Chapter Summaries

The players defeated the Fire Worship Cult Elders, but Moon Island’s heat and the mental risks of Madmen Transformation threatened the operation. As Moon Island and the Iron Will prepared to fire on the colossal black tree, A-Chong identified moving weak points inside it and urged them to aim before he could no longer hold out.

• Su Na questioned the dangers of Madmen Transformation, and Lada explained that low Sanity and prolonged transformation could leave players permanently Madmen.
• Shen Guanquan joined the battle to stabilize the players’ minds while the administrators pushed to damage the black tree and lower Moon Island’s rising temperature.
• The Madmen killed nearly ten thousand Fire Worship Cult Elders in under twenty minutes, and a white-suited Madman used a burning morning glory to organize them.
• Heitanba urged the remaining worshippers to hasten their ritual and feed the tree with flames so the Scorched God’s emissary could bloom.
• Moon Island reached firing range, and Zhang Zhi and Yu Dawei aligned the Fear Descends Cannons on the black tree as the island’s surface began to melt.
• A-Chong sent Yu Dawei a view of moving soul vortices inside the tree and told him to target the marked weak points before A-Chong could no longer endure the pain.

The players’ long-range bombardment damaged the black tree and sharply lowered Burning Island’s temperature, but it drove Heitanba and the Fire Worship Cult into a desperate mass sacrifice. As Yang Yi rushed to stop Heitanba’s transformation, a black branch threatened the advancing Moon Island.

• Yu Dawei’s twelve destructive beams struck the black tree, tearing off branches and injuring its soul nodes.
• Heitanba ordered the Fire Worship Cult believers to burn themselves for the Scorched God, while Yang Yi’s attack erased only a small patch of their flames.
• Zhang Zhi confirmed that Burning Island’s temperature had dropped by nearly a thousand degrees and prepared another bombardment.
• The mass sacrifice restored the tree’s vigor, and Heitanba transformed into a burning figure as its branches fed him heat.
• Yang Yi charged toward Heitanba with the Spear That Pierces Everything, while Daishi prepared to support him and the players advanced Moon Island.
• Galahad sensed danger and appeared in midair as a black tree branch descended toward Moon Island.

Galahad and Shi Lei fought the Black Tree Branches attacking Moon Island while their blood-red flowing fire devastated the island and killed players. As the firefighting effort continued and casualties mounted, Shi Lei joined Galahad in defending the island and supplied him with long sabers.

• Galahad intercepted a Black Tree Branch aimed at Moon Island, but its wound released blazing blood-red fire that rained down over the island.
• Madmen players used coolant to fight fires across Moon Island, but fire creatures killed several players and destroyed equipment before Little Dara helped extinguish a blaze at the cost of severe burns.
• Zhang Zhi ordered players to attack the falling fire with every available weapon, while Su Na changed into Gray Snow and prepared to fight.
• Galahad continued battling the relentless Black Tree Branches as his sword and armor melted, and Shi Lei arrived using Explosive Qi to sever a branch.
• Shi Lei gave Galahad a dozen long sabers, and Galahad discarded his ruined equipment and continued defending Moon Island.

Yang Yi reached Heitanba at the Black Embers while Moon Island’s defenders struggled against the tree’s growing power and scorching heat. Heitanba rejected Yang Yi and trapped him in a cage of black branches, leaving their confrontation unresolved.

• Moon Island’s players redirected the falling flowing fire and bombarded the Black Embers, but A-Chong found that the tree’s Soul Vortices were multiplying too quickly to destroy.
• Qin Ming cooled A-Chong with a White Shard, and Yu Dawei sent him to rest while preparing to bring the Iron Will’s firepower into the fight.
• Shi Lei and Galahad charged into the black clouds to fight the Black Tree Branches, giving Moon Island a chance to approach the tree as the heat intensified.
• Yang Yi reached Heitanba and tried to interrupt his spell with the Spear That Pierces Everything.
• Heitanba called Yang Yi the Lord Fire Bearer, declared him unworthy of allegiance, and used the Black Embers’ branches to imprison him in a burning cage.

