Surviving the Dungeon with an EX-Rank Trait

From a distance, the two seemed serious.

I rushed over to the table, but up close, they looked more drained than serious.

There was an oddly droopy atmosphere.

Knock knock.

“Come on, why’s the mood so gloomy? What were you two talking about?”

Yeriell hesitated for a moment before speaking up.

“Aren’s here? We were just discussing various things about the future with Lumia.”

Following Yeriell’s lackluster reply, Lumia cautiously added, “We were actually discussing if we’re holding Aren back…”

Wait, just a few hours ago, you were jumping around happy after gaining a trait!

I go up for a bit, and suddenly you’re on this topic?!

Yeriell started opening up in a glum voice. “I want to think positively too… but Aren is already in a position where he can meet the Guild Leader one-on-one on his first return, while…”

She continued her thought, “I’m just a buff totem without much use, and Lumia is just a wannabe scout using dark magic.”

“Especially when I ran into human hunters in the Labyrinth, I hardly did anything besides assisting Lumia to take out those three weaklings.”

She sighed heavily. “It was all well and good going into the Labyrinth safely and gaining traits, but thinking about how much further apart we already are, I worry about how far away I’ll be in the future…”

Why are you suddenly so worried?

“I don’t really have any exceptional abilities. I feel a bit gloomy thinking I’m just a common priest with a talented sister…”

No, just looking at your traits shows you have potential as a priest.

And having a capable family is part of your skill, isn’t it?

“Wouldn’t it be better for Aren’s future to find a priest better than me? I sometimes think I’m just holding onto a fleeting connection. Ugh, I’m sorry for complaining…”

What is all this about? Are you worried because you had to wait outside the barrier during the hunt? Or is it due to visible differences in unique items or stats?

I might have finally grasped the presence of the Layered Ruler and the fact that I was summoned to meet the Guild Leader.

The timidness and fragility from our first meeting haven’t truly gone away, I guess.

They were just hidden beneath a lively and bold attitude.

Well, nature doesn’t just disappear so easily.

Should I boost their self-esteem right now?

No, I’ll take the direct route.

“We’ve only just entered the Labyrinth together! Why are you two taking this so seriously?”

I plopped down in a chair.

I thought if I brushed off these issues too casually, they’d come back to haunt us later.

When in doubt, address it head-on.

I was currently loaded with good traits and wearing unique equipment.

I understood how they might think about me soaring through the lower floors differently.

“If you two weren’t here, Isaac and the human hunters, or the Layered Ruler would have all been out of reach. What could I have done alone? We survived because the three of us fit together so well!”

[Chaos clucks its tongue, saying that girls are spineless.]

“Listen up, both of you. It’s impossible to go through the Labyrinth alone. It’s not just because you felt obligated to party with me based on our skills.”

Of course, I can’t deny that their abilities were needed in various aspects of our relationship. It’s a fact.

But…

“Besides everything, I genuinely enjoyed being in a party with you two. Should I explain why?”

I started recalling one by one.

Just thinking about it brought forth plenty of praise.

“Yeriell, your cute smile warms the hearts of those around you, your soft words relieve their fatigue, and your subtle thoughtfulness. Even the impulsive moments when you grab my hand make me happy.”

The one who swore to protect me at the cost of her life on the 3rd floor has always been my support during our time together.

“Also, Lumia, even though you were hurt by unfair situations, you held on tightly, determined to help the party before anyone else. And even your clingy moments toward me are all appreciated.”

She was looked down upon by everyone she encountered, told to leave the city or go back to the cursed town.

I felt sympathy for her as she trembled at the harsh words thrown at her.

But when I sensed that Lumia needed me,

I realized I could be someone that important to someone else, which occasionally made my self-esteem rise a little.

No doubt someone might call me selfish and twisted. What can I say? It’s true.

“What’s it matter if our specs are different? What’s wrong with having lower-tier equipment? If we keep training hard and gradually cover our gaps in the Labyrinth, that’s all that counts.”

No one knows what will happen next in the Labyrinth.

Sometimes we could complete our trip safely without a hitch.

Or we might be caught up in something worse than last time, facing life and death again.

