Chapter Summaries

Zhao Heng tried to escape the Resident Evil instance with Mia, but she turned on him and drove him to the brink of terror. The chapter revealed that every player in the instance was trapped in a separate copy of the Baker Estate, and ended with a forum post attacking Lu Xiu over the dungeon.

• Zhao Heng freed Mia from her cell and followed her to a sealed exit, where she collapsed and then disappeared while he searched another room.
• After Zhao Heng left the dungeon, he heard noises behind a locked door and found Mia crawling up the basement stairs before she attacked him.
• Mia stabbed and threw Zhao Heng through a wall, then approached him with a knife as his fear brought back memories of his earlier cowardice.
• The view revealed countless identical Baker Estates across the swamp, where all the players in the Resident Evil instance were suffering through different stages of the ordeal.
• A forum post appeared accusing Lu Xiu of making an instance that was impossible to play.

Players flooded the forums with furious reports after struggling and dying in Lu Xiu’s original S-rank horror dungeon, Resident Evil, until Zhao Heng warned them not to enter. The next morning, Lu Xiu woke to more than a thousand insulting emails, while Director Yan Fushou learned that two people from the Strategy Group had failed to clear the dungeon.

• Players posted accounts of Resident Evil’s frightening exploration and punishing encounters, with many dying to Mia.
• Forum users questioned Zhao Heng about his earlier claim that the dungeon was easy, and he warned them not to go because it held only blood and death.
• Lu Xiu woke to a flood of insulting emails from players who blamed her for the dungeon’s difficulty.
• At the Coordination Bureau, Yan Fushou questioned two people after learning they had failed to clear the original S-rank dungeon.

Yan Fushou learned that top players had failed to clear the original S-rank civilian dungeon [Resident Evil] and realized its creator was unusually capable. Jian Li entered the dungeon immediately after reading forum posts, while Yan Fushou turned back to the Strategy Group’s other priorities.

• Yan Fushou heard Wei Yidong and his companion explain how they had failed to clear [Resident Evil], and learned that Zhao Heng had also been unable to clear it.
• Yan Fushou recognized [Resident Evil] as an original, exceptionally difficult S-rank civilian dungeon and ordered Wei Yidong to fetch Jian Li.
• Jian Li arrived, refused Yan Fushou’s request at first, then read a popular forum post about [Resident Evil] and decided to enter it.
• Jian Li paid the survival points and entered the instance within seconds, leaving Yan Fushou to reflect on her impulsiveness.
• Yan Fushou considered searching for the dungeon’s creator but postponed it to focus on the Strategy Group’s other urgent work.

Players on the forum learned that clearing Lu Xiu’s [Resident Evil] instance could yield an S-rank survival item and skill, overturning their assumptions about its rewards. The revelation sparked a rush of interest in attempting the dungeon despite its brutal difficulty.

• Forum users discussed the [Resident Evil] instance’s difficulty, mocked Lu Xiu, and speculated about its rewards while noting Brother Heng had not returned.
• An unfamiliar player posted an S-rank Hand Sanitizer for sale at 5,000 Survival Points, drawing offers from scouts and top players.
• The seller revealed that the Hand Sanitizer came from clearing the [Resident Evil] instance and advised players to stay calm, observe carefully, and endure.
• The seller posted the S-rank skill Ordinary Person's Courage, which reduced pain and temporarily converted Mental into Agility and Strength in dire situations.
• Players reacted with disbelief at the rewards, and the arrival of a second successful clear made many eager to attempt the instance.

Yan Fushou faced growing pressure to find dungeons that could strengthen frontline soldiers as monsters grew stronger. At a tense meeting, Li Bao ordered the Strategy Group to search again and proposed temporary measures to keep the front line from collapsing.

• Yan Fushou reviewed dungeon reports and found that top-tier dungeons were stalled while low-level dungeons offered insufficient rewards for frontline soldiers.
• A frontline military representative told Yan Fushou and the other officials that monsters had grown stronger again, with new types and elite resistance skills appearing.
• Department directors argued over whether top players should be stationed permanently at the front or more soldiers should be recruited, but the military representative said the real shortage was reliable dungeons that could strengthen soldiers.
• Li Bao ordered Yan Fushou to send Jian Li, Cheng Xiu, Fan Lixing, and others into [Island] again and to rescreen A- and B-rated system dungeons.
• Li Bao outlined temporary plans involving dungeon rotations, Strategy Group support at the front, and an expanded reserve army, while insisting that the front line must not fall.
• Back in his office, Yan Fushou worried that the growing monster threat could eventually overwhelm the country, then a white light appeared and a silver-haired figure arrived before his desk.

