Chapter Summaries

Han Xiao restored an abandoned underground base beneath the Gray Iron Ruins and turned it into a hidden workshop that could produce supplies and experience. With the Gray Iron Base ready, he called Feng Jun to begin a plan to expose Germinal’s branch bases to the Six Nations.

• Han Xiao drove to the Gray Iron Ruins, explored the abandoned bunker, and found the underground base he remembered from his previous life.
• Han Xiao named the site the Gray Iron Base, installed solar generators, restored its power, and organized the supplies he had brought.
• Han Xiao upgraded the base’s security and main control system, then built three assistant Rangers that manufactured equipment and earned him experience around the clock.
• Han Xiao decided to reveal Germinal’s branch-base intelligence to the Six Nations at once, accepting that his plan could throw Planet Aquamarine into turmoil.
• Han Xiao hid his phone number and address with an anti-tracking program, called Feng Jun, and was recognized immediately.

Han Xiao sent intelligence on Germinal’s bases to Stardragon and the other nations, then continued building his reputation as the assassin Black Phantom. The Six Nations launched a coordinated assault on Germinal, and Bennett decided to accelerate the shelter plan and gather allies.

• Han Xiao refused to return to the Thirteenth Bureau but sent Gu Hui detailed intelligence on Germinal’s Southern Continent bases, so Gu Hui kept him as a field agent.
• Gu Hui learned that Han Xiao had sent intelligence to the other five nations as well, naming the Thirteenth Bureau as his witness.
• Han Xiao completed many assassination jobs, grew stronger, reached tenth place in the assassin rankings, and became known as Black Phantom.
• Two months later, the Six Nations used intelligence attributed to Zero to attack Germinal’s secret bases across three continents, and Zero was identified as Germinal’s traitor.
• Bennett and Wang Yuan discussed the coming war, and Bennett ordered them to advance the shelter plan and recruit allied factions and independent fighters.

Han Xiao’s intelligence helped the Six Nations devastate Germinal’s branch bases, forcing the organization to evacuate and postpone its war plans while the leader decided Zero had to be eliminated. Han Xiao prepared to exploit Germinal’s retreat, and the open beta began as Galaxy version 1.0 welcomed the Descenders.

• The Germinal leader concluded that Zero could foresee the future and ordered every branch base on the three continents evacuated under the Hibernation Plan while Germinal searched for him and postponed all-out war indefinitely.
• Han Xiao reviewed the Six Nations’ successful attacks, noted that Germinal’s losses had advanced his mission and reduced the faction’s appeal to players, and planned to sabotage its retreating forces himself.
• Han Xiao reached level forty but could not advance until he defeated three enemies at least five levels higher, so he invested experience in skills and improved his combat strength.
• Han Xiao gained the Planet Legend “The Mysterious Zero” for disrupting Germinal’s foundations, while his relationship with Germinal became permanently locked at negative three thousand.
• Han Xiao watched the open beta countdown reach zero, and Galaxy version 1.0 began with the player forum opening.

Galaxy’s open beta began, and new players flooded the beginner planets, where closed beta players helped them gain entry to settlements by turning them into cheap labor. Meanwhile, the Gods Guild discovered that its base was gone and its Grade B mission to find Zero had become a Grade A search across the planet.

• More than a million open beta players entered Galaxy and spawned across the beginner planets, with thousands appearing outside Big Horn Mountain Settlement.
• Sandrew initially refused to admit the new arrivals, but closed beta players persuaded him to offer them work and give them a mission to earn the settlement’s trust.
• Open beta players took jobs, bought food, and established camps outside Big Horn Mountain Settlement while posting screenshots and recordings on the forum.
• Jupiter and the Gods Guild members found themselves in Dark Raven Valley with their base and faction relationship gone.
• Jupiter checked the mission panel and found that the search for Zero had risen from Grade B to Grade A, with Zero’s location now unknown across the planet.
• Jupiter wondered whether Zero was the planet’s protagonist.

