Chapter Summaries

Shen Heng monitored the darkness beneath the mine and estimated that the Underground Demon would not emerge for at least ten days. Later, he compared intelligence with Qin Yu, who reported that the mountain ring and an eastern exit were both heavily guarded, while the Black Rat Clan's enclosure lay to the north.

• Shen Heng warned Stone to avoid the mine tunnels and keep the Underground Demon’s existence secret, then explained how darkness could signal its awakening.
• After waiting two hours, Shen Heng judged that visibility would take at least ten days to fall below ten meters and told Stone to flee if anything changed.
• That night, Shen Heng shared his gathered intelligence with Qin Yu, including information about Calamity Beasts, adaptation, and the Underground Demon.
• Qin Yu reported that the steep, patrolled mountains made escape nearly impossible and that the eastern exit was guarded by many Black Rats.
• Qin Yu told Shen Heng that the Black Rat Clan's enclosure was about twenty kilometers to the north, and Shen Heng looked toward the surrounding terrain and distant firelight.

Shen Heng planned to use the Calamity Beasts to investigate the strange world and look for a way out. The Steel-Mane Bear found one of Lord Feather Owl’s followers, who began recounting what had happened after entering the world.

• Shen Heng told Qin Yu to scout for hidden exits and said she would monitor the Calamity Beasts, including whether the two sixth-tier beasts had entered the world.
• Shen Heng explained that the Calamity Beasts might investigate the world, reveal useful information, and help rule out false possibilities.
• The Steel-Mane Bear quietly searched the herd for Lord Feather Owl’s followers, trying not to attract attention from the other beasts or the supervising Black Rats.
• The Steel-Mane Bear encountered a fourth-tier Calamity Beast calling itself Shadow Wolf and introduced itself as the Nether Tiger Beast, a former companion of Lord Feather Owl.
• Shadow Wolf recounted losing awareness after entering the world, seeing several lords killed, and waking up to find itself mining before losing awareness again.

The Steel-Mane Bear explained that mentioning the Lord Speaker’s name had triggered dangerous adaptations and organized a search for other Calamity Beasts while warning them not to say the name. The search spread through the herd, where the Rock-Backed Beast watched a wandering figure but chose not to approach.

• The Steel-Mane Bear told the Spiny-Back Lizard to avoid mentioning the Lord Speaker’s name and to warn the other Calamity Beasts.
• The Steel-Mane Bear gave the Spiny-Back Lizard simple instructions to find other beasts, locate Lord Feather Owl or Lord Profound Crystal Griffin, and report back.
• The Steel-Mane Bear and the Spiny-Back Lizard each recruited one more Calamity Beast, bringing the search party to four.
• The four Calamity Beasts split up and searched through the herd for the other beasts and their leaders.
• The Rock-Backed Beast watched a figure muttering as it walked but decided not to approach.

Steel-Mane Bear and the other Calamity Beasts investigated why Lord Feather Owl and Lord Profound Crystal Griffin were missing, and their count suggested the two lords might not be in this world. Black Jade Lion urged them to prevent further losses and find a way to return to their original forms, but the beasts still did not know how to leave.

• Steel-Mane Bear said that it and the others had failed to find Lord Feather Owl and Lord Profound Crystal Griffin.
• Black Jade Lion suggested that the missing lords might have entered later, appeared elsewhere, or never entered this world at all.
• Steel-Mane Bear proposed counting the Calamity Beasts they had encountered, and the group calculated that only eighty-two had been accounted for.
• The beasts concluded that Lord Feather Owl and Lord Profound Crystal Griffin might be in another world, then discussed what to do next.
• Black Jade Lion said they needed to warn the other Calamity Beasts and find a way to regain their original forms.
• Ridged Beast asked how they could leave the world, and Black Jade Lion had no answer.

The Calamity Beasts considered escaping their world through a portal, while the Coiling Mountain Beast secretly listened. Two days later, Lord Stone took Gray Tail as its mining partner and separated her from the Coiling Mountain Beast.

• The Steel-Mane Bear suggested that the beasts search for a portal at the world's boundary so they could leave, while a Coiling Mountain Beast listened unnoticed.
• Two days later, the Shadow Wolf and Coiling Mountain Beast mined together and hoped to keep their slow pace without attracting Lord Black Rat's attention.
• Lord Stone asked Gray Tail where she came from and ordered her to mine with it.
• The Coiling Mountain Beast offered to help Lord Stone find another Shadow Wolf, but Lord Stone instead demanded that Gray Tail leave her old partner and follow it.
• Gray Tail pretended to rebuke the Coiling Mountain Beast, and it walked away sadly.
• Lord Stone told Gray Tail to call it Lord Stone, and Gray Tail agreed.

