Arc 1The Monster Tide

Su Luo built his skills and strength through study and repeated Dungeon challenges before confronting the escalating Monster Tide alone. As the sixth wave began, livestreams followed Su Luo, Song Shige, and Ye Xu into their battles.

  • Su Luo entered the Wizard's Abandoned Experimental Field, gathered food, learned from Skill Books, and developed powerful fire spells through study.
  • Su Luo shared guides that helped other survivors learn skills, and Song Shige used Flame Attachment to defeat increasingly dangerous monsters.
  • Su Luo climbed the rankings with rapid experience gains, while the system announced the coming Monster Tide and new shelter defenses.
  • Survivors received farewell messages as the Monster Tide began, and Su Luo set aside his ranking rewards at the Dungeon entrance.
  • Su Luo survived the first three waves by defeating wolves, skeletons, hounds, bats, and other monsters with fire and earth magic.
  • Su Luo destroyed the fourth wave's monsters with compressed fireballs, then used targeted flames and fire tornadoes to defeat the fifth wave's formation and Bone Mammoth.
  • More than twenty thousand survivors remained for the sixth wave, and Su Luo, Song Shige, and Ye Xu chose to fight as the system started livestreams.
  • Ye Xu faced a Rock Golem, Skeletal Knights, and Rotting Walkers before activating his ballista towers, while Song Shige split an Abyssal Worm that returned as two smaller worms.
Chapters 1–25 Vol. 1 Read

Ch. 1Exploiting a Bug?

Su Luo discovered that humanity had been sent to a Survival World while he remained in his familiar home, and he used the time before his Shelter Voucher expired to gather supplies from nearby city buildings. When he activated the voucher in a library, an unknown force pulled him into darkness, and the system briefly reported an error before fixing it.

  • Su Luo examined his status and learned that his Talent, Learning Gains, improved his learning and concentration.
  • Su Luo read the Regional Channel as survivors established shelters, shared information, and warned that venturing into the darkness could be fatal.
  • Su Luo gathered food, water, and tools from a convenience store and hardware store, then chose the city library as the site for his shelter.
  • With only minutes left before his voucher expired, Su Luo used it in the library and was seized by an irresistible force.
  • Su Luo awoke in unfamiliar darkness amid a foul, decaying smell as the system displayed an unknown error and then reported it fixed.

Ch. 2Darkness

Su Luo was stranded in absolute darkness after losing his shelter, with no light or way to trade, and received a Story Instance Scroll as compensation. He crawled toward a distant speck of light while exchanging messages with another survivor who had also become lost.

  • Su Luo discovered that his shelter was back home and asked the chat channel what to do after losing one.
  • The system distributed the Gathering and Appraisal skills, and Su Luo strapped their books to himself for protection.
  • Su Luo found an unsigned compensation message containing a Story Instance Scroll and took the scroll in case he faced danger.
  • After spotting a faint white light, Su Luo crawled toward it with his knife and the scroll.
  • Wang Ming told Su Luo that he had lost his shelter and was about to run out of lamp oil, while Su Luo explained that he was crawling without a light.
  • Su Luo read the newly active forum posts and focused on the popular Land of Darkness monster compendium.

Ch. 3Self-taught?

Su Luo studied the contents of Skill Books himself and discovered that his Learning Gains Talent let him quickly learn skills without using the books. Meanwhile, Wang Ming escaped one monster only to stumble upon a giant creature in the dark.

  • Su Luo read a forum post cataloging monsters and crawled toward a distant light while people in the Regional Channel discussed being lost in the dark.
  • Qin Lang contacted Su Luo on behalf of the Mutual Aid Association, and Su Luo asked him to send pictures of two Skill Books.
  • Su Luo studied the Appraisal Skill Book and gained a level after completing its first chapter, then confirmed that skills could be self-taught and that he could no longer use the Appraisal book.
  • Su Luo learned the basics of Gathering and continued studying Appraisal while crawling through the darkness.
  • Wang Ming escaped a nearby monster, crawled through the dark, and mistook a giant creature's battle boot for a treasure chest before its red eyes lit up above him.

Ch. 4New Skills

Su Luo crawled through the darkness toward a Dungeon, improving his Appraisal skill and learning that powerful monsters guarded the area around shelters. He chose to wait outside the Dungeon until his supplies ran out and arranged with Qin Lang to exchange information for photographs of Skill Books.

