Chapter 1: The Observer Unbound by Time
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That afternoon, Yin Shen had arranged to meet a friend at a teahouse to chat over some refreshments.
Yin Shen leaned over the second-floor railing and called out, "Up here!"
A man in the lobby immediately spotted him and walked up, smiling.
The man with the buzz cut was an online fiction author and Yin Shen's university classmate. He was the type who knew a little about everything but didn't delve too deeply into any one subject, making him the ideal companion for casual conversation.
Yin Shen relished their wide-ranging discussions, meandering from science fiction and mythology to history, astronomy, geography, military affairs, and current events.
Their chats weren't meant to be taken too seriously, often bordering on frivolous, but they left one feeling relaxed and at ease.
On this occasion, their conversation flowed from history to mythology, then to tales of the weird and supernatural, interspersed with some bizarre Western urban legends.
Yin Shen suddenly interjected, "Lately, every night when I fall asleep around midnight, I feel as if another self is climbing out of my body."
"Then, all night long, it's as if I'm observing myself from the outside until I wake up."
"It's a bit like…"
"Astral projection in the West, or the yin spirit leaving the body in your novels."
"What do you make of it?"
The buzz cut man didn't laugh at the absurdity of Yin Shen's words. Instead, he pondered for a moment, carefully choosing his response.
"First, we need to clarify something. If humans truly possess a soul, then what is this soul composed of?"
"Is it matter or energy?"
Yin Shen mulled it over briefly before replying uncertainly.
"It seems to be neither."
The buzz cut man continued, "Then what about memory and consciousness? Do they reside within the soul or still exist in the brain?"
This time Yin Shen answered with conviction, "They're in the soul."
"I feel as if my body is an anchor point, tethering the soul to this spot."
"I sense that with just a slight struggle, I could break free, but it feels like something terrifying would happen if I did."
"This inexplicable dread wells up inside me, and I don't dare follow through."
Yin Shen suddenly laughed. "Do you think I'm about to awaken some extraordinary ability or embark on the path of immortal cultivation?"
The buzz cut man shook his head. "Setting aside whether what you're saying is true, if humans really do possess a soul that transcends matter and energy, and can even store memory and consciousness, then it's incomparable to any superpower or immortal cultivation technique."
"Concepts like astral projection or the yin spirit wandering are merely figments of ancient imaginations. Compared to what you describe, they are as different as heaven and earth."
"Even the gods of myth and legend and the immortals of Daoist lore pale in comparison to such an existence."
"The likes of Pan Gu who separated heaven and earth, the Creator God, Brahma, Chaos, Azathoth…none could do anything to you."
Yin Shen stood there stunned. How had a discussion about the human soul veered into invoking the supreme deities and creators from various mythologies?
"You're getting carried away. Could it really be that incredible?"
"Based on what you're saying, humans would be invincible if they had souls."
But the buzz cut man replied in all seriousness, "I'm not spouting nonsense. There's a basis for this."
"The universe is composed of matter, and time is the continuity and sequentiality of the motion and change of matter."
"If your soul belongs to neither matter nor energy, and consciousness depends on the soul rather than the brain…"
"What does that imply?"
"Your soul and this universe are like two non-overlapping planes. You could exist outside this universe, unconstrained even by time."
"Think about it. Isn't that the case?"
Yin Shen followed up, "Doesn't that mean as soon as the soul breaks free from the fetters of the physical body, it immediately departs this universe?"
"The soul could even rise above the river of time, traversing space and eons, becoming an existence unbound by the timeline?"
"I could freely travel to any era and even alter the course of history?"
However, the buzz cut man offered a different perspective. "Not necessarily."
Yin Shen asked, "Why?"
The buzz cut man explained, "As I just said, the soul you describe and this universe are like two non-overlapping planes with no points of intersection."
"If you have no connection to the universe, from what vantage point could you perceive its existence?"
"If you can't even perceive the universe, how could you further perceive time, let alone navigate the timeline?"
Yin Shen suddenly had an inkling about the source of that instinctive fear.
"So you're saying once the soul leaves the body, it's like a ship adrift without coordinates or direction, very likely cast out of this universe with no way to find its way back?"
The buzz cut man nodded. "One possibility is that you still maintain a link with the physical universe, an anchor point here."
"That way, you could observe this universe through that anchor point, becoming, as I mentioned earlier, an observer existing outside the universe and time."
"If you had different anchor points at various junctures, you might even become what you described—an entity traversing the timeline."
At this point, the buzz cut man's tone turned ominous.
"But there's another possibility."
"The instant you break away from the anchor of your body, you're flung into the unknowable realm outside the universe."
"It could be another universe, the origin of time, another dimension, or some unfathomable unknown."
"There might be nothing at all there, like a prison, and your soul would be trapped for ten million years, a hundred million years."
"Until…"
"Eternity."
A heavy silence descended upon them. For a long while, neither spoke.
Then the buzz cut man suddenly laughed. He picked up the teapot and refilled Yin Shen's cup.
"That's an intriguing idea, quite original."
"I might use this concept for my next book. It could be a hit."
The buzz cut man hadn't taken Yin Shen's words seriously, assuming it was just another flight of fancy and unconstrained musing, like their usual conversations.
However, Yin Shen's thoughts were in turmoil. He stood up, ready to leave.
"I should get going."
"If you end up writing the story or have any new creative ideas, be sure to let me know. We can discuss further."
But the buzz cut man stopped him and took something out of his backpack.
"Yin Shen, wait a moment."
"Since I'm using your concept, let me give you something nice in return."
Yin Shen accepted the box the buzz cut man handed him and opened it. Inside was an irregularly shaped stone with an intricate insect pattern.
"What is this? A fossil?"
The buzz cut man replied, "Redlichia, a type of trilobite."
"This fossil may not be worth much money, but just imagine—being able to see a creature from hundreds of millions of years ago appear vividly before your eyes. That sense of awe is priceless."
"Take it home and display it. Ponder and marvel at the ancient Earth and these primordial organisms from eons past."
Yin Shen thanked the buzz cut man and walked away, examining the gift as he went.
However, just as he reached the lobby, an out-of-control car suddenly came hurtling from the street outside at over a hundred miles per hour. It smashed through the glass doors, the layers of shattered glass crushing down on Yin Shen.
Yin Shen, clutching the fossil in his hand, was sent flying like a rag doll.
In a pool of blood, Yin Shen's vision gradually blurred.
"Who drives so recklessly that they plow straight from the road into the lobby of a restaurant?"
But upon seeing clearly, a look of sudden comprehension dawned on his face.
"Oh!"
"A Tesla. Figures."
Chapter 2: We Too Shall Inevitably Fade Away
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Yin Shen felt himself soaring out of his body, gently drifting towards the firmament.
He gazed down upon the building, the city, the continent.
