Chapter Summaries

As Lolth’s new faith spread through Deep Shadow City, her followers disrupted an assassination attempt on Matriarch Drusilia, but masked attackers later targeted her unborn child. Sarif Shadowblade rescued Drusilia and led her away, intending to use her help against the greater conspirators.

• The Abyssal Cult launched a violent attack on Lady Drusilia’s carriage, while Lolth’s followers used downloaded divine spells to disrupt the assassins and help her escape.
• Coachman Sadin told Drusilia he had joined the Super Hacker Group to follow Lolth, and Drusilia asked to learn more about the city’s chatroom.
• Assassins ambushed Drusilia near her tower and attacked her belly, but a masked swordsman killed them before they could harm her.
• The rescuer revealed himself as Sarif Shadowblade, spared Drusilia, and said traitors had taken over her tower and a distant guest wanted to see her.
• Drusilia agreed to follow Sarif and said her unborn son would be sent to his father, while Sarif asked her to help him take out several people.

Sarrif rescued the pregnant Matriarch Drusilia and hid her in Shadowdeep City’s smuggling tunnels while Murphy and Vilance came to retrieve her. The chapter ended with Murphy stopping Drusilia’s sword and greeting her as “Madam Bai” or “sister-in-law.”

• Sarrif led the injured Drusilia through Shadowdeep City’s sewers and questioned her about her past and her support for men.
• Drusilia refused to reveal her private history, and Sarrif told her to wait in a hidden refuge until help arrived.
• Drusilia chose not to contact her daughters and decided to observe events while waiting for the guests Sarrif had mentioned.
• Murphy learned from Vilance that Shadowdeep City’s chatroom had fostered large offline groups and helped plan many recent attacks.
• Murphy and Vilance opened the hidden refuge, where Drusilia attacked with a sword and Murphy caught the blade between two fingers.

Lady Drusilia told Murphy how Old Bai saved her from slavery, trained her, and became her lover, while she built Callem’s influence in the Eternal Rift. Learning Old Bai could reincarnate within six months, she asked Murphy to help settle the Shadow Elves’ troubles so she could reunite with him.

• Murphy and Drusilia discussed Old Bai’s coming reincarnation and her concern for their daughters, while Viance examined Drusilia and confirmed her unborn child was healthy.
• Drusilia explained that her sisters had abandoned her in the Gray Desert, where Duze rescued her from slavery and entrusted her to Old Bai.
• Drusilia described how Old Bai taught her to pursue power and reshape the Shadow Elves, and how their intimacy grew into love and a family.
• Drusilia revealed she was Callem’s appointed administrator and had built trade and political ties to prepare the Eternal Rift’s eventual union with Callem.
• Murphy warned that Old Bai might reincarnate within six months, and Drusilia asked him to resolve the Shadow Elves’ crisis quickly so she could join Old Bai.

Murphy and Triss discussed Duze, Drusilia’s plans for the umbral elves, and the coming fight against the Swarm in Shadow City. After Drusilia returned, she confronted her daughters over the attempt on her life, while her eldest daughter prepared to secure the succession and shape the umbral elves’ future.

• Murphy told Triss that she had once saved Duze, whose family still honored her, and explained that Drusilia had returned to the Eternal Rift to avoid being exploited for her unusual constitution.
• Murphy outlined Drusilia’s plan to unite the umbral elves under Kallam, described the coming conflict with the ratmen over the Eternal Rift, and said the group would search Shadow City for the corrupted Gene Messenger.
• Drusilia returned to her tower, sealed Shadow City, and questioned her three daughters about the attempt on her life before sending them away to meet the other matrons.
• The eldest daughter confronted her sisters, learned that the youngest had been manipulated and the second had schemed for succession, and ordered both to serve as ambassadors in Castia and Transia.
• Genevieve told the eldest daughter that her sisters’ retainers had been dealt with, arranged a meeting with Regent Iverios, and urged her to build ties with Murphy, the Super Hackers, and the umbral elves.

