Tracing the Veteran's Trail
Following what they presumed to be Kerolf's party's route in reverse, they emerged into a clearing.
Another clearing... The labyrinth guide didn't mention exit portals only appearing in clearings. Just coincidence?
An exit portal shimmered in one corner of the clearing, while a single hobgoblin lay dead in the center. Shining the lantern revealed its skull split cleanly from the crown to the bridge of the nose—clearly the mark of Kerolf's axe. His party had taken the magic stone but left the hobgoblin's claws and nails behind. Remembering the Warrior Guild bulletin board's request for hobgoblin claws and nails, Dorne harvested a total of twenty.
He wrapped them roughly in a scrap of cloth and gathered near the exit portal.
"Alright. Double-check your gear so nothing falls out, then grab hands."
The party clasped hands and placed them on the exit portal. Their figures scattered like sand.
-Nngh...
-Ah...
Raon and Lilia both felt the heat of their first ability imprints. Morning sunlight bathed them.
Dorne had planned to pick Iron Bone first if both Iron Bone and Iron Skin appeared. But seeing Iron Muscle alongside them sowed confusion.
Ah! Duplicate imprint!
"Duplicate imprint" or "duplicate bestowal," as the guide explained, was an extremely rare phenomenon. Like how seeing an item sparked desire to own it, or how a wallet opened automatically near the end of a sale, or how one bought in bulk even without need at a discount... Iron Muscle tugged at Dorne's mind with gravitational force.
Slapping his cheeks, he hurriedly selected Iron Bone. A duplicate Iron Muscle imprint was rare luck unlikely to repeat, but practically using it would be problematic. His lungs couldn't keep up, preventing full performance even now. A duplicate might cause tendons to rip bone shards loose from overly powerful muscle contractions.
Iron Bone began transforming Dorne's body like Iron Muscle. Heat bloomed around the Iron Muscle tattoo as his skull to toe bones all morphed.
The Iron Bone imprint might improve gas exchange in his lungs, compensating for breathlessness from overusing Iron Muscle.
Why would Iron Bone enhance gas exchange? Human blood is made in bone marrow. He anticipated increased blood volume and efficiency for oxygen transport.
"I-I got an ability!"
"Me too, hyungnim!"
Exiting the labyrinth relaxed their tension; Raon now called Dorne "hyungnim." (He'd briefly used "party leader" after being overwhelmed by Dorne fighting the goblin wave.)
"Good. What ability?"
"Dunno what it is. Gotta check the temple tattoos!"
"Right, yeah. Not exact till then. Head straight there?"
Lilia eyed the three explorers laden with four bags.
"Spoils first, I think."
Dorne emerged from the Warrior Guild building, having turned in the hobgoblin claws and nails for the quest reward: 2 silver. A plain hobgoblin kill netted 2 silver, but spotting the quest and harvesting claws bumped it to 4. He'd skimmed the bulletin board on exit. Special byproducts like hobgoblin parts usually had takers.
Dorne, Raon after selling magic stones at the Labyrinth Guild, and Lilia after offloading spare gear from fallen explorers gathered outside the Labyrinth Guild. Then to the temple to identify their imprints.
Dorne touched the hilt of the one-handed sword at his waist. He'd once planned upgrading from his crappy club to a fine longsword. Seizing the chance, he'd ditched the club for a farmed one-handed sword.
Lilia ran up, money pouch in hand, breathless and beaming.
"Huff. Huff. Here, oppa. 1 gold 30 silver. You hold it all."
Dorne gave a wry smile at Lilia's "oppa." Starting his second life in an orphanage, he'd grown close to non-blood siblings, but he pondered if such light party vibes were okay.
Collecting Raon's magic stone earnings too, Dorne secured the pouch. The now-cohesive party headed to the temple.
The temple differed from expectations—less solemn worship, more like a "priest guild." Explorers swarmed, seeking priests for parties; boards plastered with verbose quest applications abounded. Older priests scanned them with fresh-eyed rookie zeal.
Dorne's group noted future-use boards while glancing around.
<Ability Tattoo Comparison Room>
Separate doors for men and women.
"Quick check, then inn for rest."
