Chapter 231: The Truth of the Game, Racial Easter Eggs

The Moon, Eclipse City.

Monster World Special Briefing.

The Eclipse Clan’s early announcement drew attention from all races of the Earth Alliance.

Different groups entered the briefing livestream with different needs.

Members of all races who did not obtain qualifications hoped to hear good news about large-scale distribution of Monster World access during this briefing.

Especially those daily visitors who lingered on the Monster World forum or livestream.

Though lacking player qualifications, watching others play Monster World had become their daily pleasure.

Among them were many players who had early purchased access to the Dark Lands game.

Compared to Monster World, the Dark Lands was nowhere near as advanced—it felt like an outdated game from several eras ago.

They had originally been able to enjoy the Dark Lands freely until the Eclipse Clan unveiled Monster World.

Suddenly, it felt as if the sky had collapsed.

Especially after the official launch of Monster World and their initial experience through the visitor’s perspective.

As one netizen put it: “The Eclipse Clan are beasts—they make us pay to eat shit while giving free users a lavish feast!”

Upon entering the livestream, this group of visitors began flooding the chat.

They demanded the Eclipse Clan release qualifications immediately—or even abolish all restrictions entirely—to allow all Earth races to experience Monster World, this top-tier virtual game.

Meanwhile, players who had already obtained Monster World qualifications hoped the briefing would address optimizations to the game’s content.

For example, improving the difficulty of acquiring sacrificial power and the slow pace of player progression, to deliver a more satisfying gaming experience.

Ideally, a fixed amount of sacrificial power should be distributed regularly.

Like the check-in systems of early games: log in daily to claim 100 points of sacrificial power.

Or log in a certain number of times per week to receive an extra batch of sacrificial power.

This would alleviate the difficulty of advancement caused by insufficient sacrificial power.

One hour before the Monster World briefing began, the livestream audience surged past five billion and continued to skyrocket.

Comments were outright blocked; text was displayed regionally to prevent the flood of messages from obscuring content.

You’d barely see one character before hundreds of thousands of comments pushed it off the screen.

Representatives and journalists from all races had already gathered at the Monster World briefing venue, ready to ask the Eclipse Clan’s ruling officials questions about Monster World.

Normally, the Eclipse Clan revealed nothing about Monster World.

This briefing was undoubtedly their best chance to obtain critical information.

As the 1st Ruler in black ruling robes appeared, the entire hall fell silent.

Only the livestream remained lively.

The 1st Ruler walked slowly onto the stage, paused, and calmly fixed his gaze on the livestream camera.

His Iron Face on screen was handsome, with sharp but not harsh contours, elongated elf-like ears, and features perfectly balanced—neither flamboyant nor lacking grace, radiating calmness and composure.

He glanced briefly at the delegates gathered below the stage and gave a slight nod in greeting.

Raising his head, his deep blue eyes met the camera directly as he smiled:

“Good afternoon, journalists from all races and netizens watching the livestream.” His voice was gentle and clear, carrying a reassuring strength that instantly bridged the distance to everyone.

“Today’s briefing is primarily to address a series of questions that have caused great confusion.”

“Let us now proceed to the main topic.”

“I’m sure everyone is curious: what is the purpose behind the Eclipse Clan’s massive investment of resources and effort into creating Monster World?”

“There are many answers on the Star Net—even conspiracy theories claiming we seek to control players through the game. These are baseless. But one viewpoint correctly guessed our core objective.”

“Before arriving on Earth, the Eclipse Clan endured an unprecedented catastrophe that forced us to abandon our homeland, splitting into five groups fleeing to different worlds. One group, carrying the Star Net AI, descended upon Earth—this is the main lineage to which I belong.”

“We ourselves never lived through this history, yet it is permanently recorded in our annals.”

“To prevent such events from recurring, the Star Net proposed the Virtual Warfare Program—using virtual worlds for military training, giving rise to a series of war-themed virtual games, including the earlier Conquest Series, Sinful Lands, and Dark Lands.”

“Players who experienced these virtual games will notice that each features similar monster designs, such as the Black Black Tide.”

“Monster World is a virtual game directly developed by the Star Net, blending entertainment and warfare to provide us with a more refined training ground where all new technologies can be tested within its environments.”

…

As the explanation unfolded, the mysterious Monster World revealed its veil.

Long ago, an “urban legend” circulated online claiming virtual games were created by the Eclipse Clan for military training.

This could be inferred from the intense racial conflicts within the games.

Yet this theory had never received an official response from the Eclipse Clan.

But now, the 1st Ruler confirmed it.

During the Q&A, a human journalist stood, his tone urgent:

“1st Ruler, after your explanation, do you believe the catastrophe your ancestors endured could also occur on Earth?”

The 1st Ruler shook his head slightly, his expression calm and composed:

“We cannot know what the future holds. All we can do is prepare actively. If we grow strong enough, even if catastrophe strikes, we will have the capacity to respond.”

The journalist pressed further:

“All races are deeply interested in Monster World and wish for more access slots. Why is the Eclipse Clan releasing qualifications so slowly?”

