Chapter Summaries

Ye Lin urged Aroro to spend his points strengthening himself instead of sending them back to the starving goblins, arguing that surviving longer could save more of his people. After their call ended, Aroro stood silently by the campfire, looking as though he had seen another version of himself.

• Ye Lin considered Aroro’s warning that resurrected beings died again and resolved to learn more from the Patroller.
• Ye Lin asked Aroro about his plans and realized Aroro intended to spend his points on food for one last meal.
• Aroro explained that the goblins were starving, that almost none survived the first round, and that the race faced extinction unless the disaster ended.
• Ye Lin urged Aroro to use his points to strengthen himself and become the goblins’ hope rather than transferring them back immediately.
• Aroro told Ye Lin that the Empire already supported goblins striving to reach higher rounds, but Ye Lin asked why Aroro could not become their hope.
• Three minutes later, the call ended, and Aroro stood motionless by the campfire, looking back as if he had seen another version of himself.

Ye Lin used his Level One privilege to ask the system about the Ye Lin buried in the tomb and learned that the man was not him, but the rest of his identity exceeded the system’s limits. As he considered seeking answers from the organization or the Military, an unknown party offered him a cross-network communication.

• Ye Lin weighed spending points on information about the tomb against saving them for enhancements and resurrection, then submitted his inquiry.
• The system offered Ye Lin one free inquiry because of his Level One privilege, and he confirmed it.
• The system said the tomb’s Ye Lin was not him and briefly revealed the word “Salvation” before warning that the man’s identity exceeded its inquiry limits.
• Ye Lin tried asking about the tomb occupant’s death and connections, but the system denied every question as beyond his clearance.
• Ye Lin decided the organization or the Military might hold answers and saw a notice that an unknown party had paid 50 points to contact him.

Ye Lin spoke with Loren, the Patroller, who offered to make him a vassal and explained why the Starshatterer Alliance would keep targeting him. Loren warned that Ye Lin had mastered no energy and would definitely die in the seventh exam if he enhanced himself to Grade A.

• Ye Lin accepted the Patroller’s costly cross-network call and met Loren in a separate communication space.
• Loren said Ye Lin was not qualified to join his faction but could become a vassal, with protection from the teams hunting him.
• Ye Lin questioned what vassalhood meant and challenged Loren’s claim that he would die if he refused.
• Loren explained that the Starshatterers would hunt Ye Lin in every exam because their power gave them that privilege.
• Loren told Ye Lin he had mastered no form of energy and would definitely die in the seventh exam if he reached Grade A.

Ye Lin learned from the Patroller that he lacked psionic energy and relied on borrowed abilities, leaving him dangerously weak despite his progress. The Patroller warned that his dynamically adjusted examinations would demand far more than he had achieved, though other paths to survival existed.

• Ye Lin asked what the Patroller meant by mastering energy, and the Patroller explained that psionic energy was the fundamental energy behind abilities.
• The Patroller told Ye Lin that his system-granted skills were borrowed, inflexible, and costly, and that he had little potential to grow stronger through them.
• Ye Lin asked how he could master psionic energy, but the Patroller said his lack of an innate foundation made it impossible and judged him far below the strength needed for the seventh examination.
• Ye Lin questioned the Patroller's claim by pointing out that some people had survived later examinations without knowing about psionic energy.
• The Patroller admitted that other paths could lead to survival, but warned Ye Lin that the system tailored examination difficulty to him and that his current progress was insufficient.

Loren explained that Ye Lin and his teammates needed to take makeup examinations and push through more exams to survive the stronger opponents waiting after the seventh. Ye Lin asked how to resurrect his teammates, and Loren warned that the price might be more than he could bear.

• Loren told Ye Lin that perfect scores were insufficient and that other civilizations’ examinees took unlimited makeup examinations without increasing their exam count.
• Loren warned Ye Lin that after the seventh exam, his group would face opponents who had completed far more exams, and revealed that rival teams hunted them to delay their own deaths.
• Ye Lin realized the suicide victim’s letter had urged them to face more exams so they could prepare for the other races.
• Loren said the true examination was more than the one Ye Lin was currently taking, then told him to choose one final question.
• Ye Lin asked how he could resurrect his teammates, and Loren warned him that the cost might be unbearable.

