Frostbound

Vulwin Zylris

Planet Dirvenguard, Sector 116-134

Vulwin was nervous to the point of nearly sweating, and that spoke to how anxious he was. His race never sweat. This was to be his first big assignment and he couldn't mess it up. It was finally his chance to make it big and now that the opportunity had arisen, he would make the most of it.

He stood in the Large Hall with dozens of his comrades as they all watched the screen in front of them intently. The rotating planet had 13 large makers on it with a few already turned green. Some were still grey, and only one was red.

He knew somewhere else in the Emporium's complex, a similar Great Hall was filled with people standing at the ready should the Planet Fail. Which, given the current situation, was rather unlikely.

Every metric or survey from the few Divinations or Scrying attempts Vulwin knew of said the Planet had great odds at passing. The chances of failing were already low from the it only being an E-rank Assessment, but since there was still an outside chance they could fail, another team needed to be gathered just in case.

Vulwin hoped they didn't fail.

He, along with the dozens of others gathered in the same hall, sat at the peak of E-rank. All of them capped at level 100. While some in the Universe were stuck at E-rank because they lacked the requirements, everyone in the Hall was E-rank by choice, including Vulwin.

He had long ago upgraded his Law to Tier 2 but he'd stayed in E-rank anyways. Partially for the opportunity now in front of him.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime event that most in the Emporium had never experienced before, yet he stood at the ready to grasp it.

While he, his team, and everyone else in the Hall were only E-rank, the other group's lowest members were already well into D-rank. The grunts, as they were called. Then there were the C-rank managers followed by the sole B-rank the Emporium had available.

Vulwin hadn't even seen a B-rank before, yet he knew one was somewhere on the premises.

Which team that would be deployed depended on whether the Planet passed or failed. If they passed, the Great System's Protections would prohibit anyone above E-grade from setting foot on the Planet, hence why his entire group were all below that threshold.

The Frost Rose Emporium wasn't a large trading company, most would consider it on the rather small side compared to the Golden Road Company and the Broken Spear Trading Group.

Those two were the largest Mercantile Empires in the nearby Sectors and they had dealings in dozens of different Sectors with hundreds of Planets. Both were made up of the most gree-, ahem, entrepreneurial races.

The Gnomes and the Goblins were always seeking out avenues of wealth. The greedy green bastards.

Competition was fierce and the bidding for a Planet's first trading rights comprised more gold than Vulwin had ever imagined, let alone seen in the flesh. Every Trading Hall, Merchant Group, or Auction House in the sector wanted a piece of what was to come. There were even a few from neighboring sectors that butt in for a slice.

It wasn't every day that an Integration happened.

The last Integration was millennia ago, and not even Vulwin's Great-Great-grandfather was alive then, and Frost Elves were known for their longevity. It was his lucky Fate that the newly Integrated Planets were located in his Sector.

The placement used to be random, or so history said, Vulwin very well wasn't alive to confirm it. The Great System would move the newly Integrated Planets to random Sectors of the Universe and be done with it.

That had never ended well for the newly integrated. They were either too far away to truly Integrate or they ended up bordering, or worse, inside of an already established power. The odds they were placed far enough away to not be conquered, yet close enough that trade was viable, was low. Lower than low.

Those placed in or near other Kingdoms and Empires never lasted long. They were lucky if the power was benevolent enough to send them somewhere else after conquering the Planet, but most weren't that lucky.

Now, it was more clustered. The new Planets were placed together, far enough away from established powers to not doom them, but near enough to others that they weren't left isolated.

It also introduced First Rights.

Any Trading Group could bid for the opportunity to select a Planet and, with the System's aid, teleport in and set up shop. Without that aid, the low-tier goods and services the new citizens would trade for were never worth the logistical expenses to get it there.

Transporting E-rank goods more than a few planets away was never profitable, yet those goods would have the biggest demand. It wasn't until a Planet started having demands for D-rank or C-rank goods that it became profitable without the Great System's help.

