ATIGIBTC Chapter 6

«Demonstrate the highest value for the Creator»

The research institute, which typically operated in silence with everyone focused on their own tasks, suddenly erupted with a public announcement today.

“Everyone, immediately—immediately report to the research lab! Now! Right now!” The head of the institute summoned all its members, even going so far as to consider calling in the janitors to join the meeting.

“Why the urgency? Did something happen?” someone asked.

The person being questioned looked visibly excited, on the verge of shouting. “It must be because of the item the Creator left for us to study yesterday!”

“What did you say? The Creator came here?! Why didn’t anyone tell me?!” another person exclaimed in shock. “I didn’t see the Creator! I didn’t get to see the Creator with my own eyes!”

“I didn’t either! I was on leave yesterday! Why did I take a day off? I love my work so much—how could I have taken a day off?!”

“I saw them! I saw the Creator yesterday! Let me tell you, the Creator is unbelievably stunning. Their eyes seem to hold the most beautiful stars in the world! And their skin—oh, their skin is the finest in existence. You can’t imagine how badly I wanted to reach out and gently touch them. Even if touching the Creator’s face would corrode my hand, I’d still be willing to do it! Sob, sob, sob!”

“Me too! The Creator’s black hair—it’s the purest black, soft and fluffy, like a little ball of cotton! How can my Creator be so adorable? Ah, I can’t take it anymore; just thinking about it makes me want to faint from excitement!”

In an instant, chaos broke out in the institute.

“Meeting! Meeting! Stop causing a ruckus and get to the meeting now!” The director’s furious voice boomed through the loudspeaker. The commotion over He Fang’s visit quickly turned into organized chaos as everyone hurried to gather.

“Is this about work from the Creator? Did the Creator assign us a task? I’m warning all of you—no one is allowed to snatch the Creator’s assignment from me!”

“Are you kidding? With your credentials? The Creator’s task is for the top-tier researchers. I have the highest seniority and the most research achievements, so obviously, I’ll handle it!”

“What are you all arguing about? If the Creator has assigned a task, nobody’s getting out of it! Put everything you’ve got into it and work yourselves to the bone!” the director shouted, trying to quell the heated discussion. His disheveled white lab coat and prominent dark circles under his eyes suggested he hadn’t gone home the previous night, staying in the institute to work instead, without even time to freshen up.

The staff saw the director’s state and immediately understood.

The director must have secretly locked himself in and studied the Creator’s assignment all night before telling anyone else about it.

How infuriating.

He hogged the Creator’s assignment for himself!

That sly old fox!

Half an hour later, when the glowing sword was finally placed before the group, everyone understood its structure—and collectively fell silent.

This glowing sword…

Wasn’t it a bit too low-quality?

“It just glows. That’s it.”

“A child’s toy, nothing more.”

“This isn’t even worthy of being brought over by the Creator. This is just… garbage.”

Everyone in the room fell into an eerie silence. Deep down, they all knew the truth, but no one dared to say it aloud: that the item brought by the Creator was essentially trash.

No, no, no. How could something brought by the Creator possibly be trash?

The researchers, who had initially figured out the structure of the glowing sword within three minutes, painstakingly spent another thirty minutes looking for any intricate detail—yet found absolutely nothing.

“This is a test from the Creator,” the director declared with a solemn expression as if facing a grave threat. He stared at the glowing sword, which was so simple it could barely be described in words and resembled nothing more than a child’s toy. “We’ve grown complacent. The Creator is reminding us to return to our roots—to start from the simplest tasks. Take this toy… ahem, this glowing sword, for example. The Creator wants us to use all of our abilities to uncover its hidden value and create something meaningful from what appears worthless.”

He said it.

The director actually said it: that it’s a toy.

The director said it’s something without value.

Everyone remained silent, each thinking the same thing. But the director was right—this was a test.

A test to see if their research institute was truly dedicated to their work. This was a critical trial that could define their careers.

“We can’t let the Creator’s test down! We must deliver the most perfect results to prove our worth!” the director proclaimed passionately.

“Yes, the director is right! We have to produce the best results!” someone echoed before adding, “Director, can I take on this task alone?”

“Director, can we form teams freely? Or, if one person has a breakthrough, can they handle it alone? Maybe pooling ideas will give us better results!”

Listening to the flurry of scattered suggestions, the director nodded with satisfaction. “I’m pleased to see how seriously you’re all taking this test. Now, everyone, go back and think carefully about how to maximize the value of this glowing sword. Meeting adjourned!”

At that moment, everyone was determined to present the most brilliant reimagining of the glowing sword—to meet the Creator’s expectations!

And, of course, their fierce competitiveness—”No one’s ideas will be better than mine!”—burned brightly in their hearts.