Still, no matter what may happen in the future… right now, I want to go into the Labyrinth with you two, not alone.

BAM!

I clapped my hands together and looked between the two of them.

“I just really like both you, Yeriell and Lumia. How about you two?”

I met their sparkling eyes and gave my voice some strength.

“Don’t you both want to laugh and cry together through all the countless adventures in the Labyrinth and city with me?”

As I spoke, emotions filled the air.

Then I mulled over Yeriell’s previous slip of the tongue.

“Maybe finding a more accomplished priest than you could help my future?”

Could I really accept such words so easily after hearing them?

“No one could replace you. Didn’t you notice all the hardships we’ve faced since floor three up until now? The problem has never been people. I can’t even imagine a priest other than you standing beside me.”

Why even drag my future into it and belittle yourself?

Enough! Let’s calm this down. I cleared my throat and concluded,

“If it makes you happy, I’d like to walk the path to becoming a high-tier adventurer in Labyrinth City together. Always side by side. How about that?”

Only after I finished did I realize…

…that I might have completely lost control.

The anger towards the concept of being abandoned since Earth, and an obsession with connections.

I realized it but healing a mental issue is never easy.

…

After a moment of silence,

Whoosh—

From nearby tables came small whistle sounds amid the chatter.

“Whoa, looks like the guild building has turned into a love nest!”

“Aren must be really scoring with those good looks, huh? Hot stuff!”

“Eew, my hands and feet are cringing!”

Damn. The whole situation turned too sudden, and in my passionate speech, my voice grew louder without me realizing.

Even from across the table, I caught everyone’s gaze.

Listening to the comments around me, I found myself blushing with embarrassment, unsure of what to do next.

And yet, the two girls just stared at me, completely dazed.

“S-say something!”

Clunk!

Hug!

The two of them kicked their chairs away and rushed towards me.

“I-I! I’ll work harder to be someone who fits by Aren’s side! I’m sorry for saying those weird things! Huh, waah!”

“I was honestly moved. I felt this way even before… I’ll stay by your side from now on.”

I didn’t expect the always cheerful Yeriell or even the reluctantly bound Lumia due to her curse to react like this, and I was taken aback.

“Ha ha, okay, I get it, but can you both let go now? I can’t breathe!”

Thank goodness. Feeling hot from embarrassment was one thing, but it seemed my mental care had been a success.

“Let’s finish the settlement quickly and head back to the inn for a small return party, shall we? We survived, so we should drink the first celebratory toast.”

“Yay, sounds good!”

“I also agree. I want to tell Old Rotten that we’re back soon!”

Both Yeriell, still teary-eyed, and Lumia, with her ears perked up in excitement, seemed back to their buoyant selves. I felt relieved as I assured them I’d be back shortly.

I made my way to the many settlement counters and waited in line again.

The line was short, and soon it was my turn.

A receptionist with a lively voice welcomed me. “Welcome back! Did you do well up top?”

“Of course. It was shocking at first, but we wrapped things up quickly thanks to your help.”

“Haha, it must’ve been something huge if it reached us 1st floor receptionists. I’m glad to hear it worked out!”

She smiled and started checking the materials I pulled from my bag.

“Let’s see… goblin ears, kobold snouts, ratman tails, and a woodman core. Everything checks out.”

The receptionist said while wiping her hands with a handkerchief.

“Um, a total of 24 silver coins and 30 copper coins. Do you need anything else?”

What, does she have a cleaning spell or something? That handkerchief looks spotless. More importantly, 24 silver coins?

Divided, that’s 8 silver coins and a little copper each?

Wow, if I had no extra funds, I’d have to find work until the Labyrinth opened again.

I really couldn’t make a decent living on the 1st floor. If I wanted to stay with Lumia, I had to keep living in zone 4, which meant I had to climb higher on the next Labyrinth trip.

Even if Old Rotten charged less than where I stayed before, 8 silver coins per person was still tough on the wallet.

Last time, we got paid 25 silver coins each even with some delays for various reasons…

We’d need to clear at least the 3rd floor to breathe a little easier.

Ah, right. I almost forgot the most important question.

I turned to the receptionist, who was waiting for me to finish.

“I was ambushed by human hunters in the Labyrinth and secured what seemed to be their leader’s body. Can I present it here?”

