Chapter Summaries

Drunkard, Meteor, and Cang Wu discovered that dozens of enormous Contaminants were dormant beneath the ruined Abyss Mother Nest, and Meteor decided they should try to kill it again. In Guangnan Quarantine Zone, an assistant asked Pei Xianjue whether the preliminary report on the refugee riot needed revisions.

• Drunkard, Meteor, and Cang Wu inspected the ruined Abyss Mother Nest and found signs of the battle that had destroyed it.
• Cang Wu entered the water and discovered that dozens of huge Contaminants were still alive but dormant.
• Drunkard tested whether small Contaminants would approach an Administrator, and Meteor explained that they seemed to avoid Administrators.
• Meteor proposed that the three of them and the Maze try once more to kill the Abyss Mother Nest.
• An assistant read Pei Xianjue a preliminary report about the refugee riot in Guangnan Quarantine Zone and asked whether it needed revisions.

Pei Xianjue worried about the political consequences of the Inpatient Department crisis and went to oversee the interrogation of Pashan. Ling Feiran was appointed Head Nurse and arranged for Pashan to meet his mother, whose furious reaction began the confrontation.

• Pei Xianjue rejected any mention of the Inpatient Department in the public report and explained to Huangfu Miaomiao that the deaths of volunteer medical staff would have endangered her leadership and ambitions.
• Pei Xianjue met the nurses who helped stop the crisis and offered Ling Feiran the position of Head Nurse.
• Bao Changzhi told Pei Xianjue that Pashan had transformed into the Hundred-Armed Giant during the riot and was suspected of involvement in Wen Yi's death.
• Ling Feiran asked Pei Xianjue to let Pashan meet his mother, Yalana, who had become Ling Feiran's believer.
• Yalana entered the interrogation room, saw her cuffed son, and slapped him while accusing him of killing someone.

After Pashan was captured for his role in the Quarantine Zone riot, investigators learned that the Xenomorph Amir had manipulated him and preyed on suicidal patients. Ling Feiran uncovered the tragedy behind Wen Yi’s death and resolved to keep living.

• Yalana scolded and embraced Pashan during his interrogation, while he denied killing a nurse and said she had been pregnant and suicidal.
• Baozi told Pei Xianjue that Pashan had used the Hundred-Armed Giant's ability to destroy vehicles before being captured alive.
• Ling Feiran identified Amir’s recovered objects as trophies and explained that he used music to drive traumatized people into despair.
• The Inspector reported that the nurses’ deaths had been ruled suicides, and Pei Xianjue proposed sending Pashan to the Construction Site for labor reform.
• Ling Feiran read Wen Yi’s diary and learned that she had lost her family in an accident and had been pregnant when she died.
• Ling Feiran remembered that Feng Ling’s Card had saved her and resolved never to seek death again.

As Feng Ling searched for the Abyss Mother Nest and a way to advance her Abyss Form, she warned Huangfu Miaomiao that the Star Society's Bishop might be reborn in Meteor's body. Pei Xianjue agreed to arrange a Crystal Coffin for Miaomiao, but an urgent call left her visibly shaken.

• Pei Xianjue handled refugee resettlement and flooding while Huangfu Miaomiao spoke with Feng Ling and Ye Zheng by video call.
• Feng Ling and Ye Zheng told Huangfu Miaomiao that Feng Ling had sensed the Abyss Labyrinth and was searching for it by plane with Kite.
• Feng Ling warned Huangfu Miaomiao that Short-legged Sheep might be reborn in Meteor's body if she died again, and that Feng Ling might encounter Meteor during her search.
• Feng Ling proposed placing Huangfu Miaomiao in the Crystal Coffin to suspend her injuries and possibly make the system treat her body as an invalid Reincarnation Vessel.
• Pei Xianjue offered to contact Huang Yi and arrange transport of the Crystal Coffin, then dropped her documents after answering a call.

Pei Xianjue learned that anomalous weather suggested Mazes were merging with reality, while Feng Ling and Ye Zheng cleared Contaminants from an abandoned farm. After Green Weasel revealed it was too late to remove the creatures fused into Ye Zheng, the two turned to burning a granary full of Monsters.

• Pei Xianjue told Feng Ling and Ye Zheng that satellite observations had detected abnormal thunderstorms that might be caused by a Maze merging with reality.
• Feng Ling provoked Ye Zheng into venting her anger by fighting Contaminants at an abandoned farm, where Ye Zheng killed Bat Monsters and Feng Ling watched.
• Feng Ling read Green Weasel's message, “Too late,” and understood that the creatures fused into Ye Zheng's genes could not be removed.
• Ye Zheng found a discarded gun and suspected a recent Cleansing Operation had failed at the farm.
• Feng Ling pointed out Monsters hiding in a granary, then she and Ye Zheng set it on fire to kill them.

