Chapter Summaries

Lin Yuan learned from the parchment that a former player had lost his status and failed to survive the scouring seawater, then set out with Lilia to find the laboratory that might hold a powerful Transcendent Item. They reached its hidden entrance inside the skull-shaped rock, where an unseen boss confronted them.

• Lin Yuan read the former player's damaged notes and concluded that failing the Main Quest and losing player status could lead to ruin.
• Lin Yuan questioned Lilia and discovered that she had experienced memories from the perspective of Gru, the corrupted treant.
• Lilia recalled seeing the former player in a strange house and led Lin Yuan to the laboratory hidden inside the island's giant skull-shaped rock.
• Lilia dragged Lin Yuan's coffin through the secret passage, where a shrill voice warned them that they had intruded.

Lin Yuan and Lilia confronted the laboratory’s wraith, whose soul flames attacked sanity rather than causing physical harm, leaving the pair immune to its power. In the laboratory, Lilia sensed an unseen treasure on an empty platform, and Lin Yuan’s touch awakened the box in his Mysterious Treasure Collection Room.

• The wraith formed from the torches’ soul flames and attacked Lin Yuan and Lilia, but its fire did not harm them.
• Lin Yuan realized the wraith attacked sanity, a stat he lacked, while Lilia was also unaffected.
• Lin Yuan and Lilia entered the laboratory as the wraith frantically guarded an empty stone platform.
• Lilia sensed that something hidden on the platform needed special power to enter their world.
• Lin Yuan reached for the platform, and the box in his Mysterious Treasure Collection Room opened a crack, sending light into his arm as he grasped something round.

Lin Yuan obtained the Death Seed and stored it in the treasure collection room, where its dangerous abilities were suppressed. As he and Lilia prepared to leave, the space above the platform began to shake and then exploded.

• Lin Yuan pulled a black sphere from above the platform, and it absorbed the undead spirit and the remaining soul flames.
• Lin Yuan placed the sphere in the treasure collection room, where its description identified it as the Death Seed and warned of its life-draining and Nether River abilities.
• Lin Yuan decided to keep the Death Seed stored as a trump card until he had a ship, and planned to ask Research Institute 3154 about relics after the instance.
• Lilia noticed that the space above the stone platform was wobbling and remembered that it meant space was about to explode.
• A deafening blast erupted above the platform.

Lin Yuan and Lilia survived the spatial vortex’s shock waves, then escaped the ruined laboratory by digging up to the surface. In a cavern on Skull Island, Lilia defeated a Skeleton Pirate Captain, and the system declared it the dungeon boss and awarded Lin Yuan a sea chart.

• Repeated shock waves battered Lin Yuan and killed Lilia whenever she left her coffin, forcing Lin Yuan to spend most of his stored wood repairing his durability.
• After the spatial vortex settled, Lin Yuan found the exit blocked and ordered Lilia to dig while he recovered inside her coffin.
• Lilia dug diagonally upward and brought Lin Yuan into a vast cavern, where they found skeletons gathered around an old treasure chest.
• Lilia defeated the Skeleton Pirates, including a powerful captain who severed one of her limbs but could not overcome her repeated respawns.
• The system announced that Lin Yuan had cleared the Skull Island dungeon by killing the Skeleton Pirate Captain and awarded him the Paradise Sea Chart.

After defeating the Skeleton Pirate Captain, Lin Yuan opened the dungeon chest and gained blueprints for a Level 2 Hull and a Production Workshop, plus soap that let his hull dive. He tested the Death Seed by spending durability to summon a skeleton force, then sent the skeletons to strip the island of resources.

• Lin Yuan realized the Skeleton Pirate Captain had been the beginner dungeon’s final boss, while his earlier fights had involved a hidden stage.
• Lilia opened the treasure chest and found two blueprints, Deep-Dive Shield Bubble Soap, and shell coins.
• Lin Yuan praised Lilia’s luck and planned to buy steel, rubber, and a Steam Core so he could use the blueprints.
• Lin Yuan fed durability into the Death Seed and summoned fewer than 100 skeleton soldiers, including several Skeleton Pirate Captains.
• Lin Yuan sent the skeletons to search the island and gather every resource they could find.

Lin Yuan explored the dungeon island’s surrounding waters and discovered that the apparent island was actually a gigantic ship floating in the sea. He remained trapped inside the dungeon but uncovered the island’s hidden origin.