After parting from Shadow Wolf, Shen Heng inspected the thickening darkness near the Underground Demon before returning to mine. Meanwhile, Black Jade Lion met with Steel-Mane Bear and Ridged Beast to discuss their investigation and cooperation, while hoping the Calamity Beasts exploring outside would bring back useful information.

• Shen Heng left Stone with Shadow Wolf, walked down the mine tunnel to check the darkness, then returned to mine out of sight of the others.
• Black Jade Lion visited Steel-Mane Bear and Ridged Beast and reported that its investigation had found nothing beyond the information gathered two days earlier.
• Steel-Mane Bear argued that they should focus on exploring outside, while Black Jade Lion urged the group to cooperate if they wanted to escape.
• Ridged Beast resented contributing half its food to the explorers and rejected Black Jade Lion's suggestion to keep their mined ore separate.
• Black Jade Lion reflected that Steel-Mane Bear and Ridged Beast were difficult to work with and hoped the explorers would return with useful information.

Black Jade Lion and the others secretly coordinated food sharing and kept their plans hidden from the supervising Black Rats. As the resting beasts settled in for the night, two scouts returned with news that they had found a way out.

• Black Jade Lion secretly distributed food to allied Calamity Beasts, instructing them to eat separately and return to the main path without drawing suspicion.
• Black Jade Lion, Steel-Mane Bear, and Ridged Beast left food for the remaining arrivals, while Spiny-Back Lizard stayed behind to guard it.
• Ridged Beast worried that Blast-Armor Rhinoceros might use its past connection to Lord Two-Horned Lizard to dominate the others.
• Black Jade Lion, Steel-Mane Bear, and Ridged Beast waited discreetly among the resting Calamity Beasts for the returning scouts.
• Two Calamity Beasts told Ridged Beast they had found a way out, leaving it, Black Jade Lion, and Steel-Mane Bear stunned.

The Calamity Beasts learned that Black Rats had driven captured beasts toward an enclosure in the northwest, far from the known eastern exit, suggesting Black Stone Valley had another exit. The Black Jade Lion proposed searching the area for signs of guarding Black Rats, leaving the group to investigate carefully and avoid a fight they might not survive.

• The Blast-Armor Rhinoceros told the Ridged Beast, Steel-Mane Bear, and Black Jade Lion that Black Rats had been seen driving Calamity Beasts toward their enclosure in the northwest, where no exit was known.
• The Calamity Beasts reviewed their findings on a map and confirmed that the known exit lay east, while the enclosure and the sighting were elsewhere.
• The Steel-Mane Bear and the Blast-Armor Rhinoceros reasoned that the Black Rat Clan must have another exit somewhere near the northwest sighting.
• The Ridged Beast agreed that a valley as large as Black Stone Valley likely had more than one exit.
• The Black Jade Lion proposed searching for Black Rats guarding the suspected exit, and said the group would search slowly if they found no guards.

The Black Jade Lion and the Steel-Mane Bear waited for the Ridged Beast’s search party to return, then planned to follow them if they found a way out. The next morning, they saw several wounded Calamity Beasts lying beside the Black Rats and realized their escape plan had failed.

• The Ridged Beast volunteered to lead a search party after the Blast-Armor Rhinoceros reported that three of its group had not returned.
• The Rock-Backed Beast secretly watched the herd and decided to wait for the searchers before revealing its identity and trying to escape with them.
• When the Ridged Beast and the other searchers failed to return, the Black Jade Lion and the Steel-Mane Bear debated whether they had been delayed, found the exit, or abandoned the herd.
• The Steel-Mane Bear proposed waiting another day before following the searchers, and the Black Jade Lion agreed.
• The next morning, the Black Jade Lion and the Steel-Mane Bear saw several wounded Calamity Beasts lying beside the Black Rats and concluded that it was over.

The Black Rats accused a group of Calamity Beasts of causing trouble and trying to escape, then demanded that the culprits identify themselves. No one stepped forward, leaving Steel-Mane Bear and Black Jade Lion waiting as the Black Rats prepared to drag out the captured beasts.

• The Calamity Beasts woke to find several of their kind lying beside the Lord Black Rats, and the enormous Black Rat accused a group of causing trouble and attempting to escape.
• Steel-Mane Bear and Black Jade Lion feared the Black Rats had noticed their group’s earlier exploration and decided they could only wait.
• The enormous Black Rat offered the culprits a final chance to come forward, threatening harsher punishment if the Black Rats had to find them.
• When no Calamity Beast stepped out, the enormous Black Rat turned to the captured beasts and asked whether any wanted to speak.
• The captured beasts looked toward the silent herd, but no one came forward to help them.

Black Spine tortured the captured Calamity Beasts until one revealed that a Tier 3 Blast-Armor Rhinoceros had led them. As the Blast-Armor Rhinoceroses were summoned from the herd, the Steel-Mane Bear and Black Jade Lion realized the accusation had left them bewildered.

