I turned the sword in my hands, feeling the rough metal beneath my fingers. It could have been a weapon capable of destroying me with a single strike. Or… simply the last possession of a dying man.
The thought wouldn't leave me.
"My own characteristic almost bit me in the tail," I murmured with a faint laugh, more to myself than to Gaia.
She had stepped closer, her eyes wide like a child seeing treasure for the first time. "What kind of sword is that? Is it… silver? No… it shines differently. A little turquoise… Oh! Look, the grip has strange markings. What do they mean?"
"Adamantite, I think," I answered absentmindedly, though my gaze stayed fixed on the ice crystals scattered across the ground. "Did I… kill him?"
She tilted her head, as if the thought needed to sink in. "Hm… but he couldn't be saved anymore. He was already dead."
"It's different," I said, letting the sword drop lower in my grip with a sigh. "It's one thing to watch someone die when you're responsible for it. It's another to just know it in theory. I never really understood that until now."
Shaking my head, I forced my focus back to the new feature and explained it briefly to Gaia again.
She bent even closer to the blade, as though she meant to count every scratch. "Maybe we can find out where he got this from! Maybe there are more! Maybe even shields! Or helmets! Or… or a giant axe!"
Despite the lump in my throat, I had to smile. "And you'd love nothing more than to go rushing off right now, wouldn't you?"
Her eyes sparkled. "Yes! Can I? The floors are safe, aren't they?"
"You probably won't find anything," I said, watching her carefully. "These things come from outside. It's not likely you'll get much out of it."
Truth be told, the first floor was already so sprawling that, with its accelerated time, I wouldn't see her again for quite a while. Alone again? Or should I just create someone new?
The thought made me laugh and shake my head.
"So I can't?" she asked, her tone like a child whose dream had just been shattered.
I shook my head. "How about this instead: what if, on the second floor—since I've already found out how many exits we have—we create three intelligent races that can produce blueprints for us?"
Her face lit up, and she nodded eagerly.
"Wait, what did you mean again by exits?" She pulled a little notebook out of her wool trousers and flipped through it with the same excited energy, her eyes darting across the words.
I raised my hand and chuckled. "Relax! It just means the doors leading either to the next floor, back to the first, or outside."
Gaia smacked her forehead, flipping to the right page. "I knew that!" she said proudly, showing me her note and explaining how annoyed she was at herself.
But her irritation quickly melted into curiosity. "So… what kind of people were you thinking of?"
I grinned. "Not telling yet. But you'll play an important role in it too."
"Come on, tell me!"
"Haha, no!"
"Grrr! If you tell me now… I'll make you a shirt too!"
I raised my eyebrows. "Tempting! Let me think, hmmm—no!"
"Ahhh! Isaac! Why?"
"Pfft! Because it's funny?"
She clenched her fist and ground her teeth. "You know exactly how to make me mad!"
"Hahaha!" Bending forward, I slapped my thigh. "I'll tell you later! First I'll finish the base structure of the second floor and show you some of my new biome ideas!"
Without waiting, I teleported to the second floor, leaving Gaia fuming.
"So… where was I?" I muttered, staring long at the cold blue planet floating in the air before me. The enormity of the task filled me with a strange loneliness.
With a sigh, I pulled out the notebook again.
"Three continents, three biomes—that's boring, isn't it?" I smiled, closing my eyes. "I enjoy building complex and fascinating things… and who knows when I'll even get a third floor."
The impulse struck me suddenly.
I snapped back to the Control Room, leaving Gaia behind, dashed into the house, grabbed the makeshift pen, and began scribbling page after page.
"Something fascinating…!"
I sketched, scribbled, crossed out, and rewrote—so focused that I didn't even notice Gaia watching me with the same curiosity I felt, observing my every move.
…
"What is that? A turtle?" Gaia asked.
I nodded eagerly. "Two, actually," I admitted, surprised by my own idea. "I wanted something dynamic. Something that changes, even without my direct influence."
