Survive the labyrinth with EX-grade traits

Survive until all paths are closed.

I kept in mind the hidden rule that Adelai had hinted at.

‘In reality, I should think of this as another trial. The final trial… What a dirty gimmick, not even a real final boss.’

Each party had entered a portal that had lost its light due to the challenge, and when the challenge was successfully completed, the portal would completely disappear, which was considered as a closed path.

The adventurers who had endured the difficult trials and escaped would already be under extreme stress.

If a fight broke out between the adventurers who had come out first before all portals were conquered, it would be a headache.

Even if they successfully passed through the trial…

They could still die at the crossroads at the hands of another adventurer, so it wasn’t over until they completely escaped.

‘The problem is that the levels of the parties gathered here are all different.’

Adventurers value practicality and pride, and sometimes pursue romance and curiosity.

In a way, they are like two sides of a coin, with both bright and dark sides coexisting.

Since they no longer had any reservations and their blood was already boiling from the trial in the portal, what would happen if someone provoked them?

Unless the opponent seemed extremely strong, they would immediately engage in a life-or-death battle.

‘Damn. It would be so much better if you just dropped us at a random point on the third floor.’

Especially Logan Muhabes? If that bastard survived, he would definitely come charging with fire in his eyes.

I needed to prepare for battle in advance.

Before entering the portal to return to the crossroads outside the sanctuary, I gave instructions to my companions.

“As soon as we return to the starting point, we might have to fight the warrior’s party that was arguing earlier.”

I gave short and concise instructions.

“Maintain the same formation as usual. Yeriel, start with buffs right now, and in combat, Veronica, use taunt, and Lumia, use binding first.”

“Binding? Leave it to me.”

“I’ll keep it in mind. I’ll take the lead.”

“May your sword be filled with light and your body with wind.”

[The effect of Divine Weapon increases strength by one level for an hour.]

[The effect of Haste increases agility by one level for an hour.]

Ah. I had one more thing to say to Yeriel.

“Even if someone in need of a priest’s help is shown, don’t just heal them without an agreement. Can you do that?”

“⋯Yes! I graduated from the stage of being so naive as to heal someone without any agreement as soon as I see an injured person in the labyrinth. Don’t worry!”

I said this because I remembered seeing a phrase about not turning a blind eye to those dying during the study of doctrine within the trial… Thankfully.

Woo-oong.

I entered the portal that returned to the crossroads.

.

.

.

Paat!

As soon as I landed stably, I looked around.

First of all, that bastard wasn’t there.

Two portals remained on our side, as they hadn’t disappeared yet since the parties were still inside.

Coincidentally, those portals were the ones entered by Logan’s party and the halfling archer’s party.

In other words, they were the fourth and seventh portals, which were particularly unique among the seven portals.

“Hmm?”

「As I said earlier, all entrances must be closed in some way before you can get out.」

Sizzle.

「For now, the connection is unstable, so even simple conversations are difficult. Please survive until the end. Then.」

Thud.

With the brief worry, the connection with Adelai in my head was cut off.

However, I didn’t have time to worry about that as I saw the terrible scene in front of my eyes.

Each party had lost a member or two, and some were in extreme pain, crying out.

Among them, the party of the old mage Dyson seemed to have suffered the most damage.

The tall priest who was like a giant in that party seemed to have died in the trial, as he wasn’t there.

It was an additional burden to see the vanguard repeatedly healing and spitting blood, looking precarious.

‘Ugh. All the potions are gone, and even the healer has died. What kind of trial was inside?

Did Dyson choose the second option? He chose that ominous-looking portal… What an unlucky bastard.’

“Uwaaak. Ugh.”

“Ben, wake up and open your eyes!”

“Is there anyone with a high-grade potion or a priest capable of healing to that extent?! I’ll definitely repay you! Please don’t hold back and come out!”

It seemed that not much time had passed since the portal was conquered, as the place was filled with the wailing of the injured and their companions, like a scene from hell.

So, no one paid attention to us as we returned.

“It doesn’t look like there will be a fight. Let’s go over there.”

