As I was looking over the myriad of nonsensical messages, one particular part caught my attention.
[Terra: Someone, please help, my talent is only an F grade. All I can do is create 10 pebbles a day.]
[Nova: Unlucky, but there's nothing we can do. I'm just glad I got an S grade talent.]
Immediately the chat exploded with messages, a flood of disbelief and curiosity. Dozens of gods were typing at once, their words stacking on top of each other in a storm of questions and envy. Everyone focused on a single point: the fact that this god called Nova had just claimed to have an S-ranked talent.
Some accused Nova of lying, others begged for proof, and a few simply cursed their luck for not having been blessed with the same power. The atmosphere of the chat shifted in seconds. Before Nova had spoken, it had been filled with confusion, with panicked voices echoing their uncertainty. But now it was filled with a different energy, greed, awe, and jealousy.
Obviously wanting to show off, Nova sent another message into the chat.
[Nova:
Talent name: Speed Up (S)
Talent Description: By spending divinity, the user can speed up the time on their planet.
Note: The higher the increase in time, the more divinity required.]
Silence followed. At least, as close to silence as a global chat could get. For a moment, the flood of messages slowed, as if everyone was simply staring at the description in disbelief. Then, predictably, the chat erupted again.
[Helios: That's broken!]
[Kael: If you can control time, doesn't that mean you'll win no matter what?]
[Orin: Ridiculous! That's not fair!]
[Aura: Congratulations, Nova! That talent is insane!]
The praise and jealousy came in waves. Some people practically worshipped Nova already, calling him the "future strongest god." Others could barely contain their bitterness, openly declaring the system unfair. It was chaos, yet under it all, there was one undeniable truth: Nova's talent was terrifying.
I leaned back, staring at the glowing words with narrowed eyes. The ability to manipulate time itself, even if only for one planet, was nothing short of overwhelming. Theoretically, there was no limit to how much Nova could accelerate his world's development. He could take his species from stone tools to civilization in the blink of an eye, as long as he had enough divinity to fuel the process.
I couldn't help but compare it to mine. My System Creator ability seemed less immediately useful. Nova's talent had obvious results right from the start. By accelerating time, he could skip centuries of slow development, watching his creatures evolve and adapt while others were still waiting for the first sparks of life.
But the more I thought about it, the less worried I became. Nova's ability was powerful, yes, but power in the early stages did not necessarily mean victory in the long run. Once intelligent lifeforms appeared on my world, I would gain an advantage that no amount of raw time could replicate. I could shape their progress directly. I could guide them with systems. Nova could fast-forward history, but he could not rewrite it.
Even so, I didn't dismiss the talent. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little envious. Speed Up was a weapon of terrifying potential, one that could turn an average god into a dominant force. All it came down to was divinity, and if Nova gathered enough faith, then truly, there might be no limit to how far he could go.
That realization only strengthened my resolve. If gods like Nova existed, then I couldn't afford to be careless.
Finally looking away from the chat screen I realized that nearly an hour had passed. I did not know how I knew this, but I simply did. It felt as though I possessed an absolute internal clock, one that never faltered, always counting the seconds and minutes with perfect accuracy.
With this single hour gone, it meant that a little more than four years had passed on Nexora. Yet when I turned my gaze toward the small blue world, I saw no visible changes. The seas still shifted gently, the and the skies were quiet. I was not surprised. These things required patience. Life did not simply spring up overnight, even under the right conditions. Development, growth, and evolution would all demand time, and I had already accepted that truth.
After finishing my inspection of Nexora, I turned my focus toward the final two tabs that still blinked faintly at the edge of my vision. Their names were simple, yet the weight they carried was undeniable.
[Marketplace]
[Store]
Curiosity urged me onward, so I clicked first on the marketplace tab. Immediately a flood of listings appeared before me. There were thousands of items for sale, far more than I could process at once. Some were mundane, like barrels of fresh water, piles of stone, or bundles of wood. Others caught the eye with a shimmering glow, minerals with names I had never heard before, such as star crystal and something called mithral.
The marketplace seemed to serve as a hub where gods could sell or trade resources to one another in exchange for divinity. At first glance it was incredible, yet as I browsed further I realized there was little of true value to me right now. Most items were basic survival resources or minor curiosities. The rare ores looked interesting, but they served no purpose until my world developed further. It made sense. We were all still at the beginning, just laying foundations for our planets. Nothing extraordinary could be expected yet.
Satisfied for now, I closed the marketplace and shifted my attention toward the final tab, the one labeled [Store].
[Basic Blessing (C)
Cost: 15 Divinity
Effect: Bestows a random basic blessing upon the inhabitants of the god's planet. The duration of the blessing may vary depending on the blessing granted.]
[Talent Appraisal (A)
Cost: 100 Divinity
Effect: Grants the god the ability to analyze and determine the talents of individuals on their planet.]
[Talent Copy (S)
Cost: 1000 Divinity
Effect: Grants the god the ability to copy the talent of one being on their planet permanently.]
[DemiGod Creation (SS)
Cost: 5000 Divinity
Effect: Allows the god to create a demigod that will never betray them.
Note: Demigods can descend onto their god's planet.]
I stared at the options in silence, stunned by the sheer possibilities. The basic blessing alone seemed incredible, yet the higher grade items were beyond imagination. My lips parted as a single word escaped me once again, the word that tied every option together.
Divinity.
It was needed for everything.