Happy Stick’s squad was diverted to receive a secret genetic messenger intended to disrupt the insect swarm’s evolution, while Cheche asked him for advice about pursuing Trix. When the Sword of Cape arrived, the group spotted a familiar-looking swarm lord summoned in the air and prepared to fight.

• Happy Stick agreed to take a small group back to the Eternal Rift’s entrance to receive a confidential genetic messenger for Murphy.
• Cheche joined Happy Stick and learned that the swarm could produce dragon bugs soon, while its rear in the Gray Desert posed a greater danger.
• Cheche asked Happy Stick how to win Trix’s affection, and Happy Stick suggested seeking advice from Sanwudou and gaining Lady Lolth’s favor.
• Happy Stick and Cheche waited for Brigadier General Fraser’s Sword of Cape to arrive with two entomologists and the special item.
• Taranova summoned a creature that looked like a swarm lord, and Happy Stick ordered the group to prepare for battle.

Phylosil, Laven, and Yvette joined Murphy’s campaign to save Shadowdeep City and reunite the Shadow Elves with Castile. In the city, Vilanser’s hackers located the fallen gene messenger, but Murphy ordered them to preserve the scene so it could be replaced with a genetic bomb intended for the swarm.

• Phylosil led the Bloodsworn Order’s Penal Battalion toward Shadowdeep City to help the Shadow Elves return to Castile.
• Murphy met Phylosil with Laven and Yvette, who pledged to fight the Abyssal Sisterhood and reunite the Shadow Elves with their kin.
• Vilanser’s search teams failed to find the gene messenger in the sewers, while hackers proposed tracking flying bugs and evacuating civilians ahead of the swarm.
• Old Sadin contacted Vilanser and reported that masked Abyssal Sisters were feeding captives to a red bug monster at the Mathis family matriarch’s estate.
• Vilanser armed her hackers and prepared to attack the estate, but Murphy told them to destroy the gene messenger without damaging the scene so his team could replace it with a genetic bomb.

Lady Drusilia convened the shadow elf mistresses and the Abyssal Sisterhood to address the Spider Lady’s abandonment, but the Third Seat used the meeting to demand their submission to the Undying One. The Sisterhood’s coup appeared to succeed until Salif Shadowblade and a black dragon burst into the chamber, leaving him to face the High Priestesses.

• Lady Drusilia opened the council by asking the Abyssal Sisterhood why the Spider Lady had abandoned the shadow elves and how they could regain her blessing.
• The Third Seat accused Lolth of betraying the shadow elves and declared that the Sisterhood would replace her faith with worship of the Undying One.
• Tira stabbed the Third Seat with a poisoned sword, but the High Priestess survived and declared that Drusilia and her daughters were stripped of their titles.
• The Sisterhood’s family captain turned against Drusilia, Mistress Mattis sided with the Undying One, and Mistress Nata and the last remaining mistress stood with Drusilia.
• A black dragon tore open the tower’s spire as Salif Shadowblade and his clones attacked the family captain and blocked the High Priestesses from pursuing Drusilia.
• Salif Shadowblade faced the gathered Gold-rank High Priestesses and challenged them to fight.

Shadow Grandmother Drusilia rallied her family and allies against the Abyssal Sisterhood as battles erupted throughout Deep Shadow City. In the Tower of Deep Shadow, Shadowblade fought overwhelming numbers until Truman’s apparent spirit urged him to accept Lady Rose’s help, and the chapter ended as they prepared to fight together.

• Shadow Grandmother Drusilia sent Tila to arm the Western Border Dragon Guards and ordered her other daughters to escort Matriarch Nata and Matriarch Sinclair to safety.
• Drusilia showed Nata and Sinclair visions through Computing Orbs of the city’s defenders, approaching allies, and Lady Rose’s support, then promised the Shadow Elves would end their divided rule.
• Shadowblade killed the Dabria family's captain of the guards, who gave him his dragonfang sword and died after shielding him from the Third High Priestess’s attack.
• Shadowblade used his clones and dragonfang swords to kill enemies, including the Third High Priestess, while Lady Rose repeatedly offered him combat support.
• Shadowblade called Apollys and Runar into the council chamber, and the dragons broke through the tower roof to attack the High Priestesses and their allies.
• Truman appeared to Shadowblade and encouraged him to accept Lady Rose’s help; Shadowblade formed a fighting pair with his last clone and prepared to attack alongside Truman.

