Chapter Summaries

Qiji gave Suyo the Echo Fragments he could not use and comforted her about her progress, raising the Thousand Faces card’s compatibility. After Suyo began absorbing a flame fragment, Qiji tested the Sea of Consciousness’s corrosive seawater on the remaining fragments and felt its painful sting.

• Qiji found that his Echo Core could not be enhanced with the available fragments because their quality was insufficient, so he gave them to Suyo.
• Suyo explained that she could absorb only flame-lineage fragments because she had mastered just four Mimicry types, and Qiji reassured her that her hard work made her outstanding.
• Suyo accepted and began absorbing the flame fragment while Qiji took the other three fragments to the shore.
• Qiji submerged the remaining fragments in the seawater, which dissolved their surfaces and caused a burning pain in his hand.

Qiji used three washed Echo Fragments to begin upgrading the Miracle, while Suyo absorbed a flame-lineage fragment that reduced the Heart Essence cost of her fire-type Echoes. With limited time left in the Sea of Consciousness, Qiji took Suyo by boat to explore another island and headed for its treasure chest.

• Qiji fed three common building materials into the Miracle, bringing its upgrade progress to three of the hundred fragments required.
• Suyo absorbed a fine-quality flame-lineage Echo Fragment and gained a five-percent reduction in Heart Essence consumption for fire-type Echoes.
• Qiji brought Suyo back to the boat and planned to explore two more islands before withdrawing from the Sea of Consciousness.
• Suyo questioned Qiji’s plan because they had not found an extraction point, but accepted his assurance that the first island had been barren.
• Qiji sailed with Suyo to an island marked with a treasure chest, avoided minor monsters, and headed straight for the island’s core.

Qiji and Suyo found a legendary Echo Fragment on the next island, but its pillar of light attracted nearby Echoers. As they fled toward the extraction point, Kamishiro Seian pursued them, stunned that the supposedly low-tier Echoers were escaping so quickly.

• Qiji opened the first island's chest using System Perspective, found a blue fragment, and gave it to Suyo after his Echo Core rejected it.
• Qiji and Suyo cleared the next island, and Suyo opened its chest to reveal a legendary fragment.
• Qiji snatched the fragment and hurried Suyo back to their boat when he realized the golden light could attract other Echoers.
• Qiji spotted several Echoers approaching on the map and drove the boat toward the extraction point at full speed.
• Kamishiro Seian rode Big White toward the golden pillar, then learned its owners were only second tier or lower and watched them pull away.

Qiji and Suyo escaped the Sea of Consciousness with a legendary Dream Lineage fragment after Kamishiro Seian nearly caught them. Back in the real world, Qiji discovered the fragment could grant a Root Engraving, a requirement for pursuing the power of a king.

• Kamishiro Seian used Mind Echo: Sympathetic Link: Overload Drive to make Big White chase the Miracle faster.
• Qiji and Suyo raced toward the island evacuation point as Echoers converged on them, and Qiji carried Suyo ashore while she boosted him with Mimicry: Thousand Faces: Gale.
• Kamishiro Seian fired a blood arrow at Qiji and Suyo, but both activated Blurring of Illusion and Reality and escaped through the evacuation vortex.
• Kamishiro Seian arrived too late and furiously kicked Big White after Qiji and Suyo vanished with the golden fragment.
• Qiji checked his consciousness core and found a legendary Dream Lineage Fragment: Power, which increased Dream Lineage power by 60% and granted one Root Engraving.

Suyo returned safely from the Sea of Consciousness after her brother protected her, and she told her mother to summon Thousand Faces Zhengxing. When Zhengxing arrived, Suyo launched a coordinated attack with her four Mimicry powers, but he outmaneuvered her and knocked her into the courtyard.

• Qiji embedded a legendary Dream Lineage Fragment into his unawakened Echo Core, filling one of its three slots.
• The system explained that only epic-quality or better fragments could be embedded before the core's first awakening, and Qiji decided to use only gold-quality or higher fragments.
• Suyo awoke safely in the Thousand Faces Family estate and recalled that she and her brother had obtained two high-quality fragments in the Sea of Consciousness.
• Xiangyun rushed in and embraced Suyo, but Suyo pushed her away and ordered her to call Thousand Faces Zhengxing.
• Zhengxing entered the quiet room, and Suyo attacked him with a combination of fire, earth, ice, and wind Mimicry powers.
• Zhengxing appeared behind Suyo and kicked her into the courtyard, where she resolved to grow stronger and challenge him again later.

