Chapter Summaries

Chen Lun traced Ruiyin’s curse to a plot by the Chrysalis of the End and uncovered the group’s secret cooperation with the Red Apple Church. After killing their contact in Pyrite City, he found writings about the Three Ladies of Pain and began to question how the three deities were connected.

• Chen Lun found a cursed black rose beneath a tree and deduced that a Chrysalis of the End member had used it to manipulate Ruiyin and Malediz into obtaining Sunset Chrysanthemum Dew.
• Chen Lun used the rose to divine the contact’s whereabouts, then entered Pyrite City’s low-rent district and found four Beyonders hiding in a shack.
• Chen Lun killed three men, hypnotized the fourth, and learned that the Chrysalis of the End was gathering mystical substances and Sunset Chrysanthemum Dew after reaching an agreement with the Red Apple Church.
• Chen Lun killed the surviving contact and searched the shack, where he found booklets about the Chrysalis of the End and the Three Ladies of Pain.
• Chen Lun read that the Silent Lady, the Lady of Sighs, and Lady Dimness were associated with the Moon, Deep Sea, and Flesh Pathways, and wondered what bound them together.

Chen Lun memorized Lady Dimness's honorific name and learned that sunset chrysanthemum dew was required for prayer rituals, but stopped investigating after his Spiritual Intuition warned him. In Pyrite City, the Chrysalis of the End and the Red Apple Church met to plan their cooperation, while the Murder Club assassin Drink hunted cult members nearby.

• Chen Lun read the Chrysalis of the End's records, memorized Lady Dimness's honorific name, and decided not to investigate further.
• Yarlin hosted a party as cover while Chrysalis of the End leaders met Red Apple Church representatives in his basement.
• Gallup urged Hogan to speed up their plan and revealed that he had offered his body as a vessel for Rafa Grand Bishop's avatar.
• A cult member reported that five Chrysalis of the End members had been killed and a small base destroyed, and Gallup said they would kill the Murder Club assassin and the intruder.
• Drink killed three people beneath a stone bridge and realized the Chrysalis of the End had joined forces with the Red Apple Church.

Drink’s traumatic past drove him to join the hunt against the Red Apple Church, while Chen Lun returned to Ruiyin and received two rare Spirit World Stones from her. After hypnotizing Ruiyin to resume treating her curse, Chen Lun summoned Mr. Bottle for help.

• Drink recalled how a Red Apple Church cleric murdered his family for an Ascension Ritual and how he later killed the cleric, only to learn the Church’s leaders had ordered the atrocity.
• Drink joined the other Churches’ hunt against the Red Apple Church and covered himself in the Balag Necklace’s barbed armor as he went into battle alone.
• Chen Lun visited Ruiyin and claimed he needed to cast another spell to remove her curse.
• Ruiyin gave Chen Lun two Spirit World Stones, which he realized could create a one-time passage for long-distance teleportation.
• Chen Lun hypnotized Ruiyin with [Siren's Song] and rang [Bottle's Copper Bell], summoning Mr. Bottle from the Spirit World.

Chen Lun removed Ruiyin’s curse and left before her family discovered her recovery. In the Spirit World, he encountered the Murder Club’s Faceless Attendant, who offered him an emergency commission to help the gravely injured Drink.

• Chen Lun summoned Mr. Bottle to eat the curse from Ruiyin, restoring her original appearance.
• Malediz, Pang Bei, and Sibert found Ruiyin healed, and she told them that Mr. Black Messenger had saved her.
• Pang Bei and Sibert identified Mr. Jack as the Black Messenger, and Malediz resolved to visit him and thank him.
• Chen Lun entered the Spirit World to return and help Fuluoyin complete her ascension ritual.
• The Faceless Attendant told Chen Lun that Drink was gravely injured and had requested an emergency mission for nearby Murder Club members.

Chen Lun found the dying Drink in a sewer, heard how Rafa of the Red Apple Church had defeated him, and promised to carry out Drink’s final wish. After Drink died, Akbin poured a third glass of wine for a friend who might never drink it.

• Chen Lun followed Drink’s letter to a sewer on Spinn Street and found him gravely wounded.
• Drink told Chen Lun that Rafa had appeared in a physical incarnation and explained his pursuit of the Red Apple Church.
• Drink gave Chen Lun his belongings and asked him to destroy the Red Apple Church; Chen Lun agreed.
• Drink died, and Chen Lun collected his remains, necklace, and wallet before leaving the sewer.
• Akbin poured three glasses of wine and told Maggie that one belonged to a friend who might never drink it.

Chen Lun examined Drink’s relics after returning to Amber City, then welcomed Morey to the team and gave him, Golov, and Barton the transcendent knowledge needed to advance to Sequence 8. The chapter ended with the three men receiving their manuscripts at dinner.

