Survive the labyrinth with EX-grade traits

We followed Berkel to a small training ground.

“This training ground is assigned to instructors, so you don’t have to worry about being watched like in a public training ground.”

Indeed, it was better to attract less attention.

“I know you both use one-handed swords as your main weapons, right?”

“Yes, we do.”

“Yes, sir.”

Berkel brought two one-handed swords of appropriate length from a display rack in the corner of the training ground.

At first glance, they looked like real swords, but when I swung them, I realized they were blunted training swords with dulled edges and high elasticity.

They weren’t as good as the ironwood swords used by the knights. What were these called again? Blunt swords?

Anyway, since they weren’t real swords, I didn’t need to hold back my attacks.

“Okay, take your positions.”

Isaac backed away, glaring at me with a smirk.

“That indifferent face and arrogant attitude. I’ve wanted to break you since the first day of training. It’s just a friendly match, so I’ll go easy on you.”

He was putting on quite a show.

“Sure.”

“Hey, are you trying to act cool in front of the girls? Let’s get started!”

“Okay, are both sides ready?”

“Yes.”

“Yes, sir!”

“You can use your traits to the extent that they don’t kill or cause severe damage to your opponent. If you get injured and need a potion, it will be used as first aid, but you’ll have to pay for it.”

Berkel recited the pre-match instructions, then uncrossed his arms.

“Remember, this is just a friendly match, not a life-or-death battle. I’ll end the match if one of you is unable to continue or surrenders. Ready?”

First, I wanted to see how fast he was.

“Begin!”

As soon as the start was declared, Isaac swung his sword at me.

Whoosh!

Isaac rushed towards me, creating a faint gust of wind around his body.

With a D-rank in agility and a speed-boosting trait, his attack was the fastest I had faced so far, except for Evelyn.

But…

[Hard Body activated]

[All physical attributes increase by one rank.]

You’re not the only one with a D-rank in agility.

Good. I was familiar with this slow-motion feeling.

Whoosh!

Despite his speed, his attack trajectory was simple, and I dodged it with minimal movement.

“Huh? You dodged that?”

I could feel that my movements had improved significantly since my training with Evelyn.

‘If I had faced this attack in the third layer of the dungeon, I might have been able to dodge it, but I would have been less efficient in my movements.’

Anyway, I had a good grasp of Isaac’s speed.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

After dodging his first attack, I took the lead and continued my attacks.

A silver sword flash filled the space.

“Ugh!”

Isaac, who had a sword skill trait, barely managed to block my attacks. He gritted his teeth and focused on defense.

‘Should I use the sword-breaking technique to end this quickly?’

No, if I were to face him in the dungeon and wanted to kill him without any variables, it would be better to reveal as little of my abilities as possible.

So… if my sword is blocked, I’ll use my fist.

Smack!

“Agh!”

Anyway, the main purpose of this match was to get his blood and hair.

After swinging my sword a few more times, I saw that his gaze was fixed on my sword. So, I punched him in the nose from his blind spot.

Isaac held his nose, which was bleeding, and backed away.

Then, he put his left foot forward and glared at me, then charged at me with all his might.

[Isaac uses ‘Gust’.]

It seemed like a trait without an incantation, as I thought about it in my mind.

Anyway, thanks to Chaos’ Eye, I could see it all.

Thud!

Unlike before, when he had rushed towards me with a gentle breeze, this time, he was wrapped in a fierce wind and charged at me like a cannonball.

As he rushed towards me, I quickly swung my sword.

What was the trajectory? A diagonal slash with his right-hand sword, followed by a straight punch with his left fist.

‘It’s obviously a fake with the sword.’

Clang!

I blocked his sword, which had no power behind it. Without hesitation, I quickly turned my body.

At the same time, Isaac’s fist, which had been aimed at the space where my face had been, struck with all his might.

“Huh?”

Isaac’s posture collapsed as he swung his fist too hard.

It was an opening.

Smack!

“Agh!”

I hit his nose again, right in the same spot as before. Blood splattered in the air, staining the training ground floor red.

Blood flowed from my fist and from Isaac, who had fallen to the ground.

“You fucking bastard, how did you dodge that? Do you have a high-level detection trait or something?”

Isaac screamed, his face covered in blood, not even bothering to wipe it off.

‘Of course. You’re so full of inferiority complex that you’d want to get back at me for breaking your nose, right?’

[Isaac uses ‘Gust’.]

“Agh!”

Where is he now?

…What? There was no trace of a sword or a fist.

‘Is it an invisible attack like the one Evelyn used on me the first time?’

Fortunately, it didn’t seem to be the case, as a red circle about five meters in diameter formed around Isaac.

So, the area-of-effect skill he has is… Whirlwind!

Tap.

I quickly jumped back.

[Isaac uses ‘Whirlwind’.]

Whoosh!

Isaac’s right foot slammed into the ground, and a fierce whirlwind erupted from the red space, like a tornado.

“Huff.”

Even outside the range, the force was enough to make me float for a moment. If I hadn’t dodged it, I would have been seriously injured.

Is this because it’s a trait granted by the gods?

“Agh! Come on, you bastard, take some hits!”

