Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Linzhi reveals his vast resources, shocking his classmates and the academy.
• He negotiates with the academy, offering supplies in exchange for protection and valuable items.
• Gao Linzhi enters a special class taught by three powerful teachers (a tiger, a deer, and a sheep).
• The teachers discuss methods to avoid Anomalies, including the Substitute Body technique and using protective treasures.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi: Shows his wealth and negotiating skills, demonstrating his power and influence.
• The Werewolf Teacher: Initially cautious, becomes more cooperative as Gao Linzhi's value becomes apparent.
• The Headmaster (Chu Lianxing): Revealed to be an 1800-year-old Longevity Being, showing interest in Gao Linzhi's potential.
• The three teachers (Tiger, Deer, Sheep): Respectful and knowledgeable, willing to teach Gao Linzhi what he needs to know.

Significant Themes

• Power and Wealth: Gao Linzhi's resources give him leverage and influence over the academy and its teachers.
• Survival and Protection: The focus on avoiding and fighting Anomalies highlights the importance of survival in this world.
• Exchange and Equivalent Value: The concept of equivalent exchange is emphasized in the discussion of protective treasures.

Character Interactions

• Gao Linzhi and the Werewolf Teacher: They negotiate and reach an agreement, with the Werewolf Teacher showing increasing respect for Gao Linzhi.
• Gao Linzhi and the Headmaster: They meet, and the Headmaster expresses interest in Gao Linzhi's potential.
• Gao Linzhi and the three teachers: They interact in a classroom setting, with the teachers eager to teach Gao Linzhi what he wants to learn.

Chapter Summary: “Buying Treasures, Four Ways to Deal with Eerie Entities”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The three teachers explain four defensive methods for dealing with eerie entities:
  1. Become an eerie entity, though this usually means losing one’s humanity and the pleasures of life.
  2. Become a Demonic Creature through demonization or transplantation of demonic organs, gaining powerful abilities while retaining some human sensations.
  3. Seal oneself inside a Golden House, built from an airtight structure reinforced with gold. Gold can repel eerie entities because it contains humanity’s accumulated desires and obsessions.
  4. Use greater rules or powers to counter eerie entities, since rules generally cannot be destroyed, only opposed by stronger rules. Creation Power is mentioned as the only potential means of creating a world without eerie entities.
• Gao Linzhi rejects the more destructive methods and chooses the Golden House approach. He realizes his existing gold reserves will be valuable and decides to acquire even more.
• The teachers explain that completely eliminating eerie entities is nearly impossible. Teacher Deer demonstrates this using the rule of gravity: one can counter gravity with another force, but cannot erase gravity itself.
• Teacher Tiger reveals that Yuanshi Divine Anomalies possess Creation Power, allowing them to create worlds whose rules are shaped by human desires. Skyfall World itself was formed in this way.
• Gao Linzhi completes his planned exchange with the academy and is taken to its vast treasure vault.
• The vault contains numerous books based on modern player culture, showing that the academy’s leaders have adopted and studied the players’ ideas.
• The headmaster and teachers acknowledge that they know Gao Linzhi is a player. They discuss the advantages and limitations of player society, welfare systems, technology, and the dangers of combining modern civilization with supernatural powers.
• Gao Linzhi receives access to the Sacred Shield, an ancient black-bronze shield capable of attracting and resisting anomalies. Its appraisal reveals that it can resist even golden anomalies once, though it will shatter afterward and requires blood offerings for maximum effectiveness.
• He also purchases the mysterious Shield of the Immortal Elder, whose effect remains unknown. Gao Linzhi considers its uncertainty a sign of potential rather than danger.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi shows practical judgment by rejecting methods that would destroy his humanity or impose severe restrictions on his life. He favors preparation, resources, and defensive artifacts.
• His foresight is emphasized through his early accumulation of gold, which now proves useful for both the Game System and protection against eerie entities.
• Gao Linzhi demonstrates a deeper understanding of the world’s rules, agreeing that supernatural phenomena must generally be countered through superior rules rather than simply erased.
• The three teachers are revealed to be former humans who became demonized rather than native demons. Their close familiarity with human culture and reasoning becomes understandable.
• The headmaster and teachers are shown to be thoughtful reformers rather than rebels acting solely for personal benefit. They have embraced player culture while remaining critical of some aspects of modern society.
• The teachers treat Gao Linzhi with protective, almost parental concern, warning him to remain calm, cautious, and physically prepared when facing anomalies.

Significant Themes

• The cost of survival: Gaining power through becoming an eerie entity or demon may preserve life but can destroy humanity, freedom, or pleasure.
• Humanity and enjoyment: The chapter stresses that immortality is meaningless without retaining human desires, emotions, and the ability to enjoy life.
• Rules opposing rules: Eerie entities cannot normally be eliminated because they represent underlying laws of reality. Survival depends on exploiting or overpowering those laws.
• The power of collective human desire: Gold’s ability to repel anomalies comes from humanity’s shared obsession with wealth, security, and inheritance.
• Civilization versus supernatural power: Modern welfare systems and institutions work because supernatural immortality and extraordinary abilities do not exist. If they did, society could regress into feudalism and city-states.
• Preparation and uncertainty: Gao Linzhi’s stockpiling of gold and willingness to purchase artifacts with unknown effects reflect the importance of preparation in a dangerous, unpredictable world.
• Cultural exchange: The academy has absorbed player knowledge, suggesting that players are influencing Skyfall World’s society beyond direct missions or economic activity.

