Chapter 58
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Labyrinth 10th Floor (1)
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In the courtyard attached to Alensia's mansion, shouts of spirit rang out.
"Hah! Haat!"
It was none other than me, training. At a glance, it looked like my usual sword-swinging practice, but today I'd added something different.
'Longsword storage. Bow retrieval.'
I channeled mana into the bracelet on my wrist, picturing the sword going in while imagining the bow coming out.
"Ugh!"
The result? Failure. I somehow managed to store the sword and retrieve the bow, but I couldn't grab it properly and it clattered to the ground.
"Hmm... this is tough."
I was training to make use of the bracelet Vivian had given me, but even for me—with Heavenly Touch making everything hand-related go smoothly—it was hard to get the hang of.
Heavenly Touch
Hand dexterity enhanced
The bracelet was linked to my inventory, letting me remotely store whatever I was holding in the hand wearing it or pull out items from storage with just a thought.
It was clearly an item with endless potential, so I'd tested it right after getting back to the mansion—but it was harder to use proficiently than I'd expected.
Storing and retrieving items while standing still was easy enough with a bit of focus.
But doing it while moving was tricky. Even a slight lapse in concentration and the item wouldn't store right, or something random would pop out.
And during sword swings or combat, like just now? Way harder. I'd planned to store the sword and immediately draw and aim the bow, but I fumbled the retrieval and dropped it.
Still, there was no denying it was an incredible tool. Swapping weapons on the fly, pulling potions at the perfect moment, or deploying poison—it opened up tons of possibilities.
"You're really putting in the work, Ian."
"Alensia."
As I trained alone in the courtyard, Alensia approached, holding a single sheet of paper.
I wiped sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand and took the paper she offered. As a member of the Labyrinth Guild, she'd written out the criteria for advancing to Intermediate Adventurer.
'Let's see... Trustworthiness: passed. Completed requests: met. Achievements... looks like discovering that ruin carried a lot of weight. Cleared with room to spare.'
I went through the promotion criteria one by one. Sure enough, I'd met a ton of them. No wonder the receptionist said my promotion was just around the corner.
I set aside the minor details. The two big ones for me were "Reach Labyrinth Floor 10" and "Clear Promotion Labyrinth."
To advance to Intermediate Adventurer, you first had to reach Floor 10 of the Labyrinth and complete one request there. I'd only made it to Floor 9, so that was unmet. And the Promotion Labyrinth...
"The Promotion Labyrinth is a simplified dungeon created through collaboration between the committee and the Magic Tower to test adventurers seeking Intermediate rank. It replicates environments similar to the real Labyrinth, with various scenarios inside. It's five floors total, and you have to clear it using only your own power—that's the biggest hurdle for Intermediate promotion."
That was what Alensia meant when she said I'd pass within 30 tries. The trial dungeon reshuffled its internal layout every entry. Plus, you had to go solo, no party, and you could only bring very limited gear.
Anyway, I'd worry about the Promotion Labyrinth later. First up: Labyrinth Floor 10.
I wiped off my sweat and drew the sword I'd just stored. A longsword with a faint reddish glow. It felt identical in length and grip to my old one.
Miranda had called me in because the sword was done—the one I'd commissioned using the troll heart and my broken blade.
"That heart you gave me? It was different from other troll hearts. Using it as material added an effect I didn't expect. The sword itself will have some regenerative properties now."
Unexpected bonus. Was it because the heart held a Regeneration skill stone? The blade could repair minor chipping or corrosion on its own. Great news for me—I'd been holding back on applying Dragon Poison Technique poison out of worry about corrosion.
I did have to pay through the nose for it... but totally worth it. I'd bought a bunch more gear to synergize with the bracelet's functions, and Miranda was thrilled.
She'd grabbed my hand again on the way out this time too... still no idea why.
I wasn't fully proficient with the bracelet yet, but I was ready enough.
Labyrinth Floor 10. Time to go.
No clue if it'd work out, but I had to tackle my picky instructor's assignment.
Floor 10 of the Labyrinth was called the endpoint for Beginner Adventurers, right there in the Intermediate promotion requirements.
Floors 1-10 were known as the Cave Layer, with cave-like scenery, but from Floor 11 onward it became the Forest Layer, full of woodland views.
That said, most Beginner Adventurers stuck to Floor 9. Floor 10 had some seriously dangerous monsters—ones that could show up on even higher floors.
The troll I'd fought last time was one such beast. Even adventurers who reached Floor 10 wouldn't dream of taking it solo.
Reportedly, every 10th-floor boundary in the Labyrinth had outliers like that wandering around. If you weren't confident in your skills, you stayed far away from Floor 10.
"Almost there?"
Of course, that didn't apply to me. The ruins from my last request were around Floor 10 difficulty—or higher. Sure, Lena was with me then...
