Chapter Summaries

Lee Stein returned to the Stein Group and reunited with Gwen, then gave Otto Gunther, Pandora, and Curt Connors instructions about repairs and research. He took Gwen home expecting time alone, only to discover her parents were there.

• Gwen ended a tense meeting by rejecting the Three Golds' conditions and ordering the executives to leave.
• Lee Stein arrived, embraced Gwen, and asked Felicia to retrieve the equipment from the ship and purchase materials from Pandora's list.
• Lee Stein and Gwen joked about their reunion before agreeing to visit Otto Gunther and the others, then go shopping and watch a movie.
• Lee Stein assigned Otto Gunther, Pandora, and the others to repair and upgrade the Multi-Function Combat Platform, and told Curt Connors to analyze the Green Goblin physical enhancement serum.
• Lee Stein drove Gwen to her home and discovered that her parents were there.

After news of Earth OL’s fivefold lifespan benefit spread, a rush for game pods caused widespread unrest across the Three Great Federations. Li Si went shopping with Gwen in crowded New York, wary of the chaos and asking Little Hulk to protect her.

• Li Si spent two relaxed days with Gwen while Earth OL’s update news spread among Players.
• People rushed to buy game pods and claim the limited registration slots, causing unrest, crime, and violence that the Three Great Federations suppressed.
• Li Si received seven shop notifications indicating that Vis had turned away intruders from his home.
• Li Si went shopping with Gwen and Little Hulk, and warned Gwen to take Little Hulk with her to work because the streets were unusually crowded.
• Gwen shopped through the commercial district while Li Si carried her growing collection of bags.

Xiao Yue tried to sell equipment to new Players by pretending it was rare, hoping to become a merchant like Lee Stein. When he finally met his idol, he praised Lee Stein for being an unscrupulous con artist, leaving Lee furious and Gwen laughing.

• A newly arrived bald man refused to give his son money until his wife appeared, took his starting funds, and gave some to their son.
• Xiao Yue tried to sell the family overpriced equipment, but their son recognized the scam and drove him off.
• Xiao Yue continued pitching his equipment to newcomers, hoping to follow Lee Stein’s example as a legendary merchant.
• Lee Stein told Xiao Yue he could make the equipment himself, prompting Xiao Yue to recognize him as his idol.
• Xiao Yue praised Lee Stein’s talent for conning people, and Lee told him to get lost while Gwen laughed.

Lee Stein declined to help Tony Stark patrol New York, but suggested that Pandora control one of Tony's spare suits, letting Tony leave Spider-Man to handle the crime wave alone. Back home, Lee Stein examined his instance credentials and found a message from Badoers offering him a slot, then suspected Badoers had concealed his real purpose.

• Tony Stark asked Lee Stein to help fight the crime wave, but Lee Stein refused because his armor was being repaired and he had other things to do.
• Lee Stein suggested Pandora control a spare suit; Tony Stark accepted the idea, left his armor under Jarvis's control, and rode with Lee Stein.
• After dropping Tony Stark off, Lee Stein returned home and retrieved his Avatar Operation Guide, Eden Citizen Credential, and Pacific Rim privateering license.
• Lee Stein found Badoers's messages asking whether he wanted an instance slot and noticed that Badoers had addressed him as "brother" despite knowing his reputation.
• Lee Stein concluded that Badoers was disguising his intentions and grinned as he decided someone was looking to get himself killed.

Badoers, Maberen, and Lu Yao waited in an abandoned New York factory for Lee Stein, with Badoers wary of the two volatile Players. After Lee Stein agreed to come, Badoers started a livestream that drew curious Players to the forum, while the mysterious guest had yet to arrive.

• Badoers told Maberen and Lu Yao that Lee Stein had invited them to come and name their price.
• Badoers warned Maberen and Lu Yao to control themselves, recalling that Maberen's forced berserk episodes and Jason's violent personality had led to repeated fights.
• After waiting for Lee Stein, Badoers started a livestream from the abandoned factory and let the other two remain on camera.
• Players flocked to the livestream thread, speculating about Lee Stein and the dungeon while he had not yet appeared.

