One thing at a time, right?
Sure, she fell for Zaryssa's "amazing deal," but could she have done better on her own? Probably not. So she decided to get over it.
Back in her domain, Aerisse noticed the pink cotton candy clouds floating lazily through the air. Looks like her subconscious wish had been granted—probably temporarily.
At her Control Panel (now with a view of her shiny space in the new galaxy through the observatory—yes, this place was full of wonders), she began the implementation of her very own planet.
It wasn't easy.
She didn't want it too big (way too much work), but not too small either (not enough room for her ambitious dreams), so she settled for a medium-sized world—which still ended up bigger than her neighbor's. Oops.
Using the Control Panel and burning through at least half her divine authority, the planet began to take shape. Time to decide on her first residents.
"My time to shine, System!" she declared, opening the species listing. "Let's make a literal paradise." She already had future vacation plans.
"Humph." The cat turned his back dramatically.
So cute.
First things first: ecosystems. No point in summoning souls into a world with no survival chances. That would send them straight to Zaryssa's purgatory next door, and that was not on the agenda.
She pictured it clearly: Spring all around, Winter at the core—a peaceful frozen center with falling snowflakes. And right in the middle, an aquatic sanctuary. A round ocean, too big to be called a lake.
Mermaids. Her childhood dream. The pretty kind, not the "drag-you-under-to-drown-you" nightmare fuel.
"It's mermaid time, System! Prep the welcome ceremony!"
…Wait, was there even a reception here?
Budget cuts?
"We have no such a thing, Chief," System said flatly. "But if you use your internal preference to alter your office settings, you can create a Communication Extension for Soul Reception and Redirection."
"Why didn't you say so before?"
"Humph."
Ah. More drama.
"Don't be like that, System. I'll make you a special snack later."
"She really thinks I'm just a cat…" he muttered, grumpy as ever.
Adorable.
Aerisse focused again, imagining the perfect soul-summoning chamber: a sky-high temple in white clouds, Greek-Roman architecture, celestial hanfu robes, a comfy throne for her, and a circular platform for the summoned soul—plus a discreet snack table for breaks.
Perfect.
Now, let's try the mermaid.
First attempt:
(Excited tone)
"Welcome to the Celestial Wo—"
"I refuse."
…What?
Second attempt:
"Welcome to the—"
"I pass."
Really?
Third attempt:
"Welco—"
"No."
AARGHHH!
She flopped into her comfy throne, defeated.
"Mermaids are proud, Chief. Why not try a more flexible species?" System suggested, oddly cheerful now. "Humans are easy: low expectations, short attention spans, rarely leave complaints."
Hmm… she had forgotten to file a complaint about the reincarnation pool guy.
Maybe humans were the practical choice. But they were unpredictable. What if they started wars? Built nukes? Destroyed her world?
No, one more try. If this didn't work, she'd consider other plans.
Final attempt:
Before she could even speak, the mermaid cut her off, sounding downright bitter.
"What do you want? Summon me just to laugh at my misery?"
…Oof. That backstory had trauma written all over it.
"Of course not! Rise, Lesser Soul—well, not 'rise' per se—lift your spirit, at least. You've been chosen as the first resident of my new creation: SkyEarth!"
SkyEarth?
Sure. She made it up on the spot. Sounded cool.
"Skethera?"
Not even close, but hey, she was the first. She earned the right to butcher it.
"Exactly! Isn't it beautiful?" Aerisse showed a glowing simulation. "This will be the most peaceful, vibrant world in the Middle Planetary Realm. You'll love it. I've been working on this project for millennia."
(…Okay, maybe not millennia, but she would do in centuries what other juniors hadn't done in thousands.)
"I'll be alone in the ocean for a few centuries…"
"Well, yes, but—"
"That's exactly what I wanted."
Wait, really?
Success!
The mermaid glowed with light, clearly surprised.
"Wait, my name is—"
Too late. Soul transported.
"...Why do they have to try to introduce themselves?"
"Mermaids are like that," System explained. "They hate favors but need to repay them if they accept. Complicated species."
System Notification:
Congratulations! You have successfully established your world and nurtured your first sentient being.
+1,000,000 Divine Authority
+100,000 Intuition Affinity Attributes
Notice:
Due to species traits, all future Lesser Souls with high affinity will now be redirected to your world upon incarnation.
Yes! Less paperwork for her. She might actually survive this job.
And now…
Her next dream species:
Fairies.