Am I the only one concerned that the ML basically stole MC’s life??

The 11th door literally rehashed old enemies, sent after LQ and RN each night at midnight (who were separated, facing the ghosts they'd met in previous doors). They would be chased for hours until a certain time during the day.

At first, the set up of this door had plenty of potential to be horrifying.

That is, until the entire point of the door became some meta 'alternative reality'. During the day everything is completely normal, and ALL of the people that were supposed to have died in the doors previously are hanging out there, completely ignorant of their own demise.

In the end, the evil creatures that chased LQ and RN slowly appeared for less and less time during the night, until the two lovers were supposedly going to forget about each other in this 'alternate reality' during the day. Basically, once the monsters stopped appearing during the night, there is also no worry for one's life, but just the fear of being trapped in this 'other reality' forever.

The tension built up over countless chapters was LOST.

WHY? Because the whole point of this 11th door became LQ and RN just being worried that they would be separated from each other, like star crossed lovers. It was no longer about preserving their lives. Moreover, since side characters who were supposed to have DIED TRAGICALLY in the past arcs have reappeared as 'possibly real people' that were given 'compensation from the door by being able to live in this happy alternative reality', this erases the punishment of dying within the door to begin with.

Everyone who goes into a door might as well die, because everyone's ghost can live happily in the alternative reality of the door, with all the regular people who are not involved in the doors at all still present. They will not even remember what horrifying door experience they had, it will be like it never happened. That way, everyone could skip the horrifying experiences of door 1-10!

... see the issue?

Surviving the doors was meant to be for the very few skilled and lucky souls that could manage it, and there was a bittersweet feeling for the reader with of all those that died, unable to make it. This 11th door completely ruins that, as we see these characters again in the alternative reality -and they seem happy.

It weakens the consequence of failing the doors.

Anyway, so LQ and RN use their gay power of commitment to each other to eventually find the key for this door, which was honestly not hard to find at all. LQ returns to the real world first, but because RN couldn't find the key as easily (despite it being in such an obvious place), LQ waits ONE YEAR for him thinking ML chose to stay in the alternative reality FOREVER (because ppl who died in the doors are there).

These few paragraphs don't feel dramatic at all because if you have half a brain you already know RN is dedicated to LQ and won't want to live a false life without him.

So boom he's back eventually, LQ recovers after a few drinks of alcohol. No psychological damage.

And then the author decides they are too lazy to even do the 12th door. In fact, they'd left details on the 11th and 12th door vague the whole time.

The biggest hints were 'no solution' and 'Don't be malicious to others'. Both of which broke previous door methods. Anyway...

To get rid of the 12th door, the authors randomly makes up the explanation that RN (ML) was supposed to be the NPC for the 12th door in the past, but because he got bored of that or something, he wiped all his memories and decided to go through the doors himself. He met LQ and now wants to quit his job as 12th door NPC to be happy with his BF???? RN being an NPC, or the '12th' door was entirely unnecessary. He showed human traits from start to end, and even had a family backstory, so why make him seemingly some 'inhuman god' of the 12th door??

Let me just say that every other ghost within the doors has much less 'pure' interests than going snu snu with their beloved. They like to kill folks with lots of suffering as a cherry on top. In NO way does RN being part of the door's schemes make sense.

But that is what happened.

And so the 12th door is sealed by ML who has conveniently decided not to do that line of work anymore. No more 12th door. GONE. POOF.

And they all lived happily ever after.

??????????????

Where is the horror of the last two doors? What are these other side characters even working towards?? Conveniently, the door does not allow anyone to speak of the 11th door's content, so MC and ML cannot SPOILER the others about how dumb it is.

The change in tempo of this last arc is just too stark.

