Chapter Ch89.1 - End Of An Era
translator: xiin
editors: apricot & juurensha
Light shone through the dead reed and wooden branches of the warm campfire, and the stones in the fire hole crackled from the heat.
By the constantly flickering source of light, Wu Jin flipped over the small line of words on the exchanger as his three teammates looked on.
Evolution Point: 1 point.
“The Red Queen hypothesis––in any given ecological environnt, all species are competitors in the evolutionary ga.”
“Before entering the arena, I guessed that the ‘competitors’ would be the Pelycosaur, the Anteosaurus, and even dinosaurs that haven’t yet shown up in the arena. They would be species that evolved in the present environnt, who chose an evolutionary direction that creates evolutionary advantages, and co out on top by outdoing their opponents and pushing them out of their ecological niches.”
“This model is limited and compressed.” Wu Jin turned the cube around in his hands, his slender fingers with slight gun calluses stroking lightly over each side, “The Red Queen hypothesis is the main rule of the ga, and each player represents a population. The small probability of functional mutation is based on the Evolution Point points, and the way to develop the species is––through using the Evolution Points to specialize certain points of the evolution tree.”
Ming Yao and Sora figured it out first and looked at the exchanger simultaneously.
Ming Yao: “Based on the aning of these supplies... You’re saying that the competitors in the Red Queen ga––also includes the contestants?”
Wu Jin nodded and brushed over the exchanger’s virtual projection.
The light was projected out into the center of the group, mingling with the flas from the bonfire. Wu Jin stood up, causing half of his body to be covered in bright light, while the other half was imrsed in the cold and humid Permian period night.
“The way the fourth elimination match gives supplies isn’t the sa as before, because the rules of the Red Queen ga needs to include the players. The only difference between the contestants and a natural species is that the evolution of a natural species changes over ti, while the evolution of the contestant cos from the program’s supplies.”
“And the conditions for winning are the sa––to win, we have to choose the right evolutionary direction.”
“There’s only one evolutionary tree. Snatch up Evolution Points before each small segnt of ti, then allocate points towards different branches––each corresponding to a species evolving into different advantages to cope with the environnt’s natural selection and confrontation between species.”
The others leaned close to look at the projection screen.
“There are several exchange categories.”
“Respiratory equipnt, which can be used to exchange for highly adaptable and high pressure resistant respiratory systems that are similar to the evolutionary direction of the birds during the sozoic Jurassic. A bird’s dual respiratory system ensures that two gas exchanges take place during the sa breath, thus allowing them to draw a lot of oxygen from the air while they’re in flight.”
Wu Jin continued his analysis, “The armor category corresponds to biological armor.”
Lin Ke’s brain flashed, and he raised his hand without thinking, “The Stegosaur! I know this!”
Wu Jin nodded, “The direction for biological armor evolution and the Stegosaur is similar. The Stegosaur resists predator attacks through its back plates, tail spines, and highly tough epidermis.”
“The weapon category corresponds to a predatory direction.”
“The speed category, chanism category, diagram category...”
Wu Jin’s voice was light, but it was stable and clear.
The fire gradually weakened, and Ming Yao volunteered to watch over it. It was the middle of the night, and two of their teammates fell asleep, leaving Wu Jin and Ming Yao on duty.
“In the long run&#k2013;&#k2013;a competitor’s victory has a certain level of predictability. So, when we add points to the evolutionary tree, we need to focus in a long-term direction. For example, surviving mass extinction?” Ming Yao rubbed his hands by the fire and speculated in a low voice.
Wu Jin agreed.
The two of them took advantage of the ti when they were free to discuss the extinction that occurred at the end of the Permian period.
Every contestant was allowed to bring small miscellaneous objects with them when they entered the field, like Thin Fire’s eyeliner. Wu Jin had chosen to bring the most basic pen and paper, and two hours later, the drafting paper was covered in speculations.
At the center was a simple evolutionary tree, and the species that existed before and after the Permian period were all classified in groups––
Ming Yao tossed his pen down with a clatter and let out a long sigh of relief.
Wu Jin rubbed at his arms, but he looked a lot more relaxed than before.
One branch of the evolutionary tree had been drawn over several tis with the pen.
Their speculations were finally settled.
“Let’s bet on it?” Wu Jin opened his mouth.