The 1st Ruler nodded, his gaze turning solemn:

“This is precisely the issue I will explain next.”

He paused briefly, then spoke with calm yet firm clarity:

“Since the official website opened, everyone—whether qualified or not—has experienced Monster World’s realism, which achieves perfect replication of the real world. Every detail players perceive—visual, auditory, tactile, even emotional feedback—is powered by our most advanced technology.”

However, this extreme realism places enormous pressure on our servers; each player’s connection consumes vast computational resources. To ensure smoothness and stability, we must strictly limit the number of players and gradually release access qualifications.

“Recently, we have begun shutting down Server A and redirecting resources to Server B—the Monster World server you are currently experiencing. Hence, the pace of qualification distribution has accelerated.”

“Soon, we will add more servers for Monster World, further speeding up qualification releases.”

We understand the passion all races have for Monster World. But to guarantee every player the optimal experience and prevent technical failures from server overload, we must proceed cautiously. Yet rest assured—we are optimizing the system to the fullest to expand qualification access as soon as possible.

“Here, on behalf of the Eclipse Clan, I pledge to all Earth Alliance players: Monster World is permanently free—a gift from the Star Net to the entire world.”

The 1st Ruler’s answer drew applause from the audience.

This response did not evade critical content—it candidly revealed the core philosophy behind Monster World’s creation.

Even the issue of slow qualification distribution due to technical limitations.

It answered the journalists’ questions and soothed the expectations of all races.

After the human journalist sat down, the Breaker Clan journalist rose:

“1st Ruler, hello.”

After receiving the Ruler’s nod, the Breaker Clan journalist immediately asked:

“I’ve been monitoring Monster World forums and livestream comments daily. Players are deeply dissatisfied with the slow pace of sacrificial power acquisition, feeling their growth is too sluggish. Why not increase the rate of sacrificial power gain—or create more channels to obtain it?”

The 1st Ruler nodded slightly, briefly organized his thoughts, then explained:

“Regarding the lack of additional benefits and the inability to increase sacrificial power gains, the fundamental reason is that Monster World is managed by the Star Net. We have no authority to interfere with its internal development.”

“But I realize this answer won’t satisfy everyone. Let me now explain from the Star Net’s perspective.”

“First, from the game’s core design philosophy: Monster World was never merely an entertainment tool. It hosts a highly realistic virtual ecosystem. The Star Net intends for players to experience a near-authentic process of survival and growth—where resource acquisition and ability advancement require genuine effort. As the game’s core currency, sacrificial power’s scarcity maintains this ecosystem’s balance.”

“Arbitrarily increasing sacrificial power gains or offering extra rewards would not only disrupt game balance but also diminish the sense of achievement players gain through exploration and challenge. We firmly believe true enjoyment comes from overcoming difficulties and achieving goals—not from simple reward stacking.”

As he spoke, the 1st Ruler’s gaze swept across the room, continuing:

“Moreover, excessive sacrificial power distribution would cause inflation, ultimately degrading every player’s experience. The Star Net designs this system to encourage players to plan resource usage or collaborate for higher output.”

Finally, the 1st Ruler’s tone softened slightly:

“Of course, the Star Net listens to player feedback and will optimize the experience based on real-world conditions.”

For example: increasing the number of slots for Death Space dungeons, granting players Spirit Fields after each containment, and periodically introducing new features—all are improvements made to enhance player experience.

“But the precondition is maintaining Monster World’s balance and sustainability. Surely everyone has noticed the game contains many powerful races—player strength still pales in comparison.”

“Because this game’s future is a relay across generations. Our descendants will stand on our shoulders, continuing to explore, grow, and rise in Monster World under the name of the Player Race. Every effort we make now paves the way for them; every accumulation lays the foundation for future glory.”

“You may view Monster World as a grand expedition by Earth’s players in a virtual world. We may never witness its final outcome, but our persistence and struggle here will become the cornerstone for future generations. Through every accumulation of sacrificial power and every rise in strength, the Player Race will ascend from the bottom to become an undeniable force on the world stage.”

“So please understand: we are not limiting your growth—we are planning for a longer future. The journey of Monster World has only just begun, and each of us is a scribe of this history.”

The 1st Ruler’s explanation was logically rigorous and deeply persuasive, drawing another round of applause.

Following this, more journalists rose one after another to ask the 1st Ruler numerous questions about Monster World.

The 1st Ruler responded to each with clear, improvised answers.

The briefing then entered the thematic expansion phase.

The second-to-last topic was: the definition of real-world racial traits versus in-game character traits.

This was also a question many qualified players couldn’t understand.

Why could the Greenwood Clan possess racial traits far surpassing other races—even unlocking hidden scenarios?

“Regarding the definitions of race and in-game characters, I must mention a hidden setting in Monster World: Racial Benefits.”

“Racial Benefits are a hidden easter egg implanted by the Star Net during Monster World’s design, with each race possessing its own unique racial easter egg.”

“So far, two races have unlocked their Racial Benefits easter eggs.”

“They are the Human players and the Greenwood Clan players.”

