"If I gathered all the pieces of your scattered soul, could I trade them for one real goodbye?"
Six years ago, Li Yan's older brother, Li Yuan, disappeared in a bizarre instance and was officially declared dead. When Li Yan unexpectedly encountered his brother, now a bizarre BOSS, in the "Paper Bride" instance, he discovered that humans assimilated by instances could continue to exist in nonhuman forms. When they reunited in the "Misty Forest" two years ago, however, his brother had lost all his memories. Later, as Li Yan founded the "Dawn" organization to research bizarre phenomena, one shocking discovery changed everything: the souls of those who had been assimilated split into multiple pieces and hid in different instances.
"Seven soul fragments, seven S-rank instances. The last one is in the X-rank 'Tower of the End,' where no one has ever survived."
Li Yan sets out on a dangerous journey to collect his brother's soul fragments. His brother's protectiveness is sealed away in the Blood-Red Library, his tenderness sleeps in the Mirror Hospital, and his fear haunts the Endless Staircase... With every fragment he obtains, Li Yuan's personality becomes a little more complete. But can a soul put back together really return to human form? When members of the Dawn organization question his use of public resources for personal reasons, and signs of bizarre assimilation begin to appear in his own body, Li Yan is forced to choose between his obsession and his sense of duty.
"The cruelest thing isn't being unable to bring you back. It's bringing you back and discovering that you're no longer yourself."
Only when he finally stands before the Tower of the End does Li Yan understand the true cost: to revive a human assimilated by the bizarre, someone else must take their place as the new instance BOSS. This time, will his brother have to watch him sacrifice himself, or can he find a way to save them both? The brothers' bond, spanning life and death, and the ultimate secrets of the bizarre world will be revealed the moment the soul puzzle is complete...
Theme: "If I gathered all the pieces of your scattered soul, could I trade them for one real goodbye?"
