Survive the labyrinth with EX-grade traits

Jjeojjeok. Jjeok. Chwaak.

“Ugh⋯.”

“Je, what’s that⋯.”

Grillops’ body, which was the size of an ordinary goblin, was swelling like a balloon.

It bulged and shrank as if there was an explosion inside, and then it continued to grow larger.

Before I could think of anything else, my body moved first.

“I have to kill it before the transformation is complete!”

Bang!!

I burst out magical power, causing the ground beneath my feet to tremble, and charged forward.

Hwoong─!

The greatsword held in both hands, filled with rippling energy, fell upon the monster like a bolt of lightning.

Chwaaak!!

“Khaaak!”

Grillops chose to evade instead of continuing the transformation, and my attack only managed to sever its upper body in half.

“Damn, I should have ended it with that. But⋯.”

At least I stopped it from growing any larger.

Chiik.

Smoke rose from Grillops’ body.

The wound caused by the greatsword was slowly regenerating and sealing itself.

Is rapid regeneration also an activated trait? Or is it passive?

Like Cicero and Ephusio, the trait list was locked, preventing me from accessing it.

So, I could only guess what each trait did based on their names.

“It won’t just keep regenerating without any penalties. It must be paying a price in health or magical power in exchange for healing the wound.”

“Kkeuuee⋯.”

The lower half was the body of a giant spider with a glossy surface.

The upper half was a grotesque combination of a muscular male torso and a goblin’s face.

[Grillops casts ‘Intimidation’.]

Kkulreok─

A man’s face with a square jaw emerged from its abdomen.

Ugh, is it reconstructing itself from the memories it devoured?

“Khaaaak!!!”

The dead eyes of the grotesque face screamed at me.

[Chaos invalidates the morale debuff.]

[Chaos invalidates the fear.]

Fortunately, Chaos blocked the mental attack.

Oh no! Even if I’m immune to mental attacks, what about the others?

“Are you all okay?!”

I quickly glanced behind me.

“Yeah! Don’t worry!”

Yeriel raised her staff, causing a light to shine.

I nodded in relief at her reassuring answer.

I looked back at Grillops and observed his movements.

The man’s face that had emerged from its abdomen was slowly retreating.

This was the only chance to use a potion.

‘It’s not the time to be picky. Let’s drink it.’

I opened the lid of the high-grade potion bottle, which was filled with a yellowish-brown energy.

[Earth’s Steadfastness is consumed.]

[Strong resistance to being pushed is applied for 30 minutes.]

[A weak increase in defense is applied for 30 minutes.]

[Damage from piercing attacks is halved for 30 minutes.]

Damn, I’m using a C-grade consumable item right after obtaining it.

It’s too bitter.

But, the bitterness was only momentary.

Soon, a heavy and alien energy, different from magical power, began to fill my body.

“I can feel it. This is the power of the earth.”

Without taking my eyes off Grillops, I shouted to Jacob.

“Jacob! How many cocoons are there in this place exactly?”

“Yes, yes! So⋯ Including Mendel’s body, there are a total of nine!”

Excluding the intelligence he was born with and the memory devouring he acquired later, Grillops had nine traits.

The four members of Jacob’s party who died right in front of us.

Plus, assuming he ate another party somewhere, a typical party usually has five members, so it fits perfectly.

“Even though it looks like that, it’s a monster that can use long-range attacks and magic. Focus on defense and evasion, and leave the attacks to me!”

In such a pressing situation, they understood without me having to say a word.

“May his sword be filled with light, and his 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.]

Yeriel cast a buff on the entire party as she saw that an intense battle was about to begin.

“Not only did you rudely barge in, but you also chat while ignoring me. You inferior creatures. Die and become my nourishment!”

[Grillops casts ‘Quickstep’.]

Shukak─

Kaang!

“Kkuk.”

He probably obtained it by eating the archer.

Its eight legs were sharper and harder than any iron weapon.

It was certainly not something I couldn’t withstand, but if anyone else became the target, it would be a different story.

I had to focus Grillops’ attention on me.

“Inferior, you think you’re any different just because a goblin got some evil power? I’ve never seen a more pathetic monster than you in this labyrinth. Should I applaud you?”

“⋯I, I, I!!!”

Its grotesque face, like a goblin itself, was turning red like a boiled octopus.

Angry, Grillops charged at me with its legs raised.

Kang! Kang! Kaang!

Its eight legs alternately stabbed at me one after the other.

It was certainly powerful, but─

It was also monotonous!

Chwaak!!

“Kyaaak!”

An attack that lacked any technique, relying solely on strength and speed.

I spotted an opening in the midst of the red lines piercing through the air and countered with a counter attack.

Pababbat.

Grillops quickly dodged and glared at me, determined to kill me and devour me.

[Grillops casts ‘Earth Strike’.]

Grillops bent its legs and jumped, soaring high into the air.

Damn, can it jump that high?

Hwaak!

In the pitch-black darkness, four pairs of spider legs were burning with a bright red light.

The body fell at a terrifying speed.

And a wide red circle appeared on the ground.

Kwaang!!!

True to its name, Earth Strike destroyed the ground, creating a shockwave and a loud noise.

Paat! Tadak!

“Techniques that involve such large movements are easy to avoid by simply watching.”

I was able to avoid any damage by staying far away from Grillops before it landed.

“Kkeuk!”

Grillops seemed to be struggling with the recoil from missing me, as it couldn’t charge at me immediately after landing.

“Arrogant!!”

[Grillops casts ‘Divine Ray’.]

A thin arm, which looked like a woman’s, emerged from Grillops’ left shoulder.

