When Ji Changqing finally got out of the godforsaken, fully enclosed study class, her mood was particularly hard to describe.

The gains were substantial. For instance, her physique and mental power had both entered the fourth tier. She had a faint feeling that, thanks to the boost her Big Sister had given her, her actual combat strength was probably equivalent to the fifth tier.

Furthermore, the instructors had been especially enthusiastic and friendly in their sales pitch for the Alliance military. Particularly after she broke through to the fourth tier, they even gave her a detailed analysis of which academic courses she needed to catch up on, which areas to focus her training, which military academies were the best, and which ones she had a relatively high chance of getting into…

And on top of that, for some reason her psychological counselor had said something to the doctor, and the doctor had made a special trip to give her a physiology lesson. He reassured her that whether she was an Alpha or an Omega, the heat cycle wasn’t that terrifying. If she were to compare it to the sensations of her pre-evolution body, because the ABO physique was superior and the five senses were naturally twice as sharp, a single Alpha’s heat cycle would, well, easily put them in a tense and uncomfortable state. However, female Alphas had it much better; it was only moderately uncomfortable. As for a single Omega’s heat cycle, the discomfort was roughly on par with menstrual cramps.

But for Alphas and Omegas who weren’t single, of course, they could experience double the pleasure.

Ji Changqing had also studied ABO history, and she had a different opinion on the matter. “By that logic, aren’t Betas, who don’t have heat cycles, the chosen ones? Why is it that Alphas have held the dominant position for so long instead?”

This comment absolutely delighted the Beta doctor. He gave her an appreciative “you have a bright future” look and answered casually, “Although they’re affected by heat cycles, they’re also stronger and smarter. What’s that saying you have on Blue Star?”

“A flaw can’t hide the jade’s luster?”

“Yes, that’s it! A flaw can’t hide the jade’s luster! Everyone gets by on their own abilities. It’s not a problem for exceptional people to get more, because they contribute more.”

Ji Changqing grew thoughtful.

The Beta doctor smiled, patted Ji Changqing’s shoulder, and gave her a wink. “Alphas and Omegas are very popular, you know. Go for it!”

The doctor gave a few more instructions, such as how the three to five years after differentiation was a growth period, and if she was particular about her height, she should pay close attention to her diet during this time. He was even nice enough to give her a meal plan.

Ji Changqing’s face was a mask of indifference.

She wanted to turn back time and strangle the version of herself who had asked that question.

The door to a new world had been opened, and she suddenly felt a bit lost, unsure of what to do next. Should she continue to coast along, earning a little money and finding a girlfriend to live a quiet life on Blue Star, or should she take the instructors’ sales pitch and find a way to venture out into the stars?

She had worked so hard before, partly because she was idle and figured learning more couldn’t hurt, and partly because she wanted to understand more about the speculations surrounding their entry into the interstellar age so she could be prepared.

Now that everything was clear and the available paths were laid out plainly before her, she felt somewhat at a loss.

She sighed. Perhaps this was the difficulty of choosing one tree and having to give up an entire forest.

Before choosing, it felt like she possessed the whole forest, free to pick any tree she wanted. After choosing, she would lose the possibility of having all the other little cuties.

Everyone who had passed their differentiation period, undergone psychological counseling, and been confirmed to be physically and mentally sound was ending their studies on this day.

This was because the government had officially announced today that Blue Star’s evolutionary direction was ABO. Over a hundred million people had already completed their differentiation and evolution, with nearly five hundred million more currently in the process.

This number matched the sales figures for the game pods. The next wave of people about to differentiate would be the group using holographic game helmets, numbering around 1.5 billion.

Announced simultaneously were the basic laws of interstellar ABO society.

Unsurprisingly, these two pieces of news swept through the internet like a hurricane, instantly stirring up monstrous waves.

Although people’s points of focus weren’t entirely consistent, the number of participants, the intensity of the discussions, and the ferocity of the flame wars were the greatest in history.

For a solid week, the celebrities who usually dominated the trending topics couldn’t grab even a sliver of attention.