Murphy coordinated Shadow City's defense as Chaos and the approaching swarm threatened to overwhelm it, then entered a corruption zone with Yvette and Raven to confront the Abyss Sisterhood. After the First Seat proclaimed Longevity’s plague would spread across the world, Murphy saw the swarm arrive and learned that Sin Bastion had been reclaimed and the Genesis Matrix remained intact.

• Murphy sent Triss and Adele to help House D'Aubria's guards hold the walls while he used the Omega Protocol to suppress Chaos spreading through Shadow City.
• Murphy joined Yvette and Raven in hunting the Abyss Sisterhood, and the three fought their way through a district filled with fallen elves and Chaos abominations.
• At the district's center, the First Seat corrupted shadow elves with Longevity's power and promised to spread the blessing of eternal life throughout the world.
• Murphy bound and purified the newly transformed followers, then left Yvette and Raven to face the First Seat in battle.
• The swarm approached Shadow City as horns sounded for the ratmen and players, and the Sovereign reported that Sin Bastion had been reclaimed with the underground Genesis Matrix intact.

Blood Eagle Clan players and Skaven reinforcements helped stabilize Shadowdeep City's defenses and split the swarm's forces. Black Servant defeated Manus Plagueclaw after the warlord betrayed him to seize the Black God's Staff.

• Blood Eagle Clan players bombed the swarm, boosting the shadow elves' morale and helping them hold the walls while the defenders countered the flying insects.
• Ge Bao sent the vampire air cavalry to set fires behind the swarm, and Happy Stick ordered players to reinforce the walls and hunt the swarm lords.
• Black Servant led hundreds of thousands of Skaven through tunnels behind the swarm, where they ambushed its workers and divided its forces.
• Black Servant and Manus Plagueclaw fought alongside the Skaven, with Manus attacking elite insects and Black Servant using explosives.
• Manus tried to kill Black Servant and take the Black God's Staff, but an anti-personnel mine destroyed Manus's lower body and left Black Servant alive.

As Shadowdeep City came under attack, Bertie, operating as “Apprentice,” urged local men to rescue residents and transport supplies by promising them a chance at a better future. Old Mann’s gang took the risk and joined the defense, while Bertie explained to Penny that he hoped the men would claim dignity and power for themselves.

• Old Mann’s gang sheltered refugees in a sewer refuge and debated whether to trust Apprentice’s latest dangerous task.
• Apprentice revealed plans for shadow elves to return to the Kingdom of Castia or join a future shadow-elf kingdom, offering men with high action scores roles as administrators.
• Old Mann led his gang to transport vehicles of supplies through the battle zone, and his men stayed to help the noblewomen while he carried wounded people back to shelter.
• Across the city, Gray Hood’s gang joined the family guards, while other organizations delivered supplies for the defense.
• Penny questioned Bertie’s plans as they fought the insects, and Bertie said he wanted men to earn dignity and power rather than receive them as charity.

Shadowdeep City turned the battle against the swarm into a counterattack while Saliv Shadowblade survived his fight against the Deep Sisterhood, freed two dragons, and set out to finish his final task. He died after learning that Filna was carrying his child, leaving Bertie to take charge of her and the unborn baby.

• Lady Ferrosil launched a counterattack as the ratmen split the swarm’s formation, and heavy weapons, divine magic, and the shadow elves’ defenders helped turn the fighting in Shadowdeep City’s favor.
• Lady Drusilia and Tira entered the Abyssal Council Chamber and found Saliv Shadowblade gravely wounded among the slaughtered priestesses, including Matron Mother Mattis.
• Lady Drusilia revived Saliv, who freed the dragons Apollis and its companion; the dragons agreed to fight the swarm in exchange for help with their eggs.
• Saliv slipped away from the chamber but collapsed in an alley, and Bertie carried him to his hideout, where Filna awaited death.
• Bertie stopped Saliv from killing Filna and revealed that she was pregnant; Saliv died after asking Bertie to care for the child, and Bertie promised to take Saliv back to Mejewa City for burial.

