Chapter Summaries

After transmigrating into a player’s body, Xu Xi woke in an unfamiliar apartment and realized he had been chosen for the deadly [God Hunt] game. He cautiously left the bedroom to investigate the television noise, finding an apparently empty, aging apartment.

• Xu Xi learned that [God Hunt] selected players to survive dungeons, with failure contaminating parts of their countries and success clearing contamination.
• Xu Xi discovered that he had been chosen for the game and had no system or special advantage to help him survive.
• Xu Xi listened at the bedroom door and heard a television playing in the living room.
• Xu Xi opened the bedroom door; the television abruptly stopped, but nothing attacked him.
• Xu Xi stepped into the living room and saw an old, dusty two-bedroom apartment with no one in sight.

Xu Xi entered a birthday-themed horror instance, where a falling ceiling fan killed him. He awoke back in the child’s bedroom with his memories of dying intact and began searching for clues.

• Xu Xi found an ordinary apartment with a birthday cake bearing nine extinguished candles, but no NPCs in sight.
• After hearing a strange creak, Xu Xi turned and checked behind himself, finding nothing unusual.
• A ceiling fan came loose and fell on Xu Xi, striking his forehead and killing him.
• Xu Xi awoke in the child’s bedroom, alive again and remembering his death.
• Xu Xi examined the bedroom and noticed a family photo whose three faces were blurred.

After returning to the beginning, Xu Xi searched Tong Binbin’s bedroom and cautiously explored the apartment for clues about the death rules. He was killed again when an invisible blade severed his head as he left the kitchen.

• Xu Xi found Tong Binbin’s homework book and a drawing depicting a hanging figure and a red-faced man.
• Xu Xi opened the front door, but found only impenetrable darkness beyond it.
• Xu Xi searched the clean kitchen and opened a pot in the refrigerator, recoiling from its foul smell.
• Xu Xi heard chopping sounds in the kitchen, ignored them, and tried to leave without turning around.
• An invisible blade severed Xu Xi’s neck as he stepped out of the kitchen.

After dying three times and returning to the start, Xu Xi regained his composure and decided to use his resurrections to find clues and clear the dungeon. The master bedroom door was locked, leaving him to explore the bathroom next.

• Xu Xi lost control, smashed the birthday food and furniture, and ran out into the darkness after hearing a knock at the door.
• Xu Xi died in the darkness and woke at the beginning for the fourth time, realizing each death had sent him back to the start.
• Xu Xi accepted that repeated resurrection might be his special ability and resolved to search for clues while avoiding unnecessary deaths.
• Xu Xi went to investigate the master bedroom, but its door was locked from the inside, so he planned to explore the bathroom first.

Xu Xi discovered that turning on the TV triggered knocking at the front door, where he overheard a neighbor discussing a woman’s argument with her husband and her son Binbin’s birthday. He connected the conversation to the eerie portrait in the child’s bedroom, but collapsed as he entered the room.

• Xu Xi recalled that knocking had begun after he accidentally turned on the TV during an earlier attempt, so he switched it on again and waited for the sound.
• Xu Xi opened the front door and heard Auntie Wang ask a woman about an argument, a forehead injury, and her son Binbin watching cartoons on his birthday.
• Xu Xi connected the conversation to the scribbled portrait beneath the pillow in the child’s bedroom and went to retrieve it.
• Xu Xi lost consciousness as soon as he pushed open the guest bedroom door.

Xu Xi tried to clear the instance by completing Tong Binbin’s birthday celebration, but died again and reconsidered the clues and death rules. As he lost consciousness for a sixth time, he noticed something about the clock that might explain what he had missed.

