Survive the labyrinth with EX-grade traits

The party fell apart because of one crazy bitch.

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.

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The beginning was smooth.

Derek, the vanguard, took the lead, followed by Bernard, who was in charge of disarming traps and scouting, and me as the sub.

Behind me were Scarlet, the mage, and Yeriel, the priestess, whispering to each other, while Hans brought up the rear with a large load on his back, using it as a shield.

As we walked cautiously, I thought it would be a good idea to learn about the party members’ abilities.

‘Okay, let’s see. Where should I start?’

I focused on the backs of Derek and Bernard, who were within my line of sight.

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[Derek]

[Strength: E+] [Agility: E] [Endurance: E+]
[Stamina: E+] [Magic: E] [Luck: E]

[Possessed Traits] (Collapse)

Basic Sword and Shield Technique
Steady Stance

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As the leader and vanguard, his overall stats are high. However, the highest stat is E+, which suggests that reaching D and above might be challenging.

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[Basic Sword and Shield Technique (E)] [P]

The foundation of sword and shield combat. Can be improved through consistent training and practical experience.

• Provides a slight boost when wearing a sword and shield in combat.
•
• Allows the use of the techniques ‘Shield Bash’ and ‘Bash’ by consuming magic power through specific movements.
•
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[Steady Stance (D)] [A]

He bravely takes the front line, blocking the enemy’s attacks. Although still a novice, he can be called a vanguard without shame.

• Activation Word: ‘Defensive Stance’.
•
• When using a shield after activation, gains resistance to being pushed back.
•
• While the trait is active, it is possible to disperse a certain amount of shock to the ground beneath the feet by consuming magic power.
•
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His stats and traits made him a reliable tank.

I wondered about the Great Labyrinth. How many floors have been discovered so far? I was told that the gods’ fight would end when a fragment was obtained from the deepest part of the labyrinth, but from which floor is considered the deepest?

[Chaos says that the deepest part starts from the 25th floor.]

That’s a long way to go.

[Chaos apologizes for not having up-to-date information, as it has been a while since it descended to the lower world. It suggests checking with the city for more details.]

‘Then, one more question. Is Derek’s level the average for a 3rd-floor adventurer?’

[Chaos says that with Derek’s level, a party of five should be able to clear the 3rd floor without much difficulty.]

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[Bernard]

[Strength: E] [Agility: E] [Endurance: F+]
[Stamina: E] [Magic: F+] [Luck: E]

[Possessed Traits]

Basic Archery
Hunter’s Basics

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[Basic Archery (E)] [P]

The first step for an archer and the foundation of archery. Can be improved through consistent training and practical experience.

• Provides a slight boost when wearing a bow in combat.
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• Increases penetration when using a longbow, and slightly increases accuracy when using a crossbow or ballista.
•
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[Hunter’s Basics (D)] [P]

Possesses solid basic skills as a hunter, following in the footsteps of his family in the nameless mountain range.

• Skilled in disarming traps, scouting, and gathering herbs.
•
• Provides a slight boost to vision and hearing when not in combat.
•
• Slightly increases resistance to poison.
•
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Just as I expected from his first impression, his status window was also reliable and basic.

As I was reading through it, Bernard suddenly stopped and waved his arm to halt the party.

Then, he whispered to the group,

“Goblin horde ahead. There are three goblin warriors, and they might have archer ambushes due to their large numbers.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Derek asked,

“Have they noticed us?”

“No, but they will soon. What should we do?”

Derek thought for a moment, then quickly gave orders.

“Bernard, fall back to the rear and take charge of the rear with Hans.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll draw their attention and defend, while Ahren reduces their numbers, and Scarlet will deal a big blow. Yeriel, buff us immediately!”

Right, Yeriel’s specialty was healing and buffing, wasn’t it?

“May the light of righteousness smite the evil!”

[Divine Weapon: Strength increases by one level for 10 minutes.]

[Strength: E+ → D-]

Kudk.

After receiving the buff, I clenched my fist and instinctively felt a difference. Is this the difference between E and D?

[Chaos worries that you shouldn’t be complacent and should be careful.]

‘Of course, don’t worry.’

