Chapter Summaries

Li Wen woke in 2050 with memories of a future in which World Tree: Origins transported its players into a deadly world and the Tide heralded the end of existence. Back in the past, he weighed whether to avoid the game and warn others, but he did not know what happened to people who had never played it.

• Li Wen woke from a painful dream and confirmed that he had returned to his old life before the transportation.
• He checked his phone and saw that World Tree: Origins had become hugely popular, while his group chats filled with discussion of the game.
• Li Wen recalled how he had survived in the game world, lost his younger sister and friends to the Tide, and joined the Strategy Group to learn the truth.
• He learned from the Strategy Group’s documents that the Tide preceded Twilight of the Apocalypse, which would destroy all existence when the World Tree withered.
• Li Wen considered warning people not to play World Tree: Origins, but remembered conflicting rumors about the fate of those who had never played and questioned whether avoiding the game would be safe.

Li Wen prepared to enter World Tree: Origins, using her memories of a future apocalypse and the Strategy Group’s knowledge to choose a strategy. After buying a bound account and limited-edition equipment, she started the game and encountered the World Tree, where she saw a strange shape encircling it.

• Li Wen read the Strategy Group’s divination about the original world and anonymously warned forum users to level up before crossing over.
• Li Wen decided to skip class and remembered the Strategy Group’s guide for resisting the Twilight of the Apocalypse.
• Li Wen bought an unused bound account and GS Corp’s limited-edition gaming equipment from a secondhand seller.
• Li Wen installed the equipment, started World Tree: Origins, and arrived before Yggdrasil beneath a vast starry sky.
• Li Wen noticed an enormous, indistinct thing encircling the World Tree and was startled by her reflection.

Li Wen created her character as Mephisto, chose her race and selected three traits from the Nameless Book of Gifts. She then tried to sacrifice part of herself for more Gift Points, but the chapter ended with her weighing which bodily function or part she could afford to give up.

• Li Wen adjusted her appearance, chose the name Mephisto, and selected Terra Human as her race.
• At Sacrifice Cathedral, Li Wen used the Nameless Book of Gifts and unlocked Retrograde in Shadow, Nimble Hands, and Professional Pickpocket.
• Li Wen recalled a rumor that sacrificing defects could grant extra Gift Points and asked the cathedral to let her make an offering.
• Li Wen picked up an Ivory Dagger and sacrificed a lock of hair, but nothing happened.
• Li Wen considered sacrificing a bodily function or body part that would not compromise her mobility, senses, or ability to communicate.

Li Wen sacrificed her left eye at the Sacrifice Cathedral and received the growing trait Necessary Sacrifice. After entering the game world and adjusting her settings, she set out through a forest and found a muddy road with a cart nearby.

• Li Wen gouged out her left eye and offered it to the pool, completing a permanent sacrifice and gaining Necessary Sacrifice.
• Li Wen fell into the World Tree and began the game in an unfamiliar forest, where her left eye remained blind.
• Li Wen checked her character panel, customized her Spellbook, and raised the pain setting to one hundred.
• Li Wen picked up a stick and headed through the forest, hoping to find human habitation before nightfall.
• Li Wen heard wheels, followed the noise, and found a muddy road and a flatbed cart pulled by an ox-like or donkey-like animal.

Li Wen arrived in Ake Town and headed for the Holy Candlemas Church, hoping to find a way to gain a class despite supernatural factions’ reluctance to accept players. She found the church gates overwhelmed by a huge crowd, mostly players.

• Mr. and Mrs. Regan brought Li Wen to Ake Town and told her to seek help at the Hop Tavern or from Mayor Morgan before parting from her.
• Li Wen asked passersby for the church instead, planning to pursue a class through the Holy Candlemas Church.
• Li Wen recalled that most players were still learning basic skills and that supernatural factions were wary of players’ leveling and resurrection abilities.
• Li Wen passed several players behaving strangely as they tried to move faster or obtain quests from townspeople.
• Li Wen reached the church and found its gates blocked by a massive crowd of players and onlookers.

