NOVEL FROG Chapter 9: The Game Master III
The Ancient One thought strangely at the scene in front of her. The peculiar yet powerful boy she saw earlier was brought to the sanctum, against all the advice of her highest disciple, yet she could not help but feel curious at the entity in front of her. She couldn’t see his fate using the Time Stone, she couldn’t see the world’s fate that included him in it, but she could see that the countless possibilities that she has watched have started to change, albeit slowly.
Presently, the boy sat atop a chair, positioned before a desk that was adorned with an assortment of books. These were not tomes of arcane magic, rituals, or mystic lore. Instead, they comprised volumes of history, economics, biology, and anthropology—subjects far removed from what a mere ten-year-old would typically comprehend. Yet here he was, diligently immersing himself in this array of knowledge. The question that loomed was: why? Why did he harbor such an insatiable thirst for understanding of these subjects? From the instant of his arrival, he had fervently requested access to these mundane texts that the sorcerers of this domain rarely spared a glance.
"Jason," the Ancient One's voice resonated, beckoning the boy's attention. "What drives your need for all of this?"
“Well, it’s a long story,” he simply said. “Anyway, does this place have a tabletop game called ‘Dungeons and Dragons’?”
Now that is a strange question. “I believe so.” The Ancient One answered. “Why do you want to know?”
“Do you have the rulebooks here?” the boy asked again. “Player’s handbook, Monster’s manual, all that.”
The Ancient One thought for a second, before answering. “I believe we have some, but it’s an old version of it. We used it to investigate whether or not the game is connected to actual devil summoning rituals.”
“Can you bring it to me?”
“And what do you intend to use it for?” The Ancient One raised her brow.
“You’ll see. I’ll show you after you give it to me.”
The Ancient One remains skeptical and frowned, but ultimately sighed. “Very well.”
She then snapped her fingers, and slowly, a couple of books floated from the library towards them, before being placed just in front of Jason.
“Nice.” Jason whistled. He looked at it, and grabbed the monster’s manual. “Let’s see…”
The Ancient One coughed, getting the boy’s attention. “Now, would you show me?”
“Alright.” the boy hummed, still holding the book. “I’ve never done this before. You’re officially my first player to enter my campaign world.”
Bafflement clouded The Ancient One's countenance, yet before she could unravel this new layer of intrigue, darkness enveloped her vision.
===DnDnD===
It was truly an eye-opening experience, to say the least. When The Ancient One's sight returned, a breathtaking panorama stretched before her. A vast expanse of emerald grassland extended as far as her eyes could fathom, its verdant hue seemingly endless. In the distant horizon, majestic mountain ranges stood shrouded in veils of clouds and mists, lending an air of mystique to the scene. She cast her gaze around, and there stood Jason, a silent sentinel by her side, clutching the book as before.
"Jason, where exactly are we?" she inquired. There was an unmistakable awareness within her that she had traversed into a realm distinct from her own—a dimension imbued with an essence altogether foreign. Here, she perceived something distinct in the very air—a density of magic, an amalgamation of energies unbounded by any master.
“Welcome to my world.” he simply said. “Not where I’m from, but the one I created.”
Created? The Ancient One frowned even more.
“This will be my campaign world,” he explained. “Players can do quests, level up, bond with each other here. A realistic campaign for all my players to enjoy.”
“Whatever do you mean?” The Ancient One asked again.
“You know, like a Dungeons and Dragons campaign,” he said.
The Ancient One's gaze descended to the grass beneath her. She knelt, her fingers gently grazing the very essence of this realm. Tangible it was, though a subtle distortion in hue danced where her touch met the verdure. Her attention was drawn as Jason enacted something that, to her eyes, was astonishing.
Before her eyes, his hand ascended, conjuring forth a creature with measured grace. From its foundation—the feet—claws manifested, scales arranged themselves in intricate patterns, and blood and flesh interwoven in a ballet of creation, gradually unfurling upwards.
The creature materialized into a colossal form—a blue and white spectacle, its scales iridescent under the ethereal light. Wings unfurled, and as the final strokes of the creation were painted, life burgeoned within it. A thunderous roar erupted from its form, birthing a lightning beam that pierced the skies themselves.
"A blue dragon," Jason announced, his demeanor gleaming with delight. "Impressive, don't you think?"
To his gaze, indeed it was impressive. Yet to The Ancient One's eyes, it elicited a sense of trepidation. Not merely a master of landscapes and worlds, he possessed the ability to craft life itself—a reality-bender of the highest order, though contained within this very realm he had forged.
“Your power is to create?” she simply stated.
“Well, only here,” he said. “I can bring things from here to outside, but I could only create here.”
This is… madness. The Ancient One thought. “How did it… come to be? Your powers…”
“I don’t know really, when I came to your… world, I guess, I just suddenly knew how to do all this,” he said. The dragon flew away, ignoring the two of them.
He was, in essence, a deity—not in the manner of Asgard or devotion, but a near-absolute entity capable of molding and unmaking at will. A master of reality itself, albeit confined to this self-made world. A prospect both awe-inspiring and fearsome.
"And your intentions with this dominion?" She posed, her voice measured.
“Like I said, I wanted to create a realistic DnD campaign,” he smiled. “Maybe you’ll be the first player? Or your disciples?”
“Yes, perhaps.” The Ancient One forced a smile. “But please, don’t do anything that will harm my world, Jason.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that.” Jason simply dismissed it. “Anyway, do you want to go back? Or do you want to watch me do things?”
“And what do you want to do now?” she questioned.
“Well I need to fill the ecosystem, right?” he commented. “Need a couple visits before it's complete though, there’s a lot of things I want to place here.”
“I see…” The Ancient One hummed. “Very well, I will watch you for the time being.”