Luke began laying out the plan. "So, the boss here is called the Broodmother Centipede. It's like the ones we've been fighting but scaled way up—bigger, faster, and way nastier. Still a tier 1 creature, but its level is usually around 75, give or take depending on the day."

He paused, gesturing to the group. "What we usually do is have our frontliner go in first to grab its attention. While it's focused, I hit it with some abilities from range to chip away at its health and keep it aggravated. Then Tessa sneaks in and gets a good strike with her weapon coated with poison. The poison slows it down and weakens it. After that, it's just a matter of time—wearing it down with attacks and abilities until it eventually dies. It's normally a bit of a slog, but manageable."

Luke glanced at Colm and smirked. "Honestly, with the way you've blasted through everything so far, I doubt it's going to last that long. But we'll stick to the plan and see how it goes. If it's easier, we'll adjust."

"Sounds good to me," Colm replied with a nod. "We'll go in expecting to wear it down and be pleasantly surprised if we don't have to. I'm ready whenever you two are."

"Good," Luke grunted in agreement. "Tessa, you ready?"

"Almost," Tessa said as she crouched down, applying a viscous liquid to her twin blades. "Just prepping this poison in case we need it. Give me a second." After a few moments, she stood and gave a firm nod. "Alright, ready."

Luke smirked and turned to Colm. "Alright, lead the way, Carver," he joked, glancing at the phantom warrior. "Figured I'd talk to the one doing the heavy lifting."

Colm laughed. "You're not wrong there."

He mentally commanded Carver and Lance to step forward into the next room, their spectral forms striding ahead with an eerie confidence. The cavern opened into a vast chamber, the air heavy and damp. At the center of the room, curled into a grotesque coil of segmented chitin and countless legs, loomed the Broodmother Centipede.

It was massive, far larger than any centipede they'd faced so far. Its glossy black carapace gleamed faintly in the dim light, and its many glowing red eyes seemed to pierce into Colm's soul. As he observed the creature he used Analyze.

Broodmother Centipede (Level ??)

Analyze (Level 4) has increased to Analyze (Level 5)

The increase in his Analyze level pleasantly surprised him, but he pushed that thought aside to focus on the creature.

Colm shuddered as the unreadable level made him acutely aware of the creature's power. The grotesque image of the monstrous centipede burned into his mind, but he shook off the unease and nodded to Tessa, signaling her to creep forward.

Tessa moved stealthily into position, her movements fluid and precise, ready to strike at a moment's notice. Meanwhile, Colm sent a silent command to his phantoms.

Carver and Lance surged forward, their forms rippling with the power of the Tide attunement. Carver's blade glowed with the familiar blue of Ripping Cleave, and as he reached the Broodmother, he unleashed a devastating slash that cleaved into the massive creature.

The battle had begun.

Broodmother Centipede (Level 77) Defeated. Experience Gained. Bonus experience granted for defeating a higher level enemy. Experience shared while in a group.

Level Up! +5 Stat Points Available.

And just like that, the battle was over before it even began. Shit, Colm thought, watching as the Broodmother crumpled to the ground. That was way too easy.

Carver had finished the boss off with a single devastating strike. The ease of it left Colm feeling a pang of dissatisfaction. I definitely need more of a challenge. These tier 1 Echos will not cut it. How much did the Lucent Grove really prepare me for?

He pulled up his status screen, mulling over his next move. Jerry's teachings keep echoing in my mind—balance is key. Alright, I'll put these points into strength to round things out. The decision was straightforward, a step toward ensuring he could handle whatever came next.

As he allocated his points, he couldn't shake the thought that the level-ups, while satisfying, felt hollow. I didn't even push myself here. But it makes sense—if experience is based on levels and not tiers, it's no wonder higher-tier classes can level faster. I'm already seeing the difference.

Colm glanced at his phantoms, who stood silently waiting for their next command, their spectral forms glowing faintly in the dim cavern light. I have so much room to grow, but I need to push myself harder. These beginner Echoes won't teach me what I need to know. Sure, it'll get me some levels but not experience.

He turned back to the others, ready to wrap up the delve and plan his next step.

* * *

Luke watched as the Phantom Warrior, Carver, charged at the Broodmother, its spectral blade raised high, glowing with that eerie blue light. In mere moments, the phantom was upon the creature, unleashing its prepared strike. The blade sliced cleanly through the Broodmother, and the crashing wave that followed ensured its swift and total demise.

"Holy shit," Luke muttered under his breath, his wide eyes fixed on the carnage. How strong is this guy? Why is he even here, and how did we get lucky enough to be grouped with him?

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His mind churned with questions as he stole a glance at his sister. If he sticks around for a few more delves, we might both finally have enough funds to tier up our classes faster. Tier 3 would change everything. It'd make things so much safer for us.

His gaze lingered on Tessa for a moment longer, his thoughts darkening. She's already had too many close calls. I really wish she'd gone for a ranged class instead. Luke sighed, a mix of relief and frustration swirling within him as he turned his attention back to Colm. But with someone like him on our side, maybe we'll finally catch a break.

