Surviving the Dungeon with an EX-Rank Trait

I took the Warp Gate and moved to District 4 to catch a carriage.

Is it just me, or is it slightly inconvenient how vast each district in Labyrinth City is, despite being just called a city?

It’s been months since I entered Labyrinth City, yet there are still many places I haven’t been to even within District 4. It feels absurd.

I arrived at the Swordsmanship Guild building.

“Oooh.”

“How is it? I heard that all sorts of masters from various races gathered when the building was constructed.”

The first Guild Leader invested a huge amount, pouring special materials sourced from the Labyrinth into the construction to ensure it was built with care.

You could definitely feel overwhelmed just by its exterior.

If the building of the Knights felt as sturdy as well-trained steel, this place gave off a more vintage and solemn vibe.

“Sorry!!!”

But honestly, the facade of the building was nothing compared to the people I encountered as soon as I opened the door.

‘Whoa. This is no joke.’

There were muscle-bound bald giants easily over 2 meters tall clad in armor, alongside men wearing light armor and carrying long swords on their backs.

Female swordsmen in uniforms with bandages wrapped around their chests, and other swordsmen of all ages and genders wearing light one-handed swords at their hips.

Dozens of diverse and unique swordsmen were gathered.

And they all shouted in unison, bending forward and exposing their crowns… for a moment, it made me think, what’s going on here?

Sena seemed a bit awkward showing this scene to others, as she gently rubbed her neck and spoke in a troubled voice.

“What’s there to be sorry about? I didn’t expect I’d be clever and capable enough to mess with a Warp Gate spell in a whole district. But hey, at least it got resolved well, right?”

“Well, still!”

“What do you think is gonna pop out of my mouth right now? Our bald-headed chief instructor should think twice before speaking.”

“…If I still had any passion to devote to trivial matters, you would suggest I swing my sword one more time instead. I get it.”

The giant bald man at the front must be the second-in-command of the Swordsmanship Guild, next to Sena.

He pondered Sena’s words, then responded, and Sena snapped her fingers as if to say he was right.

Snap!

“Right! The Warp Gate is under repair. It’s a bit ridiculous for this many people to gather at the carriage platform. And do you think we could cross the district using magic and arrive on time? Honestly, I don’t think so.”

“Yeah, that’s true. The Guild Leader is spot on.”

The chief instructor’s words were all correct, but everyone’s heart wasn’t on the same page.

“I think it’s been a long time since we gathered everyone like this, and with no help at all, just a bunch of big men twiddling their thumbs, it made me feel pretty pathetic.”

Hearing that, Sena burst out laughing.

“Puhahaha! Look at these adorable kids. Even with a comparison… Are you guys babies? Waaaah, waaaah!”

“Hmph.”

“Anyway, just like I communicated before, the work went well, and I managed to protect the family of the contacted instructor. Thanks to everyone for responding to this forcing summons, it always reassures me to see you guys.”

“Cough! Guild Leader!”

Oh my. He had tears welling up, which didn’t match his massive stature.

He seemed like a straightforward warrior at first, but was he just a hot-blooded fool?

“Here we go again. Enough chatter, everyone disband!”

“Did you hear that? All of you are dismissed!”

As the chief instructor called for disbandment, sounds of motivation suddenly filled the air.

“Bruner! How about a real duel after such a long time?”

“Sure thing, I’m always welcome. It’s almost morning anyway; let’s just treat it as an early training session.”

“I swear, every time I see the Guild Leader, I feel more inferior. I wonder if I could transform into a beauty like her once I become strong?”

“Stop that! Don’t even compare her to a freckled guy like you!”

“Ugh! You’re just as bad! I need to blow off some steam; let’s head to training room three!”

Diesel sweat.

Despite it being a mixed group of men and women, the atmosphere reeked of sweat.

But, you know, I didn’t mind this filled-with-enthusiasm vibe.

“Pretty different from what I thought, right? But still, most of them are top-tier fighters. You’ll see how serious they are once you clash swords.”

“Yeah. You can feel the sincerity just from their eyes.”

“Right? This place, even with a plain name like Swordsmanship Guild, doesn’t just let anyone in if they have the money.”

While I continued a cheerful conversation with Sena, Ivelyn, who had been quiet, spoke up softly.

“Passion. Atmosphere. Bond. They’re all great and all, but don’t you think we should go inside and talk? If we just keep standing here, we’ll attract unwanted attention.”

“Oh, right. Let’s go to the office and finish our conversation there.”

I nodded and followed her as she led the way into the building.

In the brief moment it took to walk to the office, guild members greeted Sena, flashing bright smiles.

Through this sight, I felt like I got a glimpse of how respected and recognized she was among the members, revealing another facet of who Sena was.

Click.

“Aren, sit here. Ivelyn, you can sit wherever you like. Or feel free to wander around the building!”

She seated me right in front of her and opened her arms towards Ivelyn.

“As you know, we usually communicate through messaging; it’s rare for us to enter each other’s spaces. It might be good to explore the nooks and crannies while we’re at it.”