Li Wen posed as Siswell’s student and used her knowledge of Pastor Mog’s secret identity to secure his help in Ake Town. Mog arranged a place for her at the church, while Li Wen pressed him to obtain her a place in a Radiance Spectrum path.

• Li Wen claimed that Siswell was her mentor and demonstrated her Umbral Lineage power to convince Pastor Mog of her connection to him.
• Li Wen revealed Mog’s true name, Tilroggzak, and told him she needed a safe residence and identity in Black Dragon Territory.
• Li Wen demanded that Mog reserve a place for her in either the Sacrifice or Judgment path, but Mog said he had neither.
• Mog arranged for Li Wen to stay in the church’s nun dormitory, publicly claiming she was his orphaned niece, and warned her to conceal her Umbral Lineage.

Li Wen used the Whispering Candle to learn the previously unknown Path of Light Chasing and its supportive Supplicant class. After logging out to the real world, she reviewed her plans and warned players about committing crimes in Order-aligned countries.

• Li Wen locked herself in the Nun Dormitory and ignited the Whispering Candle she had obtained from Pastor Mog.
• The candle taught Li Wen the Path of Light Chasing, the knowledge of Secret Whisper Interpretation and Sacrificial Fire Ritual, and revealed the Supplicant class.
• Li Wen decided the Supplicant class suited her plans as a powerful secondary support class, then logged out of the game.
• In the real world, Li Wen ate an instant meal, recorded her plans, and checked the game forums.
• Li Wen read a player's account of being caught stealing and warned forum users that crimes in Order-aligned countries could lead to prison and forced character deletion.

Li Wen prepared and performed the Sacrificial Fire Ritual to advance as a Supplicant on the Path of Light Chasing. After completing the prayer, she found herself surrounded by darkness as a ray of light appeared.

• Li Wen reviewed the ritual and decided to use her blood as the sacrifice.
• Li Wen ordered a young nun to clear the cathedral and bring Saint's Fat and candles, then sent her away.
• Li Wen drew the ritual array, arranged the candles, and lit a fire in the church.
• Li Wen cut her palm, offered her blood to the flames, and recited Chapter Seven of "Radiance's Grace" three times.
• The flames fell still and their light vanished, leaving Li Wen in darkness before a ray of light appeared.

Li Wen completed her advancement to Supplicant, gained Prayer Incantation and the Blood of Candlelight trait, and received a request from Pastor Mog. After returning to the Nun Dormitory, she found a mysterious message addressed to Mog declaring that the time had come and the Twin Moons were rising together.

• Li Wen saw the Crown of the Sun through a crack in the darkness and completed her advancement to Stage One: Supplicant.
• Li Wen inspected her new character page and learned that Prayer Incantation could shield, heal, and dispel for allies or curse and blind enemies, while Blood of Candlelight let her spend health instead of mana.
• Pastor Mog told Li Wen that he needed her help but said he would explain when the time came.
• Li Wen found an envelope outside her room addressed to Pastor Mog, containing a gold coin and a note that read, "The time has come. The Twin Moons rise together. Black Wind Fang."

Li Wen decoded Mog’s letter as a clue tied to the Twin Moons’ Day of Ritual Return and set out to find Black Wind Fang. She left the church with a lead on the West District’s Hop Tavern and stole silver coins to buy equipment before investigating.

• Li Wen connected the Twin Moons symbols on Mog’s coin to a lunar calendar event occurring that night and suspected Black Wind Fang was a location or codename.
• Li Wen asked Nun Luna about Black Wind Fang, and Luna suggested the name could belong to a beast or a mercenary.
• Li Wen remembered Uncle Regan’s recommendation of the Hop Tavern in the West District as a place to find criminals.
• Li Wen decided to buy a weapon before visiting the tavern, then used Nimble Hands and Professional Pickpocket to steal silver coins from the crowd.

