Chapter Summaries

Xu Huo resonated with spatial lines in the botanical garden and completed a second Super Evolution focused on Space Power, learning to sense and cross compressed space. He returned to the plaza after the third round, where seventy-seven players awaited the next competition.

• Xu Huo used the mechanical Glove Bai Kou gave him and repeatedly opened doors until he could see and touch the spatial lines around him.
• Xu Huo grasped a spatial line, found a gap in the compressed space, and crossed hundreds of meters in an instant.
• Xu Huo tested his new Space Power by squeezing through spatial gaps several times, then returned to the Friendship Garden plaza.
• Xu Huo found Zhuang Mengtian back on the plaza and learned that seventy-seven players remained after the third round, with Xiao Xiao receiving another bye.
• Xu Huo sensed subtle movements around the plaza and beyond the wall as he examined the changes from his Super Evolution.

Xu Huo tested the limits of his spatial perception before the fourth round of the friendship competition began. The new trial trapped Player 18 and Number 95 among giant predatory fish, and Number 95 begged Player 18 to save him.

• Xu Huo estimated that he could perceive movement precisely within about one hundred meters and failed to crush a wooden carving with space.
• A player secretly attacked Xu Huo, but Xu Huo blocked the needle-sized projectile and identified the attacker.
• The host announced that only seventy-seven guests remained and introduced a rule requiring one competitor to choose a partner from volunteers.
• No one volunteered to join Player 18, so the production team randomly paired him with Number 95.
• Player 18 and Number 95 were trapped in a shrinking underwater enclosure surrounded by mutated giant fish, and the host explained the dangers of each ball choice.
• Number 95 begged Player 18 for help as they faced the fourth-round task.

Xu Huo chose Xiao Xiao as his partner for the yellow-ball task, but Zhuang Mengtian, Gan Yi, Player 18, and Player 27 attacked her before the game could begin. Xu Huo fought them off and lifted himself and Xiao Xiao into the air, leaving the confrontation unresolved.

• Player 95 drew the black ball and was killed by the Heart Stamp after seawater flooded his area.
• Two more pairs completed their rounds: one player killed the piranhas after drawing white, and another pair chose the yellow-ball task and each killed a shark.
• When Xu Huo was chosen, many players volunteered to partner with him, but he said he wanted someone to share the risk of the yellow-ball task.
• Xu Huo chose Xiao Xiao, prompting Zhuang Mengtian, Gan Yi, Player 18, and Player 27 to rush toward her while You Si and Shaja tried to intercept them.
• Xu Huo used his abilities to repel the attackers, severed one of Zhuang Mengtian's hands, and raised himself and Xiao Xiao into the air on a spiral staircase.

Xu Huo and Xiao Xiao entered the aquarium challenge after he forced Gan Yi and the others to stop fighting. Xiao Xiao risked her life to help Xu Huo, and he cleared the Dungeon, earning a Double S Rating and advancing from D-class to C-class Player.

• Xu Huo used his abilities to fend off No. 18, Gan Yi, No. 27, and Zhuang Mengtian, then persuaded them to postpone their grudges until after his mission.
• Xu Huo gave Xiao Xiao protective gear, poison, and a Short Sword before they entered the water and chose the yellow balls.
• Xu Huo fought the giant fish and became entangled by the giant-toothed octopus while Xiao Xiao used poison to fend off the other creatures.
• Xiao Xiao threw off her invisibility cloak and attacked the octopus's tentacles to help Xu Huo, but the tentacles trapped and weakened her.
• Xu Huo severed the octopus's tentacles, rescued Xiao Xiao, and received a Double S Rating that advanced him from D-class to C-class Player.

Xu Huo cleared the friendship trial with Liu Xiaoxiao, then attacked the people who had ambushed him and swiftly defeated them. He left Gan Yi alive and asked him why he had been spared.

• Xu Huo reassured Liu Xiaoxiao, and the host announced that they had gained a sincere friendship and cleared the trial.
• Xu Huo spotted the man who had ambushed him and killed him, then turned on Gan Yi and Zhuang Mengtian.
• Gan Yi and Zhuang Mengtian used items against Xu Huo, but he killed Zhuang Mengtian and injured Gan Yi and No. 27.
• No. 27 succumbed to infection while Gan Yi remained pinned to the plaza wall, and Xu Huo told the others to carry on with the contest.
• Xu Huo asked Gan Yi why he was still alive.

