Chapter Summaries

The Honored Salary Seizer fused with the Honored Recipient and attacked Li Miao, Landfall, and Wang Dao with a powerful suppression field. The group discovered that their attacks strengthened its field, and the chapter ended as it healed its Fallen Fire Puppet and unleashed black tentacles at them.

• Rogue watched the battle from inside the Spirit Candle Space, decided it was a false alarm, and chose to observe longer.
• The Gray Pot Salary Seizer fused with the Honored Recipient and summoned a powerful Fallen Fire Knight, which Li Miao identified as a hostile Torchfire character.
• Li Miao, Landfall, and Wang Dao tested physical attacks, spells, and prayers, but none damaged the Honored Salary Seizer, and their attacks caused its black force field to expand.
• Li Miao and Landfall focused on the Fallen Fire Puppet while the force field engulfed the chamber and suppressed Landfall's casting speed, accuracy, and spell power.
• The Honored Salary Seizer restored the Fallen Fire Puppet's health with the Power of Suffering, then formed black tentacles from its wounds and sent them toward the three players.

Li Miao, Landfall, and Wang Dao discovered that the Gift Seizer could turn damage into power, but Wang Dao used madness to disrupt his mind and create an opening. They launched a full assault while the Gift Seizer and his Fallen Fire Puppet were incapacitated.

• The Gift Seizer healed himself and used Pain to make the Fallen Fire Puppet's strike inflict a devastating wound on Li Miao.
• Li Miao and his companions interrupted the Gift Seizer's next ability and realized that Wang Dao's mental attacks could disrupt his casting.
• Wang Dao channeled Warfire and used the Brain Worm skill to connect his madness to the Gift Seizer.
• The Gift Seizer began activating Gift... Self-Immolation, but Li Miao and Landfall stopped him while Wang Dao's Deadly Delusion seized his thoughts.
• The Gift Seizer and the Fallen Fire Puppet collapsed in agony, and Li Miao and Landfall attacked while the boss was under control.

Li Miao, Landfall, and Wang Dao pushed the Gift Seizer to the brink, but it escaped its damaged body and tried to flee. Candlefire’s control over the area erased its spatial rift, leaving the Gray Pot Fallen Fire Envoy trapped as Li Miao called for backup.

• Li Miao, Landfall, and Wang Dao repeatedly restrained and attacked Gift Seizer, steadily wearing down its health.
• Li Miao landed a Fatal Blow backstab while he and Landfall argued over who would get to finish the attack.
• Gift Seizer abandoned its damaged body, fused with a Fallen Fire Puppet, and recovered some of its injuries by consuming the nearby Honored Recipient.
• The Gray Pot Fallen Fire Envoy tried to escape through a spatial rift, but Candlefire’s power erased the passage and updated the quest, requiring the players to defeat or capture it.
• Landfall greeted the trapped enemy, Li Miao planted Signal Wax to call for backup, and the Gray Pot Fallen Fire Envoy failed to summon another escape passage.

Li Miao and the other Prison Players captured a Gray Pot Fallen Fire Envoy, who agreed to meet Candlefire. Rogue questioned the envoy and learned that Fire Offering Dawn was Fallen Fire Twilight, then asked it to explain the faction further.

• Li Miao called for reinforcements, and the players stopped Landfall from killing the Gray Pot Fallen Fire Envoy so the Candle Keepers could use it to advance world progress.
• The Gray Pot Fallen Fire Envoy surrendered and asked to meet Candlefire, so Li Miao told it to wait while Brother Mangzi summoned the Candle Keepers.
• Rogue arrived, rewarded Li Miao and the others with Spirit Candle's Blessing II, and took the envoy to Candlelight Hall.
• The envoy told Rogue that it had once belonged to the Corpse Reclaiming Monks, later joined Fallen Fire Twilight, and had been sent to capture Candlefire.
• The envoy revealed that Fire Offering Dawn was Fallen Fire Twilight and said the monks' order had directed it to join the faction, after which Rogue asked it to explain Fallen Fire Twilight.

The Acting God questioned the power of Candlefire after a failed raid, then killed the captured Firewood Collector and absorbed a trace of mysterious power. Elsewhere, Kem asked Rogue to accept him into Candlefire, pledging eternal loyalty.

• Kem brought a dying Firewood Collector before the Acting God, who seized the man’s Warfire and extinguished it.
• The Acting God told Kem that Candlefire had crushed Fallen Fire’s raid and that its power seemed to have grown abnormally strong.
• Kem gave no meaningful advice, and the Acting God withdrew into the darkness.
• Kem asked Rogue to speak privately, then knelt and begged to serve Candlefire and repent for his past sins.

