Chapter Summaries

Hao Ren entered Yggdrasil’s mental world and found the World Tree raging from within a mountain of tangled tentacles. After Hao Ren told Yggdrasil that he knew about the Creation Goddess and the war ten thousand years ago, Yggdrasil recognized him as a demigod who had crossed the Wall of Reality.

• Hao Ren adapted to Yggdrasil’s mental world and followed the furious voice toward a mountain rising from the black sea.
• Hao Ren discovered that the mountain was Yggdrasil’s mental form, a mass of intertwined tentacles glowing with dim red light.
• Hao Ren called out to Yggdrasil and explained that a diseased brain core was fighting its healthy core.
• Yggdrasil warned Hao Ren to flee, then admitted it knew something was wrong and was waiting to die.
• Hao Ren identified Yggdrasil as the Firstborn created by the Mother of All Beings and explained that his team was investigating the ancient war.
• Yggdrasil recognized Hao Ren’s demigod nature and revealed that its mother had ordered it to cross the Wall of Reality.

Hao Ren connected with Yggdrasil and learned that she had crossed the Wall of Reality on the Creation Goddess's orders, then discovered that the corrupted Yggdrasil was trying to die while her healthy brain core resisted. Yggdrasil asked Hao Ren to help kill her.

• Yggdrasil distrusted Hao Ren at first, but explained that the Creation Goddess had ordered her to cross the Wall of Reality.
• A violent storm erupted in Yggdrasil's mental world as the corrupted brain core fought the healthy one.
• Yggdrasil revealed that she was the corrupted consciousness and that the contamination began after she crossed the wall ten thousand years earlier.
• Yggdrasil explained that she created the healthy brain core to kill her before her corruption worsened, but it refused to complete the task.
• Yggdrasil recognized Hao Ren's demigod aura and asked him to help kill her.

Hao Ren learned that Yggdrasil’s corruption began as a mind virus planted by the Root Cause of the Universe and eventually spread into the physical world. He revealed that he had taken control of the Godslayer Sword, leaving both of Yggdrasil’s consciousnesses stunned as the sword appeared in their mental world.

• Yggdrasil’s light consciousness urged him to trust Hao Ren, while the Heart of Darkness described how corruption had overwhelmed his thoughts and body.
• The Heart of Darkness explained that the corruption had spread from his mind and dreams into Nibelungen, transforming his severed limbs and poisonous secretions into threats.
• Hao Ren connected the corruption to the Root Cause of the Universe, which had incited the rebels who slew the gods.
• Hao Ren told Yggdrasil that he had found parts of the Creation Engine and taken control of the Godslayer Sword.
• Hao Ren summoned the Godslayer Sword into the mental world, where it introduced itself as Little Sword and Stabber Layman.

Hao Ren learned that the corruption afflicting Yggdrasil came from whispers related to the God Slayer Sword’s origin, then used the sword to try to cure Yggdrasil. The cavern fell silent after the stab, leaving Hao Ren afraid he had killed him.

• The God Slayer Sword sensed inhuman voices in Yggdrasil’s spirit world and identified them as whispers like those that had corrupted the God Slayers.
• The sword proposed that its blessed power might counter the corruption, and Yggdrasil agreed to let Hao Ren try a small cut.
• Hao Ren ended the mental dive, woke to Lily licking his face, and told the others what he had learned.
• Hao Ren used the Data Terminal to find a safer spot and stabbed Yggdrasil’s brain core with the God Slayer Sword.
• A howl shook the cavern before the vines, runes, and Nerve Ganglion went still, making Hao Ren fear he had killed Yggdrasil.

Hao Ren’s surgery with the God-slaying Sword removed the corruption from Yggdrasil, who recovered enough to communicate with the group. Yggdrasil revealed that Twilight City and Odin’s perseverance had helped him endure, while he had been unaware that Asgard’s ecosystem survived Ragnarok.

• After Hao Ren stabbed Yggdrasil’s brain core, Yggdrasil briefly stopped moving, then awakened as his tentacles, runes, and wounded brain core revived.
• Yggdrasil explained that he had passed out from excitement after waking and confirmed the corruption had vanished, though some damaged organs would not return to their original state.
• Hao Ren had the Autonomous Mechanical Units replace Yggdrasil’s brain cores, and Nangong May healed the surgical wounds.
• Yggdrasil said he was still extremely weak but no longer deteriorating, and told Hao Ren that he knew of Twilight City.
• Yggdrasil revealed that Twilight City and Odin’s determination to protect something had inspired him to keep resisting corruption.
• Yggdrasil said he had been unable to sense Asgard and Vanaheim since before Ragnarok and had believed both realms were destroyed.

