Survive the labyrinth with EX-grade traits

Knock, knock.

“Ahren, are you awake?”

Yeriel’s voice from outside the door brought me back to my senses.

“Hmm.”

I felt surprisingly refreshed, even though it didn’t seem like I had slept for very long. Maybe I had a good night’s rest?

Well, I can’t just stand here daydreaming when someone’s waiting at the door.

I got out of bed, cleared my throat, and opened the door.

“Ahren, did you sleep well? I knocked because it’s time for dinner, but I should have let you sleep a little longer…”

“It’s okay. I slept enough. What about Lumia?”

“She’s downstairs. Let’s go down for dinner.”

When we went downstairs, Lumia was sitting at the table, looking dazed.

“Lumia, did you rest well?”

“Yeah. I also ordered the food.”

I thanked her, and we chatted about random things for a while.

After we finished our meal, I spoke up.

“It’s still early for dinner, but do you want to visit a few shops?”

“Yes! The Labyrinth is about to open, and we should start preparing. It’s always so crowded on the day of entry, even if you’ve prepared in advance.”

“I agree.”

We quickly put on our equipment and went outside the inn.

The equipment I was wearing was a bit lacking: a hard leather armor and tight greaves.

I also had Barrak in the scabbard I got from the Knights, and the Hyknax earrings I received from Evelyn.

‘Barrak is enough for a weapon, but the armor is a problem.’

Even though I had been wearing them, the greaves were too tight and uncomfortable, and the armor was weak except for the chest area.

Finding new equipment was the top priority.

…Anyway, the only places I’ve been to in the 4th District are a few magic shops, the library, the inn, and the Adventurers’ Guild. Where should we go?

I asked the two of them.

“Do either of you know of any blacksmiths or armorers?”

Lumia shook her head, and Yeriel raised her hand and said with a smile,

“Me! I know one. It’s one of the blacksmiths that the Knights order their equipment from, and the owner also runs an armor shop next door.”

“Really? That’s great. If none of us knew a place, we might have wasted the whole day wandering around the 4th District.”

Phew. I’m so glad I met Yeriel on the 3rd floor.

If I hadn’t met her, I might not have been able to escape the Labyrinth at all. Even if I had made it out, I might have ended up homeless with no money and an uncertain identity, without any connection to Evelyn.

Isaac would have risen to the top, and I would have missed my chance with Lumia… Ugh, never mind. There’s no point in thinking about things that won’t happen.

I should just thank Yeriel. I don’t know how much it means to always have someone by my side.

“Yeriel, thank you so much.”

“Huh, yeah? Heh, me too!”

“Tsk.”

Lumia clicked her tongue softly and tugged on my sleeve, so I said,

“Thank you, Lumia.”

“Hmm. …Yeah.”

[Chaos says the conversation is itchy.]

In a cheerful atmosphere, we got into a carriage and headed to the armor shop Yeriel had mentioned.

.

.

.

“Huh? Isn’t that Yeriel?”

“Hello, Uncle Hueton!”

“Hey, it’s been a while, Yeriel. Why didn’t you send someone from the Knights and came here yourself?”

When we arrived at the armor shop, a bald, muscular giant greeted us.

Well, to be precise, he greeted Yeriel.

From the way he was talking, he seemed to be the owner, not just a clerk or an apprentice. Maybe he was here because it was a slow time?

“Hehe, actually, I didn’t come from the Knights. I wanted to get some equipment for myself.”

Hueton scratched his head, looking puzzled.

“Equipment? What kind of equipment? And Yeriel, did you… go to the Labyrinth?”

“Hehe, you noticed? Yes, I went to the third floor.”

“What?! I’m surprised that you, a timid girl, went to the Labyrinth, but are you saying you broke through to the third floor on your first trip?”

“Yes. It just happened that way…”

She explained how she was invited by Derek, an experienced lower-level adventurer, to go to the second floor, but then they ended up on the third floor.

Hueton slapped his forehead.

“You’ve been through a lot. You had a tough initiation. But Yeriel, it doesn’t seem like you need any new equipment with what you’re wearing now.”

“Yes. I need equipment for Ahren here.”

Only then did he turn his attention to Lumia and me.

“Hoo. He’s quite handsome. He’ll break a lot of hearts. Is he in the same party as you, Yeriel?”

“Yes, sir. Our fixed party consists of the three of us: me, Yeriel, and Lumia.”

“That’s not all. Ahren is my sister’s disciple!”

Hueton looked at me with a pleased expression, saying that Evelyn had finally taken a disciple.

“Evelyn’s disciple, huh? It seems he’s more capable than he looks.”

“Ahem.”

I coughed awkwardly.

“Well, I’m sorry to be so blunt, but aren’t you Arar? I remember reading about the curse in a book. Yeriel, are you okay?”

“Oh, Don’t worry! Thanks to Ahren, I’m fine. So please don’t look at Lumia with that suspicious look.”

“Okay. If you’re okay, Yeriel. Lumia, was it? I’m sorry for my mistake. I apologize.”

Lumia waved her hand, saying that she was used to it and that his reaction was quite gentle compared to others.

“You’ve been through a lot. By the way, Ahren, do you want to get some equipment?”

“Yes. I thought I should reinforce my equipment before entering the Labyrinth.”

“Good. If you went into the Labyrinth like that, you’d be dead in no time. You came to the right place. Even though Yeriel came with you, I’ll still charge you, so don’t forget.”

