Chapter 9
Chapter 9
A unique item?
Just by looking at it, I could tell it wasn’t ordinary.
I was already thrilled at the thought that after gaining a new trait, an item would appear too.
“…If I just had that! Damn it, move!”
I had been waiting for the glowing purple mass to transform into an item, when suddenly, everything around me seemed to slow down.
What the hell?
I rolled my eyes and looked around. Hans was reaching out toward the light, moving as if to push me away with his whole body.
‘This crazy bastard…?’
I reacted a bit late in shock, but that guy was carrying a load, and our agility levels were three tiers apart.
I quickly assessed the situation in the Chaos Realm and grabbed him by the nape before his hands could touch the light, throwing him backward.
“Gehk.”
‘That bastard… was trying to steal my unique item just now?’
[Chaos frowns. Such a vile human.]
Wow. I really couldn’t look at him nicely even if I wanted to. This must be what people mean by an irredeemable human.
My blood boiled.
Perhaps because it was just after the fierce battle with Cicero, my hand instinctively reached for the sword hilt, ready to strike.
Whoosh─
Thwack!
A familiar shield flew like a boomerang, hitting Hans squarely on the head.
Derek’s shield?
I turned to see Derek, supported by Bernard, preparing to throw again. He was alive!
“Derek! You’re okay!”
Derek wiped his nose casually and replied with a smirk.
“Yeah. I’m not a man to die here.”
Then his expression grew serious, and he inclined his head toward me.
“Sorry, Aren. I got carried away thinking about returning… Watching a tank flinch after one hit must have been amusing, huh?”
Derek shook his head.
“I heard everything that happened while you were out of it. You’re incredible. We might be facing a future dungeon strategist right now.”
I had been surprised myself when Hans suddenly went berserk, got struck by lightning, and retired from the fight.
But if I hadn’t had the Chaos Realm, I would’ve been electrocuted immediately. It ended well, so fine.
“Haha, you’re praising me too much. Don’t worry too much about earlier.”
The bigger problem, though, was Hans lying there, motionless from the head hit.
Noticing I was hesitating, Derek said,
“Now that we’re returning to the city, don’t dirty your hands. Leave it to me.”
What’s he planning?
“Rather than killing a bastard worse than goblins, it’s more painful to bind him with a slave magic spell with a disclosure-prevention clause and sell him to the guild as a slave.”
Derek winked with one eye.
“Of course, since it’s officially regulated, the magic won’t fail, and there’ll be no consequences! All the money goes to you. Let’s do it where everyone can see.”
I guess this world actually has a proper slave system. And they even manage it with magic.
Could they sell someone to the guild with only testimony, no proof?
…Well, whether it’s memory-reading magic or a lie-detection spell, there must be some proper procedure for it. That’s why he could make such confident claims.
‘Right. If there’s a guaranteed way to handle him, I don’t need to kill him just to vent.’
Logically, I could’ve just cut his throat right away.
But having experienced dungeons and the life of an adventurer, I knew I’d get plenty of bloodshed eventually, even if not now.
For this dungeon run, the only one I needed to kill was… Scarlet.
Shhh!
Lost in thought for a moment, the glowing mass of light shone brightly one last time, transforming into a shape.
A sword?
A black sword about 80cm long hovered in the air.
Its most unusual feature was that from pommel to blade, it seemed solid, one piece, rough and unpolished.
It almost looked like it was made from solid rock rather than metal.
“Phew.”
I exhaled and held the sword, full of anticipation.
[Eligibility check in progress.]
The system window blinked purple, then calmed.
‘Huh, even if Hans had touched it, he probably wouldn’t have succeeded.’
What was he planning after stealing it?
Did he think that after binding it, he could portal out and somehow launder his identity outside?
Clearly, he only knew half the story.
[Eligibility confirmed.]
[The weapon is now bound to the user.]
Information about the sword appeared before my eyes.
────
[Lightning Strike Sword, Barak ברק] (Unique)
Among chieftain-level mutants, an extremely rare tricolor Cicero appears, in purple.
Its mighty lightning manifests as a sword, like a miniature judgment itself.
Though it looks plain and rough, when infused with a certain amount of magic, its true form appears.
─ Grants strong lightning resistance to the wielder.
─ Can be repaired with magic even if damaged.
─ Rarely induces paralysis when attacking in true form.
─ Despite maintaining edge due to the killer’s final intent, the wielder loses one tier of health.
────
Wow. This was my first time seeing equipment show info like this. Even so, I could tell this weapon was far beyond my level.
‘So this basically means I won’t need a new weapon for a long time.’
Perhaps the unique item reflects the battle before the monster’s death, which made it synergize well with me.
If a normal adventurer had gotten it, it would just be a sword that grants lightning resistance and extra sharpness at the cost of vital health.
Even Derek, a skilled adventurer, has magic at E-rank. How could he maintain it while using active traits?
[Chaos calculates the probability of a chieftain mutant appearing, the chance of it being rare, absorbing traits, and producing a unique item… then gives up.]
‘It’s ridiculous, I admit. But considering I fell naked onto the third floor and survived stubbornly, it doesn’t seem completely unreasonable.’
Coming straight out of the portal to the city would’ve been safer, but I wouldn’t have had this party connection or such rapid growth.
Alone, naked, without money… I might have been sleeping on the streets instead of being an adventurer. Ugh, horrifying.
Checking the sword info, I pondered with Chaos when Derek spoke seriously.
“Aren. My last advice before escaping: keep the sword in a plain sheath so it’s not noticeable.”
Derek shook his head.