That change made New Integrations some of the busiest times for Merchants. Integrations used to only be the entertainment of Gods. Those who had the power or resources to Scry past the Great System's Protections or the desire to poke their head into what was new.

No one else could waste the resources on something so frivolous, let alone have the power to do so. There were maybe a few legendary S-ranks who could do it, but their time was better spent elsewhere, not wasting it watching children.

"Are you ready, Vulwin?" His secretary asked. Jekas had been Vulwin's aid for years and he couldn't ask for one better. The Ice Gnome had a similar blue hue to his skin as his own, but rather than the Icy White hair Frost Elves were known for, his was a deep black.

The Frost Rose Emporium specialized in anything Cold-aligned, and that included their staff. Only the rare few Companies that spanned multiple Planets were made up solely of one race, and the Emporium was not one of them.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

In the hall, there were half a dozen different races represented and if one were to count all the variations, there would be dozens.

Vulwin wasn't the only Frost Elf in the group, just as Jekas wasn't the only Ice Gnome present. There were a dozen teams of 8 ready to set out once the Assessment was over. Vulwin led his team as the only Frost Elf, with Jekas, an Ice Gnome, Rangrick, a Glacier Dwarf, and a quintet of Ursonian Humans.

All were from Arctic Planets and had similar characteristics that came from such an environment. Either pale or blue-tinted skin, white or black hair with little variation, and a natural chill to them with body temperatures rarely above zero.

The Emporium usually only dealt with pure Arctic Planets covered either solely or majorly in Ice. It was where they traded best and their margins against other Trading Houses was widest.

The New Integration only had a few solely Arctic Planets and the Emporium was not large enough to win the bid for them. Some because they weren't worth it, some because they wouldn't be able to afford it, and others because their bid wasn't high enough. They weren't the only to specialize in the Cold.

Instead, they had won a partial bid for a more diverse Planet. It had large Poles in the North and South that were desirable, but those were far from the majority. The seasons were a nice touch, not every Planet had those and Vulwin had never been on a World that changed like that. Winter seemed like a wonderful time as the Arctic nearly doubled in size during those months.

Winning a Partial bid meant they weren't the sole company to have rights, but that was what was agreed upon. After losing out on the other Planets, the Emporium and other smaller Companies got together to split one Planet rather than lose out on all of them.

Plus, the Planet was perfect for future expansion. The reports had it rated at B-Grade, which was nearly unheard of for Newly Integrated Planets. B-grade Planets were prized by well-established powers, let alone new ones.

The bidding went so high Vulwin nearly fainted! Both the Broken Spear Group and the Golden Road Company vied for the Planet and were only barely outbid by the Emporium's Alliance. The capital of a dozen companies was just enough to win the bid out from under the two goliaths.

If the two companies had forwent the rest of the Planets like the Emporium had, the was zero chance of the small companies winning at all.

Other than being rated as B-grade, there were millions of inhabitants already populating it. Millions in need of goods and resources. Over two thousand Pylons ready for trade.

The 13 markers lit up in grey, red, or green weren't the only ones populating the projection. There were thousands of smaller ones, denoting all the various pylons placed throughout the land. Some larger than others with areas spanning more land.

The 8 Continents were filled with life. Well, 6 of them were, but that would soon change as they expanded to fill in the gaps. It was a pity that the most preferable Continent was uninhabited. The reports they had on it made Vulwin wish it had been.

Covered in a thick sheet of Ice thousands of meters thick, temperatures so low even he would have to ward against it. Winds and Snow year round.

Just imagining it made his Blood yearn for it, yet it wasn't meant to be. Only a scant three pylons were placed on the entire Continent with a population barely in the hundreds. Two of which would soon fall.

Sadly, It wasn't worth the effort.

Instead, the Emporium would focus on the Far North. There were already a Large number of pylons lining the edge of the lands of Everwinter while over a dozen of those were large enough to host Planetary Nobles!

The dozen teams were all given a Noble City to focus on and Vulwin's was on the Third largest Continent. While they would set up in the Baronies, they would seek to reach every city near the lands of Everwinter.

