The Earth is Online

Description

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Six months ago, tens of thousands of black phantom towers appeared all over the world, floating above the cities. Chemists, physicists, religious people… all of them could do nothing.

Six months later, people became used to the towers and no longer paid them attention.

One day, Tang Mo saw a flying insect crash into it instead of going through it. The next day, a sharp and clear child-like voice issued an announcement to all humans.

“Ding dong! November 15th, 2017. The earth is online.”

The black tower’s three iron-clad rules:

1. Everything is explained by the black tower.

2. 6 o’clock to 18 o’clock is the game time.

3. All players, please strive to attack the tower.

Associated Names
One entry per line
Dìqiú shàngxiàn
EO
TEIO
Địa Cầu Online
ฝ่าวิกฤตพิชิตหอคอยดำ
地球上線
地球上线
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
Global Examination (26)
Card Room (25)
Game Loading (18)
The Trial Game of Life (17)
Kaleidoscope of Death (14)
Escape the Infinite Chamber (11)
Recommendation Lists
  1. BL Novels
  2. Strong MC [BL]
  3. My favs
  4. my_read/reading_list
  5. Need to be reread

Latest Release

Date Group Release
06/22/23 Tea Novel c131
06/18/22 Tea Novel c130
06/17/22 Tea Novel c129
06/16/22 Tea Novel c128
06/15/22 Tea Novel c127
06/14/22 Tea Novel c126
06/13/22 Tea Novel c125
06/13/22 Tea Novel c124
06/12/22 Tea Novel c123
06/12/22 Tea Novel c122
06/11/22 Tea Novel c121
06/11/22 Tea Novel c120
06/10/22 Tea Novel c119
06/10/22 Tea Novel c118
06/09/22 Tea Novel c117
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408 Reviews sorted by


Krudy7kk
Krudy7kk rated it
May 10, 2023
Status: Completed
Something that most other review mentions about this story is how racist this story can get:

Spoiler

Aside from the fact that this story is littered with stereotypes regarding Europeans and the story seemed to fully ignore the existence of the whole continent of Africa and Latin america, the author also seems to have some sort of weird resentment towards South Asians...
Without going into heavy spoiler territory but the whole population of South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, etc) are heavily implied in the story to be inferior to the rest of the world. Theres a scene where the author describes explicitly a large population of people in India being massacred for a very random reason that didn’t really even make sense.
The only black person mentioned in this story was also written to be a monster, which honesty could’ve just been a coincidence, but was definitely kind of weird considering the authors treatment of other races besides East Asian and white.

[collapse]

The racism in this story doesn’t become really apparent until chapter 200+ of the story when
Spoiler

the scale of the story becomes more global, rather than just based in China.

[collapse]
so if that doesn’t bother you, you should totally give this story a go! I don’t have much morals so I kept reading.

This story is a plot focused story first and foremost, a solid 70% of the story is spent inside mini games and instances. Some of the games and instances are kinda confusing to wrap your head around but most have very clever and fun to read twists.

If you’re looking for romance, this is not the story for you.
The romance is very slow burn and more of a sideline than the main focus. The yaoi tag is also a mistag since there’s no explicit scenes, theres really only 2 implied scenes. Despite this though, the romance does feel very real and the interactions between the MC and ML are very cute.
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Realvnv
Realvnv rated it
August 6, 2021
Status: c128
I've got a habit of checking 5 stars reviews before reading, then read through 2-3 stars ones after I start to lose interest. Seeing so many good reviews I've decided to give it a go, but when I'm about to drop this I can't find many "good" bad reviews?

So I thought I might as well contribute.

The story starts alright. Many black towers appear, people are forced to play games, our MC/ML are super intelligent so they just breeze through... Your average survival-themed novel with gaming elements.

What makes this story less... more>> appealing isn't the premise tho, it's the difficulty of guarding against sudden IQ ups and downs lmao.

Let's say there's this one simple fact you can deduce with your toes, the author feels obliged to stretch the explanation for 5 paragraphs and let different characters repeat the same sh*t once themselves. I wanna rip my hair every time they discuss sth obvious for half a day, finally come to conclusion, and declare themselves super-smart afterward.

Alas, if there really is sth that makes you go "Wtf just happened?", the author can do nothing but explain their convoluted mess of logic in a sentence or two. It's not like the explanation doesn't make any sense, but it's just too far-fetched.