Badoers livestreamed to prove that Lee Stein was a Player, but the person who arrived at the abandoned factory was a different Lee Stein. The chapter ended with the handsome newcomer insisting that he was Lee Stein, leaving Badoers confused.

• Badoers changed his livestream title to claim he would expose Lee Stein as a Player and explained that he had arranged to meet him at the abandoned factory.
• Badoers switched the livestream to a handheld camera and rushed outside as someone approached.
• The camera showed a handsome stranger, and viewers mocked Badoers for confusing him with the Lee Stein they knew.
• Badoers asked whether the stranger was Lee Stein, and the young man said that he was.
• Badoers clarified that he meant the Lee Stein who drove a Bumblebee.

Lee Stein revealed his identity as a Player during Badoers's livestream, after the two spent over twenty minutes chatting. The stream's viewers erupted in disbelief and jokes, leaving Badoers furious that many still refused to believe Lee's admission.

• Lee Stein returned wearing optical camouflage and told Badoers he was the Lee Stein who drove a Bumblebee, but Badoers did not believe him.
• Lee Stein and Badoers chatted about the other Lee Stein and his plans to expose Merchant, while the livestream audience grew to more than 1.8 million viewers.
• Lee Stein asked Badoers to aim the camera at him, then removed his camouflage and revealed his original appearance.
• Badoers excitedly told the audience that Lee Stein was a Player and had joined the instance dungeon.
• Viewers reacted with shock, jokes, and disbelief, and Badoers grew angry at the commenters who refused to accept Lee's claim.

Lee Stein used the livestream’s demand for compensation to draw in five million viewers, then announced that his supposed major decision was the launch of his online marketplace and subjected everyone to its looping advertisement.

• Lee Stein insisted that he was a Player who had never claimed to be an NPC, while Badoers watched the comments continue to demand compensation.
• Lee Stein promised to announce a major decision once the livestream reached five million viewers, prompting Players to invite their friends.
• The livestream reached five million viewers, and the Players pressed Lee Stein to pay compensation.
• Lee Stein announced the launch of his online marketplace, and a recorded advertisement began playing repeatedly in the livestream.
• The Players realized Lee Stein had used their demands to gather an audience for his advertisement and reacted with disbelief and frustration.

Lee Stein turned the Players’ anger over being deceived into publicity for his businesses and announced compensation, including presale slots for a powerful serum and a new Azeroth-Marvel Continent experience. He ended by suggesting Earth OL could offer new Players longer lives, leaving the livestream audience stunned.

• Lee Stein thanked the livestream audience and explained the Stein Trading Network after his stunt left him with a notorious reputation among Players.
• Lee Stein announced compensation for veteran Players and revealed that the Green Goblin Human Enhancement Serum would grant major attribute boosts but had a dangerous side effect.
• Lee Stein said the serum could not yet be mass-produced and that veteran Players would receive limited presale slots instead of discounts.
• Lee Stein introduced Azeroth-Marvel Continent as a welcome gift and compensation for new Players and customers.
• Lee Stein said many new Players had joined Earth OL to enjoy a new, longer life, leaving Badoers, Maberen, and the livestream audience stunned.

Lee Stein announced that Azeroth-Marvel Continent would offer tenfold consciousness acceleration but have limited internal testing slots, then revealed that compensation slots and other prizes would be distributed through card packs. The chapter ended with Players realizing his generous offer came with a familiar sales pitch.

• Lee Stein confirmed that Azeroth-Marvel Continent would add another layer of consciousness acceleration, bringing the total difference from reality to tenfold.
• Lee Stein warned that server capacity and the game's development stage meant only a limited number of Players could enter during early testing.
• Newbie Players apologized to Lee Stein for calling him a Merchant, and Lee Stein graciously accepted their apologies.
• Lee Stein said compensation would include Green Goblin Human Enhancement Serum purchase slots and Azeroth-Marvel Continent testing slots.
• Lee Stein announced that Players could get free card packs through the Lee Stein Game Trading Network, with chances to win testing slots, the serum, combat sets, and Virtual Game Pods.
• Newbie Players called Lee Stein a Merchant again as veteran Players laughed and told them they would get used to his tricks.

