Xu Zhi secretly observed the player's posts on the forum.
The player, named "I Have a Big Fist, I Want to Evolve into a Kun", was not playing the game like others—rather than focusing on biological evolution, he spent almost all his time live-streaming the construction of tools and houses. His chosen location was a scenic area by the sea, surrounded by mountains, creating a secluded paradise.
His base featured neatly built houses, gardens, fences, and even a primitive mine.
It was an idyllic, pastoral scene, akin to a secluded scientist's estate.
In his courtyard was a rough, wooden bicycle. Its wheels had tires made from some soft, tough biological skin, allowing it to be ridden, albeit awkwardly.
"What a talent! He actually built a bicycle…" Xu Zhi was genuinely astonished. "The internet is full of creative oddities indeed. Instead of properly evolving species, this guy chose to create a bizarre, multi-limbed species and started settling down to climb the tech tree."
At this moment, "I Have a Big Fist, I Want to Evolve into a Kun" had returned after being slapped to death by Xu Zhi, this time evolving into another creature—this one had six arms instead of five. As soon as he climbed ashore, he eagerly returned to his little estate, resuming his peaceful life: farming, mining, and chopping wood.
His relaxed approach closely resembled Xu Zhi's own leisurely rural lifestyle.
Other players began discussing this unusual approach:
"Big boss is truly gifted. This time, he's evolved an even more impressive species. Look at those saw-bladed mantis arms, those shovel-shaped limbs—his creature's practically a multi-purpose industrial machine!"
"Seriously, he's wasting his talent. This big boss clearly has amazing potential! If he put in real effort, he'd probably surpass even "AutumnMountainSpeed" and become the first player to earn a species achievement. But no, he prefers farming… what a waste!"
Countless players lamented his lack of ambition.
"I Have a Big Fist, I Want to Evolve into a Kun" ignored these discussions, busy live-streaming himself mining near his house. His six arms worked at lightning speed, digging soil nonstop. He sighed, "Up until now, I haven't found any mineral deposits. It seems this game, Spore Evolution, has no metals available. Probably no tech civilization allowed—only pure biological evolution."
Many viewers joked around:
"That's right! This is clearly a game about evolutionary theory, but you're turning it into Civilization—trying to smelt iron, craft weapons, cars, cannons, and planes!"
"But this does prove the game's incredible freedom. It's almost exactly like reality. Anything doable in real life seems possible here—even evolutionary theory perfectly matches real-world biology."
The crowd excitedly debated the game's immense possibilities.
"I Have a Big Fist" shook his head, saying, "Forget it. If tonight I still don't discover minerals, then without iron ore, crafting cars or machinery is impossible. Without gasoline, there's no energy source… If this keeps up, I'll be forced to try biological technology instead. My goal now is to create a wooden bio-car."
A wooden biological car without metal or fuel?
The players were astonished. Just what kind of person was this player in real life?
From his confidence, it sounded like he had a solid grasp on building actual cars and complex machinery from scratch, even without conventional materials. Was he secretly a mechanical engineer or a renowned inventor—perhaps even some professor from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, capable of designing missiles or airplane engines?
But would someone like that play this game and behave like such a jokester, screaming pathetically when killed?
A viewer curiously asked: "But how would you make a wooden car? The structures—gears, transmission—would be incredibly complex to assemble. Even if you succeed, you have no engine."
"I've considered the engine," he replied. "I plan to evolve a biological engine—a creature specialized with only a mouth and a single, powerful tentacle. Its sole function would be eating and pulling a bellows or mechanism continuously, generating kinetic energy."
He elaborated, "I consulted a friend who's won international biology awards. He said that naturally, such an organism wouldn't survive evolutionarily. It defies natural selection—a creature consisting only of a mouth and a single powerful limb simply wouldn't thrive. However, since we can deliberately control evolution here, such a thing is theoretically achievable."
The audience gasped in excitement:
"A bio-engine? Using a creature instead of gasoline or electricity?"
Upon reflection, it sounded plausible. As long as a living creature consumed food and moved mechanically, it could evolve extreme specialization like a one-eyed cyclops.
"Amazing! You're professional indeed—your creativity and technical thinking leave us an entire industrial age behind."
"If such a special bio-engine evolves, encased in a wooden vehicle, it'll essentially become a mechanical lifeform. Maybe you'll trigger the game's second special achievement!"
Players excitedly chattered about this revolutionary concept. It was incredibly imaginative—someone had thought of evolving a mechanical lifeform in this primitive evolutionary era.
"Need a test subject?"
"Boss, do you have designs and evolutionary blueprints? If you provide the theoretical framework, I'll gladly volunteer to evolve this biological engine. I'm hardworking—no problem if I fail dozens of times! Feel free to experiment on me!"
While many players enthusiastically volunteered, "I Have a Big Fist" politely refused. He had already contacted several professional colleagues to assist him. Naturally, he wouldn't casually hand this potential achievement to others. Although calm and indifferent in personality, he still valued this rare opportunity.
Meanwhile, Xu Zhi was increasingly intrigued:
A biological engine?
Xu Zhi's excitement surged.
This was practically the embryonic form of alchemy—yet another unexpected surprise!
Unfortunately, although alchemy itself might soon appear, there was still no clear progress on the aspect he truly cared about: medicinal alchemical potions to cure his cancer.
"This player truly is a genius." Xu Zhi quietly checked the player's real-life information via the intelligent brain. Indeed, this individual was impressive—a man in his forties, founder of a renowned domestic tech enterprise, with a prestigious background.
In real life, Xu Zhi wouldn't even be qualified to polish shoes for someone like him.
"Looks like I hit the jackpot again, with all these geniuses unknowingly helping me for free," Xu Zhi thought. "This method of letting players do the heavy lifting was definitely correct. With so many brilliant minds contributing, they're constantly evolving new species and amazing ideas that I could never think of alone."
Xu Zhi did not continue monitoring the excited forum discussion. He simply went to bed, satisfied. After all, the tough work of tackling evolution was the players' responsibility—he only needed to collect the fruits of their labor.
After enjoying a good night's sleep, Xu Zhi woke early the next morning to breakfast delivered by Chen Xi.
Glancing casually at the small sandbox, he noticed the players had become more orderly and cautious after their painful failure. On the other hand, after the three legendary witches died, the larger sandbox world was finally experiencing significant changes.