As Colm stepped out of the library, he gave his inventory a quick once-over, double-checking the supplies he'd gathered earlier in the day. Everything seemed to be in place—tools, rations, basic gear. Satisfied, he let out a quiet breath.

He wasn't in the mood to linger. The author's words—the story of the sentient echo—stirred something deep within him. A passion? A fire? He couldn't quite name it, but it pulsed in his chest all the same.

All he knew was that sitting still didn't feel right. Not now. Not after what he'd read.

With a growing sense of momentum, he decided to stay on the move and made his way toward the city gates. The streets buzzed with life, voices overlapping in the warm air, but Colm moved fluidly through the crowd. He knew the paths well by now.

Within minutes, the familiar silhouette of the gates came into view.

Grinning with determination, he approached the guards. They barely gave him a second glance as they waved him through, and just like that, he was beyond the gates once more.

Taking a deep breath, Colm surveyed his surroundings. A steady flow of adventurers passed by, heading to and from the city—likely bound for various Echoes. He muttered to himself, "An interesting system." The constant influx of resources from magical Echoes, ones the natural world lacked, ensured the city's prosperity.

He lingered for a moment, watching the adventurers march past, a quiet sense of comfort settling over him. Letting out a slow breath, he reached into his inventory and equipped his armor. The familiar weight settled around him with ease. This is feeling more and more natural every day, he thought. I almost feel naked without it now.

With practiced efficiency, he activated Phantom Warrior, Phantom Spearman, and Phantom Archer, summoning Carver, Lance, and Robin into existence. As the spectral figures took form, he studied them with a small smile, his thoughts drifting to his class Specialization and how far he had come.

Class Specialization - Resonance

The system has recognized the deep bond you have forged with your phantoms, acknowledging them as more than mere summoned entities. Through your unwavering trust, companionship, and reliance on them as allies rather than tools, you have unlocked a specialization allowing you to focus on what it means to have Phantom Allies.

Resonance marks the evolution of your phantoms. Severing your phantoms' link to the spirit realm and instead anchoring them directly to your soul. They now draw power from your own strength, endurance, and magical prowess, growing alongside you rather than existing as static summons.

It's pretty incredible seeing them with this newfound behavior, Colm thought idly as he observed his phantoms.

Carver carried himself like a seasoned warrior—stoic, disciplined, always serious. Lance, by contrast, had a more laid-back demeanor, standing relaxed but ever ready to pounce at a moment's notice. Robin, however, was the most erratic of the trio, making exaggerated movements and sweeping gestures as if performing for an unseen audience.

I wonder if they'll ever be able to talk, he mused with a chuckle.

Turning his gaze toward the horizon, Colm reached into his inventory and pulled out a worn piece of paper. The crude map, hastily sketched by Luke, was meant to guide him to the Echo—a path less straightforward than simply heading in a single direction.

"Alright," Colm muttered aloud, studying the rough lines and scribbled notes. "Luke said it should take a couple of days at his pace… so for me, probably a day or so, depending." He absentmindedly stroked his chin with one hand while holding the map in the other.

"I basically need to go the same way I went to Twilight's Hollow," he continued, starting to walk in that direction while still reviewing the map. "After that, it's mostly north for a while until I hit this landmark." He traced his finger along the sketch, stopping at a vaguely drawn cluster of hills. "Once I reach the outcropping, I head east… then…" His finger followed the twists and turns of the mapped-out terrain.

"…until I hit a ravine surrounded by them. And it should be down in the ravine."

Satisfied with the plan, Colm folded the map and tucked it back into his inventory. Should be simple enough, he thought, though experience had taught him that no journey was ever as easy as it seemed on paper.

"Enough wasting time. I need to get stronger."

Colm glanced at his phantoms before shifting his gaze toward the horizon. "Let's go."

He took off across the flat terrain, weaving past adventurers as he moved. The sheer number of people moving in and out of the city struck him—something he rarely noticed since he usually left under the cover of night.

I've never really paid attention to the flow of people here, he mused. It's kinda nice, seeing the city alive like this. Gives me a better feel for it.

Shaking the thought away, he refocused on the path ahead, keeping a fast but steady pace. No need to overdo it. I'll get there when I get there.

Stolen novel; please report.

Colm spotted a familiar outcropping of trees in the distance and felt a sense of reassurance. Perfect. Still on the right track. I can see Twilight's Hollow over there.

He slowed his pace, watching as a steady stream of adventurers entered and exited the forest. It's kind of nice seeing how active it is. He hadn't really paid attention to the ebb and flow of people before—probably because he usually traveled at night.

Shaking the thought away, he pulled out the map from his inventory and traced his finger along the rough markings. "Alright, now north..." He sighed. "I really need a compass. I think north was... that way?" He pointed hesitantly, then laughed. "I've always been terrible with directions."

Glancing at his phantoms, he asked, "One of you mind leading the way?"

Lance nodded silently before veering off to the right.