Lee Stein used Badoers's livestream event to promote Azeroth-Marvel Continent and decided Badoers had helped him expose his Player identity without backlash. After Badoers tried to threaten him, Lee summoned Bumblebee and pressured him to offer compensation.

• Lee Stein ended his promotional livestream and reflected on how his game plans could help him build a logistical stronghold and super legion.
• Lee Stein decided the Hound Organization would not act against him yet and realized Badoers had conveniently made his exposure seem less deliberate.
• Badoers complained that Lee Stein had benefited from his scheme, and Lee summoned Bumblebee when Badoers joked about hitting him.
• Lee Stein accused Badoers of plotting against him, so Badoers offered compensation.
• Lee Stein said money or general experience would suffice, while Badoers complained that Lee Stein knew why he had neither.

Lee Stein accepted Badoers's dungeon entry vouchers and appraised Lu Yao and Maberen, recognizing Lu Yao's rare Madman-related template and identifying Maberen's powers as the result of an unstable imitation Lizard Transformation Serum. The chapter left Lee interested in Lu Yao's special template and pitying Maberen, whose serum had left him with a berserk debuff.

• Badoers offered Lee Stein free dungeon entry vouchers, and Lee accepted.
• Maberen denied intending trouble and said he had come for the dungeon, while Lu Yao said he had wanted to meet Lee.
• Lee appraised Lu Yao and recognized the Mental Patient and Amateur Scientist templates, along with the special template he had come to Gotham to seek.
• Lee appraised Maberen and found his enhanced lizard bloodline, strong attributes, and Berserk debuff.
• Lee concluded Maberen's powers came from a flawed imitation of the Lizard Transformation Serum, likely made by General Ross.

Li Si left Pandora behind to manage the Azeroth-Marvel Continent before entering the City of Sin: Gotham instance dungeon with Badoers and the others. After the system offered three factions, the group began discussing their choices, but Li Si declined to lead them and said he had not decided.

• Li Si told Pandora to handle matters at the Azeroth-Marvel Continent and disguise herself as him using armor from Tony Stark.
• Pandora wished Li Si a safe return and kissed his forehead with a virtual projection before he departed.
• Badoers used a Sin Pass to bring Li Si, the others, and Bumblebee into the Gotham instance dungeon.
• The system offered the group Order, Sin, and Chaos factions with different identities and rewards.
• Badoers proposed that the group choose the same faction and work together, while Lu Yao and Maberen looked to Li Si for guidance.
• Li Si said there was too little information for him to choose and declined to lead the group.

Badoers, Lu Yao, Maberen, and Lee Stein debated which faction to choose for the Gotham instance. Lee Stein and Maberen chose Chaos, Badoers chose Order, and Lu Yao chose Crime.

• Badoers argued that Batman was likely the storyline’s protagonist and recommended the Order faction for its lower difficulty.
• Lu Yao warned that the Order faction’s rewards might be lower, then chose the Crime faction after suddenly voicing his love of crime, slaughter, and destruction.
• Lee Stein explained the factions’ different advantages and drawbacks, then chose Chaos to play the Happy Wind Man alongside Bumblebee.
• Badoers chose Order, while Maberen rejected joining him and chose Chaos after catching the word “wind” in Lee Stein’s parting words.

After the factions were selected, Lee Stein used Skynet to forge a Gotham identity and traveled through the East End. Maberen caught up with Lee Stein and secured a place in Bumblebee, leaving the two together on their way to a hotel.

• Lee Stein renamed Bumblebee Skynet and ordered it to find information and create him a Gotham identity.
• Skynet forged Lee Stein's identity and arranged for a replacement driver's license while Lee Stein asked it to book a hotel.
• In Gotham's East End, Lee Stein insulted the streetwalkers gathered around Bumblebee, then scared them off by throwing three metal playing cards into the ground.
• Maberen recognized Bumblebee, ran after it, and begged Lee Stein to let him join him.
• Lee Stein stopped Bumblebee and let Maberen climb into the back seat.

