Chapter Summaries

Zhao Xun finished gathering the items needed to break the Frog Prince’s seal while questioning him about his past, powers, and promised reward. After collecting the last of the dew overnight, Zhao Xun returned to the Frog Prince at four in the morning with the completed supplies.

• Zhao Xun entered the Frog Barrier and confirmed that he had found the altar and understood that animals could enter with him, while concealing what the writing on the stone slab said.
• The Frog Prince claimed he had been sealed before carrying out an experiment, admitted he was a mage, and insisted that he had been defeated through an ambush.
• Zhao Xun tested the Frog Prince’s strength and demanded a reward for breaking the seal; the Frog Prince offered ten minutes to talk after he was freed.
• Zhao Xun refused to bring the Frog Prince meat, then caught and roasted sparrows while waiting for nightfall.
• Zhao Xun collected the remaining wintersweet dew, checked that his ten fireflies were alive, and rested while Baboon and Orangutan kept watch.
• At four in the morning, Zhao Xun packed up and carried the completed supplies to the Frog Prince.

Zhao Xun helped the Frog Prince break his seal, earning a side-quest reward, but refused the newly restored Evil Mage’s offer to join him. The Evil Mage blocked Zhao Xun’s surprise Lightning attack and prepared to fight back with Black Flame.

• Zhao Xun placed the Glowstone, dew, and fireflies in the Stone Trays, then followed the Frog Prince’s instructions to prepare for the ritual.
• At dawn, Zhao Xun noticed the Frog Prince’s Magic Array differed from the version he had demonstrated and placed him at its center as sunlight struck the stone slab.
• The ritual transformed the Frog Prince into the Evil Mage, and Zhao Xun received 100 points and 100 hours of survival time for completing the side quest.
• The Evil Mage offered Zhao Xun a chance to join him, claiming they shared the same nature and desire to destroy everything.
• Zhao Xun pretended to accept the Evil Mage’s handshake, then attacked him with Lightning, which the Mage blocked with a Magic Array.
• The Evil Mage threatened Zhao Xun and formed a ball of Black Flame above his palm.

Zhao Xun defeated the Frog Prince by using a drop of water hidden in his heart, then completed the dream-game quests and spent his remaining time hunting and resting. Back in the compartment, he learned that Su Tiantian had entered a platform game that morning.

• Zhao Xun tested the Frog Prince’s lightning defenses, then used water and a cloud of steam to approach him as a frog and attack his heart from within.
• Zhao Xun explained that he had chosen his own path, continued damaging the Frog Prince’s organs, and burned his body to prevent resurrection.
• Zhao Xun completed the hidden mission, received 300 points, 300 hours of survival time, and the special item [Firefly Light], then discovered the Frog Barrier had vanished.
• Zhao Xun spent the rest of his dream-game time sleeping, hunting, and barbecuing before declining to renew his Safety Barrier and leaving the valley.
• Zhao Xun returned to the compartment, where Zhaozhao told him Su Tiantian had entered a platform game at seven ten that morning.

Zhao Xun arranged a meeting with Leizi, an October Volunteer who used [Metal Control], to discuss the ability and assess its limits. As they spoke over lunch, Zhao Xun claimed he wanted to study fire abilities to prepare for an enemy, but their conversation was interrupted by the Pygmy Marmoset attacking Leizi.

• Zhao Xun asked A Jie to introduce him to a veteran player with [Metal Control], and A Jie agreed to contact an October Volunteer.
• A Jie told Zhao Xun that Leizi would meet him for lunch in the Ordinary Dining Car, with A Jie present.
• Zhao Xun met Leizi, bought him chicken leg rice, and asked about the headaches and limits caused by controlling many objects.
• Zhao Xun said he wanted to push past his ability's limits, and A Jie asked why he was also interested in fire abilities.
• Zhao Xun claimed that one of his enemies used fire, then the Pygmy Marmoset tugged Leizi's hair until Zhao Xun ordered it to stop.

Zhao Xun had the pygmy marmoset steal Leizi’s hair so he could use Devour to acquire an enhanced Metal Control ability. After the rankings updated, he moved to a new compartment near Su Tiantian and asked whether Wu Wei was still alive.

• Zhao Xun used the pygmy marmoset to pluck two hairs from Leizi, then discreetly took them while explaining the monkey was a special item.
• Zhao Xun held Leizi’s hairs to his lips and used Devour to replace his basic Metal Control with Metal Control lv4, whose fivefold enhancement let him manipulate and transform much larger quantities of metal.
• Zhao Xun checked the November 30 rankings, saw he had risen to rank 120, and noted that he still needed to save points toward his ten-thousand-point goal.
• Zhao Xun found that his new berth was in Car 05, Compartment 9, and encountered Su Tiantian, who had berth four in the same compartment.
• Zhao Xun told Su Tiantian her final Platform Game points had counted toward her total, then asked whether Wu Wei was still alive.

