Three days pass in the blink of an eye. The time acceleration is off now, and Azure stands on the balcony, gazing at the vibrant mini world below. Creatures of every shape and size, though none larger than an ant, roam across the landscape. The ecosystem is flourishing—there are animals crawling on all fours, some with wings flapping between miniature trees, and even a few walking upright on two feet. The sight is nothing short of remarkable.
Azure leans forward, fascinated by the changes. "These creatures… They must be one creature that's product of my blood," he murmurs
He then recalled the day he created the artificial sun for the dome. The memory of it still baffles him. When he had implemented the day-night cycle using his old lamp, something unexpected happened. Not long after the light began to shift between day and night, Nexus told him that humanoid creatures started to appear and with an uncanny resemblance to humans or other advanced life forms, they emerged and began walking upright, their tiny forms no bigger than ants.
"Nexus, let's speed things up again," Azure says, resting his hand on the dome. "This time, let's keep it to twenty years per second. More than that might mess with their evolution, right?"
"Correct, Host," Nexus replies smoothly in his mind. "At this pace, their development will remain stable, though you may still observe their progress, albeit slightly blurred due to the acceleration."
Azure nods, watching as the creatures inside seem to blur and shift, time now flowing much faster for them. He leans closer, trying to catch glimpses of their evolution, but the rapid movement becomes difficult to follow.
"I can't wait for them to gain real intelligence," Azure mutters, squinting at the fast-moving forms. A small humanoid figure climbs what looks like a tiny hill, carrying a tool fashioned from stone. "Soon… they'll start thinking like real beings."
After a while, though, the excitement begins to fade. Azure, sitting on the balcony edge, starts tapping his foot, growing restless. "Can I… build another mini world? Something different?"
There's a brief pause before Nexus responds. "Host, given your current mortal body, you should be able to construct a second mini world without issue."
Azure's eyes light up. "Alright! This time, I want to build a world of water. You know, oceans, a couple of islands here and there… Seeing how the creatures in the first world evolved makes me think a water world has even more potential. Who knows, it might help me achieve a level-1 life form even faster."
He gets up, his enthusiasm returning, and grabs a shovel. Moving beside the first mini world, Azure marks a spot on the ground and begins digging. The shovel bites into the earth, and soon he's carving out a large hole. After an hour of digging, the sun beating down on him, Azure stops to wipe the sweat from his brow.
"Damn," he mutters, stretching his aching back. "My old body is really not built for this. All this work is wearing me down."
Nexus's voice chimes in, calm as ever. "You can do it, Host. Remember, you have only a year left to live. If you do not continue pushing yourself, your time may run out sooner than you think."
Azure pauses, gripping the shovel tightly. "I know, you don't need to remind me again," he says, protesting. He glances at the half-finished hole, suddenly aware of just how precious little time he has.
His resolve hardens. Despite the aches in his muscles, he continues digging, the sound of the shovel scraping against dirt echoing through the quiet air. He pushes through the fatigue, his mind racing with thoughts of the worlds he's creating.
After what feels like hours, Azure stands in the basin, now dug to about half his height. He tosses the shovel aside, panting. "That… should be enough," he says, looking at his work with satisfaction.
He grabs a hose and begins filling it with water, watching as it slowly fills the space, transforming it into the beginnings of an ocean for his new world. The sight of the water rising gives him a sense of accomplishment, even if he's exhausted.
As the water begins to pool, Nexus speaks again, a soft encouragement in his tone. "You've done well, Host. This new world may yield fascinating results."
Just like before, as soon as the water fills the hole, Nexus begins his part. A soft hum fills the air, and a transparent dome materializes around the water world. It glows faintly, encapsulating the new creation, and Azure watches in anticipation as the transformation begins.
The surface of the water ripples under an invisible force, and the artificial, still liquid starts to churn as though something is stirring beneath. Within moments, the water darkens, taking on the deep, mysterious blue of an ocean. Azure leans in, mesmerized as the mini ocean takes shape before his eyes. The artificial basin he had dug now looks like a vast, endless sea.
The islands he had hastily formed out of dirt and rocks begin to shift. At first, they are simple mounds in the water, but soon, grass starts sprouting from the barren soil. Trees push their way out of the ground, their trunks thickening as they grow upward, their canopies filling with lush green leaves. Azure can hardly believe how quickly the change is happening.
He marvels at the way the islands transform from crude piles of dirt into vibrant, living landscapes. The trees sway in an invisible breeze, casting long shadows over the newly formed beaches. He can even see tiny streams forming, cutting through the islands, creating rivers that feed back into the ocean.
Azure takes a deep breath, standing back to admire the transformed water world before him. But his work isn't done yet. Reaching into his pouch, he pulls out several small vials filled with the blood of different animals he had collected during the first mini world.