Holy shit, Colm thought, his heart pounding. This is the first person I've seen, other than the Will of the Grove, with a level in the triple digits. A cold sweat formed on his brow as the sheer pressure of strength emanating from the man pressed down on him. What the hell did I just get myself into?

Before Colm could gather his thoughts, the man shifted in his seat with a loud huff and snapped irritably, "What do you want? I'm busy here."

Colm's voice caught in his throat, the weight of Jerry's voice making him stumble over his words. "A guard named Joss told me to find you. She said you might be able to help me."

Jerry grumbled as he slammed shut the thick book he'd been reading, turning to face Colm fully for the first time. His sharp eyes scanned Colm up and down with obvious skepticism, but something in his gaze softened as he took a second look. "Joss sent you, huh? Damn that girl. She knows I've had enough of people wasting my time. This better be good." He paused, his brow furrowing slightly as his gaze lingered. "At least you seem to have an interesting race and class, so that's something." He gestured at a nearby chair. "Fine. Grab a seat and start talking. You'd better make it worth my time."

Colm swallowed hard and quickly slid into the chair, his hands gripping the edge as he tried to steady himself. "Honestly, I'm not sure where to begin. It's been a wild ride," he admitted with a nervous shrug. "I guess I'll start from the beginning."

Jerry arched an eyebrow, clearly waiting for more, so Colm dove in, trying to keep his voice steady as he recounted his story.

"I've lost track of how long it's been—probably a a handful of months now—but one day, I just ended up here. Something pulled me from my world and dropped me into an undead-infested forest. I don't even know how I survived. There was this Echo—something sentient—that opened its doorway for me. If it hadn't, I'd be dead right now."

Jerry's expression remained unreadable, but Colm pressed on, feeling the need to explain everything. "Because of how I arrived, the system said something about giving me a 'unique opportunity,' bypassing the standard process and giving me a chance. With it, I cleared the Echo, survived the forest, albeit barely as I ran into a powerful undead that almost killed me. I somehow survived that as I found made my way here." He exhaled, his shoulders slumping slightly. "That's pretty much it in a nutshell. I do not know why I'm here, or what I'm even supposed to do. But right now, you're the only lead I've got."

* * *

Jerry sat there silently, his sharp eyes fixed on Colm as he listened intently. His scrutiny never faltered, studying every word, every gesture, as if analyzing Colm's very soul. But something shifted as the story unfolded—his cold, dismissive demeanor slowly thawed. This wasn't another fool looking to waste his time hunting slimes or asking stupid questions about magic herbs.

Interesting, Jerry thought, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. The system gave him an opportunity to survive.That sounds just like how it was at the beginning. His eyes narrowed slightly, his curiosity piqued. And that race… His gaze lingered on Colm for a moment longer. It's been a long time since I've seen a Morvyn.

The silence stretched between them for a moment as Jerry processed the information. Finally, he leaned back in his chair, his stern features softening just a fraction. "Well," he said, breaking the silence with a gruff tone, "you certainly weren't lying about it being a wild story."

* * *

Colm sat there, waiting anxiously for Jerry to say something—anything—as the silence stretched between them. When Jerry finally responded, Colm let out a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding. It seemed like the older man believed him, which was a relief. Encouraged, Colm pressed on.

"I really am lost here. Joss made me painfully aware of how broke I am. I have been stumbling my way through with no direction in mind so I need to get my head sorted and figure things out. I understand how little I know, and how unprepared I am for… well, everything in this world. I could really use your help."

Jerry snorted, a deep laugh rumbling from his chest. "I'll say. You're a right mess. You are." He stood up with surprising speed for someone his age, motioning for Colm to follow. "Come on. Let's help get you sorted. Fair warning, this is going to take a bit. I'm about to drop a lot of information on you, so I hope you're good at paying attention."

Colm scrambled to his feet and hurried after Jerry, watching as the older man weaved expertly between the towering shelves of the library. Jerry's voice carried back to him as they walked. "We're going to grab a few books—bare essentials to get you started. Basics about the world, the system, classes, races, and how it all fits together. Just know this: the system is still new to us. I don't have all the answers, but I can tell you what we've figured out so far."

Colm's eyes widened in surprise, his pace faltering for a moment. "Wait, what? The system is still new? How new are we talking? And… how did it even happen?"

Jerry glanced back at Colm, then burst into laughter, a hand wiping at the corner of his eye. "Oh, gods. It's been so long since I've seen someone so green—reminds me of myself when the system first appeared. Sorry, kid, I don't mean to laugh at you." He coughed, regaining his composure, and kept moving through the shelves.

They stopped at a section of the library Colm hadn't seen yet. Jerry began pulling books from the shelves, muttering to himself as he skimmed the titles. "Intro to Classes, Intro to the System, Intro to the Echoed Lands… Yep, this'll do for now." With a small stack of books under his arm, Jerry nodded for Colm to follow him again, this time leading them toward a quiet study room tucked into the back of the library.

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"Make yourself comfortable," Jerry said, placing the books on a sturdy table. "We're going to be here a while. I'm going to give you a crash course in everything you need to know about this world."

Colm settled into a chair as Jerry leaned against the table. While skimming through the books, he grabbed. "First things first, let me introduce myself properly. My name's Jerry Lorn. I was an adventurer once—long ago—and I was here when the system first came to this world. I know exactly how shocking all this feels because I lived it, just on a much bigger scale nearly two and a half centuries ago. Nowadays I've grown tired of fighting monsters. I've made enough money in my time to do whatever the hell I want. These days I work with the guild to help spread information and knowledge to the other isles."

