Heavy Wallets and the Descent to Layer 2
Seeing the rather heavy money pouches and the bags stuffed full of valuable items, Dorne said to Raon and Lilia, “Kids, let's strip off their padded armor.”
They peeled off the padded armor, which was too filthy to be of any use anyway, and piled it in one spot. A common trait emerged on the torsos of the three men, imprinted with specialized Supernatural Abilities. Dorne guessed this ability was 【Endurance Enhancement】.
At first glance, he'd thought they were newbie explorers with their bulging bags. But stripping off the padded armor revealed pitch-black grime caked around their necks and armpits. In a labyrinth city where magical devices made bathing easy at any inn, there was no reason not to wash up. It wasn't like three filthy guys who never bathed had banded together by chance either.
These guys had been at this far longer than Dorne had imagined. To guard against potential variables—like infection from goblin traps—they'd worn high-quality shoes reinforced with iron plates and relied on 【Endurance Enhancement】 to run until they met someone. (Lilia had already stripped those shoes off them.)
The man who'd offered Dorne a handshake had the same tattoo on his chest as Raon: 【Strength Enhancement】. With that, he could've pinned Dorne's hand and even thrown him down. What Dorne didn't know was that the man had possessed not just 【Strength Enhancement】 and 【Endurance Enhancement】, but considerable wrestling skills as well.
All that was in the past now. The sensation of killing him still lingered in Dorne's fingertips. How had he, who'd only learned basic punches and simple fundamentals right before entering, unleashed such terrifying power? In Earth terms, it was like a rookie bachelor whipping up killer kimchi jjigae from random ingredients bought at the corner mart.
Stuff like that actually happens. With the right ingredients and a dash of luck. But could that bachelor make kimchi jjigae again? If the mart was open, sure.
Dorne was the same. He couldn't master swordsmanship to trace perfect arcs in every situation, but his fingertips told him he could recreate that basic swing he'd learned on the fly against the labyrinth thieves—with devastating power.
With everything sorted, the stench of blood assaulted his nose. After a full day of activity, barely an hour of sleep, and then waking to slaughter the wave and the labyrinth thieves, a belated wave of fatigue crashed over Dorne like a tsunami. His spine felt like it was bending, but it was an illusion. His powerful muscles kept his posture straight, leaving only his burning eyes to blink rapidly.
“Kinda... beat. Didn't mean to, but we made a killing. Let's move a bit and crash again. If an exit portal pops up, just bail.”
He felt weird about dipping his toes in the labyrinth like this, but Lilia and Raon nodded in consideration.
With two bags each slung over their shoulders, Dorne's party turned a corner and settled down for more sleep. The extra thick blankets made the stone floor feel downright plush.
*Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack.*
Dorne's party, now wearing the sturdy shoes looted from the labyrinth thieves, prowled the labyrinth. These shoes sacrificed weight for durability with iron-plated soles—enough to damage a normal person's knees. But for Dorne with his reinforced bones and ligaments, Raon with his enhanced strength, and Lilia the bear beastkin? No issue.
Dorne closed his eyes briefly.
Before sleep, mental exhaustion had made him want to exit, but whether from improved blood flow or something else, he woke fully recharged physically and mentally. (Raon and Lilia had tactfully flipped the hourglass three times, letting him sleep deep.) The emotional residue from the shady trio, the grimy mind games, and the brutal close-quarters brawl had all washed away in that deep slumber.
Thus, Dorne threw himself into swinging his “killer kimchi jjigae” sword strikes like a trusty spear. He'd shifted from labyrinth drifting to proper exploration.
After the unexpected loot windfall, exploring felt even more comfortable. Slinging on extra full bags was no problem. The high-quality shoes shrugged off scratches from the goblins' crude wooden clubs, easing his mind, and unleashing those kimchi jjigae slices freely made fights a breeze.
But Dorne didn't solo goblins anymore. From past experience, his ability acquisition pace was too fast. He'd faced shocking trials, sure, but slain few goblins. The manual only said abilities came from killing monsters, veiling the exact criteria. It could be kill count, trial intensity...
Anyway, he couldn't ignore his party's growth if they were in for the long haul. Dorne sliced up just one or two goblins per pack, leaving the rest to Raon and Lilia.