I dunno if Imma be able to express myself here but it should be like this: Since the author obviously knows the outcome, they do everything in their power to reach that designed outcome. The odds of that particular outcome happening may be less than %10, but the authors' logic makes it seem like it's inevitable. Maybe the author simply wrote the outcome first then tried to fill in the process in a harpazant way, who knows.

It may make you feel amazed at how intelligent our characters are, but to me, it just makes the protag halo all the more obvious.

There's this %10 accuracy buff from sum ability that gives the author enough reason to squeeze in sum absurd logic on our logic train, Mario hat that conveniently gives clues backstage, and our turkey egg that has reset function to boot. With these deux-ex-machina level supports, I would be more surprised if he failed bruh, why author desperately wants to make our MC super intelligent?

I seriously wonder how these super average mob group that dies at the drop of a hat in games MC/ML participates in passed their previous games before. They're nothing much, but our lovely cast " barely" passes games by their Sherlock-level intellect, how can these mobs do the same shit?

I wanna be a part of a mob in sum novel in my next life, please.

Well, I've talked about the super-intellect thingy and the author's superior logic... Lemme bring up this legendary "tacit understanding".

Our leads have a supreme grandmaster-level understanding of the "tacit agreement" path. Oftentimes, they don't even open their sweet mouths, just one look and they already know the other partys' ancestors' old crushes' childhood friends' dogs' name. So much so that even the author doesn't bother to explain what they actually understood, since we all know that their tacit understanding level is so high that it affects dao and all living beings are naturally aware of it. (Now I've sprout sum bullsh*t Reverend Insanity readers would get, but worry not, with our tacit understanding it should be no brainer.)

In short, call me nitpicky or whatever, but I would rather read what they understood rather than reading the author singing praises to their f*cking understanding for few paragraphs straight.

Anyway, other than this tacit bullshit, the atmosphere between MC and ML is hella awkward. It has been that way since day 1. MC is hyper-aware of ML, ML just smiles strangely... Sth is wrong here but I don't really get it lmao.

I've b*tched about this and that, this time I'll talk about MC and ML for a short while.

MC is uninteresting. A cool-headed guy..... It seems to be all. I can't really like characters that can't make me laugh bruh, who asked to him be this dull. Even his ability book was funnier than him, but it also could only make 10 y.o kids laugh at best.

ML is ex-military personnel, super strong, super mysterious, etc. At least makes attempts at cracking jokes, would be better if he spoke instead of smiling 7/24. He also keeps calling MC "wife" in small theaters which bugged me quite a bit.

Other characters are even more boring so Imma not mention them.

Games were fine if you skip logic holes, mainly born from a weird thought process. At least the premise is interesting.

Chapters were bulky, which speeded my dropping process lol. Oh man, I'm so utterly bored. Stared this book out of boredom now I'm even more bored.

Well, I've told ya everything I wanted to ig, it's up to you to read it or nah. I'm just saying don't trust these 5 stars reviews all that much. <<less
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YoriMei
YoriMei rated it
August 29, 2019
Status: c245
With almost 100 reviews and 500 5 stars, you really don't need much more convincing on how good it is do you? It truly is complex and really in-depth. MC and ML are both badass in their own right, and honestly if you weren't into BL I would still whole heartedly recommend this. I do want to note though that rather than a video game setting it's more along the lines of word/board games rather than full out video games. As for the translation? It's pretty top notch, although a... more>> few mistakes here and there. When I found out this was an MTL I was so shocked I would have thought they were lying if the website itself didn't say so.

If you like puzzles/riddles/tricky games this book is up your alley. Both the games and the story itself are complex, and detail packed. Items and people you forget about are never truly forgotten and while there are a little hand waves here and there on minor details (like food or gas/car keys) but it's easy to let it slide. The plot is exciting and never fails to keep the reader engaged or truly loses steam. I do think this one is not meant for binge reading, so pace yourself and take breaks instead of frying your brain and your eyes to read it in one go. If you're looking for something uncomplicated to just read while you're relaxing on your down time, this might not scratch that itch for you. If you're looking for a truly neutral story too, be warned because while the story is great, the author has a precedent of setting China as a bit better than the rest (everyone else has 1-3 top players but China has like, 9 in the top rankings) but it's not very noticeable in this story.

as for the BL aspect, it's there but I don't think it's impossible to pretend they're just really close friends for most of the time if the BL disgusts you. There are some moments and they do sleep together but it's very censored/fade to black. This novel is a wonderful example of a fantastic novel where the main characters "happen to be gay" rather than "the MC is gay and That's it that's the focus".

