Chapter Summaries

Xu Huo, the painted woman, and Bubble Bean traveled to Cat Fruit Town to investigate the Cat Whiskers Fruit Journey dungeon, where they teamed up with another Player named Ling Ling. They arrived at the town and got their first view of the unsettling cat-head-shaped fruits covering a nearby mountain.

• Xu Huo recognized Bubble Bean on the bus to Cat Fruit Town and persuaded him to join forces for the dungeon.
• Ling Ling introduced herself and proposed that the Players work together, reasoning that the town's cat-loving residents might offer clues.
• The painted woman questioned whether loving cats meant the townspeople would be kind to people, and Xu Huo sided with Ling Ling and Bubble Bean's practical approach.
• The bus arrived in Cat Fruit Town, where Ling Ling recoiled at the mountain covered in cat-head-shaped fruits.
• The painted woman asked Ling Ling whether she was also afraid of White Cash.

Xu Huo, Ling Ling, the painted woman, and Bubble Bean explored a town where tourists and players crowded around Cat Whiskers Fruit crafts and local jobs. Xu Huo left with the painted woman to investigate the Wan family, whose influence over the town’s mayor and residents had caught his attention.

• Ling Ling and the painted woman attracted swarms of cats, and the painted woman chased them through town with a water gun.
• The painted woman asked Xu Huo to hold her place while she fought the cats, then took a photo beneath the giant cat’s head.
• Xu Huo observed players investigating the Cat Whiskers Fruit journey and heard townspeople discuss the new mayor, the Wan family, and a child expected to be born into the family.
• Xu Huo checked a town map for the Wan family’s home and left the square with the painted woman while Ling Ling and Bubble Bean stayed behind.
• Xu Huo and the painted woman approached the Wan family’s residential neighborhood and sensed players watching them.

Xu Huo visited the Wan family to ask about their Dungeon, but learned they had no reliable guide to clearing it. He left with an invitation to their newborn’s banquet in three days and continued to consider the family as a possible lead.

• Xu Huo visited the Wan family openly and asked Old Mr. Wan about their Dungeon-clearing methods, but Old Mr. Wan said others had failed to replicate them.
• Old Mr. Wan left to see the newborn, and Xu Huo learned the Wan family had ancestral ties to Cat Eye City while looking around their welcoming home.
• Xu Huo saw residents and nearby players bring gifts to the Wan family, while two players pressured him and the painted woman to leave.
• Xu Huo left gifts, received invitations to the banquet in three days, and told Bubble Bean and Ling Ling he had found no clues yet.

Xu Huo and his companions planned to use the Wan family banquet to find a Dungeon target, while Xu Huo visited Cat Whisker Fruit Mountain and learned about its fruits. He helped an old woman who collected cracked fruits, whose words suggested that even damaged things had a purpose.

• Xu Huo, Bubble Bean, and Ling Ling agreed to wait for the Wan family banquet and choose a convenient target there.
• Xu Huo and the painted woman visited Cat Whisker Fruit Mountain, where she attracted a crowd of cats and a curious child.
• Xu Huo learned from a tourist that carefully grown cat-whisker fruits had neat openings and seeds that could be carved into patterns.
• Xu Huo noticed an old woman collecting fallen, cracked fruits, then helped her after she fell.
• The old woman told Xu Huo that good and broken fruits both had their uses, and Xu Huo offered to carry her basket and help her collect more.

Xu Huo explored Cat Whisker Fruit Mountain and town with the painted woman, who collected cat fur and tested a cow-patterned cat with questions about the Dungeon. The next morning, a local family confronted Ling Ling over a Cat Whisker Fruit she had taken.

• The old woman declined help and carried her basket down the mountain, while Xu Huo asked the female traveler for advice on carving fruit pits.
• The painted woman showed Xu Huo the fur balls she had collected, and Xu Huo watched cats eagerly rub against her Medals.
• Xu Huo bought the painted woman perfume and found them a room near town center when rain interrupted their walk.
• A cow-patterned cat offered them a Cat Whisker Fruit and settled in their room, while the painted woman asked it questions about the Dungeon.
• Ling Ling told Xu Huo that she had argued with a local Player while searching for clues, and three Players watched their table at breakfast.
• A bespectacled middle-aged man accused Ling Ling of taking his family's Cat Whisker Fruit and asked her to return it, saying it would not help her clear the Dungeon.

Xu Huo, Ling Ling, and Bubble Bean dealt with an accusation that Ling Ling had stolen a cat whisker fruit, but a scent-tracking bee cleared her. Xu Huo suspected the accusation was connected to a deliberate plot involving an official in Cat Fruit Town, while the group left without finding out what had really gone missing.

