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Series Group
The Earth is Online
Type
Web Novel (CN)
Genre
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Rating(4.6 / 5.0, 2024 votes)
5    82% (1652 votes)
4    9% (175 votes)
3    4% (82 votes)
2    2% (44 votes)
1    4% (71 votes)
Language
Support Book (#ad)
Author(s)
One entry per line
Artist(s)
One entry per line
Year
Example: 2012
2017
Status in COO
Status in Country of Origin. One entry per line
245 chapters (completed)
Licensed
Yes
Completely Translated
Original Publisher
One entry per line
English Publisher
One entry per line
Release Frequency
Every 71.5 Day(s)
Activity Stats
[Graph]
Weekly Rank: #8054
Monthly Rank: #1947
All Time Rank: #377
Reading List
[Graph]
On 20460 Reading Lists
Monthly Rank: #6254
All Time Rank: #38

Description

Links are NOT allowed. Format your description nicely so people can easily read them. Please use proper spacing and paragraphs.

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. JustAnList
  2. bls I LIVE for
  3. Completed
  4. Apocalipsis BL
  5. tabs (bl)

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
123…9
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Review
435 Reviews


novelupdatesaccount333
New novelupdates
May 04, 2025
Status: c245
This novel was.. A complete surprise.

Having been aware of this book since a few years ago, I only now gave it a serious read because the first chapter was a bit complicated and I was more drawn towards simpler concepts. Perhaps my brain was too messy to imagine how the black towers looked, who was who, and what was happening in the fight scenes.

Once I read through the starting chapters however, it became easier. And next thing I know I'm already at the last chapter.

There's one aspect that can be... more>> improved. With almost every "game", the main character always wins. To the point that even in the hardest instance where every previous player died, I'm certain he will clear it in one go.

On the other hand, what I was most impressed by would be the characters. Because of the length of this danmei, the author had enough time to introduce every player important to the plot. The side characters who only appeared a few times were given a brief inroduction and the ones that stick - the auhor made sure the readers would remember them. There's a few I adored aside from the main couple and their kids: the "Hehe" dude and the most powerful woman.

Next would be the plot. You will never know what happens next. Also, the attention to detail? Crazy.

And then here comes the worldbuilding. I have never "seen" a more mind-blowing worldbuilding than what 'The Earth Is Online' has. I'm grateful that this novel has already been completely-translated, or else I'll go nuts sitting at the edge of my seat with every page.

Conclusion: Mo Chen Huan is a great novelist. Thank you for writing this story, I'll remember it. And also for the translators, you're the best!

Can you please revive her, though? <<less
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calamum
New calamum
Apr 21, 2025
Status: Completed
This novel is, in it's concept, really interesting.

The thing worth noting is that it's utterly plot-focused: if you're looking for a story with any semblance of character growth, you most certainly won't find it here.

The MC's most prominent characteristic is his intellect; his only one, in fact. The novel has a simple structure, with MC entering an instance after an instace, solving them in the most baffling ways possible (usually by relying on clues not given to the reader prior), and roaming around China.

I do have to admit that I... more>> found myself charmed by the almost detective novel-like structure of the games. No matter how bland the MC is, all instances are well-thought out (maybe except for the very last game...) and engaging to read about.

The ML is boring as well -- in the end, I grew to like the side characters more than the main ones.

The excessive nationalism, lackcluster ending and blandness of the relationship between MC and ML are all points that have been brought up by countless reviews before mine, so I won't be dwelling on them.

If you like the unlimited flow genre almost sorely focused on the game aspect involving little to none character development and a overpowered MC, you most certainly are going to enjoy this novel. In general, it's mediocre at best -- not a complete waste of time, but nothing revolutionary. <<less
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Sinsey
Sinsey
May 01, 2018
Status: c150
Action and survival in a BL story, you say?! SIGN ME THE F*CK UP! (￣▽+￣*) What else can I say? This novel's really good in terms of testing wits, solving puzzles (some might even find their IQ increasing while reading it. Lol) and most of all: SURVIVAL!

Once I picked this up I couldn't stop myself and just had to go torture my brain cells with MTL but fortunately it's readable so I survived! But honestly in the further chapters the interaction and chemistry between MC and ML is something worth looking forward to!

They compliment each other so well. Their level of compatibility really makes one wonder. It takes time to establish their relationship but I believe they'll reach that point eventually. And that process is precisely what makes you more excited. I can't wait to see them together. Really tests my patience. (Ｔ▽Ｔ)

I also love the MC so muchh !!! He's really smart and doesn't need anybody to rely on ! He's strong and self sufficient and can survive on his own. He's ruthless when he needs to be and isn't fixated on helping those in need and being your typical mother mary character. He will only help when it doesn't risk his safety and isn't overly emotional.

Apart from that, the side characters also do a great job in progressing the story and the story doesn't entirely revolve around the MC.

The Tower's one great mystery. As the story progresses there's a lot of speculations made but aren't confirmed as of yet! But the part where I'm at has definitely given me one major shock. DEFINITELY DONT READ THIS IF YOURE A NEW READER AND DON'T WANNA GET A MAJOR SPOILER THAT'LL RUIN THE THRILL OF THE STORY:

Spoiler

So you aint gonna listen huh? Well sure, go ahead and get ruined. _ (._.) _

The 90% of the population consisting of billions of people who got erased in the beginning of the game actually didn't really die but they were just living in a different dimension and were playing their own version of tower games I believe? I'm not sure about that part but apparently their average level of players are much stronger than the survivors and now their world is slowly integrating with the survivor's world and it's causing great chaos cos it means that the survivor's families didn't actually die in the beginning and now to live in the real world they have to kill the survivors and extend their own time to be able to live.

