*rocking sounds* *Bird sounds*
I was floating in front of my little cottage, sitting in a gently swaying wooden rocking chair.
I watched the sun rise over the lake, and a light mist began to form over the water, gently spreading in all directions.
By the lake, small songbirds that I had created chirped, adding to the relaxing atmosphere. I had slept for the first time in a long while, thankfully just one night, and my head felt clearer.
"Incredible!" I said, as there was something mysterious about it.
I was glad I had finally completed my Control Room, and I believed it was the right decision to design it.
I let my gaze wander over my small space, which I would likely see for a long time, every day, for who knows how long, alone.
As I thought about it, a slight shadow of loneliness crept over my mood.
I had grown accustomed to not having much contact with people.
I had spent 20 years lying around, as I've mentioned before.
Nevertheless, I had seen my grandchildren from time to time and had a caregiver.
Even though we didn't talk much, the presence of others was a comforting feeling, knowing that you were not alone.
Now, I was here, in another world whose name I didn't even know, a species that couldn't freely roam this world or make contact with other living beings.
I was isolated from everything, just floating and creating...
"Hmm, I have the power to create almost anything, but I still feel weak."
"What am I even here for?" I asked myself.
"What should I do?"
„What is my goal?"
„Should I try to return to my old world? But... what awaits me there?"
„All my friends are already gone, my close family, and my grandchildren and great-grandchildren don't need me. „
„What's the value of this lonely existence?"
I kept sinking into these thoughts and daydreamed about a complete end.
This loneliness came out of nowhere, and now, it was consuming me.
"AAAAHHH!" I screamed. "What am I doing here? Why am I thinking about giving up?"
"I made a plan, didn't I? To create a companion for myself, right?"
"Yes, I did!" I agreed with myself.
I immediately opened my status and went to the icon where I could create a species.
Arriving there, I started right away, planning and thinking. Without realizing it, my complete focus was on this task.
The loneliness had come as quickly as it had arrived, hadn't it? Two days later, I was finished.
This creation would cost 1500 EC, but it will BE worth it!
____
Age: 0 years, 7 months, 2 weeks, 2 days, 6 hours
EC: 1,500/1,500
______
I looked at my creation and felt like Pygmalion.
This figure had arisen purely out of egoism and fear of loneliness.
"I'm really curious!" I checked all the characteristics again and found myself very satisfied. For the substantial sum, she had quite a few features.
She had a human body, planned to be 180cm tall, and unintentionally, she turned out to be a woman.
"Hmm, should I change that?" I wondered.
"No, I'll leave it like this. I have to pay homage to Pygmalion!" I chuckled lightly. I could have created her as diverse or male, but I came from a time when homosexuality was still a taboo.
I had no prejudices against those who preferred same-sex relationships or other things.
Over time, I had lost track of all the variations.
I think that everyone had the right to love whomever they wanted and whatever they wanted.
However, I had firmly decided not to make myself gay, as I didn't want that for myself.
It was just ingrained in me, and I didn't want to change it.
Who knew how much time we would spend together?
"Enough of that! I think I get it!" I scolded myself, as I also didn't want to enter into a romantic relationship with a woman; I just felt bad about it. What would Anja think of me?
So, the human figure was a woman, approximately 23 years old, 180cm tall, with long legs, a slim build, blonde hair with hints of pink, and large, fiery blue eyes.
Her face had a unique mix of sharp and soft features.
What I did insist on was that she be nature-oriented so that she could tend to the garden if needed.
Therefore, she had several attributes.
One functionality, although not conventionally attractive, was her long ears, which were intended to help her better hear the plants, understanding how they were doing and how well they were growing.
I didn't fully comprehend it, but I trusted the description.
She had a soulstone in her head, not visible.
Her skin was lightly tanned because spending long time in the garden can often led to sunburn.
"She reminds me a bit of a Latin American woman."
She had mana veins, a more expensive variant, allowing more mana circulation. It sounded simple at first, but it was incredibly costly and complicated to put together.
Additionally, her muscles were slightly stronger and faster, enabling her to move heavy objects like trees.
She also possessed knowledge of gardening and some plants.
I added basic knowledge and a few other small features.
The final touch that depleted the rest of my EC was the special ability of slow aging, as I didn't want her to die before me.
[Creation Cost: 1500 EC]
I was relatively sure and proceeded with the creation.
"A name for the species is needed."
"Hmm, I have just the right one!" To honor Pygmalion until the end, I named her Galatea.
It was accepted, and my Core briefly lit up in the Control Room.
Then, a naked woman materialized in my bedroom.
"Scandalous!" I laughed.
Unfortunately, I didn't have any EC left to create something for her.
I admired my creation.
"She's really beautiful!" I had to smile. "Too bad about the ears!"
I watched as she spun around to assess the situation. I floated next to her, wondering what it felt like to be created. With no knowledge of oneself, if any self even existed.
