Chapter Summaries

Fu Qian brought the Harbinger into Selvis’s office and openly exposed Selvis’s plan to keep him from leaving the sanatorium. The Harbinger accepted Fu Qian’s pen and asked what opinion he should write in the Truth Notebook.

• Fu Qian invited the Harbinger into Selvis’s office, where the three men sat around the examination bed and table.
• Fu Qian praised the Harbinger’s prophecies and asked what danger awaited him if he had escaped through the thornwood wall.
• The Harbinger said Selvis’s people would pursue Fu Qian until he had to hide, and Selvis confirmed that he intended to make the prophecy come true.
• Fu Qian handed the Harbinger his pen and invited him to offer an opinion in the Truth Notebook.
• The Harbinger took the pen and asked Fu Qian what opinion he should write.

Fu Qian suggested that the Harbinger use the Truth Notebook to test his prophetic ability by writing down something he had foreseen. The Harbinger accepted the idea and began recording his prophecy, starting with “[Today is Number 54].”

• Fu Qian handed the Truth Notebook and pen to the Harbinger, and Selvis allowed the test to proceed.
• Fu Qian suggested that the Harbinger write down a prophecy in the notebook while the three of them were isolated from outside interference.
• The Harbinger challenged Fu Qian to say what he should write, putting pressure on him to reveal his position.
• Fu Qian proposed that the Harbinger record something happening now that he had foreseen earlier.
• The Harbinger agreed and wrote “[Today is Number 54]” on a fresh page.

Harbinger recorded verified statements in the Truth Notebook about the time and place, Tong’s strange daily snowfall of blood from her eyes, and Tracy’s intimate situation. Fu Qian questioned whether Harbinger’s predictions were merely observations, then reacted with surprise to the latest statement.

• Harbinger wrote that it was the 54th and that they were in Selvis’s office, and the Truth Notebook did not erase either claim.
• Harbinger stated that blood flowed from Tong’s eyes, then described it as snow falling from her eyes during the brightest part of every day.
• Fu Qian asked about Tong’s condition, and Harbinger said he only reported what he saw rather than analyzing its causes.
• Fu Qian challenged whether Harbinger’s account was a prophecy or simply a forecast, and Harbinger agreed that he could not prove otherwise.
• Harbinger wrote that Tracy lay on her lover’s bed, watched a sleeping woman in a chair, and felt warmth within her body, leaving Fu Qian startled by the implication.

Fu Qian interpreted the Harbinger’s writing about Mrs. Tracy and watched Selvis reveal his knowledge of her and Mo Song. The Harbinger then wrote that Mo Song had awakened after three days, suggesting the Well of Time had advanced Judgment Day again, before inviting Fu Qian to write.

• Fu Qian inferred that Mrs. Tracy had visited her lover and found an unconscious woman beside him, then reflected that the Harbinger’s writing described people he had encountered.
• Selvis said Mrs. Tracy’s condition was more serious than it appeared and explained that her fear of Old Man Recorder had helped prevent it from worsening.
• Fu Qian recognized that the Harbinger’s next sentence referred to Mo Song, whose name Selvis had not mentioned.
• Fu Qian deduced that Mo Song’s three-day sleep meant he had fallen into the Well of Time again, advancing Judgment Day by at least another day.
• The Harbinger handed Fu Qian the brush and invited him to write.

Fu Qian wrote that Judgment would arrive in six days, forcing Selvis and the other man to confront the threat and reconsider Fu Qian’s motives. Selvis then wrote that he was a doctor at the sanatorium and challenged the Harbinger to test the notebook.

• Fu Qian accepted the pen and wrote that Judgment would arrive in six days.
• Selvis and the other man questioned whether the Truth Notebook was real and what the coming Judgment meant.
• Fu Qian said he did not know what the Judgment was but argued that his words showed he wanted to leave the sanatorium.
• Selvis said Fu Qian seemed suited to the sanatorium, and Fu Qian handed the pen to him.
• Selvis wrote that he was a doctor at the sanatorium and returned the pen to the Harbinger, inviting him to test the notebook.

The Harbinger wrote two opposing claims about whether his assistant Lester believed in his prophetic abilities, undermining Selvis’s confidence in the Truth Notebook. Fu Qian then asked what day it was, prompting the Harbinger to point out that the place’s timeline seemed wrong.

