Leaving the planet
In a distant part of the universe, there was a piece of land completely cut off from the rest of the world. Within this confined space, only a few structures stood, with one of them being the circular platform.
Out of nowhere, the platform started shining brightly, and hundreds of figures appeared on it. At first, they all wore dull expressions and stood motionless. It took them a while to snap out of it. Observing their awakening, the guard positioned beside the platform clapped his hands to capture their attention.
When they heard the noise, they all turned to see what was going on, trying to figure out their situation. However, the guard raised his hand, signaling them to stay quiet.
"I know you probably have a lot of questions, but for now, keep them to yourselves. I'll explain everything. If you have any questions or if something doesn't make sense, feel free to raise your hand, foot, or whatever you prefer." the guard said.
After hearing this, many of the figures nodded in unison. The guard knew that they were just as smart, if not smarter than him, so getting them to listen wasn't hard.
"You might be wondering how you all ended up here."
They nodded in agreement.
"First things first, you need to learn that all of you are no longer alive."
The guard allowed them a moment to absorb this information before continuing.
"Typically, your souls would go through cleansing and be set for reincarnation. However, because of your exceptional intelligence and some unique qualities, you've ended up here."
Someone in the group raised their hand, and the guard signaled for him to speak.
"Can you tell us, What are we gonna do in here?"
"We'll talk about that later. But first, let me tell you what you can gain from being here."
"By working here, you get the opportunity to pick how you want to be reincarnated, whether it's the place, your identity, or anything else. It might not sound like much now, but as you learn more about this universe, you'll realize how valuable this perk is."
"For instance, certain planets boast advanced technology, while others are known for extraordinary power. Some beings live for just a day, while others match the lifespan of their entire planet. You could hold the status of a slave or be the ruler overseeing those slaves. Some might be confined to their home planet, while others have the freedom to explore the entire universe."
"Even after making these choices, there is still the aspect of civilization. Some may be peaceful and ordinary, while others may be in the midst of wars, pandemics, and so on."
The more he spoke, the more excited he became. Recognizing his growing excitement, he controlled his emotions and continued.
"Some of you might already be acquainted with these situations in your past lives. However, who can assure you that you'll encounter the same opportunities in your next life? This is your sole opportunity to shape your future. If you're on board, step off the platform; if not, stay put, and you'll be sent back for a random reincarnation. Any questions?"
The same person from earlier raised his hand and asked, "What about gender and, uh, memories? You never mentioned that."
The guard gave him a strange look.
"That's because gender is something you can't alter. It stays the same, and if you don't have one, it might be randomly assigned. As for memories, they get wiped before reincarnation, no exceptions."
That guy looked disappointed, no one knew whether it was because of the memory or gender.
After some time, all of them chose to step down from the platform. As mentioned earlier, they were all intelligent and possessed unique qualities. Their intellect helped them grasp the advantages of working here, and the courage to move forward despite potential dangers might be one of their distinctive qualities.
Observing that everyone chose to move forward and no one chose to stay behind, the guard nodded with satisfaction.
"As we're all going to be colleagues, let me introduce myself. I'm Galadar Yesthyra, but you can just call me Galadar. In my previous life, I was a high elf."
Seeing someone about to raise their hand, he stopped them.
"I know what you guys might be wondering. I may look similar to you from your perspective, but I'm not. It's because we're all souls, and the soul doesn't have the concept of a bloodline. So, from the soul's point of view, it sees all other souls as if they share a similar bloodline with your past self. You have to remember, I don't have tentacles for my hands, nor do I have huge hair on my skin. I am a high elf, and my gender is male. Keep that in mind."
Galadar recalled that in every group, there would be someone attempting to flatter him by mentioning his slender tentacles, luscious facial hair, razor-like teeth, and so on.
Wearing a serious expression, Galadar instructed them to follow him and started introducing them to the workplace.
