The Advent of Efusio

Boom!

"Get those trash mobs the hell out of here!"

Whoooosh!

"Kyeeeek!"

"Kerek!"

Tap tap tap.

"Don't just stand there like idiots! Move aside, you bastards!"

"What? Over there, don't—."

Damn it.

With the same agility stat and spirit buffs on top of it, I couldn't close the distance no matter what I tried. The gap between having a movement skill I could use without hesitation and not having one was simply too vast.

'Last time we sparred, he could barely pull it off even when he braced himself and focused hard. Did he train separately after getting beaten?'

The silver lining was that he was charging ahead like a living battering ram, clearing the path for me. He blasted straight through before other adventurer parties could even react, carving a route as he went. And whenever monsters blocked the way, he slaughtered every last one on sight, wasting his mana like it was nothing.

'What now? Lightning Step? No. He's not incapacitated like Gaspel was back then.'

If I used Lightning Step to close in on him right now, I'd be downed for a few seconds no matter how hard I gritted my teeth to endure it. Isaac would never miss that opening. He'd kill me instantly.

'His mana is only F+. Should I just follow him like this and wait for him to run dry?'

Too many variables. What if he was carrying mana potions or recovery items?

"Hoo... Haaa."

Hummmmm.

In the end, I couldn't rely on luck or variables. I had to carve my own path forward.

Hummmmmm.

"Hoooo."

I began circulating my mana as I sprinted after him. Focus. Just like how Explosive Sword Technique gathered power in the arm before detonating it, I needed to concentrate mana in my feet and legs, then kick off the ground.

'If the distance keeps widening because I don't have a movement skill, then I'll just make one myself.'

"Huu—."

'Get a grip! You only learned Body Reinforcement after your leg got burned by fire, and Ivelin had to physically move your back for you to learn Explosive Sword Technique. If you mess around and something explodes, what then?'

Worry disguised as caution gnawed at my mind. Fuck. I hadn't learned this anywhere, and it wasn't part of my traits. What if I operated the mana my own way and my legs literally blew off, leaving me crippled?

"Argh, how long are you going to keep chasing me! With that pathetic speed of yours, you'll never catch up no matter how hard you run, you slow-footed bastard—!"

My teeth ground together. If I was such a pathetic coward that I hesitated even after hearing taunts like that, I deserved to die.

"Kwaaaaaah!"

BOOM—!

The instant I felt a stabbing pain like something sharp was piercing the soles of my feet, an explosion roared and I shot forward, charging straight at Isaac.

BOOM!

"Got you."

STAB!

"Graaaagh!"

I thrust my sword, piercing his shoulder, and we tumbled across the ground in a tangled heap.

"Urgh... Blood, my shoulder, my shoulder—aaagh!"

Shiiing!

Isaac curled up, clutching the shoulder where my blade was buried deep, screaming in agony. I ripped the sword free.

"Aaaack—! Huuuu... Why the hell are you doing this to me? Why? Whyyy!"

Isaac yelled and sobbed as he demanded answers.

Why? He was asking why?

"Maybe this will jog your memory? Huh?"

I grabbed the fallen bastard's hand and hauled him to his feet, squeezing as hard as I could—just like he had done to me during our transfer.

"Do you remember this hand? Look at my face. Stare like you're burning it into your eyes!"

Isaac sobbed as he stared at me. Then—

"...Eh?"

His eyes widened so far they looked ready to pop out of his skull.

"Remember me now? Who I am?"

Isaac's lips trembled. He opened and closed his mouth several times before words finally came out.

"No, that time, that— I mean, so..."

So?

"—You fuck! So you're doing all this because I didn't let go of your hand back then? Huh?"

Still gripping my hand, eyes bloodshot, Isaac spat as he screamed.

"Wow! I really never imagined it. So Aren, you were that guy. Hey, honestly, coming to this world was a good thing for you, wasn't it?"

I never imagined he would say something like that.

"Did you go through some body reformation or what? Your skin's freakishly pale and your body's like a damn statue."

"Wow..."

"You've got one cute girl, one with huge tits who only has eyes for you, and you're walking around with two women! You must've gotten some broken trait because you beat the shit out of me in sparring like it was nothing!"

"..."

"I even heard you became the disciple of some Blood Saint or whatever. You probably got good weapons and gear from her too. What kind of grudge could you possibly have against me?!"

I was losing my mind.

"I fell here with nothing. I lived like a beggar, eating garbage, sleeping on the streets, barely got an inn job to earn money before I could even enter the labyrinth."

His body shook violently.

"Instead of being grateful, why is a bastard who already has everything so desperate to devour someone like me—!"

SMACK!

It was too disgusting to listen to anymore. I slapped him across the face without thinking.

"Urrgh."

"Hey. You think I got everything handed to me on a silver platter? Living like a beggar? Working at an inn to earn money?"

Everything I'd gone through to reach this point churned through my mind.

"I— I! While you were safe in the city, I dropped naked onto the third floor and fought for my life, beating goblins to death with my bare fists."

Memories from the third-floor transfer surged up.

"I met the wrong person and had to scream while my leg burned in fire. I even had to kill and stain my hands with blood."

The moment I stabbed Scarlet to death flashed before my eyes. And that wasn't all.

"Before the escape portal, I ran into a mutant. My whole body was electrocuted. I writhed in agony until I passed out."

I clenched my fist unconsciously.

"After escaping, it was nothing but training in name only—getting beaten, falling down, collapsing from exhaustion, then healing with potions. Over and over."

