Chapter 22: The Fork in the Road of Destiny

From Instructor Wei Zheng’s explanation, the students learned that the Zhi Particle was a kind of particle—a single grain of ordinary sand could contain tens of billions of particles, but the Zhi Particle was different. It was an intelligent particle, capable of connecting to a distant advanced universe in the Centauri star region through a special form of information transmission, guiding each person's neural pathways like a complex system.

So far, the Zhi Particle had behaved rather benevolently. Aside from controlling the financial system, it hadn’t caused significant destruction to Earth.

But that did not mean the Zhi Particle was without danger.

Anyone who became an Evolver was required to enter the Sphere of Evolution once within a week. If they failed, the Zhi Particle would be unable to acquire new energy, severing the external connection to Earth. The mild consequences included brain damage and diminished intelligence; the severe outcome was immediate brain death, turning the individual into a vegetable.

Furthermore, the whole planet was still in the first stage, the beginner period. Within the beginner instance, there was a protective mechanism—no one would be harmed. But once the beginner period ended and the formal instance began, there would surely be a death penalty. This was not mere in-game death, but death in both the game and reality.

Those who had not undergone evolution faced no danger at all. The Zhi Particle would automatically disappear after a week—tomorrow, in fact—and they would never again have the opportunity to enter the Sphere of Evolution.

“Ah?!” A wave of exclamations swept across the sports field.

“How could this be? Didn’t the Zhi Particle come to help Earth? Why would it kill us?” Some students still naively believed the Zhi Particle was here for poverty alleviation.

“It’s over, I’m already an Evolver. Doesn’t that mean I have to participate in evolution every week, and later I might have to enter the formal instance, where I could die? No, I don’t want this. Is there any way to remove the Zhi Particle? I don’t want to die!”

Panic began to spread among the students.

Wei Zheng’s lips curled into a slight smile beneath his mask. “Students, don’t panic! First, the nation will not force every student to become an Evolver. Society needs to develop, and every field requires your talents. Becoming an Evolver is merely one option. For those who have already evolved, there’s no need to fear. As your instructor, I will train you. Dangerous instances will have specialized instructors to guide you and ensure your safety. Danger is relative—if you train diligently, you can survive instance after instance, becoming stronger and even a hero admired by all.”

Despite his words, the thought of possible death from becoming an Evolver filled most students with dread. Being a hero was indeed cool and dazzling, but the thrill of showing off was fleeting, while tomorrow’s cremation was real. Most students already knew their answer.

Wei Zheng continued, “Now, please stand up. You’ll notice the field is divided into two areas. The left, a green grassy patch, represents choosing traditional academics. You’ll take the standard university entrance exam, enter a conventional university, graduate, find a stable job, and live a simple, happy life. The right, a white powdery area, represents the path of evolution. Once you choose evolution, there’s no turning back. Every day you’ll pursue both traditional studies and learn combat and survival skills. Evolvers have at least two opportunities per day to enter the Sphere of Evolution, and top performers can apply for extra attempts. Evolvers also receive a monthly state living subsidy of 1,000 yuan. Upon graduation, the state will assign you a job. You may join the Shadow Legion as a soldier to defend the country, or, like me, join the nation’s sole evolution organization, White Clouds and Wild Dogs. You’ll carry out missions wearing a mask, but when there are no tasks, you can remove the mask and blend into ordinary life, enjoying simple happiness!”

One side promised a traditional, simple joy; the other was magical, thrilling, and dangerous.

Many students found themselves torn, caught in a difficult dilemma. Taking this step could change their entire destiny.

Chen Mo walked through the high school section and reached the junior high section.

Ding Yan chased after him, breathless. “Hey, Mo, Mo, wait for me!”

Soon, Chen Mo found his sister’s classroom.

“Ning Xuan, your brother’s here for you again!”

“So that’s Ning Xuan’s brother? He’s so handsome. I heard the two of them are orphans, not blood-related. Could it be…”

“Shh, keep it down, don’t let anyone hear.”

Ning Xuan burst into laughter, “Haha, I knew you’d come for me, brother!”

Watching his sister laugh, Chen Mo felt both relieved and pained.

His sister’s strength was her optimism; her weakness was being too optimistic.

He’d thought Ning Xuan would be frightened after hearing about the life-threatening risks of becoming an Evolver, and hurried over to comfort her, only to find Ning Xuan was overjoyed.

“Brother, this is fantastic! Now we’ll have two opportunities a day to enter the Sphere of Evolution. Haha, I can earn more points, trade them for gear, sell it, buy pretty new dresses, and eat delicious food! Just thinking about it makes me happy!”

No wonder the little girl wasn’t afraid at all—she was already thinking about making money!

No matter what, it was better to face things with laughter than with fear.

“What about me? What will you buy for me?”

Ning Xuan grinned mischievously, “I’ll buy you a dress too, brother. You’d look great in one.”

Ding Yan raised both hands, “I agree!”

Chen Mo: “…”

After two hours of indecision, the 1,560 students of the entire school finally made their life choices.

Eighty percent—1,248 students—chose the traditional academic path. Many had realized that the Zhi Particle was still a novelty, barely researched on Earth. Becoming an Evolver now meant being a lab rat, groping in the dark, facing immense risk. It was better to complete their education steadily; perhaps after a few years or a decade, when theory matured and risks lessened, they might even have a second chance to obtain the Zhi Particle.

The remaining twenty percent—312 students—opted for evolution. Of these, 105 had already evolved and had no choice; the other 207 either came from difficult family backgrounds, yearning to change their fate, or had rebellious personalities, drawn to excitement, or were pushed by friends' dares, challenges, and teasing—“If you’ve got guts, try evolving! Coward! I misjudged you!”

From this day forward, the fate and lives of Star City Fourteenth Middle School diverged sharply.

Wei Zheng nodded in satisfaction. “Excellent. The 312 students who chose evolution—congratulations. You will become the nation’s future heroes. Now, please follow me. I will lead you to your new school.”