Overall, I really do recommend reading this even if BL turns you off for the sheer fact that the story is truly a standout. This story is truly a pleasure to read and with out a doubt, one of the top novels I've ever read. <<less
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lajserk
lajserk rated it
July 20, 2019
Status: --
I actually dropped it halfway. Everytime MC was in some kind of bind I was just either uninterested in the outcome or already guessed it. I just waited for our main boy customary revelations. I kept on reading for the boys relationship progress, but there was not much of it. I felt it was superficial and a bit forced, maybe just ill paced? Overall no chemistry whatsoever.
Spoiler

When there came a culminating point for them I had to double check if that was it (it was it).

[collapse]
I also have a feeling that the MC and ML were a bit overpowered thus other characters left almost no impression on me. Supporting characters just had weak/no presence.

But since I didn't read till the end, my review is concerning contents up to chapter with the culmination point for our boys. I still think that the author did a good job coming up with all those games, the pacing just didn't work for me. I also liked the worldbuilding and the overall atmosphere of the novel.
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Justacookie
Justacookie rated it
May 3, 2019
Status: Completed
Spoiler

I love the sentence "It is reasonable for Humanity to exist" too much.

[collapse]

This is my first review so it may not be good, but I want to express how much I love this.

This was truly a beautiful ride and deserves a lot more attention. The author has put in a lot of thought into this novel and it's truly mesmerising. Everything is clearly explained for you to understand.

This novel shows the resilience of Humanity.

There are also the extras which show not only the aftermath but also what would have happened if the main story never happened.

Spoiler

The extras prove that Mo Tang and Victor are connected regardless of what happened.

O (≧∇≦) O

[collapse]

Let's start with the romance. There are many people that probably turn away from this novel because of the bl tag. DON'T because you have absolutely no idea what you would be missing. This is a slow burn romance so you don't have to be worried about too much romance and the moments are quick and simple.

For people who come in expecting for a full on romance and think this won't be satisfying please don't drop it because trust me the slow burn makes it even more satisfying when they have a moment.

The characters. Now honestly I can't remember even one character I hated. There was one that I found annoying, but I got over it. Heck, I even loved the Black Tower monsters. The characters are really humanised especially in the latter parts of the novel. You see how far they've come, how stronger they've got, how much they lost and how much they deserve.

Spoiler

I loved how in the last chapter of the extras we see Fu Wendou sleep for the first time. He was one of the most strongest, a soldier whose country was in peril, he was pressured by the weight but held on. We finally see him take a rest that he deserved. Now I understand why the author always said that Fu Wendou wasn't sleeping.

[collapse]

Spoiler

You see how far humanity came. In the beginning they were all enemies ready to kill even their own friends and family to live but at the end they joined hands and faced a stronger enemy despite the chance of them dying. Why? Because humanity can survive.

And India, they tried so hard. They deserved their victory.

And Mu huixue's death wasn't in vain. Her ability was truly a beautiful one.

[collapse]

Next I would love to talk about the world building. It's so well thought out. The games that appear are really witty it makes me feel dumb, but at the same time amazed. When the Black Tower is explained it doesn't have a over the top reason instead it is understandable and you can see where it's coming from.

Spoiler

It is befitting that Tang Mo's first and last Black Tower monster to go against is the Mosaic girl.

[collapse]

This was truly a breathtaking story.
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LoonyMe
LoonyMe rated it
February 24, 2019
Status: Completed
One of the most creative BL novels I've ever read, its hard to find something similar even without BL.

Just... What the heck is with all these stereotypes!

We, Russians, don`t wear fur hats and fur coats! Especially - not in Moscow! If you see someone in fur hat on the streets - 99% its a tourist! And we don`t wear coats in summer! Its too strange! BTW, Russian names here are ridiculous, too... And all these "clever theories" such as graph theory or Mobius ring - I studied it in 7-8... more>> grades (of 11), and Russian students were winners in International Mathematics Olympiads, Programming Contest, etc.

so all these remarks about "all they have is brute force" are too much! And that "foreigner Jack" also became a victim of this strange stereotype. I mean, hello, he became fluent in Chinese just in a few months! What "muscle head"!

I highly recommend to all authors to at least make some fast research, if you write about different countries!