Li settled into a luxury hotel in Gotham City's Diamond District and learned why Maberen had been ingratiating himself: he wanted help reversing an unstable Lizard transformation. Maberen hoped Li could cure him before the berserk condition got him captured or killed.

• Li sold his prepared gold in the Diamond District, booked a presidential suite, and asked Maberen why he kept trying to curry favor.
• Maberen explained that General Ross had used Player soldiers as test subjects for a knockoff Lizard Transformation Serum after Li's serum experiment failed.
• More than ten Player volunteers initially survived Ross's modification, but they later went berserk and attacked the base.
• Maberen's berserk episode began later than the others, allowing him to escape and acquire Fugitive and Experimental Subject Templates.
• Maberen sought Li's help because his inferior lizard bloodline left him with an unpredictable berserk condition that threatened his future as a Player.

Lee Stein explained that Maberen could not realistically return to being human, but could keep his strength and control his instincts by learning Yoga Meditation. Maberen agreed to work for Lee Stein through the dungeon, then realized the simple cure had cost him his services.

• Lee Stein asked Maberen whether he wanted to become human again or merely stop suffering the negative BUFFs, and explained that reversing his transformation was nearly impossible.
• Maberen chose to keep his innate skills and asked Lee Stein to name his price.
• Lee Stein offered to help Maberen in exchange for running errands during the instance, and Maberen eagerly accepted.
• Lee Stein gave Maberen five hundred dollars and told him to learn Yoga Meditation and raise it to level five or six to control his loss of control.
• Maberen realized that he had traded his services for an easy solution and vowed to flatter Lee Stein until he went bankrupt.

Li Si chose to pursue a Jigsaw-inspired plan to earn both order and sin points, then had Maberen verify information about his first target, Arthur Jackman. After learning the details were worse than expected, Maberen revealed that his indignation came from still being single.

• Li Si asked Maberen to find secluded properties and discreetly verify addresses from Skynet's intelligence.
• Li Si's prize wheel selected Jigsaw, so he began designing a plan to imitate the serial killer's methods of educating people.
• Five days later in Gotham's Chinatown, Maberen reported that Arthur Jackman was mistreating his girlfriend, Mina Zhang, and that Mina's best friend had tried to intervene.
• Li Si asked why Maberen was so upset, and Maberen admitted that Arthur's relationship had struck a nerve because he was still single.

Lee Stein prepared to begin his first performance by arranging for Arthur Jackman and Mina Zhang to be brought to the site after sunset. Meanwhile, Badoers continued working with Batman’s superhero team, whose members fought crime at night and washed dishes to make ends meet.

• Maberen watched Arthur Jackman abuse Mina Zhang, while Lee Stein explained their troubled relationship and said Maberen would bring them to the site after sunset.
• Lee Stein left Chinatown, as his first performance was about to begin.
• Badoers checked the scoreboard and wondered why Lee Stein still had no points.
• Badoers reflected on joining Batman’s team, helping the weak and impulsive Batman fight minor gangs while struggling with their poverty.
• Batman called Badoers to take the Bat Squad out for another night of fighting crime.

Badoers stopped Batman from confronting Lee Stein and his companion, unaware that the costumed man was only a Batman imitator. Lee recognized the fake, left without a fight, and considered how his knowledge of Gotham and the story’s later developments gave him an advantage while deciding to stay cautious.

• Badoers recognized Lee Stein and restrained the eager Batman when they spotted him walking with a hooded companion.
• Lee greeted Badoers, identified the costumed man as Batman, and drove away with Maberen without attacking.
• Badoers warned Batman that Lee and his companion were too powerful to provoke.
• Lee told Maberen that the portly Batman was an imitator, not the Order faction’s leader.
• Lee reflected on Batman’s reputation and future strength, then resolved to keep a low profile in Gotham.