Survive the labyrinth with EX-grade traits

The magic power explosion within the Full Serpent, caused by One-Point Focus, eventually led to its death.

He stood there for a moment, catching his breath, as he was covered in the splattered flesh and blood.

‘Damn, the horns, scales, and skin must be valuable…’

He was still in shock when…

Paaat!

A bright light shot up from where the Full Serpent had exploded, and then it transformed into eight spherical objects.

‘What’s this? A reward for defeating it?’

In the case of Ephusio, only the top four contributors with the highest contribution received unique items, so with eight spheres, they were definitely not unique items.

He looked at the glowing spheres with a mix of surprise and expectation.

Whoosh…

Suddenly, all but one of the spheres, his share, rose into the air and flew away.

Before he could react, they quickly descended and landed in front of each adventurer who had participated in the battle.

‘This time, it seems like the distribution is fair from the start. I hope the level of each reward is not the same.’

Although everyone had contributed in this battle, he believed that there should still be some differentiation in the distribution.

Honestly, he could understand if the spearman, archer, tank, and even the healer received a fair share, but…

The porter, who had stayed in the back with his backpack, and had only used a scroll once, receiving the same reward seemed unfair.

Whoosh…

“Ugh!”

Suddenly, the surface, which had been frozen by the cold, cracked, and the water around them began to churn violently.

Damn, what’s this now? Wasn’t the battle with the Full Serpent over?

[Chaos says it’s best to get out of the water.]

-Ahren, you should get out of there quickly!!

Yeriel’s telepathic voice echoed in his ears.

Yes, he didn’t know what was happening, but he needed to get out of there!

But before that…

‘By-products! After all this hard work, I can’t return empty-handed. I must get something!’

He scanned the surroundings, shaking his head.

The surface, stained red with the monster’s blood.

Oil and flesh floating on the water.

The monster’s outer skin, torn to shreds, beyond recognition.

There was no sign of gray, indicating that the Authority had not been activated.

Was there anything else?

“I found it!”

A head with a horn, that’s what he would take.

Without hesitation, he grabbed the glowing sphere of light in front of him and ran with the head tucked under his arm.

“Huff!”

Boom!

Crunch. Crunch.

The churning of the water was becoming more intense, making it difficult to maintain his balance.

“Ugh!”

Leap!

He desperately jumped out of the pond, freezing the ground beneath his feet as he ran, just as he had done before.

Finally, he made it out with a long jump, barely escaping.

He turned around and sighed in relief.

Whoosh…

The water, which had been churning violently, suddenly rose into the air like a giant had slapped it, and then…

Whoosh…

The water, which had formed a huge pond, disappeared in an instant.

“Huh.”

In its place was the ground, restored to its original state, as if nothing had happened.

Was it because the higher-ranked monster had died, and its ability to transform water had disappeared?

Or had the labyrinth forcibly restored the ground after confirming the monster’s death?

Either way, the Great Labyrinth… He was reminded once again of its mysterious and wondrous nature.

“Ahren!”

Yeriel and Lumia, along with Gail’s party, ran towards him.

They touched his body here and there, looking worried.

“Hmm… Are you seriously injured? Tell me if you need healing!”

“The explosion earlier was no joke. Are you really okay?”

He smiled awkwardly and shrugged at their concern.

“Hmm, don’t worry. The monster died by my hand, and I’m fine. Just… a little tired.”

“Phew, that’s a relief.”

They sighed in relief, saying that they had been worried because they couldn’t help him during the battle.

[Chaos praises you for your hard work.]

‘Damn, nothing is ever easy. Others might think we fought on the 10th floor or higher.’

When he first saw the higher-ranked monster, he had secretly thought that he could take it on alone with his current level.

But he was wrong.

Aside from its strength, he had learned today that higher-ranked monsters had unique abilities, and one should never let their guard down.

‘Come to think of it… Didn’t I get a reward before running away?’

After everything was settled, he finally remembered the item he was still holding in his hand.

He carefully placed the monster’s head, which he had tucked under his arm, on the ground and opened his right hand.

The glowing sphere of light had disappeared, as he had touched it, but in its place was a sapphire-like blue gem, revealing its true form.

─────

[Full Serpent’s Essence] (C)

The essence of the higher-ranked Full Serpent of the second floor, melted into a pure form.

When consumed, it increases ability scores without any side effects and grants a random trait.