Isaac was furious that all his attacks had been countered.

“Would you take such an obvious attack?”

Isaac’s attacks were easy to predict, even without focusing my mind, as if he had a mental restriction.

Thud.

Since I had secured the blood, I decided to end the match. I kicked him to the ground. Isaac grabbed his injured spot and groaned.

I grabbed his hair and lifted his head.

“…”

What was he muttering?

Now that I think about it, Isaac still has the Wind Spirit card, which he hasn’t used yet. Could it be…?

“Ha… I surrender, I surrender.”

Nope.

“That’s enough! The winner is Ahren, as the other party has surrendered. Let go of his hair and drop him, as he’ll need a potion to heal his injuries.”

I deliberately shook my hand to pluck out some hair, and then I headed towards Yeriel and Lumia.

I showed them my blood-stained hand and said, “My hand is too dirty. Lumia, is there any way you can clean it with magic? Is it too trivial for you to do?”

I mouthed the words ‘curse material’ and closed my eyes to signal them. I’m sure they understood.

Lumia nodded quietly and held my hand, concentrating.

A purplish-black light flickered for a moment, and then the blood, hair, and curse disappeared.

Looking at my clean hand, Lumia whispered in my ear, “The conditions are met. The materials must be used today, but it would be dangerous to cast the curse here, so let’s go to the inn instead.”

“Hmm. She’s too close.”

Yeriel looked at Lumia disapprovingly.

“Haha, Ahren, you’re quite the warrior. You could easily clear the first floor.”

Bardus approached us, impressed.

“To be honest, I was surprised to find out that Isaac wasn’t just full of hot air. His speed was incredible, and his final technique was something else.”

He pointed at me and laughed.

“But you played with him like a child. Especially your uncanny ability to dodge his attacks by a hair’s breadth… It was truly impressive. I enjoyed the show.”

“You’re giving me too much credit. To be honest, Isaac became more and more excited as the match went on, so it was easier to deal with him. Anyway, thank you, Bardus.”

“No problem.”

Compliments are always welcome, and I felt good hearing them.

Anyway, it seemed like everything was settled, so I wanted to go to the inn and check if the curse was working properly.

“Berkel, the match is over, and I think we’ve received all the training for today. Can we leave now?”

Berkel was pouring a potion on Isaac, who was lying on the ground, and saying something.

“Yes, you can go. I’ll make sure this guy stays quiet until the end of the training. I’ll pour the rest of the potion on him.”

“Okay, see you tomorrow.”

After saying goodbye to Berkel and Bardus, I looked at Isaac, who was lying on the ground.

Isaac gritted his teeth as he met my gaze, then turned away.

‘I thought his spirit would be broken, but it seems to have had the opposite effect. His eyes are on fire.’

[Chaos says that Isaac will probably stay out of sight for a few days, as he’s embarrassed.]

‘Yeah, I guess. Finally, things will be quieter until the dungeon opens.’

Now, it’s just you and me. One of us must die for this cycle of hatred to end.

Both of us wanted to survive in the Dungeon City, so we had to eliminate each other.

And after fighting him today, I was sure that I would be the one to survive.

.

.

.

We arrived at Grandpa’s inn by carriage.

“Lumia, you’re here! You look brighter than usual.”

“Yes, I feel happy when I’m with Ahren.”

“I’m glad to see you so energetic, Lumia. It’s a relief…”

Grandpa seemed to have a relationship with Lumia beyond that of an innkeeper and a guest.

Anyway, it was good to find a nice inn thanks to Lumia.

After paying the fee, we received the room keys and unpacked our bags in our respective rooms. Then, we gathered in Lumia’s room.

“Let’s begin.”

Lumia closed her eyes, clasped her hands, and chanted a spell.

“Engrave the arrow of the curse on the heart of the enemy. Shadow Arrow.”

Whoosh.

After a moment, Lumia opened her eyes and spoke confidently.

“It’s successful. For the next 30 days, I can use the curse to find Isaac’s location from anywhere.”

Then, she opened her hand, and a black arrow pointed in one direction, like a compass.

When she moved her hand, the arrow continued to point in the same direction, indicating that the curse was working properly.

“Lumia, thank you! You’ve helped me solve the biggest problem.”

I smiled with joy, and Lumia hesitantly said, “I’ve been a great help to you, Ahren. Can I hug you just once?”

“Hmm, I’ll permit it this time.”

What are you permitting, Yeriel?

Anyway, a hug is fine…

I gently hugged Lumia.

“A little tighter, please.”

“Is this okay?”

“Yes, it’s great.”

As we hugged a little longer, Yeriel got angry and pulled us apart.

“Ugh, you two are too much. Now, get off! Go to your rooms until dinner time.”

I left Lumia, who looked disappointed, and headed to my room.

“Seeing the bed makes me feel tired. I’ll take a nap first.”

[Chaos says that you’re tired from fighting Isaac, so you should go to sleep.]

Huff, the entrance to the Great Dungeon will open in just a few days. I heard it’s only about three days away.

After taking a nap, I’ll think about what to do in the evening.

Now, I should start packing my bags for the dungeon and upgrade my equipment with the money I received from Hans.