[collapse]

Well thats all I've read up till now, its still ongoing so I'm waiting for more chapters to confirm this fact. I've almost broken my F5 key to say the least. phew! I swear I've never typed such a long review for God's sake.

Anyway, This one's a great read so I totally recommend it. The translater releases chapers frequently so sit tight and enjoy the ride. Alright that's all.
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Aurinne
Aurinne
Nov 06, 2019
Status: Completed
Real rating: 4.5 stars.

(EDIT: Note that if you need to access Rainbow Turtle's good translation, they have a Discord server that is opened up to new members periodically that will help you access everything that is locked, so keep an eye on their translation site for details.)

This is one of those rare C-novels that isn't formulaic and predictible, but instead is driven by a proper plot and proper characters. It is intelligently written (although not heavy, despite the heaviness of the brutal survival-game theme) and is easy and... more>> enjoyable to read.

PROS:

    • A "shou" MC who is actually equal to the "gong" ML. This is rare in C-novel BL/danmei, as even stories with wonderfully strong and independent protagonists like Rebirth of Supermodel or Quickly Wear the Face of the Devil have an ML who is actually stronger/more powerful and more influential. This MC is equal to the ML, with some advantages the ML doesn't have, while the ML has some advantages the MC doesn't have. There isn't that feeling that the ML has to protect the MC, but rather they both are able to act independently.
    • A well-developed romance, almost completely absent of cliches, tropes and stereotypes. While it might be too slow for some readers who look for the quick-hook-up and endless dog food (and sex) type of stories, for me this was one of those satisfying romances that took its time to develop properly and strongly. The strength of their relationship is not always overt and explicit, but, as it develops, it becomes a clear and consistently presetn component of the story. As alluded to previously, it's a relationship where it feels like a proper partnership of equals and, unlike many stories, the MC's strength doesn't come from something more passive (such as healing or creativity) compared to the ML's assertive strength (such as fighting or having massive business influence). Honestly, it was a really satisfying romance.
    • The plot doesn't suffer because of the romance (but the romance is still important). The point of many stories is either romance from the start or it becomes romance (for instance, vengance stories end up as dog food while the ML protects the MC and smooths away any bumps in the MC's goals). In this story, the focus of the characters and the plot stays strongly on the survival game.
    • A strong and varied cast of characters. The characters in this story aren't clearly divided into "good" and "bad" or "trustworthy" and "not trustworthy" or "clever" and "s*upid". The MC comes across a variety of characters with varying degrees of strength, intelligence and trustworthiness, many of whom are given a reasonable amount of depth and complexity. (Reasonable considering that the writing focuses more on progressing the story than spending a long time reflecting deeply on emotions.) The success of the MC isn't always only because of his own (or the ML's) strength or intelligence.
    • The balance of puzzles and action. The story's feature is that most of the challenges faced by the characters involve strong elements of trickiness - characters must think and work out the catch in the rules, find and decipher clues or outsmart the enemies in order to succeed - and yet this is seamlessly intertwined with exciting and interesting action. I often get really tired of action or intense scenes in stories because it's either relentless or formulaic and predictible. I enjoyed that this gave me many mental breaks between the action or highly-tense parts, but also provided action that felt interesting and purposeful or logical (rather than inserted because it's time for another piece of drama).
    • The readability/lack of heaviness. As I mentioned earlier, it's not a heavy story. It's intense and exciting at times, and is always interesting, but the author focuses on moving the story forward rather than dwelling on the psychological impact of the events the characters experience (although these are acknowledged). I, personally, tend to avoid stories that are too intensely heavy when I just want something entertaining to read, so I enjoyed that this story managed to deal satisfactorily with a serious topic while not getting bogged down by it.
CONS (only fairly mild, worth the loss of only half a star) :

    • The main con I found is in the explanation or description of some of the rules, game set-ups or solutions, which are sometimes a bit convoluted or confusing unless the reader is willing to stop and methodically work through everything. (I should clarify that I don't mean the intentional confusion created by the author to mislead or hide things, I mean things like sometimes the descriptions of rooms/buildings or when the solution is fully explained.) Of course, it's a strength of this story that it has puzzles that readers can spend time trying to work out for themselves, but its a weakness that at times explanations and descriptions are not clear unless you do that - which sometimes prevents readers like me (who prefer not to pause while reading) from pondering and speculating as we go, or fully understanding a solution. I'm not sure if it's mainly the fault of the author or if it's more the difficulty the translator (who is very good) had conveying things in English. It is only sometimes throughout the story, though.
    • Small inconsistencies in logic or failures of true deduction. I can't say overall how strong this story was in its logic and reasoning because I didn't stop and painstakingly work everything out as some readers would enjoy doing, but there were a few times when the results of their reasoning wasn't as absolute as it was portrayed in the story. For instance, decisions were made based on deductions that characters concluded were "definite" but they couldn't have known for sure. (Hercule Poirot wouldn't have approved!) At other times there were small inconsistencies (such as decisions based something never lying, but later that same thing not being strictly truthful, although in circumstances unimportant to the story). It's being picky, but it was mildly jarring and made it harder to work out solutions to problems because I wasn't sure how strict and reliable the author was.
Overall, I would recommend this to any reader who enjoys plot-driven stories with adventure, abilities, puzzles, action, survival, interesting characters and a slow, steady romance. It's not heavy, but is fairly cerebral, so read it when your brain isn't half-asleep! <<less
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Ease
Ease
Jul 24, 2018
Status: c181
This is an amazing story featuring an intelligent man, set in a deadly world that is Earth which is no longer peaceful.

