I read the circle of Divers as I close in, careful not to let the wrong expression slip too soon.
Five of them. Three men, two women. From the posture, the noise, and the confidence spread too thin, none of them has spent enough time in Thirstfall to understand that strength loaned by the system doesn't turn cowardice into courage.
This is a starter zone. If I'm right, they're weaker than the cadets I faced at the Academy. At least the nobles had been trained before their first Dive. These ones look like they mistook their first stat bump for a moral license to step on people.
And the cruelest part is that Ocean's Law won't lift a finger for the woman on the ground.
Divers take a penalty when they attack other Divers outside the rules. The system registers the assault, calculates the damage, charges the bill. But Drowneds don't get the same protection. They carry no body back on Earth. No anchor, no status, no interface flashing a violation.