[First conscious life in the Control Room detected]
[Avatar now available]
Those were the two messages that appeared before my eyes. I immediately focused on these messages and hoped that Galatea would find and read the little notebook I had prepared for her.
I opened my status.
—————
[Status]
Name: -
Age: 0 years, 7 months, 3 weeks, 2 days, 21 hours
Species: World Dungeon Core
Level: 2/6
Experience Points: 412.41/150,000
EC: 0/1,500
—> 2 EC regenerates per hour
Characteristics:
Space (unique)
Time (unique)
Consciousness
Floors: 3
Control Room
First Floor (Tempora) ---> 1.2 EC per hour
Second Floor (name)
[More]
—————
Since I could understand "Avatar" to some extent, I immediately opened [More] and then the subsection [Mode].
———
[Mode]
• Core [o]
• Ghost [x]
• Avatar [o]
—————
"Yipiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeee!" I cried out and activated the Avatar Mode.
My view didn't change, but my sense of the environment did.
It was as if I had been struck by lightning, experiencing smells, sensations, and even the taste of the air.
I now stood before Galatea, feeling a joy I hadn't felt in a long time. Without thinking, I rushed toward her, embracing her.
"Yippie! After almost 21 years, I can walk again!" I rejoiced, twirling around the room with Galatea in my arms.
My creation didn't seem to appreciate that as she had her own feelings.
How does one even feel after being the first of a species, reading something about oneself in a notebook, appearing naked in a room, and then having a naked man appear out of nowhere, shouting in joy, hugging you, and dancing with you in his arms, in excitement?
I would say confused!
After some time, I calmed down a bit, but I was still as excited as a child.
"Can one still be so excited in my age, like a child? I wouldn't have thought!" I talked to myself. "Haha, technically, I'm just under seven months old!"
It seemed like all the worries about loneliness had disappeared from my shoulders.
I gently let the lady down, who looked visibly embarrassed and confused.
I extended my hand and introduced myself.
"Hello, I'm Isaac Stone, your creator."
She tried to cover her private areas, which didn't bother me at all, as I had already seen enough bodies.
I lived my 132 years not with eyes closed!
Besides, I hadn't created her for that purpose. I noticed that I was also naked, which wasn't a problem, as many caretakers had seen me naked.
"What's your name?" I asked her when she didn't respond.
I let my hand drop.
"You haven't given me a name!" she exclaimed.
"I just haven't told you yet! Your name is Gaia, derived from your species," I replied. „Did you not read the notebook?"
She shaked her head.
I was honestly a bit overwhelmed. I wanted to examine my real body, but I couldn't leave Gaia alone in this room.
I noticed that I had a few more EC, so I relaxed briefly and conjured simple clothing.
I quickly wove many small plant fibers into a sack.
I held it out to her and said, "Here, put this on, then we can talk."
She nodded and put on the sack. I did the same.
"Let's start again! Good day, Gaia. I'm Isaac Stone, your creator. How are you?"
"Good day," she said and knelt down.
"Why are you kneeling? Stand up!" I told her.
"But you're my creator?"
"You don't have to! I haven't been a god for long!" I joked.
She seemed to take it seriously and nodded with wide eyes as she stood up.
"Finally, someone to talk to!" I said softly.
"What?" Gaia asked.
"Nothing! I was just talking to myself," I replied.
She tilted her head and asked innocently, "But you can talk to me now, right?"
I smiled and said, "You're right; it's just a silly habit of mine."
"Because you were lonely?"
"No, not at all. It's just a habit," I strongly denied.
Gaia nodded, and I signaled for her to follow me.
I showed Gaia around, introducing her to the small house, the Control Room, and our sacks rustling slightly in the rising wind.
The grass had already grown to the perfect length and was held in place by the [Chronit-Bedrock].
"Why isn't the grass growing?" Gaia asked.
"How do you know that?" I inquired.
"I can hear things like that."
"Well, it's because of a specific type of rock..." I explained, and she nodded, then asked, "So, am I useless?"
"No, not at all! You can keep me company, and we can give you a purpose!" I assured her.
She nodded again. I then led her to the sapling next to the house.
"I want you to take care of this tree. It's a special kind, so it grows a bit slower," I told her.
"Alright, I think you're confused, and I'm overwhelming you. So, I'll give you some time to orient yourself," I said.
She simply nodded and walked toward the lake.
I watched her go and tried to access her status, which thankfully worked.
Although she was intelligent, she was still my creation.
------
[Status]
Name: Gaia
Title: First of the Galatea Species
- Immune to aging
Age: 0 Years 0 Months
Species: Galatea
Level: 1/4
Exp: 0/200
Mana: 80/80
Muscle Strength: 10
Muscle Agility: 10
Body Control: 9
Stamina: 8
Skills: /
------
"Incredible!" I said. "Looks pretty good, actually."
I scrolled through her status and noticed she had a title that granted her a cool ability.
"When will I ever get a name?" I wondered, as quite some time had passed.
Gaia had no skills since they didn't fit in the budget.
