The Era of the Origin of All Things

Yin Shen stood on the sea, balanced on the massive giant worm beneath him as it surged through the wind and waves.

Here, the days felt shorter, with extended daylight and fleeting nights. Life thrived only within the ocean.

According to Yin Shen's calculations, he was now on Earth approximately five hundred million years before his own time, during the Cambrian Period.

He had only read about this era in textbooks.

The climate was warm and the sunlight bright. The moon's pull shaped the tides, while countless forms of life thrived energetically in the sea.

They were in a constant state of evolution.

All things struggled and vied for supremacy, each seeking to become the ultimate victor and claim dominance over the planet.

Yet he was an existence entirely out of place in this world. He could neither make contact with anything nor interfere with the beings within the universe.

Except for the two life forms that had sensed him, no one else could perceive Yin Shen's presence. Only they could see him and be touched by him.

It was as if, to this universe, he was nothing more than a phantom. He drifted like a ghost, lost in the spaces between time and reality.

The trilobite and the worm had seen Yin Shen's true form, an existence beyond the universe and time itself. From him, they received power, a force Yin Shen once referred to as the soul.

These two ancient life forms from Earth's primordial era were granted different abilities. One was gifted with wisdom from Yin Shen, while the other was endowed with the power to fuse.

The trilobite received Yin Shen's wisdom. Inside its shell-like carapace, an organ resembling a human brain had developed.

At the moment of its creation, it picked up some human vocabulary, caught glimpses of Yin Shen's memories, and gained creative thinking abilities comparable to those of humans.

The worm, on the other hand, gained a strange and enigmatic power. Its blood absorbed Yin Shen's energy, transforming under the influence of his essence.

It developed the ability to merge with other life forms, taking their organs and abilities to reshape its own body at will.

Yet, despite this extraordinary power, the worm continued to act solely on instinct, just as it always had.

Yin Shen called the one that gained wisdom the Trilobite Man.

As for the worm, he called it the Fusion Monster.

Beneath his feet, the creature called the Fusion Monster moved swiftly across the sea. Its countless tentacles, churning the water beneath its spiral shell, drove it forward.

Yin Shen stood on its spiral shell, his eyes fixed on the horizon.

Far across the sea, something unusual began to emerge. It broke through the water's surface, stretching its shadow across the sea under the warm light of the setting sun.

Swish, swish.

The Fusion Monster moved swiftly through the water, its countless tentacles churning the sea with relentless energy.

Yin Shen noticed an isolated island, where patches of rare greenery stood out against the barren surroundings.

The island's surface was uneven and dotted with swamps, while lichens and moss spread across its terrain like a soft blanket.

Unlike other landmasses, this place seemed to breathe with life. Yin Shen could not explain why such a phenomenon existed here, but it did not stop him from feeling drawn to it.

"This place is good."

Yin Shen made up his mind to remain on the island, ending his long and wandering journey.

The following day, he observed the Fusion Monster using its agile tentacles to carve enormous stones from the seabed and haul them onto the island one by one.

Its tentacles could shape themselves into sharp tools like chisels or blunt instruments like hammers. It hammered and split the massive stones with precision.

At first, Yin Shen assumed the worm simply had a peculiar habit of dragging stones around and paid it little attention. However, when he noticed the giant creature stacking the stones together, he realized it was constructing a building.

Upon closer examination, he saw that the structure resembled the pyramids he had once seen on television, though this one appeared even more grand and imposing.

Massive stones, each over ten meters high and wide, were stacked together. The sight gave the impression that this was not the work of mortals, but a miracle born of the divine.

As the stones reached the highest point, the Fusion Monster's work shifted. It began to stack and carve an ancient and imposing temple, polishing, hammering, and carving intricate details into the structure with deliberate care.

Despite its efforts, the temple still retained a rough and primitive appearance, though the outline of the grand hall had already taken shape.

This temple was clearly not meant for the Fusion Monster. Despite its own enormous size, the temple appeared relatively small in comparison.

It was then that Yin Shen realized the Fusion Monster was constructing a grand palace on the isolated island specifically for him.

At first, he thought the Fusion Monster was trying to please him. However, he quickly dismissed the idea, realizing the chaotic and instinct-driven creature lacked the intelligence to conceive such a plan or even know about pyramids.

It had to be the Trilobite Man who had instructed it to build this.

The Trilobite Man knelt anxiously before Yin Shen, his movements filled with unease. Yin Shen stood silently with his gaze fixed on the rolling waves, his own emotions steady and undisturbed.

In his past life as a human, he had been a carefree individual. Now, without a physical form and after witnessing the most extraordinary events imaginable, he had grown even more composed.

The Trilobite Man, however, was gripped by fear. He could not tell whether the god was pleased or displeased with his bold decision.

He tried to explain anxiously, bowing his head repeatedly to the ground in a gesture of deep reverence and a plea for forgiveness.

In his understanding, this was the most direct way to pray to the god and seek mercy.

"God..."

"Pa...lace..."

Yin Shen understood what he meant.

The Trilobite Man was expressing that a god ought to reside in a palace and receive offerings from all living beings. That was why he had the Fusion Monster construct this structure.

Yin Shen felt no particular joy. Rather, he did not care much.

After all, he lacked a physical form to feel warmth or cold, so a building meant to shield him from wind and rain held no real meaning. The concept of faith and prayer also felt ridiculous, as his worshippers were nothing more than two primitive creatures.

If he had to comment, he could only describe it as intriguing.

"Not bad," Yin Shen remarked with a faint smile.

"It's quite beautiful," he added.

These few simple words filled the Trilobite Man with joy, making him dance with excitement.

The palace was finally complete.

The Trilobite Man stood at the top of the pyramid, waiting for Yin Shen. The Fusion Monster carried Yin Shen toward the summit, then stopped and bowed its head before the temple.

At the peak of the pyramid, the ancient and imposing hall stood with its doors and windows wide open. The interior was empty, devoid of any furnishings.

What stood out most was its sheer size and grandeur, a testament to its magnificence.

Inside stood a statue of Yin Shen, carved by the Trilobite Man's own hands as an offering to the god.

The Trilobite Man appeared to have inherited humanity's skillful hands, along with strength far exceeding that of any human.

This divine statue was sculpted from a single piece of an unknown white stone. Rather than a traditional statue, it looked more like a relief, positioned before a circular window that directly faced the sun.

Carved upon it was a human figure that seemed to radiate endless light, as if cloaked in a layer of white robes. At first glance, only the outline was visible, and the features remained indistinct.

It was then that Yin Shen understood this was how they perceived him.

The Trilobite Man fell to the ground in reverence, continuing to address Yin Shen as god.

This was simply a general term of respect.

"My name is Yin Shen," Yin Shen said patiently.

The Trilobite Man hesitated before trying to speak. "Een-yin-sai?"

"No, Yin Shen," Yin Shen corrected him again.

The Trilobite Man furrowed his brow, struggling for a moment before repeating, "Yinsai?"

When pronouncing a single character, he could manage it correctly, but when combined, the pronunciation became muddled.

The Trilobite Man's vocal organs were quite different from those of humans. The sounds he produced were dry and shrill, which made them somewhat unpleasant to hear.

"Yin Shen," Yin Shen corrected him once more, his tone firm.

The Trilobite Man raised his head, struggling for a long while before finally calling out.

"Yinsai... shen!"

"Yinsai God!"

Yin Shen allowed it, letting him cry out "Yinsai God, Yinsai God" with fervor beside the statue and himself.

Below the pyramid, the terrifying giant beast's hollow, resonant sounds echoed in response.