Rogue killed the Gray Pot Fallen Fire Envoy and used the Spirit Candle to uncover intelligence about the Fallen Fire Users’ plans. Meanwhile, Li Miao, Wang Dao, and Landfall prepared to explore the plant section of Thousand-Page Deep Gorge before the Burning Competition began.

• Rogue rejected the Gray Pot Fallen Fire Envoy’s offer of loyalty and incinerated him with Azure Candle Flame.
• Rogue reviewed the Spirit Candle’s memories and learned that the Fallen Fire Users were trying to capture large numbers of top-tier Explorers.
• Rogue summoned Nonia and Mage Burton to help investigate and verify the information before sharing it with the players.
• Wang Dao asked Landfall about Mage Burton’s mental-type spells and decided to seek out skills that could give his priest a distinctive combat style.
• Li Miao urged the group to finish exploring Thousand-Page Deep Gorge that day because the Burning Competition began the next day.
• Li Miao, Wang Dao, and Landfall prepared to leave the abandoned base’s flesh-and-blood section and explore its neighboring plant section.

Li Miao, Landfall, and the Thief Phantom defeated Roseberry in the Plant Zone and found a note linking her to a mysterious Gardener. They entered the Steel Zone, where Landfall died in a freak encounter with a gigantic Polygon Gear Crab, and Li Miao obtained its retractable claw.

• The trio found Gut-Eating Leeches in a slit in the Flesh Passage and looted a chest of Spirit Candle Shop consumables.
• Li Miao, Landfall, and the Thief Phantom used fire to cross the dangerous Plant Zone and killed Roseberry.
• The trio found Gardener's Notes suggesting Roseberry had sought to absorb the flowers' vitality and beauty, and Li Miao suspected the Gardener was Flesh Curse - Shuri.
• In the Steel Zone, Landfall mocked a Polygon Gear Crab, got his face pinched, and fell while trying to crush it with a stomp.
• A gigantic Polygon Gear Crab fell through the ceiling and crushed Landfall, after which Li Miao killed it and obtained a Retractable Crab Claw.

Landfall, Li Miao, and Wang Dao crossed a vast pit by jumping into the water below and explored the underground space beneath the abandoned base. Landfall found a Rage Engine among Gergada remains, which he planned to sell to Mecha Players.

• Landfall, Li Miao, and Wang Dao found a destroyed passage and a huge pit blocking the route to the central hub.
• Wang Dao tested the pit by throwing in an Abyssal Ghoul, heard a splash, and descended to scout with his vessel.
• Wang Dao confirmed the water below was safe, and Li Miao and Landfall jumped down to join him in the Submersible Ghost Submarine.
• The three explored the underground waters and found shattered metal-and-incantation remains believed to be Gergada technology.
• Landfall searched the remains and discovered a Rage Engine, which he thought could fetch a good price from Mecha Players.

Li Miao, Landfall, and Wang Dao explored the dark waters beneath the Abandoned Base, found the Deep Gorge Guardian, and battled it again. After escaping their restraints and fleeing to a dead end, the creature faced them with weapons scavenged from an underwater corpse, aiming a giant harpoon at Li Miao.

• Li Miao recognized the passage leading back to the Abandoned Base and realized the Giant Octopus had entered through it.
• The trio found the Abandoned Pool beneath the Flesh Area, where Decomposition Jellyfish drifted among corpses and falling flesh.
• The Deep Gorge Guardian attacked their submarine, and Li Miao, Landfall, and Wang Dao worked together to trap and strike it.
• The Deep Gorge Guardian escaped by using its Fire Offering Power, shrank, and fled while the trio pursued it.
• At a dead end, the Deep Gorge Guardian revealed weapons and limb fragments from an underwater corpse and aimed a giant harpoon at Li Miao.

Li Miao, Landfall, and Wang Dao fought the Deep Gorge Guardian until a mysterious voice begged them to spare it and revealed a hidden path. The three debated whether to follow the voice, and Wang Dao agreed to go, promising to cover them if anything went wrong.

• The Deep Gorge Guardian overwhelmed Li Miao, Landfall, and Wang Dao with an arsenal of weapons, but its barrage weakened and they began to counterattack.
• The Deep Gorge Guardian tried to escape toward the Decomposition Jellyfish, but Li Miao pinned it down while Landfall and Wang Dao prepared to finish it.
• A childish voice pleaded with the trio to spare the Deep Gorge Guardian, which struggled so desperately that its skin tore and blood poured out.
• The voice mentioned No. 2, offered to fulfill their requests, and revealed a glowing mass of flesh and a hidden path up the rock wall.
• Li Miao, Landfall, and Wang Dao discussed the danger through chat, and Wang Dao said he was willing to follow the path and cover them.

