Over the span of ten thousand years, out of the initial thousand players who created species, fewer than a hundred remain today.
Most players, upon entering the game, were first amazed by the realism of "Second Life." Their initial reaction wasn't to think about survival, but to experience the game world.
For instance, players who chose to start as low-level fish were initially quite happy, as the 100% realism allowed them to enjoy the magical feeling of swimming freely in the ocean.
However, their enjoyment was short-lived as they soon became food for the ocean's overlord, the Blue Demon Fish.
After their death, they were informed that they had two more chances to create species. If all opportunities were used up, the closed beta would end.
During their second attempt at creating species, they were much more cautious, carefully avoiding ocean areas and choosing seemingly safer regions like forests and land.
But they soon discovered that there were no truly safe areas in this world.
Most of them, lacking relevant biological knowledge, were forced to start with low-level creatures, which naturally placed them at the bottom of the food chain. They were either eliminated by native species or by powerful evolved players.
Thus, after the intense competition and elimination on the first day, the majority of ordinary players exhausted their three chances and were forcibly ejected from the game.
At this moment, the "Second Life" game forum was filled with wails of despair.
"Stupid developers! Why only three chances? With this hellish difficulty, infinite lives would barely be enough!"
"Emm... I don't need infinite lives, just one more chance from the officials, I still want to play!"
"This game is terrifying, it even has tactile sensations. What kind of alien technology is this? I'm blown away!"
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"I've never seen such a hardcore game. Do I have to go back to school and relearn biology to play it properly? But for this game, I'll do it!"
"The most fun game in history, and also the hardest!"
***
Despite the forum's popularity, many accused others of being shills.
Soon, players began posting game screenshots and videos, as well as the bizarre creatures they had evolved, completely igniting everyone's interest.
A large number of players rushed in to register accounts, only to find that only the first thousand registrants had closed beta accounts, and no more could enter the game.
Just a thousand...
Countless people were filled with regret, envy, and resentment.
The first group of players who successfully logged in secretly rejoiced, overwhelmed with excitement.
But their excitement didn't last long, as they realized the game's elimination rate was astonishing. In just one day, 90% of players were eliminated. At this rate, wouldn't the game be empty in a few days?
"Live stream post! Watch how I, the Ant Emperor, conquer the world!"
As soon as this post appeared, it immediately attracted hundreds of replies, mostly from players who had just been eliminated from the closed beta.
"Second Life" has a live streaming feature, allowing players to open this option and let others watch them play through a link.
Since this was the first live stream post, those who had just been eliminated almost immediately clicked the link to watch.
Those curious about the game but without an account also clicked in to watch.
In just a few minutes, the number of viewers watching Jiang Junhao's live stream exceeded 2,000.
Seeing so many people in the room, Jiang Junhao became excited, "Welcome to my live stream room, let's cut to the chase. Witness the rise of my Ant Emperor!"
With time accelerated, viewers watched as the ants inside quickly became active, the colony rapidly expanded, gradually covering a small mountain.
The sun and night alternated continuously, making it feel like a fast-forward documentary. In less than an hour, 400 years had passed in the game, and the ant colony had gone through four or five generations.
What amazed everyone was that the Chimera Ants, as Jiang Junhao named them, had an unusually long lifespan, with each living over a hundred years, and the Ant Queen living over 400 years.
Under Jiang Junhao's control, the ant colony's civilization quickly established itself, with each ant having a precise role, much like human society. They were integrated into the entire colony, maintaining its normal operation. Any ant leaving the kingdom would quickly perish.
In a sense, the entire ant civilization controlled each ant's life from the start.
Time flew by, and another 400 years passed, reaching the second hour of the game.
With the death of the first generation Ant Queen, Jiang Junhao transferred his consciousness to the second generation Ant Queen, continuing to lead the entire colony's evolution.
At this point, the ant colony split into several groups, each led by an Ant Queen, spreading out in different directions to thrive.
These groups had subtle differences. Some began burrowing deep underground, establishing vast subterranean kingdoms, while others started nesting atop mountains, collectively evolving wings. Jiang Junhao named them Flying Ants and Ground Ants, respectively.
Others ventured into forests, evolving powerful biting abilities. Their combat prowess was astounding, devouring almost anything, even forest beasts. These ants were named Blood Ants.
By the fourth hour, or the 1600th year in the game world, these groups underwent even greater changes, with different forms emerging.
Originally divided into Worker Ants, Soldier Ants, Male Ants, and Ant Queens, the group gradually developed more specialized roles. Flying Ants gradually dominated the skies, and without continuous observation, it was hard to believe they were the same species.
Blood Ants grew larger, almost half the size of a baby's fist, entirely red, responsible for the colony's external battles.
Flying Ants gradually evolved into something akin to bees, while Ground Ants' color lightened, becoming golden, delving deeper underground.
At this time, the groups began splitting again, forming over a dozen groups, but all remained under the control of Jiang Junhao, the progenitor of the entire species.
Various ant groups gradually spread across more than ten mountain peaks, becoming the absolute rulers of that region.
Any enemy daring to invade this area would be instantly devoured by the frenzied Soldier Ants.
By the sixth hour, some ants began approaching the sea. Their limbs started to degenerate, becoming capable of living in water. The whole world suddenly felt like a vibrant explosion of life, with a small ant colony giving rise to all sorts of strange life forms.
The 2,000 viewers in the live stream were mesmerized, witnessing a weak species' birth, continuous evolution, and growth, filling their hearts with a sense of witnessing history.
"Amazing!"
"Who knew being an ant could be so fun!"
"Mom, I really want to play this game!"
"Ahhh! I can't stand it, why are there only a thousand closed beta slots!"
"Woo, when will the second closed beta start? I can't wait!"
"Stupid developers, give me another chance, I want to be the Ant Emperor too!"
***
Amidst the chorus of envy in the live stream room, the game world suddenly underwent a drastic change. The sky darkened with lightning and thunder, as if the world was ending.
Then, a massive tsunami swept across, and before the viewers could react, the towering waves swallowed more than ten mountain peaks.
As for Jiang Junhao's "Ant Emperor" colony, it vanished entirely, and a line of text appeared on the game interface.
[Encountered a once-in-a-millennium catastrophic tsunami, your colony couldn't withstand it, racial extinction.]
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan