Recaps

Xu Huo took the Substitute Mirror from the Chen Brothers and learned that Yu Shuai had disappeared from the Ancient Castle. While the other players toured He Pu’s art collection, Xu Huo questioned Hu Shan about a sculpture attributed to He Pu.

• Chen Tu explained the Substitute Mirror’s abilities and restrictions, and Xu Huo took it from the Chen Brothers in exchange for a promise to return it if he was satisfied with his game rewards.
• The Chen Brothers told Xu Huo that Li Chao had visited the Servant Room and that Liu Zheng Ping and You Qiwen seemed to have joined forces.
• Xu Huo learned that Yu Shuai had disappeared after asking a servant to leave his lunch in his room.
• Hu Shan led the players to the Third Floor to view He Pu’s collection, and You Qiwen and Fly briefly left the group in the sculpture room.
• Xu Huo asked Hu Shan about a marble sculpture, and she said it was one of He Pu’s works from five years earlier.

Xu Huo explored He Pu’s collection and studied District 011’s history and He Pu’s potion research in the third-floor Study Room. He left wondering whether He Pu was simply observing the players as they fought one another.

• He Pu overruled Hu Shan and allowed the players to inspect the third-floor rooms, revealing extensive treasures, potions, weapons, rare specimens, and a pool of mutated crocodiles.
• Xu Huo examined the Study Room’s books and learned how District 011 formed from several merged sub-districts and how its alliance regime worked alongside the Game Government.
• Xu Huo found He Pu’s annotated potion books and realized He Pu had conducted experiments, mostly five years earlier.
• He Pu entered the Study Room, spoke with Xu Huo about his old interests, and sent Hu Shan to take him downstairs for afternoon tea.
• Xu Huo wondered whether He Pu was watching the players kill one another, then asked Hu Shan to bring a porcelain vase to his room.

Xu Huo lured Mr. and Mrs. Ma into an ambush at the Annex and killed them both in a close-quarters fight. He left their bodies together after defeating the Cannibal Players.

• Xu Huo prepared for the confrontation, gave the Chen Brothers instructions, and waited until midnight to leave his room.
• Mr. and Mrs. Ma followed Xu Huo into the woods, where he ambushed them with his items, but they counterattacked and forced him into the Annex.
• Xu Huo used darkness, alcohol, flames, and pepper spray to disorient the couple inside the spider room.
• Mrs. Ma wounded Xu Huo's defenses, but he circled behind her and killed her with the Butcher Knife.
• Xu Huo recalled his items to avoid Mr. Ma's wallet, then killed Mr. Ma with the Chainsaw and kicked his body beside Mrs. Ma's.

Xu Huo killed the Ma couple, investigated Mr. Dong and He Pu’s past, and concluded that Hu Shan was connected to the guests’ disappearances. He warned the Chen Brothers that finding the bodies was dangerous and identified the upcoming Music Appreciation meeting as the real focus.

• Xu Huo collected the Ma couple’s items and found that their Evolution rates were far higher than his.
• Xu Huo studied the spider trophies in the Annex and inferred that Mr. Dong and He Pu had once been close, despite their current strained relationship.
• Xu Huo met Mr. Dong in the rain and questioned him about his friendship with He Pu and his interest in spiders.
• The Chen Brothers reported that Hu Shan was missing from her room and that they had found no human-shaped ceramics.
• Xu Huo told the brothers that Hu Shan was likely connected to the disappearances, warned that finding the bodies could be a trap, and pointed to the Music Appreciation meeting as the real focus.

After Li Chao and the Ma couple disappeared, Xu Huo revealed that the Ma couple were non-task Players and helped the others piece together the killings in the Ancient Castle. The Players agreed to work together to search He Pu’s rooms during dinner, leaving Xu Huo to investigate while the others distracted Hu Shan and Mr. Dong.

• The Players learned that Li Chao had left the Ancient Castle and that the Ma couple had also departed at midnight, while Hu Shan warned them to stay off the Third Floor.
• Fly suspected Li Chao had been killed after going to the Third Floor, and You Qiwen concluded that Hu Shan and Mr. Dong had likely killed Players.
• Xu Huo showed the Players invitations and explained that the Ma couple were non-task Players who had approached him, convincing the group that some Players had been invited to stir up trouble.
• The Players considered whether someone in the Ancient Castle was killing indiscriminately and discussed searching He Pu’s bedroom, lounge, and Music Room for The Vanishing Guest.
• Xu Huo offered to search He Pu’s rooms during dinner while You Qiwen and the others kept Hu Shan and Mr. Dong occupied, and Wei Landeng supplied paired toys for signaling.