• Lin Yuan had Lilia carry him from Skeleton Giant Rock to the shore and realized the dungeon boundary enclosed the island and nearby waters.
• Lin Yuan used the Deep-Dive Shield Bubble Soap to descend through the unusually layerless ocean and found the island’s underwater edge at the dungeon boundary.
• Lin Yuan followed a widening gap beneath the island and discovered that a spatial barrier also enclosed the dungeon below.
• Lin Yuan saw the island’s curved underside, then recognized wooden planks and a keel that revealed the island was a ship.

Lin Yuan discovered that the island was a sunken ship and salvaged valuable Life Tree timber and a sprout from its hull. He returned to shore with his haul, while the island sank lower and Lilia struggled to remember what distinguished ships from islands.

• Lin Yuan realized the island was a huge, damaged ship that had sunk, and resolved to grow stronger than its former owner.
• Lin Yuan borrowed Lilia’s scythe and salvaged 1,800 units of Life-Deprived Life Wood from the hull.
• Lin Yuan found a Life Tree Sprout growing from the timber and cut it free, causing the island to sink noticeably.
• Lin Yuan returned to shore, where Lilia complained that the rising water had soaked her, and he returned her scythe.
• Lin Yuan asked Lilia whether she knew the island was a ship; she said she did but could not recall the difference between ships and islands.
• The Skeleton Pirates returned from searching the island, and Lin Yuan noticed they had brought back several good things.

Lin Yuan used the materials found by the skeletons to upgrade his hull to Level 2, gaining far greater durability, new compartments, and storage capacity. As the beginner instance neared its end, he reflected on the wider world before receiving the order to return to his ship and prepare for the next Main Quest.

• The skeletons brought Lin Yuan steel, glass, gemstones, a fishing rod, a quill, a damaged cannon, Shell Coins, and century-old hardwood from island treasure chests and trees.
• Lin Yuan upgraded his hull to Level 2 with deactivated life wood and steel, gaining increased durability, two unbuilt compartments, a crew quarters compartment, and an E-Rank Transcendent Core Compartment.
• Lilia sensed Lin Yuan's increased power and praised him, and he rapped her on the head for calling him Captain Turtle.
• Lin Yuan used ordinary timber to upgrade his storage and postponed upgrading his weapon and power compartments until he could build a Production Workshop.
• After the instance announced that it would close in five minutes, Lin Yuan was told to return to his ship and await the Main Quest after sunrise.

After the island-ship sank, Lin Yuan heard its final plea to save the world, then traded his jade fishing rod for Air Force Bro’s life-draining lightblade armguard. He equipped it and wondered how powerful it could become at maximum output.

• Lin Yuan heard the sinking island-ship call for someone to save the world before it vanished beneath the sea.
• Lilia praised Lin Yuan as a hero, but he denied any intention of saving the world.
• Lin Yuan read Air Force Bro’s account of the instance loot and learned that his armguard could summon a lightblade capable of striking a Water Elemental.
• Air Force Bro revealed that the lightblade drained at least eight health points per second and grew stronger as it drained more.
• Lin Yuan traded his jade fishing rod and 200 units of steel for the armguard, then equipped it and wondered about its maximum power.

Lin Yuan strengthened his light blade and traded for a Planting Room blueprint while considering what made his ship unique. The system then announced the main quest: reach the Gate of Departure by the end of Day 30.

• Lin Yuan powered up his light blade and confirmed it could slice through steel while remaining sustainable for him to use in combat.
• Lin Yuan offered the Mutant Treant Fruit and ornate Feather Pen in the regional channel, and Never Skunked revealed his fishing boat and many fishing rods.
• I Quit Farming offered Lin Yuan a Planting Room blueprint, and Lin Yuan agreed to trade for it after learning he would receive fertile soil as well.
• Lin Yuan saw that Air Force Bro specialized in fishing and I Quit Farming in farming, then wondered what made his own ship special.
• The system issued the main quest, directing all surviving players to choose a route and reach the Gate of Departure by the end of Day 30.

Lin Yuan studied the Paradise Sea Chart and learned that Research Institute 3154 was recruiting capable players, but he declined to join the organization. 3154 then inferred that Lin Yuan's health had likely reached 500 points, and Lin Yuan praised the accuracy of the guess.

