The adrenaline from unlocking a class specialization had worn off, and Colm surveyed his surroundings. He stood in the middle of a dense forest, trees stretching endlessly in every direction. An eerie stillness permeated the area, and each step he took echoed unnaturally around him.

Luke wasn't kidding—this place is definitely creepy. Colm thought. And this really does look like a straight pathway.

Looking ahead, all he saw was a wide, unobstructed path cutting through the densely packed trees on either side. Seems easy enough. The walkway's huge—probably the size of a six-lane highway back on Earth, he mumbled. Gives me plenty of breathing room.

His gaze shifted to his Phantoms. "Plan stays the same. Lance, you're with me. Carver, Robin—go have fun and clear the way. We'll keep up. No reason to waste any more time. Let's go."

With that, Carver and Robin bolted down the path. Colm smirked, admiring their speed before turning to Lance. "You ready?"

Lance nodded, and without hesitation, the two of them took off at a breakneck pace.

"Lance, keep an eye on the treeline. We don't want anything sneaking up on us while we're sprinting through this, got it?"

In the distance, Colm caught sight of Carver and Robin's silhouettes fading ahead. Yep, definitely seems like they can go much farther from me now. He exhaled. That's pretty convenient. I'll have to test it out later to see just how far. If I can have them patrol around the city or wherever I settle that can be an amazing security system.

Just as he finished the thought, a flood of notifications filled his vision.

Hollowed Marionette (Level 41) Defeated. No Experience Gained

Silken Horror (Level 34) Defeated. No Experience Gained

Hollowed Marionette (Level 39) Defeated. No Experience Gained

…

Hollowed Marionette (Level 39) Defeated. No Experience Gained

"Ah, there we go—looks like they're already getting to work," Colm grinned as he sped forward, glancing at Lance beside him. He kept his gaze fixed ahead, staying alert for any threats that might have slipped past Carver and Robin.

"Nothing else yet," he muttered.

As he reached the spot where Carver and Robin had dispatched the previous group of creatures, he slowed slightly, surveying the aftermath. "Wow, they took down quite a few here, Lance."

He began counting. "One, two… eleven, twelve. That's a good number. It's almost like they were lying in wait for an ambush."

His eyes landed on one of the fallen creatures, and a shiver ran down his spine. "Damn, that Hollowed Marionette is creepy. Looks like some kind of wooden puppet I'd see at Halloween or something." He chuckled at the thought but quickly shook it off.

Can't get distracted. Carver and Robin are clearing the way, and we have to keep up.

More notifications flooded his vision.

Silken Horror (Level 31) Defeated. No Experience Gained

Silken Horror (Level 34) Defeated. No Experience Gained

Hollowed Marionette (Level 40) Defeated. No Experience Gained

…

Silken Horror (Level 39) Defeated. No Experience Gained

"Probably won't be gaining any levels from this one, but that wasn't the point," Colm muttered, swiping away the notifications. I'm here to test a theory about achievements, and that's it.

He quickened his pace, pushing himself to catch up to Carver and Robin. Damn, they're so much faster than me. I really feel useless now—like anything I can do, my Phantoms can do better. The realization settled uncomfortably in his mind. This might change how I think about my class abilities. If I really want to lean into that hidden specialization, I might need to focus entirely on my summons. But I still need some survivability—don't want to end up in a situation where my Phantoms can't save me.

He kept up his pace, ignoring the flood of notifications while maintaining constant vigilance for any creatures. Hmm… he thought. I've only seen two types of creatures so far. Luke mentioned there should be at least one more. But why haven't I seen it?

He frowned. I think he called it a Duskborn Direwolf—should be some massive wolf-like creature. But if that's the case… where are they?

As if jinxing himself, a deep, guttural howl erupted from behind him, freezing both him and Lance in their tracks. Colm pivoted sharply, his eyes locking onto a pack of massive wolves, each the size of a bear, their fangs bared and glowing faintly in the Hollow's dim light.

Colm sighed. "Well, shit. Guess I threw them off by running straight through their territory."

Duskborn Direwolf (Level 32)

Not the highest level, and they should only be Tier 2—manageable.