• The Steel-Mane Bear and Black Jade Lion considered whether to fight or flee while Black Spine questioned the captured Calamity Beasts.
• Black Spine whipped one Calamity Beast to death after it claimed they were trapped in a world built by the Lord Speaker.
• Black Spine lashed the remaining captives until an Iron-Mane Beast agreed to confess in exchange for a quick death.
• The Iron-Mane Beast identified a Tier 3 Blast-Armor Rhinoceros as the one they had followed, and Black Spine ordered all Blast-Armor Rhinoceroses out of the herd.
• The Steel-Mane Bear and Black Jade Lion watched the Blast-Armor Rhinoceroses emerge and exchanged bewildered looks.

The Iron-Mane Beast failed to identify the Blast-Armor Rhinoceros and Gray-Clawed Xingxing it had seen, leaving Black Spine suspicious of its claims. To support its account, it named a Tier 2 Spiny-Back Lizard that had found the captured beasts, and two Calamity Beasts confirmed the lizard’s existence.

• The Iron-Mane Beast searched the gathered Blast-Armor Rhinoceroses but could not find the Lord Blast-Armor Rhinoceros it had seen.
• The Iron-Mane Beast told Black Spine that it had also seen a Lord Gray-Clawed Xingxing, then searched the gathered Xingxings and failed to find that one either.
• The Iron-Mane Beast pleaded with Black Spine to believe it and said other Calamity Beasts had seen the missing beasts too.
• The Iron-Mane Beast mentioned a Tier 2 Spiny-Back Lizard that had found the captured Calamity Beasts and urged them to confirm it.
• Two Calamity Beasts told Black Spine that the Tier 2 Spiny-Back Lizard had found them and could lead him to other Calamity Beasts.

Black Spine forced the Iron-Mane Beast to identify Calamity Beasts, and a fleeing Spiny-Back Lizard exposed several others before Black Spine had them executed. The Iron-Mane Beast found no one he remembered and told Black Spine he had no more names to give.

• Black Spine gave the Iron-Mane Beast one last chance to identify a Calamity Beast among the Spiny-Back Lizards.
• The Iron-Mane Beast failed to recognize anyone, but noticed a tier 2 Spiny-Back Lizard acting nervously and watched him flee into the herd.
• Black Spine's Black Rat captured the fleeing Spiny-Back Lizard, who identified six or seven Calamity Beasts.
• A fourth-tier Black Rat exposed one captive's lie, and Black Spine ordered the protesting Calamity Beasts whipped to death.
• Another captive identified more Calamity Beasts, and Black Spine continued the capture-and-questioning process.
• Black Spine asked the Iron-Mane Beast for more names, and the Iron-Mane Beast answered that he had none.

The Steel-Mane Bear and Black Jade Lion watched the Black Rats execute nearly a hundred Calamity Beasts accused of plotting to escape, though the two leaders suspected the prisoners had not all belonged to their group. They realized the missing Spiny-Back Lizard might have been involved in the strange arrests, and questioned whether one of their scouts had been captured.

• The Black Rats killed nearly a hundred Calamity Beasts, terrifying the miners and making them reconsider joining any escape attempt.
• Lord Stone told a Shadow Wolf that wanting to escape was normal, but the Shadow Wolf warned him to stop speaking so openly.
• The Steel-Mane Bear and Black Jade Lion noticed that far more Calamity Beasts had been captured than their surviving group could have supplied.
• The Steel-Mane Bear and Black Jade Lion realized the Spiny-Back Lizard they had last seen guarding food had disappeared.
• The Black Jade Lion asked whether one of the Steel-Mane Bear's scouts had been among the captured Calamity Beasts, and the Steel-Mane Bear doubted it.

Shen Heng’s group returned to the mines after secretly rescuing Calamity Beasts and eliminating witnesses, while the Black Rats’ leaders debated the suspicious disappearance of their scouts. That night, the Black Rat chieftain asked Black Spine how his assigned task had gone, and Black Spine grinned as the others watched.

• The Black Jade Lion and Steel-Mane Bear suspected an unknown force might be responsible for their missing scouts, while the Two-Horned Lizard Rock-Backed Beast admired their plan to silence witnesses.
• Shen Heng told Qin Yu that the deception might fail if the Black Rats noticed the suspicious gaps in their plan, but said the rescued beasts could be useful and the risk was acceptable.
• The Black Rat chieftain returned with a captured fifth-tier Azure-Horned Beast, prompting Black Spine, Gray Whiskers, and Moya to hurry to the stone house and eat from its carcass.
• The aged Black Rat chieftain asked Black Spine how his assigned task had gone, and Black Spine grinned as the other Black Rats turned to him.

