Chapter Summaries

[Shit Appraisal Master] and [Good Times Don't Last] bought iron tools to resell, then discovered they had no money left to purchase the saws [Concrete Mixed with Spaghetti] needed. They returned some tools at a loss and bought saws instead, leaving [Good Times Don't Last] to advise [Shit Appraisal Master] against starting a business.

• [Shit Appraisal Master] persuaded [Good Times Don't Last] to spend twenty silver each on iron tools, and the two paid the blacksmith.
• [Concrete Mixed with Spaghetti] arrived with [Zhongde]’s request for saws, but the pair had no money left to buy them.
• [Concrete Mixed with Spaghetti] suggested returning some iron spearheads at a discount, and the blacksmith refunded nine silver for ten spearheads.
• The three spent the refund on seven saws and decided to resell them at their original price of one silver and fifty copper each.
• [Good Times Don't Last] asked whether [Shit Appraisal Master] was a rich heir and advised him not to start a business.

[Shit Appraisal Master] returned to the castle after another costly coincidence and decided to learn how to avoid losing money. Duolin arrived with church uniforms requisitioned from White Wax Town, while [Howling Pothos] sought a chance to learn limb Alienation skills.

• [Good Times Don't Last] explained that the quest was to deliver usable parts from a broken alchemical golem to the chief of Dragonborn Village for repairs.
• [Shit Appraisal Master] returned to the castle with [Concrete Mixed with Spaghetti] and [Good Times Don't Last], where five Holy See guards had brought back their hoofbeasts, making the earlier transport quest unnecessary.
• [Shit Appraisal Master] decided to ask his father for advice about avoiding losses from hauling cargo.
• Duolin noticed the imposing woman beside the castle and was released from her intimidating gaze when [Dawn Ah] invited him inside.
• [Dawn Ah] told [Howling Pothos] that Duolin and the others had returned, prompting [Howling Pothos] to leave their hunting team and seek limb Alienation skills.
• Duolin presented Ed with brand-new church uniforms he had requisitioned from White Wax Town.

Ed questioned Duolin and four guards about their beliefs and background after Duolin challenged the presence of a dragon in the Second Holy See. He established that they all believed the Tree God created every race, then asked why only humans worshiped Him.

• Duolin asked Ed why a pureblood red dragon named Seraphina managed the Second Holy See’s finances, and Ed decided he needed to address his concern.
• Ed closed the castle doors, bound the five guards with vines, and seated them to question Duolin.
• Duolin said he had graduated from the seminary in year 905 of the royal calendar, as had the other four guards.
• Ed asked whether the Tree God had created the other races, and Duolin and the guards affirmed that all life came from Him.
• Ed asked why only humans believed in the Tree God.

Ed tried to persuade the guards to build the Second Holy See by accepting all who were not enemies of the Tree God, rather than rejecting every group outside their own. He defended Seraphina as a respectful ally and urged Duolin to apologize to her as the castle doors opened.

• Duolin and another guard said the Tree Worship Church opposed dragons, elves, demons, and human blasphemers because they had transgressed against the Tree God.
• Ed argued that the Demonic Tide threatened every race and could give the Tree God an opportunity to bring former believers back into the fold.
• Ed pointed to corruption in the Tree Worship Church and argued that the Second Holy See was too small to keep excluding people.
• Ed proposed welcoming anyone who acknowledged the Tree God and committed no blasphemy, while reserving death for apostates and true blasphemers.
• Ed claimed the Holy Scripture reflected believers' changing interpretations rather than the Tree God's direct words, and said its distortions would be exposed after the church's corruption was purged.
• Ed praised Seraphina's goodwill and financial support, then told Duolin to apologize to her as the castle doors opened.

Ed freed the five guards, gave them spending money, and explained the Second Holy See’s plans while confirming Seraphina’s non-aggression agreement only required her to act when hired. Duolin and the others began reconsidering the Church’s teachings, while Duolin realized the elite warriors lacked even basic Church abilities.

• Ed freed Duolin and the other guards, gave them gold, silver, and copper coins, and warned them that the elite warriors might behave strangely.
• Seraphina told Ed that the priests she had killed had broken the agreement by trespassing in her territory and taking her money, and she refused to intervene unless hired.
• Duolin and the other four guards considered Adrian’s preaching and wondered whether the Second Holy See would welcome believers of other races.
• [Howling Pothos] asked Duolin to teach him Directed Alienation, and Duolin demonstrated turning his hand into weapons.
• Duolin realized the elite warriors did not know a basic ability of the Tree Worship Church and wondered where they had come from.

