Survive the labyrinth with EX-grade traits

[Acquired the trait ‘Inexplicable Mark’.]

[Please be cautious of pain.]

The system’s warning about pain made him wonder just how painful it could be… But before he could even finish his thought, his right chest felt like it was burning.

“Kkuaap!”

He almost screamed, but managed to stop himself. He endured the pain, clenching his fist.

“Kreeeh. Huh.”

After about a minute, the searing pain in his chest disappeared as if nothing had happened.

“Huh. Phew.”

He rubbed his chest, feeling the steel plate. His forehead was covered in cold sweat.

‘That thing tried to drive me insane by inflicting all sorts of status effects, and now that I’ve escaped and fled, what? Is this fun? Am I some kind of canvas for you?’

Delusion. Fear. Despair. Frenzy.

Just by looking at the names, he could guess that these were status effects that would have a terrible impact on an ordinary adventurer.

If he hadn’t resisted even one of them, he would have died for sure.

Just seeing them was enough to make him feel anxious. What if Lumia hadn’t noticed and had fallen into a pit? He couldn’t even imagine what would have happened to the party.

And to think of it as a reward… It’s not even like giving medicine after causing pain.

‘Even the name of the trait is creepy… Is this a curse disguised as a reward? I just hope it’s not an abnormal trait.’

If it turned out to be a harmful trait, he feared that it might not be removable at the cathedral, as it seemed to be related to transcendent or god-like beings.

He decided to examine it closely.

─────

[Inexplicable Mark] [P]

Irene, who had been bound by the rules of the Great Labyrinth and unable to erase her boredom for a long time.

She left a small mark on the adventurer Ahren, which was invisible to the naked eye.

• Cannot be removed by any means.
•
• Increases resistance to all types of pain.
•
• Slightly increases the chance of gaining favor with evil-aligned transcendent beings.
•
• Occasionally able to communicate with the marked individual.
•
─────

He wasn’t sure if he should be happy or not.

He sighed, wiping his forehead with his sleeve.

‘Damn, my body is like a canvas for inhuman beings. A lip mark on my forehead and now an inexplicable mark on my chest.’

⋯Would anything else be imprinted on him in the future?

Now that he thought about it, he had been in a hurry and brushed it off, but the two names were similar.

Sirene and Irene. Despite the difference of one letter, their personalities were completely different.

[Chaos is angry that her other half has been tainted by filthy saliva.]

[Chaos vows to teach a lesson to whoever it is, be it a man or a woman, when they meet face-to-face.]________________________________________

Veronica, who had been watching quietly, must have noticed my distress because she spoke up, “Are you okay? What happened during that short time?”

“Well… I’m not sure what happened. I went to the place where the ground collapsed, made contact with some unknown entity, and it tried to manipulate my mind, but my trait prevented it.”

“So, at least you’re not injured?”

“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine. Anyway, the entity was intrigued by my ability to easily block its mental interference.”

I shook my head and continued,

“It found my desperate attempt to escape amusing and offered me a reward, calling it a game of tag. To be honest, it was more like forcing it on me than giving it to me.”

“If it’s a reward, what exactly did you receive? It doesn’t seem like a weapon, so is it a trait?”

I explained about the enigmatic brand in general terms.

“⋯That’s all the information I have. Anyway, as soon as I received the reward, the voice disappeared without giving me a chance to ask any questions.”

“Hmm. I know that transcendental beings and divine entities can be unpredictable… but it’s best to think positively for now. And.”

Veronica poked my chest with her index finger.

“Ahren, you were too reckless just now. You’re not just an adventurer, but also the party leader responsible for your party.”

It was a stinging criticism.

“I’m sorry. I deeply regret it.”

I apologized for pushing forward without considering the opinions of my teammates and forgetting our immediate goal of passing through the layers.

“You don’t need to apologize that much… Anyway, from now on, don’t act alone. You should also think about the party members who will be left behind when you’re not there.”

I nodded in agreement and then turned to Yeriel, who had been listening quietly.

“Yeriel, I apologize for not considering your opinion and dismissing it without any discussion.”

“Huh? No, no! It’s fine as long as no one got hurt and we got out safely!”

Looking back, my excuse to go and check if it was a trap or a monster was half-hearted.

I felt ashamed. Perhaps I had been too caught up in the adventure, growth, mystery, and uniqueness of this new world.

