It was now confirmed that players could log off at any time, significantly reducing the game’s danger level.

The four remaining players each had their own thoughts, staying near the logged-off players without leaving.

“Hello, I’m Jiang Nan,” Jiang Nan proactively approached Qingshan. “Your random quest requires you to leave the hive, right? I’ve played many online games, but we still don’t know what’s outside or whether dying in the game affects reality. It’s safer to act together. Can you share the hidden quest?”

Qingshan remembered this player as one of the quick-thinking ones. Since he hadn’t planned to do the quest solo anyway, he readily agreed: “Hello, Qingshan.”

Piao Xue hadn’t logged off either: “I’m in too. Count me in.”

The last remaining player was God Bless, who had earlier responded to Piao Xue about logging off to check things out. He gave Piao Xue a meaningful glance, as if words were unnecessary: “And me.”

The four added each other as friends. Before long, the logged-off players began returning one after another.

Doing the math, it looked like they had logged off just long enough to confirm they were still alive before logging back in.

“It really is a game!”

“I received a system announcement after logging off just now. The app updated with a link to the official website, which has a forum.”

“You can check the forum while online too!”

As players returned, they excitedly shared their offline experiences.

Qingshan opened the game interface but didn’t get any system announcement or forum update. It seemed you had to log off to get updates.

The four who had just added each other exchanged glances, none planning to log off. But from the excited discussions around them, they pretty much figured out the announcement’s content.

First: The game world’s time flows at a 3:1 ratio compared to reality. Players can’t play for more than 8 hours a day (Earth time). While online, the player’s body enters deep sleep, with a positive boost to physical and mental health.

Second: After a player’s character dies, their level drops back to zero, and they must wait 128 hours of Earth time before getting back into the game.

Third: After reaching level 10, players can buy a Substitute Puppet to respawn immediately at the starting point, keeping their original level.

Fourth: For realism, all landscapes, models, and mobs follow the world’s setting rules and are unique. Player actions may trigger chain reactions—so be careful.

Fifth: The game developers reserve the right of final interpretation. More surprises await players to discover on their own.

Players were Shen Yi’s markers. When a marker died, all energy would return to Shen Yi.

Worried that players might rage quit after losing their levels upon death, Shen Yi reluctantly added the third rule.

Resetting at level 10 was just within the players’ tolerance threshold—something they could grit their teeth and grind their way back from.

Making players spend experience to buy a Substitute Puppet after level 10 wasn’t about greed; it was to make them realize the preciousness of life. Otherwise, if they grew reckless in the game and carried that recklessness into reality, wouldn’t that be his fault?

As everyone knows, the first few days of a game’s launch are crucial for getting ahead. Qingshan and the other three had no plans to log off. They quickly reached a consensus to follow the quest log prompts and find NPCs to grab daily quests.

The promoted elders no longer handled hive chores. Following Shen Yi’s arrangements, they were already stationed around the hive, waiting for players to pick up quests.

Daily quests included: Nest Building, Nurturing, Gathering, Herding, and Scouting.

Ten elders were assigned, with two responsible for each task.

After confirming from the announcement that dying in the game wouldn’t affect reality, players grew more active. Some checked their task panels to find NPCs, while others grew restless and ventured outside the hive.

Crawling through the narrow hive entrance, they were greeted by a breeze carrying the scent of grass and trees. Towering giant trees, vibrant flowers, and mushrooms made it feel like a fairy tale. The melodious birdsong and rustling leaves composed a natural symphony, punctuated by exclamations of “Holy crap!”

“Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap! I’m flying!”

“Holy crap, this is way too real!” Player Papa Orange flew onto a leaf, swinging like a pendulum in the wind. After taking a bite of the leaf, it left a hole, and he tasted a slightly bitter flavor.

“Holy crap, there are ants, and even slugs!” Barbara ran to the ground, where damp soil and leaves were crawling with bugs just trying to get by. “Holy crap, is this really a game?”

“Who cares what it is? As long as we can respawn, it’s a game to us.”

Brother Pidan, having figured it out, joyfully soared into the sky, already forgetting about quests.

“Ahhhhh, I’m really flying—so awesome—”

“Ahhhhh, this is so freaking awesome—uh—”

The cheerful shouts cut off abruptly as Brother Pidan was snatched up and swallowed by a passing tiger-beaked bird.

“Holy shit, he’s gone!” A nearby player who witnessed this excitedly freaked out. “Quick! Go to the forum and ask if he’s still alive!”

Although the game announcement said death in the game allowed respawning, no one felt entirely reassured just by reading it. They were all waiting for some unlucky soul to test it out first.

In fact, before anyone could ask, Brother Pidan, forced offline by death, had already posted a lament on the forum.

Title: #Waaah, I was wrong, I was only online for 3 minutes ahhhh#

“Original Poster Brother Pidan: I barely started flying when a bird ate me, then the screen went black, and I was forced offline. Just logged into the game and was told I have to wait 128 hours—5 days! I have to wait 5 days. Can I get another chance? What game makes you wait 5 days to respawn after dying?”

