Chapter Summaries

A second, exceptionally violent seaquake battered the islands, causing widespread destruction and injuries. Yang Yi and the others survived in the metal platform and organized aid, while Su Na and Istil considered how long the Duchy had delayed the disaster.

• The seaquake shattered Green Island, tossed Steam Island into the air, battered Moon Island, and scattered Garbage Island’s trash and equipment.
• Lada appeared on Moon Island’s Surface and warned that the disaster had arrived sooner than expected.
• Yang Yi used the Fool's Greatsword as a pillar to steady himself, Su Na, and Istil inside the metal platform.
• Yang Yi contacted allies and learned that players across the islands had suffered injuries and damage, with Steam Island and Corpse Island particularly affected.
• Cui Xiya reported that the Nightmare Star had capsized and that the port was in chaos, so Yang Yi told her to send help to the hospital and other damaged areas.
• Su Na proposed that the Duchy had delayed the disaster, and Istil recalled that roughly ten years had passed between her first and second seaquakes before checking the base’s data logs.

Yang Yi and Su Na uncovered the history of the base and learned how the Golden Commerce Guild’s President emerged from the extradimensional rift. The logs left the fate of the base’s researchers and the rift’s destination unexplained.

• Yang Yi told Shen Guanquan about the discoveries beneath Garbage Island and traded Hero-level military equipment for the Divine Bull Knight’s remains.
• Su Na and Istil searched the base logs and found records that the first two Seaquakes had been seventeen years apart and that the base had lost contact with the Duchy.
• Su Na explained that a third Seaquake was feared after staff began disintegrating, and that administrator Pang led most of the personnel into the extradimensional rift.
• The remaining staff died as the base continued running unattended, and surveillance showed a golden creature resembling Pang emerging from the rift before it closed.
• Yang Yi recognized the creature as the likely President of the Golden Commerce Guild, while Su Na explained that the Greedy Trade Plan had produced a Collector and revealed information about the anomaly.

Yang Yi, Su Na, and Istil traveled under their registered identities to Zone A, where they reached the Armory. After seeing the disintegrated bodies throughout the base, Yang Yi found an enormous stockpile of weapons and technology, including a sealed capsule marked "003."

• Yang Yi, Su Na, and Istil boarded a Railcar after passing through the base without obstruction, and Istil explained that a waste buildup had blocked the recycling station in Zone X.
• Istil scanned the flesh-filled carriage and identified three dead people, after which Yang Yi burned the flesh and Su Na extinguished the fire.
• Su Na Na explained that the identity system could not distinguish people before and after disintegration, and the Railcar carried the group safely to Zone A.
• Yang Yi froze a flesh monster waiting at the station, and Istil scanned its remains as Yang Yi burned them.
• Yang Yi, Su Na, and Istil entered the Armory Warehouse using their legal identities, where Yang Yi found vast stores of weapons, equipment, and a sealed Red Metal Capsule marked "003."

Yang Yi, Su Na, and Istil discovered an Abyssal One-003, a dormant Mech capable of fighting Mythic-level targets, hidden in the armory. Istil traced the missing records to concealed system access and began searching for the hidden pilot, but the Control Room’s living screen suddenly attacked Yang Yi.

• Yang Yi identified the crimson capsule as a dangerous weapon, and Istil recognized it as one of the Duchy's five Abyssal Ones.
• Yang Yi inspected Abyssal One-003 and learned that it was a Master-level Mech able to grant its pilot power against Mythic-level targets.
• Istil found no records of the Mech and realized that someone had hidden its presence from her; she asked Yang Yi and Su Na to help her access the base system.
• Istil and Su Na worked at the Control Room console while Yang Yi approached the screen to cremate the tissue fused to it.
• The screen lit up, and plasma flowing across its surface converged and shot toward Yang Yi.

Yang Yi explored the base’s systems while Su Na and Istil worked to recover its records. They uncovered footage of an injured stranger who had entered the abandoned base and rushed toward Area A.

• Yang Yi destroyed an aggressive electrical creature in the Control Room, then kept fragments to test later.
• After the Control Room’s systems became accessible, Yang Yi reviewed its records and found that the base had produced hundreds of millions of Collectors, with an estimated loss rate of 96%.
• Yang Yi warned Shen Guanquan that a large Collector deployment was coming, released more than thirteen thousand Collectors, and changed their release setting to automatic.
• Su Na and Istil showed Yang Yi restored footage of a chitin-covered man entering the base through a drainage chamber without identity verification.
• Su Na explained that the injured stranger had arrived while the base was already deserted, ignored the twisted people, and raced toward Area A.

