Chapter 160: Public Announcement: Monster World

The next day, on the Moon.

In Eclipse City, a special briefing on the Dark Lands.

Before the livestream even began, the number of viewers in the broadcast room had already approached three billion.

As time passed, the viewer count continued to skyrocket.

Netizens across the entire network were filled with curiosity about the special briefing on whether two versions of the Dark Lands game existed.

Before this, the Eclipse Clan had never even held a launch conference when the Dark Lands went online, yet due to an online public opinion incident, they now wanted to voluntarily explain the reasons.

This completely did not align with the operational style of the Eclipse Clan's high command.

One of the mocking nicknames for the Eclipse Clan on the internet was "Beings of the Upper Realm."

This title had two layers of reasoning.

The first layer was that the Eclipse Clan was the only group in the Earth Alliance that did not reside on Earth; members of all races in the Earth Alliance could look up and see the moon in the sky, which was where the Eclipse Clan lived, so they jokingly called the Eclipse Clan "Beings of the Upper Realm."

The second layer was the Eclipse Clan's cold diplomatic posture.

Although there were numerous aid projects for the outside world every year, aside from projects arranged by the Star Network, no matter how other races sought help, the Eclipse Clan would ignore them, leaving little room for negotiation, their lofty attitude resembling that of Beings of the Upper Realm.

In fact, the Eclipse Clan has always been the core cornerstone allowing the Earth Alliance to operate stably.

They were both the leader of the Earth Alliance and the imaginary enemy that kept the various races internally united.

All races, including the Human Race, held very complex feelings toward the Eclipse Clan.

This unovercomable leading position made all races, proud of their history, feel resistance from the bottom of their hearts.

An environment of absolute peace was also unfavorable for resolving internal problems within the races.

Especially when internal contradictions became prominent, these races needed to create a powerful imaginary enemy to force their members to bind together into a single rope, thereby forgetting internal conflict issues.

The powerful Eclipse Clan was the best vessel for this imaginary enemy.

And the Eclipse Clan never cared about the problem of being viewed with hostility; they even actively cooperated, shifting the contradictions onto the game.

Making the Eclipse Clan the challenge target for netizens of all races in the virtual world, helping all races resolve their internal contradictions.

So this Eclipse Clan was both the leader and the cornerstone of unity.

This time, the Eclipse Clan publicly stating they would explain the online public opinion issue truly made netizens of all races drop their glasses in shock, and it attracted the attention of the entire network; this was one of the rare opportunities to see the Eclipse Clan's high command online.

The last time was fifteen years ago.

Before the briefing even started, netizens in the livestream room had already begun heated discussions.

"I don't understand why the Eclipse Clan wants to publicly explain; could it be that there really are two versions of the Dark Lands?"

"I was stunned when I saw the news saying the Eclipse Clan was going to explain online conspiracy theories; this doesn't fit the Eclipse Clan's usual aloof image at all."

"Even if there really are two Dark Lands, I think given the Eclipse Clan's external style, there's no need to come out and explain; after all, the Eclipse Clan has always been Beings of the Upper Realm who ignore the thoughts of the mortal world below (wry smile. jpg)."

"Where there is a cause, there is a ghost; the Eclipse Clan simply doesn't care about online public opinion, so coming out to explain means something they care about has happened, and all of the Eclipse Clan's actions are guided by the Star Network's Artificial Brain, which is oriented toward the Eclipse Clan's interests, so there must be an interest issue behind this briefing that the Star Network cares about, possibly relating to the Eclipse Clan's development."

"I treated that post by the Human Race as a joke; I can't understand why the Eclipse Clan would take it seriously; my curiosity is overflowing, waiting for the briefing to start."

"Predicting the content of the briefing in advance: the Eclipse Clan's Number One Administrator will state there is only one Dark Lands, and all online rumor-mongers will have their accounts banned (wry smile. jpg)."

Just as netizens were engaged in heated debate over whether two versions of the Dark Lands game existed.