The setting of the novel is a dangerous strategy game that requires the players to actually think and analyze the rules carefully. Not only are the NPCs very deceiving, the Black Tower itself is purposely misleading the players towards a different conclusion.

Fortunately, Tang Mo the MC is a very intelligent and sharp-minded man, able to pick up any hints and clues, strong, and independent. He is a man who... more>> persists under pressure, never give up even when the front looks bleak and gloomy, and very courageous.

Others might think that a game is 1+1=2, but Tang Mo analyzes the rules carefully and discovers that truthfully, it's 1x1=1. Only a slight change but the results are very different.

I am up to date with the raws because of how addicting this novel is. The summary might not be much (because I put it off many times before too) but give it a try and you'll understand why it's so good.

On a scale of 10, I'll give this novel a 10. <<less
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DaBrick
DaBrick
Aug 05, 2018
Status: Completed
FOR THOSE WHO DON'T WANT TO READ BECAUSE IT'S YAOI/ BL, PLEASE THINK AGAIN.

At first, I found this diamond because I was searching for some good yaoi and then I see Mo Chen Huan name (which is one of my fav author) and then proceed to read it.

I read plenty of Survival Game genre prior to this and I can say that this story is one of the best survival game story I've ever read. Why I said one of the best survival game story and not yaoi is because... more>> although I found this story because I want to read some good yaoi, I STAYED FOR THE PLOT but BL is also a plus point.

Anyway, I would still definitely read this even without the BL 10/10 therefore please don't just vote 1 stars because this is yaoi/ BL because the BL part is very scarce and not yet completely shown by the author. At most its only skin touching until now (like holding hands, not d*ck touching so it's still R-15 but the gore part is R-18).

Firstly, the plot. The story plot is really very much interesting. Like what the Synopsis said, suddenly the entire world have this black tower thingy and indeed this black tower thingy is the game operator (maybe? It's still a mystery) basically because the premiere is where the MC and other survival are suddenly pulled to the game. Before this there are plenty of MC background storytelling and how he usually feels about things and so on (these details also will pop up in the entire story not only in the beginning).

MC is a guy (duh ofc he's a guy) who is in his 20s who's a librarian. He spent much of his time between home and the library he worked for. He's also portrayed as someone calm (but in his mind he always grumble about how unlucky he is when the game started bwahahah) and he's not the genius kind of person, more like very smart and very witty person if he focus on something. And like I said, he's a librarian, so what is his hobby? It's watching p*rn! Of course it's reading books! (Unexpected right?) so he has good general knowledge + he's smart and he has quite a cheating ability so he's pretty OP I guess? But not so op cause he's pretty unlucky and often got into life threatening situation.

And about his cheating ability (THIS IS NOT A SPOILER cause it's also introduced pretty early in the story) so his ability is like getting other's ability while the others still got their ability. So you can say it's copying other ability, BUT! If he can copy other ability just like that, his ability will be a super cheat and not only quite a cheat ability. His ability will copy other ability and get 40%~60% of the other's ability (not quite sure about this cause it's not definite).

Now back to the plot, the survival game is not always on going/ non stop, but it's more like there's the main game where people can choose to get into and there are other mini games too if I speak more it would be spoiler. And there's also many gore and killings, tho the gore is not specifically described well maybe there are some heavy describing, I forgot :p. All the game survival each have overseer (?) who we all know. Who you said? It's famous cartoons, fairy tales, and game characters! Ex: Mario, mole, sonic, Cinderella, schrodinger, red ridding hood, etc. So each game is not like 'individual game' but it's like mini stories that makes up a bigger story. Each overseer or like the novel called them, monster, have their own twisted emotion (there are some normal one but mostly they're kinda twisted).

So, destroy your childhood MEMORIES! I'm kidding don't take it to heart. As you see your beloved character become an evil maniac! Actually I don't even feel anything. Prepare for the worst cause the end has come! The story is not even halfway yet BLACK TOWER: THE GAME what the hell am I doing.

Every game is unique on its own and have different game rules. The game are all clever thinking of the Author cause its all very good. And the mystery surrounding the black tower and the characters are also heightened which make it more interesting!

Lastly thank you for the translator (which I deemed as MCH fans too) for translating this novel. Because of you translator that made the story become an addicting drug for me (tho drug is never good) and the translator translation are also top notch which I can't find faults with.

5 stars!

Edit:

Spoiler

After I finished reading this novel, I realized that the author have brought so much emotions to the black tower monsters to the point where you feel attachment to them. Even though all monster like to kill/ eat humans, their characteristic which are unique and really show up makes you can't hate them. They often make you laugh because of their action and reaction. Every monster like Santa Claus, circus leader, queen of hearts and many more have their own unique characteristics and I'm very fond of them. Especially when almost at the end of the novel when they show you their own perspective, tbh I actually cried because of these monsters because I'm so fond of them.

