Chapter Summaries

Three months after the fall of the Old Capital, Lin Shuo joined the New Eridu Defense Force and was assigned to the Obol Squad, where his exceptional shooting and former test-subject status made him an object of fear and suspicion. After Orphie showed him kindness and brought him a red bean bun, Lin Shuo began to consider how he might learn to live among teammates as military training awaited.

• Lin Shuo demonstrated extraordinary marksmanship at the training ground, silencing a soldier who had challenged his ability.
• Orphie invited Lin Shuo to meet the Obol Squad, where Willowisp outlined his training and Soldier 11 told him he needed to learn teamwork and trust.
• Orphie guided Lin Shuo around the camp as soldiers whispered about him, and he admitted that he understood why they feared him.
• Lin Shuo reflected on his isolation in his room, then Orphie brought him a warm red bean bun and said she was kind because they were teammates.
• Lin Shuo ate the bun and looked ahead to the start of his military training the next day.

Lin Shuo struggled with teamwork during a training exercise, but his squadmates helped him begin to trust them. After the team cleaned the camp toilets together, he returned to his room feeling that he was starting to belong.

• Lin Shuo rushed ahead during the exercise and destroyed friendly targets until Soldier 11 taught him to follow her commands and check team markings.
• Lin Shuo protected Soldier 11 from hostile recruits, then recognized Seed’s simulated Ether storm and led Soldier 11 through its safe center.
• Seed revealed that the storm had tested Lin Shuo’s adaptability, and Willowisp declared the competing teams tied, so everyone had to clean the toilets.
• Trigger told Lin Shuo that he could rely on his teammates rather than force himself to become normal, and Orphie’s red bean buns drew a small smile from him.
• Lin Shuo and the squad cleaned the camp toilets together, then Lin Shuo returned to his room feeling tired but more connected to his teammates.

Lin Shuo brought Lin Yue to Scott Outpost for training and reassured Orphie as she grew closer to the girl. He then took Lin Yue to Lumina Square to meet Yuzuha and Lin You, leaving them arriving in a safer timeline while Lin Yue worried about ever returning to her own.

• Lin Shuo checked the system and told Orphie and Lin Yue that he would take Lin Yue to Lumina Square to meet Yuzuha and Lin You.
• Lin Yue completed a Hollow simulation at Scott Outpost, collecting four data cores while Orphie watched proudly and nervously.
• Lin Shuo reassured Orphie that Lin Yue trusted her and that her care mattered, while Lin Yue credited Orphie’s advice for her clever use of genjutsu.
• On the skyrail, Lin Yue asked whether her original timeline could be saved and whether Lin Shuo would miss her if she returned; he promised she would always be his daughter.
• Lin Shuo and Lin Yue arrived at Lumina Square, where Lin Yue cautiously held his hand as they entered the streets.

Lin Shuo brought Lin Yue to meet Lin You and Yuzuha, and the family gradually welcomed the girl from another timeline. The evening ended peacefully at the ramen stall, while Orphie reflected on her feelings for Lin Yue and Lin Shuo.

• Lin You learned that Lin Yue was Lin Shuo’s daughter from another spacetime and quickly claimed her as a younger sister.
• Yuzuha welcomed Lin Yue at Kaidan House, and the three girls bonded over cookies while Lin Yue described Orphie as her mother.
• Lin Shuo, Yuzuha, Lin You, and Lin Yue worked together at the ramen stall, where Lin Yue relaxed among the customers.
• Yuzuha joined Lin Shuo for ramen and said she wished their peaceful days could last forever.
• Orphie told Willowisp that she was confused about her feelings, then dreamed of sharing a happy meal with Lin Shuo, Yuzuha, Lin You, and Lin Yue.

Lin Shuo took Lin You and Lin Yue to Yum Cha Sin, where proprietress Anko treated them to breakfast and warned him about unrest in Lumina Square. Anko hinted that she knew about Hollows and strange commissions, leaving Lin Shuo suspecting she was more than an ordinary restaurant owner.

