Chapter Summaries

Qin Yu and Shen Heng escaped the pursuing Wind-Chasing Beast and Profound Crystal Griffin by entering the distorted doorway, after Shen Heng deflected the Wind-Chasing Beast’s attack. Outside the doorway, the Feather Owl and Profound Crystal Griffin decided to gather Calamity Beasts before entering the palace.

• Qin Yu and Sister Liya planned to hide with shadows after passing through the doorway, while the Wind-Chasing Beast closed in behind them.
• The Wind-Chasing Beast hurled an azure jade disc at Qin Yu and Shen Heng, and Shen Heng deflected it with a slash of his saber.
• The Two-Horned Lizard carried Qin Yu and Shen Heng through the distorted doorway as the Wind-Chasing Beast slowed.
• The Feather Owl and Profound Crystal Griffin waited outside the doorway and discussed the dangers and possible rules inside Lord Jörmungandr’s palace.
• The Feather Owl confirmed that the Two-Horned Lizard was under its command and decided to gather as many Calamity Beasts as possible before entering.

Shen Heng woke up transformed into a Calamity Beast and found himself among hundreds of beasts being driven to mine under threat of punishment. As he tried to understand whether the world and his new body were real, he searched for clues about Qin Yu, Stone, and the others.

• Shen Heng regained consciousness in a massive Calamity Beast body as overseers ordered the beasts to meet their mining quotas.
• A Tier 2 Shadow Wolf urged Shen Heng to keep moving, and Shen Heng followed it past a black rat overseer.
• Shen Heng saw hundreds of Calamity Beasts heading toward a dark mine entrance and wondered whether the temple had distorted him into this world.
• Shen Heng considered whether the mining world was real or false and whether he could return to human form.
• Shen Heng examined his Tier 2 body, noted that his hearing covered only seven or eight hundred meters, and began thinking about how to find Qin Yu, Stone, and the others.

Shen Heng followed a Shadow Wolf into the mine tunnels, learning that his beast body had supposedly known the Shadow Wolf for over ten years. As they began their mining task, Shen Heng tried to assess the danger and asked whether Lord Plague Rat would send someone to find him, leaving the Shadow Wolf to answer his question about the other Lords Black Rat.

• Shen Heng followed the Shadow Wolf into a mine tunnel and learned that the other Calamity Beasts nearby had been mining there for a long time.
• The Shadow Wolf told Shen Heng that he had taken the blood whip several times and claimed they had known each other for over ten years.
• The Shadow Wolf warned Shen Heng that they had to meet their Dull Star Stone quota by nightfall or they would not survive.
• Shen Heng decided to mine for now rather than risk stealing from or recruiting other Calamity Beasts, while he assessed his situation.
• Shen Heng asked whether Lord Plague Rat would send someone to look for him, then asked whether the other Lords Black Rat would behave as they had before.

Shen Heng mined alongside Shadow Wolf and the other Calamity Beasts, estimating how much ore he needed to collect and discovering that stronger control of Origin Power could improve his efficiency. He realized the daily quota would consume most of a beast’s time and energy, while he considered how to exploit his advantage.

• Shen Heng learned from Shadow Wolf that the lords patrolled roughly twice daily and that moving between mining spots would not attract special attention.
• Shen Heng began mining with a faint Origin Power coating and produced a chunk of ore weighing over thirty jin after about ten minutes.
• After mining for two hours, Shen Heng estimated that he had collected about four hundred jin toward his Tier 2 quota of 1,500 jin.
• As the Calamity Beasts grew tired and rested, Shen Heng increased the Origin Power around his palm and struck the rock more loudly.
• Shen Heng realized that the ore resisted Origin Power, but his stronger control could force some of it inside and make mining more effective.
• Shen Heng calculated that ordinary Calamity Beasts would need twelve or thirteen hours a day to meet their quotas, leaving little energy for cultivation.

Shen Heng planned how to escape Black Stone Valley and gathered information from Shadow Wolf while they rested and mined. When new Calamity Beasts were brought into the mine, he heard a frightened voice mention him and Qin Yu, leaving him alert to the possibility that someone knew them.