• Chen Lun returned to Amber City, released the Cautious Gardener, and realized Morey would arrive several days later by train.
• Chen Lun studied Drink’s Bloodthirsty Bandage and Balag Necklace, deciding their powers could greatly strengthen him despite their costs.
• Chen Lun completed “The Keyhole” and transcribed several copies of the Sequence 8 Locksmith knowledge.
• Morey arrived at Jack Manor, met the team, and settled into his new role among them.
• Chen Lun presented Morey, Golov, and Barton with copies of the Sequence 8 Locksmith knowledge at a welcoming dinner.

Chen Lun took Fuluoyin into Wonderland to begin her Sequence 7 ascension ritual, choosing a mine chamber full of wraiths as the site. The ritual began, and the wraiths charged as Fuluoyin prepared to fight them.

• Chen Lun gave Golov, Barton, and Morey Mysterious Objects to strengthen the team.
• Chen Lun activated one Spirit World Stone to test a temporary portal and planned to leave it as an escape route.
• Chen Lun took Fuluoyin into Wonderland and led her through the mine to find a suitable group of wraiths.
• Fuluoyin prepared her ritual and learned she had to defeat ten spirits with her soul-slashing ability before its candles went out.
• Chen Lun and Fuluoyin jumped into the chamber, where she summoned a black scythe and the approaching wraiths charged at them.

Chen Lun helped Fuluoyin complete her advancement to Sequence 7, then learned about her new abilities and planned to explore deeper into the mine with her. They left the mining area’s wraiths defeated and set out to hunt more spirits and search for another Wooden Hut.

• Chen Lun and Fuluoyin fought together, using his Snake Sword and her moon-powered vines and scythe to destroy the wraiths.
• After Fuluoyin completed her ritual, Chen Lun confirmed that she had advanced to Sequence 7 and gained a blessing connected to the Moon God.
• Fuluoyin explained that she could fire soul-destroying light waves and retain some defeated spirits’ power to strengthen herself.
• Chen Lun suggested ways she could refine her new abilities and proposed hunting more wraiths while searching deeper in the mine for the next Wooden Hut.
• Fuluoyin agreed, and Chen Lun led her farther into the mining area.

Rafa failed to persuade Lady Dimness to lift the mark preventing Profane Duke Ragnar’s return, and she killed everyone in the ritual except Rafa. Meanwhile, Chen Lun helped Fuluoyin grow stronger during a hunt and planned to find the final piece of Transcendent Knowledge needed for his advancement.

• Rafa summoned Lady Dimness and offered an entire city in exchange for lifting the mark on the [Profane Holy Sword] so Ragnar could return to the Mortal World.
• Lady Dimness rejected Rafa’s offer and drained the blood and spirituality from everyone present, leaving Rafa alive after his avatar nearly disintegrated.
• Rafa left the basement and decided to continue trying to resurrect the former pope before visiting the Fortune Teller from his past.
• Chen Lun and Fuluoyin returned from hunting in the Gloom Plains mines, where Fuluoyin shaped [Soul Bind], maxed out [Requiem], and gained Mystical Accumulation while Chen Lun found two portions of Transcendent Knowledge.
• Chen Lun walked the tipsy Fuluoyin to her room and kissed her forehead good night, and she secretly wished him good night as Lord Jack.

Chen Lun explored the canyon beneath the Gloom Plains, discovered a river of blood and a corrupted plant guarding a Wooden Hut, and entered the hut to claim the final piece of Transcendent Knowledge. He found a manuscript page waiting on the desk.

• Chen Lun left the Manor's affairs in Connie's hands and entered Wonderland to seek the final piece of Transcendent Knowledge.
• Chen Lun reached a cliff at the end of the mine passage and flew through the mist to a river of blood below.
• Chen Lun followed the river past banks of fingernails, teeth, and strange statues until he reached a Wooden Hut guarded by a Corpse Carpet.
• Chen Lun burned the Corpse Carpet with supernatural fire, forcing it to retreat beneath the riverbank.
• Chen Lun entered the Wooden Hut and found a manuscript page on the desk.

Chen Lun completed the Transcendent Knowledge for the Fate Faction Sequence 6 and began planning an ascension performance staged in two cities. Meanwhile, Rafa unleashed a mass mutation in Pyrite City, plunging it into chaos as players began investigating the attack.