• Lin Yuan examined the Paradise Sea Chart, saw the routes and islands leading to the Gate of Departure, and decided to choose a route with many instances.
• I Quit Farming admitted that he had skipped the beginner-instance boss and therefore lacked a chart, so Research Institute 3154 privately directed him to someone who could help.
• Research Institute 3154 asked Lin Yuan to hold the Feather Pen while he obtained a Steam Core, then explained that he was recruiting promising players for the Research Institute.
• Lin Yuan asked about the organization's rules and obligations, but declined its invitation because he wanted to keep his freedom and secrets.
• Research Institute 3154 cited Lin Yuan's five Magical Creatures' corpses and his trade for a Templar Apprentice Lightblade to conclude that his health was likely 500 points, and Lin Yuan said the estimate was more accurate than Air Force Bro's.

Lin Yuan traded an account of his beginner dungeon to 3154 for coordinates to rubber-producing islands, then set out north with Lilia’s coffin and the Shell Pump. As he paused to feed the hungry propeller, he sensed a familiar presence beneath the sea and prepared to face it.

• Lin Yuan described his beginner dungeon to 3154 in exchange for the locations of rubber-producing islands.
• 3154 recorded that Zero was a well-rounded talent and recommended maintaining relations with him and reporting him to headquarters as a seeded contender.
• Lin Yuan chose a route toward the nearest rubber-producing island and wondered whether Paradise contained multiple seas.
• After two days of travel, Lin Yuan stopped to catch Magical Creatures because the Shell Pump needed food and rest.
• Lin Yuan sensed a familiar pressure from the depths and grinned, ready to face the presence again.

Lin Yuan confronted the dark shadow again and used the Holy Hall Light Blade to sever its Invisible Chains. He cautiously approached it to learn more, but the shadow attacked with a freezing horn before retreating into the Main Sea.

• Lin Yuan cut through the dark shadow’s Invisible Chains with the Holy Hall Light Blade and shrugged off its repeated attempts to bind him.
• The dark shadow hurled an armored fish at Lin Yuan, who caught it and severed another Invisible Chain.
• Lin Yuan used the Deep-Dive Shield Bubble Soap and descended toward the boundary between the Shallow Sea and the Main Sea to inspect the dark shadow.
• As Lin Yuan prepared to summon the Undead Legion, the dark shadow struck him with a freezing horn and tried to drag him down with an Invisible Chain.
• Lin Yuan summoned skeletons to cut the chain, broke free of the ice, and escaped with the Shell Pump before the dark shadow vanished into the Main Sea.

After surviving the shadow’s attack, Lin Yuan discovered the Death Seed’s draining effect could leave him helpless, then repaired himself and turned the Frost Sea Serpent Horn into a powerful ship weapon. Back on the surface, he and Lilia questioned the shadow’s identity, and Lin Yuan considered asking Research Institute 3154 for answers.

• The Death Seed drained Lin Yuan’s health and immobilized him for thirty seconds, after which he killed the fish biting his hull and put the dangerous seed away.
• Lin Yuan removed the horn from his stomach, used Emergency Repair to heal himself and repair the warehouse, and learned it was a Frost Sea Serpent Horn.
• Lin Yuan consumed the horn to add the Frost Sea Serpent Ram to his ship, gaining a freezing attack and 400 Strength.
• Lin Yuan wondered whether the shadow was a Frost Sea Serpent, but Lilia argued that such serpents were weak and could not explain its power.
• Lin Yuan returned to the surface, told Lilia what had happened, and thought of asking Research Institute 3154 about the shadow.

Lin Yuan raced to the first island to enter its dungeon and obtain rubber for a Production Workshop, pushing the shell pump until it went dormant. He reached the island just before the dungeon opened and met a scholarly-looking player waiting offshore.

• Lin Yuan noticed that changing regions had cut off his contact with Research Institute 3154 and set aside his questions about the shadow to focus on the next island.
• Lin Yuan hunted a giant magical creature underwater and fed its flesh to the shell pump to boost its speed toward the island.
• Lin Yuan kept feeding the shell pump during a six-hour sprint, but it eventually entered a dormant state.
• Lin Yuan swam the remaining distance and reached the island half an hour before the dungeon opened, where more than a hundred players waited offshore.
• A scholarly-looking man with glasses greeted Lin Yuan and asked what he should call him.

Lin Yuan spoke with Manager, leader of the Consortium team, and learned that veteran players had founded organizations ahead of humanity’s latest entry into the game. He declined to join and left after warning Manager about the eerie doll girl, while Manager wrongly concluded that Lin Yuan had secretly scouted the island before arriving.

