Survive the labyrinth with EX-grade traits

It took four to five hours to return to Zone 6 from Zone 3, and Ahren became accustomed to carrying Veronica on his knees.

“I think I’ve seen the Ash Tree Inn, but I don’t remember the exact location. As you know, I’ve been staying in one place for a long time.”

When I left the kingdom and wandered the continent, I received a lot of help from the kind owners of the Minotaur Inn when I first arrived in the labyrinth city.

That’s why the muscular innkeeper was so friendly to me.

“Let’s ask the carriage driver when we arrive.”

If the driver doesn’t know, we can ask someone on the street.

“I’m sorry for before, Ahren.”

I felt sorry for leaving Ahren out of the conversation with Jeanette.

However, I wondered what his relationship was with the woman and if he would visit her again as she had suggested.

As we continued the conversation on a different topic, we arrived at the carriage platform in Zone 6.

.

.

.

“We’re here!”

After getting off the carriage, I gave the driver a few more fairy tales and asked him about the location of the inn.

“The Ash Tree Inn, right?”

The driver, who knew all the paths in the labyrinth city, quickly responded.

“Ah, that’s the place where newly-minted adventurers often stay because the accommodation fees are relatively cheap.”

Since there was a simple map sold in the general store in Zone 3, we could easily find our way by following the path drawn by the driver’s finger.

“⋯Here it is.”

Yes, we arrived.

However, I expected the inn to be made of wood, given its name.

Instead, it was a three-story stone building.

Of course, there was a leaf pattern engraved on the signboard, and a faint tree-like image on the building’s walls, but it was still unexpected.

Clack.

[16:08]

I opened my watch and saw that it was almost dinnertime.

The vastness of each zone and the many sights and places to visit were both an advantage and a disadvantage.

We had spent almost eight hours in the carriage, so even though we had only visited the treatment center, I felt a sense of emptiness as most of the day had passed.

“Shall we go in?”

“I’ll get a table, and you can look for your colleagues. If they’re there, we can join them, and if not, we can eat and come back later.”

“Since we came together, one of us should stay.”

At times like this, I wished for modern means of communication.

Communication magic tools were expensive or rare, so they were out of reach for low-level adventurers.

Anyway, I began to search the interior of the inn.

The exterior of the inn was unexpected, but the interior was exactly what I imagined when I thought of a fantasy inn.

Dwarves and beastmen, who had finished their day’s work, were laughing and drinking early in the evening.

Adventurers with disheveled armor, as if they had completed a quest, caught my attention.

A trio of elves with hoods, but their distinctive ears were still visible.

In the center, a bard was playing an instrument and singing.

Veronica followed the waiter to get a table, and I stood at the entrance, quickly scanning the interior.

“Hey, what are you doing standing there? If you’re not coming in, move out of the way.”

“Oh, go ahead. I’m looking for someone I know.”

“Haha.”

I sent the wolf beastman away and turned back to the corner where I had seen a familiar-looking person.

He had common brown hair and broad shoulders, as if to show that he was a vanguard.

He was laughing as if he was having an interesting conversation, and his loose shoulders conveyed the same carefree attitude he had when he told me to speak freely after our first meeting.

‘It’s Derek.’

With 99% certainty, I felt happy to see him and headed towards the table where his party was sitting.

“Captain. Someone’s coming towards us. Wow, that armor is impressive. He must be at least a mid-level adventurer!”

“You bastard, don’t be so self-centered! Why would a mid-level adventurer come to find us?”

“It’s not self-centered, he’s really coming this way!”

“Then don’t just stand there, tell us what happened yesterday on the quest!”

“Derek, this time, it’s Gary’s turn to speak. It seems like they’re not looking for us, but they’re already close by!”

“⋯”

“Hmm, let’s see who’s coming. I’ll take a look.”

I was debating whether to tap him on the shoulder or call his name when Derek turned around with a suspicious look.

Our eyes met.