• Chen Lun collected the final manuscript page, completed his Sequence 6 knowledge, and triggered the ascension quest, which required a shocking escape performance at two locations simultaneously.
• Chen Lun rejected staging the performance in Amber City's Inner and Outer Districts and chose the Red Apple Church as the likely target for his plan.
• Rafa rang the City Council clock tower bell in Pyrite City and released a strange power that caused countless citizens to mutate into ravenous monsters.
• Players in Pyrite City recognized Rafa from the Closed Beta and posted reports of the Red Calamity as the city descended into chaos.
• Dongyang and other expert Circus players received alerts about the attack and agreed to discuss it at the Lakeside Cabin.
• Rafa watched the city’s carnage and gathered Sinblood in his Crystal Cup, saying he needed more to resurrect Dolomipulnis and to drink.

Rafa learned that Lady Dimness had erased the Profane Holy Sword, then retaliated by burning people across Pyrite City. In Amber City, Chen Lun welcomed visitors who thanked him for helping Ruiyin and told them he planned to leave the city.

• Rafa discovered that the Profane Holy Sword had vanished and realized his father could no longer be resurrected.
• Rafa appeared in Pyrite City's crowded streets and spread blackish-purple flames that incinerated people.
• Chen Lun welcomed Viscount Pompey, his family, Sibert, Malediz, and Ruiyin to Jack Manor.
• Ruiyin and Rebecca competed for Chen Lun's attention while Fuluoyin served them salty tea by mistake.
• Malediz thanked Chen Lun for saving Ruiyin and insisted that he accept a bank certificate worth several thousand Gold Pounds.
• Chen Lun told Viscount Pompey that he and his Circus were preparing to leave Amber City.

After learning that Grand Bishop Rafa and the Red Apple Church had destroyed Pyrite City, Chen Lun prepared to move his team out of Amber City and traveled through the Spirit World to set up a portal in Peacock City. A growing supernatural warning stopped him on the way, while players discussed Rafa’s spreading attacks.

• Connie delivered an urgent letter from Malediz’s guards, and Malediz announced that Pyrite City had been destroyed by the Red Apple Church’s Red Calamity.
• Chen Lun warned that the disaster could spread to Amber City and let Pang Bei escort Malediz, the Pompeii family, and the others away from his estate.
• Chen Lun gathered his team, explained that they would leave Amber City through a portal, and entered the Spirit World to reach Peacock City.
• Chen Lun felt an increasingly strong warning in the Spirit World and checked the players’ conversations for news about the danger.
• Dongyang and the other players discussed Rafa’s attacks, while Doghead Gold worried that the Grand Bishop might reach their area.

Chen Lun realized Rafa was heading toward Amber City and that Terrence’s arrival would soon make escape impossible, so he devised a new plan and summoned Mr. Bayers as an ally. A blood-red meteor struck near Jack Manor, while his friends gathered at Pompey Manor and trusted him to protect Amber City.

• Chen Lun learned that Rafa’s destruction was spreading toward Amber City and feared Rafa was coming for him.
• Chen Lun discovered that Terrence was building the Daylight Obelisk in Fossil City and concluded that Terrence would also threaten him once it was complete.
• Chen Lun revised his advancement plan, activated the Youlan Statue, and went to seek Mr. Bayers’s help.
• Ma Ren spotted a quest at the Jack statue, and Dongyang urged the three guilds to mobilize for the major event.
• A blood-red meteor struck near Jack Manor, and Golov reassured the gathered residents at Pompey Manor that Mr. Jack would protect Amber City.

Chen Lun, Fuluoyin, and Noah confronted Grand Bishop Rafa at the ruined Jack Manor while Circus players watched. Chen Lun and his allies traded blows with Rafa, who evaded their attacks and pressed his assault on Fuluoyin.

• Rebecca, her family, Malediz, Ruiyin, and Golov's group prayed for Jack's safety as they realized they could not help him fight.
• Rafa emerged from the meteor crater at Jack Manor and taunted Chen Lun, noting his rapid progress and declaring that he would die.
• Chen Lun attacked Rafa with his Silver Cane, but Rafa blocked the blows with bone armor and fired Moonlight at him.
• Chen Lun used a Magic Trick to appear beside Rafa and landed a strike that cracked the bone plate on the back of Rafa's neck.
• Fuluoyin and Noah launched a pincer attack, but Rafa transformed into blood and reformed behind Fuluoyin.
• Rafa's skeletal hand broke through Noah's black vines, but Fuluoyin dodged and counterattacked with her scythe.

Chen Lun and his allies fought Rafa, whose powerful incarnation overwhelmed their attacks and killed many players. Rafa launched a devastating Moonlight attack, leaving Chen Lun to face him in his extreme state as the Pale Shadow descended with a flaming Greatsword.

