Normally, the terraforming process could take thousands of years, or even millions for a condition as severe as Antroseda.
Yet, this process only occurred over… nine days?
[You are now viewing the world from the Overseer's perspective]
[The concept of time no longer applies to you]
[The current timeline has been set to a default tempo: 100 million times faster]
[Each day you experience equals 300,000 years in the world's time]
[You can adjust this tempo as you wish]
[While fast-forwarding into the future is possible, reversing time is not]
[Therefore, use this feature wisely]
Now, some things started making a little more sense. If he could witness the terraforming process in such a short time, that meant he would need at least years before he could see a new lifeform similar to humans again.
That was an incredibly short time for an evolution that should have taken billions of years.
[You can now choose the energy core for your new world:
Oxygen
Magic Seed
Supernatural Energy
Inner Ki
Each core will influence the evolution of life that will emerge]
Lucas thought hard. Oxygen—was that the same as what humans previously had? Would choosing anything else mean they wouldn't have oxygen?
[Oxygen will still exist, but it will serve as a secondary sustaining core for the life that emerges]
[If you choose another core, lifeforms will become dependent on that energy for their development]
Hmm… this was quite difficult.
Lucas had only encountered the other three cores in fictional stories recommended by his late junior.
If the Magic Seed truly existed, beings might be able to fly using simple tools like brooms. Space travel would be accelerated, and concepts like borders would become meaningless since no one could truly monitor every flight.
That level of advancement was tempting, but there was a catch. What if they decided to explore other planets where the Magic Seed didn't exist?
The same applied to Supernatural Energy. Even worse, it would automatically arm individuals from birth. That was practically starting a war before any conflict even arose.
Ki was even more terrifying. Those who mastered it could explore the universe using their own internal power.
It was possible that within just a few thousand years, these beings could reach Lucas's level—and when that happened, they would not yet be a fully mature race.
Forget thousands—even millions of years wouldn't be enough for humans to reach true maturity.
Thus, Lucas crossed Ki off the list and reconsidered the remaining three options.
However, even without those three cores, even if they began as a fragile species, any species with intelligence equivalent to humans would eventually become hateful and hostile toward one another.
Was there a way to prevent race, speaking the same language, and sharing the same culture?
Lucas had made his decision. He would choose the Magic Seed. Accelerated development was an interesting prospect for a technology enthusiast like him.
[Magic Seed confirmed as the core of Antroseda]
[The Magic Seed will be spread throughout Antroseda to nurture life]
[The estimated appearance of the first organic lifeforms will be approximately ten years with this acceleration]
Ten years?
Lucas knew that in science, especially evolutionary processes, nothing happened instantly. In this case, he was even willing to wait a few more decades.
However…
I'm already curious about how this new species will develop…
[You can increase the acceleration further]
[Would you like to increase the acceleration to 1 billion times faster?]
[At this rate, 1 day will equal 2.74 million years in normal time]
[You will need at least 8 hours to see the emergence of modern intelligent life]
8 hours certainly didn't feel too long.
Lucas chose to make coffee. Sure, there were more efficient ways to boost heart performance without negatively affecting metabolism.
However, like the few remaining humans before him, Lucas preferred coffee for its intoxicating bitterness.
He took his first sip while continuing to monitor Antroseda through the vision device.
[Microbial life has been discovered]
[Would you like to name this species?]
It was a type of bacteria thriving in Antroseda's extreme oceanic environments. Their reproduction could accelerate ocean filtration into a more habitable ecosystem, allowing space for more complex organisms to emerge.
They were far too small to be seen with the naked eye. Yet, Lucas felt his eyes water.
This was a new milestone for a universe he had once believed had no hope left.
It felt like witnessing the birth of his own child.
"I… I'll name it Hope."
[The name Hope has been integrated with the lifeform]
[Hope will now be known as a sacred word with many virtues in Antroseda]
It didn't take long before a more advanced microorganism appeared: cyanobacteria. These bacteria triggered the first photosynthesis process in Antroseda, producing oxygen.
They also thrived in the cratered soils of Antroseda, slowly enriching it with nutrients and nitrogen, paving the way for more complex life forms.
By then, Lucas noticed his cup was empty. Somehow, two hours had passed without him realizing it.
Lucas stood up to make another cup of coffee. A faint reflection of himself on the polished surface of his floating home's mechanism made him pause.
Is that… me?