Don’t Wanna Get Up: !!! OP is one of the 20 unlucky ones who logged into the game? Are you still alive?

Go to Bed Early: What’s going on? Is this really a game? The official website says it’s a VR game, but the promo video was too far-fetched.

Messy Puppy: Since this game latched onto me, my moderate insomnia has turned into neurasthenia. Just kill me or spare me, but make it quick.

OP replies to Go to Bed Early: Never played such an amazing game in my life. All I can say is, those who pre-registered are in for a treat.

Big Spear: You’re not a shill, are you?

OP replies to Big Spear: Believe it or not, don’t interrupt my lament.

…

In less than ten minutes since the forum went live, the page was flooded with posts.

Most were from players who had pre-registered but didn’t get a spot, now gathering to complain. Finally, they found their people—this virus was too powerful, inescapable, totally inescapable.

Some even posted tutorials.

#Regarding the uninstall issue of “Bugs World,” I’ve summarized a method to minimize losses. Hope it helps everyone#

“Original Poster Little Shopkeeper: Figure we’re all in the same boat here, so I won’t elaborate on how persistent and weird this virus is. I’ll mainly show you how to protect your info and money.

First, find an unused phone. Hold it in your hand and don’t put it down, constantly giving yourself mental tricks: this is your new phone, or this is your dedicated gaming phone.

Then, here’s the trick: if your mental tricks are effective enough, ‘Bugs World’ will move over to the unused phone. But you gotta use it—download a few small games on it and play them occasionally.

This way, you can at least separate ‘Bugs World’ from your banking apps.”

Little Ghosts Are Troublesome: Who dares say this virus isn’t problematic now?

Missy: The inventor of this virus is a genius too.

Ant King: An announcement is out, everyone go check it out. This really seems to be a game.

…

Shen Yi didn’t expect Bugs World to be disliked this much. He tsk’d and closed the post. These guys are avoiding us developers like the plague now, but sooner or later they’ll eat their words.

By then, they’ll be begging to snag a beta access slot.

Shen Yi jotted a note on his memo. He originally planned to assign subsequent playtest slots based on the order of sign-ups, but now he changed his mind. For the next wave, it would be more fun to randomly select from the players who had signed up.

Later, Shen Yi stumbled upon a post ranting about the game’s lack of screenshot and recording features, with tons of players begging for the addition of recording and live streaming.

This was something he hadn’t considered before. Enabling recording and live streaming could help promote the game, show off how fun and safe the game is to newcomers, and gradually change people’s fear of Bugs World. The benefits were numerous.

Shen Yi circled this note and asked the system to start loading the corresponding features. Enabling live streaming would consume a lot of energy, but the system had just absorbed four Lingyue Lotus seeds earlier, so its energy reserves were sufficient. The system agreed right away.

Shen Yi exited the forum and checked the current number of players online: 18.

One player had died, and another had encountered an issue at the login interface, forced to log off and currently not online.

Shen Yi wiggled his antennae and crawled to the players’ spawn nests. Sure enough, one nest remained unbroken.

If a player-bound larva didn’t break out of the nest within half an hour, it would smother in the nest, wasting his 100 experience points.

Just then, faint nibbling sounds suddenly came from the nest.

A bumblebee’s dark compound eyes peered out of the cocoon, locking eyes with Shen Yi outside.

“Holy crap, so cute!”

This player was Xie Tingting, who had earlier gone to the police station to report a suspected alien abduction.

The police officers showed her the door and gently suggested she get a check-up at the hospital, almost outright telling her to get her head examined.

When she stumbled home dazed, she leaned back in her recliner and, unwilling to give up, clicked into the game again, just in time to catch the system’s game announcement.

After reading the announcement and Brother Pidan’s post, she licked her lips hesitantly, “Could it really be a game?”

Well, since you could respawn after dying, she might as well check it out.

So she followed the game’s instructions, chewing through the hive cell, and opened her eyes to see an adorable little creature.

So cute! The black and yellow stripes, the chubby, fluffy little bumblebee instantly melted her heart.

Xie Tingting unconsciously scrambled over and hugged Shen Yi’s belly, mumbling, “So soft.”

So adorable! Where’d you come from, you adorable little bee? Xie Tingting’s imagination went wild, her mind instantly picturing a young boy with antennae on his head, like a little bee.

Shen Yi: [Speechless]

“Queen Bee’s Favorability -10”

“Current Queen Bee Favorability: 0”

“Note: If Queen Bee’s Favorability falls below 0, you will be kicked out of the nest.”

“Huh?” Xie Tingting didn’t quite process it and instinctively rubbed the soft belly again.

“Queen Bee’s Favorability -10”

“The Queen Bee has revoked her protective pheromones for you. You will be driven out by the entire swarm.”

System Announcement: Player Ting Yu’s Queen Bee Favorability has fallen below 0 and has been kicked out of the nest. As the first player expelled from the hive, Ting Yu has earned the title — Swarm Exile. Equip Effect: All Bumblebees’ Favorability -10.