"Now you might have noticed that you don't see anyone but humans around here, have you wondered about that?" Ozias asked as he leaned back into the seat and his eyes glinted with a depth of years. "It's because its forbidden for races to mingle with each other. The gods don't like it. If you venture into the places forbidden for you and try to get smart with the divines, you will face punishment worse than anything. Thus every race stays in their own respective continent. There are cold war's here and there but, it has been more than two century since the last curse."
Saad's attention was rapt as Ozias explained the segregation of races into their respective continents. It seemed that racial boundaries were strict, and the notion of crossing them was not to be trifled with. In this new world, it was as if an invisible boundary kept different races apart, preventing them from venturing where they didn't belong.
'An uncharted territory for now,' Saad mused to himself, 'but who knows for how long.
Yet, even as Ozias painted this picture of division, Saad couldn't shake the conviction that players would challenge these boundaries. After all, the nature of a gamer was to explore, to push the limits, to go where others hadn't dared. The boundary, he believed, was an invitation.
Ozias wove his narrative, introducing a concept that sent ripples of intrigue through Saad's thoughts.
"The curse of Gods is not to be trifled with. There were warriors who tried to go against the Gods and tried to strike them down but in the end they couldn't transcend their limits and were all struck by the curse and so, it just backfired. A blessing is powerful and so is a curse. Even now no one is foolish even to try and challenge the Gods. So, You must never try to cross the borders."
He spoke of the Curse of Gods, the relentless consequences that befell anyone who dared to cross these racial boundaries. Each race had its own unique pantheon of deities, and interference with their realms was met with punishment that haunted the transgressor throughout their virtual existence.
'The Curse of Gods,' Saad repeated, 'a heavy price for defying their laws.'
The mention of curses struck a discordant note in Saad's mind. He pondered the nature of his own character, Kael. Wasn't he, in some way, afflicted with a curse as well? The thought clung to his mind, a mystery that demanded unraveling in this vast and enigmatic virtual world.
But now the question was – Did these curses affect players in the same way as NPCs?
"Do you know what these monsters are? Have you thought of it?" Ozias asked, and before Saad could reply, the sashimi floated in the air and disappeared into Ozias's mouth. The man nodded and continued, "I told you about the unauthorized land, right? Some say it's the demonic land, while others claim it's the land of the exiled. Reaching that land is extremely difficult, and even if you manage to get there, survival is unlikely. They also say it's just cursed, that the Gods' wrath has befallen it. Some even claim the God of that land defied the norm and met his end in a battle against other deities. It's a mystery." Ozias tapped his chin thoughtfully, and Saad was wholly engrossed in the story.
"Are you curious?" Ozias asked with eyes now glinting like a child as he leaned forward and Saad shrugged his shoulders.
"I am curious but I am too weak currently to even consider going there," Saad explained, having chosen the best answer among the solutions.
Ozias nodded with almost his whole upper body, elbow on the table as he stared with a piercing gaze, "I noticed that. Your vitality is locked. What an unusual condition."
Saad was shocked as he stared at the old man. How did he see through his stats? He thought that it was something only players could do and only on NPCs!
Ozias looked at him and then chuckled, not apologetic as he pointed towards his eyes, "Not everyone can do it. But I have the 'gaze of a sage'. There is not much one can hide from me. But just to be fair, would you like to take a look at my potential?" Ozias asked and Saad didn't know if he should or not.
Why Ozias did even looked at his stats? For fun? Was that part of his personality? Did he do that for everyone? Talking to Ozias increased his questions. He wasn't going to pass on the opportunity and nodded and the old man grinned.
Character Window - ID: S70567
==============================
Name: Ozias ???
Age: ???
Race: Transcended Human
Soul Resonance: Harmony IV
Main Class: Sword Sage Sub Class: ???
Job: Master of Whip Tower, The shackled one
Titles: Revered Sage
Main Weapon: ??? Sub Weapon: ???
Level: ???
HP: ???
Attributes:
----------------
Stamina: 5540 Strength: 5660
Agility: 6800 Intelligence: 7584
Charm: 3550 Dexterity: 5600
Vitality: 5800 Arcane Points: 15800
Fame: ??? Potential: Golden star
Saad stared at the astounding attributes in utter shock. Did this even make sense? He gaped at the old man, and soon the screen disappeared.
"So, what do you think? Impressive, right?" The old man leaned forward on the table, and Saad was momentarily lost for words.
What in the world was going on with these monstrous stats?
The status points were beyond insane. Just what kind of being was this guy? More importantly, he wasn't a whip master but rather a Sword sage.
"Your class is Sword Sage?" Saad inquired, his confusion palpable. Ozias raised his eyebrows and nodded, as if he could discern the thoughts racing through Saad's mind.
"You're surprised? Did you think that the one administering the test for whip mastery would be a whip master?" He chuckled and then affirmed, "Whips fall under the category of weapons, and weapons are part of the warrior's branch, so I oversee them. That being said, I'm intrigued by your choice of weapon."