Tick, tick, tick.
The bronze-colored second hand swings silently, and a cup of tea, long gone cold, sits on the table.
The first ray of morning light slips through the window, and the young man sits on the bed. As his eyes open and close, the sowhat scattered look in them gradually gathers.
"Du, report the ti," he says.
Du dutifully relays, "Anjiang! It is now the sixth day of the instance (April 7, 2025), 6:40 AM! A new day has begun, have a good mood!"
Su Ming’an blinks; he has reset to this morning.
...
[——Ti until the Red Sun Descends: 5 hours and 20 minutes.]
...
Su Ming’an stretches out his hand, and the white mark in his palm flares up——
When he opens his eyes again, he is standing on a wasteland. The sky is a monotonous grey-white, the earth barren, with no sign of life in sight.
——This is his "small world."
The initial world, where nothing exists. As the "Creator God," he can sketch it freely.
At that mont, a colored cube sugar flies out from his pocket, grows a pair of white ear feathers, and the voice of Sique cos through: "Mr. Lighthouse, now I will teach you how to construct a small world."
To survive the Red Sun, the first step is to make the small world habitable, at least temporarily as a refuge for humans.
It is unclear whether Sique is aware of Su Ming’an’s reset, but perhaps, in any case, Sique will co to guide him.
"So the cube sugar is your transmitter..." Su Ming’an looks at the cube sugar.
"Yes. Although I am in a dream, I can transmit through the cube sugar. But if you are greedy and eat the sugar, now I am speaking from inside your stomach." The cube sugar circles around Su Ming’an.
Su Ming’an watches silently.
Cube sugar spins for 1 minute.avi.
Su Ming’an extends his right hand.
At this mont, standing in the small world, he suddenly has a feeling that he dominates everything, as if the entire world is revolving in his palm. Light coalesces in his hand, forming a pure black feather pen, similar in shape to Sique’s purple-gold feather pen.
"As the Creator God, this is your very own Creation Pen," the cube sugar says. "You can begin to use your imagination, Creator God."
Without a teacher, Su Ming’an intuitively wields the feather pen, envisioning in his mind——
The sky should be blue.
The earth should be yellow-green...
In an instant.
"Swoosh——"
Along with his imagination, the blue suddenly radiates from above his head, staining the entire firmant.
"Rustle, rustle——"
A light sound like the wind through a birch forest cos to his ears, and a tuft of yellow-green grass shoots up from beneath his feet, spreading like wildfire to the horizon, turning the land a thorough pale yellow in the blink of an eye.
Holding the feather pen, Su Ming’an gazes at this miraculous scene, once again realizing that he truly is the "Creator God" of the small world.
This feeling of omnipotence, of creating everything——it aligns with his stereotypical impression of a "god."
That ga of Werewolf in Terrily Town, imprisoned in the Black Wall’s Reincarnation, marrying daily in Ta Wei, dressing as Noel in The World of Old Days, scavenging wastelands in the Universe... In comparison, they cannot truly be called "god."
"We are officially entering the first step," the cube sugar says: "The first step of creation——[Design the Map]."
——Dividing what is plains, what is mountains, what has mineral resources, where organisms live... How to establish the initial form of a world greatly influences its subsequent developnt.
The cube sugar says: "If your small world has a World Origin, it will develop and iterate on its own. Initial data is especially important. For example, if you wish for the small world to develop into a water civilization, it is best to set a very vast ocean from the start."
Su Ming’an asks, "If I not only want a water civilization, but I also wish for a mythical water civilization like Atlantis?"
The cube sugar says: "You can introduce ’mythical’ elents into your small world, such as the sea monster corpse you found in Pulaya, the tentacle monster you picked up in The World of Old Days... by placing these things into your small world, a mythical water civilization might be born."
Su Ming’an seems to understand: "Like making a pot of soup, if you want tomato flavor, you need to add lots of tomatoes. If you want salty flavor, you add lots of salt and cured at."
Cube sugar: "...Right."
So, constructing a world is similar to cooking.
Su Ming’an grasps the concept.
Looking at it this way, it doesn’t seem that difficult.
He rummages through his backpack and finds a Cursed Fire Flower seed, a gift from Xiber. Seeing the seed, he can’t help but think of that red-robed girl. If he ascends in Luowasha... maybe he can return to Qiongdi to see her.
