Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• The system's rules reveal the Launch Tower at the center, which must be protected.
• The Launch Tower's details are displayed on a Light Screen, showing its special effects and remarks.
• The team decides to set up camp around the Launch Tower and discuss their strategy.
• Living Polyploid and the Lancer discover that the darkness is filled with tiny, biting bugs.
• The Preliminary Selection officially begins, and strange sounds echo from the darkness.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhi shows leadership by initiating discussions and decisions.
• Calamity Reimu demonstrates her crafting skills by building a fence around the Launch Tower.
• Kan Lu, the Lancer, shows recklessness but also high regenerative abilities.
• Ju Jing displays confidence in their ability to handle the Preliminary Selection.

Significant Themes

• The Launch Tower is the central focus and must be protected at all costs.
• The darkness hides unknown dangers, symbolizing the uncertainty and challenges ahead.
• The team must work together to face these challenges, emphasizing cooperation and unity.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhi interacts with Chao Mu, Hei Ye Piao Luo, and Calamity Reimu regarding the Launch Tower.
• Living Polyploid and the Lancer explore the darkness and discover the biting bugs.
• Ju Jing shares her thoughts on the Preliminary Selection with the team.
• Bai Zhi, Calamity Reimu, and a certain dignified one (not named) all use recliners, highlighting their similar tastes and interactions.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Treants, undead tree-like monsters, attack Glimmer Camp in the first wave of the Preliminary Selection.
• Players defend the camp and the Launch Tower, with each group handling one direction.
• The first wave consists of around 500 treants, which are easily defeated by the elite players.

Character Developments

• Living Polyploid shows off his powerful melee combat skills.
• Zhong Mo Guan Ce demonstrates her formidable swordsmanship with a single slash killing hundreds of treants.
• Ju Jing uses Spirit Talismans to burn the treants to ash without moving from her position.
• Chao Mu reveals his strategic mindset and concern for the team's well-being.

Significant Themes

• The importance of teamwork and strategy in facing overwhelming odds.
• The differences in combat styles and strengths among the players.

Character Interactions

• Living Polyploid and Kan Lu work together to defend their side.
• Zhong Mo Guan Ce and Ju Jing showcase their unique combat abilities.
• Chao Mu teases Assassin Girl about her possible feelings for Living Polyploid.
• The team discusses the possibility of bringing more people to the camp and the potential consequences.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Players realize that Spiritual Energy doesn't recover naturally in the Preliminary Selection venue.
• Bai Zhi suggests holding a meeting to discuss strategies.
• The group decides to conserve Spiritual Energy until they obtain supplies from Games.
• Defense positions are assigned: Zhong Mo Guan Ce (South), Zi Qi (North), Living Polyploid (East), Kan Lu (West), and Ju Jing as emergency backup.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhi demonstrates leadership and strategic thinking.
• Qi Guang Meng Xing shows reluctance to spend her remaining Book Coins but agrees to support the team.
• Jiang Chanyi reveals that Spiritual Power doesn't recover naturally and can't be converted into Spiritual Energy.

Significant Themes

• Conservation of resources (Spiritual Energy) until supplies can be obtained.
• Strategic planning and teamwork for defense.
• The impact of the contaminated Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth on cultivators.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhi interacts with Yu Xing, discussing his unrealistic guess about the venue's connection to the Ordinary World Dungeon.
• Bai Zhi assigns roles to the team members, with Qi Guang Meng Xing reluctantly agreeing to support the team.
• Ju Jing volunteers to be the emergency backup, and Jiang Chanyi provides information about Spiritual Power recovery.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group discovers a game interface near the Launch Tower.
• They find various mini-games in the Beginner Game Area, with [The Flower That Blooms in the Mirror] and [Dating With Monsters] among them.
• Chao Mu volunteers to test the game and selects [The Flower That Blooms in the Mirror].
• The game requires 20,000 Experience Points and has a duration of 3-6 hours. It's a romance development game for 3-5 players.
• Chao Mu enters the game, and his icon becomes unavailable for selection.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhi is revealed to be hopeless at naming things.
• Fireworks of Romance shares a liking for the name "Anti-Pornography Squad" with Bai Zhi.
• Chao Mu shows a sense of responsibility by volunteering to test the game first.