Feng Ling stayed overnight at an abandoned farm as Huang Yi’s team withdrew and the Quarantine Zone faced growing threats. After helping local forces clear Contaminants, she continued toward the source of her unsettling sensations, leaving Port Boltz aboard Kite.

• Feng Ling learned that Huang Yi’s team had been ordered to withdraw because suspected Mazes had been detected and reinforcements were needed at home.
• Feng Ling sensed a troubling tug again and discussed advancing into Abyss Form with Ye Zheng, while Green Weasel slept through her questions.
• Kite arrived at dawn with Cat Spider and Big Worm, and local officials offered Feng Ling gifts and asked for help clearing Contaminants.
• Feng Ling used her pressure to immobilize the Contaminants so her Human-faced Crows and Cat Spider could feed on them.
• Huang Yi told Feng Ling she would have to travel the rest of the way alone, and Kite carried Feng Ling and her companions out over the sea.

Pei Xianjue weighed whether to suspend the Iron Curtain Project as two Mazes threatened to spread pollution, then ordered construction to continue alongside evacuations and combat preparations. Back at her residence, Huangfu Miaomiao offered to use her All-Seeing Eye to help review the combat team roster.

• Inspectors collected data from designated points, and the Research Institute used it to predict pollution spreading from two Mazes within two weeks.
• Department heads debated bombardment, patrols, combat teams, worker safety, and whether to continue the Iron Curtain Project.
• Pei Xianjue learned the project needed at least thirty-seven days to complete and decided to push it forward while evacuating people without Cards and forming combat teams.
• The Quarantine Zone issued an emergency notice, and sirens and phone alerts spread panic among residents.
• Pei Xianjue returned home and reviewed the proposed combat team roster, while Huangfu Miaomiao offered to use her All-Seeing Eye to help.

Huangfu Miaomiao agreed to help investigate the spreading pollution, and Pei Xianjue joined the expedition despite her fears. In Mogu Country, the team entered a mysterious fog that the Parrot believed came from a newly opened Maze, and Huangfu Miaomiao spotted a weakness above Pei Xianjue.

• Huangfu Miaomiao agreed to delay using the Crystal Coffin and help Pei Xianjue investigate, while Pei Xianjue promised to accompany her.
• Pei Xianjue organized two reconnaissance teams to search Langlabang Forest and Beiya Mountain for pollution leaks.
• The Research Institute reported rapidly spreading fog in Mogu, and the Parrot told Pei Xianjue that it likely came from a Maze trial only Players could clear.
• Pei Xianjue led Huangfu Miaomiao and the expedition convoy into Mogu Country, where they reached the fog after several hours on the road.
• Huangfu Miaomiao used the All-Seeing Eye and pointed out “Weakness +1” above Pei Xianjue.

Huangfu Miaomiao and Pei Xianjue investigated the foggy contaminated area, where a weakness effect steadily drained people’s strength. After the team discovered that holy light and fire could repel a Soul Eater, Pei Xianjue ordered them back to the Quarantine Zone to revise their plans before entering the Maze.

• Huangfu Miaomiao found that the fog inflicted increasing weakness, but Pei Xianjue and the others initially felt no effects.
• Pei Xianjue led the team on foot through the fog, where they found a mutated deer weakened by the contamination.
• Huangfu Miaomiao observed that an Exorcist Knight’s Holy Light Technique reduced weakness and dispersed the fog, though its energy would last only about twenty minutes while protecting everyone.
• A Soul Eater attacked the deer, and Pei Xianjue drove it away with fire after the holy light revealed its fear of light.
• Pei Xianjue ordered the team to return to the Quarantine Zone and revise its configuration before launching an expedition into the Maze.

Pei Xianjue’s team returned from the fog and discovered that Mountain Lice from another Maze had altered the road. Huangfu Miaomiao confirmed the creatures were unrelated to the fog’s monsters, leaving Pei Xianjue to prepare for the danger of two Mazes nearby.

• Pei Xianjue led the team out of the fog, where two Soul Eaters stopped following them.
• Wang Xunmei discussed how fog made exploring and fighting difficult, while Huangfu Miaomiao offered to use her Card Skill to search the Maze for clues.
• Dove insisted she had not lost her way, and Pei Xianjue suspected that part of the Maze might have merged with reality.
• The team found a Mountain Louse whose group had built tower-like structures that changed the appearance of the road.
• Huangfu Miaomiao examined the Mountain Louse’s memories and confirmed it came from another Maze, prompting Pei Xianjue to worry about the two Mazes being close together.