All the previous situations and doors gave a melancholy, tense vibe. It was only broken by flirting comedy and other comments once and a while. Nevertheless, RN and LQ always proved to be keen and attentive when searching for clues, until the situation would sink into desperation as last minute calls were made to preserve their lives and escape the doors. On the other hand, this last arc felt like one big comedy, LQ and RN were like blubbering and confused fools who only want to hug each other. There was no tension. It was just dog blood love and hand waving, which the entire rest of the story had not focused on at all...

I won't accept the argument of 'oh its a BL at heart so ofc the ending was romantic and cliche', because for 110 chapters out of the 136, the BL romance was more of a side note.

There was no 'gay panic'. Once LQ learned he was interested in RN, and RN accepted that they were both going to have to be prepared for the other's potential death (in a door), they were a couple. Done. Before that, they were already acting like an old married couple anyway and there was not much shift in their relationship afterwards.

The fact that the last door was entirely focused on them and their potentially broken love, involving no side characters or new enemies, made it incredibly bland.

In fact, if the last door had done a few different things, for example, if its goal being to make the MC go insane, it would make more sense. The clue would be 'no solution', so the MC would think that could be true. What if the people that were supposed to have died in the alternative reality were clearly 'fake', and he'd be trapped with these creepily smiling fakes forever? Or what if in the 11th door the ghosts that came out at night would start appearing for LONGER until LQ would be chased by them 24/7. These all sound perfectly horrifying to me.

In any case, I would have also been fine if the author just made two more super dramatic tense doors like all the rest, where only LQ and RN only barely survived, and did not try to do anything 'special'.

I wouldn't have cared if the doors were never explained, and that each person who completes all 12 simply got their life extended, while those who failed died on the spot, just like how it had worked previously.

What I find much more dissatisfying is to read an ending that makes all the previous door experiences lose their significance, and that it is anti-climatic to boot.

Anyway this is a rant and too fking long so I put it in a spoiler

Edit 2022: I see that I didn't understand the entire plot line (I can read other reviews xd). In the extra chapters (that I didn't read), it is revealed that the MC is actually the 'boss' of all the doors (and yes RN is still the NPC of the 12th door). But even with this development, the story with all its 'real and fake' realities still seems more convoluted than necessary, and it still doesn't negate the fact that people who died still get to live on in an illusion world. It also leaves tons of open questions like 'how come MC gets to cheat the system, or why does RN erase his memories? etc'. In the end, I still would have preferred if MC and ML were normal people thrown into this horror scenario, and not that it was all entirely an illusion of the 12th door to begin with.

Also despite my big complaints about the ending the story is still good over all.

Actually, the whole 1-11 doors is all fake, not the reality. Basically, all the arcs until eleventh is not a "real" reality.

Yes, it's all part of 12th door. All of them. The 12th start since the beginning of this novel, the 1st chapter.

What I mean is, there are REAL door in REAL REALITY. But the door that been through by LQS etc from chapters 1 is NOT THE DOOR FROM REALITY.

In reality, Lin Qiushi is actually the Boss of Obsidian. Not Ruan Nanzhu.

Ruan Nanzhu is the boss of Obsidian in the 12th door's life, in reality the real leader is Lin Qiushi.

Ruan Nanzhu is the keeper NPC of the 12th door, and Lin Qiushi is the human who survive through all the 1-11th. Then, LQS come to the 12th door.

Everything start when Lin Qiushi enter 12th door. After that, the story begin (the 1st chapter).

Actually, Ruan Nanzhu do not know about it too, because he — himself erasing his own memories. He only found out when they (LQS and RNZ) enter the 11th door, and Nanzhu found out everything. He actually planned every nook and cranny— so freaking detail. He even added the fact that LQS and himself can died inside the door (1-11th door inside fake reality of 12th door). Even though they are basically still in the 12th door.

In reality, LQS family still good, he is the boss of obsidian, he is friend with Bai Ming, and etc that belong to RNZ is actually LQS's.

I should said it again, the family of RNZ, the past of RNZ, everything about RNZ is not real, because those things are happen in 12th door.

But, doesn't mean Qianli. Wu Qi, Zaozao, etc still alive. No, they aren't. Make sure to remember that the odd or the one who is not in the line with reality is the EXISTENCE OF RUAN NANZHU ONLY.

If you want to imagine the REAL reality, just think there is no RNZ, and the boss is LQS. That's it. Everything beside that is the same.

The existence of the door, like why the door appear, what is the purpose? It did not get any explanation. Honestly I do not really mind though. It's not that deep anyway.

Oh, the people who died inside the door, the soul will remain inside it too, not in the specific door they died though. It was proven when RNZ and LQS goes to 11th (inside 12th door ofc) and they saw a lot of their death friends still exist and helping them escape from the monster/ghost in that door.

But then again, this happen in 11th door —a fake door that is part of 12th door (the door inside the door). I do not really know if it's working in reality's door but I think it's the same. You know, Ruan Nanzhu is really plan the life inside the 12th carefully and like 99% close to reality. That's why a big detail like this —i think it's same.

About the twins, Yixie and Qianli. They are not even 16 yet, but ended tragically.

Not really though.

Many reviewers said that it's really sad and angst, but for me, I am not even feel uncomfortable, because the scene it's not that deep and saddening. I read the detailed explanation in the extras about them and feel nothing. It's not angst, do not be scared haha.

Maybe another thing that makes it angst and tragedy is, because there are a lot of close side character who died inside the door. But it's logical anyway, the door is really hard and you can't deny it.

The ending of the twins, after Yixie quitting Obsidian, he's wandering through door to door until reached 11th door.

I forgot to tell but inside the 11th door is an illusion, where all the people who died (inside the door) come to live again. But at the night, it's all (the illusion) dissapear and become nightmare where all the ghost/monster that they (human) meet in door coming out chasing human into their death. This activities happen continously until the ghost depleted, and finally gone, and the illusionary world is perfect, except the "still alive" human did not get a copy inside the illusion, only the "dead".

Remember that the dead people who are alive inside the illusion is basically stranger and not real. So, even though the human meet them, these "dead people" did not recognize them, and must start the relationship from the stracth.

Some people said this part is sad but for me, it's not. Just, normal?

After a person completed all the 12th door, then what?

The answer is, you are liberated from "must going" into the door. You can still going in and out of the door, but if you don't want to, it's okay. Of course, all the severe illness that person have will be annihilated so they will get a brand new life without any injuries and illness.

I got this conclusion by seeing how Lin Qiushi do after he completed 12th door.

It's just, I do not know if this still the case since Ruan Nanzhu did not go back to the 12th door, so the 12th door is sealed.

LQ and everyone else doesnt know RB is a man and spoils him but like, RB really enjoys it haha

if you choose the illusionary world will you stay there for eternity?

it was proven that our MC found out ml's real identity but tf is really happening?

when you die while inside the doors, why do u have to stay in the illusionary world?

zhen stayed to the illusionary world to be with his brother

plot where they slowly unveil the mystery behind the 12 doors and ml's identity

the whole story was actually the 12th door battle, our MC was actually supposedly obsedian true inheriter, and also the one who grew up fighting every doors (the role of ninian our ml) and he's also actually/or assuming the first to encounter sa 12th door in the first chapter.

ML is the 12th door npc wtf, fck my life

since they lived together and the 12door was sealed, does our MC achieved his mission? How was the ML allowed to go outside (assuming that its the real world) and be with mc

the author just think it was brilliant to have an extraordinary nonhuman male lead in the picture.

Seriously????? The 12th door NPC stole the MC’s life and he’s not bothered by that? I felt so, so, soooooo uncomfy reading the scene where he watched the MC’s life on the TV. I think the ML wanted to be the MC more than be with him. It skewed the power dynamic in their relationship as well, just as it was starting to feel even. Gross.