  • Su Luo rested, read Skill Books, and told Qin Lang he was in good mental shape as he crawled toward a distant light.
  • Qin Lang warned Su Luo about giant monsters that roamed several kilometers from shelters and could kill players who ventured too far.
  • Su Luo reached Level 5 in Appraisal, found a Dungeon called Wizard's Abandoned Experimental Field, and refused to enter without more information.
  • Su Luo decided to wait beside the Dungeon until his supplies ran out, then asked Qin Lang for photographs of Skill Books in exchange for Dungeon information.
  • Qin Lang sent Su Luo pictures of Basic Body-Strengthening Technique, Frostbolt, Raise Shield, and Meditation.

Ch. 5How to Light Your Shelter Without an Oil Lamp

Su Luo studied [Basic Body-Strengthening Technique] and discovered that leveling it up increased his Constitution at the cost of intense hunger. Meanwhile, the Mutual Aid Association answered the Lamp Oil shortage by sharing a way to burn dismantled shelter materials for light, and Su Luo began reading [Meditation].

  • Qin Lang tried to negotiate with Ye Xu for a fairer long-term Lamp Oil supply, while Ye Xu demanded information, rare materials, Skill Books, and other benefits in return.
  • Su Luo raised [Basic Body-Strengthening Technique] to level 1, gained Constitution, and stopped studying when hunger overwhelmed him.
  • Su Luo learned that Ye Xu had sold at least two thousand units of Lamp Oil at steep prices, leaving many survivors without light.
  • The Mutual Aid Association offered free Firestarters and posted instructions for dismantling and burning shelter materials while preserving the main structure.
  • Su Luo approved of the association's response and opened [Meditation].

Ch. 6Meditation

Su Luo learned Meditation and Frostbolt by studying their Skill Books, but the effort drained his Magic Power and Frostbolt remained unusable through the system. He posted a guide explaining how survivors could reuse Skill Books by studying them, potentially helping the Mutual Aid Association expand access to skills.

  • Su Luo raised Meditation to level 1, gained Magic Power, and stopped studying before the next level to avoid exhausting himself.
  • Ye Xu complained to Qin Lang that the Mutual Aid Association's free tinder and fire-making advice had ruined his Lamp Oil trade, then hinted he had other resources.
  • Su Luo read a forum post from a master's student who struggled to learn Appraisal independently and found that using the skill was much faster than studying it.
  • Su Luo learned Frostbolt to level 1 but could not activate it through the system, so he used Magic Power to chill a stone and spent half his supply.
  • Su Luo told Qin Lang he would post insights about learning, then explained that survivors could borrow Skill Books, study them to level 1, and reuse them indefinitely.

Ch. 7Dungeon

Su Luo shared beginner guides to Appraisal and Gathering, then entered the Wizard's Abandoned Experimental Field Dungeon to find food and pursue its rewards. He arrived at the forested entrance, relieved to find living vegetation, and faced the task of killing Experiment Subject 003.

  • Su Luo told Qin Lang that he had learned Appraisal himself, and Qin Lang planned to collect Skill Book contents and screenshots from survivors.
  • Su Luo studied in the darkness, reached Gathering Level 8, and posted beginner guides for Appraisal and Gathering on the forum.
  • The system announced that the first day had ended, monsters would become more active, and the Leaderboard System would open in 48 hours.
  • Ye Xu celebrated his Talent, Thousandfold Increase, after it multiplied his stock of Basic Movement Technique Skill Books to one thousand.
  • After resting through Meditation, Su Luo told Qin Lang he was entering the Dungeon and asked him to send the collected Skill Books.
  • Su Luo entered the Wizard's Abandoned Experimental Field Dungeon, where he was tasked with killing Experiment Subject 003 and found a lush forest that could provide food.

Ch. 8The Limits of "Humans"

Su Luo survived in the Dungeon by finding food and water, then rapidly raised his attributes by leveling skills and learned to cast Fireball despite his class restriction. He sent Qin Lang information about the Dungeon and its possible Class Change Certificate, then considered how attributes could exceed the limits of ordinary humans.