Xu Huo searched He Pu’s bedroom but escaped when He Pu suddenly returned, strengthening his suspicion that He Pu was the Dungeon Boss. The players agreed to target Mr. Dong for information and followed him toward the Annex, where he vanished into the dark woods.

• Xu Huo searched He Pu’s bedroom and sensed an energy fluctuation in a wall, but fled through the window when He Pu approached.
• Xu Huo reasoned that Mr. Dong might oppose He Pu and could help the players find The Vanishing Guest.
• Wei Landeng, You Qiwen, Liu Zheng Ping, Fly, and Chen Nan gathered in Xu Huo’s room and discussed how to confront the castle’s powerful residents.
• Xu Huo agreed with Fly’s plan to target Mr. Dong, who might know where their belongings and the missing bodies were.
• The players followed Mr. Dong toward the Annex at night, but a gust of wind swept through the woods and he suddenly vanished.

Xu Huo realized Mr. Dong was likely an intelligent item and that He Pu had invited outside Players for help. He found a Player hidden in a wall, revealing the missing guest, and received a prompt to submit the truth behind the disappearance.

• You Qiwen illuminated the woods, exposing Mr. Dong as a giant Spider-Man, and the Players attacked him.
• Mr. Dong broke free and fled into the Maze Garden, so You Qiwen and the others pursued him.
• Xu Huo asked the Chen Brothers to cover for him and returned to the main building to investigate his suspicions about He Pu and Mr. Dong.
• Xu Huo searched You Qiwen's room and stabbed a hidden man inside the wall with a Flying Sword.
• Xu Huo pulled the wounded man from the wall and received a prompt asking whether he would submit the truth behind the guest's disappearance.

Xu Huo questioned Yu Shuai about the Vanishing Guest and proposed a plan to complete Task One, then provoked Hu Shan by threatening to burn the Ancient Castle. Hu Shan attacked him and pinned him down with her Square Hammer.

• Xu Huo forced Yu Shuai to reveal that the Vanishing Guest’s preserved bodies were in a wardrobe in He Pu’s bedroom and learned that Yu Shuai had not completed Task Two.
• Xu Huo proposed that Yu Shuai steal a body and bring it to the Music Room during the next night’s Appreciation Session to complete Task One, and Yu Shuai agreed.
• After Yu Shuai hid inside the wall, Hu Shan entered You Qiwen’s room and confronted Xu Huo.
• Xu Huo threatened to set the Castle and the Garden Maze on fire, then ignited the bed and furnishings.
• Hu Shan attacked Xu Huo with her Square Hammer, kicked him into a corner, and pinned him down while reaching for his face.

Xu Huo fought Hu Shan in Rose Castle until Mr. Dong intervened, and the struggle ended when a force from the Third Floor released Hu Shan. At dawn, Xu Huo told the other Players he knew where the missing guests were, offering them a new lead as time ran short.

• Xu Huo battled Hu Shan, who used her abilities to heal herself and turn her clothes and the castle walls into weapons.
• Mr. Dong trapped Hu Shan in a black wall substance, but a wave of energy from the Third Floor freed her and Yu Shuai before she was swallowed.
• Mr. Dong inspected the wrecked room and told Xu Huo that he had burned down two rooms, while Xu Huo learned the castle had not been a Dungeon five years earlier.
• The other Players returned to the second floor and kept their distance from Mr. Dong, then waited through the night for dawn.
• Xu Huo told the Chen Brothers that Mr. Dong was neutral toward Players and that Hu Shan posed the greater danger.
• Xu Huo summoned the other Players and said he knew where the missing guests were, prompting Liu Zheng Ping to ask if he was bluffing.

Xu Huo told the players where the bodies were hidden and joined them in trying to uncover why the castle guests had disappeared, but their theory about He Pu was rejected. The players gathered for He Pu’s Music Appreciation Session, where the truth remained unresolved.

• Xu Huo revealed that the bodies were in He Pu’s bedroom wardrobe and said he had completed the first task, while seeking the truth behind the guests’ disappearance.
• Wei Landeng, Fly, You Qiwen, and the others compared clues about the servants, He Pu, and Mr. Dong, then submitted their theory that He Pu had begun eating people and received a wrong answer.
• Fly and You Qiwen reasoned that the players might learn the truth from He Pu before completing the first task, and Xu Huo denied that He Pu had discovered their actions.
• The servants brought the players formalwear and escorted them to the Music Room, where He Pu welcomed them to the Music Appreciation Session.

