This black-covered book held sparse text, yet each word sent shivers down their spines. Apparently, this game wasn't simply about spore evolution or sandbox experiments after all…
They'd thought they'd discovered most of the sandbox world, but it now seemed they'd barely scratched the surface.
"This is insane! This game is amazing! Absolute praise—this deserves all the hype!"
"At first, I assumed a sandbox game like this would have weak lore, but this backstory is ridiculously deep!"
"Hurry up, close the book! The Giant Boss is coming back—forget it for now, let's kill the Boss first!"
Someone shouted urgently.
In the distance, a towering giant slowly approached them.
…
Xu Zhi walked back to the sandbox carrying his lunchbox.
He had no idea that while he was out briefly, these ridiculous players had secretly messed around and peeked at his experiment notes.
These guys mistook his notes for hidden game lore, excitedly discussing and praising the game designers for brilliant storytelling and vivid background worldbuilding.
"Chen Xi's situation is settled, and I've comforted her about our upcoming long-distance relationship. Now it's time to test some new species and settle the account with our dear friend, AutumnMountainSpeed."
He returned to the sandbox.
Across miniature rivers and mountains lay silence. No more bizarre, screaming creatures running from him—clearly, they'd already sneaked onto his chair, plotting to murder him.
Xu Zhi didn't mind. He calmly resumed his usual schedule, sitting slowly onto the chair, opening his lunchbox, and preparing to eat. He wanted to see just how they'd plan to assassinate him.
"Let's see what today's food is." Xu Zhi opened the lunchbox, revealing delicious home-cooked vegetables: carrots, fried eggs, and greens—mouthwatering as always.
At that exact moment, he felt a small bite on his arm.
A cluster of oddly-shaped bugs had bitten his skin, like mosquito bites.
"Oh, so that's your plan? Distract me?" Xu Zhi smiled knowingly, instantly understanding their strategy. These bugs bit him to divert his attention, letting AutumnMountainSpeed's deadly poison creature sneak into his lunchbox unnoticed.
"So they turned their pain perception down to zero, willingly sacrificing themselves to attract my attention. Quite impressive teamwork." Xu Zhi smiled faintly, revealing an amused expression.
"Very well. Hive mind, forcibly raise their sensory perception. Set it to… fifty percent pain sensation."
One hundred percent sensation meant experiencing real-world pain—too brutal, even Xu Zhi wasn't so cruel. But even fifty percent sensation was enough to make them feel the true agony of death, scarring them for life and leaving them with unforgettable trauma.
Slap!
With their pain perception increased, Xu Zhi casually slapped the bug biting him.
"AHHHHHHH!!!"
The player was instantly smashed into gory paste, feeling excruciating pain he never imagined possible. He screamed violently, piercingly loud, making everyone nearby shiver uncontrollably.
"I—I set my senses to zero, didn't I?!"
He ripped off his VR goggles, drenched in cold sweat, his muscles violently twitching, completely exhausted and trembling from the vivid sensation of dying.
However, the others inside the game were unaware, merely giving him an impressed thumbs-up.
"Bravo! This guy sacrificed himself so realistically to lure the Boss's attention. Such heartfelt screaming—he truly put his soul into this!"
"Since he led so passionately, I'll sacrifice myself heroically as well." Another player stepped forward confidently. "Watch me! I'll lead my species into battle and scream even more realistically!"
"Go ahead, big bro!"
"Today's beta launch, first-ever run at the Giant Chair raid boss. Of course, we need tanks for aggro."
This second player, enjoying their praise, climbed onto Xu Zhi's arm to repeat the first guy's brave bite.
Slap!
Before he could bite, the giant palm smashed down like a mountain, instantly crushing him into paste.
"AHHHHHH!!! IT HURTS!!"
Another spine-chilling, blood-curdling scream echoed—more desperate, even more horrifying than before. Everyone listening felt goosebumps.
"Amazing!"
"This dude acted even better than the first one—he screamed way more realistically!"
People cheered and laughed, genuinely entertained.
"This is what we call Oscar-level acting!"
"Absolutely committed! He gave his soul to kill the Boss."
"Brothers, I'll go next! Those two screamed like weaklings—totally exaggerated. It sounds fake. This time, let me show you a real tough guy. No matter how brutally I'm smashed, I won't make a single sound!"
This new player bravely volunteered, confidently climbing onto Xu Zhi's arm.
Slap!
Squashed instantly.
"AHHHH!!! IT HURTS SO BAD!!!"
The screaming intensified, a soul-tearing wail far louder and more horrendous than previous ones, as if he experienced the most gruesome pain imaginable—like being kicked hundreds of times between the legs, then splashed with burning pepper oil. Utterly indescribable agony.
"Bro, wasn't this supposed to be a tough-guy performance?"
"Didn't he say he wouldn't scream?"
"Guess he was just messing around, pulling a funny twist on us."
Players shook their heads but didn't doubt him much, continuing to hide on the chair's corner, plotting eagerly to kill the Giant Boss.
Thanks to those heroic distractions, the Giant Boss seemed preoccupied, totally oblivious to AutumnMountainSpeed—the 'Poison Chicken'—silently sneaking towards his lunchbox.
"Next distraction, my turn! I'm no joker like them. Let me show you a true badass bug! I'll never scream, even if you squash me brutally!"
Slap!
Instantly crushed.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! MY GOD IT HURTS!!!"
He shrieked even louder, the tragic sound echoing through the skies, causing everyone to flinch uncomfortably.
"Wow, what happened to your tough-guy image? It turned into 'realistic' screaming again? Well, guess acting is just too tempting!" someone laughed.
"Yeah, this acting was way too real!"
Everyone chuckled, amused.
Then, another player stepped up—the famous mutant with five twisted arms named "Primordial Thunderhand, Evolving into a Kun." He was well-known and respected for being serious and reliable.
He calmly shook his head, solemn-faced. "Friends, I'm not like these clowns. Let me show you the genuine tough-guy performance!"
Finally, a trustworthy candidate!
Everyone sighed with relief.
After getting to know him, they trusted this mature, composed player—surely he'd deliver a proper tough-guy death without screaming.
"Cold winds blow, waters chill, brave men depart, never to ret—"
Slap!
Instantly flattened again.
"AHHHHHHHH—OWWWWWW!!! AGHHH!!! IT HURTS SO MUCH!!!"
This scream was the most miserable yet—so terrifyingly loud that every player cowering in the corner felt chills down their spines.
They saw his crushed body, five twisted arms brutally snapped, flesh splattered in grotesque purple mush, mixed with black fluids. The gruesome sight was utterly terrifying.
Players: "???"
This… This was the tough-guy?
He screamed the loudest yet. Did their leader misunderstand what tough meant?
An awkward silence hung for several seconds.
Then, looking at each other, everyone burst out laughing, roaring joyfully:
"I never expected our super-serious friend to pull a prank on us too!"
"These guys shouldn't even play games; they're wasting their talents! Send them all to act in movies, they're true Oscar winners!"
"Yeah! Seriously—this acting was way too real!"