Chapter Summaries

Yi Chen reached an ancient hermitage and learned that a passage to the Old World opened on the Madonna statue’s face, while the Watcher agreed to wait for his missing teammates. Though everything seemed normal, Yi Chen suspected the discovery might be a trap, and a strip of yellow cloth crept beneath his sealed door as he slept.

• Yi Chen entered the hermitage with the yellow-clad gentleman and learned that the Watcher guarded a passage to the Old World.
• The Watcher revealed the passage on the Madonna statue’s face, then covered it again and said Yi Chen’s teammates had one day to arrive before Yi Chen entered alone.
• Yi Chen sealed his room with plants and told Little Grape he suspected the apparent route to the passage might have been deliberately guided by an enemy.
• Yi Chen observed the Watcher absorb Gray Matter, searched the hermitage for anything suspicious, and returned to sleep in his sealed room.
• A strip of yellow cloth crept beneath Yi Chen’s plant-sealed door during the night.

Yi Chen uncovered the monastery’s illusion by destroying the ritual statue and using Little Grape’s Mental Shock, revealing a chamber made of countless pilgrims’ eyes. When the eyes tried to probe his body, they saw the Silver-haired Youth in a hospital ward, whose New Moon Eyes drove them away.

• Yi Chen discussed the illusion with Little Grape and learned it could briefly dispel it if he destroyed an important medium first.
• During the night, a strip of yellow cloth slipped beneath Yi Chen’s sealed door, while a hidden eye in his sleeping-bag outfit watched it withdraw.
• Little Grape washed Yi Chen’s brain with cold-lake saliva, sharpening his mind until he felt close to touching the Limit Membrane.
• Yi Chen chose to wait for his teammates by heading through the statue’s passage toward the Old World, then shot the Watcher and split the statue with his axe.
• Yi Chen and Little Grape used Mental Shock to collapse the false monastery, exposing a chamber of fused eyeballs that tried to inspect him.
• The eyeballs saw a Silver-haired Youth in a hospital ward, and his New Moon Eyes turned toward them and ordered them to leave.

Yi Chen confronted Rydento, the final pilgrim whose gathered eyes formed a powerful host, and resisted his attacks with Little Grape’s help. After Rydento stole Yi Chen’s eyes and twisted his arm with a glare, Yi Chen used the Black Umbilical Cord to restore his arm and challenged him to continue.

• Moonscar Lorien drove the spying eyeballs away, while Yi Chen escaped the collapsing hermitage and fired at the vortex gathering them.
• A great eye appeared in the vortex and deflected Yi Chen’s bullets, while Little Grape urged him to fight the host rather than flee.
• Yi Chen and Little Grape agreed to confront the host, and the eyeballs and gray matter formed the yellow-robed Rydento.
• Rydento’s power separated Yi Chen’s eyeballs from him and twisted his left arm with a single glare.
• Yi Chen brought out the Black Umbilical Cord and wrapped it around his neck, restoring his arm before challenging Rydento.

The chapter recounts how a yellow-robed old man manipulated pilgrims into slaughtering one another, then follows Yi Chen’s desperate fight against Rydento in the stone cave. It leaves Yi Chen parasitizing Rydento’s eye after being cut in half.

• Pilgrims stranded in the Gray Fog began eating diseased animals, and some gained eye-related abilities and a craving for eyeballs.
• The pilgrims chose a sole pilgrim by locking 119 candidates in a secret chamber, where the frail old man in yellow slaughtered them all; he then attacked the remaining pilgrims.
• Lainey woke from a dream in which Yi Chen faced a dangerous yellow figure, but her mother prevented her from going to help him.
• Yi Chen charged Rydento, lost his left calf to a Mental Shock, severed it, and regenerated as he pressed the attack.
• Yi Chen’s Moonlight Slash cut through Rydento’s barriers, but Rydento’s Ten Eyes in a Line severed Yi Chen at the waist.
• Yi Chen used Plant Growth to pierce and pull Rydento close, then planted black threads in his eye and taunted him for coveting the eyes in Yi Chen’s brain.

Yi Chen sensed that the Yellow Robe was still dangerous and discovered it might be the true body behind the pilgrims’ stolen eyes. Jin and Ludwig Regan joined him to destroy its manifested body, but the remaining fabric escaped through a vortex as the team reunited.

• As his body reconnected, Yi Chen sensed danger in the cavern and regenerated his eyes to identify the Yellow Robe as the source.
• The Yellow Robe formed a withered old man who tried to possess Yi Chen, but Jin arrived, severed a ribbon, and struck the old man with Crimson Lotus.
• Yi Chen used Gentleman's Skin to contain the severed ribbon, then joined Jin in preparing to fight the Yellow Robe-clad old man.
• Ludwig Regan arrived and crushed the old man with mental pressure and repeated electromagnetic cannon blasts, destroying his manifested body.
• The remaining Yellow Robe fragments sank into a vortex and escaped, while Regan confirmed that Gathered Eye Syndrome had been eliminated and reunited with Yi Chen and Jin.

After the team discussed the Yellow Robe and Yi Chen recovered from his battle, Little Grape absorbed the pilgrim eyeballs and awakened memories of an ancient battlefield. Little Grape fell asleep before it could fully explain the new skeleton power it might gain.

• Yi Chen told Regan and Jin about the false sanatorium, the disguised Watcher, Gathered Eye Syndrome, and the Yellow Robe, then discussed the Yellow Robe's abilities and origins.
• Lorien told Yi Chen that the Yellow Robe had been targeting his body and warned him to be careful if they met again beyond the passage.
• Yi Chen woke in the cavern to find Little Grape emerging from a grave mound after absorbing the pilgrim eyeballs.
• Little Grape told Yi Chen it had seen memories of a starry river and an ancient battlefield, and said it might be able to construct an Ancient Corpse Skeleton and use its power.
• Little Grape fell asleep from exhaustion, and Yi Chen made it a hammock from plants inside his body.

Yi Chen, Jin, and Regan reached a medium-level gray domain at the mountain summit and entered its stone temple, where a powerful Watcher attacked them. After the Watcher recognized their strength and examined the yellow skin-disease fragment, he advised Yi Chen to take it to Xion’s First Gentleman for answers.

• Regan examined the black bones in the grotto, and the group continued climbing toward the summit.
• The three reached a gray dome filled with Gray Sand, and Lorien confirmed that it resembled the Old World’s environment before sealing off communication.
• Yi Chen, Jin, and Regan entered the stone temple and dodged a massive Black Halberd wielded by a Watcher.
• Jin charged the Watcher but was struck hard, and Yi Chen caught him with plants while he recovered using a flesh-juice injector.
• The Watcher recognized the group’s quality and told Yi Chen that the unknown skin disease might have come from the Old World, advising him to consult Xion’s First Gentleman.

Olman Yude explained his duty as a Watcher and guided Yi Chen, Jin, and Regan through the newly formed passage into the Old World. They emerged beneath a black sun pierced by a gigantic sword, with their one-day countdown underway.

• Olman Yude told Yi Chen and Regan that he remained a Watcher to cultivate people able to survive in the Gray Zone, then judged the three newcomers fit to enter the passage.
• Olman revealed the hidden passage in the temple wall and warned the group to carry an hourglass, limit their stay in the Old World to one day, and avoid greed.
• Yi Chen crawled into the passage first, followed by Jin and Regan, and the group eventually reached its far end.
• Yi Chen pushed aside the exit stone, and the group entered a temple identical to the one they had left; their Kerosene Lamp went out and their clothing began consuming its Gentleman's Skin.
• The group started the hourglass and stepped outside, where they saw a lifeless gray sky and a black sun pierced by a gigantic sword.

Yi Chen and his teammates found three separate routes to explore in the Old World’s gray desert, each indicated by a different supernatural sign. They agreed to split up and search for relics, leaving Yi Chen to follow one route while Lorien remained inside his body.

• Yi Chen reviewed what he knew about the Old World as a diseased planet whose passageways spread illness into the Human World.
• Lorien refused to separate from Yi Chen yet and promised to perform surgery when he eventually peeled away.
• Regan, Jin, and Little Pei each discovered a different route through the desert using electricity, Crimson Lotus Root Tendrils, and a rolling Dead Egg.
• Regan proposed that the team split up to explore the three routes, and Yi Chen agreed that they would reunite at the temple in one day.
• Jin warned Yi Chen to return on time and revealed that she had sensed the unusual movement in the right side of his body.

Yi Chen separated from Moon Scar and used Little Grape to replace his right half with a corpse-like body, discovering that it carried the abilities of an ancient Fallen Gentleman. Moon Scar remained with him, and they prepared to explore the Old World together.

