability to survive depends partly on the resources Yaoshi restored and on outside aid still to come.
• Pride and playfulness: Zhang’s bravado and jokes coexist with a genuine need to reflect on his mistakes.
• Instinct versus reason: Ratio emphasizes careful judgment, while the Swarm is depicted as a creature driven solely by biological instinct.

Character interactions

• Zhang’s playful Gomoku trick catches Ratio off guard and sets up their first meeting.
• Ratio confronts Zhang directly about the human cost of his interventions; Zhang listens in silence, while Yaoshi silently shares the moment.
• The introductions are cordial but edged with teasing: Zhang admires Ratio’s approach, and Ratio makes a pointed remark about Yaoshi’s name and behavior.
• After Ratio departs, Zhang and Yaoshi agree to face the Swarm together, with Zhang taking the lead by setting a trap.

Plot points and events

• Zhang Xiu confronts a replica of the Worldbreaker Swarm. It attacks with powerful weapons, but he effortlessly shrugs off its assaults and destroys it with a beam of Black Flame after a 31-second fight. Dr. Ratio witnesses the end and leaves.
• Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi prepare to return to the Astral Express, but unrest on the space station interrupts their plans: Herta’s doll has gone missing, and other researchers have disappeared.
• Asta summons Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi for questioning. Dr. Ratio and Screwllum are already present. Herta is safe and away on an inspection tour after receiving an invitation from the company’s Technology Development Department.
• Dr. Ratio suspects the timing of Herta’s departure may have enabled the incident and agrees to investigate. Zhang Xiu offers to help, but realizes Asta’s questions are partly driven by suspicion that he may be involved.
• Screwllum makes clear that he trusts Zhang Xiu, while signaling that Asta does not know who Yaoshi really is. Zhang Xiu ends the chapter by revealing: “My wife is the Aeon of Abundance!”

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Xiu displays overwhelming strength and treats the Swarm King’s attacks with amusement. In the investigation, he shifts from casual cooperation to indignation when he realizes he is a suspect, then chooses to disclose Yaoshi’s identity.
• Yaoshi remains quietly beside Zhang Xiu, sitting on his lap during the meeting. Her true identity is central to the final revelation.
• Dr. Ratio is sharp-tongued and skeptical, criticizing the company’s staff while taking the investigation seriously.
• Screwllum acts cautiously, respecting Herta’s boundaries and trusting Zhang Xiu. He indirectly prompts Zhang Xiu to decide whether to reveal Yaoshi’s identity.
• Asta is polite but uneasy. She questions Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi because of the disappearances, though she claims to trust them.

Significant themes

• The contrast between overwhelming power and ordinary threats: the replica is fearsome, yet helpless against Zhang Xiu.
• Trust, suspicion, and responsibility in an investigation: even allies must respect boundaries and establish facts.
• Hidden identity and disclosure: Yaoshi’s concealed status complicates how others assess the couple and sets up the chapter’s dramatic ending.

Key events

• Yaoshi reveals her loyalty to Zhang Xiu by saluting Asta, confirming that she is the Aeon of Abundance—and Zhang Xiu’s wife. Her immense power, along with Screwllum’s presence, finally convinces Asta and Dr. Ratio that her identity is real, clearing her of suspicion.
• Zhang Xiu recalls his brief encounter with Herta: he and Yaoshi refused to help with her experiment after clashing with her, then later met her through a doll and received an apology. He also confirms that he and Dr. Ratio went to the Seclusion Zone and destroyed one of Ruan Mei’s replicas.
• With the investigation stalled, Asta receives a video in which the Annihilation Gang claims responsibility for the attack on Herta and threatens further violence. Screwllum identifies the speaker as Duke Inferno, leader of the Ever-Flame Mansion, and explains the Gang’s history and its rivalry with the Brotherhood of Jepella.
• Zhang Xiu dismisses the Gang as failures and considers fighting them, but holds back. Dr. Ratio proposes looking for the missing researchers and gathering clues instead.
• Zhang Xiu checks the researchers’ group chat and finds widespread confusion and complacency: many trust Herta and Screwllum to solve everything, while others complain that management has made no progress.
• Dr. Ratio explains that his plan is meant to challenge this dependence on geniuses and encourage people to help themselves. The group decides to speak with Arlan; Asta and Screwllum remain behind to avoid causing further unrest.