I nodded in agreement, and Hueton asked,

“What exactly do you need? Weapons? Armor? I think you should at least replace your upper armor.”

“I need to replace all my armor.”

“The Labyrinth will open in a few days, so I can’t take reservations for iron armor. Let me measure your size first.”

Hueton said this and then proceeded to measure my body by moving it around.

“Now, I need to give you an estimate. How much can you afford?”

I had five gold coins, but I needed to be reasonable to save for the future.

“I can afford one gold coin.”

After a while, he returned with leather boots, greaves, and a hard leather armor, saying that he would be right back.

“Here, these leather armors are made from Savage Boar’s leather and fit the measurements I just took. They’re much better than the shabby ones you’re wearing now. Try them on.”

I immediately took off my old armor and put on the new ones.

…Oh. The first thought that came to mind was, ‘It’s comfortable.’

Even though they were the same leather greaves and hard leather armor, there was a noticeable difference in comfort. The boots were the same.

“It’s really incomparable. I don’t think I can go back to my old equipment. By the way, how much will it cost?”

“I’m glad you’re satisfied. As for the price…”

Before that?

“You’re wearing a scabbard on your waist and have a well-built body, so you must be a swordsman. Are you planning to enter the Labyrinth without a helmet?”

…Oops! Yes, a helmet. It’s an essential piece of equipment in fantasy, but I had forgotten about it because I had been in the Labyrinth for the past few weeks.

Even though I’m a dodge tank and a damage dealer who can see and avoid or receive attacks thanks to the Chaos’ eye…

If I were to face a stronger enemy or an attack that I couldn’t avoid, having a helmet could mean the difference between life and death.

“No, I think it’s essential for adventurers in the front line to wear a helmet. If I were to collapse from a critical hit, it could put the other party members in danger.”

…But.

“I’ve been fighting without a helmet so far, so I forgot about it. It’s my fault.”

The armor shop owner listened to my answer and made a comical gesture of kicking something.

“It’s fortunate that I don’t have to kick you for saying that wearing a helmet is annoying and uncomfortable, or that you can avoid attacks without one, like some inexperienced adventurers.”

It’s true that since I’ve been without a helmet for the past few weeks, it might be uncomfortable to wear one until I get used to it.

But as a front-line fighter, I thought it was a necessity rather than a choice.

“Do you have any helmets that offer good visibility?”

However… I shouldn’t do anything stupid that would reduce the efficiency of my Chaos Eye in exchange for protecting my head.

At the very least, I should avoid helmets that severely restrict my field of vision or prevent me from turning my head, like the famous Great Helm or Bascinet.

‘It’s pointless if I can’t avoid what I see. That’s putting the cart before the horse.’

The armor shop owner listened to my question and thought for a moment, then brought two types of helmets and handed them to me.

“This Barbute and Kettle Hat are the closest to your requirements. Take a good look and choose one.”

First, the Barbute. This was a closed-type helmet with a T-shaped hole in the front.

When I tried it on, I felt a sense of security. It covered my eyes, nose, and mouth while protecting my entire head, but it felt a bit stuffy.

The Kettle Hat, on the other hand, looked a bit odd when I first held it.

‘If I flatten the round part and add a handle, it would be a complete pot, right?’

But when I put it on my head, I was immediately convinced.

Compared to the Barbute, it was lighter and less stuffy, and it didn’t restrict my field of vision at all.

Although its protective power might be slightly lower, it met my requirements perfectly.

After some deliberation, I picked up the Kettle Hat and said to the owner,

“I’ll take this one.”

“The Kettle Hat? That’s a good choice. It protects your head, is relatively light, and the brim effectively blocks downward slashes, making it useful in close combat.”

He stroked his chin and continued,

“Okay, now it’s time to pay.”

“I’ll give you the best discount for your first purchase, and because of Yeriel and Evelyn. The total is 70 silver coins. These equipments are worth more than one gold coin.”

His expression was sincere, and I paid the silver coins right away, leaving me with four gold coins and about 40 silver coins.

“Thank you.”

“Come back when you need more equipment.”

“And above all, do your best to protect Yeriel. I can’t believe that tiny, fragile kid has grown up and is going to the Labyrinth… It’s still hard to believe.”

“Of course. I’ll protect her.”

“Ugh, I can hear you, so stop talking like you’re the only ones here! It’s embarrassing, so stop it!”

We left the armor shop, laughing at Yeriel’s blushing and annoyed expression.

“Let’s look for a general store nearby and then take a carriage. It’s getting dark.”

Fortunately, we soon found a large general store.

According to the guild training, the first floor is dark, so I chose a torch first.

Since I had some spare money, I chose essential items like blankets, sleeping bags, ropes, flint, and two bottles of the lowest-grade potions.

“You know potions are expensive, right? It’s 12 silver coins in total.”

Yeriel and Lumia didn’t say anything, so I assumed the price was reasonable and paid immediately.

‘I’ll buy food tomorrow or the day after.’

We returned to the inn by carriage, feeling satisfied.

I lay down on the bed and closed my eyes.

‘The Isaac issue has been resolved, and the maintenance is complete. Now, I only have to enter the Labyrinth again in a few days.’

Let’s not be overconfident just because I’ve escaped from the third floor before.

With that thought, I fell asleep.

.

.

.

Two days flew by, and as soon as the guild training ended, the entrance to the Great Labyrinth opened.