Jupiter and his companions learned that Stardragon had destroyed Dark Crow Valley Base, while Frenzied Sword discovered that Han Xiao had left West Capital. On Planet Aquamarine, Ilex gained a powerful ability through a lucky Germinal Organization start but was brainwashed and confined for a month.

• Jupiter and his companions returned to Crow Forest Town, learned Stardragon had destroyed Dark Crow Valley Base, and decided to seek another Germinal Organization base.
• Frenzied Sword arrived in West Capital and learned from Old Man Lü that Han Xiao had left long ago.
• Ilex began the open beta on Planet Aquamarine as a Germinal Organization test subject and gained the Gene Regulation talent.
• Ilex bought a gene awakening fluid, awakened a wind ability, and was detained by Germinal guards.
• The Germinal Organization brainwashed Ilex and confined him for a month, preventing him from rebelling or leveling up.

Han Xiao reached Big Horn Mountain and used the players’ hunger for quests and equipment to turn himself into a mysterious quest-giver and merchant. He left the players eager to buy his weapons and learn skills from him, while he planned to keep profiting from their needs.

• Han Xiao arrived at Big Horn Mountain, spotted the crowded player settlement, and offered a snake venom grass quest to nearby players.
• The players completed the quest for a generous experience reward, and Han Xiao opened a shop selling weapons, ammunition, and a Light Power Arm.
• Players crowded around to buy his firearms, and Chop into Eighteen Pieces discovered Han Xiao’s guns were far better than the settlement’s weapons.
• Han Xiao sold out his prepared goods for over 300,000 Aquamarine Dollars and planned to make more guns and ammunition in his truck.
• When players struggled to use their new guns, Han Xiao offered skill training that required five favorability points, which players could earn by spending money on him.

Han Xiao attracted players to Big Horn Mountain by selling equipment and teaching basic knowledge, then used favorability rewards to recruit them to prepare traps for Germinal's approaching force. Frenzied Sword recognized the Light Power Arm in a forum post and decided to find Han Xiao, while Han Xiao prepared to confront Germinal in a few days.

• Maple Moon learned Basic Assembly from Han Xiao, and over a hundred players followed by raising their favorability and learning skills or basic knowledge.
• Han Xiao saw players discussing his combat strength on the forum and planned to demonstrate his power to draw more players into the Mechanic Class.
• Frenzied Sword spotted the Light Power Arm in a post and suspected that Black Phantom was Han Xiao, so he decided to find him.
• Azure Sky and his Sky Domain guild bought the Light Power Arm and accepted Han Xiao's mission to set traps in the forest for Germinal's approaching force.
• Han Xiao watched the players lay numerous animal traps and relied on his own hidden traps to threaten Germinal's evacuation force.

Li Ge and other esports players announced that they were entering Galaxy, setting off a surge of interest as the game released its first promotional video. Han Xiao continued attracting new players and earning money at Big Horn Mountain, where he met Maple Moon and began considering how to use her interest in hidden storylines.

• Li Ge announced that he was joining Galaxy and vowed to lead Huaxia's players against foreign rivals.
• Long Sky, Frenzied Sword Fried Rice, Jiang Yuluo, and other professionals held press conferences as esports clubs entered the game.
• Galaxy's official team released a promotional video showcasing beginner planets and announced an upcoming video about class combat.
• Han Xiao earned over 500,000 Aquamarine Dollars and nearly a million experience points as new players came to buy from him and change classes.
• Maple Moon asked Han Xiao why he opposed the Germinal Organization, and he recognized her as a future prominent Mechanic and considered using her talent for uncovering hidden storylines.

Han Xiao recruited Maple Moon as a future ally by turning her against Germinal, then issued a prize-pool mission to draw players into attacking the organization. The Kill the World Guild tried to monopolize the mission by blocking access to Han Xiao, provoking a standoff with Sky Domain that ended with Han Xiao’s favorability toward the guild collapsing.

