Survive the labyrinth with EX-grade traits

As soon as I acquired the trait, I checked the information.

[Death Resistance] [P]

It is very rare for a person to die repeatedly, whether it be the culprit or those with their own special abilities.

The experience of consecutive deaths engraved on the soul was transformed into a trait by the power of the Dragon’s Heart.

• When death is imminent, you will be given a 5-second grace period.
•
• If you manage to recover within 5 seconds by any means, you will escape death.
•
This trait, this is what I’ve been waiting for!

I designed a plan in my head to end the trial.

As I worked on the plan, time flew by.

Chwaak!

“Ahren-nim!!!”

[Trait ‘Death Resistance’ activated.]

[5 seconds of grace is given.]

“The sword is coated with a powerful paralyzing poison. If you get cut, victory is out of reach—”

Damn. If I speak too quickly, I won’t be able to remember it, and if I explain too much, 5 seconds is too short.

‘If I don’t have enough time, let’s see if my mind breaks down before I can finish giving my advice, or if Veronica kills Kuzran first.’

Puk!

“Cough.”

Squeak.

“Crack.”

…

And so, after dying and dying again, I reached the 49th round.

Puhwak!

“Ahhhh!!!”

[Trait ‘Death Resistance’ activated.]

[5 seconds of grace is given.]

“Veronica, you served not me, but the Fourth Princess! Remember! Anais von Yurasia —”

“…”

‘This is the last time. I’ve squeezed out all the advice I can give. Now it’s up to her will.’

More than anything, I felt like I had reached my limit after dying 49 times.

The words I had just spoken to her were my last and best advice.

This time, I hope it’s different…

.

.

.

“Well, well. It seems like you knew I was coming. Was there a mouse hiding among your fingers?”

As expected, Veronica arrived first and waited in the room, and Kuzran arrived shortly after, just like in the previous rounds.

‘In each round, the differences started to show from here. Now, what will happen this time?’

Please, please let there be a huge change as I expected.

Veronica, say something!

My body was hiding in the corner, so I couldn’t see anything except that she was bowing her head from her back.

“Ahren-nim. No, Ahren. I’m sorry for being so reckless and out of control.”

Huff!

Veronica took off the uniform hat she had been wearing and threw it away, declaring,

“From now on, the concept of death will no longer exist in our time together. I promise.”

‘Her tone and accent have completely changed. Could it be?’

[Resistance Successful. The accumulated anger from the trait ‘Angry Challenger’ is contained and all trait locks are released.]

[Veronica’s physical abilities increase by three stages.]

The halo that had disappeared without a trace reappeared above Veronica’s head.

Kiiing—

A bright blue circle, as if it had captured the sky, began to spin vigorously, ruffling her sky-blue hair.

────

[Veronica]

[Strength: C+] [Agility: C-] [Endurance: B-] [Stamina: B-] [Magic Power: B-] [Luck: C-]

[Acquired Traits] (Collapse)

Armes Shield Sword Guarding Sword
Strong Body—Armes
Duel Challenge
Echo of Circulation
Celestial Halo
Angry Challenger
Connected Time

────

The censorship was lifted, and all trait locks were released!

Kuzran frowned and complained,

“What the hell? This is completely different from the information in the request.”

“I’ve been thinking about this over and over while dying dozens of times.”

Paat!

Veronica switched her sword to her left hand.

With her mind fully clear, she wrapped her right arm with a shield-shaped magical force, skillfully implemented.

“You’re just a trashy assassin who takes murder contracts in back alleys. You talk too much.”

“What did you just say?”

“You’re just like a trash digger in a back alley. You don’t even know what you’re talking about, do you?”

Kuzran was outraged by her mocking smile, lifting only one corner of her mouth.

“Hah, how dare you. I don’t know how you know about my past, but I’ve changed my mind. Before I take care of the target, I’ll make sure you die a miserable death!”

‘You bastard. You know because you’ve been taunting me every round.’

I’m sick of guys like you who are so arrogantly talented.

You, a so-called Royal Guard, how does it feel to be killed by a guy who was digging through trash cans in back alleys, looking for bread crumbs? And so on.

