Prehistoric Evolution: I Choose Bacteria and Leave Everyone Stunned

Blue Star Online has arrived. Every country sends one player into the game to observe a prehistoric species of their choice. If the species survives, they win; if it goes extinct, they lose. Winners receive resources and technology, while losers suffer an equivalent punishment.

Lin Shen, a synthetic biologist who transmigrated here, was selected as China's observer. While players from other countries chose mighty beasts such as megalania, mammoths, and saber-toothed cats, he calmly chose bacteria.

The global livestream chat exploded: "Bacteria count?" Players from every country protested as one. But the game System ruled that bacteria are single-celled prokaryotes that have existed on Earth for over 3.5 billion years and possess all the characteristics of life. The choice was valid.

The audience laughed, questioned him, and worried. Lin Shen merely smiled. Animals grew old, got sick, and went extinct, but bacteria were everywhere: in deep-sea vents, cracks in rocks, polar ice cores, and even the guts of his opponents' giant beasts. They could form spores and lie dormant for tens of thousands of years, and adapt to any environment through gene transfer.

"You chose predators," he said, watching the silhouettes of the giant beasts. "I chose the winner that will never go extinct."

This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to actual persons or events is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.