IN THE BEGINNING, the Earth was pummeled by asteroids. Thousands of these space rocks slammed into the young Earth, sometimes with a force powerful enough to vaporize the seas. They came primarily from the asteroid belt, which was perturbed by the developing orbits of the Solar System's larger planets.
Not long after asteroids stopped raining down, something incredible happened on Earth.
For millennia, scientists and philosophers have searched for the answer to the question: Where did life come from?
There are several leading theories on the origin of life on Earth. And one has to do with this violent astronomical era from our planet's past: The Impact-Origin of Life Hypothesis.
The theory is founded on the idea that the cataclysmic assault on the early Earth may have actually been the catalyst necessary to bring life into existence.
Basically: While asteroids made Earth's surface unlivable, they were making its subsurface a hotbed of creation.
Other venues for the origin of life on Earth have also been proposed, like-
1) Deep sea Hydrothermal Vents
2) Volcanism, etc.
But it's not the right time to talk about these intriguing (tiresome) theories.
"Hey, by the blast, you didn't mean…"
[YUP]
[IT'S GONNA BE A SPECTACULAR EVENT]
Seeing this, Shu's face smoothed out, Kyoka's face shone, and the dokkaebi's face was excited.
Glow-in-the-dark fragments of fireballs, some large, others small, started emerging from the black sky. On Earth, these fragments were infamous for their destructive appearance, the meteors, and the asteroids.
[HERE IT IS]
[SUCH A VIVID PRESENTATION OF BEAUTY]
Dokkaebi exclaimed, almost like a child, looking at the shower awaiting the festival.
With an odd expression, Kyoka glanced at the dokkaebi, reflecting her discontentment with him.
Yet what surprised her the most was Shu's reaction as he also gazed skyward with sparkling eyes, just like the dokkaebi.
—Seriously?
It was the only thought that entered her mind as she also turned her head in front and gazed at the sky.
"I never thought that I would be experience something like this ever." Shu said.
[HO]
[RESURFACING THE PAST MEMORIES]
[SHISHISHISHISHI]
Shu looked at him in denial and turned his head to the other side.
The glowing fireballs that were embroidering the sky finally began showing their real might as they reached closer to the surface.
The sight of the meteor showers behind Kyoka changed her color as her face grew pale.
The big mountain-sized monster falling straight forwards above them was at first exciting for Shu, but he soon became alarmed as he saw bright yellow and red flames emerging from it.
[WOW, THIS ONE'S COMING TOWARDS US]
Dokkaebi's eye sparkled as it stared unrepentantly at the asteroid as it said, still smiling with its cute face.
"H-Hey, are you serious right this minute?" Kyoka shouted in panic, looking terrified.
She stared at Shu, but all she got was a blank look from him. After looking at the dokkaebi he smiled and then looked at the sky.
"I feel lucky to have been in the position I am in right now, despite a lackluster start."
"Huh?" Kyoka said.
Immediately after the asteroid struck, all that was visible turned into an unnaturally bright light, as if someone had fired a planetary-size light bomb on the planet.
With sweat seeping from his brow, Shu stood upright with a sincere smile on his face.
Kyoka burst into tears and covered her body with her hands, a normal human reaction.
Laughing madly in the air, the dokkaebi began dancing in midair inside.
The asteroid hit the planet typically at a high speed of 32 kilometers per second. During the impact, the kinetic energy in the asteroid converted to explosive energy, blowing the debris of dust, soil, and everything in it's way, not only into the atmosphere, but out into space, where it fell back into the top of the atmosphere.
The impact lasted for several minutes as it showed it's monstrous side and turned everything into nothingness, spreading to large range.
Gradually, the glow of light diminished, and the yellow sphere eventually became visible, but covered with smoke from the aftereffect.
"Eh? I am still alive?" Kyoka, who then began crying like a child, asked while sitting on her knees.
"It was dangerously amazing, I mean I am speechless." Shu said and turned his head towards the dokkaebi but it was not there.
[WOW, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL VIEW THAT WAS]
[WAS IT UP TO YOUR EXPECTATIONS, OUR DEAR GUESTS?!]
The dokkaebi was already outside rolling and jumping in the sky while talking through his mic.
[OH, I AM REALLY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR KIND WORDS]
[WITH THIS, WE HAVE FINALLY COMPLETED THE INAUGURATION OF OUR FIRST EVER VERSE-WIDE PROJECT]
[I HOPE THAT YOU STICK WITH US AND WITNESS THE EVOLUTION OF THIS NEW WORLD]
"Oi! I am somewhat confused about everything going on here." Shu said, calling out the white teddy.
[TCH]
[WE WILL BE TAKING A SHORT BREAK HERE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!]
[UNTIL THEN, PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING THE SPONSORS OF OUR SHOW]
It said as it vanished it's microphone from the air.