• Lin Yuan introduced himself as Zero, and Manager explained that he led a Consortium team and invited him to join.
• Manager described the Black Blood Society and Adventurer Group as dangerous to newcomers, then revealed that veteran players had established the organizations and that this was likely the game’s final intake of humanity.
• Manager said the Diving Club team was suspicious because he did not recognize the group, and Lin Yuan declined the Consortium’s invitation so he could explore alone.
• When Manager asked about the island, Lin Yuan warned him about the doll girl with a scythe and coffin who could revive endlessly, then departed.
• A teammate questioned Manager’s generosity, and Manager reasoned that Lin Yuan must have arrived early and secretly scouted the island, confidently praising his own observation.

Lin Yuan and Lilia slipped into the Mist Island dungeon after the other players, where Lilia frightened a high-Inspiration player named Bai Ling. Lin Yuan suspected Bai Ling’s sensitivity could lead them to treasure and decided to keep an eye on her.

• Lin Yuan watched the Consortium, Black Blood Society, Adventurer Group, and Diving Club enter the Mist Island dungeon, and noticed the Adventurer Group’s boat had a land-travel modification he wanted.
• After the other players entered, Lin Yuan climbed into Lilia’s coffin and told her to hide them inside the dungeon.
• Lilia ran into Bai Ling’s team at the entrance, and Bai Ling froze after seeing Lilia and the ominous coffin.
• Fog rolled out of the jungle, allowing Lilia to carry the coffin into the dungeon unseen by the rest of Bai Ling’s team.
• Lin Yuan realized Bai Ling likely had high Inspiration and decided to follow her in hopes of finding treasure.

Lin Yuan and Lilia explored the misty jungle, where they found a pool of fresh human blood and inferred that a player had died and been removed. They hurried toward a distant scream, as Bai Ling warned her team that the approaching Diving Club members were lying, but her teammates began to doubt her.

• Lin Yuan had Lilia search the jungle for rubber, but the heavy mist made her lose her way despite marking trees.
• Lilia examined a pool of blood and used her coffin to identify it as fifteen-minute-old human blood from a forty-four-year-old man without transcendent powers.
• Lin Yuan suspected the dead man was a player and wondered whether a teammate had killed him and taken his body.
• After hearing a muffled shout of “Stay back!”, Lin Yuan ordered Lilia to run toward the voice.
• Bai Ling warned her team against the gray-robed Diving Club members, who claimed they had encountered an eerie danger and proposed joining forces.
• The gray-robed figures suggested Bai Ling was mentally unstable, and her teammates hesitated over whether to trust her warning.

Bai Ling’s team was ambushed by a gray shadow controlled by the gray-robed people, but Lilia arrived and confronted their leader. After Lilia split the creature behind his attacks in two, the gray-robed man revealed that his followers were puppet bodies that let him revive.

• A gray shadow killed Bai Ling’s captain and dragged his corpse into the woods, while Bai Ling warned the team that the gray-robed people were connected to it.
• Bai Ling shot into the woods, wounding the gray-robed man and provoking the gray shadow to kill her teammates, while its shriek left her incapacitated.
• The gray-robed man seized Bai Ling as a sacrifice, but Lilia emerged from the bushes and questioned him about the Crawlers and why he hunted players.
• The gray-robed man sent the gray shadow at Lilia, but she pulled a gray caterpillar from her wooden body and snapped it in two, splitting him apart as well.
• One of the gray-robed man’s puppet bodies fused with him and restored him, and he claimed he could revive once for every body he had.

Lilia repeatedly killed the gray-robed man's puppet bodies, while Bai Ling stopped his escape with the Dead Line Gun. After the man sacrificed himself to create a giant beetle, a figure emerged from Lilia's coffin and killed it with ease, leaving Bai Ling unconscious and convinced he could not be a player from her batch.

• Lilia survived the gray caterpillar's repeated attacks and destroyed several of the gray-robed man's puppet bodies, while he wrongly guessed that her coffin held the secret to her revival.
• The gray-robed man fled with the caterpillar, but Bai Ling shot it with the Dead Line Gun and halted their escape.
• The gray-robed man sacrificed his flesh and blood to make the caterpillar evolve into a giant rhinoceros beetle, forming a cocoon around himself.
• Bai Ling warned Lilia to destroy the cocoon, but Lilia waited because she trusted her captain to handle the danger.
• The giant beetle emerged, overwhelmed Bai Ling with a sanity attack, and smashed Lilia into pieces.
• A man came out of the coffin, stopped the beetle's charge, and sliced it in half; Bai Ling passed out, thinking he could not be a player from her batch.