Chapter Summaries

After visiting Lan Huai Xie’s family weapons factory, Xu Huo left to handle urgent business in Chunyi City. He subdued a woman in a wrecked leisure complex and asked who really owned the building.

• Lan Huai Xie hosted Xu Huo and the others for breakfast and took them to tour his family’s heavily guarded weapons factories.
• Xu Huo tested several firearms and decided to buy a couple, while the others discussed weapons and their limitations.
• After the tour, the other Players went their separate ways, and Xu Huo declined Lan Huai Xie’s offer to handle his urgent business for him.
• Xu Huo arrived at a leisure complex in Chunyi City, where he had beaten a woman and left the rooms badly damaged.
• Xu Huo sat down beside the injured woman and asked who really owned the building.

Xu Huo rescued captives from a Chunyi City Factory linked to Fish Banquet Tower and reunited with the female player he had met before. Wu Xing revealed how local forces had helped Fish Banquet Tower traffic people, while the city’s authorities and player organizations did nothing to stop it.

• The dying woman’s implanted chip killed her before Xu Huo could learn who her boss was, so he traced a doll’s brand to a Factory in Chunyi City.
• Xu Huo found kidnapped people imprisoned at the Factory, including the female player who had escaped Fish Banquet Tower before, and helped the captives recover and get dressed.
• Xu Huo arranged for the female player to find shelter for the women, searched the Factory’s account books, and destroyed the building in a controlled explosion.
• Xu Huo met the female player, who introduced herself as Wu Xing and explained how a local family and other forces had helped Fish Banquet Tower traffic people from Chunyi City.

Xu Huo and Wu Xing discussed why District 001's authorities had failed to stop the Fish Banquet from abducting ordinary people, then sought help from a white-haired elder who could ferry people out of the district. The elder refused Wu Xing's request, leaving Xu Huo to try approaching him himself.

• Wu Xing explained that the Fish Banquet's influence and District 001's weakened state made it difficult for the government to intervene.
• Wu Xing brought Xu Huo to a chapel where a white-haired elder treated patients and listened to visitors while rejecting their religious devotion.
• Wu Xing asked the elder to ferry the rescued people out of District 001, but he denied being able to help and told her to leave.
• Xu Huo stopped Wu Xing from releasing the people and suggested she let the elder finish seeing his patients.
• Outside the chapel, Wu Xing admitted that her past conflict with the elder's people might prevent them from helping, and Xu Huo encouraged her to approach them anyway.

Xu Huo learned why Wu Xing had fallen out with members of the old Holy Sword Society and spotted them testing the Fat Player in a Spiritual World. After asking the Society members for a favor, he followed them back to the hall, where the white-haired elder welcomed the group.

• Wu Xing told Xu Huo and the painted woman that she had refused the old Holy Sword Society’s invitation and later got two of its members seriously injured while pursuing someone.
• Xu Huo watched a Super Evolver trap the Fat Player and his companion in a harmless Spiritual World, then saw the Fat Player escape and ask him for help.
• The Fat Player refused to do business with the tall Player after learning the Spiritual World had been a test, while Xu Huo recognized the men as members of the old Holy Sword Society.
• Xu Huo asked the Society members for a favor and returned to the hall with the Fat Player and the others.
• The white-haired elder told the Fat Player to go to the dining room and offered tea to Xu Huo, the painted woman, and Wu Xing.

Xu Huo questioned the old Holy Sword Society’s quiet approach to fighting the game, then stayed at its auditorium and pressured its members without attacking them. He left Fat Player considering whether becoming strong was enough, or whether the Dimension Rift itself should be destroyed.

• Xu Huo asked the white-haired elder how the old Holy Sword Society planned to fight the game, and the elder explained that anger should not be confused with destruction.
• Xu Huo stayed at the auditorium with the painted woman, unsettling the old Holy Sword Society while the white-haired elder told Gao Feng not to attack him.
• After two days, Xu Huo declined Lan Huai Xie's invitation to a Lan family banquet and said the old Holy Sword Society would not risk its local connections by acting against him.
• Fat Player questioned why Xu Huo was provoking the old Holy Sword Society, and Xu Huo asked what he would do if he became a Super Player.
• After Fat Player described taking control of his Sub-district and challenging an A-class wormhole point, Xu Huo asked whether he had ever wanted to make the Dimension Rift disappear for good.

