Chapter Summaries

Li Si recalled how his first life in Earth OL ended and used his time-machine gamble to return to the day the game launched. After receiving the official game pod, he salvaged a hidden chip from his beta-test headset, hoping to activate immersive mode ahead of other players.

• Li Si reflected on his earlier rise and downfall after using his knowledge of Earth OL to obtain a Hulk serum, then escaping his pursuers with a time machine powered by the Time Stone and Space Stone.
• Li Si confirmed that the official game pod was due to arrive and waited for its delivery.
• A Star Realm Company employee delivered the game pod, and Li Si declined installation help and the offer to trade in his beta-test headset.
• Li Si dismantled the beta-test headset and removed the chip that enabled Earth OL's fully immersive virtual mode.

After installing a hidden hardware chip in the full-version game pod, Li Si entered the game early and created a character. He chose a Student background in New York, hoping to use his knowledge of the story to reach the Scientist Template.

• Li Si activated hardware installation mode and installed a blue chip in the game pod.
• Li Si entered the game pod and began creating his character before the official launch.
• Li Si considered the Soldier, Student, and Office Worker templates, then chose Student to unlock the Knowledge tab and learn more about the story.
• Li Si set his character, Lee Stein, as an orphan and a new transfer student at Midtown School of Science and Technology.
• Li Si opened Lee Stein's status panel and saw his attributes, basic templates, and lack of skills or knowledge.

Li Si activated full-immersion mode and entered Earth OL, where he began his new life as transfer student Lee Stein. He met Gwen Stacy in class, leaving him pleased with his seat beside her but focused on making the most of the early game.

• Li Si checked his stats, then slept until the game launch approached.
• Li Si activated full-immersion mode and logged into Earth OL when the countdown ended.
• Li Si arrived at a school classroom, where his teacher introduced him as the new transfer student.
• Li Si introduced himself to the class with jokes and took an assigned seat in the back row.
• Gwen Stacy introduced herself to Li Si, and he decided to let their friendship develop naturally while prioritizing the early game.

Li Si met Peter Parker at school and spent the day attending classes, using his student life to build scientific knowledge. The day ended with several new knowledge skills unlocked, while Peter remained an ordinary student who had not yet become Spider-Man.

• Peter Parker arrived late to class with a skateboard and camera, and Li Si recognized him as the future Spider-Man.
• Li Si introduced himself to Peter and used Scout to check Peter's low starting attributes.
• Li Si accepted the Study daily quest and paid close attention to his science lessons despite already knowing the material.
• Li Si completed three class periods and received 150 general experience along with biochemical, physics, linguistic, and mathematical knowledge.
• Li Si reviewed how knowledge skills supported learning and research in Full Immersion Virtual Mode.

Li Si enrolled in electives and studied mechanical design at the school library, using the system to boost his knowledge until he exhausted himself. Gwen Stacy helped him recover, and he invited her to dinner before they parted ways.

• Li Si declined Peter Parker's offer to head home together and went to sign up for electives.
• Li Si found Stan Lee in the library, then began studying mechanical design and unlocked Mechanical Knowledge.
• Li Si used general experience to heighten his brain activity, rapidly read mechanics books, and raised Mechanical Knowledge to LV1.
• Li Si nearly fainted after studying for hours, and Gwen Stacy caught him and gave him chocolate.
• Li Si joked with Gwen Stacy and invited her to dinner, but she declined because her parents expected her home.

Li Si settled into his rented house in Queens, then found a forum post revealing that Earth OL’s Soldier template pointed toward genetic modification and combat. He arranged to buy a place in a future Gotham instance, which could help him pursue a particular template.

• Li Si went to his rented house in Queens, bought groceries, cooked dinner, and settled in for the night.
• Li Si browsed the game forum and ignored complaints from players who found school and work in Earth OL boring.
• Li Si read a post arguing that Earth OL was a combat game and examined the Soldier template’s bonuses for research and genetic modification.
• Li Si spotted a Sin Pass for a future Gotham instance and messaged its owner to offer real-world money.
• The owner refused to sell the pass but promised Li Si a spot in the instance when it opened.

After a month of intensive study, Li Si built up broad technical knowledge and planned his first research project: a Transformer-like robot. He began outlining its design but struggled with the cost and decided against the dangerous option of stealing money from banks.

• Li Si spent more than a month studying and raised his Mechanical Knowledge to LV4, while unlocking eight common fields of knowledge.
• Li Si’s academic progress left him socially isolated, and his relationship with Gwen stayed at the ordinary-friends stage.
• Li Si decided to begin his first research project by building a Transformer-like robot to prepare for the Spider-Man storyline and a possible fight with the Lizard.
• Li Si outlined the robot’s mechanical arms, transformation structure, power source, and control program while considering parts available from real-world technology and Marvel companies.
• Li Si realized his savings of over a hundred thousand dollars would not cover the robot’s components and weapons, so he considered riskier hacking jobs.
• Li Si rejected stealing money from bank systems because agencies, S.H.I.E.L.D., and Hydra could trace him.

