The Wolf-less Goblin Desperately Craved Oblivion

The goblin who had lost his wolf and become a mere foot soldier felt like he was about to faint—and he desperately wanted to.

He couldn't even imagine what kind of gruesome ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠end that mad human would grant him.

Clang! Dorne dropped the iron shield and didn't bother beating the insolent goblin senseless. Instead, he simply grabbed both its ankles with the hand that had been holding the shield.

The bewildered goblin—the wolf rider—dangled upside down like a piñata.

Dorne swung his hammer with his right hand, massacring the surrounding goblins, while using the goblin in his left hand to smash into the heads of others.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Dorne shattered the skulls of three goblins using the wolf rider's head, then hoisted the gripped ankle high above his own head to lock eyes with the goblin.

"You've got a real thick skull. A genuine blockhead, huh?"

Like a housewife cracking eggs on eggs, Dorne bashed goblin heads against the wolf rider's skull.

"Let's see how long you hold out. Haha! Hahaha!"

Dorne wielded the upside-down goblin like a weapon. With experience and abilities amplifying his strength, the Dorne-less Dorne party—and the five entangled explorers—fought on amid the blazing heat of battle. The frenzy was dying down. Nearly all the goblins lay dead.

"Wahahahaha! Huhahaha!"

Sometimes, when cracking egg on egg, the first one grabbed turns out tougher than the rest.

"What a sturdy head!"

The wolf rider goblin was just such a case. With no more goblin skulls left to smash, Dorne swung the battered creature—mixed with terror, pain, and concussion—in repeated arcs, slamming it into the left ground, then the right.

It resembled half a sparklers show. But in goblin sparkler play, blood sprayed instead of sparks.

Slam, slam, slam, slam, slam, slam, thud...

The wolf rider's head, used to crush fellow goblins, finally gave out, splattering like a pancake on the stone floor littered with goblin corpses.

Huff, wheeze... huff, wheeze—Sip, wheeze... s, wheeze...

After the uproar, Dorne caught his ragged breath. The five explorers, caught in the chaos, felt intimidated by his hunched, gasping form. Forgetting even to loot, they crept toward the Layer 3 portal—like people terrified of provoking a tiger.

Dorne called out to them.

"Huff... hey. Wheeze... got any spare water?"

The small-statured man with the crossbow jumped like his butt was on fire, rummaging through his bag.

"H-here you go—!"

He clambered over the goblin corpses and handed over an embroidered waterskin.

Dorne took it, but a question arose as he drank.

Gulp, gulp. "This really spare? You've got a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠full party."

"Of course, of course! If you haven't drunk it, it's spare water! Absolutely!"

Dorne's considerate words showed no trace of his earlier madness. Yet to the five explorers, he seemed like someone hiding something immense.

"Then I'm grateful. Grab some magic stones too—you fought with us."

"Yes, sir!"

The eight explorers began butchering the piled goblin corpses in the clearing.

"So, Arvin, you're not an explorer?"

"No, sir! I'm just the merchant guild leader's son, and these are the hires..."

The small man who handed over the embroidered waterskin wasn't an explorer—he was the son of a guild leader. And not just any guild; one so massive it dwarfed even Lilia's father's operation. According to her, it was the premier merchant guild of East Labyrinth City: the "Right Labyrinth Guild."

Arvin, just 17 with a small build fueling his inferiority complex, had begged his father to let him enter the labyrinth. He figured since they were spending anyway, they'd tour up to Layer 3.

For some reason, Arvin now idolized Dorne as his lifesaver and role model. Gazing up at him, he looked like a high schooler meeting his coolest senpai.

"By chance, did you see an exit portal on the way in?"

"Gasp. Big bro leaving already?"

"Yeah. Gotta if we can. Variant goblins trashed our bags. No supplies left."

"Perfect timing—there's an exit portal on our path! But... could I join you? These guys are just hires; they can handle Layer 3 without me..."

"Why tag along?"

"I've glimpsed the labyrinth's horrors, but more than that, I want to repay my lifesaver big bro and sisters somehow. You lost most gear to variants—how about I provide a villa for your stay?"

Dorne slung his arm over Arvin's shoulder like a sly fox.

"Aw, didn't know you had such a dutiful heart. Shall we head out together then?"

And so, the seven explorers and one tagalong gathered and split the goblin magic stones, then parted ways.

"Hans. Come to the guild when you exit. We'll pay the balance."

"Got it."

The seasoned-looking party of four headed to the Layer 3 portal. Dorne eyed the beaming Arvin approaching.

"Arvin. How'd you trust a stranger like me enough to send your party off? We're only going to the exit together, right?"

Arvin laughed.

