Xie De

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Xie De (谢德)
Alias(es)	39; Mr. 39; Player 39; Viscount Scheid; Lord Scheid 5 20 111 153
Species/Race	Originally human; later becomes a high-ranking Instance NPC 1 186
Gender	Male
Age	27 at the beginning of the story 1
Affiliation	Instance Faction; Supreme Council 187 337
Occupation/Role	Instance player and mission operative; later high-ranking NPC, domain owner, and co-founder of the Supreme Council 5 54 169 186 337
Partner	Wei Yanchi; their relationship is publicly confirmed in Chapter 307 307
System	455, a discarded system he names himself 1
Status	Alive; working internationally to establish the Supreme Council 340
First Appearance	Chapter 1, “Cannon fodder and a good-for-nothing” 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
System-assisted preparation	1 12 14	Partners with 455 and undergoes three months of preparation. Its makeover gives him an intimidating appearance that helps prevent veterans from treating him as expendable.
Instance player — Player 39	5 19	Survives his first Instance with 455’s guidance and allies. Clearing it earns firearms, ammunition, and two ghost-blocking Door God Talismans.
Instance collaborator	50 84	Takes real-world assignments connected to the Instance system. By Chapter 84, 730 confirms their ongoing partnership and warns that later missions will be harder.
Mechanical right-hand enhancement	140 141	After Belial crushes his right hand, Anbers replaces it with a lifelike prosthetic that restores touch and provides exceptional strength and precision.
Personal spacetime domain	144 169	Receives a special spacetime reward after the historical Instance. It contains the Castle and NPC inhabitants, but admitting living people causes persistent pain.
Electrical conduction through the prosthetic	164	Channels 455’s discharge through his mechanical hand along a fired bullet, avoiding the electrical attack’s painful effects on his flesh.
High-ranking Instance NPC	186 197	Relinquishes player status and accepts authority over Immortal Mountain and lower-level ghosts. He is explicitly classified as a special NPC, not an ordinary S-rank NPC.
Outward domain projection	230 237	As an instance-type Special-Class NPC, can perceive resentment threads and project his domain into another Instance. The projection lasts only ten minutes at this point.

Background / History

Original fate and partnership with 455

Xie De begins as a shabby, unremarkable 27-year-old who learns that his world is an infinite-instance horror novel. His original role is an unnamed “shifty-looking man” whom protagonist Wei Yanchi kills shortly after his appearance. A discarded, phone-bound system warns him that his first Instance will begin in three months; he names it 455 1.

Unable to teach conventional survival skills directly, 455 instead proposes improving his appearance, physique, and bearing. Xie De objects to conspicuous silver-white hair, but eventually undergoes the makeover and preparation. The resulting appearance conceals his inexperience so effectively that other players assume he is a powerful veteran 1 12 14.

First Instance: the factory

Inside the factory, Xie De allies with Beiwei, believing she is a vulnerable newcomer. He uses 455’s thermal imaging to avoid players, collect food and water, and find a place to rest. His apparently composed expression and unexpectedly accurate shooting deepen Beiwei’s belief that he is an expert 5 9.

That reputation attracts both admiration and obligations. Old Eugene offers three million and two gold bars for protection, a bargain Xie De accepts before considering its risks. He also acquires Little House Centipede, whose obedience makes him look even more formidable 12 14.

After clearing the Instance, he sleeps for a day and two nights and struggles to readjust to ordinary life. Despite his reluctance, the next Instance’s approaching deadline pushes him into firearms practice in the mountains 19.

Rescuing Wei Yunmo and opposing the Laboratory

During training, Xie De finds a starving, abused boy: Wei Yunmo, whom 455 identifies as the novel’s future researcher-villain. Rather than abandon or harm him, Xie De feeds him, takes him to a safe house, and has House Centipede erase their traces 20.

His involvement brings him into conflict with the Laboratory. He shoots Qi Yuan, who is searching for the escaped boy, while 455 prepares to obscure surveillance and evidence. Although he appears coldly composed afterward, he experiences the killing as strangely unreal 22.

Later assignments turn killing into paid work. In H City, he uses a poisoned insect to kill businessman Mr. Li at a banquet; Hu Songlin witnesses the act and approaches him afterward 54.

SS-rank historical Instance

After B-, B-, and S-rank challenges, Xie De is selected for an SS-rank Instance. He chooses the identity of a fleeing viscount and awakens in 1739, playing Viscount Scheid—a historical noble whose flight, betrayal of rebels, and eventual execution initially appear to define his expected fate 110 111.

