Chapter Summaries

William visited the Acrobatic Troupe with Catherine and Zoke, where he saw its rabbits fight and watched Mosander Wise’s Stilt Performers rehearse. A red-eyed rabbit caused a fatal accident, and because William’s Green-eyed Rabbit was involved, he had to take the fallen performer’s place.

• Catherine and Zoke explained that the rabbits were parts of the troupe leader’s body and that the Green-eyed Rabbit had chosen William because of his unusual physique.
• The Green-eyed Rabbit killed and devoured a dangerous red-eyed rabbit, then regenerated its lost eye and returned to William’s shoulder.
• Mosander Wise invited William, Catherine, and Zoke into his studio to watch the Stilt Performers rehearse.
• A red-eyed rabbit slipped into the studio and drew the Green-eyed Rabbit across the stage, where it was struck dead by a moving stilt.
• The collision disrupted the performers’ human ladder, causing a performer to fall and die; William was held responsible under Rule Four and ordered to learn the stilts before rehearsal resumed.

William was blamed for the Green-eyed Rabbit's disruption and forced to join the Acrobatic Troupe's rehearsal, where he rapidly mastered the performance with his unusual body and Brain Paste. After the successful rehearsal, Mr. Rabbit arrived, examined William, and welcomed him to the circus after learning that William's teacher had defeated Mosander.

• Catherine protested that William was innocent, but Zoke and Mosander said the rules held him responsible for inviting the Green-eyed Rabbit.
• William accepted the punishment, attached the injured performer's bone stilts, and quickly adapted them into part of his body.
• William borrowed a troupe member's memories to learn the acrobatics, then completed the rehearsal successfully with a difficult spinning landing.
• Mr. Rabbit entered the studio, and the performers and Mosander bowed to the Acrobatic Troupe's leader.
• Mr. Rabbit questioned William about his teacher, learned that the teacher had defeated Mosander, and welcomed William to visit the troupe as long as he followed its rules.

William, Zoke, and Catherine left the Acrobatic Troupe after meeting Mr. Rabbit, whose physical pressure had immobilized William. They then headed to the kitchen, where Catherine transmitted the kitchen rules directly into William’s mind.

• After Mr. Rabbit left, Zoke struck the immobilized William with his whip, restoring his movement, and Catherine urged him and Zoke to leave the Acrobatic Troupe.
• The group returned safely to the crossroads, where Zoke and Catherine explained Mr. Rabbit’s physical prowess and his authority as the circus’s Deputy Director.
• William described the bizarre physical conception he had sensed from Mr. Rabbit and reflected that Mr. Rabbit was stronger than he was.
• Zoke led William and Catherine toward the kitchen and explained its importance, its rules, and the Kitchen Supervisor’s connection to the Boss.
• Catherine climbed onto William’s shoulders and used Nightmare Transmission to imprint the kitchen rules into his mind.

William read the Fear Kitchen’s rules and learned that its meat and hair came from the Boss’s body, whose deteriorating condition made the kitchen dangerous. Catherine and Zoke explained how the hair could merge with the meat to create a dangerous Bionic Body, and William set off with them to visit the kitchen.

• William read the Fear Kitchen rules covering cleanliness, meat, hair, and kitchen fees.
• Catherine explained that audience members’ remains were turned into building material, while the kitchen’s ingredients came from the Boss.
• Catherine revealed that the Boss’s removed flesh and hair were used in dishes that stabilized and enhanced the circus members’ Phobia.
• Catherine explained that the Boss’s hair sought to combine with his stored meat, potentially creating a dangerous Bionic Body.
• Catherine said a past kitchen incident had killed the Acrobatic Troupe’s former third leader, but reassured William that Zoke could sense meat and was there to help.
• William remained excited and agreed to go to the kitchen with Catherine and Zoke.

William visited the Fear Kitchen with Beast Tamer Zoke and Catherine, where he discovered a sealed source of Primal Fear and met Chef Timmy. After Zoke stopped him from looking beyond a curtain of Black Hair, William agreed to cook a dish to prove himself.

