Survive the labyrinth with EX-grade traits

[Grrr… How dare you play me?]

Irene, who seemed helpless against Soleil’s sarcastic remarks, took a step back and warned that she would not let this go.

[Good! I was already bored, so this is perfect. You bratty kid, I hope that next time we meet, it will be face to face, not just voices.]

[What do you want to see my face for? It seems like your face is full of spite and malice, just like your nasty attitude of treating mortals like toys.]

‘Can you please stop provoking her? You said the conversation was over.’

[Hehe. You, on the other hand, are just a bratty kid who’s been running around since you temporarily escaped Karma.]

Irene whispered in a bewitching voice.

[Look forward to it. When we meet face to face, I’ll make you cry.]

[Chaos claps her hands and says that they’re having a good time.]

Soleil was irritated that a wicked god had already marked the body of the mortal she wanted as her attachment human, and at the same time…

As they talked, Soleil seemed to be increasingly irritated by words like ‘bratty kid’, and Irene, on the other hand, was furious that her mark had been interfered with and that she had been provoked from the start.

Just listening to them was enough to make my blood run cold.

Even if she was forgotten, wasn’t she still a god? Couldn’t she maintain some dignity and have a dignified conversation?

The two divine beings were locked in a verbal battle, and I, caught in the middle, was having a hard time.

If they were to meet, it would be a disaster. I finally understood what it meant that they were incompatible by nature.

[Chaos says that they will never meet, so she’s just talking, and not to worry about any negative impact on reality.]

‘Chaos is the best, right? You know what I mean?’

[Chaos smiles and rubs her heated cheeks.]

Why did they have so much to say?

Their verbal sparring showed no signs of ending, so I decided to just let it go and check the changed traits instead.

________________________________________

[Unfathomable Mark] [P]

Irene, who had been bound by the laws of the Great Dungeon and had not been able to escape her boredom for a long time, left a small mark on the chest of the adventurer Arren, who had briefly brought her joy.

The forgotten god Soleil of Truth and Falsehood, unable to bear it any longer, interfered with her power and twisted the foundation of the mark, transforming it into a legitimate mark.

• Cannot be erased by any means.
•
• Increases resistance to all types of pain.
•
• Develops a weak intuition for discerning truth from falsehood.
•
• Slightly increases the probability of gaining the favor of transcendent beings of evil and neutral alignment.
•
• Occasionally able to communicate with the marked being.
•
________________________________________

The difference between a mark and a mark was just one character, but the feeling of acceptance was completely different.

Was the only change that Soleil made the addition of the neutral alignment to the options of intuition development and favorability increase?

Discerning truth from falsehood…

Well, since the word ‘weak’ was attached, it was unlikely that the option would have the performance of a lie detector.

Still, it seemed like a winning option, as having something was better than nothing.

[That’s enough. Let’s stop this low-level conversation.]

Finally, the end of the worthless argument seemed to be approaching.

[If we waste time like this, we might be subject to the interference of Karma again.]

Click!

As if snapping her fingers in my head, I suddenly felt a warm sensation in my chest.

[It’s time to leave the tower and return to your home. My attachment human. No, Arren. Congratulations on your climb once again.]

With Soleil’s final words, a spark of five colors appeared on the spot where the mark, now a mark, was engraved.

.

.

.

It was over.

I rubbed the iron plate on my chest and turned to look at my companions.

They had retreated and were holding their breath, waiting for the series of events surrounding me to come to an end.

Considering that only I could hear the voices of Irene and Soleil, I could imagine how tense and anxious they must have felt, not knowing what was going on.

Of course, it wasn’t all my fault, but I still felt embarrassed and apologized as I scratched the back of my neck.

“Sorry for worrying you! It’s over, so it’s safe to move now!”

I waved my arm and smiled awkwardly, and they finally rushed towards me.

Veronica, rarely showing surprise, muttered, “What was that hand just now? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine.”

“I felt a power similar to divine power… Could it be?”