• After Regan and Jin left, Yi Chen chose to follow Little Pei's Dead Egg, but Lorien suggested they spend time separating.
• Yi Chen returned to the temple and let Moon Scar detach his right half, while the umbilical cord kept his remaining body stable.
• Instead of regenerating, Yi Chen let Little Grape replace his right half with a black-haired, corpse-like body in exchange for eating the Pilgrim's Eye.
• Yi Chen discovered that Little Grape's body contained the remains of Gemhal, an Eyeball Collector and Fallen Gentleman, and that it could amplify eye abilities and sorcery.
• Yi Chen tested the new body's abilities, making sand rotate under his palm's gaze and coating his plant roots with a curse-enhancing sorcery effect.
• Moon Scar praised Yi Chen's choice and offered to explore the Old World with him.

Yi Chen and Moonscar Lorien encountered an Old World merchant after a pale arm seized their rolling Dead Egg. The merchant, Duke Garryson, recognized Yi Chen as a traveler between worlds and invited them to trade, leaving the pair facing his imposing shop.

• Yi Chen checked the hourglass and discovered that half a day had passed, while Lorien used a Moonlight Barrier to slow the consumption of Yi Chen's Skin Content.
• A withered arm seized the Dead Egg as it rolled into a sandy pit, and a massive castle-like shop rose from the sand.
• The shop's Back-Seat People moved instantly before Yi Chen and Lorien, and a voice stopped the pair from retreating.
• Duke Garryson revealed himself, identified the Dead Egg as a rare Lifeless Egg, and asked to buy it.
• Duke Garryson recognized Yi Chen as someone from another world and invited him and Lorien to trade.

Yi Chen and Moonscar Lorien met Duke Garryson, an Old World Merchant who offered to buy their Dead Egg and showed them three relics linked to physique, intelligence, and perception. Unable to afford the relic they wanted, they decided to sign a contract with the Duke to gain access to borrowing and discounts.

• Duke Garryson offered Yi Chen five hundred transaction points for the Dead Egg and explained his shop's trading system.
• Yi Chen asked about three-attribute relics, and the Duke presented three sealed relics with prices ranging from 1,300 to 2,000 points.
• The Duke said the final relic's details required a five-hundred-point deposit and a confidentiality agreement.
• Duke Garryson offered borrowing through a worship oath or gambling as ways to quickly obtain transaction points.
• Moonscar Lorien confirmed that the Duke would not restrain them unless they defaulted on debts, and he and Yi Chen decided to sign a contract.

Yi Chen and Lorien received transaction marks from Duke Garryson and learned how his gambling games worked. After Lorien discovered the Moonlight Greatsword and set his sights on it, Yi Chen wagered Dead Egg and began a high-stakes game to obtain a Triple-Attribute Relic.

• Duke Garryson branded Yi Chen and Lorien with Marks of Transaction, and Little Grape also asked for a brand.
• Yi Chen asked how gambling worked, and Duke Garryson explained that the wager's multiplier determined a randomly generated game's difficulty.
• Yue Hen examined moon-related products and showed interest in a damaged Moon Staff, but Lorien sensed a resonance from a sealed case containing the Moonlight Greatsword.
• Lorien found a new direction in the Moonlight Greatsword, which Duke Garryson offered for 12,000 points.
• Yi Chen chose to wager Dead Egg, worth 500 points, toward an information-sealed relic priced at 1,600 points and confirmed the gamble.
• Duke Garryson touched Yi Chen's head and began extracting memories to shape the gambling game.

Yi Chen and Lorien entered the Duke’s role-playing gambling game, which recreated a world from Yi Chen’s memories. Yi Chen woke as an eight-year-old boy in a meticulously tidy bedroom, where his parents and dog told him to stay home.

• The Duke explained the role-playing game and let Lorien join Yi Chen after Yi Chen confirmed he was committed to winning.
• Yi Chen and Lorien entered the Duke’s passage, and the Duke built a large gambling venue from Yi Chen’s memories.
• The Duke offered the Back-Seat People loans to bet, but they refused because they feared falling deeper into debt.
• Yi Chen woke in a child’s bedroom with a body around eight years old and quickly silenced the alarm clock.
• Yi Chen’s mother and father, watched by their Samoyed, told him to stay home and never go outside.

Yi Chen explored the Duke’s weakened gambling-game world, confirmed that pets were preventing children from leaving their homes, and stole letters from his mailbox. Snowy transformed into a monstrous creature, while the sight began to awaken Yi Chen’s sealed memories.

• Yi Chen assessed his weakened body and found his reduced weapons and suit in a suitcase.
• Yi Chen ate breakfast, explored the house, and discovered Snowy watched him and blocked his attempts to leave.
• Yi Chen observed that other children were trapped inside their homes and saw a mailman deliver letters to their mailboxes.
• Yi Chen locked Snowy in a kitchen cabinet, ran outside, and took several letters from his mailbox.
• Snowy appeared at the doorway and transformed into a four-meter creature with a skinless woman emerging from its dog body.
• Yi Chen froze at the sight of Snowy’s true form as sealed memories began to surface.