A male member of the Eclipse Clan, dressed in exquisitely tailored black clothing, walked steadily to the podium and stood, his gaze looking at the livestream camera.

The Eclipse Clan male in the livestream feed had a handsome appearance and slender ears, resembling the Elf Race from fairy tales, fitting the Human aesthetic very well.

This was the current Number One Administrator of the Eclipse Clan.

He was seen lowering his head, his gaze sweeping over the reporters of various races below the podium, nodding slightly in greeting, then raising his head, a faint light flickering in his deep blue eyes, as if organizing his words.

"Reporters of all races and netizens of all races in the livestream room, good afternoon to everyone."

"We have all paid attention to the various comments online regarding the Dark Lands."

"The game Dark Lands is the crystallization of many years of hard work by our Eclipse Clan; through countless days and nights, the Star Network Artificial Brain and our development team immersed themselves in an ocean of code, carving out every detail in the game, solely to bring everyone an ultimate gaming experience; this is not merely a game, but a virtual world full of vitality and life."

"We deeply understand that the game carries everyone's longing for another kind of life and curiosity about the unknown, so we carefully crafted the Dark Lands; here lies a vast and boundless fantasy continent, mysterious and unpredictable ancient ruins, and every inch of land hides a multitude of stories... waiting for you to discover your own infinite possibilities."

The Number One Administrator's words seemed to possess a kind of magic, causing everyone present to unconsciously sketch out that wonderful game world in their minds.

But as soon as this passage was finished, the netizens in the livestream room began to vent their anger.

"Said so well, but why haven't you given game access to our Rock Race? You've released it for several rounds now; is this racial discrimination?"

"What the hell are you talking about? Where is this 'ultimate experience'? Does it refer to fighting for access to experience? If you have the guts, just open the game download; every time you release a batch, it's like begging for food, being so stingy, disgusting."

"So since you care so much about player experience and feelings, when will access be fully opened? Did you eat my access?"

But the comments from the netizens in the livestream room did not disturb the Number One Administrator of the Eclipse Clan's speech.

After briefly introducing the original intention behind creating the Dark Lands game, the Number One Administrator shifted his tone:

"Recently, we discovered that the question of whether two versions of the Dark Lands exist has sparked heated discussion across the entire network; I will explain the situation in detail here."

Hearing these words, the barrage of comments in the livestream room instantly thinned out.

Everyone was waiting for the Number One Administrator's next statement.

"The fact is exactly as that posting netizen said; we Eclipse Clan did indeed create two games, one of which is the Dark Lands sold through official channels that many players have already experienced; this is the epoch-making virtual game we refer to in our promotions, and this game has no issues of simplified configuration or censored game content as mentioned in any online rumors."

"And the cracked version of Dark Lands mentioned by the Human Race netizen 'Kindergarten Principal' in the Human Race Rise Forum is actually the next-generation game we are developing; it is still in the beta testing phase, so we have not publicly released related game content; whether in terms of game quality or realism, this game far surpasses the Dark Lands, and the name of this game, we internally refer to as: Monster World."

"So there is only one game called Dark Lands, and the other game is the unreleased Monster World."

The Number One Administrator's explanation caused the livestream room to instantly explode.

The barrage and comments flooded the screen at a speed of millions per second, making it impossible to read the specific content in time.

"Holy crap, a beta test version of the next-generation game with better quality? That's too ridiculous; how did I only just hear this news? How do I get beta access?"

"Damn, free beta testing gets the meat, buying the official version gets the shit; Eclipse Clan, I f*** your xx; why do I have to spend 128,000 to buy a lower quality product? No wonder the posting player's mentality exploded; if it were me, I'd explode too; actually, I'm already exploding right now; I demand that my Dark Lands access be converted to Monster World game access."

"Stupid Eclipse Clan, pulling some shady tricks, huh? Secretly releasing a beta version and distributing it via links, simply disgusting; even for a beta test, you could publicly let players fight for access; before this, we didn't even know such a game existed; we were even replying to mock the original poster, thinking the poster was spreading rumors, and now you tell me it's true."

