Chapter 2: The First Seed

The countdown timer, once a relentless march, finally blinked out of existence. A soft chime resonated through the void around Sunny, followed by another global notification. [Global notification!] [Your world, Veridia, is now open!] [Transaction Space is now available!] Sunny knew there was nothing immediately visible on his world for the time being; it remained a vast, serene blue sphere, its landmasses currently hidden beneath the endless expanse of water. So, he diverted his attention to the "Transaction Space" button, which, previously greyed out, now glowed with a vibrant green. A surge of anticipation, mixed with a healthy dose of trepidation, surged through him. This was it. The moment he could finally begin shaping his world, moving beyond mere observation. He clicked the "Transaction Space" button. The panel shifted, revealing a new interface with two prominent options: "System Transaction" and "Trading Platform." Sunny, ever the pragmatist, decided to explore the "System Transaction" first. Within this section, only a single item was available, starkly presented against the blue projection. [Item name: Basic Knowledge of Life] [Grade: E] [Description: Can help gods with the understanding of the knowledge of life for forming life.] [Cost: 5 Faith Points] Sunny's eyes widened at the price. Five Faith points. Half of his starting capital, gone in an instant. "I really envy those who already have the knowledge of bio-life," he muttered, thinking of the desperate pleas in the God Chat. Yet, despite the hefty cost, he didn't hesitate. He was acutely aware of his shortcomings; theoretical study and complex biological processes were definitely not his strongest suit. This was an investment in his own capability. He pressed the "Buy" button. [Confirm purchase: Basic Knowledge of Life for 5 Faith Points?] [Current Faith: 10 -> Remaining Faith: 5] "Confirm." A small, ethereal scroll, glowing with a soft, cerebral light, materialized before him. It didn't feel solid, but rather like condensed information. [Basic Knowledge of Life is placed in system space.] [Do you want to absorb this item?] [Yes/No] Sunny pressed "Yes." The scroll dissolved, and an immediate, overwhelming torrent of information flooded his mind. It wasn't just data; it was understanding. Concepts that had once been abstract scientific terms from distant school lessons now clicked into place with startling clarity. He understood Abiogenesis – the intricate dance of inorganic molecules under primordial conditions, energized by lightning and volcanic heat, slowly forming the building blocks of life. He grasped the concept of simple organic molecules polymerizing into complex chains, the elegant simplicity of self-replication as a fundamental characteristic, and the critical conditions required for different organisms to thrive – the need for liquid water, an energy source, specific chemical elements, and a stable environment. It was as if a vast, complex biological textbook had been downloaded directly into his consciousness, not as dry facts, but as intuitive comprehension. He could almost see the amino acids linking, the lipid membranes forming, the first RNA strands replicating. "Woah," Sunny breathed, the sheer volume of knowledge making his head spin for a moment before settling into a comfortable, integrated awareness. He now possessed the fundamental principles of life creation and evolution. This was far more valuable than just a seed packet. This was the instruction manual. He looked at his status panel again. [God Name: Cosmos] [Planet Name: Veridia] [LifeForms: 0] [Talent: Skill-Resonance (SSS-Grade)] [Faith: 5] His Faith was halved, but his understanding of the task ahead had multiplied exponentially. He now knew how to approach creating life, not just that he needed to. With this newfound wisdom, he opened the "God Chat." The messages were still flowing, but the tone had shifted from frantic searches to a mix of excitement, frustration, and strategic discussion. "Anyone else get a desert planet? Seriously, how am I supposed to grow anything here?" "My planet has active volcanoes everywhere! At least there's geothermal energy, I guess?" "Got a frozen ice ball. Think I need to melt it first. Any tips on increasing planetary temperature?" "To the guy with the ice ball, try focusing your divine energy. It costs Faith, but it's faster than waiting for a sun to do its job!" "My F-grade talent lets me summon rocks. So far, I've just made a lot of gravel." "Haha, at least you can build something! I got 'Slothful Growth' – everything on my planet evolves 0.5x slower. Kill me now." Sunny scrolled to the end of the chat, finding a fresh batch of messages. Vulcan: "Guys, any tips how I can form life in a lava-filled planet?" Kitsune: "You can PM me, I can help you." Sunny, armed with his newly acquired "Basic Knowledge of Life," instantly recognized the challenge Vulcan faced and the potential for manipulation. "Is he helping him or scamming him?" Sunny mused, a flicker of suspicion in his mind. He knew that forming life on a lava planet would require a very specific, chemosynthetic approach, or massive terraforming – knowledge that wasn't immediately intuitive. Others in the chat seemed to share his skepticism, though perhaps for different reasons. Vulcan: "Thanks bigshot, the knowledge you provided is vast. It will surely help me." Kitsune: "Pleasure is all mine, brother." Another God: "Brother Vulcan, how much