Jiing─

A white light was gathering in the palm of the slender arm.

I don’t know how powerful the technique is, but it seems to be charging.

All I have to do now is charge in and stab it with my sword while it’s standing still!

Bang!

I ran towards Grillops, who was standing at a distance.

“Haa!”

I swung my sword at Grillops, who was still charging.

“Damn⋯.”

Kwaaaahhhh!!!

Just before my sword touched the monster, the technique was completed by a hair’s breadth.

‘Kkuk, the momentum is so strong that if my sword touches it, it’ll break instantly! Too bad, but I have to evade for now!’

I quickly dodged to the side.

Kwaaaah!!

Grillops, like a fixed turret, kept its lower half of the spider’s body on the ground.

It slowly turned its upper body, matching my movements with the priest’s arm that had emerged from its shoulder.

Like a Full Serpent’s breath, the divine ray followed my path as I ran, so I just had to keep running.

“Damn, when will this end?”

While waiting for Grillops’ divine ray to end, I ran, turning in different directions.

“The black hand that grasps the night.”

[Rugen’s Grip]

Lumia, who couldn’t bear it any longer, cast black magic, knowing that she would draw aggro from the rear.

For a moment, a black hand interfered with Grillops’ vision and tried to grasp its upper body.

“Kkeuhep. Trickery!!”

Grillops immediately twisted its body, and the magic disappeared, but it also cut off the divine ray.

I focused on Grillops.

“Thunderbolt!”

Kwaang! Kkwang! Kwaaaang!!

“Kaaaak!!!”

To seize the opportunity, I fired a series of thunderbolts at Grillops with moderate strength.

Jjing─ Jjaak!

A severe headache hit me as if my brain was being pierced, but I slapped my cheeks hard and charged at Grillops.

“Huaaaah!”

Sgeuk! Chwaak!

“Kkeu⋯ Geuoo!”

[Grillops casts ‘Crouch’.]

“Die, you bastard!!”

Sgeuk! Segeuk! Puhwaak!!

Grillops crouched its upper body, using its legs as a shield to block my sword.

Spear and shield.

A desperate battle between me, trying to break through the defense, and the monster, trying to block the attacks.

What I’ve learned from fighting Grillops so far.

“When using the traits acquired through devouring, not only do the body parts symbolizing each trait appear on the monster’s body⋯ But it can only use one trait at a time!”

I slashed, and slashed, and slashed again.

Puhwak!

Blood splattered everywhere. One of Grillops’ legs was cut off halfway.

Puhwak!!

Two more legs were severed, losing their function.

Puhwaak!!!

Now, Grillops had no means of defense left.

“It’s over!”

Puk.

“I, I, I have mastered the art of alchemy⋯.”

From denial to anger.

From anger to despair, Grillops’ face changed as I pulled out the sword from its heart.

Or, I tried to pull it out.

Teopeok.

[Misfortune covers the user.]

What?

[A weak possibility that should not have existed is awakened by a definite misfortune.]

[Grillops gains insight by experiencing the chaos attribute.]

“This, this energy⋯ Yeah! It’s not just about eating memories from corpses⋯ What I need to perfect my alchemy is─.”

Grillops, who was supposed to die with a sword in its heart, bleeding to death, muttered with a look of realization.

“─Light. Yeah, I need pure light energy to mix with the darkness⋯ Infinite balance, becoming one with something by eating it!!!”

Feeling creeped out, I shook off the hand that was holding Grillops’ arm and tried to pull out the sword from its heart.

Puuuaaang!!!

“Kkeuk!”

“Kyaak!”

“Uweuk.”

“Uwaak!”

From Grillops’ heart, where a hole had been pierced by my sword, a strong shockwave burst out along with darkness.

The three in the rear were blown away.

I was able to withstand it because of the strong resistance to being pushed, obtained from Earth’s Steadfastness.

I straightened my body, which had been shaken by the shockwave, and looked at Grillops, whose appearance had become even more disgusting than before.

Its lower half was gone, and it had transformed into a complete human form.

Its face was grotesque, combining the worst features of a goblin and a human male.

Its eyes had turned black, and darkness flowed from the hole in its heart instead of blood.

[Grillops casts ‘Quickstep’.]

“Light. Light! Give me the brain and heart of the priest!!”

Tukwang!

Yeriel ran towards the direction Grillops had been blown away, her eyes wide with panic.

I quickly blocked Grillops’ path.

“Eat this!!”

[Grillops casts ‘Quickstep’.]

[Grillops casts ‘Earth Strike’.]

Kwaaang!!

Grillops wrapped its fist with black magical power, similar to the red magical power from earlier, and struck the ground.

Hwareuk─

At the same time, a fierce flame burst out from its body.

Quickstep, Magic Affinity, Earth Strike, Flame Proficiency.

Suddenly, several traits at once?

⋯No, that’s not important right now.

I leaped high to avoid the shockwave of the Earth Strike, which was shaking the ground.

Then, I charged in, ignoring the fierce flames that were burning fiercely.

“At least, I won’t be taken down by fire-type attacks.”

The strong fire resistance attached to Haynak’s earrings.

On top of that, the coldness that enveloped my body and the weak magic resistance adjustment included in Hard Body Technique.

Finally, the option to recover life after being hit by magic, included in the magic devouring engraving.

Even if my body was scorched by the flames, only a weak charring appeared, and Grillops began to panic as it saw the burns healing immediately.

“Hup!”

Grillops, who had been indifferent to me until now, now had me in its sights.

“Misfortune or whatever, I’ll overcome it like last time!”

I clenched my teeth in the crimson flames and swung my sword.