《World Weaver》 Prologue "Really? We reached that point again..." Atlas is in love with city-building RTS games. Especially the survival types where you have to focus on food and clothing to survive the initial stage. The problem is, however, that after you pass the initial stage, gameplay usually becomes stale. Most become a case of min-maxing or increasing the tech of the buildings, but to what purpose? His citizens aren''t going to die and he''s just spamming amenity buildings or churches if they want entertainment or religion. Oh disasters? It''s late game! Spam the ''rebuild'' button! Some started to include enemies but even those are just a nuisance. It never feels like a real threat. That or it doesn''t have a purpose beyond how many you can kill as your city grows. Grumbling and sighing, Atlas leans back in his gaming chair. ''Most don''t even have good AI either. I want one where you can control army units rather than individual soldiers.'' Click-click-click Browsing through the featured games section, he''s trying to find another city-building RTS game but it''s all pretty disappointing. Different art styles, but the mechanics are the same. How hard is it to mix it up? Just a little? What about a city-building game for an airship civilization? What about underground city-builders with trolls and spiders to fight off and ancient demons that rise from the depths when you delve too deep? It''s underground too, so you could have multiple levels in your city! Atlas thought about playing the bad guy too. Where are the city builders where he can play as some evil overlord pillaging and looting the ''good'' people? All of this while building this badass evil and customizable fortress? No, instead it''s just more of the same. Click-click-click "World Weaver," Atlas muttered, sipping on some vodka and cranberry juice. It sparked some hope in him, it looked unique. "Build a world inside your very own universe! Infinite possibilities and unlimited scaling! Defeat other gods and conquer their planets. Take over realms and expand your influence!" Atlas eyed the description with skepticism. ''This game is either a complete fraud or bland. I''ve never heard of this developer before.'' Atlas thought, eyeing up the developer''s name. ''But it looks so unique... I just have to give it a look.'' His interest was stirred. It looked different, unique. Something to freshen up his experience in this genre. It is not early access as well? Is this a one-hit wonder or a disaster?" "Heck, why not give it a try? Worst case scenario, I''ll refund it if it''s a scam." ------------------------------------- Welcome to World Weavers! ------------------------------------- A bright blue orb, similar to a blueprint, appeared in the center of the screen with tons of greyed out icons floating on the top and bottom of the screen. "Ah, I''m liking this already!" His eyes glossed over the icons, sitting up in his seat. At the center of this blueprint orb was the magma core. It looked pretty cool, even without anything built yet. The top right of his screen had normal resource indicators, but he didn''t recognize their symbols or value yet. He rotated the camera. The sun was blue with stars and swirling clusters of purple and blue light in the background. ''Pretty cool, I like the vibe it''s giving right now.'' Atlas thought, resting his hand on his chin before his mouse hovered over the only icon that wasn''t grayed out in the bottom left. World Creation -Click- A large interface popped up on his screen with four sliders. In the background, the light-blue blueprint shimmered and seemed to change size.

Essence	03:00
Planet Size	5
Land	0
Water	0
Resources	0
Magic	0

''A character slider but for planetary features, huh?'' He experimented with the land and water first. When he moved the sliders left, the planet shrunk by 0.5 and gave 0.5 essence.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Moving resources or magic left and right cost or gave a full point of essence too. ''I''m assuming resources are just everything from fertile soil to minerals in the ground?'' Atlas frowned. He looked around the screen for any hints but there weren''t any. ''Alright, well it''s still pretty simple. Let''s fiddle with it.'' One thing Atlas hated in city-building games was when the map was too small. When it was small, he felt constrained- even if the city was well designed and was actually massive. He liked the feeling of openness. Same with where he lived, he didn''t like the feeling of living in a box. So why would he bring that into his gameplay unless it was required? This was frustrating though. There was no guide or hint as to what style of gameplay this was. Was it survival? Did resources matter more than magic in late game? Were they renewable? Could he expand it? Tapping his mouse in frustration, he sighed before finalizing his choices.

