The Gods' Amusement (1)
With that, the tale of the Deep Forest Sage came to an end. Hmm. A decent conclusion... maybe? I might have thought so if not for Arthur's sudden outburst at the end.... Hmm.... I never expected a confession there! Still, he resolved the famine as a final gift. Though in the process, a minor hiccup caused my power to overinfuse his body.... It seems my image got imprinted inside his flesh, but whatever—nothing major. Of course. A proper beauty's statue suits the palace garden far better than some haphazard pile of rocks like a stone tower anyway.
Anyway. Having wrapped up one story, I rose and stretched lightly. I'd been playing around for a while, so it was time to focus on work again. Alright then.... Shall I teach the gods the concept of amusement!
The gods don't have much in the way of entertainment. Back in the day, some toyed with humans like playthings, or divided into factions for wars of amusement—but those gods aren't gods anymore. The ones left are mostly the obedient, well-behaved sorts. At best, they hold banquets in the Pantheon, savoring the foods offered to them. We mass-produce ambrosia and nectar from conquering Olympus to serve at those feasts, but even that won't quell all their discontent forever.
Of course, with me around now—able to crush any other god effortlessly—they won't complain yet.... But someday, I plan to dump all the work on others and just play! A bit ambitious, maybe.... But a dream worth chasing! When that day comes, things will change! Ahem. Anyway, to soothe the gods' unrest, we need recreation. No ordinary food can top ambrosia and nectar in taste, so regular eats won't cut it. In that sense, new amusements will be the perfect way to calm them down.
Once, I taught my children a spell to craft bodies—incarnation magic. Not just reshaping a god's flesh, but creating a fully lifelike duplicate body, identical to any living being. Well, is it even magic?.... Eh, it uses mana, so magic it is. Anyway, teaching that spell to every god would be a hassle. So, tools it is.
Create an avatar body and implant the god's consciousness into it for a taste of human life. First up: test implanting a god's ego into a human body and observing from their perspective!
"What's this now?"
"A toy for the gods' amusement."
I'd crafted a peculiar bed. Pure white marble, sized for one person. The lying area was padded with soft cushions—comfortable enough for days of use. Topped with a transparent crystal lid, too.
"Amusement?"
"Mm. Want to try it?"
At my words, Asherat inspected the bed closely before saying,
"What crazy scheme have you cooked up this time?"
"Call it a life experience simulator."
"A si... what?"
Ah, "simulator" isn't a thing yet. Roughly speaking.... A VR life sim you experience through all five senses. Think a first-person life simulation game loaded with DLC. Easy enough.
"Seeing is believing. Try it once, and you'll get it right away."
"Pardon?"
I nudged Asherat's back, laying her on the bed, then flipped the makeshift switch. The crystal lid sealed, trapping her inside.
"You'll understand after experiencing it."
Asherat lay there a moment. Then,
"Whoa.... What is this?"
She sat up, face dazed from the incomprehensible ordeal. Good— she enjoyed it properly!
"I was... inside another human's body.... Seeing the world through their eyes. Feeling like something else entirely.... Incredible."
"It's just a prototype, so all you can do is observe from a human's viewpoint for now."
Lie on this bed, hit the switch, and you observe from one earthbound human's perspective. Not just anyone, though—limited to a compatible believer among the god's devotees!
As a bare-bones prototype, it's only sight, sound, and sensation from that human's view—no interactions. But...
"Hoo.... Haa...."
Looking at Asherat's stunned expression, the effect was obvious. Just passive viewing, yet for gods, that's stimulation enough.
"Right now, it's pure observation, but I'll add features bit by bit."
First, start-of-experience options: generate a brand-new avatar instead of hijacking an existing human, or relive a life from birth. More to come!
Of course, with limits to avoid messing up the mortal world. Forfeit god-knowledge while using it, or auto-eject if the host sleeps. Sensitive bits.... Mosaic blur or forced skip? Ideas abound, but they're a mess—needs sorting!
Also, anti-immersion safeguards. Can't let recreation hinder godly duties! Ah, yes! Tier the functions into three grades: low lets you just spectate; higher unlocks more. Grade 3: pure observation. Grade 2: subconscious nudges. Grade 1: steer thoughts vaguely—no direct commands, just plant ideas or subtle influences.
Quantify devotion.... Total faith points? Top 10% get Grade 1, next 30% Grade 2, bottom 60% Grade 3. Percentages approximate—tweak later.
Highest tier unlocks avatar creation, but restricted. No munchkin rampages on earth! Something like that.
My kids won't need this—they already know incarnation magic. They'll make their own avatars!
"Amazing.... This thing...."
"Right? Fun, huh?"
"Yes. But it's so immersive, I'm worried gods might get addicted and cause issues."
Like a mom fretting over kids and video games! But it's their choice—they'll self-regulate, no?
"If addiction makes them neglect basics, three warnings, then confiscate. Plus, slacking drops faith points, lowering grade—and losing high-tier access."
Ah, amp grade differences. Low-end: budget model—low-res senses, etc. Oh! Racial limits too! Humans only for now. Elves, dwarves, lizardmen rarely believe in outsiders anyway.... But oddballs exist.
"When's it done?"
"Hm? Done?"
"Yes! This'll be a hit—fresh thrill for bored gods! Might even spread faith for more viewpoints!"
Asherat's eyes sparkled. One try, and she saw the potential.
"Prototype stage—full polish takes time."
Functions are simple, but testing must be thorough. Complex toys breed bugs.... Gaps could spawn munchkin avatars, harming earth. Interactions demand caution. This proto's harmless spectator mode, though!
"Oh...."
Asherat deflated, disappointment written on her face. Can't hand over unfinished goods, though. Short demo's fine, but.... Demo? Ah! Demo version! Prototype works for that!
I smiled faintly at her disappointment.