“Seriously? You just want to shove me off somewhere?”

“Hey, that’s not it! I just wanted to have a heartfelt talk with this guy here.”

As expected, with the cheeky laughter of a mentor, Sena clasped her hands under her chin and leaned forward, bringing her face closer.

“Okay, where shall we start? Ah, I got a good one.”

So it begins.

I braced myself to see what unexpected question would come my way, but surprisingly, it started off light.

“Aren, what’s your real name? Not the name assigned to you after falling into this world, but your original name.”

…I thought I’d never have to speak this name again.

“Ah, if you’re gonna throw a question like that out of the blue, I guess I should start by saying mine first. My real name is Kang Sena.”

Wow, she used her real name directly. What if, by some chance, another reincarnator recognizes her here?

“Phew, yeah. I took my real name and used it as a pseudonym. Luckily it doesn’t feel awkward at all. Now, it’s your turn.”

Since I went first, I hoped she would answer truthfully. I slowly began to speak.

“Seo Dojin. That’s my name from back there. No matter what anyone says, right now, I’m Aren.”

“Oooh! I half-expected it, but you’re really Korean?! So glad to meet you!”

Wait, so I’m not the only Korean here?

“That means there are foreigners among the reincarnators too?”

“Duh! Of course. It was a single-player game throughout, but the global server was established for the ranking leaderboard.”

Alright, I just took that lightly.

Starlight Stella. Heartstrong Damon. Sage Sophia, etc.

I had heard of renowned apostles known by their alias throughout the city, but I never expected a foreigner to exist among them.

I even named myself Aren. I thought only my hair and eye colors would change along with some physical adjustments after coming here.

Actually, even I had gained some muscles after my eye color turned to gold.

“Hmm… Anyway, it’s a cool name, but you don’t seem too fond of your real name. I won’t pry deeper.”

I appreciated her small consideration.

“Next question then. Can you tell me your age, profession, and about the god that summoned you? Oh! Just a second.”

Waving her index finger side to side, Sena tried to guess the answers before I could speak.

“I’m guessing you’re around 23, probably an actor? Or possibly in the idol or influencer scene? Am I right? I have a great intuition!”

Absolutely not.

“I’m 25 years old, and before I came here, I was just a regular office worker at a small business. The god that summoned me is the God of Chaos.”

“Really? That’s unexpected. You have a face that deserves better. Well, I get your job, but the God of Chaos? Wait a second.”

Is there something wrong? She paused, making me feel a bit anxious.

Walking over to her desk, where her nameplate sat, Sena pulled out a weathered book from her drawer and quickly flipped through it, skimming the pages.

“Not here. There’s nothing here. …Found it. There are no temples or followers, and no traces left in the mortal realm either, so you’re classified as a neutral god.”

Thud.

“However, since you have important connections with the representatives of the Good and Evil gods, the God of Light and the God of Darkness, please be careful.”

Sena closed the book and plunged into thought as she opened her mouth again.

“Hmm. Anyway, as long as it’s not the Evil God, that’s good. Now it’s my turn?”

Looking at her face, it wouldn’t be wrong to say she looked like a person in her early twenties, but I wondered if there would be a twist where she turns out to be in her mid-thirties.

“I was 22 when I transitioned, so now I’m 27. Before coming here, I was a somewhat famous kendo player. You heard about the god earlier, right?”

Yeah, I definitely heard she was a divine apostle of the martial arts god.

She was born to be related to swords from the start. No wonder she’s the leader of the Swordsmanship Guild.

“I had some decent skills, right? I easily won the rank up to 4th Dan and got my instructor certification, and I was looking forward to inheriting my dojo.”

“But you mentioned ‘had’?”

Sena let out a deep sigh.

“My father was swindled by a friend’s investment, and our family fell apart. Eventually, my father, having lost a few million, hanged himself, while my mother left to start a new life somewhere else.”

Whoa… I wasn’t expecting such a serious turn of events.

“I found myself one day where the Kang Sena, who was crazy about swords, had disappeared, replaced by a shut-in who spent a year wallowing in shorts and games.”

“…Wow.”

“I thought then, well, at least I’m debt-free. I should pick up the sword again. I may not have parents, but the hard work I put in isn’t gone, right?”

She was just 22 when she arrived here. There was a reason she survived.

Although she spoke with hope, Sena chuckled bitterly.

“But who’d have thought that the last thing I was doing before I quit was playing a game that would lead me to this world?”

“Oh dear…”

“Now I’m incredibly strong, even to the point of being the Guild Leader, but back then, I was really on the verge of going insane!”

Luckily, thanks to some unusual twist of fate, she received some great traits, and combining her native sword techniques and the few European sword techniques she learned superficially, she managed to grow to an extraordinary level with swords, as she claimed.

‘What? How many sword techniques did she learn at such a young age? No matter how hard she worked, that’s insane talent!’