Character developments and interactions

• Yaoshi is introduced as cheerful and dutiful, while her revelation reshapes how Asta and Dr. Ratio view the situation.
• Zhang Xiu is eager to confront the Annihilation Gang but consciously restrains himself and chooses investigation over immediate violence.
• Dr. Ratio remains focused on his larger purpose: exposing the danger of relying blindly on exceptional individuals. He also notices Zhang Xiu’s restrained anger but keeps the observation to himself.
• Asta shifts from suspicion to accepting Yaoshi’s identity, then takes the lead in sharing the new threat.
• Screwllum provides crucial context about Duke Inferno and the Annihilation Gang, while agreeing that he and Asta should stay out of the investigation.
• Zhang Xiu and Dr. Ratio work together despite their different temperaments: Zhang supplies firsthand memories and access to the researchers’ chat, while Ratio directs the next steps.

Significant themes

• Faith in authority versus self-reliance: The researchers’ dependence on Herta and Screwllum reflects Dr. Ratio’s concern that people become passive when they assume geniuses will handle every crisis.
• Power and proof: Yaoshi’s overwhelming strength serves as convincing evidence of her identity in a world where power can override doubt.
• Violence and restraint: The Gang’s threat invites retaliation, but Zhang Xiu chooses patience and investigation over force.
• The irony of destruction: The Annihilation Gang worships Nanook, yet Screwllum suggests the Aeon may regard them as insignificant.

Key plot points and events

• Zhang Xiu, Yaoshi, and Dr. Ratio visit Arlan to investigate the missing researchers. Arlan says the Security Department has found no shared connection among them and suspects the Annihilation Gang may have attacked at random.
• Dr. Ratio insists on getting the full list of missing researchers and their personal details. Arlan provides the documents.
• To find someone with useful connections, Yaoshi suggests Pamela, a Himeko admirer who calls herself Himeko’s “dog.” Zhang Xiu asks Stelle to take pictures of Himeko, and Stelle sends him several unusually intimate-looking shots.
• Zhang Xiu uses one photo to contact Pamela. After an emotional reaction and some reassurance that nothing romantic happened, Pamela agrees to investigate the researchers’ backgrounds and search for links between them.
• The group asks Arlan about Adler, an expert on Curios. Arlan reveals that Adler has also disappeared and was last seen in the Master Control Zone with Wen Shiling.
• They find Wen Shiling, who is distraught and confirms that Adler is gone.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Xiu mixes irreverent humor with practical problem-solving, recruiting Pamela through her devotion to Himeko.
• Dr. Ratio stays focused and authoritative, repeatedly steering Arlan back to the information they need.
• Yaoshi is affectionate and teasing with Zhang Xiu, but also contributes a useful contact.
• Arlan is apologetic and cooperative, though he becomes hesitant under Dr. Ratio’s pressure.
• Stelle and Himeko share a trusting, affectionate exchange: Himeko readily agrees to help, while Stelle takes the requested photos.
• Pamela is intensely devoted to Himeko and reacts dramatically to the pictures, but ultimately agrees to assist.
• Wen Shiling shifts the investigation from a list of missing researchers to the disappearance of Adler, and her grief suggests they were close.

Significant themes

• Investigation amid uncertainty: The researchers’ disappearances have no obvious pattern, and even a specialist like Adler is missing.
• Humor and eccentricity: Flirtatious teasing and Pamela’s exaggerated fandom provide comic relief against the serious mystery.
• Trust and cooperation: The group relies on allies across the Space Station to gather information the Security Department could not uncover.
• Growing danger: Adler’s disappearance indicates the incident may be more than an indiscriminate attack.

Plot points and events

• Wen Shiling reports that Adler has been acting strangely, studying spontaneous human combustion and paranormal phenomena while muttering about a “fragrance.” She gives Dr. Ratio a booklet Adler had been reading.
• Pamela tells Zhang Xiu that the missing researchers came from unrelated social circles but had all posted criticism of Space Station management on the Dark Web.
• The group learns from the booklet that Phase Spirit Fire, a flame that shifts between phases, can transport people. Screwllum identifies it as the creation of Sisiqal, a short-lived Genius Society member, and notes that Afrit appears to have a similar ability.
• Dr. Ratio concludes that the researchers were transported rather than killed. The disappearances were designed to provoke suspicion and unrest by making their shared criticism of management seem significant.
• By the time the group reaches Asta and Screwllum, the connection has already ignited panic online. Screwllum and Dr. Ratio recognize that the scheme needs one final spark: Asta suddenly erupts in blue flames and vanishes. Zhang Xiu tries to intervene, but Dr. Ratio stops him.