And even…
The Earth itself.
He ascended higher and higher, floating above the orbit, when he suddenly noticed rapid changes unfolding on the Earth below.
In the blink of an eye, cities vanished, leaving no trace of human existence.
The plates of the continents shifted, and verdant vegetation gradually enveloped everything.
Yin Shen immediately grasped what was transpiring.
"Time is accelerating at a breakneck pace. What I perceive as a mere instant could span a hundred thousand or even a million years."
"But I don't know if it's flowing backward or forward. If it's forward, could it mean humanity has been extinguished?"
He gazed into the cosmos, only to be pulled by an intangible force, or rather, flung into the vast expanse of the universe, vanishing from the Earth.
Eternal silence enveloped him.
He bore witness to the birth and annihilation of countless stars, the rapid collapse of galaxies.
Never had he imagined such wondrous sights existed in the world, majestic and awe-inspiring enough to reshape one's beliefs, to make one's lifelong pursuits seem utterly ridiculous, even to feel dread over the mediocrity of one's existence.
Does our fleeting existence hold any meaning at all?
The birth of life, the dawn of civilization, and the grandeur of technology—are they truly as magnificent as we humans proclaim?
The lifespan of an individual, the history of the human species, and even the entirety of Earth itself.
In that moment, Yin Shen could only describe it with a phrase he had once heard.
"We are but specks of dust!"
The species and civilization known as humanity were like a fleeting glimmer suddenly emerging in a corner of the universe.
Gone in the blink of an eye, devoid of any significance.
Unnoticed, uncared for, and powerless to change anything.
We originate, we are born, we shine our light to the fullest extent possible, and we too shall inevitably fade away.
Disappearing in that insignificant, isolated island in a corner of the universe, vanishing in what is but an instant to the cosmos.
Yin Shen's spirit was shaken to the core. To witness such awe-inspiring scenes, his dark and brief human life seemed to finally gain a glimmer of light.
He transformed into a beam of radiance, heading towards the depths of the universe.
Time flowed in reverse as he traveled towards the origin of all things in a manner transcending space, time, and dimensions.
It was as if at the source of time, a powerful gravitational force was pulling him towards the beginning of everything.
Finally…
The stars were annihilated, and the universe converged into one.
Everything disappeared.
He too had reached the end.
———————
"Where is this place?"
Yin Shen asked himself.
In this realm, even darkness ceased to exist. Yin Shen felt as if he himself had disappeared, with only his consciousness remaining, silent in the endless void.
A place without space, without time, without anything at all.
He could only answer himself, for he might be the first living being to reach this place, the sole existence here.
"Have I been cast outside the universe? Or entered an unknowable dimension?"
He couldn't cry out; he couldn't perceive any existence.
Suddenly, he felt a sense of trepidation, and his friend's words echoed in his ears.
"It could be another universe, the origin of time, another dimension, or some unfathomable unknown."
"There might be nothing at all there, like a prison, and your soul would be trapped for ten million years, a hundred million years."
"Until…"
"Eternity."
For a moment, his dread and unease reached their zenith.
However, as soon as this thought surfaced, he suddenly saw a light appear before his eyes.
He heard the sound of seawater and tides, which from the sound alone felt exceptionally clear and warm.
He even felt bubbles rising from his side, floating upwards.
Trickling, splashing, gurgling.
The sound moved him deeply.
Before his eyes appeared the vast ocean and the seabed paved with sand and gravel.
He saw a trilobite no larger than a finger crawling across the sand and gravel into the distance, and a noodle-like worm writhing upwards in the seawater.
The trilobite known as Redlichia, and the tiny, nearly imperceptible unknown worm.
He recalled his friend's words once more and realized what had transpired.
"Anchor points!"
"Anchor points on Earth have appeared for me, allowing me to observe the planet."
"They are my eyes, my ship's anchor and coordinates in the vast ocean."
He never expected that the trilobite fossil his friend had gifted him would re-anchor him to Earth, pulling him out of eternal darkness and the bottomless abyss.
Though his friend likely hadn't anticipated that the fossil contained not only a trilobite but also a worm from a distant era.
He reached out to grasp the creature named Redlichia.
Breaking free from his prison, he returned to the universe once more.
His consciousness was drawn back to Earth, pulled from that unknowable realm outside the universe, transcending time.
Anchored at a point in time across the eons of the vast universe, anchored on an inconspicuous planet in a remote corner of the cosmos.
This was a shallow sea, with sunlight shining down from above.
The seabed was filled with various ancient algae and naked ferns, with large expanses of tulip-like underwater flora gently swaying with the waves.
There were also cactus-like sponges with sharp, elongated spicules extending from their outer walls.
Lingulella shells were embedded in the sand, and he saw swarms of trilobites crawling on the sand and gravel.
Yin Shen walked step by step up from the seabed, feeling dazed and at a loss. He sensed the abnormality of this place.
It should be Earth, yet it couldn't possibly be the Earth he was familiar with.
He finally emerged from the shallow sea, standing upon the land.
A barren terrain, a continent devoid of anything.
Yin Shen gazed upon the Earth from eons ago, at the pristine sky and sun, the only existence in the entire world known as human.
"Is this…"
"The Earth in ancient times?"
He stood on the shore, but the sea behind him suddenly surged with colossal waves, erupting with a thunderous roar.
"Boom~"
The worm, accompanying Yin Shen's appearance, underwent a mutation.
It devoured sand and gravel, algae, and seawater, swelling in the blink of an eye into a behemoth dozens of meters tall.
Plants and creatures alike were assimilated, becoming a part of it.
Immense spiral shells could be seen growing on its back, with spikes protruding from inside its body, and eerie tentacles emerging from the shells.
Its flesh split open with cracks, and repulsive green eyeballs peered out from within, gazing in all directions.
It was a terrifying, deformed monstrosity, an invincible overlord in terms of size in this era.
Yet as Yin Shen's gaze fell upon it, the giant beast prostrated on the ground, not daring to move a muscle, as humble as if it had no sense of self.
Immediately after, an ever-growing trilobite slowly crawled out of the shallow sea.
As it emerged from the water, it too underwent a transformation.
It grew a humanoid torso, limbs, and a head.
It transformed into a humanoid creature covered in black carapace, its head tightly encased in a three-lobed bone helmet.
This being gradually walked up the shore, gazing at Yin Shen standing on the coast with reverence, step by step approaching him.
Yin Shen could sense its emotions. He touched the bone helmet on top of its head with his finger.
Listening to the most ancient life on Earth, he heard it utter the planet's first language, the first syllable.
"God!"
Chapter 3: The Era of Life's Origin
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Yin Shen stood atop the vast ocean, his feet commanding the monstrous giant worm, riding the wind and waves as he journeyed forth.
