Surviving the Dungeon with an EX-Rank Trait

“Ugh.”

At some point, I opened my eyes without realizing it.

As I sat up and looked around, I thought to myself…

Is this… another dream?

Just like when I first met Chaos, I was all alone in this pure white space.

“Are you awake?”

“Gasp.”

Cancel that. Hearing a voice from behind means I wasn’t alone this time.

“Stop making that silly face and turn around!”

As she said, I turned around and saw a little Chaos.

Look who’s getting chubby like a dumpling! So cute I could die.

“Wh-what are you thinking… I know! It looks funny! What am I supposed to do when the connection is still awkward?”

“Who said that? Your cheeks look like rice cakes, and that’s just adorable!”

“C-Cheeks? Rice cakes?! How dare you say such foolish things to me, the Chaos Dragon! Take that back!”

She reached out to grab my cheek, but not a chance.

You’re too small to reach!

“Hfff. Ugh!”

Thud.

As Chaos fell over in a huff, I moved my hand from her head and started to pet her.

Swish swish.

“…”

Pat pat.

“…Hehe.”

So soothing.

She tilted her head and gave a little grin, but soon stepped back, as if realizing we shouldn’t keep this up.

“T-That’s not it. Stop it!”

Chaos sighed, placing her hands on her hips.

“Ahh. I was trying to give you some praise for all your hard work. But with your tiny form, it just feels silly hanging out with you.”

“I already feel better than just being praised verbally, you know!”

“Ugh, fine. Even if it’s not your true form, if you like it, that’s what matters.”

Chaos flopped back on the ground, not caring anymore.

We spent a delightful time together, filled with her cuteness, until I woke up from the dream.

*

Ding.

Early morning hit, and I opened my eyes in my room.

Ugh. Did I drink too much? I felt the hangover creeping in.

Thankfully, I had restrained myself somewhat yesterday, so it wasn’t too bad.

[Chaos says let’s cheerfully start the day as usual.]

“Of course! Who do you think gave me all this energy?”

[Chaos puffs out her cheeks and says don’t tease her.]

I chuckled, shook my head, and tried to pull myself together.

‘First things first, shower and breakfast.’

Clunk.

I washed up invigoratingly and opened the door to head downstairs.

“Are you up?”

Rotten, sitting by the counter and pretending to read some newspaper, greeted me.

“Yes. You’re up early too, Rotten!”

“They say as you get older, you need less sleep. I’m still spry, but I have to keep busy.”

Rotten chuckled, his wrinkled face lighting up.

I chatted with him lightly, ordering my breakfast as we talked about mundane topics.

‘Are the others still asleep?’

I’d be heading to the Knights’ order later to see Ivelyn and catch up.

I mentally jotted down what I wanted to say.

‘Berkel told me that weapon I saw Master show us was taken from a Demon on the fifteenth floor, right?’

So it wouldn’t be a case of all of the Transcenders or Demons being hostile.

When I dropped hints about my game name upon my return, I was probably checking if I was a servant of the Evil God.

‘Chaos, I need to ask. I doubt it, but… Seres isn’t the Evil God, right?’

[Chaos says not to worry; the Goddess of Chaos is a neutral deity, so there won’t be any issues.]

That’s a relief.

“Yawn. By the way, did Aren sleep well last night?”

“Of course! I feel well-rested for the first time in a while.”

“Right? It’s so different sleeping in the Labyrinth.”

As I continued thinking, Yeriell came downstairs and asked how I slept. Looks like she had a good night too.

Is Lumia still asleep? I’ve heard cats like to snooze a lot; must be true for her species.

Thud.

Rotten placed the food on our table.

A steaming stew with meat, thick sausages with engraved sheaths, and warm milk to soothe us. I could feel my mouth watering.

“Sorry for the delay!”

“Not at all; you timed it perfectly. Let’s eat and then discuss our plans for today.”

Before long, Lumia joined us as well.

With the three of us together, we had a delightful breakfast.

Clink.

After wrapping up our morning meal…

“Phew, that was great.”

We began discussing our individual plans for the day.

“I’ll be heading to the Silver Cross Knights in District 3 to have a chat with Master. What are you all planning?”

Even in the same party, everyone has their own responsibilities and circumstances.