[collapse]

This is one of my most favorite novel and probably number 1/2 on my top list. <<less
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azha_
azha_
Oct 06, 2018
Status: c81
This novel is like that one book you knew you were looking for in the back of your head, but never really knowing what that book was! I don't know if I'm making sense or not :3

Like seriously, I could rant all day about this. I honestly love this book and and I hope others will come to love it as much as I do.

Okay so this is a survival/puzzle BL novel. I never really appreciated the survival genre until this book. Whenever the MC finishes a game I realize... more>> again that I'm actually quite dumb :P. Even after the explaination I have to think about it for a while. The plot is set up in a way that just draws you in. You are always wondering what other game instance he is going to be pulled into next. I think its pretty fast paced, well maybe not so much in the beginning, but it was nessasary, believe me. Oh and the BL part! It's a delicious slow burn that you just love and hate at the same time. You want the MC and ML to keep each other on their toes and GET TOGETHER ALREADY at the same time. For those of you who don't read BL, *sigh*, you are missing out on a beautiful thing....

I haven't really written anything that really should be in a review but whateves, there's many a reviews out there yonder. And all you really need to know is that this is a TOTALLY GOOD BOOK and you should really give it a shot. <<less
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Wondy7
Wondy7
Aug 15, 2018
Status: c189
This is an amazing story, with great characters and plot where the games and its resolution always feels well planned by the author.

MC does have a cheat ability but this one comes with limitations that doesn't make him fell into a typical OP character and he has his shortcomings too, like due to him being an ex-librarian he still needs to improve his psysical strenght. Besides (until c189) he is not the strongest player of the tower in the world, there are other characters that are before him and even... more>> the ML has rivals to his power.

About the romance.

Spoiler

If you are looking for a "in you face" romance this is not your novel, don't get me wrong, they know they like each other but apart for some little moments and some scenes you won't see them acting lovey dovey. I have read the latest chaper and they haven't shared a kiss yet.

Even then, those moments are sweet and always make you wish for more. For example, Tang Mo was in a coma state for days and while he waited for him to wake up, Fu Wendou took the chance to grab his fingers, and althought later that scene ends in them discussing who fell in love first they don't have enough time alone to talk about it.

Another sweet one was when after Tang Mo got someone else ability, he was looking to give a prop in exchange but Fu Wendou end up being the one who gave one of his own props.

Ah! Vinegar.. FW is the only one who has drink it, two (clear) times at the moment. First because there's a character who likes to torment Tang Mo and in one chapter suggested that he will give him a kiss (it didn't come out of nowhere but still) and FW quickly say he was going to kill him (Tang Mo sugesst it first), the second was after a game when Tang Mo was interested in another character ability and express it out loud, FW then told him "my ability is better than hers"

I really can't wait fot their romance's progress! But the sory itself it's amazing so I know it's worth the wait!

[collapse]

People that skip this one due to one of its genre being BL, shouldn't left their prejudice control them, they are missing a good novel. <<less
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Traveler
Traveler
Sep 01, 2020
Status: Completed
Too many unsound logic, sometimes really doesn't make sense and a lot of drawing conclusion from a simple fact and pretend that that's the only possible solution. Examples :

    • A+B=5. MC: "A must be 2, so B must be 3'.
    • Someone walks around the mall for 1 hour. Person A: "His mission must be buying a cup of coffee and delivered it to B before 5 o'clock".
    • Someone declines a food. Person A: "He must ate a donut an hour ago"
From the first example, you can't know the value of A and B without another clue.

The second example actually written in the novel, someone guess other mission correctly with minimal clue, which is close to impossible. Like in the second and third examples, there are a lot more possibility if the clues is not complete, but the author makes people looks so intelligent by pointing that it is the only fact or possible answer (with unsound reasoning) when there are a lot of others possibilities.

Worst thing is, the majority of the novel is logical games.
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Evergreen
Evergreen
Apr 30, 2018
Status: c11
I LOVE THIS. ML and MC have not yet met but I dont care (altho I normally care) cause Im having a blast in reading MC's road to survival. It is soo good, soo exciting and soo unexpexted. Before obssessing about BL novels, I used to love reading apocalyptic novel where MC uses his wits to survive and this is exactly it! Definitely my cup of tea!! MC is calm and smart. As of now, he does not need any man to protect him. Woooohoo. Hoping for more chapters and... more>> less cliffs hahaha. Love you translator sama for bringing this wonderful novel to us. <<less
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_ShaSha
_ShaSha
Aug 15, 2021
Status: c210
Don't trust the FIVE-star reviews...

So, I've finally made a NU account just to give a review on this; great-action, -but-wack-a*s-"bl"-novel.

I dropped this book at ch 210, because of great disappointment. I hope this review can count as a "good"-bad review.

... more>> - Story and premise 4/5 stars

Let's start with the premise, world building and games. All the surviving people of the world need to play different types of games to survive. The author is meticulous in building the premise of the world and as reader you are drawn into a very original world.

I actually really liked this part of the novel. The games are well written and very creative. I'm amazed by the level of creativity of the author. Like, how do they come up with all these game setups? While reading it I was thinking all the time that "This would definitely make an awesome cinematic experience". It would translate very well into film! In other words, the author is very descriptive and visual while writing.

Cons: They are very detailed while writing about the games, to the point that it becomes tedious at times. And the more you read the more you want the games to finish quickly. Even though the games/chapters are, in and of themselves, quite unique and interesting, in the end the suspense is lost because you know that the super-intelligent MC and the even more capable ML will triumph......

