He thought he was dead.
That pain and the feeling of his existence fading.
It felt too real.
He had lost there. The hunt dog of Mackblain had become the prey.
Yet why was he still thinking? Why did he feel alive while at the same time feeling nothing from his body?
It was strange, but it was comfortable.
Warm.
No hunger, no pain, no urgency, no emotion.
He was at the equilibrium point of his existence.
But before his consciousness could look for any more meaning, a strange light with a golden glow formed in front of him.
He didn't have eyes to see it, but somehow he could picture it clearly.
It was strange, but the glowing light felt warm and gave even more comfort.
Maybe this was the existence people called god.
The supreme one, the pinnacle of all beings. He never believed in such a thing and never followed any spiritual path of any religion.
Was this his judgment day?
Was he going to hell?
Not heaven, that much he was sure of.
〈SYSTEM BOOTING…〉
〈DIMENSIONAL TRANSIT COMPLETE〉
A mechanical voice echoed in his consciousness.
It sounded like the artificial intelligence voices he knew back on the blue planet.
〈Candidate Soul Detected.〉
〈Welcome, Candidate.〉
〈The Universal Diversity Index has stagnated.〉
〈A new race must be created.〉
〈You have been selected as Race Creator.〉
〈Your task: Design and guide a completely new sentient species.〉
Huh?
The mechanical voice spoke too fast for him to grasp right away. But in this state of equilibrium, he felt no emotion but only calmness.
Taking his time, he tried to understand what it meant.
"Wait… are you asking me to be the god of a new species?"
〈Do you wish to begin the Creation Protocol?〉
"Yes!"
His question wasn't answered, but even so, it was an interesting thought.
〈RACIAL CREATION SYSTEM v1.0 ACTIVATED〉
The glowing light around him softened and then condensed into what looked like a futuristic holographic screen.
〈I am the Racial Creation System, and you have been chosen as my host.〉
〈Please provide your name, Host:〉
[Input: CarryMe]
"That was my in-game name. Kinda feels nostalgic to use it again."
〈Greetings, CarryMe.〉
〈Your world of destination lacks equilibrium. The current racial distribution has caused stagnation in magical evolution, cultural growth, and ecological stability. Your purpose is to create and guide a new sentient race that will bring fresh dynamics to this world. As the Racial Creation System, I will guide you through the genesis process.〉
CURRENT STATUS:
- Location: Interdimensional Nexus (Pre-Birth Chamber)
- Host Status: Soul-State (Formless)
- Creation Points Available: 1,000 CP (Standard Progenitor Allocation)
〈Before we continue, I must explain the creation process. You will design your race through five core phases:〉
1. Foundation Selection – Choose the base template and origin type
2. Physical Customization – Define appearance, abilities, and biology
3. Magical Affinity – Decide supernatural strengths and limitations
4. Cultural Framework – Set innate traits and potential for society
5. Genesis Confirmation – Finalize and manifest your race
Each choice costs Creation Points (CP). Spend them carefully, since you cannot go over your limit.
〈Are you ready to begin, CarryMe? Or do you need clarification on any part of the process?〉
"For now, I don't have any questions. Let's begin."
〈RACIAL CREATION SYSTEM – PHASE 1: FOUNDATION SELECTION〉
The holograph projections materialized into silhouettes of countless creatures some familiar to him some not, from humanoid to bestial, ethereal to mechanical.
Data streams flowing alongside each image.
〈Your first decision will shape everything that comes after. You must choose a Base Template, the fundamental form upon which your race will be built.〉
BASE TEMPLATE OPTIONS:
[1] HUMANOID TEMPLATE – Cost: 100 CP
- Bipedal, two arms, human-like shape
- Highly adaptable, good with tools
- Balanced in both physical and magical growth
- Most versatile for civilization building
[2] BEAST-KIN TEMPLATE – Cost: 150 CP
- Mix of animal and humanoid traits
- Strong physical stats (strength, speed, senses)
- More instinct-driven behavior
- Choose an animal type: feline, canine, avian, reptilian, aquatic, etc.
[3] ELEMENTAL TEMPLATE – Cost: 200 CP
- Body formed partly from elemental matter
- Natural magic resistance and affinity
- Needs a specific environment to thrive
- Choose element: fire, water, earth, air, lightning, ice, nature
[4] FAE / SPIRIT TEMPLATE – Cost: 250 CP
- Ethereal and otherworldly form
- Naturally channels magic
- Physically fragile but long-living
- Mysterious by nature
[5] INSECTOID TEMPLATE – Cost: 120 CP
- Exoskeleton with possible multiple limbs
- Can be hive-minded or fully individual
- Fast reproduction and natural armor
- Alien morphology
[6] CUSTOM HYBRID – Cost: 200+ CP (Variable)
- Mix traits from multiple templates
- Most freedom, more complexity
- Cost rises depending on choices
- Can unlock hidden templates
"So I have six options to choose from. That's convenient, considering I'm crafting a whole new species."
David read through every option carefully before deciding to use the elimination method. When you don't know the right choice, removing the wrong ones usually helps the most.
"So what kind of race do I want to create? From what the system said earlier about universal diversity being stagnant, I can assume this world's races have existed for a long time and already evolved. They've made their place in the world. To shake their foundations and their existing societies, a new race would need three things: strength, adaptability, and intelligence."
"Fae or spirits have the highest CP cost. They're physically weak but naturally good with magic. From that, I can guess this world values magic the most. But being physically vulnerable makes them less adaptable. And I don't really like spirit or ghost-like beings anyway. So they're eliminated. Elementals are out too, they're strong in one element but weak to others, and tied to specific environments. Insectoids seem physically strong and adaptable, but they lack intelligence. So those three are eliminated. That leaves humanoid, beast-kin, and custom template."
"Now, humanoids are very adaptable and intelligent, but it's too late for them to shake the world. They don't have the raw strength for that, and I'm pretty sure humans and elf variants already exist. Beast-kin are similar, too standard and all-rounder. They don't have what it takes to shake the balance or rise as a dominant race."
"Tsk. All the basic options are too mid. Guess it has to be a custom template, huh?"
[Input: Custom Hybrid]