Changing the Libraries
Everyone rushed quickly, trying to come as close as possible. Everyone knew that besides the Ancestors, within 2 kilometers of the tree, no one else was allowed inside. Anyone unauthorized was usually absorbed by the tree as nutrients. To prepare for the situation, Mary and Marie had already demarcated the circumference around the tree that indicated the 2-kilometer distance.
For now, Xander approached the tree trunk and gently touched it, infusing his magic energy and a bit of his life essence. Immediately, the tree responded jovially, sending a strong feedback of refined life elements and life essence energy towards Xander's body. It was its way of greeting Xander. The strength of his life essence was several magnitudes higher than that of the regular absorption of trespassing creatures.
As Xander caressed the tree, he whispered, "Don't worry, you won't be lonely. You'll soon have a friend to talk to!" Hearing this, the Tree shivered visibly, and the leaves rustled and hit one another.
Xander then approached the 2 sprites still tangled up.
"Sam, Pan. Why are you even fighting against the tree? You know it can never develop a sentience or form a sprite. Why do you keep pushing for it to do so?" he asked, quite annoyed and a bit disappointed that Sam and Pan weren't following his orders. Xander snapped and the branches entwining and harassing the two calmed down and returned to their original places.
Sam and Pan, after being freed, rushed towards Xander. Sam had tears in his eyes, trying to look pitiful, and bawled,
"Master! I don't want to stay here anymore! It's just too boring!!"
"Master, I want food. The only thing I haven't eaten yet in this world is this tree's roots or branches. Even the plants you placed around the world and gained sentience or even the other sprites, I already tasted. I'm already bored." Pan said sadly, moving pitifully.
Xander sighed.
"Are you sure? You already reached Mythic-4. A few more days on the outside, you would reach Demigod rank in a week. By then, you would be free to go out of Eden and accompany me."
Sam and Pan slightly hesitated, quite torn with their decision.
"I promise, once you reach Demigod, I will allow you to explore some planets beside Eteria, ok? Allowing you to see other sprites and get some food as well."
Sam and Pan's eyes glistened, and hurriedly said, "Fine, I'll stay here a bit longer then!"
"Just remember my mission. Emphasize my existence to the other sprites and magic beasts. Make sure everyone has entered and read the books inside the library."
"Yes, yes, we will do it 200% of our abilities!"
Xander watched them move further and further away from the tree. He shook his head. Demigods for my familiars should be my current standard. At the same time, once they reach Demigod, their progress would be counter in terms of a million years.
After satisfying their temporary curiosity, they would soon return to the garden. However, maybe this period of time of growth from Mythic to Demigod would mature their personalities.
I should make them read more and also leave some audio-visual programs, Xander mused.
Immediately, he teleported to the library and began to modify the information present.
First, he added research articles and publications related to the different scientific and elemental fields. Physics, mathematics, biology, magic biology, botany, magibiopharmacists, chemistry, Elemental Theory, Spell Research and development. He arranged all of the works by topic and year, while also removing unrelated papers and debunked research to avoid confusing the residents.
This process took him 10 years to properly complete.
Second, Xander replenished the current number of books in the library. From 40,000,000 different books, as well as their duplicates, it increased to 450,000,000 materials, including research articles, books, comics, magazines, and encyclopedic materials.
Around 10% was completely made up of encyclopedias, covering various planets and various aspects.
Around 40% was completely made up of research articles, magazines, and publications.
Around 30% was completely made up of educational books of various fields.
20% made up for the fictional reading materials, including comics, poetry, plays, and numerous cultural works of various planets and galaxies.
Once this was set up, he also began to add numerous audio-visual programs; audio books, curated movies, and music.
The library also underwent modification, allowing virtual reading of the books if the physical copy isn't available, as well as direct upload of information into the mind. Every sprite can only do 1 hour's worth of direct uploading of information every 10,000 years, to avoid them losing the joy of reading of course, they can also accumulate it and use it, but only up to 5 hours' worth of accumulation.
They can also use it when they are branching to a new topic of interest, giving them an instantaneous, initial background of knowledge about the new topic.
What is also rewarded is when they also submit their own literature/research/audio-visual material and is deemed by the library's central computer as "something new and different" from what has been uploaded. Depending on the number and quality of the work submitted, they can gain a minimum of 2 minutes' worth of upload to up to 2 hours at a time.
Of course, there are also safeguards added. One cannot continuously submit works; if they are rejected 5 times consecutively, they lose the right to submit for the next 10,000 years any work.
The instantaneous upload time or slot cannot be transferred to someone else, cannot be performed outside of the library. It can only be performed for a maximum of 2 hours every week per person, so if someone manages to collect up to 5 hours, it would be split into 2 consecutive weeks.
If there are contesting voices concerning uploaded material's legitimacy and ownership, the parties can head to the library and resolve it through complete mind scanning.
One cannot easily read expert-level works, and must pass the exam produced by the library. Anything higher than expert-level would require an exam + they need to publish their own research as well.
