Chapter Summaries

Xie De encountered Wei Yanchi aboard the boat, where Wei revealed an eye from an ancient member of the Feathered People and agreed to take Xie De to H City in Country Z. As they shared rice wine, Xie De began to get drunk and revealed that he had arrived in Hua Country in 1786.

• Wei Yanchi showed Xie De an eye from a thousand-year-old Feathered Person that affected the cabin’s magnetic field, and Xie recognized it as an angel’s corpse part.
• Wei Yanchi explained that he was investigating Wuta’s strange actions and offered Xie the eye, but Xie refused it and asked for a ride to H City in Country Z.
• Zhang Ninde returned with ceramic bottles of rice wine, and Wei heated some for Xie while sending his senior brother to fetch extra ingredients.
• Xie enjoyed the sweet rice wine, but 455 warned that it was strong and that Xie was getting drunk.
• When Wei asked when Xie had arrived in Hua Country, Xie answered 1786 and recalled the older brewing equipment.

Wei Yanchi got 39 drunk and learned he came from at least 1786, while Zhang Ninde warned that the mysterious man might be dangerous. After Xie De left the icebreaker, Wei Yanchi inferred from their conversations that 39 was likely a noble and military officer from D Country or E Country.

• Wei Yanchi questioned 39 about his origins and the instance, but 39 mumbled that only Wei Yanchi could do something before falling asleep.
• Wei Yanchi covered 39 with a blanket, and Zhang Ninde confronted him about risking the Featherfolk's Eye and trusting 39.
• Wei Yanchi told Zhang Ninde that 39 came from at least two hundred years ago, around 1786, and Zhang Ninde insisted they discover his origin.
• Xie De woke up after sleeping off the wine, and 455 told him Wei Yanchi had gotten him drunk, though he had simply fallen asleep.
• After four days at sea, Xie De left, and Wei Yanchi told Zhang Ninde he had deduced that 39 was likely a noble and military officer from D Country or E Country.

Xie De met Beiwei in L City to plan an approach to the E Country Research Center, while Wei Yanchi and Zhang Ninde secretly followed him to investigate whether 39 was an Instance NPC. After helping Huang Zhuowang escape a crowded Sherlock Holmes meetup, Wei Yanchi recognized him as connected to 39 and decided to follow him.

• Xie De traveled to L City and learned from 455 that the Cult Leader was at the E Country Research Center and that the rear entrance had weaker security.
• Xie De met Beiwei at a café, where she called Huang Zhuowang back from a crowded Sherlock Holmes fan meetup.
• Wei Yanchi and Zhang Ninde escaped the packed library through a window, and Wei Yanchi pulled the stranded Huang Zhuowang down to safety.
• Zhang Ninde explained that he and Wei Yanchi had secretly followed 39 to investigate whether he was an Instance NPC.
• Wei Yanchi recognized Huang Zhuowang from a talent recruitment article and identified Beiwei's voice on his phone, then urged Zhang Ninde to follow him.

Xie De, Beiwei, and Huang Zhuowang prepared to infiltrate E Country’s research center while avoiding Wei Yanchi and his senior fellow disciple. Beiwei’s planted device disrupted the center’s connection to the Southern Research Area, giving Xie De a chance to enter and continue the plan.

• 455 detected the protagonist and his senior fellow disciple following Huang Zhuowang, so Xie De told Beiwei to send Huang Zhuowang back to the hotel.
• A day later, Beiwei used a lost-traveler ruse to ride with a supply convoy to the research center and secretly attached an interference-screening device to a driver.
• The device severed contact with the Southern Research Area and triggered an alarm, while 455 hacked and crippled the research center’s defense system.
• Xie De slipped into the research center and set out to abduct a researcher who could open its doors.

Xie De infiltrated the Laboratory and learned that its defense system was a biological computer powered by an ant colony with a collective consciousness. He met Ant and prepared to negotiate with it.

• Xie De used an explosion to create a distraction, slipped into the research center, and decided to seek out its control hub rather than keep searching for the Pope.
• Huang Zhuowang told Xie De that the defense system behaved like biological computing, and 455 concluded that it might be capable of negotiation.
• Xie De entered the Computer Research Department, took Lucian at gunpoint, and used her to open the doors to the control room.
• The system identified itself as Ant and asked Xie De not to hurt Lucian; Xie De then knocked her unconscious and entered the chamber.
• Xie De discovered that Ant was a vast colony of ants operating as a collective consciousness and learned that it powered the Laboratory's defenses.

