Survive the labyrinth with EX-grade traits

I took the initiative and charged forward, punching the lead goblin and sending it flying. I then focused on the other goblins, who were approaching with malicious intent.

Just like in the first fight, I saw a red trail.

Whoosh.

I dodged their attacks and punched one in the solar plexus, causing it to freeze. I then kicked it to the ground.

“Keck! Kerrruk!”

Thud!

I grabbed another goblin by the head and slammed it into the ground.

“Keee…”

I left the convulsing goblin behind and approached the last goblin, which had hesitated.

Behind the goblin, in the bushes, I saw a red dot, different from the straight and curved trails I had seen before.

…A dot?

Swish!

I barely managed to react to the stealthily shot arrow, thanks to my slowed-down vision, and rolled to the side to dodge it.

“Damn it! Projectiles appear as red dots, like a laser pointer!”

“Kerrrruk!”

As I rolled, a goblin charged towards me.

It was no match for me. I quickly stood up and slashed its jaw, sending it flying.

‘Arrow! I need to catch the archer!’

I quickly picked up a stone from the ground and threw it into the bushes where the arrow had come from.

Thud!

“Keck.”

I was sure I hit it. It wasn’t running away because it had missed; it was probably trying to shoot another arrow.

I didn’t want it to escape, so I ran towards it.

Sasaak.

I pushed aside the bushes and found a goblin lying on the ground, convulsing and holding a bow. It seemed that the stone had hit a vital spot.

“Thanks to you, I learned something new. Goodbye.”

I picked up the fallen arrow and stabbed it into the goblin’s neck.

Blood splattered onto my cheek like a fountain.

I didn’t flinch at the sight of blood, perhaps due to the aftermath of the fight.

I wiped the blood off my cheek with the back of my hand, and various thoughts came to mind.

I was once a modern human who laughed and cried in society.

Just yesterday, I was excited about winning the lottery and reading the reviews. Now, in such a short time, I felt like I had become something else, and it made me a little bitter.

[Chaos asks if you’re okay, with a hint of concern.]

If it could hear me, it would have come when I was fighting. I knew it couldn’t hear me well, so I decided to speak out loud.

“What else can I do? The damage is already done, and I won’t hesitate from now on. Don’t worry about me.”

[Chaos says it’s proud of me and wants to pat my head.]

“Haha. It’s impossible, but I appreciate the thought.”

I scratched my cheek awkwardly.

“Having a conversation partner in this world is so comforting.”

I thought of the goddess Ceres, who had summoned me, as an act of God that I couldn’t do anything about.

I decided to let go of any resentment or desire for revenge towards the gods, as my current self was too pathetic.

But then I was thrown into this forest, where goblins and other monsters appeared.

It wouldn’t help to throw a tantrum and demand that Chaos, which was just a familiar, return my 2 billion won and send me back to Earth.

It wouldn’t help me survive at all.

As I had said earlier, the damage was already done, so I decided to keep my thoughts to myself and act accordingly.

I felt reassured that Chaos hadn’t disappeared after giving me everything, but was still by my side, offering advice.

To be precise… I felt more at ease thinking and acting this way.

[Chaos is embarrassed.]

I smiled faintly and ended the conversation.

…Huh?

The goblin with the arrow in its neck had stopped moving, and a gray light was shining from its corpse.

When I touched it, a system window appeared.

[Authority is activated.]

[The trait ‘Shabby Concealment’ has been absorbed.]

________________________________________

[Shabby Concealment (E)] [A]

A trait absorbed from a mutant goblin archer.

Hides clumsily behind cover.

• Requires cover to activate.
•
• Effect is greatly reduced against hobgoblins and above.
•
• Concealment is canceled after 3 seconds of movement or attack.
•
________________________________________

‘So this is how the rare trait absorption works. But why ‘shabby’? It doesn’t sound very good.’

E seems to be the trait’s grade.

If that’s the case, my traits are probably not graded because they can’t be simply graded.

P and A probably stand for passive and active.

“Do I activate traits by saying their names, or do I need to perform a specific action?”

I asked Chaos, as I didn’t want to be unable to use them in a critical moment. As always, it kindly answered.

[Chaos says that most ordinary traits can be activated by thinking about them, as long as the user is at a certain level.]

So, I won’t have to shout out the names of every skill. That’s a relief.

It seemed like everything was resolved, so I looked around for any items to pick up before leaving.

I checked the last goblin I killed, and the arrow I had stabbed it with was broken in the middle, probably because I had held it too tightly. It couldn’t be reused.

“I guess it’s better to have something to wield than nothing.”