Jian Li told Yan Fushou that the [Resident Evil] instance was difficult but enjoyable, and its S-rank rewards prompted the Coordination Bureau and military to urgently seek its Architect and plan to deploy the instance. Unaware of the uproar surrounding her dungeon, Lu Xiu read a player’s grateful email and realized her rewards had given someone hope for the future.

• Jian Li described the [Resident Evil] instance as oppressive and challenging, but also fun, and showed Yan Fushou its powerful S-rank item, skill, and attribute rewards.
• Yan Fushou saw that news of the rewards had spread across the forum and rushed to convene another meeting with Coordination Bureau leaders and a front-line military representative.
• Li Bao ordered searches for the Architect and risk assessments of gray-area groups, while Yan Fushou arranged to put the rewards to use and have front-line soldiers test the instance.
• The officials agreed that finding the Architect was urgent and that the instance could help the front lines, though its creator remained unidentified.
• Lu Xiu, unaware that officials and other groups were searching for her, read an email from a player who thanked her dungeon for giving him hope and a chance to change his life.

After reviewing her attributes and skills, Lu Xiu decided to try learning close combat, then went out to buy groceries and see more of the world she now lived in. As she passed a residential complex, someone called her by a familiar name.

• Lu Xiu checked her attribute panel and saw that clearing the Resident Evil instance had raised her Strength and Agility, while her Mental Power remained her strongest attribute.
• Lu Xiu considered whether to fight at range or in close combat and decided to try close combat to make use of Atypical Courage and overcome her discomfort.
• Lu Xiu changed clothes and left her apartment to buy groceries and explore the neighborhood.
• Lu Xiu walked through a quiet street, observing its shops, holographic advertisements, and residents.
• A voice behind Lu Xiu called out, asking whether she was A-Xiu or Xiu Xiu.

Lu Xiu accompanied Grandma Wang to the State-Run Store and learned that the [Resident Evil] dungeon had drawn intense attention from the authorities and private Construction Clubs. After checking the forum and seeing people seek its Architect, Lu Xiu decided to create another dungeon so she could gain ways to protect herself.

• Lu Xiu ran into Grandma Wang, who gave her Survival Point Vouchers and invited her to the State-Run Store.
• As they walked, Grandma Wang told Lu Xiu that her son Wang Baosheng had joined an Architect Association and was investigating the [Resident Evil] dungeon.
• Lu Xiu and Grandma Wang bought supplies at the State-Run Store, and Grandma Wang urged Lu Xiu to come to her if she ever needed help.
• After returning home, Lu Xiu opened the forum and found that the Coordination Bureau and private Construction Clubs were seeking the Architect of [Resident Evil].
• Lu Xiu saw that the dungeon's rewards had caused a sensation and decided to start making another dungeon to gain stronger ways to protect herself.

Yan Fushou and Li Shengkai struggled to find Lu Xiu while coordinating a trial run of [Resident Evil] for frontline soldiers. Han Xiao cleared the dungeon and urged the Coordination Bureau to improve its guide and send more soldiers in, since its rewards could save lives.

• Li Shengkai told Yan Fushou that the Coordination Bureau could not identify or contact Lu Xiu, while Jian Li offered to search for her in Chen Capital.
• Yan Fushou ordered action against the Jianqu Construction Group and warned major guilds not to interfere with the Coordination Bureau’s work.
• Han Xiao and fourteen soldiers entered [Resident Evil] to test its difficulty and potential benefits for the front line.
• Several soldiers died and returned from the dungeon within an hour, while Han Xiao remained inside for more than five hours.
• Han Xiao cleared [Resident Evil] and told Yan Fushou that its restrictive mechanics and vague guide made it frustrating for soldiers.
• Han Xiao praised the dungeon’s life-saving rewards and asked Yan Fushou to arrange a better guide, send in more soldiers, and thank Lu Xiu on the frontline soldiers’ behalf.

Wang Baosheng learned that the Coordination Bureau was hunting the Architect behind [Resident Evil] and received an internal bounty to identify her, unaware that his mother’s former neighbor Lu Xiu was the person they sought. Meanwhile, Lu Xiu created her second instance, based on Sekiro and titled [Loser's Obsession].

• Wang Baosheng reassured Grandma Wang that his Architect club’s work was legal, while she urged him to follow the law and asked him to find Lu Xiu a job.
• Grandma Wang told Wang Baosheng she had met Lu Xiu, their former neighbor, and felt sorry that she was living alone.
• Wang Baosheng wondered if Lu Xiu might be the Architect behind [Resident Evil], but dismissed the idea as an unlikely coincidence.
• Wang Baosheng received a club message warning that the Coordination Bureau had caught members and offering fifty thousand Survival Points for confirming Lu Xiu’s identity.
• Lu Xiu submitted her second instance, [Loser's Obsession], and entered Sekiro as its game name.

