Meditation has tiered up to Tier 2, Level 1.

Colm smiled at the notification. The caravan had been moving practically nonstop, with only a few brief breaks along the way. Throughout the journey, his phantoms remained on guard, allowing him to focus entirely on meditation.

About time, he thought, a satisfied grin forming as he read through the rest of the notification.

Meditation (Tier 2, Level 1)

Grants a heightened awareness of surroundings, allowing for subtle perception of movement and changes nearby, even while in deep focus. Additionally, mana recovery has increased, and minor wounds and fatigue heal at a slightly accelerated rate when meditating.

That's a nice small change.

Colm leaned back slightly, rereading the notification. Every time I used meditation, I completely zoned out—either lost in thought or just entirely focused on the task at hand. This upgrade sounds like it would keep me a bit more perceptive. A slight smile tugged at his lips.

The bonus healing was nice too, though it was probably more useful for others than himself. Not sure how much it really helps me, he thought with a shrug.

Looking outside the wagon, his eyes caught sight of Brimhope in the distance.

This was a rather… eventful trip.

He exhaled slowly, watching as the city loomed closer. I feel like I hit a good personal milestone—but crazy and honestly, sad things happened too.

A sigh left him. I think I'm ready to be back in the city.

He estimated they still had a couple more hours left at this pace.

Muttering under his breath, he mused, I wonder how long this trip would've taken if I ran the whole way. Feels like horses are inefficient—especially if I can keep my own pace up for a long time. His thoughts drifted, imagining the scenario. I could've made it to the beach and back in no time.

Leaning back further, he chuckled. Well, it was nice to not have to sprint the whole way. And besides, protecting the caravan was part of the job—it's not like he could have just left them behind.

"Glad I was able to make a difference," he muttered, though the words felt heavier than they should.

The memory of Zach, just days ago—alive, joking, leading—flashed in his mind.

And then came the moment when the infection took him. It hit harder than I thought it would. Colm swallowed. I'm not sure if I'm okay. Lost in thought, he barely noticed when the wagon lurched to a stop.

Guess we're here.

Moments later, the clamor of movement filled the air—adventurers and workers unloading supplies, stepping off the wagons, calling out orders. Colm glanced around, watching crates of gathered goods being stacked in piles as he got off his own wagon.

I never realized just how much we gathered. His gaze drifted to his ring, absentmindedly rolling it between his fingers. Why don't they just throw it all into a storage space?

A heavy clap on his back jolted him from his thoughts.

"Don't think I've ever made the trip with this caravan that fast before," Grant's voice came from beside him. "Well, glad to be back after everything that happened."

Colm nodded. "Yeah… really feels like a huge relief being back home."

The words slipped out before he even thought about them.

Home.

His brow furrowed slightly. I just called this place home, didn't I?

It was strange. He hadn't even been in Brimhope for that long—he had spent more time elsewhere in this world—but something about this place… it felt comforting.

Grant nodded knowingly. "Aye, it is."

Then Grant turned to him. "So, going forward… what are your plans?"

Colm exhaled, his gaze dropping to his hands as he flexed them. "Honestly, I can't help but feel angry after what happened at the beach. It was downright frustrating." His fingers curled into fists. "I should've been able to do more."

He paused, the weight of the words settling between them.

Grant nodded. "Don't beat yourself up over it too much, man. You did more than anyone."

Colm gave a slight nod but didn't fully shake the feeling. "I know. And I know I'm in a good position for my own well-being… but I also know I can do more." He sighed. "I think I'll take a day or so to gather my thoughts, do some research, and see what Echoes I can take on. I need to gain some levels—if I can get stronger, maybe I can help prevent disasters like this from happening again."

As he spoke, the image of Zach's infected body surfaced in his mind.

Grant crossed his arms. "That's an admirable goal. Just be careful, okay?"

Colm nodded. "Yeah, I will. What about you? Got any plans?"

Grant let out a small chuckle. "Aye. After this one? I think I'm in the same boat as you. I want to get stronger. I'm saving up some coin to tier up my class, so I'm going to put all my effort into that. Might take a couple of days to rest first, though."

Colm hummed in thought. "If it's not too intrusive, mind if I ask—what do you need to tier up your class?"

Grant waved him off. "After what you did for us, man, I'd answer anything you ask. I need something called a Prime Scale—it drops from a boss in an Echo called The Expanse."

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Colm's eyes widened slightly.

Grant caught the shift in his expression. "Heard of it, have ya?"

Colm nodded. "Yeah, actually. Someone else I know needs the exact same thing." He tilted his head. "Any chance your class is a Weaver?"

Grant chuckled. "I wish. Would've gone a more spell-slinging route if I had. My class is called Phalanx." He pulled the spear off his back, giving it a few practiced swings before making mock slashes in the air. "I focus a lot on defense, counterattacks, and battlefield control." He spun the spear once more before securing it back in place.

"Interesting," Colm said. "I'm surprised you both need the same thing despite having different classes."

Grant smirked. "Yeah, the system's weird like that. I met another Phalanx who had a very similar ability set to mine, but he needed a completely different upgrade item. Luck of the draw, I guess."

Colm nodded. So there's a bit of RNG involved.

As he got lost in thought, Grant broke the silence. "I'm about to head off—might see if Don knows what to do about getting the writ for this mission."

Colm perked up. "Oh, right. I should probably do that too. Mind if I come with you?"

Grant nodded and motioned forward. "Be my guest."

The two made their way through different sections of the caravan, searching for Don. After a few minutes, they found him speaking with some of the envoys. They waited until he finished before Grant waved him down.

Don turned to them, greeting them with a nod. "Hey, Grant, Colm. Hope the journey back wasn't too rough."

Grant chuckled. "Not at all. Just make sure these horses get some much-needed rest."