Upon hearing the 1st Ruler’s answer, the livestream filled with question marks—mostly posted by Human players.

As for racial traits, Human players had nothing—worse than the Gills Fish Clan, who could breathe underwater.

The 1st Ruler continued:

"The racial Easter eggs in the game are crafted based on the real-world conditions of each race. Human players possess the largest population, so the racial Easter egg triggered by them is the 'Special Recruitment' designed by the Star Net—this is also why human players make up such a massive proportion of the player base, as they have a significantly higher probability of securing eligibility compared to players of other races."

The Greenwood race’s situation is similar: their hidden racial Easter egg greatly enhances their natural affinity, granting them the ability to communicate with, and even control, nature.

"Here, we must again apologize to the Greenwood race. When the Star Net designed the hidden racial Easter eggs, it referenced vast amounts of historical and mythological content from each race’s real-world background, then distilled from these sources racial welfare Easter eggs that matched each race’s characteristics—hence the altered portrayal of certain Greenwood history."

"As for the welfare Easter eggs of other races, players must discover them through exploration in the Monster World. I myself do not know the specifics, since the Monster World is directly managed by the Star Net—even members of our own Eclipse Clan have no special privileges, and we ourselves do not even know what our Eclipse Clan’s racial welfare Easter egg in the game is."

After hearing the First Administrator’s explanation, the live stream erupted into chaos.

They had not expected that every race possessed hidden racial welfare benefits.

This also explains why the Greenwood race’s innate strength is so high, and why human players make up the overwhelming majority of the player army.

Because both races had already triggered their racial Easter eggs and received a certain degree of preferential treatment.

This answer filled players of other races who had already secured eligibility with immense anticipation.

It meant that they too could possess such special advantages—only they had not yet discovered how to trigger them.

But as the number of native players in each race within the Monster World grows, they will inevitably find ways to trigger the hidden Easter eggs and gain additional ability boosts or welfare benefits.

In the live stream, players of all races began heated discussions on this topic:

"Now I finally understand—the hidden racial Easter egg for my Gills Fish race is probably controlling the power of the sea. I just don’t know how to trigger it. I’m so excited! It’s time for our Gills Fish to get a power boost—everyone, start searching!"

"Then my Breakthrough race’s Easter egg should be automatic sacrificial power gain—say, +50 sacrificial power per hour. After all, we’re the most business-savvy race in the Earth Alliance; this racial Easter egg fits our real-world profile perfectly."

"Hahaha, then my Skywing race’s Easter egg must be 'Sky Sovereign'—after all, we’re born with the ability to fly. Maybe triggering the Easter egg will let us fly faster in the game, or even control storms and air currents. Just imagining it feels amazing—soon, the skies of the Monster World will be our Skywing territory."

"Don’t rush, Gills Fish brothers—I think the Deepfish race’s Easter egg is definitely Deep Sea Domination. Maybe they can control sea monsters like the Greenwood race, or even manipulate ocean tides."

"Then my Spiritvoice race’s Easter egg might be that singing can damage nearby targets—or heal them. Hehe, that doesn’t sound too bad either."

The live stream discussion was intense.

Players of all races were fantasizing about what their race’s hidden welfare Easter egg might be; some had even begun forming teams to research how to trigger these Easter eggs.

The First Administrator, watching the flood of comments on the live stream, filtered and read the information through the receiver on his nape, then smiled and said:

"It seems everyone is extremely enthusiastic about racial Easter eggs—this is precisely the original intent behind the Star Net’s hidden design: to encourage players of all races to discover more unique traits of their own during their exploration of the Monster World. But I must also remind players of all races: the conditions to trigger racial Easter eggs are not simple. They may require specific quests, events, or even collective efforts by the entire race to unlock… so please remain patient during your exploration."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the live stream’s comments flooded the screen again.

The First Administrator’s revelation of this hidden feature filled many players with anticipation for the future.

Everyone was intensely curious about what their own race’s hidden welfare Easter egg might be, and began researching based on their race’s unique characteristics.

In the midst of casual conversation, the First Administrator defused potential doubts.

At the end of the briefing, the First Administrator mentioned again the 'Dark Lands' refund function.

After distributing 500,000 player slots, the Eclipse Clan received 12 slots in this round.

Therefore, the refund system can now be officially activated.

Originally, the 16th Administrator—who had secured game eligibility in the previous round—was to handle the refund process.

But the 16th Administrator is currently building a Society and a Gold Coin Merchant Society, and is too busy to spare time for this task.

This time, however, the 12 newest Eclipse Clan members who have just secured game eligibility can handle this matter.

Thus, the First Administrator intends to use this Monster World special briefing.

To collect a batch of sacrificial power by offering a 1.5x refund of real-world currency to players who have already secured Monster World eligibility and still possess Dark Lands.

The Eclipse Clan’s development plan for the Monster World has already taken preliminary shape.

But every step requires massive sacrificial power expenditures, so the First Administrator does not wish to miss any opportunity to acquire sacrificial power.

Thus, the Monster World special briefing officially ended.

But the players’ discussions about hidden racial welfare Easter eggs continued.

(End of Chapter)