I picked up a crude wooden bow, even though it wasn’t ideal.

I returned to the site of the fight and found two goblins still alive, barely breathing. I quickly finished them off.

I looked at the rags they were wearing on their lower bodies and almost threw up.

“Ugh. It’s not like I’ll die if I don’t wear clothes, but I can’t bear to wear these filthy rags.”

[Chaos says it looks good and tells me not to worry, with a mischievous smile.]

You’re a pervert…

Anyway, there didn’t seem to be anything else to pick up.

I knew that standing here wouldn’t solve anything, so I started walking, keeping an eye out for danger.

.

.

.

Damn it. I was the pervert.

“Huff, crazy. No, this… Kyaak! A perverted exhibitionist in the labyrinth!”

“Don’t look! Scarlet, I’ll cover your eyes!”

“You have incredible confidence.”

“Um… Is there something wrong with him?”

“Damn it. Unfair life.”

‘I didn’t expect to meet people after walking for such a short distance. If I had known I would be labeled a pervert, I would have worn those filthy rags despite my disgust!’

I had overlooked the fact that this was a labyrinth.

Of course, there would be people exploring the Great Labyrinth, which was connected to the Labyrinth City.

What should I do?

[Chaos says to take a deep breath and decide on a name to introduce myself.]

‘Okay. From now on, I’m a lost adventurer wandering the third floor… What’s a good name? Hans? It doesn’t sound very lucky. Ian? It sounds too weak.’

After a short deliberation, I made a decision.

‘Ahren. I’ll be Ahren, the lost adventurer.’

[The name in the status window has been changed.]

[??? → Ahren]

I was worried that if I tried to avoid them, they might suspect me or chase me, so I was thinking about how to approach them.

The man who seemed to be the vanguard of the group, around my age, spoke to me first.

“I’m Derek, the leader of this party. Who are you, and why are you wandering around the third floor of the Great Labyrinth naked and without any armor?”

I took a deep breath to calm myself and replied.

“Hello. My name is Ahren. It may sound suspicious, but I don’t know why I’m here naked either.”

As I spoke, Derek became more suspicious, so I continued.

“I can’t remember much except my name. I don’t know how I ended up here on the third floor, and I’m so embarrassed about being naked that I want to run away.”

Derek stroked his chin and made a humming sound, then turned to the girl, who looked like a timid rabbit.

“Yeriel, what do you think as a priestess?”

Yeriel, as she was called, spoke timidly.

“Um… He doesn’t seem like a bad person. There’s no reaction from his traits, and I don’t feel any resistance from the divine power.”

“Really? Then he won’t lie about losing his memory and ambush us with hidden allies.”

He then turned to me and said,

“I’m sorry. We’ve heard of human hunters who send bait to ruin parties, so I’ll discuss with my party members and decide whether to temporarily accept you.”

Derek nodded and made eye contact with me.

He turned around and discussed with his party members, then smiled and spoke to me.

“Okay, handsome friend. Ahren, was it? Since we’re around the same age, let’s talk casually. You can speak formally or informally, whichever you prefer.”

I prefer to speak formally for now.

“I understand. I’m a bit confused right now, so I’d prefer to speak formally for a while.”

Derek blinked, understanding my preference.

“Okay. If you’ve really lost your memory, everything must seem strange and confusing. I understand.”

He shouted to the others,

“Hans! Get the spare equipment and extra clothes from the luggage. Let’s solve the naked problem first.”

Hans? I’m glad I didn’t choose that name. It seems to be a common name.

“Huh? Isn’t that a bit too much?”

One of the party members, who seemed to be hostile towards me, gave Derek a disapproving look.

However, Derek didn’t let it slide, perhaps feeling that his authority as the leader was being challenged.

“Hans, we’ve decided to temporarily accept this friend into our party, so of course, we should equip him to fight alongside us, right?”

He asked me if I could handle the goblins, and I showed him my bloodstained hands and explained that I had killed some goblins after waking up and walking around.

“See? He can handle it. Even if we take on the elites, Ahren should be able to pull his weight. Should we just give him spare clothes and leave him underpowered? Or do you want to take the front line, Hans?”

Hans reluctantly agreed, muttering under his breath, and started unpacking the luggage.

Derek came closer and whispered apologetically,

“Hans is our carrier and assistant, but he’s a bit jealous because you’re so good-looking. Don’t mind him. First, put on the clothes and equipment.”

He patted my shoulder and went to talk to Hans.

Derek is truly a capable leader.

‘But I’m worried about Yerieel saying that she didn’t sense any traits. What traits does she have? Is there anyone in the party who can see my status window?’