The days here seemed shorter, with longer daylight hours and briefer nights, and life could only exist within the great sea.
Based on Yin Shen's deductions, he was now on Earth nearly five hundred million years before his own era.
The Cambrian Period.
He had only read about this epoch in textbooks.
A warm climate, with a bright sun during the day, the moon driving the tides, and countless lifeforms flourishing in the seawater.
They were evolving.
All things were making choices, vying for the position of the ultimate victor, competing for the role of this planet's overlord.
As for himself, he was an existence incompatible with this world. He couldn't touch anything, let alone interfere with the beings in the universe.
Except for those two lifeforms that could perceive him.
Only they could observe Yin Shen's existence, and they were the only two entities Yin Shen could touch.
Perhaps, to this universe, he didn't actually exist.
Like a ghost lingering in the crevices of space and time.
The trilobite and the worm had glimpsed Yin Shen's true form, an existence transcending the universe and time, and from him, they had gained power—a force derived from what Yin Shen had previously referred to as the soul.
The two ancient lifeforms of Earth had acquired different powers. One had received wisdom from Yin Shen, while the other had been granted the ability to assimilate.
The trilobite had obtained Yin Shen's wisdom, and within its shell-like armor, an organ resembling a human brain had grown.
It had learned some words belonging to humans, catching glimpses of images from Yin Shen's memories the instant it was born, and possessed advanced creative thinking abilities akin to those of humans.
As for the worm, it had gained a more peculiar and mysterious power. Its blood had been infused with Yin Shen's strength, undergoing changes under the radiation of his essence.
It could assimilate other lifeforms, stripping away their organs and abilities, freely altering its own form.
But unfortunately, the worm still acted based on instinct, just as before.
The one that had gained wisdom was named Trilobite Man by Yin Shen.
And the worm was dubbed the Fusion Monster.
Beneath his feet, the being known as the Fusion Monster was swiftly shuttling across the surface of the sea, its tentacles under the spiral shell rapidly whipping and propelling it forward.
Yin Shen stood upon its shell, gazing into the distance.
There, on the horizon, something different finally appeared.
An object rose above the water's surface, casting a long shadow on the sea under the glow of the setting sun.
"Swish, swish." The Fusion Monster swam rapidly, its myriad tentacles parting the seawater.
Yin Shen saw a solitary island, and atop it, there was actually a rare sight of green.
The island was pitted and pockmarked, with expanses of marshland, covered in lichen and moss.
But compared to other landmasses, this place was already brimming with the breath of life. Yin Shen didn't understand why such a miracle would exist here, but that didn't prevent him from taking a liking to it.
"This place is nice."
Yin Shen decided to stay here, ending his long, aimless journey.
The next day.
Yin Shen watched as the Fusion Monster used its dexterous tentacles to quarry massive boulders from the seabed and drag them onto the island.
Its tentacles could transform into sharp tools like chisels, or blunt instruments like hammers, as it pounded and split these giant rocks.
At first, Yin Shen merely thought this insect had a fondness for hauling stones and paid it no mind. But when he saw the behemoth stacking the boulders, he realized it was constructing a building.
Upon closer inspection, this structure seemed somewhat similar to the pyramids Yin Shen had seen on television before, but this one was even more majestic.
Blocks of stone over a dozen meters tall and wide were piled up, giving the impression that this couldn't possibly be the work of mortals, but rather a miracle of the gods.
However, as the boulders were stacked to the apex, something different emerged. The Fusion Monster began arranging and carving an ancient, imposing temple, meticulously grinding, hammering, and sculpting the details.
Yet it still appeared rough and primitive, though the outline of the palace had already taken shape.
This temple was clearly not built for the Fusion Monster itself. Given its enormous size, the temple would be a bit too small for it.
It was then that Yin Shen understood—the Fusion Monster was constructing a massive palace for him on the solitary island.
At first, he thought the Fusion Monster was trying to please him, but that didn't seem right. The chaotic and ignorant Fusion Monster lacked such intelligence and wouldn't know about the existence of pyramids.
It must have been ordered to do so by Trilobite Man.
Trilobite Man prostrated himself before Yin Shen in fear and unease. Yin Shen quietly gazed at the ocean waves, his emotions tranquil.
When he still possessed a human body, he was a rather detached person. Now, having lost his physical form and experienced the most bizarre and strange events in the world, he had become even more serene.
However, Trilobite Man was afraid, unsure if his presumptuous actions would please or displease God.
He explained in trepidation, continuously kowtowing.
In his understanding, this was the most direct way to beseech a god and request forgiveness.
"God!"
"Pa…lace…"
Yin Shen could perceive his meaning.
He said that a god should reside in a palace, receiving offerings from all living beings, which was why he had the Fusion Monster construct this edifice.
Yin Shen wasn't delighted, or rather, he didn't particularly care.
After all, he had no physical body and couldn't feel warmth or cold. A shelter from the wind and rain held no significance for him. The notion of faith and beseeching also seemed ridiculous, as those worshipping and believing in him were just two insects.
If he had to comment, he could only praise it as interesting.
"Not bad!"
"Very beautiful."
Just these brief words caused Trilobite Man to dance with joy, ecstatic with delight.
The palace was finally completed.
Trilobite Man waited atop the pyramid for Yin Shen. The Fusion Monster carried Yin Shen, crawling towards the apex of the pyramid, then stopped, pressing its head against the front of the temple.
At the pinnacle of the pyramid, the ancient, heavy palace had its doors and windows wide open, with no furnishings inside.
The only highlight was its immense size and grandeur.
Within, there was also a statue of Yin Shen, personally carved by Trilobite Man as a gift to the god.
It seemed that Trilobite Man had also inherited the deft hands of humans, and possessed strength far surpassing them.
This statue was carved from a single block of unknown white stone, and was more akin to a relief than a statue, placed in front of the circular window directly facing the sun.
Upon it was a human figure emanating boundless radiance, appearing as if draped in a layer of white garments from head to toe. At a glance, one could only discern the silhouette, unable to make out the features.
Only then did Yin Shen realize that this was how he appeared in their eyes.
Trilobite Man prostrated on the ground, still addressing Yin Shen as a god.
This was a general term.
Yin Shen told him his name: "Yin Shen."
Trilobite Man: "Een-yin-sai!"
The man repeated: "Yin Shen."
Trilobite Man: "Yinsai!"
When it was a single character, he could still pronounce it correctly, but when strung together, it became distorted.
Trilobite Man's vocal organs were still quite different from those of humans, emitting dry and shrill syllables that sounded a bit grating to the ear.
Yin Shen corrected him once more: "Yin Shen!"
Trilobite Man raised his head, ah-ing for a long while, but in the end still called out.
"Yinsai… shen!"
"Yinsai God!"
Yin Shen let him be, allowing the Trilobite Man to fervently shout "Yinsai God, Yinsai God" over and over beside the statue, lost in rapturous worship.