• Catherine opened the secret passage to the Fear Kitchen, and the group passed through its sterilization chambers before entering the kitchen.
• William put on a kitchen apron that awakened a strong desire to cook, then sensed Primal Fear leaking from a sealed safe.
• William followed a fear-born vision through rooms filled with flesh and Black Hair until Beast Tamer Zoke injured his hand and ended the vision.
• Zoke told William that looking beyond the hair curtain would overwhelm and transform him, while Catherine joined them in the kitchen.
• Chef Timmy offered William a chance to cook without using the meat cabinet, and William accepted after asking for ten minutes to study the kitchen.

William drew on Yi Chen’s memories and his own ailments to create a dish for Chef Timmy’s back-kitchen test. His Epileptic Bursting Spicy Rice Noodle Roll impressed Chef Timmy, Catherine, and Zoke, who eagerly tasted it.

• Chef Timmy explained that William’s dish had to include a personal ingredient, have a fitting name, and be served in three identical portions for tasting.
• William planned a dish that reflected his ailments and life experiences, then called on Yellowhide for help before preparing it.
• Catherine, Chef Timmy, and Zoke discussed William’s unusual ability to withstand fear while waiting for his dish.
• William served a pink rice noodle roll filled with a glowing, brain-patterned mixture, and its intense flavor burst in Chef Timmy’s mouth.
• William named the dish Epileptic Bursting Spicy Rice Noodle Roll and explained how its unusual ingredients created its texture and explosive taste.
• Chef Timmy tasted the grape-skin-wrapped accompaniments and praised how they refreshed the palate.

William earned Chef Timmy’s approval and a valuable kitchen voucher after making Demon Feast-quality rice noodle rolls. Timmy then entered the sealed Incineration Partition and reported to Boss that William’s Special Death had kept Black Hair away, while Boss ordered him to remain with Jian and be watched.

• Chef Timmy praised William’s rice noodle rolls, offered feedback on their presentation and seasoning, and gave him a Limited-Edition Kitchen Free Trial Voucher.
• Zoke told William to become a main member soon and invited him to visit the zoo and cook together again.
• After William, Zoke, and Catherine left, Chef Timmy confirmed that no Black Hair had infiltrated the kitchen during the cooking.
• Chef Timmy entered the incinerator’s hidden partition and descended through a staircase crowded with Black Hair to meet Boss.
• Chef Timmy told Boss that William’s Special Death appeared to frighten the Black Hair, but Boss refused to transfer William to the kitchen and instructed Timmy to let him continue learning with Jian.

William learned how the circus selected audiences during its trial operation and how it would handle people who discovered its secrets. After winning a Fear Collectible from Catherine, he headed back to the Magic District, with Catherine following to help him prepare a performance before the trial ended.

• Zoke explained that newcomers performed during the trial operation, which had two days left, and that the circus planned to open formally in about a month.
• Catherine described how she planted Nightmare Substance, selected suitable audience members through dreams, and delivered tickets, while Zoke explained how the circus dealt with threats.
• William asked about Boss, and Zoke said only Chef Timmy might know the circus's deepest secrets and warned William not to pry.
• William reminded Catherine of her promise to give him a Fear Collectible, and she offered three clown boxes; William chose the right one and claimed its contents.
• Catherine followed William to the Magic District and offered to coach him so he could prepare his preview performance before the trial ended.

William planned a large-scale stage performance for the final slot of the next day’s trial operation, and Gian agreed to help him apply for the set changes. William and Catherine spent the day connected in a dream rehearsal, leaving a dangerous nightmare mural on the walls of William’s room.

• Catherine offered to support William’s performance, and William asked Gian whether the trial-operation stage could be altered on a large scale.
• Gian approved William’s performance idea, agreed to submit an application, and scheduled the act as the trial operation’s finale the next day.
• William asked Catherine to enter his memories so she could recreate the planned scenery in a dream rehearsal.
• Catherine experienced William’s memories of the Orphanage, then joined him in rehearsing the performance through their brain connection.
• Black matter from William and Catherine formed a mural that could trap anyone who saw it in a death nightmare.

William prepared for his fear-themed finale, but Natalie Sisters disrupted Catherine’s attempt to put the audience into a half-asleep state. With Nightmare seeds no longer an option, William decided to find a different way to make the performance work.

