The Earth is Online Vol. 2

The Earth is Online #2

by Mo Chen Huan, luckykoi (Translator)

Genres: Dystopia, Science Fiction, Romance, Novels, China

410 pages, Paperback

Published April 30, 2025

About the author

Associated Names:
* Mo Chen Huan (English)
* 莫晨歡 (Chinese)
* มั่วเฉินฮวน (Thai)

Reviews

[Stacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume is mainly still worldbuilding but the chemistry between the CP is so good in every interaction. Romance is not the main focus of this story, but their relationship already feels really special 🥰

Things I loved in this novel:

🌎Games are well thought out, intricate, and entertaining
🌎CP interact seemlessly even when they don't have all the information. I'm looking forward to more interactions between them.
🌎Slow burn- I appreciate this so much in novels. It's subtle but more impactful/meaningful IMO. From other reviews I've seen, they are established as gay already so it won't be the straight until I met you situation
🌎More cooperation between players/organizations- it's not as "everyone out for themselves" yet. The survival killer instinct is there but at least some people are teaming up. I’m starting to form attachments to side characters
🌎Quite addictive and hard to put down and I need that for genres I don't typically read. Fast paced, non-stop moving forward
🌎Pretty straightforward and easy to understand. I don't stress about the understanding every detail and often there are explanations afterward.
🌎Learned a lot more about the Dark Spire and the rules of the game.


Wasn't a big fan of it ending in the middle of an arc but that's fine. I read some of the FTL and it's definitely not as good but might be okay to try and at least finish the arc.

[Mer Mendoza (Merlyn’s Book Hoard) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now evil teleporting Pinocchio is making them play a prisoners dilemma card game on behalf of Santa Clause. The plot continues to be wild.

Fu Wenduo and Tang Mo finally meet face to face after their long distance “turkey egg” situationship!

I dislike Rosmei’s choice to cut the volume in the middle of the Shoemaker’s arc, rather than breaking at the natural arc conclusion. I had to go hunt down a fan mtl to resolve the cliffhanger. It was rough going though, so I’ll wait for the official translation to finish the main story.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story just keeps getting better and better.

I love how the games are all clearly inspired by things people love in their childhood (disney movies, videogames, bedtime stories) but with a twist, even if sometimes it's a tad ridiculous.

I also cannot wait for Fu Wenduo and Tang Tang's relationship to progress, they are such interesting characters :3

[Rosie49% · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally finished it, not cause I didn't want to before, but cause I didn't want to finish it:(
I love Teio sm, bury me with this book!!!

So alot happened and I think summarizing is not gonna do it justice, and I love the chemistry between Fu Wendo and Tang Mo ughhhhhhhh, So fucking Amazing, and damn those hating on Teio on NU COUNT Y'ALL FUCKING DAYSS I MEAN IT, don't down rate my favorites cause of that aish!, Read alot of Danmei this year and I think this one made it to top3 entirely idc, it does!
I don't know what to say exactly just my hand hitching to pick it up again and start reading, wish I could jump off a building and re-read withe fresh memories

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

An improvement on the last volume I still find the dungeons to be kind of silly. Especially the way "characters" are used , they all seem to be pretty much the same with a different skin. There isn't much emotional involvement and I don't really get a sense of danger even when people are dying every 5 minutes. I am looking forward to the development of the MC and FW working together. hopefully it continues to build on the lore and give it a little more depth.

[Queens Love Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Between intelligent minds, not everything needed explicit explanation.”



This second volume of The Earth Is Online had me completely hooked—I actually made time for it even on a packed day. It’s so engaging that it doesn’t let you turn your brain off. You’re constantly thinking, questioning, and second-guessing what you’ve read. I’ve heard people say reading should be active, and this book really leans into that idea. Sometimes it feels like things are hiding in plain sight, and you end up flipping back to check if you missed a clue. The first floor challenge nearly drove me crazy—I liked it, but the way it was written made me feel like I’d skipped a page or that something had been printed twice. I’m sure some readers will appreciate the style, but I prefer puzzles that don’t make me doubt my copy of the book.

Tang Mo continues to carry the story with a grounded, analytical mindset. Even without a romantic subplot, the chemistry between the main characters lingers, subtle but unmistakable. New threats make things feel more intense, and the world expands through more complicated systems, abilities, and enemies. The tone has definitely shifted—it feels heavier, more unpredictable. You can tell the game is evolving, and Tang Mo is evolving with it.

I really liked seeing a few familiar characters again, but it’s hard to know who’ll stay. The series doesn’t let you get too attached, which keeps you on edge. There’s still so much mystery around Mr. Fu, and every scene with him pulls you in deeper. The cover from Rosmei is just as striking as the first one—simple but so well done.. I’ve already finished both of the printed volumes they’ve released, so now it’s just a matter of waiting (and hoping) for volume three to be printed next.