• The Harbinger wrote that his assistant, Lester, did not believe in his prophetic abilities, then added that Lester did believe in them.
• The contradictory statements remained in the Truth Notebook, leaving Selvis bewildered and weakening his role-playing therapy.
• The Harbinger asked Fu Qian for his opinion on the notebook’s contradiction.
• Fu Qian praised the attempt and asked what day it was.
• The Harbinger said it was the fifty-fifth and suggested the place’s timeline was wrong.

The Harbinger argued that the sanatorium’s time was corrupted and that his prophecies could be affected by people’s will, then challenged Selvis over whether Selvis had secretly cooperated with him. Fu Qian pressed the Harbinger to explain what Judgment Day judged, leaving the question of his prophetic ability unresolved.

• The Harbinger explained that the notebook’s entries could both be true because they were written on different days, and said time in the sanatorium was corrupted by willpower.
• The Harbinger asked Selvis whether Selvis had been cooperating with him all along, suggesting their cooperation might itself have been part of a prophecy.
• Fu Qian asked what Judgment Day judged and whether the Harbinger could foresee it five days ahead.
• Fu Qian pointed to the notebook’s claim that Judgment Day existed and challenged the Harbinger to explain its contents, suggesting his ability might be an illusion caused by the attending physician’s cooperation.

Fu Qian pressured Harbinger to write down his vision of Judgment Day, and the resulting abstract descriptions began affecting reality and Fu Qian’s Sanity Value. Harbinger continued writing as the countdown advanced toward Judgment Day.

• Fu Qian asked Harbinger to predict what would happen on Judgment Day, making him admit that he could only see twenty minutes ahead and that his visions were abstract.
• Fu Qian challenged Harbinger to identify the number 177, and Harbinger wrote a strange passage adding together details about Fu Qian and the day.
• Fu Qian saw that Harbinger’s words remained on the page and suspected that the world was a chaotic mixture of elements with the Truth Notebook as its operational core.
• Harbinger wrote that 177 became 165, and Fu Qian lost 12 Sanity Value as the countdown advanced to the 57th.
• Harbinger continued writing through the 58th and 59th, while Fu Qian’s Sanity Value fell by 17 and then rose by 2.

Fu Qian learned that Judgment would reduce his Sanity Value to zero, then left the sanatorium after driving Selvis and the Harbinger to despair. After confirming Bernard was an earlier intruder treated by Lester, he crossed the boundary and successfully contained Subject No. 1-013.

• The Harbinger's prophecy revealed that Judgment would arrive in twenty minutes and reduce Fu Qian's Sanity Value to zero.
• Fu Qian told Selvis and the Harbinger he was leaving, and neither tried to stop him.
• Fu Qian reached the empty guard booth and contacted Old Man Mo Song, who told him that the first intruder was named Bernard and had been treated by Lester.
• Fu Qian confirmed the record referred to the same Bernard he had encountered, then crossed the boundary and received confirmation that Subject No. 1-013 was contained.

After completing the sanatorium mission, Fu Qian analyzed the evaluation’s revelations about Lasik, the Truth Notebook, and the Sea of Mind. He still had no answer about the significance of the 48th or the Judgment Day thirteen days away.

• Fu Qian received a mission evaluation that praised his survival and awarded him 20 Sanity Value and Annalise's Lie, with no eliminations.
• Fu Qian concluded that Lasik had been sent to the sanatorium to be changed before being handed over to Virtue.
• Fu Qian reflected on the evaluation’s claim that the Truth Notebook was made of lies and that the Sea of Mind’s dregs had stirred the sanatorium’s projected time.
• Fu Qian recognized that he had deliberately avoided testing the Truth Notebook, wary of exposing himself to the supernatural.
• Fu Qian wondered whether his mission’s start on the 48th and the Warehouse’s Number 48 artifact were connected to Judgment Day thirteen days later.

Fu Qian examined the special reward, Annalise's Lie, and learned how Annalise's dream led her to pursue lies and create the Blood Clan. The note complicated his understanding of Red Moon's warning about lies and Long Night, leaving him to question whether the destroyed world was merely an illusion and what Annalise had anticipated.