• Xu Xi inferred that Dad Tong had abused Mom Tong, who had likely hanged herself, and guessed that completing Tong Binbin’s birthday celebration might clear the instance.
• Xu Xi lit nine candles, made a wish for a peaceful home, and died after blowing them out.
• Xu Xi reviewed his deaths and suspected that looking back and turning around after hearing a strange noise triggered the ceiling-fan and kitchen deaths.
• Xu Xi took the picture book out of the guest bedroom, avoided the sofa, and sat by the dining table while considering the birthday cake.
• Xu Xi felt weakness overcome him again and, just before blacking out, noticed something about the clock.

Xu Xi tested clues in the instance and discovered that the corpse hanging from the ceiling fan was Dad Tong, not Mom Tong. He also worked out that knocking before entering the master bedroom unlocked its door, and he pushed it open despite the stench inside.

• Xu Xi waited until 8:05 and used a childlike viewing angle to glimpse a bloody corpse hanging from the ceiling fan.
• Xu Xi realized the corpse was Dad Tong and reconsidered his assumptions about Mom Tong and Tong Binbin’s roles in the instance.
• Xu Xi ignored the front-door knock and tested whether knocking would let him enter the master bedroom.
• Xu Xi knocked on the master bedroom door, found that its handle now turned, and opened it.
• A powerful stench poured from the master bedroom and nearly suffocated Xu Xi.

Xu Xi pieced together how Dad Tong and Mom Tong may have died, then realized Tong Binbin might have starved to death. After another failure to complete the birthday ritual, he left his bed to test his new guess.

• Xu Xi found Dad Tong’s corpse in the master bedroom and saw Tong Binbin chopping meat in the kitchen, leading him to suspect the meat was Mom Tong.
• Xu Xi reconstructed a possible history in which Mom Tong killed Dad Tong, Tong Binbin witnessed it, and Tong Binbin later killed Mom Tong.
• Xu Xi placed Dad Tong’s corpse and the pot of meat beside the dining table, celebrated the birthday, and died of weakness again.
• Xu Xi recognized that his weakness resembled starvation and guessed Tong Binbin had died hungry.
• Xu Xi climbed out of bed and went straight to the master bedroom to test his guess.

Xu Xi cleared the “Birthday Deathiversary” instance by lighting the candles and eating cake, then arrived in the God Hunt Game’s Player Space. After learning how the staircase and instances worked, he explored his step while waiting for the next instance.

• Xu Xi carried a corpse from the opposite bedroom, brought stew from the fridge, lit the cake’s candles, made a wish, and ate a bite as birthday figures appeared and sang to him.
• The instance cleared, and Xu Xi was transported to the Player Space, where he found himself on an immense golden staircase.
• Xu Xi learned that the staircase had 999 steps, and reaching the top would let players leave the game and make one wish.
• Xu Xi considered the limits of his resurrection ability and decided to rest before entering another instance.
• Xu Xi tested the golden barrier at the edge of his step, then chose a direction and began exploring.

Streamer Ji Yang watched newbie Xu Xi clear an instance in two minutes and forty-eight seconds through baffling actions, then edited the stream into a viral video. Xu Xi became a nationwide sensation, and Ji Yang vowed to watch all his future streams.

• Ji Yang selected a newbie player's stream and noticed Xu Xi seemed unusually calm after entering the instance.
• Xu Xi moved a corpse to the dining table, brought over a pot of stew, made a wish over a cake, and cleared the instance.
• Ji Yang followed Xu Xi and confirmed that his only recorded stream had lasted two minutes and forty-eight seconds.
• Ji Yang edited Xu Xi's run into a video that went viral and sparked nationwide discussion and speculation.
• Ji Yang decided he would be the first viewer at every one of Xu Xi's future streams.

Xu Xi entered his second instance with three other players, while a huge livestream audience debated whether his previous speedrun showed real skill or luck. The group found cash and a black sedan beside the only visible road, and Tan Xingyun offered to drive as they prepared to proceed.

