Chapter Summaries

Li Si’s group reached the suddenly reappearing Skull Island, hoping to study its apparent dimensional properties. Before they went ashore, Samuel Sterns revealed a prototype biological armor that was green, but said he would wear it himself.

• Li Si chose to skip Thor’s storyline and brought his team of researchers to Skull Island instead.
• Max reported that the island had appeared at its marked coordinates, and Li Si ordered the ship to hurry there.
• Li Si stopped the researchers from rushing ashore and had them prepare their gear.
• Samuel Sterns declined Li Si’s offer of armor, saying his own protection was ready.
• Curt Connors explained that he and Samuel had grown a biological armor specimen, which Li found floating in a life-support chamber with green skin.
• Samuel said he would wear the prototype and promised the finished version would not be green.

Lee and the others examined the unfinished Bio-Colonial Armor, which used Abomination's cells but could not remain strong without a steady supply of gamma energy. Samuel Sterns climbed inside and successfully connected to it, though the armor was grotesque, unstable, and still difficult to control.

• Samuel Sterns explained that the Bio-Colonial Armor was made from Blonsky's cells and that its limited Blood Worm circulation could not sustain its strength without constant gamma energy.
• Otto Gunther suggested adding a miniaturized gamma-ray generator and an Arc Reactor to the armor.
• Lee told Samuel Sterns to put on the armor, and Samuel drained the life-support chamber before climbing into its open chest cavity.
• Lee warned Curt Connors to improve the armor's disturbing connectors and prioritize safety, while Curt said it was only a cost-saving test model.
• The armor sealed around Samuel and stood up, knocking over equipment and striking the ceiling, as Samuel reported that the neural connection worked and he needed time to adjust.

Li Si and his companions crossed Skull Island’s jungle and found a small native tribe tending to a badly wounded King Kong. The modern-weapon injuries and recently built shelters led Li Si to suspect that an outside military force had arrived on the island.

• Li Si led the group into Skull Island’s jungle, where Project Armor and the others’ abilities helped them fend off venomous creatures.
• Max scouted ahead after the group noticed the jungle growing strangely quiet.
• Max returned and reported a primitive native tribe and a giant gorilla nearby.
• Li Si and the others found around twenty or thirty wounded natives tending to a badly injured King Kong.
• Li Si observed the tribe’s newly built shelters and King Kong’s apparent shell wounds, then suspected an outside military force had entered the island.

Li Si located Kratos and the Anti-Pay-to-Win Alliance captured by natives on Skull Island. After the Players begged him to help, Kratos offered information about a rare treasure in exchange for being freed.

• Pandora detected the third-generation Thunder King Battle Suit and other signals near the native tribe, and Li Si flew up to investigate.
• Li Si found Kratos and four companions stripped and tied to stakes while two native guards watched them.
• The captive Players argued over whether to buy help from Merchant, reaffirming their Anti-Pay-to-Win Alliance oath against spending real money.
• Lee Stein knocked out the guards and approached the captives, who begged him to rescue them.
• Lee Stein offered to make a deal, and Kratos promised information about a rare treasure contested by two guilds.

Lee freed Kratos and the other players, then learned that two guilds had fought over a treasure in a mine shaft on Skull Island. He agreed to have Kratos lead him there and offered to make Kratos a Lizard Transformation Serum if their expedition went well.

• Lee cut the group down and threatened them into leaving the native tribe with him.
• Lee led Kratos and the others to a cave, where Kratos explained how he had arrived on Skull Island and escaped Kong and the natives.
• Kratos revealed that the guilds had fought over something in a mine shaft where they had captured natives to dig.
• Lee ordered Kratos to take him to the mine, and Kratos agreed after realizing how powerful Lee was.
• Kratos asked to buy a Lizard Transformation Serum, and Lee said he might custom-make one if they found decent gains.

Li Si traveled with Kratos and the Anti-Pay-to-Win Alliance, learning about the team and watching them fight a pack of monitor lizards. He discovered Murong Qingqing was an unlicensed veterinarian whose supposed healing skill was bloodletting therapy.