The Black Rat chief questioned Black Spine’s account of the captured Calamity Beasts and concluded that the group had deceived them. He left the others to consider how the threat of death for both silence and cooperation may have shaped the testimony.

• Black Spine told the Black Rats that nearly a hundred Calamity Beasts had caused trouble, and the group discussed the incident without concern.
• The chief asked whether Black Spine had searched for the missing Blast-Armor Rhinoceros and Gray-Clawed Xingxing, and Black Spine said he had not because he believed they were invented.
• The chief pointed out that the Iron-Mane Beast had named the missing beasts while knowing it would die regardless, and asked about the many captives who denied being accomplices.
• The chief told Black Spine he had been deceived, then asked what happened to captives who refused to talk and learned that they were whipped to death while those who talked were killed immediately.
• The Black Rats questioned whether anything was wrong with that punishment, as the chief left them pondering the captives’ testimony.

The Black Rat clan discovered that the Calamity Beasts who devised the escape plans were still hiding among the beasts, but they could not identify them without disrupting mining. The clan chief ordered that twenty percent of the mining Calamity Beasts be killed the next day.

• Moya reasoned that the final Calamity Beasts identified had stopped naming others, while Black Spine confirmed that unrelated beasts had been implicated and killed.
• The clan chief revealed that the Blast-Armor Rhinoceros and Gray-Clawed Xingxing had been named at the beginning, meaning the actual planners remained hidden among the beasts.
• The Black Rats demanded to drag out and kill the hidden planners, but Black Spine pointed out that all the Calamity Beasts brought back had already been killed.
• Moya and the other Black Rats considered increased patrols and killing every Calamity Beast, but neither option resolved their problem without serious costs.
• The clan chief ordered the Black Rats to select and kill twenty percent of the mining Calamity Beasts the next day.

The Black Rat chief explained how to kill the strongest Calamity Beasts by increasing mining quotas and using punishments to screen them, so weaker beasts would be unable to organize another escape. The next day, Black Jade Lion and Steel-Mane Bear found that fifteen Calamity Beasts had died, matching the number of beasts involved in the expeditions and searches and reinforcing their suspicion that someone was secretly helping them.

• The Black Rat chief told the Black Rats to kill twenty percent of the Calamity Beasts, increase the survivors’ quotas, and gradually identify and kill those strong enough to keep meeting them.
• The Black Rat chief explained that he did not expect the plan to find the original escape plotters; he wanted to remove strong leaders who could rally others.
• Black Jade Lion and Steel-Mane Bear discussed their failure to locate Spiny-Back Lizard or another Calamity Beast who had helped contact the others.
• Black Jade Lion and Steel-Mane Bear counted nineteen survivors among thirty-four Calamity Beasts and determined that fifteen had died.
• Black Jade Lion and Steel-Mane Bear realized the deaths matched the beasts involved in the expeditions and searches, including two who had not gone exploring, deepening their suspicion that someone was helping them from the sidelines.

The Black Jade Lion and Steel-Mane Bear suspected someone had secretly changed the Calamity Beasts’ search plans, while the Black Rats’ behavior left them wary. At the Dull Star Stone mine, Lord Feixu separated the herd and forced the Calamity Beasts who had passed through to take on the blocked group’s assignments, raising their mining quotas by twenty percent.

• The Black Jade Lion and Steel-Mane Bear wondered whether an unseen figure had redirected the Ridged Beast and others, and they hurried along with the herd to avoid displeasing the Black Rats.
• The herd reached the mine, where Lord Feixu impatiently waved the Calamity Beasts forward past the supervising Black Rats.
• After more than half the herd had passed, the Black Rats moved back to block the remaining Calamity Beasts, leaving a little over two hundred trapped opposite the larger group.
• Lord Feixu ordered the Calamity Beasts who had passed through to take over the blocked group’s assignments and increased their daily ore quotas by twenty percent.
• A Coiling Mountain Beast agreed on behalf of the group, and the others echoed its assent before heading into the mine as pleas, cries of pain, and roars sounded behind them.

The Dust Horn Beast and Phantom Shadow Leopard struggled to meet a suddenly increased mining quota after Black Rat overseers tightened the rules. As more Calamity Beasts went hungry or were punished each day, both companions eventually became too weak to mine enough ore and received no food.

• The Dust Horn Beast and Phantom Shadow Leopard discussed the extra twenty-percent mining quota, the recent killings, and why the other Calamity Beasts had tried to rebel.
• The two beasts met their quotas on the first day, collected food, and watched increasingly exhausted and injured Calamity Beasts return from the mine.
• Over the following seven days, the numbers of Calamity Beasts failing to meet quotas and being punished rose, while some starving beasts were killed.
• On the eighth day, the Dust Horn Beast and Phantom Shadow Leopard could no longer mine enough dull star stone and joined those denied food.