Survive the labyrinth with EX-grade traits

“Hey!”

A voice boomed across the Colosseum, causing me to turn my head while still lying down.

A small group of adventurers, led by Berthold carrying the wizard and Gregory, had made their way from the rear, limping and battered.

“Ugh,” I groaned, sitting up and shaking my head.

Was it the aftermath of the battle? Or had my adrenaline stopped flowing?

It wasn’t so much physical fatigue, but more of a mental exhaustion that made my body feel like a wet rag.

‘Every time we go to a dungeon or a city, it’s always like this’ I thought.

The day had started with the intention of creating a fun memory for Lumia by taking her to the circus, but in reality, I had ended up entangled with a servant of the Evil God, putting my life on the line.

I had clearly remembered deciding to take a proper break for a few days after our last escape from the dungeon, but how had things turned out this way?

As I sighed, Shurika, who was still in my arms, looked up at me.

“Is there a problem? Is it because of me?” she asked, her eyes shimmering with worry.

Although we had only known each other for less than a day, my first impression of her had been that of a confident and self-assured person.

However, after being controlled by the Evil God, she seemed to have some mental issues.

“No, it’s not like that. It’s better if you let go now. Those people over there are coming this way,” I said, gesturing towards the approaching adventurers.

“Oh, okay… I’m sorry. Have I been bothering you?” Shurika asked, lowering her head.

I gently removed her from my arms and stood up.

“Ugh,” I grunted, but my body didn’t seem to have the strength to follow through. Shurika, who had tried to stand up with me, fell back down with a thud.

“Hold on,” I said, catching her.

“Th-thank you,” she replied.

“Ugh… My legs won’t listen to me. What should I do?” she asked, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Don’t cry. Just relax and lean on me,” I said, helping her to her feet.

I draped her arm over my shoulder and slowly guided her towards the other adventurers.

Although it might seem cruel, it was better to hear what they had to say and come up with a plan quickly.

“I know this might come as a shock to you, but right now, you should be more concerned about your own survival,” I said.

“What? Oh…” Shurika’s face showed that she hadn’t considered the obvious.

It seemed like she was finally realizing the reality of her situation, as a dark cloud seemed to descend upon her face.

“I really don’t want to die! Even though I didn’t intentionally commit the massacre, I still feel the weight of my sins. But I want to live… please,” she begged, sobbing.

As I watched Shurika crying, I said, “I know you’re a victim too. I don’t want to let you die, especially since you were crying and begging for mercy throughout the fight. Do you have any money saved up?”

“Yes! I’ve been in the dungeon for years, so I have quite a bit of money! And items too!” she replied.

“Good. Then, before I talk to the other adventurers, let’s get our stories straight. You need to stay focused,” I said.

“Match our stories? Oh… I mean, you want us to—” Shurika started to say, but before she could finish, Berthold, who had just arrived, interrupted her.

“Damn. Look at this bitch, acting all innocent and leaning on you. Hey, swordsman, why didn’t you kill her? How did she even recover from that?” he asked.

“I’m sorry,” Shurika began, but I stopped her. She didn’t need to add fuel to the fire.

“Just a moment. Let’s calm down and talk this through,” I said.

“This bitch! She killed over 30 adventurers, including the spirits. Are you going to ignore their sacrifices?” Berthold said, his voice filled with anger.

I tried to explain that Shurika was also a victim and that the families of the fallen adventurers should be compensated, but before I could finish, Gregory, the paladin, stepped forward.

“I have one question. Did you save her from the Evil God’s grasp? Can you be sure that the Thehelum has been completely removed?” he asked, his tone serious.

Without hesitation, I nodded, and Gregory, who had trusted my information in the past, seemed to believe me.

“It’s a miracle that you survived being controlled by the Evil God. I won’t ask how you did it, but as a paladin of the Church of Light, I cannot stand by and watch her die,” he said, his sword glowing with a white light.

“Why are you bringing up miracles and your position as a paladin now?” Berthold asked, annoyed.

Ignoring him, Gregory continued, “The Church of Light, standing against the Evil Gods, has bestowed upon the paladins the power of the sword and shield.”

The white light emanating from his sword grew brighter.

“Protect the weak, do not turn a blind eye to injustice, and purge and purify all that is related to the Evil Gods to the best of your ability.”

“And by that, I also mean to help those who have been victimized by the Evil Gods. I understand your anger, but it’s best to let go of the desire to kill her.”

“This guy… Do you really think everyone will be convinced by your twisted logic, just because you bring up the Church and the gods?” Berthold asked.

