Chapter Summaries

Bai Yi joined the team and traveled through its portal to Wang Ziyi's shelter, where Rotting Corpses had surrounded the group. After learning that the shelter was close to collapsing, he prepared to go outside and kill the attackers.

• Bai Yi accepted Zhang Zhen's team invitation, inspected the new team functions, and used the portal to reach Wang Ziyi's shelter.
• Bai Yi met Zhang Zhen and the other teammates, who introduced themselves to him.
• Wang Ziyi explained that Tang Zheng's abnormal status had drawn hundreds of Rotting Corpses to the shelter, whose defenses were failing as nearby nutrients ran low.
• Bai Yi checked the status log and learned that going out alone would not trigger [Autism].
• Bai Yi told the team to open the door and announced that he would kill the Rotting Corpses.

Bai Yi fought the hundreds of Rotting Corpses that had poured into Wang Ziyi's shelter, using flesh-bone alchemy, Little White's freezing howl, and Steel Spine Will to overcome the horde. He killed every corpse, including a mutated attacker, while his sanity remained locked at 1 and his body and mind were severely strained.

• Wang Ziyi opened the shelter gate, and Bai Yi transformed the approaching corpses into a bone passage before charging into the horde alone.
• As the Rotting Corpses overwhelmed Bai Yi and his Tang Dao broke, he activated Boiling Blood and formed bone blades from his hands.
• A fast mutated Rotting Corpse attacked Bai Yi, but he broke its fingers by hardening his abdomen into bone and called on Little White.
• Little White slowed and froze the remaining Rotting Corpses with Snowfield Howl, allowing Bai Yi to split the mutated attacker apart.
• Bai Yi activated Steel Spine Will and beheaded the remaining Rotting Corpses, killing the entire horde of three to four hundred.

After Bai Yi slaughtered the Rotting Corpses, Li Zihua gave him an elixir that restored his sanity and eased his pain, helping the group rebuild trust. As the team resumed its meeting, Bai Yi noticed black fog outside the shelter.

• Bai Yi returned carrying organs from mutated Rotting Corpses, unsettling everyone inside the shelter.
• Bai Yi entered the shelter, accepted cigarettes from Zhang Zhen, and joined the team as they discussed their plans.
• Li Zihua recognized that Bai Yi was enduring severe pain from low sanity and gave him a Sanity Recovery Elixir made with Wang Ziyi's ingredients.
• Bai Yi's sanity rose as the elixir eased his pain, and he thanked Li Zihua and asked the team to call him Brother Dog again.
• The team gathered in the meeting room, where Bai Yi warned them that black fog had appeared outside.

As the black fog spread toward them, Bai Yi and the others hurriedly discussed how their newly formed team would cooperate. They shared their abilities and resources, and Xie Xu ended the meeting’s first part with a warning about the danger of prophecy.

• Xie Xu estimated that the black fog would replace the white fog within five hours, so Zhang Zhen urged everyone to quickly establish team rules.
• Zhang Zhen, Li Zihua, Bai Yi, Wang Ziyi, Tang Zheng, and Wei Fen described their shelters, talents, and ways they could help the team.
• Bai Yi asked Li Zihua to prioritize emergency wound treatments and sanity-recovery medicines, while Li Zihua agreed to shift his research focus.
• Wei Fen gave Tang Zheng a tactical pistol blueprint, and Tang Zheng revealed that his firearm talent let him create bullets by consuming sanity.
• Xie Xu explained that using his future-sight talent had attracted an 'Unhearable' entity and raised his mental strength and sanity; he warned Bai Yi that knowledge could be poisonous and prophecies could kill.

Bai Yi revealed the many functions of his Fleshweb Bone Nest, and Zhang Zhen organized the team’s trade and information-sharing rules. The group named itself Ashen Echo and ended the meeting ready to continue through the mist.

• Mu Mu described her talent for enchanting equipment, and Bai Yi realized Xie Xu might have precognition.
• Bai Yi explained that his shelter could craft and upgrade equipment, treat and modify bodies, and provide food, while warning that its services required scarce materials.
• Zhang Zhen proposed that team members trade at sixty percent of marketplace prices and share discoveries to prevent deaths from missing information.
• The group exchanged records about creatures and abnormal statuses, including Wang Ziyi’s Rotting Marsh Gazer encounter.
• The members suggested team names, chose Xie Xu’s Ashen Echo, and agreed to keep moving forward together.