Essence	00:00
Planet Size	5
Land	0
Water	0
Resources	1
Magic	2

Perhaps this was one of those games where after the first playthrough, he would be given more Essence for the next planet. Why else would they make the sliders this big? He put most of the essence into magic because why not? Atlas was good at survival city-building games, so let''s have something new. -Confirm- The screen flashed white. It really could''ve used an epilepsy warning. When the light faded, the icons on the screen disappeared. Asteroids of different colors flew toward the magma core, turning bright red before exploding. Debris flew out everywhere before swirling around in a wild display of brilliant colors as it condensed inward. A large, red hot orb of molten rock. The game sped up, the landmass cooling and a shimmering before what he could only guess was the atmosphere, started to form around it. Small masses of water grew, clouds started forming. Within a few minutes of watching and waiting, the cinematic slowed and he could start to make out its features. Two large continents with three smaller landmasses between them. He could see rivers flowing through the landmasses, and green starting to sprout from the otherwise barren world. ''Shame...I don''t get to customize it?'' Zander sulked, spinning the world around on his screen. ''Was it randomly generated or is this a prebuilt template?'' As if to answer his complaint, a pop-up appeared. "Congratulations on creating your first world! World Editing has been temporarily disabled until the player surpasses certain milestones. This world has been generated randomly based off of the player''s previous choices." Sighing, he nodded. ''Alright, so it''s one of those games.'' He wasn''t too upset with its appearance after clicking away. The three smaller landmasses dividing the two larger continents were mountainous with plenty of rivers. The northern had one large, towering mountain in the center with tons of rivers and small streams branching out from it. The southern landmass, the smallest, had a mountain range that created a crescent moon. The middle landmass, the largest, created a basin with its mountain range and the largest mountain directly in the center. It had two gaps on the east and west which had rivers flowing out. He could spot some smaller streams and features at a quick glance, but those were it''s major features. The continents were more complex. Pressing the ''map view'' of the world, a flat map of the world appeared on screen. The western continent was the largest. It''s eastern coast had a large mountain range, with two small clusters of mountains on the western side. Mountains dotted here and there, but outside of that and some lakes, a major feature was the large body of water in the center with rivers branching out in every direction. The eastern continent was more like a desert in comparison, and about two-thirds the size of its western brother. The entire coastline circling the continent had a mountain range. The center of the continent had almost no water, just flat plains. Yeah, there were some lakes here and there, but it seemed very dry and arid. Ping! Another icon lit up. Atlas''s eyes drifted away from the landmasses to it. It had the outlines of plants and creatures. -Click- ''Ah, this is much more complicated. Huh.'' Atlas''s eyes widened as his screen was dominated by words and lines of text. Most rectangular grids were empty, but it still gave him that sudden feeling of being overwhelmed. ------------- "This screen allows you to shape your world''s primary races and species. As time progresses, variants- weaker and stronger- will naturally evolve. Please be careful." ------------------------------- :::Left Interface:::

Organic Material	5000
Magic	2500
Gene Points	10
Primordial Points	1
Forge Points	0
Religious Points	0
Eldritch Points	0
Chaos Points	0

------------------------------- :::Center Interface:::