Kuzran laughed like a madman every time he killed me and Veronica, boasting about it.

Now it’s time for him to pay the price for his arrogant behavior.

Kudduk.

Veronica, gripping her sword, was lost in thought.

.

.

.

Veronica, with her exceptional talent, strict discipline, and tenacious perseverance, was able to secure a spot in the Royal Guard despite being a commoner.

But that was as far as she could go.

The crown prince, impressed by her exceptional beauty and talent, tried to use his power to make her his personal servant rather than a member of the Royal Guard.

Veronica strongly opposed this, risking her life.

In the end, despite the captain’s support, she was disliked and marked by the higher-ups, and the consequences were severe.

“From today on, you will be assigned to guard the Fourth Princess, not the royal palace. Don’t have any other thoughts and do your duty with all your heart.”

“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”

Veronica, a commoner without a strong background, had no choice but to accept the undesirable assignment of guarding the Fourth Princess, who was shunned by everyone.

Anais von Yurasia, the sickly genius Fourth Princess.

When Veronica first met the Fourth Princess, whom she had only heard of in rumors, she felt that this moment would be a significant turning point in her life.

Even with her obvious illness, Anais had a noble appearance and an enigmatic aura that couldn’t be hidden.

From the moment she saw her, Veronica intuitively felt that something was different.

“Are you my new guard?”

At first, it was just out of duty.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry you had to take the blame for me…”

“No, please don’t say that. It’s not your fault, Your Highness.”

As time went on, her human side and Veronica’s compassion blended together.

“You know, Ronnie. I often have this dream?”

“What kind of dream?”

“Huhu. I dream of becoming a bird with large wings, flying freely and happily in the sky without any worries or concerns.”

“…”

“I want to escape this narrow cage… I want to fly freely and happily in my own world. I’ve been having these childish dreams lately. Well, it’s all in vain with this body of mine!”

At some point, she no longer felt like she was being pushed around or guarding out of obligation. She truly wanted to serve this person.

Then one day, Anais’s condition worsened.

At a banquet where everyone was gathered, Anais coughed up blood, and from that moment on, everything started to go wrong.

Whether it was a recurrence of her congenital illness,

Or if the first prince, who had always envied her genius since childhood, had secretly poisoned her food without the knowledge of the weak king and other royal family members…

Veronica, an ordinary guard, had no way of knowing.

After that, under the pretext of protection and recovery, Anais’s residence was changed to a separate palace, and additional personnel were assigned to silently erode her.

Then, a grand banquet was held under the pretext of national foundation.

“So, you’re attending today…”

The day when Veronica couldn’t protect Anais from the assassin’s dagger and was left screaming and crying in despair finally arrived.

Puk!

“Kill the annoying princess and make the arrogant knight feel the despair for the rest of her life. That’s the message from the client.”

“You!!!”

“Tsk tsk. You should have just flirted and lived. Why did you have to get on the wrong side of such a guy? You failed to protect the princess, and that’s why she died. I hope you remember that.”

Hwaak.

The assassin, who called himself the fourth finger of the assassination group, disappeared like smoke in an instant.

All that was left in his place was Veronica, who was badly injured, and Anais, whose abdomen was pierced by a poisoned dagger.

“No, please!”

“Ronnie.”

“Potion! Priest! Please, anything!”

“Veronica!!!”

Veronica was startled by her cry, as she had never raised her voice during her guard duty.

Anais, with a face she had never seen before, asked with a sad but intense gaze, without faltering.

“Ronnie, do you remember the dreams I told you about?”

“Yes, I remember them clearly.”

“My life will end like this, but… I hope you can be free from any constraints and achieve your own dreams, whatever they may be.”

Veronica’s emotions welled up, and she bit her lip.

Anais, with great difficulty, raised her arm and caressed Veronica’s tear-stained cheek.

“In the future, whether you become a more amazing knight or someone’s woman, I’ll be watching from the sky. Can you promise me that?”

“Huff, huff. Yes! I swear on my honor!”

“Huhu. A promise is enough. Remember me forever. Remember that a small friend named Anais, not the Fourth Princess, was by your side for a while.”

