Bruce felt the corner of his lip turn upward, if only for a moment. That the newcomer appreciated hard work and seemed genuinely excited by what spirit he saw earned him a bit more standing in Bruce’s eyes.
[color=0072bc]”Yes,”[/color] he said, though his face fell for a moment once the worker had returned to his labor. [color=0072bc]”They have to keep working almost constantly to expand the dimensions of this place because more people seek refuge here daily.”[/color]
Bruce walked on, his pace a bit faster than it had been, subtly expressing the aggravation he felt by gripping the sheath of his sword with one hand. He kept his face neutral. 
[color=0072bc]”Accommodating all of them is difficult.”[/color]
He didn’t make any other comments about it, instead drawing the man in yellow’s attention to what, at first glance, appeared to be a drop-off looking down the edge of a cliff. The light from the ceiling crystal didn’t reach the bottom of the massive hole, though occasionally faint flashes of beams of light could be seen from below. Bruce held out an arm to signal that the newcomer not approach too quickly.
[color=0072bc]”Living in the mountains the way they do, scrambling and climbing are essential. You can’t climb, you die out there. This is where the difference between those who fight and those who survive is determined.”[/color]
Bruce pointed at a screen that showed the bottom of the pit through the filter of a grainy feed. The screen on its own might have been among the most advanced piece of technology Diver’s Paradise had. On it, it showed another massive expanse of underground terrain, though it wasn’t polished and smooth the way the ground on the first floor was. Dozens of people could be seen running and combatting hazards, both natural and man-made, among them being falling boulders, batsnakes, and other creatures. While Bruce had his eye on the screen, he heard the belabored breathing of someone hauling themselves up over the edge of the cliff and halfway collapsing, her legs still hanging over the edge. Bruce knelt down in front of her and held out his hand. He pulled her onto her feet in one motion, clasping his hand in a solid grip around hers.
[color=0072bc]”Good fight. You made it.”[/color]
She huffed out a breath of laughter and Bruce clapped her on the shoulder before she jogged away.