Lan Huai Xie urged the white-haired elder to recruit Xu Huo, but the elder doubted Xu Huo’s commitment. He then took Xu Huo to an old school and explained why the Holy Sword Society wanted to destroy the game’s existing order and establish new rules, while Xu Huo questioned whether destroying the game would prevent history from repeating itself.

• Lan Huai Xie told the white-haired elder that the mysterious Feaster had repeatedly stolen from Fish Feast and argued that Xu Huo could become a valuable ally.
• The white-haired elder warned Lan Huai Xie that Xu Huo and the Fat Player had too many options to be reliable companions, though Lan Huai Xie maintained they could be won over.
• The white-haired elder summoned Xu Huo and took him alone to an old school after the painted woman agreed to wait behind.
• At the school, the white-haired elder used the children restoring a bombed-out square as an example of patient, generational change.
• The white-haired elder explained that the old Holy Sword Society wanted to destroy the game’s existing order and let a new group make its rules, while Xu Huo questioned whether destroying the game would stop the same system from returning.

Xu Huo rejected the Holy Sword Society’s invitation because he believed the game itself should not exist, then prepared to leave the Sub-district with the painted woman. Before departing, he warned Wu Xing that the people behind Lucky Treasure and the Factory might target her or the Holy Sword Society, while the Fat Player continued asking to go with him.

• Xu Huo discussed the limits of the game with the white-haired elder and concluded that players could still challenge it through strength and knowledge.
• Xu Huo declined the elder’s offer to travel with the Holy Sword Society, deciding its members were not companions on his path.
• Xu Huo returned to the auditorium, collected the painted woman, and told Gao Feng and the others he was leaving with her.
• Xu Huo warned Wu Xing that the people behind Lucky Treasure and the Factory might come after her or the Holy Sword Society after he left.
• Xu Huo asked the Fat Player whether he planned to find somewhere to hide, noting that the Holy Sword Society and the Lan family could protect themselves.

Xiao Yuan struggled with stone carving while Tan Qi waited for her, and Xu Huo returned to share a meal and discuss stones, crafting, and game certification with Old Mrs. Lu. The chapter ended when Old Mrs. Lu’s great-nephew arrived unexpectedly.

• Xiao Yuan cut her hand while practicing stone carving, and Tan Qi treated the wound and suggested she try learning potion-making.
• Xu Huo and Lichun arrived, and Fang Jie urged Xiao Yuan and Tan Qi to stop working and eat with everyone.
• Old Mrs. Lu offered to craft items in exchange for Sub-class Stones, while Xu Huo asked about unrestricted items and how the game certified them.
• Xu Huo asked how Xiao Yuan and Tan Qi were progressing in their studies, and Old Mrs. Lu praised both children’s efforts.
• Old Mrs. Lu’s great-nephew called out from outside that he had come to visit her.

Xu Huo visited Old Mrs. Lu and Xin Rong to sell items from the fish banquet and arrange a defensive item. Xin Rong invited him to see his family’s large-scale spatial teleportation device, but first took him out to meet friends, where they discussed Mechanical Castle’s rumored new robot.

• Xin Rong arrived with a Sub-class Stone, coaxed Old Mrs. Lu out of her room, and asked her to make him an item.
• Xu Huo showed Xin Rong the items he wanted to sell and gave Old Mrs. Lu his requirements for a convenient defensive item.
• Old Mrs. Lu accepted Xin Rong’s poor-quality stone but told him to save up before she made his item.
• Xin Rong offered to buy Xu Huo’s items and invited him to see the Xin family’s large-scale spatial teleportation device.
• Xu Huo arranged for Fang Jie to look after the painted woman, then went with Xin Rong to a bar to meet his friends.
• Xin Rong’s friends discussed Mechanical Castle’s rumored robot and its latest energy weapons.

Xu Huo spent an evening with Xin Rong and his wealthy friends, discussing the Platinum Eye’s weapons and entertainment before hearing about Xin Rong’s traumatic Dungeon experience. They both fell asleep at Xin Rong’s apartment, and Xu Huo woke the next day when someone from the Xin family came to summon him.

• Xin Rong explained that the Platinum Eye’s latest weapons had improved and discussed its robots and signal jammers with the others.
• The group talked about holographic entertainment and plans to explore a mutated forest, but Xin Rong declined because Dungeons exhausted him.
• Xin Rong took Xu Huo to his apartment and described how an Alien-filled Dungeon had left him with a lasting psychological scar.
• Xu Huo reassured Xin Rong that struggling to stay normal after Dungeons was normal, and Xin Rong fell asleep on the sofa.
• Xu Huo also fell asleep in a chair and woke around noon when someone from the Xin family came to call for him.