Anais’s smile, with all her remaining strength, was so beautiful.

Even the starlight seeping in through the window seemed to pale in comparison to her smile.

“Goodbye. My only friend. My beautiful… bluebird.”

Thud.

“Ahhhh!!!”

Veronica thought that there was no longer any reason to be loyal to this damnable kingdom without her.

.

.

.

And now. I finally felt like I was getting a grasp on things.

Instead of floating like a buoy in the vast ocean, I was able to figure out, even just a little, what I really wanted to do.

‘Those eyes. No matter how many times I die, the light in those golden eyes doesn’t fade. It reminds me of Anais’s last words, her final smile.’

I don’t know how Ahren got in here.

All I know is that he died dozens of times, relentlessly, as the Fourth Prince, in place of the deceased Anais.

And yet, he never gave up and persevered to win with me.

I felt ashamed when I saw Ahren.

I was ashamed that I, a knight, had been consumed by anger.

On the other hand, I was grateful.

I was grateful for all his advice, and for saying Anais’s name, which woke me up.

‘Once all of this is over, let’s reestablish the superficial relationships based on practicality.’

Master or friend? That title could only belong to Anais, both in the past and in the future.

But ‘acquaintance’ feels too distant…

Yes. I want to remain a reliable companion to Ahren.

I turned my head to look at Ahren, and the assassin Kuzran took a stance and spoke.

“You crazy bitch, you’re just toying with me!”

“You’re the one who’s being long-winded. Come on in.”

“How dare you! I said I’d kill you first!”

The battle began.

This time, I had to win this rematch at all costs.

-His sword is coated with a powerful paralyzing poison. If you get cut, victory is out of reach.

Kaaang! Kang! Teung!

Light steps and a heavy sword.

-Even if you kill your emotions, you might not be able to win against an opponent you’re unsure about. You need to calm down!

As the raging anger subsided, a calm and precise sword tip rushed towards the enemy.

I was on a completely different level compared to my past as the last member of the Royal Guard.

Just as Ahren said, my overall physical abilities had increased, and my magic power was incomparable to my days in the Royal Guard.

It was only natural for the enemy to be caught off guard.

“Damn it! Didn’t you guys cross-check when you took the request, you crazy bastards?!”

[Kuzran casts ‘Sandstorm’.]

[The armor that touches the sword quickly corrodes.]

[Kuzran casts ‘Wind Walk’.]

[Temporarily, endurance decreases by two stages and all speeds increase.]

A red magical power, like the sand of the desert, enveloped Kuzran’s sword.

The enemy performed a five-slash combo in an instant.

-When the magic power turns red, don’t block it, just dodge it. There’s a derivative technique called Sandstorm that corrodes everything it touches.

‘Then, just block it with something that won’t corrode.’

I brought the shield made of magic power to block the attack.

Teng! Teng! Teung!

I dodged two attacks and blocked three with precise guarding.

“How can you do this so easily?!”

Damn him. Now it’s time for him to pay the price for his reckless attack.

-Kuzran has an underlying sense of contempt, thinking that you’re weaker than him. So, don’t rush in, wait for an opening in his attacks!

I took advantage of the enemy’s imbalance and pounced on his weakness.

[Veronica casts ‘Flashing Glare’.]

For a moment, I saw the perfect angle to slash his torso diagonally.

The gleaming sword slashed through Kuzran as he retreated.

Chwaak!!

“Kyaaaak!!!”

‘It’s deep. Just a little more and I’ll win.’

“I won’t hold back anymore.”

Even though he had retreated, Kuzran, who had suffered a fatal wound, gritted his teeth and made a specific gesture.

[Kuzran casts ‘Black Veil’.]

-Black Veil is an invisibility technique he has. He always waves his left hand in the air when he casts it.

I had been waiting for this moment.

I pointed my sword at Kuzran and shouted,

“I challenge you to a duel!”

[Veronica casts ‘Duel Challenge’.]

[A ‘Duel Seal’ is created above the target’s head.]

[Damage dealt to the target increases by 20%.]

“What the hell is this?!”

As Kuzran tried to become invisible, I branded him with a shining duel seal.