Important Character Interactions

• Gao Linzhi questions the teachers repeatedly, challenging them to provide a safer and more complete method of dealing with eerie entities.
• Teacher Deer explains the limits of opposing supernatural rules through the falling apple example.
• Teacher Tiger introduces Creation Power and expands Gao Linzhi’s understanding of the world’s origins.
• The teachers encourage Gao Linzhi to become a demon, but he remains unwilling to sacrifice his humanity.
• The headmaster openly discusses the academy’s adoption of player culture and confirms that Gao Linzhi is a player.
• Gao Linzhi debates the teachers over welfare protections, disability rights, technology, and the social consequences of immortality.
• The teachers’ warnings about caring for the Sacred Shield resemble parental advice, creating a rare moment of warmth amid the chapter’s dangerous subject matter.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Linzhi purchases a mysterious shield, the "Sacred Shield," which turns out to be the "Shield of the Immortal Elder," capable of isolating him from Anomalies.
• The Daoist Academy plans to overthrow the Sky Wolf Dynasty by luring Anomalies to block the Imperial Court's fleet, aiming to contain the court and revive the Great Ying Dynasty.
• The game introduces the main quest "Immortal Dynasty Hegemony," allowing players to choose between the Sky Wolf Dynasty and the Great Ying Dynasty, with different quests and rewards.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi advances 25 physical skills and 15 magic skills to Expert Level through his studies at the academy, significantly increasing his Constitution and Spirit.
• The Headmaster of the Daoist Academy reveals his plan to overthrow the Sky Wolf Dynasty, demonstrating his ambition and cunning.

Significant Themes

• The struggle for power and influence between dynasties, reflecting the game's feudal court setting.
• The importance of alliances and teamwork in the game, as highlighted by the new Alliance features and the Dynasty Hegemony event.
• The disparity in strength between players and the game's factions, leading to different quest difficulties and rewards.

Character Interactions

• Gao Linzhi interacts with the Headmaster and other students of the Daoist Academy, learning about their plans and participating in their preparations.
• Players discuss and strategize about the new main quest and Alliance features, demonstrating their understanding of the game's systems and mechanics.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Linzhi's subordinates, Qingcheng*Bored and Xu Gou, visit him to discuss joining a faction in the Dynasty Hegemony event.
• They argue over whether to join the Imperial Court (legitimate faction) or the Great Ying Dynasty (rebel faction).
• Gao Linzhi decides they should split into two teams, one joining each faction.
• Bored and Xu Gou get into a physical fight outside the Elder Council Hall, revealing they're both under a 'Killing Intent' negative buff.

Character Developments

• Bored: Stands for legitimacy and stability, leaning towards joining the Imperial Court.
• Xu Gou: Prefers the rebel faction, Great Ying Dynasty, due to personal reasons (likely a quest restriction).
• Gao Linzhi: Observes his subordinates' behavior and thoughts, decides to split them into two teams to understand them better.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty and betrayal: Gao Linzhi expects his subordinates to have their own secrets and agendas.
• Legitimacy vs. rebellion: The debate between Bored and Xu Gou reflects the game's factions and their real-life human counterparts.
• Anomalies: The 'Killing Intent' buff suggests that the game world is affected by anomalies, influencing characters' behavior.

Character Interactions

• Bored and Xu Gou: Their heated argument and subsequent fight reveal their differing opinions and the 'Killing Intent' buff affecting them.
• Gao Linzhi and his subordinates: Gao Linzhi observes his subordinates' behavior, trying to understand their thoughts and motivations.
• Dragon Fruit and others: They watch the fight between Bored and Xu Gou, fanning the flames and encouraging them to use weapons and magic.

Plot Points and Events

• The game's digitization enhances players' resistance to anomalies but leaves their consciousness and souls vulnerable.
• Gao Linzhi uses Heavenly Clear Talismans to remove negative curses from two men, revealing their inherent conflicts.
• Players choose between the Imperial Court and Rebel Army factions based on rewards, with most initially choosing the Imperial Court but later switching to the Rebel Army due to better treatment.
• Gao Linzhi joins the Headmaster and others to arrange materials on an archipelago, aiming to lure and control anomalies.
• The Fourth Prince learns of the Daoist Academy's plans and seeks to eliminate them, while players offer advice on winning over more players to the Imperial Court.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi demonstrates his understanding of human nature and the game's mechanics, using talismans to reveal the true feelings of the two men.
• The Fourth Prince shows his sensitivity to threats to imperial power, refusing to open up skills and professions to players despite their potential benefits.

Significant Themes

• The conflict between the Imperial Court and the Rebel Army, reflecting the struggle between power and profit.
• The vulnerability of human consciousness and souls to anomalies, despite the game's digitization.
• The inherent conflicts within individuals, revealed by Gao Linzhi's use of talismans.

Character Interactions

• Gao Linzhi interacts with the two men, revealing their true feelings and conflicts.
• The Fourth Prince interacts with the three players, seeking their advice on winning over more players to the Imperial Court.
• Gao Linzhi joins the Headmaster and others to work together on the archipelago, demonstrating their cooperation and shared goals.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group, led by the Headmaster, reaches the Thousand Island Waterway, crucial for the Imperial Court's ships.
• They plan to set up Anomaly traps to disrupt the Imperial Court's supply lines.
• The Fourth Prince's assassination attempt kills several of the Headmaster's followers, including Gao Linzhi (who revives).
• The Fourth Prince offers Gao Linzhi a deal, but he declines, leading to a battle.
• The Headmaster, Gao Linzhi, and the Werewolf Teacher escape using a smoke bomb.
• The game system introduces a new quest: helping the rebels by using powerful Anomalies to counter the Imperial Court's purge operation.
• The Headmaster reveals a plan to use an Anomaly called "Fair Competition" to engage in competitions with the Imperial Court, deciding survival by luck or skill.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi demonstrates his loyalty to the Headmaster's cause and his disdain for the Imperial Court's offers.
• The Headmaster shows satisfaction in Gao Linzhi's backbone and determination.
• The Fourth Prince displays his ruthlessness and desperation to eliminate the rebels.

