Chapter Summaries

Murphy arranged a voluntary game-test invitation for Teacher Li’s wheelchair-using friend, a former lawyer, and encouraged Teacher Li to recruit other martial artists. Teacher Li visited his friend to persuade him to try the game, but the friend remained wary as the chapter ended.

• Murphy carried the drunken Triss to bed, then replied to Teacher Li’s request about inviting his friend to join the game test.
• Murphy approved a special application route for Teacher Li’s friend and offered Teacher Li invitation slots for vetted martial artists.
• Murphy read forum updates about the King of Fighters tournament and the Torrent Knight Order’s efforts to find and transport 2,300 refugees.
• Teacher Li visited his wheelchair-using friend, a former promising lawyer, and told him about the virtual reality game and its need for legal expertise.
• The friend rejected the idea of escaping into a fantasy world, but Teacher Li urged him to apply and help investigate the game.

Wang Xiao received his True Otherworld helmet and entered the game, where Natalie recruited him as an Adventurers' Guild errand runner. Their conversation ended with Wang Xiao asking Natalie to explain the Avalon God’s faith, leaving open whether he would become a believer.

• Wang Xiao examined the helmet delivered to his home and put it on to launch True Otherworld.
• Amber and Natalie discussed Eugene’s fanaticism and the strange doctrines players were spreading in the Cato region.
• Natalie entered Blood Vulture Corridor to report the players’ activities to Murphy and encountered the newly arrived Wang Xiao, known as the Raven.
• Natalie gave Wang Xiao an Oracular Orb and a psionic ID tag, and he activated the orb’s translation feature.
• Natalie offered Wang Xiao an Adventurers’ Guild errand-runner job, and he accepted while asking her to tell him about the Avalon God.

Raven told Old Li that Natalie’s doubts and emotional struggles suggested the people in Crimson Castle were real, and he planned to investigate the world by learning its language. Meanwhile, Murphy unlocked race conversion after Transia’s population passed one hundred thousand and decided to introduce player strongholds in the next update.

• Raven met Old Li after speaking with Natalie and described her crisis of faith and the possibility that the game’s NPCs were real people.
• Raven warned Old Li that the authorities might already be monitoring the players, then asked him to find a children’s dictionary so Raven could study the local language without relying on the translation orb.
• Murphy overheard Raven’s conversation and considered recruiting him as another hero before an administrator notification announced that Transia’s population had reached 100,057 and unlocked race-template collection and conversion.
• Murphy realized Triss could help players change races, potentially allowing Lumina to become an elf, but chose to keep the feature secret until a suitable moment.
• Murphy planned to use the population achievement to introduce player-run strongholds in the next update and reduce Miriam’s administrative workload.

Miss Peachy stopped Mirian’s carriage to discuss Fraser, but their conversation revealed Peachy’s doubts about her future and Mirian’s admiration for her. Mirian invited Peachy to stay in Transia and lead its warriors, leaving Murphy disappointed that their encounter was no lovers’ quarrel.

• Miss Peachy and Lady Liwen blocked Mirian’s carriage after work, and Mirian invited Peachy inside to talk about her fiancé, Fraser.
• Mirian assured Peachy that she and Fraser were only friends, while Peachy explained that she had questioned her arranged future after seeing Mirian’s example.
• Peachy admitted she felt unsuited to Mirian’s political path and offered to step aside, but Mirian rejected the idea that either woman should define herself by Fraser.
• Mirian praised Peachy’s courage and invited her to stay at Scarlet Castle as a potential successor to her grandfather among Transia’s warriors.
• Peachy answered with confusion, while Murphy, listening nearby, lamented that the conversation had not become the romantic rivalry he expected.

Biji decided to remain in Transia and fight in the war against the Black Disaster, but Kudell angrily forbade her from joining. Murphy proposed that she prove her strength by winning the Transian Boxing Championship under the alias Xiwei.

• Biji told Liwen she wanted to stay in Transia, and Liwen questioned her reasons and warned that the Capets might not allow it.
• Kudell gave Biji enchanted armor as a parting gift and ordered her to leave for Nantes the next morning.
• Biji announced that she would stay and fight, prompting Kudell to seize her ear and scold her for treating war like a fantasy.
• Murphy intervened and suggested that Biji win the Transian Boxing Championship to prove she could protect herself.
• Murphy told Biji to compete under the alias Xiwei and seek Femis's help changing her appearance.

Murphy persuaded Kudell to keep Biqi in Transia and assigned him to oversee a defensive line before Transia’s forces invaded the Filthy Swamp. At the arsenal, Loyal Bro reviewed players’ improvised weapons and put several of them on his watchlist for their dangerous skills.

• Murphy argued that Biqi would be safer and better trained in Transia, and Kudell reluctantly accepted that she should stay.
• Murphy told Kudell that construction of the defensive line between the Dark Baronies and the Filthy Swamp would begin the following week and assigned him to lead it.
• Murphy planned to take Transian forces into the Filthy Swamp after the King of Fighters tournament and fight alongside the Bloodsworn Knights in the Dark Mountains.
• Nightmare Bat Puppet showed Loyal Bro a cast gun barrel, and Loyal Bro directed him and Barrett to test it while arranging for more barrels to be made.
• Legendary Hero presented Loyal Bro with homemade black-powder blasting caps, and Loyal Bro decided to test them and put him on the watchlist.

Loyalty’s team welcomed investigator Meng Haha and discovered that her friend Terra Nova had drawn their attention, prompting the agency to investigate her. Terra Nova then contacted Sister Cement, who revealed her research into the game’s advanced quantum communication and prepared to involve Terra Nova while pursuing her own experiments.

• Loyalty and Jie Weichi Ke discussed their team’s intelligence work, their recruits in Transia, and plans to control a third-party Real Otherworld platform.
• Meng Haha arrived at the airport and explained that her friend had invited her into the game; Loyalty’s team watched her reunite with Niu Shiliu and Little Rich.
• Loyalty ordered his team to investigate the player ID Terra Nova after Meng Haha sent it to him.
• Terra Nova panicked after discovering the investigation and called Sister Cement to quit the assignment before she had even entered the game.
• Sister Cement urged Terra Nova to admit she had been forced to investigate, promised to manage the fallout, and continued developing a device to study the game’s quantum communication system.

Meng Haha warned Little Rich Guy and Sister Pomegranate about an unnatural flu outbreak, then discovered Alpha's delivery service had tracked her space-based address to deliver a game helmet. Murphy welcomed her into the game and watched Transian smiths unveil their first locally made psionic alloy, leaving Sharon to consider how to develop its uses and take charge of the arsenal.

• Meng Haha told Little Rich Guy and Sister Pomegranate that an unusual flu outbreak was spreading and urged them to stay indoors and stock up on food.
• Meng Haha found a game helmet delivered to Sister Pomegranate's apartment and realized Alpha had tracked her real-time location despite the space-based address she provided.
• Murphy reviewed Meng Haha's exceptional research and spatial talents, accepted the risk of her being an official, and headed toward the fight club.
• Master Broken Blade and Hundred-Forged Horse revealed Sico Steel, a psionic alloy they had developed, while Sharon confirmed it could store psionic energy inefficiently.
• Murphy encouraged Sharon to find uses for the alloy in high-end firearms and asked her to take charge of the arsenal; Sharon agreed to consider it after the tournament.

Taipal led the Stormrush Knights in escorting refugees and learned that new player slots and a possible stronghold were coming soon, prompting him to recruit more members and redouble their efforts. After returning from a seven-day absence, Happy Stick met Meliya Corando, who called him her Master, leaving Meow Brother convinced Brother Fa had given him a cyber wife.