Create New Race

Random Generation

Pre-Built Races

------------------------------- :::Right Interface::: ------

Currently Owned Races	0

------

Race Information	-Blank-

------------------------------- ''This is starting to come together. It was just the initial shock that got me.'' Atlas exhaled softly, taking in the information section by section. ''Top three appear to be my basic resources, the others are specials.'' His eyes lingered on Primordial and Eldritch points. Atlas was a little excited to see what kind of creatures he could make and how they would interact in this world. Checking the time, he only had a few hours left until work started in the morning. Atlas groaned in protest, reluctantly saving and closing out of the game before going to lay down in bed. It was an interesting game, but outside of the initial customization, how much fun was it actually going to be? Chapter 1: Central Divinity Interface (CDI) "Wake up, Weaver Atlas. Wake up." Atlas jolted upright, flailing wildly. Who was in his room?! His head whipped toward the noise. A flying bird, no larger than his hand, was flapping a few feet away, tilting its head as it hovered in place. It was a colorful little thing. A light blue body, round, and squishy-looking, with wings that shifted from blue to orange, glowing faintly with orange wisps. Its head was yellow with eyes that flickered between shades of blue and green. "Welcome to your Central Divinity Interface, or CDI for short" The bird''s beak moved in sync with the words, though something about it looked off. "I am your Weaving Assistant. How may I assist you?" "What the-" Atlas blinked. This was one crazy lucid dream. His bed was still beneath him, but stars and galaxies swirled around him in real-time, as if he was actually drifting through space. "How may I assist you?" The bird repeated, fluttering in place. Vivid colors danced in his vision as nebulas swirled, occasional wisps of purple and blue weaving through his room. Or at least, it still felt like his room oddly enough. This made him a little nervous, wondering if he was hallucinating. Glancing anxiously over the edge of his bed, it felt like he would fall into an endless abyss. "How may I assist you?" "What''s going on?" Atlas finally responded, carefully swinging his legs over the edge. His foot touched the floor, but it rippled, like stepping into a puddle. "You have been chosen from Universe 42-4712. World Weaver: Atlas." "What? From that game? Why?" He vaguely remembered seeing those numbers floating at the bottom left during setup. "That information is restricted. Please familiarize yourself with your control console and begin the species creation process." Atlas blinked, and the formation of the galaxies around him shifted and swirled. His mind felt like it was swimming in an ocean, adding to this surreal experience. ''This is awesome!'' Every time he blinked, colors changed as the environment shifted. Deep down, he desperately hoped he wouldn''t wake up yet. When he finally stood up, the bed vanished behind him. The rippling under his feet didn''t stop. The rippling underfoot didn''t stop, and with the constant shifting of the room, Atlas felt a wave of vertigo. "Can you freeze everything and stop the ripples? This is making me sick." "Yes, Weaver Atlas." -Click- He opened his eyes. Everything was frozen. The colors still glowed vibrantly, but the motion sickness faded. "Thank you," Atlas muttered, glancing at the bird. "So you''re like my personal AI system?" "Negative. I am sentient."Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Uh-huh. Do you have a name?" "Weaver Assistant, Number 33729." "I''m not calling you that. Do you have a normal name?" "Negative." Frowning, he couldn''t think of a name off the top of his head. This felt like one of those ''name your companion'' moments, but trying to find a name suddenly was a bit frustrating. "Fine, I''ll just call you Wisp for now," Atlas said, eyeing the orange wisps trailing from its wings. The bird didn''t respond. It just blinked, following him with its beady little eyes. Sighing, Atlas looked around again. There was nothing. No place to sit, no ''control panel''. "How do I interact with it?" he asked, confused. "Think ''Central Divinity Interface'' and imagine your console." Doing just that, his PC appeared in front of him. Atlas gave a wry smile though, glancing at Wisp with disappointment. "That''s it?" Wisp chirped, flying in circles around the PC, its tone upbeat. "This is what you imagined, and so it was." "Oh!" It clicked. Why settle for boring when everything else was so surreal? He imagined something grander, and the PC vanished. In its place, a massive planet, twice his size, floated in mid-air. A metallic ring encircled it, lined with shimmering consoles emitting gray light, except for two that glowed faint green. Smirking, Atlas stepped onto the platform and touched the planet. With a gentle push, it rotated beneath his fingertips. "This is such a god-power trip," he chuckled, grinning. Using both hands, he pressed on the planet and spread his arms wide. The planetary view zoomed in on the center landmass. Atlas''s eyes widened as it revealed a hyper-realistic image of a snow-capped, towering mountain. Everything was still barren, but in the far distance, he could spot the rocky basin surrounding it. "This is incredible..." He brushed the surface again, rotating the view. There was a water stream directly below his viewpoint, and the terrain was rough and rocky. Pressing both hands against the surface again, he brought his hands together and it zoomed back out to the planetary view. He continued experimenting, walking around the holographic display. When it was in planetary view, it rotated like a real planet. However when he zoomed into specific locations, the holographic display adjusted seamlessly to reflect his perspective. It didn''t matter if he stood in front, far away, or behind, the perspective was still the same. "Are you satisfied?" Wisp chirped, perched on a metallic rail behind the species console. A subtle signal of wanting to proceed. "Yes, this is amazing! Can I save this setup?" Atlas asked, finally approaching the console. "This is cool, but sometimes, I feel like my PC might work better. You know, that familiarity." "Of course. This setup has been saved to your Weaver storage." "Weaver storage? Can I access that now?" "Negative. The Weaver storage will become available after you finish this next stage." Atlas sighed. "Do I have anything else in storage?" Wisp shook its head, "Outside of this CDI setup, nothing is currently stored." Atlas sighed again with relief. He was worried about what turn this was taking. He already didn''t like that most of the features were grayed out. He hated the idea of unlocking milestones and then finding his current setup obsolete- or storage items that could''ve made everything easier. ''I might not get a choice in this game, but I guess I''ll know soon enough.'' The touch-screen for the species console glowed faintly green. Atlas reached out and touched it and, with a soft click, the top of the console popped out. His eyebrows shot up in surprise before he pulled it out. The planet hovering before him blinked out of existence and was replaced by a faint, glowing outline of a holographic human. This light-blue holographic faded, and in its place appeared an elf. Then a wolf. A dragon. A spider. The sequence continued, each new creature glowing briefly before disappearing into the next. Atlas stood entranced by it. Eager curiousness had him waiting to see what the next one would be. Chirp! An angry chip next to his ear startled him. Atlas turned his head, it had eyebrows? It was glaring at him! "Please proceed with the species creation stage, Weaver Atlas!" Wisp glared and chirped angrily at him. "Wow," Atlas muttered, raising a brow. "My assistant has an attitude." "You''re taking too long!" Wisp chirped impatiently, its orange glowing wings flaring as they fluttered in place. "OH?!" Atlas''s stare intensified, tilting his head innocently. "Perhaps I should take even longer, then?" "Please don''t..." Wisp chirped meekly, its glare dissolving into a pitiful, wide-eyed stare. Atlas chuckled softly before his attention returned to the touchscreen panel in hand. He stepped back onto the platform with Wisp wiggling on his shoulder in anticipation. "Let''s begin," he said, his fingers brushing the glowing surface, ready to dive into the next stage. Chapter 2: Basic Species Atlas spent time alternating between the different blueprints and pre-generated species. Most of them he couldn''t recognize. Some had appendages that wiggled around, others were gigantic insects that looked like they could rip a human in half. He wanted the central landmass to be special. The three dragon isles? Perhaps a barrier of mystique and wonder that travelers would have to pass if they wanted to travel between continents. The mountain that stood at the center, towering above all others, needed to be unique. His eyes were transfixed on the single Primordial point before sighing and moving to the standard options. It would cost half of his resources to create a Primordial being. Thus, it wasn''t a decision he could make rashly. If he input nothing, however, nature would take its course and everything would randomly generate and evolve. ''Let''s start with the basics, a species I''m familiar with.'' -------------------------------

