Chapter Summaries

Gan Lingling led Cao Wenzhe, Zhu Heng, Jiang Wen, and Du Ze into the Monster Factory after the group decided that entering offered their best chance of survival and clearing the Instance. They reached the building believed to contain the boss’s laboratory, and Cao Wenzhe led them toward the basement, encouraged by the boss’s apparent absence.

• Gan Lingling chose to trust her reasoning and lead the group to the Monster Factory despite her growing unease.
• Du Ze killed the scattered infected on the way, and Gan Lingling sensed four modified monsters and around twenty or thirty infected inside the factory, but no sign of the boss.
• The group bypassed most of the infected and quietly killed one they could not avoid before reaching the three-story building.
• Gan Lingling warned that her feeling of danger had intensified, but Cao Wenzhe led everyone into the building anyway.
• Gan Lingling sensed no danger in the basement, and Cao Wenzhe used the Instance guide’s map to find the stairs and lead the group down toward the laboratory.

The group searched the boss’s laboratory, where Jiang Wen found the mad scientist’s experimental notes and learned the inheritance’s whereabouts. Before she could share more, Gan Lingling discovered the boss had been hiding in a pile of corpses and was already at the building’s entrance.

• Cao Wenzhe led the group into the laboratory to search for clues before the boss returned.
• Gan Lingling warned that the boss had seen them, and Jiang Wen found the mad scientist’s experimental notes.
• Jiang Wen read that the scientist had obtained a powerful heart and used it in experiments, including on a Demigod, and eventually found a clue to the inheritance’s location.
• Gan Lingling realized the boss had been hiding in a pile of corpses inside the factory and warned that he had reached the building’s entrance.

Jiang Wen and the others escaped the Instance BOSS by finding a hidden passage beneath the laboratory, then searched underground for the transplanted heart. After the group received the Instance’s buff, Gan Lingling sensed the heart’s direction but was seized by the BOSS’s tentacles.

• Jiang Wen revealed that her notebook linked the heart to a Demigod turned into the scientist’s obedient pet, which was somewhere underground.
• Gan Lingling sensed another level beneath the laboratory, and Cao Wenzhe ordered everyone to find its entrance before the BOSS arrived.
• Gan Lingling used her remaining mental power to locate a hidden passage beneath the tenth floor tile, and Zhu Heng pried it open so the five of them could escape downstairs.
• The group searched underground until the game system granted them the Instance’s buff, restoring Gan Lingling’s mental power.
• Gan Lingling sensed the heart’s approximate direction and led the group onward, but the BOSS’s rotting tentacles caught her and dragged her away.

Gan Lingling was captured by the mad scientist, who tortured her with a corrosive concoction and his regenerative blood. As her teammates searched for the Instance’s heart, the scientist began cutting into her, leaving her to hope for death.

• Cao Wenzhe led the group toward the heart after they failed to rescue Gan Lingling from the tentacles.
• The tentacles dragged Gan Lingling to the laboratory, where she saw the mad scientist and learned his body had been transformed by out-of-control heart cells.
• The mad scientist forced Gan Lingling to swallow a corrosive concoction that burned through her stomach and caused her unbearable pain.
• The mad scientist used his blood to make Gan Lingling regenerate, forcing her to endure the corrosive pain again instead of dying.
• The mad scientist lifted Gan Lingling and used scalpels to cut through her clothes and skin, while she thought death was the happiest thing in the world.

Jiang Wen, Du Ze, Zhu Heng, and Cao Wenzhe searched for the heart they believed could help them defeat the BOSS, while Gan Lingling endured the BOSS’s torture. They found the Demigod’s corpse with its heart missing, and just as they decided to fight anyway, Cao Wenzhe’s barrier shattered and the BOSS appeared.

• Jiang Wen and Du Ze asked their teammates to kill them if the BOSS caught them, but Zhu Heng and Cao Wenzhe urged them to keep searching for the heart.
• Cao Wenzhe used his ability to create a barrier that could prevent the BOSS from awakening the Demigod.
• The group found the Demigod’s corpse and discovered that its chest was empty and its heart was gone.
• Cao Wenzhe suspected that the BOSS had taken the heart, leaving the group without their hoped-for advantage.
• Zhu Heng and Cao Wenzhe convinced the others to fight the BOSS rather than give up, and then Cao Wenzhe’s barrier shattered as the BOSS appeared.

