Chapter Summaries

Liu Zhi crushed the three divine stones, strengthening and rebalancing his divinities when the feathered serpent absorbed their power. He and Edmond fled toward Europa, arriving in its Underworld while Daniel’s rampage kept the White Eagle Duchy’s pursuers occupied.

• Liu Zhi crushed the stones imbued with Zeus’s, the Sea God’s, and the God of the Underworld’s divinity, and the feathered serpent absorbed their power.
• Liu Zhi sensed that his Harvest, Rain, and Death Divinities had strengthened and that his four divinities were more balanced.
• Edmond emerged after burning the island’s trees, revealing his awakened gold-level Titan Bloodline and Pharaoh’s new patterns.
• Liu Zhi urged Edmond to leave the Underworld quickly, and they piloted Pharaoh toward Europa to avoid the White Eagle Duchy’s retaliation.
• Daniel wreaked havoc in the White Eagle Duchy’s Underworld, keeping its pursuers occupied while Liu Zhi and Edmond reached Europa’s Underworld.
• Edmond told Liu Zhi that the corresponding real-world location was Germany, but Liu Zhi declined his offer to take him anywhere.

Liu Zhi traveled through the German countryside toward a treasure site, but a strange influence from Heinstain City caught his attention. After sensing that the castle held a portion of the Underworld King's power, he headed there to investigate.

• Liu Zhi used the Hidden Essential Navigation Chart to search for a nearby treasure and walked through the forest toward it.
• An older fruit seller gave Liu Zhi a ride and told him that the nearby castle was called Heinstain City and had once belonged to the Altari family.
• Liu Zhi sensed that a force from Heinstain City was influencing his thoughts, so he initially decided to ignore the castle.
• As Liu Zhi was about to leave the castle's sphere of influence, he sensed that the force had grown stronger and contained a portion of the Underworld King's power.
• Liu Zhi left the cart, ran through the forest, and reached the drawbridge near Heinstain City.

Liu Zhi investigated Heinstain City, where a mysterious force had killed every living thing and suppressed most magic, then entered its main keep. At the White House, three armored visitors took charge of the effort to contain Daniel, but they learned someone had contacted the box.

• Liu Zhi found the people and animals in Heinstain City dead, with their bodies all facing the same direction, and suspected a powerful entity had been activated inside the city.
• Liu Zhi discovered that a barrier suppressed his magic in Heinstain City, except for necromancy, and entered the main keep.
• Three armored visitors confronted Emperor Lincoln, blamed him for Daniel's premature awakening, and said they would seal Daniel away again without killing him.
• The three visitors left the White House and appeared at the Washington Monument, where one of them warned that someone had come into contact with the box.

Liu Zhi entered a strange space behind the castle and found a sealed box whose mysterious voice tried to persuade him to open it. After forcing the voice to appear, he met the soul of the box’s last opener, who began explaining its history.

• Liu Zhi found himself in a space between reality and the underworld, where a sealed box sat on an altar.
• The seal revealed that the box was Pandora’s Box and that opening it could release a demon or bring hope.
• A voice offered Liu Zhi eternal life, immense power, and a fragment of death if he opened the box, but he refused.
• When the voice said Liu Zhi would be trapped forever unless he opened the box, he threatened the space with Thunder God's Destroyer Fang.
• A little girl appeared above the box and said she was a soul borrowing a body, then explained that she was the soul of the last person to open the box, who had died 496 years earlier.

Liu Zhi learned that a trapped creature had lured him toward Pandora's Box and attacked it rather than agreeing to take its place. After battling the creature inside a strange space, Liu Zhi found himself back before the unchanged box, uncertain how he had been drawn inside.

• Liu Zhi learned that opening Pandora's Box released a sealed being and 108 demons while trapping the opener for 243 years, and that the creature had been imprisoned for nearly 500 years.
• The little girl revealed that she had dragged Liu Zhi into the box and urged him to open it, but Liu Zhi refused.
• The creature lunged at Liu Zhi, who stabbed it with Thunder God's Destroyer Fang and began destroying the phantoms appearing around it.
• Liu Zhi filled the space with Quicksand Traps and sealed the creature's escape rift with Reverse Storm as the creature tried to attack him.
• A flash of white light revealed that Liu Zhi was inside the box, but he soon returned to the strange space before the unchanged box.