Significant Themes

• Power struggles and political intrigue within the Imperial Court and the rebel forces.
• The use of Anomalies as a strategic resource in the conflict.
• The role of luck and skill in determining survival, as seen in the "Fair Competition" Anomaly.

Character Interactions

• Gao Linzhi and the Headmaster's relationship strengthens as she expresses satisfaction in his loyalty and backbone.
• The Fourth Prince and Gao Linzhi's interaction highlights the latter's refusal to be swayed by the Imperial Court's offers.
• The Headmaster and the Werewolf Teacher work together to protect Gao Linzhi and fight off the assassination attempt.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The activity channel discusses the 'Dice of Fairness,' with some users warning about its potential hidden costs.
• Gao Linzhi receives a notice from the Headmaster to set a trap in a whirlpool sea area leading to the Imperial Court's eastern territory.
• Assassins from the Imperial Court attack the group at the whirlpool sea area.
• Gao Linzhi uses the 'Dice of Fairness' to engage in a life-or-death dice game with an assassin, winning after numerous resurrections.
• The Headmaster sets up formations while fending off assassins with ease, sending some to their deaths in the deep sea.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi demonstrates his strategic thinking and resilience by using the 'Dice of Fairness' to outlast a powerful assassin.
• The Headmaster showcases her immense strength and nonchalance in the face of assassination attempts, revealing her desire for action despite her age.

Significant Themes

• Fairness vs. Unfairness: The dice game highlights the unfairness of the situation, with the assassin's strength making it difficult for Gao Linzhi to win despite his strategy. However, Gao Linzhi's infinite resurrections turn the tables, raising questions about the nature of fairness.
• Power Dynamics: The Imperial Court's reliance on assassins to maintain control, and the rebels' use of anomalies to challenge that power, underscores the importance of expert combatants in this world's politics.

Character Interactions

• Gao Linzhi and the Headmaster work together to lure anomalies and fend off Imperial Court assassins, showcasing their teamwork and mutual respect.
• Gao Linzhi and the assassins engage in a tense, life-or-death dice game, highlighting the stark difference in their strengths and the desperation of the assassins.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Linzhi's immunity to the Dice of Fairness' side effects is discovered.
• The Imperial Court's assassins fail to defeat Gao Linzhi and retreat, leading to the execution of their families as punishment.
• The Fourth Prince seeks help from the Imperial Observatory to find a way to permanently deal with Gao Linzhi.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi remains unaffected by the Dice of Fairness' side effects due to his high mental attributes and the Heaven's Heart Stone.
• The Fourth Prince becomes increasingly determined to eliminate Gao Linzhi, seeing him as a significant threat.

Significant Themes

• The power of Anomalies and their hidden dangers.
• The struggle between order and reason in society.
• The importance of strength in determining one's fate.

Character Interactions

• Gao Linzhi interacts with the Headmaster of the Daoist Academy, who reveals the true purpose of the Dice of Fairness.
• The Fourth Prince interacts with Old Daoist Tiansheng from the Imperial Observatory, learning about the Dice of Fairness' side effects and seeking his help.

Chapter Summary: “The Court’s Intentions, the Emperor’s Intentions”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Werewolf Teacher reminds Gao Linzhi that divine artifacts always carry hidden costs because human bodies cannot safely withstand divine power. Gao realizes the headmaster has never intended to reveal everything freely; their relationship is based on mutual use rather than trust.
• The headmaster completes a concealed sacrificial ritual consisting of three concentric rings and a great demon’s head as an offering. If the court destroys the ritual after its activation, the worshipped aberration will target the destroyer until one side dies. This makes destroying the ritual before activation the court’s only safe option—and means the Daoist Academy would actually benefit if the court interfered afterward.
• The headmaster and Gao move on to prepare rituals at other locations.
• After learning that the Dice of Fairness carry severe negative effects, many players abandon or suspend the related quest. They do not betray either faction outright, instead waiting to see which side offers greater rewards.
• The Daoist Academy has anticipated this behavior. It never expected player loyalty and views the dice as a test: if players suffer badly from their effects, they can be safely used against the court and aberrations; if they resist, the Academy must limit its reliance on them. The Academy offers special herbs that can suppress the dice’s harmful effects, preserving the players’ usefulness.
• At the Fourth Prince’s residence, the prince complains that the court refuses to send powerful experts against the Daoist Academy. Senior ministers claim that the Imperial Observatory’s strongest figures must remain in the capital to guard against aberrations, but the players suspect the ministers’ provincial connections and vested interests are the real reason for their inaction.
• The Fourth Prince’s appeal to the Emperor is dismissed as needless alarm. Through the mansion steward, the players learn that the Emperor is primarily focused on cultivating the Dao and pursuing immortality.
• The Emperor tolerates the Daoist Academy because, despite causing unrest, it is also researching immortality. He sees competition between multiple immortality-seeking factions as beneficial and does not regard the possible fall of the dynasty as especially important to him.
• The players conclude that the court is unlikely to destroy the Daoist Academy unless it becomes a direct threat to the Emperor’s life. The steward suggests that the Fourth Prince should not try to defeat the Academy outright, but instead outperform the other princes by solving more problems for the court.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi becomes more aware of the headmaster’s manipulative and transactional nature. He recognizes that information and assistance are never given freely.
• The Headmaster is shown to be calculating and strategically aggressive. He uses dangerous aberration-related rituals while ensuring the court cannot safely interfere after activation.
• Werewolf Teacher reinforces his role as someone who provides blunt but important warnings, though only when prompted or when the situation requires it.
• The Players demonstrate pragmatism rather than loyalty. They prioritize rewards and survival, readily abandoning dangerous quests while preserving their ability to profit from both factions.
• The Daoist Academy reveals that it views players as disposable but highly valuable tools. It carefully tests their limitations and adapts its strategy according to their resistance to aberrations.
• The Fourth Prince is ambitious and frustrated by the court’s passivity. He wants to distinguish himself from the other princes but lacks a realistic method of confronting the Daoist Academy.
• The Mansion Steward gains respect for the players because they treat him as a person rather than merely a servant or instrument. He also proves politically perceptive by explaining the Emperor’s motives and proposing a practical strategy for the prince.
• The Emperor/Saint is characterized as detached from ordinary political power. His main goal is immortality, and he values stability only insofar as it protects his cultivation and research.

