Surviving the Dungeon with an EX-Rank Trait

Doo-woong─

The sound of drums resonated heavily throughout the Coliseum.

Two twins, identical to the tiniest detail except for a small mark on one of their faces.

“Hi─ Ya!”

Pelt! Whoosh!

As they walked slowly, they suddenly began tumbling, grabbing the audience’s attention with their aerial flips as they reached the center stage.

Men beating large and small drums followed behind, but their presence was already overshadowed by the vigor of the twins.

Dong! Dong-dong!

Only the passionately ringing drum sound signaled that they were on stage too.

“Bald twins!!!”

“Look at their bodies! They’re like sculptures!!”

Hearing the audience, the twins yelled back loudly.

“Don’t call us ‘bald’ or ‘octopus’! We have names—Jas and Bas!”

Dong dong dong!

“Come on!”

“Let’s go, brother!”

To the unceasing rhythm of the drums, the twins warmed up.

And then they really started to move.

Pat. Pabapak!

Whoo─

The older brother landed on his younger brother’s hands with a backflip, spinning like a top without losing balance.

“Ha! Cha!”

After some distance, the younger brother jumped in with one foot on top of the older brother’s head.

Staying connected, they showcased different high-difficulty moves.

“Everyone, watch closely!!”

Fuhwaak!!

Suddenly, they conjured a brown flame of magic in their hands, spinning and creating a whirlwind.

“We’re ready, so throw!”

When the twins said so, magic circles appeared around the stage, and boulders the size of their bodies were hurled toward them.

Holding the flames of magic all over their bodies, they elegantly shattered the boulders with an Axel jump.

Takdak─ Kwanng!!

Like a Taekwondo performance where one jumps high and kicks with their foot to break boards repeatedly.

The audience was thrilled watching as the twins smashed all the flying boulders with one leg.

“Bald twins!!! Bald twins!!!”

“Jas and Bas! You’re the best!!!”

“Show us even flashier moves!!”

Hearing this, the twins began to perform even more bizarre acrobatics in the air.

They placed a boulder the size of a house before them as a final highlight, and like a mirror image, aligned their bodies in the same position.

Hoo.

Ha.

Swish swish.

As if using a special technique, the flames that burned all over them were compressed into one fist, and the twins exchanged knowing glances as they counted out loud.

“Three!”

Smart audience members shouted along.

“Two!”

Creak─

“One!”

“Woooooah!!!”

With a mighty shout, the twins simultaneously thrust their fists without a hint of error.

Tu-kwang──!!!

The sound blasted through the venue like a bomb.

A full strike packed with all their power.

Everyone surely expected the moment it hit the boulder, it would shatter into pieces, but…

Pasu-suk!

Even the audience… were not prepared for the giant shape, shattered like a giant’s fist.

Soon, the massive form disappeared without a trace, vanishing into dust.

“Waaah!!!”

Clap clap clap clap!

The intense performance captivated everyone, young and old alike.

“Amazing. I can’t believe something that big could turn to dust instantly…”

Even Lumia gasped, wide-eyed.

‘I never knew she could open her eyes this wide. I wouldn’t know since she always looks so relaxed and expressionless.’

“Haha! If I were to choose the most memorable scene from today’s performance, it would definitely be your surprised face, Lumia.”

Of course, her usual face is pretty, but I told her this lively, emotive face is beautiful too, making Lumia twist around shyly, unsure of how to react.

“Ugh. Stop. I, I’m embarrassed…”

Covering her flushed face with her hands, yet her cat ears fluttered as if asking for more.

What a cute one.

‘Yeah. If I layer good memories over these bad ones bit by bit, it’s a good sign.’

“That was Jas and Bas, the sibling martial artists from Laititia! I hope everyone enjoyed the show!!”

With that, the twins’ show ended safely amidst the crowd’s excitement, and everyone savored the moment.

—Murmur murmur.

Paat!

But just for a moment, as the lights of the floating orbs in the distance went out, the venue was engulfed in darkness.

“W-What?! The lights went out?!”

“Is this an accident?”

“What crazy thing are they going to show now?”

“Hehe. I know! This kind of show starts with a blackout! It’s Asan’s turn now!!”