The seal, which followed the target until one of them fell, instantly broke his invisibility.

-He’s full of confidence in his skills, and when he’s caught off guard, he takes a while to recover. It’s better to push for victory when you have the advantage.

I concentrated my magic power in my legs.

[Veronica casts ‘Charge’.]

I overcame the difference in agility and reached the enemy in the blink of an eye.

“Kkeut!”

The relentless attack to gain the upper hand began.

Ppeok!

“Keuheok.”

First, I struck his face with my shield.

The enemy tried to cover his face with his bare hands and feinted a low attack, but I wasn’t going to fall for such a shallow trick.

I blocked it with my shield and pushed forward.

“Haaah!”

Ppak!

I closed the distance and struck with the corner of my sword.

-Even if he’s an assassin, a blow to the groin, a man’s vital spot, will be devastating. No matter how much you train in pain tolerance, it’s impossible to endure that.

[Veronica casts ‘Soaring Falcon’.]

I followed up with a kick to the abdomen, creating distance, and then slashed from his groin to his forehead, right through the center of his body.

“Kiaaaak!!!”

Kuzran screamed with bloodshot eyes and quickly rolled on the ground to avoid the follow-up attacks.

“This is it! I’ll be the last one standing! I won’t die for a low-level request like this!!!”

Tuduk.

[Kuzran permanently sacrifices his right ring finger, fulfilling the condition for the trait ‘Fourth Finger’.]

[For 5 seconds, the enemy is unable to move, all wounds are regenerated, and damage received increases for 5 minutes.]

-The enemy’s final pattern. All wounds are regenerated by sacrificing his right ring finger.

-You’ve died seven times because you let your guard down when the enemy finished regenerating. Remember, the regeneration time is exactly 5 seconds.

For a right-handed swordsman, losing a finger is a fatal disability.

Once the regeneration is over, the enemy will have no other options left.

…No, that’s not it. Now is the perfect opportunity while the enemy is immobilized.

‘Anais. I still don’t know what my dream is, what my ultimate goal in life is. But.’

I gathered all my magic power.

‘All I want right now is to repay him for his countless deaths for me.’

I gathered my magic power, not only in the form of a shield but also absorbing it from Ahren.

Assuming follow-up attacks is no longer meaningful.

What I needed now was speed that the enemy couldn’t react to…

…a single finishing blow to decide the victory.

‘I will kill the enemy and break free from the shackles of the past.’

The magic power converted into sword energy caused the sword to burn blue.

As I concentrated my magic power, the halo glowed and began to condense.

Kiiing!

“Shit. A blue-haired bitch using sword energy?!”

[Kuzran casts ‘Wind Walk’.]

[Temporarily, endurance decreases by two stages and all speeds increase.]

Kuzran, who had recovered after 5 seconds, charged towards me.

“It’s already too late.”

Just as my little friend had always wanted.

I, Veronica, became a bluebird flying in the vast sky.

Flap—

I soared through the vast sky in her place.

[Veronica casts ‘Light Wings’.]

[Veronica casts ‘Charge’.]

Right now—

I was a bird flying in the night sky, a flash of light piercing the enemy’s life.

Puhwaak!!!

My sword slashed through Kuzran.

The radiant sword cleanly sliced through his upper and lower body.

I swung my sword to shake off the blood and immediately turned around.

Due to the penalty from the halo, I hadn’t smiled in a long time, but seeing the enemy’s distorted face, I couldn’t help but smile.

“How does it feel to die from my blue sword energy?”

“Shit… Keuheok.”

Even though it was just a past brought back by transcendental power, the taste of revenge was sweet and delightful.

I met Ahren’s eyes, shining with faith, knowing that I would win.

Smirk.

My lips curled up without me even realizing it.

“It’s over.”

Kugung—

As Kuzran’s breath completely stopped, the space slowly began to collapse.

Arren, seeing that I could move, rushed over and hugged me tightly.

“Veronica, you did great! Really!”

His embrace filled my heart with emotion.

“You too, Ahren.”

I quietly breathed in his sturdy embrace.

Until the remnants of the past were completely gone.