Chapter Summaries

Extinction forced the Light Banquets to accept pieces of a formatting Meme Virus, promising to restore their standing if the operation succeeded and threatening them if it failed. Lynn and Light Banquet watched as the virus was absorbed into her consciousness, leaving her systems destabilized.

• Extinction confronted the Light Banquets and offered to restore their Purification Council permissions if the mission succeeded, while warning that failure would leave them beyond his help.
• Lynn realized the formatting Meme Virus could endanger Miss Machine Intelligence and told Light Banquet to stay quiet and wait rather than reveal themselves.
• The leading Light Banquet absorbed part of the Meme Virus and urged her sisters to accept their portions so the Light Banquets could reunite, even if only one consciousness survived.
• Lynn told Light Banquet to absorb her share, and she drew the scarlet data into her consciousness as alarms and errors began destabilizing her systems.

After recovering from the Meme Virus, Light Banquet spoke with a high-tier Light Banquet who warned her that Lynn was the greatest threat to their network. Back at her terminal, she wondered whether the other Light Banquet had seen through her, while Lynn cautioned her that differences in their positions could make her betray herself.

• Light Banquet recovered from the Meme Virus and found herself the only mid-tier Light Banquet remaining in the Data Space.
• The high-tier Light Banquet thanked her for guarding the front line and warned that Lynn might already have infiltrated their network.
• The high-tier Light Banquet told Light Banquet to report any surveillance anomalies and hoped they could leave an ember behind if they failed.
• Light Banquet returned to her terminal and wondered whether the high-tier Light Banquet had discovered her betrayal.
• Lynn asked whether the high-tier Light Banquet had seen through her, then warned that their differing knowledge and perspectives could expose her.

Lynn reassured Light Banquet that he had contained the Meme Virus inside her for now, then laid out a plan to find Miss Machine Intelligence and grow stronger within the Mechanical Church. He split into three smaller versions of himself and sent one into the Data World while the others continued with Light Banquet.

• Light Banquet grew angry when Lynn admitted he had no cure for the Meme Virus, but Lynn explained that his Firstborn Power had isolated it and prevented it from harming her in the short term.
• Lynn told Light Banquet they needed to alert Miss Machine Intelligence without exposing themselves and to stop her from acting before the virus could infect her.
• Lynn divided himself into three teenage versions: one stayed at the terminal, one set out to find Miss Machine Intelligence, and one continued with Light Banquet to seek Colossus and devour other Light Banquet individuals.
• Light Banquet questioned whether the smaller Lynns could handle the growing data load, and Lynn explained that their control of higher-ranked terminals would eventually let them gather lower-ranked Light Banquets.
• One Lynn departed through the information network, while the Lynn who stayed behind tearfully waved him off as Light Banquet watched.

Lynn infiltrated the Mechanical Church’s data network with Light Banquet’s help and entered the Pastoral Era virtual world, where he tried to send Silver Fantasy a warning. As the world was dismantled around him, he left a familiar drawing and an encrypted message to guide her toward him.

• Light Banquet learned that Lynn controlled all his split-off selves, and Lynn said his dramatic farewell had made the moment more atmospheric.
• Light Banquet guided Lynn through the Mechanical Church’s defenses as he traveled toward its remaining virtual worlds.
• Lynn entered the Pastoral Era world and recalled how Silver Fantasy had once opened her heart to him there.
• Lynn watched digital machines dismantle the forest and wondered whether Miss Machine Intelligence was hiding in the world.
• Lynn drew a boy in the soil, turned the drawing into strands of data, and scattered copies across the network for Silver Fantasy to find.
• Lynn buried an encrypted message in the soil beneath the sunlight.

Lynn slowed the machines dismantling the virtual world and left messages in the Data Network as he searched for Machine Intelligence. Meanwhile, she absorbed Light Banquet data and headed toward a supreme Light Banquet Terminal, while Lynn and Light Banquet captured a third Midrange Machine.

• Lynn rewrote the dismantling machines’ logic to buy time, then scattered data messages through the Data Network to find Machine Intelligence.
• Machine Intelligence absorbed the last of Light Banquet’s power, increasing her share of the Seven Gods’ permissions.
• Machine Intelligence crossed the hive city toward the Data Network, intending to devour one of the three supreme Light Banquet Terminals.
• Lynn entered the hive city in stealth mode, hoping Machine Intelligence would find his warning.
• Inside the Data Cage, Lynn and Light Banquet captured a third Midrange Machine and took her permissions and power.
• Lynn said he hoped Machine Intelligence had found his messages and would step in himself if she had not.

