Arknights, But Raising Terra: Chapter 4

Chen Ran couldn't quite understand, so he walked closer, full of doubt.

He leaned in next to the new planet model and peered at it for a while.

And then, the semi-transparent pop-up window, though delayed, arrived—

"Behold, a newborn planet."

"To its billions of inhabitants, this is their entire world, but to a god, it's merely a pretty glass marble, worthy of collection."

The semi-transparent pop-up window flickered several times before finally, just like last time, it began to introduce the current state of this planet model:

"First Biological Great Explosion"

Chen Ran: "..."

Why don't you start by telling me about Pangu creating the heavens and earth?

"But this time it's starting from scratch? And it's not Terra anymore?"

"Why?"

"Is it because last time I set up a model of a galaxy, but this time it's just a single planet?"

As Chen Ran pondered the reasons for the different outcomes, he also walked over to the planet model that represented the solar system... no, it should be the Sea Creature's world-ending timeline.

Just as he had grabbed Heart of the Corrupted Skadi last time, Chen Ran reached out this time, wanting to pull a Sea Creature out.

... ... ...

... ...

Not long ago—

The entire Sea Creature swarm fell into chaos.

They had followed Heart of the Corrupted Skadi into space, preparing to traverse the universe, when a majestic figure spanning the entire galaxy, a god, appeared before them.

Then, that god, with an expression that said, "I'm going to take your mom away," snatched Heart of the Corrupted Skadi right in front of them.

"Sea Creature 1: Wow, is this the Sea of Stars... but why isn't there any water?"

"Sea Creature 2: I don't know."

"Sea Creature 3: Why can we breathe in the Sea of Stars?"

"Sea Creature 4: I don't know."

"Sea Creature 5: What's that? It's a huge person!"

"Sea Creature 6: I don't know."

"Sea Creature 7: Isabella! Isabella's been taken!"

"Sea Creature 8: I don't kno... Isabella! Isabella's been taken!"

Suddenly, the entire Sea Creature swarm descended into utter pandemonium.

They wanted to rescue Isabella, but the god's majestic figure had already vanished.

No matter how the Sea Creature swarm pursued, it was as if an invisible barrier was blocking them.

Until the god's figure reappeared before them.

As before, the god's hand once again spanned half the galaxy, reaching them.

What was different was that this time, the god seemed to be picking and choosing. Among the dense mass of Sea Creatures, the god finally selected one that looked like a small flower and took it away.

"Sea Creature 1: Little Flower! Little Flower was taken too!"

"Sea Creature 2: Why did Lord God take Little Flower?"

"Sea Creature 3: Is it because Lord God likes Little Flower's appearance that he took it?"

With this conclusion reached, a small portion of the Sea Creatures transformed themselves into the shape of a small flower at that moment.

If Lord God came again next time and still took Little Flower, then the entire Sea Creature swarm would probably evolve into the shape of Little Flower.

006. Your Sea Creature Number One is Devouring Everything

Chen Ran looked at the small flower he was holding between his fingertips and nodded with satisfaction.

He had spent so long picking this small flower because this little thing was at least somewhat presentable, while the other Sea Creatures... alas...

Although where the stem should have been, this small flower had tentacles writhing wildly, and where the petals should have been, they opened and closed, revealing layers of mouthparts within, which was truly sanity-destroying.

But who could blame it? This thing was small.

Heart of the Corrupted Skadi was only about the size of a figurine, and this small flower was even smaller.

Fortunately, the concept that "Lord God is kind-hearted" had already been transmitted to every Sea Creature through the Hive Cluster Mind. This small flower did not struggle or cry out; instead, like their Sea Creature god Isabella, it observed Chen Ran with the curiosity of a baby.

Although Chen Ran didn't know where this small flower's eyes were located.

However, Chen Ran cut to the chase, saying directly, "I recall from the settings I saw earlier that Sea Creatures can voluntarily devolve into their most basic forms and await adaptation to a suitable environment before evolving again, right?"

The small flower heard him and wanted to speak, but it found that it hadn't evolved vocal cords yet. It tried to transmit information through the Hive Cluster Mind, only to discover that it had been silenced.

The little flower had no choice but to wiggle its tentacles in affirmation.

"Oh, you can, huh?" Chen Ran nodded. "Then kill yourself."

The little flower, upon hearing this, didn't express confusion. Instead, it rapidly withered and died.

This was because, as a Sea Creature god, one of the four Primordials represented and controlled the authority of "Continuance." One of its abilities was to allow Sea Creatures to commit suicide.

Even Heart of the Corrupted Skadi, who was wringing out clothes nearby, didn't seem surprised by this.

Therefore, Chen Ran's words were perfectly normal to the little flower.