Date Read: 2025.07.04

[Evelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

About 3.5? Better than volume 1 and kept going up as the book progressed (that last dungeon ohhh). The interactions between Tang Mo and Fu Wenduo keep things slightly more interesting, because honestly the rest of the players are often the same when stuck in challenges... And might there be glimmers of a personality appearing? I think I saw some! I hope that keeps happening. The series is definitely interesting enough to keep going with, and these challenges didn't annoy me like the ones in the 1st volume did.

One particular problem that came up again in this volume, though, was how the author still has a problem with over-explaining. There will be clear as day explanations given, and the author will still go on about it explaining even more JUST IN CASE. There are other instances where a reader can comprehend what happened, like "oh I see, it was a trap" but again the author isn't content with just letting the story show us how events come to play out, no no! they must TELL in detail what just happened! It feels like sometimes my intelligence is being insulted by how much the author thinks they need to explain everything occurring.

Clearly Tang Mo was rummaging through his bag to bait the Cannibal. His trap becomes apparent as soon as he deflects the expected attack and literally says he knew he would be followed by them. However, the author needs to break down in detail what just happened anyways and make it super clear Tang Mo set the trap.... as if we need it explained he pretended to rummage through his bag.... And then in combat we WITNESS Tang Mo use three of his abilities, all of which we are familiar with, but yet AGAIN these moments become over-explained. We get the dramatic gasping defeated villain "Why... do you... have... three abilities..." and in that moment we should have skipped right to the paragraph where Tang Mo says nothing and kills him. Instead we get:

"Indeed, Tang Mo had displayed three distinct powers throughout their encounter. First, "Hit Me Baby One More Time" had blocked the scarred man's blade with stone debris. Second, "I Am Fire, I Am Death" had engulfed the cornered attacker in flames. And finally, "What Does He Have That I Don't" had conjured the large match that thwarted the man's desperate final attack."

Yeah, I was there.... I literally just read that scene.... why are we getting a play-by-play on what ability was used where in the fight - we witnessed it! We KNOW Tang Mo collects abilities what is this?? I can understand explaining some things in this book, but other times it is purely unnecessary.

Anyways, the Dark Spire upgrade is interesting and presents new challenges. Tang Mo lost his composure a slight bit and was bitching a bit more this book lol. This was much needed because it's no fun if the main character is flat. The volume ending before the conclusion of the Shoemaker was cruelllll. That challenge caught my interest, and of course it was the last one oof. Not only is it the first Earth-based dungeons, but it's one of the first ones where Tang Mo and Fu Wenduo are in the same place and on the same team. Finally! But then the juicy factor of them being separated by the Shoemaker and every time they check in with each other they're in worse condition. The start of caring etc etc.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second volume in this series opens with Tang Mo facing his greatest challenge yet: The first floor of the Dark Spire. He finds himself in Monster Valley and must take on the role of "Little Red Riding Hood" to complete a "Whack-a-Gopher" game or else be eaten by Grandma Wolf. Meanwhile, back on Earth, a group of cannibalistic irregulars is wreaking havoc on people, drawing the attention of the Challengers organization -- and Fu Wenduo, who is making his way towards Shanghai in search of answers. With people dropping left and right, something needs to be done about this sadistic group. But the Dark Spire isn't about to give players any breathing room, and soon enough, new rules and challenges are introduced that will push even Tang Mo towards his elevated limits.

This installment continued the fast pace that the first book introduced after laying the groundwork, so naturally I tore through it. Tang Mo is such a fascinating character in his own right that I would be happy if he was the only one, but there's also the mystery that Fu Wenduo poses, as well as the interesting dynamic Tang Mo as with other characters like Chen Shanshan and Luo Fengcheng. Everyone is hiding something just to be on the safe side, so while there is a growing camaraderie, there are also walls kept up that maintain a constant tension, which I really liked. (Fu Wenduo and Tang Mo's first face-to-face meeting was also great, but that's all I'll say about it.)

Once again, the games were fantastic: challenging, intense, and brilliant. I did struggle with some of the logic and statistical reasoning during the Honest Card Game, but I was sleep-deprived when I read this, so I'll give the game the benefit of the doubt. Even with that small hiccup, I still enjoyed that game sequence. What felt a little off was the Cannibals confrontation. The author built them up to be something formidable, and yet the battle itself was over pretty quickly. I get that in the apocalyptic landscape the characters live in, events move fast; I just felt they were a little overhyped for what a small blip they ended up being in the overall plot. Besides that though, I loved this book. The inevitable cliffhanger still made me angry since I have to wait who knows how many months before the next volume comes out, but that's just another indication of how good this series is.

[kkchanisagirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this second volume!! I really like Tang Mo, and I'm so eager to learn more about Fu Wenduo!! ..the way I was squealing when GENERAL FU was formally introduced!!! >w< also.. I feel like he is def Victor and that he knows that Tang Mo is his online gaming partner already since he's perceptive.. and since Tang Mo has already revealed his longtime crush's birthday (HIS birthday?) and his hometown? and idr if Tang Mo's username back then had anything to do with his real name like Mo or Momo? idk.. I feel like everything happening is such high stakes, and with 6 volumes to go, I'm so curious how the story is going to unravel.. Volume 2 ended on a cliffhanger, so I'll be waiting really impatiently for the next release T_T I hope vols 3&4 release together like vols 1&2 did, so I'll have another chunk to binge!!!

Going to include a spoilery summary below to look back at later in case I accidentally forget everything by the time vol 3 releases :’)

first floor challenge on hard mode (golden gopher), ambushing group of cannibal irregulars, christmas eve surprise dungeon (honest card game), new year’s dark spire version 2.0 update, open dungeons on earth added, heart rate selection discussion, pulled into shoemaker dungeon (Tang Mo fighting wolves for shoe polish and Fu Wenduo doing trivia with cinderella for clues)

Note: the vol 2 page count on goodreads says 410 pages, but rosmei's print release is only 347 pages ~

[Alyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read volume 2 directly after volume 1 and really, they could’ve been combined into one book. Taking each volume on their own- they feel incomplete, like stopping in the middle of a stream of consciousness. It was a good choice to offer the ability to purchase the two as a set at least.

Otherwise, I continue to enjoy this wacky little series with its cameos from Mario, Santa and Pinocchio. The plot gets a little darker this time around, but it’s offset from the absurdity of some of the games.

My one complaint (nitpick?) is that it took another 170 pgs, a book and a half in total, for the two leads to meet in person. The chemistry is there but it very much takes a back seat to the world building as the main focus. It felt like we barely had anytime with them together before the book ended on a cliffhanger. I’m not altogether sure how many volumes are intended for this story but it still feels like we are still in the intro, waiting for everything to get started. Hoping volume 3 hits the ground running.

[Ticha_11 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

Of course I had to read and finish volume 2 straigh away.

I think I liked this one mostly as much as the first. However, the stakes are definitely higher in here.

The games are getting more and more complex and we are learning more from the lore of the characters of the games as well as our main character like the fact the heart spikes had to do with the game as well as Fu Wenduo being an irregular because he's a FRICKING COMMANDER, SO HOT and eventually, their love interest
I really enjoyed the first game with Tang Mo and Fu Wenduo, and they finally meet in person!

Their second game, where the book finishes at, is also quite interesting. I wonder how they'll beat the game.

There's still barely any romance but there's some moments where I found myself giggling a little too much when these two interact lol

Now gotta wait for the next book, me sad...

[Cina Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book but the characters were sometimes too cold and unfeeling. There’s almost no inner monologue; we are told the characters’ actions but not their thoughts and feelings.

The romance - it’s there but very subtle. There is one “what if” extra chapter with an encounter of the two main characters if the earth hadn’t gone online and it has more feeling and tenderness than the whole book put together. I don’t understand why the author couldn’t have sprinkled some more of that in the main story. Yes they were struggling for survival but they found time to have sex one time so they could have at least some looks? Hand holding? Oh well I remain a romantic.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5. this is endlessly entertaining, I could hardly put it down. Tang Mo is so crafty and intelligent, and the games, while deadlier each time, get more interesting, which makes for a dynamic and quick read; they're also not difficult to understand and you learn as the characters do so it's easy to follow. Fu Wendou finally made his appearance, and the chemistry is there from the start. I love how well they work together and can't wait for the next volume to see how they make it out of the Shoemaker's game as well as TM reuniting with Chen Shanshan.

[Lazu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know I will have forgotten every detail once the next volume is out, sorry Pinocchio and Cinderella and Grandma Wolf and Santa Claus.
I do wish the book would let us in on more so we could also theorize. It is fun to watch Tang Mo get stronger and be Megabrain but I also wish we had the same information as him so we could try and solve puzzles too.

[Sue-Is-READING · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is so long but so addictive, the difficulty of each instance is rising but the reality ones are truly terrifying. Not too many romantic moments at all but it's good turkey egg ahaha. The abilities still impresses me with how creative they are.

[Heather Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

Still not loving it as much as GUEE or KoD (those are hard to top), but can I have the next 6 books of this series now please?

[Clari · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Iconic as usual
I love TM and FWD and glad to finally see them interacting more

[mara - hyrulevalkyrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pulling weapons on each other at their first meeting 😛🤤👀
But the story is SO fascinating and I’m upset that this volume ends in the middle of a dungeon because I need to know what happens next!!

[Hollow kiwi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely getting into this more as the series progresses.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

okay i understand now