• After Dream Rehearsal, Catherine praised William’s performance plan and agreed to help prepare the audience.
• Catherine distributed Nightmare Substance-laced octopus cookies, but Natalie Sisters confronted her for breaking the circus’s rules and forced her to leave.
• Natalie Sisters threw away the remaining cookies and restored the audience’s alertness, then settled in to watch William’s performance.
• Catherine told William that Natalie Sisters had likely eliminated the Nightmare seeds, making the audience impossible to put to sleep.
• William refused to ask Gian and the Magic District assistants for help, and asked Catherine to find and install a large stage prop within ten minutes.

William’s moonlit performance drew the audience into Black Mountain Orphanage, while the Natalie Sisters recalled their unusual birth. Outside the circus, a moon-eyed youth discovered the hidden venue and was confronted by Poker Face guards.

• The Queen of Hearts prepared the finale and introduced William’s immersive show, “Newborn and Death.”
• The stage transformed into a dark research facility as William appeared on a realistic moon prop and revealed his Birth Gate.
• Moonlight made the spectators relive their births and drew them into the Newborn Incubation Room; the Natalie Sisters were affected as well.
• Catherine tore off her face to frighten the Sister Flowers.
• A moon-eyed youth followed the moon’s aura to the hidden circus and tried to investigate its performance.
• The Jack of Spades and other Poker Face guards blocked the youth from entering and ordered him to leave.

A mysterious Moon Descendant encountered Boss Art outside the Fear Circus and agreed to spar for information about the circus. Inside, William performed an immersive Orphanage horror that drove the audience’s fear to its limit, while the outsider’s confrontation with Art remained unresolved.

• A Joker Card attacked the young man, but his Moon Eyes and a silver scalpel revealed and cut apart the card, which rapidly formed into Boss Art, Chief Clown of the Fear Circus.
• Art offered to recruit the young man as a Reserve Clown and proposed a spar in exchange for information; the young man accepted, and Lorien warned him that Art was dangerous.
• William noticed a faint lunar resonance but ignored it as he focused on his performance, while Catherine and Uncle Gian watched from the audience.
• William led the audience through an immersive Orphanage story, shifting from caring teachers to brutal horrors and repeatedly reviving those who attempted suicide.
• William ended the performance by revealing the concept of death, and the fear bottles beneath the stage overflowed as Fear Maximization was achieved.

William’s performance earned the Boss’s praise and a reward, while his unusual use of the audience’s bodies prompted the circus to let them leave. As William headed backstage with Catherine, Yate returned with a cut on his costume and remarked on William’s friend.

• William asked to buy the audience’s abandoned bodies, then used mad brains to convert them and erase their memories of the circus.
• The Boss allowed the audience to leave, awarded William a Demon Feast Experience Ticket, and praised his performance while suggesting he develop stage plays.
• Gian offered to support William’s development, and Catherine celebrated the prospect of William leading a new department.
• William spoke courteously with the Natalie Sisters, who praised his performance and cautioned him that future audiences would be harder to hypnotize.
• William and Catherine headed backstage to settle his earnings, but Yate returned and told William that his friend was impressive.

William refused Art’s request to use him as bait to lure Lorien out, then left the stage with Catherine. Meanwhile, Lorien recovered from the battle and decided that Art had to be eliminated before he and William could merge.

• Art revealed that Lorien had escaped after their fight and asked William to act as bait, but William refused because of his ties to Moon Scar.
• William and Catherine left the performance area, and Catherine warned William about Art’s danger as they discussed staying together and avoiding him.
• Lorien underwent surgery in a remote clinic, removing the tumor Art’s Phobia had caused to grow inside his soul.
• Lorien confirmed that the tumor samples had been saved and vowed to kill Art, whom he considered an obstacle to merging with William.

William received 27 ml of dread for his first performance and upgraded his Magic House, while learning more about how Phobia develops. Catherine also explained that Yate was connected to the new moon and promised the circus would protect William if Lorien tried to assimilate him.

• Diamond Five paid William 27 ml of dread after deducting the venue cost and gave him a Trading Bracelet.
• Catherine advised William to upgrade his room, and he remodeled the Magic House and displayed her Fear Collectible in a wall niche.
• William bought a Mini Stage to help him design future performances.
• Catherine questioned William about Yate, and William explained that Lorien wanted to assimilate him as his other half.
• Catherine said Phobia would take shape through more performances and urged William to seize the chance to develop it at the Demon Feast.