This was true in every country.

All the trending keywords were related to the ABO evolutionary direction and the basic laws.

Ji Changqing had no interest in all this commotion. She methodically went about her routine of cultivating, eating, and sleeping.

The storm that people on the internet were now enduring was something she and the others had already experienced after their differentiation.

After more than half a year of psychological counseling—or rather, brainwashing with the various benefits of evolution—most of the game pod users, who were generally well-educated, had come to terms with it. Aside from a few stubborn individuals, 99% had accepted it well.

At least, they had accepted the changes in themselves. As for whether they could accept it in their significant others, that was another matter entirely.

While everyone was busy with their online flame wars, she even took the opportunity to gather everyone in the game to try their luck at finding Easter eggs.

When the familiar login interface appeared, the data on it had changed:

Gender: Female Alpha

Age: 45

Physique: C (Potential: SS-)

Mental Power: B- (Potential: S)

She was surprised for a moment, but then she figured it was probably due to the body cultivation technique, and she calmed down.

Sure enough, when she saw The First, The First quietly asked her if her potential values had changed.

The difference was that it was The First’s mental power potential that had changed.

After Zhong Lan came online, they all went to try their luck with the Easter eggs. However, they soon discovered that The First’s intelligence was far more effective than luck.

Mainly because The First had made a bold guess, and it had been proven correct.

It was unclear whether the game developers wanted people to focus on cultivation instead of spouting nonsense online, or if they wanted to reward those who could still calmly enter the game and cultivate, while simultaneously annoying the crowd that did nothing but complain all day. In any case, they had hidden many small Easter eggs in the game.

Following The First around the game, Ji Changqing and Zhong Lan both scored a lot of high-level potions specifically for cultivating mental power and physique, all for free.

The three of them, who had a preliminary understanding of the value of these potions, were absolutely ecstatic. They quickly called their friends to join the in-game gold rush. Opportunities to pick up free stuff were rare and might be gone in a few days.

Motivated by the prospect of freebies, everyone gathered in the game, a rare full attendance.

Before this, they had all shared their post-evolution genders on WeChat. But aside from Xue Hong and Ji Changqing, this was the first time the others were meeting since differentiating.

The group let out a chorus of “oohs” and “aahs” as they followed The First’s pre-planned route to sweep the area, catching up in a relaxed atmosphere.

“Wow, Lin Huang, you’ve changed so much! I almost didn’t recognize you.”

“Damn, Your Majesty, how did you get even more handsome?!”

“Yo, Old Cadre, you’ve finally fleshed out from a 2D character! You look like a real person now!”

…

After a round of mutual flattery, they all looked at each other, as if they had discovered some incredible secret.

“Does differentiating into an Alpha come with a built-in beauty filter?” Xue Hong, Qian Jing, and Qian Jing’s girlfriend asked in unison. The three of them had differentiated into Betas, and while there were some changes, they weren’t significant overall.

The First rolled her eyes but was happy to share her theory with them. “It’s probably due to biological evolution, right? After all, Alphas and Omegas have heat cycles and are few in number. If they weren’t competitive enough, they might not be able to snag a desirable partner. Unlike us Betas, the chosen ones, who are completely unaffected by this.”

At this, she couldn’t help but add, “So, they should all be exceptionally good-looking!”

So good-looking it was like they had a beauty filter!

She seemed very satisfied with having differentiated into a Beta, completely free from such uncontrollable biological issues. Although if forced to choose between reason and beauty, she would unhesitatingly pick a clear head and a healthy body, who didn’t appreciate a stunning face?

They were all suckers for a pretty face, and they were proud of it.

The group of Betas giggled, happily accepting this explanation.

“Hey, wait a minute.” The First realized something and glanced at Ji Changqing and the others. “Didn’t they say that Alphas and Omegas combined make up less than 10% of the population? How come the three of you are all Alphas? The probability seems a bit high.”

“Who knows? Just a coincidence, I guess,” Ji Changqing shrugged. She wasn’t deeply devoted to scientific research, so who would bother digging into such things?