“Okay, let’s follow the plan. Let’s go, Ahren!”

Derek also showed enthusiasm and started running.

Bang bang bang!

The battle began with Derek banging his shield with his sword to draw attention.

“Here! You green, dwarf-like bastards!”

The goblin horde was startled by the sudden appearance of two humans.

However, as they felt that Derek was insulting them, most of them turned red with anger and charged towards him.

Well, most of them.

Two goblin warriors, armed with crude equipment, targeted me, thinking that I was an easy target due to my inferior equipment, and ignored Derek’s provocation.

“Huff!”

Whoosh. Whoosh.

I dodged their attacks, taking advantage of the slowed-down world.

Swoosh!

I slashed with my sword.

The two goblins died instantly, and Derek’s provocation seemed pointless as the goblins’ attention turned to me.

“Kishaat!”

“Kerrruk!”

Slash! Crunch.

After killing a few more goblins, I heard Scarlet’s voice from behind.

“Derek! Ahren! Get away from there!”

Derek signaled for us to retreat, and I quickly ran back.

“Burn them! Fireball!”

Kwang!

As Scarlet finished her incantation, a fireball the size of a human torso flew from the tip of her staff and exploded.

“Wow, if I hadn’t moved back, I would have been burned to death. Is this magic?”

Huff.

“Wait, I feel something strange…!”

As the fireball exploded, the lingering magic power seemed to brush past me.

“Ahren, are you injured? Were you surprised by the magic? Don’t space out, let’s go. The goblins are dead from our swords and magic.”

Damn it! I almost figured it out.

“Yes, thank you for your hard work. Let’s go.”

Derek patted my back as we walked and laughed.

“By the way, you’re really skilled! It didn’t look like you had any formal training, but you wielded your sword like a ghost, dodging attacks before they even reached you. I thought you could see the future.”

So that’s how others see me.

“Normally, you should get a share of the loot for participating in the battle, but I should discuss your compensation with the party members.”

Huff. I almost discovered magic power, but I can’t be angry at her.

I’ll have another chance to discover it while hunting and looking for the portal.

“Haha. Thank you. I guess my eyes are pretty good.”

I scratched my head awkwardly and ended the conversation.

As we returned to where the party members were gathered, Scarlet approached me with a bounce in her step.

“Good job, both of you! Derek’s bravery goes without saying, but Ahren, you were amazing too!”

Then, she approached Derek and high-fived him, and in front of me, she shook her body from side to side, making a silly face.

“Like this! Dodging like this! How did you do that? Huh?”

As I scratched my head awkwardly, trying to come up with an answer, something strange happened.

Suddenly, the world slowed down. I couldn’t see anything?

Where am I?

I slowly turned my head in the slow-motion world and saw a red dot, which seemed to be piercing Scarlet and me from the right diagonal.

Peeing!

The arrow was fired, and I covered Scarlet and rolled forward in an instant.

“Kyaak!”

Swoosh. Thud!

The arrow pierced the air and hit a tree, and the world returned to normal.

“Over there!”

As soon as the arrow hit the tree, I pointed to the bushes.

Bernard, who had quickly drawn his bow, didn’t hesitate and shot, and the sound of a goblin’s death cry and fall followed.

[Chaos asks if you’re okay.]

‘Phew, I’m fine.’

[Chaos sighs in relief.]

“Hey, can you get off me now?”

Right, Scarlet.

“Are you okay? Scarlet? I’m sorry I suddenly covered you. You must have been startled.”

I quickly released her and stood up, offering my hand to help her up.

She took my hand and said,

“Huff, thank you… You saved me just now, right? There really was a goblin archer hiding. I was just being silly.”

‘Why are you so out of breath? Were you that scared? Well, if the arrow had hit your head or heart, you could have died.’

Anyway, I tried to brush it off as nothing, but the party members rushed over.

Derek, with a pale face, shouted,

“Scarlet! Are you okay? Did you get hurt when you fell? Ahren, thank you so much. If the arrow had hit a vital spot, even healing wouldn’t have helped. We’re so lucky!”

“Derek, I’m talking to Ahren right now. I know you’re worried, but can you please be quiet?”

