As Colm entered the Adventurer's Guild, he noticed the building bustling with a bit more activity, more so than the night before, at least. The early morning crowd had already begun milling about, creating a lively atmosphere but still feeling pretty empty. Wasting no time, he made his way to the tavern, and as he stepped inside, a savory scent hit his nose, making his mouth water.

Taking a seat at the bar, Colm glanced around the quaint establishment. "It's pretty convenient to have a restaurant in the guild," he muttered. "Makes sense, though—if adventurers are coming through here daily, the owner must be making a killing."

Interrupting his thoughts, a bartender approached with a friendly grin. "Right you are," the man said, responding to Colm's muttering. "This place turns a good profit, sure, but my job's making sure adventurers get easy access to food whenever they need it—and at a fair price. One perk of being part of the guild."

Colm turned to him, and used Analyze.

Peter (Level 33) – Human

The man's straightforward demeanor put Colm at ease, but he couldn't hide his embarrassment. "Yeah, I guess I'm new here," Colm admitted with a sheepish chuckle. "I just got to town a couple of days ago and haven't had a proper meal yet. I caught a whiff of some stew the other day—it smelled amazing. So I figured I'd come here the next chance I had."

Peter beamed with pride. "That stew's one of my specialties. Glad it caught your attention! Unfortunately, we're all out of it right now. But since it's morning, we've got breakfast going. Would that work for you?"

Colm nodded eagerly. "Absolutely! What do you have for breakfast?"

Peter responded without missing a beat. "Simple stuff—eggs, potatoes, and beans. I'll have that out for you in a few minutes. Want something to drink with it?"

"Oh, sure! What do you have?"

"Water and beer," Peter said with a laugh. "Though beer might not be to your taste this early in the morning."

Colm chuckled. "Yeah, I'll stick with water. Thanks."

"Not a problem," Peter replied, jotting down the order before moving on to another patron.

Left alone at the bar, Colm's thoughts drifted back to the promise of breakfast. Finally, something other than Celestial Blooms, he thought, practically salivating at the idea. I can't wait.

Glancing around, Colm took in the lively atmosphere, listening to the background chatter of other patrons. Snippets of conversation about Echoes drifted to his ears, catching his attention. A group of adventurers, their levels hovering around the 20s, discussed running a lower-tier Echo.

I wonder if I should try some of those lower-level Echoes? he mused. How do they know the average level and tier of an Echo anyway?

As he waited for his meal, Colm continued using Analyze on the people milling about. He observed their levels and classes, letting the ability do its work. Suddenly, a notification flashed across his vision/

Analyze (Level 5) is now Analyze (Level 6)

"Oh, that's a nice surprise," he muttered, swiping the notification away with a grin.

Content, he let his thoughts wander, enjoying the simple pleasure of people-watching after months of isolation. The clinking of plates, soft laughter, and snippets of conversations created a comforting hum of activity. He noticed Peter weaving expertly between the patrons, disappearing into the back one moment and reappearing on the floor the next to chat with others.

Man, he's efficient, Colm thought with a chuckle, watching the bartender work.

Before long, Peter emerged from the back once more, this time with a plate of steaming food and a glass of water. Placing it before Colm, he handed over some silverware with a warm smile. "Here you go," Peter said.

Colm's mouth watered at the sight and smell of the meal. "Thank you so much," he said, quickly grabbing the silverware and diving in. He started with a piece of potato, piercing it with his fork and popping it into his mouth.

The moment the warm, seasoned bite hit his tongue, he groaned in satisfaction. It's warm. I didn't realize how much I missed warm food, he thought.

Peter lingered nearby, watching Colm with amusement. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you haven't eaten in months," Peter teased.

Colm nodded between bites, swallowing before responding. "That's not far off, honestly. I've been surviving on a single type of plant from an Echo I was stuck in for months. This is the first real meal I've had since then, and it's incredible. The flavor, the seasoning—it's all amazing."

Peter's smile softened. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, but I'm glad this meal is hitting the spot." He rubbed his chin in thought before adding, "I'll be right back—keep enjoying the food."

Colm nodded, already focused on devouring the meal. Bite after bite, he relished the taste, warmth, and texture, savoring every piece. I didn't think I'd miss food this much, especially since I don't technically need it to stay alive anymore. But holy shit, this is divine, he thought, utterly absorbed in the experience.

Just as Colm finished the last bite, Peter returned, carrying another plate of the same meal—but this time, he'd added something new. A pastry that looked suspiciously like a cinnamon roll.

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Colm's eyes widened in shock and delight. "A sugary treat? Holy shit!"

Peter laughed at Colm's reaction. "Based on what you told me, I figured you might appreciate another helping and a little dessert. And you know what? It's all on the house."

Colm stared at Peter in disbelief, his gratitude evident. "Thank you so much," he said, already eying the pastry like it was a treasure.

Colm watched as Peter placed the next round of food before him. "Thank you. I don't even know what to say."