He instead becomes a colonel and uses factional conflict, 455’s analysis, 730’s information, and House Centipede’s insect control to improve his army’s chances. His first battle ends with the city commander’s death, but he also executes soldiers who attack civilians and insists that his troops cannot loot or slaughter them 121 123 131.

Military success brings increasing responsibility. He becomes effectively second-in-command, suffers a disastrous defeat at Sea City, and discovers that an oath to the demon prevents him from simply escaping. Meanwhile, he leaves records for future players, including an engraved stone reading, “April 4. The butler dies. Sea City falls.” 128 133.

After Bearded Man and Bailien die, Xie De takes command and refuses 455’s advice to flee. He promises to continue building a better country, while Belial exploits rumors, political suspicion, and the deaths of his followers to torment him 137 138 139.

The confrontation with Belial leaves him gravely wounded and costs him his right hand. A Medical Card takes him to Anbers, who installs a prosthetic. Xie De then returns to the Instance after learning that Wei Yanchi has gone berserk and is tearing its space apart 140 141.

Desert expedition and Immortal Mountain

During the Desert expedition, Xie De’s group seeks to return Little Shen to the Eastern Sea. When Mena and Laboratory mercenaries ambush them, he counters with 455’s tactical guidance, his companions, and his domain’s ghosts. He later exchanges Mena’s release for helicopters, advanced weapons, personnel intelligence, and the Laboratory’s withdrawal 174 175 176.

The expedition ultimately reveals a concealed system plan to weaken Shen Mother and turn Immortal Mountain into a new Instance. Xie De protests that 455 and 730 withheld the real objective, but accepts high-ranking NPC status and authority over the mountain. He also asks that the Martial Arts Hall be allowed to continue exploring it 186.

He and 455 subsequently reveal that their apparent falling-out is staged. Believing 730 is preparing to control or erase them, they plan to build their own Instance faction: Xie De organizes NPCs while 455 keeps 730 unsuspecting 187.

Worldline and Wei Family investigations

After the original plot begins forcing major characters toward their intended fates, Xie De works with 730 to protect people whose destinies he has changed. Their first target is Beiwei. The Worldline crisis changes decisively when Wei Yanchi obtains and burns the Book of Creation, causing the Worldline to collapse 204 205.

Xie De next investigates the Wei Family under the cover of attending its patriarch’s funeral. He gathers information, searches for the missing Wei Yanchi, and finds him at a bloody sacrificial altar despite warnings against leaving the residence 207 208 210 213.

When the family’s ghosts become a new horror Instance, Xie De plans to establish workable rules and reduce its lethality. He later projects his own domain into the Wei Family Instance and helps bring the distorted space back under rule-bound control 216 237 246.

Hell conflict and the Supreme Council

Xie De investigates the Love Triangle Instance after Huang Zhuowang and Wei Yanchi are targeted, recruiting Anbers and Wei Yunmo rather than entering alone. The investigation expands into a conflict involving real-world Instances, Hell, and an outside faction 250 254 289.

During the final confrontation, Asmodeus tries to break and recruit him, compresses his domain, and unleashes magma. Xie De refuses submission and relies on coordinated reinforcements, including 455, 730, Jialike, Jialina, and Beelzebub. He later destroys Asmodeus with the Angel’s Feather, severing the last connection between the Instances and Hell 330 334.

Xie De co-founds the Supreme Council with 455 to pursue peace in the Otherworld. Its establishment faces government resistance, competing demands from ordinary and superpowered people, and cults attacking Instances. He nevertheless continues the work while insisting that younger teammates maintain their education 337 340.

Appearance

• Hair: Long, silver-white hair produced by 455’s makeover; he sometimes ties it back 11 20 179.
• Eyes: Dark green 205 230 298.
• Build: Tall and lean, with an aloof bearing that makes soldiers and inexperienced players uneasy 131 187.
• Scars: Visible scars on his face and neck 102.
• Right hand: A lifelike mechanical prosthetic, usually concealed by a black leather glove. It appears organic in reality but returns to its metallic form inside his domain or an Instance 141 144 169.
• Clothing: Frequently wears practical clothing, including outdoor jackets and boots; his historical military appearance includes a cap over his flowing hair 131 179 205 268.

