The trek back to the gate was peaceful, a leisurely walk replacing the earlier jog as the group took in the surrounding scenery. The relaxed pace gave Colm a chance to strike up a conversation with Tessa and learn more about her.

To his surprise, she revealed a long-standing fascination with poisons—an interest she'd had for as long as she could remember. She even recounted a startling story from her childhood: using common rat poison and her unassuming innocence, she managed to outwit and take down a local thug who had been terrorizing her and Luke.

Colm listened with a mix of shock and curiosity, realizing how drastically different this world was from his own.

The tale left Colm momentarily stunned. On Earth, something like that would have been unimaginable, but in this world, it seemed almost commonplace based on how Tessa told it. He quickly reminded himself that this was the reality he lived in now—a world where shakedowns, muggings, and even murders were everyday occurrences. With no central military or government to enforce order, survival often meant taking drastic measures.

Tessa continued, sharing that she crafted all her poisons herself. A significant portion of her earnings went toward funding her creations, as she was constantly experimenting with and refining her formulas. Colm found her resourcefulness fascinating. It makes sense, he thought. Poisons can give you a serious edge in a fight.

Still, the thought made him slightly wary. Note to self: don't get on her bad side, he mused with a small chuckle. Or maybe I should just focus on leveling up my Poison Resistance to be safe.

Before long, they arrived back at the gates. Colm, almost forgetting about his phantoms, quickly dismissed them along with his Rising Current, causing the watery trails behind him to fade away. It was only as the ability deactivated that he realized how conspicuous the ripples of water following him must have been. Shaking off the thought, he used Analyze on the guard stationed at the entrance.

Zack (Level 60) – Human

Hmm, he's a good bit lower level than Joss. I wonder what the requirements are to become a guard here? Colm mused silently, briefly lost in thought.

He tuned back just in time to catch the tail end of Luke's conversation with the guard. "…finishing up at the Dusk Caverns and heading back to the guild," Luke said, gesturing toward Tessa's pack. "We're planning to sell the harvest."

"Looks like a solid haul," the guard remarked.

"It really is," Luke replied with a nod. "We had a good lineup of abilities, and we synced up well in the fight. Gotta give credit to the guild's group finder—it's pretty convenient."

Chuckling, the guard responded, "Yeah, I've used it a few times myself and had good experiences with the folks it pairs me up with most of the time. You're all set. Have a good day," he said, waving them through.

With that the three of them moved onwards and walked into the city. Colm, a bit puzzled by Luke's earlier words, turned to him after they passed through the gates. "Did you purposely stretch the truth back there?"

Luke met his gaze, his expression steady. "Yeah, I did. I figured it might be easier on you if it didn't sound like you soloed the Echo. Sorry if I overstepped."

Colm thought it over briefly before shaking his head. "No problem. I appreciate the foresight. But what would happen if word got out that I did solo the Echo?"

Luke paused, considering the question. "Honestly? For a low-tier Echo like this, probably not much. Most folks wouldn't care. But if someone did take interest, they might start keeping an eye on you—trying to learn more about your abilities, your class, and how you fight. If you plan to make any big moves or end up doing something that attracts attention, it's better to be safe than sorry."

He shrugged and added, "Anonymity is a pretty important edge for survival. The less people know about what you can do, the fewer weaknesses they can exploit."

Colm nodded at the advice, grateful for the insight. "Makes sense. Thanks, Luke."

As they made their way through the bustling streets, weaving between patrons, the trio soon arrived back at the familiar plaza where the Adventurer's Guild stood proudly.

Luke paused, taking in the sight. "I don't think I've ever been back here this early after a delve," he said, laughing. "It's always evening—every single time."

Tessa brushed past him while pulling at his arm. "Come on, let's go get our payday."

As Luke let himself be dragged along, Colm followed closely behind, a small grin tugging at his lips.

Inside, the guild was lively, with adventurers milling about. Colm scanned the lines at the clerks' counters, spotting the shortest one at the same time as the siblings, and they all made their way over.

The line moved steadily, and as they waited, Colm struck up a conversation. "Is this typically what you do after a delve? Head to the guild to sell the monster parts?"

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Luke nodded. "Pretty much. Though we're usually back later in the day, and it's a lot busier. Lines are longer. This," he said, gesturing at the relatively short wait, "is a nice perk of finishing early."

The conversation flowed easily as they stood in line, and Colm felt a rare sense of peace. This is nice—just talking about normal stuff, he thought. It's soothing in a way.

Eventually, the topic shifted to plans for the future.

"I know Luke mentioned it earlier," Tessa began, "but if you're up for a few more runs through the Dusk Caverns, we'd love to team up again. Granted, you don't really need us—you could easily solo it—but we," she gestured to Luke, "still need a few more runs ourselves."

Colm had already considered this on the trek back. While he was tempted to solo the Caverns at night for extra gold and to test himself, he couldn't deny that traveling with the siblings offered more than just help with the Echo—it gave him companionship and information. After being alone for so long, he realized how much he valued the company.