“Yes! Please bring it out and place it here. Just remember it has to be recognizable at least.”

I nodded and retrieved the severed head of Gospel that I had preserved in my spatial bag.

Thud.

Ugh, it made me slightly nauseous putting it in the bag, but seeing it now is still not a great feeling.

I placed the head of Gospel onto the reception desk.

“Hmm. Your partner seems to be able to cast decay-stopping or delaying magic? Its condition is fine, so if you come back in a few days, you’ll be able to claim your reward after verification.”

The receptionist continued the process calmly, as if seeing corpses was part of her everyday life.

“Thank you. Then I’ll be heading out.”

“Safe travels!”

I turned away from the reception desk and headed back to them.

“Alright, here’s the settlement money. We split it at 8 silver coins and 10 copper coins each.”

Both of them received the settlement without further words.

“The head we secured goes to the reception desk, so we’ll pick it up in a few days at the guild. Shall we head for the carriage now?”

“Yeah! Let’s go quickly!”

“I think we’ve got everything.”

Great. Let’s head back to the inn.

We all walked towards the carriage dock together.

*

Bang!

“Hmm?”

Rotten happened to be near the door and stared at us in surprise.

To be specific, he was looking at Lumia.

“Haha, Lumia! You’ve returned safe and sound! Well done! Good job getting through it all.”

“Uh-huh! It was all thanks to the two of you. Anyway… I’m back.”

“Great, great! Hurry up, unpack your bags, clean up, and come back down. I’ll show off my cooking skills.”

Nodding, Rotten looked at Lumia like she was incredible, then turned to me and Yeriell.

“You two worked hard, too! Hurry and do what you need to do and come back down. I’m not charging for dinner today.”

“Thank you! We’ll head up then. See you later.”

We opened the door to our room on the 2nd floor, where we stayed before entering the Labyrinth.

Whoosh—

“Ah, feels good.”

[Chaos comments that your body is looking good as always.]

Chaos really is consistent. It’s all thanks to these traits, isn’t it?

After getting ready, I waited for them downstairs, and shortly after, they came down and sat down, chatting away.

“Alright, I’ve shown off my skills for a while. There’s more than enough food, so eat as much as you want! Since we’ve all made it back safe, we should have a drink!”

We all raised our glasses.

“It’s hard to believe all the things that happened in just the 1st floor. But we overcame everything and have now returned here, to our home.”

I turned my gaze towards Yeriell and Lumia as I continued.

“What doesn’t kill us, will ultimately become a more valuable experience, turning into our flesh and blood and helping us grow stronger.”

“So, don’t dwell on past regrets and depression like before. Let’s just enjoy this moment right now.”

To celebrate our return and the journey ahead.

Cheers!

As we ate and drank,

Suddenly, Lumia started crying.

Her normally expressionless face glistened with tears, and soon, tears flowed like a waterfall.

I was caught off guard for a moment but quickly moved to wipe her eyes and gently hugged her.

“Sniff. Boohoo. Waaa.”

Yeriell approached and began to pat Lumia’s head.

Pat pat.

“Sniff. Hic.”

“Are you okay? You surprised us all by crying suddenly. Is everything alright?”

Lumia nodded.

Yeriell continued to check on her and comforted her.

Eventually, after nodding, Lumia detached from my grasp and rubbed her swollen eyes.

“Memories of times in the 1st floor when everyone would die while I was the only one to escape came flooding back… I feel guilty. But I was also so happy that I realized so much has changed, that I can also do this… I broke into tears without realizing. But I’m fine now.”

I can understand that.

Lumia, cursed and suffering day after day, as well as the ones who met tragic ends, all felt pitiful.

After crying today, they could somewhat rid themselves of past pain and start anew from tomorrow.

I thought this as I comforted her once more, then clinked glasses and resumed moving the dishes around.

When everyone was feeling tipsy, we each slipped into our rooms and closed our eyes.

[Chaos whispers that you’re settling in well.]

Just before being swallowed by sleep, I thought about tomorrow…

…when I would have to head back to the Silver Cross Knights.

And I needed to speak properly to Ivelyn.

That I’m a reincarnator.

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