William visited Mr. Gian to learn about the Abyss and heard how it formed in the Extreme Dark Zone. Mr. Gian revealed that he had once fallen into an Abyss and escaped changed, and that the circus had given him a home and purpose.

• William planned to prepare for the Demon Feast and official performance, then decided to ask Mr. Gian about the Abyss and Mr. Zoke about combining Phobia with his Maniacal Brain.
• Catherine refused to accompany William, fell asleep, and warned him that she disliked Mr. Gian's eyes and did not want to visit Zoke.
• William entered Mr. Gian's Magic House through the Black Door and experienced a brief passage through darkness before landing in the sitting room.
• Mr. Gian explained that the Abyss evolved from pits formed by a darkness-related plague in the Extreme Dark Zone after the Evil Sun fell.
• Mr. Gian said he had been born in the Corner, fallen into an Abyss amid the war dead, and climbed out with altered eyes and Abyss Magic.
• Mr. Gian explained that Boss had given him a home and purpose, and said he would help William and Catherine grow safely.

William began daily Abyss insight sessions with Gian, but the descent left him exhausted and forced him to sleep. In a shared dream, Catherine encountered Yi Chen inside a strange aquarium, where he greeted William and suggested killing her.

• Gian offered to guide William through daily Abyss insight sessions and said William should seek the Duke’s help before exploring the Abyss.
• William stared into Gian’s eyes, maintained a stable consciousness for about three seconds, and was awakened by the alarm after an hour.
• William nearly collapsed from the descent’s effects, and Gian sent him home to sleep beside Catherine.
• Catherine’s Nightmare Tentacles connected her dream to William’s, leading her through a library and a secret passage to an aquarium.
• Catherine saw Yi Chen vanish from his chains, then found him behind the glass as he asked William whether they should kill her.

Catherine confronted William’s disturbing counterpart, Yi Chen, in a dream and learned that William had separated another self from himself. After waking, she agreed to stay with William for now, but demanded that he keep her away from Yi Chen.

• Yi Chen begged William to hand Catherine over to him, prompting William to attack Catherine in the dream.
• Catherine fought back with Nightmare Tentacles, restrained William, and then severed the dream connection to leave.
• After waking, Catherine questioned William about Yi Chen, and William said they were independent selves whose origins he did not understand.
• Catherine chose to stay with William, but asked him not to return to the aquarium or let her encounter Yi Chen again.
• William explained that he had used Mad Brain to connect the dream with The Memory Palace and said Zion had another dream expert, the First Gentleman.

William visited Zoke to ask why he still could not define his Phobia after achieving Fear Maximization. Zoke told him to acknowledge and embrace the Root Fear tied to his past experiences, leaving William determined to confront it.

• William watched Zoke's Crow Person fail its training routine and die, then asked Zoke for guidance about fear and Phobia.
• Zoke brought William to his Beast Den and explained that his Beast Phobia came from the primal fear of ancient beasts.
• William shared his performance memories and thoughts with Zoke through Brain Paste.
• Zoke said William could not find his Phobia because he denied the Root Fear rooted in his past and urged him to accept and embrace it.
• William thanked Zoke and left for his Magic House, promising to invite him to the kitchen next time.

William spent the month before the Demon Feast training with Mr. Gian and exploring his childhood Root Fear in dreams with Catherine, while preparing a dish and performance. On the morning of the feast, William and the circus’s top combatants headed to the kitchen.

• William asked Catherine to join him in recreating the Orphanage dream, and she agreed to experience his Root Fear as Yi Chen’s twin-tailed companion.
• William and Catherine relived the Orphanage each night; Catherine was shaken by its cruelty, while William studied the teachers and the principles of Root Fear.
• During the month, William adapted to Mr. Gian’s Abyss training, developed his understanding of fear, and worked on a dish and a new performance as Catherine prepared her clown act.
• On the twenty-eighth day, William nearly reached the bottom of the Abyss during training with Mr. Gian, but fell short by several seconds.
• The next morning, William followed Mr. Gian to the kitchen for the Demon Feast as the circus’s strongest combatants arrived.