• Han Xiao told Maple Moon about Germinal’s crimes, and she agreed to become its enemy, earning his favor and a mission to reach level 20 and contact him.
• Han Xiao issued a prize-pool mission with 35,000 experience points for intercepting a Germinal unit alongside him.
• Chop into Eighteen Pieces convinced the Kill the World Guild to keep other players away from Han Xiao so its members could control the mission’s rewards.
• Han Xiao realized the guild was obstructing his plan to recruit players as fighters and grew angry.
• Azure Sky confronted Chop into Eighteen Pieces, and Kill the World and Sky Domain prepared to fight.
• The Kill the World Guild received a notification that Han Xiao’s favorability toward its members had fallen by 10 points to -5, making their relationship cold.

Han Xiao set up an ambush against a Germinal evacuation force and recruited the players into a prize pool mission, giving Maple Moon a sniper rifle and teaching her Sniping. The players’ first reckless attack ended in a devastating volley from the Germinal soldiers.

• Kill the World lost its favorability with Han Xiao after trying to monopolize resources, and the guild members withdrew as other players discovered the prize pool mission.
• Players flocked to the mission, which offered rewards to the five highest damage contributors from a pool worth over five hundred thousand.
• Han Xiao lent Maple Moon a modified sniper rifle and taught her the Sniping skill for 2,000 experience.
• Han Xiao and the players prepared an ambush in Big Horn Mountain for the Germinal evacuation force led by Frail and Cerberus.
• The Germinal force detected traps and signs of an ambush, but impatient players opened fire first and were torn apart by the soldiers’ return barrage.

Han Xiao ambushed a Germinal force, demonstrating his firepower to the players before interrogating Frail and completing the hunting mission. The prize pool was distributed according to damage rankings, with Maple Moon placing first on her own.

• The players charged the Germinal troops despite heavy casualties, and Cerberus joined the slaughter until Han Xiao killed him with a sniper shot.
• Frail recognized Han Xiao as Black Phantom and ordered a retreat, but Han Xiao disabled nearby vehicles with an EMP and attacked the troops with hidden automated turrets.
• Han Xiao and the players defeated the Germinal force, while Han Xiao captured Frail and tortured information out of him.
• Han Xiao completed the mission and announced the 520,000-experience prize pool, with Maple Moon ranked first, Azure Sky second, and Chop into Eighteen Pieces third.

Han Xiao’s battle with Cerberus and the recording of it convinced many Big Horn Mountain players to learn the Mechanic Class, earning him a large amount of experience. He left to pursue Germinal’s retreating forces, while the recording spread widely and earned Mu Chen a place in the version 1.0 promotional video.

• Maple Moon gained a large amount of experience from the battle and returned Han Xiao’s sniper rifle, while the players realized she had a special interaction with him.
• After a recording of Han Xiao’s battle went viral, many players changed to the Mechanic Class and learned basic skills from him, bringing him close to two or three million experience.
• Azure Sky tried to copy Maple Moon’s conversation to trigger Han Xiao’s hidden storyline, but Han Xiao refused to engage with him.
• Han Xiao left Big Horn Mountain to pursue Germinal’s retreating main forces, and Maple Moon decided to contact him again at level twenty.
• Frenzied Sword arrived half an hour later and learned that Han Xiao had already left, while Mu Chen received notice that his recording had been selected for the version 1.0 promotional video.

Jupiter discovered that Germinal’s Southern Continent evacuation was already underway, while Frenzied Sword finally reunited with Han Xiao and joined him on the way to the Taidamila River. There, Germinal’s last major Southern Continent fleet prepared to break through a Stardragon and Hesla blockade, and Hila focused on surviving so she could save her sister Aurora.