"Maybe she'll learn some on her own!" I thought. "Now, back to me."
I looked down at myself and finally saw legs again.
I luckily hadn't forgotten how to walk; it was like an instinct. It was what allowed me to walk even after 20 years of immobility.
I wondered if I had a kind of status, so I opened mine. It looked the same as before, but I searched a bit and noticed that I could now access the Avatars Mode datas under [Mode].
I did just that:
————
[Avatar Status]
Body: Collection of Mana (Non-organic)
EC: 26/1500
Muscle Strength: 23
Muscle Agility: 23
Body Control: 23
———
"Quite disappointing!" I remarked.
I was relatively strong, but I didn't even have an organic body. I had no name, no mana, no title, and no skills.
"It's a bit of a shame," I thought, "but it's not the end of the world. I'm just happy to have a body again."
I looked almost like my ghost mode, except I wasn't transparent and… had legs.
So, I ran my hands over my body and walked slowly barefoot through the grass to feel it.
I went to the water source and took a sip.
"Delicious!" I exclaimed.
I enjoyed having a body again. I did some push-ups and a test strike.
*Whoosh*
"Incredible!"
The strike had broken the sound barrier, creating a small shockwave.
"Crazy!" I repeated and tried various actions, letting my thoughts wander.
Now that I had a real body again, many possibilities opened up.
"I'll wait until Gaia settles in," I decided.
I was curious about her character, as I had noticed you couldn't choose it—it was essentially random.
Suddenly, I felt the urge to sprint.
I ran, but after 13 seconds, I had covered the 200 meters.
"I couldn't reach top speed because I had to slow down," I realized. "I should try it on Tempora."
I teleported to Tempora but was greeted with a message:
[You can only be in Avatar Mode in the Control Room].
"I can't leave the Control Room in this mode?" I muttered to myself.
I read the text in disbelief while floating over the grass of Tempora.
"Oh well," I sighed. There was no point in complaining now.
I returned to the Control Room.
For a little over two days, I relaxed and enjoyed my body.
Although I hadn't had much contact with Gaia so far, her presence helped me immensely.
She seemed to be finding her way slowly and had already started asking about a few things, like getting two sheep and food.
"I didn't think about that!" I admitted with embarrassment.
She wanted the sheep for their wool to make proper clothing, a capability she still needed to practice, but she had plenty of time for that here.
To solve the food problem, I created a small garden next to the house and stocked the lake with fish, which also received some algae.
The Control Room was now essentially complete, but I refrained from marking it as
[Finished] because I wanted to be able to make changes.
Despite her newfound hobby, Gaia still fulfilled her role as a gardener.
She enjoyed planting small flowers and even gave me some tips on improving the Control Room's appearance.
"She has a real talent for natural beauty," I acknowledged.
"Gaia?" I called out.
"What's up?" she replied without raising her head as she tended to the sapling next to the house.
"She needed some calm after my arrival," I smiled to myself.
"Would you mind taking a break? I'd like your advice," I requested.
She nodded reluctantly. I had noticed that nature calmed her and served as a sanctuary for her.
"Here, this is my plan for the three continents on the second floor. Do you have any ideas?" I asked, showing her the sketch and description.
She examined it and said, "It's a bit vague."
"Yes, the small details will come later," I replied.
"Alright, from what I see, the sketch and description look good. But what do you mean by black and white desert?" she inquired.
"As you can see, I've planned three continents. I wanted to create a specific landscape on each. A black desert is a hot place, where the black sand and rock get scorching under the sun. The white desert, on the other hand, refers to ice and snow," I explained.
"So, you want to create two uninhabitable places?" she asked, looking puzzled.
"Uh, no," I replied, realizing she didn't understand. "Just because a place isn't attractive for you to live in doesn't mean it's not for others. There's life almost everywhere, even where you least expect it. For example, desert foxes or polar bears."
She looked at me blankly after I mentioned the animal examples.
"Never mind the polar bear and desert fox; just remember the rest. Besides," I pointed to an information window on the sketch, "there are canyons with green life in the black desert."
"Cool!" she exclaimed. "And the third continent is just a giant jungle?"
"Just a jungle? Unfortunately, that will be the most challenging and expensive," I admitted. "I hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew there."
"Okay, and what about those floating islands above the sea?" she asked.
"That's due to the core of the planet," I explained.
Although she didn't fully understand, she nodded. Then she asked an unexpected question, "Can you create my kind on the planet?"
I looked surprised and replied, "I think it should be possible, but on which continent? In the jungle?"
She shook her head and said, "In the black desert, please."
"If you want it," I agreed. „But I have to test some things beforehand!"
We continued to discuss the world, and she actually helped me make it look more natural.
A few hours later, my EC was replenished, and I decided to move on to the second floor to implement our plan.
"See you later!" I smiled.
"See you later!" she replied with a smile, but working at the sapling already.
////Author's Note////
Any ideas for a name for the planet or the second floor?
Thanks for reading and your ideas!
Have a great day!