• Shen Heng decided to gather information during the day and look for a chance to escape, while avoiding actions that might make the Black Rats increase their surveillance.
• Shadow Wolf told Shen Heng that the mine was over a thousand meters deep, and the two rested before returning to work.
• While mining, Shen Heng practiced striking the rock with successive forces and assessed the limits of his current body.
• Shen Heng learned from Shadow Wolf about Black Stone Valley, the Black Rat Clan, and the Calamity Beasts’ quotas and daily routine.
• Two Black Rats drove several dozen newly captured Calamity Beasts deeper into the mine, and Shadow Wolf explained that captives were brought in to replace those killed for missing their quotas.
• Shen Heng heard a frightened voice wonder where it was and whether it should tell Lord Shen Heng and Lady Qin Yu.

Shen Heng contacted Stone after Stone was captured and transformed into a Shadow Wolf, telling him to follow the black rats and gather information. Shadow Wolf then explained that Calamity Beasts sent to extend the mines risk being killed by an Underground Demon, prompting Shen Heng to ask about past attacks.

• Shen Heng spotted a new group of Calamity Beasts being led toward the mine and heard them panic about their fate.
• Shen Heng contacted Stone and told him to obey the supervising black rat, remember what he saw, and stay safe; Stone revealed he had become a Shadow Wolf.
• Stone resumed following the black rats while pretending to remain frightened, and tried to observe the journey for useful information.
• Shadow Wolf told Shen Heng that the new captives were being sent to extend the mine passages and might not survive three days.
• Shadow Wolf explained that an Underground Demon could appear in the mines and that the worst incident he remembered, three years earlier, had killed nearly every Calamity Beast sent down.

Shen Heng questioned Shadow Wolf about his past and noticed that the beast hesitated whenever asked about unfamiliar details of the outside world. He suspected Shadow Wolf and the mine’s world were fabricated, just as a signal announced the end of the workday.

• Shen Heng and Shadow Wolf considered whether Lord Black Rat spared Tier 3 Calamity Beasts to keep them mining, and agreed to stay cautious and avoid the supervising black rats.
• While they waited after finishing their mining tasks, Shen Heng asked Shadow Wolf how he had been captured and learned that his pack had been attacked near White Spine Plain.
• Shen Heng noticed Shadow Wolf briefly stalled when answering questions about unrelated details from the outside world, then spoke normally about aardvarks.
• Shen Heng concluded that Shadow Wolf might be a false individual created with limited information and suspected the surrounding world was false.
• A bell rang through the mine, and Shadow Wolf urged Shen Heng to hurry because the workday was over.

Shen Heng considered how the Black Rat Clan’s ore quotas and punishments drove Calamity Beasts toward death, then spotted Stone among a group returning from mine expansion and called out to him. The chapter ended with Shen Heng waiting to hear what Stone had done underground.

• Shen Heng noticed a Gray Hyena Beast heading deeper into the mine after falling short of its ore quota for four days.
• Shen Heng reflected on how hunger, escalating quotas, and punishment trapped Calamity Beasts in a cycle that often ended in death.
• Shen Heng and Shadow Wolf delivered their ore and watched the silent queue as a Calamity Beast who had failed to meet its quota went toward the resting area.
• A Black Rat led a group of Calamity Beasts back from expanding the mine, and Shen Heng recognized Stone among them.
• Shen Heng sent his voice to Stone and asked what he had done underground that day.

Shen Heng questioned Stone about the mine tunnels and warned it to avoid the tunnel ends and supervising black rats. After Lord Black Rat reprimanded Shen Heng over the morning's incident, Shen Heng convinced Shadow Wolf that the rat had offered him work advice, while the rat decided Shen Heng was promising material and planned to whip Shadow Wolf.

• Shen Heng asked Stone whether it had seen Calamity Beast remains or anything unusual in the mining tunnels, then warned it to stay away from tunnel ends and supervising black rats.
• Shadow Wolf and Shen Heng presented their mined dull star stone to Lord Black Rat, who told Shen Heng to work faster and let the morning's lapse go.
• Shadow Wolf asked Shen Heng what Lord Black Rat had said, and Shen Heng claimed the rat had taught him how to work as a Calamity Beast.
• Lord Black Rat decided Shen Heng sincerely respected it, regretted that he was not a black rat, and resolved to find an excuse to whip Shadow Wolf the next day.

Shen Heng surveyed the Calamity Beast resting grounds and weighed the risks of escaping while secretly moving away from the herd during the night. Meanwhile, Qin Yu and the Gray Stone Snake discussed whether making noise could alert their captain.