"Haha. You seem like a good guy. Merchant work is half selling goods, half reading people."

Dorne's party chuckled and headed for the exit portal. Time to really rest.

● Another anomaly. The "+1" next to new ability choices. The labyrinth's boon to Dorne's party for overcoming Layer 2 impossibilities.

Dorne picked [Large Skeleton] without hesitation. Perfect synergy with 【Iron Man】.

'And if memory serves, this combos from two material abilities.'

'Grab [Weight Increase] here too?'

Two abilities imprinted in succession, skin burning hot. (【Iron Man】 nullified the pain.)

Cost-effective combo from two materials. Underpowered for a combo, by rights. The ability tiny Arvin desperately craved. Perfect twin to 【Iron Man】.

Dorne's height and build swelled with 【Giant】.

Riiip—zzzt!

Deep-shadowed eye sockets from exhaustion, massively flared pecs and cannonball shoulders, scale-like obliques on his sides, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠thighs split into four ridges, calves bulging even from the front. A towering 230cm frame. And through the torn padded armor, two ferocious tattoos.

The kind of look that could make someone faint in a bathhouse.

Huuuuh!

Arvin endured the brief imprint pain, witnessing his idol evolve into a god. Mouth agape, he could only watch in awe.

Raon and Lilia, imprinted back-to-back, clutched their burning chests and grinned. They'd likely completed 【Fighting Spirit】.

Eresa's ears and tail perked excitedly.

"Me too! I got one too!"

The lesser panda hopped in place adorably.

"Arvin. Mind guiding us to the villa first? Over two days awake—I'm beat."

"Y-yes, right awayyy!"

Dorne's party crashed for 24 hours straight in a villa free of goblins, night watches, or noisy neighbors.

The hardest worker, Dorne, woke first. (This is 【Iron Man】!)

He donned 【Giant】-sized clothes already prepared and sought Arvin.

"Arvin. Thanks. Any chance for some food?"

Arvin gawked at the chest muscles bursting the 【Giant】 shirt, forearms filling the short sleeves, thigh ridges bulging through the fabric. He clutched his head like a fangirl meeting an idol, mind reeling.

"Of course, sir! It's repayment to my lifesaver from the start—you could just demand it! I've already asked Dad; gear befitting the pinnacle of manhood, Dorne sir, is in production..."

"Good. Bring it to the villa. Eat with us."

"Yessiiiir!"

Arvin's reply packed more punch than a single exclamation could convey.

Dorne sat in the villa dining room, awaiting food and comrades.

Party members trickled in, one by one.

At the table's center lay a book transcribing ability tattoos—a considerate touch for the newly empowered Dorne party.

'Kid's got hidden talent... Lousy explorer buddy, but excels outside adventuring.'

Dorne had no need but browsed anyway, time on his hands. 【Iron Man】 and 【Giant】 matched perfectly on his chest.

Comrades arrived before food. He passed the book to Lilia and Raon.

"No need to check, but still—take a look. I did."

Raon and Lilia flipped to 【Fighting Spirit】's page.

"Big bro. We completed 【Fighting Spirit】."

"Way faster than expected. Never heard of this."

Completing a four-material combo on Layer 2, graduating beginner status? Not in Lilia's knowledge. Even combos don't auto-make mid-tier explorers. Only proven performers count.

A lone 【Giant】 just makes you tall—not mid-tier.

Proven ones like 【Fighting Spirit】 earn respect. To grow fast like Raon and Lilia: endure massive trials first. Nail your starter ability. And limit party size—too many splits rewards.

Refreshed Raon and Lilia coated palms with 【Fighting Spirit】, getting the feel, when Eresa burst in.

"Guys! Slept well? Listen—I got an ability too! But it uses mana! So I tried it... and!"

Fresh from bedhead, Eresa bounced with joy.

"And what?"

"Ta-da—【Inventory】!"

The warrior trio's eyes bulged.

"Whoa—sis, insane! Totally OP!"

"Kyaa! Kawaii!"

The bear beastkin 【Fighting Spirit】 holder hurled the tiny lesser panda skyward, spinning her gleefully.

【Fighting Spirit】's materials: [Strength Boost], [Agility Boost], [Endurance Boost], [Durability Boost]. Coating body or gear burns stamina, but materials permanently raise max stamina, no cost.

Combo doesn't erase materials. Eresa's 【Pathfinder】 still uses [Danger Sense].

"Raon. Find 【Inventory】 ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in the book."

"Uh, big bro... can't read..."

"Ah... gimme."

"Yes..."

"Wanna learn letters?"

"Yes."

Dorne promised evening lessons, flipping past warrior abilities to common ones.

Flip, flip, flip.

The pages halted at 【Inventory】's tattoo.