Liu Zhi resisted the illusion around Pandora's Box and tried to take it with him when exiting the game. A divine mark made the box difficult to carry out, but Liu Zhi chose to transfer its power into Alice's music box and was asked to provide three death- or undead-related sacrifices.

• Liu Zhi recognized the soul-targeting illusion and realized the figure had tried to make him open Pandora's Box.
• Liu Zhi carefully lifted the sealed box and attempted to exit the game, having already completed his missions.
• The game warned Liu Zhi that Pandora's Box exceeded the exit passage's limits and bore a divine mark, while his life force began draining.
• A divine mark transferred away temporarily, and Liu Zhi learned he could move the box's power into another box while leaving the original behind.
• Liu Zhi chose Alice's music box for the transfer, and the game requested three items related to death or the undead as sacrifices.

Liu Zhi used three blueprints to break Pandora's Box’s seal, then exited the game as Daniel confronted the three armored players. Daniel’s battle with them ended in his self-destruction and a plague that covered Europe, while Edmond’s Pharaoh arrived at Marseille.

• Liu Zhi sacrificed the Underground Lab, Death Assembly Line, and Eerie Dock blueprints to free Pandora's Box and exit the game with the music box.
• Daniel appeared in the exit passage as Pandora's Box broke apart, and a green hand retrieved its two halves while the three armored players seized the lid.
• Daniel fought the three players in the real world, pursuing them from Heinstain City toward France and back into Germany.
• Daniel self-destructed in Germany, spreading a black plague across Europe for forty-four days; one player died, one was gravely wounded, and one was lightly wounded.
• Edmond's Pharaoh sailed into the port of Marseille.

Liu Zhi encountered green-skinned intruders in the game’s exit channel, then emerged to find their forces surrounding the teleportation point. Ashi Ti approached him with half of the Pandora’s Box and asked for his help.

• A bald green-skinned man held open the exit channel while twenty green-skinned players passed through, then released Liu Zhi and told him to pretend he had seen nothing.
• In the White Eagle Duchy, green giants appeared among the Southern Army, and reinforcements arrived for the Northern Army, leaving Emperor Lincoln convinced the war had slipped beyond the duchy’s control.
• Liu Zhi exited at the Rogar'a plane’s teleportation point and was escorted away from the Teleportation Array by green-skinned soldiers.
• Videnina stood protectively beside Liu Zhi when the elderly warlock Ashi Ti approached with half of the Pandora’s Box.
• Ashi Ti introduced himself as a level 11 warlock and the invasion’s chief logistics officer, then asked Liu Zhi to help with the box.

Liu Zhi learned that Ashi Ti needed his help to empty Pandora’s Box and agreed to direct its deadly contents toward the Fishman Empire. The group began preparing a large seaside altar, and Liu Zhi carried the box onto it with Videnina beside him.

• Ashi Ti explained that he had snatched Pandora’s Box from Liu Zhi’s game and needed Liu Zhi to help release its contents safely.
• Ashi Ti revealed that the box contained concentrated power meant to summon the King of the Underworld and could devastate the continent if opened there.
• Ashi Ti proposed channeling the box’s plague into the sea to attack the Fishman Empire, and Liu Zhi agreed.
• Ashi Ti directed workers to build a three-tier altar on the shore and prepare fishmen as sacrifices.
• Liu Zhi carried Pandora’s Box up onto the altar while Videnina followed closely behind him.

Liu Zhi used the Pandora's Box in a ritual that unleashed a plague upon a ghost ship, then recovered a golden liquid that Ashi Ti called hope. After Ashi Ti took the liquid and sent Liu Zhi away, someone approached him to offer a price for his half of the empty box.

• Ashi Ti sacrificed equipment and Fishmen to open a spatial rift to a ghost ship, and Liu Zhi recognized the ship as nearly legendary.
• Liu Zhi opened the Pandora's Box and released its plague through the rift, infecting the ghost ship and killing its Fishmen.
• Liu Zhi held the box over the altar for nearly seven hours until the smoke covered the ship and sea and the box began to glow gold.
• Ashi Ti collected the golden liquid from the box, called it hope, sealed it away, and ordered that no one go out to sea.
• Liu Zhi left the valley with Videnina, and a stranger asked to buy his half of the empty Pandora's Box.