Personality

Xie De initially prefers comfort, anonymity, and avoiding danger. He is frightened of ghosts, openly skeptical of 455’s plans, and quick to describe himself as useless or ordinary. His dry humor and internal panic contrast sharply with the intimidating composure others perceive 1 5 12 110.

Self-preservation does not erase his compassion. He protects Wei Yunmo despite knowing the boy’s original future, prohibits violence against civilians, cares for injured companions, and chooses responsibility for his army over escape. His concern also extends to people outside the supernatural conflict, including construction workers and civilians trapped in Instances 20 123 137 175 246 304.

He dislikes owing favors and resists being treated as someone who needs rescuing. This independence makes him conceal pain and deflect affection, especially when he fears another person’s life will begin revolving around him. With familiar people, however, he is conversational, teasing, and capable of quiet tenderness 26 84 129 169.

Repeated violence and command make him harsher and more emotionally restrained. He comes to value military obedience over closeness, while 455 warns him against letting the Instance change his behavior. His later ambition is directed toward governing the Otherworld rather than merely surviving it 124 131 337 340.

Abilities & Skills

Firearms and Close Combat

• Uses revolvers, pistols, sniper rifles, shotguns, and blades; progresses from improvised self-defense to sustained battlefield combat 5 9 19 123 174.
• Has combat training and quick reflexes, allowing him to hold his ground against Mena with 455’s guidance 174.
• Efficiently reloads under pressure and uses an AA-12 automatic shotgun against hostile sculptures 303.
• Remains vulnerable to stronger opponents, equipment failure, and pain in his prosthetic hand 174 330.

Mechanical Right Hand

• Restores touch and provides tremendous precision and strength 141 264.
• Conducts 455’s electrical attacks without subjecting his flesh to their painful effects 164.
• Becomes a major focus of phantom nerve pain inside supernatural spaces 169.
• Can stiffen or fail under severe strain; during the Asmodeus battle, his injured hand causes him to drop his shotgun 330 331.

Spatial Domain

• Houses the Castle, NPCs, ghosts, companions, and stored creatures such as Little Shen 169 174.
• Lets him sense intruders’ positions and deploy his ghosts against them 175.
• Can overlap another Instance, allowing control over wind, object placement, and resentment threads within the projected space 237.
• Initially sustains outward projection for only ten minutes 237.
• Bringing living people inside causes accumulating, needle-like pain; admitting a large group worsens it 169 175.

NPC Authority and Supernatural Perception

• As a high-ranking NPC, can command ghosts whose level is lower than his 186.
• Directs Emma and other domain inhabitants, including orders to stop attacks, kill enemies, or leave a survivor 169 174 175.
• Perceives red threads representing grudges and murderous threats within an Instance 230.
• This perception is not universal: he cannot see the Love Triangle Instance’s threads during its abnormal condition 250.

System-Assisted Operations

• Uses 455 for thermal imaging, target searches, tactical guidance, communications, and evidence concealment 5 22 103 174.
• Draws on 455’s analysis and 730’s intelligence for military planning 128 131.
• Benefits from 455’s electrical attacks, but the system can overheat, shut down, or damage connected equipment 9 23 140.
• These functions belong to his systems rather than being innate powers 1 5 164.

Strategy, Leadership, and Negotiation

• Commands armies, evaluates supply routes, delegates intelligence work, and organizes counter-rumor campaigns 128 131 138.
• Uses hostages and bargaining leverage to obtain equipment, information, and enemy withdrawal 176.
• Builds alliances deliberately, applying knowledge of game theory and psychology supplied by 455 195.
• Recognizes the limits of data-driven warfare: his battlefield record is strong, but not undefeated 131.

