Survive the labyrinth with EX-grade traits

I had been walking at a brisk pace for about an hour when I heard a voice shout, “Halt!”

We had encountered another adventurer party. They had also spotted us and quickly came to a stop, eyeing us warily.

I narrowed my eyes, assessing the situation.

‘How many are in their party, and what kind of weapons do they have?’. I asked myself.

It was a typical party of five, with two in the front and three in the back, consisting of both men and women. Their equipment, however, was of poor quality. They carried worn-out shields on their backs and had cheap short swords hanging from their waists. Their robes and cloth armor were torn, and their faces were grim, with no sign of relaxation.

I didn’t even need to check their status windows; it was clear that they were a low-level party that had been farming in the first layer and were now heading back.

‘Still, it’s better to be cautious’ I thought.

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[Andrew]

[Strength: E] [Agility: E-] [Endurance: E]
[Vitality: E] [Magic: F+] [Luck: E-]

[Possessed Traits] (Expand)

Basic Sword Defense
Defensive Stance

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I felt relieved. Most of the front-line adventurers I had encountered so far had at least Basic Sword Defense, and many had various other traits.

“I wonder if there’s a guild or training center that teaches front-line shield and sword techniques specifically for adventurers,” I mused.

But that wasn’t important right now. I exchanged glances with the leader of the other party, signaling that we had no hostile intentions.

We passed by each other and continued on our way.

“Let’s keep moving,” I said to my party.

“Whew, ever since we encountered those human hunters, I get goosebumps whenever I see other adventurers,”

“Yeah, I know what you mean. Most adventurers are probably harmless, but after what happened last time, I can’t help but be suspicious,”

“I think it’s good that we’re more cautious now. It’s a bit tiring, but it’s better to be safe than sorry,”

“You’re right. It’s better to be vigilant than to let our guard down and get caught off guard,” I replied.

We had been talking for a while, but the main point was that we needed to find the right balance when interacting with other adventurers in the dungeon.

We continued toward the portal.

.

.

.

We walked for several hours without stopping. We encountered both monster groups and other adventurers multiple times. As we consulted our map, we noticed a large hole in the wall ahead.

“It seems like we’re not quite close enough to the portal,” I said.

Since we didn’t know if we would be able to rest on the second layer, I suggested that we take a break at the nearest shelter.

Even though the dungeon was perpetually shrouded in darkness, making the concept of day and night meaningless, it was still important to maintain a healthy sleep schedule.

Fortunately, when we entered the shelter through the hole in the wall, we found that it was empty.

‘At least we’re lucky in this regard,’ I thought.

We had never encountered other adventurers in the shelters before.

Yeriel and Lumia began preparing for our rest, setting up sleeping bags and taking out food.

“Darkness, my servant, obey my command!” Lumia chanted, casting her alarm magic.

Black figures appeared at the entrance and various spots around the shelter.

“I remember there being only three last time. You’ve increased their numbers,” I remarked.

“Yes, this alarm magic is different from what most mages use. I’ve been practicing to ensure the party can rest more safely,” Lumia explained.

She emphasized that her magic not only made noise but also had some defensive capabilities, proudly showcasing her skills.

“Thanks, Lumia. I feel much safer now,” I said.

Lumia beamed with pride at my words.

After we finished eating, we chatted casually, and one by one, we drifted off to sleep.

I decided to get some rest as well, knowing that I needed to be well-rested for the journey to the second layer tomorrow.

I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

.

.

.

A piercing, inhuman scream pierced my ears.

What was happening?

I jolted awake, my heart racing. “Yeriel! Lumia! Where are you?”

I quickly regained my composure and looked around.

Lumia’s alarm magic, in the form of black figures, was screaming and expanding with black mana, causing confusion among our attackers.

Lumia stood in front of Yeriel and me, who had just woken up.

“What the hell is going on? My ears are ringing!” one of the attackers shouted.

“I’m warning you, don’t come any closer,” Lumia said, her voice filled with magic.

“Are you going to cast a spell? We just want to share the shelter. What’s the problem?” a muscular man with a scar on his nose bridge smirked.

“How can you be so confident and hostile right from the start? You’re only three, and we’re six,” he added.

I couldn’t believe my luck. Just when I thought we were safe, this happened.

I quickly understood the situation.

“Lumia, you did well. Step back,” I said.

“Those guys didn’t come here just for the shelter,” Lumia whispered in my ear.

The screams from the alarm magic were gradually fading, and Lumia continued, “They definitely have some ulterior motive. My servants are sensitive to negative energies like malice and evil intent.”

Malice and evil intent?

“Usually, they just make noise to wake me up, but this reaction is unusual. Be careful,” she warned.

I had a hunch about their intentions, and it seemed like they were evenly matched with us in terms of strength. However, they had a significant numbers advantage.

They probably planned to pretend to share the shelter, wait for us to let our guard down, and then rob and kill us.

‘They didn’t come here just to kill us,’ I thought.

“Yeriel, give me a signal when you’re ready to cast your buffs,” I said telepathically.

“Got it! Leave it to me,” she responded silently.

Thankfully, she didn’t respond out loud.

I signaled Lumia to move back, and I stepped forward.

I quickly scanned the adventurers, assessing the situation.

“They’re a party of six, five men and one woman. What’s wrong with that woman?” I wondered.

The woman’s appearance was concerning. Her exposed skin was covered in bruises, and her face was stained with tear streaks. Her shoulders slumped, and her eyes were half-dead. Even from a distance, I could smell a foul odor coming from her direction.

