Chapter Summaries

Han Xiao explored an abandoned military laboratory and discovered the history of its failed Feronia Serum trials. After finding three unfinished doses, he turned to leave and came face-to-face with the grotesque creature from the first room.

• Han Xiao passed the motionless, deformed creature and explored the sealed corridors of the underground base.
• Han Xiao entered a large laboratory and found a researcher’s diary describing Feronia Serum experiments, the evacuation, and the destruction of most of the serum.
• Han Xiao deduced that an accident had killed the base’s occupants and that the researcher’s corpse might belong to the doctor who took the serum.
• Han Xiao discovered a case containing three doses of unfinished Feronia Serum and learned that using it could cause deforming mutations.
• Han Xiao turned to leave and found the grotesque creature standing silently behind him.

Han Xiao killed Test Subject 002 in Feronya's abandoned base and escaped with three doses of Feronia Serum before the other factions arrived. The mercenaries later found the dead test subject and an empty serum case, realizing someone had reached the base first.

• Han Xiao fought and killed Test Subject 002, using his guns, blade, and electrothermal cutting gloves.
• As more monsters and desert corpse worms stirred in the base, Han Xiao fled to the surface with three doses of Feronia Serum and drove away.
• An hour later, armed groups entered the base, fought the corpse worms and several test subjects, and suffered heavy losses.
• Gordon's group explored the base and found Test Subject 002's fresh corpse and the empty serum case, concluding that someone had arrived before them.

After completing the Rose Armed Forces bounty, Han Xiao used the Feronia Serum with a gene harmonizer and gained a powerful health-boosting specialty. He advanced to Apprentice Mechanic and strengthened his combat abilities, leaving him far more powerful than before.

• Han Xiao returned to Morning Wind City, completed the Rose Armed Forces bounty, and received its reward and a gene harmonizer.
• The Blood Pact Union told Han Xiao that an envoy from the Chaisrod Family wanted to meet him, and Han Xiao agreed to stay in the city.
• Han Xiao injected himself with the gene harmonizer and Feronia Serum, survived the painful fusion, and gained Strength, Endurance, and the template specialty Low-Level Tough Life.
• Han Xiao fused knowledge into blueprints, obtained plans for Electromagnetic Levitation Power Boots and two other devices, and completed his class advancement mission.
• Han Xiao advanced to Apprentice Mechanic, gained new skills and attributes, raised Sliding Continuous Fire, and finished with enough power to defeat Pan Kuang in a one-on-one fight.

Han Xiao sold a vial of Feronia Serum to Ouvannuo of the Chaisrod Family, gaining their favor and learning about the old Feronya Project. The chapter ended with six enormous eyes opening in a deep underground cavern.

• Han Xiao upgraded his equipment and crafted silver-and-black electromagnetic roller boots.
• Ouvannuo met Han Xiao and asked whether he had visited an abandoned base in the Somar Desert.
• Han Xiao offered Ouvannuo a vial of Feronia Serum and accepted his one-million payment, earning the Chaisrod Family's favor.
• Ouvannuo explained that the serum came from the Feronya Project, an old research program conducted in military bases.
• Six enormous golden eyes opened in a dark underground cavern.

Han Xiao accepted Ouvannuo’s offer to join an internal Blood Pact Union summons, then built a powerful Second-Generation Ranger and traveled to White Gull City. He reached River Valley Manor, where a sniper shot at his feet as a warning, leaving him facing an unknown force inside.

• Ouvannuo showed Han Xiao an internal summons to guard River Valley Manor and offered to help promote him to Dark Grade if he participated.
• Han Xiao agreed to investigate the summons and built a heavily armed Second-Generation Ranger at the Farrian base.
• Han Xiao flew to White Gull City with Antonov and borrowed a car to travel toward River Valley Manor.
• Han Xiao found signs of a recent battle in the forest and continued toward the manor on foot with concealed equipment.
• A sniper at River Valley Manor fired a warning shot into the ground in front of Han Xiao.

Han Xiao arrived at River Valley Manor and joined its mysterious protection mission as a sniper, despite his low assassin grade. After taking up a backup position and receiving a chain mission to repel the first enemy wave, he prepared as attackers approached at night.