Ye Lin pressed the Patroller for a way to resurrect He Zheng and the others, learning that the two conventional methods could not truly restore the dead. He realized the Patroller had been leading him toward another method, and the Patroller revealed that he wanted Ye Lin’s corpse.

• The Patroller explained that one resurrection method used a teammate’s corpse and a costly ritual, but could summon a ghost and led to deadly penalty missions.
• The Patroller described a second method that implanted preserved memories into a new living being, which lacked the original’s abilities and also faced punishment.
• Ye Lin concluded that neither method truly brought He Zheng and the others back and questioned why the Patroller had mentioned a price.
• Ye Lin deduced that the Patroller wanted him to ask about a real method and said he would accept its price.
• The Patroller approached Ye Lin and said he wanted Ye Lin’s corpse.

Loren explained that Ye Lin could use the Eternal Page’s Projection ability and a special item to resurrect the dead, but warned that if they died again, Ye Lin would lose every memory and feeling connected to them. After considering the price, Ye Lin chose to proceed and asked how to obtain the fusion item.

• Loren told Ye Lin that the Eternal Page’s Projection ability could help resurrect the dead by fusing projected consciousness entities with people created using points.
• Loren explained that the Eternal Page recorded higher-dimensional information about souls, and that resurrected people would inherit their abilities, points, and synchronized exam counts without system punishment.
• Loren warned that if the resurrected people died again, Ye Lin would lose all memories and feelings connected to them, making their deaths permanent.
• Ye Lin understood that his fate would be bound to He Zheng and the others, then asked Loren how to get the fusion item.

Ye Lin questioned Loren about obtaining a Fusion item and the power of the fourth tier, but Loren pressured him to become a Patroller vassal and warned that many factions were hunting him. Ye Lin refused to surrender his freedom and searched for another way to survive as Loren forced him to choose between vassalage and death.

• Loren explained that Ye Lin could earn an Emblem by completing a Makeup Examination, which the Patrollers could exchange for a Fusion item if Ye Lin became their vassal.
• Ye Lin asked whether any Instance would provide an Emblem and rejected Loren's offer to grant entry in exchange for ninety percent of his gains.
• Loren warned that Makeup Examinations could be deadly, then unleashed overwhelming pressure when he realized Ye Lin was considering resisting the Patrollers.
• Loren revealed that fourth-tier fighters wielded rules, which could render lesser abilities useless, and said the Star Voyager hunting Ye Lin was only a disposable pawn.
• Loren offered Ye Lin two choices: become a vassal and receive protection, or refuse and face death from the Starshatterers, Demihumans, Echo Demons, and other teams.
• Ye Lin clenched his fists and searched for another way to avoid becoming a vassal or dying.

Ye Lin resisted Loren’s demand to become his vassal and deduced that Loren wanted him as a memoryless vessel. Loren concealed his shock and asked Ye Lin to state his terms.

• Loren told Ye Lin he could not reach the fourth tier in time and threatened him with death unless he became a vassal.
• Ye Lin questioned Loren’s claims and realized that Loren’s insistence on the Eternal Page and changing bodies pointed to a hidden motive.
• Ye Lin accused Loren of wanting a version of him stripped of his memories and asked who Loren intended to resurrect.
• Loren suppressed his murderous intent and asked Ye Lin to state his terms.

Ye Lin negotiated with Loren for protection, power, and a chance to revive his teammates, but Loren refused to grant most of his demands. Ye Lin signed a contract tying his corpse to the Patrollers in exchange for entry to the Starfield Battlefield and their protection, then returned to the Death Exam Space determined to grow stronger.

• Ye Lin demanded a Fusion item, information about Rules, and protection from the Starshatterers, while Loren explained privileges, the privilege shop, and humanity's lack of racial talents.
• Loren refused to provide a Fusion item or explain Rules, then offered a contract that would let Ye Lin stay with his companions for a few more rounds before the Patrollers claimed his corpse.
• Ye Lin threatened to kill himself and proposed a contract granting the Patrollers ownership of his corpse, in return for a way to catch up with and kill the Starshatterers.
• After consulting his superiors, Loren agreed to Ye Lin's conditions, promised protection, and revealed that Ye Lin would enter the Starfield Battlefield after reviving and bringing his teammates.
• Ye Lin examined and signed the contract, which sealed itself onto the back of his hand, and Loren ended the communication.
• Back in the Death Exam Space, Ye Lin reflected on his helplessness and vowed to grow strong enough that no one could decide his fate.

Ye Lin weighed the risks and rewards of the available Makeup Examinations and chose Fengdu to seek the dead Examinee’s belongings and information. Before entering, he went to collect his dead companions’ possessions and encountered a lifelike copy of Yang Qiao in He Zheng’s room.

• Ye Lin inspected the Cataclysm Orb but decided not to use it, then ruled out the Transcendence and Mysterious and Subtle Instances.
• Ye Lin considered Origin of the Godkind and Fengdu, deciding Fengdu offered better chances to gain strength and obtain the dead Examinee’s letters and equipment.
• Ye Lin realized he needed to collect the belongings in He Zheng, the others’, and Yang Qiao’s rooms before the system erased them.
• Ye Lin opened He Zheng’s Room 8 and found a bustling residential neighborhood that resembled reality.
• Yang Qiao recognized Ye Lin and asked whether he and He Zheng had returned from a business trip, leaving Ye Lin unable to answer.

Ye Lin went to He Zheng’s home, where Yang Qiao gave him the key to a safe and he found He Zheng’s letter. After reading He Zheng’s final words and leaving Yang Qiao with medicine, Ye Lin returned to the Death Exam Space carrying the question of whether He Zheng had died bravely for him.

• Yang Qiao gave Ye Lin the key He Zheng had left for him and pointed him toward the locked room.
• Ye Lin opened the safe and found gold bars and a letter He Zheng had written for him.
• He Zheng’s letter joked about his death before confessing his fear, regret, and wish to return home with Yang Qiao.
• Ye Lin put the letter and the safe’s contents into the Necklace, then gave Yang Qiao the pills he had exchanged through the system.
• Ye Lin left He Zheng’s home and returned to the Death Exam Space, where he read He Zheng’s last question about whether he had died bravely for him.

Ye Lin entered Huang Liang’s room and discovered a collection of detailed examination notes, including Huang Liang’s theory that each death exam followed a theme and concealed a larger secret. As Ye Lin began to suspect his own training had prepared him for the exams, a hidden voice recorder activated beneath the desk.

• Ye Lin left An Ke’s room untouched and entered Huang Liang’s room to see what he had left behind.
• Ye Lin found Huang Liang’s manuals documenting examination hazards, system traps, and possible solutions.
• Ye Lin read Huang Liang’s theory that the first three examinations centered on breaking habitual thinking, pursuing the optimal solution, and deception.
• Ye Lin considered whether identifying an examination’s theme could reveal its traps and wondered if the organization had deliberately prepared him for the exams.
• A hidden box opened beneath the desk, and a voice recorder began playing: “Ye Lin, I’m dead, aren’t I?”

Ye Lin listened to Huang Liang’s recordings, which revealed that the Military had hidden a more powerful weapon from him and urgently needed him to send information about the Death Exam back to the real world. The third recording began to disclose a startling secret: the Military had found many versions of Ye Lin.

• Huang Liang’s recording apologized for swapping out the Specialized Pistol prepared for Ye Lin and giving him a Type 77 instead.
• Huang Liang explained that the Military had learned entrants could bring weapons into the Death Exam but had withheld powerful weapons because earlier armed soldiers had died inside.
• Huang Liang urged Ye Lin to send back information that could help the Military prepare entrants and prevent further human experiments and deaths.
• Ye Lin considered his lack of trust in humanity but chose to listen to the third part of the recording.
• Huang Liang told Ye Lin that the Military had found many versions of him, leaving Ye Lin stunned.

Ye Lin learned from Huang Liang's recording that people resembling him had appeared across different eras, and that the Military suspected supernatural forces linked the clues. Huang Liang urged Ye Lin to contact the real world using a code from the final recording, and Ye Lin pressed play to hear it.

• Ye Lin reeled as Huang Liang revealed that many versions of him existed.
• Huang Liang described classified photographs of Ye Lin in ancient and modern eras, including corpses found in places humans could not survive, and a genetic match to extraterrestrial beings.
• Huang Liang said the AG Organization had not copied Ye Lin and had killed themselves before Ye Lin entered the tomb.
• Huang Liang explained that the Military connected the era-spanning records, a 2021 classified project, and the 2026 tomb incident because they all pointed to Ye Lin.
• Huang Liang said the AG Organization had left a message about the world's deepest secret and provided a code that would make the Military trust Ye Lin.
• Ye Lin silently pressed play on the Voice Recorder's final segment.