• Shen Heng observed the gathered Calamity Beasts, the supervising black rats, and a possible black rat settlement as he considered escape routes.
• Shen Heng and the Shadow Wolf ate their food, talked about its awful taste, and settled down to sleep.
• Shen Heng repeatedly walked away from the herd under the pretense of relieving himself, gradually changing his route on the third return.
• Qin Yu asked the Gray Stone Snake whether they should make noise so their captain could hear them and contact them.

Qin Yu found Shen Heng by quietly calling for the captain, and they shared what they had learned while working in the Black Rat Clan’s mines. Their information strengthened the suspicion that their current world was fake, and they were left to decide what to do next.

• Qin Yu and the voice in her mind decided to call for the captain, and Shen Heng heard her and approached.
• Shen Heng told Qin Yu that he had found Stone among the newly replenished Calamity Beasts but had not seen the Two-Horned Lizard.
• Qin Yu described the mines, the Origin Ore, and how Calamity Beasts were assigned to mines according to where they rested.
• Qin Yu proposed that their world might be fake, and Shen Heng agreed before recounting the clues he had gathered.
• Qin Yu asked Shen Heng what they should do next.

Shen Heng and Qin Yu considered how to escape the false world and decided that investigating its boundaries was safer than trying to defeat the Black Rat Clan or killing themselves. They planned for Qin Yu to explore the boundary the next day while Shen Heng continued looking for information.

• Qin Yu relayed Liya’s suggestion that the Black Rat Clan might be a clue to escaping the world.
• Shen Heng weighed the risks of suicide, an illusory realm, and confronting the Black Rats, then settled on exploring first.
• Shen Heng asked about Qin Yu’s abilities and explained that becoming a Calamity Beast had weakened his own powers.
• Qin Yu said her cultivation-based ability remained mostly intact but was less effective because she was only Third Tier.
• Shen Heng told Qin Yu to look for a chance to explore along the boundary the next day, and she agreed to ask him for help with her mining task if needed.

Shen Heng returned to the mining camp after searching for the Feather Owl and Profound Crystal Griffin, then prepared to investigate the Dull Star Stone mine. A crowd of newly arrived Calamity Beasts appeared, and a Steel-Tailed Beast challenged the Lord Black Rat about their situation.

• Shen Heng searched among the Calamity Beasts but found no sign of the Feather Owl or Profound Crystal Griffin, then returned to rest beside the Shadow Wolf.
• The supervising Black Rats woke the Calamity Beasts and directed them toward their assigned work sites, and Shen Heng followed the group to the Dull Star Stone mine.
• As the Lord Black Rat announced the day's rules, Shen Heng planned to mine before finding an excuse to investigate inside the mine.
• Several confused voices appeared around Shen Heng, and he realized that many newcomers had arrived as Calamity Beasts.
• A Steel-Tailed Beast pointed its claw at the Lord Black Rat and sternly demanded to know what was happening.

At Black Stone Valley, a group of newcomers who had turned into different Calamity Beasts demanded answers from the Black Rat Feixu. Feixu told them they were captured slaves expected to mine ore and threatened to eat those who disobeyed.

• The Steel-Tailed Beast and a Sand Scale Lizard revealed that they had arrived together and recognized one another as Mountain-Climbing Ape and Ice Spine Wolf.
• Five more newcomers joined their conversation while Shen Heng and Shadow Wolf watched the surrounding Calamity Beasts keep their distance.
• Shen Heng counted twelve newcomers and wondered whether Feather Owl and the Profound Crystal Griffin had brought more Calamity Beasts into the mines.
• Feixu interrupted the newcomers and declared that Black Stone Valley belonged to the Black Rat Clan and that they were its slaves.
• Feixu ordered them to mine their daily quota and threatened to eat those who failed or talked back.

Feixu punished the Calamity Beasts who challenged the Black Rat Clan, while Shen Heng watched and confirmed that Feixu had been born in this world rather than entering the Sacred Temple. After the Steel-Tailed Beast mentioned Jörmungandr, it died and the other beasts returned to mining in a strangely obedient state, until the Coiling Mountain Beast began to question what it was doing.

• Feixu ordered the Calamity Beasts to mine and accept ten lashes, then attacked when the Sand Scale Lizard led them in a charge.
• Feixu killed several Calamity Beasts and turned toward the Steel-Tailed Beast when the Sand Scale Lizard begged it for help.
• The Steel-Tailed Beast asked Feixu about the Sacred Temple, and Feixu said it had been in this world since birth, confirming Shen Heng's deduction.
• The Steel-Tailed Beast asked about Jörmungandr and suddenly fell dead as an invisible force surged through the world.
• The Calamity Beasts obediently returned to their assigned places and resumed mining, while the Coiling Mountain Beast stopped and wondered what it was doing.

