“See how he improvises a weapon?  This one will go far.” Baldur admired the young man’s spirit. He applauded when the human defeated the octopoid and earned a new skill. His approval automatically awarded some Fame Points to the young man.

“He is young and foolish.  If this trash doesn’t kill him, another will soon enough.  He believes his limited knowledge of our System makes him stronger than he truly is.” Hel spat on the floor in disgust.

Loki tilted his head to one side, watching as the octopoid died. “He is clever.  Thinks fast on his feet.  This one will bear watching.”

“Shall we send him another, stronger opponent?”  Hel’s smile was pure evil.

“No!” Baldur slammed a fist on the table, causing the mist to swirl in a reflection of his anger. “You will adhere to the rules, Hel.  And you, Loki.” He looked at the scrolling information as he spoke. “This man must already face the void titan that killed his parents and most of his townspeople in the last hour.  That opponent is more than three times his level.  That is enough.  The humans and other species of this world must be given their fair chance to survive, grow and thrive.  Any interference will be looked upon as an act of defiance by Odin and myself.  Judgment will be swift and severe.”

“Thrive?  By the end of Stabilization, they will be living like dogs in caves and old ruins, killing and eating each other to survive.   Most cannot even make fire!  And they do not understand the System or its power.  They do not even have a word for the Neutrocosm.” Hel’s voice was filled with contempt.

“They are close.” Loki held up a finger.  “They may not know the word, but they have touched on the concept in their stories and their science.  They speak of ‘The Force’ and ‘Magic’ in their popular tales.  And minuscule machines they call ‘nanotech’.  Given a little more time, they might have made that final leap to discover and eventually manipulate the Neutrocosm.”

“And now that we have brought them into the System, their awareness of it has already increased greatly.  This young man, for example, has embraced the concept of training by action.  Greatly increasing his strength in a matter of days through extensive strenuous physical activity.  Granted, at such low levels, the dramatic increases are easy.  But the fact that he has embraced the System is what is important.  Let us see if he continues to improve.  And whether he shares this knowledge with others.”