But this novel is extremely interesting! Love it! <<less
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DimensionalRoamer
DimensionalRoamer rated it
June 9, 2018
Status: c206
AMAZING--

Such a good story, you won't regret reading it!

The author's notes at the end of most chapters is so funny, I really enjoy them haha.

I ship the MC and ML very much - they suit each other so well! They team up at some point and start attacking the tower games together, and they've been spinning circles around the other players and (attracting hate lmao) and dominating ever since! They're both really smart, and it's a very interesting read. Love it when they work together :)
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rizzmaster173
rizzmaster173 rated it
December 27, 2022
Status: c245
This story was beautifully written and constructed. The world building is great and thr romance is short yet sweet. My expectations for novels increased after reading this. Definitely one of my favourites.
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we bloom until we ache
we bloom until we ache rated it
May 1, 2022
Status: c152
This novel is certainly... something.

The Earth is Online honestly started off alright. The initial premise genuinely intrigued me, and each interaction with the ML made me curious and further excited to read more. I will admit the little 'wife' notes in the author's notes theatre at the end of the chapters was a bit irksome, but you can ignore it.

But then I kept reading. There is so much action and logic puzzling, which was incredibly dense and difficult to get through. Perhaps that's fundamentally an issue with the English language,... more>> but it made each of these action segments so much more of a slog to read. And there were no breaks, so as soon as you'd made it through one puzzle it was barely half a second to take a breath before it's onto the next one. Unfortunately, I'm on chapter 152 as of writing this, and it seems I'm falling prey to the sunk cost fallacy in that I have literally wasted maybe too much time and brainpower on this to back out now.

Speaking of brainpower, there's another thing - the logic of these puzzles is extremely unsound. I'm definitely not professing to be the smartest person ever and my intelligence certainly can't rival an ability-boosted bridge-playing protagonist's, but the conclusions the MC draws are improbable and poorly supported. He estimates situations by percentage probabilities and treats these as set in stone - which, one, how do you even do that anyway, and two, just because something is 75% probable doesn't mean that the 25% possible thing won't happen - it's just less likely. When you attempt to follow the logic of the MC and ML for your own understanding, there are so many assumptions made that the author glides right over, perhaps in order to disguise that they are leading you by the nose to a conclusion that is convenient for the story's continuation. And also - he's a librarian. No hate to librarians or anything, but there's a difference between being clever and having a wide knowledge base. There is a correlation between them, but the author treats these things as interchangeable, but that would mean that the MC had known all this stuff about whatever he's talking about already, and is just able to draw these conclusions faster and easier with his abilities. Where would he get all this knowledge from? Did he read every single book in the library he worked in?

As for the romance - look, I don't even care about the romance anymore. There is basically no romance. Their love story is bizarre and improbable as well, and I honestly might have more chemistry with the floor than these two have with each other. The author's investment seems to be largely in the story setting and events, and mine is too. I'll take it at its word that they have an improbably tacit understanding with each other - maybe that comes with the territory when you play bridge, I wouldn't know.

Also, the MC is a really unlikeable character. He takes cold and aloof to the next, worrying level.
Spoiler

He finds out one of his supposedly best friends in the entire world died and his only reaction is silence and a blank expression, before brushing it off like 'I am sad.' *promptly moves on* There was potential for that to have been spun into something that he is struggling or unable to process at first without help, or even just give him some time alone where it might sink in, but no! He immediately forgets about it and moves on. I'd think this friend was like the cashier of the grocery store by his house from his net emotional turmoil if it wasn't already explained to me their importance to him. I don't even remember his name!

[collapse]

Alright, I could go on and on and on about this sinkhole novel, but I'll just say this. Come for the fairly stimulating plot and action, if anything at all, but maybe leave your brain and any expectations of romance by the door. <<less
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ironbirth
ironbirth rated it
April 30, 2022
Status: --
Sorry I can't give this novel a high score. The logic of the problem solving is honestly outrageous and doesn't make sense at all. It's rather slippery slope as if the author is trying to force an answer to a question. Besides the main character is kind of bland.

Spoiler

Also what's up with the Chinese propaganda in this novel? ML's name is named after the annexation of Taiwan?