Zhao Xun upgraded his Beastification ability and learned from Whistle that a player known as Demon had tortured and killed his mother in a Survival Game. Whistle promised to investigate the exact circumstances of her death, leaving Zhao Xun with the killer’s description but no further details.

• Zhao Xun and Su Tiantian waited for the Platform Game announcement, and Zhao Xun decided to participate.
• Zhao Xun spoke with Wu Wei, obtained a hair, and used [Devour] to upgrade [Beastification lv2] to [Beastification lv5].
• Whistle told Zhao Xun that his mother had been killed by a living player and explained how he traced the killer through a photograph and a clue.
• Whistle revealed that the killer, nicknamed Demon, was vicious and enjoyed torturing his victims; Zhao Xun ordered Whistle to investigate his mother’s exact death.
• Whistle described Demon as a thin, strong man around thirty, about a hundred and eighty centimeters tall, with an unsettling, evil gaze.

Zhao Xun learned that Demon had tortured his adoptive mother to death and might still possess her body and soul as a puppet. Whistle revealed that his own revenge against Demon was driven by the same fate, while Zhao Xun prepared to pursue revenge instead of joining the Platform Game.

• Zhao Xun told Whistle to find Demon's location and investigate how his mother died, then pressed him to begin immediately.
• Whistle admitted he had described Demon's cruelty to stir Zhao Xun's hatred and explained that he wanted Demon killed because someone he cared about had died at his hands.
• Zhao Xun told Su Tiantian he would skip the Platform Game to gather information and seek revenge, and she decided to participate without him.
• Whistle returned that evening and told Zhao Xun that Demon was in Carriage Two, Compartment Five, Bunk Two, then described how Demon's men had tortured Zhao Xun's mother to death.
• Whistle revealed that Demon could turn his victims into puppets, trapping their souls inside their bodies, and Zhao Xun realized his mother might still be in Demon's possession.
• Zhao Xun inferred that Whistle had been signing contracts with people to kill Demon and free the person he cared about.

Zhao Xun questioned Whistle about Demon and agreed to delay his revenge briefly while Whistle obtained a potentially useful special item. He promised to help Whistle free the person Demon had turned into a puppet, but said he would not wait until his points matched Demon's before acting.

• Whistle urged Zhao Xun to follow their contract and build up points and special items before confronting Demon, while Zhao Xun exposed that Whistle feared losing his leverage to free the puppet.
• Zhao Xun promised to help free the person Whistle cared about in exchange for information about Demon, and Whistle revealed that Demon stopped playing platform games after fighting Death God in his fourth month aboard the Endless Train.
• Whistle estimated Demon had fewer than ten thousand points, perhaps about two thousand short, and possessed more than ten special items.
• Whistle asked Zhao Xun to wait a day or two while he completed a deal for a special item that might counter Demon's ability, and Zhao Xun agreed to prepare in the meantime.
• Zhao Xun told Whistle he would not wait until his points matched Demon's and asked him to identify a player with level-five Fire Control; Whistle agreed and left to complete his deal.

Zhao Xun used the [Crimson Seal] to monitor Demon aboard the Endless Train while planning to settle their scores in a dream game. On December 3, Whistle delivered the special item and revealed that Demon had been a murder suspect who enjoyed tormenting people and using Puppets to kill those their victims had cared about.

• Zhao Xun stamped his compartment’s doorframe with the [Crimson Seal] and discovered he could control and surveil a single compartment for three hours.
• Zhao Xun secretly stamped Compartment 5 in Carriage Two and overheard Demon searching for a missing man while refusing to enter a dream game.
• Zhao Xun monitored Demon over the next two days without being discovered and confirmed the missing man had still not been found.
• Whistle visited Zhao Xun on December 3, handed him the special item he had obtained, and said he had not found anyone with [Fire Control] at lv5.
• Whistle told Zhao Xun that Demon had been a suspect in a series of murders before boarding the Endless Train and enjoyed making people suffer and ordering Puppets to kill their loved ones.

Zhao Xun learned how Demon's puppets worked and how to free them, then promised Whistle he could make Demon bring out A Le during their planned confrontation. Whistle described several of Demon's special items, leaving Zhao Xun to assess the danger before attacking him alone in a dream game.

• Whistle explained that Demon's puppets retained their memories and special abilities, and that they could only be freed by putting Demon's blood in their mouths while he was alive.
• Zhao Xun refused to let Whistle accompany him, then asked about the person Whistle wanted to save and learned she was A Le, whose [Fire Control] ability was lv4.
• After seeing A Le's photo and learning about her ability, Zhao Xun guaranteed he could make Demon bring her out and said he planned to attack Demon in a dream game.
• Zhao Xun rejected Whistle's offer to recruit contracted players because their contracts had not taken effect and they might turn against him.
• Whistle described Demon's Oil Lamp, Soft-bodied Worm, Plush Toy Rabbit, and damaged defensive Vest, which could withstand five fatal attacks.

