Survive the labyrinth with EX-grade traits

Crunch! Creak!

Gurgle. Cough.

“You idiot. Eat slowly.”

It had been two days since we started walking on the crossroad, occasionally encountering and defeating the Faceless Ironclads.

All three of us had grown, but Lumia’s performance stood out, especially after obtaining ‘Hungry Shadow’ and experiencing a significant growth route.

‘It’s too dark. Should we take a break here?’

Kehrinbar, the Binary Star.

Inside, two amber-colored orbs constantly orbiting a pocket watch.

Unlike Yeriel’s unique item, this one also functioned as a regular watch, so there was no longer a need for the cheap wristwatch from the general store.

Tick.

The time on the watch was 9:45 pm.

“Should we take a break here? It’s straightforward, so it’s much easier on the mind. And we know what to expect.”

“Yeah! I didn’t expect to go this long without encountering anyone. Have all the other parties left?”

“Probably. Unless they have a specific quest to collect byproducts from the monsters in the forest, no party would choose the 8th floor as their hunting ground.”

I agree.

The Faceless Ironclads on the crossroad are not profitable monsters.

The Leaf Hounds and Direwolves in the forest have the annoying tendency to call their kin, making them a headache.

Well, we’ve come this far, and everything has gone smoothly, so it’s all good.

We moved to the edge of the crossroad, lit a bonfire, and took out our sleeping bags and blankets.

“The watch order is the same as always. Lumia, the wizard, takes the first shift, Veronica and I take the middle, and Yeriel takes the last. Summon the familiar before you go to sleep.”

After a brief chat before bed, we all settled down for some rest.

But then, a problem arose.

“Ugh… Ugh…”

Damn it, it’s starting again!

The effect of Obscuritas’ option activated, and as usual, it began to absorb and purify Lumia’s darkness.

“Ah, it hurts. Ugh!”

A random pain, a terrible penalty, engulfed her.

She groaned and writhed on the ground, unable to hold back her cries.

I didn’t know what kind of pain it was, but it seemed more intense than usual.

“Hold my hand! Yeriel, heal her quickly!”

I couldn’t suppress the groans and screams, and as they echoed through the chamber, Yeriel, who had been resting, rushed over and began to chant a healing spell.

“Heal with light!”

[Heal]

A surge of divine power enveloped Lumia, who was holding my hand and groaning.

“Haa… Haa… Haa…”

Her face finally relaxed, and she took a deep breath.

Every time I saw her in pain, my heart ached.

“Ahren… I’m in so much pain. Can I stay with you for a while? I know I shouldn’t, but…”

“Of course. You’re enduring the pain to get better, right? There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Ugh…”

“You’ve done well today. Here, lean on my shoulder.”

I offered my hand, and Lumia wrapped her arms around me like a snake.

Squish.

Her head rested on my shoulder, and her massive chest pressed against my body.

What’s going on? Is she doing this on purpose?

‘…Focus. She was in so much pain just a moment ago.’

By the way, I wondered if her chest had always been this big.

The day I first met Lumia.

Even now, I vividly remember the shocking and forced recruitment process. After it was over, we had dinner and drinks at the inn.

She wore a revealing outfit, and I couldn’t help but glance at her.

‘It was shocking then, but it seems like they’ve grown even more recently. I’m sure of it. Has she grown taller too?’

As the darkness was purified, she fed the shadow separately.

I wondered if the curse she had carried for over a decade was being lifted too quickly, causing other abnormalities in her body. I whispered to her cautiously.

“Lumia, since obtaining the unique items, have you noticed any changes in your body that are troubling you, aside from the pain?”

Lumia, who had been thinking about my sudden question, seemed to understand my intention and whispered into my ear with a sly smile.

“Huhu. I… have changed in a few ways. The biggest change is, of course, my chest. Can you feel it?”

Her sticky whisper tickled the hairs on the back of my left ear.

“They’ve gotten bigger… Do you want to touch them properly…? You know, my body is only for you to touch… Hmm?”

