Chapter 15: Freshwater Cycle
With the environmental zones complete, Alicia moved on to the next requirement.
Form stable freshwater and land cycles.
She stared at the words for a moment.
Then thought,
"…That sounds suspiciously like work."
Still, once she focused on her world again, she understood the issue.
She had rivers, streams, lakes, and oceans.
But they were still too simple.
Water existed, yes.
But it wasn't truly cycling yet.
Some rain fell from time to time, but it wasn't consistent. Lakes and streams formed naturally, but there wasn't yet a stable system connecting them all.
Alicia began by studying the flow of water across her planet.
The rocky highlands fed several streams.
The forest held moisture well.
The plains collected runoff in low areas.
And all of it eventually moved toward the ocean.
The foundation was there.
It just needed refining.
Using Terrain Creation, Alicia adjusted the slopes of the highlands and nearby land so that rainwater and streams would collect more naturally and flow more efficiently.
Then she focused on the atmosphere.
Water from lakes, rivers, and wetlands gradually evaporated, forming faint cloud clusters. Alicia subtly guided those clouds so they would release rain over the right regions—especially the forest and the upper slopes.
Slowly, the cycle began to take shape.
Water rose.
Clouds formed.
Rain fell.
Streams replenished lakes.
Rivers fed the land and returned to the sea.
The whole system began to connect.
Alicia watched in silence for a while.
Then quietly said,
"…That is actually very satisfying."
The forest streams became more stable.
The highland rivers flowed more naturally.
The plains received occasional rainfall without flooding.
Even some low areas began developing shallow wetlands.
It was simple.
But functional.
And for now, that was enough.
The system chimed.
Ding!
[Freshwater Cycle Stabilization Detected]
[Requirement Progress Updated: 1/1]
Alicia let out a quiet mental sigh of relief.
"Good."
She had expected this to be much more annoying.
Then again, maybe she had underestimated how fun it was to watch an entire world start making sense.
Far below, a small beast misjudged a stream crossing and landed in the water with impressive confidence.
Alicia observed this for exactly one second before thinking:
"…You know what? I respect the commitment."