The boss transformed Gan Lingling into a monster and forced her body to explode, destroying Cao Wenzhe’s barrier. After the survivors inhaled something from the blast, Du Ze and Zhu Heng developed an unbearable itch, and Du Ze tried to kill himself.

• The boss’s blood transformed Gan Lingling, and he controlled her body until a violent force made her explode against Cao Wenzhe’s barrier.
• Cao Wenzhe warned Du Ze, Jiang Wen, and Zhu Heng that the boss was nearby, and the four decided to search for him.
• Du Ze and Zhu Heng began feeling an itch inside their bodies, while Jiang Wen and Cao Wenzhe realized the explosion’s airborne substance might be responsible.
• Du Ze recognized the boss’s trap and sent steel nails flying toward himself to end his suffering.

Du Ze and Zhu Heng were captured by the boss’s tentacles and tortured by parasitic bugs while Cao Wenzhe and Jiang Wen were immobilized by a strange force. After Du Ze and Zhu Heng died, Cao Wenzhe and Jiang Wen realized their own torment was next.

• The boss’s tentacles stopped Du Ze from killing himself and bound Zhu Heng as well, leaving both men unable to move or scratch their unbearable itches.
• Cao Wenzhe and Jiang Wen recognized that the group could not defeat the boss and decided to kill themselves before they were captured.
• A strange scarlet color appeared, and an irresistible force froze Cao Wenzhe and Jiang Wen before they could harm themselves.
• The bugs inside Du Ze and Zhu Heng hatched and devoured their flesh, causing prolonged agony until both men died.
• Cao Wenzhe and Jiang Wen heard the screams stop and feared that they would be the boss’s next victims.

Shen Hao forced Jiang Wen to choose between being tortured and cutting Cao Wenzhe into a thousand pieces, promising to let her end her own life afterward. As Jiang Wen approached Cao Wenzhe with a scalpel, Cao secretly gathered power to self-destruct.

• Shen Hao withdrew the tentacles from the two corpses and turned his attention to the remaining survivors, Jiang Wen and Cao Wenzhe.
• Jiang Wen begged Shen Hao to kill her, while Cao Wenzhe secretly prepared to use his self-destruct ability as his restraints weakened.
• Shen Hao offered to let Jiang Wen die easily if she cut Cao Wenzhe into a thousand pieces while keeping him conscious.
• Jiang Wen accepted the offer, took a scalpel from Shen Hao, and walked toward Cao Wenzhe.
• Shen Hao warned Jiang Wen that Cao would not be able to kill himself, while Cao hurried to gather enough power to self-destruct.

Jiang Wen tortured Cao Wenzhe to satisfy the Instance BOSS, but his attempt to self-destruct failed and injured her. After the BOSS demanded that she cut off her hand, he refused to let her die and stopped her from stabbing herself.

• Jiang Wen cut Cao Wenzhe repeatedly after he failed to convince her that the BOSS would break his promise.
• Cao Wenzhe gathered enough strength to self-destruct, but a force weakened the blast and left him alive with severe injuries.
• The explosion mangled Jiang Wen's right hand, so she asked the BOSS to let her kill herself.
• The BOSS told Jiang Wen to cut off her right hand first, then demanded that she cut a piece of flesh from herself before he would let her die.
• Jiang Wen realized the BOSS was toying with her and tried to stab herself, but the BOSS stopped her and approached.

After completing the Instance, Shen Hao collected the Monster Maker’s useful inventions and returned to the real world with the Demon Heart. Believing he could withstand its power, he began cutting open his chest to replace his own heart with it.

• Shen Hao killed Jiang Wen and Cao Wenzhe, gained 4,000 Fear Points, and chose to stay in the Instance to collect its useful items.
• Shen Hao filled his inventory with equipment from the laboratory and left the Instance with the Demon Heart.
• Shen Hao checked his gains in the real world and confirmed that he had inherited the Monster Maker ability.
• Shen Hao took the Demon Heart into his bathroom, cut open his chest, and prepared to remove his beating heart for the transplant.