After Yggdrasil awakened and stabilized, Hao Ren learned that the World Tree could purify much of Midgard and create a habitable area for Twilight City’s refugees. As the group returned to the city to tell Odin the news, Hao Ren named Yggdrasil’s backup soul Little White.

• Yggdrasil told Hao Ren that he could keep Midgard stable and that his Runic Body could absorb magical-energy radiation.
• Little White explained that Yggdrasil could purify about seventy percent of Midgard and create an ecosystem large enough for Twilight City’s population.
• Hao Ren agreed to use Yggdrasil’s help to relocate Twilight City’s residents so he could retrieve the spaceship beneath the city.
• Yggdrasil warned Hao Ren that resettling the population could cause social chaos, but Hao Ren insisted that moving people was his specialty.
• Hao Ren’s group returned toward Twilight City with Little White, and Little White described the damaged state of Yggdrasil’s distant limbs and Asgard’s brain core.
• Hao Ren named the backup soul Little White and said Yggdrasil’s main soul could be called Little Black.

Hao Ren and his companions returned to Twilight City after Odin reclaimed control, where the Steam Council and Twilight Guard welcomed them. Hao Ren warned Council Chairwoman Lavinia that the sky would clear within twenty-four hours and the city would soon become uninhabitable.

• Odin awakened and restored the city to his command, allowing Hao Ren's group to return through Twilight City's main gate.
• The battered Twilight Guard and spider robots formed a welcoming line, while Galadriel and Anthony praised the guards they had just defeated.
• Hao Ren's group noticed signs that some Steam Council members had resisted Odin's return and that several councilors were absent.
• Little White appeared and wandered around the city, startling the Steam Council members until Hao Ren identified her as the World Tree Soul.
• Hao Ren told Lavinia to prepare for the sky to clear within twenty-four hours, after which Twilight City would soon become uninhabitable.

Hao Ren returned to Twilight City with Yggdrasil’s soul and told Odin that the corruption had been dealt with. They agreed to evacuate the million residents before extracting the ancient spaceship, and the city began preparing for the arrival of dawn.

• Hao Ren introduced Yggdrasil’s soul, whom he called Little White, to Odin, and the two recognized each other from their shared dreams.
• Hao Ren explained that Yggdrasil would purify the Midgard space and asked Odin to arrange the relocation of Twilight City’s residents and equipment.
• Galadriel and Anthony explained that extracting the spaceship was safest and that the city’s failing systems and toxic leaks made it dangerous to keep living there.
• Odin ordered the great evacuation, and the Steam Council announced that the Barrier would soon activate and dawn would arrive.
• The Steam Council restored order, took control of critical facilities, and began preparing the city for migration.
• Galadriel returned to her kingdom to gather assistants who could help transport Twilight City’s large equipment.

Hao Ren and the leaders of Twilight City gathered to witness Yggdrasil awaken and restore Midgard. As daylight began to return, the wilderness outside the city rapidly grew green, and Lavinia learned the Steam Council might not be disbanded.

• Lily complained of hunger while Hao Ren watched Yggdrasil’s distant Runic Body and Little White surveyed the continent.
• Lavinia admitted she had ordered the Light Seeker team disbanded and asked Hao Ren not to blame the Steam Council for clinging to its remaining resources.
• Hao Ren questioned Lavinia’s assumption that the Steam Council would be disbanded, but Yggdrasil’s awakening outside the Twilight Barrier interrupted them.
• Yggdrasil’s enormous rune-covered tentacles emerged from the ground and absorbed magical energy, forming sixteen vast vortices as daylight began to pierce the clouds.
• Nangong May spotted vegetation spreading across the wilderness as Yggdrasil purified the atmosphere and used his source blood to restore the ecosystem.

As the World Tree reshaped Midgard and ended the Long Night, a dragon formation led by Galadriel arrived at Twilight City to help with the relocation. Hao Ren began the next phase of the plan, assigning the dragons to help dismantle the city's boilers.

• Yggdrasil transformed Midgard, raising vegetation, reshaping the land, and restoring rivers as the Twilight Barrier vanished and natural daylight reached Twilight City.
• Boken felt the first clean breeze and saw the daylight as the barrier disappeared.
• Hao Ren spotted more than a hundred dragons approaching, and Lavinia calmed the frightened crowd after someone shouted that Nidhogg's descendants had arrived.
• Galadriel led the dragons down to the steel platform, where they landed or hung from nearby towers.
• Hao Ren told the Steam Council to evacuate residents, the Twilight Guard to move supplies, and the dragons to help dismantle the boilers.
• Galadriel introduced Shirley, then explained that she had recruited young dragons by offering them extra points on their final exams.