After logging out to eat and stretch his body, Li Si researched robots and battery technology to design a transforming machine for defense against monsters in Earth OL. He began sketching a Bumblebee-inspired design, then bought a high-performance laptop so he could model its transformation mechanism in 3D.

• Li Si left his game pod, ate at Old Man Zhang's restaurant, and noted that his body needed regular movement and food.
• Li Si downloaded books, articles, and video tutorials on mechanical structures, robotic arms, electricity, and batteries, then uploaded them to a private forum thread.
• Li Si studied the materials in-game and sketched a Transformer-like robot modeled on Bumblebee, planning to design its appearance and transformation mechanism in stages.
• After staying up through the night, Li Si bought a high-performance laptop to build a 3D model of the robot.

Li Si worked on a transforming robot design during school and settled on a basic dynamic model for its transformation mechanism. He left the detailed mechanical arms and internal components for later.

• Li Si arrived late to class, then used his laptop to begin sketching a robot that could transform into a car.
• Peter Parker noticed the model, praised the idea, and asked Li Si for the first one, but Li Si said it was only for personal use.
• Gwen admired Li Si’s design and asked him to bring it in when it could move, while Peter Parker admitted he struggled to talk to girls.
• Li Si abandoned simpler transformation models and went to the library after school to research and revise his design.
• Li Si completed a rough dynamic model based on the Transformers movies and decided that designing the mechanical arms and internal components remained.

Li Si completed the first draft of his Transformer design and planned to pursue Oscorp as a way to earn money and qualify for the Scientist Template. He went to Roosevelt Station and activated the hidden laboratory where Peter Parker’s parents had stored their gene-splicing research.

• Li Si finished designing the Transformer’s mechanical limbs and power system, then ordered the custom parts he could afford.
• Li Si decided to seek money and research experience at Oscorp to advance his plans for the Scientist Template.
• Li Si traveled to the abandoned Roosevelt Station platform and used an old token to activate its hidden mechanism.
• Li Si watched a concealed train carriage rise from beneath the platform, revealing the laboratory where Richard and Mary Parker had stored their research data.

Li Si recovered Richard Parker’s gene-fusion files and Decay Formula from the hidden lab, then studied the files to improve his biochemical and mathematical knowledge. At school, he secretly collected Peter Parker’s blood for research and told Peter he was applying for Oscorp’s weekend internship program.

• Li Si copied the files from Richard Parker’s computer, dismissed Richard’s explanation of his research, and searched the train car for equipment before covering his tracks and leaving.
• After studying the files overnight, Li Si gained experience in biochemical and mathematical knowledge.
• Li Si spotted Peter Parker at school, used a micro-lancet to collect his blood, and explained he needed it to compare against the genetically modified spider’s template.
• Li Si told Peter he was applying for Oscorp’s Talent Development Program and dropping his weekend electives, reassuring him that he would still attend required classes.

Lee Stein interviewed with Dr. Connors at Oscorp for an internship in the Cross-Species Genetics Laboratory. After Lee correctly identified the lab’s approach to regrowing Connors’s arm, Connors challenged him to explain how to create a regenerative gene serum.

• Lee Stein’s school approved his early internship application and excused him from his electives before his Oscorp interview.
• Lee arrived at Oscorp Tower, met Dr. Connors, and followed him into the lab.
• Lee reunited with Gwen Stacy, who told Connors that Lee was her classmate and Midtown’s top student.
• Connors asked Lee how he might regrow his missing arm, and Lee pointed out that cross-species genetics could draw on reptile regeneration.
• Connors asked how to create the regenerative gene serum, and Lee replied that it was impossible.

Li Si corrected Dr. Connors’s flawed approach to creating a self-healing gene serum and passed his interview at Oscorp. After Gwen agreed to a date, Li Si met Max Dillon and realized he could recruit him before he became Electro.

• Li Si explained that genetic differences made a universally applicable self-healing serum impossible, prompting Dr. Connors to recognize his research was on the wrong track.
• Dr. Connors hired Li Si as an intern and told Gwen to handle his onboarding.
• Li Si invited Gwen to eat with him, and she suggested they go out the following weekend.
• Li Si met the socially awkward Max Dillon in the elevator at Oscorp Tower and learned his name.
• Li Si recognized Max as the future Electro and considered recruiting him or becoming his friend.

Li Si struggled to afford the parts needed to finish his robot and decided against approaching Norman Osborn for money, choosing instead to seek dark-web work. On his first day at Oscorp, he encountered fellow player Hao Bruce, whom he recognized as the future infamous Li Ritian.

