[Please name the new human species.]
[Naming the species may influence the mapping of more advanced biological knowledge.]
"So basically, this name will be permanently recorded in their biology books later?"
Since there was no response, Lucas assumed it was a "yes."
That sounded impressive. As a scientist, true pride was discovering a phenomenon, object, or situation never before seen and naming it oneself.
For that reason, it wasn't uncommon for planets and even entire galaxy clusters to be named after people.
Lucas thought carefully about this. What if I name them 'Reptilian Humans'?
He immediately shook his head. That sounded way too cliché. Dino-Man? No, that only reminded him of the superhero comic series he loved as a kid.
Besides, there's no rule saying I have to use the word 'human,' right?
While thinking, Lucas recalled the moment he discovered the first microbial life.
He had named the microbe Hope, intending for life on Antroseda to be filled with joy and hope each day.
That was something he also wished for his children someday. However, the desire to have children seemed questionable—if not impossible—at this point, so at the very least, he wanted to consider the new species he had manually created as his children.
And a child should inherit their parent's name.
[Alhamera]
That was the name finally inscribed.
The light glowed brightly, and as it faded, the visualization, which previously displayed a silent mangrove forest, now showed a much more familiar sight.
With upright bodies and intimidating jaws, a pair of Alhamera had arrived in their new home.
Lucas smiled proudly.
[Warning! You are still operating under a 1 billion times time acceleration]
[Observing the Alhamera species at this speed will result in extremely rapid development]
[Do you wish to reset the time acceleration or continue?]
"Damn, right."
At this speed, even a second would translate to thousands of years passing.
While it satisfied his curiosity as an observer, Lucas knew he had to ensure the alhamera didn't face the same fate as humanity.
He remained committed to one goal: to ensure the Alhamera developed as a single race, culture, and language.
[Resetting time acceleration…]
[Please select:
1x faster
10x faster
100x faster
1,000x faster
100,000x faster
1,000,000x faster
1,000,000,000x faster
(Customize)]
Lucas stroked his chin. A million times faster still seemed too rapid. If he remembered correctly, that would mean skipping thousands of years in a single day.
A thousand times, though…
That felt way too slow. Judging by the alhamera pair's current maturity, they seemed old enough to reproduce.
After doing some basic math, Lucas estimated that at a 1,000x acceleration, they would likely have their first offspring after one day.
So, he settled on a middle ground.
[You have chosen 100,000x acceleration]
[Now, one hour will equal 114 years in real time]
Lucas looked back at the observation screen. At this point, the alhamera's brain development hadn't yet reached full self-awareness. Their actions were still purely driven by survival instincts.
The pair of alhamera cooperated in hunting and preserving their lineage.
It felt somewhat awkward watching them mate—like accidentally catching his kids sneaking around with their dates—but Lucas justified it as research.
Yes. Research.
As a result, he discovered that their reproductive anatomy closely resembled that of humans. Did that mean they gave live birth rather than laying eggs?
Unfortunately, Lucas hadn't paid close enough attention to anatomical customization. The idea of egg-laying could have introduced fascinating possibilities, like the need to develop protective architecture earlier due protect eggs from the predators.
Speaking of predators…
The male alhamera was now facing off against a bear. Fortunately, this part of the land was far enough from carnivorous dinosaurs, so the threats they faced weren't too extreme.
It only took a few years for the alhamera to develop advanced hunting tools, including traps and weapons.
Meanwhile, the result of their mating produced seven offspring: four females and three males.
Wait... doesn't that mean they'll eventually breed through incest? Wouldn't that damage their genetics?
[You have 3 Divine Intervention tokens.]
Divine Intervention?
[Divine Intervention allows significant alterations to universal order under observation]
[Tokens are granted upon reaching milestones]
A roadmap suddenly appeared on Lucas' screen, showcasing the timeline from Antroseda's pre-terraform state, post-terraforming, the emergence of Hope, and the creation of the Alhamera.
"I see... so I get tokens every time there's a major leap in progress?"
[Partially correct.]
[Milestones are not just progress but drastic shifts in conditions.]
[TIPS: You can remove the side effects of inbreeding.]
Lucas stroked his chin. Tempting, but…
Wouldn't that basically legalize incest?
He wasn't sure how the natural laws worked for pre-human species, but the idea of siblings marrying still felt inherently wrong.
It wasn't like he could force the alhamera to breed with another species either—that seemed even worse and far more unpredictable.
Lucas shook his head. "For now, I'll leave it be."
The system interface closed, and Lucas returned his focus to the alhamera.
While he was deep in thought, the species had already progressed to the third generation.
As their population grew, the alhamera began to realize that a nomadic lifestyle was no longer efficient, opting instead to settle down permanently.
They had even developed simple huts made from bamboo and gathered grass.
Something interesting caught Lucas' attention while watching their hunts.
It was organization! Did that mean they had started developing language?
If so, it seemed more like non-verbal communication—simple gestures and signals rather than spoken words.
They even divided roles between hunters and colony guards, with the males going out to hunt while the females remained to guard their homes.
A few years later, the alhamera reached their fifth generation. That was when they finally encountered the enemy humanity had faced for millions of years: death.
The first male alhamera passed away, falling asleep one night and never waking up.
The concept was so foreign that it left the alhamera confused and scared.
They left his body untouched for several days until it began to emit a foul odor.
Eventually, the group carried his corpse out of the settlement and placed it in the distant forest.
Unbeknownst to them, this would become a standard burial ritual for the Alhamera.
However, it didn't take long for the dangers to emerge.
The scent of decay attracted predators.
The alhamera guards assigned to dispose of the dead were often attacked by wolves or bears. Their scaly hides allowed them to fight back fiercely, but sometimes the predators still won.
Until one day, a young alhamera, likely in his teenage years, was assigned to carry a corpse alongside two others.
Upon reaching the drop zone, a pack of wolves—perhaps ten strong—was already waiting, hidden in the shadows before pouncing.
One alhamera died instantly. Another fled. The last one, wounded and bleeding, staggered toward a nearby water source.
A wolf chased him down and lunged from behind. Even with his underdeveloped body, the alhamera fought back with all his strength.
But wolves were cunning predators. It targeted weak points, inflicting multiple deep injuries.
At that critical moment, just as the wolf went for the final bite—
A burst of flame erupted from nowhere, engulfing the predator.
The wolf burned alive, howling in agony while the wounded alhamera stared in disbelief. Unaware that he had just awakened the seed of magic.