The Twilight survivors completed their weeklong relocation from Twilight City, while the Steam Council preserved the city's knowledge and supplies for their new settlement. Hao Ren then activated Mimir's ship beneath the abandoned city, destroying Twilight City as the ship rose from the ruins.

• Anthony helped move Odin to safety for rest and a medical examination as the Twilight Barrier was shut down and the survivors began their migration.
• A Twilight Guard commander disguised as a citizen stepped through the city gates onto the grass, encouraging the crowd to follow him outside.
• The Steam Council and Galadriel's young dragons dismantled and transported the city's people, machinery, and Steam Brain to a wilderness camp chosen by Vivian.
• After nearly a week, the survivors settled at the camp, and Hao Ren and his companions prepared to activate the repaired starship beneath the empty city.
• Hao Ren ordered the ship activated, causing Twilight City to collapse and explode as Mimir's ship ascended from the ruins.
• Galadriel and Anthony took a selfie with Hao Ren in front of the exploding city and posted captions calling him “Explosion Ren.”

Hao Ren and his companions boarded the recovered Black Starship, where Little White said the vessel and Mimir were essential to the Creation Goddess’s grand plan. Behind the ship’s sealed Isolation Door, they discovered a vast chamber containing preserved remains of many different species.

• The Black Starship rose from the ruins of Twilight City and landed safely in a wilderness Yggdrasil had prepared.
• Hao Ren asked Mimir to confirm the ship’s identity, and Mimir recognized it but could not remember how to control it.
• Little White agreed to explain the Creation Goddess’s plan and led Hao Ren and the others inside the ship.
• Hao Ren’s group rode on Lily in her giant hound form as they explored the ship and found that its facilities seemed designed for a single passenger.
• The group reached the Central Control Room, where Little White used special authorization to open the Isolation Door.
• Hao Ren and his companions saw blood-red fibers and crystal containers holding remains of werewolves, vampires, humans, and other species.

Hao Ren and his companions explored the Guardian spacecraft’s specimen archive, where Little White revealed it was the ritual hall of the Ultimate Pardon. At its core, they found the Creation Goddess’s divine blood and learned that the rebellion ten thousand years ago aimed to erase not only the Goddess but also her influence on the universe.

• Hao Ren and his companions examined the spacecraft’s biological and silicon-based specimen archives, and a preserved Kryptonian was destroyed by murky material.
• Little White identified the archive as the ritual hall of the Ultimate Pardon, where the Goddess’s created races received comfort and the guilty received pardon.
• Hao Ren found a specimen of the God Slayer’s rebellious child and questioned why it had been included in the sacred ritual hall.
• Vivian sensed the Creation Goddess’s divine blood in a crystal at the archive’s core.
• Little White explained that the rebellion’s true goal was to erase the Goddess’s influence, and Galadriel described how that would alter the universe’s laws and leave it vulnerable.

Little White explained that the Ancient One engineered the God-Slaying Incident to make the Creation Goddess doubt herself, while she instead forgave her creations through the Ultimate Pardon. Hao Ren learned that the Ancient One may have sabotaged the pardon, and Little White revealed that a crucial part of its plan had already been destroyed.

• Little White explained that the Ancient One used the God Slayers to make the Creation Goddess's own creations attack her and undermine her divine legacy.
• Izax said the Goddess never wavered and used her final strength to forgive every culprit, while Little White described how she sent some creations through the Wall of Reality to preserve the Ultimate Pardon.
• Hao Ren and the others realized that innate hostility and the dwindling races in the Outer World threatened the pardon, and Little White suspected the Ancient One had caused the original sin behind it.
• Hao Ren noted that those who knew the truth had been silenced or had their memories erased, while Izax credited him with lifting innate hostility and preserving some of the kindling.
• Little White said the Ultimate Pardon remained underway but warned that one of its most important links had been destroyed long ago.

Little White revealed that Vivian was the missing guide in Ultimate Pardon, but her lost memories and fragmented power left her unable to provide the secret commands needed to continue the plan. Hao Ren set aside the mystery for later and began discussing the future of Twilight civilization, proposing a new home for its people.

• Little White explained that Ultimate Pardon required a missing guide, whose memories held the instructions for returning to the divine kingdom and awakening the Goddess.
• Hao Ren and his companions identified Vivian as the guide, but Little White doubted it until Hao Ren described her recurring slumber, fragmented incarnations, and lost memories.
• Little White concluded that Vivian’s condition, like the troubles affecting him and Mimir, had been caused by interference with their missions.
• Little White warned that Vivian’s secret commands might be among her corrupted incarnations of power, and Hao Ren postponed investigating them until later.
• Hao Ren, Galadriel, and Anthony discussed registering Twilight civilization separately and agreed that the Nine Kingdoms were unsuitable as its permanent home.
• Hao Ren said he had thought of a suitable place for Twilight civilization, where he was preparing to begin a major project.