After returning to the Nether Palace, Liu Zhi watched an ancient golden bell melt away and discovered that his influence over the demiplane now extended to lightning and strong winds. He shared his improved abilities with Sandru and had him learn three Necromancer skills, including Undead Legion, as Liu Zhi prepared to advance his own Necromancer level.

• Liu Zhi returned to the Kodo Beasts' Burial Grounds carrying an ancient golden bell he had received in a series of trades for Pandora's Box.
• The bell melted inside the Nether Palace, and Liu Zhi discovered that he could now control lightning and strong winds in the demiplane.
• Liu Zhi met Sandru and transferred some of his improved abilities to his clone as their stats shifted.
• Liu Zhi gave Sandru the Death's Holy Artifacts skill scroll, and Sandru learned Death Ripple, Banshee's Embrace, and Undead Legion.

After using his gathered spoils, Liu Zhi opened three treasure chests and received several building blueprints, including a powerful Eternal Summoning Tower blueprint. He built the tower and discovered a Tree of Life camp blueprint that could create a mobile camp, then turned to inspect the final blueprint.

• Liu Zhi used his collected souls, formulas, potions, and other spoils to strengthen his buildings and expand the Nether Palace.
• With Red Gloves' help, Liu Zhi opened three treasure chests and received four building blueprints, class items and skills, equipment, a quest item, and universal currency.
• Liu Zhi built the Breath of the Underworld, an Eternal Summoning Tower beside the Soul Suppression Tower, which could draw in souls throughout the Netherworld and help undead obey him and revive after battle.
• Liu Zhi inspected the Druid Tree of Life blueprint and found that it could create either a rooted camp or a mobile Life Camp.
• Liu Zhi picked up the final building blueprint, hoping it would improve the Life Ancient Tree.

Liu Zhi examined his new Druid and undead building blueprints, then placed the Sky Nest, Haunted Manor, and Undying Farm in the Demiplane. He also gave Sandru a necromancy spellbook to study, though Sandru only reluctantly agreed.

• Liu Zhi received a Sky Nest blueprint and planned to use the building to train birds for scouting, combat, and Eagle Warriors.
• Liu Zhi placed the Sky Nest and Life Ancient Tree in the real world of the Demiplane for future construction.
• Liu Zhi built the Haunted Manor and Undying Farm outside the Nether Palace and arranged for a road to connect them to the city.
• Liu Zhi examined The Art of Corpse Explosion, a spellbook covering several corpse-explosion spells, and forced Sandru to take it.
• Sandru complained that poison was more worthwhile than explosions but agreed to study the book when he had time.

Liu Zhi received blueprints for an elite-troop laboratory and a barracks that could train organized undead units, then gave a Lightning Conductor blueprint to Black Gloves. Black Gloves rushed off to build his version of the device, leaving Liu Zhi uncertain whether handing it over had been wise.

• Liu Zhi placed the Frankenstein's Monster Laboratory beside the Exoskeleton Armor to support the enhancement of his undead troops.
• Liu Zhi built the Death Barracks near the Mass Grave and Burial Desert, planning to use it to replenish Mand's depleted gargoyle unit.
• Liu Zhi examined the Lightning Conductor blueprint and flew to the ghost domain of Amara to give it to Black Gloves.
• An experiment blasted Black Gloves out of the ghost domain, but he flew up to Liu Zhi and took the blueprint.
• Black Gloves praised the inventor of the Lightning Conductor, then flew back to his laboratory, while Liu Zhi wondered if he had made a mistake.

Liu Zhi examined his new Druid equipment and skill, then planned to focus on developing his demiplane and raising his Necromancer level. A bell announced that three days remained until the 1176th challenge.

• Liu Zhi found a Portable Cultivation Garden that could hold soil and plants, and he hung it from his waist.
• Liu Zhi obtained the Druid skill Autumn Sacrifice, which traded part of a plant's yield for rapid growth.
• Liu Zhi decided to prioritize raising his Necromancer level and developing the real-world side of his demiplane.
• Liu Zhi considered using his demiplane's resources to build legendary ships for sale to goblins and Fireblade City.
• A bell rang, and a voice announced that combatants had three days to prepare for the 1176th challenge.