Duolin taught [Howling Pothos] Directed Alienation in exchange for ten tree seeds, and the player succeeded on his first attempt, turning his right hand into a small wooden knife. Just as [Howling Pothos] realized he had learned the skill, his body collapsed and went still.

• Duolin offered to teach [Howling Pothos] Directed Alienation for ten tree seeds.
• [Howling Pothos] exchanged his money for ten seeds and gave them to Duolin.
• Duolin explained the history and principles of Directed Alienation before guiding [Howling Pothos] through his first attempt.
• [Howling Pothos] found a faint wisp of Psionic Energy and successfully alienated his right hand into a short wooden knife.
• [Howling Pothos] confirmed he could use Directed Alienation again, then collapsed and lay motionless.

Ed explained that the elite warriors were the souls of the Tree God’s earliest believers, returned as Soul Returners, and Duolin recognized Ed as the Son of God. As the playtest ended, Ed gained Duolin’s devotion and learned that the Soul Returners needed nightly maintenance, though he still felt he had forgotten something.

• Ed realized [Howling Pothos] had collapsed because his accumulated experience overflowed, and told Duolin the player would recover after a dozen hours.
• Ed told Duolin that the elite warriors were the souls of the Tree God’s first believers, and Duolin understood that they were Saints who knew nothing of Alienation abilities.
• Duolin concluded that Ed was the Son of God, but Ed asked him to call him Bishop or God’s Favored instead.
• Ed told Duolin to keep his identity secret, use his judgment about what to tell trusted teammates, and teach future Soul Returners as usual.
• The ten players finished their twelve-hour playtest, and Duolin learned that the Soul Returners’ bodies required a secret nightly maintenance method bestowed by the Tree God.
• Ed felt that the past two days had gone smoothly but could not remember what he had forgotten.

In the real world, players discussed Howling Pothos’s new skill and Zhongde began planning practical village buildings. Cui Yuan was summoned to meet three serious-looking people who revealed they knew his personal background.

• Howling Pothos told the group he had learned Directed Alienation from Duolin but could only make weak, small-scale changes with his limited psionic energy.
• Good Times Don't Last and Shit Appraisal Master briefly fell out over the skill’s effect on iron tools, then made up and discussed future investments.
• Zhongde asked new group members to use their in-game names, then Zhou Jue began sketching village buildings and researching infrastructure ideas.
• Cui Yuan’s director called him into an office, where three unfamiliar people remained after the director left.
• The man in charge recited Cui Yuan’s school, household, and family information, and Cui Yuan realized they had likely come because of the strange game.

Cui Yuan described World of Disorder’s unusually realistic features to investigators, who admitted they could not intervene and received a new assignment at a bioengineering institute. In the game, Fasi grew worried about the silence from Upperstream Village and set out to find out what had happened there.

• Cui Yuan confirmed that he had posted two videos and told the investigators that the game’s advertised features, including full immersion and intelligent NPCs, were real.
• Cui Yuan asked whether he could keep playing and posting videos, and the lead investigator allowed him to do both.
• After Cui Yuan left, the investigators said they could not intervene in World of Disorder and prepared to fly to the Bioengineering Research Institute in Province A.
• Fasi received no news from Bishop Adrian or Upperstream Village after reporting the apostates, and debris from the river left Midstream Village uneasy.
• Fasi feared that either the apostates or Adrian might kill him, so he decided to walk upstream to check on Upperstream Village.

Fasi found Upperstream Village destroyed and followed a sign toward the Shattered Castle, fearing that Bishop Adrian had lost to the apostates. There, he discovered that Kaping, Duolin, Aoda, and Bishop Adrian were working together, leaving him bewildered about where he stood.

• Fasi found Upperstream Village reduced to ruins, with no bodies or clear signs of casualties, and guessed that its villagers had gone to the castle.
• Fasi followed an arrow pointing toward the castle and headed there beneath the moonlight.
• Duolin and Aoda ambushed Fasi near the castle and restrained him.
• Kaping appeared and greeted Duolin as an ally, confusing Fasi.
• Bishop Adrian descended before them, and Fasi realized that he, Kaping, Duolin, and Aoda were on the same side.