[collapse]
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Secretly Shameless
Secretly Shameless rated it
November 27, 2020
Status: --
Sure I really enjoyed it at first because it is somewhat interesting how the author came up with those complicated games and how is his characters gonna solve it. But I dropped reading it at Chapter 130, because this novel is kinda mentally exhausting.... You have to think hard and focus reading it especially when the author starts to reveal how the characters solved the games given by the black tower or else you'll gonna and up saying " what's goin on?".... and confused, making this novel unenjoyable..
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Aurerius
Aurerius rated it
July 20, 2020
Status: Completed
The story is for my taste to monotone and basically just a repetition of MC clearing games. There were a lot of situations where MC could have died, but they got very fast uninteresting because it was obvious that MC would not die, as it is in many stories. There lies of course no fault with author creating such scenarios to make the story more interesting, it is just not that intriguing anymore if one understood this and it happens the nth time. MC is not going to die because... more>> he is MC so it does not matter how hard the game is.

Nevertheless, I think the novel is well written and the games are also well though out.
The translation on the site I read was very poor and I just can't understand how nobody saw those errors, maybe no proofreading was done? (F.e. Using wrong character names or completely strange words "time" instead of "table")

Spoiler

In the first game the author could have at least ask someone to check if the probability is correct. If I understood properly how the game works the probability of burning the right bookshelf is not 3/24 but 1/24+1/23+1/22 because after each round there is one bookshelf less to choose from.

[collapse]
<<less
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Meloman
Meloman
November 4, 2018
Status: c10
Well so far I have only read like ten chapters, but I must admit I'm very grateful to the translator for picking this novel up.

and no, not because it's a bl tag. In the first ten chapters there is no bl in it whatsoever.

no, this novel reminds me of One Outs and that card game manga that same author wrote. Although I didn't like that card one as much as I enjoyed One Outs.

... more>> (Edit) I read a bit further and it reminds me of god of crime as well.

so, based on the 10 chapters of earth online I would recommend it if you liked One Outs or those types of stories <<less
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cheibby
cheibby rated it
January 4, 2024
Status: Completed
I love slowburn. I really do...

The romance in the story takes about 5% and the relationship between characters develops in the last 40 chapters. At this point, I wouldn't call it a slowburn...

Anyway.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. I found the idea of black tower games, abilities and the world building interesting and creative. I love it when novels have an "apocalyptic" vibes to it. That was the main reason why I started reading it. However, the pacing of the story tired me. It took me about 3 months to finish... more>> this novel and the length isn't the reason here.

The biggest problem for me were characters. Most of them were just dull... I felt no chemistry between Mo Tang and Fu Wendou. MC is just smart and strong dude and ML is just smart and stronger dude. That's it. They didn't have any relatable trait or reaction that'd help immerse into the characters. The only character I liked is Bai Ruoyao. At least he had personality. <<less
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fantalf
fantalf rated it
November 16, 2023
Status: Completed
(Cl**ked wrong, but I meant 4 stars not 5)

Very interesting novel! The games are wonderful and keep on the edge of your seat (I couldn't really decipher most of them, but I'm not that great with puzzles).

I, however, had a bit of difficult reading because the pace is very slow (regarding the MC and ML relationship at least), so at times it felt like I'd be reading them playing the towers games forever. Additionally, I loved the ML, he's interesting and has some quirks that made him very... more>> cool, but the MC for me couldn't cut it. Maybe because of his personality I couldn't really engage or have a lot of empathy for him?

Also, when I started reading I had high expectations, and even though it is an amazing and complex story, I couldn't help but feel the ending was a little anticlimactic (for me!).

Nice read overall though. <<less
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LH_12
LH_12 rated it
January 7, 2023
Status: Completed
I really loved this novel, but I made a mistake and read it during Christmas. Every time I heard jingle bells or saw Santa, it gave me weird feelings. But jokes aside, this novel is wonderful. It took me a lot of time to write a review because this novel affected me greatly.

There were several things that I especially loved. First of all, the plot is amazing. I love every arc. The characters are interesting, especially the villains. The story has a perfect pace. And the ending was brilliant. I... more>> loved that the novel had a deep meaning. Everything that happened on earth and the reasons behind it—absolutely everything—were explained brilliantly; actually, the author gave us clues about what was going on, even in the very first game.

Secondly, it is a little bit sad that in this novel a lot of bad things happen and many people die, but the most scary thing is that in my eyes, the real monsters are humans, not the tower. If they acted differently and were kinder, many people could be saved. If something like this occurs in reality, people will probably act in the same way. This book really exposed human nature's ugly side, but at the same time, it also showed humanity's good qualities. It was truly realistic.

