The moment Ethan returned from Planet 042, he expected to spend the evening recovering.
Instead, something strange happened.
The giant horn taken from the horned beast continued glowing.
At first, the change was subtle.
A faint brown light moved beneath its surface.
Then the surrounding elemental energy began gathering toward it.
Not quickly.
Not dramatically.
But consistently.
Ethan immediately focused on the object.
The horn stood near the spring where the sprites had placed it.
The Earth Sprite was the first to approach.
It carefully touched the horn.
Nothing happened.
The glow continued.
The Earth Sprite tilted its head.
Then sat beside it.
A few minutes later, several Elementless Sprites joined it.
The group quietly observed the horn.
Ethan did the same.
Hours passed.
The light gradually grew brighter.
Then suddenly a notification appeared.
New Resource Detected
Ethan sat upright.
A resource?
He immediately inspected the horn.
Horn of the Earth Beast
Grade: Common
Contains traces of Earth Element Energy.
Can be used as a crafting material.
Can be added to the world environment.
Ethan blinked.
That was unexpected.
The creature itself wasn't important.
The resource was.
For the first time, he had obtained a material from another world.
A real resource.
Not something purchased from the Association.
Not something generated naturally.
Something earned.
His gaze shifted toward the Earth Sprite.
The little creature remained beside the horn.
Almost as if it liked it.
Then another notification appeared.
Environmental Compatibility Detected
The horn suddenly released a pulse of brown light.
The surrounding ground trembled slightly.
Nothing dramatic happened.
But the soil around the horn became visibly richer.
Small stones emerged from beneath the earth.
Tiny patches of moss appeared nearby.
Ethan stared.
The horn wasn't simply a crafting material.
It was influencing the environment.
Just like the Elemental Stone Cluster.
Except this was naturally acquired.
A smile slowly appeared on his face.
Planetary campaigns were becoming more valuable by the minute.
Resources.
Materials.
Environmental additions.
There were benefits everywhere.
The Earth Sprite suddenly placed both hands on the horn.
Brown light gathered around its body.
The horn responded.
For several seconds, energy flowed between them.
Then the glow disappeared.
The Earth Sprite stumbled backward.
Not injured.
Just exhausted.
A new notification appeared.
Earth Sprite has absorbed minor Earth Element Energy.
Ethan's eyes widened.
Absorbed?
He immediately inspected the sprite.
Its status hadn't changed.
Its grade remained Common.
Its level remained the same.
Yet something felt different.
The brown coloration around its body appeared slightly deeper.
The connection to earth felt stronger.
Very slightly stronger.
The improvement was small.
But it was real.
The horn had value.
Far more value than he initially expected.
Below, the other sprites gathered around the Earth Sprite curiously.
The Fire Sprite looked unimpressed.
The Water Sprite poked the horn.
The Air Sprite climbed on top of it.
The Earth Sprite immediately shoved it off.
For the first time, Ethan saw what looked suspiciously like annoyance.
He laughed.
The little civilization was becoming increasingly lively.
As the evening continued, Ethan reviewed everything gained from Planet 042.
Three dead sprites.
A handful of XP.
A horn.
Bones.
Hide.
And valuable experience.
Not an amazing haul.
But not a failure either.
Most importantly, he had learned the dangers of wild planets.
If he had stayed to fight the wolf pack, the losses could have been far worse.
The decision to retreat had been correct.
His attention eventually shifted back to the Origin System.
[ Origin System ] [ Synthesis ]
Name: Ethan Reed
Stage: 1 — Novice Creator
World Type: Elemental
Origin Energy: 1,000
Origin Credits: 600 CR
System Points: 60 SP
Units: 96
Elementless Sprite ×92
Water Sprite ×1
Fire Sprite ×1
Earth Sprite ×1
Air Sprite ×1
XP: 11 / 1,000
The numbers hadn't changed much.
Yet Ethan felt completely different from the boy who had awakened ten days ago.
Back then, he knew almost nothing.
Now he had entered a wild planet.
Fought dangerous creatures.
Lost units.
Gathered resources.
And begun understanding how Creators truly grew stronger.
His journey had finally begun.
Outside the Origin Sphere, night slowly settled over the city.
Inside, however, the little civilization continued working.
The Earth Sprite remained beside the horn.
The Fire Sprite chased Elementless Sprites around the forest.
The Water Sprite rested near the spring.
The Air Sprite had already climbed back into the tallest tree.
Everything seemed peaceful.
But Ethan knew that peace would not last forever.
The University Recruitment Competition was drawing closer every day.
And he still wasn't strong enough.
Not even close.