Significant Themes

• Mutual exploitation and hidden costs: Divine artifacts, political alliances, and factional cooperation all involve prices that are not always disclosed. Trust is limited, and every side attempts to use the others.
• Pragmatism over loyalty: The players and major factions make decisions based on utility, survival, and reward rather than ideals or allegiance.
• Institutional paralysis and conflicting interests: The court’s ministers refuse to act because their personal and regional interests conflict with the dynasty’s immediate needs, illustrating a collective-action problem.
• Power versus immortality: The Emperor’s indifference to the dynasty’s survival contrasts with the Fourth Prince’s desire to achieve political recognition. Immortality is presented as a goal that can surpass loyalty to the state itself.
• The danger of aberrations and divine power: Both artifacts and sacrificial rituals can grant extraordinary advantages while exposing users to devastating consequences.
• People treated as tools: The steward’s reflections emphasize how hierarchy reduces individuals to instruments of power, while the players’ ordinary courtesy gives him a rare sense of personal recognition.
• Competition as a strategy: The Emperor allows the Daoist Academy to exist because rival attempts to achieve immortality may accelerate progress, even if they destabilize the realm.

Character Interactions

• Gao Linzhi and the Headmaster: Their discussion of the ritual exposes their cautious, transactional relationship. Gao questions the plan, while the headmaster calmly explains why the court cannot safely disrupt it.
• Gao Linzhi and Werewolf Teacher: Werewolf Teacher’s reminder about divine artifacts gives Gao a clearer understanding of the dangers and the limits of what others will tell him.
• Players and the Daoist Academy: The Academy manipulates the players through quests, rewards, and medicinal compensation, while the players negotiate their cooperation based on risk and profit.
• Fourth Prince and the Players: The players analyze the prince’s political difficulties and help him interpret the ministers’ inaction, though they later recognize that his desire to directly defeat the Academy is unrealistic.
• Players and the Mansion Steward: Their respectful treatment changes the steward’s opinion of them. He becomes willing to share sensitive information about the Emperor and the court.
• Players and the Steward regarding the Emperor: Their conversation reveals the Emperor’s true priorities and leads them to understand why the Daoist Academy has been allowed to operate.
• Steward and the Fourth Prince’s cause: The steward offers the decisive strategy: the prince should focus on achieving visible accomplishments and solving court problems rather than attempting an outright victory over the Daoist Academy.

Chapter Summary: The Game Operators’ Mission: The Villain Strikes First

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Fourth Prince’s advisers assess his royal competitors and conclude that they only need to outperform the other contenders for the throne, rather than dominate every prince.
• They identify the main threats:
  • The powerful, martial First Prince.
  • The cautious Second Prince, formerly Crown Prince.
  • The idealistic but impractical Third Prince.
  • The Eighth Prince, a capable rival favored by several other princes but disliked by the Saint for favoring local gentry.
  • The Seventeenth Prince, who is young but promising and close to the Fourth Prince.
• On Wolf Snake Island, leisure players Zhang San, Wang Er, and Li Si learn of a government-generated quest involving an ancient well containing an object related to immortality.
• They accept the quest from Fourth Elder Zheng Dong and investigate the ancient well in the Huai Tree Forest.
• Beneath the well, they encounter traps, including a massive rolling stone sphere, shifting tunnels, sealing walls, and closing spikes. Their survival depends partly on luck and on discovering hidden passages.
• Guided indirectly by the game’s mechanics, they solve a Five Elements puzzle using water, earth, metal, wood, and fire, opening a secret chamber.
• They obtain a bottle of Longevity Water, supposedly capable of granting two hundred additional years of life.
• Greed immediately destroys their cooperation. Wang Er stabs Zhang San, while Li Si attempts to kill Wang Er. Zhang San dies and revives in the village Safe Zone.
• Wang Er then presents himself as the victim in the event channel, accusing his former friends of attacking him and successfully gaining sympathy from other players.