Ed resolved the misunderstanding with Fasi and appointed him as his liaison in Midstream Village, then worked overnight to remodel [Howling Pothos]'s body. The player woke to new game notifications and a detailed panel showing his level-up points and abilities, and began considering how to allocate them.

• Ed learned that Midstream Village had not received word that the threat was over, and decided Fasi was promising enough to serve as his liaison there.
• Ed gave Fasi a leaf that let him contact Ed mentally, then told him to rest until morning.
• Ed used roots and vines to remodel [Howling Pothos]'s body and reserved his level-up attribute points for him to allocate.
• [Howling Pothos] woke to an updated player interface, a new ability, and confirmation that his body maintenance was complete.
• [Howling Pothos] read his level-up details and examined his attributes and abilities while considering how to spend his available points.

[Howling Pothos] studied his new talents, allocated his level-up points, and transformed his hand into a stronger dagger. The players celebrated as [Zhongde] called for help clearing the river and beginning cabin construction.

• [Howling Pothos] read the descriptions of [Soul Returner] and [Directed Alienation (Plant)] and considered how they would shape his faction and attribute choices.
• [Howling Pothos] got up after the other players found him staring at the announcements, then told them he had reached level 1.
• [Howling Pothos] allocated his five basic and three special attribute points, and he felt his body and plant-sense grow stronger.
• [Howling Pothos] concentrated psionic energy and transformed his right hand into a dagger, drawing cheers from the players and awe from Duolin.
• [Good Times Don't Last] and [Shit Appraisal Master] took the modest dagger as a sign that alienation remained difficult and that their iron-goods business could continue.
• [Zhongde] called players to clear the river so cabin construction could begin, while Fasi watched the commotion from a castle window.

Fasi watched the lively construction around Ed’s castle and, jealous of Upperstream Village’s chance for a new home, asked whether Midstream Village could join the settlement. After receiving encouragement from Ed and the villagers, he hurried back to Midstream Village to bring them the offer, while Ed hoped they would accept so he could unite the barony for his plans.

• Fasi watched Elite Warriors and apostates haul timber and prepare a construction site, then learned from Ed that he was building homes for Upperstream Village’s displaced villagers.
• Fasi asked Ed whether Midstream Village could move to the settlement, and Ed told him to ask Kaping, the villagers, and Captain Duolin.
• Fasi asked Kaping and other Upperstream villagers about the move and received their approval, while Duolin gave him a reminder about the Tree God.
• Fasi hurried back to Midstream Village before eating, and Ed watched from the castle, hoping its villagers would join the growing settlement.
• Ed planned to unite the barony before making the blasphemers and perpetrators of violence pay and restoring the Tree God’s radiance to White Wax Town.

Fasi brought Midstream Village’s chief and several elders to inspect the castle settlement, while Elite Warriors dealt with a monster disrupting their timber salvage in the river. Duolin and the players wounded and killed the creature, leaving the chief to consider the settlement’s strength.

• Fasi escorted Midstream Village’s chief and elders around the castle, where the chief saw a thriving group of young residents and began reconsidering his decision.
• A river monster stole a player’s harpoon, and the Elite Warriors used rotten meat to lure it within reach.
• Duolin used Directed Alienation to grow a barbed wooden arrow and strike the monster, after [Howling Pothos] advised him to add barbs.
• The players hurled short spears at the wounded monster until it could no longer struggle and floated to the surface.

After the players killed a strange fish, Midstream Village’s chief accepted Ed’s offer to join his settlement, which he named Riverside Village. As the players prepared the fish for dinner, [Epic-Level Giant] hooked something enormous in the river.

• The players hauled a meter-long fish ashore, and [Epic-Level Giant] recognized its unusual fins and decided to try fishing for the group.
• Midstream Village’s chief and villagers agreed to move to Ed’s settlement after he offered to exchange mature tree seeds for silver and permanently abolish their seed tax.
• Ed named the combined settlement Riverside Village, while the players named the strange fish Claw Fish and began preparing it for dinner.
• [Epic-Level Giant] shouted for help after hooking a huge creature, and a cloud of blood appeared in the river as [Dawn Ah] realized what the fish had been eating.

