Recaps

Lin Yu learned that Mountain Sparrow and Mad Saber had killed Gu Ya Zun, then watched the auction begin as April and the pair competed for [Mermaid's Tear]. The bidding escalated, leaving the two sides locked in a contest for the item.

• Lin Yu had Hannah secretly monitor Mountain Sparrow and Mad Saber after confirming they were inside the Auction House.
• Lin Yu learned that Mountain Sparrow and Mad Saber had killed Gu Ya Zun and decided to exploit their stolen identity while adjusting his plans.
• The auction began, and Lin Yu's dish sold before the bidding for [Mermaid's Tear] started.
• Mad Saber bid one million five hundred thousand for [Mermaid's Tear], prompting April to raise the bid to two million.
• Mountain Sparrow told Mad Saber to raise the price normally, and Mad Saber bid two million five hundred thousand.

Lin Yu and April outbid Mad Saber and Mountain Sparrow for two Lost Treasures, then used an anonymous bomb report to expose the pair’s plot. Mad Saber and Mountain Sparrow prepared to detonate their bombs early and break out as guards approached.

• Lin Yu stopped April from bidding further on the Mermaid’s Tears, explaining that the high price would limit Mad Saber and Mountain Sparrow’s credit for Lost Treasures.
• Lin Yu and April used their auction proceeds to buy two Lost Treasures, leaving Mad Saber and Mountain Sparrow unable to bid without verifying their assets.
• Mountain Sparrow suspected the rivals had deliberately let them win and warned Mad Saber that they might have seen through their disguises.
• The auction house supervisor announced that guards were coming because of an anonymous report that a bomb had been planted in Gu Ya Zun’s private room.
• Mountain Sparrow realized the report would bring guards prepared for an explosion, and ordered Mad Saber to detonate the bombs early and prepare to break out.

Mountain Sparrow and Mad Saber fought their way through the Siren Guard after their bomb failed to create an escape, while April headed toward Sea Eye Venerable’s residence and learned that security had been reinforced. April chose to trust Yayu’s plan despite the growing danger.

• Mountain Sparrow warned Mad Saber that the Diviner or his trusted subordinates might be behind the ambush and explained the Diviner’s soul-possession ability.
• The Siren Guard broke into the room as Mad Saber’s bomb exploded, but their armor and shields let them withstand the blast.
• Mountain Sparrow and Mad Saber attacked the Siren Guard and fought forward through the Auction House.
• April heard Sirens discuss Gu Ya Zun’s death, the attack, and the increased security at Sea Eye Venerable’s residence.
• April worried that Yayu’s plan had become harder to carry out, but decided to trust her.

April attended Sea Eye Venerable’s private auction, where she was summoned to discuss a transaction involving the [Mermaid's Tear]. Sea Eye Venerable showed her a crystal containing five [Mermaid's Tears], leaving their deal ready to be discussed.

• April entered Sea Eye Venerable’s residence and listened as the sea monster guests discussed the Auction House explosion and Gu Ya Zun’s death.
• The butler announced that Sea Eye Venerable would not attend the auction because he wanted to meet April privately about the [Mermaid's Tear] transaction.
• April followed the butler to Sea Eye Venerable’s study and found him examining an ancient artifact.
• Sea Eye Venerable opened a case and revealed five [Mermaid's Tears] sealed inside a large transparent crystal.

April questioned the Sea Eye Venerable about his hatred of Mermaids and learned that a trusted Mermaid had betrayed him, leaving him convinced that survival required hatred. An explosion outside gave April the signal she had been waiting for, and she drew her Tranquilizer Pistol and fired at him.

• April stalled by inspecting the Mermaid's Tear and asked the Sea Eye Venerable why he hated Mermaids.
• The Sea Eye Venerable explained that his trusted Mermaid companion had trapped him in an ancient facility to rewrite his life form and left him to die.
• April recognized the Sea Eye Venerable's despair and agreed that survival could require malice.
• An explosion shook the residence, and April took it as Yayu's signal.
• April aimed her Tranquilizer Pistol at the Sea Eye Venerable and pulled the trigger.

April escaped Sea Eye Venerable’s mansion with the Mermaid’s Tears and headed for the Tide-Chasing Festival’s main venue to meet Yayu. Mad Saber blocked her in a hidden alley, and April realized Yayu had likely planned for her to face only one weakened opponent.