‘We can’t always stick together until the next Labyrinth opens, right?’

“I’m nearby, so I’ll stop by the Cathedral to check in on my sister.”

Yeriell shook her head.

“If you go to see her first, you’ll be stuck in her office all day. She still thinks I’m a ten-year-old kid.”

She does treat her warmly, though.

“I’m staying in and studying from the magic books. The backyard is large enough for practicing dark magic.”

Lumia said she wouldn’t be leaving the inn. I get it, but still… hmm.

“Want to come with me? Since Master is the Guild Leader, if you say my presence will negate the curse, it might feel uncomfortable but at least we can be together.”

“No, if I’m inside the building, people will still gossip. Even if they repress their dissatisfaction, it’ll still be awkward.”

Seeing Lumia say that, I couldn’t argue back.

‘Damn it. I need to get stronger and gain enough reputation so that everyone knows the curse disappears when Lumia is around me.’

Or find a way to break the curse altogether.

Or a magic tool that would disguise her features or change her hair color entirely.

No matter how, I wanted to rescue her from the Darkness God’s grip completely.

My mind was a tangled mess, but I kept a calm exterior.

“Well then, let’s split up and reconvene for dinner.”

After seeing them nod in agreement, I headed upstairs to prepare, then made my way to the carriage platform.

*

I arrived.

Since everyone at the Knights already knows I’m Ivelyn’s disciple, I greeted the guards at the main gate and walked inside.

Huh?

“Master! Over there…”

“Huh? Oh! Our dear disciple has arrived! How far down did you go in the Labyrinth? You’re not hurt, are you?”

Before I even reached the office, I spotted her.

Instead of her usual lightly armored appearance, Ivelyn was now dressed in heavy armor, looking every bit the noble knight she is.

“Look at your face. Haha, was my equipment surprising? I had to go to Zone 1 for a bit, but it wasn’t the best situation to wear something lighter.”

Ivelyn pointed to herself with her thumb.

“How do I look? Different from usual?”

“Master, your dignity…”

“What does it matter? My cherished disciple returns from their first Labyrinth dive after forming a party. We both had our times back then!”

She laughed heartily.

Cain held his tongue like this was just business as usual.

Ivelyn approached me, pulling me toward her office.

Click.

We closed the door behind us, and once we were alone, I began to speak.

“Master, before we catch up, there’s something important I need to tell you.”

“Hmm? What is it? Why do you look so serious?”

Hearing that, I instinctively touched my face.

I had it all planned out before coming. Don’t let your expression turn stiff.

I parted my lips, getting straight to the point.

“Actually, I’m a Transcender. I’m not from this world. To be precise, I ended up in the middle of someone else’s Transcendence…”

“…Oh, is that it? But that’s not the end of it?”

“What?”

Her reaction was strange.

Shouldn’t she be at least a little surprised for a few seconds?

‘When I tried to gauge her reaction with my game name, I thought I’d be cautious afterward. Did she already suspect? Or does she not care too much?’

Seeing her face completely devoid of shock left me flustered, and I momentarily lost my train of thought.

“It seems there’s more you want to say. Why don’t you share everything you intended to tell me today?”

With a deep breath and her encouragement to explain, I began recounting everything that had happened.

*

After a long time, I told her everything from start to finish.

About my life on Earth, how I got caught up in Isaac’s Transcendence, and met a certain goddess.

How I fell naked on the third floor and joined my party before escaping.

And how I stumbled upon my enemy the moment I decided to start anew.

How I tracked down and killed him, and the subsequent extermination of the Layered Ruler, meeting alone with the Guild Leader.

“So, you’re telling me that not only are you a Transcender, but you are also a powerful being, like the deceiver Stella or the intimidating Damon, right? Hmm.”

Ivelyn crossed her arms and snorted.

“Now everything makes sense. Talent aside, your characteristics were way above ordinary.”

She nodded in understanding.

“It’s rare for a regular Transcender to exhibit this kind of development unless they are born special regardless of lineage.”

Or…

“Unless someone of high status supports them from a very young age, people like you who stand out from the beginning are quite rare.”

She pointed upwards with her index finger.

“For example, nobles, royalty, high elves, or offspring of clan leaders from beastman alliances, right? They’re the ones that shoot up early.”

It can’t be helped that the privileged get stronger faster.