Character Developments

• The Fourth Prince’s faction becomes more strategically informed and focuses on eliminating or surpassing realistic competitors rather than wasting effort on irrelevant princes.
• Zhang San, Wang Er, and Li Si begin as bored, cautious leisure players who avoid danger, but curiosity and the promise of immortality draw them into a deadly dungeon.
• Their friendship proves superficial when the Longevity Water appears. Wang Er reveals himself as opportunistic and manipulative by attacking first and then portraying himself as the victim.
• Zheng Dong, the Fourth Elder, develops comic vanity, interpreting the players’ abrupt departure as admiration for his impressive appearance.
• Gao Linzhi observes the quest and recognizes the game operators’ influence. He becomes increasingly suspicious that the quest’s apparent rewards conceal a larger purpose.

Significant Themes

• Competition over absolute superiority: The royal faction realizes that political success depends on defeating rivals, not becoming stronger than everyone.
• The danger of greed: The Longevity Water transforms three friends into enemies almost instantly.
• Manipulation and deception: Wang Er’s false accusation shows how easily public opinion can be controlled through selective storytelling.
• Game mechanics as destiny: The players’ decisions are subtly influenced by the operators, causing them to trigger traps and discover the intended route while believing they are acting naturally.
• Immortality and its cost: The quest promises extended life, but the pursuit of longevity produces betrayal, violence, and death.
• Reality disguised as a game: The players treat the events as entertaining quests, while Gao Linzhi understands that the “game” is being deliberately designed and may serve hidden objectives.

Character Interactions

• The prince’s steward briefs the three players on the strengths and weaknesses of the competing princes, shaping their understanding of the political situation.
• Zhang San, Wang Er, and Li Si cooperate closely while navigating the dungeon, rescuing one another and solving its puzzles.
• Their teamwork deteriorates once they obtain the Longevity Water: Wang Er attacks Zhang San, and Li Si retaliates against Wang Er.
• Gao Linzhi watches the trio through Inspiration, studying how the operators create quests and guide player behavior.
• After reviving, Zhang San becomes an observer of the betrayal, while Wang Er manipulates the event channel by accusing the others before they can accuse him.

Chapter Summary: “Terrifying Quest Mechanics, the Operators’ Purpose”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Zhang San revives, he is teleported back to his companions, Li Si and Wang Er. All three soon experience a frightening memory reset: Wang Er forgets that the Longevity Water is valuable and perceives it as a venomous snake.
• A burst of white light further alters their memories. They forget obtaining the Longevity Water and believe the quest has yielded no reward.
• Gao Linzhi realizes that the game operators are manipulating the quest’s progression, likely to test or screen players. He becomes alarmed by the operators’ ability to alter memories and perceptions.
• The trio continues through the underground tunnel, believing they are still searching for the object of Immortality. They encounter Xiao Ming, a former teammate of Zhang San, who joins them after claiming he wants the Immortality item to pay for his mother’s medical treatment.
• A gigantic centipede pursues the group. Wang Er attempts to use Zhang San as bait, but the group ultimately tricks the centipede into crashing into a wall. Zhang San kills it with his enchanted shovel, revealing that it was an illusion.
• The group discovers a treasure chest containing a Golden Apple, which they assume is the quest’s Immortality item.
• Xiao Ming betrays them, knocking all three unconscious or disabling them and stealing the Golden Apple. Before he can escape, illusionary government constables appear and claim the item.
• The constables manipulate Xiao Ming into handing over the Golden Apple, then arrest Zhang San, Li Si, and Wang Er for allegedly stealing a government treasure. The trio is imprisoned in an illusory government office.
• Xiao Ming receives gold as payment for his betrayal but gradually realizes that he has exchanged something vastly more valuable—the Golden Apple—for a comparatively worthless reward.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi: Becomes increasingly wary of the operators. He recognizes that memory manipulation is more terrifying than physical danger because it can erase knowledge, achievements, and even awareness of personal necessities. He carefully studies the quest to determine its rules and limitations.
• Zhang San, Li Si, and Wang Er: Their intelligence and judgment appear greatly diminished after the memory reset. They unquestioningly accept the quest’s altered reality, trust Xiao Ming too easily, and behave like inexperienced adventurers. Despite this, they cooperate effectively when escaping the centipede.
• Wang Er: Remains calculating and opportunistic. He considers using Zhang San as bait during the centipede attack, though his plan fails. He also helps devise the successful strategy of luring the centipede into a corner.
• Xiao Ming: Initially presents himself as a sympathetic player desperate to save his sick mother. He proves deceptive and opportunistic by betraying the group, but later becomes confused when he realizes he has been manipulated into accepting an inadequate reward.
• The game operators: Demonstrate increasing control over the quest environment, using memory alteration, illusions, scripted NPCs, and predetermined outcomes to guide player behavior.

Significant Themes

• Memory and identity: The chapter emphasizes that losing memories can erase not only knowledge but also accomplishments, relationships, survival habits, and one’s understanding of reality.
• Manipulation and helplessness: The operators can reshape perception so completely that players do not realize they have been deceived. Even clever actions may be part of a controlled scenario.
• Game mechanics versus reality: The quest follows RPG-like conventions—fixed outcomes, treasure chests, monsters, rewards, and NPCs—but these mechanics are presented as frightening tools of control rather than harmless gameplay.
• Trust and betrayal: The players quickly trust Xiao Ming because of his emotional story, exposing their vulnerability. His betrayal also reveals that greed and desperation can be exploited by the quest system.
• Value and false rewards: Xiao Ming’s gold appears valuable but is worthless compared with the Golden Apple, highlighting how easily people can be tricked into trading something precious for something familiar but inferior.
• The operators’ purpose: Gao Linzhi suspects the quest is designed not merely to entertain but to temper, test, or screen players by observing how they respond to fear, deception, and manipulated information.