Also, the characters were amazing. I liked that they were complex; you may think that you understand them, but then they do something that will surprise you (I'm mostly talking about certain psychopath). Some side characters surprised me; with some, I fell in love; there were also ones I couldn't wait to see die.

I love MC and ML. MC: Mo Tang is a little bit cold, really smart, rational, and doesn't have even one romantic cell in his body. He was so calm that it seemed a bit unnatural, and I thought that at some point he would have a breakdown because he went through a lot. I only belatedly understood that he was really strong but also relied on ML. Don't get me wrong, they are both strong and don't need any help, but when you have someone next to you who understands you without a word and believes in you, it just gives you a lot of strength. Despite dark times and difficulties, he didn't lose his humanity; other people in his shoes would act terribly. He has surprised me many times. I loved ML too, especially his playful side, which was unexpected considering his status and profession. He was under a lot of pressure; he was more informed and had responsibilities. Other people in his shoes might have given up, but he decided to fight. I think he was the most selfless and kind person in the whole book.

About romance. In a novel, there aren't many romantic scenes; mainly, it focuses on the main plot, but the whole relationship—every interaction of characters is like a declaration of love itself. How they can understand each other without words, how much they trust each other—this is exactly what makes their relationship so beautiful and romantic in its own way. There simply isn't any need for words, romantic gestures, or actions. It was also funny that MC and ML sometimes acted like children.

This is a survival-game-themed book with really good plot twists and deep meaning. The author is talented, and the writing is amazing. Despite its size, I read it really quickly; I couldn't put it down. The whole novel made me so emotional, especially the last chapters. So naturally, I recommend it to other readers. <<less
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lithium carbonate
lithium carbonate rated it
December 13, 2022
Status: Completed
I made an NU account just to review this

This is one of my favourite stories and I highly recommend it to people who 1) enjoy a good logic puzzle 2) loves the horror/unlimited flow genre or 3) doesn't mind a caaasual existential crisis.

a quick synopsis of the plot, no spoilers, essentially mc's world is 'uploaded' into a black tower game and all of humanity is forced to play (hence the title "the earth is online"). The games are challenging, dangerous, and highly entertaining.

The MC + ML have great chemistry and... more>> are extremely in sync in the games. It's a slow-burn, but I think its important to note that the plot isn't very focused on their romance. On the upside this means a lot of well-developed side characters and great plot, but on the downside, if you're here for something swoon-worthy, this might not be for you.

Personally, I love how the plot doesn't revolve around their romance – rather, their romance comes naturally because of their experiences in the games. This is one of the few BL novels I've read where the romance isn't 'in your face', and the author creates enough space for the side characters to grow. Almost all of the side characters were memorable, from the people who remain part of the MC's team to some of the 'cannon fodder' characters that died early. Their personalities were very well-developed, and even in just a few scenes I think I understood them to some level. None of the characters exist solely to push the plot forwards and the entire story is very well crafted.

The translation on NU doesn't do the author justice; if you understand mandarin, I'd recommend reading the original Chinese version, but if not try looking for a more accurate translation. <<less
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BeforeYouWereBorn
BeforeYouWereBorn rated it
July 17, 2022
Status: Completed
I understand your 'highly unnecessary and caused by overthinking after reading angry reviews' worries. Calm down and lemme be your guide. This novel is awesome and the efforts the author put into researching different kind of games or themes for the challenges are great. Although the ending is somewhat not so memorable for me and seems a bit rushed, but it's not something that will destroy the whole plot and the whole world. What do you worry about? Is it...