‘Did they kill other adventurers and take her with them? No, that doesn’t make sense time-wise.’ I thought.

The dungeon portal had opened today, so it was impossible for them to have been in the first layer for over a month.

As far as I knew, the guild-managed slaves were only rented out for a certain period to fill in for missing party members. Unjustified violence or sexual demands against slaves were strictly prohibited.

Why? Unless they meet the criteria and are released from slavery, they remain the property of the guild.

So, it was likely that the woman was either a privately owned slave with legal documentation or an illegal slave obtained from the 8th district.

‘These bastards are clearly up to no good. It’s obvious they didn’t come here just to share the shelter.’ I thought.

I couldn’t say anything about slavery, as I had once enslaved Hans and transferred his ownership.

However, seeing the pitiful state of the woman being mistreated by five men, it was clear what their intentions were.

They had approached us with malicious intent.

Yes, that’s how adventurers are. For every good adventurer, there are just as many ruthless and despicable ones in this world.

How could adventurers who come to the dungeon to slay monsters, earn money, and become stronger all be good?

“Are you the leader? Cut the crap and let us share the shelter. It’s common courtesy in this cave-like layer to share shelters between two parties. Don’t you know basic manners?” the man said, pointing at Lumia.

“How dare you attack us without warning? You should compensate us for the mental distress. Right?” he continued.

“We just came here and saw people in the shelter. We didn’t mean any harm,” another man said.

“Don’t treat people like fools!” I retorted.

“Do you even know the meaning of consent? Your intentions are clear, so just leave before you get hurt,” I warned.

“Pffft. You think we’re scared of you?” the man scoffed.

“You don’t look like you’ve been to the middle layers or above, so why are you so cocky?” I asked.

‘I don’t know why, but there are always these kinds of guys in the dungeon.’ I thought.

Since they weren’t listening, I ignored them and quickly scanned their status windows.

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[Carrix]

[Strength: D+] [Agility: D-] [Endurance: D+]
[Vitality: D] [Magic: E+] [Luck: E+]

[Possessed Traits] (Expand)

Intermediate Smashing
Thick Skin
Developed Muscles
Magic Resistance Engraving
Jumping Strike

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[Magic Resistance Engraving] [P]

An engraving received from a high-level engraving master.

This engraving, which increases magic resistance at a small cost, was a great opportunity for the user, who was once just a lowly mercenary.

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Intermediate magic resistance is always applied.

The engraving reduces the user’s magic by one level as a cost.

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His lightning magic would only serve as a distraction. Thick Skin and Developed Muscles were traits related to endurance and strength.

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[Jumping Strike (C)] [A]

A technique that utilizes the user’s innate strength to jump high and deal significant damage to enemies below.

Those who oppose him should beware of his merciless jump and strike.

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The user can use the technique ‘Jumping Strike’.

The jump is assisted by magic power.

The user’s strength is increased by one level during the jump.

A shockwave is applied to the landing point.

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Based on his abilities and traits, Carrix was around the level of a middle-layer adventurer.

‘With a two-to-one advantage and being on the first layer, they think they’re invincible.’ I thought.

“You’re not listening, so I’ll make it simple. We’ll kill you all, and there won’t be any trouble when we go back to the city,” I said.

Carrix gripped the two-handed axe on his back.

…At that moment, I caught the woman’s gaze.

She silently mouthed something, her lips trembling.

Her lips formed the words… “Run… away?”

…

Fine. I had been patient enough.

I decided to spare the woman, take her to the portal, and send her back to the city, while we would proceed to the second layer.

As for the rest of them, I would kill them all.

A two-to-one advantage? I could handle that.

No, I would definitely win.

I took a deep breath and pretended to be in pain, covering my face with one hand and signaling with the other.

“His sword shall be imbued with light, and his body with wind,” Yeriel chanted, casting her buffs.

[Divine Weapon effect increases Strength by one level for one hour.]

[Haste effect increases Agility by one level for one hour.]

“Buffs? Go!” I shouted.

The die had been cast.

Arrows and daggers flew towards me, but I blocked them with my broadsword.

“Ugh!”

I deflected the projectiles with the wide surface of my sword, only slightly pushed back.

“Lightning!”

Zap!

“Shit, he’s a magic swordsman!”

To create a distraction, I unleashed weak lightning bolts around Carrix, who had magic resistance.

A sudden lightning strike would startle anyone, even a swordsman.

Boom!

I leaped forward with a surge of magic power, bypassing Carrix and targeting the others.

“What the—!”

I charged at the archer, a skinny man, without hesitation.

Whoosh!

I swung my sword with the intention of splitting his head open.

Infusing my sword with magic power, I struck from above.

Splat!

“Dennis!”

[Ron casts ‘Double Pierce’.]

A thief with a dagger rushed towards the archer, but I was ready for him.

Boom!

I spun and unleashed a diagonal upward slash, severing the thief’s arm as he tried to stab me.

The arm fell to the ground with a sickening thud, and the thief stared at it in disbelief.

“Ah, ouch, aaahhhh!!!”

“Why are you crying? You should’ve thought about the consequences before trying to stab someone,” I said.

The thief glared at me.

“You, you bastard!”

[Carrix casts ‘Jumping Strike’.]

I quickly backed away, noticing the red circle forming beneath his feet.

Thud.

Boom!!

I watched as Carrix landed, ready to strike with my sword.

Damn it. Just when I was about to reach the second layer, I had to deal with these idiots on the first layer again.

I decided to consider the woman as non-combat, leaving three adventurers to deal with.

This time, I would take the initiative and strike first.

These bastard adventurers. This time, it would be different.