Character developments and interactions

• Wen Shiling’s concern for Adler shows through despite her protest that she does not want him back. Dr. Ratio treats her gently and borrows the booklet, promising to return it.
• Dr. Ratio leads the investigation through careful deduction, while Screwllum supplies the key scientific explanation. Zhang Xiu brings Pamela’s findings and notices that public anxiety is already spreading.
• Asta shifts from managing the Dark Web video’s spread to realizing that the disappearances are part of a deliberate plan to destabilize the station. Her own disappearance becomes the scheme’s next escalation.
• Yaoshi offers Wen Shiling reassurance and playfully teases her about her feelings for Adler.

Significant themes

• Manipulation and social division: The attacker exploits the victims’ criticism of management to turn uncertainty into distrust and internal conflict.
• Fear and ambiguity: With no one knowing whether the missing people are alive, rumors and competing interpretations spread rapidly.
• Knowledge as both help and burden: The researchers’ intelligence helps them spot the pattern, but also leaves them vulnerable to overthinking the attacker’s motives.
• Control and helplessness: Even after the group identifies the mechanism and purpose, they fail to prevent Asta’s sudden abduction.

Plot and events

• During the Space Station crisis, Afrit taunts the group through its spirit fire. Zhang Xiu abruptly reaches across the distance, grabs Afrit’s head, and shatters it. He clarifies that Afrit is not dead—just silenced—and says the group should focus on rescuing Asta.
• Dr. Ratio asks Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi to leave, feeling their extraordinary abilities make his treatment efforts seem pointless. He explains that ignorance is an incurable-seeming disease: ordinary people must be allowed to struggle and learn for themselves.
• Zhang Xiu reveals he obtained the Core Flame and disrupted the infernal fire’s teleportation, keeping the researchers safe. He and Yaoshi depart after Zhang asks whether he and Dr. Ratio are friends. Dr. Ratio says they are.
• Dr. Ratio plans to guide Arlan through the remaining Space Station problems.
• On the way back to the Astral Express, Yaoshi considers creating a blessing to cure “ignorance.” Zhang cautions that the idea is too broad, and instead suggests planting a seed of goodness that can grow in people’s hearts. Yaoshi accepts the idea.
• Several weeks later, the Space Station crisis has been resolved. After visiting the Station, the Xianzhou, and Belobog, Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi are bored with their idle travels. Zhang pleads with Pom-Pom to announce the Express’s next destination; Pom-Pom confirms that the train is preparing to jump.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Xiu demonstrates overwhelming power but also shows respect for people’s ability to grow through their own efforts. He reaches out to Dr. Ratio, inviting a friendship that Dr. Ratio accepts.
• Dr. Ratio reveals that he once aspired to join the Genius Society, but came to accept his own limits. He sees himself as ordinary and believes struggle is necessary for learning. He also takes responsibility for helping Arlan resolve the crisis.
• Yaoshi is moved by Dr. Ratio’s beliefs and compares him to her husband. She considers using her blessing to address ignorance, then adopts Zhang’s gentler, less prescriptive approach.
• Screwllum remains a perceptive, composed presence, while Pom-Pom tries to maintain order when Zhang’s boredom turns into undignified pleading.

Significant themes

• Learning through struggle: People need room to fail and recover; effortless rescue can deprive them of growth.
• Limits of knowledge and genius: Even an accomplished scholar like Dr. Ratio sees himself as ordinary beside true geniuses.
• Goodness over imposed solutions: Rather than defining and curing a vague human failing like ignorance, Yaoshi’s blessing will nurture goodness gradually.
• Friendship and companionship: Zhang’s simple invitation creates a bond with the reserved Dr. Ratio.