"I'm dying of discomfort; good things given for free, inferior versions bought with money; truly the Eclipse Clan, Beings of the Upper Realm are just willful."

"Yesterday I was ecstatic that I finally snagged a slot for this round of the game, and now you're telling me this is just a transitional version, and there's something even better? I'll punch the moon to smithereens."

Facing the barrage of furious comments in the livestream, Ruler #1's expression remained unchanged as he looked down at the reporters from the various races:

"Friends of the press from the various races, is there anything else you'd like to ask?"

The Human Race reporter raised her hand at this moment. After receiving Ruler #1's nod of approval, the female reporter stood up:

"Ruler #1, hello. I'd like to ask a question. The post describes that the cracked version—that is, the game Monster World—has a physics engine that perfectly simulates reality. Is this true?"

Facing the question, Ruler #1 nodded:

"We are proud to announce that the game Monster World has achieved a physics performance nearly identical to the real world. The modeling, environment, and physics feedback in the game all follow the same laws as the real world. Every NPC in Monster World, even the small monsters, is empowered by an AI more intelligent than the core NPCs of Dark Lands. You can even understand Monster World as a perfect virtual game. For hundreds of years to come, and even further into the future, no game will be able to surpass it."

"We believe this game will bring players an unprecedented immersive experience."

These remarks once again sparked heated discussion across the entire internet. Players in the livestream room were thrilled, yet couldn't help but furiously bash the Eclipse Eclipse Race for hiding something good and not releasing it to the public.

At this moment, Dark Lands completely lost its appeal.

They had only just realized that the game they regarded as epoch-making was merely a transitional product, and that the Eclipse Eclipse Race had in hand a perfect game countless times better than Dark Lands.

This sense of disparity was too intense, especially for players who had already secured a Dark Lands game slot—it was nothing less than a stab in the back from the Eclipse Race.

The Human Race reporter continued to ask at this point:

"Ruler #1, could you take advantage of this briefing to introduce the game Monster World in detail?"

Facing the question, Ruler #1 of the Eclipse Eclipse Race paused briefly before replying without changing expression:

"Monster World is still in the closed beta phase. We will find an opportunity to publicly release relevant information. We have nothing to disclose for now. Specific details will be arranged according to Star Net's decision."

After the Human Race reporter sat down, the reporter from the Strike Break Race raised his hand.

After receiving Ruler #1's nod, the reporter stood and asked:

"Ruler #1, hello. I'd like to ask whether you have considered at what point in time to fully open Monster World to the public, or to distribute purchase qualifications for Monster World through official channels."

"This question is pending. We need to wait for Star Net to give a specific answer. We cannot respond for now."

"There are comments online saying that Monster World occupies a large amount of the Eclipse Eclipse Race's information processing resources, which is why the distribution of Dark Lands qualifications has been slow. Does this problem exist?"

"It does indeed exist. Monster World is the future in our eyes."

After the Strike Break Race reporter sat down, the reporter from the White Mountain Race stood up after receiving approval and asked:

"Since Monster World's performance is already so perfect, why is there still a need for a closed beta? We've collected online comments and found that many netizens are puzzled by this. Could you address this question?"

Ruler #1 of the Eclipse Eclipse Race nodded:

"The production of Monster World is complete, but there may still be some issues we haven't discovered, so it needs to be checked through a closed beta, and then presented to everyone in its most perfect form."

"There's another question. Based on the statements from players who obtained Monster World qualifications online, I found that the group receiving the most closed beta qualifications comes from the Human Race Federation. This puzzles me greatly. Why is the closed beta not conducted internally within the Eclipse Eclipse Race, but instead secretly distributed externally, with members of the Human Race Federation as the main recipients?"

After Ruler #1 nodded, he said in a deep voice:

"This question requires a detailed explanation from me."

"We secretly developed Monster World for 50 years, investing massive resources, computing power, and effort during that period. After the game's production was completed, we asked Star Net for detailed arrangements regarding this game. Star Net's answer was that this game is positioned as a game for the world, subject only to Star Net's oversight."