[Chaos glares at you, suspecting that you might be a scoundrel who is seduced by women in a dangerous dungeon.]

[Chaos vows to discipline you later for being a lecherous cat who goes into heat.]

“I was already bothered by how big they were, and now they’ve grown even more. But I’m glad you noticed and care.”

“Hmph! Well, if there are no other problems, I guess we can consider it a positive effect of the purification.”

“That’s good. I’m glad.”

As I tried to calm my flushed face with a forced cough, a rustling sound caught my attention.

Someone was moving through the bushes on the opposite side of where we had set up camp.

It wasn’t the sound of the wind or any natural phenomenon; it was the sound of someone moving through the bushes, intentionally making their presence known.

There was an unwritten rule that the monsters in the forest never ventured onto the crossroad.

Unless it was a special species or a mutant affected by a gimmick, the source of the sound was undoubtedly another adventurer.

“Did you hear that too?”

“Yeah. It’s not a monster.”

Lumia’s face hardened with annoyance, perhaps because our rest had been interrupted.

I withdrew my arm from hers and summoned Solace, aiming it in the direction of the sound.

“Who’s there?”

“…”

At my firm call, Yeriel and Veronica also sensed the danger and took up defensive positions.

The chamber was so quiet that I wondered if I had misheard, but Lumia had also sensed something, so it couldn’t be a mistake.

I was certain that someone was hiding and watching us, so I called out again.

“If you don’t come out by the count of three, I’ll consider you an enemy. One… Two… Thr—”

Rustle.

“Oh, I’m sorry for interrupting your rest! We were about to leave the crossroad, and we saw your fire. You have sharp ears!”

The person who emerged from the bushes was, as expected, another adventurer party.

───

[Bardin]

[Strength: C-] [Agility: D-] [Endurance: D-] [Vitality: D+] [Magic: D] [Luck: D+]

[Possessed Traits]

Intermediate Swordsmanship
Olivine Shield Technique
Trained Physique
Medium Armor Proficiency
Abundant Vitality

───

As his traits suggested, he was a front-line fighter wearing medium armor and wielding a shield and a one-handed sword.

He had dark blue hair and was in his mid-twenties, similar to me. He cautiously approached us and spoke.

“Um, we’ve run out of firewood and torches, so… Could we share your fire for the night?”

“What makes you think Ican trust you? Don’t come any closer. I warned you.”

I unintentionally spoke in a commanding tone.

I usually try to maintain a polite tone to avoid any misunderstandings, but I couldn’t help myself this time.

Despite my harsh tone, he remained unfazed and asked again.

“I understand. In that case, would it be possible to purchase firewood, torches, and flint from you for a fair price?”

He bowed his head, looking dejected.

“We lost one of our backpacks while leaving the 7th floor, so we’re running low on supplies. Please, we need your help!”

He’s not asking for help; he’s proposing a trade? That’s fine.

“If you offer an appropriate price, I’ll sell them to you. However, once the transaction is complete, I’d prefer if you move away from us, whether you go ahead or behind us.”

I shrugged and continued, “It’s better to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings and excessive caution at night, right?”

“Haha! I understand. I’ll keep that in mind. How about I come over and get them?”

“No, I’ll come to you. Wait there.”

Bardin nodded and gestured to the three party members behind him, then rummaged through his backpack.

I walked across the crossroad to the other side, where they were standing, to test them.

“I’ll charge double the market price. Any objections?”

“That’s a bargain in the dungeon. We don’t have much to offer, but we’ll take it! Just a moment, let me count how much I have—”

“Hey, wait! This is a chance to get to know each other. What’s your name?”

“Huh? Oh, I’m Lucas. Here, is this enough?”

Lucas? Your name is Bardin.

Hmm, this bastard. I felt something fishy behind his smirk, and I was right to ask.

While I spoke to him informally, he maintained a polite tone and a low posture, probably to make me let my guard down.