‘Before we reach the next gathering place, where many parties will be present, we should make decisions more carefully, taking into account everyone’s opinions, just like we did before.’

I felt a deep sense of responsibility, knowing that my choices not only affected my own life but also the lives of my teammates.

‘Let’s go. The answer is to quickly reach the seventh floor and beyond.’

Having resolved the issue, I resumed leading the party forward.

.

.

.

The next day. They left the safe zone made of tombstones and walked silently for four hours.

Just as he was about to suggest taking a short break after lunch, Lumia stopped the party again, just like the day before.

“Stop. There’s something strange on the hill ahead. What should we do?”

Even without her saying it, he could see it clearly thanks to the Chaos.

Despite the hill already being raised, there was a round mound of grass and a pile of debris on top of it, which stood out clearly.

At first glance, the tomb looked unusual—it seemed to be on par with the pit they had encountered a few hours ago. He asked Lumia, who was holding the map, to confirm.

“Are you sure there’s no special mark on the map?”

“Yes. We’re supposed to climb up the hill and then decide which direction to go down… But it feels ominous.”

Although they were still quite far from the tomb, which looked like a grave, there was no reaction yet. However, it was impossible to predict what would happen as they got closer.

The gimmick of the sixth floor was that adventurers who died here would turn into undead and wander around. Additionally, if a group continuously hunted the skeletons that spawned in one place, a higher-ranked species called Skull Crusher would appear.

Occasionally, the ghost-type monster Banshee would also appear near the corpses of monsters.

‘At least it’s clear that the object in front of us is not normal.’

Moreover, as he kept watching, he felt a reddish aura coming from the surface of the tomb-like mound, which made him feel very uneasy.

He met the eyes of his companions and spoke.

“Considering what happened yesterday, I think it’s better to retreat and find another way, even if it takes some time. Any objections?”

Veronica was the first to agree.

“I think so too. It doesn’t look like it’s a good idea to get closer. Let’s slowly back away.”

“Ugh, I agree. Somehow, just looking at it feels dangerous.”

Even Yeriel, the priest, felt the danger, which was enough to convince everyone.

Lumia, who had been quiet, also seemed hesitant to move forward, so he decided to turn back and retrace their steps until the tomb was out of sight.

One by one, they started to back away slowly, keeping an eye on their surroundings.

‘Good, I think we can rest assured now.’

It was when the tomb had become blurry and almost invisible to his eyes.

“Crazy.”

“Ahren? What’s wrong?”

Before Yeriel could finish asking, surprised by his sudden exclamation, he didn’t have time to answer.

Kwoong.

Countless white bones emerged from the mound, quickly forming into a giant pair of arms, lifting the body off the ground.

Then, more bones emerged from the mound, forming legs, and soon, it completely transformed into a giant-like figure and started moving.

Thud. Thud.

Fortunately, it seemed to be moving in the opposite direction.

[A restricted entity has been discovered.]

[Retrieving limited information.]

─────

[Bone Giant Phastus]

A mutant variant formed by the fusion of a higher-ranked species, Skull Crusher, and numerous skeletons.

It takes the form of a grave, approaching adventurers unnoticed, and absorbs them.

It wanders aimlessly, slaughtering monsters indiscriminately, regardless of their species, and feeds on them.

Ten days after its birth, the soul of the Skull Crusher, which forms the framework of its existence, can no longer withstand the mutation and turns to ashes.

[Possessed Traits] (Locked)

Unstable Mutation
Strong Bones
Bone Absorption
Grave Transformation
Bone Explosion
Crushing Stomp

─────

In other words, the entire giant grave was a disguise, and in reality, it was a mutant formed by the fusion of a higher-ranked species and numerous skeletons.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

As the giant moved away, making heavy footsteps, he finally felt relieved.

Damn. Encountering such a terrifying monster in the graveyard made him feel like his mental strength was being drained.

He would rather enter the forest or the corridor, even if there were other parties there, than come back to this place of rest.

Why was it called an avoided area, with warnings about its eerie and gloomy environment and monsters that would wear down adventurers? Now he understood.

‘Why would any idiots camp out here and hunt?’

Probably, a party thought they could take down a higher-ranked species and ended up wiped out.

They must have repeatedly lured monsters near the tombstones of rest, hunted them, and then created a safe zone by infusing mana when they got tired.

‘Since there aren’t many other parties around, they must have thought they had a good strategy… They probably didn’t expect a normal higher-ranked species to turn into a mutant.’