Plot points and events

• Pom-Pom reveals that Penacony invited the Astral Express, but Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi impatiently leave ahead of the others to explore.
• At Penacony’s lavish hotel, their train tickets aren’t recognized, so Zhang Xiu buys two permanent Dream Entry Permits for five billion Credits.
• While exploring, Zhang Xiu spots Acheron, whom Yaoshi identifies as an Emanator of Nihility. He chooses not to approach her yet, explaining that her resemblance to someone he once knew has stirred up feelings.
• The couple enter the Dream Pool together. Yaoshi plunges in first and falls asleep; Zhang Xiu follows, catching her as they enter the dream.
• They awaken high above the Dreamscape, falling toward a city. Zhang Xiu turns the fall into a playful contest, and the pair crash-land together. Unfazed, Zhang Xiu welcomes himself back to Penacony and anticipates what it will offer.

Character developments

• Zhang Xiu is impulsive, exuberant, wealthy, and eager to explore, but his reaction to Acheron reveals a more vulnerable, unsettled side.
• Yaoshi is curious and spontaneous—she tests the Dream Pool by diving in—and readily mirrors Zhang Xiu’s antics.
• Pom-Pom is left exasperated by the pair’s sudden departure.
• A blond man watches Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi from the hotel, hinting that they have attracted someone’s interest.

Character interactions

• Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi act as an inseparable, playful couple, sharing the hotel stay and entering the Dream Pool together.
• Zhang Xiu explains his emotional response to Acheron to Yaoshi, who notices his nervousness.
• Their dramatic arrival in the Dreamscape draws a brief crowd, but the onlookers soon lose interest.

Significant themes

• Adventure and impatience: Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi set out before the Express party arrives.
• Wealth and spectacle: Penacony’s extravagant surroundings and the exorbitant Dream Entry permits establish its opulence.
• Dreams and uncertainty: The Dream Pool transports the couple into a strange, disorienting world.
• Hidden emotional ties and foreshadowing: Zhang Xiu’s reaction to Acheron and the blond man’s watchful presence suggest developments ahead.

Key plot points and events

• In Penacony’s Golden Hour, Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi explore the area while sending photos to the Astral Express. They join the queue for the popular attraction Extreme Experience.
• A Pepeshi merchant offers them 50,000 Credits for their places in line, hoping to meet Asland, a wealthy businessman who frequents the shop. Zhang refuses.
• Asland arrives and cuts to the front of the queue, apparently relying on his wealth and status to intimidate the other customers into silence.
• Zhang challenges him, then pointedly cuts in with Yaoshi as well, mocking the crowd for accepting Asland’s behavior.
• Asland’s bodyguards attack. Zhang effortlessly throws both into the air, while he and Yaoshi make clear they are capable of causing harm even in the dream world. They avoid escalating further to keep from attracting the Family’s attention.
• Zhang taunts Asland, who, enraged, threatens to have him killed.

Character developments

• Zhang Xiu is playful, bold, and provocative. He turns an ordinary queue into entertainment, openly confronting Asland rather than yielding to his status.
• Yaoshi eagerly joins Zhang’s antics, matching his gestures and standing beside him when he challenges Asland.
• The Pepeshi is a hurried, business-minded adult hoping to use the queue to make a connection with Asland. He gives up when Zhang refuses to sell his spot.
• Asland is shown as arrogant and accustomed to using wealth, bodyguards, and intimidation to get his way; his composure quickly gives way to anger when mocked.

Significant themes

• Privilege and public silence: Asland’s status lets him cut in line because others are afraid to object.
• Defiance and spectacle: Zhang turns Asland’s misconduct into a public confrontation, treating the clash as entertainment.
• Dream-world danger: The setting may limit ordinary harm, but special abilities can still make violence possible—and consequences, such as attracting the Family, remain a concern.

Character interactions

• Zhang and Yaoshi share a playful, coordinated bond, enjoying the confrontation together.
• Zhang dismisses the Pepeshi’s request and questions his urgency, though he initially mistakes him for a child.
• The queue’s silence contrasts with Zhang’s direct challenge to Asland.
• Asland’s bodyguards act on his behalf, but Zhang quickly defeats them, leaving Asland to face him alone.