you paid for the information? Or was it free?" Vulcan: "How can this profound knowledge be free of cost. I bought it using 7 Faith Points." A cascade of mocking replies followed. Stupid: "Stupid" "+1" "+2" ... "+123456" "You should have bought Basic Knowledge of Life instead of getting scammed." Typed another God. In front of his planet, a burly man with bulging muscles, dressed in farming attire, frowned. This was Vulcan. He immediately opened his own transaction space, his eyes scanning the "System Transaction" tab. There, clear as day, was the "Basic Knowledge of Life" for 5 Faith. "Damn you, Kitsune!" Vulcan roared, clutching his hands tightly, his face reddening with a mixture of anger and self-reproach. Sunny watched the drama unfold with a detached amusement. It confirmed his initial suspicion. The "Trading Platform" was clearly a place where gods could exchange resources and knowledge, but also where the cunning could prey on the naive. His 5 Faith investment in "Basic Knowledge of Life" suddenly felt like an even smarter move. With this newfound wisdom, Sunny re-opened the "System Transaction" space, but found no other items available for purchase at his current Faith level. The scroll he had just absorbed was the only item within his reach. He closed the transaction panel, his gaze returning to his vast, watery world. Now, it was time to apply his knowledge. He had the understanding of abiogenesis, the conditions for life, and the principles of self-replication. He didn't need a pre-made seed packet. He was a god. He could build it. He focused on Veridia, feeling its immense liquid mass, the dissolved minerals, the faint warmth from its core, the light filtering through the upper layers. With his mind, guided by the intricate knowledge now embedded within him, he began to subtly manipulate the very fabric of his world. He envisioned the primordial soup, the lightning strikes, the hydrothermal vents – not as physical objects he needed to create, but as processes he could initiate on a microscopic, chemical level. He concentrated, a faint glow emanating from his ethereal form as he channeled his remaining Faith. He directed the energy, not in a grand, visible spectacle, but in a precise, microscopic dance. He stimulated the formation of complex organic molecules in the sunlit surface waters, encouraged the self-assembly of lipid membranes, and provided the subtle energetic nudges for the first self-replicating RNA strands to emerge. It was like conducting an invisible orchestra of atoms and energy. [Divine Action: Primordial Spark Initiated. Cost: 5 Faith Points.] [Current Faith: 5 -> Remaining Faith: 0] For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a single, microscopic flicker of green light appeared deep within Veridia's sunlit waters. It was incredibly subtle, visible only to his divine sight, but it was there. The first spark. Life. A single, self-replicating organism, the simplest form of algae, had begun its existence, not from a purchased packet, but from his direct, knowledgeable, and now Faith-depleted intervention. A profound sense of accomplishment washed over him. He, Cosmos, had created life. It wasn't grand, it wasn't complex, but it was the beginning. He checked his status again. [God Name: Cosmos] [Planet Name: Veridia] [LifeForms: 1] [Talent: Skill-Resonance (SSS-Grade)] [Faith: 0] "One," he chuckled, a sense of quiet triumph filling him. It was a humble start, but a start nonetheless. Now, the waiting game truly began, but this time, he understood the rules of the game far better. His Faith was now at zero. He needed a way to generate more. Faith, he realized, was likely generated by the life forms on his planet, perhaps through their sheer existence, their evolution, or eventually, their worship. More life, more Faith. It was a positive feedback loop, but a slow one, especially with only a single life form. He spent the next few "hours" simply observing. He tried to nudge the single algae, to encourage faster multiplication, but found his remaining 0 Faith was insufficient for any meaningful direct intervention beyond the initial spark. He needed to let nature take its course, for now. "System, what is the time flow ratio of Veridia to my perception?" [Veridia Time Flow: 10000 hours (planetary) = 1 hour (god)] Sunny blinked. "So, 10,000 hours on Veridia pass for every hour I perceive," he murmured, quickly calculating. "That means 100 planetary years for Skill-Resonance to activate is roughly 876,000 hours divided by 10,000 hours per hour, which is 87.6 hours of my perception. That's about 3.65 days." It was still a waiting game, but a far more manageable one than a literal century. This was a crucial piece of information. He wouldn't be waiting around for eons in his own time. He could actively oversee Veridia's evolution, even if it was a slow burn. He focused on the single microscopic algae, watching it divide, then divide again. Slowly, imperceptibly, the numbers began to climb. "This is truly a healthy start," Sunny said, a small smile gracing his lips. His planet was water, clean and ready, with its hidden landmasses awaiting future revelation. He had the most basic life, directly willed into existence. And he had a talent that, while dormant, promised ultimate power. The race was on, and while he might be starting slow, Cosmos had a long game in mind. The first seed had been planted. Now, he just had to wait for it to grow. And grow. And eventually, evolve.