Survive the labyrinth with EX-grade traits

“Hmm.”

At some point, my eyes opened without me realizing it.

I sat up and looked around, wondering where I was.

Was this… another dream?

Like when I first met Chaos, I was alone in a white space.

“Are you awake?”

“Huh.”

Cancel. I heard a voice from behind, so I wasn’t alone this time.

“Stop making that silly face and turn around!”

As instructed, I turned around and saw Little Chaos.

You’re going to pay for this, and your cheeks are so chubby they’re adorable.

“What are you thinking… I know! I look silly! What am I supposed to do about this awkward connection?”

“Who’s saying anything? Your chubby cheeks are so cute.”

“Cheeks? Chubby? You’re saying such stupid things to me, Chaos Dragon. Cancel that!”

She tried to reach out and grab my cheeks, but it was impossible.

You’re too small to reach.

“Itch. Eek!”

Thud.

Chaos fell to the ground, and I moved my hand to stroke her instead.

Slick, slick.

“…”

Pat, pat.

“…”

Hehe.

It’s healing.

She giggled and leaned in, but then took a step back as if realizing it wasn’t a good idea.

“I, I didn’t mean it like that. Stop it!”

Chaos put her hands on her waist and sighed.

“Hmm. I wanted to praise you for your hard work, but being with you in this tiny form makes me feel like a fool.”

“I already feel better than I would with just words of praise.”

“Hmm, yes. Even if it’s not your true form, the fact that you like it is enough.”

Chaos lay down, saying, “Whatever.”

From then on, until I woke up from the dream, I spent my time petting her.

.

.

.

Blink.

Early in the morning, I woke up in my room.

Ugh. I must have had a hangover from drinking last night.

Fortunately, it wasn’t too bad because I had been moderate.

[Chaos says let’s start the day with energy.]

“Hmm, thanks to you, I’m full of energy.”

[Chaos puffs up her cheeks and tells you not to tease her.]

I smiled and shook my head, clearing my mind.

‘Let’s wash up and eat first.’

Thud.

After a refreshing shower, I opened the door and went downstairs.

“Are you awake?”

Roten, who was sitting at the counter reading a newspaper-like thing, spoke to me.

“Yes, Roten, you’re up early too?”

“They say that when you get old, you sleep less, right? I’m still in good health, but I still need to be diligent.”

Roten chuckled, his wrinkled face full of cheer.

I nodded in agreement and engaged in small talk, then sat down at the table and ordered food.

‘Are they still sleeping?’

I’ll be going to the Silver Cross Knights later, so I need to see Evelyn and have a conversation with her.

I organized my thoughts in my head.

‘According to Berkel, the weapon that Master showed us was obtained from a transmifretor on the 15th floor, right?’

In that case, She’s definitely not an enemy of all Transmigrator.

When I returned, I mentioned the game name to test her, probably to see if I was a servant of a evil god.

‘Chaos, I’m going to ask in advance, but I don’t think so… is Ceres an evil god?’

[Chaos says not to worry, as the Goddess of Chaos is a neutral deity, so there shouldn’t be any problems.]

That’s a relief.

“Hmm, good morning. Did you sleep well, Ahren?”

“Yes, I slept soundly for the first time in a long time.”

“Hmm, yes. It’s definitely different from sleeping in the labyrinth. I realized that.”

As I continued my train of thought, Yeriel came down and spoke to me. She must have slept well too.

Is Lumia still sleeping? Cats sleep a lot so maybe that’s why.

Thud.

Roten placed the food on the table.

Steaming stew with meat, thick sausages with grooves, fragrant rye bread, and warm milk to soothe the stomach. My mouth watered.

“Sorry, am I late?”

“Not at all, you came at the perfect time. Let’s eat first, and then we can talk about what to do today.”

Not long after, Lumia also came down.

We all ate breakfast together.

Clack.

We finished our breakfast.

“Hmm, that was delicious.”

We began discussing our destinations.

“First, I’m going to head to District 3 and visit the Silver Cross Knights. I need to talk to Master about something. What about you two?”

Even though we’re in the same party, everyone has their own business and circumstances.

‘We can’t always stick together until the next labyrinth opens, can we?’

“I’m going to visit the cathedral first since it’s nearby, and then I’ll go see my sister.”

Yeriel shook her head.

“If I go to my sister first, I’ll have to stay in her office all day. She still thinks I’m a ten-year-old kid.”

Indeed, she does dote on her a lot.

“I’m not going anywhere, I’m just going to study some magic books and practice dark magic in the backyard.”

Lumia says she’ll stay at the inn. I understand, but hmm.

“Do you want to come with me? Since Master is the leader, if I’m by your side, the curse will disappear because of my trait. You might get some uncomfortable looks, but you’ll be able to stay.”

“No, I’m sure people will talk if I’m in the building. Even if they suppress their complaints, it might cause trouble.”

I couldn’t do anything about what Lumia was saying at the moment.

‘Damn. I need to keep getting stronger and building my reputation so that many people know that the curse disappears when I’m by your side.’

Or maybe find a way to solve the curse.

Or get a magical item that hides her features or changes her hair color.

In the future, I want to truly save her from the God of Darkness and free her.

My mind was complicated, but I didn’t show it on the outside.

“Then, let’s meet up in the evening after we’ve taken care of our business.”

Seeing them nod, I went upstairs to get ready and then headed to the carriage platform.

.

.

.

I arrived.

Since everyone in the Silver Cross Knights knew that I was Evelyn’s disciple,

I only needed to greet the guards at the entrance and went inside.

Huh?