“Ahren, didn’t you see the lightning coming from your chest? Are you sure you’re okay?”

Yeriel and Lumia were also surprised.

What should I say?

A goddess who was watching the tower wanted to make me her attachment human, so I accepted her proposal, and then another god who had played with me on the 6th floor got involved! Is that it?

…Oh, forget it. It’s not worth summarizing.

It’s better to talk about it outside the portal than to ramble on in front of it.

“I have a mountain of things to tell you, but let’s get out of this damn tower first. Everyone, let’s go through the portal together.”

I was so sick of the tower. If we kept lingering, who knows what might happen.

“I agree! I’ll feel better once I get out of here.”

Nod.

With everyone’s consent, we left Soleil’s mirror behind and arrived at the two portals at the end of the corridor.

Just before stepping into the yellow portal of return, Veronica warned everyone, “When the first adventurer to climb the tower steps through the portal, you may feel something strange, as if your total amount of magic power has increased. Be careful, as you may feel nauseous.”

“Strange feeling?”

“Yes. You may feel your blood boiling or your head getting cold, and everyone experiences it differently, so it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what it is. Just accept it quietly. It will be over soon.”

If she says so, I’ll have to experience it for myself.

“Okay, don’t dawdle. On three, we’ll go in together. One, two—”

Three!

I felt a mix of excitement and relief for having made it to the 9th floor and back, and wondered what events awaited me in the city.

Hwaaaah!

‘Ugh, this is it!’

The source of my existence,

Beyond just bones, flesh, and blood, a sense of fullness filled my entire body, as if my soul was rising from the depths of my chest.

A refreshing sense of liberation… I was worried that I might become addicted to this thrilling sensation that pierced my mind.

Now I understood why Veronica couldn’t express it as anything other than a strange feeling.

If this had happened in front of others, I might have lost control and made a fool of myself.

I thought to myself that it was a good thing I became an adventurer after falling into the Great Dungeon, and I moved my body, feeling relieved that I no longer had to endure the thoughts that would have made me shudder in my previous life.

I returned.

To the bustling square of the Great Dungeon City.

“Trait! I just felt it! Damn, it’s been so long!”

“Tsk. It seems like a miss. We didn’t catch many monsters, so I’m sure this month will be a bust too.”

“Vianess, you did your best. Those who live should live on. You’ve done enough, so don’t beat yourself up anymore.”

“I miss my soft bed! Ah, and sweet parfaits!”

Today was the day after the portal closed due to the law of return, 35 days after the day of entry.

In other words, it was the first day of the month following the day the 1st Holy Knights Order defeated the servants of the Evil God.

‘This is such a huge gap. I wonder if the city is still struggling with the incident that Irmela caused in the 5th area?’

I passed by the countless adventurers laughing and crying near the portal, their lively appearance, and looked at my companions standing next to me.

“Hmm, my head is spinning.”

“I feel a little lighter.”

During our passage through the portal, it seemed that everyone had felt something different.

Yeriel held her head with both hands, groaning, while Lumia closed her eyes, placing her hand on her chest.

‘It’s good that it’s just a mild headache. Unfortunately, neither of them acquired a trait.’

Of course, we had already received a lot of rewards on this expedition, so it was understandable that they didn’t acquire a trait upon return.

________________________________________

[Yeriel]

[Strength: D+] [Agility: C-] [Endurance: D+] [Stamina: C] [Magic Power: C] [Luck: C]

[Acquired Traits] (Collapse)

Holy Law Proficiency
Innate Luck
Devoutness
Overcoming Weakness
Divine Protection of Light
Silver Cross Holy Sword Technique
Holy Light Forging

________________________________________

Yeriel’s dramatically changed status window caught my eye first.

Her growth was tremendous, as if she had undergone a complete transformation, with the consumption of the Divine Remnant from the battle with Cressdowzer reflecting her progress to some extent.