I stared at Isaac as he bit his lip and glared at me, then continued.

"On the day I transferred with you, I was on my way to claim a two-billion-won VIP account after winning the lottery, you pathetic NEET bastard."

"..."

"You probably thought you suffered so much after falling into this world, and now only good things were waiting for you with the trait the gods gave you, right?"

I looked him dead in the eyes and spoke each word slowly, clearly.

"You're nothing but a pathetic little transmigrator who got dragged here with a somewhat useful trait. Got ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it?"

Isaac lowered his head. He didn't move.

"...Bullshit."

"What did you say?"

"Who gives a fuck? You son of a bitch."

What a consistent bastard. I was done. Getting angry would only make me look like an idiot.

I threw him to the ground roughly and approached.

"Yeah. This tiresome, shitty connection that followed us from the other side. Let's end it here."

"Wait—"

He lifted his head and tried to speak, but I ignored him. I raised my sword to cut his throat clean off.

Squish—

Isaac pulled a dagger from his belt with his good arm and stabbed himself in the heart.

What? If he was going to die anyway, why stab his own heart?

Isaac coughed up a mouthful of blood and smiled at me.

"Puh, heh. If only I die, it's unfair. Let's all get fucked together, you bastards."

"Disgusting piece of shit. Causing trouble even in death."

Slice.

I poured mana into my blade and severed Isaac's neck.

"...That feels good."

I'd killed another person, but unlike before, this time I felt truly refreshed. Forgiveness is the best revenge? Revenge feels empty? Not even close. Only now could I finally shake that bastard off my life and truly begin my second life in this world.

"Oh."

When he died, a gray light appeared at the center of his body. It was supposed to be extremely rare for power-type traits.

That was when it happened.

Rumble—

"What... what's going on?"

Something was happening.

"Wow, I really never imagined it. So Aren, you were that guy from back then."

...

...

On Earth, I was undeniably human garbage.

After dropping out of college, finishing my public service, and spending nearly until age thirty living at home doing nothing but eat, game, and sleep—the life of a complete bum. I relied on being the eldest son to suck my parents dry for rent and living expenses even after I was forced to live on my own.

So... I thought I'd be the protagonist in this new world.

Since I'd been transferred and all, I decided I'd live like a proper human being from now on, unlike on Earth.

'Heh heh, protagonist my ass.'

On the first day I was summoned, the Wind God Nefer had said it. To put an end to the war between the gods, various deities were summoning humans who had cleared the rifts in their game and sending them into the labyrinth.

Damn it... Was that why?

The hidden pieces in the city? The guys who arrived before me must have swept them all clean. Nothing was left. Star Sword, Veil of Night, Prayer of the Holy God, Burning Red Plum Blossom, Sky Steps—everything. No doubt the few other transmigrators whose names ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠were already famous in Labyrinth City had taken them all.

One thing bothered me. When I asked around about the famous ones, I heard stories of an apostle who had been active for decades and was practically considered a legend. I thought this game had only been out for less than ten years. Was the flow of time different between Earth and this world?

Anyway. After falling into the city, I walked around looking for hidden pieces or pathetically asked around for information. I ate food waste like a beggar, begged for scraps, and luckily managed to get a job at an inn.

After that, I worked hard, earned money, bought some low-grade equipment, registered at the guild as an adventurer. Fuck... In the middle of it all I got my ass kicked by some flashy bastard who walked around with women. But I told myself I'd soon ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠surpass him and prepared to enter the labyrinth.

With the trait the god gave me and my high agility, I joined a party. The result was this mess. And it turned out that Aren guy was the same bastard I bumped into back then?

If I had been him, I would've been losing my mind with joy at the start of my otherworld life. Yet that bastard lowered his voice like he'd suffered so much and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠poured his heart out.

"Who gives a fuck? You son of a bitch."

'So I'm going to die by him after all? This pointlessly?'

─The 30th floor is still unreached. Layer bosses have been discovered on the 5th, 10th, 15th floors and so on, up to a total of 25 floors.

─Because the adventurers who discovered the conditions kept them secret for their own reasons, very few people know how to summon the bosses.

Suddenly, Berkel's words came to mind. Only every five floors? That was only half right.

'Whether it's an exception to the rule, there was definitely a layer boss on the first floor, yet no one knows about it?'

In the game where I had no talent, I couldn't even reach the second floor for nearly six months after starting. I kept dying with worthless NPCs. One time I got so angry that I did it on purpose. Thinking I'd ruined another character tree, I rested in the central area, then stabbed my heart with the default dagger from my inventory and killed myself.

As I was about to move to the next character creation screen, something strange appeared in the system log before shutdown.

After that, I recreated my character several times and tried the same suicide in the first-floor central area to see if I could use it somehow. I learned that the boss name changed to "Beginning's xxx" every time, but if the character died and only companions remained, it was game over. Useless.

Methods like obtaining a revival item for companions to use immediately were impossible back in the first-floor days. I experimented stubbornly, but there was no guarantee I'd be able to defeat it even if I summoned it.

In the end, after pouring in several years to become skilled and climbing the floors, I had forgotten all about it. It was supposed to stay forgotten.

Now the playable character was a transmigrator who received the gods' power. And there were other transmigrators besides me? Yet no one knew about that method?

Yes. Perfect!

The layer boss I discovered first, the one no one else knows about, the one I could never defeat. You take it.

'It's my last gift to you on the way there, you bastard.'

Squish—

"Puh, heh. If only I die it's unfair. Let's all get fucked together, you bastards."

...

...

Thud.