* * *

Colm glanced at Luke and Tessa, their mouths agape in disbelief. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Yeah, I guess that was a bit much, huh?"

"You don't say!" Tessa exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "In the three years we've been doing this, we've never seen anyone basically one-shot a boss, you maniac!"

Colm shrugged, trying to play it off. "Honestly, this whole Echo was nothing compared to the one I got trapped in before. So, this was kind of a nice change of pace."

Luke let out a hearty laugh. "A pleasant change of pace? Man, these Echos are supposed to make us work, train, and earn it. I got a level just walking alongside you without lifting a finger. Not that I'm complaining—levels are always nice."

Colm shifted the conversation. "So, what happens next? The boss is dead—do we just circle back to the beginning and leave?"

Luke shook his head. "No, not yet. We need to harvest the Broodmother first. Its mandibles sell for a decent price." He turned to Tessa. "You want to do the honors?"

Tessa nodded, stepping toward the massive corpse to break it down.

While she worked, Luke continued. "Once that's done, we'll head to the cavern over there." He gestured past Colm's shoulder. "There's an exit portal that'll take us to the other side of the rock formation where we came in."

"Ah got it. Also, does the layout of an Echo always stay the same?" Colm asked, remembering their earlier explanation about instances.

"Good question," Luke said. "For the most part, yeah. The layout and monsters are consistent in normal Echoes. Sometimes, though, you might get rare monsters or slightly higher average levels, but those are exceptions."

"Rare monsters?" Colm asked, intrigued.

"Yeah," Luke replied. "Every so often, an Echo might have a rare monster, basically a unique variant of the normal monsters typically found in the Echo. They have a high chance of dropping system-generated loot. Those items are valuable—either great for combat or worth a lot of money. If you come across one, you're pretty lucky."

Tessa interrupted their conversation, brushing off her hands as she walked back to them. "All done. Let's head out."

The trio moved to the next room, where a shimmering portal awaited. It looked much like the one they'd entered through, the swirling light folding in on itself. Luke and Tessa stepped through nonchalantly, disappearing into the glow.

Colm took a final glance around the cavern before following, the world fading to black before snapping back into focus. They were back outside, the familiar rocky terrain stretching around them.

Tessa turned to Colm, adjusting her pack, now bulging with harvested parts. "We'll head back to the guild. The clerk should give us a good price for everything we collected. With your phantom clearing the bugs in one hit, most of the parts stayed intact. This haul's probably one of the best we've had in a while."

Luke chimed in. "Speaking of the haul," he said, looking at Colm, "you did all the heavy lifting. It's only fair if you take the biggest share, okay?"

Colm paused, shaking his head. "Honestly, I'm just grateful for everything you've taught me. I'm pretty new to all this, and the knowledge you've shared means a lot. I'm good with splitting it evenly. As long as I get enough for a room at the guild and some of that stew, I'm happy."

Luke shrugged. "Fair enough. Works for me. Thanks for not making it weird."

Colm nodded, smiling.

"Alright, let's get going," Tessa said, tightening the straps on her pack. With that, the trio began their trek back to the city. Before long, the rocky terrain gave way to more familiar surroundings, and Colm started recognizing landmarks from their earlier journey.

As they continued, other adventurers came into view, heading toward the Echo entrance. Across the horizon, Colm spotted the now-familiar line stretching out from the portal they had entered hours ago. Luke noticed it too and chuckled. "Looks like we timed that perfectly. That line's pretty long now."

Colm glanced at the queue and then Luke and asked, "Does it usually get that long?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah. Early mornings or late at night are the best times for this Echo. Otherwise, you'll end up stuck in a line like that for a while. Honestly, I don't get why people wait until midday. It's always packed by then." He shrugged, seemingly indifferent.

Mentally filing away that bit of advice, Colm focused on keeping pace with the siblings, grateful for everything he'd learned so far. This really was a good experience, he thought. Luke and Tessa are pretty easygoing, all things considered. They're still strangers, but I feel comfortable around them—that's saying something after everything I've been through.

His thoughts shifted to what Luke had shared earlier about his class. He told me he's a Weaver, which feels like a step toward trust. But there's always the chance he's trying to play me, seeing someone naïve with a powerful class and angling for favor.

Colm sighed, shaking off the thought. I don't want to deal with that kind of drama right now. For now, I'll hope for the best. Besides, it might do me some good to stick with them for a little while. There's still so much I need to learn about this world.

[ Status ]

Name: Colm Arden

Race: Morvyn

Level: 61

Health: 1450 / 1450

Mana: 630 / 630

Strength: 70 (84)

Dexterity: 70 (84)

Intelligence: 105 (126)

Constitution: 121 (145)

Attunement: Tide

Attunement Abilities:

- Rising Current (Level 1)

- Wavebound Surge (Level 1)

Class: Spirit Warden

Active Class Abilities:

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

- Phantom Spearman (Level 10) [Lance]

- Phantom Archer (Level 10) [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 5)

- 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)

Achievements:

- Through the Rift

- Champion of the Lucent Grove

- Bane of the Undead

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