Chapter Summaries

Lin En leveled up the Divine Statue, expanding the Ash Church’s barrier and unlocking clergy appointments and territory construction. He chose Sivir and Ilyena for priestly roles and began planning a player hub, but balked at the high construction costs and considered another way to fund it.

• Lin En spent 10,000 Faith Points to raise the Divine Statue to level two, expanding the barrier’s radius to 1,000 meters and unlocking the Divine Office and Homestead Construction interfaces.
• Lin En learned that he could appoint two loyal followers as an Ash Priest and a Weeping Priest.
• Lin En decided to appoint Sivir as Ash Priest and Ilyena as Weeping Priest, believing they could support the players and the church.
• Lin En used the construction interface to envision a player hub with housing, shops, guild headquarters, and other facilities around the Ash Church.
• Lin En saw that buildings required large amounts of Faith Points and decided he needed a way to fund construction without paying for it himself.

Lin En decided to fund his expansion by selling land and charging players rent, then set the third closed beta quota at two hundred while keeping Faith Points in reserve. After players reported Fog Town’s liberation and the Weeping Madonna’s fall, Ji Luo announced that the V2.0 update and third closed beta would begin the next morning.

• Lin En planned to auction land near the Ash Church and charge players rent and property fees to finance the main city.
• Lin En reserved Faith Points for resurrections and emergencies, setting the third closed beta quota at two hundred new players.
• Cloud Gamers anxiously refreshed the Ninth Art forum while waiting for reports from the Fog Town battle.
• Passing Pure-Love Warrior reported that the players had defeated the Screaming Golem with help from the Weeping Madonna and Nun Ilyena.
• Even Monkeys Have Dignity revealed that the Lord of Ashes had swallowed the Weeping Madonna’s Divine Core and made Fog Town a safe zone.
• Ji Luo announced that Awakening of the Old Gods V2.0, new classes and systems, and the third closed beta would launch the next morning.

The official Awakening of the Old Gods website released an in-engine trailer depicting Fog Town under attack and the players preparing to intervene. Lu Ziye and Wang watched as the trailer ended on the Fourth Catastrophe gathered above the town.

• Players flooded the Ninth Art gaming forum with demands for Third Closed Beta slots and discussion of the Weeping Priest class and Guild System.
• At nine that evening, the Awakening of the Old Gods website released a five-minute trailer titled “Awakening of the Old Gods: the redemption of Fog Town!”
• The trailer showed Cultists bombarding a barrier that sheltered Fog Town’s desperate survivors.
• Wang called Lu Ziye over to watch the trailer, and Lu Ziye hoped his performance as the dungeon’s MVP would appear.
• The trailer revealed fifty players, including Ji Luo, Passing Pure-Love Warrior, and Immortal Star Crazy Young Master, standing on Sighing Heights above Fog Town.

A promotional cinematic for the Guild Era update showcased Lu Ziye and his teammates fighting cultists and defeating a second-tier golem, while announcing the new features and 200 third-beta slots. Old Wang recognized Lu Ziye as the hero in the footage and rushed to sign up for the beta.

• The cinematic showed Ma Lou, Jiahao, and Lu Ziye infiltrating a cultist formation and wiping out enemies with alchemical explosions.
• Ilyena transformed into a radiant Valkyrie and knocked the Screaming Golem down with a Holy Light Storm.
• Lu Ziye charged the golem with the Ash War Spear and pierced its chest as the cinematic revealed the Guild Era update and third-beta recruitment.
• Old Wang realized Lu Ziye was the player featured in the cinematic, fell at his feet, and begged him for a beta slot.
• Lu Ziye told Old Wang to sign up on the official website, and Old Wang frantically clicked the registration button.

After the cinematic went viral and sign-ups for the next beta soared, Lu Ziye and the other players celebrated their newfound fame. In a private chat, Ji Luo proposed that the five pioneering veterans form an elite mercenary group rather than compete with Kuang Shao’s large guild.

• The official website’s sign-ups for "Awakening of the Old Gods" exceeded one million, and players flooded the forums with reactions and theories about the cinematic.
• Lu Ziye watched players praise his spear thrust while Ma Lou protested that his dance had left him with an undignified GIF.
• The beta players discussed the two hundred new slots and planned how to welcome the newcomers the next morning.
• Ji Luo called the five pioneering veterans into a private chat to discuss forming a guild.
• Ji Luo proposed recruiting twenty or thirty top players and specialists for an elite mercenary group instead of building a large guild like Kuang Shao’s.