There are also some logical plot holes, but in the end that doesn't matter much, because it's sci-fi.

- The Characters 3/5 stars

Let me just say: No. MC is just so boring. What caught my interest was that he was mature, smart and independent. But yeez, what a boring character. Also I can't even say I got to know him at all while reading 210 chapters, he is just so plain. So the thing is, he doesn't have a temper, he only coldly accepts everything. He is also the smartest, most capable person left on earth it seems... while being an ambitionless, emotionless librarian who liked to play online bridge? There is really no backstory there. I don't look down on librarians, but dear author, could you pick a more boring occupation for the already most boring MC.... It would be great if he was a librarian with ambitions, but why make him so ambitionless, huh? He has no purpose, he just exists. It's truly quite boring.

He kinda seemed depressed? If that was the authors angle, it would be cool if they explored it more, rather than just writing the character as a machine.

ML though. I had such high hopes. He was mysterious, capable, seemed ambitious and was really cool in many parts of the novel. He also had good banter. I liked him a lot. But it would have been great to get to know him more, his inner thoughts and reasonings. He was innately much more interesting than the MC. If this would have been a movie, I would much rather see it from ML's point of view, and then it could have been strictly an action based movie, because his love interest just s*cks anyway.

Other characters: they were ok I guess. I really liked one of the antagonists, BRY. Would much rather he be the MC. That would at least be very interesting.

- The Romance 0/5 stars

(Oh, if I could give minus stars...)

Now, let me get started on the romance........ crying-emoji. jpg, crying-emoji. jpg, crying-emoji. jpg

I am sooooooooooo f*cking disappointed!

The 5-star reviews call this a slow-burn romance? What f*cking romance? angry-emoji. jpg

First of all! There are some cute slow-romance-easter-eggs that are set in motion early on, that get you excited for the possibility of a great romance. There is the early on interactions, getting to know each other and learning to trust each other. All very cute. Everything building up to great romance. But in the end, I promise you, you will only be served dogsh*it!!! (read the chapter progress spoilers)

Plot hole: When they finally "tacitly" understand that they like each other, they spend many nights together without anything to do other than rest, and evidently nothing happens between the to of them...

The author likes to end chapters with some tension, then the next chapter starts with "2 days have passed quietly"...

Geez.. all the nights with opportunities not taken here............

Also I need to mention. Their interactions are just super awkward. They don't seem to be a good fit actually. All the "romantic"-interactions in the latter half of the novel seem quit forced and pressed.

Romance progress by chapter:

(I know I put the spoilers on this one, but the only spoilers are the chapters mentioned.)

Spoiler

ch 16 : Lets say they come in "contact", rather a nice meet-cute type of thing. I really liked their first interactions.

ch 38 : They meet face to face for the first time! To be honest I was rather fed up with the slow romance already by chapter 37, and the slow progress in the story in general, so I was about to drop it right before they met. But then it hooked me for a little while more.

ch 47 : They FINALLY!! met up in real life! gaaah! A lot of timely getting to know each other. Very nice progression.

ch 108-110: (This is what gave me hope for a 100 more chapters.) Here something spicy happens, but not too spicy because they need to babysit a child....... for the rest of the f*cking NOVEL... I think the author only wrote this child into the novel to be a c*ckblock....

and then...... NONTHING romantic happens till CHAPTER 210. And let me say!! WHAT A F*CKING DISAPPOINTMENT!!!!

Here I am, reading this long ass book! Expecting a great romance and some dogfood, but what I get is some f*cking dogsh*t!

[collapse]

Conclusion: Great action. Wack romance. <<less
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LazytotheCore
LazytotheCor
Sep 18, 2018
Status: c64
I love this web novel more than words can describe. Seriously. This was one of the best web novels I've read and that's saying a lot since I have read more light/web novels than I can count. I'm not the most eloquent person, so I can't properly articulate exactly how much I loved this, but if you're reluctant to read this because it's bl, I think you're making a big mistake. There doesn't seem to be much romance so far and what's currently there could probably be brushed off as... more>> friendship. I think.

Anyway, this web novel is filled with action, adventure, and is utterly hilarious at times. I don't know how to continue this review without spoiling the book nor do I want to make this too long and bore you, so I think I'll end it around here, but I think this book is better than almost every other book I've found using this site. You should definitely give it a try.

(The 15 people who gave this 1 star can suck my non-existent d*ck.) <<less
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nazgul8126
nazgul8126
Jul 02, 2020
Status: Completed
Story: On 11/15/17, humanity is thrust into a brutal game of survival where people gain abilities/props and must pass life-threatening scenarios to climb the seven levels of “The Tower.” Childhood favorites from video games and fairy tales feature as sadistic villains in these scenarios. There is a lot of out-thinking the system and low-key horror mixed in.

The action scenes are on point, and the variety of scenarios that the Tower throws MC and party into makes for an entertaining read. However, you kind of just have to accept the... more>> jumps in logic in order to progress the story (see critiques below).

MC: The shou. Embodiment of the rational protagonist.

ML: The gong. Super OP (?ex-) military. Anticipation for his appearance and beginning interactions with MC was the major reason for me to continue reading.