Right from the start, their situations are entirely different.

After I finished explaining, Ivelyn fell into a brief silence, seeming to mull over something.

‘Why is it so quiet? This is making me anxious.’

Suddenly, a cold, sharp pressure began to fill the office, making the atmosphere tense.

“I have one question.”

“Yes. Ask me anything.”

“You said you’re the Apostle of the goddess of Chaos, a neutral deity, right?”

I nodded in acknowledgment.

“Then what if a certain group acknowledges you as an Apostle and invites you to join their ranks?”

Invites?

“What if, with their knowledge about the Labyrinth and their comprehensive support, they make you strong quickly? In return, you must sever all your past connections and live by the identity they provided you. Would you agree?”

Without hesitation, I shot back.

“No way. That wouldn’t happen.”

“Even though you could become much stronger? If they made you strong, you could easily have all the wealth you’ve missed out on up till now.”

She mimicked grasping something with her hands.

“Isn’t it fitting to everything you’ve desired since arriving here? Besides, compared to other Transcenders, you have significantly less knowledge of this place. Why not take the easy path?”

“…What are you hinting at? Even if that’s the case, my opinion won’t change.”

Was she trying to propose an alliance with some group after hearing the book I found in the Library, which was written by the Apostle of the goddess of wisdom, Nefty?

By now, did I seem like someone who could be lured by temptation?

“I refuse to abandon anyone, nor shall I be abandoned. I’ve witnessed how devastating those actions can be.”

I locked eyes directly with Ivelyn.

“Someone promising to make me strong and wealthy just because I join them? I firmly believe I can become a powerful and wealthy adventurer through my own efforts, no matter what.”

You want me to live a new life defined by someone else after casting everything aside? What, like a hunting dog?

“Am I giving off some vibe that suggests I’m thirsty for success because I missed out on life’s chances back on Earth?”

‘If it’s not that…’

“Or perhaps the others view me as a total noob, while they’re all game veterans fully knowledgeable about the Great Labyrinth and city, leading them to think I would yield?”

She sighed deeply.

“I’ve promised to continue forward with both of them. Once I make a vow, not even death can break it.”

Damn. My mouth felt dry.

“I’m aware this is barely a month since you first started watching me and that I’ve only just begun forging bonds with others. There must be a reason behind your inquiry that I can understand… but it still feels bittersweet to hear.”

“No! It’s not that I don’t trust you.”

Ivelyn shook her head vigorously, speaking rapidly.

“In fact, that unpleasant woman from Zone 1 has several underlings attempt to lure promising Transcenders into her schemes, shaping them into weapons for herself.”

That unpleasant woman?

“Transcenders inevitably reveal themselves when venturing into the Labyrinth. They clandestinely approach those who look like they might become strong to make grand proposals.”

She hit her forehead in frustration.

“What happens after they accept? They’re compelled to kill their own party members as a trial. After erasing all records, they cleanse themselves. Then they begin to train under that person.”

A Transcender who was once an ordinary person.

They force their own party to be killed?

How can such a freak of nature exist?

…Damn. If it’s someone like Isaac, he’d make it happen without a second thought.

“I couldn’t skip that because Yeriell might get caught up in this and perish if I didn’t address it.”

I didn’t see anything like that written bluntly in the book I found labeled ‘Library Sentinels.’ I feel dizzy just thinking about it.

“I genuinely apologize for the intimidating line of questioning regarding your family. As your mentor, I shouldn’t be acting this way… So please understand.”

Huff.

“I trust Ivelyn. You must have had solid reasons for your worries. It’s alright—just lift your head. If someone does this to me, I’m bound to retaliate.”

For Ivelyn to bow to me like this is quite a significant gesture!

After experiencing the depths of the Labyrinth, I can’t even imagine how much stronger Ivelyn is.

“It’s impressive that you didn’t draw your sword and resort to mere words. So, does this mean we now share a stronger mentor-disciple bond?”

“…Yeah. No matter what, you are my disciple!”

With a bright smile, she pointed at me.

“Arin, show me that great sword you received from the Guild Leader! I’ll train you up to use it for the next Labyrinth dive!”

…?

“Hurry! I’ve been itching to have a good spar!”

Is this the right direction?

I pulled out the great sword.

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