Colm felt a sudden jolt as the wagon lurched forward, the wheels creaking against the dirt road. At first, the ride was rougher than expected, the whole wagon shaking more than he thought it should. He stole a glance at Don, who was casually gazing into the distance, completely unbothered.

I guess this is normal, Colm thought. I've never actually ridden in a wagon like this before.

The caravan continued to shift and jostle as it maneuvered into formation, but after a little while, the ride smoothed out. Colm felt himself relax, his shoulders easing as the initial discomfort faded.

Don caught the shift in his posture and chuckled. "Yeah, it's a bit rough at the start, but once the horses get into a rhythm, it evens out. Should be smooth sailing from here on."

He then turned to Colm, his grin widening. "So, tell me about yourself. We're gonna be stuck keeping each other company for the next few days—might as well get to know you better."

Colm nodded, feeling more at ease. "Honestly? I come from pretty far away. Managed to make my way here—either through luck or misfortune, depending on how you look at it. Still figuring things out, trying to get my footing. I've got a lot of plans, but it's just a matter of time." He shrugged.

Don nodded thoughtfully. "I see, I see. From your level, I take it you've tackled some challenging Echoes?"

Colm smirked. "Yeah, I've managed a fair few so far. Gotta say, they're incredible. Every time I phase into one, it feels like stepping into a whole new world—I can't help but be impressed."

Don let out a nostalgic laugh. "Yeah, they do be like that. I definitely miss those days," he said, his voice carrying a faint trace of sadness.

His expression darkened slightly as he continued. "Last time I ran one, we stumbled into a Rare Spawn—threw everything into chaos." He frowned. "Killed two of my teammates. Me and another barely scraped by before we managed to get out."

Colm nodded understandingly. "Ah, I see. I ran into my first Rare Spawn recently, and I completely get it. It was terrifying—but impressive."

Don nodded. "Yeah, it's rough. I did have the urge to go back in, get a few more levels, but…I don't want to risk it. I've got a loving wife and two kids back home in Brimhope. This job pays more than enough for us to live comfortably, and I'm only gone a few days at a time—then I get a nice breather."

He smirked. "My wife actually enjoys it since it gives her some peace. Apparently, I have a habit of bugging her too much when I'm home." His grin turned sly. "Not intentionally, of course."

Colm laughed. "Believe me, I get that." He continued chuckling. Don grinned in satisfaction.

As the laughter settled, a thought crossed Colm's mind. "Hey, Don—just curious, how do kids learn about the world here? Is there some kind of school or education system?"

Don cocked his head. "Really not from around here, huh?"

Colm nodded.

Don smiled and continued, "Yeah, we've got a solid education system. From what I understand, before the System came—way before my time—this world," he gestured around them, "was actually pretty advanced. We took a lot of inspiration from that and built our own system in Brimhope."

"For the younger ones, we've got a basic education program—teaching them language, reading, and speaking skills. Once they're a little older, they move into more specialized learning—basic arithmetic, history, that kind of stuff. After that, we focus on the knowledge they'll need to survive and thrive in the world."

He shrugged. "Ain't perfect, but it's working, and it gets better every day. My kids are in that second phase now—they're eight and ten." His smile softened. "Let me tell you, they're the most adorable little things. Curious about everything."

Don chuckled. "My oldest? He's been sneaking out to watch the Adventurer's Guild—he wants to follow in my footsteps."

Colm raised a brow. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," Don sighed, shaking his head. "I don't want to encourage it, 'cause I know how dangerous this life can be, but at the same time I'd be a hypocrite if I shut him down completely."

Don shrugged. "So, I figure the best I can do is reinforce the dangers of it. Once he's old enough, he'll make his own decision, and I don't want him to end up resenting me for shutting him down completely."

He was about to continue but caught himself, shaking his head. "Ah, sorry about that—went off on a bit of a tangent."

Colm waved a hand dismissively. "Nonsense! That was a great story—and packed with good information. I appreciate it, Don."

He leaned in slightly. "Tell me more about your wife. I'd love to hear about her."

Don's face lit up with a wide grin. "Oh, now that's a story," he said, eyes gleaming with amusement.

He launched into his tale, explaining how he had met her at one of the city libraries—not the guild ones. She had been deeply engrossed in her books, completely absorbed in her studies.

"So, naturally," Don continued, "I grabbed the biggest stack of books I could find, plopped 'em down right next to her—trying to make it look like I was just as studious." He leaned in conspiratorially, lowering his voice. "Truth is, I didn't read a damn one of them."

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He grinned. "I kept up the act for weeks—all just to impress her. And, well…it worked." He burst into laughter, slapping his knee.

Colm couldn't help but laugh along, thoroughly enjoying the man's story as Don continued with his tale.

The hours flew by as Colm continued chatting with Don, and before he knew it, the wagon came to a halt.

Don stood and stretched, glancing over at Colm. "Alright, we've made it to the first marker. We'll be camping here for the night—give the horses a breather and let everyone rest."

He rolled his shoulders before continuing, "I'll be divvying up the shifts for night watch. Remember Grant? The guy from earlier?"

Colm nodded.

"He's pretty strong and experienced, so I'll have him pair up with you for the first watch. Sound good?"

"Works for me."