[WHAT DID YOU DISTURB ME FOR?]
[IF THIS IS NOT IMPORTANT, I AM GONNA DELETE YOU]
It said and looked at the two kids.
--Well, it's important for me though.
While gulping and looking at the dokkaebi, Shu contemplated his next move.
"As to your project and your preferred method of contact, I am not really following your lead, but that's not my main question."
[WHAT IS IT THEN?]
It took out a chocolate bar from its inside and started eating it while listening.
"What are we supposed to do here? I mean to ask that literally since there must be some comprehensible reason behind the last quest right?" Shu asked.
[WELL, YOU ARE SOMEWHAT CORRECT]
[BE HAPPY WITH THIS MUCH]
He took out a bowl of ramen from its back and started slurping it with a fork.
[YOUR PLANET HAS A GREAT TASTE IN FOOD]
"So that was mine, after all." Shu said and took his umpteenth sigh.
"The fact that you are now eating our food should make you more accountable to us."
Kyoka said, trying to use every single opportunity in her favour.
[PFFT...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA]
Her face blanched as she saw the vicious smile of the dokkaebi, whose sharp teeth were hidden from her until now.
[I AM TALKING TO YOU QUITE RIGOROUSLY BUT]
[DON'T CROSS THE LINE, INFERIOR BEINGS]
The creature came close to the children and stared at them with deep, red spiral eyes, showing extreme intimidation.
[OR IF YOU WANT TO KNOW, THEN LISTEN!]
[YOU DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO QUESTION ME]
[YOU SIMPLY HAVE TO DO WHAT YOU ARE TOLD TO DO AND NOTHING ELSE]
[STILL, I ALREADY TOLD YOU BOTH IN THE BEGINNING THAT YOU ARE LUCKY THAT YOU GOT ME]
"W-Wha-"
Shu uttered a few words, but was interrupted by the dokkaebi as it appeared before his eyes and touched his forehead.
[DON'T INTERRUPT ME!!]
The finger touched Shu's forehead, causing his head to shard into dust-sized particles and blood to splash everywhere.
--Huh?
Shu thought as he felt his body fall into an extreme state of pain.
After a moment, the body stepped up again and the shattered head reversed its position as well.
"Huh?"
Using the same hand, a finger touched his forehead again, shattering his head in the same way as before.
"Aaaaaarrrrgggghhh!!!!!"
After that, it reversed its condition back to normal and kept repeating the same cycle over and over again.
"Eeeeerrggggghhh!!!!"
.
"Ssssttttooooppppp Ittttttt!!!!"
.
"I-I-I-I-I-I-I willllll d-"
.
"Save m-meeee!!!!"
.
Shu continued to cycle through the cycle for more than a hundred rounds before opening his eyes once more.
"Huff...Huff...Huff!!!"
As Shu gazed at the vicious smile of the dokkaebi, his breathing became heavier and his sweat started to build.
"W-What happened, Shu?" Kyoka asked in a worried tone.
[SHISHISHISHISHISHI]
[NOTHING SPECIAL HAPPENED]
[HE JUST EXPERIENCED A PART OF TRUE PARADISE]
[SHISHISHISHISHISHI]
After all, the dokkaebi was all smiles now, showing no sign of anger that made it look evil earlier.
Despite his extreme fear, Shu stared at the dokkaebi, slowly becoming aware of the fact that the creature before him was not an ally.
The moment that Shu remembered the amount of gore that he experienced in those meager seconds, he stumbled but stood up, aware of the pain he experienced as he tried to balance.
[ALRIGHT, NOW THAT THE FUN TIME IS OVER]
[LET'S BEGIN OUR REAL GAME]
"What do you mean by that?" Kyoka asked softly.
[IT'S TIME TO TURN THE CLOCK A BIT FURTHER]
[TICK TOK TICK TOK TICK TOK...]
The dokkaebi ticked his fingers over an imaginary clock, and in an instant, everything started rotating, or to be more accurate, warping.
In a state of fear, Shu and Kyoka were screaming but their voices were undetectable.
[LET GO OF EVERYTHING THAT YOU FEAR TO LOSE]
Then it opened up its arms and flew a bit more.
[SURVIVE!! AND REACH THE TOP]
[OR DIE AND GET MIXED WITH THE DUST]
[WE WILL BE WAITING FOR YOU ALL]
These were the last words they heard before being teleported away from their current location.
*
[ALL THE PARTICIPANTS SAFELY CONSIGNED]
[STARTING ASSIMILATION FOR THE PROJECT]
[PROJECT]: [BILLION RECURVE]
[WELCOME TO THE PALEOZOIC ERA]
[COMMENCING THE FIRST SYSTEM - THE CAMBRIAN PERIOD]