Yang Yi and Su Na discovered that the wounded pilot of the Abyssal One in the base’s recovered footage was a younger Sun Jin, linking him to a mysterious operation involving the Duchy and Miskatonic University. They decided to postpone returning to the university until they had a safer opportunity, and Yang Yi prepared to strip the base and leave.

• Su Na showed Yang Yi footage of a wounded man escaping the Abyssal One, treating himself, and eating supplies in the base.
• Yang Yi recognized the man as a younger Sun Jin, and Su Na speculated that he had piloted the Abyssal One during a Duchy operation connected to Miskatonic University.
• Istil recalled that the university had an Academy Faction alongside the Truth Society and Keepers' Society.
• Su Na proposed returning to Miskatonic University with the Stone of Truth, but Yang Yi refused until their other plans were more secure.
• Yang Yi learned that Sun Jin had visited the base about three hundred years after the second Seaquake, then called for the group to strip the base and leave.

Yang Yi, Su Na, and Istil evacuated the base’s personnel, equipment, and supplies, then brought their enormous haul to Garbage Island. Shen Guanquan planned to distribute the advanced gear through the market and free supplies, while the newly arrived resources were unloaded and construction continued.

• Yang Yi, Su Na, and Istil gathered the Armed Task Force, stripped the base of its equipment, and loaded the supplies into Spatial Items and small submarines.
• Yang Yi used his strength to uproot the Abyssal One, whose weight suddenly dropped once he pulled it free.
• The group departed through the deep-sea harbor, with Su Na and Istil piloting a submarine while Yang Yi swam carrying the Abyssal One.
• A day later, the fleet reached the garbage plain, where Shen Guanquan and Lu Lu watched the robots unload the supplies and sort newly dumped trash.
• Yang Yi met Shen Guanquan, who described his plan to sell high-grade equipment at reduced prices and provide the next tier of gear for free.

Yang Yi returned the Divine Bull Knight’s remains and military supplies to Steam Island, where Su Na warned a vast gathering of players that the Seaquake was destabilizing the principles that governed bodies, souls, and technology. As she urged everyone to prepare to capture the remaining islands, the first player to suffer a collapse of principles appeared in the hospital.

• Yang Yi gave Lu Lu’s recovered military equipment to Steam Island and arranged for Garbage Island to supply its factories with materials.
• Yang Yi and Shen Guanquan went through a Portal to Steam Island, where over a hundred thousand players gathered for an emergency meeting.
• Su Na showed the players a collapsed human and explained that instability in the principles underlying bodies and souls could also make technology, magic, and even basic physical laws unreliable.
• Su Na said the Seaquake had caused the danger and that higher Mental Attributes reduced, but did not eliminate, the chance of collapse.
• At Steam Island Central Hospital, a patient became a mass of flesh that attacked a Nurse Miss robot, marking the first collapsed player.

After a wave of bodily collapses among injured players, Su Na and Istil continued searching for a way to prevent further cases while helping design the Shelter’s upgrade. Yang Yi returned to the Nightmare Star, tested two Robot Hunts, and prepared to experiment with a Divine Bull Knight’s corpse and black fragments.

• Su Na found that players with severe mind and body trauma could suffer bodily collapse even if their Mental Attribute was not low, and seven patients collapsed during the hospital’s three-day treatment effort.
• Yang Yi returned to the Nightmare Star with Cui Xiya, Cui Bisi, Dara, and Xiaoji while Su Na and Istil stayed at Central Hospital to study collapse and help design the Shelter’s hull.
• Seerte told Yang Yi that Di reminded her of Captain Dijie, and Yang Yi guessed that Di might be a female version of Dijie from another possible outcome.
• Yang Yi tested the Riot Control Type and Tyrant Type Robot Hunts, then decided to keep one of each for the ship.
• Yang Yi took out the Divine Bull Knight’s corpse and black fragments left by burned “Collapsed People” to test them.

Yang Yi upgraded the Nightmare Star to level eight using the Divine Bull Knight’s remains, transforming the ship and strengthening its abilities. The upgrade revealed that the ship had developed a will of its own, and the Old Captain’s behavior left Yang Yi wondering what that meant.

• Yang Yi found that the collapsed human remains had no useful effect, then chose the Divine Bull Knight’s remains to upgrade the Nightmare Star.
• He gathered 189 pieces of equipment, set aside 100 for the upgrade, and distributed the rest to Cui Xiya and the others.
• Yang Yi and the other players left the ship while the Nightmare Star underwent a two-hour upgrade, drawing a crowd of onlookers.
• The Nightmare Star reached level eight, gaining enhanced skills and a more imposing hull, while the Old Captain grew nearly three meters tall and sat on a throne at the bow.
• Yang Yi saw a warning that the ship had developed its own will, then watched the Old Captain sit back down and pretend to fish.