Qiji and Suyo both struggled with being unable to return to the Sea of Consciousness, where Suyo had grown attached to her Guardian Spirit brother. As Echo Academy began an early holiday ahead of the Academy Grand Tournament, Qiji remained bored and impatient for his next chance to enter.

• Thousand Faces Zhengxing praised Suyo for challenging him and compared her nine years of progress with how quickly Qiji had dared to defy him.
• Suyo remembered meeting Qiji after his recovery and missed him after returning from the Sea of Consciousness.
• Qiji returned from the Sea of Consciousness, and Xiao Xi teased him about smelling like another woman before kissing his mask and declaring him hers.
• Echo Academy moved its holiday earlier because teachers were called to assist with a stalled research project at the Echo Association in the City of Kindling.
• Qiji explained that a Frequency Mark kept him from reentering the Sea of Consciousness for about a week, while Suyo also suffered from missing her Guardian Spirit brother.
• Suyo encountered Qiji in the cafeteria during lunch, confident again after her recent experiences with her brother.

Qiji agreed to join Huomu, Liuli, Setsuna, and Bai Lili on a beach trip, while Zhuyin prepared a plan to reduce Consciousness Pollution by sacrificing or controlling civilians. When the crowded beach drove the group to a nearby amusement center instead, Qiji’s hoped-for swimsuit episode ended before it began.

• Suyo challenged Qiji, boasting that she had grown stronger and would beat him in the academy competition.
• Setsuna suggested a free trip to Cloud Harbor Beach, and Qiji and the others agreed to go.
• Zhuyin told his subordinate that he intended to clear out or control civilians to reduce Consciousness Pollution, and accepted that he might die for the plan.
• Qiji and his companions found the beach packed with visitors and learned they had to wait until the following evening to claim eggs and enter a prize draw.
• Bai Lili suggested visiting her family’s nearby amusement center, and the group left the beach for the indoor attraction.

The five friends enjoyed a day at the amusement park, where Liuli discovered she could smile happily and chose to team up with Qiji. After losing the shooting game, they realized they had spent none of their vacation money, and Liuli proposed buying Qiji a toy sword.

• Liuli joined Qiji and the others on the rides and gradually began to enjoy the amusement park.
• Liuli saw her genuine smile in a funhouse mirror and realized she had never smiled that way before.
• Liuli asked to team up with Qiji in a cooperative shooting game, while Huomu played alone and won.
• Qiji and Liuli finished last, and Liuli privately admitted she had been too distracted by Qiji to focus on the game.
• Bai Lili noticed they had spent none of their money, so Liuli suggested they buy Qiji a toy sword.

Qiji went shopping with Liuli, Bai Lili, Huomu, and Setsuna, while Teacher Kijika watched their easy camaraderie with envy and offered them a hotel recommendation. After breaking up with his girlfriend, Kijika appeared outside the hotel the next morning.

• Bai Lili, Huomu, and Setsuna suggested gifts for Qiji, and the group bought him clothes, a game console, and other presents.
• Huomu spotted Teacher Kijika on the opposite escalator, and Kijika grew envious of Qiji surrounded by girls and gifts.
• Kijika's girlfriend caught him staring at Qiji's group and angrily confronted him, but Kijika later offered Qiji a hotel business card in case the hotels were full.
• When Qiji said Bai Lili's family had nearby hotels, Kijika's girlfriend accused him of being bewitched by the girls, and Kijika ended their relationship.
• Kijika left after calling his girlfriend the wrong name, and he appeared outside the hotel early the next day.

Kijika took Qiji, Huomu, and Bai Lili to a hill to wait for a meteor shower, but Qiji realized the Red Sea Incident had begun ahead of schedule. He discovered that Liuli was confronting Kamishiro Chiho, who accused her of Qingxian's death and forced her to prove her loyalty by killing a child Qiji had once saved.

• Kijika invited Qiji, Huomu, Bai Lili, Liuli, and Setsuna on an outing, but Liuli and Setsuna left before the group went to a hill outside the city.
• Qiji lost several games while worrying that the Red Sea Incident might be happening early.
• Qiji checked the system interface and saw that Liuli was livestreaming her confrontation with Kamishiro Chiho.
• Kamishiro Chiho told Liuli that Qingxian was dead and accused her of being involved, while Liuli denied betraying the Kamishiro Family.
• Kamishiro Chiho ordered Liuli to kill a little girl from the City of Kindling and used her ability to make the child walk into the alley.