Ji Luo and the other First Closed Beta veterans named their guild Embers Kindling as the next wave of beta invitations sent the gaming community into a frenzy. Meanwhile, Lin En appointed Sivir as an Ash Priest and summoned the High Priest and Ilyena to hear his words in Fog Town.

• Ji Luo and the other four veterans rejected proposed guild names and settled on Embers Kindling, planning to recruit members the next morning.
• Two hundred closed beta invitations arrived, prompting selected players to celebrate and unselected players to complain across the forums.
• Lin En used the system to appoint the sleeping Sivir as an Ash Priest, strengthening her body and Ashen Divine Power.
• Lin En addressed the High Priest in Fog Town, honoring the Weeping Madonna’s sacrifice and ordering him to summon Ilyena.

Lin En appointed Ilyena as a Weeping Priest and instructed her and the High Priest to guide the Ash Apostles arriving in the Wasteland. The next morning, Lin Shen woke excitedly after being selected for the game’s next test and prepared to enter another world.

• Lin En told Ilyena and the High Priest that the Ash Apostles were otherworldly Heroic Spirits and asked them to guide the apostles and teach Fog Town about them.
• Lin En used his compassion authority to appoint Ilyena as a Weeping Priest, stabilizing her divine power at beginner second tier.
• The High Priest and Ilyena accepted their new duties and remained in the Divine Hall, anticipating the apostles’ arrival.
• Lin Shen woke to his alarms at six thirty and recalled how the game’s bizarre battle reports had drawn him to register for Awakening of the Old Gods.
• Lin Shen celebrated receiving a selection email and told his family group chat that he would enter another world the next morning.

Lin Shen entered Awakening of the Old Gods as a Weeping Priest and joined two hundred other third closed beta players at the Ash Church. Their arrival drew a crowd of seasoned first and second beta players, who came to inspect the newcomers.

• Lin Shen waited through the countdown, entered the game, and created a character named [Give Me Your Phone].
• Lin Shen chose the Weeping Priest class and appeared at the ruined Ash Church.
• Two hundred third closed beta players arrived together and excitedly tested the game's realistic world.
• The first closed beta group and more than fifty second beta players returned through the Ash Teleportation Array to watch the newcomers and seek promising recruits.
• The veterans' gear, combat experience, and level advantage intimidated the two hundred newcomers.

Sivir welcomed the new Ash Apostles with a fervent speech after becoming an Ash Priest, and the veterans and newcomers alike rallied to fight for the Lord of Ashes. A system announcement then awarded Fog Town campaign participants experience, Ash Coins, and a lottery draw, while every player received an update bonus.

• Two hundred newcomers admired the veterans arriving at the Ash Church, and Lu Ziye showed off to Ji Luo before Ji Luo urged him to keep a low profile.
• Sivir emerged in a new priestly gown, greeted the Apostles, and called on them to reclaim the land for the light.
• The newcomers cheered Sivir's speech and prepared to charge into the Black Forest.
• The system announced Fog Town campaign rewards, including 150 experience points, 50 Ash Coins, and one lottery draw for each participant.
• The system gave every player 20 Ash Coins, and the veterans celebrated their lottery draws as the newcomers watched.

Lu Ziye, Ma Lou, Jiahao, and the other veterans took turns drawing from the Lucky Prize Wheel and won only consolation prizes. God Never Laughs then won the grand prize, the epic-grade Evil God's Fear Statue, leaving the veterans staring at him with envy.

• Lu Ziye boasted of his luck but won an Ash Robe, then Ma Lou drew five Ash Coins.
• Jiahao claimed he understood the wheel's odds, drew a Broken Cultists Sword, and pretended it matched his prediction.
• More than fifty veterans drew consolation prizes while the Third Closed Beta newbies watched.
• God Never Laughs drew the Evil God's Fear Statue in one pull, triggering a server-wide announcement and stunned silence.

After the Lucky Prize Wheel ended, Ji Luo and four veteran players pooled their Ash Coins to establish the server’s first guild, Embers Kindling. As players rushed to join, Ji Luo announced that the guild would recruit only fifteen skilled members.