Ming Yao nodded fiercely.
Unlike Wu Jin who’d dozed off for a while, Ming Yao really hadn’t slept all night, but he still looked very excited. He lay spreadeagled on the ground and placed the draft over his head. He was very emotional, and his eyes were reverent, “400 million years. How small was the evolutionary probability of us being at the genetic peak...”
Wu Jin nodded repeatedly, and his eyes also showed reverence, “Primates, hominids, Homo sapiens. It really wasn’t easy––”
Ming Yao finished his words “...so that our captain, who is the pinnacle of the best genes could be evolved!”
Wu Jin choked, “......”
Ming Yao peeled the draft paper off his face, revealing an expression full of excitent. Based on his expression, it seed that he was about to pull Wu Jin into his pyramid sche at any minute, “Our team captain is very powerful. He’s invincible and able to keep enemies at bay at 2000 ters! His five senses are acute too. When I go to sleep and turn over lightly, the captain will––”
Wu Jin suddenly interjected, “You guys from Jingyi are really like the rumors, you even sleep together in order to cultivate tacit understanding...”
Ming Yao retorted imdiately, “How could that be! I’m talking about childhood, childhood! I was still young when I first entered the team, and the captain helped sleep like a baby––Ah, don’t talk about how many little darlings want to sleep with our captain. In the middle of the night, I picked up a small pillow and rushed over. The captain didn’t even lock his door, so I secretly bought a lock online and locked it! Nobody but could even think about getting in!”
Wu Jin was struck speechless and looked wide-eyed at this in-service contestant and retired darling.
Ming Yao finished speaking, then touched his head with a little embarrassnt, “Now that we’re talking about it, I want to revisit that ti with the captain... Say, do you think there’s any way to climb into his bed again? Hey, don’t misunderstand, our captain is a straight man! The type who has a girlfriend! The type he plans to marry after he wins back the championship!”
The words ‘straight man’ were only spoken casually by Ming Yao, but Wu Jin’s soft curls suddenly rose up nervously like they’d been cued. He only recovered quietly after seeing that nothing followed after.
However, Ming Yao just wouldn’t let this phrase go. “I learned from the captain, so I’m also a straight man! However, it’s quite fun to form a CP with him.” Ming Yao took advantage of the cara position adjustnts at night and was behaving freely as he looked affectionately at Wu Jin, “Of course, Little Witch, you can’t experience it. There’s a fundantal difference between our Jingyi CP and the soulless Scarf CP––”
Wu Jin finally couldn’t help but say, “There’s soul! In fact, I’m also very happy with the CP...”
Ming Yao was amused. He raised up a finger and shook it, “I admire the captain very much. Do you and Contestant Wei have that?!”
Wu Jin didn’t even think twice, “Yes!”
Ming Yao: “The captain is particularly protective of . Does Contestant Wei treat you like that?!”
Wu Jin answered instantly, “Yes!”
Ming Yao hadn’t expected that Wu Jin would be a hidden troll, so he used his ultimate move, “If I suddenly beca a girl––ah, of course if I was a girl, I wouldn’t have my current face, I think I might have a secret crush on our captain! A secret crush! Would you do that?!”
Wu Jin: “...Yes.”
He already did now.
Ming Yao obviously didn’t believe him. He shrugged at this elite troll Wu Jin to show that he couldn’t beat him, then went back to add wood to the fire.
Of course, Wu Jin couldn’t show him his secret crush on the spot, so he stuffed the draft into his backpack and kept watch.
The night wind was cool during the Permian period, but it wasn’t at the level where it pierced through to the bone due to the warm surface temperature. The fern forest hadn’t yet evolved to have the woody fragrance of millions of years later and instead carried a sweet sll of moisture. There was a bright river of stars in the night sky above them, as well as the two distant crescent moons.
Wu Jin was wrapped up in the parachute cloth, sitting with his back to Ming Yao. His mind was filled with the scene of Wei Shi fighting the Anteosaurus.
It was like a person secretly watching cartoon replays. When it was over, he looked up happily, his lips curving up beneath the star-speckled skies before flattening again, then curving back up. His pupils were clear and reflected the light from a passing teor.
He was just missing a guitar.
Wu Jin had already begun to lose control over his desire to compose music!