Plot points

• Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi conceal Asland from the queue. Zhang Xiu repeatedly tosses the invisible man into the air, catching and throwing him again while pretending not to know where he is. When a customer leaves the Extreme Experience looking miserable, Zhang Xiu finally heads inside and releases Asland.
• The attraction contains four large bubbles, each tied to an emotion—joy, anger, sorrow, and delight. Visitors enter a deeper dream that creates a personal experience. After paying, Yaoshi chooses anger, while Zhang Xiu enters sorrow.
• Zhang Xiu’s dream takes him through painful scenes from his past: classmates bullying his tall, thin friend; his father threatening his mother over money; and a younger Zhang Xiu being attacked while nearby adults ignore him. In the dream, Zhang Xiu is mortal and powerless, and each time he tries to intervene, the scene changes before he can act.

Character development and interactions

• Zhang Xiu begins amused and curious, teasing Asland and eager to test every experience. The sorrow dream abruptly exposes his helplessness and unresolved distress around childhood memories.
• Yaoshi joins Zhang Xiu in the prank on Asland, then independently enters the anger bubble, leaving Zhang Xiu to choose his own experience.
• In the memories, Zhang Xiu wants to defend his friend and mother, but he cannot stop the bullying or bring himself to strike his father. His younger self also suffers an attack while the adults nearby pay no attention.
• Asland is the target of Zhang Xiu’s playful invisibility trick, while the old woman at reception remains indifferent as she collects the fee and explains nothing beyond the posted rules.

Significant themes

• Helplessness and powerlessness: Zhang Xiu’s loss of his extraordinary abilities makes the childhood scenes feel immediate, and his repeated inability to intervene is central to the sorrow experience.
• Painful memory and vulnerability: The attraction turns buried experiences into an immersive dream, confronting Zhang Xiu with the fear, anger, and helplessness beneath his present confidence.
• Cruelty and indifference: The bullies’ behavior and the bystanders’ lack of concern deepen the sense of isolation in Zhang Xiu’s memories.

Key events

• Zhang Xiu emerges from the memory bubble shaken by a childhood recollection: his father responded to his fear with harsh criticism rather than comfort. After confronting the memory, Zhang Xiu steadies himself and renews his determination to become a hero.
• Yaoshi returns from the bubble looking unusually compassionate. She notices Zhang Xiu’s sorrow, takes his hand, and asks whether he regrets what he has seen. He admits to resentment and grief, even a desire to destroy everything.
• Yaoshi says her own experience involved “blood and wounds.” The chapter then presents an invented legend about a golden-haired girl who tries to create a refuge amid war, famine, and disaster. People eventually benefit from her sanctuary but later abandon her when she is branded a witch.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Xiu moves from physical distress toward resolve. His childhood hurt remains, but he chooses to turn it into a commitment to heroism.
• Yaoshi appears both formidable and tender. She offers Zhang Xiu comfort and listens to his pain; the legend suggests her past may be marked by sacrifice and suffering.
• The golden-haired girl repeatedly seeks or builds a paradise for others, enduring loss and hardship. Her compassion is met first with dependence, then fear and betrayal.
• The boy begins with the courage to pursue paradise for himself and his sister, but after finding comfort there, he becomes passive. As an adult, he watches the girl’s arrest without defending her.

Significant themes

• The cost of idealism: Creating a better world demands sacrifice, yet those who benefit may not recognize or protect its maker.
• Memory and ingratitude: People forget the suffering behind their safety and turn against the person who helped them.
• Courage and compromise: The boy’s transformation from determined child to comfortable, silent adult contrasts with Zhang Xiu’s renewed resolve.
• Pain, regret, and hope: The characters’ wounds shape their choices, but Zhang Xiu still chooses to pursue heroism.

Plot points

• The chapter opens with Yaoshi’s traumatic memory: a girl is executed as a witch, while a boy dies trying to save her. The girl feeds him flesh from her own body, then dies and is reborn from a flower growing toward the sky.
• In Penacony, Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi spend a carefree day together, sampling the dreamworld’s strange attractions and luxuries. Zhang Xiu shares photos with the Astral Express crew.
• Their playful outing ends when Yaoshi looks out over the celebratory city and suddenly breaks down, seeing devastation rather than the paradise others describe.
• Overcome by anguish, she declares that she will create paradise and begins to manifest her power. Her true form appears beyond Penacony, but she abruptly stops; a broadcast says the Aeon of Harmony will protect the Family from persecution.
• Yaoshi collapses into Zhang Xiu’s arms, asking what paradise is and what she should do. Zhang Xiu suggests that a place where people love one another could deserve the name.
• March 7th calls to check on Yaoshi and says the crew will arrive in a few days. Zhang Xiu reassures her and stays beside his sleeping wife. When he wakes, Yaoshi is cheerful again and has prepared a meal.