• April stabbed Sea Eye Venerable, knocked him unconscious with a Tranquilizer Dart, and took the five Mermaid’s Tears.
• The butler told April that an explosion in the kitchen had triggered the alarm, and she slipped away while he went to check on Sea Eye Venerable.
• A second explosion struck the mansion’s courtyard, allowing April to escape amid the chaos and head toward the festival venue.
• April used the hidden alley and evaded the Sea Monster Security Force, which was responding to the explosion.
• Mad Saber blocked April near the main venue and explained that Mountain Sparrow had used his comics to mislead their pursuers.
• April noticed Mad Saber’s serious injuries and suspected Yayu had calculated that only one weakened opponent would intercept her.

April defeated Mad Saber despite her injuries, then headed toward the venue without killing him. Lin Yu learned that her victory had disrupted his plan to have Mad Saber intercept her, as Zhu Qiansi and Hannah reported the unexpected outcome.

• April fought recklessly, defeated Mad Saber, and heard him admit defeat.
• April reflected that Yayu had trusted her, spared Mad Saber, and dragged herself toward the venue.
• Lin Yu had expected Mad Saber and his Night Watcher partner to escape the Auction House and intercept April before she reached the private auction.
• Lin Yu had planned for April to lose the five Mermaid's Tears while surviving so she could report to the Marauders and remain someone he could trust.
• Zhu Qiansi and Hannah appeared in diving suits and told Lin Yu that April's victory was a variable in the plan.

Lin Yu waited backstage at the Tide-Chasing Festival while Mountain Sparrow tracked him down and deduced much of his plan to obtain the [Mermaid's Tear]. Lin Yu revealed that Sea Eye Venerable was his partner, and Sea Eye Venerable arrived to trap Mountain Sparrow in frozen seawater.

• Hannah reported that Mad Saber had become useless, and Lin Yu decided the development would not disrupt his plan.
• Lin Yu waited backstage with his Rune-etched Short Sword until Mountain Sparrow found him.
• Mountain Sparrow deduced that Lin Yu had already stolen the [Mermaid's Tear] and used chaos to buy time, though he believed Lin Yu was covering his own escape.
• Lin Yu admitted that Mountain Sparrow had correctly guessed much of the plan but said the explosions at Sea Eye Venerable's Mansion had been caused by Sea Eye Venerable, his partner.
• Sea Eye Venerable emerged behind Mountain Sparrow and imprisoned him in crystallized seawater.

Lin Yu defeated Mountain Sparrow’s resistance and brought him to the Tide-Chasing Festival, where he revealed a video of the massacre of the merfolk royals. Mountain Sparrow realized Lin Yu had deliberately created nearly fifty Mermaid’s Tears and saw him as a true demon.

• Mountain Sparrow claimed he was expecting reinforcements, but Lin Yu exposed his bluff and told him Mad Saber had lost to April.
• Lin Yu told Mountain Sparrow he would spare him so he could report Lin Yu’s operation to the Night Watcher and Order.
• Lin Yu and the Sea Eye Venerable released Mountain Sparrow and entered the Tide-Chasing Festival’s main stage with the Sea Eye Venerable’s private soldiers.
• Lin Yu addressed the crowd and played a video showing merfolk royals forced to kill one another, while his voice threatened to kill any survivors after fifteen minutes.
• Mountain Sparrow recognized the bag of nearly fifty Mermaid’s Tears and realized Lin Yu had created them through the massacre.

Lin Yu and Sea Eye Venerable used the merfolk royals’ massacre to rally support for war against the Merfolk Kingdom. After Sea Eye Venerable announced his bid to become Regent and declare war, Lin Yu left with April and explained why she had been kept out of the full plan.

• Sea Eye Venerable joined Lin Yu onstage and identified her as the true culprit behind the merfolk royals’ slaughter.
• Sea Eye Venerable condemned the Merfolk Royal Family’s exploitation and recalled Regent Gu Ya Zun’s murder while calling for justice.
• Sea Eye Venerable announced that he would run to become Regent and declare war on the Merfolk Kingdom, drawing support from radical sea monsters.
• Lin Yu vanished from the stage and found April in the crowd, then gave her the cracked Lost Treasure containing an Ancient Civilization relic.
• Lin Yu told April that he had kept her unaware of the plan so she could mislead Order, and said her kindness made her unsuited to being a Marauder.

