NOVEL NEXT Chapter 38
“Ugh.”
Here we go again. I guess this nausea will get better the more I dive into the labyrinth, right?
I steadied my churning stomach and looked around.
“Ugh. This month’s earnings are a total loss!”
“Daria, are you okay? Since we made it back safe, how about you take a break while I handle the settlement?”
“Ugh… thinking about the twisted faces of those who looked down on me because of my trait makes me feel so good!”
“Mutone! I’m hungry! Since I held up my shield so well, treat me!”
There were all kinds of adventurers gathered near the portal.
“Wah!”
“Ugh.”
As I tried to pull my attention away from the other adventurers and call my party members to head to the Adventurer Guild together, both Yeriell and Lumia flinched and started trembling.
‘It’s the trait!’
No way, going on our first labyrinth dive with this party.
And both of them gain traits right after returning from the 1st Floor? I guess the density of the events we experienced is that high?
‘If that’s the case, why don’t I get one? Am I supposed to be satisfied with just a unique item and a hunting trait?’
[Chaos says it hopes you don’t only get negative traits.]
Right. I hope so too.
────
[Yeriell]
[Strength: E-] [Agility: E-] [Durability: E-]
[Health: E-] [Magic: D-] [Luck: D+]
[Traits Held] (Fold)
Basics of Healing Magic
Born Lucky
Faithfulness
Overcoming Weakness
Touch of Light
────
Wow, just the name sounds promising.
────
[Touch of Light (D)] [P]
The touch of her who holds light will not leave the wounds of allies to fester even to the mind.
─Increases efficiency slightly when using healing-type magic.
─When using healing-type magic, additionally heals the mental state of allies.
─When using defense-type magic, slightly increases magic defense.
────
Thank goodness. She got a solid trait.
“Yay! I was worried, but I’m so relieved!”
Sharing what I saw made her jump for joy. Guess she’s really happy.
Next up is Lumia.
────
[Lumia]
[Strength: E+] [Agility: E] [Durability: E]
[Health: E+] [Magic: D-] [Luck: E-]
[Traits Held] (Fold)
Punishment of Darkness
Basics of Dark Magic
Mask of Deficiency
Dojin’s Sense
Burning Will
────
────
[Burning Will (D)] [P]
Having something to protect, her once cold heartbeat begins to thrum again.
The intense will that she will never revert back to her former self combines with the memories of fighting fiercely against hostile entities in the labyrinth.
─If physical stats are below D rank, raises by one level.
─Increases endurance.
─Applies a slight damage reduction to mental attacks.
────
Wow. This is insane. Is this really a D-rank trait?
“Hehe. It’s all thanks to Aren.”
As I congratulated her while sharing her trait details, she smirked and smiled.
It’s nice to see her smiling now.
“Alright, then, now that we’ve checked, let’s head to the guild, settle up, and rest at the inn.”
“Yeah! I’m a bit tired, though.”
“I feel like the fatigue hit me as soon as we returned.”
So we passed through the checkpoint and headed to the Adventurer Guild.
*
“Aren, could you please wait a moment?”
As we lined up to settle accounts, the receptionist temporarily asked us to wait.
As I presented my tokens and began to pull out monster by-products, the receptionist gasped, saying she needed a moment.
‘This feels weird.’
The receptionist brought a small communication magical device to her mouth.
Of course, she was whispering that I had arrived at the guild.
‘Hello? I can hear everything. But what’s going on? I haven’t done anything wrong, and a low-tier adventurer returning from the 1st Floor shouldn’t raise any suspicion.’
While I felt uneasy and waited, she soon began to speak.
“Aren, the Guild Leader is waiting for you upstairs.”
W-What?
“So it’s true that you’re the low-tier adventurer Aren? You’re not just sharing a name?”
“Yes, I’ve been informed, so you can head straight to the office.”
‘What the heck? Suddenly this just got serious.’
[Chaos says that if it reached this low tier without being a big deal, it must be something important and should not harm you.]
‘Phew, if I’m going to keep living as an adventurer, I have to go. No choice.’
I nodded at the receptionist and turned back to my party to explain.
“I’m not sure what it’s about, but it’ll be fine. I’ll be praying for you!”
“Even if the other side is one of the strongest in the city, they wouldn’t try anything in the guild building. Don’t worry and go take care of it.”
With their words of concern and encouragement, I ascended the stairs.
“Halt. No access for low-tier adventurers below the 4th Floor. You don’t seem strong enough; what’s your business up here?”
“I’m the low-tier adventurer Aren. I don’t know why, but I was told to come to the Guild Leader’s office.”
“I’ll check. Wait a moment.”
The guard, who looked like a high-tier adventurer at a glance, pulled out the magical device the receptionist had used and reported.
“You may proceed. The office is on the 5th Floor, so don’t get distracted and head straight there. You’ll know it’s the biggest door.”
So stiff.
Well, I guess they’re just doing their job.
The atmosphere on the 4th Floor was completely different from the 3rd Floor.
‘So this is a space exclusively for high-tier adventurers?’
Quiet and calm, with gigantic and lavish chandeliers shining brightly.
The receptionists here wore clothes a far cry from the casual outfits of the 1st Floor.
Putting all the noticeable differences together, it was like being in a noble’s mansion.
Before I got too distracted, I hurried to the 5th Floor.
‘Someday…’
I hoped to become a high-ranking adventurer worthy of admiration, passing freely through spaces like this without a care.
