Survive the labyrinth with EX-grade traits

I was sitting with my arms crossed, looking indifferent, waiting for my meal to arrive.

‘Hmm.’

With my ears wide open, I could hear their conversation clearly.

“Someone might say it’s only been a year, but I think I’ve worked harder than anyone else in the Magic Tower, as a commoner and a poor country bumpkin.”

Ah, so he’s a wizard? I didn’t see a staff, so I wasn’t sure.

“But now, just enduring is not enough. To grow as a wizard and gain recognition, I need to focus on the dungeon and prepare to raise my rank after establishing some theories.”

“But what about us three?”

The wizard in a robe, who seemed fastidious, spoke in a slightly irritable tone.

“At our level, missing a few dungeon trips won’t leave us on the streets.”

He sighed and spoke in a frustrated manner.

“You could use the funds you’ve gathered to learn skills at the guild or training center, or take this opportunity to visit the Grand Library and gain some knowledge.”

“I agree! Honestly, I’ve been feeling overwhelmed lately. I felt like I needed more specialized teaching and knowledge to reach the middle layers.”

The archer agreed with the wizard’s suggestion.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying! If we keep going like this, we’ll still be low-level adventurers after two or three years.”

As I was listening to their conversation, my meal arrived.

“Enjoy your meal!”

“Thank you.”

Two thick, juicy sausages, thinly sliced cheese, oat biscuits, and a glass of mead.

I cut a large piece of sausage with a fork and knife, and when I bit into it, the juices burst into my mouth.

I also took a bite of the cheese and biscuit, and the salty and savory flavors made me smile.

‘Drinking alcohol during the day is a bit much… But it’s just one glass, and I can sober up quickly by circulating my magic, so it should be fine.’

I also took a sip of the bright yellow mead.

While I was enjoying my meal, which was not as good as Roten’s cooking but still satisfying, the adventurers’ conversation was taking a disastrous turn.

“It’s been almost a year, and how long are we going to keep going to the dungeon, wasting money, lazing around, taking a few quests, and then going back to the dungeon?”

The warrior shouted, his neck veins popping.

“Lazing around? Hey, that’s a bit harsh, isn’t it? We all have our struggles and are trying our best! I’ve been listening to you, but it seems like it’s never-ending.”

“You’re all getting too emotional. Let’s calm down, okay?”

The priest with drooping eyes and a docile appearance stopped them.

“Calm down? Since we’re on the subject, Oliver, can you please stop going to the brothel so often? How much more money are you going to throw away like a horny monkey…”

“Say that again. Oliver went to the brothel?”

The wizard, who had been speaking emotionally, suddenly clamped his mouth shut when he saw the priest’s face turn venomous.

“Th-That’s not what he meant. He meant, um, to relieve stress!”

Slap!

“Edwin wouldn’t make up something like this! If it’s hard to relieve stress, at least talk about it. You said you wanted to marry me after you succeeded, but were you just playing with me?”

The priest slapped the warrior, who was trying to make excuses, and spoke angrily.

“Ha, I was just a prostitute to you, Oliver. You’ve been hiding it well! You piece of trash!”

Thud.

Bang!

“Damn it. Edwin, you’ll pay for this.”

“Ugh. Come with me!”

The warrior chased after the priest and left the inn, and the archer also left the table after looking back and forth between me and the outside.

‘Damn it. What the hell is going on here?’

Despite the attention from all around, the wizard sat down in his chair, covering his face with his hands.

“Ha ha. Sorry for the disturbance!”

Finally, when I said this and made eye contact with the adventurers around me, the atmosphere in the inn returned to normal.

“Haa.”

I sighed unconsciously and continued my meal.

Clatter.

When I was almost finished with my meal, the wizard spoke to me.

“Because of us, your meal was ruined… I’m sorry for the spectacle.”

“No, it’s okay. I can’t say anything, but the man who left earlier was a bit…”

“Heh. He’s a reliable and hardworking friend in the village, but he can be a bit light-headed.”

It was an awkward situation, so I finished my meal with a bitter taste in my mouth. Edwin, the wizard, then tried to introduce himself.

“My name is Edwin. Even though it’s not a good situation, I think it’s fate that we met, so let’s introduce ourselves.”

“My name is Ahren. I’m sorry about what happened earlier.”

“It’s all my fault. I’ve been so stressed out from being scolded in the Magic Tower that I’ve reached my breaking point.”

Edwin ruffled his hair and suddenly started telling a story that I didn’t ask for.

“A woman suddenly rolls in from who knows where, and she’s the daughter of the Tower Master or a noble from a ducal family, and she gets all the special treatment.”

Edwin lowered his head with a gloomy expression.

“I, a commoner with average talent, no connections, and poverty, can only feel deprived when I see her from a distance.”

Tap.

I had finished my meal, so I was going to respond briefly and leave.

That was definitely my plan. Until I heard the rest of his words.

“Her name is… Scarlet, right?”

What?

“Yes. The Tower Master’s name is Conrad Ennis, and his daughter is Scarlet Ennis. That’s definitely her name. Damn, even her name is more sophisticated than mine, a commoner.”

Thud!

‘Why is that name being mentioned here?’

I was dumbfounded.

“W-Why are you suddenly like that? Why are you looking so shocked, as if you’ve heard something you shouldn’t have?”

When I came to my senses, I realized that I had stood up and pushed my chair back in shock.

[Chaos pats you on the back to calm you down.]

Before everyone’s attention turned to me again, I sat back down and spoke.

“Can you tell me more about that story?”

“Uh… About the Tower Master?”

“The latter, please.”

Edwin, who was scratching the back of his head and looking flustered, nodded and said he understood.

“Okay. Where should I start?”