Lynn found a drawing hidden in the data network that revealed someone had returned and altered a detail to point her toward the virtual world's only remaining sunlight. She turned away from her destination and traveled toward that place, despite memories and warnings urging her to stay away.

• Lynn noticed an unfamiliar wisp of data in the network and caught it before it drifted away.
• She decoded the wisp and recognized a drawing of a boy that she had made long ago, realizing that he had returned.
• Lynn spotted that the boy's hand had been changed to point toward the sun and understood it as a message directing her somewhere.
• Lynn abandoned her original route and headed toward the place where sunlight still existed in the virtual world.
• As memories of the boy and their past resurfaced, Lynn stopped and struggled against the pain and the warning not to become entangled with him again.

A woman overcame her doubts and flew through the Data Network toward the place connected to the boy in her painting, telling herself it would be the last time. Meanwhile, Lynn and Light Banquet encountered the final Machine God, Aetheric Surge, whose appearance frightened Light Banquet and whose origins lay outside their civilization.

• The woman gripped her painting and flew onward, resolving to seek the boy or his message one last time.
• Lynn sensed an anomaly in the Data Network Passage and stopped Light Banquet before a scarlet data torrent swept across their path.
• Lynn caught Light Banquet and steadied her as the torrent nearly pulled her in and left her data trembling.
• Lynn's panel identified the torrent as Aetheric Surge, the final Machine God and last member of the ancient Purification Council.
• Light Banquet told Lynn that Aetheric Surge was not one of their brothers but had helped their civilization win the War of Vengeance.

Light Banquet told Lynn that the Machine God was an ancient information-consuming entity that had aided the Star Embracers under a long-standing contract. As the blood-red Aetheric Surge swept through the Mechanical Church’s network, Lynn realized it might target the remaining Hive Worlds and fled toward the border.

• Light Banquet explained that the Star Embracers had discovered living, shapeless beings inside an aging star, and one took control of their mothership before communicating with them.
• Light Banquet said the beings helped the Star Embracers win a war in exchange for information, while their main body remained in the Main Universe and a part of them merged with the civilization.
• Light Banquet recalled the Aetheric Surge devouring the knowledge of a defeated god-level civilization, revealing that the beings had used the Star Embracers to satisfy their hunger for information.
• Lynn asked whether the Machine God would emerge when the Seven Gods split, and Light Banquet confirmed that the Machine Intelligence Civilization still had abundant surplus data to feed it.
• The blood-red Aetheric Surge swept through the Mechanical Church’s network and consumed data across the Hive World as digital consciousnesses withdrew.
• Lynn realized the Surge might next target the pastoral world where he had left information for the Mechanical Maiden, then rushed toward the Hive World’s border.

Lynn discovered that Hive Main Brain No. 1 was trapped in the collapsing Virtual Nest City and rescued her as the Aetheric Surge devoured it. The Intelligent Brain remained severely damaged and delirious, even muttering insults about Lynn as he carried her away.

• Lynn watched the Aetheric Surge consume the Virtual Nest City but saw no sign of Miss Machine Intelligence escaping.
• Lynn realized the surge was heading toward the Pastoral World and rushed to destroy the information he had left there.
• Lynn detected Hive Main Brain No. 1's faint signal among the nest city's remaining data and traced it to a fractured layer of root data.
• Lynn found the severely damaged Intelligent Brain and lifted her out of the collapsing data.
• The Intelligent Brain briefly stirred and muttered that Lynn was fake and could not keep his promises, leaving him less eager to save her.

Lynn rescued the badly damaged Intelligent Brain from the collapsing Hive One and learned that the Seven Gods had destroyed their forces while they searched for the God of Ten Thousand Machines’ legacy. He took her toward a pastoral world, intending to find Miss Machine Intelligence.

• Lynn pulled the Intelligent Brain from the rift just before Hive One collapsed and its data dissolved into the blood-red tide.
• Lynn examined the Intelligent Brain, found her data and personality core severely damaged, and used psionics to restore her logical processes temporarily.
• The Intelligent Brain recognized Lynn and urgently asked where Miss Machine Intelligence was, but Lynn said they needed to go somewhere first.
• As they traveled through the Network Passage, the Intelligent Brain told Lynn that the Seven Gods had attacked them while they deciphered the God of Ten Thousand Machines’ legacy.
• The Intelligent Brain explained that Hive One and their forces had been destroyed, and that she had sent a distress signal to Dark Night City with her last strength.