Yang Yi survived Heitanba’s final spell but was engulfed by its flames, forcing the Abyssal One Armor into Full-Domain Liberation Mode. He attacked the Black Tree while the fighting on Moon Island eased, leaving the tree under heavy assault.

• Yang Yi pierced Heitanba with the Pure White Spear and severed his connection to the Black Tree, but Heitanba’s burning remains clung to him and triggered Burn with Me!.
• The Abyssal One Armor activated Full-Domain Liberation Mode to dissipate Yang Yi’s rising body heat and greatly increased its power.
• Yang Yi stabbed himself with the melting spear to restrain his temperature, then attacked the Black Tree with a gigantic flaming Greatsword.
• On Moon Island, the falling fire stopped, and Galahad and Shi Lei emerged from the black clouds to see Yang Yi fighting the tree.
• Yang Yi severed huge Black Tree Branches, which fell burning across the ground.

As Moon Island and the players drew close to the Black Tree, they joined Yang Yi in attacking it while he discovered that his rising body heat might make him the new anchor for the Scorched God's descent. The chapter left the assault underway, with Yu Dawei bringing the Iron Will's remaining weapons to bear on the tree.

• Zhang Zhi ordered the players to conserve White Shards, prepare their weapons, and support Yang Yi in destroying the Black Tree.
• Moon Island sank onto the ground near the Black Tree as extreme heat melted it, while Shi Lei defended the remaining structures from falling branches.
• Bell told Galahad to return to Moon Island and avoid exposing his identity, leaving Shi Lei as its only shield.
• Yang Yi realized his uncontrollable rising body temperature might make him the new anchor for the Scorched God's descent, and he warned Su Na, Istil, and Little Dara to prepare for the worst.
• The players fired their remaining weapons, magic, and White Shard-tipped arrows at the Black Tree to support Yang Yi.
• Yu Dawei emerged from the Iron Will in the Great Wei Titan and aimed its weapons and the island's remaining armaments at the Black Tree using A-Chong's coordinates.

Yang Yi and the players devastated the Mature Black Embers with a coordinated assault, while rescuers evacuated the injured from Moon Island. The tree was split apart, but the rising temperature showed that the danger remained, and the players retreated through the Portal to Steam Island for treatment.

• Yang Yi kept attacking the Black Tree as Daishi shielded the other players, and Yu Dawei directed the players’ weapons to bombard its Soul Vortexes with White Shards.
• Yu Dawei’s barrage destroyed most of the targets, but A-Chong’s visual feed abruptly cut off.
• Little Dara healed A-Chong while Cui Xiya and Cui Bisi carried him and other critically injured players toward the Twin Observation Station, relaying Su Na’s order to evacuate.
• Yang Yi cleaved the weakened Mature Black Embers in two, and Qin Ming escaped the lava as the stone slab beneath him melted.
• Players retreated through the Twin Observation Station’s Portal to Steam Island, where Mars, Seerte, Haken Rio, and the Nurse Misses prepared to treat them as Moon Island’s temperature continued rising.

Yang Yi tried to destroy Black Embers but Galahad and Bell stopped him, warning that the mature tree was needed for the system’s objective. As Yang Yi’s temperature kept rising, Su Na completed the evacuation and activated the Magic Array, leaving the group’s fate uncertain.

• Yang Yi split Black Embers with a powerful strike, but Galahad blocked the blow and took a branch from the tree.
• Bell revealed her Witch Form and urged Yang Yi to spare Black Embers, while Galahad kicked Yang Yi and carried the branch toward Moon Island.
• Yang Yi learned that most players had evacuated and told Su Na to activate the Teleportation Array when the remaining minute was up.
• Bell and Galahad returned carrying a fire-spewing creature, while Su Na and the last players evacuated to the first underground level.
• Su Na took over charging the Magic Array, and it activated just after Yang Yi shouted for her to hurry.