Shen Hao replaced his heart with the demon’s heart, which flooded his body with power and caused a terrifying red-cloud phenomenon across several cities. As people’s fear rapidly earned him Fear Points, he raised his level to 30, but the points kept pouring in.

• Shen Hao removed his own heart and replaced it with the still-beating demon’s heart, and his body healed within minutes.
• A surge of power overwhelmed Shen Hao, so he released it into the sky, forming a vast vortex of dark red clouds with a demonic face.
• People across several cities woke in terror and panicked at the sinister phenomenon.
• Shen Hao realized the demon’s heart had caused the spectacle and anticipated earning a huge number of Fear Points.
• The system rapidly awarded Shen Hao Fear Points until he reached his limit, so he raised his level to 30 and increased that limit to 300,000.

After the red-cloud phenomenon ended, Shen Hao gained new powers from the Demon Heart and reviewed the announcement for a special Anomalous Instance. He expected to join the difficult event as its boss when it opened the following month.

• Shen Hao reached level 30, raised his attributes, and accumulated 290,000 Fear Points as people continued to fear the strange phenomena.
• Shen Hao discovered that the Demon Heart had enhanced his existing abilities and granted him Eye of Cause and Effect and Ruler of All Things.
• Shen Hao realized he could spend Demon Power to replace the usual cost of abilities, making them stronger and allowing him to use Possession on otherwise resistant targets.
• Shen Hao entered the Alliance Guild forum and read an announcement that a difficult special Instance connected to Anomalous Instances would open next month.
• Shen Hao concluded that he would have to participate as the Instance's boss, even though the event might put him in danger.

Shen Hao read players’ reactions to the upcoming Special Instance and the Monster Factory Instance, enjoying the prospect of experts gathering to hunt him. As he browsed theories about the Anomalous Instance boss, players wondered whether the same figure was a player.

• Players discussed the upcoming Special Instance, hoping to earn a spot and speculating that only top players could qualify.
• Shen Hao decided to enter more Instances and grow stronger before the Special Instance next month.
• Shen Hao read Monster Factory reviews in which players described Jiang Wen’s betrayal and the BOSS’s torture and body modification.
• Shen Hao found a post listing the Anomalous Instance BOSS’s abilities and suggesting that the BOSS might be played by a player.

Shen Hao read a player’s theory that the Anomalous Instance boss was a growing player connected to the Lord of the Netherworld, and he reflected on his own uncertain connection to the Lord and the Demon. When a commenter claimed that players had survived Anomalous Instances, Shen Hao used the Eye of Cause and Effect to investigate and found a glowing line leading to the answer.

• Shen Hao read a post speculating that the Anomalous Instance boss was either a player with unusual abilities or the Lord of the Netherworld recovering his strength.
• The poster advised players to kill themselves in Anomalous Instances, avoid making deals with the boss, and stay out of instances, while other players argued about whether survival was possible.
• A commenter claimed that several people had escaped an Anomalous Instance and obtained permanent bonuses, surprising Shen Hao because he believed none of his targets had survived.
• Shen Hao activated the Eye of Cause and Effect using the comment as a clue and saw a glowing line among countless connections.

Shen Hao used the Eye of Cause and Effect to discover that players could gain Anomalous Instance bonuses without entering, and traced one such player, Meng Jie, to his home. He prepared to act against Meng Jie, who suddenly sensed danger.

• Shen Hao overheard two men discuss how one player had skipped the Home of Evil Ghosts Instance with an item and still received its bonus after his teammates died.
• Shen Hao deduced that the missing member of the four-person team had been Meng Jie, who used the item to avoid the Instance while earning its reward.
• Shen Hao learned Meng Jie was a level 29 player with Witch System abilities who had used his powers to pressure people for money.
• Shen Hao contacted Meng Jie through their thread of cause and effect and observed him at home.
• Meng Jie, enjoying his newfound strength, abruptly stood up from the sofa after sensing danger.

