A few days passed, and all Ariana did was observe and walk through her world. Of course, she also kept constant watch over the small creature she had created, which seemed to be adapting remarkably well.

  Over time, the little being dug itself a burrow among the trees—a simple space, but protected enough to shelter it from the changing climate. It also began storing food for later, no longer overeating the way it had at the beginning. That change caught Ariana’s attention more than anything else she had seen so far.

  More than five days had already passed.

  Ariana knew she could now create another living being, if she wished. Even so, her physical and mental state had not fully recovered. There was always that lingering sense of mild exhaustion, as if part of her strength were still resting.

  [Ding!]

  The sound of a bell echoed in her mind, and a screen appeared before her eyes.

  [Congratulations! Your first living being has perfectly adapted to your world. As a reward, benefits will be granted.]

  [x1 — Create Multiple Lives]

  Ariana’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.

  It was as if a small card had appeared in her hand. On it was the image of hundreds of animals from her past life, gathered into a single symbol. Beneath it, a simple description accompanied the reward:

  [Create Multiple Lives — Allows the creation of multiple individuals of the same species. Single use.]

  She had already begun thinking about what she would create next when the system alerted her again.

  [Ding!]

  [Your world has entered a stable path.]

  [As a result, new system functions have been unlocked.]

  A new interface appeared before Ariana could even react.

  [Name your world.]

  The screen remained open, waiting for an answer. A blank space sat below, as if expecting something essential to be filled in. Ariana paused, feeling a different kind of weight behind that decision. Until now, everything had been creation, observation, and learning. Giving it a name made it real in a way she hadn’t felt before.

  She thought.

  She thought for a long time.

  “The name of this world will be Arcadia,” she said at last, her voice firm.

  The interface responded immediately.

  [Name successfully registered.]

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  [World of Goddess Ariana: Arcadia.]

  New information appeared soon after.

  [Goddess Ariana — Lesser Deity]

  [Worlds: Arcadia (1 inhabitant)]

  [Divine Level: 1]

  [Faith Accumulation: 0]

  Ariana stared at the interface for a few moments, her curiosity drawn particularly to two entries: her divine level and faith accumulation. Still, she waved a hand lightly, as if dismissing the screen. That could wait. Something else held her attention far more—the small card still resting in her hand.

  She descended toward her created world, drifting calmly through the sky. Her long green hair contrasted against the vast landscape of vibrant colors below, standing out against the deep green of the forests. When her feet touched the soft grass, Ariana let out a long, deep breath, inhaling the pure air of a world untouched by pollution or artificial noise—only the natural sound of the wind.

  She turned her gaze back to the small card in her hand. It had a distinctly divine appearance, simple yet heavy with meaning. The description was brief, but Ariana understood enough. When she used that card, she was certain the result would be exactly what she intended.

  With all the thoughts that had been building in her mind over the past few days, Ariana finally made her decision. Without hesitation, she tore the small card in half, and divine light wrapped around her hand at once. The energy seemed to respond to her intent, as if the card itself understood her desire. The light condensed, shifting shapes several times, until it finally stabilized.

  Then, the birds appeared.

  A slow smile spread across Ariana’s face as she watched the scene. She quickly counted seven birds in total, belonging to three different species. Their forms resembled birds from her past life, though she couldn’t quite recall which species they were.

  The moment they materialized, the birds flapped their wings and scattered in different directions, flying toward the trees. Each species followed its own path, dispersing rapidly. Ariana barely had time to admire them before they became small dots in the sky and vanished beyond the horizon.

  “I don’t think I need to worry about them. There’s enough food for them to survive… and since there’s more than one, they can reproduce,” Ariana thought, watching the sky for a few moments longer.

  Now that she had a bit of time, Ariana finally decided to ask a question she had been avoiding ever since the interface appeared. Turning her attention back to the system, she asked with genuine curiosity:

  “What is faith accumulation, System?”

  The answer came calmly and directly, as always.

  [Faith accumulation functions as a form of currency.]

  [It is obtained through the progress of your world or by completing system missions.]

  Ariana looked back at her interface and noticed that her faith accumulation was still at zero. That didn’t bother her. After all, she had only just unlocked this function—it was natural to have nothing yet.

  As she continued to examine the system data, something new caught her attention. A button that hadn’t appeared before stood out clearly:

  [Shop]

  Without hesitation, Ariana touched it.

  The interface shifted, revealing only two available options. Two cards floated before her, each with a simple description.

  [x1 — Generate Life]

  [Cost: 50]

  [x1 — Create Multiple Lives]

  [Cost: 200]

  Ariana frowned slightly.

  She still had no reference point to know whether those prices were high or low, since she had never earned any faith accumulation. Even so, something about it intrigued her. The first card stood out for a simple reason: it was the exact same ability she already possessed.

  “System…” she murmured. “I already know how to use this power. Why would I buy a card like that from the shop?”

  The system answered without embellishment.

  [Skills obtained through shop cards do not require additional costs.]

  [They do not consume your vital energy nor cause damage to your body.]

  [Imprudent use of innate abilities may generate corruption.]

  Ariana immediately understood.

  She could still use her own powers to create life, but each use came with real strain. The system’s cards, on the other hand, offered a safe, limited alternative—no injuries, no weakening.

  “So… it’s a way to create without directly paying the price,” she thought silently.

  Ariana slowly closed the interface.

  The world was growing… and now, she needed to learn how to grow along with it.

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