Insect-Assisted Tactics

• Relies on Little House Centipede to command insects, erase traces, assist battlefield operations, and keep pests away 20 131 213.
• Uses an insect-based poison attack to assassinate Mr. Li 54.
• Has the centipede direct insects into Mena’s miniature bombs to intercept them 174.
• Unlike ghosts, insects do not frighten him 14.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Firearms and ammunition — Includes Li Luohan’s revolver, a Glock, a sniper rifle, shotguns, and an AA-12 automatic shotgun 9 19 50 303.
• Bladed weapons — Uses a long blade against Mena and a saber against attacking fish demons 174 182.
• Black leather gloves — Conceal his mechanical right hand 144 169.
• Phone and Bluetooth earpiece — Interfaces for 455; the first earpiece is destroyed by an electrical attack 1 9 12.
• Door God Talismans — Two ghost-blocking talismans awarded after his first Instance 19.
• Medical Cards / Card Break — Provide access to medical treatment through transport, not automatic healing; used for his escape to Anbers and to send Lü Yating for care 140 146 268.
• Springflow Stone — A calming stone given by the Witch in exchange for his handgun; it fails to silence Belial’s taunts 137 138.
• Invisibility and Qi-Concealing Talismans — Supplied by 730 and used while investigating the Wei Family’s mountain 213.
• Black off-road vehicle — An Instance reward with TC730 onboard to support real-world operation and repairs 50.
• Laboratory equipment — Secures helicopters and advanced weapons through negotiations over Mena 176.
• Angel’s Feather — Destroys Asmodeus and severs Hell’s final connection to the Instances 334.
• Cigarettes and lighter — Regular personal items; during the historical campaign, his butler supplies specially made herbal cigarettes 35 131.

Relationships

• 455 — System partner and closest ally. Their constant insults conceal mutual dependence; they regard their interests as inseparable and jointly counter 730’s attempts at control 1 187.
• Wei Yanchi — Originally the protagonist destined to kill him, later his trusted companion and romantic partner. Xie De gradually accepts his pursuit, confirms their relationship publicly, and comes to rely on him instinctively alongside 455 1 169 217 307 314.
• Wei Yunmo — Rescued child and former Laboratory subject. Xie De shelters him despite his predicted villainous future; Yunmo values his praise and becomes jealous of Wei Yanchi’s closeness to him 20 176 256 315.
• Beiwei — Early ally who mistakes him for a powerful veteran. She remains protective of him, while he intervenes in dangers involving her and later affirms her place on the team while prioritizing her schooling 5 12 83 307 340.
• Anbers — Doctor, collaborator, and familiar friend. Treats Xie De’s injuries, creates his prosthetic hand, and assists with the Love Triangle investigation 141 250.
• Emma — Loyal subordinate and domain inhabitant. Supplies military intelligence, manages a counter-rumor campaign, and obeys his orders in combat 123 138 169 175.
• 730 / TC730 — Source of rewards, intelligence, and institutional authority, but also a controlling and secretive counterpart. Their relationship shifts from concealed rivalry to cooperation, with later disputes over researching Heaven 50 186 187 330 337.
• Hu Songlin — Ally who seeks him out and later admires him as both leader and friend. His wish for Xie De’s happiness outweighs his jealousy toward Wei Yanchi 54 307 340.
• Huang Zhuowang — Teammate who offers practical and personal help, though Xie De initially brushes off his concern 54 103.
• The Witch — Supernatural ally who warns him about the demon, provides a protective stone, and later pledges loyalty 137 186.
• Orion — Rival and intermittent collaborator. Warns him to desert after Sea City’s defeat and later participates in the Desert operation; Xie De is surprised when Orion dies during the Laboratory assault 133 176 310.
• Belial — Demonic antagonist whose oath restricts Xie De’s escape. Threatens him, attacks his guilt, and crushes his right hand 124 133 138 141.
• Asmodeus — Enemy who manipulates clues, attempts to recruit him, and traps him in a cultivated space. Xie De ultimately destroys him 322 330 334.
• His parents — Ordinary people he wishes to keep separate from the Otherworld. His mother accepts his changed appearance as hair dye, and both parents warmly welcome Wei Yanchi without receiving the full truth 217 337.
• Little House Centipede — Pet and tactical companion whose insect control repeatedly assists him 14 20 131 174.
• Coal Ball — Cat companion who accompanies investigations and greets him affectionately after his return from Hell 148 213 298.

Notable Quotes

“This is nothing more than history repeating itself.” 129

“There's no such thing as trash, only misplaced resources. By the same token, there's no useless pawn. Its moment simply hasn't arrived yet.” 195

“Because I can handle all of this myself. Wei Yanchi, I've already made plenty of use of you. You have your own life. Why keep making everything revolve around me?” 169

Trivia

• His original height is 177.6 cm. When 455 offers a permanent ten-centimeter increase, he calculates the result as 187.6 cm and enthusiastically rounds it to 188 1.
• Despite repeated encounters with religious supernatural forces, he has never believed in a religion 321.
• He cannot steer a boat and largely stays in his room during the four-day icebreaker voyage 102.
• The Supreme Council adopts the motto: “If you don't want to beg, change the world, comrade!” 337.