Colm quickly ran through his options. Should I recall Robin and Carver? He shook his head. No, I want them to keep pushing forward, at least to see how far they can be from me. Lance and I should be able to handle this.

Just as the first Duskborn Direwolf charged, Lance stepped in front of Colm, his spear flashing blue as Piercing Thrust activated. The attack tore through the charging beasts, the force sending them crashing to the ground with heavy thuds.

Before Colm could react, a flood of notifications crowded his vision.

Duskborn Direwolf (Level 32) Defeated. No Experience Gained

Duskborn Direwolf (Level 32) Defeated. No Experience Gained

Duskborn Direwolf (Level 34) Defeated. No Experience Gained

…

Duskborn Direwolf (Level 31) Defeated. No Experience Gained

"Oh yeah, this is gonna be a piece of cake—"

Before Colm could finish the thought, more howls erupted from both his left and right as additional wolves emerged from the shadows, closing in fast.

"Okay, looks like we've got a few more friends crashing the party, Lance." He grinned. "Gives me a chance to test out Abyssal Lance and Wavebound Surge a bit more."

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Lance wasted no time, charging headfirst into the fray. The Phantom Spearman struck down Duskborn Direwolves left and right, each swing of his spectral weapon carving through the pack and leaving a trail of fallen beasts in his wake.

Colm steadied himself as more wolves closed in from both sides. Activating Rising Current, he maneuvered swiftly, the watery Wavebound Surge forming puddles in his wake—hazards the wolves would be forced to navigate.

He raised his hand, locking onto an approaching Direwolf. Energy coalesced in his palm before an Abyssal Lance erupted forward, slicing clean through the beast, dropping it instantly.

Duskborn Direwolf (Level 31) Defeated. No Experience Gained

He smirked. "That was easy," he muttered. Can't get too cocky, though. These things are way lower level and tier than me—this should be easy.

Keeping his mana in check, Colm continued firing Abyssal Lances, each one aimed at the closest wolves, ensuring he didn't waste energy on unnecessary shots.

The sound of rapid footsteps behind him made him pivot sharply. Spinning on his heel, he stepped back into a Rising Current puddle, feeling the surge of energy flow through him as he activated Wavebound Surge.

"Let's see how this one does."

With a torrential crash, a massive wave erupted in a cone before him, surging forward and dragging the wolves off their feet. The water battered them relentlessly, slamming into another group behind them, sending them tumbling into the undergrowth.

Before Colm could react, a flood of notifications filled his vision.

Duskborn Direwolf (Level 31) Defeated. No Experience Gained

Duskborn Direwolf (Level 37) Defeated. No Experience Gained

Duskborn Direwolf (Level 28) Defeated. No Experience Gained

…

Duskborn Direwolf (Level 34) Defeated. No Experience Gained

"Oh, that's gonna be fun," Colm smirked as he spun on a dime, catching a wolf attempting to sneak up on him. With a flick of his hand, an Abyssal Lance shot forward, striking true and ending its attack before it even began.

Colm stood amidst the dozens of Duskborn Direwolf corpses, surveying his surroundings. "Well, that was fun," he muttered, wiping a bit of sweat from his brow. Still, this was a bit too easy—honestly felt like a warm-up.

His gaze shifted to Lance, who remained on guard, spectral spear in hand, surrounded by many more fallen wolves.

"Lance really did a number on them," Colm chuckled. "Puts my count to shame."

With a satisfied nod, he turned his attention to the stream of notifications filling his vision. "Well, at least this wasn't all for nothing."

Rising Current (Level 4) has increased to Rising Current (Level 5)

Rising Current (Level 5) has increased to Rising Current (Level 6)

Wavebound Surge (Level 3) has increased to Wavebound Surge (Level 4)

Wavebound Surge (Level 4) has increased to Wavebound Surge (Level 5)

"Got some nice levels out of this from all the wolves. Definitely supports the theory that new challenges and unknown dangers will rank things up, even if they're low level—so that's good."

Colm made a mental note. When I run this with Luke and Tessa, they'll need to stay at the beginning—assuming the wolves don't swarm the start. Otherwise, I'll have to stick with them the whole time.