Significant Themes

• The game's rules and mechanics are explored, highlighting the potential dangers and rewards of participating.
• The theme of teamwork and cooperation is emphasized, as they need to take turns defending the tower while others play the games.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhi and Fireworks of Romance bond over their shared preference for the team name.
• Chao Mu consults Bai Zhi on the team name, acknowledging him as the default captain.
• The group discusses and agrees on taking turns playing the games and defending the tower.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Players choose games in the Beginner Game Area, each costing around 30,000 Experience Points.
• Bai Zhi and Fireworks of Romance choose different games but meet up in the 'Don't Step on the White Blocks' game.
• Bai Zhi enters the game and finds himself on a cliff overlooking a Sea of Eyeballs, with a floating bridge covered in colored blocks leading into white fog.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhi reflects on his past experiences with games and speculates about the purpose of these games in the Preliminary Selection.
• Fireworks of Romance shows interest in teaming up with Bai Zhi but ends up in a different game.

Significant Themes

• The deceptive nature of games and their hidden purposes.
• The potential danger of games that affect players' Sanity Values.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhi and Fireworks of Romance discuss their chosen games before entering them.
• Bai Zhi interacts with Tushu (presumably another player in the game) upon realizing he's alone on the cliff.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhi, a Player, finds himself in a game scenario called "Don't Step on the White Blocks" with reduced physical abilities.
• He searches the starting area, finding a box with three gold coins and a dagger.
• Bai Zhi crosses a bridge with colored tiles, reaching a platform in the sky where he encounters three hostile Players.
• He defeats the two aggressive Players (Two Jin Sweet Potato and Italian Cannon) using martial arts and a dirty trick, then intimidates the third (Yamamoto Senren) into submission.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhi demonstrates adaptability, resourcefulness, and combat skills, showcasing his ability to "bend and stretch" in challenging situations.
• Yamamoto Senren, initially arrogant, quickly submits to Bai Zhi, revealing his cowardly nature.

Significant Themes

• Adaptability: Bai Zhi's ability to adapt to new situations and make the most of limited resources.
• Power Dynamics: The shift in power dynamics among Players in this game scenario, where physical abilities are equalized.
• Consequences of Actions: The three hostile Players underestimate Bai Zhi and face severe consequences.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhi encounters three hostile Players who attempt to intimidate and attack him.
• Bai Zhi uses martial arts and a dirty trick to defeat Two Jin Sweet Potato and Italian Cannon.
• Yamamoto Senren, intimidated by Bai Zhi's actions, submits without a fight.

Plot Points & Events

• Bai Zhi arrives at the platform and learns about the game rules and Leaderboard from the Notice Board.
• Players start exploring the Stairways to Heaven, each with different-colored tiles that have various effects.
• Bai Zhi and the Bearded Man encounter each other, and the Bearded Man reveals he has already eliminated two players.
• They decide to temporarily cooperate, with Bai Zhi demanding all the Bearded Man's remaining Gold Coins as a condition.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhi demonstrates his strategic thinking and adaptability, using his surroundings to his advantage and forming a temporary alliance.
• The Bearded Man shows his cunning and ruthlessness, eliminating other players silently and agreeing to cooperate with Bai Zhi.

Significant Themes

• Adaptability and resourcefulness in the face of uncertainty.
• The importance of information and understanding one's environment.
• Temporary alliances and cooperation for mutual benefit.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhi and the Bearded Man form a temporary alliance, each with their own goals and reservations.
• Bai Zhi's interaction with the other players at the platform shows his indifference and lack of interest in forming lasting alliances.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhi finds an injured Man Yue Teng on the Stairway to Heaven.
• He treats her wounds and decides to keep her alive to avoid ending the Game prematurely.
• Bai Zhi plans to disable Man Yue Teng to prevent her from finding the Secret Treasure before him.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhi: Shows a pragmatic and ruthless side, prioritizing his own goals over others' lives. However, he also displays a certain level of respect for Man Yue Teng's skills.
• Man Yue Teng: Demonstrates resilience and adaptability, choosing to cooperate with Bai Zhi despite her injuries and disadvantageous situation.

Significant Themes

• Pragmatism vs. Morality: Bai Zhi's actions highlight the conflict between practicality and ethical considerations.
• Trust and Betrayal: The dynamic between Bai Zhi and Man Yue Teng explores the tension between trust and mistrust in a competitive environment.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhi and Man Yue Teng: Their interaction is marked by a mix of hostility, pragmatism, and a begrudging respect for each other's abilities. Despite their tense relationship, they form an uneasy alliance.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Man Yue Teng, frustrated after losing the game and the treasure, meets Night Owl in the Glimmer Camp.
• Bai Zhi checks his game rewards and discovers a Progress Bar in his attribute panel.
• Bai Zhi observes the ongoing tower defense and decides to buy defense towers and traps from the Points Store.
• Hei Ye Piao Luo emerges from his game, having lost and died in a unique, deadly version of Fight the Landlord.