Character Interactions

• Zhang San, Li Si, and Wang Er discuss the altered quest and unknowingly dismiss the Longevity Water they had already obtained.
• They meet Xiao Ming through Zhang San’s previous association with him and accept him into the group after hearing his story about his ill mother.
• The four cooperate while fleeing the centipede, though Wang Er secretly considers sacrificing Zhang San to escape.
• After finding the Golden Apple, Zhang San trusts Wang Er enough to hand it over, while all four fail to recognize Xiao Ming’s betrayal until it is too late.
• Xiao Ming mocks the trio for their childish behavior before incapacitating them, but the illusionary constables then manipulate him in turn.
• The constables frame and imprison Zhang San, Li Si, and Wang Er, while rewarding Xiao Ming—only for him to later question whether he has been deceived himself.

Key Plot Points and Events

• A livestream shows Zhang San and his team undertaking a game mission.
• Players in the Official Built-in Group suggest improvements to the mission process for a chance to win a Purple Tier material or even a Revival Stone.
• The administrator, "Skyfall's Most Handsome," reveals that the mission's purpose is to identify players who can proactively discover anomalies in their memory, which have been altered.
• Players suggest methods to hint at memory resets, such as using an item with a changing state or injuring limbs that should be intact according to initial memories.

Character Developments

• Ah Kai District 47, an old player from a two-digit server, joins the group and shares insights about old players leaving the group for safety reasons.
• Players discuss the importance of mental defense and promptly correcting memory errors.

Significant Themes

• The struggle against Anomalies and the importance of mental defense.
• The value of Revival Stones as a hard currency in the game.
• The purpose and methods of screening players for key cultivation by the Game.

Character Interactions

• Players discuss and suggest improvements to the mission process.
• The administrator engages with the players, revealing the mission's purpose and agreeing with their suggestions.
• Players share insights and understanding about the game's mechanics and the threat of Anomalies.

Chapter Summary: The Players’ Enthusiasm, the Chosen One Tag!

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Linzhi deduces the true purpose of the Longevity Water quest: it is not primarily a reward quest, but a screening and training operation designed to identify players with strong intelligence, instincts, analytical ability, and resistance to mental interference.
• Players who recognize that their memories have been reset receive the prompt that they have found the “real Longevity Water.” They must then confront an illusion-controlling boss. Successful players earn a special name-frame/title and potentially equipment that increases mental resistance, while unsuccessful players receive only basic rewards and have their memories reset again.
• Gao Linzhi realizes that players who obtain the special title are likely being cultivated and monitored by the game. Since the game’s interests currently align with his own pursuit of information about immortality and protection from supernatural threats, he decides to investigate the quest personally.
• He brings Xu Gou, Wuliao, Dragon Fruit, and Puppet Best to the ancient well in Huai Tree Forest, where over a thousand players are queuing to attempt the increasingly popular quest.
• Inside the well’s tunnels, the group solves a box-pushing puzzle and finds another bottle labeled “Longevity Water.” Gao Linzhi’s Appraisal Skill cannot confirm its authenticity, but he concludes it is not the real Longevity Water, reasoning that a scarce, valuable substance would not be distributed so freely.
• While leaving, the group experiences a memory-altering attack. Xu Gou realizes that he has lost a section of his memories, while Dragon Fruit is also affected. Wuliao resists with the help of the strange entity known as Single Player, though he must endure its constant insults as the price of protection. Puppet Best’s Substitute Puppet also detects interference with its mental connection and protects her from the worst effects.
• Gao Linzhi explains that the attack is a deliberate lesson from the game about the dangers of memory manipulation and mental attacks. The group recognizes that supernatural enemies differ from ordinary physical threats because their weaknesses may be hidden and their attacks cannot easily be defended against through fortifications or physical strength.
• After recovering Xu Gou’s memories, the group continues the quest. Gao Linzhi kills the apparently official soldiers and the giant centipede, recognizing both as illusions and understanding that the game requires him to oppose the imperial authorities.
• Upon returning to the bottom of the well and successfully seeing through the illusions and Memory Reset, the group receives the “Chosen One, Green Tier” title frame. The title resists mental attacks from White Tier anomalies and can potentially be upgraded to protect against stronger threats, eventually reaching Gold Tier resistance.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi demonstrates superior deduction, mental resistance, and understanding of the game’s design. Because he is controlling a Game Character while his Main Body remains offline, he is largely immune to in-game mental effects. He also begins actively cultivating capable allies and studying their different forms of resistance.
• Xu Gou proves the most vulnerable to memory manipulation because of his limited mental training and ordinary daily lifestyle. His temporary memory loss makes him aware of the dangers of supernatural combat.
• Wuliao shows considerable resistance thanks to Single Player’s mental protection, though this comes with the burden of enduring constant verbal abuse from the entity.
• Puppet Best performs almost as well as Gao Linzhi because her Substitute Puppet shields her Main Body and detects interference with its mental link.
• Dragon Fruit is affected to a moderate degree but remains functional.
• The group’s differing performances reveal a clear hierarchy in mental defense and highlight the importance of specialized abilities.