Feng Ling and Ye Zheng reached Baniga, where they learned more about the spreading Maze contamination and discussed the coming game restart. After traveling onward, Feng Ling sensed a Maze nearby and wondered whether it was hers.

• Feng Ling rested with Ye Zheng and their companions on an uninhabited Baniga island after four days of flight.
• Feng Ling and Ye Zheng discussed the frequent Maze openings, Meteor, and the approaching game restart, and Feng Ling resolved to become the strongest game Boss.
• Baniga officials welcomed Feng Ling, gave her intelligence about neighboring countries, and arranged a ship for her group.
• Feng Ling and her companions crossed the sea and reached a country whose residents were fleeing despite contamination affecting only a small area.
• Feng Ling sensed that a Maze was close and examined Baniga's footage, but she was unsure whether it was hers.

Feng Ling and Ye Zheng traveled to a city overrun by parasitic Monsters to investigate how they infected people. After Feng Ling killed a Monster imitating Little Third Child, the surrounding Contaminants turned toward her and questioned her in unison.

• Feng Ling and Ye Zheng reviewed footage of Monsters mimicking terrified expressions and discussed the unknown way they parasitized hosts.
• Feng Ling set off on Kite with Ye Zheng and their companions, following the Abyss Labyrinth's pull toward the contaminated area.
• After three days of travel, Feng Ling and Ye Zheng reached a city where Red Dots crowded the streets and signs of an ineffective military quarantine remained.
• Feng Ling landed near an industrial park with Third Child and the little sheep to observe the motionless Contaminants.
• When a Contaminant began imitating Little Third Child, Feng Ling cut it in half and saw tentacles wriggling from its wound.
• The nearby Contaminants and the severed corpse turned toward Feng Ling and repeatedly asked in unison why she had killed them, frightening her.

Feng Ling and Ye Zheng investigated the Parasite Humans in an industrial park and discovered that the creatures could survive dismemberment and imitate people. They left the threat unresolved as the Parasite Humans began copying Ye Zheng.

• Feng Ling killed the Parasite Humans in the industrial park, and she and Ye Zheng found that large corpse pieces remained alive while smaller pieces died.
• Feng Ling removed and cut apart the Parasite Humans' organs, causing their tendrils to wither, but Green Weasel could not identify the creatures.
• Feng Ling and Ye Zheng found dozens of Parasite Humans in a marigold field, where the creatures tracked Feng Ling with their eyes.
• The Parasite Humans imitated Feng Ling, so she cut them apart despite Ye Zheng's warning to investigate their parasitic mechanism.
• Ye Zheng discovered that the Parasite Humans' tangled tendrils let them fuse and heal unless their organs were destroyed, then crushed one as it began to imitate her.

Feng Ling and Ye Zheng entered the city center to investigate the Parasite Humans and the Maze’s possible Boss. After Feng Ling attacked the creatures, they claimed their human hosts were still alive within them, and the chapter ended as the child Parasite Human’s tendrils surged toward her.

• Feng Ling and Ye Zheng flew toward the city center, where they found plants flourishing abnormally and Parasite Humans standing motionless along the roads.
• Feng Ling attacked the Parasite Humans after they began imitating her and Ye Zheng, despite Ye Zheng urging caution.
• The Parasite Humans asked why Feng Ling was killing them and insisted they wanted to live.
• Feng Ling killed a child Parasite Human, but it claimed the people they had parasitized had become part of them and were not dead.
• Ye Zheng warned Feng Ling as the child’s tendrils surged, and Feng Ling jumped back and hurled a car at it.

Feng Ling and Ye Zheng struggled to understand the Maze’s Parasite Humans and searched for clues about its Labyrinth Master. Green Weasel’s research into the spring goddess Inanna gave Feng Ling a new theory, and she ordered Great Kite to fly onward toward an unknown destination.

• Feng Ling destroyed the child in the car with a Grenade, then silenced the Parasite Humans’ chorus by blasting the nearby hosts with more Grenades.
• Feng Ling and Ye Zheng discussed whether the Labyrinth Master could be spread across countless Parasite Humans and decided to retreat rather than risk killing them all.
• Feng Ling, Ye Zheng, Green Weasel, and Third Child returned to the golf course, where Great Kite carried them away; Feng Ling noticed she could no longer sense the Abyss calling.
• Green Weasel showed Feng Ling and Ye Zheng its research identifying Inanna as the possible God of Spring and Life, whose Maze might follow the seasonal myth of her descent into the underworld.
• Feng Ling theorized that the Labyrinth Master might not be in the current area and ordered Great Kite to fly forward, promising to explain her destination later.