Liuli saved the little girl from Kamishiro Chiho but was left facing death, realizing she wanted to live and see Qiji again. Meanwhile, Qiji watched Liuli’s livestream and rushed to reach her, knowing Kamishiro Chiho was a fourth-tier Echoer far beyond his current combat level.

• Liuli made her dagger slip away and sent butterflies to restore the little girl’s awareness, then shoved her toward the alley’s exit and told her to run.
• Kamishiro Chiho dropped Liuli’s butterflies and seized Liuli by the throat, while Liuli tried to provoke her and keep her attention away from the girl.
• As she began to lose consciousness, Liuli remembered her time with Qiji and realized she wanted to live and see him again.
• Kijika returned with the barbecue grill, noticed Qiji was missing, and learned from Huomu that Qiji had gone to the bathroom.
• Qiji watched Liuli’s livestream while racing toward her, recognizing Kamishiro Chiho as a fourth-tier Echoer whose strength exceeded his own.

Qiji struggled with whether to face fourth-tier Kamishiro Chiho, while Liuli awakened her Armament and escaped Chiho’s control. At the alley’s mouth, Liuli stopped Caixia from stabbing herself, leaving the girl surprised that Liuli knew her name.

• Qiji convinced himself he could not risk fighting Kamishiro Chiho, but continued toward White Harbor Beach despite his doubts.
• Liuli faced her fear of death and manifested her Armament, [I See Butterflies], using its power to break free from Chiho’s grip.
• Chiho tried to control a little girl with a dagger and send her after Liuli, but Liuli’s Armament helped her break the control.
• When Liuli tried to flee with the girl, the freed Caixia turned the dagger on herself, and Liuli knocked it away.
• Caixia asked how Liuli knew her name, and Liuli recalled learning it from a letter Qiji had written.

Liuli cried as she protected Caixia, while Qiji rushed to save her after realizing her tears were genuine. On his way to face a fourth-tier opponent, Qiji decided he had to win to preserve his popularity, but the system refused to lend him more money.

• Liuli scolded Caixia for trying to distance herself, then broke down in genuine tears and feared that asking Qiji for help would bring him misfortune.
• Qiji saw Liuli crying on the livestream, took the ticket she had given him as a sign of their deal, and decided he would save her.
• As Qiji headed toward his fight, he searched for a way to defeat an opponent above his tier and resolved to win by any means necessary.
• Qiji asked the system for another loan, but it refused because he had not repaid the five million, and he argued that the money had been collateral, not a loan.

Qiji tried to pledge an embarrassing memory to the system, then realized he needed more Popularity Points to buy the [Silver Wish] and defeat a fourth-tier opponent. He started a livestream and used a lucky bag giveaway to raise enough for the installment down payment, leaving him with an extra ten thousand points.

• Qiji's attempt to pledge another memory was rejected because he had already pledged a small portion of his memory once.
• Qiji decided he needed the [Silver Wish] to use [One Night's Moonfall], but he was short of the seven-hundred-thousand-point installment down payment.
• Qiji started a livestream and used the Lucky Bag Card, drawing viewers who urged him to save Liuli.
• Qiji promoted a lucky bag giveaway and urged viewers to contribute to the gift pool.
• Viewers sent tickets and an airplane, raising Qiji's Popularity Points by 110,000 and giving him 710,000 in total.

Qiji used the Silver-Colored Wish and arrived just in time to save Liuli and Caixia from Kamishiro Chiho. He told them to leave while he faced Kamishiro Chiho, remaining wary despite his confident appearance.

• Qiji spent his Popularity Points to purchase and equip the Silver-Colored Wish.
• Monroe summoned the Divine Corpse Megastructure and attacked the beach crowd, but two masked figures intervened and one dragged Monroe into the sea to fight.
• As Kamishiro Chiho cornered Liuli and Caixia, Liuli thought of Qiji and wished he would grieve for her.
• Qiji emerged from the audio equipment store, steadied Liuli, and ordered her to take Caixia and leave.
• Qiji faced Kamishiro Chiho while viewers praised his rescue, though he knew he could not underestimate her.