His eyes flicked over the endless stream of notifications. Still no message about Robin or Carver reaching maximum range. Guess they kept going. He sighed, swiping away more pop-ups.

"This is honestly getting a bit annoying," he chuckled.

Silken Horror (Level 38) Defeated. No Experience Gained

Silken Horror (Level 32) Defeated. No Experience Gained

Hollowed Marionette (Level 41) Defeated. No Experience Gained

…

Silken Horror (Level 39) Defeated. No Experience Gained

"Time to get moving," Colm called out to Lance after their brief reprieve.

He and the Phantom Spearman picked up the pace, eager to catch up to Carver and Robin. By now, they were completely out of sight, but Colm had no doubt they were still pushing forward. The trail of bodies lining the path—and the lack of any notifications about their destruction—confirmed it.

After a few more minutes of their rapid sprint, Colm glanced over at Lance. "I wonder if they're almost to the boss by now," he mused with a shrug.

As if on cue, a notification flashed across his vision.

Marionette Huntsman (Level 50) Defeated. No Experience Gained.

Colm barely had time to process it before another message crowded his vision. He smirked. "Well, that answers that."

[ Achievement Earned ]

Twilight's Hollow Sprinter

You have accomplished an extraordinary feat, completing the Twilight's Hollow with remarkable efficiency. The system recognizes your strength and rewards you for your efforts.

Stat Boost: Increases movement speed by 2%.

"Yes!" Colm exclaimed, pumping his fist. He turned to Lance, perhaps a bit too loud considering the Phantom was right next to him.

"It works! This is gonna be great—holy shit, I'm going to farm these Sprinter achievements!" His excitement was palpable, a grin stretching across his face.

Just as he prepared to pick up the pace again, another notification popped up in his vision.

[ Requirements Fulfilled: Synergized Achievement Unlocked ]

Echo Sprinter I

You have accomplished an extraordinary feat, completing Echoes with remarkable efficiency. The system recognizes your strength and rewards you for your efforts.

Stat Boost: Increases movement speed by 5%.

"Fuck, I forgot about Synergized Achievements!" Colm muttered, eyes widening. "This is even better—alone, those two Sprinter achievements would've given me a 4% speed boost, but since they synergized, I got an extra percent. So… 2.5% each?"

A grin stretched across his face as the realization hit. I wonder if this stacks in future Echoes? If each new one adds another 2.5%, I could nearly double my speed at some point. I'm going to be insanely fast if I can keep stacking them.

Then a thought made him stumble slightly. Wait… does this affect my Phantoms too? He frowned. No idea how to test that, but it's something to think about.

Shaking off the distraction, he turned to Lance. "Okay, let's catch up."

With that, the duo sped through the rest of Twilight's Hollow, blurring past countless fallen wolves. After nearly ten minutes at their frantic pace, Colm caught sight of Carver and Robin shimmering in the distance.

"Ah, we're almost there."

Moments later, he arrived at the boss's corpse—or rather what was left of it after it had been diced into pieces and peppered with arrows. He tilted his head, examining it. "Damn, that's a creepy one. Looks like all the Hollowed Marionettes, but bigger… and somehow even worse."

He glanced at Carver and Robin. "I see you both did a number on this guy."

Robin nodded excitedly, while Carver stood still, as stoic as ever. Colm laughed. "Never change, Carver."

Stepping closer, he took a good look at the Huntsman's massive, twisted frame. "Honestly, this thing's way too big for my storage space. No clue what parts are even valuable—probably should've figured that out before coming here." He shrugged. Oh well.

Turning back to his team, he clapped his hands. "Alright, great job, everyone. We'll head back to Brimhope, see if I can find Jerry and let him know about the class specialization piece. Then tomorrow, I'll meet up with Luke and Tessa and get them this Echo's achievement."

With a satisfied grin, he strode past the boss's corpse, making his way toward the familiar shimmering glow of the exit portal.

[ Status ]

Name: Colm Arden

Race: Morvyn

Level: 65

Health: 1450 / 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 (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

- Echo Sprinter I

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