Lilia nodded and entered the women's room. Dorne and Raon entered the men's, awed by walls crammed with tattoos. Stone walls bore every tattoo; names below, no descriptions—those at guilds, apparently. Why not centralized? Beyond newbie Dorne's grasp.
No need to strip, but Dorne did anyway.
"I'll check yours, hyungnim."
"Thanks. That's Iron Muscle. Just spot the other. I'll check yours."
Scanning the jumbled tattoos—imprinted in discovery order?—they found Raon's.
Fighting Spirit material ability Strength Enhancement... Lucky!
"Hyungnim! Found it. Iron Bone!"
"Yeah, got yours. Strength Enhancement. Fighting Spirit material."
Raon's lips curved in a grin.
"Heh heh... Thanks!"
"Not to me. Haha, gear up and out. Hope Lilia checked solo fine."
Exiting, Lilia bid farewell to a female explorer.
"Thanks. Your turn."
"Lilia noona! Out early!"
Raon beamed, declaring his ability.
"Strength Enhancement. Yours, noona?"
"Agility Enhancement."
"Both got Fighting Spirit materials. Congrats."
Raon and Lilia hadn't just gotten Fighting Spirit materials—they perfectly patched their weaknesses. Considering specialized ability variety, surviving another goblin wave wasn't bad luck.
"Out quick, Lilia."
Dorne recalled women taking forever in saunas or pools.
"Yeah. Asked someone with the same tattoo while stripping."
"Got it. Abilities confirmed—grab inn rooms, crash hard. Re-enter tomorrow or next."
"Yes."
"Yeah."
Back at the Beginner Forge Inn, Dorne's party rented rooms and washed up. All three crammed into the room with two beds for Dorne and Raon.
Now heavier with added Iron Bone, Dorne sank the bed deeply.
"Alright... Settle this expedition's earnings. Rough start, but over 2 gold."
Taking Raon's managed pouch, Dorne added gear sales, hobgoblin quest, magic stones. Gold and silvers spilled on the bed.
"Per pre-talked split: me ~1 gold, you two ~50 silver each."
Raon eyed 50 silver, calculating stew meals (30 copper each).
"Proposal before split."
They focused on Dorne.
"Initially, unsure your combat, trust, non-combat skills, abilities—so considered disbanding."
Raon pursed lips anxiously; Lilia smiled softly.
"Now I trust you. Aim for 6-man full party: 3 warriors, mage, scout, priest? We're solid warriors."
"Hyung..."
Raon teared up at the warmth.
"Sounds good. Oppa slaughters 20 goblins solo—no need to say more. Raon, for ex-farmer 'human,' impressive. Will grow stronger."
Brotherly respect plus mature peer praise flustered Raon.
"Noona...!"
"So, today's earnings all to party funds. No urgent gear needs; potions, rations from common pot right."
"I'm for it."
"Me... me too! Haha!"
Colleagues' praise unlocked Raon's heart like a key. The 18-year-old grinned wide, shedding reserve for boyish openness.
Morning stews, roast chicken, beers emptied, Dorne's party retired for deep sleep. (Witnessing their Earth-style mukbang, some patrons ordered more chicken.)
-Snore-
-Grooo-
Raon snored on the bed against the opposite wall from eyes-closed Dorne.
Iron Bone boosted max stamina. Dorne didn't just read the status on his eyelids—he delved deeper, contemplating his whole body.
Iron Muscle-strengthened muscles, heart, organs intact. From East Labyrinth City dawn, goblin nail wounds on leg and torso fully healed by his Layer 1 dragon potion and Lilia's Layer 3.
Focusing on freshly morphed Iron Bone bones, he sensed their new strength. Not numerical, but now resisting compression, shear, all external forces—plus heavier. Partially offsetting light weight hindering Iron Muscle power.
Completing Iron Man with remaining Iron Skin should eliminate Iron Muscle's weight issues.
Iron Bone-fortified bones buzzed inside. Marrow churned in pelvis, spine, limbs—replacing blood cells. "Hematopoiesis," one bone function, active. Iron Bone enhanced bone function and durability, compensating lung weakness vs. Iron Muscle, boosting white cells/platelets for infection resistance.
💨 Stamina: 33→34/90
Dorne's consciousness sank into restful darkness below sleep...