The notification remained visible for several seconds before finally disappearing.
Ethan continued staring at the ore pile.
A new resource.
A development increase.
The timing couldn't be a coincidence.
The Iron Ore had clearly contributed to the growth of the Origin Sphere.
That alone made the expedition worthwhile.
Below, the sprites had already surrounded the pile.
The Earth Sprite seemed particularly interested.
It sat beside the ore and examined each piece carefully.
The Fire Sprite attempted to sit on top of the pile again.
The Water Sprite immediately dragged it off.
The Air Sprite found this hilarious.
Chaos quickly followed.
Ethan stopped paying attention before things escalated further.
Instead, he focused on the system.
Origin Energy: 1,060
The amount wasn't particularly high.
But unlike a few days ago, he could now see multiple paths forward.
He could continue expanding the population.
He could invest in terrain improvements.
He could continue exploring Planet 042.
Every option offered benefits.
The problem was deciding which was most important.
As Ethan considered the matter, another notification appeared.
Origin Energy Generated: +5
His eyes widened slightly.
That was faster than he remembered.
Not dramatically faster.
But noticeable.
The development increase was already affecting regeneration.
A smile appeared on his face.
This was exactly how a civilization should function.
Growth creating more growth.
Progress creating more progress.
The foundation was slowly taking shape.
Hours passed.
The sprites continued transporting ore around the world.
Most of them had no idea what iron was.
The Earth Sprite didn't seem to care.
It simply wanted the resource collected and organized.
Eventually, the pile was moved beside the Earth Beast Horn.
The moment the final piece was placed down, another notification appeared.
Resource Collection Complete
The message vanished almost immediately.
No explanation followed.
Ethan frowned.
The Origin System seemed to enjoy being vague.
Still, the notification confirmed one thing.
The ore was now officially part of the world's assets.
That was good enough.
The following day, Ethan decided not to return to Planet 042.
Instead, he spent time studying information at the Association.
Most beginner guides focused on the same topic.
Development.
Civilization growth.
Resource management.
The stronger a civilization became, the more advantages its Creator gained.
Combat mattered.
But development mattered more.
A powerful civilization naturally produced stronger units.
It naturally generated more Origin Energy.
It naturally provided more opportunities.
By evening, Ethan returned home and entered the Origin Sphere again.
The forest greeted him with its usual tranquility.
The spring flowed peacefully.
The sprites continued their activities.
Everything appeared normal.
Then Ethan noticed something unusual.
Several Elementless Sprites were gathered near the ore pile.
The Earth Sprite stood nearby.
At first, he assumed they were simply organizing resources.
Then he realized they were building something.
Not a structure.
Not a machine.
A simple storage area.
Stones had been arranged around the ore.
A small boundary had been created.
The resource was being separated from the rest of the world.
The idea was incredibly primitive.
Yet Ethan found himself smiling.
Nobody had ordered them to do it.
Nobody had taught them.
The sprites had decided to protect a valuable resource.
A tiny step.
But an important one.
The civilization was beginning to think.
Not individually.
Collectively.
As a society.
The realization made Ethan unexpectedly excited.
Perhaps this was the true value of development.
Not bigger numbers.
Not stronger attacks.
The growth of the civilization itself.
Then a familiar countdown appeared in his vision.
University Recruitment Competition Begins In 20 Days
Twenty days.
The number felt much smaller now.
Time was moving quickly.
Very quickly.
Ethan looked across the forest.
Ninety-eight sprites.
Four elemental sprites.
A growing collection of resources.
A steadily developing world.
And only sixty System Points.
His gaze drifted toward the Synthesis tab.
One hundred SP.
That was the next milestone.
The next major step forward.
To reach it, Planet 042 would eventually need to be cleared.
But before that happened, Ethan wanted to understand something.
The wolves.
Why had they been guarding the ore deposit?
Why could they absorb energy from it?
And most importantly...
what other resources existed on Planet 042?
Because the deeper he ventured into the world of Creators, the more obvious something became.
The greatest treasures were rarely lying in plain sight.