Now that everything was set, I finally had time to breathe. The tension that had been eating at me since I started this whole process seemed to ease up a little, though the cost of what I had just done was still fresh in my mind. Thinking back to the amount of divinity I had lost, I quickly opened my status to see how much I had left.
[Name: Zane Mercer]
[Age: 20]
[Talent: System Creator (SS)]
[Divinity: 5 Divinity]
[No. of Organisms: 23,982
Note: Algae and other lower lifeforms will no longer be counted towards the number of organisms. This also includes plant life]
Looking at the amount of divinity I had left, I was honestly a little relieved. Five divinity wasn't much compared to what I had before making the system, but it was still decent considering how much I had poured into my lizard's system. If I was being honest, the only reason I had so much left in the first place was thanks to the insane rate my organisms were evolving.
The more complex they became, the more divinity I got from their deaths. At first, when all I had were single-celled organisms and bits of plant life, I barely got anything at all. But now, with small animals roaming the land and whole food chains starting to form in the oceans, every death gave me far more in return. It caused my rate of gain to explode in ways I hadn't expected.
What really surprised me though wasn't the divinity, it was the number of organisms I had. Only twenty-four thousand. I hadn't realized just how many of them were still tiny, microscopic cells. They were everywhere, living, dying, multiplying faster than I could keep track of. I shook my head. It didn't really matter, at least not now. Quantity was one thing, but the only ones that truly mattered is the developmentof life on my planet.
Just as I was delving deeper into thought, another system notification appeared in front of my eyes, pulling me back to reality as the timer hit zero.
[Starting the competition]
[Finding a random opponent]
[Opponent found]
[Opponent: Beauty Incarnate]
I raised an eyebrow. "Beauty Incarnate," huh? Just from the name alone, I had a bad feeling. Whoever this was, they sounded like the kind of person who would be irritating.
Before I could think about it too much, my form started to dissolve into specks of light until nothing was left. The sensation was strange, like every part of me was being pulled apart and scattered across the wind, but it didn't hurt.
When I opened my eyes again, I found myself standing in the stands of what looked like an ancient colosseum. Massive stone walls rose around me, weathered and worn but still standing strong. It reminded me of Rome back on Earth, though this one was on a scale that made the original look small. The seats were empty but that didn't take away from the grandness of the arena.
As I turned to take it all in, I noticed someone standing beside me doing the same. My opponent.
She had long, straight hair and blue eyes that stood out even at a glance. Unfortunately, that was the only thing beautiful about her. She was stocky and broad, her body built more like a fat toddler than some goddess of beauty. Staring at her, I decided to break the silence first.
"You must be my opponent for this match. Good luck," I said plainly.
She turned her head toward me, clearly having to crane her neck to look me in the eye. A smirk tugged at her lips as she answered.
"Heh. I don't need luck. Just wait until you see my beauties." Her voice dripped with smugness, like she had already won.
And with those delightful words, she turned back toward the arena floor without another glance in my direction.
A new system message flickered in front of us.
[Summoning each god's champions]
[Note: The champions will instinctively know that they have to fight their opponent]
Specks of golden light began to descend onto the ground below us, slowly forming into shapes. I leaned forward, curious. She seemed so confident, so sure of herself, that I couldn't help but wonder what kind of monster she had prepared. I expected something elegant, dangerous, maybe even terrifying.
What appeared instead nearly made me choke.
On the dirt floor sat nothing more than a tiny, less than two-centimeter patch of moss. That was it. No beast. No creature. Just moss.
I couldn't help it. A laugh burst out of me, sharp and loud, echoing across the stands.
The woman's head snapped toward me, her face red with fury. "What are you laughing at? You think you can do any better?" she screamed, spit flying from her mouth and landing on my cheek.
I resisted the urge to wipe my face off. My champion still hadn't fully materialized yet, and I didn't feel like wasting words on her. Instead, I just kept my eyes locked on the empty space where my lizard was forming.
Finally, the golden light faded, revealing the armored lizard in full. A fifty-centimeter-long reptile stood on the field, its bone-like plates covering its face, belly, and tail. Its sharp claws dug into the dirt as it raised its head, eyes burning with an instinctive hunger for battle.
The gasp from the woman beside me was almost satisfying.
"What the hell? How do you already have animals?" she demanded, her voice laced with disbelief.
I didn't even bother answering. What was the point? From the moment I saw her champion, I knew this wouldn't be much of a fight.
The system's next message appeared.
[Match begin]
As the words flashed, something seemed to snap inside the lizard's mind. It lowered its body, muscles coiling, then shot forward across the arena floor with impressive speed. The moss didn't even move. There was no contest.
With a single swipe of its claws and a vicious bite, the lizard tore the moss to shreds. The outcome was decided in an instant, even if technically the moss wasn't dead. To the system, it didn't matter.
[Match finished]
[Winner: Nexus]
And just like that, my champion had won the first fight of my godhood. Or, at least, the first fight of many to come.