Bai Yi tested Li Zihua and Mu Mu in his modification room while Xie Xu helped investigate Mu Mu’s strange behavior. A scan revealed that Mu Mu had been dead for some time and that a Brain-Stealing Slug had replaced her brain.

• Wang Ziyi cleaned up the rotting corpses while Tang Zheng stayed to make amends for leaving the shelter.
• Bai Yi returned to his shelter with Xie Xu, Li Zihua, and Mu Mu to assess their modification costs and investigate Mu Mu.
• Li Zihua completed his test, and Bai Yi confirmed that his modification would cost 1600 flesh and blood and 800 bones.
• Xie Xu and Li Zihua told Bai Yi that Mu Mu had been drinking unusually large amounts of water, prompting him to scan her body.
• Bai Yi’s scan revealed that translucent Brain-Stealing Slugs had consumed Mu Mu’s brain and were controlling her body.

After Mu Mu died from a Brain-Stealing Slug, Bai Yi confronted his teammates about their carelessness and helped them grieve before testing the range of his [Autism] status. He gathered flesh and bones by killing Rotting Corpses, then ordered the shelter to crush the horde covering it.

• Mu Mu died when a Brain-Stealing Slug parasitized her brain, and Bai Yi told Xie Xu that the team lacked caution and respect for the Misty Land.
• Bai Yi shared information about the Brain-Stealing Slug, while Xie Xu and Li Zihua ate Rotting Corpse meat and mourned Mu Mu.
• Bai Yi and Xie Xu tested [Autism] and found it triggered when Bai Yi was about 100 meters from the shelter.
• Bai Yi left the shelter and killed more than thirty Rotting Corpses, turning one into a White Bone Tang Dao while the Flesh Fungus Mat collected their bodies.
• Bai Yi retreated as a tide of Rotting Corpses covered the shelter and ordered it to crush them.

Bai Yi repeatedly used [Autism] to draw in and kill waves of Rotting Corpses, amassing enough resources to craft weapons and meet his shelter’s upgrade requirements. As the black fog thickened, he stopped farming, equipped his allies, and received a modified revolver with improved ammunition capacity and effects.

• Bai Yi used the shelter’s bone spikes to kill a horde of Rotting Corpses and explained to Xie Xu why he believed farming waves was worth the risk.
• Xie Xu determined [Autism]’s activation conditions and shared them with the group while Bai Yi repeatedly activated the ability and crafted weapons.
• Bai Yi collected the corpses after three waves and built up large reserves of Flesh and Bones.
• As the black fog grew too dense to farm safely, Bai Yi gave Xie Xu weapons and prepared equipment for Tang Zheng and other squad members.
• Bai Yi traded the reserved weapons to his teammates, saved some Mist Coins, and received the completed modification of [Shepherd’s Mercy].

Bai Yi upgraded his shelter and discovered that the black fog caused the Dark Erosion status, which slowly damaged shelters and rapidly killed players outside. After the system shop added Faint Candlelight to counter the fog, he shared the discovery and prepared to explore before treasure chests refreshed.

• Bai Yi upgraded his shelter to level seven and decided to save resources rather than upgrade it again.
• Bai Yi watched the black fog reach his shelter and learned that Dark Erosion slowly reduced its durability and caused food to decay faster.
• Bai Yi read Xie Xu's report that players could survive only one minute in the black fog and concluded that the event threatened everyone.
• Bai Yi read the system update announcing eternal night, upcoming Wilderness Treasure Chests, and a shop update, then bought ten Faint Candlelight items.
• Bai Yi discovered that an old candle in his shelter was also Faint Candlelight and shared the information with his teammates and the regional channel.
• Bai Yi selected his equipment and prepared to explore before the treasure chests refreshed.

Bai Yi ventured into the black mist to investigate the treasure chest countdown, but anxiety affected him as he searched empty streets and buildings. In an underground supermarket, he found evidence of vanished residents and uncovered a hidden basement, where he realized he had fallen into a trap.

• Bai Yi entered the black mist with a candle and found no creatures as he cautiously followed the highway.
• Bai Yi’s anxiety rose to its limit, and he realized the darkness was affecting his emotions; he recalled Zhang Zhen’s talent had found no creatures within five kilometers.
• Bai Yi replaced his candle, searched malls and other buildings, and found a locked underground supermarket storeroom with signs that at least thirteen people had lived there.
• Bai Yi discovered a hidden passage beneath the bedding and descended into a circular basement with a foul stench and a floor of strange, dark-red flesh.
• Bai Yi drew his revolver and continued into the basement, then realized he had already fallen into a trap.