Xie De and 455 forced Ant to guide them through the Research Center by taking Lucian hostage, then confronted the Immortal in a simulated garden. The Immortal recognized Xie De as a Colonel before the illusion faded, revealing a brain in a glass tank.

• Ant refused to betray the Laboratory, so Xie De threatened to kill Lucian and burn Ant alive.
• Ant agreed to redirect the guards and surveillance after 455 warned that more people could die if it resisted.
• Xie De used Lucian as a hostage as Ant led them through the Research Center to the Immortal.
• The empty room transformed into a garden, where the Immortal appeared beneath an apple tree and recognized Xie De.
• The Immortal called Xie De Colonel and the garden illusion faded, revealing a human brain inside a glass tank.

Xie De destroyed No. 13, the Brain in a Vat, while the Laboratory’s Defense System Ant helped him and Lucian escape. The Research Center entered its first Level One Alert, and its scientist mother asked Ant to tell her about the mysterious stranger.

• Xie De unplugged the Brain in a Vat’s cables, destroying No. 13 as he spoke about the past.
• Xie De threatened Lucian with a necklace he claimed was a time bomb, then left with Ant; a bomb disposal expert found the necklace was ordinary.
• Lucian told Ant she feared the stranger would silence her, and Ant recognized him from an internal Laboratory wanted notice connected to Orion.
• The scientist reassured Ant that it had acted correctly by protecting human life, despite the loss of an important experiment.
• The scientist asked Ant to describe the mysterious stranger and whether he was an immortal.

Orion dismissed immortality theories but decided to enter an instance to investigate the demon called 39, while Mena warned him of the danger. In parallel, Hu Songlin found an eyeball in Antarctica, and Xie De confronted Wei Yanchi, who explained how he had tracked down the Club’s meeting place.

• Orion and Mena discussed immortals, and Mena told him that Ying Lin identified his opponent as 39, a demon with close ties to instance NPCs.
• Orion decided to enter an instance to investigate 39, despite Mena warning that voluntary entrants faced extreme danger and low survival odds.
• In Antarctica, Hu Songlin drilled through the ice and found an eyeball; its pupil narrowed into a slit in sync with the eyeball in Wei Yanchi’s pocket.
• Beiwei caught Wei Yanchi at the farm and accused him of sneaking around, but Wei Yanchi claimed he had arrived by coincidence.
• Xie De arrived and questioned Wei Yanchi, who explained how he had used clues, surveillance, and a missing car to find the Club’s location.

Xie De wandered through the lavender fields with Wei Yanchi, who kept asking why 39 had not killed him. At the Harvest Party, 455 told 730 what it had learned about the Laboratory, and 730 warned that the next Instance would be a historical SS Rank.

• Wei Yanchi followed 39 through the lavender fields and repeatedly tried to guess why 39 had spared him.
• 455 told Xie De that Wei Yanchi’s curiosity was normal for a protagonist, and Xie De compared him to a noisy Beagle and a clever Border Collie.
• The Farmer began harvesting the lavender, and Xie De remembered that the Farmer had planned a Harvest Party.
• The Farmer hosted the Harvest Party, while 455 stayed in Xie De’s room and reported to 730 that the Laboratory had dealings with the Illuminati and wanted to research Instances.
• 730 warned 455 that the next Instance would be historical and SS Rank, surprising 455.

Xie De learned he had been selected for an SS-rank Instance and chose to enter as a fleeing Viscount. He awoke in a luxurious residence in 1739 as war loomed, while 455 urged him to escape before the rebels arrived.

• Xie De complained that he had been sent to an SS-rank Instance despite never clearing an A-rank one, and 455 explained that more than twenty Players would enter.
• Xie De learned the protagonist would also enter, while Hu Songlin and Lü Yating had been screened out.
• 455 explained that 730's guide would provide identity-based hints, and Xie De chose to play a fleeing Viscount.
• Xie De awoke in a Viscount's residence as bells and the sounds of war rang outside.
• Xie De questioned whether the rebels had arrived yet, and 455 urged him to flee after he spotted a newspaper dated AD 1739.