• Fu Qian read the description of Annalise's Lie, which could make an accepting recipient believe they were favored by him and briefly share his authority.
• Fu Qian learned from the note that Annalise had become a Higher Being, dreamed of a god, pursued lies, and created her own kin.
• Fu Qian connected Annalise's dream to the sanatorium's resemblance to a projection of the Truth Notebook and considered what it meant for a god to dream.
• Fu Qian reconsidered Red Moon's warning not to become intoxicated by lies and questioned whether it referred to Annalise's dream rather than the Warehouse's illusion of the Bookstore World.
• Fu Qian recalled that Annalise had anticipated Long Night and had arranged for vampires to be born in connection with the disaster.

Fu Qian uncovered links between Annalise, the Blood Clan, the Long Night, and the Abyss Notebook, then suspected the notebook’s route to him might have been arranged. He tested a black glove from the Warehouse and used it to conceal Scarlet Fever, leaving him with a new pair of poisonous weapons.

• Fu Qian connected Annalise’s creation of the Blood Clan to her anticipation of the Long Night and concluded that Herbert had altered himself to win her favor.
• Fu Qian reasoned that the Abyss Notebook was a gift from Annalise and considered whether it had passed through his hands before reaching Brother Taylor.
• Fu Qian questioned whether someone had arranged for the Abyss Notebook to reach him, but ruled out the Red Moon as the likely culprit.
• Fu Qian put on the Warehouse’s black glove and found that it offered no obvious physical enhancement.
• Fu Qian moved Scarlet Fever beneath the glove, paired it with Dimensional Poison, and snapped his fingers to produce a streak of scarlet.

Fu Qian inspected the Rose of Lies and the decayed Truth Notebook in Warehouse, finding a line equating Annalise with Tilanqi. He connected the revelation to Annalise’s pursuit of her identity and wondered whether the Red Moon was a being constrained by that name.

• Fu Qian activated Annalise’s Rose of Lies, saw it draw blood to produce a wild rose, and let the flower vanish without giving it to anyone.
• Fu Qian found the containment item for mission 1-013, Demon Mountain, and examined the notebook-like heap of decayed pages, bones, and other debris.
• Fu Qian read remnants linking a Higher Being, primordial faith, and a devotee named Herbert, then discovered the line stating that Annalise was Tilanqi and Tilanqi was Annalise.
• Fu Qian considered whether Tilanqi was the Primordial Moon and connected the line to Annalise’s search for answers about her ascension.
• Fu Qian recalled the Red Moon’s strange, body-like surface and questioned whether it had been constrained by the Crimson Moon and the name revealed in the notebook.

Fu Qian connected Tilanqi to Annalise, suspecting that Annalise’s words in the Truth Notebook had bound Tilanqi to the Red Moon and caused her madness. He also considered how Annalise had interacted with the Sea of Mind and how Lasik might have been altered, then put on the Messenger.

• Fu Qian theorized that Tilanqi might have been Annalise’s real name and that Annalise’s notebook entry had helped shape Tilanqi into the Red Moon.
• Fu Qian considered whether Annalise had mistaken Tilanqi for the First Generation Moon, whether the notebook had been manipulated, or whether Annalise had knowingly used it for a hidden purpose.
• Fu Qian examined the rotted lump from the box and noticed a black water stain resembling the Sea of Mind.
• Fu Qian recalled that the sanatorium’s darkness was tied to the Sea of Mind and wondered how Annalise had communicated with it despite Higher Beings’ usual inability to enter.
• Fu Qian speculated that the Lasik sent away by Selvis might have been a separate thing from the Lasik who wrote in the notebook, and that her alterations had erased her identity registration.
• Fu Qian closed the box, returned it to its place, and put on the Messenger.

After returning from the Warehouse mission, Fu Qian reflected on Bernard’s connection to the Nightmare Corridor and the Harbinger’s conflict with Selvis. He wondered why the Warehouse had sent him into the dream and tried to summon the Red Moon, then left for the airport without receiving a response.

• Fu Qian returned to his bookstore, considered the mission’s unlucky numbers, and noted that Bernard had visited Demon Mountain.
• Fu Qian connected the Midnight Nightmare, the Return Edict, and Bernard’s unusual constitution to the Nightmare Corridor and wondered what the Warehouse had intended.
• Fu Qian concluded that the Harbinger had truly foreseen the future, while Selvis’s interventions had led both men to doubt themselves.
• Fu Qian wondered why the ancient divine dream had been disturbed and why the Warehouse had assigned him the mission.
• Fu Qian called out to Tilanqi and tried to draw the Red Moon’s attention with his new weapon, but received no response.
• Fu Qian finished his tea and set off through the darkness toward the airport.

