Colm reclined in the tub, letting out a deep breath. The warmth of the water seeped into his muscles, easing away the tension from his recent adventures. This is really incredible, he thought, reflecting on his unexpected adaptation to this new world. Honestly, I think I'm taking this whole "new world" thing pretty well. Back on Earth, I felt dead inside—just going through the motions. My job was fine, and my coworkers were nice enough, but nothing felt truly fulfilling.

Here, though, every interaction carried weight. It felt meaningful. Peter was super nice. I really enjoyed his company. I should make it a habit to stop by and chat with him regularly. His mind wandered to Luke and Tessa. I barely know them, but going through the Echo with them was genuinely enjoyable. It's been a long time since I felt this connected to people.

Colm sighed, letting his thoughts drift as the water warmed him to his core. I really need to figure out how time works here. When I meet up with Luke and Tessa, I'll have to ask. Honestly, I've got a whole list of questions for them. He thought back on everything he had learned since arriving in Brimhope. It feels like so much has happened, like it's been weeks, not just a day or two. I guess staying up all night makes time feel stretched. It's convenient that I don't have to sleep, but will it get boring? He shrugged to himself. At least I can still take naps.

After a few more moments of soaking in the comforting warmth, he finally summoned the will to stand. The cool air hit his skin, and he shivered, grabbing a towel to dry off quickly. I do miss the warmer weather from home. It's been colder here than I'm used to. Actually how cold would it feel if I weren't leveled up? He paused, pondering the thought before brushing it aside.

Once dry, Colm summoned his new armor and weapon straight from his inventory. As the pieces materialized and latched seamlessly onto his body, he smirked at his reflection in the mirror. This is so absurdly convenient. He chuckled, shaking his head at the thought.

Turning away, he left the bathroom and headed for the exit of his room. Time to meet up with Tessa and Luke.

Colm wandered into the bustling guild lobby, observing the crowd. I think I prefer the atmosphere here at night, he thought, humming quietly to himself. He scanned the area but didn't spot Luke or Tessa. Shrugging, he tried to figure out how to pass the time. Glancing at a clock on the wall, he noticed it was about the same time they met yesterday. They'll probably be here soon, he reasoned. Might as well check out the jobs board in the meantime.

He made his way toward the back of the main floor, where a crowd of adventurers clustered around the board. Flyers advertising jobs were being snatched off as quickly as they were read. Colm worked his way to the front, scanning the notices. Most outlined requirements and difficulty levels, but nothing caught his attention at first. Just as he was about to leave, a flyer caught his eye: "Caravan Guards Needed for the Northern Peninsula."

Hmm, Jerry mentioned the ocean was beautiful there, Colm thought, scratching his head. It might be nice to see some scenery for a change after that undead-infested forest. He grabbed the flyer and stepped away from the board to read it in detail. Level 50 minimum, 20 silver per guard, five days of escorting. Not the most profitable. Maybe that's why no one's taken it.

Lost in thought, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning, he saw Luke standing there. "Hey, Colm," Luke greeted with a grin. "Got a question for ya—how the hells are you level 64 now?! What the hell, man? You were 61 at the end of the Echo yesterday!"

Colm chuckled sheepishly, but before he could respond, Luke's eyes flicked to the flyer in his hand changing the subject. "What's that? Taking an interest in one of the jobs?"

"Yeah," Colm nodded, showing the flyer. "This one seemed interesting."

Luke glanced at it and nodded knowingly. "Oh, the Northern Peninsula, huh? It is beautiful out there. We've done caravan escorts like this a couple of times. They're pretty easy, so they pay little, but I get why folks want protection—it's a scary world," he said with a shrug. "Looks like this one leaves in a couple of days. Planning to sign up?"

"I think so," Colm replied. "Not sure how to, though."

Luke laughed. "All you need to do is take the flyer to one of the clerks at the front. They'll give you the details as long as you meet the requirements—and for this job, you surpass them," he said with a chuckle. "Come on, we can get that sorted while we wait for Tessa. She was hungry and went to grab some food," he said, motioning to the tavern, where Colm spotted her eating the same breakfast he had earlier.

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"Sounds good, thanks. How are you both doing this morning?"

Luke nodded. "Pretty well. With the profit from yesterday's delve, we saved up enough to push Tessa's class up a tier. That's a tremendous relief for me—I'm always paranoid about her safety. It's stressful, man."

Colm tilted his head, confused. "Wait, you can push a class up a tier? It's not just stuck at the tier you start with?"