Organic Material	5000
Magic	2500
Gene Points	10
Primordial Points	1
Forge Points	0
Religious Points	0
Eldritch Points	0
Chaos Points	0

------------------------------- --Pre-built Standard Races-- -------------------------------

Race:	Humans
Organic Material:	500
Magic:	250
Gene Point:	1(+0)
-----	0

Status (Scaled 1-300)
Average Lifespan:	60 Years
Vitality:	10
Intelligence:	10
Potential:	60
Magic:	10
Fertility:	10
Special Traits:	Versatility

-Click- Gene Point: 2(+1) Other Points: 0 Average Lifespan: 60 -> 65 Potential: 60 -> 65 ------------ Potential and lifespan were the only stats to rise. "Wisp, what is potential exactly?" "Potential is exactly how it sounds. The maximum potential of a species." "Alright, but how does that compare with Primordials or these other special points? What about angels or creatures of divinity and chaos?" Wisp chirped, hopping off his shoulder and onto the metal railing. Its exaggerated eyebrows furrowed into a serious expression, moving its wing dramatically as it begins lecturing. "Species without special gene points cannot exceed 100 in potential. The Primordial and Eldritch gene points increase the cap to 200, while the remainder genes like forge, religious, and chaos increase it to 150." Atlas rubbed his chin. "So it''s not an instant power boost... Does each individual organism in the species have its own potential? I''m assuming these stats are just averages, like the lifespan." Wisp nods, "All beings are not created equal. The base stats will rise as civilization and technology evolves, but it still comes down to the individual organism." ''So potential is more of a late-game stat,'' Atlas mused. "How does a dragon compare to a human though? Dragons don''t have hands. They won''t be able to make lasers, nukes, or spaceships in the future." "A minor inconvenience." Wisp huffed, shaking its head. "This world has magic! And you, have divinity as the Weaver. They can learn, or you can bless them, with abilities such as transmutating into another creature." "..." Atlas frowned. "Why don''t I min-max then? Just throw everything into one species?" "There is nothing stopping you," Wisp replied casually, tilting its head. "However in later stages, when you start to do battles against other gods for control, having only one species may be problematic and a weakness. If your opponent has a counter, or if a natural or manufactured disaster such as the plague infects your single dominant species, you may be severely hindered."The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Continuing to nod, slowly taking it all in, Atlas returned to his touchscreen. Without speaking, he opened several more pre-built races. All of the gene and organic material costs were the same without alterations. These packs, according to Wisp, were used by previous Weavers. "What happened to them?" "They were defeated and removed from existence." ''Well if that doesn''t sounded ominous and clich��,'' he thought sarcastically.

Race:	Elves
Average Lifespan:	1000 Years
Vitality:	5
Intelligence:	10
Potential:	90
Magic:	20
Fertility:	5
Special Traits:	Magic Affinity

------------

Race:	Dwarves
Average Lifespan:	300 Years
Vitality:	10
Intelligence:	20
Potential:	80
Magic:	5
Fertility:	5
Special Traits:	Craftmanship

------------

Race:	Beastkin
Average Lifespan:	80 Years
Vitality:	15
Intelligence:	5
Potential:	70
Magic:	5
Fertility:	15
Special Traits:	Enhanced Constitution