At the base of the pyramid, the horrifying behemoth emitted its own hollow, reverberating cries, as if echoing the Trilobite Man's ardent prayers to their newfound deity.
Chapter 4: Wisdom and Life
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At first, residing in this towering temple held a sense of novelty, but as time passed and the days stretched on, Yin Shen began to feel weary.
He would not age, nor would he die.
Yet he also lacked a physical body, a mere wandering spirit adrift on the seas of this primeval Earth.
Here, there was only a Fusion Monster eternally emitting gurgling sounds as it roamed the vast oceans, and a Trilobite Man to converse with him.
Yin Shen stood atop the lofty temple, gazing down upon the boundless sea and the entire island.
Heaven and earth were so vast, the whole world belonging to him alone, yet he felt he remained a prisoner.
He wasn't confined to an eternal prison beyond the heavens but rather imprisoned within the cage known as time.
"Yinsai… God!"
"Yin… sai… God!"
Outside the temple.
At the entrance where sunlight poured in, a figure blocked the light, casting a long shadow into the palace. With immense strength, he dragged an object far larger than himself, presenting it on the platform before the temple.
The shadow suddenly shrank, transforming into a huddled shape.
He knelt beside the temple's colossal pillars, prostrating himself as he crawled towards the God he revered as majestic and the bestower of his wisdom.
Trilobite Man brought Yin Shen another rare trinket from the ocean, seeking to elicit a moment of delight, a slight curve of the lips, or perhaps an approving glance from the deity.
This time, the offering was an anomalocaris, a behemoth spanning over five meters in length, the mightiest overlord of the seas in this era.
It was evident that Trilobite Man had exerted considerable effort to capture this anomalocaris, even bearing some scars on his tough outer carapace.
"Yinsai God!"
"Yinsai God!"
Seated upon the stone pedestal of the statue, Yin Shen finally smiled, causing Trilobite Man kneeling outside to be overjoyed, immediately dancing with glee.
However, he didn't realize that Yin Shen's smile stemmed from him finally being able to utter a three-character name without pause, even if he mispronounced it.
Not because he had presented a rare treasure from the ocean depths.
Yin Shen descended from the stone pedestal, observing the still-living giant placed upon it. It was a shrimp-like behemoth, its pair of large claws on the head suddenly twitching, striking the stone and actually cracking it.
This enraged and unnerved Trilobite Man.
"Eee-yaa~"
"Yaa-eee-eee~"
Trilobite Man howled and screamed, wanting to slay this foolish, mindless insect that dared to disrespect God.
Yin Shen, however, had no particular thoughts, merely noting how massive the shrimp was.
"So it's an anomalocaris!"
He reached out but suddenly recalled that aside from Trilobite Man and the Fusion Monster, he couldn't touch anything.
This brought a hint of melancholy to Yin Shen's gaze.
Chuckling, he said, "I've seen it… Don't waste it!"
With a shift of Yin Shen's will, colossal waves surged in the ocean.
A true behemoth broke through the surface, heading towards the pyramid.
"Gurgle, gurgle~"
"Gurgle, gurgle~"
The Fusion Monster climbed up the pyramid, its tentacles dragging away the six-meter-long giant, then swallowing it whole like a jelly bean.
The so-called overlords of the ancient oceans were hardly worth mentioning before a mythical monstrosity like the Fusion Monster.
Yin Shen stood at the temple entrance, the mythical beast contentedly devouring the snack bestowed by the God behind him, Trilobite Man closely following beside.
This scene was enough to chill one's heart and soul, yet the three figures within seemed to view it as ordinary.
He suddenly halted, gazing at the carvings on the pillars and beams.
Colorless, yet the figures were vivid and lifelike.
Among them were towering buildings, bustling traffic, and countless human silhouettes walking through prosperous streets.
These were carved by the dexterous hands of Trilobite Man. He had inherited Yin Shen's wisdom and also possessed glimpses of the images from his memories.
However, he didn't understand what these images depicted, unable to comprehend why there were so many people, why they differed from himself.
Nor did he grasp the nature of the iron birds soaring in the sky or the boxes running on the ground.
He only knew that God favored these things, so he engraved them throughout the temple, inside and out.
God lingered beneath these murals and reliefs for a long while, not uttering a word.
Today, though, was different. He pointed to a tiny, nearly invisible figure within the image.
"Look!"
"This is a human."
Trilobite Man hastily chimed in, nodding as if eager to affirm his own identity: "I… I…"
"Am also human!"
Yin Shen shook his head: "You are not human."
"You are a Trilobite Man."
"You were created by me, a sapient being transformed from a trilobite into human form."
Trilobite Man didn't understand the difference between humans and Trilobite Men.
Yin Shen walked along the outer corridor of the temple: "I am alone, and so are you."
"The human species has not yet been born in this world, and there is only one Trilobite Man—you."
For the first time, Trilobite Man grasped the concept of species. He finally realized that 'Trilobite Man' wasn't his name but rather God's term for his kind.
And he…
Was not human.
For the first time, Trilobite Man experienced the emotion of sadness. He was heartbroken.
"Yinsai God!"
"I… also… want… name!"
A thought suddenly arose in Yin Shen's mind. Since the Fusion Monster could assimilate and replicate the traits of life, why not harness its power to thoroughly create the Trilobite Man species?
Trilobite Man knelt on the ground, beseeching. Yin Shen casually uttered a name.
"Redlichia."
"You shall be called Redlichia."
Trilobite Man once again burst into cheers, like a child.
Sorrow came swiftly and departed just as quickly.
———————-
The Fusion Monster was a scientifically impossible mythical creation, a biological tool.
It could plunder the organs of other creatures, forcefully merging the traits and gene fragments of other lifeforms.
Yin Shen planned to utilize its power, using Redlichia and his trilobite forebears to produce fertilized eggs or embryos, then employ the Fusion Monster's ability to establish a species.
However, this biological tool wasn't very precise, its output more akin to a randomized box.
Producing the desired creation required some luck, fraught with uncertainty.
Yet Yin Shen harbored no concerns, believing he would undoubtedly succeed.
Because now, he could be said to possess nothing, save for one thing.
And that was time.
The mythical behemoth heard the summons of the God's will, crawling up to the front of the temple. Its flesh-mountain frame squeezed into the palace, countless eyes of varying sizes peering inside.
The God stood in the great hall, his gaze fixed upon it.
"I want you to give me your spiral shell."
"Is that alright?"
The Fusion Monster's mythical powers were primarily concentrated in its spiral shell, while the Fusion Monster itself was merely a control center.
Therefore, its spiral shell could be detached, allowing Yin Shen to utilize it as he wished.
Fusion Monster: "Gurgle, gurgle."
