Xu Zhi reopened the sandbox and left the players to their own devices. If they kept complaining, he'd simply shut the game down again.
He went out for some light magic training, which felt no different than an evening jog. His body was soaked in sweat by the time he returned. Stripping down to a pair of blue shorts, he took a quick shower and emerged, refreshed.
Now, he was eager to see what would happen after the phoenix's introduction—and the rise of a new species in the sandbox.
A few hours had passed in the real world, meaning decades had flown by in the sandbox. It wasn't quite enough time for a dramatic shift, but enough to stir curiosity. With little else to do, Xu Zhi opened the game's forum to take a peek.
Last time, he had narrowly avoided disaster after stumbling across Akinas Speedster's suspicious post. If he hadn't been scrolling through at that exact moment, he might've been poisoned without ever realizing it.
Apparently, keeping an eye on the enemy camp was crucial.
As expected, the forum was flooded with fiery complaints about the game's temporary suspension—especially on the second beta test's launch day. But more than that, it was buzzing with chaos from the players' disastrous wipe during the boss battle.
Xu Zhi read on, expressionless.
Cerebral Bluff:"This boss fight will go down in gaming history as the greatest tragedy of the year!"
Haruko Loves to Learn:"The veterans weren't lying when they warned us newbies… They really did surprise us. Now they've devolved back into spores and joined us at the starting line!?"
The forums were a battlefield of bitterness. Veteran players had failed to defeat the boss and paid the price—brutally. Some were now sharing the horror of their in-game deaths.
One post, in particular, went viral:
"AAAAHHHH!!! I was screaming like a lunatic in my room! My whole body was spasming and convulsing—tears everywhere! My mom was so freaked out she started crying too! She asked what I was doing, since this was supposed to be an educational game! Why was I drenched in sweat and sobbing like I'd seen God?
What could I even say? I panicked and told her I had an epiphany while studying Darwin's theories, and I was crying from the joy of learning!
Now my mom is so proud of me. She brags to the neighbors nonstop. 'My son's thesis got him into the beta test! He earned $600,000 in learning materials! He's a genius of the Liu family!'
This game used to be seen as a waste of time, but now it's a status symbol among parents. I can't even tell the truth!
Oh, and the boss? Still alive. Probably just finished his Pallbearer Chicken lunch and didn't even flinch from the poison. (???)"
Commenters replied in droves:
"Seeing this thread made me laugh until I cried. Absolute gold!"
"Same. It hurt so much I peed myself too."
"My wife asked me why I was crying, and all I could say was: 'I love this hardcore game so much.'"
The suffering was universal.
Meanwhile, in another thread, players had begun posting images of the mysterious Book of Genesis they had discovered during the boss fight. The five recorded eras of evolution captivated the community, sparking a flurry of speculation.
Future Skywhale:"Wait… are we the sixth era? The age of spores? Were there civilizations before us? Do we evolve into humans—or build our own races and worlds?"
"Holy sh*t. That's terrifying freedom."
Excitement rippled across the forums. Everyone was discussing the hidden lore and speculating about future questlines.
Then came another bombshell—a global server alert.
[Global Notice: Congratulations to player 'Akinas Speedster' for evolving the Pallbearer Chicken. This species possesses immense potential and has been recognized by the Achievement System.]
The forum went wild.
"Bossman! Show us your reward!"
"You couldn't poison the boss, but your species is insane! That announcement proves it!"
"Three cheers for the Bossman! That reward must be sick. Don't keep us in suspense!"
Akinas Speedster himself was stunned.
I… got a reward? I've been trying so hard I'm going bald—and I actually did it?
His suffering suddenly felt justified. He threw on his VR headset and launched a livestream titled:
"LIVE: Unlocking the Mystery Reward for Evolving a New Race!"
Within minutes, over 600,000 viewers flooded the stream—some of them not even players, just desperate for a glimpse of what lay beyond the evolutionary curtain.
Logging in, he was greeted by three reward options:
Make the Pallbearer Chicken a permanent playable race – No more starting from a spore upon death.
Obtain a permanent game account – No more elimination threats.
Unlock a Second Life – ????
Akinas Speedster read through them carefully. The first option made him laugh out loud.
"I can finally choose my race! No more starting over from spores! I can always be a Pallbearer Chicken!"
The second reward sounded lucrative—$600,000 worth of computing resources, permanent access—but it felt too passive, like early retirement.
Not for me, he thought. I didn't go bald just to sit back and collect benefits.
The third reward, "Second Life," was too vague—and potentially too risky. Frowning, he ultimately chose the first.
His start screen shimmered and split:
1. Begin as a Spore
2. Begin as Pallbearer Chicken
He selected the latter.
Snowflake particles scattered, replaced by a brilliant blue interface and a striking red rooster. He could now customize its gender and appearance.
The chat exploded.
"He can choose his species and appearance now?! Bossman's living the dream!"
"We're stuck as single-celled blobs, and he's already at the character creator stage!"
"This game just keeps getting more insane. You have to evolve your starting race!"
Akinas Speedster smugly crafted a ridiculously handsome rooster and reentered the sandbox.
Spirits high, he quickly began leading his flock, guiding their next evolutionary steps.
Until—
BOOM. BOOM.
The ground trembled.
A massive shadow loomed overhead.
The giant.
Xu Zhi was passing by when he spotted the Pallbearer Chickens.
"Hey, isn't this the tasty little species from last time? I've been craving chicken soup..."
He bent down.
A massive hand swept across the land, snatching dozens of chickens in a single motion.
Akinas Speedster: "???"
Stream Viewers: "???"
Akinas Speedster felt like his soul had left his body.
This is very bad.
He watched, horrified, as the boss casually strolled off—clutching a handful of his evolved children like groceries.
Wait… does this mean I'm on his menu now? Every time he walks by, he's going to grab a few for lunch?!
Regret hit him like a brick.
If I knew this would happen, I wouldn't have made them so delicious! Not only did I fail to poison him… I became part of his diet!
Despair washed over him.
He had climbed the evolutionary ladder, only to be turned into soup.