• Taipal announced the deaths of three members of the 24th Patrol Squad and praised the survivors for bringing refugees safely to camp.
• The Stormrush Knights handed 427 registered refugees over to winged cavalry and learned that Commander Fording was recovering from a broken leg.
• Tiger Leopard Cavalry · Lin told Taipal to recruit candidates for mounted training and said new player slots and a possible stronghold were coming soon.
• Taipal ordered the Stormrush Knights to recruit more players and bring Lord Murphy over ten thousand refugees before the portal opened.
• Meow Brother and Happy Stick returned to Transia after seven days away, and Meliya Corando welcomed Happy Stick as her Master.
• Meow Brother demanded to know why Brother Fa had given Happy Stick a cyber wife and insisted that he wanted one too.

Happy Stick learned that his blood pact with Melia Colando had made her his first blood descendant and granted him new abilities, while also assigning him ongoing testing duties. After Meow Brother posted about it, vampire players rushed to pursue blood descendants of their own, and Alpha pointed them toward a newly released major update announcement.

• Happy Stick read the quest notices confirming his pact with Melia Colando, his combat bonuses, and his obligation to submit weekly observations.
• Happy Stick argued with Meow Brother about his new blood descendant, then left with Melia and her sister to talk privately.
• Meow Brother posted pictures and details of Melia on the forums, prompting vampire players to plan trips to the Kato region to find blood descendants.
• Ashina Female Sword Saint organized a group to pursue blood descendants, while other players discussed targeting weakened vampires and Winnie.
• After Happy Stick posted more pictures with Melia, forum users competed over Melia and Winnie, and Meow Brother asked Alpha to intervene.
• Alpha reassured Meow Brother that the Kato vampires had been strengthened and announced that the latest version update was likely the final major closed-test update.

Murphy published the Alpha 3.0 update, announcing player strongholds, guild-based tester recruitment, administrative roles, and a coming expansion tied to Transia’s defenses. Players reacted to the news, while Loyal Brother began preparing to move his organization into the game.

• Murphy posted a major update announcement after Happy Stick’s controversy distracted players from the notice.
• The update awarded Riptide Fort and Maginot Line to player guilds and outlined stronghold development, recruitment, and administrative systems.
• The announcement described a new public social platform and revealed that the expansion The Black Calamity Returns would shape the next stage of the story.
• The testing team warned vampire players against pursuing blood descendants early and clarified that Happy Stick’s blood pact feature had appeared by mistake.
• Happy Stick complained that caring for poisoned Melia gave him a debilitating Anemia debuff, while players discussed the new strongholds.
• Loyal Brother told Ziwei to register a guild and prepare to bring their organization into the game.

The players debated the stronghold awards, and Alpha’s census figures showed why the Surge Knights had earned one. As players discussed challenge quests and plotted to fight Murphy, he listened in, planned a brutal showdown, and returned the upgraded Scorpio to Meow Brother.

• Alpha shared census figures showing that the Surge Knights had found 9,714 displaced people, more than the other listed guilds combined, and Taipal explained their focused search effort.
• Meow King and Lumina Sunscar argued over competing for the remaining stronghold, while Alpha reminded players that other contributions could earn the Administrative Office’s favor.
• Sister Pomegranate Uproots the Willow and other players explained the difficult recommendation-letter challenges required to unlock a quest to fight Murphy.
• Murphy listened to the players discuss challenging him and decided he would show no mercy if they assembled a team to fight him.
• Murphy returned the upgraded demonic sword Scorpio to Meow Brother and told him that it was still incomplete.

Meow Brother completed the next stage of his hidden quest and obtained an enchanted flying replica of Necessary Evil, while Murphy planned to use the weapon to attract players to the Blood Eagle Clan. The newly appointed village chiefs then headed to their farms to begin developing their territories, with Taipal proposing an alchemy-herb business for Newbie Village.