"In other words, from the moment this game was born, it has not been subject to oversight by our Eclipse Eclipse Race's higher-ups. It belongs jointly to all players of every race in Yu Quan Shi Jie."

"As everyone must know, Star Net has always been striving to build a united racial alliance framework for the entire world. This is a gift from Star Net to the whole world. Here I can assure all players that this game will be permanently free. Even when qualifications are fully opened in the future, no qualification fee will be charged."

"Ruler #1, your answer fills me with anticipation for Monster World, but you still haven't answered the core question in my previous inquiry. Why must the closed beta primarily target players of the Human Race Federation, rather than being tested internally within the Eclipse Eclipse Race?"

Saying this, the Strike Break Race reporter swiped twice on the tablet in his hand and continued:

"If this is Star Net's idea, then why did Star Net make this decision? Even if Star Net has the idea of building an Earth Alliance for shared prosperity, it still places the Eclipse Eclipse Race's interests at its core. This doesn't seem to align with Star Net's consistent decision-making."

This question was undoubtedly quite pointed, but Ruler #1 of the Eclipse Eclipse Race remained calm in expression:

"I've explained the reason. Perhaps you didn't understand. Star Net clearly stated this is a game gifted to the whole world, so qualifications are given entirely at random to players of all races. We all know the Human Race is the largest population base in the Earth Alliance. From a probability standpoint, it's entirely reasonable that the Human Race receives the most game qualifications."

"Ruler #1, if we analyze your explanation from a probabilistic standpoint, the entire world including the Eclipse Eclipse Race has a population of nearly 15 billion. Players of the Human Race Federation can be the largest group in the game, but looking at the proportion of players who obtained Monster World closed beta qualifications, it has far surpassed other races. Is this just luck?"

"Yes. Random distribution means anything is possible. It's even a possible probability that all distributed slots go to Human Race Federation players. The method of distributing qualifications is controlled by Star Net's intelligent brain. Apart from it, we cannot give an accurate judgment. You can also understand this as simply being luck."

After the Strike Break Race reporter sat down, the reporter from the Cloud Shine Race raised his hand.

After receiving a nod of approval, the Cloud Shine Race reporter stood and asked:

"Ruler #1, hello. I'd like to know how many qualifications issued by Star Net the Eclipse Eclipse Race has obtained internally during the current closed beta phase."

This question immediately drew the attention of the higher-ups of all races, who also wanted to know how many test qualifications Star Net had distributed internally to the Eclipse Eclipse Race.

Especially the Human Race higher-ups.

They were quite puzzled as to why players in the game had all reported one issue: they had not seen any Eclipse Eclipse Race players in the game.

Even if Star Net wanted to create a virtual game gifted to the world, the Eclipse Eclipse Race's interests should still be placed at the core. There is no truly random distribution in existence, and such randomness doesn't align with Star Net's settings.

Facing the question, Ruler #1 didn't hesitate for even a moment before responding:

"The number of qualifications we distributed internally is temporarily confidential, but what I can tell everyone is that our Eclipse Eclipse Race naturally also participated in the closed beta. It's just that the Eclipse Eclipse Race's internal test additionally opened a separate server. You can understand it as the test version used for externally distributed qualifications being version B, while the test version we use internally within the Eclipse Eclipse Race is version A. The data and content of the two servers are not interoperable."

"So players who have already obtained the game will notice one issue: they have not encountered any of our Eclipse Eclipse Race members in the game."

"In the future, our Eclipse Eclipse Race members will also enter the version B game scene, and the version A test resources will be cancelled, merging into version B, starting new adventures together with players of all races in Monster World."

"Additionally, I assure all players online that in Monster World, our Eclipse Eclipse Race members will not receive any preferential treatment from Star Net. All players start from the same point after entering the game. There is no hidden data adjustment or provision of additional benefits to players of our race. What we want to create is a fair gaming environment, which is also the goal Star Net has always been committed to achieving."