Xu Huo questioned Gan Yi about the Holy Sword Society while trapped in the Box of Life and Death, then escaped after the box shattered and attacked him. Gan Yi appeared to die from poison but revealed a trap of his own, and Xu Huo stood back up after a parasite reached his heart.

• Gan Yi trapped Xu Huo in the Box of Life and Death and asked whether he had cleared the level.
• Xu Huo told Gan Yi that he wanted to know about the Holy Sword Society, its blood-and-name paper artifact, and its presence in District 011.
• The Box of Life and Death cracked and shattered, allowing Xu Huo to pull the Eye of the Deceased from Gan Yi as the poison consumed Gan Yi's body.
• Gan Yi pretended to stab himself fatally, then grabbed Xu Huo and sent wormlike bulges into his body.
• Xu Huo cut his arm but collapsed after one bulge reached his heart, then stood up again despite appearing to vomit blood.

Xu Huo defeated Gan Yi, a Holy Sword Society player, but Gan Yi branded him with a mark that would make the Society hunt him. As other players began clearing the Dungeon by helping one another, Xu Huo gave a non-player Ticket to Xiao Xiao.

• Xu Huo killed Gan Yi after evading his tracking attack, and Gan Yi died warning that the Holy Sword Society would kill Xu Huo on sight because of the mark on his face.
• Xu Huo collected Gan Yi's items and found a non-player Ticket among the belongings of the player who had ambushed him.
• Two more players cleared the Dungeon by earning friendship, prompting Shaja to explain how surviving together could satisfy the friendship condition.
• Xu Huo gave the non-player Ticket to Xiao Xiao.

After defeating Gan Yi, Xu Huo returned to the Dungeon task with Shaja and You Si, while the man in raincoat warned him that Gan Yi had not belonged to the Holy Sword Society. Xu Huo checked his generous clearance and level-up rewards, including new items and upgraded Abilities.

• Shaja returned the items taken from Zhuang Mengtian and Gan Yi, and he and Xu Huo discussed their fight against Gan Yi.
• You Si and Shaja agreed to attempt the next Dungeon round together, and Xu Huo gave each of them a bottle of Antidote.
• The man in raincoat told Xu Huo that neither he nor Gan Yi belonged to the Holy Sword Society, but he refused to explain how he knew.
• You Si warned Xu Huo not to trust the man in raincoat too quickly, and Xu Huo thanked him.
• Xu Huo checked his Dungeon-clearance rewards and saw new items, upgraded Abilities, cash, Potions, a hidden-rating gift pack, and Tickets.

After advancing to C-class, Xu Huo examined his new permissions and gifts, including a portal that could reach semi-open Sub-districts. He gave Liu Xiao Xiao a sword and money before leaving, and declined to share his Player nickname.

• Xu Huo inspected the Double S gift pack and learned that his C-class status unlocked broader trading, information access, and Item-exchange permissions.
• Xu Huo examined the Doorbell portal and considered how it could let Players enter semi-open Sub-districts, while reflecting on the continuing risks surrounding District 014's Super Artifact.
• Xu Huo prepared to enter another Dungeon but stopped when Liu Xiao Xiao returned the Short Sword he had lent her.
• Xu Huo told Liu Xiao Xiao to keep the Short Sword for self-defense and gave her money along with a Ticket he had obtained.
• Liu Xiao Xiao accepted the money, promised to repay Xu Huo, and asked for his Player nickname; he called himself an ordinary Passerby A.

Xu Huo boarded the upgraded C171 train and observed its new carriages and technology. After a female Player fought and expelled one-eyed from the carriage, Xu Huo rented a room and prepared to upgrade his items.

• Xu Huo boarded the C171 train and familiarized himself with its redesigned carriages, automated services, and transparent walls.
• Xu Huo noticed that a short-haired female Player and one-eyed were among the Players in his carriage, along with a man accompanied by a mechanical dog.
• The short-haired female Player attacked one-eyed after he stared at her, then used Single-Person Passage and her items to drive him into the next carriage.
• Xu Huo rented a room for five thousand White Cash and turned on its fogging function to block the view inside.
• Xu Huo opened his Personal Panel and planned to use three item-merging upgrades on his ranged-attack and tracking items.