Xie De learned that he was playing the infamous Viscount Scheid, whose estate was about to be caught up in a rebellion, and prepared to flee while trying to understand the Instance. Meanwhile, Emma’s dropped button led Wei Yanchi and Zhang Ninde to investigate a ruined castle linked to 1739.

• Xie De read about territorial concessions and learned that the Grand Duchy of Er'yue was ceding the land where he was staying.
• 455 explained that Viscount Scheid had abandoned his guards to rebels, later betrayed the rebels with a map, and ultimately died in prison.
• Xie De gathered his supplies and prepared to follow history by escaping, then learned that Captain Xilai was waiting to see him.
• Emma arranged afternoon tea while secretly helping Miye steal things, and a button fell from her clothing.
• Wei Yanchi picked up the button in a ruined castle, and Zhang Ninde showed him a damaged newspaper dated 1739.

Wei Yanchi and Zhang Ninde investigated the abandoned castle and returned to the village, where they learned that another team had been tasked with finding the source of a curse. The newspaper dated 1739 linked the viscount’s death to their investigation, and the story shifted to Xie De examining the newspaper in the past.

• Wei Yanchi and Zhang Ninde searched the castle, found a damaged newspaper dated 1739, and returned to the village before nightfall.
• Wei Yanchi and Zhang Ninde discussed their mission, the other players, and whether the year 1739 was connected to Mr. 39.
• Lin Zhenyue, Li Yang, and Lin Darong visited Wei Yanchi and Zhang Ninde and introduced themselves as players from Squad Twelve.
• Lin Darong explained that her team’s mission was to find the source of a curse blamed on a dead viscount who appeared as a ghost on full-moon nights.
• Wei Yanchi connected the viscount’s death in 1739 to the newspaper, which then appeared in a flashback as Xie De examined it while his butler watched.

Xie De agreed to leave the castle with the provision convoy but suspected the route was a trap and searched for a safer escape. Emma slipped out to bring the rebels information, while Orion received word that a woman had intelligence for him.

• Xilai urged Xie De to escape the rebel siege, and Xie De agreed while resolving to stay alive.
• Emma told Miye that the Viscount might abandon the servants, then secretly left the castle through a garden gate.
• Xie De watched Emma escape and concluded that the provision convoy's obvious route to the city was unlikely to be safe.
• Orion, serving with the rebels, was told that a woman had arrived claiming to have intelligence.

Orion investigated the grain route under General Freeman Luo’s orders and unexpectedly encountered Viscount Scheid, whose identity as Xie De left Orion unsure whether he was a player or an NPC. Xie De rode to the camp and declared that he wanted to meet General Freeman Luo, leaving the two men face-to-face.

• Emma told General Freeman Luo that Viscount Scheid planned to travel to the imperial capital, and Freeman ordered Orion to investigate the grain route and capture the Viscount if the report proved true.
• Orion reasoned that Freeman wanted to ally with the Viscount and decided to conceal his intention to kill him until later.
• Orion’s squad found no grain convoy on the route and encountered patrol guards instead.
• Viscount Scheid arrived on horseback, and Orion recognized him as Xie De, prompting questions about whether he was a player or an Instance NPC.
• Xie De said he wanted to meet General Freeman Luo, rode to the camp, and greeted the General by saying he had long admired his reputation.

Xie De negotiated with General Freeman Luo, who demanded land, manpower, grain, and weapons while using a devil to threaten him. Xie De agreed to cooperate under conditions, then claimed he agreed with the general’s reasons for colluding with the devil.

• Xie De entered the rebel camp alone and met General Freeman Luo to negotiate.
• Freeman Luo demanded the deed to the land, manpower, grain, and weapons, and threatened Xie De with a devil that briefly appeared behind him.
• Xie De proposed keeping his guard unit and gaining some authority in the army, then revealed that he could see the devil.
• Freeman Luo justified his alliance with the devil as necessary to build an army and save the country, while the devil appeared beside Xie De.
• Xie De set down his gun and said he wholeheartedly agreed with Freeman Luo, who questioned whether he was pretending.

