Colm stood there, watching Jerry's reaction unfold. He wasn't sure what the man was going to do next. Jerry's eyes had gone wide, darting around frantically before he muttered under his breath, "Holy fucking shit."

That did it—Colm let out a snort, unable to hold back his amusement. But the moment was short-lived.

Jerry shot up to his feet so suddenly that Colm immediately silenced himself. Before he could fully process what was happening, he noticed something odd—the light had shifted. A flicker of unease settled in as he turned his head.

Bare walls.

Fuck. I'm not in the library anymore.

Did I make a mistake?

Before he could dwell on it, Jerry strode toward him and clapped a firm hand down on his shoulder.

"Holy shit, kid—you did it." His voice was almost hysterical, filled with something between disbelief and exhilaration.

"I spent decades—fucking decades—trying to uncover something like this. And you? You figured it out before I did." He shook his head, laughing breathlessly. "I knew there was more. I just knew it. And honestly, there's probably even more beyond this. But this… this changes everything. Do you realize what you've done?"

Colm swallowed. "I have a feeling I do… but go ahead. Enlighten me."

Jerry chuckled. "Class specializations." He ran a hand through his hair. "I can't believe I didn't think of it—I'm such an idiot. You've uncovered another layer of the system that could make humanity stronger as a whole." He exhaled sharply, pacing for a moment before turning back. "Of course, we'll need to figure out the specifics of what exactly triggered it for us."

Colm cocked his head at that, and Jerry caught the look.

"Yeah, yeah, kid—I just got one too. Your story made me realize something about my own abilities, and I think something clicked because I got a notification just like you did."

Colm nodded, but another question was nagging at him. "Also," he chimed in, glancing around, "where in the hell are we?"

Jerry blinked, then looked around as if only just remembering their change in location. "Oh, right—sorry about that." He waved a hand dismissively. "Honestly, since this is such an insane discovery, I didn't want word getting out just yet. I figured we should finish our little chat in private, so I pulled us somewhere more secure."

Colm nodded slowly, still taking in his surroundings. That's crazy. I don't even know what he did… but it's like he just picked me up and plopped me somewhere else. I didn't feel a thing—I didn't even see what happened.

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The thought settled in his chest. That just goes to show the gap between us.

As Colm raced through his thoughts, he watched Jerry pace back and forth, muttering aloud.

"Okay… first, there has to be some kind of knowledge trigger again… a deep understanding or connection with your class. But does it depend on the type of class? Would different ones require different conditions?"

He suddenly stopped and looked at Colm. "Kid, I haven't told anyone this in a long time, but I have a class somewhat similar to yours. It's different in nature, but that's why I think mine triggered so quickly when you told me your story."

Colm's eyes widened at the revelation. He hadn't expected Jerry to share something so personal, but he quickly regained his composure as the man continued.

"I'm telling you this because we may have uncovered a key—one that works for a specific class archetype. But for others? That could be a whole different mess. Take Weavers, for example. What exactly would trigger a specialization for them? They focus on slinging spells—how would they gain a specialization by viewing their abilities as more than just that? There has to be a deeper meaning."

Colm nodded. "You're right. I didn't really think that far ahead."

Jerry gave a sharp nod and fell back into deep thought.

Colm watched him silently, a small feeling of certainty settling in his chest. I have a good feeling about this. That question alone—he's already thinking about helping other classes figure out their own specializations. He's not just keeping this to himself.

Minutes passed as Jerry continued ranting through his own theories, lost in thought. Eventually, Colm started feeling a bit out of place. Not sure how else I can contribute here.

He waited for a lull in Jerry's movement before speaking up. "Hey, Jerry—think you could send me back to the library? I figure you can take it from here. I mainly just wanted to share what I found out."

Jerry snapped out of his thoughts. "Oh, right. My bad kid—I got a little too focused. Yeah, of course."

Before Colm could even register what happened, the world shifted, and they were suddenly back in the alcove of the library.

As he took a moment to reorient himself, Jerry spoke, his tone more serious.

"Colm, you may not fully understand what you've done here, but thank you. You've helped push humanity forward with this, and I'll do my damnedest to make sure this knowledge spreads. This might be what we need to truly thrive—hell, it could even be the edge we need to start fighting back against those monstrous undead in each of the hubs."

Colm nodded. "Happy to help. And if you ever need anything from me, just let me know. I don't know why, but I've been feeling this… seething hatred toward the undead lately. I want to get rid of them—but I need to be smart about it."

Jerry, already turning back to his desk, chimed over his shoulder. "Oh, that's probably the Morvyn in you. Something about having an altered version of the infection in your veins makes you antsy when you see the real thing." He waved Colm off. "Don't worry too much about it."

Colm's eyes widened. He hadn't expected such a direct answer.

That… that actually makes sense.

"Uh, thanks," he muttered, still processing the information. "I'll be off now."

With his mind swarming with thoughts, Colm turned and made his way out and headed towards his room. I think I want to take a nap.

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