"Plant it, this is the first alien plant in your small world," the cube sugar says.
Su Ming’an plants the seed in the ground.
At that mont, an information panel appears.
...
[Small World·?(Unnad)]
[Item: Cursed Fire Flower]
[Orientation: Fantasy Side]
[Elents: Curse, Fire Elent, Plant, Emotional Power]
[Estimated Growth Ti: Quite Long]
...
Next is the second step of creation——[Establish the Logic Frawork and World Rules]
Su Ming’an asks, "What are world rules?"
The cube sugar explains: "For example, so worlds believe nudity is a virtue, but so worlds think nudity is wrong. And for instance, water can extinguish flas, but in so worlds, water is ineffective on flas. These are [World Rules]."
Su Ming’an understands: "Then I can also..."
The cube sugar says, "Yes, you can also set your small world where nudity is a virtue."
Su Ming’an: "I wasn’t thinking that."
The cube sugar: "Oh."
Su Ming’an: "Since [world rules] include things like ’water can extinguish flas’, ’nudity is wrong’... what about ’cannibalism is wrong’, does it count as a world rule?"
The cube sugar nods:
"It counts."
At that mont, Su Ming’an suddenly feels a chill in his hands and feet.
That in Luowasha, the food chain...
Could it be derived from——’cannibalism is correct’, this kind of world rule?
Most civilizations, upon reaching a certain level, naturally understand that ’cannibalism is wrong’. People discover that prion diseases in human brains are lethal when ingested.
But in Luowasha... Su Ming’an has never heard of anything like prions, consuming others only has benefits, no drawbacks.
It seems that the concept of ’eating humans is wrong’ has long since disappeared, and the concept of prion disease has also vanished. People naturally accepted that ’eating humans is right,’ and even discovered that cannibalism can enhance their power.
Placed in Zhai Xing, placed in Qiongdi, placed in the Ruined World... this is simply impossible. Except for those with a fetish for eating, who would actively consu humans? There are no benefits, and not even as tasty as regular livestock. Yet, in Luowasha, this has beco a "specialty." ntion Luowasha, and people think of the food chain and eating jellyfish, due to the [World Rules].
Next, move on to the third step of Genesis — [Deploy Initial Life.]
Commonly known as "writing character settings."
Typically, the initial life of a world should begin with blue-green algae and bacteria, but due to ti constraints, Sique suggested starting with humans directly.
"I... create humans?" Su Ming’an pointed to himself.
This is truly the ability of a real god.
"You are already a Level C Creator, you’ve unlocked the [Create Supporting Character] function, so you can certainly create humans," Fang Tang said.
Su Ming’an looked at his feather pen.
At this mont, he thought of Lotasha with a face full of despair before death, Klins who committed suicide, the smiling Kasadia... all these were characters created by Sique.
And thought of their resentful expressions pursuing Olivius... he felt a twinge of anxiety.
He didn’t want to beco a second Sique.
But on closer thought, those people’s resentnt was because Sique was too much of a Sea King, loving one character after another, while he wasn’t at all, so it should be fine.
"Can I just write one?" Su Ming’an raised his pen.
"At least four," Fang Tang laughed and said: "A [Protagonist], a [Male Supporting Character], a [Female Supporting Character], and a [Gender-Nonconforming Supporting Character in a Walmart Shopping Bag]."
Su Ming’an pondered.
"Constructing a character setting from scratch is too difficult for a beginner. I suggest you start with imitation," Fang Tang said.
"Imitation..." Su Ming’an lifted his pen.
"For example, imitate your friends. Drawing a gourd following the pattern will be much easier," Fang Tang said.
Su Ming’an nodded.
Following Lv Shu’s template — Su Ming’an wrote a [Male Supporting Character].
White hair, green eyes, tenacious and stubborn temperant, pursues being a "good man," and uses a knife.
Following Yuanyuan’s template — Su Ming’an wrote a [Female Supporting Character].
Black hair, black eyes, with a naïve and kind temperant, thinks of practicing swordsmanship well and playing gas, loves eating chocolate.
Following Dawn’s template — Su Ming’an wrote a [Gender-Nonconforming Supporting Character in a Walmart Shopping Bag].
White hair, white eyes, indifferent and rational temperant, thinks of divining everything, can solve math problems, and speaks in riddles.
