Big Recap

Notable Characters

In Alphabetical Order

• Aaliyah
• Aditi
• Altera
• Challenger Sarah
• Challenger Terry
• Desley
• Devron
• Dhane
• Gameus
• Gorlan
• Kevin
• Knock
• Mother of Shadows
• Nick
• Niveus
• Octoralis
• Penny
• Reditus Leon
• Tom
• Veritus Scyla

Implicit Skills

Arachnomancer

• Soul Spider
• Spider Rider
• Vibration Sight
• Attuned Hearing
• Arachling Language
• Spider Climb

Assassin

• Improved Agility
• Backstab
• Silent Step
• Shadow Fade
• Summon Mount
• Critical Sight

Skills

Arachnomancer

• Exploding Spider · Lvl. 3
• Venomous Spiders · Lvl. 1
• Modify Vibrations · Lvl. 1
• Web Wall · Lvl. 2

Assassin

• Venom Bite · Lvl. 1
• Venom Extract · Lvl. 1
• Shadow Shift · Lvl. 1

Chapter 1

Truck-kun!

Dhane, a game journalist, dies when crossing the street to use a free ice cream coupon. He wakes up in Olindale, a fantasy world. Greeted by Gameus, the god of games, Dhane learns he is in heaven for gamers and nerds and everything in between.

After receiving clothes and an ancient and magical device—an iPhone—the group is led to choose a divinity to follow. Dhane stumbles and unintentionally selects an insect divinity. Gameus finds his future interesting and sends him off in a burst of magic.

Chapter 2

Get in me hole

Dhane breaks free from a stone statue of himself. He quickly realizes he’s without his phone, but a pair of goblins (Cobalins)—Desley and Knock—help him retrieve it through a bit of magic. Desley explains that Dhane is a "fresh Shadow" and insists on taking him to the "Mother of Shadows." Along the way, they encounter and defeat a boar, and Dhane learns about the goblins’ role as fodder for adventurers.

Chapter 3

The Mother of Shadows

Desley and Knock guide Dhane through a maze of tunnels. They arrive at Dedu Tedu—a Cobalin town—and meet Mahai, a Volantes Serparie. Mahai opens a portal to the realm of divinities. Within, the Mother of Shadows, a tiny ruby-red spider, reveals she chose Dhane to balance the war between Light and Shadow.

Chapter 4

Arachnophobia? Deal with it…

Dhane—despite having a severe problem with spiders—accepts the Mother of Shadows’ request and receives her blessing, making him an Arachnomancer. She grants him knowledge of the world and the ability to hide his affinity.

Transported to Ceratree City, Dhane quickly sells his Duram Boar meat to a struggling merchant named Nick for enough money to get a room at an inn. The friendly bartender—Penny—gives him a rock-hard bread roll as his included meal. Dhane secures a tiny, cramped room for the night, no larger than a closet…

Chapter 5

5-Star Delivery “Or your money back!”

Dhane wakes at 6 a.m. to a loud alarm in time to experience the sheer joy of a bunk bed collapsing on him. Penny apologizes with an omelet, and they joke about her rock-hard "Petra Rolls."

Later, Nick tells Dhane about training in the arena. It’s the type of training that pays. Win-win! He’s rushed there by an overzealous delivery girl and makes it just in time. The Master of Arena—Gorlan—instructs the new transcendents to converse with their divinities and unlock their first skills.

Alas, none of the opened portals lead to the Mother of Shadows…

Chapter 6

“Dual classs is ssso cool!”

Dhane, posing as a follower of the Snakes, enters the Snakes’ portal. The snake divinities—Niveus and Altera—recognize his affinity and suggest he become a dual-class, an Arachnomancer and Assassin. Cool!

But two classes come with a severe handicap. He will need double the experience to level. That aside, Dhane sees this as a perfect way to blend in with those of Light by being of Light as well as of Shadow.

He agrees to follow the Snake divinities and, for his help in untangling them, is given a ring that reduces his need for sleep. Back in the arena, he joins Devron and Aaliyah’s party as their reluctant leader. Gorlan announces the first challenge as the gate, barring unseen enemies, begins to open.

Chapter 7

Dead already?

