Chapter 65: Ch63. Hall of The Seers
As soon as Miles told him what he was going to do, Diego left the apartment building and stepped out onto the cracked sidewalk, his boots crunching against loose gravel as the last remnants of daylight bled across the skyline.
The sun dipped low, painting the horizon in streaks of orange and violet, while the towering city loomed like a silent sentinel against the coming night.
Most players had already retreated to the [Safe Zones], unwilling to risk encounters with Beasts and Monsters that started roaming the streets lately by night. But Diego had time. Especially not now.
He checked his wristwatch and noticed the date. March the 26th of 2025, almost a month after Miles had disappeared, due to his [Hidden Quest].
Now that he had come back, Diego had to make sure he would not be separated from his best friend – his brother – unless something really bad struck. And because of that, a smile crossed his lips as he noticed that the items he had ordered from Mara, the city’s most renowned craftswoman, must have been ready by now.
With a final glance back at Miles’ apartment, he pulled his hood over his head and started walking.
The streets were eerily quiet, save for the distant echo of wind whistling through broken buildings. Diego moved quickly, weaving between alleys and past makeshift barricades where scattered groups of players huddled in the waning light. He ignored their hushed voices and wary gazes, his destination close.
A few blocks later, he arrived at a small shop tucked between two reinforced buildings that were made into makeshift safe zones, untouched by the system, but well-guarded from the nightly dangers by its keepers, whom none of the players dared to speak of.
Maybe that was why Mara’s shop was so safe, but Diego dared not to ask. The shop’s neon sign read: Mara’s Crafting & Enchantments.
Diego stepped inside, the familiar scent of smelted metal and rare herbs filling his lungs. The dim lighting cast flickering shadows across the cluttered workshop, where shelves lined with trinkets, enchanted weapons, rare artifacts, and peculiar flasks surrounded the space.
Behind the counter, a short, silver-haired woman sat hunched over her worktable, goggles pushed high onto her forehead. She looked up at him with sharp, knowing eyes and smirked.