Chapter Summaries

Cheng Tian’s forces captured Jian Shou Qing, a traitorous Mushroom Person player who had spread an infectious fungus and planned to replace Root of Mars. Jian Shou Qing died after hinting he could resurrect and was connected to the Orks, while Cheng Tian accepted Root of Mars’s surrender and brought it into his Independent Faction.

• Jian Shou Qing had secretly spread an infectious fungus, hoping the Martians would defeat the Earthlings so he could replace Root of Mars.
• After Cheng Tian’s team captured the mothership, Jian Shou Qing tried to flee but Brother Gen caught him.
• Cheng Tian suspected Jian Shou Qing had a resurrection ability, and Jian Shou Qing calmly said he would return before Brother Gen’s Telekinetic Shockwave killed him.
• Jian Shou Qing’s last words suggested a connection to the Orks, and Cheng Tian anticipated meeting him again.
• Cheng Tian accepted Root of Mars’s surrender and brought it into his Independent Faction.

Cheng Tian persuaded Root of Mars to surrender, seized the Martian Mothership Battle Fortress, and established an Independent Faction that attracted players and NPCs. The dungeon ended with an SS settlement, while Cheng Tian was left with 24 hours in the current world and a future covenant to eliminate the Venusians.

• Root of Mars joined Cheng Tian's Independent Faction, and Chosen Space offered the witnesses a chance to become founding members.
• Smart Head joined first, prompting other players and NPCs, including Marco and Tama, to consider joining the faction.
• General Modern approached Cheng Tian, and their matching strawberry boxer briefs became the final image before the dungeon froze for settlement.
• The dungeon awarded Cheng Tian an SS rating, 60,000 Chosen Coins, 15 free attribute points, 6 free skill points, and 2 golden skill points.
• Chosen Space made Cheng Tian hostile to the Venusians because of his covenant with Root of Mars and gave him up to 24 hours remaining in the current world.

After the rescue, Cheng Tian sought to obtain the damaged Jupiter King from General Modern and explored the Mars Mother Ship while his allies negotiated. The group named Cheng Tian’s faction the Scorching Sun Legion.

• Cheng Tian used his rescue contribution to ask General Modern for Jupiter King, a damaged stage-guarding vehicle from the secret weapons factory.
• Cheng Tian handed negotiations over to Bazett while he familiarized himself with the Mars Mother Ship’s functions.
• Cheng Tian asked the Player Community members who had joined him to suggest a name for his faction.
• The group rejected Eileen’s suggestion of the Giant Ship Alliance and settled on Scorching Sun Legion.

Cheng Tian returned to Chosen Space with the Mars Mother Ship and established the Scorching Sun Legion, which recruited Players through trial quests. While he recovered from controlling the ship and admired the damaged Jupiter King in his Void Garage, Utan explained that he had chosen Mechanical Ascension and was preparing a body that could shift between beast and metal forms.

• Cheng Tian returned to Chosen Space as the Mars Mother Ship appeared above the central plaza, then vanished from view under the space’s rules.
• Players discovered Scorching Sun Legion recruitment trials and learned that only the Players who had joined Cheng Tian in the Cosmic Coffin could enlist without completing one.
• Luo Meiling and Eva sent Cheng Tian inquiries, but he ignored them because he was exhausted from controlling the spacefaring city with Psychic Power.
• Cheng Tian admired the damaged Jupiter King in his Void Garage, where it could repair itself over time.
• Utan told Cheng Tian that he preferred Mechanical Ascension and was developing a body able to switch between a flesh-and-blood beast and a metal humanoid.

Utan prepared to transfer his consciousness into a new body and asked Cheng Tian to handle his soul. Cheng Tian discovered that his Legend Points had made him famous among Chosen Space's NPCs, then returned to Demon World Village, where even the Red Demons fled from him.

• Utan told Cheng Tian he was ready for his consciousness transfer and asked him to place his soul into the new body.
• Cheng Tian went for a walk and noticed Chosen Space's NPCs treating him like a legendary figure because he had earned five Legend Points.
• Cheng Tian changed his outfits and concealed his ID to escape the NPCs' attention.
• Cheng Tian entered the fifth stage of Demon World Village to honor his promise to the deceased Arthur.
• Cheng Tian defeated the lower-level monsters, and a Captain Red Demon fled in fear and dropped a personal item.