Spoiler
  1. Forced or no emotion or lack of process in romance? Ohoho, if you're looking for a cute lovey dovey tiny smoll di teens loving each other, of course you shouldn't be here in the first place. I mean, take a look at the tags? This is basically an apocalypse setting. They can't exactly take a walk eating ice cream inside a dungeon, can they? Oh wait, they do have a date. 'A learn how to shoot with a gun' date. On the more serious note, they have the kind of adult love in the real world. Those kind of relationship where you just understand that you're attracted to each other and let's save our life first and maybe do something when we have the time. This makes sense.
  2. The logic and problem solving is not complicated enough for me? Alright, Einstein. Glad you're not my professor. For me, who can't be called s*upid, but definitely not a genius, I can follow the story and be satisfied with it. Meaning it's not so basic that you can guess right away, but not very very complicated that you can get a job at NASA after you solve it. Even if the level of thinking/puzzle doesn't satisfy me enough, it definitely won't make me forget that there are other aspects of the story (action, world building, powers, the deep view of humanity) worth paying attention too.
  3. The MC seems cold-blooded and emotionless, isn't it scawyy? First of all, let's take a look at the MC's character settings in the beginning. He doesn't socialize much, he loves book more and rather socializes on the games than with his coworker, he only have 2 bestfriends that he loves dearly. This kind of person, accompanied by brain who heavily relies on logic rather than emotional factors, what do you think he will do when he is faced with life and death and meet various strangers? Hugs them and protects them to death? Anyway, I love this MC. He definitely doesn't make me annoyed because he does something s*upid. He's realistic.
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Anyway, if you're looking for action, supernatural, sometimes scary and mu*ders filled story, here is your cupcake. Don't think too much, story with ratings of 4.7 can't be that bad. Or would you rather read the 1 star story?
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saphire8626
saphire8626 rated it
March 27, 2022
Status: Completed
A very very creative novel. This is similar to Global University Entrance Examination. In a apocalyptic world, people are forced into Battle Royale-style cruel games with high death rates, run by a senseless, inhumane and and almost sadistic 'System', with two main characters who are very intelligent and can exploit the loopholes, and who start out as enemies but turn into lovers. But where GUEE was like a 'lite' version of this genre, this book really delved into it. The games in this novel are like math or logic problems,... more>> and feature a sadistic and twisted version of popular story characters like Cinderella, Santa Claus...

The true villain in this novel was always the system, pitting humans against each other and bringing out the worst in people in a dog-eat-dog world. The apocalypse having game-related elements and basically resembling your average melee game but with RL consequences (killing enemies kills actual people, regional players and regional servers, props as rewards, clearing bosses and floors...) was very interesting.

The book starts out quite slow, but really picks up speed by the second half. The mysteries were based off real-world physics, science, philosophy, math and logic concepts and really made me think lol. The cast of secondary characters was awesome. I especially love Mo Huixue and wished she had lived longer. A lot of the plot-twists were really unexpected and gripping, especially the ones near the end. It was riveting - I think this author is really good at writing mystery, thriller and plot-twists. Some of the plot twists really haunt me.

Romance was very very light; in fact, this is more of a mystery/psychological novel than a romance lol. The book in general didn't really touch much on anyone's emotions - you don't get a lot about the two main leads' developing feelings and it's pretty subtle and understated. You also don't get much exploration into the general psyche of the people after eight months of apocalyptic Hunger Games-like games.

But there were still A LOT of unanswered questions. So... who is Eve? What happened to her? How were Eve's chosen selected? And I'm not sure how to feel about the fact that all civilizations are put to a senseless, cruel 'test' or 'evaluation' once they have hit a certain level of progress or advancement. There's also some very subtle ethnocentrism and Eurocentrism - most of the top players and regions were either Chinese or Western/European, with most of the good guys being from these two regions too. <<less
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Mysterious Reader
Mysterious Reader rated it
January 6, 2022
Status: Completed
This has one of the mind-blowing plots ever. When I first start reading this, I don't really had high hopes for this cause this is kinda famous and some famous novels are a bit overrated which fail to live up to my expectations. But, the first 20 chapters really got me deep into this novel, and I finished this in 6 days.

The games are very thoroughly created and the author might have spent a lot of efforts in them. You might kill your brain cells while trying to understand the... more>> twists but it is what make this more interesting. And, we can see MC developement from being a mere librarian to one of the top players in the whole world. And, he's not that damsel in distress waiting for the ML to rescue him, he can think of ways to save himself, and that's what the novel more worth-reading. And, I like ML character a lot cuz even without seeing his fanarts, his character is one with sexiness overload. He's already good at fighting even before the earth is online since he used to be a solider. Their romance is kinda slow-burn but you can see some sudden gay moments. I like it when this power couple fight the enemies together and the tactic understanding between each other is very good that they always know what the other party want to do. And last but not least, the plot is a serious one with mysteries but it has occasional jokes and funny moments that will lighten up your spirts. And Tang mo's ability book roasting Tang mo is very hilarious and Fu wenduo and Fu wensheng cousin-duo interactions are very funny too. So, in conclusion, I give this novel 5 stars and it is a must read for unlimited flow fans. There one thing that left me confused tho that the black tower is created by humans or aliens? Near the end of the novel, it was explained but I didn't really understand it. <<less
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