System, should I collide into my main body? I know that’s what I’ve always done, but crashing into my planet with life seems kinda... chaotic.”

[SYSTEM] The host will not collide with the planet. As previously stated, the host will enter the planet's atmosphere and reabsorb his main body. The planet will adjust to match the host’s new size, and this process will cost the host 200 million celestial energy.

“Damn! That’s almost half of the celestial energy I have right now. If I do that, how will I have enough to upgrade my sun?”

[SYSTEM] The host requires 245 million celestial energy to enlarge the sun and maintain the necessary warmth for the larger planet.

“That’s about 90% of my reserves… but fine. Let’s get started.”

Carter hovered just above his main body, staring down at the planet he had painstakingly created. It felt surreal knowing that he was about to absorb himself back into this celestial form that now hosted life. “Alright, system. Let’s do this."

[SYSTEM] Initiating planetary reabsorption. Enter the atmosphere when ready. Be advised: this process may cause temporary environmental instability.

“Temporary? You mean like earthquakes, tsunamis, or alien hurricanes?” Carter raised an eyebrow, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

[SYSTEM] Correct. Environmental disruption may occur. Proceed with caution.

"Of course it will." Carter sighed. "Well, no point in hesitating now." With a deep breath, he hurled himself toward the planet's atmosphere, building up speed as he approached. The sight was both exhilarating and terrifying—seeing the atmosphere begin to ripple under his sheer mass.

As Carter entered the atmosphere, flames erupted around him from the friction. The sky lit up like a meteor shower, with him being the lone star. He braced himself as his body started merging with the planet below. The pressure was immense, and the very land began to shift, the oceans trembled, and massive winds swept across the surface.

“Whoa! Okay, this is way more intense than I thought it’d be!” Carter winced as he felt tremors ripple across the planet.

Mountains shook, and the atmosphere became a swirling vortex of clouds as his mass was absorbed. Carter could feel his consciousness expanding as the planet itself began to grow. The landmasses started shifting as tectonic plates adjusted, creating new landscapes to accommodate his much larger size.

[SYSTEM] Absorption successful. Planetary size is now 45 million foot mass. Celestial energy reserves reduced by 200 million.

Carter could sense the adjustment as the stabilized. "I hope the little aliens I created here appreciate this… probably thought their world was ending."

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His planet had become significantly larger now, towering over what it once was, and despite the environmental chaos, it was still intact, life still buzzing below.

"Well, I'm back, baby." Carter grinned. "Time to upgrade that sun."

Carter marveled at his newly upgraded form; his planet had now grown even larger than Earth. Vast continents stretched across the surface, interspersed with massive seas, and a thriving ecosystem was taking shape. As he observed the growth, new life forms—small, alien creatures—emerged from the latest equations he’d integrated. Strange yet fascinating animals scurried across the landscape, while others swam in the seas, each one a product of the Threken life equations. The planet was alive, buzzing with activity.

But Carter knew his planet needed more than just life to thrive—it needed warmth, stability, and a proper sun to sustain this new world. His current sun wasn’t strong enough to provide the necessary energy for a planet of this size. He would need to expand it.

"Alright, time to get the sun up to speed," he muttered.

He accessed his system and directed his remaining celestial energy toward upgrading the sun. It was no small task; nearly 245 million C-energy would be required to increase the size and intensity of the sun, ensuring it could support the larger planet. Carter focused, funneling the energy out of his reserves and toward the distant star.

The effect was immediate. The sun’s surface rippled as it began to grow, expanding in mass and brightness. Slowly but surely, it flared brighter, becoming a more powerful, stable star. The rays of heat and light grew stronger, casting a warm, golden glow over his planet, reaching every corner, every continent, and every sea. The temperature across the surface began to stabilize, and the ecosystem began to adapt, thriving under the new conditions.

Carter watched as his larger, upgraded sun provided the life-sustaining warmth his new world needed, its rays illuminating the alien creatures as they scurried, crawled, and swam through their strange, vibrant habitats.

"Now that’s more like it," Carter said, satisfied.

With Carter's planet now fully functional, it was time to focus on cultivating life. However, the natural evolution of smaller species into intelligent beings could take millions, if not billions, of years. Carter knew he lacked the ability to directly create life with built-in intelligence and memories, so his options were limited: either wait for natural evolution to run its course or seek an alternative.

“System, is there a faster way than me sitting here watching this planet develop life for millions of years?” Carter asked, not keen on the long wait.

[SYSTEM] The host has no control over the passage of time itself. However, the host can accelerate time inside his planet to a certain extent. While this power is not omnipotent, the host can increase the planetary time flow so that 1,000 years outside equals 1 million years on the planet. The host will not be able to intervene during this period—only observe.

Carter raised an eyebrow. "So, can I fast-forward the planet's growth? Sounds like a plan, even if I can't do anything but watch."

The thought of speeding up evolution intrigued him, offering a shortcut to the emergence of intelligent life without having to play the long waiting game.

Carter didn’t have much of a perception of time as it was, so waiting a few thousand years didn't seem like an issue for him. The idea of sitting back and watching life develop quickly was more of an exciting prospect than a chore.

[SYSTEM] Initiating time flow increase on the host’s planet...

As the system activated the accelerated time flow, Carter watched as the seasons on his planet sped by in mere seconds, continents shifting, ecosystems evolving, and small creatures that once wandered aimlessly began to grow more intelligent. The passage of millennia occurred in the blink of an eye, as life took shape in ways he had only imagined.

For now, all Carter had to do was wait and watch the fascinating progression of his planet's evolution.