• Lin Shuo brought Lin You and Lin Yue to Yum Cha Sin after they asked to try its breakfast.
• Anko served the family and warned Lin Shuo that the Order and TOPS were active in Lumina Square.
• Anko asked Lin Shuo whether he had received strange commissions involving Hollows, then dropped the question.
• Anko refused payment, calling the meal an advance payment in case she needed Lin Shuo's help someday.
• Back at his ramen stall, Lin Shuo wondered what Anko knew as Lin You asked about her warning.

Lin Shuo claimed the Shadow Clone Technique and used a clone to help run the ramen stall while he cared for his family and visited Lin Yue at Scott Outpost. Yuzuha grew suspicious of the clone, while Lin Shuo remained concerned about The Order’s activity in Lumina Square.

• Lin Shuo claimed the Shadow Clone Technique reward and created a clone that prepared the ramen stall for the next day.
• Lin You sensed the clone’s chakra, learned what it could do, and warned Lin Shuo not to use it to keep Yuzuha company.
• Lin Shuo, his clone, Lin You, and Lin Yue worked together at the stall, and Yuzuha returned from school and noticed that something seemed strange about Lin Shuo.
• At Scott Outpost, Lin Shuo helped Lin Yue improve her throwing while Orphie offered to help care for her; Orphie’s affection rose to 76%.
• Yuzuha tested the clone with questions and noticed inconsistencies, leaving Lin Shuo wary that she might uncover his secret.
• Lin Shuo returned home as the system reported that the clone technique had reached Level 2 and urged him to complete the emotional bond with Lin Yue within the remaining time.

Lin Shuo met Lao Mo at the Lumina Square fish market, learned that The Order was abducting children with high Ether aptitude, and arranged to obtain protective equipment. He urged Lao Mo to help Alice Thymefield and find companionship, then reassured Yuzuha that he would take her along if he had to face danger; the main quest stood at 87.3% with a critical decision approaching.

• Lin Shuo asked Lao Mo about The Order, and Lao Mo revealed that its believers were searching for children as vessels, with seven known missing.
• Lao Mo gave Lin Shuo an address to visit that night for discreet, Ether Corruption-resistant protective equipment.
• Lin Shuo encouraged Lao Mo to help Alice Thymefield and build a life beyond hiding in the fish market, and Lao Mo quietly considered the suggestion.
• Lao Mo sensed Lin Shuo had two children and warned him to keep them safe; Lin Shuo said they were eight and seven.
• Yuzuha confronted Lin Shuo about his secretive plans, and he promised to take her with him if he had to undertake something dangerous.
• The system reported that Lin Shuo's main quest progress had reached 87.3%, with 38 hours and 22 minutes remaining before a critical decision point.

Lin Shuo and Lao Mo discovered that the missing-children lead had been a trap, with 112 Ethereals waiting in an abandoned factory. Lin Shuo unleashed Kirin to destroy them all, leaving him badly drained but alive as he and Lao Mo stood among the ruins.

• Lin Shuo arrived at the factory, detected 112 Ethereals, and realized the missing-children intel had led him into a trap.
• Lin Shuo summoned God Cutter and killed an attacking Ethereal; Lao Mo revealed he had suspected the intel and followed him.
• Lin Shuo and Lao Mo fought the Ethereals, with Lin Shuo awakening Mangekyō Sharingan and using Susanoo while Lao Mo attacked with daggers and a submachine gun.
• As five fully developed Ethereals closed in, Lin Shuo used fire to charge the storm clouds and summoned Kirin, while Lao Mo and Lin Shuo took cover.
• Kirin annihilated the Ethereals and destroyed the factory; Lin Shuo survived with his chakra depleted, and Lao Mo acknowledged that the intel had been a trap.

After destroying the Order’s ambush, Lin Shuo returned to Yuzuha and promised to rest. At Scott Outpost, he reassured Orphie, meeting the conditions that stabilized Lin Yue’s existence, while Orphie kissed him and Willowisp angrily confronted them.