Li Wen bought a short sword and clothing before entering the Hop Tavern to find Black Wind Fang. When one of its members attacked her, her Prayer Incantation manifested as the Dark Word Curse and began killing him.

• Li Wen spent a shilling on a refined short sword and bought a belt and cloak at a tailor's shop.
• Li Wen went to the Hop Tavern and paid Good Guy Ivan for information about Black Wind Fang.
• Good Guy Ivan pointed Li Wen to Black Wind Fang's exclusive table, and she sat there to wait for them.
• Black Wind Fang entered the tavern, and its leader demanded to know why Li Wen had taken their seat.
• A fat dwarf swung an axe at Li Wen, but the attack stopped short and the Dark Word Curse caused his body to decay as he screamed.

Li Wen intimidated Black Wind Fang’s mercenaries and learned that their missing shipment was near Streamstone Rift, where mages from Sunday Secret College were reportedly involved. She still planned to go there, despite the danger posed by Arcane Academy mages.

• Li Wen used a Prayer Incantation to incapacitate a mercenary, frightening the Tavern’s patrons and the remaining Black Wind Fang mercenaries.
• The mercenary leader explained that Black Wind Fang had been told to wait for someone to help recover cargo missing near Streamstone Rift.
• He revealed that the cargo’s takers were said to be mages from a Secret College, prompting Li Wen to consider the threat of Sunday Secret College and the Arcane Academy.
• Li Wen dismissed the mercenaries, who carried off their injured companion and fled the Tavern.
• Li Wen decided she would still visit Streamstone Rift and would deal with the mage according to whether they became friend or foe.

Li Wen prepared to recover the cargo in Streamstone Rift by seeking magical materials and recruiting players to help. She learned where to find materials and arranged to meet a desperate player and her companions at the church the next day.

• Li Wen left the Tavern and decided to gather materials and prepare before investigating Streamstone Rift.
• Pastor Mog told Li Wen that Sem, an old Duwei man at the Orphanage, could provide magical materials, then gave her five gold pounds.
• Li Wen noticed a player following her, tripped her in an alley, and learned she was seeking work because her group was starving.
• Li Wen recognized the players' unlimited revives could make them useful workers and told the player to bring five or six people to the church at noon the next day, giving her a few copper coins as a deposit.

Li Wen visited the orphanage to obtain ritual materials from Old Sem, whom Pastor Mog had directed her to. After returning to the Nun Dormitory, she shared a meal with Sister Luna and asked what she thought of Mog.

• Li Wen crossed Ake Town’s dangerous Southwest District and entered the church-funded orphanage to find Old Sem.
• The orphanage’s bald attendant led Li Wen to Old Sem’s room, where she asked him for materials to use in a ritual.
• Old Sem revealed his hidden alchemical supplies and gave Li Wen a backpack of materials, refusing the money she offered.
• Li Wen returned to the Nun Dormitory, where Sister Luna invited her to try roasted potatoes and lamb.
• While they ate, Li Wen asked Sister Luna about Mog, and Luna described him as kind and helpful.

Li Wen performed the Bone-Corroding Poison Blade ritual, enchanting her shortsword but suffering frostbite from the Calamity Nightmare lineage’s backlash. The weapon gave her a better chance against a mage, but she decided to use her temporary Melt into Light status as material for another ritual to secure victory.

• Li Wen prepared the composite toxin and drew the Pre-Hunt Rite array, repeatedly cutting her finger when Melt into Light healed it.
• Li Wen set out her shortsword, poison, fur, a one-eyed mouse corpse, and a wolf-headed crown symbol, then prayed to the King of the Wild Hunt.
• The Wild Hunt’s hounds sensed Radiance on Li Wen and left, but their presence inflicted frostbite and reduced her health.
• Li Wen received the Bone-Corroding Poison Sword, an extraordinary enchanted weapon that could still take too long to kill a mage.
• Li Wen decided to use her temporary Melt into Light status as material for another ritual.