A blind swordsman, Asan?

Yeah. I remember that the names mixed in with a voice calling for Asan the last time the circus began.

Pat! Paat─!

“Ooooh!!”

“Brother!!!”

The orbs that had gone dark shone brightly again, illuminating the surroundings, most of the light concentrating towards the center of the stage.

As I shifted my gaze to where the light focused…

There stood a man with untamed hair and a blindfold tightly tied, clothed in a black outfit, holding a sword.

He seemed to have just crossed thirty, possibly?

“Wow, he really has a captivating presence. I can finally understand why women go wild over him.”

“To me, no. Objectively speaking, Aren is better.”

…Huh?

Feeling awkward as my own words of admiration returned as praises, I turned my head and saw that Lumia was leaning towards me, looking expectant.

So, I quickly reached out to pet her head and ears.

“Hehe.”

Her eyes began to close slowly, and her lips curled up.

“Ha!”

At that moment, Asan let out a battle cry in the center of the stage.

‘Oh. It seems he’s finally starting.’

Clang.

Asan’s show began with a fierce swing of his sword tightly grasped in his right hand.

Swish!

“Cha!”

The blade sliced through the air with graceful arcs.

Reflecting the light concentrated on him, the sharp edge glinted, exuding an air that suggested it could cut through anything.

While swinging the sword playfully in rhythm, Asan took steps forward as if shifting to something serious.

Wuuww─

“It’s sword energy? Woah!!!”

Evidently, as a blind man, he showed such skill that it was evident how much effort he’d put in!

Sword energy?

‘Indeed, there’s a clear distinction between just channeling magic into a blade and the way it flows with energy. Is that the next level I should strive for as a swordsman?’

Listening to the men chatting about ‘sight restoration’ at the nearby table, I scoffed, thinking something grand would come simply because we’re just enjoying some entertainment… but that was a foolish assumption born out of ignorance.

With a blade colored like a clear sky, he cut straight through the air, showcasing marks of diligent training.

Whoosh.

Screeech─!

One move after another, advancing and retreating seamlessly, sometimes twisting his body, blending light-footedness with heavy, weighty postures displayed in his sword dance—that unmistakable sweat and blood he poured into his training as a blind man was evident.

“Uooh!!!”

“Guhap!”

Was it the end of the sword dance?

Figures clad in black and covered with masks leaped from various corners on stage, wielding weapons and attacking Asan.

“Ahhh! Isn’t that a monster?”

“Calm down! That’s part of the script! Look, Asan isn’t panicking at all, is he?”

Indeed, it was as he said.

A continuation of the sword dance demonstrated until now.

Countless exchanges of blows filled with adrenaline were showcased, accentuating the sword gleaming in Asan’s hand.

I could see it.

Each slight of his motion left traces of many sword paths.

The confidence in the tip of his sword, backed by the traces of his footsteps!

[Your understanding of swordsmanship is rapidly increasing.]

Urggh!

“Ugh!”

[Chaos now warns you to close your eyes; if you keep pushing to keep up with chaos’ achievement, the pain will only increase.]

As I stared intently, trying to absorb even a little more from Asan’s sword dance, I noticed my veins popping and my eyes turning red.

Not to mention, there was a sharp pain, as if someone were sticking needles into my eyeballs.

Due to my impatience wanting to grasp what was out of my current reach…

‘Still, it’s very painful, but… I feel like I’m catching on to something.’

[Chaos continues to worry, urging you to take care of your body too.]

Coming to watch the circus was indeed a great decision.

*

“Ugh, did I exert too much energy going first? I’m exhausted.”

Shurika sighed, shoulders drooping, exuding her fatigue.

“But everyone enjoyed it, so it was worth it. Hehe, after all, in the Labyrinth or anywhere else, being in the spotlight feels amazing, doesn’t it? So thrilling! So enjoyable!”

Shurika giggled, covering her mouth.

Having gathered everyone together for a big performance, they decided to rent the Coliseum for a few days with the circus’ shared funds.

‘The result is a huge satisfaction. Even though it cost a fortune, at our level, we’re not short on cash. Well, minor issues are manageable by the leader!’

