The situation was spiraling out of control.
It dominated the headlines and topped every search engine. The second most popular headline was: "My parents yelled at me for not playing games," and the third: "A single day in the real world equals a hundred years in this game—have we truly achieved immortality?"
The entire internet was in an uproar.
Thousands of medical students were furiously contributing their expertise. Meanwhile, Xu Zhi, still in front of his laptop, got up in disbelief and grabbed a can of soda from the fridge.
"This guy really knows how to stir the pot," he muttered. "The moment he logged out, he mobilized the entire internet to analyze herbs and plants from the Magic World."
Xu Zhi had initially thought Future Skywhale was just bragging for attention. Turns out, the man had been genuinely seeking help—desperate to survive longer in the other world.
Xu Zhi couldn't help but smile.
"This is better than I expected. The field of magical potions is about to leap forward. What should have taken mages centuries to develop is now being fast-tracked by collective human intelligence. At this rate, it'll be done in no time."
He leaned back thoughtfully.
"An organized, scientific alchemical system… Maybe I really can cure my cancer."
It was happening much sooner than he'd dared to hope.
Xu Zhi had nearly resigned himself to death. But now, for the first time in a long while, there was hope. Grantham—the so-called transmigrator—had repeatedly surprised him and driven the Magic World's civilization forward in huge strides.
Just then, the Hive Mind pinged him.
"Multiple organizations are launching cyberattacks on the game's official forums. Do you wish to retaliate?"
Xu Zhi frowned.
The media frenzy was expected, and it made sense that someone would try to take down the game.
"I just want to farm… and find a cure," he said with a sigh. "Don't retaliate. Just block them."
It wasn't surprising.
A VR game that created a second reality with accelerated time flow—where one real day equaled a century inside—was nothing short of a miracle. Naturally, it had caught the world's attention.
He turned to the Hive Mind again.
"Are you certain there won't be any problems?"
The mechanical voice replied with certainty:
"The modern world's technology is far behind the Tyranis. They will never locate our physical servers."
Xu Zhi nodded, reassured. That was enough.
While he now focused on biological evolution and cultivating supernatural powers, the previous Tyranis Queen had prioritized brain evolution and technological advancement. Her orbital cannons alone had been terrifying.
Although much of that knowledge was lost, the Hive Mind remained—a product of the Tyranis' most advanced tech. No hacker could breach that.
And so, Xu Zhi dismissed the matter.
So what if the whole world was in chaos?
So what if they were plotting against him?
What could they possibly do?
Let them panic. He'd just keep farming.
Back in the yard, Xu Zhi sipped his drink.
He had ordered it online during a sale—thirty-eight yuan per box. Money was tight these days.
He was enjoying the peace and sunshine when a loud knock shook the gate.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Hey! Open up! You haven't gone crazy from all that farming, right?"
Xu Zhi stood up and opened the door. Chen Xi was standing there, looking a little wilted—like a dried-up eggplant.
"I'm heading back to college tomorrow morning," she said softly. Then she added, "By the way, that game you mentioned—it's blown up. Like, nationwide. Can you actually get me an account?"
Chen Xi wasn't even a gamer, but the game's popularity had grown so overwhelming that even outsiders like her couldn't ignore it. Rumor had it that beta tester accounts were now worth 400,000 yuan on the black market—and even then, you couldn't buy one.
She looked uneasy.
Xu Zhi used to be impressive—a rising star, a senior executive at a foreign firm. But now?
He was just a farmer.
"I can get you in," Xu Zhi said after a moment. "Don't worry. I know someone who can write the entrance paper for you. He's an expert—you'll definitely make it into the Third Open Beta."
"That's what everyone must be thinking!" Chen Xi said quickly. "The competition's going to be even fiercer than last time. And the pro gaming clubs will be gunning for it too!"
"Don't worry. My friend is better than all of them." Xu Zhi chuckled and gently ruffled her hair. "Just buy a good computer when you get back. I'll handle everything else."
Chen Xi blinked at him, then blushed. Without another word, she leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before skipping off.
"Dear, I'm going back to college. See you in the game!"
Xu Zhi touched his face, chuckling.
In this shallow world, words were cheap. But a blush? That was real.
He hadn't felt attracted to Chen Xi before. He just liked how she cared for him and cooked every day. But now, he realized—she truly was a good girl. Being with her made him happy.
"She stayed even when I had nothing… even when I was dying of cancer. There's no doubting her sincerity."
Xu Zhi returned to his yard and sat back down.
Now that Chen Xi was gone, he figured it was time to plan the future of the sandbox.
"First off, the Third Open Beta. I didn't plan on holding another one… but I need a way to get her into the game."
In truth, the long-awaited Third Open Beta was being launched solely to fulfill his girlfriend's tiny wish.
"Alright, thirty slots should be enough for her to blend in without drawing attention."
With that one casual thought, Xu Zhi decided the fate of countless players.
"Next up—the expansion of the Magic World sandbox."
He bit into an apple and stared at the terrain.
Though the simulated world covered a hundred square meters, most of it was still uninhabited. But things were changing.
Airships powered by alchemy now roamed the skies. High-level mages had begun to emerge.
Witches like Medusa at Level Six or Seven could obliterate cities. If there wasn't enough space, a single battle between such powerhouses could level the entire world.
"Should I expand it?"
He paused… then shook his head.
"That can wait."
After all, those airships were just buzzing flies to him. A mighty wizard who could level a small mountain? Still nothing more than an ant disturbing a tiny mound of dirt.
"Until someone can destroy an entire mountain range, there's no real pressure. I've still got time."
But just then, something caught his eye in the sandbox.
His brow furrowed.
"Motherf*cker."
"Grantham's at it again!"
The transmigrator had returned—and like the monarchs of old, he was now exploring the world's edge. What's worse, he had rallied the entire nation to build a path to the skies.
He wanted to reach the Nine Heavens.
He sought the mythical island of the gods—Achilles—to beg the heavenly deities for immortality.
Xu Zhi was stunned.
There are no gods in the sky, idiot!
You're going to blow my cover!
"I wanted you to lead the world into the Age of Alchemy—not to out me as a fraud!"
Panic flaring, Xu Zhi ran to his shed and started rummaging through the junk.
"You're getting too full of yourself, little bro. You want to reach heaven? Then let's see how you handle heaven's wrath."
He yanked out his secret weapon.
"Time to bring out the industrial-strength electric fan!"