As you should already know, Ruan Nanzhu is the NPC of the 12th door. From what I understand of rereading the last couple chapters and the extra, Ruan Nanzhu had viewed Lin Qiushi's entire life prior to his entering the 12th door, which was him watching Lin Qiushi through that TV with Satchan, and he thought, "why am I not by his side?" And so, Lin Qiushi's entire 12th door was a rerun of all his doors from the first door, but with Ruan Nanzhu by his side. Ruan Nanzhu had not only altered Lin Qiushi's memories, but also erased his own memories and basically became a "human" to accompany Lin Qiushi and to gain his affection. Satchan confirms that, had Ruan Nanzhu failed to pass those doors, he would've actually died even though he was an NPC.

The key that Lin Qiushi found behind the clock was not the key to the 11th door, but the key to the 12th door, again which was his entire journey that began from the first chapter and the day Ruan Nanzhu decided to insert himself into Lin Qiushi's life. This is why, when he stepped out and asked which door he just came out of, the people in Obsidian said the 12th. His life had turned back to the one that we viewed through the TV with Ruan Nanzhu, and this was the original story of Lin Qiushi, who had lived without Ruan Nanzhu. I'm assuming, when Ruan Nanzhu made an appearance in the human world to be with Lin Qiushi, the memories of everyone involved were also altered to include him.

This is my gist of the ending. I have many unanswered questions about who Ruan Nanzhu was as the NPC before he met Lin Qiushi, but I don't think we'll ever figure that out since the character himself doesn't even know anymore. He definitely is someone who is intelligent and OP since his human version should be no less of who he was as an NPC, but I'm also curious as to what kind of powers it enabled him, to be able to alter memories and step into the human world (imagine if any of the monster NPCs were allowed to step out? That's terrifying). This could be because he had completely given up his NPC status and actually became a human after stepping out of the 12th door (?), which made it sealed. If that was the case then it could explain a future of him growing old together with Lin Qiushi and living his life as a human, rather than returning to the 12th door after Lin Qiushi is gone, but we'll never know. I'm assuming, they grow old together as humans and the 12th door is forever sealed.

If I have to knitpick anything, it's how in the first arc the ML had such a useful note but in the other arcs it's basically minimal information. Like how does that even work. It's clearly done so that the in other doors of the MC where the MC knows the notes from, the MC will still have a hard time. That just doesn't make sense logic/storywise. But maybe it'll make sense later on...?

Honestly, who even has times to think about the romance lol. I'm too busy worrying about whether there are skinless people on my ceiling and whether there's a scary woman outside the window.

The final twist at the end of the novel was, in my opinion, incredibly forced. It was a very interesting idea that probably involved a bit too much planning to have been tacked on at the last minute, but the execution was quite lacking. There was little coherent foreshadowing given for such a big twist, leaving me feeling slightly confused after the somewhat anticlimactic reveal. I actually got spoiled at the start of the novel (thanks jjwxc comments), which theoretically should have made the foreshadowing all the more obvious now that I was actively looking for it but after reading the novel I can safely conclude that I didn't see much.

11th Door:

• From the perspective of the Doors' world, this door isn't about MC & ML's romance or arguably, even about relationships in general. Across the whole novel, the question of what is the ethical, obligatory, or wise choice in various terrible situations is explored. The last few chapters explicitly spell it out through MC's comment that this door stacks up those who want to harm you against those who want to help/ignore you, as well as ML (the "Door God", albeit with amnesia) 's criticisms of various actions/characters like Cheng Yixie - the best approach in the long-term is to not harm people willy-nilly even if you don't care about them. The 11th's meant to be the day of reckoning or the final test of a player's moral fiber - just imagine how those characters who repeatedly schemed to kill others would fair had they made it that far. It's even more obvious when you consider what was implied to happen in the 2 instances without ML - MC's real/original timeline, and Cheng Yixie's still plays out by the exact same rules.
• From my perspective as a reader, the 11th Door isn't about just romance either; I was satisfied with the author's balancing act between romance/plot/world-building/etc, though of course, every reader judges for themselves. In particular, I still found it quite scary, only its less visceral and more existential horror - the BOSS isn't the monsters and the way to escape isn't solving the mysteries, they're both human nature, especially that of the player themselves. Previous arcs had already varied in style and technique, eg emotional, suspense, gore etc.