Don laughed. "Already on it—got people taking them to the stables as we speak." He folded his arms. "So, what can I do for you both?"

"We're looking to get a writ of completion for the mission," Grant said.

Don nodded, but his expression darkened slightly. "Ah… right." There was a weight in his voice, his eyes reflecting lingering grief. "Normally, Zach or one of the other envoy leaders would handle that, but… well, they all got swept up in the chaos. None of them made it."

Grant let out a quiet curse. "Shit… all of them?"

Don gave a slow nod.

"I'll be reporting everything to the guild," he continued, reaching for a piece of parchment. With quick, practiced strokes, he scrawled out two writs before handing one to each of them. "This should do the trick. Might want to hold off on turning it in until tomorrow, though—gives the guild time to process what happened and hear my report first."

Grant nodded. "Sounds good. Thanks, Don."

"Anytime." Don gave them both a small smile. "And really—thank you both for coming along. It was a pleasure to meet you, and I wish you all the best."

Colm nodded. "Of course, Don. I'm glad I was able to be part of it. And it was great getting to know you." He returned the smile.

Before Don could respond, another person approached, pulling his attention away. "Ah—sorry, boys. Duty calls." He turned to the next person, already shifting back into command mode.

Grant chuckled. "He took charge and led things well, didn't he?"

"That he did," Colm replied.

"Well, I'm off to the city, I guess," Colm shrugged.

"Aye, me too," Grant said, and the two turned toward the city gates.

As they walked, Colm struck up a conversation. "I wonder if the guild is still packed from before we left."

Grant let out a short laugh. "Ah yeah, almost forgot about that with everything that happened on our trip. That was something else—I don't think I've ever seen things so backed up. It was crazy. Any idea what that was about?"

Colm nodded, keeping his expression neutral. "I have a hunch. Something about a new hidden system feature being discovered." He chose to leave out the part where he was the one who uncovered it.

Grant's eyes widened. "Oh shit, really? Yeah, I guess that makes sense why it was so hectic. Hopefully, it had some time to die down. Though I guess I'll find out soon enough—looks like the guild's my first stop." He chuckled.

They continued idly chatting as they approached the gates. The guards gave them a passing glance before waving them through.

Finally back in Brimhope.

Colm smiled to himself.

He turned to Grant. "It was a pleasure meeting you. I'm off to check up on some friends, get my bearings before I head to the guild." His eyes drifted toward the main plaza. "Looks like things have calmed down a bit, at least." He laughed. "Doesn't seem like the crowd is spilling into the streets anymore."

Grant chuckled. "Yeah, it seems like it." He clasped Colm's shoulder. "Again, thank you. And if you ever need me, feel free to find me. I'll be staying at the guild for the foreseeable future. The rooms there are insanely cheap, so I've been operating out of there for a while now."

Colm laughed. "Yeah, I get that. Same goes for me. The rooms are ridiculously cheap, and honestly, having everything in one place makes things way too convenient. I don't know how they manage to fit so much under one roof."

"Spatial magic," Grant said plainly.

"Wait, really?" Colm blinked. "I thought about it, but never really looked into it."

"Yep," Grant confirmed. "The guild employs spatial mages to keep the place bigger on the inside than it looks on the outside. It's actually pretty remarkable—it lets them condense an enormous amount into the relatively small plot of land the guild sits on."

Colm nodded. "Magic is incredible."

"It sure is," Grant replied with a grin. "Well, I'll be off now, Colm. Thanks again."

He turned, giving a casual wave as he disappeared into the crowd.

Colm watched him go, unable to stop the small smile that formed.

He's got a certain steadiness to him… It was nice having someone like that to talk to.

His thoughts drifted back to The Expanse.

I was already planning to run it for Luke to get the Prime Scale, but it seems like a lot of people are after it. That's good to know.

If I can run it multiple times easily, I could grab one for Grant too. Maybe even put more on the market—help push up the average tier of adventurers.

He let out a slow exhale.

For the first time in a while, he felt like he had a purpose. A plan.

And that was a damn good feeling.

[ Status ]

Name: Colm Arden

Race: Morvyn

Level: 65

Health: 1279/ 1450

Mana: 720 / 720

Strength: 70 (84)

Dexterity: 75 (90)

Intelligence: 120 (144)

Constitution: 121 (145)

Bonded Weapon: Abyssal Ledger (Tier 3, Level 4)

Weapon Ability: Abyssal Lance (Tier 3, Level 4)

Attunement: Tide

Attunement Abilities:

- Rising Current (Level 6)

- Wavebound Surge (Level 5)

Class: Spirit Warden (Tier 5)

Specialization: Resonance

Active Class Abilities:

- Phantom Warrior (Tier 2, Level 2) [Carver]

- Phantom Spearman (Tier 2, Level 1) [Lance]

- Phantom Archer (Tier 2, Level 1) [Robin]

- Empty

- Empty

Passive Class Abilities:

- Lingering Vitality (Tier 2, Level 10)

- Spectral Persistence (Level 10)

- Phantom Sacrifice (Level 10)

- Empty

- Empty

Skills:

- Analyze (Level 7)

- Stealth (Level 7)

- Pain Resistance (Tier 2, Level 1)

- Hardened Skin (Level 8)

- Slash Resistance (Level 7)

- Spear Mastery (Level 10)

- Sprint Mastery (Level 10)

- Poison Resistance (Level 6)

- Stun Resistance (Level 5)

- Dual Wielding (Level 4)

- Infection Resistance (Tier 3, Level 10)

- Heightened Instincts (Level 3)

- Meditation (Tier 2, Level 1)

- Unarmed Combat (Level 7)

Achievements:

- Through the Rift

- Champion of the Lucent Grove

- Bane of the Undead

- Echo Sprinter I

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