------------ "How do I gain points back?" Atlas asked, breaking the silence. "Evolution, milestones, defeating gods, the usual." Wisp responded dismissively. "The usual, huh." Wisp raised an eyebrow, flapping its wings at the frozen galaxy clusters surrounding them as if that explained everything. Sighing with frustration, "Examples, please? You said I''d be ''removed from existence'' if I fail. I think knowing a few more details would be appropriate considering the stakes are this high." "You are correct!" Wisp chirped brightly, and keeping its response upbeat. "However the system prohibits information released early. You must surpass specific milestones to gain access to that information!" "How is that fair? How am I supposed to plan for the future if-" "The same way you''ve planned while playing all of those survival city-building games." Atlas was left with his mouth agape, "But those are cities, not worlds. The mechanics are different. Also, what do you gain out of this?" "If Weaver Atlas succeeds, I receive a promotion!" Wisp''s wings fluttered with excitement. "So... isn''t it in your best interest to help me out here?" Atlas asked, confused with the bird''s logic. "It most certainly is! But this is how the system was designed. I am not allowed to distribute information early to Weavers." "Also, what about me as well? What do I get?" Wisp tilted its head in confusion. "You will be god of a universe. Is that not a generous reward?" Atlas''s hands ran down his face in frustration. This made no sense. He risked being deleted from existence, and the game''s information was structured against the user! "This is turning out to be such a shitty dream with shitty mechanics," Atlas grumbled, becoming disheartened as he thought about it. "Whatever." Apparently his dream was cursed with annoying game mechanics as well. He wanted to wake up and break out of this dream. It wasn''t interesting him as much anymore, and all of this race creation stuff was starting to bore him. Plus the explanation the bird just gave agitated him. ''I have work in a few hours. I don''t want to wake up feeling frustrated because of this dream.'' ''I get to sit through hours of gameplay to find out information that could''ve saved me hours of progress, or perhaps my entire playthrough? Nah, no thanks. Not again.'' Without caring too much anymore, Atlas pressed confirm in rapid succession and flipped over to the Primordial race. ''Something basic, whatever. Dragons.'' -Click- ------------

Race:	Primordial Dragons
Organic Materials:	2500
Magic:	1500
Gene Point:	5(+0)
Primordial Point:	1

Race:	Primordial Dragons
Average Lifespan:	2500 Years
Vitality:	50
Intelligence:	50
Potential:	150
Magic:	50
Fertility:	2
Special Traits:	Magic Affinity II, Mithril Scales, Tears of Life, Dragon''s Breath

------------ Tossing the touchpads onto a nearby console, he turned and briskly walked back toward where his bed had been. Unconsciously he had already started thinking about it so his bed shimmered back into existence. "Wait! Weaver! Don''t go to bed yet!" Wisp chirped in alarm, its little claws grabbing at his shirt, desperately trying to pull him away. "This dream isn''t fun anymore. Goodn-" The moment Atlas''s head hit the pillow, everything blacked out without warning. Chapter 3: Spawn Chirp-Chirp-Chirp Groaning, Atlas applied pressure to his temples. His head was pounding and it hurt to open his eyes. It felt like a delayed hangover. ''Why am I still dreaming?'' he thought, wincing as he peered out from one eye. That bird was still there, chirping, and hopping around the orbital hologram rails. "Can you please stop chirping?" Atlas groaned. Each little chirp pierced his skull like an icepick before he rolled over. Instead... "Weaver! Thank the system you''re awake!" Sharp fluttering, followed by a soft landing on his shoulder. "You need to manage your Universe, Weaver Atlas!" "Dude... I have a hangover, stop chirping so loudly." The frantic fluttering of the bird''s wings grew. "No time! No time! Weaver Atlas, you must inspect your Universe!" "Fine!" Atlas raised his voice in frustration, instantly regretting it however as dull pain shot through his head. Wisp wouldn''t stop fluttering, chirping, or flapping around like the end of the world was nigh. "Just give me a moment! I need some water." Materializing before him on the floor, a glass of water appeared. ''Eh?'' Blinking, he tested this power further. Pizza? Pizza appeared. Cake? Yep. Donuts? By the dozen. Grilled cheese with ham. Smells delicious! His stomach churned unpleasantly, but damn was he impressed! Atlas wasn''t exactly hungry in his condition, but being able to summon whatever he wanted lifted his spirits a little. That being said, why wasn''t he awake yet? Atlas pinched himself. Nothing happened. Despite feeling terrible, he stood up and tried running in place. Nope. Loud clapping and blinking hard didn''t work either. "Weaver Atlas, do you have the Tourettes?" Wisp asked, tilting its head with a genuinely baffled expression. "No!" Atlas snapped. "I''m trying to wake up!" Wisp sighed as a creature that has dealt with this exact situation a hundred times. "You cannot return to your world yet, Weaver Atlas. If that is your desire, then after you''ve conquered the realms, you may request it from the system." Atlas groaned, flopping back onto the bed. "Great. So I''m stuck here until I become some god-conquering king?" Wisp chirped softly, its tone almost teasing. "Correct." None of this felt real as he stared up at the ''ceiling''. The galaxies had resumed their swirling, except very slowly. Not in the way previously that gave him motion sickness. It was very ethereal and calming. He could easily lay there for hours, just watching. ''I''m going to be fired...'' Atlas thought glumly, however, as he lay there. His mind wandered, latching onto the more optimistic thoughts. ''Well if this is real- ignoring the ''deletion from existence'' thing- it isn''t that bad. Free food, gaming, I can summon anything I want. Maybe even girls?'' ''If I just get ''deleted'', I doubt I''d feel anything.'' Atlas sighed as his thoughts tipped into darker territory. He felt a soft chill, wondering what that felt like. Conversations and theories about death flickered through his mind. ''Don''t think about that right now. Let''s figure things out bit by bit.'' He brushed the thought aside. Living alone for so long meant he wasn''t drowning in emotions about missing family. He had family, sure, but it had been months since they last talked. And when they did speak, it was usually just small chit-chat and catching up. "I must insist Weaver Atlas! Please hurry and observe your Universe!" Wisp chirped again from the consoles, sounding more urgent. "Alright, alright. I''m coming," Atlas replied lazily, grabbing the glass of water as the food disappeared. His touchscreens previously used were locked back into the consoles. Two new consoles were lit up with a green hue.