Character developments

• Yaoshi shifts from playful enjoyment to a profound emotional crisis, revealing that her humanity and memories make it impossible for her to accept Penacony’s glitter as true happiness. Her impulse to create paradise shows both compassion and the danger of acting from overwhelming emotion.
• Zhang Xiu remains attentive and grounding. He comforts Yaoshi without judgment, offers a simple, personal idea of paradise, and treats her not as an Aeon but as his wife.
• March 7th shows concern from afar and encourages the couple to enjoy Penacony while the crew makes its way there.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: Penacony presents itself as a paradise, yet its spectacle and manufactured pleasures cannot erase suffering.
• The meaning of paradise: The chapter questions whether paradise is luxury or something built on love and care.
• Trauma and compassion: Yaoshi’s tragic past shapes her response to human pain and her desire to help.
• Power and restraint: Yaoshi’s immense ability could transform the world, but she stops before acting, leaving her question unresolved.
• Ordinary intimacy: Zhang Xiu’s quiet support and Yaoshi’s return to domestic care contrast with the scale of her divine power.

Character interactions

• Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi move through Penacony as an affectionate couple, sharing jokes and experiences.
• When Yaoshi breaks down, Zhang Xiu holds her and listens; she turns to him with her doubts about paradise, and he answers gently.
• March 7th checks in by phone, and Zhang Xiu reassures her before returning his attention to Yaoshi.

Key plot points and events

• Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi enjoy a meal at home when Sunday, head of the Oak Family, visits to apologize for the Family’s billing mistake and confirm their payment has been refunded.
• Zhang Xiu greets Sunday as “the most handsome man in Penacony” and quietly says, “Long live [Order].” Sunday is briefly startled, though he quickly hides his reaction before leaving.
• The couple joke about Sunday’s and the Dream Master’s ability to observe Penacony, then decide to entertain themselves. After a playful game, they head to a bar to act out a melodramatic reincarnation story.
• In the role-play, Zhang Xiu portrays a poor outsider who has returned to the past. He remembers meeting Yaoshi at this bar in his previous life: he protected her from some pushy plant-like patrons, and the two began their relationship.
• The reenactment ends with Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi leaving together, while the bar’s owner and patrons react in bafflement.

Character developments

• Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi remain mischievous and affectionate, but briefly wonder whether their quick return to carefree fun is insensitive after their recent emotional struggles.
• Zhang Xiu’s role-play reveals a more vulnerable past: he once arrived in Penacony hoping to secure help for his homeland, faced poverty and the threat of arrest, and met Yaoshi there.
• Yaoshi appears curious and inexperienced in the reenacted first meeting, relying on Zhang Xiu to guide her through Penacony.
• Sunday is courteous and composed, but Zhang Xiu’s cryptic invocation of the Order catches him off guard.

Significant themes

• Play and performance: Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi turn their own history into a dramatic barroom scenario.
• Memory and love: The role-play revisits their first encounter and underscores how their relationship began.
• Power beneath appearances: Sunday’s polite visit carries an undercurrent of surveillance and hidden significance, while the couple joke about who can observe the city.
• Escapism and resilience: Their humor and games offer a way to move on from sadness, even as the story acknowledges Zhang Xiu’s former hardship.

Character interactions

• Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi tease each other throughout, then collaborate in their role-play, with Yaoshi willingly following Zhang Xiu’s lead.
• Zhang Xiu needles Sunday with exaggerated praise and a secret phrase; Sunday responds diplomatically, concealing his surprise.
• In the reenacted past, Zhang Xiu intervenes when the plant-like patrons crowd Yaoshi, and she responds by asking him to show her around—recreating the start of their romance.