Cheng Tian climbed through the lower floors of Demon King's Castle, using his reputation and newly honed magic to overcome the monsters in his path. On the fourteenth floor, Arthur’s Strawberry Underwear reacted to Satan, the demon who had killed Arthur and abducted Princess.

• Cheng Tian’s reputation caused a Red Demon to flee, leaving behind a Skill Stone for the D-Rank skill Gargoyle Form.
• Cheng Tian recognized that his Origin Hero title frightened intelligent monsters in the Demon King’s Army, though mindless creatures still attacked him.
• Cheng Tian fought through the castle’s lower floors and began grasping the essence of Juste-style vampire-destroying magic.
• Cheng Tian reached the fourteenth floor, where the Strawberry Underwear reacted violently to Satan, Arthur’s killer and Princess’s abductor.

Cheng Tian killed Satan Eldest Brother in the lower level of Demon King's Castle, avenging Arthur and advancing Arthur's hidden quest. He then teleported onward with two members of the Satan Clan still waiting in the castle's upper levels.

• Cheng Tian triggered Arthur's Silver Side Quest to kill the three Satan brothers and soothe Arthur's lingering soul.
• Cheng Tian exposed Satan Eldest Brother's concealment with Psychic Power flames, then blinded him permanently with Solar Punch.
• Satan Eldest Brother summoned the Red Demon Clan, but the Little Satans fled when they saw Cheng Tian fighting him.
• Cheng Tian killed Satan Eldest Brother, but Arthur's quest remained incomplete because Satan Second Brother and Satan Third Brother were still alive.
• Cheng Tian collected the key to the fifth stage, teleported away, and vowed to slaughter the remaining enemies next month.

After reaching Bronze Tier, Cheng Tian learned about his new permissions and reviewed examples of Great Expedition missions before resting and returning to Chosen Space. He received two tags for his new Main Dungeon: “Elder Dragon Calamity” and “Evil Sacrifice.”

• Cheng Tian noticed he had advanced from Black Iron Tier to Bronze Tier and learned that Eileen had reached Bronze Tier as well.
• Cheng Tian discovered that Bronze Tier players could access two Main Dungeon tags a day in advance, while future dungeons would contain more mixed themes.
• Cheng Tian reviewed Great Expedition examples based on Earth Defense Force, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Warcraft, Helldivers, and Warhammer 40K.
• Cheng Tian rested instead of training, then returned to the real world to follow games and new IPs.
• Cheng Tian returned to Chosen Space and received the tags “Elder Dragon Calamity” and “Evil Sacrifice” for his new Main Dungeon.

Cheng Tian studied a new dungeon that combined Monster Hunter: World with Soul Sacrifice, and prepared himself and his teammates for its arrival. During the wait, players began joining the Scorching Sun Legion and gaining access to its benefits.

• Cheng Tian recognized Elder Dragon Calamity as a Monster Hunter: World dungeon and Evil Sacrifice as a Soul Sacrifice crossover that added Sacrifice powers, Mages, and rival human factions.
• Cheng Tian speculated that wyvern materials could serve as Soul Sacrifice offerings and decided to stockpile items for restoring limbs and internal organs.
• Cheng Tian used the last twenty-four hours before the new dungeon to bring his and his teammates' physical and mental conditions to their peak.
• Players who passed Chosen Space's combat-strength and faction-alignment trials joined the Scorching Sun Legion as Privates.
• Scorching Sun Legion Privates gained access to standard firearms from Gates Military Industry Group and could hire the Legion's Exclusive Troop Type.

The Scorching Sun Legion revealed its mercenary benefits, ranks, and Combat Squad system as Players weighed whether to join. As the Main Quest Countdown ended, the guiding light of the Main Dungeon arrived.

• The Scorching Sun Legion's mercenaries were presented as affordable Martians, customizable Fungal Fluid Clones, and restricted, expensive Metal Dragon Beasts.
• Smart Head and other founding Players held noncommissioned officer status, which let them hire Metal Dragon Beasts and lead Combat Squads of up to three legion members.
• Eileen was revealed as a Purple Rare Grade Scorching Sun Legion General, while Cheng Tian held the title of Commander-in-Chief and other allies received exclusive titles.
• Players discussed the legion's benefits, and some rushed to the mission center to complete faction trials while others became wary of the Great Expedition mission.
• The Main Quest Countdown ended, and the guiding light of the Main Dungeon arrived.