Nod.

As we approached them, I listened to their conversation while loosening my combat stance.

Apparently, Dyson was looking for a priest’s help or searching for potions to save his dying vanguard.

He approached the man with a scar on his face, who looked as strong and experienced as Dyson himself.

“Our priest’s mana is also depleted. You must know that some mana must remain for it to be converted into divine power.”

“Ugh. Is there any way?”

“I’ll help if mana replenishment is possible.”

The scarred man showed a cold attitude, indicating that he didn’t want to be bothered if it wasn’t possible.

“Potions! Do you have potions then? If you don’t have high-grade ones, even middle-grade ones are fine. I’ll buy them all!”

“I’m sorry, but we don’t have enough for ourselves. We’re targeting the mid-layer gate on this expedition, so we can’t afford to waste resources here.”

“This is heartless, especially when someone is dying!”

“Old man, it’s better to face reality. Do you think adventurers, who are known for their heartlessness, will be affected by their conscience?”

He turned his back, saying that the other party also seemed to have eaten a lot of labyrinth food, so it was best not to make a fuss over nothing.

From an adventurer’s perspective, the scarred man’s words were absolutely correct.

Whether they were on a quest to a specific layer, hunting for hidden gates or layer bosses, or even just for the sake of hunting high-level monsters or setting records, failing to return would mean losing an entire month. So, they would be reluctant to help.

Unless it was outright looting, the methods to replenish items like potions in the labyrinth were limited.

‘But… seeing Dyson in such a hopeless state makes me feel…

Perhaps it was because of the death of his companion.

He was walking away with a dejected look, so I stopped him.

“Sir.”

“Hoo. It’s you. Your return is quite late. Let me ask you, do you have any spare potions? Probably not, right?”

He said that low-grade potions were of little use due to the potion addiction trait, which reduced their effectiveness.

He begged me to sell him any spare potions, saying that he was going crazy because he couldn’t find a priest or even middle-grade potions to help his companion.

Potion addiction trait?

I knew that this was an abnormal trait that was generated after drinking potions like water for several hours.

What kind of trial was in the second portal?

Anyway, Yeriel’s normal healing would have its limits. ⋯But.

‘I have a way to help even without potions or divine magic.’

“I’m sorry. It seems like you’ve also had a hard time inside. I’ll take my leave now.”

What was with this attitude that clearly showed he had given up?

Dyson, having understood my silence, turned to leave. I stopped him after a short pause.

Tap.

“Wait a moment. You’re not letting me speak.”

I offered him a deal.

“Sir. Even if it’s not a potion, if I have a way to save your companion, what can you offer in return?”

Hearing my confident voice, he turned around and asked.

“⋯Can you really do it?! Can you save him?!”

“Our priest is perfectly fine. If I use my recovery-related traits consecutively and then she casts a healing spell, there’s a high chance of success.”

“Hooray! Then we shouldn’t waste any more time.”

Rummage.

“If you save Douglas, I’ll not only give you gold coins, but also this.”

He took something out of his pocket.

Soon, Dyson used an appraisal scroll to reveal the information about the item, explaining what kind of effect it had, its grade, and how many uses were left.

However, I just glanced at it through Chaos’ Eye, as it was better to just scan it once.

───

[Medelin’s Shattered Wing] (B)

Fairy Queen Medelin, after enduring her mischievous pranks, gave a piece of her wing to her friends who listened to her request, imbuing it with mystery.

Just looking at it makes you feel like you’re being enchanted by its vibrant colors.

⋯If you keep it with you, good things might happen.

─When held, luck below B-grade increases by two levels.

─When attacked, there’s a very rare chance of causing hallucinations in the attacker.

─The probability of gaining the favor of mysterious beings slightly increases.

─When infused with mana in the labyrinth, regardless of the layer, you can enter the fairy forest.

(Remaining uses: 1)

───

“What do you say? Additionally… Yes. I’ll give you 20 gold coins. Do we have a deal?”

B-grade? And 20 gold coins?

I had hit the jackpot when I least expected it.