The Thieves' Den

The Thieves' Den was nothing like I remembered. When I used to play this game as Darius in the modern world, it had been just a backdrop—a place for players to gather, accept quests, trade, and prepare for the next dungeon crawl. The graphics back then had been impressive for a VRMMORPG, sure, but standing here now, the reality of it hit me in a way I never thought possible.

The smell was the first thing that struck me. The rich, pungent scent of smoke and leather mingled with the tang of sweat and ale. It was an overwhelming assault on the senses, so much more vivid than anything a game engine could have ever rendered. This wasn't just some high-resolution landscape programmed into a game; it was a real place, alive with energy and filled with people who moved and talked like they had their own lives to live.

But that was the thing—they weren't just NPCs anymore.