Focusing in on my planet, I found that the once barren plains of the island had been thoroughly covered in lush, green moss and thick patches of grass. Small flowers now bloomed between the stones, and patches of strange vine-like plants crawled up the jagged cliff sides, swaying softly under the alien sunlight. The transformation was beautiful, and almost surreal, compared to the empty wasteland it had been before.
The animal life of the island had also boomed in the time I'd been gone. Herds of small, nimble creatures now darted through the tall grass, and above them, winged insects buzzed and hummed, forming faint golden clouds in the air. The lizards I'd created were thriving, and with the giant ants long exterminated, they had taken full control of the ecosystem.
Speaking of the lizards, I took a quick scan across the landscape to locate them. What I saw made my eyes widen slightly.
The lizards now resided in a single massive group, clustered around the heart of the island. But what truly surprised me was what they had done to the land. They had begun to construct actual structures, by shaping the soil into rounded mounds. These mounds had openings cut into them and inner chambers, forming primitive yet functional dwellings. They weren't just surviving anymore; they were building.
It was a small thing, maybe, but to me it signaled something monumental, a step toward civilization.
Their intelligence had increased far faster than I'd anticipated. Watching them work in small groups, hauling dirt with coordinated effort, I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of pride. However, I quickly reminded myself that pride alone wouldn't be enough to win. The pace of their development was impressive, yes, but not enough if I wanted to surpass Nova next time. I needed to accelerate things, drastically.
With that thought, I opened my status.
[Name: Zane Mercer]
[Age: 20]
[Talent: System Creator (SS)]
[Divinity: 539]
[No. of Organisms: 233 million]
Seeing the numbers displayed before me, I exhaled softly. Five hundred and thirty-nine divinity. It was more than I'd ever had before, enough to finally create something truly substantial, something that could shape an entire species instead of merely guiding one or two individuals.
Up until now, most of my systems had been made under strict limitations. They were crude, cost-efficient, and painfully shallow in design. They worked, technically, but their impact was small. With this much divinity, though, I could craft something that went beyond the basic functions of cause and effect.
I leaned back in thought, letting my mind wander.
Countless system templates came to mind, drawn from the hundreds of novels I had read back on Earth. Level-up systems, evolution systems, cultivation systems, crafting systems, class systems, even villain systems. I'd read them all, devoured them over long nights when I should've been studying or sleeping. Funny how that old obsession had somehow turned into practical experience in this world.
But even as I thought about them, none of those systems felt right for my current situation. Most of them focused on a single user, a protagonist figure who would grow stronger over time. What I needed was something far broader, something that could nurture an entire species, not just an individual.
I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "Looks like I'll have to be original this time."
So, I started by outlining my requirements.
First: The system had to boost the development of a species, accelerating their physical and mental growth, ideally increasing their intelligence.
Second: It needed to affect multiple organisms at once, preferably the entire population, not just one lucky creature.
Third: It should somehow generate divinity for me in the long run. After all, if I invested this much, I needed a return.
The first requirement was easy. Practically every kind of system could help with growth or development. But once the second and third came into play, things got complicated. A system that could spread its effects across an entire population was exponentially more demanding in terms of structure, and cost.
My first instinct was to consider systems centered around artifacts. Maybe a relic that could passively radiate influence, a crown, a crystal, or even an ancient altar that the species could worship. But the problem was scope. Artifacts were too limited. Even if one creature possessed such an item, it could only affect those nearby. That kind of influence just wasn't large enough to transform an entire race.
As I pondered the problem, my gaze drifted toward the home of the Armored Lizards, and there, in the very center of their settlement, I noticed something that made my eyes narrow.
A tree.
A massive, towering tree, easily over a hundred years old, stood as the heart of their village. Its roots coiled through the soil like serpents, and its canopy stretched wide above their homes, sheltering them from the harsh sun and wind. The lizards had built their mounds beneath it, clearly aware of its protective presence.
An idea sparked instantly.
What if I didn't give the system to a creature at all? What if I gave it to that tree?
Unlike an animal, the tree was constant , immovable, long-living, and capable of influencing everything around it. If I made it the system's host, it could affect the environment itself, enriching the soil, blessing the creatures below, and subtly guiding evolution for generations.
It was perfect.
Without hesitation, I activated my talent.
[Divinity has surpassed 100]
[Unlocking complex option of the talent]
Two tabs materialized before me in glowing letters:
[Basic]
[Advanced]
I blinked. "New options?"
Even without a manual, I somehow knew what they meant. The Basic mode was what I had always used before, quick and simple. I could name the system, give it an effect, and assign it to a host. But it was shallow. The system could function, yes, but it lacked nuance, no customization for how rewards were distributed or how the system communicated.
The Advanced option, on the other hand, opened a far deeper layer of creation. It would allow me to define the very rules of the system: how it rewarded progress, how intelligent it was, and even how it interacted with its environment.
I didn't hesitate. I selected Advanced.
At once, a glowing panel appeared, lines of editable text hovering in the air before me.
[Name: .....]
[How to obtain rewards: ....]
[Rewards: ....]
[No. of Organisms Bestowed To: .... ]
[System Intelligence: ....]
[Calculate Current Divinity Cost]
Looking at the list, I started to fill them out one by one.
The name was simple. I wasn't giving this system to a person but to a tree, so it didn't need something fancy.
[Name: Divine Tree System]
The name felt fitting, elegant, even. It conveyed both purpose and power. The system would turn this tree into something divine, something that could nurture evolution itself.
Next came the condition for obtaining rewards. That one took me a while to think about.
I first considered something straightforward, like earning points every year, but that was too static. There would be no real growth tied to development. But since the host was a tree, it made sense that its influence would scale with the life beneath it.
That was when it clicked.
[How to obtain rewards: Every year, the user gains 1 System Point for every 100 creatures that live under their canopy.]
It was perfect. The more life the tree sheltered, the stronger it became, a self-sustaining cycle of growth and prosperity. The stronger the system grew, the more appealing the environment would become for life to flourish, and in turn, the more divinity it could generate for me.
Satisfied, I moved on to the rewards. I needed a range of upgrades that would both strengthen the tree and improve the creatures living under it.
[Rewards:]
1.
[Growth (Height)
Cost: 10 Points
Effect: Increases your height by 1 meter.]
2.
[Growth (Canopy)
Cost: 100 Points
Effect: Expands the radius of your canopy by 1 meter.]
3.
[Blessing of Strength
Cost: 100 Points
Effect: Increases the natural strength of beings born under your canopy by 10 kg.]
4.
[Blessing of Speed
Cost: 100 Points
Effect: Increases the natural speed of beings born under your canopy by 1 m/s.]
5.
[Blessing of Intelligence
Cost: 150 Points
Effect: Increases the natural intelligence of beings born under you by 1.5×.]
I read through the rewards one last time and nodded. They captured exactly what I wanted: steady, balanced growth that could ripple through generations.
The next question was simple enough.
[No. of Organisms Bestowed To: 1]
Finally, I reached the last prompt, System Intelligence.
I paused for a moment. I could give the system a level of awareness, maybe even some self-learning capabilities, but that would cost far more divinity. And honestly, this system didn't need to think, just function.
[System Intelligence: Minimal]
With that, everything was set. Only one step remained.
My gaze lingered on the final line, glowing softly in the air.
[Calculate Current Divinity Cost]
I took a deep breath and reached forward, ready to see how much this creation would demand from me.