Shen Hao used Demon Curse to torment Meng Jie, who died by suicide three days later. After deciding to wait for the other players who had avoided the Anomalous Instance, Shen Hao received notice that he had been matched with a new Instance.

• Meng Jie sensed danger, saw the vengeful ghost of the teammate he had killed, and failed to hurt it with his abilities.
• Shen Hao explained that he had used the Eye of Cause and Effect to cast Demon Curse on Meng Jie, leaving him trapped in hallucinations and paranoia.
• Three days later, Meng Jie died by suicide after locking himself in his house and torturing himself.
• Shen Hao gained 3,000 Fear Points and chose not to pursue the remaining players who had avoided the Anomalous Instance, planning to deal with them during the special Instance a month later.
• Shen Hao received a game-system notification that he had been matched with a new Instance.

Shen Hao learned that the Land of Reincarnation was an SSS-rank Instance tied to the Lord of the Netherworld, though its history differed between the public guide and his system. He suspected his mission was to stop the destruction of the Lord’s creations, but questioned why he should help.

• Shen Hao searched the forum for a Land of Reincarnation guide but found only a sparse overview, as detailed information had not been shared publicly.
• Shen Hao read the public account claiming the evil Lord of the Netherworld had seized the Land of Reincarnation and stopped reincarnation.
• Shen Hao compared that account with his system’s version, which said the benevolent Lord had created the Land to give humans a second life.
• Shen Hao reasoned that the Netherworld had been shaped by humans who died and that the Lord’s death had left it reverting to a hellish state.
• Shen Hao guessed that his mission was to stop someone from dismantling the Lord’s creations, but wondered why he should do so as a Demon.

Shen Hao entered the Land of Reincarnation Instance as Yan Jun, a dead but powerful guardian tasked with killing intruders and protecting the realm. When players entered, he used the Eye of Cause and Effect to target them despite being unable to move freely.

• Shen Hao entered the Land of Reincarnation and learned he had become Yan Jun, its enormous, long-dead master.
• He discovered Yan Jun's corpse had immense Constitution, the ability to oversee and control the realm, and an Undying Will that could move his body briefly.
• Shen Hao received tasks to kill intruders, protect the Land of Reincarnation, and restart it, and resolved to preserve the Lord of the Netherworld's legacy.
• When the Instance began and players entered, Shen Hao activated the Eye of Cause and Effect to use his abilities on them from afar.

Five players entered an SSS-rank Instance in the underworld and discovered it was an Anomalous Instance after receiving its bonus effect. As the group debated whether to risk continuing, the silent young man introduced himself as Pei Yunfei, a level 41 Divine System Ability User.

• Wang An, Miao Qian, Chen Tai, and Yao Ting discussed their guides and feared the Instance might be anomalous.
• Chen Tai explained that Anomalous Instances were especially dangerous and that one might appear soon.
• The players received an Instance bonus effect and confirmed that the Instance was anomalous.
• Miao Qian suggested killing themselves, but Chen Tai, Yao Ting, and Wang An argued that they should first see the BOSS.
• Pei Yunfei criticized the group for being afraid and introduced himself as a level 41 Divine System Ability User.

Pei Yunfei revealed that he was a level 41 divine system ability user and said he intended to clear the Anomalous Instance. He led the group across the Yellow Springs by ferry, while the others planned to leave once the teleportation point opened.

• Pei Yunfei's claim to be a divine system ability user surprised the group and gave them some confidence, though Chen Tai questioned whether he could clear the Instance.
• Pei Yunfei explained that the group had to cross the river to reach the Land of Reincarnation and warned that missing the ferry could leave them stranded in danger.
• Pei Yunfei refused to reveal his plan, saying the Instance boss might be monitoring them, and offered to keep the others alive until they could leave the next day.
• Wang An and the other players decided to leave when the teleportation point opened rather than join Pei Yunfei's attempt to clear the Instance.
• Pei Yunfei boarded the ferry first, warned everyone not to fall into the ghost-filled river, and the boat began moving toward the Other Shore.