-Central Divinity Interface Management (CDIM)-

-Divinity-

Simple icons. CDIM had a clipboard with writing lines, and Divinity displayed a lightning bolt. Atlas adjusted the console setup in his mind, imagining the touchscreen requiring a press of a button on the top to eject. The interface obediently responded, making the small change instantly. When he touched the screen, it shimmered before shifting into its proper display. Wisp flew next to him, landing on the lip of his glass. "Weaver, why don''t you move all the consoles to the main platform? That way, you won''t need to walk around to access different terminals." "Hm..." Atlas hummed. Wisp was right. He could also put a chair there. "I''ll do that, but I still want to keep them spread out as an option too. I like being able to move around." "But it isn''t efficient," Wisp scolded. Atlas shrugged, his eyes returning to the screen. -------------------This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Divinity

100

-------------------

Oracle

Deliver divine messages, written or orally, to a creature

Cost: 10

Blessings:
-Create your own Blessing-
Chosen by God	Bless a creature with supernatural powers of your choosing	Cost: Varying
Minor Heal	Restore a creature''s vitality. Heal wounds, restore lost limbs and remove any form of fatigue	Cost: 25
Blessings of War	Grant temporary improved physical and magical stats to an individual or group	Cost: 50+
Fertile Fields	Boost field fertility. Double crop production, improve growth of plants in area of effect	Cost: 200

Disasters:
-Create your own Disaster-
Weakening Curse	Weaken a creature by 25%	Cost: 10
Lightning Strike	Strike down any creature and those surrounding it	Cost: 25
Destroy Fields	Rodents, insects, birds, or other unnatural disasters to destroy fields	Cost: 200
Lightning Storm	Wipe out 30% of a populace in the area of effect	Cost: 500
Plague	Deliver a plague upon the land. Target specific race(s)	Cost: 1000+

------------------- ''Damn, seems like I have some pretty wrathful powers'' Atlas raised his eyebrows in surprise at both the pre-built disasters and the costs. ''I''ll have to be careful with my opening. I don''t have many resources.'' It took less than a half a minute to quickly tap through before moving to the CDIM. ''Don''t put water on electronics,'' Atlas thought ironically as he placed his glass of water on top, supporting himself against the console. He breathed out slowly, trying to clear his headache a bit for tapping on the screen. Multiple tabs cluttered the screen. One in particular was the event screen, which sent alarm bells ringing. ---------------

