Chapter 3: Exploring the Newborn World
“Creation is not a spark. It’s a breath taken by a god yet unnamed.”
This morning, after his first night in Eidheria, Aether walked through Velmira with a sense of dissonance. The village felt smaller now, quieter—not because it had changed, but because he had. Every breath he took felt deeper. The wind, once idle, now hummed like an old friend. The world whispered to him, but not in words—in pulses, sensations, resonances.
He passed the forge, where the clanging of iron on steel usually rang through the air like battle drums. Today, it sounded distant.
Mira, the blacksmith’s daughter, leaned out of the smokehouse, her cheeks smudged with coal dust and her braid swaying with the motion.
“You look different,” she called, hammer in hand. “Like you’re hiding a secret.”
Aether blinked, then smiled faintly. “Maybe I am.”
She raised an eyebrow, but let him go with a shrug.
The truth sat warm beneath his skin, too large for words.
That night…
Barefoot, Aether stepped once more into the heart of Eidheria.
The transition was seamless now. The air shimmered as if aware of him. A gentle wind rippled the tall grass, not stirred by weather, but by recognition. The domain greeted him like a slumbering beast rousing at the scent of its master.
Above, the sky was locked in permanent twilight, stars lazily tracing runes across a canvas that had never known a sun. Here, he was not just a boy. He was the sky, the wind, the silent will behind every rising stone.
The ground pulsed beneath his feet. Aether raised a hand.
[Domain Status: Eidheria – Tier 1 (Sprouting World)]
Size: 1.2 km radius
Mana Density: 2.1x Normal
Time Ratio: 1:2
Current Features: Grasslands, Freshwater Spring, Mana-Infused Soil
System Notice: [Shop Function Unlocked]
Domain Points Available: 18
The interface appeared, fluid and luminous, like moonlight frozen mid-drip.
[Eidheria Worldcraft Shop]
? Terrain
- Forest Biome (10 DP)
- River Extension (6 DP)
- Hill Formation (4 DP)
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? Creatures & Wildlife
- Spirit Deer (8 DP)
- Dawn-Hawk Nest (12 DP)
- Basic Mana Insects (Free – Intro Tier)
? Flora
- Glowroot Trees (2 DP)
- Embergrass (2 DP)
- Herb Pack – Beginner Set (Free – Tier 1)
? Structures
- Stone Altar (8 DP)
- Meditation Grove (6 DP)
- Basic Hut – Wood (3 DP)
He selected the free options first—Basic Mana Insects and the Beginner Herb Pack. The results were immediate.
From the soil, blue-green stalks shimmered into being—some tall and reed-like, others curling like vines kissed by moonlight. Tiny, translucent insects took flight, their wings glinting with mana-light as they hovered over the grass. They carried no malice, no need to feed or flee. They simply were—threads in a growing tapestry.
[New Species Registered: Aquablume Herb]
Properties: Moderate Mana Regeneration | Water Affinity Catalyst
Domain Bonus: +1 Natural Mana Flow
+1 Domain Point Earned
Curious, he crouched beside a budding Aquablume. Its petals were a shade between turquoise and violet, curling inward as if shy to be seen. Aether ran a finger along it—soft, cool, and undeniably alive.
Above him, sky-wyrms drifted into view—ethereal, wind-borne creatures without bone or flesh. They coiled through the air like lazy comets, their forms glittering faintly. He hadn’t summoned them. They had simply appeared.
The world is evolving on its own.
Turning toward the freshwater spring, Aether raised his hand and whispered,
“[Construct: Freshwater Stream]”
The ground parted like it had been waiting. Water flowed outward, channeled by invisible threads of will.
[Terrain Modified: Freshwater Stream Added]
[Elemental Purity Increased +10%]
[New Affinity Recognized: Water]
[+2 Domain Points Earned]
[System Update: Elemental Harmonization Unlocked]
→ Eidheria now gradually aligns with its creator’s elemental strengths.
→ World Evolution Speed +15% when in active presence.
Aether felt it in his chest—a gathering hum. Water, wind, fire, earth… they called to him like ancient familiars, patient and eager.
He walked to the slope he had marked earlier and extended a hand once more.
“[Summon Structure – Meditation Grove]”
The response was immediate. Stones lifted from the soil in a perfect circle. Soft-glowing plants curled around the edges, and a raised wooden platform bloomed at the center, crafted from nothing but mana and intention.
The moment it was complete, a wave of calm pulsed outward. Even the wind paused in respect. Aether stepped inside the circle and sat cross-legged.
“I will make you a sanctuary,” he whispered. “But one day, you’ll be a citadel. The root of something no one will understand… until it’s too late.”
Then he returned to the shop.
He had 21 Domain Points left.
His gaze locked on two entries:
Forest Biome – 10 DP
Spirit Deer – 8 DP
Without hesitation, he selected both.
The land responded.
The edges of Eidheria shifted, grasslands bleeding into something denser, wilder. Trees rose like old memories—tall and proud, their trunks etched with faint runes. Glowroot Trees spiraled upward, their bark smooth and glimmering with veins of soft bioluminescence.
The forest wasn’t dark. It pulsed with life. Mist curled between trunks, thick with the scent of dew and sap.
[New Terrain Added: Spirit Forest]
Properties: High Natural Mana Saturation | Increases Shelter Spawns
Domain Harmony Bonus: +2 Natural Growth Rate
+1 Domain Point Earned
And then—hooves.
In the silence of the newborn woods, a shape moved. First one, then another.
Spirit Deer.
Their bodies shimmered like mirages, half-spirit, half-flesh. Their fur was pearlescent white, dappled with faint markings that looked like constellations. Antlers like crystal branches crowned their heads. When they walked, the ground beneath them stirred, small flowers blooming in their wake.
[New Wildlife Registered: Spirit Deer]
Attributes: Passive Aura – Tranquility | Accelerates Growth of Nearby Flora
Behavioral Type: Elusive | Semi-Intelligent | Curious
Domain Bonus: +1 Mana Recovery in Forest Regions
+2 Domain Points Earned
They regarded Aether from the shadows of the trees, heads tilted, eyes glowing with gentle curiosity.
He smiled.
The world no longer felt empty. It was beginning to breathe.
[Daily Loot Box – Opened]
Item Acquired: Whisperpine Tree Seed
Creature Egg: Lesser Wind Serpent
Blueprint Unlocked: Elemental Node (Air)
His eyes flicked toward the egg now pulsing with energy in his inventory.
“Perfect,” Aether said, his voice low with satisfaction. This time, not just for the gift—but for the future unfurling before him like stars on an uncharted map.
A future that he would build, one breath at a time.