Cheng Tian arrived on the Fifth Expedition airship bound for the New Continent, where he discovered that his Grail Quest had activated and that the Soul Sacrifice system had not yet affected the hunters. He became the center of attention among the hunters, while a pair of gemstone-marked creatures awoke in a lava-covered region.

• Cheng Tian reviewed the New Continent mission and Grail Quest, which tasked his team with investigating an Elder Dragon and collecting materials from Elder Dragons and corrupted dragon beasts.
• On the airship, Cheng Tian used his Tai Chi True Eye and holy-energy senses but found no signs that the hunters had been tainted by the Soul Sacrifice system.
• A blond hunter offered Cheng Tian a drink, and the hunters crowded around to toast him after learning he was the legendary hunter who had slain Orochi.
• Cheng Tian drank mug after mug with the hunters, then frowned as his Tai Chi True Eye began to glow orange.
• In a lava-covered area of the New Continent, a massive catlike pair awoke and hissed at each other, crimson gemstones embedded in their foreheads.

Cheng Tian learned that the Fifth Expedition Team’s transport fleet was approaching the New Continent when a Lava Dragon erupted from the sea and threw one of the ships into the air. He jumped into the water to inspect how the Elder Dragon was rising, leaving the others watching from the airship.

• Cheng Tian learned from the hunters aboard the airship that the Fifth Expedition Team was traveling to catch up with the fleet ahead, which included the Azure Star.
• Cheng Tian and the other players petted Palicos until an alert announced that an Elder Dragon had appeared near the transport fleet.
• Cheng Tian reached the deck and saw the Lava Dragon rise from the sea, lifting one transport ship on its jagged back and sending people and supplies falling.
• Cheng Tian explained that the Lava Dragon had not attacked deliberately, then leaped from the airship toward it on his Silver Surfboard.
• Cheng Tian submerged near the Lava Dragon and saw white bubbles erupting beneath its body as it rose.

Cheng Tian helped rescue hunters and cats from the sea as Lava Dragon reached the New Continent, and the storm cleared to reveal the land. The Player Community gained a Temporary Skill that granted the powers of redemption and sacrifice, though its attribute bonuses would only last under certain conditions.

• Cheng Tian discovered that Lava Dragon used heat and air currents for extra propulsion, while submerged land let it walk out of the sea.
• Eileen calmed the storm as Players began rescuing those stranded on Lava Dragon and retrieving supplies from the water.
• Cheng Tian pulled hunters from the sea, and they linked together with their Clutch Claws while carrying rescued cats.
• Lava Dragon reached land, and Eileen's efforts cleared the storm as sunlight revealed the New Continent.
• Cheng Tian and the other Players received the Temporary Skill "Redemption and Sacrifice," which allowed them to use powers of purification, resurrection, and sacrifice.

The New Continent’s ley-line power granted players the temporary skills Redemption and Sacrifice, and Cheng Tian uniquely gained access to both paths. As players began recovering at the Star outpost, a hunter spotted the Gluttonous Tyrannosaurus Rex, Crimson, approaching.

• Players reacted to Redemption’s resurrection effect, Sacrifice’s costs, and the permanent attribute increases, while some feared losing loved ones or being sacrificed by teammates.
• Cheng Tian’s Sacred Demonic Heart and Tai Chi True Eye allowed the holy and demonic bonuses to develop independently, and he gained the effects of both skills.
• Cheng Tian found that hunters and Palicoes could not be selected as sacrifice targets, while his own skin, hair, and nails were available; he chose not to sacrifice anything.
• The Lava Dragon continued deeper into the New Continent as guild members rescued survivors, assessed losses, and moved supplies to the Star outpost.
• A hunter spotted the Gluttonous Tyrannosaurus Rex, code name Crimson, and shouted for everyone to prepare for battle.

Cheng Tian encountered Scarlet, a powerful Tyrannosaurus Rex, and revealed that the supposedly dangerous wyvern was his companion. He identified himself to a Star Stronghold investigator as a Monster Knight.

• Scarlet approached the hunters by flying with Energy Cannons and crashed down near them.
• Cheng Tian ran up to Scarlet while the hunters and players prepared for a fight.
• Scarlet greeted Cheng Tian affectionately, repeatedly swallowing him partway and spitting him out as the onlookers lowered their weapons.
• Cheng Tian explained that Scarlet was a free-range wyvern he kept, and an investigator recognized him as a Monster Knight.
• Cheng Tian confirmed that he was a Monster Knight.