Bai Yi was trapped inside a spatially distorted aberrant demon and discovered that its stomach was filling with corrosive liquid. As he searched for a way out, an impossible color bewitched him and consumed his thoughts.

• Bai Yi realized he could not escape the black fog because the space around the lumps of flesh had been distorted.
• Bai Yi was transported into a sealed chamber covered in bones and identified it as the stomach of an immobile aberrant demon.
• Bai Yi used Flesh-Bone Conversion to make a bone umbrella and shield himself from the dripping stomach acid.
• Bai Yi searched beneath the bones for a way out as the air grew thin and an unnameable color below drew him into a frenzy.
• Bai Yi was jolted awake when stomach acid burned his exposed arm, but the color took over his thoughts and left him focused only on it.

Bai Yi discovered that [Autism] had drawn him to the Star-Color egg, where the juvenile Superior Species emerged and filled the basement with color. After overwhelming him with knowledge and nearly killing him, Star-Color withdrew it, restored his sanity, and apologized.

• Bai Yi traced the color in his mind to an oval egg and learned that it was a juvenile Superior Species called Color from the Stars.
• Bai Yi followed Star-Color's message, picked up the egg, and broke it, releasing color that carried him back to the basement.
• Star-Color spread through the basement, overcame the flesh-membrane construct, and turned the surrounding flesh into crystals as black mist eroded it.
• Star-Color poured knowledge into Bai Yi, driving his sanity down to 1 and leaving him in extreme pain until it stopped and erased the knowledge from his memories.
• Star-Color restored Bai Yi's sanity to 200, and Bai Yi collapsed as it sent him a message: "Sor... ry".

Bai Yi gained the Rhythm of All Things talent and a spatial ring after meeting Star-Color, then tested his new abilities back at the shelter. He discovered that responding to rhythms worked on living beings and turned his attention to Little White.

• Bai Yi learned that Star-Color had drawn him over because it needed to be born, and Star-Color apologized for nearly killing him.
• Star-Color transformed the Phase Stomach Sac into a Phase Ring, gave it to Bai Yi as a symbol of friendship, and returned to the stars.
• Bai Yi lit his candle, escaped the spreading black mist, and returned to his shelter, where he ate and examined his gains.
• Bai Yi tested the Phase Ring and found that it stored objects but not living creatures, and that he could not use it to store part of an object or anything larger than its space.
• Bai Yi tested Rhythm of All Things, shattering a cup, damaging a Bone Pickaxe, and disabling a tentacle by disrupting their rhythms.
• Bai Yi found that responding to rhythms had no effect on nonliving objects but worked powerfully on living beings, and he looked toward Little White to test it.

Bai Yi teased Little White before preparing for the next stage of survival, then modified both of them and investigated the abnormal status [Wail of the Dead]. He discovered that a specific infrasound frequency could suppress it, giving him an idea for helping others.

• Bai Yi pranked Little White with a voice in its mind, then calmed the angry wolf with steak.
• Bai Yi spent five Rotting Corpse corpses, vegetables, fruit, and saved junk at the Wishing Well, receiving only wood and weeds.
• Bai Yi reviewed the newly opened forum and marketplace and waited for squad members to share useful information.
• Bai Yi began Basic Physical Modification for himself and Little White while continuing to learn Flesh Alchemy.
• After his modification, Bai Yi detected [Wail of the Dead] and found that blocking his ear canals weakened its rhythm.
• Bai Yi adjusted the shelter mask's infrasound until [Wail of the Dead] vanished, then considered how to use the discovery to help others.

Bai Yi discovered that [Wail of the Dead] was caused by infrasound and turned a medical pod into a Hibernation Pod that counteracted it. After selling one to Tang Zheng, he stayed awake to practice his second talent while waiting for the treasure chests to refresh.

• Bai Yi modified a medical pod to use infrasound against [Wail of the Dead] and redesigned its interior into a more comfortable Hibernation Pod.
• Bai Yi created a converter that powered the Hibernation Pod using fresh flesh and added constant-temperature and massage modes.
• Bai Yi offered the Hibernation Pod to the group and Tang Zheng agreed to buy one because his Sanity had fallen below 70.
• Bai Yi sold Tang Zheng a Hibernation Pod for 1,210 Mist Coins and gave him two units of fresh flesh for free.
• Bai Yi checked on Little White, then practiced his second talent while waiting for the treasure chests to refresh.

