chapter 57
Chapter 57. Expansion Section -Great Nature- 2 (Free until here)
Even creations have personalities.
It’s actually quite obvious. If the player is a god, the creations are humans (mostly).
All unique creations, imbued with divinity and possessing transcendent powers, as well as ordinary people, can think, have emotions, and possess personalities and self-awareness.
So, there are delinquent entities that commit crimes without following the commands and guidelines of the gods (even if their political stats are quite high), and there are disloyal creations (of course, if a creation betrays directly, it means the god made a tremendous mistake).
Such issues become significant conflicts when the scale of civilization grows beyond what the gods can handle. It’s a system that means nothing to the wild beings who survive solely by natural selection.
Therefore, Tademoira, a creation of the defeated Mugite, and his four epic-level subordinates, thirteen hero-level subordinates, and nearly seventy civilian members of a monkey-like species, couldn’t tell whether they should despair or hold onto hope.
“Lord Tademoira, what should we do?”
Tademoira, a bit taken aback, responded with a question.
“Sir Vidiva, wasn’t politics your role?”
In fact, Vidiva, who was originally a hero-level entity in charge of politics and governance, hesitated.
That was how it was in the original world, but in reality, Tademoira was much stronger, more authoritative, and of a higher rank… Anyway, an important person.
“I’m sorry. I misspoke…”
To express Tademoira’s current state of mind, it was as if he had mentally collapsed once, then rebuilt but only half-functioning.
His creator had died. He understood that.
Even though his creator had died, he survived with these people. He understood that too.
But the opposing god, or rather, the one who had become their god, didn’t particularly want them.
“I understand up to this point…”
They weren’t deliberately killed. They were told to live if they wanted to. They were told they could interfere.
But they were also told that they were expected to die.
I don’t understand this. Tademoira and four epic entities, thirteen heroic entities, seventy civilians.
In a way, as many people gathered as when the world was first created. They killed the weak first, so it was a group with an equal number of men and women.
“Do we have to live here?”
“I guess so…”
“What if the opposing world invades?”
“If this vicious world loses, the opposing god will surely annihilate our god.”
“But we could betray them.”
“But will this mighty world lose? Maybe they’ll see our betrayal and surrender as a deception tactic…”
“Should we side with the god of this world? I really hate that idea, that god killed our gods without even talking.”
Worry. Contemplation, deliberation…
But anyway, they had to live.
Especially the higher entities, even if not the civilians. From the heroic ideal grade onwards, they do not age.
A heroic entity continues to live unless it dies for external reasons. (Or it can perfectly pass on its abilities to its descendants)
An epic entity can pass on its abilities if someone inherits its ‘epic’ even after death. The conditions are somewhat strict, though.
A legendary entity can be resurrected if enough resources are invested, even if it dies.
Although not present here, a mythical entity. In the case of the highest grade entity in the game, it can be resurrected without any resource consumption as long as the protection period is over, even if it dies during the world collision process.
There are various restrictions depending on the classification, but all of Mukite’s creations present here had a guess.
If a heroic or epic entity dies, it’s the end.
The opposing world has no intention or ability to resurrect an epic entity. Who in this terrible world would inherit the epic of politics or religion?
Tademoira, a legendary entity, might be different. Unlike Shikadozu, who was a [symbol] that couldn’t be resurrected if his race perished, Tademoira is a creation that can be resurrected.
But they thought they wouldn’t bother to resurrect him after he died. Why would they invest resources to resurrect him unless he remained an active collaborator?
“……”
Tademoira became depressed. But he was ultimately Mukite’s creation, and he had a duty to properly nurture this race that Mukite had raised. (In fact, he didn’t know that Mukite’s first race had gone extinct and that the current race was inherited from another player.)
“Then. Shall we start farming first?”
Everyone nodded.
∞
The flow of time in the game is a bit complicated.
First, there is ‘absolute time.’ It is the absolute flow of time in which world collisions, protection periods, and various other events occur.
