New opportunities

Back in Carter's Palace

As the millennia passed, Carter sat on his throne, gazing out into the vastness of space through the grand windows of his celestial palace. The planet he had nurtured had grown into a thriving world, with his religion spreading far and wide. His faithful servant, Ralak, had served dutifully, never aging, never faltering, as the world around him advanced under Carter's watchful eye.

But now, after all this time, something stirred within Carter. His thoughts drifted to the meteors he had sent out so long ago—each one a fragment of himself, tasked with gathering mass to create the building blocks of his solar system.

Carter's gaze sharpened. "System," he spoke calmly, "I believe it's time to call back my meteors."

[SYSTEM] The meteors have been gathering mass for over 200,000 years. Do you wish to recall them now, host?

"Yes," Carter replied, a smile tugging at his lips. "It's time to see the fruits of their journey."

Because Carter had split his consciousness into eleven—ten meteors and a dwarf star—he couldn't fully sense their progress. He knew they were out there, fulfilling their purpose, but their exact size, mass, and the amount of celestial energy they had accumulated remained unknown to him unless they were close enough. The vast distances between him and his creations blurred the connection, making it impossible to get real-time updates.

He could, however, recall them at any time, trusting that when they returned, they would have gained enough to aid in his grand plan. He sat back, contemplating the moment when his meteors and dwarf star would come home, each contributing to the solar system he intended to create—a universe centered entirely around him.

"Come back to me," he murmured to himself, mentally preparing for their return.

As Carter sat on his throne, he could faintly feel his meteors and dwarf star speeding through the vastness of space, drawn back toward him, but they were still thousands of miles away. While he waited, he had no intention of wasting time. With the celestial energy he had gathered, Carter focused on upgrading his abilities. He unlocked two additional skills, pushing his powers to even greater heights. His vision expanded to an astounding 15 million miles, and his movement through space increased to 40 times the speed of light, allowing him to traverse the cosmos with ease.

Determined to pass the time productively, Carter decided to pursue an old grudge. His mind turned toward the planet that had operated the prison he had obliterated so long ago. With his enhanced abilities, he set off at incomprehensible speed, moving through the void of space like a cosmic blur.

For years, Carter flew in the direction he believed the prison planet lay, his sharp vision scanning for any trace of it. After a long journey, he found what he was looking for—a planet nearly as massive as his own, its surface gleaming with a sense of significance. This was the place. The prison's creators had called it home, and now Carter had found it.

But something else caught his attention as he drifted near the planet. His Zone Vision, extending to 15 million miles, detected strange fluctuations in the distance. Curious, Carter moved closer, exploring the surrounding space as he searched for the source of the disturbance. As he ventured further, he found another planet, then another.

Each time he moved, his Zone Vision revealed more of the area, like pieces of a cosmic puzzle falling into place. The pull between these planets felt familiar—like the same gravitational dance he'd sensed back when he first started developing his own world. Carter followed the faint pull of gravity, using his speed and expanding his search as he moved across millions of miles of space.

Eventually, Carter reached the source of the gravitational pull. Before him was a genuine sun, glowing brightly and holding the surrounding planets in its orbit. The star's immense energy radiated outward, with solar flares erupting from its surface, threatening to lash out at anything nearby. But Carter was prepared. Erecting a powerful gravity barrier around himself, he shielded his form from the blazing heat and wild energy surging from the star.

This sun wasn't just a beacon of energy—it was the key to something much larger. Carter grinned as he hovered near the star, contemplating its significance. The alien planet he'd tracked was small in comparison to this celestial prize. This sun, a true yellow dwarf, could fuel his ambitions far more than just absorbing a single world.

The discovery of an entire solar system in the making filled Carter with excitement. This was no mere coincidence—he could use it, integrate it into his growing empire, and fuel his plans for cosmic domination. The destruction of the prison planet no longer seemed important. He had found something far more valuable.