Anyone who has spent a good amount of time in the Labyrinth City knows the Circle Theater in Zone 5 well. Today again, hundreds of audience members had gathered without fail.

‘Of course, our Laititia’s renown played a part. Sigh… I should get some sleep before my magic recovers.’

She momentarily looked at the scene where the performance was going strong and then headed toward the inn they jointly rented during the Coliseum booking.

Bang!

“I’m back! …Oh right, everyone is still waiting outside, huh? Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen Medeia around. Is there some problem?”

Shurika, tucking her hair behind her ear, called out loudly for Medeia as she approached her room.

“Medeia─ are you in? Are you feeling sick?”

Clack.

“The door is open? I must have crossed paths incorrectly. Oh well, I’ll just go rest, okay?”

Just as she sensed someone else’s presence behind her…

There stood Medeia, a beauty with shimmering water-like hair and notable tears, quietly watching Shurika from behind.

‘Something feels off with her vibe. This isn’t the Medeia I know.’

“Medeia! I thought you were out since I couldn’t find you, but you were inside the building? You’re not feeling sick, are you?”

“…Um, sick? I just briefly went off to put something down and need to head back out before it’s my turn.”

“Is that so? I thought something might’ve happened! I’m relieved it’s nothing! But…”

BANG!!!

‘Crap. Did I miss? What do I do? I exerted too much strength earlier, and my magic is running low!’

Right after hearing her response, Shurika sensed something was off and swung her whip toward Medeia, but she swiftly dodged back.

An expected decisive blow aimed to take advantage of the opening was wasted and hit nothing but air.

“What are you doing?!”

“Are you kidding me! You’re not Medeia. She doesn’t talk down to people. Medeia is a freak who always speaks honorifically, regardless of age or gender.”

BANG! BANG!!

“And even though I’m exhausted right now, her physical abilities are so terrible that if you were the real Medeia, you couldn’t land an attack like that against me!”

‘At the rate I’m going, I’ll probably get hurt soon. I have to feign a stance while I escape.’

Shurika’s whip ignited in flames.

“No matter what your true identity is, I need to figure out what’s happening to Medeia. So—”

Fwoosh!

“Let’s beat up a bit until I figure it out!”

BANG! BANG!!

Shuhak!!!

“Ugh!”

Squeezing every last bit of her dwindling magic, she unleashed a relentless onslaught.

With a flick of the fiery whip, it created a deafening sound that momentarily outpaced sound itself.

“Ahhh!!”

After a few lucky hits, she managed to strike the arm of whatever was wearing Medeia’s skin.

‘Now!’

Seeing the blood dripping from the severed flesh, Shurika tried to rush outside the inn to ask for help, just then…

“…Tehelum Sepinthes.”

Crack─!

The creature with its head lowered stretched out an arm and whispered a short incantation, causing thin, violet tentacles to burst forth.

Without the chance for her to react, Shurika was bound and struggled, gritting her teeth.

“Ugh!”

Having squeezed her magic to its limits, escaping from the bindings was nearly impossible now.

“Do you want to know who I am?”

“W-Will you let me out right now?! Do you think you can kill me and escape unharmed?! Let me go!!”

“Quiet and listen closely.”

The creature leaned closer to Shurika’s ear and whispered softly.

“I am Irmela, a servant and fallen being of the great Tehelum. Hehe, don’t worry. I won’t kill you.”

Once the words were spoken, Shurika’s body trembled slightly.

“You… You’re a servant of the Evil God! Filthy scum! I had a feeling something was off and it’s been years of silence, but you crawled back through some hole?! You really think I’ll let your disgusting kind remain in the city?!”

Crack!

Her previous words seemed to have provoked a reaction as the tentacles tightened around Shurika’s throat.

“Watch your mouth. My benevolence in not killing you might change.”

“Gah. Grr…”

Surge.

“Puhah! Cough. Cough…”

“Well, it won’t be long before you meet your end anyway.”

Irmela grinned chillingly.

“Hah, to be discovered before even a day passes since I took over her body.”

Snap!

The flick of a finger sent the tentacle tightening the grip back into action.

“Now that my plans are in tatters, instead of sparing you… Great! I could use your cute little spirits.”

“Y-You filthy b—!!! I’m going to—”

Thud.

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