Cheng Tian entered the New World as a Monster Knight, a rare identity that unsettled Star Stronghold’s Hunter leadership, while his Tyrannosaurus Rex mount impressed the arriving Fifth Expedition. At the stronghold gate, Scarlet was barred from entering, so Cheng Tian recalled it into his Bonding Stone.

• Cheng Tian’s Monster Knight template revealed his identity as a Knight, prompting Star Stronghold’s leaders to urgently adjust their plans and recall someone to keep the situation stable.
• The Fifth Expedition traveled toward Star Stronghold with Cheng Tian riding Scarlet, whose presence frightened nearby wyverns away and made some younger Hunters reconsider Monster Knights.
• Hunters stopped Cheng Tian at the stronghold gate, saying Scarlet could not enter for the members’ safety.
• Cheng Tian agreed and sent Scarlet into the Bonding Stone, promising to take it out for a feast later.

Cheng Tian entered Stars with Scarlet Tyrannosaurus Rex as his bonded companion, then met the Great Commander, who asked him to join the Purification Faction. Merlin interrupted, insisting Cheng Tian should choose for himself.

• Cheng Tian’s Bonding Stone listed Scarlet Tyrannosaurus Rex as his first companion beast and could hold up to six.
• Cheng Tian pressured the guard Hunters to admit him to Stars after Scarlet Tyrannosaurus Rex vanished into the Bonding Stone.
• The Great Commander welcomed Cheng Tian and his group, then advised them to study reports about recent New Continent abnormalities before taking quests.
• The Great Commander stopped Cheng Tian and asked him to join the Purification Faction and follow the path of redemption.
• Merlin objected that Cheng Tian should make his own choice, and the Great Commander ordered Merlin to return to Avalon.

Merlin confronted the Great Commander over the sacrifices made by the Sacrifice School and tried to recruit Cheng Tian, who insisted that choosing a faction was his own decision. The group later gathered for a meal at Star Stronghold's dining pavilion, with both Merlin and the Great Commander present.

• Merlin approached Cheng Tian and tried to recruit him for the Fallen Sacrifice Faction, but briefly saw a cup and heard a voice urging Cheng Tian to offer what he cherished most.
• Merlin accused the Great Commander of denying the resolve and contributions of people who had sacrificed themselves, and demanded an apology.
• Cheng Tian sided with Merlin on the issue and told both men that he would decide which faction to join after hearing their arguments.
• Cheng Tian, Eileen, Bazett, Mina, the Great Commander, and Merlin sat down together for a meal at the Weapon and Palico Pavilion.

Cheng Tian praised the Weapon and Palico Pavilion’s lavish food and asked the Great Commander about the Redemption and Sacrifice factions. Merlin explained that the Sacrifice Faction used lethal rituals that could consume teammates and curse the caster, leaving Cheng Tian with a warning about the faction’s dangers.

• Cheng Tian ate a lavish meal at the Weapon and Palico Pavilion and criticized Yan Huo Village’s dumpling-heavy diet.
• Cheng Tian asked the Great Commander what the Redemption and Sacrifice factions were and what dangers they posed.
• The Great Commander prompted Merlin to explain the Sacrifice Faction’s reputation for missions where few hunters returned alive.
• Merlin explained that sacrificing a teammate could kill a target while binding the teammate’s soul, memories, and suffering to the caster’s Demonic Arm.
• Merlin said the souls could torment casters with memories and curses, and selfish users could lose themselves and become Humanoid Monsters.

Cheng Tian revealed that he could wield redemption and sacrifice powers together, prompting a quest to prove his Balanced School can help others avoid their harmful side effects. He headed into the Ancient Tree Jungle to investigate Elder Dragon tracks and discovered numerous dragon eggs.

• Cheng Tian listened to the Great Commander and Merlin explain the limits and costs of redemption and sacrifice.
• Cheng Tian manifested the Ghost Gauntlet on his right arm and a crimson heart on his left, showing that both powers could coexist within him.
• Cheng Tian triggered the team quest to recruit a faction member and demonstrate that the Balanced School could eliminate the side effects of redemption and sacrifice.
• Cheng Tian accepted the Elder Dragon Tracks investigation quest and led his people into the Ancient Tree Jungle.
• Cheng Tian scanned the jungle and sensed dragon eggs scattered throughout the area.