Chapter 45: The Whole Person Feels Terrible

After opening the sand table, Xu Zhi left them to their own devices. He would simply shut it down again if they continued to complain.

Having just returned from practicing witchcraft outdoors, Xu Zhi was covered in sweat, as if he had been on a night run. He showered quickly and then, wearing only blue shorts, his strong, muscular body bare, he slowly entered the room.

Xu Zhi was eager to see what would unfold with the Phoenix and the new races, having just introduced them into the vast sand table world. With time accelerated so that one real day equaled a hundred years in the game, only a few hours had passed in reality, translating to mere decades within the sand table. Feeling it was still too short a period for major developments, and with nothing else to do, he quietly opened the forum to see what was happening there.

Previously, Xu Zhi had stumbled upon a humorous post on the forum, which was how he discovered they were planning an attack. Otherwise, he wondered what disaster might have struck; he might have been secretly poisoned without even realizing it.

Clearly, gathering intelligence on the "enemy camp" was crucial.

Currently, the forum was abuzz with activity. Besides the furious complaints about the first day of the second beta test—half a day of open beta followed by half a day of server downtime, prompting angry shouts about why the server wasn't back online—users were also discussing the painful and tragic incident of the team wipe.

Xu Zhi observed silently.

User 'Little Tiger Down the Mountain': "The tragic boss provocation on the first day of the second beta could become the biggest farce in the gaming world this year!"

User 'Chunzi Loves Learning': "The veteran players really didn't lie to us newbies when they promised a surprise — and they delivered! They've all reverted to spores, putting them back on the starting line with us newcomers, ready to evolve again. (Wry humor)"

The forum was filled with cries of anguish. The veteran players from the first beta test had failed spectacularly in their attempt to conquer the boss, with disastrous consequences. Many recounted their horrific and painful deaths, describing symptoms like cramps, involuntary urination, and convulsions.

One particular user provided a vivid, tearful account, complete with images:

"Ahhh! I suddenly screamed loudly in my room, my body convulsing and twitching, tears streaming down my face. My mom, sitting nearby, was scared speechless! She asked me what I was doing. How could playing such a 'study-oriented' casual sand table game make me sweat so much? Or shed tears of emotion? What could I do? I was in despair! All I could do was remain silent, or claim I was studying evolution and had just achieved a profound understanding of Darwin’s core evolutionary theories! I was twitching and crying tears of joy! Honestly, my mom has always been so proud, boasting to all the neighbors about how incredible her son is. He got into such a phenomenal game, one where tens of thousands competed with essays, and my son's essay actually landed him among the top fifty beta testers, granting him 600,000 worth of 'learning resources'! He brought honor to our Liu family! Even many university graduate students can't compare to my son! People used to say that playing games was a waste of time and would make you neglect your studies, but now, being able to play this highly social, phenomenon-level game is a symbol of parental pride and a testament to a child’s hard work. How could I possibly tell her the truth? And what’s more, the boss still isn't dead! He’s still sitting in the yard eating an apple, probably having already warmed his lunchbox and eaten the 'funeral chicken,' but it didn't manage to poison him at all. (Sheds tears silently)"

"Witnessing the OP's plight, as a mere bystander, I couldn't help but burst into thunderous laughter, hahahaha!! (Laughing with hands on hips)"

"As someone who feels their pain, I shed tears of regret. I was in so much agony I wet myself and silently put on a diaper."

"My wife asked why I was crying. All I could tell her was that I love this hardcore game with all my heart!"

Online, people eagerly shared their painful experiences. "Miserable" didn't even begin to cover it.

Elsewhere on the forum, players had posted screenshots of the "Genesis" book they encountered before the boss fight. The book detailed five long historical eras. Many users confessed they couldn't fully comprehend it, speculating it was likely a hidden side quest or a deep lore background setting.

This sparked considerable interest and speculation among the community.

User 'My Primordial Thunder Hand, will evolve into Kun': "Regarding the background lore, could it be that there were many previous civilizations before us? Are we now a nascent civilization in the sixth era, or still in the spore age? And later, can we choose to evolve into humans and other various species? Then each of us creates a race, and together we build a world, an ecological civilization?"

"“Holy cow, the level of freedom is terrifying!” This sentiment was widely agreed upon, with many expressing immense excitement."

This game had already generated countless trending topics, and players enthusiastically resumed discussing its background — specifically, the meaning behind the giant's black notebook.

Furthermore, a highly anticipated development was the first achievement reward: the birth of the first transcendent species. Players received a system notification the moment they logged in.

"Announcement: Congratulations to player 'Akina Speed'! Your evolved species, the 'Funeral Chicken,' possesses immense potential and has earned an achievement reward." This server-wide announcement instantly caused a massive uproar on the forum.

"“Boss, snap a picture! Let’s see the reward!”"

"“Even though it didn’t poison the boss to death, it’s clearly incredibly powerful; otherwise, there wouldn’t have been a notification. Boss, you're amazing!!”"