Murphy joined the players at Matriarch Matisse's estate, where Terranova and Jim Raynor prepared gene messengers designed to derail the swarm's evolution. They baited a surviving High Priestess into carrying a corrupted bug toward the swarm, leaving Murphy and Old Turtle Tritan to track the courier and joke about employee benefits.

• Murphy declined Triss's invitation to join the counterattack, told Yvette to leave the city, and headed to Matriarch Matisse's estate.
• Xiao Ashina reported that the players had cleared the estate's corrupted gene bug and were preparing mutant bugs for Terranova's experiment.
• Terranova and Jim Raynor explained how their gene bombs could disrupt the swarm's evolution, and Murphy ordered everyone to withdraw and bait the enemy.
• The Seventeenth Seat High Priestess escaped the estate with a corrupted bug and entered a tunnel, believing she could deliver it to the swarm.
• Old Turtle Tritan told Murphy that the courier was on her way, and Murphy teased him about improving Astral Logistics' employee benefits.

After the swarm retreated from Gloomshade City, Mother of Shadows and Ferrosil discussed the shadow elves’ future alliances and military plans. Murphy then met Lunar, who wanted help hatching her eggs, and offered to take her to the Life Greenhouse to remove the breeding lock.

• The swarm withdrew after its attack failed, leaving Gloomshade City victorious but badly depleted.
• Mother of Shadows gave Ferrosil a holy sword, and they discussed diplomacy with Castia and sending shadow elf forces to the Locust Wall and Hive Zero.
• Black Servant Forest invited Ferrosil and Drusilia to the ratmen’s holy communion in honor of the victory.
• Lunar found Lorin with Triss and asked how to hatch her eggs.
• Murphy explained that a breeding lock prevented Lunar’s eggs from hatching and offered to take her to the Life Greenhouse to remove it.
• Lunar agreed to learn psychic magic, and Murphy told Triss to teach her.

Murphy visited Rose’s data realm, where she discussed her growing World Wide Web and a proposed partnership with Dutena to build a financial network. Rose then expressed her gratitude by pulling Murphy into an intimate encounter, while the Web’s users noticed its data flows behaving strangely.

• Triss taught Runar psionic illusions, and Runar quickly turned her dragon breath into a fireball spell.
• Rose summoned Murphy to her data realm and showed him the expanding World Wide Web, whose largest nodes had over two hundred thousand users.
• Rose told Murphy that Dutena had offered to help the dark elves in exchange for Rose’s help building a global financial network, and Murphy advised her to accept.
• Rose revealed her ambitions to expand the Web into a Cosmic Web, then abandoned the discussion and embraced Murphy to thank him.
• The World Wide Web’s data flows surged and slowed unpredictably, and Lady Vilancer’s hackers named the phenomenon “Rose’s Tremors.”
• Runar mistook Murphy’s shaking for a wet dream, while Triss joked about his performance and suggested inviting Adele.

Murphy accompanied the players to inspect the Swarm after they tested a gene-bomb designed to trigger uncontrolled evolution. The test had made the Swarm discard deformed bugs, and the group recovered a mutated giant dragon larva that Little Potato hoped to raise.

• Murphy learned how Jim and Nova had genetically enhanced their scarabs, and his praise triggered a dangerous legendary quest to improve them further.
• Teranova attacked Jim after the new quest exposed the risks to their beloved bugs, but the Silvermoon Group decided to fund the project.
• Nova and the players searched the hive’s outskirts and found that the Swarm was abandoning deformed specimens instead of recycling their biomass.
• The group discovered a giant dragon larva whose uncontrolled evolution had left it too slow to fit the Swarm’s combat strategy.
• Nova said the larva would not obey anyone while the Scale Father lived, but promised to reserve it for Little Potato if there was a chance to tame it later.

Murphy prepared the expedition to attack Hive Zero while considering how the failing hive could feed the ratmen and how Black Servant Sen might build a kingdom in the Eternal Rift. As the players entered the Gray Desert, a powerful swarm appeared ahead, beginning the expedition’s first major battle.