Dhane quickly forms a party with Devron and Aaliyah and selects his first skill, Venom Bite, just before the gate opens, revealing mechanical birds. As his team battles, Dhane is killed by a bird, only to awaken in the Mother of Shadows’ realm again. She promises him a secret gift will arrive soon.

He Returns in the arena’s cemetery and learns from Challenger Terry that he has been out for nine hours. Death has consequences. The man pays Dhane 5 silver for his first day of training and commands a slave Cobalin—Kuby—to guide him out.

Chapter 8

“Player Killer guild, looking for more members!”

Kuby leads Dhane through the Guild Hall, bustling with people and Cobalin slaves. He wants to help them, but he’s powerless. Outside, he explores Ceratree City and runs into Nick again, who offers Dhane opportunities to review products in exchange for free items. Dhane agrees, realizing this side gig could be lucrative.

He returns to the Cali Bali inn, enjoys a delicious dinner, and reconnects with Penny, who gives him her contact information. Later, he heads to the baths, where two women flirt with him and steal his towel. Penny arrives at the worst time and invites him to join her in a private bath, an offer he can’t refuse.

Chapter 9

Who doesn’t want to wake up with a spider on their pillow? /Raises hand/

Sex in heaven is a little different. Souls entwine, and memories are shared, deepening bonds.

In the morning, Dhane is startled awake by a large orange-black tarantula on his pillow. He does the appropriate spider dance and naturally makes things worse. Penny helps untangle him from the sheets, then confesses to using him—eh-hem, sex—to repair her damaged soul. She feels terrible about it, but Dhane won’t have any of it and assures her she can use him as much as she wants…

At the arena, Dhane learns that training today will be in the Wilds. Aaliyah and Devron fight about who should be the leader. Since Dhane died, she thinks she would be the better leader. But after Dhane receives a set of armor from Nick and acknowledges their mistakes, she changes her mind, much to Dhane’s disappointment.

Chapter 10

What a cute rabbit…

While heading toward the east gate for training, Dhane finally checks his stats. And he calls himself a gamer… His character sheet reveals he is an Assassin and an Arachnomancer, a Shadow class. Since the party leader has access to information on the party, he will always have to be the party leader.

Great. He loves being the leader…

Today’s training is a challenge in obtaining loot. Challenger Terry transports a few groups to the Wilds using a waypoint stone. Dhane’s group splits off and encounters a cute rabbit that, when provoked, becomes a giant Raging Rabbit.

Chapter 11

Just think of all the loot it will drop! +1 Scrap Leather…

In an epic battle of the ages, Dhane’s party succeeds in slaying the giant killer bunny, only to have it shrink back to its normal size and drop a single scrap leather. Not very impressive. However, more rabbits—in their small and cute form—appear, including a mama rabbit, causing Dhane to come up with a devious plan involving using the rabbits to disrupt the other groups.

Chaos ensues as Dhane and his party throw rabbits like snowballs at the other parties. Amidst the mayhem, Dhane realizes he isn’t being targeted by the rabbits. Towering behind him, a dozen feet tall, is the largest spider he has ever seen. He flees into the mosh pit of Raging Rabbits and dies for the second time.

Chapter 12

Eggplant emoji

Dhane wakes up on a stone slab in the west biome. Being in the Wilds at night is not in the least ideal, especially since he Returned at a Shadow cemetery. There is no way to get back into the city. He communicates this unfortunate outcome to Penny using the Messages app on his phone.

A giant spider named Octoralis appears and explains their connection. She is his Soul Spider and spider general. After healing her with mana, Dhane receives a message from Penny saying she hired the PK guild to help. He escapes the PK guild by overcoming his fear and riding Octoralis. Once clear, they use a waypoint to get to the outside of Ceratree City and attempt to climb over the wall unnoticed.

It didn’t work…

Alarms alert the people of an attack. Dhane and Octoralis split. To avoid further suspicion, he decides he must die again. Unfortunately, suicide has additional penalties. After an awkward encounter with a woman in an alleyway, Dhane provokes a man into attacking him, leading to his planned death.

Chapter 13

“Today! You get to kill your first Cobalin!”

Dhane wakes up on a stone slab in a beautifully decorated room. He’s greeted by Reditus Owen, a priest of Light. The man, despite appearing young, has white hair and silver-and-gold eyes. He inquires about Dhane’s death and asks for a mana donation. Dhane, sensing it’s a test, complies with the request. His mana is pure.