• Xu Xi arrived in a foggy wilderness with Tan Xingyun, Li Kang, and Xu Xiuman, and they introduced themselves as second-instance players.
• Viewers flocked to Xu Xi’s livestream and argued over whether his 2-minute-and-48-second clear had come from skill or luck.
• Tan Xingyun suggested that everyone check their belongings, and they found only cash in their pockets.
• Xu Xiuman spotted a black sedan in a clearing beside the only road not hidden by fog.
• After Li Kang noted that the sedan had no badge or license plate, Xu Xiuman suggested they drive it, and Tan Xingyun volunteered as a taxi driver.

Tan Xingyun, Xu Xiuman, Xu Xi, and Li Kang drove along the only road and stopped at a strange roadside funeral supply shop. An old shopkeeper appeared and claimed they were headed to a funeral hall, prompting Tan Xingyun to ask how he knew.

• Tan Xingyun drove while Xu Xiuman handed snacks to Xu Xi and Li Kang, and the group followed the road ahead.
• The four spotted a roadside shop and agreed to stop, with Xu Xi speaking up in favor of investigating it.
• They found that the old wooden shop was packed with funeral supplies, then heard footsteps approaching from inside.
• A kindly old shopkeeper emerged and said they were headed to a funeral hall near Daoji Highway.
• Tan Xingyun cautiously asked the shopkeeper how he knew where they were going.

The four players learned that Daoji Highway led to a funeral home and heard rumors that drivers who entered the road vanished or went mad. They bought a modest supply of joss paper before proceeding toward the highway, while the old man's parting remark left them uneasy.

• The old man told Tan Xingyun, Xu Xiuman, Li Kang, and Xu Xi that Daoji Highway led to a funeral home open only from midnight to four, and recounted rumors about people disappearing on the road.
• Tan Xingyun, Xu Xiuman, and Xu Xi discussed the rumors and agreed the group should buy some joss paper, while Li Kang looked to Xu Xi for guidance.
• The four decided to buy about twenty sheets each, and the old man warned that it might not be enough before wishing them a safe journey and saying he looked forward to their next visit.
• Tan Xingyun chose to proceed toward the highway, while Li Kang remarked that the old man's farewell sounded ominous.

Xu Xi and his teammates entered Daoji Highway, where burial mounds and eerie figures surrounded their car. Their limited joss paper slowed the figures but could not clear the road, and Xu Xi realized he was about to die as his consciousness faded.

• Xu Xi nearly died after staring into the fog outside the car, then kept quiet and closed his eyes to rest.
• Tan Xingyun drove the group onto Daoji Highway after Xu Xiuman spotted its road sign.
• Burial mounds and eerie figures appeared beside the road and moved toward the car.
• Xu Xiuman suggested scattering the joss paper they had bought, and the group used it to slow the figures.
• With their joss paper running out, Tan Xingyun tried to drive through, while Xu Xi realized they would not make it and thought, "Let's start over."

Xu Xi recognized that the group had not returned to the beginning of the instance and urged everyone to buy joss paper and offering incense. The old shopkeeper’s remarks confirmed that dangerous spirits lay ahead, while Xu Xi’s calmness made his companions and viewers see him as an unusually capable player.

• Xu Xi found himself back outside the funeral shop with Li Kang, Tan Xingyun, and Xu Xiuman, and immediately told them to buy the old man’s joss paper.
• Xu Xi vaguely claimed he had found a clue, and the others noticed how unruffled he seemed despite the danger.
• The group agreed to buy a large quantity of joss paper, and the old man said they would not regret having it for the long highway.
• Xu Xi also asked the old man to bundle them some offering incense, and the man hinted that it could drive away things they would encounter on the road.
• Tan Xingyun, Xu Xiuman, and Li Kang grew more impressed with Xu Xi, while the livestream viewers debated what he had figured out.

Xu Xi and his teammates bought spirit money and incense at a funeral shop, then returned to Daoji Highway. When eerie figures appeared among the burial mounds, Xu Xi threw out spirit money, and the others followed.