His pupils dilated.

His eyebrows rose.

His mouth opened wide.

These elements clearly showed that he was surprised.

“⋯Ahren?”

He recognized me right away.

“Haha, Derek! How have you been?”

[Chaos also says that she’s happy to see him.]

Derek looked me up and down and said with wide-open eyes,

“It’s really you.”

“I told Bernard that I would visit this month, so I’m sure he’s been waiting.”

It seemed like reality hit him when I said that.

Derek, who had been laughing happily, came towards me and playfully slapped my armor’s backplate.

Thud! Thud!

“Of course, I heard! You bastard, you’re late!”

“Sorry. I’ve been so busy that I didn’t have time to visit Zone 6.”

“Captain! You have a great acquaintance. Why don’t you introduce us?”

“That’s a good idea. Ahren, don’t just stand there, come and sit down!”

“Just a moment. I came with a colleague who got a table, so I’ll be right back.”

.

.

.

“I was waiting for you to visit this month or next month, but I didn’t expect it to be today!”

“I decided to come today. Did I keep you waiting?”

“Haha, it’s not a big deal. I’m just glad you didn’t forget.”

“What’s going on? You two seem to be close.”

“Of course. I’ll introduce you to Gary as well.”

“Sure. Who should I start with?”

I smiled at him, and a status window appeared in front of my eyes.

────

[Derek]

[Strength : D-] [Agility : E+] [Endurance : D] [Constitution : D] [Magic Power : D-] [Willpower : D]

[Possessed Traits] (Folding)

Beginner’s Tank skills
Sturdy Stance
Imitation
Retaliation

────

Oh. Not only had his abilities increased by one or two levels in the past six months, but he also gained two new traits.

As the party leader responsible for his party, his growth rate was higher than Bernard’s.

‘So Bernard isn’t here. I guess he went upstairs to rest first.’

I decided to ask him about it later and quickly scanned the information about the new traits.

────

[Imitation (B)] [P]

In a life where he was left behind and surpassed due to a lack of strength, the labyrinth answered his pain and anger caused by a trusted acquaintance’s despicable actions.

He doesn’t have exceptional talent.

He doesn’t have a distinguished bloodline or traits like others.

But⋯ He had perseverance, tenacity, and the grit to keep going despite not being gifted.

Now, he will be rewarded with meaningful strength.

─The user can imitate techniques and traits they have directly experienced or observed for a long time.

However, imitating anything requires exceptional effort and pain, and the imitated techniques and traits will have weakened effects and the same costs as the original.

Imitation is not possible if the difference in levels is too great, so be careful.

─Consistent imitation can lead to growth.

────

‘Damn. He got an imitation trait, and it’s a B-grade trait at that?’

I was about to exclaim in surprise as soon as I finished reading the information.

If the person who obtained this trait wasn’t Derek but someone else⋯ I would have been jealous.

────

[Retaliation (D)] [A]

A trait obtained by consuming the essence of the goblin Yargal, who received a fair punishment.

The user accumulates damage and releases it through their attacks.

─When the user blocks an attack, damage is accumulated.

─When the user directly receives damage from an attack, the amplified damage is accumulated.

─When the damage reaches a certain level, the user can use the technique ‘Retaliation’.

────

This is like a weakened version of my accumulated killing intent and Veronica’s skill.

It’s a perfect counter-attack technique for a tank.

I quickly scanned through Derek’s new party members’ information while he was introducing them, as I had become skilled at quickly scanning through people’s status windows in the city.

“Hey, who cares who goes first?”

Derek shrugged and introduced the man who had been calling him ‘Captain’.

“This guy with the leather armor and bald is Gary! He’s a skilled thief in our party, responsible for setting up traps, scouting, and flanking!”

“Hey, don’t call me ‘bald’! It was nice to meet you, and I hope we can get to know each other better in the future!”

“Nice to meet you too, Gary. Let’s get along well.”