Event Log

---------------

-No designated spawn location set for Humans(2): Spawning at random-

-No designated spawn location set for Elves(2): Spawning at random-

-No designated spawn location set for Dwarves(2): Spawning at random-

-No designated spawn location set for Beastkin(*): Spawning at random-

-No designated spawn location set for Primordial Dragons: Spawning at random-

Atlas gaped. "What the hell?! Why didn''t it tell me? Why didn''t you?" "I tried, Weaver Atlas!" Wisp retorted angrily. "But you went to sleep!" "Why didn''t you wake me up?" "You fell into a deep slumber after creating your world! I could not wake you. Take a look at your planet!" For the first time, Atlas looked up and fully took in the view. His planet had changed dramatically. The once barren land now radiated with color. Most prominently, the plant life in vibrant shades of green, purple, and blue, while the eastern continent''s vast desert remained a muted yellowish hue. The seas were still ocean blue, though some smaller lakes now had distinct greenish tinges. Snow capped the towering mountain ranges and blanketed the poles. "Highlight the spawn locations," Atlas commanded aloud, figuring it would work. And it did, but he didn''t like what he saw. The elves spawned in the eastern continent''s massive desert and near the central lake of the western continent. Beastskin spawned several times numerous due to the many variants. Cat tribe, Wolf tribe, Fox tribe, ect... A few dotted the eastern continent, one on the northern-central landmass, and the remaining on the western continent. Humans spawned entirely on the western continent. One in the north, one south. Finally, the Primordial Dragons and the two dwarf spawns appeared on the central landmass. The southern-central landmass, was void of any generated species. "Everything else was randomly generated and evolved," Wisp chirped helpfully, fluttering to the edge of the console as Atlas continued to observe. "Yeah... How long has it been since the creatures spawned?" "Less than five hundred years," Wisp responded. But Atlas quickly realized he didn''t need to ask- the information was displayed on the glowing CDIM interface with stats. --------------

CDIM

--------------

Year:	478
Plant Species:	25,000
Wildlife Species:	8,000
Aquatic Species:	75,000

--------------

Humans:	5,000
Elves:	1,500
Dwarves:	2,700
Beastkin:	7,500
Primordial Dragons:	250