Relationship development: There is fairly little BL in this story. Tweak some words here and there and delete a handful of scenes, and this would easily turn into just MC finding a platonic group of comrades—which happen to include ML—as he tries the survive the end of the world. ML achieves notoriety as the Tower announces his early achievements worldwide. MC and ML then manage to help each other out during scenarios despite being in different cities before meeting in person. Anticipation for their relationship to develop was my major reason to keep reading, but chapter 210 is honestly a bit of a letdown (and by then, there’s only 30 more chapters until the end of the story so might as well finish it).

Critiques: Psychological/thriller/mind games is a difficult genre to do well. There is often the feeling that the author is coming up with retroactive explanations in order to achieve the desired outcome to show how clever a highlighted character is, as opposed to clever scheming occurring and thus resulting in an outcome. This novel does an excellent job a describing a starting point “A” and an outcome “C, ” but the logic of point “B” to get from A to C is often incoherent.

The author follows the pattern of 1) MC/party is thrown into a seemingly impossible scenario, 2) cannon fodder die, 3) a random clue tips MC off, 3) MC acts mysteriously and manages to come out on top, and then 4) there is a dump of exposition for the purpose of enlightening you as the reader the logic behind MC’s actions (and again, this “B” logic is often convoluted). It’s also mildly annoying to see the characters throw out percentage predictions on how likely something is to occur (e.g. MC thinks their chance of winning is 60% but then ML corrects him to 70% when they factor in X). Once in a while is not bad, but the characters do this so frequently or to that extent. Like, can you truly predict that X causes a 10% difference?

Overall, this is an entertaining read with great action scenes and creative scenarios (and fully translated!) but the long, convoluted, and honestly skim-able "telling rather than showing" how clever the MC is makes this a B-tier novel. <<less
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BillionJellyfish
BillionJelly
Jan 19, 2019
Status: Completed
One of the best bl novels I have ever read!

To give a more in-depth summary:

The MC was a librarian and met the ML (military commander) through an online game. They have both been teaming up online to play a game for years now, but have never actually met up in real life until the "end of the world". When the world ended, in order to survive, every human needs to play survival games made by the black tower and most often than not, the winner (s) of the game receives... more>> a reward while the loser (s) die. The only way to remove the black tower is to complete each floor of survival games in the black tower with a total of seven floors. All of humanity have started to develop special abilities and basically formed a dog eat dog world where the strong generally rule the weak.

Bl Development:

In terms of the romance department, it is considered a slow romance. Both the MC and ML slowly discover each other's identity as their virtual game teammate before confessing their feelings. The MC and ML have a tacit understanding with one another, meaning by just making eye contact, they already know what the other person is thinking. In this way, the chemistry between the MC and ML can be seen throughout the novel. The ML is very caring and considerate towards the MC, but don't worry, the MC is actually pretty proactive when it comes to skinship once their relationship as lovers is confirmed. The romance is very sweet and tame, so it leans more towards the shounen ai genre than the yaoi genre. As for male side characters, there are many ships to be made between them, but sadly they never sailed boo hoo hoo~

Overall:

The ending of the story is done very well, it gives a closure to the plot but it also leaves the readers wanting more about the afterstory of certain characters. The truth about the black tower is revealed at the end, so prepare for a plot twist! I enjoyed reading this novel very much and would most likely go back to reread it again in the future, so whether or not you like bl, I highly recommend to give this novel a try since the bl doesn't affect the suspense and thrill of the story. <<less
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akihiki
akihiki
Nov 10, 2018
Status: c115
This is the smart protagonist I’ve been looking for. Do you like games? Do you like reading carefully into rules to see which you can bend and which are trying to lead you astray? With their survival on the line, every person on earth must now play this game and attack the black tower.

This is an incredibly thrilling story with clever characters and logic that’s for the most part, believable. Even if you don’t like BL, this is a great read. It’s not focused on romance (the MC doesn’t even... more>> meet the male lead in person until at least 50 chapters in and then some more for them to stick together as partners to work through games together, not because of a romantic interest but out of genuine respect for each other’s abilities, like picking players for your basketball team during gym class).

I can’t say much without giving spoilers but this story sucks you in and is an incredible page turner. Thanks to the wonderful translators, we have daily updates too! <<less
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indecisive
indecisive
Apr 22, 2018
Status: c44
Highly recommend. Even for non-fans of BL (it's hardly a normal BL, it's more like "ADVENTURE/MYSTERY -maybe MC is gay-" sort of thing). The plot is amazingly planned-out, and the MC is better than you could ever hope for in this world full of twisted puzzle games!

I'm useless at puzzles and get lost a lot in the complicated games, but I like how calm the MC is within reason! As in not being unnaturally cool... he is anxious with us! He is calculating and clever but also compassionate, and he... more>> is quite modest despite being able to outsmart and physically beat many other players. In no way is he OP from the very start, though. His controlled persona 90% is quite admirable, but it's hilarious whenever he does get frustrated at his little notebook and the useless NPCs and items.