Yi Chen relived the memory of Xiao Yan’s transformation into a Guard Dog, awakened a lethal Death Attribute, and killed Xuerui. The Duke’s gambling challenge then ordered him to obtain Orphanage Qualification within two days, and Yi Chen prepared to face the returning parents outside his home.

• At age seven, Yi Chen led Xiao Yan on an escape attempt, deliberately chose a route where they would be caught, and watched as the orphanage turned Xiao Yan into a Guard Dog.
• As Xuerui attacked him beside the mailbox, Yi Chen awakened his Death Attribute and killed her with a black-threaded hand axe.
• The Duke realized Yi Chen’s Death Attribute was linked to his orphanage memories and decided to let it ease the gambling game’s difficulty.
• Yi Chen opened a letter requiring him to obtain Orphanage Qualification within two days and resolved to explore his memories further.
• Cars arrived outside every home, and Yi Chen saw his parents step out of their red Chevrolet as he understood what the qualification required.

Yi Chen endured a grotesque family dinner in the virtual game space, where Mother threatened to punish him for wasting food and the staged meal recalled the orphanage’s punishments. He killed both monster parents and concluded that the orphanage qualification required him to become an orphan, though his lack of memories of his parents made the scenario feel unconvincing.

• Yi Chen spoke with Mother, who asked about Sherry and warned that she would investigate whoever opened the mailbox.
• Mother served takeout beef stew, then demanded that Yi Chen eat every last bit and showed him the flesh-eating flies inside her mouth.
• Yi Chen recalled the orphanage’s punishments for wasting food and water, including the transformed orphans and concentrated acid.
• Yi Chen hurled his plate at Mother, kicked the table into the air, and used Father’s spilled acid to expose his skull before decapitating him.
• Yi Chen shot Mother, killed the monster couple, and wondered whether becoming an orphan satisfied the qualification requirement.

Yi Chen escaped his monstrous parents by blowing up their house and earned Orphanage Qualification, then boarded a school bus with Lorien and other orphans. On the way to the orphanage, Yi Chen told Lorien about his death in another world and revealed his grudge against the place they were heading.

• Yi Chen lured his regenerating parents into a gas explosion and waited outside with his suitcase as their house burned.
• The postman arrived in a school bus, took a family portrait of Yi Chen and the ruined parents, and told Yi Chen he had earned Orphanage Qualification.
• Yi Chen boarded the bus and reunited with Lorien, who was waiting among the other orphans.
• Lorien questioned Yi Chen about the strange world, and Yi Chen explained that he had died in his original world before awakening in a Cemetery worker's body.
• Yi Chen told Lorien that the orphanage from his childhood memories had nearly killed him, and Lorien offered to help him.

Yi Chen and Yuehen rolled a total of nine in their opening gamble, setting the difficulty to Hard before waking in a freezing bathroom at Black Mountain Orphanage. Most shower stations proved lethal, leaving the survivors to fight over the two that released warm water.

• The postman drove Yi Chen and the other orphans to Black Mountain Orphanage, and Yi Chen stayed awake until he recognized it before falling asleep.
• Duke began the opening gamble, and Yi Chen rolled a six while Yuehen rolled a three, making the difficulty Hard.
• Yi Chen and Yuehen awoke with the other boys in a freezing bathroom and saw ten shower stations as their apparent chance to survive.
• The boys who rushed to the showers found that four released freezing water and four sprayed concentrated acid, leaving only two stations with warm water.

Yi Chen and Moon Scar escaped the freezing bathroom trial by making clothes from their opponents’ skins and solving the hidden shower-valve mechanism. Teacher Cao welcomed them to the orphanage, but Yi Chen reacted violently, and Moon Scar knocked him unconscious as they left.

• Yi Chen realized the warm-water shower stations were decoys while the other orphans fought over them.
• Moon Scar killed the orphans and sewed their skins into insulated coats, then gave one to Yi Chen.
• Yi Chen found a hidden ring of numbers beneath a floor tile and set the shower valves to match them, ending the cold and opening the wall.
• Teacher Cao emerged with two guards, praised Yi Chen and Moon Scar, and assigned them a premium double room with privileges.
• Yi Chen lost control when Teacher Cao introduced herself, so Moon Scar knocked him unconscious and led him out as their chess pieces advanced.