The stopping of angels is also this ‘absolute time,’ and absolute time is designed to give the same period to all players.
And there is ‘world time.’ It is literally the time that flows within the world.
This can be accelerated or decelerated with divine power. This acceleration and deceleration are compared to ‘absolute time’.
In other words, if the absolute time is 100 years, it can make hundreds of years pass within the world, or only a few years pass. As long as there is enough divine power.
However, the acceleration and deceleration of world time are proportional to the size of the world. Now that the wasteland has been added, unless the 〈Faith〉 score is overflowing, or there is an entity with a lot of divine power like Bieen or one who has mastered the mysteries of the 〈Space-Time〉 series, acceleration and deceleration will gradually become difficult.
There is also ‘perceived time’. In Bieen’s case, perceived time is accelerated to feel a few years as a few days or weeks. Otherwise, it would be hard to grasp the gradual process of evolution.
Unless you are a mad player like Mihun who manages everything from one to ten by matching perceived time to world time 1:1, usually perceived time would be made a bit faster. Otherwise, even if you have a divine mind, hundreds of years would be too boring.
This perceived time applies not only to gods but also to creations, meaning that for creations, perceived time is always matched 1:1 with world time.
In short, creations are beings that have no choice but to live within world time.
Naturally, higher beings who are immortal do not feel ‘any’ boredom or go insane, no matter if perceived time is hundreds or thousands of years. How absurd would it be from a player’s perspective if a creation went mad from living too long?
However, for other reasons, they can still suffer mental shocks, and if severe enough, they can go insane.
“Please get out of our field!”
Screech, screech.
New types of creatures that chose 《Great Nature》 and entered the world gathered in the 《Sky Garden》.
The existing creatures, the Gamchi, have mostly evolved to eat the dessert corps, so creatures of 《Great Nature》 like bats and birds mainly visit the 《Sky Garden》 where normal crops are grown.
To feed and sustain their hundred or so members, Tademoira’s power has its limits. Tademoira can control insects and plants, but cannot manipulate such entities.
Although they do not suffer from pest damage, fruit bats eat the fruits, and birds gather to peck at the vegetables and grains. How painful this is.
At least they could be eaten, but soon a large bird flew in and even ate a monkey. It was truly horrific when a child was taken.
“What on earth should we do······.”
There is a magic handler, but he cannot use attack magic all day long in the vast field every day. Magic is not such a convenient power.
Just as intense exercise for just 2 hours a day can leave you unable to get up the next day due to muscle pain, using too much mystery can also make you tired, or the flow becomes unstable and doesn’t come out well.
“Oh, God!”
The narrative entity in charge of religion cried out. It was the most miserable narrative-level entity because it had lost its god. There is no religion in this world.
【Did you call?】
“?!”
But, they didn’t expect a response. It wasn’t their god, but now it was their god, though they didn’t serve it much, ‘Bieen’ descended with his avatar.
“Uh, uh?”
【What is it? Why are you so surprised? You look as if you’ve seen a god.】
“N-no. I didn’t expect you to come···.”
【You were originally in charge of religion, right? Your voice calling out was loud. I came because it was earnest. What’s the matter?】
Everyone’s minds were racing. The most appropriate request in this situation.
“Please save us!”
【I am sparing you.】
“Ah, no, I mean, please improve our quality of life!”
【How?】
“What do you mean how, with your divine power…”
【No, I mean, what exactly do you want me to do with that divine power? Your wish must be specific. If it doesn’t go against my philosophy and benefits my world, I might consider granting it.】
Both civilians and higher beings brightened up.
All eyes turned to Tademoira, who spoke on their behalf.
“We are suffering because our crops are being taken by birds and bats. Please resolve this issue for us.”
【How?】
“Pardon? Ah, I mean, by killing all the birds and bats…”
【Birds and bats are also part of my ecosystem. Why should I favor you over them?】
Tademoira was greatly embarrassed by the deity’s attitude of placing humans and animals on the same level.
