7 Status Matters Here.

After heading off for the day, Rowan resumed his day-to-day life, completing his university assignments, completing chores, the works.

In his free time, he would be preoccupied with Tyranny.

The next day, after heading home and completing his assignments, Rowan logged back into the game, finding himself in the same location that he had logged out in.

As he logged in though, a guard from the village gates approached him and lowered his head in respect.

"Greetings, warrior. Your skill would make a fine guest for our Oakmoss Village. If you please, good sir, would you like to come in?" asked the guard.

The gathering of players that were initially curious at the sight burst into an uproar. A large murmuring swept through the crowd in a fit of confusion, rumors spreading rapidly through the community.

A player then asked "Hey guard! Why does he get to enter, huh? What makes him so much better?"

The players were angered due to the vast difference in treatment the guards granted them in comparison to Eidiri.

Hearing all sorts of complaints, feelings of confusion and nervousness were aroused within Eidiri.

Nervously, he asked, "Ummm... excuse me, sir? What exactly does make me so different from the rest of my people."

The guard lost a bit of the respect on his face, "Ah I see. A lucky awakened then. By asking such a question I'm going to assume that you bear no knowledge on this issue."

"See the issue here is that you are awakened while the others are not. By developing your own skills, you have become a person of talent. If you would perform your skill as proof, that would greatly aid my explanation," ended the guard.

Hearing this, he complied and activated Fury Fist, his fist bearing an ominous red tint.

After seeing this, the guard continued his explanation, "See now? What you have just performed is the basis for qualifying as a person," he turned to the rest of assembled players, "the rest of you are just unorganized, talentless rabble, unqualified to live as the lowliest of peasants."

"We of the Oakmoss Village and all others have no time nor the resources to spare for people like you," the guard uttered harshly.

The crowd of players was angered greatly, reasonably so, as they had just been called useless and other derogatory words.

Such insults roused their blood, but they dared not to do anything, except for a few.

These players indignantly yelled out the guard, raining all sorts of insults upon him.

"You dog!" cried one.

"Ba*tard" yelled another.

"Arrogant swine", these expletives kept coming out.

The guard's temper was provoked and suddenly he rushed forward, sweeping out his spear and knocking those who had insulted him to the floor before the players could react.

After wiping off some imaginary dirt, he then said, "And that is the difference between those awakened and those who are not. The awakened deserve the utmost respect and you shall give it. You whine and whine as if the world owes you something," he paused briefly, "well know this, it owes you absolutely nothing."

Then he placed his hand on Eidiri's shoulder, "Now come with me, let's get you out of this cesspool of filth."

He guided Eidiri towards the village, called to the guard manning the gate, and let him into the village.

Following that, he resumed his post on the village wall, keeping a vigilant watch on the surroundings.

-

The village was a bustling hub of activity, merchants hawking their wares, people strolling the streets, etc.

As he entered the village, another guard walked up to him, holding something in his hand.

"You'll need this in order to enter the village by yourself from now on. It's basically verification of your identity as an awakened. Now as a newly awakened you must know that despite having a new world of possibilities, you are but a drop of water in the ocean."

"Oh, what am I saying, you probably haven't seen the ocean yet. It's truly a vast and majestic sight."

Receiving the entry token to the village, he proceeded onwards, glancing around as he walked through the square.

Amid all the hustle and bustle of the village, a lowly beggar can be seen, crying out the same words over and over, "Please help! Would someone please save my son! Anyone! Please!"

Deciding to see what this was all about, Eidiri asked a merchant nearby, "Hey, what's the deal with that person?"

The merchant replied, "Oh him? That's Old Rick, he lost his son to the attack on the village about a month back. His son went missing but it's been so long. I mean the event really was tragic, but there's not much we can do for him really."

This is a classic conversation for some sort of quest, a family member or friend goes missing and they want you to retrieve them. Classic move.

Walking up to Old Tom, he asks "Hey there, would you like me to help you find your son?"

"Wait really? You'll actually help me?" the red-eyed man asked.

"Yep. Now it'll be best if we head off right away, try to get to him as early as possible. And I don't mean to rain on anything here, but can you be sure that he's really still, well, alive?" Eidiri asked.

"Not really. Not that it matters. A father just has to know. I have to know what happened to him."

"It doesn't matter anyway, you can't help out," Old Tom rejected Eidiri's offer for help.

"Wait what do you mean? Don't you want help?" asked Eidiri confusedly.

"You're too weak to help. A newly awakened. Taking on the Outerworld? Ha, you're a bard, aren't you? Funny lad, eh?" replied Tom.

"Wait what do you mean the Outerworld? What's that? What's all of this about? What does your son have to do with it?" asked Eidiri hurriedly.

"It's the endgame, lad. It's the end of all things," Tom solemnly said.

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