• Xu Xi told Xu Xiuman he had noticed the incense would be useful, while his teammates and the commenters assumed he had uncovered a deeper clue.
• The group paid the old shopkeeper, who wished them a safe journey, and Xu Xi briefly thought the man and shop had grown indistinct.
• Tan Xingyun drove the group back toward Daoji Highway as Xu Xi braced himself for the bumpy road.
• Eerie figures appeared among the burial mounds, and Xu Xi threw out a handful of spirit money.
• Tan Xingyun told the others to scatter their spirit money, and Xu Xiuman and Li Kang followed suit.

Xu Xi and the others escaped the Ghostly Shadows by scattering paper money, while viewers speculated about his foresight and interpreted his cautious actions as deliberate concealment. Xu Xi privately knew his success came from memories of a previous death, but the viewers could not hear his explanations, leaving their misunderstandings to grow.

• Xu Xi, Xu Xiuman, and Li Kang scattered paper money to slow the Ghostly Shadows while Tan Xingyun drove the vehicle away from the grave mounds.
• The Ghostly Shadows dissipated, and Tan Xingyun and Li Kang praised Xu Xi for helping them escape.
• Xu Xi tried to credit others, but his teammates took his modesty as further proof of his ability.
• Viewers analyzed Xu Xi's actions and concluded he had deliberately stayed inconspicuous while spotting clues.
• Xu Xi privately explained that his choices came from his previous death and simple reasons, but he could not correct the viewers' growing misconceptions.

Xu Xi and the others encountered a rain-soaked old woman who blocked their car and demanded a ride. As she grew angry when they refused, Xu Xi rolled down his window, leaving the group’s next move unresolved.

• Tan Xingyun drove the group along a bumpy road while Xu Xi suffered from carsickness.
• Heavy rain began, and Xu Xiuman spotted an old woman standing beside the road with a cloth bundle.
• Tan Xingyun tried to drive around the old woman, but she threw herself in front of the car and forced him to stop.
• The old woman clung to the car and begged the group to give her a ride, but Xu Xiuman suspected she could not attack unless they triggered a rule.
• Tan Xingyun politely refused the old woman, whose expression darkened as Li Kang asked Xu Xi what they should do.
• Xu Xi rolled down his window just as the old woman was about to turn completely dark.

Xu Xi used joss paper and incense to persuade the old woman to leave the car, saving the group from another deadly encounter. As the others praised the funeral-shop owner's hints, Xu Xi privately recalled that he had already died twice in earlier attempts and had discovered the offering trick before his consciousness faded.

• Xu Xi refused the old woman's request for a ride and gave her joss paper and incense instead.
• The old woman accepted the offerings, agreed to wait for another car, and Tan Xingyun drove away with the group.
• Xu Xiuman and Tan Xingyun realized the funeral-shop owner's hints had helped them, while viewers discussed Xu Xi's planning and quiet interventions.
• Tan Xingyun met Xu Xi's gaze in the rearview mirror and then focused solemnly on the road.
• Xu Xi recalled that the group had been wiped out in two previous attempts, and that he had learned the old woman took their offerings before killing them.

After surviving the eerie old woman, Xu Xi and his teammates continued toward the Funeral Parlor, discussing the dangers ahead. The road ended at a fog-shrouded forest, where a Red-Skirted Woman asked them for a ride to a wedding banquet.

• Xu Xi considered whether his ability returned him to important choices like rolling back a save, but concluded he needed more evidence.
• Li Kang, Tan Xingyun, and Xu Xiuman discussed the dangers ahead while Xu Xi silently endured the bumpy ride.
• The road ahead vanished into a foggy forest, where the Red-Skirted Woman waved at the car.
• Xu Xiuman pointed out that the forest blocked their route, and Tan Xingyun stopped the car in front of the Red-Skirted Woman.
• The Red-Skirted Woman said her taxi driver had left her and asked the group for a ride to a wedding banquet.