• Lin Shuo and Lao Mo left the ruins after the Order’s Ethereals were annihilated, and Lao Mo gave Lin Shuo a suppressant for his injuries.
• Yuzuha found Lin Shuo hurt at the ramen stand, made him promise to rest for a week, and demanded that he spend the next day with her.
• Lin Shuo watched Lin Yue train with Orphie and thanked Orphie for caring for her, reassuring her that they could find their own relationship in this timeline.
• Orphie’s affection, Lin Shuo’s acceptance, and Lin Yue’s emotional stability passed the required thresholds, and the system confirmed that Lin Yue was safe from spacetime assimilation.
• Orphie asked whether she and Lin Shuo could be happy together, kissed his cheek, and ran off as Willowisp angrily berated them through Tail.

Lin Shuo discovered that Shukaku was being rejected by the world and transformed him into a Bangboo so he could remain stable, though Shukaku could still switch forms. New Hollow anomalies matched the locations of other Tailed Beasts, and Lin Shuo asked Orphie to alert him to related missions.

• Willowisp scolded Orphie and Lin Shuo over their kiss, but Orphie defended Lin Shuo and silenced the captain by threatening to give her a pink holster.
• Lin Yue told Lin Shuo that Shukaku was hiding and felt unwell, and Lin Shuo learned through the system that the world was rejecting him.
• With Shukaku's consent, Lin Shuo transformed him into a Bangboo; Shukaku found the new form more comfortable, while Lin Yue eagerly petted him.
• Lin Shuo consulted the system and learned of possible sightings of Matatabi in Havarie Hollow, Isobu in Perseus Hollow, and Son Goku in Solov Hollow.
• Orphie shared reports of unusual Hollow activity that matched those locations, and Lin Shuo asked her to tell him if related missions became available.

Lin Shuo returned to Lumina Square with Lin Yue and Shukaku, who had adapted to the world as a Bangboo. At home, Yuzuha teased Lin Shuo about Orphie’s kiss, reassured herself of his feelings, and left him enjoying the family’s playful evening together.

• Lin Shuo and Lin Yue returned from Scott Outpost with Shukaku in Bangboo form, and Yuzuha welcomed them at the ramen shop.
• Yuzuha noticed Lin Shuo was still recovering and urged him to rest, then probed him about the explosion and lightning in the south.
• After dinner, Yuzuha questioned Lin Shuo about Orphie kissing him, revealing that Captain Willowisp had told her.
• Lin Shuo explained that he liked Orphie as a companion but wanted to spend his life with Yuzuha, and promised to avoid another kiss.
• Yuzuha playfully kissed Lin Shuo and warned she would punish him after he healed, then went to check on Lin You and Lin Yue.
• Lin Shuo listened to Yuzuha and the girls laughing in the bathroom, while upstairs Lin You told Lin Yue she had brought their parents together.

After TOPS offered a huge bounty for the mysterious creatures, Lin Shuo identified them as Tailed Beasts and joined the Spook Shack to find them before they were captured. As the Beasts’ instability threatened a disaster, Lin Shuo prepared to search with Yuzuha the next day.

• Yuzuha found reports of three powerful creatures in Havarie Hollow, Perseus, and Solov Volcano, and Lin Shuo recognized them as Tailed Beasts.
• Lucia explained that the creatures seemed lonely and harmless, while Lin Shuo warned the Spook Shack that their intelligence and power could make them dangerous.
• Lin Shuo and the Spook Shack agreed to search the three Hollows in teams and try to communicate with the Beasts before TOPS could capture them.
• Yuzuha insisted on joining Lin Shuo as his partner, and Lin Shuo arranged for Lin You and Lin Yue to stay with Li Baorong while they were away.
• Lin Shuo learned from Shukaku that the other Tailed Beasts were struggling against the world and might go berserk, then received the system quest to find and subdue them before TOPS.

Lin Shuo and Yuzuha found Matatabi in Havarie Hollow and offered to transform her into a Bangboo so she could survive the ether and escape the raiders pursuing her. Matatabi accepted, chose Yuzuha as her partner, and the chapter ended as Hollow Raiders entered the workshop and found the cat gone.

