Azure steps closer, watching intently. "Let's see what they become."
The ants, which were merely foraging before, start to shift in size. Their bodies stretch and bulk up, their exoskeletons hardening as they begin to burrow deeper into the land. The crickets hop faster, growing slightly larger, their legs elongating and adapting to the harsh conditions of the shifting ground. The beetles, once slow and methodical, now skitter across the land with surprising speed, their shells thickening to withstand the constant battering of the wind and waves.
"Fascinating," Azure mutters, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "They're already starting to evolve."
In a few seconds, a thousand years has passed in the mini-world. The barren land is no longer the same. Plants have begun to take root, nourished by the evolutionary changes of the insects that now roam it. The once tiny ants now look like predators, towering over the land, their mandibles sharp and lethal. They have become something entirely new—larger, more intelligent, capable of hunting in packs.
The crickets have developed longer, sharper legs, using them to leap great distances across the dangerous terrain, while the beetles, nearly the size of a fist now, have developed a defensive ability, secreting a thick, corrosive substance to ward off predators.
"Host," Nexus interrupts, its voice even but tinged with a slight awe. "The prana in the world is doing its work. They are no longer the simple insects they once were. They've adapted to the constant danger of the sea and land."
Azure stands back, rubbing his hands together, his mind buzzing with possibilities. "Incredible... to think, in just minutes, they've become something so formidable. This world is the perfect pressure cooker for evolution."
He watches as the evolved ants work in unison, dragging a defeated beetle back to their tunnels. The crickets hop away, sensing danger. The mini-world, once a simple experiment, is now a thriving ecosystem where every creature fights for survival.
Nexus chimes in, "Their evolution is accelerating even faster than anticipated. With constant adversity, their progression shows no signs of slowing."
Azure nods, his excitement tempered by the exhaustion tugging at his aging body. "I want to see how far this can go. But I think I need to let them grow for a bit longer. Tomorrow should give us enough time to see more significant changes."
He steps away from the table, stretching his arms. His bones creak, and he winces slightly, reminded of his fragile state. "Okay, Nexus. Let's slow it down for now. Accelerate it to about fifty years every hour until tomorrow."
"As you wish, host," Nexus replies, adjusting the time compression. The pulsing energy from the mini-world dims slightly, settling into a steadier rhythm.
Azure exhales, his body heavy with fatigue. He glances at the world once more, feeling a strange sense of anticipation gnawing at him. "I can't wait to see what the results are tomorrow."
"They will likely be even more impressive, host," Nexus assures him. "Only a matter of time before we see greater leaps in their development."
Azure nods, a tired but satisfied smile on his face. "Alright, Nexus. Let's call it a night. Tomorrow, we'll see just how far they've come."
As he turns to leave the room, the weight of his looming mortality fades for a moment, replaced by the thrill of discovery. He heads toward his bed, eager to find out what kind of creatures will greet him in the morning.
The day finally comes. Azure wakes early, anticipation driving him straight toward the experimental world. The memory of what he'd seen the day before—creatures rapidly evolving in mere hours—burns in his mind. Today, he expects even more significant results.
As he approaches the small, domed enclosure, Nexus's calm voice greets him.
"Host, I have maintained the time dilation as requested. A significant period has passed within the experimental world since your last observation."
Azure doesn't respond immediately, his attention fully locked on the scene unfolding inside the dome. His breath catches as he leans closer.
The insects are completely different. While their size hasn't increased, their forms have become far more complex and specialized. The ants, now sleek and angular, move in coordinated groups, almost as if they've developed tactical intelligence. Their eyes glint with awareness, and they communicate through intricate patterns of antenna movements and pheromones. A few seem to have sprouted thin, wiry limbs, possibly for more delicate tasks.
Crickets, now faster and more agile, dart through the air like tiny missiles, their legs elongated, their once-musical chirping transformed into something almost metallic. Their ability to leap has morphed into flight-like movements, dodging between beetles and ants with near-supernatural precision.
Beetles with carapaces still thick and strong now exhibit even stranger adaptations—some have hardened wings, not for flight but as shields, and others secrete chemical compounds, creating small explosions or smokescreens in combat.
But what strikes Azure the most is the way the creatures interact with each other. They aren't merely animals anymore. There's a sense of strategy, as though some have regained a fraction of intelligence, using it for survival in their brutal environment. They're fighting—constantly battling for resources, territory, dominance—but the fighting isn't mindless. The creatures show signs of planning, of learning from their surroundings and each other.
"Well, this is… good," Azure mutters, eyes flickering across the mini-world. "Very good."
Nexus, sensing Azure's thoughts, speaks up. "Host, their intelligence is evolving at a rapid pace. While they haven't gained full sentience, they are on the cusp of achieving advanced forms of reasoning."
After some time, Azure look at the Vorrans mini world. The miniature civilization of Vorrans is visible in astounding detail, each small creature in a blur. He leans over, captivated as the Nexus system relays detailed updates straight into his mind, piecing together events that are unfolding at a hundred times the speed of his own world. The tactical maneuvers, the ambushes, the evolving interactions between these tiny warriors—he can almost feel the adrenaline of their hunt.