• Upon consumption, C-grade or lower ability scores increase by one level, up to three times. The same ability score does not increase consecutively.
•
• Upon consumption, one of the Full Serpent’s traits is acquired randomly.
•
─────

This is it!

The trait could be a water-based attack or breath, the ability to transform terrain, the ability to heal in water, create a water barrier, or emit sound waves.

Without any side effects, he swallowed it without hesitation.

[Full Serpent’s Essence is consumed, increasing Strength, Stamina, and Magic by one level.]

[Error… Magic cannot be increased, so it is being reassigned.]

[Endurance increases by one level.]

[Trait ‘Water’s Blessing’ is acquired.]

Water’s Blessing?

─────

[Water’s Blessing (C)] [P]

A trait acquired by consuming the Full Serpent’s Essence.

When water touches the body, life force is restored.

Additionally, the hostility of water-related creatures is reduced.

• When water touches the body, life force is restored weakly. The effect increases slightly the longer the contact with water lasts.
•
• When encountering water-related creatures for the first time, if hostility is higher than goodwill, hostility is reduced weakly.
•
─────

This would synergize well with Magic Engraving, and it would be effective even in the rain or underwater combat, although that was unlikely to happen soon.

─────

[Ahren]

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

[Traits] (Collapse)

Chaos’ Eye
Dragon’s Heart
Weak Authority
One Language
Strong Body – Dragonian
Electric Blue Lightning
Super Rookie
Evelyn Style – Sword of Destruction
Accumulated Killing Intent
Whisper of the Wind
Subjugation’s Token – First Subjugator
Kiss of the Breeze
One-Point Focus
Magic Engraving
Frozen Frost
Water’s Blessing

─────

This was his status window with Strong Body activated.

Wow… His physical ability scores increased, and he acquired a C-grade trait. Impressive.

“Did you get a good item? Hey, let me see yours.”

“Sure, let’s see.”

First, he looked at what Yeriel was holding.

─────

[Rising Wall] (D)

The survival desire of the higher-ranked Full Serpent of the second floor has transformed into a square-shaped amulet.

Carrying it will undoubtedly aid the user’s survival.

• When held, weak resistance is applied to all damage received.
•
• When the user is in danger, a shockwave is applied, followed by a water barrier rising from the ground. After use, it has a 30-day recharge period in the labyrinth.
•
“Oh, this is a good item for priests and mages, who have relatively low defense.”

It even has a stacked activation effect.

First, Yeriel gets this one. Next, Lumia has the red sphere, right?

─────

[Chilling Gaze] (D)

The flesh of the higher-ranked Full Serpent of the second floor has congealed into a spherical shape.

When looked at, it feels like something is staring at you from behind.

• When held, it weakly increases the destructive power of attack-type magic.
•
• When held, weak mental attack resistance is applied.
•
• Occasionally, you feel like someone is staring at you.
•
─────

This is also good.

The option to increase the power of magic attacks is always welcome, and the mental attack resistance applies to a wide range, making it a valuable option.

However, there is a penalty where you occasionally feel like someone is staring at you, but since it’s a D-grade item, it’s probably not too severe.

‘At least there doesn’t seem to be a dud, which is good. It’s also an advantage that the effects are applied just by holding it.’

He explained the details of each item to Yeriel and Lumia without missing a single detail.

After listening, they jumped for joy or smiled faintly, delighted with their items.

Hmm, I wonder what the others got?

Since they were all busy admiring their items, it was difficult to sneak a glance at them.

Gail had a short spear, Robert had a pauldron, Leila had leather gloves, and the healer had a blue potion.

The porter had a dagger.

…A dagger?

─────

[Wave Stiletto] (D)

A dagger dropped as a reward for defeating the higher-ranked Full Serpent of the second floor.

When exposed to light, it reveals a faintly shimmering wave pattern.

Although it is relatively thin and short, like the Full Serpent’s teeth, it is sharp enough to cause serious injury if underestimated.

• When attacking, a weak bonus is applied to piercing attacks.
•
• When attacking, weak water-attribute damage is added.
•
• When equipped, weak cold resistance is applied.
•
─────

Wow, he got a D-grade equipment just for using a Fireball scroll once? Lucky guy.

‘Well, it’s not better than my reward, so it’s fine.’

As long as it doesn’t harm me, there’s no need to feel bad about it.