After the Nightmare Star reached level eight, Yang Yi discovered that its special buildings could also be upgraded and reviewed their costs and benefits. Su Na urged him to prioritize the Witch Laboratory and suggested the Abyss Nautilus could lead them back to Miskatonic University, but Yang Yi remained cautious and postponed entering the Abyss.

• Yang Yi discovered that reaching level eight had unlocked upgrades for the Nightmare Star’s special buildings.
• Yang Yi sent the upgrade information to Su Na and used the ship’s remaining expansion space for a Waterlogged Cannon, the Painful Wailing Cabin, and the Abyss Nautilus.
• Su Na urged Yang Yi to upgrade the Witch Laboratory because its new effects could help research the worsening collapse of Reason.
• Su Na suggested that Miskatonic University’s library might contain a Fragment of Truth needed for the Witch Laboratory upgrade.
• Yang Yi considered using the Abyss Nautilus to return to Miskatonic University but decided to wait until system maintenance ended and Player Island stabilized.

Yang Yi upgraded the Abyss Nautilus and the Painful Wailing Cabin, while new systems and discoveries emerged around the Collapse Clock and level-nine ship requirements. The chapter ended with Cui Bisi advancing to Archmage as Yang Yi continued training aboard the Nightmare Star.

• Yang Yi upgraded the Abyss Nautilus, which grew into a giant shell-bearing creature, learned to speak, and received the name Xiao Luo.
• Xiao Luo attached itself beneath the Nightmare Star, where it could help propel the ship.
• Yang Yi upgraded the Painful Wailing Cabin and learned that reaching ship level nine required two fragments of Truth and maxed-out common Expansion Buildings.
• Yang Yi checked the Collapse Clock created by Su Na and Istil, then resumed sparring with the Old Captain.
• Cui Xiya told Yang Yi that Cui Bisi had successfully advanced to Archmage.

Yang Yi learned that players were reluctant to settle on Corpse Island and suggested turning its dangerous wilderness into a place to train mental strength and combat skills. He went to the Shelter as it prepared to upgrade to level eight, where Su Na, Istil, Seerte, and Di awaited him beside the Collapse Clock.

• Yang Yi advised Mars to promote Corpse Island as a training ground and plant more Limb Spiders while providing players with a safety net.
• Yang Yi stopped sparring with the Old Captain and told Cui Xiya to practice against it before leaving for the Shelter.
• A-Chong was discharged from the hospital with extensive Cybernetic Body replacements, and Hong Yanyan and a crowd of players welcomed him as a hero of the battle of Garbage Island.
• Yang Yi entered the Shelter's Control Room and found Su Na, Istil, Seerte, and Di beside the Collapse Clock, then asked whether there was a problem.

Yang Yi approved the Shelter’s redesign as a self-sustaining refuge, then began its two-day upgrade after the ship separated from Steam Island. On Moon Island, Lada resumed her secret work in the Mirror Observatory and planned to speak with Mr. Moon.

• Su Na proposed rebuilding the Shelter as an independently operating refuge, and Yang Yi agreed while asking Zhang Zhi to build a new hospital.
• Yang Yi learned that Steam Island had over 21.72 million registered players and finalized the plan to have the Shelter submerge and dock with the island.
• The Shelter left Steam Island, and Seerte told Di that she was now its captain; Di accepted this and flew back to the island.
• Yang Yi replaced the hunt with a fragment of the Magnificent Goddess Statue, illuminating the area before the Shelter began its two-day upgrade.
• On Moon Island, Lada met Shi Lei in the Mirror Observatory, resumed examining the Grotesques after he left, and resolved to speak with Mr. Moon.

Lada took Mr. Moon’s power for the system, but refused the Mr. Moons’ invitation to abandon humanity’s attempt to resist Reason. Meanwhile, Garbage Island finished formatting, opening the way for the Collector’s Hall and new point-shop items as Yang Yi examined what had become available.

• Lada crossed to the other Twin Observation Station and captured Mr. Moon, absorbing his power and data for the system.
• The other Mr. Moons warned Lada that humanity’s efforts to preserve order were futile, but she declined their invitation and returned through the station hatch.
• Yang Yi and the other players received an announcement that Garbage Island’s formatting was complete and the Collector’s Hall would open daily for trading.
• The Collector on Garbage Island transformed into the sealed Amber Hall, while mobile Point Vending Machines appeared with blind boxes for sale.
• Yang Yi checked the newly added Ship Separation Card and Big Player Capsule, each priced at 100,000 Player Points.

Yang Yi gathered his crew and helpers to shop at the Collector's Hall, while urging Balie to finish repairing the Infinite Flintlock. The group reached the hall for its first opening, where Yang Yi spotted the Counterfeit Collector and went to buy a blind box.