Zhao Xun gathered information from Whistle about Demon’s special items, puppets, and weaknesses while planning how to capture him. After learning that Demon’s new bracelet could resist psychic attacks, Zhao Xun decided to act the next day, and Whistle entered a Dream Game to complete his own task while waiting.

• Whistle described Demon’s three frequently used puppets and their abilities, including a woman who could attack cranial nerves from a distance.
• Zhao Xun set up surveillance on Demon and considered his defensive habits, possible weakness, and likely limit on the number of puppets.
• Whistle reported that Demon’s purple crystal bracelet could resist psychic attacks by fifty to ninety percent.
• Zhao Xun said he would act the next day after learning through surveillance that Demon planned to enter a Dream Game.
• Whistle bought provisions and entered a Dream Game so he could complete his task and distract himself while awaiting the outcome.

Zhao Xun entered the Ice and Snow World alongside Demon, found the Underground City, and infiltrated it by following a researcher. After completing his main quest, he learned that the city had no literal prisoners and used the researcher’s access to search surveillance footage for Demon.

• Zhao Xun waited for Demon to enter the dream game, then entered at the same moment and discovered they shared a merged dream.
• Zhao Xun flew over the snowfield, deduced that the city lay underground, and used grenade blasts to draw out an Underground City team.
• Zhao Xun followed the team into the Underground City, completing his main quest and receiving the side quest to liberate its prisoners.
• Zhao Xun followed the researcher home, hypnotized him, and learned that the city expelled offenders or left them to hide in the Slums rather than imprisoning them.
• Zhao Xun obtained the city map and ordered the researcher to show surveillance footage from 9:44 to 9:45 so he could locate Demon.

Zhao Xun used hypnosis to gain access to the Underground City's restricted surveillance and tracked down Demon, learning that he had arranged a wanted notice for a married couple. The couple's public records described them as ordinary residents whose daughter died from medical malpractice, while the reason they were being hunted remained partly concealed.

• Zhao Xun watched hours of surveillance footage but found no sign of Demon, so he deduced that Demon was likely among the Underground City's higher-ups.
• Zhao Xun hypnotized the man in the white coat's superior through a video call and had him grant access to the building's surveillance footage.
• Zhao Xun found footage of Demon meeting White-Bearded Old Man and persuading him to issue a wanted notice for two people, offering a month's worth of supplies for their heads.
• The man in the white coat explained that the wanted pair had tried to bomb the building about a week earlier and escaped, and that the Slums held many people who had crossed the higher-ups.
• Zhao Xun examined the couple's profiles and learned that they had been ordinary residents whose daughter died in the hospital due to medical malpractice.

Zhao Xun learned why the couple wanted to destroy the upper echelon’s building and tracked their last known location in the Slums while monitoring Demon. After leaving White Coat to watch the laboratory and the couple’s movements, Zhao Xun went to the Slums himself.

• Zhao Xun read that the hospital had abducted the couple’s daughter for organ matching, and that their failed attempts to seek justice led them to plan an attack on the upper echelon’s building.
• White Coat found footage showing the couple entering a Slums general store at knifepoint, followed by three people searching for them.
• Zhao Xun reviewed footage of Demon inspecting work areas and entering a classified laboratory, then concluded that Demon had likely already completed his main quest.
• Zhao Xun told White Coat to watch the laboratory entrance and search for the couple, then took White Coat’s phone before leaving.
• Zhao Xun transformed into a sparrow, then a rat to evade cameras, and reached the filthy, cramped Slums.

Zhao Xun searched the general store for the fugitive couple and questioned them and the store owner about who counted as prisoners in the Underground City. He concluded that ordinary residents were the prisoners, uncovered the owner’s role as an upper-level informant, and received a hidden mission to expose and destroy the Laboratory.

• Zhao Xun found the fugitive couple hidden behind a concealed door in the general store and hypnotized them to ask whether they considered themselves prisoners.
• The couple said they had never heard of prisoners, but the man suggested that everyone below the top lived like one.
• Zhao Xun hypnotized the store owner and learned that he had been sent by the upper echelon to monitor the Slums and report its death toll.
• The owner said he did not know where the bodies were taken, strengthening Zhao Xun’s suspicion that the Laboratory handled them.
• A hidden mission appeared, ordering Zhao Xun to reveal the truth about the Laboratory to all residents and destroy it.
• Zhao Xun decided that ordinary residents were the prisoners and left the couple to deal with the owner, who was stabbed as Zhao Xun departed.