• Han Xiao showed the manor's sniper an antique bronze coin and entered River Valley Manor, where Chen Li explained the defenses and the unclear protection assignment.
• Chen Li directed Han Xiao to the middle bunker, where the Venomous Bee Brothers dismissed him to a left-side backup position.
• A bearded assassin assigned Han Xiao the left field of view, and Han Xiao triggered the Summons (Protection) chain mission to repel the first wave of enemies.
• Han Xiao learned about the manor's armed defenders and waited as night fell.
• Vehicles approached through the forest, and Han Xiao readied his sniper rifle for the first attack.

Han Xiao helped defend River Valley Manor, earning experience from the attacks and repairing the mercenaries’ weapons during a three-day siege. After the second stage ended, the next mission required him to withstand a wave he suspected the mercenaries could not repel.

• Han Xiao and the manor’s mercenaries repelled the first attack, and he killed nine enemies before completing the first stage.
• Han Xiao volunteered to repair weapons and impressed the repairmen with his speed and skill, including Wang Xi, a Mechanic Class esper.
• Over three days, Han Xiao fought and repaired equipment as the enemy attacked four times, while the manor’s defenders grew tired and suffered casualties.
• Han Xiao completed the second stage and received 80,000 experience, bringing his gains from the three days to 180,000.
• The mission advanced to the third stage, requiring Han Xiao to withstand the next wave of attacks for a reward of 150,000 experience.

Han Xiao turned the battle at River Valley Manor by destroying one Y-5 Winged Serpent with a precise shot, then used his Electromagnetic Levitation Shoes to snipe across the battlefield. The enemy focused its remaining fire on him, but the mercenaries began coordinating a counterattack to support him.

• Enemy forces attacked River Valley Manor by land, river, and air, and the Y-5 Winged Serpents destroyed the bunkers and killed the Venomous Bee Brothers.
• Han Xiao sensed danger and left his sniping position before the left bunker was hit, though the blast exposed him to enemy fire.
• Han Xiao used a High Combustion Bullet to ignite a Y-5 Winged Serpent's ammunition belt, causing the helicopter to explode and crash.
• Han Xiao rescued the bearded man from the bombardment, then used his Electromagnetic Levitation Shoes to move along the manor wall while sniping at enemy forces.
• Han Xiao gained insight into Mobile Sniping as he attacked with different ammunition, while the enemy concentrated its fire on him.
• Chen Li called for Han Xiao to keep shooting and told the mercenaries to support him.

Han Xiao helped the mercenaries repel an attack on River Valley Manor, then learned that one of the men they were protecting was Bennett Anderson, a major figure on Planet Aquamarine. After entering the villa for a meeting, Han Xiao recited Bennett’s history to him, leaving Bennett wondering if Han Xiao was an admirer.

• Han Xiao mastered Mobile Sniping and helped the mercenaries drive off the attackers and the Y-5 Winged Serpent, completing the third stage of the defense mission.
• Han Xiao received a new mission to repel five waves of attacks, repaired his equipment, and rested with the surviving mercenaries through the night.
• Wang Yuan appeared with Bennett Anderson and invited Han Xiao and other distinguished defenders into the villa, while the restriction on entering it was lifted.
• Before going inside, Han Xiao exchanged with the Chaisrod Family for the Silver Watcher Hidden Blade and the Locke HOC Sniping Rifle.
• Han Xiao asked to speak with Bennett alone and recounted his past as a renowned agent and wartime hero, prompting Bennett to ask whether Han Xiao was his admirer.

Han Xiao strengthened his standing at the manor by using his sniping to protect the guards while pursuing a chance to learn Bennett’s combat skills. After the Chaisrod Family delivered two antique weapons, Han Xiao had the gifts needed to trigger Bennett’s hidden skill instruction.

• Han Xiao asked Bennett to teach him combat techniques, and Bennett refused because Han Xiao was a sniper.
• Chen Li gave Han Xiao a private room after his battlefield support earned the mercenaries’ respect.
• Han Xiao’s sniping protected the manor through two more nights of attacks, and Golden Fox witnessed his skill and called him the strongest sniper she had ever met.
• Han Xiao repelled the third wave of attackers and wondered what the mission’s hidden reward required.
• A Chaisrod envoy delivered the Silver Watcher Hidden Blade and Locke HOC Sniping Rifle to Han Xiao, who had obtained the gifts needed to learn [Willpower Burning] from Bennett.

Han Xiao gave Bennett a Silver Watcher Hidden Blade in exchange for combat training and learned Bennett’s powerful [Willpower Burning] skill. He tested it on Bennett and discovered that the legendary fighter was level 60, though his status showed an internal injury.