"Monster World has been invested with the highest level of resources from our Eclipse Eclipse Race. We believe that after its official release in the future, it will definitely bring everyone a satisfying gaming experience."

After answering this question, the Star Map Race reporter seated below raised his hand.

After receiving a nod, the Star Map Race reporter spoke in a respectful tone:

"May I ask Ruler #1, you said Monster World can perfectly simulate real-world environments. Does that mean all experiments can be attempted in the game environment, and the data obtained can be used as real data—for example, dangerous weapon testing, dangerous reagent testing, and so on?"

"I can answer this question clearly. The data obtained in Monster World can be applied in reality, and Monster World possesses an even more advanced experimental environment."

"Ruler, what do you mean by a more advanced experimental environment?" the Star Map Race reporter asked with a puzzled expression.

"Reality is limited by environmental limits. Some experiments cannot be conducted—for example, simulation tests under extreme weather. But extreme weather in the real world has its limits, whereas the intensity of extreme weather in Monster World will far exceed the real world. You can conduct more extreme experiments there."

"This also includes surgical simulation, drug testing, dangerous weapon development… all of which can obtain the most favorable testing environment in Monster World."

Ruler #1's answer caused an uproar across the entire internet.

Especially the upper echelons of every race could no longer sit still.

A perfect simulation scenario meant that any dangerous technology conceived in theory could be tested there, with no need to worry about consequences.

For every race, this was no longer as simple as a virtual game.

The perfect virtual scenarios provided by Monster World could significantly accelerate the progress of real-world technology, possessing unparalleled strategic value.

The questions from reporters of every race that followed all revolved around the content of the game Monster World.

In response, the First Executive Officer of the Eclipse Race stated that Monster World was still in its testing phase, and that relevant in-game information would only be disclosed after Star Net gave a clear answer.

Just as the briefing was about to end, the First Executive Officer said with a smile:

"I know many players will not understand our actions, and may even feel that the existence of another, more perfect game is a stab in the back to players of Dark Lands—that the officially distributed game is actually inferior to the test version. Taking players' feelings into account, I am offering everyone two solutions here."

"Solution One: after this briefing ends, I imagine some players will apply for a refund for Dark Lands. Although we made the terms clear right after Dark Lands was released—no refunds after 300 hours of gameplay—"

"We can understand the players' feelings. Compared to the game Dark Lands, everyone will be looking forward more to the flawless Monster World. So on behalf of the Eclipse Race, I announce that regardless of how many hours players have played Dark Lands, refunds will be supported."

"However, the refund method is limited to refunds through Monster World's currency exchange system."

"You can understand it this way: this refund model is also designed to promote the game Monster World and to drive the development of its ecosystem. All players who obtain Monster World qualifications in the future, after paying according to the in-game to real-world currency exchange ratio, will receive a compensatory refund at 1.5 times that amount."

"So the refund requires that the player own both Dark Lands and Monster World. Taking the launch price of 1,000 Moon Coins (120,000 Credits) as an example, a player can pay Shou Shou Jili equivalent to 1,000 Moon Coins within Monster World, and receive a refund compensation of 2,500 Moon Coins in real currency."

"Through this method, we hope to build a tighter gaming community and strengthen the connection between the game and reality. In the future, we will also introduce a game currency buyback mechanism to redistribute wealth from the real world."

"Next, Solution Two: if gameplay time is under 300 hours, players can apply for a refund directly on the official qualification-purchase website, or, after obtaining Dark Lands, receive a compensatory refund according to the first solution."

"One last point: all players who own Monster World can register their identity on the Eclipse Race's official website before requesting a refund. We will respond promptly to meet players' needs."

With the First Executive Officer's words falling, the briefing officially ended.

Players across the entire network now knew that a game of higher quality than Dark Lands existed, and that it was being distributed to the outside world in limited quantities through mysterious links, randomly.

Although the refund plan offered by the Eclipse Race satisfied many players,

the problem was that the Eclipse Race did not seem to intend to issue Monster World qualifications on a large scale.

This left players across the entire network deeply dissatisfied.