• Rafa wounded Noah and fought Chen Lun, who pressed him with his sword and eight pythons.
• Dongyang and the players attacked Rafa from a distance, but Rafa turned their barrage into a rain of blades that killed nearly half of them.
• Rafa broke his Bone Sword against Chen Lun’s Silver Sword, then blasted Chen Lun away with a claw strike that Didak’s Armor stopped.
• Chen Lun warned Rafa that Terrence was coming, but Rafa said he would kill Chen Lun and destroy the city before Terrence arrived.
• Rafa attacked Chen Lun, Fuluoyin, and Noah with Moonlight fire, and Chen Lun transferred his allies away before entering his extreme state.
• The Pale Shadow descended over the burning crater, holding a Greatsword wreathed in purple-red flames.

Chen Lun and Bayers trapped Grand Bishop Rafa in a Spirit World Passage and vanished with him, leaving Fuluoyin and Noah waiting to learn what happened. The players realized Chen Lun had taken Rafa to Fossil City, where the mission was gathering members.

• Chen Lun used Bayers's Black Night Domain to conceal their plan and drag Rafa toward the Spirit World Passage near the buried Spirit World Stone.
• Rafa shattered Chen Lun's wrists and broke free of his grip, but Bayers blocked his escape and knocked him back into Chen Lun's arms.
• Chen Lun locked Rafa in a hold and pulled him into the Spirit World Passage, causing the exhausted Spirit World Stone to shatter.
• Bayers told Fuluoyin and Noah that the plan had gone fairly smoothly but that the outcome was unknown, and Noah declared that Mr. Jack would succeed.
• Dongyang realized Chen Lun had taken Rafa to Fossil City and told Polaris, Morning Twilight, and the other players.

Chen Lun lured Rafa’s avatar to the Sun Church in Fossil City, where Terrence and other Sun Church clergy confronted him. While they focused on Rafa, Chen Lun completed his advancement to Sequence 6 Aerialist, strengthened his new movement skills, and prepared to escape; Terrence then accused Rafa of the Red Apple Church’s past crimes.

• Chen Lun brought Rafa through the Spirit World to the Sun Church in Fossil City, where Terrence and other Sun Church clergy appeared to face them.
• Rafa mocked Chen Lun for bringing him to Terrence, unaware that Chen Lun had arranged the confrontation so the Sun Church would target his avatar.
• Chen Lun completed his Dangerous Game advancement quest and became a Sequence 6 Aerialist.
• Chen Lun spent experience and attribute points to raise his level, then maxed out Air Walk and Teleportation and unlocked Cloud Leap.
• Chen Lun maxed Cloud Leap, gaining the ability to leap long distances using impressions of destinations to find their Spirit World coordinates and anchors.
• Terrence confronted Rafa over the Red Apple Church’s past deeds.

Chen Lun escaped after Terrence ordered Priest Isaac to capture him, while Terrence and Rafa fought in the Spirit World. In Fossil City, Mona urged the Containment Bureau to recognize Jack Spade for saving Amber City, and Manan agreed to submit her recommendation while continuing to monitor him.

• Rafa pointed Chen Lun out as a target, but Chen Lun claimed he had helped stop Rafa and refused Terrence's judgment.
• Terrence ordered Priest Isaac to subdue Chen Lun, who evaded Isaac with Teleportation and escaped.
• Rafa mocked Terrence for being manipulated by Chen Lun, and Terrence shifted their battle into the Spirit World and attacked Rafa with sunlight.
• Players in Fossil City noted that their quest was complete after Jack vanished and Rafa and the Sun Church figures disappeared.
• Mona reported that Jack had stopped Rafa from destroying Amber City and recommended him for the Empire Tribunal.
• Manan agreed to submit Mona's recommendation and said the Containment Bureau would continue monitoring Jack Spade.

Chen Lun returned to the ruined Jack Manor after defeating Rafa, advanced to Sequence 6, and prepared to flee with his companions. He revealed to Mr. Bayers that their plan’s final step was to ambush and kill the Light Avatar Terrence would likely send after them, allowing Bayers to complete his Sainthood Ritual.

• Chen Lun used Cloud Leap to return to Jack Manor, reassured Fuluoyin and Noah, and told them to gather the others so they could leave.
• Chen Lun inspected his panel and found that he had advanced to Sequence 6 - Aerialist, gaining stronger abilities and a faint sense of his own fate.
• Chen Lun noticed Ralph’s Containment Bureau investigators and Dongyang’s players observing the manor ruins, but he did not approach them.
• Mr. Bayers arrived, and Chen Lun explained that Terrence would likely send a Light Avatar after them while remaining in the Church district.
• Chen Lun proposed joining forces with Mr. Bayers to kill Terrence’s Light Avatar and use its soul to complete Bayers’s Sainthood Ritual.