• A middle-aged man accused Ling Ling of taking a cat whisker fruit and brought a bee to identify its scent.
• Ling Ling objected to the accusation, while Bubble Bean and Xu Huo challenged the man's approach and raised the possibility that she had been baited.
• The bee circled the group without landing on anyone, and the middle-aged man left after apologizing.
• Ling Ling told Xu Huo and Bubble Bean that an attacker had ambushed her near an official surnamed Mi, and that she had entered the official's home during the fight.
• Xu Huo suggested that the attacker had targeted the official and that the missing item might not have been a cat whisker fruit.
• Bubble Bean left after Xu Huo teased him about Cat Fruit Town's history, and Xu Huo told Ling Ling he had been bored and wanted to hear Bubble Bean's head rattle.

Xu Huo accompanied a female traveler to Small Item Carving, where she asked Teacher Gui to take her as an apprentice. After the cow-patterned cat stole an unfinished cat-whisker fruit, Xu Huo returned it, and Teacher Gui watched from afar before going back inside.

• Xu Huo met the female traveler and went with her to Small Item Carving to see Teacher Gui.
• The female traveler offered Teacher Gui a miniature terminal as tuition, but Teacher Gui refused to take her on and told her to return in a few days.
• Xu Huo bought a carved cat-whisker fruit and paid for several that the painted woman and the cow-patterned cat had broken.
• The painted woman told Xu Huo that the cat knew where cat-whisker fruit could be taken on a trip.
• The cow-patterned cat stole an unfinished cat-whisker fruit and brought it to Xu Huo, who returned it to the shop robot.
• Teacher Gui watched Xu Huo and the others from a street corner, then went back inside the shop.

Xu Huo learned why the Wan family had attracted so many reporters and Players, then asked them for a Cat Whisker Fruit. He received one as part of a return gift, but the young man warned him that it might not help him clear the Dungeon.

• Xu Huo noticed extra Players guarding the Wan family and learned from reporters that their presence was tied to a council candidate who had once received the family's kindness.
• Xu Huo heard how the Wan family had forgiven a daughter-in-law who had married into the family seeking revenge, after she confessed and proved her decency.
• Xu Huo decided to ask the Wan family for a Cat Whisker Fruit, reasoning that people inside a Dungeon might be able to help a Player clear it.
• The young man from the Wan family gave Xu Huo a gift box containing a Cat Whisker Fruit, while warning that other people had already offered to deliver the family's return gifts.

Xu Huo declined a suspicious delivery job and instead joined an old woman carrying carved cat-whisker fruit, hoping to learn more about her. As they traveled with Bubble Bean and two Wan family escorts, the old woman sold a piece of fruit and toured a stop, then questioned Bubble Bean’s claim that he looked after strangers because he had elders at home.

• Bubble Bean mocked Xu Huo for collecting cat-whisker fruit, while Ling Ling told them about a risky anonymous delivery job that Xu Huo suspected could be a trap.
• When no better opportunity appeared, Ling Ling formed a team for the delivery, but Xu Huo and Bubble Bean did not join her.
• The old woman arrived at the Wan family with her basket and asked for an escort; Xu Huo offered to accompany her, and Bubble Bean followed out of curiosity.
• The old woman traveled with Xu Huo, Bubble Bean, and two Wan family players, refusing to stow her basket or use teleportation because she wanted to enjoy the scenery.
• At the first stop, the old woman sold one of her hand-carved cat-whisker fruit pieces and toured the town with the group.
• Bubble Bean asked where she planned to go, and the old woman challenged his claim that he looked after other people’s elders because he had elders at home.

Xu Huo traveled with the Bowl family Players and Old Mrs. Gui as she tried to deliver her final nut carving, while Ling Ling and her companions faced repeated attacks aboard another train. The chapter ended with Ling Ling refusing Xu Huo’s offer to join his group and continuing her dangerous assignment.

• Xu Huo and the others watched a disguised would-be thief apologize and leave after finding them awake.
• Old Mrs. Gui led the group to a bookstore, learned its owner had gone to Xiao'an City, and decided to pursue him there to complete her final delivery.
• Xu Huo’s group encountered Ling Ling and three injured companions on their next train as hidden attackers sent flying knives into the carriage.
• Ling Ling used Soul Tremor to stop a fine needle from reaching her, and the attackers vanished after the group drove off their assault.
• Xu Huo offered Ling Ling’s group a chance to travel with him, but Ling Ling refused to abandon their assignment.