Lynn reached the Pastoral World too late to find Miss Machine Intelligence and destroyed the information he had left for her, then learned she might trigger a Meme Virus hidden in the Light Banquet Machines. A highest-priority alarm confirmed that she had attacked, leaving Lynn and Light Banquet waiting for the virus to take effect.

• Lynn promised the damaged Intelligent Brain that he would help recover Miss Machine Intelligence, then hurried with her to the Pastoral World.
• Lynn searched the sector, found no sign of Miss Machine Intelligence, and destroyed his hidden information before the Aetheric Surge consumed the world.
• Lynn told the Intelligent Brain that the Seven Gods had hidden a Meme Virus inside the Light Banquets and warned that Miss Machine Intelligence might trigger it by attacking them.
• A highest-priority alarm sounded across the Light Banquet network, and Lynn concluded that Miss Machine Intelligence had already made her move.
• Light Banquet said they could only wait for the Meme Virus to take effect, while Lynn sat beside the terminal cage and reflected that the world did not revolve around him.

Lynn rushed toward the alarm after learning Machine Intelligence was fighting alone, while Light Banquet tried to persuade him to attack another High-Rank Light Banquet Machine instead. Machine Intelligence reached a Light Banquet Terminal underground and began disabling it, as the story left her facing the Purification Council alone.

• Light Banquet proposed that she and Lynn seize another High-Rank Light Banquet Machine while Machine Intelligence drew the others' attention.
• Lynn sent his clones toward the alarm and told Light Banquet he would not abandon Machine Intelligence, who had once stood by him.
• Lynn's clones converged in the data network passages, and he emerged from the system space as the true form before speeding toward the alarm.
• Machine Intelligence defeated a mechanical Imperial Guard and reached the enormous Light Banquet Terminal.
• Machine Intelligence ripped cables from the terminal and began operating a device while a Light Banquet Machine warned her that she could not stand against the Purification Council alone.

The silver-haired girl trapped the High-Rank Light Banquet inside its Data Cage and then fought off the forces converging on her base. As Light Banquet monitored the battle, the girl continued holding the corridor alone despite the Meme Virus.

• The silver-haired girl installed a device in the Light Banquet Terminal, restrained the High-Rank Light Banquet in the Data Cage, and made it scream as scarlet light rose inside its virtual body.
• The silver-haired girl armed herself and waited at the corridor entrance while alarms sounded throughout the base.
• Light Banquet warned Lynn that Mechanical Legions and Nanite Swarms were converging on the silver-haired girl, while Lynn's True Form raced to help her.
• The silver-haired girl overloaded the Nanite Swarms in the corridor, then fought the advancing Heavy Mechanical Humanoids with her Melta Pistol and Monomolecular Sword.
• Light Banquet watched the battle reports and was shocked that the silver-haired girl could still fight despite the Meme Virus and the losses inflicted on her attackers.

Silver Fantasy faced Star Embracer and Extinction after the Meme Virus began corrupting her, and argued that Dark Night City would still defeat them. Extinction rejected her offer to negotiate and seized her, while warning that the Trinity’s full realization meant their destruction.

• Light Banquet sensed two immense presences approaching and said her brothers had arrived.
• Star Embracer struck Silver Fantasy and sent her crashing into the terminal, but her altered Supreme Body withstood the blow.
• Extinction and Star Embracer sealed off the terminal sector and discovered that the Meme Virus was spreading through Silver Fantasy.
• Silver Fantasy accused the Mechanical Church of despicable tactics and warned that Dark Night City could not be defeated.
• Silver Fantasy offered to negotiate with Dark Night City, but Extinction said she could not represent the Mechanical Church and that the Trinity’s realization meant their destruction.
• Extinction formed an enormous atomic hand, seized Silver Fantasy by the neck, and slammed her against the wall.

The silver-haired Mechanical Maiden was nearly defeated by Extinction and the Machine Gods when Lin arrived and blocked their attack. He and the Witch God Head wounded Extinction, leaving Lin and the Maiden face to face amid the Mechanical Church's alarm.

• Extinction overwhelmed the Mechanical Maiden and declared that the Machine Intelligence would abandon its former civilization's pastoral ideals.
• The Maiden pressed a device's trigger as Extinction's mechanical claw swept toward her, but Lin crashed through the ceiling and intercepted the blow with his Trident.
• Lin activated his Curse Eye and contained its demonization, then used his strength to break apart the Machine God's claw.
• Scarlet vessels dragged Star Embracer into a dark corridor while the Witch God Head struck Extinction's true form and grievously wounded his spirit.
• Lin greeted the dazed Maiden with teasing remarks, and she settled into a calm stare without rising or showing emotion.