• Terra Nova reported that the sabotaged hive would keep weakening and suggested the ratmen raise its bugs for food, while Nova warned that the swarms might become dangerous if the Scale Father died.
• Murphy accepted Nova’s suggestion for consideration, and Black Servant Sen stayed in the Eternal Rift to strengthen its ratman army as General Ferosil remained in Shadowdeep City.
• Murphy met Lady Runar, who had joined the Cloudmist World-Cleansing Celestial Venerable’s followers and planned to recover her scattered dragon eggs with player help.
• Black Servant Sen offered players chosen-one status, a warlord title, and ten thousand ratmen to encourage them to take the ratman template; Murphy’s forum leak sparked enthusiastic strategy discussions.
• Murphy led the Gray Expeditionary Army out of the Eternal Rift toward Sin Bastion, and vampires warned that a huge swarm with more than six dragon-worms was approaching.

Murphy and the Gray Expeditionary Army fought back the swarm at Sin Bastion, then restored the hidden Creator-built Genesis Matrix beneath the city. The Matrix could clone fully grown individuals, and Murphy prepared to use it as players waited above.

• Happy Stick organized more than five thousand players to hold off the swarm until the Lightchaser arrived, while Lord Apollis and Lady Runar made their debut as Dragon Island support.
• The players and Apollis routed the swarm's giant dragon-insect lords, though some players died, and Triss warned Murphy that their reckless combat habits could make those losses costly.
• Murphy discussed Sin Bastion's defense with Lord Badler, then followed the Lord, Triss, and Adele through a hidden passage to the Creator laboratory beneath the city.
• Eden identified the laboratory's Genesis Matrix as an auxiliary Life Greenhouse system and explained that it could clone fully grown organisms but could not truly create life.
• Murphy had Eden restore power to the Genesis Matrix and, after seeing its mechanical wombs, proposed making a person.

Players in Sinfort uncovered a dwarven armory and turned its value into money, but a new trial offering 45 places to receive Otherworldly Physical Bodies sparked a chaotic player free-for-all. The battle began under divine protection, with Great Shark and Meow Brother facing off as the selection remained unresolved.

• The student faction found a Sin Dwarf armory beneath the ruins and submitted it as spoils of war, earning money for their discoveries.
• Ge Bao learned that A-Cha and four other players had secured trial places through the achievement leaderboard, while 45 places remained open.
• Players crowded around Madam Triss to apply for the Otherworldly Physical Body trial, and Meow Brother proposed settling the remaining places through combat.
• Triss allowed the players to fight in groups of one hundred under life-saving protection, and Wam's divine power reinforced the protection after Great Shark called upon him.
• Great Shark charged into battle against Meow Brother, while Tiger-Leopard Cavalryman attacked and was struck down by Wam's Beheader.
• Meow Brother challenged Great Shark to trade trial places, then invoked the Punisher and awakened his Holy Sword to attack him.

The players’ selection melees revealed the strength of Giant Shark, Teacher Li, and Master Yang, while Niu Niu was eliminated and lost confidence. A-Cha gave Niu Niu his guaranteed spot, then recruited him to help build a player-run company focused on the ancient kingdom of Callum.

• Giant Shark won the first melee after using Divine Descent, and Teacher Li defeated Lion Beast in the second fight with Cloud Mist Dragon Fist.
• Master Yang unleashed his sword techniques in the fourth melee, eliminated nearly thirty players, and defeated Niu Niu after a long fight.
• Niu Niu flew to a deserted spot outside Sin Fortress to mourn his loss, but A-Cha found him and gave him his guaranteed selection spot.
• A-Cha told Niu Niu that Witch Hunters led by Amber were coming to help defend Sin Fortress, and Niu Niu jokingly agreed to call A-Cha his sworn father.
• A-Cha proposed forming a company with their fellow students, and Niu Niu suggested involving Little Rich, his older sister, and his brother-in-law.
• A-Cha revealed his plan to focus the company on Callum, where he intended to join the Secret Blood Clan and use Grand Duke Hathor’s connections to find a powerful backer.