Significant Themes

• Mental strength over physical strength: The chapter emphasizes that supernatural enemies can bypass conventional defenses by manipulating memory, perception, and consciousness.
• Awareness as survival: Recognizing that reality has been altered is the key to escaping the illusion. Those who fail to question their memories remain trapped or receive inferior rewards.
• The game as a testing and cultivation system: The game is actively screening players, rewarding exceptional individuals, and preparing them for increasingly dangerous anomalies.
• Scarcity and value: Gao Linzhi’s reasoning about the fake Longevity Water reflects the idea that genuinely powerful resources must remain rare in the physical world.
• Hidden weaknesses: Strength alone is insufficient in the mysterious world. Every person or creature has vulnerabilities, and survival depends on identifying and exploiting them.
• The cost of power: Wuliao’s protection illustrates that supernatural abilities come with prices, even if those costs are less severe than the sacrifices demanded by other strange artifacts.

Character Interactions

• Gao Linzhi leads and tests his companions, using the quest to evaluate their resistance to mental interference.
• The players at the well admire Gao Linzhi as a powerful, handsome, and mysterious ranking leader, while he is amused and slightly embarrassed by their exaggerated praise.
• Wuliao and Single Player engage in a constant antagonistic exchange: Single Player protects Wuliao while mocking him, and Wuliao silently dismisses its insults.
• The group cooperates to help Xu Gou reconstruct his missing memories.
• Gao Linzhi’s explanation of the quest turns the frightening experience into a strategic lesson, prompting the others to discuss the differences between physical and mental attacks.
• Their successful completion of the quest strengthens the group’s confidence and earns them the powerful Chosen One designation.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Players realize Anomalies are the most terrifying enemies in the Skyfall World, leading to a high demand for countermeasures.
• Gao Linzhi equips the "Chosen One" Title modifier frame, which evolves his ID to green and provides upgrade quests.
• Three players allied with the Fourth Prince discuss their plan to target Gao Linzhi by manipulating the Imperial Court's offering collection route.
• They identify three crucial nodes on the route to Wolf Snake Island, each with its own challenges and Anomalies.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi: Equips the "Chosen One" Title modifier frame, showing strategic thinking by aligning with the Rebel Army before the players.
• The three players: Display malice and jealousy towards Gao Linzhi, using the Imperial Court's power to plot against him. They also show shrewdness in planning and understanding the world's details.

Significant Themes

• The struggle against Anomalies and the need for countermeasures.
• The disparity between strong and weak, and the consequences of bullying the weak.
• The importance of details and understanding the world's intricacies to succeed.

Character Interactions

• Gao Linzhi and the Game System: Gao Linzhi interacts with the Game System to understand the "Chosen One" Title modifier frame's upgrade mechanics.
• The three players: They discuss and plan their strategy to target Gao Linzhi, showing camaraderie and shared malice. They also interact with the Prince's Mansion steward to gather information.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The players learn about the dangerous Lightning Zones and the need for experienced boatmen to navigate them.
• They discover the complex tribute collection system of the Imperial Court, involving multiple parties and a significant portion of the tributes being kept by local Prefects.
• The players consider using the Imperial Court's authority to coordinate with local Prefects to deal with a powerful opponent.

Character Developments

• The players, especially Player One, Two, and Three, gain a deeper understanding of the political and economic intricacies of the Sky Wolf Dynasty.
• The Prince's Mansion steward reveals his knowledge and loyalty to the Prince, as well as his understanding of the tribute collection system.

Significant Themes

• The challenges of maintaining a vast territory and the accumulation of hatred in the extraordinary world.
• The limited liability of companies compared to the Imperial Court's responsibilities.
• The importance of intuition and experience in navigating dangerous zones.

Character Interactions

• The players interact with the Prince's Mansion steward, learning from his experiences and insights.
• The players discuss their plans and strategies among themselves, considering their options for dealing with their powerful opponent.
• Zhang San, Wang Er, and Li Si experience an illusion and discuss their strange dream, oblivious to the game's reality.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• A dinosaur escapes from a nearby park, terrorizing a residential building.
• The dinosaur attacks and devours several residents, growing larger each time.
• The park director and zookeepers arrive but are killed by the dinosaur.
• The remaining residents, Li Si and Zhang San, realize they've been experiencing an illusion.
• They wake up in the game, back in East Wolf Village.

Character Developments

• Li Si, Zhang San, and Wang Er initially panic and act selfishly but later realize they've been in an illusion.
• The park director is incompetent and underestimates the dinosaur's threat.

Significant Themes

• Illusion vs. reality: The characters struggle to discern what's real and what's not.
• Survival: The residents must find a way to survive the dinosaur's attacks.
• Trust and betrayal: Li Si locks his door and refuses to help his neighbor, Sister Wang.

Character Interactions

• Li Si, Zhang San, and Wang Er interact through phone calls, trying to coordinate their actions against the dinosaur.
• Li Si and Zhang San have a tense exchange when they suspect the park director's story doesn't add up.
• Li Si and Zhang San share a sinister smile, hinting at their plan to breed more dinosaurs, but quickly realize they're still in an illusion.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The game's main story quest, "Overthrow the Sky Wolf Dynasty," is triggered by Gao Linzhi.
• Sea Sky Island Prefect Liu's ships arrive, demanding compensation for a sunken ship and additional tribute.
• The Prefect's envoys, two level 65 experts, demand three new ships and 300 human sacrifices, as well as food, drink, and beauties to entertain them.
• The Prefect's envoy attacks Gao Linzhi, initiating a battle.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi: Joins the main story quest, remains calm and composed in the face of the Prefect's demands, and anticipates the envoy's attack.
• The three elders: Worry about the villagers' well-being, try to reason with the Prefect's envoys, and support Gao Linzhi.
• The Prefect's envoys: Display their arrogance and disregard for the villagers' lives, attacking without hesitation when disrespected.