What’s going on? Why is she suddenly giving him the cold shoulder? Aren’t they dating?

“It’s nothing. I’m glad no one was hurt. You two, continue your conversation. I’ll leave.”

“Ahren, wait…”

I heard Scarlet say something, but the atmosphere was strange, so I left.

I approached Bernard and Yeriel and said,

“Bernard! I pointed out the direction with my finger, but you shot the arrow so quickly and accurately. You’re amazing.”

Bernard smiled and said it was just a small skill, and I was the amazing one.

“Yeriel, your buffs were incredible too. Thanks to them, my sword swung easily, and the hunting was easy.”

Yeriel blushed and said,

“Hah, thank you… I’m glad I could help.”

As we praised each other and laughed, Hans, who had been standing there like air, muttered under his breath.

“Tsk. What’s so great about killing a few goblins and accidentally knocking over Scarlet?”

Hans was just a party pooper, always looking to bring others down.

As Bernard was about to scold Hans, Derek spoke up.

“Okay! Let’s skin the corpses and get ready to move again.”

He seemed a bit down, and when I looked back and forth between him and Scarlet, I understood why. They had fought.

Scarlet turned away coldly, and I pretended not to notice.

I skinned the dead goblins and handed their ears to Hans.

“Tsk.”

After finishing the work, we rested for a while and then set off again.

Three days passed.

“Finally, we’re close to the goblin village where the escape portal is located. Let’s camp here for the night.”

Derek suggested resting, and everyone agreed.

We set up our low-grade tents and sleeping bags and received our rations.

After eating and moving around a bit, I entered my tent and lay down.

‘Since joining the party, five days have passed in the blink of an eye. I was so surprised when I first arrived on the third floor.’

[Chaos is happy that we will be able to escape safely.]

Over the past five days, I had gotten to know the party members, learned the basics of the Great Labyrinth and what to do after escaping, and even discussed my new identity.

Unfortunately, despite participating in several hunts and fighting, I only felt an itching sensation and couldn’t sense any magic power.

[Chaos complains that Scarlet is annoying.]

…Yes, Chaos. A few days ago, after I saved her, Scarlet started acting strange.

-Ahren! Do you want to see my magic? Isn’t it amazing?

-Ahren! What will you do after escaping the labyrinth? You don’t know anything about this world. Can’t you stay in our party?

-Derek, should I leave you and get serious with Ahren?

She was cold towards Derek and kept pestering me.

Derek tried to pretend he didn’t care, but it was obvious to me. The party atmosphere also became awkward.

I wondered why she was acting this way and decided to check her status window a few days ago. I was shocked by what I saw.

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[Scarlet Enis]

[Strength: F+] [Agility: F+] [Endurance: F]
[Stamina: E-] [Magic: D] [Luck: E]

[Possessed Traits] (Collapse)

Emophilia
Nobility
Magic Basics
Fire’s Blessing

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The fact that she was a noble in this world and had a D-grade magic level and four traits didn’t matter compared to the content of one of her traits.

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[Emophilia (B)] [P]

As the daughter of a prestigious noble family, she was oppressed and unloved, which caused her to rebel and become an adventurer. Now, she falls in love more easily and quickly than others.

{Previous partner: Derek}
{Trigger: First invitation to join the party}

{Current partner: Ahren}
{Trigger: Life debt}

• If a stronger trigger occurs, she will easily fall in love with that person.
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• She believes that the person she loves also loves her.
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• Her obsession intensifies depending on the strength of the trigger when she falls in love.
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• If her partner demands material things from her body or family, her love will fade.
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• When in love, her magic level increases by three levels, and her magic operation and output vary depending on her emotions.
•
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At first, I was surprised by the B-grade, thinking she didn’t belong in this party. But the content of the trait was more important than the rank. This trait was a curse.

A curse that could ruin a person’s life.

The trigger that caused her to fall in love with me was saving her life, which replaced Derek as her partner.

Since then, she had been clingy, and I had been ignoring her subtle gestures and keeping my distance.

‘Damn it. No matter what, I have to push her away. I can’t betray Derek or ruin this party. It’s impossible and shouldn’t happen.’

The trait mentioned that her love would fade if her partner demanded material things, so I tried borrowing some money from her, saying I would pay her back after escaping the labyrinth.