• Veteran players dogpiled God Never Laughs after he won the epic statue, but Ji Luo broke up the beating and told him to save the prize for hidden-class advancement.
• Ji Luo announced that the guild system had unlocked, and players discovered that founding a guild required level 10 and 300 Ash Coins.
• Ji Luo, Lu Ziye, Ma Lou, Jiahao, and Bossy Guy each contributed 60 Ash Coins, allowing Ji Luo to establish Embers Kindling as the server’s first guild.
• Players crowded around the five founders seeking invitations, while Kuang Shao recruited players to pool funds for the Undying Stars Guild.
• Ji Luo invited his four companions and announced that Embers Kindling would interview applicants for its fifteen remaining slots.

As players gathered at the Ash Church, Lu Ziye, Even Monkeys Have Dignity, and I'm Not Jiahao reached the level 19 advancement threshold. Sivir explained their class-change options, and Ma Lou's Evil God Flesh Remnant appeared to be the key to unlocking a hidden class.

• New and veteran players formed groups, bought equipment, and set out from the Ash Church to explore the Wasteland.
• Sivir watched the lively gathering and felt that the apostles had brought hope to the Wasteland.
• Lu Ziye, Even Monkeys Have Dignity, and I'm Not Jiahao told Sivir they had reached level 19 and needed to advance.
• Sivir described Ash Baptism, Compassion Baptism, and offering another deity's authority to unlock a hidden class.
• Lu Ziye, Ji Luo, and the others realized that Ma Lou's Evil God Flesh Remnant contained an Ancient Evil God's Devouring authority and might unlock a hidden class.

The First Closed Beta Five-Person Group debated which of its members should claim the only [Evil God Flesh Remnant] and its hidden class. Meanwhile, [Give Me Your Phone] set out alone from the Ash Church toward the Black Forest to scavenge and hunt mutants.

• Jiahao pointed out that the [Evil God Flesh Remnant] could grant the server’s only hidden class, creating tension among the group’s three level-19 players.
• [Ji Luo] led the five players into the Withered Grove, where [Kindergarten Boss] and [Ji Luo] stepped aside and left Lu Ziye, Jiahao, and Ma Lou to decide who would claim the remnant.
• Jiahao suggested the remnant’s class would likely focus on lifesteal, devouring, or mutation, then argued that Lu Ziye’s desired mage aesthetic did not suit it.
• Lu Ziye admitted he was conflicted but refused to give up a unique hidden class, while Ma Lou argued that its villainous style would suit him.
• [Give Me Your Phone] rejected joining a group, chose to spend a life scouting for profitable loot, and left the sanctuary barrier for the Wilderness.
• [Give Me Your Phone] crafted a Simple Stone Hammer from a Blackwood Stick, broken stone, and vine, then headed toward an area where low-tier mutants had returned.

[Give Me Your Phone] and [You've Cried Already] teamed up after ambushing the same Corrupted Villager and decided to explore deeper into the Black Forest. They reached its dark outskirts and spotted a First-Tier Mutant Hound, with [You've Cried Already] proposing they attack it.

• [Give Me Your Phone] charged a Corrupted Villager, while [You've Cried Already] unexpectedly emerged from nearby grass with a spear.
• [Give Me Your Phone] struck the Corrupted Villager with his Stone Hammer, and [You've Cried Already] finished it with a spear thrust through its brain.
• [Give Me Your Phone] and [You've Cried Already] introduced themselves, agreed to team up, and formed the Two Ghosts at the Door ambush squad.
• The pair killed several more Corrupted Villagers and rejected other solo players' reluctance to venture deeper into the Black Forest.
• [Give Me Your Phone] and [You've Cried Already] spotted a First-Tier Mutant Hound beneath a dead tree, and [You've Cried Already] suggested they fight it.

[Give Me Your Phone] and [You're Already Crying] were surrounded by Cultists and Mutant Hounds in the Black Forest. [Give Me Your Phone] pretended to be an eager Abyss convert to keep the squad from attacking, and the chapter ended with him urging [You're Already Crying] to join the act.

• The Mutant Hound spotted [Give Me Your Phone] and [You're Already Crying] as they hid in the grass.
• A Cultists patrol and several more Mutant Hounds surrounded the two players, leaving them seemingly trapped.
• [You're Already Crying] prepared to fight, but [Give Me Your Phone] stopped him and said he would try something.
• [Give Me Your Phone] leapt out, claimed he wanted to join the Abyss, and praised the Holy Lord to confuse the Cultists.
• [Give Me Your Phone] called [You're Already Crying] his cousin and ordered him to come pay respects to the Cultists.

[Give Me Your Phone] and [You're Crying Now] pretended to embrace the Abyss and were escorted by Cultists toward their branch in the Black Forest. Meanwhile, the five veteran players debated their class paths and focused on whether Lu Ziye should take the hidden class.