Fu Qian revisited the Ring Archipelago for a vacation and learned that the White Tower King competition was now held four times a year. Remembering the dreamlike loop and blood moon that had surrounded Bai Jinting’s death, he wondered whether Annalise and Tilanqi had been involved.

• Fu Qian flew to the Ring Archipelago using Yuan Shan’s card and settled on a beach near White Tower Company.
• A succubus waitress recognized something about Fu Qian and explained that the White Tower King competition would take place in over a week under a new schedule of four competitions per year.
• Fu Qian told the waitress he had come alone for a vacation and might attend the competition if he had time.
• Fu Qian recalled that Bai Jinting’s deaths had triggered an endless dreamlike loop across the archipelago and wondered whether Annalise and Tilanqi had caused the blood moon he had seen.

Fu Qian considered whether Tilanqi was Red Moon and visited the archipelago to look for signs of her past, using his Rebirth Club and professor identities as cover. At a beachside lounge, he baited a tattooed man who tried to catch him violating the no-dirtying rule, then punched him and left him on a chair.

• Fu Qian connected Tilanqi and Annalise to Red Moon, reasoning that her divided consciousness could explain why she had not recognized him during the archipelago mission.
• Fu Qian considered how the Truth Notebook and the First Generation Dark Moon's ties to the Golden Tree might explain Red Moon's interest in the White Tower Codex.
• Fu Qian decided to visit the archipelago to stir Tilanqi's memories and investigate for the Rebirth Club, while posing as a righteous academy professor.
• Fu Qian tossed his empty cup into a trash can and exchanged taunts with a tattooed man who had watched him for signs of spilled drink.
• The tattooed man accused Fu Qian of messing with him, and Fu Qian punched him, stopped him from vomiting, and laid him on a lounge chair.

Fu Qian revisited the Rebirth Club’s former gathering place and found Lady Jenny still running its bar after the organization’s collapse. He ordered one of every drink, leaving Jenny to face the man she remembered as the club’s Annihilator.

• Fu Qian left Tattoo Brother immobilized on the beach after giving him a chair he could not throw away under the local rules.
• Fu Qian went to the inner island bar where the Rebirth Club had held its first gathering.
• Fu Qian found the bar remodeled and busy with living customers, and recognized Lady Jenny mixing drinks behind the counter.
• Jenny recognized Fu Qian and steadied herself as he approached, recalling how his actions had helped bring down the Rebirth Club.
• Fu Qian asked Jenny what drink suited him, accepted her claim that they were all good, and ordered one of everything.

Fu Qian used a lavish drink order to pass Jenny a Rebirth Club invitation badge, prompting her to retreat backstage. He followed her upstairs, where Jenny denied that they were still connected.

• Fu Qian studied Jenny and reflected on the supernatural creature and dreamlike influence associated with her.
• Fu Qian slipped a flesh-and-blood Rebirth Club badge beneath a large bill and handed it to Jenny.
• Jenny recognized the badge, pocketed the money, and claimed she needed to rest before leaving for the back room.
• Fu Qian drank his wine over a minute, jumped over the counter, and went upstairs to find Jenny.
• Jenny questioned Fu Qian warily, and after he asked if she had invited him, she said there was no longer a “we.”

Fu Qian spoke with Jenny about their past ties to the Rebirth Club and learned that its laboratory had been sealed off and its members had left. Jenny suggested he might find traces of the club in the sealed area or build one himself, and Fu Qian left after paying for the consultation.

• Fu Qian entered Jenny’s dimly lit room and picked up the Rebirth Club badge she had kept.
• Jenny acknowledged that Fu Qian had once praised her unusual idol style and discussed why she had later lost interest in the club.
• Jenny told Fu Qian that the laboratory and everything inside it had been sealed off, and that people who wanted to improve had left the area.
• Jenny explained that she had bought the bar because she was familiar with it and said Fu Qian could search the sealed area for traces of the club or build a new one.
• Fu Qian accepted Jenny’s suggestion, paid for the consultation, and left by a different route.