Xu Huo and Bubble Bean tested whether the attackers were targeting the Wan family by drawing out a disguised Conductor, but he escaped after Xu Huo wounded him. Further attacks on the train confirmed that the three Outer District Players had been targeted since leaving Cat Fruit Town.

• Xu Huo warned the two Wan family members, gave the painted woman instructions, and took Bubble Bean to the dining car to test the attackers’ motives.
• A Player disguised as the Conductor tried to flee after Xu Huo confronted him over a drink, and Bubble Bean’s attack forced him to escape the train.
• Xu Huo pursued the Conductor, pierced his defenses with artifacts, and wounded him before the man entered the Station.
• Xu Huo and Bubble Bean returned to the others, who wondered why the attackers had struck them instead of the Wan family or the old lady.
• The group was attacked twice more at the next four stops, and Xu Huo concluded the three Outer District Players had been targeted since leaving Cat Fruit Town.

Xu Huo suspected Players were attacking Outer District Players aboard the train to manipulate their travel times, so he arranged to escort the old lady by aircraft and tampered with a train to disrupt the route. When an ambush awaited them in the woods, Xu Huo left the aircraft to confront the attackers.

• Xu Huo told Bubble Bean that the train attacks might be part of a race between Players, with attackers trying to delay selected travelers rather than kill them.
• Xu Huo persuaded the old lady to travel by aircraft, damaged a train's kinetic unit, and reported problems with two tracks to the transportation department.
• Bubble Bean rented an aircraft, and after the old lady and the painted woman finished a delivery, the group set off by air.
• Bubble Bean destroyed several monitoring devices following the aircraft, while Xu Huo confirmed that the tampered train had slowed and the track repairs had been announced.
• The group spotted Players hiding in the woods, and Xu Huo left the aircraft to face them, using Center Gravity and Dimension Fog as two attackers advanced with defenses against his abilities.

Xu Huo fought six coordinated B-class players whose jamming devices and artifacts kept him from gaining an advantage. When neither side could break the stalemate, Xu Huo called for a more interesting fight and unleashed a rain-like Space Artifact.

• The six players surrounded Xu Huo and attacked in rotating close-combat and support teams, while their devices and defensive artifacts interfered with his own.
• Xu Huo used the Mirror World, his Life Core, and his Storage Compartment to disrupt and remove some of their attacks, but the players' jamming devices repeatedly hindered him.
• Xu Huo used The Weight of Life to pin himself and the six players, then escaped three hundred meters away through a Mental Portal and smashed their goggles with his Manifestation.
• The players muffled the area’s sound and later dispelled Holy Light of Justice, but Xu Huo continued to defend himself and disrupt them with his mental abilities.
• After Xu Huo and the six players reached a stalemate, he proposed making the fight more interesting and summoned silent rain that fell like blades, prompting the players to identify it as a Space Artifact.

Xu Huo’s group escaped an ambush by six Players from District 001 and continued toward Xiao'an City. After reuniting with Ling Ling and other travelers who had also been intercepted, Xu Huo proposed traveling off the train in a group to confront their attackers, but the others questioned whether that would be safe.

• Xu Huo retrieved Rain in the Sky after the six Players vanished, destroyed their Flying Monitor, and rejoined the painted woman and the others.
• Bubble Bean challenged the Wan family members over the attacks, but they said they knew nothing about Players from District 001 stirring up trouble.
• Xu Huo continued toward the next stop and arranged to meet Ling Ling in Xiao'an City, where the old woman planned to search for the bookstore owner.
• Xu Huo met Ling Ling and nine other Players, who had all been intercepted, and learned they wanted to join forces for protection.
• Xu Huo proposed that those not required to stay aboard travel together beside the track, explaining that their attackers were trying to delay their clearance.
• A refined-looking Player questioned whether leaving the train would draw an attack and suggested the attackers targeted anyone who strayed from the route.

Xu Huo and Ling Ling gathered nearly twenty Players to confront the local Players targeting their group, while the Wan family agreed to travel with them for safety. Their aircraft were intercepted by a Jammer, but Xu Huo and several others fought off the attackers and urged the group to move quickly.

• Ling Ling and a few others agreed to take the initiative against the local Players, while the rest returned to the train.
• Xu Huo and Ling Ling recruited nine Players, including Wen Xin, bringing their group to nearly twenty.
• The Wan family members proposed splitting up, but Old Mrs. Gui agreed to travel with Xu Huo's group.
• The group flew past the next station, and Xu Huo said they would kill anyone who intercepted them.
• A Jammer forced the aircraft to descend, and Xu Huo, the painted woman, Wen Xin, and others jumped out to fight.
• The fighters returned, activated the anti-interference devices, and Xu Huo told everyone to move as fast as possible.

