Originally, Akim thought that if he conjured water, then maybe the tiny organisms born from [Spark of Life] would mutate and last longer.
Life needed water, right?
But after an hour of trying… nothing changed.
They still died just as quickly.
Akim crouched down, resting his chin on his hand as he stared at the patch of dirt.
The glowing orb floated quietly above him.
'...Maybe the water I'm making isn't enough'
He thought.
'Either it's too little… or it's missing something. Real water isn't just water. It has minerals, nutrients… things inside it.'
Although from that, he didn't remember much from science classes...
But he remembered one thing: life needed building blocks.
Not just water, not just light, but something to eat.
If he didn't even know that, then he was surely brain dead...
His brows furrowed, he couldn't make too much complex things with his current [Genesis]...
Even a few drops of water was hard enough to conjure.
He snapped his fingers.
'Hm. Since I can conjure water and light… maybe I can conjure something simple. Something life can actually use.'
He closed his eyes and focused.
Not sugar... and not something too complicated.
Just the basics... the most basic compounds.
In his hand, something faint appeared.
Small, dusty particles that shimmered faintly under the orb's light.
They weren't sugar, or even salt.
They were simpler, rawer.
'…Amino acids?'
Akim thought, blinking at them.
'Or something close to that…'
He didn't know for sure, but he could feel it...
This wasn't food for people, but was food for things smaller.
The starting bricks of life!
Or atleast that's what he assumed...
Seriously, if he had known he'd suddenly become a God out of nowhere...
Then he'd have surely tried his best to become a consistent A+ student in all forms of sciences!
Sadly, too late for regrets!
His lips curled into a grin.
'Alright. Let's test it.'
This time, he was careful.
He lowered the orb so its light reached the soil directly.
He conjured a thin layer of water, just enough to moisten the dirt, and then sprinkled the strange particles into it.
Then, with steady breath, he activated [Spark of Life].
The soil trembled faintly.
Tiny pulses of energy scattered through it.
For a moment, the same invisible specks appeared... too small for human eyes, but Akim could feel them through his strange new sense.
They lived.
One minute passed.
Then two.
Then five.
Akim leaned closer, his eyes widening with each passing second.
When the timer hit thirty minutes, he clenched his fists.
'They're alive… they're actually lasting!'
His voice echoed in the empty void.
[Your understanding of "Life" is being developed...]
The message flickered in front of him.
He laughed breathlessly.
'Finally. That's it. That's the start.'
Hours slipped by without him noticing.
He kept conjuring water, scattering the faint amino-like dust, and feeding the fragile things with [Spark of Life] whenever they weakened.
Each time, they lasted longer.
Each time, his control grew steadier...
[Your understanding of "Life" is being developed...]
[Your understanding of "Death" is being developed...]
He couldn't see them, but he didn't need to.
In his mind, he could feel their struggle, their hunger, their fragile attempts at survival...
An hour passed.
Then two.
Then four...
'It usually takes millions of years for life to evolve…'
Akim thought, his smile faint.
'I wonder if I'll have the patience to wait that long.'
But even as he thought it, he knew the truth.
He had no choice.
There was nothing else here.
No trees, no cities, no people.
Only dirt and silence...
This was his only entertainment now...
'Hm. I'm not panicking about going back, why is that?'
'I have a feeling this world is making me feel as though I "belong" here...'
'Quite a strange feeling.'
Just then—
[Your understanding of "Time" is being developed...]
'Ah? Time?'
He blinked.
He hadn't been trying to learn that.
But then he realized— he'd just spent what felt like an entire day focused on a single, microscopic life form, watching every second of its struggle.
He'd felt the slow, grueling passage of time like never before!
A new, deep understanding settled into him.
He could now feel the seconds ticking by like a gentle rhythm in the back of his mind.
Time was now present...
...
After what felt like days in the endless quiet, Akim had finally gotten used to his new routine.
It was just him, the dirt, and his tiny, bubbling puddle of life.
He'd stare into the murky water, using [Spark of Life] to keep his microscopic citizens going. He'd sprinkle in his basic nutrient paste and adjust the warmth from his light orb.
[Your understanding of "Life" is being developed...]
[Your understanding of "Time" is being developed...]
The messages popped up so often they were almost background noise.
But he felt the changes they represented.
Especially with time...
It was the weirdest thing.
The more he understood time, the less it bothered him.
The seconds, minutes, and hours didn't feel long or frustrating anymore.
They just... were.
They flowed around him like a calm river.
He felt a deep patience settle into his bones, a sense that everything had its own pace.
He couldn't speed up the whole world or travel through time...
That felt like a power for a much stronger god.
But he didn't feel rushed or bored anymore.
'Guess this is what they call godly patience.'
He thought to himself with a small smile.
Without this new calmness, he was sure he would have lost his mind by now.
Being alone in the infinite darkness with no one to talk to was a special kind of torture.
But his growing understanding of time was like a shield against the loneliness and madness.
He was content to just watch and wait.
...
Eventually... days and days passed.
How many?
Akim wasn't sure anymore.
The concept of counting time had slipped away from him, replaced only by the constant cycle of watching and tending to the fragile lives he had made.
He leaned closer to the soil patch, eyes narrowing at the faint shimmer of colonies.
'They've become too dependent on the amino acids I keep giving them.'
Akim thought, noticing how quickly the organisms weakened whenever he withheld it.
'But at the same time… they're drawn to the light I provide. It's almost like they can't live without it now.'
He rubbed his chin, falling into thought.
The glowing orb he placed above them had become more than just light.
It was food, warmth, and something more abstract.
A center, and a symbol of survival!
Just then, a familiar message rippled through his vision.
[Your understanding of "Time" is being developed.]
The words echoed differently this time.
Akim froze.
Then, slowly, his eyes widened.
Something inside his mind clicked.
It was as if a hidden door had been opened.
He felt that he could now somewhat "accelerate" time in a very small area!