Feng Ling and Ye Zheng found an entrance to the Maze and investigated its dense forest by bombing it and scouting with a Human-faced Crow. Feng Ling discovered that the Labyrinth Boss’s roots connected the living things throughout the forest, but lost her link to the crow and realized the creature was very similar to her.

• Feng Ling recognized the Maze entrance by the increasingly lush vegetation and flew through its boundary with Ye Zheng.
• Feng Ling bombarded the forest with Grenades and a Rocket Launcher, then observed that the Red Dots showed no response to the explosions.
• Feng Ling sent a Human-faced Crow into the forest, where it found an organ-like object wrapped in roots that connected to the plants and soil.
• Feng Ling inferred that the roots came from the Labyrinth Boss and could lead her to it, but the mental link to the crow was severed.
• Feng Ling told Ye Zheng that the Labyrinth Boss resembled her in absorbing flesh-and-blood energy, controlling clones, regenerating, and existing everywhere.

Feng Ling and Ye Zheng found the missing Human-faced Crow fused with an organ and escaped the encroaching tentacles on Kite. Feng Ling sacrificed half her palm to test the creatures, which began growing a grotesque copy of her, and she left it to develop so they could observe the Labyrinth Boss's abilities.

• Feng Ling and Ye Zheng searched the woods and found the Human-faced Crow trapped in tentacles and fused with an organ.
• Feng Ling tore the organ free and smashed it, while Ye Zheng warned her about the tentacles closing in around them.
• Feng Ling summoned Kite, and she and Ye Zheng climbed away from the tentacles.
• Feng Ling cut off half her palm and watched the tentacles surge toward the blood and use it to grow a copy of her.
• Ye Zheng urged Feng Ling to destroy the growing creature, but Feng Ling chose to keep watching, while Green Weasel displayed a note about life creation.

Feng Ling burned part of the Maze to drive its moving Red Dots into the open, then killed a giant lizard. When Green Weasel identified its Card as a Siamese Crocodile, Feng Ling realized someone had deliberately fed Cards to a creature that did not belong in the Maze.

• Feng Ling and Ye Zheng decided to burn the Maze's fleshy growths, and Ye Zheng crushed a malformed creature resembling Feng Ling.
• Green Weasel supplied gasoline, and Feng Ling used the Great Kite to set the forest ablaze.
• Feng Ling spotted three lizard-like creatures fleeing the fire; two disappeared before she caught and killed the last one.
• Ye Zheng warned Feng Ling that the lizard was not the Labyrinth Master, and Green Weasel identified its Silver Card as an Intermediate Card for a Siamese Crocodile.
• Feng Ling concluded that the lizard did not belong in the Maze and that someone had deliberately fed it Cards.

Feng Ling and Ye Zheng suspected that the lizards had been given Cards from the Hive Labyrinth and pursued them after leaving the God of Spring and Life's Labyrinth. Feng Ling was struck by the Hive's mental pain while attacking a lizard, and Ye Zheng killed it as Feng Ling struggled to regain control.

• Feng Ling suspected the lizard's Siamese Crocodile Card came from the Hive Labyrinth and that someone had deliberately fed it the Card.
• Feng Ling and Ye Zheng returned to the real world on Great Kite and spotted many Contaminants ahead that Feng Ling suspected had escaped from the Hive Labyrinth.
• Feng Ling and Ye Zheng chased and attacked the two lizards, using their powers to stop them from fleeing.
• The Hive's lingering mental pain froze Feng Ling as she attacked, so Ye Zheng killed the lizard herself.
• Feng Ling recovered and told Ye Zheng that she had sensed the Abyss Labyrinth more strongly than before.

Feng Ling and Ye Zheng rested after Feng Ling froze during a fight with a lizard, then considered how to deal with the remaining Contaminants and prepare for her advancement. Green Weasel proposed that Feng Ling's inability to harm certain creatures came from inherited genes, and encouraged her to overcome the restriction through willpower.

• Feng Ling and Ye Zheng decided to rest rather than pursue the distant Contaminants, while their creatures ate the two dead lizards.
• Feng Ling proposed hatching Akash, Lord of the Sand Throat, from her final egg, but Ye Zheng warned that hatching it could leave her vulnerable to Meteor.
• Ye Zheng suggested waiting for a lone lizard, and Feng Ling argued that she could still move and use Mental Intimidation despite her earlier freeze.
• Ye Zheng gave Feng Ling the analysis Green Weasel had typed, which theorized that the old Hive's genes prevented her from harming its Contaminants.
• Feng Ling wondered whether willpower could overcome the restriction, and Green Weasel assured her that she could.