• Lin Shuo and Yuzuha bypassed the bounty hunters outside Havarie Hollow and reached Matatabi through a hidden passage.
• Matatabi explained that the ether was slowly corrupting her and feared that becoming a Bangboo would cost her freedom.
• Lin Shuo promised Matatabi she could choose where to go, and Yuzuha offered to become her partner.
• Matatabi agreed to the Bangboo conversion on the condition that Lin Shuo would let her leave if a way home was found.
• Matatabi transformed into a blue, crystal-like Bangboo and chose Yuzuha as her partner.
• A group of Hollow Raiders rushed into the workshop and found Lin Shuo, Yuzuha, and two Bangboos, but no cat.

Lin Shuo used his Sharingan to make Hollow Raiders kill one another, then burned their leader to ash after he threatened Yuzuha and Matatabi. Back in his room, Lin Shuo unlocked the system shop, bought enhanced shadow clones and a protective teleportation mark, and settled in to enjoy a rare peaceful night.

• Yuzuha mocked the scarred Hollow Raider as he demanded the blue-flame cat demon, but he noticed Matatabi and threatened to take her for inspection.
• Lin Shuo trapped the scarred man and his Raiders in an illusion that made them mistake one another for enemies, and they killed each other in a five-second shootout.
• Lin Shuo used black flames to burn the surviving scarred man to ash, then left the workshop with Yuzuha and the Bangboo.
• The system announced that recruiting Matatabi had unlocked its shop, and Lin Shuo redeemed an optimized Shadow Clone Technique and a Flying Thunder God protection mark.
• Lin Shuo considered marking Yuzuha, Lin You, Lin Yue, and Matatabi for their safety, then went to sleep as the system reported that he had no current quests.

Lin Shuo marked Yuzuha with a concealed protective formula, then took her to Perseus Hollow and convinced the Three-Tails Isobu to become a Bangboo. They returned with Isobu recruited, while Four-Tails Son Goku and TOPS remained unresolved threats.

• Lin Shuo applied a concealed Flying Thunder God Formula to Yuzuha, which Lin Yue could still see through.
• Matatabi admitted she envied Shukaku for having a family, and Shukaku urged her to stay with Lin Shuo and the children.
• Lin Shuo and Yuzuha left for Perseus Hollow aboard Lao Chen's smuggling boat, with Matatabi guiding them toward Isobu.
• Lin Shuo explained that Ether corruption threatened Isobu and persuaded him to become a Bangboo and join them.
• Isobu transformed into a turtle Bangboo, and Lin Shuo brought him back to the boat before Lao Chen's deadline.
• Lin Shuo received an Ōtsutsuki Fragment and learned that his Bangboo Commander ability could command three Bangboo; he knew Four-Tails Son Goku and TOPS still posed concerns.

Lin Shuo practiced his newly strengthened Water Release and prepared to face Four-Tails Son Goku after fully recovering. As Defense Force forces and other explorers moved toward Solov Hollow, he learned that Manato’s team would survey the area and planned to warn them before setting out himself.

• Lin Shuo tested his Water Release affinity, found that it increased his power and control while reducing chakra costs, and agreed with Yuzuha to wait until he had fully recovered before facing Four-Tails Son Goku.
• Lin Shuo visited Orphie at Scott Outpost with Lin Yue, comforted her about sneaking chips, and learned from Willowisp that Major General Lorenz’s faction planned a special Ether creature capture operation.
• Lin Shuo declined Orphie, Soldier 11, and Trigger’s offers of help for his Four-Tails mission, accepted Orphie’s handmade charm, and told Lin Yue that he cherished Orphie but wanted to spend his life with Yuzuha.
• Yuzuha told Lin Shuo that Manato’s team would survey the outskirts of Solov Hollow the next day, and Lin Shuo warned her to tell them to withdraw if they noticed anything unusual.
• Lin Shuo checked the system’s temporary Water Release enhancement and chose to save it for later, then agreed that Yuzuha could support him from a safe distance when he eventually faced Four-Tails Son Goku.
• Lin Shuo went to sleep and received a system estimate that he would fully recover in 47 hours.