Ye Lin listened to Huang Liang’s final recording, which revealed that Huang Liang had received signals from Earth and urged Ye Lin to contact the military for humanity’s sake. The recording ended with Huang Liang’s secret code and a message declaring that he had completed his mission.

• Huang Liang said his transmitters had received electromagnetic signals, suggesting the Death Exam Space was near the Solar System.
• Huang Liang warned Ye Lin that the exams might threaten all of humanity and urged him to seek support from the military and share his gathered information.
• Huang Liang revealed that the military had secretly trained elite soldiers who could become Ye Lin’s teammates.
• Huang Liang gave Ye Lin the military contact code HL03257 and told him where to find the transmitters.
• He Zheng called Huang Liang to the next exam, and Huang Liang’s final message asked Ye Lin to tell the real world that Cadet No. 3257 had completed his mission.

Ye Lin investigated Huang Liang’s rooftop transmitter and, just as he was about to leave for the Fengdu Instance, received calls from military forces around the world asking him to respond. Meanwhile, Minister Zhang faced global panic over the Death Exam and asked whether the source of the signal had been located.

• Ye Lin considered Huang Liang’s revelations about the Military, the organization’s suicides, and its plan to send him into the Tomb.
• Ye Lin examined Huang Liang’s Signal Transmission System but initially heard only silence through the monitoring headphones.
• Ye Lin decided to leave the rooftop to prepare for the Fengdu Instance, then froze when the transmitter began broadcasting pleas for contact from military forces worldwide.
• Minister Zhang and Zhang Hong discussed the panic, mass flight from cities, and rising death toll caused by the Death Exam’s changed rules.
• Minister Zhang asked whether the Military had made progress tracing the signal that had appeared two days earlier.

Zhang Hong opposed the Fireseed Plan to send people away from Earth, arguing that it would abandon the public and leave the examinees without a home if they returned. A new signal from source [626] triggered a worldwide emergency response, and Zhang Hong rushed to the communications base.

• Zhang Hong learned that the latest vote for the Fireseed Plan was nearing fifty percent, with some military committee members supporting it.
• Zhang Hong condemned the plan as an impossible escape that would deceive the public and risk collapsing civilization.
• Zhang Hong ordered Secretary Tang to contact Chairman Fang and declare his opposition, then hurried to confront the committee.
• A highest-priority alert reported that signal source [626] had been detected again and ordered senior officials to prepare for contact.
• Zhang Hong called to Tang Yuan to leave for the site as fighter jets and helicopters raced toward communications bases.

As panic over the ongoing disappearances sparked riots in Zhongjing City, Seoul, and cities around the world, governments sent senior officials and military aircraft to bases that had received a mysterious signal. At a communications base in China’s Southern War Zone, operators waited tensely for the signal to be decoded.

• A crowd tried to force its way out of Zhongjing City after a father accused the authorities of lying about his missing daughter, and a riot broke out at the highway checkpoint.
• A fighter jet and helicopters flew toward the military district, prompting the injured traffic police captain to realize that something major had happened.
• In Seoul, cultists and rioters attacked the presidential residence as fighter jets departed a US military base for the country’s largest astronomical observatory.
• Governments around the world sent senior leaders aboard military aircraft to bases that had received the same signal.
• At the South Sea Fleet base in China’s Southern War Zone, communications personnel watched as signals were decoded and waited for a message.

Deputy Chief Zhang Haiping and the command center waited anxiously for a message from the missing national cadets, but the first decoded block appeared to be meaningless. A military officer recognized the code HL03257 as one of their assigned identifiers, and familiar Chinese text began appearing on the screen.

• Deputy Chief Zhang Haiping arrived at the command center and ordered the technicians to decode the signal and maintain strict confidentiality.
• Military representatives reported that experts were gathering, the fleets were on level-one combat readiness, and they could not stop other countries from sharing a message they decoded first.
• A technician announced that the first message had been recovered, but the block of characters looked like gibberish and plunged the command hall into despair.
• A military officer with a Great Wall Military Insignia recognized HL03257 as one of the identifiers assigned to the 3,600 national cadets and declared that the sender was one of their own.
• Two lines of familiar Chinese text appeared on the screen.