  • Su Luo used Appraisal to find safe creek water and edible food, made a fish trap, and replenished his energy.
  • Su Luo learned several skills from Qin Lang’s Skill Books, raising his attributes and Gluttonous Digestion to Level 9.
  • Su Luo learned Fireball and summoned a flame at his fingertip despite being unable to use the skill through the system.
  • Su Luo caught two fish, roasted them with Fireball, and sent Qin Lang details about the Dungeon, its time limit, drops, and possible Class Change Certificate.
  • Qin Lang told Su Luo that survivors leveled slowly by killing lower-level monsters and described a Level 2 survivor with Strength 11, prompting Su Luo to consider how attributes scaled beyond human limits.

Ch. 9Level 3 Gatekeeper Monster

Su Luo learned about the new rankings and coming Monster Tide, then explored the Dungeon entrance and discovered its Level 3 gatekeepers were far stronger than him. After the Dungeon challenge failed, he returned to the darkness with renewed confidence in his growing power.

  • The system announced new Iron Chest spawns, active rankings and rewards, stronger monsters, and a Monster Tide expected to reach Zone 76 in 96 hours.
  • Su Luo checked his improved attributes, posted advice about diminishing returns from low-level skills, and gathered food before using a short-sleep technique.
  • With five minutes left in the safety period, Su Luo inspected the Dungeon entrance and appraised its Armed Skeleton gatekeepers as Level 3 monsters with 10 Strength.
  • Su Luo sent the gatekeeper information to Qin Lang, then was teleported out with a failed challenge and a 24-hour Dungeon cooldown.
  • Su Luo summoned a bright Fireball in the darkness and declared that he was no longer the same as before.

Ch. 10Opening Chests

Ye Xu and Song Shige fought to improve their rankings, while Su Luo stayed near the Dungeon and opened the chests he had collected. After finding a Fine greatsword too heavy for him to use, Su Luo got Qin Lang’s permission to publish a Fireball guide and wondered why the survivors’ community was so cooperative.

  • Ye Xu narrowly survived a bone javelin attack from an Elite Skeleton Thrower and retaliated with his assault rifle.
  • Song Shige used a Stamina Potion and resolved to keep grinding, then saw Ye Xu take first place in the Kill Rankings.
  • Su Luo opened three Wooden Chests and an Iron Chest, finding basic supplies and a Fine greatsword he could not wield.
  • Su Luo asked Qin Lang for permission to publish a guide to the introductory chapter of Fireball, and Qin Lang encouraged him to share more knowledge.
  • Su Luo reflected on how friendly and helpful the survivors were and concluded that he must not be the protagonist.

Ch. 11Beginner's Guide to Fireball

Su Luo published a guide explaining how non-casters with sufficient Magic Power could learn Fireball, then advanced his own skills and demonstrated powerful, controllable flames. The fourth day ended with a warning that a Monster Tide would arrive in 72 hours as regional threats increased.

  • Su Luo published a detailed guide to learning Fireball through the Skill Book’s theory rather than a system skill.
  • Su Luo studied Meditation, the Basic Visualization Method, and Fireball, while readers discussed his guide and asked him to write about Meditation.
  • Su Luo saw his Spirit rise to 8.0 and his Magic Power to 13 as Meditation and the Basic Visualization Method reached Level 9 and Fireball reached Level 6.
  • Su Luo created, split, recombined, and compressed fireballs, then made a steady light whose upkeep matched his Magic Power recovery rate.
  • Su Luo decided to keep developing his strength rather than hunt monsters, and the system warned that a Monster Tide was expected in 72 hours.

Ch. 12Su Luo's value keeps rising

Su Luo reviewed the ranking rewards and accepted the Mutual Aid Association’s request to teach Song Shige the basics of Fireball, while declining to join its assault team. After forum users speculated that Ye Xu had a Thousandfold Increase ability, Su Luo chose to keep his distance and returned to studying.

  • Ye Xu raged after placing second in the kill and level rankings and discovering Song Shige had blocked him.
  • Qin Lang sent Su Luo the ranking reward details and asked him to teach Song Shige the basics of Fireball.
  • Su Luo declined to join the Mutual Aid Association’s assault team but agreed to tutor Song Shige after he woke up.
  • Forum users discussed the ranking rewards and speculated that Ye Xu had a Thousandfold Increase ability.
  • Su Luo wondered whether Ye Xu was a protagonist, decided to avoid him, and returned to studying.

