Frostbound [LitRPG Apocalypse]-Prologue - Curious Anticipation
Callum, The Sovereign of Flames
Callum stood at the edge of his domain staring off into the direction where his entertainment would soon take place. All around him, blue-white fires burned with enough heat that the air warped and distorted. The heat didn't bother him, even as he stood right next to the blistering flames, for the fire was his.
Everything in the domain behind him was unequivocally HIS. Nothing was out of place and everything acted the way it should with exacting precision. Just the way he liked it and he had achieved perfection over the work of centuries.
Unexpectedly, another presence came into being off to the side. The area he used to be connected with pulled away as another laid claim to it in order to manifest. He didn't turn to look at the new presence for there were only a select few who would so brazenly enter his domain and stand beside him.
Even fewer would then initiate conversation.
"Callum, my friend, it has truly been too long." The intruding presence joyfully exclaimed to break the peaceful quiet that had once been relaxing. A silence with only the barest hint of a crackling fire in the background that shattered at the shrill voice to his ears. The voice itself wasn't shrill, but any voice felt that way to Callum. Especially from someone he wasn't fond of.
"Not long enough," He huffed back, still looking ahead. "What is it you want Vasariametz." He used the full name of the meddlesome being, for there was no way he was using whatever new pretentious title he was using currently. Callum couldn't even remember the last one he went by it had been so long since he'd seen the man last. If it were up to him, that record would still be standing.
"You know you can call me Vas, or, if you must, Vasaria," The intruder waved away. Vasariametz had always been a talker, assuming everyone who he conversed with was his friend.
Not wanting to play word games with one of the most irksome beings he knew, he repeated the question less politely, "What do you want."
Others would take offense to such directness and impoliteness, but it didn't seem to bother the other god. "Oh nothing much, just a little birdie told me that you got a slot to sponsor one of the tutorials on the new worlds." Vasaria said, "And with custom additions, I hear."
Callum didn't even ask how it was Vasaria had heard about it, for he had various ways of sniffing out information from places he didn't belong. Even the Allfather himself couldn't figure out how Vasariametz did it. This exact trait was one of the reasons that Callum found the other being so irritating. It was also the reason that his presence was tolerated inside his own domain and not burned to ash for the intrusion. To anger a god when he didn't know how much they knew or didn't know was the height of folly.
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"That wasn't a question," Callum replied, measuring his words wisely. Any slip of the tongue would give away more than he wished, especially considering who he was talking to.
"Come on, at least give me something. A little hint is all I ask for." Vasaria begged, reminiscent of what a child would do for sweets. Unbecoming of someone of his station and Callum's anger began to rouse.
"You will have to wait and see, just like all the rest who have asked," he said, holding steadfast and not letting it affect him.
He didn't want any interference with his newest experiment, especially from the annoyance next to him, and the only way for that to happen was to tell no one.
"One of these days the games you play with the newly integrated will come back to get you," Vasaria said with an uncommon seriousness and heaviness. Unlike how he spoke previously.
Callum wanted to say 'What are those insects going to do,' but he stopped himself in time. Any information, no matter how unrelated and unconnected, could be used against him. Instead, he grunted noncommittedly.
His latest... experiment was set to begin soon and he didn't wish to miss it. The cost to get specific groups of people hurt his pocket, add in the cost of adjusting the default difficulty, and it would even beggar some gods.
It was something of a social experiment this time, where different-sized groups all got put in the same tutorial. He even paid specifically to keep the children from being sent away. They'll provide a better incentive.
If everyone worked together in one large group then the tutorial would be a breeze, but if they split up and actively hindered each other it would turn impossible. Thinking of the possibilities caused his excitement to build.
He knew a drowning human would sooner pull another down with them than help push someone else up to safety.
Vasariametz
Vasariametz saw the subtle smile begin to form on Callum's face and sighed deeply. Callum didn't understand how his actions would have consequences. Just because there haven't been any yet didn't mean that there never would.
The bill always comes due.
Sooner or later the consequences would come, and he didn't think that Callum would be very happy when they did. He had heard through the grapevine that Callum spent a significant sum to keep the children from being sent to specialized tutorials this time around.
That's just cruel.
Not desiring to spend any more time here, he left the spiteful fire god and thought ahead to his upcoming unprompted intrusions... -cough, cough- visits.
I think Artio got a slot this time, but his grove is so far away even if the fruits there are heavenly. I know Yvette has one, maybe she is finally over her grudge with me. Thinking back on that particular memory brought a smile to his face, I mean, you show up at the hot springs she was bathing at one time and she holds it against you for centuries.
The smiling god continued on his journey through the void, wondering how many new gods this integration would grind out.
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