Neverness to Everness: Books Are Like Old Friends Walkthrough (Miguel District)
Track down the anomalous diary at the Midnight Newsstand and clear every objective for Miles's side quest.
Track down the anomalous diary at the Midnight Newsstand and clear every objective for Miles’s side quest.
by Pallav Pathak
Books Are Like Old Friends is a Miguel District side quest in Neverness to Everness (NTE) that starts on the map under the name “Gift for the Little Book Lover” and switches titles once you accept it. The quest follows an old diary with an anomalous presence at the Midnight Newsstand, run by an elderly shopkeeper named Miles. It runs across several in‑game days and mixes short conversations with a bit of legwork around the district.
Quick answer: Begin by talking to Miles at the Midnight Newsstand near Ironheart 9th Avenue in Miguel District, fill out the order form, then repeatedly advance time to 10:00 AM–6:00 PM the next day and follow the quest markers until you help the collapsed Miles at the station and return to his shop one final time.
Image credit: Perfect World Games / ThanhPlays
Requirements and starting location
You need to finish Prologue 2: Good Business, Better Treasure before the quest can appear. It also tends to unlock only after you have cleared some other side quests, so if the marker is missing, complete a few more side missions and check back. On the map the icon shows as a blue exclamation point once the district is unfogged.
Miles stands at the newsstand just west of Caltrop Lake Station, north of the corner where Ironheart 9th Avenue meets McQueen Phantom Avenue. Throughout the quest you can press the tracking shortcut to jump time forward automatically whenever an objective asks you to wait for the next day.
Interact with the left side of the newsstand counter to fill out the order form. The Appraiser picks up an anomalous presence coming from a diary on the desk.
Return to the newsstand. With Miles absent, check Edgar’s magazine on the far end of the counter, then interact again to check the shop owner’s teacup. The magazine turns up but the diary is gone.
Wait a moment for Miles to come back, talk to him, then follow him when he suddenly rushes off. He heads to the convenience store (2‑Four Mart) at the southwest corner of Caltrop Lake, on Caltrop Lake Road. Interact with him there.
Turn around and analyze the situation with Miles when he returns. The Appraiser shares the suspicion that the diary is behind the strange incidents. You receive the first batch of rewards here.
At the newsstand, talk to the strange girl standing next to you. She introduces herself as Aria. Then talk to the middle‑aged man who brought Miles back, and exchange information with the JTF officers who appear.
Speak with Aria in front of the newsstand to hear the plan, then follow Miles. He walks to the corner of Saint Torres Avenue and Nutcracker Road, near Terrax and the Regalia Dealership, where he stands with a couple of JTF officers.
Travel to the Miguel District Train Station at the northwest corner of Caltrop Lake. Use the ReroRero Phone Booth there if it is unlocked to save time, then climb the stairs to the platform.
Talk to Aria at the top of the stairs, then approach the collapsed Miles to help him. Millen’s transparent figure fades, and the old diary is nullified.
Return to the Midnight Newsstand and talk to Miles to finish the quest.
Image credit: Perfect World Games
Books Are Like Old Friends rewards
Rewards arrive in stages, with the final payout confirmed when you talk to Miles at the newsstand for the last time. The core reward set is listed below.
Reward
Amount
Hunter Level EXP
x250
Annulith
x20
Fons
x5,000
Senior Hunter Guide
x6
Colorless Dye
x6
Beetle Coin
x10,000
Note: Some of these rewards drop mid‑quest rather than all at the end. You get an early batch after analyzing the situation with Miles, and a second, larger batch (including extra Annulith, Fons, and Beetle Coin) after speaking with Aria to prepare for the confrontation.
Quest details and completion check
Starting location
Ironheart 9th Avenue, Miguel District
Quest giver
Miles
Map name
Gift for the Little Book Lover
Quest log name
Books Are Like Old Friends
Duration
About 20 minutes of active play
You will know the quest is done once the final conversation with Miles at the Midnight Newsstand ends and the reward summary appears. The bulk of the time spent here is waiting for the next in‑game day, so keep using the time‑skip shortcut whenever an objective calls for it and the whole thing moves quickly.