The newly acquired or evolved traits were also amazing, so even if she didn’t acquire a trait upon return, she already had many valuable things.

Next was Lumia.

________________________________________

[Lumia]

[Strength: E+] [Agility: D+] [Endurance: D-] [Stamina: D] [Magic Power: C+] [Luck: D-]

[Acquired Traits] (Collapse)

Dark Punishment
Dark Magic Proficiency
Miao Tribe’s Senses
Burning Fighting Spirit
Fear Infection
Balanced Step

________________________________________

Yeriel’s growth rate was so high that it might have been intimidating, but when you think about it, Lumia’s growth rate since entering the dungeon was also incredible.

Her traits hadn’t changed, but she had obtained the Hungry Shadow and handled darkness with Obsucrita, so her abilities, except for strength, had increased by at least one level.

“Ukyuk. Ahh!”

On the other hand, Veronica was different.

Her shoulders shook as she bit her lower lip, and it was clear that she had acquired an extraordinary trait.

________________________________________

[Veronica]

[Strength: C+] [Agility: D-] [Endurance: C+] [Stamina: C+] [Magic Power: B-] [Luck: D]

[Acquired Traits] (Collapse)

Armes Shield Sword Technique
Sword of Protection Hard Body – Armes
Duel Challenge
Echo of Circulation
Celestial Halo
Preparation for Stillness

________________________________________

She acquired two unique items, a stroke of luck, and her abilities, except for agility, had all increased, which was remarkable.

However, I was so focused on the new trait that I didn’t notice the others.

________________________________________

[Preparation for Stillness (C)] [P]

The Great Dungeon’s arrangement had seeped into her flesh, creating a consumable trait for a sturdy vanguard.

From the day the trait was acquired, she had three days to decide whether to accept or decline the challenge, and the conditions and results were as follows.

• If the challenge is declined, the highest ability will decrease by one level, and the lowest ability will increase by two levels.
•
• If the challenge is accepted, the ‘Variable Body’ status effect will be applied for exactly 30 days from the day of acceptance.
•
The user’s physical age will randomly decrease and be fixed, and their abilities will decrease significantly.

After 30 days, when the ‘Variable Body’ status effect is lifted, the active trait ‘Still Body’ will be acquired.

________________________________________

What is this…? What’s going on?

Veronica, who had endured the pain of acquiring the trait, looked at me, so I brought my lips to her ear so that others couldn’t hear, and whispered the explanation of the newly acquired ‘Preparation for Stillness’ without missing a single word.

“A consumable trait… It’s embarrassing, so please move away. It tickles.”

“Hmm, I’ve heard that if you immediately pay the price or complete a challenge quest to acquire the trait, you can grasp great luck, but I never thought I would be the one to experience it…”

Yeriel, who had been listening to the whisper, comforted her.

“Well, you just have to endure it for a month! Let’s try hard since we got it!”

“Anyway, weren’t we planning to skip the dungeon next month? It might be a good thing.”

As Lumia said, we were planning to stay in the city for a few months, so it was actually better this way.

“How about we postpone the settlement until tomorrow and have a meal first?”

To be honest, it had been a while since we had our last meal before climbing the tower, and we had a lot to talk about.

“I agree!”

“That sounds good. My head is a bit heavy.”

I nodded my head without hesitation at their agreement, and even Lumia did the same.

.

.

.

4th Area, White Apple Inn.

Ta-da!

“Hehe, it’s good to be an adult at times like this, huh?”

“A glass of beer… It feels good.”

I looked at the foam-filled smiles of the two with a smile and turned my gaze to Veronica.

“Veronica, you asked me to wait for a moment in front of the inn, and your style has changed slightly.”

“When I looked back on my trials, I felt like changing my style after returning. What do you think?”

I smiled at her, meeting her eyes as I took a sip of the refreshing beer.

“You look pretty. Before, you looked like a cold knight, but now, you look like a princess who was raised in a noble family.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

Her skin, as white as jade, was covered in heat rash.