Xu Huo invited Hu Shan and Mr. Dong into the Music Room, where He Pu’s concert incapacitated the players and turned Hu Shan against them. The battle exposed Fly as the non-mission player, while He Pu’s attack forced Xu Huo to retrieve a hidden Figurine Doll.

• Xu Huo asked He Pu to invite Mr. Dong and Hu Shan to listen, and He Pu’s music overwhelmed the room and left the players disoriented.
• Hu Shan attacked You Qiwen with a blade, but You Qiwen’s electric attack knocked her and nearby players down.
• Wei Landeng fired at He Pu and enraged Hu Shan, who attacked her until Chen Tu restrained her and Fly pulled her toward Xu Huo.
• When the music quieted, You Qiwen trapped Hu Shan in an ice-filled Ice Box and attacked He Pu, then turned on Fly.
• Xu Huo identified Fly as the non-mission player and explained that his Face-to-Face Negotiation could affect only one person at a time.
• He Pu blasted the broken chairs beneath the stage, and Xu Huo retrieved a hidden Figurine Doll on a thin thread.

You Qiwen and Wei Landeng exposed Fly as a non-task player, but He Pu revealed that their claims about finding the Vanishing Guest were a ploy to search for the missing body. Under He Pu’s five-minute deadline, You Qiwen offered a theory about He Pu’s identity, and Xu Huo began to explain what he had uncovered.

• After He Pu stopped controlling the instruments, You Qiwen explained that Li Chao’s actions had made him suspect Fly, and Wei Landeng revealed that the Cooperation Contract had let her learn what happened in Fly’s room.
• Fly pointed out that the Cabinet behind the wall was empty and accused You Qiwen and Wei Landeng of failing to complete the first mission.
• He Pu exposed their plan to use the fight as a chance for Wei Landeng to search for the missing body, while You Qiwen insisted the dungeon rules meant the body could not be hidden beyond reach.
• You Qiwen promised Xu Huo the truth about the Vanishing Guest in exchange for help, and He Pu gave the group five minutes to satisfy his curiosity.
• You Qiwen claimed that an impostor had taken He Pu’s identity and was working with Mr. Dong to kill players; Xu Huo said the theory was partly right and hinted that He Pu had revealed the real truth.

Xu Huo explained why he believed the man posing as He Pu was not Rose Castle’s Dungeon Holder and identified Mr. Dong as the likely holder. He then argued that the game still required them to uncover the impostor’s identity.

• Fly used the Contract to reveal that Yu Shuai was still alive, and the players received notification that they had completed the first task.
• Xu Huo led the players downstairs and began explaining his theory to He Pu over tea.
• Xu Huo argued that the real He Pu had been a modest scholar, unlike the narcissistic impostor pretending to be him.
• Xu Huo named Mr. Dong as the likely Dungeon Holder, reasoning that He Pu’s ability to make guests and bodies disappear would otherwise violate the game’s rules.
• Xu Huo said the real He Pu was probably dead and concluded that the game wanted them to discover the impostor’s identity.

Xu Huo exposed He Pu as a Wanted Criminal who had infiltrated Rose Castle and used evidence, a fire, and the threat of reporting him to the Game Government to corner him. He Pu attacked the Players with a shock wave and a mental illusion, while Xu Huo opened a door that let the others escape the illusion and return to the Tea Hall as he fought He Pu.

• You Qiwen explained that a Player could avoid Dungeons by working legitimately for the Game Government, and Xu Huo revealed that He Pu was instead a Wanted Criminal who had fled from another Wormhole Point.
• Xu Huo presented the qipao woman's corpse and stolen belongings, pointed out the fire in the Garden Maze, and threatened to expose He Pu to the authorities and the Game Government.
• Xu Huo and the other Players attacked He Pu, but He Pu repelled their blows with a shock wave and used a Tuning Fork to trap them in a bloody mental illusion.
• You Qiwen recognized the mental attack, and Xu Huo opened a door in the illusion so the Players could escape back into the Tea Hall.
• The Players returned to find Xu Huo fighting He Pu.

Xu Huo and the others fought He Pu, whose sound-based attacks overwhelmed their attempts to trap him. He Pu exposed his true appearance and opened a portal that began pulling everyone in, just as the Ancient Castle suddenly darkened.

