Chapter 1377: Chapter 542: Hephis’s Sandbox Game (Part 3)

When Hephis finished demonstrating three distinctly different opening strategies, his expression turned playful:

"Of course, these are all relatively ’quality’ choices, but considering your disappointing philosophical answer just now..."

He let out a cold laugh, grabbing a chaotic tangle of racial prototypes from the edge of the sandbox:

"I think this is more suitable for an ’idealistic’ poet like you."

With his movement, what appeared before Ron was a group of [Hybrid Nomads] with varied forms that seemed completely random.

These creatures were clearly the product of multiple racial mixes:

Some possessed the strength of Beastmen but lacked their discipline;

Some had the agility of Elves but not their grace;

Others inherited the adaptability of Humans but also their shortsightedness.

"Hybrid Nomads, what a fitting metaphor."

Hephis’s tone was full of sarcasm:

"Just like your mishmash of philosophical views—wanting everything but pure in nothing."

The initial state of these Hybrid Nomads in the sandbox was extremely dire.

They had no fixed residence, living in makeshift tents;

No unified cultural identity, with factions sprouting everywhere;

No clear development direction, surviving by relying on temporary instincts.

Even worse, their Basic Attributes were at a disadvantage in every aspect:

Physical strength inferior to Warrior races, intelligence not matching Sage races, and far behind Merchant races in business acumen.

The only "advantage" was the "unpredictability" brought by their chaotic lineage.

But in the early stages of civilization development, it held almost no value.

"So, how do you like the ’gift’ I’ve carefully prepared for you?"

Watching the tottering group of Hybrid Nomads before Ron, Hephis’s pride was evident.

Faced with such obvious malicious targeting, Nari wanted to protest angrily, but Ron gently gestured for silence.

"A very challenging opening."

Ron nodded politely in response, showing no anger from the deliberate difficulty:

"A true craftsman should be able to create miracles under any conditions."

"Sounds nice," Hephis chuckled lightly:

"Then let’s see what kind of ’miracles’ you can create."

[Round One: Survival Crisis]

Hephis chose the [Sage Race], while other races like Beastmen, Dwarves, and Half-Elves were left to develop like NPCs.

Once the game officially started, the gap between the two civilizations immediately became apparent.

The [Sage Race] chosen by Hephis was steadily developing on the sandbox.

They utilized their natural longevity advantage for long-term planning, establishing a systematic knowledge inheritance system.

Elf mages were studying ancient magic in the Jade Tower, Alchemists synthesizing precious materials in the laboratory, scholars recording every significant discovery in the library.

The entire civilization operated like a precise pocket watch, with each gear perfectly functioning on its designated path.

In contrast, Ron’s Hybrid Nomads fell into a near-despair survival crisis.

Due to a lack of a unified leadership core, the various factions began fierce battles for limited resources.

The strong faction with Beastman blood believed everything should be solved through force;

The elegant faction with Elf lineage insisted on maintaining so-called "civilized etiquette";

The pragmatic faction of Human descendants advocated surviving first before considering anything else.

The three parties couldn’t agree, and the entire group was on the verge of splitting.

"Darling, this can’t continue!"

Nari urgently reminded in consciousness:

"They’re about to fight! You have to find a way to unite them!"

"Unite?" Aselia’s face showed disdain:

"The Dragon Race never relies on so-called unity.

The real solution is to establish an absolute hierarchy—let the strongest rule, let the weak obey. Simple, efficient, and no nonsense."

"Wait." Carlos’s voice came from the pocket watch:

"According to my calculations, direct authoritative rule may temporarily stabilize the situation but suppresses this race’s only advantage—the innovative potential from diverse lineage."

"I recommend adopting a ’crisis-driven’ strategy."

Listening to all sides, Ron finally chose a highly risky plan:

He deliberately made the Hybrid Nomads face a more severe external threat, introducing a group of vicious [Wilderness Marauders] on the sandbox.

At the same time, he secretly manipulated the situation to let the marauders’ first attack precisely hit the most aggressive strong faction.

The very ones advocating for a pure force solution were the Beastman hybrids.

When some strong faction warriors fell bleeding, the other two factions realized:

Without sufficient force, their "civilization" and "practicality" were just empty talks.

And when the marauders launched the second wave of attacks, the previously underestimated remnants of the strong faction suddenly became the most valuable allies.

The elegant faction’s mages provided magical protection for the warriors, while the pragmatic faction’s craftsmen forged better weapons for them.

For the first time, the three factions truly recognized each other’s value.

Though incurring heavy casualties, the Hybrid Nomads finally repelled the marauders’ attack.

This life-and-death ordeal also helped them find their own identity—a new race that could integrate multiple advantages.

[Round Two: Development Bottleneck]

Entering the second round, Hephis’s Sage civilization demonstrated terrifying development speed.

They established the continent’s first magic academy, the first alchemy laboratory cluster, and the first teleportation gate connecting to the Other Plane.

Elf mages even began trying artificial weather modifications, keeping the entire territory at a comfortable temperature and humidity year-round.

This was a race rapidly advancing towards a magical Technology Civilization.

Meanwhile, Ron’s Hybrid Nomads, having survived the initial survival crisis, faced a new development bottleneck.

They lacked systematic knowledge inheritance, had no professional Skills division, and no long-term strategic planning.

Whenever they tried to learn other civilizations’ advanced technology, their hybrid lineage became a barrier—no one could fully master any specialized skill.

"This ragtag development model is hopeless."

Hephis showed no attempt to conceal his disdain:

"Look at my Elf mages, they can now summon thunderstorms and manipulate the flow of time.

Your Hybrid Nomads are still troubled over basic metal smelting techniques."

Indeed, the gap was constantly widening.

"Maybe we should consider changing strategy?" Nari suggested, worried:

"Focus on developing in one direction, giving up unimportant fields?"

"No." Aselia decisively opposed:

"Specialization means giving up adaptability. The Dragon Race’s survival philosophy is—better to be average in everything than to have a fatal weakness."

"Both viewpoints actually point to the same conclusion."

Carlos added:

"Given that the current resource spots are already occupied, the optimal strategy is to find a suitable ’ecological niche,’ a special position other races are unwilling or unable to occupy."

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