The Deep One saw the expectant look of the fishmen, who stood on four legs.
An epiphany struck him—was it the memories of his past life?
"The sign of a highly-intelligent lifeform is tool use."
As such, he handed a rock at the Elder and asked him what he could do with it.
"Oh, that's easy. We can put it together with another rock to make fire, use it to build homes, fling it as a projectile, and many more."
There were many ways to use rocks. He knew the bits and pieces on the rudimentary level, but he was more familiar with advanced things.
Like a slab of metal that enabled you to communicate thousands of miles away.
...and instead of making fire with rocks, you just have to turn a knob.
You could also wield a metal stick and pull its trigger—your enemies would instantly die.
Cryostatic sleep; faster than light travel; high-spec artificial intelligence; laser tools being common, and so forth.
They had surpassed the Gods' expectation over and over--the most diabolical and advanced of their creation was the Crystal.
It was capable of preserving their soul, even after their physical body died.
If an unassuming creature with a weak ego ate it, the soul would be able to erode it completely; altering the creature's genetic code to better suit the current host.
While it would impair their memories, it's still a massive leap forward to immortality.
The Deep One only remembered that he was a human, with nothing remarkable to speak of.
He began to ponder—why was he chosen?
The ocean was deep and wide.
There could be other sovereigns like him in other parts of the world. Some might be even stronger than him.
As such, he vowed to better himself and scour the unknown.
...but first of all, he needed his group to build a solid foundation.
On his observation, the fishmen didn't seem able to convert their 'nutrition' to points. While they had skills, it was mediocre compared to him.
Regardless of their fish type, the shortest was like an infant, while the Deep One towered over the tallest.
Most fishmen could stand on their rear leg; a smaller portion was able to use tools with their front.
...but most were too clumsy to craft anything or perform delicate movements.
While they looked like fish, they weren't that dependant on water. Their daily requirements were similar to a human being.
The Deep One made a sturdy mud wall circling the region. He tasked the able fishmen to construct houses and craft tools. The rest was to practice using tools with their front legs.
While the able ones would go back to the sea, to hunt sea creatures and forage plants.
If they're able to cultivate underwater floras and domesticate the animals, the better.
Thinking of it, he wasn't obliged to lead them, but seeing as they 'reincarnated' from the Crystal, he felt an intimate, familial bond.
He wanted to see them grew into a big civilization and dominate the world, even if he's no longer in this world.
Of course, he wouldn't do it without benefits.
It's only because his System gave rewards that were too good to refuse.
...but most of all, he knew the fishmen had undying loyalty to him. Even if he ordered them to die, they would gladly oblige.
==
There were no signs of creatures, only the hedges of primordial plants.
Their leaves range from spiky and conic, with an enormous size that even dwarfed him.
A lot of these were poisonous and inedible.
Before this planet had oxygen from the hydrothermal explosion, it was laced with hazardous gasses like Methane.
The air should still be toxic; the amount of oxygen wouldn't be enough to dilute it.
While everyone was fine due to poison resistance, it wouldn't be the same if they were to eat the plants.
Not to mention, the toxicity seeped into the soil.
Even if they cultivate new plants, there's no guarantee they'd eat it without mishap.
"...but the main issue was time."
As more oxygen poured forth, the toxicity would decrease—but not for a short time. He also needs to neutralize the soil poison.
The basic principle was to keep the acidity value or pH as close to 7. As Methane contamination would make the soil acidic, his first thought was to find something basic like baking soda.
...but to his knowledge, it was recommended to use organic materials like moss, compost, or manure.
Thinking about it, he wasn't lacking in time. His lifespan was far from over, and with the System's help, he could become immortal.
==
Several weeks had passed.
The fishmen become proficient in their tool use.
They made their houses out of the soil and used processed leaves as a cushion. The toxicity didn't matter as they were salted and washed with sea minerals.
The earliest show of craftsmanship was pottery in the form of chamber pots. The villagers' manure worked well to purify the soil.
With their poison resistance, they would be able to cultivate the earth's soil in the following year.
Also was possible to create a shoreline fish farm, and cultivate underwater plants, but it would take a while.
The resources on the nearby sea wouldn't hold on in the next few years.
They might need to form an expedition for resources.
The other alternative was to look for other civilizations and establish trade.
If they're friendly, it would be great; if they're hostile, genocide was the only answer.
While, in his memory, there were human rights—it's a completely different world with their own common sense.
Just because he's merciful doesn't mean the others would do the same.
...and he's still in the dark, whether there was someone stronger than him in the opposing faction. He didn't like the thought of enduring humiliation or suffering a crushing defeat; sometimes it made him lost sleep at night.
So far, they're alone on the surface. The Deep One's worried his kinsmen would be wiped out if he ventured far.
He reminisces to when he first got the System. He would get points from 'eating', not 'killing'. It could be plants or animals.
The points enabled him to evolve beyond what's biologically possible with synergy in mind, else it would impede his prowess.
There's also the existence of Skills. He managed to acquire a roster of powerful abilities from all the things he went through. It allowed him to wreak havoc unfettered.
Back then, he had nothing to lose nor chain him down.
...but it shouldn't be an issue, with a way to unravel the unknown.
"Why didn't I think of that before?"
Truth to be told, the wide-range observation was something alien in this age, at least for the lifeforms of this planet.
That was before creatures with flight ability came into the fray.
It would be insects, which came along the amphibians.
While he was able to unlock wings, it would be a hassle to sleep. Even if he could create a flying machine, he's too heavy to ride it.
Increasing his speed was also a big issue since there were so many obstacles on land.
"It shouldn't be an issue to further increase my swimming speed."
There were fewer blockages in water.
While it wouldn't be able to scout land-locked civilizations, most lifeforms depend on water to survive.
He also thought about compressing his body while preserving his strength. With narrow terrains, his size became an impediment.
So many things to add in his checklist, but he's not worried.
As his kinsmen got stronger and multiply, the more points he'll get.
With the passing of several days, he finally completed one of the System Quests.
The reward was a fucking smartphone with free wi-fi.
