Absorbing Weaver: Calculating Divinity
Divinity: +50
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Central Divinity Interface Management (CDIM)
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-Worlds-
An-Ki - Medium
Selena's World - Small
Unnamed World - Small
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Divinity: 152
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Inside the metal chassis, Atlas's new world swirled. Hot magma and layers of storm clouds, a world almost completely unsuitable for life. And surrounding it? A nebula with rich colors that danced off the near non-existent atmosphere.
So how did his creatures survive? How did those creatures survive?
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An-Ki
Planet Size: 5
Land: 0
Water: 0
Resources: 1
Magic: 2
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Unnamed World
Planet Size: 2
Land: 0
Water: 0
Resources: 2
Magic: 4
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In comparison, while small, it was rich in both minerals and magic. The world, unable to contain it, created an artificial nebula of pure mana around itself while the core became living.
This living core, though non-sentient, birthed creatures of stone from its body like saplings breaking through the ground. A small sliver of the core would wiggle upward and once it touched the surface, the tiniest fragment would break away, becoming sentient but without much potential.
The first of these living metal creatures discovered their potential through time after red variants dipped into magma pools infused with dense mana. From there, after realizing what was needed to evolve, they began infusing mana into others to awaken affinities.
Discovering those affinities, however, took centuries.
What about Selena's creatures who invaded?
They should have died the moment they set foot on that world. The fumes alone would kill almost instantly and the lack of atmosphere meant certain death.
So what allowed them to live?
The Weaver System.
While corrupted creatures were granted the ability to survive upon arrival, they were also debuffed through extreme pain. But pain meant little to a berserk, corrupted being.
If Selena's creatures invaded an aquatic world, for example, goblins would be forced to spawn on the surface, unable to dive beyond the limits of their lungs before drowning.
On a toxic world filled with acidic pools, the same as the magma world, falling into those hazards would be fatal. The Weaver system allowed invaders a default level of survivability but not immunity.
So, if a creature adapted to a sea of poison invaded An-Ki, a small pool of it would artificially manifest to allow the invasion. Without a way to spread further, however, the invasion would end there.
And vice versa, if Atlas sent goblins into a toxic world with only a sea of poison, they would spawn at surface level to breathe but die quickly in the waters.
Reversing time, Atlas located small pouches of living metal near the core of the world. With time and mana absorption, it grew into the massive world core that it is now.
"So these creatures can be manufactured, but the cost is immense mana," Atlas frowned.
"The Summit, your magical nexus of An-Ki, is perfect for this, Weaver Atlas," Wisp chirped.
"Yes but I don't want these creatures absorbing all of the world's mana. The only other way to control their creation would be…"
Atlas trailed off, eyeing his world's living creatures before swapping back to the magma one.
"Giving them a host," he breathed. "Let them feed off a body's natural mana accumulation. That way they don't grow too quickly and we can control the population."
He shook his head, waving the thought away, to which Wisp visibly exhaled with relief.
"Yeah, I know," Atlas said, catching Wisp's reaction. "Too far and too cruel. I wouldn't do it."
Wisp circled the unnamed world.
"Perhaps you could use this world like Selena's? Separate. But with multiple worlds you'd have multiple invasion sites with vastly different threats to your enemies. This world is slow to produce Living Metal but their results could be as catastrophic. You've witnessed evolved ones decimate waves of Selena's forces before imploding."
Atlas stood and stretched. "True. I could also just create a portal to An-Ki and control the flow of these creatures into my world, couldn't I?"
Wisp nodded, and Atlas continued with a thoughtful tone. "Then I just need to designate a site, and we, or a god I create soon, can manage the flow."
While he spoke, Selena's forces were withdrawing, her cries of despair through her forces.
"She wasn't there!"
Blinking in remembrance, Atlas navigated to Selena's world where it was filled with her wailing, echoed by the corrupted creatures themselves.
"Selena," Atlas spoke softly through an Oracle, costless for her due to her power.
"Tenebris," she cried, voice choking as if she was tearing up. "Myra wasn't there!"
"I know," Atlas replied gently. "A new world will open soon. Replenish your forces and we will burn the world for any clues."
A sniffle of approval followed and the wailing faded.
After cutting the Oracle, Atlas exhaled slowly.
"Now that's a toxic relationship."
Wisp, fluttering in place, gave him a deadpan look and shook its head.
"What? Can't I make a joke? Ah, forget it."
Returning to An-Ki with an annoyed shake of his head, Atlas remembered notifications he had missed.
"Something about a saint… or saintess? Corrupted and…"
"Oh."
The northern and southern human tribes were intact, even slightly larger, but far to the north a strange anomaly appeared.
A temple of dried blood with red mist swirling from its bell tower down to its basin. The clouds were tinted red and the exterior was shielded by a layer of mana. Chilling chants echoed from an arched rotten wooden door.
Zooming in, there was no fog-of-war. It was not hostile to him or his divinity, strangely, as he observed a smiling blonde saintess in a red dress seated on a throne of blood past partially destroyed seats with rotting corpses.
"Holy shit, I completely forgot about these two."
Beside her stood a vampiress with a malicious smile and on the other side, a green-haired man with lifeless eyes and a sadistic grin. While the green-haired man wore a battle-torn leather tunic, the vampiress wore a clean white dress.
"Interesting," Wisp commented. "Did she single-handedly overpowered a Primordial?"
"Looks like the Smiling Tree of Wishes's last follower has been busy."