Xu Huo spent nearly twenty-five million White Cash combining, replacing, and buying items to strengthen his defenses and combat options. He then browsed the Dimension Below’s high-level player section and spotted a post about Suitcase Man.

• Xu Huo combined three items into the C-class tracking item "Shared Location" and two items into the B-class "Heartbeat Discount."
• Xu Huo merged three defensive items into the B-class "Heavy Camouflage," which could randomly grant immunity to some abilities.
• Xu Huo spent one million White Cash replacing "Universal Lubricant" with "Magical Escape," then replaced "Vital Kite" and "Beautiful Ray" with "Balloon Line" and "No Through Road."
• Xu Huo upgraded "The Beauty of Explosion" to the B-class Space Artifact "Little Mushroom Cloud" and bought "Vacuum Circle," "Reinvent Yourself," and "Everything Is Handheld."
• Xu Huo logged into the Dimension Below with his three-star account and browsed the E27 Wormhole Point’s high-level player section.
• Xu Huo saw posts about notable players and spotted Suitcase Man.

Xu Huo read about instances with different time flows, posted a free guide to the Co-Eye instance, and prepared for the next stop at District 007. He arrived at the dining car with Lord of All Gods, where several other passengers were eating.

• Xu Huo learned that time could pass differently inside instances and that players still aged according to their own bodies.
• Xu Huo posted a free guide to the Co-Eye instance in District 009 and then researched District 007 at E21 Wormhole Point.
• Xu Huo equipped his defenses and left his room after choosing to eat in the dining car.
• Lord of All Gods told Xu Huo about the C-class leaderboard and revealed that he ranked 19,888; Xu Huo gave his alias as Passerby A.
• Xu Huo sat down in the dining car, where a bandaged man, a young couple, and a woman reading were already present.

Xu Huo befriended Shangguan Xi aboard the train as it entered a dense Alien zone, where Aliens breached several carriages and killed Players before a distant explosion drew them away. The train survived the attack, but Carriages 19, 20, and 21 were severely damaged.

• Xu Huo met Shangguan Xi, exchanged a false name and pleasantries with him, and declined his offer to share a room.
• Xu Huo and Shangguan Xi returned to Carriage 16, where the Players settled in for the night.
• The train announced that it was entering a dense Alien zone, and Aliens soon covered its exterior and searched for a way inside.
• Aliens breached Carriages 20 and 21, killing several Players as survivors fled through Carriage 19 into the Transfer Carriage.
• A faint explosion near the rear of the train drew the Aliens off, and an announcement confirmed the train had passed through the zone with three carriages severely damaged.

Xu Huo and Shangguan Xi witnessed the dangers in the other carriages and avoided a confrontation with two Cannibal Players in the dining car. A female player approached them afterward, offering food and a chance to talk.

• The one-eyed player was killed by the Cannibal Player after trapping him in his room, and Shangguan Xi found only inedible remains.
• Xu Huo and Shangguan Xi went to the dining car, passing the bloodied Car Seventeen and learning that only two players remained alive in Car Eighteen.
• Two Cannibal Players from Car Seventeen sat beside Xu Huo and Shangguan Xi, but Xu Huo used mental interference to drive off the buzz-cut man and his companion.
• The female player with a book joined Xu Huo and Shangguan Xi and offered to treat them to the train’s fish dish.

Xu Huo and Shangguan Xi met Ding Wei, a newly advanced C-class Player, and discussed the risks of teaming up in Dungeons. Later, Xu Huo and Shangguan Xi spent the night in the same room, where Xu Huo confronted the Cannibal Player who had been hiding in the train.

• Ding Wei introduced herself as a psychological counselor and asked Shangguan Xi for advice about C-class Dungeons.
• Shangguan Xi warned Ding Wei to be careful, and Xu Huo noticed that her book glowed after they left.
• Xu Huo told Shangguan Xi that Ding Wei might have been studying his behavior, though he admitted it was only a guess.
• Shangguan Xi revealed that his Ability let him make predictions and insisted that he and Xu Huo should stick together.
• In the middle of the night, Xu Huo opened the room door and faced the Cannibal Player, whose body and face appeared grotesquely twisted.