Bai Yi sold Hibernation Pods and joined his squad at Wang Ziyi’s shelter after Xie Xu warned that fiends would appear with the treasure chests. Xie Xu revealed an Eternal Bond Scroll that could block Autism, and proposed that the squad act together to prepare for the danger ahead.

• Bai Yi sold a Hibernation Pod to Li Zihua for 2,000 Mist Coins and offered Tian Dong’s guild a discounted bulk order.
• Wang Ziyi, Zhang Zhen, and Wei Fen each bought a Hibernation Pod, while Xie Xu warned the squad that fiends would appear when treasure chests refreshed.
• Bai Yi gathered with the squad at Wang Ziyi’s shelter, where Xie Xu called a meeting and urged them to practice working together.
• Xie Xu revealed an Eternal Bond Scroll that unlocked a team skill capable of blocking Autism for ten hours, and said he had obtained it from a rotting corpse.

Xie Xu organized a team combat exercise, and Bai Yi revealed a second talent that let him communicate telepathically and sense nearby creatures’ strength. As the team prepared to hunt demonic aberrations, Bai Yi sparred with Tang Zheng and knocked him down using his talent, leaving the others puzzled.

• Xie Xu proposed that Zhang Zhen scout for treasure chests and demonic aberrations while Bai Yi and Tang Zheng held the line during team exercises.
• Bai Yi revealed his second talent, which let him speak directly into the team’s minds and sense the strength of nearby living creatures.
• The team agreed to set out together when treasure chests refreshed, with Bai Yi warning them of danger while the others handled threats.
• Tang Zheng asked Bai Yi to spar, and they revealed their attributes before facing off in the training hall.
• Bai Yi dodged Tang Zheng’s charge and swept his fingers through the air, causing Tang Zheng to collapse without being touched.
• Xie Xu suspected Bai Yi had used his talent, and Bai Yi confirmed it.

Bai Yi held a sparring session that revealed Xie Xu could predict actions two seconds ahead, then offered the group enhancement surgeries. When the Wilderness Treasure Chests refreshed, Zhang Zhen used his talent to scan for them and spotted something.

• Tang Zheng quit sparring with Bai Yi, and Wang Ziyi faced Bai Yi, overcoming her fear enough to throw a punch before Xie Xu caught her as she lost balance.
• The others took turns attacking Bai Yi, then Xie Xu used his talent to anticipate Bai Yi's moves and keep him on the defensive until Bai Yi changed tactics and forced him to surrender.
• Xie Xu explained that his talent let him predict a person's actions two seconds in advance.
• Bai Yi offered to enhance Strength and Constitution up to 15 points, and the group discussed scheduling the surgeries.
• After the Wilderness Treasure Chests refreshed, Zhang Zhen activated All-Domain Perception and announced that he had found something.

Zhang Zhen mapped nearby treasure chests, and the group set out through the black fog to collect them and gain combat experience. After opening a chest that contained two Fog Lamps, they found their next target was surrounded by powerful aberrations and would require them to fight.

• Zhang Zhen drew a map showing nearby creatures, items, resources, and five treasure chests of different gold qualities.
• Bai Yi led the group into the black fog, where Wang Ziyi killed two Rotting Corpses with her bow.
• The team fought several more groups of Rotting Corpses, giving Zhang Zhen, Li Zihua, Wei Fen, and Wang Ziyi combat practice.
• The group opened a Dark Gold chest and found two Fog Lamps that could disperse black fog within a 10-meter radius.
• Bai Yi sensed that powerful aberrations surrounded their next treasure chest, leaving the group no way to reach it without fighting at least one.

Bai Yi led the team into battle against a Bone-Cleft Whisperer so they could train against a stronger aberration. The team gradually coordinated their attacks, but just as the fight stabilized, a sudden change occurred.

• Bai Yi chose the Bone-Cleft Whisperer as the team’s opponent and blocked its first attack to assess its strength.
• The aberration knocked Zhang Zhen aside, and Wang Ziyi wounded it with an energy arrow while Zhang Zhen and Li Zihua attacked its openings.
• The Bone-Cleft Whisperer threw its stolen blade at Li Zihua, but Xie Xu shot it off course and rescued him.
• Wei Fen, Zhang Zhen, and Li Zihua coordinated to hold the aberration in place as Wang Ziyi attacked from range and Xie Xu protected the team.
• The team stabilized the fight, but a sudden change occurred.