Li Miao, Landfall, and Wang Dao met Flesh Number One, who explained how Xiuli’s departure, the Ashes Project, and Wamied’s rampage brought the Epidermis Base to ruin. Number One remained weakened but resolved to protect the base and wait for Xiuli’s return.

• Li Miao decided that the group would spare the Deep Gorge Guardian for now, and the three reached the shore and were pulled up to a platform by flesh tentacles.
• The group met Flesh Number One, who identified itself as a neutral entity and offered to fulfill any request it could.
• Number One told Li Miao, Landfall, and Wang Dao that Xiuli had created it to study flesh, curses, plants, and Gergada machinery, and that it formed the core of the Epidermis Base.
• Number One explained that Xiuli later focused on the Ashes Project, brought in a strange power, and abandoned the base with most of its researchers.
• Number One said Wamied rampaged through the base, forcing it and the Deep Gorge Guardian to fight the maintenance machine and leaving Number One too weakened to contain the Ashes Project.
• Number One said it had no memory of the Extinguishing Moment and vowed to protect the base until Xiuli returned.

Li Miao and Landfall chose to leave Number One alive, while Wang Dao stayed behind to fight it after collecting some equipment. Number One attacked Wang Dao, who claimed he would spare the octopus below but intended to make Number One entertain his new friend.

• Number One explained how the conflict after Epidermis No. 2's death cut off the route to the Central Mechanical Area, then erupted when Wang Dao suggested Father Xiuli might never return.
• Number One said it had not attacked the group because they survived the outer collapse and helped Epidermis No. 2 fulfill its dream and clear away the Ashes Project's failed products.
• Wang Dao offered to stay and fight Number One if Li Miao and Landfall wanted to leave, and Li Miao chose to depart rather than break his word.
• Landfall also left, while Wang Dao asked Number One for its remaining goods and selected a few pieces of equipment.
• Wang Dao attacked Number One with Fire Offering Power, insisting he would spare the octopus below as Number One countered with a net of blood vessels.

Players shared treasure locations and dungeon guides for Thousand-Page Deep Gorge, while reports of brutal boss encounters and branching consequences sparked debate on the Spirit Candle Forum. The players' arguments soon turned into jokes and taunts, leaving the community's long-running dispute over the game's design unresolved.

• Players posted treasure chest locations and route guides, and Rogue's planted chests had yielded him more wax oil than he could use.
• Players described how Deep Gorge Guardian, the canyon collapse, and Epidermis Base's bosses killed or trapped teams taking different routes.
• Players warned that killing Epidermis No. 2 could make the Flesh Area shake, while refusing Deep Gorge Guardian's request before defeating the Ashes Project bosses could trigger a fight against five bosses.
• Players debated whether the dungeon's punishing, realism-driven consequences were unfair or reasonable, and one player was reportedly doxxed during the argument.
• Players traded insults and elaborate jokes until entertainment-seeking forum members steered the discussion away from the design dispute.

Players debated whether to betray Li Miao's group to kill Number One, then struggled to reach the Central Mechanical Zone across the cliff. They discovered that flying across was the intended solution and turned their attention to what the area contained.

• Players discussed following Li Miao's group's route before betraying them to kill Number One for the loot.
• Players argued over Spirit Candle's moral dilemma and searched the Epidermis Base for a hidden route to the Central Mechanical Zone.
• A player who had ignited a Flying Tinder revealed that he had flown across and found a rare weapon in a chest.
• Players realized Flying Tinders and the Meteoros Sky Spell could reach the Central Mechanical Zone, then asked what else was there.

Players discovered the Spine-Clinging Scorpion Claw and debated its uses, while Candle Scholars investigated the Blood-Clad Shepherd and connected him to the Whispers of Liberation. The chapter left the organization’s motives for targeting the Epidermis Base unresolved.

• Players found the Spine-Clinging Scorpion Claw, a special weapon that non-Mecha characters could equip in place of chest armor, and many assassin players celebrated its extra limb and sneak-attack skill.
• Candle Scholars examined the Blood-Clad Shepherd, a Molten Slag-ranked boss whose Riotous Temptation could turn nearby gear-lifeforms and Fishman corpses against players.
• Players recognized the Blood-Clad Shepherd as resembling the Blood-Clad Priest and found a booklet called Towards Liberation on a Fishman, linking him to the Whispers of Liberation.
• The Blood-Clad Shepherd dropped a kindling focused on mental influence, which excited Madman Style players despite its user’s fragility.
• Candle Scholars suspected the Blood-Clad Shepherd had caused the riot mentioned by Number One and aimed to destroy the Epidermis Base, but they could not determine why.