• Li Si reviewed the robot parts he still needed and realized he had spent all his savings, including on graphene for its batteries.
• Li Si considered extorting Norman Osborn with a Modification Serum but rejected the plan because Norman's recovery would threaten his plans for Oscorp.
• Li Si decided to look for support jobs on the dark web and went to bed after closing up his workshop.
• Li Si arrived at Oscorp Tower for his first day and saw security guards restraining a man who insisted he worked there.
• Li Si recognized the man as player Hao Bruce, later known as Li Ritian, and recalled his future fame as the creator of Haotian Daily and a mocking player ranking list.

Li Si settled into his intern job at Oscorp and shared lunch with Gwen in the crowded employee cafeteria. After Gwen hurried back to the lab, Li Si began planning to make a fortune and went to Oscorp’s Power Department to find materials for some gadgets.

• Li Si bribed two guards to remove Li Ritian, then began work as Dr. Connors's intern in the Cross-Species Genetics Department.
• Li Si spent the morning chatting with Gwen and invited her to lunch.
• Gwen chose the employee cafeteria, explaining that she had to help Dr. Connors with experiments afterward.
• After lunch, Gwen returned to the lab while Li Si planned to make money by building gadgets.
• Li Si went to the Power Department on the 73rd floor to look for materials.

Li Si visited the Power Department to build a secret weapon and discovered that Max was a brilliant electrical engineer whose advice also improved Li Si’s Mechanical Knowledge. After finishing the device, Li invited Max to help with a project at his place, and Max eagerly agreed to meet him after work.

• Li Si found Max studying a blueprint of New York’s power grid and listened as Max explained its design.
• Li Si asked Max for metal, wires, and tools to build a small gadget, and Max supplied parts and helped calculate its specifications.
• Li Si finished the device in under half an hour with Max’s suggestions and thanked him for his help.
• Li Si invited Max to his place to assist with another project, and Max agreed to meet him at the company entrance after work.

Li Hao met Li Si again after leaving the police station, and Li Si revealed that he ran a side business selling protective equipment. He gave Li Hao shock gloves and showed him the Thunder King Battle Suit, leaving Li Hao examining the strange suit’s combat-enhancing ability.

• Li Hao left the police station and spotted three thugs at the entrance to a shadowy alley.
• Li Si startled Li Hao, then used his shock gloves to paralyze him after Li Hao grabbed his collar.
• Li Si explained that he was an Osborn researcher who had deliberately kept Li Hao nearby to approach him as a customer.
• Li Hao accepted Li Si’s shock gloves and inspected their electric-shock ability.
• Li Si showed Li Hao the Thunder King Battle Suit, whose passive skill increased limb attack strength and speed but caused numbness and required recharging.

Li Hao admired Li Si’s human-enhancement gear but lacked the money to buy it, so Li Si arranged to meet him at his Sunday-night stall. Meanwhile, Max anxiously waited outside Oscorp Tower for Lee Si, who arrived and took him home.

• Li Hao saw that Li Si’s shock gloves and battle suit boosted combat abilities, but he could not afford them.
• Li Si refused to lower his prices and told Li Hao he would be selling at Osir Tower’s underground parking lot on Sunday night.
• Li Hao logged out to find money, and Li Si revealed that the battle suit was a prototype using electrical stimulation to increase muscle speed and strength.
• Li Si paid three bald hippies who had helped with his sales pitch and left.
• Max waited anxiously outside Oscorp Tower, fearing Lee Stein would not come, until Lee Si arrived and apologized for being late.
• Lee Si led Max to his taxi and invited him to come along.

Li invited Max to help improve his Transformer, and Max eagerly joined the project. Max began reviewing Li’s graphene battery and robot designs, leaving Li with a promising new ally.

• At Li Si's home, Li showed Max the unfinished Transformer in his workshop and explained that it could change between a car and a humanoid form.
• Li invited Max to help improve the Transformer and offered to credit him as a second author, and Max accepted.
• Li gave Max the graphene battery plans, which Max praised for outperforming the company lab's concept products.
• Max suggested adding a regulator to the battery pack, and Li put him in charge of the Transformer's circuits and power systems.
• Max began studying the designs and sketching ideas while Li continued making the batteries.

Li Si reassured Gwen that Dr. Connors would soon recruit him for his experiment, then sold powerful gear from his game to players in an underground parking garage. He ended by offering Ye Xi a customized set, leaving the other players stunned by his price and plans.

• Li Si arrived late to work, and Gwen warned him to take his job seriously if he wanted to become a full-time employee.
• Li Si told Gwen that Dr. Connors would likely bring him into the experiment and bet that he would become a full-time employee within a week or two.
• After work, Li Si went to Osir Tower’s underground parking garage and laid out ten pieces of Thunder King Set gear for sale.
• Li Hao bought a set, and his four companions recognized its powerful stats and demanded that he return the money they had lent him.
• Ye Xi asked Li Si to sell her a set with a customized appearance, and Li Si quoted her twenty-eight thousand dollars, shocking the others.