• Meow Brother identified the Scorpio magic blade, bound it psychically, and learned from Murphy that damage to the flying sword could injure its wielder; he left to boast about it and consult Master Broken Blade.
• Murphy watched Meow Brother depart and hoped the weapon would draw envious players toward the Blood Eagle Clan.
• Taipal rode toward the third collective farm with Arcane Master Marlin and Goblin Tax Collector Goldflash, naming it Newbie Village and proposing that its villagers grow alchemical herbs for sale.
• Marlin and Goldflash questioned Taipal's plan and his willingness to force villagers to obey, but Taipal insisted that strict orders would bring prosperity and later earn their respect.
• The Wandering Scholar Zhou and his roommates planned to prospect for ore, while Pink Kitty Bunny prepared to build an inn on a trade route and coordinated with Village One's chief, Huozhengtinghao.
• Huozhengtinghao criticized the development plans drafted by his four secretaries and ordered them to revise their proposals.

Huozhengtinghao rejected his secretaries’ low-risk plan for Village One and proposed building prosperity by attracting northern merchants to a casino. He ordered them to prepare a cautious lottery trial while he sought help from the Bloodrat Gang.

• Huozhengtinghao told the Four Golden Flowers that Village One needed to pursue rapid development rather than depend on the Stonecutters' Brotherhood.
• Chenyu Luoyan and the other secretaries proposed making Village One a casino town aimed at merchants arriving from the north.
• Huozhengtinghao directed the secretaries to research casino operations and produce a plan within three days.
• Chenyu proposed testing local tolerance for gambling with a small-scale lottery, and Xiuhua suggested scratch-off tickets.
• Biyue advised involving locals and building ties with the authorities, while Huozhengtinghao agreed to approach the Bloodrat Gang and proposed forming the Transian Entertainment and Leisure Industry Guild.

Taipal took charge of Farm Three, renamed it the Starting Village, and promised its residents a more prosperous future. Meanwhile, Old Huo enlisted the Bloodrat Gang to help launch a scratch-off gambling business, and Dorothy agreed to hear his proposal.

• Taipal inspected Farm Three, learned that 27 residents were away seeking apprenticeships, and spoke with militia captain Godem Jon Portman about the farm and its incoming blood thralls.
• Taipal addressed the villagers, pledged to improve their lives, and renamed Farm Three the Starting Village, though many residents remained wary of him.
• At Farm One, Good Job distributed relief grain to villagers, then received a message from Kitty Bunny about renaming Farm Two Lion's Pride and developing postal routes.
• Old Huo told Kitty Bunny's envoy he would help find investors for the logistics venture, then met with Lady Dorothy to propose a scratch-off business.
• Dorothy questioned Old Huo about the venture's risks and potential returns, and Good Job insisted they proceed to business.

Little Sharon agreed to build Dorothy a scratch-ticket printing machine while preparing to leave for the Andmar Hills munitions factory. Meanwhile, Mengha joined Sister Pomegranate in True Otherworld and began exploring, ending up at a group of players who were trying to make cement.

• Little Sharon examined Dorothy’s lottery ticket proposal and agreed to build a machine that could produce scratch tickets for two hundred and fifty gold coins.
• Dorothy left to seek Lady Adele and Lord Murphy’s approval for the gambling scheme before putting it into action.
• Sister Pomegranate welcomed Mengha to True Otherworld, helped her register, and arranged to meet her later that evening.
• Mengha warned Sister Pomegranate that a nationwide lockdown was being implemented and urged her and her friends to stay home.
• Mengha explored the city and questioned how a group of young people had made their cement look like a pile of slimes.

Mengha investigated cement-making and Scarlet Keep, concluding that True Otherworld could not be an ordinary game and might involve real transmigration, though she chose to keep investigating rather than report everything. She met Sister Cement’s friends, scored highly on their test, and joined the Silver Moon’s Pride group as a special guest archmage.

