The following morning, the expedition began its return journey.
The pace was noticeably faster than before.
There was no need to stop and investigate every unfamiliar plant or animal.
No need to search for clues.
Their objectives had been completed.
Now they simply needed to bring their discoveries ho.
The sprites seed to understand this.
Even the Fire Sprite caused fewer problems than usual.
Though Ethan suspected that was because it was busy carrying several chunks of the newly discovered tal.
The Earth Sprite remained close by.
It checked the samples repeatedly throughout the journey.
Almost as if worried they might disappear.
The Water Sprite focused on keeping the expedition organized.
The Air Sprite continued scouting ahead.
Everything proceeded smoothly.
The forest felt less intimidating than it had during their first visit.
Not because Planet 042 had beco safer.
It hadn't.
Ethan simply understood it better now.
Knowledge changed perspective.
Several rabbit-like creatures appeared during the journey.
The sprites ignored them.
A few distant howls echoed through the forest.
The wolves remained sowhere beyond the trees.
The expedition never encountered them.
By late afternoon, the familiar arrival area ca into view.
Ethan stopped for a mont.
Looking back at the endless forest.
Planet 042 still held secrets.
Almost certainly.
But they were no longer secrets he urgently needed to solve.
His civilization had reached the point where developnt would provide greater returns than exploration.
At least for now.
The sprites gathered around him.
The return procedure began.
Monts later, light filled his vision.
The forest vanished.
The Origin Sphere appeared.
Ethan stood beside the spring at the center of his world.
The transition felt strangely familiar now.
His second ho.
Perhaps even his real ho as a Creator.
The sprites imdiately scattered.
Not because they were undisciplined.
Because they had jobs.
Tasks.
Responsibilities.
The civilization had beco increasingly self-directed.
The Water Sprite quickly organized transportation groups.
The Earth Sprite led the resource carriers.
The Fire Sprite enthusiastically joined them.
Unfortunately.
Its enthusiasm caused it to drop one of the tal samples.
The Water Sprite imdiately chased after it.
Ethan laughed.
So things never changed.
Over the next several hours, the expedition's discoveries were integrated into the world.
The tal samples were stored near the iron ore.
The Earth Beast Horn remained in its place.
The Origin Fruit collected during the expedition had already dissolved into Origin Energy.
Small gains.
But gains nonetheless.
Most importantly, developnt continued.
Resources mattered.
Every useful resource increased the potential of the world.
Even if the effects weren't imdiately visible.
As evening approached, Ethan walked through the growing settlent area.
Several groups of elentless sprites were expanding storage space.
Others organized materials.
So simply explored.
The atmosphere felt busy.
Alive.
That feeling brought him a sense of satisfaction.
A month ago, this world had contained almost nothing.
Now it contained activity.
Direction.
Purpose.
It still wasn't impressive by Creator standards.
But it was real progress.
The Earth Sprite eventually approached him.
The sprite carried a piece of the newly discovered tal.
It placed the sample in front of him.
Then pointed toward the resource storage area.
Then toward the world around them.
Ethan understood.
The sprite wanted to experint.
Not recklessly.
Not imdiately.
But eventually.
The resource had potential.
The Earth Sprite could feel it.
Ethan nodded.
"We'll study it first."
The Earth Sprite seed satisfied with that answer.
It carefully reclaid the sample before returning to work.
Night gradually settled over the Origin Sphere.
Ethan sat beside the spring.
Thinking.
The recruitnt competition was drawing closer.
Less than three weeks remained.
Other students would be developing their civilizations.
Gathering resources.
Preparing for recruitnt.
He couldn't afford to waste ti.
Fortunately, he now had options.
The silver pillar had revealed that resources could influence creatures.
The Origin Fruit valley provided a source of developnt materials.
The new tal resource might create entirely new opportunities.
And most importantly of all...
Planet 042 was still uncleared.
A thought surfaced in his mind.
Then refused to leave.
Sixty SP.
That was his current limit.
Enough for nothing beyond first-tier synthesis.
To truly take advantage of his cheat, he needed more.
And the only known source of SP was planet clearing.
Eventually, he would have to finish Planet 042.
Not tomorrow.
Not recklessly.
But soon.
Very soon.
Ethan looked up at the night sky above his world.
Countless possibilities lay ahead.
New resources.
New planets.
Future syntheses.
University recruitnt.
For the first ti since awakening, he could clearly see the road forward.
The next stage wasn't exploration.
It wasn't survival.
It was growth.
And Ethan intended to make the most of it.
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