Come to think of it, this deity was a madman who didn’t nurture civilization at all. It was possible to think that he would place humans and animals on the same level.
So what should we wish for? Tademoira pondered.
“Could you grant us more magical power?”
【You would use that to kill the birds and bats, wouldn’t you? No.】
“Then, could you drive away the birds and bats?”
【What would they eat then? I think it’s perfectly fine for these birds and bats to eat the vegetables and fruits here.】
“How could we evolve to…”
【Changing them entirely is out of the question. There’s no reason for me to favor your convenience over perfectly well-living creatures.】
Then what are we supposed to do?
The words almost slipped out. Are you here to mock us?
But Tademoira couldn’t break through the deity’s logic. Just as he spared them, he also spared the birds and bats.
Vegetables being easily eaten by birds and bats was because artificially bred vegetables become weak. In other words, their disaster was partly self-inflicted.
But if we can’t eat this, what are we supposed to eat?
Their species could survive mostly on a vegetarian diet, needing little to no meat, or just insects, but they couldn’t eat the abundant weeds here.
So, in essence, they were being told to starve to death…
‘Hmm?’
Tademoira had a different idea.
“Could you make it so our species can survive by eating grass?”
【Are you asking me to evolve you? If you want to change your diet, there is only one condition that needs to be met.】
“What is it?”
【Well, it’s not you, but the Mugite species over there that needs to want it. No matter what, we can’t just tamper with the bodies of intelligent beings.】
Tademoi looked at their species. They understood ‘evolution’ as a divine blessing that changes their constitution.
And the body that changes in this way might look somewhat bizarre, but in some ways, it could be an improvement.
Anyway, it was better than dying.
“Yes! I’d rather live by eating grass!”
“Me too!”
“And I also want to eat birds and bats, is there no way…?”
【Let’s organize the requirements. It’s extremely difficult to have both. Herbivorous and hunting carnivorous. It seems like it will be divided into these two, is that okay?】
“Yes!”
【In the case of herbivores, your intestines are already long, but to digest tough weeds, they need to be even longer. Your intestines will become much longer, so your belly will bulge out, your jaw will grow larger, and you’ll have more teeth. Your metabolism will slow down, so you’ll probably have less muscle and move more slowly. Is that okay? I can adjust the aesthetic standards as well.】
“Well, it’s better than dying! And if you can change the aesthetic standards too.”
【Then it’s settled.】
So, Biin evolved them in this way. The Mugite species, which were like monkeys, transformed into something like Earth’s herbivorous primates, gorillas, and herbivorous mammals like sloths. They still had long tails.
They became somewhat clumsy but could actually eat grass. They looked a bit stupid, but it was said that their ‘intellectual abilities’ were not actually tampered with.
“Wow! Grass actually tastes good!”
“Oh!”
Everyone eagerly accepted the herbivorous evolution. Some preferred hunting, so they became smaller but retained the agility of monkeys, evolving to be higher, faster, and more active despite their small size.
Heroic and epic individuals unfortunately couldn’t receive it because it was too costly. But what did it matter? It was common for the appearance of the original creation and the mainstream species to differ.
“Thank you!”
【If you have any wishes, pray again next time. I will grant them within reason.】
Tademoi was moved, thinking that this god was not entirely uncommunicative.
And in the sense of an immortal, not much time passed.
In this game’s world, with its rapid evolution due to the influence of mystery and flow.
Weeds that could be considered food grew on their own, there were no significant predators, and there was no need to use intelligence, so the intelligence of the herbivorous primates regressed to the level of very smart gorillas.
They moved only by animal instinct, conversing in clumsy language with the remaining fragments of intelligence, leisurely eating grass, and the males fought savagely to establish hierarchy.
“Ah…”
Tademoi, who had proposed evolution for them, felt utterly miserable.