"First and foremost, you need to grasp our primary goal here, which is to create habitable planets in the universe. Our universe is constantly expanding, but it takes ages for new regions to become habitable. Our task is to shorten this timeframe."
"This process can be broken down into seven parts: finding the planet, making changes to the planet, introducing plants and animals, introducing intelligent creatures, leaving behind the inheritance, studying changes in the planet, and making further adjustments if necessary. Each of these steps is represented by one of the seven towers in front of you."
Galadar explained while gesturing toward the towers. Seven tall towers surrounded the huge palace in the center.
"Don't be fooled by its size; there's an enormous space inside capable of housing billions of creatures. This is also where you'll be working in the future. But for now, let me introduce you to someone."
Galadar passed by the towers, heading toward the central palace, all the while continuing his explanation.
"As I mentioned earlier about our primary goal, you should understand that it's not something we can do. Our task is simple – we observe the state of the planet, create a report, and bring it back here."
With a mysterious expression, he continued, "Because here is the creator of our universe. Based on our report, he will decide whether to create the planet or not. So, you all should take pride in your work for being part of it."
As they spoke, they reached the front of the palace. Galadar stopped talking and gestured for the others to remain quiet. He knelt on one knee and spoke with deep reverence.
"Great Creator God Ulin, who created everything in the world. Galadar Yesthya and a new group of devotees seek to feel your presence."
Some of them didn't fully comprehend the concept of the creator god, but upon witnessing Galadar's solemnity, they promptly followed suit.
"Come in," a deep and majestic voice resonated from inside the palace.
Upon entering, they saw a giant high elf seated on a throne entwined with the roots of a tree, with the world tree standing behind him. Clearly, this was Galadar's perception.
Others might perceive him differently, but what everyone could feel was his unfathomable divinity.
"Behold the Creator God!" they shouted in unison.
As he observed the new group of workers with awe-struck expressions, Ulin was lost in thought.
'Creator God, what a beautiful word.'
Even though these individuals referred to him as Creator God, Ulin was well aware that he fell far short of that title. Numerous beings like him existed in the universe, and he might be at the lower end of that hierarchy. His control over this universe was merely 0.04%, and it continued to decrease with the universe's expansion. This was precisely why he had to enlist workers to work with him to create a habitable planet. It was the only means to enhance his authority in this vast universe.
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Upon opening his eyes, Sepheron discovered himself standing in the void. About 5 meters away from his body, a glass-like black membrane stood. As he concentrated on it, his vision pierced through the membrane, revealing the outside. It was the same location as before, but now, there was no trace of his physical form. However, he could observe the surroundings in a full 360-degree view from that point.
And the vortex that had pulled him in earlier was still expanding, drawing everything inside.
Confused about what to do, Sepheron suddenly found his mind flooded with a wealth of information, triggering a mild headache.
As per the information, he realized he was currently within the origin universe. The origin universe was the aftermath of a collapsed universe. When a universe met its end, it left behind the origin universe, possessing the potential to give rise to a new universe.
The origin space wasn't stationary; it would traverse from one planet to another, from one universe to another, collecting materials (information and matter) along the way to complete itself. Ultimately, it would use these gathered elements to form a new universe.
The origin space functioned like a parasite. Upon landing on a planet, it stealthily consumed its nutrients. Otherwise, the planet would activate its defense mechanisms, which was why it typically devoured small particles. However, when Sepheron's entire body was positioned beside it, the origin space couldn't resist the temptation and greedily engulfed him whole.
...
While it might sound like boasting, his body and soul were considered valuable assets to the Easarth planet. So, when he disappeared from the planet, it immediately initiated a search. It was only a matter of time before it located the origin universe and expelled it from the Easarth planet. This urgency explained why it paid no heed to the consequences and voraciously inhaled everything around it.
...
Observing the gradually closing portal and sensing the vibrations in the origin universe, Sepheron realized the moment had arrived.
"Goodbye, my homeland."
Three seconds later, the origin universe abruptly ejected from the surface of the Easarth planet, soaring toward the distant universe.