The air in the small, two-story house on Bluestar was thick with the scent of aged wood and settled dust. Lin Mu, twenty-one years old and outwardly unremarkable, stood in the living room, running a hand over the worn furniture.
He was an engineering student, practical and logical, and the events of the past week were, to him, a simple, non-conspiratorial conclusion: his grandmother had died of old age. His parents had passed years ago. There was no grand family secret, just the quiet, heavy reality of handling an estate.
"Final inspections first," he muttered, adjusting his glasses. His current priority was clearing out the garden. The lawyers would be calling soon; the house needed to look presentable.
He walked to the back door, sunlight streaming weakly through the dirty glass. The backyard was a chaotic mess of overgrown weeds, dried leaves, and exposed, cracked earth—a miniature, untamed ecosystem left to run wild.
As he stepped onto the porch, a sudden, piercing light flared, not in the world outside, but inside his mind. It was a cold, digital surge that instantly silenced all other thought, feeling like a shard of ice rammed through his consciousness.
[System Initialization Complete]
[User Designation: Lin Mu]
Core Function: The 'Genesis' System
Objective: Accumulate Karma Points by affecting the evolution and development of civilization.
Status: Novice. Current Karma Points: 0
Lin Mu froze. Then, a rush of pure, unadulterated ecstasy washed over him, banishing the shock. Finally! "A whole year," he murmured, his voice cracking with the sheer weight of his wait. "Do you know how long I waited? A whole year!"
Yes, Lin Mu was a transmigrator from Earth. One day a year ago, he had suddenly awoken in the body of this college student, Lin Mu, living a quiet, mundane life that mocked his expectations for a grand new reality.
He gripped the doorframe, steadying himself. The time for waiting was over.
"System," he commanded internally, his heart hammering against his ribs. "Is there a gift pack? Open it now."
[Novice Gift Package—Opened.]
Novice Gift Package Contents:
Talent Awakening Crystal (x1)
Fusion Furnace (x1) (Uses Remaining: 3)
Advanced Multi-Function Robot (x1)
Lin Mu instinctively reached for the first item. The Talent Awakening Crystal dissolved upon contact, flooding his consciousness with an intimidating, new set of rules.
[Talent Acquired: Absolute Domination]
Effect: Grants the user absolute control over the target's life, death, and reproductive capacity. The target's offspring are also placed under the user's implicit control.
Limitation: Target must be significantly weaker than the User. Only one target can be bound at a time.
Action Required: Designate Target.
Lin Mu's breath hitched. This was not a power for a simple pet. He needed population and reproduction speed—the foundational blocks of a fledgling civilization. His target had to be significantly weaker than himself, immediately ruling out any complex animal.
He glanced at the third item in his inventory: the Advanced Multi-Function Robot. It materialized silently beside him as a compact, matte-black sphere, hovering a foot above the porch floor.
A.I. Logistics Unit: "A.I. Logistics Unit reporting for duty, User Lin Mu. Core directive: Fulfill all non-direct biological manipulation requests, provide logistics, and maintain user security."
Lin Mu looked at the sphere, his only companion in this bizarre, new reality. "You need a name for better communication. You will be Atlas."
Atlas: "Designation accepted. Unit is now designated Atlas. Ready for next command."
Lin Mu turned his attention back to the backyard, his eyes scanning the chaotic growth until they settled on a sight of tireless, small creatures: an anthill. He knew that large, complex organisms evolved slowly; small ones multiplied and mutated rapidly.
He knelt, pointing a finger at the mound near the cracked cement path. The red ants were only about a centimeter long, the common variety found everywhere on Bluestar. The perfect choice for rapid growth.
"System, confirm," Lin Mu murmured, his voice steadying. "The organism responsible for the colony's reproduction. Designate the target from this colony."
[Scanning... Organism identified. The Queen Ant is the only unit capable of meeting the population requirements for accelerated civilization growth. Confirm binding on the Queen Ant?]
Lin Mu took a deep breath. This was the point of no return. A single, silent decision to become the unseen, absolute hand of creation.
"Yes," he confirmed.