Chapter Summaries

Lu Xiu defeated Gwyn, Lord of Cinder, then chose to link the First Flame and let herself be consumed to prolong the world. After the system’s evaluation briefly posed a question about whether she would sacrifice herself to save her own world, Lu Xiu wondered if World Gamification was seeking kindling for a real-world crisis.

• Lu Xiu entered the Kiln of the First Flame and defeated Gwyn with an ordinary longsword.
• After reflecting on the world’s cycle of fire and darkness, Lu Xiu touched the First Flame and linked it, allowing the fire to consume her.
• The system’s first evaluation asked whether Lu Xiu would make the same sacrifice if her world faced a similar crisis, then vanished and was replaced by a new evaluation.
• The regenerated evaluation praised Lu Xiu as a lonely firelinker who had chosen to prolong the battered world.
• Lu Xiu questioned why World Gamification had happened and feared the system might be seeking players to serve as fuel for an impending catastrophe.

After clearing Dark Souls with an SSS rating, Lu Xiu gained a Mythic domain skill and a powerful long-range miracle. She considered testing Sunlight Spear in a future recapture battle against Prison Rock’s chosen player.

• Lu Xiu received an SSS rating for Dark Souls and advanced to Level 10 Constructor, unlocking the placement function.
• The system awarded Lu Xiu the Mythic skill Lord of Cinder, which empowered nearby allies and could revive her after the domain collapsed.
• Lu Xiu completed Dark Souls with an SSS clear rating and received experience, Survival Points, items, and attribute points.
• As a first-clear reward, Lu Xiu obtained Sunlight Spear, a defense-ignoring lightning attack with a 300-meter range.
• Lu Xiu decided to try Sunlight Spear in a future recapture battle against Prison Rock’s chosen player.

Lu Xiu examined her Dark Souls rewards, including powerful equipment and an unidentified soul shard, before the system announced that her SSS-rated instance would open to both regions for a five-day competition. As Nine Provinces and Prison Rock prepared to race through it, Lu Xiu went to sleep, leaving the looming battle in others’ hands.

• Lu Xiu received an Estus Flask, a Ring of Favor and Protection, and an unidentified Ancient Lord Soul Shard, then stored the shard for Jian Li to inspect.
• Lu Xiu finished checking her rewards, decided to rest before attempting another run, and exited the construction space.
• The system announced Lu Xiu’s SSS-rated Dark Souls clear, ended the invasion, and scheduled a five-day public-instance competition whose winner would gain fifty regions.
• Prison Rock’s imperial prime minister welcomed the pause and expected both sides to start on equal footing, while its Chosen players feared the dungeon’s difficulty.
• At the Coordination Bureau, Wei Yidong protested Prison Rock’s access, and Yan Fushou asked Shen Nian about a reversed ending as players on both sides debated their chances.
• Lu Xiu ignored the growing discussions, washed up, and went to sleep.

After learning that her new Placement authority required dungeons to be anchored in the real world, Lu Xiu considered asking the Coordination Bureau for help. Jian Li and Shen Nian arrived to discuss her new dungeon, leaving Jian Li quietly unsettled by seeing Lu Xiu dressed casually at home.

• Lu Xiu reviewed the Placement function, which let Architects anchor dungeons in reality and warned that unplaced dungeons could not go online at the thousand-level tier.
• Lu Xiu decided she would need to consult the Coordination Bureau before choosing a site for a dungeon placement.
• Jian Li and Shen Nian arrived, and Shen Nian asked Lu Xiu for her assessment of the new dungeon rather than a guide.
• Lu Xiu teased them about their clothing, then invited them inside and lightly scolded Jian Li for staring at her pajamas.
• Jian Li’s attention shifted to Shen Nian, who felt a chill as she sensed Jian Li’s gaze.

Lu Xiu warned Shen Nian that the newly opened Dark Souls dungeon would be difficult and explained her new Placement function, which could put a folk dungeon in the real world. After Jian Li and Shen Nian entered the dungeon, Lu Xiu entered as well, intending to link the fire.

• Jian Li hugged Lu Xiu after Lu Xiu called herself her big sister, while Shen Nian made tea in the kitchen.
• Shen Nian asked Lu Xiu for advice about the dungeon, and Lu Xiu described it as suffering and warned her not to expect an easy clear.
• Lu Xiu told Shen Nian that reaching constructor level ten had unlocked Placement, and asked her to arrange a real-world test site through Yan Fushou.
• The system announced that Dark Souls had opened, and Jian Li entered after Lu Xiu advised her to raise her shield at corners and praise the sun.
• Shen Nian hugged Lu Xiu in secret before entering the dungeon, and Lu Xiu then entered Dark Souls to link the fire.