Colm blinked. Two and a half centuries?

Jerry continued, his voice steady but tinged with old sorrow. "We don't know exactly how the system arrived, but we have theories with unfortunately no concrete evidence to back them up." He paused, as if deciding where to begin. "The most prominent theory is this: before the shift, one of the leading companies of world at the time was researching something forbidden. Illegal. The rumors say they were messing with life and death—trying to bring someone back."

Colm leaned forward, his curiosity piqued.

"We think they succeeded. But in doing so, they introduced something new into the world: mana and with it the system. That single act triggered the collapse of our society, killing billions, causing the undead plague, threw us back into the Stone Age, terraforming the land, and transforming it into what we now call the Echoed Lands." Jerry's gaze dropped for a moment, and his voice softened. "The arrival of the system destroyed everything I knew. I lost a lot of good friends and family."

The weight of those words hung heavy in the air. Colm sat quietly, letting Jerry gather himself before he continued.

"That was 239 years ago," Jerry said, his voice growing steadier. "Since then, the system has allowed for incredible things. I, for one, age incredibly slowly. My stats and class alone is strong enough to keep me going. That's something I know you share—it's very similar to one of the Morvyn traits."

Colm froze, his brows furrowing. "Wait, how do you know that I'm a Morvyn? And how do you know what traits it has? And you mentioned I had an interesting class. How do you know that?"

Jerry chuckled, shaking his head. "Kid, I've been around a long time. I've seen it all—almost. I hate to break it to you but you're not special. I've met a handful of Morvyn over the years. Some were good folk; others, not so much. But I recognized it from you right away, Analyze helps too. Although your class might be rare as I can't say that I've heard of Spirit Warden before. People at least know of your race. I have yet to encounter someone from another world and if Joss believed you, it must have truth to it."

Colm processed that for a moment, his mind reeling at the sheer scope of what Jerry had seen and lived through. Over two centuries of experience… He could only imagine the things this man knew.

With that, Jerry motioned to the stack of books on the table. "We'll start here. You're going to need this knowledge if you want to survive, let alone thrive. Now let's crack one open, because class is officially in session."

"We're going to start with the system—what it is, what it means for you, and how it shapes this world," Jerry began, his tone firm and deliberate. "After that, we'll move on to the class system and then discuss the broader state of the world itself."

He paused, folding his arms as his sharp gaze settled on Colm. "First, let's be clear: we don't know much. We don't know what the system really is but I have my own opinions. The system is an incredible tool. It ‌changed our world on a level no one could have imagined. It allows us to reach levels of strength that defy belief—some even say it lets people ascend to powers akin to gods. We believe a handful of individuals have achieved that level of strength, making us think it is possible. But here's the catch: the system isn't everything."

Jerry leaned forward, his voice lowering as though imparting a grave truth. "It's just a tool. Like any tool, it can help you grow, but it won't solve all your problems. It doesn't provide every answer. And if you rely on it blindly, it will fail you."

He began pacing slowly, his frustration palpable. "The system gave us structure—a way to define an individual's abilities at a glance with levels, stats, and classes. It's a tidy package of numbers that looks like it explains everything. But those numbers…" Jerry growled, his eyes narrowing. "They're not everything. That so-called structure has misled countless people to their deaths—especially in the early days."

Jerry stopped, pivoting to Colm. "I'd bet good money you've already started figuring this out. Levels? They don't mean shit." His words struck like hammer blows, the weight behind them unmistakable. "What really matters are your stats, your class, your race, and, most importantly, your ingenuity."

Jerry's voice rose, his frustration bubbling to the surface. "Take your case, for example. Based on what you've told me, you have had a unique opportunity—a rare class that probably puts you at tier 4 or 5 class. That means you've earned around 300 attribute points by now based on your level. That's where your real power lies—those attribute points."

He jabbed a finger for emphasis, his tone biting. "Now let me paint you a picture. Let's say you've got a tier 2 class, which gives +2 attribute points per level. If you're level 20, you've got about 40 points. You're feeling confident, right? Then you stumble across a level 15 creature. Easy fight? WRONG!"

Jerry slammed his hand onto the table, the thud echoing through the room. "What if that creature has a tier 4 designation? That means it's earning +4 attribute points per level. By level 15, it's sitting at 60 points. That's a 20-point advantage over you—despite being five levels lower. Levels don't tell the full story."

His voice crackled with authority, the frustration of hard-earned lessons seeping through every word. "It's the tier of your class—and by extension, the stats you earn—that determine the real balance of power. A higher class tier means you can punch far above your weight. You can take on opponents that, by level alone, you have no business defeating. But the same is true for monsters. If you underestimate a lower-level creature because you're too focused on its number, you'll end up dead. Plain and simple. And the system does jack shit for explaining this."

Jerry straightened, his voice steadying, though the intensity remained. "Remember this: the system gives you tools, but you're the one who wields them. Stats, class tier, ingenuity—those are what decide whether you live or die. Levels? They're just a number. Don't let them blind you."

Colm sat quietly, absorbing every word. Jerry's warning was clear, and it rang true. His encounters in the cursed forest and the battles he'd survived had already shown him glimpses of this reality. This world was not forgiving, and ignorance could be fatal.

Jerry let out a long breath, his sharp gaze softening just slightly. "You're lucky, kid. You've got power—and potential. Don't waste it by falling into the same trap so many others have."

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