Key plot points and events

• After five days exploring Penacony together, Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi fall in love and confess their feelings. Yaoshi’s family notices her recent change in behavior.
• The Astral Express crew arrives at Penacony for the Charmony Festival, but the hotel has no reservation under Stelle’s name. Welt explains that Stelle had not joined the Express when the rooms were booked and asks the hotel to transfer Dan Heng’s unused room to her.
• As the receptionist hesitates because of the festival crowds and strict security, Aventurine steps in to explain the situation and calm the group.
• Zhang Xiu arrives with Yaoshi, declaring that he will not give up on her. Stelle suddenly stages an over-the-top confrontation, posing as Yaoshi’s disapproving older sister and insulting Zhang Xiu as an unsuitable match.
• Zhang Xiu counters that he belongs to Skydeep, prompting Stelle to lose her confidence. The scene ends with March, baffled and embarrassed, demanding to know what the three are doing.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Xiu and Yaoshi: Their five days together have deepened into a mutual romantic commitment. Yaoshi openly says she has given Zhang her heart and body.
• Stelle: She improvises a dramatic “protective sister” act, apparently drawing on a message Zhang previously sent her. Her boldness collapses when Zhang reveals his Skydeep affiliation.
• March 7th: She is left completely confused by the staged argument and increasingly mortified by the spectacle.
• Welt and Himeko: They handle the hotel check-in diplomatically, but are caught off guard by the sudden romantic drama.
• Aventurine: He presents himself as a representative of the Strategic Investment Department and a guest invited by the Watchmaker. He intervenes politely to ease the check-in dispute.

Significant themes

• Love and personal choice: Yaoshi’s declaration challenges the idea that others can decide what kind of life she should have.
• Class and status: Stelle’s mock insults target Zhang’s refugee background and supposed ambition, while his Skydeep affiliation complicates those assumptions.
• Comedy and performance: The emotional confrontation appears to be a deliberately theatrical setup, contrasting the couple’s sincere feelings with the crew’s confusion.

Plot points and events

• Zhang Xiu halts Yaoshi’s improvised romantic “play” and arranges two permanent Dream Entry Permits for Stelle and Aventurine.
• When Aventurine declines the gift, Zhang Xiu reveals that he killed Oswaldo—the man responsible for destroying Aventurine’s homeworld. Aventurine recognizes the admission as sincere, though everyone present reacts with alarm. Zhang Xiu then jokingly echoes the official cover story for Oswaldo’s death, easing the tension.
• Sunday and Robin arrive. Robin’s fame sparks an exaggerated frenzy among fans, and March is thrilled to meet her.
• Sunday explains that Robin is a guest performer at the Charmony Festival and his younger sister. He assures the Astral Express that their check-in trouble has been resolved.
• Aventurine leaves to meet the Oak Family, while Sunday asks Zhang Xiu for a private conversation. Zhang Xiu agrees but says another friend is waiting; Sunday confidently insists their meeting will be more pleasant.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Xiu is generous toward Stelle and Aventurine, openly claims responsibility for Oswaldo’s death, and uses humor to manage the room’s reaction. He also notices that Robin seems exhausted and that something is off in her voice.
• Aventurine starts out suspicious of Zhang Xiu’s expensive offer, but the revelation about Oswaldo earns his respect. His exchange with Sunday is teasing and cordial before he departs.
• March 7th is captivated by Robin, contrasting with her earlier criticism of Yaoshi’s melodramatic act.
• Robin remains gracious and professional despite signs of fatigue.
• Sunday presents himself as a courteous host and mediator, but his determined interest in speaking privately with Zhang Xiu hints at deeper concerns.
• Yaoshi and Zhang Xiu banter about the extremes of celebrity fandom and the even stranger devotion inspired by Aeons.

Significant themes

• Public image versus hidden truth: The IPC’s official account conceals Oswaldo’s violent death, while Zhang Xiu’s joking performance signals that he understands the need for discretion.
• Celebrity and fanaticism: Robin’s fame produces theatrical devotion, prompting comparisons with worship of Aeons.
• Power, reputation, and trust: Zhang Xiu’s admission unsettles the room, yet Aventurine interprets it as justice rather than a threat.
• Unease beneath ceremony: Robin’s exhaustion and Sunday’s urgent invitation suggest that Penacony’s polished festival atmosphere may hide trouble.