Prison Rock player Rein entered Lu Xiu’s SSS-rated [Dark Souls] dungeon, was stunned by its epic opening, and then repeatedly died to the Asylum Demon before discovering the escape route. The chapter left him furious and stranded in the passageway while a Nine Provinces player’s complaint appeared on the forum.

• Players from Nine Provinces and Prison Rock eagerly entered [Dark Souls] for its SSS rating and promised rewards.
• Rein watched the dungeon’s opening narration about the First Flame, the Lords, the Age of Fire, and the Darksign before awakening as the Chosen Undead in a prison cell.
• Rein followed the tutorial, found a Bonfire, and entered a church where the Asylum Demon killed him with a few blows.
• Rein tried the boss fight twice more, but his broken sword barely damaged the demon, and the red floor message only told him to run.
• Rein finally fled into a concealed passage, escaped the demon, and seethed over the dungeon’s difficulty.
• A Nine Provinces player posted on the forum, asking Lu Xiu if she was insane for making the dungeon that way.

Nine Provinces players struggled with Dark Souls’ deliberately punishing opening, and Du Shu discovered that the danger continued even after he escaped the Undead Asylum. He reached Firelink Shrine and began exploring Lordran, ending the chapter enraged after surviving another series of ambushes.

• Players complained on the forums about the Asylum Demon, the hidden exit, and the iron ball that crushed them on the stairs.
• Du Shu escaped the Northern Undead Asylum and was carried by an eagle to Firelink Shrine.
• Du Shu learned how souls and leveling worked, invested his souls in Strength, and heard the Crestfallen Warrior explain the two Bells of Awakening.
• Du Shu followed the route toward the Undead Parish but died when a hidden Hollow attacked him as another threw a Firebomb.
• Du Shu entered a dark sewer, killed a giant rat that ambushed him, and suffered poison damage.
• Du Shu climbed from the sewer and was ambushed by two monsters, leaving him trembling with rage after defeating them.

Du Shu struggled through the Undead Burg and died repeatedly before reaching the Taurus Demon, while top players who had advanced farther suffered in Blighttown. After reviewing the Strategy Group’s first-clear reports, Yan Fushou questioned whether their guide was really an encyclopedia of torture.

• Du Shu repeatedly died to ambushes, Hollows, archers, greatshield soldiers, a Black Knight, and a rolling fire barrel as he pushed through the Undead Burg.
• Du Shu reached the Taurus Demon on a narrow city wall while an archer shot at him, then died to the boss and cursed Lu Xiu.
• Gallagher endured Blighttown’s toxic status, deadly wooden paths, enemies, and mosquitoes until he gave up and complained about the map.
• Yan Fushou reviewed the Strategy Group’s first-clear reports and asked whether their guide was an encyclopedia of torture.
• The Strategy Group members asked Yan Fushou whether torture had another name.

Yan Fushou gathered the Strategy Group to compare their deadly experiences in Lu Xiu’s Dark Souls instance, revealing a complex world of hidden routes, useful items, and interconnected paths. Lin Yi and Jiang Qiu each found that their perilous journeys led back to familiar bonfires, while Jiang Qiu rang the first Bell of Awakening.

• Yan Fushou ordered the Strategy Group to cross-reference their routes and discoveries, and the members uncovered merchants, hidden passages, useful items, and alternate paths in Undead Burg.
• Lin Yi defeated the Taurus Demon, met Solaire of Astora, and received a White Sign Soapstone from him.
• Lin Yi escaped the dragon’s fire on the bridge, kicked down a ladder, and found that it led back to the Undead Burg bonfire.
• Jiang Qiu defeated the Bell Gargoyles and rang the first Bell of Awakening at the top of the bell tower.
• Jiang Qiu took an elevator down from the church and discovered that it returned her to Firelink Shrine and its bonfire.

Players on the Nine Provinces and Prison Rock forums shared strategies and reacted to Lu Xiu’s intricate, punishing instance, while Helag admitted she could not match Lu Xiu’s skill. After progressing to Anor Londo, Lu Xiu met Jian Li, who had reached Quelaag and was troubled by the sisters’ story.

• Nine Provinces players discussed the instance’s mechanics and lore, then united to share guides and hidden strategies they had discovered.
• Prison Rock players praised the instance’s elaborate design, while Helag returned from a death and confessed that Lu Xiu’s skill surpassed her own.
• Lu Xiu paused her second run at a bonfire in Anor Londo and left the instance to rest.
• Jian Li emerged from the instance and told Lu Xiu she had reached the bottom of Blighttown and met the Witch Quelaag of Chaos.
• Lu Xiu guessed that Jian Li was affected by Quelaag and her sister’s story, offered her ice cream, and Jian Li blushed.