When I pressed her a bit about it, she said,

“Actually, I glossed over that, but I appeared on broadcast multiple times as well! The rising star of the swordsmanship scene! Genius Swordsman Kang Sena! You haven’t heard of me once?”

“Unless it’s something I’m interested in, I tend to be out of touch with the world… I’m sorry.”

“No, no! You can’t know everything. Anyway, that’s my story! What about you? Do you miss your family?”

Family.

I paused for a moment, wiped my face, and opened my mouth calmly.

*

“Little sister! So from now on, you’ll call me ‘sis’!”

“Hmmm. Yes. Sis.”

“Come on! Still pretty darn awkward, huh? Well, it has only been a day since we met, so suddenly jumping right in is kinda weird. Let’s get used to it bit by bit, okay?”

“Y-yes. Sounds good. No, I like it.”

Somehow, it turned into a big sister-little brother relationship.

Was it due to the joy of meeting a fellow reincarnator with whom I could convey thoughts?

Or could it be that sharing each other’s painful pasts helped in forming this bond?

“Ah, having met a Korean after a long time makes me crave some soup and soju!”

Knock knock.

“Come in!”

The chief instructor stepped in through the door.

“Guild Leader, I apologize for interrupting, but a representative from the Arcadia Sanctum is waiting in the reception room, so you’ll need to head over soon.”

“Looks like they must be thinking of convening because of this incident. How is it? Do you think the higher-ups have been pushing them hard? What’s the visitor’s vibe?”

“Yes. As soon as they arrived, they sought you out, and the urgency was apparent in their eyes. It seemed quite pressing.”

“Well, it’s no wonder. It’s been years since an apostle of the Evil God appeared; the higher-ups will need to discuss countermeasures. Alright, I’ll head over right away, so keep them waiting a bit for me.”

Flap.

As I watched him bow and leave, Sena donned her overcoat and adjusted her clothes.

“Then I’ll see you later. I probably won’t be around tomorrow, so come visit me alone a few days from now. Ivelyn, is it fine if he comes alone?”

“Yeah. Listening to you two talk just a while ago, I don’t think there’ll be talks of wanting to make him a disciple anymore.”

“I’m sorry I can’t see you off, but take care!”

Sena left towards the reception room.

Staying in an empty office held no meaning, so I exited the guild and headed for the platform.

Beep beep.

“Got it. I’m on my way. So don’t rush me and hang up!”

Ivelyn roughly put down the communication magic tool after receiving a message from her aide, Cain.

Naturally, since she sent someone from District 1 to Sena, someone must be waiting for her in her Knights.

Chirp chirp.

“Master.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Could you take a look at my face, please? Don’t avoid my eyes.”

Since Sena left, Ivelyn’s expression has been rather odd.

“You’ve been acting strange since just now. You look uncomfortable, maybe a bit annoyed?”

“What do you mean… It’s nothing. You must be sensing things wrong.”

“Hmm.”

I seized Ivelyn’s hand.

“Ugh.”

“I think I understand why you’re acting this way. Master. You’re feeling bad because I’ve been talking with Sena about guild-related topics that only we know, aren’t you? Are you sulking?”

“…Yeah. I’m sulking! What’s the point of me being a master? Other than training you when you didn’t know better and being Yeriell’s sister, I have no other ties to you.”

She pouted her lips.

“I didn’t mind before, but seeing you joke and laugh with her, being from the same place, it made our fundamental difference hit me hard.”

I actually thought it might be better for me to join Sena’s side as her disciple and laughed sarcastically at my own inadequacy, feeling sorry about it.

Using the hand I held, I placed it against my chest.

“Can you feel it? My heart is beating.”

“Let go of me.”

“This here. If it weren’t for your harsh training, support, and faith in me, it wouldn’t be beating like this right now.”

“That’s… that’s just nonsense.”

“No, it’s true. If I had recklessly relied on my traits, I would have either turned into a cold corpse somewhere in the Labyrinth, or maybe the Labyrinth would’ve swallowed me to create some new monster instead.”

I looked straight into Ivelyn’s eyes.

“Master. No, Ivelyn. No matter who I learn from or the new ties I create with stronger individuals, there will only ever be one person who has defined space in my heart.”

I squeezed her hand even tighter.

“Though our experiences together have only been a few short months, you are my only master, and I am your one and only disciple. So put on a better face, will ya? Your pretty face is full of sulkiness.”

“…Wh-what! How can a mere disciple speak so boldly to their master?”

Thwack!

“Ah!”

“Stop running your mouth and hurry back to reassure my little brother who’s worried about you!”

“Master, you have this serious demeanor in front of people, but aren’t you acting like a coy girl right now? How cute, huh? Ugh!”

Even after getting a few more hits for adding that playful remark, it didn’t put me in a bad mood.

As I watched her walk away, I caught sight of a slight grin forming at the corners of her lips.

“Hey, Master! Let’s go together!”

After that, we parted ways at the carriage platform since we had different destinations.

I was headed to my cozy inn while Ivelyn was headed back to her Knights.

Time swiftly passed again.

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