Oh yeah, after I promote, Lena said we should take requests together. Forgot about that unexpected offer.
Anyway, going solo meant no delays from party movement, and since my goal was Floor 10, I kept Stealth up and avoided fights. Got to Floor 9 faster than expected.
...Well, the recent mutations in the Cave Layer brought out undead monsters, but with my ability to block life-detection senses, low-level undead were no issue.
Plus, rumors of ruins on Floor 9 had adventurers swarming there, thinning out the monsters up to Floor 9. That's why I'd picked a Floor 10 request for now.
"Hey! You there, solo guy!"
A three-person party called out to me as I sped through Floor 9 toward Floor 10. I was still in Stealth... they spotted me quick. Skilled bunch?
"What is it?"
I replied with caution, ready to bolt if needed, but they waved it off reassuringly.
"Whoa, easy. You're heading to those ruins on Floor 9, right? Already been looted clean. Don't waste your time."
"Yeah, total sweep. Barely any monsters left inside."
Total sweep, huh... I thought back to the ruins I'd cleared. Yeah, all I'd gotten were a few accessories and that cursed page. Sold the accessories for pocket change at an antique shop. The paper? No idea. Vivian wouldn't even say what it was.
Still weird, though. The cross we'd found... ruins are supposed to have transcendent durability, but parts were crumbling. Hardly any loot.
Like someone slapped it together in a hurry.
"No worries. Thanks."
I bowed lightly and took a detour to avoid my original path. But that led me to two urks blocking the way.
"Grk? Chiiik!"
"Tch."
Thanks to those adventurers, my Stealth had dropped. The urks spotted me the moment I entered the passage. I clicked my tongue and drew my new longsword. Lately, Floor 9 urks had been grouping up like this. Mutation? Or fallout from the troll? Who knows.
"Chiiiik!"
The urk charged with its club raised. I could've slapped on Sensory Block and toyed with it... but I chose differently this time.
Limit Break
All physical stats explosively enhanced / Duration: 15 sec / Backlash incoming
The moment I activated the skill in my mind, power surged through my body in an explosive burst. I manipulated my mana with Mana Control to amp my physical abilities further, then swung the sword horizontally.
-Shraaak!
"Kweeeek!"
The lead urk died instantly. The second one screeched in shock and turned to flee.
Taunt (Lv. 1)
📍 Effect: Draws aggro briefly
I triggered my new Taunt skill. The fleeing urk's gaze snapped back to me. But contrary to expectations, it didn't charge—it just locked eyes for a moment. Lv. 1 limit?
Still, I closed in fast on the paused urk, slashed its throat, and ended the skill.
"Ngh!"
Just 15 seconds of Limit Break, but agony hit like a truck, forcing me to one knee. Not collapsing like last time, though.
Regeneration kicked in naturally, steam rising from my body. Hunger followed, so I popped the last of my troll jerky into my mouth and chewed. The oily savor and sharp poison tang were exquisite—like my tongue was melting.
-Sssshhh.
"Mmph, it really is melting a bit."
Yeah, I'd coated the jerky with Dragon Poison Technique brew this time. But I forced it down. Poison Resistance held the pain at bay while Regeneration fixed my tongue and throat.
"Ptoo."
I spat out the blood pooling in my mouth. Lately, I'd been practicing short bursts of Limit Break. Normally, overusing a skill that wrecked your body internally would ruin you, but my Regeneration let me brute-force through the backlash. Bonus training for Regeneration too.
I'd tried limiting it to just the swing, but it ran full 15 seconds. Too fine-tuned for Lv. 1?
As I recovered, I infused mana into the bracelet to store the urk corpses. Storing big, heavy things drained mana, but good Mana Control practice.
Fighting with Sensory Block would be easy, but it wouldn't hone my skills. With Intermediate promotion looming, self-improvement mattered more. No Sensory Block in fights this Labyrinth run.
Alright, then.
On to Labyrinth Floor 10.
Labyrinth floors connected via portals, so they weren't physically linked. But evidence showed each floor influenced the ones before and after.
The prime example: Floor 10.
"So lush..."
Stepping onto Floor 10, I was greeted by a cave overgrown with weeds and moss.
Floors 1-9 were cave-like too, but Floor 10 stood out with all the vegetation.
Scholars called it proof the layers were once connected... I wouldn't know.
-Clack. Clack.
Skeletons welcomed me to Floor 10. Tiresome post-mutation regulars.
I kept Stealth up to scout without fighting.
'Swarming...'
Adventurers all on Floor 9 for ruins? My senses picked up way more monsters than the usual Floor 10 density.
My request: harvest Big Horn Moss, unique to Floor 10. Grew like giant horns... but they were everywhere, making it hard to spot the right ones.
'Whatever. Gotta do it.'
After a quick Detection scan, only that skeleton nearby. I hit Limit Break and smashed it in one go.
'In and out fast.'