Lu Xiu built a Sekiro-based instance dungeon to train in sword combat and entered a test fight against the Samurai General. Her first clash showed that game knowledge could not make up for her lack of real fighting skill, leaving her nearly knocked down by one blow.

• Lu Xiu chose Sekiro as the basis for her second instance dungeon because its direct, aggressive sword combat matched her training goals.
• She constructed a snowy battlefield, the Samurai General, and Wolf, then configured the scenario’s attributes and systems.
• Lu Xiu activated roleplay mode, took Wolf’s avatar and Kusabimaru, and approached the Samurai General confidently.
• The Samurai General charged and struck her blade with a heavy blow, nearly knocking Lu Xiu down.
• Lu Xiu shouted for the fight to stop after realizing how different real combat felt from a game.

Lu Xiu repeatedly restarted her Sekiro-based dungeon to learn how to fight the Samurai General, gradually mastering blade deflections and attempting to counter his attacks. She left still struggling with the thrust counter, but her game-based approach was letting her learn techniques that could eventually work outside the dungeon.

• Lu Xiu restarted the fight after the Samurai General’s heavy slash overwhelmed her, then tried to use her memories of the game to deflect his attacks.
• Lu Xiu successfully angled her sword to redirect a downward slash, but the Samurai General followed with a jumping slash and forced another restart.
• Lu Xiu repeatedly practiced against the Samurai General, adjusting her tactics to handle his dodges, sweeps, delayed attacks, and rapid combos.
• Lu Xiu stubbornly attempted to counter the Samurai General’s thrust by stomping on his blade, though she could not get the timing right.
• Lu Xiu’s repeated practice brought her closer to consistently performing blade deflections and Mikiri Counters, techniques that her improving attributes could eventually make possible outside the dungeon.

Lu Xiu finally defeated the Samurai General after hours of practice in the Visual Mindscape, mastering deflections and Mikiri Counters. Back in the white space, she realized clearing all of Sekiro for dungeon verification would be exhausting and began considering ways to cheat.

• Lu Xiu repeatedly challenged the Samurai General, gradually improving her deflections, dodges, and Mikiri Counters.
• Lu Xiu broke the Samurai General's posture and landed a deathblow, but he revived and attacked with his second health bar.
• Lu Xiu continued retrying until she countered the General's thrust and defeated him with a throat-stabbing deathblow.
• The Visual Mindscape ended because Lu Xiu had cleared the mini-boss, and she celebrated her victory after four hours of fighting.
• Lu Xiu worried about having to clear every Sekiro encounter in succession to verify the dungeon and considered creating an author's passage to skip difficult parts.

Lu Xiu planned how to adapt Sekiro’s skills, tools, and stealth shortcuts for her dungeon while keeping direct combat central to her training. She tested the Chained Ogre encounter, died to its kick, and spent the following week fighting a series of mini-bosses to sharpen her reactions and timing.

• Lu Xiu decided to reserve Prosthetic Arts and Shinobi Executions as backup strategies while prioritizing swordplay and practical combat skills.
• Lu Xiu reviewed Sekiro’s skill schools and planned system assistance for combat arts, Spirit Emblem costs, and changes to items that relied on New Game Plus.
• Lu Xiu devised a stealth route to assassinate one of the Chained Ogre’s health bars and use the Flame Vent to exploit its weakness to fire.
• Lu Xiu built the Tiger’s Mouth Stairway and successfully performed a Shinobi Execution on the Chained Ogre, but its kick sent her falling off a cliff and killed her.
• Lu Xiu restarted the fight and practiced direct combat, then spent a week battling mini-bosses including the Blazing Bull, Seven Spears, Armored Warrior, Jinsuke Saze, and Moon-Hidden Headless.

Yan Fushou learned that a Builder Level 15 function called “Hall” might make original dungeons decisive, while Longsword Guild players struggled with [Resident Evil]. The guild decided not to seek out the dungeon’s Builder, leaving Zhao Heng to keep working on it.

• Yan Fushou heard Wei Yidong blame [Resident Evil]’s atmosphere and mechanics for his failure, then considered how slowly the Strategy Group was assembling a guide.
• Li Shengkai told Yan Fushou that the Spirit Pivot Construction Group leader had reached Builder Level 15 and unlocked a powerful function called “Hall,” which might favor original dungeons.
• Zhang Fenghua emerged from [Resident Evil] and found other Longsword Guild strategists complaining about the dungeon’s enemies, puzzles, and pressure.
• Zhang Fenghua learned that Zhao Heng had cleared the dungeon but would not return, and that the guild boss had decided against seeking out its Builder after pressure from the Coordination Bureau.
• Zhang Fenghua accepted the decision and told the others to contact Zhao Heng so he could continue working on the dungeon.