Qiji fought Kamishiro Chiho to give Liuli and Caixia a chance to escape, but his strongest attack failed against her second-stage Armament. He managed to wound her with a concealed mirror-fragment attack, yet Kamishiro Chiho remained overwhelmingly stronger and threatened him.

• Liuli activated her Armament and carried Caixia toward the alley entrance while Qiji blocked Kamishiro Chiho.
• Qiji crushed [Thousand Faces] and attacked Kamishiro Chiho with [Lightning Instant Bloom], but her spider silk absorbed the lightning.
• Kamishiro Chiho completed her second-stage spider-type Armament, reinforced by a mantle of Heart Essence.
• Qiji revealed that his mirror fragments had secretly pierced Kamishiro Chiho's Armament and injured her, but she flung the fragments away.
• Kamishiro Chiho grew furious and threatened Qiji, who regretted not raising his compatibility with [Thousand Faces] enough to unlock its second stage.

Qiji used [Silver Wish] to withstand Kamishiro Chiho’s higher-tier attacks and discovered that [Binding Silver Grip] could erode her Heart Essence through her defenses. Their fight turned into a dangerous race to see whether Chiho would be fully crystallized before Qiji succumbed to the damage of his own Armament.

• Kamishiro Chiho attacked Qiji at high speed, but his [Person in the Mirror] armor formed layers that stopped her spider spears.
• Qiji revealed that his wish had greatly strengthened [Person in the Mirror] while weakening [Thousand Faces], which also removed the Sea of Consciousness’s Frequency Mark and let him enter it without restriction.
• Qiji struck Kamishiro Chiho with [Binding Silver Grip], converting part of her Heart Essence into crystals beneath her Armament.
• Kamishiro Chiho began dodging Qiji’s attacks after realizing they could erode her Heart Essence, while Qiji saw her erosion reach 1% and learned that each effective hit added another mark.
• Qiji and Kamishiro Chiho fought through the audio shop, trading blows as [Binding Silver Grip] steadily injured Qiji and he bled for the first time on camera.

Qiji struggled against Kamishiro Chiho’s fourth-tier Mind Domain Net and used his final Silver Wish to return to peak condition so he could continue fighting. The chapter ended as silver light healed his wounds and repaired his trench coat.

• Kamishiro Chiho completed her Mind Domain Net circuit and read Qiji’s thoughts, making it nearly impossible for him to land another attack.
• Qiji refused to retreat and waited for the Silver Wish to finish constructing One Night’s Moonfall, despite lacking the Heart Essence to use it.
• Qiji spent his final wish to restore himself to peak condition in exchange for coughing up blood for a month.
• Kamishiro Chiho taunted Qiji as silver light healed his wounds and restored his trench coat.

Qiji recovered his shattered Armament and returned to fighting Kamishiro Chiho, whose Mind Domain Net could no longer predict his attacks. As Qiji stalled for time, Liuli’s Mind Echo froze Kamishiro Chiho long enough for Qiji to seize a sword.

• Qiji removed the Binding Silver Grip and used the Silver Wish to restore himself and his Armament to full condition.
• Qiji attacked Kamishiro Chiho with a combination of ice and fire, breaking through her armor before her spider silk rapidly repaired it.
• Qiji stalled Kamishiro Chiho while the circuit for One Night's Moonfall continued to build.
• Kamishiro Chiho attacked Qiji from above with all eight spider spears, but Liuli’s Mind Echo froze her in midair.
• Qiji reached behind himself and caught the hilt of a sword.

Qiji wounded Kamishiro Chiho with the Sword of No Thought, then provoked her into a partial True Release that unleashed corrosive spider silk. Liuli returned to carry him above the silk’s reach, and the two resolved to win the fight together.

• Qiji used Instant Bloom to cut through a weak joint in Kamishiro Chiho’s Imagery Armor, drawing blood.
• Kamishiro Chiho recognized the Sword of No Thought as Qingxian’s and accused Qiji of killing her beloved.
• Qiji taunted Kamishiro Chiho by describing Qingxian’s agonizing death and how he called her name, driving her into a frenzy.
• Kamishiro Chiho’s body split around her heart and lungs as she began a partial True Release, spraying corrosive spider silk at Qiji.
• Liuli returned and lifted Qiji into the air with her butterfly wings, keeping them out of reach of the spider silk.
• Qiji and Liuli declared that they would win together, with Qiji gaining confidence from the ability of Liuli’s I See Butterflies Armament.