This is why people should consider the consequences before making a move.

They could have earned less money by hunting in other areas, but at least they wouldn’t have died.

Tsk. It’s all their own fault.

He clicked his tongue and explained to his companions what he had just seen.

“Hyaak. As I thought.”

“It did feel strange. It’s good that we retreated quickly.”

“The giant is moving to the left, so we should turn to the opposite side to avoid it.”

Lumia unfolded the map and thought for a moment, then drew a circle with her index finger.

“Here, we can go around like this to the right and then head towards the center.”

“Okay, let’s go that way, and let’s take a break as soon as we see tombstones, even if it’s a bit early.”

After the previous incident with the vortex, he was determined to be more careful. If he had kept approaching recklessly, he might have faced such a powerful enemy.

Even though countless skilled adventurers poured into the city from outside, the lower layers were already this challenging. How much harder would the middle layers be?

‘Maybe I’m just incredibly unlucky, constantly encountering things that others might see once in a few months.’

In that case, what’s the point of having the Luck ability?

He shrugged and started moving.

.

.

.

Two days had passed since they witnessed the might of Phastus and started moving quickly.

‘The portal is right in front of us. We’re almost there.’

As usual, they defeated the group of skeletons approaching them and were about to move again when Banshee appeared right in front of them.

Banshee, a ghost-type monster that adventurers would inevitably encounter while hunting the monsters in the place of rest.

“Kyaaaak!!!”

One of Banshee’s characteristics was its chilling scream, which could shake the fighting spirit of even the most courageous adventurer.

Additionally, it had reduced resistance to black magic and physical attacks, and it was generally weak against attribute attacks and the priest’s sacred law.

‘Of course, no one would be scared by Banshee’s scream.’

Despite being an undead and a ghost, it possessed the cold and flame attributes, which was disappointing as it couldn’t be classified as a darkness-type monster.

“Everyone, focus! Get ready for battle!”

Since it had aggroed them at such close range, there was no choice but to engage in combat.

“Kyaaaak!!!”

Flare!

Realizing that the howling didn’t work, Banshee let out a scream and raised her hands to shoot blue flames.

“Hraaaah!”

Veronica blocked the flames with her shield and shouted.

“Veronica, protect the two of them! Lumia, use your black hand to bind it, and Yeriel, buff and attack with Holy Arrow!”

“Got it! Leave it to me!”

Hwaak!

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

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

After receiving the buffs, he dashed forward.

[Rugen’s Grip]

Lumia tried to bind Banshee with her black hand when the flames were blocked by the shield, but—

“Ugh.”

“Kihihihihi!”

Banshee cunningly floated in the air, skillfully dodging the attack.

At this timing, even if Yeriel shot a light arrow, it was uncertain if it would hit.

Damn. Is it cheating by flying?

“Let’s see if you can dodge this too!”

Pazzak. Pazzak—

‘Lightning!’

Despite the disadvantage of being a close-range physical attacker, he unleashed lightning attacks one after the other.

Kwaang! Kwang!

Kwaaaang!!!

The ground was fiercely struck by purple lightning.

Banshee, who had been flying like an aerial acrobat, was hit by the delayed attack and fell to the ground.

“Kyaaaak!!!”

Banshee, struck by the lightning, staggered with its ghostly body sparking.

Yeriel seized this opportunity.

“Piercing Holy Arrow!”

[Holy Arrow]

Pfyung.

As expected, the undead ghost was weak against sacred power, and the arrow pierced through it.

“Die! Die!”

Pfyung. Pft.

Yeriel, who had been at the back providing buffs, seemed to be releasing her pent-up frustration, continuously shooting Holy Arrows.

Now’s the chance.

I filled my sword with mana and surrounded it with the frost of extreme cold. Before the creature could fly again, now was the chance while it was writhing in pain.

I quickly dashed forward, closing the distance between us. 100 meters… 50 meters… In the moment I was close enough to strike with my sword, I unleashed my lightning.

“Kiaaaa!!!”

Sensing death, the banshee charged towards me, its blue aura flowing like tears. In its last desperate attempt, it tried to possess the body of a nearby adventurer if it fell into a near-death state. The banshee, with its soul possession spell, swelled its spirit and tried to engulf me.

But…

[The chaos eye nullifies the possession.]

Thud!

“Huh?”

The banshee, unable to pass through my body, bounced off and looked bewildered.