• Mengha advised Ashes of Construction and Bricklayer to research specialty cement, suggested bamboo rebar as a substitute for steel, and declined to join the Stoneworkers' Guild.
• Mengha surveyed Scarlet Keep’s trade and residential districts and concluded that the world’s complexity exceeded any computing system available to humanity.
• Mengha considered whether the players had undergone controlled soul transmigration and decided to delay submitting a report so she could keep exploring.
• Mengha declined What Color Is Loyalty’s guild invitation, suggested a more neutral guild name, and accepted a starter pack of gold coins and psychic-energy packs.
• Little Ashina tested Mengha, who revealed she had scored 144 and planned to train as a psychic apprentice.
• Lumina welcomed Mengha as the Silver Moon's Pride group's special guest archmage, while Little Ashina arranged a flight to bring Lumina and her classmates together offline.

Murphy appointed Kudell to command the Transian Southern Front and promoted Banzai Happy Stick to captain of a new 300-person assault company, opening the military rank system to players. Happy Stick and Lin began planning recruitment and distinctive equipment as the Black Calamity drew nearer.

• Dorothy assigned new players to clean the Bloodrat Gang’s arena, where Juelan and the other Demon Eight members decided to enter the tournament and compete among themselves.
• Murphy gave Kudell command of the Southern Front and ordered him to build defenses and a forward base while preparing to push into the Filthy Swamp.
• Murphy promoted Happy Stick to captain of a new 300-person Cadman People's Army assault company and entrusted him with training troops and helping build the front.
• Happy Stick unlocked a server-first achievement, and the military rank system opened, allowing players to enlist as soldiers and pursue command ranks.
• Happy Stick and Lin planned to recruit players, design uniforms and insignia with Lady Shui, and obtain special weapons for the Cadman Assaulters.

Murphy assigned Adele and Andre to help investigate the Bonechewer Clan’s activity in the Filthy Swamp while keeping Transia’s construction on track. Little Ashina’s scratch-card outing ended with a mysterious middle-aged man approaching her in the crowded sewers.

• Murphy briefed Maxim, Kudel, Adele, and Andre on the Bloodclaw Clan’s safe swamp routes and the Bonechewer warlocks searching for their king’s lost treasure.
• Adele volunteered to lead the Shadow Intelligence Bureau’s investigation, and Andre offered the Thorn Clan’s Nightwalkers to support the covert operation.
• Little Ashina introduced scratch cards from the Blood Rat Gang to Mengha and the other Silvermoon Pride members, who joined her in scratching tickets and comparing prizes.
• Little Ashina, Menghaha, and Lumina went to the sewers to claim their prizes while Shiliu and Orchid stayed behind at camp.
• Little Ashina found the sewers packed with people buying tickets after a local won the grand prize, then a smiling middle-aged man approached her with important questions.

Little Weiming told Yang Qishan about her experience using the game headset, and he sought approval for his vegetative son A-Feng to try one. Murphy decided to pursue the test as a chance to demonstrate the headset’s capabilities, while Alpha Company’s Operations Team received a mysterious package from the True Otherworld Development Team.

• Firework Beef Bowl introduced himself to Little Weiming as Yang Qishan and explained that his son A-Feng had been left in a vegetative state after a shipwreck.
• After Brother Cat explained why he had brought Yang to her, Little Weiming described her health and headset experience and urged him to apply to Brother Fa.
• Yang messaged Alpha, who said the development team would consult its medical and hardware teams and required confidentiality and acceptance of the risks before testing A-Feng.
• Murphy considered the possible diplomatic value of the test and discovered that he could customize the headset’s appearance and add a message.
• Yang contacted Alpha Company’s Operations Team, which said he and A-Feng might need to move to the mainland if the test was approved.
• Jie Wei Chi Ke brought Loyal Bro a package found at the guardhouse, bearing a note signed by the True Otherworld Development Team asking the Operations Team to arrange the hardware test.