After [Epic-Level Giant] lost a leg to a giant Claw Fish, [Howling Pothos] investigated the game’s underwater mechanics and discovered that plant people could hold their breath for a long time. He wiped [Dawn Ah]’s debt in exchange for helping with the test, then explained how the discovery could benefit combat players.

• [Epic-Level Giant] was bitten by a giant Claw Fish while fishing and lost his lower leg, but the players pulled him from the water.
• [Zhongde] bandaged [Epic-Level Giant] and told him to get surgery from the Guide, and [Epic-Level Giant] paid Ed twelve silver for a replacement leg.
• [Howling Pothos] questioned [Epic-Level Giant] about surviving underwater for three minutes and learned that drowning had not affected him as it would in real life.
• [Howling Pothos] asked [Dawn Ah] to pull him out after five minutes underwater, offering to erase his debt in return.
• [Howling Pothos] discovered that plant people could hold their breath underwater for a long time and said the ability could help combat players.

Ed approved Duolin’s report to the Holy See and expanded his map of the surrounding region. Meanwhile, a traveling merchant arrived at Dragonborn Village, where the villagers traded for ore and fabric.

• Duolin wrote to the College of Cardinals that the five clerics had died from dragonfire and named the supposed black dragon Nige Ganhuo, with Ed’s approval.
• Ed told Duolin to send Yiden a letter as well, then used the shared vision network to inspect his expanding map and noticed the river ran south through White Wax Town.
• Dragonborn guards spotted a traveling merchant’s mobile fortress approaching their village and alerted the villagers.
• The village chief allowed trading to begin on the wall, and Dragonborn households collected imported ore for their smelting work.
• The traveling merchant praised his fabric to the clothing shop owner, who admired it but hesitated to buy clothes that the Dragonborn would quickly ruin.

A traveling merchant learned from the clothing shop owner that the Tree Worship Church’s new village near the old castle used common currency, and he redirected his mobile fortress there despite warnings about its master. In the real world, Li Yu investigated the game’s lifelike characters and found a popular short-video collection featuring Ed.

• The traveling merchant tried to sell strange wares to the clothing shop owner, who refused but suggested the new village near the old castle might have buyers.
• The shop owner warned the merchant that the village’s master was dangerous, and the merchant paid him for the information before steering his mobile fortress west.
• Li Yu examined the activation codes on his phone and wondered how the game had delivered them so quickly, while reflecting on how lifelike its characters seemed.
• Li Yu found Zhong Lele’s short-video collection of screenshots featuring Ed and read comments praising Ed’s appearance and asking how to access the game.

Li Yu gave Lü Yang an activation code for World of Disorder, then offered another to his advisor, who accepted and immediately called Professor Li about obtaining beta access. In the game, players discussed Midstream Village residents asking Ed to move to Upperstream Village, while Zhongde looked forward to new construction work.

• Li Yu told Lü Yang that he had earned activation codes through hunting and gave him one, hiding that there were more available.
• Li Yu visited his advisor and offered him another game activation code; the professor accepted and asked whether the game needed a helmet.
• After Li Yu left, his advisor called Professor Li and said he had obtained access to the game's beta.
• In the closed beta group chat, Xiexie Huigu and Great Wei Boxing Champion discussed Midstream Village residents asking Ed what it would cost to move to Upperstream Village.
• Zhongde welcomed the prospect of new construction work, while Xiexie Huigu, Zhong Lele, and Easily Soluble in Water said they planned to leave once they had saved enough money.

Zhongde recruited his dorm friends to help draft building plans by promising them closed beta access to World of Disorder. Meanwhile, Lin Xi invited her friend to try the game and discovered that her friend had saved a gallery posted by [Zhong Lele].

• Zhongde decided to recruit new players to help gather resources and messaged his dormant dorm chat.
• Zhongde promised [Brain Bling], [Enemy from the Sky], and [Add Ice Fiercely] beta access in exchange for drawing plans for his construction project.
• Lin Xi reflected on how her summoner build and the game were affecting her thoughts in real life.
• Lin Xi's friend asked whether she was playing the game all night, and Lin Xi invited her to play together.
• Lin Xi introduced World of Disorder's features, and her friend showed her a saved gallery posted by [Zhong Lele].