• Li Si set out with the Anti-Pay-to-Win Alliance after warning Max and the others to return to the ship.
• Kratos, Jerry, Murong Qingqing, Charlie, and Chappie introduced themselves, and Li Si learned the four muscleheads had recruited Murong Qingqing for his intelligence.
• Li Si arranged everyday clothes for the team after the members fought over a hide skirt and leaves.
• A pack of four monitor lizards surrounded the group, and Kratos led the Anti-Pay-to-Win Alliance into battle.
• Li Si appraised the group’s combat templates and recognized Murong Qingqing’s Dragon Fist Style.
• Li Si discovered Murong Qingqing had the Unlicensed Veterinarian template and the Bloodletting Therapy skill.

After the fight with the giant lizards, Murong Qingqing treated Kratos and the others and cooked the lizards, while Lee Stein watched and then fed the hungry group. The chapter ended with the men too full of lizard meat to eat the steaks Lee Stein offered, but delighted by his cold drinks.

• Kratos and the others defeated the giant lizards, though all five fighters were injured.
• Murong Qingqing treated their wounds with bloodletting and used his Cooking skill to make grilled lizard meat.
• Lee Stein refused the meat after seeing its warning about germs, and the hungry fighters ate their fill.
• Lee Stein began eating steak and pasta, prompting the stuffed men to accept steaks they could barely manage.
• Lee Stein offered coffee, beer, and cola, and the group happily grabbed the chilled drinks.

Lee Stein reached the Hound Organization’s fortified wall on Skull Island and recognized its three branches guarding the mine beneath the cliff. He chose to retreat to his ship to prepare for an infiltration, leaving the treasure hunt for later.

• Lee Stein led Kratos, Murong Qingqing, and the others across Skull Island, blasting dinosaurs with his pulse cannon along the way.
• Kratos pointed out the wall guarding the mine, and Lee Stein spotted patrols in the Hound Organization’s black, white, and gray combat suits.
• Lee Stein learned the mine lay beneath the cliff and decided to withdraw rather than charge the fortified wall, intending to return with preparations to infiltrate the Hound Organization.
• Kratos worried that Lee Stein would abandon the treasure, but Lee Stein assured him he would still receive his promised share.
• The Anti-Pay-to-Win Alliance members speculated that Lee Stein could not defeat the guilds, and Lee Stein knocked them down and said he would return with a nuke.

Li Si returned to find Max and the others had captured King Kong after knocking him out with anesthetic. He eased Max’s guilt over the cannibals by urging him to be more thorough next time, then led him away for another task as the Anti-Whale Five watched nervously.

• Li Si returned to the shore and found King Kong unconscious while Otto Gunther, Curt Connors, Samuel Sterns, and Max climbed over him.
• Max explained that Samuel Sterns had led them in retreating and secretly tracking the fleeing cannibals before they drugged the water and captured King Kong.
• Max admitted that he had thrown the cannibals into the sea, and Li Si told him that enemies should be completely destroyed to prevent revenge.
• Li Si recognized Max’s guilt and took him aside for another task, while the Anti-Whale Five whispered about Li Si and his harsh lesson.

Li Si prepared disguises with Otto Gunther and Samuel Sterns so he and Max could infiltrate the Hound Organization on Skull Island. By dawn, they had their equipment and were ready to try to uncover the organization’s secrets despite the risks of being exposed.

• Li Si asked Otto Gunther and Samuel Sterns to build disguises based on his designs for infiltrating the Hound Organization.
• Li Si gave Max an infiltration mission and put him through a night of special training.
• Otto Gunther and Samuel Sterns finished a combat suit for Li Si and hollow metal armor for Max, along with equipment designed to imitate Angus Hunters.
• Li Si chose to pose as real-world Angus Hunters, reasoning that Max’s electrical abilities and their disguises could help them pass unnoticed.
• Li Si reflected that Skull Island’s isolation had disabled Pandora’s network access and Max’s ability to travel through power networks, then called Max over to put on the equipment.