“Even if you use the sword’s special abilities, hiding it is key. You don’t want hunters or opportunists targeting you.”
Hunters?
“Since it looks different from normal swords, hiding it makes sense… but hunters and opportunists?”
Derek nodded.
“Yeah. Human hunters who thrive on looting and killing, and adventurers who see strong equipment might try to drag you down.”
He shrugged.
“You’re a newbie, so conceal yourself as much as possible, and don’t hesitate to kill if something attacks in the dungeon.”
He pulled a worn blanket from Hans’ bag and handed it to me.
“Wrap it for now. Get a sheath once you reach the city. A unique weapon like this… a third-floor adventurer can barely handle it.”
I nodded.
“Even though it’s bound and can’t be stolen, some might recklessly attack. Remember, excessive wealth just looks like tasty prey to others.”
Derek… I’d never forget him, no matter how famous or strong I became in the city. Truly GOAT Derek.
“Alright, I’ll handle Hans. Talk to the others until everything’s settled.”
“Got it.”
“Since the chieftain is dead, the remaining goblins won’t come here for a while.”
Derek dragged the unconscious Hans and began rummaging through the bag.
Hmm. Considering Derek’s advice, if I used Cicero’s lightning trait now, it’d just cause trouble.
I decided to test the sword and purple lightning once we reached a secluded area in the city.
While organizing my thoughts, Bernard approached.
“Aren, your rough and plain approach is fortunate. Let’s hope this unique item doesn’t put you in danger.”
“Thanks, Bernard. It’s risky, but if I grow with this, one day I might own several unique items and still be untouchable.”
Bernard laughed heartily.
“You already have the confidence and ambition that match your strengths.”
He gestured playfully.
“Ah, can’t talk long, the lady behind me is glaring. Catch you later.”
Bernard left, and Yeriel, puffing her cheeks, ran up.
“A-Aren! You seemed to be having a serious talk with Derek. Wow, that’s a unique item! It looks… simpler than I imagined?”
I smiled at her colorful expressions.
“Yeriel. You waited long, huh? I thought it’d be flashy, but it’s kinda plain, isn’t it?”
She nodded, blushing.
“B-But Aren holding it makes it feel like a legendary sword.”
“Thanks, Yeriel. By the way, what are your plans once we leave?”
I had lots to settle—my identity, Hans’ slave status—but wondered about her.
“Hehe, I’ll probably get paid and head to the Silver Cross Order. I’m also a cleric, and my sister is the commander!”
Wow, commander of the Silver Cross Order. Just the name alone is impressive. Yeriel wasn’t an ordinary adventurer like Scarlet either.
Her eyes shone.
“Aren, you must visit sometime! Mention my name, and they’ll let you in.”
“Sure. It’s a promise.”
“Hit! Promise, huh? And about the party…”
“Everyone, gather! Let’s portal out now!”
Yeriel called, and Derek shouted for everyone to assemble.
“Yeriel, I didn’t catch the last part. Say it again.”
“Let’s discuss it after we leave. It’s important.”
Interesting… I wondered what it was.
“Alright, let’s go to Derek. Did we forget anything?”
“Nope! Let’s go!”
We all stood before the yellow portal.
“Everyone, great job. Let’s settle accounts and rest. I’ll go first!”
Derek passed through, carrying the bound Hans and the bag.
In a flash of flickering light, they vanished. That’s how it felt.
“I’ll wait too.”
Bernard said briefly and left.
“Aren! Stop dawdling, let’s go!”
Yeriel grabbed my hand and pulled me along.
We were finally leaving the third floor. I felt a small tear in my eye.
[Chaos pats you on the back.]
Yeah. Let’s just consider the previous difficulty a broken tutorial. Now, the real start.
Let’s go!
Woosh─
We successfully cleared the third floor and escaped safely.
“Ugh.”
It was my second time using a portal, but I wasn’t used to it yet.
“Aren, you okay? Want me to pat your back?”
“Thanks, I feel better.”
I calmed myself and lifted my head.
…Wow.
The first thing I saw was scenery straight out of a medieval fantasy.
“Nyaa, after all that effort, this is it?!”
“Got a trait, finally! Feels like gaining a trait from clearing a dungeon! To the cathedral, let’s go!”
“Mutton! We’ve earned a treat!”
“Sarah─! No! How am I supposed to live in a city without you? Damn it!!”
Buildings I’d never seen, adventurers’ emotions everywhere…
This is another world…! And there are even beastmen.
Then a strong, strange sensation coursed through my body.
“Kup!”
[Trait acquired: Super Rookie]
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[Super Rookie] [P]
On your first dungeon run, you skipped the first and second floors through some means and overwhelmingly cleared the third floor! You are a figure worthy of anticipation for the journey ahead.
─ When luck grade is below D, it increases by two grades.
────
Super… Rookie?
“Wow. Aren! Looks like you got a trait, congrats!”
“Ugh… thanks, Yeriel. This feels kinda weird.”
So that’s how a trait is gained—someone praised the adventurer who got it.
Does it track how much you struggled in the dungeon? Or is it just luck and probability?
My head hurt, but I decided to just be happy with it.
‘I have a lot to do. Should I find Derek first?’
“Yerieeell─!”
A high, clear voice suddenly shouted. Who was looking for Yeriel?
“Huh, how did you find me, sis? I’m here!”
Yeriel held one of my hands and waved her other arm dramatically.
“Yeriel! I was worried sick! How come you didn’t come out sooner?”
“Sis! I’m an adult now, you keep embarrassing me by calling me a baby outside!”
From first impressions, she was intense in every way.