Over a hundred terrifying large eyes stared at Yin Shen, but Yin Shen sensed a hint of innocence.
It couldn't comprehend Yin Shen's words, much less understand the meaning of this interrogative sentence.
It was a God-made being that only needed Yin Shen to input a command, and it would act according to that command, even if it didn't grasp the command's meaning.
Compared to the God's servant, it was more like a tool.
How to use it was the God's will; it had no thoughts of its own.
Yin Shen caressed its skin: "I asked the wrong question!"
In that instant, he felt a twinge of pity for the Fusion Monster: "So wisdom is also a mythical power."
Originally, Yin Shen believed that compared to the Fusion Monster's miraculous abilities, Trilobite Man was utterly feeble.
Now, he realized that the power of wisdom possessed by Trilobite Man was the true myth and miracle.
Humans always regard what they possess as worthless.
Yet they fail to realize that it is already the supreme myth and power within the vast and boundless universe.
Chapter 5: Shelly, the Fusion Monster
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Yin Shen placed his hand on the Fusion Monster's immense eye, as if touching a colossal, cold crystal.
His will extended through the pupil, and he spoke in a commanding tone.
"Shed your spiral shell and give it to me."
Tentacles stretched out from beneath the curled abdomen, gradually lifting the shell from its back.
The gigantic shell, even larger than the temple, was placed on the steps in front of the palace.
The Fusion Monster lay beneath it, as if presenting a gift to the God.
Yin Shen had originally intended to merely touch the shell, but upon contact, he discovered that it began to float.
With a thought, he made the shell levitate higher and higher.
He could control this object.
Yin Shen felt like he had found an immense toy. This was the first item he could touch and directly manipulate, as if it were an extension of his own body, moving wherever his mind willed it.
Yin Shen attempted to move other objects but found it had no effect.
The only thing he could move was this spiral shell.
Finally, following his will, the enormous shell continuously shrank.
When he held it in his hand, the shell resembled a horn.
It seemed that if blown, it could play the melody of life itself.
This was truly…
A miracle.
Yin Shen gained an initial understanding of this mythical creation: "It can be controlled remotely and change in size."
"Things imbued with my power no longer adhere to the laws of science."
Yin Shen speculated.
The power of the Trilobite Man was not limited to this; there should be more abilities and applications yet to be discovered.
However, Yin Shen still hadn't grasped the key to using his power to imbue other objects with mythical capabilities.
Imprisoned in the crevices of space-time, he could only rely on Redlichia the Trilobite Man and the Fusion Monster to maintain his anchor points to this universe. His preliminary plan was to create more Trilobite Men to see if he could form additional anchor points.
If he could regain a physical body, that would be even better.
This existence as a wandering ghost was truly terrifying.
Yin Shen stood up, holding the spiral shell.
He saw the Fusion Monster gazing at him. Without its shell, the Fusion Monster appeared even more horrifying.
Yin Shen looked at the Fusion Monster and mused, "Since you can alter your own form, why not change into a shape that's more pleasing to the eye?"
"Your current appearance is quite frightening, I must say."
Although currently, only Yin Shen was present, and the Fusion Monster couldn't scare him.
But still…
It was indeed a bit too unsightly.
The colossal Fusion Monster sensed Yin Shen's emotions. Its flesh-mountain body compressed inward.
Its size grew smaller and smaller.
Hundreds of eyes converged and twisted into its body, gradually transforming into a human shape.
The myriad tentacles retracted, becoming two legs like Yin Shen's.
The Fusion Monster transformed into a little girl wearing a white, gauzy cloak, with green eyes, brown hair, and bare feet with pink toenails.
The cloak was exceptionally flowing, tightly wrapping her petite frame.
Upon closer inspection, rather than clothing, it seemed to be a layer growing directly from her body, akin to a jellyfish's bell.
Having taken human form, it no longer felt like a mere object.
He had given the Trilobite Man a name, so naturally, he wouldn't show favoritism. He also prepared to give this life, born alongside the Trilobite Man, a name.
"Shelly," Yin Shen declared. "From now on, your name is Shelly."
The Fusion Monster, Shelly, sat beside the God, nestling against his stone statue. Having received a name, she didn't exhibit the same delight as Redlichia. Or rather, she didn't understand the difference between the terms 'Fusion Monster' and 'Shelly'.
As she swung her legs, her mouth emitted sounds like blowing bubbles.
"Gurgle, gurgle!"
Like a fish blowing bubbles while chasing after them, her vacant eyes held no sparkle.
———————
The mythical spiral shell that Yin Shen called a biological tool was submerged in seawater, with only its top exposed, forming a reef rock.
Two figures, one large and one small, sat upon this reef.
Yin Shen's gaze watched the lives being born, gestating, and then quickly perishing within the shell.
The emotions in his eyes shifted from anticipation to excitement, ultimately turning to disappointment as the curtain fell.
Yin Shen spoke to Shelly, the Fusion Monster playing with water beside him, "Another failure, it seems."
"Shelly, you're simply a heartless lottery merchant," he remarked wryly. "The odds are far too low."
Shelly kicked her legs, splashing the seawater.
Without a command, it was as if she couldn't hear Yin Shen's words.
Even if she understood, she probably wouldn't grasp the meaning of terms like 'heartless', 'lottery', and 'merchant'.
Yin Shen continued to manipulate the mythical spiral shell, starting the next experiment and attempt.
One failed specimen after another was produced, turning into lifeless objects or mindless insects upon birth.
These things then transformed into nutrients, devoured by the spiral shell to begin manufacturing new Trilobite Man eggs.
Countless failures and innumerable erroneous methods were attempted.
The sun rose and set in an unending cycle.
The solitary island and ocean remained ever-unchanging, as if they would persist this way until the end of time itself.
Yin Shen finally succeeded. His success would shatter the stagnancy of this world.
On this day…
One transparent insect egg after another tumbled out from the immense spiral shell. They floated up from beneath the seawater, glistening like radiant gems under the sunlight's refraction.
This was the miracle of life, and the birth of a species.
"Gurgle, gurgle!" The Fusion Monster, Shelly, let out a cheer.
It was unclear whether it was due to sensing Yin Shen's elation or because of the Trilobite Man eggs on the sea's surface.
Redlichia, who had recently been carving stones and learning to use the language of the gods in the temple, also sensed the commotion and rushed to the ocean's edge.
Yin Shen stood above the island, gazing at the newly born life.
Redlichia stood behind him, staring in disbelief at the life floating on the ocean—they were Trilobite Men like him.
Yin Shen turned around, smiling at him.
"We succeeded, Redlichia," he said, his voice warm with satisfaction.
"You… have companions now."
Redlichia's eyes lost focus. He was no longer alone.
This feeling was extraordinary, a strong sense of being moved swirled within his chest.