Lin Shuo intervened when the Order tried to capture Four-Tails Son Goku using Little Mu, an amnesiac Five-Tails Jinchūriki from a parallel spacetime who resembled his and Lucia’s daughter. He drove off the Order’s leader, won Four-Tails’ agreement to join Matatabi and Isobu, and left with Little Mu, while the leader—Qian An—escaped and vowed to take her next time.

• Lin Shuo discovered the Order luring Four-Tails Son Goku from its crater with Little Mu, a child who carried Five-Tails Kokuō and was genetically related to Lucia Elowen.
• Lin Shuo attacked the Order leader to protect Little Mu, using Water Release and Mangekyō Sharingan techniques before the leader’s toxin and Half-Ethereal abilities forced him to fight defensively.
• Four-Tails knocked away the Order’s subordinates and protected Little Mu, then agreed to join Lin Shuo after hearing that Matatabi and Isobu were living with him as Bangboo.
• The Order leader escaped with smoke and Ether interference after warning Lin Shuo that they would be enemies next time.
• Lin Shuo named the amnesiac girl Little Mu and took her away, while Four-Tails covered the battle site with lava and promised to catch up.
• Qian An watched Lin Shuo leave and vowed to take Little Mu the next time they met.

Lin Shuo brought Little Mu to meet Lucia, who recognized their connection and agreed to care for her and help stabilize the power inside her. Little Mu called Lin Shuo her father before settling in for the night, while the system confirmed that Lucia could help balance her with Five-Tails Kokuō and offered Bangboo conversion plans.

• Lin Shuo took Little Mu to the old industrial district, where she followed a familiar scent to Lucia.
• Little Mu called Lucia Mom and clung to her, and Lin Shuo explained that she was Lucia's daughter from another spacetime.
• Lucia sensed the enormous living Ether power inside Little Mu and agreed to act as her mother and help her control it.
• Little Mu learned that Lin Shuo had been her father in her timeline and asked to call him Dad.
• Lucia and Little Mu stayed at Kaidan House with Yuzuha, while Lin Shuo returned to his room and received a system notice about stabilizing Little Mu and converting Kokuō's power into a Bangboo core.

Lin Shuo fought Four-Tails Son Goku in Solov Hollow and won his agreement to become a Bangboo for three months. After the conversion, Lin Shuo and Xiao Kong headed back to the ramen stand to reunite with the other Tailed Beasts.

• Lin Shuo descended into the volcano and showed Four-Tails Son Goku that Matatabi and Isobu had become Bangboos.
• Lin Shuo challenged Four-Tails to a fight, wagering that Four-Tails would become a Bangboo if he lost.
• Lin Shuo used ninjutsu, the terrain, and his Sharingan to wound Four-Tails, who conceded after recognizing that Lin Shuo had spared him a lethal strike.
• Four-Tails agreed to serve Lin Shuo for three months, and the system converted him into the Bangboo Xiao Kong.
• Lin Shuo gave Xiao Kong a power bank, and they returned toward the ramen stand while Xiao Kong thanked Lin Shuo for not killing him.

Lin Shuo helped awaken Kokuō inside Little Mu and proposed separating part of his chakra into a Bangboo so Little Mu could live more easily. Kokuō agreed and became a Bangboo, joining the others as Lin Shuo prepared a celebratory dinner and received a system reward.

• Xiao Kong returned to the ramen stall with Ether Crystal fragments and warned Lin Shuo that Kokuō would awaken within three days.
• Lin Shuo brought Xiao Kong upstairs and, with Lucia’s help, awakened Kokuō inside Little Mu.
• Lin Shuo and Xiao Kong explained the Bangboo transformation, and Kokuō agreed to split off part of his power while keeping his main body inside Little Mu.
• The system transformed Kokuō into a white Bangboo, and he plugged into a power bank to recharge.
• Yuzuha proposed a celebratory feast, Lucia agreed to cook for Little Mu, and Lin Shuo went downstairs to prepare dinner.
• The system announced the completed transformation, awarded Lin Shuo an Ōtsutsuki Fragment and beginner Boil Release chakra affinity, and advised him to develop joint combat tactics.