"Yeah," Luke replied, raising an eyebrow. "A system prompt will appear, detailing how to rank up after you fully unlock your class's abilities. Usually, it involves gathering some specific items. Tessa needed a pricey crystal from a nearby Echo that was too tough for us, so we had to save up and buy it outright."

Luke's tone turned serious. "Little bit of advice, though—you not knowing this stuff can be dangerous. Based on your question, I can tell your class is Tier 4 or higher. If you didn't get a prompt yet, that only happens with higher-tier classes because they take more levels to unlock their abilities. Be careful who you ask about this. You don't want to draw too much attention to yourself."

Colm nodded slowly. "Ah, that makes sense. Thanks for the heads-up." He couldn't help but feel slightly uneasy that Luke now knew more about him than he intended to share.

Sensing Colm's discomfort, Luke added reassuringly, "Hey, you don't have to worry about me. Honestly, I'm just glad you're tagging along with us. I feel a lot safer with you around, so I'm not complaining." He laughed lightly. "As long as my sister's safe, I'm happy."

Colm smiled, feeling a bit more at ease. "Thanks, Luke. I appreciate it."

Colm and Luke waited in line, chatting idly about various topics. Eventually, Colm asked, "So, what are you and Tessa after? What made you decide to become adventurers?"

Luke sighed, his shoulders dropping. "It's a bit of a story. We grew up on the outskirts of the city. What you see here," he said, motioning to the guild and the bustling area around them, "is the nice part of town. But near the east wall, there's a slum filled with shady folks, and not everyone there has the strength to fend for themselves. Our mother did the best she could for us... for a time. But one day, she just up and left. Our father? Never in the picture. I was eight when she abandoned us, and Tessa was too young to understand what was happening."

Luke's expression darkened as he continued. "I'm not proud of what I had to do to survive, but I don't regret it. We're here now, alive, and that's what matters. Eventually, we caught a lucky break. I got a class that let me fight and join the guild, and I started taking easy guild jobs, scraping together some coin. Bit by bit, we climbed out of that hole."

Colm nodded silently, his gaze sympathetic as Luke finished. "It was a rough time," Luke said, "but we're happy now and still growing."

"That sounds tough," Colm said quietly. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

Luke gave a small smile. "Don't worry about it. That's all behind us. I think we've done enough good to make up for what I had to do back then. Still, I hate the system that put us in that position in the first place. Life doesn't really start until you get a class, and even then, this world is all about your own strength and power. And some people..." Luke's voice trailed off, his tone bitter, "...are just luckier than others."

Colm nodded, mulling over Luke's words as they reached the front of the line. The clerk called them over, and Colm stepped forward.

"Hi, I'd like to take this job," Colm said, handing over the flyer for the caravan escort.

The clerk examined the flyer and then glanced at Colm. "This job's under your level."

Colm shrugged. "That's fine. I think it'll be a good experience anyway."

The clerk nodded. "Alright, I'll put you on the roster. They're set to leave two days from now in the morning, from the main gate. Be sure to have everything you'll need for a five-day trek. Do you have any questions?"

Colm shook his head. "Nope, that covers everything. Thanks."

"Great. The guild thanks you for taking the job and for your continued service," the clerk said with a smile.

As they walked away, Luke grinned. "See? That was easy."

"Yeah, the guild's systems are pretty efficient. Makes it all less stressful," Colm chuckled. "Hey, I've been meaning to ask—how do you all tell time here? The clocks look familiar to me, but I don't want to assume."

Luke laughed. "You're really not from around here, are you? The easiest way is to configure your system screen. You can set it to display a clock. That's what I do. I have it in the top right corner of my vision."

Colm's jaw dropped. "Wait—you can customize it?!"

"Yep," Luke replied with a smirk. "Just picture where you want things. I have my health and mana in the top left and the clock in the top right. You can tweak it to suit your needs."

Excited, Colm immediately tried it out. He imagined his health and mana in the top left corner, and bars appeared exactly where he pictured them. Then he envisioned a clock in the top right, and a small box reading 08:32 AM materialized.

"I have a HUD!" Colm cackled to himself.

A hand slapped his back, snapping him out of his thoughts. He turned to see Tessa grinning. "Stop acting like a weird madman. You ready for the Echo today?"

Colm rubbed his back, slightly surprised at the force of her hit. That was decently hard, he thought, recalling Luke mentioning her class upgrade. I wonder what exactly that entails?

He quickly replied, "Yep, I'm good to go. Thanks for the info, Luke."

"Anytime," Luke said with a nod.

With that, the trio headed out of the guild hall, ready for their next adventure.

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