Surviving the Dungeon with an EX-Rank Trait

I saw Jacob off and went back to the table, picking up Yeriell, who was sound asleep without a care in the world.

“Lumia, you look like you’re going to fall asleep any moment now. I’ll move Yeriell to the room, so don’t worry—just go upstairs and rest first.”

“⋯Okay. See you tomorrow.”

Lumia staggered a bit as she climbed the stairs.

‘What if she trips and falls? But she’s got great balance, so she’ll be fine.’

She definitely looked more exhausted than ever after our trip to the Labyrinth—like she was completely melting away.

“I need to hurry and move her and clean up the table.”

Carrying Yeriell, I gently climbed the stairs and opened the door.

Thump!

Even though I tried to set her down carefully, the noise was loud. Don’t let her wake up!

I waved a hand over her face, but fortunately, she showed no signs of waking up.

Time to head back down.

“⋯Sister.”

Thud!

As I turned to leave, I was caught off guard when the sleeping Yeriell unexpectedly grabbed my wrist.

“!”

I jumped a little, but then realized she was just mumbling in her sleep, calling for her sister.

‘Her shy personality has certainly improved, showing more confidence and brightness, but she still has that childlike side to her.’

Considering she just became an adult and her only family left is Ivelyn, I guess that makes sense.

“I, I’m okay…”

She continued to mumble while mistaking me for her sister, giggling and making grimaces, leaving me with no choice but to stay put for a while.

Thud.

Standing there for about ten minutes without any movement, I finally saw her grip relax as she slipped further into sleep. I gently brushed the hair from her forehead and slowly exited the room.

Click.

As I closed the door and headed downstairs to tidy up the messy table before bed, I found Rotten had already cleaned up most of it.

He let out a hearty laugh as he saw me alone.

“Ah ha! As the innkeeper, it’s my job to clean up. You should hurry back upstairs and rest. You’ve had a hard day.”

“Y-Yes. Have a good night, Rotten.”

I bowed and headed back to my room.

After taking off my gear and plopping down on the bed for just a moment…

“Ugh, I can’t sleep like this, no matter how tired I am. I feel so grimy—it’s time to wash up before bed.”

Whoosh…

I stood under the magical water coming from above, lost in thought.

‘Tomorrow, I’m heading straight to the district three with Yeriell as soon as I wake up.’

And then, whether I repair my armor or get a new set, I need to stop by the Armory to get rid of the random gear piling up in my bag.

‘Honestly, getting a discount on repairs because of my connections is nice, but with this damage, I think I might as well just get a new one.’

Sigh… If only I could laze around in my room for another day or explore the areas I haven’t been, taking a break.

But I have problems to take care of, so I might as well tackle them all quickly.

If I just put everything off and try to rest without resolution, it would just stress me out.

[Chaos says to stop thinking and just get some sleep already!]

I hope I’m not waking up again in a dream…

I lay down and closed my eyes, falling into a deep sleep before I could even respond.

*

This time it seemed Chaos didn’t have the energy for any shenanigans?

I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to start the day.

“I’m off! Let’s go out together soon, Lumia.”

“Yeah. I remember you told me before we entered the Labyrinth that I should stroll around without worrying about others…”

Lumia nodded calmly.

‘What did I say before entering the Labyrinth? Ah.’

I really did go through a lot. I promised that when we returned safely this time, no matter what others said, we’d go out together and explore different places. Was there anywhere in particular she wanted to go?

I didn’t remember it precisely, but I recalled saying something along those lines.

Right! To keep my promise and get my tasks done in the next few days, then we can take some time to relax and explore together.

It’d be nice to venture a bit further as well—perhaps finding something interesting between area five and area seven.

Clop, clop.

Arriving at the platform, I spoke up.

“Yeriell, you’re sure you can go alone, right? Huuton mentioned last time he wanted to see how you were doing.”

“No, no. To remove my special status, I’d have to take a number and wait a while. Plus, I plan to drop by the Knights today, so I think I’ll feel better going alone.”