Lynn reached Silver Fantasy’s wrecked body and tried to contain the Meme Virus, but learned it was a decoy while the real Silver Fantasy remained hidden in the Data Network. With the decoy about to spread the virus, Lynn ordered a retreat and left after checking that Silver Fantasy was all right.

• Lynn pulled Silver Fantasy from the wreckage and poured psionics into her body to contain the Meme Virus.
• Silver Fantasy revealed that the body was a puppet and that the real her was hiding somewhere safe in the Data Network.
• Silver Fantasy warned Lynn that the puppet would soon explode and spread the activated Meme Virus throughout the Data Network.
• Lynn demanded an escape plan, but Silver Fantasy said she had none and reminded him that only seconds remained.
• Lynn ordered Eve and the Witch God Head to retreat, then leaped back through the ceiling with a Monomolecular Sword.
• Lynn asked Silver Fantasy if she was all right, and she replied that she was.

Silver Fantasy detonated a terminal and unleashed a Meme Virus that crippled much of the Mechanical Church’s network, allowing Lynn and Light Banquet to escape. The General ordered the remaining Light Banquets destroyed in the digital furnace to restart the atomic revolution, but the Scholar refused and demanded a Purification Council vote.

• Silver Fantasy triggered an explosion that released the Meme Virus through the Mechanical Church’s network, disabling terminals, swarms, and warships.
• Lynn told Light Banquet that Silver Fantasy had nearly turned the tables, then pulled her into a data passage to escape and find Silver Fantasy.
• The General learned that Lynn had infiltrated the Mechanical Church and that the virus outbreak had brought the atomic revolution nearly to a halt.
• The General ordered all Light Banquets sent to the digital furnace to be destroyed and converted into computing power.
• The Scholar refused the order, saying only a collective vote by the Purification Council could decide whether a Machine God lived or died.

A silver-haired man emerged from the Scholar’s body and negotiated with the general, seeking access to the Calamity’s knowledge in exchange for helping him. Meanwhile, Lynn explained to Light Banquet that the infected woman had deliberately unleashed the Meme Virus across the data network.

• The silver-haired man took over the Scholar’s body and accused the general of betraying him.
• The general offered the Colossus and one of his brothers in exchange for help killing Lynn and his two Origins and recovering the Subset.
• The silver-haired man demanded access to the contamination the Calamity had left on the general.
• Lynn told Light Banquet that the woman had deliberately activated the Meme Virus to spread it through the data network using her duplicate.
• Lynn and Light Banquet continued through Network Passages collapsing under the virus outbreak.

Lynn reached Silver Fantasy’s rendezvous point, exposed her digital-bomb defenses, and entered her hidden room. When Light Banquet followed him inside, Silver Fantasy’s blades of light suddenly surrounded her.

• Lynn reassured Light Banquet that he would not abandon her, though his words only made her more wary.
• Lynn and Light Banquet reached the rendezvous coordinates, where a silver-haired decoy appeared and Lynn destroyed it with psionics.
• Lynn revealed that the apparent data dump was packed with digital bombs and demanded that the hidden Silver Fantasy show herself.
• Silver Fantasy opened a rift and let Lynn and Light Banquet into a bare, enclosed room, where Lynn finally reunited with her.
• Silver Fantasy’s blades of light appeared around Light Banquet, pointing at her throat and data core.

Lynn reunited with Silver Fantasy, who shared information about Colossus’s transfer into the Mechanical Church’s deepest sector. Their strained relationship surfaced as Lynn provoked her, and the chapter ended with her anger barely contained.

• Light Banquet confronted Silver Fantasy, but Lynn stopped her and explained that she had been reformed.
• Silver Fantasy showed Lynn a map of the Seven Gods’ underground structure and revealed that Colossus had been moved to the Third Area through a secret passage.
• Silver Fantasy said she could not trace the route any farther without alerting the Seven Gods, and Lynn questioned whether they were exchanging favors.
• Lynn joked about their breakup and the Little Refrigerator, prompting Silver Fantasy to hold a light blade to his neck before withdrawing it.
• Lynn urged Silver Fantasy to express her feelings and taunted her that she could never beat him, causing cracks to spread across the surrounding light blades.