Shen Heng realized that a power left by a Ninth Tier Calamity Beast was making him gradually adapt to being a Calamity Beast in a false world, and he carved reminders into his limb to preserve his human identity. He planned to investigate how the other newly arrived Calamity Beasts had been affected, then used a pretext to leave the mine and look for them.

• Shen Heng concluded that the power had subtly changed his control of the beast body and could eventually make him accept a life as a Calamity Beast.
• Shen Heng suspected that speaking Jörmungandr's name had triggered the adaptation and carved warnings and reminders into his right forelimb.
• Shen Heng decided to find the other Calamity Beasts who had just entered and assess how the adaptation had affected them.
• Shen Heng mined beside the Shadow Wolf until his ore pile surpassed its own, then told it he would scout other areas for an easier place to mine.
• The Shadow Wolf agreed to watch Shen Heng's Dull Star Stone while he went to scout.

Shen Heng moved through the mine, secretly planting reminders in five Calamity Beasts who had appeared that morning, then began mining near the bottom. As he prepared to explain the situation to Stone, text appeared before him identifying him as human and the world as false.

• The Coiling Mountain Beast left to dig while the Shadow Wolf warned it to avoid the Third Tier lords and returned to mining.
• Shen Heng followed his mental map through the mine and quietly prompted five Calamity Beasts to remember the circumstances without saying Jörmungandr’s name.
• Shen Heng went to the lower reaches of the mine and mined near Stone rather than disturb him.
• After about half an hour, a puzzled voice suggested that a Calamity Beast had regained its senses, and Shen Heng decided to explain the situation to Stone.
• Shen Heng struck the rock wall and saw text stating that he was human and that the world was false.

Shen Heng tried to determine whether the latest adaptation had been triggered by Calamity Beasts regaining awareness or was a coincidence, and warned the other beasts to alert those in other mines. As the adaptation continued longer than before, a Steel-Mane Bear also regained awareness and suspected beasts elsewhere had caused it, while Shen Heng waited to see whether Stone would recover.

• Shen Heng considered how another adaptation could threaten his awareness and decided to watch whether a new round began as this one ended.
• Shen Heng updated reminders for the Calamity Beasts he passed, telling them to find beasts in other mines and warn them.
• Shen Heng returned to the mining tunnel and resumed work while the adaptation continued.
• A Steel-Mane Bear regained awareness, concluded beasts in other mines might have triggered the latest adaptation, and planned to investigate after work.
• Shen Heng rested after completing most of his quota and noted that the adaptation had lasted over three hours, longer than the first round, with no sign yet that Stone would recover.

Shen Heng tested whether adaptation happened on its own, then warned Stone that speaking the Court Council speaker’s name could trigger it. He helped Stone carve reminders into his forelimb so he could recognize the false world and wake himself, including instructions to find Shen Heng and Lady Han Ling.

• Shen Heng waited nearly an hour without another adaptation starting and concluded it probably was not happening automatically.
• Shen Heng found Stone digging in the mine and warned him that mentioning the Court Council speaker’s name could provoke another adaptation.
• Shen Heng told Stone to ignore other Calamity Beasts seeking him and to carve a reminder on his arm to help him wake from adaptation.
• Stone began carving his own words, and Shen Heng corrected them into reminders that Stone was a Stone-Armored Beast in a false world and should find Shen Heng if confused.
• Shen Heng ordered Stone to add a final reminder to find Lady Han Ling.

Shen Heng investigated the rumored Underground Demon with Stone and discovered that disturbing the depths of the mine caused darkness and fear to spread toward them. The Underground Demon appeared to be real, though Shen Heng remained uncertain what triggered it or why the Black Rat Clan had not eliminated it.

• Shen Heng had Stone carve reminders about waking itself and finding Shen Heng or Han Ling, then asked whether it had noticed anything unusual in the mine.
• Shen Heng and Stone walked to the end of the tunnel, where Shen Heng asked Stone to protect him if the Underground Demon appeared.
• Shen Heng sent sound waves down through the earthen wall but initially sensed only soil, rock, and dull star stone ore.
• As Shen Heng continued probing while watching the tunnel, the darkness deepened, his vision narrowed, and both he and Stone felt afraid.
• When Shen Heng stopped sending sound waves, the darkness receded, and he concluded that the Underground Demon was real and might respond to disturbance underground.