• Jupiter identified Germinal insignia in a battle video, then learned the destroyed force had been part of Germinal’s evacuation and feared his A-rank mission could not continue.
• Frenzied Sword found Han Xiao in the woods outside Big Horn Mountain, recognized him as Black Phantom, and climbed into his truck.
• Han Xiao told Frenzied Sword they were going to do something bad, marked the Taidamila River on a map, and drove toward it.
• Lin Yu rallied Germinal’s final major Southern Continent evacuation fleet for a deadly attempt to break through the expected Stardragon and Hesla blockade near the river mouth.
• Hila hid her doubts about the breakout and resolved to stay alive so she could reduce the suffering Aurora endured.

Stardragon and Hesla prepared to trap Germinal’s retreating forces at the Tedramila River while Zhang Wei’s squad and several players waited nearby. Han Xiao arrived with Farrian’s help, gathered intelligence and transport for the operation, and left Frenzied Sword with a humiliating mission.

• Zhang Wei warned Hou Yue to be careful, while Hou Yue’s questions about Han Xiao angered Li Yalin and sent him running.
• Long Sky, Frenzied Sword Fried Rice, and Jiang Yuluo complained that the Battle of Tedramira River mission chain was far beyond their abilities.
• Han Xiao and Frenzied Sword arrived by helicopter, and Farrian’s personnel unloaded Han Xiao’s equipment and reassembled his truck.
• Antonov asked whether Han Xiao planned to help Germinal, but Han Xiao avoided answering and contacted the Blood Pact Union for troop movements and a standby helicopter.
• Han Xiao gave Frenzied Sword the Get Hyped mission, requiring him to dance to liven up the atmosphere.

Han Xiao prepared to intercept Germinal’s evacuation convoy at Cloud Gorge Valley while Stardragon set an ambush along the convoy’s route. As the convoy arrived, his spider detector reported its approach and survived being driven over.

• Han Xiao reached Cloud Gorge Valley, received his equipment from Farrian personnel, and told Bennett he planned to join the fight against Germinal.
• Stardragon commander Huang Qiuming prepared a layered ambush with minefields, helicopters, and missiles, while Germinal commander Ugar led a convoy carrying experimental weapons and Super Soldier test subjects.
• Han Xiao parked away from the valley and deployed upgraded spider detectors to scout for the approaching convoy; Frenzied Sword accompanied him and suffered motion sickness.
• Han Xiao waited through the next day, gave Frenzied Sword small missions, and monitored player forums while considering how his actions might affect a coming player-related event.
• At night, Unit-01 Spider detected Germinal’s convoy, transmitted an alert, and remained undamaged after the vehicles rolled over it.

Han Xiao drove to a sniping position overlooking Cloud Gorge Valley as Stardragon and Germinal forces clashed, preparing traps and boosting his combat abilities. Germinal’s convoy emerged from the woods, and Han Xiao took aim while the larger battle continued along the Taidamila River.

• Han Xiao and Frenzied Sword headed for Cloud Gorge Valley, while Stardragon detected their truck before Germinal’s electromagnetic attack disabled the radar and cluster missiles struck the position.
• Ugar’s convoy advanced through minefields and helicopter fire, using graphite bombs to disrupt the aircraft; he ordered Mihawks to lead an assault on Stardragon’s command.
• Huang Qiuming prepared Stardragon’s defenses, while Jiang Yuluo persuaded Long Sky and Frenzied Sword Fried Rice to accompany her toward the fighting.
• Han Xiao reached the hillside and watched Germinal’s convoy approach as its fleet fought under attack on the Taidamila River.
• Han Xiao assigned Frenzied Sword to set traps, used an Electromagnetic Pulse Conditioner to enhance his attributes, and aimed his sniping rifles as Germinal’s convoy broke out of the woods.

Han Xiao intervened in the Battle of Tedramira River, seriously wounding Mihawks and helping Stardragon repel Germinal’s assault. As Germinal sent more forces toward his position, Han Xiao’s turrets stopped their convoy, but three heavily modified test subjects charged toward the defenses.