The porter also needs combat abilities, so… Congratulations, porter.

Based on the information, it seemed that everyone else had received similar rewards.

Had he been staring for too long?

Gail was talking to his party members, and then he approached me on behalf of his party.

“I owe you my life. I have a lot to say, but first of all… Thank you!”

He said this and bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle to express his gratitude.

“It’s nothing. If you hadn’t supported me appropriately, I would have been in trouble too. Please stand up straight.”

“Yes!”

Gail stood up and spoke.

“We have already received more than enough items, so we will give up all the by-products!”

He scratched his cheek awkwardly and added, “Haha, anyway, the only by-product we have is the horned head you brought.”

“That’s good. At least there won’t be any fighting over it. Then, I’ll take it.”

He put it in his backpack without hesitation.

I didn’t mind that they saw that I had a space bag. If they acted up after I had done so much for them, they wouldn’t be human, but monkeys.

Gail seemed to have something else to say, as he clenched his fist and focused his gaze.

What did he want to say?

“May I ask your name?”

“My name? It’s Ahren. Just Ahren, without a surname.”

He asked in a strangely formal manner. He didn’t seem much older than me, but I felt a bit embarrassed.

“I’m Gail Iven. Please call me Gail. I have a question, and I know it’s rude, but I’m curious.”

A question?

“What is it?”

“Yes! I’m curious about the secret to your strength! I know it’s an impolite question, but I really want to hear your answer!”

“The secret to my strength?”

“Yes. How can you become so strong? Can I become as strong as you if I keep growing?”

He seemed to have been impressed by my battle against the Full Serpent.

I was still far from being as strong as he thought, but he was praising me.

I thought carefully. What should I say?

‘Effort and traits. These two are the most important, but in terms of an adventurer’s perspective, the reason why a good lineage is necessary is also because of traits.’

In that sense, Gail already had everything he needed.

According to the description of Spear Piercing Stone, he wasn’t slacking off, and although I didn’t know if having a surname meant being a noble, being the heir of a martial family meant he was born with a silver or gold spoon.

“Gail, you already have everything you need to become strong. I’m sorry, but I don’t have any advice for you.”

“Such! Yes, I understand. I shouldn’t rely on luck but continue to put in blood and sweat in my current situation! I learned something from you.”

???

“Mmm, that’s right.”

Is this what they call making a mountain out of a molehill?

“Thank you. I won’t bother you anymore. We’ll rest here for a while and then go to the third floor. What about you?”

“We’re going to the third floor right away.”

“I see. Well, my party members are calling me, so I’ll take my leave. Let’s meet in the city later and have a meal together! I wish you good fortune!”

“I wish you good health and fortune as well.”

Gail left with a hearty laugh.

He’s a passionate man.

Yes, among the many adventurers, there are people like Gospel and Carix, and on the other hand, there are people like Gail.

After Gail left, Yeriel spoke to me.

“Hmm… Today was a tough day. Even at our current level, this place is challenging. I can’t imagine how Derek reached the sixth floor.”

“What? Sixth floor?”

What’s this about?

“Yes. When I recruited you and… well, Bernard, he said he had a record of reaching the sixth floor, and he could prove it, so he asked us to trust him and follow him.”

…Did Derek say he had a sixth-floor record? With those ability scores and two traits?

Although I didn’t know him for long, he was a helpful person, and he didn’t seem like an adventurer who would lie about something like that.

Yes, he probably did reach the sixth floor at some point.

However, I think he was probably a sub-tank or a rear guard, and when he found it difficult to adapt, he left and formed his own party to grow together. Of course, luck was also on his side.

‘The sixth floor… It still seems far away.’

Anyway, Gail’s party was going to rest here, so we should move on to the third floor.

After discussing with the girls, they suggested that we leave the second floor immediately if I was okay with it, and I readily agreed.

“Then, let’s go!”

For some reason, I felt like the third floor would be easier than the second.

‘Please let me pass through the third floor without any trouble, just like an ordinary adventurer.’

Thud.

…?

What’s this?

As soon as I landed, I was dumbfounded and blinked.

[Chaos is wide-eyed.]

I made eye contact with the adventurer in front of me.

“…”

‘Yes, he’s just as surprised as I am.’

As soon as I arrived on the third floor, I encountered…

A party of adventurers and numerous goblin corpses, and two brightly glowing portals in the distance.