They cleared seven fights at that brisk pace when a familiar crossroads appeared.
“...This look familiar only to me?”
“Kinda rings a bell, but aren't all crossroads pretty much the same?”
“Yeah, but...”
Dorne had a hunch this four-way split was where they'd met Kerolf. His exploring resume was short, but crossroads were rare—and that was his first one. So maybe?
Dorne's party decided to scout the three untraveled paths from there, hunting the hobgoblin clearing with the exit portal.
*Clack. Clack.* The last path felt promising. Two matching bends in the road... and finally, the clearing.
*Kekekruk!*
A hobgoblin charged at the lantern light. Dorne sidestepped without setting it down, spectating. Raon tanked the front, smoothly blocking the big club without countering. Lilia's spear whipped like a snake from behind, stabbing vital spots.
The hobgoblin bled out and collapsed in seconds—Lilia's final thrust severing its carotid.
Sweeping the lantern around revealed a decently wide clearing. The exit portal gone after their use? Same layout as the crossroads and hobgoblin spot, but not 100% confirmation.
Raon pocketed the magic stone. They backtracked.
Now it was pure probability. Straight from the crossroads, comb every nearby split like rats—find one party with a scout, done. Trailing a party with a free scout without paying? Ethics later.
If they seemed unbeatable full party, grovel and butter up. If fellow layer 2 newbies like them, brazenly tag along.
Starting from one block past the crossroads, Dorne's party scoured every path. They wiped a goblin pack, nearly mapped the place, when they spotted another explorer party approaching lantern-first—a group of four.
“Hey there? We're a three-warrior party.”
“Looks like it. Business with us?”
Their tone was guarded. Three warriors and one scout, by the look: three shield-bearers and a pointy-eared beastkin with a crossbow.
“No plans to mess with you guys. Couldn't even if we wanted. Just wondering if we could tag to the layer 2 portal? We can take point.”
The other leader, lantern lowered to his waist, looked displeased. Boldly demanding a free scout ride? Expected.
Not the most moral move, sure. But Dorne's take?
Screw morals. They don't wanna fight us either. Scout's bolts bounce off our shields, and in melee they can't shoot. Our abilities and padded armor hide everything—no need to risk it.
From their view, best to just agree. Layer 2 portal was close; random drops meant no rematch. No reason to tangle with mystery warriors.
Their leader—affluent enough to hire a scout for two warriors—accepted. “Fine. But we call directions—you lead.”
“Thanks.”
Thus, Dorne's party leeched off the hosts toward layer 2. Raon up front, Dorne in rear. His nape itched like the day before with the thieves.
Dorne's party lit the way safely to the layer 2 portal. Entrance and exit portals differed in color—this one matched entrance hue.
No need to stir trouble; they nodded farewell and touched the layer 2 portal. Vision cleared amid light, lantern sweeping—no goblins. Wider passages than layer 1, party alone.
“Bit wider than layer 1.”
“Yeah. Six wouldn't fully block it.”
No anti-encircle formation—kill before surrounded.
*Kerrrr!*
Unfamiliar goblin cries; a pack rounded the corner. New to layer 1 veterans: charging first, no traps?
Among six: spear-wielding goblin, archer in rear. Spear goblin even wore iron-plated armor.
Dorne and Raon held front; Lilia eyed spear gaps. Stab on openings post-swing, or chaos.
Unarmored goblins clung to shields. Without strong strength, they'd lose grip or get clawed up close.
Shaking them off, fallen goblins sprang up, targeting legs and arms. Spear goblin poked to protect frontrunners; archer loosed crude arrows.
Facing new tactics head-on, Dorne and Raon floundered—front line, spears, arrows. Triple the thoughts.
Dorne slammed a clinging goblin onto the spear goblin's weapon instead of the floor. It leaped back, skewering its own meat shield kin.
Spear paused, Dorne's “kimchi jjigae” cleaved two more. Composed Raon finished the last basic goblin.
*Kek!*
Dorne advanced; spear goblin yanked its weapon free, barking fiercely.
*Kek...?
Dorne's swing snapped the spear; panicked goblin took follow-ups to the throat.
Two explosive steps toward the last archer—Dorne blurted in shock.
“Huh...?”
The goblin, after a few arrows, mounted a waiting wolf and fled tail-tucked around the corner.