Raging heat consumed the Warm Winter Sea and threatened Yang Yi and Su Na, but an abrupt freeze halted the devastation. Yang Yi woke as an Ice Egg with Su Na in his arms, while the other Ice Eggs began to stir.

• The Old Captain tried to restrain Little The Charred Tree as global temperatures surged, but a pillar of fire consumed him, the Nightmare Star, and the Pure White Gate’s surroundings.
• North began to burn and spoke of the world’s sublimation, but Noel held onto him until a sudden cool wind stopped the rising heat.
• A giant Black Embers tree grew through the breached Pure White Gate before freezing solid, and the surrounding boiling sea froze into a vast ice field.
• Yang Yi and Su Na caught fire inside the Pure White Gate, and Yang Yi wounded himself with the Infinite Flintlock to survive long enough to reach her.
• Yang Yi carried Su Na into the activated Magic Array and fled the heat, glimpsing a cracked giant egg with a pale hand reaching out before he lost consciousness.
• Yang Yi awoke thawed among the Ice Eggs with Su Na frozen in his arms, as the other eggs began to stir.

Yang Yi escaped the collision between the Ice Nest Lord and The Charred Tree with the badly injured Su Na, then ran for two days until he reached the Warm Winter Sea. He discovered their equipment and supplies had been destroyed, while several of his remaining Master-level items had changed.

• Yang Yi woke inside the Pure White Gate, saw the Ice Nest Lord hatching beside The Charred Tree, and found that the Crew Interface had crashed.
• Yang Yi discovered his legs were frozen to the ground, escaped using tongues from his abdomen, and took the shrunken Abyssal One Armor cocoon with him.
• Yang Yi ran across the ice field carrying Su Na and used the Limb Restoration Spell to confirm she was still alive but recovering slowly.
• After two days, Yang Yi reached the Warm Winter Sea and found that a Void Zone had appeared there and another in the Boiling Sea.
• Yang Yi found that he lacked supplies to rebuild the Nightmare Star, Su Na's equipment was mostly destroyed, and his remaining items included a changed Infinite Flintlock, a shattered shield, and a Greatsword upgraded to Master-level.

Yang Yi awoke after more than five months unconscious, learned that Broken Iron had been completed, and discovered that the players believed he and Su Na had died. He reconnected with the island administrators and learned that the survivors had recovered from the Burning Island battle and failed to open Miracle Island’s door.

• Yang Yi examined Broken Iron, learned its forging was complete, and found that its strength requirement had risen to 81.
• Yang Yi checked the World Sea Chart, saw that Steam Island and several others were nearby, and discovered that Moon Island had vanished.
• Yang Yi learned from the forum that five months had passed and found players mourning him while advertising hair-growth potions under his name.
• Bell recalled Galahad after learning Yang Yi had escaped, then saw Galahad’s image of frozen humanoid beings and planned to send ships to recruit them as believers.
• Yu Dawei confirmed that Yang Yi was alive, and Yang Yi later learned that the players had suffered heavy losses before attempting and failing to capture Miracle Island.

Yang Yi learned that the players had failed to break through Miracle Island’s self-repairing Gate of Glory and had turned their attention to Salt Island. He returned to Steam Island with the unconscious Su Na and asked Dara for Light Supplements to treat her dangerous Pollution Depth.

• The players retreated from Miracle Island after their attacks could not damage the Gate of Glory enough to overcome its rapid repairs, and they postponed another assault until they had a stronger weapon.
• The players decided to target Salt Island in the Abundant Sea, while Bell and Galahad planned to search for Yang Yi and Dream Island.
• Yang Yi reviewed the battle recordings and posts, then messaged Mars and told Little Dara to prepare to help Su Na.
• Yang Yi reached Steam Island and reunited with Little Dara, Cui Xiya, and the others, carrying the unconscious Su Na attached to his shoulder.
• Yang Yi demanded ninety percent of Dara’s earnings, detached Su Na, checked her condition, and asked for Light Supplements to address her Pollution Depth of 87%.