-------------- Atlas stared at the screen for a moment, blinking in disbelief. "Hold on... Why are there so many dwarves? They should have the same fertility as elves- and the dragons!" Atlas rambled, confused and startled. Quickly, he paced over to the platform, rotating the globe and zooming into the central landmass. What he saw left him stunned. "What in the midgetry is this...?" Glittering Star Jewels Life for the first dwarves was a mystery, but also deadly. They blinked into existence from nothingness, just like every race- nude, curious, and adventurous! Such a mindset is nice; it leads to growth. Except for the fact that they were doing it in the middle of an unknown, potentially dangerous forest. The first dwarves were very peaceful by nature, quickly finding their place as they began chopping down trees with sharpened rocks. As is typical with dwarves, they had an unusual attraction to rocks. They quickly advanced to the stone age, sharpening tools and accidentally discovering flint after one of their beards caught fire. Har Firebeard became the name of the one who''s beard caught fire. A simple name born from laughter and his beard catching fire. His hair was ginger, so it ironically matched the new nickname. Within a few months, the dwarves had discovered both stoneworking and fire. ------------------ "Har har har! Behold, my stick of fire!" Har waved a stick with a flickering flame, surrounded by cheering dwarves. "My name be Firebeard!" "Har Firebeard!" someone taunted from the crowd. Har''s face turned as red as his beard as he waved his stick forward, "Show yourself, coward!" "Har har har," A female dwarf stepped forward, covered in leaves. To Har''s eyes, she was absolutely stunning! More beautiful than any other dwarf in their gathering! Her lusciously ginger, well-trimmed beard glistened in the firelight. Her bulging muscular arms, hairy and strong, and her calloused hands- what dwarf wouldn''t want her? His shade of red deepened into full blown embarrassment. "Ah- Riverlily, I''m sorry for raising my voice..." He trailed off, lowering his torch. Lowering his head with a determined breath, he gripped the torch with both hands and knelt before her. "Riverlily, will you take this and be mine alone?" Riverlily''s eyes examined the torch before scoffing. "A wooden stick? You think so little of me." Har Firebeard rose sharply to his feet. "No, my Riverlily! Ignore this! I will show you that you mean everything to me!" Turning sharply, Har disappeared into the forest. Days later, he returned holding a smooth stone staff with a ball of dried leaves and twigs burning atop. He beamed with pride and confidence. "Behold, I have you a stick of stone that burns! Tis it not enough to win your heart?" Har boasted confidently, puffing out his toned chest and flexing his muscles. Sighing, she shook her head. "It is merely stone with twigs on top." Har refused to be disheartened and ventured back into the foreign lands, accompanied this time with several other determined dwarves. Each of them found women that were precious to them, but none of the females were satisfied. ------------------ "I''ve tried everything," one dwarf grumbled. "I created a wreath of the most beautiful flowers! She refused it because they made her itch." "That is nothing!" another snapped. "When I heard mine complain about dirty feet, I carved wooden covers for her to walk in. She said they were too hard!" "Pah! All of you pale in comparison to what I did!" a third interjected. "When she said she was tired of the weather, I built her shelter made of wood and stone. But refused to stay because the interior was ''boring and unimaginative!''"Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Har turned, raising his hands and bellowing. "Do not be disheartened! We''ve been among the greenery for too long. Even my Riverlily wants something that glitters more beautifully than the jeweled stars in the night sky!" The other dwarves cast him doubtful looks, but Har turned confidently toward the towering mountain that loomed before them. He squinted at the strange flying creatures circling its peak. "We will venture forth! While other dwarves settle for lesser women, and will return with only the most beautiful stones!" One dwarf hesitated. "What about the beasts up there, Har?" "Hornfinger, do you have spare stone tools?" "Aye, why?" Hornfinger grumbled. "The beasts that howled and took your finger- we may meet worse." Har pointed at his missing finger stub replaced with a rabbit''s horn. "We must be ready! Beasts fly above!" Hornfinger sighed, pulling out two sticks with jagged stones attached. "You should''ve said something before we left. Yer lucky I always carry my strong stone. Find good stones and sticks, and I''ll craft us more." Har grinned, his fiery beard catching the light. "Then onward! To the mountain and to glory!" The dwarves roared in agreement as they marched toward the unknown, dreams of shimmering stones and hard-won affection driving them forward. ----------------- The dwarves climbed relentlessly, braving the rocky terrain and sharp winds as they pressed onward. Along the way, they designated roles to keep their expedition organized. Some carried tools forged from Hornfinger for both fighting and hitting stone. Others carried leaf-woven bags strapped to their backs with twigs, ready to haul supplies. A few were tasked with foraging for food, scouring the unfamiliar landscape for anything edible. When night fell, the dwarves found shelter in a nearby cave at the base of the mountain. But what they didn''t expect to find were glistening purple crystal rocks dotting the cave, their surface reflecting the torchlight into a spectrum of colors. Delving deeper, the crystals grew in size and beauty. The crystals shimmered and refracted light, casting mesmerizing shades of purple, blue, and silver��hues that no flame alone could produce. Eager and wide eyed, the dwarves set to work immediately and used their sharpened stones to chip away at the walls. Large cascades of glowing crystal chunks fell, sending waves of glittering dust into the air. Binding together a series of fallen wooden logs, they created a makeshift platform and loaded a large crystal the size of three of them. It took the combined effort of all the dwarves to hoist the crystal onto the platform, and several grueling days to drag it back to their camp. When they finally arrived, the dwarven women gathered around, their eyes widening at the dazzling treasure. The male dwarves who refused to join the expedition, hung their heads in shame with their women casting disapproving glares upon them. "With this crystal," Har said, beckoning at the enormous crystal. "I shall craft you a crystal necklace and rings. You will be the most beautiful lady in all the lands!" "Me and every other lady here?" she scoffed, gesturing toward the group of women as they admired the treasure. The other dwarves were making similar promises, each one eager to impress except it was working for them. Har''s confidence wavered for a split second, but he quickly inhaled sharply and closed his eyes, centering himself. Disheartened? No. His resolve was as firm as the stones he worked with. "We found such beauties at the base of the mountain..." Har said slowly, his voice steady. "Undoubtedly, there is more to discover. And the most beautiful, the rarest of them all- I shall deliver it to you!" Riverlily''s expression softened, her lips curving into a gentle smile. She stepped forward and kissed him lightly on the forehead. Har''s face flushed deep red, his cheeks burning like embers. "I''m sure you will," she whispered, meeting his gaze for a moment before turning away. Har stood frozen in place, his heart pounding in his chest, but with a wide grin slowly spreading across his face. That mountain had not seen the last of him! ----------------- Atlas pressed pause on the replay button, breathing out slowly. "Wow... That''s... romantic?" Atlas shivered, however, his thoughts resting on the females'' desires for more. "Their bravery was driven by love but that lady just wants more..." Wisp chirped innocently, "She is greedy. But if not for Riverlily''s greed and Har''s determination to win her love, they wouldn''t have advanced so quickly." "There''s more?" "Yes. Because you slept, you missed many opportunities to alter their fate- and perhaps make it easier for poor Har Firebeard." Atlas felt a little guilty and his gaze returned to the determined, love-struck dwarf. He wouldn''t be able to alter Firebeard''s fate either as dwarves lived for only 300 years and over 400 had passed. "I didn''t know just going to sleep would skip all of this..." "I tried to warn you," Wisp said without mercy. "But luckily for you, the dwarves have thrived. The urgency, after you''ve finished catching up here, is with the elves on the eastern continent. Frowning, Atlas glanced across the globe at the continent. Elves in a desert? Yeah, that probably wasn''t going well. But then again, dwarves spawning above ground? Pressing the replay on his CDIM screen, the summarized video with key events continued to play on his screen with walls of text giving further details running next to it.