Part of the reason the other Companies agreed to split the bid was because of their nature. The Frost Rose Emporium seldomly had issue with the Timeless Sands Group. They dealt in vastly different goods. The Verdant Lotus House equally traded in a different corner of the market.

The goods where they did overlap, like general necessities, foodstuffs, skill shards, and the like, had small enough margins that fighting over it wasn't worth the coin.

The jurisdiction of each Company had already been decided and agreed upon. All that was left was for the Planet to pass the Assessment and they would be sent in.

It was unfortunate that they'd have to go through the Obelisks rather than teleport directly to the Cities they were responsible for, but there was little Vulwin could do about that.

Jekas watched another marker turn green and smiled. "Looks like we get our wish."

Vulwin grinned as well. While he said it was unlikely for the Planet to fail, unlikely did not mean impossible.

"Alright everybody, listen up!" Gorgas brought the Large Hall to attention. The manager was in C-rank and wouldn't be able to go, but he was in charge of those who did, "The Planet has passed its Assessment which means you will be our only contact point for the foreseeable future."

"The Guards each of you have are well-trained and will keep you safe. Your safety is paramount." Vulwin glanced at the quintet of Ursonians who were his guards. "If a City Leader gets aggressive or is otherwise unagreeable, you are free to seek out opportunities elsewhere."

The Emporium couldn't afford the teams to get any larger. They were already paying for nearly a hundred teleportation slots. Any more guards and they'd have to cut down on the number of teams.

Vulwin's team was split in two in regard to responsibility. He was in charge of all Mercantile affairs. Jekas was his second and secretary. Rangrick was their appraiser and Rune Expert with the rest being guards.

"Everyone knows your assigned tasks." Gorgas continued, "Everyone has what they need to evolve once you're Planetside. Reports state that only a handful of the natives have already reached D-rank, but that does not make you safe. You all know not to underestimate First Generation integrated."

First Generation integrated normally had a higher level of power than the average person. Being put through a tutorial and having such an event transpire that rewrites their history, judging their strength by level was far from enough.

Vulwin, even with the threat the natives posed, couldn't help but grin. He'd kept himself at the peak of E-rank just for this occasion and he'd finally be able to level again. Everyone here would.

He couldn't wait to evolve. He already made sure the Class and Profession he wanted were available so that there would be no mishaps.

Jekas had done the same and he doubted Rangrick hadn't. The Humans were a touch different as their evolution was more... involved. Vulwin's gaze turned toward the small bundles tied to their hips subconsciously.

The Racial Trait Humans had was fascinating to him, and this would be his first time witnessing such an event. He estimated he'd see so many he'd eventually get sick of them, but he was looking forward to the first. The Planet they were going to was filled with Humans, after all.

"We, the Emporium, await good results from each of you." Gorgas finished and stepped off the stage.

Even with his speech concluded, everyone still waited anxiously in the Large Hall. The Planet wouldn't open until every marker was colored, and there were still a few grey ones yet to turn.

As another changed to green, that left only one more and then they would be off.

"What do you think the name is?" Jekas asked to break up the silence.

Vulwin didn't take his eyes off the last uncolored marker, "I don't know and I don't care."

Jekas gave him a side eye, "You don't care what the Planet you're going to is named? I find that hard to believe."

In all the reports they had in addition to the projection in front of them, the Planet was designated NI-151-104. It wouldn't be changed until the natives themselves elected to change it, or it was conquered and renamed.

While Jekas was right, and Vulwin did care what its designation ended up being, now wasn't the time to ponder on it. They were moments away from teleporting!

"I wager it's some variation of Earth. It seems like all natives name it after the ground for some reason. Don't you find that odd?" Jekas remarked.

Vulwin only grunted. Earth, or some variation of Earth, be it Stonehome, Rockhome, or the like, was by far the most common designation natives called their Planet.

"What would this make it, Earth-328?" Jekas mused.

There weren't 328 different Planets all called Earth. That would be needlessly confusing, but it was humorous that so many decided on the same name.

The last marker turned green and Jekas stopped talking.

Here we go!