Liu Zhi learned that the Golden Bell had given him entry to a vast war-torn world where players risked their lives for rewards and class-level gemstones. With a battle three days away, he began preparing troops and supplies while wondering whether someone had arranged for him to receive the ticket.

• Liu Zhi joined communication channel 22714-3 and learned that the Golden Bell was an entry ticket to a vast world engulfed in war.
• Liu Zhi discovered that players could keep some enemy equipment, earn faction rewards, and gain a gemstone that raised their class level if they survived a challenge.
• Liu Zhi wondered whether someone had deliberately sent him into danger or planned to take his Demiplane while he was away.
• Liu Zhi began planning troops, transportation, equipment, supplies, potions, and poison for the battle three days later, while worrying about Amanet's absence.
• Sandru asked Liu Zhi whether he could bring heroes with him.

Liu Zhi recruited Kort, a Lizardman undead captain whose ship design inspired Liu Zhi to attempt building a version of Warship Island. He began gathering materials and workers in his underworld, hoping to combine the strengths of his legendary ships before the battle in three days.

• Liu Zhi learned that heroes could not be taken into the larger world and went to the Salted Fish Tavern after Sandru mentioned a promising new hero.
• Liu Zhi recruited Kort for 1,500 Universal Currency and learned about Kort’s naval abilities and ambitions.
• Kort showed Liu Zhi a design for Warship Island, and Liu Zhi recognized that it could become a major mobile base.
• Liu Zhi received a system notification that he could research Warship Island but needed legendary shipbuilding skill to design it successfully.
• Liu Zhi ordered materials and workers into his underworld and planned to combine the Sun Boat, the Elf Sailing Ship, and the modified three-masted gaff-rigged ship.

After abandoning his unrealistic plan to finish a legendary ship blueprint, Liu Zhi prepared his forces and supplies for a challenge in the Great World. He entered the golden ring with four Undead Servants, leaving Sandru in charge of the demiplane.

• Liu Zhi realized he had wasted three days trying to complete the ship blueprint and put the unfinished work aside.
• Sandru gave Liu Zhi battle standards, poisons, and holy water, then warned him to guard against mental magic.
• Liu Zhi chose Videnina, another Corpse Soul Naga, the Spinning Fate Spider Woman, and his Bone-Eating Giant Lizard to accompany him as a combat team.
• Liu Zhi left the unfinished ships for later and put Sandru in charge of the demiplane, with instructions for Amanet if she returned.
• A voice announced that challenge number 1176 would begin, and Liu Zhi led his subordinates through a golden ring into the main battlefield.

Liu Zhi arrived at the Grand Plaza to choose a faction for the Zerg invasion and visited the Druids, hoping to join them. The Druids recognized his Thunderwing affiliation and strong undead aura, leaving everyone staring at him.

• Liu Zhi reviewed the faction handbook and narrowed his choices to the Druids, the undead, and the human army.
• Liu Zhi approached the Druid banner and heard one Druid reject him because his scent mixed the sky and harvest.
• A Minotaur Druid asked Liu Zhi why he had chosen the path, and Liu Zhi described wanting to draw out death's loneliness after sunlight and rain brought a harvest.
• Liu Zhi told the Druids he belonged to the Thunderwing Faction, and one Druid explained that the faction followed the thunderbird path.
• A Demon Druid invited Liu Zhi to join his team, then identified the undead aura on him and drew the attention of everyone nearby.

Liu Zhi was pulled from the druids' territory by Summerfield Upton, an undead faction leader who invited him to join the Zerg invasion. Summerfield assigned him to establish a foothold on planet E-96 in exchange for a share of its output, and explained that collected resources could be traded for a leveling gem after the battle.

• Summerfield Upton dragged Liu Zhi away from the druids and asked him to join the undead faction.
• Liu Zhi and Summerfield discussed their views on rebirth after death, and Liu Zhi introduced himself as Sandru Ainfaster.
• Summerfield explained the invasion's main defensive planets and offered Liu Zhi a share of the output from a planet he would oversee.
• Liu Zhi accepted the assignment to establish a foothold on planet E-96 rather than return to the druids.
• Summerfield told Liu Zhi that he could trade collected resources for rewards, including a leveling gem, after the battle.