"Perfect," Don said with a nod. "The merchants will be getting situated, and some of the adventurers will be organizing meals to pass around, so after your watch you'll be able to grab something if you're hungry. For now, head to the back wagon and let Grant know he's on first watch with you."

"Got it. Thanks, Don. It was a pleasure chatting today."

Don smiled. "Likewise, Colm."

With that, the two exited the wagon, and Colm heard Don call out to Zach, the caravan leader. Turning away, he made his way toward the last wagon, where he spotted two men stepping out. One was unfamiliar, but the other was Grant—the man he'd first met with Don.

"Hey, Grant," Colm greeted with a wave. "Don asked me to let you know you're on first watch, and I'll be your partner."

Grant gave a nod. "Got it. Thanks, Colm."

He then motioned for Colm to follow as he headed toward the central caravan. Finding a fallen log, Grant sat down and patted the spot beside him.

Once Colm joined him, Grant leaned forward slightly. "First time on this mission, right?"

Colm nodded. "Yeah, that's right."

Grant nodded. "Got it. Well, just so you know, watch duty is pretty easy. We'll be posted on opposite ends of the caravan—I'll take the north side, and you can cover the south. Just keep an eye out for anything unusual. There really shouldn't be much, but you can never be too careful."

He stretched his arms before continuing, "Occasionally, we get some desperate wildlife or random creatures that can be a bit scary, but nothing too high level."

Colm nodded, listening intently.

"If you run into something you can't handle, just yell and make a ruckus—everyone will be on you in seconds. After a couple of hours, the next rotation will come by to relieve us."

"Got it," Colm said. "No questions."

"Perfect. Since we're on the first shift, it starts now. I'll head up front, and you can take the back. Sorry for making you come all the way over here—I just needed to stretch my legs a bit."

"No worries. Thanks for the info."

Grant nodded and turned away, heading toward the front of the caravan. After a few steps, he called back, "Oh yeah—don't worry about food. We always save some for the first watch folks, so you'll have a share when your shift's done."

Colm gave him a thumbs-up before making his way toward the back of the wagon.

I think I'll summon one Phantom at the very least. Can't be too careful.

As he walked, he nodded and waved at the various adventurers tending to their tasks—some unsaddling horses, others scanning the surroundings, and a few simply resting.

He rubbed his lower back, rolling his shoulders. That wagon wasn't the most comfortable…

After a short walk, he reached the last wagon again and spotted a fallen tree nearby—perfect for a makeshift seat. Settling onto it, he activated Phantom Warrior, summoning Carver into the fray.

As the spectral warrior finished materializing, Colm commanded Carver to be on guard for any hostile creatures.

Carver gave a silent nod before turning in the opposite direction, widening their field of view.

Colm chuckled at the phantom's ever-stoic demeanor before refocusing on his own watch, scanning the darkening horizon.

Colm maintained a constant vigilance, his eyes scanning the horizon. At least this place is pretty open—should make it easier to spot anything unusual.

Time passed in quiet stillness. He kept watch over the plains, but nothing stirred beyond the occasional rustling of distant critters. Eventually, he noticed the sky darkening, only for his vision to suddenly brighten.

Hmm… I guess there's a threshold that triggers the Morvyn racial ability. Everything's as clear as day now—that's interesting.

The Morvyn race is growing on me. No need to sleep means I can probably keep watch even after my shift ends. He shrugged to himself. That undead I ran into near Twilight's Hollow still has me on edge…

Before long, he heard footsteps approaching from behind and he turned. The sound suddenly halted, followed by a startled voice.

"Oh shit."

Colm cocked his head, confused, and turned to see a man standing there, looking slightly rattled.

"Sorry," the man muttered, chuckling awkwardly. "Your eyes—and thing next to you—caught me off guard. Didn't expect that."

Ah, right… Colm thought. Twilight Sight makes my eyes glow. Probably should've warned people about that.

Standing up, he stretched before dismissing Carver, not wanting to cause any more unnecessary surprises. "Thanks. Haven't seen much—just a few critters scurrying off in the distance. It's been pretty slow."

The man nodded. "Good to know. They've got some stew over at the central caravan, so help yourself."

Colm waved as he turned to leave, making his way toward the central camp.

I know I don't need to eat, he mused, but maybe it's the humanity in me that still craves the idea of it.

As he neared the heart of the caravan, the faint sound of music grew louder.

Wait… how did I not hear this before?

Then, as if stepping through an invisible threshold, the crackling of the fire, the chatter of the gathered adventurers, and the lively music all came to life around him, the campfire's glow illuminating the space.

Stunned, he took a step back—immediately, everything dimmed. The music dulled to a distant throb, the voices faded, and the fire's warmth seemed to vanish.

He stepped forward again, and just like that, everything returned.

Holy shit… this is some kind of illusion or silencing magic. That's incredible.

Colm continued toward the central fire, spotting Grant approaching. The older man waved him over and handed him a bowl of stew.

"Thanks," Colm said, taking it with a nod.

"No problem," Grant replied. "How'd your first shift go?"

"Pretty good. Uneventful—nothing really happened."

Grant chuckled. "Yeah, they're all pretty much like that."

He went to sit by the fire, and Colm followed, settling in as the warmth of the flames and the hum of conversation surrounded him. He took a bite of the stew, savoring its rich flavor, and for the first time in a while, he felt something simple.

He felt free.

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