It would have been fine not knowing, but now that they knew, every player wanted to own the game Monster World.

Although Dark Lands from the official channel was issued in limited quantities, at least everyone still had a chance to grab a qualification. But the issuance of Monster World qualifications was completely random.

Judging by the distribution speed now being hotly debated online, by the time one actually got a qualification, they'd probably be dead and buried.

To enjoy this game sooner, netizens protested the Eclipse Race's actions one after another, demanding that Monster World be opened to all players on the entire network immediately, and that the closed beta be ended early.

The livestream of the briefing ended, but the comments and bullet comments in the stream were still popping up at high frequency:

"The 1.5x compensation is a thumbs-up. I'll keep playing Dark Lands for now, and once I get a Monster World qualification, I'll happily make a killing. Truly worthy of the deep-pocketed Eclipse Race."

"The sense of superiority from owning a Dark Lands qualification has now completely vanished. Turns out above us Dark Lands players there's a hidden realm called Monster World. Already crying my eyes out in the bathroom."

"Begging for a Monster World qualification. My interest in Dark Lands has dropped sharply. All I want now is to experience Monster World."

"After watching the briefing, one of my questions has been answered. Back then, the outside world was saying the Eclipse Race's next game would be a 100% realism game. We all thought it was Dark Lands, but after entering the game we found Dark Lands' quality wasn't as good as the rumors said. Now I understand—the rumors back then were actually about Monster World, not the transitional version Dark Lands."

"I always thought it was strange. Even though it wasn't official promotion, the outside world kept spreading the rumor that the new game was 100% simulated reality. Now it's confirmed—the new game refers to Monster World, not the officially distributed Dark Lands."

"Why did you have to let me know? I can never happily play Dark Lands again. I want to play Monster World ahhhh."

"So the briefing went on and on—when exactly does the closed beta end and qualifications get handed out? I really want to try Monster World. Even if I'm not planning to play right away, just release some gameplay footage, will you? You have to give us a clear idea of the game. Why keep it hidden? Disgusting."

……

Faced with the players' demands, the Eclipse Race returned to its once aloof posture, offering no further response.

Yet the news from this briefing had already set the entire network abuzz.

Every race was discussing the game Monster World, but suffered from having no concrete content, with no way to know just how impressive Monster World actually was.

During this period, some players who had obtained Monster World qualifications also posted online describing the game's content, making those without qualifications feel even more tormented.

Unparalleled immersive experience, a dual feast for the eyes and ears, infinitely free exploration mode, vast explorable regions… all kinds of descriptions left players who had never touched Monster World green with envy, sighing only that they themselves hadn't been the ones to get the qualification.

No netizen doubted whether these descriptions from Monster World closed-beta players reflected the game's true quality.

The Eclipse Race's official channels, always known for their rigor, had already explained it personally—so the quality must match, and might even be better than described.

This feeling of knowing the truth yet being unable to possess it drove countless players mad.

As one netizen complained: if I hadn't known the truth, I could have happily kept playing in Dark Lands. But the moment I learned the truth, Dark Lands had already lost its flavor… If I had never seen the light, I could have endured the darkness.

But the most intense reaction across the entire network came from the Eclipse Race's own netizens.

Before the briefing was held, Eclipse Race netizens paid no attention to the online buzz about whether Dark Lands had two versions, dismissing it as just another widely spread conspiracy theory.

After all, in the online world, every few years some hotly debated conspiracy theory would pop up.

For example, that the Eclipse Race was using Star Net to mentally control the entire world.

Or that some unspeakable mysterious purpose lay behind the Eclipse Race's establishment of the Earth Alliance.

The virtual game Sin Lands, released several years ago, had even been rumored to be a product through which the Eclipse Race absorbed players' vital essence via virtual games.

Once you've seen enough, you get used to it.

This incident was no exception.

But what surprised Eclipse Race members was that the upper echelons interfacing with Star Net's intelligence core actually stepped forward to explain the detailed reasons.

Even so, Eclipse Race members still didn't think there was any problem, assuming it was just the upper echelons debunking and explaining a hotly debated online incident.

