In the distant, ancient era when humanity had not yet left Earth, they once fantasized about the existence of all kinds of strange life forms among the stars, believing that these beings must be just like them—intelligent and capable of developing brilliant civilizations. Thus, they called them aliens. How naive and ignorant was that? The universe is vast and full of wonders, with life forms in all shapes and forms: ghost civilizations composed of pure spiritual energy, mechanical civilizations with sparks as their core of life, silicon-based civilizations with long lifespans... Humanity was merely a part of the weakest carbon-based civilization. Different life races, with their distinct consciousness, life forms, and logic, could only bring about mutual destruction when they met—there was no room for compromise. Would a dragon ever befriend an ant? The gap between cosmic life races was even greater than that.
When humanity first ventured into the stars, their ancestors approached alien races with a heart full of peace and friendship, only to be met with slaughter and ruthless genocide. After paying a bloody price, the naive term "alien" faded away, replaced by "alien races." Through painful lessons, humanity came to understand the most brutal law of the universe: the dark forest principle. The universe is a dark forest. Every civilization is a hunter with a gun, creeping through the woods like a ghost. Once discovered, only one side can survive—or neither.
...
As Feng Lin stepped into the twentieth floor, his pupils contracted. A scorching wind blew, devoid of any moisture, as dry as knives slicing through his skin. Before him stretched a desolate desert planet—boundless yellow sand, barren and silent, with no trace of life. "Huh? Where's my opponent?" Feng Lin scanned the area but saw no one. Just as he was puzzled, the ground in front of him suddenly exploded. A towering, robust figure rose up, standing over five meters tall. Its skin was grayish-white like marble, resembling a stone-carved giant, but its face lacked features like a mouth or nose, as if wearing a metal mask with two hollow sockets emitting blue light. Its gaze was cold and utterly devoid of humanity. The blue light flickered as it scanned Feng Lin.
A chill ran through Feng Lin's entire body, sending goosebumps across his skin. He felt as if he had been seen through from the inside out. "Carbon-based life form. Species: Human. High reproductive capability. Civilization level: 2. Disposal plan: Exterminate!" The five-meter-tall silicon-based giant stared down at Feng Lin as if he were a lowly, insignificant insect. Its words were cruel and merciless, sending a shiver down one's spine. "Is this an alien? No, an alien race! It called me a carbon-based life form, so what is it? A silicon-based life form?!" The crushing weight of the life-level disparity made Feng Lin feel as if disaster was imminent.
Boom! The silicon-based giant stomped the ground heavily, its massive body shooting into the air like a rocket before plummeting back down. Feng Lin initially prepared to block it head-on, but when he saw the figure crashing down like a small mountain, emitting a dull, piercing roar through the air, his eyelids twitched. Can't block it! He instinctively dodged. Boom! The ground shook as the colossal figure struck the earth like a meteor, cracking the crust and sending spiderweb-like fissures spreading outward. A massive crater formed, dust and smoke billowing endlessly. Feng Lin's eyelids kept twitching. How heavy was this thing? Two tons? Three tons? No—at least five tons! His own punch force was only 0.8 tons. Even with his genes further enhanced and his vitality increased by 0.4 since the last test, his punch force wouldn't exceed one ton. Just the sheer weight of this creature crashing down was something he couldn't withstand. If he had dodged a moment later, he would have been flattened instantly.
"You damn little bug!" Enraged that its surefire attack had been evaded by a lowly carbon-based life form, the silicon-based giant roared furiously, revealing itself to be a truly emotional intelligent being. Thud, thud, thud. It charged forward with heavy steps, each footfall like rapid, dense drumbeats, sinking deep into the ground and leaving deep footprints. "Too slow! Vajra Pound!" Though the opponent was menacing, its speed wasn't fast. Feng Lin flickered, swiftly appearing beside it, and struck with both fists like iron pestles. The punches were fierce, the air groaning under the pressure. Such a violent blow could shatter even stone. Feng Lin's eyes gleamed with cold light, envisioning the giant's neck snapping under his fists.
Thud! A dull sound echoed, like a hammer hitting a hard iron block. The expected scene didn't happen. Instead, a massive recoil sent sharp pain through Feng Lin's hands. The silicon-based giant let out a cold, sneering laugh and swung its arms fiercely. Feng Lin couldn't dodge in time, crossing his arms in front of his chest. A force like a mountain crashing down slammed into him, sending him flying like a cannonball into the ground, buried in a deep pit, disappearing from sight. The silicon-based giant stood still, letting out a mocking laugh. "Fool! I am a silicon-based life form. A pathetic carbon-based life form thinks it can defeat me with those soft, fleshy fists? I could stand here without moving, and you still couldn't hurt me! Now, die!" It raised its hands high toward the sky, and the ground trembled. Countless large stones floated into the air, breaking free from gravity, then rained down in a barrage.
Feng Lin dodged rapidly, the stones smashing the ground into a mess of craters. The falling rocks were like rain, leaving him no chance or space to counterattack. "There's no hope! That silicon-based giant is a silicon life form—manipulating rock is its innate ability!" "With such a dense rain of rocks, even an elephant would be crushed into pulp, let alone him!" "This is the end! Crossing a 0.5 vitality gap and fighting this long—he can be proud of himself!" The homeroom teachers commented one by one, as if they had seen it all. They shook their heads and sighed, looking regretful on the surface, but their smiles were hard to hide. The principal also nodded, convinced that Feng Lin truly had no chance this time. The gap between a carbon-based human and a silicon-based giant was simply too vast!
Feng Lin himself felt the crisis. Unlike his previous battles, this time he truly couldn't find any hope of victory. The opponent's life form, strength, and physical resilience all surpassed his, crushing him on a life-level scale. Though his earlier fights had been tough, they were against other humans. He had never felt so powerless, as if no matter what he tried, he couldn't win. Was this really going to end here? He refused to accept it. Losing to another human was one thing, but losing to an alien race was utterly infuriating. Even though he knew this was a virtual energy construct, it still possessed the real abilities of an alien race. This wasn't just a simulated battle—it was a battle of races! A fire burned in Feng Lin's heart. He didn't want to lose!