What was originally a body part quickly rotted into a pool of mud, and the little flower regressed back into a white embryo.

Looking at the mud, Chen Ran's first instinct was to collect it and study it thoroughly.

But then he glanced at Heart of the Corrupted Skadi beside him and figured there was no need. If he wanted anything, he could just get it from Heart of the Corrupted Skadi.

So, holding the embryo, Chen Ran placed his hand in the bathtub and shook it. After cleaning his fingertips and the embryo, he walked back to the newly formed planet model and—

threw the embryo in.

This was essentially letting the little flower delete its account and start over. From this point on, all abilities the little flower gained would be fed back to Chen Ran himself.

Chen Ran clapped his hands and watched the new planet, waiting.

"The water stains remaining on your fingertips brought a century-long rainy season to this planet."

"The land was submerged, sea levels rose, and oxygen content plummeted."

"The First Great Extinction."

Chen Ran: "..."

No, I just didn't wipe my hands...

Never mind.

Let's keep watching.

"Year 1: Sea Creature No. 1, whom you placed high hopes on, is staring blankly at the rainy day."

Chen Ran: "?"

Chen Ran: "And then?"

Seeing the semi-transparent pop-up flash only twice before stopping, Chen Ran subconsciously asked.

But then Chen Ran looked at the rotation speed of the new planet and the semi-transparent pop-up's unit of calculation being years...

Could it be that he had to wait for this planet model to complete one full rotation before the pop-up would update again?

With that thought, Chen Ran watched as the planet model slowly completed one rotation—

"Year 2: Sea Creature No. 1, whom you placed high hopes on, is starving to death."

Chen Ran: "..."

Alright, it was exactly like that.

So Chen Ran thought for a moment, then reached out and, as if pinching a glass marble, held the planet model in his hand.

Then, following the planet model's direction of rotation, he gently flicked it—

The entire planet model began to rotate at hundreds of times the speed.

"As your petri dish, you are eager to see the final result, so you decide to give this new planet a little 'God's Shock'."

"Time begins to accelerate."

"Year XXX: The rainy season has ended."

"Year XXX: The Second Great Biological Explosion."

"Year XXX: Sea Creature No. 1, who starved to death and regressed into an embryo, felt the environmental changes and came back to life."

When the semi-transparent pop-up flickered to this point, it suddenly flashed again before Chen Ran's eyes:

"You have obtained a new ability: Second Life."

"Oh ho."

Seeing this, Chen Ran knew he had bet correctly.

But Second Life?

Was it resurrection after death, or like a boss fight where the health bar instantly refilled when it was depleted?

This... it didn't seem like he could experiment with it.

So Chen Ran temporarily put the matter aside and continued to focus his gaze on the new planet.

"Year XXX: Sea Creature: 'What is this? Let's take a bite.'"

"Year XXX: Sea Creature: 'What is that? Let's take a bite.'"

"Year XXX: Sea Creature: 'Damn it, I'm gonna eat eat eat!'"

"Year XXX: Your Sea Creature No. 1 is eating heartily."

"Year XXX: Your Sea Creature #1 has gone mad."

"Year XXX: The Third Mass Extinction Event."

"You have acquired a new ability: Appetite Increased."

"Your current appetite is equivalent to one-tenth of Kroos'."

Chen Ran: "... ..."

Damn it, this is idiotic.

It wasn't that he found this so-called new ability outrageous. After all, with "Breathe with Gills" and "Breathe with Lungs" setting a precedent, he had already prepared himself mentally.

What Chen Ran couldn't stomach was that he had been watching closely, and he knew very well that the so-called Third Mass Extinction Event actually had little to do with that Sea Creature. Even if it could eat a lot, it was just one Sea Creature; could it really consume an entire planet?

But these two pieces of information presented together were quite amusing.

Although Chen Ran also understood that if the situation on Earth was anything to go by, not many of the previous mass extinctions could have truly threatened that Sea Creature.

But you're just going to keep eating like that?

So, for this kind of thing, how could the Ursi in Arknights possibly fight against it?

Glancing at the newly formed planet's rotational speed gradually slowing down, Chen Ran decided not to bother anymore.

He'd just treat it like an idle game where he collected resources. He'd check back when he acquired a new ability.

"But I feel like even if it's treated as an idle resource-collecting game, with the way that Sea Creature eats..."

Chen Ran took a few steps back, turned, and glanced at his desk.

Could he actively add some difficulty for that Sea Creature?

For example, Sea Creature versus a hundred-meter-long American cockroach, or Sea Creature versus a mountain-sized hamster?

After all, Sea Creatures could actively evolve based on their environment and threats, so being forced to act was still acting.