Chapter 434: The Broken Valve [1]
Still 1st March, Year 715 A.G.
8:24pm.
Pita! Pita!
The sound of the acid rain drenching the streets of Iron Reef reverberated as they splashed against the windscreen of the car.
This time, the rain was especially toxic and acidic, making citizens of the city to wear special raincoats that were made to resist acid rains.
As the car drove through the streets, with Tyla seated beside him, Leon could not help but glance out through the windows as he took in the sight of the city again.
He exhaled. ’I wonder when I’ll come back here,’ he thought with a smile.
The rain didn’t wash anything away, it just made the neon bleed even more into the asphalt as the bioluminescent light of night already engulfed the dimly illuminated parts of the city.
For the first time in weeks, Leon finally left the affluent districts of Iron Reef as he drove to the humid underbelly of the Megacity.
["After 150 meters, Turn Right".]- Davis announced.
A few minutes later, Leon turned right, taking the underground bridge down to subterranean Iron Reef.
He took a few more turns in the underbelly of the Megacity, and finally he stopped in front of a building.
[The Broken Valve]
This was the name of the restaurant- a popular subterranean noodle and synth-ale joint that Daren visited a few years ago and had a memorable experience in. He was the one who recommended this spot.
Leon and Tyla came down and entered inside. They were both dressed in matching casual beige clothes.
Inside, the atmosphere was thick with the smell of vaporized sesame oil, ozone, and cheap alcove tobacco, a smell not normally seen in the capital Megacity of the Freegrid Collective.
There were no overhead lights, just the harsh, rhythmic flicker of pink and cyan neon signs advertising the different food specialties that this restaurant had.
The rest of the illumination came from the low, amber glow of heating coils under the bar and the erratic revolution of a holo-aquarium projecting phantom jellyfish into the air.
And of course, like most other subterranean restaurants like this, it was noisy with a lot of sound.
There was the clatter of heavy ceramic bows, the low sound of music sounding from hidden speakers, and the chaotic sound of hushed conversations in the background.
The interior decoration was minimalistic.
With one sweep of his eyes across the restaurant, Leon spotted his friends immediately- Talia, Daren, Brick, and Ghostwire.
They sat at the far Northwestern end of the restaurant where they’ve snagged a heavy, bolted-down steel booth in the back corner.
It was a tactical sweet spot with a clear line of sight to both the front exit and the kitchen’s entrance. From there, the 4 of them were already staring at them the moment they entered the restaurant, Daren with a mischievous grin on his face.
’What nefarious thoughts is he thinking now?’ He thought with exasperation and led the way there.
As they closed the distance to the booth, Daren greeted.
"Yo, you made it".
Leon snorted. "What did you think?"
After some light-hearted jabs between the both of them while Tyla exchanged greetings with Talia, they finally sat down.
After that, Talia handled the bookings, ordering for the food specialty of the restaurant alongside bottles of both normal and Synth beers.
The crew indulged themselves, forgetting all their worries completely under the subtle influence of alcohol.
In just a few minutes, Leon was full as he felt stuffed.
At the same time, Talia quietly brought out a flute-shaped device and put it on the table. Instantly, Leon experienced a feeling like they were isolated from the rest of the restaurant.
This was a special Artifact that Talia procured recently, and it’s only use is to prevent people from eavesdropping on a certain range when activated.
With it, no one would be able to eavesdrop on their conversations.
Finally, Talia broke the silence. "How’s your recovery coming along?"
Feeling her gaze on him, Leon shrugged. "I mean, I’m here right? Honestly I feel much better than I felt 5 months ago".
"The damage to my soul is already fully healed. What happened 5 months ago was a harrowing experience, but I think I had some gains".
"Not just the battle experience". He smiled.
Daren looked at him curiously, then he asked. "Do you really want to go to the Abyssal Scar? For what reason? Are you insane?"
Leon looked at him and his smile became wider. "I’ve been insane for a long time, are you just realizing?"
Daren scoffed.
At that moment, Brick interjected, looking at Leon somberly. "I’ve never been there but I’ve heard a lot of stories about that place. A lot of people entered there, and most never came back".
"I’ve heard of even D Rank Ascended who entered and never came back," he said seriously in a grave tone. "Are you sure you want to go there?"
"I’m sure". Leon shrugged again. "I have my reasons. Besides, don’t worry, I’m not going in blind".
"I know how dangerous it is, and I’m prepared for it".
Brick shrugged. "If you feel so, then no problem. Be careful".
"I will," Leon smiled again and looked at him. "Talking of future plans, what about you? What will you do now?"
The Synth hesitated slightly, then he said. "I’m going to enjoy life I guess. It’s a miracle that I survived 5 months ago, and I believe fate gave me a second chance".
"I don’t intend to waste it".
He looked at the bottle of Synth beer in front of him for a few seconds, then he continued. "I intend to enjoy my retirement. I’ll start traveling the world, and maybe I’ll open a vlog account while I’m at it".
He smiled, making his mechanical lips to crack widely. "I’ve always had a passion for exploration. Maybe now I can focus on it".
"That’s cool!" Leon gave him a thumbs up.
"What of you?" He turned his head to look at Ghostwire who squirmed slightly under his gaze, tensing for a moment before relaxing his mechanical body.
He hesitated slightly, then he said. "Next Trial".
Leon’s eyes twitched; he forced a smile. "You’re going to work towards the next Trial huh? I see, good ambition". He grinned and gave the taciturn NetRunner a thumbs up.
After Ghostwire, Leon turned to look at Talia but before he could say anything, she answered.
"I’m going to attempt the D Rank Trial".
"..."
