Chapter 170: Ch168. Mara’s Forge - Crafts and Gear
The sun barely pierced the soot-colored clouds hanging over the newly renovated capital. The streets buzzed with the noise of merchants shouting, machines clanging, and the thick scent of burnt metal wafting through the air.
Cass led the group through the narrow alleyways behind the eastern district, her movements sure and steady. The others followed behind her, their footsteps echoing against the cracked concrete.
Mara’s Forge – Crafts and Gear sat between a laundromat and a café that no one remembered ever opening. The sign above the door was carved metal, hammered into shape rather than printed, with the name etched in a lettering that shimmered faintly under the streetlights. The glass front was dark, a "CLOSED" sign dangling crookedly, but the faint thrum of energy buzzed just under the surface, as if the building itself was holding its breath.
"You’re kidding..." Jake muttered, struggling to keep up. His was still sore from the combat, since their potions, even though they healed their wounds, were not of such good quality as to relieve them from all pain. "You actually know Mara?"
"No way!" Riven added, his voice high with surprise. "This can’t be the same Mara from the stories."
"Yeah. I trained under her for a bit. She used to say my hammer swings looked like I was trying to swat a fly." Cass didn’t glance back.
"She... Mara?" Alric said, his voice hitching in disbelief. "That Mara? You’re funny Cass, seriously."
"I’m telling the truth, guys." She reached the door and rang the bell. There was a slight crackle of energy, but Cass didn’t look like she felt pain or anything.
"The one who fought in the [Mouth of the Abyss]?" Elise added, her eyes beginning to widen. "The First Dungeon?" She paused, and then added. "I thought she was a myth."
"Come on, guys!" Cass glared at Riven and Alric. "She’s real." She smirked. "Grumpy, but real."
The door opened before them, heat spilling out through it.