Character Developments

• Man Yue Teng: Becomes frustrated and humiliated after losing the game and the treasure.
• Bai Zhi: Realizes the connection between Experience Points and the Progress Bar, and decides to purchase defensive items for the tower defense.
• Hei Ye Piao Luo: Loses and dies in his game, showing his frustration and defeat.

Significant Themes

• Frustration and loss: Both Man Yue Teng and Hei Ye Piao Luo experience frustration and loss in their respective games.
• Growth and adaptation: Bai Zhi learns from his game experience and decides to improve the defense strategy.

Character Interactions

• Man Yue Teng and Night Owl: Man Yue Teng seeks comfort from Night Owl after her loss.
• Bai Zhi and Hei Ye Piao Luo: Bai Zhi interacts with Hei Ye Piao Luo upon his return from the game, showing concern and confusion about his experience.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Players understand the purpose of Games: to earn Experience Points for constructing their Talent Core.
• Bai Zhi and Hei Ye Piao Luo buy and set up Defense Towers to protect the camp.
• Qi Guang Meng Xing, Ju Jing, and others enter Games after completing their tasks.
• Chao Mu returns from his Game, 'The Flower That Blooms in the Mirror,' traumatized by his experience.
• Hei Ye Piao Luo and Chao Mu discuss eroge Games.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhi and Hei Ye Piao Luo show leadership by planning camp expansion and supporting their teammates.
• Chao Mu's perverted nature is further emphasized, and he expresses his determination to continue seeking out eroge Games despite the risks.

Significant Themes

• The importance of facing challenges head-on, as demonstrated by Hei Ye Piao Luo's determination to explore eroge Games despite the potential dangers.
• The impact of mental trauma, as seen in Chao Mu's reaction to his Game experience.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhi and Hei Ye Piao Luo work together to plan camp expansion.
• Hei Ye Piao Luo and Chao Mu bond over their shared interest in eroge Games, only for Chao Mu to realize their tastes don't align.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Camp expansion and renovation using points earned from Games.
• Purchase and placement of Air Walls and various Defense Towers.
• Preparation for the fourth Monster Siege.

Character Developments

• Hei Fengye surprises by receiving a Perfect clear rating.
• Fireworks of Romance and Calamity Reimu's interactions with Bai Zhi, hinting at romantic interests.
• Hei Ye Piao Luo and Chao Mu's observations and comments on the interactions.

Significant Themes

• The impact of Games on Players' psychological states (Fireworks of Romance's reaction).
• The importance of teamwork and strategy in camp defense.
• The dynamics of romantic relationships and competition among Players.

Character Interactions

• Fireworks of Romance and Calamity Reimu both show interest in Bai Zhi, leading to playful and affectionate interactions.
• Hei Ye Piao Luo and Chao Mu discuss and comment on the romantic dynamics among their group.
• Hei Fengye remains expressionless and unreadable throughout the chapter.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The fourth Monster Siege begins with an army of giant black spiders.
• The camp's defenses are overwhelmed, leading to chaos.
• Bai Zhi uses his Ghost Domain to clear the center of the camp and summons Ghost Soldiers to fight the spiders at the outskirts.
• Fireworks of Romance asks Bai Zhi for a weapon and joins the fight.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhi demonstrates the growth of his Ghost Domain, showing increased power and control.
• Fireworks of Romance, initially hesitant, joins the fight after receiving a weapon from Bai Zhi.

Significant Themes

• The theme of courage and facing fears, as seen in Calamity Reimu's fear of spiders and Fireworks of Romance's initial hesitation.
• The importance of teamwork and unity in the face of overwhelming odds, as shown by the camp's collective effort to defend against the spider siege.

Character Interactions

• Calamity Reimu seeks comfort in someone's arms due to her fear of spiders.
• Fireworks of Romance feels a sense of security in someone's presence.
• Bai Zhi provides Fireworks of Romance with a weapon, encouraging her to join the fight.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The camp faces a sudden, intense Spider Attack lasting half an hour.
• The spiders' behavior and intelligence increase, demonstrating Dynamic Difficulty Balancing.
• The camp is severely damaged, and the team decides to redesign it for better defense.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhi maintains the Ghost Domain for an extended period, feeling its burden.
• Fireworks of Romance enters a berserk mode during the battle, causing significant destruction.
• Hei Ye Piao Luo struggles due to his class's reliance on Skills and magic, suffering the most during the attack.