Ah… That makes sense. With the sheer number of adventurers, even if they split up, the waiting time would really add up. Most of the returnees were probably yesterday as well.

‘As for Huuton, I could just visit him later to show my face anyway.’

“Oh! I’ll be sleeping at home with my sister today, so no need to wait for me or worry if I don’t come back to the inn. Got it?”

“Okay. Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Yeriell waved goodbye and boarded the carriage going to district three.

I glanced at her for a moment before hopping on the carriage headed toward Huuton’s Armory.

*

Ding!

I entered the Armory, opening the door.

As I stepped inside, the silly-looking employee I remembered from last time was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Huuton was engaged in conversation with a blonde adventurer.

‘Looks like I timed it just right to come when there’s a customer. Good, because I didn’t want to see that employee again.’

“Hm. I understand. Since this is your first visit through an introduction, make sure you pay closer attention to that direction.”

“How long until everything is completed?”

“It’ll take at least two weeks. Anyway, since the next Portal will be opening in about a month, you can take your time and prepare for other things.”

“Fine, I’ll plan to come back in a generous three weeks. I paid a hefty sum, so I expect results. Understood?”

What the heck? That attitude seems a bit overly pompous.

Who is this guy to act so arrogantly? Is he a high-ranking adventurer or something?

In curiosity, I scrutinized the man to gather more information.

────
[LaSion Elshinoir]

[Strength: A-] [Agility: A] [Durability: B-]
[Stamina: A-] [Magic: A] [Luck: B+]

[Traits] (Fold)

High Elf Swordsmanship
Fairy Eyes
Wanderer
Circulating Magic
Soul Contract
Pride of the Elven Knights
Trained Mind
Light Beam Splitting
Dancing Wind
Blade Storm
Great Sword ─ Cataclysm
────

Whoa.

That word—strong—immediately popped into my head as soon as I saw his status window.

At this level, he’s at least a high-tier adventurer, right?

He’s definitely on a whole other level compared to me.

‘Wait, wasn’t he an elf?’

Reading his status, I looked at him more closely and noticed the pointy ears peeking out from his long blonde hair.

Huuton, with vein popping on his forehead, said, “You could’ve just answered without all that unnecessary talk, you know? Are you insulting my craftsmanship?”

Clank.

Huuton tossed the hammer he was holding behind him and crossed his arms.

“So you were introduced by Guldain, huh? Well, it seems he’s made a terrible choice. I need to have a serious talk with him.”

“Whoa, whoa! Cool it! I’m only stating facts. If it’s a platinum-grade transaction, it’s reasonable, right? If I upset you, I sincerely apologize.”

LaSion’s casual apology made Huuton press his forehead and lower his voice.

“Sigh… Even though we’ve just met, you need to work on your talking manners. Anyway, understood. You can head back for now.”

“Understood. I’ll come back in three weeks.”

The blonde elf elegantly turned to walk towards me at the entrance.

“Huh?”

Not wanting to get entangled unnecessarily, I stuck to the wall early, but he suddenly turned his head sharply toward me.

Not just a turn, he was boring his teal eyes right into my face.

“Hey, you. Over there. Come see me for a second.”

With that commanding and cocky tone, I almost let out a sigh.

‘Why does this always happen to me? I just came in to get my gear fitted…’

I decided to respond politely.

“Are you talking to me? Is there something you need?”

“Is there anyone else here besides you and the blacksmith? I have something to confirm urgently, so please hold still for a moment.”

What the heck? This guy is treating me like some street urchin?

[Chaos is feeling displeased.]

Moments later, LaSion spoke up, stifling a laugh as if he found something amusing.

“My apologies. One of my connected spirits suddenly reacted oddly, you see. I tend to ask questions whenever I get curious, so…”

‘Spirits? Is this about the Blood of the Chaos Dragon? Or is it something related to Sirene?’

He pointed his finger to my forehead.

