Alex settled on the following numbers:
[Strength: 1.1 (P: 2.1)
Stamina: 1.2 (P: 2)
Dexterity: 1.2 (P: 1.9)
Intelligence: 1.1 (P: 1.5)
Average lifespan: 110 years
Level 1 Creature]
Alex nodded, satisfied with the result, then fixed his gaze on the bottom line: 'Level 1 Creature.'
He had thoroughly studied the silver plate's manual and understood that a creature's Level was essentially the key factor in determining his progression as a Manager. After all, the plate itself had been designed to produce a Level 9 creature.
At present, however, Alex had access only to information about the first three levels:
[Level 1: Physical abilities range from 0 to 5 points. Influence on the surrounding world is minimal.
Level 2: Physical abilities range from 6 to 15 points. Influence on the surrounding world is moderate, with destructive potential comparable to a five‑story concrete building.
Level 3: Physical abilities range from 16 to 30 points. Influence on the surrounding world is significant, with destructive potential comparable to Mount Everest.]
Alex wasn't entirely sure what the phrase "destructive potential comparable to Mount Everest" was meant to convey. The plate tailored its descriptions to match its master's understanding of the world, but even so they remained quite vague. Could a Level 3 being truly destroy Mount Everest? Split it in two? Incinerate it into nothingness? If so, it would wield more power than a nuclear warhead, and this was only the third level out of nine.
How powerful would a Level 4 being be? Or Level 5? Or Level 9? Alex longed to find out, but first he needed to advance his own Rank as a Manager.
Next, he adjusted the setting called [Development Difficulty]. He had already granted his first sentient being high abilities, and this value determined how much effort each individual would need to invest in order to reach its maximum potential. In other words, how much perseverance and talent would be required for that.
Alex envisioned a world where heroes would emerge from time to time, mighty warriors capable of shaping history with their own hands. Yet if becoming a hero were too easy, they would lose their value. After some consideration, and hoping that only rare individuals could gain power beyond their peers, he set the parameter quite high. Or at least, he hoped that the value he assigned was high.
Despite being easy to use, the silver plate was vague in how it described its various values. A bitter smile crossed Alex's lips as his gaze shifted to the next setting: [Evolution Speed].
By this point, Alex was convinced that each new generation of S1 was so different from the last because he had set the evolution speed too high. Of course, that wasn't his fault—who could have guessed that a value of 3 would result in such drastic development?
This time, however, Alex had learned his lesson and set the evolution speed to its minimum. In theory, this could cause adaptation problems for his new species, but he wasn't worried. The world he had created was very similar to Earth, and since his new creation was essentially a modified superhuman, it already possessed all the traits necessary for survival.
After that, Alex finished a few more adjustments, and that was it. The image of his new species appeared in a small window on the silver plate's surface. The window was divided into two halves: the left portraying a female, the right a male. He stared at them for some time (especially the left image) and then, struck by a sudden flash of inspiration, added one final detail: pointy ears.
Finally, he gave it a name: [Elf].
Alex saved the template to the database and began pondering where to settle this race. At first, his gaze fell on the fertile delta along the continent's southwestern coast. He knew that the first civilizations of his world had emerged in the so‑called Fertile Crescent, where the climate was roughly the same as in that region.
And yet Alex felt that it wasn't very interesting. The first elves would know nothing about agriculture, so fertile land would be useless to them. Gradually, his gaze shifted eastward to the vast green plain in the middle of the continent. It was a good place, yet almost completely barren of trees, leaving no materials for crafting tools. The great northeastern forest, by contrast, was rich in timber, but surviving there among roaming wolves and bears would be far too difficult for a newborn species.
Alex shook his head and turned his attention farther east, toward a high mountain range and beyond. At that moment, his eyes lit up, reflecting a clear blue lake at the edge of the world. It teemed with fish, the forest lay close by, and a clear expanse of land stretched along its shore. It was a magnificent place.
Just one more thing: Alex opened the [Landscape Editor] and placed a small island in the middle of the lake.
That's it. Perfect.
After that, Alex enlarged the image of the island, snapped his fingers, and on its sandy shore appeared a man and a woman with pointy ears.
Their eyes were closed; they were asleep. Alex dragged a chair over to his second world, sat down, rested his chin on his palms, and started patiently waiting for their awakening…
End of Prologue.