There's quite a lot of foreshadowing, so I'll just give a few major ones in rough narrative order, you can see if you might react the same way as me:

• 11th/12th being drastically different in nature rather than neccesarily in difficulty: ML passing his 10th is portrayed as being extremely impressive and unique, there're no stories of successful 11/12ths and 2 hints for the 11th were identical. These doors already broke pre-established rules before players entered, and readers had the duration of MC's 10th door to digest that ML thought either the hint was wrong or the 11th door's rules were completely different before they went in.
  • I saw enough foreshadowing to expect this point by the time MC/ML entered the 11th.
• 12th door's world being the real world: 11th door giving a green bronze etc key identical to previous door worlds, but nothing indicative of an exit door or even any universally significant areas among the players in the same instance, descriptions of exit doors in previous door worlds being identical to descriptions of the 12 entry doors (ie large black and iron), the meaning of the keys' engravings
  • I hadn't looked at chapter counts and legitimately thought there'll still be a 12th and the MC was just going to use the key on his flat's door to leave, and then he just... swung it open... and walked up to 12 doors with the key... and then I finally woke up when the novel started describing the keyhole lmao
  • not sure if the problem is with my iq or with the novel - in retrospect it's suspicious that the doors have the same appearance when the author doesn't skimp on adjectives elsewhere, and all the necessary info is there, but I would need the analytical skills and motivation of the characters in this novel to put it together before the answer was already revealed (in a few paragraphs)
• MC/ML's uniqueness/real identity: pretty much all off the reccuring characters or the narrative repeatedly commented on MC/ML's talents being extraordinary eg hearing/sight, manner, improvement speed, "light" etc, special mention goes to that tbh unbearably creepy line abt being born for the doors lmao
  • expected there to be a reason, started expecting something increasingly shocking as the novel progressed into the last chapter without reveal as per webnovel convention.
  • however, definitely surprised by the specific identities, bcos the doors even having consciousness or life of its own outside the setting of individual doors, especially in an independant way in the real world was never mentioned

the sister drum

Li Dongyuan said, "Ko Shinobu is definitely lying for reasons we don't know; however, we do not know what exactly he is lying about. Do you recall what he said to us the first time we met?"

Of course Lin Qiushi remembered. He furrowed his brows: "Sachiko is someone who shouldn't exist?"

Li Dongyuan: "That is correct."

Lin Qiushi's mind clicked. "I see."

Li Dongyuan: "Clever... I've always liked working with clever people. Let us go and reunite with Zhu Meng and the others."

Li Dongyuan's words had no complicated meaning to them—Sachiko is a person who shouldn't exist; if Ko Shinobu truly knew his wrongs, then he would not find it right to have said these words. Sachiko, who was obviously the victim, had turned into someone who shouldn't exist in his words. Even if a few years had passed, even if so many incidents have happened, Ko Shinobu had no intentions of repenting. To think he had even said something so atrocious; in his fear, there was an unconcealable hatred.

introducing the new recuit character (cant remember name) as a foil, and making him ask idiotic questions, all of which were as vague as "what is the meaning of life". well then ofc people are gonna get tired, but are those really the only possible questions to ask?? I think not. in fact, id bet that most people would ask more practical know-hows, such as "why are the doors appearing" or "when will the next door arrive", all of which can be answered with a few simple sentences.

No worries, the MC and ML are safe, sound and HE. Others though... and those extras.. it's so sadly bittersweet

What is the purpose of The Doors, how the ML is.. ML, and who made The Doors?