Significant Themes

• The dynamic difficulty of the monster sieges, adjusting based on the camp's development.
• The importance of adaptability and strategic planning in facing increasingly intelligent and varied threats.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhi and Yu Xing discuss and decide on camp redesign to improve defense.
• Fireworks of Romance demands a replacement for her destroyed recliner from Chao Mu.
• Calamity Reimu lies down beside Bai Zhi, seemingly seeking comfort or companionship.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qi Guang Meng Xing returns to the Glimmer Camp after a game and finds it greatly expanded and improved, with automated monster killing.
• The Area Leaderboard opens, with [Anti-Pornography Squad] ranking third with a 0.785 perfect game clear rate.
• The camp's defensive capabilities are enhanced, and a rotation schedule for guarding the camp is established.
• Chao Mu persistently plays Eroge games, trying to obtain a Perfect clear rating, while the camp continues to develop and improve.

Character Developments

• Qi Guang Meng Xing: Realizes the extent of changes in the camp and the team's high perfect clear rate.
• Chao Mu: Shows unwavering resolve in playing Eroge games to obtain a Perfect clear rating.

Significant Themes

• Competition: Players compete for Perfect clear ratings to strengthen their Dao Foundation.
• Development and Improvement: The camp evolves and expands based on the players' efforts and the rewards from games.

Character Interactions

• Qi Guang Meng Xing and the team: They discuss the camp's changes and the leaderboard rankings.
• Chao Mu and the team: Chao Mu's persistence in playing Eroge games is a source of amusement and concern for the team.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhi and other players have been clearing games in the Beginner Game Area, with Fireworks of Romance surprisingly achieving Perfect Clear ratings in every game.
• The Mid-tier Game Zone has not opened yet, leaving Bai Zhi and Yu Xing with nothing to do for two days.
• Bai Zhi opens a Barbecue Stall to pass the time.
• Qi Guang Meng Xing plans to enter two more games to reach 20% progress.
• Fireworks of Romance returns from a game and seeks a private conversation with Bai Zhi.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhi shows adaptability and strategic thinking in games and demonstrates leadership by opening a Barbecue Stall to improve the group's quality of life.
• Fireworks of Romance surprises Bai Zhi by consistently achieving Perfect Clear ratings, hinting at her hidden abilities or lucky streaks.
• Qi Guang Meng Xing shows strategic planning in choosing her games to reach 20% progress efficiently.

Significant Themes

• Competition and cooperation among players.
• Strategic planning and adaptability in games.
• The impact of luck and skill on game outcomes.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhi and Qi Guang Meng Xing discuss her game plans.
• Fireworks of Romance seeks a private conversation with Bai Zhi, hinting at a potential alliance or secret between them.
• The competition between Fireworks of Romance and Calamity Reimu remains unnoticed by others.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fireworks of Romance sneaks into Bai Zhi's room, expecting intimacy, but Bai Zhi is not interested.
• Calamity Reimu and others catch them together, misinterpreting the situation.
• Bai Zhi and Calamity Reimu team up to teach Fireworks of Romance a lesson, spanking her.
• Fireworks of Romance kisses Bai Zhi to provoke Calamity Reimu, but Bai Zhi uses the situation to his advantage.
• Bai Zhi returns to work at his Barbecue Stall with dark circles drawn on his face.

Character Developments

• Fireworks of Romance: Shows her playful and mischievous side, but also her vulnerability and pride.
• Bai Zhi: Proves to be cunning and manipulative, using the situation to his advantage.
• Calamity Reimu: Shows a more understanding and accepting side, though she's still competitive.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and power dynamics in relationships.
• The consequences of miscommunication and misunderstandings.
• The struggle between pride and vulnerability.

Character Interactions

• Fireworks of Romance and Bai Zhi: Their dynamic shifts from playful to tense, with Bai Zhi asserting his dominance.
• Calamity Reimu and Bai Zhi: They form a temporary alliance to deal with Fireworks of Romance.
• Fireworks of Romance and Calamity Reimu: Their rivalry continues, but there's a hint of understanding between them.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fireworks of Romance and her team complete the Beginner Game Area, ranking third among the Anti-Pornography Squad.
• They enter the Mid-tier Game Zone, with games requiring 60,000 Experience Points. Bai Zhi enters [The School's X Letter].
• Bai Zhi is matched with other players based on his performance record.