“You said she suddenly rolled in. When did she come to the Magic Tower? When did she enter the Tower?”

“I don’t know the exact date, but it’s been at least a few months. The dungeon has opened three times since she arrived.”

After I killed Scarlet and escaped from the dungeon, I went through two more dungeon entrances.

The last time I entered the dungeon, I stayed for more than a month, so I skipped one entrance.

As a result, the time she spent in the Magic Tower is roughly the same as the time after I killed her.

“Did she show any signs of illness or being unwell?”

Edwin laughed as if to say, “Don’t joke.”

“Haha! She was fine, not just fine, but perfectly fine. So fine that she could burn an innocent person to death.”

I doubted my ears, wondering if I had heard correctly.

“Burn a person… to death?”

“The story of her burning a noble wizard to death in the Magic Tower lobby, with a cold face, after he tried to confess and hold her hand, is quite famous among wizards.”

[Chaos shakes her head.]

“The Tower Master used his power to cover up the incident and confined her to the top floor, but I saw it clearly, along with the other members of the school. I remember what she said at that time.”

“What did she say?”

“I couldn’t hear it clearly because I was far away, but I remember her saying something like, ‘No one but that person can whisper love to me. If anyone touches my body, I will burn them to death.'”

“…

“No one knows who that person was, but it’s a terrible thing for whoever it was.”

[Chaos frowns, saying it’s ominous.]

I felt a little dizzy and touched my forehead. Then I continued my question.

“You said she was confined. Was there any news after that?”

Edwin shrugged and said nonchalantly, “It’s just a word, but in reality, it’s like giving her an environment to cultivate her overflowing talent.”

“Cultivation?”

“I heard from a senior in the Fire School that the Tower Master and the elders are taking turns teaching her directly, and they’re using elixirs and items without hesitation.”

Huh, so she’s growing up on an elite course.

“That senior once participated in the processing of a natural elixir, and he almost died of envy because he knew whose mouth it would go into.”

“Still, it must be hard for Scarlet to be confined and not be able to go anywhere, not knowing when she’ll be released.”

“That’s true… But it’s her own fault, right? I’m just envious because I don’t have any support.”

Is it because I heard a story I couldn’t even imagine?

My head is all jumbled up.

“Thank you for taking the time to talk to me, even though you’re not feeling well. As a token of appreciation, I’ll pay for your meal, so please take your time and finish it.”

I nodded slightly at the question of whether I was leaving already, then went to the counter and paid for the food before leaving.

‘Let’s go back first. I’m not in the mood to wander around.’

I got on a carriage and headed to the inn.

.

.

.

I don’t know what I was thinking about on my way back to the inn.

“Huff. Ha!”

As soon as I returned, I was sweating and swinging my sword in the backyard.

“Your sword is covered with distracting thoughts. I was wondering what was wrong because you came back early. Did something happen outside?”

“Ah, Mr. Roten.”

I turned around at the sound of a voice and saw Rotan standing with his hands behind his back, looking at me.

After a moment of silence, I began to speak to Roten, who was looking at me without saying anything.

“If… If the person I killed, the very first person I killed, was alive and well, as if resurrected, and I heard that they were living well. What should I do?”

“Hehe. I can guess what you’re talking about. So, the person you killed wasn’t a royal family member, but a high-ranking noble’s child, a foreign royal family member, or someone with a similar level of honor or strength, right?”

Roten stroked his chin and continued.

“Resurrection-related items are very rare, and only high-level adventurers have them, or they are passed down from generation to generation or strictly managed. Even among the people I mentioned, only a few possess such items.”

‘Roten is trustworthy. Let’s continue the conversation.’

“… Ennis. What about the Ennis family?”

Rotan raised his eyebrows.

“Heh, the Ennis family headed by Conrad. All I know is his strength, but since it’s a family that has a long history, they must have had a hidden way.”

“As I thought.”

“But that’s not the important thing. So, will the resurrected person or their family try to harm you or threaten your life?”

No. That’s not the case. Nothing has happened so far, so the head of the family probably doesn’t know who killed her.

As for Scarlet, I can’t be sure, but looking at her last moments, I don’t think she’ll try to kill me again.

I shook my head and said no.

“Then, you said it was your first kill. Are you still hesitant about killing people?”

“Not at all. Those who deserve to die should be killed. It’s just that the circumstances are a bit complicated. Since I heard that she’s alive, I feel a little strange remembering her last moments.”

Even with my eyes closed, I can vividly remember the feeling of her flesh being carved into and her heart being pierced by my hand, and the voice she whispered before her death.

“Her…? Hmm. Anyway, forget about it for now until the person in question contacts you in some way.”

Roten said this and then continued.

“And no matter how things go, I hope it won’t make Lumia cry.”

[Chaos says this old man is also quite a character.]

“Then the answer is clear. If there’s someone who tries to harm you or your loved ones, I’ll help you without hesitation.”

“Thank you. I feel better after talking to you, Mr. Roten.”

He laughed, “Hehe.”

“Hmm. And your teacher is even more capable than me, right? Don’t be intimidated by unnecessary things, and don’t overwork yourself.”

“Yes. I’ll meditate for a while and then go in. Don’t worry.”

“Okay. After you’re done, show your face to Lumia. She’s already missing you, even though it hasn’t been long since you left.”

He laughed, and his hearty laugh was mixed with an awkward one.

As soon as he left, I sat down with a thud.

‘Yes. Anyway, she can’t come out. Let’s forget about it and do what we have to do.’

Since we’re talking about wizards and Scarlet, I might as well go to the Magic Tower tomorrow to complete the Golem Core delivery request from Haynes.

Let’s go. To the Magic Tower.