Li Si and Max prepared disguises with optical camouflage masks so they could infiltrate the Angus Hunters. After setting out, they encountered Players who reacted to Li Si’s handsome disguise, leaving him struggling to keep his temper.

• Li Si used Pandora to adjust his face with an optical camouflage mask, while Max put on a mask that made him look like Angus.
• Li Si checked Max’s disguise with Appraisal and explained how disguise checks and appraisal resistance worked.
• Li Si told Max to stay silent unless instructed, then led him onto the road in disguise as Jack Kirby Angus.
• Nearby Players gawked at Li Si’s altered appearance and made crude plans, while Li Si tried to calm himself and avoid lashing out.

Li Si and Max disguised themselves as an Angus Hunter and approached the Hound Organization’s city wall, where their bluff divided the guards. The standoff ended with Cyril and the black-clad leader opposing the scarred Angus Hound’s order to open the gate.

• Li Si and Max reached the city wall and demanded that the Hound Organization lower the drawbridge.
• The guards recognized Max’s Angus Hunter disguise, and the scarred Angus Hound addressed him as his lord while the others reacted with disbelief.
• Li Si used a neural signal link to tell Max to order the gate opened, and Max repeated the command without showing emotion.
• Cyril and the short, fat Black man refused to open the gate, and the scarred man challenged Cyril as the groups on the wall prepared to confront one another.

Li Si and Max infiltrated the Hound Organization’s settlement on Skull Island by posing as Sen Angus and the Pursuer. After entering the native city, Li Si discovered the Hound Organization was using captured natives and NPC scientists.

• Sen Angus ordered the drawbridge lowered so he could verify the group’s identities, while Cyril and the short, fat Black man accompanied him.
• Max, posing as the Pursuer, refused to answer Sen Angus’s question and floated past the leaders, convincing Sen Angus to follow him.
• Li Si crossed the drawbridge and noticed a mine dug into the ravine, but saw no natives working there.
• The group passed through the gate tunnel into the crude stone city, where Hound Organization members had herded the natives into the center to carry materials.
• Li Si used Appraisal to identify several unarmored figures as NPC Scientists and realized the Hound Organization was using them to produce its equipment.

Li Si used Max’s stern persona to test Sen Angus and infer that Angus’s Hound group was disadvantaged in a dispute over a valuable discovery. After Sen Angus brought them to a cave, Li Si called himself Angus’s replacement, leaving Sen Angus worried that the organization planned to replace its current members.

• Li Si had Max tell Sen Angus that the discovery was important and that nothing could go wrong, prompting Sen Angus to apologize and pledge Angus’s commitment.
• Li Si inferred that the three Hound groups were cooperating uneasily and that Angus’s group had accepted an unfavorable arena contest over how to divide the loot.
• Sen Angus led Max and Li Si to a damp cave, where Max sat silently on a stone bed and Li Si refused to leave his post.
• When Sen Angus asked which base Li Si came from, Li Si called himself his replacement, making Sen Angus suspect the organization might replace its current members.
• Sen Angus concealed his concern, ended the conversation, and left the cave to handle other matters.

After Sen Angus left, Li Si assessed why he and Max had passed as an Angus Hunter and what the Hound Organizations’ power struggle meant for them. He then questioned what the Hunters and the Earth OL game really were, ending with more unanswered questions than conclusions.

• Li Si silently reviewed the clues and concluded that Hunters held high status, the three Hound Organizations were separate factions, and the Angus Hounds were at a disadvantage.
• Li Si reasoned that the Angus Hunters’ shared consciousness made it risky for Sen Angus or the other organizations to test Max’s identity.
• Li Si concluded that Sen Angus might welcome a supposed Hunter as an ally because the Angus Hounds needed leverage against Cross and Modal.
• Li Si reconsidered whether the Hunters were biological weapons and speculated that they might be aliens, modified humans, or a military force.
• Li Si questioned the origins and purpose of the Earth OL game, the relationship between its worlds and Earth, and the motives of the three Hound groups.