Peter waved him off with a warm smile. "Say nothing of it. I'm just glad to see you enjoying yourself since it's been a while since you've had a real meal. This is exactly why I started cooking here at the Adventurer's Guild."

Colm nodded in appreciation, then wasted no time digging into the second plate. He quickly devoured the eggs and potatoes before turning his attention to the cinnamon roll. His mouth watered as he reached for the treat. The moment he took a bite, his eyes closed in sheer bliss. This is amazing, he thought, the sweetness dancing across his tongue. A tear almost welled in his eye. I missed this. It's crazy, the things I took for granted. I never even cared much for cinnamon rolls back on Earth, he mused, staring at the pastry in his hand. But holy shit, I'd kill for this now.

Taking another bite, Colm vowed, I'm coming back here all the time for this. He savored each mouthful, the frosting on top adding to the indulgence. By the time he reached the gooey center, he couldn't help but let out a loud, satisfied moan. The nearby patrons turned to look at him, some with raised eyebrows, while Peter caught his eye, barely suppressing his laughter.

Colm, sheepish but undeterred, averted his gaze, focusing intently on finishing the treat. "Holy shit, that was amazing," he muttered under his breath.

Peter snuck up behind him, chuckling. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Honestly, I think the way you ate that cinnamon roll will stay in my memory for a long time. You looked like you were in another world!"

Colm laughed, smiling. "I really was," he admitted, sharing a hearty laugh with Peter.

After a few minutes, Colm composed himself and stood. "Thank you, Peter. That was incredible. Are you absolutely sure I don't owe you anything?"

Peter waved him off again. "Don't worry about it. All I ask is that you stop by regularly so I can make sure you're eating well and taking care of yourself. Everyone in town appreciates the adventurers from the Guild, and this is my way of giving back. Granted," he added with a smirk, "next time, you're paying. Can't have people thinking I've gone soft."

Colm grinned and nodded. "Deal. I'll be sure to stop by more often now that I'm in town."

With that, he stood and made his way back toward the center of the plaza. Looking around, he noticed the crowd had started to grow. It's definitely picking up in here. I might as well go sell my inventory stock while I'm at it, he thought, heading toward the nearest line of clerks.

The line wasn't too long, so Colm passed the time by glancing around the bustling guild hall. As he stepped forward, inching closer to the front, he pulled up his status, scanning it idly while keeping one eye on the line's progress.

[ Status ]

Name: Colm Arden

Race: Morvyn

Level: 64

Health: 1450 / 1450

Mana: 690 / 690

Strength: 70 (84)

Dexterity: 75 (90)

Intelligence: 115 (138)

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 3)

- Wavebound Surge (Level 3)

Class: Spirit Warden (Tier 5)

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 6)

- 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

- Dusk Caverns Sprinter

I've made a lot of progress, Colm thought as he scanned his status. Sure, things have slowed down since I got here, but that's because I've been learning about this world. Honestly, I'm not in much of a rush either. This town feels stable, and I've met some nice people. I'm really enjoying myself.

His gaze lingered on his abilities. I want to push my limits, but I don't want to be reckless. I should focus on getting most of my abilities to Tier 2 first—maybe even grind some resistance skills—then start leveling up more seriously. Unlocking all my class abilities would be great; they've all saved me one way or another.

Colm's thoughts were interrupted as the clerk at the front of his line called out, "Next!" He quickly dismissed his status and approached the desk, only to find a familiar face.

"Hi, Leon," Colm greeted with a smile. "How are you doing today?"

Leon returned the smile warmly. "Can't complain. It's been a pretty easy morning so far. How can I help you, Colm?"

"I'm hoping to sell off a lot of the Dusk Centipedes from a couple of runs I did in the Dusk Caverns overnight. Would you be able to help me with that?" Colm asked.

Leon raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Of course, I'd be more than happy to help. Do you have a storage item where they're kept?"

Colm nodded. "Yeah, but how would I transfer them over? I'm guessing you don't want me to dump them all out here."

Leon laughed. "Right, that would make quite a mess. Here's how it works." He reached under the desk and pulled out a crystal similar to the one used to register Colm's mana signature when he joined the guild. "Place your hand on this and mentally move the items from your storage item into the crystal. That's all we need."

Colm did as instructed, placing his hand on the crystal and mentally transferring the centipede corpses from his storage ring. "He let out a relieved sigh. That's convenient. I really didn't want to have to spill a pile of insect bodies all over the floor."

As Colm removed his hand, Leon placed his own on the crystal, examining the contents. After a few moments, he nodded appreciatively. "Quite a haul you've got here, Colm. For everything, I can offer you about 35 silver. Typically, selling corpses fetches a bit less since we need our crafters to handle the harvesting. Does that work for you?"

Colm nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good to me."

With that, Leon grabbed some coins from a nearby pouch and handed them to Colm. "The guild thanks you for your business. Stay safe out there, and have a good day."

"Thanks, Leon!" Colm said, waving as he stepped away. Almost immediately, his thoughts drifted to his next move as he walked back towards his room to have a moment and take a quick bath.

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