As I took the money pouch he offered, I quickly scanned the three party members behind him.

A female swordswoman with a long scar on her left cheek and a longsword on her back.

A beastkin with a crude-looking crossbow.

And a man who appeared to be a wizard, wearing a hood and a wand on his belt.

The first two were average adventurers with D-rank abilities, but the wizard was the real threat.

He was a dagger rogue disguised as a wizard, and worse, he was a human hunter.

───

[Embryo]

[Strength: D] [Agility: D+] [Endurance: D] [Vitality: D] [Magic: D-] [Luck: D-]

[Possessed Traits]

Intermediate Daggerplay
Silent Blade
Hunting Time
Swift Movement
Blink Throw

───

[Silent Blade (C)] [A]

The highly trained assassin’s strike is a silent death, severing the enemy’s last breath.

The user consumes a large amount of mana and stamina to deliver a powerful blow that cuts off the enemy’s breath.

• Skill ‘Silent Blade’ can be used.
•
If this skill hits the enemy’s vital spot, it ignores defense and has a chance to inflict the ‘Excessive Bleeding’ status effect.

If this skill kills the enemy, the user recovers half of the mana and stamina consumed.

───

───

[Blink Throw (B)] [A]

A secret technique randomly obtained from the ancient magic book of the Moonless Night.

By infusing a handheld weapon with mana and throwing it, the user can teleport to the weapon’s location just before it hits the ground.

• After throwing the weapon, the user can use the ‘Blink’ skill.
•
If the weapon is destroyed or disappears during the teleport, the user’s body will also collapse, so be careful.

───

This is insane.

‘Hunting Time’… This is the exclusive trait of the human hunter group that Gospel possessed.

The man dressed as a wizard is a dagger rogue disguised as a wizard and a human hunter.

Even if we pull out our swords and try to exterminate them, they will stick together and survive.

-‘Yeriel, they’re lying to us. The man who spoke first changed his name from what he said. Their desperation for supplies was just a bait.’

The man who asked to share our fire changed his name during the transaction. He was either using an alias due to personal issues or was quick-witted. Either way, it’s suspicious.

-What? Do you mean they’re setting us up to kill us?

Yeriel immediately understood the situation and summarized it in one sentence.

-‘The man with the wand on his belt is a human hunter disguised as a wizard.’

-‘What?! A human hunter?!’

I gave instructions to Yeriel while suppressing my anger and disgust.

-‘If I give you a signal or if you sense any suspicious behavior, be ready to respond.’

-‘Okay! I’ll be careful not to be noticed!’

The reason I can remain calm in this situation is twofold.

First, I quickly regained my composure, determined to fulfill my role as the party leader.

Second, after scanning their status windows and assessing their overall strength, I realized that their party was significantly weaker than ours.

-‘Don’t jump to conclusions yet. This is the final test.’

“The man in the back, which school of magic do you belong to? I owe a great debt to the Magic Tower, so I’d be happy to escort you to the center and return the money you paid.”

If someone in the party reveals that he’s actually a rogue, not a wizard, and that he’s a human hunter, I’d be willing to let the other three go.

I thought that Bardin’s use of an alias was a self-preservation tactic common among adventurers, and I was willing to let the other three go.

However, Embryo and his companions were human hunters, and they lied.

“Alons, do you want to answer yourself?”

“You’re being quite rude, questioning a wizard’s origins right off the bat.”

Alons, pretending to be a wizard, arrogantly tilted his chin.

“I am Alons, a mid-level wizard from the School of Fire! Are you satisfied now? Do you want to see some real magic?”

“Yes, I’m satisfied. Keep your promise and quietly escort us to the center. Do you have enough food and water?”

These bastards were playing games with us.

They were pretending to be wizards and lying about their identities, and they had the nerve to insult us.

They had the nerve to impersonate wizards from the School of Fire in front of me, the very school that had lost a member to human hunters.

Human hunters… They were trying to set us up and kill us. Not a single one of them would leave this place alive.