[hr][hr][center][color=#C9FFC9][h2]Dominik[/h2][/color][/center]
[hr][center]Location: Town of Beginnings - The Inn - Bar[/center][hr][hr]

Dominik sighed into his mug, thinking back on his day.

He'd started off bright and early, getting the jump on the masses in order to grind some fast cash. He'd watched as a pair of pre-teens fought a boar and lost, thinking it was business as usual for an MMO. He'd stepped in to help a few solo players into the swing of things, earning himself a few contacts and future favors. He'd managed to scrounge up 30 gold by the time everyone had been forcibly teleported back into the center of town.

Then there was the announcement. Dominik wasn't convinced of the specifics - for all he knew, those who died simply weren't allowed to respawn, thus making them "dead" for all intents and purposes. However, it was certain that those he saw die never came back, and that the logout button was no longer present in the menus. The prospect was more exciting than it was terrifying to Dominik. Sure, his life was suddenly on the line in a game he'd died numerous times in over the course of the beta alone. However, Dominik thrived in high-stakes environments, and this most certainly fit the bill.

After the announcement he'd made a beeline to his favorite NPC smithy from the beta - it was something about the NPC's slightly humorous delivery of lines that made it stick with him. Once there, he'd been disappointed by the offerings. It seemed that shields were nowhere to be found, leading him to suspect that they were either in a more difficult level's shop or relegated to a craft-or-drop-only situation. Either way, nothing in the shop was different enough from his starting gear to warrant a purchase - no sign of a two-handed sword or a rapier, and the armor sets didn't interest him. In all, he left with much more money than he'd expected to keep.

Back in the fields he fought with an added level of caution, though it was likely not necessary due to his prior experience. He called it a day after building up to 50 gold and after seeing countless disappearances in much the same manner as Konoha's, which he hadn't witnessed. It made him quite glad he'd foregone his anti-addiction program. Discounting the risks of forcibly disconnecting a full dive mid-session, it was quite likely that doing so would make him unable to return to this world. It wasn't that he didn't wish to return to the real world, though; he simply didn't want to miss out on what this virtual world had in store for him.

That left him here at the inn's bar with two players he'd gotten to know during the beta test. Both had focused on crafting during the beta and used Dominik's business know-how to get their wares to players at decent profit. One, a twintailed brunette in orange armor, was currently bawling into the counter in an alcohol-fueled bout of oppressive sadness. The other, a man who was the spitting image of a very tall dwarf, was gripped by a giggle fit as he tried to calm her by patting her on the back. Dominik merely sighed into his mug once more.

[i][color=#C9FFC9]In hindsight, I helped the developers make alcohol's effects far too realistic.[/color][/i] There came a crash from the other side of the room, where two teens were in the midst of their first experience with the delicious, fiery substance. Dominik smiled at their antics, remembering his own college days. They weren't all great, but taking them one at a time had certainly made for a good experience.

[i][color=#C9FFC9]One day at a time.[/color][/i]

The day wasn't over yet, meaning there was still some value to be gleaned. Dominik scanned the room, looking for anyone who might be of interest to himself or his colleagues. Surely there was someone who'd be willing to take a drink with them.