Lin Yu explained why he had kept his plan from April and invited her to join his future team as vice-captain. He then revealed how he had manipulated Sea Eye Venerable and deliberately provoked Prince Lide to kill the Merfolk Royal Family for their Mermaid's Tears.

• Lin Yu explained that he had hidden his plan so April's state of mind would not interfere with her fight against Order's Mad Saber, and April admitted it may have helped her win.
• Lin Yu asked April to join his future team, and she accepted only after negotiating for the position of vice-captain.
• April asked about Sea Eye Venerable, and Lin Yu explained that he had cooperated with him by promising to kill the Merfolk Royal Family, while Sea Eye Venerable staged his apparent death and prepared a venue.
• Lin Yu revealed that he had decided to target the Merfolk Royal Family when he accepted the mission and had provoked Prince Lide in Baobol City to obtain Mermaid's Tears by torturing and killing them.

After completing the game, Lin Yu and April returned to the Settlement Space, where they encountered Mad Saber, Mountain Sparrow, and an unfamiliar player. The newcomer introduced himself as Yellow Sand from the Player Mutual Aid Society, while Mountain Sparrow warned him that Lin Yu was from Marauders.

• April praised Lin Yu's long-term plans for working with Sea Eye Venerable, and Lin Yu said he hoped the Merfolk Royal Family would be wiped out because he despised their ruling class.
• April explained that she regretted killing her cheating boyfriend too quickly, then she and Lin Yu opened their Lost Treasures to evacuate.
• Lin Yu and April completed the game "Tide of Return" and received seven days of Survival Time.
• Lin Yu and April arrived in the Settlement Space, where they saw Mad Saber and Mountain Sparrow again.
• Lin Yu introduced himself to the unfamiliar player, Yellow Sand, and Mountain Sparrow interrupted to warn him that Lin Yu belonged to Marauders.

After the settlement, Lin Yu collected four item rewards and examined them back at the hotel. He discovered that the seemingly ordinary oyster sauce was a dangerous gift from a divine chosen one, and realized it was his most valuable reward.

• Lin Yu argued with Mountain Sparrow and Mad Saber, while April taunted Mad Saber after the opposing group admitted they had been outplayed in the instance.
• Lin Yu invited Yellow Sand to add him as a friend, and Yellow Sand discreetly agreed.
• Lin Yu received the ratings Master of Control and Famous Far and Wide, earning Scale Greaves, Oyster Sauce, String, and an item of the Void God's Attendant.
• Lin Yu returned to the hotel, examined the Tide String, Shadow of the Void God's Attendant, and Ancient Scale Greaves, then read the oyster sauce's description.
• Lin Yu learned that the oyster sauce was made from man-eating oysters and had been prepared as a dangerous seasoning by Ka for Ba, so he put it away carefully.

Lin Yu received Ka’s [Delicious Oyster Sauce] and caught up on messages, learning that Captain Gao Shan had passed his Rank Advancement Trial and that Yayu’s work had impressed the Marauders. A'yu revealed that the Celestial King was designing an Item and had chosen the mermaid tears mainly because she liked their appearance.

• Lin Yu decided to give Ka’s [Delicious Oyster Sauce] to Hannah and planned to study its effects later.
• As the Director, Lin Yu congratulated Captain Gao Shan on passing his Rank Advancement Trial and obtaining a blueprint for reaching Tier 3.
• April sent Yayu her report about the mission, and Lin Yu trusted her without reading it.
• A'yu praised Yayu’s performance, confirmed that the Celestial King had a good impression of him, and said his rewards would exceed expectations.
• Lin Yu asked what the Celestial King needed the mermaid tears for, and A'yu explained that they were decorative raw materials for an Item she was designing.

Lin Yu mastered Alchemy: Butterfly Wing and changed into Zhu Ming when Li Nian’s sudden silence worried him. He found Li Nian hanging in her bedroom, cut her down, and discovered she had written “Help” in the Ancient Notebook.

• Lin Yu used stored belief to master Alchemy: Butterfly Wing after Tycoon offered to give him its materials.
• Lin Yu found no messages from Schreiber or the other people he had met and planned to bring Schreiber along on a future Instance.
• Lin Yu noticed that Li Nian had gone silent after returning from an Instance and could not reach her by phone.
• Lin Yu teleported to Jiang City, changed into Zhu Ming, and went to Li Nian’s house.
• Lin Yu found Li Nian hanging from a rope, cut her down, and saw the unfinished word “Help” in the Ancient Notebook she clutched.