After leaving the cemetery, Dhane meets Penny briefly before rushing to the arena, where he learns that his party won the previous day’s challenge. However, the joy is short-lived as Gorlan announces that the trainees must kill a Cobalin to advance.

Dhane refuses, which casts suspicion on his group. A high-ranking sect of Reditai, called the Veritai, arrests Dhane and his group, accusing them of being aligned with those of Shadow.

Chapter 14

The Ink Master

Dhane and his party are blindfolded and taken to a mysterious location. He discovers his ability to sense vibrations—an implicit skill called Vibration Sight—giving him an alternate way of seeing. They arrive in an underground courtyard, where Dhane discovers that it was Devron who reported them.

Dhane is taken to the Ink Master, Albert, for an affinity test. Albert’s ink magic can read souls and project their thoughts onto paper. Dhane struggles to control the images while Octoralis is in his soul. Once she leaves, he is able to control what the Ink Master sees. He changes the focus onto Albert and helps him realize his unresolved feelings for Juchon.

Chapter 15

A crazy old man <I eat him?>

The priests of Light, frustrated by their inability to uncover Dhane’s true nature, throw him into a prison cell. It is there he meets Reditus Leon, an uber-crazy old man. He was locked up because he opposes the corrupt changes within the Reditai.

The next day, Dhane is tricked into revealing his dual affinities, much to Reditus Leon’s delight. The priest says this could be the answer they need against the Changed Reditai. He trains Dhane in how to use the mental interface, which Dhane masters quickly.

The leader of the Veritai—Veritus Scyla—takes Dhane away for one last test. They intend to kill him near a cemetery of Shadow. Reditus Leon tells Dhane that the Changed Reditai are sacrificing souls for power.

Chapter 16

The Death Test

Naked and perturbed, Dhane finds himself in the cemetery of Shadow beneath the arena, surrounded by priests and the PK guild member Aditi. She uses a special dagger to kill him, but it doesn’t work.

The priests resort to stabbing him with various weapons. Dhane uses his remaining focus to send a desperate message to Penny, warning her of the priests’ intentions to sacrifice his soul.

Death takes him to the realm of divinities, where he learns that the Butterfly has betrayed those of Shadow, and the priests were cheating to have people of Light Return in the cemetery of Shadow. They did not know he was of Shadow.

Dhane Returns ready to fight, only to find Challenger Terry waiting. Terry informs him that he will be thrown into the arena to die repeatedly for the public’s entertainment. Dhane is led to a cell but ends up in a tiny, cramped cage, subjected to Terry’s mockery.

Chapter 17

Come to the dark side. We have cookies!

With the help of Octoralis, Dhane escapes his tiny cage and convinces the guard, Tom, to help him. Tom removes Dhane’s collar and puts it on himself to avoid suspicion. Dhane promises the guard that if he escapes, Tom can join him.

Chapter 18

Part 1 - Sarah

Sarah navigates the confusing tunnels of the arena to reach the cemetery of Shadow, leading a troop of guards. Frustrated by the lack of directions, she eventually finds her way to the menagerie, where she expects to find Dhane, the shadowling.

She encounters an eerily quiet room with no monsters, only to find a figure sitting on a throne made of bones. This figure, claiming to be the King of Shadows, demands to be released along with the Cobalins if he wins in the arena. Despite her initial skepticism, Sarah is intrigued and agrees to present his conditions if he reveals his face to her. He removes his mask, revealing a stunningly handsome man, which leaves her momentarily flustered and captivated.

Chapter 18

Part 2 - Dhane

Throughout the night, Dhane and Octoralis kill all of the monsters in the menagerie, gaining a significant boost to his experience and money. He uses the resources to construct a throne of bones in order to present himself as the King of Shadows, figuring that it would help ensure the people’s interest and thus, the priests of Light wouldn’t be able to sacrifice his soul.

The rest of the scene plays out the same.

Chapter 19

The King of Shadows (very scary!)

Dhane waits for over an hour on his makeshift throne while the guards watch him nervously. Their conversations reveal growing paranoia about his powers. When Sarah returns, she informs Dhane that his terms are accepted: if he wins in the arena, he and the Cobalins will be freed.