But she refused, saying she would wait until we escaped, so I gave up on the first method and tried ignoring her.

‘Phew, it’s almost over.’

Finally, we had reached the goblin village where the escape portal was located.

If I could just push her away a little longer and leave the party, I could escape the labyrinth and start a new life.

‘It’s a shame to lose my connection with Bernard and Yeriel… But I might run into them again, even if we’re not in the same party.’

I prayed that I would be able to escape the labyrinth tomorrow or the day after and closed my eyes.

As I drifted off to sleep, something happened.

Srrrk!

‘What’s going on?’

[Chaos says that the alarm magic cast by the magician didn’t activate, which is strange.]

Something entered my tent and climbed on top of me.

I thought it was an assassination attempt and tried to punch it, but it spoke to me.

“It’s me, Scarlet.”

‘What are you doing here?’

“Ahren, be quiet. We’ll be out of the labyrinth in a day or two. I know you’re going to leave the party, and there’s no point in me trying to stop you.”

That’s true.

“I fell in love with you at first sight. The moment you covered me and saved me, my mind was filled with your face, and the scent of your embrace filled my nose and drilled into my brain.”

That’s just because of your trait. How can a person change so drastically after being saved from death?

[Chaos calls her a crazy bitch.]

“I’ve been sure of it for the past three days. I can’t live without you now. If you really leave me, take my virginity and leave me with an unforgettable memory. Give me a fruit of our love that I can carry for the rest of my life!”

Damn it. If I say that I can actually see other people’s traits and that you’re acting this way because of your trait, it’s obvious that I’ll get into trouble, so I’ve been keeping quiet, but I can’t hold it in any longer.

“Are you crazy? What the hell are you talking about? Why should I do something with a woman who suddenly switched her target to me after dating Derek and being saved once?”

“M-what?”

“And what, a virgin? You must have done everything with Derek, so how can you be a virgin? You’re so easy with me right now, but what about Derek, who you introduced as your lover from the start? It wasn’t just that time…”

It’s written that if you ask for her body her love will fade because of the trait.

But if you think about it the other way around, won’t it be okay if she’s so into me that she asks for it herself?

If Derek’s invitation to the party was the trigger, wouldn’t she have fallen in love with someone just by looking at him before that?

As soon as I finished speaking, Scarlet trembled and went crazy.

“You, you’re so harsh! Yes, I admit that we held hands and kissed on the cheek, but that’s it!”

She shouted as if she was wronged.

“But that’s really all there is to it! This was my first party after leaving my family, and Derek was the first to approach me in the guild, so I was a little smitten with him! We didn’t even kiss, let alone give him my virginity! Do you know how much of a bad guy he is, playing with a woman’s heart as a leader?”

“…”

“Anyway, I’m pure! Do you want me to spread my legs and show you? I like you! I love you!”

She shouted angrily, her voice filled with rage.

“If you keep rejecting me, I’ll scream right now and call everyone over, and then I’ll make it a fact that you raped me and get you expelled from the party! You can’t escape alone without this party, can you?”

[Chaos wants to kill that bitch right now, grinding its teeth.]

“Go ahead, do it.”

Scarlet’s face was blank.

It’s now or never. Rather than deceiving my savior and doing something shameful in front of Chaos, I’d rather take the blame and leave.

And somehow, I’ll escape the maze and take revenge on this crazy bitch.

“Are you serious? Do you think I can’t do it?”

“Go ahead, I’ll even scream for you.”

“Eeek…”

She gritted her teeth and began to tear at her clothes, mess up her hair, and scream.

“Kyaaak!”

The scream echoed through the entrance.

I could hear the men waking up in a panic and searching.

…But that wasn’t important.

As I left the tent with my equipment, Yeriel was already standing right in front of me.

“You, you crazy bitch.”

But Yeriel was acting strange.

Instead of going into the tent where the scream came from and slapping me for Scarlet’s appearance, she was covering her mouth and muttering something.

What is she saying?

As I listened closely, I heard her say:

Crazy bitch. Psycho, like a mental patient.

…It seems like Yeriel overheard Scarlet threatening me.