"So convenient," Colm mused as he followed. "Alright, now that we're heading north, I just need to keep this up until I hit some hills. I could probably use one of them as a vantage point to spot the ravine."

Cracking his neck, he glanced at his phantoms. "Let's pick up the pace."

With that, he pushed forward, his phantoms trailing closely as they sped toward the hills.

As he ran, Colm kept a wary eye on the horizon. No surprises this time. Don't want another Undead Stalker creeping up on me. Luckily, the journey remained uneventful.

After a few hours, the terrain finally began to shift. The once-flat landscape gave way to rolling hills, and he felt the incline in his stride.

Back home, I never really had hills, he mused, taking in the view. It was just endless flatlands but now it's morphing into a hilly landscape. It's actually pretty beautiful out here.

As the slope steepened, he adjusted his stride, pumping his legs harder to maintain his pace.

Chuckling, he muttered, "I think I can already feel the burn. Guess that's what I get for never running hills much."

His gaze swept the terrain until he spotted a particularly tall hill standing a few leagues above the others. He motioned to his phantoms. "We'll head to that one," he said, pointing. "Take a breather, and see if we can spot the ravine from there."

Picking up his pace slightly, he pressed onward toward his destination.

By the time he reached the top, he was breathing hard, hands on his knees. With a breath, he dropped down onto the grass, wiping sweat from his brow.

"Shit... without my stats, I don't think I would've made it up. That was pretty steep." He chuckled, rolling his shoulders. "Actually made me sweat. Might start using hills for endurance training."

Grinning to himself, he leaned back, catching his breath as he took in the view from the hilltop.

After a brief rest, Colm pushed himself to his feet. "Alright, let's see… Luke said due east of the hills."

Assuming he was still facing north, he glanced at his phantoms. "Which way is east?"

Without hesitation, one of them pointed, confirming his direction. He turned his gaze toward the horizon, scanning the vast, undulating hills stretching endlessly before him.

"Yeah… this place is massive." His eyes roamed over the landscape, searching for any sign of a ravine. Unfortunately, nothing stood out. He let out a breath and shook his head. "Not seeing anything yet." He kept his phantoms in the loop, even though they didn't need the verbal updates.

"Alright, we'll keep heading that way," he said, pointing east. "We'll stop at a few of the larger hills along the way to get a better view. Should be able to spot it soon enough."

Clapping his hands together, he started moving again, bracing himself for more hills.

After a few more hours of trekking, Colm stood atop the latest hill in his journey. He turned to glance behind him and let out a chuckle.

"That's a lot of hills." He exhaled, shaking his head. "I wonder if I could have avoided all that… or maybe I just need a better way to travel. Flying would be incredible."

His mind wandered to the idea, recalling how Jerry once mentioned that reaching the other isles would be nearly impossible without flight. A breeze rolled past, rustling his hair, and a grin stretched across his face.

"Yeah… I want that."

Turning his attention back east, he finally saw where the hills tapered off, leading back into flatlands.

"Finally," he muttered, narrowing his eyes. "I don't see the ravine yet, but the way the terrain curves… this has to be it."

Nodding to himself, he picked up his pace, his phantoms following silently. Before long, he descended the final hill, stepping onto the open plains ahead.

"No more inclines," he chuckled. "Alright, let's keep moving. We're almost there."

With renewed energy, he sped across the flat terrain, anticipation growing with every step.

After nearly an hour of running, a sudden dip in the land caught his eye. His pulse quickened.

"Is that it?" He surged forward, closing the distance, and soon found himself standing at the edge of the descent. A triumphant grin spread across his face.

"Found it. That was a trek."

He scanned the land before him, taking in the way the ravine subtly carved through the plains.

"It's kind of hidden with how naturally the ground slopes downward…" He muttered, marveling at the size of it.

"Pretty massive, too. This thing stretches for miles—I'm honestly surprised I didn't see it from farther away."

Shaking his head, he let out a small laugh. "Well, no turning back now." With that, he took a deep breath and began his descent.

Colm peered into the depths of the ravine, his stomach twisting slightly at the sheer drop. They said it was deep, but I wasn't expecting this much. I can't even see the bottom. He exhaled, shaking his head. Hopefully, I have enough rope to make it down.

After a moment of quiet observation, he turned his attention to finding a secure anchor point. His eyes scanned the area until he spotted a sturdy-looking rock formation in the distance. "That should do."

Walking over, he pulled the rope from his inventory and began tying it off. He stepped back to inspect his handiwork, frowning slightly. I really hope this holds. I've never been great at tying knots—I just did a bunch of random ones and hoped for the best.

Gripping the rope, he gave it several hard tugs. It held firm.

"Alright, looks solid enough." He glanced at his phantoms. "I'll summon you three again once I'm at the bottom."

Turning back to the edge, he took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the rope. "Alright… let's see how far this gets me. Here's hoping I don't run out of rope halfway down."

With that, he swung a leg over the edge as he held on to the rope and began his descent.

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