If someone steals my information, it won’t be a good situation.

I asked Chaos this question in my mind.

[Chaos says that unless someone has a really unique trait, they won’t be able to detect it, so I shouldn’t worry.]

If Chaos says so, I can rest assured.

Hans approached with the equipment.

As I put on the clothes, he suddenly leaned in and whispered,

“What’s up with you, appearing out of nowhere and claiming to have lost your memory? I know your type, pretending to be a good guy to scam others. I’ll keep an eye on you, so watch your step.”

What a foul-mouthed bastard. His breath smells like he’s opened a sewage line in his mouth. It was so bad that I felt dizzy.

I endured his stench and remained silent, but he seemed to think that I was intimidated and added,

“Scarlet is Derek’s lover, and I’m trying to seduce Yerieel. So don’t even think about doing anything with that handsome face and huge dick of yours. Got it?”

With your smashed pumpkin face, how do you expect to seduce that rabbit-like girl?

What’s with this guy? Is he jealous because he’s lost a woman to an alpha male?

‘Why do they keep him in the party? Does he have some amazing carrier-related trait?’

I focused on Hans’ back, and his status window appeared before my eyes.

________________________________________

[Hans]

[Strength: E-] [Agility: F+] [Endurance: E-]
[Stamina: E] [Magic: F] [Luck: E]

[Possessed Traits] (Collapse)

Vile
Carrier’s Strength

________________________________________

His stats are lower than mine, and he has two traits?

________________________________________

[Vile (F)] [P]

He was born with a twisted mind and shows a slight talent for lying and inciting.

• Provides a slight boost to lying and inciting.
•
• The more superior a person is, the more he burns with jealousy.
•
• The more inferior a person is, the more confident he becomes.
•
________________________________________

‘What the hell is this crappy trait?’

________________________________________

[Carrier’s Strength (E)] [P]

A trait gained from working hard as a carrier.

• Increases stamina by one level when carrying a certain weight or more.
•
• Increases strength by two levels when carrying a certain weight or more.
•
• Cannot wield a weapon while carrying a load.
•
________________________________________

What the heck is this?

‘Even I can tell that he’s a pathetic carrier. Why is he so full of himself? Did he think I was an easy target because I was naked and had lost my memory?’

[Chaos yells, asking if there’s anyone as stupid as Hans.]

[Chaos cries, saying it got hit for being too loud.]

Calm down, calm down. I need to stay with this party until I escape the labyrinth.

‘Actually, I’m not that angry because of Chaos. It’s bearable because Chaos is annoyed too.’

[Chaos rubs its eyes and laughs.]

Okay. I put on the clothes and equipment.

The equipment was spare, so the leather armor was shabby, and the greaves and boots were tight, but the iron one-handed sword was of low quality. Still, I was grateful for it.

After I finished preparing, Derek spoke to me,

“Okay, it seems we’re all ready. Let’s introduce ourselves and set off.”

He pointed to himself and continued,

“First, me! I’m Derek, the leader of the party. I’m a vanguard, wielding a sword and shield. I ask for your help in escaping the labyrinth.”

Next was a middle-aged man with a bow on his back and a dagger on his waist. He seemed more like an experienced hunter than an archer.

“I’m Bernard, the scout and archer. Nice to meet you.”

He seemed trustworthy, with his serious and quiet demeanor.

After Bernard, Scarlet spoke to me. She’s Derek’s lover?

“Nice to meet you. You’re so handsome! I’m Scarlet, the party’s mage. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I’m dating Derek. Nice to meet you, Ahren!”

She seemed a bit light-headed.

Huh? Why are you winking at me?

[Chaos says it feels bad.]

“Okay, then Hans!”

Derek pointed to Hans.

“Hans, our carrier and assistant.”

That’s it?

Derek’s expression hardened, and Yerieel quickly spoke up, sensing the atmosphere.

“Um… I’m Yerieel, a novice priestess of the Light Church. My specialty is healing and buffing. I’ll heal you if you get injured during the fight. Nice to meet you!”

How could Hans look down on someone like her, with snow-white skin and ruby-red eyes?

Derek sighed and smiled, relaxing his expression.

“Okay, let’s go. We have a long way to go to the escape portal! Bernard, don’t forget to check the map. Let’s go!”

The party set off with Derek in the lead.

If I can just endure Hans, the party seems to have a good composition and excellent members.

I had a good feeling. I would escape the labyrinth safely. I just hoped I could awaken my magic power before then.

________________________________________

My good feeling was wrong. How did this happen?