Chapter 40: An unbounded soul.
The familiar divine interface silently unfolded before Volcano, its translucent blue screen hovering before him within the endless Void.
[GOD NAME: Volcano]
[BASE PLANET: Volcan]
[BASE PLANET LIFEFORMS: 687,542]
[OCCUPIED PLANETS: 0]
[DIVINITY LEVEL: 6]
[TALENT: Meteor Smash — B Grade]
[FAITH POINTS: 1,834]
Volcano’s eyes immediately settled on the final line.
"...One thousand eight hundred and thirty-four?"
He instinctively began calculating. Five hundred Faith Points had come from Cosmos’ hidden redeem code, while before that he only possessed one hundred and ninety-five. Even after subtracting both amounts, there were still more than a thousand points remaining.
"...Volcan generated one thousand one hundred and thirty-nine Faith Points on its own..."
For a brief moment, he simply stared at the slowly rotating volcanic world beneath him.
Only then did he remember something Cosmos had casually mentioned during the orientation. Faith wasn’t generated solely through worship. Every birth, every death, every creature struggling to survive, every successful hunt and every civilization taking another step forward quietly contributed toward a world’s natural accumulation of Faith. The more vibrant and active a world became, the more Faith it would continuously generate for its god.
"So that’s how it works..."
A grin slowly spread across his face as another realization followed almost immediately.
"If fourteen years already produced this much Faith...then what about another five hundred?"
The question lingered inside his mind for only a moment before Nova’s earlier advice resurfaced.
Enrich your world first.
Anything capable of reproducing itself will continue multiplying throughout those centuries.
Volcano’s eyes gradually brightened.
"So that’s what she meant..."
He had been thinking only about advancing civilization, yet Time Acceleration affected far more than that. Forests would continue spreading, creatures would establish entire populations, mineral deposits would slowly grow richer, and every new species introduced into Volcan today would continue reproducing for centuries without requiring another ounce of effort from him.
"Hehehe..If that’s the case..."
"...I’d better invest everything before using those tickets."
Without another moment of hesitation, Volcano reopened the Universal Trading platform.
This time, he wasn’t browsing out of curiosity.
He was shopping for Volcan’s future.
The endless Void around Volcano immediately transformed as the Universal Trading platform unfolded before him once again. Countless listings floated across his vision in an endless stream, constantly changing as transactions were completed between worlds scattered throughout Godcraft Genesis. Rare ores, magical herbs, strange lifeforms and unfamiliar resources appeared and disappeared every passing second, making the marketplace resemble the combined wealth of innumerable civilizations rather than a simple trading platform.
Unlike before, however, Volcano no longer looked at those listings with the curiosity of a newbie. Nova’s advice had completely changed the way he viewed the marketplace. If Time Acceleration truly advanced everything capable of growing and reproducing, then every seed, every sapling and every tiny creature introduced into Volcan today would continue multiplying throughout the coming centuries. Five hundred years wasn’t simply a shortcut through time ..it was an opportunity to let countless small investments mature into something far greater.
With that thought in mind, he immediately adjusted the marketplace filters.
Living Organisms.
Seeds.
Saplings.
Breeding Creatures.
Renewable Resources.
The endless flood of listings shrank considerably, allowing Volcano to browse through them one after another without feeling overwhelmed. He took his time reading every description carefully instead of purchasing things at random. There was no point wasting Faith Points on flashy resources if they couldn’t sustain themselves. What Volcan needed wasn’t temporary prosperity but an ecosystem capable of flourishing long after he stopped interfering.
"Hmm... Crystal Flowers..."
He quietly shook his head.
"They’re beautiful... but too expensive."
Another listing caught his attention.
Firecap Mushroom Spores.
A resilient fungal species capable of thriving within volcanic ash. Once established, they reproduce rapidly and gradually improve the fertility of surrounding soil.
Volcano’s eyes immediately brightened.
"...Now that’s useful."
Without wasting another moment, he opened a negotiation with the seller.
Volcano: Fifty Faith Points.
Ember Sage: Sixty-five.
Volcano scratched his cheek before replying again.
Volcano: Fifty-five. Final offer.
Several seconds passed before another message appeared.
Ember Sage: Deal.
A pleasant notification immediately sounded.
[Ding!]
[Purchase Successful.]
[Firecap Mushroom Spores ×30]
"Hehe... it’s oddly fun...ohh my beautiful first investment."
His excitement only continued growing as he resumed browsing through the marketplace. Before long another listing attracted his attention.
Lava Moss Colony.
A hardy organism capable of spreading across barren volcanic terrain. Over time, it accelerates soil formation and provides the foundation for more complex ecosystems.
Volcano couldn’t help smiling at such a resource.
"This is practically made for Volcan."