Players reviewed new official information identifying the Fallen Fire Users as enemies targeting Candlefires and revealing histories from the Abyss Era and War Era. The chapter left the players eager to explore further and uncover the world’s buried past.

• The official forums credited the Candlefires with helping the Candle Keepers obtain information about the Fallen Fire Users.
• Players discussed the threat of Candle Spirit Physiques being seized and joked about fighting the Fallen Fire Users.
• The Spirit Candle Official published a new World Intelligence page about the Eight Great Epochs and the later eras.
• The page revealed that monsters emerged from land and ocean abysses in the Abyss Era, a disaster that originated from the gods.
• The page described the War Era through a survivor’s account and promised possible commemorative rewards for discoveries.

The players discussed the newly revealed epochs, eras, and the tragic history of the Gift Seizer. Tianji visited Brother Mangzi to help Ligardel overcome his fear of attacking the living dead, while Parun went to seek the Candle Keepers for help with his revenge against the Storm Church.

• The Gift Seizer's past revealed that soldiers forced him to kill his family, after which he joined the Corpse Reclaiming Monks and later betrayed them for Fallen Fire Twilight.
• Players debated the difference between epochs and eras, speculated about Fallen Fire Twilight, and discussed the Gift Seizer's history.
• Ligardel greeted Tianji with a military-style display of discipline, prompting Tianji to ask Brother Mangzi what he had been teaching him.
• Brother Mangzi explained that Ligardel had grown stronger but remained unable to gather the courage to attack the living dead, so Tianji agreed to help him try another approach.
• Tianji told Brother Mangzi that Parun had received all the advice he could offer and had gone to find the Candle Keepers.

Clemo returned to the Fire Aspect Temple with Blackface and Horn, where he witnessed a dispute involving Yasum and learned that Yagony knew him. Yagony summoned Clemo and revealed that he knew Clemo had pledged himself to Candlefire, then asked him to do one thing.

• Clemo heard Firewood Collectors discuss Soul Greatsword's disappearance and the Salary Seizers' attacks.
• A scaled Firewood Collector named Yasum attacked a Winged People Firewood Collector for insulting Yasum, and the Flame Knight intervened by severing Yasum's arm.
• Yagony arrived, recognized Yasum, and took him upstairs, then summoned Clemo as well.
• Blackface and Horn warned Clemo that Yagony might send him to the Ember Gate, but Clemo went upstairs to meet him.
• Yasum left without answering when Clemo tentatively asked whether he was Ryan.
• Yagony told Clemo he knew he had pledged himself to Candlefire and said he needed Clemo to do one thing.

Rogue met with Temple Master Yagony in the Fire Aspect Temple to learn the Firewood Collectors’ purpose and why they had seized the temple. Yagony explained their plan to cultivate a new Fire Lord, but fell silent when Rogue asked why they had taken the temple.

• Players used silence curses and self-destructing mechs in the Burning Competition, while Yuanfang placed first and Li Miao placed second.
• The competition’s rewards changed, and the Spirit Candle Shop received an update that added [Spirit Candle's Blessing] to the contribution shop.
• Yagony welcomed Rogue to the Fire Aspect Temple and said the temple and Candlefire were not currently enemies.
• Rogue asked about the Bonfire and the Firewood Collectors, and Yagony said they aimed to awaken the world by cultivating a new Kindling.
• Yagony confirmed that the Firewood Collectors intended to burn the new Kindling in the Eternal Altar and create a new Fire Lord.
• Rogue asked why the Firewood Collectors had seized the Fire Aspect Temple, leaving Yagony silent.

Rogue followed Yagony to meet Gray Mother, who explained why Bonfire had taken over the Fire Aspect Temple. She revealed that she had helped the Firewood Collectors seize it to end the old temple’s sacrifices, leaving Rogue to reconsider the temple’s history.

• Yagony took Rogue through a flame portal to an ancient platform and introduced him to Gray Mother.
• Gray Mother dismissed Yagony and thanked Rogue for caring for Nonia, then explained that each generation of Gray Mother inherited the memories of those before her.
• Rogue asked what had happened to the Fire Aspect Temple and its Matriarch, and Gray Mother said the Matriarch had died.
• Gray Mother explained that the temple had sought a Fire Lord while sacrificing children, and that she had helped Bonfire seize the temple before the world’s extinction.
• Rogue considered Gray Mother’s account and concluded that the old temple’s search for a Fire Lord may have been a hollow pursuit that harmed the witches.