“It’s not twisted!” I said, raising my voice.

“She cried and begged for mercy throughout the fight, apologizing for her actions. It’s clear that she had no malicious intent when she was controlled by the Evil God, as she warned us with every attack,” I explained.

“I feel bad for the people who died⋯ you have a point, that’s for sure⋯ but I can’t help but wonder what it would have been like if I’d been the one in the evil eye instead of him.”

Gregory nodded, and the female thief with the twin daggers silently agreed.

“I believe no one here would blame her for being vulnerable to the Evil God’s control. When a transcendent being sets its sights on destroying someone, who among us could resist?”

“Ugh…” I groaned, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the situation.

“She will provide compensation to the families of the fallen and cover all your medical expenses, so let’s call it a day,” I said, gesturing to Shurika, who quickly apologized, adding to my words.

Everyone seemed to agree, except for Berthold, who looked displeased, and a front-line fighter with severe burns on his face.

Just as things were wrapping up, a middle-aged instructor, who had been at the forefront to protect his family, exclaimed, “I vote for saving her too!”

“Guild Master!” he called out to Sena, who scratched her cheek awkwardly.

“I’m sorry, everyone. I promised to finish quickly, but the Apostole, being a servant of the Evil God, had hidden many tricks up their sleeve, so it took longer than expected,” Sena explained.

Opponent? What did she mean by that?

“What do you mean ‘the apostle’?” asked a previously unassuming archer.

“How can you not know about Sena, the Guild Master of the Swordsmanship Guild, a deep-level adventurer and an apostle of the Martial Arts God? This guy must still be new to the dungeon city,” the instructor interjected.

As soon as he finished speaking, a lightning bolt struck in my mind, connecting the dots.

I thought, ‘Someone of my status and ability usually has at least one disciple or someone they’re mentoring. I even have a friend who is highly respected in the Swordsmanship Guild and has taken a break from adventuring.’

Evelyn’s complaint when we first formed our mentor-disciple relationship.

‘After the first day of training, I looked into your background. I never expected you to be the disciple of the Blood Witch. She once formed a party with an Apostle that defeated Aldbaran on the 15th floor, didn’t she?’

Berkel’s admiration when he explained about the Layer Guardian before my spar with Isaac.

‘Is this how it all connects?’

So, not only is she a rare servant of the Martial Arts God, but she also formed a party together with my Master?

My head was spinning.

‘Or is this actually a good thing?’

The Chaos Eye had been blocked by Sena’s power, catching her attention.

Sena had suggested a private conversation, and I didn’t know what to expect.

But upon further thought, it seemed like a good thing.

“Haha! What are you doing, being so shy? Anyway, let’s save the spirit user. It’s all settled, so let’s head to the Sacred District for treatment. I’ll cover the cost of the Warp Gate, so let’s go!” Sena said, quickly moving to my side and pointing at Shurika.

“Sounds good!” I replied.

“Wait, that’s all well and good, but where are the regular citizens and the low-level adventurers who were with us earlier? Did they manage to escape while we were fighting?”

Damn!

‘You idiot, how could you forget about Lumia, who was with the other group? How could you not check on her and make sure she’s okay after such an intense battle?’

“Don’t worry, I kept an eye on them during the fight with the servant of the Evil God. I used my divine sense to make sure they were safe,” Sena assured me.

She explained that while we were engaged in our own battles, the low-level adventurers had carefully guided the regular citizens out of the Colosseum, making sure not to attract the attention of Irmella and Shurika.

“By now, the guards and someone with authority to cover up the incident should have arrived. Are they still not here?” Sena asked.

She reassured everyone and then whispered to me using ventriloquism, infused with a small amount of mana, “You should go get treated first, and then let’s have a proper conversation. I have a proposal for you, and I won’t take no for an answer.”

Proposal?

Just then, there was a clanking sound coming from outside.

But that wasn’t the most important thing.

“No, my disciple will come with me and receive treatment from a high-ranking priest in the Knights of Light. Why don’t you take the rest with you?” Sena suggested.

“Huh?” I asked, confused.

Suddenly, there was a surge of energy.

Sena, with her sunglasses pushed up, smiled widely as if she had just seen an old friend.

“Oh, it’s Evelyn! What are you doing here in the third district? It’s nice to see a friend after so long, but…” Sena trailed off, her smile fading as she realized something.

“Wait, you said ‘disciple’?”

The air crackled with tension as their gazes locked, the amber and crimson eyes emitting an intense aura.

‘Wait, aren’t you two friends?’