Hao Ren arranged for the Twilight survivors to settle on Purgatory Planet in Rift Nebula, where they began building a new home alongside the Sun People. After visiting the settlement, he told the weakened Odin that the Nine Kingdoms would have a place on his planet and invited him to visit Asgard first.

• Hao Ren chose Purgatory Planet in Rift Nebula as the Twilight survivors’ new home and explained how Yggdrasil could help them adapt to its environment.
• Galadriel and Anthony agreed the planet was suitable and offered help with the settlement.
• The Twilight survivors began constructing a new settlement, aided by young dragons carrying building materials.
• Hao Ren found Odin freed from the Iron Throne and looking over the construction site.
• Hao Ren told Odin the Nine Kingdoms could live on his planet and invited him to visit Asgard, where a Valkyrie still guarded it.

Odin returned to Asgard, reunited with the mad Valkyrie, and gave her orders to help rebuild the Nine Kingdoms. He abdicated and first named Vivian as the new master, then reconsidered and pointed to Hao Ren instead.

• Odin returned to Asgard and reflected on leaving it to protect the people of Twilight City in Midgard.
• Hao Ren and the others found the Valkyrie in Valhalla, where she recognized Odin and awaited his orders.
• Odin told the Valkyrie that Ragnarok had ended and praised her for preserving the spirit army and holding Valhalla's defensive line.
• Odin gave the Valkyrie his ring and ordered her to repair the spirits, send half to Midgard, and use the rest to clear Asgard's ruins.
• Odin abdicated and named Vivian as his successor, but after Lily questioned her suitability, he pointed to Hao Ren instead.

Hao Ren accepted Odin’s offer to become the new master of the Nine Kingdoms and inherited the Key Stone, which controlled the Rainbow Bridge and Aesir systems. Discovering that many underground facilities had survived Ragnarok, he began planning to use the Nine Kingdoms’ infrastructure to accelerate construction of the Gate of the Present World.

• Hao Ren discussed Odin’s offer to entrust him with the Nine Kingdoms and agreed to accept the responsibility.
• Odin removed his eyepatch and gave Hao Ren the Key Stone, transferring control of the Nine Kingdoms and knowledge of their ancient systems.
• Hao Ren learned that the Rainbow Bridge could be repaired with spare parts and that factories beneath the continents had survived Ragnarok.
• Little White explained that Yggdrasil’s tightened roots had protected many underground facilities, though Svartalfheim had been destroyed.
• Hao Ren surveyed the surviving Aesir and Vanir facilities and decided they could help speed up construction of the Gate of the Present World.

Hao Ren oversaw Asgard’s reconstruction while deciding to leave the Twilight civilization’s leadership to its own people and take charge of the heroic spirits. After learning Yggdrasil was ready to travel, he returned to Nidhogg’s Lair and found that Little White and Little Black had transformed it into a Temple of Life.

• Hao Ren deployed Autonomous Mechanical Units across the Nine Kingdoms and Midgard to investigate ruins, aid survivors, and rebuild Asgard.
• Hao Ren told Galadriel he would let the Steam Council lead the Twilight people while he supervised Asgard’s reconstruction and commanded the heroic spirit legion.
• Hao Ren ordered the Valkyrie to continue her duties and protect Asgard’s Control Center and archive while he was away.
• Lily told Hao Ren that Yggdrasil had stored enough energy to travel, and Hao Ren decided to visit the Rift Nebula and check on Purgatory Planet.
• Hao Ren and Galadriel arrived at Nidhogg’s Lair and saw that Little White and Little Black had transformed it into a Temple of Life.

Hao Ren and his companions explored Yggdrasil’s newly transformed territory in Nibelungen and met Little White in a humanlike form. The chapter ended with Little White dragging out a ravenous Little Black, who had been gorging on energy beside the Chadnell Star.

• Hao Ren and his companions saw that Nidhogg’s Lair had become a lush Temple of Life filled with palaces modeled after the Creation Goddess’s temples.
• A vine guided the group to the temple’s main hall, where Hao Ren found a magical device called the Guiding Astrolabe.
• Little White appeared as a white-haired girl and explained that Firstborn could adopt forms suited to communicating with other beings.
• Little White went to fetch Little Black, who cursed as she was dragged out of a vine and begged to return for another puff of energy.
• Izax realized that Little Black had been absorbing energy beside the Chadnell Star, and Little Black admitted she had been hungry for two thousand years.