Streamer Li Qingzhu told her viewer group about a mysterious cloaked person who effortlessly killed a powerful Mercenaries squad and went to the church in Ake Town. After the person caught her following, they assigned her a team quest for a deposit, and she recruited players by claiming the quest-giver was a cute girl.

• Li Qingzhu announced the coordinates of a possible hidden quest in Ake Town and invited capable players from her viewer group.
• She described seeing a cloaked person instantly kill a Mercenaries squad, then enter the church and emerge again.
• Li Qingzhu followed the mysterious person, who pinned her down and arranged a hidden team quest for her.
• Her viewers questioned the quest’s reward, and Li Qingzhu realized the person had only paid her a small deposit.
• Li Qingzhu persuaded the group to consider joining by claiming the quest-giver was a cute girl, possibly a little loli.

Li Wen recruited Take and her four companions to assist with an operation, offering equipment and rewards in exchange for following her orders. As they headed to the West District, Li Wen recognized Take as a future legendary player from her previous life.

• Take and her companions met Li Wen outside the Holy Candlemas Church after she arrived late.
• Li Wen introduced herself as Mephisto and told the group they would need to follow her commands, while Take negotiated for a reward.
• Li Wen led the group toward the West District, explaining that she would buy them equipment so they would not die too quickly.
• Take guided the group through Ake Town to find cheaper blacksmiths and tailors.
• Li Wen learned the group’s classes and levels and reflected on Take’s future reputation as a Blood-Shattering Berserker.

Li Wen and her team searched Streamstone Rift for cargo stolen by an Arcane Academy mage and discovered that a Fire Mage had devastated the caravan. After using a Spirit Guiding Secret Potion to track the lingering magic, Li Wen led the team in the mage’s direction.

• Li Wen told Take and the others to treat the Arcane Academy mage as an enemy and only hold him off.
• Li Wen and her team reached Streamstone Rift, split up to search, and found the burned remains of a caravan.
• Li Wen concluded that the Fire Mage had taken the real cargo and was likely injured or restricted in his spellcasting.
• Li Wen used a Spirit Guiding Secret Potion to trace the mage’s magic and led the team toward it.

Li Wen led Take and the other players to the Fire Mage’s location and used a powerful magic array to reveal the hidden Temple of Tyrion. The temple appeared to be an entrance to the buried Amber City, the Twilight Witch’s dwelling in the Mortal World.

• Li Wen warned Take and the players that the Arcane Academy’s mages were extremely dangerous, but the group continued following the potion’s direction.
• As dusk fell, Li Wen realized the Fire Mage was nearby and told the players to establish a camp and prepare.
• While the players set up their resurrection points, Li Wen drew Leonart's Fourth Solution and used its manifestation, opening, and sealing functions.
• Li Wen activated the array, revealing the ruins of the Temple of Tyrion before the group.
• The chapter revealed that the Temple of Tyrion concealed Amber City, once called the Eternal and Twilight Kingdom and known as the Twilight Witch’s dwelling in the Mortal World.

Li Wen and the players entered the Temple of Tyrion, where she deciphered a hidden incantation and activated an ancient mechanism. They descended thousands of meters underground and emerged into a twilight expanse, leaving the route to Amber City ahead.

• Li Wen led Take and the others into the Temple of Tyrion after Leonart's Fourth Solution opened its bronze doors.
• Li Wen found recent bloodstains that suggested the injured Fire Mage had entered the temple less than three days earlier.
• Li Wen recognized the temple's floor patterns as a powerful array and spoke the incantation "Marsala, Ikatur" when it appeared in her mind.
• The Twilight Stone flared, and the group descended in the temple for dozens of minutes as Li Wen realized the array was a Magic Elevator.
• Li Wen found one door sealed and another open, then led the group through the open door into a twilight expanse.