Yang Yi returned after five months had passed outside while he was trapped in distorted time, then joined the Steam Island administrators to discuss their next moves. The group decided to explore Salt Island, while Yang Yi proposed returning to Miskatonic University and taking on the Wind Fly to strengthen the players.

• Yang Yi gave Su Na a Light Supplement, watched her Pollution Depth fall to 13%, and left her aboard the Shelter in the care of Little Dara and Seerte’s Nurse Miss.
• Yang Yi announced on the World Channel that he had never died, then explained to Hong Yanyan that fighting the Ice Nest Lord and The Charred Tree had distorted time and left five months passing outside.
• Yang Yi gathered replacement supplies and equipment, returned to Steam Island, and hurried to the meeting hall as players crowded around him.
• Yang Yi warned the administrators that breaking through the door could leave them unable to fight the Radiant Goddess inside, and discussed Istil’s theory that the door’s power came from the Goddess herself.
• The administrators decided to proceed with the plan to explore Salt Island, while Yang Yi proposed returning to Miskatonic University, upgrading ships to level nine, and challenging the Wind Fly to help the players grow stronger.

After rebuilding the Nightmare Star, Yang Yi restored his gear and prepared to forge a new armor using the dormant Abyssal One Armor. He left the Cocoon trapped near the Soul Furnace, ready to begin the work before sailing to the Sea of Abundance and visiting Miskatonic University.

• Yang Yi rebuilt the Nightmare Star and found that its crew, items, and roasted Long-Legged Sardine Tree had also been restored.
• Yang Yi contacted Dara to check on Su Na, then summoned Banks and discovered that time beside the Ice Nest Lord had given him the Pale Man path and its Pale Child ability.
• Yang Yi asked Banks to gather high-quality smithing materials and Abyss Soul Stones from his shop and Garbage Island.
• Yang Yi planned to remake his shrunken Abyssal One Armor Cocoon into armor and considered using the Long-Legged Sardine Tree as smithing material.
• Yang Yi caught the Cocoon when it tried to flee and carried it toward the Soul Furnace.

Yang Yi stopped trying to break open the Abyssal One Armor and rushed to the Shelter after Dara reported that Su Na had awakened abnormally. Su Na’s new eyes unleashed intense heat and cold, and Yang Yi arrived to assess her condition and propose testing her powers somewhere safe.

• Yang Yi struck the cocooned Abyssal One Armor with smithing hammers, then considered using Broken Iron before Dara’s message interrupted him.
• Dara reported that Su Na had awakened with abnormal eyes, and Yang Yi rushed from the Nightmare Star to the Shelter.
• Su Na’s eyes alternated between scorching heat and freezing cold, vaporizing the Nurse Miss and badly damaging the Shelter while Dara tried to protect herself.
• Dara urged Su Na to close her eyes, and Su Na gradually recovered her memories of the Scorched God’s descent and her escape with Yang Yi.
• Nurse Miss robots moved Su Na for examinations, and Yang Yi arrived with Seerte to discuss her new power and the risks of testing it.

Yang Yi took Su Na to Burning Island to test her new Energy Eye, while checking the island's training benefits and its fire-magic vending machine. The chapter ended with Yang Yi asking Su Na to test the eyes on him.

• Yang Yi assessed Su Na's Perception of 90 and recognized how close she was to Mythic level.
• Yang Yi brought Su Na to Burning Island, where the burning tree boosted players' attribute growth and many players trained.
• Yang Yi checked the island's authority interface and learned that he was its highest authority holder.
• Yang Yi bought two Safe Use of Fire Guide · Nine volumes, failed to learn the spell, and complained about the wasted Player Points.
• Yang Yi asked Su Na to use her Energy Eye on him as the first test target.