• Liu Zheng Ping used his Return Ticket to leave the game while You Qiwen, Wei Landeng, the Chen Brothers, and Yu Shuai stayed to fight He Pu.
• Wei Landeng and the others cornered He Pu, but his tuning fork unleashed a blast that shattered their abilities and drove Xu Huo into the ceiling.
• Xu Huo drew He Pu into his Spiritual World for an instant, while Wei Landeng and You Qiwen used an electrical trap that left her dead and He Pu badly burned.
• He Pu attacked You Qiwen, but Yu Shuai pulled him into the wall; He Pu then opened a disc-shaped portal that began drawing everyone toward it.
• Xu Huo resisted the pull with the Strings and took out the Five or Five Open Air Window, but the Ancient Castle suddenly grew dim.

As the Ancient Castle disintegrated, Xu Huo escaped but was pulled into a Black Water trap by Fake He Pu. They were carried by the Five or Five Open Air Window to a District 011 Game Government facility, where Fake He Pu attacked a building and government agents moved to capture them; Xu Huo was restrained while Fake He Pu was lifted into the air.

• The Ancient Castle transformed and began collapsing, while Fly was swallowed by the staircase and Fake He Pu escaped through a black hole pursued by Rainbow Light.
• You Qiwen, Wei Landeng, Yu Shuai, the Chen Brothers, and Xu Huo left the castle as Government Players arrived.
• Two androids examined Xu Huo, identified him as not being their marked target, and continued toward the castle.
• Fake He Pu pulled Xu Huo into Black Water, but Xu Huo used the Five or Five Open Air Window to bounce them both inside and carry them to the Game Government facility.
• Fake He Pu tried to destroy a shock-wave-emitting building, while government agents restrained Xu Huo and the crew cut man lifted Fake He Pu into the air.

Xu Huo helped the District 011 Enforcement Department capture Fake He Pu, a Wanted Criminal, and learned that reporting the capture could help him obtain a Player ID. He agreed to answer the Department’s questions and went with the short-haired captain to a hotel.

• Xu Huo identified Fake He Pu as the Wanted Criminal he had been pursuing, and the Enforcement Department exposed the criminal’s disguise.
• The Jacket Man and the other officers subdued Fake He Pu with guns and a Metal Cage, then began interrogating him.
• The short-haired captain questioned Xu Huo about his resistance to Fake He Pu’s mental attack and asked the robots what charge could be brought against him.
• Xu Huo learned that the Department could specially apply for his Player ID because he had helped capture a Wanted Criminal.
• Guo Yingguang asked Xu Huo to cooperate with further questions, and the short-haired captain offered him a ride to a hotel.

After the Rose Castle incident, Ran Ying brought Xu Huo to a secure Yongxing Hotel in Main City and treated him to a room. Xu Huo checked his S-class Dungeon rewards and examined a new Ability and theft item.

• In the car, Xu Huo explained how he identified the wanted criminal, and Ran Ying learned that the police had already sealed Rose Castle and were searching for He Pu.
• Ran Ying told Xu Huo that the castle and its contents might eventually be auctioned, and Xu Huo decided to watch for news about the auction and He Pu’s research notes.
• Ran Ying and Cheng Bing took Xu Huo to a Yongxing Hotel, where Ran Ying paid for his room and promised to return for breakfast.
• After Ran Ying left, Xu Huo checked his Game Panel and received the Power of Writing, a special item, a D-class common item, Potions, and White Cash.
• Xu Huo read that the Power of Writing could make people focus on him for five seconds, then examined the Hungry Gluttonous Snake, which could steal a valuable possession without its owner noticing right away.

Xu Huo examined his new items and learned that the Super Artifact Field Battle Angel had been claimed by Paper Puppeteer. He reflected on how the search for the artifact drew attention away from District 014 and considered the vast reach of Super Artifacts, including his own Three Seconds of Life.

• Xu Huo attached the Gluttonous Snake to his umbrella and used Mona Lisa to conceal it from sight.
• Xu Huo reviewed his potions and found an extra D-level ticket for Great World at Sea among his rewards.
• Game broadcasts announced that Paper Puppeteer had acquired Field Battle Angel, weapons had been stolen from Platinum Eye, and war had broken out in District 012.
• Xu Huo searched for details about Carmen Field’s ruins and learned that Kailuoer Field had opened them to players, drawing numerous powerful players and sparking battles.
• Xu Huo concluded that the hunt for Field Battle Angel had diverted players from District 014 and reasoned that Three Seconds of Life had rewound everything in Decibel Town, not just his own life.