Significant Themes

• The oppressive nature of the Imperial Court and its disregard for the common people's well-being.
• The villagers' fear of the Imperial Court's power and their preference for facing anomalies over the court's oppression.
• The game's open support for the rebellion against the Sky Wolf Dynasty.

Character Interactions

• Gao Linzhi and the three elders: They work together, with the elders supporting Gao Linzhi's decisions and actions.
• Gao Linzhi and the Prefect's envoys: Gao Linzhi remains calm and composed, while the envoys display their arrogance and aggression.
• The players and the villagers: They share their outrage at the Prefect's demands, but feel helpless in the face of the envoys' power.

Key Plot Points and Events

• An Imperial Court expert, a level 65 master swordsman, attacks the village on Wolf Snake Island, demanding resources and slaves.
• Gao Linzhi, the Great Elder, defends the village using Jade Talismans and Curse Techniques, but the expert's speed and power are overwhelming.
• Gao Linzhi uses Revival Stones to repeatedly resurrect and attack the expert from behind, turning the tide of the battle.
• The expert's partner, a master archer, decides to retreat, but the master swordsman, driven by his profession's bloodlust, insists on fighting.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi demonstrates his resilience and strategic thinking by using Revival Stones to outmaneuver the expert.
• The master swordsman shows the single-minded determination and recklessness of his profession, ultimately leading to his downfall.
• The master archer displays caution and foresight, realizing the danger of the situation and wanting to retreat.

Significant Themes

• The law of the jungle vs. human organization and contracts: Gao Linzhi argues that the strong should support the weak, not prey on them.
• The cyclical nature of strength and weakness: Gao Linzhi believes in building reserves and fallback plans for when one is weak.
• The power of resilience and adaptability: Gao Linzhi's use of Revival Stones showcases the importance of being able to bounce back from setbacks.

Character Interactions

• Gao Linzhi and the master swordsman engage in a fierce battle, with Gao Linzhi using his knowledge of the Game System to outsmart his opponent.
• The master swordsman and master archer have a tense dynamic, with the archer trying to rein in the swordsman's reckless behavior.
• Players watch and discuss the battle, realizing the potential threat native powerhouses pose to the real world and the need to cultivate strong individuals to counter them.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The bow master, Old Zhang's son, avenges his father by killing the knife master with a barrage of arrows.
• The bow master, fearing for his own life, orders his ships to retreat after witnessing Gao Linzhi's power.
• Players, emboldened by Gao Linzhi's actions, attack the retreating Imperial Court ships, leading to their destruction by a summoned Giant Anomaly.
• Gao Linzhi banishes the Giant Anomaly using a magic array and confronts the Fenghua Alliance players, killing them and placing curses to prevent their revival.

Character Developments

• The bow master, Old Zhang's son, demonstrates his archery skills and desire for revenge but ultimately prioritizes his own survival.
• Gao Linzhi showcases his power and influence, earning the respect and fear of other players. He also displays his strategic thinking and resourcefulness in dealing with the Giant Anomaly.
• The Fenghua Alliance players are revealed to be opportunistic and willing to let others bear the consequences of their actions.

Significant Themes

• Power dynamics between players, native powerhouses, and the Imperial Court.
• The importance of wisdom and strategy in dealing with Anomalies.
• The consequences of reckless actions and the importance of self-preservation.

Character Interactions

• The bow master and Gao Linzhi: The bow master fears Gao Linzhi's power and orders his ships to retreat, while Gao Linzhi later confronts and curses the Fenghua Alliance players for their actions.
• Gao Linzhi and the Fenghua Alliance players: Gao Linzhi kills them and places curses to prevent their revival, demonstrating his displeasure with their actions.
• Players and the Imperial Court: Players see the Imperial Court's ships as easy targets and attack them, leading to their destruction.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Fenghua Alliance members are furious after being killed by Gao Linzhi's company and curse.
• Gao Linzhi defends his actions, and the Fenghua Alliance threatens him with offline consequences, but they back down when reminded of their offline company's reliance on online resources.
• The Fenghua Alliance members discuss their grievances in their chat channel, expressing frustration with the game's pay-to-win aspects and the lack of action from the operators.
• Gao Linzhi's Substitute Puppet is teleported to the Daoist Academy's headquarters using a blood-red five-pointed array, where he discovers the academy's true intentions and the fate of the students who were teleported with him.

Character Developments

• Gao Linzhi: Shows cunning and strategic thinking in dealing with the Fenghua Alliance's threats. He also demonstrates his ability to analyze situations and uncover the truth behind the Daoist Academy's teleportation spell.
• Fenghua Alliance members: Reveal their frustration with the game's pay-to-win aspects and their lack of understanding about the game's mechanics, particularly the teleportation spell's true purpose.

Significant Themes

• The disparity between the powerful and the weak in the game, reflected in the pay-to-win aspects and the Fenghua Alliance's inability to compete with Gao Linzhi's company.
• The ruthlessness and lack of limits in the extraordinary world, demonstrated by the Daoist Academy's teleportation spell and the Headmaster's true intentions.

Character Interactions

• Gao Linzhi and the Fenghua Alliance: Their interactions highlight the power dynamics in the game, with the Fenghua Alliance attempting to intimidate Gao Linzhi but ultimately backing down.
• Gao Linzhi and the Headmaster: Their interaction reveals the Headmaster's true intentions and the ruthless nature of the Daoist Academy.
• Fenghua Alliance members among themselves: Their interactions showcase their frustration with the game and their lack of understanding about the game's mechanics.