Gary had a shaved head, almost bald, and a fierce-looking hooked nose.

Despite his appearance, he was bright and talkative, and we shook hands.

Next, Derek introduced the beautiful elf.

“This beautiful elf is Lenea. She’s a spirit healer who specializes in healing and support through spirits!”

“Hmm, my introduction seems a bit lacking compared to yours.”

“Shh. You know why, right?”

“Damn. It’s not fair that I’m ugly.”

The two of them seemed to get along well.

I thought that Derek’s failure had turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

“Ahren, is it? I’m Lenea. I’m a support member in Derek’s party.”

“Oh⋯ I’ve met spirit mages who can both buff and attack, but it’s my first time meeting a spirit healer. Nice to meet you.”

“Have you met other spirit mages? They must be elves, right?”

She’s a half-elf, and I remember that she ran away because she was rejected and discriminated against.

If I tell her that I met an elf spirit mage here, it might have a big impact on her life.

So, I just smiled and said that I had met someone briefly and parted ways.

“That’s too bad.”

Lenea seemed disappointed that she missed the opportunity to meet a fellow elf.

I wondered if all elves could control spirits.

I didn’t know much about non-human races, so I still had a lot to learn.

────

[Gary]

[Strength : E] [Agility : D-] [Endurance : E] [Constitution : E+] [Magic Power : E+] [Willpower : D-]

[Possessed Traits] (Folding)

Beginner’s Dagger Technique
Precise Hand Movements
Explosive Mine
Sensitive Hearing

────

────

[Lenea]

[Strength : E-] [Agility : D-] [Endurance : E-] [Constitution : E] [Magic Power : C-] [Willpower : D]

[Possessed Traits] (Folding)

Beginner’s Spirit Technique
Magic Affinity
Healing Spring
Aura of Vitality

────

I quickly scanned through Gary and Lenea’s information, and their abilities were similar to Derek’s and Bernard’s.

Their traits were also impressive, with several unique and useful ones.

Fortunately, there were no obvious traps like Hans in this four-person party.

Just then, Derek turned to Veronica and said,

“Okay, we’re done with our introductions. Ahren, it’s your turn to introduce the girl. She’s been quiet since she arrived.”

I was about to speak, but Veronica spoke first.

“Hello, Derek. I’m Veronica. I’m a mid-level adventurer and a vanguard in Ahren’s party.”

“A vanguard? And a mid-level adventurer?”

The small, delicate girl in front of them seemed unbelievable as a vanguard.

“Ah⋯ I’m temporarily in this form due to the conditions of a new trait. Please don’t think too much of it.”

“I understand. You must be a skilled adventurer if you’re a mid-level adventurer. I was just surprised, but I didn’t think it was strange.”

Derek laughed and said,

“Haha, that’s right. There are so many people with extraordinary traits in the labyrinth city.”

That’s true. The variety of traits makes it interesting.

“We met a priest who turned into a skeleton two months ago. Ahren, I’ll tell you an interesting story later. Look forward to it!”

“A priest turned into a skeleton⋯? Can they still use divine power?”

“Surprisingly, there was no problem. Perhaps the God of Light values personal piety more than the transformed body.”

An undead priest⋯ I wonder if his bones will burn when he uses healing or buffs.

Are there any undead-specific laws here?

Anyway, the introductions were smoothly completed.

Finally, I asked about Bernard, and Derek said that he was out on a personal quest and wouldn’t be back today.

“It’s a shame that we couldn’t all gather, but we had a long conversation in the carriage, so that’s enough. He was so excited to see you again.”

Derek said that it was strange for two grown men to be so excited to see each other.

‘That’s true. Now that I know the location of the inn, I can come back later. Today is not the only day.’

He called the waiter and ordered food, saying that they had just arrived and needed to eat.

“But seeing you, I understand why Bernard was so excited.”

I agreed that they had a lot to talk about and decided to spend the night slowly sharing their stories.