"So this is what a species is," he marveled, his reverent tone colored with awe.
At the same time, Redlichia felt a bit at a loss.
"God," he began hesitantly, "now that I have a species, what should I do?"
His speech had improved.
Yin Shen smiled benevolently. "You are their king, Redlichia. You should lead them to multiply and thrive, ultimately establishing a grand civilization."
"A civilization belonging to you, to the Trilobite Men," he added, his words imbued with a sense of destiny.
Redlichia looked perplexed, his brow furrowing. "What is a civilization, God?"
Yin Shen gazed at the vast ocean, his voice taking on a philosophical timbre. "Possessing your own written language, your own art, the power to transform and understand the world. A collective condensed and created by a group of intelligent beings."
"It can be a city-state or a nation," he continued, his words painting vivid pictures in Redlichia's mind.
"As for how to go about it, that is for you to decide, O King," Yin Shen concluded, his tone both encouraging and challenging.
Redlichia looked at Yin Shen's back, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "Won't you come and teach me, God? Why don't you establish this civilization yourself?"
"I will obey your every command," he added quickly, bowing his head in deference.
Yin Shen shook his head, his voice firm but kind. "I am the God who created you, Redlichia."
"But you," he turned to face the Trilobite Man, his eyes shining with faith, "are their king."
Chapter 6: Species and King
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In the warm, watery nests, the Trilobite Man eggs began to hatch.
At first, they did not possess human forms. Rather than humans, they more closely resembled insects.
But as they slowly grew in the ocean, their originally transparent carapaces gradually gained color, becoming opaque and more rigid.
They survived by preying on insects and ancient creatures in the coastal waters. They had no natural predators.
After several years, they began to take on humanoid shapes.
At this point, they heard a voice resounding in their minds—the voice from which their intelligence and consciousness originated, the progenitor of their bloodline.
"Come!"
"Come to my side."
"Return!"
Under the influence of a powerful summoning force, the Trilobite Men crawled out of the seabed and onto the shore, one by one.
They gathered at the foot of the stone pyramid, curiously observing their surroundings and gazing up at the temple of the God.
A figure, identical to them in appearance, stood on the steps of the pyramid, facing the ocean.
Redlichia awaited them at the base of the stairs. It was he who had sent out the signal summoning these lives. He extended his hand, a smile gracing his features. He was genuinely happy.
Among the crowd, there was a unique female Trilobite Man. Her armor was white, setting her apart from the others.
This made her particularly conspicuous, catching Redlichia's attention.
Redlichia was initially stunned, then felt a stirring in his heart. He didn't understand what it was, much less knew of an emotion called affection.
Before the majestic and imposing palace, Yin Shen also observed the first batch of Trilobite Men coming ashore.
"Trilobite Men?"
"Trilobites!"
"Calling them 'Men', yet they ultimately can't escape the habits of insects."
"Although they have gained human forms and can survive on both land and sea, they still can't break free from the shackles of the ocean."
"They need to reproduce in the sea, still lay eggs, and can only exist in coastal waters."
He glanced behind him at the barren terrain, resembling the surface of Mars.
The entire island was like this, not to mention the rest of the land.
In this ancient era, only the ocean could sustain life.
Life could hardly reshape nature; it could only adapt to it.
The Fusion Monster, Shelly, stood beside a pillar of the temple, looking down at the newly born, feeble insects. Even though her gaze held no malice, all the Trilobite Men felt a bone-chilling horror emanating from the depths of their bloodline.
It was more fearsome than the cold, sunless abyss of the deep sea.
The Trilobite Men couldn't see Yin Shen; they could only look at the mythical creature, the Fusion Monster, with dread.
Even though she maintained a human form, petite and exquisite, they could sense the terrifying monster lurking beneath her outer skin.
Under Shelly's gaze, they trembled uncontrollably, instinctively falling to their knees.
Eventually, they collapsed limply at the foot of the pyramid, whimpering and muttering unintelligible words.
"Whimper, whimper!"
"Whimper, whimper, whimper!"
"Eee-yaa!"
Redlichia stood at the base of the pyramid, his gaze also rising to the heights along with the numerous Trilobite Men.
"That is the temple."
"And Shelly, the messenger of the God."
These newborn lives didn't understand what anything was, nor did they comprehend the concept of a divine messenger.
But they could understand that residing above was the supreme existence.
Redlichia turned around, raising his hand towards all the Trilobite Men.
The tides surged, eroding the shore. An irresistible force, overriding their will, lifted them directly from the ground, making them stand upright once more.
"Rise!"
"There is no need to fear."
"For you are the God's people, the God's believers, the chosen firstborn of the God."
"In this world, apart from the God, there is nothing worthy of your fear or reverence."
Redlichia looked down on the Fusion Monster, Shelly. Or rather, he had never considered the Fusion Monster worthy of his attention. This could be seen from the very beginning when he casually had the Fusion Monster construct the pyramid.
He believed himself to be the God's firstborn.
While the Fusion Monster was merely the God's servant, he was the God's representative.
Redlichia's communication with the Trilobite Men was not so much through sound, but more akin to directly imprinting what he wanted to say into their minds through his will.
Yin Shen noticed this scene.
As he had anticipated, Redlichia's power was not limited to possessing intelligence.
With the emergence of his species, the true strength of this power was fully manifested.
He could summon all Trilobite Men, control all Trilobite Men, and transmit his thoughts into the body of every Trilobite Man.
No one could disobey his will.
In other words, he could control all intelligent life in the world at present.
This was Redlichia's power, the power of wisdom and consciousness.
The ancestral power originating from their bloodline made these Trilobite Men gaze at Redlichia with worship, their eyes filled with infinite fervor.
That gaze…
It was just like how Redlichia looked at Yin Shen.
Redlichia raised his hand and proclaimed, "From this day forth, we shall be the masters of land and sea, the God-chosen race to rule the world on behalf of the God."
"And I am your king—Redlichia."
All the Trilobite Men roared with frenzied passion, their discordant, hoarse, and hollow syllables shaking the air.
"King!"
"King!"
Yin Shen was Redlichia's creator, the God who bestowed him with wisdom.
While Redlichia was their creator, the supreme king who granted them life.
——————
Redlichia led them to a valley behind the pyramid. He excavated numerous caves in the cliff face, and using the extracted stones, he established a city.
Just as Yin Shen had said, he founded his own city-state and nation amidst the wilderness.
These caves connected to the seabed. In addition to a city in the valley, there was also a city deep beneath the sea, accessed through the caves.
They resided on the island, worshipping the God.
They hunted in the sea and reproduced their offspring in the water.
This place seemed to have become the origin point akin to Nüwa creating humans in myths and legends, or God's Garden of Eden.
This island, insignificant to the Earth, had become the beginning of intelligent life, a utopia not belonging to humans.