Upon reaching the 5th Floor, I saw the enormous door that clearly belonged to the Guild Leader’s office.
“Huff.”
I lightly tapped on the door, full of tension.
Knock knock.
—The door is open, come in.
I took a deep breath and knocked, just as I heard a serious and deep voice belonging to someone in their middle ages or elderly.
Once I quietly entered, the first thought that hit me was:
The atmosphere is heavy…
‘If I let my guard down for a moment, I feel like I’d be done for. I need to stay sharp.’
With the smoothly closed door behind me and the pressure weighing down, I focused and lifted my head.
And then, I laid eyes on the Guild Leader.
Crack!
Ugh.
Before me stood a stern-looking man in his middle ages with dark brown hair flecked with white.
Looking directly at him, I felt like I was staring at a monster filling the entirety of this grand office with its fierce gaze.
‘No, it’s not just a monster… more like a lurking giant? A colossal creature?’
[Chaos says to close your eyes quickly.]
Before I could gather my thoughts, I hurriedly closed my eyes, as Chaos advised.
“Could you sit there and wait a moment? I have some urgent matters to attend to.”
As I closed my eyes and calmed myself, I heard him say not to be tense and to sit comfortably as he concentrated on the paperwork.
“Yes. Understood.”
I wiped the cold sweat from my brow and answered calmly.
…What was that just now?
Despite sensing my strange aura before, he continued focusing on his papers.
Was he being considerate to a novice adventurer like me?
Or was he so powerful that it was just a common reaction he easily brushed off?
‘Damn, it doesn’t seem like he’s purposefully testing my mettle. It’s a problem if my vision is too sharp.’
Fearing I might encounter something worse than before, I decided against peeking into the chaos.
I walked straight to the table and took a seat on the couch.
After sitting stiffly for about ten minutes, he finally approached and took the main seat, initiating the conversation.
“Now, let’s begin our talk. You’re the adventurer Aren, right? As I heard, you’ve got quite the presence.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“I only spoke the truth. Now, the reason I inconvenienced you, tired from just returning from the labyrinth, to call you to my office is…”
He fixed his gaze directly on me.
‘What is he about to say?’
“Aren, did you take down the Layered Ruler on the 1st Floor? This is just a verification question, so answer honestly.”
…Was that the reason?
Is there a rumor spreading among the adventurers who returned to the city before our party from the central area?
“I know there were other adventurers like Leisya Yuzfel, Viktor, Heins, and others in the raid, too.”
That wasn’t it.
How could he possibly know the names of the other three just from talking to a few low-tier adventurers?
“You look surprised, as if asking how I know. Let me respond first. Confirm for me: is this correct?”
“Yes, that’s right. To be precise, I dealt the final blow to the Layered Ruler that appeared on the 1st Floor during the raid. It was lucky on my part.”
“What a modest statement. It wasn’t merely luck.”
He tapped the table with his index finger.
“Looking at the ‘Labyrinth Record,’ your name is engraved as the first for this achievement completed in the 1st area, indicating your contribution was indeed the highest.”
“The Labyrinth Record, you say?”
Is it something like the Akashic records seen here and there in various settings?
“Yes, within the depths of the 1st area lies a dimensional device known as the ‘Labyrinth Record.’”
‘So what does that have to do with me?’
“Inside are recorded dangerous events that have transpired within the Great Labyrinth, as well as the great achievements made by individuals.”
The Guild Leader began to explain the situation in a subdued voice.
“Those strong enough to enter the 1st area, including prominent nobles and leaders of massive groups, can view previous records of the Labyrinth Record through a formal process.”
He pointed to himself with his thumb.
“Especially someone of my position as Guild Leader of the Adventurers’ Guild can receive important notifications without even having to enter the 1st area.”
Naturally.
In a city built around the labyrinth and the Great Labyrinth, the highest-ranking individuals among adventurers would be the ones earning their living there.
“The Layered Ruler… the moment it appears, countless adventurers can perish in a flash, so the information for summoning it is strictly controlled.”
He made a gesture of cutting his throat, signaling how serious it was.
“Few know how to summon it. At least a significant number of adventurers, including those stronger than the floor level, must gather, making records of the capture extremely scarce. If one attempts to summon it without going through proper channels, they could face fatal consequences.”
It was similar to what Berkel taught in class.
Procedures… like applying to the Adventurers’ Guild and the 1st area for a hunting permit.
It would be about controlling and evacuating the adventurers of that floor so they wouldn’t get dragged into the chaos of the hunt.
“But with the unprecedented emergence of the Layered Ruler on the 1st Floor since the Great Labyrinth’s inception, a rookie adventurer captures it along with several mid-tier and low-tier adventurers.”
It must have been quite surprising for the Guild Leader himself, and he chuckled lightly.
‘Long buildup here. So ultimately, I have to explain the entire process of how I managed to take it down, huh?’
“Should I share everything I know about it?”
“Hahaha! Did I drone on too long? I’d appreciate it if you do.”
He chuckled heartily as he continued.
“I don’t really like pushing down on emerging sprouts.”
Just by being in this office alone, a rookie adventurer is already out of place.
“I know just being alone with you is enough to be intimidating. Don’t feel burdened and speak at your own pace, in detail.”
‘Alright. I’ll try my best to speak the truth while cutting out the fluff.’
With that, I began unraveling the full story of the hunting incident over a lengthy period.