The negotiation was brief this time.
Volcano: Forty-five Faith Points.
Ash Walker: Fifty-five.
Volcano: Fifty. That’s the highest I’ll go.
The other party remained silent for several moments before finally accepting.
Another notification quietly appeared before him.
[Ding!]
[Purchase Successful.]
[Lava Moss Colony ×5]
One transaction gradually became several.
Several slowly became dozens.
Some Lesser Gods rejected his offers outright, believing the newbie trader wasn’t worth negotiating with. Others tried inflating their prices after realizing he lacked experience, while a surprising number accepted reasonable compromises after a little bargaining. Volcano himself didn’t mind losing a few negotiations. Every failed trade taught him something new about the marketplace, making his later negotiations noticeably smoother.
By the time nearly an hour had passed, his Divine Inventory had become considerably livelier than before. Firecap Mushroom Spores, Emberfruit Saplings, heat-resistant grain seeds, several species of volcanic insects, hardy shrubs capable of surviving ash-covered valleys and even tiny aquatic organisms adapted to mineral-rich hot springs now quietly rested inside his inventory.
Individually, none of them possessed extraordinary value.
Together, however...
They represented centuries of future growth.
Volcano slowly looked over the collection with unconcealed satisfaction before letting out a small laugh.
"Hehe... trading really is addictive."
Without delaying any longer, he gently merged his consciousness with Volcan once more. The familiar volcanic world unfolded beneath his senses as though it were the palm of his hand, allowing him to carefully choose where each new organism should begin its journey. Firecap Mushroom Spores were scattered across fertile volcanic valleys where layers of ash had accumulated over countless eruptions. The Lava Moss Colonies found homes upon barren cliffs that had remained lifeless for generations, while the heat-resistant grain seeds were quietly buried throughout open plains where future civilizations might one day establish farms. Even the insects and aquatic creatures were released into isolated regions so they could establish stable populations without immediately disrupting the existing balance of nature.
Volcano wasn’t simply introducing new resources anymore.
He was carefully weaving them into the future of his world.
Only after every organism had found a suitable home did he finally withdraw his consciousness. The slowly rotating planet beneath him looked no different than before, yet Volcano knew that countless invisible changes had already begun. Hundreds of years from now, forests would spread where barren stone once dominated, new food chains would emerge and civilizations yet to be born might unknowingly depend upon the tiny decisions he had made today.
"...Now..."
His gaze slowly shifted toward the five shimmering golden tickets quietly floating within his Divine Inventory.
"...I think everything’s finally ready."
The faint smile upon his face gradually widened as he reached toward them, anticipation quietly filling his heart.
"Let’s see just how much Volcan can change in a hundred years..."
Without another moment of hesitation, he tore the ticket in half.
The instant it split apart, the golden fragments dissolved into countless particles of light before scattering into the endless Void. Streams of silver radiance spread outward in every direction as though time itself had begun unraveling before his eyes.
A familiar notification immediately appeared.
[Ding!]
[10× Time Acceleration Ticket Activated.]
[Target World: Volcan.]
[Acceleration Ratio: ×10.]
[Duration: 1 God Hour.]
[Equivalent Planetary Time: 100 Planetary Years.]
Before he could celebrate, another window unfolded before him.
[Ding!]
[Would you like to merge your Divine Consciousness with your world during the acceleration period?]
[YES] [NO]
"Hehe... just like Nova said."
Without the slightest hesitation, Volcano tapped YES.
A deep mechanical hum echoed throughout the Void, far heavier than any system notification he had heard before. Countless translucent runes materialized around the slowly rotating planet of Volcan, each one revolving around the world like enormous celestial gears preparing to move.
Volcano instinctively held his breath.
"...Woah."
The runes accelerated.
Layer after layer of divine symbols wrapped themselves around Volcan until the entire planet resembled a cocoon woven from light.
"This is happening! THIS IS HAPPENING!"
As Volcano’s excitement reached it’s peak, everything stopped.
The countless runes froze in place.
The humming ceased.
Even the drifting particles of light hanging within the Void became completely motionless.
A single crimson notification slowly appeared before Volcano.
[Error.]
Volcano’s smile gradually disappeared.
"...Error?"
The crimson letters flickered once before another message emerged beneath them.
[Temporal Acceleration Interrupted.]
[Verifying Cause...]
[...]
[...]
[Verification Complete.]
For reasons he couldn’t explain, an inexplicable sense of unease began rising within his heart.
"...What’s going on?"
The next notification appeared one word at a time in crimson red.
[Acceleration Failed.]
[...]
[Foreign Variable Detected.]
[...]
[Temporal Laws Unable to Enclose Target.]
[...]
[Warning!]
[The target world contains an Unbounded Soul.]