Repopulate

"Come on, say it."

[Your words are completely incomprehensible]

[Command cannot be executed]

She started again.

Of course, Lucas knew better than anyone that the system accompanying him was more than capable of assessing basic emotional responses.

That response just now—was it a subtle rejection or protective instead?

Whatever it was, Lucas sighed bitterly. "This might be the most pragmatic solution, but morally speaking, it's exploitative."

Forced repopulation? That was almost like the cruel legends recorded in historical encyclopedias, where, during wartime, a group forced the most handsome men and beautiful women of their nation to breed with each other.

While technically an efficient method to produce superior offspring, it degraded human dignity and violated human rights.

[Modern concepts like that do not apply to the alhamera, not for now]

[They tend to mate based on instinct and do not consider reproduction as sacred as you do]

[On the other hand, as an Overseer, it is only natural that your interventions should not be compared with the moral concepts of the beings you oversee]

[As long as the actions are meant to ensure species survival]

"Isn't that a selfish way of thinking?" Lucas muttered but chose not to pursue the matter further.

After all, Lucas had already provided both Thauren and Veera with bonuses to ensure the success of their mission.

He had genetically engineered them to remain in a constant state of fertility, so after the birth of the first offspring, they could continue producing more with subsequent copulations.

Lucas also adjusted their sexual compatibility and hormones to increase the likelihood of twins being born.

However, a large population alone wasn't enough to defeat the tyrannosaurs. That had already been proven.

The alhamera had numbered at least 5,000 when they were wiped out, yet none could stand against the 100 T-rexes.

It wasn't another genetic modification this time. Lucas feared too many changes could trigger a dangerous domino effect of mutations.

Therefore, he turned to a more natural method: knowledge.

Before being sent back down to Antroseda, Lucas taught them the best ways to maximize magic usage, introduced blueprints for accurate magical energy measuring instruments, and encouraged variations they could develop themselves.

It was an intensive learning process that spanned decades.

Of course, Lucas had adjusted the external world's time flow to be 1,000 times slower.

Thus, after completing their education, only a few days had passed in the outside world.

The entire learning process was guided by the artificial intelligence in the floating home and the system itself.

Both Veera and Thauren received theoretical lessons, demonstrations, and repeated practice sessions.

Naturally, such persistent efforts came with a hefty cost. Lucas had to sacrifice another Divine Intervention token and depleted his own supply.

Indeed, achieving great success sometimes required great sacrifices.

And finally, the day came when the two descended to carry out their mission.

Lucas merely gave them a brief pat on the shoulder and said, "Good luck."

They were dropped slightly off to the side, as the initial area was fully occupied by the tyrannosaur herd.

The location was also close to a water source, consisting of a sea and a swamp, so they wouldn't have to rely on forest resources, which could risk disturbing the tyrannosaurs early on.

Proximity to water also held the potential for agricultural development and possibly even future ocean exploration—though such progress was still far off.

With just the two of them, Veera and Thauren began constructing the most basic necessity for protection against weather and wild beasts: home.

During this process, their natural instincts as a male and female pair were stimulated.

The urge to reproduce led them to copulate even before the third day, and Veera was confirmed pregnant the following day.

The first stone had been laid, and now the foundation was being built.

Lucas sped up time again, though only 1,000 times faster this time, to monitor the situation carefully.

Just in case the tyrannosaurs acted unpredictably, Lucas could still recall the alhamera to his floating home if necessary.

Several hours passed, equivalent to 10 months in the outside world. The two welcomed their first offspring—quadruplets.

Lucas nearly spat out his coffee. Wait, had a mutation already occurred?

However, the only 'mutation' Lucas could observe was how Veera and Thauren resumed mating even before two weeks had passed since the childbirth.

Had he unintentionally programmed them into a hypersexual species?

At least there was one positive outcome that aligned with Lucas's expectations. The offspring were physically exceptional. Their bodies, even as infants, were larger than three-year-old alhamera children from the previous generation.

This physical superiority also extended to intelligence, as they could speak between 3 to 6 months old and walk by the age of one.

By age six, they were already helping their parents gather food, expand their shelter, and create tools.

If there was any significant change in this new beginning, it was the clear distinction of gender roles.

Veera, having given birth to 12 children, was now physically weakened and could only assist with cooking and farming.

The female children observing their mother began to assume they had the same responsibilities.

Although both Veera and Thauren encouraged equal contribution and often included at least one female in hunting tasks, it provided no additional benefits and sometimes even became a hindrance.

Eventually, Thauren gave up and assigned physically demanding tasks exclusively to the boys. Their physical capabilities quickly led to a competitive spirit among them.

Coupled with the explicit mating behavior displayed by their parents, the offspring started determining which sister they would marry.

This led to a troubling scenario where two sons targeted the same sister—Ishtala, the most beautiful and eldest daughter.

It made Lucas shudder. Witnessing inbreeding was a repetition of past events.

However, in the past, the alhamera acted purely on instinct. Now, the current generation was the product of conscious thought.

[TIPS: You might want to stop comparing moral concepts between different species]

It was even presented as a tip now...

Clearly, the system was trying to tease him again.

The rivalry escalated into endless fights. Thauren, seeing this, assumed it was just ordinary sibling conflict, as he had experienced similar fights with his own brother.

What he didn't realize was that this conflict would lead to the first murder since the Repopulation Era.