[tiny SPOILER]

Now that we're getting more interactions btwn ML and MC, the BL is starting to show!! lmao ML seems a bit OP, but their minds are a great match for each other. (The little "wife-husband" notes at the end of the chapters are hilarious and cute and somewhat make up for the lack of any BL for like 40 chapters.) <<less
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thatoneperson0000
thatoneperso
Aug 10, 2018
Status: c45
This was a really interesting novel :0

The details and plot going into this book is amazing, and the puzzle results are always so mind blowing! I definitely recommend reading this :)

Honestly, the bl is incredibly subtle, and this novel focuses on plot mostly :))

... more>>

edit: now at chapter 245 (the end)

Ok so the BL became much less subtle after like 90+ chapters, but it's still amazing. The way it ended left me satisfied, but also feeling bittersweet, and the games always left me baffled and hoping for more. This was an amazing read, as I binge-read through this for about four days :) Definitely read it, even if you're not sure about the BL! <<less
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Nuinui
Nuinui
Oct 03, 2018
Status: c75
Wow, it's kind of a shame that not a lot people read this, because they're missing out on something amazing! This novel has it all... a great plot, awesome world-building, compelling characters, a super (swoon-worthy) slow-burn romance, and cool action scenes!

Was that cheap attempt at getting more fans for this novel good enough? If not, then let me convince you.

For a BL novel, this story has quite the complicated plot/world-building. At first it might seem confusing, but as the story continues, more hints about what's happening to earth is... more>> explained. I'd say the novel is slightly similar to No Game No Life, in the sense that people are forced to play "games." So the novel is dystopian, as people have to survive and fight against each other in these so-called games.

The games themselves is what makes the story really good. (And no, they're not some simple rock-paper-scissors kind of games.) The author is super creative and comes up with all sorts of creative games and even introduces pop-culture into them! Without giving too many spoilers, all I'm going to say that there's a "board" game that involves Mario, and it's absolutely frightening. All the games are complicated, but the solutions to them are ingenious and are well explained.

Since the novel is dystopian, there is a bit of gore/bloody descriptions. I wouldn't say they're over the top, but some readers might find that a big icky to read, so fair warning there.

The MC and ML are really the highlights of the novel as well. They're both the quiet, reticent type (though the ML more than the MC). They're also super intelligent, which of course is the reason why they become a really fearsome duo to compete against. While they both are very strong in their own right, I wouldn't say they're OP. Personally, I like that. Since the main characters aren't OP, they can't simply blast their way through games with brute force and have to use their minds to figure the best way out of the games. It makes the stakes a lot higher, especially when the Tower doesn't let them off easy either.

The romance... ughhhhhhhhh I have so many FEELINGS about it. I love it and hate it at the same time because it's so beautiful and amazing yet it's so slow it's painful to read about. The MC and the ML just work really well together, and many times they share ideas just by looking at each other. It does take a while for them to meet up in the novel, but when they do, it's glorious.

While the novel's overall tone is serious, there's some unexpected humor sometimes. Hilariously enough, the author is quite harsh on the MC. (I think she likes bullying him...) Without giving out spoilers, let's just say the MC doesn't have it easy. He has shitty luck, and well... he's put into embarrassing situations. Also, the chapters end with an author's note in the form of a "mini-theater." It's pretty much just a few sentences of the MC and ML interacting over what occurred in the chapter it follows.

Have I convinced you to read this story yet?? Seriously, go read it now, because it's awesome.

Also, the translator is super good and her update speed is mind-blowing. (So what are you waiting for???) <<less
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AmNut Obcess
AmNut Obcess
Dec 19, 2018
Status: Completed
One of the best stories I've read. I don't know for others but this story is relatively fresh to me. I've been reading these cultivation stories, quick wear, entertainment, apocalypse, etc. But this story seriously opened a new door for me. Well, it maybe because I've not been browsing more that I did not find the same kind if story. Anyway, the Earth is Online is a relatively good one. If you haven't try reading this kind of story, I strongly suggest you read this one. Unlike other stories where... more>> they just drop characters A to Z, the characters of this story really stuck till the end. They might not be with the MC anymore but they still pop up every now and then.

Also, it's really funny how the MC is confused by his feelings for the ML.
Spoiler

When MC still didn't know that the ML and his crush (Victor) is the same person, every time his heart beats for the ML or something, he's like: Victor, Victor, think of Victor. I'm not a fickle person ??

[collapse]

The tower bosses are also funny. This story somewhat ruined my fairy tale stories or game character perception.
Spoiler

For example, when I think of Cinderella, I'll think of her being a host of a show who loves to see her participants suffer to increase ratings. When I think of the circus leader, I think about how he l**ked and kissed gold or how he made out lol with Noah's ark while still acting like a gentleman. For Santa, I would think, did he properly cleaned his butt? Cuz it stink like hell haha. When I think of Snow White, I would pity the seven dwarfs seeing as how she ens*aved them, making them drink her feet wash, do household chores and hunt bunnies for barbeque. As for Mario, poor Mario is so angry at Angry Birds and Candy Crush haha. Anyway, there's so many of them like Mosaic, Grandma of Red Riding Hood, Queen of Hearts, etc. Basically this story made me not think of these characters the same as before especially stinky Santa and the narcissist Snow White haha

[collapse]

The story is really good. Made me hook till the end. You would always wonder, just what is the black towers? Who created it? What is it's purpose? Why chose Earth?Where did the rest of the population go?

It's really good to the point that I mlt-ed it even though it made my head hurt like hell with all the grammars and words haha.

I also like the extras. Like how they portrayed what it is like if the black towers didn't appear. The main couple were so cute lol. Though, it's just sad how the comrades on the main story just by pass or don't have that much interaction if black towers didn't appear.

All in all, reading this story is totally worth it. <<less
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sapiojia
sapiojia
Nov 29, 2018
Status: c146
I just want to remind to strengthen your cognitive functions to get along the pace of black tower's logic games, and conversations between brilliant characters or you will be dumbstruck by any plot turns.

