This sudden transformation—his face impossibly handsome, his physique sculpted like a perfect Norse deity—should have filled Xu Zhi with pride. Instead, he felt burdened. How could he explain this to Chen Xi or the villagers? They'd never believe it.
"Oh no… I'm going to become a research subject," he muttered, anxiety rising. "Can I edit my genes? Remove these glaringly perfect traits?" Turning inward, he addressed the insect hive mind: "Modify my visible appearance genes. Tone down this mythic perfection."
A cold, mechanical voice responded: "Creator, only insect heroes possess the innate ability to unlock their genome and rewrite genetic segments."
Xu Zhi froze. He had become an insect hero? While countless insect creatures struggled to transcend, he'd achieved it effortlessly. His previous frailty had prevented genetic alteration—but now, empowered by two mass extinctions, he could accept insect cells and join their ranks.
Faced with terminal cancer, mortality felt pointless. Becoming an insect hero held far more intrigue than a quiet death. "Integrate insect cells," he commanded.
"Fusion commencing."
Agonizing pain ripped through him as goosebumps and cold sweat covered his skin. He collapsed, screaming, then blacked out.
Three hours later, Xu Zhi awoke coated in dark, muddy residue. He hurried to wash himself clean, then dressed and inspected his body. Boundless potential radiated from within.
"I'm truly an insect now," he whispered, flexing his fists. "I've gained their species trait—ultra‑rapid cellular division. I could literally age myself to death if I wanted." Closing his eyes, he envisioned his DNA as a twisted double helix in darkness. His human genome, once cluttered with redundant and disease‑carrying segments, had been purged. Most genetic loci now lay empty:
1.Human gene (cancer)
2.Empty
3.Empty
4.Empty
5.Empty…
He frowned. "Remove the cancer cells from my genome."
"Fundamental genetic components cannot be excised," the hive mind replied flatly.
Xu Zhi's heart raced. There was no way to eradicate his late‑stage stomach cancer—only to find another solution.
Though he could integrate additional genes (Gilgamesh's enhanced ant gene or the basic insect gene), neither appealed to him. As a farmer facing imminent death, survival was paramount—not superhuman strength.
He placed a hand on his abdomen, aghast. "Late‑stage gastric cancer? Days ago I was only mid‑stage."
"The stronger the host, the stronger its cancer," the hive explained.
Fear surged through Xu Zhi. Each infusion of evolutionary power risked fueling his cancer's growth. He vowed to avoid further mass‑extinction feedback until he gained control.
"So I can't reset the sandbox again soon—even if these creatures run amok," he muttered, headache throbbing. With death looming, he understood Gilgamesh's terror.
He stood and walked to the courtyard's edge. "Time is short… I must simulate civilizations and extraordinary abilities within the sandbox to discover a cure for cancer."
He surveyed the miniature world. Fifty accelerated years had passed since the Flood. Each species survived only in pairs, slowly repopulating. They had learned divine admonition—reducing violence and aiding each other's reproduction—yet bizarre new lifeforms were already sprouting across the post‑apocalyptic landscape.
Xu Zhi sat in warm sunlight, eating Chen Xi's simple farmhouse breakfast. "They're recovering… but too slowly. My time is nearly up."
He considered opening a second sandbox to simulate a higher fantasy realm, but realized it would dilute his efforts. The current sandbox, now showing nascent supernatural potential, held far more promise.
Wisdom arises unpredictably. Perhaps he needed other minds to accelerate evolution. He recalled the video game Spore, where players guided creatures from single cells to complex civilizations.
Turning inward, Xu Zhi addressed the hive intelligence: "I want to create a miniature sandbox—like an online game—so that others' consciousnesses can enter my courtyard and treat the sandbox as a virtual world. Let them drive spore evolution and generate new species on my behalf."