Ch. 13[Dungeon]

Su Luo discovered that he could study and gain Meditation experience in lucid dreams, then prepared to focus on defensive and utility spells. After Song Shige woke and contacted him, Su Luo accepted his friend request and received a view of Song Shige’s personal panel.

  • Su Luo entered the Wizard's Abandoned Experimental Field, relaxed in the forest, and fell asleep.
  • In a dream, Su Luo realized he could study Meditation and gain experience, then used a fireball as the dream collapsed.
  • Su Luo woke refreshed and planned to develop his lucid-dream learning, then chose Earth Collapse Spell, Gale Step, and Zen Meditation to strengthen his defenses, escape options, and Spirit.
  • Su Luo posted a beginner's guide to Meditation and updated his Fireball post with spell models and variations.
  • Song Shige woke, checked that he still led both rankings, and took a Stamina Potion before contacting his organization.
  • After Qin Lang told him Song Shige was awake, Su Luo added him as a friend, and Song Shige sent his personal panel.

Ch. 14Cheat!

Song Shige showed Su Luo his powerful Talent and asked him to learn a Skill Book, while Su Luo demonstrated his growing strength to the region. Han Song reached level 1 and kept grinding monsters, ending the chapter hopeful about improving further.

  • Su Luo examined Song Shige’s Demon-Seeking Talent and agreed to learn his Flame Attachment Skill Book so he could teach him after raising his Magic Power above 12.
  • Song Shige used resources to raise his Magic Power to 12, then went back to farming monsters, prompting Ye Xu to hurry out and catch up.
  • Han Song reached level 1 after killing monsters, spent his free attribute point on Constitution, and opened a Wooden Chest that contained basic resources.
  • Su Luo shared a video of himself instantly forming and firing a powerful fireball, leaving Han Song astonished by how strong he had become.
  • Han Song continued practicing Basic Axe Strike, gained Strength and Constitution, and dismissed survivors demanding supplies from the Mutual Aid Association as he planned to earn a Skill Book and reach the leaderboard.

Ch. 15Skill Basics Guide

Su Luo used his wind and fire skills to catch fish, then taught Song Shige the basics of [Flame Attachment] before the Monster Tide vanguard arrived. Meanwhile, Ye Xu questioned why he could not top the leaderboard and began connecting his surplus Exemption Stones to a forum post about learning skills, as a video showcased Su Luo’s powerful Fireball.

  • Su Luo raised the streambed to trap fish, blasted them out with a fireball, and used wind to gather them for a meal.
  • Su Luo sent Song Shige a detailed guide to [Flame Attachment] and ate roasted fish before falling asleep.
  • The system announced increased monster activity, automatic shelter fortifications, the unlocking of buildings, and upgraded leaderboard rewards.
  • Ye Xu slaughtered monsters with his ammunition, found that his Talent had given him a thousand bound Exemption Stones, and recalled a forum post about learning skills.
  • A forum post showed Su Luo using level-ten Fireball to defeat a pack of monsters and an Elite Iron Corpse, prompting viewers to praise him and Fireball.

Ch. 16Fireball array

Su Luo helped Song Shige learn Flame Attachment while developing a powerful Fireball array of his own. After testing the array with a massive explosion, Su Luo began studying again.

  • Top players discussed Su Luo’s Fireball tutorial, and Song Shige asked him for help sensing the Fire Element.
  • Su Luo ignored Ye Xu’s repeated attempts to contact him, so Ye Xu hired another survivor to teach him Fireball.
  • Su Luo guided Song Shige through the final obstacle, and Song Shige successfully learned Flame Attachment.
  • Su Luo added Flame Attachment to his learning list and constructed a stable array of sixty-four Fireballs.
  • Su Luo sent the array forward, triggering a huge explosion, then began studying again.

Ch. 17Level 4 elite

Song Shige battled the Monster Tide’s vanguard, including an elite Insect-Devouring Mage, and leveled up after striking at the creature with a massive flaming saber. The chapter ended with him exhausted but pleased by his new free attribute points.

  • Song Shige equipped the Monster Beast Saber and charged into a group of monsters, killing them with Flame Attachment and Explosive Flame.
  • A level 4 elite Insect-Devouring Mage appeared with burrowing worms, and Song Shige created a protective domain with Flowing Fire.
  • The Insect-Devouring Mage used Rebirth to turn fallen monsters into worms, but Song Shige charged through them with Blazing Flame Slash.
  • Song Shige avoided the Bone Worm’s bite, ignited its head with an upward strike, and swung a giant flaming saber at the Insect-Devouring Mage.
  • Song Shige leveled up and looked happily at his newly gained free attribute points.

Ch. 18[Guardian Rankings]

Ye Xu saw Su Luo surge ahead on the Regional Level Rankings, while Su Luo trained in an instance, destroyed a dungeon entrance with a Fireball Formation, and earned three levels before the challenge ended. The chapter left Su Luo back in the forest with his instance challenge failed and his next exploration deferred.

  • Ye Xu saw the top-ranked player's experience reach Level 4 and decided to study after comparing it with his own Level 3 ranking.
  • The system announced new dangerous terrain, the Monster Tide, and temporary Guardian Rankings based on shelter integrity.
  • Su Luo trained his meditation and spell skills, increased his Spirit and Mana, and wondered whether the Guardian Rankings meant his shelter back home could be attacked.
  • Su Luo fired a sixty-four-point Fireball Formation into the Dungeon, gained three levels, and watched the entrance remain quiet until the instance timer nearly expired.
  • Su Luo left the instance with 10% exploration progress and a failed challenge evaluation, then complained about the system's rudeness.

Ch. 19The Cheaters We've Met Over the Years

Su Luo’s sudden rise in the rankings sparked accusations that he was cheating, and a forum post cataloged several suspected powerful talents. The chapter ended with Gao Fu quietly growing stronger through sleep while Song Shige noticed Su Luo’s ranking and credited him for his own progress.

  • Su Luo suddenly appeared among the top-ranked survivors at level 3, prompting Ye Xu to suspect he was hiding a cheat.
  • An anonymous poster analyzed Su Luo’s rapid experience gain and listed him, Ye Xu, Song Shige, Jing Yunxin, and others as suspected cheaters.
  • Gao Fu dismissed the ranked survivors while using his special bed to gain skill experience, resolving to stay sheltered and grow stronger safely.
  • Song Shige killed a level 4 monster with Explosive Flame, noticed Su Luo’s name on the rankings, and decided to thank him if they met.

Ch. 20Survival

As the Monster Tide approached, survivors prepared in different ways: Song Shige abandoned his plan to lure monsters away from his shelter, while others relied on powerful defenses, basic precautions, or no shelter at all. Su Luo studied fire magic and built a stone wall around the dungeon halo, leaving Zone 76 poised for the coming battle.

  • Song Shige proposed luring monsters away from his shelter, but the Mutual Aid Association's Tactical Analysis Department warned that the plan was too risky, so he decided to follow their advice.
  • Ye Xu surveyed his heavily fortified Level 5 shelter and celebrated learning [Fireball] while considering going flying.
  • Gao Fu slept peacefully in his Level 1 shelter, which had a reinforced king-sized bed despite its poor defenses.
  • Han Song reinforced his Level 2 shelter, secured his supplies, and checked his walls while reading survival advice.
  • Su Luo studied [Flame Attachment], summoned fireballs to light the darkness, and built a four-meter-high stone wall around the dungeon halo.

Ch. 21The Tomorrow We Cannot Witness

As the Monster Tide began, Su Luo watched survivors post desperate farewell messages and reviewed the system’s warnings and his latest ranking rewards. He prepared to face the coming waves alone, surrounded by the darkness beyond his shelter.

  • Huaianke posted a final letter about the ordinary things they would miss and urged anyone who survived to see tomorrow’s sun for them.
  • Survivors flooded the forum with farewells and pleas for help, while Song Shige urged them to shelter and endure.
  • Su Luo checked his improved meditation, Flame Attachment, Spirit, and Mana stats as the system announced the start of the Monster Tide and warned survivors to return to shelters.
  • The system revealed the tide’s rules, including stronger waves for survivors outside shelters, shelter buffs, Despair Mist, and future Guardian Rankings and party features.
  • Su Luo received daily ranking rewards, including vouchers, skill stones, potions, equipment, and building blueprint chests, then set the items aside at the dungeon entrance.