“Master. Over there…”

“Huh? Oh! My disciple is here. How many floors of the labyrinth have you been to? Are you injured?”

Before I even reached the office, I saw something.

Instead of wearing her usual revealing armor,

Evelyn was wearing thick armor, befitting her noble status as the leader of the Silver Cross Knights.

“Look at your expression. Haha, you’re surprised to see me armed, right? I had to go to District 1, and it wasn’t a situation where I could go lightly dressed.”

Evelyn pointed to herself.

“How do I look? Do I look different from usual?”

“Master, please maintain your dignity…”

“What’s wrong with that? It’s been a while since I’ve seen my beloved disciple, and you’ve just returned from your first labyrinth trip with your party. You and I both had our own struggles in the past.

I took a deep breath and began to speak.

.

.

.

I told her everything, from my life on Earth to being caught up in Isaac’s transfer and encountering a goddess.

Being dropped naked on the third floor, joining a party, and escaping.

Making a fresh start, I encountered my nemesis.

I tracked him down and killed him, and after that, I subjugated the Layer Boss and had a private meeting with the Guild Master.

“So, not only are you a transmigrator, but you’re also an apostle of the Goddess of Chaos, Ceres? Hmm.”

Evelyn crossed her arms and made a clicking sound.

“I knew it. Aside from your talent, your traits are too exceptional.”

She nodded her head.

“Usually, a beginner like you wouldn’t have such a traits, unless you were born with a special background and have many talents, regardless of your origins.
Or You were born into the upper echelons of society, such as nobility, royalty, high elves, or the children of a union leader, and received all kinds of support.”

The strong naturally become stronger—it’s inevitable. Their starting point is different, after all.

Evelyn finished speaking and fell silent, seemingly lost in thought.

‘Why is she quiet? This feels unsettling.’

Suddenly, a cold and sharp aura radiated from her, dominating the office.

“Let me ask you just one thing.”
“Yes. Ask me anything.”
“You said you’re an apostle of the Neutral Goddess of Chaos, right?”
I nodded in affirmation.

“Then if some group found out you were an apostle and invited you into their fold—”

Invited me?

“Promising to make you powerful in a short time with their labyrinth knowledge and full support, on the condition you sever all your ties and live under an identity they provide. Would you accept?”

I immediately responded.
“No, I wouldn’t.”

“Even if you could become much stronger than you are now? If they could help you gain the wealth you’ve been missing out on?”

She mimed grabbing something in her hand.

“That aligns perfectly with everything you’ve wanted since you landed here, doesn’t it? And compared to other transmigrator, your knowledge of this place is severely lacking. It’s a chance to take the easy road.”

“…Why are you testing me? No matter what, my answer won’t change.”

Was this about that book I saw in the library?
The one written by Sophia, the Goddess of Wisdom’s apostle, detailing various factions?

After everything I’ve said, do I still look like someone who’d give in to temptation?

“Let me tell you this. I’m not someone who will abandon other for fame and money, someone blinded by such things.”

I stared directly into Evelyn’s eyes.
“Someone offering to make me strong and rich if I fall under their control? I don’t need that. I’m confident I’ll become a powerful and wealthy adventurer on my own in time.”

Drop everything and live under an identity someone else decided?
What, am I supposed to become their hunting dog?

“Do I look so desperate for success because I’m from another world and missed my chance to turn my life around over there?”

‘Or maybe—’

“Do you think I’d wish for something like that because others are seasoned veterans of the game while I know so little about the great labyrinths and cities?”

I let out a deep sigh.
“I’ve already promised to move forward with the two of them. Once I’ve made up my mind, that’s unbreakable, even if it means my death.”

Damn it. My mouth felt bitter.
“I get it. You’ve only been watching me and building this connection for less than a month. I understand you must have your reasons for asking, but it’s still a bit disheartening.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you!”

Evelyn shook her head firmly, speaking urgently.
“Some unpleasant woman in District 1 has been secretly luring promising transmigretor with underhanded schemes to make them her tools a few times now.”

Unpleasant woman?

“Transmigrators inevitably reveal themselves in the labyrinth. Among them, she identifies those who look like they’ll become strong and approaches them with big offers.”
She slapped her forehead.

“And if they accept? She makes them kill their own party members first. It’s a test. Then she erases their records, launders their identities, and starts grooming them.”

A transmigrator from modern Earth.
Being forced to kill their entire party with their own hands?

And someone’s actually doing this? That’s psychopathic.

…Damn it. Isaac could definitely pull something like that.

“I had to make sure, in case Yeriel got caught up and killed. I had to address this.”

The book in the library hadn’t spelled things out this explicitly. This is maddening.

“It’s a deeply personal matter involving my last family member, so I interrogated you like this. I sincerely apologize. I shouldn’t have done this as your mentor… Can you forgive me?”

Sigh.

“I trust you, Evelyn. I’m sure you had your reasons. It’s fine—please, lift your head. Anyone seeing this might think I’m about to stab you.”

For Evelyn, a seasoned adventurer, to bow her head to me—this must’ve been a big concession.

Having experienced the labyrinth firsthand, I can’t even begin to imagine how strong she might be.

“At least we resolved this without drawing swords. So, does this mean we’re officially in a solid mentor-mentee relationship now?”

“…Yes. No matter what anyone says, even without Yeriel, you are my disciple!”

She smiled brightly, pointing at me.

“Ahren, take out the greatsword you got from the guildmaster! Let’s train you to use it for the next labyrinth expedition!”

…?

“Hurry up! It’s been a while since we’ve had a conversation with ourbody!”

Does this situation feel right?
I grabbed the greatsword.