Lu Xiu discussed the despairing Dark Souls instance with Shen Nian and Jian Li, then considered whether she could change its route during her second clear. Shen Nian leaned on Lu Xiu while taking a break, but sprang back into writing a strategy report when she heard a lock click in the corridor.

• Jian Li shared Lu Xiu's ice cream, and Shen Nian returned from the instance after reaching Blighttown.
• Lu Xiu, Shen Nian, and Jian Li discussed the oppressive atmosphere of Dark Souls, while Lu Xiu considered trying to persuade Solaire during her second clear.
• Shen Nian received a Strategy Group message and began writing an initial report on their progress; Jian Li went to the bathroom.
• Shen Nian rested her head on Lu Xiu's thighs and complained about the instance, then abruptly sat up and resumed writing when a lock clicked in the corridor.

Players from Nine Provinces and Prison Rock continued racing through the punishing SSS-rank dungeon, with Sen's Fortress and Anor Londo testing their resolve. Gallagher reached Anor Londo but fell to Ornstein and Smough, while Lu Xiu progressed to the Broken Sunlight Altar and encountered Solaire again.

• Jian Li and Shen Nian returned to the dungeon after reporting to the Strategy Group, and Lu Xiu soon entered to try to change the Sun Knight's fate.
• Cheng Xiu entered Sen's Fortress, died repeatedly to its traps and serpent enemies, and eventually sat beside the Onion Knight wondering aloud how he could die.
• Gallagher defeated the Iron Golem and was carried to Anor Londo, where the city's beauty briefly revived his confidence.
• Gallagher fought through Anor Londo's giant soldiers and elite monsters before Ornstein and Smough killed him in the royal hall.
• Lu Xiu's second clear reached the Broken Sunlight Altar, where she saw Solaire again.

Lu Xiu told Solaire that no sun remained to be found in Lordran, and helped him realize that the warmth he sought was already present in his kindness toward others. Renewed in purpose, Solaire praised the sun as Lu Xiu set off to save the world.

• Solaire told Lu Xiu he had searched Anor Londo and Blighttown without finding his sun, and asked where he should look next.
• Lu Xiu explained that Lordran's apparent lights and sacred places held no true sun, and that the world was decaying beyond recovery.
• Solaire questioned whether his pursuit had made him a blind fool, then realized he had never been seeking Gwyn or another deity but a warm radiance.
• Lu Xiu reminded Solaire that his summon signs and kindness had been a light to despairing Undead, and told him that he was the sun they needed.
• Solaire regained his resolve, raised his arms in his familiar gesture, and praised the sun as Lu Xiu departed to save the world.

As Lu Xiu continued through Lost Izalith, Solaire began intervening in boss fights across the dungeon, giving struggling players unexpected help. Lu Xiu confirmed Solaire had not fallen to the Sunlight Maggot, while Jian Li neared Gravelord Nito with only one Lord Soul left to collect.

• Cheng Xiu faced Executioner Smough and Dragon Slayer Ornstein until Solaire appeared inside the boss arena and blocked Smough’s hammer.
• Solaire drew Smough’s attention and urged Cheng Xiu to fight Ornstein, restoring Cheng Xiu’s resolve.
• Players across the dungeon reported that Solaire and other NPCs had entered boss fights without being summoned, while Yan Fushou failed to reach Lu Xiu for an explanation.
• Lu Xiu reached Solaire’s tunnel in Lost Izalith and confirmed he was absent because she had not killed the Red-Eyed Sunlight Maggot.
• Jian Li advanced through the Tomb of Giants toward Gravelord Nito, needing his Lord Soul to complete her set.

Lu Xiu completed her second Dark Souls clear and received the unpredictable Miracle: Variance and the powerful Lordvessel. After returning to reality, she learned that Solaire had begun breaking dungeon rules to help other players, suggesting her actions as Architect had changed their instances too.

• Lu Xiu cleared Dark Souls again, earned an SSS rating, and received Miracle: Variance, the Lordvessel, and attribute boosts.
• Lu Xiu tested Miracle: Variance in the safe Construction Space and gained one Strength for sixty seconds.
• Lu Xiu recognized that the Lordvessel could establish bonfire teleportation points and help the Coordination Bureau move Strategy Group members to the front lines.
• Lu Xiu left the Construction Space and received a message that Solaire had ignored fog gate rules to help players fight a boss.
• Lu Xiu realized her personal clear might have affected other players' instances and wondered whether Solaire had become a cheat code for Dark Souls.

Jian Li defeated Gwyn and chose to link the First Flame, clearing the Dark Souls instance and telling Yan Fushou that the ending offered two choices. In another instance, Jian Ning rejected the fire, chose the Age of Dark, and wondered whether the Architect would side with her bargain-bin little sister.