• Han Xiao visited Bennett and offered him a Silver Watcher Hidden Blade to persuade him to teach combat techniques.
• Bennett accepted the gift and taught Han Xiao [Willpower Burning], which Han Xiao mastered after a day of instruction.
• Han Xiao considered how the skill could strengthen his planned sniper and stealth build.
• Bennett asked Han Xiao to prove he had learned the skill, and Han Xiao struck him for only one point of damage.
• Han Xiao inspected Bennett’s combat information and saw that he was level 60 with an internal injury and a legendary combat technique.

Han Xiao watched the Dark Net conflict continue and met a new recruit before the Thirteenth Bureau arrived at the manor. The Bureau’s Mo Ran discussed the traitors’ coming counterattack with Wang Yuan, while Di Susu left still wondering where the missing Han Xiao had gone.

• Han Xiao recognized Bennett’s Lucky Halo and returned to his sniping post, where he rebuffed Golden Fox’s attempts to get close to him.
• Han Xiao spotted a Thirteenth Bureau car arriving and recognized Di Susu among the agents who entered the manor.
• Mo Ran met with Wang Yuan and Bennett, learned that traitors had hired the attackers, and was told they would make a final counterattack within days.
• Di Susu reflected on Germinal’s searches and the Thirteenth Bureau’s fruitless efforts to find Han Xiao, then noticed the black-clad sniper had disappeared.
• Mo Ran stopped the car in the woods and ordered Di Susu to monitor the fighting and report how it developed.

After Han Xiao repelled the fifth wave of attackers at River Valley Manor, he learned that failing the hidden requirement had triggered a new mission to follow Wang Yuan and deal with danger. Wang Yuan traveled to White Gull City with Han Xiao and four other assassins, while the newly hired Bai Jin prepared to target him; after the group split up, Han Xiao sensed someone following him.

• Han Xiao completed the fourth mission stage but failed the hidden requirement to prevent the Thirteenth Bureau from appearing, unlocking a fifth stage that required him to follow Wang Yuan and deal with danger.
• Bai Jin accepted a six-million payment to assassinate Wang Yuan, despite the target's formidable defenses.
• Wang Yuan chose Han Xiao, Moonlight, Volcano, Hunter, and Golden Fox to escort him to White Gull City, and Bennett joined them.
• At the Thirteenth Bureau branch, Wang Yuan and Bennett went inside while the five assassins stayed in the city and split up for the night.
• Han Xiao decided to pursue White Gull City's prize pool mission and sensed that someone was following him.

Han Xiao evaded the Thirteenth Bureau’s surveillance, tracked down Tang Shu, and forced his way into a prize pool mission to recover Li Xin’s ten antiques from the municipal museum. He joined the job despite skipping its usual steps, leaving Tang Shu and Li Xin uneasy about his motives and behavior.

• Han Xiao smashed nearby cameras with stolen objects and escaped the agents tracking him, while Di Susu ordered a citywide search that found no matches.
• Han Xiao used a Simulation Mask to approach Li Xin’s antique shop, asked for Tang Shu, and threatened her into taking him to the treasure thief’s hideout.
• Han Xiao stopped Tang Shu from fleeing with a gun and persuaded him and Li Xin to let him join their job.
• Han Xiao spent 2,000 experience to start the prize pool mission to return Li Xin’s ten antiques, which the municipal museum had refused to give back.
• After hearing Li Xin’s account, Han Xiao scolded her for her attitude toward the state, then fixed Tang Shu with a stare that left him uneasy.

Han Xiao led Tang Shu on a chaotic nighttime raid to steal ten antiques from the municipal museum, escaping the police with Tang Shu in tow. Meanwhile, Volcano and Hunter left a bar unaware that a pair of eyes had opened behind them.

• Han Xiao declined Tang Shu's offer to split the reward and headed with him to the municipal museum to steal ten antiques.
• Han Xiao smashed through the museum entrance, grabbed the antiques, and forced Tang Shu to fight the guards while they escaped.
• Han Xiao hid behind Tang Shu and tried to use him as a hostage, then fled with him past the pursuing police using his electromagnetic roller shoes and Magnetically Controlled Armor.
• Volcano and Hunter left a bar with two beauties and walked into an alley, unaware of a pair of eyes opening behind them.

Han Xiao completed the antique-return mission, then was ambushed by the invisible assassin Hidden Demon. As Han Xiao fought to slow him with Electric Shock Bees and poison gas, the Thirteenth Bureau realized Hidden Demon was targeting Wang Yuan’s guards.