The leaders of the Construction Clubs met to discuss Lu Xiu, the Architect behind Resident Evil, and agreed that they could not let the Coordination Bureau or a guild recruit her. They planned to search their old instance records for traces of her player ID.

• Players and guilds struggled to clear Resident Evil and flooded the forum with requests for guides and speculation about Lu Xiu.
• Six Construction Club leaders met in a private Bell Tower space and argued over whether Lu Xiu might belong to one of their clubs.
• The leader explained that Lu Xiu’s original S-rank instance threatened the clubs’ former monopoly and could bring its Architect major rewards.
• The club leaders agreed they needed to find Lu Xiu before the Coordination Bureau or a guild did.
• The leader proposed searching backend records from their civilian-made instances, where Lu Xiu might have left her numerical ID.

After days of training against mini-bosses, Lu Xiu challenged Gentle Blade Emma and defeated her by reading her attacks and landing a precise Mikiri Counter. Emma reappeared, and Lu Xiu wondered whether she could learn the Boss’s distinctive sword techniques.

• Lu Xiu adapted to successive mini-bosses and decided she was ready to challenge a rare elite.
• Lu Xiu chose Gentle Blade Emma and opened their duel by throwing a Loaded Shuriken.
• Lu Xiu deflected Emma’s Cross Iai Slash and traded attacks with her through a flurry of swift sword strikes and throws.
• Lu Xiu recognized Emma’s thrust and pinned her blade with a Mikiri Counter, breaking her posture and delivering a Deathblow.
• After Emma reappeared, Lu Xiu considered learning her moves because she knew Emma’s attack patterns from studying Sekiro.

Lu Xiu struggled to learn Emma’s moves, then tested what she had learned with a sword in her living room and discovered that reality lacked the attributes and skills to support her dungeon techniques. Meanwhile, Wang Baosheng received an urgent order requiring builders to submit raw access lists for all their personal dungeons, leaving him wondering what had prompted the demand.

• Lu Xiu repeatedly fought Emma in Acting Mode to learn her techniques but managed to learn less than twenty percent before leaving the construction space.
• Lu Xiu bought an ordinary sword and successfully performed a move she had learned in the dungeon, though she found her real-world speed and strength lacking.
• Lu Xiu tried to imitate Emma’s attacks and a shuffle step, lost her balance, hit her head on a wall, and decided to wait for rewards from clearing the [Sekiro] dungeon.
• Wang Baosheng saw an urgent notice ordering all builders to suspend their projects and submit unfiltered access lists for every personal dungeon within one week.
• Wang Baosheng questioned the administrator about the request, but the administrator provided only data extraction instructions and no explanation.

After killing Emma 72 times, Lu Xiu learned the fundamentals of combat and defeated Genichiro Ashina twice without taking damage. Genichiro entered his lightning-wielding third phase and killed her, leaving Lu Xiu annoyed but confident she would soon overcome him.

• Lu Xiu repeatedly fought Emma, learned to control distance and timing, and defeated her with a flowing series of sword strikes.
• Lu Xiu challenged Genichiro Ashina and deflected his Floating Passage attack before landing a Deathblow that ended his first life.
• Lu Xiu countered Genichiro’s second-phase attacks and defeated him again, realizing her repeated practice had taught her the essence of combat.
• Genichiro entered his Way of Tomoe phase and attacked Lu Xiu with lightning, killing her.
• Lu Xiu complained that Genichiro had broken the rules of their sword duel, then decided to fight him again and learn Floating Passage.

Lu Xiu defeated nearly every rare powerhouse in Sekiro, but the Demon of Hatred exhausted her so badly that she postponed challenging Sword Saint Isshin Ashina. She restarted from the beginning to inspect the game’s systems and dungeon route, then confronted the Samurai General who had once taken her four hours to beat.

• Lu Xiu defeated the rare powerhouses across Ashina, including the aged Isshin Ashina, the Guardian Ape, Great Shinobi Owl, and Demon of Hatred, but the final fight left her drained.
• Lu Xiu decided to take a break from the hardest bosses and inspect the instance’s systems and progression before challenging Sword Saint Isshin Ashina.
• Lu Xiu entered the construction space at the beginning of Sekiro’s story, woke in the Dilapidated Temple, and spoke with the Sculptor.
• Lu Xiu checked the tutorial and route, then silently cleared soldiers using stealth and Deathblows.
• Lu Xiu reached the Samurai General, who had once taken her four hours to defeat, and asked whether she looked like she used to.