He is taken to the Hall of Guilds, where his presence causes a commotion. Sarah leads them to her guild, introducing him as a guest of Sanguis. In a private room, Dhane maintains his King of Shadows persona, unnerving the guards to the point where one faints. He is left alone to eat a lavish breakfast, which he partly stores in his Inventory app. Reflecting on his impending arena battle, Dhane reviews his skills and prepares for the challenge ahead, bolstered by Octoralis’s support.

Chapter 20

Stats, stats, stats!

Dhane reviews his stats and skills, reflecting on the improvements he gained from leveling. A dual-class has many advantages—double the implicit skills and skill variety—but the double experience requirement is major disadvantage.

Arachnomancer Skills:

• Exploding Spider [Intelligence · Lvl. 3]
• Venomous Spiders [Intelligence · Lvl. 1]
• Modify Vibration [Dexterity · Lvl. 1]
• Web Wall [Strength · Lvl. 2]

Assassin Skills:

• Venom Bite [Dexterity · Lvl. 1]
• Venom Extract [Dexterity · Lvl. 1]
• Shadow Shift [Dexterity · Lvl. 1]

Chapter 21

Wait, what am I thinking!?

Dhane tries to calm himself before the arena battle but struggles with anxiety. He decides to test his new Spider Climb ability, shifting gravity to pull toward the wall, but gets interrupted by guards. Not particularly prepared, he exhales loudly, as if expelling the demons nested within his soul. It works.

Challenger Sarah returns and questions him. He says it was Wall Yoga and breathing exercises…

She leads him to the arena entrance. Dhane sees a guard mistreating a Cobalin slave and discovers it is Desley, his first friend in this world.

Chapter 22

The King of Light (very scary!)

Dhane enters the massive room beneath the arena floor. He encounters Gorlan, who kills a Cobalin to provoke him, but Dhane remains composed. Challenger Sarah leads him to the central pen, where a platform lifts him into the arena.

As he rises, the crowd’s hostility is palpable. He scans for Penny, finding familiar faces but not her. Veritus Scyla demonstrates a new tool for controlling Cobalins, which will allow anyone to have their own Cobalin slave.

The next to speak is the Celestial Royal, the King of Light himself. Despite the Mother of Shadow’s protection on Dhane’s mind, the man seems to see through Dhane’s intention to escape. The king challenges Dhane in a king vs king duel and summons giant warrior statues from the walls of the arena.

Chapter 23

Mortal Kombat!

Dhane faces an impossible battle against the Celestial Royal, the King of Light himself. Realizing escape is futile, he decides to sacrifice himself in an attempt to destroy the cemetery of Shadow that was keeping the Cobalins here as slaves. Octoralis helps but is ultimately killed.

Amidst the chaos, Dhane finds Aditi in the crowd and convinces her to kill him, allowing him to Return instantly.

Chapter 24

Please, Please Me (Whatcha reading there, Terry?)

Dhane wakes in the cemetery of Light beneath the arena, disoriented but alive. Devron—dressed as a jester—rushes into the room and tries to explain how he didn’t betray them. He’s there to help Dhane escape, but Dhane is set on saving the Cobalins.

Tom helps delay the Royal Guards as Dhane sprints down into the labyrinthine tunnels. He gets to the cemetery and finds Challenger Terry there, reading erotica. He is a man of culture.

They fight, and Dhane barely wins with the help of Knock after destroying the cemetery of Shadow with a well-placed Exploding Spider.

Devron appears, carrying Cobalins. Knock has a Village Seed and a Targeted Waypoint stone, which can be used once. They use it to escape the Royal Guards.

Epilogue

Dedu Tedu Novus

Dhane, Devron, and the Cobalins are transported to a beautiful new location, a peaceful and picturesque slice of paradise. Dhane realizes that, at this location, if there was a cemetery, the Cobalins in Ceratree City would Return here.

He uses Knock’s Village Seed. This alerts everyone in the world to a new village of Light and Shadow. While the coordinates are hidden for 30 days, this doesn’t stop a series of official declarations of war.

Time freezes, and Gameus appears. He leaves Dhane with a book on magic symbols in the hopes that it will delay his eventual defeat. Watching Dhane has been most entertaining, and the god doesn’t want Dhane to lose quite yet.

Time returns to normal, and Dhane, with a book of answers in his hands, is determined to use it to survive.