But the First Executive Officer's answer at the briefing left them dumbfounded.

Monster World?

As members of the Eclipse Race, they had never heard of such a virtual game project internally.

Before this, the internal promotion had all been about Dark Lands, saying this game would be the Eclipse Race's core direction going forward.

This left Eclipse Race members both baffled and with a strong sense of disparity.

After the game Dark Lands was released, Eclipse Race players were the first to be served, with players of other races only considered afterward.

But this time, Star Net had actually decided to put all races' players on the same starting line for growth.

On the Star Net forum, members of the Eclipse Clan posted their views on the matter, but the consensus leaned overwhelmingly positive.

Some Eclipse Clan netizens stated they would forever support any decision made by the Star Net; history proved the Star Net never erred, and every decision that initially seemed incomprehensible ultimately benefited the Eclipse Clan.

Other netizens expressed hope that once the Star Net's Laozu Sect saw their posts, they would quickly assign them a beta test qualification, as they too wished to experience the Monster World game.

It was evident that although Eclipse Clan netizens were puzzled by the secret development project known as "Monster World," they firmly trusted the Star Net, believing any decision made by the Star Net was necessarily for the development of the Eclipse Clan.

The core issue debated by Eclipse Clan netizens was when the Monster World game would open qualifications for distribution and conclude its beta test.

And how many beta testers currently existed within the Eclipse Clan internally, experiencing this game, among other things.

Immediately after the press conference officially concluded, the high-ranking leaders of all races within the Earth Alliance convened top-level meetings without delay.

The content of their discussions centered on the game secretly released by the Eclipse Clan: Monster World.

The response given by the Eclipse Clan's Number One Chancellor at the briefing made them realize how terrifying the potential of this game truly was.

Although finding the claim of a hundred-percent realistic simulation hard to believe, since the truth now lay before them, their task was to make preparations in advance.

The core topics exchanged during the top-level meetings of all races were remarkably consistent: how to obtain Monster World test qualifications from the Eclipse Clan, and how to leverage the perfect virtual environment technology to create advantages in development.

Immediately after concluding their meetings, all races chose to contact Eclipse Clan high-ranking officials through diplomatic channels, hoping to secure a Monster World test qualification.

Applying in bulk was clearly unrealistic, after all, qualifications for the game Dark Land were already difficult to acquire through diplomatic means.

Thus, all races simply abandoned requests for bulk applications, applying for only one beta test qualification to thoroughly understand the Monster World game, which would significantly increase the probability of obtaining a qualification.

However, all races also clearly understood that the authority to grant qualifications lay with the Star Net Intelligence Brain, not the Eclipse Clan's high-ranking officials.

And a request for a single qualification would not affect the Star Net Intelligence Brain's future strategic layout.

The races of the Earth Alliance rubbed their hands together, filled with anticipation for this epoch-making game, and also awaited the Star Net's affirmative response.

Meanwhile, players from various races who had already obtained game qualifications were utterly delighted.

Only then did they realize that the cracked version they had been playing secretly was actually the beta test version of the next-generation game, superior even to the official release.

The official version required a purchase of 120,000, but the beta version they used, while free, was something no amount of money could buy.

Players who had already obtained qualifications finally understood one thing.

Why they had never seen Eclipse Clan players within the game.

It turned out the Eclipse Clan used an internal A-version of Monster World, while they used the B-version of Monster World.

And in the future, the development of Monster World would primarily focus on the B-version they used, while the A-version would be completely discontinued soon.

By then, they, the beta testers, would possess a higher development starting point than members of the Eclipse Clan.

The forum within Monster World boiled over completely.

All players cheered and celebrated; the heavy stone weighing on their hearts had shattered.

They knew they no longer needed to worry about risks such as game qualifications being revoked or accounts being banned.

The Number One Chancellor had explicitly explained at the briefing that beta test qualifications were issued by the Star Net.

Therefore, they were all the chosen beta testers of fate selected by the Star Net.