Lin Yu learned that Li Nian had lost about half her soul and might never wake up unless it was recovered, so he decided to enter the Gray Domain to retrieve it. After informing the Freedom Alliance that Li Nian was unconscious, he met Braised Carp King, who arrived through a conjured door and asked about her condition.

• Old Zheng told Lin Yu that Li Nian’s body and mind were functioning, but half her soul was missing, and he explained what little he knew about the Gray Domain.
• Lin Yu resolved to enter the Gray Domain to recover Li Nian’s soul, despite Old Zheng’s warnings, and learned that restoring it was the only possible path to her recovery.
• Lin Yu arranged leave for his other identities and told the Freedom Alliance that Li Nian was unconscious after an accident in her last Instance.
• Braised Carp King appeared through a conjured wooden door, identified herself to Lin Yu, and asked about Li Nian’s condition.
• Lin Yu told Braised Carp King that Li Nian might never wake without her soul being restored, and Braised Carp King gave her code name as Player.

Fang Qing and the Freedom Alliance searched for a way to wake Li Nian, whose soul had been affected by the Gray Domain. After their experts found no treatment, Qianhuan proposed entering the Gray Domain herself.

• Shen Bingmiao contacted Fang Qing through Li Nian's computer and phone, recognized that the Gray Domain had caused Li Nian's condition, and offered help, but Fang Qing refused.
• Fang Qing warned Lin Yu not to trust Hacker completely and said the Alliance would look for a solution once everyone arrived.
• The Freedom Alliance members gathered at Li Nian's home, where Xiao Yun confirmed that half of Li Nian's soul was missing even though her body, mind, and soul otherwise seemed healthy.
• Comedian, God of Cookery, and Wang Yuyang shared that they knew of no safe way to treat Li Nian, and Qianhuan insisted on going to the Gray Domain to investigate.

The group debated entering the Gray Domain to rescue A Nian, who had been found unconscious after using Lin Yu’s recording Item there. Lin Yu agreed to go and proposed binding Hacker, the Jiangcheng Administrator’s agent, to the Director so she could not betray them.

• Lin Yu explained that A Nian’s Ancient Notebook had recorded information from the Gray Domain, though he feared lending it to her had contributed to her accident.
• Qianhuan showed the group A Nian’s unanswered messages to her parents and insisted they had to go because A Nian had only them.
• Fang Qing explained that most of the group could not enter the Gray Domain and that she distrusted Hacker, who had offered to help.
• Lin Yu suggested using his Fragment of Fate to guide them toward clues, and Comedian said Lin Yu was among the most suitable people to go.
• Qianhuan volunteered to accompany Lin Yu, while the group debated whether Hacker could be trusted to help them enter the Gray Domain.
• Lin Yu proposed binding Hacker to the Director so she would be unable to play tricks on them.

Lin Yu prepared to enter the Gray Domain with the Director to rescue A Nian, while the Freedom Alliance discussed how the plan could help them capture the Hacker. The Alliance members gave Lin Yu valuable Items and protection, and he left with their warnings to return safely with A Nian.

• Qianhuan questioned whether Zhu Ming could get the Director into the Gray Domain, and Lin Yu said the Director owed him.
• Lin Yu refused Qianhuan’s offer to join him, saying that Qianhuan would hinder his actions in the dangerous Gray Domain.
• Qianhuan gave Lin Yu the Magic Handkerchief, God of Cookery handed him the Old-fashioned Lunchbox, and the mountaineer added the Stone from Another Mountain.
• Xiao Yun prayed for protection against witchcraft and poison curses, then Old Zhou gave Lin Yu his Thunder Demon-Quelling Cross Crutches.
• Fishing Man offered Lin Yu the Bait Lure, while Fang Qing warned him not to take Items from the Tier 4 members and urged him to be careful.

Lin Yu prepared to enter the Gray Domain to recover the Ancient Notebook and save the Thief, while Shen Bingmiao explained its dangers and used her authority over the Death game's rules to grant him access. The chapter ended as Lin Yu joined the one-player game Town Life.

• Lin Yu returned to the hotel with supplies and decided he would enter the Gray Domain to recover the Ancient Notebook and help Li Nian.
• Shen Bingmiao warned Lin Yu that the Gray Domain's NPCs and other beings were dangerous, and that time, memory, and cognition could not be trusted there.
• Lin Yu speculated that the Gray Domain might contain the remaining four of the Ten Realms, and asked Shen Bingmiao how she could send him there.
• Shen Bingmiao explained that her experience and authority let her exploit the Death game's rules, though opening access would cost her substantial resources.
• Shen Bingmiao generated an administrator access code, and Lin Yu was placed into the game Town Life as its sole player.

