In what way is narrator of the story special?

I believe that John is special because he explores the forbidden east.  He goes to the Place of the Gods and survives to tell about it.  Nobody else from his tribe has ever done that.  

John tells his readers early on that he is the son of a priest.  He is in training to be a priest, because he went to the Dead Places with another priest (his father), held a piece of metal, and didn't die.  Because of that, John is now going to be a future priest.  That grants him the best foods and the nice spot next to the fire.  He is also taught to read and do basic first aid.  

After that, they gave me the good piece of meat and the warm corner of the fire. . . I was taught the chants and the spells—l was taught how to stop the running of blood from a wound and many secrets. . .  I was taught how to read in the old books and how to make the old writings—that was hard and took a long time.