Qi Sheng, hidden in the background, also watched the Eclipse Clan's briefing.

He was extremely satisfied with the Eclipse Clan's explanation.

The Eclipse Clan had indeed explained the existence of the Monster World game exactly as he had requested.

Just as the Star Net had guessed at the time.

His contact with the Eclipse Clan high-ranking officials via God Descent was precisely to prevent the Eclipse Clan from entering a state of war mobilization.

According to the Guide's analysis, facing the invincible Black Tide invasion, the Star Net would do everything possible to accelerate the Eclipse Clan's development speed.

This created a relatively high probability of a certain outcome.

Resources were ultimately finite; for the Eclipse Clan to enter a stage of comprehensive development, they would inevitably squeeze the living space of other races, even plundering the stockpiled resources of other races.

This would inevitably cause violent turmoil in the real world, even triggering war.

The resulting impact would severely hinder his progress in building the player legion, or even cause many lives that could have become players to die in reality due to war.

He needed to maintain the existing state of peace within the Earth Alliance.

Contacting the Eclipse Clan high-ranking officials was actually a form of appeasement, giving the already desperate Eclipse Clan leadership new hope, allowing them to continue maintaining the current situation of the Earth Alliance rather than entering an aggressive state of war mobilization.

The Eclipse Clan high-ranking officials also implemented his idea.

They explained the existence of Monster World as a game secretly developed by the Eclipse Clan.

And this briefing also prepared the Eclipse Clan for entering Monster World in the future.

The seemingly generous refund explanation was actually intended to secure sufficient resources for rapid development after entering Monster World.

This was the core reason for convening the briefing; all objectives were hidden within the final refund phase.

It could be foreseen that the game Dark Land would still be snatched up frantically.

Players who secured qualifications, whether they entered the game to experience it or not, would, after obtaining Monster World game qualifications, seek a refund application from the Eclipse Clan to obtain high cash compensation.

This appeared to be a loophole in the compensation terms, but was actually the result of the Star Net's careful arrangement.

According to feedback from the Guide, the Star Net had even arranged for public opinion to build momentum.

Once Eclipse Clan members entered Monster World, the Star Net would cause a voice to appear online: a Dark Land player posting that they had snatched a Dark Land qualification only after the briefing ended, yet still qualified for 1.5 times compensation refund, implying a loophole in the Eclipse Clan's refund terms.

High-end hunters often present themselves in the form of prey.

What the Star Net wanted was to give all online players the concept of "I made a profit," and then, filled with joy, exchange Monster World resources for the premium refund compensation held by the Eclipse Clan.

After watching the Eclipse Clan's briefing, an idea floated into Qi Sheng's mind.

What had always limited the speed of player recruitment in Monster World was not reality, but the growth of the player legion within Monster World.

The acquisition speed of Shou Shou Jili and the spatial area expansion brought about after containing domain nodes were the two key factors affecting recruitment speed.

At this stage, the player legion already had corresponding player factions for the sea, land, and air.

Future development would gradually tend toward diversification.

The qualification distribution method could be completely opened up, allowing more alien players to join the game.

In other words, future qualifications will be distributed randomly across the entire network, and all alien players can obtain them through the connection.

Doing so has one benefit.

The players entering the game will be completely random.

For example, in the next round of distribution, some races only received one game qualification.

Then these qualified players, wanting to grow quickly, would have to integrate into player teams of other races.

Over time, the player teams in the game would tend toward racial diversity.

Rather than forming small groups among players of the same race, instinctively resistant to players of other races.

Distributing Monster World game qualifications in fragments can solve this problem.

Since Monster World has already been officially announced, Qi Sheng decided to establish an official "Monster World" website on the Star Net.

Providing outside players with relevant content about Monster World, allowing them to understand Monster World in advance.

Doing so would help them get a quick start after obtaining the qualification later on.

In the future, game qualifications will also be distributed externally through the Monster World official site, rather than being spread in the form of links across different group chats.

But the specific speed of qualification distribution still depends on the output of players within the game.

(End of chapter)