• [Give Me Your Phone] and [You're Crying Now] acted like frightened cousins who wanted to join the Abyss, convincing the Cultists they were genuine recruits.
• The Cultist squad leader ordered his followers to take the two players back to the branch, while they secretly wondered if they had unlocked undercover gameplay.
• [Ji Luo] led the veterans in assigning future class paths, choosing the Ash Apostles path for himself and a defensive tank build for [Kindergarten Boss].
• The group considered Jiahao and Ma Lou poor fits for the hidden class because their ruthless tactical styles already suited them.
• The veterans turned to Lu Ziye, who claimed he wanted to become a White-Haired Explosive Mage, and Ma Lou mocked him for charging into fights with melee weapons.

Lu Ziye accepted the Evil God Flesh Remnant as his hidden class-change item and brought it to the Divine Statue. Lin En warned that the Abyssal power would mark him as a cultist to other righteous factions, but Lu Ziye and Ma Lou were excited by the prospect of attracting enemies.

• [Ji Luo] gave Lu Ziye the Evil God Flesh Remnant, and Lu Ziye promised to help make Embers Kindling the strongest guild in the Wasteland World.
• The group joked about [I'm Not Jiahao]'s violent stories and the Jiahao meme before returning to the Ash Church.
• Lu Ziye placed the Evil God Flesh Remnant on the altar, but the Divine Statue initially showed no response.
• Lin En spoke through the Divine Statue, explaining that the remnant contained Abyss Evil God authority and warning that accepting it would make other righteous factions mistake Lu Ziye for a cultist.
• Lu Ziye and Ma Lou welcomed the warning as a chance to draw hostile players and wondered whether they could loot allied gear.

Lin En advanced Lu Ziye into the Devouring Apostle class, granting him the Abyss’s protection from unprovoked attacks by Mutants and a dramatic transformation. Lu Ziye revealed two powerful basic skills, while his teammates waited to hear about the class’s advanced skills.

• Lin En explained that the Abyss’s aura would keep Mutants from attacking Lu Ziye unprovoked, and Lu Ziye agreed to take on its power.
• Lu Ziye paid 100 Ash Coins to advance, causing the Evil God Flesh Remnant to shatter and merge with him in a blood-red transformation.
• Lu Ziye woke with dark red light in his eyes and praised his new Hidden Class as amazing.
• Lu Ziye revealed Self-Healing Blood, which let him damage enemies and restore his health by devouring their blood.
• Lu Ziye revealed Devouring Power, which let him gain experience and recover by devouring magical attacks.
• Lu Ziye’s teammates grew envious as he prepared to describe the Devouring Apostle’s advanced skills.

Lu Ziye’s Second Tier hidden class, Devouring Apostle, was revealed to the server, drawing a crowd eager to learn how to obtain it. Lin En gained a milestone reward as the players dispersed to level up, leaving him with enough faith points for now but plans to expand further.

• Lu Ziye’s companions examined his Devouring Apostle skills and marveled at their power.
• A server-wide announcement named Passing Pure-Love Warrior as the first player to reach Second Tier nightmare tier and acquire a hidden class.
• Ji Luo calmed the crowd and promised a forum guide on Second Tier advancement and hidden-class materials.
• Players left the Ash Church to grind in the Black Forest or explore maps near Fog Town.
• Lin En received 10,000 faith points for passing the 100-player milestone, bringing his reserves above 20,000.

Lin En planned to introduce crafting professions and recruit skilled NPC instructors, while reminding himself that Fog Town remained weak compared with the Wasteland’s great powers. Meanwhile, the newly arrived players swept the Black Forest outskirts, where dangerous monsters caused a surge in deaths.

• Lin En recognized that the game offered little for life-skill players and devised a player economy linking gatherers, crafters, and combat players through trades that could earn him commissions.
• Lin En realized players needed expert instructors to learn alchemy and blacksmithing, so he planned to recruit NPCs with specialized skills.
• Lin En reflected that Fog Town and its roughly two hundred players were vulnerable beside the Wasteland’s powerful cities and armies.
• More than two hundred players slaughtered the Corrupted Villagers and Mutant Hounds outside the Ash Church, then headed into the Black Forest outskirts for better loot.
• The players encountered venomous and mentally corrupting monsters in the forest, and their rising death toll made the Ash Church’s resurrection lights flash repeatedly.