Xu Huo and his companions fought off Players from District 001, using explosions and a report to complicate their pursuers’ efforts to blame them. After boarding the train, Xu Huo decided they should turn back and slow their progress along the tourist route.

• Xu Huo left the other aircraft and teleported beside the pursuing Players, where he detonated Big Mushroom Cloud near the scenic area and shook the newly built temple, snapping the statue’s neck.
• A Player froze the aircraft and surrounding forest, but Wen Xin broke the group free with his Ability before the pursuers could attack.
• A distant Player fired a blank shot that caused the aircraft to collide and crash, forcing Xu Huo and the others to continue on foot.
• Xu Huo reported a terrorist attack by the Zi Zhen Cult to the local government tip line, then led the group onto the train.
• Xu Huo told Ling Ling that they would turn back for a while so another group might take the lead on the tourist route.

Xu Huo and the others accompanied the old woman to deliver cat-whisker fruit to the bookstore owner, whose home was under heavy surveillance. Xu Huo suspected the owner’s child was trapped in a suitcase, and the Wan family members decided to intervene.

• The old woman, Xu Huo, the painted woman, and the two members of the Wan family found the bookstore owner’s home after learning his child had gone home early.
• Robots and Players watched the group as they entered the residential compound and spoke with the bookstore owner’s household robot.
• The old woman refused to leave the unfinished delivery, so Xu Huo arranged for them to wait for the owner and gave cat-whisker fruits to the robot.
• After the group left, surveillance systems followed them, and Xu Huo told the Wan family members he suspected the child was inside a suitcase in the owner’s bedroom.
• The Wan family members insisted on rescuing the child, and one contacted the head of the Wan family.

Xu Huo confronted Old Mrs. Gui about the missing boss and the cat-whisker fruit she was trying to deliver, using threats to expose her secret. Their standoff was interrupted by a group of Players, and Xu Huo began negotiating while the long-haired Player questioned his identity.

• Xu Huo told Old Mrs. Gui that the group was under surveillance and questioned her about the missing boss, prompting her to accuse him of working with the kidnappers.
• Xu Huo deduced that Old Mrs. Gui had hidden a special cat-whisker fruit in her basket and used his abilities to restrain her and the two Wan family members.
• Xu Huo threatened to crush the fruits until Old Mrs. Gui identified the one she was protecting, but she stayed silent as he destroyed several batches.
• A long-haired Player and five others appeared, revealing that Old Mrs. Gui and the Wan family members had been trapped in place while the fruits Xu Huo had set aside remained safe.
• Xu Huo warned Old Mrs. Gui that others might target her and questioned whether the newcomers were truly Wan family members, while the long-haired Player challenged Xu Huo's identity as a Player.

Xu Huo and the Wan family split up and disguised themselves to protect Old Mrs. Gui while escorting her toward her secret destination. Their journey seemed safe until a scout returned alone and warned the group not to approach, just before an invisible force pierced her heart.

• The long-haired Player agreed to cooperate with Xu Huo and explained that the bookstore owner's child had been rescued.
• Xu Huo and the painted woman traded appearances with two Wan family members, while the Wan family disguised Old Mrs. Gui and stayed behind.
• Xu Huo, the painted woman, Bubble Bean, and the long-haired Player's group traveled by aircraft and reached the next stop without incident.
• Old Mrs. Gui revealed the name of a neighborhood, and the long-haired Player sent two scouts ahead to check for suspicious Players.
• The female scout returned alone, and an invisible force pierced her heart as she shouted for everyone to stay back.

Xu Huo fought off the Players pursuing the old woman, using his black blade and Artifacts to break through their defenses. He killed one Tracker and forced another to flee, but the remaining Players still faced him.

• A female Player and a Wan family member were killed by an Artifact effect, and the long-haired Player trapped three fighters inside a Beast-Fighting Platform.
• Xu Huo, Bubble Bean, the old woman, and a Wan family member fled, but pursuing Players stopped them with an invisible barrier and attacked.
• The Trackers broke through the group’s defenses and separated Bubble Bean, leaving Xu Huo to protect the old woman against multiple attackers.
• Xu Huo killed one Tracker with his black blade, then drew the pursuing Players into the range of an area attack that caused their blood vessels to burst.
• Xu Huo identified the attack as a vacuum effect and struck at a female Player, who vanished before his blade could hit her.