[Novice Mage Robe (Common) is equipped.]
Silas checked the stats of his new robe and set it to be invisible, so despite wearing it, no one would see him in an unfamiliar garment.
----
Novice Mage Robe (Common)
Health: 50
Curse Reduction: 1.00%
Additional Stats:
Attack: 12
----
He couldn't help but smile. The additional 12 points in [Attack] brought his total to 202. In Heroes of Destiny, every time [Attack] surpassed a hundred, there was a significant change in skill animation. When his [Attack] had reached 100, his skills had grown noticeably in size.
The laboratory was housed in a separate building next to the library. They exited through the left wing and found themselves on a pathway made of alternating red and black stones, leading to a three-story building with a simpler design. A pond in the garden reflected the light of the blue moon, casting a serene glow. The building's exterior was beautiful, but inside, Silas felt suffocated by the tall piles of boxes cluttering every corner. On their way to the second floor, they encountered another man. Silas thought he was a servant, but the glare he sent Grifor suggested otherwise.
"Who is that?" the wizard asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
"You could say he's my neighbor; our laboratories are across from one another."
Silas only grasped the full meaning of Grifor's words when they reached a wide hallway lined with elaborate doors. He saw a door painted white and another gleaming black, which he assumed was made of obsidian. Each door had a golden plaque with the owner's name inscribed on it. Alchemist: Grifor Sandan.
In the game, this building was merely decorative. Players couldn't enter it as it served no other purpose than enhancing the overall appearance of the Great Archives.
They stopped before a marble door with intricate symbols written in blue ink. The blue light from a nearby lamp reflected off the glistening surface. Inside, the first thing Silas noticed was the three tall windows allowing moonlight to flood the room. They descended a flight of stairs before Grifor ushered them to wait on a dusty sofa.
"These are the things I want," he said, showing samples of plants. "The pale blue one is called Moonlight Tulips. This red one that resembles whiskers is known as Redcat Whiskers, and these horrible-looking babies," he said, waving a root crop with dark-blue skin that looked rather human, "are Blue Mandrakes."
While Finn talked with Grifor, Silas let his eyes wander around the room. Floor-to-ceiling shelves lined every wall, filled with various beakers, glasses, and ready-made potions of different colors. Their appearance strikingly resembled the special potions he used to drink.
"Let's go," Finn said.
Silas nodded and followed the boy to the door, glancing back one last time to see Grifor watching him. The old man's gaze made Silas feel like a child caught doing something wrong. He smiled awkwardly and quickly averted his eyes.
When they finally reached the library's entrance, Finn suggested they continue tomorrow morning. Silas felt relieved, knowing he would finally sleep early tonight. As he followed Finn, he soon realized they were taking an unfamiliar route. He stopped, placing his left hand behind his back.
"Where are you taking me?"
Finn looked at him, frowning in confusion. "I'm taking you outside to eat. Aren't you hungry? I know a good place."
Silas waited.
"That's where I go… when I feel like the wor—" Finn struggled to express himself, so Silas cut him off.
"If this is because of what happened earlier, you don't need to do anything," Silas said. "I just had a shock, that's all there is to it."
"Look, I'm doing this out of kindness, not pity. But if you still think like that, then let me rephrase. I'm inviting you to a place I know as a form of gratitude for what you did for me and my sister. Is that reason acceptable to you?"
For a moment, Silas couldn't find the words to reject Finn's offer. But he also didn't see a reason to accept it either. He just stood there, the hand he had hidden behind his back falling to his side. Would he gain anything from it? Certainly not. But what made him hesitate, he wondered.
When Finn continued walking, he followed instead of turning back. After being transmigrated into this world, he hadn't stopped thinking that this place was nothing more than a game. He viewed the people he met as either important NPCs, like Danavar, or passing ones, like Jack, Ben, and Sam. He never considered them as real people.
But today was the closest he had come to a human connection. Perhaps it was because of how close their age was or for what happened earlier. The boy's sympathy, though annoying to some extent, was sincere.
'It wouldn't hurt to get to know the people of this world,' he thought as he walked side by side with Finn.
The place Finn mentioned was at the end of a narrow alley. Silas only calmed down after seeing light coming from the street. It reminded him of the words about finding light at the end of tunnels.
The sudden burst of light blinded him for a moment, and he blinked as his eyes adjusted. They stood before a two-story building made of wood and stone, with a leaning chimney emitting slow-moving clouds of smoke. As they neared the entrance, Silas smelled the aroma of burnt coffee beans and heard laughter mingling with orchestral music. A sign hung on a metal bracket by the door that reads: Hidden Alley House.
"What is this place?" Silas asked as soon as they sat at a table near a window.
Finn shrugged. "Some say it's an inn, others call it a restaurant, and the drunkards call it a pub."
Silas glanced around. Small lamps hung from the wooden beams, mimicking the stars at night. A waitress arrived to take their order, and Silas signaled that he was fine with anything. It was only courteous.
When the food arrived, Silas couldn't help but get lost in thought. He realized that everything in this world, including the people he had met, were strange but also complex. But at the same time that some of them were good-hearted. Leaning back in his chair, he stared at the food before him. 'It wouldn't hurt to know more about this world… and its people.'