Plots are not like frustrating random twists as all details are mentioned beforehand. Just stay eye-sharped and don't miss out any information the author described, also run your brain like mad to imagine all possible scenarios at the meantime.

Romance is realistic enough for me but sometimes their tacit understanding makes your heart cry in silence lol

A fore-prepare... more>> a pen and paper to scribble on in case you can play along when it comes to detailed grid games. The whole plot seems well-fabricated (I haven't finished it whole) but I can tell the author can handle it.

It even inspired me to learn more about logical reasoning. It's also freaking addict-able and stimulating that I even craved it for three days and one full night.

To conclude is that this is not average type of novel that you go flow with it.

good luck with your own read and enjoy the adrenaline rush, ah! <<less
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iceflecks
iceflecks
Jul 14, 2018
Status: Completed
This story is so good! I love how complex the games are, and how the MC uses his intelligence to overcome the often difficult tasks in this almost apocalyptic world. The MC and ML interactions are great, and every character has some substance to them. The story is very well written (although the tasks are often confusing). It is worth a read. [MTL-able]

Edit: Now fully translated!! It's too awesome! A very shounen-ai story... I kind of wish it had been more hot with action, but the lack of fits with... more>> the mood/tone of the story very well. =D <<less
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peppergum
peppergum
May 16, 2022
Status: Completed
No way can anyone look me in the eye and say they understand exactly how these puzzles and accompanying solutions work.

As a couple of other reviews mentioned, there's nothing big-brained about this story. Arbitrary statistics and impulsive assumptions are thrown around then clumsily stitched together to form a poor excuse of a resolution. Semantics, if anything, form the bulk of the protagonist's theories. Combined with the translation's frequent grammar mistakes and spelling errors, I had to re-read the same paragraph two or three times to understand the gist of it.

Examples... more>> of flawed logic within first 50 chapters:

Spoiler
  • MC immediately stated that out of the 400+ million players, approximately less than 10 million are stowaways. (Why or how? Who knows, who cares.)
  • MC heard a static noise in the background, and determined that there's an 80% chance the noise is from a black and white TV. (What 23 year old knows what a black and white tv sounds like? Where'd the 80% come from?)
  • During monopoly game, MC calculated that 20% of the 150 squares are jump squares, thus there must be 20 jump squares. (I hope this is a typo by either translator or author, or it's actually too sad).
  • Somehow within 4 days, an organization of 11~19 people managed to comb through about a thousand corpses, and made detailed reports over a large stretch of distance, while participating in various instances (I guess there must be 48 hours in a day.)
  • Golden hamster arc did not explain why "prioritization of abilities" is a thing. (Author needs to shoot the author of Mist a message to get a proper idea of how a time loop should be written
    [collapse]
And side note here, why were South America & Africa completely disregarded from global rankings? Just cause countries from these continents aren't economic superpowers doesn't mean they can't have strong players lol.

The story also leans on overt nationalism, which like okay, that's my motherland too, but some details are absurd:

Spoiler
    • MC repeatedly stated that he respected how China has such a great handle on societal stability. Even as he walked past actual protests and riots, he thought 'love China, most socially stable place in the world, especially compared to poorer and weaker countries'
    • This quote: "Most people in China are right-handers" ?? ?? I'm crying, what does that have to do with anything? The entire world is mostly right-handed.
    • Fu Wenduo is literally named after his grandfather's desire to reclaim Taiwan
      [collapse]
Character problems:

Spoiler

In a lazy attempt to bypass giving characters depth, the story decided to emotionally stonewall the protagonist and make him unable to feel most emotions. When he killed a man, he just looked on coldly. When he found out one of his closest friends died, he just nodded and moved on.

Emotional vulnerability doesn't undermine a story. Rather, high emotional stakes add suspense and character complexity. To neglect this element would greatly reduce effective storytelling.

In turn, if anyone has to describe what the personality of the protagonist is like, they'll struggle to come up with any qualities except "smart" or "sarcastic". He's blander than boiled, unseasoned chicken. The only time he reacted strongly was if the Tower trolled him. Kinda weird he cared more about that than his own friends' deaths.

Tang Mo & Fu Wenduo's relationship is lackluster as well. Nevermind their one god-awful s*x scene that was depicted through a 3 line euphemism about "shooting" a loaded gun, the two characters hardly interact other than reading each other's gaze during games. While you can argue that the story's simply dedicating itself to its world-building and plot, one only needs to think of novels like Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint or Kaleidoscope of Death to know that character relationships can be explored in depth along with plot.

[collapse]

Major unresolved questions at the end:

Spoiler
  1. What did Mu Huixue's ability actually do? And what was the effect of Tang Mo using it?
  2. What's the significance of Eve or Eve candidates?
  3. What's going on with Ning Zheng? Who was he trying to find? Story teased out so many mysteries with him.
  4. What was even the significance of Tang Mo obtaining Eve's reward if he was just gonna forget it all? And it never got brought up again?
    [collapse]
Despite all my critiques, why'd I finish reading this? The sole reason being that The Earth is Online is actually quite fair to its female characters, which is always pleasant in the misogynistic realm of danmei, and especially the unlimited flow genre. I'm a huge fan of Mu Huixue's character. The premise of each puzzle is very interesting as well, so it's still enjoyable. <<less
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