• Jian Li defeated Gwyn at the Kiln of the First Flame and chose to kindle the First Flame rather than let darkness descend.
• The system announced that Jian Li had cleared the Dark Souls instance, prompting players in the Nine Provinces and Prison Rock to react.
• Jian Li checked her settlement reward after returning to the Coordination Bureau, then told Yan Fushou that players could link the fire or turn away.
• Yan Fushou connected the instance’s choice to the Nine Provinces’ struggle to keep the world barely alive against monster attacks.
• Jian Ning reached the First Flame in another instance, turned away from it, and chose to become the Dark Lord.
• Jian Ning thought about the Architect and wondered whether she would stand with Jian Ning’s bargain-bin little sister.

After Jian Li cleared the Dark Souls instance, her reward brought back painful memories of her estrangement from her older sister, Jian Ning. Meanwhile, Lu Xiu learned the system had unlocked instance updates for the coming group battle and received Yan Fushou’s request to check on Jian Li.

• Jian Li showed Yan Fushou her Gravelord Sword Dance skill and Silver Knight Straight Sword, and explained that instance rewards might depend on a player’s combat style and choices.
• Yan Fushou asked Jian Li to write a guide, then told her that the Coordination Bureau’s negligence—not her actions as a sixteen-year-old—had caused the rift with Jian Ning.
• Jian Li returned to her apartment and relived memories of Jian Ning, including their argument over Jian Ning losing her Chosen skill and Jian Li refusing to use it.
• Lu Xiu saw that Finn of Prison Rock had also cleared Dark Souls, then received permission to add up to twenty percent new content to the instance for the upcoming group battle in exchange for battle merit when added enemies killed players.
• Yan Fushou messaged Lu Xiu and asked her to check on Jian Li, but gave no further explanation.

Lu Xiu visited Jian Li after Yan Fushou warned her that something was wrong and found her quietly grieving over Jian Ning. Lu Xiu reassured Jian Li that an unintended mistake would not end their friendship, leaving Jian Li to recognize that Lu Xiu was different from the person whose loss still haunted her.

• Lu Xiu sent Yan Fushou the Lordvessel, then left to visit Jian Li and planned to test the Placement Function later.
• Lu Xiu considered which Dark Souls III boss to add to her instance and settled on the idea of using Artorias.
• Lu Xiu found Jian Li sitting alone in distress and gently brought her inside to talk.
• Jian Li asked how Lu Xiu would react if she accidentally took away her strongest skill, and Lu Xiu said she would forgive her and remain her friend.
• Jian Li realized that Lu Xiu was not the person from her painful memory and slowly lowered her eyes.

Lu Xiu and Jian Li discussed the mysterious Ancient Lord Soul Shard before a system announcement and forum discoveries revealed extensive hidden content in the Dark Souls dungeon. Gallagher learned that his clear had missed major areas and was ordered to run the dungeon again.

• Lu Xiu helped Jian Li up, and Jian Li tried to dust off Lu Xiu's jeans, making Lu Xiu blush and pull away.
• Lu Xiu showed Jian Li the Ancient Lord Soul Shard, but neither could identify it.
• A system announcement reported that Gallagher of Prison Rock had cleared the Dark Souls dungeon, and Lu Xiu asked Jian Li about the Painted World and Artorias before Goddess Intervention muted her.
• Players posted newly discovered routes to the Northern Undead Asylum and hidden areas unlocked by the Peculiar Doll and Broken Pendant.
• Gallagher found the forum posts about the hidden content, received an order from Prison Rock's Imperial Chancellor to clear the dungeon again, and angrily cursed the Architect.

Prison Rock fell behind Nine Provinces in the Dark Souls speedrun after its leaders sent players into the punishing hidden maps, so the Imperial Chancellor ordered them to explore those areas as preparation for the coming group battle. In Nine Provinces, Jian Li agreed to scout the maps and left to visit Lu Xiu, while keeping her personal matter with Jian Ning separate from Lu Xiu.

• Players who rushed into the Painted World and Oolacile were repeatedly defeated, and the Coordination Bureau advised Nine Provinces players to focus on clearing the main dungeon first.
• Prison Rock’s Royal Court delayed its own main clears while pursuing the hidden maps, leaving Prison Rock behind Nine Provinces by 21:13 on the fourth day.
• The Imperial Chancellor accepted that Prison Rock had lost the speedrun and ordered its top players to explore the hidden maps and use them as a base in the group battle.
• Yan Fushou told Jian Li that Oolacile’s enemies were about five times stronger than those on the normal route and asked cleared players to learn the hidden areas before Prison Rock could exploit them.
• Yan Fushou asked whether Jian Li had told Lu Xiu about Jian Ning, and Jian Li said it was her own matter and did not concern Lu Xiu.
• Jian Li said Lu Xiu was in the Construction Space, then left to enter the dungeon from Lu Xiu’s place.