Now that I had discovered all the options, there was nothing left to do but dive into the depths of the Shop, read every entry, dissect everything it had to offer. So, without delay, I returned to the Shop, mind alert, ready to lay the first stone of my ecosystem.
I opened the Flora menu first.
Each entry was a window into a miniature universe. I spent long minutes examining each species, studying every detail: their biological traits, life cycle, reproductive methods, their interaction with the environment. Nothing was left to chance. Every plant, every bramble, every spore was a potential piece of the puzzle I wanted to assemble.
There were many choices—too many, perhaps. But I took my time. Hours upon hours, absorbed in silent reading, until eventually, two species stood out to me. Two plant forms that, together, would become the first roots of my world.
It was now time to turn to the Fauna, to adjust, to balance, to be sure of my choice.
I searched. I thought. I developed. Slowly, but with certainty.
A nascent ecosystem was taking shape in my mind. An ecosystem capable of defending itself, without my constant intervention. Autonomous. Deadly. Elegant.
Beautiful, I thought.
And little by little, the full design of my first level traced itself before me, with the precision of invisible ink revealed only by fire.
A design that was hostile, complete, alive.
If I succeeded… it would become something grand.
So, without further delay, I clicked on the option I needed at that very moment—the one that would bring movement, breath, and predation to my budding ecosystem.
[Terraforming I]Physically modifies the terrain of the level (relief, soil, etc.).Disabled if an intruder is present.Soul cost depends on scope.
Upon clicking it, a map appeared, and it hit me: it was definitely like a game.
A game… on a world scale.
Several options unfolded, strikingly clear. I could dig, choosing the exact depth, adjusting width, length, verticality. In the same way, I could shape terrain, create elevations, promontories, crevices. It was even possible to integrate natural elements like water, go back, undo an action—like erasing a pencil line.
And just below, a real-time counter displayed: 0.00. Next to it, a validation option, clear, silent, awaited me.
I could freely shape the terrain, but every alteration had a cost, displayed live. In my mind, a budget took shape—a limit not to be exceeded, at least for now.
So I focused.
I lay down, belly to the ground, legs raised behind me, like a child absorbed in front of a glowing tablet, and began testing, experimenting, failing, erasing, starting over.
Creating. Recreating. Again.
Little by little, through trial and error, careful gestures, I was getting closer to what I wanted. The image in my mind took shape—topography, structure. I finally touched the marsh model I had imagined. It was only the beginning—the anchor point, the original nucleus of the future swamp. But it was there, set, tangible.
The level, surprisingly vast, gave me unexpected freedom of movement, and against all odds, neither digging nor even water filling was very expensive. With only six points, a tiny budget, I had managed to sketch the skeleton of my swamp.
At the center stood my Heart, my Scarecrow… and me. All around, a bit of bare earth still, untouched, but already shaped.
With the system's help, I had created a circular basin, fifteen meters wide and one and a half meters deep, directly dug into the neutral ground of the level. I had taken care to slightly tilt the edges—just enough to ensure the perimeter's stability, without compromising the natural concentration effect I was aiming for. The slopes remained steep enough to clearly demarcate the accumulation zone, like a silent border between the stagnant center and the still-dry lands.
The bottom, I wanted it flat, sterile, almost dead. A blank canvas, ideal for retaining the stagnant water I was about to introduce, and thus begin to alter the terrain's properties. Slowly. Deliberately.
This basin, this artificial hollow, became the moist heart of my project. The starting point of my swamp. The central matrix around which species, interactions, traps… life.
And death.
Once the hollow was complete, I initiated the creation of an artificial water sheet—twelve meters in diameter, fifty centimeters deep. The system, obeying without hesitation, injected this stagnant water directly into the depression I had shaped.
No life, no current. Dormant water, created ex nihilo, without memory, without motion.
It almost entirely filled the depression, hugging every contour of the basin. Its liquid mirror, utterly still, reflected a smooth, frozen image—like a surface of oblivion at the heart of sterile soil.