Finally, Redlichia had a family of his own.
He made the female Trilobite Man with the white bone helmet and exoskeleton his queen, and they naturally gave birth to their first child.
Having become a father, Redlichia was overjoyed and couldn't wait to lead his child up the pyramid the moment he crawled out of the sea.
The pair, one large and one small, climbed step by step to the heights, finally arriving before the temple and kneeling down.
He whispered to his child, "Look!"
"The God is watching you from there!"
However, his child looked at the interior of the temple with a blank expression. Apart from the massive statue of the God and the stone pedestal, he saw nothing.
"There's nothing there. Just some rocks."
Redlichia felt a chill throughout his body. He gazed at his child, his eyes revealing disbelief and endless disappointment.
In his pupils, there was sadness, a sense of loss.
And helplessness.
He understood that his child couldn't see the God.
His child didn't witness the glory of the God that he had seen, nor did he possess the gift bestowed upon him by the God.
Chapter 7: Faith and the King of Wisdom
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Redlichia knelt beneath the statue of the God, a sense of despair washing over him, his expression as if the very heavens had come crashing down.
Yin Shen, however, found his distress rather amusing. "Why do you so desperately want them to see me?" he asked, his tone tinged with curiosity.
Redlichia spread his arms, speaking with unwavering devotion to Yin Shen upon the divine pedestal, "Without seeing the God, how can they have faith? How can they heed your divine will?"
Yin Shen pressed further, "And why do you want them to believe in me?"
Redlichia suddenly found himself at a loss for words. In his mind, faith in the God needed no justification.
Yin Shen continued, his voice taking on a philosophical timbre, "Or is it that… you believe their faith in me is important to me? That without their belief, I cease to exist?"
"I am right here, regardless of whether they can see me or not. I am always present."
"I also have no divine decrees to issue to you. You should simply multiply and thrive, creating your own civilization."
Redlichia crawled forward on his knees, reaching Yin Shen's feet. "We believe in you not because you need us, but because we need you," he declared, his voice filled with conviction.
"Just like…"
He pondered for a long while but couldn't find a suitable analogy.
Until he glimpsed the vast ocean and the radiant sun through the pillars of the temple.
"Just like!"
"Life needs water and light," he proclaimed, his voice resonating with profound truth.
Yin Shen chuckled. As an atheist, even if the true creator of the universe stood before him now, he would merely regard them as a powerful, advanced being.
His concept of a God was entirely different from Redlichia's.
His expression was noncommittal, contemptuous of the word 'God', even though he himself was called one.
Yet Redlichia below was resolute in his faith.
But the next words Redlichia spoke stirred something within Yin Shen.
He pressed his head against the base of the divine pedestal, beside Yin Shen's feet, tears flowing from his eyes.
His tone turned solemn, his voice tinged with sorrow.
"Yinsai God…"
"My greatest fear is that if I perish one day, who will serve you in this temple? Who will guard this sacred place until the end of time?"
"If even my own child cannot see you, how can all this continue?"
"You are so supreme, so magnificent. You can bestow wisdom and life upon all things, change this desolate and lifeless world, yet you cannot change your own solitude."
Yin Shen looked at him, his gaze contemplative.
He had wanted to say that these were merely Redlichia's own thoughts.
He didn't need anyone to watch over this colossal tomb, nor would he remain in this temple until the end of days. He would depart one day. What they guarded was not him, but merely a stone.
Yet seeing Redlichia's tears, for some inexplicable reason, his heart softened.
"Then what do you want?" he asked, his voice gentle.
Redlichia wiped his tears and raised his head to meet Yin Shen's gaze.
"I want to create a great civilization, one that will never fade," he declared, his voice filled with determination.
"I want them to worship you forever, to forever gather beneath this temple."
"I want to forge an unbreakable oath with all Trilobite Men, to have them guard this palace generation after generation, to engrave faith in you into their very bloodline."
Yin Shen shook his head at the still-naive Redlichia.
"These things hold meaning only to you. To me, they are meaningless," he said, his voice tinged with a hint of melancholy.
"There is no eternal civilization. Even the sun in the sky will eventually extinguish, and the universe is inevitably headed towards destruction."
"No matter how great a civilization, it cannot withstand the erosion of time."
"Even the most devout faith will be forgotten, and even the tallest, most unyielding temples and statues will ultimately collapse into ruins."
Redlichia couldn't comprehend the full weight of these words, only feeling that they spanned eons and eternity, mysteries beyond his grasp.
Yin Shen caressed the bone helmet on Redlichia's head, his voice lacking its usual detachment and hollowness.
"But if you are willing to do it, then do it," he said, his words carrying a note of encouragement.
"If these things are what you consider to be the meaning of life."
Redlichia finally spoke, his voice barely a whisper, "If the day comes when I die, please take something from my body and keep it by your side."
"That way…"
"I can accompany you forever."
Yin Shen watched Redlichia's departing figure leave the temple. In that moment, he finally saw Redlichia not as an insect or an object he had casually created, but as a living, sentient being with a heart and soul.
—————
They continuously expanded their city around the lofty temple, encircling the pyramid and palace at the center.
The Trilobite Men grew from the initial hundreds to the current thousands.
This island finally bore a hint of civilization and the semblance of a city-state.
The Trilobite Men learned reverence. Civilization had a distribution of power. They dared not speak Redlichia's name, calling him the King of Wisdom and referring to this city as the God-Given City.
It signified that everything was a gift from the God.
In the valley behind the pyramid, a palace was constructed. Redlichia and his children resided there.
Redlichia used his sons to fill various positions in the God-Given City. Some were responsible for construction, some for food, some for guarding the warehouses, and so on.
They wielded power and united the thousands of Trilobite Men. The originally equal Trilobite Men were divided into different classes.
This Trilobite Man kingdom or city-state began to have a simple power structure.
Redlichia was the king, and his sons became the first generation of Trilobite Man nobles.
On this day, Redlichia's second son suddenly rushed in and knelt before him, his face filled with panic.
"Great King of Wisdom," he blurted out, his voice trembling, "more people have been devoured by the ocean."
Redlichia sat on the cold stone throne, his gaze fixed upon his second son.
"How many?" he asked, his tone grave.
The reply came swiftly: "The entire squad did not return."
Redlichia stood up, worry etched on his features.
He was concerned not only about the deaths but also the crisis hidden behind them.
Being devoured by the sea meant entering the deep ocean and not returning, and most would never return.
This wasn't the first time.
As the Trilobite Man population grew, the food they produced by catching insects and lingulas began to be insufficient. Even though they started drying seaweed from the seabed as food, it was still of no avail.
Their enormous size relative to this era, with thousands gathered together, was enough to empty the coastal waters around the island. And it was impossible to find food on land.
Their appearance was too abrupt for this world. The world was not ready to welcome the Trilobite Man civilization.