Lin Yu woke from a disorienting dream in class and tried to make sense of unfamiliar feelings and gaps in his memories. As the final exams approached, he remained unsure why school and the exams felt so important.

• Lin Yu woke sprawled over his desk and recognized himself as a reserved student in Class 9, Grade 1, at Wudu Bilingual Elite Middle School.
• Zhao Shengwen asked why Lin Yu had slept so deeply, and Lin Yu recalled staying up late to watch the play Miss Julie.
• Lin Yu enthusiastically explained one-act plays but could not remember the name of the theater festival, leaving him unsettled by his own thoughts.
• After class, Lin Yu noticed his handsome reflection and wondered why he was unknown, then declined Zhao Shengwen's offer to bring him snacks.
• Lin Yu considered reviewing for the final exams but questioned whether his math was truly poor and why the exams felt so important.

Lin Yu went outside to relax and encountered Lu Xiao, a renowned beauty from another class, who asked whether he had remembered something and told him to meet her on the rooftop at noon. Her unexpected familiarity left Lin Yu confused, while He Jinzhe questioned how they knew each other.

• Lin Yu left Class 9 to get some air and watched students chatting and playing table tennis.
• He Jinzhe's friends teased him when Lu Xiao walked past, and He Jinzhe loudly denied liking her.
• Lu Xiao stopped in front of Lin Yu, asked whether he had remembered, and invited him to meet her on the rooftop after school at noon.
• Lu Xiao walked away, leaving Lin Yu puzzled about what she meant and how she could reach the sealed rooftop.
• He Jinzhe asked Lin Yu when he had gotten to know Lu Xiao, and Lin Yu said he did not know her.

Lin Yu deflected He Jinzhe’s suspicions about Lu Xiao by convincing him she was testing his reaction, then returned to studying. He left the rooftop invitation unanswered, insisting that passing his exams and doing math mattered more.

• He Jinzhe questioned Lin Yu about his connection to Lu Xiao, and Lin Yu claimed she had likely picked him for a prank or dare.
• Lin Yu suggested Lu Xiao had deliberately chosen him to test He Jinzhe, leading He Jinzhe to believe she might be interested in him.
• Zhao Shengwen returned with snacks, giving Lin Yu a chance to leave He Jinzhe and go back to his seat.
• Lin Yu told Zhao Shengwen that Lu Xiao had invited him to the rooftop, but refused to go because he needed to study for his exams.

Lin Yu began to suspect that his memories and his current identity were false after Lu Xiao called him “Director” and warned him he had forgotten his purpose. On the rooftop, Lu Xiao confessed to him, but Lin Yu noticed her expression contradicted her words, and his phone vibrated with renewed urgency.

• Lin Yu enjoyed a lavish packed lunch while his classmates left for the cafeteria or went home.
• Lu Xiao confronted Lin Yu in the corridor, warning that he was forgetting more and more and reminding him of his purpose.
• Lin Yu questioned whether his memories were real, and Lu Xiao led him to the rooftop, saying his self-perception did not match reality.
• Lu Xiao confessed that she liked Lin Yu and took his hands, but Lin Yu sensed something was wrong and remembered her brief expression of painful inner conflict.
• Lin Yu's phone vibrated more urgently than before, as though warning him of imminent danger.

Lin Yu uncovered a recording on his phone that revealed he was a Player from another world whose memories had been altered by a hostile false world. Lu Xiao recovered her own memories and told Lin Yu they could use their memory anchors to escape, while explaining that he had entered voluntarily to find and rescue a friend.

• Lin Yu resisted Lu Xiao's attempt to take his phone and opened an alarm labeled "Recording" that contained three audio files.
• Lin Yu played a recording in his own voice that explained the Death game, the world's interference with Players' memories, and the need to preserve a coherent sense of self.
• Lin Yu recognized that he had been in this world since at least April 30 and sensed that staying for over a month was rare for someone from another world.
• Lu Xiao recovered from the rooftop's influence and explained that the sunlight and heat had interfered with their thoughts.
• Lu Xiao told Lin Yu that they were both Players, that she had been trapped longer, and that he had come to find and rescue his friend.