• Yang Yi checked his Player Points and summoned Banks and Balie to help him choose valuable items at the Collector's Hall.
• Balie, after four days of dismantling the Infinite Flintlock, reassembled it when Yang Yi messaged him and agreed to join the group in exchange for the Divine Eagle Knight's gun.
• Yang Yi promised to bring Balie the gun at Garbage Island and offered to make him a smithing hammer after he finished the Infinite Flintlock.
• Yang Yi and the others took Deep Sea Potions and traveled to Garbage Island, where Balie joined them at the Golden City.
• Yang Yi led his group toward the Collector's Hall, where Lu Lu guided the visitors and the Counterfeit Collector appeared among the vending machines.
• Yang Yi approached the Counterfeit Collector to buy a counterfeit blind box before entering the hall.

Yang Yi and his teammates entered the Collector’s Hall after Cui Xiya used an upgraded scepter to grow to giant size. Inside, they met Pang, the hall’s administrator, and began browsing the Collectors’ wares, which included costly treasures.

• Yang Yi bought ten numbered blind boxes and distributed them among his teammates; Cui Xiya won an imitation scepter that let her enlarge herself.
• Yang Yi gave Cui Xiya an inscription stone to upgrade the scepter and sent Balie to deliver a flintlock for crafting.
• Cui Xiya grew nearly thirty meters tall with the scepter, then shrank back down after looking over the other players.
• Yang Yi entered the Collector’s Hall at 23:00, followed by Su Na, Balie, and the other players.
• Pang welcomed the visitors, explained the hall’s trading rules, and set out his collectibles while Molly bought an item from a deer-like Collector.
• Yang Yi joined the crowd around the Golden Collector and saw that its finely crafted items cost hundreds of thousands or millions of Player Points.

Yang Yi narrowly avoided buying a fake version of his own skull from the Golden Collector, then searched the Collector's Hall for the Book of Dissolution. With Su Na's help, he bought the genuine-looking book and stored it in the Molten Giant Worm Ring.

• Yang Yi found two skulls resembling his own at the Golden Collector's stall, but Banks used Three Eyes to reveal that the skull with Soulfire was an illusion.
• Yang Yi abandoned the skull purchase and led Su Na, Banks, and the others through the Collector's Hall using his enhanced vision.
• Yang Yi found the chained Book of Dissolution in the Book Collector's reading room, and Su Na urged him to buy it despite its five-million-point price.
• Yang Yi examined the book with Three Eyes and asked Banks and Balie to assess it, but none found clear evidence that it was fake.
• Yang Yi accepted 500,000 Player Points from Su Na, purchased the Book of Dissolution at a discount, and placed it in the Molten Giant Worm Ring.

Yang Yi and his companions finished shopping at the Collector's Hall and checked their purchases for counterfeits before returning to the Nightmare Star. Yang Yi planned precautions for examining the Book of Dissolution, while spreading Dense Black Fog blocked Steam Island's route to the Warm Winter Sea.

• Players entered the Collector's Hall in larger numbers and compiled a shopping guide detailing collectors, merchandise, prices, and counterfeit risks.
• Istil recognized the hall's layout as resembling the Duchy's Century Hall and suggested a connection to the researcher Pang.
• Yang Yi and his companions checked their purchases outside the hall, confirmed the Book of Dissolution was genuine, and discovered several counterfeits.
• Yang Yi bought a Fake Salt Spike from the Counterfeit Collector and urged Balie to repair the Infinite Flintlock before the group returned through the Portals.
• Yang Yi returned to the Nightmare Star and told Su Na he would examine the Book of Dissolution somewhere safe after preparing backup boats.
• Yang Yi reported warnings from Yu Dawei and Zhang Zhi about spreading Dense Black Fog, which had stopped Steam Island two nautical miles from an impassable wall of darkness.

Yang Yi and the fleet encountered a vast Black Mass that even powerful lights could not disperse, and evidence suggested it caused everything inside to collapse. Steam Island diverted toward the Sea of Miracles, the Shelter reached level eight, and Heitanba prepared the Boiling Sea for the Lord’s arrival.

• Yang Yi and Su Na investigated the Black Mass near Steam Island, where the Nightmare Star’s Hunt destroyed attacking Black Shadows but could not clear the fog.
• Yu Dawei reported that robots vanished inside the fog and chains entering it transformed into a bizarre mixture of shapes and materials, suggesting a collapse phenomenon.
• Yang Yi ordered the fleet to detour toward the Sea of Miracles, and later tests found the anomaly ended at depths of about four thousand meters.
• Two days later, Steam Island continued its detour as the Shelter arrived after upgrading to level eight.
• In the Boiling Sea, Heitanba heard Fire-Worshippers recount the Fire Bearer’s deeds and urged them to boil the sea dry for the Lord’s arrival.