[12] Patrol

In the days that followed our rejection of Eldham's offer, I found myself frequently at Elara's side, fulfilling my role as her bodyguard, which didn't make much sense, cause she was much more stronger then me at combat, so its more like the other way around. The tension within Lyrinthia was palpable, and we were both keenly aware of the potential threats that could emerge at any moment.

One quiet evening, as we patrolled the perimeters of Lyrinthia, I decided to breach a topic we hadn't yet explored – life outside the game. "Elara," I started cautiously, "I've been wondering... What's your life like outside GoK?"

Elara glanced at me, a hint of surprise in her eyes, before a wry smile crossed her face. "Straight to the personal shit, huh? Well, I guess it's fair game. Outside this world, I'm just Elara. I live in a tiny apartment, surviving on takeout and the thrill of playing this goddamn game."

Her tone was light, but I detected a layer of weariness beneath it. "How about you? What's life like for the mighty Wang outside of being Lyrinthia's sword-wielding hero?"

I chuckled at her description. "Not much different. I'm a college student at UCLA. But like everyone else, I'm here because it's one of the few ways to make real money anymore. AI's taken over just about everything else."

Elara nodded, her expression turning contemplative. "Yeah, it's a fked up world out there. Jobs are scarce, and what's left barely pays the bills. GoK's become more than a game. It's a livelihood. Convert in-game gold to real currency, and suddenly you're not just playing for points; you're playing to keep your lights on."

We walked in silence for a moment, both lost in our thoughts about the realities of the world outside.

"Is that why you play so hard? For the money?" I asked, curious about what drove her.

Elara stopped walking, looking up at the virtual stars. "Partly, yeah. But it's more than that. Here, I'm not just another face in the crowd, struggling to make ends meet. I'm Elara, leader of Lyrinthia. I make decisions that matter, build something that's mine. It's empowering, you know?"

I nodded, understanding her sentiment. "I get it. In here, we're more than our circumstances. We're creators, leaders, fighters. We have control."

She resumed walking, a determined glint in her eye. "Exactly. Out there, the world's a mess, and we're just trying to survive it. But in here, we're shaping our world, on our terms. It's a hell of a lot more rewarding."

As we continued our patrol, a question that had been lingering in my mind since joining the game surfaced. "Elara, what happens if... you know, we die in the game?"

Elara glanced at me, a smirk playing on her lips. "Planning on dying soon, Wang?"

"No, just... curious," I replied, feeling slightly sheepish for asking what seemed like a newbie question.

She chuckled lightly before answering. "Alright, here's the deal. If you die in-game, you lose 10% of your gold and exp and you're slapped with a 24-hour respawn timer on top of that. It's like a forced time-out, gives you a moment to reflect on your poor life choices."

I raised my eyebrows, surprised by the severity of the penalty. "24 hours? That's harsh."

"Damn right, it's harsh," Elara agreed. "It's to add some stakes to the game. You can't just throw yourself into battle without thinking and expect to be back in five minutes. Death here has consequences."

"And what happens during those 24 hours? Are you just... gone?" I asked, trying to imagine what a forced hiatus from the game would feel like.

"You get booted back to the lobby, the limbo of GoK. You can't interact with the game world, but you can spectate. Some use it to learn from their mistakes, others just use it to sulk," she explained.

"That's brutal," I commented. "And what if you need to go AFK for a while? Is there a penalty for that too?"

Elara nodded. "Yeah, there's an AFK timeout penalty. Go inactive for too long, and the game kicks you out. It's to prevent players from just parking their avatars in-game and clogging up the space. Plus, it keeps the game dynamic – only active players influencing the world."

I considered the implications. "So, every action, every decision here really matters. You can't just hit 'reset' and start over."

"Exactly," she said, her tone serious. "In GoK, you've got to be strategic, think about the long game. It's not just mindless play; it's about making calculated moves, building alliances, and knowing when to fight and when to hold back."

As we continued our patrol, I mulled over her words. The game's mechanics were designed to mirror real-life consequences – death and inactivity had real penalties. It added a layer of realism and gravity to the game, making each decision, each battle, and each alliance that much more significant.

"Don't think about it too much." Elara said. "After all the secret to not dying is..."

"Not dying?" I finished her sentence. 

"Precisely. Oh, the young ones learn so fast..." She muttered more to herself.

"We are about the same age you know?"

"How old are you?" Elara asked.

"18." I said.

"I am older then you." She said.

"You are not going to tell you my age, after I told you mine?"

"Nope. All I can say is, I am a few years older then you. Now come along, you still have much to learn young padawn."

Q: Do you think the in game death punishment is too harsh?