Gaia tilted her head, confused. "Everything changes—always, doesn't it?"
"I know that," I said with a smile, "but still—this idea just came to me from nowhere."
"And how are we supposed to get turtles that big? Let alone two of them?"
"Hehe." I lifted my chin, crossing one arm proudly over my chest like I'd just won an Olympic medal. With my other hand, I raised a clenched fist and triumphantly pointed my thumb toward myself.
"I'll create them—just like I created you," I said, pointing at Gaia, who was staring wide-eyed at me, "and the others!"
"The others? And such a giant turtle won't even fit in here!" she stammered.
"Hahahaha! Of course I know that. I don't have nearly enough [EC] to create an adult—but if I make them as children, or even as eggs, I can just barely afford it."
⸻
[Image of the Being]
[Age]
[Mana Veins]
[Attributes]
…
⸻
With a concentrated gaze, I chose the right skills, attributes, and details. I had to gamble—just like with Gaia. I needed the "first of the species" bonus, ensuring it would live forever.
[Cost of creation: 1500 EC]
I reread everything: unlimited growth potential, high intelligence, strong mana veins to support development, and more. I even gave it some starter skills, like Sleep, to sustain its long life. But to reach these optimal specs, I had to make sacrifices elsewhere.
After finishing, I clicked the creation button, and the same pop-up message as with Gaia appeared before me.
Looking at her, I thought about how I had named her species.
"Hmm… do I know a myth or something?" I shook my head. "Alright, time for a cool, mystical name… maybe something Greek this time?"
After a while, I clapped my hands. "Gechelone!"
Gaia tilted her head, puzzled. "What does that mean?" she asked, her eyes wide.
Before I could answer, a massive egg appeared on the meadow, towering above us. Its shell shimmered turquoise, threaded with crystalline emerald veins.
Gaia's question stuck in her throat as her gaze climbed higher and higher along the egg's glittering surface. Then, faintly at first, came a heartbeat.
Badum.
Slowly, steadily, it grew louder until it seemed the egg itself was trembling with it.
A sharp crack rang out, echoing through the entire Control Room. A jagged fracture cut straight across the egg.
"Seems like it can't wait to see this still-small world," I said with a grin.
The cracking quickened, splintering the shell until small holes opened everywhere. Then, all at once, a head burst through, and the entire shell collapsed inward.
Lying on the fragments was… well, a relatively large turtle with a flat shell. Without hesitation, it began munching on the eggshell pieces.
Crunching echoed through the room until every last shard was gone. Then, with a satisfied huff, the turtle lay down and fell asleep.
Gaia and I watched in silence, utterly spellbound, then carefully tiptoed away.
I pressed a finger to my lips and nodded toward the house. Switching into ghost mode, I drifted away, while Gaia tiptoed across the lush grass into the house.
"Haaa!" she sighed loudly once inside. "That's… awesome!"
I told her she had one more important task: giving it a name.
"Whaaat?" She glanced around in a panic. "I can't do that!" Her hands fidgeted with her notebook, and she nervously bit her lower lip.
"Hahaha! You can do it. I'll even give you some time to think!"
She stared at the sleeping turtle, then, after a long moment, asked timidly, "What do you think of… Schildegard?"
"Schildegard?"
She nodded shyly, head lowered but looking up at me with wide, round eyes.
"HAHAHA!" I slapped my thigh, wiping a tear from the corner of my eye.
"Wha—what's so funny?!"
Still laughing, I shook my head and waved a hand.
"Ahhh, wonderful! I haven't laughed like that in ages. Schildegard it is!"
⸻
[Status]
Name: Schildegard
Title: First of the Gechelone Species
– Immune to aging
- racial skills are strengthened
Age: 0 Years, 0 Months
Species: Gechelone
Level: 1/4
Exp: 0/200
Mana: 100/100
Muscle Strength: 10
Muscle Agility: 1
Body Control: 1
Stamina: 10
Skills: [Endless Sleep] [Floating on Water] [Unlimited Plant Growth]
————