Chapter 64: The World Begins Preparing
The world continued moving quietly beneath the endless sky.
Forests breathed with Life Energy.
Rivers flowed calmly across the plains.
The oceans moved with slow deep currents beneath moonlight.
Nothing in the world knew that something beyond the sky had looked at them.
Only Alicia knew.
Her small Light Spirit Form floated silently above the world core. A glowing green sphere drifting within the massive underground space beneath the planet.
For a while, Alicia simply stayed still.
Thinking.
The illusion world.
The former Planet Core.
The Stars.
The Void Eaters.
Everything still felt unreal somehow.
"...A million years..."
Even now, Alicia still could not fully process that number.
Compared to beings like that—she truly was young.
Weak.
Inexperienced.
Though she had also lived for more then one million, she was sleeping at that time.
But strangely—she no longer felt hopeless.
Fear still existed.
Of course it did.
Only an idiot would not fear creatures capable of devouring worlds.
But now Alicia finally understood something important.
The universe was dangerous.
That meant becoming stronger was no longer optional.
It was survival.
Alicia slowly moved through the underground world in her spiritual form.
This was still new to her.
For the first time, she could actually move physically through her own world instead of merely observing it from everywhere at once.
Her glowing body floated upward gently, passing through layers of stone and spiritual veins.
As she traveled, she felt everything more clearly than before.
The warmth of Life Energy flowing through the veins.
The vibrations of underground rivers.
The faint spiritual fluctuations from herbs growing beneath the soil.
It felt… alive.
Not separate from her.
Connected.
"...So this is what a spiritual body feels like."
She looked at the system text.
[Spiritual body creating progress: 2%]
[Spirtual body creation time: Unkown]
[Spiritual body stabiliazation time]
"Ugh! When will this stupid system generate my body".
Alicia emerged from beneath the earth moments later.
Night still covered the world.
Her small green spirit floated silently above a forest river while moonlight reflected across the water.
For a moment, Alicia simply stared at the reflection below her.
A small glowing sphere stared back.
"...I really look like a floating ball."
Silence.
Then Alicia sighed mentally.
"...At least I'm a pretty floating ball."
The river continued flowing peacefully.
Nearby, Spirit Bloom Flowers released faint glowing particles into the air while silver insects drifted around them lazily.
The world itself had clearly changed after her breakthrough.
Life Energy remained denser than before.
Not explosively.
But noticeably.
Even the air carried a faint spiritual richness now.
Alicia slowly expanded her awareness across the world again.
The plains were busier than before.
Humans had begun building larger structures using stone and packed earth instead of only wood.
Small farms surrounded several villages now, carefully positioned near rivers and Life Stone zones.
Some humans cultivated.
Some hunted.
Some trained younger children how to fight beasts properly.
The stronger cultivators no longer relied entirely on instinct either.
Yu.
Hus.
Several others.
They had begun developing primitive techniques naturally through experience and observation.
Alicia watched quietly.
"...They're adapting faster now."
She felt strangely relieved seeing it.
At least her world was not weak anymore.
Not completely helpless.
Meanwhile, deep within the forests, spirit beasts had also begun changing.
Several Spirit Fang Wolves fought violently for territory beneath moonlight.
Mist Panthers moved almost invisibly between trees.
Lifehorn Deer gathered near high-density Life Energy zones instinctively.
Even herbs were competing more aggressively now.
Some vines had started strangling nearby plants to absorb more nutrients and energy.
Several mutated herbs emitted natural spiritual pressure to protect themselves from beasts.
The world was evolving naturally now.
Not because Alicia directly controlled it.
But because life itself desired survival.
That realization made Alicia strangely thoughtful.
The former Planet Core had been right.
A true world could not grow through control alone.
It needed its own ecosystem.
Its own balance.
Its own path.
Then—
Alicia suddenly focused upward again.
The stars above the atmosphere remained silent.
Cold.
Distant.
But the uncomfortable feeling still lingered faintly.
That brief observation from before.
Someone—or something—had definitely scanned her world.
Alicia immediately activated the system.
"System."
[Awaiting host inquiry]
"...Can you identify the external observer?"
Several seconds passed.
Then—
[Authority insufficient]
[Power insufficient ]
Alicia frowned instantly.
"...Again?"
The system remained silent.
Alicia clicked her tongue mentally.
Ever since the Self-Improving System unlocked, the system had started refusing answers more often.
Or perhaps…
It was forcing her to learn independently on purpose.
"...Annoying."
Still, Alicia did not continue asking.
If the answer required higher authority, then her current level simply was not enough yet.
Which meant only one thing.
She needed to become stronger.
Alicia slowly shifted her attention toward the Deep Forest.
Almost immediately—she found the Moonlight Fox again.
The silver beast sat quietly atop a massive stone beneath moonlight.
Soul Power gathered around its body naturally.
Smoothly.
Far smoother than ordinary beasts.
Alicia activated Observation.
[Observation Target: Moonlight Fox]
[Analyzing...]
A few moments later—
[Species: Moonlight Fox]
[Current Level: 6]
[Bloodline Purity :40%]
[Mutation Stability: Mid-High]
[Awareness Level: Abnormally High]
Alicia became thoughtful.
"...Level 6 already."
Its growth speed was abnormal.
More importantly—it cultivated too intelligently.
Not like a beast relying on instinct.
Almost like a real cultivator.
Then suddenly—
The Moonlight Fox opened its eyes.
Its silver gaze slowly lifted toward Alicia's location directly.
It could feel something there but not exactly see it.
The forest became quiet.
For several seconds, neither moved.
Then the fox calmly stood up.
And walked away into the darkness once more.
"...You really can sense me." Alicia muttered softly.
That fox definitely knew more than ordinary beasts should.
Then—
Deep underground—
The hidden existence pulsed again.
BOOM.
A low vibration spread through the spiritual veins beneath the world.
Not violent.
But deeper than before.
Alicia's attention immediately shifted downward.
The desolate region still remained filled with massive cracks stretching across the land like scars.
And now—faint ancient energy leaked upward from them more frequently.
Nearby herbs had mutated heavily over the years.
Some carried black spiritual veins through their leaves.
Some absorbed Life Energy at terrifying speeds.
Some released strange red mist at night.
Even spirit beasts avoided the area instinctively now.
Alicia observed silently.
"...It's becoming more active."
Ever since she entered Lv20, the underground existence seemed to resonate more strongly with the world itself.
Especially with the spiritual veins.
But strangely—
It still showed no hostility toward her.
That uncertainty bothered Alicia more than open hostility would have.
Unknown things were dangerous.
Very dangerous.
The memory of the former Planet Core returned again.
"...Even they couldn't understand it fully."
That alone was enough to make Alicia cautious.
The night passed slowly afterward.
Humans slept inside villages surrounded by wooden walls and firelight.
Spirit beasts cultivated beneath moonlight or hunted silently through forests.
The oceans flowed endlessly beneath the stars.
And Alicia quietly watched over all of it.
Not as a ruler controlling every movement.
But as the heart of a living world.
Then finally—after remaining silent for a long time—Alicia made a decision.
The Annihilation Ceremony was coming.
The universe had already begun noticing her world.
And something ancient still slept beneath her planet.
She no longer had the luxury of growing slowly.
"...I need stronger spiritual veins."
"...Stronger cultivators."
"...And a stronger world."
Her spiritual light glowed slightly brighter.
This time—
Alicia was no longer cultivating only to survive.
She was preparing her entire world for what was coming.