Xu Huo visited Xin Rong’s family and saw their large-scale teleportation device, then went to Mechanical Castle to meet Bai Kou. He offered to bring up the Xin family’s request for Mechanical Castle’s agency rights, while Bai Kou asked him to leave the Origin Stone with her if he wanted her to use it.

• Xin Rong’s grandfather invited Xu Huo and Xin Rong to lunch, then Xin Rong’s parents took Xu Huo to see the family’s large-scale teleportation device.
• Xin Rong told Xu Huo that his parents hoped he could help them obtain Mechanical Castle’s agency rights, and Xu Huo agreed to mention their request to Bai Kou.
• Xin Rong offered to prepare equipment for Xu Huo, and Fang Jie later told him he could visit Mechanical Castle before dinner.
• Xu Huo met Bai Kou, who said she was resting after finishing a stretch of work and asked how long he would stay.
• Xu Huo said he would leave for his next Dungeon in two or three days, and Bai Kou replied that she would need him to leave the Origin Stone behind to make use of it.

Xu Huo lent Bai Kou the Origin Stone and received a powerful detachable energy bomb before Madam Bai summoned him to a flower shop. As Madam Bai arranged a bouquet for Bai Kou, she asked Xu Huo why her daughter did not like talking to her.

• Xu Huo agreed to lend Bai Kou Angel's Eyes and explained his new understanding of Temporal Evolution.
• Bai Kou offered to authorize the Xin family to obtain robots in exchange and gave Xu Huo a portable energy bomb.
• Bai Kou warned Xu Huo not to meet the mayor's wife, but law-enforcement Players escorted him to Madam Bai anyway.
• Madam Bai asked Xu Huo to help choose flowers for Bai Kou and then asked why her daughter did not like talking to her.

Xu Huo resisted Madam Bai’s attempt to keep him in the Platinum Eye, then sent Bai Kou a bouquet to provoke her mother. After resting and replenishing his supplies, he prepared to enter his next Dungeon using a Ticket for a Sub-district with fewer Dungeons.

• Madam Bai tried to persuade Xu Huo to stay in the Platinum Eye and revealed that she had applied for Gray Player status for him, but a law enforcement team escorted him out after she took a call.
• Xu Huo bought red roses for Bai Kou and told her that Madam Bai had chosen black flowers and did not want anyone around her.
• Xu Huo had the shop engrave “May our friendship last forever” on every rose and arranged for the bouquet to be delivered to the Mechanical Castle.
• Xin Rong offered to cover Xu Huo’s Platinum Eye expenses, and Xu Huo rested at the Yongxing Hotel before buying supplies and defensive props for his next Dungeon.
• Xu Huo chose a Ticket rather than selecting a specific Dungeon and planned to target a Sub-district with fewer Dungeons so he could identify a destination more easily.

Xu Huo spent two days avoiding the people watching him, then learned that Shi Shuai, known as Gourmand, had become an S-class Wanted Criminal with a bounty announced across all Wormhole Points. The bounty’s rewards included powerful equipment and a citizen ID for an A-class Wormhole Point.

• Xu Huo stayed at the hotel while hostile observers and would-be assassins watched him, and Xin Rong arranged A-class players and government attention to protect him.
• A game-wide notice named Shi Shuai, or Gourmand, an S-class Wanted Criminal for invading the Ticketless Sub-district and causing casualties and extensive property damage.
• Xu Huo read players’ reactions on Dimension Below as they discussed Gourmand’s identity, the hidden Ticketless Sub-district, and the Game Government’s losses.
• Players noticed that the bounty offered a Super Artifact, other advanced rewards, and citizenship in an A-class Wormhole Point.

Xu Huo investigated the Game Government’s bounty for the Gourmand and worried that the Fish Banquet might expose his connection to him. The Gourmand’s public video revealing that he was vacationing elsewhere redirected attention, leaving Xu Huo relieved and impressed.

• Xu Huo read theories about why the Game Government offered official status for information about the Gourmand and posted his own bounty for the Gourmand’s whereabouts.
• Xu Huo reviewed reports from the Fish Banquet, worried that the venue might identify him and trace him to District 001, and discreetly warned Lan Huai Xie.
• Lan Huai Xie offered to supply Xu Huo with weapons if he sent an order list.
• The Gourmand, Shi Shuai, posted a video of himself vacationing in a Sub-district and openly declaring that he would return when he had time.
• Players identified the wormhole point and Sub-district shown in the video, while Xu Huo concluded the Gourmand’s actions were unlikely to affect him.