"“Boss, you’re fantastic! The game developers are so generous; the reward must be incredible. Please reveal it, or I won't be able to sleep tonight, I'm so curious!”"

Chen Wenshan was also dumbfounded. "I got a reward?" he thought. "I've worked so hard for so long, practically losing my hair, and I finally succeeded?" The next second, he felt that even the agony of being baked alive was worth it. He quickly put on his glasses, logged into the game, and immediately started a live stream on the platform.

He quickly changed his stream title: "Mysterious Reward for New Species: Live Stream On!"

In an instant, countless viewers eagerly flooded into the stream, and its popularity rating soared to over 600,000. Even "cloud players," who couldn't access the game themselves, were excited, keen to satisfy their curiosity by watching.

Upon logging in, Chen Wenshan saw three options presented on the game interface, from which he could choose one as his reward.

1. Permanently retain the Funeral Chicken as a character option. After each death and subsequent restart, you will have two choices for rebirth: as a spore or as a Funeral Chicken.

Chen Wenshan was ecstatic, laughing with joy. "Finally, an initial species choice!" he exclaimed. "Damn it, once I die and restart the game, I won't have to evolve from a spore anymore; I can choose the Funeral Chicken species!"

This reward was absolutely incredible.

2. Secure a permanent spot in the game, exempt from the elimination system.

3. Grant a 'second life' experience.

The revelation of the three options immediately sparked intense envy and lively discussion among the viewers.

"“The first option is insanely powerful! So, this game *does* have initial species choices, but you have to evolve a powerful species first to unlock and permanently retain it as an option.”"

"“So, in the future, everyone’s starting species will be different?”"

"“The person above is overthinking it. In the future, certain top players will likely have a vast array of selectable species when they log in... but us mere 'weaklings'? We won't be able to evolve powerful species at all. For us, it’ll always be the humble beginnings of a spore life...”"

"“Hardcore! You can’t mess with this game; you really can’t!”"

"“The second option is pretty impressive too! Permanent game access is like getting 600,000 worth of game computing resources, or 600,000 RMB! They’re clearly very wealthy!”"

"“I don’t understand the third one.”"

"“Me neither. It’s a mysterious option.”"

While the viewers debated the three choices, Chen Wenshan himself furrowed his brows, silently weighing his options.

The first option was clearly excellent. He wouldn't have to start as a spore anymore; he'd have an initial species. And the Funeral Chicken could still evolve further. Even though its broader evolutionary potential might be limited, he could still advance its species tier, perhaps turning it into an even more potent venomous bird.

The second option, while seemingly the most tempting and economically practical, was quickly dismissed by Chen Wenshan. He believed his skills were sufficient, making a guaranteed spot unnecessary; he was confident he wouldn't be eliminated. His hair hadn't fallen out for nothing, after all.

The third option: "Begin a second life"?

"What exactly does that mean?" He frowned, finding it too ambiguous. After a brief hesitation, he decisively chose the first option.

The game's login interface gradually transformed, presenting two choices.

1. Begin a spore's life.2. Selectable species: Funeral Chicken.

Chen Wenshan quietly clicked on "Funeral Chicken." The screen shimmered and dissolved like drifting willow catkins, reforming into an exquisite blue login interface. On it was a large red rooster, with options to select gender (male or female), customize facial features, and choose body shape.

The live stream chat instantly exploded with comments.

"“Wow! Boss, that’s incredible! Finally, like other online games, there are options for character customization and initial species selection, unlike for us, where we can only start as a uniform single-celled organism!”"

"“This game is getting scarier and scarier; you even have to *evolve* your starting species yourself.”"

Ignoring the envious players, Chen Wenshan meticulously customized his character. He was incredibly smug as he sculpted his rooster into a magnificent, divine-looking bird. He then selected "Log In" and appeared within the enormous sand table.

Chen Wenshan, filled with renewed enthusiasm, began evolving again, swiftly guiding his new population through the sand table.

*Boom, boom, boom!* Just then, a giant emerged from an nearby doorway, striding along the beast-path, causing the ground to shake violently.

The giant happened to spot the Funeral Chicken population on the ground and let out a soft "Hmm?" "Isn't this that particularly delicious food I ate last time? I'll grab a few to make some soup for a late-night snack."

The giant bent and lowered his head. A massive hand descended from above, instantly scooping up most of Chen Wenshan's Funeral Chicken population.

Chen Wenshan: "????"The Live Stream Audience: "????"

Chen Wenshan was instantly filled with exasperation and profound resentment; he felt utterly devastated! Was the boss's behavior pattern so advanced? It could interact! It could even hold a grudge? Did this mean his species was now permanently on the boss's menu, and it would grab a few whenever it passed by? His teeth ached from clenching. He instantly regretted evolving into something so delicious. Not only did it fail to poison the boss, but it became a regular item on its diet. He should have chosen one of the other two options. This choice was proving to be the death of him.