Lee Stein reflected on how intelligence and emotional intelligence could organize knowledge and solve problems, then concealed his disappointment when he realized his insight resembled a database. Meanwhile, the Modal and Cross Hound leaders suspected Sen Angus had found a way to enter the game and discussed reporting it while keeping him suppressed.

• Lee Stein explained to Max how he inferred the Hound Organization's motives from a brief conversation.
• Lee Stein considered a framework for organizing knowledge and solving problems, then dismissed it as similar to an AI database.
• Lee Stein refused to explain his supposed insight to Max and maintained a lofty pose.
• The Modal Hound leader and Cyril discussed their suspicion that Sen Angus had entered the game with his abilities.
• The Modal Hound leader decided to report the matter, while Cyril warned that he could not leave and suggested he might take over Angus's people.

Li Si and Max attended lunch with Sen Angus, where Li Si gathered information about the rival Hound leaders and their search for a valuable mineral. They went to watch the arena match that would decide how the groups divided the find, while Max worried that their disguises might be discovered.

• Sen Angus invited Li Si and Max to lunch, and Li Si learned that Cyril Cross specialized in close combat while Dilu Modar had telekinesis.
• Li Si learned that the Hound groups had come to Skull Island seeking a mineral, though Sen Angus did not reveal what it was.
• Sen Angus asked Li Si to help him secure a favorable outcome in the arena match, and Li Si agreed to assist if he could.
• Sen Angus escorted Li Si and Max to the arena, where they saw that the Angus Hound was outnumbered by Cross and Modar's forces.
• Max worried that Cyril Cross and Dilu Modar might recognize their deception, but Li Si reassured him that they were likely only probing and staying guarded.

Li Si refereed the first round of the three-way contest between Cyril Cross, Dilu Modar, and Sen Angus, as Carl and Loda began fighting in the arena. Carl dodged Loda’s telekinetic attacks and charged again, reaching his throat before Loda could fully recover.

• Dilu Modar led a group of natives in a ritual dance before explaining it was his occupational habit.
• Cyril Cross sent Carl to fight first, and Dilu Modar sent Loda, leaving Sen Angus visibly slighted.
• Dilu Modar asked Li Si to referee, and Li Si agreed before announcing the match’s start.
• Carl rushed Loda with daggers, but Loda struck him with telekinetic force and followed with a barrage of metal needles.
• Carl evaded the needles and charged again at nearly twice his previous speed, reaching Loda’s throat as he struggled to unleash another telekinetic wave.

Li Si studied Loda’s telekinetic fighting style as he battled Carl and considered how telekinesis might work alongside mental power. He left the fight with the idea of microscopic-scale telekinetic manufacturing as a long-term goal and decided to make a memo.

• Carl tried to stab Loda’s kidney, but he evaded and countered with an uppercut.
• Carl used the arena floor to spring back up and avoid Loda’s punch, and the two continued fighting at close range.
• Li Si recognized that Loda used telekinesis to enhance his movements and attacks, and saw how practical the ability was.
• Li Si considered combining telekinesis with mental power to sense and manipulate matter at microscopic scales, potentially allowing him to manufacture mechs by hand.
• Li Si concluded that the idea was a long-term goal and decided to record it in a memo.

Carl defeated Loda and advanced to fight Yu Le, whom she nearly killed despite Li Si ordering the match to stop. Li Si rushed in to intervene as Carl drove her dagger toward Yu Le’s heart.

• Carl defeated Loda with a dagger strike to his lung, and Li Si declared her the winner.
• Yu Le entered the arena to face Carl in the final match of the first round.
• Carl charged Yu Le before he could fire and stabbed his collarbone, but Yu Le shot her dagger aside and kicked her away.
• Yu Le fired several shots, but Carl dodged them and charged back in as Li Si ordered her to stop.
• Carl ignored Li Si and thrust her dagger toward Yu Le’s heart, so Li Si rushed across the arena to intervene.