The Earth After Rebirth

When Kiro got into his room, he showered again, then put the head gear on. Good thing school hadn't started yet. They could game for days without worry.

Immediately after logging in, they were just outside the beginners village. There were no portals from there to the capital, every newbie had to walk there. For a real experience of how it was before carriages were invented.

And sure enough, they didn't have their levels hovering over their heads.

Ding!

[Welcome! Asgardian. You're now a seasoned player. You can take on mature responsibilities. Like buying land, crafting weapons and armour, creating a guild, take on quests that threaten the very existence of Asgard. Are you ready? Good Luck!]

There weren't many players going to the capital. As they walked toward the capital, they bumped into a girl they knew. Isla Silva! Kiro couldn't decide which was more beautiful, the game her or the real life her.

The journey would be about a month long.

"Can we join you guys? Ah, this is Saanvi Khan. She's a priest." Isla said and introduced her companion.

"Yeah sure, the more the merrier." Kiro said.

"I'm Hiro, this grouch is Kiro." He attempted an awkward smile, "he's a Sage, I'm a craftsman." Hiro continued.

The view before them was truly majestic. The forest ran as far as their eyes could see and beyond that forest, was the capital of Asgard, the capital of gods. It would take them almost a full month, in-game time to get there. The journey wouldn't be easy. It would be a hard perilous one.

It was apparently winter outside the beginner's village, as everything was white, as though covered in snow but with a closer inspection, this was their 'natural' state.

Kiro had a feeling this wouldn't be easy, it was Asgard after all, it wouldn't be it without lurking dangers. This was too part of the game, it was akin to a quest. Only you don't get special rewards just monster loot.

The real world didn't have this many trees. It was refreshing to see and smell. They walked as if tourists. Taking in every scene, every scent. They knew that, soon enough they'd have to fight whatever dangers were in that gigantic forest. So they made the most of their none monster time.

"How's life in the lower district? I've never been there." Saanvi inquired snapping them out of their hypnotic state.

"Count your blessings. Life there is completely, and utterly disgraceful. How's life in high society, living it up?" Kiro asked, slightly bitter and agitated.

"Money isn't everything you know. There are more important things." It was Isla who interjected, she sensed the bitterness in his voice.

Kiro rolled his eyes, snorted and said, "you know, you can only hear that from rich people. Us common folk need it to survive." He stopped and let them digest what he had just said and continued, "you see. The house I grew up in is so small, that you can hear anything happening from every other room.

"My parents had to work 20 hours a day since I was born. Just to save up enough to send me here in this academy. The streets in the lower district are even worse, people like us don't deserve hospital treatments. You get shot on the streets, your body will likely rot there. Ever smelled a rotting corpse? That's life in the lower district."

Hiro side-eyed his friend as if to tell him 'stop it.' Both girls were quiet. Clearly shaken at the story. More than anything, Isla was visibly furious that there are actual human beings living like that. She was at a loss for words, but even with this story, she knew there were more important things than money.

"I won't pretend like we don't need money to survive. Humans are just inherently greedy, and once taken over by that greed, they don't share at all, they lose their humanity.

"I'd lost count about the times people pretended to befriend me, only to use me as a connection. It hurts. Money reveals people and their nature. There are a very few people who can remain humble while they're at the top. I absolutely hate this lifestyle. I hate this society and how most of our population are treated as scum."

Isla hadn't intended to give a lecture but ended up doing it. By the end she was exasperated.

"Still sounds like rich people problems to me. Try living in a mould infested house." Kiro said nonchalantly.

The two hadn't noticed that their going back and forth, had totally left Hiro and Saanvi out of the conversation. The eyes of the two kept going back and forth, occasionally nodding to both of them in agreement.

"Then, would you give your family up for money?" Isla asked.

She really had him this time. In his past life he would've probably said yes. Knowing everything, having seen everything. Kiro knew that nothing was more important than family. They were both right in their arguments of course, but Kiro's argument was destroyed here as Isla provided him with something that was more important than money.

He simply shook his head at the question, he couldn't say anything else. He couldn't refute. He was on a mission to get his family money after all.

He didn't see it, but Isla smiled and blushed at his answer. It seemed her like for him deepened. Not only did he not cower before her, he attempted to put her in her place. She appreciated that he wasn't sucking up to her.

Kiro internally commanded the girl. Not many rich folks can have a sound argument without getting defensive and calling the poor, lazy people who just won't climb the ladder. Her points were actually valid. So were his. In life, problems will always follow you.

He found himself admiring Isla. She had opened his eyes to something else entirely, 'money reveals people's nature.' This part especially stayed with him. He wondered what kind of human will he be once he was at the top. He promised himself to share with the poor once he's at the top, though he hadn't the slightest clue as to how.

"Uhm, so then, if you're so poor, how'd you afford to play this game?" Saanvi asked.

Isla sighed deeply at her question. The girl was truly tactless. She was innocently näive to a fault, but she was also slightly curious about how they managed to afford the game.

"Easy. We borrowed from our next semester's tuition." It was Hiro who answered her.