This inner sea, still embryonic, extended its silent presence at the center of the level. And I already knew: it would slowly, patiently, begin to nourish the surrounding lands, moisten, infuse, transform.
It was the first breath of the swamp.
Cost: 5.2 souls.
Perfect.
A discreet smile formed on my face as I validated my new terrain, proud of what I had built. And immediately—without delay, without transition—the world reacted.
The swamp took shape.
Before my eyes, the ground hollowed out, the water spread, the soil darkened. A stagnant sheet slowly extended around me, enveloping me, encircling me, like a shy sea embracing the contours of its future shore.
A small swamp—mine—had just been born.
I sat up, eyes wide open, overwhelmed by a heavy joy, almost hard to contain.
—Aaaaah… it's truly fascinating…, I breathed, overcome with a suffocating pleasure, as if my very breath had been caught by the slow beauty of this artificial miracle.
Then, I moved to the second option I needed—the next step in my creation. Everything was taking shape, slowly, with a logic of its own. It was time to move forward, to add a new layer to the balance I was building.
I clicked on the option—[Time Acceleration I]—and, in an instant, the world began to vibrate.
Around the swamp, the terrain changed. The phenomenon was subtle but profound, almost imperceptible at normal speed… and yet, here, before my eyes, it unfolded like a sped-up film, a slow metamorphosis compressed into the moment.
The water, in contact with the edges of the basin, began to laterally seep into the dry soil. The first few centimeters of earth, one or two meters from the basin, gradually soaked up this fluid life I had just infused.
The ground, until then compact, dry, sterile, slowly changed color—a darker, deeper hue began to spread, like a discreet halo around the water.
It wasn't soft yet. Not alive yet. But it was a sign, a transition.
The first ring had appeared.
A silent crown, witness to the emerging humidity, a beginning of an ecosystem. The future base for plant or fungal colonization. A living outpost.
And I stood there, motionless, fascinated, watching time obey, and the earth respond.
Hours passed, slipping by like warm water between my fingers, and I remained there, motionless, fascinated, totally absorbed.
I let go. My mind wandered, full of impulses, mental constructions, sketches of wonders. Projects teemed within me, architectures of ideas, living networks of interactions to come. I was like a child, soul expanded by too many possibilities, eyes shining with budding dreams.
And for the first time in a long while, a rare sensation filled me—a pure, simple, clear joy.
A happiness.
A beautiful happiness.
I slowly stood, raised my hands toward the grey, neutral sky above me, vast, silent, and in a breath vibrating with emotion, I whispered:
—Thank you, goddess… truly, thank you. I will make this world the perfect paradisiacal hell.
And the silence, in return, no longer seemed empty, but full of promises.
Then, heading to the shop, I made my first purchase:
[Polara Toxica]Category: FloraCost: 2 soulsSouls generated at death: 0.1 soulSize: 80 cm tall, 1 m from petal to petalMaintenance: NoneConditions: High humidity, direct proximity to a water sourceRecommended placement: Pond edges, underground rivers, or stagnant pools
Description:A flower with iridescent mauve translucent petals, Polara Toxica is a defensive plant with passive behavior. It continuously produces toxic pollen concentrated in its stamens. This pollen remains stable as long as the plant is undisturbed.
Effects:Passive defense: if touched, it violently releases a toxic pollen cloud in a 3-meter radius.
This pollen causes:
Immediate respiratory irritation
Dizziness and loss of balance within 10 seconds
Partial paralysis in 30 seconds (depending on constitution)
Does not require light to survive.Must be planted near a water source, which it absorbs constantly.Regularly produces small purple fruits with a sweet taste but highly toxic: ingestion = hallucinations, convulsions, slow death.