• Jiang Yuluo brought Long Sky and Frenzied Sword Fried Rice to Stardragon’s front lines as Germinal’s convoy attacked through missile fire.
• Han Xiao shot Mihawks, prompting Huang Qiuming to recognize Black Phantom and order his troops to focus on stopping Germinal.
• Ugar mistook Han Xiao for outside help hired by Stardragon and sent a squad with test subjects to attack the sniper.
• Han Xiao accepted a mission to disrupt Germinal’s evacuation, continued firing at Mihawks, and watched him die in the rocket bombardment.
• Han Xiao used folding turrets to destroy or halt much of Germinal’s vehicle convoy, but three mechanically enhanced test subjects charged toward the turrets.

Han Xiao defeated Germinal’s three super soldier test subjects during the battle, using his Rangers and Frenzied Sword’s bomb before killing their leader with a powerful shot. He then took Frenzied Sword toward the Taidamila River, while Long Sky and the others recognized Frenzied Sword fighting alongside Black Phantom.

• Han Xiao identified the test subjects’ crude mechanical implants and used two Second-Generation Rangers to attack them.
• Han Xiao sniped subject 042, then ordered the Rangers to self-destruct and destroy several Germinal vehicles.
• Frenzied Sword sacrificed himself with a bomb, killing subject 043, and Han Xiao shot subject 044 as he charged.
• Han Xiao gained one step toward his second advancement, and Frenzied Sword respawned to collect his mission reward and experience.
• Han Xiao took Frenzied Sword around the main battlefield toward the Taidamila River.
• Long Sky, Jiang Yuluo, and Frenzied Sword Fried Rice recognized Frenzied Sword and suspected he had been fighting alongside Black Phantom.

Hesla’s naval blockade and Stardragon’s forces battled Germinal’s fleet as Hila and Rennit disrupted the defenders. Germinal submarines unexpectedly struck Hesla’s ships, letting Ugar’s troops board the fleet and forcing Stardragon’s assault force to charge without the planned missile support.

• Hesla’s commander ordered the fleet to bombard Germinal’s ships and prepare torpedoes while Stardragon let Germinal’s ground forces approach the boarding point.
• Rennit teleported into a fighter and killed its pilot, while Hila used her ability to destroy the attacking fighter squadron with a scream.
• Lin Yu watched as Germinal’s ground forces broke through toward the fleet, expecting Hesla’s missiles to cripple the ships before Stardragon’s assault force boarded.
• Germinal submarines launched torpedoes that devastated Hesla’s naval task force, disrupting its plan and allowing the fleet to change formation and lower gangplanks.
• Ugar hurried his remaining troops onto the barges and joined the fleet as the Stardragon Thirteenth Bureau’s assault force received orders to attack without waiting for the missiles.
• Stardragon’s assault boats charged through Germinal’s concentrated fire, suffering heavy casualties as they advanced.

Han Xiao intervened in Stardragon’s assault on Germinal’s fleet, helping Zhang Wei’s squad hold off Hila while a powerful Stardragon agent joined the fight. Hila remained dangerous and hard to injure, and the battle continued as Germinal’s leaders responded to the new threats.

• Zhang Wei’s squad clashed with Germinal’s soldiers aboard a barge until Hila struck them with the Power of the Dead, badly injuring Hou Yue and forcing Li Yalin to charge her.
• Han Xiao drove along the riverbank and shot Hila, interrupting her attack and giving Li Yalin, Zhang Wei, and the others a chance to press her.
• Han Xiao examined Hila’s abilities and recognized her as a formidable opponent, while his covering fire coordinated with the squad and kept her from counterattacking.
• Lin Yu recognized Han Xiao as Black Phantom and ordered Ugar to deal with him, but Ugar sensed an equally powerful martial artist arriving on a nearby barge.
• A middle-aged Stardragon agent struck a parked vehicle with an energy-wreathed punch, sending it and Germinal soldiers flying off the barge.