Xu Huo went to the Game Government Base to make a statement and saw how the facility monitored Players. The chapter left him waiting to explain what happened in a smoke-filled records room.

• Xu Huo researched the Field Battle Angel and the Enforcement Department, then messaged Shi Youzhi to arrange a visit to the Government Base.
• Xu Huo changed rooms at Yongxing Hotel, hired a car, and learned from the floor manager how the hotel’s security and billing systems worked.
• Xu Huo declined to meet Ran Ying for breakfast and traveled to the Game Government Base.
• Shi Youzhi escorted Xu Huo through the base’s security system and directed him to the records department.
• Xu Huo entered the smoke-filled records room, where an unseen person gestured for him to sit.

Xu Huo answered questions at the Game Government Base and received an unregistered citizen ID after helping on the train. He left with advice about trading and Ran Ying’s invitation to lunch.

• Xu Huo told the curly-haired man that he wanted a place to stay and described what he had noticed about the Train Chaser.
• The curly-haired man sent Shi Youzhi to give Xu Huo a citizen ID as thanks for his help on the train.
• Shi Youzhi explained the ID’s limited uses and warned Xu Huo about private and underground trading channels.
• Ran Ying called Xu Huo, and Shi Youzhi revealed that Xu Huo had come to the base for an ID.
• Ran Ying teased Shi Youzhi and invited Xu Huo to have lunch with her.

Xu Huo sold unwanted items and bought two C-class defensive items after considering his limited budget. Back at the hotel, he summoned the little girl and gave her candy, clothes, and toys, while she claimed she had known he was a good person.

• Xu Huo sold ten unwanted E-class items for ninety thousand White Cash and went to an Exchange to shop for equipment.
• Xu Huo rejected cumbersome Battle Armor and searched for defensive items that could help counter item and Ability attacks.
• Xu Huo bought the C-class items "Stuttering Malice" and "Seeing Is Believing" for three hundred thousand White Cash.
• Xu Huo bought candy, local specialties, children's clothes, and toys before returning to the hotel.
• Xu Huo summoned the little girl with the Awakening Doll, and she eagerly ate the candy and said she had known he was a good person.

Xu Huo learned why District 011 had no Random Instances and considered leaving to find more information about its Super Dungeon. He left his hotel with Ran Ying while Brother Tu remained trapped in the painting.

• Xu Huo examined the items he had bought and asked Pink Hat to put Brother Tu into a Random Instance, but she could not open one in District 011.
• Xu Huo questioned Brother Tu about missing instances and learned that a Super Dungeon prevented Random Instances from appearing in District 011.
• Brother Tu explained that District 011 was sought after by Players and that its Tickets were the most expensive among the five lower districts.
• Xu Huo decided he would need to leave District 011 to seek more information, and Pink Hat departed with the treats and clothes.
• Xu Huo put the painting away, changed into a suit, and left the room with an umbrella to meet Ran Ying in the lobby.

Xu Huo explored District 011 after dining with Ran Ying, who warned him about the dangers of working as auxiliary staff for the Game Government Base. In a lawless area, three men tried to rob him, and Xu Huo asked them if they knew Deng Xuan.

• Ran Ying took Xu Huo to dinner, explained how District 011 treated players and outsiders, and warned him that auxiliary staff at the Game Government Base died quickly.
• Ran Ying offered to help Xu Huo settle in before an emergency call summoned her away.
• Xu Huo toured public spaces and learned that citizen IDs gave residents access to certain places while outsiders faced extra restrictions.
• Xu Huo walked into a labyrinthine Lawless Zone, where three men confronted him and demanded money.
• Xu Huo gave the men cigarettes and asked whether they knew Deng Xuan.

Xu Huo visited Deng Xuan to arrange a discounted Potion purchase, then noticed signs of a hidden gathering and realized someone was following him. He went to Yongxing Hotel and watched the pursuer, deciding to give him a chance to act.

• Xu Huo beat three punks who tried to lead him into an alley, then followed a middle-aged man to Deng Xuan.
• Xu Huo arranged to buy Evolution Potions, a Self-Healing Agent, and other strength-boosting Potions from Deng Xuan in five days.
• Xu Huo noticed the streets changing as he left, while the middle-aged man returned to a concealed courtyard where Deng Xuan and others met with Brother Zhao’s group.
• Brother Jing warned Deng Xuan not to bring outsiders to the courtyard, and Brother Zhao sent someone to follow Xu Huo after leaving.
• Xu Huo spotted the pursuer and went to Yongxing Hotel, where he watched the man and decided to give him a chance.