People in the God-Given City began to starve to death. They had no choice but to venture into the deep sea, but the deep sea was far from as peaceful as they imagined.
The ocean could nurture life, but it could also devour life.
Many Trilobite Men were lost in the deep sea, trapped in some perilous waters, or encountered unexpected situations and never returned.
Redlichia knew that the Trilobite Man civilization had encountered its first crisis.
If he couldn't overcome this hurdle, let alone establish a great civilization, he feared they would likely be stuck here, forever confined to this tiny island.
Chapter 8: Ancestral Fish
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On the grand avenue of the God-Given City, the lifeless bodies of Trilobite Men lay before Redlichia, the King of Wisdom, their eyes closed forever.
Hundreds and thousands of Trilobite Men knelt on one knee, an atmosphere of grief permeating the air.
No one in the crowd spoke, yet all eyes were fixed upon Redlichia, their ancestral progenitor and supreme king.
Redlichia placed his hand on one of the corpses, sensing how young the deceased was, life cut short far too soon.
For the first time, he felt the terror of death and the fragility of life.
"I will find a way to resolve this," he declared, his voice carrying a solemn promise.
The mournful eyes of the people gleamed with a flicker of hope. In their eyes, Redlichia's vow was truth and faith, a decree to change their dire circumstances.
A fervent chant rippled through the crowd.
It seemed as if…
Redlichia was not merely their king, but their God.
"King of Wisdom!"
"King of Wisdom!"
"…"
Redlichia believed himself to be the King of Wisdom, and as a king, it was his duty to protect his subjects.
Yet he found himself at a loss. The King of Wisdom could only gaze once more at the colossal pyramid at the center of the God-Given City.
In the starlit night…
Redlichia ascended the pyramid, Trilobite Man guards standing at the base of the steps.
This temple could only be entered by Redlichia, the King of Wisdom. For any other Trilobite Man, setting foot upon it would be an unforgivable transgression.
Before he reached the summit, he saw a figure emanating a white radiance standing at the top of the stairs.
In the darkness, He was so resplendent.
That light transformed into gossamer threads, meandering through the sky, seeming to connect with the stars above. The figure within the luminescence appeared as if it could detach from this world at any moment.
This sight compelled him to cry out involuntarily.
"God!"
He hastened his steps, climbing the endless stairs, chasing after that light.
As if fearing that the radiance would truly vanish, merging with the stars.
Shelly sat obediently on the steps, her braided hair swaying, her large green eyes fixed unblinkingly on the distant sea.
Less like a living being and more akin to a doll.
The God gazed at the sky and stars, seeming to await his arrival. The instant Redlichia drew near, he spoke.
"Do you know?"
"In this era, there should be no life on land, yet here, a miracle of life flourishes."
"Before our arrival, this place already possessed greenery."
Redlichia followed his gaze, perplexed as to why the God spoke of matters on land while looking towards the heavens.
The starry sky was vast, and gazing at it for too long made one feel dizzy and disoriented, as if the stars and galaxies were spinning.
But Yin Shen seemed to hear Redlichia's unspoken thoughts and continued.
"The factors influencing life do not lie on the earth, but in the distant sky and universe."
"This place should be near the Earth's poles, or an extremely special location. Above our heads, a layer of atmosphere has formed, capable of blocking radiation."
"It should be the ozone layer, which is why we can see plants here."
"This place…"
"Is truly a land of miracles, the Eden of life."
Redlichia couldn't comprehend the God's words. That murmuring seemed less directed at Redlichia and more like the God's own musings.
Yet he knew that the God was explaining the mysteries of this world, truths that mortals like them couldn't see.
When they were devoured by the sea, fearing the boundless blue, the God's gaze had already penetrated the stars and galaxies.
Redlichia spoke reverently, "It was God's guidance that led us to this miraculous land of life."
"It was God who allowed us to multiply and thrive here, sheltering us."
"Giving us a species, letting us establish a civilization."
"If miracles truly exist, then God is the creator of miracles."
Yin Shen lowered his head. In Redlichia's eyes…
That figure radiating endless light cast its luminescence downward, enveloping him.
"Encountered difficulties?" Yin Shen asked, his voice gentle.
Redlichia found it hard to speak. He had assured the God that he would create a great civilization. At that time, he was so confident, believing he could easily accomplish it.
Because he was the God's firstborn, the first intelligent being created by the God.
Yet he had barely begun when he was struck down by adversity.
Over these years, he had come to understand emotions like sorrow, joy, and love.
This time, he understood shame.
Redlichia knelt before Yin Shen, prostrating at his feet, his face pressed against the cold stone, not daring to look at the God.
"Food!"
"God!"
"We need food."
Redlichia's tone rose considerably, speaking with utmost devotion and sincerity.
"O God!"
"Please grant me Your guidance."
Yin Shen's gaze fell upon this King of Wisdom, as if looking at a child who had not yet grown up.
He helped Redlichia to his feet and led him into the temple.
Redlichia lowered his head in shame, listening as the God provided guidance and illuminated the future.
"The most primitive civilizations are based on hunting and gathering. The next stage of civilization understands animal husbandry and crop cultivation."
"The conditions for planting are not yet met, but I can teach you how to farm."
Redlichia heard this word for the first time: "Farming?"
On the outer side of the temple, the spiral shell shed by the Fusion Monster Shelly was embedded in the wall, visible from inside the temple as well.
Within the temple were stone basins, planted with some marine plants that clearly did not belong on land, but had long since withered and died.
Yin Shen tapped the spiral shell, light emanating from his fingertips.
The enormous shell, following Yin Shen's control, gradually turned transparent.
Through the transparent shell, one could see that it was filled with pure seawater.
Some strange lifeforms swam within the seawater, the most numerous being a fish-like creature with a thick carapace.
"This is a lifeform I recently created. I wanted to call it a fish, but felt it wasn't quite fitting."
Redlichia pressed against the transparent shell, watching the creatures wandering inside.
"Fish?"
Yin Shen pondered for a moment. "Let's call it Ancestral Fish."
When bored inside the temple, Yin Shen was fond of creating new life. This was one of his few hobbies and things he could do in this era.
It seemed that with more species and life, this world could more quickly resemble the one he was familiar with.
Although he was becoming more adept at using Shelly's spiral shell as a randomized box, he still hadn't created mythical lives like Redlichia and Shelly as he wanted, but he did have a few unintended creations.
This was a type of jawless fish, only able to survive by sucking in aquatic organisms through a straw-like mouthpart.
They grew armor, looking somewhat frightening.
While called fish, they didn't truly belong to the category of genuine fish, their strange appearance setting them apart from what one would normally consider a fish to be.
Yin Shen pointed to the jawless fish inside the spiral shell. "It is the food I bestow upon you."