After preparing his supplies, Xu Huo traveled with the painted woman to District 020, where he was headed for the Tomorrow Station Dungeon. On the train, he learned about the Sub-district’s unusual plants and bought Star Grass seeds that could detect nearby animals.

• Xu Huo found two White Platinum Eye Return Tickets among the equipment and supplies Xin Rong had sent him.
• Xu Huo boarded the train with the painted woman and headed to District 020’s Tomorrow Station.
• Xu Huo learned that mutated plants and animals occupied much of District 020, while humans lived in protected Safe Zones.
• A red-haired woman Player sold specimens, including pink worms said to improve virility and a toxic man-eating beast embryo.
• Xu Huo examined the seed seller’s video of Star Grass, which tracked nearby animals and signaled multiple targets.
• Xu Huo bought a bag of ten Star Grass seeds for a thousand White Cash.

Xu Huo arrived at Tomorrow Station and learned that the B-class Dungeon required players to act as the hidden friend and find another Dungeon player, with only one player able to clear it. As he and the painted woman searched the foggy forest, they repeatedly mistook vines and trees for a human figure, and Xu Huo prepared to investigate the strange appearances.

• Xu Huo bought echo grass, other seeds, and a seal fruit from a Player on the train.
• Xu Huo arrived at C31-020, triggering the B-class Dungeon Hidden Friend, which allowed only one of its 39 players to clear it.
• Xu Huo assessed the Dungeon’s rules and explored the fog-shrouded forest with the painted woman in search of a settlement.
• The painted woman spotted what looked like a person among the vines, but Xu Huo found no trace of anyone there.
• The painted woman noticed another shadow that seemed to wave at Xu Huo, but he identified it as a tree trunk and leaves before taking out an instrument to detect unusual forces.

Xu Huo and the painted woman found a settlement of wary residents in the woods and were welcomed into a cabin after offering food and money. As Xu Huo questioned their hosts and helped with the dishes, he sensed that a neighbor was approaching.

• Xu Huo and the painted woman spotted wooden cabins and approached a family who initially refused to let them in.
• Xu Huo offered a banknote and explained that he and his sister were lost, so the woman let them enter while nearby young men dispersed.
• Xu Huo traded bread and dried meat for hot soup and water, and the painted woman enjoyed the soup despite her initial complaint.
• Xu Huo asked the old woman about the settlement and the route to the nearest city, learning that the journey would take several days and pass other houses.
• Xu Huo helped the woman wash the dishes and told her about their trip before pausing to ask whether a neighbor was coming over.

Xu Huo and the painted woman learned the local legend of the Friend in Hiding, a figure in the mist that lured people away and sometimes knocked at houses. The old woman warned them not to answer anyone calling from outside, leaving Xu Huo to wonder whether the figure threatened Players in the Dungeon.

• Xu Huo noticed someone pass the window, and a knock at the door made the household silence the children and refuse to answer.
• The old woman told the story of how figures in the mist had called people away, leading to disappearances and precautions against entering the forest alone or answering unseen callers.
• She explained that a plant mutation had destroyed the town and nearby cities, while later survivors built settlements in undeveloped areas.
• The old woman said the Friend in Hiding had begun appearing outside houses and could imitate outsiders, possibly including Xu Huo.
• The old woman sent Xu Huo and the painted woman to rest and warned them not to answer anyone calling from outside.

Xu Huo encountered two Players in the fog and suspected they were working with a third Player to lure him into the Dungeon’s “hidden friend” challenge. After he ignored a voice calling his name, the Dungeon’s player count fell to 38.

• Dense fog blocked Xu Huo and the old woman from leaving, so they borrowed supplies from nearby residents.
• Two Players, Yin Yang Master and Bubble Bean, attacked Xu Huo and the old woman before realizing they were people and stopping their daggers.
• Yin Yang Master and Bubble Bean explained that shadows had followed them through the woods, then arranged to stay in a neighboring house.
• Xu Huo suspected the pair were cooperating with a third Player who had been following them and might be acting as the “hidden friend.”
• A voice called Xu Huo’s name from the fog, but he ignored it and did not follow the figure as it walked away.
• Two hours later, the Dungeon’s player count changed to 38.