“Seeing the mark engraved on your forehead surprised me. It’s the mark of a high-level spirit—something that’s barely seen in a lifetime. It’s no wonder that Epsilon, a high-level spirit, was unexpectedly shocked.”

That’s right. The reason this elf I’ve never met suddenly got in my face was all due to that Wind Whisper characteristic.

He shrugged and continued, “I don’t know if you got it by pure happenstance or through some special means, but…”

Ruffle.

He took something out from his pocket.

“Here, take this. As an elf and a friend of spirits, I can’t just let such a rare sight go by without acknowledgment.”

…Suddenly?

I couldn’t ignore him offering something, so I accepted the vibrant green and gold emblem he handed over, checking it out.

────
[Elven Knights Emblem]

Among the countless elves, only a select few can receive the title of Elven Knight from the reigning king and elders.

It’s a kind of symbol that can be given to benefactors, lovers, those of mere interest, or extraordinary talents—solely at the discretion of the giver.

When shown to other elves, it can garner a certain degree of favor based on the individual’s disposition.

When returned, it allows one-time assistance to be requested.

The elf receiving the emblem can choose whether to accept the request according to their will but, following tradition, they’re likely to accept.

If forged, you’ll be murdered by many elves, so beware.

Each has its own magical signature for immediate identification.

────

Really strong.

That was the only word that crossed my mind as soon as I saw the status window.

But is he seriously just handing this out suddenly? It’s not like he’s expecting anything in return, huh?

I couldn’t help but question, trying not to offend.

“Is there an ulterior motive for giving me something so valuable all of a sudden? Just out of curiosity?”

“Since I have quite a few of these left, I passed one along casually. What? You find it hard to believe there’s a goodwill gesture with no strings attached? Then toss it away. It’s already out of my hands, so do what you want with it.”

He carelessly brushed me off.

No matter how much I think about it, he doesn’t seem like the type of person to get close to.

Maybe it’s best to wrap this conversation up.

“…Yeah. I’ll treasure it. Thank you.”

“Alright, alright. Adding to what I said earlier, isn’t it obvious that you don’t seem like just some mid-level guy, especially with that half-finished magic flowing through you and those intriguing eyes?”

LaSion seemed to find that interesting as he continued talking.

“Just looking at you, you don’t seem like a mere mid-tier individual. Make sure to spread the word of the keen insights of LaSion Elshinoir, so everyone knows!”

After saying that, he declared he’d take his leave while laughing about how a spirit’s mark can’t possibly be a kiss mark.

Swish!

Just like that, LaSion left in a blink, cloak fluttering behind him.

“Tch. I really don’t get how such a frivolous guy even belongs to the noble Elven Knights. Why did Guldain recommend me to such a character?”

As I grumbled, Huuton finally approached and, after calming down, looked at me.

“Alright. Aren, come on over. I hope you at least got my name correct this time.”

Come to think of it, last time, he didn’t even remember my name and called me Aran.

“Ha ha, that’s right. By the way, Elven Knights?”

“The emblem on that fellow’s armor symbolizes that title. Looking closely at the gear, I could tell it bore the marks of high-ranking elven blacksmiths.”

I realized I wouldn’t have had the capacity to notice such fine details with someone up in my face like that.

The emblem must look the same as the one he just gave me.

“Let’s wrap this topic up here before it gets too long and move on to the main point. This time, repairing your armor… might be a challenge.”

Huuton shook his head as he looked over my armor.

“That’s to be expected, right?”

“Torn, frayed, and splitting—at this rate, the costs for repairing might exceed making a new one. Why don’t we just consider getting you a new armor instead?”

Having made some good money this time, I think it’s high time I invest in my gear.

After realizing how much the difference in good armor helped me against Grielops, I had no hesitation in my reply.

“Yeah. I think that’s a good idea. It really made a difference this time, you know?”

“Great! I’ll pull out some blueprints, so just wait a moment.”

⋯
Bang!

After a brief wait, Huuton returned with a pile of scrolls in his arms.

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