Meanwhile, a mother and daughter passing by the research institute overheard the deafening, passionate cries coming from within.

The little girl looked up and asked, “Mom, why are they so happy?”

The mother smiled down at her and replied, “It must be because the Creator praised them.”

The little girl gazed at the doors of the research institute and asked, “Mom, if I join the research institute in the future, will the Creator praise me too?”

“Of course, our little sweetheart will definitely be loved by the Creator,” the mother said with a smile, gently patting the little girl’s head, her heart warmed by the hope shining in her daughter’s eyes.

When He Fang returned to the research institute after making his rounds, he found that the glowing sword had already been fully analyzed. In front of him were countless identical glowing swords neatly lined up.

“Oh! It’s that easy to mass-produce?!” He Fang’s eyes were filled with surprise and delight. When Min Zhizhou had cautiously handed him the glowing sword earlier, He Fang had thought it was some rare, hard-to-manufacture artifact.

Standing near one of the glowing swords was a member of the research institute. He Fang glanced around and noticed that every member of the institute was strikingly attractive. Each face was distinct, making it clear that the game’s developers had painstakingly customized every NPC’s appearance. It was an astonishing level of detail.

He Fang picked up one of the glowing swords and activated it. A bright beam of light instantly formed, much more solid and radiant than the original sword he had brought. It actually looked quite sleek and impressive.

He casually waved the sword. Suddenly, the corner of a nearby stone table was sliced clean off. The severed piece fell to the ground with a heavy “thud”.

He Fang: “…”

He stared at the stone piece, his expression complicated. The cut surface was perfectly smooth—completely unlike shoddy craftsmanship.

He put away the glowing sword and bent down to pick up the fallen stone chunk. It was solid, heavy, and undeniably substantial.

Looking back at the glowing sword, He Fang turned it on again and cautiously directed it at the stone chunk. The beam cut straight through.

The stone split into two perfect halves.

It was as effortless as slicing tofu. No, even tofu offered some resistance. This felt like the sword simply passed through thin air.

He Fang: “…”

If he remembered correctly, the glowing sword wasn’t supposed to harm anything other than Nightmare Beast seeds… right?

Suddenly, the glowing sword in his hand felt heavier than ever. His gaze shifted warily to the other swords laid out on the stone platform.

One sword could adjust its length and shape. When He Fang activated it, the blade extended until it pierced through the entire research institute. Startled, he quickly retracted the sword, his heart pounding—had he inadvertently injured any residents?

Something that long…

Was it basically giving the enemy a 49-meter head start before skewering them?

Cold sweat dripped down He Fang’s face.

Another glowing sword could flatten into an entire plane of light.

One could shoot out glowing orbs.

Another had destructive power rivaling modern explosives—except it was reusable.

He Fang: “…”

He Fang carefully carried a pile of glowing swords in his arms as he left, leaving behind a group of research institute members eagerly awaiting his praise.

“He’s gone…” the institute director muttered under his breath.

“Just like that? Without even complimenting us?” Confusion filled the eyes of the researchers. “Did we not do well enough? Was the Creator dissatisfied?”

“I knew it! I just knew it! There’s no way the Creator’s expectations could be this simple! Damn it, I failed to meet the Creator’s standards! I’ve wasted all my years of research experience! How could I settle for this mediocrity? I need to study more—yes, more studying!”

A wave of existential doubt swept through the researchers, leaving them questioning their worth and abilities.

Meanwhile, He Fang had sought out Min Zhizhou.

“I had my research institute develop some new weapons,” He Fang explained, “but I’m not sure if they’ll work against Nightmare Beast seeds. So, I came to ask for your expert opinion.”

When Min Zhizhou saw the numerous glowing swords in He Fang’s arms, he sighed. He knew how difficult it was to produce even a single glowing sword—it required tremendous resources, time, manpower, and materials. There was no way such a quantity could be created in such a short period.

However, seeing the hopeful look on He Fang’s face, Min Zhizhou decided to give the weapons a serious try, identify any flaws, and provide constructive feedback.

He picked up one of the glowing sword handles, but before he could activate it, He Fang quickly interjected, “Wait! I’ll stand behind you. When you turn it on, no matter what—no matter what—don’t point it at yourself!”

Though puzzled, Min Zhizhou followed He Fang’s instructions and turned on the glowing sword.

In the blink of an eye, the wooden cabin tilted to one side—split clean in two.

He Fang: “…”

Min Zhizhou: “…”

“Didn’t you say the maximum length was fifty meters? I made sure to stay a hundred meters away from the house! How did it still manage to cut through?!” He Fang was utterly shocked. “This is way too dangerous—way too dangerous!”

Min Zhizhou stood there holding the now-deactivated glowing sword, lost in a deep fog of confusion.

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