boyutpedia Chapter 5 [Reopening the Sand Table, Laying the Foundation for Anthill]
Chapter 5 [Reopening the Sand Table, Laying the Foundation for Anthill]
The effects of the Spirit Frost Spores allowed Xu to finally have a long-awaited deep sleep free from the torment of excruciating pain.
The morning sunlight streamed through the old wooden window onto my face, and the birdsong outside woke me up. My stomach felt cool, and the persistent, dull pain that had plagued me day and night was temporarily gone.
There's no need to rush anymore; I can enjoy life a little more and not be so tense.
The failure of the world in the pond taught Xu Ye a valuable lesson.
Sitting at the table by the window, I opened "The Genesis Diary" and began to plan:
[Design Outline of Model No. 2 "Anthill"]
Instead of rushing into design, first review the root causes of previous failures and write them down more clearly.
"First, the ecosystem is too singular and lacks buffers."
"Mistake 1: Oversimplification of the ecosystem and singular confrontation. The world is only about war and surrender, lacking buffer zones and diversity, which leads to the end of the arms race being mutual destruction."
"Mistake Two: Open Environment, Uncontrolled Variables. Sunlight, rain, temperature... For a fragile microscopic world, any unexpected event in reality could be a catastrophe."
"Mistake 3: Divergent objectives and random evolution. The evolution of World 1 is random, while World 2 must be designed and evolve in a directed manner."
Pick up a pen and sketch a brand new world model below.
It was a three-dimensional structure completely enclosed by a glass dome, consisting of three layers: upper, middle, and lower.
"The core concept of the new world is: the environment is the filter. We use a three-layer structure to build an evolutionary filter."
"Lower level: Underground dark lake. Function: Resource pool and source of life. It provides basic energy and a stable initial environment, allowing the most primitive life to thrive here and form the foundation of the food chain."
"Middle layer: Crystallized cavern. Function: Large filter and arsenal. Harsh environment, full of toxic minerals and energy radiation. Only species with the strongest adaptability and the ability to utilize special elements can pass through here and complete their first 'armoring'."
"Upper Level: Glimmering Forest. Function: Cradle of Civilization. Those who successfully pass through the middle level will have the opportunity to build complex societies here and develop the social and instrumental aspects I need."
This design was intended to create the civilization he desired.
Xu also put pen to paper and wrote down the name of the new world, a name that originated from new expectations.
"Anterhill".
The imagery is taken from an anthill.
A miniature civilization.
The blueprint has been drawn up.
Back inside, Xu opened his laptop and, with his specific needs in mind, began filtering through websites.
On the screen, a large reptile terrarium was displayed as his target for this trip.
Ten square meters, with a tempered glass main body and an independent temperature control, humidity control, ventilation and full-spectrum lighting system.
The numbers in the price column were so glaring they hurt Xu's eyes.
Five digits.
It's expensive...
I glanced at my balance on the mobile banking app: a six-digit password guarding a little over five digits of money—it was truly laughable.
After subtracting that number, the remaining money isn't even enough to give him a decent ICU visit.
This is tantamount to gambling all one's savings on a vague and uncertain future.
Xu closed the page, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes.
After thinking it over, I decided to take a gamble. After all, the remnants of the world in the pool could recoup some losses, and the nutrient-rich soil could be sold at a high price to those old gardeners.
Furthermore, with just a little guidance, creatures can be made to work for you, making handicrafts, because these things are inevitable in the process of civilization's development.
Finally, I reached out and, with trembling hands, clicked the purchase button.
He got up and went to clean up the remains of the world in the pool.
......
Three days later, the logistics company called.
The goods were only delivered to the town; the rest of the journey, they would have to figure out themselves.
He found a farm tricycle in town. The driver was a dark-skinned middle-aged man. When he heard that he was going to take the goods to his old house in the mountains, he asked for two hundred yuan.
"Young man, it's not that I'm overcharging, it's just that this road is too difficult to drive on." The driver glanced at Xu Ye's gaunt face in the rearview mirror as he drove. "Are you planning to start a farm?"
"I suppose so," Xu replied vaguely.
When the enormous package, securely held in place by a wooden frame, came into view, the driver was stunned: "Good heavens, how heavy is that?"