Zhao Xun lured Demon out of the Underground City by staging his appearance at a surface ventilation duct, then attacked him and claimed he wanted revenge for a woman Demon had turned into a puppet. Demon brought the woman out, and she recognized Zhao Xun as “Little Xun.”

• Zhao Xun learned from White Coat that the fugitive couple had appeared, then told him to focus on watching Demon instead.
• Zhao Xun used White Coat's ventilation duct layout to reach the surface, staged a sighting before a camera, and destroyed it to attract Demon's attention.
• After White Coat reported that Demon had left the Laboratory, Zhao Xun waited by the vent and attacked Demon when he emerged with the diamondized puppet and Danger Alarm.
• Zhao Xun claimed Demon had turned someone he cared about into a puppet and described a woman with her hair in a bun and a mole at the corner of her mouth.
• Demon recognized the description and summoned the puppet, who looked at Zhao Xun and called him “Little Xun.”

Zhao Xun used Whistle’s intelligence and a series of feints to overcome Demon, sealing his abilities with the Shackles of Cowardice and disabling him. With Demon restrained, Zhao Xun confirmed that his adoptive mother could speak again.

• Demon summoned A Le and a psychic puppet, while Zhao Xun resisted their attacks and used a flashing firefly toy to blind Demon’s group.
• Zhao Xun lured Demon into defending against attacks from above, then used summoned primates to occupy his puppets and approached under the cover of his frog form.
• Zhao Xun fitted the Shackles of Cowardice around Demon’s neck, stopping the puppets and sealing Demon’s special abilities.
• Zhao Xun bound Demon with the Lively Long Rope, blinded him, and severed the tendons in his wrists and ankles.
• Zhao Xun asked his adoptive mother if she could speak, and she confirmed that she could.

Zhao Xun freed his adoptive mother and A Le from Demon's control, then tortured Demon in revenge for his mother's death. As Demon faced death, he vowed to take Zhao Xun down with him.

• Zhao Xun learned that his adoptive mother's level-three ability could restore, absorb, and interfere with mental power, then promised to take her body home.
• His adoptive mother accepted death peacefully after Zhao Xun dripped Demon's blood onto her lips, and he stored her body.
• Zhao Xun restored A Le's awareness with Demon's blood, learned she was grateful to Whistle, and stored her body too.
• Zhao Xun used Whistle's mirror to release Demon's Puppets and make them attack him until his Vest disintegrated.
• Zhao Xun tortured Demon in the same way Demon had tortured his adoptive mother, while Demon recognized he would die and vowed to take Zhao Xun down with him.

Zhao Xun survived Demon’s explosive suicide attack and infiltrated the Laboratory to investigate his mission. He uncovered how the Laboratory abducted Slum residents for experiments, harvested their organs, and turned their remains into fertilizer, then asked what the chamber in the back was used for.

• Demon detonated his body and killed Zhao Xun, but Zhao Xun revived with [Resurrection and Frenzy] and found that Demon’s body and possessions had been destroyed.
• Zhao Xun escaped the arriving Safety Officers by turning into a rat, then crawled through the ventilation system toward the Laboratory.
• While approaching the Laboratory, Zhao Xun wondered whether Death God had become the [Train Conductor] or otherwise left the Endless Train, and decided to investigate later.
• Zhao Xun had White Coat replace the Laboratory’s surveillance feed, entered the room, and hypnotized its five workers.
• Zhao Xun examined the Laboratory’s logs and learned that it abducted people from the Slums for experiments, preserved usable organs, and made fertilizer from the remains.
• Zhao Xun pointed to the chamber in the Laboratory’s back area and asked whether it was used to turn people into fertilizer.

Zhao Xun exposed the Laboratory’s human-fertilizer and organ-transplant practices to the residents of the Underground City, then destroyed the Laboratory and received a reward. As the Technology Building began to explode, he led residents toward the exit, promising to help them escape and gain their freedom.

• Zhao Xun questioned Low Ponytail and Flat-Top Guy, learning that fertilizer made from residents caused rapid aging and that the Laboratory used residents as an organ supply for lifespan experiments.
• Zhao Xun ordered the Laboratory staff to create an explanatory video, transferred it to White Coat’s phone, and had White Coat broadcast it throughout the Underground City.
• Zhao Xun planted a bomb and set the Laboratory on fire; after the video spread and the Laboratory exploded, he completed his hidden mission and received points, survival time, and Nutrient Solution.
• Zhao Xun joined the protesting residents, took a megaphone, and urged those seeking freedom to follow him toward the exit.
• As further explosions erupted in the Technology Building, skeptical residents joined Zhao Xun’s fleeing crowd and headed for the elevator.