-Stop it, guys! I think this is added to prevent idle Gods which doesn’t have any lifeforms,- offered a more pragmatic voice.
-I agree with the god upstairs,- another chimed in, offering a philosophical, albeit unsettling, explanation. -According to the conservation of energy, we all transported from Blue Star will require a lot of energy.
And making us God, which means a near-immortal existence, will also require a lot of energy. This energy will be gained back using the misfortune, either through the death or the paid fee from the Gods.-
-Doesn’t that mean we are just livestock? To farm faith points or energy?- a voice of despair questioned.
-Upstairs, what were you in the Blue Planet? You were probably also a livestock there. For me, it is a new life; instead of dying of hunger there, I would like to live like a God here.- The blunt, almost brutal realism of this last message silenced the chat. The implication, that their previous lives were no less a form of -livestock,- struck a deep, uncomfortable chord.
But the silence was soon broken by a familiar, desperate plea. -Bigshots, you forgot about humble me. I still had a chance gaining life forms by waiting. But now, a day will mean about 27 years (planetary), and without divine intervention, it will not be enough to evolve a life form. How will I tackle misfortune?- The irony was sharp; how could a misfortune affect a world devoid of life?
-What misfortune can you even face? You don’t have a lifeform, so what can plague and disasters even do?- a God retorted, highlighting the chilling reality of having nothing to lose. The chat again went back to silent, a profound, existential quiet.
Sunny chuckled darkly, a detached amusement at the irony playing out. The misfortune notification was a brutal twist, adding a new layer of challenge and urgency to their godhood.
He then noticed the number of active Gods in the chat: just about 300,000. -System, why, instead of 8 billion population of Blue Planet, are only 300,000 here?- he queried, the discrepancy striking him.
In this Universe there are only 300,000 Gods. And the Other Gods are in Different Universe.
Sunny’s eyes widened, a cold certainty settling in his divine awareness. -Doesn’t that mean the Gods will eventually clash with each other to expand and control their whole universe?- Sunny surmised, a grim realization dawning.
He had been dimly aware of this potential issue from the start, a subtle undercurrent in the -Multiverse of Gods- title, but the immediate, all-consuming task of evolving life had pushed such grand, interstellar conflicts to the back of his mind.
Now, with the universe clarified as a finite, shared space, the true long-term game had just begun.
Survival wasn’t just about evolving his world; it was about preparing for inevitable, divine warfare.
Chapter 5: Ch 5 : The Green Tide and Whispers of Divine Hierarchy
Chapter 5 - Ch 5 : The Green Tide and Whispers of Divine Hierarchy
As the first hour of God-time drew to a close, a happy, almost incredulous smile spread across Sunny’s face.
It wasn’t the kind of wide, boisterous grin he might have worn on the Blue Planet, but a subtle, deeply satisfying acknowledgment of his divine success.
The reason? The astonishing emergence of life on the newly revealed landmasses of Veridia.
Due to the immense amount of resources he had channeled into these nascent continents, the microscopic pioneers ��� mosses and lichens, mere specks in the grand scheme ��� were no longer content with their humble forms.
They were evolving, rapidly and visibly, transforming into a diverse array of terrestrial flora: rudimentary plants, simple shrubs, and even the beginnings of bushes.
The formerly barren, steaming rock was slowly but surely taking on a verdant hue, a testament to his focused divine will and the inherent adaptability of life itself.
-Even with divine intervention, I didn’t think it was possible to evolve lifeforms to such an extent so quickly,- Sunny surmised, genuine surprise lacing his thoughts.
The speed of development felt almost unnatural, defying his prior expectations of slow, eons-long progression.
He decided to ask the System about it, a direct inquiry to the omnipresent interface.
-Hey System! Why is evolution so swift in this world?-
The Evolution rate for first 7 Godly days is 1000% fast.
This succinct statement instantly dispelled all doubts in Sunny’s mind. A 1000% (or 10x) acceleration in the baseline evolutionary rate for the initial seven Godly days was an incredible boon.
It meant that his water world, despite its humble beginnings, was undergoing a hyper-accelerated developmental phase, a cosmic head start that compensated for his initial lack of diverse lifeforms or a time-accelerating talent like Kairos’s.
But a new thought quickly surfaced: why was this crucial information not yet rampant in the God Chat? -Those blabbers and boasters will not remain silent in chat if they knew about this,- he mused, a flicker of suspicion joining his satisfaction.
Was this hidden knowledge, or was something else at play?
He opened the Chat panel, scrolling through the usual mix of complaints and minor boasts.
After a few minutes, one message, typed by a God named ‘Curiosity’, caught his eye.
-Hey guys! I asked the System about the time of my misfortune and it said it can be anytime in this day. Do you understand what it means?-
-Bullshit! System doesn’t answer any of the question. It is unreliable,- retorted one God, immediately dismissing the claim.
-I agree,- another chimed in. -I just asked for the how much is the time acceleration and it didn’t answer me. Unreliable++.-
-Wait a minute! Does that mean we have different systems? Because mine answers sometimes too,- a third God interjected, sparking a wave of confused questions.
-Let’s analyze, guys! What is the thing which can be different since before the opening of the world?- typed the God named ‘Strategist’, attempting to bring order to the chaos.
Many theories, ranging from starting planet types to initial faith points, began to flood the comments.
-Guys, wait!- Strategist typed again, his next message coming swiftly. -According to me, the answer is talent.-
This theory made the whole chat fall silent. It was a simple, yet profound, insight that had eluded most.
Strategist, sensing his advantage, began to clear their doubts. -Hey Curiosity, what grade is your talent? And two brother below him, what is yours?-
-B-Grade,- Curiosity typed, confirming his talent level.
-F-Grade,- replied ‘Brother 1’.
-No Talent,- came the stark, almost melancholic admission from ‘Brother 2’.
The chat came to silence again, a different kind of quiet this time, heavy with the weight of implied hierarchy.
-No talent? Haha. If I were in your place, I would have buried myself instead of chatting here,- typed ‘Joker’, ever present to mock the less fortunate Gods.
Sunny noticed this God, a constant presence who seemed to relish every chance to make fun of poor or struggling deities.
-According to me, the higher the Talent, the higher the authority to ask the question from system,- Strategist continued, undeterred by Joker’s barb. -For example, I have an S-Grade talent, but when I asked the System why there are only 300,000 Gods in this Chat, the System didn’t answer. If anyone has talent higher than S, can you confirm my doubts and ask System this question?-
-Woah! Another S-grade talent,- typed one God, awe in their digital voice.
-Bigshot, can you explain your talent to us poor Gods?- a chorus of voices pleaded.
-+1,- -+2,- -.+231322.- The request quickly garnered hundreds of thousands of upvotes, a clear indication of the collective desperation for knowledge and advantage.
-Look then,- Strategist typed, attaching an image.
Sunny curiously opened the image, and his face subtly distorted in a mixture of anger and disbelief.