It took the two of them a lot of effort to load the goods onto the vehicle. The tricycle bumped along the rugged mountain road, and Xu held on tightly to the package, afraid that a bump would shatter the glass inside.
Back at the old house, unloading the goods became a problem again.
In the end, Xu paid an extra fifty yuan before the driver helped carry the package into the yard.
"You young man, you don't look very strong, but you can really do a lot of things." The driver wiped his sweat and couldn't help but glance at Xu Ye a few more times as he took the money.
After seeing the driver off, Xu Ye looked at the enormous thing in the yard and let out a long sigh of relief.
The real challenge is just beginning.
As the setting sun bathed the entire yard in orange-red hues, a colossal object finally rose from the ground in his yard.
The main body of the huge 10-square-meter ecological box has tempered glass panels that reflect a warm glow in the setting sun, while the metal frame gleams with a cold, hard texture.
It stood there quietly, its interior still just an empty shell, yet it exuded an aura far more stable and reliable than the previous pit.
Xu slumped to the ground, not wanting to move a single finger.
......
The box is just a container; the real world must be filled in little by little with our own hands.
First, we went deep into the bamboo forest behind the house.
No one has set foot there for years, and the ground is covered with a thick layer of rotting leaves.
Squat down and use your hands to peel back the surface layer of humus. The moist, soft black soil underneath exudes its unique earthy fragrance.
"This will be the Garden of Eden of the 'Anthill' civilization." He packed the organic-rich soil into bags, planning its future in his mind.
The bamboo leaves rustled overhead, and sunlight filtered through the dense foliage, casting dappled patterns of light.
Xu suddenly realized that these bamboos themselves were a miracle of life.
They are interconnected underground, forming a huge network where they share both prosperity and adversity.
This is remarkably similar to the mycelial network of the Moon Rot Clan.
Then, he drove to a mountain stream a few kilometers away.
The stream was crystal clear, flowing between the jagged rocks with a rushing sound.
Xu took off his shoes and stepped barefoot into the icy stream. He not only filled all the buckets he had brought, but also picked up many smooth pebbles washed by the stream, as well as dark green algae clinging to the stones.
"This is the 'underground lake,' the first nourishment of life," he thought.
The most dangerous trip was to a nearby old mine that had been abandoned for decades.
The entrance to the cave was half-hidden by wildly growing vines, dark and gaping, like a giant maw ready to devour its prey.
Xu only dared to knock off a few pieces of metallic-looking ore embedded in the rock wall near the cave entrance, using the light of a flashlight.
"This is the 'Crystal Cavern,' a testing ground for heroes and a mine for engineers." He packed the stones away.
Every time I go out, every time I carry something, I'm pushing my body to its limits.
When he carried all the materials back to the yard, he practically crawled into the house.
But Xu didn't have time to rest and began to lay out the terrain for his new world.
First, a waterproof layer is laid at the bottom of the eco-box, followed by a drainage system.
Xu carefully installed each pipe according to the instructions and tested the drainage effect.
Next, pebbles and mud taken from the mountain stream were laid down, and then clear stream water was slowly poured in to create the base of the "underground lake".
In the middle layer, rocks from abandoned mines and a small amount of clay were used to create rugged, dark "crystallized caves," which were then adorned with shimmering minerals.
He deliberately left several passageways to allow limited communication between the upper and lower floors.
The top layer is covered with a thick layer of black forest soil, mimicking the staggered forest landscape, awaiting the arrival of life.
They also specially transplanted several small shade-loving ferns to lay the foundation for the future "light forest".
Three independent biospheres, through reserved gaps and holes, enable the circulation of matter and energy.
Temperature, humidity, and light can all be precisely adjusted through the control system, which is incomparable to his previous simple earthen pit.
As the last handful of soil was laid, Xu straightened his aching back, looked at the miniature world before him that was perfectly divided yet interconnected, and let out a long breath.
The brand-new "Second Sand Table", "Anthill", has finally been completed.
He introduced various collected microorganisms, algae, and small invertebrates into their respective areas and then activated the environmental control system.
A constant temperature of 25 degrees Celsius, humidity of 70%, and lighting that simulates the natural day-night cycle...
Everything is ready.