The moment he pressed the button, a dialog box popped up before Future Skywhale's eyes:
Please arrive at the location designated below to break through the world's barrier and travel between realms.
"…What the hell?"
Future Skywhale blinked, dumbfounded. He wasn't alone. The internet had erupted in excitement. Players had speculated about the mysterious third option for days, but no one expected this.
"Break through the world's barrier and travel between realms?"
"What is this, a secret quest? Is there really another world?!"
The oddly-shaped players in the sandbox were losing their minds, bouncing around in excitement like popcorn in a microwave.
Future Skywhale, still dazed, guided his Slime species to the marked location—thanks to a bit of help from the community. When they arrived, a deep blue vortex shimmered into view. It pulsed with starlight, swirling in hypnotic patterns like a galaxy in motion.
"A portal?!"
"Hidden questline? New map?"
Unbeknownst to them, this was the same underground water pipe Xu Zhi had once used to enter the sandbox as the God of Wisdom during the era of the Three Witches. Hidden by the Tyranis Hive Mind, it had remained invisible to players—until now. Dressed up with flashy effects, it now posed as a Passage Between Worlds.
"So if we create a species with enough potential, we can bring it to a new world?!"
"I knew this game had layers! Other maps confirmed!"
Under the envious gaze of countless players, Future Skywhale led his Slimes into the vortex.
Darkness engulfed them.
The passage was a narrow white pipe, dozens of meters long. For ant-sized creatures, it was an epic journey. The Slimes moved with difficulty, hopping forward one by one. They launched their pudgy bodies using their quirky ahoge-like head tentacles, a surprisingly adorable scene.
"It's pitch black… and weirdly quiet."
After what felt like forever, a light appeared at the end of the tunnel. The Slimes wriggled toward it—and emerged into a world of untamed beauty.
Giant trees loomed like green pillars of heaven. The sky overhead was a rich cerulean, scattered with soaring flocks of birds. Beneath the boughs, the shadows danced.
[Warning: Please acclimate to this world. Your identity is now that of a native. Any anomalies or inconsistencies will be automatically erased.]
"…What a beautiful world."
Future Skywhale looked around in awe. "This is completely different from our barren sandbox… This place has a fully developed ecosystem."
Could it be that he had truly traveled to another world—Slimes, livestream system, and all?
Meanwhile, back in the real world, Xu Zhi sat casually by the gate of his yard, an apple in hand.
"That little pipe I buried to connect the sandboxes… finally came in handy."
He chuckled. Future Skywhale's enthusiasm to explore this "new world" was almost touching. Little did the player know, it was all part of the Creator's cunning plan.
Xu Zhi had always intended for players to eventually transfer their species into the larger sandbox. It was the only way to preserve evolutionary continuity without drawing attention to himself.
"I can't just pop in and hand-carry every promising lifeform like I did with the Evil Eye," he mused. "That worked because I was sneaky. But now? I'd be spotted in seconds."
The solution? Let the players do it themselves. A reward wrapped as a feature.
Besides, the evolved creatures only lived for twenty or thirty years—a few hours in real time. They wouldn't cause too much trouble… and if they did manage to build a thriving civilization, well, he'd just roll with it.
"In this sandbox, one day is equivalent to a hundred years," he muttered. "The Hive Mind says speeding up the players' brain cells won't hurt their souls…"
So they could live out full in-game lives in the span of a single afternoon.
Xu Zhi frowned slightly.
"But how do I make sure Future Skywhale sides with the orthodox witches instead of the Rose Sect?"
A difficult dilemma.
Before he could think of a solution, he glanced back at the screen—and froze.
"…Never mind. Looks like I won't need to interfere at all."
In the lush forest, sunlight filtered through canopies of oversized leaves. Butterflies with translucent wings flitted through the air like living jewels.
Future Skywhale cautiously scouted the area. Once he was sure it was safe, he attempted to activate his livestream.
[Error: Due to time dilation between realms, livestreaming is currently disabled. One day in heaven equals a hundred years on earth.]
"…Time flow is different?"
He blinked. "Wait—if one day here equals a hundred years outside… does that mean this world's century-long civilization-building will only take a few hours in real time?"
Excitement surged in his chest. Had he stumbled into a second life? One where time was on his side?
"That's impossible…"
Panicked, he logged out, tearing off his VR headset. In reality, barely ten seconds had passed. The chatroom was still going wild over the portal.
"…I just got here!?"
Heart pounding, he reconnected immediately.
"I can't waste even a minute! What if my species dies in the meantime?!"
Inside the game, hours had passed. Days, even. But his Slimes were still alive—and hopping.
"My species only lives for a decade or so. That's shorter than an engine's lifespan. But even if I live out an entire life here, only a few hours will pass outside... It's worth it."
He beamed.
"A second life… as a Slime! Let's make it count!"
Under his guidance, the Slimes began exploring the vast forest. They were weak, sure, but that didn't matter. He didn't need warriors—he needed engines.
He could build anything if he had the right parts.
And Slimes were the perfect parts.
Hours later, just as they began to leave the forest, a new sound echoed through the trees: voices.
Human voices.
"…Someone's coming!"
He tensed. He couldn't risk exposure. But it was already too late.
A group of women emerged from the woods, clad in crimson mage robes. Each held a wooden staff. Their eyes lit up when they saw the bouncing Slimes.
"Foreign language… can't understand a word," Future Skywhale thought. "Just act natural."
He blended in with his Slimes, pretending to be a dumb, harmless blob.
The witches gasped.
"What are these things? So cute!"
"Look at this one's tentacle! It resembles an Evil Eye."
"These might be new familiars! Much cuter than those creepy things."
The Rose Sect witches were known for taming Evil Eyes as magical companions—and occasionally for more scandalous reasons. Familiars helped them grow stronger, both magically and… intimately.
"Too bad male mages are rare," one sighed. "Only higher-level witches get access to those."
"We're stuck with Evil Eyes. But these new creatures… maybe they can replace them?"
"They're adorable. Way better than slimy eyeballs."
The witches chatted excitedly, their wooden staves waving about, seemingly harmless.
Hidden among the Slimes, Future Skywhale gulped.
"They seem… friendly?"
A bead of virtual sweat slid down his imaginary forehead.
"I hope I'm right…"