Accompanying elder brother to watch the teor shower on this planet~ WIth little Pterosaurs flying around us~
Wu Jin stilled.
He suddenly stood up and called out to Ming Yao, his expression changing sharply, “teor shower, it’s a teor shower!”
The sky was getting light as the team of four once again got ready, but the atmosphere was much more solemn than it had been last night.
Wu Jin briefly talked about the teor shower anomaly as well as his speculations with Ming Yao. Lin Ke agreed unconditionally, and Sora also nodded after thinking for a brief mont.
Before leaving, Ming Yao took ti to snatch half an hour’s worth of sleep while Sora helped Wu Jin perform a final check, “There are two branches under the breathing equipnt category. A provides 30 minutes of unburdened high concentration oxygen supply, and B provides 24 hours of normal concentration oxygen supply, with a minimum of 12% oxygen extraction. All of the above can be redeed at a 1:1 Evolution Point ratio.”
“Additionally, one Evolution Point can be exchanged for two basic breathing devices––but the requirents for it to function is that the oxygen content in the surroundings must exceed 21%.”
“If we exchange for 4 B-class and 4 basic breathing devices, there will still be one last Evolution Point left.” After Sora reviewed it, he added, “We can leave one for ergencies, or trade it for one A-class equipnt to prevent suffocation.”
At this ti, Lin Ke returned with two lizards that he’d caught. He looked at Wu Jin and Sora, “What do you an? What A-class, B-class? What breathing device?”
Ming Yao, who’d been taking a nap, woke up and stretched out a hand to try and lift up Lin Ke’s coat, “Hey, didn’t I stomp on your waist yesterday? Isn’t it bruised? The blow was pretty heavy.”
Lin Ke hurriedly covered up his waist, “Brother, please don’t! The caras are watching––”
In the bright morning light, the newly arranged caras revolved around the four of them.
Wu Jin yawned and raised up his head sleepily, only to be caught by surprise as he ended up staring directly at the cara in front of him.
His dazed amber pupils carried a touch of moisture.
Wu Jin suddenly reacted and smiled to show his small white teeth. He turned the cara around and pushed it towards his teammates.
The night was over.
The fern forest was changing again. The lush vegetation was even more abundant after last night’s rainstorm, and they couldn’t see the top of the forest at a glance. As for the vertebrates––the Pelycosaurs that had originally been roaming in front of their cave had disappeared.
Wu Jin and his teammates exchanged silent glances.
The Pelycosaurs had gone extinct.
The tiline had moved forward again.
The team trekked back to the valley. The Moschops that had beco the prey of the Anteosaurus last evening was still lying there by the water, and a small, primitive crocodile was currently picking the at from its body.
“Crocodile-shaped, Archosaurifors, scavenger.” Wu Jin explained, “It’s one of the species that survived to the Triassic period.”
Lin Ke thought about it, “Archosaurifors? Why does that sound familiar?”
Wu Jin smiled, “From the Triassic period to the Jurassic period, there are four familiar species categories. Dinosaurs, Pterosaurs, as well as the tenacious crocodiles, and birds.”
Lin Ke’s mouth dropped open and he shivered after a while. For the first ti, he didn’t bring up his favorite dinosaur, “Birds... birds! We can catch an Archaeopteryx and roast it! We can’t always be eating lizards!” The other teammates quickly raised their hands in agreent.
After half a beat, Lin Ke asked again, “Brother Wu, Brother Ming, what other kinds of animals lived during the Triassic period?”
Ming Yao and Wu Jin had discussed it all night and spoke leisurely, “Lystrosaurus, the sea creature with the least calcified soft tissue, small herbivores like lizards, and snakes. They all have one thing in common...”
The four of them searched through the valley but were unable to find a second supplies box. The sky seed to shake again at noon, and it was as though sothing had whistled past the atmosphere. The team that was planning to track down the Moschops herd all stilled for a mont.
“It’s going to be soon.” Ming Yao whispered, “The teorite will hit the planet...”
“teorite impact, mass extinction.”
Making use of yesterday’s experience, the team was soon able to find the herbivorous behemoths’ footprints.
A large herd of Moschops were trudging across the river, and a small group of carnivorous Dinocephalia lurked nearby. There were also three teams present, including Wu Jin’s team of four––
There were small supply boxes in the shallows.
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