Character Developments

• Fireworks of Romance feels strange and confused about her growing feelings for Bai Zhi.
• Calamity Reimu decides to learn from Bai Zhi's methods to control Fireworks of Romance.
• Bai Zhi is matched with other players in the Mid-tier Game Zone.

Significant Themes

• Exploration and puzzle-solving in the Mid-tier Game Zone.
• The matchmaking system's changes based on performance.
• Fireworks of Romance's internal struggle with her feelings for Bai Zhi.

Character Interactions

• Fireworks of Romance avoids Bai Zhi after their intimate moment.
• Bai Zhi enters a game while Fireworks of Romance watches silently.
• Calamity Reimu silently observes Fireworks of Romance and decides to learn from Bai Zhi's methods.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter begins with Bai Zhi and Ke Nai meeting at their high school, which is the setting for their new Game.
• They receive a System Mandated Quest called "The School's X Letter," which involves unraveling mysterious events happening to them and leaving the school alive.
• Other former classmates arrive, and they decide to work together initially.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhi: He is cautious and observant, not letting his guard down around others. He is also strategic and thinks ahead.
• Ke Nai: She is confident and straightforward, representing the top-ranked team from the Judgment Court. She is also open to working with others.

Significant Themes

• Trust and Caution: Bai Zhi is cautious around Ke Nai, while she is open to working with him, highlighting the theme of trust and caution in their interactions.
• Teamwork vs. Competition: The characters initially decide to work together, but the competitive nature of the Games and the Players' arena is hinted at, suggesting this might not last.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhi and Ke Nai: They have a friendly yet guarded interaction, with Ke Nai being more open and Bai Zhi being cautious.
• Bai Zhi and Suit Man: Suit Man suggests working together, but Bai Zhi doesn't respond, indicating he's not fully convinced or trusting yet.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Nine people gather outside the school, but ten are present in the Security Room, indicating an anomaly with false memories.
• Bai Zhi's group (himself, Ke Nai, and Yue Mu) heads to the dormitory buildings during a heavy downpour.
• Ke Nai enters the girls' dormitory while Bai Zhi and Yue Mu wait at the stairwell entrance.
• Ke Nai returns, urging them to run, but Yue Mu betrays Bai Zhi, leading him into a trap.

Character Developments

• Bai Zhi: Remains calm and observant, noticing the false memory anomaly and suspecting Ke Nai.
• Ke Nai: Initially cooperative, but her true intentions remain unclear.
• Yue Mu: Initially appears trustworthy, but betrays Bai Zhi, revealing his true colors.

Significant Themes

• Trust and deception: Characters struggle to determine who to trust in the face of false memories and potential betrayals.
• Survival: Characters must navigate the dangerous campus to complete their quests and survive.

Character Interactions

• Bai Zhi and Ke Nai: Initially cooperate, but Ke Nai's true intentions are uncertain.
• Bai Zhi and Yue Mu: Appear to cooperate, but Yue Mu betrays Bai Zhi.
• Ke Nai, Bai Zhi, and Yue Mu: Form a temporary alliance to reach the dormitory buildings, but Ke Nai's return triggers Yue Mu's betrayal.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The game continues in the Administration Building during a heavy downpour.
• Yue Mu, a player, is presumed dead.
• Wan Si Feng, a player, completes his personal quest in the Archives Room but encounters a grotesque Black Shadow.
• Shi Xin, another player, is dragged into the darkness by unknown entities.
• Wan Si Feng sees a "Shi Xin" in the lobby, but it's actually a monster mimicking her.
• Wan Si Feng decides to act alone and escape the school.

Character Developments

• Wan Si Feng demonstrates his calm and strategic thinking under pressure.
• Shi Xin's fate is uncertain, and she may have been replaced by a monster.
• Yue Mu's death suggests the game's ruthless nature.

Significant Themes

• Fear of the unknown and insufficient firepower.
• The game's unpredictable and dangerous nature.
• The importance of caution and vigilance in the game.

Character Interactions

• Wan Si Feng and Shi Xin were teammates but are now separated due to Shi Xin's mysterious disappearance.
• Wan Si Feng encounters a monster mimicking Shi Xin in the lobby.
• Wan Si Feng decides not to warn Suit Man about the monster, prioritizing his own survival.