This system, Xander believed, would help the sprites and magic beasts create their own culture and structure inside this pocket space; they had a long time, and development of culture and identity also takes time.
Xander then communicated to where Marie and Mary were staying. Marie was currently in the largest volcano in the garden, while Mary was swimming around and interacting with water magic beasts and animals in the deep seas.
"Marie, Mary, ensure that every sprite and magic beast has entered and read the books in the libraries set up. Once you reach Demigod class, you have an option to leave and join me and the other 2 sprites exploring the universe. Come to the tree once you are available. I'll stay here for a couple of decades before leaving."
Xander then located where Fae was, and asked her how the development of her hive was going.
"Master, I have produced in the span of 170,000 years, a total of 25,000 Wasps with an age older than 10,000 years, and 5,000 wasps with an age older than 100,000 years. 3000 of the wasps are soldier wasps, 2000 were farmers. The remaining 25,000 wasps are currently younglings who haven't decided which path to take." Fae responded respectfully.
Xander nodded at this and praised Fae, as the growth of a colony, especially for magic beasts, can be stressful or downright problematic if one did not have prior inheritance or experience. As a new species of magic beast, Fae had to refer to various research and experiences of similar hive-type magic beasts before she began to produce offspring. After giving some input and the possible directions of development she could take for her offspring and for her hive, Xander simply said the same thing to her as he had said to Marie and Mary.
Afterwards, Xander then looked for the two sprites, Sam and Pan.
After a while, he was surprised to see them both quietly reading in the revised libraries. After 30 days, the two left and were surprised to see Xander, their master, just by the door of the library, looking at them with curiosity.
"Come, let us talk about important matters," Xander said, and the two looked at each other before nodding and following Xander out of the library.
Sam and Pan began to talk with Xander about their experiences for the past 175,000 years. A few days have passed, the border between the 2-kilometer radius was clearly demarcated with numerous beasts and sprites talking and laughing with one another, even sharing their ideas and thoughts.
Xander used this opportune moment to appear to them, looking like a normal, 7-year-old kid, but exuded an ancient, undying force that the sprites and magic beasts could sense. He looked at them with a sweeping glance. Although it felt like he only moved his head for a bit, everyone around the tree felt like all their secrets were laid bare to Xander, further emphasizing his strength and power.
"Hello, my children."
"My name is Xander, and right now, although it might seem big, the world you are in is merely my personal garden. Outside this garden is a wider, larger sparse of land that would seem incalculable." He paused for dramatic effect, letting his words sink in the minds of the sprites in the garden.
"I am here to visit you all, to understand and listen to your questions one by one and answer them. I also plan to tell you all that unless you manage to break through to the Divine class, you will not survive easily in the outside world.
To be considered a Divine class, at a minimum, you should be 10 million years of age. The ancestors you speak of, are my messengers. They follow my orders and enforce them in the garden, which is quite simple, really." He then continued to say, giving them the chance to explore the wild, wild world beyond the garden. He then emphasized once more the rules.
"You shall not kill a fellow magic beast or fellow sprite. You may fight, you may get severely injured, but you can never kill one another."
"You shall assembly at one of the Tree of Life available every 175,000 years, or when you hear the rustling of the leaves of the tree producing a melodious chime."
"Lastly, you are not to impugn on the life of another. Everyone is treated equally as long as they are of the same cultivation rank as you, no matter what their specific stage is, might it be Mythic-3 or Mythic-9. Anything else, you are basically free to do anything."
Xander then waved his hand, and hundreds of thousands of light orbs appeared and moved towards each and every magic beast and sprite.
"Each light orb contains a random number from 1 to 1 million. You must keep hold of the light orbs for 1 minute before it recognizes you as owner and gives you your number, and fades away into your body. If you fail to keep it for 1 minute, it resets again even if you get the same light orb. It will activate again once it is near your turn."
"There are around 4 million of you here, so the other 3 million will have to test their luck next time I come. You all have 30 minutes to gather a light orb. Good luck." Upon saying this, Xander disappeared from his spot, traveling to another section of the garden.
He found a spot 108,000,000 kilometers away from the first tree of Life. It wasn't too far, if one were to compare the distance to the universe, but nor was it too short. He then released the Seed of Life and planted it there, causing another elemental fluctuation and stabilization to happen. He ordered Fae to relocate to this area to protect the tree as it grows up.
After 30 minutes, he appeared again on the Tree of Life, and saw that magic beasts and sprites had already gathered all the light orbs he released. He nodded subtly and said,
"If it is your number, you are able to enter the tree's area, freely and safely. I'll wait for you all in the tree's crown." Xander disappeared and reappeared on top of the tree, wherein there was a nice, living cottage and open space clearing present. After a few minutes, the first one came up, and it was an amphibious magic beast.
Xander smiled and offered the magic beast a treat. Seeing the treat, the beast was quite happy and gobbled on it quite heartily.
Xander smiled once more and asked gently, "What is it that you wish to ask, or tell me?"