Life cycle / Reproduction:Average lifespan: 12 days (under optimal conditions)Toxic bloom: active from the 3rd day after plantingFruit production: 1 to 3 every 2 daysReproduction: if a fruit falls to the ground in a humid environment, it has a 20% chance of sprouting into a new Polara Toxica within 48 hours
I clicked three times, without hesitation. The gesture was fluid, almost ritualistic. Three clicks.
And six souls flew off into the digital void of the system.
I felt no regret. It was an investment. An initial offering to my nascent ecosystem.
Then came the second choice.
My second species. The one that would complement the first, embrace it, challenge it perhaps, or support it. A new link in the silent web I was weaving, root by root.
[Arboréa Toxica]Category: FloraCost: 6 soulsSouls generated at death: 0.3 soulSize: 4 to 6 meters tall, 3 meters acrossMaintenance: NoneConditions: Humid soil, stagnant atmosphereRecommended placement: Fungal clearing, dense swamp, center of humid level
Description:Arboréa Toxica is a gnarled tree with a black trunk streaked with phosphorescent green veins. Its long drooping leaves give off a heavy, almost sweet scent, and garlands of purple fruits hang like glowing organs under the branches. At its base, a fungal moss absorbs ambient humidity.
Effects:Continuously produces dense toxic pollen, capable of lingering in the air up to 6 meters around.
If attacked or shaken: sudden release of a concentrated pollen cloud causing:
Respiratory irritation
Mental confusion
Intense nausea
Produces every 6 days between 2 to 4 large purple fruits containing a powerful hallucinogenic toxin
Fruit ingestion causes:
Prolonged hallucinations (up to 1h)
Loss of coordination
Risk of coma if double dose
Life cycle / Reproduction:Average lifespan: 36 daysToxic bloom: active from the 9th dayFruit production: 2 to 4 every 6 daysReproduction: each fallen fruit has a 40% chance of sprouting into a tree within a 2-meter radiusNeeds moisture-rich soil to take root
This time, I clicked only once.
A single gesture, precise, thoughtful—almost solemn. And instantly, six souls vanished, absorbed into the system like a drop of ink into black water.
A silent exchange, a measured offering.
My second plant species was now mine.And the swamp was slowly coming to life.
Then, moving toward my third species, I felt a shiver run through me.
Because this time, it was no longer a plant. No longer a motionless presence.It was my very first fauna.
The first breath, the first animal pulse of my ecosystem.A creature that would move, hunt, live, die.
And with it… the cycle would finally begin.
[Lysirides]Category: FaunaCost: 3 soulsSouls generated at death: 0.15 soulSize: 15 to 20 cm wingspanMaintenance: NoneConditions: Presence of toxic or floral vegetationRecommended placement: Around Polara Toxica, under Arboréa branches, or near floral traps
Description:Lysirides are winged insects with iridescent hues, resembling butterflies or nocturnal moths. Their appearance mimics toxic flowers in flight, attracting prey intrigued. Their wings beat slowly, releasing a fine fragrant mist laced with a light narcotic.They feed exclusively on toxic pollen, which they extract by brushing the stamens of plants like Polara and Arboréa Toxica.
Effects:Mimetic attraction: lures non-hostile or curious creatures within visual rangeProgressive sedation: their flight emits a light aerosol that puts weak prey to sleep in a few minutesNeurotoxic sting upon direct contact: intense pain + local paralysis for 10 secondsNever attacks dungeon entities
Life cycle / Reproduction:Average lifespan: 9 daysReproduction: 2 eggs every 3 days, laid under toxic plant leavesHatching rate: 50% if host plant is healthyHatching after 24h of incubation
This time, I clicked four times, with contained excitement—almost reverence.
Twelve souls flew away, absorbed into the system's silence, sealed in the act of giving life. A moving life. A conscious life. A life ready to fit into the slow rhythm of my swamp.
And there it was.
Between terraforming and the purchase of my first three species, I had spent a total of 29.2 souls out of the 30 I possessed.
Almost nothing remained.
But what I had… was everything.