• Moonlight detected an attacker during his patrol and fought a human silhouette that emerged in the air.
• Han Xiao returned ten antiques to Li Xin, completed the mission, and received 102,000 experience.
• Han Xiao noticed an indifferent pair of eyes in a shop window’s reflection, and Hidden Demon attacked him from behind.
• Di Susu identified Hidden Demon as the likely killer of Moonlight, Volcano, and Hunter, while Wang Yuan asked the Bureau to gather his guards.
• Han Xiao defended himself with Magnetically Controlled Armor, recognized Hidden Demon, and released Electric Shock Bees to restrict his movements.
• Han Xiao fired Heim Bullets, filling the cramped shop with poison gas that engulfed both him and Hidden Demon.

Han Xiao survived Hidden Demon’s assassination attempt and tried to lure him into a trap, but the alert killer escaped. After repairing his armor, Han Xiao began designing a prototype electromagnetic firearm to improve his ability to fight powerful opponents.

• Han Xiao used poison gas to cancel Hidden Demon’s invisibility advantage, then left the gas and baited him into a chase toward the airport.
• Han Xiao tested Hidden Demon’s attack damage, but Hidden Demon sensed danger and retreated before reaching the trap.
• The Thirteenth Bureau learned about the fight, and Bennett asked Mo Ran to tell Han Xiao to return to River Valley Manor before morning.
• Han Xiao repaired his Magnetically Controlled Armor and spent potential points to raise three basic skills to level five.
• Han Xiao combined his knowledge to generate electromagnetic blueprints and decided to build a lower-powered prototype firearm.

Han Xiao worked on an electromagnetic weapon while Bennett and Wang Yuan discussed building shelters after the traitors were purged. Bai Jin attacked River Valley Manor, but just as he and Bennett prepared to fight, a distant gunshot struck Bai Jin in the chest.

• Han Xiao repeatedly failed to create his weapon, then learned he could wait until morning to return to River Valley Manor.
• Wang Yuan told Bennett that Saina had identified the traitors, and the two discussed building shelters with help from the Six Nations.
• Bai Jin blasted through the manor gate, destroyed its defenses, and disabled its electronics with an electromagnetic pulse.
• Bennett confronted Bai Jin while Di Susu watched from a concealed Thirteenth Bureau vehicle.
• A distant gunshot hit Bai Jin in the chest, interrupting the impending fight.

Han Xiao completed an incomplete Ghost Gauss Sniping Rifle and returned to River Valley Manor, where he used it to kill Bai Jin before Bennett could intervene. The battle ended with the observers stunned by the three-shot attack.

• Han Xiao crafted the incomplete Ghost Gauss Sniping Rifle and made magnetic ammunition, then left the transport plane because he was exhausted and wanted to reach the manor before morning.
• Han Xiao spotted lightning near River Valley Manor and recognized the attacker as Ashes of Lightning, then realized he needed to stop Bai Jin himself before Bennett acted.
• Han Xiao used Willpower Burning and the Ghost Gauss Sniping Rifle to shoot Bai Jin through the heart, leaving him severely wounded and paralyzed.
• Han Xiao fired two more shots into Bai Jin's left eye, killing him as Bennett, the mercenaries, and Di Susu watched in shock.

Han Xiao killed Bai Jin during the defense of River Valley Manor, earned a Ghost Class promotion, and completed the guard mission. After learning a path toward the Night Stalker subclass, he left to pursue bounties and prepare to take down Germinal, while his sudden fame drew the attention of factions across the underground world.

• Han Xiao killed Bai Jin with three shots, impressed Bennett and the mercenaries, and accepted Wang Yuan's promotion to Ghost Class.
• Di Susu reported Han Xiao's sniping ability to Mo Ran, who approved adding him to the Thirteenth Bureau's major threat target files.
• Wang Yuan ended the guard mission, paid Han Xiao two million, and Han Xiao completed the mission chain and received its experience rewards.
• Han Xiao gave Bennett the Locke HOC Sniping Rifle and received the Night Stalker class-change mission, then exchanged contact information with Bennett.
• Han Xiao left River Valley Manor and planned to pursue bounties before taking down Germinal.
• The Thirteenth Bureau approved Han Xiao's threat-file application, and news of his killing Bai Jin in three shots propelled Mr. Black to twenty-third in the Dark Net assassin rankings.