Divine Talking

It was a heartfelt reunion, at least for Lucas.

Thauren, however, was not just a mere object of observation. He was Lucas's most perfect creation. He was part of the gears driving evolution. He was his child.

Yet, Lucas's urge to embrace him immediately faded when he saw Thauren trembling.

"God? What do you mean?" The alhamera glanced around frantically. "Where is this? Am I dead? Is this the afterlife?"

Lucas wanted to say that the afterlife never existed, but he didn't want to erase the concept of religion—not this quickly.

If there was one thing that could guide a species to keep progressing, it was rules. And the highest rules came from God.

"You could say that. But you're not entirely dead." Lucas sighed. "Let's be honest, now. Among all the alhamera, only you remain."

"I had calculated all of your misfortune, including the tyrannosaurus, but I didn't expect that you would attack the mother."

"Its offspring were enraged and retaliated, and you failed to resist them. I hope this serves as a lesson to be more cautious in choosing your enemies."

"Tyrant—what?"

"Ah, of course. You haven't had the chance to name them yet. They are the reptilian monsters that razed your village and slaughtered your race. Tyrannosaurus rex, to be precise."

"In that case, can you wipe them out?" Thauren's voice trembling when he said that.

"Hm, well, unfortunately, I can't."

Thauren gritted his teeth. "You're a god or something, right? You're on our side, aren't you? Then destroy that demon forever!"

Thauren's face dripped with sweat, and his eyes widened. 

Lucas suspected the alhamera might be experiencing severe trauma, causing him to lose control as his suppressed emotions surfaced.

"Tyrannosaurus is part of natural selection. If I were to simply eradicate them, your species would struggle to adapt in even more dangerous situation. Think of this as a lesson to help you grow stronger an wipe them out—"

"Don't joke around!" Thauren grabbed his shoulder. "You can say that because you're not the one facing them yourself! Wipe them out? It's useless! You kill one, and a hundred more will take its place."

SMACK!

As if struck by something heavy from above, Thauren was slammed to the ground. Each time he tried to rise, the weight pressed down harder.

[As a protective measure for the Overseer, you have been granted by the feature <Divine Judgement>]

[This feature will detect hostile intent from nearby living beings and incapacitate them instantly. The intensity and duration can be customized]

Wait a second… Don't tell me…

[This is part of the demo feature previously discussed.]

But from your explanation before, wasn't this demo feature supposed to be available as starter's bonusses? 

The system gave no response. It seemed unwilling to answer rhetorical questions that sounded so foolish.

"Just erase me." This time, it was Thauren who spoke.

"Ah, right. Sorry for ignoring you, now—"

"Just kill me here, Lord." Thauren shook his head. The despair he had suppressed for the past five years now poured out. "I can't bear this burden anymore. The fear is unbearable."

Lucas could only stare at him somberly and sigh. "I can't do that either."

"Why not? Is it because of your stupid natural selection? Are gods really this cruel?"

"Because I don't want to and I can't." Lucas knelt and patted Thauren's shoulder gently. "You are my creation. You were born from the struggles that took not just months or years, but millions of years."

"Trust me, it was a long process, and I've felt it all—the fear of something stronger, the loneliness of being the last one left, the anxiety of inevitable extinction. I understand it all."

And with those words alone, Thauren burst into tears. It was such a strange and foreign sensation.

Thauren could only remember crying once—when he was born.

Yet now, those tears flowed so freely, as if he had returned to being a newborn.

"It's okay, it's okay. Everything's fine now. You're safe."

Once Lucas felt Thauren had calmed down enough, he offered him a chair and a cup of coffee.

Thauren eyed the dark liquid suspiciously, questioning its odd appearance.

But he was too afraid to ask because, hey, after all, he was standing before a god now. In fact, he had acted rudely before. It was a great act of mercy that Thauren had managed to escape without any consequences.

"So, what should I do? Will you restore things to how they were, bring my people back to life, while we prepare a new plan to defeat the monster?"

"That summarizes most of my intentions. But, unfortunately, there's a slight correction. I can indeed save you, move you wherever I want, or even send you into your death. However, I can't bring back the dead—at least not that many."

Thauren frowned. "T-then, do I have to defeat them all alone?"

"No. We will begin the Repopulation Operation." Lucas snapped his fingers.

[The recreation of the alhamera will follow the previously designed customization.]

[Do you wish to use 1 Divine Intervention token for the creation process?]

Lucas nodded in confirmation.

It happened without any warning. There was no blinding light to serve as a distraction—just a strange flicker of perception. Suddenly, Thauren saw a figure standing among them.

No, not just a mere figure. It's another alhamera.

An alhamera he knew all too well. "Chief Veera?" Thauren covered his mouth, his trauma resurfacing.

After all, Veera was the one fully responsible for all the misfortune they had suffered—he had suffered.

"No, it wasn't her fault."

Thauren looked at Lucas in confusion and quickly realized: 'He's our god, of course, he can read my thoughts.'

In truth, Lucas had only overheard the bitter complaints Thauren had mumbled in his sleep during several quiet nights in Antroseda.

"Veera made a bold—if reckless—decision. But even so, I believe her actions will eventually lead to the destruction of the tyrannosaurus in a way you could never have imagined."

"I understand." But that hatred wouldn't simply vanish after a few days and a few words.

Even if a god ordered them to stay together.

'Wait, together?' Thauren suddenly remembered the word repopulation.

He wasn't very good with complex words, but he at least knew that population referred to the number of people they had. And re…

Thauren glanced at Lucas.

And Lucas just smiled. "Veera has a brilliant mind, and you have extraordinary physical strength."

"I'm sure your offspring will be remarkable specimens."