The Eye That Saw The End (2)

Atlas frowned.Quests disappear, NPCs appear…

"Maybe it's related to the Eye of Silence?"

Because his assignment also looked out of the ordinary.

He wrote down the links to the discussions in his notebook and closed his phone

"It's time to get into the game. Dra'Myr is waiting."

Atlas put on a VR helmet, took a deep breath

"Okay, let's see what awaits us next."

[Diving...]

[Location: A temporary camp near the ruins of the temple]

[Level: 7]

[Profession: The Scavenger]

[ Mountain Monster: Air Shark (Sin)]

The sensations returned instantly.The fresh wind, the rustle of leaves, the distant cries of birds.Sin hovered nearby, swaying lazily in the air.

[System Notification]:

You have successfully exited the rest mode.

"My plan for today is to get to the Dra'Myr find the world's library and learn more about the artifact"

The journey would take a couple of hours of game time.Atlas looked at the map.

"Along the way, I could check out a couple of interesting places that I haven't visited yet, maybe I'll raise the level..."

Atlas turned his companion around and headed towards the Grove of Shadow Trees.

This section of the forest was unpopular with the players, as many were afraid of the shadows created by the old, twisted trees.

The forest had long been overgrown, and the area itself was considered abandoned. But that was his charm. It's not often that you find something useful in such forgotten corners of the world.

The wind changed.

The noise of the foliage became muffled, and the air became heavy. Atlas walked along moss-covered paths, between trees whose twisted branches seemed to reach out to him, but did not touch him.

In the depths of the forest, where the light barely penetrated through the dense cover of foliage, he noticed an unusual shine.

"Is there something in the bushes?"

Atlas decided to get closer. Each step was careful, trying not to break the silence that reigned around. His shark was swimming nearby, staying close, ready to defend itself.

And then he saw it.

On the ground, almost hidden in the grass, was an engraved silver ring covered with dust. Atlas bent down, reached out, and picked it up. The smallest details of the pattern on the ring immediately attracted attention.

[System Notification]:

[You have discovered an artifact: A Ring of Shadow Paths.]

[Note: This ring is connected to ancient magical paths that can be traveled stealthily and instantly.]

[Level: 10]

[Required usage level: 20]

"Damn, it looks like someone threw this artifact out of use... and I only have level 7, I'll put it in my inventory, it might come in handy."

Atlas continued walking, clutching the ring in his hand. He felt a strange warmth from his touch, as if the ring was responding to his intentions. Suddenly, he noticed movement among the trees—a shadow with long claws flashed between the trunks.

It was a monster—one of the rare creatures that live here. His cloak merged with the surrounding nature, and in the blink of an eye, he disappeared, leaving behind only a light trace.

Atlas stopped and took a closer look.The shadow between the trees moved silently, its outlines disappearing and reappearing. This creature was not a simple mob. It didn't attack immediately, as if it was watching…

The air shark hovered in the air, hissing with tension.

Atlas carefully followed the trail.

The ground was wet, but the footprints didn't look like the usual paw or hoof prints.It looked more like spots of shadow energy extending deep into the grove.

He turned on his special vision, activating one of the passive skills of the scavenger:

– "Search for the lost."

[System Notification]: The "Search for Lost" skill has been activated.

[You see abnormal objects that are invisible to the ordinary eye.]

The world has changed.The shadows became denser, and the ghostly outlines of old ruins flashed among the trees.This place was hiding something important. The tension was building.

Atlas slowly moved forward, clutching the weapon in his hand.The shadow creature moved cautiously, but it didn't run away. It seemed to be playing with him, appearing among the trees and then disappearing into the darkness.

The air shark hovered nearby, ready to attack.

"I need to understand what I'm dealing with."

He braced himself by activating Search for Lost to get a better look at the anomaly.

[System Notification]: You have noticed a hidden target.

[Ghost Hunter] : (Level 9)

[Type: Shadow Beast]

[Feature: High speed, invisible in the shadows]

The opponent is stronger than him.But if you use the right strategy ...

"The main thing is not to let him control the fight."

Atlas abruptly threw a stone to the side, testing the reaction.

A rustle. Movement.

The ghost hunter appeared for a moment, and that was enough.

–Sin, go ahead!

The air shark abruptly darted towards the shadow beast, leaving a swirl of dust in its wake.

The Ghost Hunter instinctively jumped aside, hiding in the shadows of the trees.

But the attack wasn't for damage.Atlas waited.

[System Notification]: Your companion uses the skill "Wind Vortex".

The beast could not completely dissolve — the flow of air disrupted the concentration of shadow energy, which caused the silhouette of the creature to become clearer.

Atlas didn't hesitate.He rushed forward, clutching his weapon.Atlas didn't give the ghost hunter a chance to recover.

As soon as the air shark tore off his shadow cover, he rushed forward with lightning speed.The first blow is a direct blow to the side of the beast.

The shadow beast staggered back, but did not manage to escape into the shadows.

[System Notification]: You have dealt 35 damage.

The second blow is short, from bottom to top.The blade sliced off part of the ghostly matter, causing the hunter to let out a low growl.

[System Notification]: Critical damage! 70 damage points!

Atlas didn't stop.The third, fourth, fifth blows... the beast thrashed, but the air shark blocked the escape route.

The hunter visibly weakened.But he could still try to escape.Atlas knew he couldn't let him get away, so he gripped the weapon tighter.

The Ghost Hunter was trembling, trying to merge back into the shadows, but his body was already thinning.

–No, you're not leaving.

Atlas took a leap forward.The last blow is strong and accurate.The blade passed through the ghostly matter of the beast, tearing it apart like mist.

The Ghost Hunter khotnik let out a dull roar and scattered in a flash of shadow.

[System Notification]: You have defeated the "Ghost Hunter" (Level 9)!

You have gained 320 experience points.

You have received a "Shadow Skin Fragment (rare)".

You have received the "Ghost Hunter's Claw".

[System Notification]: Your level has been raised! (Level 8)

Atlas quickly put a marker on the map—he wasn't going to lose sight of this place.The Grove of Shadow Trees was definitely hiding something else, but right now his path lay to Dra'Myr.

[System Notification]: The custom label "Grove of Shadow Trees" has been set.

[Placemark Effect]: Now you can quickly navigate this location and see it on the map.

The journey took several hours.The air shark flew nearby, sometimes rising up, then falling sharply to the ground.

The landscape was changing.The dark forests were left behind, and the wide plains leading to the Dra'myr stretched ahead.

When Atlas finally saw the walls of the city, it became clear that he had arrived in a completely different world, which he had seen more than once.Tall stone towers towered over the surrounding buildings, their weathervanes turning under the pressure of strong winds.

There were players and NPCs roaming the streets, and the market was full of life.

"We'll have to go to the local market" – Atlas didn't linger.

As soon as he entered the Dra'myr, he went straight to the library.

"The Eye of Silence..." – the name couldn't get out of my head.

If the ancient scroll contained information about this artifact, then it needed to be deciphered as soon as possible.

The building was old, but majestic.Tall columns, massive doors with golden patterns – even among other buildings of the city, it stood out with its vines.

When Atlas entered, he was greeted by silence and the smell of old books.

To be continued, please like and save…