Xu Huo killed the Cannibal Player who attacked him and returned to Car 16, where Shangguan Xi and the others discussed the safety of their journey. The group considered teaming up as the train continued toward its next Station.

• The Cannibal Player broke free of Xu Huo’s barrier and attacked, but Xu Huo used his items to defend himself and nullify the man’s Ability.
• Shangguan Xi attacked the Cannibal Player with steel pellets, but the man’s Protective Suit stopped them, and he trapped Shangguan Xi behind a door.
• Xu Huo plunged his hand into the Cannibal Player’s heart, pulled it out, and left him dying in the Transfer Carriage.
• Xu Huo used an Ability to dissolve the Cannibal Player’s body as the man died in a hallucination of fear, then collected his items.
• Xu Huo returned to Car 16, where Shangguan Xi and the other players agreed the Cannibal Players behind them were unlikely to attack.
• The short-haired female player asked Xu Huo where he was headed and suggested they team up.

Xu Huo entered the abandoned W37 Base Station and learned that his C-class instance mission was to deliver a live specimen. After discovering he was in W18, he prepared to travel toward W19 to retrieve it.

• Xu Huo arrived in the abandoned city and dodged three Aliens before an unseen archer deflected his sword strike.
• Xu Huo hid in a building after spotting a huge cocoon on its roof and checked the instance details on his Personal Panel.
• Xu Huo learned that he had to deliver a live specimen to W37 Base Station and that time passed at different rates in E27 and E21.
• Xu Huo equipped Complete Time, found a calendar showing he was in W18, and bought a map indicating W19 lay across a stretch of desert.
• Xu Huo left the building and found that its single-person lifts no longer worked.

Xu Huo chased a young W18 survivor through a building, where an Alien attack and swarms of carrion beetles forced him to escape with the boy. He rescued Shangguan Xi from a rooftop and learned that Ding Wei had abandoned him when Aliens appeared.

• Xu Huo pursued the young survivor through the building after spotting his traps and surveillance device.
• The survivor fell into a pit with Xu Huo as an eight-legged Alien attacked, and Xu Huo wounded the creature and drove it back.
• Carrion beetles swarmed toward the building, so Xu Huo carried the survivor into the air to escape them.
• Xu Huo spotted Shangguan Xi on a nearby rooftop and used Go to Destination to reach him before the beetles overtook him.
• Shangguan Xi told Xu Huo that Ding Wei had abandoned him during an Alien attack after he had hoped they could team up.

Xu Huo, Shangguan Xi, and a local boy took shelter from swarms of Aliens in Shelter 101. Xu Huo negotiated with the boy for help finding a guide to W19 Base, but the boy had not yet accepted his final offer.

• Shangguan Xi killed three flying Aliens, but their noise drew a swarm toward the group.
• Xu Huo landed on a rooftop and brought Shangguan Xi and the boy into Shelter 101, where they waited out the Aliens.
• Shangguan Xi offered Xu Huo several items, and Xu Huo chose a C-class item.
• Xu Huo offered the boy food in exchange for finding a guide to W19 Base, while the boy insisted Xu Huo promise not to threaten his people.
• Xu Huo raised the food offer several times, and the boy called for him to wait before he could walk away.

Xu Huo and Shangguan Xi traveled through W18 with a hungry boy who agreed to guide them toward W19, then Xu Huo entered an unusual library to research the district’s history. The historical account left him learning how W37’s leaders planned to create more safe zones by driving people out.

• Xu Huo gave the boy food and persuaded him to identify a suitable guide in W18.
• After the swarm retreated, Xu Huo and Shangguan Xi set out with the boy, who refused to use his secret passage and insisted on a cautious route.
• Shangguan Xi crossed between rooftops with an aerial walkway, while Xu Huo used “Go to Destination” to carry the boy ahead.
• Xu Huo spotted a pristine library, left the boy to wait, and entered with his library card as Ding Wei followed nearby.
• Xu Huo browsed the library’s recent history of W37 and learned that its leaders planned to build more safe zones by driving people out.