Ch. 22Lone Flame

Su Luo faced stronger-than-normal monsters during the Monster Tide while isolated in the darkness, defeating the first three waves with fire magic and an Earth Collapse Spell. After the third wave ended, he meditated and rested for the next attack.

  • Su Luo learned that his Fighting Alone state reduced experience gain and increased monster wave intensity, and the first wave reached him ten minutes late.
  • Su Luo defeated three level 1 Bloodthirsty Wolf Beasts with fireballs, observing one survive through its Berserk skill before killing it near the end of the wave.
  • Survivors who failed to fight during the first wave lost their shelters when the time limit expired, and everyone entered a ten-minute rest period.
  • Su Luo destroyed a level 2 Skeleton Warrior and five Bloodthirsty Demon Hounds in seconds during the second wave, while other survivors struggled against weaker monsters.
  • Su Luo vaporized five Enhanced Corpse Bats with fireballs and swallowed three Axe-Wielding Skeletons in softened earth during the third wave.
  • Su Luo meditated to restore mana and rested after the third wave ended.

Ch. 23The Fourth Wave

After the third wave ended, Su Luo accepted the challenge of the fourth wave, whose coordinated attackers included a Level 3 Burrowing Impaler and several Level 2 monsters. He annihilated the horde in under two minutes, repaired the damaged stone wall, and returned to meditation.

  • The third wave ended, survivors received a ten-minute rest period, and Su Luo chose to continue despite the warning that the fourth wave would be much harder.
  • The fourth wave approached with a Level 3 Burrowing Impaler, five Level 2 monsters, and ten Level 1 monsters.
  • Su Luo multiplied his fireballs and destroyed the Screeching Banshee, Enhanced Corpse Bats, Shadow Stalkers, and Frenzied Corpse Tiger while deflecting the Spear-Throwing Skeleton's attack.
  • Su Luo fused more than twenty fireballs into a compressed energy blast that killed the Burrowing Impaler and nearby monsters, then finished off the skeleton warrior.
  • Su Luo repaired the hole in his stone wall and resumed meditating.

Ch. 24The Fifth Wave

Su Luo faced the fifth wave, which introduced four level 3 elite monsters and fifteen level 2 attackers, and used precise fire and earth magic to defeat them. The battlefield fell quiet as the wave ended.

  • After the fourth wave, Su Luo recovered his mana, secured his potions and supplies, and prepared for the next attack.
  • The fifth wave arrived with a [Bone Mammoth], a [Wraith Weaver], a [Plague Butcher], a [Shadow Leopard], and fifteen level 2 monsters in formation.
  • The [Shadow Leopard] rushed Su Luo as the other elites and ranged attackers launched their assaults, but Su Luo drove them back with flames and raised stone pillars.
  • Su Luo shaped his fireballs into targeted attacks against each elite monster and sent fire tornadoes through the level 2 formation, destroying it.
  • Su Luo shattered the [Bone Mammoth]'s leg bones with precise fireballs, and a fire tornado swallowed its fallen skeleton as the fifth wave ended.

Ch. 25The Sixth Wave

Su Luo, Ye Xu, and Song Shige were the only survivors who challenged the sixth wave, drawing the attention of the newly activated livestream system. Their battles began, with Ye Xu testing his new magic before relying on his turrets and Song Shige cleaving an Abyssal Worm in two—only for its halves to become two smaller worms.

  • The sixth wave left only just over twenty thousand survivors, and Su Luo, Song Shige, and Ye Xu chose to challenge it.
  • The system activated livestreams for the three challengers, and Su Luo inspected his airborne camera while viewers commented on his stone pillar and circling fireballs.
  • Ye Xu faced a Rock Golem, three Skeletal Knights, and ten Rotting Walkers, then jumped from his wall to showcase his fireballs.
  • The Rock Golem burst through Ye Xu's flames and forced him back onto his wall, where he activated his three Automatic Ballista Towers.
  • Song Shige charged an Abyssal Worm, three Shadow Hunters, and ten Enhanced Corpse Bats, using his fire abilities to attack the monsters.
  • Song Shige split the Abyssal Worm with one saber strike, but its halves burrowed underground and returned as two smaller worms.
Arc 1 of 40
Arc 1 of 40