Reborn as a Goddess with a World Creation System

Ariana reflected on the rapid evolution of humans in Arcadia, surprised by the changes that had occurred in just fifty years. It was a remarkable transformation and quite different from the slow and gradual process of evolution she had studied in her past life. In that world, the history of human evolution extended over thousands, even millions of years. However, Ariana, with her influence and intelligence, had provided the early humans with an evolutionary shortcut, significantly accelerating their progress.

Comparing it to her previous knowledge of evolution starting from Homo habilis, she realized how unique the scenario in which she lived was. She had given the humans of Arcadia a valuable gift: the ability to develop at an incredible pace.

Ariana not only observed the progress of humans but also actively participated in the end-of-year celebrations in the village. Her presence was now an expected tradition by all, and with each visit, she surprised the community with something new and innovative.

On one of these memorable occasions, Ariana decided to teach the humans how to produce sugar from sugarcane and, from that sugar, how to make alcohol. This instruction led the village to expand its repertoire of drinks beyond beer and wine. Ariana's knowledge triggered a revolution in beverage production, providing a sweet and alcoholic flavor.

[Ding!]

[Due to the large number of people who enjoy the alcohol you created and taught, you will receive the title "Queen of Beverages."]

Ariana received the title with pleasant surprise, realizing that teaching the humans some customs from her previous life had been worthwhile. She felt satisfied with the idea of contributing to the cultural and social evolution of the village, bringing joy and innovation through her creations.

Meanwhile, in a distant part of the village, a single human wandered aimlessly. His face displayed signs of fatigue, and his words were filled with discontent. He muttered quietly, "I don't need to be bound by rules. Why don't they agree with me? This constant fear of exploration... Don't they wish to evolve? Expand? Every time I mentioned it to Noah, he called me a fool, warning of the dangers of this world."

His indignation grew as he thought about his past and his attempts to convince others in the village to embrace exploration and expansion. His determination increased, and he swore to himself, "I will return to the village and show everyone my new discoveries. Perhaps then, they will recognize my strength."

He carried a backpack with the essentials: food and water, which soon began to run low. With the need to find more supplies, he decided to enter a nearby forest in search of fruits or small animals.

To his surprise and delight, the forest was a paradise of plenty. Trees laden with fruits stretched as far as the eye could see, providing a wealth of food. He didn't hesitate to run back and forth, eating voraciously, even though he didn't know if any of the fruits were poisonous.

While feasting on the fruits, he noticed the presence of numerous animals in the forest. Plump rodents climbed the trees with their cheeks full of nuts, a funny sight that made him smile. The abundance of food in the forest explained the animals' larger size, something he didn't find strange given the circumstances.

He explored the forest carefully, observing animals that were in a sorry state, unable to move. He muttered to himself with disdain, "Fools, they ate more than they could, and now they are helpless, about to become a feast for other predators."

After some time of exploration, he decided to establish a temporary camp in the forest, before continuing his journey of exploration and returning to the village. He chose a location near a clearing with a gently winding stream.

He lit a fire and prepared the fish, which he skillfully grilled. The night was approaching rapidly, and fatigue overcame him, causing his vision to blur. Sitting against a rock, he could barely keep his eyes open.

Then, he noticed something peculiar in front of him. A small tree nearby had a face, observing him curiously. Incredulous, he rubbed his eyes, thinking that his fatigue was causing him to see things. However, the tree with a face continued to stare at him, making grimaces and emitting strange noises.

His instincts warned him about the peculiarity of the situation, and he got up, ready to react. However, the tree presented no threat, despite its bizarre appearance.

With caution, he raised his hand and invoked a fire spell, creating a flaming spear that he shot toward the tree's face. A soft cry escaped the tree as it began to be consumed by the fire, and twisted roots wriggled on the ground as it tried to escape in despair.

The roots swayed frantically as the tree moved from side to side, emitting shrill cries. Although it was too late for the tree, it had already been reduced to ashes and smoke.

The young man, still taken aback by the sight of the talking tree, cautiously examined his surroundings. Satisfied that there were no more trees with faces in the vicinity, he sat back down on the rock. However, his fear persisted, and he spent a restless night, staying alert in case of any unexpected threats.

When the night finally passed, he got up, feeling slightly tired due to the lack of sleep caused by the terrifying encounter with the living tree. Nevertheless, he was determined to leave the forest and tell the people in his village about what he had witnessed.

The young man packed his few belongings in his backpack and started to follow a path. He realized he was lost because he couldn't remember where he had entered the forest. It was vast, and his excitement at finding the peculiar forest had led him to venture without paying much attention to his location.

As he walked, he carefully observed the trees around him, looking for any resemblance to the tree with a face, but found none. Something that unsettled him was the notable absence of animals in the forest. The further he went, the less wildlife he seemed to encounter, which was intriguing, considering the apparent abundance of vegetation.

When he stopped to examine a strange phenomenon in front of him, he felt nauseated when he came across a deer in a deplorable state. Half of its body was missing, revealing putrid entrails and a repugnant odor. The upper part of the deer was pinned by roots, with a stone placed on it, preventing any attempt to escape.

The young man considered two disturbing possibilities: either another predator had eaten the deer's rear half while it was stuck, which didn't make sense because the predator would have consumed the entire body, or something had pulled it with devastating force, tearing it in half. These options horrified him, and he couldn't understand what could cause such a macabre scene. Concerned, he continued his search for an exit from the forest, but now he was even more cautious and fearful of what he might encounter.

He walked for hours, looking around, and realized the forest seemed to have no end. The persistent fear gripped his heart, and he couldn't hear any birds singing, it was all deserted.

He abruptly stopped when a surprising sight appeared before his eyes. In front of him was a gigantic tree, a colossal wooden pillar that seemed to touch the sky with its outstretched branches.

However, the initial awe was replaced by horror as he noticed that the ground around the tree was covered with bones and animal remains. His instincts told him that this place was dangerous, and he felt a shiver down his spine. His hair stood on end, and he turned and ran at full speed in search of an escape.

But his desperation grew when an aged voice echoed through the area, asking, "Where do you think you're going?" His heart was pounding violently, and tears began to stream down his face, but he couldn't escape. Giant roots extended toward him, grabbing his legs and pulling him back.

He was lifted upside down, brought closer to the colossal tree. He tried in every way to free himself, but his attempts were in vain. Even when he cast a fire spell on the tree, it only caused superficial burns.

An aged voice emerged from the gigantic tree, "What do we have here? I've never seen anything like it. And you seem far too agitated to be just a simple meal." The words of the tree were filled with surprise.

The young man, in a desperate act, grabbed the root that held him and unleashed a large amount of his fire magic, setting it ablaze completely. Freed, he began to fall and quickly sought a way to land without injuring himself.

While he was in free fall, he heard the voice of the giant tree resound, "Fool!" A massive root emerged from the ground, whipping him in the air, forcing him to a violent impact on the ground. He spat out blood when he landed.

The tree, now triumphant, grabbed the young man's body and raised it toward its mouth. The young man, without strength and resigned to his fate, could only shed tears as he watched the tree's enormous teeth approaching.