These are extrely simplified versions, basically written with just a few keywords. Fang Tang clicked his tongue next to him: "When I was 12 years old, I could write character settings of 1000 words."
aning to say Su Ming’an was too much of a novice.
"Yes, hence at several thousand years old, you’re still being hunted by characters whose settings you wrote at 12," Su Ming’an said.
Fang Tang was silent.
The final step is to write the [Protagonist].
"I think your teammate Boris is not bad, highly recognizable, you could model the [Protagonist] after him," Fang Tang said: "Or, Bei Wang is not bad either."
Su Ming’an raised his pen: "What qualities should the [Protagonist] have? Tenacity? Bravery? Wisdom? Unwavering determination?"
He thought of many laudatory expressions in his mind, as if he should pile all the flowery language onto the protagonist to be worthy of such a role.
But Fang Tang shook his head: "None are needed."
"None?"
"A [Protagonist] doesn’t need any mandatory requirents, nor any enforced qualities."
"Why?" Su Ming’an felt puzzled.
"So [Protagonists] are righteous and brave, always walking the path of boiling blood; so [Protagonists] are weak and incompetent, with friends constantly dying, yet show not the slightest growth; so [Protagonists] are insidious, hypocritical, and selfish... but none of this affects them becoming the [Protagonist]."
"Why? Do such people deserve to be the center of civilization?"
"Why not," Fang Tang said: "This isn’t a morality selection competition. What determines who becos the [Protagonist] — is rely which narrative anchor point of civilization lands on whom. The world shows the cat in the box through whose perspective."
"Narrative anchor point..." Su Ming’an rembered that Sique had explained this concept. In Luowasha, the narrative anchor point always landed on great people, then on Sique, then on Su Liujin, and now it’s Su Ming’an.
The aning of the narrative anchor point is "cara."
Everything is presented through the protagonist’s perspective, but that doesn’t an the protagonist has to be a perfect person — of course, a perfect person is more suited to be the protagonist.
After pondering for a mont, Su Ming’an laid down ink.
...
[Black hair, black eyes.]
...
Fang Tang spun around Su Ming’an a few tis: "And then?"
Su Ming’an put away his pen: "That’s enough."
He wanted the [Protagonist] to develop autonomously.
He felt a lack of energy throughout his body, creation depletes a significant amount of physical strength, especially since he created four characters at once.
Soon, a humanoid gradually appeared, with black hair, black eyes, soft almond-shaped eyes, light-colored lips, and pure white clothes...
Fang Tang looked at Su Ming’an in surprise: "So people, when creating characters, inject their ideal visions. Is this your dream girl?"
Su Ming’an replied indignantly: "No."
The [Protagonist] in front of him — was a black-haired, black-eyed girl, with so resemblance to Su Ming’an.
She appeared on this desolate ground, looked around in confusion, helplessly, as if not knowing the aning of her birth, or the purpose of living. Like the first primate life to awaken with wisdom.
Behind her stood a young man with white hair and green eyes, a black-haired swordswoman, and a white-haired, white-eyed nonbinary person — this is the initial protagonist group configuration of the small world. They are the first humans in this world, faces full of similar confusion. Even if they wanted to communicate, they could only utter fragnted sounds.
Perhaps, they are not yet standard life forms, because the small world is too primitive, not yet capable of nurturing highly intelligent, complete life forms, they are more like wisps of unford wandering souls.
Su Ming’an exhausted his last physical strength, creating so basic living supplies, and was forced to withdraw from the small world, lying on the bed.
...Is there enough ti?
At this pace, when the Red Sun descends, the small world might still be in its primitive stages.
"The ti flow in the small world is fast, maybe soon, you’ll witness changes," Fang Tang said.
Su Ming’an raised his hand.
Then, next...
Fifteen light points appeared on the watch — locations where fifteen important characters reside.
Lv Shu, Noel, Su Rin, Lu, Yamada Machiichi, Bei Wang, Luna, Isabella, Lin Yin, Eni, Boris, Alger, Zhao Yuan, Yi Song, Mizushima Kawa Sora.
Next, he needs to choose one of these people, docunting everything that person encounters before the Red Sun descends.
So lting colored cube sugar fell on his shoulder.
"Choose your hero."
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