The First had only asked casually and quickly moved on, her mind full of anticipation for the new world. “Now that we’ve completed our evolution, they say Blue Star will have a fifty-year preferential period for us to study in the Alliance. What are you all planning to apply for?”

This one question immediately split the harmonious group, who had been happily grinding through small game tasks together, into two distinct camps.

The First’s two friends were full of longing for the chance to traverse the galaxy and study in the Alliance.

Ji Changqing’s group offered awkward yet polite smiles. No, we don’t want to apply for anything!

We just want to be happy slackers, earn a little money, and fool around for the rest of our lives.

Who the hell wants to go through exams and studying all over again after surviving the college entrance exams, getting through university, and taking a beating from society, just when life was finally getting a little comfortable?!

The First’s eyes widened. “You can’t be serious, right?”

Ji Changqing’s gaze shifted, her heart filled with guilt. She felt like an overworked corporate drone facing an enthusiastic youth’s question: “Why not keep striving? Hard work always pays off.”

Why not keep striving? Because she had strived way too hard before, and after only a few years of peaceful living, she had no desire to plunge back into that nightmare.

The great human inertia was preventing her from making progress!

She did a quick mental calculation and replied tactfully, “In another ten years, I’ll reach the legal retirement age.”

Leave us middle-aged people alone!

“But you’re only twelve years older than me.” The First’s eyes were filled with disappointment, her gaze condemning this group of unmotivated middle-aged people. She focused particularly on Ji Changqing. I never thought you were this kind of person, Ji Changqing. “You’re fourth-level in both mental power and physique. If you keep cultivating, you’ll live for at least three hundred years.” The First did a quick conversion in her head. “Based on Blue Star’s old life expectancy ratios, you’re only fifteen now, and I’m just over nine!”

So young! Just like our ages in the cultivation instance! You should at least strive like you did in that instance world, right?

Wasn’t that just a game? Back then, I just wanted to stir things up and get it over with so I could clock out. Ji Changqing thought silently. In the real world, I can’t shake this retirement mentality just yet.

As members of the middle-aged alliance, they had some solidarity. Zhong Lan stepped in to rescue Ji Changqing. “The First, you’re in research, so continuous learning is a habit for you. We’ve been working for so long, changing careers requires careful planning. Take Her Majesty, for example. She runs a small company and works as a screenwriter. If she continues in her current profession, is it really necessary to go through all the trouble of studying for an interstellar university? And if she were to change careers, what would be a suitable path? These are all things that need to be considered slowly.”

The First felt a little embarrassed. It was a habit she’d developed over two hundred years in the instance world. Having spent so much time together, she had forgotten that they weren’t actually that close in the real world.

Her back-and-forth questioning had come off as a bit pushy and nosy.

Everyone skillfully helped to smooth things over and change the subject.

Xue Hong suddenly seemed to recall something amusing and couldn’t help but chuckle. “To think we’ve been same-sex friends for over twenty years, and now we’re different genders. It feels so surreal.” She sidled up to Qian Jing and her girlfriend with a sleazy, winking expression. “You two, um, so, does it feel any different?”

Qian Jing shoved her away, keeping her at a distance from her girlfriend. “I still see people who are biologically female as the same sex. It might take some time to fully realize that biological females are now divided into three genders.”

Ji Changqing had a sudden flash of inspiration. “If, by the old standards, same-sex relationships were discouraged because they couldn’t produce offspring, does that problem still exist now?”

The First searched her memory and stated that the basic law didn’t mention this issue, which meant it was up to the individuals. As long as both parties consented, they could enter into marriage. Besides, technology had already solved the problem of pregnancy and childbirth, so people didn’t need to consider such things. They just needed to love each other.

Realizing that their previous status had been eliminated and integrated into the legally recognized family of marriage, the members of the middle-aged alliance exchanged a look of mutual understanding.

The dating pool had suddenly expanded so much. Was it finally time to get out of singledom?!