To the Third Floor? (1)

The mana explosion inside the creature, triggered by my single-point focus, proved too much for the Full Serpent to withstand. It burst apart in a violent spray, and as I stood there catching my breath amid the scattering flesh and blood, a thought struck me. Those horns aren't the only valuable parts—its scales and hide must be worth a fortune too. I was still lost in that belated realization when—

Flash!

A brilliant light erupted from where the serpent had fallen, coalescing into eight glowing orbs. What is this? A kill reward? Back during the Efusio fight, only the top four contributors had received unique items. With eight orbs here, these clearly weren't unique items.

Just as I stared at the luminous spheres with a mix of surprise and anticipation, whoosh—each orb except mine rose into the air and shot off in different directions. They moved too fast for anyone to react, dropping in front of every adventurer who had joined the battle.

So this time it's equal distribution from the start. I doubt every reward is exactly the same quality, though. Everyone had contributed, but some disparity in the rewards still made sense. Honestly, I could accept Gail, the archer, and the tank each pulling their weight. Even the priest was understandable. But the porter who had stayed in the back with his pack and only used a single scroll? Getting the exact same reward as the rest of us felt off.

Rumble—

"Ugh!"

The surface, frozen by the cold, suddenly cracked. Water began surging violently in every direction. Damn it, what now? Hadn't we finished everything by killing the Full Serpent?

—Aren, you need to get out of there right now!!

Yeriel's voice echoed in my ears. Right. I don't know what's happening, but I need to move! Still, before that—

Byproducts! After all that effort, I'm not leaving empty-handed. At the very least, I need to grab something!

I scanned the area frantically. The surface had turned red from the serpent's blood, with oil and chunks of flesh floating on top. Its hide was torn to shreds beyond recognition. No gray glow appeared, so its Authority hadn't activated. Is there nothing left? Really?

"...Found it!"

A severed head with one horn still attached. I'll take this at least. Without hesitation, I snatched the nearest glowing orb, tucked the head under my arm, and started running.

"Hup!"

Bang!Crack.Crack.

The water's churning grew so violent I could barely keep my footing.

"Aaaah!"

Splash! I froze the surface beneath me just like before and sprinted across it, then leaped at the end like a long jumper, barely making it out.

Relieved, I looked back.

Rumble—Rumble—

With a deafening roar, the water that had formed the pool surged upward as if struck by a giant's palm—then vanished completely in the blink of an eye.

"Huh."

The ground where the pool had been was perfectly restored, as if nothing had ever happened. Did the water disappear because the higher-ranked monster died? Or did the Labyrinth confirm its death and forcibly restore the terrain? Either way, the Great Labyrinth never failed to remind me how mysterious and wondrous it was.

"Areeen—!"

Yeriel and Lumia came running over, Gail's party trailing behind them. They frantically patted me down, their faces full of worry.

"Hngh... You didn't get hurt badly, right? I can heal you, so tell me if you're injured!"

"That explosion looked nasty. Are you really okay?"

I gave them an awkward smile and shrugged.

"Don't worry. The serpent died by my hand, and I'm completely unharmed. Just... a little tired."

"Whew, thank goodness."

They sighed in relief, saying they'd been worried sick watching from so far away that they couldn't help.

Man, nothing ever comes easy, does it? Anyone watching would think I'd gone and hunted on the 10th floor or something.

At first, I'd underestimated the higher-ranked monster, thinking my current level might be enough to handle it. But strength aside, I'd learned once again that monsters like the one we'd just fought possessed unique abilities, so complacency was never an option.

Come to think of it... I definitely grabbed my reward before running, right?

Only after everything had settled did I remember the object still clutched tightly in my hand. I carefully set the Full Serpent's head down from under my left arm and opened my right hand. The bright water-colored orb I'd seen earlier was gone—probably because I'd touched it. In its place sat a brilliant blue gem, glowing like a sapphire.

Hell yeah, this is it! If it was a trait, would it be a water-attribute attack or breath? The ability to change the surrounding terrain? Or maybe recovery in water, barrier creation, or sonic wave emission? With no side effects, I tossed it into my mouth without hesitation.

Water's Blessing?

This... if I get hit by water magic, it'll synergize with Magic Devourer's Mark. It'll also be effective in underwater combat, though I doubt that'll happen anytime soon.

This was my status window while Steel Body was active. Whoa... stat increases on top of a C-rank trait. Not bad at all.

"Did you get a good item? Heh, want to check ours too?"

"Sure, let's see."

First, the one Yeriel was holding.

Oh. This is a great item for priests or mages who lack defensive capabilities. It even has a stack-based activation effect. Yeriel hit the jackpot.

Next was the red orb Lumia held.

This one's not bad either. The magic attack power increase is always welcome, and mental attack resistance covers a wide range, so it's a sweet option. The penalty of occasionally feeling someone's gaze is there, but since it's a D-rank item, it probably won't be too severe.

Anyway, good to know there weren't any duds. The fact that the effects apply just by carrying them is a plus too.