Looking at both of them, he nodded. "That sounds good to me. Honestly, I'm not sure how many more runs I'll do before I move on to something more challenging, but I'd be happy for the company and to fill in the gaps in my knowledge."

Luke grinned and clapped Colm on the back. "That's fair. Glad to have you aboard."

Colm smiled, a genuine feeling of happiness welling up.

Their moment was interrupted as their turn with the clerk called them over. Approaching the counter, Tessa set her bag of harvested parts down.

"Hey, we just finished a delve in the Dusk Caverns," she said, gesturing to the pack. "Got some parts to sell."

The clerk began meticulously sorting through the mandibles and carapaces, mentally calculating their value. After a few minutes, he looked up. "Nice haul. For all of this, I can offer you 20 silver."

Tessa's face lit up. "Perfect, thank you," she said, taking the coins.

As they walked away from the counter, Tessa couldn't hide her excitement. "That was a great haul! Normally, we'd only get about 5 silver since so much of the loot gets crushed or burned. But your phantoms were so efficient, Colm. Most of the parts were pristine."

She nudged Colm's side playfully.

"Glad to be of service," Colm said with a chuckle, giving a mock bow.

"Cool it," Tessa quipped, smirking as she handed Colm his share. "Here's 8 silver for you. Luke and I will split the rest. Sound fair?"

"Works for me," Colm said, pocketing the coins. It was his first real money in this world, and he couldn't help but feel relieved. First order of business: a room. Hopefully, they have a bath.

"What time do you want to head to the Caverns tomorrow?" he asked.

Luke and Tessa shared a glance before Luke responded, "Same time as today work for you?"

"Yeah that sounds good," Colm replied.

"You got plans for the rest of the day?" Luke asked.

"Now that I have some money, I'll get some gear and supplies. First, though, I'm getting a room and a bath—it's been way too long since I felt clean."

Luke laughed loudly at that. "I'll say! I was being polite, but now that you mention it, yeah, you reek. Go get that bath, man."

Colm rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed, but quipped, "Don't deny it—you loved my natural scent."

"Oh, absolutely," Luke shot back with mock seriousness. "It was potent. I couldn't get enough."

As the two laughed at their bad jokes, Tessa rolled her eyes. "Alright, come on, Luke. Let's go."

She turned to Colm. "We'll meet back here tomorrow, same time. Oh, and stick around this plaza for gear and supplies. Most of the shops here are guild-sponsored, so you'll get fair prices."

"Thanks," Colm said as the siblings waved and headed off.

Watching them leave, Colm felt a warmth in his chest. That was nice. A real change of pace. He smiled to himself. Now, it's time to figure out what to do until tomorrow. Let's see if I can get a room first and then a bath.

Looking around, Colm decided it was time to secure a room for a bit. Spotting the shortest line, he quickly stepped in and waited. Within a few minutes, he reached the front and addressed the clerk.

"Hi, I'd like to get a room for five days."

The clerk nodded and replied, "Sure, that'll be 25 copper."

Colm handed over a silver coin and received 75 copper in return. Mentally, he noted the apparent conversion rate: 100 copper equals 1 silver. That probably means 100 silver equals 1 gold.

"Could you pass me your Adventurer's Badge, please?" the clerk asked.

Colm nodded and handed it over, watching as the clerk held it for a moment. A faint shimmer of light pulsed from the badge as the clerk focused. "There you go," the clerk said, handing it back. "The room is now registered to your badge. You can use it to unlock the door at any time. It's just down the hall to the left—room 11."

"Thank you," Colm said, pocketing his badge and heading down the hall toward his room.

* * *

Tessa practically radiated excitement as she walked alongside her brother, her steps light with anticipation. Turning to him, she grinned. "This one run pushed us over the edge. Just barely, but it was enough! I really thought we'd be at this for a few more days."

Luke glanced at her, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, today was a surprise. Colm is strong. And honestly, he's a bit naïve. I'm curious about his backstory—he really seems like he doesn't know much, which just makes him even more of a mystery."

Tessa nodded thoughtfully. "True, but I'm not complaining. At least he seems like a genuinely nice guy, and we're all getting something out of grouping up with him, even if it's just for a little while."

"Yeah," Luke agreed, scratching the back of his head. "And that makes me feel a little better about him carrying us through the Echo—which was absolutely ridiculous, by the way."

Tessa laughed at that. "It really was. But enough about that. The important thing is we finally saved up enough to tier up one of our classes. I know we've talked about it a dozen times, but… are you sure? I think you should go first."

Luke held up a hand, resolute. "I'm positive, Tessa. You should do it first. You're always up close with the monsters, taking the most risks. I've got abilities to keep me slippery and out of trouble if I need to. I'd feel a lot more confident knowing you had more power backing you up."

Tessa sighed, her shoulders relaxing as she relented. "I know, but I still feel bad about being the one to go first."

Luke laughed, shaking his head. "Don't worry about it. My turn will come soon enough—especially if we keep teaming up with Colm. He'll make getting funds a hell of a lot faster."

"Yeah, that's true," Tessa admitted with a smile. "Alright, then. Let's do this."

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