The designated time for the Creation Ceremony had arrived.
Keshav stood inside the massive World Link Hall, a giant domed structure where students could temporarily connect their consciousness directly into their inner world — to carry out major operations like creating intelligent life.
Above him, massive holographic screens floated showing snippets of student worlds.
All around, students murmured nervously, excitement and tension thick in the air.
---
> "Remember," the teacher's voice echoed through the hall,
"At your current strength, you must only birth one intelligent species. A second would divide resources, trigger conflicts, and cripple the world's growth."
> "Build your foundation first. Expansion can come later."
Keshav nodded to himself, steadying his breathing.
---
Soon, his turn came.
He stepped onto his assigned Creation Platform, placed his hand on the glowing pedestal, and closed his eyes.
The familiar feeling of connection flooded through him, linking his soul to his personal world.
---
Inside his World...
The skies shimmered silver.
Lush lands stretched wide under the calm artificial sun.
Rivers flowed, small primitive forests swayed in the gentle breeze — a rich ecosystem he had painstakingly nurtured earlier.
High above, faint distortions rippled — the lingering traces of Space Energy awakening a year ago.
It was fertile ground now.
Ready.
Waiting.
---
Keshav summoned the blueprint of the Astral Nomads from the system.
A beautiful holographic model floated in front of him — shimmering beings of light and shadow, born to walk the paths between stars.
He mentally confirmed:
> [Deploy Species: Astral Nomads?]
> [Cost: 0 EP. World rules acknowledged. Intelligent Life Creation permitted.]
> [Proceed?]
Keshav grinned fiercely.
> "Let's begin."
He pressed Confirm.
---
A blinding pillar of light descended from the skies of his world.
In the center of a large meadow, the energy condensed, twisted, and wove into forms.
First one... then two... then dozens...
Figures formed — tall, elegant beings made of starlight and mist, with bodies faintly flickering like the edge of the cosmos.
Their eyes slowly opened, revealing endless galaxies swirling within.
The first of the Astral Nomads had been born.
They looked around with wonder, sensing the space-energy veins subtly running beneath the soil, stretching between the rivers and mountains.
They understood, instinctively, that they were the first.
The pioneers.
The builders of their civilization.
---
Keshav's consciousness returned gently to his body on the platform, a lingering warmth filling his chest.
> "I did it..."
"I created life."
The feeling was overwhelming — a heady mix of awe, excitement, and a profound sense of responsibility.
He clenched his fists tightly.
> "This is only the beginning."
---
Meanwhile... Deep within the System's hidden layer...
The System recorded every second of the ceremony.
It carefully observed the birth of the Astral Nomads, analyzing their structure, behavior, and how they instinctively resonated with the awakened Space Energy in Keshav's world.
And at the same time—
—In the distant Chaotic World, billions of species flickered in and out of existence chaotically, with no order, no civilization yet.
The System's upgraded Scan ability was barely enough to keep up.
But one thing was clear:
Where Keshav's world had calm, ordered evolution —
The chaotic world was a brutal, ever-changing storm of possibilities.
Both sides were evolving.
And the System was preparing to harvest from both.
---
[Congratulations!
You have created your first intelligent species: Astral Nomads!]
[The path of a Creator has officially begun.]
--------
The Creation Ceremony had ended in a wave of awe and applause, but for the top students—those placed in Class 1—a small private celebration was held in one of the academy's exclusive lounges.
Keshav sat at the edge of the semicircle, sipping from a glowing crystalline drink that probably violated half a dozen planetary safety standards. His friendly rival, a sharp-eyed boy named Riven, leaned in with a grin.
"So," Riven teased, "Space Energy, huh? Planning to warp us out of exams next?"
Keshav chuckled. "I might. Or I'll just warp you into the mess hall's garbage chute."
Laughter followed from nearby students. A lighthearted moment in the midst of immense cosmic responsibility.
But later, back in his room, the thrill of the evening faded into focused ambition.
He opened his system panel.
[EP: 152]
Without hesitation, Keshav poured 100 EP into upgrading his Energy Creation skill. The system's interface pulsed briefly—and just like that, his generation rate doubled from 1 EP/hour to 2 EP/hour.
Unbeknownst to him, the Chaotic Soul's energy creation ability upgraded as well—automatically. The System, ever watchful, rerouted the changes through its anchor point and now harvested 4 EP/hour from the unconscious soul and 2 EP/hour (half of Keshav's) from Keshav himself.
Its own quiet gain had now reached 6 EP/hour—a vast reservoir growing faster than ever.
> "Upgrade complete," the System silently noted, as it turned its calculating gaze once more toward both worlds.
------
[System Status Updated:]
EP Remaining: 2
Energy Creation : Tier 3 (4 EP/Hour)
Calculate Ability: Tier 3 (Advanced calculation)
Create : tierless as long as system understand anything he can create it.
Anchor : tier 1 (1 additional person other than keshav)
Transfer : tier 1
Storage : tier 1
Scan Ability: Tier 3 (Advanced Scan: Real-Time Evolution Capture)