I explained each item's effects to Yeriel and Lumia in full. After listening, they beamed with joy—jumping around or smiling faintly. Hmm, I wonder what the others got. They were all holding their rewards and looking pleased, probably having used appraisal scrolls, so I could glance at them without issue.

Gail had a short spear, the tank Robert had a pauldron, the archer Leila had leather gloves, the priest had a blue potion, and the porter had a dagger. ...A dagger?

Wow. He just stood in the back and used one Fireball scroll, and he gets a D-rank piece of equipment? Lucky guy.

Well, it's not better than my reward, so whatever. As long as it didn't come at my expense, there was no need to feel bad about it. Even a porter needed some combat capability... Congratulations, porter.

From the information, everyone except me had received rewards of similar quality. Did I stare too long? Gail had been talking with his party members and was now walking toward me as their representative.

"Um, thanks to you, we survived. There's a lot I want to say, but first... thank you!"

He bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle.

"It's fine. If you hadn't supported me properly, I would've struggled too. Please, raise your head."

"Yes!"

Gail lifted his head and spoke.

"We've already received more than enough items, so we'll forgo all the byproducts!"

He scratched his cheek awkwardly and added,

"Haha, not that there's anything left besides the horned head you picked up earlier."

"At least we won't have to fight over it. I'll take it then."

I stored it in my pack without refusing. They had seen my spatial bag, but so what? After everything I'd done, if they suddenly turned on me for this, they'd be monkeys, not people.

Gail wasn't done. He thumped his chest and fixed his gaze on me. His eyes burned with intensity. What is this guy about to say?

"If it's not too rude, may I ask your name?"

"My name? It's Aren. Just Aren, no surname."

He suddenly became very formal. The age gap wasn't that big, so it felt awkward.

"I'm Gail Ivein. Please, call me Gail. Actually, there's something I'd like to ask, if you don't mind."

Something he wants to ask?

"What is it?"

"Yes! I was wondering about the secret behind your strength! I know it's a rude question, but I'd really like to hear your answer, whatever it may be!"

"That... suddenly asking about the secret to my strength?"

"That's right. How exactly did you become so strong? If I grow more, could I fight like you someday?"

He must have been deeply impressed by how I'd fought the Full Serpent earlier. I still had a long way to go before being truly strong, yet he was hyping me up.

I thought for a moment. What should I say?

Effort and traits. It's cliché, but those two seem most important. From an adventurer's perspective, the reason good birth matters is all because of traits.

In that sense, Gail already had everything he needed. His trait description for the spear that pierces boulders showed he wasn't lacking in effort. I didn't know if having a surname made him nobility, but at the very least, being from a martial family meant he hadn't been born with a wooden spoon—he had silver or gold.

"Gail, it seems like you already have everything you need to become stronger. Sorry, but I don't really have anything to tell you."

"I see! As expected, the answer is to never rely on luck and to keep putting in blood, sweat, and tears in any given situation! I've learned a lot."

???

"Uh, well. Yeah."

Is this one of those cases where the interpretation is better than the dream?

"Thank you. I won't bother you any further. We're planning to rest here for a bit before heading to the 3rd floor. What about you, Aren?"

"We're thinking of moving to the next floor soon."

"I see. Oh, my party members are calling me, so I'll be going now. Let's meet up in the city sometime and share a meal! I wish you luck!"

"Stay healthy. Good luck to you too."

Gail left with a hearty laugh. What a passionate guy.Yeah. Among all the adventurers, if there are people like Gaspel or Carrix, there are also people like him.

After seeing Gail off, Yeriel spoke up.

"Hauu... Today's been rough too. We're already at this level, so I can't even imagine how Derick reached the 6th floor."

"What? The 6th floor?"

What is she talking about?

"Yeah. When he recruited me and the others... um, Bernard, he said his highest record was the 6th floor and that we could verify it, so we should just trust him and follow."

...Derick had claimed to be a 6th-floor record holder? With those stats and only two traits? We'd only known each other for a short time, but he didn't seem like the type of adventurer who'd lie about something ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like that. Well, maybe reaching the 6th floor itself was true. He probably went as a sub-tank or rear guard, struggled to adapt, left, and then tried to form a party he could grow with. Luck must've played a part too.

The 6th floor, huh. Still feels impossibly far away.

Anyway, Gail's party said they'd rest nearby, so we needed to move to the 3rd floor first. After discussing with the girls, they suggested we head straight to the next ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠floor if I was fine with it, and I agreed.

"Alright, let's go!"

For some reason, I had a feeling the 3rd floor would be easier than the 2nd.

Please, let the 3rd floor pass by safely and normally—just like any other adventurer, nothing more, nothing less.

Step.

After exchanging glances with the girls waiting for my signal, I walked into the portal.

Hum—

Thud.

...?

What is this?

The moment I landed, my eyes widened in bewilderment.

I locked eyes with the adventurer standing right in front of me.

"...?"

Yeah, they're just as confused.

What greeted us the moment we arrived on the 3rd floor, before we could even collect ourselves, was a scene of goblin corpses scattered everywhere, an adventurer party, and two glowing portals shining brilliantly in the distance.