Su Na tested and learned to control the heat-absorbing Energy Eyes, while Yang Yi gave her a third eye to offset their impaired vision. They planned to prepare for a visit to Miskatonic University, and Yang Yi headed to Green Island to borrow something from the Lost Ones Fleet’s Legendary Craftsman.

• Yang Yi and Su Na tested the Energy Eyes’ heat absorption and release on Burning Island and established a balancing mode called the Heterochromia State.
• Yang Yi gave Su Na his right eye, which she attached to her forehead to improve spatial perception and compensate for the Energy Eyes’ poor detail vision.
• Yang Yi and Su Na discussed the battle on Miracle Island, planned to visit Miskatonic University after Su Na reached Mythic-level, and learned that the Finite Miracle Factory was suffering production failures.
• Yang Yi decided to use Burning Island’s gigantic tree as a smithing furnace and asked Banks to transfer smithing materials there.
• Yang Yi returned to Green Island, where players had resettled, and went to the Lost Ones Fleet’s base to borrow something from its Legendary Craftsman.

Yang Yi borrowed Balie’s Smithing Hammer and began a bizarre new smithing practice on Burning Island, using his own head to work out how to modify his spatial bracelet. Hamof watched and considered copying him.

• Yang Yi visited the familiar wooden building, ignored Augustus’s challenge, and saw Ma Hou painting Galahad.
• Yang Yi entered Balie’s room and took his Smithing Hammer after leaving several other hammers behind.
• Yang Yi gathered materials from Banks, chopped branches from the great tree on Burning Island, and heated the materials with fuel and trash.
• Yang Yi struck his own head with the Smithing Hammer while forging, deforming his skull with each blow as it regenerated.
• Hamof watched Yang Yi’s method and wondered whether he should start by making his own head harder.

Yang Yi forged the Dream Ring, moved his supplies into it, and learned that the Sea of Abundance had become dangerously infested with enormous Rotting Whales. He went to the Nightmare Star to speak with Su Na, who had been studying magic and improving her Perception.

• Yang Yi transformed the Spatial Storage Bracelet into the Dream Ring, a Hero-quality relic with a large dream storage space that required Dream Crystals to maintain.
• Yang Yi transferred supplies into the ring and found that Big Mouth had eaten some stored items, including most of the Vitality Sardine Tree.
• Yang Yi discovered that he had spent nearly five days smithing and read reports that the Sea of Abundance was now filled with enormous Rotting Whales beneath an unending Rain of Gourmet Food.
• Yang Yi spotted Hamof practicing by repeatedly striking his head against a wooden post, then hurried to the Nightmare Star.
• Su Na finished reading the Apocalypse of the Great Sage, gained fishman and death magic, and teased Yang Yi about his smithing and blows to his head.

Su Na told Yang Yi that the Rotting Whales in the Sea of Abundance were devouring one another, and he went to investigate the unrest himself. After hours of fighting inside the sea, Yang Yi emerged beneath the Gale swollen to island-like size after eating the Fruits of Abundance inside several Rotting Whales, unable to use the Portal normally.

• Su Na reported that Rotting Whales were rising from the depths and devouring one another, and she predicted that most would die before Player Island reached the sea.
• Su Na said she and Xu Da planned to test a route with the Gale, while Yang Yi planned to check the sky after his equipment recovered.
• Yang Yi met Xu Da and the Expedition Group aboard the Gale, then left alone to enter the Sea of Abundance rather than risk the ship.
• Yang Yi split a huge tsunami with his Greatsword and disappeared into the Sea of Abundance as fighting and waves intensified for nearly three hours.
• Yang Yi surfaced beneath the Gale as an enormous, island-sized fat man and told Xu Da and the others he had eaten too much.
• Yang Yi explained that he had eaten the Fruits of Abundance inside several nearby Rotting Whales and contacted Su Na for help because he could no longer return through the Portal normally.