Tyrese Scheid swore loyalty to the Demon Belial in exchange for joining General Freeman Luo’s revolution and was appointed colonel of the regiment. He spared the captured maid Emma, while Orion questioned his identity and secretly poisoned a cup of water he offered him.

• Tyrese Scheid swore before God and Belial to embrace damnation and serve the Demon, and Belial accepted his oath.
• General Freeman Luo appointed Tyrese colonel and sent Orion into the tent to attend him.
• Orion questioned Tyrese about his identity and oath, then secretly added poison to a cup of water that Tyrese did not drink.
• Freeman presented the captured maid Emma as a gift and offered Tyrese the choice to kill or torture her.
• Tyrese pardoned Emma and said the manor needed staff, then exchanged barbed remarks with Freeman after the soldiers left.

Xie De left after meeting the bearded man, while Wei Yanchi and Zhang Ninde questioned spirits at the old military ruins and escaped the rain-soaked grounds. Back at the hut, they heard how Lin Darong, Lin Zhenyue, and Li Yang survived the castle’s undead, and Wei Yanchi saw the full moon emerge.

• Xie De rode away after the bearded man reminded him of their partnership.
• Wei Yanchi summoned soldiers’ spirits at the old military ruins and learned that the Viscount had been the Colonel who led them.
• When the Soul-Summoning Bell cracked, Wei Yanchi cut down a crawling corpse, and he and Zhang Ninde fled through the storm.
• Lin Darong, Lin Zhenyue, and Li Yang recounted finding a living corpse and escaping skeletons and the living dead at the castle.
• Wei Yanchi went outside as the rain eased and saw a full moon in the sky.

Xie De learned that Belial was likely manipulating events in the Instance, then discovered that the castle’s guards had become ghosts. Wei Yanchi and Zhang Ninde entered the castle and found Viscount Scheid, who was actually 39 and appeared to be a ghost king, but he passed them without exposing them.

• Xie De asked 455 about Belial and learned that the demon was a powerful Lord of War who might be the Instance’s boss.
• Xie De saw the castle guards transformed into ghosts outside and realized the full-moon warning was a clue.
• Xie De poured himself red wine as furtive footsteps approached his door.
• Wei Yanchi and Zhang Ninde sneaked into the castle while their teammates lured away the ghosts, and they spotted the hanged butler.
• Wei Yanchi and Zhang Ninde recognized Viscount Scheid as 39, sensed that he was a terrifying ghost king, and watched him walk away without finding them.

Wei Yanchi led the group into the Castle on the full-moon night, believing its history could explain the instance and Mr. 39’s identity. As the others distracted the Ghost Guard, Wei Yanchi resolved to approach the grieving Viscount, while Xie De wondered why he had lost contact with 455.

• Wei Yanchi persuaded the group to leave their hiding place and investigate the Castle, and they voted to go.
• The group crossed the dead woods, where Zhang Ninde crushed a crawling skeletal hand, and saw Ghost Guards surrounding the restored Castle.
• Wei Yanchi recognized Scheid as a Viscount condemned in history as a coward and sent Lin Darong, Lin Zhenyue, and Li Yang to lure the guards away.
• Zhang Ninde warned Wei Yanchi that the Ghost King was dangerous, but Wei Yanchi concluded that Mr. 39 was the Viscount and wanted to comfort him.
• Xie De discovered that his oath to the demon might be interfering with his connection to 455 as Little House Centipede tried to warn him about intruders.

Wei Yanchi met 39 in the Instance’s past and tried to change the history that would lead to the Viscount’s death and the army’s destruction. As the past faded, 39 revealed the demon’s name, and the Instance System unlocked missions connecting the past and future.

• Wei Yanchi entered the Viscount’s room and asked 39 whether he remembered him.
• Wei Yanchi told 39 he wanted to set history right and keep living until history changed.
• Xie De realized he and Wei Yanchi occupied different times and spaces, and that events in the past could provide clues to the future.
• As the room vanished, 39 told Wei Yanchi, “The demon Belial...”
• The Instance System announced that the history of the Instance had been unlocked and assigned missions to hold a commemorative event, help the hero find his way home, and optionally piece together history’s truth.