After the emergence of the Evil Eye, Xu Zhi found himself genuinely looking forward to what the players would come up with next. The internet was home to no shortage of creative lunatics, after all.
The second beta test had officially begun.
While Xu Zhi sat eating breakfast and preparing to send off the three witches, fifty new players had already cleared the screening and entered the sandbox—stepping into a pitch-black void where evolution was their only way forward.
Returning veterans had also logged in and were already deep in discussion.
"Damn, this update is loaded. There's even opening music now!"
"Yeah, it's Beethoven's Symphony of Fate. Is this supposed to represent the harsh struggle of climbing up the evolutionary ladder from a single spore?"
The music wasn't just in their heads—it was blaring from the courtyard speakers for added immersion.
The new players had done their homework. The game servers opened at 5:00 a.m., and four hours later, some had already evolved eyes, marveling at the vast underwater ecosystem teeming with bizarre life forms.
"This is legit full-body VR. I can feel things—it's like I've been transported to a whole new world!"
"Hahaha, I feel like I'm made of gold! Every evolution I trigger, every blade of kelp I touch, costs six hundred thousand dollars in computing power!"
What a bunch of idiots.
It doesn't cost me a dime. You're literally just crawling around in my yard.
Xu Zhi took a casual bite from his apple as he sat cross-legged in the courtyard, watching the sandbox like a feudal lord surveying his peasants.
"Go on. Keep working. Make more species for me."
A few players glanced up and spotted Xu Zhi from within the simulation. A hushed panic spread.
"F*ck! I saw him—I saw the giant!"
"He's eating an apple again! Is that a hint? Maybe it's a clue to unlock a hidden spore class?"
"Don't even try. The old players already tested that theory. They all got squashed. This game gives us too much freedom. There are still a ton of secrets we haven't even touched."
The second beta had just begun, but the veterans were already feeling the heat. After all, a beta tester slot was now valued at roughly six hundred thousand dollars.
Among them, Akinas Speedster—legendary player and forum god—refused to be outshined. With the same intensity he once applied to university exams, he buried himself in evolutionary theory: Cytology, The Origin of Species, Biomolecular Structure, Skeletal Mechanics, and The Evolution of Neurotoxins.
His dorm was crammed with thick biology textbooks, sourced both locally and abroad.
Though he'd become a gaming addict in recent years, he was still a top student at a prestigious capital university. And now, he'd rediscovered the thrill of learning—with a deadly twist.
"First, I'll evolve into an arthropod, feeding on plankton while growing an exoskeleton."
"Next, I'll become a herbivore, develop an abdomen, climb onto land… then migrate to the swamp and evolve a neurotoxin sac. Swamp frogs should do the trick for that."
He filled over ten pages of tightly packed notes, laying out a precise, step-by-step plan.
Different habitats, food sources, and genetic adaptations—all of it would branch into a massive evolutionary tree, with more possibilities than stars in the sky.
Calling it the world's most complex science wouldn't be an overstatement. Even a lifetime of study might not be enough to master it.
At last, Akinas Speedster leaned back and smirked.
"The Pallbearer Chicken Plan is ready. Time to poison the boss."
Yes, he was serious.
While the Achievement System encouraged players to evolve species with extraordinary potential, no one really knew what qualified.
But if his creature could poison the giant boss in the courtyard?
Then surely that counted.
Of course, he was only half joking when he said he'd evolve a species that looked like a pile of dung. In reality, it would look mouthwateringly delicious—while secretly carrying lethal toxins.
He logged in. The interface greeted him:
"Please evolve your eyes."
The second beta had launched at 5:00 a.m., and now, over ten hours had passed. It was already past three in the afternoon.
"Finally, success… though still a few flaws to iron out," he muttered, giddy.
He had created a species that resembled a fiery red rooster—visually stunning, deceptively tasty, and highly venomous. He was the alpha of his flock.
"Time to show the newbies what real power looks like. I'll poison the giant on Day One."
He opened the forums and went live.
[Akinas Speedster has officially declared his plan to take down the apple-eating giant in the courtyard to celebrate the second beta launch!]
The forum exploded.
Everyone knew the scale of the giant. They had seen the videos. At best, most players could evolve something the size of a beetle. Most were ant-sized. What chance did they have?
Hands Off: "Bossman, your grasp of evolution is Nobel Prize-tier. Now you're gonna take down the final boss?!"
Cerebral Bluff: "I just evolved eyes. I'm still reading The Origin of Species! I wasn't ready for this."
Older players, though, caught on quickly.
Future Skywhale: "Wait, you were serious about the poison thing? I thought you were trolling! You're gonna—what—put poison in the boss's food?"
Cute Girl Who Wants to Become a Dragon: "F*ck! Are you really doing this?! You evolved a neurotoxin species and named it Pallbearer Chicken?!"
The details trickled out.
He was going to sneak into the boss's food—literally—with poison hidden inside what looked like droppings. Disgusting. Brilliant. Unethical. Glorious.
The forum roared with laughter and admiration.
Akinas Speedster posted again:
"I need a volunteer. Anyone willing to test the toxin? Ideally, you'll use your king unit, max out the sensory settings, and tell me exactly what it feels like to die from it."
No one volunteered to feel the poison firsthand, of course—but many were willing to sacrifice members of their species. The results were immediate and shocking. Death came swiftly, and extinction followed soon after due to low population numbers.
There was much weeping and gnashing of teeth.
"Hahaha! Comrades, your noble sacrifices were not in vain! The poison is lethal!"
"It's almost 4:00 p.m. now. The boss eats at five. Help me get to the bench. I'll sneak into his lunchbox!"
The lazy onlookers snapped to attention.
"Let's go!"
"We're gonna kill the final boss on Day One!"
A swarm of excited players moved in, ready to assist in the daring assassination.
Xu Zhi: "…"
He, too, had been browsing the forums, curious about how players were reacting to the second beta.
And now?
He was stunned.
"I'm just an observer. What did I ever do to deserve this?"
This lunatic—Akinas Speedster—still hadn't given up on his mad plan to leap into Xu Zhi's lovingly prepared dinner… and poison him.